Lou stared at the useless stumps connected to his shoulders. His mouth opened and closed, like a goldfish gasping for air. His eyes bulged while he breathed in an irregular rhythm. Various sensations flooded his body, just like in real life. But only the sense of emptiness shrouded his hands.

‘Was it because they were artificial?’

Lou had lost his arms many years ago. Although technology had allowed him to replace them with prosthetics, they weren’t the same. Certain models allowed the user to feel, but they were expensive. The ones he used had no such function. Hence he had adapted to the sensation of having no hands, which is why he didn’t notice them missing a moment ago.

‘But this was supposed to be a new world, where people could get a fresh new start! What’s the point of restarting if the system can’t even provide me with a pair of hands?!’

His head boiled over the thought. That’s right, he had long accepted his disability. And nothing mattered anymore once he stepped foot inside Dream City. But he never imagined something like this would happen!

“Excuse me, sir…Lou…?”

Lou turned his head and located the person who spoke. A young Caucasian girl with brown hair looked up at him. It was normal for people to look up when speaking to him. His height was about 190cm, which qualified him to be called ‘tall’. At least, that stood true where he came from.

‘How’d she know my name? Oh right, floating nametags…’

“You looked like you needed help and didn’t know what to do… so, I wanted to suggest something. Maybe you should report this to the corporation, so they can fix—I mean, redo the scanning procedure” She said.

‘Scanning procedure?’ Lou raised an eyebrow. ‘Ah… she thought this was because of an error. But… sending a customer complaint is a good idea, maybe I should try that’

His breathing slowed down and stabilised. Sweat stopped pouring out, and his heartbeat returned to an almost normal pace. Yes, he did not have to panic. This was a virtual world. He had paid, no… forfeited all of his possessions for this. The corporation should take care of his needs.

“I see, how do I do tha—”

‘What sort of question was that? Was I so shocked that I forgot how technology worked in the 22nd century?’

“Menu!”

A transparent blue screen appeared before him.

Character Information

Inventory

Quests

Friends List

He stared blankly at the menu. There was no ‘report’ button. He scanned the menu again and again, looking for something inexistent. After the tenth time or so, he sank on his knees and released a long sigh.

The girl frowned and stared at him with furrowed eyebrows.

“Umm… Menu” She said, then she gasped.

Other users around them imitated her and called up the menu screen. Then they realised Lou’s condition. They aimed their looks of pity at him, making him feel worse. But some of them tried to help him.

“Report!”

“Message GM!”

“Contact Customer Service!”

They tried shouting various commands, but their ensuing expressions told Lou that none succeeded. It didn’t surprise him that nobody knew about the absence of an important function like customer support. Everyone here were newbies, and Dream City opened up the day before yesterday.

“It’s okay” He said. “It makes sense that there’s no way to contact the outside world”

Lou stood up.

“We chose this path, remember? We decided to abandon our previous lives and enter a new world…”

He panned his eyes over each and every one of the users around him. Even now, new users appeared in flashes of light. They only tilted their heads in confusion, having missed the beginning of the conversation a few minutes ago.

‘All of the people here, young and old… everyone had given up on our world. That’s why they’re here, and the same applies to me’

“That’s right, this is a new world”

Lou gritted his teeth and continued.

“This is Armus, a medieval world with swords and magic! This is where we would restart our lives, and this is where we take fate into our own hands!”

‘But I don’t have any hands. Haha, I made a pun…’ Lou felt his eyes moisten.

“Oh…Ohhhhhhhh!!” The people shouted in high spirits, taking in the foreign view of the medieval citadel as if fully realising it for the first time.

“He’s right! I can start over this time, and actually become someone!”

“My dreams, yes… if it’s here, it’s possible!”

“No more living in domed shelters!”

“Is that guy an NPC, and is this some sort of quest?”

“Free stuff pleaseee”

Lou didn’t plan on giving a speech, but he ended up motivating the masses. It seemed that he had drawn out their inner desires when he mentioned restarting their lives. Now the users hugged each other like they were lifelong friends. Some even shed tears.

Ding!

New stat generated: Charisma

You have shown the ability to charm people and incite their emotions. Everyone could learn the techniques, but you are a natural. Many people would be inspired by your words and actions.

Description:

-NPCs under you would be more inclined to obey your orders

-Chances of getting a good deal in trades had increased

-Intimacy with NPC would increase at a higher rate

-People would look up to you

-Points cannot be distributed to this stat

Charisma + 1

Fame + 5

‘Wow, this is one sophisticated system. If this was automatically generated based on my actions, then the AI must be capable of understanding human thoughts!’

A few people came forward and embraced him tightly. Tears streamed down their faces for some reason he couldn’t comprehend. Did he really say anything that amazing to move them this much?

“Just find me if things get too tough, okay? I know you’ve got a strong will, but don’t hesitate to ask for assistance” A man said to him while patting him on the back.

“I had a nephew facing your difficulties once, and I helped him regain his confidence. I don’t think you need encouragement, but it never hurts to know that help is just around the corner!” A woman who appeared like an ordinary middle-aged housewife claimed.

There were others who told him the same thing, all of them rephrasing each other. The meaning behind their words boiled down to ‘Sucks to be you, but we can help if you can’t wipe your own ass’

Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.

‘They’re treating me like I’m a baby that hasn't been toilet-trained!’ Lou grumbled inwardly. But he smiled and nodded with appreciation to the ‘helpful’ people. They might be hurting his pride, but there’s no need to antagonise their goodwill.

Ding!

You have been granted the title: Pitiful One

You are a sad existence that deserves the pity of others. But do not be discouraged. Even though the world is a cold place, it is not devoid of warmth. Sympathy is never short in stock wherever you go.

Effect:

+30% chance of receiving help from NPCs

Lou gaped at the new window.

‘What the hell? Why’d I get such a pathetic title?! Crap, this is getting out of hand' He thought, then frowned. 'Out of hand, using anything with that word sends an itch down my back...  Okay, I should get away from here real quick’

He cleared his throat before addressing the crowd.

“Well, we can’t stay in this square forever, can we? I’ll be off to explore then, good luck to all of you!” Lou said while inching away from the masses.

‘If I don’t get away, this sympathy gathering would never end!’

But things didn’t go as well as he hoped. Hands shot up in the air, and several people pushed past the crowd to approach him.

“Oh, I can go with you!”

“Me too, let’s explore together!”

Sweat rolled down Lou’s back, like a dam’s been broken. He couldn’t bear the uncomfortable thought of people accompanying him with patronising looks. So he thought of an excuse and gave it.

“No. I want to forge my own path, and I wish to do so with my own power. I appreciate your kindness, but please understand that this is the burden I must bear in order to overcome my challenges. I do not want to become overly dependent on others, so please do not follow me”

His words silenced the sympathising crowd. Their eyes moistened, and their lips quivered. After rubbing a tear or two with their fingers, they nodded with resolution.

“We understand. After listening to you, we too, wish to forge our own paths. Good luck”

‘Is it just me, or is everyone here extremely emotional? Who are these people, are they part of charity NGOs or something? God, this is cheesy!’

He slipped away while they blew their noses on their sleeves. If he spent more time here, then he might just lose his mind. But what did he expect? People didn’t come to Dream City because they wanted to play games. These people had their own pains and circumstances in their previous life. Just like him. At least, most of them.

‘Maybe that’s why they’re susceptible to my condition. Maybe they felt a greater sense of kinship here, where everyone besides themselves had also gone through their own brand of hardships’

Without realising it, he had walked through a number of streets. The hustle and bustle of the square did not reach here. And a quick check revealed that no one had followed him. He smiled, and leant his back against the wall of a building.

‘What am I going to do now…?’

He had prepared many plans before he went to Dream City. He found an abundance of information about this virtual world called ‘Armus’ on the Internet. Leo Corporation had put them up to attract people, and their advertising power was no joke. Internet, television, radio, booklets, milk cartons, anything, you name it.

They gathered a huge fan base before Dream City was even launched, Lou included. The photos of the landscapes, creatures and cities overwhelmed Lou and others like him. The corporation ensured an almost 100% realistic experience, and ‘almost’ because they reduced the sense of pain to 1% of real life.

But then, the corporation released a piece of information…

The price to enter this magnificent world was a person’s life. No, to be exact, it was their rights to live on Earth.

Shocking, really. Everyone had thought of it as an advertising campaign for a holiday package or a mere virtual reality game. Armus broke through the limitations of present-day virtual reality technology, providing an incredible sense of realism. However, was it worth the price?

“A brand new life awaits” Lou uttered the catchphrase of the campaign.

Nobody thought of it as a scam. No, not if it’s Leo Corporation. When they do things, they’re serious. Obviously, this led to a drastic decrease in the size of the fan base. Lou withdrew himself as well. At first.

Even with a huge reduction in interest, close to a million people boarded the Styx on the opening day. The enigmatic train collected passengers from each and every Shelter, blasting a cheerful music at every stop.

Lou and others like him stared longingly at the train on the first day. The desire to board the Styx almost overwhelmed them. Earth was barely habitable anymore, and they had to live in the Shelters. Even so, the desire to cling onto the smallest thread of hope proved to be more powerful.

On the second day, an increased number of people boarded the train. Faces that merely looked the day before, stepped inside the shining coaches. They must’ve realised that the later they start, the bigger their gap with the pioneers. Lou’s will almost crumbled, but he decided to stay. To sort things out, he should say. He needed to find out whether there’s anything worth staying in the Shelter for.

And today, he joined the ranks of the passengers.

“No chance of any sword swinging adventure now, is there?” He muttered under his breath.

The sound of hasty footsteps entered his ears.

“Hurry up, we gotta go now before all the spots are taken!”

“Seriously? Isn’t it still early?”

“The afternoon is not what you’d call early!”

A couple of users ran past him. They looked like a middle-Easterner and a European. Lou reckoned the only reason he understood them was the work of a universal translation system. Same thing happened earlier with the multiracial crowd. Nothing surprising, since the technology was one of the first introduced by Leo Corporation.

‘I wonder where they were going…’ Lou thought.

Unable to resist his curiosity, he followed them. His pace resembled a person taking a stroll. He wanted to go faster, but…

‘I’m going to fall if I run. My balance is all screwed up’

Having no hands made things difficult in more than one way.

Author's Notes:

Hello! :mowahaha:

So... you probably felt like the 'handless' thing is being thrown at you multiple times. Well, yeah it was. I just wanted my readers to actually feel how shitty it is to live a life without them (for the moment) [th_aji.gif]

So what's up with him losing his hands and all, what happened to him?

Well, I'd like to tell that story by slipping in flashbacks here and there. There's no point telling everything now, when it's hardly relevant to the present.

Oh, and if you're pissed about a lack of details on his appearance... I'll put them in later once i get the chance, because it's weird as hell to have someone describing themselves from top to bottom in their thoughts (narcissistic much?).