UPDATE 4: Misunderstood Greetings
After some time of exploring I found a path through the dense forest. Well not really a path, just a small clearing that led in a straight line that looked liked it might lead somewhere.. As soon as I saw it I came closer and heard a pair of voices conversing on the path.
Ah! Finally a path... Wait, what's that sound, voices?
I saw two figures strolling casually on the path, I continued to venture closer, the two figures turned out to be two girls side by side one another with their backs facing me some distance away.
Hm... I can't see them properly, but lets see their windows...
I waited patiently for several seconds, but they never appeared.
My mind went into a confused state to find my reasoning for this.
What the? It's not even appearing now?
An idea popped into my head.
Well there is some distance between us so...
I sighed. So there's a distance rule to be able to see another person's information window?
A small voice furiously shouted in frustration in my mind.
I took a deep breath and turned back to the two girls.
Though I can't see them well, I think I can see a figure of a bow and an arrow shed on the taller girl's back and some kind of bag held by the smaller girl, guessing its a basket.
The taller girl seems to be focusing on archery judging by the bow and arrows and as for the shorter girl beside her is carrying a basket with her.
Maybe they know where I can find a village. I was about to introduce myself and ask directions, but they abruptly stopped in their tracks, I did as well.
Why did they stop? Is there something wrong maybe?
The taller girl suddenly took her bow and an arrow from her arrow shed, with no more than a few seconds she wasted no time in aiming and immediately shot her arrow in my direction.
Shit! I reflexively ducked to avoid it. I looked up to see where the arrow landed and it seems it was lodged in a tree right where I was standing.
That's some accuracy... I guess all those years of being hit with dodgeballs during gym class was worth it.
The tall girl then gave me a warning in a demanding tone.
"Who's there?! You better come out now, I won't miss the next one!"
Should I just stay still? I mean I have to boar hide on my back so it might work as some form of camouflage or maybe I should book it, I mean she doesn't actually know that I'm here and could only be speculating. No, I just saw her monstrous accuracy I don't think doing any of those would be a good idea and I don't intend on dying early on.
With my reasoning in place there was only one way that would get me out of this.
Well I guess there's no other choice.
I came out of the vegetation and revealed myself with my hands up just in case.
She consciously narrowed her sights to me and steadily aimed at my head ready to shoot at any moment. The small girl on the other hand hid behind her shuddering to take a peek. Cold sweat began to fall as I felt her sharp gaze trying to read me. Depending on how this goes I really may die in any second, I have to be cautious of what I say to her to let me go.
She then began to interrogate me.
"Who are you? Why are you following us?"
Following? I literally just got here. Well, I guess anyone would be suspicious of man just casually be walking around and out of the woods, but right now I have to play my cards right, I can't just tell them personal information, it may be a problem in the future if I tell just anybody.
"First of all I don't think I should give my name to anybody I meet especially a person who is threatening me with a bow and arrow. Second I just got here out of the woods I wasn't following you."
Seemingly unsatisfied by my answer she answered back demanding more information.
"You have a point, but in this situation you don't have a the right to argue. Its better you say it already along with the reason your here."
She's got a point too...
I sighed in defeat and took a deep breath before speaking.
My name is Zach Fallen, I was in the woods trying to find my way out, then I found this road, just so happened that I past by you two, and that's it."
Her eyes began to examine me from head to toe, especially looking at my small wounds, the blood and the Boar hide on my back. Satisfied she lowered her bow and placed her arrow back in her arrow shed.
She then began to apologize with a reassured expression.
"Alright, we believe you. You can put your hands down."
I placed my hands down and sighed in relief.
Ok, so it should be fine for me to go closer now right?
I slowly walked closer to the two girls, as I moved closer the smaller girl who was hiding came out trying to mask a worried expression I then felt a sort of aura around her.
What is this feeling...? I can feel it coming from the shorter girl... it's probably nothing, but I should be cautious.
I stopped walking a few feet away from them.
Okay I should be able to see their windows now right? This time it appeared, though it wasn't of much use...
Name ?
Age ?
Gender: Female
Race ?
Same with the Boar its not showing their HP Gauges, so I guess I would need something to help me see it later on. Would there even be... No Arthur would never do this without placing a way to get it. Well if there is a way I'm finding it.
Also their windows are lacking all the information I want, well of course, I'm guessing unless someone has something like a "Mind Reading or Clairvoyance" Skill can they be able to automatically see stuff like this.
Oh, now that's a thought, now that I'm here that shouldn't be entirely impossible right?
Hmph, Hmph. New goal: If there is, find a skill that can see the information of the other.
I then turned to their appearances...
The small girl was dressed with a Green long sleeved overall skirt and wore a hat. She had short brown colored hair with long bangs that covered her forehead reaching her eyebrows. She had kind eyes and a cute face that made her look like a little sister.
The taller girl had a long ponytail reaching her waist. She was dressed in gray clothes her top being a short sleeveless vest with her breasts that could explode out of her chest at any moment. Under it was a white shirt that covered any other opening the vest left out, however only covering the top half of her torso.
The only problem is that the vest did not entirely cover her voluptuous chest, there was a zipper but it as only zipped at her neck and a clip at the bottom to keep it together, but in the middle of it her breasts can be seen even with the white shirt under it.
I tried my damndest not to look at them and kept my eyes on her face instead. Her face was beautiful, along with her body she would seem as if she was a super model.
"Your name was Zach right? Sorry for the earlier misunderstanding, some stuff has been going on so I was a bit on edge. My name is Alice by the way."
"Yeah. It's fine."
I then turned to the shorter girl, her expression changed upon realizing my gaze on her and tried to formally introduce herself confidently.
"M-My name is Terra. Nice to meet you."
"Um, Same here..."
Their window then appeared again with updated information, but only with their names nothing else. So it does only give information one knows about, but probably only information I am sure that I know are true.
I then heard a small rattling sound a short distance away of from us most notably Terra. I turned towards it, it was a small pebble shaking.
Why is it shaking?
I turned back to Terra for a short moment. The aura around her slightly increased, Terra noticed my eyes and made a startled expression. The pebble began to shake more intensely. Then an idea popped into my head...
Is there a sort of connection between the two?
Or... Wait is she?
"I-Is there something wrong me?"
"Ah. No, sorry if I may have worried you, but if I may ask. Are you a Gnome by any chance?"
Upon hearing Terra and Alice made blank expressions and in the next second Terra immediately made a sound in fright.
"EEK!"
Uh oh... Did I get it right?
I turned to both of them with haunted expressions, Terra quickly made a few steps back away from me towards a tree to hide behind it. Alice on the other hand had already took her bow with an arrow already drawed in it.
Oh no, and just as I thought I was out of it...
"Where did you get that information?! Are you a mage from one of the associations sent to capture us?!"
"Whoa! S-Sorry, I'm not! Ever since I had gotten close to you two, I've felt an aura around Terra, also that pebble over there is trembling intensely."
I pointed towards it which was still shaking. Alice's eyes looked towards it and turned to Terra who was hiding herself behind a nearby tree.
"T-Terra I thought you said you had your magic under control?!"
"I'm sorry! I didn't feel any magic from him so I thought that he was like everyone else!"
Magic? Was that what I was feeling? This is probably the work of Magic Perception. That's weird was there any sort of feature like that when this was a game? Surely not. When this world used to be a game, there was no way of telling if a person was a mage or not other than what they had as equipment. This is the first time I'm feeling this...
Alice scratched her head trying to figure out what to do next, then approached me.
"Um, could you not tell anyone about this? We'll be in trouble if people find out about this."
What? Why would they be in trouble? There has never really been a problem revealing someone's race before, because you can actually see it when one of the windows show up. Ah wait... they don't really seem like one of the players that were sent here, and considering this world is fully interactive system they should be one of the NPC's the game has generated.
When this used to be a game the system would generate loads of unique quests daily making them appear at random locations, but these quests only last for so long and disappear if no one takes it, but sometimes it could be a very big quest that could alter the game so if one does not take it or inform about it, it could very well be the end of the game for everyone playing, hence the reason why it was called an interactive game, so people are always paranoid when stuff like this happened and take it on even if they win or lose. I better ask just in case...
"Why? I don't see the problem of people knowing her race."
"Huh? Don't you know of the slave traders?"
"Slave traders?"
"Yeah they catch all sorts of races and sell them for profit, if they find out about Terra they'll capture her for sure! I thought you'd know when you found out, but it seems your not from around here."
When did this game have slaves? Sure it fits the fantasy world kind of feel , but why would Arthur place this? Back in the old world, it wasn't only games that I placed a considerable amount of time in, I was also quite the book worm and other hobbies that are "Shut in" related. In most stories that I've read once a person becomes a slave they lose all their rights and are compelled to follow whoever they are contracted to, slaves like Alice said come in all sorts, the more rare they are the more expensive.
I guess I can see why they are worried, they don't seem like they're bad people after all so I'll accept for now.
"I understand, I'll stay quiet. So Terra are you really?"
"Y-Yes I'm a Gnome."
I've already taken note that the game ran on a race and skill system and not a class system. Depending on the race chosen it could raise one's stats indefinitely making it higher or lower, this was important since one can only get so much Attribute points in the game from the start very quickly. The race system also grants certain benefits and detriments if chosen, either physically or magically.
However there is a catch to some of the races most especially the magical ones, an example would be some of the magical races like the elementals or spirits, the catch to these races is that if a person pushes the limit of their magic capacities without sufficient MP too many times then it would result in almost instantaneous death to the avatar.
One of the race associated to Magic are Gnomes. Gnomes are your basic definition of Earth Spirits or elementals, in the game it was a race that had the highest affinity for the natural magic element of Earth, this doesn't mean they can't try to learn other elements its just that earth is the best element for them to learn, their roles used in parties were AOE, CC and Defense mages. The downside to this races was like I said if they use too much magic very frequently then it would result in the avatar's death, the result of this race however turns them back into the soil they once came from. There is a way though on how to stop this, and this applies for all spirits, they must be contracted to another player that uses Magic.
According to the lore, Spirits are deemed incomplete in terms of Magic power. When a spirit of the natural elements is in Elf Territory give them an edge due to the abundant magic around the area and inside that area a spirit can fully utilize their abilities to the fullest with almost unlimited magic power. However once outside that area, they must be contracted to a contractor to give some of their magic to be able to complete themselves and be able to be the same as they were in Elf Territory, the only difference is that they don't have an unlimited magic supply and less power, but can be used at their normal efficiency. They can go over their limits since they are complete. In return the Spirit would travel together with her Contractor.
Astral upholded this sort of lore, if a person who is a spirit would be away from their contractors no longer than 3 days they will end up dying. So it was important for those going for this race to choose their partners wisely.
Now what's weird is, what is a Gnome doing all the way out here? Shouldn't she be near Elven territory being a spirit of the natural elements? I mean that's where most of the nature spirits are born or even spawn.
Is Alice her contractor? If a spirit is outside of Elven territory without a contractor then they are in a great of danger in terms of magic supply and power or in this world's case slavery. I should probably ask later.
I then looked back at Terra with her still frightened expression.
I know these are NPC's, but seeing a little girl with that kind of expression is not something I want to see. I should probably do something to change the mood. Lets see... Oh, I have an idea.
"Ah, so that's why your name is Terra, like the earth right?"
She bobbed her head a few seconds after.
"It's a nice and fitting name for you."
She shot a surprised and amazed look to me with a slight blush. I was relieved to know that it changed the atmosphere around us.
"Wow, he got it quite quickly! The only other person who got it that fast was A-"
Terra then dashed from behind the tree and pulled on Alice's arm with a serious expression. Alice gave of an "oops" expression covering her mouth and after smiled while rubbing her nape after realizing what Terra had done.
"Sorry, we can't say"
It seems they're trying to hide someone or even more people. Its a bit suspicious, but considering their worry its only natural that they are cautious. I should also probably check by "The Universal IO Code" as we players like to call it, but I don't think it would become a big problem, not to mention depending on how I act on quests like this may also detriment me. Example is helping a criminal, you can be marked for death and be hunted by death squads be it AI or other players. So I don't want to know too much or be too associated with them if they get into any trouble depending on the circumstance.
"Its alright, I understand your position so I don't want to pry."
She formed a relieved and amazed expression before saying her thanks.
"Thank you."
Now that this whole situation is out of the way I should probably ask where I can find a village.
"Hey, um. Do you girls know where I can find the nearest village from here?"
"Ah, well not really a village, a bit bigger, a city."
Cities are like what they are back in the real world, with big business. It's the best place for players to make a good payday or if anyone would want anything rare or special.
A City, well just my luck. Though I wanted to avoid big landmarks, I have no other choice but to go.
"That's fine too."
"If you follow down this road in that direction you should be able to reach it by an hour from here."
An hour? I better be on my way then.
"Thank you, I should probably be headed here before nightfall."
"Oh, you have plenty of time its only an hour past noon. You should be fine. Wanna tag along with us? We're headed to same one."
Well... I guess it won't be too bad, since they know the area more well than I do, I should ask them for anything I don't know and who knows Arthur may have changed and added new content I don't know yet, though I shouldn't use content though when I ask them.
Now there is only one problem left... No I shouldn't be thinking of that now!
"Um, sure."
"Okay let's go."
We then continued to walk down the road for quite some time, though it was rather quiet...
My face formed a sour expression with my lips shut tight as I walked down the road with the girls next to me. Okay now that problem that I was talking about before, I'm really unsociable especially towards girls. I never had the chance to even talk to girls due to my inpopularity at my highschool, well not like I cared since it never bothered me. A person would think that even though I don't know how to talk to girls in real life I should be able to talk to a girl in game right?
For most players and for me, that would be true, but not in VR. If it was like the Pioneer games that came before, the ones that covered your face behind a computer monitor then yes, but in VR even though one can make their own appearance in the game it still doesn't break the fact that you are talking face to face to a person and also the system locks on to the gender of the player so it would be totally accurate to know that the girl your talking to is actually a girl and not some creepy crossdresser.
Maybe the issue of not being able to talk to a girl in a VRMMORPG is only tied down to me, but I've never talked to any other girl besides my aunt or if in game it's only for a party for a quest once that's over I return to being a solo.
If a person asked why I would be a solo in an MMORPG, well for a few reasons. One it gives me the chance to improve my own abilities and makes me more reliant on myself than others. Two all the loot goes to me and me alone, most parties would break down for the sole reason of not being able to divide the drops equally and even guilds go to war for them which is understandable as a fellow player. Lastly, yeah. I just don't like being around others that often...
Putting that aside I tried to think of a way to break the awkward atmosphere between us.
I should probably open up with something small...
"So..., uh how old are you two?"
Brilliant, the first thing I ask and it's that. I didn't want to make them uncomfortable around me, I just needed something to say. However they were unfazed and answered normally.
"Nineteen"
"I'm fourteen"
"And, You?"
They looked towards me, waiting for my answer.
"Eighteen "
"Oh, okay"
Their windows then appeared with updated info.
Name Alice
Age 19
Gender Female
Race Human
Name Terra
Age 14
Gender Female
Race Gnome
They looked back at the road ahead unchanged by my answer. Silence then filled the atmosphere once more, it just made it more awkward for me now that I was the first one who spoke, I really do have no idea how to talk to girls. Well at least I know how old they are. I placed my hand over my face to cover my embarrassed look.
Alice noticing my expression, she asked me...
"Hey, are you usually this quiet?"
I turned to both of them. Well she figured me out, so I guess I have to come out honest for this question. I looked back at her...
"Oh, um yeah sorry it's just that talking isn't really my thing especially to girls"
I unconsciously placed my hand rubbing my nape. She gave a refreshing smile and looked towards me.
"Oh it's fine, you actually remind us of one of our friends. She doesn't usually speak to a lot of people, but she's a good person."
Alice commented me with a smile, all I could do was smile back at her. Well that comment helped me be more comfortable and more relax around her. I could finally get that of my chest.
I then began to talk to them a bit more relaxed.
"Do you... go to this city often?"
"It's the closest to our home, the people are nice though they still don't know about Terra also the facilities are alright. Since your new, I'll take you on a tour when we get there."
"Ah, Thanks. Could you name me some of them?"
"They've got smiths, a huge marketplace, some specialty shops and what's more a bath house."
Alice then paused for a few seconds before giving her next remark.
"You should probably visit it when you get there."
It took me a few seconds to understand what she meant by that until I smelled the air around me. A pungent smell from my clothes entered my nose with disgust already forming through my expression.
Guh...! It stinks! Though it's not that bad its not faint either. This game never had blood before so this issue is a first. I'll have to wash this off later, thank god she told me, though I feel a bit ashamed that she was the one who pointed it out before me.
"Sorry, I didn't notice. This is a bit embarrassing."
"Oh, we don't mind we got used to the smell of blood a long time ago. I usually go hunting so its only apparent that I smell it. Terra on the other hand handles meat quite often has to drain it out before she prepares a meal though she's not as used to it as I am."
I turned to Terra who was a bit of some distance away from me with a dejected expression on her face.
"Ah, I'll step away if you want."
"N-No its fine! I'm trying to get used to it myself so please stay where you are."
"Alright then...Oh."
That's strange, I just noticed that the aura around Terra from before is gone now.
Terra gave me a puzzled expression.
"What?"
"I can't feel that aura from earlier."
"Aura? You mean my magic? I was able to suppress it a bit lower. It seems your only able to feel simple magic"
"Are you perhaps a mage from one of the cities?"
"Um... no."
Alice's and Terra's jaw dropped and reacted in total surprise.
"What?!"
I was a bit shocked by their answers it seemed what I told them had some impact.
"Huh? What's with your reactions?"
Alice then began to explain...
"You see according to what most people say, you have to train to be a beginner level mage to be even be able to feel the slightest bit of magic from others or objects and to also be able to use magic itself. This process takes weeks of training to be able to focus the magic in one's body, but there are those who are naturally gifted with the ability to sense even the basic traces of magic even without the necessary mental training and are able to train in magic much faster than regular people. To the Magic associations people like you are what they call Talented."
I was stunned by the amount of information I was just given by Alice.
Hm, then I guess my goal of becoming a magic swordsman shouldn't be too far out of my reach. Also that has me thinking... This is according to Arthur a copy of my body back in the real world so I had this ever since I was born so why is it only now that I am able to use or feel magic? It seems I have to explore on to this another time.
"Wow, then I'm quite special."
I said with a proud expression and tone, but was crushed by the next statement.
"Yes, but as of now you can only sense the very basic premise of magic, you would still need to train for some time to be able to use magic. There are stories of others who can sense the most advance areas of magic when they are born, they are regarded as geniuses in the mage associations."
Sigh, it doesn't feel so great to know that your special when others are much more special than you. No, that would make me sound greedy and spoiled I shouldn't be thinking about it in that way. Anyway...
"Do you know how long?"
"If I had known I would have told you during my explanation, it varies per person. There are also stories before that some people even people born with that gift cannot use magic."
I don't think I want that happening to me now that I'm here, let's not think about that for now. Wait how does she know this much?
"That is... a frightening thought..."
"Pfft! I'm just kidding! There's no way such talent wouldn't be limited to just that."
"That's a relief. Also how do you know this?"
"Read it in a book once."
"Ah, I see."
So how is Terra able to sense magic then? Well she is one of the magical races so she should have been born with it already. Oh I should probably ask before I forget...
"Oh, right. Alice are you Terra's contractor?"
"Ah, no. I don't have any magic to be able to support if she ever needs any."
"If your not her contractor, then why is she away from Elven territory?"
"Well she was never initially from an Elven forest or village, we one day just found her in these woods a couple of years ago."
What the? Well according to the lore of Gnomes an influx of spirit power could sometimes pile up in certain places and would coincidentally go into the earth creating Gnomes without the necessary methods of the Elves, so I guess it would make sense if it were that way.
"She doesn't have someone to contract with for now, but she doesn't use her abilities so often anyway."
I looked towards her, she averted her gaze from my line of sight. Maybe I shouldn't say anything about this, she must have her reasons plus if she was contracted then she would end up probably getting caught.
"Ah, I see."
"Anyway I'll introduce you to someone when we get to the city... Oh we're already at the forest's edge."
I looked ahead of us and saw a lush pasture that extended for a few miles, it looks like it could be wide enough to be used for some kind of war re-enactment. Just ahead a smooth white stone brick wall just some distance away from us. Behind it was the sight of smoke and the sound of a roaring crowd.
END OF UPDATE