The Day The Server Stood Still

<<Floor 1, Day 1>>

This little piggy went to the market.

This little piggy stayed at home.

Does anyone remember that nursery rhyme? Well, I'm sure the rest of the lyrics goes like:

This little piggy became roast beef.

This little piggy had gone.

And this little piggy cried "wee, wee, wee," as I slaughtered its family one by one with a very ineffective wooden sword for no other reason than to get some of that sweet EXP. That little piggy died a little later. Sorry, little piggy. I shall remember you as I discard all your useless drops when I'm done here.

The outskirts of the starting town had little in terms of perilous encounters. I mean the most danger I experienced was dropping a little too high off a cliff and suffering fall damage. I never realized how tedious starting out would actually be. I wouldn't bore you with the details, but I'd just say that I've been here all but four hours already and I'm killing defenseless pigs. With a stupid inefficient weapon, no less. Make of that what you will.

I'd like a new weapon please, thank you very much.

Why not slimes, you ask?

Simple. Cause other people are there camping their spawn already. I don't like that. I'm vewy vewy shy boy. I talk no good.

I understand the flawless logic at display here. 'Getting an MMO but not interacting with players? Do you also play single player games for the rich multiplayer features as well?".

It's not as if I despise people. Heck no, what do you take me for? I wouldn't be able to get those side jobs if basic communications were an alien concept to me. But I'm sure some would understand if I say being lonely and wanting to be alone are two very different things. I'm simply just the latter.

So guess how I was when I spied a fellow adventurer wandering towards my vicinity in the pale moonlight?

I minded my own business, beating a pig to zero health, thinking the stranger, whom I gathered was a guy, would just pass on by. Surprising thing is that he didn't. He stood and watch as I mercilessly boink boinked the pig till it oink oink'ed no more. He a sadist or something?

Great, now there's this awkward silence. Thanks, whoever you are.

"You know, there are slimes if you want to farm, right?" He finally spoke.

As I spun to face his way, I thought of many things. Virtual paradise entails all you could desire, but the 'Be who you want to be' portion though, is a rather intricate aspect. I don't know, I just never clicked with that. Whomever it is you've interacted are both real and fake simultaneously. Beyond the rectangular border of a computer screen, I'm fine. In VR though, eeeehhh...

"Yeah. I get that." I responded and continued.

There was a plain old look about him. Might have been a beginner as well. Leather strapped around his body in the flimsiest defense possible. No helmet means his short black hair swayed with twilight's breeze. Youthful looking, my age possibly, sixteen, seventeen. I didn't have time to wonder for he just cracked a smirk.

"Then?" He asked, gesturing a hand to the scene in front of him: Me, sword swinging at a scampering pig and failing bad, fatigue rapidly creeping in.

"I guess I like pig meat more than slime. A lot more nutrients too, as you can plainly see," I huffed and puffed like a tired wolf, "I'm gonna need it."

That smirk evolved to a full-on smile. "Name's Sukuinote. As you can probably tell by my username."

"Nice to meet you," I replied, stooping to the grass finally, heaving hard. "My name is... whatever the hell is... written above me."

Squinty-eyed, read it he did. "King underscore Sora."

"Can you not read the underscore, please?"

"How very modest of you."

I stood back to my feet. "Well, I do say "name yourself for the life you want"."

"King, really? Of what?"

Okay, now that smile feels like it's mocking me. Is he mocking me?

"Well, I'm not exactly royalty so hmm, let's think. I don't know man, the game, maybe?"

He gave this funny look, before he spoke again, "I saw a level forty-five a while back. Probably heading to floor thirty right about now."

"Yeah, and?"

"Then a little later, I found this level one smacking pigs about. Wanted to be king of the game, he said."

"Hey, you're not so big yourself." I looked up for a moment before addressing him again, "Level 3? If I can count your level with one hand, you're not exactly in the place to be mocking me."

A hearty chuckle split that smile of his, then he ended the laughter with a sigh. Shrugging shoulders, he began to trudge away. Finally. Now I can go back to exterminating the server of pigs.

"Walk with me." I hear him call a fair distance afar from my own.

Does he really expect me to walk off in the darkness after him? PVP is a thing. I know that. He knows that. Came the dawn of gaming, it has been a thing. Not to mention, I've racked up quite a bit of uncooked meat to sell and I've no interest losing it in an ambush at the dead of night.

You could say, my pride is at 'steak' here. Hehehe.

So I ignored him. But, like all things in my life, it still didn't work. He called out again, "Come on, I'll make it worth your while here. Walk for a bit."

I sheathed my sword and pondered. Actually, I pretended to ponder, maybe If I feigned consideration he would finally buzz off. To emphasize the point, I began stroking a non-existent beard and, frowning, sounded a deep 'hmmmmm'. I'd say 'no' in a second.

"I'll give you my iron sword."

"Deal." I said at once and never looked back as I trodded after him.

You're safe for now, piggies. Who knew your savior manifested as a guy. But mark my words well! I will be back to claim my EXP. I swear it.

----

The dungeon tower stood far across the boundless awe-inspiring horizon, stretching to imperceptible highs, prominent still even amidst the dark of night. A colossal intimidation for ones starting anew, entering meant the amalgamation of all encounters so far, culminating finally as a single entity, the floor boss.

Basically the bouncer for the floor. Only after beating it, are you able to access the floor above, only to then rinse and repeat till you get to the hundredth. I don't know why I'm explaining this. You all know this already. Probably because apart from the plains of greens that consumed the landscape, it was the only thing notable in view.

Sukuinote, from what I could gather, was a pretty laid-back dude. He walked, he talked, demeanor always conveying an air of easement, like a caressing breeze. Contentment permeated his voice, as he yapped away and boy, did he never stop.

A variety of topics came and go from the time I left the piggy spawn to where we are now, chilling in a meadow overlooking the tower. Whatever you can think of, he talked about it.

Weapons, enemies, bosses, farming methods, party formations, etc etc...

Currently, the topic gauging his interest is something a little more in view.

"Think you'd be burnt out by the time you reached the thirtieth or maybe fiftieth floor?"

Usually the tactic I find work best is responding with an indifferent grunt or shrug and he'll always interpret it the way he wants. So I did it here as well.

"I know I would. I'd probably move on to something else. You the same?"

I shrugged again.

"Yeah. First impressions so far, not looking too good. You've seen the reviews?"

This time, I added a frown to go with the shrug. A two for one package. Great deal.

"Not looking too good from what I can tell. The game's getting panned by critics. Said once the novelty wears off, ain't much to it. Pretty shocking, considering they had so long to make the game. Makes you wonder what the developers were actually doing."

Now I haven't actually seen or read any reviews. I tend to flock to the first-hand experience ordeal and judge for myself. But if what he said is true, then that's upsetting because I toiled hard for this headgear and if all I got to show for it is a fruitless byproduct, I'd be considerably miffed.

So I entertained a doubtful mindset, only to have my doubts be doubted. Because from what I can see so far: A lack of variation in sceneries, barren terrain, structures, and towns a rarity to find. Heck, I just realized that there isn't anything attacking us. We're in an open environment and no mobs are in sight. Yeah, the game is not making a good case for itself.

But a merciful one as I am, God bless me, I offered a chance at redemption.

"They can always patch it. It might turn out good then."

No sooner had the words left my mouth, came a sudden figure zooming past in the sky, like a shooting star. Vanishing to the left as soon as it came from the right. Only it had a hud, resembled a person, and as it whizzed on by, screamed, "Whooooooooooo!"

Needless to say, several questions scaled the tip of my tongue and I turned to my companion, who seemed not the least bit surprised as I am.

"Was that a player just now?"

He nodded his head. "Reddit's a magical place. Must have figured out how to launch himself using a shield. Even physics wants nothing to do with this game."

"Can they fix that?"

"Can they?" He said, chuckling. "Been two weeks already, that's a pretty big window and if they still haven't patched it, then I don't know what to tell you."

Another one streaked on by, probably his friend, moments later, a final birdman followed after them. Wow, that's broken as all hell. Genuinely, I'm thunderstruck, but the surprises kept on coming on.

Sukuinote tossed an item on my lap. It was heavy, very. Enough to lurch me upright.

"Almost forgot." He said.

The surface glinted the moonlight, the sharpened edges looked a danger even to the slightest touch. Handling with the firmest grip I could muster, I could tell, holy shit it was heavier than I thought. No exaggeration, I grunted, I heaved and I 'hnnngh!' my best, just to have it barely even a second in my hands before it slackened to the grass with a muffled thud, sapping along a lot of exerted effort.

My stamina is practically depleted. What kind of sword is this?

Again, I turn to Sukuinote for answers and saw the same sword sheathed firmly on his back.

"You had a spare?"

"Nah, I duplicated it." He answered.

I can't even. If it's that easy to dupe the system, just how broken is this game?

"You have to be at least level seventy-five just to equip it, by the way."

That's when the confusion settled in. My eyes knew the discrepancy, switching to and fro from his level displayed above his head to the sword he lugged about all this time. My question needn't be stated, I'm sure you all know what it is.

Rather than answering, he branched completely off-topic, standing up as he did, "Did you know it's free weekend right now?"

That I knew. It was on full display on their website till nothing else was visible. Guess I should have taken that as a precursor to what a flop this was shaping up to be.

"Server's on its highest since launch." He continued, walking forward slight, "Approximately 45,967 on this server alone."

"Okay... that's rather precise." I said, unable to follow, "You an avid fan or something?"

"Not exactly."

For once, he stopped talking. He stood, I sat, silent, affirmed further in a chilled breeze, ushering chance to examine closely the sword he's lumped onto me. My fingers lightly grazed the blade's surface, materializing the stats screen with a double tap.

I skimmed a glance at first, then I read it properly. And I read it again, and again. Now I'm rendered speechless.

This plain, simple iron sword had properties that eclipse even those I've read online. Then there was its description, the teller of its true nature.

It was a developer item.

An inaccessible weapon, an unattainable drop. No one but a developer should have this. Which begs the question - Why does he? I looked up at him, only to find he had watched the entire process unfold. He stared, then he spoke.

"Keep that sword. You're gonna need it."

Slowly, a suspicion started to unravel. A blinking red light of intuition. I hope to God I am wrong, I really do hope right now I just have the wildest imagination possible, as I asked him, "Why?"

But like all things in my life, like buttery smooth clockwork, it didn't work.

"In roughly two hours from now, I will be trapping all 45,967 players in this server."