FVR
Chapter Seven.
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They said they would see each other around, but it certainly felt like a goodbye. As Joel wiped away the tears, he steadied his resolve. The memory of what he had seen in the rooms still hung heavily on him, but it had faded in the distance of time, like looking at a road sign in thick fog. I'll find others, he promised, I won't let that dream become reality - I won't stay alone until I'm old and grey.
The door leaving the chamber had creaked in protest, which echoed through a narrow hallway that stretched into the distance, leading outside. While continuing through the hallway, he noted rooms on either side, vacant, except for a few beds. I should sleep.
Pillars stood at regular intervals, each one with a flickering lantern. This place seems familiar, it had a striking similarity to the one he ran through after the ogre attacked. He shivered as he recalled what he had seen in that initial room. Everything hurts like it normally would, he thought as he looked at his hands. I wonder how it feels to die... I wonder how they felt...
His thoughts went back to his own feelings as he concentrated on each step; the mental fog from the meadow had dissipated, leaving him with a more genuine sense of joy over his newfound mobility. But the years he had spent in that dream-like state still wore down on him.
Eventually the hallway opened up into a courtyard, surrounded by high walls weathered by time and adorned with ivy, with a large gated entrance at the front, and a smaller one to the side. As Joel stepped out, the sun berated his eyes harsher than it had before, and the rough, maverick nature of the wind chilled his skin rather than caressing it - stinging his swollen eye. This is more normal, he reflected on the meadow, this is how it's meant to feel.
He yawned deeply, as his body tried to keep him alert. There was a bed in one of those rooms, he thought, with indecision to go back and sleep. Curiosity, however, kept him moving forwards.
The humid air felt tinged with a musty aroma; sweat and leather, mixed with earthy scents he couldn't place, but made his senses tingle. Whatever it was, it woke him up a little.
"Hello?" He called out. Please, please let there be someone else here.
Dummies lined one edge of the courtyard, scarred from use with loose straw cluttering their bases. Along the left side of the building stood a row of tables, displaying an array of weapons and equipment. The cobblestone ground looked weathered, and worn completely smooth in several areas. Small weeds had sprouted from the lesser-used parts of the courtyard, and a row of small bushes and foliage sat at the base of a slope, where a drainage system ran narrowly out of sight.
"Hello!?" Joel called out again, louder this time in an attempt to attract the attention of someone from outside the courtyard. With no reply, he decided to ignore the weapons and approach the entrance of the grounds to have a look around.
As he walked outside the protective walls of the courtyard, he found himself face to face with an enormous entrance - its massive gate drawn up. Joel raised a hand to block the sun, and squinted. His eyes first swept to the high, sturdy stone walls beside the gate that ran across his vision and out of sight. He could see watchtowers spread around the defensive wall, with a few more half built. Beyond the wall, through the open gate, stretched a vast, untouched wilderness. Rolling hills and valleys with their lush greenery enhanced the imposing silhouettes of enormous mountains that loomed on the horizon, their snow-capped summits sending a chill down his spine. Joel traced their contours as they engulfed the entire region. Beyond the furthest mountain, stood a peculiar, golden hue, that spread as far as he could see. He had written it off as a trick of the light due to the shadows and clouds, but it looked like a swirling mass which reached into the sky, defying rational explanation. It appeared to be as long as the mountain range, if not longer, and rose so much higher.
"What the fuck is that?" He muttered to himself.
Whatever it was, it was staying put.
Joel took an anxious step back, and turned around to see a towering city etched into a mountainside. Whoa. His eyes widened in shock as they took in the view.
Its highest towers reached beyond the clouds, following the edge of the mountain range out of sight. Below, mostly blocked by the building before him, sprawled a city in a maze of streets and alleyways. Despite the vastness of the city, however, no noise rang against the stone or flooded the air. In the thrill of seeing such a large city, Joel hadn't noticed that there wasn't anyone else around. Instead, he felt a sense of excitement as he stepped forwards, making his way to the smaller entrance which led into the city - too overwhelmed to notice how silent it sounded.
I hope they don't hate me, he imagined the looks of people seeing him as an outside, or as the cowardly sole survivor. It almost made him want to stay alone.
He walked to the exit of the courtyard, and walked, but got no nearer to the city that stood at his feet. He looked back and found he had not moved an inch through the doorway.
It's an infinite hallway again, frustration found him and so did the silence, it's empty? He ran his hands down the dry stone wall, the residual heat from the sun made it feel inviting. I wonder if this city exists - or if it's all just an area that hasn't been written yet?
***
Being alone in a city made him feel small. It was such a huge amount of space to be occupied by one person, and to have so much of it off limits. Maybe other teams are spread around the city? The thought made the sense of isolation even more unbearable - to potentially be so close, yet still separated - was heart wrenching.
"HELLO!?" He screamed as loud as he could. His voice echoed through the barren streets with no reply.
He walked back to the courtyard and over to the array of weapons, scuffing his shoes against the rough ground as he did.
The closest weapon to him was a Greatsword. Its radiant sheen caught the light of the sun, illuminating the hilt with its intricate carvings and an insignia of a tree. Joel placed a hand on the hilt, but it did not budge; instead, a message popped up:
〘Paladin Class〙
〘Paladins are holy warriors, tasked with destroying evil and protecting others〙
〘With their sense of righteousness and their unwavering faith to the people, they courageously remain steadfast in the face of impending doom, that is a Paladin〙
〘While slow, they have access to large, powerful strikes〙
〘Paladins gain access to strong mana shields early on〙
〘Do you choose the path of a paladin?〙
It's a row of Classes! His eyes swept across the items. A sturdy shield, half his size, lay flat on a table. Beside it sat a sword with a smaller shield. He moved further up, mentally noting each item; a long sword, a long bow and a short bow each with a quiver of arrows, a pair of daggers, a staff with a blue gem and a staff with a red gem, a hood, a mace, a quarter staff, a spear, hand wraps made of cloth, and sat at the very end on the furthest table, a pair of shoes.
I think I can guess most of these, and I already know that some of them will get me killed, he yawned again and rubbed his eyes. Sleep can wait. Picking a class is probably more important.
He walked over to the initial shield, tank, eh? The thought of being invincible felt alluring to him, but the image of the boy being crushed into the wall with a single strike made him doubt the durability of a tank. Wait, how was he a tank before this stage? The thought had not crossed his mind until just now - how had the others already gotten their weapons and armor?
He approached the staff with a blue gem which sat delicately on the table, and placed a hand on it.
〘Cleric Class〙
〘Those who wish to heal, who find purpose in life and restoration, who have the resolve to pierce the veil of darkness in peoples hearts, that is a cleric〙
〘Their prayers of healing are answered through lengthy incantations, making them vulnerable to attack〙
〘However, they are the only class with the ability to heal groups and cast mana shields on others〙
〘Clerics gain access to support effects immediately〙
〘Do you choose the path of a Cleric?〙
The girl didn't try to heal the tank before. Was this because he was already dead? Or, had she not gained any spells? Shit! The lack of information is really fucking with me.
He took a step back and studied every weapon. I need to survive alone, so healing or tankiness would be good, but I'd lack power and would eventually come across something I couldn't handle. One by one he approached the classes he thought would be best for his survival.
〘Archer Class〙
〘Masters of the bow and arrow, who offer valuable support from range〙
〘They are the embodiment of precision, with their keen eyes and steady hands, that is an Archer〙
〘Though vulnerable up close, their mobility allows them to swiftly maneuver across any terrain, and are therefore never far from cover〙
〘Archers gain access to the strongest perception skills possible〙
〘Do you choose the path of an Archer?〙
Exactly what I expected. This would be my main pick, but arrows take time to aim and I could always miss an important shot. He remembered the initial wave, and how he hesitated. I couldn't handle the pressure when that girl was being killed, how could I handle it while trying to protect myself?
〘Rogue Class〙
〘Masters of stealth, who lurk in plain sight〙
〘A cunning, deadly, patient breed, often found alone, that is a Rogue〙
〘They may only strike once, but it may be all that they need〙
〘With nimble movements and the unique abilities to vanish, they are the silent killers of the world〙
〘Do you choose the path of a Rogue?〙
This sounds more like it. It doesn't matter how long I take to attack, if I can hit them with a strong enough strike then they'll die. If not, I can always vanish. Rogues were often his first choice in games, mainly due to their independent styles not needing a team. Maybe I don't look at the others?
He tried picturing the last two fights as a rogue. He could have vanished and maneuvered behind the ogre to deliver a killing strike, or killed the shadow with a single blow, instead of getting beaten to a bloody pulp. The unique ability to vanish really seems broken, so it must have its limitations? His thoughts were strained. He had overthought each skill and couldn't bring himself to choose one, he yawned again. Fuck, this is killing me. He shook it off and moved over to the hand wraps.
〘Monk Class〙
〘The People of Samul were the first to cultivate mana through their connection to nature, and are able to harness mana to multiply their natural abilities〙
〘They taught their ways to the world, and helped overcome the Helkin. Those not of the Samul people who learn this way, that is a Monk〙
You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.
〘With discipline and training, their mind and body can perform inhuman feats of power and mobility〙
〘With their strong will and unyielding resilience, they are the jack of all trades, master of none〙
〘Do you choose the path of a Monk?〙
Oh wow! The ability to harness mana to increase their natural abilities? Does that mean the others classes can't do that? Each class had something that made them unique, giving them specific roles that others could not do. But Monk had the ability to overcome most challenges by using mana to cover their weaknesses, be it speed, defence, attack, they could change them all mid combat using mana without having to focus on just one. Joel understood this, but he had his doubts. It might require building every stat. Mana multiplies their natural abilities, meaning it can only multiply what you have. If you don't have speed, it can't multiply it. You would then have to build mana too. It's a huge investment, and I think I'd have too many weaknesses early on. Maybe it would make for a second class, if this game has multiple classes? It really depends how the multipliers work.
Joel approached the final table, where a pair of shoes stood.
〘Runner Class〙
〘The personification of speed, that is a Runner〙
〘With unmatched mobility, agility, and reflexes, their lightning-quick feet make them invaluable assets on any battlefield〙
〘Able to move so fast they seemingly teleport, they are the support that is always close by〙
〘Runners gain mobility skills immediately, and can run indefinitely while in combat〙
〘Do you choose the path of a Runner?〙
I guess in a fully virtual reality game, things like this make a lot of sense. It sounds like the perfect support, but I don't see how it helps me survive on my own. Being able to run indefinitely intrigued him, but the main part he focused on was the immediate mobility skills and it being unmatched, meaning no other class would be faster. It's a support class, so it won't be giving me many ways to attack, and the lack of damage on this makes me want to go rogue. I'd go monk, but it seems like such a late game class. And then being able to run without stopping... If I could pair that with other skills, I might be able to cut down enemies while remaining safe. But all of this is assuming that I can survive in a game where there's meant to be twenty people in a group.
He had to close his eyes to concentrate over all the classes, but he kept ending back at the same thought - I'm going to get myself killed sooner than I expected.
The sun still beat down on him, and his swollen eye had started crying from the stinging sensation of the heat. He looked around again and marveled at the wall that encircled the city, and the numerous towers - built or otherwise - that dotted along it. If it weren't for the silence, I'd be so fucking stoked to be here, his mind wondered back to the other groups the boy's words hinted at. The courtyard and the city would have been a good place to meet up with people, but here he stood, alone. I really should have asked Simon for more information, he had not yet thought about the rush of that first day, or what he should have asked. He had, however, thought about his parents.
Sighing, he drew his sword from his hip - as he did, the scabbard vanished.
The fuck? He reached back for it, and it appeared again. Is this to stop the scabbard from getting in the way during fights? That's really useful actually.
The sword felt heavier than he expected for something so small. He awkwardly put both hands on the hilt and swung down. Two hands felt too tight, so he tried with one. With a firm grip on the hilt with his right hand, he tried swinging the blade. Its weight had a balance he had not expected, and every swing felt slightly laborious in his weak arm.
As he swung, he struggled to gauge the weapon's reach; the lack of intuition reminded him of his poor tennis skills, and how swinging the racquet always hurt his wrists. He continued to practice, trying to familiarize himself with the arc of the blade, before finally lunging forward at a dummy - missing the center of mass by several inches. Yeah, I'm definitely getting myself killed.
Joel withdrew the blade from the dummy and sheathed it, then turned back to the tables and sighed again. He had to make a choice soon, so that he could start planning ahead and practice with his swordsmanship. But the choice he made here would echo throughout his time in the game. It's moments like this that make me wish this game had an actual tutorial.
***
He had lacked mobility for a long time in his real life, so the sudden nature of reclaiming it and having so many options to increase it further felt overwhelming. He was initially drawn to speed for survival, but the more he thought about each class, the more he remembered how he used to run. He recalled the medal in his room, and how he kept it out to reminisce every now and again. As one of the tallest children in his year, he had a lot of natural advantages when it came to certain sports. But for Joel, sprinting had always one of his favourite things in the world. He could still vividly remember how it felt running for his school at age ten, and again at fourteen, coming first and then second.
Running the one hundred meter sprint in the Olympics had been a dream of his when he was young. But that had died, along with so many of his hobbies when his chronic pain started.
Dropping out of education felt like a further nail that pinned him to the ground, removing so many possibilities. But here, in this game, he had more choice than he ever imagined.
I want to survive as long as possible, and go out on my own terms. But I don't see how I survive on my own in this place... His thoughts went back to the Rogue class. He needed strength, and the skills that Rogue came with were the best fit to his solo run. He approached the daggers and selected Rogue. But nothing happened.
〘Rogue Class. Unavailable〙
You're kidding me? He approached Monk, and Paladin too, but both were unavailable.
You're seriously shitting me, they've all been taken!?
After checking every class, the only one that was available was the Runner class.
They did have classes back then!? How!? Is it because I was late? He truly had started to regret not asking more questions when he had the chance.
"Hello?" He called out, "can't you give me some advice!? I was late you know!?" Again, he had no response.
Left with nothing else, he approached the pair of shoes. Being able to run so fast that I can't be seen... It has a nice ring to it. He recalled a game he had played, where a character could kick the ground so hard he could flash across the screen in an instant. The thought, that if he could do that one day, it might just be better than running in the Olympics. I guess it could be worse.
"Runner. Accept."
〘Runner Class. Unlocked〙
〘Title Unlocked: Runner〙
〘Reward For Title: One Skill Points〙
The pair of shoes materialized in his hands, and another pair replaced them on the table.
The shoes were sleek, intricately woven fabric reinforced the smooth fabric. It seemed to offer flexibility with strong resilience, I wonder what would happen if I stabbed one? His intrusive thoughts on its sturdiness persisted for a moment, before he decided not to risk destroying his own equipment. I'll find out sooner or later.
Their vibrant hues of green reminded Joel of lush forests and the wind that passes through unnoticed. He put them on, replacing his worn boots, but nothing happened. He checked the HUD, but his class slots were still empty. Maybe wearing them isn't the same as equipping them? He took them off, placed them into his inventory, then clicked on them: Equip, or withdraw? He clicked equip, then checked his equipment.
《Runner Class Shoes: Beginner. Level 1. Increases agility by 5. Ascend Runner Class to increase proficiency bonus》
That's a nice early agility boost! He returned to the character page, taking a moment to reflect on his title. Smiling softly, he thought about Fluffy, then looked back to the door he had just walked through. He's still there, on the other side, enjoying his own paradise. The thought of Fluffy having to walk through that cave alone made him a little anxious, but Joel knew he would be alright.
With a soft sigh, he returned to his character page and selected class.
《Runner Class: Beginner. Level 1. XP: 0/1000》
《Active Skills:》
《Forward Dash: Beginner. Level 1. XP: 0/500. Push forwards up to 10 meters at double your agility. Cooldown: 10 seconds》
《Passive Skills:》
《Quick Reflexes: Beginner. Proficiency: 0/100. Slightly heightens reaction times, enabling the user to react faster》
《Unyielding Pace: Max Level. So long as you are in combat, you will be able to run indefinitely》
Quick reflexes is an unexpected surprise, but dash was predictable. Okay, let's test this out. He walked to the far side of the courtyard, unequipped the shoes, then checked the HUD for the time until the next wave. He waited for it to drop to a zero, then he ran as fast as he could to the other side. Somewhere over seven seconds for about fifty meters - not terrible for someone who hasn't ran in awhile. But that's with five agility? He reequipped the shoes, giving him a total of ten. Let's see if I'm twice as fast. He repeated the process, this time taking just over six and a half seconds. Five extra agility shaved less than half a second off. I can't tell if that's amazing or not. Okay, one more, this time he wanted to check his dash.
First, let's see how it works. He stood still, facing the center of the courtyard. "Dash," he said, suddenly finding himself several meters from where he had stood. He'd travelled in a straight line, twice as fast as he would have had he sprinted. It did not feel like a jump, it felt more like someone had shoved him, and when he moved, he moved too fast to really process it. That's why it has quick reflexes, he realized. Okay, I really need to focus on that when I can, not being able to react because I'm moving too fast will only get me hurt. He paused for a few moments to wrap his head around dashing. It'll be good for getting out of trouble, but it'll be a pain to get used to. As for sprinting, either that improves much later, or it's a class reliant on skills?
Thinking about how using dash felt, he imagined how it worked. Let's see, if I look left, "dash," he dashed to the left, so it goes to where I'm looking, and I don't have to be moving. How about just one meter ahead? He put his back against the wall then chose a spot in front of him. "Dash," but nothing happened. Oh, the cooldown? He scanned the HUD and found a small timer with a shoe icon at the top right of his vision - placed under the wave timer. He also noticed the exhaustion icon still sat under his mana bar. I guess the potion couldn't heal status effects. The cooldown ticked its last few seconds, and Joel looked back at the spot just in front of him. 3. 2. 1. 0. "Dash," he dashed to where he looked, about one meter in front of the wall. Okay, yeah this could work. Being able to control the distance meant he did not have to worry about dashing too far, but the problem of his reactions remained.
Does Quick Reflexes mention how much it improves reaction time? It's not something I can really test for now. He clicked back to reread the passive skills and noticed that the runner class had gained fifteen experience, and his dash skill had gained thirty. That's ten experience per dash for the skill, and five for the class? Wait, doesn't that mean I can level this in under an hour? The wave timer was still displayed on his HUD, showing 19.19.21. I've got the entire day to practice with the sword and level up this dash, but I should sleep at some point. His previous rests had been so long that he felt worried he might oversleep, but he worried about the exhaustion status. Level two shouldn't take more than an hour, and I can hack away at the dummy during the cooldowns. After that, I'll sleep. He yawned again, deeper and longer this time - he had to shake himself to stay awake.
Okay, now running with the dash. He waited for the timer to drop to a zero, then started with a dash and sprinted the next forty meters. About five seconds? So, with the extra agility and a dash, I'm nearly the fastest person in the world? Holy shit.
The several minutes that followed consisted of Joel striking the dummy two to three times, then dashing away and returning to strike the dummy before repeating the process. He altered between a full dash, a sideways dash, and shorter dashes, all to get used to the movement. Unfortunately, he couldn't dash upwards. His swinging, moreover, still felt unnatural no matter what he did, maybe a mage class might have been better?
Taking a deep breath, and visualizing himself with the sword, he tried to really focus on his next swing; how he wanted to attack, the speed and direction, and how he might move afterwards - all came into focus. A horizontal strike at the waist, that way I can dash passed after striking. He crouched slightly, and held the blade across his body to his left side. He stepped forwards, and with a backhanded slice, he cut through the dummy, sending straw flying into the air.
〘Passive Skill Unlocked: Sword Wieder〙
〘Title Unlocked: Apprentice To The Blade〙
〘Reward For Title: One Skill Points〙
Whoa! He laughed excitedly, so you can learn skills this way? He clicked on his skill page, and looked at his new passive skill.
《Sword Wielder: Beginner. Level 1. XP: 0/250》
《Gain 10% strength and 1% critical chance when equipping a sword》
Okay, okay, this could work! He struck the dummy one more time, then checked his skill again.
《Sword Wielder: Beginner. Level 1. XP: 1/250》
One experience point per slash!? A new found energy found him as he started to slash at the dummy, the thought of staying here all day to max his skills had reignited his belief that he could survive, and within fifteen minutes of continuous slashes, despite his exhaustion, his experience maxed out. A wave of concern washed over him as he swung his sword for the two-hundred and fiftieth time, it doesn't matter how strong the skill gets, if I don't know how to use a sword, it's essentially useless. The lack of a sparring partner or a someone who could train him how to swing the sword correctly, made him feel defeated. If the training doesn't automatically make me good, how am I meant to improve?
Having spent his last ounce of energy, Joel slouched to the ground, dropping the blade as he did. His body ached, his mind felt heavy, his eyes hurt, and small blisters had started to form on his hands and feet. Accepting that he pushed himself too far into exhaustion, he tried to boost his spirits. It's fine, he gasped, as he reassured himself, it'll be worth it in the end.
He clicked back to his skill page. Annoyance heightened his fatigue when he looked at his sword wielder skill.
《Ascension to level 2 locked. Conditions for ascension: 5 skill points. Dozrak'een must be slain for the first time - does not have to be slain by the player》
It's hard locked behind progression!? Joel had to prop himself up to save himself from collapsing. His ears rang with a low hum, and his eyes became too blurry to see where he had dropped his sword. I'm going to cut myself if I reach for it. Fuck. I need to sleep. Slowly, and painfully, he stood, and trudged wearily up to the barracks. His labored steps felt the weight of each dash he had forced upon them; ignoring the protests of his feet, he pressed on.
The training had taken an obvious toll, made worse by his sheer exhaustion - the icon for which flashed. That can't be good. He longed for the simple comfort of a bed - something he had not had since entering the game.
Reaching the barracks - his head spinning - Joel entered a vacant room and stepped inside. The same musty scent of sweat and leather from outside plagued heavier on his sensitive senses, however, before him lay a row of wooden beds, each with an inviting mattress of straw. He kicked off his shoes, and felt the coolness of the stone floor ease away the coarse heat and sweat from his bare feet.
Falling into the embrace of the mattress, Joel let out a long, weathered exhale, and he immediately drifted off into a deep sleep.