As I'm lazing around on my couch like a slob, I take a look at the clock on the wall. However, doing this only makes time pass slower, so I decide to get my lazy ass up and start doing stuff to kill time.
Why am I doing this, you ask? Well, that's because I recently ordered a new console and game. The game is this new craze called Artamos, and apparently it's the first VR full body fantasy game to come out.
There's magic and fairies and plenty and shit like that. I've never been so excited in my life ordering something before.
I take a look at the clock again. My order was supposed to arrive at noon, but it already 2 pm. These shipping times are never accurate.
Right as those thought enter my mind, the bell rings. That must be it!
I jump across my furniture and quickly make my way to the door. Opening it, I see a man who plops down a giant box. He's breathing heavily, probably from carrying that giant ass box.
"Hello, huff, is this the house of a certain twenty-one year old Louis Cartel?"
"Yeah, that's me."
"Well, this is your DivePod order. Your game is included inside the box. Now if you could sign here please..."
He hands me a piece of paper on a clipboard. After reading through it carefully, there doesn't seem to be anything sketchy in these papers.
I sign it, and hand it back to him.
"Thank you. Would you like any help with setting up the machine?"
Do I? Now that I think about it, I am absolutely terrible at this type of stuff, and I want to play as fast as possible.
"Yeah, sure. Thanks."
With a grunt, he picks up the box and slowly walks towards the living room. I help him out, seeing as the box is heavy as hell.
Then, he opens the box and says:
"Give me about ten to fifteen minutes, it should be up and running by then."
I nod and wait patiently as he begins putting together the wires and everything.
After a while, he finishes.
"Alright, I'm done here."
He gets up, then starts packing up his stuff and leaves. I close the door and begin getting antsy.
I can't wait to play! Oh shit, I'm already thinking of all the magic I should learn in this game.
Before I head into the DivePod, I make sure to mentally prepare myself. After taking a moment to recollect myself, I jump into the machine.
"Start!"
Everything goes black.
After a couple seconds, light starts forming and I could see again.
I take a look around me. Everything is white as far as the eye could see. Nothing but white. Is this part of the game or something? After staring around for a bit, I decide to finally move around, but I hear a rustling sound behind me.
Surprised, I turn around and see a shadow in the form of a human.
"Hi?"
"Welcome to Artamos! Please enter your name here."
A pedestal pops out from the ground and on it there's a keyboard. Wow, that's extra. I take a while to think of my name, but eventually I go with Lartel, a mix of Louis and Cartel.
A message pops up in front of me.
Your name shall be 'Lartel'. Is this okay?
Note: This cannot be changed unless by using a special item.
Y / N
"Yeah, that's the name I want."
Your name has been set as Lartel.
The human-like shadow nods in approvement.
"Thank you. Now, would you like to change your appearance?"
Should I?
I raise my arms and look at myself. I don't think I'm THAT ugly, so I should just leave it be.
"Nah, I'm good."
"Alright. Everything is set. You shall be spawn in the Field of Beginnings. Have fun!"
Everything goes black again.
This time when I open my eyes, I'm standing in an open field. Everywhere around me is nature. Trees, flowers, lakes. It's peaceful. Oh yeah, there are new players everywhere as well. Some of them are running around, and others just waiting for their friends to join.
From here, I take a look around me for where to go.
It's not that hard to figure out, as the developers spawn you just a small walk away from a huge town.
I make my way there, while looking at the gorgeous scenery. I haven't paid close attention before, but everything is extremely realistic it's scary.
Eventually, I arrive to the gates. There are some guards there and they look at me, but then they nod.
I guess that means I'm good to go? I enter the town and am immediately overtaken by how busy it is. Once I reach the town square, it gets even more hectic.
Everywhere around me are NPC's and players alike, yelling. Some for recruiting members, and others are merchants, selling their wares.
After a while, I decide to explore the area. There are plenty of inns, weapon and magic shops, and different building for specific stuff, like getting a class.
I stumble upon a giant castle, which I assume is where the king lives. Obviously.
There are knights everywhere patrolling the area, which kind of scares me.
Imperial Knight
Level 32
Holy shit! Level 32?! I'm only level 1...
I decide to head to the guild hall to take on some requests, so I can earn some quick experience and money, the two things that I need most at the moment.
Right now, I don't think I want a class just yet. I want to see what there is to offer.
As I make my way to the guild hall, using my map to guide me, a hand grabs onto my shoulder and I get shoved into a dark alleyway.
"What the fuck?!"
I panic, and I scan the area to see what grabbed me.
A hooded figure comes out of the shadows.
"You will join us."
The voice is strangely deep. I think they're using some type of voice changer. Am I about to get kidnapped? No, take a deep breath, think this through calmly.
"Why the fuck should I join you?"
They pause for a moment.
"Because.."
Am I possibly the chosen one?! Oh god, maybe this is some kind of special event, just for me!
"We don't have enough members!"
Or not.
"What even are you?! Some emo group or something?"
"How rude! I am the leader of the dark thieves!"
Dark thief? Sounds weak.
"What's the difference between this and a regular thief?"
"Aha! Are you interested? I can tell you if you join me."
"No, not really. Can I go now?"
I turn around and start making my way out of the alleyway, but this time they cling onto my leg.
"No wait! Don't go! I'm the only member, and I need more!"
Once again, I turn back around.
"So let me get this straight... Because you don't have enough members in your 'dark thief' guild, you decide that kidnapping people is the best way to go?"
"Yes!"
"Wouldn't it be way easier to just hang around some posters in the guild hall or something?"
"Oh, never thought about that."
"Dumbass..." I mutter.
"But worry not! You shall join as the first recruited member!"
"Listen, I don't want to-"
"Okay! Let me tell you about dark thieves. They are similar to regular thieves, except they use the power of the dark."
"So they're like... evil thieves?"
"Exactly!"
"Aren't all thieves evil? Stealing is a crime..."
"No, no, no! I didn't explain it well. You can use, uh... How do I say this? Dark powers! So, how about it? Want to join me as a dark thief?"
"Listen man, I don't.."
A message pops up in front of me.
Class Change
Would you like to change your class into 'Dark Thief'?
Note: This action cannot be reversed unless changed with a special item.
Y / N
Oh, this is an easy decision.
"N-"
Suddenly, the hooded figure says.
"Should I just try and find someone else..?"
Finally, they get the point!
"Yes! You should"
Your class has been changed into 'Dark Thief'.
No class --> Dark Thief
Wait, what?
"No, no, no." I mutter as I open my status page. Praying that this isn't real, I read it as it pops up in horror.
Lartel
Level 1
Class: Dark Thief
50/50 HP
10/10 MP
The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.
Click here for more stats
GOD DAMNIT!!!
I'm extremely pissed. I wanted to choose a class on my own! Without even paying attention to the hooded figure anymore, I bolt to the guild hall. There's gotta be a way to change this!
I enter the guild hall, and see that there are also plenty of other players here, either taking quests or just hanging around with others.
As for me, I head straight to the support center. This is where you ask questions about the game, and the NPC can tell you anything you need to know. A tall woman is sitting on a stool.
"Hello! What would you like to know?"
Without stalling, I get straight to it.
"How do I change my class?"
"Oh, that should be quite easy. Please, let me check your class..."
I wait patiently as this happens. No matter how long it takes, I don't want this shitty ass class.
"Oh! It seems that your certain class cannot be changed unless by using a special item."
What the hell?
"Um, is there a way for me to get this item?"
"Unfortunately, I am afraid that I do not know."
"Shit."
"I am sorry for the inconvenience, however I do recommend taking some quests at the quest center over there. Maybe it could aid you in your search to change your class?"
"I guess so.. Thanks."
This time, I head to the quest center. As I'm walking by, I realize just how much people have been grinding this game. Nothing big has happened yet, since it's only been out for a little less than a week, but everyone already has what seems to be extremely good armor and weapons.
Eventually, I get to the quest center. I should probably start by earning enough money to spend the night here.
"Hello, are you new here?"
"Yes."
"Alright. Before you are able to take a quest, you must first register as an aventurer!"
"And how do I do that?"
She taps on the desk and a tablet type thing shows up.
"Please sign everything on this."
I do as I'm instructed, and click 'OK'. The tablet transforms into a card, with a picture of my face and a rank... It seems that I'm rank E.
"What are these ranks?"
"Ranks determine what type of quests you are able to take, and can even bring you many benifits as you increase it. There are seven ranks, ranging from S, A, and all the way to E. There are even legends of a hidden rank, however that is a rumor."
"Ok then... What's your easiest E rank quest that pays enough for an inn?"
"Oh, we have just the thing for you!"
She hands me a piece of paper, and a message pops up in front of me. Doesn't that kinda make the paper useless? Well, whatever.
Quest: Boar Hunting
The sudden increase in boars have been worrying the townspeople. Crops and buildings have been ruined by them. Eliminate them to calm down the townspeople! Boars can be found in the Forest of Wonder.
Goal: Kill 10 Boars (0/10)
Reward: 10 copper
Accept? Y / N
Sounds easy enough. 10 copper? I'm not sure how much that is, I'll have to figure that out later.
"Yeah, this sounds good. I'll take it."
You have accepted the quest.
I head out of the guild hall.
"So it says here that I have to head to the Forest of Wonder... Where is that?"
Opening up my map, I'm surprised to find that most of it is blank, except for the parts that I've already visited. Does it update as you explore. That sucks...
Instead, I decide to ask the nearest NPC where it is.
"Hello! Would you mind telling me where the Forest of Wonder is?"
He looks irritated.
"Are ya new to tha town of Arimia, mate?! Everybody knows where it is. Follow this path to the town square and take a right. Ya can't miss it."
"Alright, thanks man!"
I start jogging back to the town sqaure. It's still as busy as before, with people yelling everywhere. I follow the man's directions and take a right. I see the gate!
Heading out the town, I stroll through the forest in awe. It's extremly nice here. There are some other players here as well, probably doing the same quest as me.
While I'm walking, I notice that there's an abundance of boars. So far, there are none here. Maybe they're deeper in the forest?
I decide that this is a good time to check out my skills. Better not dwell on the past, I gotta work with what I have. I find the nearest stump and sit on it.
Then, I open up my skills list. It seems that I only have three right now.
Steal
Steal a random object from anythign carrying something. Can only be used within a one meter radius of the target.
Level 1
Mastery 0.00%
MP cost: 5
Shit, this is expensive! That's like half my max MP. Well, this is to be expected as a thief. What else is there?
Shadow Hide
Hide within the shadows for a limited period of time! Other skills cannot be activated while in this state.
Level 1
Mastery 0.00%
MP cost: 3/sec
Damn, this is expensive too! I can only use it for three seconds... It could prove to be useful though. Now, what's the last one?
Cut-Throat
Contacting the opponent's throat with your weapon will deal a massive amount of damage! Attack scales with speed.
Level 1
Mastery: 0.00%
MP cost: 2ͪ͏͙ ̡̰̠̺̯͉͉͓̯ͩ̄̈̏̐͢m̨͖̮̹͈͚͔̺ͬ̔̂ͬͩp̵̳̩̼̳ͬ̽ͩ̿͝͞
Wait... what the fuck is wrong with the mana cost? I think that says 2 MP... I need to test this out.
After looking through all the skills, it doesn't seem all that bad, to be honest. I would have preferred to be a magician, but I guess I'll stick with this for now.
And about this 'Cut-Throat' skill... How much mana does it actually cost?
A grunt sound happens behind me. I'm pretty sure that's a boar. Time to test this out.
I hide behind a tree, and luckily the boar still hasn't seen me. How much health do they have?
Boar
Level: 1
10/10 HP
Slowly, I sneak up behind and using the basic dagger I activate...
Cut-Throat!
My dagger glows and immediately I move it to the boar's neck. He reacts in surprise and explodes into pieces. However, there isn't any blood.
-32 HP!
You have gained 3 experience!
Nice, I killed it! Now, let's see what happened to my MP here...
Lartel
Level 1
Class: Dark Thief
50/50 HP
10/10 MP
Click here for more stats
Holy shit, I still have max MP? Does this mean it costs nothing? Shit, this is gonna be so broken!
I grin as I realize just what kind of skill I have. This might be a wrongly programmed skill by the developpers, but I plan to use it to the best of my ability.
I continue on with the quest, hunting at least three more boars. When I kill my fourth one, I'm greeted with a pleasant surprise.
You have gained 3 experience!
You have leveled up!
Lartel Level 1 --> Level 2
5 stat points have been given. Please allocate them in the status window.
Sweet, I leveled up.
Now that I think about it, what should I invest in? Well, let's check out what options there are first.
Lartel
Level 2
Class: Dark Thief
55/55 HP
12/12 MP
Click here for more stats
I click on the button.
Strength: 5
Vitality: 5
Dexterity: 5
Agility: 5
Intelligence: 5
Wisdom: 5
Luck: 5
Since the Cut-Throat skill scales its attack power with my speed, I guess I'll go with full agility.
Allocate 5 stat points into agility?
Y / N
"Yes."
Confirmed.
Strength: 5
Vitality: 5
Dexterity: 5
Agility: 10
Intelligence: 5
Wisdom: 5
Luck: 5
As I close my status window and continue walking again, I can already feel the effects of the agility stats I put in. Since I'm almost halfway done, I decide to take a small break from hunting and explore the area a bit to fill in my map.
While admiring the scenery once again, I stumble upon a cave. With vines growing from every direction, it seems that this place has never been used in at least a couple decades.
Right as I enter the cave, a message pops up.
You are the first person to enter the 'Cave of Wonder' (Level 6 Dungeon).
Experience gained and drop rates are doubled for 1 hour.
Oh nice! I'm the first person here. It's a level 6 dungeon, but I think I can handle it. Maybe I can grind a bit with this exp boost?
As I'm walking through it, the cave is strangely lit up. It's a bit too human-like, like someone's been living here, Then, the first monster appears.
It's a small spider.
Small Cave Spider
Level 5
43/43 HP
I'm a bit scared... I could probably get one-shot by this, but I can manage this.
The spider spits at me the moment it sees me, and I roll to the side. Since the cave is somewhat wide, it's prossible to run around a bit.
I look back at where the spit lands, and the ground starts dissolving. Shit! If that hits me, I'm done for. Luckily, it's not very fast.
It spits once again, but I dodge it easily. I go behind it and activate Shadow Hide.
Since I'm in a cave, there a plenty to shadows to hide in, and the spider looks around, looking confused at where I could have possibly went.
I deactivate the skill after only two seconds and once I'm right behind him and touch its neck using my dagger.
-38 HP
It shrieks in pain and starts rolling around, forcing me off of it. But while it's confused I throw my dagger at it to finish it off.
...And it completely misses. Fuck.
The spider comes back to its senses and spits on my dagger. It dissolves almost immediately.
NOOOOOOO!
That was my only weapon!
Furious, I pick up a nearby rock and chuck it at the spider.
-1 HP
Alright, he only has 4 HP left, I'll just keep doing this!
-1 HP
-1 HP
-1 HP
-1 HP
When the final rock hit the spider, it exploded, like the boars.
You have gained 28 experience!
You have leveled up!
Level 2 --> Level 4
Lartel
Level 4
Class: Dark Thief
70/70 HP
18/18 MP
Click here for more stats
Urghh... I don't think losing my knife was worth two levels.
I once again allocate all 10 of my skill points into agility. Gotta go fast!
Now, it's at this point whether I contemplate to go on or to leave. Since I don't have my dagger anymore because of that fucking spider, I'm almost completely defenseless.
But if I leave now, I'll lose the 1 hour bonus!
While I was thinking about this, I notice a shiny object at where I killed the spider. Curious, I walked up to it and picked it up.
Spider String
This sharp string is used by cave spiders to attack prey. It is often used in alchemy, however it can also be used as a weapon.
Attack +3
Oh damn, a +3 attack bonus? The dagger was only +1... I guess this can work.
Now that I have a weapon, I decide to head back into the cave, since I can actually attack now.
For about a whole five minutes, no monsters appear. My MP starts to regenerate, but c'mon, you're wasting my bonus time! It's eerily quiet, too. Before long, I reach a dead end.
This can't be it, right? I've only encountered a spider so far...
Then I hear a scratching noise coming from behind the wall.
Then a scream.
Then someone eating.
What the fuck.
I'm a bit scared, but I decide to listen in on what's happening. I put my ear next to the wall, and hear someone, no- something, heavily breathing. Is this a boss monster?
I knock on the wall, and the wall collaspes.
Past the wall, a 10 feet tall minotaurus turns its attention to me.
Minotaurus Cave Guardian
Level 45
728/728 HP
Shit, shit, shit.
Level 45?!? Are you kidding me?! That imperial guard from before was only level 32, and he a knight for the king! Plus, this is a level 6 dungeon!
I'm so dead.
Immediately, I start to book it to the entrance, but the minotaurus starts charging at me. With a small axe in its hand, he raises it and swings it down.
The shockwave makes the entire cave shake, and rocks begin to fall, blocking my way to the entrance.
This motherfucker!
Once again, he charges, but I activate Shadow Hide just in time to negate the damage. Right after I do so, I deactivate it and start running back to where the wall was.
I need to think of something...
When I go past the wall where the minotaurus was before, I'm greeted by a circular room with skeletons everywhere.
Shit, this is creepy.
There are no other exits, so I decide to just hide underneath the huge pile of bones.
The minotaurus appears and begins to search around the room, since he knows that I gotta be in here somewhere.
Once he's right beside me, I get an idea. This has to work out perfectly, or else I'm dead.
Steal!
The axe he was carrying appears in my hand.
Yes! I got the thing I needed.
Guardian Axe
An axe blessed by the Gods. One of the few Guardian Series items that remain in the world of Artamos.
Attack +89
Ohhhh fuck yeah.
With the dissapearance of his weapon, the minotaurus begins to rage. He jumps up and slams his body downwards. I activate Shadow Hide in just the nick of time, but I still got graze by the shockwave.
- 62 HP!
Damnit, I only have 8 HP left! I have to hurry up before I die....
Since I only have 13 MP left, I have five seconds left of Shadow Hide.
As quickly as I can, I make my way to the ceiling of the cave. One thing I found out is that by using Shadow Hide, you can stick on to any shadow, no matter what direction. I can even climb vertically, as long as there's a shadow.
The minotaurus is looking around, kicking every skeleton he can in an attempt to find me, but what he doesn't know is that I'm climbing the walls. He can't see me, of course.
After about four seconds, I make it to the top and place myself right above him.
It's now or never.
I deactivate Shadow Hide, and I return to my original form. Immediately, I'm falling down at an extremely fast speed. I think I'm screaming, but I can't tell anymore. I bring out the axe and hold out it in front of me, praying for a miracle to happen.
The minotaurus hears me falling down and turns his head upwards.
And the axe meets his throat.
Critical Hit!
- 1284 HP!
The minotaurus explodes into pieces.
You have gained 30253 experience!
You have leveled up!
Level 4 --> Level 51
Plenty of messages pop up in front of me, but I don't manage to read them. My eyes blank out and I fall to the ground.
But one final message appears.
Class Change
Would you like to change your class into 'Dark Assassin'?
Y / N
Unsure of what it said, I whispered:
"Yes..?"
And everything went black.
Your class has been changed into 'Dark Assasin'.
Lartel
Level 51
Class: Dark Assassin
8/300 HP
4/100 MP
Click here for more stats
235 stat points remaining.