Alice materialized abruptly from the ether, her arrival so sudden that she nearly lost her balance and tumbled to the ground. As she steadied herself, her gaze swept over her surroundings. Vague shapes and colors melded together, forming impressions in her mind that she instinctively recognized as rocks and the interior of a cave. Among these natural formations, she noticed several luminescent objects that her mind identified as mushrooms. However, the glow emanating from these fungi puzzled her. She had never heard of mushrooms that shone with their own light, nor had anyone ever mentioned such a phenomenon to her. The sight was both fascinating and bewildering, sparking a mix of curiosity and wonder within her. How could the tasteless and horrible mushrooms she knew of harbor such an unexpected and enchanting trait?
In the midst of her trance and amusement after experiencing the mysteries of sight, she felt a wave of powerlessness wash over her. She looked at her hands and made a strong clap. But besides the slight pain she felt in her palms, there was nothing else. Indeed, the world was full of colors, but it was absent her most trusted companion: sound.
As depression began to envelop her, she suddenly saw some letters materializing in the air in front of her, words she could perfectly understand despite having never seen them before.
"Welcome to your new world, welcome to The Game."
"This will serve as your tutorial, a series of challenges you must overcome before gaining entry into the larger world governed by The Game."
"All boons are currently in effect."
"To view quest objectives and other relevant information, please check your status window. Best of luck."
Alice, slightly caught off guard, quickly recovered her composure and read the message carefully. After she finished, the words disappeared, as if they had been patiently waiting for her to do so. She recalled the conversation she had with Lumière and decided to open what he referred to as a status window. Suddenly, it appeared before her, something rather plain with muted colors, yet incredibly contrasting with the surrounding atmosphere.
The screen displayed five categories: Inventory, Status, Equipment, Skills, and Quests, things she somehow knew about. She believed that, although Lumière had explained all these concepts, there was more to it. It seemed unlikely for someone to learn and get accustomed to so many things so quickly. She surmised it also came in the form of gifted knowledge for the sake of balance in The Game. 'Balance? Will this Game truly be fair?' Alice sincerely doubted it. As long as there were humans, there would never be fairness.
***
The irony of the encounter was not lost on Dante; he was confronted by an entity mirroring what Virgil, his summon, embodied—an undead summoner. Flanking this ancient ruler were two skeletal warriors, their stature and armor markedly superior to any foe encountered thus far, exuding a threatening presence that hinted at levels beyond the tenth. Arrayed with strategic intent, skeletal archers took position, each guarded by a warrior. At the forefront, near the summoner's feet, prowled several hounds, each a more formidable and ferocious adversary than Dante and Virgil had previously faced.
Yet, it was not merely the assembled forces that spelled doom for Dante but the overwhelming aura emanating from the monarch. This aura coalesced into a tangible domain, a realm where life was an unwelcome intruder. Spanning fifty meters across the vast expanse of the throne chamber, this domain was a crucible of suffering for Dante. Within its reach, he had endured, succumbed, and experienced the bitter agony of death.
This malevolent domain effectively neutralized one of Dante and Virgil's most vital strategies. With their summoning range capped at twenty meters, Virgil's ability to blink into the fray, positioning Dante safely away from harm, was nullified. Venturing too close, within the domain's embrace, spelled disaster, stripping them of their tactical advantage and forcing Dante into the merciless grip of the monarch's power.
Fortunately for Dante and Virgil, their foes remained passive unless provoked within the domain's sinister grasp. Once they stepped back, retreating from the domain's edge, the skeletal adversaries returned to their initial, dormant state. This pattern of behavior, Dante mused, must surely be a quirk of the Tutorial—a controlled environment designed for learning rather than true peril. Yet, as he recalled the jesting yet useful advice of his skeletal mentor, he realized he had been subtly prepared for such an ordeal. But, wasn't this trial too much?
A part of Dante, that inherent masochist side which had only deepened amidst his relentless days of isolation and combat, found a twisted sense of amusement in this dire challenge. The sight of such insurmountable odds, immune to his 'Immortal Macro' strategy, drew a defiant smile from him. It was as though The Game had laid before him a chess puzzle not to hinder him but to temper his resolve and sharpen his strategy. To force him to bring out more of his current abilities.
Determined to conquer this new puzzle, Dante was struck by a realization. Unlike the contemplative nature of puzzles, which allowed for time and reflection, a real game thrived on unpredictability and urgency. In the throes of actual conflict, the luxury of time was a rare commodity, and challenges arose with little warning.
This insight jolted Dante to a new level of awareness. The simplicity of his present dilemma starkly neutralized the 'Immortal Macro' strategy, a tactic he had once wielded with unmatched efficacy. It was as though The Game itself mocked him, chuckling at his presumption of ingenuity. Here was Dante, a player who prided himself on his strategic acumen, now ironically ensnared within the very foundational stages of The Game, stuck in nothing more and nothing less, then the very Tutorial.
Name: Alice Fontaine
Class: Seer
Level: 1
HP: 30
MP: 60
Might: 6
Finesse: 4
Mystique: 20
Essence: 20
Her stats appeared simple and basic, aligning with her expectations: lower values in Might and Finesse but enhanced Mystique and Essence. Alice inferred from Lumière's description that these attributes were crucial, representing the true measure of power in The Game. While there were other aspects like skills and levels, everything fundamentally hinged on these four attributes. Based on her understanding of her class, she chose to focus on the stats that seemed most beneficial. Recognizing her non-combatant role, she had also chosen to add an extra layer to her sacrifices with "I cannot directly reduce the HP of any entity," aiming to maximize her specific role to its fullest.
The explanation of the Mystique attribute, especially the part about heightened thought speed, made it clear to her that investing heavily in this area was essential. The additional benefits of greater control over magic were just as compelling. As for Essence, she sensed there was more to it than Lumière had revealed. Given its connection to her soul and magical capacity, she decided to invest in this attribute equally.
Physical stats held little interest for her; she was no warrior—that role was for others. As a Seer, she was determined to fulfill her role to the best of her abilities. The irony of fate choosing a previously blind girl for this role did not escape her; she found the sense of humor behind it intriguing.
The Equipment section appeared rather bland, displaying "Blocked" for items she could never equip and "Empty" for those she could. She wasn't entirely sure if her decision was accurate, but her intuition suggested that equipment would not play as significant a role in The Game as stats did. However, only time would tell if her decision was correct, especially since Lumière had been very vague in his descriptions of equipment.
Right Hand (Blocked)
Left Hand (Blocked)
Headgear (Blocked)
Armor (Blocked)
Gauntlets (Blocked)
Greaves (Blocked)
Accessory 1 (Empty)
Accessory 2 (Empty)
Accessory 3 (Empty)
The Quests section displayed only a single active mission, one she knew she had to complete to finish the Tutorial.
Main Quest: Guide two Heroes to complete their challenges.
"Interesting," she thought to herself, wondering how inept these heroes were and how challenging their trials would be.
Finally, she explored the Skills menu, a section she was eager to learn more about. The menu was divided into Active Skills, Passive Skills, and Learn Skills. She first checked the Learn Skills section and found:
Available Skill Points (SP): 1
Available Active Skills:
Premonition (R1 L1) (Cost: 1 SP): Allows the user to see up to 30 seconds into the future. Duration: 1 s, MP cost: 15, CD: 600 s.
Clairvoyance (R1 L1) (Cost: 1 SP): Reveals everything within a 20-meter radius, including any entity below rank 2. Duration: 2 s, MP cost: 15, CD: 600 s.
Passive Skill:
True Scan (R1 L1) (Cost: 1 SP): Displays the name of any rank 1 entity. This skill bypasses any rank 1 defenses and obstructions.
Alice pondered the intriguing assortment of skills available to her. She noted that, in addition to the concept of levels, there was also the concept of ranks, as mentioned by Lumière. He had been rather vague about this too, and she understood that ranks were a major divider between entities, with each rank encompassing its own levels.
After some contemplation, she ultimately chose Clairvoyance. Gaining a comprehensive understanding of her surroundings was crucial; information was of paramount importance. Although True Scan also provided insight, its value at level 1 appeared limited.
That said, she recognized the importance of Premonition, arguably her best skill. However, the reality was that its use would be quite limited for now, and it would likely play a major role later on.
Her Current Skills section now displayed the new skill she had just learned, along with her passive skills from the boons granted after the induction:
Active Skills:
Clairvoyance (R1 L1)
Reveals everything within a 20-meter radius, including any entity below rank 2. Duration: 2 s, MP cost: 15, CD: 600 s.
Passive Skills:
Magic Drawing
Allows the user to draw in the air.
100% Mystique increase
100% Essence increase
She tried the Magic Drawing skill, and it worked surprisingly well.
"I guess everything is ready. It's time I met the first hero, I suppose," she thought to herself. With that, she looked ahead and walked forward.