[Joshua Graham POV]
Opening the door, I stepped out into the Cafe and was immediately met with a deafening amount of noise. With laughter, yelling, and talking, hundreds of people moved around the cafe at once. I saw even more clones of Zeref standing behind the counter before me, in the cafeteria, and wandering around the store helping customers.
One of the Zerefs standing behind the counter seemed to sense my presence, turning around to greet me with a small nod.
"You are up," Zeref stated the obvious.
"Yes. I am ready. How do I get started?" I asked.
"Hmm. I'll send a...offer to those who have registered an account on one of the VR Computers. I already saw the liberty to make an account for you. If anyone is interested and signs up for training, you'll get a notification on your computer. It's up to you how you train them, however. You could train one at a time, do group sessions, or do pairs of two or three. Here," Zeref waved his hand, summoning another computer into existence, yet another feat that furthered my belief that he was an Agent of the Lord, for only God could make something out of nothing, "This will be your personal computer, with your wage, you can purchase time in the VR Games, purchase things from the credit store, or simply browse the internet, your choice," Zeref spoke.
Gesturing to follow, the Zeref seemed to split and form another clone that began showing me how to use this world's version of Terminals. How many times could Zeref split like this? By now, there has to be over a dozen of him spread out around the cafe. He showed me how to use the computer, informing me that while this world was behind Fallout in certain areas of technology, it was far ahead in other areas. Such as computers, aerial vehicles, and more. Something that was a rarity in the wasteland, as few had any use for terminals, and the only groups with airships in the wasteland were the Enclave and the Brotherhood of Steel. The first of which was a remnant of what it once was.
As soon as I sat down at the computer, I was met with constant small dings, notifying me of something Zeref called—an email, if I remember correctly. Opening my 'email.' I was met with a list of applications. I did not know what to do, so I called one of the Zerefs for help.
"Ah, I see what the problem is. Certainly was not expecting so many applications," Zeref commented, scrolling through the dozens of applications that appeared within a minute.
"Well, what do you seek? Do you want to train those without foundations, completely new to struggle and hardships, allowing you to mold them into whatever you desire, or do you want to train those who already have a solid enough foundation and instead hone their skills to the breaking point?" Zeref asked, turning away from the computer to look at me.
"I don't know," I answered.
"Well, you are in no rush for time. Examine the accounts of the applicants, and you'll see their 'stats,' if you will, allowing you to see how much they struggle in the VR Games. Ah, right. Think of the VR Games as a realistic illusion or hallucination that is unbelievably realistic. In these games, people can train and learn to the point of rivaling the greatest minds and strongest foes of your world. In fact, one of the VR Games we have is based on Fallout, what we call your world," the Zeref clone explained as if what he said was not baffling at all.
I nodded, trying to twist my mind around such a concept. Virtual Worlds? How was that even possible? Was it a gift from god to help us with our task?
I filtered the searches to those who have played Fallout. I was met with two dozen applications. I filtered it further to those who have played the game for over a year. That dropped it down to eight individuals, at the top of which was a user named Tyke.
The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.
This individual has, by far, the most time spent in Fallout, with a mind-numbing 129 years. The user has spent more time in Fallout than I had been alive.
"Oh, that's Kyle. One of my first customers, he's completely obsessed with Fallout, which is the main game he's played since he first came here. I'm afraid if you choose him, he'll wipe the floor with you," Zeref warned.
"How so?" I asked, curious.
"He's managed to take on the entirety of the Enclave on their home turf by himself with nothing but his smarts, skills, and a bit of equipment. He also has seen more combat than you," Zeref explained, much to my surprise, before sighing, "Sigh. Honestly? I think he doesn't need any training. The experience and skills he has honed over the century of his life he spent inside Fallout have made him one of the most dangerous men on this planet, especially now that he has begun arming himself."
"I see. What about this person?" I asked, pointing at a user by the name of Lucky.
"Ah, she will be difficult to train, but I recommend taking her in. She will be crucial for the battles ahead, despite her... frailty compared to her peers," Zeref suggested.
Humming, I accepted her as a student before moving on to another, then another, then another.
By the end, I had four potential students. Users by the name of Lucky, Bloody Fist, Jami, and HeyApple. The first two were more recommendations from Zeref, while the last two caught my eye. While I originally based my choices on experience and familiarity with Fallout, the name Zeref chose for my world, I eventually looked beyond it, as Zeref informed me that were other games that could be just as dangerous if not more so based on the game.
I checked out these games, finding that each had its own dangers and experiences. For example, the 'Ark Survival Evolved' game gives the player much experience in survival, hunting, and trapping while they have to fight off the local monsters called 'Dinosaurs. ' The game series 'Resident Evil' gives the player much experience in fighting near-immortal foes and having to manage their resources to progress.
My first choice, the user by the name of 'Lucky,' I chose because not only did Zeref say that they had an important future ahead, but also because Zeref informed me that they were near useless against what would come unless given more training and more options when it came to dealing with situations and scenarios.
The second, 'Bloody Fist,' showed promise in their determination but lacked any real skill. Zeref didn't inform me much about the user other than "You'll have your work cut out for you," which was not much to go on.
The last two were chosen for their complete lack of skills. According to Zeref, they were 'new' customers with only a few sessions under their belts, perfect examples of what I should expect of the average man and woman on this Earth.
"So these are your final choices for your first students?" Zeref asked, curious, clawed hand resting on the slate of its 'head.'
"Yes," I answered.
"Alright, would you like to meet them now and get started, or would you rather start tomorrow?" Zeref asked.
"Now. I would like to get a read on them. Once I examine them and their skills, I should be able to prepare regimens and lessons for them," I explained.
"Alright, then I'll notify them to meet you in the gym. I wish you luck. If you need anything, just give me a holler," the Zeref clone waved goodbye before floating away.
Stepping away from the computer, I turned around, walked out from behind the counter, and slowly started walking to the gym.
When I reached the gym, I wasted no time in examining what I had access to, being met with...confusion. What were all of these machines? What were their purposes? Walking up to one of them, I began walking around it, examining it inch by inch trying to decipher its purpose, before noticing a poster attached to the machine explaining its role and what I needed to do using it, even showing precisely how to do it with diagrams. It seems I will have to examine and try out this equipment sometime. These machines will make it far easier to train my potential students, that's for sure.
Walking over to a boxing ring, I took off my old riot police vest and began laying my weapons on a nearby bench.
Once I was done and ready, I turned around, and I was met with my future students standing not far from me.
A red-headed woman, a tall, thuggish bald man, a thin, scrawny boy, and an incredibly shot woman with long brown hair.
[A/N: No need to guess, first two are previous characters shown in the novel, the last two are OCs]