Chapter 3:
Henry carefully took off his headset, went to the bathroom, washed his face and looked into the spotless mirror. He had spent around 12 hours straight playing The Source but his mind had experienced almost 48 hours of game time which caused him to feel mental fatigue.
He read in the manual that sleep is possible in the game, but he had not the chance to try it out because of Sordello’s story. He only figured out the old man’s name after receiving the glasses.
Remembering that Henry frowned.
‘Did I manage to register the item in time? If I don’t have the item will Sordello still allow me to change my class? Is Sordello okay? Questions questions.’
“The only way to find out is to check,” Henry assured himself.
To make sure that the official version of The Source was up and running Henry got out of his apartment and went down to the front desk. He approached the desk where a pretty receptionist, different from the one in the morning, sat looking bored.
“Uhh hi” Henry said awkwardly,” I was wondering if you could look something up for me using your computer?”
“Ahem ahem. Sure.”
“Can you please see if The Source-- it’s a game-- is up and running?”
“Ohhhh that, I know about it! I just ordered my headset a few days ago too” the receptionist, named Lily, cheerfully responded while typing away. “Okay, so it seems that there will be a 30 minute downtime because those darn Beta Testers are getting their items transferred.”
‘I am one of those darn Beta Testers’ Henry thought to himself. “Hmm okay. Thank you for your help.”
“That’s okay. Come back anytime. It gets really boring during the night shift” Lily said and winked at Henry.
That was when Henry noticed he was only in his boxers and a white T-shirt. He quickly thanked Lily once more and sped-walked back to his apartment room. ‘I have to be more careful’ Henry thought.
Not knowing what to do during the remaining 20 minutes Henry read Fantasy Tales and waited. When it was 0030 he put on the Genesis headset and started The Source.
***
A familiar darkness and pop-up message greeted Henry.
Welcome to The Source
We have detected that you are a new player. Register for The Source?
Options: (1) YES (2) NO
“Yes”
What name do you wish to go by in The Source? (Note:Your name is permanent)
“Zero”
What race do you want to be? (Note:Your race is permanent)
“Uhhh.” Henry wasn’t sure what to do here.
‘If I go in as a different avatar will Sordello recognize me? He doesn’t even know my name. What if I don’t have the item? He might get angry if I lost his glasses. Can he even see without them...”
A little angry at his self-made predicament Henry decided to stick with his Orc form.
You have chosen to be a Orc. Are you sure?
“Yes.” Again a bunch of screens popped up offering adjustments for physical changes. This time Henry considered doing some touch-ups because apparently he was an Ugly Orc with Yellow Teeth but seeing nothing wrong with his Orc form he closed all the pop up messages and choose his starting location.
Orcs are recommended to start at their birth place, Krugler’s Outpost. Are you sure you want to start at Nosiris Kingdom?
“Yes.”
In a blinding flash Zero appeared in the center plaza of Nosiris Kingdom, next to the fountain where he met Sordello. Looking around he saw that the plaza was packed with new players jumping around testing their mobility. Once a player got used to their movements they would shuffle off, eager to find a quest to do or to kill some rabbits in the starting field outside the kingdom walls.
Zero also had something he had to do. Slowly opening his inventory Zero shrieked in shock, making players and NPCs near him step away from him. He had 10 pieces of bread, a canteen of water, a wooden club and Zero’s Spectacles.
“WHY IS IT ZERO’S SPECTACLES?!” He shouted.
Players and NPCs around him stepped even further back as if repelled by a forcefield.
One unlucky character who just spawn had the pleasure to see a giant Orc shouting. Needless to say the player ran away in fear. Zero stopped to look at the player, not used to the system’s movements yet, stumble and fall a few times while retreating.
You have acquired a new skill: Brute’s Bellow
[/td]
Brute’s Bellow (active)Skill Level: Beginner 1 (0.00%)A loud and deep shout that is often used to gain attention, command, and/or intimidate others.
Allied creatures in your shout radius will have a 1% boost to all normal stats and 5% increase in morale for five minutes.
Enemies in your shout radius will have a 1% decrease to all normal stats and 5% drop in morale for five minutes.
1% chance to cause fear in enemies.
50 mana per meter
Zero closed the message without reading it, and took Zero’s Spectacles from his inventory.
“Identify” Zero exclaimed. When nothing happened he said it again and again and again... He received the same results until the 19th time, where a message finally popped up as if annoyed and telling him to go away.
You currently do not have the skill for this command. The minimum information will be displayed. Find an appraiser, learn the skill: Identification, or use identification scrolls to learn more about the item.
Zero’s SpectaclesThe original owner of these spectacles has passed away. You are now the new owner!
Rarity: ???
Effects: ???
Requirements: ???
“Original owner passed away,” Zero repeated quietly to himself.
He did not to know how to feel. Sad for the lost of a person with artificial intelligence he knew for less than two days? Mad for not being able to swap the item for a class change? Happy that he managed to get an item of his own from the Beta Testing?
No. When the situation involved death Zero only felt emptiness. After losing his mother he developed an impregnable wall that stopped any feelings from affecting him, especially feelings for the dead. Thus Zero felt nothing for the lost of the old man called Sordello. His mind cleared and he was alert, ready for anything.
You have acquired a new skill: Serene Mind
[/td]
Serene Mind (passive)Skill Level: Beginner 1 (0.00%)In situations where others would succumb to emotions you are resistant. This is a state of mind that all creature of importance possess, especially Generals in war.
If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.
Has a 50% chance to resist fear, confusion, taunt, lust, despair, and all other ailments connected human emotions.
All normal stats +1.
+1 Apathy per stat increase.
You have gained a new stat: ApathyApathy:Through display of an intense lack or absence of emotion, passion, or excitement you are now considered apathetic. The higher your apathy the easier and more efficient it will be to perform immoral deeds. This stat will rise on its own and points cannot be distributed to this stat.
+3 Apathy
+1 Luck
Zero stood like a statue in the same spot he spawned from and stared into the spectacles in his hand.
“Is that guy having trouble using the system movement,” a player asked.
“ What are Orcs doing here anyway. They ruin the NPCs’ mood.”
“Look at that noob haha” a player laughed, even though he himself is a noob.
Zero did not hear these comments nor did he care. He was thinking of what to do. There were two simple options. First, he could try to go find Sordello’s house again, but he would probably get lost and Sordello appeared to have died. Second, he could find an appraiser and see what Zero’s Spectacles was.
Zero choose the second option and started heading towards a building with a large sign with bold lettering that read “Lottery Appraiser”. Below the sign hung a slightly smaller sign with a carved picture of a magnifying glass hovering over a question mark. When Zero reached the three story building at the southern edge of the plaza he glanced to his right and to his left.
The center plaza was not called the ‘center’ for no reason. The main buildings that encircled the space were places where players would most likely go. In no particular order the blacksmith was next to the inn which was in turn right next to the alchemist shop. Stalls also stood a little ways in front of these buildings and sold various goods. Zero had not visited them yet but the smell of a delicious stew wafted in the air. He wanted to try out food other than bread because the manual said food should taste the same in game as it does in real life.
‘I’ll make sure to check out those stall after I’m done here.’
Licking his lips in delight Henry entered Lottery Appraiser.
***
Drytmes sat in his expensive leather chair and counted his stack of gold coins. In the past month he had made a lot of money from these-so-called adventurers that started popping out of thin air.
These characters were so eager to get their items appraised that they frequented his shop even more than the blacksmith’s forgery. In the beginning, only a moderate amount of adventurers came to get their items appraised. But halfway through the month the influx of customers soared. It appeared that an adventurer obtained a mythical item from one of Drytmes’s unidentified items bin.
Drytmes was a little shocked and jealous from the discovery but once the news spread business boomed so he let the matter go. Adventurers bought unidentified objects, which consisted mostly of junk items, from his unidentified items bin for five gold a piece and then appraised the item for 50 silvers. Easy money.
Nonetheless, a mythical item was indeed hard to come by, especially in Drytmes’s cheap and cheat bins of unidentified objects. From his years of appraising items Drytmes was able to guess an unidentified item’s rarity even without appraising it. Drytmes is a master, or possibly an even higher level appraiser and he still sometime misses the occasional mythical or rare items placed into the bins.
‘The chance of finding a treasure in a pile of junk is the whole lure of unidentified objects. And money!’
As an experienced appraiser Drytmes appraised many mythical items in his days of working as a mid-level appraiser on the second floor of the very same shop he now owns. He even owns a few mythical items himself. But beyond mythical items Drytmes only had the glory to appraise a legendary item once in his lifetime.
The item, a ring, that had been dropped from the kill of a jade dragon deep in the northern part of the continent. The man who brought the ring for appraisal wore thick spectacles with lens that were at least an inch thick and had his flowing black hair tied into a ponytail. He wore a simple tan cloak with light leather armor underneath and carried a plain wooden staff.
By that time Drytmes had just become the owner of the “Quick and Easy Appraisal” which he renamed “Lottery Appraiser” because he thought it would attract more customers. The man whose name Drytmes never knew was quite patient as he was directed from the first floor (where clerks could only identify junk items to uncommon items) to the second floor (where clerks could only identify rare to mythical items) and finally to the third floor where Drytmes, the master appraiser, could identify any item-- junk, common, uncommon, rare, mythical, legendary, and the rumoured ancient and immortal.
(Author’s Note: The rarities and their respective orders are from Dota 2.)
When Drytmes saw the man take out the dull looking ring he knew it was something special, contrary to its appearance. Drytmes confirmed this when he appraised the item and with a yelp of glee gave the ring back to the man who with the opposite reaction took the ring, examined it, and shook his head in disappointment.
Before Drytmes could ask what was wrong the man placed 100 gold on the table and left…
That had happened over 20 years ago and the events still clawed at his mind every so often.
‘Were my skills lacking so the ring’s full potential was not drawn out? I was sure that it was a legendary item with amazing effects. Could he have had better equipment already? Just who is this man that-’
A shout from the second floor disrupted Drytmes’s questions.
“Boss, I am awfully sorry for interrupting you but Saald and I cannot identify this man, ur, Orc’s item!”
‘They better not be wasting my time. If the item is not legendary both of them are working without pay for a month!’
Not wanting to be rude to his customer Drytmes went down to the second floor and politely escorted the Orc to the third floor. He glared at Saald and Donnann before heading up the stairs.
“Sit down sit down. Please make yourself feel at home before we get down to business.” Seeing the Orc place himself across from him Drytmes handed the Orc a contract. “Here, before we start anything please sign this specially made contract which states that if your item’s rarity is higher than mythical then the appraisal is free of charge but if it’s not then you will have to pay the usual fee of either 50 silver or 2 gold, depending on the rarity. Okay?”
The Orc hesitated and then said with an unpleasant accent, “I don’t have any money right now, so if the item is a mythic item or lower can I pay the fee at a later date?”
‘Goodness, he can’t possibly have a legendary item if he doesn’t even have 2 gold.’
“Ahem, well, sure, I shall make it an exception because I do not see many items that make it up to this floor. Just this once though.”
“Thank you,” the orc said and handed Drytmes a pair of old spectacles with at least an inch thick lense.
‘Strange, this looks familiar, but where have I seen it.’ Drytmes pondered for a bit and eagerly started to appraise the item which he felt could either be an item beyond imagination or just pure junk. It was difficult to judge.
Clasping the spectacles in both hands Drytmes appraised the item. He winked and blinked twice.
‘Could this be?’
Checking again to make sure his hands started trembling and the old spectacles almost fell out of his hands. No, to call them old spectacles would be an insult because what Drytmes held in his hand was an immortal item.
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