by EA Hooper
You’ve chosen Ranger. Are you happy with this selection? (Yes/No)
“Yup. Let’s do this.”
The world fell away at his feet, and Vincent floated through a white void. He gave a startled shout, then landed in a grassy field unharmed. The young-again man gaped as the world materialized around him. First the fields and rolling hills—streams and trees and creatures in the distance. He saw the walls of a massive city appear on the horizon.
The blue sky formed overhead with puffy clouds, and then other worlds appeared beyond that. He eyed the thin, twisting World-Tree rising through the heavens. In his view, he saw hundreds of worlds hanging off crooked branches.
Vincent stood in awe of the World-Tree. At its widest, close to his current world, the tree looked thicker than any of the worlds. Higher up the tree, it looked thinner than most worlds. The higher portions of the tree seemed obscured by light that came from all directions. He couldn’t find a star of any kind and assumed the skybox produced light for the worlds.
>Vincent: My god. Oh, my god.
>Jim: You spawned on the World-Tree, didn’t you? Yeah, it’s something, isn’t it? Even after spending over ten years in this game, I always marvel when I jump back in.
>Vincent: It’s incredible. I can’t believe this is real. When we were kids, playing Super Nintendo, would you ever have guessed we’d get to experience something like this?
>Jim: No, I thought I’d do something productive with my life. Get rich and retire to my own island full of supermodels. To be honest, this is even better.
Vincent continued to gape at the World-Tree.
>Jim: Hey, I assume you spawned near a city. Can you Scan it and tell me which one it is? The game should’ve started you on the world with the most people from your social media contacts.
Vincent concentrated on the city in the distance and information appeared on his heads-up display.
City of Knightrest – Player Count: 1,052,253 | City Size: Medium | Fact #1: Takes up 2.3% of Teramor’s land area. | Fact #2: Most common class is Fighter. | Fact #3: Knightrest is occasionally assaulted by goblins.
>Vincent: Knightrest?
>Jim: Sweet! You started on a world called Teramor. It’s where I’ve spent most of my time in this game. I’m actually in Knightrest right now, smoking some fine herbs with a couple of lady friends. You should get in on the action.
>Vincent: I’d rather learn to play the game.
>Jim: Suit yourself, dude. I’ll keep the private chat open if you have any questions, but don’t be surprised if I take a while to respond.
>Vincent: Alright.
Vincent brought up his HUD and looked through his inventory. He scrolled past the various articles of clothing that made up his Ranger outfit to look at the more interesting items.
Ranger’s Leather Tunic – Material Rating: 10
Wooden Longbow – A wooden longbow with a string made from varspider silk.
Branzium-Tipped Arrows (x30) – Material Rating: 50 | Wooden arrows with branzium tips.
Oiron Dagger – Material Rating: 100
Elixir (x2) – Drink to heal minor injuries.
Ether (x2) – Drink to recover a small amount of mana.
So, branzium is like the bronze of this game. Oiron is iron. There’re no stats for damage and the like, probably because the game uses physics instead of health points. But higher material ratings are likely stronger and cut better. My leather tunic only has a rating of ten, so I’d better be careful.
He switched his HUD from his items to his ability page.
Scan (Ranger Only) – Mana Usage: Minuscule | Allows the user to learn more about a target.
Mana Gun – Mana Usage: Low | Magic Rating: 100 | Releases a piercing bolt of mana from the user’s fingertips.
Mana Shield – Mana Usage: Very Low | Magic Rating: 100 | Generates a weak forcefield around the user. However, this forcefield dissipates upon taking damage. Mana Shield will automatically restore itself after one minute of not taking damage, but only if mana is available.
I assume every player starts with Mana Gun and Mana Shield. Probably balances things out in the early levels. If I had to guess, I’d say Magic Rating is comparable to Material Rating. So, a Mana Gun blast is like getting stabbed with my oiron dagger. The shield can stop one hit, but I’m willing to bet anything with a rating higher than a hundred will tear through it and hurt me anyways.
Vincent pointed two fingers at a tree and focused to use the Mana Gun ability. Green light flashed from his fingers, and a bolt of energy flew at the tree. The bolt burned through the bark, leaving a hole that went a couple of inches deep. He felt a wave of fatigue as he used the ability, but not the same tiredness he’d get from running a marathon or working out.
Mana is part of my body, he realized. Using that ability literally drained the mana right out of me. There’s no MP bar, but I can physically feel that it drained most my mana. I guess I don’t start with much.
He checked his player stats.
Vitality: Lv 1
Spirit: Lv 1
Resolve: Lv 1
Perception*: Lv 1
Agility: Lv 1
Strength: Lv 1
He noticed the asterisk that marked his Specialized Stat. Great, I don’t even start with a boost to my Perception. I’ll have to grind out all these stats, won’t I? A smile crept across his face. Then again, this is exactly what I’ve been looking for—a challenge. I was worried this game would be casual, like most modern VR games, but ARKUS really made something special with this.
A gray rabbit bounced from the nearby grass and took a few jumps before coming to a stop. Vincent watched the rabbit for a second and then Scanned it.
Teramor Gray Rabbit – Monster Class: F | Age: 5 | Number of Children: 18 | Sex: Female | Personality: Hopeful
Monster class? Vincent searched his HUD menus until he found a help page. He looked for the monster class guide.
Monster Classes
F – Trivial
E – Nonthreatening
D – Threatening
C – Formidable
B – Dangerous
A – Extremely Dangerous
S – Insanely Dangerous
S+ – Impossibly Dangerous
That sure is a hell of a guide. I’m not sure how I’d feel playing such a realistic game and coming across something the game labels Impossibly Dangerous. That’s probably just for end-game bosses, though. He stared at the rabbit. Well, I better start grinding.
Vincent willed his bow and an arrow to appear, then looked down at his weapons. Huh. I don’t think I’ve used one of these since I had archery practice in high school. No wonder Jim says he doesn’t meet many Rangers. I didn’t think about the fact that I have to learn to fight for real in this game.
>Vincent: Hey, Jim. How’d you learn to fight in this game?
The rabbit hopped around and nibbled on grass as the Ranger waited for his friend’s response.
>Jim: I used to take classes here in Knightrest for sword and spear fighting. There are player run dojos that teach different styles of combat. It can take years to get good, however. Starting out, I just used Mana Gun to head-shot lone goblins. Then I’d grab their stuff and run away before their friends arrived. Oh, you also might want to turn down the pain receptors. I learned that one the hard way.
Vincent looked through his menu for anything related to pain receptors.
Pain Reduction: 90% (Note: Can only be set 90-99%)
>Vincent: It’s already set to ninety-percent reduction.
>Jim: Still hurts, though. I set mine to ninety-nine when I leave Knightrest, but keep it to ninety when I’m here. If you turn the pain levels too low, it reduces how real everything feels. But man, the sex feels great when pain reduction is at ninety. You should try it, dude. Come to the Blue Phoenix District—it’s non-stop partying here. Cheap drinks. Good herb. Loose women.
>Vincent: Jim, you’re old enough to be most of those women’s grandfather.
>Jim: We’re all young in World-Tree Online, Vince. Hell, a lot of these women are our age. This game is insanely popular with old-timers that want to live longer and be young again. ARKUS won’t let you play if you’re under eighteen anyways, so it’s all legal fun.
>Vincent: Some of us don’t care about being young again or living longer. I’m here to play the game—to challenge myself with the gaming experience I’ve always dreamed about.
>Jim: Booooring.
Vincent sighed and took aim at the rabbit with his bow. He released the arrow—and it hit the ground five feet away from the critter. The rabbit looked up in alarm and darted into the tall grass, disappearing from his sight.
You’re not getting away so easily.
The Ranger chased the rabbit into the grass, sprinting like he hadn’t in ages. His bones didn’t hurt, his muscles didn’t strain, and his breath stayed steady as he pursued his prey over the hilltop. He readied and fired two more arrows at the rabbit, but both missed by a couple of feet. His prey jumped over a log at the top of the hill and disappeared over a small drop off.
Vincent leapt over the log, bow and arrow ready. He dropped down a several-meter-high dirt incline, searching for the rabbit. Instead, he spotted a raggedy humanoid creature a few meters away.
The greenish, lumpy monster twisted his body around to look at the human. The creature’s arm muscles squirmed as he tightened his hands around the handle of an axe. Black eyes stared at Vincent, and the man felt fear run through his body.
For a moment, Vincent forgot he was playing a game. He stood, immobilized in panic as the monster stared him down. Just a game, he reminded himself. Just a game. He readied an arrow and Scanned the monster.
Green Goblin Scout – Monster Class: D | Age: 19 | Sex: Male | Number of Offspring: 5 | Personality: Sassy
The goblin stared at his bow and snarled. It wasn’t an angry snarl, nor a fearful one. If anything, Vincent thought the goblin had mocked him.
“Can you talk?” Vincent asked it. “Are you alive? Is this one of those games where I’m supposed to question the morality of killing you?”
The goblin spat in his direction.
“Well, that’s wonderful. Nice talking to you.”
Vincent released his branzium-tipped arrow, but once again, he missed. The goblin reacted angrily, raising his axe and charging toward the player with crooked steps.
“Not much of a runner, are you?” Vincent mocked, letting another arrow fly. This time, his arrow hit the goblin in the shoulder, causing the monster to momentarily lose speed.
Perception Level Up: 1>2
Nice! I leveled up my Perception. Although the first levels are always the easy ones.
The goblin picked up his pace as he moved toward Vincent. The creature seemed even angrier than before and howled as he charged. Despite being a virtual character, watching the monster get closer and closer made Vincent nervous.
I didn’t change my pain receptors, he remembered. I’ll still feel ten percent of whatever it does to me. He nervously released another arrow, but it hit the ground beside the goblin. Okay, stay calm. You can do this. Remember high school archery. Oh, wait. I skipped archery half the time to make out with Monika.
His next arrow struck the goblin in the tunic. Vincent thought for sure that would bring him down, but the creature continued shambling forward. Just as the goblin reached Vincent, the young-again man summoned another arrow from his inventory and placed it on the string.
The goblin swung his axe, tearing through Vincent’s bow. The man fell backward against the dirt incline and yelled in fear. Panicking, Vincent grabbed the oiron dagger from his inventory.
“Stay back!” Vincent screamed.
The goblin raised his axe overhead, readying a killing blow. “Merph-rah,” he spat back.
Vincent planted his boot on the dirt incline and kicked off it, throwing himself at the goblin. He thrust his dagger at the monster’s chest and managed to stab him in the heart.
“Oomph-wah,” the goblin moaned, dropping its axe. He stared with sad eyes and fell to the dirt. The body crumbled into dust, leaving several glowing crystals.
Vincent grabbed the axe first and added it to his inventory.
Goblin’s Oiron Hand-Axe – Material Rating: 100 | A high-quality, goblin-made axe that was handcrafted with love.
He moved his hands over the glowing crystals, and his HUD showed information over the items that the goblin had dropped.
Elixir – Drink to heal minor injuries.
8oz Fire-Brandy – A bottle of spiced brandy.
Human Hand – A literal human hand. Likely taken as a trophy.
Memento Locket – A locket with a picture of a young goblin inside.
1-Piece Gild Coin (x8)
5-Piece Gild Coin (x1)
Vincent took everything but the hand and added them to his inventory. He smiled, feeling good about his first victory in the game. His heart pounded away in his chest, and his muscles still felt taut and ready for more action.
What a rush! Nothing I’ve ever played compares to this. Hell, nothing I’ve done in my life compares to this. It really felt like slaying a monster. Even the impact of driving my knife into its heart felt real. He looked down at his trembling hands. I’m shaking. I’m literally shaking with excitement.
>Vincent: Jim! Jim, I killed my first goblin. It was exhilarating. This game is absolutely incredible. Just the most amazing thing ever made.
>Jim: Nice, dude. Wait till you find something stronger.
>Vincent: Uh, I think I just did.
As Vincent spoke, he stared ahead as something twice his height strolled from the nearby forest. The slender, beautiful creature looked like an antelope—if an antelope had been painted in the visage of a god. Its emerald fur shimmered with light, and its horns looked made of crystal. The graceful beast walked with silent steps, and Vincent gaped as it approached the tall grass to graze.
>Jim: What do you see? Don’t tell me it’s an ogre. You don’t want to mess with those things.
Vincent Scanned the beautiful creature.
Gazal the Forest Lord (World Boss) – Monster Class: B | Ageless | Sex: Male | Respawn Time: One In-Game Week | Personality: Reclusive
>Vincent: I just found a freaking World Boss.
>Jim: Oh, you mean Gazal? Yeah, he’s a sight to behold, isn’t he? He won’t bother you if you don’t bother him. However, you’ll want to kill him, eventually. Check out the Ranger Class Quest.
Vincent looked through his HUD for quests.
The Greatest Game (Ranger Class Quest) – Kill a World Boss without assistance.
>Vincent: Woah! You’re saying if I kill this thing now, I’ll unlock a new subclass already?
>Jim: Don’t try it, Vince. Trust me.
>Vincent: It’s not even paying attention. It’s eating grass. What if I nail it in the head with an arrow?
>Jim: I’m pretty sure Gazal has a shield.
>Vincent: Then I’ll shoot him with Mana Gun first.
Vincent took a bottle of ether from his inventory. He drank the glowing liquid and could feel his mana replenishing at a rapid rate.
>Jim: You reduced your pain receptors, right? Actually, don’t worry. It won’t even matter. Talk to me when you respawn. It takes one in-game day, but for you, it’ll seem much faster. The time dilation effect starts wearing off while you’re dead.
>Vincent: You’re assuming I’ll die.
>Jim: Talk to you tomorrow, buddy. Have fun getting blown to pieces.
Vincent rolled his eyes and crouched low. He slowly stepped into the tall grass with his fingers ready to fire. I’ll hit him with Mana Gun and then switch to my bow and arrow really fast. Gazal might be a World Boss, but he’s only a B-Class Monster. He can’t be that hard to take down. This is just a newbie world, after all.
He snuck closer until Gazal raised his head from the grass. He knows I’m here. Gotta make my move. Vincent stood, and his fingers glowed green with magic.
A bolt of energy flew from his fingertips and ricocheted off a shimmering shield that appeared over the World Boss.
Gazal’s horns flashed with emerald light, and then the ground exploded below Vincent’s feet.
You’ve died. Respawning at Knightrest…
Chapter 2
Player: Sheriff Lucas
Location: Mitigar (World) | Serpent Canyons (Region)
Class: Sheriff (Moderator)
Vitality*: Lv 81
Spirit*: Lv 88
Resolve*: Lv 83
Perception*: Lv 76
Agility*: Lv 79
Strength*: Lv 80
Lucas peered over the glassy-red canyons with a scowl on his face. Most people would’ve been in awe of the miles of majestic landscape before him, but he saw it only as a hindrance. He opened his HUD and looked at the list of toxic players he and his partner were following. It showed him possible worlds and regions based on reports from other players, but it didn’t tell him their exact location.
“I don’t understand why ARKUS won’t let us see exactly where they’re at,” Lucas complained to his partner.
The beautiful blonde woman smirked at him. “Lucas, you’re always whining about ARKUS’s decisions. We’ve had this discussion a hundred times. You should be happy you got chosen to be a Sheriff. You get special powers, all your stats are specialized, and they started at level fifty. What more could you want?”
Lucas glanced at the special abilities his partner had mentioned.
Mod Gun (Low-Tier) – Cooldown: One In-Game Minute | The user releases a near-invisible bolt from their fingertip that temporarily bans its target for one hour of real-world time. During this time, ARKUS will decide if the ban should be extended.
Mod Shield (Low-Tier) – Cooldown: One In-Game Minute | Magic Rating: 999 | Creates a nearly invincible forcefield around the user. However, this forcefield dissipates upon taking damage over its threshold. | Threshold (150) | Lesser Elemental Threshold.
Monster Pause (Low-Tier) – Cooldown: One In-Game Minute | The user releases a near-invisible bolt that pauses B-Class or lower monster for ten seconds.
