7 The Ideal World of Second Reality
At the Gondraw City Gates, a large squad of knights and mercenaries stand in silence. Armed with arrows and bows, maces, and lances, they stayed on their ground and show no emotion but dark expressions.
Commander Sigurd is the leader of this group.
The moment he felt the Death Wave spreading far out, his scarred eye glints murderously. The cold aura around him is filled with so much killing intent.
The bastard have finally showed up.
The dead awoke in a frenzy, their lifeless eyes emit hunger and eerie glares. They staggered, their legs moved so fast with full force as if they were a coalition of cheetahs, to the point where the limits of their bodies would be broken apart and collapse. But they still keep going. Because they have lost an emotion called weariness. Neither did they feel pain from their two aching, rotten limbs.
More and more players could be seen in their view, but the squad remain in their position. Sigurd haven't made the order.
Suddenly, he raises his hand.
It is a hand signal meant for the archers at the towers. Even the mages caught a glimpse of it, their staffs readied as they concentrate on building their magic.
On top of the city gates, an old man in white robes with golden fabric saw his cue. He looks to the horizon, the warzone is once again in chaos. He can see the blood spilled and white flashes of unfortunate players who have met their demise by the filthy hands of the undead.
---
Supreme Pope Friar Baron
Level: 100
HP: ???
MP: ???
---
He sighs inwardly. Not with melancholy, but disappointment. As an NPC, Friar is here because of them. The system programmed him to support these players in their quest, just once, he thought. Although this is true, the creators of Gloria have given him a personality, like with Sigurd and Hermit, and he can reckon as how real human thinks.
Just seeing most of his priest apprentices among these players, he isn't too happy. Not a single one did he take a liking out of all of them, and none have triggered his hidden quest due to their selfish attitudes. He even saw them pillaging on corpses earlier, which makes him feel disgraced and disgusted at their actions.
The other NPCs, who are also powerhouses like Friar, have nothing but ugly expressions. They too, felt that these players are totally useless. Although there are a few players who indeed took their hidden quests, it is just a small number. Every one of them is too full of themselves, to the point they became the actual noobs.
They said they were real experts? Hah! What a joke! From their personality, they act like spoiled children.
You think everything here is just a game, then you're wrong! This isn't your average type of rpg you used to play. Those are from those f***ing PCs! Those are from Androids! From IOS!
This is a virtual reality game, which not a single one of those known gadgets could have. It has a huge amount of memory that surpasses the limited internal storage of actual devices. This is way beyond everyone's perception towards games.
Your mind is in this game. Your whole being have come along to this virtual world as a player, mentally.
This is the ideal world of second reality! It is parallel to your own, but everything you see here is real as the former. Your senses, the people around you, the pain, even the magic despite it is a fantasy or a mere dream, they are all 100% real.
And this apocalyptic event that has befallen upon you, is also real.
You're not convinced? Then so be it.
Comparing this to those other games is a far cry.
The players ran as fast they could, almost reaching to the city walls in just a mile. From their vision, they can see Sigurd and his elite squad. They have forgotten them being NPCs.
"Help us!"
"Please get these things away from me!"
"AH, NNOOO!!!!!"
The players are already desperate, lost in fear and panic, their pride as gamers obliterated.
The NPCs still didn't move. Most will probably think that they're waiting for the right time. But due to anxiety clouding in their minds, the players couldn't think properly.
They thought they were ignored.
The dead are now close to their tail, they devoured the first players behind the big crowd and moves on to the next like lawnmowers which takes out blood and equipments as if they're grass. The number of players have been decreasing to the size of a lane. Despair crawls onto their faces.
With full strength, they lifted up their legs like athletes and dash faster. They never dare to stop, nor did they even want to catch some air. It's like winning a marathon, and the goal is the city gates.
They have to survive from this hell!
Just when they are close enough to the destination along with the undead tailing them, did Sigurd drop his hand.
*Hong!*
A horn is sounded.
The first line of mages pointed their staffs to the sky, their tips glowing in icy blue, and casted a spell.
The dark cloudy sky turns frigid blue as snow fell on the land, before they formed into large icicles. Within a second, they rain down the warzone.
All of the icicles pierce the undead one by one like screws, instantly killing them. Some of them did, however, survive but their whole rotten bodies froze solid in place. The spell doesn't affect the confused players, nor did they take damage from the attack.
[Blizzard Fall]: Instant Cast, 50 seconds cooldown, affects all targets within 12 yards to freeze, dealing 30-60 ice damage. The freezing effect lasts 5 minutes.
Blizzard Fall is considered to be one of the hottest skills for mage classes in Gloria. Even in its lowest level, it is still an overpowered skill. However, it is ranked 3rd in the top 5 OP skills. The one above that rank have been casted by the second line of mages, with their staffs giving off red blazing aura.
The sky changed again. This time, the clouds glow in warm colors.
The surviving players stopped running, after seeing the frozen zombies now further away from them, and is looking up to the sky.
It is until a moment later, something bigger fell from the heavens.
[Meteor Rain]: Slow Cast, 50 seconds cooldown, dealing 200-500 damage to all targets within 12 yards, ignores level 12+ and high defense equipment. If used twice, the damage would be increased by tenfold.
More than five giant meteors are drop into the warzone, turning the cold air to humid. The gravity isn't able to slow down the falling rocks, because unlike humongous objects, these things look like they were thrown by hands.
BOOOOMMM!!!
They crashed into the undead, smashing them into icicle pieces. Like releasing nuclear bombs, the meteors explode within contact. The burning explosion devours the whole undead army, obliterating them to ashes in a huge mushroom cloud. It is almost similar to a rain drop falling into the water.
Everyone stares at this scene as if it is judgement day.
The attacks lasted for a couple of minutes, the huge flares have slowly died down. The dusts whipping at their faces fades into the air.
What is left on the warzone, is an empty wasteland with huge craters.
"..."
"..."
Deafening silence sweeps in the atmosphere. What they can only hear, however, are their fast beating hearts. There are many things to describe how they felt.
Awestruck, terrified, down casted...
They are mostly gloomy of course. Just earlier, they were stealing on corpses in order to loot good stuff. They didn't give much thought about what they were doing since this was a game. Until these turns of events, they were being hunted down by the dead as if they cursed them for grave robbing.
Thinking back from where they first entered this virtual game up to now, everyone sighs emotionally.
Sigurd clears his throat first, before speaking, "Okay recruits, listen up! Now that you've returned, the city have gone chaotic ever since the Death Wave. We have only about five hundred men left to defend the citizens, including you. My squad and I can't go outside these walls and fight while the backyard's on fire. But if you have the guts, then join our brothers and help them eliminate the threat within the city at once!"
*Ding!*
[System Announcement: You have completed the Quest (Escaping from the Undead). You received 3000 EXP.]
System Announcement: You received the Quest [The Dead in the City] (Quest Level: B)
Quest Description: Slay 20 Skeleton Soldiers and 10 Undead Rogues within Gondraw City.
Slain Skeleton Soldiers 0/20
Slain Undead Rogue 0/10
"If you're in a party and have lost a comrade, meet them at the teleportation plaza."
None of them paid attention to the elite commander as they stared at each of their own interfaces. Although it is a Level B Quest, there is one thing they dislike about it.
It's more Walking Dead shi***! They just escaped the apocalypse, and now they have to fight it? Unless those monsters in the city are in the same level as those zombies from earlier, then to he*** with that!
Jordan9: "I guess the beta testers are lucky."
Refereeheart: "Unfortunately, we're not."
Chin-Chin5: "Ah wait, you're a beta tester?"
Refereeheart: "Correct."
SourBacon: "Yeah... same here... the disadvantage is that we never encountered these kinds of quests before."
Jordan9: "Eh? Really? Then fu***! This game is just a total spam!"
Everyone agreed with that statement. How could beginners be so unlucky, even beta testers, when they play the game for the first time? Well, that happens sometimes. But in this game? Everyone here are struck by the god of omen. And everywhere they went, they all receive trash equipments and trash quests. This isn't something normal. It's as if the creators are looking down on them.
GapingWelltoDo: "It was never a spam. It's just that the game here wasn't something we used to play before. I realized that now. This is a virtual game, where realism here is completely the same as our own."
Refereeheart: "I have forgotten a crucial detail. The creators said the NPCs here are not your typical AI's."
Dinfixation: "What do you mean?"
Refereeheart: "According to them, the NPCs also acts like us."
Chin-Chin5: "You're saying that..."
Refereeheart: "That's right. When I tried talking one of them, I thought they were players, but no! They are NPCs! They can act like a human being. They can feel like a human being, which means they are also actual AI's!"
When this is spoken out to the public, the realization has fallen to the ears of every single player. Everyone enters into a moment of silence.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Soft footsteps echoed throughout the place, bursting everyone's own bubble in an instant. Even the striking noise of several metals are enough to make them turn their heads.
Elite Commander Sigurd, who stands there with a serious face, grinned with satisfaction.
Under the gazes of this huge mass, a man steps forward. He wore a luxurious armored blue clothing, with white folds that have golden linens and rune symbols sewn on each fold. His hood isn't on, so he let out his natural blue hair, and allowed his pale white face with dark eye bags to be shown to many. On his left waist, is a sheathed sword with a gallant handle, dangling back and forth while attached to a belt.
He is also carrying what seemed to be three bags of swords, two on each of his hands, and one hanging on his back while the cloth is tied around his armpits.
A certain name is floating on his head. Everyone can see it, so they read it.
Perseus.
And that's not all, they also saw his level.
Level 11.
---
Meanwhile, Blue is oblivious of today's happenings. He didn't even take note of the change in the sky, thinking it's just some weather display that the game is featuring.
He just skipped by like a jovial kid. No words can describe this feeling. But of course, there is one phrase to explain his odd behavior.
He is too overjoyed.
I can finally play a game again! Hahahaha!!! He grinned silly, laughing.
Back in Hermit's shop, he remembered himself trying to sharpen those swords. Around that time, he noticed how firm he held the metal with his hands. And for some odd reason, he could even feel his fingers again. It took him by surprise when he saw a different interface popped between his eyes.
[System Announcement: Due to your connection to Phantom, your nerves in your left and right hand are fixed and now usable in the game. We hope you enjoy in your first experience!]
The system didn't mean that they're healed, although Blue would've been happy if they did.
Nevertheless, he sighed with happiness.
He should definitely repay Chang Bai! That fat bastard deserves it!
While he went to look for Sigurd to turn his two quests, the atmosphere suddenly changed.
His smile turns to a deep frown. What's going on?
Just when he got to the city gates, did he meet more than a hundred eyes. His back felt chilled from sweat. His expression turned dark.
They're all players. Players like himself, looking at him.
And it seems like he is the only sore thumb in this large crowd, thanks to these promising spoils he received from his other two quests. Everyone stared blankly at his appearance.
There's only one word in his head.
Fu***!!!
