The star pulsed around them, dark magic permeating their bodies and transforming them. For a moment terror pierced through their minds only to disperse into surprise as the magic delivered itself onto them. It touched their very being and in an instant they were bestowed with instinctive knowledge of their new bodies born from their dreams and desires.

The star split into two and with iridescent trail they fell upon the newly born world of Floreta. A bright, summer sun shone above in the wide, blue sky dotted with cozy clouds of white, lighting the Land of Meadow Beach. Waves splashed onto white sand beaches while flower gardens and lush green grass shimmered like emeralds scattered across beach and sandbanks.

———

“Owowow…!” Tania winced as she reflexively rubbed her head, sitting sprawled out on the ground after they had unceremoniously crashed into the small cove. Agitated, her tail swiped through the wet sand and grey stone.

“Couldn’t we have landed a bit more comfortably…?” Daniel groaned, hanging upside down from the side of a jutting rock formation. It looked a bit like a massive rib… or maybe fang? Could also be a claw, Tania mused distractedly. His cloak had gotten caught on the tip.

At least they hadn’t crashed into any of the old, ramshackled fishers’ buildings scattered around the edge of the cove.

“Yeah, its was more surprising than painfully at… least…” Tania grimaced annoyed and then she blinked, staring at the black cloaked figure with that flame-like flickering eye.

“Wait, Daniel?!” She exclaimed startled. His fiery eye gazed at her and then blinked as well. The flame flickering between small and large.

“Gao Mako?” Daniel said confused before quickly shaking his head. With startling skill he flipped around and with his cloak settling back around a shadowed body he landed gracefully before her. Awkwardly he looked down at his body. “R-right, the whole ‘get avatars fitting your true desires’…”

Tania nodded slowly - so that was really Daniel, huh? - and climbed back to her own feet to look up at him. Blink. Wait… wasn’t there something wrong here? Tilting her head slowly to the side, Tania’s eyes widened as she looked up at the figure that Daniel had become and back at herself.

Those large, curvaceous breast clad in a mini top… the flaring hips and thick thighs, and behind her, a tail wagging above a bouncy bubble butt snugly fit in a shawl skirt all while squished close to the ground…!

“WOAAaah! I’m actually Gao Mako~!” Tania gasped with sparkling eyes, giddy excitement drowning whatever reasonable fears and worries had tried to take hold an unceremonious death. She twirled around herself to see her hair and skirt flutter through the air and delighted as she wagged her tail before whirling back towards Daniel.

“And you…! You’re that character I’ve seen you draw on your tablet, aren’t you~?” A teasing grin spread over her lips as she leant forwards, eyes twinkling mischievously while squishing her breasts for him to see.

“Y-y-yeah, I mean…” Daniel stumbled over his own words as Tania’s normally ineffective attack had suddenly turned into a massive hit. Quickly he shook his head, narrowing his eyes at her. “Hey, wait! I told you a dozen times over not to peek at my drawings!”

“Hehe, I didn’t think you would go for something so edgy~ Or maybe it’s just dark?” Tania just ignored his aggravated accusation, tapping her chin thoughtfully, and he groaned in resignation. She smiled wide. “So, what’s the name?”

“Threy Darsol.” He answered blandly, turning around to get a better idea of where they had landed.

The cove gazed out onto the sparkling waves of a crystal blue ocean. A harsh cliff splashed across the eastern side like a wave of stone, straightening out along the arc and flowed into a walkable, grass slope leading upwards. Not that it actually allowed them to go that way as a massive gate of vibrant corals and pink marble sealed the top of the slope. A more earthen coastline curved from there westwards with the beach continuing past the edge of the cove.

Well, that’s one way to keep the two of them on the right track, Daniel, or maybe Threy now, sweatdropped.

“Ooh, that’s a cool name.” Tania - or perhaps it was now Gao Mako? - nodded in approval and pointed towards the largest building around. “And I guess that’s our tutorial then.”

“Probably.” Daniel as Threy smiled amused.

The building in question was a large inn built into the western cliffside, the roof connecting to the edge of the cliff where the second half of the inn proudly had been erect to gaze over the cove. It stood out from the remaining buildings in that it looked well taken care of in contrast to the sun bleached ruins that the others had become. And more importantly, a green, magical glow shimmered around the entrance. Wisps flitting animatedly and floated gently within the glow. Their movement turned more agitated as the duo approached.

This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

“So, should I call you Threy then? Or how we do this?” Tania smiled up at Daniel, skipping cheerfully along his side. “This is kinda a once in a lifetime chance~!”

“You just want to role-play as Gao Mako, don’t you?” Daniel glanced towards her bemused, not at all surprised to find her bop her head in perky agreement. He snorted. “Fine, let’s go with Threy and Mako for now. But we should keep to our actual names when we find our friends.”

“Aye aye~!” Mako saluted in agreement as they hopped onto the inn’s elevated front porch.

With the quiet sound of shattering glass, the green glow around the door dispersed and the wisps hurriedly fled towards the western beach. The two blinked after them, unsure of what just happened. They glanced at each other and shrugged cluelessly, turning back towards the now accessible entrance.

“Welcome to Level One…” Mako mused out loud as she and Threy stepped inside.

The glance they shared were words enough, reassuring smiles meeting with the promise they would get through this insanity together and save their friends even qw Threy’s was hidden beneath his collar.

———

“I kinda expected more…” Threy gave voice to his and Mako’s disappointment when they weren’t suddenly whisked away to some sort of challenge or obstacle course in another part of the world. Instead there was just the foyer of a normal inn waiting for them. Though it was a bit dusty.

“Ooh, let’s see if we can’t get to the roof~!” Mako grinned and flitted up the stairs while Threy idly looked around the tables and behind the reception counter. There were keys, old notes and everything else an antique inn like this would’ve needed to check in guests.

Maybe there was something…? Before he could finish his thought, Mako’s voice echoed muffled from above.

“Hey! I found something that’s actually worth the magic glow!”

“One sec!” He called back, pocketing the keys in his cloak. An amused smile flitted over his lips at the apparently limitless capacity his pockets had now.

Hurrying after Mako, he caught up with her halfway up the stairs. With bright eyes she grinned at him.

“More magical glow~!” She laughed, presenting an intricate spell circle embedded within a transparent barrier of glowing, green light that rippled like water that sealed off the the next floor of the inn.

And this time there was a sphere floating before the barrier, just begging to be touched.

“If that’s the tutorial it’s pretty badly designed, so out of the way like this.” Threy idly commented as they stood before the glowing sphere.

“Nope, the exit door actually got sealed again after we entered~” Mako cheerfully replied, making him nearly face plant tripping over nothing.

“W-what the hell, Tania! Why didn’t you tell me?!” He gaped at her aghast.

“I thought you would’ve noticed...” She pouted back, looking at him with accusing eyes as her pout turned into a wide, smug grin. Tail flicked amused behind her.

“Okay! Let’s get into this then!” Threy declared with exaggerated cheer and reached out to the sphere before Mako’s wide grin could turn into a rain of teasing nudges.

She giggled brightly and in a flash of emerald light the two were sucked into the sphere, a ripple washing over the barrier.

———

“WOOOOOH~!!” Mako cheered as she flew out of the tunnel of green light behind Threy. Hands thrown into the air, she rolled through the air and landed on her feet besides him. It took them only a moment to recognise where they had landed: at the east-most end of the cove.

Only the cove was different now as the previously drab, grey rock formations were vibrant with colourful corals, water pillars wrapped around them keeping them bright and alive, while paper lanterns floated between and above the perfectly intact buildings bustling with life.

“So, that’s what it looked like before.” Threy noted fascinated.

“And I think we getting a first look on what destroyed it!” Mako gasped wide eyed, pointing towards the bubbling water within the bay.

From the depths erupted a massive, tattered looking ghost ship bustling and clattering with skeleton pirates letting out evil cackling shouts and clanked their weapons. More, smaller ships broke through the surface after it and the skeleton pirates didn’t waste any time to leap onto the beach. Which was rather bad because Threy and Mako were kinda in their way.

“Wawawawhat do we do here?!” Tears streaming comically down her face Mako whirled towards Threy and shook him violently, his body wobbling like a swimming noodle.

“Whawhat ahare youuu ahaasking meee?!” Threy cried out before managing to stop her jostling his thoughts all over the place, pushing her away.

“This body didn’t come with any of my weapons, either!” He threw his hands exasperated into the air and blinked as he suddenly held a pair of black, old-time revolvers within them. Threy looked at them owlishly “…or apparently it did.”

He looked up at the cliff jutting over them but it was impossible to see if anyone was standing over them.

“Hey, tiny shark girl! Catch this!” The small, cute voice of girl echoed from above the cliff a moment later and Mako had just enough time to look up to catch the beautiful, green trident tossed over the edge. It was Gao Mako’s standard trident!

“Thank you, whoever you are!” Mako grinned upwards, waving gratefully.

“Hehe, take care of those stupid pirates and get to the village! I’ll catch you there!” The voice called back, her smug grin impossible to overhear, before quickly growing distant under the rustling of grass and bushes.

“Looks like we’ve got ourselves a fighting chance now.” Threy turned towards the incoming wave of skeleton pirates and smirked, aiming his revolvers with a flourishing twirl. He glanced towards Mako who spun her trident around, jutting it forwards with a bloodthirsty grin.

“Yeh! Let’s blast them!” She cheered with a laugh.

And the first skeletons ran onto the beach with rattling jaws and crimson glowing eyes, sabres raised high into the air.