Chapter 1
“VitCorp has released yet another fully immersive virtual reality game, the second ever VRMMORPG, and the fourth VR game. Ever since VitCorp released [Survive], a virtual reality survival game, they have become wildly popular.”
“Now, ten years later, they are releasing the most anticipated virtual reality game, [Virtual Fantasy], a classic sword and sorcery game with a modern update to the virtual world.”
“[Virtual Fantasy] will be available in stores next week and is available for pre-order now. As a side note, one of the original founders of VitCorp, Tony Delgado, who helped program [Survive], has retired.”
“In his release to the press, he said this. ‘I have helped develop the VR industry for the past fifteen years without ever playing any of the games. [Virtual Fantasy] is the most realistic game ever and I wish to play it with everyone else.’ As a result, everyone anticipates this game that even one of the founders of VitCorp is looking forward to.”
“VitCorp has assured us that Tony Delgado will have no head start and was not involved with anything to do with this project except to help code towns and common battlegrounds.”
I sighed and turned off the TV. Everything they said on the news was true. I had quit so I could get into [VIrtual Fantasy]. I mean, if I wanted to play it, I wanted to do it right. Who wants to quit playing a game to go to work? Since I am one of the top 50 richest people in the world, I figured I didn’t have to.
Playing a game like this one was what I wanted when we first came out with the VR system. I didn’t want a half-baked game though so I waited eleven years until we finally reached the point of recreating reality perfectly. Then I shared my ideas and now walla, we had Virtual Fantasy.
I didn’t involve myself with anything except for the beginner level geography around starting points so that I wouldn’t cheat. All so that I can essentially live in a world with magic.
I sighed again. I still had to wait a week until the game came out. Welp, no use pouting now. I guess I just better research a little to try and find a race fit for me.
It was finally time. [Virtual Fantasy] had launched a day ago. I had decided to wait until the first rush was over since the last VRMMORPG (Virtual Reality Massive Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game) had experienced a lot of complaints the first time we launched it. The rush to get into the game first forced many to have to wait in long lines for stores or to turn in their items. I thought it would be better to avoid the hassle by joining later on.
Getting inside the pod, I nodded to my butler. “See yah Alex. Make sure to take care of the dogs while I’m gone, alright?”
Alex nodded while he helped me with the system. “Don’t worry sir, I will take care of you and the dogs while you are in the VR system.”
“I’ll be depending on you then, Alex.” With that, the door closed on the simulator pod. The helmet turned on with a faint blue glow before the world around me disappeared.
I appeared in the virtual world. Darkness surrounded me but a soft white glow allowed me to see my surroundings. The floor was a smooth vinyl wood but there was no ceiling or walls. A metal man appeared beside me. It spoke in a loud voice that also echoed faintly inside my head.
“Hello. I am the A.I. Targlo in [Virtual Fantasy]. I will be in charge of your character selection and management. If you have any questions, please ask now.”
I waved at the metallic figure. “Hey Targlo, long time no see huh. Been awhile since I first saw you in the lab.” The emotionless metal man appeared shocked at my voice. No wonder, since I am the one who helped program him to begin with. I guess I could be called one of his fathers.
Of course, there are another hundred people that could be called that too, but I was the one involved with his development the most. A perk of being a founder of the company I guess.
Targlo bowed to me while I went off on an internal philosophical debate on whether or not that meant I really did have a son. “Father, I am very pleased to meet you here. However, I cannot give you special treatment. Do not be upset.”
I waved my hands. “Oh no, I would never want that. I just liked meeting back up with you, that’s all. Anyway, can we move onto the character selection?”
“Of course father. I assume you know all of the races and their advantages such as proficiencies, racial skills, racial limits, racial traits, and additional status points?”
I nodded. Proficiencies were a bonus that could be received with a role or race. With it, the xp needed to level up a skill went down. For example, a person with a 5% proficiency in swords would take only 95 xp to get to level 2 in basic sword skills whereas a normal person would need 100 xp. The maximum for proficiencies was 50% but that didn’t apply for negative proficiencies.
Racial skills were self-explanatory in that they were skills specific to a race. Racial limits were guidelines that you had to follow when playing a race. For dwarves, they couldn’t be over 4’6. An elf had to have pointed ears and orcs had to have gray or green skin. These were just in place to make sure that the user actually resembled the race they chose and could be identified. If I chose a dwarf but was 5’8, wouldn’t that be too confusing?
Racial traits were certain characteristics each race had. Trolls would have abnormal healing properties while mountain dwarves would experience a boost in stats when underground. At the same time, they could also be limiting factors such as a vampire being reduced in stats when exposed to sunlight.
Additional status points were also self-explanatory. They were extra status points that were fixed to a specific stat. For example, a mountain dwarf received the normal 5 stat points but also received 2 strength with each level up and had a 20% proficiency in blacksmithing. They also had a passive racial skill of night vision.
Over the past week, I had gone over what I wanted to be and eventually I came up with an excellent choice in my opinion. “Alright Targlo, I choose Earth Elemental.”
“Yes, father.” When I had arrived, there had been a silver screen setup in front of me. The silver screen functioned like a mirror, allowing me to see myself. Looking at myself in the mirror, I suddenly turned into a man-shaped rock with cracks all over my body. I could feel a round orb inside my chest which I assumed was my core.
Earth elemental. Elementals were unique in that they were a race composed of living elements. Water, air, and fire elementals were suited for mages while earth elementals made excellent knights. Depending upon which elemental you chose, you gained various abilities.
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A blue screen floated off to the side of the silver mirror. The blue screen displayed my race, skills, and stats. I looked over them carefully, reviewing my current form’s power.
Race: Earth Elemental
Description: A creature that is born from the elements themselves. Earth elementals are typically born with high defense and strength but are very slow. Can evolve.
Racial Skill: Earth Body (Immune to various effects that attack flesh bodies. At high levels the body can be turned into various weapons. Stamina is 0 and taken from mana instead. Strength Stat increased by 20%)
Racial Trait: Elemental Form: -50% Physical and Magical attacks. +200% damage from attacks to the core. +20% damage from wind attacks. Cannot equip armor.
Proficiencies: +50% to earth magic. -30% to fire, water, and air magic.
Stat Points: +5 free stat points, +1 vitality, strength. Agility and Dexterity points halved.
Now for stats. The different stats in [Virtual Fantasy] worked like this.
Strength: Determines physical melee damage and inventory slots at 5 str per slot.
Agility: Determines speed, flexibility, and reaction time.
Dexterity: Determines long-range physical damage and hand speed.
Vitality: Determines health and inventory slots. 5 hp per 1 point and 5 vitality per inventory slot.
Wisdom: Determines Mana regen rate at 2 mana per minute per wisdom point.
Intelligence: Determines Mana amount and magical damage. 1 point equals 10 mana.
Stamina: Determines rate of exhaustion and is used for non-magical skills. If depleted, various negative buffs can apply.
Luck: Determines critical hit damage and loot drop chances.
My stats were like this.
Strength: 11 Agility: 5
Dexterity: 5 Vitality: 11
Wisdom: 10 Intelligence: 20
Stamina: 0 Luck: 10
Everyone started out with 10 in all stats but then the race one chose would show its various effects from the very beginning. Because stamina was replaced with Intelligence from my racial skill, I doubled my mana immediately.
“Is this all you hoped for father?”
I shook my head. “Can I create a hybrid with the earth elemental? Make the second race a random choice though.”
In the character selection, there was an advanced choice called hybrid. It was an option where you could mix races together for a maximum of three races one could mix into one creature. The hybrid would receive the racial traits of all the selected races, though it would be random. A bad hybrid might receive only the negative aspects and a good hybrid might receive only the positive.
It was completely random and once a hybrid was made, the racial traits would be locked. You could create a different hybrid though. For example, if I mixed a high elf and mountain dwarf but wasn’t satisfied with the result, I couldn’t remix them. The results would be locked and I couldn’t change them. I could attempt to mix a high elf and a river dwarf though.
“Yes, father.” Targlo closed his eyes. I lost the feeling of the core that had previously been inside my body. Now the silver screen suddenly showed a man with a rust colored skin and pointy ears. The hair was a silver color, contrasting beautifully with his bright body.
I studied the stats on the screen.
Race: Hellion Elf
Description: An elf born in the demon continent. They are used to hot places and become weak in the cold. They are also very tuned into the fire elements.
Racial Skill: Avatar of Fire (Turns into a fire elemental, boosting all fire magic by 100%. -50% Physical attacks. +200% damage from attacks to the core. +20% damage from water and ice magic.)
Racial Trait: Flame Constitution-40% to all physical stats in the cold. +10% to all stats in the heat. Includes cold and heat inducing skills.
Proficiencies: +20% fire magic, -80% ice magic.
Stat Points: +5 free stat points, +1 agility, dexterity, intelligence.
As I looked at the stats I nodded in appreciation. If I could receive the agility and dexterity points in addition to all of the earth elementals skills that would be great. “Alright Targlo, I select this one, please make a hybrid using these two races.”
“Yes, father.” After making the decision, I looked at the silver screen to see the changes. However, nothing appeared to change. I was still a Hellion Elf with orange skin and silver hair. No rocks protruded from my body. What gives? Glancing at the blue screen, I quickly identified the issue with my cosmetics.
Race: Hellion elf/Earth Elemental Hybrid
Description: A hybrid between a hellion elf and Earth Elemental.
Racial Skill: Body Transformation (Can turn into an Earth Elemental or Hellion Elf freely.) Avatar of Fire (Turns into a fire elemental or into a magma elemental if used when in earth elemental form.) Earth Body (Immune to various effects that attack flesh bodies. At high levels, the body can be turned into various weapons. Stamina is 0 and taken from mana instead. Strength stat increases by 20%. Only applies to earth/magma elemental forms.)
Racial Trait: Flame constitution: (-40% to all physical stats in the cold. +10% to all stats in the heat. Includes cold and heat inducing skills. Only applies to Hellion Elf form) Elemental Form: (-50% Physical attacks and magical attacks. +200% damage from attacks to the core. Cannot equip armor. Only applies to elemental forms) +20% damage from wind attacks in Earth Elemental form. +20% damage from water and ice magic in Fire Elemental form.
Proficiencies: +50% Earth Magic, +20% Fire Magic, -100% Ice Magic, -10% Wind Magic
Status Points: +5 free status points, +1 Strength, Vitality, intelligence. Dexterity halved.
Thanks to the body transformation skill, I didn’t have to worry about my body being part rock and part elf. I could just change from one form to the other using this skill. I decided to look at my stats now.
Strength: 13(11) Agility: 10
Dexterity: 5(10) Vitality: 11
Wisdom: 10 Intelligence: 21(11)
Stamina: 0(10) Luck: 10
The numbers in parentheses were the stats when I was in elf form. With this, I now had great potential. With speed being what it was, I could definitely be more useful than before.
Targlo watched as I smiled. “Is this to your liking father?”
I nodded. “I like it a lot. So, will we begin then?”
“Yes, father. You can go to the training room in order to customize yourself with your body. No skills or stat points shall be earned during this period.”
I shook my head in denial. “No, I’m ready. Just tell me how to activate my racial skills.”
“To activate your skills you just have to say the name of it. Sometimes you need an activation key for magic spells. You can, of course, learn to activate all skills with your mind instead of speech through practice.”
“Now that you have forgone the voluntary training room, you will be taken to the game. I am obligated to share basic information about skills, classes, and jobs.”
“Skills can be learned by anyone, except for racial skills and class-specific skills. Skills can be learned by performing an action over and over, being taught by someone, or skill books. “
“Roles give proficiency and effect boosts to skills related to the class. A swordsmen class receives a 20% proficiency boost allowing them to learn skills 20% faster. They also do 20% more damage with sword skills. This is the effect boost that classes can give. Classes are defined as combat roles and boost skills related to combat.
“Jobs are non-combat roles such as crafters and boost skills related to their job. For example, a blacksmith increases attack damage and durability of weapons forged by 20%. This is the boost that jobs give. Each person receives five slots for roles. Jobs take 1 slot and Classes take 2.”
“Do you understand father?”
“Yes I do, Targlo. So can I go into the game now?” I was impatient to start.
“Yes, father. Choose your starting point. People will consider you to be with the demon continent if you are in you’re hellion elf form but neutral in your elemental form. Please choose carefully.”
A list of choices on the blue screen popped up. I very quickly narrowed it down. Towns that were close to the natural elements were what I wanted, specifically, places by mountains or volcanoes. Finally, I ended up choosing Sival, a mining town in the cold snowy land of Aglacia. It was a neutral land not with the alliance of light or the demon continent.
It was at the foot of a volcano that had a steady stream of lava, resulting in the couple miles around it to be at a comfortable temperature for me. More importantly, the town description said there were rumors of mithril and other magical ores, which to Earth Elementals was very important.
I finalized my selection. “Are you sure you wish to choose Sival as your starting location?”
“Yes Targlo, I am.”
“Confirmation accepted. Transporting you to Sival. Please remember that at any time you wish to receive information on basic game functions or report a glitch in the game, you can pull up the help menu by saying ‘Open Help Menu.’ Transportation to Sival will be completed in five, four, three, two, one. Live a full life in [Virtual Fantasy].”
With a flash of light, I was gone.