Wilfried died at the age of 21. His compilers class had just let out and he was going to exit the building. He made it to the stairs, but someone was kind enough to help him take the express route. Wilfried woke up in a field at the age of 21. He was surrounded by a group of farmers? His head – no, his whole body – felt rather bad. He remembered falling, yet had no idea what happened between then and now. Was he in a coma? He must be. People don’t have tails or bright pink skin. Wilfried opened a potion shop at the age of 21. Not what he expected when he selected computer science as his major. Of course, he also didn’t expect to wind up in a strange world that feels like a game. Potions were somewhat fun to make and had the benefit of providing the cash he needed to live. Wilfried learned how to use magic at the age of 21. Everybody dreamed about being a wizard at some point. In this new world, he got to live it. Magic was a tad bit more complex than waving a stick and yelling a couple words, but figured it out. Wilfried entered his first dungeon at the age of 21. Potions used a fair number of materials to make; he didn’t have the funds yet to buy from others. Gathering materials in the wilderness was basically just as dangerous as gathering from a dungeon, but there was no way others would be willing to help. Dungeons at least had goodies that others would want. His elite team of dungeon delvers consisted of fellow craftsmen, their apprentices, and whatever adventurers they could con into helping. Wilfried died again at a ripe old age in the triple digits. In his younger years, he didn’t expect to spend his life in the town of Talto. As he grew older, he realized that it was not the town that kept him there. It was the people. They were once strangers, but eventually became friends and family. Wilfried wasn’t sure how old he was when he realized life was what you made of it. Everyone is the chosen one of their own story – world ending threats need not apply. New Life in Talto is a story about a college student adapting to life in a game-like world. There are no chosen ones or looming disasters. Just a man excited about the possibilities, a boatload of potions, a bit of magic, and all the friends made along the way. This story is a LitRPG/GameLit, but the focus is on the characters and their interactions. There will be blue boxes, but only in small quantities. Don’t expect any giant stat blocks. There is not any ‘cultivation’ where characters gain enough power that they functionally become gods. A character may be strong, but there are plenty of stronger creatures around. Plus a horde of weaklings can still overwhelm a powerful foe. This story has a bit of dungeon delving; however, dungeons are not the focus. There is isekai/portal fantasy. This story explores the challenges of never being able to return home and the challenges of not having modern conveniences. Knowing about modern technology does not equate to being able to bring about an industrial revolution. The average Earthling (especially a teenager) has no clue how most things are made. Not every character is a paragon of virtue nor an avatar of evil. Expect a variety of wants, desires, vices, and virtues. Updates on Tuesdays and Fridays.