Chương 3: The Beginning

When I opened my eyes, I could barely take it all in. It wasn't like the virtual reality of Valhalla, where you could obviously tell that, despite all the effort of the creators, it was all artificial. You couldn't feel the wind on your skin, nor smell the scents around you. This was different. If I hadn't known I was inside a game, it would have been almost impossible to tell the difference from real life. I was standing on a circular platform, maybe 30 meters in diameter.

Multiple statues stood at the perimeter, bronze colored, majestic, and made of metal. The floor was marble, reflecting the light even through the thick layer of dust covering it, and the wind was blowing fiercely, almost as if the platform was... moving? Looking down at the edge, the realization struck me: I was standing on a flying circle. As far as I could see, there were mountains, rivers, and forests in every direction beneath me, and even a deeper shade of blue right on the horizon. An ocean, I thought.

My clothes changed, too: a matte white linen t-shirt and leather trousers, along with surprisingly comfortable boots, once again enthralling me about how genuine everything felt. This truly was next level. A new era for Virtual Reality has finally arrived. Thirty seconds in, I was already hooked.

"You've awoken," a woman spoke to me. I turned back to the middle of the circle, looking for the source of the voice. The NPC was tall, with long white hair and blue skin, her eyes glowing with a faint purple light. She was dressed in a fine silk robe down to her ankles.

"Welcome to the world of Godsrealm! I will help you choose your class. May I have your name, please?" the woman said.

"Zephy... no, no..."

"Zephynono is still available. Confirm?"

"No!" I shouted, perhaps a little too loudly.

"My name is..." I was trying to think of another alias, something that wouldn't instantly reveal my identity. Zephyr was a well-known name after all. I needed something unique. I started going through my mental notes. Zephyr came from Zephyrus, the Greek god of the west wind. I chose it because wind was often associated with archery. The other three wind gods were called Boreas, Eurus, and Notos, but those would be a little too obvious. Of course, I could have chosen a random name. Any name.

With the way I altered my looks at the character creation screen, nobody would recognize me instantly. Although I could only change my appearance to a certain degree, I thought I did a good job. So why not xXDemonSlayer420Xx? Well, it might have been a bit naive of me, but I wanted a name that somehow connected to my legacy.

I was browsing through my pretty limited list of known mythological figures associated with either wind, archery or bows, and almost gave up when I remembered a myth I read once upon a time, about the Greek goddess Artemis, and her partner in the wild, Orion, a giant that was as good with the bow as the Lady of the Hunt herself. I only remembered that the story of their partnership ended in a tragedy, something like her blinding him, but my knowledge about the topic ran out.

"My name is Orion," I finally said, crossing my fingers, because if the name was taken, I might actually have to spend all day figuring out how to call myself.

"Orion is still available. Confirm?"

"Yes." I let out a deep breath, not even realizing I had been holding it in.

"Welcome to the world of Godsrealm, Orion! My name is Ava, and I will help you choose your starting class."

"Starting class?" I asked, looking around and checking out all fifteen statues at the edge of the circle.

"Are there more classes other than these?"

"Godsrealm is an ever-changing and evolving world with many secrets to discover." She avoided answering my question directly, but that told me there was a high likelihood of there being extra classes later.

"Would you like to take a look at the classes?"

"Yes."

"There are fifteen starting classes in the world of Godsrealm. Five specialize in the Art of Might, five in the Art of Magic, and five in the Art of Finesse." As she talked, the statues grew up in groups.

"Let's see the Art of Might first!" We walked to the first statue. As I was standing beneath, I realized they were a lot bigger than I first thought.

"The first class: Swordsman. Swordsmen are staples on every battlefield. Wielding short- or longswords, they move quickly, and can take on frontline fights or threaten the back row of the enemy alike. They are fast, though not the fastest, and strong, though not the strongest. A jack of all trades, and--""A master of none?" I tried to finish her sentence.

"That depends on the user," she smiled.

"The second is the Spearfighter. They fill a similar role to the Swordsmen, but are more explosive and strike quicker. They are also great at holding the line for a short period, but rather than extended fights, they excel at burst encounters. Like a viper, they attack fast before retreating." She then turned to the bronze statue holding a massive tower shield.

"The third class is the Guardian. Masters of the shield, moving walls of the group, indomitable knights holding the very center of the frontline. They are fierce fighters capable of dealing damage in sustained fights and are even better at mitigating the enemy's power. Their lack of speed and burst damage leaves them in need of their allies in some situations, but with the right composition, the Guardian might be the most devastating opponent."

A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. The woe of most rangers, I thought. Most. Not mine.

"The next is the Berserker. The calamities of the battlefield. Few can match their damage output, but beware! Sometimes it might be hard to handle it even for themselves. They break enemies and infrastructure alike, and their rage is felt from miles away." The Berserker statue had a huge battle-axe resting on its shoulder.

"The last class in the Art of Might is the glorious Paladin. Similar to Guardians, they excel at holding the line, and while they might fall off in the art of shield fighting, they make up for it with the use of holy magic to heal allies or hurt foes. Especially the undead." All the statues of Might looked breathtaking. They might have been simple at the core, your clear-cut fantasy classes, but since Ava's mention of them being "starter classes", I wasn't too worried about creativity.

NWE had probably designed hundreds of others, maybe even specifications for the existing ones. I knew in my mind that, just by design alone, these five were probably going to lure in the most players. Who wouldn't want to be fighting close up, wielding mighty swords and shields in the most incredible VR game? I would have lied if I said I didn't feel drawn to some of these choices.

"Next up are the classes of Magic," Ava said.

"Magic is abundant in the world of Godsrealm, and both continents, Cindaar and Yaetra, rely on their talented magicians to hold up the balance of the world." We walked over.

"The first class in the art of Magic is the Arcanist. They are the battle mages of war, wielding arcane and elemental magic to destroy their foes. Their damage output is their biggest strength, but they can easily control the battlefield from afar, and talented Arcanists can even change the layout of it using devastating magic." The robed construct had long hair and an even longer beard, looking like someone straight from Lord of the Rings.

"The next class is the Conjurer. Conjurers often bind spirits from other planes of existence with contracts, and they can summon these familiars to aid them in battle. They never stand alone, and powerful Conjurers can summon more and stronger allies to do their deeds." Jessica's going to be one, I assumed. She always liked when others did her dirty work for her.

"The third class in the Art of Magic is the Cleric. They are blessed with holy magic and use it to heal wounds and destroy foes alike. Often associated with one or more gods of their respective regions, they are sometimes part of religious orders. Some choose different paths and become wandering doctors or priests who ward against evil." I immediately wondered how much of an importance religion would be inside the game. Would Paladins and Clerics gain certain advantages if they joined the church?

The possibilities made my head spin.

"The fourth class is the Druid, keepers of the grove, guardians of nature itself. Their wild nature magic is just as versatile as the environment itself. It can heal, protect, or destroy — a choice made by the wielders themselves." She turned to the last statue in the group.

"Last but not least, there's the Acolyte. Mages who delved into the dark arts. They use spells that are often associated with sinful things, although they are not evil by nature. They manipulate the battlefield, deal damage, or cause harm in other ways." These classes looked even more fun than the previous ones. Who knew what powers one could wield by choosing the Art of Magic? I couldn't wait to see fellow players cast spells and see all the effects in action.

We moved on at a leisurely pace, and I was already eyeing one particular statue.

"We've arrived at the last Art. The Art of Finesse," Ava said. We were getting closer.

"First up is the agent of shadows, the Rogue. Rogues are thieves and assassins, using blades and daggers to quickly end the lives of foes, striking from behind before anyone could get a glimpse of them, and disappearing just as fast." I was quite familiar with Assassins. And getting stabbed in the back, too.

"The second class is the Ranger, master of the bow. These archers strike at their targets from afar. They have the highest range and can remain unseen as long as they need to be, waiting for their prey to enter their deadly line of sight." I held my breath for a while, checking every detail on the statue. It was holding a longbow, ornate and sleek, and had a hooded cape that added to the mystery.

"Next up is the Swashbuckler. They excel at dueling their opponents. Few can match their speed and precision in a one-on-one encounter. Using their rapiers, they can quickly strike vital spots similar to Rogues, but they prefer to stay engaged in an honorable fight." Now that was a class I would consider playing if Ranger was not an option. Speed, accuracy, quick thinking. That would be fun.

"The fourth Finesse class is the Brawler. Their muscles are like iron, and using gauntlet-like Fists and Claws, they excel at close-quarter combat. Each of their punches is like a cannon, their kicks sound like thunder, and their fighting spirit is unmatched." Ava then turned to the last statue.

"And we've arrived at the last starter class of Godsrealm: the Bard." She took a theatrical break.

"The Bard is a unique class that is not fit for everyone. Its weapon is music. All musical instruments in the world become a threat in their hands, but what the Bard does best is give support to their allies through the magic that is sound itself. With sonnets and scherzos, the Bard aids their comrades amid battle, granting bonuses, healing wounds, and disorienting foes." With that, we returned to the middle.

"These are your choices, Adventurer. Take your time. You will spawn in the Kingdom of Ravenloft, at a randomly selected starter village in 27 minutes and 32 seconds." I pondered for about five minutes, checking all the statues, considering my options, but deep inside I knew there was never a question to begin with.

"Alright. I've made my choice. I would like to be a Ranger."

"Your chosen class is: Ranger. Confirm?" I looked around one last time. Every class was unique and useful; they all had pros and cons, and I could see myself having a ton of fun with any of them. However, my love for archery and the fact that it was what I excelled at left no room for second-guessing.

"Yes."

"Good choice, Adventurer. You still have 21 minutes and 56 seconds left."

"So what's the max level of the game? What is the world like? How do the kingdoms differ from one another?"

"I'm incapable of answering questions regarding game mechanics, advanced world lore, and detailed information. However, I can show you an introduction video about your chosen kingdom. Would you like to proceed?"

"Yes." The short video was packed with information, regardless of what Ava had told me. Not just about Ravenloft, the kingdom on the north-east side of the continent, but the world as well. All twelve kingdoms on Cindaar were roughly the same size, with comparable military and political influence, although as of now there was no way for them to interact with each other.

The reason being the Veil: a magical, unbreakable barrier separating them, erected by magicians of old in order to stop all the wars ravaging the land a hundred years ago. Ravenloft was ruled by King Seraf Ravensdale, and House Ravensdale has been in power for the better part of the last three centuries. There was even a map included, showing Ravenloft's six regions and their respective regional capitals.

These regions, or Dukedoms, were ruled by Dukes, except Ravencrown, which was the seat of House Ravensdale and under the direct control of the King. When the video ended, I still had about ten minutes left, so I started browsing the game menu. Opening it felt seamless, done with a simple thought. Windows like the inventory or character status were not yet accessible, so there wasn't much to do. I checked if the logout button was there, just in case. I closed the menu and walked to the edge of the platform.

We were hundreds, if not thousands, of meters in the air, moving slowly but steadily. Looking around, I could see silhouettes of towns and cities, huge, dark forests, and open fields, with rivers breaking their unity here and there. The mountains looked awe-inspiring and gigantic, and the valleys were just as picturesque. Everything looked real, but even prettier, as if there was a subtle beautifying filter on the real world. I felt like I was in a fantasy movie.

"Spawning starts in 60 seconds," Ava said, breaking the tranquil moment. I walked back to the middle and patiently waited. 30… 15… 5… 4… 3… 2… 1...