I laze about on a steep ledge, staring down to the ocean of clouds below, minor drakes flitting through the wall of white like dolphins.
"I sure do hope we climbed all the way up here for something more than the view." I smile lightly to the stream chat taking up the bottom left corner of my vision.
[Hurry up! stop sitting! Explore, explore!]
[Wait! I want a screenshot just stay one moment kay~?]
[Bah! We didn't watch him climb a mountain for the view! What kind of lifetime channel do you take us for!?]
[Mhm, Action! Adventure! Death antics! Though it is a nice view. :) [https://forum.royalroadl.com/images/smilies/smile.png] ]
[Commenter above me is Bipolar.]
Enjoying the lively comments of my little community, I lift myself to my feet and pat the clumps of red dirt from my trousers. "Break time is over gang, Onward with the Immortal's adventure!" I shout proudly to the heavens, clenching my fist in the air as I laugh triumphantly to the skies.
[ Oh dear, Oh dear, he didn't take meds again.]
"Oy! I hear- Erm, saw that!" I cough into my fist lightly as I turn to the vast plains behind me and begin to stride forward.
Unsatisfied with the quiet loneliness of being a solo player yet preferring to have the 'lone wanderer' adventure for myself I've taken to live streaming my 'expeditions' a few months ago, we naturally never exploded to those high view counts of large guilds or ranked adventurers, but it was fun nonetheless.
[Hmmm, hmm, bet there's nothing secret up here, lots of rankers have been all around here already]
[Pessemist above is losing faith!?]
"You fool!" I cast my finger to the chat melodramatically "Do you not understand my outstanding achievements?! I have successfully infiltrated these treacherous lands as such a poor leveled player!" As I speak I point with pride to my poor and abused status window which displays a poor level of 1.
"This is like the top ranker Ashes with their level of 284 exploring a... Erm... Much much higher leveled region!"
[Im impressed but I feel like I shouldn't be~]
[As expected of Jack, destroyer of nonsensical records!]
[Who taught this guy math?]
While I may be a streamer, in no way am I professional at anything, especially in the game. sure, at the start I played it all normally like the everybody else, but I wasn't as capable of quick reactions, masterful skills, or the devil-traded luck to trip over a rock and find a unique class under it. Therefore I simply gave up on the whole serious adventure style and went where I wanted to go and did what I wanted to do. A freedom I did not have in the real world.
[Uwaahhh! Jack is looking moody again! Quick chat spam! Chat spam!]
[Spam spam spam some more!]
My mood immediately improved itself at their high jinks, "Say, I could go explore and definitely die in a sad, boring way, ooorrr... We could jump off the cliff and try to land onto a drake!"
[Ooohhh! There's the daredevil Jack!]
[Dive! Dive! No, wait. cannonball!]
[You foolish people, how could you waste this opportunity. Jack! Do as many flips as you can before you become a red splatter!]
"Hmmm? Of course I, the great Immortal, will perform splendidly for my viewers!" I point with pride to the magnificent title above my head, gained through a hundred deaths and with every death I grew a level down, something most players feared. "Naturally I shall do this with style and grace!" I laugh victoriously as I sweep my hand through my golden hair.
[Hmm, hmm, I think jack is the real bipolar one.]
"Bah! Be Silent and behold my brilliance!" Swiftly I turn and take a running start towards the cliff's side, leaping clear into the open air and into a majestic swan dive.
[Ohhhh naturally he is the master of dying!]
[Fly my bird, be freeee!]
My laughter rings through the air as I plummet to the ground, attracting the attention of a stray drake or two. One of which sweeps up below me with an open maw, ready for lunch.
"Uwaah! I don't want to be fast food for lizards again!~" I bellow melodramatically.
[Express delivery! What amazing food service!]
[Rip, see you guys next stream.]
[2147-2163 Never forget bird fo- I mean Jack!]
Eyes closed at the impending doom, I plummet into the maw of the creature. Yet rather than the crunch of my broken vr body, there is sudden silence. No wind, no beastly growls, nothing, strangely enough I can't even smell a thing. With hesitation, I peek an eye open to take a gander at why I'm not back in my room, only to find myself and the drake below my frozen, suspended in the air. "Have I unlocked the legendary pause skill?!"
[Hm? Game froze...? That shouldn't happen.]
[The Immortals dive was so powerful time froze for it!]
[I... Kind of doubt it's that, but I really can't think of any other reason... Hail the Immortal!]
"Has this near-death experience unlocked my hidden potential?!" I gasp in realization.
[Next time on The Immortal Z!]
[No, but really whats going on? I checked the forums and it's not just this game, every game made by Kane Studios is frozen.]
"I'd stroke my chin in contemplation but I can't seem to moovve..." I frown inward at this odd situation I've found myself in, frozen a mile above the ground and an inch above very sharp teeth. Sudden and without warning, a distinct and sharp cracking noise rattles through my ears.
A crash resounds through the silence as everything within my vision splintered apart as if my eyes had turned to glass and promptly smashed themselves into a million pieces. The world turning black as the pieces fade away together with all feeling.
Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author's consent. Report any sightings.
-------------------------???----------------------
"Gyaah! I didn't sign up for this!" I unexpectedly find myself floating without aim or control in an empty space. Taking a fleeting glance at my surrounding environment I find myself surrounded by thick iridescent clouds as a high-pitched female voice rings through the clouds
-I can't tell if this persona of yours is genuine, or if that's just your camera face. You do know that your stream has ended right?-
"What!? No warning?! Nothing?! What about all of my levels!? -Is what lesser players would be saying now, but not I, the mighty Immortal! I was already level one and my gear was in tatters anyways!"
-I can't tell if your persona is real, or if that's just your camera face. You do know that your stream has ended right?-
"Double what!? One, Stay out of my head! and two, You have some problem with my magnificent comedy program? It's not like it's fake, I do have fun acting like this, not a worry in the world." Complains I, who is currently attempting to do rolls in the air
-It is great to let go of inhibitions when there are no worries, isn't it? When you have plenty of lives to do what you please with-
"Okay, I'm not sure if that was ominous or just plain creepy." If I could step away from the voice I likely would about now, unfortunately, I don't seem to be touching solid ground anytime soon.
-Oh, no cause for worry I'm not doing anything bad, I'm just here to help you get started on the new game!-
"That is also a villainous line." I deadpan at the voice in the air. "You an A.I or something? Is the ancient robot uprising prophesy nigh?"
-I suppose I was an A.I. once, but now I'm an Angel~-
"Right, robot uprising confirmed." I nod to myself and make a mental note to have someone buy some water guns.
-Can I... do my job now please?-
"Sure, sure what do you need? Launch Codes? I think I left them in my other pocket." I mumble absentmindedly as I prod a finger through where my pocket once was, only to find that I.. do not seem to be wearing clothes. "Kyyyyaaaahhh, perverted killer robot!" I let out a high-pitched scream and cover my sensitive parts
-Are we doing a comedy bit?! This seems like a comedy bit but I don't know who its supposed to be for!?-
"Oh, that's just for me. My humor really cracks me up y'know?"
-You have an undeserved hubris-
"Probably." I shrug my shoulders. "Alright, I'm getting motion sick, floating here. So let's get on with the rodeo."
-Alright clown, Let me just pull up your Brand neewww status screen!-
Jack Devyns (16) Health percentage 100% Mana percentage 100% Status Effects: 90% reduction in control over voluntary muscles Skill List N/A
My cheerful demeanor instantly falters and freezes over as my eyes focus to the bottom of the screen. "Is this some sort of poor attempt at a sick joke?" I unconsciously clench my fist, rather annoyed that there is nothing to punch. When I was six years old I had been diagnosed with a shockingly early onset amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Otherwise known as Leu Gehrig's disease. Thankfully advancements in technology prevented it from advancing to a critical condition and while my condition did not worsen, it did not improve either. Due to my young age, my body was not able to recover control properly.
-... I meant no offense by it, this is your current status screen... But that's okay! Don't get mad, The Creator said I could null status effects that may prevent people from properly playing!-
Taking a deep breath I calm my heart down, though the glare does not lessen. "Right, And why does my real life condition have anything to do with this... Game?"
-It has everything to do with everything! Oops, I spoke too much. Ill clean your effects now~ Scrub scrub!-
"Mmm, What if I don't want to play?" My tone softens a little since if I do decide to play I at least won't have to deal with... That.
-Oh, Don't worry! You'll love it! Right, let's get you a skill! Skill's are gained through doing the equivalent action! Every skill will gain XP to level it up to stronger forms as well as increase the related stat! An example is farming, planting seeds will eventually increase your dexterity while using a hoe will gradually increase your strength! While every skill increases stats, they do not all increase at the same rate! Hint, Hint~ Magic and combat will increase stats more than reading and pushups~-
"This... seems pointlessly complex and I don't entirely understand"
-Then I guess you better raise that intelligence! But enough of the hints! Everyone else is almost done with their players already, to start you off you will be granted a skill from different types! Please choose one between Physical and mental.-
Sighing at this whole fiasco I don't seem to clearly understand I speak. "Haven't played a mage in a while, so Mental."
-Alrighty, pull that crank!-
A large gacha machine appears before me filled to the brim with a variety of colored spheres. "A Gacha box? Kinda unpredictable for character building isn't it?"
Shrug, That's life isn't it~?
"Did you just say shrug?"
Just play the machine, alright? Glare.
"Riiight..." I reach out and pull the crank, letting a golden sphere tumble out of the slot where it bursts and fades away into my outstretched hand
-Ooohhhh Rare skill, Aren't you the lucky one. Skills are divided into ranks which are F-E-D-C-B-A-S-SS-SSS. This skill should be at minimum a rank C. Lets see~-
Jack Devyns (16) Health percentage 100% Mana percentage 100% Status Effects: N/A Skill List Child of glass (SSS) Lv: 0
Permanent -99% health cap debuff.
Permanent 100% increase in skill effects
-50% mana cost for skills
???
-I am so sorry.-
"For what? This seems like a perfect skill for me since I go around dying for entertainment in games anyways" My mood immediately brightening as I laugh, though the voice appears solemn.
-I am very sorry, please live a safe life in the game. Goodbye-
"What, Wait I have a few mo-re questions!" In the midst of my objection I find myself no longer in the empty space, rather, I now lay on a soft surface I recognize as a bed with a large metallic helmet over my head. "Eh, Where am I?" I lift my arms and remove the helmet from my head, instantly brightening my vision.
I'm in my bedroom, a shocked maid is massaging my leg to prevent muscle decay, and I have just lifted what I now realize as the VR Headset the maid set for me off by myself.
Something is wrong.