5 Entering the World(2)(This book is on a hiatus)

An hour later, Hawke was trudging along an empty forest while merrily humming a tune.

He was thoroughly enjoying each and every second. He would pause, at times, if he saw a cute rabbit which needed to be patted on its head before it ran away with fright as his silent movement hadn't alerted it, or if he saw an exquisite flower which he would smell and touch with a smile.

WoW was known for the freedom it gave to its players. Anyone could do anything they wanted. In the village he had begun his journey in, there were many missions waiting for those who wanted to gain power, and there were even special NPCs waiting to award various things like classes and skills to those who carried out their instructions.

But if someone simply wanted to have fun without going for any of these options, they could simply do so. In the previous version, he had even heard that one player was famous for never finishing a single mission, but spending as much time as many others in the game. He was apparently a farming fanatic who grew fields all over the World, and in the end, he was even awarded for his singular diligence when a special class was made in his honor.

Classes in WoW were famous for also not restricting players, as they simply gave bonuses when certain skills were used, or in certain situations. This concept of freedom was everywhere, but it was perhaps best represented by the fact that even skills had no prerequisites, except for time/objects that could be gotten with effort. Hawke even remembered someone who had been the talk of a village that he had been an NPC in for abusing this freedom- the man became a necromancer and also trained in healing spells which were the antithesis of his Path, and he was famous for having a squad of skeleton nurses who would run around the battlefield wearing 20th century nurse frocks with their bare bones clearly visible underneath.

Chuckling and wondering whether something similar would happen in this World, too, he paused to check the map, and walked forward to reach the crest of the mountain on which the forest he had been traversing in till now was located.

A beautiful vista presented itself to him, complete with resplendent jungles and shining lakes that seemed pristine and untouched by civilization.

He admired this view for a few seconds…before jumping off the top of the mountain.

If someone saw him, they would have thought he was playing 'Suicide Simulator', but at the last moment, he reached out and caught one of the vines hanging on the face of the mountain.

He was in a Lvl 0 area which had no threats or monsters whatsoever, and of course, these places would continue to be mostly empty throughout the life of the game, as they were there simply to be explored by those who might be entering to have a vacation.

Expertly controlling his descent, Hawke continued to hum the battle hymn of the army, before finally pausing at a spot where the body of the mountain he was in met another which had scenic waterfall on its side.

Looking at a certain point on that waterfall, he judged the distance, and then…lunged.

Using the full strength of his body to propel himself, he sailed through the air with the vine in hand, before finally leaving it just as he looked like he was going to smack into the side of the mountain beneath the waterfall and create the record as the first one to die in a Lvl 0 area.

However, after entering the waterfall, there was no gristly death awaiting him- instead, a large cavern presented itself to him, and seeing the stalactites and stalagmites hanging from above, Hawke whistled appreciatively.

"You sure took your time."

A voice echoed in the cave, followed by an old man who stood up from the rock he had been sitting on, out of sight from the entrance.

Seeing him, Hawke grinned and walked forward before hugging him tightly and saying two simple words, which seemed to hold a world of emotions within them.

"Thank you."

The old man simply patted his back in response, and stepping back, Hawke acted as if he was staring out of the waterfall, whereas in reality, he was sucking in the tears that had come in his eyes.

He had already cried once in this World, and that was enough for his first day.

Chuckling, the old man said, "I'll get right down to it. I am acting out of my own motives, and right now, they align with yours. What is happening with the NPCs is a grave crime that needs to be stopped. I needed someone to act against it, and I chose you. It's not that simple, in reality…but right now, that's all you need to know. It's an impossible task, though, so I've prepared a gift for you."

Turning around, Hawke simply nodded.

As a soldier, he was used to taking orders without asking for reasons, and to this man…he owed everything.

Even if he was asked to go to the moon, he would try his best to do so, so Hawke simply waited to see what the 'gift' was, while making a silent vow that the faith that had been placed on him would not be let down.

Seeing him not asking any questions, the old man nodded back, before taking an object out of his pocket.

It was…a map, and holding it out, he said, "This is where it is- it's waiting for you, but you'll need to go through quite a lot of difficulties to get to it. I suggest that you train until Lvl 5 before heading to it. You'll only have one chance- it is concealed, at the moment, with you being the only one who knows its location, but after you make an attempt, it will be revealed, thereby becoming the target of the entire World. Yes…it's that precious. I won't tell you what it is, though- I've always liked surprises. And speaking of them…"

In a flash, the old man's hand rose, and in a strange gesture, he pushed Hawke by his forehead using his finger.

Hawke didn't know whether to feel shock due to the fact that the old man's hand had moved faster than anything he had ever seen, or that it had enough power to make him lose his balance. One of the things that a soldier learned in the very early days of his training was the proper way to stand so that he wouldn't fall no matter what, so this was pretty extraordinary.

Both of these things flew out of his mind, though, when he heard a message in his ears.

"Logoff command given. Logging off. Have a nice day. The World shall look forward to your return!"

What the fuck? Log off?

But he was an NPC!

Everything cut to black, and after that, Hawke experienced a strange feeling.

It was that of someone who was returning home from a long, weary journey, which had seemed as if it had no end.

He was in a body, again, but this time…he knew that it was different from all those he had occupied yet.

It was almost like he was waking up from a nightmare that had spanned several lifetimes, and as he opened his eyes, his mind went completely blank.

The real world.

He had thought that the creators of the World of Wonders had reproduced it perfectly…but he was oh, so wrong.

There would always be a difference between what was real and what was virtual, and as Hawke once again relished in the solidity of existing in reality, the tears that he had held back before began to flow.

It couldn't possibly be expressed in one word. Perhaps, if he had spent a few more decades in the virtual world he had just left, he might have forgotten the difference, but now…it was so clear to him that he wondered how anyone could even think of not being able to recall it.

If he was forced to use one word, though, then he would say that the real world felt…right.

There was always something off about the virtual one where one would know in the back of their minds that what they were experiencing was but a computer simulation, and although one would be able to forget this easily during the experience, they would always identify it when they were back in their bodies.

In his dazed state, he heard the old man speaking again, and after hearing him, he understood why he had called this gift 'special', and in the entire world, there was probably nothing else that deserved to be called using this word more.

"Welcome to the body of Victorian Hawke. He is a paralyzed veteran who underwent brain death, but the record of this happening has been scrubbed. From now on, this is your real body. Again, do not ask me how it is possible, and do not think of the ramifications of it being possible- everything will be uncovered by your own hands in due time. Your battle will be both in the real world and the virtual one, so now, you are equipped. Go forth…and good luck."