~~~(POV: Justin Xander)~~~
~~~(Location: Gaming Pod, Initial Loading Space)~~~
~~~(Day, Date, Time: Friday, April 12th, 8:00 AM PST)~~~
~~~(Age: 19)~~~
[Initializing...]
[Initializing...]
The dark space I'm floating within disappears with a flash of bright light. As my vision clears, I look around and see I'm above some clouds. The world of AG is below me, waiting.
[Welcome to Aeternitatem Genesis, Justin.]
A black system screen appears before me as the initialization process has ended. With gaming pods, you can customize the appearance of a system screen. I've taken the classic, but always functional, night mode.
[What you'll find in the world that awaits you will bring you memories that'll last a lifetime. Just remember this: the inhabitants of this world are alive and breathing just like you.]
It's amazing how much I've missed this, despite only being around two days since I got off the last VRMMORPG I played. In virtual reality, you can be whoever you want to be. Do things however you want.
[Your player character will match your Earthly appearance 1 for 1. There are certain objects, magics, clothes, etc., in the game that can temporarily or permanently alter how you look.]
[Normally, this is where you'll get an explanation of how your stats or system operate. We're not spoon-feeding you. Figure out all this on your own. Every player will struggle; you're not alone.]
I'll admit, it's pretty damn refreshing not being info dumped at the start of the game before even loading in. Everything stays a mystery. For now.
[The only function you have to know about is the penalties of death.]
I can already see where this is going. Not that it's an unfamiliar feature inside modern VRMMORPGs.
[You'll lose one entire player level, and all skills that can be leveled will also lose one level.]
Geez!
That second half wasn't something I was expecting. Usually, it's only a player level, but losing skill levels, too. That's brutal. It takes way longer to level a skill than it does to level your player level. My heart is already pumping.
[Now that we've reached the end of the introduction, it's time to choose your player ID. What the players and inhabitants of Aeternitatem Genesis will see.]
I've always gone by a different name for each game I've played over the years. No reason to do anything different now.
[You've got two choices.]
Um, what?
[You can choose your own player ID, or you can let me assign one. Every player has this option, and if you choose the second option. You'll gain one consumable EXP boost to use at any time.]
Now, this is strange.
I've never seen a game offer such a thing. An EXP boost, huh... The problem is, I don't know if that's rare or not in AG. If I choose the first option, I could lose out on something that'll set me back against other players.
I suppose there is only one way to find out.
"Second option. Give me a name."
I'm really hoping it's not something stupid. The last thing I want is some crappy name that the game assigns me because I got greedy for an EXP boost.
[Thank you. Your EXP boost will be in your player inventory when you spawn in. Here's a little hint: don't fight other players or NPCs in safe zones. The guards will wreck you.]
I can't help the laugh from escaping as I read the system message. The AI running the show here has a sense of humor, or maybe it's oblivious. Either way, it's a nice change.
[Good luck in your journeys...]
[Zaediel.]
In the span of a second, an overwhelming light takes over. It's warm and encompasses me completely. It's a familiar feeling. It's the sensation you get when you're loading into the world of a VRMMORPG.
After a moment, I feel my player avatar load into the game. It takes a little to settle into the new body; I take a breath to help center myself.
Before opening my eyes, I feel a breeze of air blow toward me...
*PPHHRRRFFF*
And I'm hit with a wretched smell.
*HEEHAAAWW*
Wow, being south of a northbound donkey is the worst!
"YOU'RE IN THE WAY!!"
"MOVE IT, JACKASS!!!"
It's ruined. Totally and completely ruined.
I open my eyes and look at the environment I'm in. The first place I've spawned seems to be a small town; it's got plenty of people. So I can't say for sure if it's small, that's just a guess.
Moving aside so the carts can keep moving is my first goal. And after doing that, the donkey looks back at me as it walks. Giving me a rather smug face as it does.
A long sigh instantly finds its way out of me.
I look around and see dim flashes of light right before players appear. As they do, I can see that most of them have also chosen to go with the second option of allowing the system to give them a player ID.
"God damn it! I knew I should've just named myself! What kind of ID is Wrinkle!!?"
A young man getting the name Wrinkle... That's rough...
"Ahhh!!! I'm a Karen! I'm a fucking Karen! What the fuck is wrong with the system!?!"
I thought all women eventually turned into Karens... Why not start early...
The lightly humorous thoughts going through my head force me to hold back the smile that's trying to appear. Taking a moment to compose myself, I open the player interface. Taking a look at what it looks like.
---[Player Information]---
[Zaediel] [Lvl. 1] [Player Lvl EXP: 0/1000]
[HP: 100/100] [STM: 100/100] [MP: 100/100]
[HP = STR x 10] [STM = END x 10] [MP = INT x 10]
[Class: N/A] [Nobility: N/A]
[Tier: 0]
[Stat Points: 0]
---[Stats]---
[STR: 10] [PER: 10] [END: 10] [CHA: 10] [INT: 10] [AGI: 10] [LUK: 10]
---[Hidden Stats]---
[Yet to be discovered]
---[Physical Skills]---
[One-Handed Slash (Common) (1/10) (0/100)] [Thrust (Common) (1/10) (0/100)]
---[Magic Skills]---
[Yet to be discovered]
---[Passive Skills]---
[Yet to be discovered]
As I take in the information about my current power, a single thought is present in my mind. That thought is also going through every player's mind. All of us think in similar ways when looking at our information. Seeing this, it can only be one thought.
I'm squishy as fuck.
"Well, at least my name fits a fantasy world..."
I'm not bummed about my stats or name. It's the realization that a serious grind is ahead for everyone, which also makes me happy. We're all starting on the same playing field. No one is ahead due to money.
My eyes dance across the player interface, and I see three other tabs. One is an inventory tab, another is a friends tab, and the last is a quests tab. There is no need for me to inspect those since I already know what I'll find.
One item is in my inventory; no one is on my friend's list or any quests in my quest tab.
I go back to my player information and go over it again. I'm glad it tells me how health, stamina, and magic are all calculated. I can also see there are tiers in this game. It's tracked in the player interface, and that says enough.
I don't know when tiers start coming into play. But they exist. This means there are extremely powerful enemies in AG.
Nobility is also something that's tracked, but how will be a mystery to me for a while. All of us are starting out classless. Yet, we still have skills revolving around bladed weapons. This could be a small clue.
You can use skills that don't come from or align with a specific class. The best way I can put it is general use skills.
Skills have a rarity grade as well. Both the starting skills are Common in grade. The system wasn't joking about not spoon-feeding us players.
There are no clues or indications of how any advanced mechanics work. You don't even know how many grades there are in the rarity rankings.
"This is awesome."
I love it when a game doesn't hold your hand and forces you to learn how the vast majority of things work.
My attention is taken by some commotion being made by some players, and my player interface closes. But something stops me in my tracks. Something that I notice is only happening to me since no one else is getting the same message.
[A Power Within You Stirs Awake.]
I can't help looking at the message with confusion. I don't have a clue what's happening.
[You've Received A New Quest!]
Instead of a quest appearing in front of me like I'm used to from my time in other VRMMORPGs. A little light is next to the quests tab on the now-open player interface. In my infinite curiosity about what's happening, I click on the tab and start reading.
---[Quest: Last Descendant]---
[Difficulty: ???] [Grade: Mythical]
[Recommended Level: ???]
[Player Level EXP Reward: 1000]
[Rewards: ???]
[Step 1: Find the waters that stand still...]
[More steps will be revealed upon completion of Step 1.]
If a big question mark could appear over my head about my confusion right now, it would. What catches my attention is a single word.
Mythical.
I don't know what grade that is on the rarity rankings, but I'm interested in finding out. Looks like I've got my first quest.
Now, what the fuck does 'find the waters that stand still' mean...