Benjamin Sky was having a dull day.
Story of his life.
You see Ben never really fit in. He had a theory it started when he didn't go to other peoples houses or maybe when he left his friends in a different country at the age of 5. Maybe it was because he only got social media when he was 14. Either way he was never quite like everyone else. While others played footy he fought the demons that haunted his mind from young. He pondered on the nature of reality and built himself a mental body of fire, white tinged blue, blue tinged white with fire and life in his eyes and stars across his body wearing armour of golden time and verdant life. He read about heroes and villains who transcended this world and filled his soul with ambition to surpass them, to build a world he would enjoy, to replace this dull cycle, all the while promising never to be a cog in the wheel. While others played, he built the foundations for transcendence. He became a man who would be King.
"Alright guys class is over you can go home" said a bored teacher to a bored class in a fairly interesting school for most.
Of course, that didn't include our protagonist.
"Hey Ben, are you catching the bus home?" asked Aidan Nautique the best friend of our protagonist.
"No, I've got rehearsal for the 'Movie of Nothing’," replied Ben.
"I still can't get over why a play about an atheist family who live in New York in 2001 and fight against injustice through the courts is called that," said Aidan.
"It's a stupid name but hey, not my problem right. Besides you’re the Unofficial Assistant Snack Getter, you have to come as well." answered Ben with a smirk on his face.
"If by that you mean Assistant Director you're right, oh well there go my plans, I'll be there," joked Aidan rather sadly.
"I don't, but feel free to come," said Ben with a smile.
"Fine I'll be there," acquiesced Aidan.
Later at rehearsal...
"Well as this is the final dress rehearsal we are going to run through it until nine," said the director who shall be totally forgotten in about 3 minutes as he is totally irrelevant to the story.
This of course was met with a collective reaction of groans as one might expect as they started to rehearse.
...
...
Five hours later as rehearsal was drawing to a close we find our incredibly likely protagonist- what with his haunted childhood, somewhat social isolation despite having roughly 4 best friends and being decently popular, who reads and tries to write web-fiction and is bored with society, talking to best friend A: Aidan.
"Man I wish something interesting would happen, this play is really boring and we still have half an hour 'til we can go home." complained Ben, despite thinking that today would be like any other day.
"Yeah right." replied Aidan "It's not like we live in some fantasy novel where an RPG apoca..."
Welcome Earthlings to a Game you won't forget. God has been working on a machine to help you guys see Status which is a whole new layer of reality. Frankly it was taking to long so I, Lucifer the Awesome decided to help move things along. God seems to like you guys so I figured if the machine was affecting you guys he would work harder on it. Hopefully for your sake he does. Otherwise you guys are screwed! Seriously have fun though and don't die too quickly.
From Luci
"What."
Name
Benjamin Sky
Chosen Name
Titles
N/A
Race
Human
Stats
Stat Points: 10
Strength
5
This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
Agility
5
Vitality
5
Intelligence
5
Wisdom
5
Luck
10
Bloodline
Horseman of Destruction's Descent
Affinities
Destruction(Bloodline)
"Well damn." said half the planet in unison, Ben and Aidan included.
I gave all of the pure humans, those without bloodlines a boost in stats and a title for free, at least the few that were left, man you guys have a lot of ancient bloodlines, COUGH-COUGH anyway I gave that because I want you to have a way to catch up to the others and I believe in uttermost fairness. Have fun guys and watch out for the monsters. By the way I broke your toys for fairness's sake. That "Chosen Name" thing you see is also for fairness sake. It is important so don't blow it.
"What just happened?" again the world united their voices to speak the mind of the common man... except this time Ben and Aidan's reaction was a tad bit different...
"Hallelujah!"
"We'll be Kings!"
"Gods amongst men!"
"With our gaming and web-fiction knowledge we'll be unstoppable!"
As Aidan and Ben did their victory dances... everybody around them sweat-dropped, due to a R.S.F.X. or Real Special Effect courtesy of the Status dimension.
"What are you fools doing?" demanded Samantha one of the actresses in the play.
"Our victory dance?" responded the pair of best friends in confusion.
"Your celebrating, the devil, starting the apocalypse," she said in a tone so chilly both friends thought they might catch a cold.
"Of course not." Ben quickly responded, "We're celebrating the Status screen."
"Which is so-o-o much better?" she said sarcastically but the dangerous glint faded from her eyes.
"Anyway Aidan show me your Status woul..."
Before he could finish his sentence it was already up.
Name
Aidan Nautique
Chosen Name
N/A
Titles
N/A
Race
Human
Stats
Stat Points: 12
Strength
5
Agility
5
Vitality
5
Intelligence
5
Wisdom
5
Luck
8
Bloodline
Son of the Sea
Affinities
Water
"Hey since you guys seem to get what going on better than us care to explain?" asked Isabella.
"Sure, so you see it is to the death. From endings come beginnings and form beginning opportunity. The wheel of fate turns revealing an aspect of existence previously veiled…
"Get on with it!" yelled an annoyed Samantha, eye twitching.
"Fine" replied the humbly awesome protagonist of our story.
",Basically the world has turned into what seems to be the beta of a game very loosely based off an actual game and far more likely based off of a novel based off other novels based off a very vague idea of what a RPG game actually was. Except with real people playing. Who could die."
"Whom," corrected Izzy, "it's whom, not who."
"Actually, it's who." interrupted the director of no import whom you've already forgotten about. If not then get to the forgetting already and focus on the story.
"An-y-way…" said Ben trying to bring the topic back to the impending apocalypse.
Of course, he failed, but at least he tried, right? Right?
"Why so dark?" asked Aidan, waiting for the eventual…
"I can't help it. It's in my skin and my eyes, and my hair!" joked Ben his black hair and dark chocolate brown eyes along with his olive skin tone reinforcing the joke and his smile sweeping the slight racism under a suspiciously lumpy rug.
"Nothing? Damn, tough crowd, tough crowd…" followed on Ben.
THUMP!
The sound of his head being bashed sounded painful to everybody especially Ben who was the one who you know… ACTUALLY got hit!
"Hey! I thought we agreed, no more violence! No more violence Samantha. We live-lived… in a mostly civilized society," cried Ben half-jokingly, half-serious.
"What can I say," drawled a smirking Samantha. "It's a new world".
"She's right Ben," chorused the others, much to his irritation.
"Fine, fine," he replied, "we'll get moving in an hour, get ready & try not to be late."
"Got it boss," drawled EVERYBODY simultaneously. He still had no idea how they did that.
Maybe he never would, but he would try as hard as hell to find out. One-day he thought. ONE DAY!
And with that happy thought he picked up a weapon of mass destruction (read rock) and walked outside.
Big mistake. Though not the biggest of his life.
“AHHHHHH!”
"That light was really bright Samantha," complained Ben rubbing his head for the second time.
Thus, our protagonist survived Day 1 of the apocalypse.