The Devil On Your Shoulder III

"Alright, the first part of this game will be a fifteen-minute battle royal which at a year a second means that's nine hundred years in a blink of an eye for you with four hundred players they hope to dwindle the lobby down to about less than half of that before starting the next Era." Aisling explains while showing a map of an entire continent.

"What? But in the Beta, there were more than a thousand players and the next Era started way before half had died." Vidar adds while trying to commit the map to memory.

"That's because the Beta was just to test out the new systems they were adding. You remember Life the game when it came out it was a deep dive game based on those turn-based strategy games of the past where you build a society through the Eras until you reach the pinnacle goal of your society but it always started with tribal life and worked its way up to modern day." Aisling explains changing the map screen with another screen with a list of titles.

"Right, you started as a chieftain and made it to king and president as the Eras passed you also gathered materials and technological advances as you went." Niya added scrolling through the list until she found the beginning point on it or where it should be but before Chieftain was a list of titles blurred out.

"Those are titles that arrive before the first Era this is what the developers refer to as the Dark Ages it's nine hundred years worth of events that'll take place during the fifteen-minute battle royal in the beginning that's where the mechanics of Life Too comes in." Aisling says to switch to a window that has a list of attributes abilities and classes.

"I remember this I loved Life Too it was a high fantasy action RPG you chose a faction and wared on its behalf against other players from other factions while also completing quests to win different awards and benefits for your faction and death meant restarting from zero but with enough reputation, your character would be enshrined by their titles like Hero or Kingslayer and remembered by the NPCs." Vidar said while scrolling through the list of classes.

"Right Life Plus brings Life and Life Too together creating an in-depth lore for the reincarnation period  that's where the game starts." Aisling points to the screen of abilities specifically abilities that have tags about reincarnation.

"Some abilities you'll not have access to even if you remember using them in the first phase you'll need to unlock them again with feats or just learn them again from another player willing to teach you or an NPC if you are lucky enough to come across one." Aisling tail slowly flicked back and forth until her eyes stopped on an ability called magic sense with an RE next to it.

"See like this one if you drop with magic sense then when reincarnation happens you'll be reborn with magic sense already enabled if you complete your Lesser Gods Goal but..." She scrolls through the list and stops at another ability.

"Abilities like dark vision can be Reincarnation Enabled, but because of system balance mechanics, you can't have too many RE-related abilities because the game will be reincarnating you as a believable reincarnation of your battle royal character. The last players standing will be reincarnated into their new lives from infancy into adulthood following in the footsteps of your past in a world built on your actions in the Dark Ages." Aisling finished by showing Vidar the limited pairings of RE abilities he had. While Niya's head was spinning from all the information she didn't play many games and deep dive made her dizzy as is so she did her best to keep up.

"So the goal would be to make and enhance a balanced character or struggle with an impossible Glass Canon?" Niya asked trying to keep up with the two strategists.

"Well yes but there's also the third option that comes with high risk but even higher reward." When Aisling said this Vidar's ears perked up at the mention of high reward.

"What is it?" Vidar asks intrigue dripping from his tone.

"Each class immediately locks you out of other classes when chosen a berserker will never become a wizard off back so forth and so on but there is a class called the Unburdened and with all its hindrances if you survive the Battle Royal your reincarnated self will be immensely rewarded." The Devil deal Aisling just offered tantalized Vidar curiosity.

"And what's the risk?" Niya asks on Vidar's behalf. 

"The risk is that you might outright die like a scrub in the beginning if you aren't good at the game that is, you won't be starting with a specified class so your combat abilities will be limited to what you can learn yourself, and whatever class restricted ability that the system gives you for picking the Unburdened shouldn't be too hard for a player of your caliber." Aisling said mockingly trying to goad him into agreeing.

"Well obviously we aren't go-

-and what's the reward?" Vidar asks interrupting Niya's attempt to decline.

"What!? You can't be considering this if you lose the first round all of us are dead!" Niya yelled trying to be the voice of reason but Vidar's gaze never broke with Aisling.

"If an Unburdened were to survive to the second round the system will match the amount of saved attribute points the individual player saved during the Dark Age phase. Second sensory-based abilities chosen will all be designated to reincarnation-enabled. Third the Unburdened will be able to class blend sooner in the Reincarnation Era." Aisling ends her deal with a toothy grin that at first is off-putting to Vidar but he remembers Aisling has always been off-putting and devious.

"Too good to be true what's the catch?" Vidar incredulously demands.

"Besides starting the game as basically human? When it's a definite blood match with hundreds of foes armed with magical powers?" Aisling rambles out quickly still making light of their situation.

"Obviously." Vidar replies his patience being drained by Aisling's candor.

"Well besides some minor penalties during the first phase like I said you'll be human essentially no advanced class strengths or weakness for that matter and your attributes chosen will come with burdens hence the minor penalties..." Aisling says quickly glossing over the statement's minor penalties.

"Wait burdens? What sort of burdens?" Vidar asks not ignoring anything that'll make this job more complicated this prompted Aisling to sigh hard and float around the room exasperatedly.

"It comes with the name of course the unburdened... see all of the players will be asked a simple question upon dropping PREDATOR or PREY? And most depend on the God-chosen will influence goals set to complete after it's answered. While all classes can choose any two of the twenty Gods, the Unburdened only have six to choose from, ten Lesser Gods and ten Celestials. and will be burdened until completing the task the gods have chosen." Aisling explained her tone bored and uninterested.

"PLAYER THREE-HUNDRED-NINTY READIED." The overvoice reminded them their time was coming to a close.

"You don't seem to have much more time to decide so what's it gonna be?" Aisling chided unhelpfully causing dread to bloom in Niya and Vidar.

"PLAYER THREE-HUNDRED-NINTY-THREE READIED."

"Shit." Vidar exclaimed while manically choosing his character attributes, abilities, and classes.

"PLAYER THREE-HUNDRED-NINTY-SIX READIED." The overvoice chimed.

"Okay, I've decided! Explain the rest to me!" Vidar begged a bored Aisling.

"Let's see here..." Aisling eyes lit up with excitement.

"You've chosen the Unburdened and the Bitter Lesser Goddess Alicia of Fate and Dissun The Celestial Of Chaos & Luck. I wonder how that's going to affect the Morality Meter..." Aisling mumbled to herself as they admired the list intently.

"PLAYER THREE-HUNDRED-NINTY-NINE REDIED." The grim reminder chimes cheerfully.

"Aisling!" Both Niya and Vidar screamed in unison.

"Alright alright you got a pretty good character here if you survive that is and if you answer the first question the right way for your lesser Goddess... and you only used ten attribute points? You're a mad lad." Aisling marveled at the quick character Vidar had built even though they were under a time crunch it was well thought out.

"What you only used half?" Niya questioned unsure how helpful for a basic human class that'll be.

"Don't worry! That's ten attribute points that I receive when I survive the first phase putting me ahead of everyone I come across. And if all my abilities carry over after this reincarnation phase I'll be unstoppable." Vidar reassured his sister. This calmed Niya's nerves but she felt uneasy at how Aisling was letting this play out.

"Haha! Welp, you gotta love the confidence! You dumped a lot of points into agility and intelligence so I can't wait to see how that pans out!" Aisling cheers a devilish grimace painted across her face.

"PLAYER FOUR HUNDRED READIED!" The over voice cheered following a set of chimes and bells.

"That's it we're about to drop when we do we won't be able to freely talk to you but that'll change after the reincarnation period and don't worry the game holds your hand for the first hundred years just try to enjoy yourself." Aisling exclaims before she starts giggling to herself.

"Thanks a lot, Assling..." Vidar mumbled under his breath but Aisling still could make out what was said. With a quick flap of her wings, she was upon Vidar pinching his cheeks and tugging on thick locks of hair.

"Hey! Don't fuck it up..." Niya demands interrupting Vidar and Aisling spat her eyes serious while worry weighed on her brow.

"Yeah of course Niy." Vidar's tone was serious and helped reassure his sister.

"DROP IN TEN." The voice breaks the silence again prepping the trio.

"Shit I don't feel very prepared for this!" Vidar exclaims.

"NINE."

"Ahh, you'll do fine!" Aisling says over a shoulder while she ravages the food table again.

"EIGHT."

"Can you not stuff your face right now!?" Vidar scolded Aisling as she ignored him scarfing down anything she could see.

"SEVEN."

"You should be eating too you won't be getting anything this yummy for quite some time!" Aisling said through gulps of food causing Vidar's stomach to growl.

"SIX."

"Fine, maybe you're right!" Vidar gave in joining Aisling at the table scarfing down whatever reappeared.

"FIVE."

"You guys are so similar it's adorable." Niya said giggling to herself.

"FOUR."

"What I'm nothing like her!" They both spit out in unison food stuffed between teeth and cheek.

"THREE." The Trio shared a laugh trying to ignore the challenge ahead of them.

"TWO."

"Fia... you can't lose this time you know that right?" Vidar heart skipped a beat at Asiling's genuine tone.

"For all the Beta testers who never left that building that's why we're here you realize that right? You have to win." Aisling eyes tried their hardest but couldn't fight the threat of tears.

"ONE." The floor opens up below Vidar leaving clear blue skies and clouds at his feet he begins to fall only managing two words to be said before he sinks below the surface of the floor.

"I will."