《The Legendary Gamer》


 Prologue or Chapter 1

    The Gamer


    In a forest at the dark of night, silence permeated the air, and the moonlight shone down majestically on the ancient trees, illuminating them with a rich, silver glow. This forest was beautiful, too beautiful to be kept on earth; it was  heaven sent and it would stand for time immemorial.


    But this forest of frozen beauty was disrupted by figures running through the silver leaves and grass. There were four figures ruining the silence of the forest with their arduous breaths and thumping of feet on the ground. ¡°Just a bit further, we¡¯re nearly there!¡± said one of the figures. They sped up their pace, and they always looked over their shoulders with fear in their eyes. They ran for ten straight minutes until they pushed through the foliage and found what they were looking for.


    In the middle of the clearing laid a massive pillar of black stone that seemed to suck all light from around it, with glowing white inscriptions strewn all over it. They stopped to admire it, all past fears forgotten, until a massive roar that seemed to shake the world echoed throughout the entire forest, stirring the four out of their daze. ¡°It¡¯s coming,¡± one said. One figure looked to the next. ¡°Guild master, we¡¯ll block him, you destroy the pillar,¡± and with that, three drew their swords and bows, and got ready for the monster that was coming for them.


    The one figure left by himself nodded his head. ¡°I¡¯ll leave it to you guys,¡± he said. Then he turned around and approached the pillar, muttering to himself words of power, and streams of power lifted up from him like steam, coming together to form a pillar of multicoloured light. Space trembled wherever he walked, and a pressure emanated from him, making everything be weighed down. Sounds of fighting echoed behind him. He turned to see a massive shadow that blocked the moon, and saw the three figures jumping about with different coloured streams flashing about. He turned back round, and focused.


    He pulled out his sword, and everywhere it sliced, space would split apart, readying it in an overhead slash. All the power converged on the sword, entering it until the metal glowed with a devouring light. He breathed in and shouted with all his might ¡°God¡¯s Judgement!¡± and he sliced.


    Everything was quiet again, a brief visage of the forest as it was before, but it was gone when for miles, space trembled and ruptured, becoming chaotic space. And in front of the pillar, a vertical line of darkness appeared, and it became more and more prominent, until it became such a deep black colour that no one could tell if it was the cold abyss. Lights appeared within this void, dots of multi-coloured light illuminated the darkness until it was revealed; space, fathomless and beautiful beyond compare. But all of a sudden, a roar unlike anything ever heard before, drowned everything in noise; it was terrifying, it put the roar of the monster to shame. And then, this vertical line of space moved.


    It was too fast, faster than the speed of light, more powerful than a thousand atomic bombs, it cut through the pillar and the world behind it like butter. The Guild master¡¯s sword glowed before faintly disappearing, like glitter. The Guild master looked at the disappearing sword with a sad smile, before it drifted away in the wind, his vision dimming. He saw the pillar disappear in flash of light that illuminated the entire world, showing everyone that it has been destroyed.


    Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!His vision became black. He spent his life force to use that ability, and he enjoyed watching that pillar being destroyed, so he didn¡¯t regret it. He laid there in the darkness, waiting for something. Then a message appeared in front of him:


    You have destroyed the source of all evil and ended the game!


    You will now be exited from the game!


    I sat up from the monitor, looking at that flashing blue screen, dazed. Then I stood straight up and shouted in happiness ¡°We did it!¡± I sat back down heavily, grinning stupidly to myself, thinking, all those years and we finally did it; we¡¯ve ended the game! I looked towards the screen to see hundreds of messages saying congrats and well done. Although there were negative comments, they didn¡¯t matter.


    I found this game four years ago.  It said that if someone beat the game they would be rewarded. Instantly I was hooked. Real life rewards? Count me in. And what a game it was, for you could only have one character and if you died that¡¯s it - game over. Forever. You could never create another character. The amount of people that entered the game neared the millions. I found countless friends along the way to get me here, and now that it¡¯s done, I feel melancholy, as I enjoyed it so much.


    ''I wonder what the reward is,'' I thought to myself. I looked towards the game and my character was floating in the darkness. I clicked on him and saw a message pop up:


    As you have won the game, you have been awarded with the ability: The Gamer! The game will now be destroyed. Have a nice day!


    The screen turned a horrifying blue, the death signal, before returning to the home screen. I looked for the game download, but it wasn¡¯t there; it was gone, evaporated, ¡®blown to smithereens¡¯ as some would say. I sighed in sadness, got up from the chair and looked outside my window. The grey blocks that blocked the sunlight, the smell of diesel permeated the air. ''What a disgusting world,'' I sneered. I looked back to my computer and thought of that serene forest that was the last place I would remember.


    If only we were in touch with nature more like the elves, we would never have destroyed the world. I was turning around to go to my fridge, when I noticed a peculiar thing in the corner of my sight. When I focused in on it, I could see an icon for a message. ''What the hell?'' I thought to myself. I willed it to come to me, and it did, in dead centre of my vision, flashing its innocent envelope to me. What is this? I didn¡¯t get those new contact lenses with computer capabilities; hell, I can¡¯t even get normal contact lenses. I wondered how it¡¯s here, in front of me. I wanted to see what it was, curiosity over taking me.


    It opened and I saw the same blue styled notification that was in the game. I jumped back in fright. Seeing something so surreal in front of me scared me witless. I calmed myself down, and looked at it.


    ''Congrats! You have been awarded the ability of The Gamer! We are giving you a starting bundle for your new life. Hope you enjoy it!''

 Chapter 2

    The Gamer?! What the hell is that? This is too insane, this isn¡¯t real life is it? I must be in some sort of dream state in a hospital somewhere, I nodded to myself vigorously.  I must be in a coma. If it¡¯s a dream then I have to investigate this.  I looked towards the box in front of me and read it again. It said the bundle would be in my inventory. ¡°Inventory? Wher-¡± I stopped myself as another box appeared in front of me, revealing the outline of a man and multiple boxes that were all blank, except for one. My surprise this time was even less, but still a lot, as already, that notification has sent my wits and intellect out of the window and into a different dimension.


    I hesitantly moved my hand to touch the bundle, and my hand entered the screen. it was a weird feeling, like putting your hand in water yet it is still dry. The screen rippled like water, I could feel the bundle. It was cloth bag, woven around with strips of leather.


    I grabbed it, and pulled it out. It was bigger than I thought. The size of a backpack, stuffed to its limit.I put it on the ground, and with cautious hands, untied the leather. What was in that bundle surprised me to say the least, in more ways than one, it was EXACTLY like a game bundle. in it was a book, with a simple green cover, vials of red liquid that looked like health potions, and a wooden sword and knife.


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    Whilst looking at the contents, my first thoughts was ¡®well, this is anticlimactic¡¯ then a frustrating feeling came over me and I shouted ¡°This is not a Game! Why give me actual game bundle¡¯s in real life?!¡± I sighed in annoyance, looked back to the items. The only thing that caught my interest at that moment was the book, i was hoping for at least a guide  for all this crazy shit happening around me. I picked it up, and began to read:


    Introduction to your new Life!


    Hope filled my being, come on come on please explain all this to me!


    The ability of The Gamer is exactly what it is, but wheres the fun in telling you all you need to know? All that this book can tell you The Gamer, is that you have to think that you ARE in a game, the fun is in discovery. Don¡¯t you know that?


    And with that the book flashed in an explosion of light. I looked in shock at my now empty hands, before rage filled me ¡°Fuck You! Get back here and tell me what the fuck is happening to me!¡± But then, I noticed another notification in front of me:


    You have been sent on a quest to ¡®discover¡¯ what your ability really is. Rewards: Knowledge on your ability, 100 000 exp, and a random skill!


    Quest? Oh great. Now there¡¯s this sort of shit? I sighed again, calming myself down. ¡®I have a feeling that all this crap will give me an unlimited amount of stress¡¯ but now I have an understanding on the ability. I get quests, thats game-like, and it seems, after looking at the quest, that I can get ¡®exp¡¯ and ¡®Skills¡¯. I sit down on my bed, massaging my temples. I am not gonna enjoy anything anymore.

 Chapter 3

    The stinging smell of sweat permeated the air in the room, and the sound of something slicing the wind resounded in it. I was there, with the stupid wooden sword, hitting it at NOTHING! I cannot believe that I am actually doing this; I¡¯ve been here for two hours, doing this for what? Nothing has ¡®notified¡¯ me!


    Why God? Why make me suffer this idiocy, to do a stupid quest?! I throw the wooden sword down onto the ground, and sit back down onto the bed. Why did I even think of doing this?


    I calm my shaking breaths, and look again at the sword. It was double-edged, and sharp enough that I know it would do some actual damage. And it was much heavier than it looks. It looks sharp enough to slice flesh.


    You have gained the ability: Analyse!


    I look in shock towards the blue box in front of me, I learnt a skill. I learnt a skill! I rose from my bed, and with a body full of excitement, I look towards the sword and shout out ¡°Analyse¡±, and a grey box appears in front of me


    Wooden Sword: Attack-3


    Used for training, made out of wood.


    ¡°Haha¡± I laugh to myself, it works. This is so surreal! I used Analyse on all sorts of things then, my bed, my fridge, my pencil. It gave me basic facts that I already now, and I found out that I don¡¯t have to say Analyse to activate it. Something new. I look towards the potions, curiosity leading me, and activated Analyse.


    Your Analyse is not high enough to investigate this.


    What? Not high enough? I think for a second, it¡¯s a game, my life is a game, and then an epiphany hits me. It¡¯s a game! I basically slap myself for being so fucking stupid. Skills, statuses, inventory, it¡¯s all part of the game. ¡°Skills¡± and with a triumphant pose, a blue box appeared in front of me. I feel like stabbing myself. I sigh as I read the box.


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    Skills:


    Analyse (Level 1) 98%


    I felt a little disappointed to find only one skill, but I shake it off. My new discovery, ah thank god I found it. I''m especially happy to find an exp bar next to the skill, I look towards it again. One more should do it. So I get a piece of paper, and use Analyse.


    Paper:


    Made from trees. Can write on it.


    Skill: Analyse has levelled up!


    ¡°Yes!¡± I jump up in happiness. It actually works; the system is so alike the one in ¡®that¡¯ game. I wonder what else. Then I remember my train of thought. ¡°Status¡± I expectantly look in front of me, and like a present, it appears before me and joy fills me.


    Name: Siris Gray


    Title: None


    Age: 18


    Gender: Male


    Level: 1


    I read in delight, yep, it works. I then look at my stats.


    STR: 10


    INT: 14


    AGL: 12


    WIS: 8


    LUC: 15


    CON: 13


    Wow. I look in awe at my stats. I didn¡¯t know I was this good at stuff. I strike a pose that said, "Everyone look up at me", I laugh hysterically. My life¡¯s finally turning up.

 Chapter 4

    Scratch what I said earlier, life is not turning around. It is heading straight for hell, and never coming back. I just noticed one thing that will ruin my life forever, after training a bit more with the sword, and good thing came out of that. But as I was washing my face I noticed it, my scars were gone, gone! I now have perfect ivory skin, sure, people might see this as a good thing, but I don¡¯t!


    What am I going to tell people about what happened to my body? Because my body was riddled in scars.


    This is bad, this is bad, this is bad¡­


    What am I going to do? I can¡¯t hide my face, people will think I have a disease, and I do not want a mob on me because of that.


    WISDOM has increased by 1 for your thought out planning


    I look at the box with shock, then annoyance. I wave it away, I can¡¯t think about that now, and I already has one for the strength stat, slicing that thing in the air for another minute got me up for strength twice.


    I think, and an idea comes to mind. What about I was elected for treatment in the really expensive hospitals, and they took away all my scars. I nod to myself, that could work actually. Confidence blooms in me. I finally have an excuse to go out! I need food! I head out the door with a confident step.


    I take a long needed deep breath of clean air. Oh I needed that! I¡¯m walking to the supermarket on the corner, I need to treat myself, is my thought at the moment. Get some actual meat rather than the processed shit that these companies call ¡®food¡¯.


    Target is in sight. One very big piece of gammon. My mouth waters as I see it.


    All I¡¯m thinking is food, food, food. I swear I have the case of the zombies or else I¡¯m just weird.


    I hold it like a new born babe, my prized possession. You haven¡¯t bought it yet; I came out of my daze as I thought that. I spot the till, I ready my money. And, of course, I don¡¯t spot the person who¡¯s at the till until he calls out to me.


    ¡°Umm, sir? Do I know you?¡± Ah crap, it¡¯s john. A friend of mine since secondary school, and the only person who would recognise me  without the scars. But I remember my plan. I smile at him. ¡°Don¡¯t you remember me John?¡± I look him in the eyes. He looks back shocked, ah he recognises me. ¡°Siris? Is that you?¡± I laugh. ¡°Yeah, what do you think, they did a pretty good job I must say¡± I said in satisfaction.


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    ¡°I didn¡¯t recognise you Siris, not until you showed me your eyes¡± ah yes, my only way to pick up girls with my scar-filled face was my eyes, people called it an unwavering pale blue that sent ¡°shivers down their spines¡±. I let them ramble on about how special my eyes were.


    ¡°What happened man?¡± and so I told him of my ¡®election to go to this hospital¡¯, and he bought it straight away. I must deserve an Oscar for this come on, sure he might not be the brightest guy but still, come on.


    And an award did come up, but not an Oscar, but this:


    INT and WIS gain two points for deceiving your friend!


    This system annoys me, I flick away the box. I tune in back into the conversation. ¡°We should party tonight, what do you say? I¡¯ll get the boys up from the Avenue and we¡¯ll hit a club¡± a club, I haven¡¯t been to one in ages. ¡°Sure, why not?¡±


    Gammon is AMAZING! Even Analyse said so, and you can¡¯t argue with that. The flavour, texture, and temperature are all perfect. No wonder humans are omnivores; I can¡¯t imagine humans give up this sort of taste in a hurry.


    Analyse has gained a level for being so analytical about the food and the human race!


    Well, that¡¯s a nice surprise. So it can level up this way huh. I nod in deep thought, it should be like this. But one question has been on my mind since I discovered my status. Where is the magic? Where is mana? I can¡¯t see it anywhere. I have all these fictional books, and on games magic is quite a main thing. Hell, games are made around magic, and if my life now is a game. Where is it? then a thought pops into my head. ¡°So I have to learn everything myself huh¡± I said to myself.

 Chapter 5

    I head of my door with my head held high, smiling like an idiot to myself for ten minutes straight before I realised what I was doing, and hung my head in shame. Why do you ask? Its because I increased my Agility and Strength again by two for each, for doing all manner of exercises and stretches.


    I do feel more acrobatic now; I can fully touch my toes with no discomfort. I feel like I¡¯ve achieved something with that.


    Time to hit the club, I¡¯m actually looking forward to this, to see if this change that I¡¯ve had will help me to pick up some actual girls! I reach John¡¯s apartment and knock for him, since I don¡¯t like to drink, I have to be responsible for my ¡®little kiddies¡¯, so they don¡¯t fall into a drain pipe or something. People are stupid when they are drunk.


    He unlocks the door, and locks it again behind him. Standard procedure. ¡°You gonna enjoy yourself tonight?¡± Johns asks me, I raise an eyebrow ¡°why would I be coming id I wouldn¡¯t enjoy myself?¡± he punches me in the arm; pain lasts for a second before disappearing. And I see a red number in my vision.


    -1 hp


    I took damage? Interesting. ¡°You know what I mean Siris, don¡¯t be a dickhead¡± I laugh and say ¡°Someone¡¯s sensitive tonight¡± and I run away from his fist. ¡°Come on man, we have to pick up everyone else.¡±


    We get off at the Avenue, the place to suit your needs, need bars? They¡¯ve got them. Need Gyms? They¡¯ve got them. Need drugs and prostitutes as well? They¡¯ve got them as well. I can already see everyone else coming towards us, the Odd Ones. They¡¯re odd because they¡¯re the only ¡®normal¡¯ ones that live here.


    ¡°Hey you wankers, everything been alright?¡± I say to them but they ignore me and head straight for John. They all laugh, without me. I turn to john and fake cry ¡°my kiddies have left me¡± he laughs.


    ¡°Have a look at that guy¡¯s eyes,¡± he told the rest of them. They all look at me curiously, and then Adam spots my eyes and exclaims ¡°Siris?¡± I look at him and nodded my head. Then they crowd around me, saying stuff like ¡°where¡¯s your scars?¡± and ¡°you look good man, new hair style?¡± and I heard a disturbing whisper ¡°I want to eat you up¡±.


    I took a step away from the group after that, I shiver unintentionally at what I heard.  And a box popped up:


    WIS increased by one for protecting your ¡®masculinity¡¯!


    Great, there¡¯s a good ¡®grinding¡¯ situation, was my joke.  We walk towards the nightclub that¡¯s popular; it¡¯s only a black box with a few druggies outside as bouncers, but its got good music so I can¡¯t judge.


    We pass through unscathed, which is a miracle nowadays since all the muggers tend to wait for an ¡®opportunity¡¯ around here. I see that there is already a crowd growing, good, lets get a good party going.


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    The music buzzed in my ear, and everyone was dancing, drinking and having fun. Just my kind of night. I get the lads together for a round of shots. ¡°Shots, shots, shots, shots¡­.¡± We all shout out in excitement. I drink the very cheap vodka, and with that I notice a box appear in front of me:


    Debuff: Drunk (10%)


    So there¡¯s this sort of thing as well huh. I look towards my drink in interest, so ten of these and I¡¯m out. Well crap, and I wanted to fully enjoy myself tonight. I look up towards my gang, oblivious as always, but I love them all the same.


    We spread out, trying our moves onto the ¡®single¡¯ ladies here, I don¡¯t think its gonna go to well with John, but maybe the others would get at least a kiss this time? I haven¡¯t got too much confidence in their smooth talking to the other sex.


    I move to the bar, not for more drink mind, but usually this place is full of girls, basically a nest to get a bird, I snicker to myself. Although I have to get a drink or else ill look out of place. So I get a rum and coke, pretty standard choice, but better than that shot of vodka.


    Off to my right, across the stained counter, I see a few girls looking at me, truth be told this makes me kind of nervous, as the stares are filled with lust and attractiveness towards me, which actually scares me a bit, as usually I have to try really hard to get to this point. To think that all I needed was my scars removed and I¡¯m a chick magnet. Who knew?


    They keep on staring at me, and it¡¯s been ten minutes straight. I shiver uncontrollably. I guess I should be making my way over to them, if I want them to stop staring at me like this. I manage to get across the mass of people, I only spilt a little bit of my drink, which is usually a miracle at this area.


    ¡°Hello, girls¡± I say as I arrived next to them. They all smile at me seductively, I gulp out of anticipation. ¡°I couldn¡¯t help but notice you three having a look at me, and when I looked at you all, I could help but believe that I was in heaven.¡± I know, I know. They laugh, if a bit mockingly, but I think I deserved it with that sort of line. I scratch the back of my head embarrassingly.


    ¡° Well, thank you for noticing our looks¡± said a beautiful, blonde woman, she looked at me with a hunger in her eyes, and then she notices my eyes, or so I think, as she stands there in awe. Huh, you did it again boys, I think of my eyes.


    The two other girls also notice my eyes, and then their stares turn even more lustfully and hungrier. Hmmm, this is an interesting movement, I thought to myself. I smile at them kindly


    ¡° we should get this night started, don¡¯t you think?¡±