After being gulped down into virtual hell and burped out into full body pain, Evander came to the conclusion that reality has become a lie. Even going as far as to curse every name that came to his mind - never mind that most of the names he thought of were thought up.
Evander sighs and relieves his back from the nettles by standing up carefully. Although he did try to not stand on anything more than dirt and pebbles with his bare feet, he got poked and impaled by thorns, sharp leaves and broken off pieces of pinecones. He ouch youches his way out of the wild brush and onto more safe pathing that wasn't too far away from where he had landed. So the game did do it on purpose. You had it coming, you damned virus.
Evander lifts each foot, teetering his body like a fool, and picks off the villainous ouchies from his feet with his fingers. He finishes and stands fully on both dirty feet now. Wanting to take a breath in of the game's air would've been the very least allowed to him, but even that gets caught in his throat upon seeing his surroundings. If this is indeed that game, then why is he in front of a cabin in the forest? A strange stench of old and luke-warm water enters his sense of smell, causing Evander to pull a displeased face with the corners of his mouth down turning and chin crinkling.
What is this place? Evander hadn't ever seen a cabin in any of the forests in the game. No human being lived in the forests because all the forests were crawling with oddly cartoony creatures that would insta-kill you if you weren't a high enough level. Beginners had no chance against these later game monsters. Well, you only had to interact with one or two monsters that were NPCs for the main story, so actually entering the forests was unnecessary. The king of wizard hounds; Nictor V Ruff, and the vampire count which you had to either kill or befriend depending on which ending of the main story you wanted. The bad ending would be that you befriend both which led to them getting mind controlled by the demons and killing your allies. While the good ending is only befriending the king of the wizard hounds, since there is a character later in game related to the main story that leads to the king retiring. Therefore, she wouldn't get mind controlled.
Should Evander have to care for the story of this game? Yes. Answer: to avoid the bad end and the good end. He doesn't want to be involved with any of these NPCs or even any monsters. Evander would very gladly … very kindly … plea- angerly cuss out this game to let him out and burn itself forever!
The game panel digitalises itself in front of Evander after disappearing earlier without a text.
[HELLO GAMER {Sir Evander Hale}!]
[Welcome to the {Forest of Vampires}. Your character begins his story at the forest cabin that was given to you as a vacation spot from your uncle {Sir Thomo Casside}. How kind!]
Not long after the first two panels popped up, another spits itself into existence;
[SURVIVE FIVE DAYS ON VACATION
Objective: survive 5 days inside the cabin-
Your uncle, Sir Thomo Hale, was kind enough to let his adopted nephew stay in one of their happy cabins in the Forest of Vampires. However, the vampires in this place aren't too happy with your presence in their territory. Be careful and board yourself in for these five nights, sir Evander!
System tips for beginner class: Be weary of what you own and keep it safe, even your own blood.
Rewards upon completion of objective:
Vial of vampire blood (i)
500 silver coins (i)
Adventuring or Surviving Backpack (i)
Days survived: 0/5]
Evander stares at this panel for some time. Maybe even the wind is more active than Evander's thoughts. With a blank face, he falls on habits of gaming and clicks on the (i) for inspect next to each of the rewards shown. Three panels open up;
[VIAL OF VAMPIRE BLOOD
???
Dear gamer, please gain information of this object to fill in the inspect panel.]
[CURRENCY IN NO MAN'S LAND ULTIMATE
1 bronze coin is equal to a moldy bread
1 silver coin is equal to a worn metal sword
1 gold coin is equal to a necklace with a common gem embedded
1 note is equal to a rental carriage
500 silver coins could get you a lot of common to good objects!
You need 1 000 bronze coins to equal 1 silver coin and so forth …]
[SPECIALISED BACKBACKS
These backpacks come with special supplies depending on the backpack received, and a set personality point (i)
Adventuring Backpack gives you; a common sword (i), empty waterskin (i), a sturdy backpack (i), common climbing stake (i), hard rope (i), surprise personality trait (i)
Surviving Backpack gives you; a broken sword (i), empty waterskin (i), a sturdy backpack (i), common dagger (i), used filter spout (i), surprise personality trait (i)]
Evander sucks air in between his lips, causing his lips themselves to become sucked in. He looks very strange doing this. He doesn't want to know more but his finger strays to click on the surprise personality trait. But his finger accidentally hits the empty waterskin and a new panel pops up. A LOUD JINGLE BEGINS AND AN AD STARTS TO EXPLAIN ABOUT- Evander quickly swipes his arms out at the panel, hugging the air in a frenzy, which blips the panel away. The forest is now quiet once again.
He tries it again, but clicks on the spot of 'set personality trait' instead. The panel instantly opens its pale blueness to him;
[PERSONALITY TRAITS
Just like skill points, you get personality points. You can add these points to the personality tab in your {Gamer Profile}. These points instantly change the gamer's personality and are quite rare to find in the game. Be careful with them!
System notification: The gamer can only add personality points once they have leveled up to lvl 50 (i) But they can still be gifted to others.
However, set personality points automatically assign themselves to the personality traits and cannot be unassigned.]
"… You've gone too far game. Being this violent a virus- Changing a person … would make sense," Evander slowly ponders out loud.
It's not the first time he'd heard of transmigration stories changing characters' personalities because of stupidly overpowered skills at the beginning and middle of the story adventures. Evander just didn't think a game would come out and implement it right in honest sight. This virus has some huge ass balls and without a pretty personality itself. It's not even to the point that it would count as refreshing honesty, it's more damning. A big fuck you and your plans. Change or die. A big weight upon your shoulders of damnation. Damned damnity in damnville.
Evander suddenly claps his hands together and bends over, prostrating himself before the grey sky above, shouting, "Dear virus! I hope your huge balls pop and you burn even under water and without oxygen!" He straightens his back and fells his spine backwards this time with his hands into fists at his sides to continue his outrage, "Bring me back to my world!"
A notification sound pings and a panel shoots open above his face;
[{Set personality point} has been given to {Sir Evander Hale} who has shown great perseverance in insulting the game. Please open your {Gamer Profile} to view changes.]
Evander's lips form a straight line as he is unamused.
[GAMER PROFILE
EVANDER HALE
Lvl: 1
HP: 200/200
MP: 10/10
Job: None
Title: Adopted young lord of the Casside household(i)
Effects: Whispers about your family's deaths (+20 pity from city people(i))
On a vacation (+5 relaxation(i))
(i)STR: 10 (i)ATK: 10
(i)AGI: 10 (i)DEF: 10
(i)VIT: 10 (i)CRT: 10
(i)INT: 10 (i)SPD: 10
Stat points remaining: 0
(i)Analytical: 0 (i)Multitasker: 0
(i)Cautious: 0 (i)Perceptive: 0
(i)Curious: 0 (i)Performer: 0
(i)Creative: 0 (i)Sensitive: 0 +1
(i)Ignorant: 0 (i)Wise: 0
Personality points remaining: 0]
[SENSITIVE PERSONALITY
You are more likely to burst from overwhelming emotions and are very sympathetic to other people.]
Evander wishes at this very moment to gain some overpowered abilities just to slap this god acting game across their face hard. This will make him the happiest as his sensitive self. Evander takes a deep breath to calm down and tries to channel his relaxation effect. His eyesight floats towards the cabin in front of him, then down to his bare feet. He makes the decision, although reluctant to play along with the game, to enter the cabin and at least find more of and warmer clothes. The most would be to board up every inch of the cabin for protection purposes.
He steps up the wild path to the cabin's large wooden porch steps and tries the door handle to see if it is unlocked. The structure is huge, as expected of a lord's purse. It seemed neither new or old. Used and perhaps left alone for a few months. Evander hopes the rotten water smell isn't coming from the well of this place, he wants so badly for it not to be this case. The wood of the cabin is dark grey to match with its surroundings, as though to disguise it. However, the place still manages to irritate the locals anyway. The windows are covered in metal bars on the outside and even the door had a security gate before it. There is a chimney and Evander hopes that that too is stopped with bars.
It is then that Evander hears some distant noises in the trees behind him that made him quicken his actions. He turns around but sees nothing in the tree line, but still feels like he's being watched. He turns around again and agrees with his fears to immediately start setting up safety measures in the cabin.
Evander bypasses the already open gate and easily twists the doorknob. He quickly enters then tries to close the gate but realizes it needs a key to lock it. At least there is still a thick latch able to keep it closed for now. He puts the latch then closes the heavy door behind him, also finding a few locks he can lock but some needing a key too. He turns and analyses the innards of the cabin quickly, looking for other doors or openings that need attention. Should he survive for five days, he needs to be extra vigilant and think of everything before the bad happens. Death is not a pleasant achievement Evander wants.
The cabin has a mostly open plan bottom floor. Kitchen along the left side and a living room to the right. A sitting room/study further back in the cabin that is dropped down a step and then a staircase going up in front of it to the second floor. There are more windows in the kitchen than the living room but none in the study room, which is a relief. Only one other door exists and that belongs to the kitchen. Evander checks the windows, and they all have bars too. Upon checking them, he finds that the windows slide open rather than swinging open because of the bars on the outside of them. He checks the kitchen door and finds it locked and with its latch done. He swipes his gaze over the surfaces of the bottom floor and can't seem to find any keys, so he hopes they are either in something or upstairs.
He races upstairs which curve in towards the cabin's centre, stomping up the steps and peers above the top step to see a small nook to the right of him and two doors in front. The nook is a seat by a large window that faces out towards the back garden. The same area that the kitchen door exits out to. He ignores the garden for now and opens both the doors at the same time as they are quite close together. One is a large bedroom, and the other is a bathroom with a glorious toilet and tub. Thank goodness for indoor plumbing. The rooms have windows, and they too have the bars on them.
Evander now searches the bedroom and bathroom for keys. He opens the seemingly handcrafted bedside tables and matching dresser, tossing clothes and odd bits of stationary aside. But still, he couldn't find the keys. Evander starts to feel a rush of something cold up his spine and throughout his limbs, possibly feeling that extra sensitivity point. He races back downstairs and starts searching the drawers and cupboards in all the rooms. He's made the place a mess at this point and promises to clean it all up later when he is more secure. He tries to think of all places keys could be. On a hook? In a bowel? In a clothes pocket? Under a mat? Evander checks all the places but still doesn't find it.
He drops his butt down on the nook seating upstairs after checking all the clothes pockets. He drops his forehead against the cold glass, trying to hold himself together. The glass wobbles slightly but doesn't give much. His eyes train to the glass frame and sees that the glass is thick and perhaps mixed with a sturdier material than normal glass.
Evander looks down at his hands in thought now. This house has been built this way knowing exactly that the locals would hate it. Evander's game uncle knew the dangers yet still sent his nephew out on a 'vacation' here. What kind of situation is this? Even that status effect of the city people's pity is odd. What is the story behind this family's death that such a high point effect was gained? It's all very suspicious, but Evander can't really ask since the only living organisms around him that he can talk to will try to kill him.
He knocks his knuckles against the glass, feeling its strength. His eyes look outside of it at the garden and sees something strange. A gnome with a bright red hat sits on the white painted table there on the grass. It is a fake ceramic statue of a gnome. Its appearance in this wilderness is strange enough because it is an object mostly seen in well groomed urban gardens, yet it is here. But in its hands … the keys! The thing smiles at Evander almost creepily between its white beard and moustache.
Evander jumps up from the nook, speeding to the front door so fast that his bare feet almost trip him up in his pursuit. He exits the front door and gate, then runs off the porch and around the cabin. He gives a small leap to halt his speed and springs up to the gnome.
Reaching out his left hand to grasp the keys, a blade seems to fall across his outstretched wrist.