Aeternus || Nexus
Rose awoke with a gasp, bright green eyes flying wide and searching desperately about the room. The images of the dream faded quickly, leaving her breathing deeply as small beads of sweat formed on her brow, matting strands of bright red hair to her fair skin. Damnit, I'm still here... How can this world be so real? She thought, not for the first time, as she looked down at her hands and the level of detail in which the game rendered them. It was truly a breakthrough in technology and the thought of how it was being used for such sadistic and twisted ends was enough to make her stomach turn. Sliding to the edge of the bed, pulled up the in-game clock to check the time and sighed in relief when she saw she hadn't slept through the whole day. She'd been out for only an hour and a half but the nap had been sorely needed after the emotions of the afternoon. With the initial announcement of Aeternus becoming their prison, panic had swept through the city as thousands of players struggled (and frequently outright refused) to accept what was happening; unsurprising considering how not one person saw it coming.
Well, not one besides the creator.
Bastard... She thought angrily. Rose had spent those initial hours trying to quell the panic, to form some sort of calm that would allow them all to face their predicament logically and look for some form of escape. When things finally began to settle, she found that there appeared to be no easy way out; they were trapped in this hell and would remain so until the creator saw fit to release them, or there was some sort of intervention from the real world. It had been to much to handle, that revelation, for even someone like Rose, and so she managed to find herself a room, one of the last ones available, and felt determined to try and escape through sleeping or at least whittle away the time until rescue arrived. Clearly her plan had failed and so she would have to start searching for another way.
It looked like rescue would not be so forthcoming.
"Better start by getting a better lay of the town..." Rose's alto voice muttered aloud as she pushed herself to her feet. Before receiving the letter she had found plenty of time to familiarize herself with the the game's systems so she had no trouble putting on her equipment with the game menus. The plate armor was quite extravagant in scheme, dull blood-red metal with black leather straps and gold trim, but was plain in style and clearly made for mobility and functionality; that suited her well as she had little interest in playing 'dress up' in a game that could claim her life. She slung the black traveler's cloak over her shoulders but left the hood down, sliding the gold-trimmed silk through her fingers and marveling at the feel of it. Last she put on the large sword, which appeared sheathed at her waist, and the even larger shield that came with a buckled strap across her chest so that it would hang on her back but still be within easy reach. The weapon was simple in design, a red-leather wrapped hand-and-a-half hilt with a pommel of blackened steel with a plain cross-guard, but the shield was rather magnificent to behold. It was roughly four feet tall, a tower-shield by all accounts, made from an incredibly lightweight metal Rose could not identify but that had the same color and texture as obsidian glass. The edges were outlined in a cap of dull gold which was styled like vines that twisted into the shield's center and formed a single blooming rose. Clearly it was made in a reference to the name she'd chosen on a whim, some sort of internal system that designed her equipment to fit her theme. She'd even noticed there was a faint scent of the flower that hung about her like an aura, though she could not place from where it originated. Thankfully, Victoria had always loved roses and so this sort of aesthetic appeal did not bother her in the slightest.
Finally prepared, she slipped out of the room and checked with the innkeeper to be sure it would be rented throughout the evening, giving her time to find the coin to keep paying for it.
Outside the inn, Rose quickly gathered that the city was preparing for some sort of festival and found herself rather enthralled with the extravagant decorations. Streamers of gold and silver lined every roof and lanterns burned with flames that appeared to change color from one moment to the next, casting a magical glow on the streets that had seemed so foreboding only hours before. Spotting a flier on a nearby post, she gave it a quick read. "Lantern... Festival? Is this really the time?" She grumbled to herself before her eyes glanced over something far more interesting. "Cash prizes? Can you really win coin and levels from something like this...?" It was a rather curious discovery for she had always thought these kinds of video games only involved monsters and fighting.
HP: 100%
SP: 100
Level: 1
Inventory
Potion x4
Gold x0
