For some reason, following the directions to the intro missions led Ray into a nondescript office building, through a maze of identical hallways, and finally to a random cubicle with a nameplate that read “Lazard Badgeholder Services.”
Lazard, Ray presumed, leaned back in his chair, boots propped casually on the desk, his hands folded behind his head. The dim light from the holo-screens flickered across the cluttered office, casting a dull glow over piles of paperwork and half-eaten rations. Lazard gave Ray a nod as the door slid shut behind him.
"I'm Lazard. Badgeholder agent, advisor—whatever title makes you feel important." He smirked, glancing at Ray. "Word's getting around, kid. A greenie planet just joined the game over in the Pegasus Arm. Been a while since we’ve had a new one added, and the Nebula Forge got the rights to serve as Earth’s gateway server."
Ray furrowed his brow. "What does that mean?"
Lazard chuckled, lowering his feet to the floor with a thud. "Means Earth represents promise. Fresh blood. A whole lotta guilds and alliances are paying attention, curious to see how a bunch of new earthlings perform in the game. Some of 'em even think your lot might have a shot at shaking things up. Some are just here to recruit a bunch bunch of cheap labor. Word is, a few of you are already making waves in the Tutorial."
Ray straightened in his chair, "So… we’re getting a good rep?"
"Yeah, you could say that. Quite a few of your pioneers are picking up Titles, making some noise. Question is, Ray—" he paused, giving the young man a sly grin, "—you got any of those Titles yourself?"
Ray hesitated, unsure if he should share that information. Lazard didn’t miss a beat, still grinning.
"Look," Lazard said, waving off the hesitation, "before you hit C rank, no one really cares who you are. We’re all just a bunch of Flunkies working our way up. What matters is promise—whether you’re worth the time, whether you’ll stick around."
Ray grinned back, and with a flick of his wrist, his badge flashed a soft glow, revealing his E-rank Title for a brief second.
Lazard gave a low whistle, shaking his head in amusement. "You, my boy, have that in spades."
---
"The Tutorial and intro missions are what we call the great equalizer. Well equal is a bit of a misnomer. In the age of badgeholder prep schools, military academies, even clone farms, the achievement gap in pre badgeholder prep is insane now. You've got nepo babies getting trained from birth, handed everything on a silver platter. The ones who make it past the Tutorial? They get D-ranked cards, set on the fast track to advancement."
Lazard paused, giving Ray a pointed look. "But here's the thing—no matter how stacked the deck is for them, the Game still leaves room for real talent. If you're good, if you've got something special, you can climb without all that fancy prep."
"That said, the Tutorial’s tougher than it should be. The system scans fights to see if they’re good candidates for intro missions. Looks for battles where a new recruit has a decent shot at surviving, but also where the talented ones can earn a D-ranked card, maybe even a Title. Commanders like it too, studies have scientifically proven that Tutorialees increase the chance of victory and mission completion."
"But here’s the catch. Over thousands of years, the meta’s evolved here in flunky space. Enough portal cards have been hoarded that card convergence battles have become the norm. It turns these fights into meat grinders."
"Most Tutorialees don’t make it. They get wiped out, sent back home. That’s why the prep schools are ubiquitous—to give their students a chance in today’s meta. Can’t just run and hide because the system ejects deserters and cowards instantly, and without Tutorial Titles, advancement? Pretty much impossible."
He leaned forward, eyeing Ray’s badge. "Congrats, by the way. Having one of those Titles means you're already ahead of the curve."
Ray frowned, "I didn’t get any D-ranked cards or Titles, though. I could have done better?"
Lazard chuckled, shaking his head. "Kid, an E-ranked Title is plenty. Even the most prepared nepo kids don’t push for higher. Not worth it." He leaned forward. "Think back to your Tutorial mission—there was always something more you could’ve done, right?"
Ray sighed, a hint of regret creeping in. "Yeah... maybe I should’ve fought longer. Started helping out in Distinguished fights"
"Don’t regret it," Lazard said, his tone firm. "You would have been quickly run over. You did exceptionally well. The past is the past. Now comes the good news. Intro missions."
Lazard smiles as he slides a folder filled with files to Ray.
---
The mission board area resembled a futuristic adventurer's guild, with sleek holographic displays and cutting-edge technology seamlessly integrated into the design. Small groups huddled in corners, discussing missions and strategies. A few approached Ray, asking if he was interested in joining their party, but he politely declined.
Lazard had warned him to do the missions solo, these were a great a learning opportunity without risking his life insurance. The worst thing Ray could do was get carried by others and not learn anything.
The mission board was accessible through sleek, touch-sensitive tables. Ray found an empty one and sat down, browsing through the available missions, keeping Lazard's advice in mind. Every badgeholder was entitled to acquire 250 deck capacity from intro missions, with an additional 250 for each E-ranked title.
Over the next few weeks, Ray settled into a routine: attempting missions, failing at times, resting, and learning more about the game. Surprisingly, he found he didn’t need much sleep—just a quick two-hour nap to feel completely refreshed. Food became a luxury rather than a necessity, as the game sustained badgeholders naturally.
Another surprise was that no one seemed to care if he wandered into a lounge and napped in a quiet corner. Though he could log out and sleep in his home instance, napping in the lounge reminded him of sleeping in the library during his college days—a small comfort.
Plus, when he visited his home instance, he would have to deal with annoying notifications from Matterhorn, asking if he was earning any Energy Credits and if he could afford a badge. Matterhorn frequently compared him to other E-rankers who had supposedly already sent home a badge.
Seriously, Matterhorn was starting to remind Ray of his mom.
The missions were incredibly fun. Without any consequences for dying, Ray had a blast grinding them out.
In one mission—"The Plasma Reactor Meltdown"—he found out that the easiest way to complete it was a combination of threatening the workers and promising to evacuate them safely in exchange for their assistance. Carrot and Stick.
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In "The Time-Locked Vault", Ray discovered that, for most puzzles and timers, the Chrono Accelerator didn't really bypass time-locked mechanisms. However, the distortion field would cause things to run out of sync quickly, making puzzle rooms malfunction and become trivially easy.
As Ray grew stronger and more experienced, he often replayed scenes from his Tutorial in his head, thinking about how he’d handle them now. Next time, he’d have his squadmates fire into his Stormguard Shield. Using the Harmonic Synchronizer, he could transfer the energy into recharging his Plasma Pike ultimate. He’d be a mobile artillery cannon, annihilating everything by spamming his ultimate.
After grinding out his deck capacity to 650, Lazard loaned Ray a few credits so he could grab a couple of cards to begin the zero-g certification.
Ray took one last look at his status screen before he began the certification.
Handle: [ER]Wanderer
Titles -
Harmonic Synchronizer (Grade E): This title enhances your ability to synergize your cards, allowing you to find unique combinations and strategies in your deck. This title will improve the efficiency and effectiveness of your card usage during combat.
Traits - War – Rank: Racial, Lvl 0
Status- One Star Premium Life Insurance (Grade E)
Deck -
Plasma Pike (Grade E) - The Plasma Pike is a long, spear-like weapon that enhances the wielder's physical strength and agility. It is capable of projecting a high-energy plasma beam that can pierce through most types of armor and barriers. The Plasma Pike has an ultimate attack that creates a powerful explosion. Cost: 100
Stormguard Shield (Grade E) - The Stormguard Shield forms a protective barrier around the user, absorbing incoming attacks and neutralizing most forms of damage. Additionally, the shield has the unique ability to convert absorbed energy-based attacks into a potent electrical field. Cost: 100
Chrono Accelerator (Grade E) - The Chrono Accelerator allows the user to temporarily slow down time in their immediate surroundings. While under the influence of the Chrono Accelerator, the user can move and react at normal speed, effectively making them faster and more agile than their opponents outside the surrounding field. Cost: 100
Pegasus Arm Trading Hub Integrated Suit (Grade F) - A versatile suit that integrates numerous functions, including basic defense against physical and energy attacks, environmental adaptation including 5 minute vacuum protection rating, and an Integrated communication and HUD system including a Portal Jump warning system. Cost: 5
Turbo Jetpack (Grade F) - A basic jetpack providing the user with short bursts of flight, allowing for increased mobility and evasion during combat and space. It has an emergency thrust mode consuming extra fuel. Cost: 1
Automated Nanobot Repair Pack Deployer: Repair and Heal (Grade F) - Counts as two cards. Automatically detects injuries and deploys repair and healing packs from the inventory to heal without human intervention. Cost: 1+1
Gravity Boots (Grade F) - These boots manipulate the gravitational field around the user's feet, allowing them to walk on walls or ceilings and defy gravity for short periods. Cost: 1
Ablative Armor (Grade F) - The armor consists of multiple layers of lightweight composite material that gradually shed off when subjected to impact or energy-based attacks, effectively absorbing and dissipating the damage. Cost: 1
Vacuum Combat Life Support Unit (Grade F) – A rugged, combat-ready life support system that provides oxygen for up to 2 days, built to withstand heavy impacts and combat conditions. Cost: 2
Deck Capacity - 624/650
Inventory-
5x Grade F Jetpack Refill Tanks
1x Turbo Jetpack (Grade F)
3x Ablative Armor (Grade F)
5x Grade F Emergency Nanobot repair packs refills
5x Grade F Emergency Nanobot healing packs refills
---
The Nebula Forge loomed in the distance, a sprawling, sentient space station suspended on the edge of a massive nebula. Swirls of luminous gas and clouds of cosmic dust painted the vast expanse beyond it, like a living, breathing piece of art. A reminder of just how small you were compared to the greatness of the galaxy.
Ray and a handful of trainees drifted in their sleek, black flight suits, floating just beyond the walls of the Forge. There were no tether or safety nets—just the open void and the swirling nebula stretching out around them. This was the start of his Zero-G certification, and the task was straightforward: weave through the glowing gates and dodging floating debris, all designed to train their agility and coordination in zero gravity.
Ray felt the familiar surge of adrenaline as he adjusted the wrist-mounted thrusters, his gravity boots clinking softly against the Forge's outer hull as he prepared to launch himself into the nebula. Around him, the other trainees were preparing, each one tracing with their eyes a path through the, obstacle-laden course ahead. The gates, large glowing hoops that marked their path, shimmered faintly against the backdrop of the nebula, and various debris—from old shipwrecks to asteroid fragments—drifted lazily in the way.
Instructor Kyrell hovered nearby, his voice crackling through the comms with a hard edge. "Alright, listen up! Zero-G isn't like anything you're used to. You move, you keep moving—there’s no stopping unless you make it happen. Small, controlled bursts from your thrusters are your best friend. Overdo it, and you'll be spinning into that nebula before you know it. Keep your center of mass steady, use your arms to guide your rotation, and remember—every action has a reaction. Now, stick to the course, and don’t lose your head out there. Go!"
Ray pushed off the hull with a powerful thrust, feeling the instant rush of momentum as he glided effortlessly toward the first glowing gate. The nebula’s vibrant colors enveloped him, stars twinkling in the distance as the gas clouds twisted and swirled. For a few blissful moments, it was just him and the course—no pressure, no expectations—just the thrill of weightless movement.
To his surprise, he was doing well. Really well.
He zipped through the first few gates with ease, barely needing to adjust his thrusters as he twisted and turned through the course. His timing was perfect—his body responding to every thought, every slight movement of his arms and legs sending him exactly where he needed to go. Ray couldn't help but grin as he passed through the next set of gates, feeling the rush of success.
"Not bad, Ray," he muttered to himself, allowing a small sense of pride to settle in.
The next obstacle was a large debris field—a series of floating metal plates and chunks of old starship hulls. Ray calculated his trajectory, aiming for the gap between two massive pieces of wreckage. He hit the thrusters again, gliding smoothly between them and coming out the other side with barely a scratch.
"Alright!" Ray pumped his fist, his confidence swelling.
But then, just as he approached the next glowing gate, his luck turned.
He misjudged his momentum ever so slightly. Instead of sailing cleanly through the gate, he clipped its edge with his foot, sending him into an awkward spiral. He tried to stabilize himself, firing his thrusters in a desperate attempt to regain control, but all it did was spin him faster, sending him careening toward a cluster of floating metal beams.
"Oh no, no, no—"
With a solid thud, Ray slammed into one of the beams, the impact knocking the wind out of him. Pain shot through his chest as he spun wildly out of control, his arms flailing uselessly. He gasped for air, his body aching from the hit, but every attempt to right himself only made him spin faster. The faint sound of laughter crackled through the comms—apparently, the other trainees had noticed his not-so-graceful predicament.
"Crap, crap, crap!" Ray winced, struggling to breathe through the pain, trying to get his bearings. Every movement seemed to make things worse, sending him careening in a new direction.
"Need a little help there?"
Ray froze—or tried to, at least. The voice came through his comms, soft and melodic, tinged with amusement. He squinted through the spinning nebula, and then he saw her—a figure floating effortlessly toward him.
She was stunning. Her black-and-violet combat suit shimmered in the nebula's light, her raven-black hair floating freely around her. Her smile was radiant, and even though Ray couldn't technically hear it, he swore he could feel it.
"Looks like you got yourself in a bit of a twist," she teased, her eyes twinkling with mischief.
Ray forced a laugh, ignoring the sharp pain in his ribs. "Nah, I'm good. Just, uh—getting a feel for the place." His voice came out a bit strained, but he hoped she wouldn’t notice.
Her smile widened as she floated closer, reaching out to grab his arm. But as soon as she made contact, the force of Ray’s spin pulled her into it. Without missing a beat, she grabbed his other arm, the two of them now caught in a slow, spiraling motion. With a calm smile, she engaged her thrusters, gradually slowing their spin, the two of them almost dancing in zero gravity as she brought them to a steady halt.
"Whoa—thanks," Ray muttered, trying to hide the wince that came with the movement. His chest still burned, but he was doing his best to play it off.
Liara floated in front of him now, close enough for him to catch the playful smirk tugging at the corners of her lips. "You were doing great there for a while," she teased lightly. "Then... this happened." She gestured toward his tangled limbs, still smiling.
Ray forced another laugh, trying not to show how much his chest hurt. "Yeah, uh—just testing the boundaries of zero-g physics, you know? Seeing what happens when you, uh, slam into a beam at full speed." He flashed her a grin, hoping it looked more confident than it felt.
Her laughter was soft and melodic, sending a warmth through him that momentarily dulled the pain. "Reckless, but I like it," she teased.
Ray swallowed, trying to push through the ache in his chest. "I—uh, I’m Ray, by the way."
"Liara," she said smoothly, giving him a little nudge toward the next gate. "Try not to crash again, Ray. I might not be around to save you next time."
Liara lifted Ray’s left hand, twirling smoothly beneath it like a dancer in zero gravity. Her movement was effortless, graceful, as she spun around him before giving a playful curtsy, still holding onto his hand for a brief moment. "Thanks for the dance," she teased with a wink, releasing him and drifting off with fluid ease.
Ray was left floating in place, stunned, the feel of her hand through their suits lingering in his mind. He blinked, the pain now forgotten. "What just happened?" he muttered to himself.