for once in my life...
"....., dinner's ready!!." A woman banging on your door
"Leave him be ... our son might as well dig himself a ditch cuz he's dead to me." A weary man says as he massaged his temples
"can't you see I'm worried he's shut himself in barely left his room the whole month." The woman retorted
"Even better I'd rather not see his mug." The man said wistfully
I want to win ....
Floating in a sea of darkness feeling cold and lonesome I look at the endless sea gazing into nothingness
"Hero of Etherea."
"We plead for you."
"That voice I recognize it."
croaking my head to the right and left i search for the origin of the warm voice.
"Lithea is that you."
I summoned whatever memory i could to remember her, the one voice that shone through the despair that my life had become.
"Yes it is I, Lithea the Ethereal Dragon."
The voice belonged to Ethereal a Draconic entity that belongs naught in the real world but in a game i've pioneered, fragments of my past life flash through my eyes. I recall my name, my family, my despair and Ethereal Fantasy Online my sole escape.
"How could this be, you belong in fiction."
The last thing I recall about her is having freed her from the thralls of the XIII and reaching the credit screens as I saved the realm from the Calamity.
"Fiction? , i can't quite place where you're getting at." Lithea replied dubiously
I imagine her cock her head sideways in confusion and the thought of it makes me chuckle more than anything having company in the void is a major boon for my haggered soul.
"Ofcourse you'd say that, a hallucination wouldn't admit however I'm aware that you aren't real."
To rephrase, Lithea is a game character from the newly released EFO MMO (Ethereal Fantasy Online.)
Lets retrack I've saved her from the XIII clutches reaching the credits after the end, receiving a congratulatory 1st to clear notification and a beta testing offer for the upcoming "Expansion"
I find it hard to believe that she exists before me the fact that I'm not dreaming is made to clear to me.
A myraid of hypotheses run through my mind, one such as grim as Death.
No way am I truly dead?
"I assure you I'm real, i have no time to elaborate but know this."
"Our world is in danger, the XIII have been resurrected and they wage a war against the realm."
"This is where you ask for my cooperation being the hero that saved you from the last calamity and such. Wait this is just like my anime!!."
"I don't understand what you're implying however your hypothesis is indeed sound."
"Hero of Etherea we beseech you...
save our world."
"..., pass me the ball." I urge my 'friend'
Everything including my future hinges on this game and for all its worth I was determined to win this game for my sake and my parents cheering for me on the stands.
"You can do it son!!." My father voice echoed overpowering the cheering crowd
"I'll make you your favorite meal, if you win!!." Said my mother she knows the way to my heart.
"...., here!!!." My 'friend' passed through defense and passed the ball as he dribbled.
The pass however was overly forced, I'm frantically chasing after the ball. With all my life if i can't break through the 2:1 and produce a goal we won't get our much sought after penalty kicks. I'm not letting my team down!!
I race after the ball frantically my stamina waning as I inhale and exhale my tired body just a little more!. Out pacing defense the goal is clear with only the goal keeper at sight rushing to intercept . I've come this close i won't lose not right now!!!
Suddenly i feel someone ahead of me , focusing my sight it was '....' my bully, in control of the ball.
"What are you doing, you're the midfielder!!!."
He says nothing rather he grinned at me a malicious smirk coveted his face and he shoots.
And we lost the game that will take me to new heights all my dreams and aspirations came crashing down and all I remembered was his grinning face.
"Why did you intercept the ball, we've almost won the championship and with it my !!!."
"Your sponsorship, that you practiced so hard for it?."
"Say, you know why I intercepted the ball?, thats not a question."
"Huh."
"I hate your guts thats why , I'd done everything in my power to push you over the edge , I stole your girlfriend your crush since childhood and made her mine, I smeared shit over your desk, I got the team in on making you handle chores and yet you persevered what kind of anime protagonist shit is this?." Said my bully sneering
"What are getting at?." I grit my teeth as I say
"That meant nothing to you ofcourse, after all you wish to please your struggling parents."
"you bastard!!!!." I've had it with him I know how much trouble i'd get in once i put my hands on him , still coming from an influential multi-millionaire family doesn't excuse him from my wrath. I tackle him to the ground and land 2 consecutive punches to his face my knuckles bleed from the force of hits however looking at his blooded face numbed some of the pain.
"Ahahaha, say that scholarship must have meant the world to you, and I took it from you it wasn't just me though. Our mutual friend '.....' helped me too."
"Y-you!!."
Still straddling my bully I stare at my friend or at least someone whom I'd thought was my friend in utter disbelieve.
"Why would you do this to me, I-I trusted you with my life and you threw it out the window just like that!!!."
"I'm sorry, he paid my college tuition and all i had to do is follow whatever request he had. I didn't I mean I meant to trip you up but it wasn't like I had any say in the matter. Y-you understand me right , I'd never been malicious towards you like the rest of the team he paid them too!!!." Looking at him making excuse after another makes me sick to my stomach.
"So all of you, were in on the bullying the past 3 years you were all doing his bidding and even you my best friend!!!."
My teammates lower their head at my tirade, whatever money he's paid them was surely enough to set them up for the rest of their lives. Just why would he glee at ruining my life like that?, I didn't deserve it .
"Hahahaha , thats what I was looking for the look of despair . I took what little drive you have in life and stepped on it. "
I land another five knuckles to his face only this time i hear a shutter sound coming from one of my teammates face. In that moment bully gathered his strength pushing me off his body.
I stammer to the floor when he stands up and looks down, somehow from his expression I knew my life was over in that instant.
"See you at court." He scoffed as he exited the locker room, my teammates and my 'friend' followed.
"Now that vivid dream was something else eh."
I say to myself trying my damnest best to forget what had occured , well i know I'm laying on a grassy field could be my backyard for all I know.
"Ahaha and these my hands, quite masculine."
Aa
Ok I'm shocked by how eerily my hands resemble my main character, i don't need a mirror to tell me that I'm Zephyr my EFO avatar.
"Of all my characters I had to main this edgelord."
Trying to recall what in the world conundrums got through my head when I made you 'Zephyr.' Will get me nowhere all I know I'd it be difficult to gain access to towns now that I'm a reincarnated Dragonkin, those black scales and the enormous horns do me no favor you should have gave me something to work with !!!.
"Looking at the bright side, I'm a big burly dragonkin none to mess with me from now on, not them and especially not him."
I say to none other than myself, trying to soothe myself.
"I got my twin lancers with me, thats reassuring well enough talking to myself like a madman."
I could really use some company.
Summarizing the fragments in my memory.
I begin to jot down a mental note.
Etheria is a realm divided by 3 nations, those being desert Sultanate of Ra'uul , the lush Dukedom of Oraia and the Icy Bloodhaven Empire.
"Each of the nations harbor one or 3 out of the 4 races."
Ra'uul the cosmopolitan desert oasis and the commerce capital for Etherea home to the biggest shipping port in the continent. A country of beastmen and men ruled by a mixed race dynasty since its inception.
The Humans the rulers of Bloodhaven on the furthest edge of the world a resourceless mountainous nation for what they lacked in resource they compensate in technology and warfare just like Oraia the nations core is that of racial hegemony that being humans over the 3 races.
The Elvens the rulers of Oraia an elitist nation built on Elven superiority favoring Elvens over Humans and the only nation not ruled by them.
Last by not least
The Dragonkin natives of Oraia or I should say were natives of Oraia before the war of the plains where 'we' lost our lands and population to the Elvens and to make matters worse 'we' rank the lowest in the hierarchical scheme of Oraia.
"Well at least I'm not in Bloodhaven."
I say to myself seeking solace.
For all this time pondering and wasting away i could have looked up what functions carried over from the game, this isn't a manga or a light novel ofcourse but a part of me is hoping to find the status screen.
" no such thing ofcourse, i got my silver armor and my twin lances. Thats about all i got not including 3 gold coins."
Alright time to set off.
I've traced the main road and began striding towards the Elfheim the Elven dwelling as they say, the road to the town is unremarkable at best Oraia is mainly riddled with small farming settlements their produce are sold and accepted wide and large throughout the realm. I'm not much of a village boy myself but even then i shudder at the thought of life without technology not that I'd rather be in Bloodhaven things could end up much worse for a non-human such as Zephyr.
Trudding down the road eventually leads me to the gates of Elfheim the only urban settlement this Godforsaken country has.
"HALT FOREIGNER!!."
"State your business"
A voice reverberates ringing in my head, in pure nuisance. 'Always full of themselves, This is why I hate Elvens.' I say to myself ofcourse.
"I'm an adventurer and I go by the name of Zephyr."
"Zephyr? Etherea's hero?."
"Yes and what of it."
"Look her Lizardboy, Zephyr have been missing ever since he faced the 13."
"Oh Gilford , what's holding you up."
"Natenial this lizardboy claims to be Zephyr."
"Ahahaha, if he's Zephyr that makes me the Elven Queen."
"Ahahaha, y-you're killing me Natenial."
incredulous laughter echoes throughout my mind, bringing memories I'd otherwise wish forgotten. I'm finally somewhere I can make something of and live out my life however I wish, and if you think I'd let some pointy ears pull a fast one on me then...
ohoho you're sourly mistaken pal.
Mana gradually envelops my body as if answering my call, I unsheath one of my spears and imagine flame engulfing it whole. Fire spreads from my arm , shooting up towards my spears tip.
"Wh-."
The guards looked at the spectacle stupified and I make no effort to give them any leeway as I unleash an explosion from my thrusted spear sending the guards flying along with the gate and parts of the wall.
"I'm not taking shit from no one, especially NPCs."
To be continued.