《Pangaea》 A (Not so) Brief Introduction ¡°Hello, My name is William Wrynn, a role-player by hobby. I am a 23 year-old man, who currently lives in the outskirts of Great Britain¡¯s capital. I¡¯ve just gotten my Master''s degree in Mechanical Engineering, in a fairly decent University here in London, and I do live a fairly ordinary life. I have friends and family I care about, and I''ve never really experienced money troubles. However, should you be interested in hearing it, here¡¯s my sob story: I don''t know what my "dream job" is. Have no idea, really. Never have. You remember when you were kids and said that you wanted to be Rockstars or Astronauts, or Firemen? Because I was saying "I don''t know what I want to be¡± even back then. Without wanting to sound pretentious, I¡¯ve always been a smart guy and ended up running through my school years without too big an issue. This made me ultimately not worry too much about my adult years. I somehow thought that everything¡¯d work out for the best. Ever since I noticed that the end of my school days approached, I¡¯ve found myself aimless growing despondent, and figured I needed a way to spend my time productively. I am, however, still optimistic, and my hard-headedness helps. This was probably what led me to Role-Play in the first place. Don¡¯t get me wrong, though, I''m not particularly discontent with who I am, I am simply trying to state that, in spite of currently crossing a rough patch, I¡¯m a sociable person who completely understands the allure in wanting to be someone else for a while. The challenge you posed us was a tad vague, so I figured I¡¯d be as truthful as I could and, paraphrasing JFK, tell you what ¡°I could do for you¡±. This is my answer: From me, you can expect complete and total honesty. Although I wouldn¡¯t exactly call myself an average joe, but I do believe that I can represent the population your game is trying to appeal to. I am well read and have a University degree to prove it and more importantly, I¡¯ve always enjoyed a good fantasy story. I¡¯ve read the classics like the works of Homer, Virgil and Dante, and have dabbled into ¡°modern¡± fantasy like Tolkien¡¯s realm. Thanks to those, I do believe that I will fit into your game well enough. Furthermore, as has been written in the beginning, I¡¯ve currently found myself with a lot of free time on my hands for the following year, and what better way to go about doing it than to dive headfirst into an exciting new game? Sincerely, William Wrynn¡±
[Raevan235]: ... I still can¡¯t believe that that''s what you wrote¡­ You honestly believe that you¡¯ll get drafter with that? [MrWhatsHisFace]: What the hell are you two going on about? [Raevan235]: Wrynn¡¯s saying he¡¯ll give me his his characters if he gets drafted into Pangaea¡¯s Beta. I¡¯m sad because he¡¯s totally not going to get picked, and I really wanted his Sith. [Wrynn]: Up yours! I told you before I¡¯m getting it, and that I¡¯ll rub it in your face when I will. [MrWhatsHisFace]: That¡¯s the new virtual reality game, right? I¡¯ve heard of that. Yeah, good luck man. Dibs on your Tauntaun! [Wrynn]: I hate you two so much right now¡­ Lol. I¡¯m off to the gym. Later.
¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª With a mild grin, the twenty-three year old exited the chat on his favourite RP community and got up to see what he had in his kitchen. Noticing that he¡¯d exhausted most of his food, he made a mental note to stop by the market on his way back home. The man would put his sports gear, went down the stairs of his flat and, upon having both feet firmly planted on the sidewalk, proceeded to jog towards his intended destination¡­ It wouldn¡¯t take him more than 10 or 15 minutes to reach the ¡°Health Club¡± or whatever it was the place was named, and it served as a good warm-up. Upon stepping inside, and dropping his things inside, Will would begin to stretch before getting to work. If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. Wrynn was about 6¡¯1, had light skin, black hair and green eyes. He wasn¡¯t exactly a traffic stopper, but none ever thought him to be ugly. An above-average appearance, if you would. The man had begun his near religious visits to the gym about half a year ago - when he wrapped up his thesis. The amount of time on his hands suddenly went from none to full days. Most of his friends either remained in class, were slaving away on their thesis, or had already found work, but not him. He wasn¡¯t interested in working as a Mechanical Engineer. Certain things, like renewable energies, had a certain appeal to him, but ultimately, he¡¯d chosen this degree because a Mechanical Engineer studies motion, and that¡¯s basically everything. He¡¯d gotten bases on economy and management and had a good deal of knowledge in physics and maths - his two best courses in High School. Unlike what one would see in films, his schools never really differentiated between ¡°Jocks¡± and ¡°Nerds¡±, though the man didn¡¯t really fit into either category. His father¡¯s side of the family was littered with stories of athletic ¡°feats¡±. Though none of them were professional athletes of any kind, they had good genes. Having surfed from a young age - a behaviour no doubt instilled into him by his father - who discovered the sport not long after his eighteenth birthday and never really let go, Will had exercise drilled into him. He¡¯d get restless without things to do. It wasn¡¯t really the physical work that had him pinned, but the adrenaline it instilled in him. This was the reason why he¡¯d gotten into games. Apart from a good workout or meeting new people, the man couldn¡¯t pass on a good, thrilling storyline. So one could only imagine his excitement at the idea of the up-and-coming game, Pangaea. The game had four main servers. One for Oceania and the Americas, a second one that for Africa, the third one encompassed Asia, and the last one, the ¡°original¡± one, encompassed the European populace. One¡¯s entry into a server depended on where they resided, and the idea behind them was simple: It was a collection of all the History and Lore in that area, compiled into a virtual realm that resembled the supercontinent of the same name, which is where the game had gotten its name from. The European regions was highly coveted because of its rich mythological background. From the Norse Gods, to the Greek Pantheon, to Angels and Demons, to Celtic Legends like that of King Arthur himself, to the works of Fantasy writers like Tolkien. All of these entered the story in some way, shape or form. Virtual Reality games like Pangaea had been released for years. ¡°Immersion Games¡±, they were called. But Pangaea was different. News had been heard of a groundbreaking AI technology that had made the game incredibly lifelike. Senses of both pain and pleasure were ultimately toggled down, but everything else felt incredibly real. The game was to be released in a single language, English and, as such, in being the country that held the largest amount of English Native Speakers in Europe, the United Kingdoms alone were given ten thousand beta keys. Will, whose handle had been Wrynn ever since he can care to remember - awfully original, yes - wanted one of these keys enough to murder for one¡­ Figuratively speaking, of course. A few months after the competition had opened and he¡¯d sent in his application, a reply came¡­ He was in. ¡ª First draft; Subject to change ¡ª Do let me know what you think. I''m still hugely apprehensive about the story, and may end up changing it around. This is really just a test chapter. Cheerio Chapter 1: The Basics About two weeks after the acceptance mail, the man received his gear. The acceptance speech had directed him to a medical facility in London, that would check to see if there were any conditions that might be dangerous when mixed with environments like these, like a weak heart or something, as well as grant him access to his biometric data, in a smallish chip. This thing was basically his account information. Upon plugging it into any VR headgear, he could access the game. It was his very own fingerprint. Only worked when he used it, and he couldn''t enter without it. It was a fairly interesting conception that had been used for a while, because these biometric scans were incredibly hard to fake and, upon losing it or breaking it, all Will''d have to do was direct himself to a Medical Facility and ask for a copy. It was a tedious process, but a simple one nonetheless. The initial setting appeared to be fairly standard. Some pretty graphics, an account checking page followed by a character loading blinding white light, followed by an awakening near a fountain. His avatar stood on his feet and proceeded to move towards the fountain that surrounded him. He appeared to be covered in clothing and couldn''t exactly see how he looked like. He then felt an audible intake of breath fill his lungs with air as he plunged his head into the gelid water that streamed down the fountain''s centrepiece. As soon as he pulled his head out, the water surface appeared to calm down, and reflect his image. Here, the camera plunged into the fountain again, only this time, no cold. He was now gazing into his reflection and discovered that he could change his height, gender and other traits: character creation menu had appeared. The man could change his height, race, hair, eyes, face and anything he could think of and more. With enough time, anyone would be able to change every single pore in his body and sculpt what they would deem to be the "perfect" body for his or her character. There were 4 main races to start with, that represented the main four playable factions in the game: The Elves, The Orcs, The Humans and The Halflings. Each race was then divided into subspecies. A new player had about two to choose from, but new ones could be unlocked upon progressing through the game. Upon a good few minutes of pondering, Will decided to choose his character''s race: He was to be a High Human. High Humans were typically of noble birth and, supposedly due to magic imbued in their muscle tissue, were taller and slimmer than your average Man, bearing some similarities to some of the Elven Races, only minus the pointy ears and bushy brows. He found that he could even shift the fountain that he was currently holding, and that that would allow him to spawn into different areas. Upon fiddling with his character and reaching a likeable conclusion, the man decided to carry on with the game. He''d become slightly taller than his real height, standing in about 6''2 to 6''3. Looking no more than twenty-five years young, the man had shortish brown hair with some blond tints, a five o''clock shadow of the same colour and a pair of piercing emerald-like eyes. Will would, after all, be embodying this "person" for the foreseeable future, so there was nothing wrong with him looking his best. The city he''d chosen to begin his path in was named Argos. A metropolis fairly close to the sea, that was the capital of its country, Ulyssea. The man rather enjoyed the warm climate it provided and could not resist the mention of the Greek heroes of old, the Argonauts (and Jason), and Ulysses, the single character to have starred in and survived both Homer''s works. As soon as his decision had been taken, he was drawn back into the body he''d chosen and, as his cold feeling his soaked head provided returned, the man would hear a shout: "Hey you! What the hell do you think you''re doing! That''s a fountain, where people get fresh water from! It''s not for you to be washing your stinking face!" Looking back to face the voice yelling at him, and find himself facing a fairly large man in his late forties, covered in armour and holding a spear and a shield, who simply sighed upon the sight of him and mumbled under his breath: "Oh... It''s one of you... had to be. Damn adventurers... I have to sign you in now... Great. What''s your name, kid?" A message swiftly popped up in front of his avatar:
What do you wish to name your character?
Smiling from ear to ear, the man stated - "Wrynn."
You have chosen to name your character "Wrynn". Is this correct?
YesNo
After pressing "Yes", the man would be covered in a strange light and the guard facing him now spoke again. "Wrynn, eh? Not a bad name for a guy plunging his head on a fountain. You look like you''re new around here, so you should probably go and speak to Jayson at the Dragon''s Dawn Inn. It''s that building over there." As soon as the middle aged guard spoke, a building in the fountain''s vicinity started to glow in a strange light. It appeared to be the one the guard was pointing to. ''This really is interesting'', Will thought, before his pensive mood was interrupted by a couple of windows appearing in front of him.
Welcome to Pangaea, and our Congratulations, your character is now Level 1! You are now able to access your status window and inventory. Simply state the name of the menu you wish to access and it will appear.
Your Very First Quest!
Go and meet Jayson at the Inn to receive your beginner items.
Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. Clicking these floating notifications seemed to make them dissipate. Intrigued by the first message, the man would state: "Status!"
Status Window
NameWrynnAlignmentNeutral
RaceHigh HumanLevel1
ClassBeginner
TitleNone
Fame0
Health Points200Mana Points200
Strength20Endurance20
Agility20Dexterity20
Intelligence20Luck20
Charisma5Cunning5
SatietyFullWeightLight
Each of the statuses had a small question mark near them. By clicking it, Will would see what they relate to. Being used to games, he could''ve easily guessed, but it is usually better to be safe than sorry. Satiety was dependent on food. All living things require sustenance, after all. As it decreased, so would the effects caused by one''s stats. Replenishing it would remove this "de-buffed" state. Constant malnutrition could possibly relate to permanent loss of certain statuses, or even long-lasting negative conditions. Weight related to your inventory as well as your equipped items. Carrying too much stuff at once will make a character visibly slower and cause its satiety levels to drop quicker. Strength related to weapon-related attacks, be they ranged or melee. It also dictated how much weight you could have on you. Endurance was Strength''s defence counterpart. Though not necessarily related, a lot of strength would usually imply a lot of dexterity and vice versa. All character''s health points depend on this stat, as well as their regeneration speed and satiety depletion speeds. Agility dictated your character''s top speeds, maximum accelerations and reflexes. Dexterity related to the use of tools. The higher it was, the easier it would be for a character to learn and adapt to a tool, be it a weapon or a profession-related item. It also related to accuracy. Intelligence related to a character''s MP as well as magical damage and defence. Points added to Luck would increase the odds of a critical attack or AI misses. It also had a social standing in which someone with high amounts of luck would gain increased odds of receiving quests and monsters dropping rare items. Cunning mostly related to social interactions. It increased your odds of successfully haggling prices, and even lie-spotting in NPCs. As it related to a strong mind, incredibly high levels of cunning would even lessen attacks on the mind, like certain stuns, hesitations and other forms of paralysis. Charisma was the final stat. It dictated how easy it would be for a character to increase their standing in society. A lot of charisma meant that your relationships with NPCs would increase faster than normal, and it apparently related to one''s attractiveness, as well. This was, of course, a game and, as such, not wanting to receive complaints along the lines of "I think my character is beautiful but NPCs call me ugly all the time", they made it so that the character''s actual face or initial appearance didn''t impact this stat, but in increasing it, changes would occur. In Male, High-Charisma characters with a lot of strength, muscles would gain definition - should they not have it already - and high amounts of agility would lead to completely upright postures and maybe even a few extra inches in height. When in a group, huge amounts of Charisma would provide similar effects to Cunning to fellow party members. Finally, Charisma also increased the odds of successfully training a mount and/or pet. Finally, there was Fame. The third social status. Fame was an alternative, of sorts to the NPC Relationship aspect of the game. Characters with large amounts of Fame would be looked up to no matter where they went and, as such, didn''t really have as big a need to improve one''s standing with a person or group, because things like discounts and quests would be offered anyway. Although a bit surprised by how much the game revolved around interaction with NPCs, the explanations provided were incredibly detailed which, all in all, made the 5 to 10 minutes Will''d spent in-game reading them worth it. As if this feeling wasn''t enough, yet another window popped up.
A Well Read Player! For learning and understanding the basics of our Stats, your character has been rewarded: +5 Intelligence, +1 Cunning
"It would appear that your diligence can lead to stat increases, both In and Out of Character" Wrynn mumbled, happy with the ordeal. In high spirits from a good start, the man would make his way into the Inn, as he''d been instructed to do.
Do apologise for the slow pacing. Rest assured, it''ll pick up very soon. Still in very early stages, a complete revamp may occur sometime in the future. Chapter 2: A Lucky Break As it turned out, his particular choice in city wasn''t the grandest. In wanting to be surprised, he hadn''t read too much on the Lore, initially, and it would appear that Ulyssea wasn''t a particularly powerful Kingdom and, as such, was not a popular choice... In fact, he appeared to be the only one to have chosen it, as a starting location, as well as the only player to have visited its capital city of Argos. But, luckily, that didn''t seem to be that great a deterrent for, just as he''d stated in his application letter, his main goal was to experience Pangaea''s quests... and that he did. Having no players whatsoever to chat with, and a curious enough nature to test this NPC relationship idea that the game had supposedly developed groundbreaking technology on, Wrynn pretty much tried to converse with anyone and everyone he came across. The results were mind-boggling, to say the least. The number of different responses that the supposed NPCs had was tremendous. It really was as if he was speaking to another person. Within an in-game month, Wrynn had made the Dragon''s Dawn Inn into his home, and knew just about every single NPC that existed in the northern corner of Argos, where said Inn was placed. If he was to be described in a single word, it would have to be resourceful. Having always enjoyed a good argument and with none to do it with other than AI, Will spent hours honing his ability to get his point across to Argos''s good people. As such, little by little, his Cunning stat would rise and soon become the largest value on his window. This, in turn, led him to three very strange quests. They all had a silver lining, but really, the man had never quite been sure if completing them was worth the reward. In one of his many nights resting at the Inn, poor old Will received a notification:
Something is happening in the Inn''s basement. Your instincts tell you to go and check it out.
Upon making his way towards said basement, the man would soon find that the source of the noises came from behind a locked door. Upon knocking, the man would soon find that he could hear whispers beyond the door: "Shut up!" "I didn''t say anything!" "You''re making noise, he''ll hear us!" "You''re talking too loud! Needless to say, this bickering went on for a while. Not wanting to intrude on such a clearly personal matter, Will stated, preparing to go back into his room. "I''ll leave you lovebirds to your business, then. Bye." As the man began to walk away, he could hear some stumbling footsteps and the door opening suddenly and, as it did, yet another notification came up, this time, one for a quest.
Busted! You''ve just stumbled upon the Innkeeper fooling around with the local Chef. Seize this opportunity and gain something out of it. Rewards: Increase in Cunning + Whatever you manage to wrangle from the pair
In Pangaea, all quests were forced on you. You could choose whether to complete it or fail it, but ultimately, there was not an option to refuse a quest which did, in certain cases, cause trouble for the adventurer. This was one of those cases. The Innkeeper was a bit of a womaniser as well as a raging narcissist, and the Chef was a rather promiscuous little shrew that just about hit on anything that moved. They were, in many respects, perfect for each other. The problem was, they were both married to other people. So, our little Adventurer found himself with a problem on his hands for, the duo had begun to try to bribe him into keeping his mouth shut, and the more Will said he didn''t want anything, the more desperate the adulterers would get because they believed he was about to rat them out to their better halves. In reality, Will had barely met the people in question and, if he was to be honest, this was a game. He wasn''t about to get in the middle of a pair of messy divorces between AI. It was too much of a hassle to deal with, and this was a game, he was in it to have fun. So, the man ultimately accepted the bribe. He received his very own Room in the Inn, that would cost him nothing for the rest of his life, and the Chef would buy his meals whenever he set foot into her restaurant. Even if he did end up practically extorting the promiscuous pair, it was a pretty amazing deal, all things considered. The second strange Cunning-related quest appeared not long after that. Especially with the local Innkeeper and Chef treating the adventurer like a celebrity, Wrynn quickly became well-known with the locals and, because every time he was pampered by either of the AI, the only thing he could remember was the fact that he''d ultimately caught them bumping uglies, the man did his absolute best to deny any and all gifts they wanted to shower him with. These actions, that appeared hugely modest to the general AI community, quickly led to increases in his Charisma and Fame stats, which brought the attention of the general public alongside them. Amongst these new fans, one in particular provoked yet another dreaded notification.
Your Very First Fangirl All great heroes have hordes of women fawning over them. In noticing that the Blacksmith''s Daughter has a crush on you, you''ve found your very first one. Use her affection to convince her father to teach you swordplay. Rewards: Increase in Cunning + Apprenticed Knight Class
The NPC in question was a definite looker, but the man wasn''t about to date a artificial intelligence program in virtual reality. The class, however, had most definitely caught his eye. Knights were a rare class in Pangaea, and a particularly important one, at that... There are three main class denominations in the game. The Basic classes, The Advanced classes and the Rare ones. Basic classes were the easiest classes one could get, as the name suggested: Swordsmen, Mages and Rangers. Strength, Intelligence and Dexterity. Advanced Classes are fairly self-explanatory as well. They are improved forms of the basic ones. A Swordsman can specialise in any other close to mid-range weapons, Mages can attune themselves with an element, and Rangers can decide to focus on any small close-ranged weapons, like Daggers and Knives, or on Ranged Damage such as Bows, Crossbows or Thrown weapons. Knights fit into the Rare category. This represents "Hybrid" classes, whose stats don''t value a single one over the rest. These classes must be obtained through special, hidden quests and often bring about immense advantages to the user. Knights are known for their proficiency in Melee combat and moderate to heavy-duty armour, but some choose to focus on obtaining mastery over magic, and others still are at their strongest atop a Mount, which enters the realm of Dexterity. But that''s not all that being a Knight has to offer. Through progressing up the Knightly ranks, one is able to gain a direct line of contact with the ruler of a particular land or Kingdom and, as such, gain easier access to better gear, quests and even classes. This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. Once again, these Cunning quests had left the man with a bitter aftertaste, but the results could not be argued with. After a good two in-game weeks of using the daughter as an excuse to improve his standing with the Blacksmith, he ultimately took him in as his apprentice. Sadly, the Smith had told him that should he become a fully-fledged Knight, he would not be learning about the forge with him, but Knighthood far outweighed the crafting profession, in the young brit''s eyes.
Status Window
NameWrynnAlignmentLawful Good
RaceHigh HumanLevel57
ClassKnight
TitlePaladin Candidate *
Fame2653
Health Points10750Mana Points8940
Strength190 (+60)Endurance190 (+30)
Agility215 (+85)Dexterity110 (+23)
Intelligence60 (+7)Luck80 (+15)
Charisma150 (+2)Cunning275 (+40)
SatietyFullWeightModerate
A month had passed ever since the man had first started the beta. The actual Launch of the game was just around the corner, and the man had received a rather cryptic message upon accepting a certain quest... But we''ll get to that in a moment. In-game time elapses around 5 times faster than in the real world. This meant that it''d been a little less than half a year since Wrynn had first set foot in that Inn. In spite of what one might initially think, level 50 in that amount of time wasn''t really something to behold. Statistics had come up the week before stating that the average beta-tester level neared 75. This meant that little old Will was actually nearly 20 levels behind the average joe. The man had never been a decent grinder in any game. The idea was usually a tad too dull for his tastes, however, that soon changed once the man noticed his title and clicked the asterisk it displayed. A wall of text suddenly popped up in front of his face, detailing a hidden part of the rare classes: The God Elements. Pangaea is a game that revolves around Mythology and Fantasy and, as we all know, these things always have the same Key players: Gods. So, as Mortals in this realm of Might and Magic, the strongest one could get was by attaining a Godly Element. And the beings who''d achieved said things were dubbed True Nobles. This "title" originated from the fact that, in most religions, those who possessed said Element were hailed as Heroes or Rulers in the mortal plane. The Ancient Egyptians believed that their Pharaohs were Gods who''d incarnated as Men, Romans believed that their Emperors descended from Mars, the God of War, and most of us are familiar with the tales of Achilles, Heracles and Perseus, and even Jesus. All of these had Godly Elements to them, and became known for their tremendous feats. This was the main stepping stone into carving one''s name in the realm of Pangaea. However, the game fused together too many Myths to be able to keep them close to their original form. So, its many storywriters meshed these ancient religions and modern fantasy novels together and created a realm where there was not a single person who knew all of Pangaea''s backstory. Certain Gods who were deemed as villains might have turned to the side of Good, and vice versa, others might have been fused and so, all in all, grabbing a History book would be helpful to one''s progression, but it wasn''t certain that you''d succeed. These were all incredibly hard to obtain, but considering that you would be awarded with part of Godly being''s powers, they were most certainly worth the effort. There were 5 ways to attain a Godly Element. The Artefact, Ritual, Favour, Blood and Paladin classes. The Artefact classes were supposedly the simplest to attain. One would have to ensue on a perilous journey into forgotten caverns and ruins and, upon overcoming great tribulations, come into contact with a Godly Item and draw from its power. Examples of this class would be Arthur Pendragon, who obtained the power of the Celtic God Emrys (Merlin), upon drawing the fabled Excalibur from the stone. The Ritual classes involved summoning the Gods through a particular spell and obtaining some of their power in that manner. Despite being a God, Odin sacrificing his eye to Mimir''s Well to obtain the Wisdom of the Ages would be a decent enough explanation. The Favour classes consisted in a player''s actions gaining the attention of a particular God or Goddess, who would then "bless" or "curse" a character and grant it wondrous abilities. Medusa, the beautiful woman who fled from a lust-filled Poseidon and tried to seek solace in Athena''s temple but ended up being cursed instead by the Goddess who was jealous of her beauty was a perfect representation of these kinds of classes. The Blood classes were like the ancient Roman Emperors. You would be recognised as a descendant of a God, and attain some of your ancestor''s powers. Finally, there were the Paladins. The most deranged Godly Classes out of the 5. To become a Paladin, you would have to do one of two things: Either slay or tame a Godly Beast. In doing so, you would obtain part of its power as well as some of the abilities of its Godly parent. The sole representative of this class - in Pangaea''s lore anyway - had been Odysseus (Ulysses), who had slain the Cyclops through the sheer use of his wit.*1
You are the first man to be deemed capable of becoming a Paladin since the Legendary Patron of Ulyssea himself. Please make your way to the Argos''s Lord to know the details of your new great quest
After carefully reading through the pages upon pages of information on the God Elements that had appeared in front of his face, to call the man ecstatic would be a massive understatement. Doing his best to spare the AI that casually walked the street his godawful dance moves and horrible singing voice, the man began what could only be described as skipping his way towards the castle, grinning from ear to ear.
*1 Merlin isn''t considered a Celtic God, and Odysseus is presumed to have descended from a God and merely wounded the Cyclops in Greek Myth. Pangaea''s Lore may differ from myth again, as the story unfolds, so I am here to say that it is purposeful. Chapter 3: Offer Wrynn found himself barred from the castle. Apparently, in order to accept the quest, he had to be at least level 80 and, not knowing what would happen at the end of the Beta Phase, which would end in three weeks'' time, the man had his work cut out for him. The Testers had been told that changes to requirements were to be expected, after the Beta ended. They would be allowed to keep their characters and everything that they possessed regardless of whether or not those things had been affected, but that was it. For Will, whose job hunt still bore no fruits, it didn''t matter that much. Everything he didn''t yet have, he could learn with patience. Everything except this one bloody quest. The man had racked his brain every which way he could, but still could not move past the idea that, should this quest''s requirements be changed, he would be in trouble. For all he knew, this might have be a one player class. There was only one option he could take: He''d have to accept this quest, before the Beta period was over. This would allow him to keep it, as it had been accepted, regardless of whether or not the requirements had changed: The race was on. Suddenly, the twenty-two year old''s priorities found themselves inside out. Things like going to the Gym and going to the cinema or grabbing coffee with friends seemed unimportant, at best. Even things like eating, showering and sleeping were looking rather dismal for the graduate. Anything time consuming - and by that I mean anything that took more than 10 seconds - would only be performed under critical levels. And so, for the very first time in his life, William Wrynn had found purpose. Oddly enough, in to a strange twist of fate, it would seem that his aimlessness was the very thing that had allowed him to live a quote/unquote normal life thus far. Because, if this was a show of anything, it was that once this man got his mind to it, he would outlive God himself just to have the final laugh. About three days before the Launch date, the man had finally pulled it off. Level 80! Massively underfed and under slept, the number of monsters that Wrynn had defeated in these two and a half weeks alone must''ve ranged in the hundreds of thousands, if not millions. He''d practically bankrupted his own character in the repairs and improvements of weapons and armour as well as the purchases of unhealthy amounts of potions. But all of that would soon be a thing of the past. His goal had been reached, and with a few days to spare. The young brit rushed into the castle once again and proceeded to make his way to the Acting Lord of Argos: Daedalus. His parents had named him after the deranged inventor, but the man was nothing like that. A calm and peaceful ruler, who had maintained his Country in a neutral position for ages was adored by his people. "Ah! Our esteemed Knight makes his way into my presence at last." Daedalus said. Will had seen him before around Argos but, in being a low-levelled Knight, this was his very first time in an audience with the King. "Greetings, Sire. Your humble Knight answers your call." Will took a knee until Daedalus motioned him to stand. The man had seen enough films to know his way around dealing with Royalty. "Ah, the man is modest as well. I have heard many things, hopefully most of them will be true. However, I''m afraid we have little time for small talk. Our Oracles bring word of a dangerous threat lurking in our Kingdoms, and I find myself in great need of strong, quick-witted, loyal Knights that can keep a low profile. And I was advised by your superiors that you would be the man for the job. This will be more than difficult, but I have faith that you will succeed. Can I count on your aid, good Knight?" Will was much too tired to even consider bursting in joy. And it was good that he didn''t because, really, this was neither the time nor the place for it. The man dropped to one knee yet again and kept his answer succinct: "You can count on me, Sire."
Congratulations! You''ve entered a quest for a God Element! These quests will only be made available when the game has been properly launched, but worry not! In compensation for your waiting, you will be receiving an added bonus as well.
Wrynn dismissed the notification with a flick of his wrist. He was much too tired to properly read it, but all he knew was that he''d succeeded. For the first time in weeks, it was finally time for a good night''s sleep. After logging off from the game, the man drifted away into the best sleep he could remember. He was so tired he didn''t even shut off the lights. The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Still gripping the VR visor with his right hand, the young brit would accept the Sandman''s embrace and doze off for 20 hours straight, in a slumber so profound it looked like he''d been K.O.ed. Awakening in a disgruntled, but merry state, the man reminded himself of his obligations and got out of bed. Upon cleaning both himself and the house to the most presentable states they''d been in weeks, the man felt that it was time for a much needed run to work his cramped muscles and then treat himself to a proper dinner in a decent restaurant, after which he would return home to see the news report on the Game that would take the world by storm: Pangaea''s official launch. Filled with a sense of self-worth, the man proceeded to sit comfortably on his couch and flip the TV on. The man on the other side of the screen was Kevin Scott, Senior Vice President of Story and Franchise Development at the Sanum Per Lusus Corporation, the Swiss company that created Pangaea. Apparently, SPL''s megalomania would be far greater than what anyone would''ve thought. With the unveiling of the game, the corporation also released an FDA approved VR visor prototype that would be every bit as revolutionary as the game''s software. According to Mr. Scott, this machine was somehow able to send electrical impulses through the brain that would exercise the body while people had logged on. This would be - according to them - the new Messiah, as it would provide physical activity with none of its negative counterparts, such as worn out ligaments and the like. They had long since released this technology for hospitals and military settings, but it had been much too expensive to mass produce until now. Surprised by the announcement, but not really wanting to spend another few thousand pounds on a piece of equipment that he could do well without, the man reached for his own VR helmet and Launched the game, to try and get a couple of final hours in the Beta, before the next day''s Launch, however, he was surprised to find that, even when he tried to log in, all he could see was the press conference. Just about ready to pull the plug on the machine and go online to do things, Mr. Scott''s speech took a sudden turn: "As some of you more hardcore fans may be aware, our game will now allow people to achieve the famed God Element Classes. What you may not be aware of, however, is the fact that we had allowed our Testers to obtain the quests that supply them, and that we will be giving the first 5 people who''ve obtained these skills an opportunity to not only test our new VR machine, but be paid to play our game! If any of the viewers at home have gotten their hands on one of these quests, I urge you to check your e-mail addresses. Trust me, you will not regret it." Intrigued by the Senior VP''s words, Will proceeded to open his e-mail address and, just as the man had said, there was something that he could clearly recognise.
From: Pangaea International To: William Wrynn Dear Mr. Wrynn, It is with great pleasure that we inform you that you have been chosen as one of the Pioneers for our new project. Ever since this company was started, it has been our greatest goal to allow people to better themselves through gaming. With the release of our new VR visor, we now feel closer to achieving this than ever and want to show the world our mindset, and we would like you to help us make this goal a reality. You, along with 4 other people from your server, are hereby invited to our resort/facility in Switzerland, where your sole goal for a single year will be to further your character and learn from him as much as possible. We will have a team of tutors at the ready for any subject you wish to learn, so long as you feel it may expedite your progress. Thank you for your time. Should you be interested in taking our offer, please write to us here. Sincerely, Pangaea International