After the character creation, the breeze returned. The surroundings changed again, revealing a well-appointed office. A somewhat stodgy looking plump man with a monocle looked over a sheet of paper. He humphed at Jack, who was still disembodied. The man was old and stooped, wearing a rather plain gray robe that might have been white, at one point. The office felt stale with a pungent odor of herbs and dust. The walls were lined with bookcases filled with books, and odd knickknacks that Jack assumed were more than simple decor.
" So, you've arrived. Reasonably quickly too. You obviously didn't think too hard on your options, but that doesn't matter to me. I am Hargus, first and foremost let me assure you that I will answer only needed questions in case barraging me with them was your plan. That is also why you still don't have a body, so you won't be tempted to try and force answers out of me, ruining my office in the process. I have a lot of entrants to get through, so I will keep this simple. You get a simple skill. Choose lock picking, map making, basic negotiation, basic animal handling, basic weapon creation, basic trap making, basic alchemy, basic lore, and finally, one additional language.
There are advantages to all, so let me clarify. Lock picking, map making, and negotiation are apparent. Basic animal handling will give you the skills to manage most common mounts and other beasts like dogs along with a chance to prevent wild animals from attacking. Basic weapon creation will allow you to make reasonably primitive weapons like knives and bludgeoning weapons from materials found in your surroundings, which works well if you plan to smith later on. Trap making and alchemy are relatively self-explanatory, and lore gives you more basic information about the world you are entering. Languages include dwarf, elf, including two dialects, kobold, lizardfolk, centar, orc, and goblin, to name a few. "
Then a message box appeared before him listing hundreds of skills. It was the craziest list he had ever seen containing such simple things as cooking and then obscure things like sail making. Even without a body, Jack found himself speaking or more thinking out loud, seeing as he had no mouth or lungs from which to form the sounds.
"Are these skills I can learn elsewhere?" Jack asked.
"Yes, they are all common, which should have been obvious by me referring to them as simple skills. They can be easily learned through in-game means such as trainers or in the case of lore by reading books, among other means." was the annoyed response.
"Fine, I would like..... basic weapon creation." Jack decided although the lore was very tempting.
Like the skills in character creation, the knowledge absorbed into his mind, he simply knew the best rocks for blades and wood for handles and staves. He also knew how to make bone glue. Jack could clearly see the process of making a knife in his mind. Finding a slate-like rock and chipping the edges to create a wicked serrated edge. He could see himself dipping the handle into glue then wrapping it in leather before rolling it in sand for better grip. When it was complete, the blade would be deadly, not as strong as metal, but certainly able to rip exposed flesh. The handle would be pretty solid after the leather absorbed the glue, and the sand would create a rough surface to help prevent it from slipping in sweaty palms.
"Next, you will be given a unique ability or attribute only able to be changed if I deem the choices available would not be useful for you given your race or chosen character," said Hargus.
With that, three cards floated before Jack offering differing abilities. They contained Magical Constitution giving 10% innate magic resistance, Hauler that allowed him a 10% higher carry weight, and Quick learner giving 10% extra experience.
Jack chose the magic resistance.
"You have Magical Constitution granting 10% extra magic resistance."
Hargus went on with his job seamlessly.
" Players entering the game on launch are normally sent to cities of their choosing. However, to limit your advantage, you will be sent to a starting area not far from a starter city occupied by your chosen race. The road near your starting point will take you to a settlement if you follow it. Please be advised the further from the road you travel, the more danger you will be in considering your low level," Hargus said.
"There are no safe zones, so be aware that other players are just as dangerous as the beasts, if not more. They have just as much of a chance to rob, kill, or be otherwise burdensome. That being said, chose your companions carefully." Hargus warned.
"Really?" Jack replied, getting used to his non-body communication.
"Indeed. This world will become what the players make it, and I have no doubt some will have dark desires." Hargus replied dryly.
"Are there no in-game laws or cops of any sort?" jack asked, stunned at the dismissive way assault and probably murder was being talked about.
" In cities and towns, there will be guards that uphold the lord's law, but in the wilds where the rule of law is non-existing. You can expect that unsavory sorts will take advantage." Hargus stated plainly.
"I understand," Jack said though he didn't see how such a harsh game could be profitable and entertaining.
Hargus waved his hand dismissively then darkness again. The same fuzziness washed over Jack once more, and as it faded, he was re-embodied. If being disembodied was enough to make him panic, then being re-embodied differently was, in the very least unnerving. This time he was lying down, looking up into the bluest sky he could recall seeing. It was such a perfect blue sky; it touched the unreal, and somehow that thought brought Jack some comfort. He could feel the slightest breeze blowing hair that felt perfectly natural. He had thick full hair. Jack quickly brought his hands to the top of his head. Oh shit, Jack thought as he sat up and ran his hands through thick young man's hair. Tacitly it felt perfect, yet at the same time, it felt alien.
Jack stood up. He took a single step forward, still in awe at his surroundings and his new physical form. Then promptly stumbled after kicking something on the ground. The awe faded as Jack looked at the gear. It a cloth backpack, spear, and shield. He opened the bag to check out the contents and found that when he focused on things, a typical video game box popped up, giving more information. Jack had hardtack, a dry bread that was sort of crackerish. One potion of healing that was the standard red color of every healing potion ever displayed in a game. Five simple gold coins in a small pouch. A short sword in a worn scabbard on his hip. The weapons were in one word plain. The unadorned spear and round wooden shield with metal overlapping the edge looked worn, with marks here and there along the surface, but still appeared to be serviceable. All items listed durability, quality and contained a description in a nice tidy little floating box when he thought about it. After throwing the backpack on his back and fashioning the straps of the shield to his arm, Jack began to stroll along the road he was by. The shield and spear made him a touch off-balance, but it was manageable. He was in complete awe at the perfection of the world around him. Soon Jack began to jog with the vigor of a young, healthy man in total amazement. This was when Jack decided to just roll with it, come what may, this was better than being old and suck in a stodgy V.R. for his five-year voyage. He was off on quite the adventure and game or not; it seemed as real as real could be.
The brief jog had barely got Jack's blood moving. Still, he was more interested in figuring things out, so he settled into a cautious aware walk. Jack's immediate plans were to get to cover and get his bearings. He had just spawned in a meadow that was half the size of a football field, and anyone or anything could have seen him and be rallying others to confront him. Some part of him faring of a group of RPG baddies like trolls to be ready to attack him. There was something between a road and path running through the small meadow and into the dense trees that surrounded him on all sides. He followed the road. He was going with road, to the left.
Jack went into the forest about one hundred feet then went off the trail to the right another ten feet, or so, behind a fallen tree that gave him a good view of the road and settled in. Jack thought about a map, and a blank parchment filled his view. Jack thought it was empty, but he noticed a speck that when he focused on the map zoomed until he could recognize the meadow, he was just in. Then Jack thought about his stats, and a character sheet popped up listing all his info. The first of many tabs contained the basics.
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Name Jack Hendrickson Race Human Strenght 12 Dexterity 11 Fortitude 10 Charisma 12 Intelligence 10 Wisdom 10 Will 10 Luck 10 Special Attributes Magical Constitution Skills Spear 10, Sword 5, Shield 5, Leadership 10, Tactics 5, Tracking 5, Skinning 5, Hunter's Sense 5
There were far more including reputation, titles, achievements, and recipes. Jack didn't look at those before readying himself to move along. Then he heard something. He held his breath and focused, listening as two, maybe three men made their way through the meadow coming his way. Jack's luck held out as he heard the men plotting to rob a merchant. Jack giggled a little and was glad no one had been around because it was more than a touch creepy. Jack began wondering if he was experiencing some buff to luck. The men chose their ambush positions with one directly in front of him. The ambusher happened to settle a little more than a spear's length away on the edge of the road in a gully with some brush keeping him out of view from the road. The two others settled on the other side of the road roughly thirty feet further up. With his thought of buffs, small icons appeared at the bottom left of his screen. Focusing on each in order boxes popped up. The first was well-rested granting plus twenty percent to experience. The second explained his luck; the effect was called Beginners Luck, and it gave him 100 to luck for his first 24 hours.
Within no more then ten minutes, the trader's donkey has heard mewing in the distance. The man in front of Jack, who had the super combo stench of foul breath, body odor, and garlic, began to shift excitedly. Jack had repeatedly tried to click, examine, or anything else that would give him more information on the fool who was still completely unaware that while he was looking upon his prey, another predator was looking upon him. Nothing Jack tried to do gained him more information, and he was slightly afraid that these men would end up being a high level that he was unprepared for.
The leader stepped out into the road. He was patiently peeling an apple with a dagger unafraid of his prey fleeing due to the slowness of the donkey pulled cart. He patiently waited as the trader and what Jack would call a guard approached. The guard traveling with the trader looked able enough clad in chain armor and armed. The menacing-looking bandit leader stepped into the middle of the road. The guard responded by unslinging his shield from his back and putting his hand on the hilt of the sword at his waist. The warrior didn't pull it free, apparently not ready to escalate the situation.
When they got close enough, the bandit leader, at least what seemed to be the leader to Jack, began to speak with a smirk that began to stoke Jack's anger.
"I am known to be a merciful man, so I will give you a chance to leave with your lives, but the cart and donkey stay." the leader said.
Jack was angry now. Jack had seen more than one hell whole in his life were the basic rule of law had failed. It was common on earth as the climate deteriorated for militaries to have to oversee evacuations of large areas. Those times of pain and suffering always brought with them the cruel opportunists. Jack wasn't delusional. He understood that there would always be the weak and the strong, but there was a level of uncaring brutality that made his blood boil.
Jack assumed that the trader must have dealt with bandits and plenty of unsavory sorts by his lack of fear and how he began to bargain with the bandit leader undaunted by the situation.
"Come now, that is an unreasonable toll," the trader replied in complete ease.
The leader of the trio of bandits shook his head slightly from side to side, then as quick as could be, he threw his arm out, and the dagger flashed out of his hand. It flew through the air, headed straight for the guard. The guard to his credit reacted quickly, attempting to get his shield in the path. It didn't work. The blade passed just too quick for the shield to stop it and sunk into the warrior's shoulder at least three inches. It wouldn't kill the man, well not unless it becomes infected, Jack thought before reminding himself that the same rules no longer applied. Was there such a thing as infected wounds here?
With the throw of the dagger, the fun started. The man Jack watched that he had begun calling Stench in his mind, took a single step forward before the forest irrupted behind him. The ambush was picture perfect. Jack was overexcited, but what he lost in the poor form he gained in anger and excitement. Stench turned the upper half of his body toward the sound, but he was far to slow to save himself. The spear entered twelve or so inches beneath his armpit. The foot-long spearhead sunk deep, and the leather armor, if the rags could have even been called armor, provided little protection from the savage attack. The foot-long blade kept moving through Stench as Jack's momentum from rushing forward provided the exceptional amount of force needed to thrust the entire blade threw the man. Jack felt the scrape of broken ribs against the metal blade through the shaft of the spear as much as he heard it. Stench was dead or near enough to it even before the savage blow pinned the man to the ground. Jack just moved on, leaving the spear standing up out of the man as if it was the pole of a flag on conquered land after it proved hard to remove.
Jack moved along the side of the cart; the donkey was attached to pulling the short sword. He proceeded with his shield, ready and held before him. The scene Jack took in as he approached looked dire for the guard. The man was holding out against the two attackers while the trader cowered behind him. Still, the wound to his shoulder and a slash on the outside of his right thigh were both releasing a steady stream of blood.
The bandit leader was taunting the guard until the taunter realized that the new man approaching was not his. This changed the odds considerably, and Jack saw the realization on the leader's face that this was no longer an easy win. That thought brought a grimace of anger to the man's face. As if the universe conspired to prove the point that the odds had changed, the guard managed to score a solid backhanded sword swing now that the blows from at least one direction had lessened. The bandit leader focused on Jack for only the briefest moment, but the guard took advantage. The strike on the other bandit ripped open the man's swords arm wrist to elbow in a spray of blood, causing the bandit to lose his weapon and cry out in a wail of pain.
The bandit leader was attempting a tactical retreat, or more accurately, he was backing away from the guard unable to turn and flee due to his need to defend himself. The guard was now pressing forward, keeping his blows coming, understanding the advantage even if he hadn't seen Jack yet. Jack decided to end this shit, now. Knowing that trying anything fancy would be stupid, given his complete lack of experience with these weapons. Jack simply leveled his shield and charged. He hit the bandit leader slightly crouched with all his weight behind his left shoulder, which was firm against his shield, and sprung up as his shield hit the bandit leader sending the man sprawling. The charge both stunned and knocked the man down, and the guard took advantage by springing forward and swinging his sword in a downward chop that could have taken the head of a bear. Stunned or not, the leader saw his death coming and scurried to get out of its way. His efforts may have saved his life, but he didn't escape unscathed. The leader rolled his torso and head out of the path of the blow. Still, the mighty swing took his left leg just below the knee entirely off in an irruption of blood and a horrible howl of agony. The scream ended sharply when the guard stabbed down into the injured bandit leader robbing the last bit of health the man had remaining.
Jack turned to retrieve his spear and noticed small icons in the bottom left of his field and marveled on how they had been transparent enough that he hadn't even seen it when he was fighting. Jack focused on the first one of a green upward arrow, and a scroll appeared before him, causing him to jump just perceptibly. The scroll was so real Jack had to resist an urge to reach out and touch it. As it unrolled before him, making the words visible as the same voice as earlier, in what he can only call an abyss, where he created his character read the words.
" You have learned the skill Stealth. From now on, enemies will be 2% less likely to be alerted you our presence."
Followed by another scroll.
" Have leveled your Stealth skill to level 2. From now on, enemies will be 4% less likely to be alerted you our presence."
And another.
On the third scroll, Jack realized he could mute the annoying voice.
"You have learned charge. A successful charge will unbalance an opponent and sometimes cause them to fall and or become stunned."
After Jack had viewed the three scrolls, the first icon, the one with the green up arrow, disappeared. The second icon showed two crossed swords and was a log of the fight, but Jack had no interest in going through it now. He found it hard to think of the battle in terms of skills and such because it seemed natural.
Setting himself to work, he removed his spear from Stench with a mighty heave and heard an astonishingly loud sucking noise as the blade withdrew slowly. Jack took the man's bow, quiver, and knife excitedly then began looking for a coin purse or anything else of value. Jack found a coin purse with exactly one coin in it. He looked at the corpse's clothes for only half a moment before deciding that the rags couldn't possibly be worth the effort of striping the man for.