---

Game of the century. That's what everyone - critics, developers, publishers and fans - was calling it before it even came out. The first real VRMMORPG for humanity. The dream of having a virtual world, realistic enough to match reality and surreal enough to be a game has finally been solidified into a physical product. And needless to say, the world has changed. They say it is the biggest breakthrough in history of gaming software and hardware, a pure masterpiece of fusion between high-end programming and neuroscience technology. 10,000 copies were sold for pre-purchase which ran out in the matter of minutes. Only 10,000 lucky players will be joining the Talrae servers for opening day. You are one of those 10,000.



Opening day is nothing short of grand. Flowers, parades, and excited and ecstatic players fill the streets of Genesis City. Everyone is talking about how real everything is. Everything feels as if the player is physically there. The feeling of touch, smell, taste, hearing and vision; every neuron in the players' bodies are telling the them that the world of Talrae is very real. The food they eat tastes real. The flowers they smell, smells real. Their weapons and armor feels as if they are real warriors of the old. And Genesis is beautiful. Graceful rolling hills of green, gleaming lakes filled with coral blue water that looks more appetizing than any soda from reality. Majestic mountains near the horizon beckons the players to actions of grandiose while the deep blue sky dotted with splendid white clouds cleanse the players minds from any pain and sufferings of reality. As you take all this in, you begin the realize that this isn't the game of the century but rather, one of the greatest moments of your life. Wherever you came from and whatever you have done before, it doesn't matter. At least not in this moment. You never knew such beautiful world can exist and can think of nothing but spending your time adventuring in this fantastic world. A new life awaits for you. Life of action, friendship, joy and meaning.

You spend the first few hours exploring and admiring. You feel as if you can spend endless hours, days weeks and months in this game. Hell, even years is not out of the question considering the amount of content in this game. It truly is a real world, filled with everything and more than what the world of flesh and blood had to offer. It's a world where nobody is unhappy. Nobody is sick or suffering, everyone is having a good time and making their dream come true. They call the genre Fantasy. The term is more than suiting. Living in such a fantastic world... as who you want, doing whatever you want. Uncaring about responsibilities, work, jobs or anything else that can bother a man is nonexistent here. Here, you truly are your own master, free of the shackles of reality, in this very "real" world.



Suddenly something flashes before your eyes. It takes a second for you to realize that its your menu screen, glitching slightly to reveal the Log-Off button. Thinking it's just a minor glitch in the system, you move your hand to press the red X button when it disappears before you could do so. And without warning, the world turns into a flash of light and you lose all sense of space and direction. For a few seconds it feels as if you are floating in a pool of light, no feeling of up or down, left and right. All you can see is bright light bathing every inch of you. And then you emerge. In the central square of Genesis City, infront of the Royal Palace. You realize that you have been forcibly teleported. Thinking it's some sort of glitch or procedure for Opening Day events, you look around and see that the square is packed with others who are in a similar situation as you. And more are being teleported into the square by the second. Soon, the last player is teleported in and the crowd falls silent as the sky darkens with a thunderous noise.



A rip in the very fabric of space tears open an arcane portal in the sky, its edges shooting out arcs of lightening through the once-blue sky. Before anything else, a ring of deep and condescending laughter rings throughout the the entire city.

"Good... good..."

The voice was deep and vibrating, it's sheer volume shaking the glass in the windows of buildings and disturbing the calm lake waters. It sounded elegant, evil, flowing, terrifying, intimidating and above all, powerful. You wonder what sort of being is even capable of displaying so much power through simply speaking a few words. And it hits you; it must be Malgoth, the Great Demon Overlord and the final boss of this game. No other being is capable of displaying such strength through such meager means. Contrary to the terrible scene before you, you are excited. The goal of this game, the end boss, the meaning of the game's existence has shown itself. As if on cue, Malgoth steps out from the infernal portal, making his appearance in the sky above all the players. A legion of his most powerful demonic apprentices follow him, forming a rank of royal guards ready to protect their master should any insignificant insects try to disturb him.



"Welcome to Talrae!!!"

Malgoth speaks once again. You look around and see the excited look on everyone else's faces. This must be the Opening Day Grand Ceremonies, showing the players their ultimate goal from day one. Letting them know where they are headed and what they can expect. People start cheering and clapping, their excitement exploding into joyous outbursts of energy.

"May you be successful in beating this game!"

The cheers continue. Only a few notice the sneering, condescending tone in Malgoth's voice.

"Or die trying."

The cheers stop. Malgoth's voice no longer sounded welcoming nor even condescending. It sounded like a death sentence; an ominous sound of pure dread. You and others think to yourself how strange the wording is in the Opening Day Grand Ceremony. Before you can finish your thought, Malgoth stretches out his hand and a player is teleported into his hand. Malgoth grasps his hand around the player's throat, crushing her neck slowly. And then he starts explaining.

"The Wave Gear you are currently wearing has an ability to burst out microwave powerful enough to destroy the brain function of any man or woman. In short, should anyone with access to the programming of Talrae wishes so, you are capable of dying instantly on the spot."



The crowd has gone completely silent now. All eyes are fixed on Malgoth as he continues to choke the poor girl in his hand. He waves his free hand in the air and all players' skins shatter, destroying their game avatars. There are screams and shrieks of confusion. You are also confused and look around you and see... people. In place of game avatars, players' real appearances take place. You touch yourself in the face to see if the same has happened for you and you notice without doubt that you are wearing your very own skin as the game avatar. Malgoth waves his hand once more and giant screens appear in the sky, showing news channels from worldwide.

"When the last player had logged in, the appropriate authorities were notified of the lethal ability of the Wave Gear. And..."

Malgoth grip his hand harder and the girl kick and writhe in agony, her throat unable to make a sound. Her hands are outstretched to the players below her, as if asking for help that was impossible to give. With as much effort as crushing a mosquito, Malgoth snaps the neck of the girl and drops her to the ground. Her body falls to the ground but never reaches it, shattering into a million pieces of light-pixel in mid-air. Within minutes you see news articles popping out on the screens in the sky.








"You will die for real if you die in-game. You will die if your connection to Talrae is broken. You will die if the power is cut to your Wave Gear. You will die if anyone attempts to tamper with Talrae game or Wave Gear. There is but one way for you to return alive..."

Malgoth outstretches his hands wide open, as if being inviting.



"Defeat me! Defeat Talrae! I shall be waiting for you on the 100th Floor. Defeat the final boss on the 100th Floor, and you will have cleared the last hurdle."

Malgoth pauses for a second, letting the players take everything in.

"Whether you live or die is in your hands. 9,999 of you remain now. Will you all perish in your futile attempts to regain your real life? Or will you succeed and rise triumphant against this death game? It is all up to you now!!!!!!!"



Malgoth laughs harshly once again, this time more amused and retreats back into his portal, followed by his royal guards. The portal closes itself after the last of the guards have passed and after another thunderous crack, the sky is returned back to its normal colors. Everything turns back the way it was. Screams and cries erupt from across the square. There is a mass panic as people realize that the Log-Off button does not work for good. Some press the button again and again while being covered in cold sweat. Others just fall to the ground weeping.

The panic dies down after a few hours. Players have once again spread throughout Genesis City. However, it is not the same. There are cries and weeps of despair and fear everywhere. Pockets of Players are still attempting to somehow get the Menu feature working properly so they can log themselves off. Some roam the streets endlessly, without thought or purpose, fear having gotten to them and taken their souls. Some choose to go eat or nap, hoping that this is some practical joke by the Admin and they'll be back to normal in no time.

The Wave Gear was a gift, meant to occupy the many empty hours between lessons and mealtimes. Unlike most of the other gifts which Aster had been given for that purpose; (fine clothing, jewelry, vacations, and other luxuries) this promised to keep delivering on its promised intent for months to come. The dark-haired girl smiled to herself as she fumbled slightly for the bulky helmet. This was it. She would finally be blessed with the chance to experience what she had only dreamed of in her wildest, most recurring fantasies. Here's hoping that it worked as well as her father had promised it would.

The helmet fit. That was all that could be said about it. It wasn't terribly comfortable, but it didn't poke anywhere, and Aster supposed that she could put up with wearing it for a couple of hours. In fact, now that she thought of it, it probably didn't matter; the helmet was supposed to block all sensory signals, from physical touch, to auditory input, to sight.

As the device powered on, Aster gasped involuntarily at the sudden, incredible light. It was disorienting at first, taking in so much, and she hadn't even started the game itself. She allowed herself what felt like an eternity to adjust to the helmet's unique functions. An inviting menu was displayed, and she went through the steps of logging in and creating her character. Let's see... How about Artemis as a name? It's taken already? Well, I'm not going to be going around in a near-IRL world with a name like "Artemis25". I'll just use Aster, I doubt anyone else has a name like that, or would willingly choose anything so silly as their official gamer tag. Character creation was a whole new adventure. Oh, I can't rush through this. This is how people will see me whenever I'm in the game. Well... I'll go with a more petite-featured avatar, something a bit dainty. With blonde, curly hair! Had she not been immersed in the virtual world, she would have giggled with excitement, a mannerism quite distinctly foreign to her normal way of acting.

Finally pulling herself back together, Aster finished up the character, a tall, yet dainty, unassuming-looking girl with a rosy complexion and big, round blue eyes. With the time I put into this, someone had better appreciate it... Now then. Enough stalling. "Link... START!"

---

If the startup screen had been a lightbulb, the game world was the sun. Aster gasped at the incredible colors before her, the vibrantly green grass, the endless vault of blue sky, the small, colorful dots of flowers or birds... It was at once awe-inspiring and humbling. Here before her was a world as real as the one she had come from, with a faint breeze that cooled her skin just slightly against the warmth of the sun on her face. If this wasn't the real world, it didn't matter. It was more beautiful than anything she could ever remember seeing.

As pleasant as her admiration of the scenery was, it wasn't doing her much good in terms of game progress. As such, she hesitantly began her exploration, one hand shading her eyes against the beautiful, brilliant sun. It seemed she could move with all of the agility of real life, or at least nearly so. She tried a quick sprint, and found that she could place each foot perfectly, visual cues matching perfectly with the physical terrain. It was a well-designed game, there was n doubt about that. And this was barely scratching the surface... there was still combat, guilds, competitions, dungeons... the list was nearly as exciting as entering the game itself had been. Her thoughts never strayed close to the thought of logging out, overwhelming though the game was becoming.

---

The sensation of being snapped into Genesis City was unnerving, but not terribly so. For the most part, it was the suddenness of the transition which was most off-putting. She had gone from being lone on a hill to being surrounded by thousands of other players, milling about, eyes fixed on the spectacle up in the sky.

Said spectacle was something else indeed. The imposing figure at the center of the formation was both terrifying and impressive, and as he spoke, Aster found herself listening closely, filing away every word. She was interrupted in her careful observation by the sudden gasps of those around her. The thousands of attractive twenty-somethings had become ten thousand... normal-looking people. Some were still quite the lookers, but most were disappointingly average. As she brought one hand up to her own face, she was startled slightly by the sight of her fingers right there in her vision. It was an unnerving sight, quite unlike what she'd expected. As she ran her slim fingers over her face, they met her long-hanging hair, held back only by a crimson ribbon. Her face certainly felt like her own; smooth, natural, just like the real world. She almost forgot about the increasing gravity of the situation as her frustration at the half-hour or so spent customizing her character ended up being for naught.

The specter above the players didn't stop speaking simply because one player was feeling frustrated. Indeed, as he talked, and killed, all of the other thoughts were banished from Aster's mind. This wasn't just realistic- no, it was real. More real than anything she'd ever experienced before, by far. She tried the logout button, and was met with the same result as the fearful masses around her. As she put some distance between herself and the crowd, though, she realized something that made her question the nature of the game. This was the most alive she'd felt in a long, long time, and the game had barely started. She wasn't sure that she wanted to leave...

She shook herself out of such thoughts. For the moment, survival was the goal. She hurried to the shops, and purchased what she considered to be the necessities; a katana (because it looked cool), decent-quality clothes, a canteen, a knife, and a bit of food. That used every coin she had, but it made her feel far safer, now that she could at least defend herself, if it came to that. Having stocked up on supplies, she desperately hoped that inns didn't require payment, though a nagging at the back of her mind assured her that they would. Either way, for the moment, she would have to find someone who had more experience than she at gaming, and hope that her lack of experience wouldn't be the death knell. In hopes of finding more players, and hopefully resting a bit to process all of the new information, she sat down hard on a stone bench in the central meeting area, where several thousand still milled about.

To obtain a Wave Gear was a difficult task, but Laura had successfully pulled it off through the help of her brother who was an avid gamer. Sadly, he wouldn't be able to play with her at all; he had just been promoted in his job and had to travel to Manhattan. No matter, Laura would do quite well by herself and she'd possibly find some good friends along the way - from what she had read so far, the game consisted of many classes and possible combinations, stats, damage, health - a MMORPG though and through. So, time to start, right?

On her room, Laura placed the helmet on and laid on her comfortable bed. It took a few seconds to initiate, her eyes closing shut and suddenly, the world around her began to change as she was brought to a whole new reality.



>> Nickname:
Aura

>>Gender:
Male

>>Class:
Lancer

And eventually, Laura finished her character. A tall, broad-shouldered man, an intimidating figure of power and skill. Why a man? Well, it seemed to clash nicely with the class she had chosen. Not so well with the name, though, which was merely her name without L.



... What a magnificent world this was. Getting used to the controls was completely natural: There was no control. You walked, moved your hand, looked around as if this was reality and it truly seemed like everything was real. From the smell to the touch to the sights and sounds, everything was absolutely perfect. A true mastercraft of gaming, something so revolutionary that Aura felt as if she could live here forever, spending countless hours exploring and discovering this world. With her burly avatar, she began making the very first few steps of the game; analyzing the menu, understanding the options, analyzing the starting money in her inventory, spreading and adequating points as she saw fit.

Not so much time after, Aura had obtained a set of leather armor, a spear and a few other useful items along the way. She had ventured out of the main city and into the green scenery of Genesis. She even successfully killed her very first mob and just as she was about to move on to the second one, there was a strange glitch on her skin. The menu. As Aura tried to dismiss it thinking she may have accidentally brought it open, she feels a strange inexplicable sensation as everything around her disappears in a flash of light. Moments later, she finds herself in the central square of Genesis City just in front of the Royal Palace. She takes a look around and sees many players appearing one by one; probably an event, she assumes.

Then, a disruptive sound is heard as something rips the fabric of space in the sky, lightning crackling into arcs as a deep, powerful laughter is heard, followed by a deep, powerful voice that sends shivers onto Aura's spine. Good thing her avatar was a tall, powerfully built man because she would be shaking at the knees right now. How could a game give someone this... sensation? It was terror and a mixture of excitement as her eyes looked up at the powerful last boss.

His voice was so powerful that the windows shook when he spoke. Aura even considered turning the volume down a bit - but then he spoke; "or die trying." Which wasn't natural at all, not for a game, not for anything. It truly seemed like a death sentence, which was very, very strange for the opening ceremony of such a well-acclaimed game. Had the developers gone too far with that one character? He was almost forcing Aura to log off, but she remained perfectly still.

... Until he began explaining the rest. This is a joke, right? This couldn't possibly be. Was it, Aura? How wrong you are. People began changing completely around her, her pale blue eyes widening as she looked around - the beautiful avatars slowly turning into a variety of people. Then, out of the corner of her eye, she caught sight of her own hair, the platinum, long strands falling well past her shoulders. A quick glance down and there, she was a female - no, she was herself. Completely. Her face remained a poker face, perhaps it was the shock of it all, perhaps it was the fear taking her entirely, she couldn't murmur a word, she could barely look elsewhere other than Malgoth, who was now showing them news of the first casualty in Wave Gear: The girl he had just strangled and broken her neck. The girl he had just literally murdered in cold blood. It could be Aura, it could be anyone.

The murderous demon retreats in his portal and the final notice that everything they witnessed is given to the players. Some break down in tears while others frenetically try to log off from the game, only to find that option completely impossible. Aura herself tried, mostly out of hope - but she was barely discontent to find out that she couldn't. She had practically already accepted her fate: She would die. She was never good at games. How good was she at living?

Eventually, Aura finds herself at Location B in Genesis City, sitting at an inn, pondering. She was in a state of deep thought, unable to make a move. It was way too hard taking all this information and dealing with it alone, by herself. What about the real world? What would happen to her body? To her family? What would they do? Place her in a hospital and treat her like a coma patient? And even, her social media? The last picture she posted was one of herself holding the Wave Gear... ironic, a picture of herself sealing her own fate tightly.

Lucas examined the wave gear nervously. A fervent gamer, his excitement for Talrae was palpable. His siblings didn’t overlook it either, teasing him about it anytime a commercial played or he started rambling about it. They said his eyes turned to stars and the room would glow like he was in love. As soon as the release date was announced, his best friend and Lucas set up everything they needed to camp out in front of a retailer a week in advance for a chance at the system. But he bailed. That whole week, he barely even saw his siblings much less the only one that could drive the hour away the retailer was. Livid only scratched the surface of his mood that week. It was the game of the millennia really and the beginning of real VR, a full VR interface. He stopped talking to anyone in the house four days before launch.

He almost refused to speak to his siblings when they did finally show up. But he did, begrudgingly. He was a burden enough; he couldn’t expect them to cater to him all the time. They wheeled him into the dining room. He broke down sobbing. A full wave gear system was on the table. His family had taken turns waiting at the store for him to get it since he wouldn’t have anyone to camp out with him if he had done it alone.

The wave gear offered Lucas more than just entertainment. Sure it was good enough at that but it could give him something modern medicine never could. Ten years ago, his father picked him up from a friend’s house drunk. No one in the other car survived when he t-boned them at a red light. Lucas broke his back and lost the use of his lower body for life. Doctors reassured him that his brain wasn’t damaged, just the nervous system down his spine. Talrae offered him a chance to escape the wheelchair, even if it was just for a bit. Talrae could make him feel useful in some regards.

Hesitation stilled his hand. What if the doctors were wrong? What if it was his brain? What if the game wouldn’t load because he was damaged or worse, he still couldn’t walk? The familiar tightness gripped his chest and nausea started boiling in his stomach. He slammed the wave gear on and lay back, taking deep breaths. “Link… start!”



The world stole his breath away. Every cobblestone, every blade of grass, every drop of water shone in the sunlight, seemingly more real than reality. He bit into a sandwich and the flavor burst across his tongue. A breeze wound its way through Genesis City, as crisp and refreshing as the morning air at home. NPCs and player intermingled, nearly indistinguishable in mannerism. Lucas- now Kajin Najin, the game name he used every time- had to double check everyone, looking for the NPC tag, before approaching them they were so realistic. But these things pale in comparison to one fact: he could walk again.

The first thirty minutes of his gaming experience consisted of running around town, jumping and laughing. He had never let himself dream of escaping his wheelchair, of feeling a slight burn in his legs and the force of a step. Though just for a moment, he forgot he couldn’t.

His competitive side reared its head. A mile wide, it reminded him this was a game and games had an objective to complete. To beat. A smirk settled on his face and he zipped round, picking up armor and a staff, a sewing kit and a few other bits and pieces he thought would be useful. Teaming up with a rather friendly marauder, they set out to explore the surrounding areas. He felt a tinge of regret watching his partner dance around the fight but magic was his first true love. Plus, it was much easier to find parties as a healer. Who didn’t want a pocket healer after all?

Hand outstretched a weird jolt as everything moved in and out of focus interrupted his cast. The game went blank. All sensation vanished. Just a constant white light everywhere his eyes could see. Then it populated. Genesis City surrounded him as other players appeared in previously empty spaces. At least the likelihood of forced logs was low. Sporadic screen changes often indicated server errors and Kajin wasn’t ready to leave just yet. The relief was short lived as the final boss, Malgoth, announced their own apocalypse.

---

All Kajin remembered from the event was the absolute depravity echoing through the booming voice and the much quieter backdrop of shattering glass. "Or die trying." The statement- no, death sentence- pounded in his ears. He stood, muscles frozen. A girl’s body shattering into pixels replayed over and over again in his mind. He shook violently. His staff slipped unnoticed to the ground. "Or die trying." He slammed his hands over his ears. Blood roared in his ears. This couldn’t be happening. His chest tightened. This was supposed to be fun.His breath came out in shaky gasps. This must be an error. His stomach churned. It’s just a glitch. Bile pooled in the back of his throat. Someone help me. His vision faded away…

“Identify the problem.” Kajin choked out. His autopilot kicked in, catching him just before he fell into madness. That’s right. What’s the problem? Being stuck inside a death game was the problem. “What is the solution?” Beat the game. Other means result in death. “So what are the challenges?” Too low level, under geared, no party, don’t know the starting point, don’t have- “Prioritize two and finish them. Then, two more and two more after that.” Right. Focus on parts of the problem to solve it as a whole. His chest loosened and his vision slowly returned. Step one, find a party. Low health and attack power makes me vulnerable. Next step in to figure out where to start. Hopefully step one brings in others with some thoughts on the subject. New people brought new information so it would be killing two birds with one stones.

His breath steadied, vision returned, and his stomach settled, Kajin picked up his staff and shook his head slightly. This was still a game, as lethal as it was. This was still his territory. With a plan in mind, Kajin felt like the situation was at least manageable. He still trembled slightly but nothing unbearable. He looked across the main plaza. Many players still jammed angrily at the Log Out screen, other wandered aimlessly, and other wept and screamed. No one seemed stable enough to consider- Kajin’s eyes landed on a female player observing the others from a stone bench. There’s a possibility. At least she didn’t seem to be freaking out. Kajin made a beeline for her, weaving and dodging through the crowd and giving wide birth to a man shouting and flailing around. He plopped down next to her.

“Sorry for the forwardness but I figured the whole trapped in a death match thing trumps manners in this situation.” Kajin beamed and extended his hand, “Kajin Najin, mage and healer at you service! And for the low low cost of making sure I don’t get cut too badly, I can be your pocket healer and patch us up! What do you say, party up?”

The announcement of Talrae had excited Desmond like nothing has before and inspired a whole new set of fantasy drawings, including many about what his character would like. His art was just starting to gain recognition and fame in the months leading up to Talrae's release. Between college classes and his art, Desmond had barely enough time to eat and sleep all the while dreaming of the day he would finally jump into a virtual world where he could leave all his troubles behind. All he could think about was escape. A place where for a few hours a day he could pretend that he didn't have an alcoholic, abusive father, that he wasn't an emotional and mental mess, and that he wasn't as pathetic as he thought...a chance to be a hero.

He was at home on break when the dive gear went on sale but had completely forgotten despite multiple reminders on his phone. A studio had recently contacted him about ordering a commission from him for artwork in an up-an-coming animated short film and he enthusiastically accepted. He had barely finished and submitted his work when his mother dropped a box onto his desk. His head was flat against the wood finish of his desk when she did so, making him jumped with a startled scream. In his tired state, he lazily looked over the label and suddenly his half-open eyes burst wide. Quickly he hugged his mother, his own hero, before hurrying to set up the dive gear. He didn't want all the release-day events to go off without him. After getting comfortable on his bed, he put on the wave gear feeling a tingling sensation throughout his body "A whole new world here I come.." he spoke quietly as the system activated.



He spent a some time meticulously designing his character using all of his knowledge to design the perfect anti-hero archetype, with spiky black hair, red eyes, and a persistent look of indifference on his features. While all the classes seemed promising, He really wanted to be the archer in the shadows.



Seeing those words among the flashes of bright colors did not prepare him for the awe that he would see once properly in the game. If he didn't know better, he would have no idea that this world was virtual in anyway. The first steps he took was towards a small fountain to see the reflection of the character he created. A small smile crept across his lips seeing those red eyes stare back at him. This was not just some dream.The Desmond of the real world was left behind leaving only Reylan to explore this magical land.

He took a few moments to just soak in all that was Talrae, a world without the troubles of the real one, before making his way through to town to gather supplies. "How much for arrows?!?" The price was a little expensive for newbies but surely he would be making money soon enough. None of his friends it seemed were able to get a wave gear in time so he was going to be alone for awhile it seemed. It didn't bother him in the least, he was used to solo games anyway...at least what he told himself.

The objective of the game wasn't what mattered to him. He could play this game all his life it seemed at the time and living in this world was enough for him. He traveled to the outskirts of central hub, getting familiar with the menu and its uses, when he encountered his first monster. While being just level one, he smirked in unusual confidence and aimed his bow notching a arrow firmly in place. It was going to be his first taste of battle and hopefully victory until he felt extreme unease slide through his skin. Within moments and a flash of light, he found himself in the center of Genesis City looking just as confused as everyone else still wielding his bow. He hadn't even bothered to put it away when Malgoth ripped through the sky and all he could feel was danger.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

While his entrance was nothing short of spectacular, his anxiety built up to a suffocating level as the demonic figure began to speak and was met with the positive cheers of all the players, yet Reylan remained still his chest beginning to tighten. The words rang through his mind "Or die trying." and all he seemed able to do was stare blankly at the sky, the chilling tone of his voice enough to freeze him in place. The virtual world suddenly got a lot more real as the girl exploded into pixelated fragments and disappeared. Fear was not what he felt upon seeing the girl perish but loss and anger, she hadn't even been given a chance. Reylan wanted to shoot Malgoth right then and he raised his bow up in rashness before his arm trembled and lowered. This game might be twisted but it had rules and mechanics. He would be doing nothing more than tossing a pebble into the ocean.

He hadn't even realized in his frustration that his well-sculpted avatar was no more and was replaced with his true identity. His body hadn't changed that much, a fact he owed much to those years of soccer as a striker, but that meant he could no longer hide as well. After Malgoth he found his expression returning to the standard, stoic one he had in the real world and his hand tightly grip the handle of his bow. Innocent people hoping for a chance of happiness and fun in a different world were going to die and suffer. He looked around to all the scared, the crying, and stunned people and suddenly the issues he faced became just a bit smaller. There was no point in standing here waiting for something to happen. Bolstering what courage he had, he set forth from the city square towards location B since its where others would head as well. He kept telling himself that no one would know him hear but that still didn't calm his nerves about talking to someone, he would always freeze up before introducing himself.

After a little bit he wandered into the nearby inn, feeling defeated in himself that he couldn't even approach a single person to ask them to be in a party. An archer like himself needed someone who keep the mobs away so he could do damage without getting killed...that had a different meaning now. It was only after looking around that he spotted a girl sitting to herself looking lost in her own thoughts. Reylan felt his nature kicking in despite the tight feeling in his chest, she looked like she needed help. Slowly he stepped over in her direction, the thought of turning around constantly pecking at him "H-Hey how are you doing?" he spoke a little quick as he tended to do even forgetting to say his own name. Outwardly he would appear calm thanks to years of practice but it was simply because the realization hadn't truly hit him yet.

Sunlight flashed across the surface of the polished dagger as it flew into the air. It cast a shadow on the cobblestones as rising turned to falling. Lyra caught it by the blade – which dealt her no damage, as she sat in the middle of the city of Genesis – and ran her fingers along its length. The metal was warm. The world of Talrae was almost too perfect. So many details were wonderfully replicated. If circumstances had been different, it might have become a second home to Lyra.

Instead, all the others were calling it a prison. Some scurried through the city on what appeared to be urgent business; others wailed, and some stared blankly at their surroundings, as if shocked. Only a few minutes had passed since the demon king had made his surreal announcement. Death in Talrae was death in real life. And he had killed a girl to prove it.

Of course, there was still a chance that the whole affair was some misguided stunt. That girl might have awoken in the place from which she’d dived, unharmed. The news articles the demon king had shown off might have been fabricated. That seemed like the most likely possibility. If it were the truth, Lyra expected the disconnections would begin soon. A few people would risk calling the demon king’s bluff, and if it paid off, word would spread. So, she sat on the side of a decorated fountain not far from the scene of the demon king’s theatrics, tossing her dagger up and down, waiting for the disappearances she did not really believe would occur.

The girl’s brutal death had been painful to watch. But, for some reason, Lyra was not afraid. In fact, another emotion was welling up inside her. One she could scarcely remember feeling. Excitement.

Lyra was not oblivious to the looks she was getting from the other players. She appeared too calm. They were freaking out, and she was just sitting there. She imagined they thought she was bored; she was not. In fact, she had to fight to keep the smile from her face. Not only did she not expect her fellow ‘prisoners’ to disappear, but she didn’t want them to. Because she didn’t feel like a prisoner. She might not be able to log out, but for the first time in years, she was free.

Her attention was drawn by a soft splash. She turned and blinked as a coin descended to the bottom of the fountain, then vanished in a spark of light. It didn’t take long for Lyra to realize why that coin had been thrown. A plaque not far from where she was sitting declared the fountain to be a wishing well. Apparently, some players felt so helpless that they were surrendering their valuable property in the hopes of gaining the blessing of ‘luck.’

If they had really been lucky, they wouldn’t be here. It was too bad the dropped coins disappeared; otherwise, she would have been happy to take them.

Instead, she watched as the surface of the water steadied. She was then staring at her own reflection. Of course, the avatar she had created was gone, and what she was looking at was her ‘true’ self. Yet, at the same time, it was not.

The eyes she met were the same brown as she’d encountered every other day, but this time, there was life in them. Her skin remained pale, but yet looked healthy. Everything was as it always should have been. Lyra smiled, then shifted her eyes to the name and health bar hovering over her head.

Fyaira.

That was the name that she had chosen when logging in, and, though her face had been revealed, it was the name she still had even now. She ran her fingers through her dark hair. Fyaira. That name fit the person she now saw. Going forward, she would keep it. Although the girl she had been that morning looked like her twin, she was not Lyra any longer. Not here.

She sheathed her daggers and sat with her hands folded atop her lap. No one was vanishing. The demon king’s words had been no lie.

“So,” she said, talking to no one in particular. “I wonder where we go from here.”

"What's he think he's saying?! I'm not dying here!"

"Calm down, Brad."

"No! I'm leaving! I'm turning it off! I'm never playing again!"

"You can't leave. He just told you that."

"Forget that! There has to be a door, or something!"

"What are- Don't run!"

Brad took off at a full, athletic sprint, his direction random. Alice gave chase, but he was a swordsman and she a mage. Her agility was barely enough to keep eyes on him--to follow him out the gates and into the wilds. His steps didn't slow, and Alice knew he was heading for danger.

From where she was, Alice had seen the boar well before her boyfriend; yet her attempt to shout a warning had fallen on deaf ears. The monster crashed into his side, knocking the swordsman out of his path and to the ground. It followed through with several forceful stomps. Alice raised her hands to cast, but all that poor, stupid boy did was scream. She cast the only damaging spell she had, cursing the severe limitations of character creation. One cast on the boar, then two--

And Brad shattered into shards of light.

The boar rounded on the witch attacking it. She kept her head cool, waiting as it charged. The boar's movements were slowed from the Frostbite; that gave her some advantage and time to prepare her next spell. As the boar drew near, she unleashed Flash of Light. The boar squealed and reared, and Alice took the opportunity to cast Frost Bite one more time, followed by a pair of swift punches to shave off the last of its HP. The boar fell dead and exploded into shards of light.

Alice took a deep breath, stood up straight, and went to check where Brad had disappeared. All that was left was the longsword and buckler she had helped him purchase, and the leftover 27 Renn. She took it, of course, hoping it would be enough to buy her some party members. Looking at the empty grass, Alice summed up her situation in her mind.

"Goodbye Brad. And goodbye, Alice."

She turned and left, jogging back into the city.

---

Alisea blinked, letting the memory finish replaying for the third time. The pixels that were her former flame flying apart. The boar disappearing in like manner. The feeling of energy rushing through her hands as she froze the boar to death. The fleshy thump as her fists finished the job.

'I think... this game can satisfy.'

She scanned the central plaza, looking for anyone prepared to face reality. A majority of players were still in a panic. But at the center of it all, sitting happily on the fountain, was a girl radiating all the confidence Alice had shown on the court. Alisea made a beeline for the girl, sidestepping a few of the more hysteric players, until she finally stood over the seated rogue.

"You look ready to fight," the magess remarked. "Come with me?"

Dear Players,

everything you have heard from Malgoth is true, there is no malfunction in our game. The news channels you saw were real and this is not just some practical joke from us. This is no longer a simple game but a fight for survival. But nonetheless, we hope you enjoy your gaming experience and find whatever you are looking for in the world of Talrae. One more thing...

Good Luck.

- Admin

Jack laughed so hard he had dropped to his knees. This was so much bullshit. Well, the log off button wasn't working, but people dying? Yeah, right! How would something like that even be released to the public without the Government looking for things that could zap people brains to mush. It was probably a huge joke, once a player died they probably just got forced logged off. Those new clips all fake or per-recorded. He could only imagine the whole story behind this. Fucking Epic. The game was as real as life, but wasn't real life. So how to fix that? Make everyone feel they're still vulnerable. There is a single thing every human cannot escape. Death.

People around him didn't seem to share the same attitude... Most were panicking, some running off scared while others rolled up to a ball and cried. It was honestly pretty embarrassing. Did everyone truly believe this nonsense? No. For Jack this would be to good to be true. What this would mean for the future of game design and just VR tech in general. Able to trap people against their will. Knowing vaguely how these Wave Gear Systems worked, it was legitimately impossible for this to happen. Or at least impossible by the Companies spec sheet.

Wiping the remaining laughing tears from his face, he noticed a Duo at the center who didn't seem all to worried about this. Finally people who are not numskulls.

"You look ready to fight," the Magess remarked. "Come with me?"

Jack heard those words before popping in. "That's what I'm talking about! Have room for a third?"

---

This was it - the highlight of Theo's life. The wave gear was a piece of technology that outrivaled any other gaming system on the market, allowing the most immersive experience possible. It also was the only system capable of playing the most anticipated game of all time - Talrae. It was a technological masterpiece, easily worth the small fortune his parents spent on it. The company said it was impossible to tell the difference between the game world and reality, and even things like food were replicated with incredible accuracy. Hell, the people that made it were probably just torturing the customers at this point, only releasing 10,000 at launch! His dad said he nearly was mugged when he was purchasing this. But oh lord, Theo might have been fine with that since he now has his hands on this baby. Without wasting time, Theo set up the system, touching his body all over as it said in the instructions. After finishing this, he immediately called up the closest thing he had to a hang out - Joe's pizza. He had been a faithful customer for years, and he wanted the first thing he ate after the experience he was about to have.

"Hey Joe, I need the usual. Tell Vinny I'm leaving money on the counter and to just drop off the pizza, alright?"

"Whatever you say, big guy. He'll be over in about 30 minutes, you live a while away."

And with that, the call was over. Joe was like a second father-figure for Theo, and he was always ready to offer advice. Vinny, on the other hand, was arguably the best friend that he had. He had been delivering pizzas for the past 10 years, ever since he was 16, and the two were close. Of course, he started poking fun at Mr. Doctor ever since Theo got into college, but it was in good fun. Theodore smiled slightly. Quickly he grabbed the remote and, on his way to unlock the door, turned on the television and set it to the news channel. He wanted to let Vinny know it was okay to come in. He then rushed towards his bed, and gently lowered the helmet-like device on to his head. It was far heavier than he expected, but considering people were supposed to lay down while using it, weight probably didn't matter that much. He cracked his neck, before focusing, trying to allow the Wave Gear to sense his brain waves and activate. Remembering a portion of the instruction manual that talked about this, Theo opened his mouth and closed his eyes.

"Link Start!

Upon recognizing the phrase, the device immediately knocked him out, throwing Theo into a virtual world.

---

The character creation was swift, considering Theo was used to creating Dirk - Blond hair, a handsome and masculine face, extreme muscles, and a winning smile. The looks of a real hero. After finishing that, he turned towards classes - of course, marauder was tempting. Dirk was the kind of guy that fought with ridiculously oversized weapons. But, alas, DPS wasn't that important in these types of games - they didn't grab attention. Theo knew that Dirk was the center of attention, the hero. He chose the second most fitting role, a musclebound bastion that protected the weak while fighting for justice. A role that needed to be filled in every RPG. Selecting the token tank class, the paladin, Theo slowly hyped himself up. For once in his life, he would truly be great - or at least, he told himself that. He was finally going to be Dirk - not play as him, not pretend to be him, but embody him. After getting in character, he chose the most fitting skills and attributes, and logged into the world of Talrae.

---

The sounds of people and sunlight warming his now tanned flesh alerted Theo that he was now in the world. Opening his eyes revealed the festivities that surrounded him - players running around with children NPCs, merchants trying to sell their wares, and guards keeping an eye on the shadier individuals. Glancing down to his body, he saw the starting item that paladins received - a single shield, a buckler to be specific. It was slightly heavy, but looked sturdy and reliable compared to the simple cloth that he was clothed in. Theo sneered slightly while examining the garb - Dirk who never wear something so simple and boring.

Quickly, he made his way to the armor shop and, after seeing the price of plate armor, settled for leather armor. After all, he would just do some quests and buy the more attractive plate as soon as he gathered the cash. Theo opened the menu, equipping the leather as he mad e his way to the weapon shop. There, he bought a longsword, which he planned to use for awhile since he didn't need to deal damage. The prices were steep, but the thought of bartering never even crossed Theo's mind - usually, you can't barter with NPCs, so he didn't think it would work, even when considering how lifelike they acted. With most of his starting gold depleted, Theo was ready to immediately begin questing. He was about to say something in chat, before realizing their was no chat, and opened his mouth to yell -

He was cut off by a bright light enveloping him, causing him to appear back to the town square. Dozens, if not hundreds of lights were following, and everyone was bewildered. The sea of handsome and beautiful faces, the kind people always picked in character gen. Theo understood - no one wants to play as something ugly, or themselves. Eventually, the teleporting stops, and a dark, ominous voice begins to reverberate throughout the city. The voice was threatening, but Theo was able to keep a straight face thanks to his Acting Skill. The form of the final boss ripped itself from a hole in the sky, the being known as Malgoth. Personally, Theo thought his design was a little edgy, and always enjoyed to call him "Mall Goth". However, his presence was so intimidating, the thought of joking never even crossed his mind. The being welcomed the crowd to the world, before unveiling the horrible news.

---

Hundreds, if not thousands of players were freaking out, distressed, or otherwise in shock. Apparently, death here would result in their deaths in the real world. They were stuck here. Theo found this idea laughable.

There was no way in hell they were stuck here. The admin was trying to troll them, and he fabricated a couple news articles and stories to make the prank more realistic. After all, their was no way the news of the girls death would spread so quickly - she literally just died! She was probably an actor, and was hired to fake her death. And how the hell would they manage to sneak devices capable of emitting microwaves, powerful enough to kill people, into a commercially available product? And how would the servers be repaired if all the employees were supposedly "arrested"? No, the whole thing had to be a lie... It had to be. After all, there was no way Theo was that lucky - to finally escape his old life and become his idol. But the sinking feeling, the thought that it may be true, remained in Theo's head...

He continued to play as Dirk, not even checking the logout button. Everyone else had tried, some were still doing so. Dirk wouldn't waste time - he would keep everyone safe, calm them down, and tell them it was all probably some sick joke. But right now, Theo was in his old skin, and while it was impressive physically, it wasn't something he wanted to be plastered all over the internet as "The nerdy kid who seriously thought people were trapped in a video game". Instead, Theo continued to do what he was doing before hand - find a party. Hell, with so many people freaking out, the remaining were probably frantic to gather into groups and find protection. It would be easier. He spotted them in the distance - a black-haired girl in regular clothes, and a red head dude in cloth robes. Judging from appearance, cloth armor was most likely a mage given the staff at his side, and black hair was either a marauder or swordsman because of the katana. A big assumption, but Theo was willing to take the chance. Slowly, he made his way to the small team, at his paladin-pace. Upon making it there, he heard red head speaking to the girl.

“Sorry for the forwardness but I figured the whole trapped in a death match thing trumps manners in this situation. Kajin Najin, mage and healer at you service! And for the low low cost of making sure I don’t get cut too badly, I can be your pocket healer and patch us up! What do you say, party up?”

Jackpot. The name Kajin Najin screamed weaboo, but honestly, Theo didn't care - he liked anime, and also living. And to live, he needed to find a healer to latch onto. Fast. Using his Acting skill and speaking in that larger-than-life, Dirk voice, Theo addressed the pair.

"You know what's great at making sure people aren't cut up? Shields!"

Theo gently tapped his Buckler

"I, Dirk Davidson, would also love to party up with you two! I will do my best to make sure you don't die! ...So, please do the same for me."

Theo added that last part as more of a mumbled side comment, and before the others even agreed, he opened his menu and sent the two party invites.

Today, was suppose to be one of the best days in one of's Noah Northwood's life, instead, it became one of the worst. The expectation of today was to enjoy the next step in gaming and be part of its history by being one of the few people who manage to get the game before it got sold out. Instead, After a few hour of playing Karma tried to log off only for the logout button to be effective. "Huh what is this" He asked himself.

Suddenly Karma found himself teleport into the town square along with the rest of the player base where he and 10,000 were greeted by a man wore the face of death itself.

"The Wave Gear you are currently wearing has an ability to burst out microwave powerful enough to destroy the brain function of any man or woman. In short, should anyone with access to the programming of Talrae wishes so, you are capable of dying instantly on the spot."

"You will die for real if you die in-game. You will die if your connection to Talrae is broken. You will die if the power is cut to your Wave Gear. You will die if anyone attempts to tamper with Talrae game or Wave Gear. There is but one way for you to return alive..."

Before he knew it Karma and what was now 9998 other people found be toys in the hands of a very sick individual, who is forcing them to play a game for their very survival. "He joking right, he..or it. it can not do this." He said while in denial. Karma was waiting for the joke to end and for the admission to finally let them log out so they can leave and sent the fucker to plan this a very angry letter but it seems like the joke was going to end.

Dear Players,

everything you have heard from Malgoth is true, there is no malfunction in our game. The news channels you saw were real and this is not just some practical joke from us. This is no longer a simple game but a fight for survival. But nonetheless, we hope you enjoy your gaming experience and find whatever you are looking for in the world of Talrae. One more thing...

Good Luck.

That message made it clear, This wasn't a just a game anymore. and the next stage of greif...was anger...anger towards whoever behind this event. Its funny, on his way out the game store Noah saw gamer in the back of the line envying him cause he had a chance to play this game on the first day...now they probably thankful..thankful that they weren't made victims in what has to be the worst mass kidnapping in history.
_____________________________________________

@Project@Ithradine

After thinking about this a little bit, Karma decided it was best to join a party to increase his odds of survival, after all right now he only had about 400 measly hp to keep him alive and didn't have much to defence him at the close range other than a dagger, he did, however, have two long range spells that did moderate damage, and a healing spell that helps keep other players alive so maybe someone would find him useful.

He then turns his attention to the groups looking like they were planning to party up. He wondered what group he should join when he saw a silver haired man with a bow and too much of his chest hanging out with a sliver haired woman wearing leather armour. He decided it was best to join a smaller group to boost his odds of getting in a party quicker. He then made his way toward them moving to him and asked: "You two partying up, I can be helpful to you two with my healing spell." He told him calmly. Honestly, Karma wasn't in favour of forcing his way into conversations like that, however, however, he will throw that moral out the window if it means surviving.

The sudden attention caught Aster off guard, and she nearly jumped at the arrival of the red-haired young man. For whatever reason, it seemed that she was easier to sneak up on in this world than in the real-no, the other-world. It was almost as though her sense of hearing was too occupied with all the frantic players to notice the arrival. She put such thoughts away for the moment, choosing instead to focus on interacting with this person who, for whatever reason, seemed to see her as a reasonable choice of traveling companion. She didn't have much experience with video games herself, but the clothes and staff of the boy matched the descriptions of mages in the books she'd read. Maybe it would be a good idea to work with this guy. He seemed honest enough, and if what he said was true, teaming up with him would give her a pretty significant edge up on surviving for a bit longer.

This consideration took but a moment, and she began to answer the eager-seeming boy (Well, man, really. He looked about her age, maybe a hair older), only to have another player arrive, this one impressively brash and bold, outfitted with a larger sword, a shield, and clothes that were about the same as those worn by all the other players. Apparently she was one of the few to use her precious coins on higher-quality clothes and shoes. Whatever the case, she was accustomed to a certain level of comfort, and had no intention of wearing cheap clothes just because they were cheap. Who needs to sleep inside anyway?

Her musings were cut off as a mini-menu popped up, requesting that she join the two men in a party. It only made sense to accept, she supposed. Was there any advantage to playing solo? Well, other than freedom of choices and a better chance at dying, she couldn't think of anything, though a more experienced gamer might have been able to come up with more compelling reasoning. Her only thoughts at the moment were for surviving long enough to figure this whole mess out. With that thought in the forefront of her mind, she jabbed at the hovering display, perhaps a bit too hard, selecting "accept". Hopefully her over-eager acceptance wouldn't be seen as such, or reveal her relative inexperience with the medium.

"I'd... I'd be happy to join you both. I'm Aster, a swordsman." Swordswoman? Did it matter? C'mon, girl, keep a handle on yourself. "Kajin Najin? Do you have a nickname, maybe something a bit shorter? Kajin, or just Kaj? And you, Mr. Davidson, do you prefer to just go by Dirk?" Her voice was soft, quiet, but sure, with no unnecessary words. She hadn't taken speech classes for nothing, and her surety almost made up for her naturally hushed-sounding voice.

"I-I'll be honest with you both. As much as I'd love to be in a party with you, I'm not actually very experienced with games like this. I plan to improve, so that I can survive, but as it stands now, I've never even fought a monster or player before." Her posture was confident, despite the unsurety of her situation. It was not her intent to list her faults to scare off the two men, but rather to have all, or at least, most of her cards on the table from the outset of their alliance. She had accepted the request, but what came next would be up to the other two.

@Duoya @Achronum

---

Aura had been very contemplative about the last event. Death by game, was this truly a possibility? She had mixed views about the whole ordeal, part of her considering this the worst joke ever done, part of her terribly afraid of the chance of it all being true. She had spent quite some time staring blankly at the table, tapping her fingers gently against the table while the scene of the girl's death replayed over and over in her mind, unable to shrug it off or dismiss it. It seemed way too real.. way too cruel. The voice, it spoke with such malevolence and desire to harm and kill that was absolutely impossible to not feel at least slightly nervous.

Breathing deeply, the girl exhaled a breath as she pushed the chair she sat at back and began to stand herself up - before she could, however, she was approached by a boy - strangely with the same exact hair color as her - who stuttered the first word before asking her how she was doing. Huh, he's being ironic? Was the first thought that came to her but then she realized the boy was probably just being nice. It was comfortable to play games with friends or company and it was probably highly comfortable to play a death game with some help. Offering a gentle smile, Aura turned to face him and nodded her head. "Well, I'm alive so far," She began, giving a slight shrug. Then, another player came into the inn - this one with a bigger motivation and ready to test and see if the alcohol was legit, as he placed it in his own words.

Aura beckoned Dubstepp over, gesturing him closer. "Don't worry about it, now, then.." And then yet another visitor seemed to take interest in the little about to be group. This one was very straight forward, stating bluntly that he was a healer and was willing to help the party. Was there a party, at all? Aura opened the menu and checked if there was anything for party-invite - assuming there was, she sent invitations to the three of them. Reylan, Dubstepp and Noah. Then, she spoke;

"I'm not sure how much of what we've just seen out there is true, but I know one thing... Whenever I played something, it was way better with company." She paused briefly, eyeing them over. "I'm Aura, a lancer. Apparently you're an archer," She nodded towards Reylan, really checking the boy out. Apparently she was still mesmerized by his hair - a long lost brother, perhaps? Shrugging the random thoughts off, she focused on Noah, the last one to appear. "Of course you would be a mage. If you can heal us and keep us in check, we'd be grand," Finally, her pale blue eyes settled on Dubstepp. He seemed slightly older than the rest, in his mid or early twenties. Strangely, Aura couldn't help but thinking that he had something really nice to him, a gentle soul perhaps. "... I can't tell. A mage, as well?"

After Dubstepp replied - and if Aura wasn't interrupted, she'd carry on. "Well, this may be straight forward, but I think we have a bigger change of success if we stay together. I'm not an avid gamer myself, but I'm not one for giving up either. If you guys are willing, I say we stay together and go out there right now and begin taking the first steps of beating the game... which is setting up a group. We're four now, but I doubt that'll be enough. That much I know from my WoW experience." Aura chuckled - she was really managing to put the thoughts of the previous event aside. "But that's enough talking. So, what do you all say? We together?"

His smile faltered as he stared at the sudden party request. The abruptness of it all threw him off balance, stalling him. Kajin cast a critical eye over the man. About five inches taller than himself, broad shouldered, in decent shape, and a confident stance to top it off – Kajin grinned. Dirk looked like he could take a beating and that’s just what he needed. He happily slammed the Accept button. The quicker he latched onto a tank, the better, and the universe dropped one right in his lap. ‘Step one is coming together splendidly.’ he thought to himself. With a healer and a tank, filling the rest of the party roster was a cake walk.

“Thanks for the party invite. What’s the point of having me around if I don’t keep you alive? So I’ll do my best as well!” Kajin chuckled and turned his attention back to the woman. “Absolutely call me Kajin! I just expect everyone to call me that anyways, no need to use my last name if you don’t need to.” Aster’s next comment gave him reason to pause however.

"I-I'll be honest with you both. As much as I'd love to be in a party with you, I'm not actually very experienced with games like this. I plan to improve, so that I can survive, but as it stands now, I've never even fought a monster or player before." Kajin took a moment to consider the implications of that. Normally, that wouldn’t be a problem but this was life and death at this point. Did he want an inexperienced player in a sticky situation? On one hand, it was incredibly reckless. Respawning didn’t happen. There were no second chances, no retries. Once you were done, it was over and an inexperienced player easily added to the difficulty of it all. On the other hand though, they were level one and grinding was a given. With a good tank and a ready healer, teaching her as they leveled the early levels would still leave them with a decent safety margin. They just had to choose their hunting grounds well and know their limits. Plus, who else would teach her the ropes if they didn’t? As long as she was willing to try, and it seemed she was, it was entirely possible. He nodded once before a sudden realization hit him.

She was new. Oh no. He looked Aster over and noted the standard quality clothes she equipped. Not the cheap ones. Not armor. No, the regular clothes. He knew the saying “Glamour is true end game!” and even agreed with it but they were far from end game. They were as starting game as you could get and armor could make the difference between waking up and never seeing the light of day again. He glanced over at Dirk as well. Leather armor, perfect. He wouldn’t have to worry about him too much then.

“So Aster, the game can be taught. We all have to level anyway so we’ll do some grinding to get you in shape! However, there is a minor issue that occurred to me. Really it’s trivial but its best to cover all our bases.” Kajin opened the party list and selected “Examine Equipment” on Dirk and started pointing out stats. “Now see this here? We call this armor. When you take damage, it reduces the amount taken depending on several variables. Useful in a death game, I’m sure you could imagine. I can’t help but notice you aren’t wearing any but you are wearing nicer clothes than most. You wouldn’t happen to have some floating around in your inventory no? Maybe some Renn to purchase some? Because if not, I’ll need to make some for you because I’m not taking anyone out that doesn’t have some form of protection.”

“Oh Dirk, have you played around with the actions command yet? I’m not sure if they trigger the same as spells since I don’t have any actions yet.” Kajin looked a bit sheepish, “Probably should have taken staff block but Mana Payback was too nice to pass up!”

Fyaira blinked in surprise when a brown-haired mage abrupted asked for her assistance. But, before, she could respond, a third player – a tinker – had also approached and asked to join the pair. For a moment, Fyaira sat stunned, uncertain of what to say. She had never had friends before – not true friends. The so-called buddies she’d made in real life had always been driven away by her stark unhappiness before long.

But, here, Fyaira could change that. Here, she didn’t have to be unhappy. So, she gave the newcomers her brightest smile and said, “If you guys want to go kill stuff, I’m totally up for it!”

Of course, she knew she ought not give complete strangers her total trust. Before the demon king’s announcement had pulled her back to town, she had been in the outer fields, killing some of the easiest monsters in the game. They hadn’t really been a threat to her once she’d gotten used to movement. Fighting here was like dancing, she assumed – she had never actually danced – and she had picked it up quickly. As long as her group didn’t begin by hunting too ambitious a monster, she would be totally fine. She’d played dozens of MMOs before Talrae. If anyone did anything funny, she could just run away.

“My name’s Fyaira,” she said, holding a hand out for whomever to shake. “I know everyone’s all upset about the announcement and stuff, but this place is gorgeous, and I want to explore all the nooks and crannies! If we’re stuck here, we’d might as well have fun, right?” That thought brought life to a mischievous notion in the back of her mind. She had a pickpocketing skill; it might be fun to try it out soon! But not on these people. It wouldn’t do to alienate the first possible friends she might have had in forever!

@TaroAndSelia @Thecrash20

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Reylan was a tactical thinker from all his experience playing strategy games and had already began to make conclusions about their current situation. One, The option to exit the game was gone from their menu so they had no chance of leaving the game on their own as of right now. Two, If Malgoth's statement about dying from removing the helmet or its power source was false than eventually someone would physically pull them from the game. Three, Unless advised otherwise no one could afford to any combat lightly even if they were skeptical of the what was said.

He waited anxiously for Aura to reply, once the conversation had started he was much less stressed out "I guess that's all we can ask for." he laughed a little afterwards a small smile, sounding much more comfortable than he was earlier. He lowered himself down to a chair by her table, figuring it was a bit strange to just be standing there like an idiot. The hardest part, at least to him, was over and with the ice broken as to say he was fine. He found himself grinning at another player entered the inn and immediately ordered a drink, well everyone has their own way of dealing with things he thought. He admitted internally he was grateful that Aura had spoken to them first and quickly realized his shyness would have to be seriously worked on if he wanted to survive.

The boldness of the mage was something he admired, he didn't know if he would be able to assert himself that easily into an ongoing conversation. Soon after he saw a small notification panel appear in front of him |Aura would like to invite you to a party: Y/N| and he clicked the confirmation button also immediately, he didn't have the luxury to turn down any teammates. He nodded in regards to her first statement "Naturally our classes all have a weakness or two, but by working together as you say we have much better chances." he gave his thoughts. A thumbs up sprang up to confirm her assessment "Nice to meet you Aura. My name is Reylan." Now that they had gotten introductions going, he remembered that they were no longer their avatars. That meant her hair color was just like his! That fact that he met someone like that in this game of only 10,000 really amused him. That was until he recalled it was only 9,999 now..

His attention turned to the mage as Azura spoke about him and he leaned back against the chair "A healer huh? I don't think we can say no to someone with your skills all things considered." Already their group of three could do much more than if they were on their own but if this last guy joined, they would be set. Reylan had already taken a liking to his attitude and the humor he seemed to exhibit. Silver-eyes shot back to Azura as she spoke like a natural leader, giving a sense of direction already to their group. Her words had managed to pump him up just a tad, his depth of video game knowledge would hopefully help as well "You have my bow to the end." He stated a little overly dramatic with a smirk, Reylan found humor in doing such things but he was also serious "We won't get anything done just waiting here." he added on. If they were going to add more people to their group then establishing a guild would be the next step for that.

“If you guys want to go kill stuff, I’m totally up for it!” the rogue answered with a bright smile.

Alisea was momentarily stunned by the reply. She blinked once without a word. In a game of life and death where going out to "kill stuff" meant that stuff was trying to kill you, this odd peer appeared quite... happy. And ready to kill.

Alisea smiled--an affectionate, pleased, bone-chilling smile. "I do believe we will be fast friends," Alisea promised quietly.

Snapping herself back to the task at hand, the magess opened her menu to reach the party options. Her hand paused when she noticed something had changed since she started a party with Br- with that swordsman earlier. Curious (and half-listening to Fyaira's words), Alisea tapped on the news and announcements. A new message sat there, which she scanned briefly. Under her breath, Alisea muttered, "Nine thousand, nine hundred, ninety-four." Players were dropping like flies.

Dismissing the announcement, Alisea continued to the party screen and sent invites to both Fyaira and... Jack? What a normal name. Alisea closed her menu and faced her new partners. "I am Alisea--a mage, if that wasn't obvious. Not to be impolite, but we are in a rush: whenever these people finally accept this new life--maybe tonight, but definitely by tomorrow--the fields around this town will be flooded with players looking for experience. We need enough levels to stay a jump ahead of that flood, so we're going out right now.

"Oh," Alisea remarked as an afterthought. "Would either of you like a buckler or longsword? The... last person won't be using them anymore." There was a conversation Alisea didn't want to have right now, but she wanted to use every advantage they had. She considered it a calculated risk; if it was important to Jack (Fyaira probably wouldn't mind, Alisea was sure), she would answer him... later.