“Inventory,” I mouthed. The holoscreen shifted to an inventory scheme of what RPGs usually have. A fully clothed body of me and blanks and empty squares for the supposedly equipped material.
Clearly the setup of this game meant I had to be in a specific class; however, it didn’t seem that my character had no bounds with possible equipment. The class seemed to be blocked out, is it level-based? Will the choices appear when I reach a certain level? But leaving it at this--it seems that I would be able to equip both mage-wielded and assassin-wielded weapons without difficulty.
“Talk about an overpowered character.” I thought haughtily to myself.
On the right side of the character equipment was the general inventory. Surprisingly, there were two items present. The rewards from the failed quest.
It really hurts my pride to have failed a stupid subquest. I looked at the item closely, wondering what it was for. I was about to tap the item, when one more window right above the inventory.
A skill has been unlocked through action of intense concentration.
Skill Unlocked: Perceive
Ability to see target's related information.
[Level 1]
It didn’t make sense. The skills unlocked did not make sense on how they were ‘unlocked’. I read through the description of the skill again.
“Intense concentration…” I mumbled to myself. Giving it a try, I looked at the health potion and information popped on the screen.
[Item: Minor Health Potion]
Recovers health by +20
[Item: Minor Mana Potion]
Recovers mana by +20
“Ahh,” I groaned as I put my head down between my palms. “All this is giving me a headache. Nothing is making sense.”
I closed my eyes tightly and waved the holoscreen goodbye. That’s probably enough for now. My mortal (I assume, I’m mortal) brain could not keep up any longer.
“How long until lunch?” I muttered helplessly.
“We have one more class after this,” Blake responded unhelpfully.
I groaned, “Life,” I paused, and mentally corrected myself, “Death just won’t give me a break.”
Lunch was just around the corner, my mind was begging for a break. Having this holoscreen was just impossible to ignore. Every time a professor would ask me a question, or task me to recite, it appeared as a quest. It was bothersome and anxiety-inducing to be spotlighted by a displeased professor and a glitchy holoscreen.
[Task: Anatomy]
Which group of muscles control the movement of your vocal folds?
I stared blankly for a while realizing how much internship had dulled my theoreticals. My mind reasoned unhelpfully, “Well, I did have a diploma... for around 2 minutes.”
“Laryngeal muscles?” I answered unsurely. The teacher squinted at me, nodded, then continued on with his lecture.
[Task: Complete]
+10 Experience
+1 Minor Mana Potion
That's my fourth task right before lunch. All of which I’ve been rewarded with mana potion. I was getting unimpressed with this. Why would I need a mana potion anyway? I don’t do magic, I don't have an ounce of spiritual power either. Ghosts and anything unworldly definitely hadn’t come across as an experience. Nor did I want them to. Definitely not. I’m dead, but I’m not ghostly. There’s definitely no use for mana. Definitely.
Even if this were a game, how could anybody adjust to this setup. Entirely unusual, and it came with no benefits. I gritted my teeth. My mind was going in circles.
I excused myself and headed to the bathroom. I saw a clock right down the empty hallway. I looked up at it with an idea in mind.
“Pause,” I tried. Nothing happened.
“Speed up,” I spoke. Nothing happened.
“Quit,” I muttered. Nothing happened.
“Quit game,” I specified. Nothing happened.
See? Useless.
I wearily brought myself to the bathroom to relieve myself. In-game reality but was ironically bound by the laws of time and space. How cruel.
At 12:30, class was finally over. I sighed, it was so draining to contextualize what I’m dealing with everything that was happening. There were just no words nor time to focus. Even if I’m not fazed by the situation, it's difficult to put it all into focus.
Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.
“You alright?” Blake started to pack away his laptop, “Era’s already waiting for us in the Caf.”
I assured him I was fine as I stood up.
“It’s becoming quite a trend for you to forget your bag.” He noted dully gesturing towards my back. “Don’t leech off my notes for our finals.”
I took offense in that. Deciding to voice it out, I said, “I take offense in that!”
He headed on off without even waiting for me. “I won't tolerate your laziness,” he deadpanned.
Ah, yes. Classic Blake. 3 years in the making, yet he still didn’t have much of a character development.
“Spoiler alert.” I joked to myself as I walked after him. Just as I stepped out of the room, the holoscreen appeared.
Main Quest: Era
Head to the Cafeteria and look for Era.
Completion Award:
+100 Experience
+1 Major Beginner Chest
Failure:
+0 Expeience
+1 Minor Beginner Chest
Do you accept?
[Yes] [No]
I thought about it for a while walking alongside Blake. My mind wandered to the possibility of rejecting the quest. Then I noticed something different from the previous in-class quests.
“Main Quest?” I wondered, “Era’s a main quest?”
I tried to consider reasons for having it as a main quest. Did they want me to keep in line of the past-me’s actions? Not that I can recall anything that I did from 3 years ago. My brain couldn’t even dare to memorize all the characters in an ongoing manga about a pirate who sails the world for the one piece. How could it be possible to even recall all the choices I made for the past 3 years? Stupid hologram quest.
I tapped on Yes.
“Why is Era a main quest?” I wondered as the hologram disappeared. “Is it because she's my friend? A companion, maybe?”
I had a lead on the Main quest, but it didn't seem to make sense. We were already friends to begin with. My gut feeling took a confused leap. This felt like a foreshadowing I don't feel quite prepared for.
“Quinn, Blake!” Era grinned widely, waving her hand frantically. She gestured towards her empty table, “Over here!”
Before I could even wave back, the hologram appeared:
Main Quest: Era
Main Quest Compeleted
+100 Experience
+1 Major Beginner Chest
[Open: 1 Major Beginner Chest]
+1 Wooden Sword
+1 Major Health Potion
+1 Major Mana Potion
I would've felt happiness from the take away of the task, but I was too distracted by the hovering label above Era.
Era Hall
Level 27
Everyone else's level ranged from 4 to 11. Most fell between 4-9 ranges, only a handful had a level 10 or 11. Usually those were the individuals who were athletic or had inclined talents in the arts.
“Perceive,” I thought.
Level too low.
I glared at the holoscreen. No other quests appeared.
Era greeted me with a pat on the back. “Hey!” she said cheerfully breaking the dreadful thoughts against the holoscreen. “Blake called me to call you. You didn’t answer.”
I looked at her in confusion and curiosity, my mind still not grasping the idea of what it meant.
She mirrored my confusion, “I was worried you were lying dead in a ditch somewhere.”
With a half-hearted smile, I broke away from my thoughts and joked, “I’m so blessed.”
She looked a bit relieved and elbowed my side. She moved on to greet Blake. He took a seat beside her, and me directly across her. I closed the holoscreen and looked intently at her name.
“Assassin?” I thought curiously. My mind drifted to what I saw from my status. My class was blacked out. “Is that her class?”
“Quinn,” she said, dragging me out of my thoughts. “Earth to Quinn?”
“Huh?”
“What were you looking at?” They both turned back and, conveniently, directly across my vision, was the last slice of pizza in the Cafeteria booth.
Era laughed, and Blake sighed.
“I can’t help it,” I falsely admitted. “Pizza is the will and the way.” I stood up. “I better go and get it before the siren calls for someone else.”
When I was excusing myself between the tables, Blake called out, “Did you even bring your wallet?”
I halted. Patting along my jeans. I turned towards them both. Slamming my palms together, I begged, “Please save me, your highnesses!”
Era snorted. “I already bought my lunch.” She gestured to her half-eaten curry rice. “You’re up this time.”
Blake stood up with an unimpressed look. “You’re not getting the pizza.”
“Spare me a piece of bread,” I quoted pitifully as I followed him towards the cafeteria stall. “Spare me your mercy.”
As we got to the cafeteria line, I asked Blake, “Does Era know martial arts?”
“Excuse me?” he asked, obviously doing a double-take. I got a tray as he got his.
“Martial arts,” I repeated, gesturing movements I hope alluded to some form of Japanese karate.
He paused for a while. “Martial arts.”
I nodded. “Martial arts.”
“I know it’s been a while since you’ve liked her, Quinn,” he started warily as the line grew shorter. “I don’t think she’s gonna castrate you as soon as you confess.”
“Huh?” I said, taken aback by his allegations. I mean Era’s a great girl -- I halted my thoughts. Now is not the time to go there. I spoke, “That’s not why I’m asking!”
He nodded. “Right.”
“Seriously,” I insisted. “I just want to know why her level is--” I stopped mid-sentence.
“Level?”
“--out of my league.” My shoulders slumped in defeat. My face heated up despite the lie. “So she doesn’t do martial arts?”
Blake ordered a hefty slice of lasagna for himself and some poorly pre-made clubhouse sandwich for me, “Bread,” he explained to my disapproval. “Just as you requested.”
“Stingy bastard,” I thought bitterly as he placed the sad looking sandwich on my tray.
“None that I know of,” he said, sliding his tray across towards the cashier. Blake and Era were not exactly childhood friends, but they did grow up going to the same school since elementary. Maybe, just maybe... he’s wrong?