In the gaming world, one specific game stood out among all others.
The Great Labyrinth of Elradian.
A VR, PC, and otherwise every-platform MMORPG game, featuring one server, which could host more than a billion players at once without lag, a confirmed by the devs 999,999 rooms with only 50,000 having been discovered, and millions of unique monsters the likes of which had never before been seen in any other text, game, or video.
TGLoE had numerous weapon options; from military-issue firearms to magic-empowered blades and axes, this game had it all. Every weapon was also balanced- none was better than the other, it was just about the skill and playstyle of the user.
One might think such a system stupid. But truly, it is not.
To explain as best as possible, one must first explain the layout.
First, you have Cells. These are the areas in which small battles against low-level creatures will occur, the places that players have to pass in order to move onto the next Cell.
Secondly, there are Dungeons. Dungeons occur every 10 Cells, and generally contain unnamed boss creatures. On occasion, Vaults might spawn in their place; giant areas full of gold, treasures, and other valuable items. But beware- the floors of Vaults slowly open the second a player steps inside, and below the floor is an inescapable pit of lava.
Tombs occur every 5th Dungeon. Unlike Dungeons, Tombs house high-level, high-risk, high-reward boss monsters. Notable ones include Osiaron, Lord of All Those Who Defy Eiei, a hundred-legged serpent-centipede hybrid that breathes out poisonous smoke and has 20 different barbed and equally poisonous tails. Sending him "away from the residence of Elradian, the Great Mage"- TGLoE's way to say that he's dead for the time being- will grant the player permanent poison buffs, large amounts of gold, and even Osiaron's Mother's Fang, a very strong blade that reeks of garlic and other things best not mentioned. Of course, players can join his faction- which will give them the ability to talk to centipedes, snakes, and the ability to command said creatures- but will immediately become the enemy of Eiei, Duchess of Whoever Resists Osiaron. She's another notable monster, a half-ant half-hawk hybrid.
Finally, you have the Mazes. Mazes appear completely randomly, and while it is a rare sight, the beginning area can even have them sometimes. These places are chock full of dead ends, twists and turns, dangerous monsters, and hidden treasures. It is best for low-level players or inexperienced ones to avoid these areas, and it is highly recommended for even high-level players to stay away unless they come with a team.
Now, the creatures. This list won't go for too long, but it should give one a good enough understanding of the entities in the Great Labyrinth.
First off, Elkenei. The most common monsters, Elkenei are crab-like beings with spiked exoskeletons, and legs usually armored with the skulls and bones of other weaker creatures. Elkenei get stronger as they age, and they can live for IRL centuries, so the farther one gets in the Labyrinth, they get harder to beat. Elkenei only spawn in the Cells, although baby Elkenei spawn in the beginning area as a practice creature for new players to fight.
Second, Merye- think an armored giant centipede with never-ending bloodlust and spines that can inject large amounts of sulfuric acid. They show up in most Dungeons as pre-boss battle monsters, and a special variant- the Gold Eyed Merye- show up in Vaults as a hidden danger.
Thirdly, Eikengeyns. Essentially oar fish with many, many pairs of leathery wings. These are herbivores but can be both a menace to crops in the beginning village areas and the players, as their tails will slap you around until you die... They're pretty fast but slow at turning, and spawn absolutely everywhere. Killing one will cause a unique drop; a Flying Tear, which, upon consumption, will grant the user +25 speed at the cost of -3 agility for 10 hours.
Speaking of which, a certain player could use one of those right now...
Shells clattered to the ground as the player [Jurgen_the_Deadly], IRL name Trevor, fired his MG4 at the centipede thing chasing after his friend, [FlipFlop101].
To be more precise, the creature was the pre-boss battle monster Merye, which was... scarily fast.
FlipFlop was probably dead. That white robe did nothing to help his speed, let alone his agility.
Not to mention, his player character had such stubby legs...
Poor Flop had messed up on the character creation screen, so now the guy had a girl avatar that he didn't know how to change. And a girl voice; the VR technology that TGLoE used didn't modify one's vision- rather, it used the mind's eye. Essentially, it blocked out signals from the regular eyes and other senses, sending it's own in their stead to effectively put a player smack dab in the middle of the game.
Jurgen, on the other hand, was a 16 year old military and Jumanji-obsessed boy. One could easily expect what his avatar looked like and also realize why his name was Jurgen the Deadly.
"Dude, mind running faster!?" that was what he yelled at Flop, who shouted back something about how he was running as fast as he could and how the avatar's stubby legs weren't working in his favor yet again.
Nevertheless, Jurgen kept on shooting. The bullets just pinged off the Merye's carapace harmlessly, and it was like the creature didn't even feel it... did he have to?
Did he really have to save FlipFlop's random ass with that?
He had wanted to save it for the boss battle... but he probably wouldn't win the boss battle if his medic, Flop, died.
With a heavy sigh and an equally heavy heart, Jurgen emptied the last of his regular MG4 ammo and loaded his [Special] rank bullets.
[{Explosive Incendiary Hollow Point Belt Fed Magazine} has been attached to the weapon {MG4}]
[Do you wish to apply [Extra Penetration LVL3] as well?]
[Y/N]
He reached out at the blue screen and sadly tapped Y.
Maybe he'd get some experience and unlock another perk that he could apply to his gun...
At this point, Flop was starting to tire out. With how advanced the tech was, he felt like his muscles were literally burning.
He really regretted making a medic loadout.
Then Jurgen lined up his sights- and suddenly, an even louder BAM! came from across the room.
The Merye slid to a stop while Flop leaned against a wall- and a spine came a little too close to his stomach. Thankfully, it didn't stab him...
Smoke rose from the head of the Merye, and there was also a large hole.
Jurgen hadn't fired a single shot of his special ammunition.
Looking to the side, where the sound of the shot had come from, he saw her.
[2Good2BeHere]. His classmate in school. His in-game nemesis. His neighbor.
Alya, the 16 year old female military enthusiast who irked him more than anything else.
In her hands was a Barrett .50 caliber rifle. On her body was the latest and most advanced armor that the US military had come up with; armor that TGLoE had managed to put in their game.
Now that made him mad. She already got the suit!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!
On the other hand, Flop slowly and carefully climbed over the corpse of the Merye, walking over to the two of them slowly.
"Who's she." It was more of a demand than a question, but Jurgen didn't hear him. Neither did Alya; they were too focused on glaring holes into each other's souls.
Everything was quiet for a moment until Flop just said "Alright, I'm leaving before you two make out or something." and then went off to the Gate that would lead into the boss chamber.
At those words, both Alya and Trevor grimaced and quickly backed even farther away from each other.
"Like hell that would happen!" Trent shouted, disgust in his voice.
"Why would I ever- this dumbass doesn't even know who John Browning was!" Alya yelled back, practically enraged that someone would even think that.
"Of course I do!"
"Have you even read his autobiography!?"
"Trick question! He doesn't have one!"
While they bickered, Flop stared at the Gate. Beyond that lied one of the harder boss monsters of the game...
Yerioti, the Baron of the Silver Caves. A giant humanoid with a lion's mane and a lizard's head.
He had scales that could deflect all damage, weapons crafted from valuable materials to be as deadly as they could be, and claws that could rip through the toughest defenses...
It made Flop shiver, despite the hot air in the cave and the warm rock.
Sadly, or thankfully, Jurgen and 2Good's squabbling ruined his emersion.
...
Maybe he'd just leave them to die and then inflict the killing blow on the boss.
=--=--=--=
A good ten minutes later, Trevor and Alya had stopped their petty arguing and reached the Gate.
Ding!
[The minimum number of players (3) to enter the Tomb of the Baron of the Silver Caves has been reached!]
Ding!
[Boss Battle,
[2!]
[1!]
...
[ERROR.]
They all stared at the red floating error message in front of them for a couple seconds.
...what?
"What just happened?" Alya asked quietly, confused. Trevor was too surprised to speak and Flop just didn't know what to say.
[ERROR. Due to Map Generation, Boss Battle
[In its original place, Maze C-11E.411 will be loaded instead.]
[Thank you for your patience and have a nice play session! - Isis, the God Queen, current Overseer of TGLoE]