The 22nd century was a time of significant change and stagnation for the human race. Technology improved and became so widespread that even pharmaceutical corporations weren't allowed to monopolize either nano or brainwave technology. This allowed it to be used in various functions, including cheaper medical procedures, teaching applications, and even the untapped entertainment market.
Please keep in mind the following text:
It would take approximately 22 years in this field to obtain the peak of entertainment of the century: the Augmented Virtual Reality station. This station is a pod-like structure that allows the user to enter a hyper-realistic simulation with a faint but realistic touch and sensory registration. It utilizes a direct port between the pod and the human brain stem. The machine uses nanomachines to constantly repair and influence the brain. The brain wave technology sends signals to the machine for server input, effectively making the brain the controller.
The stagnation in progress comes from the lack of advancement, due to the younger generation's disinterest in the world around them. Many people work long hours, seeking an escape that does not violate the travel laws of the twenty-second century.
One such escape was an AVR game called "AdvenTravellers Online '', an MMORPG that focused on replayability by rewarding users that respec'ed their characters from their Level Max back down to level one, extending their level limit by twenty. The first level cap is at 40, and the last is at a respectable 300. However, due to the level resetting, and thus requiring players to constantly find new classes to gain levels from, such an implementation was considered an astronomical controversy by the wider community. James Crawford, an eight-and-a-half-year veteran of the game, who jumped on late after the initial release, was burnt out on the game after finally joining the very few to break the limit. His most recent Character, the level 90 Angel "Gabriel", is more of a roleplay-oriented entity, which was more time-consuming than initially anticipated. And, as it turns out, replaying the game with very little sense of progression has not done well for the noncommittal player, who has abandoned any dreams of joining a Guild and finding friends to form a party with, due to the constantly changing role James would build for his characters.
"Ugh..." was the only noise that James released as he arrived home late in the evening, draping his Smart Jacket over a swivel chair pushed up against his desk.
"I should've gotten a business degree... my bachelor's in Education is useless nowadays" James mumbled from under his breath as he pulled the swivel chair from under the desk and collapsed into it.
To call his abode anything less than a room would be correct. With enough room for a bed, desk, and AVR Pod, not much else was allocated in the room for movement. His apartment shared a communal shower and bathroom, as well as a shared dining and kitchen area on each floor, meant to be used by the collective 20 rooms that each floor housed on a nearly permanent basis. Though, most simply ordered takeout, they were relatively barren besides himself and the occasional pillager, usually in the form of small children, looking for snacks left behind by either the oblivious or the kind.
The man himself was an early 20-something, in the “in-between stages” of being fit and out of shape. The word “chiseled” was one of the last things someone would come up with to describe him, but he was by no means ugly. In a word, he was… average.
James rested his face against the wooden desk, looking towards the AVR pod with an annoyed expression.
“I keep getting emails about AdvenTravellers getting their servers shut down… only twelve years after release, it's already getting bricked. Can’t say I agree with it, but I don’t think I’ve even played it in a few weeks at this point…”. He mumbled.
James was not very committed to a single game, which went in stark contrast to the nearly eight and a half years of religiously playing the AVR game with a multitude of different characters and playstyles. It truly was an engaging experience, with constant updates from the Development Team, and proactive Game Masters to create a fluid and immersive environment, no one player could say they had the same experience unless they were joined at each other’s hip during every single gaming session.
‘I still need to fill out those reports to gauge the effectiveness of using Augmented Education Pods in schools… damn, I messed up with that Bachelor’s in the Science of Education, huh’, James thought to himself, reaching into his gray, cloth satchel and retrieving a binder filled to the brim of independent pod reports on each child in his Education Group. ‘Using children as guinea pigs to figure out if there are any adverse effects to quickening brain activity… at least they’re putting it towards education, and not anything deplorable… that I know of’.
He once again glanced at the AVR Pod, just beckoning for him to enjoy the comfort of one last ride in the game that he sunk the past couple of college years into, and what got him through the monotonous job that was “watching children”. ‘With the new Augmented Education Pods, weekends are a thing of the past for us “Educators”. However… I think I can just pull an all-nighter. It has been a while since I’ve done something “relaxing”. OKAY!’ A faint grin appeared on his clean-shaven, but slightly pudgy face.
James walked over to the Augmented Virtual Reality Pod, more than a few emotions coursing through his veins. Disappointment in the ending of likely his hobby of playing games, while contentment in knowing that he won’t have to worry about keeping up with his online presence. A boiling anger that he “wasted” his time playing a game that was surely destined to end, and a resounding sense of happiness in the times he had traveled the world of Adventravellers.
Finally finding himself inside of the pod, he fitted the helmet to his head and plugged in the port between the system and the brain stem. After verifying the proper connection, he allowed the machine to take full control and entered the world of Adventravellers Online.
-- Six Hours Before Server Shutdown --
High Above the clouds of the world that was “Adventravellers” a simple cottage existed. An “L” shaped wooden cabin with thatch roofing, and white puffy clouds to make up its front lawn. This was the home of Gabriel, the level ninety character of James. Ever since clearing the level limit, he had been meaning to become an overwhelming powerhouse but… he just got bored. His latest character he cashed in was at level 300, a literal deity compared to most, and took the culmination of thirteen runs to finally get to where is he now. Despite how serene the home to the Angel was, it was more or less a starter home for any Angelic race, for their place was among the heavens.
Gabriel stood outside of his home, without much feeling for the abode ‘After all, I’ve been to several races and classes at this point, this was just the latest in a long line of “unique” homes for me’. However, he had to admit that there was a charm to the place, one that he would miss.
While it was customary to create NPCs for a variety of purposes in both Guild Halls and Player Homes, Gabriel never really gave it much thought. He did not need inventory management, resource gathering, or item creation while he was offline. While there were other uses, such as forming the perfect party out of NPCs, they acted more as a detriment than an actual benefit to his play style. This isn’t to say that he has never made one, but that his current character just simply hasn’t spent the time doing so. ‘Why would the developers even tie NPC’s and Inventories to the character, rather than the account anyway? Gah, I was pissed the first time I did a level reset on my character! I guess that’s the cost of power, haha’.
An alert notified Gabriel that he had mail, and with a flick of his wrist, he saw the message. An administrative announcement to all currently online players.
[Greetings and Salutations to all players that walk the lands, soar the clouds and delve into the ocean. Those that enjoy the leisures of heaven and trek through hell. I am your humble host and Lead Game Master, “Papa Quebec”. I wanted to thank every one of you who have made the past twelve years, seven months, twelve days, nineteen hours, fifty-two minutes, and thirty-eight seconds a pleasant experience. We still have a little less than six hours before the game officially closes, but I wish for each of you to enjoy the world at your leisure. This world was meant for travelers, no matter the level, and as such, all level-locked areas have been turned into level-balancing areas to allow players from all walks of leveling to enjoy. All Guild Raids have had their cooldowns removed, assuming a player is online to defend their Guild Hall, and several new events have been added across the playable world. I hope you enjoy these last-second changes, and once again, thank you for playing my one achievement in life.]
‘Well that was a depressing way to end that message’, James thought solemnly. ‘Though the message didn’t pertain to me, I am surprised that we had a message from the Head Game Master himself; he seldom reaches out to the player base’. Just then, another message was sent. This one is titled, [Private Invitation].
[This message goes out to every One-hundred-thirty-two playing Level Limit breaker players, giving every one of you the prestigious invitation to a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to experience a New World of opportunities. If accepted, you will be allowed to be transported to a world of sword and magic, of beast and man. Because of your loyalty to the game, and being one of the very few to achieve the uncapped level limit, each of you will be extended this invitation. To accept, you must simply remain logged in until the timer reaches zero, and be placed in a temporary waiting room until summoned to experience what each of you truly deserve.]
Gabriel, the Angel Avatar, did not make any facial cues as to what exactly this meant, however, James’ mental faculties went wild.
What does any of this even mean? A “AdvenTravelers Online 2”? Perhaps a sneak peek at an incoming project? Or was it a troll? There wasn’t any indication of who it was from, as both the sender and recipient slots were blank, meaning it could very well be a hacker just trying to get people to waste their time and get their hopes up. But…
‘Gah, my brain is fried. Oh well, I guess I can wait a while to check it out. I want to check out these “new events” anyway. May as well use this as an excuse to explore for a bit.’ And, just like that, Gabriel walked to the edge of his cottage and jumped off.
-- Eight Minutes before Server Shutdown --
Fireworks. The event in question was the fireworks that went off in every major POI. At first, Gabriel thought that it was all a diversion to a true event, but sure enough, it was just unique sets of fireworks based on the local POI. ‘Damn… I was caught overthinking. Again.’, Gabriel chided himself. He didn't meet many players in the last hour of game time, most likely getting off before midnight for the next day, not that he blamed them. However, to him, an hour wouldn’t make much of a difference, and at this point, neither would the next six minutes. World Chat had died down to a near standstill, with it mostly being used by Veteran players trying to make meet-up points for their independent regions that they’re in. Occasionally one of the Game Masters or Developers would say something, and cause the pot to stir a little bit before shimmering back down to a trickle of messages.
Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.
23:55:54
‘Honestly? The fireworks aren’t that bad. James mentally smiled despite himself. He let his feet dangle off of the clouds his home was set on, watching as balls of fire exploded in the distance. ‘I wonder if those are actual explosions, or just rendered outside of the skybox’ Gabriel mused to himself, not sure if he even wanted to have that answered. It simply ruins the immersion.
23:57:04
Gabriel tore his eyes off of the fireworks and looked back at his home of the last few months. Sure, he had no real memories of the place, only using it as a high spawn point that kept him away from the majority of players due to the requirement of having either flight magic or wings, but he did wish that he had something unique about his player to mark this world when it ended. But he had nothing. No unique items, not enough funds or time to forge an NPC, and not a single friend to spend the last couple of minutes together with. That was one of his few regrets, not slowing down.
23:59:01
He couldn’t complain, he managed to reach his goal, but at this point, he didn’t see the reason for it all. He didn’t manage to rise above the limit, still only at level ninety, while many others were likely leagues ahead of him, both Limit Breakers and normal players alike. He just felt… forgotten. Left behind. ‘Ah well, no point in complaining now…I guess this is it.
23:59:54
‘Goodbye, Adventravelers’.
[Welcome to the Waiting Room! You, along with 38 other invitees, have fulfilled the requirements to attend the Experience Of A Lifetime. Your current waiting time is &*$ years. Please stand by while we find an appropriate time and place to give you the best experience. Thank you for your Loyalty!]
‘Eh… what?’
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Author's Note
To start out with, yes, I am using AI-Assisted Content, but no, they are not used to Generate said content. It is simply used to ensure that I have fewer grammatical errors. I've been meaning to write a LITRPG Novel for a long time, and have just gotten over a few week long Overlord Fanfiction kick, so you may notice a "few" similarities, at the very least from the start. A few fan fictions I'm taking inspiration from is Karma Weaver, The One Who Stayed, and The Witch and the Sorcerer. No, I'm not going to copy and paste each and every twist from those works into this, but it should be known that they have heavily influenced how I'm going to be writing and building this NEW and SEPERATE world. I'll be honest, as of right now, I'm not even sure what the plot is going to be like. It's likely going to be focusing on the protagonist, Gabriel, becoming even more OP than what he is now (which is to say, he is already EXTREMELY overpowered compared to the denizens of this world, though threats still linger...). That being said, I think this will take a more proactive approach rather than reactive, allowing our MC to make choices on who he gets involved with and why he does so. Though, his new Angelic Form may force him down some paths that he would otherwise avoid. I believe that some small Trivia Information should be provided to immerse yourself if you wish. They are more or less just for your benefit, and should be expected to change as I get more familiar with the system I am building.
Character Sheet: Main Character
Name: Gabriel (James Crawford)
Race: Angel
Level (Combining Class Levels): 90 (MAX: Uncapped)
Job Class(es): Angelic Warrior (20) Divine Caster (20), Divine Summoner (20), Lone Beacon (10) Priest (10), Heaven's Chosen (5), Saint (5)
Stats: (Average is roughly 1-10). 10 points per level.
Health Points: 70
Mana Points: MAX [ERROR: UNCAPPED]
Stamina Points: 60
Phys. Def: 60
Phys. Att: 60
Magic Def: 80
Magic Att: MAX [ERROR: UNCAPPED]
Agility: 50
Strength: 60
Intelligence: MAX [ERROR: UNCAPPED]
Wisdom: 80
Charisma: MAX [ERROR: UNCAPPED]
Skills:
[Angelic Arrows]: The feathers from an Angel’s wings can be as soft as feathers, and as deadly as steel. With this skill activated, the feathers act as a numerous “Magic Missiles” that can lock onto an enemy, or act as suppressing fire based on the wishes of the user. Locked behind Angelic / Demonic winged races.
[Righteous Halo]: An Angel’s Halo is a beautiful attribute to such a divine specimen of Angelic purity, but it can just as quickly turn into a deadly close quarter and long range object that can never be destroyed. Locked behind Angelic / Fallen winged races.
[Comprehend Language]: The ability to understand the verbal and written literal language of another for a period of an Hour. Does not explain slang words, phrases, or secret messages.
[Chosen Preacher]: A skill that is granted to the Priest who caused the most worship of a single deity (can be self imposed, but will cause a Skill and Job Change). The more widely worshiped the deity is due to the user's actions, the greater benefits the party can reap. Takes a random form at each encounter.
~Scroll for more…~
Items:
"Angelic Robed Armor" (1)
White, Angelic Hooded Robes paired with a Silver-like Chestplate, gauntlets, leg braces and boots. When used as a full set, it is enchanted to negate Dark spells (example being Necromancy) of sixth tier and below, and also to subtract the amount of mana needed to cast Divine Spells.
"Priestly Garbs" (1)
A black, Priestly hooded cloak paired with a white collar, hidden tan tunic, paired with black trousers and boots. Often used by players for Roleplayer purposes. Because it is neither enchanted or acts as armor, it can be used as a disguise to hide apparel with armor and enchantment values. However, with a simple information or illusion negation spell, Second Parties can easily view what is hidden through the "in game menu".
"Potion: Health": (8)
Simple, but potent, Health Potion
"Potion: Mana": (6)
Simple, yet potent, Mana Potion
"Potion: Stamina": (8)
Simple, yet Potent, Stamina Potion.
"Ring of Negating Death"
At the expense of the Ring, the bearer can survive any attack that may risk their HP Value going into the negative, being reset to 1 HP, while also removing any negative status effects.
"Ring of Sustenance"
Removes the need to Eat, Drink, or Sleep. Some say that other needs may also be ignored, however, the player base has yet to discover them...
"Charm of Faith"
Increases the effects of the 'Priest-Like Bonuses' which allows allied entities outside of the Party to benefit from the [Chosen Preacher]
"Monocle of Literature"
Allows the user to read foreign, or long lost languages. Does not allow them to write or speak said language.
~Scroll for more…~
Class Definitions:
General descriptions: a Class does not necessarily have to be adventurer oriented, and can take the shape of various jobs and positions that can be generalized into simple terms. For example, a store manager that has worked their way up from the bottom may have a number of levels in [Salesman], [Manager], [Laborer], and [Worker]. It should be noted that these all give passive bonuses, and "Skills" require a separate, but intertwined system to use. So there can be a level 50 Warrior without any martial skills, if they were never taught, and instead may come up with their own combat style and benefit from only passive effects.
Players would base job commitment based on the range of levels one put into a skill.
Interest: levels 1 - 5
Hobby: levels 5 - 10
Part Time: 10 - 15
Duel User 15 - 20+
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Class Title, Angelic Warrior: Max Level: 20 | Status: Rare
The Class "Angelic Warrior" is a Race Specific class that focuses on the Angel's ability to turn their form into a weapon, ranging from using their feathers as a never ending source of lightning quick arrows, to turning their Halo into an unstoppable boomerang. It also allows better maneuverability in air while utilizing the user's Angelic Wings. The higher the level, the more effective the method is.
Class Title, Divine Caster: Max Level: 20 | Status: Rare
The Class, "Divine Caster", is a generalized class that delves into Divination Magic, a power that is often attributed to the "power of the Gods". These powers are often found in the forms of light magic, such as [Repel Undead], or [Cure Ailments], though offensive magic is also in their catalog of skills. This Class allows the usage of magic trees such as those from Divination, Evocation, Abjuration, and Transmutation.
Class Title, Divine Summoner: Max Level: 20 | Status: Rare
The Class "Divine Summoner" acts as a subclass of the skill "Summoner", which focuses on the summoning of Angelic Beings, which can range from unintelligent beings such as [Guardian of Faith], to Sentient powerhouses such as [Archangel].
Class Title: Heaven's Chosen: Max Level: 5 | Status: Unique
The Class “Heaven's Chosen” is an Ultimate Class, only available once Angelic races unlock their Level Caps and reach level 80. The Class allows Classes Such as [Divine Caster] and [Divine Summoner] to take less mana to cast.
Class Title, Lonely Beacon: Max Level: 10 | Status: Rare
The Class “Lonely Beacon” is an alternative to the Lone Wolf, prioritizing benefits towards Lawful Good Characters by granting Boons based on the amount of people they help. The full benefits only activate when they are in a One Person Party (excluding summons).
Class Title, Priest: Max Level: 10 | Status: Common
The Class, "Priest", acts more of a "roleplayer" and support class, allowing various NPC's to give alternate dialog, while also boosting the stats of the player and their party while having a following to a deity of their choosing. The more progress one makes towards making the name of their deity known, the more benefits and substantial power they receive. Though it acts as a debuff in hostile religious environments, making it a nearly detrimental skill to those that like adventuring in opposing religious standings. Due to this, the SubClass can be turned off once a week for the week's duration.
Class Title, Saint: Max Level: 5 | Status: Unique
A Class which gives larger benefits to Lawful Good actions, while punishing Chaotic Evil actions through a mix of reputation changes, reward alterations, and possible class changes in rare circumstances.
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What is considered "normal" for this world. What also must be considered, is that denizens also have "level caps" that cannot be naturally negated or increased, and that the residents of the world have no way outside of their lifestyle to allocate points / make Class decisions, meaning they are only as strong as the system allows. Anyone can have an unlimited amount of subclasses, assuming they have enough levels to spec into such a commitment. Class levels themselves have no achievable limit, however, it is stated that denizens of the new world may take decades to even approach level 20, unless they are prodigies or geniuses, and those of longer life expectations (within the few hundred, to thousand year range) rarely manage to reach level 35 before they hit a wall, assuming that they have larger level limits, and focus on a single class.
Peasant: levels 1-5
Soldier / Apprentice / low level adventurers: levels 5-15
Knight / Caster / experienced Adventurers: level 15-20
Elite Guards / Mage Instructor / Veteran Adventurers: levels 20-30
Secret Weapon / Court Magician / Top Ranked Adventurers: levels +30
Leveling Up
To level up, one needs to focus their efforts into a Job Class. It should be noted that Job Classes have Level Limits, meaning that for many Peasants to rise past level five (the level cap of many Common Classes), they would need to obtain a second Class. The minimum cap for the denizens of the New World is 20, but many do not reach that point due to the monotonous tasks their lives require them to partake in, leaving them with few Classes to spec into.