ã€ŠChoose 3 (Dropped)ã€‹


 Logging In

    "Welcome to the beta of Magic Online. Please choose your magics."

    "Huh?"

    "I said to please choose your magics. You can choose any three from the list."

    "No no no. Stop. This is all wrong."

    "What do you find wrong?"

    "This is the beta of the newest VR. Furthermore this should be the character creation stage. Everyone knows that the character creation stage is suppose to take place in an endless void of either white or black." Pauses to take a deep breath. "SO WHY THE **** ARE WE IN AN OFFICE?!"

    It''s just as he said. Jack was sitting in a chair across from a woman in business attire sitting behind a large desk in a relatively small office.

    "To put it simply, it''s just as you stated, this is the beta. The higher ups plan to make the intro more exciting, but didn''t see the need to apply it to the beta."

    Mumbles "Way to get my hopes up."

    "I''m sorry what was that?"

    Sighs "Nothing."

    "Very well, now please choose your magics."

    Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.

    "Aren''t I suppose to choose a name first?"

    "No. All beta testers are given numerical values to represent their identities while in game."

    "..."

    "Now, would you please choose your magics? I still have 67 more beta testers to see."

    Sigh "Fine fine. Where did you say the list was?"

    "It''s on the desk to your right."

    Picking up the list, Jack once again burst out.

    "The **** is this?"

    "That is the list of magics known in the game."

    "There''s nothing on the list! It''s just a sheet of blank boxes!"

    "That is because the beta has yet to open. Once the beta starts you will be given basic instruction manuals about the magics you''ve chosen. Once the beta is over, all the magics and races that were discovered will be available to the public."

    "What''s the point of that?"

    "I apologize, I can''t tell you anymore than that."

    "...Fine, I choose these three."

 Ch 1 - Welcome to MO

    <table><tbody><tr><td>

    Welcome to Magic Online user 349.

    </td></tr></tbody></table>

    <table><tbody><tr><td>

    You have chosen smell, tame, and ink as your magics for this beta and have been given the according manuals. The manuals have been put into your inventory. To access them simply say or think ''inventory'' with the intention of opening it.

    </td></tr></tbody></table>

    (Magics chosen by RNG</a>, further use of RNG will be used in Excel)

    After his disappointment in the character creation, <del>Jack</del> 349 found himself next to a fountain surrounded by other players.

    "Can I have everyone''s attention please!?" Someone had climbed the rim of the fountain and shouted. Since everyone was just looking around and no one had started talking yet, everyone just turned to stare at him.

    "All of you should''ve received messages similar to mine welcoming you to the game. But while I waited for the count down to reach zero, I experimented and was able to access my inventory before hand. Along with the manuals and some starting gear, the GM''s included a detailed letter that further describes what is happening. The first thing you should know is that players have been sent to 20 different locations with 25 players at each location.

    "When the game officially begins these 20 spots will be the options for the starting locations. Each location will allow you to unlock different magics. The magics unlocked at each location are determined by us, the beta players. Whatever magics we chose from those blank boxes will be the magics available after the beta. This will cause some magics to be locked at some locations but unlocked at others.

    Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.

    "After the beta everyone will be able to keep either their stats, skills, or gear. If you choose stats you will keep your current level. If you choose skills you''ll keep your magics. And if you choose gear you get keep everything in your inventory.

    "That''s the basics. If you want to run around killing stuff to level up, please do so after you tell me your magics. I plan to stay at this fountain and gather information. Because it''s still the beta, all information I have will be free so long as you''re willing to give me information. If you don''t want to return to the fountain but need information, simply befriend user 207."

    After his speech 207 sat down on the edge of the fountain. Someone from the crowd shouted for more information.

    "How long is the beta for? I was told to eat a heavy meal and have one prepared for later, before entering because the beta is 24 hours straight. But that can''t be right, can it? I mean who''s heard of a 24 hour beta?"

    "The 24 hours is referring to real time. The time in here is 4 times faster and during the beta we level up 3 times faster and have a higher drop rate. Speaking of drops, if you go to your option menu you can change it to manual or auto. Also if you..."

    At this point, 349 decided to explore the village. After leaving the area around the fountain, he got a message.

    <table><tbody><tr><td>

    Welcome to Area 5.

    </td></tr></tbody></table>

    [349] "Wow, they really don''t like naming things in this game."

 Ch 2 - Learning Magic

    <table><tbody><tr><td>All buildings are closed during the beta.</td></tr></tbody></table><table><tbody><tr><td>All buildings are closed during the beta.</td></tr></tbody></table><table><tbody><tr><td>All buildings are closed during the beta.</td></tr></tbody></table>

    After trying multiple doors and getting the same message over and over, 349 stopped trying and sat down.  He was currently outside the library and was sitting on the steps. He had thought there might be some treasure, a weapon, or information in one of the buildings and wanted to get to it before anyone else left the fountain area.

    With a shrug, he opened up his inventory and looked at the manuals he had. The manual for taming magic was a small pamphlet with only 2 pages. The manual for smelling magic was about twice as large. But the one that surprised 349 was the manual for ink magic. The manual could be considered a small book. Putting the other 2 manuals away, 349 started to read about ink magic.

    After the first section, the manual became a lot more interesting. The first section talked about how ink works and how to use it. The other sections talked about a much more interesting topic, magic circles. Magic circles are one of the 3 different magic writing systems.

    To make a magic circle, you first need magic ink. Ink acquired through natural means won''t have the mana signature required. Next you draw a circle. The circle must be drawn fist to contain the spell. Next you need to decide the trigger. The choices for triggers are as follows.

    <table><tbody><tr><td>Fire</td><td>When charged</td><td>»ð</td></tr><tr><td>Light</td><td>Movement</td><td>¹â</td></tr><tr><td>Soul</td><td>Spell Bubble</td><td>»ê</td></tr><tr><td>Earth</td><td>Switch</td><td>ÍÁ</td></tr><tr><td>Metal</td><td>Pressure</td><td>½ð</td></tr><tr><td>Void</td><td>Spell</td><td>¿Õ</td></tr><tr><td>Wind</td><td>Voice</td><td>ïL</td></tr><tr><td>Dark</td><td>Uncovered</td><td>éœ</td></tr><tr><td>Essence</td><td>Destroyed</td><td>¾«</td></tr><tr><td>Water</td><td>Continous</td><td>Ë®</td></tr><tr><td>Wood</td><td>Timer</td><td>Ä¾</td></tr><tr><td>Body</td><td>Target</td><td>Ìå</td></tr></tbody></table>

    This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    Once the trigger is drawn, you need to draw another circle around the first one. Using the same symbols, you then draw the symbol in the space between the two circles. This symbol is the intended spell.  This is an example of a spell circle:

    In this example, after a set amount of time fire would come out of the circle. The amount of time and the type of fire spewed would depend on the creators intentions.

    In order to be successful in creating a spell circle with your desired intent it is important to remember the following: stroke order, mana supply, speed, magic chart, intentions, and obstructions.

    Stroke order is referring to how to create each of the 12 symbols. The book recommended practicing the symbols before attempting to draw any circles. Because the circle will require a continuous supply of mana, taking too much time to draw a circle will become taxing.

    Mana supply refers to your own mana as well as the mana supplied to the circle. Each spell circle must be completed in one go. And how much mana you put in will effect the size of the spell.

    Speed refers to how fast the circle is completed. If you were to draw two circles with the same amount of mana at different speeds, the one completed first would have more power.

    The magic chart is referring to the blank chart 349 was shown before entering the game. The book gave him 12 symbols, which are referred to as elements. These elements are 12 of the 145 magics on the chart. The book also mentioned mixtures but didn''t reveal all of them. Mixtures are the other 133 magics and are different combinations of the 12 elements.

    Intentions are important because they control the result. In the example, intentions control whether the fire is shot as a stream or if it spreads on the floor.

    Obstructions refer to any form of interference. If something causes you to stop your mana flow, you''ll have to start all over. Similarly, if something causes your intention to waver, you may get a different result then you wanted.

    These are the basics that were contained within the manual. And when 349 finished the manual, a pleasant message appeared before him.

    <table><tbody><tr><td>You are the first one to completely read the ink manual.</td></tr></tbody></table><table><tbody><tr><td>Ink mastery raised to intermediate.</td></tr></tbody></table>

    These unexpected messages caused 349 to smile.

    [349] "Sweet."

 Ch 3 - Trying to get info

    <table><tbody><tr><td>

    You have read the tame manual.

    </td></tr></tbody></table>

    <table><tbody><tr><td>

    Tame mastery raised to Beginner.

    </td></tr></tbody></table>

    <table><tbody><tr><td>

    You have read the smell manual.

    </td></tr></tbody></table>

    <table><tbody><tr><td>

    Smell mastery raised to Beginner.

    </td></tr></tbody></table>

    Even though 349 immediately read the other two manuals, he wasn''t the first to read either of them.

    [349] "Bummer."

    Although he was disappointed that he wasn''t the first, he just shrugged it off because these magics didn''t seem as interesting to him.

    After taking a moment to think, he chose his course of action.

    Not knowing how hard it is to rank up with magic, he could only conclude that each rank is harder to level up. As such he decided that he shouldn''t waste the opportunity he had with the ink magic. But after reading the manual he knew that he needed more information to use the spell circles correctly. And there was only one place to get information about magic in this beta.

    [349] "Back to the fountain it is." (When alone he has a tendency to talk aloud.)

    When he got back to the fountain, he was surprised at what he saw. He thought that everyone but the info kid (''what was his number again?'') would''ve left the fountain to level up by now. Instead, sitting by the fountain were 8 players. All of which were poking at the air, using some form of game system interface.

    When he got close to the fountain one of the other players saw him and called out.

    "The prodigal son has returned."

    At this comment everyone else turned to look at 349.

    [349] "Hello, I''d like to ask you a for some information."

    [207] "If you want information, you first have to tell me something I don''t know."

    [349] "Did you know that all buildings are closed during the beta?"

    [207] "Knew it."

    [349] "How about that none of the shops have NPC''s to sell gear?"

    [207] "Knew it."

    [349] "If you read a manual your mastery increases."

    [207] "Knew it."

    [349] "If you''re the first to read a manual you get a higher mastery."

    [207] "Knew... Actually, I don''t think we found that out yet. Which magic did you get this for?"

    [349] "Classified." He said with a grin while crossing his arms.

    [207] "Hahaha. Fair enough. So, what did you want to know? Where everyone went? Why we''re still sitting by the fountain? Or maybe you want to know why you can play for 24 hours without needing the bathroom?"

    [349] "No, I... Well, maybe that last one, but not right now. The first thing I want to know is the different magics you''ve found."

    Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.

    With a smile filled with pride and eyes full of expectations, 207 announced.

    [207] "We''ve cataloged 95 different magics."

    [349] "..."

    [207] "..."

    [349] "So?"

    [207] "So? Is that all you have to say? Are you not amazed? Do you even care that I was able to find more magics than all the players in this village could have combined?

    349 put his hands up trying to show that he meant no harm.

    [349] "If you want to share more information just so you can brag, I''ll listen, but only if it''s relevant. What you told me is not what I asked for. I asked for the types of magic not the amount."

    Seeing 349''s indifferent attitude, 207 became a little more sullen and sighed.

    [207] "The information you''ve given me isn''t enough to tell you all of the magics we''ve found. I could''ve told you for free if you were part of our guild, but you missed your chance, there''s no one left to partner with."

    [349] "What do you mean?"

    This question brought a smile to 207''s face.

    [207] "While you were gone, everyone else split into eight different teams each composed of three people. Each team then divided into 3 different groups with one person from each team in a different group. The first group will focus on leveling up and plan on keeping their stats as their reward. The second group will constantly practice their magic and will keep their skills as their reward. And the last group is us." Spreads his hands out to gesture to everyone at the fountain.

    "We''re in charge of finding any information that we can get and plan on keeping our loot as our rewards after stuffing them with the other groups findings. This way when we meet back up after the beta the first group can power level us and act as the warriors. The second group will be the mages and can provide range support. And our group will be the merchants and will give them their gear back."

    [349] "That''s nice. But I still want to know about the different magics you found."

    [207] "Sorry, you''ve used up your information." 207 replied with a smile.

    [349] "What do you mean?"

    [207] "That right there." 207 shouted and pointed to 349. "You asked me what I meant when I mentioned a guild. So I provided you with information, so now we''re even." Crosses his arms like he''s proven himself right.

    349 sighs and turns around. He wasn''t good a dealing with this type of person. When he starts walking away 207 calls after him.

    [207] "Wait, where are you going?"

    349 ignores him and just continues walking away. He figured that trying to get information would be more trouble than it''s worth. He''d just level up his skill and mana during the beta and look for a form afterwards.

    [207] "Don''t you need this information?"

    [349] "No." 349 replies without turning back.

    [207] "Fine, you win. I''ll tell you about the magics."

    349 stops and turns around but doesn''t start walking back to the fountain.

    [349] "At what price?"

    207 smiles like he just thought of a great idea.

    [207] "Just give me your manuals, that way you don''t have to bother explaining what your magics are."

 Ch 4 - First test of magic

    This time 349 turns around and leaves the fountain area with quicker steps.

    [207] "Hey, wait."

    349 can now hear 207 running to catch up but doesn''t turn around. When 207 catches up to 349 he keeps walking beside him and continues the conversation.

    [207] "I''m not trying to steal any of your skills just so you know. We tried to have the mages read other manuals but it seems that we can only have the 3 magics that we chose at the start."

    207 pauses but 349 doesn''t respond.

    [207] "Because you read one of the manuals first and got a higher rank, I''m assuming that you''re going to keep your skills. So when the beta ends you won''t even be able to keep them. They have no use to you so why don''t you give them to me?"

    207 continues to pester 349 into giving him the manuals as 349 continues walking to the village''s exit. During the walk, 349 keep thinking about what he should do to get rid of 207. When they reach the gate to the village 349 turns around and addresses 207.

    [349] "So you want to know about my magics?"

    [207] "That''s what I''ve been saying. But I won''t give you any information if I already know about them."

    207 continues to talk but 349 ignores him and starts using his magic. Crouching to the ground with his back to 207, 349 starts by drawing a circle. Within the circle he draws »ð. Afterwards he draws another circle around the first and includes the same symbol in the space in between. 349 chose this symbol because it was one of the easiest ones to get right on the first try.

    The finished circle was about 3 feet in diameter and used up about 80% of his mana. Using the last of his mana, 349 followed a suggestion from the manual. After finishing a spell circle, the creator can manipulate all of the ink except for the exterior circle. This allows spell circles'' purposes to remain incognito even to other creators.

    When he was finished 349 stood up and turned to face 207. 207 had been trying to look over his shoulder but 349 made sure he couldn''t see anything until the interior was changed.

    [207] "A pentagram? You spent all that time to draw a simple star?"

    Indeed. 349 had changed the interior of his circle into a pentagram. And because the circle required mana while being drawn, it took him longer to drawn than he thought.

    [349] "This is a part of my magic. Put your hands in the center and feed it mana. It''ll help you learn about my magic."

    With an excited look on his face, 207 assumed the orz pose and started to feed his mana into the circle.

    The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.207 then spent the next minute feeding mana into the circle. Meanwhile, 349 was starting to feel guilty about what he was doing. 207 then looked up to 349 with an annoyed look on his face but stayed kneeling in the circle.

    [207] "Is this a trick? Am I even doing anything? Or are you just trying to get rid of me?"

    Sighing, 349 decided to tell him a bit of the truth.

    [349] "This is a spell circle. I tried to make it so that it would charge its'' spell then release it. It should be absorbing the mana in the air for its'' spell. But by having you supply it with your own mana the process should be sped up. And yes it is designed to get rid of you."

    [207] "Ha, I tricked you."

    [349] "Huh?"

    207 moved from kneeling to sitting, but was still in the circle. He was now looking at 349 with a smug grin on his face.

    [207] "I haven''t been feeding the circle any mana. I''ve just been biding my time till I could get some information out of you. So you can use spell circles, that neat."

    349 was stunned. But after a minute he found his voice.

    [349] "Why are you so obsessed with information?"

    207 opened his mouth but never got the chance to talk. At this moment 349''s circle had fully charged and released his spell. The spell that he had chosen was the only one he was sure was simple enough to draw and dangerous enough to kill. 349 had chosen to make a flame pillar.

    Because 207 hadn''t left the fountain, he hadn''t leveled up and was incinerated on the spot.

    <table><tbody><tr><td>

    You have killed 207.

    </td></tr></tbody></table>

    <table><tbody><tr><td>

    During the beta all PK benefits and punishments are removed therefore you will not receive any experience or loot.

    </td></tr></tbody></table>

    [349] "Ohhh, so his name was 207."

    349 exited the village after taking one last look at it. He knew that he couldn''t return here for the rest of the beta. Even if there weren''t any consequences to killing he knew that 207 would spread word to his guild members. And they  would make the beta less enjoyable for him if he was found.

    It was times like these that 349 was glad the beta didn''t have a sanity bar for food.

    <hr />

    AN: This was originally part of ch 3 but I separated them into 2 ch''s

 Ch 5 - To Restore Your Pride

    Back at the fountain, 207 appeared in a ray of light.

    [207] "AAAAAAH."

    ...screaming his lungs out.

    [207] "**** that ******* hurt! I''ll kill that *******!"

    His outburst caused all the others at the fountain to look at him in alarm.

    "Boss are you okay? What happened?"

    After taking deep breaths and calming down, 207 still didn''t addressed his guild mates. Instead he took 5 more minutes to think about what he had just done while in the lotus position. When he was finally ready he opened his eyes, breathed a deep breath out, and addressed his guild members.

    [207] "I''m fine, just a little hurt in my pride. Did you find any interesting information while I was gone?"

    "Screw the information, he just killed you didn''t he? We have to teach him a lesson! 351 get Group A back. 192 do you know which group the tracker is in?"

    [192] "For clarification, his magic is pathfinder not tracker. And yes, he should be with Group A practicing his magic."

    [351] "They''re asking where they should meet up. And they have the pathfinder with them."

    "Great, tell them to meet me at the south gate."

    [192] "Do you want us to gather the other groups as well?"

    The reason that they were able to contact the warriors so fast is because they were never disconnected. 207 had set up the system so that 4 of the people at the fountain were always in a friend chat with the other groups. Because the creatures around the village were so weak, the warriors and mages had split into 4 groups with 2 warriors and mages in each.

    "No, it''s just one person. It''s better to have them continue farming."

    [207] "I appreciate the gesture 461, but there''s no need to go to these lengths. Millions of players will be joining after the beta and we''ll probably never see him again. Besides, I was being too pushy and was trying to get without giving." Looks at the ground in regret. "Guess I was too excited with this new game." Sighs. Mumbles under his breath, "Grandpa was right."

    [461] "That''s why we have to get him now! This will be our only chance." (Doesn''t hear the mumbles.)

    207 Holds up his hands in a sign of surrender.

    [207] "If you want to go after him I won''t stop you. But I won''t be part of it. As my grandfather always says ''It''s not a mistake to make a mistake, but it''s a mistake to repeat the same mistake.'' I''ll stay here and look over the data you guys have gathered."

    Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.

    [351] "Group A is 30 minutes from the south gate."

    [461] "97 make sure to restrain him when he responds, this shouldn''t take too long."

    461 then turns and leaves towards the south gate.

    [461] ''Crap I forgot to ask 207 how he died. But if I turn around now, I''ll look uncool.'' Mentally shrugs. ''Guess I''ll just leave the fighting to the warriors.''

    <hr />

    When he was about to reach the south gate, 461 heard a strange noise before rounding the corner. When he rounded the corner he didn''t notice anything except for a strange marking on the ground. While he waited for Group A, he called 207 for confirmation.

    [461] "I found a pentagram at the south gate. Is this where you died?"

    [207] "Yeah, that''s where I died. I was..."

    [461] "Thanks, bye." Ends the call. ''What to do? What to do? How can I impress Group A?'' Starts pacing back and forth. ''If this is 207''s death marker, that means that this is the last place he saw the traitor. We''re going to have to start tracking him from here. But how should I wait? Should I lean against the wall? No, that''s too thug looking. Should I sit against the wall? No, that''d look lazy.'' 461 continues to worry about his image while pacing back and forth. And while he was pacing, he heard the strange noise again.

    The sound 461 heard was 349''s spell circle. The circle''s trigger was set to charge. This didn''t mean that the circle would fire once and be done. This meant that the circle would continue to charge by taking mana from the air (or someone willingly providing it) and unleashing the spell at its'' maximum potential.

    Unfortunately for 461, he thought that the spell circle was a death marker and meant no harm. 461 had one foot in and one foot out as he leaving the circle again, so he didn''t die right away. Instead of dying instantly like 207, his remaining hp dropped off slowly from having the burn status.

    <table><tbody><tr><td>

    You have been killed.

    </td></tr></tbody></table>

 Ch 6 - To Restore My Honor

    Back at the fountain, 461 appeared in a ray of light.

    [461] "..."

    Unable to scream.

    [97] "CRAP that was fast. Wait isn''t that 461?"

    When 461 reappeared at the fountain 97 had carried out his orders, thinking that it was the traitor he tried to restrain him. 97 has sap magic and used it to restrain 461. Unfortunately, even though 97 was prepared, he wasn''t expecting anyone to appear so soon and mistargeted 461 due to jumping in shock. Instead of encasing 461''s body in sap to restrict his movements, 97 ended up encasing 461''s head in sap.

    [461] "..."

    461 is too disorientated to understand what just happened to him and keeps flailing around violently due to having his air cut off. Due to his flailing, none of his guild mates were able to approach him to help and he ended up dying due to suffocation.

    At the fountain, 461 appeared in a ray of light (again). But this time he was sucking in air greedily, in the orz position. Once his breathing returned to normal he glared daggers at 97.

    [97] "Um, sorry. I thought you were the traitor."

    Taking a deep breath, 461 yelled at the top of his lungs.

    [461] "I''LL KILL THAT TRAITOR!"

    After yelling his frustration at the top of his lungs, 461 started sprinting to the south gate again. 207 yelled after him trying to get him to stop.

    [207] "DON''T GO, MAKING THE SAME MISTAKE WILL JUST HURT YOUR PRIDE."

    [461] "**** PRIDE, THIS IS ABOUT MY HONOR NOW."

    461 yelled back without slowing down.

    <table><tbody><tr><td>

    349 had sent you a friend request do you want to accept?

    </td></tr></tbody></table>

    <table><tbody><tr><td>YES</td><td>NO</td></tr></tbody></table>

    461 quickly selected no and kept running towards the gate.

    [461] "Once I catch up, I''ll have the warriors restrain him and finish him off myself."

    <hr />

    *achoo*

    [349] "Huh, I didn''t think I''d have allergies in the game."

    349 had been spending his time in the woods practicing the strokes to his ink magic by tracing his finger over the images in his manual. While he was practicing, he had gotten a message saying that he had killed 461. Wanting to apologize and know what happened, he sent a friend request but was rejected.

    He then spent his time practicing without anything interesting happening until he got a message.

    <table><tbody><tr><td>

    228 had sent you a friend request do you want to accept?

    </td></tr></tbody></table>

    <table><tbody><tr><td>YES</td><td>NO</td></tr></tbody></table>

    [349] "Sure, why not?"

    <table><tbody><tr><td>

    228 has sent you an invite to a friend chat. Do you want to accept?

    </td></tr></tbody></table>

    <table><tbody><tr><td>YES</td><td>NO</td></tr></tbody></table>

    [349] "Yep."

    [228] "Greetings from Area 7. I''m beta tester 228 and I''ve been attempting to reach beta testers located in other areas. Could you please tell me which area you started at?"

    [349] "Umm, sure Area 5."

    [228] "Area 5 hmmm... Would you be willing to partake in an experiment of mine?"

    The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    [349] "That depends, what''s the experiment?"

    [228] "The experiment I wish to do is very simple. I would like to try and swap our positions. The reason I''m asking you is because out of everyone that I''ve been able to contact, your area has the closest number to my own area.

    "The first thing you should know is that I have swap magic. This magic is just as it sounds. After I have chosen two objects, I can exchange their positions. However, different variables will hinder whether or not I''m able to change objects. After experimenting a bit I have found out that I don''t need to see the object to use my magic on it.

    "I will however need to guide you through your menu if you accept. Players have a natural mana that surrounds their body called their aura. Even though this aura doesn''t stop other magics, it does cause minor interference. I''ll have you change it so there''ll be no interference."

    [349] "..." 349 stayed silent as he absorbed all that was said.

    He saw his options as follows:<ul>

    <li>Refuse -> Stay and avoid everyone else for the rest of the beta.</li>

    <li>Accept -> Fail -> Nothing happens</li>

    <li>Accept -> Fail -> Die -> Respawn at fountain -> Face consequences</li>

    <li>Accept -> Succeed -> New area

    </li></ul>

    [228] "If you don''t want to help me after hearing all of this, could you at least tell me the numbers of the other beta testers in your area?"

    [349] "...I''ll agree but I have some conditions. Whether you succeed or fail I want you to answer all of my questions to the best of your knowledge, without charge, for the rest of the beta. If you succeed, I want you to use it again on someone else that''s at Area 7 so we can talk face to face. If you fail, I want you to help me after the beta. Is that alright with you?"

    [228] "The conditions are ideal. I accept the aforementioned conditions and will begin the experiment once you have confirmed your change in aura."

    Although 349 found 228''s speech pattern strange, he shrugged it off without a second thought.

    [349] "Alright I''m finished changing my aura."

    "There he is!"

    349 turned around and saw a group of players charging at him with their weapons drawn.

    [228] "Confirmed. Beginning transfer."

    [461] "Prepare to die you ********!"

    Right before the group reached him, 349 turned to light and disappeared leaving nothing behind. The sudden disappearance caused Group A to halt in their tracks.

    [461] "Tracker!" 461 stared glaring at the player to his right. "Where the **** did he go?"

    [Tracker] "I-I don''t know."

    [461] "What do you mean you don''t know?"

    [Tracker] "I can only follow a path. If someone dies or teleports, I lose their trail."

    [461] "AHHHHHH! I''LL KILL THAT COWARDLY TRAITOR."

    <hr />

    At Area 7, 349 suddenly appeared next to a fountain. After arriving, a ray of light appeared in front of him. When the light disappeared 349 saw that he was standing behind a player.

    [228] "Open friend list. Contact 349."

    <table><tbody><tr><td>

    228 has sent you an invite to a friend chat. Do you want to accept?

    </td></tr></tbody></table>

    <table><tbody><tr><td>YES</td><td>NO</td></tr></tbody></table>

    Smiling to himself, 349 made sure to accept the invite without making a sound.

    [228] "The experiment was a failure. I ended up using so much mana I died. Sorry for wasting your time."

    [349] "I wouldn''t call it a total failure."

 Ch 7 - Friendly Conversation

    (AN: bit of a time skip)

    ... chop... chop... chop.

    [349] "Tiiiimbeeeeer."

    Crash!

    [349] "Darn, no skill. On to the next one."

    Chop... chop...

    "Ahhhhhhh! What are you doing!?"

    349 stops chopping the tree to look at who was screaming. The one who had yelled at him was a girl. 349 looks at the girl, looks at the tree, looks at his ax, looks back at the tree, and finally back to the girl before responding.

    [349] "Is that a trick question?"

    Unfortunately, his reply seemed to only make her angrier.

    [girl] "Kneel."

    [349] "Huh? Why should I..."

    [girl] "I SAID KNEEL!!"

    349 immediately obeyed. 349 no longer saw her as a harmless girl because the blood-lust she was emitting could only belong to a demon. Once he was kneeling the girl started to lecture him.

    After 10 minutes, his legs started to go numb and the blood-lust had worn down. After 20 minutes, 349 noticed that the girl didn''t pay any attention to him while she lectured and decided to try to get feeling back into his legs. After 30 minutes of lecturing, 349 was sitting cross-legged and the girl had calmed down. After releasing a deep breath, she sat down in front of 349.

    [girl] "So, why did you cut down my tree?"

    [349] "Your tree?"

    His question once again caused her to become irritated.

    [girl] "Yes, my tree. Just like this is my dungeon."

    [349] "You can''t own a dungeon."

    [girl] "You can if you make it." Crosses her arms.

    [349] "...You made this?" Gestures to the surrounding area. They are currently sitting in a dungeon next to a partly chopped orange tree, a fallen apple tree, and a lemon tree that was standing next to a pomegranate tree. Other than those trees the dungeon showed no signs of life.

    [girl] "That''s right. Made it all by myself." Now has a proud look on her face.

    [349] "...How?"

    [girl] "My magics. I ended up choosing dungeon core, growth, and wind."

    This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

    [349] "So you made this dungeon using magic?"

    [girl] "Yep."

    [349] "Then where did you get the trees?"

    [girl] "My growth kit."

    [349] "Your what?"

    [girl] "My growth kit. I got a kit full of different seeds along with my growth manual to practice on."

    [349] "That is so unfair. This is all I got for my magics." Shows her his manuals.

    [girl] "Wow, what a big book. You lucked out and got one of the better authors huh?"

    [349] "What do you mean better authors?"

    [girl] "Didn''t you read the letter from the GM''s?"

    [349] "Oh, yeah. I forgot about that. I guess I was too busy reading my manuals."

    [girl] Sighs. "In the letter it mentions that the manuals were written by different GM''s. Each with different methods of writing the manuals. It also said that over half of the manuals are purposely written poorly to encourage players to experiment with some of the magics."

    [349] "That explains my other 2 manuals. What about your manuals?"

    [girl] "I got lucky with dungeon core and growth magic. But neither of them are as thick as this one."

    [349] "What about your wind magic?"

    The girl replies by taking a slip of paper from her inventory and handing it to him. 349 looks at her confused but reads the slip of paper.

    ''Wind manual.

    Create and control wind.''

    After reading, 349 bursts into laughter.

    [girl] Pouts. "It''s not that funny."

    349 doesn''t respond because he has trouble catching his breath.

    [girl] "And you still haven''t told me why you were chopping my trees."

    After catching his breath, 349 responds.

    [349] "Are you kidding? Even my manual on smell magic had more info."

    Deep breath in, deep breath out.

    "And you''re right, sorry about that."

    Pauses to order his thoughts.

    "I guess the real reason I''m here is because of 228."

 Ch 8 - Magic Chart

    [girl] "Do you know where 228 is?"

    [349] "Why?"

    [girl] "I''m going to go get him to make sure your stories match up."

    [349] Shrugs. "I saw him by the fountain last."

    [girl] "Alright. You wait here, I''ll go get him."

    [349] "Huh? Why do I have to wait here? Wouldn''t it be easier if I just came with you?"

    [girl] "You''re not coming with me because I need someone to watch my trees in case anything happens." Pauses to glare at him and his ax. "And if I let you out of my dungeon, you might run off."

    [349] "What''s stopping me from leaving once you leave?"

    [girl] "It''s my dungeon. And as such, I know what''s in it. So if you leave, I''ll hunt you down." She started emitting blood-lust again causing 349 to break into a cold sweat.

    [349] "Got it." He says as he forces a smile on his face.

    <hr />

    *Ding*

    [349] "Hmm?"

    349 had decided to take a nap while he waited and was woken by the sound of a notification.

    <table><tbody><tr><td>

    Beta Update in 4:37

    GM''s have viewed and recorded your actions during your time in the beta. Now that you understand the lay of the land we will be adding a stamina bar as well as a sanity bar. Due to animals being too low a level, monsters will now spawn. Due to excessive complaining, the pain damper will be increased.

    This update will include giving you access to the magic chart as well as being able to call GM''s for suspected bugs. The creator of this game, Emilio Graham, has approved access to these in your menu so that you can ''Stop wasting time on nonsense.''

    </td></tr></tbody></table>

    Opening his menu to look at the magic chart, 349 found this.

    (AN: I posted an image instead of making a table because I''ve had this in Excel for a while and I don''t know the coding for merging sections in tables. Also, it''s easier for me.)

    The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

    349 broke into a huge grin.

    [349] "I''m sooo keeping my ink magic."

    Without wasting another second, 349 drew the following circle.

    349 was able to draw this even with his small mana pool because he didn''t waste any mana altering the inside and he got faster at the strokes. The reason he drew this was to test if this would create lightning or sand. Having set the spell circle to trigger in a minute, 349 ran behind an outcropping of rocks just to be safe.

    Once he was safely behind a rock, 349 turned to watch what would happen with the smile still on his face. The smile, however, quickly faded.

    [349] "Ah crap."

    What 349 noticed was where he had placed his circle. After the girl had left, 349 had nothing to do and had ended up falling asleep. Once the message appeared he made the circle without moving from where he had fallen asleep. Which means that 349 made the circle right under the partly chopped orange tree.

    [349] "Please be sand. Please be sand. Please be sand."

    *Boom!*

    [349] "****."

    It wasn''t sand.

    What came out of the circle was lightning. The lightning normally wouldn''t have damaged the tree. But 349 had rested his ax against the tree. His ax, which had a metal head. The lightning was drawn to the ax and had enough power to destroy the ax and cause the tree to fall.

    [349] "She''s going to kill me."

    Walking around the rock he was behind, 349 sat down and leaned against the lemon tree while he checked the time till the update.

    <table><tbody><tr><td>

    Beta Update in 0:56

    </td></tr></tbody></table>

 Ch 9 - Beta Ending Early

    I just started reading Awaken Online</a> and was supersized to see that the creators/lead engineer of both our games had the same last name. I would like to say that I used a random name generator</a> and that this is a pure coincidence.

    <hr />

    [349] "Wha? Where am I?"

    349 found himself in a black void of space.

    "Hello, Jack Taylor. I''m Emilio Graham, the creator of this game."

    Turning around, Jack saw a man <del>standing</del> floating behind him. The man was wearing khaki shorts and a blue Hawaiian shirt with yellow flowers. He had gray hair and appeared to be in his early fifties. <del>Standing</del> Floating a heads height higher than Jack, Emilio was staring at Jack through his glasses waiting for a response.

    Trying to understand the situation better, Jack formed the most intelligence question he could.

    [Jack] "Huh?"

    [Emilio] "Your confusion is understandable. Allow me to try and explain what has happened to you. To fully explain your circumstances, I''ll start with when you logged in."

    Next to Emilio a screen appeared that played Jacks time in MO.

    [Emilio] "You started in Area 5..."

    Emilio continued to talk but everything he was saying was going over Jack''s head. Jack couldn''t understand where he was, how he got here, or why the creator of the game was here. By time he got his bearings back, Emilio had gotten to the part where he got to Area 7.

    [Emilio] "After failing to surprise 228, you started to ask questions expecting him to answer because of the deal you made. However 228 quoted back to you ''Whether you succeed or fail I want you to answer all of my questions to the best of your knowledge, without charge, for the rest of the beta. If you succeed, I want you to use it again on someone else that''s at Area 7 so we can talk face to face. If you fail, I want you to help me after the beta.'' He insisted that because you didn''t switch but you still ended up in Area 7, the experiment was neither a success or a failure and therefore none of the conditions in the agreement applied.

    "You continued to try to convince him that instead of neither failing or succeeding, you had accomplished both. He in turn continued to refute your arguments causing you to become more and more irritated. Frustrated, you asked him where monsters that you could take your anger out on where before you take it out on him. He then pointed out that no one had yet to find a monster but only animals and that your best chance of success was the dungeon.

    "After walking through the woods --"

    [Jack] "Um, excuse me, but why am I here?"

    [Emilio] "I''m not there yet, please hold your questions until I finish."

    Not wanting to argue with the creator of MO, Jack obediently shut up.

    [Emilio] "After walking through the woods in anger, you reached a dungeon. It was at this point that you opened your inventory to see what weapon you had. You had probably thought that everyone was given a standard sword as a weapon because when you saw that you were given an ax you were surprised enough that you seemed to forget your anger. If you had read the letter included in your inventory, you would''ve known that the weapons were randomized between a sword, an ax, a spear, a hammer, knives, and a bow. The bow of course coming with a quiver that resupplied arrows for the duration of the beta.

    "After walking through the cave for several minutes, you came upon a set of trees. This is where I''ll have to interrupt myself." Pauses the video and looks at Jack to make sure he''s paying attention. "Why did you start chopping those trees?"

    This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    [Jack] "...207 had said that we could only keep stats, skills, or loot. I wanted to keep one of my magics so I had already decided to keep my skills. And since I couldn''t find any monsters, I decided to try and get the tree chopping skill."

    [Emilio] "Ah, a simple mistake caused by neglecting the letter." Nods his head with his eyes closed in understanding. "In the letter it was stated that all skills are magic related. If you want to chop faster you don''t simply chop trees and earn a skill. Instead you can either use the speed, strength, sharpness, or other such magics to help with your task. Of course if you don''t have a helpful magic you would then need an enchanted item. If you repeat the usage of magic in a specific way, it will in turn become a skill. Of course, the repetition of a task will help you to understand how to better go about it, even without any magical assistance."

    [Jack] "Oh." Looks at the <del>ground</del> void under his feet while turning a bit red.

    [Emilio] "Continuing on, after felling the apple tree you started on the orange tree. As you started, the owner came back from expanding her dungeon. Wh-"

    [Jack] "Expanding? Was she digging the dungeon herself?"

    [Emilio] "Please hold all questions till I finish."

    [Jack] "...Okay."

    [Emilio] "After she caught you chopping her trees, she gave you a stern lecture. Once you pointed out 228, she left before you could tell her more. After she left you took a nap until you were woken by the sound of the beta update announcement. After waking up you created a spell circle that fell the orange tree and went back to sleep under the lemon tree. During your second nap, quite a bit happened.

    "The first thing to note is 228''s and 461''s real identities. 228 is my nephew and 461 is the son of my top investor for this game.

    "Within the first 10 seconds of the update being implemented both of them contacted the GM''s to report a bug. 228 informed the GM about how you transferred over to Area 7 without swapping. He felt that the imbalance of player numbers may disrupt the flow of experience gained. He continued to argue his point until the GM relented by agreeing to send you back to Area 5, but only after you died.

    "461 on the other hand was throwing a tantrum. He ordered the GM to harm ''the traitor'' in various ways. The GM tried to calm him down and reason with him but had no success. In the end the GM had to call me to help settle the dispute. Because I owed his farther a favor, I agreed that I would remove the traitor from the beta. 461 is a pain to deal with in game even more than he is in real life. However, I did enjoy the look on his face when I asked for the number of the player who I was to ban. Not knowing what to do he started to panic."

    Sighs. "Unfortunately, you chose this moment to die. Wh--"

    [Jack] "What?! How did I die?"

    [Emilio] "I would ask you to hold your question until the end, but since we are close enough, I''ll just end there. As to how you died, it was in your sleep. Due to the update, the tree you were sleeping under turned into a lemon variant ent which specializes in acid magic. Due to its'' low level and the increase in the pain dampener you didn''t even notice that it was slowly depleting your health. Also, please know that even though you won''t be able to go back to the beta, you will be compensated when the official game is released."

    [Jack] "..."

    [Emilio] "...Any other questions?"

    [Jack] "...Why the heck did the tree turn into an ent?"

    [Emilio] "After the update any animal or plant that was enclosed in a dungeon was turned into a monster."

 Ch 10 - Real Life

    "Dang man, that''s messed up."

    [Jack] "I know. Whatever happened to equal rights?"

    "Equal rights are a myth. By the way, why didn''t you just kill the girl? You killed that other guy without problems right?"

    [Jack] "Are you kidding? I can''t hurt a girl."

    "So much for equal rights."

    After being banned from the beta, Jack had to wait hours before his roommate exited the beta so he could complain. Jack and his roommate, Jared, had both applied to William University without any hope of being accepted. To both their surprises, it was the only college that they were accepted to. After talking with the Principle and other students, both came to the same conclusion, they were scapegoats.

    William University has 3 types of students the smart, the athletic, and the rich. And while both of them are relatively smart and athletic, they aren''t on the same level as the other students. The smart students accepted need a GPA higher than 4.0 on a 4.0 grading scale. The athletic students accepted all have bodies that make you feel inadequate. And the rich students are the reason that Jack and Jared took part in the beta.

    When MO announced its'' beta, it announced that it would allow 2 students from 250 different schools to participate. William University felt that it would lose face if they weren''t one of the 250 schools and so they used their influence (money) to make sure that they were one of the 250 schools. The only problem being finding students to participate.

    All the smart and athletic students couldn''t volunteer because of competitions or mandatory work. And once the rich students heard about the possible side effects, none of them were willing to volunteer. But because they had already made a public announcement that their school was one of the 250, they needed to select 2 students. To solve their problem, William University accepted Jack and Jared. And to make sure that they don''t refuse, William University used its'' influence to make sure that they weren''t accepted to any other schools and provided a scholarship to their school.

    [Jack] "What about you? Anything interesting happen to you?"

    [Jared] "Oh man, you should''ve seen it! The dragon was freaking insane man! That big blue beast just whooshed right into the village and when it landed, BOOM. Then it opened its'' mouth I thought fire was going to come out and ran for cover. But when nothing came I looked and saw a blue ball slowly floating in the air. I thought it was a water ball and abandoned cover to try to get some damage in. But I accidentally touched the water ball on my way out. I mean, can you blame me? With all the adrenaline running through me I was lucky I was able to stand. But when it touched me, WOOSH!... I died."

    Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.

    [Jack] "Huh?"

    [Jared] "Exactly! I thought it was was a bug or something and called the GM''s. Do you know what they said?"

    [Jack] "What did they say?"

    [Jared] "They told me that it was blue flame. BLUE FLAME! I couldn''t even feel any heat when I was right next to it. And when I asked them for a better explanation they told me to check the forums. Can you believe it?"

    [Jack] "Actually, yeah." Avoids eye contact. "Most of the questions and things that I thought were bugs were explained once I read the information provided on their website. The GM''s probably got tired of answering the same stupid questions over and over."

    A knock at the door interrupted their conversation. Jack got up from the table and answered their dorm''s door.

    [delivery guy] "Are you Jared Hunt?"

    [Jack] "Jared, it''s for you." Yells back into room.

    [Jared] "Who is it?"

    [Jack] "It''s a package for you."

    [Jared] "Can you take care of it? I''m still eating."

    Jack turns back to the delivery guy, signs some papers, and returns to the dorm with Jared''s package.

    [Jack] "I still can''t believe it."

    [Jared] "I know, right? That game was unbelievable. I hope the official release has a better character creation."

    [Jack] Smiled at Jared. "What I meant is that I can''t believe you crapped yourself."

    Jared stopped eating and looked at Jack. But before he could say anything another knock was heard.

    "Hey Jared, it''s Lisa. Open up, I want to know how the beta went."

    [Jared] Widened his eyes in surprise and fear. "Crap."

    [Jack] "Great choice of words."

    [Jared] "Shut up! Just get rid of her."

    [Jack] "Fine, but you owe me."

    [Jared] "Yes yes. This lowly servant will try his best to repay his debt. Now leave."

 Ch 11 - The Interview

    "Hello and welcome to AAG news. I''m Carol Wood here with a special guest today, Emilio Graham. Mr. Graham is the creator of the VR game Magic Online. Magic Online has just completed its'' beta and is scheduled to be released to the public in 2 weeks. Being the first game of its'' kind, we here at the studio have high expectations for it." Turns to face Emilio. "Welcome to our studio Mr. Graham. I''m told that you''re going to explain parts of your game that confused even the beta testers."

    [Emilio] "Yes. To start with I would like to address the ''accidents'' that have happened to players when they left the beta. After the beta, a number of students woke up to find themselves soiled. This was not caused by playing the game, but rather over playing the game. During the beta we tested how the game affected sleep and how sleep affected the game.

    "We tried to stimulate a state of sleep while a player was in the game so that their reduced metabolism would allow for a longer play time. A reduced metabolism would not only reduce the need for food but also reduce the need to use the bathroom. Our hope was that we could use this technology to further our research on suspended animation. This is why all beta testers were tasked with staying in game for 24 real world hours. Regrettably, the results proved different than what we had hoped to see.

    "None of the players were able to enter a state of sleep while playing the game. Nor were any of them able to enter the game while they were sleeping. As such the game can only be entered while one is awake. If someone tries to play too much there will now be a warning notification. If they disregard this message they may end up in a similar state as the beta testers.

    "The next issue I wish to address is the issue of race. Many of the beta testers were complaining about how the character creation didn''t allow them to change how they looked. I want to assure everyone that the limitation was only for the beta. The official game will allow characters to change their appearances, for a price."

    [Carol] "And how much do players have to pay in order to change their appearances?"

    [Emilio] "No no no. Not that type of price. During character creation, every player will be able to choose 3 different magics. If someone wants to change how they look, at least one of their magic choices will be used to alter their appearances. This is to encourage players to stay healthy even out of the game."

    [Carol] "You said at least one magic choice will be used. Can you give us examples of races that would need more than one magic?"

    [Emilio] "Sure. Can we show our viewers a picture of the magic chart</a>?"

    The chart appears on screen.

    [Emilio] "Thank you. Now, I''d like to direct your attention to the void column. As you can see, the first 8 in the column are different types of monsters. Please note that the name of the monsters on the chart merely represent a broader category. By pairing these magics with the monstermen magic, a player can become a humanoid monster such as a draconian. On the other hand, the body column contains all the magics for the humanoids that only need one magic."

    [Carol] "But what if a player doesn''t want to be a humanoid? What if a player wants to be a dragon rather than a draconian?"

    [Emilio] "Then they''d only need one magic but will spawn in the wild rather than a town. They''d also need different equipment and run the risk of being killed by other players. For more information about the races, I''ll have to refer you to our website so that I''ll have time to answer questions at the end of this interview."

    [Carol] "But we have plenty of time."

    [Emilio] "Yes, I know. I just fear that most of the questions will be about the races and not the game itself. As such, for the first month, players may delete and recreate their characters without penalties."

    [Carol] "Is that one month game time or real time?"

    [Emilio] "The penalties will start up again after one month of real time. Now, I''d like to bring my guests up on screen, is that alright?"

    [Carol] "We were planning on having a separate interview with them. But I don''t see any reason why they can''t join in now."

    [Jack] Pauses video. "Do you want me to skip this part? They just talk about their time in the beta and try to promote their guilds."

    [Jared] "Sure."

    Skips and plays video again.

    [Carol] "So that''s how the stats work. I must say-"

    [Jared] "Wait, what''s that about stats?"

    [Jack] Mutes the video while it continues to play. "I''m not going to rewind because they take too long to explain it. Basically, they added stats. You can check them out on the forums or when you start the game." Un-mutes the video.

    Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.

    [Emilio] "- inventory has also been changed. Instead of -"

    [Carol] "I''m sorry Mr. Graham, but we need too move on to the question section."

    [Emilio] "So soon?"

    [Carol] "We have too many questions coming in to put it off any longer."

    [Emilio] "Very well, what is the first question."

    [Carol] "The first question comes from SexyInChicago. Sexy asks: ''What is the goal of the game?''"

    [Emilio] "Ah, a very good question. The short answer is, to get to the other side."

    [Carol] "What do you mean by the ''other side''?"

    [Emilio] "The ''other side'' refers to the other side of the continent. All of the players will start at the base of a circular land mass surrounded by water. At the top of the circle is a land bridge that connects to the rest of the planet. Once a player reaches the land on the ''other side'' the game will reach its'' next phase."

    [Carol] "If the land is surrounded by water, then could a player sail across to the ''other side''?"

    [Emilio] "While it is possible, it is not recommended."

    [Carol] "Alright. The next question comes from NinjaShark748. He asks: ''Would I have to buy different equipment to record my play time?''"

    [Emilio] "No. The game system allows you to record, edit, and share your videos."

    [Carol] "DragonShadowKnight007 wants to know: ''Can players change genders?''"

    [Emilio] "That falls under a change in appearance and can be found on our website with the race changes."

    [Carol] "So players would have to use one of their magic choices to change gender?"

    [Emilio] "Please avoid questions about race or appearance changes. Most, if not all, of their question can be answered if they just look at the forums."

    [Carol] "Sure thing. URNoob asks: ''Will the game have guns?''"

    [Emilio] "The game allows you to make guns, but they won''t be as useful as you think. Because magical beings emit an aura they are protected from metal projectiles. Metal can be used as a weapon if you''re holding it because your aura will be able to encase it. However once you let it go metal quickly loses the aura you placed on it. Wood on the other hand, can hold the aura for much longer."

    [Carol] "Interesting. Moving on, EyeHaveNoLife wants to know: ''Isn''t necromancy a class? How can it be a magic?''"

    [Emilio] "Ah, a very good question. To start with, this is not the type of necromancy you normally see in games. In other games, necromancy would allow you to raise and control the dead. In this game necromancy only allows you to raise the dead. If you want to control them you''ll have to also get the tame magic. If you want them to follow complex commands you should get the intelligence magic as well. If you want to resurrect someone you''ll need healing magic.

    "An interesting passive you can get with necromancy is Dying Breath. By just having necromancy, you can get a second life. If you were to run out of health, Dying Breath would activate. When active the player doesn''t regenerate health or mana and is only alive so long as they have mana. But if someone else heals them, they can come back to life. However!! Don''t go thinking this can replace resurrection. If you use necromancy to raise a companion and then try to heal them, their wounds would mend but they''d still be a zombie. In order to resurrect someone you need both necromancy and healing."

    [Carol] "So necromancy is best when paired with other magics?"

    [Emilio] "Not necessarily. If a melee player were to use Dying Breath they could rush a group of players, pretend to be dead, and then attack the enemy when they least expect it."

    [Carol] "I see. Well, Dinos4ever is asking: ''How do you bring someone back from the dead?'' Oops, just answered that. Moving on, NoneOYourBeezwax65 questions: ''What are the limits of magic?''"

    [Emilio] "The variables that limit what you can do with magic are your mana pool, your magic choices, your magic ranks, and your creativity. Other variables such as opponents and environments may also hinder your attempts."

    [Carol] "Well, we''re running out of time so this will be the last question. SummerBreeze912 asks: ''Why aren''t there any NPC''s?''"

    [Emilio] "Since we don''t have much time left, I''ll have to give you the short answer. They''re in the second phase."

    Jack stops the video.

    <hr />

    AN: This is not a cliff hanger, I just don''t know how else to end the chapter. I''m an inexperienced author and am bound to make mistakes, feel free to point them out.

 Ch 12 - Official Start

    After weeks of waiting, MO finally started.

    After logging in, Jack found himself in a black void.

    [Jack] "Now this is more like it."

    "Welcome to Magic Online. To start your character creation please input what you want your name to be."

    Jack looked around to see who was talking but couldn''t see anyone. Then a keypad appeared in front of him.

    Jack had spent a lot of time thinking about what name he was going to use. When he tried to bounce ideas off Jared, Jared would refute the name only to suggest a name that Jack would ridicule. In the end they settled on just choosing letters for their names. Jack would be Z and Jared would be X. They chose these letters because they thought they were the coolest letters. Of course, when Jared told Lisa, she just told them how stupid they were.

    "Confirmed. Do you want to change yo-"

    [Emilio] "Code lambda epsilon mu."

    The disembody voice stopped talking and Emilio Graham appeared in front of <del>Jack</del> Z.

    [Emilio] "No time for pleasantries. If you don''t pick fast you won''t be able to get a reward. Now choose."

    <table><tbody><tr><td>Item</td><td>Weapon</td><td>Magic</td></tr></tbody></table>

    [Z] "Umm."

    [Emilio] "Quickly boy!"

    [Z] "Magic."

    <table><tbody><tr><td>Keep rank, change type</td><td>Keep type, increase rank</td><td>Add one slot</td></tr></tbody></table>

    <hr />

    [X] "Why the heck did you choose to change type?"

    [Z] "He made me hurry, I felt pressured."

    [X] "Every player is limited to 3 magics. The creator of the game himself appears in front of you, offers to give you another slot for magic, and you chose to say no?"

    [Z] Finds the ground very interesting. "I thought it meant another slot for my inventory."

    [Nicole] (Lisa in RL) Interrupts before X can say anything else. "It''s okay, at least you still got a reward. We should hurry and get to the gate to meet the others."

    While they waited for the release of the game, Jack and Jared searched their school for people that wanted to form a party. William University had announced that they would be the first school to use the VR time compression for all their classes (except physical), therefore guaranteeing every student had a pod. Of course, the classes weren''t in MO but a side program that the school had paid for and had bought the rights to. But sense they already had the pods, nearly all of the students bought the game.

    "Over here guys!"

    As they approached the South gate Z, X, and Nicole were called out to by a group of 4 players standing off to the side. Unlike the group of 3 who chose to keep their looks, the whole group of 4 had chosen to change their races. The group consisted of a female vampire, a male draconian, a female beastman (fox variation), and a male demon.

    [Nicole] "Ahem. Now that we''re all here let''s reintroduce ourselves. I''m Nicole and I''m aiming for a healing class. The magics I''ve chosen are healing, necromancy, and dispel. If you get hurt, let me know."

    [Rose] "I''m Rose and I hope to be an archer. As you can see I used one of my magics to become a Kitsune. I-"

    [Demon] "A what? I thought you were a beastman."

    [Rose] "Kitsune is the Japanese term used to describe fox beastmen. For my other magics, I chose range and vision."

    [Rock] "Ooh. Guess you learn something new everyday. Hi everyone, I''m Rock. I chose demon, endurance, and strength for my magics and plan on tanking. Glad to be working with you."

    [Ken] "Ken. Fighter. Dragon, monstermen, flexibility."

    [Rock] "Huh? Why did you pick flexibility if your going to be a fighter?"

    [Ken] "Useful."

    [Rock] Shrugs. "Whatever." Looks to the vampire who was next in the circle that had formed.

    [Hime] "Hmph!" Puts her hands on her hips and juts her chest out more. By choosing vampire as her race, she went from being a flat board in RL to being quite busty in MO. And she doesn''t mind showing it off. "You can all call me Hime. As you can all see, I changed my race to be a vampire. I also decided to take lightning and blue flame as my magics and will become a mage."

    Races.

    <b>Spoiler</b> : <input type=''button'' value=''Show'' class=''spoilerButton''>

    Demon - The demon race can be identified by their horns, abnormal skin color, and muscular bodies. Players who choose this race become more muscular, get to choose their horns, and have their skin turned a random color. Through RNG, Rock has blue</a> skin. RGB code with 2, 117, 215. And has 2 horns coming out of his head.

    Beastmen - When a player chooses this race they''re given a random animal as their other half. But because there aren''t any penalties for a month, the player can keep recreating their character until they get an animal that they want. Rose ended up getting the arctic fox.

    Vampire - Players receive pointed canines but don''t get any vampire like powers or weaknesses. The powers and weaknesses commonly associated with vampires can only apply if someone has a high enough rank. Also all females gain enlarged chests.

    Draconian - Players gain scales and a tail. The scales are located between their elbows and wrists as well as their knees and ankles and all along the tail. Through RNG, Ken has grey</a> scales. RGB code with 127, 113, 136.

    [X] "Hi everyone, I''m X. I kept my poison magic from the beta and decided to become an assassin. The other magics I chose are speed and stealth."

    [Z] "I''m Z. My magics are now soul, binding, and enchant. I''ve never been in a real fight before so I don''t know what role I''ll end up taking."

    [X] Turns to Nicole. "Where to now?"

    [Nicole] "Now we get our weapons. The site said that starting weapons are given once a player registers their re-spawn point."

    Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

    [Rock] "How do we do that?"

    [Nicole] "We have to head to the town''s temple. It shouldn''t be too far."

    The group then went to the temple, set their re-spawn points, and attained their weapons. The weapons given were randomized. The group ended up with 2 swords, a bow (+ arrows), an ax, a pair of knives (given as 1 weapon for dual wielding), a wand, and a big wooden club. X got the knives, Hime got the wand, Rock got the ax, and Rose got the bow (+ arrows). This left 2 swords and a wooden club to be split between Z, Ken, and Nicole.

    [Nicole] "Alright. Now let''s go look for monsters to hunt."

    [Rock] "Yeah!"

    [Hime] "About time."

    [Rose] "Sure thing."

    [Ken] Nods.

    [X] "Wooh." Puts his hands above his head.

    [Z] "I think I''ll stay here."

    Of course, his statement caused all the other party members to look at him.

    [X] "Come on man, we just got our weapons. It''s time to test our skills."

    [Z] "That''s just it, I don''t like my weapon. I don''t know what it is, but I don''t feel comfortable using the sword."

    [Rock] "Then what type of weapon would you like to use?"

    [Z] "I was hoping to get the bo staff or the spear. I''ll stay here to see if I can trade my sword to someone for something else."

    Ken then walks up to Z and holds out his sword to him.

    [Z] Not being too familiar with Ken, he just stares at him for a while. Eventually he understands. "You want me to trade your sword too?"

    [Ken] Nods.

    [Z] "Alright, what do you want me to try to trade it for?"

    [Ken] "Sai."

    [Z] "What''s a sai?"

    [X] "There those things Raphael uses." (AN: Referring to TMNT if that wasn''t clear.)

    [Z] "Hmm? Oh, okay. I''ll look around for you."

    Ken nods and Nicole walks up to Z.

    [Nicole] "Here." Hands him the club. "You might as well take this too."

    [Z] "Alright. I''ll try to get you a staff."

    [Nicole] "Don''t bother. No one''ll trade their staves or wands."

    [Rock] "I don''t get it. If you can use magic without a staff or wand, why do you need one?"

    [X] "Wands increase damage and staves increase mana regen. So, while we don''t need them, they''re useful to have."

    [Rock] "Ooohhh."

    [Nicole] "If you run into any trouble don''t be afraid to contact us through the friend chat." Turns to the others. "Alright team, let''s move out."

    <hr />

    AN: I finally feel like I''m starting the story. The hardest part of writing (for me) is starting a story. I get ideas but don''t know how to start introducing the new world I created. Also if you''re wondering why he doesn''t have a class, it''s cause classes are earned till level 10.

    As always, I appreciate your input, compliments, criticism, and ability to point out my errors.

    Brief summary of enchanting magic Jack learned from forms.

    <b>Spoiler</b> : <input type=''button'' value=''Show'' class=''spoilerButton''>

    This is one of the other magic writing systems mentioned in his ink manual.<ul>

    <li>if it''s constantly active it can be seen without magic</li>

    <li>if it requires mana to activate it can''t be seen without magic</li>

    <li>enchants are read from left to right</li>

    <li>mixtures require one symbol on top of another

    </li></ul>

    The symbols used:

    fire ?

    light ?

    soul ?

    earth ?

    metal ?

    void ?

    wind ?

    dark ?

    essence ?

    water ?

    wood ?

    body ?

    To enchant an item one must first coat the entire item with their mana then condense more mana into the needed symbols on the item.

    Brief overview of what the stats do.

    <b>Spoiler</b> : <input type=''button'' value=''Show'' class=''spoilerButton''>

    Strength - Damage + Load limit

    Dexterity - Range + Crit

    Speed - Attack Frequency + Dodge

    Vitality - Max Health + Stamina Regen

    Endurance - Max Stamina + Defense

    Resistance - Health Regen + Magic Defense

    Intelligence - Max mana + spell power

    Wisdom - Mana regen + skill rank speed

    Knowledge - Mana cost + cool down

    Fame + Infamy - determine the number of titles you can equip.

    Also note that the regen''s listed only apply when at rest and will be reduced during battle (except for mana).

    How money works.

    <b>Spoiler</b> : <input type=''button'' value=''Show'' class=''spoilerButton''>

    Coins have numbers on them and can''t be placed in inventory due to their magical properties.

    Copper -> Silver -> Gold    New type takes 1,000 of the previous.

    Coin values are 1, 10, and 100.

    Coins can be magically combined and separated into different values. Method of combination and separation can be changed in the menu.

    How the new inventory works.

    <b>Spoiler</b> : <input type=''button'' value=''Show'' class=''spoilerButton''>

    The inventory is no longer slots that can be filled with 99 of one item. Instead, the inventory is now 3 dimensional.

    Players start with 25 cubic feet. They can rearrange, combine, and separate 25 1''x1''x1'' cubes however they want without the need of extra magic. If they have the mold/alter magic then the 25 cubes can change shape and better ''hug'' the items. If a player has storage magic they can increase the size of their inventory. These are just some of the effects magic can have on a players inventory and not the limit.

    This new system doesn''t stop the flow of time. Therefore: food can spoil, eggs can hatch, plants can grow, and wine can mature. The inventory can''t hold any living being other than non-sentient plants (i.e. no ents in inventory). Also if eggs hatch in the inventory they will be promptly removed.

 Ch 13 - Letting Off Steam

    AN: No longer going to bleep out the cuss words. You have been warned.

    <hr />

    [Z] "You said that we would cross the water!"

    [X] "And now I''m saying we''ll cross the land."

    [Z] "I got rid of my fucking magic because you said we''d go across the water!"

    [X] "What do you mean you got rid of your magic? You still have all 3 of them."

    [Z] "Fuck you man!! I wanted that ink magic!

    [X] "Chill man, it''s not that big a deal."

    Nicole tries to put her hand on Z''s solder to try and calm him down but is shrugged off.

    [Z] "Yes it is! I spent a fucking week learning that shit! The only reason I got enchant instead was because the fucking circles would be shit in the water!"

    [X] "Well if you really want to go to the water, than go! But I''ll be crossing by land!"

    [Z] "FINE!"

    Z turned away from the group and heads towards the gate.

    Before the official release of the game, Jack and Jared had spent a long time talking about how they were going to get to phase two. When they looked at the forums, they found that it was twice as far using the land and had decided to cross the water. Jack argued against going across the water because he wanted to keep his ink magic and had spent the last week practicing the strokes. But once they had formed the party, Jack was sorely out voted and unwillingly accepted his fate.

    But when <del>Jared</del> X and the party came back from leveling up (after 3 in game days), everyone (except Ken) seemed to have changed their minds and wanted to cross the land. When Z asked them why they changed their minds, he only received vague answers like: ''we felt like it'', ''because'', and ''no reason''.

    As he left the village, Z saw a forest. Thinking that there''d be monsters there for him to let his anger out on, he headed there. But instead of finding monsters to let his anger out on, he found something else.

    "Well, well, well. What do we have here?"

    "It''s got''a be a noob."

    "Wha''cha wants us to do''s boss?"

    Turning around, Z found 3 players behind him. Just like everyone else, they wore the starting gear of a white shirt and brown pants. But unlike him, all of them had changed their races. The middle one was a red demon holding a sword, the one on the right was a dwarf with a hammer, and the one on the left was an elf with a bow.

    [Demon] Pulls out his sword. "I think we just found ourselves some EXP boys."

    At their boss''s comment the elf and dwarf let out minion like laughter.

    [Z] Pulls out the sword that he has at his waist. "Fuck you, assholes."

    This of course enrages the demon. The demon charges with his sword held high expecting to use brute strength to win in an instant. Z chooses to go on the defense and holds his sword in front of him in a two handed grip, waiting for the demon to come to him. When he''s within range, the demon screams  "Die you bastard.", and swings his sword down with a wicked grin plastered on his face thinking he''s already won. As the demon''s sword comes down it meets resistance and then stops.

    Z stopped the demons blow by crossing 2 swords together at their guards. But the blow had more force than Z had expected and caused him to fall to his knees. Thankfully the demon was stunned by the sudden appearance of another sword and the fact that his attack failed. Z took this chance, he withdrew the sword on the bottom and lunged upwards piercing the demon''s throat and dealing a lethal blow. After Z removed his sword the demon fell to the ground and disappeared into light particles.

    After the demon disappeared, Z prepared to attack the other two. But as he took a step forward he blacked out and fell on his face.

    <hr />

    When Z woke up he was leaning against a tree. Seeing that there was no one around him and how he was too tired to move, Z decided to check the message notifications to see what had happened.

    Stolen novel; please report.

    <table><tbody><tr><td>

    Anger Status Activated

    Effects: Strength increased by 25%, Stamina consumed increased by 50%, can''t feel fatigue.

    </td></tr></tbody></table>

    <table><tbody><tr><td>

    Adrenaline Status Activated

    Effects: Strength increased by 100%, Stamina consumed increased by 100%

    </td></tr></tbody></table>

    <table><tbody><tr><td>

    Enchantment-Copy Activated

    Effects: Max mana reduced by 50.

    </td></tr></tbody></table>

    <table><tbody><tr><td>

    Warning: Low stamina

    </td></tr></tbody></table>

    <table><tbody><tr><td>

    You have received 17 damage.

    </td></tr></tbody></table>

    <table><tbody><tr><td>

    You have dealt a lethal hit.

    </td></tr></tbody></table>

    <table><tbody><tr><td>

    Level up!

    </td></tr></tbody></table>

    <table><tbody><tr><td>

    Blackout due to lack of stamina.

    </td></tr></tbody></table>

    <table><tbody><tr><td>

    Anger stat-

    </td></tr></tbody></table>

    [Ken] "You okay?"

    Z flinched at the sudden voice and looked away from the notifications to find Ken standing over him.

    [Z] "Ken? What are you doing here?"

    [Ken] "Following."

    [Z] "Following? Following what?"

    [Ken] "You."

    [Z] "Why would you follow me? Why not stay with the others and cross on the land?"

    [Ken] Shrugs his shoulders. "Guts."

    [Z] "...Huh?"

    [Ken] "Guts."

    [Z] "...You think crossing the water will be more exciting?"

    [Ken] Shakes his head and thinks for a bit. "Instinct."

    [Z] "...Ohhh. You meant a gut feeling." Finally decides to stand up.

    [Ken] "..."

    [Z] "..."

    [Ken] "..."

    [Z] "...So...What now?"

    [Ken] Points to Z''s chest. "You lead."

    [Z] "Huh?"

    <hr />

    AN: Longer battles at higher levels.

    Mana and Stamina kick backs.

    <b>Spoiler</b> : <input type=''button'' value=''Show'' class=''spoilerButton''>

    The mana and stamina displayed on the stat charts and the HUBs are the safe zones.

    Once a player''s mana goes past 0 they will start to feel pain in their head. If they use 15% of their max mana past 0 then they will die. This is what happened to 228 in the beta.

    If a player''s stamina is 25% or less they will feel out of breath and become fatigued. If it goes below 5% they get a warning. And at -10% they will blackout.

    (Yes, this is so that players can give 110% and mean it.)

 Ch 14 - New Friends

    In the middle of a forest clearing stood a campfire. Surrounding the campfire are 3 players and 3 stone wagons. The players are ShadowShark, Ragnarok, and Phil (all humans). They''ve been tasked with watching the wagons as their other party members logged off and took care of ''personal needs''.

    Halfway through their watch they were joined by 2 strangers. One is a grey scaled draconian and the other is a human with his left hand missing. As they were leisurely talking, bright lights appeared signifying their party members logging in. As the other party members approached the fire, Phil got up and met them halfway. A small girl that only came up to his chest stood in front of the group.

    [Phil] "Hey Sensei."

    [Sensei] "I told you not to call me that. When it''s free time, call me Aubrey." Crosses arms and pouts.

    [Phil] "My bad. Anyways, we have some interesting guests." Points back at the campfire.

    [Aubrey] "Who are they?"

    [Phil] Suddenly finds the sky very beautiful. "I uh... didn''t get their names."

    [Aubrey] Sighs. "Didn''t you ever learn manners?" Lets him stew a bit in silence as everyone looks at him then sighs again. "Come on let''s introduce ourselves."

    There are only 3 logs at the fire for seats. ShadowShark and Ragnarok occupy one. The strangers take up one. And Aubrey sat on the remaining one by herself as the others stood around in a circle.

    [Aubrey] "Hello, I''m Aubrey and I''m this party''s leader."

    [Ian] "Nice to meet you Aubrey. I''m Z an- oof" Gets hit in the side with Ken''s elbow. "Wha- Oh right. Ahem. Sorry about that. Just changed my name recently. I''m Ian and this is Ken."

    [ShadowShark] "Don''t you have to erase your character to change your name?"

    [Ian] "The demand was so high that you can now change it twice for free. But it only lasts for the next 3 weeks. After that they''ll charge you to change just your name."

    [ShadowShark] "Sweet."

    ShadowShark and Ragnarok log off and two others occupy the log.

    [Aubrey] "Nice to meet you Ian and Ken. Where are you headed?"

    [Ian] "We''re headed to the water."

    [Aubrey] "You mean the sea?"

    [Ian] Shrugs. "No one''s gotten there yet so some think it could be fresh water."

    [Aubrey] "We''re also headed in that direction. Would you like to travel with us?"

    [Ian] "I don''t mind. What about you Ken?" Looks at Ken for an answer but only gets a hard stare back. Sighs. "Alright, we''re in."

    [Aubrey] "We''ll head out once the sun comes up. In the mean time, would you mind telling us how you lost your hand?"

    [Ian] "Well... I got hungry and-"

    [Aubrey] Holds up both of her hands. "Stop! I don''t want to hear something that gruesome."

    [Ian] "Huh? I was just going to say th-"

    [Aubrey] "No! Shut up!"

    [Ian] "But-"

    [Aubrey] Gets ups and covers her ears as she walks away. "Lalalalalalala!"

    [Ian] Stares at her in silence not understanding what happened before turning to Phil who took her log. "Was it something I said?"

    [Phil] "Don''t worry about it. I''ll talk to her later. I''m just thankful you didn''t give away any spoilers."

    [Ian] "Right... Where was I?"

    [Phil] "You just killed the demon and Ken killed the minions."

    [Ian] "Right. Well not much happened after that. The only thing we encountered before finding your camp was some ents."

    Stolen novel; please report.

    "Ents?"

    [Ian] "Tree monsters."

    [Phil] "But how did you lose your hand? And why did you change your name? And why the heck are you carrying 2 swords?"

    [Ian] "Like I was trying to tell Aubrey, I lost my hand because I was hungry and saw an apple on the ground. But when I reached for the apple, it suddenly split open revealing rows of teeth and chomped my hand off before I could blink. It turned out to be an apple variant ent. Speaking of," Turns to the crowd. "does anyone know how to grow back a hand?"

    [girl in crowd] "I do. But it requires 2 different magics with at least a Beginner rank in both to combine them. And none of us meet the requirements."

    [Ian] "Bummer." Turns back to Phil. "What were your other questions?"

    [Phil] "Why did you change your name?"

    [Ian] "Ah, I changed my name so my ex-party can''t contact me."

    [Phil] "Then why didn''t Ken change his name?"

    [Ian] "They never tried to contact him." Shrugs. "Honestly, I think they forgot about him."

    [Phil] "Last question. Why do you carry 2 swords?"

    [Ian] "Ah, these are the 2 starting swords we were given at the temple. I offered them to Ken, but he seems to like fighting with his hands."

    <hr />

    Ents

    <b>Spoiler</b> : <input type=''button'' value=''Show'' class=''spoilerButton''>

    Inspired by Dungeon of Apples</a>. Please note that all ents are trees and not the fruit like in the other story. And that these are just some of the variants.

    Apple

    Unlike the apples in the other story, these apples are mere puppets. The ent that controls them uses binding magic to control them and portal magic to transport what they eat into its'' hollow trunk. Similar to the other apples, these apples open up to reveal a lack of fruit and a surplus of teeth.

    Lemon

    Uses acid magic to dissolve its'' food before absorbing it.

    Pomegranate

    Uses a combination of bomb and blood magic. The core of its'' fruit is infused with bomb magic and the seeds are hardened blood. When it senses prey, it''ll drop a fruit and activate its'' bomb magic causing the fruit to explode like a grande sending its'' seeds in all directions. Once the seeds are embedded into its'' prey it''ll activate its'' blood magic to spreed its'' influence through the prey''s blood system. Once it has control of all the prey''s blood the ent will remove the blood from the prey and absorb it.

    (Think of bomb magic being similar to Gambit''s</a> ability.)

    Orange

    The fruit can secrete poison in either gas or liquid form.

    Cherry

    Uses taste and smell magic. (Yes, I know. Most people would probably expect the cherry to have bomb magic to make a cherry bomb.) The first creature that eats from the tree is the ent''s ''target''. The ent will then continue to alter the taste and smell of the fruit until the ''target'' creature finds its'' fruit irresistible. This will cause predators to camp at the tree because the prey will risk their lives to get a bite of the fruit. In turn, the predators will offer a part of their kill to the tree or the tree will ''rebel''.

 Gone but keeping you updated

Out of state helping build my grandparents a porch. Will return home after about a week of visiting famliy. Hope to get the next chapter up soon after returning but will try to work on it while away.

 Cutting it short

    What I had written for the next chapter:

    <b>Spoiler</b> : <input type=''button'' value=''Show'' class=''spoilerButton''>

    Ian and Ken had joined Aubrey''s party and were helping to pull the stone wagons. As they pulled the wagon, Ian chatted with Dave.

    [Ian] "I thought William University was the only one that used VR for schooling."

    [Dave] "That''s not quite right. Will U is just the only one with access to the white room. Our class got permission from our principle and Sensei to have class in MO, with some requirements."

    [Ian] "Requirements? Like what?"

    [Dave] "The principle said that we first have to get permission from Sensei and meet any of her requirements. We also needed all of our parents to agree. Oh, and every Friday we have to go to school to take a test to make sure that we aren''t falling behind. And on Saturday we have to attend a mandatory PE class to stay healthy. If any of the students or parents weren''t willing to meet these conditions, then we wouldn''t be allowed to have class in MO."

    [Ian] "Then why are you all humans? If the principle didn''t restrict your race, then shouldn''t there be more races? Other then Aubrey, I only see humans."

    [Dave] "Oh, that''s one of Sensei''s conditions. She required that none of us change our appearance so that she could recognize us in RL. Her other requirements were to have dungeon core as one of our magics and to hang out in RL for an hour after our PE class on Saturday."

    [Ian] "Wait. All of you have dungeon core magic?"

    [Dave] "Everyone but Sensei."

    [Ian] "Why are you required to have dungeon core as a magic?"

    [Dave] "Sensei said it was to keep us together. She figured that if we all made dungeons then we''d have more of a reason to stay in the same area. She said that we could also use them for competitions."

    [Ian] "That actually sounds interesting."

    The conversation lulls to silence for 5 minutes before Ian bursts out in irritation.

    [Ian] "Where the heck are all the monsters!?"

    [Dave] "Probably hiding. Our group is big enough to scare most monsters away."

    [Ian] "Aw. I was hopping to get easier exp. by being in a large group."

    [Dave] "Heh, no such luck. By the way, I''ve been meaning to ask." Pauses to make sure Ian was paying attention. "How do you plan on crossing the sea?"

    [Ian] "You mean the water?"

    [Dave] "Whatever."

    [Ian] "I plan to use these." Pulls out a hand full of rings from his inventory. "I plan to enchant rings so that we can cross the water by walking on the bottom. I haven''t applied any enchantments to these rings yet because I was busy trading."

    [Ken] "Trading?"

    [Ian] "Hm? Oh, you didn''t think I was lazying around while you were gone did you?"

    This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.[Ken] Shrugs.

    [Ian] "Well, while I was spending my time in the village I enchanted players'' weapons for items. I was also able to make some very useful contracts."

    [Ken] "Contracts?"

    [Dave] "What types of enchantments?"

    (AN: The lack of a space means that they''re talking at the same time.)

    [Ian] "I made all sorts of enchantments. I made a fire sword, an ice quiver, a lightning spear, heck someone even got a magnifying monocle."

    [Dave] "Why did you make so many different enchantments? If you used the same enchantment over and over you''d be able to level your skill up."

    [Ian] "Each enchantment has a cool down of 1 day."

    [Dave] "Then how did you make so many enchantments? It''s only been a couple of days sense the release."

    [Ian] "The cool down isn''t for every time I enchant something but for each type of enchantment I use." Notices that Dave clearly doesn''t understand and sighs.

    "Okay, lets say that I enchant a sword with fire magic." Dave nods. "That means that I can''t enchant anything else with fire for 1 day. Whether it be a sword, a bow, or a spear I can''t enchant it with fire. I can however enchant it with a different magic like ice." Sees that Dave now understands but continues. "Once I use the ice enchantment I then have to wait 1 day before I can enchant something with ice. And so on and so forth."

    [Dave] "Oooh."

    [Ken] Taps Ian''s shoulder and waits for Ian to face him. "Contracts?"

    [Ian] "Hm? Oh.

    <hr />

    I going to stop this story and try writing another one.

    Reasons:<ul>

    <li>I''m finding it annoying to keep up the 3rd POV</li>

    <li>I''m wasting too much time in the story trying to explain stuff</li>

    <li>I don''t feel like I''m defining my characters correctly</li>

    <li>I feel like the pace of the story is too sporadic</li>

    <li>I''ve been writing this story purely for fun and have total control of when I feel like stopping

    </li></ul>

    Plan:

    I''m going to take a bit of a break so that I can give each magic 10 different skills. When I''m done I''ll start a new story (probably called Magic Online, unless I run into a better name). The first chapter of this story will just be an info dump with the magic chart, explanations of the magics, 10 skills listed for each of the magics, and other such aspects.

    If there''s anything I didn''t explain or that you don''t understand, please let me know in the comments below.

    Also let me know if you have any suggestions. Like should I write longer chapters with fewer posts?

    Thanks for reading, hope you had fun.

    (If you want the next main character or main companion to have ink magic please wait till I write the info dump. Entering the game the players will still choose 3 magics but can only start with 1 skill from the magic.)

 Similar setting, new story

    Reasons it took so long:<ul>

    <li>RL (school, work, family, ect.)</li>

    <li>as I created skills for each magic I ended up changing the chart</li>

    <li>I got inspiration from other works and ended up completly changing my map</li>

    <li>the format was annoying causing me to keep trying different ways</li>

    <li>I keep thinking of different POV''s and it took awhile before I settled on one</li>

    <li>ect.

    </li></ul>

    Link</a> to the Magic Online story.

    This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.

    There currently isn''t anything there. I''m mostly posting this because of the request for adding a link.

    I do have an idea on where I want to head with this story and will probably end up starting the story before the info dump is ''done''. (I don''t think the info dump will ever be done and will probably keep adding to it if there are questions in the comments)

    Thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed.
Fire	When charged	»ð
Light	Movement	¹â
Soul	Spell Bubble	»ê
Earth	Switch	ÍÁ
Metal	Pressure	½ð
Void	Spell	¿Õ
Wind	Voice	ïL
Dark	Uncovered	éœ
Essence	Destroyed	¾«
Water	Continous	Ë®
Wood	Timer	Ä¾
Body	Target	Ìå