John looked up from the laptop he was studying as the front door opened, admitting his father, Derrick, into their small apartment. The older man took a moment to remove his suit jacket and hang it near the door, then flopped into one of the old but comfortable chairs that made up the majority of their small living room.
“So,” his father began, sounding tired, “how’s it going? Learn anything interesting while I was out?”
“It’s… going.” John replied. “Mostly down rabbit holes. I’m also not sure I’m retaining enough of this to be worthwhile.”
“Write notes?”
“How am I going to get the notepad in game?”
“Couldn’t you do research using the headset? They’ve got to have some kind of note taking system in there.”
John paused and looked at his father with annoyance. “You couldn’t have suggested that before you left this morning?”
The older man smirked. “You’re going to need problem solving skills of your own if you want to make this work. I can’t just hand you the answers, especially not with this farming business. Though if you’d like I’ll happily help you devise a spreadsheet or three.”
John eyed his father askance. “Why would I need spreadsheets for farming?”
“Spreadsheets can be used for everything. Also, lord knows I love you son, but you are to organization what train wrecks are to travel.” Derrick replied.
“Thank you for that stunning vote of confidence,” John groused.
“You’re welcome!” his father replied cheerily, then sobered a bit. “That said, you’re sure actual agricultural farming is part of the game?”
“Yeah, they’re touting it as a fully simulated world, and even games of your era had some farming mechanics, basic as they were.”
“Are you calling me basic?”
“I would never.”
“I should hurt whoever taught you such sass.”
“The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.”
Derrick snorted. “I suppose it doesn’t. How are you planning to sell your produce? I’m pretty sure it used to be against several EULAs to sell in-game items for real money.”
“It did for lots of games, but that didn’t stop it from happening. As for Limitless Online, they’ve built in a marketplace for selling your in game items. They of course get five percent of the profits off the top, and let’s not forget sales tax, which is currently hovering around ten percent, for a total of fifteen percent of my profits being skimmed,” John explained.
“You sure you don’t want to go to college? It might be simpler…”
John sighed. “We both know I’d have to take out a loan for college, and it just doesn’t guarantee a stable job on graduating. Without that guarantee it’d be irresponsible to take out a loan that could take as much as twenty years to pay off.”
“I’m not sure this is any more responsible,” his father grumbled.
“And that’s why we agreed I would have six months to show it’s a viable plan,” John reminded him.
“And that’s why we agreed on six months,” Derrick echoed. “Alright, I won’t nag you about it. Why don’t you tell me your plans.”
“Well, basically, I need to find farmland somewhere, one of the starting towns or nearby environs should be fine. After the subscription to the game and the headset I’ve got two hundred left over, which translates to about two hundred silver in game. That should be more than enough to find me some land. Hopefully from there it’s as simple as laying down some fields, watering, tending, and then harvesting.”
“That’s pretty non-specific,” Derrick.
“I mean, it’s not like they’ve released maps and town names and stuff,” John grumbled.
“Still. Buy land, plant stuff, harvest, sell, profit, is really bare bones. Practically a meme; all you’re missing is a step full of question marks.”
John gave his parental unit a glare, but the man seemed unaffected. “It’s a work in progress,” he muttered finally.
“Alright, what crops are you going to grow?”
“I was thinking I’d start with the basics. Wheat, Corn, and other grains. Staples; things everyone needs.”
“What about luxury crops?”
“Most require specific growing environments, if I find myself in some tropics or subtropics, then great, I can grow all kinds of really nice things. Otherwise I’ll need to build greenhouses first and that takes money,” John explained.
“Fair enough,” Derrick replied. “Alright, I guess that’s plan-like.”
John grumbled. “Gonna ‘plan-like’ you.”
“I really wish you would, your life would be a lot simpler with a spreadsheet or three,” his father shot back in amusement.
A frustrated noise was John’s only reply.
“Alright, try not to stay up too late, you’ve got a big day ahead of you,” the older man said, slowly standing and heading for his own room.
“‘Kay, goodnight,” John said, closing his laptop.
“Night,” his father echoed.
—
John had, in fact, stayed up too late. Though not for lack of trying. As the alarm went off he opened bleary eyes and slapped at his phone, a surefire way to accomplish nothing. Finally he sat up, picked the device up and carefully navigated through the popups to turn off the alarm.
“I swear,” he muttered as he trudged toward the bathroom. “If I ever get the chance I’m going to seriously hurt past me for thinking a puzzle lock on the alarm was a good idea.”
Morning routine quickly cared for, John made his way back to his room and picked up the other device sitting on his night stand. It was a slim, circular band that went around the head and it had a single button meant to rest above the right ear. He put it on, laid down, and then pressed the button.
It took the VR crown about thirty seconds to boot up fully, giving him plenty of time to position himself comfortably. After it finished its cycle a small line of perfectly legible text appeared in his vision.
[Would you like to activate the virtual headset?]
* Yes
* No
With a thought, he selected yes and a small, fifteen second countdown appeared along with a new line.
[Please make sure you’re in a comfortable position.]
Not long after, the countdown hit zero and the world went black, only to reappear seconds later. This time, however, he was standing in an all white room with a single door leading out of it. John wasn’t surprised that his home room was bland and mostly featureless; he’d been too busy to decorate it, so the only change was the door labeled ‘Limitless Online’ on the northern wall.
Looking around he willed a mirror into existence on the eastern wall and took one last look at his avatar. He’d not strayed far from his normal appearance which meant that the man looking back at him was remarkably similar. The same mousy-brown hair, startling green eyes, straight nose, and square jaw looked out at him. He’d left his build slim, like its real life model, though the temptation to add some muscle had been great. He’d lost to the temptation of height increase though. In real life he stood a little over five feet while here he was pushing six; if not for his bronze skin tone (which he could only assume matched or resembled his mother’s) he would look much like his father.
Satisfied he stepped away from the mirror and approached the door, an act that elicited a prompt as he came close.
[Limitless Online will not be open for 0h 50m 29s. Would you like to spend this time in character creation instead?]
* Yes
* No
“Yes,” John verbalized; another thing he’d neglected to change was the pitch and timbre of his voice, leaving it at its natural tenor. This further separated him from being his father’s shadow as the older man’s voice was deeper, verging on bass.
With his confirmation the world folded around him, and he found himself standing in a hall of mirrors. He looked around for a moment, and then chose one at random. As he walked up to it, he could see his reflected image, but it was off in several ways. First, the apparition was taller, clocking in at an impressive six and half feet. Next was the lithe, willowy, and graceful lines his body had taken on, making his slim build look more regal and refined. The final tipoff was the ears though, long and pointed. This reflection was obviously himself as an elf and a quick glance at the mirror’s plaque confirmed it.
Slowly he began to prowl the room, quickly passing the other standard fantasy races. Elves might work for what he wanted, they tended to be pretty nature themed, but he bet that if he looked he’d find something better, so he began checking all the mirrors.
After twenty minutes he was getting frustrated. There seemed to be every type of race imaginable, however none of them came with statistics, just a name and appearance.
“How am I supposed to choose what will work best if I can’t tell what each race gives!” he cried in frustration.
“Well,” rumbled the reflection in front of him. “You could just ask.”
John stared at the mirror, it depicted a large ursine man and was labeled ‘Bear Folk’. He gaped for a moment before finding his voice. “You can talk?!”
Bear-John rumbled with laughter. “Yes, we can talk, we thought you knew that, or I promise we would have said something earlier.”
“I just assumed it’d all be prompts like in old-school MMOs and those LitRPG books.” He mumbled, face warming.
“The designers considered that, but a hall of dry statistics sounds boring, doesn’t it?” Bear-John asked. “If you’re looking for something specific, I could tell you where to go.”
With a sigh of relief John nodded. “I’m looking for a race that’ll be good for farming.”
“Well, Ursine Folk are particularly strong, and our claws make for good weapons so-” the bear began.
“No, sorry,” John said, cutting him off. “I mean agricultural farming. Like planting crops and such.”
Bear-John blinked, looking taken aback for a moment. “I… see. Hmm… Give me a moment.” The bear then walked out of his mirror and entered another nearby mirror with a Cat Folk version of John in it. They began an animated whisper. Then they both left their mirror and moved to the next, and then the next. Until an entire parade of johns was moving about in a single mirror, all having animated discussions that he couldn’t hear. After ten minutes the different Johns all exited the mirror they were in and returned to their own reflective surfaces.
“Sorry about that.” Ursine-John said. “We needed to pool resources. That’s a pretty odd request you have, and it wasn’t really considered until now. Looks like the ones you’re looking for are a bit all over the place, so we’re gonna collapse down into just the mirrors you want.”
“Oh… uh, thank you, then. You’ve been a big help.”
“No problem, it’s our job.” With that the Ursine man made a gesture and all the nearby mirrors began to fold in on themselves. As they did so new mirrors moved to take their place, and then folded in on themselves as well. The process began to speed up, becoming so quick that the mirrors were little more than a blur until only four mirrors remained.
The first and second mirror contained female versions of John, the first with thick, bark-like skin and vine-like hair, the second a fair maiden in diaphanous robes. They were labeled Dryad and Nymph respectively.
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“Sorry ladies, but I’m not feeling up to a sex change at the moment.” He said to the two mirrors. The Dryad shrugged and the Nymph sniffed, both mirrors folded in on themselves and disappeared even as John looked to the other two mirrors.
In the first mirror was a reflection of John with the same face, but a small goatee, two small horns, and goat ears. From the neck to the waist he appeared to be entirely human, and then he transitioned into goat legs. Unfortunately, he also appeared to have no notion of modesty. John fidgeted uncomfortably and switched his view from the Satyr to the second mirror.
The mirror read ‘Basajaun’ and depicted a very hairy version of John, complete with thick beard and mane-like hair. “What the heck are Basajaun?” He asked as he looked over the hairy man.
“Basajaunak, that’s the plural form,” the image began, his voice only slightly deeper than John’s normal timbre, “are a race of forest folk characterized by their hirsute appearance and gentle nature. They’ve been known to share the secrets of agriculture and tool use with other races they encounter, and often give warnings of danger that approach, such as particularly violent storms. They are also known as builders of Megaliths. In game terms, you get bonuses to farming, megalith construction, and limited prognostication related specifically to natural disasters.”
John nodded as he listened, still studiously avoiding the Satyr who was obviously enjoying John’s discomfort. “And… uh… what does he give?” He jerked a thumb at the goat man.
“I!” Satyr-John declared. “Give bonuses to nature related tasks, such as charming wild animals, growing things, and,” here he waggled his brows. “Fertility!”
John shifted uncomfortably again. “I… uh… just… no.”
Satyr-John blew a raspberry. “Suit yourself!” he said even as the mirror folded up on itself and disappeared.
“I guess that leaves Basajaun.” John said, looking at the final mirror. “How do I choose?”
“Just step into the mirror,” Basajohn said.
With a deep breath John stepped forward into the mirror and, after a brief sensation of falling, out the other side.
Immediately he felt different. Warmer, almost too warm, and slightly itchy, especially where the clothing rubbed against his dense hair. “Oh that’s weird,” he muttered to himself, even as he looked down at the hairy backs of his hands. For the next several moments John familiarized himself with his new form, running his hands over his hairy arms, and then through his beard, and finding himself glad that he wore only a short-sleeved shirt and long, loose shorts.
Finally satisfied with his self-examination he looked around and found himself in a room full of statues. Each statue depicted himself (as a Basajaun, of course) in various outfits, gear, and poses. Reading the plaques at the bottom he found them to be different classes.
“Okay, how much time do we have left.” He asked aloud. One of the statues, a version of John wearing heavy armor, turned and spoke.
“You have about ten minutes left before the game goes live.” Paladin-John told him.
“Thanks. I don’t suppose you guys have any class recommendations that’ll go well with Farming?” he asked the statue.
There was a long pause as the various statues looked at each other, finally the Paladin spoke again. “That one’s a lot harder than the racial selection one. Most packages aren’t geared toward farming, though one or two are being put together right now. They’d include a few spells and skills that would get you on your way, but… it might be better to choose the base package, Adventurer.” The paladin gestured and the ground before John erupted as a new statue burst forth. The plaque at the bottom simply read ‘Adventurer’ and the statue was just John as he stood now.
“What’s so special about adventurer?” He asked after examining the statue.
The statue looked down at him. “Well, I don’t have any Build Points spent, I’m a blank slate.”
“What does that mean?” John asked.
“Each level, instead of getting new spells, skills, or attributes each player gains Build Points,” the adventurer explained, “which can be spent to increase any of those things, or purchase new ones. In addition every fifth level allows you to purchase, or upgrade, a feat.”
“And the other classes?”
“There are no ‘other classes’ as you think of them. What you’re seeing here are starting packages, that means their points for level zero have already been spent. This allows someone to get a quick start.” Adventurer John clarified.
“Alright, the… paladin? Said that a couple farming packages are being made, how long is that going to take?”
“Not long, maybe 10 to 20 minutes.”
“Or I could just build my own really quick, alright, how do I choose a starting package?” John inquired.
“Just place your hand on the pedestal and will it,” advised Adventurer-John.
Nodding, John touched the adventurer pedestal and focused on the idea of it becoming him. He heard a cracking, crumbling sound and opened his eyes to see the other statues around them falling apart, until he stood in a field of rubble with only the adventurer pedestal left, though it was now empty of its statue and he could see stairs leading up to the top. Quickly he climbed up them and took its place.
The world tilted crazily for a moment, and then he found himself standing back in his home room, the door to Limitless Online standing before him, the countdown showing five minutes left. As he looked at it another prompt appeared.
[Adventurer Package Chosen! Distributing Build Points.]
[1000 Build Points distributed.]
[Please Enter a Name.]
John paused, looking at the blinking cursor. He considered for a moment, and then shrugged. Did he really need a gaming handle? He entered his first name.
[Name Registered, please distribute your Build Points before entering Limitless Online.]
John glanced at the timer. Only three minutes remained. He sighed, realizing he was likely going to be a few minutes late.
“Status” he said
[Name: John]
[Race: Basajaun]
[Level: 0]
[Mana: 100]
[MRegen: 5/Minute]
[Build Points: 1000]
[Attributes]
* Constitution: 12
* Dexterity 8
* Magic: 10
* Strength: 10
[Skills]
* None
[Spells]
* None
[Racial Perks]
* Plant Tender
* Disaster Prognosticator
* Megalith Mastery
“How many points to raise an Attribute.”
[The formula for raising an attribute is the Current Attribute multiplied by five, or CA*5]
“How many points for a new Skill?”
[New Skills at Novice rank cost 100 Build Points.]
“How much to advance a Skill?”
[The cost to raise a Skill from Novice to Apprentice is 500 Build Points.]
[The cost to raise a Skill from Apprentice to Journeyman is 1,400 Build Points.]
[The cost to raise a Skill from Journeyman to Expert is 3,000 Build Points.]
[The cost to raise a Skill from Expert to Master is 5,500 Build Points.]
[The cost to raise a Skill from Master to Grandmaster is 9,100 Build Points.]
“How much for a new Spell?”
[Spell costs are the same as Skill Costs.]
“Well that’s easy enough to remember. Purchase two Dexterity, and two Magic for one hundred ninety BP. Purchase Farming for one hundred. Purchase…” John hesitated for a moment. “Is there a list of skills and spells I can look through?” No sooner had he asked then two new windows opened before him. Giving them a quick once over he made a few hasty choices.
“Purchase Control Earth. Purchase Create Water. Purchase Light Armor and Swordplay. Purchase…” He hesitated again. “Engineering.”
[Processing]
[Two Dexterity, and Magic purchased: 190 BP]
[Farming, Light Armor, Swordplay, and Engineering Skills purchased: 400 BP.]
[Control Earth and Create Water Spells purchased: 200 BP]
He had two hundred and ten BP left. He glanced over at the door and the now displayed negative two minutes and twenty-six seconds. He sighed and spent another moment considering.
“Can I bank BP for later?” he asked.
[You may not bank any starting Build Points unless it’s impossible to make more purchases.]
“Alright, add two to Strength and Dexterity for two hundred and ten points.”
[Two Dexterity and Strength purchased: 210 BP.]
[Would you like to review your status and confirm all purchases?]
“Yes please.”
[Name: John]
[Race: Basajaun]
[Level: 0]
[Build Points: 0]
[Attributes]
* Constitution: 12
* Dexterity 12
* Magic: 12
* Strength: 12
[Skills]
* Engineering – Novice
* Farming – Novice
* Light Armor – Novice
* Swordplay – Novice
[Spells]
* Control Earth – Novice
* Create Water – Novice
[Confirm Purchases?]
* Yes
* No
“Yes, thank you,” John confirmed.
[Purchases confirmed, have a pleasant game experience.]
There was a brief moment of disorientation as John felt a cool trickle, like water over his scalp, but it quickly passed and he moved to touch the door again, only to receive a new prompt.
[Please Select Starting Location]
* Emperor’s Watch – The capital of the Eternal Empire, seat of the Emperor and most populous and prosperous city in the land.
* Location Locked – Too Many Players
* Cresthill – Also known as the City of Merchants, Cresthill is in a prime location to facilitate trade between the Old Empire and the new border towns.
* Location Locked – Too Many Players
* Kirikwall – Also known as the City of Smiths, Kirikwall is famous not only for its high-quality iron ore, but also the excellent smithies that produce much of the Empire’s Steel.
* Location Locked – Too Many Players
* …
John sighed, it looked like those… five minutes and twenty seconds… really had cost him. “Please limit selection to open locations,” he said and the list immediately shortened.
[Please Select Starting Location]
* Runic Rock – A small adventuring village situated at the edge of the empire, notable for its access to a new Dungeon and the fertile plains which it borders.
* Bella’s Wish – A small farming community situated at the edge of the empire, notable for its proximity to the untamed Whispering Woods.
* Alistra – A small mining community situated at the edge of the empire, notable for its proximity to the untamed Northern Mountains.
* …
John looked at the new list with a critical eye. Uniformly they were all at the edge of the empire and small communities. He spent a few minutes scrolling through the options. He considered Bella’s Wish carefully for a few moments, but ultimately decided he didn’t like the look of the ‘untamed’ modifier; the last thing he needed was monster attacks ruining his farm. After a few more minutes of consideration he finally selected Runic Rock. “If the farming doesn’t pan out, at least I’ll have a dungeon to delve,” he muttered to himself.
[Runic Rock selected, initiating transport.]