“Hmm…”

Clo kneeled down, picking a leafy herb with vibrant red streaks going through the leaves. It seemed almost magical as its red veins pulsed within.

<[Skill Acquired]>

[Herb lore - Level 1] (Passive)

[50 Exp]

“Nice.” he smiled.

Suddenly, the forest seemed to change. 

More herbs began to stand out in the forest around him. Instead of a floor of green, it seemed more colorful than it was, dotted with reds, blues and blacks, after his new passive skill took effect.

Staring at the red-green herb in his hands, the details were perfect, all the way down to the tiniest veins in the leaves, to the sap sticking to his fingers.

“This game’s so realistic…” Clo thought for a moment.

*Crunch!*

Without a second thought, Clo took a bite of this unknown herb.

[Status: Poisoned]

[-5 HP every second]

[Duration: 5 seconds]

“Ah shit…” Clo shook his head at himself.

“I only had twenty health points to begin with.”

A second later Clo felt his neck bulge and his eyes burst into a red mist as he fell to his knees. 

His body convulsed for a moment before dying and turning into a mist of light sparks which dissipated into nothingness.

Respawning in a nearby medieval-era village, Clo needed a moment to collect himself after the sting of death.

“Why the fuck do they only let us turn the pain filter down to 30%?” he shook his head.

Yet as he stood by the fountain with its refreshing, realistic waters he didn’t care. Dipping his hand in, he felt the calming coolness, and somehow the pain was worth it to experience a game like this.

“Still… did the developers have to make death so excruciatingly creative?” he chuckled.

In this village, many players like him were rushing about. 

Everyone else was trying to get ahead as this game had just been released under an hour ago, and already it was causing shockwaves throughout the esports and gaming world.

This game, named ‘Asra’, had flown completely under the radar, hidden until the moment of its release, and it was like it came out of nowhere.

Everyone with an exo-mind VR capsule was either downloading the game launcher or playing it now - yet Clo had a head start.

One which he was wasting.

The only reason Clo was here? An odd email he received, which he also didn’t hesitate to open.

Before the game’s launch, it downloaded and ran itself, without even a security notification coming up on Clo’s hud. 

Afterwards, it simply forced him into its world - no character creation, no guide, and no tutorial. He was startled at first as he found himself in this low level village, but after confirming that he could log out and exit the game, he jumped straight back in. It was simply too intriguing to resist.

Over the last hour he had talked to a few NPC’s which seemed to have deep and vivid emotions. A quest later, and he was soon lost in a forest… you know the rest.

“Well, I guess death is an easy way to get back. Now, I have some sticks gathered.. Let's see…”

<[Inventory]>

[10 copper coins]

“Poor. I’m poor.” he nodded, but then he noticed all of his other items were missing.

“Ah… surely there is a mistake here? Where’s all my shit?! Where’s all the sticks I gathered? … and my rocks?! My precious rocks!”

He looked around, trying to make sense of it but other players only ignored him.

“Don’t tell me… full inventory drop on death.” he frowned.

“I guess it makes things a little more interesting, but still, dammit… my stuff is lying out there in the forest, ready for whoever stumbles upon it.”

Clo sat by the fountain and tried to calm himself, thinking of his options.

“Ok, I have ten copper, so money is not dropped on death… the NPC who gave me the quest hinted that I should visit the tavern to ‘find my bearings’. If this doesn’t lead to a navigation system or something I might just beat him up...”

With a light jog, Clo headed towards the inn; a large wooden building two stories tall.

Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.

“At least I’m not naked, they won’t kick me out.” he thought.

His clothes had come with him; the game had preserved some dignity by letting him keep this basic set of gray tattered clothing.

However, these shambles of clothes could hardly save someone's dignity.

Clo rushed to the tavern, which was already filling up with other players. Some were sitting at tables chatting about quests they found, not interested in the maddened rat race in the slightest, while others were talking to every NPC they could, hoping for a hidden quest or some easy exp.

A bald fat man with a mustache manned the bar cleaning glassware, but each time someone approached he simply grunted at them and nodded towards the barmaids: heavily endowed women carrying giant jugs of beer between the tables.

“Ah, sir…” Clo tried to ask, analyzing the man at the same time.

<[Devin - Tavern Master - Level ??]>

“Hmh.” he grunted.

Clo shook his head and talked to one of the barmaids, which immediately opened a window.

<[Barmaid Lia - Level ??]>

[Haluvian Beer] - 1 Copper

[Mist Sheep Steak] - 1 Copper

“Ah… nevermind.” he frowned, and turned back to Devin.

Yet before he could do anything, a hand was laid on Clo’s shoulder.

“Forget about it. He doesn’t talk to anyone, and believe me, I’ve seen countless players try almost countless tricks.”

Clo turned around with a frown, greeted by a well-built man who held a jug of beer in one hand.

“Ah, don’t look at me like that. Here.” he tossed a coin, and before it hit Clo it disappeared.

[1 Copper]

“Drink’s on me” he smiled, chugging the last half of his beer.

“Try one,” he pointed to the empty mug, “It’s like real life as well.” a cheery smile appeared on his face - but before Clo could respond he had already turned and left.

“What a weirdo.” Clo thought.

Yet Clo soon took his advice, purchasing his own large jug of beer. 

“No way to get my shit back. Might as well chill for a bit… I wonder how drunk I can get in this game?”

Without any hesitation, Clo ordered a total of eleven beers. As they lined up on the table, Devin raised an eyebrow - not that anyone noticed.

“Let’s see if this can kill me” Clo chuckled and began to down the jugs of beer as quickly as he could.

Other players in the tavern simply stared at him, and the whole building went quiet as they watched this insane player spend every single one of their starting coins on drinking beer.

Yet the silence was soon filled with whispers.

“Some people can’t have nice things… and that’s one of them”

“Ah I hope I’m recording right now, this guy is gonna go on my toktik.”

“Dude, he’s leroy-jenkinsing the tavern haha, what a man.”

*Slam!*

Clo slammed down each jug with the might of a giant, satisfied with every drop, yet not stopping to taste any of it.

“Oh fuck, the alcohol is working… one last jug though…” he stumbled as he reached forward.

Yet he couldn’t stop himself from pushing over the table.

“Oh no no” 

Thankfully, the table fell over but he did not. Smashed glass was instantly cleaned up by the grateful barmaid he had purchased the eleven beers from - but to everyone’s surprise, no beer was spilled.

Clo’s hand grasped the beer; he had saved it.

“Y-yeah…” he weakly said, a drunken slur of a voice.

“YEAH! He did it!” “I told you he was gonna do it! I didn’t doubt for a second!”

 Everyone in the tavern suddenly yelled for their new champion, all eyes looking at Clo as if he were a legend in the making.

Clo wasn’t sure what they were yelling about, but he drew the last jug to his lips.

A chant began to form.

“Chug! Chug! Chug!”

With their un-needed encouragement, Clo swallowed the last beer as if he were a bottomless pit, and with a satisfying thud he slammed down the empty glass, to the cheers of many players in the tavern.

“I did it” he said slowly, “Now… where do I go next.. Ahh I want to see the forest”

Walking drunkenly to tavern master Devin, he didn’t even look at him in the eyes through his half-open eyelids.

“S-sir.. Where is vomit area?”

Devin simply glanced at him for a moment - an action no one had seen… yet with a grunt, he nodded his head towards the door, and somehow, Clo knew what he meant.

<[Skill Acquired]>

[Map - Level 1] (Passive)

A rectangle map appeared before Clo’s eyes, a bird-eye view looking down on the tavern. There was a marker on it catching his drunken eyes saying ‘slag pit.’

“Ah.. I see.” he stumbled out of the bar, many people still smiling at him.

Yet no one knew what Clo had just discovered.