art by FluffyFlower. A honor student and a cheeky gamer join hands to beat a virtual curse that transcends into real life. Genre: Slice of Life, Comedy, Virtual Reality, Sci-fi, Fantasy, Adventure, Kittens. Style: Light Novel-esque Warning: Strong Language Status: Ongoing Author: DarkClaymore Homepage: https://darkclaymore.wordpress.com/2016/08/16/god-vessel-online/ Synopsis: Erika is a tall, elegant honor student and a closet gamer who is secretly obsessed with cute little critters. Mina is a short, brash girl who flaunts herself as a gamer and pays no heed to others. Normally, the two would have nothing to do with each other. But, when a virtual “Grim Reaper’s curse” afflicts Mina in the real world – everything goes to hell. The two girls form an unlikely pair as they dive into the harsh virtual reality of God Vessel Online. There, the insane characters and notorious flowers are just the beginning of their fun virtual experience that will gradually bleed into their real lives. Table of Contents: Chapter 1: Solo Charge Chapter 2: Cat Lover Chapter 3: Pet Corner Chapter 4: The Missing Student Chapter 5: Verdandi Blade Online Chapter 6: Vireco Chapter 7: Gossip and Paranoia Chapter 8: Mina Park Chapter 9: Mystical Vireco Chapter 10: Closet Gamer Chapter 11: Rune Selection Chapter 12: Friendly NPC Chapter 13: Dimension Vessel Chapter 14: Pixie Chapter 15: Water Temple Chapter 16: No Stats? Chapter 17: Sharp-Toothed Silveria Chapter 18: Out of the Temple Chapter 19: Windflora
Chapter 1: Solo Charge Spoiler Challenging the impossible was a daily ritual for Mina. Her little fingers bashed the game controller in lightning speed. 【36 HITS! UNSTOPPABLE!】 "C’mon! C’mon!" Rotate, Square, Zig zag, X, Dash Cancel, Forward, Triangle, Down, Circle, Jump Cancel, X+Triangle+Circle 【72 HITS! INHUMAN!】 "C’mon, you shit!" She yelled at her own character as she wrecked the controller. The endless combo kept going on and on, with Mina inputting inhumanly fast commands without a moment's rest. 【99 HITS! SPECTACULOUS!!!】 "Ah-! N-no! Fuuuuuu!!!" The combo came to an abrupt end. This was the inevitable limit of the girl known as the "99 Magnum". "Bah! That freakin’ frame rate recovery!! Why couldn't they make it a split second faster!? Or at least make Sonic Overdrive a cancelable move!!! BAH!!!" Mina flung the controller in rage... out of the window. BAM CRASH SHATTER "O-oops!" She gasped when a car's alarm resounded from the parking lot. She quickly crawled toward the room's window and peeked outside. The controller was innocently lying inside someone's car... after busting through half of the car's front window. "People are so dumb sometimes, buying cars with only half the glass like that." Mina made an innocent face and used her lightning speed hands to tightly shut her window. “Okay! This is enough practice for today.” She picked one of her sixteen spare controllers and turned off the game console. She dashed toward her bed and picked up a white headgear. “Today I’mma reach that dumb magic city for sure!” She lied on top of the bed and wore the white helmet. After flipping a switch, her consciousness became hazy and reality vanished. 【God Vessel Online】 【Please wait for your awakening...】 Her eyes were shut, but the loading screen of a video game appeared in front of her. It was projected directly into her hazy mind. After finishing the authorization process, Mina logged into a virtual reality. She assumed a new body and materialized in a fantasy world. She was now in the center of a small and rundown village. Before heading out, Mina confirmed her weapons. Right hand: big axe. Left hand: another big axe. On her back: two spare axes. In her inventory: ten extra axes. Okay! Off to the next city! Mina confidently strode through the village with her fanatic collection of identical axes. A hooded man sat the outskirt of the village, eying the travelers. “Hey girlie, are you alone?” “What do you care, old man?” Mina tightened the grip on her axes and glared at the suspicious man. He was just an NPC, but she knew better than to blindly trust these. “Are you, perchance, heading to Death’s Rift?” “I dunno, is that how ya call that dumb area with the skeletons? That’s where I’m going.” “I see... I wouldn’t go alone if I were you.” “Huuuh?” “The Grim Reaper appeared again. They are organizing a party against him right now.” The hooded man pointed toward a gathering of players. They were chatting and exchanging items with each other. “Oh! Is he a freakin’ strong boss or something?!” Mina’s eyes lit in excitement. “A boss, you ask? He’s in a league of his own, that abomination.” The man shook his head with a serious expression. “He appears in Deah’s Rift about once a week. To whoever crosses his path... there’s only death. Even seasoned warriors fall before him.” The man sharply eyed Mina, trying to deliver the gravity of the topic. However, Mina responded with a shrug and grinned in confidence. “No biggie, I can handle stuff myself.” “Really now...” The man examined Mina’s avatar in surprise. She was a small girl with red hair, roughly 12 years old. She wielded very big axes for her petite frame and her right arm was safely covered with a metal gauntlet. However, her equipment was otherwise light and hardly offered any protection. “Anyways, old man! Do ya have any dumb quests for me? Like hunting down that reaper dude or whatever.” “Hunt the Grim Reaper, huh... no, I’m just here to warn you.” “Then seeya! If I come across that reaper dude - I’ll make sure to kick his dumb ass!” “... you’ll die, girlie.” “No sweat! I can always respawn and try again!” “It might not go as smoothly as you think...” The man mumbled, but Mina already disappeared. Shortly after leaving the village, Mina entered a big swamp area. Okay, first this stinky dumb swamp. Mina didn’t have any hunting quests for the mobs in the swamp. Therefore, she tried to blitz through without clashing with the swamp dwellers. However, that proved difficult. “Shaaa!!!” “Fuck!” A huge anaconda lunged at Mina from within the swamp. Flash Step! Mina’s right leg emitted a yellow glow for an instant. “Shaa!?” The anaconda’s poisonous fangs were confirmed to dig into Mina’s flesh... but they hit nothing. “Take that, fucker!” Two axes rained upon the snake’s defenseless back, delivering fatal damage and felling it in one blow. “Bah, annoying bastards.” She kicked the corpse of the dead snake and continued to traverse through the muddy swamp. “Shaaa!!!” “Come, bitch!” “Shaaa- GEHHH!” Another snake met its end under the weight of Mina’s giant axes. “I know your damn patterns! just give up!” When Mina fought her foes, she imagined herself as a character from a fighting game. For a fighter junkie like her, the “input commands” against the anacondas were very simple. Dang, finally! After felling five more snakes, Mina reached the next area: Death’s Rift. She licked her lips in excitement and dashed toward the dark area. Befitting its name, Death’s Rift was an ominous place decorated by scattered bones and rotting trees. The enemies were skeleton warriors equipped with swords, axes and shields. “Come, ugly faces!” The skeletons were notorious enemies who attacked players on sight. As the only player in the area - Mina became the target of dozens. Her strategy was simple: she sprinted like a madman and haphazardly swung her big axes. Her barbaric attacks cleaved random enemies and kept her pursuers at a distance. But, one brave skeleton repelled her axe and made her halt. “Fuck! Eat shit!” She swung her other axe and blasted the enemy’s skull away. Alas, the beheaded enemy continued to blindly attack. “Bah, I don’t have time for this!” Mina circled around the skeleton and continued her risky dash. Over 16 skeletons were on her trail. If she were to take a break - she’d be rammed by a vicious rabble of bones. “Bah! Gotta get serious.” Overdrive! Mina’s right arm emitted a red glow from under her silver gauntlet. The exposed parts of her skin were covered by red magical sigils. “Get rekt!” She swung her enchanted arm and busted through skeleton’s ribcase, smashing the azure core hiding inside. The skeleton collapsed into a pile of motionless bones. “Die, you... you dead fuckers!” Using her powerful right arm, Mina made quick work of the foolish chasters who came into striking range. One swing of her axe - one skeleton blasted off the map. Her smooth progress was interrupted by a swift arrow. “D-damn!” Flash Step!!! She instantously sidestepped and the accurate arrow missed its target. “Hah! I’ve been waiting for ya, dumbass!” Mina grinned at the skeleton archer. She channeled strength into her right arm and swung the axe. Hadoken! She released the axe, firing it like a missile into the unsuspecting archer. The archer was blasted off the cliff and vanished into the darkness. “Pwahaha! Take that, fucker!!” Mina quickly drew out a spare axe from her back. She continously smashed warriors and sniped archers as she blitzed through the deadly area. She had more than enough axes to spare. By a stroke of luck, she learned that running along the cliff’s edge was a great tactic. Many of her pursuers had rotten brains and clumsy fell off of the edge. “Haa... phew... this shit is intense...” Mina lowered axes and leaned forward to catch a breather. Her legs were heavy from the endless sprinting and her right arm almost turned numb from overusing magic. This dumb area sure is quiet... can it be a safe zone? There was no immediate danger in sight, but MIna wasn’t sure it’d remain so for long. Instead of taking a proper break, she quickly strode toward her destination. The tall walls of Trilz City were already visible in the distance. She was almost at her destination. “Bah!?” It appeared out of nowhere. A dark fog engulfed the area. A giant cloaked figure emerged out of thin air. Its ghastly arms brandished an eerie scythe and its gleaming red eyes locked onto Mina. “Oh, right! Heh, that old geezer wasn’t joking about a freakin’ reaper dude!!” Mina grinned in thrill and readied her axes. “Hey there, dude! I don’t suppose ya’ll just let me pass?” The shadowy figure responded by raising its big scythe for a deadly swing. “Figured... heh, let’s roll then!” Overdrive! “Ugh...!” Her right arm was breaking down due to magical pressure. Mina gritted her teeth and readied her aim. Hadoken! Mina was confident she could win. Even if not this time, she could always retry next time. And next next time. But she soon came to learn: facing the Grim Reaper alone - was a fatal mistake.
Chapter 2: Cat Lover Spoiler One cat. Two cats. Three cats. A hundred cats. As far as the eye could reach - the land was filled with fantastical fluffy kittens. In the center sat a slender teenager with natural tan skin. Her tall figure was overrun by dozens of purring cats, all of which were petted affectionately. “So cute~” Using her long brown arms, the girl hugged six kittens at once and rubbed her cheek against all of them. One kitten had tiny dragon claws and climbed up the girl’s black hair. Another cat extended a furry elephant trunk from its face and playfully stroke the girl’s cheek. “Haha, it tickles~” The girl laughed happily and moved her caressing hands across all the peculiar critters around her. Being surrounded by countless adorable animals, being loved by all of them and being able to snuggle them - truly, that was heaven. RING RING RING “Ah! No!” Three kittens vanished from her arms. She tightly hugged the remaining cats, shielding them like a loving mother. RING RING RING All the adorable cats dissolved into nothingness. “N-noooo!” RING RING RING “Ah...” Erika slowly opened her eyes. She mechanically stretched her long arm and turned off the alarm. “Hah... they were so cute...” Erika looked at her palms in melancholy. Just a moment ago, these hands were touching the most bizarrely adorable critters in existence. But she had no choice but to accept the harsh reality. A reality, in which such magical fluffiness didn’t exist. Erika sighed and dragged herself out of bed. When she entered the living room, she was greeted with an unfriendly growl. “Grrrrr.” A black dog lied on a sofa chair and glared at Erika with hostility. “Good morning, Constantine.” Erika smiled toward the intimidating dog, but she received sharp bark as a reply. Tch, not cute at all. She shook her head and proceeded to the living room. The dog’s snarling eventually stopped, when Erika was at last five meters away. “Good morning, Eri.” “Good morning, mom.” A blonde businesswoman stood by the table. She sipped her daily black coffee and typed on her smartphone. “Hm? Say, Eri...” The mother, Laura, put down her phone and examined Erika from head to toe. Laura stretched her hand toward Erika’s forehead. There was a striking contrast between Laura’s fair hand and Erika’s brown forehead. “Did you grow taller again?” “I hope not...” Erika muttered and shifted her eyes away. Unlike her, Laura was very entertained by the possibility and smiled proudly. “At this rate, you may even break some world record. You may even receive a prize for it.” “Please, anything but that...” Erika dropped her head in depression, almost sobbing. Her mother was by no means a short woman. However, the teenage Erika was already taller than most women in the country; she meticulously researched such statistics. Dad’s cursed genes... Erika growled and glanced at the sofa chair. Normally, the chair was occupied by a giant, not by a snarling hound. “Where’s dad?” “Still at work. An emergency came up, so he stayed for another operation.” “I see.” Erika sat down to eat her breakfast. “Meow~” “Hm?” Erika immediately turned her head around. “Meow~ Meow~” Mewing sounds resounded from the window’s direction. “Tch, these annoying felines.” Laura clicked her tongue and peeked out of the window. There were no less than five cats gathered under the window. Just watching these dreadful creatures made Laura’s skin all itchy. “Someone in the area must be feeding them. Imbeciles.” Laura coldly shut the window and started typing on her phone. “I’ll call someone to get rid of them. They’ll multiply like crazy otherwise.” “M-mom, is there a need to go that far? They’re just poor, starving animals.” Erika intently stared at Laura with pleading eyes. “Hmm... fine. This is more trouble than it’s worth anyway.” Laura put down her phone and finished her black coffee. She put the mug at the cleaning machine and headed to the door. “Don’t forget to lock the door.” Laura waved to her daughter with a soft smile and left the apartment. Erika continued to eat her breakfast, until only a third of it remained. This should be enough. Erika stood up and delivered her unfinished breakfast to the kitchen. She poured the leftovers into a plastic bag and headed to the door. “Grrrr.” The black hound glared at Erika with judging eyes. “Hmph.” Erika ignored the hellhound’s opinion and left the apartment. She went down the stairs and reached the area with starving kittens. “Meow!” “Meow~” The five cats immediately recognized their patron and ran toward Erika. But, unlike in her dream, the cats maintained a safe distance from her. They were eager to leap onto the bag of food, but they were caution of the tall human. Erika smiled wryly at the cautious kittens, all too used to this cold treatment. She laid out the food and took a few steps back. “Meow! Meow!” The hungry cats latched onto the food, mewing and pushing each other with their furry foreheads. So cute~ Erika smiled from ear to ear as she watched the little critters noming in passion. She reached toward one of the cats, but her hand retreated when the cat became scared. She watched the mesmerizing kitties for a few minutes and then left for school.
Chapter 3: Pet Corner Spoiler On the way to school, Erika glued her eyes to her smartphone. She double-checked her earphones and only then played the video. “Welcome, welcome back to Rosemary Queen’s Fantasy Pet Corner~♥” A blonde girl winked into the screen with a charming smile. “Look, look~! Today, Queen will be showing you a veeeeery snuggly and fluffy cutie~♥” Erika gleefully smiled in anticipation. “Have you ever asked yourselves what will happen if bunnies had wings? Queen sure didn’t!” Queen brought in a fluffy rabbit. The rabbit had little bat wings on its back and it held a tiny spear in its paws. “Look, look at this cutie~♥ He may look like a normal bunny at first, but...! Hyaa!” Queen tossed the rabbit forward. Erika gasped in fear for the poor rabbit’s fate. The rabbit didn’t hit the ground. It flapped its little wings and returned back to its master. “Hehe, did you really really think Queen would abuse an animal like that~?” The video introduced the creature as “BatRabbit”. The miniature bat wings were more than cute decoration; the BatBunny flew surprisingly fast with them. Erika smiled from ear to ear as she watched the fluffy cuteness, completely mesmerised by the show. The events in the video were recorded inside a virtual reality video game: God Vessel Online. On top of being a well-known Youtuber, the user “RoremaryQueen” was also one of the top tamers in the game. Compared to watching a “Let’s Play” of a regular video game, a playthrough recorded inside a virtual reality was in a league of its own. The gamer was a physical part of the game’s world, thus presenting a very fluid and realistic experience for the viewers. In addition, the VR gamer was often an eye candy, thanks to the in-game avatar. This was especially true for Queen, whose gothic lolita getup generated a steady fanart base. She was effectively a net idol, with nobody knowing how she looked in real life. “Don’t forget to Like and Subscribe for more cuteness~♥ Ciao~♥” Erika scrolled to the comments section, hoping to join the worship of adorable BatBunnies. Alas, she couldn’t help but sigh at some of the top rated comments. 『Came for the bunny, stayed for the boner.』 『I want to be Queen’s personal bunny ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)』 Erika gave the comments a downvote and scrolled back to the video in order to relieve the cuteness. “So adorable~” Erika mumbled as she rubbed her finger against the displayed bunny, as if touching its fluffiness. “Good morning, Eri.” “Wh-!? Ah!!” Erika jumped out of her skin. Her phone slipped and crashed into the pavement, then jumped away like a skilled acrobat. “Oh! M-my apologies!” The other girl gasped and became confused. “Here, let me help you.” The girl leaned toward the phone and thrust a hand toward it. N-not good! Erika’s body tensed up and her heart throbbed in panic. She couldn’t allow that hand to reach the phone, no matter what. Her earplugs were still connected to the phone. Erika grabbed the cable without a moment’s hesitation. Like a pro cowboy, she swiftly pulled the cable and expected the phone to jump into her hand. The phone didn’t budge. Only the tip of the cable came off flying- “Gah!!” -into Erika’s eye. “A-are you alright?” The other girl turned her attention to Erika, right before abducting the phone. Erika crouched forward, pretending to stagger from her injury. Chance! Erika shot her long arm and swiped the phone. She rapidly closed all content related to video games and turned to the girl with a plastic smile. “G-good morning, Sophy.” They both stood up, feeling awkward about the exchange for different reasons. “I apologize for starting you. Is your eye alright?” “Don’t worry, it’ll be fine.” A cloud of awkwardness loomed above the girls at first, but it was dispelled by the time they entered the school. “In the first place: you should pay more attention to your surroundings, boss.” Sophia preached with the scolding tone of a teacher. “My, and you should pay more attention to how you call me. I’m not a ‘boss’ anymore.” “Ack, t-that’s that’s right...” Sophia fell for her bad habit again. Somewhere deep in her head, Erika remained Sophia’s respected “Student Council President” from middle school. “This time around: I will become the president and you will be my vice-president.” “My, should I start calling you ‘boss’ now?” “T-that would be unnecessary...” Sophia mumbled in protest. Naturally, Erika didn’t like the nickname “boss” either. It made her feel like the godmother of a mafia gang. On their way to class, the girls passed by a group of boys. “You heard about Verdandi?” “What about it?” Erika instinctively slowed down. The boys probably referred to the MMORPG: Verdandi Blade Online. “They are holding a special event in the evening today. A large scale PvP.” “Oh, that sounds cool! You need a party member?” Erika’s steps turned slower and slower, until she practically halted in order to eavesdrop on the boys. “What’s wrong, Eri?” “E-eh? N-nothing.” Erika smiled back at Sophia, removing her eyes from the boys. However, Sophia was fast to notice everything. “That filth...” Sophia drilled her sharp eyes into the gamers. “I definitely agree with you, Eri.” “Eh?” “These scum definitely shouldn’t spread their poison in public. Wait here, I’ll speak with them as a representative of the student council.” Sophia conveniently drew her own conclusions and strode toward the pack of excited boys. “Let them be, Sophy.” Erika gently grabbed her friend’s shoulder. “It’s their freedom to do as they please, as long as they don’t cause trouble. Right?” “Their very existence is trouble waiting to happen.” “Sophy, that’s not how it works.” “Alright, I understand...” Sophia submitted to the boss’s request and decided to ignore the vermin in front of her. They continued onward to their classrooms, with Sophia ranting about the leeway gamers were given in society. They parted ways in front of their respective classrooms: A-2 and A-3.
Chapter 4: The Missing Student Spoiler “Elizabeth?” “Yes!” “Erika?” “Yes.” Roll call proceed smoothly in class A-2 that morning. All the students on the list were faithfully present in the classroom... until the teacher reached that name. “Mina?” “...........” “Mina Park?” The teacher examined Mina’s empty seat. “Hah, again...?” The teacher mumbled and skipped Mina’s name on his tablet. Mina was absent for two days now. Normally, it wasn’t a big deal. However, Mina was a special case. Gossip quickly spread across the classroom. “You think she finally decided to ditch school for good?” “Haha, I bet she forgot that school even exists!” “Heh, yeah. Anything is possible with that weirdo.” In class A-2, the girl known as Mina Park was a peculiar creature. She was a gamer girl and she was very public about this fact. Erika could secretly attest that Mina wasn’t the only girl in class with gaming hobbies. However, no other “gamer girl” went around and proudly pronounced “I play games!”. Erika avoided participating in the gossip, but she listened to it with mild curiosity. As the class president, she deemed it important to know all the main troubles in class. Her attention was drawn to a particular pack of boys. They were gamers who knew Mina a little better than others. “Ya think she became a shut-in for good?” “Dunno, bro. Didn’t she mention playing GoVe?” “Then a VR shut-in she is, haha.” The boys laughed at the odd creature that was Mina Park. They were fellow gamers just like Mina, but they didn’t consider her “one of them”. Erika was familiar with the game mentioned in the boys’ conversation. “GoVe” was the stylized acronym for “God Vessel Online”. It the same virtual reality game in which RosemaryQueen showcased fluffy bunnies. Depending on how the situation will escalate, Mina might be tagged as a “shut-in student”. And this is why we can’t have nice things. Such incidents were great at giving bad reputation to gamers. Erika sighed and hoped that Mina was missing school for legitimate reasons, and that the infamous gamer girl will properly attend school tomorrow. Meanwhile... “Haaa!!!” A skeleton was smashed by a big axe. “Haa... haa...” Mina panted in daze. She hardly stood on her feet. Her left arm was bandaged and completely numb. Her right arm trembled as she pushed herself to hold the heavy axe. She felt strange weariness and fatigue which weren’t caused directly by fighting. 【WARNING】【Your health appears to be unstable. Immediate logout is strongly advised.】 A countdown appeared below the warning message. It indicted the time left until Mina will be forced to logout from the game. “S... shut up, you dumb system...” Mina tightened the grip around the axe and poked the【Abort】option. Both the countdown and the message disappeared. “Heh! Who... who the hell do you think I am?” She laughed in confidence, even though she could easily collapse at any moment. She struggled to even keep track of her dangerous surroundings. “Ugh!!!” Her defenseless back was slashed. “You dumb shithead- UGH!!” She was stabbed in the arm by another blade. “Fuck...” Her reactions were too numb. Mina collapsed on her knees and crashed into the ground. The vicious skeletons continued to stab her defenseless body, but Mina was too hazy to feel any of that. “Ah... I need to... reach... Trilz...” She stretched her shaking arm toward the distant city. How many times has it already been? She lost count after the twenties. The more she tried - the farther away her destination seemed. In the end, she died again. When she respawned in the nearby village, Mina stared at the sky in daze. Something at the back of her mind was nagging her. “Why do I feel like I’m forgetting something...?” The clear sky didn’t yield an answer. “Bah, whatever... probably nothing important. Off to Trilz again!” She pointed her axe forward and marched in confidence, despite tripping every other step. Thus, Mina remained absent for another day.
It must be understood that this is the best genre! I actually considered that, but then I checked how others posted and I didn't see spoilers. Maybe I just checked the bad examples or something. Will use spoiler tags from now on
Chapter 5: Verdandi Blade Online Spoiler “I’ll be doing homework.” Erika reported to her mother after finishing dinner. “Mhm, good girl.” Laura smiled proudly at her daughter and took a sip from her black coffee. “Grrrrr.” The black dog, Constantine, growled and glared at Erika, as reading through her lie. Tch, not cute in the slightest. Erika threw a thin smile toward the hellhound and continued to her room. Once inside, she closed the door. Then she locked it. With three different locks. And with a key. And she left the key inside the keyhole, just in case. Good. Erika nodded to herself and approached her table. She grabbed her tablet and opened the notebook app on a random page from school. She also put a stylus pen nearby, to create the impression she was doing homework. However, “doing homework” was very far from her real intentions. She left the tablet alone and sat down in front of her PC instead. Let’s see... A mischievous smile surfaced on her face while she browsed through search results. Her search subject was “Verdandi Blade Online”. More specifically, the “special PvP event” which the boys at school discussed. It was a massive Player vs. Player deathmatch, with no parties allowed. However, same as the boys at school, Erika knew a secret way to “cooperate” with others during such events. Huhu, this can actually be fun. Her lips curved into a foxy smile as she brought up a chatroom. 【FluffyCuteling entered the chatroom】 『Are you there?』 She wrote to one of her contacts, Opqai-kun, and shortly received a reply. 『yep』 『playin gove tho』 At first, Erika rejoiced that Opqai-kun responded so quickly. However, she shrugged unpleasantly when she read the message about “GoVe”, which stood for “God Vessel Online”. 『Heard about the event in Verdandi?』 『pvp?』 『Yes. Are you participating?』 『nope』 『My, the DPS god is skipping?』 Erika was taken aback. She couldn’t believe that the player with the second highest damage-per-second on the server ignored such a big event. 『solo deathmatch is dumb』 『i never participate』 『too random』 『and they all gonna attack me first anyway』 Erika understood his arguments very well. A large-scale PvP deathmatch was definitely going to be chaotic and luck-based. She originally planned to ignore it as well. 『True, it’s a little random. But there’s a very good strategy to secure victory.』 『oh?』 『We’ll make a secret alliance between players. This way, we’ll have an advantage over those who fight solo.』 『lol cheating? love that』 『But that’s just on the surface. In truth, we’ll secretly form TWO alliances.』 『wut』 『We’ll be members in both alliances, but each secret alliance won’t be aware of the other’s existence.』 『First, the alliances will wipe out weaker players. Then, they’ll have to clash with each other. As members in both parties, we’ll be safe from the crossfire between them.』 『LOL』 『as expected of my waifu marry me』 『Creeeeeeeep.』 Erika chuckled, all too used to her pal’s occasional sleaziness. They agreed on the plan and began badgering their contacts. Due to the raising popularity of new VRMMOs like God Vessel Online, many players immigrated from normal MMOs to VRMMOs. Erika’s list of allies in the “old gen” Verdandi Online has taken a sharp hit. Therefore, Erika had rely on Opqai-kun to stir things up. He was a DPS god in Verdandi and he also played the trending VRMMOs. His list of contacts was virtually boundless. After getting declined by most contacts, Erika sighed and navigated her mouse toward Verdandi’s icon. She logged into the game and had to select her character. Between her level 150 Archer and level 92 Summoner, Erika decided to pick the Summoner. She spent the remaining hour on fooling around with her familiars. “Hehe, so cute~” Erika equipped a feline familiar with a small sombrero hat. She rotated the pet’s model around and examined its cuteness from every angle. She did the same with many other familiars too. At times, she poked the screen as if expecting to feel their fluffiness. Alas, every such attempt ended with a deeo sigh. If only I could snuggle them... She dropped her cheek on the table and hugged a stuffed panda toy. The hour flew by and the preparations for the alliances were finalized. Erika and Opqai-kun confirmed their secret allies and Erika’s familiars were configured to not attack any of these players... for now. All participants were teleported to a special arena for the event. “Wait, is she serious?” “Isn’t she a mage...?” The PvP arena was filled with many heavily armored knights and warriors, all of whom had extraordinary physical stats.... save for one little witch. FluffyCuteling wore a magical robe and a pointy hat with cat ears. She was clearly a far cry from a muscular warrior. Nonetheless, there she was - participating in a deathmatch where magical attacks couldn’t deal any damage, thanks to a special event rule. “Heh, easy kill spotted!” “I bet she’s a chick. Am I right? Nooob!” Players with active microphones laughed at the silly little witch. Some of them used taunting moves to add in-game insults. Huhu. Erika smirked at the loud comments. Opqai-kun also expressed his concern through private messaging. 『why not pick your archer? you wont even damage them with your rod』 『Don’t worry. I’ll show them that a Summoner shouldn’t be underestimated.』 『hoho looking forward to it then』 Erika opened her skills menu. Her cursor hovered over a custom skill called “Fluffy Armageddon”. 【DEATHMATCH START!】 The peaceful arena bursted into sharp motion. All players lunged at the nearest foes, aiming to score the first blood. Unlike them, the tiny FluffyCuteling didn’t take a single step forward. Instead, she swung her short hands and chanted something incomprehensible. Three big portals opened behind her. From within, an armada of critters rained into the arena. There were small kittens, puppies, bunnies, squirrels, foxes and many others. Each of them was weak on its own, but the witch summoned a humble army of roughly... 200 familiars. “W-wah!!!” “What is this!?!!?” “Gawd!!! The LAGS!!! Aghhh!!!” The warriors were savagely rammed by a battalion of fluffiness. The familiars were summoned with magic, but their physical attacks weren’t nullified by the event’s rules. “Damn! Bitch is trolling us!” “Gah...! Quick, kill that Fluffy witch! The mobs should disappear if she dies!” “Yeah! Let’s bury her!!!” Angered warriors switched their attention to FluffyCuteling. They roared in fury as they paved through the raining mountain of pets. “Oopsie, gotta scram.” FluffyCuteling cast a speed buff on herself and sprinted away from danger. “Ugh! How is this little-” “Gah! D-damn! I-I died because of lags!!” One by one, the pursuers were slain by Erika’s secret allies. On occasions, the players who helped her then turned on each other, unaware of the two secret alliances. Just as Erika planned: all solo players perished early. Enemies with small parties survived longer, but they were eventually terminated as well. “Here I come!!!” “E-eh!?” Erika recognized the voice and nervously rotated the camera. A female knight charged toward FluffyCuteling. The woman had an absurdly huge bust, obtainable only through real cash. It was Opqai-kun. “Death to pettanko! Oppai no Chikara!” The enemy shouted a custom weeaboo skill name and leapt forward. “W-wait!” Erika’s exclamation was unheard. Opqai-kun rained countless lightning-speed thrusts at the defenseless little witch. The jiggling force of Opqai-kun’s busty avatar was overwhelming during the attack animation, probably on purpose. “Heh, that sneaky scum...” Erika let out a brief laugh as her little witch perished. This duel between friends was the inevitable conclusion of her crafty plan. Nevertheless, good time was had and she didn’t plan to win in the first place. 【WINNER: Opqai-kun】 The event was concluded with this announcement. As expected of the DPS god, Opqai-kun neatly swept through the few remaining enemies. 『Congrats.』 『thanks was quite the blast』 The busty knight approached the little witch and opened a trade with her. “Hm?” Erika accepted the offer, unsure of the Opqai-kun’s intentions. The item to appear in the trading screen was the prize from the event. 『Giving it to me?』 『yep you made the plan』 『You sure? It’s a great accessory. You may become the top DPS on the server if you customize it correctly.』 『i wont be playin much anymore』 “Eh...?” Erika’s fingers froze on top of the keyboard. 『this may be the last time i play verdandi』 “Ah...” She blinked a couple of times, unable to fully process the text. 『Is it because of GoVe?』 『that and skuld』 『I see...』 Erika was also interested in trying out Skuld Blade Online, the VRMMO successor for Verdandi Blade Online. There was nothing she could say against Opqai-kun’s decision. She could only silently accepted the parting gift. 『catch you later』 『tell me if you join gove or skuld』 『Sure.』 Of course, Erika knew there was no chance of that happening. Just playing games on the PC was already as dangerous as an underground activity. 『btw in skuld players can marry』 『make sure your avatar is busty』 『N-E-V-E-R.』 『haha ttyl』 【Opqai-kun left the chatroom】 This generic message, which Erika saw on daily basis, was very disheartening that day. She bit her lip and reluctantly logged out. 【FluffyCuteling left the chatroom】
I don't think I ever suggested that Opqai-kun is a girl. In fact, through Erika's limited POV in this chapter, Opqai-kun is addressed as "he". Sure, Opqai-kun's avatar is a busty female, but that's the entire point of "Opqai" Granted, this doesn't mean Erika's narrative is necessarily foolproof. Who knows, Opqai-kun could be anything in RL.
and mind me if this is a noob question what is "Opqai" p.s= is the loli is the tall one in like chapter 2-3 and for a cat lover to have a dog hmm wierd
It's a word play on "Oppai", which is "boobs" in Japanese (usually big ones). It's there as a joke for otakus, so I don't expect everybody to know it. I thought I referred to Opqai-kun enough as "he" even without this extra knowledge, but maybe I should stress it more. No, Mina is the short one. Erika is tall. It's not actually "her" dog. As shown, they aren't really on good terms. It's mainly her dad's, as will be shown in the next chapter. Though, Erika would still like a dog as long as it's small and cute.
What do you mean "too different? Compared to the story? Or the two characters compared to each other?
Chapter 6: Vireco Spoiler “Grrrrrrrr.” “Good morning, Constantine.” Erika smiled toward the hellhound on the sofa chair. In response, Constantine growled even more and intimidated Erika into retreating. “Good morning, dad.” “Huh... good morning, Eri...” A tall black man answered Erika with a worn-out expression. He was Erika’s father, Reidel. “You got home only now?” “Yeah... too many emergencies for one day.” Reidel covered a yawn with a big palm. Even against Erika’s height - her father was a giant. He looked more like a professional basketball player than a doctor. These dreadful genes which reside in my body... will I also grow huge like that? Erika shuddered at this thought for at least the millionth time in her life. She sighed and walked into the kitchen to collect her breakfast. Her mother was already gone for a business meeting. Nonetheless, Erika’s breakfast was loyally prepared by the SmartCook. It was a miraculous high-end cooking machine which was becoming the standard in new houses. The SmartCook had a direct access to their smart refrigerator, which constantly monitored its own contents. Just by having the right ingredients stored in the fridge, the SmartCook could prepare a vast variety of dishes for the whole family. Erika was always reassured when she looked at the SmartCook. When this automated chef will become the standard everywhere, the need for human cooking will almost entirely disappear. Having zero cooking knowledge will become commonplace and acceptable by everybody. N-not like it has anything to do with me or anything. Erika struck a dignified pose as she took her plate and sat down to eat. Meanwhile, Reidel confidently approached the sofa chair that was guarded by a black hellhound. “Har. Move, you stupid dog.” Reidel stretched his big hand toward the dog and roughly rubbed Constantine’s head. Unlike with Erika, the black dog didn’t growl or glare. Constantine submitted to his master’s wishes, like a hellhound greeting his evil lord. “Har, you stupid dog.” Reidel let out a tired laugh as he patted Constantine. He turned on the TV and dropped back on the sofa chair. “A new disturbing fact came into light in recent days.” A familiar newsman reported something, but Erika didn't pay much attention... at first. “We call it ‘Virtuality-Reality Confusion’. We refer to it as ‘VRC’ or ‘Vireco’.” An interviewed doctor spoke to the camera. “It’s a condition caused by prolonged exposure to virtual reality technology. The brain of the subject confuses reality with VR, and carries experiences and sensations from VR into reality.” Erika listened with curiosity. Most of this information already floated across the internet for a while. Erika read many articles about it. However, this was the first time she saw a public announcement on TV. “Har, making it sound simple. It’s not just about how long you use VR.” Reidel sneered with a headshake. The newsman ignored Reidel’s snarky commentary and moved on to give examples of Vireco. “Common cases include: retaining sensations like pain, uncoordinated body functionality and overall numbness. One patient even suffered a heart failure, but luckily survived to tell the tale.” When put that way: the condition sounded incredibly scary and worrying. However, Erika read that Vireco was very rare and its side effects didn’t last for long. The newsman eventually presented some of that relieving information. Nevertheless, it felt that he was paid for shouting “DANGER!”. A doctor was brought on screen again, this time to deliver guidelines regarding safe VR usage. As someone who used VR only in her dreams, Erika didn’t have much interest in that topic. While her father was distracted, she quickly headed into the kitchen with her unfinished meal. She poured the leftovers into a black trash bag and carried the bag toward the exit. “I’ll be throwing the trash.” “Mhm, good girl.” Her father nodded in approval, unaware of the conducted crime. “Grrrrrr!” Perhaps Constantine knew about Erika’s misdeeds. But, she ignored the hellhound and strode toward the door. “I’ll be going.” “Wait, Eri.” “Yes?” “Laura said somebody is feeding the cats in the area.” “M-my, i-is that so...” Erika’s throat ached as if she gulped a knife. “Stray cats may carry diseases. Make sure you avoid contact.” “... I see. Of course, dad.” She sighed in relief and calmed down her throbbing heart. “I’ll be going then.” “Take care.”
Chapter 7: Gossip and Paranoia Spoiler When Erika passed through the school’s gate, she was welcomed by an unusual atmosphere. Many students exclaimed and argued in passion. “You heard the news?” “You mean about Vireco? Yeah, that shit is screwed up I’m telling you!” “VR is, like, super scary. They say it can even injure people.” The morning news achieved their goal of seeding fear and paranoia. Wherever she turned - Erika always heard the words “VR” and “Vireco”. The social networks were also flooded with posts about the topic. In that chatty crowd, Erika spotted one gloomy face. Sophia walked with a lowered head, frowning and deep in thought. “My, is something amiss, Sophy?” Erika approached her dispirited friend with a smile. “Ah... good morning, boss...” “Did something happen?” “... not really.” Sophia averted her eyes. There was a hint of melancholy in her expression. “Did you watch the news this morning?” “Yes...” “I see.” Erika made a meaningful smile and spoke softly. “Worried about your dear brother?” “E-excuse me?!” Sophia barked in a sudden burst. “W-why would I care about that good-for-nothing? He can get his brain fried by that Vireco for all I care!” “I see~ You’re such a caring little sister~” Erika smiled playfully and reassured her friend. “You don’t need to worry. What they said about Vireco on TV is greatly exaggerated. It’s a very rare condition and in 99% of the cases - it only lasts for a couple of minutes. You beloved dear brother will be fine.” “As. I. Said. I’m definitely not worried about that VR shut-in in the first place.” Sophia spoke through gritted teeth. She was saying all that, but Sophia’s tense expression loosened somewhat by the time they parted ways. Sophy can be surprisingly cute sometimes~ Erika chuckled and entered her classroom, A-2. The state in class was no different from outside. Vireco remained a hot topic. “Ya think I can really get screwed from playing VR games?” “I... I don’t know. Scary shit, man...” “You gamers are idiots if you gonna keep using VR after hearing about Vireco!” “Vireco is coming for youuuu~” Erika pretended to ignore the conversations, but she secretly paid careful attention. Following the bell’s ring, all the students sat down and call roll began as usual. “Mina?” Silence. “Mina Park?” Countless stares drilled through an empty chair. “Ah, again...” The teacher mumbled with a deep sight. Gossip spread even faster than yesterday. “Wasn’t Mina playing some VR recently?” “Think she caught Vireco?” “Haha. If it’s that girl, then I’d believe anything!” Hearing the contents of the whispers, the teacher started sweating. “Playing VR... but her parents are abroad right now... dear lord...” The teacher mumbled to himself, but everybody perfectly heard him. The students whispered among themselves: “They said to use VR only when there’s someone home, right?” “Yep, because you’ll need help when Vireco screws yo brain.” “Wait wait wait! What if Mina is absent because she’s crippled and can’t move...?!” “She’s probably a corpse by now. Shall we call it VR Death? Haha!” “S-stop it! It’s not funny!” Instead of enforcing silence, the teacher anxietly listened to the students. He was unsure of his options. Within seconds, the speculations about Mina being paralyzed by Vireco escalated from “wild theories” to “likely facts”. “Oh, I know!” The teacher exclaimed and wiped sweat from his forehand. “Erika.” “Yes?” “Would you mind paying Mina a home visit? You’re the class president, after all...” Erika let out a small sigh, which was invisible to others. Seriously, even the teacher fell for that anti-VR propaganda... isn’t he supposed to reassure the students that everything is alright? She gathered her willpower and curved her lips into a smile. “I understand. I’ll pay her a visit today after school.” The teacher made a worn out smile of relief. With this, the Vireco discussion died out and homeroom proceeded as usual.