"What did you get?"
Claire looked to Hannah, who had walked over to where she was still standing. She was lost in thought but pulled out from her friend's question.
"My Level is four, and my Absorption Rate is a B," Hannah informed her.
"Same," Claire said. "I guess the stuff that Raven and that Dryad gave us has benefited us greatly?" She still couldn't believe that their rate was so different compared to the typical person. "I'm just a normal student that's supposed to become a doctor." Claire thought to herself.
"I guess the training we did with Chelsea has helped a lot, too?" Hannah tilted her head as she looked to digest the information they received.
"That would have only helped to increase your Level, not your Absorption Rate," Claire's Darlina interjected. "The Level is just a measurement of your physical abilities, though don't confuse this with Clearance Level."
"Clearance Level?" Claire asked in confusion to the robot.
Nodding, Darlina said, "That's related to the information that you have access to within Star and Moon. It's what allowed us and Melody to talk to you about what was happening more than the average adventurer. It's not very relevant since it only becomes a factor when you're requesting information."
Sighing, Clarie felt a little overwhelmed by all the information they had to keep track of ever since they entered the shelter. It still boggled her mind about how Star and Moon created such an infrastructure in anticipating a global apocalyptic event. "How long have they been planning this?" Claire thought to herself.
"Now, we'll be moving on to the basic training simulation." Claire's Darlina directed their attention to the doors behind each of the raised platforms.
Waving to Hannah, who was being guided by her Darlina, Claire followed after the robot paired with her. Instead of asking questions, she felt like it was better to just go along with the process. "It's, honestly, too alien for me to even understand what's happening. I feel like I just need to work through it several times before I comprehend what's doing on." Claire nodded to herself, feeling her thoughts to be the correct course of action during this period.
Following the path leading to the door, as soon as the two came close to it, the door slip open.
Darlina entered through the door first.
Following the robot, Claire could only see darkness. The only light available was from where they came from. Just as Claire was about to ask what was going on, the door behind her slid shut. They were then consumed by complete darkness.
"The system will load the simulation, so please stay calm," Darlina's voice pierced through the darkness.
Claire jumped in fright from the robot's voice. "Stop acting like a frightened child," Claire criticized herself. Calming herself down, "What do you mean simulation?" They hadn't put on a helmet or anything, so Claire was confused.
"It's easier for you to see what I mean, instead of explaining it," Darlina's voice was gentle, as though aware of how strange the circumstances were.
Standing in the darkness, Claire soon had a strange sensation, like the kind when you're in an elevator. It felt as though she were moving, but standing still. As though her eyes were focusing, Claire rubbed her eyes from the strange sensation. When she removed her hands, her eyes widened in alarm.
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Surrounding them was a grassy field. The green grass gently waving as a breeze passed by. A crystal clear blue sky above them with a warm sun hanging in the air.
Turning her head about, Claire didn't know what to think about what her eyes were showing her. She flinched when grass brushed against her right hand. "It's real!" The thought rushed through her mind, upon feeling the plantlife against her skin.
Waving a hand to present the world they were standing in, Darlina said, "Welcome to the training simulator for new adventurers! We'll be going through the necessary skills to start your journey and survive the world above.
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End of Part 1
Claire continued to stare at their surroundings, disbelieving what was happening even if she knew it was realistic.
"As I mentioned, this simulation is meant to introduce you to basic levels of being an adventurer," Darlina said to Claire. "The first thing we're going to start off with is a basic weapon which you'll be using."
In front of Claire appeared a large rack, with a variety of weapons. Though she was expecting the typical swords and cold weapons, her eyes were drawn towards items she wasn't expecting. Pointing, Claire asked, "Guns? Why are those things here? I thought guns aren't affective against Modified Humans?"
"That's correct. From our information, guns seem to have lost any effect on Modified Humans," Darlina nodded her head.
"But then why are you guys offering guns?" Claire didn't understand what Star and Moon was thinking, giving weapons that would be useless against the things adventurers would be fighting against in the future.
Walking over to the rack, Darlina picked up the firearm. It was significantly larger than the typical handgun. The grip was about the same as a handgun, but the barrel of the gun was significantly different. "Though this appears like a gun, it's actually far stronger," Darlina waved a hand, and a human-size target materialized. Taking aim, Darlina pulled the trigger and fired a beam of light. A hole, the size of an orange, was left where the heart would've been located. "As you can see, instead of bullets, this fires out a beam of energy. We do have weapons that fire objects similar to a bullet, but just like this weapon, those have a bigger impact." It went to the rack and returned the gun to where it belonged.
Claire stared at the massive hole. "How?" She stammered, but then remembered the weapons the people who escorted her to the base used.
"Compared to the versions that use a physical object, the energy weapons have little to no kick to them. They make an ideal choice for adventurers who want to fight from a long distance." Darlina continued. It walked over to a selection of long-range weapons. "We also have bows, crossbows, and throwing weapons, in addition to the firearms. These are all the basic versions, so their effectiveness against Modified Humans, at this point, is practically non-existent. But as you train and gather the stones and raw material inside of the monsters in the simulation, you'll be able to trade for higher-grade weapons."
Even though Claire felt like everything was beyond what she could imagine, she still appreciated how skilled Darlina was with selling the various weapons to her.
"Since you'll be starting, you have the option of selecting two weapons. This is due to the benefits you've received. Typically, an adventurer would only be given one weapon for free." Snapping its fingers, Darlina made a clothing rack appear. Hanging on the stand was a simple appearing armor. "You'll also be starting off with basic leather armor to protect your torso. This, also, is provided to you at no cost, though the superior version can be purchased in the future at a cost."
Realizing that Darlina was expecting Claire to make a selection, she walked up to the weapons.
"Don't worry about not you have experience using the weapon you select. This simulation is about getting you at a sufficient level to be effective when growing your level." Darlina reassured Claire, as though anticipating that Claire would be factoring such thinking when selecting a weapon.
When Claire heard that experience wasn't a factor necessary for choosing a weapon, there was a feeling of reassurance. "That means I can select a weapon purely based on whether it's compatible with me."
Checking out each of the weapons, Claire tried to think about how it would be used when fighting a Modified Humans or the Unexpected Creatures out on the world. She felt as though she needed to take advantage of the training she'd be getting from Star and Moon, so haphazardly deciding a weapon would be a foolish thing to do.
Walking past the weapons, Claire's eyes fell on a weapon she thought may be her first choice. She reached out to grab the weapon from the rack.