When the introduction screen disappeared, a glowing golden ball appeared before Edward. He stared at it for a moment, confused, as he watched the ball change shape. It grew longer in height and a little wider in shape. After a moment, Edward saw what appeared to be the form of an old man— though his clothes and skin were covered in the shimmering golden light.
"Ugh, I always hate this feeling," The old man spoke. His voice was weak and frail, but his tone was full of confidence and mild amusement. The old man looked away from the water, his eyes quickly finding Edward's. Edward wasn't sure how he knew the old man's eyes were focused on him— as he couldn't see the man's features through the thick blanket of light surrounding him— but there was a deep, innate feeling that told him so. He assumed the game was messing with his mind for that to happen.
'Which means the game can cause hallucinations and mental effects,' Edward quickly realized. A grin formed on his face, 'Neat.'
"Hello, young man. My name is Maester Theodore," The old man spoke. He was smiling, though Edward couldn't see a physical smile. He just knew.
"Edward Colt," Edward replied. He already knew it was pointless to hide his real name, considering his username reflected it without his permission, 'Might as well run with it.' He thought to himself. Maester Theodore nodded.
"I'm aware, Mr. Colt," Maester Theodore spoke. Edward's eyes widened in surprise.
'An advanced AI? This is great!' Edward smiled as his thoughts ran rampant.
"I have been tasked with guiding you through your journey from your world to mine. I will ask any questions you have and point you in the right direction. You need only ask," Maester Theodore said. Edward nodded, finally glad to have a chance to satiate his curiosity.
"I tried to find information about this g- Avalon, but I couldn't find anything," Edward began. He nearly stumbled with his words halfway through but quickly caught himself. Advanced AI had been used in a game once before- so he knew how to deal with an especially intelligent NPC. He also knew one must never mention the existence of the game's origin, or the NPC might end up going mad. How was one supposed to react when told their entire existence was controlled in a simulation?
"Ah, what questions do you have?"
"How do I get classes? How do I gain strength? Stuff like that," Edward answered, "I heard Avalon had magic, but I couldn't find any information about how to learn it. I was hoping you could tell me."
"Ha! I see. It's very simple. Your answer lies in the existence of an Origin," Maester Theodore snapped his fingers. Instantly, nearly thirty hovering orbs of color appeared in the space around Edward. Each was a different color, but all were around the size of a baseball, "These are Origins. Think of them like the second beating heart of a person. If you wish for power, you'll find it inside an Origin. With some Origins, you'll gain the strength of ten men or expertise with a dagger and poison. With other Origins, you can force flames to move under your control or freeze water with the snap of your fingers."
'So they're like special batteries? I suppose they function similarly to a class,' Edward thought. Then, a question surfaced in his mind.
"Why are they all different colors? There are so many!" Edward asked.
"They're all different types. With a deeper color, your connection to that side of the spectrum you'll approach. A red Origin will give you power over your strength. You'll find yourself capable of wielding weapons once too heavy for you. An orange Origin will give you knowledge about a craft or skill. Purple will grant knowledge of magic and the arcane arts. Green will grant you a connection with divinity, should you wish to spread a god's truth. White and Black are two sides of the same coin, so they'll grant you similar powers. White will amplify the power of another person while Black will take it away."
'Hmm,' Edward wondered to himself, 'Which one should I choose, then?'
In games, Edward usually chose a class involved with magic. Although, that was when he played on a console nearly five years prior. This new game's requirement to physically move would possibly become a detriment to most gamers, so Edward wasn't sure if he should change his tactic and approach a new one.
However, as he looked at the hundreds of differently colored orbs, he realized he couldn't find any that stood out to him. He quickly realized why. Edward turned back to Theodore and spoke.
"Why aren't there bigger ones? Or smaller ones?" Edward asked.
"The size of an Origin indicates its classification. These are all 'Profession' Origins, which will grant you expertise over weapons or knowledge, as well as a minor boost to your physical capabilities," Theodore answered, "There are two other classifications, but I cannot randomly give them to you."
"Why?" Edward asked. Before Theodore answered, though, he already had his answer.
"Because they are too powerful. If I allowed a stronger Origin, even only one of them, all of you would choose it, wouldn't you?" As Theodore spoke, Edward agreed with the old man's explanation. He knew that gamers were inherently greedy people who often obsess with the strongest 'meta' in games. It was one of the parts Edward hated about the gaming community, "The other two classifications will directly affect more of your body. The next one, called Kinetics, will allow you to directly control an element without needing to expend energy or use tools. You'll become one with that element, even in the physical state. The strongest classification is the Blood classification, some of which can change your form entirely."
"They sound strong," Edward said absentmindedly, "How do I get them?"
"You'll have to find them yourself in the world of Avalon, Edward," Theodore answered, "But you must not consume an Origin until you do. You'll ruin your chances of properly adjusting to a Kinetic or a Blood Origin if your body is already tainted with a weaker classification."
"How rare are they?" Edward asked. He didn't like the idea of missing out on an Origin at the very beginning of the game, but the thought of having the ability to change his race directly enticed him. What could he change it to? An elf? A dwarf? Each option was exciting to him.
"Hmm. Origins generally grow in places with high concentrations of mana. The bottom of dungeons, the top of mage towers, and even the center of a monster's heart are all likely places to find one. Although, if I had to say where you're most likely to stumble on an Origin like that, you'd have to explore dungeons," Theodore said. Edward nodded as he sighed in disappointment. He seemed unlikely to find an Origin to his liking, but he assumed the game developers would fix that in time.
He turned to the list of Origins already prepared for him, but he was still completely unsure of which one to choose. A purple Origin would lead him to have magical abilities, so he assumed one of a deep purple would be a good choice for him to begin with.
"Is it to consume a stronger Origin? To you, I mean," Theodore asked. Edward had already raised his fingers to grasp an origin before him, but he froze when he heard Theodore speak. He turned to the old man, curious, "I may not be allowed to hand one to you now, but I can set you on the path to gain one yourself. Though it will be a daunting task."
"What do you mean?" Edward asked. For a moment, the flame of hope ignited within his soul. He listened closely to Maester Theodore's explanation.
"As my duties allow, I can choose any location in Avalon to send you to once our conversations have concluded. This duty is present in all Maesters of my rank, but it's usually used to transport otherworlders such as yourself deep into safe cities. That way, you could gain strength at a slow— but safe— rate. That kind of location is the most popular, but it's not required," Maester Theodore explained, "Technically, though, I could send you anywhere I wanted. Should you wish, I could send you directly into the heart of a dungeon. I could even go as far as to locate the Origin for you and send you directly to its location. Whether you survive the journey will be up to you, however."