"Am I still in a game?" Ethan couldn't help but ponder, reflecting on everything that had transpired since his arrival. His neon eyes fixated on his grimy hands, while a gentle breeze tousled his jet-black hair.
"When did things truly become this real?" Ethan mumbled, attempting to recollect if he had overlooked any crucial details. He questioned whether the unexpected shift occurred with that peculiar system glitch message or if the game had possessed an air of authenticity from the very beginning.
The immersive nature of the game had already been quite remarkable prior to his character creation. Ethan found the process chaotic as he turned around, surveying his surroundings. Just a few metres away, a lifeless wolf lay motionless, alongside the woman he had narrowly saved.
"Are they real too?" Ethan murmured, contemplating the enigma before him. He observed the serene rise and fall of the woman's breath, contemplating whether she was a genuine human or an NPC.
"Perhaps another beta tester?" Ethan speculated, examining the earthly attire adorning the woman. It bore a resemblance to clothes worn on Earth, leading him to conclude that she was, in fact, another player.
Lost in his thoughts, Ethan yearned to unravel the truth, uncertain of what to believe anymore. Ultimately, he reached a profound realisation that, regardless of whether it was a game or reality, the distinction mattered little. Time would reveal the truth as long as he remained alive.
While the situation demanded contemplation, it should not hinder his progress. Recalling the wisdom of his dojo master, Ethan understood that "Thinking is the seed of knowledge, but action is the water that nourishes it."
Right now, dwelling on matters he lacked knowledge about would yield little benefit for Ethan. He resolved to take action in response to the present events and whatever lay ahead.
"Whether this is a game or reality, the primary objective remains unchanged: to live," Ethan declared. "I've never played a game with the intention of dying but rather to endure challenges. And who knows, if this is reality, it might not be so bad after all," he muttered, a peculiar smile creeping across his face as a curious sense of excitement began to stir within him.
"Get your head in the game, Ethan! It's not the time for distractions, but to consider how to proceed," Ethan reminded himself, shaking off the slightly dangerous thoughts that had intruded his mind. He shifted his gaze back to his surroundings.
Everything remained as it had been before. The bodies that littered the ground remained untouched. The only peculiar detail Ethan noticed was the disappearance of the hut he had emerged from upon hearing the woman's cries. His heart skipped a beat at the sight, but he managed to regain his composure.
Aside from that, he observed the sword he had used to slay the wolf and a shattered potion bottle. "At least those seem game-like," Ethan muttered, intrigued to see if the world he inhabited had more game-like elements.
The woman he had rescued demonstrated her familiarity with the game mechanics by accessing her inventory and retrieving a health potion. This confirmed her identity as a player or, in this case, a potential former beta tester.
Ethan, too, was a player. To test this theory, he mentally called out "Status." To his surprise, yet also in line with his expectations, a blue panel materialised before him. Throughout the entire process, ever since he began suspecting that this world was more than it seemed, Ethan had maintained his guard.
The presence of the woman beside him served as a constant reminder of the potential dangers that awaited him if he let his guard down. He remained in this environment to rest and, furthermore, to question the woman he had saved when she awakens.
As Ethan delved into the panel that had materialised, he remained vigilant of his surroundings, keeping a watchful eye on any potential threats.
---------
Status Name: -Aurora-
Level: -1-
Class: -Mage-
Experience: -4-/-100-
Attribute Stats:
- Strength: -13-
- Agility: -14-
- Intelligence: -17-
- Constitution: -11-
Attribute Values: Strength: 1.3, Agility: 1.4, Intelligence: 1.7, Constitution: 1.1
Attribute Points: -0-
- Coins: -0-
- Active Quests:
- [Survive the tutorial grounds]
- Inventory:
- [Level 1 Low Common Grade Staff]
- [Level 1 Low Uncommon Grade Health Potion x1]
- [Level 1 Low Uncommon Grade Mana Potion x1]
- Skills:
- [Analyse]
- [Loot]
- [Level 0 Mana Ball]
- [Level 0 Mana Missiles]
- Abilities:
- Friend Status:
- Friendling List-
- Map:
----------
System Notification:
- [You have slain a {Normal Grade}Level 1 Forest Wolf]
- [4 Exp Gained]
-----------
"At least, it looks similar to the one in the forum except there's no log out option. Not a good sign for me right now." Ethan muttered after accessing the panel.
As he glanced at the top of his status panel, he found his name, level, and class displayed. Directly below that, he noticed his experience bar, which was already filled with 4 points. Ethan didn't need to ponder much about the source of that 4 Exp; they came from defeating the dead wolf.
Moving down the panel, he examined his attribute stats. The first stat presented was strength. In Eternia, like in most games, strength represents a character's physical power and muscle strength. It determined the damage potential of melee attacks, carrying capacity, and overall physical prowess.
A higher strength stat indicated greater combat effectiveness in close-range situations, making it crucial for warriors and fighters. Ethan knew how important this stat would have been if he had chosen the warrior class.
Beneath the strength stat, he noticed the agility stat. In typical gaming fashion, agility denoted a character's speed, reflexes, and dexterity. It influenced various aspects of gameplay related to nimbleness and finesse.
A higher agility stat provided enhanced agility, allowing characters to evade attacks, execute aerobatic manoeuvres, and swiftly react to their environment. It also contributed to increased movement speed and agility-based skills. Ethan realised the significance of this stat had he opted for the rogue class.
Continuing his examination, Ethan's focus shifted to the intelligence stat, which held immense importance for him as a mage. Unlike the other two stats, intelligence directly affected his magical prowess and mana manipulation abilities.
A higher intelligence stat bestowed several advantages, such as increased spellcasting abilities, enabling the learning and casting of more potent spells. Additionally, characters with high intelligence possessed a larger mana pool, facilitating the channelling and storage of greater amounts of magical energy. They exhibited greater efficiency in replenishing their mana reserves and could recover mana more rapidly during battles or rest. Ethan acknowledged that his emphasis on the intelligence stat was well-founded.
"It's my highest stat as well," Ethan muttered, recognizing that this was a direct consequence of his choice to become a mage.
Although the base stat for most players was set at 10, Ethan knew that in virtual reality games, the rules were not set in stone. In popular high-end games, players with good physical attributes in the real world gained an advantage in the early stages because their real-world physique influenced their in-game attributes when scanned by a VR pod.
Considering Ethan's significantly higher intelligence stat, nearly twice that of an average human, he deduced that his initial stats were a reflection of his own personal capabilities if one did not include the intelligence stat.
In any case, whether through personal strength or given circumstances, Ethan found himself gradually ceasing to treat this world as a mere game. His focus intensified as a result.
Following the first three stats, the fourth and final stat appeared on the panel: the constitution stat. In most games, constitution represents a character's physical resilience, endurance, and overall health. It serves as a measure of vitality, stamina, and the ability to withstand physical stress and damage.
Constitution is an essential attribute for all classes, as it directly influences a character's survivability and durability in combat. For melee classes like warriors, knights, or barbarians, who engage in close combat and face direct physical threats, a higher constitution stat provides increased health, making them more resistant to damage and able to endure prolonged battles.
Even ranged classes like archers, hunters, or gunners, who primarily prioritise agility, still benefit from constitution. While their focus lies in long-range combat, a decent constitution stat ensures they have a healthy pool of HP, offering some protection against melee attacks or unexpected close-quarters combat situations.
Spellcasters like mages, wizards, or sorcerers, who rely heavily on intelligence and mana, also benefit from constitution. Spellcasting requires concentration and the channelling of magical energy, which can be physically draining. A higher constitution stat improves their stamina, allowing them to cast spells over extended periods without succumbing to exhaustion. It also provides additional HP to withstand potential damage from enemy attacks.
Support classes, such as healers or buffers, may not be on the front lines of combat, but they still require constitution. They need to survive and endure to provide crucial assistance to their allies. A moderate constitution stat ensures they have enough HP to sustain themselves and continue supporting their team.
In summary, the constitution stat is important for all classes because it enhances a character's survivability, endurance, and overall health. Ethan understood the significance of this stat and also knew he needed to prioritise it after intelligence. No stat was useless, and as a seasoned gamer, Ethan was well aware of this fact.
The attribute value served as an easy-to-understand representation of the numerical value for the stats. Its main use was for allocating attribute points. In this game, 1 attribute point translated to a +5 increase in the corresponding stat. If Ethan were to allocate an attribute point to his constitution attribute value, it would become 1.6, which equated to a value of 16 in the constitution stat.
Typically, attribute points were awarded to players after each level-up. However, Ethan was uncertain if the game he was currently playing would follow the same rule of granting 5 attribute points per level up, as mentioned in Eternia's forum.
Coins were self-explanatory as they represented the in-game currency. However, Ethan pondered how they would function in his current situation. "It's not like I even have a coin to spend or a shop to spend it in," Ethan clicked his tongue, dismissing the matter from his mind.
After the coin tab, the active quest tab followed, displaying only one quest at the moment—the quest he received seconds before the scream. It was the quest to survive for three days in the tutorial ground.
"Survive, huh?"
"I can see what it means now," Ethan muttered as he turned to look at the woman beside him and added in a whisper, "Easier said than done though."