God Vessel Online

Discussion in 'Community Fictions' started by DarkClaymore, Aug 22, 2016.

  1. emry987

    emry987 can not think of one just too lazy

    Joined:
    Aug 9, 2016
    Messages:
    298
    Likes Received:
    97
    Reading List:
    Link
    wow the teacher is disappointing oh well finally 2mc are meeting
     
    DarkClaymore likes this.
  2. DarkClaymore

    DarkClaymore Active Member

    Joined:
    Aug 22, 2016
    Messages:
    60
    Likes Received:
    4
    Reading List:
    Link
    Chapter 8: Mina Park

    “Excuse me, this Erika from your class.”

    Erika knocked on the door.

    “Mina? Are you there?”

    Erika raised her volume, but it didn’t help. She sighed and pushed down the door’s handle as a last resort. Naturally, the door was-

    “... open?”

    She blinked a few times at the unlocked door.

    It can’t be that something happened, right...?

    She tried to reassure herself by smiling, but unpleasant shivers ran across her skin. She cautiously moved her head through the opening and peeked inside.

    “Mina...? Are you there...?”

    Only static silence answered her. Erika carefully entered the apartment and closed the door. She walked through the hallway and examined her surroundings. Luckily, there were no signs of theft or struggle.

    Erika continued further into the apartment, until she reached the only room with a living creature inside. A small girl lied on a bed. The petite figure, hardly bigger than a grade student’s, unmistakably belonged to Mina Park.

    Erika frowned at the VR headgear on Mina’s head. It was a white helmet with light blue patterns. Erika recognized it as the “Virtual Ocean” brand, dubbed “Vocean” by consumers.

    “Mina, can you hear me? ...Mina!”

    Erika shook the girl’s arm, but there was no response. The sleeping hypnosis of the Vocean helmet completely detached Mina from reality. Erika took out her phone and googled “How to safely remove Vocean ”.

    The instructions were fairly straightforward. Erika flipped off the “Virtual Dive” switch, waited for a green light and then carefully removed the headgear.

    However, even with the helmet removed - Mina showed no signs of moving. Her slumber was deeper than the gear’s sleeping hypnosis. Mina must have fallen asleep while playing the game, a conclusion which made Erika facepalm in disbelief.

    “Hey, Mina...”

    Erika poked the little girl’s cheek to no avail. This called for the ultimate wake-up skill. There were many water bottles scattered by Mina’s bed. Many of them were empty, but a few still had water in them. Erika grabbed a bottle opened it above Mina’s face.

    Erika hesitated for a moment, then delivered the decisive strike.

    “BAH!?”

    Mina jumped with a rising uppercut. Right into Erika’s chest.

    “Gah!?”

    Erika grieved in pain and collapsed on the floor. She held her aching chest, which had its bust reduced by half.

    “Ah...? Huuuh...?”

    Mina looked around in daze with half-closed eyes.

    “Who... who the heck are ya?!”

    Mina glared at the distressed Erika in suspicion.

    “Ah... I’m Erika... the class president...”

    Erika slowly stood up, still shaken by the sudden assault.

    “Oh! You’re that Titan girl!”

    Mina exclaimed and pointed a finger at the excessively tall girl in front of her.

    “T-titan...!?”

    Erika received a mental blow and almost collapsed again.

    “My, aren’t you a little rude?”

    Erika plastered a friendly smile and intended to let the insult slide. As the class president, she had to conduct herself with maturity and dignity.

    “But ya taller than the 100 floors of Aincrad!”

    “I’d REALLY appreciate it if you didn’t compare me to a floating castle.”

    Erika’s smile twitched.

    “Ah...!”

    Erika suddenly gasped. She naturally responded to an otaku reference without noticing.

    T-this was a close one...

    Apparently, Mina didn’t catch the slip. Erika almost triggered a death flag just now.

    “A-anyway, Mina. It’s rude to say such things, regardless of what you really think. In the first place, I only look big to you because you’re so small-”

    “Huuuh!? Who’s small!?”

    Mina reflexively barked and waved her dangerous fist.

    “I only look small to ya because you’re taller than the Everest, you dumb Titan!”

    “Wha...!?”

    Erika was drawn to her wit’s end. She took a few gulps from the water bottle in her hand and relaxed herself with a deep breath.

    “I understand. If you want to call me Titan so badly, then I’ll call you... Mini. How about that?”

    Erika tilted her head with a playful smile.

    “M-mini!? You sure have balls, you walking tower! Are ya trying to pick a fight!?”

    Mina leapt forward like a furious tiger, but she immediately collapsed on the bed.

    “Ugh... no mana...”

    Mina stretched her right arm toward the collection of water bottles.

    “Guh... just a little... more...”

    She weakly swung her short arm, like a lazy kitten trying to reach catnip. Putting aside differences for now, Erika stretched her long arm toward the bottles.

    “Here you go.”

    “Don’t think that’ll make me forgive ya!”

    Mina grabbed the offered bottle.

    “Grrr!”

    She removed the cap with her teeths and shot it out of her mouth

    “Wait right there! I’ll kick yo big ass real quick! Gulp gulp gulp gulp!”

    Mina emptied the bottle in one go.

    “Here I come! Prepare yourself!”

    Mina tossed the empty bottle out of the window. Somebody outside wailed in pain after being pummeled by a meteor, but Mina ignored it.

    “Haaaa!”

    Mina successfully leapt... into the floor.

    “Gkuh...”

    Hanging upside down from her bed, Mina tried to crawl forward with her right arm.

    “Ugh... gah...”

    Mina’s body was abnormally heavy and numb. The reason for that shortly revealed itself.

    GROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOWL

    A demonic roar from the bottomless pits of hell. The whole room shook from the overwhelming growl coming out of Mina’s stomach.

    “Shit... this sucks...”

    Mina dropped her head and continued to hang upside down from her bed.

    “When was the last time you ate anything?”

    “... what time is it? Or rather, what day...? What year...?”

    “Really, now....”

    Erika could only sigh in response.

    “Do you have anything to eat?”

    Erika gently raised the little animal and put her back on the bed. Mina tried to claw Erika’s face in the process, but her short arms couldn’t reach high enough.

    “Guh... there should be instant noodles, lots of them.”

    Mina gave up on and answered obediently.

    “Didn’t your parents leave anything else for you? They went abroad, right?”

    “They left plenty... of instant noodle.”

    “I see...”

    Erika couldn’t help but question the environment in which this wild animal was raised.

    “I understand. I’ll get you a bowl. Are they in the kitchen?”

    “I don’t need help from some dumb Titan honor student-”

    GROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOWL

    “... yeah, they are in the kitchen. Uuu...”

    Mina turned away from Erika, embarrassed to ask for help in her own house.

    “Alright. I’ll bring it right away.”

    “Then, I’ll play a little more...”

    Mina mumbled and crawled to grab her VR headgear-

    “W-wha!?”

    Two long snakes covered the headgear.

    “This is forbidden for now.”

    Erika carried away the Vocean helmet. She placed the Vocean on top of a tall closet and walked toward the door.

    “I’ll be right back.”

    “Sure...”

    Mina’s eyes were glued to the Vocean resting on top of the closet.

    “I’ll need some Anti-Gravity abilities to reach that high... gufu...”

    Mina gave up and dropped her face on the bed.
     
    Last edited: Aug 29, 2016
    emry987 likes this.
  3. DarkClaymore

    DarkClaymore Active Member

    Joined:
    Aug 22, 2016
    Messages:
    60
    Likes Received:
    4
    Reading List:
    Link
    Chapter 9: Mystical Vireco

    In Mina’s kitchen, Erika found more than enough food. However, the house didn’t incorporate a SmartCook, and everything other than cup noodles required basic cooking skills.

    She’s right. There’s really nothing but cup noodles in the kitchen.

    Erika nodded to herself and prepared noodles for the hungry, little animal.

    “I brought your noodles... huh.”

    Erika stopped at the room’s entrance and watched Mina with thin eyes.

    “Hehehe.”

    Mina pulled out a spare Vocean headgear from the closet.

    “May I ask what exactly you’re doing?”

    “B-bah!?”

    Erika grabbed the Vocean and raised it into the air, with Mina still attached to it.

    “W-what the heck!? Let go, ya dumb Titan!”

    Mina wrapped her legs around the helmet like a monkey. Other than her left arm, all of Mina’s limbs embraced the Vocean.

    “I said this is forbidden. Ugh! ”

    Erika couldn’t keep the helmet+animal package lifted.

    “G-gah!”

    Mina fell onto the floor, with the Vocean landing on top of her (flat) chest. Erika seized the moment and snatched the Vocean, replacing it with a bowl of instant noodles.

    “No more playing until you properly eat.”

    “Grrr...”

    Mina jumped into cross-legged sitting and grabbed the offered fork. The bowl’s cover was still loosely attached, so Mina proceeded to remove it... with her teeth.

    So this is a VR headgear...

    Erika closely examined the white helmet in her hands. The game displayed on the Vocean was God Vessel Online. Just holding the headgear didn’t give Erika a taste of VR experience. However, this was the closest she ever got to it.

    Erika lowered the Vocean and examined the wild animal.

    “So? Would you please mind explaining why you skipped three days of school?”

    “Ack.”

    Mina shifted her eyes away.

    “School, huh... there was such a dumb thing, wasn’t there?”

    Mina resorted to silence, hoping that the topic would magically vanish into thin air if she ignored it.

    “I’m still waiting.”

    “G-geh.”

    “Well, I already know you were playing GoVe.”

    Erika sighed and continued to speak with the tone of a scolding parent.

    “My question is: why did you prioritize the game over school?”

    “... GoVe?”

    Mina tilted her head in wonder.

    “God Vessel Online.”

    Erika pointed at the digital screen on the side of the Vocean.

    “Oh, this game had that kinda name?”

    “S-so I heard...”

    This time, it was Erika’s turn to avert her eyes. Luckily, Mina’s skull was too thick to notice anything.

    “Anyway, what’s your excuse?”

    “Uuu...”

    Mina twisted her lips and fell silent. Then, an idea sparked in her mind.

    “Ya see, in order to leave these games, ya need to press that dumb ‘Logout’ button, right?”

    “And?”

    “The button... it just disappeared! Like WOOSH and gone! I was trapped inside the dumb game!”

    “Oh, I see. And dying in the game also meant dying in real life, right?”

    “Exactly! Man, that shit was intense!”

    “I’m sure it was....”

    Silence broke out. Mina tried to maintain her excited smile, whereas Erika stared at the little liar with clear distrust.

    “And the real reason?”

    “Ack...”

    “Is it somehow related to your left hand?”

    “Ack!”

    Mina bit the plastic fork, crushing it in half.

    “W-why would you ask such a dumb thing?”

    “It’s been bothering me for a while now. You haven’t used your left arm ever since I entered your house. Not even once.”

    “N-nothing’s wrong with my left hand! See? It moves just fine!”

    Mina freely swung her left arm... by holding it with her right hand. With this, Erika Knew she was in the right direction.

    “Did you injure your left hand?”

    “N-no! It was... that dumb thing!”

    Mina pointed at the Vocean in Erika’s hands.

    “Did something happen to your hand... inside the game?”

    “I know it sounds dumb, but... but it’s true! I met this reaper dude and he rekt my arm REAL good with a curse! I tried to kick his damn ass, but he was freakin’ impossible!”

    Mina swung the broken plastic fork to demonstrate her axe swings.

    “So, it’s Vireco...?”

    Erika mumbled in surprise.

    “Huuuh? Vireco? The heck?”

    “Virtuality-Reality Confusion. It’s condition which makes the brain confuse reality and VR. Events which happen in VR may carry over into reality.”

    “Hm, hm.”

    Mina nodded like an obedient student on a lecture.

    “Ya sure know a lot for a dumb Titan honor student”

    “T-that’s just what they said on TV.”

    That’s right, Erika definitely didn’t research it on her own when she googled information about VR games.

    “A-anyway, let’s say I believe you were hit by Vireco. Is that why you skipped school?”

    “Yeah! I tried to heal this useless piece of meat!”

    “Heal? You mean inside the game?”

    “Yeah! That NPC old man told me: I can lift the curse in Trilz City, by talking to some old fart called Oswald.”

    “I see...”

    It didn’t feel like Mina lied this time around, but Erika couldn’t swallow this story.

    “In other words: your arm has been paralyzed for three days now?”

    “I guess? What day is it?”

    “Wednesday.”

    “I think I started on Sunday, then... four days?”

    Mina counted with her tiny fingers.

    That’s... impossible. Vireco can’t possibly last that long. I’ve never heard of such a case.

    Erika’s beliefs were shaken. She stared at the Vocean helmet in confusion.

    “Say, how many hours you put into the game these past few days?”

    “Hm? Played pretty much the whole time. Grinded my axe into these skeleton bastards!”

    Mina puffed her (flat) chest with misplaced pride.

    “And your character had this paralysis the whole time?”

    “Yup! The dumb shit just won’t disappear.”

    “I see...”

    Erika had no firm proof, but she drew a conclusion based on available facts. The cause of this mystical Vireco, which lasted for 4 days, was actually rooted in Mina’s gaming habits.

    “If you want to heal your arm, then you need to stop playing.”

    “Bah! I knew people will say that!!!”

    Mina roared and her eyes emitted a dangerous glint.

    “It’s always like that! Like when I almost broke my fingers by bashing the dumb controller! Or when I forgot to sleep for a week while training in SoulClay! They always say that I need to stop playing! They don’t understand shit!”

    I’m... inclined to agree with them here.

    Erika retorted silently by making a face. However, a part of her perfectly understood how frustrating it was to be told such things.

    “I didn’t mean that you need to stop playing forever.”

    “Huuuh?”

    “You only need to take a break from the game. Since you play nonstop, your arm re-experiences the sensation of paralysis. And so, your Vireco continues.”

    “Ah... hmmmmm...”

    Mina lowered her head and pondered deeply, if such a feat was even possible for the little barbarian.

    “Then... ya won’t tell me to stop playing because of this shit?”

    “The events you mentioned are really a bit... disturbing, to say the least.”

    It’s a miracle you’re still breathing, honestly.

    Erika made an awkward smile and continued.

    “But, as long as you learn from your mistakes, then I don’t think they should stop you from doing what you love.”

    Erika smiled wryly, thinking of her own situation.

    “Hmm...”

    Mina stared at the class president with a dumb face.

    “You... you aren’t that bad.”

    “Excuse me?”

    “It’s just... usually, the class prez is an arrogant scum. These shitheads always look down on gamers. Bitch in last school broke my game console because I played in class. I then broke her damn spine!”

    “I-I see...”

    S-she’s just exaggerating, right? Haha...

    Nevertheless, Erika instinctively took a step back. Mina finished swallowing her noodles and directed all her attention to Erika.

    “So? What’s next?”

    “Next...?”

    “Suppose I take a break and my dumb arm recovers. Wouldn’t this shit happen all over again the next time I play? That curse just won’t leave me alone!”

    Mina eyed the class president with huge expectations. For one reason or another, she developed the impression that Erika could solve any problem.

    “Hmm, let’s see...”

    Erika pondered as she examined the title “God Vessel Online” on the Vocean. She never played any VR games, but at its core: GoVe was an MMORPG. It should have shared common traits with others games she played.

    “Wouldn’t the curse heal if you die and respawn?”

    “I died, like, a bazillion times already! That dumb curse is still there.”

    “Hmm, interesting.”

    Erika couldn’t tell how a paralyzed arm affected the player’s parameters and abilities. Nonetheless, it sounded like a very crippling condition.

    To have such an ailment persist even after the player died... it was unbelievably hardcore. The more she thought about it, the more interested Erika became in the curse and in GoVe’s mechanics.

    “You said it can be healed in some city, right? Can’t you just go there?”

    “I was TRYING. I fought these shit heads, but the cheaters always ganged on me like wusses. I freakin’ ALMOST broke through, but that damn reaper scum...”

    Mina hissed she she remembered that hax monster.

    “Is there only one route to the city? Maybe there’s a safer path?”

    “There’s only a dumb cliff there. Oh, and there’s also the stinky swamp too.”

    “Can’t there be a cure in one of the previous towns?”

    “I dunno. I only heard about this Oswald dude from Trilz city.”

    “In that case: we should hit the net.”

    Erika took out her phone.

    “Let’s see what we can find.”

    She sat down on the bed and googled phrases like “God Vessel Online Grim Reaper”. Curious about the process, Mina hopped onto the bed and sat beside Erika.
     
  4. DarkClaymore

    DarkClaymore Active Member

    Joined:
    Aug 22, 2016
    Messages:
    60
    Likes Received:
    4
    Reading List:
    Link
    Chapter 10: Closet Gamer

    『How to heal the reaper’s curse? My leg is paralyzed =.=』

    『Oswald in Trilz city is your friend :)

    『I can’t get to Trilz with just one leg... any other way to do it?』

    『LOL, noob. Why fight the Grim Reaper before you reach Trilz???』

    『i don’t think theres another way. real bad game design.』

    『It’s easy! You can remove the curse if you die exactly 666 times! :} 』

    Erika searched across multiple forums, with Mina closely following the process. MMOs joined the VR circle only in recent years. Therefore, God Vessel Online was still a fresh game and there wasn’t much forum discussion for it.

    “There doesn't seem to be any other known solution.”

    Erika sighed in exhaust and put her phone away.

    “Tch, what a useless bunch.”

    Mina cursed all the useless internet people out there.

    “You need to reach Trilz City, after all.”

    “But hooooow?”

    “If you can’t do it alone, then you need to form a party with other players.”

    “Geh...”

    Mina made a face and turned away from Erika.

    “You have at least one or two friends in the game, right?”

    “Uu...”

    “... or, at least people you previously made a party with, perhaps?”

    “Uuuu...”

    “You haven’t been playing completely solo all this time... right?”

    “B-bah...”

    Mina buried her face in her pillow.

    “It’s... amazing, in a sense. Everybody on the forums complain how Death’s Rift is one of the hardest early areas, and that you need a party to cross it. You say you almost cleared it by yourself?”

    “H-hah!”

    Mina jumped on her feet and puffed her (flat) chest.

    “I went like BAM and WOOSH and sweeped these shitheads! They stood no freakin’ chance!”

    “Is that so...”

    Erika couldn’t help but facepalm at the little girl’s misplaced pride.

    “You DO know what genre this game is, right?”

    “It’s a VR... fighting game?”

    “Is it really?”

    “G-guuu...”

    Mina buried her face in the pillow again. Erika had to start from square one on this topic.

    “Look, in MMORPG, it’s very important to play with others. At the beginning, you may play solo just fine. But, at some point, you’ll run into an challenges which you can’t clear alone.”

    “Bah! I could do all that shit myself if I had both hands!”

    “Even if you could, it’d be much easier if somebody helped you, right? Besides, fact is: you can’t do it solo anymore.”

    “Gufu...”

    Mina lost her spark when she was reminded of her helpless situation. With both arms, she was confident about becoming the almighty god of war. But with just one hand...

    “Is there a reason why you play solo?”

    “Guh... I don’t need any help! I can do shit myself!!”

    “Oh, is that so.”

    The childish attitude irritated Erika. Forming a party should have resolved the problem, but Mina was a stubborn brat. Erika didn’t know Mina all too well, but she already formed an impression: Mina was terrible at socializing.

    However, there was still hope. Truly, Mina didn’t know how to ask others for help. Even so, she could still grab a helping hand, if one was offered her. Therefore, forming a party was still feasible, as long as another player took the initiative. Sadly, Erika couldn’t come up with a way to make that happen.

    While the strategy meeting was at a standstill, Mina suddenly came to a late realization.

    “For a Titan class prez, you sure know a lot about games...”

    GAH!

    Erika turned into stone.

    W-what have I done!?

    Erika blew her cover countless times in the past hour. She completely let down her guard around Mina, who looked like a harmless grade student.

    “I-I just know many things, you see! I-I had a gamer friend who liked to talk about these things!”

    “Hmm...”

    Mina tilted her head and eyed Erika intently.

    T-this is bad! No matter how dense this girl is - she’ll figure it out at this rate!

    Erika jumped from the bed and turned toward the door.

    “A-anyway, I’ll think up a solution by tomorrow! Make sure to attend school!”

    Erika spoke quickly and nervously, overflowing with the desire to blitz out of the house.

    “Then, I’ll be taking my leave here- Ugh!?”

    Erika couldn’t move. Her arm was chained to a tank.

    “M-Mina...?”

    Erika turned around with a forced smile. The tiny hand, which grabbed Erika, overflowed with superhuman strength.

    “Are ya... a gamer?”

    “W-w-why would you come to such a conclusion?! A-as I said, I just happen to know many things and-”

    “You googled all that shit like a pro. Thinking about it... ya even knew that Aincrad is a floating castle, and ya totally saw through my story about the missing logout!”

    “T-that... it’s... well...”

    C-curses! What’s with this sudden wave of sharpness!?

    There was only chaos in Erika’s head as she tried to fight off the tight grip. Her words became especially scattered when her eyes laid on the Vocean headgear.

    It was a chance. Erika could easily exploit the situation to get a taste of VR gaming. However, doing so required her to cross a deadly line.

    “I...”

    She bit her lip, gritted her teeth, gulped, took a deep breath and then...

    “Yes, I’m a gamer.”

    “Whoa!”

    Mina released her prey and rolled back in shock, almost crashing into the wall.

    “So ya a Titan... a class prez... and a gamer!?”

    Mina fried her brain while mashing the three alien elements together.

    “Whoa! A gamer class prez... that’s like the end of the world! Armageddon! Ragnarok!!!”

    “I don’t think you need to be so extreme about it...”

    Erika’s smile twitched unpleasantly, for she was forced to reflect upon her two-faced life.

    “Why didn’t ya say anything earlier!? Are ya a closet gamer or somethin’!?”

    “Well... I guess?”

    “But that sucks! Ya should be proud of it!”

    Mina puffed her (flat) chest and grinned in confidence.

    “I don’t see a reason to advertise every aspect of myself. I’d be thankful if you also keep it a secret-”

    “Anyway, anyway!”

    Wait, listen!

    Mina hopped from the bed and dashed toward the Vocean.

    “The prez must help any classmates in need, right?”

    Mina grinned and shoved the headgear into Erika’s hands.

    “Hah, I knew it’d come to this...”

    Erika smiled wryly and let go of her school bag. The gamer inside her cried in excitement, whereas the honor student in her whispered about doomsday.

    “My, but didn’t you say you can do everything alone?”

    “B-bah! T-that’s... I-I don’t really need help... b-but since you offered... t-then I may as well... um, I mean...”

    Mina’s cheeks gradually turned reddish as she mumbled. Erika wanted to bully the spoiled brat some more, but it felt like bullying a little kid.

    “Alright, I’ll help you. But I have two conditions.”

    “O-oh! Spit ‘em out!”

    “You must take a break from playing GoVe until your arm recovers. And, you must attend school normally, even if your arm is paralyzed.”

    “Bah! Fine!”

    Mina growled and pointed a finger at Erika.

    “Then, ya must play until ya get me to the dumb Trilz City! And, until I cure this dumb curse! No matter what!”

    “It’s a deal.”

    Erika nodded in agreement and sat down on the bed. Before getting into the game, she made a short call to her mother and vaguely explained the circumstances.

    Erika presented the situation as “helping out a sick student” and “performing her duty as the class president”. Needless to say, her mother was very supportive and told Erika to do her best.

    Meanwhile, Mina grabbed something from the closet and carried it toward the bed. It was... another Vocean.

    “Do you have a factory of these helmets or something?”

    Erika sighed in disbelief.

    “What did I just say about playing?”

    Erika thrust her long arm and to snatch the Vocean.

    “Wha...?!”

    Erika’s thrust missed the little target. Mina sidestepped in a flash and dodged the spear attack.

    “It’s fine! I won’t play, only spectate.”

    Mina grinned and proceeded to fiddle with the two helmets. She configured a wireless connection between them.

    “I never tried this shit before, but it has spectator mode. It’d be damn boring if I just watch you snooze.”

    “I see. Fair enough.”

    According to Erika’s knowledge: a VR spectator didn’t experience the physical sensations of the player himself. Therefore, it was probably safe for a Vireco patient.

    There was a blue box in the room which resembled a PC. It was the “Virtual Ocean Station”, the terminal responsible for processing the complex player inputs in VR. The Vocean had to be in a certain range of the terminal in order to function properly.

    In other words: the game had to be played in Mina’s room. However...

    “I’m supposed to lie down when playing, right?”

    Erika examined the small bed in the room.

    “Are we going to fit in this one bed? Should we cuddle?”

    Erika giggled with a tilted head.

    “W-wha-!? A-are you lesbo or something!? S-stay away from me, weirdo!”

    “My, wasn’t it you who told me to be proud of what I am? Heehee~”

    “G-gufu!”

    Mina shook in terror like a cornered kitten.

    “Heehee. Hahaha!”

    Erika nearly laughed herself to tears. An unfamiliar sense of joy surged throughout her body. She never imagined that sharing her dark gaming secret with another would feel so liberating.

    Erika always had to restrain herself: she couldn’t let any gaming reference to slip from her mouth, she couldn’t voice any inappropriate jokes and she couldn’t act bizarre around others. Her reputation wasn’t allowed to be tarnished.

    But now - all the strict rules disappeared. Mina’s room existed in another dimension, separate from the outside world. Erika felt like she was transported to a fantasy land, where she finally got the opportunity to act according to her wishes.

    In this room, Erika didn’t have to hide behind the handle name “FluffyCuteling”. She could remain “Erika”, but she was also allowed to unwind.

    “I-I’ll just lie on the floor here!”

    Mina announced with a stutter and sat down.

    “You’ll catch a cold lying on the floor. Don’t worry, I was just joking.”

    “W-were you really?”

    Mina cautiously stood up, still unconvinced.

    “Bah, whatever! We can probably fit in here.”

    Mina climbed on the bed and lied down near the wall. Erika positioned herself beside Mina and managed to fit in by a flimsy margin.

    Their shoulders pressed against each other, but it wasn’t uncomfortable. Erika’s legs were too long to fit across the bed and they had to hang at the edge. For the better or the worse, she was used to such scenarios.

    “This can work.”

    Erika nodded.

    “Y-yeah! B-but I’ll kill ya if you touch me, ya Titan lesbo class prez closet gamer!”

    “Huhuhu~”

    “D-don’t make me punch ya!”

    Sandwiched between the wall and a potential rapist, Mina began to sweat.

    The two girls wore their Voceans.

    “What’s next?”

    “Ya just flip this dumb switch here.”

    Mina pointed at the “Virtual Dive” switch.

    “Y-you first.”

    Mina glared at the giant beside her, fearing for her virginity.

    “Okay, okay~”

    Erika smiled and flipped the switch. Her consciousness became hazy. She closed her eyes and stared into the darkness.

    A loading screen appeared after a couple of seconds:

    【God Vessel Online】

    【Please wait for your awakening...】
     
  5. DarkClaymore

    DarkClaymore Active Member

    Joined:
    Aug 22, 2016
    Messages:
    60
    Likes Received:
    4
    Reading List:
    Link
    Chapter 11: Rune Selection

    “Heeeey! Atteeeention! Can you hear meeeee?”

    Mina’s voice was directly injected into Erika’s consciousness.

    “Ugh... yes, I hear you. You can stop shouting...”

    “Okay! This shit works then!”

    Even though Erika’s eyes were closed, a login screen appeared in front of her. A virtual keyboard popped up and requested her to enter credentials or to sign up.

    Erika easily set up a new account. She only had to connect it with “FluffyCuteling”, the social network user which she used for other games.

    “Pft, FluffyCuteling? Are ya for real?”

    “It’s a cute name~”

    Erika ignored the objection and logged in. Next, she was asked to confirm her payment details. God Vessel Online was a pay-to-play game, with a free trial of two weeks.

    Erika didn’t have the means to pay for a subscription, so she accepted the trial. In these two weeks, Erika would have to deliver Mina to Trilz City.

    Please input your nickname

    “My, isn’t a username enough?”

    “That’s how them NPCs will call ya.”

    “Huh, I see.”

    Non-Player Characters usually addressed the players by the handle name. However, in VR: all dialogues were voiced and conversations flowed like in real life. Bizarre handle names were a great recipe for silly and awkward conversations..

    “What nickname did you pick? Something like ‘Mini’?”

    “Bah! As if! Just ‘Mina’, plain and straight!”

    “Isn’t using your real name a bad idea?”

    “Who cares? It’s not like I’m the only ‘Mina’ in the world”

    “Hm, fair enough.”

    Erika also wasn't the only “Erika” in the world. Regardless, she didn’t want to take the risk. As FluffyCuteling, she was often addressed as “Fluffy” or “FC” by other players.

    『Fluffy』

    She entered her nickname and proceeded to the next screen.

    【Welcome to God Vessel Online. Your avatar will now be randomized.】

    【If you have an Avatar Customization premium coupon, then please enter it now.】

    "My, I need cash to customize my appearance? So cheap~"

    "Who gives a crap? It's a first-person game anyway."

    But my avatar must be a cute little girl!

    Erika silently sobbed and continued to the next screen. She could already imagine herself spawning as an amazon.

    【In this game, your primary abilities are determined by the runes you are infused with. Please select the rune you wish to be born with:】

    Four rows appeared on the screen. Each row was decorated according to a different element and offered runes to choose from.

    [Fire] [Power]

    [Wind] [Speed]

    [Water] [Communication]

    [Earth] [Synthesis]

    Other than watching RosemaryQueen’s GoVe videos, Erika’s knowledge about the game system was very poor. She decided to consult with Mina.

    “I started with [Power], it’s da shit! [Speed] is also rad, if ya can get the hang of it.”

    “Hmm, I’m not sure I’m made for physical combat. I’m a fragile little girl, after all~”

    “... says the Titan.”

    Erika read the brief description of each rune. The [Communication] rune attracted her attention the most. This rune was mentioned before in RosemaryQueen’s videos.

    [Communication] allowed to interact with all manners of creatures in the world of GoVe. It was described as an essential asset, for those who wanted to tame and command familiars.

    I wonder if I can make a fluffy army with this~

    Erika recalled her dream, in which she was surrounded by thousands of fantasy kittens. Inside a VR - cuddling with all that fluffiness was a real possibility. This convinced her to made her choice.

    “Huuhh? Why the heck did ya pick that one? That shit doesn’t sound useful for combat!”

    “There’s more to RPGs than just combat.”

    “Realllllly? I pretty much went BAM and WOOSH and beat the shit outta stuff! That’s the most fun!”

    After a brief loading screen, a peaceful, green scenery stretched in front of Erika’s eyes. However, her body didn’t materialize in the game’s world. She merely spectated on a scene from outside.

    “A long time ago, Gods ruled the world in harmony.”

    The deep and mysterious voice of a woman echoed in Erika’s head. A silent, yet grandiose, melody played in the background.

    “Under the watchful guidance of the Gods, there was peace and prosperity for all. But eventually, the harmony was distorted. Gods succumbed to greed and selfishness, bringing ruin upon the land.”

    The peaceful scenery was sharply replaced by visions of destruction and catastrophes. The whole world was torn asunder by the raging forces of nature.

    “In the end… the Gods were no more.”

    The storms dispersed, leaving only static silence behind. Though the raging forces of nature subsided, the scars of the worldwide destruction were still apparent.

    “What little remained of the Gods’ powers was crystallized into runes and rained upon the land, shattering and scattering far and wide.”

    The devastated scenery gradually regained its former color. Shambles turned into cities and scorched lands into forests.

    “But Gods are no creatures mortal. Even with their powers gone and their existence erased - their desires still linger in this world even now.”

    The scenery became pitch black. Nothing was displayed anymore.

    “From within the thickness of the Gods’ desires - a new life form will sprout. A being adept at using the runes of the Gods, an immortal with the potential to reshape the world: a God Vessel.

    Do you yearn for the overwhelming power of Gods, sealed inside the runes? Or do you wish to restore balance and harmony to the ravaged land?

    Awaken now… God Vessel.”

    The darkness dispersed like fog.

    “I see. I play as one of these God Vessels.”

    “Yeah! The goal is freakin’ world domination! Collecting all ‘em super runes to become a god! Cool shit like that.”

    “I believe you’re simplifying it, but sure.”

    A new environment was rendered in front of Erika. She finally felt her own weight pressing against the floor. An ambient, mysterious music played in the background.

    So this is VR...

    She moved various parts of her body, to check the realism and the scope of control. Her movements felt stiffer than normal, but she gradually grew accustomed to it.

    Erika stood inside a hall. The walls were made of worn-out stone, with visible cracks here and there. A staircase stretched upwards in front of Erika.

    A mysterious woman awaited at the top of the stairs. She was clad in an ominous black robe, and half of her face was covered by a hood. When Erika locked her attention onto the woman, a small info screen popped up.

    TIP】【To speak with an NPC (Non-Player Character) simply approach them and strike a normal conversation, as you would with another person.】

    In addition, a name tag appeared above the woman’s head:

    Minerva

    It notified Erika of the NPC’s name, even though they haven’t even spoken yet. Such divine revelations were common in MMORPGs.

    “Say, Mini.”

    “Grrr! I’m not Mini, ya dumb Titan!”

    “You think it’s a tutorial NPC?”

    “Dunno, I started in a different place. The first guy I met was a dumb baldy who thought he was hot stuff. I-I mopped the floor with that old fart!”

    Mina spoke with shaky pride. She unwilled to admit that she was, in fact, thoroughly defeated.

    The hooded woman had an eerie aura around her, but Erika decided to strike a conversation anyway. Erika pushed her stiff legs in order to ascend the stairs. She got gradually used to her avatar and decided to check her sense of touch.

    “... huh?”

    Her eyes opened widely.

    “My, my...”

    She blinked in disbelief. Her palm were unbelievably... tiny.

    “Heh... haha... what’s this?”

    Erika touched her own hands. They were indeed small and soft, just as she perceived them. Looking further down, she noticed that her long legs were replaced with that of a midget. On top of that, her well-shaped chest turned entirely flat.

    “I-it can’t be...!”

    “Huuuh? What the heck is wrong with ya?”

    As a midget, Mina had no way to understand the shock and excitement that Erika felt. Erika noticed a tall mirror in the corner of the hall and ran toward it.

    “T-this is...!”

    The figure reflected in the mirror was that of a small girl, presumably 10 years old. Her light blue eyes blinked as she examined herself from head to toe. Erika retained a black hair, but her tan skin turned snow white. She now looked a lot more like her mother’s daughter, rather than her father’s.

    “I-I-I’m small!?”

    Erika hugged her own adorable figure in thrill. It was body she could only dream about. A body with reasonable height, which wouldn’t make others mistake her for a classmate’s mother.

    “T-this random generator is amazing! It gave me the perfect avatar!”

    “Huuuh? What’s so damn amazing about it? Looks like a dumb kid to me.”

    “Exactly! I-it’s small! A-and cute!”

    “Well duh, all players begin as kids in this dumb game.”

    “Wha-!?”

    Erika nearly fainted from shock.

    “T-this is impressive game design!”

    “Huuuh? Is it really? I’d rather have a tall and strong avatar... especially tall.”

    “You can’t appreciate it because you’re a Mini~”

    “B-bah!”

    Mina wanted to bite off Erika’s head, but she was too mentally scarred to retort. Indeed, Mina couldn’t appreciate an avatar with roughly the same height as hers... sob.

    This game is off to a great start~

    Smiling from ear to ear, Erika hopped up the stairs to reach the hooded NPC at the top.
     
    Last edited: Sep 17, 2016
  6. DarkClaymore

    DarkClaymore Active Member

    Joined:
    Aug 22, 2016
    Messages:
    60
    Likes Received:
    4
    Reading List:
    Link
    Chapter 12: Friendly NPC

    "Oh, a newborn."

    The hooded woman, at the top of the stairs, turned toward Erika.

    "Welcome to the Water Temple. My name is Minerva."

    The woman smiled gently, erasing all the suspicion Erika had toward this NPC.

    "What rune do you have? Let's see..."

    Minerva's purple eyes glinted and scanned Erika from head to toe.

    "Oh, [Communication] isn’t it?"

    Erika nodded in approval.

    "You are... trash."

    "Eh...?"

    "Who, in their right mind, will choose to be born with [Communication]? I bet your head is completely hollow, isn't it?”

    Minerva retained her warm smile as she casually insulted Erika.

    "My, what's so bad about [Communication]?"

    "It's completely useless for a newborn who can't tell left from right. Your fate is to die in the plains and to rot like the trash you are."

    "Is that so..."

    Erika didn't take the insults to heart, but she was nonetheless surprised. She expected [Communication] to be a discouraged starting rune among players. However, she didn’t expect the game’s NPCs to think that way as well.

    "Bah, this bitch is annoying! Punch that fucker in the face!"

    "Now, now. No need for violence."

    Erika calmed down her invisible friend and turned to Minerva with a confident smile.

    "Perhaps others fare poorly with this rune. But I assure you, I can handle it."

    "Oh, so much confidence for such a midget."

    "M-midget? Hehe..."

    Erika looked at her small and adorable avatar. For her: being called a “midget" was flattery, not an insult.

    "No need to worry on my behalf.”

    Erika declared in confidence.

    “I'll tame all the cute, legendary animals in this world."

    Erika had a theory: the insulting dialogue existed to test her communication skills. After all, she picked [Communication] as her starter rune. Therefore, she had to act strong and confident in front of Minerva.

    “I like confident shrimps like you.”

    Minerva’s friendly smile grew even wider, becoming borderline creepy.

    “Then, you don’t mind if I give you a little test right away, do you?”

    “Sure. Go ahead.”

    “Come, Trigon.”

    A magical portal opened inside the hall, summoning forth a black beast. It had fierce red eyes and its thick, black skin was covered in silver metal.

    “A-a dragon!?”

    Erika gazed at the black beast in shock. This was way too sudden for an introduction event.

    “M-my, what a magnificent familiar you have...”

    Erika tried to play it cool and even managed to draw a smile, albeit a stiff one.

    “Whoa! Cool shit! Kick its fat ass! Titan vs. Dragon!”

    Mina was completely oblivious to Erika’s tension. A huge dragon was a sigh to behold in VR, and Mina imagined herself challenging this legendary being.

    “Trigon. Kill her.”

    It was a simple and short command. In the next instant - the dragon already stood right in front of Erika. Trigon raised its huge claw and swept the area.

    “Huh- UGH!!!”

    Erika was blasted away. She didn’t even have the chance to protect herself.

    “Agh! Ugh! Gah!”

    Erika crashed into the stairs. Her head, arms and legs got repeatedly struck as she rolled downwards.

    “C-curses... ugh... gah...”

    The pain Erika felt was by no means as strong as it would be in reality. Nevertheless, it was unpleasant enough to make one hate it. She tried to move her body, but her injuries ached whenever she twitched.

    Compared to all that suffering and distress...

    “Whoa! Did you see that shit!? That fucker is ultra fast! He went WOOSH even though he’s a fatass! I bet he used a freakin’ [Speed] rune!”

    “Ugh... please don’t yell so much...”

    “Stand up, Titan! You gotta show that fat bastard who’s da boss!”

    “Do you... do you really think I could do such a thing...?”

    Erika gritted her teeth and did her utmost to stand up. She was clearly at death’s door, although nothing in the UI showed her condition.

    “Where... where’s my HP? How much do I have left?”

    “Huuuh? Are ya high? There’s no HP in this game.”

    “Eh...? Then... then, how do I know if I’m close to death?”

    “You just kinda feel it!”

    “Is that... so...”

    If it were up to Erika’s “feeling”, then she already died. At least ten times.

    “Ugh...”

    Erika raised her pained face toward the dragon. Trigon’s red eyes speared through Erika, informing that he planned to deliver another blow.

    Fighting is out of question. I supposedly have is the [Communication] rune, but I don’t even know how to activate it. Is it a passive effect? I should ask Mini-

    “W-wha!”

    Trigon raised his claws and stepped forward.

    “W-wait!”

    Erika thrust forth a stopping palm.

    “Y-you dragons are wise creatures, right? Surely, we could talk this over... peacefully...”

    Erika gulped once she finished. Trigon’s claw stopped in midair and his expression softened somewhat.

    Is this working? Is this the power of [Communication]?

    A faint smile surfaced on Erika’s wrecked expression. Despite how brutal and insane the situation was, perhaps Erika could turn the tables around with rhetorics. Maybe, she could even convince the dragon to turn on that hooded bitch-

    “RAWWWRRR!!!”

    “W-wha!?”

    Trigon opened his huge maw and blew on Erika.

    You must be kidding...

    A blazing flame poured onto Erika and engulfed her whole. The world turned black and everything fell silent.
     
  7. DarkClaymore

    DarkClaymore Active Member

    Joined:
    Aug 22, 2016
    Messages:
    60
    Likes Received:
    4
    Reading List:
    Link
    Chapter 13: Dimension Vessel

    Everything went pitch black. Erika’s physical body disappeared and was replaced by a fickle, azure flame.

    Congratulations! You died.

    【However, as a God Vessel, you are immortal. You will respawn in a minute, but expect some penalties.】

    “Pwahahahaha!!! That shit was lame, Titan!”

    “Ugh....”

    Curses, to die in less than 5 minutes after starting the game...

    The concept of beginning the game with an impossible fight wasn't alien to Erika. However, experiencing the overwhelming defeat on her own body was far from appreciated.

    "What penalties are there for dying?"

    "Huuuh? Was there shit like that? Hmm.... no idea!"

    “Probably nothing grave, then... hah...”

    Even without a notable price to pay, the unfair battle was enough to salt Erika’s mood.

    “Say, Mini. Did you also have a destructive opening like that?”

    “Yeah! That old geezer scum tried to slice me in half! I-I survived though! S-showed him who’s da boss!”

    Mina invisibly jerked as she recalled that horrible intro.

    “I don't think ‘surviving’ was an option in my case... that dragon was incredibly fast and absurdly powerful.”

    “That super sonic fatty is hax, I’ll give ya that. I’m totally coming here later to wreck his fat ass!”

    "My, are you strong enough to take on such a formidable foe?”

    "Won’t know unless I try!"

    “I see.”

    The azure flame withered and the darkness began to disperse. Erika’s petite avatar materialized in the hall again.

    "Oh, I'm impressed. Even trash can respawn, it seems."

    Minerva wore her usual smile, which completely contradicted her stinging words.

    “Would you PLEASE mind explaining what was the purpose of that 'test’?”

    Erika cursed through a twitching smile.

    "No need to be so angry, shrimp. Here, take a treat to calm down."

    Minerva tossed a block of chocolate. Right into Erika's face.

    “G-guh!”

    【Obtained Dragon Chocolate

    After it slapped her face, the chocolate fell into Erika’s hands and she examined it in suspicion. There were drawings of flying dragons all over it, with golden letters indicating that this was, indeed, chocolate... probably.

    Why "Dragon" chocolate? They aren't making this chocolate out of poor little dragons babies, are they...?

    TIP】【You can store obtained items in your Dimension Vessel. It’ll serve as your bag for carrying items.】

    TIP】【Touch the Menu icon on your right side to bring up the menu screen.】

    Erika noticed a floating icon on her right side, which was almost invisible unless one actively searched for it. She tapped on the icon and a screen with multiple tabs popped up.

    Erika briefly scanned the options and tapped on【Dimension Vessel】. A small floating island popped up in front of her.

    My, this is... unusual.

    The Dimension Vessel was a gravity-defying mass of ground, which magically hanged in midair. It was roughly shaped into the form of a square, and its surface was about 1 square meter.

    An unfamiliar blue crystal lied on top of the board. Erika reached out and examined its features.

    TIP】【In order to read an item’s description, tap the item with your index finger and keep it pressed for two seconds.】

    Erika followed the instructions and a window popped up.

    Water Rune

    【Allows you to use the water element. Its power is primarily used to heal and support others. Recommended Slot: Arm】

    “My, didn't I pick [Communication]?”

    “They give ya a second rune at the beginning. But this shit is useless until you reach the first city, so get ya ass moving!”

    “I see.”

    Erika put the chocolate on top of the floating board and closed the Dimension Vessel. The island vanished into thin air, along with the [Water] rune and the Dragon Chocolate. When she opened the Dimension Vessel again, both the rune and the chocolate were safely there.

    This looks like a very restrictive inventory. Hoarding will prove difficult.

    Erika frowned at the small, floating island and grabbed the chocolate.

    Dragon Chocolate

    【Its sweetness is guaranteed to blow your mind. Sweet-toothed creatures would do anything for a piece of this masterpiece.】

    “Say, Mini. You think it’s poisoned?”

    “Dunno. Anything is possible with that hooded bitch.”

    Erika couldn’t unwrap the chocolate with her own hands. Both the chocolate and the wrapping formed one, tight block. Instead, she had to tap on the item and to pick the【Unwrap】option.

    The top of the wrapping came off, revealing the black chocolate inside. Despite the description, the dark chocolate looked more bitter than sweet.

    Before another disaster struck her, Erika brought up the menu and navigated to【Settings】. Gladly, the game had a【Sensation Realism %】setting.

    Good. With this, I should be able to mitigate the sense of pain in the game.

    Erika pressed a finger against the slider and started pulling it down.

    “... eh?”

    The slider didn’t budge. She tried a few more times, but there was no effect.

    ERROR】【In order to change this configuration, you need a Realism Customization premium code.】

    “C-curses...”

    Erika let out a defeated sigh.

    “Bah, casual! When ya get used to the pain, it’s actually kinda fun!”

    “Mini, are you maso? Mommy is worried~”

    “W-who is maso, you crazy lesbo Titan!?”

    Mina’s shivers of disgust reached all the way to her real body.

    Here goes nothing.

    Erika gulped and slowly, veeeeery slowly, put the chocolate into her mouth.
     
  8. DarkClaymore

    DarkClaymore Active Member

    Joined:
    Aug 22, 2016
    Messages:
    60
    Likes Received:
    4
    Reading List:
    Link
    Chapter 14: Pixie

    Erika gulped and took a bite from the black chocolate.

    "UUUUUGHHHHH!!!"

    Sweetness raped her brain. It was so sweet that she couldn't sweet even stand sweet and nearly sweet collapsed on the sweet floor because sweet.

    “Gah! Ugh! T-too...s-sweet... ack...”

    Erika brought up the Dimension Vessel and tossed the cursed item into it.

    “Oh, you can’t even handle chocolate? Just how much of a trash can one be?”

    Minerva smiled gently, as she watched the staggering Erika.

    “It’s very worrying, that a nobody like you will head into the outside world all alone.”

    Minerva lowered her head with genuine worry.

    “I’m sure you’ll die countless times before even reaching the city. Then, you’ll respawn in my hall, each and every time. Just the thought of that makes me want to puke.”

    “Ugh...”

    Erika recovered from the sweeeeeeet pain, and eyed Minerva with a silent killing intent. Minerva ignored the hostility and turned toward the window.

    “Vivi, come here.”

    A small creature flew into the hall and approached Minerva.

    T-this is...!

    The tiny creature was a fair-skinned girl, with glittering wings on her back.

    “A fairy!? S-so cute~”

    Erika latched onto the fairy and tried to grab her. Alas, the fairy dodged the rape attempts and ascended high into the air, beyond Erika’s short reach.

    “Pipipipi!”

    The tiny girl puffed her cheeks, and fired high-pitched complaints like a machinegun.

    “Vivi, give it a break. I already know, this child here is genuine trash.”

    “Pipipipi piiipiipipi!”

    The fairy, Vivi, turned toward Minerva and continued her unrelenting complaints.

    “I know, I know. She’s a completely lost case, a pitiful good-for-nothing.”

    Minerva nodded in response with a warm smile. Apparently, Minerva understood Vivi’s squeaky language. Erika locked her attention on the fairy, but all she heard was “Pipipipi” or “Piiipipipi”.

    “Oh, you can’t understand what Vivi is saying? I always thought stupidity had a limit, but your case proves otherwise. You’re aware that you have a [Communication] rune, right?”

    Minerva smiled gently and continued her conversation with Vivi.

    TIP】【You can activate your runes by focusing on the body parts in which they’re infused. In your case: the [Communication] rune is infused into your forehead.】

    TIP】【If you have difficulties with activating runes with your mind, then you can manually invoke their effects from the Status screen.】

    Erika skimmed the instructions in panic.

    “Curses, informing me in such a critical moment...! Say, Mini!”

    “I’m not Mini!”

    “How exactly do I use runes?! I must understand what this cute, little fairy is saying!”

    “Hmm.... ya just kinda focus on it, and POOF it works!”

    “Tch, that doesn’t help at all!”

    Afraid that she missed important NPC dialogue, Erika immediately brought up the status screen. She didn’t have the luxury to figure out the vague “rune activation” system.

    A body diagram appeared on the screen, with empty slots plastered over the limbs. Only the head’s slot was colored in light-blue, representing the [Communication] rune. Erika tapped on the blue slot, and turned her attention toward the ongoing conversation.

    “Ugh..!”

    A throbbing sensation pierced her head, as if a foreign object moving in her skull. The symptoms shortly subsided, and a blue sigil formed on Erika’s forehead.

    “Like, I’m not a babysitter, you know!”

    Vivi crossed her arms and complained with puffed cheeks. Her voice still had a high pitch, but it was comprehensible enough.

    “I know, she’s rotten trash through and through. But, you also need to reach Zelin City, right?”

    “Hmph. Like, it’s true I want to visit the city. But this idiot is only going to drag me down!”

    Vivi threw an irritated glance at Erika, and turned away.

    Does Minerva try to pair us together? I must say something!

    Driven by the desire to travel together with the cute fairy, Erika stepped into the conversation.

    “Don’t worry, Vivi~ I’ll keep you safe as we travel~”

    “You? Keep me safe? Like, how stupid can you be?”

    Vivi hung her head in disbelief, and spat out a sigh.

    “You’re so small and fragile~ Mommy will make sure to protect you~”

    “Wh-! I’m not small! I’m a pixie!”

    Vivi angrily kicked the air.

    “I’m sure there are many dangerous monsters out there~ A weak, little girl like you needs protection~”

    “W-weak!? Now you’ve done it!”

    Vivi swung her tiny arm and fired a gust of wind.

    “W-waah!?”

    Invisible force slapped Erika in the face. She tripped backwards and fell on her bottom.

    “Ahahaha! Did you see that?! The great Vivi is way stronger than the likes of you!”

    Vivi put her little hands on her thin waist, and struck an arrogant pose. It truly a strong strike, which impressed Erika.

    “Was that wind magic?”

    “Ding dong! Seems like you DO have a brain in that big head of yours.”

    “Amazing~”

    Erika was very proud of the small, yet powerful, pixie. Sadly, Vivi still refused to cooperate, and dodged every attempt to be grabbed by Erika.

    Oh, I know.

    Erika opened her Dimension Vessel and took out the cursed Dragon Chocolate.

    “Vivi~ If you come with me, then I’ll share some chocolate with you~”

    “H-huh!? D-Dragon Chocolate?!”

    Vivi’s eyes sparkled in excitement.

    “Ack! H-hmph! I-it’s not like I love chocolate or anything! Like, I’m not a kid!”

    Vivi did her best to not look at the chocolate, but her eyes were attracted to it like a magnet.

    “I’ll give you one piece of chocolate now, and the rest when we reach the city. How about it?”

    Erika cracked a chocolate piece and brought it close to Vivi.

    “I-I never said I want any! Hmph!”

    “Then, I guess I’ll throw it away?”

    “A-ack! W-wait a second!!!”

    “My, do you want it then?”

    “N-not really! L-like, wasting food is just bad, you know! Y-yeah, that’s right! Since you insist that much, then the generous Vivi will relieve you of that chocolate!”

    Vivi snatched the chocolate piece and dug her tiny teeth into it.

    “Mmmmmmm!!!”

    Vivi’s body trembled in joy. Erika was amazed how Vivi could peacefully nom on such a SWEEEEEEEEEET treat. This was probably the meaning behind a line in the item’s description:

    【Sweet-toothed creatures would do anything for a piece of this masterpiece.】

    Apparently, pixies liked sweets in GoVe. Or, maybe it was just Vivi. Either way, Erika got a strong card for negotiations.

    “If you accompany me to the city, then I’ll hand over the rest of the chocolate. Otherwise, I’ll eat it myself or toss it away.”

    “F-fine, hmph! You beg so much, that the generous Vivi feels sorry about your pitiful existence!”

    Vivi crossed her arms and lifted her chin.

    “The great Vivi will bless you with her divine presence, and will accompany the helpless idiot you are. But only until the city, you hear?! Like, if you don’t hand over the chocolate - I’ll rip you apart!”

    “Of course, of course~ Anything for my cute lil’ Vivi~”

    INVITATION】【Vivi (Velver Pixie) wants to accompany you.】

    Huhu, you don’t even need to ask.

    Erika confidently tapped on【Accept】.

    NEW QUEST】【Vivi’s Escort

    “Mini, look at this~ I only started the game and I already have such a cute little pet~”

    “Huuuh? Cute? If it were me - I’d slice that dumb bitch into salami!”

    “Huhu, Mini is just jealous because mommy now got another child~”

    “Bah! Like hell!”

    Mina threw invisible punches at Erika. For the life of her, Mina couldn’t understand what was even remotely “cute” about the foul-mouthed, arrogant pixie.
     
  9. DarkClaymore

    DarkClaymore Active Member

    Joined:
    Aug 22, 2016
    Messages:
    60
    Likes Received:
    4
    Reading List:
    Link
    Chapter 15: Water Temple

    “I’m glad you shrimps get along so well.”

    Minerva smiled in relief after Erika and Vivi came to agreement.

    “Hmph! Like, who gets along with whom!?”

    “Of course we’re getting along~ We’re going to be the best pair ever~”

    Erika smiled from ear to ear, whereas Vivi crossed her arms in irritation.

    “Now, I’d be thankful if you erased yourself from my hall. I can feel my eyes rotting just by watching you.”

    Minerva smiled gently as ever, and Erika also responded with a thin smile.

    “I see. Let’s go, Vivi.”

    “Like, who gave you permission to order me around? You stupid kid will follow ME around!”

    “Sure, sure~”

    Erika and Vivi walked down the stairs and approached a wooden door.

    “Oh, right. It’s impossible for trash like you, but I may as well tell you this.”

    Minerva’s voice resounded from behind. Erika quickly turned around, suspecting another prank.

    “If, by some unreal chance, you happen to tame a dragon, then bring it to me. It may worth your while.”

    NEW QUEST】【Minerva’s Dragon Taming

    Erika felt it was an important quest, but there was hardly any information provided.

    “May I ask what’s the reward?”

    “Look forward to it. Though, trash like you will ever get it anyway.”

    “Then, where do I find dragons?”

    “Use your rotting brain to figure that out.”

    “Thank you very much for the help.”

    “The pleasure is all mine. Cleaning trash is an important duty, after all.”

    Erika and Minerva smiled in a friendly manner, but killing intent lingered in the air. Since Minerva was useless, Erika decided to dig up the information herself. She opened the menu and tapped on【Quests】. Currently, she had only two quests on the list.

    Minerva’s Dragon Taming

    【You’re trash through and through, so it’s best if you abandon the quest right away.

    Trash

    Trash

    Trash

    Trash

    Trash

    Trash

    Trash

    Trash

    Trash

    Trash

    Oh, I apologize. My hand slipped while writing. Are you still reading? Very well.

    Since you’re both trash and a fool, then you may as well try to bring me a tamed dragon. Don’t worry, it doesn’t have to be a stud like my darling Trigon.

    Reward: You’ll never get it anyway, trash.】

    Erika finished scrolling through the details with a dumb smile. She hoped to find objective information and hints, but apparently the quests in GoVe were written by the NPCs themselves.

    Vivi’s Escort

    【It’s not like I need your help to get to Zelin City or anything, hmph. Just because you’re so helpless, the generous Vivi may as well land you a hand.

    And just to be clear: I DON’T want the Dragon Chocolate or anything childish like that! Like, it’s just a waste for an idiot like you to eat such rare food! Hmph!

    Reward: Dragon Chocolate. Like, that’s MY reward, for helping a helpless idiot like YOU. As for your reward: my divine presence is the greatest reward you could ever hope to receive.】

    “How cute~”

    Erika affectionately eyed the little pixie.

    “Ew...”

    Vivi didn’t understand the meaning behind the gaze, but it creeped her out. She flapped her glittering wings and drew more distance between herself and Erika. With a safe distance maintained between them, Erika and Vivi passed through the wooden door, and left Minerva’s hall.

    Erika found herself inside the temple’s big corridor. The temple wasn’t in best shape, with some of its walls crumbling down. There was space for many visitors, however, at the moment, she couldn't spot a single player around.

    “This place sure is empty...”

    Erika mumbled as she examined her surroundings.

    “Of course it’s empty. Like, who’d bother to visit these crumbling ruins?”

    Vivi crossed her arms and looked around in disgust. After walking from corner to corner, Erika found only two other NPCs in the temple. There was also a door, which presumably led to a basement area, but it was tightly locked.

    “Hmm...”

    Erika pushed and pulled the basement door to no avail. Her inner RPG veteran whispered, that she had to obtain a key item, or to clear some quest, in order to unlock the door.

    However, GoVe was set in a virtual reality. It offered a lot more physical freedom than a PC game. In a normal MMORPG, a door like this would probably be unclickable. However, in VR, Erika could try many things.

    “Vivi, could you please tear down this door with you amazing wind magic~?”

    Erika asked with puppy eyes, which she could only make with her childish avatar.

    “Hmph, I don’t feel like you’re begging hard enough.”

    “Would you please land a hand to the helpless, idiot me, o great Vivi?”

    “ Hmph, fine. If you beg so much, then the generous Vivi may as well blast this door open!”

    Despite talking like that, Vivi grinned with a hint of excitement. Causing mischief must have been second nature for a pixie like her.

    “Take that!”

    Vivi swung her tiny arms and slammed the door with a gust of wind. Her strong attack didn’t even make a dent.

    “My, my.”

    Erika tilted her head with a playful smile.

    “L-like, I was just testing how strong this door is1 Hmph!”

    Vivi retorted in anger and prepared to launch another attack.

    “This one is the real deal!”

    Vivi channeled her everything and barraged the door, bombarding it over and over. Alas, the door stood firm.

    “Pwahaha! What a useless midget!”

    Mina laughed out loud at Vivi’s poor attempts. Luckily, Vivi herself couldn’t hear these insults

    “If it were me, I’d bust that dumb door with one swing!”

    Mina proudly puffed her invisible (and flat) chest.

    “Geh...”

    Vivi clenched her little fists and dagger the door with her glare.

    “Good job, Vivi. Here, you can have some chocolate.”

    “W-wha? Like, are you mocking me!?”

    Vivi yelled and kicked in midair.

    “J-just you watch! Like, I can wreck this door in no time!”

    “Of course, I believe in you. The great Vivi is amazing, after all~”

    “Y-yeah! That’s right! Like, I’m glad even a brainless kid like you can see that, hmph.”

    “I’m sure you’re so amazing, that you won’t bother to use your full power on a mere door, right”

    “Y-yeah! Exactly! Like, that wasn’t even 10% of my real power! If you want the great Vivi to use all of her potential, then you must prepare a grand and majestic reward! Just some kiddie chocolate isn’t going to cut it, you know!”

    Vivi smiled in confidence, believing that she “smoothly” avoided embarrassing herself. Erika giggled at the result and offered Vivi a chocolate piece for her generous, hard work.

    “H-hmph, not like I want it or anything. But, I may as well take it, since you beg so much.”

    Vivi snatched the piece of chocolate and began munching on it.

    “Mmmmmmmm!!!”

    Vivi’s eyes sparked from a sweet surge of joy.

    I’ll have to try this door another time.

    With that decided, Erika left the door and returned to the temple’s ground level.
     
  10. DarkClaymore

    DarkClaymore Active Member

    Joined:
    Aug 22, 2016
    Messages:
    60
    Likes Received:
    4
    Reading List:
    Link
    Chapter 16: No Stats?

    Other than Minerva, there were two other NPCs in the Water Temple. Same as the dreadful tutorial woman, both NPCs were mysterious women in robes and hoods. Erika picked the woman in white robes as her first target.

    Unlike the other pale-skinned witches in the temple, the woman in white had chocolate skin. Her clothes resembled a “priestess” much more than a “witch”, if only thanks to their bright color.

    Lakya

    A name tag popped up over the white priestess’s head, after Erika examined the NPC from head to toe. Lakya silently stood inside a hall with a big pool in the center. The water glittered beautifully, and the ambient water sounds in the background music mixed well with the peaceful pool.

    There were a few small creatures swimming inside the pool, which stole Mina’s attention.

    “Hehe, I wonder if I can cook them~”

    All Mina saw inside the pool was a swimming meal. Her deep hunger wasn’t subsided by a single cup of noodles.

    “My, Mini is so gluttonous~”

    Erika smiled as she imagined herself feeding the little Mina, just as she did with the starving kittens by her house.

    Vivi didn’t feel comfortable in the pool hall for some reason. She stayed at the corner of the room and quietly followed Erika.

    “Hello.”

    Erika greeted Lakya with a friendly smile.

    “...”

    All she received in response was short and indifferent glance.

    “May I ask you about the door leading to the basement?”

    “... Minerva. Ask her.”

    Lakya spoke in a monotone voice. Erika wasn’t entertained by the answer. If she could help it, Erika would rather never again speak with dreadful dragon summoner.

    “Then, may I ask whether you offer any services?”

    “... pool.”

    A single word was delivered... and nothing else.

    “You mean this pool? What about it?”

    “... pay, then use it.”

    “I see...”

    Erika threw another glance at the pool. The shining water practically shouted “magic pool!!!”, and the creatures that swam inside were also peculiar. However, the purpose and functions of the pool eluded Erika.

    “May I ask what the pool can be used for?”

    “... swimming practice. Easier than in real water.”

    “Huh...”

    Erika titled her head in wonder. She assumed that the pool existed in order to help players get used to swimming inside their VR avatar. Erika knew how to swim in real life, but there was no guarantee she’d do so fluently with her child avatar.

    “Oh! OOOH!!!”

    “What’s wrong, Mini?”

    “Now I get this shit! This is where ya can learn how to swim!”

    Mina sounded very impressed by this reveal.

    “I tried diving into a lake before, but shit sucked me in like a vacuum cleaner! And don’t think I can’t swim!”

    “Did you drown to death?”

    “Yep, got royally screwed. So, I figured falling into water was instant K.O.”

    “My, that sounds painful. Maybe there’s a Swimming parameter in this game and you first need to level it up. Let’s see...”

    Erika opened the menu and tried out different tabs. She considered herself experienced with the menu layouts in RPGs, however...

    Where are my stats? And skills? All I find is the window with my equipped runes...

    The only numeric parameter Erika found, was the level of her [Communication] rune. A tooltip revealed that runes could reach up to level 6. They granted the player new benefits whenever they leveled up.

    Currently, her [Communication] rune was at level 1.

    Lv.1】【You can communicate with most intelligent species. The smoothness of the interaction will increase as the rune levels up.】

    Erika’s avatar didn’t have its own “level”, but it was reassuring that at least SOMETHING in the game gauged her progress with a number.

    MMORPGs were infamous for cluttering PC screens with windows over windows over windows, going in great detail about the avatar’s parameters and skills. However, GoVe didn’t reveal such information to the players.

    The data itself undoubtedly existed, since even a VR game was ultimately just another video game. But, none of the information was directly available to the player. Even if there was a Swimming parameter, Erika couldn’t check its value.

    “This is... odd. How am I supposed to measure my progress without looking at my stats?”

    “Huuuh? Why the heck do ya need some dumb stats? You can just feel how you get stronger!”

    Erika frowned at Mina’s mentality. Such was the deep gap between an RPG gamer who progressed through numbers, and a Fighter gamer who progress through technical skill.

    Erika decided to ask Lakya about it.

    “A friend of mine drowned when she tried to swim in a lake. Is that normal?”

    “... yes. God Vessels can’t swim... at first.”

    “If we practice in this pool, then we learn to swim everywhere else?”

    “... yes. ”

    With that, Erika was convinced that a hidden Swimming parameter existed in the game. In her experience, swimming was often a useful skill to own in RPGs. It allowed the player to use shortcuts and to reach isolated areas.

    “Can I swim in the pool for free?”

    “... no. Pay [Water] pieces.”

    “Hm? [Water] pieces?”

    Erika tiled her head. Lakya opened her palm and showed how [Water] pieces looked. They were blue little stones, like scraps from the [Water] rune in Erika’s inventory. Erika opened the Dimension Vessel and took out the [Water] rune.

    “Will this do?”

    “... no. Runes are not... acceptable.”

    “My, but doesn’t this rune look exactly the same as these pieces? It’s just a little bigger.”

    “... no. Runes are not... acceptable.”

    Lakya repeated the same mechanical response. Erka couldn’t tell whether it was the result of an uncreative AI or Lakya’s poor communication skills.

    “Then, where can I find these[Water] pieces?”

    “... fight. Water creatures... drop [Water] pieces.”

    “How much do you charge?”

    “... 50 pieces. For one hour.”

    “What happens if I to accidentally fall into the pool and start swimming in it?”

    Erika made a foxy smile.

    “... sleep with the fishes, I guess?”

    Lakya’s expression didn’t twitch in the slightest, which made her words all the more eerie.

    I-I think she’s serious...

    A shiver ran through Erika’s arms as she remembered the huge black dragon. Maybe Lakya also had such a friendly monster at her disposal.

    “Then... do you have any quests for me?”

    “... no. If you open the path of water... maybe.”

    “The path of water?”

    “... [Water] rune. Infuse it.”

    “I see. I’ll return later then”

    Erika nodded and left the hall. According to Mina, it was only possible to infuse a new rune in the city. Erika already had the rune itself, so she’d definitely revisit this hall after reaching the city.
     
  11. DarkClaymore

    DarkClaymore Active Member

    Joined:
    Aug 22, 2016
    Messages:
    60
    Likes Received:
    4
    Reading List:
    Link
    Chapter 17: Sharp-Toothed Silveria

    “Huh..?”

    Erika’s sight turned blurry on the way to the third NPC. Her senses have been growing duller for a while, but only now it started to get in her way.

    “What’s happening...?”

    “Huh? What’s wrong, Titan?”

    “I feel... kinda... dizzy...”

    Erika leaned on a nearby wall in order to support herself. She didn’t feel like she’d collapse any time soon, but the haze was unsettling.

    Is something wrong with the VR gear...?

    A screen in the game’s menu informed the player about any potential issues with the equipped VR headgear. However, all the fields were green and no problems were reported.

    “Like, Just how stupid can you be?”

    Vivi put her tiny hands on her thin waist and struck an arrogant pose.

    “Just because you’re so pitifully brainless, the generous Vivi will enlighten you! Like, it’s the rune in your big forehead. It’s been active all this time.”

    “The rune...?”

    Erika ran her fingers across her forehead. She couldn’t see the magical sigil drawn on it, but she felt the energy emitted by her [Communication] rune. Ever since she activated the rune to understand Vivi’s language, Erika hasn’t turned it off even once.

    “Oh! Yeah, she’s right, Titan! These dumb runes sure know how to suck the soul outta ya! My right hand was paralyzed a few times because of this dumb shit.”

    “Hmm... it sounds like the game’s equivalent of mana points.”

    Erika brought up the game menu and opened【Status】. Her [Communication] rune was flagged as “active” at the moment. She intended to turn it off, but her finger hesitated.

    “If I turn it off... how will I understand what my beloved Vivi has to say?”

    “Like, as if I’d even bother to speak with brainless kid like you!”

    Vivi crossed her arms and raised her chin in arrogance.

    “Like, all this talking you do with witches bores me to tears! When are we setting out to Zelin City anyway?!”

    “My, Vivi is so impatient~ Like a little kid~”

    “W-what was that?! Hmph! Like, I have loads and loads of patience! I can even wait the whole day if I have to!”

    “Then there’s no problem, right?”

    Erika smiled after luring Vivi into her trap.

    “H-hmph! Fine! Like, you can talk until your tongue rots! But, I’d much rather wait by the temple's entrance, hmph!”

    Vivi turned her back to Erika and darted away. Erika felt sad about separating from the adorable tiny girl, but now there were no worries with turning off the [Communication] rune. Erika disabled the rune and proceeded toward the third NPC. The haziness that clouded her mind quickly dispersed.

    “Hi there, cutie pie~”

    The third NPC, Silveria, was a very friendly woman. She patted Erika’s head and gently pinched Erika’s soft cheeks. Erika has long since forgotten the feeling of being patted by someone taller who wasn’t her gigantic father. Therefore, she enjoyed the gesture while it lasted.

    Along with Silveria’s gentleness... there was creepiness too. Silveria’s wide grin exposed her sharp teeth. When Silveria examined Erika’s soft skin, she licked her lips with a long tongue as if eying a meal.

    “Whoa! Someone just made an NPC based on you, Titan!”

    “My, I’m not scary as that, Mini...”

    “No, no! Ya totally the same! Ya have that same creepy face when ya look at me!”

    Erika wasn’t sure how to respond to this accusation. Besides, she was preoccupied with maintaining a defensive stance against Silveria. Erika felt that Silveria could instantly swallow her whole with her menacing maw.

    “How can I help you, cutie pie?”

    Silveria finally removed her hands from Erika, after she squeezed and pinched every part of the little girl. Erika rejoiced that she didn’t have to experience the death event of being crushed to bits by Silveria’s blade teeth.

    Erika was going to inquire about Silveria’s services, but she was stopped by a peculiar sound.

    “Oink! Oink!”

    Erika spotted little piglets roaming nearby. She dashed toward the wooden fence behind Silveria, almost ramming into it.

    “Ah, so cute~”

    There were furry boar piglets locked behind the fence. They walked around and chewed on big plants with their tiny mouths.

    “Peep! Peep!”

    On the other side of the field, there were fluffy baby chicks. They ran around and ate seeds off the ground. Erika stretched a hand to pat them, but the chicks cutely skipped away.

    There were even more domestic animals up ahead. The area stretched all the way out of the temple. There must have been a small farm outside, but that area appeared blurry and foggy like a distant mirage.

    “Are you selling them?!”

    Erika’s eyes sparkled as she turned to Silveria.

    “Haha! They aren’t for sell, cutie pie. I’m only raising these cuties here.”

    Silveria patted Erika on the head, grinning widely in a half-friendly, half-creepy manner.

    “Do you love animals, cutie pie?”

    “Yes! Very much!”

    “Haha! So do I! Especially, I like it when they grow all big and chubby~”

    Silveria licked her teeth with her long tongue. Her yellow eyes glinted sharply for an instant.

    At that moment, Erika realized that her hobbies were a world apart from Silveria’s. Erika loved these animals because they were small and affable, whereas Silveria loved them because they could grow into a delicious meal.

    “If you ever happen to catch some younglings, don’t hesitate to ask me for advice. I’ll make sure to teach you how to raise them big and meaty~”

    “Sure..”

    In truth, Erika preferred some advice about preserving the animals in their adorable baby state.

    “You can also leave some younglings in my farm. I’ll make sure to take rea~lly good care of them for you.”

    Silveria’s exposed sharp teeth which made Erika gulp. Erika imagined how the gluttonous witch whipped defenseless critters, turning them into meat slices with each strike.

    “Speaking of which, cutie pie. I’ll be glad if you land me a hand, for the sake of the poor little younglings.”

    “Helping these cuties? Gladly!”

    “You see, the little chicks rea~lly love them some Windflora seeds. They are special seeds you can get from Windflora flowers. They grow near the temple.”

    I see. It’s a newbie quest, isn’t it?

    It was a generic quest of gathering materials for a lazy NPC. The materials were conveniently near the temple too. In order to feed the starving baby chicks - Erika gladly accepted the quest.

    Silvera’s Farming Series: Windflora Seeds

    【Be a doll and bring me 10 Windflora Seeds, will you? I’m sure the little chicks will rejoice~

    You can find Windfloras right outside the Water Temple. They are big flowers with green petals.

    Reward: 50 pieces + something extra if you do it quickly~】

    With a new quest in hand, Erika left Silveria’s farm.
     
  12. DarkClaymore

    DarkClaymore Active Member

    Joined:
    Aug 22, 2016
    Messages:
    60
    Likes Received:
    4
    Reading List:
    Link
    Chapter 18: Out of the Temple

    “Pipipii!”

    Vivi voiced some complaints upon reuniting with Erika. It must have been something along the lines of:

    “Like, how long you gonna make me wait, you brainless idiot?”

    But, Erika couldn’t decrypt it without [Communication]. She opened【Status】and planned to active her rune.

    “Hey, Titan!”

    Mina shouted into Erika’s brain.

    “Why the heck ya keep using the dumb menu? Them runes can be used without all that shit.”

    “I see, you’re right.”

    According to in-game tips, it was possible to activate runes with the power of thoughts. Erika hasn’t tried that yet. Last time, she activated the rune in a hurry, for she was afraid of missing important dialogue.

    As an MMORPG player, Erika was used to activate skills with mouse clicks or with keyboard shortcuts. Most modern games also incorporated voice commands. However, activating abilities with her “mind” was a novel and bizarre idea.

    “Say, Mini. How do you go about activating the runes? Do you imagine anything specific?”

    “Me? I just give ‘em cool names. Like ‘Overdrive’ for [Power] and ‘Flash Step’ for [Speed].”

    “Hm, I see...”

    Erika collected her thoughts and focused on the rune in her forehead. Making up “cool” names was too childish for her. Instead, she chanted a voice command in her head.

    Communication: ON.

    The muscles on her forehand tightened for a moment. A blue sigil appeared on her forehead. All these signs confirmed that the activation was successful.

    “Sorry for making you wait, Vivi~”

    “You better be! Like, my beautiful wings gathered a lot of dust, thanks to you being such a slowpoke idiot.”

    Vivi moved her tiny palm along her glittering wings, as if dusting them off. Erika and Vivi, accompanied by the invisible Mina, left the temple.

    In order to avoid another case of dizziness, Erika made sure to turn off [Communication] when Vivi wasn’t speaking. Erika intended to make efficient use of the rune, and only boot it up when it was necessary.

    Communication: OFF.

    The pressure in her forehead obediently dispersed. Erika didn’t use the rune for long this time around, but she nevertheless felt a sense of relief when the rune shut down. It was as if an external force stopped sapping her energy.

    After she walked down the temple’s stairs, Erika noticed a big stone. The stone emitted a purple aura and looked important. Erika examined the stone and a tip appeared to satisfy her curiosity.

    TIP】【Warp Stones allow God Vessels to instantly teleport from one Warp Stone to another. This only applies to Warp Stones which the God Vessel previously activated.】

    TIP】【You may set a Warp Stone as a respawn spot for the next time you revive, or for your next login into the game. When you arrive in a new area, make sure to seek the Warp Stone and to touch it.】

    Erika pressed her palm against the stone and a menu screen popped up. Currently, she only had【Water Temple】registered as an available destination for teleportation. Erika didn’t have any use for the Warp Stone right now, but it was an important detail to keep in mind.

    After all, much to her disdain, she'd probably return to the Water Temple sometime in the distant future, to complete Minerva’s dragon-taming quest. Erika turned her back to the Warp Stone, and approached the unpaved road which extended from the temple.

    The mysterious and ambient background music of the temple slowly faded away. Now that Erika was in the open field, a catchy and energetic melody accompanied her for the adventure.

    A clear lake stretched across the road’s left flank. The lake accompanied the road side-by-side as far as Erika’s sight could reach. The other side of the lake resembled Erika’s current area: there was a parallel road and a big temple.

    Mina mentioned that she started the game in a “different temple”. Therefore, the temple on the other side of the lake must have served as another newbie spawning spot.

    A thick forest stretched on the right side of the road. It wrapped the road all the way around the temple and it didn’t seem like a good place for a newbie to venture into.

    The game only provided Erika with an empty map, which filled up whenever new areas were explored. She could examine the names of the areas which surrounded her current location, but she couldn’t use the map to navigate to a distant city.

    Sandwiched between Murph Lake and The Great Forest of Velver, Erika’s only route was the unpaved road in front of her. She pointed at the road and asked Vivi for confirmation.

    “Say, Vivi. Is this the road to Zelin?”

    “Like, you don’t even know something so basic? Of course it’s the one! Like, how brainless can you actually be?”

    Vivi sighed with dropped shoulders. Erika walked along the road and checked the fields around. There was a lot of greenery, stretching from the road toward the lake and the forest.

    Erika’s goal was to find the “Windflora flowers” for her quest. She poked some stray flowers by the roadside, but they all looked like lifeless textures.

    Then, she saw it. Thick, green stem which was nearly as high as Erika’s petite avatar. Big, green petals which were almost the size of her arms.

    Windflora

    A tag appeared above the big flower and confirmed Erika’s suspicion. This tall flower was the target for her quest. Erika wasn’t sure how to extract the seeds, but for starters she approached the flower.

    The flower suddenly twitched when Erika approached. The Windflora’s head moved suspiciously, as if taking an aim at Erika.

    “Wha!?”

    A gust of wind struck Erika’s body and blasted her to the ground. Green petals landed on top of her head, like mocking confetti.

    It’s a monster!?

    Erika pushed herself from the ground and jumped on her feet.

    “W-whoa!”

    Another fierce gust. Erika tried to block the invisible attack with her arms, but a strong blast slammed her face before she could even react. She was pushed back and nearly lost her balance.

    “W-wait!”

    The vicious flower already prepared for another devilish attack. Erika didn’t have any confidence in dodging or blocking.

    T-tactical retreat!

    Erika turned her back to the enemy and started running.

    “W-wah!!”

    A gust of wind pushed her back. Her upper body flew forward, ahead of her running legs.

    “Gah!”

    Her face crashed into the ground.

    “Ahahaha! Like, are you for real?”

    “Pwahahaha! Titan ya so bad!”

    Mocking laughter stabbed the floored Erika, almost dealing her the finishing blow. She clenched her fists and gritted her teeth while getting up.

    This is horrible... how could they place such a powerful raid boss in the first area?!

    Of course, the RPG veteran in her knew the truth. The Windflora was a “Lv.1 fodder mob” for newbie quests. A Lv.1 player should have defeated it in a strike or two.

    Yet, Erika was forced to retreat. She was overpowered by such a lowly and weak enemy. The RPG veteran in her wanted to crawl under a rock from embarrassment.

    Erika took a deep breath to calm herself. Like any reasonable attack, the Windflora’s wind blasts had a limited range. As a flower, the Windflora was immobile and couldn’t pursue Erika

    Therefore, she could safely strategize from a distance. Still, the very fact she had to come up with a tactic against a Lv.1 mob - was an insult to her pride as an RPG veteran.
     
  13. DarkClaymore

    DarkClaymore Active Member

    Joined:
    Aug 22, 2016
    Messages:
    60
    Likes Received:
    4
    Reading List:
    Link
    Chapter 19: Windflora

    Erika stared at the vicious Windflora and considered her options. Normally, an MMORPG would provide a newbie with some sort of weapon. It could be a wooden sword, a small knife - something, anything.

    Alas, Erika only had her tiny palms to rely on. Barehanded combat was a mechanic which most MMORPGs supported, yet no player really used. Proficiency with weapons was always superior to barehanded combat.

    Oh, but I have my adorable Vivi.

    The game didn’t grant Erika a weapon, but it definitely gave her a reliable companion. Erika already had first-hand experience with Vivi’s powerful bursts of wind.

    “Vivi, attack! Avenge your mommy!”

    Erika pointed at the Windflora and gave out the order.

    “Like, why should I? Sounds like a hassle, so no thanks.”

    Vivi shrugged in disinterest. She didn’t even think twice about it.

    “My, you’re so cruel... but so cute still~”

    At first, Erika considered bribing her pixie with more chocolate. However, when Erika pulled out the Dragon Chocolate from the Dimension Vessel, she realized that a third of the chocolate was already gone.

    Erika didn’t know how far was Zelin City from the Water Temple. She couldn’t carelessly spend her chocolate hostage, especially not for a Lv.1 fodder mob. In the end, her only option remained hand-to-hand combat.

    Erika clenched her fists to show some fighting spirit, but she had no idea how to use them. She never physically attacked anybody before, as her sharp tongue was her strongest weapon.

    “Do you have any tips, Mini?”

    “Huuuh? What tips?”

    “About fighting mobs.”

    “You just go BAM and WOOSH and the fucker is dead before you even notice!”

    “Is that so...”

    It’s useless. I forgot she has no brain.

    Erika exhausted all her ideas. There was only one thing to do: fight the dang raid boss.

    “O-okay, here I go...!”

    Erika crossed her arms and dashed at the Windflora. The enemy had ranged attacks, therefore her first priority was to get closer. To do so, she had to endure the the enemy’s bombarding.

    “Ugh...!”

    A gust of wind slammed against Erika’s arms. It pushed her back and made her lose momentum. Luckily, she retained her balance and managed to resume her charge.

    Now, let’s try punching...!

    Erika entered striking range. She abandoned her defense and swung her arm. Her attack was carefully aimed at the flower's head-

    “Agh!”

    A blast of wind punched her in the face, before she delivered her calculated blow. Green petals grazed her eyes and blinded her.

    “Ah! Can’t see... w-whoa!”

    Erika tripped and dived into the ground face-first.

    C-curses... I need to get up!

    She blindly pushed her palms against the ground and tried to raise her body.

    “GAH!”

    A blast of wind trampled on her back and pushed her into the ground. Her aching eyes recovered and she could now assess the situation.

    This doesn’t look good...

    Erika was on the ground, right below the Windflora. The flower towered over her, mocking the trampled noob.

    “Tch...”

    The insulted RPG Master channeled strength into her arms. She couldn’t allow herself to be defeated by the likes of this flower. Erika pushed herself away from the ground, but she struggled to find her balance.

    The Windflora’s attacks were blunt and not immediately fatal. However, the struck areas retained a sense of pain for a while. After she was bombarded by so many air nukes, most of Erika’s body cried in pain.

    W-what is it doing?

    Instead of aiming another wind snipe at Erika, the Windflora stretched its stem backwards. It reminded a catapult that prepared to fire.

    No... way...

    The stem suddenly jumped forward. The Windflora’s head came down crashing like a club.

    “GAH!”

    Erika’s head was shoved into the ground.

    “AGH!!” How is this even fair!?

    Erika was whammed again. And again. And again. The Windflora continuously bashed the defenseless Erika with its head.

    Curse you... fodder raid boss...

    Erika was wrecked all over. It didn’t take long for her small body to completely break down.

    Congratulations! You died.
     
  14. DarkClaymore

    DarkClaymore Active Member

    Joined:
    Aug 22, 2016
    Messages:
    60
    Likes Received:
    4
    Reading List:
    Link
    Chapter 20: Combat Aid

    Here again, huh.

    Erika gazed into the void. Her body was reduced into an azure flame and floated inside the black nothingness.

    “Pwahahaha! So lame! Can’t believe that dumb flower kicked yo ass, haha!”

    Mina had the blast of her life at Erika’s expense.

    “Geh...”

    It was a rare occasion, Erika had nothing to say back. The RPG Master squirmed at every every word of criticism.

    TIP】【In order to have a fair fighting chance against monsters, all God Vessels are provided a Combat Aid system. You may benefit from raising the level of your Combat Aid.】

    TIP】【Keep in mind: too much Combat Aid may feel unnatural and restrictive. It’s important to find the right balance for you. You may change the Combat Aid level at any time from your Settings screen.】

    A sliding bar appeared for Erika to configure her Combat Aid. A specific area on the bar was marked as【Recommended for you】.

    “I see, now it makes perfect sense. I was defeated because my Combat Aid wasn’t configured properly!”

    Erika regained her spirit.

    “Huuuh? Combat Aid? The heck’s that?”

    “It’s... it’s a system that helps you move better during combat.”

    “Oh! There’s such a dumb thing in this game?

    “Yes, there is...”

    It was obvious that Mina never had any trouble with the default level of Combat Aid. This frustrated Erika anew. Increasing her Combat Aid felt the same as choosing to play on “Easy” mode.

    Nevertheless, Erika raised the Combat Aid as recommended. “Every Mob is a Raid Boss” was clearly not the right difficulty for her.

    The azure flame was extinguished and Erika respawned all the way back in Minerva’s hall.

    NOTIFICATION】【The quest Vivi’s Escort is put on hold until you reunite with Vivi (Velver Pixie)】

    Erika nervously looked around her. As the notification implied - Vivi was nowhere to be found. The system provided additional explanations, which Erika only skimmed through.

    Escorted NPCs weren’t teleported to the player’s respawn spot. Therefore, it was necessary to meet up with them in order to continue the quest. Depending on the circumstances, continuing the quest may even prove impossible.

    This isn’t good...!

    Erika dashed out of the temple. She couldn’t be separated from her adorable pixie like!

    “Like, are we ever going to reach Zelin at this rate?! You stupid idiot can’t even handle one flower!”

    Vivi waited right outside the temple.

    NOTIFICATION】【The quest Vivi’s Escort will now resume.】

    “Phew, I’m so glad.”

    Erika was so rejoiced about the reunion, that she didn’t even register the rest of Vivi’s complaints.

    “Don’t worry. This time - I’ll defeat it.”

    Erika reassured the little pixie in confidence.

    “You still gonna fight?! Like, we should be moving on to Zelin, you know!”

    “It’ll take just a moment, don’t worry~”

    “Hmph, fine! The generous Vivi might as well let you to entertain her with your stupidity!”

    “Thanks~”

    Despite her high and mighty attitude, Vivi couldn’t deny Erika’s free will. The pixie had to make silly excuses in order follow Erika around.

    Let’s have another go, raid boss.

    Erika dashed toward the Windflora again. Same as before, she braced herself for incoming attacks. The Windflora recognized her as a threat and took its aim.

    This gonna hurt. If only I could dodge it instead-

    “Eh?”

    Erika’s legs suddenly changed direction. Instead of running straight at the Windflora, her legs led her sideways.

    “Wah!”

    A blast slammed her left side. It hurt as much as before, but she somehow dodged half of the attack.

    I can hit it! Now, to carefully aim and- wha!?

    Her fist jumped forward. She was still processing how and where to hit the enemy, but her punch already whacked the Windflora’s face. It was the first time she punched another creature, but her hand moved as if it was her daily hobby.

    I can hit it again- ah!

    Her left hand instantly followed the vague thoughts. She delivered another blow at the staggering enemy.

    I-I can do it!

    Erika shot consecutive punches into the Windflora’s face.

    It was a weird feeling. Her body gained a will of its own, but it obediently acted according to Erika’s will. The moment she imagined her next action - it was already taking place.

    Did she control her attacks? Or, did the Combat Aid system possess her? The line between the two was very blurry.

    The Windflora couldn’t dish out a single attack. Driven to a corner, the Windflora bent its stem backwards.

    Ah! It’s that catapult thing! I can’t dodge it from this range, I have to-!

    Her body already understood the order. Erika couldn’t dodge, therefore she had to defend. Her arms braced for impact and her legs assumed a defensive stance.

    “Agh!”

    The Windflora’s head fiercely bashed Erika. She was pushed back and her blocking arms burned. But, she could still fight on. The damage was far from enough to fell her.

    The Windflora became dazed after striking Erika’s unexpected block.

    It’s a chance! I should be able to-

    Her arms spread open and fired strikes at the defenseless Windflora.

    Ha, haha! I can really do this with the Combat Aid!

    Erika’s mind adapted to the quick strikes. Even though some invisible system aided her, each strike was definitely hers.

    Erika’s barrage blew off the Windflora’s face. The stem snapped in half and dispersed into azure particles. Shortly, even these particles vanished and there was no trace of the Windflora.

    【Defeated Windflora. Obtained 5 [Wind] pieces and 1 Windflora Seed.】

    “Haa... haa... haha...”

    Erika panted from the exhausting battle, but a smile appeared on her face. She by no means supported violence, and she avoided it by principle. However, after executing revenge with her own two hands - she felt refreshed.

    It was the first time this thought crossed her mind: violence could sometimes be... fun.
     
  15. DarkClaymore

    DarkClaymore Active Member

    Joined:
    Aug 22, 2016
    Messages:
    60
    Likes Received:
    4
    Reading List:
    Link
    Chapter 21: Pieces

    TIP】【When tired or injured, you can quickly recover by sitting or lying down.】

    “Haa... haa... phew...”

    Amidst her pants, Erika praised the game for this familiar mechanic. She sat down and waited for her body to heal.

    “Are you done now? Like, we should be heading to Zelin City!”

    “Sorry, Vivi. I need to collect some more Windflora Seeds.”

    “Hmph, fine! Like, you can’t properly serve the great Vivi if you have zero battle experience!”

    Vivi crossed her arms and pouted.

    So cute~

    Erika enjoyed Vivi’s random excuses. Vivi was like a bratty kid who complained 24/7, but always stuck close to his mommy anyways.

    Before the next fight, Erika opened the menu and checked her loot. There was an unfamiliar pouch in her Dimension Vessel, with the tag 【Windflora Seeds】hanging above it.

    Erika touched the pouch and a small screen popped up. It offered her to choose how many seeds to take out. Currently, there was only one seed in the pouch.

    The Windflora Seed looked like a generic, green seed. But, the RPG veteran suspected that the seed had special uses. After all, it was dropped by a vicious flower monster.

    Windflora Seed

    【A Flora seed infused with the wind element. A flower from this seed may bear wind pieces. Caution: it may grow into a Windflora if not handled properly.】

    There was no mention of feeding the seed to animals. Perhaps that option was only available to NPCs.

    Along with the Windflora Seed, Erika also obtained [Wind] pieces from the fight. However, these pieces weren’t in her Dimension Vessel. Instead, she found a separate menu screen for all the pieces she owned.

    Reading a tooltip revealed that these “pieces” were, in fact, the game’s currency. There were various types of pieces, such as [Water] and [Wind]. The piece’s type played a role in determining its worth.

    A [Wind] piece was worth “1 piece”, it was in the lowest tier of currency. Erika read that a [Water] piece was also worth 1 piece. As far as currency was concerned, [Wind] pieces and [Water] pieces were identical.

    Nonetheless, [Wind] pieces and [Water] pieces weren’t treated the same for all purposes. For example: Lakya requested to be paid specifically with [Water] pieces. Even if Erika obtained 50 [Wind] pieces, she wouldn’t be able to pay for the pool with them.

    It was an unusually complicated system for money. The RPG veteran felt that hoarding specific types of pieces was the right way to go. However, that vague guess was all Erika could do at the moment.

    One thing that bugged Erika, was the lack of “experience points” from the battle. Normally, MMORPG players had a straightforward method to become better and stronger: they fought monsters and earned EXP. However, on top of having no stats, GoVe didn’t have a “player level” either; there was no EXP and no way to level up..

    Thus far, only runes seemed to have levels, and even they had only six levels in total. If Erika had a combat-oriented rune, perhaps it would have leveled up when she fought mobs. Alas, the [Communication] rune had nothing to do with battles and it was unlikely to level it up by smacking flowers.

    Alright, I should wrap things up.

    Erika jumped on her feet and prepared to fight more Windfloras. At the beginning, she wasn’t fond of physical combat. But now, with the Combat Aid flowing through her, she was going to enjoy the demise of fodder mobs.

    Erika charged at stray Windfloras and assaulted them. One by one, the Windfloras fell victim to Erika’s barrages. The more Erika fought, the better she became at avoiding attacks.

    Gradually, but surely, Erika turned into a goddess of war, who could terminate any flower in existence. No Windflora stood a chance against her.

    Erika finished her killing spree with a total of 12 Windflora Seeds and 50 [Wind] pieces.
     
  16. DarkClaymore

    DarkClaymore Active Member

    Joined:
    Aug 22, 2016
    Messages:
    60
    Likes Received:
    4
    Reading List:
    Link
    Chapter 22: Elemental Food

    “Thanks, cutie pie~”

    Silveria happily accepted the 10 Windflora Seeds. As always, her friendly smile was disturbing, thanks to her intimidating, sharp teeth.

    Silveria crushed the seeds into small bits, and gathered specific baby chicks for the treat.

    “Peep~♪ Peep~♪”

    The chicks sang in joy as they poked the green seeds with their tiny beaks.

    “Can I feed them too? Pretty please~?”

    Erika appealed to Silveria with puppy eyes, which she could only make in a child’s avatar.

    “Sure, cutie pie. As long as you promise to not harm them.”

    “Really!? Of course, I’ll never think of harming them!”

    “Then come in, come in.”

    Silveria opened the wooden door into her farm, and invited Erika inside.

    “S-so cute~”

    Erika almost had a seizure from being this close to the fluffy cuties. She tried to feed the chicks directly from her palms, but the young critters were wary of the stranger. Therefore, Erika had no choice but to spread the seeds on the ground.

    “Peep~♪ Peep~♪”

    Two chicks approached the meal and dug their fluffy faces into it.

    “C-can I touch them!? Ple~ease?”

    “Haha, sure. But be careful.”

    “Yes, ma’am!”

    Erika reached toward one of the chicks with a hand trembling from joy. The chick’s poofy fur was soft and fuzzy, soothing Erika’s soul.

    The chicks finished their meal and left the area. Erika offered her spare Windflora Seeds to continue the mesmerizing scene, but Silveria rejected them. Too many elemental seeds weren’t healthy for younglings.

    “Then, what about the other chicks? They didn’t get any seeds at all!”

    Erika pointed at the group of starving chicks, who weren’t lucky enough to be picked for the feeding.

    “Sorry, cutie pie. It’s important to feed younglings properly, or else they won’t grow up right.”

    Silveria explained the consequences of feeding elemental food to younglings. When a critter consumed food with an element, it gradually developed an elemental affinity. This allowed the critter mature into a special, magical creature.

    A diet, which consisted of multiple elements, was discouraged. Shoving different elements into one animal usually resulted in no elemental affinity whatsoever. It was a waste of both time and resources.

    The Windflora Seeds had the wind element stored in them. Hence, only chicks which were raised for the wind affinity were allowed to eat them. Erika noticed that all these chicks had green spots on their poofy furs, and some of them were entirely green.

    “You seem to be very interested in this subject, cutie pie. When you grow into a bigger shrimp, then I’ll gladly offer you space in my farm, so you can try it out for yourself.”

    “I can raise my own cuties?!”

    “Sure, sure. It won’t be for free, of course.”

    Silveria patted Erika and handed the quest’s reward.

    QUEST COMPLETED】【Silvera’s Farming Series: Windflora Seeds

    【Obtained 100 pieces: 6 [Water], 14 Earth, 13 [Speed], 7 [Communication], 5 [Absorption], 6 [Aura], 4 [Telekinesis].】

    The number of the pieces didn’t add up to the total. Some of these pieces were probably worth more than “1 piece”.

    “You were such a hard worker, so here’s something special for you, cutie pie. A little cutie like you needs something to protect herself.”

    【Obtained Silver Knife.】

    “Thanks.”

    Now, Erika could bring even more destruction to the scummy fodder flowers. Though, for now, she safely stored her deadly weapon in the Dimension Vessel.

    “Truth to be told, I could use more help from a hardworking cutie like you. Make sure to check out my next request~”

    Silvera’s Farming Series: Waterflora Seeds

    【Next, I’d like you to give some love to the chicks of the water element and bring me 20 Waterflora seeds. Don’t let the little cuties starve~

    You can find Waterfloras south of the Murph Village. They are big flowers with blue petals.

    Reward: 250 pieces】

    It was almost identical to Silveria's first quest, such uncreativity was common in MMORPGs. Either way, Erika was definitely going to complete the task, in order to feed cute, little chicks again~
     
  17. DarkClaymore

    DarkClaymore Active Member

    Joined:
    Aug 22, 2016
    Messages:
    60
    Likes Received:
    4
    Reading List:
    Link
    Chapter 23: Logout

    “I believe this is enough for today.”

    It was past 19:00 and Erika had to head home.

    “Huuuh!? But ya haven’t even reached the first city!”

    “There’s no helping it, Mini. RPGs are time sinks.”

    At a glance, it looked as if Erika didn’t accomplish anything today. She talked to NPCs, fought a little and finished a quest. But, by the end of the day, she was all the way back to her starting point.

    Nevertheless, all these actions consumed more than two hours. Such was the deceptive nature of RPGs.

    “Bah! It gonna take AGES until you get anywhere at this rate!”

    “My, no need to worry so much. I’m sure you didn’t reach Trilz City in a day, did you?”

    “Bah, it took me a week or two...”

    Mina mumbled with an unseen, grumpy face. Now, Erika only had to negotiate with the other brat.

    “Vivi, mommy has to log out now~”

    It hurt the suspension of disbelief, but the meaning of “login” and “logout” was generally recognized by NPCs, in order to allow smoother communication. As Erika expected, GoVe was no exception.

    “Like, are you for real? We haven’t even left this crumbling temple, you know!”

    “I know, but it can’t be helped. Here, I’ll give you some chocolate, so please forgive me~”

    Erika took out a piece of Dragon Chocolate from the Dimension Vessel, and waved it in front of Vivi.

    “Hmph, I said I don’t want any!”

    “My hand is slipping~”

    Erika loosened her fingers around the chocolate, and it slowly slid down. No matter how though Vivi acted, this was a scene she couldn't let stand. The pixie darted toward the chocolate, and caught it with her tiny arms.

    “Ack!”

    Vivi was slammed by walls from both sides.

    “Got you~”

    Erika grinned as she wrapped her palms around the pixie. The sweeeeet bait was very effective.

    “Geh! Like, what do you think you’re doing, you idiot!?”

    “Huhu~”

    Erika smiled from ear to ear at Vivi’s adorable, yet futile, attempts to wiggle out. To not harm her little companion with the tight grip, Erika proceeded to the next step in her devilish plan.

    The Dimension Vessel was a safe space from another realm, which Erika could open and close at will. Therefore, it was the perfect place to store Vivi!

    ERROR】【An incompatible object came into contact with your Dimension Vessel.】

    The moment Vivi was brought near it, the floating island vanished into thin air.

    “Tch, so it’s no good.”

    Erika clicked her tongue and released the struggling pixie.

    “Hmph! Like, who do you think you are, you stupid idiot!?”

    “Ah~!”

    Erika was slapped in the face with a gust of wind. She kinda deserved it, so she took her punishment with a smile.

    According to the tips Erika read in the game: it was generally possible to resume an escort quest, even after logging out. However, it depended on various factors, such as the NPC’s consent to wait for the player’s next login.

    “Sorry, Vivi~ Mommy was worried that you won’t wait for her~”

    “Hmph! Like, who’d wait for a stupid idiot like you!? I wanna to get outta here already, you know!”

    “I promise we’ll make more progress when I login tomorrow.”

    “Hmph, fine! Like, it’s not easy to find a stupid slave like you. So, the generous Vivi may as well wait, until she can put you to good use.”

    “Thanks, o generous Vivi~”

    Erika smiled at Vivi’s response. In the end, Vivi was programmed to go along with Erika’s will, no matter how unruly the pixie was. With all the problems resolved, Erika popped up the menu and tapped on【Logout】.

    WARNING】【The quest Vivi’s Escort will be put on hold.】

    Erika nodded to the warning, and pressed【Logout】again to confirm her decision. A ten seconds countdown popped up, showing the remaining time until Erika’s disconnection.

    Once the countdown hit zero, the Dimension Vessel suddenly popped out

    Eh?

    Erika’s body was lifted into the air.

    “W-wha!?”

    She was sucked into the Dimension Vessel, and vanished from the area. Her mind turned blurry and sleepy...
     
  18. DarkClaymore

    DarkClaymore Active Member

    Joined:
    Aug 22, 2016
    Messages:
    60
    Likes Received:
    4
    Reading List:
    Link
    Chapter 24: Back to Reality

    “... ah.”

    When Erika opened her eyes, she was staring at the white ceiling in Mina’s room. The last thing she remembered, was how the Dimension Vessel swallowed her whole. It was a... peculiar logout animation, yo say the least.

    Erika reached toward the headgear and pushed it off. Her arms were heavy and sluggish for some reason. On the other hand, Mina quickly removed the helmet and hopped off the bed.

    “... eh?”

    Erika gave her legs the command to move, but they didn’t listen. They remained still on the bed, like pieces of meat which had nothing to do with Erika. In fact, it wasn’t only her legs. She felt numbness across her whole body.

    D-did I seriously just catch Vireco?!

    Erika twisted on the bed in order get her body to move. Her numb muscles returned to function after a few seconds.

    Phew, that was scary.

    Her fingers obediently, but stiffly, stretched when she commanded them. Rather than retaining sensations from VR, Erika felt that her brain just forgot how to control the real body for a moment. It wasn’t the rare Vireco, it was simply the brain’s reaction to the odd technology that was “Virtual Dive”.

    Erika read about first-timers who experienced similar symptoms. The Virtual Dive forced the brain to function in an unusual manner, as it remapped the brain’s functions onto a whole new body: the VR avatar. The brain couldn’t smoothly switch between controlling these two different “bodies”.

    Most people claimed, that they got used to this routine after enough Virtual Dives. In addition, some researchers suggested that the brain itself learned to adapt to these switches. Hence, Erika felt at ease about her odd experience.

    “As we promised, I’m putting this away.”

    “Bah, okay...”

    Erika snatched the two Voceans, and put them on top of the tall closet. There were now three headgears lined up in this unreachable area.

    “You don’t happen to have any extra Voceans, do you, Mini?”

    “Nope, I only won three of ‘em in the damn SoulClay tournament .”

    It didn’t seem that Mina lied, but Erika searched inside the closet any. She was relieved to find nothing.

    Before heading home, Erika felt worried about leaving the little Mina alone.

    “How is your left hand?”

    “Still frozen like useless shit.”

    Mina lifted her dysfunctional arm, and watched how it helplessly fell downwards.

    “If it doesn’t heal by tomorrow, then you should see a doctor.”

    “Bah! Don’t wanna!”

    Erika sighed at the stubborn response. Going to the clinic was the reasonable thing to do, when your arm wasn’t moving for a few good days. Alas, Erika couldn’t force this logic on the little brat.

    She was strongly rejected, no matter how she presented the topic. In the end, she had to give up for the day. There was no telling whether a prolonged Vireco was truly dangerous, and Erika, too, wanted to believe that everything will be fine.

    “Try stretching your left hand every now and then, to not let the muscles weaken.”

    “Yeah, yeah.”

    “Make sure you go to school tomorrow.”

    “Sure, sure.”

    “Don’t forget to lock the door, it was open when I came.”

    “Are ya my mom or something?”

    “Huhu, you can call me ‘mommy’ if you want~”

    Erika stretched a hand to pat Mina’s head-

    “Gah!”

    -but, she was bitten.

    What an unsocial, little doggie.

    Erika massaged her injured hand with mixed feelings. Mina was a classmate, but her small size and bratty behaviour were on the level of a grade student, at best. Erika couldn’t find it in herself to seriously scold Mina for childish behaviour.

    “See you tomorrow at school, I HOPE.”

    “I said I’ll be there!”

    The two girls parted and Erika went home.

    Erika stayed at Mina’s place for over three hours. It wasn’t exactly a normal time span for a “home visit” by a fellow classmate. Erika’s cover story turned out like this:

    I helped Mina with the school material she missed. Mina is a slow learner and she’s lazy, so we ended up studying for over three hours.

    In the end, we still haven’t covered everything. So, I’ll probably have to visit her tomorrow as well... sigh.

    Erika played different versions of the tale in her head, until it was polished into a bulletproof story. When she returned home, Erika explained these “circumstances” to her parents.

    “Grrrrr!”

    The black hellhound, Constantine, didn’t buy Erika’s fishy story. He glared at Erika, and snarled at her to no end. On the other hand, Laura completely fell for the story.

    “You’re such a hard worker, Eri.”

    Laura patted her daughter’s tall shoulders for encouragement.

    “Knowing how to be responsible for others is an important skill in life. The earlier you learn it, the better.”

    Reidel also gave his encouragement, even though it sounded more like a preach than a praise. That giant never expressed too much emotion.

    Once she finished her dinner, Erika dropped on the sofa in the living room.

    “Say, dad.”

    “Hm?”

    “There was a buzz about this ‘VR Vireco’ thing at school today. Many students discussed it.”

    “Har, you kids always talk about the latest gadgets. Maybe these lazy news about Vireco weren’t that bad after all.”

    Reidel sneered and roughly stroke the hellhound by his side.

    “A few students in my class claimed, that Vireco may continue for a couple of days. Is that really possible?”

    “Hrm, I’m not an expert on the subject, but I’d say ‘yes’. Vireco strikes the strongest when the user is so invested in his VR experience, that he forgets about his real body. It’s really foolish.”

    “Haha, yes it’s really silly.”

    Sadly, I know one fool who seems to fit the bill...

    Erika secretly sighed, and continued to ask questions like an innocent, curious daughter.

    “Can it be dangerous if that ‘Vireco’ thing lasts for too long?”

    “Hrm, it depends. If a vital organ is affected, then it can even prove fatal. We had a patient who suffered heart failure, after he was stabbed in a game.”

    “R-really...?”

    Erika was taken aback by this distributing information. The deeper she dug into Vireco, the more shocking truths she discovered.

    Luckily, Mina was probably safe. An arm was by no means a vital organ, and Mina didn’t seem to suffer from anything beyond numbness. Nonetheless, Erika wished to confirm the little critter’s safety.

    “One boy in my class claimed, that he suffered from Vireco in his arm. Supposedly, he couldn’t move it for a few days. But, it completely recovered after a while. Is that possible? Sounds fishy~”

    “Hrm, perhaps. Say, if he kept using VR while affected with Vireco, then he could prolong the effect. Depending on which part of the arm was affected, it could entirely recover without any noticeable consequences.”

    “My, that’s interesting.”

    Erika sighed in relief at this information. These were the first good news about Vireco today.

    “Har, still. That boy is quite foolish, getting a Vireco like that. I hope he’s not a friend of yours?”

    “Haha, of course not.”

    Erika learned all she wanted, and left to her room.

    Phew, today was so exhausting.

    She met a little beast with a mystical Vireco, she was rammed by a dragon, she bfriended a pixie and she trashed a raid boss flower. Way too much action for her one day in her peaceful life.

    Erika decided to bring down the curtain on this abnormal day, by cutting early to bed. Little did she know, that today’s craziness was just the beginning...
     
  19. DarkClaymore

    DarkClaymore Active Member

    Joined:
    Aug 22, 2016
    Messages:
    60
    Likes Received:
    4
    Reading List:
    Link
    Chapter 25: Two-Faced Titan

    A new day began for Erika. The virtual experience from yesterday felt like a distant dream by time she arrived at her class. Nothing fundamentally changed about her daily life and she was now back to being “Erika”, with “FluffyCuteling” forgotten.

    ... or so she thought. When Erika opened the class’s door, she was greeted by an unexpected shout.

    “Hey, Titan!”

    “W-wha!?”

    Erika was taken aback by the sudden greeting. Mina properly attended school and she casually waved to Erika. It was a dangerous situation!

    “Haha, Titan?”

    “Pft, what’s that about?”

    A few classmates laughed at the embarrassing scene. They were naturally curious about the relationship between the two girls, and that made Erika sweat bullets.

    “M-Mina, can I have a word with you? Come here, PLEASE.”

    “Huuuh? Let’s talk here!”

    “Just come for a moment!”

    Erika grabbed the loud creature and dragged her out of the classroom.

    Phew, here should be safe.

    They were all the way behind the high school building, in an isolated area where nobody should see them.

    “So what’s the damn deal, Titan?”

    Mina glared at her abductor.

    “Listen very well, Mini. I told how others don’t know I’m a gamer, right?”

    “Yeah, because you’re a dumb closet Titan gamer.”

    “If the Infamous Gamer Girl, namely you, acts all casual around me.... don’t you think they’ll suspect something?”

    “Oh...”

    Mina’s fierce expression disappeared and she lowered her head. Her usual beastial aggression was nowhere to be found.

    “Of course, simply hanging around a gamer doesn’t necessarily mark you as a fellow gamer. But, people like attaching tags irresponsibly and I’d rather avoid that.”

    “.......”

    “So, none of that ‘Titan’ bussiness at school, please. Let’s act like fellow classmates and nothing more.”

    “...............”

    “The official version about yesterday’s visit should go like this: I stayed at your place for a few hours in order to help you with the material you missed at school.”

    “.........................”

    “I’ll be visiting today again to ‘finish our studying session’, because you’re a silly Mini who can’t study fast enough.”

    Erika smiled after she threw a proactive joke. However, there was zero reaction to her words.

    “Say, Mini... are you listening?”

    “B...”

    Mina remained silent the whole time and twisted her lips, as if to say something. Her body shook like a missile preparing to launch.

    “Bah! You sure can run that big yapper of yours!”

    “E-excuse me?”

    “So that’s how it gonna be, huh?! Gonna act like a goodie class prez bitch at school!?”

    Mina roared like a mad dog..

    “Bah! Sure, sure! Gamers are shit, huh?! They’re just dumbasses to laugh at!”

    “I-I never...”

    “Of course not! A two-faced goodie like you won’t even bother talking to them, huh?! You freakin’ Two-Faced Titan!”

    “I...”

    Erika was paralyzed from shock, her mind a jumble. The sudden stabs came out of nowhere and pierced into her soul.

    “Bah! I bet ya talk trash about gamers all day long with your dumb friends, huh!? Then ya play games yourself and laugh at these same friends too! Must be hilarious!”

    Please, be quiet...

    “I wonder what a doc’d say about ya! He’d diagnose you as a dumb psycho bitch, you two-faced freak!”

    Just... just shut up!

    “Gah!”

    Mina was slammed across the face. The raging storm of insults quieted down and Mina’s cheek turned red.

    “E-eh!?”

    Erika withdrew her hand in shock. She never before hit another person. But, just now, her hand moved freely... as if it was natural to slap Mina.

    “S-sorry! A-are you alright- GEH!?”

    Erika’s leg was smashed by a boulder. Mina poured all her fury into one, savage blow.

    “Bah! If that’s how ya want it, fine by me!”

    Mina yelled without even looking at Erika.

    “I’ll pretend I never met the dumb Titan who plays games! Ya just some class prez bitch, the ‘Two-Faced Titan’! Don’t even talk to me again, you fucker!”

    Mina broke into a sprint and left the area. She didn’t look back, not even once. Till the very end, Erika couldn’t tell what expression the little girl wore as she yelled her curses.

    “What... I...”

    Erika sat on the ground with a broken leg, still in shock from the sudden development. The girls came here to discuss how they’ll act around at school... how did it turn into a fight?

    Not to mention Mina’s aggressive nature, Erika was astonished by her own behaviour more than anything. No matter what rubbish Mina spouted - it didn’t justify a slap. The fight didn’t break out until Erika fired the first shot, without even intending to do so.

    How could I hit her...? Am I actually that immature?

    Erika stared at her long palms in disbelief. Even if she never hit anybody before, it didn’t mean she never visualized such scenarios in her head. She was a human, and humans were prone to anger.

    Perhaps, somewhere deep inside, Erika really wanted to slap Mina at that moment. But, for the anger to consume her and for her hands to execute that crime... she was ashamed of herself beyond belief.

    Erika’s crushed leg partially healed and she limped back to class.

    Why did Mini blow off in the first place? I just asked her to keep our relationship under wrappers. Wasn’t she the one who gladly rejected friends before?

    If anything, Mina should have been the one to throw a tantrum and to deny any relation to the “class prez Titan”. It was incomprehensible.

    Besides, all Erika asked was to keep quiet about their gaming hobby. It wasn’t anything unreasonable, there were many people doing that these days.

    ... oh, I see. Mini is too honest and straightforward on this topic. She’s the Infamous Gamer Girl, after all.

    For Erika, keeping secrets about gaming and leading a double life was second nature. She met many people online with the same problem, therefore it felt like a common issue.

    But, Mina was very different from all these closet gamers. She didn’t care what others thought of her, she hated everybody. Hence, Erika’s request forced heavy baggage on Mina.

    Until now, Erika hid her gamer side for her own sake. Only she alone had to bear the weight of her secret, and it never concerned anybody around her. However, after yesterday’s events... things changed.

    Erika didn’t realize it until now, but she turned Mina into an accomplice for her underground life. Mina was asked to lead her daily life with lies and fakery.

    I feel so ugly... I need to apologize to her.

    Erika nodded to herself and returned to her classroom.
     
  20. DarkClaymore

    DarkClaymore Active Member

    Joined:
    Aug 22, 2016
    Messages:
    60
    Likes Received:
    4
    Reading List:
    Link
    Chapter 26: Almighty Super Arm Girl

    School day was halfway through.

    Erika and Mina haven’t spoken with each other ever since their fight. It worked out perfectly for Erika, for she intended to keep distance from Mina at school. However, their fight left a sour taste in Erika’s mouth.

    Erika tried to approach Mina numerous times throughout the day, but she was persistently dodged. Her opportunity finally came around during a PE test

    The test included activities which required both arms, such as pushups and pullups. Naturally, the girl cursed with Vireco couldn’t favorably score with a paralyzed arm.

    “Hey, Mina. Is your arm alright?”

    Erika whispered to the short girl in front of her.

    “Hmph.”

    Mina turned away in disinterest.

    “You should tell the teacher you’re sick.”

    “Hmph.”

    “You can’t do pushups with one arm.”

    “HMM~ HMMM~”

    Mina hummed loudly, in order to overshadow the buzz behind her.

    Maybe she’s alright...?

    Mina’s turn came around and her confident strides reassured Erika. A whole day without VR should have cured any type Vireco, no matter how bizarre it was. Alas, Erika’s wish was soon shattered.

    “How am I supposed to understand this?”

    The teacher frowned at Mina’s queer position. Instead of using both arms, Mina leaned forward and pushed against the ground with just one arm.

    “This is how I wanna do it!”

    Mina proclaimed and began her push ups. The teacher was left with no choice but to count Mina’s effort.

    “Whoa...”

    “Is she for real?”

    Contrary to everybody’s expectations - Mina successfully performed one-arm push ups. For most students, even boys, this sort of feat was nigh impossible.

    “Haa... s-shit...”

    Mina collapsed after finishing her fifth push up. She could do ten times, maybe a hundred times, more than that with both arms.

    “No matter how impressive it was, I still count this as normal push ups.”

    “Yeah, yeah.”

    Mina jumped on her feet and left the testing area. Erika’s turn was next.

    This is so awkward...

    Many students still whispered and discussed Mina’s impressive one-arm push ups. Compared to this amazing show, Erika’s performance was laughable at best

    This must be divine retribution...

    Erika sighed and pressed her long arms against the ground. She was black and tall, people often assumed she was very athletic. But, in reality...

    One... t-two...

    Shortly after she began the exercise, Erika’s long arms already trembled. Unlike the miniature Mina, Erika had to push herself very far from the ground on each iteration. Whereas Mina needed but a few centimeters, Erika had to push herself all the way to the moon.

    T...three... f-four... f.... fi... faa...

    Her arms gave in and she collapsed into the ground. Not even five push ups were done, Mina achieved more with a single arm.

    Nobody laughed at the disappointing play, but many students eyed Erika in wonder and fueled her embarrassment. She dashed from the scene with a lowered face.

    Erika wasn’t particularly weak. In term of raw muscle strength, she was above the average teenage girl. Alas, her sky-piercing height contributed nicely to her mass, and her unfeminine weight demanded sturdy muscles for exercises.

    A similar scene repeated itself for the pull ups test. Mina only used her right arm, yet she masterfully raised her body up, time and again.

    “Dang, she’s a beast!”

    “Heh, I bet she could do that with one finger too.”

    Contrary to these exaggerated praises, Erika’s pull ups were very poor. She dropped down after three meager pull ups, emphasizing her inferiority to the Almighty Super Arm Girl.

    It wasn’t an entirely bad feeling, however. Erika felt guilty about her exchange with Mina, and the universe rightfully punished her with this PE test. Little did Erika know, that it was a mere prelude toward her path of repentance...

    After the brief tests, all students played dodgeball. Erika and Mina ended up on opposite teams, which was by no means a coincidence.

    My, she’s glaring so hard my way... it’s just my imagination, right?

    A burning aura brusted from Mina, raising the hall’s temperature by five degrees. The air around was corrupted by malice.

    I have a very bad feeling about this...

    Erika gulped at the sound of the teacher’s whistle. As soon as the game started, Mina fired a destructive nuke.

    W-whoa! T-the ball is on fire!! I can’t possible dodge-

    Erika’s hands jumped forth and assumed a defensive stance.

    “Ah!!”

    The blazing ball pummeled Erika’s arms.

    Whoa... I’m flying...

    Erika was blasted two meters away and crashed on her back. It was a one-hit K.O, she didn’t stand a chance.

    Fine, Mini. I’ll endure your caprices for today, since it was really my fault.

    Erika collected herself and wobbled toward the bench.

    The match continued with a lot of passion. Mina was the smallest girl in class, but she was a mighty force to be reckoned with.

    “Everybody, aim at that midget!”

    “Shoot her down!!!”

    Mina nimbly dodged the bullets and swiftly fired back. Even guys from sport clubs were impressed by her skills.

    “Bah, scrubs!”

    Three boys sniped Mina at once. She dodged two balls, but the third was a confirmed hit... or so everybody thought.

    In a split of a second - Mina performed a time-bending sidestep and dodged the last ball. Then, she nuked the gang of boys and wiped them off the court. Her supreme dominance sent chills through everybody, even her allies.

    When the second round began, Erika was marked yet again. The little demon yearned for Erika’s complete and utter destruction.

    It’ll be a miracle if I make it through this judgment day...