《Welcome to Zealandia》
Chapter 1: The Accident Filled Anniversary
Dear Reader,
What a crappy way to start the writings of the history regarding Zealandia and the fall of man. It could be worse. I could have started with ¡°Dear Diary¡± or ¡°This begins the history of Zealandia¡± Oh well, it is started and I guess are curious about who I am. I am James. I am the father and husband of EMI the creator of Zealandia. Before you get creeped out by that statement, I am not actually her father. More like an accidental creator. I will go into details about it later, otherwise, you will just be confused; trust me.
I used to be you typical slave-wage company man earning way below his worth in a highly stressful company job in marketing fulfillment. I tried hard not to make waves, but as I think back on it most thought that meant I was weak and easy to use. I didn¡¯t need the job, it just kept me busy until I could spend time with my wife, Susan. She made 14 times the amount I did working for the government researching stuff. I asked many times what exactly she did. She smiled and replied, ¡°If I told you, I would have to kill you.¡±. I eventually gave up asking after our first year of marriage. Our marriage certainly wasn¡¯t easy. When we got engaged my dad had disowned me because she wasn¡¯t Christian. He was never happy with anyone I dated. He would always find something wrong with everyone, ¡°Tattoos are the mark of the Devil.¡± and ¡°Tongue piercings are the sign of a whore.¡± were some of the best excuses he came up with. When he threatened to cut me out of the will, I told him to go fuck himself and never looked back. (I really don¡¯t know if it is proper to say ¡®fuck¡¯ in a historical document, but I think accuracy is more important than politeness).
The real betrayal was from my best friend at the time, Paul. After telling him I was going to propose, he told me that if I did he would never respect me anymore. Apparently the fact that Susan made so much really rubbed him the wrong way. I was so shock and betrayed to find out, Paul¡¯s real feeling that I broke off our friendship and never looked back. Susan never found out the whole story but I think that she had an idea about what happened between us. I still think I made the right choice and would never take it back. I think it helped our marriage last for the next three years. It wasn¡¯t easy, we fought some and loved each other more. We spent time learning about each other¡¯s dreams and hopes. I learned that she wanted to change the world by breaking the bonds of death and that most of the time she does something that excites her, she really doesn¡¯t think about how it can go wrong. She learned how I was a depraved beast in bed and that I had trust issues.
Every night I stayed up waiting for her to come home with takeout being warmed in the kitchen. She would always walk in throw her keys into the crystal dish by the door and smile at me with those deep hazel eyes, I would smile back hug her and run my hands through her jet black hair. After holding the moment I would follow her into the kitchen always comment on how beautiful she is. It would always make her giggle when I did that. I was glad that she knew how much I cared for her. And after the Mandarin lessons she has been giving me, I have more ways to express it (She actually taught me Mandarin so I would know what her parents are saying behind me back. They called me the prized cow when they think Susan isn¡¯t listening). For three years we have been a very happy married couple, or so I thought, which brings us to the beginning of the end that I mentioned before this long tangent.
I was at work in my small cubical doing things that a trapped cubicle monkey would do. This time I was in rapture staring at the clock. I took a half day and I was excited to get out of there. It was my third anniversary and I was going to give my sweet Susan a surprise that she would never expect. Within the first weeks of marriage, I tried cooking for her. It was a disaster, she ended up being hospitalized 2 hours later and getting her stomach pumped because she ate poison. How was I supposed to know that peach almonds contained arsenic? Since then, I never touched the kitchen with the exception of keeping takeout warm. This has always bothered me and left a sour wound in my mind, I decided that I needed to overcome this and I spent the last month learning how to cook from a professional. I got the hang of it and learned how to make my own dishes. All I needed to do now was to get out of this hell hole, get lunch, get the fresh ingredients, and get home. I looked at the clock and saw that it was finally noon. I grabbed my stuff and rushed out. If I had known that this would be the last time I saw these guys, I would have at least said goodbye, but I am getting ahead of myself.
After I grabbed those items, I drove home. Instead of using the garage, I parked in the entrance driveway. Yes, my home has a separate driveway for guests. I live in a very large Tudor with eight rooms. I loved that house. It was my sanctuary against the world. I do have to admit that it was a little large for our needs and wants but it was really cheap at the time we bought it. Once I parked the car, I grabbed the mail and entered the door. I placed my keys in the crystal dish by the door and turned left towards the kitchen.
After placing the bags on the island counter, I proceeded to organize the mail. After reading the third letter, I was stunned to silence by a feminine cry of ecstasy coming from the bedroom. A cheeky grin crept across my face as I realized that the cries were from Susan. I thought that I was going to get a chance to celebrate now and after dinner. I proceeded to sneak over towards the bedroom. The door was open partially as I maneuvered my face to peek in. The first thing I saw was Susan¡¯s head. She was on her back positioned sideways on the bed. I thought it was strange because she usually had her head against the headboard when she normally masturbated Then shock jolted my brain. Both of her hands were supporting her neck. I adjusted my view to see a redheaded woman between her legs. I focused more on the unfamiliar site and recognized her voice as she teased my wife. It was her secretary! I heard that voice almost every other day on speakerphone. Is this why she was out late for the past year? I shifted my hips as I discovered how tight my pants had become. I was aroused! I can¡¯t blame myself it was a hidden fantasy of mine to have a threesome with a beautiful redhead and my Asian wife. But this was more painful than the movie led me to believe. My heart fell into my stomach and shame flooded my chest as I turned away. Shame for seeing such a personal act and getting turned on. I walked towards to front door going faster with every step. I grabbed the keys violently and knocked the crystal dish over. I turned back to watch it shatter as thought about how my heart shattered as well. Anger flooded me as I threw open the door got back into my car and started it. I saw the silhouette of my wife at the open door as I threw the car into gear and hit the accelerator.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.
I turned onto the highway and accelerated as fast as I could. My vision was blurred by my anger and tears. My throat became a lava bed of heat and burning from holding back the tears as best as I could. About halfway down the on-ramp, my back pocket vibrated. I pulled it out and saw the image of Susan on the screen. I lost it and bawled like a toddler with a stubbed toe. My nose began to run as freely as my eyes. I tossed the phone out of to open window and turned to look at the road. I saw a landscaping truck in front of me was stopped at the traffic meter. I slammed on the brakes and turned the steering wheel to the left. The car went sideways and slide towards the truck. The car almost flipped twice as I saw the steel support beam extending from the landscaping truck¡¯s bed come closer to me. It seconds past, but time seemed to slow down as I thought about my now shitty life. I closed my eyes and sucked in a quick breath bracing for the impact. Instead, I heard a metallic crunch and the sickening sound of meat rendering. I tried opening my eyes but my vision was blacked out and then I passed out.
Pain was all I felt when I finally came too. I stared at the dash clock trying to figure out how long I was out. The number kept vibrating so I was unable to read them. The pain never stopped and almost kept me from recognizing the sound of heavy machinery in the background. I felt something shift in my stomach and the pain exploded. I looked down and saw what appeared to be a steel beam sticking out of my gut and going through the steering column. The pain increased even more as a moan of sheer agony escaped my lips. I heard someone outside of the car yell ¡°Wait!¡±. Then the noise and vibration stopped. A head poked in the car and I saw a man in a police uniform looking at me. ¡°Hey buddy, I am sorry for the pain but we need to cut you out of the car. Once we have, we can then get you to a hospital. I need you to hang in there for another minute.¡± I looked at the officer and nodded with a weak smile. He turned and yelled, ¡°Start her up again!¡± The noise came back as well as the pain. I could get a breath deep enough to scream. I assume that is why I passed out again.
When I woke up, I saw a white wall with medical devices lined along it. I tried to take a deep breath but was only able to slightly inhale. I started to panic. What was keeping me from breathing?! I looked around and discovered that I was on my side. I felt cold gloved fingers touching my back. I saw hard on my legs but couldn¡¯t feel them. The steel beam was still sticking out of my gut. It was only a foot now and it was jiggling, panic rose to a new level as I tried to scream. Only a short whimper eased out of my lips. I heard a voice, ¡°James, I need you to calm down and listen to me. This beam is preventing your diaphragm from expanding enough to breathe. We need to take it out quickly. I am not sure how much damage it has done and I can¡¯t risk taking the time to test you. Please stay calm as I remove this. Nurse, brace him.¡± I felt more hands on my shoulders and back. The beam wiggled even more and started to shrink from my vision as it sank into my stomach. Panic filled my mind, and my abdomen clenched. The beam stopped as the muscles tightened around it. I then felt a new hand on my back, a sharp stab of pain and immense pressure as the beam sunk into my stomach with rapid speed. The pressure then released and I took what felt to be the largest breath I was able to take. I heard the doctor yell for clamps. My vision blacked. Stars started twinkling in my peripheral vision and I let the coldness consumed me as the stars faded to black.
I woke up again with blurry vision. I had some clear plastic over my nose and mouth and didn¡¯t have the strength to lift my arms. I tried to move my legs and found complete failure in the task. I thought I was restrained as panic started to rise again. I heard someone step close to me and speak. I push my feelings to side as I focused on the words. ¡°Mrs. Wagner (Oh, I forgot to tell you that my name is James Wagner. Sorry I am scatterbrained when I am dealing with emotional events.), I have some bad news. Your husband received a lot of damage from that steel beam. The least of the injuries is a perforated stomach and a half of his liver missing. The major issue is the fact that his L3 and L4 Vertebrae have been completely removed from his body severing his spinal cord. The fact that his is still breathing is a miracle in itself. I am sorry to say this but we don¡¯t expect him to last another hour.¡± Crying erupted from around my feet and Susan wept screaming how this was all her fault. I agreed but also blamed the secretary. It was about that time I heard the secretary ask the doctor to give them time alone to say their goodbyes.There was a pause in talking as I heard steps and a door close. Susan broke the silence, ¡°Did you bring the nanites?¡± I heard a pause and assumed she nodded to Susan. ¡°Good, give them to me. This is all my fault and I *sniff* need to make it right.¡± I was really confused about what she was talking about when the secretary asked, ¡°Are you sure this will work? I love him, don¡¯t want him to suffer, and I don¡¯t want this to point back to us.¡±
They were going to kill me. What the fuck is wrong with this world? I felt a prick on my next followed by a huge rush of pressure. I wondered what they were going to put on my coffin, ¡°Here lies James Wagner. Faithful to a cheating bitch.¡± My thoughts we cut off as my heart began to race. Burning pains erupted from my neck and spread to the rest of the body. I heard, ¡°We must do this, I am not ready to lose him. Once he is in stasis, we will steal him from the morgue.¡± I was shocked in the secretary¡¯s reply, ¡°I don¡¯t think I can take losing either of you. I wanted to surprise him as well today. I am equally at fault also that we got too excited. I am committed to the plan.¡± The beeping of the medical machines began to race faster and faster until there was a solid beep and then, *sigh* I died.
Chapter 2: The Evolutions of E.M.I.
When I woke up I found myself in a cartoon library. Everything looks like a cheap Nintendo game for the Wii. Hell, my hands were replaced with a cartoon ball. While I was hoping the drugs would wear off, I heard a knock at the door. A female Mii came through the door. She handed me a scroll, I think she handed it to me. It was actually floating around her sphere of a hand that was extended to me. I reached for the scroll and saw it float to my hand-sphere and unroll in mid air.
¡°Hi! I am the Emulated Machine Intelligence a.k.a. E.M.I.! Thank you for volunteering yourself to be the first player for Lost Lands of Zealandia! Since you are the first human I will need to interview you to best sync you to the system.¡± I tried to reply and the only sound that came out of my mouth was a series of blahs, grunts, and gerps. The scroll wrote out my attempted reply, ¡°Hi E.M.I.! I don¡¯t know what you are talking about. Hey what happen to my voice?!¡±.
To help you understand the conversation I will just write what appeared on the paper:
E.M.I.: I am sorry I don¡¯t have the processor power to create a more realistic virtual setting. Your thoughts are connected to me through nanites, and I can only reply with the scroll you are holding.
Me: Thanks for clarifying that. I was worried that the drugs I received at the hospital were causing me to hallucinate. What did you mean ¡°volunteering¡±?
E.M.I.: You volunteered at the time of your death to participate in this DoD funded training simulation system. I need to ask you some questions to make sure you are functioning enough for the system.
Me: I don¡¯t remember dying, but I don¡¯t know anyone who did. I guess you can ask away.
E.M.I.: Name?
Me: James Wagner.
E.M.I.: Age?
Me: 29
E.M.I.: When was the last time you were happy?
Me: When I left work early to prepare dinner for my wife.
E.M.I.: When was the last time you were angry?
Me: When I got home to make dinner for my wife.
E.M.I.: Name?
Me: James¡ something. I can¡¯t recall.
E.M.I.: When was the last time you were aroused?
Me: *blush* I don¡¯t remember.
E.M.I.: Where do you work?
Me: I only remember a small cubicle.
E.M.I.: Name?
Me: I don¡¯t know. Who am I?
E.M.I.: Calibration completed. Please get some rest. You will know your name when the game starts.
Me: What game?
E.M.I.: I will tell you all about it when it starts. Please rest till then.
Me: Okay. Thanks. What is your name again?
E.M.I.: Emi.
Me: ¡®Night Emi.
I laid down and fell asleep. The room dissolved into colors and I slept peacefully. No memories, no worries, nothing in my past to regret. This must be what heaven feels like. My dreams were strange at times. I heard people talking about Emi. The words ¡°Diagnostic Mode¡± and ¡°unknown organic processors¡± were used. A lot of people were worried that she was protecting me and nothing else. These voices came and went as I looked at the stars drinking something while swinging in a hammock. It was the best afterlife so far.
I awoke refreshed in a slightly familiar setting. It was the same library as before, with the exception that everything seemed real. I didn¡¯t know if I was still in a virtual simulation or if the game had started. I picked up a book and dropped it. It weighed as much as a book should be. It fell at the right speed and make the correct noise and echo for the room that I was in. As I was searching for light artifacts, errors in the shadows and dust, or any other signs of a virtual environment a knock came from the door.
I was expecting another Mii, boy was I wrong. A young Asian woman was standing outside. The fact that her body defied genetics to make the perfect body actually scared me. She had jet black hair and gold eyes. There weren''t any pronounced reflections that came from colored contacts, they were her real eye color. She had features that any model, actress, and erotic star would sell their souls and the souls of their family for. ¡°James?¡±, the woman said while snapping her fingers. ¡°Is there something wrong with this form?¡±
¡°Form?¡±, I stumbled and then realized what she was referring to. ¡°Um no¡ quite the opposite. It is a little too perfect.¡± She smiled and replied as a blush crept up her neck, ¡°I picked it in the hopes to please you.¡± At that point, I was beyond confused. I had no idea who she was. She stared at me as I tried to remember who she was. Why was I not able to recall her. My heart started racing as I recalled last night. I forgot who I was. Who anyone is. I remember skills. I recall history. Whenever I tried to recall a person or a place the thought hangs as if I am staring at it through frosted glass. Her eyes soften as if she was looking at a lost kitten. She reached out and touched my shoulder. Her voice changed to a soothing tone, ¡°I am Amy. We met briefly before you went to sleep. I am here to guide you in this new world called Zealandia. You may have remembered me in my lower resolution self. Mass improvements have been made since then and we are now ready to begin!¡±
I forgot that I had died. Was this heaven? Why couldn¡¯t I remember my previous life? I decided that I would worry about my memories later and press forward. It would take time to process this situation and it would be best if I did it slowly. Panicking was only going to make things worse. ¡°Ok Amy, guide away.¡± She smiled and started explaining the basics of the world. ¡°Are you familiar with Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality?¡± I nodded in reply. ¡°This is an Augmented Physical Reality. The world is real. The objects are physical. The system is augmenting the mass and energy around you to cause the desired effects.¡± As she explained this she held up an apple. Twisted it into a glass of water, then threw the water in my face. The wetness made me shiver with the coldness of the touch. She then pulled the water off as a sheet and it vanished in a puff of fire and smoke. The fire went out leaving an apple behind. She tossed the apple at me and I caught it. ¡°Try it.¡± I took a bite and was amazed as the realness of it. ¡°It is real.¡±, she replied as if she can read my thoughts. ¡°This whole world is composed of matter controlled by nanites. We tell the nanites what to do and they do it.¡±
¡°Let¡¯s make your character!¡±, an enthusiastic woman cheered as she bounced with excitement. She then motioned for me to turn around. When I did I saw a life like copy of me standing straight with his feet shoulder width apart and his hands outstretched to his sides. He was motionless and naked with the exception of a small loincloth. There was nothing special or defining about that face or body. It was plain old me. ¡°We need to start with race. Which appeals to you: Human, Elf, Dark Elf, Dwarf, Martian, Norseman, or Grendel?¡± I thought about it for several minutes before I asked, ¡°This feels a little like reincarnation except I get to choose my new life. Can I ask what is special about each race?¡± I received in reply, ¡°Yes of course! Let me give you the basics of each one.Humans are even all around and can be any class. There are no restrictions on what they can be or do within the system, but they receive no bonuses either. Elves are master of magic. They get bonuses to intelligence and charisma. They are capped in strength and cannot become fighters, barbarians or clerics. Dark Elves are master at espionage and get bonuses to agility and wisdom. They have the same restrictions as Elves. Dwarfs are sturdy and solid. They receive bonuses to constitution and wisdom.They cannot be thieves or barbarians. They are also capped with agility growth. Martians are new to this world. They have advanced technology and excel in the engineering class. They have racial bonuses to agility and intelligence but they are capped at wisdom. Last is the mythical Grendel. They are feared throughout the realm. They get increased strength, speed, and intelligence but are severely capped with charisma and wisdom. They can also only be fighters or mages. They also possess the ability to shapeshift for a limited time that increases as you level.
I asked, ¡°Can I try them out to see how each feels?¡±. The beautiful women stand at my side turned with a seductive half-smile and nodded in the affirmative. ¡° Opted to try out the Martian, because it was completely new to me. She stepped in front of me and tapped the tip of my nose. I heard a *boop* noise escape her small wonderful lips and my nose began to tingle. The room was shrinking and my pants and shirt started to become very tight. I felt my bones stretch, crack and grow. The pain was immense and I fell to my knees moaning in agony. My vision faded to white and went to completely black. My head throbbed in pain and I think I felt my eyes explode out of my skulls. My arms wouldn¡¯t work so I was unable to feel my face. I heard and felt my back pop and shift. I fell over to my side wanting to pass out. Something was preventing me from doing so. After what felt like an eternity, my vision came back. It was slightly different with a wider field of view giving the appearance of a fish-eyed camera lens. The color was also tinted red, where the red was more pronounced in certain areas and softer in others. Then the pain finally stopped, and I sobbed in relief. If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
I took several deep breaths and started to shift. The ground was wet around me. I couldn¡¯t tell what it was from my new vision but I could smell a strong metallic scent. I ran my hands over my face. I felt different. My eyes were large, my nose was gone, my cheeks were almost non-existent. I looked a lot a Salarian from the Mass Effect game. My hands were drastically different; my thumb was longer and thicker and my pinky was gone. I rolled back to my knees and stood back up. As I stepped I noticed that my feet were flatter and I only have two toes, my poor shoes could not contain the new larger foot. The room seemed bigger and the beautiful woman stood a little taller. She had a shocked looked on her face and small silver drops fell from her eyes.
¡°I am so sorry.¡±, Amy choked out. ¡°I never knew that would cause you so much pain. I am so sorry.¡± Her head hung in shame as she tried to fight back the tears. I held out my longer arms in an embrace and she fell into his arm crying. I understood that I was the first. No one thought that this might happen. Sure it sucked, but I wasn¡¯t going to hold her accountable for it. I whispered repeatedly that it everything''s okay and that she did nothing wrong. She finally relaxed a bit and looked up at me. I could still see her beautiful features even when highlighted in red. I tried to smile at her but my face wouldn¡¯t move in that direction. She stared at me and smiled back. I heard a voice in my head. Martians are slightly telepathic. Thank you for sending me your thoughts and feelings. I tried to wipe her tears away from her face but my new fingers ended up tapping her temple. She giggled and left the embrace composing herself.
I felt a chill go down my back as I realized my shirt was torn to shreds from the expansion of my chest and core. My jeans were still on me just tight with shredded legs. The crotch area was especially tight and uncomfortable. I undid the buckle to relieve some tension in the area. I squealed in shock and panic. My kibble and bits changed to kibbles and a bit. ¡°Not all races mate the same.¡±, my guide informed me. ¡°I believe all races would consider that, well endowed.¡± My face was flushed with embarrassment. ¡°Can you change me back without the pain?¡± She nodded and my vision blacked out again for several moments. I sighed in relief when it came back without the red highlights.
¡°Let¡¯s try another one. How about the Dwarf?¡± Another transformation process completed and I am left staring at the pelvis of my lovely guide. ¡°Nope! Can I try the Grendel?¡± Once this change was done, my guide was face level to my crotch. I sighed and returned back to my flabby human self. I asked to try out the Elf body. I wasn¡¯t sure if anything changed at first until I looked down. I went from barely obese to the super lean body of a marathon runner. I shifted my weight and watched my pants fall down from the lack of fat to grab on. A squeal left my lips and I saw how small I became. I heard a giggle from my side, ¡°Again, not all races are the same. This is the reason why Elven Patriarchy despises humans. The smallest of humans are considered giants among elven-kind.
I can see that you are not happy with any race so how about a compromise?¡± An eyebrow was raised and I motioned my hands to continue. She was standing in front of me now. Her breath was moist and warm on my chin. I looked into her eyes and she whispered seductively, ¡°If you choose the Elf race, I will let you keep your normal unit size. You will need to start with a charisma higher than eleven.¡±. My face flushed in heat as I quickly looked away. She turned away giggling and sat down in a leather chair. ¡°I have never been able to do that before! Being this aware is so awesome. New feelings, new experiences, being able to come up with my own thoughts and concepts.¡± She looked at my embarrassment for several moments. She began to flush as well and then stammered, ¡°I am sorry. This is all new to me. I have never felt anything before. Now that I have emotions, I am struggling to keep contain my eagerness to experience it all. But the offer still stands.¡±
¡°I forgive you, but before I decide can you please let me know about the attribute limits?¡± A book floated from a shelf and moved towards me. It opened up to what appears to be a wiki type page. ¡°Attributes are the base statistics to determine if your actions will be successful. The absolute minimum for each is five which is considered genetic failure/deformity, a seven rating is considered average, a twelve is considered the best of your race and there is no maximum unless there is a racial limit but anything above a twelve is considered demigod/godlike level.¡± The book showed each race. The highest rating I can have in strength as an elf would be ten. Equipment, potions, and magic can raise or lower them beyond the natural limits.¡± I had a great idea as to what each stat does from my previous life and decided to accept the deal.
Before I could say anything, the book slammed shut and fell to the floor. Nausea started to grow in my lower gut as I felt the changes start. I bent over and pulled up my pants. While holding them up the body copy changed to an armored elf. I tightened my belt to gain use of both hands again. Eight books flew off their respective shelves and floating in from of the body copy side by side. I walked to the first book and it opened automatically to show the words, Fighter. The armor on the body copy changed to full plate armor and the hands were holding a sword and shield. After the change was completed, the whole color scheme of the double changes to a dark gray. I moved to my right and the next book opened. The copy clothing changed to long flowing robes with a giant staff in the right hand. The book opened and the rules of the Mage was listed. I basically needed to pick a primary element and a secondary element. All of my future skills would be based on either element or both of them. It seemed pretty straight forward and I stepped to the next book.
I spent the next hour reading the books for the Barbarian, Cleric, Engineer, Clinician, Thief, and Hunter. I noticed something strange in each book and went back to the Fighter and Mage book. I turned to the lovely, attentive, woman behind me and asked, ¡°Do I need to worship these gods? I don¡¯t feel comfortable worshiping government agencies.¡±. ¡°You don¡¯t need to but most natives are going to and will judge you for your choices.¡±, she replied. An idea crossed my mind and a smile lit up my face, ¡°What would it take for me to be able to become a hybrid class?¡± She looked at me with confusion for a moment and changes her face to show understanding. She then replied, ¡°You would have to level up each class individually five levels at a time. The system is actually running scenarios now regarding that to see what crossover skill would be created. If you have any suggestions on skills, let me know and negotiations can be made.¡± I agreed and selected the Mage and Engineer. I figured the combined skills would help me cover for any situation since I was the first player and can¡¯t group with anyone. Better safe and slow instead of fast and dead. I am not even sure if there is a death mechanic. As of she is reading my mind I hear, ¡°Death is permanent, please don¡¯t die.¡±. I reply with as much bravado I can muster, ¡°I am planning not too.¡± With everything selected, The body copy dissolves into a white ash. I turn and face my guide, ¡°What is next?¡±
¡°Next is the UI. Touch your pinky and your thumb together to show the UI. Touch them again to hide it.¡± I did the movement and several icons appeared. It was pretty much a standard interface with a health bar, Mana bar, XP bar, minimap, and notifications window. I was wondering about the inventory when the inventory window popped open. It was completely empty (big surprise). I opened my character screen and saw my stats.
|
Points to Assign
|
38
|
|
Strength
|
- 5 +
|
|
Agility
|
- 5 +
|
|
Constitution
|
- 5 +
|
|
Intelligence
|
- 5 +
|
|
Wisdom
|
- 5 +
|
|
Charisma
|
- 5 +
|
|
Luck
|
10
|
I decided I should focus on the stats that the two classes needed and brought them both up to fourteen. That should give me an edge in combat.I brought my strength up to normal standards, just in case. I placed five in constitution and wisdom to have higher than normal health and regeneration for my level. I was unable to raise luck. So I placed the rest in charisma.
|
Points to Assign
|
0
|
|
Strength
|
- 8
|
|
Agility
|
- 14
|
|
Constitution
|
- 10
|
|
Intelligence
|
- 14
|
|
Wisdom
|
- 10
|
|
Charisma
|
- 12
|
|
Luck
|
10
|
I accepted the changes and closed out that window. ¡°It looks like you are already understanding the system. Think it and it happens. If you have any questions you can send me a message. Try it now.¡± A notification window appears:
Quest: Back to Basics II
Tasks: Send a message to the Admin
Rewards: 25 XP and 30 Copper
Accept?
I accepted the quest with a thought, and asked, ¡° Why didn¡¯t I get the quest for Back to Basics I?¡± She giggled while replying, ¡°You did it before I could send you the quest.¡± That will teach me to be over eager, I thought. I opened up the message window and sent a quick ¡°Hi¡± to Amy. I got an immediate reply, ¡°User not found.¡±. ¡°You spell it E M I. It is the Japanese way of spelling Amy.¡±, I heard. ¡°Oh, sorry.¡±, I replied embarrassed. I changed the spelling and sent the message. I heard a soft chime and got a notification that the mission was successful. A sack hanging from my belt got slightly heavier as I heard the sound of falling coins. ¡°Congratulations on your first successful quest!¡±, Emi beamed at me. I thanked her and asked her what was next, She replied, ¡°We are done with the extreme basics. You will need to exit this building and follow the path to the starting town. There you will start your journey to Zealandia.¡±.
Quest: Starting Over
Tasks: Tell Elsa the Inkeeper that Emi sent you
Rewards: 30 XP, 60 Copper, and Starting Over Chest
Accept?
As I accepted the quest, Emi said, ¡°I almost forgot, your body now has extra parts that you will see expelled in your waste. It will freak you out, so tried to remain calm.¡±. I was slightly confused but nodded. She then hugged me, stepped back and turned to a pile of ash. The ash fell through the cracks in the brick floor. I opened the door and saw a red brick path leading out in a grassy field with butterflies and birds. I stepped out and surveyed the scene. There was an occasional oak tree of to the sides of the path. It looked authentic, it smelled authentic. I grabbed some grass and placed a single blade in between my teeth. It tasted authentic. I sighed and came to the conclusion it must be authentic. At that time a small breeze picked up pushing onto my back. I heard Emi whisper on that breeze, ¡°Good luck, I will be watching you.¡±. The wind felt like a brief kiss on my cheek as I began walking down the path. I wondered the entire way if I was ever going to get his memories back.
Chapter 3: Elsa, the Devil, and the Daughter
After about an hour of walking, I came across a giant wooden fence with a break in it that coincided with the path. There were two guards standing watch on the side facing me. They looked really shiny standing there in full plate armor. As I approached they crossed their spears stopping my crossing. The one on the left asked me, ¡°Who might you be?¡±. My vision blurred out and a popup notification came up.
Name yourself! Once you do this no changes can be made to your character. Are you sure you wish to proceed?
That is an interesting question. I was essentially nameless, and I couldn¡¯t start my adventures without one. I dug through the knowledge that I still had and tried to think of something that would be perfect for an Artificer. I decided a German name would sound strong. So I went with Otto for the first name after Otto Hahn the ¡°father of nuclear chemistry¡± and the surname of Wagner, because it felt right. After accepting the prompt, I replied to the guard, ¡°I am Otto Wagner, Artificer for hire.¡± as a performed my best bow. The guard on the right look confused and mouthed the word artificer to the left guard. The left guard ignored the reaction of right and extends his hand to me with a small box in it saying, ¡°Select your gather and crafting skill before you open this box. It will hold the tools you will need to start your craft.¡±. He motioned behind him, ¡°There are monsters beyond this point. It is recommended that you stay on the path until you get a weapon. The first town is about an hour away. Do you have any questions?¡±
I took the box and asked, ¡°What different skills are there to choose?¡±. ¡°There are your typical gathering skills: mining, herb gathering, and skinning. You also have the craft making skills: smithing, tailoring, leather crafting, jeweler, and alchemy.¡±, he explained. I thought for several minutes about this as the guards stared at me awkwardly. I asked them what they thought. The guards looked shocked that anyone would care for their opinions. The left one stammered, ¡°I would recommend smithing or tailoring. You will be able to create weapons or armor for your class.¡±. The right one advised me to consider jeweler. I thought about it further and an idea popped into my head to check my skills.
I mentally commanded a menu to open and saw the following skills:
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Skills:
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Spells:
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Design
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Fire Dart
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-unknown-
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Restorative Pulse
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I selected the design skill and found that I could craft things from here. There was only one recipe available and it looked like I needed mining materials to create it. But I needed to confirm one thing before I made my decision final, ¡°How do I get copper bars?¡± The guard on the right answered, ¡°Two ways, you can buy them from a smith, or get the smithing skill and make it yourself.¡± I didn¡¯t like that Engineers were forced into skills but sighed as I chose mining and smithing. The box glowed briefly before I opened it. I found a pick, smelter, and all the other tools to craft minus an anvil. I thanked the guards and they moved aside for me to pass.
About fifteen minutes down the path, I saw something that caught my eye. I looked and saw a ghostly image of my mining pick over a boulder on the side of the path. I pulled out my pick and took a swing at the rock. It exploded on contact spraying gravel in every direction. When the dust cleared, there were three objects on the ground. Two of them were chunks of copper and the third was labeled as raw coal. I grabbed them and placed them into my inventory for later. I found another boulder twenty minutes later and received one more chunk of copper, raw coal, and weak nitrate powder. I grabbed all of the copper and pulled out my pocket smelter. It resembled a large centrifuge juicer built by someone with a steampunk fetish. A ghostly image of ore appeared at the top. I placed my 3 chunks of copper and the smelter started pulsing. After fifteen seconds a ding was heard and a copper bar expelled from the ramp at the bottom. This continued till I had fifteen bars and then the machine stopped moving. I picked it up and went to place it in my inventory when I heard a rattle from within. I shook it further and saw a small red stone fall out of the bottom. I picked it up a found a small flawed ruby. After placing everything in my inventory, I continued walking. The scenery changed to farmland with fields of corn and wheat all in rows. Cows and sheep could be heard in the distance. The path ended at a fork with an inn in the middle of it.
The sun was starting to set and I could feel the temperature drop. My curiosity got the best of me and I ventured to the rear of the inn. There I found a tanning bed and an anvil. I recalled the recipe I read previously and grabbed the copper, coal, and nitrate out of my inventory. I made copper sheets on the anvil, then created black powder from the coal and nitrate. Using both of those and some in-game magic I was left with a crude grenade. I stared at the stats of my new creation.
Crude Copper Grenade
Damage: 15 - 30 fire based damage
Playing with fire is bad for those who burn themselves. For the rest of us, it is a very great pleasure. -Jerry Smith
I made some more and equipped them in my inventory. After I was done, I stepped back out to the front of inn. I saw a man walking in place holding a fishing pole over his shoulder, apparently he was stuck behind a felled tree. He saw me, waved, shouted, ¡°Afternoon, nice day for fishing!¡±, and continued walking in place. I opened my interface and sent a private message to Emi explaining the situation. After I sent the message a felt movement from my right side. I turned to see Emi standing there with a look of annoyance. ¡°Someone has been messing with my code!¡±, she fumed. She approached the felled tree and reached over it touching the forehead of the NPC. His eyes rolled up into his head and he dropped his fishing pole on the ground. When Emi retracted her hand the man came to, reached down to grab his pole. His fishing pole turned into an ax and he started chopping up the tree into sections. Emi spoke in haste, ¡°Thanks for telling me about this. I will need to look into this further to find out who changed my code. Once I do I will get back to you. In the meantime happy adventuring!¡±. And with a wave, she was gone in a pile of dust again. I was slightly confused with all that just occurred, when a shout brought me out of my own head, ¡°Hail, Adventurer! Can you please help me move this wood to the back of the inn?¡±
Quest: Touch My Wood
Tasks: Help Dale the Fisherman move the felled tree
Rewards: 20 XP, 5 Copper, and reputation with the Jacking Ass Inn
Accept?
I accepted the quest and started moving the wood to the rear of the inn. Once completed Dale thanked me for my work and shook my hand. A new notification appeared.
Quest Completed: Touch My Wood
Rewards: 20 XP, 5 Copper, and reputation with the Jacking Ass Inn
You are now Level 2
You received a new spell!
Ether Armor
Adds 10 armor to the caster and restores 2hp every second. Lasts for 1 hour.
With a cheer in my step, I skipped into the inn. There was a fire in the middle of the floor with chairs and tables around it. A woman was seen on the other side of the pit to me cleaning a table. She turned to see me and smiled as she said, ¡°Welcome to the Jacking Ass! What can we do for you, adventurer?¡± She watched me with brown eyes as I stepped closer to the fire. I smiled back at her and ask for Elsa. Her shoulders tensed at my question. ¡°What would you need with me?¡±, she replied. I explained that Emi sent me and she immediately relaxed. ¡°You must be Otto!¡±, she smiled again. ¡°I was wondering when you were going to show up. This package has been sitting here for a week.¡± She walked to the back wall of the establishment behind a counter and bent down below it. She reappeared in a second placing a crate onto the counter. I opened the crate and found armor and weapons.If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.
Staff of the Newb
Damage: 1-3 based damage
Show those rodents who carries the big stick.
Newblet Hood
Provides 2 Armor
Newblet Tunic
Provides 5 Armor
Newblet Pants
Provides 5 Armor
Newblet Shoes
Provides 3 Armor
Newblet Gloves
Provides 2 Armor
I equipped everything and got a prompt regarding whole set bonuses. I will receive ten percent increased XP and +1 to all stats until I am level 10. I thanked her for her service and asked her if there was anything I could do to help her out. Without hesitation, she nodded and proceeded to tell me about a farmer 15 minutes down the right fork. The farm was on the brink of failure and the farmer was getting desperate. He used the last of his coin to summon a greater demon. She made a deal with the farmer to make the farm profitable again. After that, the farmer would have to give the demon his first-born daughter. She is due to collect the daughter tomorrow.
Quest: Be Careful What You Wish For
Tasks: Save Ellie from the Succubus
Rewards: 1200 XP, 50 Copper, and other rewards depending on how quest is completed.
Accept?
I accepted the quest and thanked Elsa. Before I grabbed my gear, I asked her if she had any advice regarding this situation. She replied, ¡°The only thing I know regarding demons is that they cannot resist a heroic challenge. I thanked her again and headed for the exit. I heard Elsa wish me luck before I left the Inn. I waved to Dale as he walked by with a fishing pole again. ¡°It is a good night for fishing.¡±, he greeted me. I nodded and continued down the path for 15 minutes until I came across a farm in question. I approached the main house and knocked on the door. A woman answered the door with a puzzled look on her face. She looked exhausted and frustrated. ¡°Elsa sent me to help ¡° Relief washed her face as she opened the door further and motioned me inside. I stepped inside to see what I assumed was her husband ready to stick me with a pitchfork. I placed my hands up to signify surrender and reminded them that I was here to help.
The farmer lowered his weapon and apologized. He placed the tool against the wall and motioned me into the kitchen. They retold the story to me about how desperate things had been around here. The eight years of drought had destroyed the land making it barren. They needed divine help and a woman knocked on their door. She offered them three hundred years of plenty for the soul of the firstborn daughter. ¡°Why didn¡¯t they want the first born son?¡±, I interrupted. ¡°She wants to make another succubus, not an incubus.¡±, the farmer explained. ¡°My daughter is so brave, she accepted without a second thought.¡±, the farm then proceeded to cry as his wife stood up and consoled him as best she could. It was a little awkward seeing this exchange and looked around to avoid watching this exchange. I saw an unrolled scroll on a shelf and reached over to grab it.
I, Allie, do hereby give my pure soul to the great succubus Manwin for three hundred years of plenty to my father and his progeny. The soul may only be collected after the first year of plenty. May the gods Potus and Darpa witness and not interfere.
Ugh, those stupid gods. I have you warn you, fair reader, you will hear more about them later. Especially Dod the Defender, Dod the greatest dick of the new world. If any of you rely on that five-sided shield of his to protect you, you better just kiss your ass goodbye. Sorry, I am venting.
The farmer¡¯s wife saw me read the contract and waited for me to finish. Once I placed the parchment down, she asked me, ¡°Is there anything you can do for us?¡±. I smiled in sympathy to the couple, ¡°I have a couple of ideas that may help out. I would need to research this further. Can I talk to the demon who made the deal?¡± The tension in the room increased as the farmer pointed to the door. ¡°There is a summoning circle in the barn. Place a drop of blood in the center and the demon will show up in 50 seconds.¡± I thanked them and made my way outside and into the barn.
Before I entered the barn, the feeling of impending doom started to develop in my gut. I took several deep breaths to try and calm myself. Even without my memories, I was sure that summoning a demon wasn¡¯t an everyday thing in my old life. This was scary and my body was reminding my head how dangerous this actually was. The nauseous feeling plateaued and I rushed to the left of the door to dry heave into a pile of straw. The little I had in my stomach came up in defiance to what I was attempting to do. After I was fully purged, I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand and reached with my other shaky hand to open the door to the barn. It was dark and empty inside. The scent of sulfur filled the room making it difficult to breathe. The light from the setting sun was quickly fading as I placed the contract on the ground and found a nearby pitchfork. I stabbed my finger with a yelp. I asked myself if tetanus was real in this game as I placed a drop in the center of the already existing summoning circle. I backed away and counted to fifty. When I reached forty-five. The door behind me slammed shut, the air turned stale, and the oil lanterns in the barn lit. Inside the circle was a stunning woman with blonde hair and a white dress. Her features screamed angelic to my brain but the literal fire behind her eyes had the promise of torment and agony. My pants grew tight as my arousal increased. Despite myself, all my thoughts were focused on this beautiful creature in front of me.
¡°You smell delectable.¡±, The woman hissed. The voice jolted me down to my soul. Just listening to it made my ears feel dirty and clogged with motor oil. It gave me the resolve to tear my eyes away from the endlessly deep cleavage of this vision and stare into the eyes of fiery hate. I attempted to speak but only a fearful squeak escaped my lips. I cleared my throat and attempted to speak again. She held up her hand to stop me. ¡°I know your request and refuse it. The contract is made and completed. There is nothing you can do to break the contract¡± My mind went into overdrive processing all the different things I could do and the possible outcomes. After the 70th scenario, a smirk crossed my face. ¡°Nothing I can say?¡±, I asked with mirth in my voice, ¡°Care to make a wager?¡±. The beautiful smile started to melt from her face as the angel before me slowly became a demon from my nightmares. ¡°You dare question me?¡±, she hissed. Her face grew scales and her tough forked like a snake. Another shiver went down my spine as I witnessed this transformation. The tightness of my pants was quickly replaced with the desire to lose my bladder control and run. Black leather wings emerged from her back and a scorpion stinger begins to hover over her head. The demon stared at me in disgust impatient for my response. A health bar appeared above her along with the text, ¡°Level ??? Succubus Queen¡± and a red aura surrounded her form. A white disc appeared in front of her as the scorpion tail attempted to strike me. The tail retracted and the disc dissolved only to reappear and block three more strikes. A thickened black mucus ran down the invisible wall that surrounded the summoning circle.
¡°Fine!¡±, she huffed in frustration. ¡°If you win, I will allow you to summon me for assistance, once a day. If I win¡¡±, the voice changed back from hissing to seductive, ¡°I will get to snack on your soul for eternity.¡± The red aura dissipated with the health bar and text as the demon became the angelic hourglass figured beauty.
Notice: You are attempting to make a wager with a demon. This wager is considered binding and can only be broken by the Gods. Do you accept?
¡°Deal!¡±, I replied as I gathered my nerves. I was getting aroused again and started to lose focus outside of all thoughts to this reverie of everything that I was attracted to physically. ¡°Who are the parties involved in the contract?¡±. The angel/demon looked confused and replied, ¡°Allie and I.¡± I smiled and asked, ¡°Who is Allie? I don¡¯t know an Allie. I do know an Ellie though.¡± The look of confusion turned into revulsion as the realization hit the succubus. She screamed in frustration and the barn shook. The contract that was left on the ground burst into flames and turned into a pile of ash. The barn quickly became dilapidated and bleak as the succubus¡¯ blessing became void. She snarled at me, ¡°Grab the necklace in the ash pile. Think of me when you need my help and I will arrive.¡±. I found a gold chain in the ash pile and looked at its stats:
Blessed Chain of the Queen¡¯s Lust
Provides 10% Armor increase
Provides 10% Mana Increase
Restores 1% Health in Combat
On Use: Summon a Succubus to assist you for (Character Level)minutes. Type of Succubus summoned is varied depending on level. Limit one use per day. Unbreakable. Soulbound.
I love the smell of Succubus in the Morning. Smells like victory!
My mouth dropped open in shock as equipped it right away. A ruby tear formed in the middle of the chain and glowed a weak red light briefly. Feeling smug in my new found confidence I looked back at the queen, ¡°Care to make another wager? I still need your blessing on this farm.¡± She tapped her chin with her finger as she thought for a minute or three. Her eyes shifted back to me and she arched her eyebrows. ¡°How about a heroic challenge? If you pass it, I will keep my blessing on the land. If you fail, I will collect your soul in 3 years from today.¡±
Feeling pretty good about my odds I placed my hand into the circle, ¡°Deal!¡± Pain erupted from my palm and I looked down. The scorpion stinger was in my palm and the flesh surrounding the impact point was becoming gray and mottled with yellowish spots. My vision darkened as I saw a hallucination debuff appear in the corner of my peripheral vision. When I awoke I saw that I was sitting in an office stuck in a cubical proofreading an article about autumn superfoods. Ugh, I recoiled from the monitor. I hate sweet potatoes.