When Nico opened his eyes, he was met with the visage of Ella, in person. This time, the AI woman was sitting on an exquisite chair and appeared to be drinking tea. The aroma wafted through the air. Nico was stunned at how realistic it felt. His mouth watered at the prospect of drinking whatever Ella was drinking.
"Wait, how can you drink tea?" asked Nico, dumbfounded.
"Before that, please, sit." An ordinary chair materialized in front of Nico. He sat down opposite Ella. The AI woman observed him for a moment before answering.
"You've now entered Rosen Grande. I'm one of its denizens – a gatekeeper of sorts. And in here, at least, in this space that's still controlled by the company, I can do anything." And as if to brag, Ella snapped her fingers and the empty gray room turned into the most lavish living rooms he'd seen in his entire life.
Nico was taken aback. He stared at Ella. Only this time, he noticed that she appeared more lifelike. Her neck long, jade – colored hair glistened. Whenever she moved, individual strands could be seen shifting – obeying the laws of physics. Her green eyes glistened as she regarded his marvel. Her pristine white skin almost glowed.
"Okay – this is amazing." Said Nico, not hiding his awe.
"I know." Ella offered Nico a cup of tea. "I've been observing you, Mr. Garcia. I must say, you're a very rude man."
Nico remembered that he made a snide comment about dressing an AI up earlier. He was amazed at the technological advancement Rosen has made. The AI was displaying true emotions.
"How is this possible?" muttered Nico. "I – I apologize, Ella."
Ella crossed her arms and closed her eyes. She nodded. "That's more like it. Anyway, the other participants have already entered Rosen Grande. I've held you up far longer than I should have."
"Before you leave, I suppose I can instruct you a little bit. After all, you're the underdog of underdogs."
"Your task is to create a kingdom in 52 years – it's the most difficult task Rosen has imposed for candidates in the VR program. Honestly, even I think this is impossible." She paused and appeared to think about what to say. "You can go about it any which way you want. You can be a hero, a rebel, a revolutionary, a mercenary or anything – really."
Nico nodded, considering his options. His inner child was screaming in delight. But he didn't show it. A hero would be nice.
"Wait – hero? Hero as in, fighting or slaying monsters, that kind of thing?" you
"Yes. Rosen Grande is at its very core, a game in development." Ella smiled. "It seems your interest have been piqued."
"Yes – I think I'd like to be a he – "
"Unfortunately, being the least qualified of all the participants, your inclusion in this program was outside calculated parameters. Therefore, you will be assigned an identity befitting your status – after all, you're being here is more like charity from someone at Rosen HQ."
Nico's stomach sunk. He chuckled. Why did he kid himself? What Ella and everyone said was true. Since he made it here by fluke, the people of Rosen wouldn't give this opportunity to someone like him easily.
"I understand." Nico replied somberly. "But I'm already here. Whether by fluke, chance or something else – I am a participant." His eyes burned with determination. He'd been put down by life so many times before but this time, he chose to face the challenges head on.
Ella smiled. What an interesting human, she thought.
She stood up and walked towards Nico. "Give me your hand."
Mesmerized by Ella's beauty, he willingly reached out to her without a second thought. Ella held Nico's hand and gave it a slight squeeze. Nico's hand began to feel warm. It glowed.
"But maybe, you just might make it." Whispered Ella. "I'm leaving you with a few simple gifts. Every participant – player is given one Rosen Skill except for you because of your circumstances. Life is unfair, but even if you're an underdog – you should be given at least a fighting chance."
Ella moved her face closer to Nico. Nico felt his face burn hot. This woman was truly beautiful. A kiss? Is that the gift? He closed his eyes.
The kiss didn't arrive – Ella whispered in his left ear. "Find people you can trust. That's the first step. And…tell no one of my gifts."
When Nico opened his eyes. He was standing alone in a vast open field. There were dandelions swaying along with the wind. The sun was shining brightly but it wasn't hot. A prompt appeared in front of him,
"WELCOME TO ROSEN GRANDE. Would you like to see your information?"
Nico nodded. Another window appeared. Within that screen were his details and vital information. Nothing much changed except he had an empty bar under what seemed to be his health bar. The empty bar was labeled "MP".
"Fantasy indeed. But why is it empty?"
He scrolled down and saw other information such as weight, height and measurements. He opened the tab that says "More information" and cursed.
It read:
Occupation: None
Identity: Unemployed Man
Technical Skills: Unknown
Rosen Skill: Cartographer (Gift) (Level 1)
"Cartographer?" He laughed a bit. This must be what Ella gifted him. "She must've read my files. I've studied Cartography in college. I dare say, I'm great at it. I am an explorer, too."
He selected the Skill and a map opened showing a grayscale version of his location. The map had a radius of 50 meters and brightened to expand every time he took a step towards any direction. The map had no detail. Remarkable features such as trees, large rocks and mountains appeared as simple geometrical shapes. Smaller features weren't even included.
"This map is horrible. Since its level 1, it should improve, right?"
Nico picked a direction and moved forward. After an hour of walking, he'd been alerted that his satiety levels were dropping. He was also feeling thirsty. He needed to find a freshwater source. After a few more hours of walking, as the sun was going down, he heard what seemed to be the sound of flowing water.
"At last!" a burst of strength surged within Nico's body. He somersaulted towards the river. At least, that's what he wanted to do in his mind. Nico was cautious, the river could be shallow, and it'd be a shame if he died and failed the test due to stupidity. He slowly approached the river and saw that it was clear. He put a foot forward and felt the cold-water flow against his skin. He marveled at how real everything felt. Each blade of grass had a texture you would expect. The cool water was as you would expect. The air smelled of grass and leaves.
After drinking his fill, he suddenly realized the dangers of drinking river – water. He was cautious about jumping in but not drinking. He kicked himself in his mind.
He rinsed. He'd never bathed butt naked outside before and felt awkward initially. But trusting that he was alone – he gave in to the comfort of being clean. After half an hour of swimming and collecting his thoughts. He decided to make a fire. Luckily, he'd attended camping classes in college. He had the necessary skills to make the most of what he was given. Checking his information once more, his satiety was the only problem. He needed to eat. The sun will set in an hour. He had to move fast. He noticed a small button on the lower left labeled "Storage".
Opening it, he was surprised to see 10 pieces of flint, an iron dagger, and some rope. The description all had the word "gift" written in small letters.
"Ella, from now on, you'll be my goddess!" Nico cried out in glee.