## 2018:05:24:22:10 - The World Neuvo: Θ Bursting Geothermal Remnant
Step one to adventuring in the World: Decide on a field and dungeon to explore. Step two: Gather friends. Step three: Meet up at the root town from which you can access the field. The game was relatively straightforward in terms of the kinds of activities you could participate in. It mostly involved fighting monsters in fields and dungeons with friends while searching for rare and special items that would let you repeat the same task with greater ease or allow you to fight more powerful monsters. When the game was managed by CC Corp, every once in a while, there would be a special event and a new field to explore, but the routine was relatively the same. None of the gamers seemed to mind the repetitive nature of the gameplay as long as the upcoming monsters and special items came in new forms with relatively unique attributes. And to complete the picture was the game backstory that infused meaning into the otherwise meaningless digital simulation. Yet the infinite hollowness of the walls and bodies of the World was more than symbolic of the emptiness of the lives of those playing with them. That they would go thus far for amusement seemed a tribute to the keen insights of game developers but was correctly understood as the sheer disconnect from reality created by the confusion in their souls.
Evgeni found it odd he was reflecting on similar thoughts as they played the game. What was so enjoyable about the animations of slashing and spinning and whirling about with weapons that excited this rabble? What was so important that they fought over who to join? Do they simply enjoy fighting in any form?
Evgeni and Pavel alike had noticed the gamers bicker as they decided on "parties", but for Pavel, this was of concern.
Friends in the game could cooperate in their journey by joining "parties" - a group of players that moved and worked together. The game only allowed for up to three individuals in a party, so gamers were advised to pick members wisely so as to have a balanced team. Often this entailed a two melee attackers and a mage of sorts. However, such balance was not a priority for gamers today. Instead, friendships were.
Their unanimous agreement to play in a dungeon was followed shortly thereafter by some teasing and tension, and for subtle, subconscious reasons, the choice of individuals for one's party was festering feelings. What's the deal? thought Pavel. Are people starting to pick favorites already? We haven't even played the game much yet!
When the ruckus had been sorted out, Xil-Sta became the default leader of a party composed of q5corbo and Noro301. Kellei and Brofin each joined separate teams. In the end, there were five teams going on the dungeon raid.
Passing through Dun Loireag on the way, Xil-Sta and company arrived in Bursting Geothermal Remnant, an auto-generated field.
The field felt spacious with its grand plains and rolling hills, yet it was lacking in indescribable ways. The ground was covered in a dry orange-brown mossy texture, a perfect match for the dead trees scattered every ten virtual meters or so. Where was the life? Where are the monsters? Evgeni thought.
Just as his thought completed, a gentle tornado of yellow ribbons appeared, followed by the arrival of their first adversary. The creature was resembled a black genie born of a cockroach, having a large V-shaped upper body and muscular arms but with not even a crotch much less lower appendages. In its right hand, it bore a weapon resembling the unholy union of a battle-ax and a mallet constructed of an iron barrel.
"Alright!" yelled q5corbo in excitement. "Time to dooooo BATTLE!"
Equipped with only a basic sword, q5corbo charged headlong towards the creature. He wasn't the least bit concerned with the danger. Such was the joy of virtual immortality.
The creature didn't hesitate to slash at his assailant, but he was made short work by the experienced computer crusader. Evgeni could only imagine the guy behind q5corbo was smashing keys because his avatar went from one attack sequence to the next at unimaginable pace. A slash down left, a twirl and a stab he made without pause. *Zing!* *Swoosh* *Zing! Zing!* *Fwooooooooom!* A few blows later, the monster vanished, and a bounty message appeared.
"Antidote"
"I take it Antidote restores HP?" Noro301 called out.
"No," replied Xil-Sta. "It removes the effects of poison, paralysis, and other status decreases. Very useful."
"Cool," was all Noro301 could utter. He wondered whether he himself was meeting that description. The other gamers didn't seem bothered by his presence yet. Perhaps he could stir the waters with a couple questions if he could get them to admire his efforts. Perhaps all he needed to do was defeat a formidable monster.
He was still contemplating this when Xil-Sta called out, "Don't just stand there and look stupid. Fight! What are you playing this game for?"
Another monster had appeared. It was the same kind as before, but Xil-Sta claimed it had a "buff" - whatever that meant.
Noro301 dived into the action, swinging his sword... the same way over and over again. The monster retaliated by pulverizing his character with more powerful attacks.
Xil-Sta rolled his eyes. "Don't you know anything about MMO combat?"
"Sure," the newbie objected. "It's all hack and slash."
Xil-Sta and q5corbo both laughed.
"You'll get the hang of it," said q5corbo.
"But right now," Xil-Sta pointed out, "you're taking serious damage."
Evgeni checked his healthbar. Low. Very low? It was alittle over 10 percent, but how long did that mean he could last in a fight?
"A little help, maybe?" he pleaded.
Xil-Sta granted him a Healing Elixir, which solved the immediate problem and gave Evgeni the boldness to take on a creature by himself. After q5corbo gave an excellent performance to serve as an example, he and Xil-Sta stepped aside to let Noro301 literally gain experience even if he wouldn't get the XP.
"You're an excellent party leader," praised q5corbo.
The complement hit Xil-Sta like a soft cool breeze on a summer day, and Pavel sensed in himself the joy of child running through a garden of butterflies. "Thanks," he replied with a tone of voice telling of his appreciation. q5corbo's comment had been the first genuine praise he recalled receiving from anyone on the team in a long time, and it was telling of the invisible bonds they had formed in their long time working on the project.
"You're quite impressive for not having played in several months," praised Xil-Sta.
"Wow! Has it been that long?"
Pavel's own words ricocheted back into his mind. It really has been a third of year, hasn't it? he realized. They had been gamers on a mission - to rebuild The World in hopes of a new tomorrow. That reminded him: he forgot to check chat. As he stopped playing for a minute, his character Xil-Sta froze in place. q5corbo kept watching him until he returned.
"I've been so carried away," began Xil-Sta, "that I missed the chat message from our glorious leader."
"What's he say? Time to bring in the fish?" asked q5corbo.
"No. But he's asking us to find out about this guy's mission quickly because another fish is in the water."
There was a pause, and q5corbo froze. Pavel figured the guy behind q5corbo was checking the chat logs, and sure enough, he was back in a minute.
"Got it, and more news," said q5corbo. "Let's show him the dungeon and then take him back to the root town so we can all focus on locating the new fish."
The two of them turned to look for Noro301. He seemed to have disappeared, but as they glanced around, they found him playing a game of tag with the monster.
"At least he's figured out the technique of hit-and-run," remarked Xil-Sta. "But that must mean his sword skills haven't improved an iota."
"Let's go save him..." q5corbo grinned, knowing Xil-Sta's response:
"So we can ditch him later."
At the far end of the field was a large rock jutting out of the ground at about three times the height of an avatar and with a width of two avatar body heights. After Xil-Sta and q5corbo rescued their hapless party member, they lead him to the rock.
"This is the entrance to the dungeon!" Xil-Sta proudly declared.
"What do you need to do," asked Noro301, "to get the door to appear? Say some magic words."
It was true that there was no apparent door before them, but this didn't stop Xil-Sta from rolling his eyes at the naivety of the remark.
"No," said Xil-Sta, "Follow me."
As they walked around to the other side of the rock, Noro301 finally beheld the entrance door to the dungeon and subsequently sensed the full weight of the stupidity he had been suspected of. Diverting attention from himself, he began remarking on its beauty and used that as a segway into discussing - albeit indirectly - the objective of his mission.
"It's a very ornate door with its curls and glyphics, isn't it? No doubt, the passageway should be equally as mesmerizing," he said. "Where does it lead?"
"Dungeons usually contain some kind of reward hidden in treasure chests in the various alleyways of the dungeon. The lowest levels have the best treasures," Xil-Sta explained.
"What kind of treasures?"
"Often weapons or armor."
"Oh..." The tinge of disappointment in Noro301's remark was as evident as if he had plastered it on his clothes in bold letters even though it was meant to be sincere and subtle. At this point in time, however, both Xil-Sta and q5corbo were keenly aware of Noro301's reactions, intent on spotting anything that might hint at his interest.
"What did you hope to find?" asked q5corbo.
"Oh, I don't know," he lied. "Maybe some super monster or something."
"Oh, really?" said Xil-Sta in genuine surprise. "There's almost always one of those, especially in the bigger dungeons. And the treasures are rarer there too."
"Excellent!" said the spy. "Are those monsters super skilled?"
"Definitely," concurred the two hackers.
"Are they super intelligent?"
"They have awesome AIs!" said q5corbo.
"Some cheat," admitted Xil-Sta, hinting at his personal disapproval of some of the game mechanics. "But most are fair."
"What's the best AI of them all?" asked the spy, feeling free enough to ask. He knew they would be thinking about monsters at first, but he could later derail them into discussing the deeper subject.
"Frankly, I'm not sure which monster is the best," said Xil-Sta.
q5corbo frowned and nodded in agreement.
"Take me to the best one that comes to mind anyways," said Noro301.
"It'd kick your butt!" said q5corbo with a smile. Evgeni couldn't tell if he was being playful, honest, or just plain obnoxious, but it didn't matter.
"I don't mind. It'd be worth being the victim of so great a monster if only to see it once."
Xil-Sta smirked. "I know of a monster you'd like to see."