“Adventurer over here!” I started out of my trance and began looking around for the source of the voice. After a moment I saw a large old man waving. I pointed at myself, questioningly. “Yes you! Come on over. I’ve got some wares for you to look at.”

So, it appears he’s a merchant. I took a few careful steps, still unsure of my footing. After a few more test steps I made my way over to the merchant.

“Welcome to Akranes Adventurer. It is great to see you. I am Jokul.” He smiled at me. “I’m here to help you start your journey.” He reached under the top of the front of the stall, pulling out a booklet. “This is a guidebook. It contains a map with details about the surrounding area.” He held it out to me, and I took it. It felt leather-bound. Before I could get too engrossed into examining it, he spoke again. “Now for the next item.” He turned around and hefted a bundle that he spread on the table. It was full of weapons. “So, these are your basic weapons. Feel free to test them out yourself.”

I reached my hand out and touched the weapons. It all felt so real. I reached towards the blades.

Jokul coughed. “Ah, I wouldn’t do that. They’re sharp.”

I nodded and pulled my hand back. They were all interesting, but I didn’t know what they all were. “Um, what are all of these?”

Jokul picked up the first weapon. “This is a war axe, a good weapon for powerful attacks. Though it does require a fair amount of strength to use.”

I shook my head. I could barely use my own body effectively, a weapon that relied on strength was probably not the best for me.

“Not for you? On to the next one then.” He set down the axe. “How about this?” He lifted a sword. “You might like this, a one- or two-handed weapon. It’s a pretty versatile piece of equipment.”

“Can I hold it?”

“Of course you can.” He held it out.

I grasped the hilt and he let it go. It definitely had weight. At first it felt difficult to handle but after a moment I was able to give it a few test swings. It just felt right in my hands. It appeared the merchant could tell as when I looked up at him, he seemed to be smiling.

“I see the little lady likes it?”

“Yes, I think I like this one.”

“Alright then.” I went to swing the sword again and it vanished causing me to stumble into the stall.

“What?! Where did it go?” I braced myself against the tabletop, still a little in shock at the sudden disappearance.

“It’s in your inventory.” He rolled up the weapons. “Now you’re ready to explore Midgard!” He slapped my shoulder. “Get out and make a name for yourself, and if you ever have extra cash feel free to come back and visit.” He grinned at me and gave me a massive thumbs up.

I walked off a bit, struggling to maintain myself, but surviving. With each step I gained confidence, walking straighter and straighter. The town itself seemed busy, which would make sense. It seemed to be the starting town as it was full of Gnomes and Beastkin as well as Humans. A lot of them appeared armored and were carrying weapons. Which reminded me, I should probably equip my new sword.

I made my way to the side of the street, to make sure I was out of the way, before swiping to bring up the menu. This was the first time I had opened it in game. I looked over the buttons. There was a friends list, a communication menu, a settings menu, and what I was looking for, inventory. I pressed the button and a list popped up. It was basically empty, but there at the top was the sword. I pressed it and another pop up appeared. Equip? Yes. I felt the sudden weight on my left hip. When I looked there was the sword in its bland leather scabbard. I placed my hand on it. It felt like it was really there. Well it was time to see what else this world had.

With the sword equipped I made my way towards the wooden palisade, towards the gates that would lead out into the wide world. I was a little glad there were a lot of people, as it meant when I missed a step it was less noticeable. However, it sometimes felt as though I had to fight against the crowd. Eventually I made it to the gate and out, where it suddenly felt a lot clearer. The space allowed for people to spread out, and I could stand still and take in the new world I was in.

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I could see for what felt like miles. I could see the mountains in the distance and the forests that were closer. The sky was such a brilliant blue and the grass was a vibrant green. I took a deep breath, taking in the scents of the dirt surrounding me. It was definitely like I was truly there, like I was truly alive in this world.

I could hear the echoing clashes of weapons as people fought beasts in the plains. The area just outside the town seemed pretty much empty, with only a few beasts in the area. Well it was as good of a place as any to start. I needed to test out my new weapon, and really get used to moving around.

I walked for a bit, taking in the sights, before stopping and drawing my sword. It was light, but I could tell that it had weight behind it. I gave a few practice swings, stumbling a bit as I was caught off balance a few times. Well it wasn’t the easiest thing I had ever done, but it didn’t seem too difficult.

There were several weak monsters that I could easily take on. Creatures that looked like small animals, like large oversized bugs and rabbits, which shattered into thousands of multicolored shards when killed. A few well-timed swings easily dispatched them, and I got better at hitting my targets. They didn’t drop much but I got some experience and silver, along with some items that I assumed were for crafting.

After a few minutes all of the creatures in my area were gone. So, I began to go further from the town, looking for a new spot. The creatures got a little tougher, but nothing that could actually attack me. Eventually I made my way into a small wooded area. There was small little pig like creatures that I could easily kill. They were worth a lot more than the rabbits and bugs in the clear areas.

So, I followed the path, killing the creatures as I went, and made it to a massive clearing with a area of tall grass in the center. I walked over to the grass and moved some of it aside. It looked like a den of some sorts, and it smelled horrible. I wrinkled my nose and stood back up. Whatever lived there did not smell good at all.

Then I heard a snort and a stamp. It sounded like it came from a massive creature. I slowly turned and there stood a massive hairy pig with tusks. “Uh oh. Um… Nice pig?” It grunted and stamped the ground. “Well I guess not.” I gripped the sword with both of my hands and pointed the tip at the pig. Fear was slowly building in me as the pig snorted. I was beginning to regret killing all of the little pigs on my way here. I prepared myself, reading the sword to swing. As the pig got closer I felt a sense of power build up, which dissipated when the sword connected with the pig, causing it to squeal and tumble behind me.

I laughed nervously. “Thank god.” I let out a breath. “It’s ove-” I heard the grunting pick back up. I turned around and there was the pig. It wasn’t bleeding where I had hit it, but it had a glowing red gash. I noticed that floating above it was a bar, that appeared to be a little depleted. It also had a name: Boar.

“Look we don’t have to be so hasty here,” I said, trying to reason with the boar. It grunted and pawed the ground, looking pretty upset. I pointed my sword at the boar again. I was not ready for this. I looked around for an escape route. I could try to go back to the trees, but the boar seemed too quick for an easy escape that way.

It pawed the ground and charged again, and I attempted to step to the side, but got caught in the side by one of the tusks. I felt a slight twinge in my side where it connected, but it wasn’t enough pain to draw more than a slight wince. Well at least now I knew that this world could still hurt. But it wasn’t worse than what I have been through before. I could deal with this. I readied my sword again to try and fight this boar. I would not be beaten.

It turned and charged again. This time I thrust the tip at it, catching it in the forehead. It was enough to stop the boar. I could see the anger in its eyes. It twisted its head, ripping the sword from my hands. I gulped; this was not the situation I wanted to find myself in. It backed away, swinging its head wildly. I could see that the sword had dealt it a decent amount of damage, but it still wasn’t enough to kill it.

It snorted and pawed the ground and charged again. I once again tried to dodge and once again got grazed. I gritted my teeth as the pain got a little worse. It seemed as though the more damage you took the more that it hurt. Maybe I should have stayed in the plains with the easier monsters. I couldn’t escape from this thing. It was way too fast. If I tried to run I would only get hit in the back. It shook its head and the sword went flying, landing in the grass a few yards away. Well that was my only chance of succeeding here. I began to circle towards it, trying to avoid provoking another charge.

I heard it grunt yet again and bolted towards the sword. I dove on the ground and grabbed it and scrambled to my feet. The boar had charged my previous position and was now turned once again to face me. I steeled my nerves and held the sword at the ready. I wouldn’t run this time. This time I would kill it. It snorted loudly and charged, hitting me squarely in the stomach.

I staggered backwards, having had the breath knocked out of me. It spun and kicked me, causing me to fall on my back. It bellowed a challenge and charged. I closed my eyes and turned my head away from it as it rumbled towards me. I was glad no one else was here to watch. It was so embarrassing to be killed by an overgrown pig.