CHAPTER 1 Videogames and Dreams

I hate my job! It’s tedious and boring After doing the same thing every day for years everything seems the same. But I haven’t had any luck finding a better job.

Perhaps I should introduce myself. My name is William Taylor. I know not the most interesting name. To be honest nothing about me is unique. I’m 6’3”and that is the most distinct thing about me. Most of my friends live out of state or are still in the Army. I had a great career in the Army until I got injured.

Now I mostly play video games or read in my spare time. I did good in school and played sports and enjoyed outdoors stuff, but since my injury grinding in games is something I look forward towards. And since I don’t have friends close by it came as a shock when I heard knocking on my backdoor. I just wanted to shout go away. Then I thought who knocks on your back door. I ignored the sound and turned down the sound on my game. I even turned off my lights for good measure.

Whoever it was didn’t go away. Maybe it’s my crazy old neighbor from across the street. Another knock came, more forceful, and then it sounded as if someone rammed my door. I could hear the sound of splintering, cracking wood. I thought I heard footsteps and grabbed a knife I left on the counter.

That’s when the creature attacked me. To be honest I wasn’t sure what it was. It looked like a rolling blob of green jelly. Holy crap I thought I recognize the creature it’s a slime. I relaxed I must be dreaming. As it rolls towards me I back away. That’s when I hear the whip sound and feel the sting of the slime. “God dreams aren’t supposed to hurt.” I yelled then I see red numbers rising from my body. I feel another attack and realize that if I don’t do something I’ll end up dead. Holding the knife tightly I stab down on the slime’s head with as much force as I can. The monster starts to shake and red number float. I don’t have time to waste I start stabbing furiously. I jump to the left to avoid the counter while trying to avoid another attack. More red numbers float. Then I realize if I can avoid it’s attack I can win but this is going to take forever. I grab a bottle of salt and throw at the slime. It shrinks into the slime and it starts shaking violently and begins to condense leaving a slime trail like a slug. I stab it even quicker I’m not sure how long it will take to defeat this thing. Then even the slug slime disappears, and a neat bag is left in its place.

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An intense pain burns through my body before I can reach the bag. Pain runs through my entire body and I feel like I’m being torn apart and put back together. When I think it is beginning to end the pain intensifies and a bright light blinds me. Before his mind could advance too much farther down that train of thought, a literal pop-up window materialized out of nowhere, right in front of his face. He shouted an inarticulate yelp and stumbled backwards a few steps, but the window didn’t seem to get any farther away, just like the ring of light surrounding him on the ground. He focused on the writing on the pop-up window, it read simply, “Choose your class.” He wasn’t sure what to make of it. He tried waving his hand through the ghostly window, but to his surprise, his hand actually went behind the window, almost as if it was projected directly on his eyeballs. Seth’s first a message in a blue panel before I pass out.

Congratulations: You’ve reached level 1.

I read the blue panel floating in front of me over and over absorbing in all the information. Reaching out I tried to touch it, but my hand went through the panel. It flickered and disappeared. Then everything goes black.

“That was some crazy dream!” I say as I sit up as quickly as I can which doesn’t help the headache that I feel. Looking down I see the knife still in my hand.

“About time you woke up human!” Turning my head, I see a massive 7-foot-tall figure standing over me. His skin was greenish gray. With sharp pointed nails and heavily muscled frame wearing a loincloth that reaches almost to his knees.

“I need your help. Free the elves. Their city is draining my swamp’s magic. I’ll give you a boon and a servant. Follow me.”

Man, this dream keeps getting weirder and weirder. Walking through my smashed backdoor a stiff breeze sends chills up my spine and I pinch myself. Is this a dream? Why do I keep feeling pain? Or have I gone mad?

Before us is dirt path and bizarre trees and bushes peering through the thick canopy I see an oddly colored blue sky. Ok was I abdicated by aliens. We reach a clearing where a crystal is on a pedestal. Inside is a miniature city. I felt compelled by it when my hand touches it a message appears in another blue panel.

Would you like to restore Averia?

Sure, I thought and once again blackness overtakes me.