《Rebirth+》 Chapter 1 - Login Thursday 23rd October 2042 8:00AM Two weeks ago at a gamer convention it was announced that the world''s first VRMMO would open it''s servers to regular players. There had been no alpha or beta testing. The company that owned the developer held tight to their secrets. The only promise? That everyone would be able to enjoy the wonders of Rebirth+. Even the game''s name had a hidden meaning and was left to be discovered. Many signed up for the first wave. Only a fraction would be first into the game. As much as the makers would like to let everyone jump in immediately, there just wasn''t enough VLAM to go around. The choker-styled accessory was in short supply due to each user having to go through a run of optimized and personal adjustments to create the ''real life experience'' promised on login. Thanks to an acquaintance he was able to get in on the waiting list early and be part of the first wave. As soon as the servers opened he would be in another world. Until then, later tonight, he would be stuck in RL. On that thought he turned off his PC and got dressed for work. Heading downstairs to the kitchen he found Aunt Jenifer''s usual note. ''Aleric, Dinner is in the freezer. Don''t forget to take it out or it will be burritos again. See you later. Have a good day and stay safe. -Jenifer'' ''Stay safe''. Those words were common and on every message and note Jenifer ever wrote to him. She was overly zealous when it came to him ever since she had taken over custody. She was probably afraid of losing someone again. She and his mother had been as close as twins. Speaking anything out loud about the past was taboo. Instead, Aunt Jenifer did her best to live in the present. In fact, Aleric thought she worked too hard. As soon as he graduated he could move to a full time job. It was in a promise to himself that he would take care of her. Aleric smiled softly to himself and opened the freezer. He pulled out a home made shepherd''s pie and placed it on the counter. Then he grabbed his wallet and began his walk to work. Aleric enjoyed the short walk to the bus station. The morning was invigorating with a slight chill. Not many were out yet so he was able to relax and think. And all he could think of was getting the day over with. He wanted to play Rebirth+that much. The bus arrived. He greeted the driver with a nod. He took a seat in the front. In twenty minutes he got off. He walked two blocks and came to his first workplace, Breakers. "Aleric! You''re here. We''re busy today thanks to a book signing. Hurry up and get ready. Your on the floor today." Yelled a middle aged woman. "Right away Boss!" Being on the floor on a busy day meant lots of tips. He was going to make back some of his student debt today. Aleric was in a good mood as he went in back and dressed into his work uniform. The look on him was like a butler. White shirt but black pants, vest, and shoes. A small necktie finished it off. He stowed his belongings into his locker and went out. From the counter orders were taken and delivered. Spotting new customers in the back he headed straight for them. The order was long and took four pages of small note paper. They were local high-school students. The boys treated him like a servant. The girls, however, he just couldn''t figure out. They looked at him as if he was a strange thing they had never seen before. "May I take your order?" The girls giggled and one boy laughed. "Ha! I told you they all say that first." The group was lively and in no way ill-intentioned. They were fun to talk to. Customers like that were modest but always left a tip. In the end he was right. A five dollar tip. Quite generous for students. The entire shift went like that until the end. # Thursday 24th October 2042 12:00PM He was in the back washing dishes when his boss Kelly came to him. "Aleric?" "Yeah?" "Can you go to the floor please? There''s a rowdy bunch of guys at a table." "Sure Boss. I was just about to go back out there anyway." "Thanks! I''ll leave them to you then." Kelly disappeared quick. Sometimes she foisted harder customers off on him. It was okay. It showed that he was reliable. Aleric finished the last of the dishes and headed out to the floor. It was nearly the end of his shift and he needed to be on time for his next job. As he hit the floor an arm waved him over. "Hey! We want to order over here." A young man about Aleric'' age. With him were four others. One in particular caused him to feel a deep dread sit solidly in his gut. The original speaker scowled at him. "Geeze. What took so long?" "My apologies. There are more guests than usual today. If I may take your order?" That reason for his dread turned around. An evil gleam lit the man''s eyes as he recognized Aleric. "I didn''t know you worked here. That''s really surprising." "Nick, you know this guy?" "Yeah. We grew up in the same neighborhood." Nick answered his blonde friend. "For realz? Introduce us man!" A buff friend with a body infrastructure that emphasized strength said. "Oh, we''re not close. Man I''m hungry. Give me something with chicken in it." "Afternoon pancakes please." "One set of lunch with milk." "Give me the closest you have to a giant cheeseburger. And iced tea." After taking down the outrageous orders Aleric went in back to the chef Peter. His face became red at the orders. "Jokers again? Kids these days! Don''t worry Aleric. I''ll give them exactly what they asked for. I know you have to leave soon." Aleric went back to the floor to serve the group water while they waited. It was only five minutes later they began to throw complaints. "Is our food done yet?" "This place smells kinda funny." "Where''s the woman waiters?" "Yeah. Why are we stuck with a guy?" "This sucks. Where''s our food!" They started banging on the table in unison. Aleric showed them nothing. Inside his anger was boiling. How dare they invade his peaceful place! Nick stopped banging. He seemed to be the leader as the others silenced themselves to hear him speak. He looked at Aleric slyly. "Hey. Why are you working here anyway? Shouldn''t you have enough money?" "Nick, is this guy rich?" "No. He''s not rich. He just has a bit to live off of. Got it from his dead parents. Now he mooches off of his aunt. He also takes advantage of those who offer their help. Don''t you?" Nick looked angry. His eyes burned into Aleric deeply. This hatred was an old one. One that Aleric had been dealing with since he was little. He couldn''t remember what had caused Nick to hate him. "One chicken, one lunch set with milk, one pancake, and one giant cheeseburger with iced tea!" Aleric was glad for the short reprieve. He left the group to get the food at the counter. He smiled at the tray piled with exactly what the group had asked for. Peter winked at him from behind the counter. Aleric took the severely heavy tray to the table. The group became silent as they each received their food. Nick had his plain chicken, fried and breaded. It was stuffed with more chicken until it was juicy fat. There was a side dish of breaded chicken nuggets and wings. A mountain of food. The rest of the meals were equally exaggerated. The lunch set had one sandwich and one cup of milk. Except the sandwich was stuffed with many layers of onions and different sauces. The pancakes were riddled with all kinds of ingredients. He could make out blueberries and chocolate chips. They were also stacked high and the size of the plate. The cheeseburger was was big enough to need a small basket to carry it. It was enough to feed a piggy family of four for several meals. It took up half the tray space alone. Nick was the first to complain. The others remained silent as he raged. "Do you think this is funny?" He threw the chicken on the floor. It clattered and went everywhere. The entire floor went silent. All patrons watched as he stood and threatened the establishment. Aleric knew this side of him, but for those that didn''t it was a shocking sight. "This shoddy service needs to be fixed. I came in here to eat and I have to wait a long ass time to get my food. You even got all of the orders wrong! I want another waiter. Bring out a woman like you need to and go back to your kitchen and learn how to cook right." At this point Aleric had had enough. Nick was not only being an unbearable jerk he was putting down both his boss and Chef Peter. What came out of his mouth next was both menacing and sickeningly sweet. "I apologize sir. The orders are bizarre and outside the normal menu everyone normally orders from that is supplied to every table. I''ll inform the Chef to attempt your orders again." Aleric turned towards the back door. "Like hell you''re leaving. Get back here!" Nick''s hand grabbed his shoulder. He was pulled back and ripped off balance. Nick stepped forward as he tried to find solid footing. Aleric''s body twisted to the side. Flying elbow met angry face. Nick was knocked to the floor. Aleric fell unbalanced forwards, crashing into an occupied table. Kelly ran to his side. "Aleric, are you okay?!" "I''m fine." Aleric used the table to get up. Back on the floor Nick was unmoving. It was a clean knockout. "Nick!" "What the hell man?" "You wanna have a go at it?" Aleric stood his ground as Nick''s friends confronted him. No way was he going to put up with group bullying again. "Hey!" Peter came in to push them apart. He was a kind man, but also very big. "If you want to have a go I can gladly do so for you outside. Unless you want to face the floor like your friend here you''d better take him and leave." "Nnnggh..." Nick groaned, slowly pushing himself off the floor. Two of his friends helped him to stand. He sniffed, blood dripping from his nose onto his pristine white jacket. He looked at Aleric with blood lust in his eyes. "I wouldn''t. You''ll embarrass yourself further in front of your friends. We can''t have that now can we?" Aleric said it nicely. It was low enough that only Nick and Peter could hear. "Nggh." Nick growled, then smiled menacingly. "See you later Aleric." He shrugged off his friends and left. His friends yelled obscenely as they followed. The door closing echoed in the silent diner. Kelly was the first to move. She addressed the couple at the table Aleric had crashed into. "I''m so sorry for all the trouble. Consider your bill paid." "No. It''s no trouble." Assured one of the couple. Peter went back to the kitchen to continue cooking. Kelly brought the cleaning cart and began the long process of cleaning up. When Aleric went to help she shook her head. "It''s fine Aleric. You have that second job right? You can leave now." Aleric nodded silently. He headed to the back room and changed, muttering aloud to himself. ¡°Damn Nick! Now I have to find a new workplace. Can''t bring Kelly and Peter the trouble.¡± After changing back into his casual clothes he headed out. Kelly was too busy reassuring customers, but Peter waved at him as he left. He headed to his second workplace nearby. Although it was only a few blocks away, the atmosphere drastically changed. He entered Pink, a business that doubled as a gay bar at night, and a lady''s consultation at day. He didn''t dare work at a gay bar, straight as he was. He somehow became a lady''s consultant. A job where he only had to listen to a woman''s woes so they felt that fresh relief. It was seemingly addictive, and the building owner who ran both businesses knew that. It was also good pay. Ms. Pink was up and cleaning before the start of Lady''s Consultation. His face brightened when he saw Aleric enter. ¡°Oh, Aleric! Mrs. Stevens scheduled an appointment today. Make sure you prepare properly!¡± ¡°Got it, Boss.¡± Aleric put his things in the second floor break room. Then he went back downstairs. He rolled up his sleeves and patted down his hair. He went to the sound-proof Blue-Sea room that Mrs. Stevens liked. He prepared water and soda, along with some crackers. Mrs. Stevens felt better if she could consume something while revealing her secrets. ¡°ALERIC!¡± Ms. Pink''s voice rang through the building. He did a quick once-over, making sure everything was in place. Then he strode confidently to the front of the building where Ms. Pink was occupying Mrs. Steven''s time. When Mrs. Steven''s saw him, she immediately brightened, tears glistening in her eyes. He gave her a a nod. ¡°Oh, Aleric! I have so much to say. Will you listen?¡± ¡°I will be all ears for you, Mrs. Stevens. Right this way.¡± He wrapped an arm around her shoulders, escorting her to the Blue-Sea room. He sat her on the couch and closed the door, turning a sign on the outside to ''occupied''. He took a seat across from Mrs. Stevens, remembering her roving hands. The conversation started off about how her day went. Every little thing that went wrong made Mrs. Stevens'' day wrong. With some digging, he was able to pry some information out of her. It took a long time though, and he''d had to refuse some other customers. ¡°Aleric.¡± Sigh. ¡°I am divorcing my husband.¡± ¡°Didn''t you want to work with him?¡± ¡°I caught him cheating! Again. With a different woman. I can''t stand it. He doesn''t understand me when I talk to him. Not like you do.¡± She wrung her wrinkled hands. Uh-oh. ¡°Mrs. Stevens, it''s best not to compare me to your husband.¡± ¡°Oh, I know. But I can''t help it. You''re always listening to everything without complaint. No matter how much I cry or how annoying I am.¡± ¡°The contract I signed to work here prohibits customer-employee relationships beyond the consultation.¡± ¡°But I want you, Aleric. I''m going through the divorce and moving out to a new place. I want you to come with me.¡± ¡°Mrs. Stevens, I can''t stress enough that I am not allowed to go home with you. However, if you wish for me to listen to more, you can continue to find me here.¡± He looked in the back corner of the ceiling, where a camera picked up his secretive plea for help. He''d never had to resort to it, but this lady was freaking out. Mrs. Stevens rose to her feet, blocking the door as she came to his side. She clung onto his arm, her gray hair ruffling slightly. She squeezed tight. Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! ¡°I knew you''d say that. That''s why I''ve prepared a hefty sum for you. How''s ten thousand sound?¡± He needed the money, but... ¡°No Ma''am. I do not accept cash from customers. I advice that you take a walk to clear your mind and return when you''re ready. I will be here for a few more hours.¡± ¡°I''m not leaving without you.¡± Her voice rose as she quickly became hysterical. He could begin to see why the husband cheated on her. The door opened and a bouncer and Ms. Pink came in. The bouncer gently pried Mrs. Stevens off him and dragged her out. ¡°What are you doing? Let go of me!¡± She was pushed to the front door, where Ms. Pink bid her farewell. ¡°Wait! Aleric! Aleric, come with me! I need you!¡± She screamed the last as she was forced out the door. Ms. Pink approached Aleric. ¡°You are simply too good at your job. Why don''t you take the rest of your shift off?¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Sure, anything to get back to normalcy. He retrieved his things from upstairs and was stopped by Ms. Pink. He looked concerned. ¡°I''m not sending you home because I don''t want you here. This is a home for you, so you are welcome to come back night or day, okay?¡± ¡°Okay. I''ve got to go to school then.¡± Though I''ll never come at night, he thought. ¡°See you next time!¡± # Thursday 24th October 2042 2:00PM He went to the nearby bus station, taking it past 2 stops before getting off. On a huge acreage outside of town was the school. With many buildings and state-of-the-art equipment, it was early the best school in the state. There was a small building for evening classes only. He headed there. The interior smelled musty. He was glad he was almost done with his GED. Then he could move to a different building depending on his chosen major. The classes went smoothly. He wasn''t called on today. He got easy homework. All was going well. As he passed from one class to another, he avoided talking to the different cliques. He didn''t have time for that. That was probably why he was ignored all the time. In-between classes he received a one hour break. He headed to the library in the main building to help out. The librarian smiled at him as he passed, one elderly lady he could stand. He went to the area of returned books and started sorting them into sections on a cart for putting back. He milled around the library for a few minutes before Tes found him. She saw which books he was putting back and started helping him. She grinned at him, joining him in silence. She often did this. Not every day, but pretty close. She always came only when he was there. Probably just to visit, as she doesn''t get to see him often. On a bad day Tes was able to make him relax and enjoy their time together. Though they didn''t talk a lot, he felt a strong bond with her. Not like what Heather and he had as cousins. More like a friend? He looked at her, and she blushed, looking at the books. What? Is my fly open? ¡°Be right back.¡± He went to get more books, taking the opportunity to look. His fly was closed. He grabbed some books and headed back. They continued in silence. The bell rang and Tes looked disappointed. She smiled at him before leaving. ¡°See you later.¡± ¡°See you.¡± He watched her leave. When she was out of sight he put the remaining books and cart back and attended his remaining classes in the musty building. # Thursday 24th October 2042 7:00PM When his last class ended, he stretched and gathered his things. As he left his phone vibrated in his pocket. He took it out, viewing the messages. It was a text from Heather. Hey, Genius, you busy? No. Then come meet up at the park. I''m getting lunch. Be there. Is it just us? No, Tes and Nick too. Ok. He couldn''t exactly refuse Heather. She''d chew him out for it later. At the same time, he didn''t want to see Nick. He would just twist his words again and confront Aleric later about it. Why was Nick always with the group anyway? Somehow Heather and Tes got along with him. He strengthened his resolve and headed to the nearby park. The trio was already waiting for him, meals still in the fast food bags. Heather and Tes gave him a warm welcome. Nick, sitting behind the two, glared at him. There was a mark on his face where he''d been knocked down in the diner. He was rubbing it, an obvious promise. Aleric took the only other seat available at the table across from Nick. Heather and Tes switched spots so that Tes sat next to him. Nick seemed livid now, his eyes narrowing at every bump Tes gave Aleric as they talked about their classes and ate. ¡°Okay! It''s time to talk about that!¡± Heather announced. She brought out a notepad and pen. ¡°Everyone, tell me what your character names will be.¡± ¡°Lala.¡± Tes piped. ¡°Okay. Lala for Tes. Mine will be Sarafynn.¡± ¡°Ace.¡± ¡°Ace for Nick. Aleric, what about you?¡± ¡°Tannin.¡± Nick snorted. ¡°Vegetable Juice? Haha. Suits you.¡± ¡°Tannin for Aleric.¡± Heather made four lists, ripped the paper into fourths, and gave everyone a copy. ¡°Second thing to check. Did everyone add each other to their friend''s list? Yeah? Good. Next is the entry partners. I''m going with Tes. So I guess you boys are together.¡± ¡°Sounds good.¡± Aleric agreed. It was the quickest lie he''s ever told. Nick was shooting him daggers. ¡°We meeting tomorrow to discuss plans? Need to stay ahead of the second wave, after all.¡± Everyone agreed. ¡°Whoo. Alright! Lets all go and get ready. I have things I wanna do before I log in. Tes, you''re staying over right?¡± ¡°I thought you were coming over to my house?¡± ¡°Either way''s fine. I''ll call you up once I''m ready.¡± ¡°Sounds good. I''m gonna go then.¡± Nick stood. ¡°I''ll go with Aleric. We gotta talk about what we''re doing.¡± ¡°See ya later!¡± Heather and Tes left, Tes taking a last look at Aleric, who was busy thinking of ways to part with Nick as soon as possible. Nick hit his shoulder. ¡°Get up. Let''s go idiot.¡± Aleric grabbed his bag and walked toward his house instead of following Nick. If he did, he knew he would go home and sleep off injuries instead of playing. Luckily, his house was nearby and he didn''t have to worry about defending himself. As they reached his house Nick grabbed his arm in a tight grip and shook him. ¡°Listen up. I''m the Ace. I get the kills, xp, and items. You are weak. You''d only get in my way. Log in in the same area as me and I''ll PK you into non-existence.¡± ¡°Don''t worry, Nick. I wouldn''t dream of playing in the same party as you.¡± ¡°And Tes! She''s mine, you got that? Stop flirting with my girl or I''ll do more than beat you!¡± Nick shook him again. ¡°Isn''t that up to Tes? Why are you being so clingy anyway? You a stalker?¡± Next thing he knew, Aleric was sitting on the ground, his head spinning. The taste of iron-filled blood wet his tongue. He rose to his feet, feeling his jaw. Nick shook his hand, the skin on one of his knuckles split. ¡°What''s going on?¡± An old lady whispered to another nearby. ¡°I don''t know. I don''t recognize that boy.¡± ¡°Dammit. I''m leaving. Don''t think this is over.¡± Nick walked quickly back the way they''d come. Aleric shook his head. ¡°Don''t think I''ll be playing with you.¡± He entered his home, shutting the door and dropping the keys onto the table just inside. ¡°Merrrooow.¡± A soft bump to his leg announced Lady''s arrival. He picked her up, cuddling her. ¡°How''s Lady, huh? How''s she doing?¡± He held her all the way to his room, where he dropped his bag. ¡°You''re so sweet. I have to really thank Tes again for bringing you over to stay.¡± ¡°Mew.¡± ¡°You know, for a kitten you''re really talkative.¡± He sat on his bed, petting her. Loud purring ensued. Once she started to get feisty, he put her on the floor. ¡°Okay now, I''m going to play. You have to be quiet, okay?¡± ¡°Mew.¡± Aleric first dressed for bed. Once ready, he retrieved the VLAM from the computer desk. A black, choker-styled piece that was open at the back. He stretched it slightly and slipped it on his neck. Laying down, he proceeded to calm himself. The single light on the VLAM lit red, detecting his life signature. It dinged softly, turning green. Now connected to the wireless, it automatically began uploading his data to the now open servers. As he entered the game, his mind left his body behind. He entered a white room, the VLAM light dinging blue. ¡°What is your avatar named?¡± ¡°Tannin.¡± ¡°What is the gender and age?¡± ¡°Gender is Male. Age is 24¡± ¡°You are the first of few souls to travel to a new world. Your wisdom and memories have allowed you to carry over the talent of battle. What weapon are you most familiar with?¡± ¡°I often fight alone. At the back of everyone else. It''s not that I''m a coward! I just like to observe first before fighting an enemy. So, any weapon that''s easy to use in battle, easy to maneuver, and can be used in different ways is best.¡± ¡°You do not have a preference?¡± ¡°Not really. I can usually figure out any kind of weapon anyway, so that''s not a problem.¡± ¡°The world has understood your words. We have yet to understand your purpose. How are you in battle?¡± ¡°Um, once I know the enemy, if I can recruit certain players, then it''s easy. But if not, then I''ll usually go one-on-one against an enemy if I have to. I guess I''ve always just found ways around being a solo player to get things done.¡± ¡°How are you with the masses?¡± ¡°If you mean like a raid, then I''d study the raid or instance first then join a group. I can follow instructions or guidelines really well. The last few games though I dabbled at being Raid Leader, so that was fun. It was easier than I expected.¡± ¡°The world now knows your place in battle. The specialization of leader has been born. The age and experience of your past life brings with it the War Fan of the Conqueror. You have been blessed with the ability to inspire the heart. You have obtained the title of Hero. The world is alive with chaos and wonders. If there was one wish what would you ask?¡± ¡°Wish? That''s new. Then, in that case I would wish to be unique. Different from all the other players. Something awesome that would only be something I had. Like a superpower or ability. Or maybe something more personal to make it feel like I really did matter in the world? Yeah, that would be awesome.¡± ¡°The world has heard your wish, and has taken interest in you. However, there is not enough power in the world to grant it. As new souls fill the world, the wish can be granted in steps. Is this acceptable?¡± ¡°Yes, I guess?¡± ¡°Your wish is granted. As your soul descends into the world, remember this warning. A great boon has been bestowed upon you by the one true goddess, mother of the world. You are now a believer of the goddess, and have been adopted as the First Son. A great evil works to destroy all the goddess stands for. Beware, First Son.¡± The voice faded with the room. Blackness took over. Small bits of light streamed past as he fell straight towards a planet. As he zoomed forward at impossible speeds something suddenly felt missing. He clutched his chest, wondering if that was the feeling of entering the game server for the first time. # Thursday 24th October 2042 8:00PM Nick grit his teeth in anger. His heart pounded heavily, threatening to jump out of his chest. It would hurt Tes, but it had to be done. Tes was his anyway, and he was tired of waiting. The only way to ensure Tes stayed with him was to get rid of the nuisance. There was only one way of permanently doing that. First he knocked on the door. No answer meant the nuisance was already playing. Next, check if the door was unlocked. It was. He let himself inside, careful to use gloves. He''d prepared for this outcome a long time ago. He checked each room as he passed. The entire first floor was empty. He crept up the stairs, the house completely silent. Each stair creaked ominously as he continued to check each room. As he opened one of the doors, he found Aleric asleep on his bed. The VLAM light glowed blue, showing he was online. He quietly made it to the edge of the bed, seeing Aleric''s chest rise and fall. It was this nuisance always getting in the way. Ever since he was young he''d always been set aside for this second-rate loser. If only he had thought of this sooner. Tes and he could have lived together sooner. All that lost time was this loser''s fault. Time to put an end to it. Out of his back pocket, underneath his jacket, he pulled out an eight-inch knife. It was decades old from his own house, so no one could track it. When he was done, he would go out and throw out the evidence into the Great Salt Lake. It was perfect. He raised the knife, aiming to the right of the sternum. He swung down, feeling the knife grind against bone and tissue. He pulled it out with a sucking noise, then stabbed down again, this time hitting ribs and forcing it in between. The knife did not get stuck, so he struck again, lower in the abdomen. Some blood hit the walls, but not himself. He was done. He stood back and watched as Aleric struggled. His body shook, but no response consciously. He would bleed out soon. Nick turned around and went downstairs to the kitchen. He took some paper towels to wrap up the knife. ¡°Mew.¡± He spun around, spotting a small calico kitten on the floor. It looked at him, impertinent. If he remembered right, this thing was given from Tes to Aleric. Another sign of their relationship. This could not be allowed. He reached down, grabbing the cat, pushing it to the floor. ¡°Merrooow.¡± It struggled uselessly. It clawed through his glove, digging into his skin. He swung down, the knife hitting the floor. Thunk. The body stilled. He pried the claws out of his hand, dropping the lifeless form to the floor. He finished wrapping the knife up. He grabbed more towels and exited the house, leaving it unlocked. Once outside he carefully stripped off the gloves and wrapped them up, sticking them in his jacket pocket. He headed home to play. He would throw out the evidence another day. It would be suspicious if he was out and about just after the death. # Back in Aleric''s room, the body convulsed. It shook for a few minutes, then slowly settled. The VLAM light turned green, showing a disconnect. Not detecting the life signature of it''s host, the light turned red, then went dark. Chapter 2 - Alive Author''s Note: Thank you all so very much for any feedback and reviews. Having viewers inspires me to write. Having feedback helps me do it better. Thank you! -------------------------------------------- Tannin opened his eyes. A soft breeze stroked his cheek as his eyes adjusted to the new world. Giant shapes slowly came into focus. Trees that seemed 200 feet tall surrounded him, their canopies filtering soft light down below. He approached one tree and stared up close. The fine details of the tree were life-like down to the molecule. The touch felt just like bark would feel. The smell was of a mix of pine and cedar. Even more, if he placed his ear to it, he could hear it pumping water it was so massive. Soft moss covered the forest floor. A few vines and flowers encircled the trees and exposed roots. ¡°All-in-all, very well done. Feels like real life.¡± He began to explore, wandering around looking for a beginner town. The trees were numerous and prevented any clear distance for sight. He was forced to move around the trees entirely. While he did he took the opportunity to test out his new body. His body was made up of data now, but still he had his five senses. It moved like a normal body would. Except for the fact that he knew the pain inhibitor was in place. A little less realistic, but real pain in game would turn many players away. ¡°Where am I? Where''s the NPCs? The starter town?¡± What kind of game just dropped one in the middle of nowhere? He remembered a snippet from an interview article about the game. ''The genre of the game is what the players make it. It is definitely an MMO-style game.'' Did that mean it was a brand-new world? With no history? In that case, the A.I. must be an impressive system. What kind of technology was required for such a powerful A.I.? Well, it didn''t matter. Not as long as he could enjoy the game. He walked some more, listening to the wind in the leaves and birds chirping above. ¡°What should I do? Some scouting?¡± He''d walked for a while now without running directly into any NPCs or monsters. ¡°Does this game even have monsters?¡± His foot caught on a branch. ¡°Oomph!¡± He caught himself before he face-planted into a root. Thud. Tannin unstuck his foot, then looked at what had fallen. He picked up what looked like a fan. He unfurled it. Instantly he knew it was a weapon. This was the War Fan of the Conqueror the game had given him. ¡°So there''s still starter items.¡± The fan was a bit long, with spines made of copper. The edges were sharp, rimmed with a copper plate. It was lightweight and sharp. He swung the fan a few times, hearing a nice sound. He faced a tree, then hacked at it. Bark flew as the copper fan cut, then got lodged into the tree. He pulled it out, checking for damage. The copper fan was unharmed, but the tree remained cut. ¡°Everything can be influenced.¡± This is what the developers meant by ''the players make the world''. In that kind of world it would be best to prepare for any kind of situation. What kind of items did they give players to start with? He found a belt at his waist. On the belt were two pouches and a slot to hang his fan. He hung his fan and checked the bags. They were empty. How much could they carry?
16 empty bag slots.
The information window appeared briefly, just to his right. ¡°The game has this kind of capability?¡± He studied his clothing, the description and stats for each item popping up just over the cloth.
Top
GradeBasicTypeCloth
Defense+ 02--
Special: --Durability10/10
DescriptionThis shirt has seen many days.
Bottoms
GradeBasicTypeCloth
Defense+ 02--
Special: --Durability10/10
DescriptionTraveler''s first pair of pants.
Boots
GradeBasicTypeCloth
Defense+ 01--
Special: --Durability10/10
DescriptionThe holes are proof of the distance walked.
Belt
GradeBasicTypeCloth
Defense+ 01--
Accessory: --Accessory: --
Special: --Durability10/10
DescriptionEvery hero needs a starter utility belt.
The basic starter set. This much was normal of a game. He held his hand up. ¡°System information.¡±
System Error.
¡°What?¡± He raised his hand again. ¡°System information.¡±
System Error.
¡°I''m sure that was the command. System information!¡±
System Error.
¡°Must be a glitch. New games always have a glitch or two. They''ll probably fix it soon, since that''s a deal breaker.¡± Aleric sat on a root, leaning his back against another. A small flower grew nearby. He plucked it. ¡°I wonder what would happen if I ate this.¡± He stuffed the whole flower into his mouth. It tasted sweet, much like a dandelion did. He chewed it, the texture like wet grass and milky nectar. He swallowed.
Satiety +1.
You have consumed a small flower. It slightly abates your hunger.
¡°Hunger?¡± There was also a survival type of play? He stood up as the thought came to him. He looked around, seeing the world differently. This was not a game world. This was meant to be real. He looked at his hand and flexed it, feeling the muscle and tendons bend. The air in his lungs as his chest rose and fell. His heart picking up pace as he realized he could die in the game. As real as it was, there was a chance that there was permadeath. He couldn''t just sit and enjoy the game like he had planned. If he didn''t try to survive, then his avatar might be deleted. He might even have to recalibrate the VLAM to create a new avatar. That''s at least three weeks behind everyone else. ¡°Lets see if there''s any more of those small blooms.¡±
You have named the newly discovered flower ''Small Bloom''.
¡°Really?!¡± Tannin approached a tree and ripped a leaf off of a vine. The vine''s leaves curled, small spines emitting from the vine. The leaf in his hand was soft and dark green. He stuffed it in his mouth, wincing at the bitter, milky taste. HP + 0.
You have consumed a mysterious leaf. You feel slightly queasy.
You have discovered a medicinal plant. It may heal slight wounds.
¡°So this is like an herbal leaf?¡±
You have named the newly discovered plant ''Herbal Leaf''.
¡°I see. It takes content from my words to make the name. I should remember that.¡± He looked up at the trees, seeing a few birds flit from branch to branch. Could he catch and eat those too? That would require some kind of projectile. The only weapon he had on him was a fan. He didn''t dare throw his only weapon. ¡°I''ll think of something later. Until then, I better get some food in me.¡± As he searched, he remembered some of the survival games he''d played before. ¡°I need food, water, and shelter. Then a plan of action.¡± He proceeded to search the areas he passed, plucking Small Blooms and Herbal Leafs. The vines he could only pick from once, as the vines defended themselves with thorns. Best not to test if they were poisonous. His bags filled up with a few different discovered items. Each item stacked on top of itself continuously. At one point, after a few hours of travel and gathering, he checked his bags and was surprised to find how much he had collected.
Small Bloom x35Herbal Leaf x12
Great Tree''s Bark x22Soft Moss x5
Blue Cherry Berry x14Slot Empty
Slot EmptySlot Empty
Slot EmptySlot Empty
Slot EmptySlot Empty
Slot EmptySlot Empty
Slot EmptySlot Empty
The Great Tree''s Bark he''d pulled from the surrounding trees. It had no medicinal value other than as an antiseptic, and no value as food. The Soft Moss grew on the side of trees that stayed out of direct sunlight in the darker corners of roots. It actually grew slightly under the bark and was a rare find. Eating a small bit proved it to be slightly poisonous. The Blue Cherry Berry grew in direct sunlight in small patches. Although it was blue, there was a strange oily black hue to it in the light. He was hesitant in eating something looking polluted. If he was starving, he might eat it then. Just thinking of the food made his stomach rumble. Like in real life, he got hungry and tired as time passed. The lighting of the day was passing noticeably. Time was moving at a pace similar to real life, if not a bit faster. The feeling was surreal. It made him a little dizzy whenever he thought about the real world. The virtual world was so well done that if he had been born in it he would have thought it absolutely real. ¡°Man, I''m hungry.¡± He pulled the Small Blooms out of his bags. He ate them slowly, counting how many it took to make him full. He got down to 5 Small Blooms before the game responded.
You are full. You cannot possibly eat any more.
¡°Thirty blooms to satisfy hunger.¡± All he had to do was pick as he went. That would take care of hunger. His other needs were water and shelter. He looked up at the canopy. ¡°What time is it?¡± He looked around for appropriate places to sleep. The huge roots was an easy roof. He just needed something out of open air in case it rained. Several likely places turned out bad after checking. The vines made it tricky, wrapping down entire trees, roots, and past the tree bases across the ground. All it took was disturbing one leaf and the spikes would come out. The light was dimming when he found a suitable place. He crept closer, a little wary. It was dark underneath the trees. The roots nearby cast black shadows, tricking him into thinking there was something there. He kept his eyes wide, trying to see. Using his hands, he shaped out the place to sleep. It went deep enough to allow him to sit comfortably and have small space to stretch. The dirt underneath was soft and yielding. For his first night in another world, it was not so bad. He settled himself in. After a while everything became pitch black. Probably because of the thick canopy. He sighed and rested his eyes. Rest came quickly, but it was without dreams. # Birdsong. It woke him gently. The birds were pecking the ground just outside his rest place. They were the first animals he saw in game. They appeared like bluejays and didn''t seem to notice him. Their back was to him. A perfect opportunity. Tannin crouched slowly, quietly drawing his war fan. He closed the fan, using it like a club. He crept out. The soft ground aided his silent approach, cushioning each step. One bird turned. He froze. It pecked, then looked up, directly at him. It hopped closer. It seemed curious, tilting it''s head from side to side. It stopped, staring at him. It was just out of range. One of the other birds took off, startled. He leaped forward, missing his target by inches. All the birds panicked and flew. An easy meal, gone. ¡°Damn! Back to picking, I guess.¡± He picked as he traveled again, eating the flowers as he got them. Nothing had changed since the first day. He discovered no new plants or wildlife. Several hours passed before there was a change. Rumble. ¡°What.¡± He looked around him carefully. Large trees, roots, and vines were all he saw. Rumble. ¡°What is that?¡± Rumble.
You are hungry.
¡°That can''t be. I ate this whole time...¡± Except for night. He hadn''t eaten anything when sleeping. The satiety meter must have dropped. He searched for another small bloom. He stared at it, it''s window popping up.
Small Bloom
DescriptionA small flower that slightly abates hunger.
DetailsGain +1 Satiety when eaten. Not a full meal.
¡°Not a full meal?¡± It only gave 1 satiety. If he produced a real meal it might have a bigger affect. Flowers were not enough. He needed more. A real meal. Birds were complete chance. He would die of hunger before catching one. For now they were out of reach. Rumble.
You are hungry.
¡°I know! Shut up!¡± If he picked more flowers before nightfall and ate them all before sleeping.. No, there was no proof he could max out satiety on just flowers. Something scraped behind him and he spun around. He looked carefully. ¡°Nothing. Hunger must be getting to me.¡± Rumble. ¡°Flowers until I find something better then.¡± He sped up, picking, eating, and moving as fast as he could. He nearly pricked himself on vines when he went too fast. There were times when he thought he heard something. Rustling of the leaves above or scraping of bark. He would check the area, but find nothing. Not even birds. It was eerie being the only one around. A few more hours passed. He felt a little weak in the knees. He stretched, hearing his back pop. ¡°Even that''s in game. I give an A+ for sight and sound effects.¡± ¡°Time to eat.¡± He took a seat on a root and checked his bags.
Small Bloom x124Herbal Leaf x48
Great Tree''s Bark x86Soft Moss x18
Blue Cherry Berry x32Slot Empty
Slot EmptySlot Empty
Slot EmptySlot Empty
Slot EmptySlot Empty
Slot EmptySlot Empty
Slot EmptySlot Empty
¡°Those berries...¡± He pulled out a blue cherry berry, staring. It''s window popped into view.
Blue Cherry Berry
DescriptionA small berry that grows low to the ground.
DetailsUnknown.
He hesitantly put it into his mouth and bit down. His teeth hit a seed and a strong tang filled his mouth. ¡°These are good.¡± He spit the seed into his hand, then took out another berry to check the message.
Blue Cherry Berry
DescriptionA small berry that grows low to the ground, rich in nutrients with a strong tangy taste.
DetailsGain +6 Satiety when eaten. A handful I is a meager meal.
This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. Plus 6 Satiety and if he had enough it was a meal. He took out the rest of the berries and ate them, leaving 2 in his bag to keep the slot open.
Your hunger is satisfied. You are full. You will not feel hunger for a few hours. You feel invigorated. Temporarily gain +2 stamina..
¡°Oh! Stat gain! Can''t waste it. But first the seeds.¡± He picked up a seed and observed.
Blue Cherry Berry Seed
DescriptionThe seed of a blue cherry berry. Poisonous when ingested.
DetailsMay grow if planted in direct sunlight.
Tannin rose and placed the seeds in his bags. He plucked plants and speed-walked for hours. The rare berries remained out of sight. He was in the middle of plucking a flower and grabbed just the petal when a game window popped up. Ding!
You have learned a new skill: Wildcrafting.
Wildcrafting
You are able to harvest key parts of plants without destroying it, allowing it to produce again.
Level01Experience00.00%
RankNovicePlants recover every 3 days.
¡°A new skill!¡± He immediately tried it out. He plucked a single petal off a small bloom.
Small Bloom Petal
DescriptionA small bloom petal.
DetailsEnough can be considered a salad. A light meal.
¡°Yes! No more hunger.¡± He plucked just the petals from the flowers. He found he also could pluck a leaf from a vine without it reacting. He plucked quickly and happily, not worrying about being poisoned. It was with much gusto that he failed to notice the scraping sound that had been following him. Tannin paused, feeling something off. ¡°There''s no birdsong.¡± Crack. He spun around, his hand reaching for his war fan. He brought it up just as something slammed into him. He felt a burning in his shoulder as he was thrown back. He landed, the wind knocked out of him. -50 HP. He struggled for breath as he looked up. A giant cat faced him, it''s eyes narrowed. It''s mouth was open, teeth glistening white. It crouched low, then screamed as it launched towards him. Furrows of earth moved under it''s paws, testament to it''s strength. He rolled himself to the side, missing it''s jaws. It''s claws swept past, raking his leg. ¡°Argh!¡± -35 HP. He crawled forward, hearing it come at him again. He opened his war fan and swung it back behind him. The fan bounced harmlessly off the hard fur. Miss. Fangs pierced his forearm. The teeth sunk through his arm, crushing it. The pain radiated out, making his arm spasm. His grip loosened and the war fan dropped. -80 HP.
You have lost the use of your right arm. You are gravely wounded.
The giant cat clawed his chest, pushing him down with it''s massive weight. It let go of his ruined arm, going for his head. He reached for the war fan with his good arm. He picked it up, jabbing it toward the cat''s head. The cat opened wide, consuming his left arm just past the elbow. He opened the fan, feeling it jamming into the cat''s mouth. He gripped hard, not letting go. The cat screamed. It bit down hard, shaking him left and right. -25 HP. It paused, seeing if he was dead. He took the chance and twisted the fan inside. He could barely keep his grip on the fan. He could feel his strength draining away. The cat sensed this and shook him again. He was dragged to some large roots and thrashed against them. ¡°Ghgh!¡± -20 HP. Thwak. -20 HP. Thwak. -20 HP.
You have sustained fatal damage.
Thump. The last slam was weaker. He felt himself dragged a bit before his arm was released, war fan still gripped tightly. He couldn''t move. Pain was everywhere.
You have lost the use of your left arm.
His head flopped to the right, showing him the giant cat as it hacked and huffed. Blood dripped from it''s nose and mouth. It howled in misery. The blood continued to pour out. He must have gotten it good. He watched as the cat slowly lost it''s own strength and mauled the ground. Forgetting him, it tried to climb a tree to escape. It''s grip wasn''t enough. Half way up the tree it fell. The ground shook with the force as it landed nearby. Ding!
You have reached level 2! HP +20. MP +15. Your base stats have risen by +1. You have killed an adversary over five times your level. A special bonus has been applied to your skills.
Wildcrafting exp +250.
Wildcrafting
You are able to harvest key parts of plants without destroying it, allowing it to produce again.
Level05Experience20.18%
RankNovicePlants recover every 3 days.
¡°Ugh.¡± Pain rushed him as he attempted to move. His arms were useless. ¡°Need to heal...¡± It was too much. He was going to die right there. ¡°Crap.¡± The pain level was unreal. Crack. His heart pounded as something else arrived. It scraped and dragged itself around the tree behind him. He was doomed. His first death in game would be from being eaten by cats. A boot came into view. Two knees slammed down next to him. A gloved hand pressed against his chest. ¡°Heal!¡± A soft green glow encompassed the hand. Warmth spread out, reaching into him. The warmth searched to his wounds, giving slight relief. The green light faded. ¡°Heal!¡± The warmth came and went again. His vision became blurred, so he closed his eyes. ¡°Don''t die! Heal! Heal! Heal!¡± ¡°Yes! A new skill!¡± The warmth vanished, then another hand was placed on his chest. He felt the heat gather there as he struggled to stay focused. ¡°Grand Heal!¡± A huge surge of fiery heat beat through him. It centered on his wounds, burning them clean. He came wide awake, the blurred vision gone. The surge of heat died down to a simmer. Next to him was his savior. ¡°Stay down. You''re still not fully healed.¡± Dressed heavily in long flowing robes was an elderly man. His face was full of wrinkles, but his eyes showed a deep light. He wore no hat, but his snowy hair was well-kept and swept back. ¡°Thanks. I almost died.¡± ¡°Yes, you were very close. Luckily I''m a healer.¡± The old man looked back at the cat as he continued to use Heal and Grand Heal. ¡°What possessed you to fight something that level?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°The game has you at level 2, and the cat is level 8. From what I''ve seen, they are the main predator in this area.¡± ¡°I only just hit level 2.¡± ¡°You killed a level 8 as a level 1? You must have some special skill.¡± ¡°Just my weapon.¡± He could still feel the war fan in his hand. ¡°Look at yourself. You took too big a risk.¡± ¡°I''d just rez.¡± ¡°I''m not so sure about that. I had a party member die yesterday. Her character disappeared so I assumed she had resurrected. I searched the area and waited a few days. She never came back.¡± ¡°Maybe she went another direction.¡± ¡°Maybe. I''ll find out today after I log off. Let''s get you healed up first.¡± ¡°Thanks again. I only have some crappy heal items. I just couldn''t use them.¡± He nodded toward an arm. ¡°Just give me a bit more. Your wounds are starting to close. Good thing too. I''m almost out of mana.¡± ¡°Feels a lot better already.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°The pain''s mostly gone.¡± ¡°I didn''t think you were a role-player. Sorry, I''d role-play back if I was any good at it.¡± ¡°I''m not role-playing.¡± ¡°Then you have straight forward jokes. You should work on that.¡± Tannin scowled. The old man mustn''t have been hurt yet. The pain system in the game needed some adjustments. There was way too much of it. ¡°By the way, my name is Lucas.¡± ¡°Tannin.¡± ¡°Nice to meet you Tannin.¡± Lucas lent a hand out to him, helping him to stand. ¡°Thanks again.¡± ¡°No problem. It''s why I chose the healer skill. This area is crazy dangerous.¡± ¡°That saber cat is the first beast I''ve come across.¡±
You have named the giant cat ''Saber Cat''.
¡°Saber cat, huh.¡± ¡°What?!¡± Tannin saw Lucas''s shocked face. ¡°What?¡± ¡°The name changed! You can do that?¡± ¡°Can''t you?¡± ¡°No. Everything I''ve seen has already been named or has question marks in the name, like I can''t identify it.¡± ¡°So, I guess I can identify things?¡± Tannin scowled, thinking back. There was no skill he had for identifying. He only had Wildcrafting. Best to keep it from the old man. ¡°You can do that? Great! Maybe you can identify a few of my items for me.¡± ¡°Ah, sure.¡± Lucas pulled out teeth, hide, and a small jewel. ¡°I got these yesterday during the grind.¡± ¡°Let me see.¡±
You have discovered new items: Unknown tooth. Unknown skin. Unknown gem.
Tannin stared at the items in order.
Unknown tooth. A tooth from a strange, green, bi-pedal humanoid. Stinky and rotting.
¡°This item is a goblin tooth.¡±
You have named the unknown tooth ''Goblin Tooth''. A tooth harvested from the goblin monster. It has no real use.
¡°This item...¡±
Unknown skin. Soft and tough. From some kind of common hoofed beast. Can be used as a material.
¡°This is deer hide.¡±
You have named the unknown skin ''Deer Hide''. Has multiple crafting possibilities.
¡°And this is...¡±
Unknown gem. A mysterious gem dropped by a spirit of night.
¡°This is a night spirit gem.¡±
You have named the unknown gem ''Night Spirit Gem.'' The gem is imbued with shadow magic.
He gave the new items back to Lucas. ¡°I see! Now I can read them. I guess everything new has to be identified before others can see it.¡± Lucas put the items away and retrieved a staff from the ground. ¡°This is my weapon. The Staff of Arts. Apparently it has a high affinity with magic.¡± ¡°This is mine. War Fan of the Conqueror. I''m not sure what it''s good for yet.¡± ¡°It saved your life in the fight with that saber cat. It''s both a weapon and a tool for living.¡± ¡°I guess.¡± He studied his war fan. The bronze edge gleamed red with saber cat blood. He wiped it clean on the mossy forest floor. ¡°Say, Tannin. This game being so dangerous and harsh, would you like to party up with me?¡± ¡°Um...¡± ¡°It''s just for the time being. I''m not really a close fighter. Your fan would be better protection than my staff until I learn to use it right.¡± ¡°Okay. I guess it would be easier to level too.¡± ¡°Right. Then let''s add each other to our friend''s list. If we get separated we can still whisper each other.¡± Lucas held his hand up. ¡°System information.¡± He tapped an invisible screen known only to him. A window popped up in front of Tannin.
Would you like to be friends with Lucas? Yes / No
Tannin tapped yes.
Lucas has been added to your friend''s list. At a thought you will now know Lucas'' general location.
¡°How convenient.¡± ¡°Isn''t it? Well, I believe it''s time for me to go. I have work tomorrow. I''ll see you when next I log on.¡± ¡°Alright. See you later.¡± Lucas held his hand up one last time. ¡°System Information.¡± Two taps and his character shimmered, then vanished. ¡°Damn this game is crazy.¡± Tannin looked toward the saber cat. ¡°Level 8, huh?¡± He came close to it, then focused.
Saber Cat Lvl 8. HP 0 / MP 0.
He stroked it''s fur, feeling strange quills or bristles hidden underneath. ¡°So that''s why I couldn''t cut through.¡± He plucked a quill and examined it.
Saber Cat Quill
DescriptionAs hard and unbreakable as stone.
Details-
He pulled out his war fan. He placed the quill on the ground. Swinging with all his might, the quill remained undamaged. He swung a few more times for good measure. On the last swing he got a system message.
War Fan of the Conqueror has gained the properties of Saber Cat Quill.
¡°What?!¡± He studied the war fan.
War Fan of the Conqueror
Level00Experience00.00%
Attack+ 20Defense+ 20
DetailsA weapon imbued with old soul magic capable of adapting to it''s environment.
Sharpness10/10--
BonusAs Hard As StoneThe Saber Cat Quill has passed on it''s hardness +5% Defense.
¡°Okay, this is just wicked.¡± Suddenly, Tannin felt a yawn escape. ¡°Guess I should log out too. Since Lucas logged out that error should be gone.¡± He put the fan away. He raised a hand. ¡°System Information.¡±
System Error.
¡°....¡± This can''t be right. ¡°System Information!¡±
System Error.
¡°How am I supposed to log out?!¡± He tried his other hand. ¡°System Information!¡±
System Error.
¡°Log me out! GM! I need assistance!¡±
Voice command input failed. System Error.
¡°No way.¡± He couldn''t log out. Chapter 3 - Crime Author''s Note: This was the hardest chapter I''ve ever had to write. Warning: If you have a heart, you will need LOTS of tissues! ------------------------------------------ ¡°This is Louise Bonnie of Bowl Valley News. I''m currently outside the home where a murder occurred sometime in the last 24 hours. No news yet on-wait a moment. Yes, we''re just getting more information now.¡± The reporter spoke loudly to be heard above the large crowd. ¡°The victim is a 24-year-old male. He was found in his bed with multiple stab wounds to the chest. The investigation continues. I will be here for the duration to report as more information comes along.¡± The reporter sighed, drinking from a water bottle and whining to her cameraman. The crowd around them was nervous and excited. Several officers kept the news crews and bystanders behind yellow tape. On the other side of the tape sat someone familiar with the victim. Heather sat, her face made of stone. No emotion could currently show. That line of feeling was frozen from shock. Nothing made much sense right now. She was still trying to understand what was happening. Nearby Jenifer was talking to the police. She was also in tears as she answered all the questions the police had. ¡°No. I don''t know of anyone that hated him. He never mentioned his personal life...¡± ¡°Ma''am. Think really hard. Even the smallest of clues can help. Any other relatives? ¡°No, it''s just us. Or was. Oh god, I can''t believe this.¡± Jenifer broke, sobbing into the policeman''s arms. Heather noticed movement and gazed blankly towards it. Tes was back. Tes came straight for her, sitting beside her and locking her arm around Heather''s shoulder. ¡°I don''t know what to say.¡± Tes cried. Heather felt her mouth open and close. No sound emerged. ¡°I don''t know...hic... I don''t.¡± Tes began to sob, matching the ferocity of Jenifer''s. There was nothing to say. Even so, there was one person that couldn''t seem to stop. ¡°It''s curious how nothing was stolen. Does this mean this is an act of hate? If so, just what kind of actions warranted this horrible murder? More, after the break.¡± Heather glared at the reporter, wanting the earth to open up and swallow her whole. Two investigators walked by and she caught the tail end of their conversation. ¡°Don''t know. The girl that discovered the body is in shock. Once that wears off we can ask some real questions.¡± Heather clenched her teeth. More useless questions. How could she put into words what she herself didn''t understand! All she could do was sit and remember everything she saw. # Friday 25th October 2042 8:32PM Knock. Knock. Knock. ¡°Aleric, open up! I got some dinner.¡± Heather waited outside Aleric''s front door. She was anxious, wanting to talk about the game so far. For Aleric''s day off from school, she had had to wait until classes were over to come talk to him. He must have been playing all day too, since he didn''t answer any of her texts. ¡°Aleric! Hey!¡± ¡°Shhh!¡± Across the fence boundary Aleric''s elderly neighbor frowned at her. Heather scowled back and pointedly raised her voice. ¡°Aleric, come on!¡± ¡°Hmmph.¡± The elderly lady walked back into her own house. Heather smiled, then turned to the front door. Knock. Knock. Knock. ¡°...¡± She tried the door, finding it open. ¡°I''m coming in.¡± She stepped inside, closing the door behind her. The house was dark. The quietness was a bit creepy. ¡°Aleric?¡± She set the dinner, carried in a plastic bag, onto the table outside the kitchen. ¡°Not here.¡± She checked the front room. ¡°Any body home?¡± She made her way upstairs. ¡°Maybe he''s asleep.¡± She went to his bedroom door, finding it slightly open. She knocked softly as she entered. ¡°Aleric?¡± She whispered. She spotted him on the bed, the VLAM on his neck. ¡°Oh, so you played for last night and all of today. Man, did you even eat anything?¡± She stomped over to the bed. ¡°Wake up!¡± ¡°I brought food. Let''s eat. Aleric!¡± She sighed. ¡°Oh. To wake one from VLAM sometimes requires physical stimulation. The things you make me do.¡± She pushed his chest and shook him, ¡°Wake up you...what?¡± She pulled back, her hand coming back with something flaky. ¡°Man, this better not be what I think it is. This had better not be your man stuffs.¡± She quickly turned the light on to check, feeling a bit grossed out. On her hand was not what she thought. It was flaky and red. ¡°Is this blood?¡± Looking to Aleric, she saw a strange darkness spread over his shirt and some of the bed. ¡°Aleric?¡± She crept closer, suddenly afraid to find out. She swallowed, reaching down. The darkness looked suspiciously like... ¡°Blood.¡± It was then she noticed that he was not moving. His skin was pale and a bit sunken. Most of all, the VLAM light was dark. ¡°No.¡± She shook her head, rejecting what she saw. ¡°No, no, no, no, no, no, no.¡± She had to do something. Anything. ¡°Hah.¡± Her eyes quickly stung as she gasped for air. ¡°H-help. Need help.¡± Her mother''s voice rang in her head from long ago. Dial 911 in case of emergencies. ¡°Phone. My cell...¡± Heather fumbled in her jean pocket, pulling out her cell. She had try the password a few times, her hands were starting to shake. ¡°9-1-1.¡± She held the phone to her ear as it dialed. Ring-blip. ¡°Salt Lake 911, where is the location of your emergency?¡± ¡°U-um.¡± Heather scrambled her brain, but all the came up was that scene. ¡°The-there''s been, I mean, blood. There''s blood.¡± ¡°Remain calm, ma''am. Please tell me how we can get to you.¡± ¡°He''s dead. Oh my god. He''s dead!¡± ¡°Ma''am, tell me the address.¡± ¡°Uh.¡± Heather blurted out the house''s address. ¡°Stay on the line ma''am. I''m sending someone there right now.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Heather held the cell to her chest as she stepped toward the stairs, then back towards the bedroom. Unsure where to go, she stood there, trying to think. ¡°She said to stay. Stay on the cell. Oh!¡± She whipped the phone to her ear. ¡°You still there?¡± ¡°Yes ma''am. The police are on their way, along with an ambulance.¡± ¡°W-what should I do?¡± ¡°You should go outside and wait for the police to arrive.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Heather sniffed, wiping the tears away. She made her way outside and sat on the curb. She stumbled into a few things on the way. Her brain cleared of all thoughts. In her mind''s eye, all she could see was white clouds. A few minutes passed what was to her like hours. She hugged her knees, slightly rocking. ¡°Gotta wait right here. What''s taking them so long?¡± Eventually the sirens did come. The noise pulled neighbors out of their homes. The police came straight to her. ¡°Miss, is this the house where the call was from?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± She muttered. Somehow, they heard her. ¡°Alright. You stay right here. I''ll come back to you.¡± This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.The officers went inside the house with guns drawn but raised. Spectators could hear yelling, and then silence. A long silence drew even Heather''s glazed eyes towards the front doors. Eventually the pair of officers came outside. One came to her directly. The other spoke into his mic and started keeping people away. ¡°Miss, did you know the victim inside?¡± She nodded. The officer sat down next to her. ¡°My name''s Officer O¡¯Donnell. What''s your name?¡± ¡°Heather.¡± ¡°Do you have anyone I can call for you?¡± ¡°Call?¡± Who? Her oh-so-understanding parents? No. What about Jenifer? ¡°Call Jenifer.¡± ¡°Can I have the phone number, Heather?¡± ¡°Xxx-xxx-xxxx.¡± ¡°Alright, wait here Heather. I''ll call her here for you.¡± Officer O''Donnell walked a bit away and pulled out his own phone. In seconds he had dialed the number and had Jenifer on the phone. Heather could hear it clearly. ¡°Is this Jenifer? Yes, I''m Officer O''Donnell of the Salt Lake Police Department. There''s been a crime at the location. Yes. Heather told me to call you. You live here? Alright, please come. Ask for me when you arrive.¡± He hung up, then came back to Heather. ¡°She''s on her way. Are you related to the victim or Jenifer?¡± She shook her head. ¡°B-best friend.¡± ¡°I see. Heather, we''ll need you to answer some questions later. I know it''s hard, but try to compose yourself okay? It will help us catch the guy that did this.¡± She nodded mutely. The officer walked away and started talking to other officers. More police cars showed up and a yellow tape fence was raised. Heather clutched her chest. It was so hard to breathe. A giant boiling knot was stuck next to her heart. It wouldn''t go away. She couldn''t stop it. Her mouth opened and closed, the air trying to escape. ¡°Hah..Hnn.¡± The tears gathered, starting to drip. ¡°Heather!¡± Small hands griped her shoulders and shook her. She looked up. ¡°Tes.¡± ¡°What''s going on? I came and saw all the police.¡± Tes looked around. ¡°Where''s Aleric?¡± ¡°Tes!¡± Heather''s face scrunched, her tears colliding at her chin as the knot finally became unleashed. ¡°Heather, what''s wrong?!¡± ¡°A-Aleric''s dead!¡± ¡°What?¡± Tes looked up. Two men carried something on a stretcher. His face was covered, but that hair and sweater she gave him was familiar. Tes let go of Heather and began walking toward the stretcher. Heather released her anguish, screaming up at the stars. An officer came to her, trying to console something that couldn''t be consoled. Tes took unsure, shaky steps towards the figure on the stretcher. ¡°Aleric?¡± ¡°Hey!¡± An officer reached her, grabbing an arm. ¡°Aleric!¡± Tes raged, understanding. ¡°NO!¡± Her chest burst and she felt herself collapse onto the lawn. ¡°No!¡± Her own tears rushed forth as she clawed forward, restrained by two policemen. ¡°What?!¡± Jenifer''s voice rose. Just inside the yellow tape an officer approached her. O''Donnell told her personally. ¡°I''m sorry for your loss.¡± ¡°That can''t be. Not Aleric!¡± Jennifer grabbed onto O''Donnell''s uniform. O''Donnell hugged her close, understanding her loss. ¡°Noaaaaagh!¡± Jennifer cried into his shoulder. For a long time she remained there. # Friday 25th October 2042 10:11PM The questioning was brief and to the point. Jenifer answered many of them. Some questions only Heather could answer. She recounted as best she could. After a while Jenifer came to the girls. ¡°I''ll be going to a hotel until the investigation is over. Tes, your parents are here to pick you up.¡± Jenifer hugged Tes tight. ¡°I''ll come see you later, okay?¡± Tes nodded, then walked silently to her parent''s car. Jenifer watched her leave, then approached Heather. ¡°You too. You can call me whenever. I''ll come see you too.¡± Heather shook her head. ¡°I can''t...I can''t...hic.¡± Jenifer jumped to hug her tight. ¡°Oh, honey, I know. I know how hard it is. Right now you have to take care of yourself. I called your parents. They''re here to pick you up too. It''s not safe to walk home right now.¡± Heather stood, Jenifer hugging her all the way to the car. She opened the car door and sat in back, mindlessly buckling herself in. She stared at the back of the driver''s seat. She didn''t want to deal with her parents right now. Jenifer squeezed her hand, then let go and closed the door. As soon as she stepped back Heather''s father drove them away. Her mother sat in the front passenger side. It wasn''t even two minutes later they began what they usually did. ¡°I''m so glad you''re safe, honey. Think how this could have been you.¡± Her mother warned. ¡°Dear, you shouldn''t spoil her. She needs to learn to follow the rules. This wouldn''t have happened if she did.¡± ¡°You''re right. I do spoil her too much. I should have known this was going to happen.¡± ¡°We''ll change her school. Don''t need those rumors.¡± ¡°Yes. No need to have further instances like this. It''s better to stay away from those kind of people.¡± ¡°Aaaaaaaaah!¡± Heather screamed. She unbuckled herself and leaped out of the car. She fell, skinning her knees on the asphalt. She stood and raced away from the car. She ran. Between houses, through yards, and took shortcuts. Her parents could not follow her in a car. She ran generally away until she came to a canal. She climbed down the slope to sit on the side, out of view. ¡°Aleric!¡± Her eyes tears up again. That boil began to grow until it leaked out. ¡°Sniff.¡± ¡°Oh, Aleric...¡± Her arms drew up, burying her head. She sat there and cried. No one bothered her, or no one passed by. Either way she was closed to the world. She''d lost a main piece of it. Crickets kicked up a fuss, beginning noises all around. She looked up, seeing a pitch black sky with few stars left. She stood, taking a deep breath. It was hard, but she found the energy to make her way home. She came up the steps. The front door was open. She locked it behind her. She ignored her parents who were waiting, heading down the immediate hall to her room. She closed her bedroom door. She kept the light off, curling up on her bed. # It was dark. Everything was black. She could walk freely in any direction. In one point was a small light. She ran towards it. The light grew, showing someone standing under the light. She was facing his back. He looked back and grinned. ¡°Aleric?¡± He took a step towards the darkness. ¡°Wait!¡± She reached out, running into and past the light. His figure remained out of reach. The darkness grew thick, making his outline barely visible. ¡°Don''t go! Stay!¡± He disappeared. ¡°Noo!¡± Heather jumped out of bed, suddenly awake. ¡°Aleric?¡± She looked around, seeing her familiar room. ¡°He''s gone.¡± He wasn''t coming back. Ever. She slowly sank onto her bed. The tears came back. ¡°Heather, you going to school?¡± Her mother''s voice rang from behind the door. ¡°Leave me alone!¡± School could screw itself. Article #1 First off, I apologize for not having chapter 4 out. It''s taking me longer than I thought to get the leveling system in place. I''m almost done with that. Chapter 4 is turning out to be longer too, so I''ll be splitting it into 2 parts. In regards to that, I''ve got an article from the story''s real world to satisfy some of your curiosity. I''ll be putting out articles like this whenever there will be a bit of a delay on the next chapter. Hope you like it! (There''s a lot of obvious foreshadowing here!) *********************************************************** Virtual Gaming''s Insider Look: Rebirth+ Game Release Plans Hello virtual fans! Thanks for visiting our site and showing support. Today I bring news directly from a source of the developing company for Rebirth+. We''ve all seen the realistic trailers and promises from the parent company GenZero Gaming. Without tons of rumors and no leaks, this is the first real information since the announcement of the new project four years ago. The information is all that we''ve been waiting for. The release date for Rebirth+!! Our insider hinted at a few selections of lucky advanced players. Because of the tight-lipped security for such an advancement of gaming, and to keep the authenticity of new technology, Only a certain amount of players will be allowed in at a time. We''ve been told that there will be no Alpha, Closed Beta, or even Open Beta testing. This leaves a real treat for the first players! When asked why, our insider was not allowed to disclose that information just yet. Luckily, they did tell us more about potential release dates. If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. Rebirth+ will release in three waves of twenty thousand players. VLAMs will be sent to the selected players three weeks ahead of time to allow for calibration. After the three waves are complete and sufficient stock of VLAMs has been placed in your local stores the servers will open to the public. We have a quicklist below for specific release dates: Release Calendar First Waves Sign-ups December 1st First Wave VLAM Calibration Period December 7th to January 1st First Wave Server Access January 2nd 2nd Wave Sign-ups February 1st 2nd Wave VLAM Calibration Period February 7th to March 1st 2nd Wave Server Access March 2nd 3rd Wave Sign-ups April 1st 3rd Wave VLAM Calibration Period April 7th to May 1st 3rd Wave Server Access May 2nd International VLAM Sales June 1st This puts us at January 2nd for the first players to into the virtual world of Rebirth+. Assuming VLAMs take 3 weeks to calibrate based off the list provided to us by GenZero Gaming, it appears the servers open to the rest of the world on June 22nd. Well, I''m signing up as soon as the link is ready. Check back for the link once it becomes available for first access. See you all there! Chapter 4 - Resolve Part 1 Author''s Note: Thanks to all for being patient. Working on Chapter 4 part 2 right after this. If it wasn''t for a 3 day weekend I wouldn''t have this done right now. I thank you all again for reading my work. Your comments help keep me motivated! ****************************************************************************************************************** Tannin gathered another petal. He almost had enough for several meals. He stretched, feeling his back pop. The game was almost too real. Picking for hours strained his back. Certain muscles ached.
You are tired.
¡°Yeah, yeah. Damn messages. There are too many!¡± The sky had darkened, making it nearly impossible to see. Even the flower he''d picked from just now he could only see if he was on all fours. Night came quickly, he''d realized. The game time versus real world was very different. Waiting for Lucas to log back in proved it. He''d waited an entire day in the general area. Thinking of Lucas in the Friend''s List left him no gut feeling of general direction. Lucas had not logged in for two days. ¡°I''ll have to ask him next he logs in how long it''s been.¡± Being stuck in game messed with his mind. No one to talk to. Waking up to an unfamiliar place every day. It got a bit unnerving to realize he wasn''t in his real body all the time. Finding a scar on his arm was another thing. After Lucas had healed him, the scars remained. Not small ones from scrapes. But deep wounds that produced finely raised scars. He was now riddled with them thanks to the fight with the saber cat. ¡°Badges of honor.¡± He was quite proud of them. Tannin found another flower. He plucked a single petal and added it to his bag. Ding!
You have learned a Wildcrafting sub-skill: Mooncraft. Your eyes have adapted to the night. You are able to distinguish the different plants at night simply by looking at them.
Mooncraft (Sub-Passive)
Your eyes have adapted to the night. You are able to distinguish the different plants at night simply by looking at them. Works only on previously discovered plants.
Level01Experience00.00%
RankNovice5 meter radius.
Tannin''s immediate surroundings became more detailed. Shadows and colors outlined flowers, vines, and trees. All up to 5 meters away. ¡°Nice! A passive sub-skill. Only took two nights to get.¡± He felt his heart lift just a bit, glad to have made some progress. It spurred him on to pick faster. He let a yawn escape. ¡°Damn sleep.¡±
You are exhausted. Your resistance to sleep has pushed you past your limits.
Debuff: Exhaustion -50% stamina. HP/MP halved.
¡°That''s cheap!¡± Defeated, he crawled under some roots. The moss felt soft underneath his aching muscles. He fell into sleep quickly. He was so tired... # Chirp, chirp, chirp. Tannin''s eyes shot open. He felt his belly rumble at the thought of meat. ¡°Birds.¡± He took out his war fan and crept as silently as he could through the roots. He peeked through the gapes in vines. ¡°Sigh. They''re too far.¡± He watched the birds instead. Maybe if he memorized how they moved he could find a way to get one. ¡°TWEET!¡± The cry pierced his ears. ¡°Owe!¡± The birds scattered as a bigger bird landed in the middle of them. It stood up high, it''s wings spread wide. He tweeted again, the golden feathers on his head gleaming as he pronounced himself king of the flock. ¡°Tweet.¡± ¡°What kind of bird is that?¡± He watched it, focusing like he did if he wanted to see extra stats or details. Sure enough, a window appeared.
Golden Sparrowhawk Lvl 20 Hp 2000/2000 Mp 800/800
What was with the overpowered bird?! The level was crazy high. A cheat monster? Or a boss? Either way, level 20 was out of his league. Instant death for sure. ¡°No way am I going out.¡± He retreated further into the roots. The giant sparrowhawk tilted it''s head side to side. It spotted one of the smaller birds pecking not too far away. It slowly rose, it''s head arrowed in on the bird. As it rose higher the smaller bird seemed to sense the danger, but it was too late. The sparrowhawk struck out, kicking at the smaller bird. Talons slashed faster than Tannin could see. The sparrowhawk drew it''s leg back, the bird speared through by it''s longest talon. It proceeded to eat the bird, feathers and all. It quickly finished the meal, then flew off as quick as it came. ¡°The freak? I''m only level 2 and they have that kind of thing flying around?¡± This game was very different than any other he''d ever played. With the bird gone he crawled out. The day was new and he needed to eat. ¡°Now that I think about it, I''m not getting those stupid hungry messages.¡± His belly rumbled, telling him otherwise. ¡°Did the game update that feature while I was asleep?¡± A game with an awesome A.I., as the developer put it. Did it react based on the actions and conversations of the players? Then why didn''t it fix the glitch? Tannin raised a hand. ¡°System Information.¡±
System Error.
¡°Grr. Why?! I have classes I''m missing! I need to eat!¡± More than that, he wanted to go home. He slammed a fist into the nearest tree root. ¡°Damn!¡± He closed his eyes and breathed deep, calming down. ¡°I''ll try again later. I need to make sure to not die until then.¡± ¡°I need to get stronger. That bird is way too high.¡± He had searched far and wide, but the only beasts were the birds and cats. The cats being now 7 levels higher was dangerous, but he couldn''t exactly catch the birds. ¡°Cats it is.¡± He gathered for his wildcrafting skill and meals while he searched for saber cats. He kept his weapon drawn, remembering the previous ambush. It was surprisingly difficult to find a saber cat. He''d only ever seen the one. The only other life he came across was some of the small birds. ¡°Why aren''t there more wildlife? Wish I had some meat.¡± It''d be nice to be feel full instead of satisfied. Constant salads was depressing. Eventually his rumbling stomach became too noisy. He searched his bags to tally up.
Small Bloom x187Herbal Leaf x93
Great Tree''s Bark x168Soft Moss x51
Blue Cherry Berry x45Blue Cherry Berry Seed x103
Small Bloom Petal x54Item x00
Item x00Item x00
Item x00Item x00
Item x00Item x00
Item x00Item x00
¡°Takes 15 Small Bloom Petals to create one small salad. Add 10 Blue Cherry Berries to make a medium salad. No hunger all day long. This is definitely getting easier.¡± He made the small salad. Blue Cherry Berries were hard to come by. It was safer to eat the medium salad before he slept to prevent waking up with a starve debuff, though he''d still be hungry. After eating the small salad he continued his search. As he plucked and hunted he remembered the A.I. moves built into the saber cats. Leaping and clawing at realistic angles. It had long reach compared to his war fan. To kill he would have to get close, probably right on top of it. Facing a saber cat head-on was suicide. He''d have to use a sneak attack. The trees around him were too tall to climb. He''d have to sneak through the roots. Still, even if he successfully got the first strike, that didn''t mean an instant kill. The saber cats were seven levels higher. ¡°How best to kill them...¡± He ran the first saber cat fight over and over in his head to memorize the attacks. He got so focused that he nearly missed the sign he was being stalked. ¡°Random encounters?¡± He whispered to himself. He looked around cautiously, moving to an open location to fight. He waited, pretending to be distracted. Just as before the saber cat came out of nowhere. He rolled to the side, barely avoiding the saber cat''s claws to his face. The saber cat tore at the ground, quickly changing direction. Tannin jumped forward just as the cat leaped. It extended it''s claws out, it''s mouth open wide. They collided. Tannin felt his lungs empty. Fangs buried deep into his shoulder. They slammed into the ground. Tannin''s head hit roots. HP -20. Dazed! The message of hp loss danced in his head. Warmth gushed down his arm, wetting his shirt. He tried to focus, his eyes tracing his free arm. It was melded into the chest of the big cat. The warmth was blood. The fall had forced his war fan inside, past all the quills. The cat focused on the kill, sinking claws into his back to hold him in place. It didn''t shake, but instead sunk it''s teeth, trying to sever and saw his flesh apart. The pain and shock made him gasp for air. He felt his head go light and dizzy. HP ¨C 15. He pushed forward with all he had, sending the war fan further inside the saber cat''s chest. ¡°Hwraaagh!¡± ¡°Mwweearroooww!¡± The cat screamed, a gurgle sound coming from it''s chest as it released him and backed away. Tannin pulled his arm free, his arm and war fan covered in blood. He scrambled back as the cat began it''s death throes. HP -10.
You are bleeding.
Blood spurted twice out of the hole in it''s chest before the mighty cat collapsed. Tannin could see it''s eyes daze as it passed away. He shook his head in disbelief. ¡°This game is too realistic. The gore...¡± Bleed, HP -10. ¡°Hah.¡± Tannin''s arms and legs both shook. He didn''t bother to stand. He quickly entered his bag and pulled out handfuls of Herbal Leaf and Great Tree''s Bark. He stuffed the herbal leaves into his mouth while studying the bark. +15 HP. The bark''s description said it was an antiseptic. The bark itself was flexible and dry. He crushed one in his hand. A small yellow-clear liquid dripped out. He pulled off his shirt to check the punctures at his shoulder. ¡°Damn. Hurts.¡± The punctures felt deep, and blood still steadily dripped from them. Bleed, HP -10. ¡°Why aren''t they closing? I should have wished for a healing spell.¡± He looked around, carefully seeing what he could use. He stuck a bark piece in his mouth, chewing it up. He pulled some moss from the ground and spat the bark onto it. He mashed it together in his hand, then carefully packed one of the punctures up.
You have stopped the bleeding.
Almost immediately he felt a cooling sensation and a slight dulling of pain in the wound. The moss and bark mixture seemed to swell a bit as blood was absorbed. No blood escaped. ¡°Yes!¡± He copied the same action to the other puncture wounds. It was hard to reach around to his back. As soon as the cooling happened he knew he''d gotten to it. ¡°What if it falls out?¡± He pulled his shirt to him and gripped the bottom hem in teeth and hand. He tugged, hearing the ragged shirt rip as he tore it into a long strip. He wrapped it around his shoulder and side, making a quick bandage. He tucked the end in several times. ¡°Phew. Talk about life or death.¡± Ding!
You have successfully created a new skill. You have learned First Aid.
First Aid
Requires some kind of herb and bandage.
Level01Experience00.00%
RankNoviceStops bleeding when applied..
¡°First Aid! Awesome! Now I don''t have to worry so much. Still, I should be careful until I''m leveled higher.¡± Tannin put the remaining herbal leaf and bark into his bags. He unsheathed his weapon and approached the dead saber cat. He slowly cut the skin, tugging and pulling. He cut around the smaller parts until it came off. He inspected the skin.
Saber Cat Skin
DescriptionThe skin from a defeated Saber Cat.
DetailsMaterial Item. Can be used in crafting.
He stuffed it in his bag. He had plenty of space. He continued to harvest the rest of the saber cat. He got a few claws, bones, and meat. All he stuck in his bag without inspecting. He could always do that later. After the very last cut the saber cat''s body faded away. Only signs of the battle remained behind. Claw marks, uprooted moss, and blood. He added more blood to the moss cleaning his war fan. He stood, his legs still a bit shaky. ¡°I better get used to fighting. Those saber cats are overkill. Why populate a character into a zone way too high?¡± He moved his wounded shoulder a bit, pain piercing down his arm. ¡°Owe! Freak, that hurts. I can''t fight like this.¡± He backtracked to his sleeping place, the hollow under the roots. All plants on the way were already harvested. He reached the hollow in good time and immediately rested against the roots. ¡°One fight does this to me. Probably because I''m so low level. Still, it takes way too long to find Saber Cats.¡± He ruffled through his bags. ¡°Let''s see.¡± He pulled out the claws, bones, and meat. ¡°These I got from harvesting the saber cat. So they should be named accordingly.¡± He identified the items.
Saber Cat Claws
DescriptionClaws of the Saber Cat. Sharp and deadly..
DetailsCan be used in crafting.
¡°And next...¡±
Saber Cat Bones
DescriptionBones of the saber cat. Incredible durability.
DetailsCan be used in crafting.
¡°Last is...¡±
Saber Cat Meat
DescriptionMeat from a Saber Cat. Still bloody fresh.
DetailsCan be used in crafting.
¡°Not too bad. All crafting materials.¡± He returned the items to his bags. He closed his eyes, resting for a bit. He just sat there, going over the events until now. School. His jobs. Jenifer, Heather, and Tes. Little Lady. She must be hungry right now. ¡°Sigh. Why can''t I leave?¡± At this rate his real body was going to be in danger. The VLAM should have picked up the error and sent a report to the game''s help team. It wasn''t surprising that they hadn''t answered or messaged him yet. There was 10,000 player reports probably generating daily. This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it ¡°I want someone to talk to. Even an NPC. Is it my destiny to play alone?¡± He laughed. ¡°Well, in another month there''s gonna be another 10,000 people. In two months another 10,000 people. In four months the world.¡± He rose to his feet, grunting at the pain. His shoulder was a lot less painful now, but still hurt. ¡°I should continue. No time to waste moping around when I need to focus staying ahead of the mob.¡± This time he changed direction, heading another way from the hollow. The plants were untouched in the general direction he went. North, East, South, or West. He didn''t know which way he was going. The trees were too big. But he could tell where he''d been due to the harvested plants. He plucked his way forward, adding more goods to his bag. He found one clearing of Blue Cherry Berry bushes. He harvested the berries instead of the entire bush. ¡°Gotta love wildcrafting.¡± He harvested through the rest of the day and only realized how late it was when it became hard to see more than 5 meters ahead. ¡°Crap.¡± Rumble. ¡°Really, stomach? You can''t wait?¡± He turned around and headed back the way he came. It was slow going considering how far he could actually see, and only the plants at that. Crack. He froze, knowing that sound by now. He was being stalked. ¡°A saber cat right now?!¡± He stopped, pulling out his war fan. He waited, but no other sounds were heard. ¡°Weird.¡± He kept his fan out and took a few steps when he heard it again. Crack. He stopped, the sound gone. When nothing came, he slowly walked. ¡°Mwweerrooow.¡± A loud warning. He rolled across the ground like the last fight. He missed a hit again, but slammed into roots. He dropped the war fan, hearing it cling somewhere behind the roots. ¡°Damn!¡± He reached around the roots, unable to see or feel it. ¡°Freak!¡± He heard the saber cat land, getting ready for the infamous charge. He felt through the roots, finding a gap large enough to climb into. He slid inside, seeing the poisonous soft moss all around. A small section was dark, shaped just like his war fan. He reached for it, still climbing inside. ¡°Mwaarrow!¡± The saber cat screamed as it launched, pouncing on his leg. It clamped down, shaking and tugging it. HP -15. ¡°Aarrgh!¡± He was pulled back, jammed against the roots. He pushed forward, trying for the war fan. It was the only way out. The saber cat pulled back, jerking him again back and forth. It kept him just out of reach of the weapon. The cat dug in, slowly forcing the rest of him out. HP -10. In desperation, he clung onto the poisonous moss. The moss came out in bundles, clutched in his hands as he was dragged clear of it. He turned, striking out with his free foot on the saber cat''s face. It didn''t seem to notice. HP -10. The cat clawed his chest, digging in. It released his leg and lunged for the kill. Bleed, HP -10. Tannin raised his arm up in defense. The cat crunched down on it. He could feel the bone give and break. Pain shot through up into his skull, making his teeth ache. HP -25. ¡°Aaah!¡± The pain blinded him and all he could see was white. He struck down with his fist, striking the cat in the face repeatedly. ¡°Let go! Let me go!¡± ¡°Mweoorrgh!¡± The saber cat huffed, snorting as it only clenched down harder. HP -10. Bleed, HP -10. He continued to strike, hitting anything he could reach. The soft moss he held shredded into puffs, small bits of it entering through the cat''s eyes and nose. The cat snorted, squinting it''s eyes. It''s grip began to lessen. He pounded it''s face, his leg numbing. The pain receded to the point he could see. He saw the cat wince from his fist. HP -10. Bleed, HP -10. Tannin focused on the eyes and nose, hammering away. The cat began to choke and released his arm. He punched forward with the same arm. The cat saw the move and chomped forward. It consumed his fist, along with the soft moss. Before it chomped down it backed off, inhaling the soft moss. Bleed, HP -10. Tannin scooted back against the roots, fumbling through the gap until he could reach his war fan. He grasped it, backing out as fast as he could. He faced the cat with the war fan spread open. To his surprise, the saber cat lay on it''s side, gasping. It''s mouth was gaping open as it tried to get some air. It breathed once more. That was it. It was over. Ding!
You have reached level 3! HP +20. MP +15. Your base stats have risen by +1.
¡°It''s too hard to level. What kind of game is this?¡± Bleed, HP -10. He pulled out a handful of herbal leaves and ate them. HP +20. He chewed and placed a mixture of moss and bark into the wounds on his leg. Seeing his pants torn, he ripped off the half below the knee. He tore it into strips and made a bandage for his leg. He did all this without his left arm, which was crushed and bleeding. Bleed, HP -10. He ripped his other pant leg to the same length, using that to apply first aid to his arm.
You have stopped the bleeding.
He inspected his arm''s wound. A status window appeared.
Left Arm: Broken. Multiple fractures. Until it is healed, you will be unable to use the arm and your HP will be unable to regenerate on it''s own.
¡°The freak?! On it''s own? That means I can only heal via herbal leaves.¡± He pulled herbal leaves out of his bag. He didn''t want to use them like this. It took too long to acquire them. However, he couldn''t just walk around with half HP either. He ate the leaves until his hp said plus zero. ¡°I hate that. What a waste. 140 herbal leaves gone.¡± Rumble. ¡°Really?!¡± He pulled out enough petals for a small salad. He looked around, seeing the night darkness. He added some blue cherry berries for a medium sized meal. ¡°Now''s not the time to hold back.¡± He ate the medium salad. His stomach quieted down as soon as he was done.
Satiety maxed.
He scooted backwards, reaching the roots. He pulled himself up, testing his leg. It was still numb. He put some pressure on it. It stressed, shooting a pain up his leg. ¡°It''s bearable compared to my arm.¡± He put his weight on trees and roots as he followed the plucked path back to the hollow. His broken arm remained hanging at his side, useless. The injury to his leg made the going slow. He wasn''t sure how long it was taking to get back.
You are tired.
¡°Give me a break!¡± He tried to go faster. He ended up tripping and falling to the ground, slamming into his arm. ¡°Ah!¡± He huffed, hissing away the pain. ¡°That hurt.¡± He stood, moving slower. ¡°This sucks. I''m not going to travel at night alone again. Ever.¡± More time passed. He was starting to feel that heaviness from lack of sleep.
You are exhausted. Your resistance to sleep has pushed you past your limits.
Debuff: Exhaustion -50% stamina. HP/MP halved.
¡°No!¡± He gritted his teeth as his body became twice as heavy as before. He fell to his knees. His wounded arm dragged against the ground as he began to crawl. ¡°It''s not safe. I have to sleep at the hollow.¡± He crawled, and crawled. He paused a few times to hear if he was being stalked. Thankfully nothing was. He was overwhelmed with relief as he spotted the familiar roots. He slid in on his belly, not bothering to check his wounds or items. He simply crawled in and fell asleep. # Morning crept in on him with the birds. The birdsong and whistles had become his alarm clock. As his eyes opened, his mind became alert. Before he moved he remembered last night. Traveling at night to pick plants... ¡°I''m so stupid.¡± He thudded his head against the mossy ground. ¡°I''ve been deceived. This game, it''s not a game at all.¡± He had almost died. With the glitching and broken pain prevention he had better not risk death. What if it negatively affected his body? If he couldn''t leave the game something must already be wrong. Until he could find out he needed to do his best to survive. ¡°I just want to go home.¡± He rolled in self-pity for a bit. ¡°I wonder what Lucas is doing.¡± He closed his eyes and thought where Lucas was. Nothing, no feeling of general direction, came to him. ¡°Sigh. Still logged out? What''s the difference in time between the game and real life?¡± Rumble. ¡°Grr. Fine.¡± He slowly sat up, not daring to use his broken arm. He made and ate a medium salad. Then he checked his bags and took inventory.
Small Bloom x187Herbal Leaf x12
Great Tree''s Bark x205Soft Moss x63
Blue Cherry Berry x64Blue Cherry Berry Seed x123
Small Bloom Petal x57Saber Cat Skin x01
Saber Cat Claws x02Saber Cat Bones x05
Saber Cat Meat x12Item x00
Item x00Item x00
Item x00Item x00
¡°I didn''t harvest the saber cat last night. I wonder if it''s still there.¡± Tannin checked his leg wound, carefully unwrapping it. The wound was closed, but covered in blood and grime. The wound on his shoulder had already scarred. He inspected the cloth ripped from his pant leg.
Ripped Cloth
DescriptionDirty and Bloody.
DetailsIt should be burned, but can be reused if cleaned
He placed the dirty bandage in his bags. Wary after last night, he pulled out his war fan and crawled slowly outside. He waited. Only birds pecked the ground as usual. He climbed the rest of the way out. He walked around a bit, testing his leg. It seemed to hold his weight fine without pain. It wasn''t numb anymore either. Now in the sunlight, he carefully checked himself over again. Other than the knowledge of his current wounds he was only dirty and covered in dried blood. ¡°I feel gross. You''d think there would be water or rain or something. I''m just glad I don''t have thirst.¡± He looked back at the hollow, remembering the soft moss cover he was dragged out of. ¡°This isn''t good. This is actually pretty useless shelter against those saber cats. I have to do something better.¡± He looked around for things to use. ¡°Let''s see. Those vines, if I can harvest the vines without the needles coming out then that would make good rope.¡± He approached a tree, tugging on different pieces of bark. Some came off as useless. He got lucky on one try. ¡°This, this is good.¡±
Dried Bark
DescriptionPulled from a Great Tree. Dry and fibrous.
DetailsCan be used in crafting.
He pulled some of the fibers off the inside and inspected those.
Tinder
DescriptionVery dry material harvested from Dried Bark.
DetailsCan be used in crafting.
¡°That''s self-explanatory. I can use it as tinder. I just need to start a fire somehow. Then I can cook the saber cat meat.¡± He pulled more fibers off of the Dried Bark until the bark fell apart.
Destroyed Dried Bark. Harvested +3 Tinder.
¡°Oooh. So Wildcrafting can be used this way.¡± He wandered around, gathering more Tinder from destroying dried bark. He spent the day going a new direction, started from behind the hollow. To him it felt like south, since he based it off his hideout. He went a few hours gathering plants and tinder. He managed to gather a few vines by cutting off a length of them, then shaving the spines off with his war fan. Thus he discovered Vine Rope. He stopped when he noticed an odd sound. He listened carefully. It sounded somehow familiar, but he couldn''t place it. Shhhhh. As he got closer to it it became louder, almost like a rumble. The air became a bit heavier. When he began to actually see a mist he knew. ¡°Water!¡± He rushed forward, feeling his leg twinge a little. He ignored it, rounding a tree to see rocks everywhere. ¡°A river.¡± He went straight in. All the rocks were smooth and cool. He tore his boots off and threw them on the bank above the rocks. The slow moving water flowed up to his mid-shines. He sat and dunked himself, his injured arm merely floating painlessly along. ¡°Hoo!¡± That feels great!¡± He scrubbed himself clean. He even pulled out the ripped cloth and cleaned that too. He held onto a stable, large-sized boulder and leaned back. He floated there, the cool water soothing his wounds. He closed his eyes and drifted. He stayed that way for a while, glad to find some peace. He let himself have that much, before the sun''s light seemed to beat through his eyelids. He sat up and sputtered water. ¡°The sun!¡± He looked up, the canopy giving way to open blue sky thanks to the broadness of the moving river. In the distance upstream he spotted a far-away white peak of a single mountain. Downstream seemed more rolling mountainous hills full of the Great Forest as far as he could see. The name of the forest seemed more fitting now. He was standing in a straight part of the river near a bend. At the bend he saw flat ground not covered by foliage of any kind. It was like a beach. He retrieved his boots and waded upstream. As he neared the flat ground it became apparent. The flat area was huge, and up away from the water. It would have to be a great flood to get up to the edge of it. Twelve feet higher then the edge of the water, about. He climbed up after putting on his boots. It took a little bit thanks to his useless arm. At least he knew he could get up while carrying something later. He reached the top and surveyed while smoothing water out of his hair. He nodded in satisfaction. ¡°This will make a perfect base. I''ll only need to protect one side...¡± He thought about it. It was big enough for several people to live in nicely with extra room for anything later. He would have to do several things to get ready. It would be a few days before he dared to spend the night here. He headed back to the hollow to get ready. ¡°I''ll need a wooden fence and a gate. Have to make a roof in case it actually does rain.¡± He passed a few birds. No sign of the sparrowhawk. ¡°I should get Lucas'' input too. Until he comes back on I need to get stuff together.¡± He had so much to do... Chapter 4 - Resolve Part 2 I owe an apology (again) to those reading Rebirth+. My life''s took a sudden turn and I¡±m getting things back to normal. Until I do there will be a delay on chapters. I''ll be able to write a little each day, not a ton like at first over the weekends. The chapters will now be released sometime on each Friday after I finish editing them. Please bear with me while I get things back together. ************************************************************************************ Lucas sighed, leaning back in his high-backed leather chair. He rubbed his face. Work had been rather hard these last 24 hours. He needed to sleep. ¡°I really want to play.¡± His door opened. A familiar face came in. He sat up to retrieve the documents from him. ¡°What''s this?¡± ¡°Sale projections for next quarter. It''s from the company we just sponsored.¡± He opened the folder, seeing his company''s stocks and profits. His eyes widened. He looked up, unbelieving. ¡°Is this correct? Did you double-check everything?¡± ¡°Yes sir. I had the marketing team and financial department go over it several times, as well as I did so myself. The information is correct.¡± ¡°This is four times higher than I hoped for. If this is the case we''re going to be busier. Get the Marketing Team to endorse this publicly. No more hiding our intentions. I want that brand and our company''s name mentioned together everywhere. It has to be common knowledge. We can''t miss this chance.¡± He closed the folder and returned it. ¡°Yes sir.¡± The man bowed and left. ¡°A peculiar custom.¡± He gathered his things, stuffing his PC info his briefcase and heading out of the office. He took the central elevator for his exclusive use down to the first floor. He nodded and bid good-bye to employees as he left. His private car pulled up. He slipped in the back, ignoring his driver''s attempt to open the door for him. He buckled and set down his briefcase. ¡°Take me home.¡± ¡°Yes sir.¡± He watched the high-rises flash by on the way. A few short minutes passed and they entered the gate to his home. They drove up to the front steps and he got out. He waved his driver off as he headed inside. His head of staff met him there, giving him the usual rundown. ¡°There are two mail and four calls.¡± ¡°The mail?¡± ¡°One is from the auto owner''s insurance. The other is from the private phone line.¡± He shrugged off his coat and handed it over, but kept his briefcase. No one could have that but himself. ¡°Bills. And the calls?¡± ¡°All from the executive producer regarding the contract.¡± ¡°Hmm. Thank you. I''ll want to be alone tonight.¡± ¡°I''ll see that it''s done.¡± Lucas nodded and headed upstairs. The wide steps gave way to the second floor, covered in luxurious marble and scarlet-gold carpets. He made his way to his room, locking it. He went to the second room he''d turned into a game room. He locked that as well. A bed lay in the center with a single desk nearby. He turned the lamp to low and set his briefcase down. He dressed for bed, grabbing the VLAM as he lay down on silken sheets and overpriced mattress. He relaxed, letting his mind clear as the VLAM read his signature and activated. He felt a shift and opened his eyes. The forest of giant trees greeted him. He smiled, feeling all the tension of normal life melt away. Uplifted, he took a deep breath and really looked. ¡°What is this?¡± He was in a camp of some kind. He was sure he didn''t log out here. Meaning this had all been made while he was away. How could this happen? ¡°Did Tannin do all of this?¡± There was a giant root layered with animal pelts. Near it was a rack of wood littered with meats. A small fire had burned down after exhausting itself underneath the meat. The coals were still red. Littered near the fire were other objects. Several different kind of tools. There were stakes, spears, a small hand-sized shovel made of wood and thick bark. There was also rope. Lots of it. Small bone objects with stones lay nearby. Some bones were fractured, indicating being carved or hit. ¡°He''s been very busy.¡± He sat on a root near the coals, twiddling his thumbs. His waiting paid off. Tannin came jogging in, war fan out. Lucas stood, eagerly ready to play. Tannin was dressed very raggedly. He wore his original boots and only the upper half of his pants were intact. He had a rope slung over his shoulder, a few small birds strung in it. ¡°Tannin?¡± He asked it as a question. The man he looked at bore scars across his body. His left arm was splintered, wrapped, and bloody. His eyes had the most extreme change. The stranger before Lucas turned his eyes on him, full of suspicion and caution. Tannin froze, the sound of someone else talking besides him putting him off his routine. He faced the intruder, ready to battle. No way would he let someone threaten his new-found peace. His eyes found Lucas, and he had to take a second to relax himself. He put on a genuine smile. ¡°Lucas! You''re on!¡± Tannin put his weapon away, setting down his recent bounty near the meat rack. Seeing another person had him in high spirits. Time to catch up and eat something good! ¡°Sit, sit!¡± He waved his hand when Lucas came over. ¡°It''s been a while. It seems forever since I last saw you.¡± Tannin chatted happily. He pulled some finished smoked meat off the rack and spitted it. He then handed it over to Lucas. ¡°Well, it''s only been one day. I see that you have played all night and day too. Are you okay?¡± ¡°I''m fine! I''ll tell you though, fighting is really difficult.¡± Tannin spitted his own meat and sat cross-legged across the fire from Lucas. He chomped down on the smoked meat, salivating instantly. Meat in the game was very tasty. Lucas took a small bite out of his own. He chewed slowly, not having truly eaten anything in game yet. ¡°This is good! Did you make this yourself? It tastes like tough, smoked chicken.¡± ¡°Yeah. I can''t get enough of it. It''s kind of hard to get.¡± Tannin watched as Lucas steadily ate his throughout the conversation, glad to see that he enjoyed it. ¡°What exactly am I eating?¡± ¡°Saber cat.¡± Lucas choked on his food. ¡°Saber cat?! You mean you''ve been hunting those?¡± ¡°Yeah. I''ve figured out how to hunt them. It was hard to figure out the best way to kill them. The first few days you were away were really hard.¡± Lucas frowned. ¡°How long has it been since I left?¡± ¡°Mmm... About seven days or so. They kind of mash together.¡± ¡°So 24 hours in real life is a week in game? That seems kind of slow.¡± ¡°I guess. There''s a lot to do in game.¡± ¡°I see that. You have made a lot of progress.¡± ¡°Yeah, learned three skills and leveled.¡± ¡°What level are you now?¡± ¡°Three. One more kill and I think I''ll hit level 4. Want to party with me again? I could use a heal or two.¡± ¡°Sure. I need to level myself. Mind if I have another piece?¡± ¡°No problem. Here.¡± He handed Lucas another smoked meat. ¡°Thank you. I''d like to repay you for this, but I don''t have anything.¡± ¡°It''s fine. I can get more of it. The fighting saber cats is rough. I could use a healing pot or two, but I haven''t figured out how to make them yet.¡± ¡°I have an alchemy skill. I discovered it on day one.¡± ¡°Really?! What do you need?¡± If this was true he didn''t need to waste so many items or rely on checking his bags so often. ¡°Unfortunately, it requires some materials I haven''t found yet. Let me check again.¡± The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. Tannin watched Lucas check his status window and skills. It seemed the system was still working. Why not his then? ¡°Ah, here we are. I need three herbal leaf and a source of water. My staff can do the rest.¡± ¡°Yes! Let''s test that in a bit. I have to finish preparing this meat really quick.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Tannin quickly pulled the slabs of smoking meat off the stakes on the rack, sliding them into his bags. He rekindled the fire and retrieved some dried roots from the hollow to burn later. He spitted the birds, feathers and all, placing them directly over the fire. ¡°Shouldn''t we pluck those?¡± Lucas asked. ¡°Huh? No, it''s fine. They''re so small the feathers burn to nothing when cooked.¡± He placed the rest of the raw saber cat meat out to smoke. ¡°So far nothing seems interested in scents, so the meat should be fine if we just leave it here. Of course, now that I''ve said that it''ll change by tomorrow.¡± Lucas frowned in confusion. ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± ¡°Oh! You haven''t noticed yet?¡± ¡°Noticed what?¡± ¡°The game adapts depending on what we do. That can be actions, or not acting, or even what we say.¡± ¡°What?!¡± Lucas jumped to his feet. ¡°Yeah. There''s been a few changes already. Wait and see. Tomorrow I bet you if I leave the meat out something will come and find it.¡± ¡°Are you serious? This game is like that?¡± ¡°I tested it a few times and it seems so. Hey, you ready to level? I want to see what we can do.¡± Lucas seemed taken by surprise. ¡°I guess so.¡± ¡°Great! Pick up your stick and let''s go. I have something to show you.¡± ¡°Calling my staff just a stick...¡± Lucas followed Tannin through the forest. They traveled for some time, Tannin harvesting a few plants here and there. ¡°Is that one of your skills?¡± ¡°Yeah. Wildcrafting. Allows me to take materials from plants without destroying them. So far it''s saved my life and granted me two more skills.¡± ¡°Hmm. What''s that sound?¡± ¡°Hah, it''s one of the things you need.¡± Tannin led further away and a slight mist appeared. The sound reached a rumble as he led Lucas to the river. He grinned as Lucas took it in. ¡°I''m not so sure this is just a game. The details always amaze me.¡± Lucas whispered low, in awe. ¡°You said water was one thing you needed.¡± ¡°Ah, Yes.¡± Lucas came back to himself. ¡°The other is herbal leaf...¡± His eyes lit up. ¡°Is that something you have?¡± ¡°Yeah, I was gathering some while we came here. I have a ton stocked up. Alone they heal some HP, but aren''t very effective. Let''s make some pots!¡± ¡°I thought we were going to level first?¡± ¡°We can level faster if we have the pots. We won''t have to wait for the regen rate to heal.¡± ¡°This will also save me some MP. Alright, let''s try making some potions.¡± They headed to a slow part of the river near some boulders. They sat, Tannin pulling out a few herbal leaves and handing them over. Lucas accepted them with a nod. Lucas scooped some water into his hand, placing three herbal leaves on top. With his free hand he brought the edge of his staff down, chanting. ¡°Alchemy!¡± A soft blue glow gave way to a small flask. It held a deep green liquid. ¡°Identify this for me.¡± ¡°Ok.¡± Tannin stared at it and named the item. ¡°Small Healing Potion. Gives 200 HP instantly. No cool down, then? That''s a good starter item. We can make a ton of these too. Let''s do the rest!¡± Tannin pulled out half of his herbal leaves and handed them over. ¡°Alchemy!¡± Lucas finished the quick process and handed the pots over to Tannin. ¡°Keep half. As payment. You''ll need them too. Can''t have the healer die, can we?¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± Lucas pocketed 5 small healing potions. Tannin jumped up. ¡°Now we can go hunting.¡± ¡°Where will we go?¡± ¡°Back into the forest. We can try our luck at saber cats. I''ve gotten them memorized. With you this will be easy.¡± Lucas nodded. ¡°I''ll form the party then.¡± Lucas waved his hand around, moving inside the system windows. A window popped up in front of Tannin.
Would you like to accept party invitation from Lucas? YES/NO
He selected Yes.
You have joined Lucas'' party.
EXP will be shared between all party members. Item drops will be divided between members at the party leader''s discretion.
¡°Nice! Now I don''t have to worry about my HP. I can just attack and you can heal me.¡± ¡°You seem to enjoy fighting.¡± Tannin shrugged, leading the way into the forest. ¡°It''s something necessary I had to learn or die.¡± Lucas was caught by surprise. He''d played many games before, with many people. This was the first time he''d heard someone say something so out of place. One couldn''t die in game for real, so why was Tannin so serious? ¡°Don''t you think maybe you should take a break from playing?¡± Tannin shook his head. ¡°Nah, not yet. I, uh, need to level a bit more. I want to stay ahead of the second wave.¡± ¡°Tannin, when''s the last time you took a break?¡± ¡°Hmm. When we ate?¡± ¡°Not that. I meant when''s the last time you logged out?¡± ¡°Not since I logged in the first time.¡± ¡°You''ve been playing this whole time?¡± Tannin shrugged. What else could he do? ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Aren''t you worried about your body? You should log out. If you like I can stay here and level while you log off for a few hours.¡± ¡°That''s okay. It doesn''t matter. I can''t log off anyway.¡± ¡°Tannin!¡± Tannin stopped, forced to face Lucas now that he''d spilled the truth. ¡°What? Don''t you want to level?¡± He tried changing tactics, hoping to change the topic. ¡°I''m worried. You haven''t logged out for 24 hours?¡± Oh well. Can''t hide the truth now. ¡°I can''t log out.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°I have no system windows to access. It just errors. And the function for GM chat isn''t working either. I can''t leave the game.¡± His eyes wandered, unable to look Lucas in the eye. ¡°That''s ridiculous. A person can''t be stuck in the game.¡± ¡°.....¡± ¡°You''re not joking.¡± A statement. ¡°No. I was waiting for an update or patch to come out. Since it hasn''t I have to wait.¡± ¡°Have you received any messages from your VLAM in game?¡± ¡°No, no health alert messages. My body''s fine.¡± ¡°Still, I should probably check just in case.¡± ¡°What, you''re going to go to my house?¡± ¡°I can call someone. You have relatives or friends that live with you?¡± Tannin sat on a root, afraid of the path this was taking. ¡°You can call my aunt, I guess.¡± Tannin gave Jenifer''s number to Lucas. ¡°I''ll log out and find this out. Sorry about not playing. I''ll come back as soon as I can.¡± ¡°Ok. See you then.¡± Lucas nodded, waved his arm, and was gone. ¡°Sigh...¡± He was alone again. Chapter 5 - Hunting Part 1 Author''s Note: Sorry for long wait! Things are getting back to normal now and I had some free time to write! Please remember I don''t have a lot of free time, but will upload where/when I can. Please enjoy! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tannin decided to level some more. While he was put out that Lucas left at least he would get some answers. Until then, grinding was his best way to get stronger right now. He explored the neighboring forest for saber cats. He was quite skilled in dodging and counterattacking them by now. Taking them down hardly required any healing items afterward. He hunted for a few hours, finally reaching the next level. At this time, something unexpected occurred. He was standing over the latest saber cat carcass as the game announced the level up. Ding!
You have reached level 4! HP +20. MP +15. Your base stats have risen by +1.
Ding!
War Fan of the Conqueror is now level 2! Based on battle history, appropriate attributes and stats have been added.
¡°Whaaaaat?!¡± Tannin looked at the weapon in his hand. It didn''t look any different. Only now did he think to look at it''s stats. [tr]
War Fan of the Conqueror
Level:02Experience00.10%
Basic Damage:20Proficiency00.40%
Details:Born of purest life energy, it has taken on a will of it''s own. It is soul-bound to it''s creator.
Sharpness:0/0--
Bonus:As Hard As StoneEffect:+20 Defense
What was this? His weapon could level?! This was amazing! Never in an MMO could a weapon level! Excited, he looked over the stats again. There was experience. It must gain experience during usage. He couldn''t compare real changes until he leveled it up again. Considering it took twice as long to level his weapon up compared to himself... it would take a while. Some stats on it were empty. There was a title system and effect stat too. Maybe it would come at a higher level. Only way to try was to level up! Tannin felt his blood racing through his veins. He quickly retrieved items from the dead saber cat and stored them away. He ran through the woods, for once ignoring picking plants and looking for another target. He came into a clearing when he heard that familiar crack. He jumped to the side, dodging the first of the saber cat''s swipes. The cat swung along the ground, kicking up moss and dirt. It launched at him in a long jump. He ran at it and slid underneath, catching the cat''s belly and slicing it open from front to back. Blood spilled and the cat went down, HP dropping rapidly from a mortal hit. Tannin had discovered, through countless battles, that the underside of the saber cat was it''s weakness. The top of the fur was hard like stone, and unable to be penetrated. Given that the cat never showed it''s belly willingly, he had come close to death more than just a few times to learn how to easily kill it. Because of the battles, he now was hardly ever hurt. Even his nearly-severed arm was almost completely healed. He continued to fight for the next two days. Though he reached level 6, his war fan remained at level 2. He did occasionally see it''s exp go up with each kill, but was so minimal that he eventually stopped checking. After fighting for two days, his arm was completely healed. It was the third day after Lucas left that he found a strangely large tree. Compared to the trees around it, it was at least four times bigger than the rest. It''s broad canopy blocked sunlight, preventing any big vegetation from growing underneath. It''s trunk was covered thickly in vines. It was tall, towering easily over all the other trees. ¡°I bet the view is clear from up there.¡± He squinted at the top, then scanned the tree before getting closer. He tested the vines, finding them with no thorns. He grabbed a handful and pulled. The vines withstood the weight, hardly moving at all. He dug his feet in and began to climb. The feeling of gravity was there, the first time he noticed. As he climbed higher, he became aware of many more things perfected inside the game. There was wind that got slightly stronger the higher he climbed. Each detail of each plant he could see was unique. No two vines, pieces of bark, or trees were the same. The world had been created without random generation. For a game world to be created without using the random generation for world creation, how had this been made possible? The world''s greatest super computer couldn''t do it on this scale. It was like all the world''s artists had designed only a single piece that was then added, resulting in no habitual patterns that could be reproduced. He reached the canopy top above the other trees with still half the climb to go. He felt clearly the sun on his back, a gentle breeze pushing against him. The leaves rustled and he looked out, seeing a sea of green all around. A little higher and he would have a clear overview. Enjoying the climb he unknowingly reached the lowest branch. The branch was as thick as a small car. The vines wrapped around it tightly, allowing him to carefully climb up top. As he reached up, he looked down. The ground far below had roots smaller than the thickness of a pencil. His breath caught in his throat. He felt a shiver across his shoulders and tightened his grip. He pulled himself close to the branch, not daring to stand as he lay flat out on it. He shoved his feet deep into the vines and sat up. He looked out, the view taking the rest of his breath away. Endless trees everywhere. No hills. No empty areas. No lakes. Just an endless sea of trees all around him. The only notable feature was a small, hard-to-detect part in the trees where the small river carved through. Behind him was also a sea of trees. However, this was over-shadowed by a massive mountain. The top of the mountain went beyond the clouds above to disappear. The highest parts he could see seemed covered in deep, white snow. The rest was black stone sprinkled with a few trees that were twisted by strong winds over time. ¡°Awesome.¡± The view left him almost speechless. There was no way that he could climb down just yet. ¡°This place is awesome!¡± Ding!
You are the first to discover the area. As a pioneer, what would you like to name it? Stolen story; please report.
¡°The Great Forest.¡± He said it breathlessly.
The immediate zone has been named ¡°The Great Forest¡±. You are the first to have named a location. Please indicate by point and announce the direction of North.
Tannin pointed quickly to the mountain. ¡°North.¡±
North has been selected. Each direction has been applied to the region: North, East, South, and West.
Ding!
Your affiliation with the area has been established. You have been awarded a title! You are now also known as ''Founding Guardian''. Note: Titles aren''t viewable, but are part of your history. The bigger your actions on the world, the higher ranked your title will be, along with your influence. Bonus Exp awarded.
Ding!
You have reached level 5! HP +20. MP +15. Your base stats have risen by +1.
¡°This game is awesome!¡± He practically sang the squealed words of excitement. ¡°Growing titles, weapons that level. What more can there be?¡± The possibilities left him drooling. He suddenly had the urge to explore and discover more. ¡°Okay. Time to get down.¡± He carefully made his way back down. This was a lot slower than the climb up. One slip and his character would die. Once at the bottom, something popped up near his right hand. He focused on it. ¡°A quest?!¡± He read the content carefully. [tr][tr][tr][tr]
Heart of the Great Forest
The Heart of the Great Forest is the oldest tree. It has absorbed the world''s natural energies and has become sentient. Recently, a dark force has threatened the forest. The Heart urges you to seek it out.
Difficulty:UnknownAward:UnknownPenalty for Failure:Death of the Great Forest
¡°I can''t deny the quest?¡± He scowled. ¡°The penalty is too high! What kind of game forces a quest?!¡± He sighed, knowing that there was no use in complaining to himself. ¡°I should make this a priority.¡± He waved the window away. A small icon popped up in the far corner of his vision. He waved at it, seeing the quest window appear again. ¡°At least I can track the quest this way.¡± He waved it close, pondering. Time to explore. He returned to the camp near the river. As he approached the camp he heard something rummaging nearby. He quickly sticks to nearby tree roots and equipped his war fan. He quietly got closer, catching the outline of a saber cat devouring the meat he had left out to smoke earlier. It was the first time for him to catch one of the cats off-guard. He froze. How should he attack? He''d always been on the receiving end of ambush. Set a trap? Use poison? Or rush it straight on? While he was thinking, the cat finished the meat. It poked around before losing interest and headed towards Tannin. It walked right past him, not seeing him in the least. He sat there, still unsure if he should attack. It was gone for a good while before he moved. In the camp it had only touched the food. Nothing else seemed to have interested it. If he could figure at a good way to set an ambush himself, he could use bait to lure the cats in. Easy hunting was coming his way. As to which method to use, he would have to think on it. ¡°Exploring... Where to go first?¡± There was the Great Forest around him in all directions. A river to the east. The giant tree called ''The Heart'' to his west. Now the mountain to the north. Lucas had come from the south. There were also other players, but Tannin was the first to be in the Great Forest. From Lucas'' information, more players could be found south from camp. He could just follow the river south. However, the north held his interest. The river wound down from the direction of the mountain. Tannin packed up what he needed, leaving the camp. He followed the river north in the nearby forest. He kept the running water in hearing distance as he hunted cats and plants. As he made his way north he ran into new animals. They ran from him on approach, but it was clear the game had answered his request for more fauna. He discovered deer, rabbits, owls, crows, and a few other normal beasts. There was a saber cat hunted in between. He came upon a saber cat eating a dead deer. Before he could think on it, he charged it. The cat was surprised, instantly charging to attack. It leaped and swiped. From experience, Tannin slid by it and sliced down it''s belly. He looked at it''s remains after wards. ¡°Even ambushing it still got a normal attack response. Just without the attack from behind my back part. A quicker kill, if anything.¡± He gathered the loot and harvested goods, continuing on. Besides a few more animals and cats, he came into contact with a monster for the first time. A green body covered with ragged clothing holding a stick. A level 5 goblin. It looked at him dumbly, spit dribbling down it''s chin as it screamed at him and finally swung. Tannin stepped back, bringing up his war fan. The stick and fan collided. The weight of the swing caught him by surprise. The force for such a small monster pushed him back. He was easily thrown off his feet. Tannin rolled with the momentum, coming up and charging. He dodged a swing, stabbing the war fan at the goblin''s chest. The war fan sunk in easily, it''s sharp edges cutting deep. A purple-black blood poured out, spreading warmth over his hand as it withdrew. The goblin fell to the ground, clutching it''s wound. It squealed a few pants and then lay still. Tannin shook his hand, wiping the gooey blood off on the ground. Did the game have to be so real in the battles? ¡°Gross, gross, gross.¡± Sure he was a grown man, but he wasn''t a murderer. He wasn''t one to get into fights in real life at all. He considered himself a nice pacifist. The feeling of blood and crunching bones was new and disgusting to him. He was barely used to animals. Fighting a humanoid was a bit different. Though the goblin was so ugly he felt only the smallest amount of guilt. From then on he attacked the goblins the cleanest ways he could think off. Quickly cutting them with just the edge of the fan worked best. He learned a new way to fight as he encountered more goblins, also testing it out on saber cats. He became more efficient as time wore on. Chapter 5 - Hunting Part 2 Author''s Note: Surprise! Part 2! Double post today! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ¡°This is ridiculous. Who would put such a thing in a game?¡± Tannin stood in the middle of the river where it flowed slowly, spread over a wide area. He stood in only the basic pants-ripped-into-shorts. He scrubbed himself with sand from the river bottom roughly, like he was trying to ward off a scourge. ¡°If I find out the person that did this, I''ll sue for mental anguish!¡± He scrubbed harder, the stench rising to his nose for the hundredth time that same day. He grew frustrated and howled, ¡°I hate goblins! Hate them! I''ll kill them all!¡± Goblins above level 5 have an ability called [Stink]. The further north he went, the more higher-leveled goblins there were. Worse, they traveled in small groups. When one sprayed, they all did! A deep-seated stench sprayed right from their arm hairs! ¡°The stinks not so bad as a skunks, but this is freaking horrible.¡± His eyes teared and his nose stung, going numb, but throbbing. ¡°It stays for hours after getting sprayed. Bathing hardly makes it go away, and it''s just as strong as when first sprayed.¡± Regardless of the stink, he had managed to get very far in two days. Tomorrow he would head back down river. He didn''t want to lose his only friend, Lucas. He hadn''t had any sense of Lucas logging back in yet. He was starting to get worried for his body. It must be expensive for Jennifer to take care of him while he was stuck from logging out. He had to repay her big time. Hopefully Lucas would have some answers for him soon. He could help Lucas level quick now in return. With that in mind he made sure to hunt widely on his way back down south. He went a little further into the forest from the river due to over hunting. Animals and plants didn''t respawn in a few minutes like normal games. He wasn''t sure on the animals. At least with his [Wildcrafting] skill he could tell when the plants would replenish. He reached camp, the hunting and grinding leveling him to eight. The camp was as he had left it, no obvious signs of that intruding saber cat returning. As he rested, he again began experimenting to get different skills. He spent a whole day doing this. In the process, he managed to learn two new skills; [Tanning], and [Leather-Working]. The tanning was good, letting him use the saber cat skins for something. Though the method to get the skins to tan was a little unorthodox. He used a questionable goblin drop called [Mixed Juices] to paint the skin as he stretched it, leaving it by the river side in the sun. After a day it would turn into leather. After getting the leather he took vines and ripped them apart, re-weaving it into [Vine Thread]. He sewed a basic backpack for himself. This increased his portable storage space. ¡°A few more skins and I can make some clothes.¡± His ragged basic clothing was almost done-for. He equipped the bag, transferring the more common and abundant items into the backpack. He left a few items in the bag, mainly things like healing items and food. Finished, he began cooking more meat, waiting for Lucas'' return before making another move to explore. # Lucas sat up, his VLAM disconnected from the network. He reached for his special suitcase, opening the lock on it. He entered the lock''s code sequence and pressed his thumb on the scanner. There was a ''pop'', and it opened. He pulled out his private cell. He held the phone for a minute, thinking on what to say. Decided, he dialed Jenifer''s number. His phone, with priority-access through his provider, quickly went through. Jennifer picked up on the third ring. Her voice was soft. It very pleasantly teased his ears. ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°Hello, my name is Lucas. I''m a friend of Tannin. I was hoping I could speak with him?¡± ¡°Tannin? Who''s that?¡± ¡°He''s...¡± Lucas frowned. He had never asked Tannin''s real life name. What a blunder. It had been a while since he''d made a mistake this large. ¡°We play online together. I''m sorry, I only know his gamer name.¡± ¡°I see. You must be a friend of Aleric''s. I''m sorry, but he''s not here any more.¡± She whispered. ¡°Excuse me? Did he move or change numbers?¡± ¡°No. He-he passed away, recently.¡± Her voice broke, crackling with sadness. ¡°....¡± Lucas'' brain froze, all thoughts vanishing. Slowly, gears turned and cogs began to click into place as he saw the links gather. One-by-one he pieced them together. The possibilities of human error began to blare in his head. He instinctively took off the VLAM. ¡°Hello?¡± Jennifer''s voice echoed out of his cell. ¡°I''m sorry to hear that. He was a very close friend of mine. I wish to attend the wake. Would it be alright if I came?¡± ¡°Oh! I''m sorry. There wasn''t many relatives or friends to hold a wake. He''s already b-buried. Um, I can give you the location.¡± ¡°Please. I would be deeply appreciative. Also, I''d like to get to know his family and the circumstances of his passing.¡± ¡°As a friend of Aleric''s I''ll tell you.¡± ¡°Alright. I have a free day soon. I''ll contact you again when I have the details and visit him after.¡± ¡°Okay. You can call me again. Uh, my name''s Jenifer.¡± ¡°I will call you soon.¡± ¡°Okay. Good-bye then.¡± ¡°Good-bye, Jenifer.¡± Lucas ended the call, immediately dialing another number to free up a day. He had to move quickly, before others noticed the issue. He couldn''t let anything happen to Aleric. It was partially his fault, after all. He owed the kid big time. Still, he couldn''t quite believe Jenifer''s words yet. It was almost too unbelievable. # Several days had passed for Tannin. Throughout the time he''d cooked all the saber cat meat into smoked meat. All the animal skins had turned into leather. All possible food items were created. Medical items too. All this he''d done in the days after coming back from exploring. In all that time Lucas had yet to show. No one else had shown up either, player or NPC. It was getting lonely again. The only unchanging thing was the forest sounds and hunting. Without the ability to log out this was his world. Who knew how long until Lucas showed up. He could always be tracked with a thought when logged in by Tannin anyway. There really was no need for him to sit and wait. It was a great opportunity to increase his crafting, but that was all done. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. Tannin sighed and stood up from his latest meal, a large salad. He stretched, feeling his muscles and sinew happily engage. The last two days he''d hunted the south and north. The west was for today. He equipped his backpack and headed out. In between hunting he plucked plants. After plucking several dozens of plants he heard a familiar sound. Ding!
You have found Silver Grass for the first time!
Tannin looked at the plant in his hand. Mixed in with herbal leafs was a long, blue, thin grass with silver veins. ¡°I don''t get to name it? Someone else already did?¡± He shrugged. No reason to think to hard on it. Now that he found silver grass, he should be able to harvest it at night thanks to [Mooncraft]. He moved on, hunting through the day and into the night. He hunted ravenously. His level through the days reached 10. His war fan also hit level 4. All the quick actions started to drain him. Eventually his stamina dropped half way and he was getting hungry. Time to head back to camp. He had gone quite a ways that dawn arrived by the time he hit camp. He whipped out animal skins and meat, getting to work. It was during the crafting process when he felt a presence behind him. He equipped his fan and swirled around. ¡°Ugh! Don''t do that!¡± Lucas looked at him in surprise. ¡°Don''t do what?¡± ¡°Don''t pop up like that. Do you want me to PK you?¡± ¡°No.¡± Lucas looked at him strangely. ¡°What?¡± ¡°I contacted the GM for you. I''m just waiting for a reply. It''s a new game, so there''s a response delay.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± That''s it? ¡°How''s Jenifer?¡± ¡°She''s doing fine. I visited your place. Your family is very kind.¡± ¡°They''ve always been like that.¡± ¡°You''re very lucky to have them.¡± ¡°Mm-hmm.¡± Tannin agreed, thinking what it would be like to just wake up and greet them. He''d never been separated from them for so long without a text or call. It was out of place and he felt lacking contact. If it wasn''t for Lucas, he''d be going insane. Seeing his words having a negative effect, Lucas changed the topic. ¡°Tannin, let''s level.¡± ¡°Sure!¡± Tannin jumped up, eager to play. ¡°You do the party.¡± Lucas waved his hand and invited Tannin. Tannin selected join. A small icon popped up to his bottom left. Waving over it, he could see the party information.
Lv4 LucasHP 100%MP 100%
Lv10 TanninHP 100%MP 100%
Tannin waved the party information away. ¡°Do you have some food?¡± ¡°No. I just sleep or rest when needed.¡± Tannin shook his head. He retrieved some salads from his backpack and handed them over. ¡°Here, these should last you a few days. You''ll die repeatedly in this area the way you''ve been playing.¡± ¡°Thank you. Shall I eat one now?¡± ¡°Sure. Just to be safe. I ate already. When you''re done we''ll head out.¡± Tannin loitered while Lucas ate. Now that he was in a party he had to change the way of the hunt. ¡°Did you want to level against normal beasts, or do you want to try goblins?¡± ¡°There are goblins?¡± ¡°Yeah. They''re only levels 5-6. Easy pickings.¡± ¡°Then let''s go grind goblins. I think you should lead the way.¡± ¡°Sure. Just don''t fall behind.¡± Lucas grinned. ¡°I won''t. I''m not that old.¡± Tannin walked in front, following the river north. He smirked, knowing that Lucas was going to regret his decision. He was right. It was on the first level 6 goblin that Lucas got hit. Lucas was wiping his face, his nose and eyes streaming. He was gagging, his face scrunched up. Even so, he managed to land a hit with his staff on the goblin''s noggin, stunning it. Tannin went in for the kill, avoiding the [Stink] and blood. The goblin fell, arms wide open in a last attempt attack. Poor Lucas walked right into it, falling back. Lucas lay on the ground, his eyes unfocused. Tannin rushed over, checking the party stats. They were both at full health. ¡°Lucas? Are you okay?¡± ¡°....¡± A few seconds later Lucas took a deep breath and started gagging. After some time to recover, he glared angrily at Tannin. ¡°Stunned.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I was stunned!¡± Lucas gasped. Tannin stared at him, then slowly grinned as it dawned on him. ¡°Haha.¡± Lucas pushed him and swung at him with his staff. ¡°Why didn''t you tell me they had such an awful attack?¡± Tannin danced back out of reach, laughing hard. ¡°I, ah, I can''t. Hahaha. You got stunned from the smell. Ahahaha.¡± ¡°Damn you. Stop laughing so hard.¡± Lucas leaned heavily on his staff, trying to regain his strength. ¡°The smell won''t go away.¡± Lucas tried swatting the air around him. Tannin fell to his knees, hugging his belly. ¡°Hahahaha!¡± Lucas stumbled towards him and tripped over himself, falling and landing on the deceased goblin. His face landed in the most appropriate place. He became stunned once again, the stink permeating the air. Tannin crawled forward, starting to harvest the goblin. ¡°Ahaha. Are you..hah... trying to kill me? Ahaha.¡± The goblin remains vanished, fully harvested. Lucas rolled himself over and began coughing all over again. ¡°No..cough...no more... of that. I will attack..cough...from afar. You attack up...cough..close!¡± ¡°Ah, okay. Haha.¡± After they were able to regain control of themselves, Tannin ended up taking the lead. Goblins were killed so quickly that Lucas never had a chance to land a hit. In the end, the time was fruitful. Tannin reached level twelve with his war fan at 5. Lucas made it to 9 and his staff at 4. Article #2 Virtual Gaming''s Insider Look: Rebirth+ Feature ¨C Exploration Welcome back to another issue on Rebirth+! We''ll be going over the basic feature in every MMO to this day - Exploration. It''s been 5 days since the release of the game. There is little news from the first wave of players. I did some digging myself and found hardly any updates out there for us poor normal folks. Not to worry! I took myself over to GenZero''s main office and scheduled a meeting to further discuss the game. They replied rather quickly so let''s continue. Developers at GenZero didn''t want to release too much information so they decided to go over how exploration works in Rebirth+. I excitedly took out my pen and notebook so I could get all the accurate information for you guys. Rebirth+ is an open world, filled with nature much like our own. There''s mountains, lakes, rivers, plains, oceans, volcanoes. There are a lot of different places to explore. With the details put into the game, one only wonders what''s out there. Please have a look below on the developer responses to my questions: What kind of world is in Rebirth+? Developer: Well, we can''t really say too much, as you know. But the world is a lot like Earth with diversity and tons of variety of things to find. I really like the ocean best, but I can''t tell you more on that, sorry. Can you tell us about the first few hours a player will experience in the game? Developer: A player creates their character and populates into the world accordingly. That''s really vague. Can you give us more data? For example, if I was to log into the game and want to find my friend, how do I do that? Developer: You can go to the Rebirth+ game website and create a friend''s list before hand, which will become available as you enter the game. If you are already in game, you can still go back and edit this list from the website using your own personal login. This will also allow parties to be created as soon as you start playing. Is there a reason this function exists outside the game? Developer: Yes. The world(Rebirth+) is completely open. It''s currently three times the size of Earth. You could spend a lifetime exploring and never discover all the things out there. To be more specific, players are spawned into the world using their real-time location. Based on local information you give us when you register the player is populated roughly within the same general area as others with the same information. Meaning if you run into another player, they''ll be from the same country, at least? The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.Developer: Yes, until players head elsewhere. This was for convenience on the player''s side. We didn''t want to have players quit because they had to learn a new language to speak with their party members. Next Question! How many starter cities are there and what are they named? Developer: There are no starter cities. We leave naming up to the players. Seriously? How are players supposed to quest? And gear? What about repairing items?? Developer: I can''t answer all of those. I can just say that everything is up to the players. Also, there are quests in game, but they''re more rare than common. Specific tasks have to be done to unlock quests. The quests are littered through the world so the more one explores, the higher chance they can run into a quest. Then how can players level? Developer: There is experience in the game. How they get the experience is up to them. GenZero didn''t really think this through, did they? Developer: Do give us some credit. The game was developed with the world''s latest technology. The same system for the game is being used by scientists the world around. We thought about it and followed through on our gut instincts. Let''s get back to topic, please. Then, the main question for today. What are some of the countries, or name of the continents? Are there any major landmarks? Developer: As I said before, we leave the naming up to the players. There are no names for anything but what the players decide. The exploration system handles that. If a player walks into a location and is the first to discover it, plus meeting some requirements, they can name it. As of just before this meeting, I confirmed there to be 15 new locations named. Once the game is open to the rest of the world, all basic map information will be tracked and relayed to a model anyone can access on our main website. What are the requirements? Developer: I''m running out of time for this interview, let''s make this the last question. Requirements for naming a location can very. You can stay there awhile and get to name it. You can establish a base or colony and name it. Or you can get a bird''s eye view and get to name it. As long as you somehow become a ''founder'', you can name it. Above is the last answer before wrapping up this latest session. If anyone has any more questions, send them to me and I''ll see if I can''t get them answered!