《Retiring to the Boundless Realm》 Prologue ¡°Welcome to the Imperial Assessment Grounds. Your families and clans have measured your talents, and deciding you are worthy enough not to lose them face, they have sent you here. It is now the job of myself and the other Elders here, to judge whether or not you are truly talented or merely...capable. Before you is the soul assessment pillar. When it is your turn, you will place a hand upon the pillar and inject your spirit power into it. The pillar will then do all the work. Once we have determined the level of your...talent, we will then proceed to discover any elemental affinities you may possess.¡± ¡­ "Next! From the Trenton family I see. Well at least the technique and skills you practice should not be lacking." ... . A decent strengthening technique. You will need to imporve your body to see any true benefits from it though. Now let''s see what skills you learned. ... A bit rudimentary, but a solid foundational is essential I suppose. and A basic mid-range attacking skill. Needless to say having the water affinity would be a benefit here. ... ¡°Now, place your hand on the pillar and let us see if you can make up for a rather lackluster choice of skills. Oh. You have talent after all.The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Even if you don¡¯t join the sects, you will have no trouble finding a place among the great clans. Now, let¡¯s see what affinities you have.¡± ¡­ ¡°Not bad. A decent affinity for both the water and earth elements. And a minor affinity for both light and fire elements. There is potential here to awaken some of the more advanced affinities later on. You are indeed worthy of being sent here. By what name are you known?¡± ¡­ ¡°Hmm, an interesting name. I will take note of it. I believe this will not be the last I hear about you. Head into the next hall and one of the Elders there will measure your physical abilities.¡± ¡­ ¡°So, you passed the first assessment. Now we know you are worth cultivating, we need to see what we have to work with.¡± ¡­ ¡°Hmm. Not the most impressive I have seen...but not all bad. A bit lacking in speed.Strength can be considered above average though. Your impressive constitution redeems you. Naturally, your vitality will improve as you progress. Maybe you should think about walking a path other than that of the Martial Dao. At least until you have become more powerful. With talent such as yours, living a long time should not be a challenge, and you will need something to keep you occupied.¡± ¡­ ¡°The results of your assessment have been reviewed by the Sects and Great Clans of the Tai Empire. These are the names of the ones who have expressed an interest in inviting you to join their ranks. Though the Sects tend to have more resources and power, the Great Clans are not without their own advantages. Depending on the path you wish to tread of course. Do you wish to know more about any of your options?¡± ¡­ ¡°The Evergreen Sect? Is this your final decision? Once the vows have been made, you will be unable to change your mind? ¡­ ¡°If that is the case. All that is left is you you to step on the Teleportation Dias and it will take you to the Sect''s grounds. I wish you luck in your pursuit of the dao.¡± ¡­
Welcome to [The Boundless Realm]. Immortality awaits.
Chapter 1 Trevor Mason stepped forward and the scenery changed. Suddenly he was stepping off of a dais that was almost identical to the one he had stepped onto only moments before. The opaque white of heavenly clouds cleared, making way for the sprawling sect buildings in the valley below. There were many flourishing gardens and lively ponds in the Evergreen Sect. Each of the houses had their own allotments within the walls of their courtyards as well. Along the ridge of the valley were large towering trees. The stood stark against the clear sky of the horizon, as if watching over the inhabitants of the valley. *Caw* The stark cry of a bird broke the sereneness of the moment. Trevor could see the animal before he heard the flapping of its wings. As the sound of the approaching bird became louder, it was not long before he realised how large it must be. A shadow encompassed his lonely figure for 5 metres, either side. A second, penetrating caw, announced the final descent and there was a woomph of air and dust as it landed. ¡°It has been a while since we had a new disciple.¡± Came a voice. ¡®Did this bird just talk to me?¡¯ Trevor thought. ¡°You may call me Elder Crane.¡± The voice continued. ¡®Seriously? Crane? Looks more like a goose or a swan to me, just with strange colouring. Wait, are those peacock feathers?¡¯ ¡°I am in charge of the Outer court of the Evergreen Sect.¡± Elder Crane continued, unaware of Trevor¡¯s questioning thoughts. ¡°I will take you know to make your vows to the Sect and to receive your sect token.¡± ¡­ Trevor stood staring at the giant bird, waiting for it to lead on but nothing happened. He scrunched his eyebrows and spoke aloud for the first time since coming here. ¡°Ahm. Elder Crane? You¡¯re not moving.¡± And in a smaller voice, that he hoped the Elder could not hear, he muttered. ¡°I heard of bird brained, but this is ridiculous. He literally just finished speaking.¡± ¡°Young disciple. Do not be afraid. Hovis will not harm you, I assure you. Just don¡¯t step on his tail feathers.¡± ¡®Hovis? Who the fff...Oh.¡¯ Trevor¡¯s thought cut off as he finally registered that there was a person sat cross legged upon the large birds head.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. ¡®Well this is embarrassing. I thought it was just a really weird looking set of plumage.¡¯ As he approached, Hovis bent his body forward and spread a wing to allow for Travis to climb onto his back. Now that he had a closer look, Trevor realised that the darker feathers of the bird seemed to transition from a dark chocolate brown to a midnight blue, almost seamlessly. They were also incredibly soft he noticed. ¡°Ahem.¡± Elder Crane cleared his throat and gave Trevor a pointed look. ¡°While Hovis and I can understand your positive reaction to his rather marvelous, if I do say so myself, feather coat. I can assure you that no beast of an aviatory nature appreciates having their feathers ruffled the wrong way. That, young man, is like asking to be thrown off mid flight.¡± Rather abashedly, Trevor began to smooth out the now messy feathers that he had, moments before, been rubbing his face against. At least he could take solace in knowing that no one was really around to witness him acting like a child or a small animal. ¡°Apologies Elder Crane...and...erm...Hovis. I guess I am still overwhelmed with emotions after making it pat the Imperial Assessment. I forgot myself for a moment.¡± ¡®There. That sounded sincere enough. I hope.¡¯ Trevor really didn¡¯t want a lesson in gravity right now. **** **** **** Flying on the Hovis had been a surprisingly smooth and pleasant trip. It was made even more surprising by the lack of impact Trevor felt when the bird landed. Despite the rather loud thump announcing Hovis having actually touched down, it was as if the bird¡¯s legs were two giant shock absorbers. His meeting with the Sect Master was all business. He wasn¡¯t really sure why, but Trevor found himself being mildly taken aback when he saw the man. The Sect Master reminded him of a bearded and less jovial looking Bacchus, or Dionysus. Not to mention sober as well. The swearing of his vows of loyalty to the sect had been rather straight forward too, and had allowed for Trevor to witness Heavens Will for the first time. If he had to liken it to anything it would have to be like being submerged in a warm bath all at once. Only instead of hot water the bath is made of light, and the light is not weightless but rather presses on you like a firm grip. The walk to get his token issued allowed him to get a closer look at the buildings they had flown over previously. Each of the buildings here were the residents of the core disciples and Elders. The level of preferential treatment they received was made clear when they passed into the inner court of the sect. The residences of the inner court were still beautifully built and of a decent size. However one could tell just from a glance, that the materials used to construct them were of a much lower rank. What else was immediately obvious was the lower quality of worldly energy that could be felt once they had left the sects core area. Or maybe it would be better described as it feeling ¡®thinner¡¯, as Trevor had no way to actually determine the quality. Upon leaving the inner court and entering the outer court, Trevor felt another huge change in the energy around him. Even to his untrained self, he could tell how much of an advantage it would be to live in the inner areas of the sect. Like stepping into an air conditioned building after being outside in thick humid air. (AN: Not sure if people will understand this analogy. Open to suggestions if anyone has a better one.) Seeing Elder Crane watching his reaction, Trevor realised that this was part of the sects way of encouraging its disciples to work hard. Knowing the material and spiritual wealth that was available in the inner and core areas, who would be satisfied by the basics provided in the outer court. ¡°Here we are young disciple.¡± Elder Crane announced as they stopped outside of a building much like any of the others. ¡°This will be your residence for the duration of your stay in the outer court. You may furnish and adjust it to your liking, if you so desire. However, any damages made will need to be paid for by you.¡± The elder then pulled out a dark green plaque from somewhere within his robe. It was about twice the size of a credit card and had the word ¡®Evergreen¡¯ embossed on it in gold. ¡°This is your sect token. To bind it to you, you will need to place a drop of blood upon it and inject it with your spiritual power. Once the connection has been made, it will display your name and position within the sect. It will also act to record any contribution points you have from any meritorious achievements you make to the sect.¡± Elder Crane passed the token to Trevor and without waiting for a reply turned to leave. After a momentary pause the Elder spoke once more. ¡°The path to immortality is long and arduous. Though talent may make the journey seem a little easier, the journey must still be made if one wishes to achieve it. Talent waxes and wanes like the cycles of the moon young disciple. Hard work however, is like the earth beneath your feet; it all adds up.¡± With that, the Elder was off, and though he seemed to take only a few steps, he was soon far away and then out of sight. ¡°Okay...guess that was the initiation and 2 cent tour all rolled into one.¡± Trevor spoke to himself as he turned the token over and over in his hand. ¡°Sigh. Guess I should bind this and check out my new house. Who knows how long I might be staying here for.¡± Chapter 2 ¡°Hello, you have reached the Heaven¡¯s Will helpline. Please be aware that all calls are recorded for posterity measures and placed into blind storage. Should the call be used for training purposes all personal information will be omitted. Should you require the use of any recording, please contact our legal team. You are now being redirected to an available operator.¡± An old fashioned ringing replaced the automated voice recording before moments later being replaced by the voice of an energetic young male. ¡°You are through to Blaze. How may I assist you?¡± ¡°Hello...Blaze. I think something is wrong with my character.¡± Trevor paused as he thought about how to phrase his problem. ¡°Okay, sir. Before we continue, I just have a few things I need to confirm with you.¡± After waiting for Trevor¡¯s assent he continued. ¡°So just to confirm; you are talking about our company¡¯s game, The Boundless Realm? And is the game account registered to yourself, Mr Trevor Mason? And can you confirm the payment method for the game account. And the name of the account holder, please. That¡¯s great thanks.¡± The call went quiet momentarily as Blaze waited for the security check to come back. ¡°Okay then. Everything is coming back green and your implant is pinging back, confirming your identity. Now let¡¯s see here¡­ Ahh, you¡¯re a new player?¡± ¡°Yes, is that a problem?¡± Trevor furrowed his eyebrows. ¡°Oh. No. Not at all sir. I apologise, I was just a little surprised was all. I think I know what the issue is.¡± The cheerful voice didn¡¯t waver for even a moment. ¡°You see, the premise behind the game is that you are a young genius from the mortal world. The key word here is young. In The Boundless Realm, the younger years are supposed to be when you can gain the most benefits from cultivation. That is to say the younger you look combined with the level you have achieved, is a kind of visual marker for how powerful and skillful you are as a player.¡± ¡­ ¡°So what was the point in customising my character at the start then? Sorry, I think I might be missing something here.¡± He knew he should understand what Blaze was telling him, but for some reason his mind wasn¡¯t connecting the dots. ¡°Ah, well, Mr Mason. Part of the game¡¯s design was that we wanted the world to feel like it was an actual place. Alive, you know. Well it kind of defeats the object if you yourself don¡¯t ever change. So part of that is having player characters being able to age. What we have you do at the start, is create the character the way you think you would like it to look. An ideal image, if you like.¡± ¡°Uh huh...continue.¡± Trevor was still apprehensive, but he felt like he was starting to see the young man¡¯s point. ¡°Well. Basically, your character will change and grow as time passes in game and you progress. Things like aging, muscle growth and scarring are all possible. Of course there are medicines you can buy to aid or counter these kind of things as well. As you reach certain levels, the aging process slows and once you reach the point of having achieved ¡®immortality¡¯, it stops. We found that players become much more attached to their characters this way and will act in ways that are more ¡®true-to-life¡¯ and less ¡®meh-it¡¯s-a-game-what-do-I-care-anyway¡¯. It is also a point of pride to some players, to be able to walk around with their characters and have other players be able to see visually, how skillful and powerful they are.¡±This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. There was a slightly awkward pause as Blaze finished and was clearly waiting for some audible moment of clarity from Trevor. Trevor however, was letting the information sink in and still trying to figure out what it actually meant. ¡°Sorry young man. I¡¯m still not getting it. It¡¯s on the edge of my mind but I just can¡¯t seem to make the final leap.¡± ¡°Oh, no worries Mr Mason sir. Well what it means for you is that as your character ages, it will slowly change to fit the mold of the character you designed at the beginning. If for example you created a younger looking character, the computer would just age the character model.¡± ¡°Ah. I see now...Hmmm, that¡¯s quite impressive.¡± Ever since what is known as the ¡®Golden Age of Virtual Reality¡¯, began, computer technology, software programming and the creation of AI¡¯s had advanced by leaps and bounds. He knew that things had improved immensely since his youth, but this was beyond what he had realised was possible. ¡°Yes. It is...or rather was, one of our games best selling points. Also one of our most common call subjects. We haven¡¯t had many of these kinds of calls recently, for obvious reasons.¡± For the first time, the cheerfulness in Blaze¡¯s voice seemed to dim. But not for long. ¡°That is sure to change soon though. Although I think the whole aging thing is going to be explained properly for new players. No doubt there will still be a few who rush through the tutorial area¡¯s and still call us to ask about it though.¡± ¡°Why is that?¡± Something in his voice had piqued Trevor¡¯s curiosity. ¡°You don¡¯t know!? Oh, sorry Mr Mason. That was rude of me. I keep having to remind myself you are a new player.¡± ¡°That is quite alright. So, you were saying?¡± ¡°Well, the big update is a month away. Although to call it an update is an understatement. They called it a ¡®large patch¡¯, at the start. If you can believe that. Instead of an update, it¡¯s more like an upgrade. Much of the game is getting a rework. We¡¯re hoping to see our player population boom and the developers are saying it will increase the game¡¯s lifespan significantly. Current estimates are saying that the pop count will double in the first week. So don¡¯t worry if it feels a bit sparse in the starting areas. You¡¯ll have plenty of company soon.¡± ¡°Oh...well...that¡¯s good to know I guess.¡± He had wondered why he saw no other characters walking around the sect. ¡°Is it okay for you to be telling me this?¡± ¡°Oh yeah. Everything I¡¯m telling you can be found on the official forums or on the game site¡¯s front page. I will send you the link containing the details for all the changes being made if you would like?¡± A box popped up in front of Trevor¡¯s eyes, asking for his consent. Shrugging to himself he pressed yes. Most of it probably wouldn¡¯t affect him, but it might be handy to read up on things; lest he end up calling the helpline for something rudimentary again. ¡°Welp...if that is everything Mr Mason, I will let you go.¡± Not hearing any words of disagreement, Blaze gave him the company sign off. ¡°The path to immortality is vast and long. I wish you luck and good fortune.¡± Trevor was happy to know that his ¡®character bug¡¯ wasn¡¯t actually a bug but a purposeful bit of programming. He didn¡¯t relish the thought of running round looking like a teenager. Especially when said teenager was actually inhabited by the mind of a 60-something year old man. For some reason, that thought just did not sit well with him. *Ding!*
You have recieve 1 new message.
The message must have been from Blaze as it contained links to various forum posts and game news pages about The Boundless Realm. The address it was sent from was a company one, but the signature at the bottom was most definitely not. It read: ¡°From B¡¯loo D&Ash I hate to see trash lying on the ground¡±. Beneath these words was a picture of a stylized sword and a flame. It took a moment of reading the name out loud a few times before Trevor finally understood it. ¡°Haha. Blood and ash. Clever.¡± Trevor could only assume it was meant to be hinting at that being all that would be left of his opponents or something like that. He filed the message away for later and checked the time. It was just after 2 in the afternoon. He could have sworn he had been in the game for longer. Not having anything else planned for the day though, he didn¡¯t mind though at all. Shrugging to himself he got comfortable once more and booted up the game. Trevor once again found himself inside his new residence looking at his youthful reflection in the surface of the pond. He prodded and pulled at his face a few times, looking at it this way and that before sighing and eventually giving up. It was just another thing he would have to learn to get used to. Thankfully, it wasn¡¯t going to be how he looked permanently. He was taking another look around himself whilst he tried to figure out what to do next when it occurred to him that he should probably check his character¡¯s status. ¡°Hmm. Maybe I should have gone with a more interesting name?¡±
Name: Auroch Level: 1
Cultivator Type: None Cultivation Level: Ki Gathering (1)
Strength: 12 Focus: 5
Agility: 7 Comprehension: 5
Stamina: 14??????
????
Earth Affinity: 8 Water Affinity: 6
Fire Affinity: 1 Light Affinity: 1
Chapter 3 Trevor looked at his stats, but after a while he realised it probably didn¡¯t matter what his next steps were exactly. After all, he didn¡¯t really have any context as to what his stats currently implied. He just waved it off for the moment, things would probably make themselves clearer pretty soon. If not, he could always call the helpline again. If he stopped to think about it. He would have realised that he already had links to the information that could tell him everything he needed to know, and probably the optimal route forwards as well. However it was more of a passing thought and the excitement that came with the newness of his current experience was keeping him distracted. Had anyone been able to hear his thoughts, they would be sighing, face in palm. It might be called a ¡®help¡¯ line, but it wasn¡¯t meant to for that sort of help. ¡°Hmm. Guess I should check around the rest of the house first. These kind of games sometimes have items hidden about right?¡± It didn¡¯t take long for him to finish exploring the one story building. Needless to say, he didn¡¯t find any hidden items. This was a brand new player home after all and not a public zone. Feeling a little underwhelmed, he was about to leave to explore the sect a bit when a pop up appeared in front of him. It explained that the residence he had been issued by the sect was a ¡®basic residence¡¯, and that while plenty of customisation was available, it was limited by the size and tier of the building owned. After expanding all the terms and reading the tooltips, Trevor felt a little more¡­¡¯whelmed¡¯, about the housing situation. As this building had been issued to him, certain things such as changing the building¡¯s structure was not possible. If in the future he bought a building, he would be able to customise anything his heart desired. Of course, all the decorative extra¡¯s and different building styles were not free. Real world money meant that you could decorate and furnish your player home in anyway you wanted. Players could also collect the resources and blueprints to make most of the things in the store as well, but it took time and having the right skills to do it. ¡°Ahem. Well, I might as well take a look at what they are offering.¡± Unlike in the real world, anything he bought for his player home would not be lost if he later moved. If he wanted to maintain more than one home though, he would have to have multiple copies of items if he wanted them in more than one of them. **** **** **** Half an hour later and Trevor was wandering the dirt paths of the sect, wondering if maybe he had been a little impulsive. He hadn¡¯t really spent that much money, and it wasn¡¯t as if he was really lacking in that department anyway. Besides he planned to spend quite a bit of time in this world and making his home feel comfortable was part of the fun.Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. The clacking bamboo water fountain was fine. Buying the turtles to put in the pond might not have been strictly necessary. There were several other small things he could probably have done without, or at least waited until later to buy. It was possible to find some of the things he bought in-game or at least purchase with the in-game currency. What Trevor was currently trying to justify to himself, were things like; the set of painted sliding screens (Fusuma) with a rather mesmerising mural painted across the length of them. All 24 of them. In his defense though, it also contained a minor spirit array that caused it to emit a sense of peace and calm. ¡®I guess it was a little extravagant.¡¯ He admitted to himself as he approached one of the few multi-story buildings. ¡®Lining the bottom of the pond with jade pebbles was probably going too far...and bookcases made of Sunbeam Mahogany was definitely too much...I probably shouldn¡¯t have bought the Starlit Mulberry Tree¡¯s to line the courtyard either...¡¯ Trevor was usually good with his money, except when deals or a discount were involved. Initially he was ¡®just-taking-a-look¡¯. After picking out one or two novelty items to buy however, it had quickly got out of control when he was informed he would get a 20% discount since it was his first purchase order. Any further self-reprimanding was halted when a loud and slightly irritated voice cut into his thoughts. ¡°Are you just going to stand there staring at me, or do you actually need something?¡± A short and stocky man of middling looking years, stood with his arms crossed over his chest, glaring at Trevor. ¡°Lack of respect for a sect Elder is a punishable offence young man. You are lucky that I don¡¯t have the time or the inclination to waste my time dealing with you.¡± ¡°Sorry. Elder¡­?¡± ¡°Agung. If you had been paying attention earlier you would have known that.¡± ¡®Oh dear.¡¯ Trevor¡¯s attempt to apologise to the Elder was just serving to dig the hole he was in deeper. ¡°I am the Elder in charge of the Forging Department here in the outer court of the sect. Now. Do you need anything? As I am such a forgiving man, I am willing to let you off for your earlier mindlessness. A word of warning though, if you are wasting my time, I will not forgive you a second time, new disciple or not.¡± Trevor had not felt this intimidated since he was a boy being scolded by his father for skipping school. He was amazed at how a computer program could elicit such a reaction from him. Now was not the time to be impressed though and he filed the thought away for later. ¡°Apologies Elder Agung. I was lost in thought, overwhelmed by the newness of the situation I find myself in. I am afraid I may be wasting your time as I was just exploring the sect¡¯s grounds and trying decide what I should be doing. If you have any tasks you need completing, I would happy to do them...as a sign of the sincerity of my apology.¡± ¡®Hah. That sounded pretty genuine, if I do say so myself.¡¯ He thought to himself. It wouldn¡¯t be the first time he had to placate a self-important superior. ¡°Bah. Sincerity my ass. Seems young¡¯uns these days even need to be taught how to kiss ass properly.¡± Seeing the faltering look on Trevor¡¯s face, the Elder smirked at him. ¡°You are in luck though. I am in need of some materials and I have not the time nor inclination to gather them myself.¡± *Ding!*
You have received a new quest. Colect the materials for Elder Agung and deliver them to his workroom. x6 Iron Boar hides. x8 Steel Wool flower heads. x5 Fire Stones. x12 Ink Sacs. Reward: ... Note: Failure to complete the task will result in attracting the ire of the forging Elder of the outer court.
¡°Once you have collected what I need, bring them here. In future, bother one of the forging disciples if you need anything. If I find you loitering outside my workroom again, I will not let you off so lightly.¡± Not waiting for Trevor to say anything, Elder Agung turned and walked into his workroom. Trevor was about to ask the retreating Elder how exactly he was supposed to go about finding these materials when he heard another *Ding!*
You have received a new quest. Head to the Plaza in the outer court to recieve your map of the surrounding environs. The Plaza has been added to your waypoints. Reward: Map of the Evergreen Sect. Note: Visit Mission Hall in the Plaza to take sect quests and obtain contribution points. The sect''s contribution points can be redeemed in Treasure Hall, Martial Hall and Medicine Hall; which are also in the Plaza.
Chapter 4 There was pulsing beacon of light hovering in the air off in the distance. A beam of light descended down from it indicating the location it marked. Unlike the games Trevor had played in his younger days, there seemed to be no minimap and no glowing arrows or pathway appeared to mark out his route. Instead there was just the beacon off in the distance and he was left to figure out how to reach it himself. Thankfully the sect wasn¡¯t too confusing to navigate and he soon found himself at the Plaza¡¯s gateway. Two pure white tree¡¯s with rich and dark emerald green leaves, stood at either side of the path. Their branches reached out to each other, forming a dense canopy overhead. A sign hung below them simply reading, [Outer Court Plaza]. The indistinguishable buildings to either side of the pathway were not present on the other side of the white tree¡¯s. Instead it gave way to a wide open area, paved evenly with stone blocks. At each of the corners of the Plaza, were four pagoda¡¯s. These were the aforementioned ¡®hall¡¯s¡¯, in the quest¡¯s note. Trevor found it strange that, although he could see plenty of people in the Plaza, it was just as quiet here as it had been in the other areas of the sect. When he entered under the archway created by the white tree¡¯s, the sound of the Plaza rushed towards him. There wasn¡¯t even the slightest of sensation as he crossed the invisible boundary. To the right side of the Plaza, was a large section filled with stalls. People, most likely other disciples, were hawking their wares to their fellow¡¯s. None of the stall owner¡¯s seemed to be mentioning price¡¯s, as far as Trevor could tell. Neither did they seem to be pushing passers by into stopping at their stall. Instead, they were just announcing their wares and waiting for an interested person to come of their own initiative. The market area took up position in a section of the Plaza between Treasure Hall and Mission Hall. The giant bronze signs above their doors were easy to read, even from the entrance. Opposite Mission Hall was Martial Hall, with Medicine Hall to the left of the entrance and opposite Treasure Hall. Treasure Hall, true to its name, seemed to be a treasure in itself. Its frame was gilded in gold and the roof tiles looked to be made of a shimmering red metal that gave off the impression of burning embers. Mission Hall however, was almost painfully plain in comparison. Like the other two Halls, it was made of a rich, dark wood with light brown roof tiles. What made it stand out as Mission Hall, was the two large bulletin boards on either side of it. Trevor ignored the other halls for now and made his way to Mission Hall to get the location for his quest. He would have plenty of time to look round everywhere properly later. For now, he was excited to experience a little of the action and adventure that the game advertised could be found here. The way to get to Mission Hall, brought him past the market area and he could see the various items for sale there. Unsurprisingly, he could not identify most of what was being sold beyond their basic type. Ores, pills, clothing, armour and weapons were among the many things on display. There were also large amounts of materials and even whole corpses of ferocious looking beasts as well. He had been absentmindedly watching a stall owner sell the corpse of a wolf like beast, to another disciple when a thought came to him unbidden. ¡®I wonder how you tell who is a real person and who is a computer?¡¯ From what he had seen, neither the stall owner or the buyer seemed to be wooden or give an awkward response to the other. Neither did any of the people he could see seem to be running around everywhere for no apparent reason, regardless of distance. That was the extent of his ¡®knowledge¡¯ on the matter though and not knowing any other way on how to discern the difference, he decided to leave the matter until later. ¡®Maybe Blaze could tell me how to know who¡¯s real and who isn¡¯t. Hmm, I¡¯ll have to ask next time.¡¯ The possibility of not needing to call the helpline for ¡®help¡¯, didn¡¯t even occur to him. The large bulletin board on the left was covered in requests for certain herbs to be collected or beasts that people wanted capturing, either dead or alive. The board on the right was much more sparsely populated and was occupied with requests for cooperation or information. Just like the stalls in the market area, these boards seemed to be filled by other disciples of the Evergreen Sect.Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. Walking into Mission Hall, Trevor felt reminiscent of a hotel or bank lobby. There was just a large open space with a counter against the back. Above the counter was the sect¡¯s mission board. It had many of the same things the disciples posted to the boards outside, as well as things like exploration of areas, subjugating beasts, requests from Elders and chores for the sect. Looking around himself, Trevor couldn¡¯t help but notice he was the only one there. At least the only one on his side of the counter that is. Behind the counter were four, rather bored looking, disciples. The only difference between himself and them, was the yellow arm band on the left hand sleeve of their uniform that said, ¡®Mission Hall¡¯ on it. ¡°Ahem. Hello there. I am Tre...ehm Auroch, a new disciple.¡± ¡°Yeah, we figured. We would have recognised you otherwise.¡± A pale faced young male interjected. ¡°I¡¯ll warn you now, don¡¯t try ask to take any of the missions that are beyond your level.¡± The hefty looking disciple on the left added. ¡°You new kids always seem to think too highly of yourselves. If you insist on being stupid though, we won¡¯t stop you. Just know that it will be your own fault and no one else¡¯s if you end up getting crippled or killed.¡± The hefty disciple¡¯s voice was filled with exasperation. He had dealt with too many ¡®geniuses¡¯ in his time working in Mission Hall. They all seemed to think they could just waltz into the wild and swat ferocious beasts as if they were flies, or stumble across heaven defying treasures just waiting for them to pick up. ¡®Seriously. As if they would have the ability to wield a heaven defying weapon, even if they did find one.¡¯ The hefty disciple¡¯s thoughts were filled with derision for such ridiculous preconceptions. ¡°Actually, Elder Agung gave me a task. But¡­¡± ¡°Yeah, sure.¡± The pale disciple interjected before he could finish what he was saying. ¡°Auroch right? That¡¯s your name right? Here, one map of the surrounding area, courtesy of the sect. All the main stuff is marked on there. More detailed ones are available but those cost points. Alternatively, you could see if any of our fellow disciples would be willing to sell you a copy of their maps.¡± ¡°Of course that has a certain level of risk attached. You never know how accurate their map making skill is, and it¡¯s not like they can¡¯t purposefully give you false information. The benefit being of course, that you don¡¯t need contribution points for those.¡± ¡°Shut up fatty. At least let me finish going through all the checks first.¡± The pale disciple gave his hefty colleague a withering look before turning back to Trevor and continuing. ¡°Now, where was I? Oh yeah. Map stuff. Whenever you take a mission from us, we will mark your map for you. Similarly if you come across anything important while outside the sect, mark it on your map and you could be rewarded for it. Depending on its worth to the sect.¡± ¡°As if there are any new discoveries left to be made nearby anymore.¡± The hefty disciple¡¯s condescending voice chimed in again. ¡°Best you could hope for is coming across a high level beast. Though if you did, more likely than not it would detect you and you¡¯d be de...ouch!¡± ¡°I told you to shut up till I finished Fatty!¡± The hefty disciple rubbed the arm that had just been punched and though he looked like he wanted to retort. He swallowed his words and studiously looked away. ¡°Okay. New kid...Auroch right? Pass me your sect token and I will register the Elder¡¯s request for you. Whenever an Elder gives you a request, come see us first. If you don¡¯t want to bother that¡¯s fine. Just don¡¯t blame us if you get nothing out of it. The Elders won¡¯t care if you miss out on gaining more contribution points.¡± Trevor¡­ ¡®No. Not Trevor. My name is Auroch here.¡¯ He reminded himself. Took out the dark green sect token from his pocket and handed it to the pale disciple with a thank full look. He was pretty sure that that last bit wasn¡¯t part of the standard script for new disciples like himself. ¡°Okay then. All done. I have marked down the locations for the materials Elder Agung wanted¡­¡± He hesitated for a moment, deciding whether he should say more, before ultimately deciding he should. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you did to annoy the Elder. But some of these materials require you to go to rather dangerous area¡¯s. Particularly for your low level.¡± He spread the map out on the counter in front of him and pointer to a location in the middle of an area marked, [Briarwood Forest]. ¡°Mainly, the Iron Boar hides. Iron Boars are found deep in the Briarwood Forest. They are beyond your ability right now. Not only that, but the deeper areas of the forest are home to beasts even stronger than the boars. Since there is no time limit on the Elder¡¯s request. I advise you to wait until you have had time to improve your strength before attempting this part.¡± ¡°Delaying might annoy the Elder further. But at least you will be alive to suffer his annoyance.¡± The hefty disciple said as he nodded to himself sagely. Surprisingly, the pale disciple didn¡¯t reprimand his colleague and only nodded his own head in agreement. ¡°Thank you for the information and the additional help. I¡¯m aware you could have just left me to suffer and find out for myself.¡± Auroch didn¡¯t know what the etiquette for such things was here, but his own principles would not allow him to accept the pale disciples advice silently. ¡°If I might ask one more thing? Where am I best going to get the required tools and something to carry it all in?¡± One of the previously quiet disciples on the right spoke up this time. ¡°Normally we would just tell you to go to each of the relevant department¡¯s. However, since Charlie seems to have taken a liking to you, I guess we could give you a little extra help.¡± ¡°Take a walk around the disciples stalls outside.¡± The disciple on the far side of the counter said. ¡°If you can¡¯t find what you need then go to the Forging Department. There are always forging disciples looking to make a little extra and practice their craft.¡± The first disciple nodded his head at his colleagues words, before continuing himself. ¡°As for something to carry it all in. I suggest just picking up a sack from the gardening sheds. Until you can afford a storage item, I wouldn¡¯t bother wasting your points or your coin.¡± The other three disciples behind the counter were nodding at his words and giving Auroch a look that said, ¡®Listen to him, what he says is true.¡¯ ¡°Many thanks to all you senior disciples. Your advice is much appreciated.¡± Auroch nodded to each of the disciples in turn and then took back his sect token and picked up his newly issued map. *Ding!*
You obtained a new item. [Evergreen Sect Map]
Chapter 5 Auroch was once again walking the dirt paths of the sect. Reprimanding himself for his impulsive spending. The only saving grace this time, so to speak, was that he had not spent any ¡®real¡¯ money. On the downside however, he had spent all of the meager funds he had started with. ¡®At least this time I bought stuff I actually needed...mostly.¡¯ Even in his thoughts he couldn¡¯t lie to himself. He truly had bought things he needed and were of use. However, the key words here were ¡®needed¡¯ and ¡®of use¡¯. Sure he would need a pick to mine the fire stones, but he probably didn¡¯t need to buy one made of dark steel. Fire stones were a tier 1 material after all, so a simple iron pickaxe and sufficient strength would have sufficed. Similarly the thick work gloves he bought for harvesting steel wool flowers, probably didn¡¯t need to be made of Iron Boar hide. The same Iron Board hide he was supposed to collect for Elder Agung. At least he now knew why the Elder probably wanted it. According to the stall owner he bought it off of, the hide of an Iron Boar was, ¡®as-tough-as-iron¡¯, whilst being as flexible as regular leather. Auroch sighed audibly to himself. What was done was done and although he had spent all his money and had bought tools of a higher quality than was actually necessary; he had listened to the disciples behind the counter in Mission Hall. Instead of purchasing a fancy pack of some sorts, he had gone to the sect¡¯s garden sheds and picked up a well used, but sturdy, hemp sack. At least he thought it was hemp. Then again he had also thought the work gloves were just made of high quality leather and that the head of the pickaxe was stained iron. Getting used to the variety of all the exotic materials used in this world was going to take some time. **** **** **** Upon leaving through the giant stone doors of the Evergreen Sect¡¯s front gates, Auroch¡¯s first thoughts were; ¡®I can¡¯t remember the last time I walked so much and not have my knees start aching.¡¯ Followed shortly by; ¡®I wonder if I can get out of breath here.¡¯ His mind was so full of these trifling thoughts that he failed to notice the majesty and imposing aura of the gateway he had just passed through. Had any of the sect Elder¡¯s known his thoughts, they might have wept. What was the point on spending so much and using such a large quantity of high tier materials, if people didn¡¯t even appreciate them!? ¡°Okay. So I¡¯m facing this way.¡± Auroch mumbled to himself as he rotated his newly acquired map in his hands. ¡°Which means the mine is in front of me and off to the right a bit. The flower¡¯s I need are all the way to the left...and I am going to stay away from the forest for now.¡± Not only were these two places in opposite directions, there was also a fair bit of distance between them and his current location. The names of some of the places he had to pass through to get there sounded a little dubious as well. [Shredding Meadow], [Rockfall Pass] and [The Fields of Fire] hardly sounded like spa resorts. In fact, the names of the locations he was supposed to gather the materials at were almost suspiciously plain. Now that he knew the names of the places he had to pass through, Auroch suspected that; [Fire Spirit Mine] and [The Shimmering Sea] were probably not as innocuous as they first sounded. ¡°The fire spirit is going to end up being a bloody volcano and I bet the shimmering in the shimmering sea is probably from the scales of all the flesh eating fishes.¡± Auroch grumbled as he focused on each of the marked locations.If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Sighing. Auroch put away the map and just started walking. He was a brand new player and figured that meant that any direction would be as good as an other. So long as he stayed near enough to the sect grounds he should be relatively safe...right? **** **** ****
You have died!
The world around him faded to black, a stark contrast to the already eye-catching blue box that only seemed to make it look bigger and brighter. Auroch couldn¡¯t even understand what had just happened. One minute he was walking through a pleasant looking field; the next minute he was face down on the ground, winded and then a blue box appeared telling him he was dead.
Respawning player at last Safe Zone.
A short moment later, and Auroch was blinded by a flash of light. When the light faded and his surroundings came into focus, he found himself alive once more and standing in the middle of his player house. ¡°Well then¡­¡± Auroch looked down at himself and checked himself over. ¡°I guess that dying isn¡¯t that bad. Hahah¡­¡± His laugh came out forced. He would be 64 this year and although this is considered as barely being old aged, he could not deny that it had a little too close to home. Modern medicine had improved by leaps and bounds over the last half a century. Sometimes the things that medicines could do these days bordered on miracles. They weren¡¯t though, and nothing known to humankind could cure death. Physically shaking himself off, Auroch tried to shake loose the grim thoughts that had snuck up on him. ¡°It¡¯s just a game, it¡¯s not real. Nothing to worry about, nothing to fear.¡± Saying the words out loud helped to calm the sudden onset of nerves; even if he didn¡¯t believe his own words. ¡°Just have to keep moving and keep busy. ¡°You can¡¯t wait for an adventure, and death won¡¯t wait for you.¡± Auroch was stood in the large central room of his player home. The decorative screens made up three of the rooms walls and the set of mahogany bookcases filled the entire back wall. The only other furniture in the room was a large armchair, that looked more like a giant beanbag than a chair, a small side table made of polished marble and a central fire pit. Taking slow and deliberate steps, Auroch approached the bookcases, stretching himself as he went. The money he had spent on the bookcases also gave him a set of books to go with them, although they were not anywhere near full by any means. His first death had shaken him, and although he refused to let it ruin his time in the Boundless Realm, he did not want to potentially go through the experience again so soon. ¡°So what have we got?¡± Still talking to himself out loud, Auroch picked each book off the shelves and read their titles. ¡°Hmmm, [Sects of the Tai-Pan Continent], [Beginners Guide to Herbs], [Immortal Tales], [Legends of the Heavens], [Heroes of the Tai Empire].¡± Many of the first books he picked up were what could be considered ¡®world-building¡¯ books. They contained lore, stories and references of places or things that players could potentially find. Some; like the guide on herbs, or the ones similarly for forging and pattern making, gave players hints at the things they could unlock or do with professions they took up. To find these things required a played to actually read the books and just picking them up, or opening them, would not automatically provide a prompt notifying the players of such things. Auroch had just been flicking through some of the books to distract himself whilst he settled his nerves; when he came across a book called [The Path of Cultivation]. It was one of only three books remaining on the shelves that he had yet to pick up. One of the things described within it, was the different realms of cultivation and the order they came in. They were: Ki Gathering Realm > Ki Refining Realm > Spirit Condensing Realm > Foundation Building Realm > Palace Forming Realm > Ascending Sky Realm > Transcending Heaven Realm > Immortal Realm > Celestial Realm. There were sections in the book that described each of the nine realms, but Auroch didn¡¯t read anything beyond the introductory summary. Something he had read had caught his eye. He flicked through the book until he found the small section that contained information on Spiritual Perception. ¡° A technique used by cultivators to perceive the world around them by using their spirit to control their Ki externally.¡± Auroch couldn¡¯t help but feel that if he had known of this technique beforehand, then maybe he could have avoided being killed earlier. Or at the very least he might have noticed that something was going to ambush him. The information in the book was only basic and didn¡¯t explain how exactly he should go about trying to learn Spiritual Perception beyond what it said in the beginning. After all, The developers couldn¡¯t allow something too game changing to be bought with real money. Even if most information could be found elsewhere online. Knowing something could be done and knowing how to do it, are two separate issues. That being said; sometimes, just knowing that something is possible, can be immensely beneficial. Chapter 6 Trevor groaned as the familiar sensations of his old body filled him once again. His muscles strained as he sat himself up. He didn¡¯t feel weak persay, but it was if there was a distinct lack of liveliness. Or maybe it was a lack of youthfulness. Turning to the side, Trevor grunted as he had to assist his bum leg over the edge of his VR chair. Finally he pressed the release on the back of the helmet. There was a distinct *snick* and the nerve port disconnected, allowing him to remove the helmet. ¡®Were things always this colour?¡¯ He wondered to himself as he placed the helmet on the side table. Giving his eyes a gentle rub changed nothing and the world around him maintained its slightly lackluster look. If it was like this for everyone, then he could understand why people would get addicted to being in the virtual world. ¡°Ahh shit!¡± He swore out loud. ¡°Cane would have to bloody well be on the other side.¡± Another series of grunting and groaning ensued, as Trevor leant back over the chair to get his cane in hand. His first attempt at standing up ended with his bum leg giving out beneath him, his good leg didn¡¯t do that much better though. Thankfully he fell back on his ass instead of forward and onto his face. ¡°Huh. I get why they call it a cloud chair.¡± Mumbling to himself he felt the cushioned set beneath him. Originally called ¡®VR Pods¡¯, due to their shape and design. They were later rebranded as, ¡®VR Sanctums¡¯, by companies looking to sell at a premium. Trevor had felt a bit uncomfortable with these models. No matter how plush and gilded with gold they might have been, Trevor couldn¡¯t get the thought out of his head that they were just fancy looking coffins. Eventually he found a specialty unit which was made, coincidentally, by the same company that produced the Boundless Realm. His unit was called a ¡®Cloud Frame¡¯. The description being that it was basically a solid frame containing all the essentials, with a seat on top of it that was ¡®as-soft-as-a-cloud¡¯. It had originally been designed for people that might feel claustrophobic in a pod or sanctum type model, and Trevor had paid out the nose for the ¡®specialty¡¯ of its design. At this moment though, he was more than happy that he had. He had to admit, it was probably more comfortable than his bed was. Eventually, Trevor made it onto his feet and then, with the use of his cane, went into the kitchen. The kettle, as always, was full and all that was left was for him to flick the switch. ¡®Huh, need to get more milk.¡¯ There was enough for now though, and that was what mattered. The food situation wasn¡¯t looking quite as good. It looked like it would have to be an omelette with either, ham and cheese, or cheese and ham. **** **** **** Trevor leant back in his seat after a satisfying meal, and sipped at the last of his lukewarm coffee. A glance at the clock on the wall surprised him. ¡°Thought it would be later.¡± He mumbled. ¡°Time is supposed to fly when you are enjoying yourself, not crawl.¡± It had only been two hours since he had first entered the virtual world, but he felt like it had been much longer. Granted, a lot had seemed to happen, so maybe it only felt like he had done a lot. Maybe he hadn¡¯t spent as long reading and meditating as he thought. Shaken after his first in-game death, Trevor had decided against heading back out straight away and potentially towards a second death. Instead he had perused the set of books that were on the virtual bookcase he had bought. After discovering a section in one of the books describing a technique that would allow him to detect things in the nearby surroundings, Trevor decided to try and learn it. The section in the book had been rather brief and had not gone into detail on how to go about using spiritual perception. He didn¡¯t let that stop him trying though. The starting area had included a tutorial on how to ¡®feel¡¯ and use Ki and the book had stated that one just had to use their ¡®spirit¡¯ to control their Ki outside of their body. Trevor wasn¡¯t really sure what the book meant by the use of ¡®spirit¡¯ but he was pretty sure it didn¡¯t mean spirit in the ghostly sense. He figured it probably meant something like using his ¡®force of will¡¯ or ¡®willpower¡¯. After what had felt like hours, Auroch had still not obtained the skill. However, he had managed to gain 3 points Focus and 1 point in both Comprehension and Stamina. Just before he had called it a day and logged off, his efforts were rewarded with the unlocking of level 1. Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. Thinking back on it, Trevor ¡®humphed¡¯ to himself and thought that he should probably check what it did exactly. Without having looked up much information on the in-game specifics, he had no idea how great his gains were. Especially considering it was his first time playing and he was still only level 1. Usually those who made a concentrated effort so early on, were the ones with a specific goal and the knowledge on how to achieve it. More often than not, they were also members of a player guild or group. Even those players would however, be shocked at the fact that Auroch had managed to achieve the things he had and still not have levelled up even once. **** **** **** There was a strange feeling of weightlessness and Trevor¡¯s senses flooded with ambiguous sensations before it all faded away. The feeling of the soft cushioned seat beneath his gave way and was replaced by the pressure of his body¡¯s weight upon his feet. Opening his eyes, Trevor found himself once again in the Boundless Realm. Auroch stretched and flexed his whole body in turn, revelling in the fresh energy that flowed through him. A small smile appeared as he couldn¡¯t help but notice once more that he was free from the aches and pains of his body in the real world. The short break he had taken in the real world, had wiped away the last vestiges of apprehension after experiencing his first death. He still didn¡¯t relish the idea of possibly dying again any time soon, but he also didn¡¯t start to feel anxious and queasy at the thought of it. He had briefly considered playing around with the newly acquired mastery, to see if it let him do anything interesting, but the desire to journey outside the sect was stronger. Auroch didn¡¯t want to put it off for long, just in case it developed into something more. He had to get back on the horse, so to speak. Walking at a slow but purposeful pace, Auroch made his way to the sect¡¯s gates. He had been too focused on what he might see outside the valley last time and had not appreciated the well crafted scenery around him. Although it was the main path of the sect, it was not paved. It seemed that only the roads of the Core area were worth bothering about to those who made the decisions. Despite that, there was a distinct lack of dustiness. The buildings that lined the main path were all set back from the path by about a metre. Though there was no real uniformity to the buildings themselves, they all had a garden like section on the path facing side. Eventually, the buildings gave way to large open fields. Some were clearly growing crops, but others looked like they were full of flowers being left to grow wildly. Now that he had taken the time to actually register what he was seeing, Auroch was amazed by how full of life all the plants looked. Not just looked, but felt. He knew what he was seeing were not ¡®real¡¯ plants, but his eyes and his brain were in agreement that these things he was seeing, were anything but ¡®pretend¡¯. Finding himself at the sect gates once more, Auroch took a deep and purposeful breath. Taking one final look behind him, he could see the whole valley spread out below. He smiled to himself as yet again he was reminded of the youthful and seemingly endless energy this body had. He hadn¡¯t even noticed the incline of the hill as he walked along the path. Something he would have been all too aware of, if he had been the real world. **** **** ****
You have died!
Respawning player at last Safe Zone.
¡°*Sigh* That was stupid.¡± Auroch didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or cry. On the one hand, he wasn¡¯t entirely surprised that it had happened. What did he expect? Do the same thing, get the same results. On the other hand though, he thought that it might have just been an unfortunate happenstance last time. ¡°Oh well. Live and learn I guess.¡± Appearing once again in his player home, he gave his body a good stretch. ¡°Maybe I should try going left next. Or I could just follow the path I suppose.¡± Once again the invisible attack had killed Auroch before he was even aware of the danger. Even with his raised alertness he had been helpless against whatever had attacked him. Thankfully, this death only gave him a sense of frustration and discomfort, without the anxiousness that had shaken him the first time. **** **** ****
You have died!
Respawning player at last Safe Zone.
¡°¡­¡± Auroch didn¡¯t even sigh this time. If he had control of his body at this point in time, he would have been hitting his head in frustration. ¡°Okay, sticking to the path it is.¡± He had originally planned on walking along the path that lead to the sect and seeing where it would take him. At the last minute though he changed his mind and decided to see if the area to the left of the sect was any different to the area on the right. Apparently, it was not. Auroch was slightly confused as to why an area that instantly killed new players was so close to the area they started out at. He could only guess that there must be an invisible line somewhere that denoted he was entering the ¡®wilderness¡¯ and he wasn¡¯t aware of it. Even that line of thinking didn¡¯t really make sense, but with nothing else to go on, it was the only thing that remotely made sense to him. **** **** ****
You have died!
Respawning player at last Safe Zone.
¡°Fuuuuuck!¡± Four deaths in one day. He was not doing well. At least this time it was actually his own stupidity that killed him. Although he was unsure whether or not that was something he should actually feel fortunate about, at least he knew how he died this time. ¡°Stupid, furry little shits.¡± He swore. He hadn¡¯t cursed this much in a while. His thoughts were full of frustration and self mockery. What had possessed him to pick up the little critter? If that wasn¡¯t bad enough, dropping it when it had bit him had apparently caused it some damage. It¡¯s parents had not taken kindly to him injuring their offspring and Auroch had found himself suddenly being confronted by two overgrown ferret looking things. If that wasn¡¯t bad enough, his ¡®escape route¡¯ had led him straight past more of them and they were more than happy to join in the pursuit. The only ¡®positive¡¯, about the whole series of events; was that he was pretty sure a few of the giant ferrets had followed him off the edge of the cliff. Auroch was pretty sure that death by falling was probably a lot less harrowing than being eaten by overgrown fur scarves. ¡®I guess that makes two positives.¡¯ He thought to himself mirthfully, and he sat back in his bean cushion chair sighing. His frustration finally having run its course.