《Ereidien》 Before the Start
Ereidien GM Job Application
NameAri RaikaAge565 years old
GenderHideyoshiDate of birth500 B.C.E
Email[email protected]Phone #119
LikesWhite chocolate mocha frapuccino blended with java chips and a hint of strawberry syrup.
DislikesWhen people lie to me.
Why do you think you deserve to be a GM?I am the game god who was sent to this earth many years ago. P.S. Everything in this application is a lie.
November 20, 2014 11:00 AM Somewhere in Tokyo, an announcement was being held. A young man in a black business suit came up to the pedestal as the audience was flashing lights with their cameras and asking numerous questions to the man. The man was the director of Anaheim INC. company, the company that made the self-proclaimed, best game of the century, despite there being no beta testers to test out the game. Even though there was little to no news about the game, it still managed to be one of the most talked about topics in 2014 before the actual start of the game. In Japan, there were 50 million people watching the announcement on the news, holding their breaths so that they could hear him clearer. The man motioned for the audience to quiet down. As he did so, the audience obediently hushed. "Thank you, everyone, for coming. Our new VRMMORPG, Ereidien, which will feature 95% realism and countless fantasy aspects will officially start on January 1st, 2015 at 12:00 AM." The reporters murmured and talked amongst themselves. It has only been a year since they announced the making of Ereidien, so many thought it was just a sham. Although they described it as having 95% realism, they also explained that you would only be able to feel 50% of the pain you receive in-game, hence the 95%. A VRMMORPG with 95% realism was too good to be true, yet no matter how unbelievable it sounded, some people wanted to believe. I mean, who wasn''t dreamed of a fantasy-like world that the real world could never achieve? "Three months ago, we gave the populous a chance to be a Game Master of our new game, Ereidien. After a long screening process, we have selected 8 GMs, picked by their individuality and their motivation for being a GM of Ereidien. In Ereidien, our GMs will be expected to punish those who break the game rules, as well as help others in the process. GMs will have no advantages over other players, and will only be able to use their GM skills in time of need. If we determine that a GM has been using their skills for the wrong reasons, they will be fired and we will select a new GM. Without further ado, we will now announce those that have been selected." Every reporter in the audience was silenced, waiting for the news to come out. "Out of the 5 million applicants, our GMs are Iseya Yasunari, Maemi Otsuka, Hiroko Tooru, Yuki Miyamae, Kin Amaya, Etan Ouchi, Sherri Nels, and Ari Raika." November 21, 2014 7:50 AM "Wow Ari, I can''t believe you made it." My best friend Ringo told me, in amazement. Many other people also came to congratulate me or tell me how much they wish they were me. Strange thing is, I could swear I''ve never met half of those people before... "Nihahahaha! I''m a genius after all!" I said with a huge smile plastered on my face. Narcissistic? Me? Well, what can I say? Ever since I saw the job application, I knew it was fate, as if God had given me the job herself. It was nearing my 3rd year of high school, yet I wasn''t certain of my plans for the future. I''m pretty smart, and I''m positive I could get a good job if I wanted to. I like science, but it''s merely one of my many hobbies. Being a scientist never crossed my mind. Going to college was also an option to give me more time to think about my career. On the other hand, if I were a GM, I would be able to make money while still in high school AND I would be able to play while still getting paid. It''s a win-win situation. To be honest, I haven''t played many games, but I have read various manga and light novel''s with Virtual Reality scenarios. The professor in his mid 30''s came in and hushed the loud classroom. Even though the professor was talking about my favorite subject, science, I couldn''t bring myself to listen to him. My thoughts were full of the game, Ereidien. I can''t wait for it to start! December 1, 2014 5:30 PM "I''m home!" Once I got home I quickly threw off my shoes and started running to my room. "Welcome home. Hey Ari, take off your shoes properly! And no running around the house!" said my nagging mother. On the other hand, is that fried chicken she''s making? Smells delicious. "Just let her off. It''s that day after all." That was my cute little brother. Sometimes I get the urge to squeeze his cheeks. *sigh* "I''ll let you off just for today, but the next time this happens you''re washing the dishes!" But mom, I can''t help it, you know? Even though the meeting starts in a few hours, the excitement makes me want to go to my room and imagine what things I''ll experience inside the game. Despite the actual game''s starting date being a month later, GMs had the advantage of starting earlier. Last week, I had gotten a letter stating that the GM meeting would be today and any details or questions regarding being a GM would be answered during the meeting. By the way, I should have gotten the letter a bit earlier, but due to my mischievous antics, the company had to search for me resulting in me getting the letter a bit later than the others. I can''t wait any longer... I thought as I started fidgeting and went on the internet to look at the forums on the Ereidien site. The site included the populous'' thoughts on what the new game would be like and what they would do once they start the game. It also included many comments of doubt which were probably people who were unable to obtain Ereidien. The game only sold 100,000 copies, which is the result of Ereidien being in it''s beginning stages. Considering a fourth of Japan''s population wanted to play the game, 100,000 copies is an extremely small number. Being a rarity and the first of it''s kind, the price of Ereidien was $4,000 for the capsule and a monthly subscription of $100 just to play the game. Despite the ridiculous price of the game, it managed to sell out it in as little as one hour. While Ereidien would probably sell more capsules as time goes on, and for a cheaper price, there was a huge advantage to playing earlier in the game. Players who begin earlier would have the level advantage and experience to play the game. Another huge advantage for GMs was that they would get the capsule for free and would not have to pay the monthly subscription. Although this gave the poorer part of the populous a chance to play, the percentage of being chosen to be a GM was less than a 0.00001%. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. About the time when my letter arrived, I made sure to research about games to better my understanding of how games work and gaming terms. It wasn''t too hard considering I''ve heard a few of the terms in various anime. Well, I''ll probably have an easier time understanding through first-hand experience. I continue to look throughout the forum site, reading various comments. The world of Ereidien, a world of magic, swords, mythical beasts, and most importantly, ADVENTURE! Ereidien would be the first VRMMORPG ever to be made and was approximately 30 years ahead of it''s time. It was any gamer''s wet dream... not that I''m a gamer. Before I knew it, it was already 7:30 PM. Time can pass by so quickly when you''re engaged. It was almost time for the gm meeting, so I went in the capsule. As I started up the game, the sound of a female''s mature, business-like voice could be heard. < Welcome. Would you like to log in to Ereidien? > "Yes!" "Yes." < Remember that each person may only have up to one character at a time, and to create a new one the old one must be deleted. > In seconds, an avatar appeared before me. It had short, straight black hair, dark brown eyes, a small stature, and any signs of growth in the chest area was completely nonexistent. If I had to describe it, it looked like someone you would want to protect. Yes, the avatar was me. But really, I''m as flat as a board huh? It makes me sad to admit it, but it really hurts. *sniff* < Please select your race. There are a total of 8 races available and 50 additional sub races, as well as many more undiscovered races. The available races include the Human, Elf, Orc, Dwarf, Beastman, Angel, Devil, and Monster race. Please keep in mind that there are specific advantages and disadvantages to each race. > "Beastman," I said unhesitatingly, with a certain cat girl anime character in my mind. I guess this would make me a Mew Mew Ari now? Despite choosing the Beastman race, I had the image of making a craftsman/artisan type of character. I do realize that Dwarves and Elves must have the crafting advantages, according to my anime knowledge and racial stereotypes, but no matter what anyone says, cat girls are justice after all. "FELINE RACE PLEASE!" I exclaimed, with stars and anticipation seeping through my eyes. As I said that, my character gained black cat ears and a cat tail. I want to touch them... < You may now alter your appearance. > Well, it''s a game after all, so why not look smokin''? It''s not like anybody will know it''s me... right? "Make me 10 cm taller, give me D-cup breasts, and make my jawline sharper! Also, give me pale white skin and dark blue eyes. Make my waist 5 cm smaller and.... oh what the hell, why not just make my hair a bit longer and give it a fiery red color while we''re at it?" In seconds, the changes to the avatar before me were altered, as well as the cat features changing to the color of fiery red. Guehehe...*drool* The changes I made were pretty good if I do say so myself. What looked like a 14-year old prepubescent teenager now looked like a Cosmopolitan model with unique red hair and mesmerizing, dark blue eyes... y''know, minus the cat ears and tail. But wow, what have I been doing with myself? I think the job path of a model just opened up in my career future. < ... > For some reason, I felt a stinging glare pierce through my back. Was it just my imagination? *wipes drool* "On second thought, just give me my default look. If I keep these changes I might just fondle my breasts each and every time I log in to the game. Oops, did I say that out loud?" < So do you want to look hot or not? You realize we''ve spent half an hour just deciding your avatar appearance right!?!? God, what the hell is up with you indecisive teenage brats nowadays!? Here, instead of making yourself completely different from how you actually look, I''m going to give you wavy blonde hair and silver eyes. You should be satisfied with this now, right?! > *sweat drip* Somehow, the AI not only managed to tsukkomi me splendidly, but also changed my appearance herself. Well, compared to when there was no visible connection between the unique beauty and my disappointing real self, I guess this was better. "Okay, then I''ll go with this." < And what about your username? You''re not going to give me something stupid like CatgirlisJustice01, right? > Wow! I realize that the new AI is really advanced which is surprising in itself, but why is it so mean to me? My feelings are hurt y''know... I mean, I honestly don''t think my naming sense is that bad! < That''s the part you''re sad about!?!? > she retorted. "Eh!?! Did you just read my mind?!" < Well it''s a bit complicated, but to put it in to simple terms, we AI detect our users by scanning your iris and brain waves. > she said as her voice seemed to want to convey to me ''Awesome, isn''t it!?'' "Uhmm okay then... I''ll just use Arika for my username. It''s spelled A-R-I-K-A." I got Arika from combining my first name Ari, and my last name, Raika. I didn''t think it was right to use my actual name, so I changed it while adding a hint of my real name in it. < Your character is now ready to play Ereidien. But you know you took almost 2 hours to complete it right? All the other GMs finished and are waiting for you as of right now. > Seriously? Would this count as being late to work on my first day, I wonder? Next Chapter The First GM Meeting All of a sudden a white beam of light surrounds me and transports me to a bright, fancy room. In the middle of the room is a round table which I am sitting at, along with seven other strangers who I believe to be my new co-workers. That''s strange... isn''t this the moment where I come into one of those fantasy, medieval-like villages and gasp in awe at how amazing it is to move inside a game? *sigh* Stereotypes just can''t be trusted nowadays. "Hey, you''re the last GM right? Nice to meet you." said the hideous man in a gruffly voice. I know I sound rude, but there''s no other way to describe him without sounding like a douche bag. The ''man'' was six times my size, had green-colored skin, and his face looked... grumpy. "More like, what took you so long?! I kept my default look just so that I would be able to quickly play the game, but who knew I would have to wait an extra two hours just for the meeting to start!?" complained the girl. She had blazing red hair and pointy, long ears. The glasses-boy next to her scoffed at her in discontent, saying, "You''re complaining? I''m the one who came an hour early." Nobody told you to come early! Everyone says in their mind in a consensus. As I think that, a red slime...uh... slimes into the room calmly, and begins to speak to us. "Hello everybody. In real life I''m the director of Anaheim INC. company, Taka Hideki, but in the game, I''m Gooey! Nice to meet you." says the slime. Everyone in the room shows their surprise. Glasses-boy stands up as our spokesman to speak everyone''s thoughts for them, "We weren''t expecting to meet a big-shot like you on our very first day... Care to explain to us what this is all about?" Everyone else nodded but me. Eh? That''s what they were surprised about? Was I the only one who was surprised that someone actually bothered to choose a slime character which is usually the weak mob in the beginning of games? Well of course seeing the main creator makes me a bit surprised and excited at the same time, but being an avid-anime watcher, I considered this encounter to be natural. "I don''t think you guys understand just how important being a GM is. But before I answer any questions, why don''t we properly introduce ourselves in the order we came in? Both real life, and in-game name, that is." "That would be me, then... in real life I''m Hiroko Tooru. My game character is called Megane. " said you-know-who. His personality reminds me of Kawamura-kun, the uptight class rep I had in my second year of middle school who was deep down, a really nice person. How nostalgic... I remember our class trip when we were in the same group. We were hiking up the mountains and whenever I tripped, he would help me up. When I couldn''t sleep in the cabins, I saw that Kawamura-kun went outside for a breath of fresh air. When I followed him outside, I saw Kawamura-kun together with Takishita-san. Suddenly, Takishita-san took out a knife and--- oops, I went a bit out of topic, forgive me. As the GMs finished their introduction, the next person followed up with their own. *sigh* "My name would be Sherri Nels. My username is Blaze," The red-haired elf scowled and turned her head towards me, "and you! You better not come late next time! The only reason I''m letting you off today is because it''s the first day, after all." No, I''m sorry, I really am, but don''t look at me like that with daggers in your eyes! It seems this is the second time today I''ve made a woman hate me. "My name is Iseya Yasunari. Here, you can call me Satan. Nice to meet you guys," greeted the pretty-boy who looked like a Jpop idol. He was most likely of the Devil race, considering the tiny red horns on his head and the pointy tail emerging from his ass. His kind demeanor didn''t seem to match his race and username... I wonder why he chose it? "Real life? I don''t know what you''re talking about! I''m the rising warrior of Ereidien, HeavyBlade!" declared the man with spiky blonde hair. Uwah... we have a total chuunibyou on our hands over here. Wait, if we''re playing this game, wouldn''t that make us all chuunibyou? "Uhm.... m-my name is Otsuka Maemi... username is... Bookworm..." the shy girl managed to squeeze out. She''s sooo cute! Her voice was soft to the point that you had to strain your ears to hear it. Despite this, she seemed to exude a pink, fluffy atmosphere. "My other world name is Yuki Miyamae. Here, I''m Law." She looked to be about 15-years old and had her long, straight black hair tied up in a single ponytail. In anyone''s eyes, she would be a quintessential example of ''gracefulness''. "Kin Amaya. My in-game name is BigHeart. I look forward to working with everybody here." said the Orc who had introduced himself to me earlier. Wait, what? Did I really hear his name right? Why would someone choose something as warm-hearted a username as BigHeart with such an ugly race? Before I noticed it, it had already been my turn. Well... let''s do this. "Hello, everyone! My name is Ari Raika, but in the game, call me Arika! My three sizes are 32-25-35. I like science, and I think cat girls are cute! I''m currently single at the ripe age of 17. Oh, but don''t think that makes me a desperate woman because my ideal type will always be Killua-chan!" "........." An awkward silence followed my introduction that I was quite proud of. Hm, did I do something wrong? Gooey interrupted the silence and continued the meeting. "We-well then, now that we''ve finished up on our introductions, lets start, shall we?" Gooey pulled out a few papers from inside of him and handed them out to everyone. "These are the GM rules. I expect everyone to learn these rules by heart before the actual start of the game. Oh, and before anybody asks me any questions regarding the game, I won''t give you any information on any hidden classes or dungeons. You will be treated as fairly as regular players and must find that kind of information yourself, or there will be no meaning to the word ''adventure''." The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.
GM Rules: 1. GMs will deal with those who use hacks by banning them either temporarily or permanently. 2. GMs will help those in need whether it''s giving advice or guiding players on their way. 3. GMs may not use their skills to their own advantage. If we find out that a GM has been using a skill for their own convenience then you will be fired.
"Excuse me... Gooey, but what happens when we don''t have the ability to help someone in need? Or if we are not online at the time?" asks Law. "Good question, Law. As for the first question, you will have to think about it on your own when the time comes. To answer your second question, when you are not online at the time of the report or you do not wish to take it, then you may choose to pass it on to another GM, or the staff at Anaheim company will take care of it. We hope that you GMs may do your very best so that doesn''t have to happen, though. Also, please keep in mind that the better you do your job as a GM, the better the rewards." "And how will you be rewarding us?" "For the rewards, you may choose to either be paid in-game, or in real life. If you do something noteworthy, then you may also get a special in-game reward." At the sound of that, everyone realizes how important it is to do your best at this job. If the company itself rewards you, then the prize should be nothing to laugh at. "In rule 3, it says that we may not use our skills to our advantage. What does that mean?" inquired BigHeart. "Ah yes... for being a GM, everyone will get their own GM skills. Everyone, open up the skill window by saying ''Show GM Skills''. "Show GM Skills"
GM Skills These skills are special skills that cannot be obtained in-game.
BanBanning a player will prohibit the player from playing the game. You may choose how long you think the player should be banned.
Skill LockThis skill prevents other players from using their skills.
GM TeleportThis skill allows you to teleport to any town or city on your home continent anytime. If you are outside your home continent, then you may still teleport back to your home continent. This does not include teleporting outside anywhere of your home continent.
Megane, who snapped out of his surprise first asked, "Home continent? What does that mean?" "First I''ll explain more about teleporting. When you accept a report, you will directly be teleported to the person who was reported. On the other hand, when someone asks for GM help, then you will be teleported to the person who asked for it the moment you accept. Although the skills ''Ban'' and ''Skill Lock'' should only be used when needed, ''GM Teleport'' is an exception that you are allowed to use for your own convenience. Consider it a gift from us at Anaheim company. Now to explain your home continent..." Gooey takes out a few sticks from his tummy and puts them in his hand. Actually, how does that work? Do slimes even have hands? "Everyone, come up and pick your lot," We go up to pick a stick from his hand and sat back down in our seats. My lot has the number 8 on it... is that good or bad? "In Ereidien, there are three continents. There is the Magic Continent, the Warrior Continent, and the Artisan Continent. There will be four GMs assigned to the Warrior Continent, three GMs in the Magic Continent, and one GM in the Artisan Continent. The continent that you are appointed to will be considered your home continent. You will be picking which continent you wish to be allocated to by the number on your stick." Hey hey hey, is it really okay for something this important to be decided using lots? Upon hearing this, everyone''s either nervous or is met with dissatisfaction. It''s understandable considering there''s a chance that someone will be assigned a continent that they don''t want. For example, imagine wanting a fighter job and being appointed to the Magic Continent. Wait, don''t I have lot number 8?!?!! I look at my stick again only to find my unlucky number from now on--8. ...Fuck my life. After a few minutes of sulking, Satan, who picked lot number 7, chooses his home continent. I go up to Gooey to find out which continent I have been left with. As I walk up to him, everyone sends me looks of pity. "Arika, since you''re the last one you don''t get your pick, but it''s not as bad as it sounds. Your home continent is the Artisan continent." Gooey tries to console me with a smile. Or at least I think that''s what he was trying to do. Hm? Despite getting the leftovers, I got the continent I wanted. Now that I think about it... what was I worrying over in the first place? The majority of people think that compared to fighting monsters and using magic that you would never be able to in real life, being an Artisan is something that you can do anytime. I guess that would make me an irregularity. It''s a good thing that no one is making fun of me for getting the Artisan Continent, but what''s with the looks of sympathy? Don''t underestimate crafters! "The Artisan Continent is just what I was hoping for! Thank you, Gooey!" I give him a reassuring grin. He seems relieved after hearing those words. So in the end, the results were like this: Warrior Continent: BigHeart, Satan, HeavyBlade, Law Magic Continent: Blaze, Megane, Bookworm Artisan Continent: Arika After seeing my happy face, the others don''t seem to pity me anymore. Some of them even look kind of happy for me. Well, whatever. Extra Next Chapter Map Hello, strangers. No, this is not a chapter. Are you disappointed? Well don''t be, cause I have something for you. It''s not the best map ever, and I am no expert cartographer, but it''s just to give you an idea of what the Artisan Continent looks like. I''m hoping that it''ll help most of you visualize it better, considering my writing strength isn''t in my descriptions. It''s my first time trying something like this, and I actually kind of had fun doing it. In the future once we travel to the Magic/Warrior Continent, I''ll probably make more. Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. P.S. Also, this story is spontaneous and on-the-go, so there will most likely be plot-holes in my story... I''m counting on you guys to help me out with that when the time comes. If I''m missing anything or you have some advice that might help me, I''d appreciate it. Next Chapter Preparation for the Game Arc Part 1 December 1st, 8:30 PM. (real time) 9:00 AM (in-game time) After the meeting ends, it''s time to start playing the game. The AI shows us a map of our respective home continents and asks us where we would like to be sent to. I chose to be sent to the Artisan Center. I think I''ll investigate about this world and the various artisan jobs before choosing one. Once again, a beam of light surrounds me and I am sent to the Artisan Center. Now THIS is the fantasy medieval-like village I''m used to hearing about. The time in the game and in real life are different, so in the game it looks to be about morning now. On the Ereidien site, we were told that the real time to game time ratio is at 1:3, which would mean that one day in real life is three days in the game world. In the game world, one year is 363 days, so one year in the game is 4 months in real life. Using my amazing calculations, I have a 3 month start ahead of regular players. Gooey talking about how GMs will have no privileges is totally bull crap... not that I''m complaining. On the other hand, this place is beautiful. As I walk around, there''s bards singing happy melodies, artists painting the landscape, the wonderful smell of various dishes, and kids playing hopscotch. Everything I see is like a piece of art. I guess this isn''t the Artisan Continent for nothing. As I take in the scenery around me, I check my stats and skills. "Show Status"
Status Window
NameArikaClassN/A
Level1RaceFeline Beastman
Health100Mana200
Strength10Agility15
Wisdom10Intelligence10
Stamina50Vitality5
Dexterity10Elemental AffinityWater: -50% Fire: -10% Earth: 10% Wind: 10%
Geh, what''s with my horrendous water affinity? On the other hand, it looks like my race gives me high agility , so maybe I should focus on raising that stat. "Show Skills"
Skills: *Job Skills Job Skills are gained through your class. *Gained Skills Gained Skills are skills that anybody can earn through hard work or skill books. *Racial Skills Racial Skills are skills that you are born with. *GM Skills GM Skills are special skills that cannot be obtained in-game.
I shouldn''t have any Job or Gained Skills considering I just started the game, but what are Racial Skills? "Show Racial Skills"
Racial Skills These skills are skills that you are born with.
Cat HearingPassive Skill. As a cat, you have an excellent sense of hearing which serves as a great direction finder. Range of hearing goes up to 200 meters.
Cat VisionPassive Skill. With your keen vision, you can see many details and in the dark. Range of vision goes up to 10 kilometers.
BalancePassive Skill. As a cat, you have a great sense of balance and always land on your feet. When falling, damage is reduced down to 50%.
Cat BodyPassive Skill. You are protected from the sun, cold, scratches, and can regulate your body temperature.
ClawsActive Skill. You can call upon your claws to scratch your foes. Uses 1 mana per second.
BiteActive Skill. You can bite your enemy to injure them. Uses 5 mana.
MetamorphosisActive Skill. You can transform into a cat or a human. Uses 1 mana per second.
I just discovered a new-found respect for Racial Skills. This makes me question why people even bother being Human in games. Now that the inspection is done, what do I do... I sit criss-cross apple sauce style on the ground and stroke my chin with one hand. If I want more information, the library is a must, right? If I want to know how this world works, it might be good idea to research the history of this world. After a few minutes of equipping my thinking pose, an old man eventually walks up to me. He keeps his eyes closed as he walks and has a long, white beard. "Excuse me, furry lady, but I couldn''t help but see that you look a bit troubled. Is something the matter?" Did he just call me a furry lady? It''s okay, Ari, just let it slide... "Actually, It''s my first time here and I''m not quite sure what to do. You see, I came from... another world." "What!? If I am not mistaken, you must be one of those Otherworlders that we have been told about. That''s strange... we were told that you would come a little later." Otherworlders? So that''s what they refer to us by? "You''re not wrong in the fact that the Otherworlders will come a little later, it''s just that my circumstances are a bit special." "Hm... well, it''s your first time here right? Every artisan knows that the beginning is always the hardest, so this kind old man is willing to help you out as long as it''s within my capabilities. " This guy is a life saver! Now I don''t have to waste time asking around for directions. "Then can you show me the way to the library? I want to investigate on my own first before exploring this world." "Sure thing, darling. After you pass the tailor shop over there, you make a right turn and you''ll see the Silverhall Library." "Thank you, sir...... Oh, my name is Arika by the way. It was nice meeting you!" "My name is Philip. If you need anymore help from me, just ask around for the shop named Herbs and Potions." I give him a smile and wave to him good-bye, which he returns to me. What a kind old man. I walk into the library and see the receptionist at the desk. But wow is this a big library. This place must have about 10,000 books or something. I go up to the receptionist for help. "Excuse me mam, can you help me find some books?" "Yes, of course. What in particular are you looking for?" The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon."I''m looking for some basic books on stats and skills... and some information about the Artisan Continent, please." "Give me a few minutes and I''ll bring your books to that table over there." She points to the table and urges me to sit down. As I sit in the seat, I watch her walk around the library and find the requested books. It took her less than a minute to search for 3 books in this huge ass library. Does she have a photographic memory or something? "Here you go mam." "Thank you, I appreciate it." Books, huh? When was the last time I read one? I start with the book about stats titled "Introduction to Stats" and put the other books aside. The book seems to be about 250 pages. Here goes... 1:00 PM (game time) After about 4 hours, I finally finished the book. It took me a minute to read each page. Who knew reading a book in one full sitting could be so tiring?
For finishing the book, "Introduction to Stats", +1 INT has been added to your stats.
Oh? This was explained in the book. While the main ways to gain stats are through levels and items, you can also raise your stats through hard work. It also mentioned that it would be wise to raise your base stats at a low level. When you''re a high level, base stats become more and more important as it gets harder to level up. Also, raising your base stats at a high level seems to be more difficult compared to raising them at a low level. It sounds like a sure-fire way to get stronger, but it took me 4 hours to gain one stat. It''s understandable that people would choose to level normally instead, which is funner and faster than using a time-consuming method to raise your stats one at a time. I''m not in a rush, nor do I have any kind of ambition to be the strongest in Ereidien, so it should be okay if I just take it slow. Everything else in the book had information that wouldn''t be hard to guess by yourself. Strength is how strong you are. The more strength you have the more weight you will be able to carry. Warrior-type classes need more strength to be able to carry their weapons and use it easily. Agility is how fast you are. It''s a must have for stealth-types and the more agility you have, the more ground you can cover faster. Wisdom is the ability to make good judgements and is gained from personal experience. Intelligence is... well, intelligence. For every Wisdom and Intelligence stat, you gain 10 points in Mana. Vitality represents your energy. For every Vitality stat, you get 10 points in Stamina. When your Stamina runs out, you faint, so it''d be a good idea not to get it anywhere below 10. You lose Stamina by doing anything that takes physical or mental energy. You can regain it by lounging around, but the fastest way is by resting or eating. Now that I think about it, I only had 5 points in the Vitality stat. Lazy cats... Dexterity is how well you can perform with your hands. Hehehe... I guess that means that craftsman and bowmen do it better... Okay, okay, sorry for the bad joke. Dexterity can help with controlling your aim which is why bowmen need high dexterity to shoot. Is that why Elves are make bowmen and craftsman at the same time? Health represents your life force. When you run out of health, you die. It''s as simple as that. Mana is your magical power. Running out of mana isn''t as bad as losing your Stamina or Health, but it still would be good to stay in the safe zone. When you run out of mana, it seems you get the similar feeling to when you run out of Stamina, but you don''t necessarily faint. Out of curiosity, I take a quick peep at my stats one more time to see if anythings changed. "Show Status"
Status Window
NameArikaClassN/A
Level1RaceFeline Beastman
Health100Mana210
Strength10Agility15
Wisdom10Intelligence11
Stamina15Vitality5
Dexterity10Elemental AffinityWater: -50% Fire: -10% Earth: 10% Wind: 10%
What!?! My Stamina is only at 15 now? So even simple things such as reading can deplete your stamina. Of course, I presume that it''s at a much slower rate compared to something like running. Actually, this explains why I''m so fatigued right now. Although it''s barely evening in the game, it''s getting late in real time so I chose to rent the books and find an inn to sleep in. "Excuse me, I''d like to rent these books." "Okay. May I see your library card?" "Library card?" "To rent books, you need a library card. Do you want to sign up for one?" "Yes, please." "Alright, that''ll be 10 copper then." Now that I think about it, I never bothered to look in my inventory. I look in my bag to find 10 loaves of bread, a canteen filled with water, and 100 copper. I take 10 copper out of my inventory and give it to the receptionist. After confirming it, she takes out a blank library card and a needle. "After putting your blood on the library card, the card will register your information automatically. It will tell us how many books you have rented and any overdue books. After renting a book, you have a week to return it. There is also a timer on the card to warn you when your book is due. Any overdue book is 1 copper a day each, so be careful not to lose track of your time! Oh, and this card can be used at all the Silverhall Libraries in the Artisan Continent. There''s at least one Silverhall Library in each town." Is it really necessary to make a library card this high-tech? Oh, I guess this would be considered normal over here. This is too much information in one day.... "Th-thank you..." "No problem. Come back soon!" I leave the library to find a cheap inn to stay at a rate of 10 copper a night and log out. I would love to keep playing, but I can''t afford to sacrifice my sleep and school life for the game. I take a quick shower, brush my teeth, and go to bed. Good night. Next Chapter Preparation for the Game Arc Part 2 December 2nd, 3:30 PM I log back into the inn I logged out in and start to read the book on skills. All skills have three phases. They are the Beginner phase, Intermediate phase, and Expert phase. Each phase has 10 levels and to reach the next phase, you must reach 100% on level 10, with the exception of the Expert phase where you can only reach up to 99% on level 10. As you keep leveling your skills, they get harder and harder to master. There are three types of skills, gained skills, job skills, and racial skills. The difference between gained skills and job skills are that while job skills can be fully mastered, gained skills only go as high as Intermediate level 10. Gained skills are also 2x harder to level than job skills. This means that choosing your class requires careful consideration. You can only choose one class, but while it''s possible to change your class, there are quests you must complete in order to do so. On the other hand, this can also mean that any job can learn any skill unrelated to their job given that they put the hard work into it. Racial skills are skills you are born with and cannot be leveled. These skills are already mastered by the time you are born. While there is a chance of losing a racial skill, it''s very rare. You can also gain racial skills by evolving. It seems like I''ll have to borrow a book on evolution later. This reminds me of an old game called Pokemon. Now I''m craving a jelly-filled donut. The Human race does not have any racial skills. After hearing this, you''d think that humans are hugely disadvantaged, but the human race is neither advantageous or disadvantageous. Humans have no weaknesses nor strengths, which makes the human race easily manipulative.
For finishing the book, "Skills for Dummies", +1 INT has been added to your stats.
Warning! Satiety is at 10. Please replenish your satiety, as doing anymore work can harm your body.
Oh? It seems that they give us a warning whenever we''re about to die. That''s quite helpful. I look inside my bag and take out a piece of bread to eat. Crunch. Crunch. This bread is... tasteless. Sigh. Later I''ll ask my mom to make me a jelly-filled donut. I take a peek at my status window and see that my satiety bar is full. 5:00 PM (real-time) I go downstairs and see the innkeeper in a rush. He looks really troubled. I wonder what''s wrong? "Where is it where is it where is it- Ah! I found it! But now what do I do? It''s not like I can just leave the inn unattended..." At that moment, the innkeeper spots me. He stares at me and even resorts to using puppy dog eyes and pouts his lips. That is not something you want to see on a grown adult. Geh. It seems that he wants me to help him. It looks like it''ll be a pain in the ass so I''ll just walk away now... Surprised by my course of action for a second, he comes back to reality and urges on, "Hmm... I wonder if there''s anyone here who can help me, " while looking at me straight in the eye the whole time. That gives me the signal to walk faster, but the innkeeper doesn''t give up, shouting, "HMMM. I WONDER IF THERE''S A KIND FELINE BEASTMAN OF ABOUT 5 FEET TALL AROUND HERE WHO HAS THE SPARE TIME TO HELP A MAN WITH HIS TROUBLES..." How persistent! And do you really have to be that specific?! At this point I start running towards the door, but the innkeeper uses his ultra-quick lightning fast reflexives to hop over the counter and leaps right in front of me in one full stride. Why the hell is this guy so fast?! Go be an adventurer or something! "Ah! Excuse me, can you do me a favor?" the troubled innkeeper asks me with sparkling eyes. No really, his eyes seem to be going *kira kira*. "Hmm... I wonder ~" I answer ambiguously. "Please! I''ll lower the price of the room you''re staying in! Or I''ll give you some copper!" This guy is seriously crying. Aren''t you a little too old to be using crocodile tears? I actually am in need of money though... I used 10 copper for the library card and 20 copper for 2 nights in the inn, so I''m already down to 70 copper. At this rate, I may have to go on the streets and beg for money. "... How much will you be paying me?" "10... no 20 copper! Please, it''s just a simple delivery!" I can''t tell if that''s a good amount or not, but I''m feeling a bit pressured over here. "Make it 35 copper, and you''ve got a deal." "Urgh... alright, deal! 35 copper it is!" "Glad to hear it. So what do I do?" "I need you to deliver this to the tailor shop that''s next to the Silverhall Library. It''s called Alice''s Couturier." He says as he passes me something.
Quest Recieved! The innkeeper that works at the One-Night Stand inn needs you to deliver a book to Alice''s Courtier. This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. Do you accept? Y/N
"Okay."
Quest Accepted! Find Alice''s Courtier and deliver the book. Quest Difficulty: E Quest Rewards: 35 copper
10 minutes later (game-time) I go to the shop and see a young woman making clothes. I walk through the door and the woman barely even notices me, her attention fixated on her work. "Excuse me? Mam? I have something for you." Still doesn''t notice me. I wave my hand in front of her eyes to get her attention which held no results. Maybe I''ll try tapping on her shoulder. "Mam? Mam?" She still doesn''t notice me, and my tapping eventually turns into punching. "MAM?!? I HAVE SOMETHING FOR YOU." At long last, she takes her attention off of the clothes and bobs her head towards me. "Ouch. Why did you hit me? If you were there you should''ve just told me!" "No, you see, that''s what I''ve been trying to do for the past 10 minutes." "So what do you need me for? You want some new clothes?" Did she just ignore me? She continues, "That must be it, I can''t believe you''re wearing that filthy equipment with such a cute face! In my opinion you''d look great in gothic lolita or a miko uniform... ehehehehe." I feel a cold chill down my spine. Moving on... "No mam, the innkeeper at the One-Night Stand inn sent me here to give you this." I take the book out of my bag and give it to her. "Oh! So that pest finally decided to give this to me!"
Quest Completed! You have delivered the book to Alice. Find the innkeeper of the One-Night Stand inn to collect your reward.
"But are you sure you''re not here to buy any clothes? You''d look so much cuter in the clothes that I have." "I''d love to buy something, but I only have 70 copper on me right now." "Well then how about you start doing a few part-time jobs for me and I''ll give you some cheap equipment for free? I''ll even pay you every time you complete a job. Not a bad deal, is it?" Oh? I feel like staying around her will make me lose my chastity, but this way, I''ll be able to make a stable amount of money. "Actually, that sounds great. I accept." "Okay then. Whenever I need your help I''ll just send you a call. What''s your name?" "Arika." "That''s a beautiful name. Send friend request to Arika."
Alice has sent a friend request to you. Do you accept? Y/N
"Uhhh... yes?" The notice disappeared and another one appeared to replace it.
You have accepted Alice''s friend request! You and Alice are now friends.
What did I just do? "Mam, what was that just now?" "What was what?" "The friend request." "You don''t even know a simple thing like this? You can send a friend request to people who you want to be friends with. When you''re friends with someone, you can choose to call them even if you''re far away. Like this, ''Call Arika''."
Alice is calling you. Would you like to pick up the call? Y/N
"Yes." Just then, a voice rings through my ears. "This is how the friend or call function works, although it''s not very useful right now since we''re only 5 feet away from each other. ''Hang up call''. " "Woahhh. That''s super handy. Thank you, mam." "Right? I don''t know what we''d do without it. By the way, we''re friends from now on so stop calling me mam, it makes me seem like an old lady. Call me Alice." "Okay, Alice." "Now that that''s done how about I send you on your first job? One of my customers ordered this robe, but she''s too busy with work to come and pick it up." She goes behind the counter and takes out a blue robe with gold embroidery around it. "This goes to Nancy who works as a mage in the castle. You should be able to enter the castle if you tell the castle guards that it''s a delivery for her."
Quest Recieved! Alice needs you to deliver a robe to Nancy who works in the castle. Do you accept? Y/N
"Okay."
Quest Accepted! Find Nancy who works in the castle and give her her robe. Quest Difficulty: E Quest Rewards: 10 copper
Next Chapter Preparation for the Game Arc Part 3 Hey guys. I decided to make yet another minor change to my map. I added a trading port. If you want to see it, here it is. Spoiler : And thanks for the positive comments. I''m a slow worker, but I''m not planning on quitting anytime soon. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "A fantastic work Alice has done, as always. Thank you for delivering the robe, Arika." said Nancy, smiling.
Quest Completed! You have delivered the robe to Nancy. Find Alice to receive your rewards.
"I''m sorry to leave even though we''ve just met, but I have business to attend to. After working in the castle, I¡¯ve been given few breaks." she sighed. "That''s okay. I''ll just be going my own way, then." "May fate let us meet again," she waved her hand and walked away towards the opposite direction. After completing the quest I decided to go back to the inn and continue reading. Collecting Alice''s reward could be done another time. Before going up to my room, I see the innkeeper once again. "Oh?! If it isn''t my favorite little kitty! Alice told me you delivered the book, so here''s 35 copper." He takes out the copper and hands it to me, which I receive. "Well, I''ll be staying a few more days, so you can take 20 of it back." "20? Just 16 will do." What? He notices my surprised expression, and gives an explanation in return, "I like you, so from now on you only need to pay 8 copper a night." "Oh... thank you." "No need, I should be the one thanking you. My name''s Peter. I''m the owner of this tiny inn, but as much as I would love to abandon it, I love this place too much." he tells me. Now that I think about it, we never introduced ourselves to each other, did we? "My name''s Arika. As for what I am... that''s still undecided." "Hahaha! Is that so? Well, there''s no rush so you should just take it slow." He has a few quirks of his own, but I quite like this guy. Out of the corner of my eye, I see a party of three walk into the inn. "It seems you''re quite busy so I''ll be leaving you now." I told him as I handed him 16 copper. "Alright Arika, I''ll talk to you again soon! Hello dear customer, what room would you like?" As he attends to his incoming customers, I walk to my room and start to read the last book I checked out on history. ***** One day, a party of individuals were on a quest to defeat a few monsters in the sea. After a few weeks into the quest, they noticed they were a bit off track from their original route and found a huge island in front of them. The group scoured the land, but found that most of the monsters there were weak. The party consisted of bloodthirsty adventurers, so to the action-loving adventurers, this place was obsolete. There was one lone blacksmith in the party, and he noticed that many of the items in this new found continent would be considered rare finds to artisans. He decided to keep this piece of information to himself because he did not get along very well with the rest of them; he was only forced to come along as a repair guy. When they completed the quest and went back to their kingdom, the man decided to tell only his friends about the continent. If he told the king, they would only scrape the island empty and force the artisans to make items for them. The artisans decided to take their families to live there. As the years went by, years turned into decades and soon after, kingdoms started to form. They formed where there was a myriad supply of items for their respective classes. People from the other continents didn''t discover them until they had a big enough population not to be messed with. Not only did a voyage to the continent take a week, but every artisan there was strong in their own right, and their top-class items only served to make them stronger. Instead of forcing them to make items for their kingdom and suffering losses, they decided to form good relations with them. Now, the artisan continent gets along with virtually everyone and people frequently come to the trading port to make exchanges there. That''s the strange thing about the history of the Artisan continent... It''s that no matter how many years or centuries go by, the Artisan continent is always peaceful. There are no fights between themselves or from outside forces. If anyone decides or tries to take over an artisan kingdom, they would probably be warded off and even worse, the kingdoms from the Magic and Warrior continent would most likely decimate them. ***** 13 days later; December 15, 2014 My Winter Holiday finally started, which means that I''ll be able to focus on playing the game without worrying about going to school. I also have some Winter Break homework, but I''ll deal with that later. For the past 2 weeks I''ve been doing various odd jobs for Alice. I''ve also managed to become good friends with the innkeeper of the One-Night Stand inn, Peter, who seems to have taken a liking to me. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. I walk into Alice''s Courtier to see if she has any new jobs for me today. "Hey, Alice! Got anything for me to do today?" "Hello, Arika. Actually, I have no jobs for you today... but I was getting a little bored, so how about you keep me company?" she says as she gestures me to sit down in a chair next to her. I respond to her by sitting down and obverse her sewing together a piece of cloth effortlessly, the stitches close together and her hands moving fast like some kind of magic trick. As expected, seeing this also makes me want to try it. Alice seems to notice my fidgeting, and snickers, "Do you want to try sewing?" "Hmm?! Can I?" I ask her effervescently. "Of course. How about you try stitching these together?" she tells me as she hands over two pieces of cloth, along with a needle and thread. First, I take some thread and try put it through the needle, but the thread keeps missing the tiny hole and chooses to go the other way. If I had to describe it, it''s like a rebellious child that won''t listen to his hardworking mother. C''mon, Ari, you can do this! Almost there... almost there... Shit! It missed again! Dammit thread, why won''t you listen to me?! But I won''t give up! Since the thread looked fuzzy after messing up a few times, I licked it to try again but my results ended in vain. Urghhhh! I''ve never been so mad over a piece of thread before! Alice watches over me, with hopeless eyes that seem to say, ''This girl''s no good''. It''s not my fault the thread is disobedient! Seeing this going nowhere, Alice suggests, "Umm, want me to do it for you?" ".... Yes, please." I hand over the thread and needle, defeated. I''ll get you next time, you rebel! Mark my words! After handing it over to Alice, she puts the thread through the needle easily, making my past failures seem like I''m some kind of mentally retarded child. "Here you go." She hands over the thread and needle to me. "Thanks." Not wanting to be so hung up over something in the past, I start to try harder, hoping to redeem myself. At first, I take a couple of seconds to just pull the needle through the cloth, but after a few minutes, my stitch work starts to form closer together and my hands start to move a bit faster, albeit slowly. Hmm... after you get used to it, it''s kind of like a pattern! Nihahaha! I''m so fast, it''s not too long after I''ll become a master seamstress! "Ow!" My finger! It hurts! I take a look at my finger and see blood dripping down my index finger. "Oh my. It seems you''ve pricked yourself. I''ll go get a band-aid." She walks into a room through the back counter. I guess this is karma, huh. It also seems like I got some blood on the cloth. Well, I''m almost done anyway, so I might as well keep working. "Hey! Why are you still working on that cloth?" "Hmm?" I look up for a second and see Alice come back after what seems like a minute with a small band-aid in hand. ¡°Ow!¡± Because I looked up at Alice for a second, I unknowingly put the needle close to my hand and pricked my finger again, this time my middle one. "Sigh, now I have to get another band-aid." she says as she walks back into her room. Oops. Hey, well, I finished the stitching! By sight, you can obviously see that the work is amateurish, and it looks kinda bloody, but who wouldn''t be proud over their first work of art? See, if you tie the two ends together, it becomes a cute bracelet!
You''ve gained a skill! Sewing Level 1 Beginner After completing your first bracelet, you''ve understood the basic patterns of sewing and can now make the simplest things.
You''ve completed Noob''s "Bracelet". Is this really a bracelet? It seems to have been crafted by a noob with crappy sewing skills. It also seems to have a few blood spots on it... what could it be from?
The hell kind of description is this?! Is the system trying to make fun of me? As I think that, Alice comes back, now with 2 band-aids in hand, and wraps them around my middle finger and index finger, respectively. "Next time you prick yourself, you should wait until I come back with a band-aid! How could you do that twice!?!" "Sorry Alice, but my stitching was almost done so I wanted to finish it quickly..." "It''s okay to try something new, but just take your time, okay?" Although she¡¯s a little slow in a few areas, Alice seems to be the type of person who cares for others more than herself. It wouldn''t feel wrong for me to call her my second mother. "Okay. Thank you, Alice. But more importantly, I finished my work and made a bracelet! Look!" I show her my newly completed ''bracelet'' which I am so proud of. After taking a look at the bracelet, she was at a loss on what to say. ¡°It-it¡¯s okay Arika. Sewing is something that gets better with practice.¡± What exactly are you implying?!? Next Chapter Preparation for the Game Arc Part 4 I hid behind the tree, staring closely at the cute, white-furred rabbit innocently eating away at the grass. I waited for the right time and the perfect moment for me to jump out and capture it in one shot. Although I say that to make myself seem like a wise hunter, my heart seemed to contradict what my mind wanted to do, which made me very hesitant in taking the next move. When I thought I was ready and made a move to apprehend the rabbit, I stepped on a twig which made a crack sound. As expected, these kinds of situations can¡¯t go on without this kind of ¡°You thought it¡¯d go well? Hah, fuck that!¡± event. The rabbit perked up it¡¯s fluffy ears and turned it¡¯s head towards the sound that was made, staring at me with it¡¯s red-beaded eyes. I stared back at it, surprised at what just happened. In a flash, it hopped away as fast as it could, holding the grass it was eating in it¡¯s tiny rabbit paws. Seeing the little guy hopping as if it¡¯s like depended on it made me recover. I really need to do something about my bad reaction time. ¡°Oh no you don¡¯t!¡± I got out from behind the tree and began to chase the rabbit, abandoning all thoughts of stealth behind. Although the rabbit was quite fast for it¡¯s size, I was faster and managed to catch it. The little guy squirmed in my two hands, trying to find a way to escape. It then looked at me with it¡¯s cute beady eyes, and perked it¡¯s ears down. The little guy was totally immersed in it¡¯s ¡°Spare me!¡± mode. ¡°No, even if you look at me like that¡­¡± The rabbit trembled, and handed the grass to me, hoping that I would let it go with this little token. It¡¯s too cute! How can I be doing something so horrible? I can just abandon this job and make this guy my friend¡­ ¡°Guh!¡± I slapped myself across the face to snap myself back into reality, holding the rabbit in my other hand. No Ari, focus! How can I give into this little guy¡¯s temptations!?! ¡°Sorry, cute one, but this is something that I must do!¡± The rabbit was surprised for a second, wondering if I was stupid because I slapped myself across the face. At the words I spoke, it went back into it¡¯s ¡°Spare me!¡± mode and actually started tearing up. I can¡¯t handle this kind of mental torture any longer! I took the knife I bought before out of my bag and stabbed the rabbits stomach. It¡¯s blood squirted everywhere and onto my face like some kind of gore movie. In this grueling process, I made sure to lock my eyes into it¡¯s eyes to force myself to remember this moment forever. Oh, sweet rabbit, I will never forget your red-beady, donut-like eyes, or your pure white fur, which is now stained a dull red. Nor will I forget the kindness you showed me when you offered me your grass, or your cute little paws and feet which tried to escape from me-
Level up! You are now level 2! Upon gaining a level, you have received 5 stat points. Open up your status window to distribute your stat points.
A level up, huh? Usually, the first level represents the first step towards an amazing journey, and should have people celebrating in their minds, but what is this sense of gloom I feel? Hmmm? I feel something staring at me... ¡°Jiiiii-¡± I thought I saw a grey blur for a second behind that bush over there. Is that what I think it is? ¡°Jiiiii-¡± Yup, it''s definitely what I think it is. A grey wolf. But is it¡­ looking at me? ¡°Jiiiiii-¡± It¡¯s looking at me. Now that I think about it, the wolf may have been there longer than I thought, and I just didn''t notice because of the mental torture I was just facing. This kind of thought process makes me even more scared... "Jiiiiii-" Oh my oh my oh my. Well now, how do I get out of this predicament? Was I too loud when I was trying to skin this rabbit? Or maybe it followed the smell of blood? I should probably learn how to properly skin animals too. I¡¯m not too sure how so I kinda went with the flow and just put my knife into it¡¯s flesh. I¡¯m guessing that skinning it properly wouldn¡¯t lead to having it¡¯s blood squirting everywhere. Wait- what matters the most right now is this wolf in front of me. Think Ari, think! First of all, let¡¯s review the situation: A wolf is 10 meters in front of me. I¡¯m sitting down with a knife in my grasp which is stuck into this rabbit. The wolf caught me in this weird state, which would be me skinning an animal for the first time... What are the few ways to go about this situation? A.) Try to make friends with it. Aren¡¯t dogs and cats exact opposites? Well, wolves may not be dogs but they¡¯re preeetty close, aren¡¯t they? Can I even make friends with monsters? Monster is a starter race so it sounds possible¡­ Is there a monster/beast tamer job, I wonder? B.) Feed it the rabbit. The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.It might take the rabbit, but I have a feeling that it won¡¯t be full with just a rabbit... C.) Fight. I do have a few racial skills, but I haven¡¯t exactly tried them out yet. Even if I did use them, I¡¯m not sure how much damage it would do, considering I¡¯m still level 1 and the wolf is like, level 10? Wait, I''m actually level 2 now... D.) Flee. Sounds like my best option, but the chances of success don¡¯t look very high. Agility may be my best stat, but alas, I¡¯m only level 2. E.) Splash attack! Where the hell did this even come from!?! This attack doesn¡¯t even do anything! I¡¯ve experienced it first-hand, you stupid Magikarp! Okay, after thinking about all of my options, I think I¡¯ll try option A first and see how that goes. ¡°He-hello! My name is Arika! I may be a cat, but I love dogs! And wolves! Let¡¯s be friends and stop the bad relationship between our kinds together, yeah?¡± I try to flash him my kindest smile ever, which proved to be difficult with my bloodied face. Suddenly, the wolf growled as I spoke. It didn¡¯t work!?! Throw him more bait! ¡°Hey, you want to eat this rabbit? I was kind of skinning it but I don¡¯t really mind if you want it! Rabbits are delicious aren¡¯t they? Ha-hahaha.¡± I threw the rabbit towards him and laughed an awkward laugh. Sorry little guy, I must sacrifice you for my survival! ¡°Grooooowwwl!¡± Oh shit. It¡¯s running towards me! Flee it is! I stood up and ran towards the gate which separates the Artisan Center and the forest in full speed, eyes bulging out of my sockets and my jaw dropped against the floor, screaming my lungs out. ¡°Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!¡± From a third-person perspective, this would be quite the spectacle. I admit that if it weren¡¯t myself, I would probably be laughing at the victim. Hmm, now that I¡¯m imagining it, it¡¯s quite hilarious! Nihahaha- Guh! Ugugugu¡­ it seems like I face-planted right into the tree and fell on my ass. I took a look behind me to see how close the wolf was and how close the gate was. The wolf was only 7 meters away and the gate was about 60 meters away. If I kept running towards the gate the wolf would probably catch up to me and eat me. Hmmm¡­ it seems like there¡¯s only one option left- which is to fight! I got off my ass and turned towards the wolf with a fighting stance and full determination in my eyes! Okay, I¡¯m actually kind of shaking right now. I¡¯m just a normal high school girl! Why do I have to experience something so scary?! First of all, how did I even get into this situation!?!?! One hour ago... ¡°Hello, Arika.¡± ¡°Hey Alice. Got another job for me?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­. I do have a job but, I wonder if it¡¯s the right job for you.¡± ¡°What is it? You can tell me.¡± ¡°¡­ It¡¯s a gathering job.¡± ¡°A gathering job?¡± ¡°Yeah, I need some rabbit skin for my new work.¡± ¡°And where do you get rabbit skin?¡± ¡°If it¡¯s rabbits, then they can be found in the forests just outside the gate¡­¡± ¡°Hmm... I¡¯ve never skinned before, but I¡¯m a genius so I¡¯m not too worried about that. Just give me the quest. I can handle it, promise!¡± ¡°Are you sure? There are dangers you have to be aware of outside the gate. There are not only rabbits, but deer, goats, and-¡± ¡°Alice, just who do you think I am? I think you underestimate me too much. You don¡¯t know me very well yet, but I¡¯ll have you know that I can face any dangers thrown at me! That¡¯s just how amazing a woman I am!¡± ¡°There¡¯s just no stopping you, is there, Arika? Sigh. Alright, I¡¯ll give you the quest. Thank you, Arika.¡± ¡°No problem!¡± Back in the present... Oh yeah¡­ that was how it happened. I honestly didn¡¯t think it would be this hard of a job, mentally and physically. At the time I was probably thinking something along the lines of, ¡°Dangerous monsters, what are the chances? Hah!¡± No matter how stupid people think my mindset is, this is a part of me that never changes. I¡¯d actually consider it one of my strengths. Well, forging on is good and all, but maybe I should have fully listened to what Alice was trying to tell me. As I think this, the wolf was just 3 meters in front of me. I start to brace myself for the impending danger that is about to befall me. Here goes. ¡°Cat claws!¡± My nails turn long and sharp, and I run towards the wolf into a suicide-attack. ¡°Groowll!¡± The wolf bares it¡¯s fangs, as if it were mocking me. Or at least that¡¯s what I imagine it to be doing. ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate me, bastard!¡± We were only a meter away from each other, and I tried to stick my claws into it¡¯s fur, but the wolf got to me first and bit me around my neck. That was my first death in the game world. Next Chapter Preparation for the Game Arc Part 5 When I died, I respawned in the middle of the Artisan Center after what seemed to be five minutes. That was my first death in Ereidien... The wolf bite hurt a lot, and it didn''t help that my death was a slow one. I was crying in agony on the inside, but something kept me from screaming out loud. In the final moments of my death, I was still alive, but could do nothing as I lied there and was forced to accept my incoming fate. I''m sure that if the pain output hadn''t been set to only 50%, it would have been way worse. It makes me a bit grateful for that, but I shudder at the thought of dying from the wolf bite at 100% pain output. After dying in Ereidien, you respawn to the closest town/checkpoint and receive a debuff penalty. The debuff penalty halves all of your stats for the next hour. I clearly haven''t met the conditions to complete the quest that Alice has given me. While I could challenge the quest again, there''s also the option of giving up on a quest. The intelligent part of my mind is telling me to go back to Alice and give up on this quest for the sake of my pure soul, which had been mentally tortured. I''m also fearful of dying another slow death from the wolf, which is something that may have been ingrained into my mind forever. The other part of my mind, which contains pride, has even more of a reason to complete this quest now. Although the wolf has installed fear into me, my pride overshadows it. My goal which had started with being ''Finishing the quest for Alice!'', has somehow transformed into something more along the lines of, ''Beat up that damned wolf and restore my dignity!''. I''m an emotions over thought type of person, so I won''t be letting this kind of thing slide! Let''s see... after failing, the best thing to do is review, review, review! The problem which started all of this was my bad listening skills, so from now on I should start listening to what people have to say. Second of all, it wasn''t a very good idea of mine to abandon all reasoning and chase the rabbit. Alternatively, I could have been patient and targeted another rabbit, or try to capture the same one again while being a bit quieter. Third, I don''t have any experience on skinning animals, so the blood which squirted out of the rabbit attracted the wolf. I should go back to the Silverhall Library sometime and look up how to properly skin animals. My reaction time is really bad, too. I''m not sure how to improve on that, so I guess this trait of mine is either going to stay that way or get better with experience. I distracted myself and ran into a tree... I don''t even know how that happened! Gosh, my sense of humor is so advanced that I can even make myself laugh. It just doesn''t know how to measure the solemnity of such situations. I was scared in the fight with the wolf. Can''t say I blame myself on that aspect; it''s not everyday I see a wolf. I''ll get used to fighting as time goes on. I also have low stats. I''m a low level, so it is understandable. If I had higher stats I could have ran away faster, or attacked the wolf faster than it could bite me. It also would''ve been helpful if I didn''t die in one hit or if I had higher health or something to replenish my health. I could level up some more before defeating the wolf, but the main reason I''m even doing this is to obtain rabbit skin. I''m not sure how long it''ll take me to level up a couple times, but I''m not willing to experiment on something that might take me a few days just to make Alice wait even longer. Now that I''ve gotten a gist of the situation, let''s take a look at myself. "Show Status"
Status Window
NameArikaClassN/A
Level2RaceFeline Beastman
Health150(75)Mana250(125)
Strength10(5)Agility15(8)
Wisdom10(5)Intelligence13(7)
Stamina50(25)Vitality5(3)
Dexterity10(5)Elemental AffinityWater: -50% Fire: -10% Earth: 10% Wind: 10%
-You have 5 undistributed stat points. -You are cursed with the death penalty, which will reduce your stats by 50% for an hour.
When I leveled up, my hp and mp went up by 50 each, so I guess every level is a +50hp/mp increase and a 5 stat increase. I''m not sure where to put my stat points now so I''ll figure that out later. The only thing I have in my inventory is the water canteen and stacks of bread I''ve had since day one, which seemed to have diminished to only 4 bread left after using them constantly to replenish my stamina so many times. I didn''t think about using them in the fight against the wolf, but it probably wouldn''t have helped me much anyway since they don''t recover health. I''ve also accumulated 200 copper from all of the jobs Alice has given me. I''m not necessarily sure if health pots will be enough for me to defeat the wolf, though. The wolf is 8 levels above me, and one bite from the wolf was enough to kill me, so will it really help if I just keep drinking health pots? Drinking health pots takes a lot of time away from battle too, which isn''t really a good strategy. It is something to keep in mind, though. As I was walking around aimlessly, thinking up a solution on how to go about this problem, my nose picked up a nauseating smell that seemed to get stronger and stronger with each step I took. It wasn''t a disgusting odor like the sewer or manure, but more of an alcoholic smell, like medicine. Usually wherever I go, the Artisan Center seems to be pretty crowded, but this place was quite empty, which I''m guessing is probably because of whatever the hell I am smelling. Curiosity took over me, and I went towards the foul smell. What I found was a shop with a wooden exterior that looked old and creaky. There was a signboard in front of the shop that had the letters ''H rb s nd pot ns'' painted on it, except the red paint was faded into a dull red. I''m assuming that some of the letters had faded out where there were random spacing''s, and the owner was too lazy or busy to replace it... or they were just really, really bad at spelling. Putting the horrible text language aside, I can deduce that the shop''s name is, ''Herbs and Potions''. Herbs and potions... herbs and potions... now where have I heard this name before? I can sense it on the tip of my tongue but the feeling is not quite there yet... Welp, only one way to find out! I opened the door, which might I mention, was fragile and made a very dangerous sound which seemed like it would break off any second, and walked into the shop. When I went into the shop, I found myself bombarded with the alcoholic smell and instinctively covered my nose. The scent seemed to be exponentially times worse than when I was standing just outside the door... The smell is way too strong! It''s great that it''s not feces or anything, but it doesn''t change the fact that the odor is hard to handle... While I was trying to get used to the smell, or more accurately numb my senses, I used my other senses to find myself pleasantly surprised to see how organized the shop was. Despite the place looking so old, it was quite well-kept. When I took a closer look and inspected the shop, I couldn''t find a speck of dust. You could tell how much care the owner puts into the shop, as if they want to preserve the store for as long as possible. It wasn''t hotel fancy material, but it definitely had that homely feel to it. I found wooden shelves stacked with various flasks filled with liquids of different colors. Behind the counter you could see many types of plants and other materials also. I didn''t see anybody who looked like the owner, or anyone for that matter, in the vicinity. While I didn''t see anyone, my cat ears picked up the sound of footsteps, so I could tell that someone, probably the owner, was inside the store. I didn''t have a reason to call him yet, so I decided to look around by myself. There were three shelves. All of the shelves contained liquid-filled flasks, which I am used to seeing because of my love for science. One shelf contained blue and red flasks, another had yellow and green ones, and the last one had a variety of different colors. I first went to the shelf with the red and blue flasks. In front of each flask was a name tag and a price for that respective flask, which were what you call ''potions''. The red ones were the health pots and the blue ones were the mana pots. Some of the prices were cheap enough that I was able to buy them with the little amount of currency I have now, but some were way over my price range. I saw the names small health pot, small mana pot, medium health pot, and etc. The small health pots were priced at 20 copper a piece, while the small mana pots were priced at 30 copper a piece. As the benefits of each pot got better, so did the price. The large pots were five times the price of the small pots. The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. I went to the second shelf which was filled with yellow and green flasks. These were a bit more expensive than the health/mana pots. I saw various buff and debuff pots. The yellow ones were buff pots and the green ones were the debuff pots. Speed buff, strength buff, agility debuff, and etc. The prices varied for each pot depending on how effective each one was, but even the cheaper ones were still expensive for my standards. Then we have the third shelf. Unlike the other shelves which contained similar colored pots, these were a bit... mixed. There were a myriad of colors. Some pots looked mysterious, and some looked a bit dangerous. They were also of various prices, ranging from very cheap to very expensive. On this shelf I found transformation pots, poisons, and even just random pots that didn''t even do anything, they just smelled bad! As I was looking around the owner came out from the hallway behind the counter and had a surprised look on his face. "Oh! I didn''t notice I had a customer. I''m terribly sorry." I turned my head to see an old man. I recognize that long, white beard! Now I remember! This was the guy I met when I first logged into the game! He helped me with the directions to the Silverhall Library. I knew I''ve heard of this place before! "You don''t have to be sorry, I was just looking around anyway. Thank you for the last time that you helped me with directions, Philip." "Oh, you mean we''ve met before? Wait, just give me a second... I think I remember you! Yes... yes... you''re just in the corner of my mind... If I''m correct, your name is Trisha! Am I right?" "Umm... no its-" "Hm?! I didn''t mean Trisha, I meant Patricia... yes Patricia." "Well, that''s not my name either..." "Oh I got it now! Hahaha! Did you think I would forget that cute furry lady I met not too long ago?!? Your name is A... Ar.... Arisa!" "That''s wrong, but it''s very close! Try again!" "Hmmm!?! It''s very close?!? Then it''s Alifa, isn''t it?! Alifa?!?!" "No! C''mon old man, search that wrinkled brain of yours, it must be in there somewhere! You got this!" "Gugugugu...." I saw him stroking his beard as he was thinking. He was thinking very hard, so hard that his face turned beet red and you could see the steam coming out of his ears. He was racking that brain of his, trying to think of what my name could be. "Arika! It''s Arika!" As he exclaimed that, he looked at me expectantly, like he''d won the lottery. Just like the time my little brother started going to kindergarten, I had that warm feeling in my heart of watching over someone. You watch them go through obstacles, fall over at times, and get right back up. Then you have that moment you''ve all been waiting for, when the person you''ve been looking after has achieved something wonderful. I smiled widely and started tearing up, giving him a slight nod and a big thumbs up. In victory celebration style, he ran out from behind the counter and jumped into my arms so I could carry him in princess style, which I tried to receive, but failed to because of my low strength. We both fell down and I lost 10 health points as a result, but we still carried the smiles on our faces and rejoiced. "YOU''RE RIGHT! I knew you could do it old man! I believed in you!" "HAHAHA! Sometimes, it scares me how smart I am! Not even old age can stop me!" "Nihahahahahaha!" "Hahahahahahaha!" And just like that, we laughed for 15 minutes straight as we held each others hands and jumped in circles as if we were playing Ring-around-the-Rosy. For the whole 15 minutes, I felt like I''d been bathed in the sunlight and saw roses in the background. "AHEM. So, are you a customer of mine today? It''s your first time inside my shop, so would you like me to give you a tour of my store? Or maybe you''re looking for something in particular?" "I''m not looking for anything in particular,but I do have something that''s troubling me..." "Oh? And what would that be?" "I want to defea- I mean, I want to complete a quest I received which is obtaining rabbit skin. I can obtain rabbit skin in the forest, but the wolves there are too strong for me, so I need a way to defeat them." "You need a way to defeat them? If you just need to get rabbit skin then would protecting yourself not be enough? Wouldn''t it work if you just try to be a bit stealthier?" "Ahem- *cough cough cough*. So for that reason, I think it''d be good to buy myself some of your buff pots, but those might be a little too expensive for me." "Hmm? Also, if you wanted rabbit skin, couldn''t you just go to the local market and obtain some for yourself?" What? Why didn''t I think of that option before? I don''t remember Alice mentioning it so I guess I was just preoccupied with how I should go about skinning the rabbit myself, not just obtaining the rabbit skin. Well, now that I have a different reason to do the quest, I must feed him more excuses! "NO! It won''t work unless I do it myself! Don''t you understand, the feeling of accomplishing something yourself for the first time? That surge of happiness you get when you feel as if you''ve advanced one step further in life?" "Hmm... are you talking about something like when I just remembered your name?" "YES! That''s exactly the feeling that I was talking about! Of course, I could always just go to the local market and buy my own rabbit skin like other normal people, but I prefer to live life the hard way, instead of digging the easy way out! This is my philosophy!" "Ohhhhh! I understand now! You truly are a wise kitty, miss Alifa-" "Arika." "-Miss Arika. You truly do not disappoint! You came to the right place! I have just the things you need. I would love to give my potions to you for free, but please understand that I do not receive enough customers. That is no reason to fret, though! Because of the wonderful speech and wisdom you have given me today, as well as it being your first time here, I''m willing to give you an amazing discount of 50% off!" "Thank you! You''re a life saver!" "Then how about some health pots? If you want to defeat the wolf I suggest you buy at least 15 of them. It''s always better to have a surplus than not enough at all." "I''d be grateful for the health pots, but the wolf killed me in one hit. Will they really be helpful to me?" "Killed you in one hit? If it killed you in one hit then why are you here right now?" "Oh... that''s an Otherworlder trait. We''re able to come back to life after we die." "An Otherworlder trait! Very interesting... Well, that problem can be fixed with this health buff pot!" He walks over to shelf filled with yellow and green flasks and picks a yellow pot which had the name ''Health Buff Pot'', and places it in my hands. "This has the effect of expanding your health by 100 points and has a +5 health per second effect. If you have this, then you should be able to survive from at least one attack from the wolf. Then, buying regular health pots will be no problem." I have a feeling that all he wants to do is make some money off of me, but he''s doing me more good than bad, so who am I to complain? "That sounds like a great idea, Philip." "Hahaha! You flatter me! You''ll have to pay 10 copper a piece for the regular health pots, but just for you, I''ll make the health buff a gift!" "Ohhhh! Thank you! I''m very grateful!" Now I won''t go flat broke! "No problem, dear! Oh, and just a tip, if you want to defeat the wolf, don''t be too ambitious and go in there right away with your buff and pots! It would be beneficial to think up some extra strategies or set up a few traps also." "Sounds good! Traps are almost like pranks, and I''m very experienced in that area! Well, it looks like I''ll be going now! Thank you, Philip!" "You''re welcome." I took out 150 copper from my inventory and handed it to Philip, while he handed me 15 health pots. "Oh... that reminds me! ''Send friend request to Philip''" "Hmm? Haha! I accept."
Philip has accepted your friend request! You and Philip are now friends.
He gave me a smile, and I smiled back at him in return. "When you''re done, tell me how it went! Also, please continue to be a recurring customer, I love talking with my friends!" "Okay. It looks like I''ll be seeing you very soon, Philip." "I''ll be expecting you, Arika." I walked towards the door to leave, but as I turned the door knob, the creaky door fell off it''s hinges and fell apart completely. "Sorry.... I''ll pay you back for the door once I get rich?" "...." *********** On a completely irrelevant side note, writing is fun! Sometimes the ideas just flow out of you, and sometimes you have to strain your brain just to think of something good! But I can''t believe how long it takes just to write something. Just these short ~3000 words took me about 3 hours to type up and 3 hours to edit it. Deep respect to the authors on this site, or any site really, who update consistently with long chapters! (Especially the author of LNW, that guy is a god, seriously.)