Chapter 2: A Virtual Explosion
The stench of pollution seeped through the cracks of Megumin's window, a constant reminder of the world outside. It was as if the very air was trying to choke the life out of her, much like it had done to the plants and animals that once thrived. But the self-proclaimed greatest archwizard paid it no heed. Her attention was wholly consumed by the work spread before her–a chaotic array of printouts, hastily scribbled notes, and diagrams that climbed like ivy from floor to ceiling of her tiny room.
"Ah!" Megumin exclaimed, her eyes gleaming with triumph as she connected two seemingly unrelated scraps of information. "A path to hidden power reveals itself to me once again!"
She dramatically swept her arm across the cluttered table, sending a precariously balanced tower of notes cascading to the floor. Megumin winced, her theatrical pose deflating slightly as she surveyed the mess.
"Er… a mere minor setback in the grand scheme of my research," she muttered, hastily gathering the fallen papers. "Even the mightiest of wizards must wade through chaos to find order!"
For weeks, she'd immersed herself in the world of Yggdrasil, or rather, in the scraps of information online about the soon-to-be-released game. Leaked beta notes, developer interviews, and endless speculation filled her days and haunted her dreams. The lack of concrete information was maddening, yet oddly thrilling. In her old world, magic had been a known quantity, as familiar to her as breathing. Here, everything was unexplored territory–and nothing escaped her voracious appetite for knowledge.
Printed screenshots of gameplay ads were connected by red strings, forming constellations of potential skill trees and spell combinations. It reminded her of the star charts she once used to time her explosions for maximum dramatic effect. Hastily scrawled incantations–her attempts to reverse-engineer the game's magic system and theoretical damage calculations–covered every available surface.
She stood back, admiring her handiwork. The walls of her tiny apartment had disappeared beneath layers of papers and string, transforming the dreary space into a cocoon of magical potential. "Behold! The fruits of my labour!" she declared to the empty room. "With this knowledge, I shall rise to become the most feared and respected wizard in all of Yggdrasil! Tremble, virtual world, for Megumin approaches!"
A hacking cough from the apartment next door punctuated her declaration, followed by a muffled shout to keep it down. The walls in this building were thin, barely more substantial than paper. Megumin's hands remained on her hips, the reality of her surroundings not dissuading her one bit. If anything, the reminder of this world's dreariness only fueled her determination to experience Yggdrasil.
She glanced at the battered clock on her wall, its face grimy with the ever-present pollution that coated everything in this world—The hour of rebirth cometh. Excitement bubbled up within her, chasing away the momentary gloom. It was a feeling she hadn't experienced since arriving in this bleak future, a spark of the old Megumin, the one who faced each day as a new adventure.
"The time has come to purify this vessel," Megumin intoned, grabbing a threadbare towel that had seen better days. Its rough texture was a far cry from the soft linens of her old world, but it would have to suffice. "That I might enter the new realm unsullied by the miasma of this wretched world!"
The purification ritual–in reality, just a quick shower–proved to be its own challenge. Megumin wrestled with the temperamental plumbing, a daily battle that never failed to test her patience. The pipes groaned and shuddered, resenting being asked to perform their duty.
"Foul spirits of rust and decay!" she sputtered, ducking under a particularly aggressive spray that alternated between icy jets and scalding bursts. The water had a faint chemical smell, nothing like the clear streams of her homeland. "Your attempts to thwart me are futile! I shall emerge victorious, cleansed in body and spirit!"
Finally clean (or at least less grimy), Megumin donned her usual garments: a faded t-shirt and loose pants that didn't scratch or scrape at the collar. They were no beloved crimson robes, but they were the closest thing to comfort she had in this world. She settled before her dive gear, double-checking each connection with meticulous detail. The technology was alien, but she approached it with the same focus she once gave to preparing her staff for a powerful explosion.
With reverent care, Megumin cleared a space on her cluttered floor. She produced a crumbling piece of chalk from her pocket, a relic from her first days in this world when she still tried to draw magic circles to no avail. Her brown eyes, so different from her original crimson, gleamed in the dim light with focus as she began to draw. Her hand moved in swift, precise arcs, muscle memory from countless spell preparations guiding her movements.
A complex magic circle took shape, its intricate patterns sprawling across the floor. Arcane symbols and esoteric runes intertwined, forming a web of mystical energy. To Megumin, it was a comforting ritual, a link to her past. To any observer, they were meaningless scribbles. She placed her VR headset in the centre, like an offering to some digital deity.
"Now," she muttered, her voice low and intense, "to imbue this mundane device with the power of the Crimson Demon Clan!"
Megumin produced a set of candles from a drawer, their surfaces covered in more hastily scrawled runes. The candles were cheap and waxy, nothing like the high-quality ones used in magical rituals back home, but they would serve her purpose. She arranged them at key points around the circle, lighting each with a dramatic finish. The flickering flames cast dancing shadows across the walls, lending an air of eldritch mystery that she was precisely aiming for. For a moment, she almost believed she was back in Axel.
Next came the headset itself. With a fine-tipped marker, Megumin began to adorn the sleek surface of the VR gear. Her tongue stuck out slightly as she concentrated, adding swirling patterns and miniature magical arrays to every available surface. Each symbol was chosen with care, a blend of the magical language she once knew and the new digital runes she had deciphered from her research into Yggdrasil.
"Runes of clarity, to pierce the veil between worlds," she intoned, drawing an eye-like symbol. The marker squeaked against the smooth surface of the headset, an oddly satisfying sound in the quiet room. "Sigils of protection, to shield my mind from digital corruption!" A series of interlocking triangles appeared, reminiscent of the wards she once used to protect herself from magical backlash.
As she worked, Megumin's movements became almost trance-like. She hummed an off-key tune, some half-remembered magic chant from her old world. The melody brought a lump to her throat, memories of her friends and family flooding back. She pushed the feelings aside, channeling them into her work. The marker danced across the headset, leaving a wake of mystical graffiti.
Finally satisfied, Megumin held up her creation. The once-sleek headset now looked like it had been attacked by a drunk street artist, every inch covered in pseudo-magical scribbles. She beamed with pride, her chest swelling with the same confidence she once felt before casting a particularly powerful explosion.
"A battle helm fit for the greatest archwizard Yggdrasil shall ever know!"
A muffled thump and curse from the floor below suggested her neighbors were less than impressed with her invocation. Megumin ignored it, as she always did. In her mind, she was no longer in a run-down apartment building, but on the precipice of a new adventure.
"Yggdrasil!" she called out, her voice ringing with challenge and excitement. "Open your gates! Let the very foundations of your World Tree tremble at my approach!"
The startup tone of her dive gear cut off her proclamation, a harsh digital beep that shattered the mystical atmosphere she had cultivated. Megumin blinked, momentarily thrown off her rhythm. Then, with a grin that would have sent Kazuma running for cover, she lay down on her bed and settled the headset into place.
As the system initiated, Megumin's heart raced. This was it. The moment she had been preparing for, was the chance to reclaim a piece of her old self. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and…
Megumin's consciousness exploded.
It was as if every atom of her being had been scattered to the winds, then reassembled piece by piece. The sensation was not entirely unfamiliar–it reminded her of the aftermath of a particularly powerful explosion spell, that moment of disorientation before the exhilaration set in. She felt weightless, bodiless, yet more present than she'd ever been. Colours she had no names for swirled around her, accompanied by sounds that seemed to bypass her ears and resonate directly in her mind. For a terrifying, exhilarating moment, Megumin wondered if she'd somehow cast the ultimate Explosion spell and obliterated herself and all of Neo Tokyo in the process.
Then, as abruptly as it began, the sensory overload ceased. Megumin found herself floating in a void, surrounded by pulsing lines of code and swirling energy. She tried to gasp, but realised she had no lungs to fill, no mouth to open. She was everywhere and nowhere, everything and nothing. It was, in its own way, as magical as anything she had experienced in her old world.
The kaleidoscope of sensations coalesced before her, welcoming her to Yggdrasil and prompting her to begin character creation. Megumin's incorporeal form trembled with excitement. This was it–the moment she would forge her new identity in this digital realm.
A prompt materialized before her: [Welcome to Yggdrasil. Please create your character.]
"At last," she declared to the empty virtual space, her voice ringing with the same confidence she once used to announce her explosions, "I shall forge my new identity! A vessel worthy of unparalleled magical prowess!"
With a thought, she navigated to the character creation menu, marveling at how intuitive it felt to control this interface with her mind alone. It was nothing like casting spells, yet in some ways, it felt remarkably similar–the focus required, the sense of manipulating unseen forces.
The default selection was human. Megumin hovered over the myriad options, her excitement growing as she scrolled through exotic choices. Heteromorphs with otherworldly abilities, demi-humans with innate affinities—each possibility whispered of power and adventure. Her heart raced as she searched, hoping against hope to find…
"Crimson Demon," she murmured, scrolling faster and faster. "It has to be here somewhere… perhaps under a different name? Scarlet Sorcerer? Ruby Mage?"
But as she reached the end of the list, her shoulders slumped. No matter how many times she checked, the race she sought simply didn't exist in this world. A pang of disappointment shot through her, sharper than she'd expected.
"No," Megumin muttered, her incorporeal form bristling with defiance. "I refuse to accept this! I am Megumin, proud member of the Crimson Demon clan. No mere game can take that away from me!"
She scoured the menus, looking for any option to create a custom race. There had to be a way, some hidden feature she could exploit. But after what felt like hours of searching, she had to admit defeat. The game, it seemed, had limitations even her determination couldn't overcome.
"Very well, Yggdrasil," Megumin said, her voice low and challenging. "You may not recognize the greatness of the Crimson Demons, but I'll show you the error of your ways. I'll become so powerful, so renowned, that they'll have no choice but to add my clan in the next update!"
With renewed determination, Megumin turned back to the race selection. She hovered over "Human" for a long moment, her cursor wavering. It felt like a step backwards, a denial of her true heritage. It wasn't cool or exotic. But what choice did she have? Accidentally choosing a race without an affinity for magic would be the worst-case scenario.
"Human," Megumin selected. It wasn't perfect, but it was a safe option. She could work with this.
Next came class selection. Megumin's incorporeal form trembled with anticipation as she scrolled through the options. Warrior, Rogue, Cleric… she dismissed them without a second thought. There was only one choice for her.
Class: Elementalist. As she selected it, Megumin braced herself, expecting to feel a rush of magical energy, a spark of her old power. Instead… nothing. No surge of mana, no tingling in her fingertips. Just a hollow emptiness where her magic should have been.
The interface flashed with spirals and glowing particles, a gaudy display that felt more like a child's idea of magic than the raw power she once commanded. Megumin couldn't help the bitter taste that rose in her throat. This was the magic of Yggdrasil? This pale imitation?
"It's… It's better than nothing," Megumin told herself firmly, trying to quash her disappointment.
Then came the appearance customisation. Options stretched before her, and an unexpected ache bloomed in Megumin's chest. Memories flooded her mind—the warmth of Kazuma's reluctant praise, Aqua's drunken laughter, the solid presence of Darkness at her back. Her initial plan to create an entirely new avatar wavered.
With trembling determination, she began to shape her virtual self. The familiar contours of her face emerged, followed by her petite frame and flowing dark hair. When it came to eye colour, Megumin paused, hovering between a mundane brown and her old, vibrant crimson.
For long moments, Megumin faltered. The colours before her blurred as indecision paralyzed her. She thought of Kazuma's exasperated sighs, of the way he'd roll his eyes at her antics but always, always come through when it mattered. What would he say if he could see her now?
"He'd probably tell me I'm being ridiculous," Megumin muttered, a sad smile tugging at her lips. "But then he'd sigh and say, 'Do what you want, just don't cause too much trouble.'"
The vibrant crimson she'd once been so proud of blazed to life in her avatar's eyes.
A mirror appeared, showing her completed avatar. Megumin stared, transfixed. It was her, yet not her. But the eyes–they were undeniably hers. Tears welled up in Megumin's eyes as she gazed at this echo of her former self. She reached out, her fingers brushing against the virtual image, encountering a tingling warmth.
"Hello, old friend," she whispered. "I've missed you."
In the reflection of her avatar's eyes, beyond the familiar crimson, she could see a flicker of determination. It was the same look she'd worn when facing down powerful enemies when pushing her limits to cast ever-stronger explosions. That fire had never truly gone out.
"I will make you proud," Megumin vowed to her reflection, her voice gaining strength with each word. "In this world or any other, I am still the greatest wielder of explosion magic. And I will prove it!"
As the customisation screen faded away, a new prompt appeared: "Please choose your starting location."
Megumin grinned, her crimson eyes flashing with anticipation. This, at least, was an easy choice. "Múspellsheim," she selected without hesitation. It was a harsh starting area based on the realm of fire in Norse mythology, rich in destructive magic and resources. Perfect for an aspiring wielder of explosive power.
The white void shimmered and dissolved. Heat washed over Megumin as the world of Múspellsheim materialized around her. Volcanic plains stretched as far as the eye could see, punctuated by towering mountains belching smoke and ash into a crimson sky. Rivers of lava cut through the blackened earth, casting an eerie glow across the landscape.
Megumin's eyes widened, drinking in every visual detail of this harsh new world. Though she couldn't smell the sulfur or feel the intense heat she imagined should be present, the sight alone was breathtaking. It reminded her of the aftermath of her most powerful explosions, a world reshaped by raw magical power.
A slight pressure on her skin simulated the touch of a hot breeze, the game's limited tactile feedback adding to the illusion. It wasn't perfect, but it was enough to make the virtual world feel more real than anything she'd experienced in months. Megumin flexed her fingers, marvelling at how responsive her new body felt. It wasn't flesh and blood, but it was hers.
She raised her arms dramatically, her voice ringing out across the desolate plain. The sound echoed off distant cliffs, amplifying her words and sending a thrill down her spine.
"Hear me, Múspellsheim! I, Megumin, have come to claim my destiny!" Her eyes blazed with determination, matching the fiery landscape around her. "Tremble before the might of the greatest explosion mage this realm shall ever know!"
Her proclamation echoed unanswered across the barren landscape. She glanced around, hoping for some sort of tutorial prompt or guide. The game's interface was surprisingly minimal, with only a small health bar and mana meter visible in the corner of her vision.
"Well," she muttered, placing her hands on her hips, "I suppose even the mightiest must start somewhere."
Megumin's gaze fell upon a gnarled staff half-buried in the ashen soil. Its twisted form seemed to beckon to her, promising power and adventure. Megumin's eyes lit up. She scrambled towards it, nearly tripping over her own feet in her haste.
"Aha!" she cried, grasping the staff. The wood felt warm beneath her touch, almost alive. "My first item! A weapon of immense power, drawn to my unparalleled magical potential!"
Megumin struck a dramatic pose, brandishing the staff towards the roiling sky. "Now, channel my power! Let loose a conflagration to rival the fires of creation itself!"
Nothing happened.
Megumin's brow furrowed. She shook the staff vigorously as if trying to wake it up.
A notification popped up in her field of vision: "Basic Wooden Staff acquired. +1 to ."
Megumin stared at the notification, then back at the unimpressive stick in her hands. Her grand entrance was not going quite as she had envisioned. She could almost hear Kazuma's exasperated sigh, followed by some snarky comment about her expectations being too high.
"Well," she muttered, trying to maintain her dignity, "I suppose even the mightiest must start somewhere."
All those nights of research weren't for nothing. While the rest of the day one players were stumbling around, getting lost in menus and commands, Megumin had come prepared. She took a deep breath, centring herself in this new virtual body. The familiar weight of the staff in her hands helped ground her, reminding her of countless battles alongside her friends.
"Skills!" she declared with confidence, her voice ringing out across the desolate landscape.
A translucent window materialised before her, shimmering like a mirage in the heat-haze of Múspellsheim. Megumin's eyes darted across the display, drinking in every detail. Most of the skill tree was greyed out, locked behind level requirements and class progressions. But there, at the very top, a single skill glowed:
[Magic Arrow] - 1st Tier spell. Allows the user to shoot out an arrow made of mana that will pierce a target.
Megumin's lips curled into a smile. It wasn't her beloved Explosion, not by a long shot, but it was magic nonetheless.
"Now then," she murmured, her voice low and intense, "let's see what other secrets you're hiding, Yggdrasil."
"Inventory!"
Another window shimmered into existence. Megumin's brow furrowed as she examined its contents:
- Basic Wooden Staff (Equipped)
- Novice Flame Robes (Equipped)
- Water Flask (1)
- Ration Bar (3)
It was a pitiful collection, but Megumin refused to let it dampen her spirits. Each item, no matter how basic, was a stepping stone on her path to power. She eyed the Ration Bar with particular interest, wondering if it would taste any better than the bland nutrient blocks of her polluted world.
Megumin closed her eyes, recalling the countless forum posts and leaked developer notes she had pored over. There was one more command, one that even the most new players often overlooked in their first moments.
"Status!" she called out, her voice filled with anticipation.
A third window appeared, this one more complex than the others. It showed a simplified avatar of Megumin, surrounded by various statistics and attributes. Most were unremarkable, befitting a level 1 character. Her eyes darted across the numbers, taking in every detail.
For a moment, disappointment threatened to overwhelm her. Though she had no point of reference, she couldn't help but feel that her stats were… average. Everything she'd never been, everything she'd fought against being her entire life. Megumin's hands clenched at her sides, her nails digging into her palms. The familiar feeling of frustration welled up inside her, reminiscent of the times Kazuma had tried to convince her to learn other spells.
"So what if my starting stats are unremarkable?" Megumin declared, her voice rising with renewed determination. So what if the game didn't immediately recognise her innate talent?
She spun in a circle, her robes billowing dramatically around her. The barren landscape of Múspellsheim suddenly seemed full of possibility. Each rock, each lava flow, was marked as a potential target for future explosions.
Megumin raised her staff high, its simple wooden form silhouetted against the crimson sky. In that moment, it didn't matter that it was just a basic item. In her hands, it would become a conduit for unimaginable power.
With a flourish, she pointed her staff at a nearby rock. It was time to put theory into practice. Megumin took a deep breath, focusing all her will on the tip of her staff. She could almost feel the mana flowing through her, a faint echo of the power she once wielded.
"[Magic Arrow]!"
For a heart-stopping moment, nothing happened. Megumin's breath caught in her throat, a flicker of doubt threatening to extinguish her confidence. Then, with a soft fwoosh, a tiny spark sputtered to life at the end of her staff and shot off into the distance. It was barely larger than a candle's flame, wavering in the hot breeze of Múspellsheim.
The spark struck the rock with a small puff of smoke, leaving a faint scorch mark. It was nothing like the earth-shattering explosions she once commanded, nothing like the devastating power she craved.
But to Megumin, it was beautiful.