“Please, insert a name.”

My consciousness woke up, and a question sounded from a distance. The message prompted up, realizing it was asking for a name.

“Name acquired, Miss Iris, now loading the avatar structure. Once the process has been completed, we will initiate the tutorials phase.”

A bright area, without any object or possible distance, can be seen as a wall, said tutorial.

“Now I need you to move around and get used to moving in the MMO while you want to try jumping a little.”

Walk around. The body I have cannot be matched. This body moves too well, far from my original body. Even I could jump without feeling pain in my ankle.

Followed a set of tutorials, the climbing, crawling, running, rolling and everything. The tutorials ended.

“White City, so this was our city.” I thought to myself. It looked like the sun was bright, like in real life.

Am I the first one to finish the tutorials? Immediately after finishing the tutorials, I went to the middle of the city with the fountain in the middle, which was enough landmarks to be seen.

*A chat room opened*

Maho: Is anyone finished their tutorials already? Please respond.

Rosa: Oh Maho, I’ve already finished earlier, just done refit these clothes.

Maho: …, anyway we should meet.

I thought, where they finished it earlier than me, for now, let’s join the chat.

Iris: I’ve also finished with mine. I’m currently at the fountain in the centre of the city.

Maho: Oh, Iris? That is a good landmark, Rosa and I will meet you there.

Rosa: Maho, you can go ahead and meet Iris first. I’ll be coming after I finish this.

*End Chat*

The chat ended, as the message was relatively easy. I just looked at the chat box prompt below, and a virtual keyboard popped up, and I typed what message I wanted to say. Looking at other players, there was a group like us and someone just alone. They probably like us.

“Damn that Rosa was taking her time. Can’t she take this a bit seriously? Right, Iris?”

A short girl with long light blue hair comes toward me. With that comment, it was for sure Maho. So the avatar in the game would follow the same proportions as their authentic world self.

“Maho!! You are so cute!!”

“WHAT!? I don’t see any difference. It’s my usual self. And I see you also the same, Iris.”

Was I wrong? I thought Maho was a bit cuter than before. I wondered what had happened. I touched her body and face. Then I noticed something different from Maho.

“What are you doing, Iris?!”

“Sorry, Maho, I just noticed you don’t have your glasses. I thought you had bad eyesight.”

“Now that you mention it, I also noticed I don’t have my glasses on me.”

“How’s your vision right now?”

“I don’t see anything blurry at the moment, so it’s alright. It must be those, Sleeping pod features, and I don’t think anything has been registered other than our body and these uniform.”

Maho getting the conclusion excited me to hear her talk. She is like a big sister to me, even though she is half my size. Since when we were kids, she has been the one that taught me a lot of things.

“Guess who?”

A hand closed both my eye with an alluring voice, this height, and most significant bit, her chest behind my head, could only be Rosa.

“Can you stop that already, Rosa? We not here for games.”

“But, Maho-chan, this is a game, hehe.”

“Rosa, I know it was you. You are the only ones that have that kind of voice.”

“That right, Iris, it’s Rosa-chan!”

Rosa released her hand, and that cherry-like character could only be Rosa. I also noticed her attire was utterly different. When we were at the speech, she had already let loose. The two tops button on her uniform already unbutton, and the skirt seems shorter, revealing her long legs and chest.

With that short blond hair, striped red, it’s only Rosa, bold enough to do that.

“Well, one-chan will give a daily massage here for the reward!”

“Ahaha, stop it, Rosa people are watching!”

Rosa, again, with her massage, just groped me all over. Surprisingly, other students looked at us, especially the boys.

*Kick*

“AH! Maho-san, why you interrupted our massage?”

“Idiot, can you take this seriously enough?”

Maho was mad. The look on her face was enough to cause chaos all over. All the other people around us kept walking, fearing Maho’s glare. Some even run.”

“I’m sorry, Maho. But checking on Iris was important, and Iris, your body, seems to develop enough. You can get married now.”

“Thank you?” I thought to myself. I didn’t understand what Rosa implied about that.

Coming from a distance, a purple hair girl with a ponytail hairstyle. Tall, like a model, can only be Cloe, dressed formally, like an honour student, as other students look at her with that cold expression never leaving her face.

“There are last ones, Cloe, here!”

Rosa called on Cloe, not reply. Cloe came to us. I just noticed how cool Cloe looked when she was silent.

“Now we have grouped up. Let’s get started already.”

“What we’re supposed to do now?”

“To be sure, all of you can hear me clearly, right? Because I don’t want to repeat.”

Rosa and I replied, Yes. As for Cloe, she only nodded in silence.

“Cloe, can’t you talk? I noticed from the beginning that you were not speaking a thing.”

“Yeah, Iris, that also weirded me out. Could it be that her system bugged?”

Maho also noticed me pointed out as she is like a silent protagonist from old games, just saying ‘yes’ or ‘no’ most of the time.

“Can you try speaking, Cloe?”

“How do we talk?”

Eh? That was Cloe’s talk. Why in the world did she ask us how to?

“What an idiot. She didn’t even realize that she was talking to us? There should be a limit to how you lack knowledge in the technology, even with this.”

“Maho, I think something like this already happened before, right?”

Before this, I remember that when we got a new phone, she would just leave it home. And after a while, she said her phone was broken and she didn’t charge it beforehand.

I whispered to Cloe how to talk in this game.

“Wow, I didn’t realize that. Thank you, Iris. I thought I was done for.”

“From what?”

“I held my breath for a long time and started to breathe back.”

“That our Cloe, she thought we’re in the water or something.”

Rosa, smirking at off thought of her friends, was able to hold her breath that long, while it amazed us, just not at the right moment.

“I just noticed that Maho seems to be not here right now. How she talks with us from afar?”

“What do you mean, Cloe? She with us all the time, here.”

“This girl? But Maho wear glasses, right?”

“Well, I don’t wear one now, you. You don’t know it’s me, Cloe?”

Rosa smiled, and by the look on her face, she enjoyed every moment.

“Cloe…, it was unfortunate, but Maho we know were gone, and we have replaced it with ‘The Maho V2’, much like our Maho. She more furious than ever.”

“I see…, well Maho V2, it’s good to be working together from here on out.”

Maho getting teased here and there. What going to happen from now on will be both of your faults. Cloe only looked at Maho for her glasses. It was her fault, to begin with.

“I kill you both!!”

Done with the arguing, we started to discuss the game’s system.

“Class System, is what important at the moment?”

“As you can see, we were looking into classes in the quest and request tab, and the time limit was seven days.”

“So we needed to get into any classes that would be good?”

We all opened our quest menu of our own while checking on the status of our character.

“Well, yes, and not really the solution. We probably needed something that specializes in our abilities, stats.”

“Why was that important?”

“Well, for a starter, if you are high in intelligence, you want to use something that benefits that area. If not, you will waste the stats you build into a waste of talents, thus will prevent your class’s progression.”

Maho explained that we show all of our stats by three stats, Strength, Dexterity and Intelligence.

Looked at our stats mine, Strength 12pts, Dexterity 15pts, and Intelligence 20pts the highest pts.

While Cloe’s Strength is 32pts, Rosa’s Dexterity is 30pts, and Maho’s Intelligence is 35pts. All three of them differ from each other, but we can see the stats given what they specialize in. I didn’t know that mine was the lowest stats, given.

“Now we know our stats, we can head to the training area and try a few tutorials before we decide to take what class we got.”

This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

Little that I know that the stats were essential to get into classes after that while I was just going along with them.

*Melee Training area*

There were pretty several students there. They test their skills and some even flashy moves. The area was inside the school campus in the north of the city. There they have a few sites with test equipment that students can borrow.

The place was deafening, with students talking, training and all.

“This is the melee area. Would you like to tryouts?”

“Yes, we want to.”

“Well, this was the training area, so you can try out any melee weapon you like.”

One male student called on us as we looked at the area. Cloe replies steadily as she head inside the room.

There were various weapons, broadswords, axe, clubs, spears, etc. weapon.

“Maho, how to use this? I can’t seem to hold it properly.

“The spear? Well, you go to that and just hold it long enough for it to equip. Like this, *Dagger Equip* see?”

“I see, *Spear Equip* I got it, thanks, Maho.”

Steadily Cloe walked to the spear, and as it caught her attention, she asked Maho how. As immediately she managed to equip it.

The spear is made of iron. I am amazed Cloe can hold it like it’s light.

“Cloe, if you want to try it, the training dummy can be hit to test your strength.”

Cloe takes a stance at a distance away from the training dummy, readying her posture.

*Stab! Stab! Stab! Stab!*

The initial first followed with two more stabs swiftly, and finally, the stab sent the training dummy knocked back with a shockwave created. All the students around mesmerize by Cloe’s skills and group on her.

“Wow, you are so strong. Will you join our party?”

“Hey, you! I’m the one that comes to her first. Of course, she going to join our party.”

“I’m sorry, but I already have the promised friends.”

Looking at Cloe surrounded by other students makes me remember that she was popular with her calm, beautiful looks. Her ace at every sport sometimes makes me jealous of her talents.

For now, let me try out this weapon, a broadsword. It is simple enough. I hold my hand on the gun, and it equips-

“Wait, Iris, that wea-”

“huh?! *Broadsword Equip* Wha! *Thunk* What happened? Why was this sword too heavy?”

A red message popped, ‘Warning the equipment was too heavy.’ Maho tried to stop me, but as it was too late, I realized the weapon’s weight had thrown me off.

*Broadsword Unequipped* I released the grip, and the broad sword was no longer carried in my hands.

“That’s what happens when you don’t meet the required stats needed to wield it. Instead of a weapon, it will become useless. Here you can try the dagger I have.”

“Let me try it *Dagger equip*. Wow, so this is a weapon.”

As Maho said, I can hold it. By the way, I can use the item description to see the item status. It will tell how many stats are needed for it.

“Are you alright, Iris?”

“Yes, I was just surprised that all.”

Cloe, hold my hands, check up on me. Just realized other students looked toward us, and they whispered to each other, probably about me.

“Don’t hear them, Iris. We can try out other things.”

Rosa realized it and told me not to pay much attention to them.

“How was it, Cloe? Do you got your job change already?”

“Let me check. There, a class opened up, Fighter.”

“It was probably the starter class for most melee users. Do you want to take that class now?”

“No, at this moment, we can change after we looked the other two training areas.”

Cloe knew she didn’t want to be the one that had the class waiting for us to get our class.

*Range’s Training Area*

We come to the shooting range, where many students use bows and arrows to practice their skills.

“Go, Rosa, take the bow and try to shoot.”

“Yes, Cloe, let me give it a try. Watch me getting bull eyes.”

“Give your best, Rosa.”

I supported Rosa, as Cloe already knows that Rosa specializes in this kind of activity.

“Let’s see a Longbow, ‘Longbow Equip’ and arrow ‘Arrow Equip’ from this distance.”

She takes a stance, pulls strings, and is the bow equipped with an arrow.

*Shoot!*

The farthest target Cloe managed to shut them down, not bull eye to the target points but managed to hit from this far. She then focuses it more and hits two more without a bull eye.

“So how is it, Rosa?”

“Oh, Iris, I tried my best but couldn’t hit the point. But I got the archer’s class notification just now.”

“Well, despite without class and skills, you still managed to hit it. It wasn’t luck but rather talents you have.”

Some students looked at Rosa and noticed some male students had bad looks towards Rosa. Just to be safe, I told Rosa to be careful.

“Iris, do you want to try it?”

“Really? But I don’t have enough stats to use a bow.”

“Don’t worry, you can use this short bow. I teach you how to shoot it.”

I tried the short bow and together the tiny arrow.

“Like this, Rosa?”

“No, no, Iris, your body to tense. Let it loose here.”

“Rosa, what are you doing, my button?”

Rosa unbuttoned me. As I’m still holding the bow and arrow.

“Eek!”

“You need to set your body free and focus on the target. Let onee-chan pull your strings….”

*Thump!*

“That’s enough, Rosa.”

*Swoosh*

The arrow missed the closest target ultimately. As for Rosa, she was getting beaten by Cloe, and Maho would be the least of my concern.

Unlike Rosa, I don’t have the necessary skills or talents to wield powerful weapons or pull a bowstring to hit the target. I wonder if the next is going to be where I could find the class I specialize in.

Let’s head to the next area. Maho goes to the magic training area. Rather than open area training, we come to the ‘Hall of Magic’

*Hall Of Magic-Magic training area*

Going inside, the building looked more spent. There were whole other levels of floor dedicated to the magic. A girl at one of the terminals near the entrance greeted us.

“Did you come here for the magic training? Or starting a new class?”

“We’re here to find our talents in magic.”

“If that is so, you can use this magic terminal, and it will tell your level of magic and elemental level you have.”

“Let Rosa try it first. I want to know my element.”

Rosa excitedly puts her hand on the terminal as it loads the information. The crystal on the M turned green.

“Rosa, Wind element Lvl 1.”

“I knew it, Cloe. Now it is your turn.”

“Cloe, Ice element Lvl 1.”

“Excuse me, miss, what element have to do with the level?”

Rosa asked the girl, as she seemed to know about the system behind this.

“Well, for starters, you usually will be given one element level of one, though learning more and progressing more in that class will unlock more potential. As an element given, that person can only learn that element, as the element is embedded to each person differently.”

“I see, so what were these elements?”

“There were seven elements that existed at the moment, Fire, Ice, Wind, Water, Thunder, Earth, Holy and Dark. As dark rarer than ever.”

I see that the crystal’s colour determines the element we already have in our avatar. However, I hope at least for any element magic so I can practice magic.

Maho goes to the terminal and checks her magic aptitude. The crystal showed a red colour and then a blue one together.

“Maho, Fire Element Lv1 and Ice Element Lv1”

“A two-element instead of one? This has never happened before.”

“Well, as expected for our little lady, full of surprised.”

Announced the two elements, all the students looked confused as they noticed the crystal was mixed in two colours.

They focus their gaze on Maho, who calmly lifts her hand, not even amazed at that discovery.

“Iris, now it is your turn.”

Maho told me to take the on the terminal, as she probably didn’t want the attention. Looked at how she got away from the machine terminal and grabbed Cloe.

I put my hand as the data load into the crystal, “Please give me something I can use” Thought to myself. The clear crystal turned into bright white.

“Iris, data cannot be found….”

What is that supposed to mean? There must be some error. I place my hand one more time.

“Iris, data cannot be found….”

Still, the terminal is showing an error. There must be something wrong with this terminal.

“Miss that probably, the Holy element you have. That error probably confuses it with the uses.”

“Holy element, you said?”

“The user with Holy element usually specializes in support magic.”

Support magic? Could I still be used in the group? I thought the error happened, but as she said, it was the Holy element if you take it.

“You both can try the basic spells using the staff.”

“Let’s try it out, Iris.”

The magic tutorials teach us to focus on the magic as we discover spells depending on the elemental. There were many magic choices but depending on the mana points determined how much magic could be produced.

While Maho decided to try out Fireball and Ice bullet. Meanwhile, it seems the only holy magic I can use is Heal. Surprisingly, the mana I have only managed to do it once.

“Gathering the fire element around and forming the projectile with mana from the user to release the Fire Ball, I got it.”

Maho, thinking aloud, reads the description of the magic. Unlike me, I have a detailed understanding of the manual.

She then uses the staff to focus the elemental power of fire, the red magic circle formed under her. She concentrated hard on the magic circle and poured her mana into the projectile.

“Fire Ball!” *Swoosh*

The training dummy hit with the magic, and there was burn damage after it hit. She focuses on another one, magic-like the same stance, but a white-blue magic circle form under her.

“Ice bullet!” *Shing!*

The icicle projectile hit the dummy on fire and put it out, creating a steam of smoke.

“Maho, that was amazing.”

“It’s nothing, just basic spells. However, I noticed that you still didn’t cast your spell. How come?”

Maho seemed eager and awaited my spells, but still, I didn’t know if I could, do it right. But I won’t disappoint Maho.

For now, I just focused on creating the magic circle, and my target was the training dummy for the spell Heal. Gathering the Light element-

“Nothing happened? Maho? How did you gather the elemental again?”

“For light element, just focus on something bright, or a light thing should do it.”

Still, there wasn’t anything, and even there wasn’t even the magic circle formed. I focused long enough, thinking, “Let me create something!!”. I felt the went haywire.

An enormous magic circle surrounds the training area. To my surprise, I pour mana into it, and suddenly I’m sleepy.

I finally opened my eyes. I was on the bench nearby. Maho, with worry on her face, looked at me.

“Iris, you are finally awake! You idiot!”

“Wait, Maho, what happened? What happened to the spells?”

“Iris, after that large magic circle formed, you suddenly lost power, and the magic circle disappeared. They said you lose consciousness because of the lack of mana, as has happened before.”

“I see. I thought I would’ve at least something I could do, but I lack anything.”

It was rough, the lack of stats. Probably, because I have had a weak body since I was a child and always have been sick. I always make them worried. I don’t want them to waste their life looking after me.

They sacrifice so much for me, and I want to do something that can help them.

*White’s Fountain*

We went back to the fountain to decide what the next plan was.

“It seems we hit a wall, huh?”

“Well, we still have six or fewer days before the quest ends.”

“Yes, as long we search, there would probably be a way for this.”

Even after all that, they still had not given up on me. They knew already. But to take care of me, they just ignored all that.

I want to change!

“We can check the town. If anything, that could become a class.”

“Good idea, Maho.”

I stand up in front of them, gathering my courage.

“Iris?”

“Everyone, listen now. I know you wanted to help me, but please let me find my way. I didn’t want my selfishness and keep you all from doing what you want.”

I know it is selfish of me. I want us to be together. But, that might hurt me to see that my friends also suffer alongside me.

“Well then, if you don’t need us, Iris, we will find our own path from now on.”

“?!”

*Job change, Fighter*

“I guess I do the same.* Job change, Archer* there."

They change their class into their respective stats and gain their starting weapon, for Cloe, a spear. Rosa got her bow and arrow.

Cloe goes walked towards the Training area.

“Iris, don’t pay much of Cloe, anyway. If you want to talk, just message me, alright?”

*Nodded*

Rosa goes together with Cloe, just as I thought I was holding them back.

“Iris, don’t worry, I’m still here. We can find a way.”

*Shrugs* “No, Maho, there is the person that needed you, and you going to waste your talents on me. Like you said before, you don’t t want to waste talent, right?”

Maho knows that but is still willing to give up her dreams for me.

“There you are, Maho-san. Our group lacks a mage. We wondered if you wanted to join our party?”

“See, Maho, their person needed you. You don’t want to betray their expectation.”

“If you say so, *Class change ‘Mage’* Take care, Iris-nee. I message you every day.”

“There she goes.” I thought to myself as I looked at her following that girl. Then, again I told her not to call me that.

Well, that’s done. There is probably, something I can do. Let’s head to the city.

*Rosa’s Perspective*

After separating the group, Cloe returned to the training area.

“Wow, Cloe, I didn’t think you would say that to Iris.”

“She is actually the one that asked for this. I just telling the truth. Furthermore, it would be good for us to focus on the tasks now.”

Cloe wasn’t a good liar. Anything she said wasn’t true with that tear on her face. There is no way Cloe meant all that. She probably thinking of how to apologize to Iris. She cannot even walk straight anymore.

“Iris…, Iris…”

Now she just lost her mind. If Iris sees this, she must have already broken a laugh. How much mental damage has she suffered because of Iris?

“UWAHH!!”

*Wet Debuff*

Even she cried, can cause wet debuff to herself. What a person. I thought she had an ice element, not a water element.

“There, there. Iris Iris wouldn’t hate you.”

“Really?”

Jeez, now I started to regret following her. It is like taking care of a child.

“For now, we just have to believe in Iris, and you need to do your best, is what Iris wanted for us.”

“Your right. We will become strong enough to protect all of us for the sake of Iris.”

Finally, she snaps it out. Wait…

“What? What do you mean by us? It just you didn’t?”

“No more holding back. Let us become stronger, Rosa!”

She pulled me like a gorilla power dragged me by the legs.

“Iris! Come back, Iris! Save me!”

Now I really curse myself for caring for her. All my dreams to enjoy and relax have ended.

*Chapter 1 End*