"It has been approximately 9,000 years have passed in Vernal since the heavenly ones descended. Since then, many things have changed and developed in the world. First, three of the top ten heavenly ones are at war in the market. One has done a blacksmithing business, creating weapons and tools for the people and other heavenly ones. Another has made an alchemical market, bringing new and lifesaving potions to Vernal. The last heavenly one has created a colossal merchant market and trade posts around the world.
"Out of these three, the world has improved tremendously since their decent. More and more problems have been created due to these new markets places and the fact that barely any quests are being accepted and completed. Most of the heavenly ones are doing their own things and enjoying the world, which is not helping Vernal's people.
"Because of this, the people of Vernal have started to despise the heavenly ones. One thousand years ago, a new kingdom was created called The Julien Kingdom. Different from the other kingdoms, they treat the heavenly ones as regular citizens and nothing special. Since their hatred is out there, no heavenly one has entered the kingdom before."
"Wait, if so, how are their quests being done? I thought the people of Vernal were weaker than us?"
"Ah, yes, that is correct that the heavenly ones are stronger, but in the last 1,000 years, the people of Vernal have gained greater strength. When the Julian Kingdom was created, Vernal's people decided to become adventurers and help themselves instead of relying on the Heavenly ones. Not only this kingdom, but the world has developed this tradition. None of the Heavenly ones objected. Instead, they agreed to it since they didn't want to help.
"Speaking of the Julian Kingdom, a faction was created to get rid of the Heavenly ones since all they are doing is causing trouble and not helping. That's about it on the world's news... Other things have occurred, but it would be rude to tell you everything and ruin your expectations.
"Anyway, it is time for your character sheet. Please answer my following questions. What is your name? What is your age? What is your gender? What is your appearance? Note that these are what you want to be in the world and does not have to be truthful from your world."
Ah, finally time to make my character... Well, although you can create your own, I like my own body and name. Therefore, I'll be using my own appearance and body information.
"My name is Nasu Atsuo. My alternate name is Completer. I'm 18 years old and would like to use my appearance in my world. Male."
"Understood. Please wait for a moment."
...
Apon speaking, a glowing bright white light filled my vision. After a minute of waiting, the light subsides, and I regain my vision...
A mirror is placed in front of me, allowing me to see myself. Thankfully, it's my everyday appearance, the one I look like on Earth.
I have a standard facial structure and have short curly black hair. Although my hair is short, my bangs cover my eyes, so it's not too short... Behind my bangs, my dark brown eyes can sometimes be seen.
My height is only 159 centimeters, which is under the average height for males.
Currently, my outfit seems to be like that of medieval times. I have dark brown shoes, brown pants, and a leather jacket with a tinted cloth shirt.
"Alright, your appearance and other information have been entered and set. Next, you will pick your jobs. Think about it for a bit since it cost a lot of money to change them..."
Kiho reappears to the side of the mirror and hands me some papers. On them, many words are written, forming the available jobs that I can be.
Hmm... What do I want to be? To complete this game, I'm going to need to be strong, both magically and physically. To make that come true, I should be a magical swordsman... I won't be able to make anything via blacksmith or alchemy, but that should be fine...
"I'll be a magical swordsman."
"Okay, is that final? You will be the first magical swordsman in the world. Typically, the Heavenly ones pick either a magical role or a fighting role and then pick a sub role. For instance, swordsman and blacksmith, or magician and alchemy. The top ones use an advanced job."
"Advanced job?"
"Yes, for instance, the higher job of a magician is sage. Advance jobs take both slots, so you'll only be a sage, but sages are magically advanced. The advanced job of a swordsman is a knight. For magical swordsman, which is the combined job of swordsman and magician, you'll be unable to obtain normal daily life skills and only combat ones. Plus, there isn't an advanced job that uses both sword skills and magic."
"Hmm... That may be so, but I'll do it! I want to learn both. Plus, advanced jobs make it easier to use magic or attack skills. Being both a swordsman and magician, if I train enough, then I can be at the same level of a sage and knight combined."
"That's true... Understood. Next, you will be picking your fresh skills. The God of Vernal, Vernality, has given the new Heavenly ones some cheat skills, so it makes your life easier and faster. Hold on... Ah, Vernality has taken a liking to you. You are given three slots instead of one. With these, you can pick three skills that will be given to you and started at level five.
"By the way, after this and picking your difficulty, You will be able to stay here for one more hour to train on your skills and the like. Now, please look at this list to pick your skills..."
After she says this, a window pops up in my field of view containing a list of available skills that I can pick from. Based on what I heard, I'm able to choose three skills that start from level five. That's a pick nice to have!
The point system in this game is a bit hard. You do have many opportunities to earn skills, but you can only buy skills with them, not level them up. You can only level skills up by training with them. Though you can increase your stats with them, you can still be powerful in the world to survive.
Hmm... Although these slots seem a bit overpowered, I don't think I want them.
"Question, can I trade in two of my slots for skill points instead?"
"Hmm? I, uh, don't know. Hold on one second... Okay, I got confirmation. You can trade in two of your slots for a total of 40 points. Though, it is recommended and advise not to do this."
"I can see why, but I would still like to do this."
"... Okay. What about your third slot?"
Ah, yes, I almost forgot. There are some useful skills here, especially for being a magical swordsman. For instance, the teleportation skill would be nice to have. Others skill too, not because of what the skills do, but because they cost more than the points I got from the slots.
Teleportation is a skill that costs 200 points... Using a slot to get it or similar skills would have been advised. Though, the reason I wanted them was to use them to increase my stats. Plus, I can get many other skills that are not as high as teleportation.
For my third slot, there is a skill that could be helpful at level five, Memorization. True, this skill doesn't do much, especially for helping in battle or the like, but my memory isn't that great... If I had this skill, I would write things down and look back at them for any critical information I have written down.
I don't know its effects at level five, but it probably gives an increasing amount of space for more information I can write into it. I think it'll be a useful skill, especially for me...
"Memorization. I want to use my third slot with this skill."
"..."
Kiho looks at me with a somewhat disappointed expression as if I ruin her expectations. Then, she replies with a nasty voice, unlike her normal tone like she talked with earlier.
"Ugh... Understood. Now, pick a difficulty."
The window disappears, and a new one takes its place. This time, four words appear on it: Beginner, Standard, Difficult, Hardcore.
"These difficulties do not affect the NPCs but will affect the rewards you get from them, by chests, and from monster drops. Also, your protection and damage output will be decreased dramatically for harder difficulties. This allows others to hunt regular monsters with ease will ones with harder difficulties a harder time with those same monsters."
Hehe... I have also read up on these difficulties. Well, not exactly... I didn't read what they did but did find some hidden difficulties. I did read up on them and what they did.
There are two hidden difficulties: Impossible and Hell. The impossible mode is the 2nd highest difficulty while hell mode being the most difficult. There have been players to play both modes... Not currently, mind you. Actually, players tend to stay away from hell mode, but they do try to challenge themselves with impossible mode from time to time.
In impossible mode, there's a decrease in protection and damage values. Fighting a slime whose level one is like fighting a slime whose level 100. Like hardcore mode, once you die, your character gets deleted, and you have to restart. You do get better rewards, but it's impossible to do anything. That said, you are unable to get killed by other players.
Hell mode is different... There's also a decrease in protection and damage values but way more than the impossible mode. Fighting a level one slime is... like fighting a level 100 demon. Hell mode also incorporates a new system where it increases the damage and health points that monsters have.
They did have this for the other difficulties, but players started complaining about the difficulty curve and how some players would make it difficult for newbies and make all nearby monsters ten times harder. See, this system changes the monster you attack to fit your level and power. It doesn't adjust to fit everyone's stats. Instead, the monster focuses on the highest level and adjusts to that player's power.
That said, before, they did fix it to be adjusted to all who attack the monster, but that caused an uproar. Now, they got rid of the system and went for a non-changing system. I guess they kept it in for hell mode.
Hell mode also incorporates lower point and level gains. All of the harder difficulties do, but hell mode has extremely lower gains. I'm not sure of the percent of change, but I do know that it's high.
Also, there is a reason why no one plays on hell mode anymore... Like the impossible and hardcore modes, your character will be deleted; however, in hell mode, the system also destroys your game and prevents you from playing it ever again.
Even if you buy a new copy of the game, it will automatically destroy the copy upon entering the game. Same with a new console. The game knows that it's you trying to play, so it prevents you from playing and will again destroy the copy of the game.
Even with this, I still want to try it. I want to complete this game with its greatest difficulty!
"Hell mode."
Kiho's eye went wide after she hears my answer.
"Wait, wait, wait! Please reconsider this! I mean, you need to have a pass..."
She doesn't finish her sentence. I imagine that the God of the world of the game is informing her that I have the special game installed.
That's right, to play hell mode, you need a special copy of the game. The reason being, this mode is said to kill the player in both worlds...
...