*
It was dark. Really dark.
Somehow or another, despite my stance on video games, I find myself playing the extremely popular VR MMORPG, Royal Road!!
"Become an Emperor!!" shouted the slogan on the disk cover I got from Lili in incredibly loud and annoying wording.
I had no intention of striving to be an Emperor. I was only playing the game for a month. And then I will quit. This I promised myself. Besides, that sounded like it would be too much work.
And so I was just floating here in the darkness feeling like an idiot, when a distinctive and feminine voice spoke out from the darkness.
[The scan on your retina and veins has shown that you are an unregistered player. Would you like to create an account?]
That was pretty obvious. Otherwise, why am I even here in the first place, I wanted to shout. However, I took control of my emotions and bit back the retort that was forming in my mouth. Instead I said, in a controlled and measured voice:
"Yes."
[Please choose the name of your avatar.]
Huh... that one was a tricky one. I decided to use a name I used in all of my games. At least for old times' sake.
"Howard."
Well, I did use my real name for all of the games I played. For one, it sounded ridiculous and rather strange being called by another name. And somehow, the name always seemed to be available. This time, Royal Road was no different, at least from that aspect. From what I heard from Lili, names aren't unique in this game. Which was just as well.
[Please choose your gender from male, female, or neutral]
Interesting. So they have an option for neutral... As intriguing as it sounds, my look is decidedly that of a male, and I would surely not pass off as a neutral gender all that well. As such:
"Male." Obviously. (Even if MMORPG also stands for Many Men Often Role Play Girls.)
[Royal Road has 49 different races. You may choose from 29 primary races available.]
Well, that was a staple part in every fantasy game. Each race has its advantages and disadvantages, and has a different look aesthetically. I am too tall to be a dwarf though, too short to be an elf, and I am not muscular enough to be an orc...
"Human, then." It was a safe bet. Humans tend to have the most balanced stats in most games, by any stretch, and I won't look too strange or exotic. I won't stand out too much either, which was just fine by me.
[You may adjust the appearance of your avatar in anyway you like.]
...
Now I felt like an idiot. Two options carefully considered for aesthetics and stat wise, only to have the option to change the avatar's appearance...
I decided to man it up and just go through with it though. Since I already had the poison, I might as well eat the plate as well...
"Keep it the way I am."
[Your account has now been created. Please choose the town and kingdom to start out in.]
Well, each Kingdom has strengths and weaknesses that can affect the progress of my character somehow. I didn't know about the geography of the game, but Lili did tell me to go to...
"The Sleepy Fortress, in the Wulfgang Kingdom."
[Welcome to Royal Road.]
My manners decided at this point to take over.
"Thanks."
[You are welcome. Most players tend to skim through most of the character creation progress, so this is a change. Oh, the stories I can tell you...]
"Eh?"
I could only manage this phrase before I was whisked away to the Tutorial.
... Apparently Game Interfaces have feelings and manners too. God bless Artificial Intelligence.
**
I quickly went through the tutorial, and was spawned at my designated location, the Sleepy Fortress, in the Wulfgang Kingdom.
I still felt incredibly disoriented. Who wouldn't be if an AI spoke to you out of the blue. I was deep in thought as I went through the Tutorial, and I was deep in thought as I spawn.
I shook my head, attempt to get my bearings right. The silence from the tutorial that was still ringing in my ears quickly gave way to the hustle and bustle of the Fortress, where according to Lili, I would be stuck for the next 4 weeks in game, or about 1 week's worth of Game Time. Gee, thanks game.
If you wanted to attract people with a month's trial, you don't let a week be wasted, being stuck in a fortress... That was the critical thought I had in my head as I called out in a clear voice:
"Stat Window."
A wide screen with my listed stats appeared in front of me. I carefully read through it.
Name: Howard. Level: 1. Neutral Alignment, All stats (Strength, Agility, Wisdom, Vitality/Stamina, Intellect) at 10, a 100 hitpoints and mana points, no reputation, no title, no magic resistances, and 0 points in the Leadership and Luck stat. Oh, and 3 attack points unarmed. (Author's note: I'm still figuring out how to use the stat table, so a written down portion would be good for now)
Rule 1 in MMORPGs: Know thy stats.
As expected, the humans had pretty balanced out stats. My stats weren't spectacular to begin with, which wasn't surprising since I was at level 1. Naturally, I also had no skills and profession. That should probably change as I gain levels and stat points to assign.
Rule 2 in MMORPGs: Know thy starting inventory.
I checked the backpack I was given. It seems as though it was enchanted to have a large amount of capacity, and I soon found 10 pieces of hard, stale bread and a canteen of water. No form of currency was found, which means that I have to find a way to earn money somehow. Hmm... The water is easily refilled at a fountain, but with no money, I would run out of food and obviously starve, which should be a matter of fact, as seen by the yellow bar above me which states "Satiety Level". No weapon either.
Obviously the priority would be to earn money to get food and survive the first four weeks. By then, ideally one should get a weapon as well when one can get out of the city.
Lili was pretty vague on that detail... I decided to explore the city for a bit before deciding my next action. I moved my body about to ensure that my physical and mental faculties were in order. Legs are fine... Arms not reversed... I still have my head... Alright, let's move.
I set off from the fountain in a brisk jog. I sought out the most crowded area to gather information, and along the way ran some simple errands to improve my financial status, albeit slightly.
It was mostly simple fare, deliver this to a Mr. So and So... Be paid a pittance, and move on. I did find out that the central marketplace would be the best place to go from all this, though.
The central area was home to the marketplace and was jam-packed with people. It was incredibly noisy since people fought to be heard above one another as they were hawking their fares.
"Buying Rabbit Leathers for 30 coppers each!!"
"Blacksmithing Services, I promise to make you gear with excellent stats!!!"
"Potions made by a skilled Alchemist!! 1 Gold per bottle, samples available!!"
I heard "coppers", "silvers" and "gold" mentioned a lot over the noise. Those must be the currency in game.
From the earlier errands, I was paid with several copper coins. Considering the difficulty of the quest, these are definitely the lowest of the low.
I decided to ask the Blacksmith to clarify about the currency system. He was a elderly man with a wiry build, and he gave a loud booming laugh belying his size.
I just want to bring to bring this up here: Contrary to popular belief, a Blacksmith is not big and bulky, but wiry. This is due to the blacksmith focusing on specific muscles in the process rather than a full body workout. In fact, the process does call for that particular muscle training. Even a well muscled person would have trouble doing this if the muscles have not been trained.
"You must be a new face in this town. Well, just to take note, the currency in this continent takes the form of Coppers, Silver and Gold. 100 coppers equals 1 Silver, and 100 silver equals 1 Gold."
I nodded as I took this down in my head.
"You seem pretty tough, by the way, would you like to do this old geezer a favor?"
"Eh?"
I heard a bell ring as a new window opened in front of me.
T-tiring!!
Quest received: The Old Blacksmith of the Sleepy Fortress is a kind and generous individual, and has decided to give you an errand. Take the set of weapons to the clerk at Warrior's Guild, and you would be paid for your trouble.
Quest Difficulty: F
Quest Restriction: None, only need to talk to the Old Blacksmith.
Reward: 30 coppers, familiarity with the Old Blacksmith improves. Extra 20 coppers if you deliver it in 20 minutes.
Sounds simple enough, and I get some more money out of the deal. Looking at the window, it seems that I can perform up to 3 quests at a time...
"I accept." It was a pretty standard answer.
[You have accepted the quest.]
"Fantastic!! Just deliver this to the clerk at the Warrior's Guild. The guild has already paid for the order so it shouldn't be too much of a problem for you. You will get a little extra if you deliver it in 20 minutes. Here you go, and make it snappy."
I was handed a wooden box filled with weapons. The Old Blacksmith immediately let go as soon as it was on my arms...
... and I bent over drastically at the weight. The Old Blacksmith must have ridiculous Strength to be able to hold the box so easily.
Oh, and I got a paper with written directions to the Warrior's Guild, but my primary concern was the box.
Heavy!!
"Well, what are you waiting for? Move quickly!!"
Easy for you to say, I wanted to reply, but I wasn't that kind of person. I trudged off with the box, a heavy weight that threatened to snap my back.
Despite the weight, I had worked for a period of time during the holidays as a mover, and my mandatory military training from a couple years back let me tolerate the weight. It was all about keeping a certain posture and pace. A good song and cadence helps keep the spirits up as well, but singing a song alone sounds kind of melancholic...
I made good progress following the written instructions and I quickly found myself at the Warrior's Guild.
"Thus far, what I have experienced was the pains of manual labor," I muttered to myself. As such, I have obtained extra motivation to pursue my modest dream of getting a relatively cushy job with good pay and living out a simple life with little expectations or obligations.
**
Lilian Liam Lee was walking home after helping Howard set up the console at his place.
"He should be playing Royal Road right about now. My guess is that he would take to the game like a fish to water."
Lilian had confidence in Howard's gaming instincts. He was terrible at other gaming genres when they were children, but he was exceptional at playing MMORPGs.
Newly created characters were quickly grown to high levels in a short period of time, with skills and stats properly raised as well. Howard always had a keen sense when it comes to this, and he had an uncanny ability to quickly grasp the mechanics of the game and play it as though he was an expert.
It was pretty amazing to watch him move up the ranks, beating aside bosses as though they were nothing.
Over time, however, Howard had grown disillusioned, and had left the gaming world behind. They lost an exceptionally skilled player that day.
"This game is different. He will definitely like it," was the sincere thought Lilian had in her head. It had changed the way she saw role-playing games, and Howard wasn't any different.
She took longer strides as she hurried home.
"Can't wait to meet him in game. Oh, the adventures that we would have. It will be just like the old days..."
Howard was a very different person back then. He was bright, optimistic, and full of life...
The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
***
"What's your name?"
"Huh?"
A young boy held his hand out to the little girl that had fallen down.
"A little one like you shouldn't cry. It's a beautiful day after all, Mama said."
"Funny that you would say this, since you are the same age as me."
An unexpectedly sharp tongue for so tender an age!!
The boy remained unfazed, and with a toothy grin, grabbed her hand and pull her up.
"Never mind that, let's play. What's your name?"
"... Lilian Liam Lee."
The girl was bemused by the unexpected response, and blurted out her name without meaning to.
"Huh... that's a bit of a mouthful. I know!! Could I call you Lilee instead?"
"Huh? Well, I guess you could..."
The increasingly confused little girl, now known as Lilee, could not keep up.
"I'm Howard, nice to meet you!!"
"Erm, nice to meet you too..."
"Now that we know each other little more, let's play!! Come along now, we are going on an adventure!!"
"Eh??? Wait, why are you grabbing my hands? Where are you taking me?"
Dragging the extremely confused girl by the arms as though kidnapping her, the young and sadly insensitive and oblivious Howard happily went out to the fields to play...
****
"Package for the Warrior's Guild from the Old Blacksmith," I said to the clerk at the reception desk as I set the box down.
It landed with a loud THUNK!! The jangling of weapons could be heard from the box.
"Great, I was expecting it today. Old Blacksmith already sent a messenger ahead to notify me on this. You have made really great time too."
"It was my pleasure to do this." No, it most obviously wasn't. I gave a refreshing smile anyway.
"Hah, you have a glib tongue. You must be either a Merchant or a Bard? No, you were carrying a box of goods..."
The clerk mused to himself as he carefully made observations.
"From the looks of things, you must be new here, right?"
"Yes, that is right. I have only arrived here today."
"Yes, you do have a look of a newcomer to you. Might I ask then, have you decided on a class yet? The Sleepy Fortress, despite its name, is renowned for its martial prowess."
Really? Names are kind of misleading...
"In fact, would you like to join up with the Warrior Guild as a warrior? You will be armed and trained in the ways of close combat. No art is truly more noble than one that lets you get up close and personal with the opponent!!" The clerk chuckled.
T-tring!!
[You may apply for a place in the Warrior's Guild. Do you wish to accept this offer?]
What incredible luck. I had only played the game for less than an hour and already I was being offered a class. I was comfortable with the thought of being a melee class attacker anyways. In most games, the warrior, along side the mage and rogue, was one of the primary few classes that was native to any Role-playing game. The warriors wear heavy armor and are focused entirely on close-ranged combat.
In a party role, I believe that they play the role as a tanky attacker that soaked up hits while dealing out a considerable amount of damage themselves. They also have good attacks to hit multiple opponents with, effectively making a good balance between the primary classes.
The mage and rogue both have lower armor ratings and lower hp, but the mage has powerful Area of Effect (AoE) attack skills and a vast mana pool to cast it with, while the rogue is great at single combat while being able to dodge skills easily. The rogue also has the useful ability of disarming most physical traps.
This was drawn from the prior knowledge of MMORPGs that I had before hand. I liked to have some balance between skills, and hence I accepted the Clerk's offer.
"Wonderful!! I'm sure that you would make a great warrior. Just fill out the application form... Sign here, here and here..."
I complied with the Clerk's request, but I had my doubts. A job offer like that can't be coming to me that easily...
T-tiring!!
[You have joined the Warrior's Guild as a trainee.]
A trainee?!
The Clerk clapped his hands.
"Perfect. Now report to the Chief Trainer at the Armory. It's on the third floor. He will get you kitted out for your basic training. Don't even think about backing out now..."
Basic Training. It wouldn't be that easy after all. Although, if it was what I had in mind, it shouldn't be too difficult.
The Clerk seemed to become oddly pushy after I signed up though...
T-tiring!!
The bell rang out again. It was pretty annoying, but I best get used to it.
Quest Received: You have joined the Warrior's Guild and must now undergo Basic Training to become a Warrior. First, report to the Chief Trainer on the third floor. This quest cannot be refused.
Quest Difficulty: E
Quest Restrictions: Must be part of the Warrior's guild with the rank Trainee or below. Cannot leave the Warrior's Guild premises while undergoing training.
Failure: Must leave the Warrior's Guild. The Warrior Class will be closed to you.
Quest Rewards: Unknown.
[Quest Accepted.]
The Clerk went back to his paper work, leaving me to get on with things.
I decided to see what the place was like. Most likely I would be stuck here for the rest of the month, which isn't so bad.
For one, my food problem should be solved. No quest would trap a player here without making sure of this. No way a place like this would be a deathtrap.... Right?
Also, the Warrior's Guild looks to be an obvious place to get a weapon. Weapon problem solved as well.
With that happy thought in mind, with big steps I walked to the Armory.
Along the way I saw what in the future would be called the Drill Hall. Players and Non-Playing Characters (NPCs) were busy training, hitting practice dummies according to the called timing, or in military terms, the cadence. Little did I know that it would be known as the site of Hell, as I moved happily to the Armory.
****
I would like you to meet the Chief Trainer. He is Hell Spawn Incarnate, and his subordinates must be the Devils that do his dirty work for him, torturing recruits.
The me at this point was still happy in my delusions from my previous experiences. Ignorance was bliss.
He even looked the part. Goatee, sharp, commanding eyes, sneaky laugh. I was surprised that the devil didn't have horns.
Anyways, I ended up in the Armory where I met the Chief Trainer. He gave a genial laugh when he heard my story... Which was more like a booming laugh anyway. Why is it that the men I met up to now in game have booming laughs?
"AHAHAHAHAHA!! So the Old Geezer let in another newcomer. You would have thought that we have trouble getting recruits. So, think you have what it takes to become a Warrior?"
I decided to let my smart mouth run off this time.
"If not, why am I here then?"
"Heh, you got a smart mouth, eh? Clever head on those shoulders, too. Hmmm... You might just do it."
"Do what?"
"Eh, nothing of your concern. Alright, let's get you kitted up. As of now, this shall be your new home for the next four weeks!! During that time, you shall call me Sir!! And my friends Instructor!!"
The Chief Instructor's voice picked up in volume and he proceeded to shout in my face. It's just like the mandatory military training I went through a couple of years ago...
I decided to let the rusty old soldier in me take over for the time being. I stood ramrod straight, arms at the sides with fists clenched.
"Yes, Sir!!"
"Ah, already catching on, huh? Trainee, you come in a boy, I will make you a man!! No, even better. I will make you a warrior!!"
Just like the old days indeed. We were just standing here in the rather warm Armory getting caught up in our formal fervent frenzy...
And that was when I first entered the Warrior's Guild. Trainee Population: 40. Expected drop out rate: 95%.
*****
I was kitted out soon afterward.
The works: A couple of sets of Uniform, a Wooden Sword, a Wooden Shield, Hard leather boots and gloves. I decided to have a look at what I got.
The uniform isn't much to look at. It was White and Red. Great... White. The stains will never wash off that kind of color. Naturally, according to the game theme, it was a rather medieval design.
The Sword was shaped and weighted to feel like a real sword. It was made of wood, with a nondescript hilt and sword guard. Leather was wrapped around the hilt to complete this rudimentary weapon. It felt really heavy on my hand. No surprises, the only few weapons I have held were mostly firearms. And the epee.
The shield was really a wooden buckler. Circular shaped, with metal wrapped around it. Nothing much to say about that. Nothing much to say about the boots and gloves either, except for the fact that the finger portions of the glove were cut off. That's a good thing. It always felt weird handling stuff with gloves. Doesn't feel right. Your hands don't breathe as well.
The Chief Trainer nodded approvingly.
"Good. Always check what you got. Saves both of us less time if there's an issue."
And there wasn't. None that I could find, anyway.
******
I was given free time to prepare myself before the training begins for me.
I was shown to a bunk where several beds were kept. The belongings of the other inma- I mean, roommates were strewn around messily.
"Geez. This always happens when new batches come in. Give me a minute, Trainee."
And the Chief Trainer proceeds to go through the place like a Hurricane. Blankets and pillows thrown on the floor. Backpacks and cupboards emptied. Stuff easily broken set down carefully... and so on.
Taking a good long look at his workmanship (if you can even afford to call it that), the Chief Trainer heaved a hearty laugh and had a sadistic grin on his face as he turned to me.
"Hopefully you'll be the first trainee to remember this. Also, training starts at Dawn. Don't be late."
With those happy words ringing in my ears, the Chief Trainer strode off.
"Welcome back to the army, Boy..." I grumbled to myself.
I decided to do a bit of stretching before hand. I took out my canteen and drank half of the contents. Always keep yourself well hydrated, that's the rule. And then I proceed to perform a couple of basic stretches.
It felt rather weird, sitting on the floor stretch while the place looked like a scene from Pompeii.
"Cleanliness is a virtue that must be taught..." I say this to myself while still stretching. No point cleaning up. It took too much effort, and the trainees had to be taught a lesson.
But it just felt so weird. I tried really hard to resist, but the siren call was too strong. I succumbed to my urge.
If I had another fault, I was a bit of a clean freak.
I carefully packed up the bunk and swept the floor. The blankets were folded and just set back on the people's beds. Pillows were plumped, and I opened the curtain to let in the wind and sunlight. A room always felt more welcome and homely after an airing, anyway.
I went back to stretching out the muscles when the trainees returned, grumbling and moaning, some clutching at aching muscles.
They didn't introduce themselves or comment on their recently cleaned room, and some quickly logged off while the rest collapsed onto the bed and fell asleep like the dead.
It seemed like there was nothing left to do here. I finished off my stretching and logged off to get some rest. Always play a game in moderation. This is important!!
I decided to give myself 2 hours of rest. 2 hours equals 8 hours of game time, right?
Also, on hindsight, I shouldn't have cleaned the bunk. There wasn't any point to it right?
*****************************************************************************************************************************************************************
Well, I think I have started to overwrite. A bad habit :X