Crickets chirped in the silence of the night, leaping from branch to branch while echoing their mating songs. The moon cast its glow upon the Earth, crafting a chilly ambiance that graced the night.
Stab.
A piercing scream shattered the ambiance of the night, prompting birds to scatter from their perches, filling the air with caws as they fled their leafy homes.
In his former life on Earth, Daniel had been a top gamer, clinching the tenth spot in the all-time rankings for Vancrest Online and securing a third-place trophy in a prestigious tournament for the same game. However, in VISIDIA, he found himself sprinting through the woods, pursued by an unseen threat.
An arrow had pierced his leg earlier, bringing with it a debuff that impeded his movements. However, he continued to flee, unsure of his pursuers' identity or motive, but aware that capture meant certain death.
With determination, Daniel yanked the lodged arrow from his leg and hid behind a tree, panting softly as he listened for any signs of his relentless pursuers. "What the hell is happening?"
"Blame yourself," a voice echoed, and Daniel turned to his side. A man without a nametag or face stood beside him. Reacting swiftly, Daniel swung his sword, but the mysterious figure effortlessly caught the blade between his fingertips, snapping it in half before delivering a forceful kick that sent Daniel flying.
Crashing into a tree, a sword pierced through Daniel's chest, its blade embedding into the tree trunk and effectively pinning him to it. Blood oozed from Daniel's mouth as one of his pursuers approached, stating, "Daniel Wiggins, a skilled gamer who found success in streaming. Well, I guess it all ends here."
"You don't have to do this," Daniel pleaded as he put both hands on the blade, slowly pulling it out. "I'll give you anything you want- when we get out... I can give you my money, I have a-"
Daniel's sentence was cut short as the second captive severed his head. "What are you doing, V?"
V glanced backward, sighing as he withdrew his sword from Daniel's headless corpse. He observed the lifeless body crumpling onto the grass-covered forest floor before remarking, "VI... I wanted to hear his last words, you know." Swinging his katana, V cleansed its blade of the lingering blood.
VI grabbed V by the collar, pushing him onto the same tree Daniel had died on. "I hope you're putting your all into this, you know how the leader is and we won't survive if shit goes bad,"
"So you're still on the leader's side despite him lying?" V questioned.
"You saw what he did to IV, she's lucky she got away but without an arm? But c'mon man, I'm not suffering that because of your mess up." VI let go of V and walked away. "Bring his head, the leader wants to see it."
V adjusted his clothes while sheathing his blade, a recent event prompted him to reflect on his actions. Was he wrong for what he had done? Or was he right considering the circumstances he was placed in? With a dissatisfied click of his tongue, V retrieved Daniel's head and trailed after his companion.
Knock...
Knock....
Knock, Knock, Knock!!!
Harvey strutted toward the door, opening it to see a woman with the food he had ordered earlier. "Thank you." He thanked her as he grabbed the tray and headed back into his room.
He was currently in an inn he had booked last night, he didn't need one but in an attempt to sleep, he went ahead anyway. His attempt however was unsuccessful as he stayed awake all night staring at the ceiling. "Mashed potatoes and rice." Harvey grabbed a fork, slowly picking up the food and driving it into his mouth.
He spat it out before vomiting on the floor. It wasn't that it tasted bad, instead it was the opposite. It tasted way better than anything he had eaten in four years and his body couldn't comprehend that. Harvey sighed as he fell onto the bed with his arms spread out. "I need to find somewhere to release her ashes... then after that, I'll have to find a way to X..."
He'd stayed awake for so long that his brain adapted to his schedule, or maybe he gained a resistance to mind fatigue in general just as he had poison, or maybe he conditioned his brain to not sleep because he didn't want to dream about Elizabeth, about Earth. About their lives before VISIDIA.
"Nope, I need to clear my mind." Harvey dismissed the thought with a shake of his head, leaving his room. Glancing back at the food the inn owner provided, he stashed it away in his storage, creating the illusion of having eaten it. "Guess I'm too used to bat wing and rat liver to appreciate it."
Harvey strolled the streets of Falusha, he unconsciously counted each human he walked passed and he only found three even after walking for ten minutes, "The map is huge, but did everyone really leave Falusha that quickly?" Harvey pondered as walked.
"We sell Armor and Weapons! We hand-make custom weapons!" A girl screamed out and when Harvey turned to the voice, it was Fiera.
"Hey," Harvey walked over.
"Oh, the stinky traveler who made impossible promises," Fiera responded, not with the greeting he had expected.
"I'm Harv- Hajun." He looked around. "Do you own the place or?"
"The store? No, I just work here. Gotta survive somehow now my mas—" Fiera stopped herself. "You wanna change your armor? I suggest you do."
"You've got a brash attitude, but I could use that right now." Harvey entered the store, Fiera trailing behind him.
"Boss! Customer incoming!" Fiera hollered, and a man emerged from behind the counter, lacking a name tag.
"I've heard you girl, go back to your job." The man walked up to the counter and Fiera went back outside, continuing her earlier task. "Welcome, Sir. Before we start, my name is Drake, you?"
"Hajun," Harvey followed up.
What would you like to procure?" Drake inquired as he put a monocle over his eye.
"First off, I'd like an armor set. Something light but durable," Harvey gazed at the monocle, "An appraisal device?"
"You're knowledgeable; it's a 'Watcher.' Essentially, it helps me choose the right set for my clients. You're an agility-based fighter, correct? I have the perfect armor set for you." Drake explained before heading into the rear of the store.
Harvey swiftly checked his armpits, the toll of not showering for four years evident, but fortunately, he had used the Inn's bathroom last night. "It's not like Vancrest Online," Harvey surveyed his surroundings. He had wished the monocle could display player stats as it did in Vancrest Online, the precursor to VISIDIA. Such information would have been advantageous in fights, particularly in his upcoming encounter with X.
"Apologies for the delay, I misplaced it for a moment." Drake emerged, carrying a set consisting of a chainmail, black leather jeans, and a long-sleeve top in his arms. As he dropped the items on the counter, Harvey noticed additional gear.
Among the items were obsidian gauntlets, leather boots, and a worn dark cloak. "Everything here weighs less than fifteen kilograms, suitable for someone of your class."
"Okay, do you happen to have fingerless gauntlets?"
"Wrist protection without finger coverage?" Drake inquired, and Harvey nodded, prompting the shop owner to return to the back of the store. He reappeared with precisely what Harvey had requested. "Everything comes in all black, most clients prefer darker colors."
"It's fine, it's perfect."
"I'll be in the back, there's a dressing room to your left," Drake mentioned as he walked toward the rear once more.
Harvey adorned all the provided clothing, wearing the black long-sleeve shirt and the equally dark chainmail over it. He equipped the gauntlets, struggled a bit with the pants, but as long as he wouldn't remove them in the next ten years, it wouldn't be a problem. He finished the attire by lacing up the dark boots. "Done."
"Come out then." Drake's voice echoed from outside the dressing room.
"Oh... you're outside." Harvey walked out and the man got up, tugging on his clothes.
"You didn't put on the cloak?" Drake asked as he headed into the dressing room, returning with the cloak in hand.
"I didn't know how to put it on," Before Harvey could finish his sentence, Drake swung the cloak around him, buttoning the middle around his shoulder and chest.
"It suits you." Drake complimented as he walked toward his desk. "And about the funds."
"Don't worry about that, I want you to do something else for me."
"Hmm?"
"Fiera- the girl outside said you made custom weapons, is that correct?" Harvey asked.
"Well, I am a blacksmith."
"I need something made for me, a unique weapon," Harvey stated, causing Drake to pause and glance back at him.
"Crafting unique weapons is more challenging than finding them, and even if you acquire all the materials, which is nearly impossible, there's only a twenty percent chance it will work," Drake explained.
"Aren't you a blacksmith? Or do you lack confidence in your abilities?" Harvey's expression remained stoic, his voice monotone, aiming to provoke Drake as much as possible.
"..." Drake resumed walking toward the room they were in earlier, and Harvey followed. Had his attempt to provoke Drake failed? "What element would you like the weapon to have?"
"Element?"
"Unique weapons aren't an extension of the player the way normal weapons are, they come with their own forms. That being said, also with their own elements and transformation." Drake grabbed a ledger from below his desk, tearing out a piece of paper and writing on it. "So? What element are you going for?"
Harvey faced a challenging decision but ultimately went with lightning. While he entertained the idea of experiencing a different element, his firsthand experience with lightning made it a more favorable choice. "Lightning."
"Okay, you're gonna find these if you want to make the —"
"Hajun!" A voice screamed out, interrupting Drake.
Harvey turned back to see a female player behind him, she had screamed his name as if she was familiar with him. A friend? Someone who recognized his name? "Hive..." Harvey read off her name.
"Yeah, it's me!" Hive responded, but seeing Harvey's face, she could tell he hadn't recalled. "Of course, you gamers have an easier time remembering where you found a specific item than people you met. It's me, Hive. We played in the Elder Trials tournament together, were on the same team, and had the same amount of kills!"
Harvey stood still as memories from his past flooded back, and when he remembered her, he struggled to speak. He had played with her before his gaming break, and he distinctly recalled harboring an enormous crush on her. "Hivemind Spectre?"
"Yep! So we meet again, Hajun the Condemned!"