CHAPTER 1 - A SECOND CHANCE AT LIFE

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Bri blinked. Second Chance Online? After what she had just did, she was so sure that she would have died. Was this a trap? Bri decided to take the risk as she tapped the notification. 

This is a VR game? Bri excitedly tapped the next notification as she quickly forgot all about her previous worries. She had read many books on VR games and she had always wanted to try one. Maybe today was her lucky day.

Bri racked her brain for a good name. She eventually chose the name of the heroin of her favorite book, Favrielle 

       < | Humans | Dwarves | Goblins | Beastkin | Celestials |  Dragon-kin | Undead | Merfolk | Alves | Elves | >

Bri glanced at all the races and eventually chose Alves. She had heard of all the other races before either in books or movies, besides the Alves. There was also no information on them unlike the other races. She always was the adventurous type, so she chose it.

An image of herself appeared and Bri was amazed with how she looked. She looked very healthy and her hair was its natural chocolate brown. Her eyes were periwinkle and her skin was a nice creamy color. She looked exactly like she did before her accident. If only she could go back to looking like that. Bri decided to change her hair color to a dark green. It was her favorite color and she thought that it complimented her eyes. She looked at herself again realized that the only thing about her appearance that changed was her height. Maybe Alves looked like humans?

Bri closed her eyes as a white light flashed into view. This was her second chance at life and she was not going to waste it.

                                   ❇❇❇

Favrielle opened her eyes to see she was standing in front of a large elf village. True to elven style, all the buildings were living trees magically induced into creating hollows for rooms, bending roots to create steps, and so on. A small stream of people travelled in and out of the village and through the buildings, looking very busy. 

 Favrielle's eyes widened as she looked down at her legs. She was standing! She was actually standing without her legs feeling pain! Could she talk as well?

Favrielle opened her mouth and -"I can speak as well.."                                                                                                   

She grinned. She could talk as well. What a great VR game! She took a step and almost fell down on her face. After sitting down for so many years, she had almost forgotten how to walk. She wobbled for a few steps but she eventually got better. By the time she walked to the village tavern she was already an expert at walking. Her biggest priority was to eat something that wasn't hospital food.

She walked inside to see a few elves and surprisingly a few humans sitting at the tables eating. The inside of the tavern was more human-looking than Favrielle had expected. The tables and benches were still grown out of the tree, but they had sharper edges and corners that made them look more furniture-like. Favrielle walked up to the counter where a middle-aged human with firery red hair was wiping a glass. The game told her that the human was named Randall and that he had lived here for ten years.

Randall looked up when he saw Favrielle walking over to the counter. "Hello traveler, what would you like to order?"

Favrielle looked up at the menu and her mouth watered when she saw a long list of meat dishes. She looked back at Randall. "I'll take one of each meat dish."

Randall gave her a strange look as he walked into the kitchen to take her order. Favrielle walked over to a table near the counter and sat down. She decided to see her profile while she was waiting for her food.

Favrielle tapped the details button on classes and a whole paragraph on them appeared.

Favrielle decided that she was going to choose the warrior class. In order to see the world,she knew that she would have to get stronger so that she didn't become someone's lunch. Randall appeared with her food a few minutes later and had to go back to get the rest of it. Favrielle decided to start with a steak. She took one bit. It was soo delicious. How did she survive without meat for so long? When Randall came back with the rest of her food, she had finished the rest of her dishes.

His eyes widened as he put the rest of the dishes down. "Would you like something to drink?"

Favrielle nodded and smiled. "Yes, please." 

Favrielle continued eating before he could reply. Her eating speed was one dish per minute. Randall came back with her drink to see 5 empty plates.

He placed her drink on the table and said. "That will 100g."

Favrielle nearly spit out her drink. "What?"

"100g. " Randall repeated. "Don't tell me you thought all of this was free."

"Uh...well. " Favrielle dug into her pockets, which were empty. She had forgotten that she had no money. Didn't VR games give players money to start off with?

Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

Disbelief covered Randall's features. "Don't tell me that you don't have any money."

" Uh... " Favrielle racked her brain for a solution to this problem. "I can help out around here in exchange for the food." She suggested.

Randall gazed at her for a long time before he said anything. "If wasn't for the fact that you look innocent, I would turn you in to the authorities for stealing."

Favrielle sighed in relief. She was never going to forget about money again. "I want you to get me the wood from 10 twiggies in exchange for the meal." Randall continued. 

< Randall is offering you a quest: Pay off your meal >

 Favrielle hesitated before accepting the request. "What are twiggies?" She asked as she stood up.

Randall cleared the dishes on her table. "They're small bush like creatures that live in the forest east of here. All you have to do is kill a few of them and bring me the wood."

"Okay." Favrielle nodded. "Can I borrow a kitchen knife?"

"What would you need that for?"

"To kill the twiggies." She clarified. "I can't kill them with my bear hands."

Randall blinked in surprise. "Don't travelers use swords to kill monsters?"

 "I don't know. " She said truthfully. "I've never traveled anywhere in my entire life. I've also never killed a monster before."

 Randall nodded. "Alright, I understand." He left with her plates and came back with a knife and a small leather pouch.

 He handed her both items. "Here. The bag is for putting the twiggies in." 

 Favrielle nodded and gave him her most confident smile. "Thanks Randall."

 Randall nodded again and he left for the counter. Favrielle looked at the items in her hands. Usually in VRs there was an equip button. She didn't see any buttons, so she decided to put on the pouch and stuff the knife in the bag.

Favrielle dismissed the notification and walked out of the tavern. She followed Randall's directions and went east. She she saw a few newbie players playing with their friends as she traveled. Favrielle had never left the hospital after her accident, so her only friend was Carrie. Maybe she should try to make a few friends here? She continued walking until she saw a 5 small bushes slowly walking around. Favrielle blinked. She had imagined that the twiggies would be alot more...vicious.

Favrielle sighed. "I guess some monsters have to be small."

She walked over and picked up a twiggie. It was as large as a small microwave and it weighed almost nothing.She looked down at the small black eyes of the twiggie. "Your kind of cute and I would hate to kill you." While Favrielle pondered on how to complete the quest without killing it, the twiggie unexspectedly bit her on the hand. Yelping in suprise, she tossed the twiggie on the ground and stepped on it with her foot. A loud snaps was heard and the twiggie stopped moving.                                 

Huh? I learned a skill? Opening up the skills menu, she read the description:

Favrielle picked up the twiggie's remains and three coins fell out. It looks like the twiggie ate some coins, She thought as she picked them up and also put them in the bag. Favrielle made her way to the other twiggies, who now knew she was going to kill them and were trying to run away. Too bad for them that she was faster. With four loud snaps, all the twiggies were in the bag along with 10 extra coins. Favrielle also leveled up.

That was easy! thought Favrielle, opening up the Attribute menu:

Considering that she was going to become a warrior, but a fast one, she put three points into strength, and one each into agility and dexterity. Favrielle was about to leave the forest when she heard something loud approach her. She turned around to see a very large twiggie. It looked at the leaves in her bag and rushed over to her. Ops...I think I killed her babies. Favrielle quickly turned around and began to run to the village. More like she tried to run to the village. After running for 5 seconds she fell on her face. She quickly stood up to see the twiggie smack her in the face. It didn't hurt that much, but it was still painful. Favrielle fell back a few steps and grabbed her knife out of her bag.

When the twiggie attacked again, Favrielle used her knife to slash it three times in a row. The twiggie was frazed for a fews seconds then went right back to attacking her.

She contined to slash it with her knife until her wrist grew tired. She dodged another attack and took a breather while the weakened twiggie circled around her."Why won't it die?" She muttered as she noticed the twiggie rushover again. Favrielle was too slow to dodge this time and was smacked into a tree. She felt a pounding headache as she stood up. Her vision was blurried and she saw the outline of the twiggie heading right twards her. This time, Favrielle moved to the left at the last second making the twiggie hit tree and fall on the ground.

Faverielle collapsed in exuastuion. She decieded that she was going to work very hard so that she was never in that situation again. She also decided that she should practice running as well.

                                     ***

"I can see why you didn't go and collect the wood yourself." Favrielle said to Randall as Aerita rubbed a healing salve on her forehead. After she walked back to the tavern, Randall called the village healer, Aerita, to heal her wounds. 

"What kind of trouble did you run into?" He asked couriously as the bruise on her forehead dissappeared.

"Oh, nothing much. Just a very angry twiggie, but it was nothing that I couldn't." She replied trying to keep the sarcasum out of her voice.

Randall didn't catch the sarcasum as he nodded. "The big twiggie will take care of the other five that you missed."

Favrielle gave a small smile."Thanks. Do you know how I can get any other quests?"

"Your going out there again?"

"A hero's work is never done." She quoted from a movie.

Randall stiffled a laugh. "Your a very brave kid, but your certainly no hero."

Favrielle huffed. "Now that's just mean."

Randall laughed out loud and gave her a pat on the back. "I might have a job for you young 'hero'. "

Favrielle rolled her eyes and acepted the quest. She then ignored Randall and turned to Aerita. "Is there something I can help you with?"

The elf hezitated before saying. "There is something that you can help me with, but I'm not sure that you can."

<(0/2) Horned Silkweed  (0/2)  Hanging Berry  (0/1) Pink Needle >

<(0/2) Screaming Morel   (0/2) Sour Sanguinary   (0/1) poison of red mushroom  (0/5) Ostries (0/2) Putrid Hedge > 

Favrielle looked over both quests and acepted them. "What is a a screaming morel?" She asked Aerita.

"It a morel that screams." Aerita replied as she stood up and gethered all of her mendicnes in her bag.

"That was a very vauge answer." Faverielle muttered as Aerita left the tavern.

"She's always like that," Randall added as he left to go serve another customer.

Favrielle stood up fully reenergized and ready to go monster hunting. She grabbed her bag and kitchen knife, completely forgetting to give them back to Randall, and left the tavern.