Chapter 3: Beginning Realmwalker Translation
Chastity inched toward the floating screen which appeared to defy gravity. She saw no wires, cables, or any kind of stand to hold it. In the darkness of the expanse, the screen’s shining light was nearly too bright to look at directly.
“I want off this ride!” Chastity yelled. Somebody somewhere had to be controlling this process. A man behind the curtain, so to speak. There had to be an off switch–a plug to pull.
Ignoring her protests, the mysterious voice continued. The floating screen likewise registered and displayed what the voice was saying.
[Analyzing Natural Proficiencies]
[Javelin Proficiency Detected]
*
[Analyzing Equipment]
[Graduation Gown Detected
Graduate Diploma Detected]
Okay. Am I being pranked? Did the girls from Track and Field arrange this? Did they even go so far as to recruit Damien to participate? No. No way. Nobody would bring a gun on campus and wave it around for a prank, not even a fake gun. Not in this day and age. And there was nothing fake about Damien’s unstable behavior.
[Beginning Realmwalker Translation]
“Translation? Woah, what is this?!”
Chastity felt a strange tingling sensation all over.
[NAME: Chastity Kristiansen -> Chastity Morningstar]
[EQUIPMENT: Graduation Gown -> Cloak of Erudition
EQUIPMENT: Graduate Diploma -> Scroll of Scholasticism]
*
[Bestowing BOONS]
[Translation Boon Bestowed - Javelin Proficiency
Class Boons Bestowed - Heavy Armor Proficiency, Holy Weapon Proficiency
Equipment Boons Bestowed - +5% Ability Leveling, Knowledge (Religion)]
*
[Bestowing ABILITIES]
[Realmwalker Ability Bestowed - Identify
Equipment Ability Bestowed - Recall Knowledge]
*
[Bestowing EQUIPMENT and ITEMS]
[Class Equipment Bestowed - 3x Medium Javelins, Chain Mail (Heavy Armor)
Realmwalker Item Bestowed - Holy Symbol of Krøsning]
Just as fast as they appeared, the pale blue light and the floating screen vanished. The tingling sensation likewise subsided. Once again, Chastity was bathed in darkness. She blindly reached out, groping for the walls of the passage.
Up ahead–a new source of light. Not blue, but white. A literal light at the end of the tunnel, which once more felt like a proper tunnel instead of some broad, undefined space.
Sunlight! It has to be, thought Chastity.
Whatever that bizarre assessment was, it was over. Chastity could finally get outside and get help for the Professor and anyone else who might be in danger because of Damien. With fresh determination she ran toward the light.
But something was different. The closer she got, the colder she felt. It was as if a cold wind was whipping across the mouth of the passage. As she breathed in, the fresh chill of the air reminded her of when she went snowboarding with her little sister at Snowshoe. And were those snowflakes flitting past the opening?
Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
But that’s impossible. It’s springtime in the South!
Chastity burst out of the passage and was stupefied at the sight. This was not the Durham University campus. Not even close.
Chastity stood near the summit of a craggy mountain covered in heavy white snow and ice. A wintry forest stretched beneath her and a frigid, pale sky above. Too surprised to speak, she turned back to look at the passage she had just emerged from.
It was no passage at all, but rather the opening of a narrow rocky cave burrowing into the mountainside. Icicles hung down over the cave mouth and the cavern itself twisted away into darkness.
“This can’t be real,” she said aloud. “This is a dream. A trick. An illusion.”
She tried pinching herself, because that is what characters in books and movies do in such situations. Predictably, there was no effect, except to further her shock as she got a look at her arm, and then the rest of her body.
What am I wearing?
Chastity was clad in heavy armor–chain mail, with a sort of cloth tunic and leggings underneath, leather shoes, and leather gloves. A white cloak (more of a cape, really) flowed behind her, affixed at the shoulders of her armor. She then realized that she was clutching three javelins in her left hand, bound together by a small leather strap.
Where did these come from?!
Spinning around again, she gazed off the mountain at the wintry world below. Not only had she been transported to some distant place she could not recognize, but apparently her vision was playing tricks on her. It almost looked as if the entire world was painted.
She dropped the javelins, removed a glove, and examined the bare skin of her hand in wonder. It looked as though she were inside a living, breathing illustration–a three dimensional mirage crafted by a skillful artist. The faint peach tone of her calloused hand turned a light pink under the sting of the cold wind.
“It’s official. I’ve lost it. I’m even talking to myself! Too many all nighters working on my dissertation. Too much strength training–too many protein smoothies. I’ve had a brain aneurysm! Maybe I’m lying in a hospital bed right now in a coma.”
Ding!
[You have 1 Ability Point to Spend]
[Access your Character Record to Unlock a New Ability]
Chastity blinked. She had heard a chime, not dissimilar to a smartphone notification, and floating text appeared in her field of vision.
Great. A visual hallucination WITHIN a visual hallucination. Why didn’t I take that Abnormal Psychology elective when I had the chance?
Chastity blinked again and rubbed her eyes with the back of her cold hand. The mystery text minimized, now floating at the edge of her peripheral vision, but did not disappear.
“THAT is going to get annoying,” Chastity mumbled. “What does it mean to access my Character Record?”
As soon as she said the words ‘character record,’ a large, translucent box of text appeared before her eyes, floating in space just like the screen from the passageway.
[CHARACTER RECORD]
NAME: Chastity Morningstar
RACE: Human
HERITAGE: Realmwalker
LANGUAGE: Common Speech
CLASS: Paladin
OATH: NONE
TITLES: NONE
LEVEL: 1
LIFE POINTS: 20
FOCUS POINTS: 10
BOONS:
Javelin Proficiency
Heavy Armor Proficiency
Holy Weapon Proficiency
+5% Ability Leveling
Knowledge (Religion)
ABILITIES:
Identify
Recall Knowledge
EQUIPMENT:
3x Medium Javelins
Chain Mail (Heavy Armor)
Cloak of Erudition
INVENTORY:
Scroll of Scholasticism
Holy Symbol of Krøsning
PRIMARY QUESTS: NONE
SECONDARY QUESTS: NONE
“Woah!”
It was information overload. Chastity tried to swipe at the text box and soon a secondary box replaced it.
[You have 1 Ability Point to Spend]
[Level 1 - Paladin Ability Tree]
Detect Good <-> Detect Evil
Detect Good
Like a fragrant aroma, by concentrating on a creature you can sense the presence of Good.
Ability Level: 1 (Initiate)
Requires: 5 Focus Points
-
Detect Evil
Like a rancid stench, by concentrating on a creature you can sense the presence of Evil.
Ability Level: 1 (Initiate)
Requires: 5 Focus Points