Chapter 2: Sk1lls and Such

*Step Step Step Step Step*

I walk upwards a hill without stopping to look back as there is someone behind me shouting at me. "HAYYY MARLAA!!! SLOW DOWN!!!" Her0 said as they ran faster and faster, following me without tiring themself out. "Why are you following me? What do you even want?!"

It's been a day since we met each other and I am so annoyed at them at this point. They were there while I explored what I could inside Newbie City yesterday in which I saw a bunch of Loot blocks which had items and such that could help me and inside one of them I even found a Super Box which had a timer on it sadly but according to Navia it is said to bring ridiculously good skills and weapons so I am glad that I got it this early on in the game. I visited deserted shops, most likely the NPCs were removed by hackers but surprisingly it mostly still seemed to work as in I could buy and sell items. But while I was exploring Her0 had made some trouble around the city and to my shock I saw them on top of a nearby building fighting another one of those Police bots from the day before and helped them take it down again. They were definitely going to cause me more problems in the future so the next day when I left I decided to leave them and part way

Today is that day and OH MY GOD THEY'RE STILL HERE, Her0 was so loud that Navia, a non-sentient Artificial Intelligence, was poking them to stop them from talking as they followed me on my journey. To be fair I can mostly do this Journey on my own, I have enough knowledge of the game and life so as to not get myself into dangerous situations, and if I DO have to face such a situation I can just use an item to deal with it unscathed. I could easily do this 4000Km journey on my own.

•

The hot sun and the even hotter environment met me not even half a kilometer in. Lo and behold I couldn't do this journey alone "WHY IS THERE A GIANT MOUNTAIN THAT'S NOT EVEN ON THE MAP!!!" I yelled to the skies in anger. I assumed it was because of the hackers again, Her0 told me to relax and that we can just avoid it by going around and then I ask Navia if that is possible and it tells me that the nearest I can get is about 1 mile from here, HAHA Hell no!

I decided then and there that I'd climb the mountain myself, with the use of the item oculens I could see that there were a few platforms that look to be there to be jumped on and get to the top and so I started jumping. However, a few jumps in and suddenly I realize that the jumps were getting harder and harder to get until I failed to grab one of the platforms and couldn't advance further meanwhile Her0 jumped onto the platform I sat on and asked why I took a break.

I told them I couldn't advance further because I couldn't jump high enough for the next platform. I assumed it was because I was tired until Her0 said "I'm pretty sure you could make that, WATCH" Plap "TADAAA" They presented it as if it was so easy and said that I just had to use the High jump Skill. It is at this point I must tell you that I don't know a single Skill. They didn't seem important when I was creating my character so I dismissed it as something I could do later and it just so happens that that Later became the Now and I had relearn what skills are from this loud annoying bright orange bum.

•

"So the first thing about skills is that they are very versatile!" Her0 continued to discuss the uses of Skills as I had to bear it and listen because Navia itself won't teach me, It turns out that Skills can be used in all sorts of things like in player-made minigames, Traversal, Parkour, etc. They are basically what gives you the abilities to explore the game freely. I got the gist of it and wanted to learn how to high jump immediately but unfortunately Her0 had other ideas and taught me something I didn't want but they still taught me. (Teach in a sense of sharing abilities)

"Before I teach you to soar, First I must teach you how to harness the wind!"

"Alright then, How do I do that?"

"Through Running exercises!!!"... I immediately shot that idea down but they wouldn't let me and so we ran in circles for a few hours. I was dumbfounded to see that I was just a bit faster than Her0 however, I was so sick of running that I just collapsed after only 3 laps meanwhile they were still raring to go. I was sure that after this that Her0 was going to teach me how to high jump but when I told them that they said "OHhhh no nononononono noooohohoo Nyo! You still have to swim, play, and fight first!" to which I groaned loudly to. I told Her0 that I didn't want those useless lessons just to learn to jump higher but they don't seem to want to listen... Nor reply... Why is their face pale all of a sudden?

From behind me I notice a shadow grow bigger and bigger. As I slowly turned my head I could see the monster rising from under the ground, splitting the dirt open as its long, slenderly disgusting body rose up. It's drool dropped down making a hissing noise as it evaporated from the Heat. "MAN EATING SANDWOORRM!!!" Her0 yelled at the top of their lungs. They grabbed my hand and High jumped all the way to the highest possible platform but it didn't take long before the giant worm beast followed us. It chased us as Her0 and I kept jumping from different platforms.

I reached a platform far away from Her0 and tried to jump towards them, but as I jumped for the next platform I realized a little late that I couldn't reach it. As gravity took hold of me as I fell, from the corner of my eye I could barely see the Sandworm's tail headed my way. I couldn't think of a way to escape there and sure enough it hit me and I fell so hard towards the ground making a loud THUD sound and an imprint of my body on the land. I heard Her0 yell out my name, worried for me. Meanwhile, I was on the ground and barely conscious and breathing heavily but I heard Her0's scream and felt their touch as they tackled into the mountain. I wondered why they would do such a thing until they took out a Nade from inside my inventory and threw it at the wall. The explosion created a hole large enough for us but also so small that the Sandworm wasn't able to enter it.

Her0 and Me sat down to take a breather from the exhausting and seemingly endless fight outside.

•

Her0 initially wanted to wait out the Sandworm and not engage it any further so as to not be hurt by it. I know it was the correct plan however, I took a look back at my inventory to try to find the Super Box I found yesterday to check how long until it would open only to find it nowhere in there. I freaked out and looked over and over for it to no avail, until I looked outside and saw its shining yellow glow... On the Sandworms disgusting, slimy and shimmering drool.

"Eehheeheewww The sandworm has that Super Box you were waiting for since yesterday"

"Yeah well that sucks for me doesn't it" I said in a saddened tone

"... Well? How do we get it back?" Her0 innocently asked

"We can't okay just forget about the Box let's just rest easy here" I said so even if deep inside I wanted to see what would come of the esteemed box. "HEY STOP DOWNING YOURSELF OKAY!" Screamed Her0 and soon they looked out and looked at the actions of the sandworm.

"I got it! Marla I know how we can get your Super Box back" and told me their plan soon after, it was simple but still I couldn't help but tell them that it was a ridiculous plan and had it not been for the Super Box I would have disagreed but my desires were stronger than my logic and I agreed without thinking.

•

I dashed out of the cave leaving Her0 to do their part of the plan. Surely enough the Sandworm noticed my prescence and rushed towards me. As the grumbling noise of the sandworm slithering on the ground grew closer Her0 made the call. "YEEEEHHAAAWWW" They yelled loudly as they jumped on the back of the still moving giant sandworm; Although while they did their part of the plan I also had to do mine to rush recklessly towards it aiming for a the drool that held my item.

The worm drew closer and closer than ever growling ever so loudly as it desires to eat me. And as it was only a few steps away from me Her0 wrapped its head with a rope I got from Newbie City and pulled it up as hard as they could, managing to lift it upwards slowly for me to snag the Super Box from it's mouth without much trouble. I was enthralled that the plan worked I was so happy that the box could be opened within 20 seconds but what wasn't as exciting was to hear a noise I didn't want to hear.

*SNAP*

Our faces turned pale as the rope made a loud snapping sound which freed the Sandworm from Her0's grasp and she tells me to "MARLA RUUUUUNNNN!!!". The shadow of the worm covered me while I ran as fast as I can away from there. It screeched as loud as it could causing me to freeze in place as it fell on top of me. Her0 tried their best to save me before that but before they could reach me.

*!!!SLAAMM!!!* 

•

Whirr~~ !!BWAAAAAAMMMM!!

A noise whirred as the Worm slammed into me, and soon after a glowing slash blasted through the sandworm cutting off a chunk of its inside. Inside was me in awe of the item which came out of the Super Box, from the item data that I read it was called the "Portable Laser Railgun" a Golden 5 star item, the highest item rarity in the game which put me in a state of awe and disbelief, I mean come on how COULD I believe it!? The Sandworm then fell once more but this time it disappeared into an array of 1s and 0s as it once again turned into code. Her0 congratulated me for successfully getting a High rarity Item, patting me on the back and hugging me. I told them in return that I could not have done this without their help in the first place and thanked them in return.

Returning into a much more peaceful pace Her0 finally successfully taught me the High jump skill but as it turns out the way it works is different for every players' stats and unfortunately for me the High jump skill didn't do much as the skill did help me jump higher but only by a measly 8 meters compared to Her0's 14 meter jump increase. Maybe I SHOULD have paid more attention to the tutorial.

•

BEEP* (Robotic voice)

???Gen database entry:

Username: Her-0

Distance: ???

Virus assignation: ILY

Player Level: ???