Tutorial(1)

Author's note: Trying to push this story to 15k words first for placement, and then I'll go back to working on Being a God sucks with this.

Enjoy the chapter.

...

Li Shi Ming woke up to the taste of grime in his mouth. Spitting out a few times to try to get rid of the disgusting flavour, he found himself staring upwards at an unusual sky.

The clouds were also pixelated in a form that reminded him of retro 16-bit games. Sitting up, the surrounding distance was pure white, but thankfully not bright enough to hurt his eyes.

Touching the ground, which was a shade of slimy green, Li Shi Ming felt it to be grass. However, it was like a carpet that seemed to stretch endlessly, and pixelated in the same way as the clouds above.

"Where... Am I?" He scratched his head, remembering the insane events that had occurred.

Apparently, all of them were now trapped in a death game.

Li Shi Ming assumed that the other players were teleported away like him, but he currently had zero ideas on where he was. Checking his character screen and his minimap, he found his stats to be the same aside from his username, which changed to his real first name.

His minimap, however, was pure darkness with only a blue arrow in the centre which Li Shi Ming assumed to be his position. There also weren't any players or NPCs nearby, and he became really uncomfortable in the situation he was thrown in.

Li Shi Ming tried using the ingame Bonfire chat function to talk to Kevin, but it also proved fruitless as a [Error] message appeared on the screen. He was completely isolated.

"Hello, is anyone there?" Li Shi Ming called out, but there was no answer.

He stood up and started looking around for anything in the area. After some searching, his eyes caught on to a lone television in the distance, displaying something on its screen.

Li Shi Ming warily approached the device and noticed that it was flickering with static, with some sort of message written in red. He got close enough to make out the words [Touch screen to start] on it.

He looked around again to see if there were anything else within the vicinity, but there was only the eerie television. Li Shi Ming hesitantly stretched out his hand to touch the surface.

Upon contact, the TV sank into the ground and vanished, creeping Li Shi Ming out. Almost immediately, electronic text began to fill his screen.

[Welcome to the tutorial: World 1 Level 0]

[Username: Shi Ming]

[Authorized]

[Loading resources...]

"A tutorial?" Li Shi Ming felt a lot more comfortable knowing that something like this was in the game. He could now formulate a strategy and hopefully meet up with Kevin once this was done.

If there were no rules, and players could kill others on a whim, he needed teammates. This reminded him of his days back in Walkescape, where there was once a bug on a server causing safe zones to become PvP.

Some players abused the bug and were killing other players for their items and gold, causing massive chaos. That event was known as the Acador Massacre, with Acador being the name of the city that the players were in.

After the bug was patched, all of the offending players were permanently banned from the game. Li Shi Ming thought with certainty that those kinds of players would exist in Last Reality Online as well.

Except instead of losing items, you'll be losing your life.

Of course, he was still very skeptical if they would really die because of a video game. However, being unable to logout and exit, Li Shi Ming would rather not take that chance.

[Loading complete!]

[Welcome, Shi Ming]

[Error. Please choose a starter weapon in your inventory]

"Huh?" Li Shi Ming was surprised to see the error message. He realized that he hasn't even opened his inventory yet.

He found the button shaped like a backpack at the top right of his screen, which he assumed was the inventory. Inside was a lone item called [Starter Weapon Package], which Li Shi Ming promptly opened.

[Choose one of the following weapons]

- Novice blade: 2-4 damage. Range of 1 unit.

- Novice bow: 1-3 damage. Range of 9 units. Comes with 50 bronze-tipped arrows.

- Novice staff: 2-5 damage. Range of 6 units. Comes with 40 runic stones.

[Warning. You cannot change your choice after confirmation]

Li Shi Ming looked at the weapons and double checked his character stats, pondering on what to choose.

[Username: Shi Ming]

Level: 1

[Stats:]

HP: 15/15

ATK: 1

DEF: 12

CRT: 1%

CRT DMG: 0

ACC: 3

AGI: 1

MAG: 1

STA: 1

Just from his current stats alone, it seemed like his best choice would be the bow. Although the Novice blade and Novice Staff were also pretty good, the Novice bow had the highest range and complimented his ACC of 3 better than the others.

Li Shi Ming didn't really like bows, but he assumed that there would be other weapon choices later in the future. He confirmed his selection and the Novice Bow materialised in his hand, along with a quiver of arrows behind his back.

[Confirmed user has chosen a starter weapon]

[Summoning combat dummy]

A portal opened onto the pixelated ground 5 feet away, where a straw dummy on a wooden pole appeared. Li Shi Ming saw the words [Combat Dummy: Level 1] on the top of its head.

[Focusing your eyes on a target can check its status]

Following along with the system's words, Li Shi Ming focused his vision on the combat dummy and a status screen appeared in his peripherals.

[NPC: Combat Dummy]

Level: 1

HP: 10/10

ATK: 0

DEF: 0

All other stats are at the value of 0.

Skills: None

Abilities: None

[Status]

"That's pretty cool." Li Shi Ming nodded in appreciation.

[Mission 1: Defeat the Combat Dummy to proceed]

Li Shi Ming realized the combat was completely different in Last Reality Online. In order to attack, the player must perform the action to do so with their body.

The only thing the game provided help with was with skill/spell usage and casting. In terms of aiming, reloading, and actions such as dodging or running was completely up to the players to do so themselves.

The stat points could provide an enhancement to these actions, but that was about it.

Withdrawing an arrow from the quiver, Li Shi Ming broke out in cold sweat when he realized he had no experience on how to shoot a bow.

It was a literal piece of wood bent into a crescent shape by the string. There were no aids or aim guides on the limb or grip that could help him shoot.

Trying his best, he managed to notch the arrow on at a rather weird angle. Li Shi Ming tried pulling it back while aiming at the Combat Dummy, but when he released the arrow dropped harmlessly onto the ground.

Not only that, but the string rebounded and gave him a good lash on his left arm.

"F*ck." Li Shi Ming grabbed the inside of his left forearm and swore in pain. He stared in mute shock as the area turned red and burned upon touch.

"Damn, that stings." Li Shi Ming sighed and sat down on the ground, thinking. The bow couldn't be swapped for a different weapon now.

He will need to find a better weapon that was easier to use. It was rather ironic for his ACC stat to be at 3 points yet he was horrible at using a bow.

Staring at the system message, Li Shi Ming assumed that he wouldn't be able to get out of here unless he completed the tutorial. Unfortunately for him, trying to shoot an arrow was completely out of his expertise.

Looking at the arrow sticking headfirst into the ground, then at the Combat Dummy, he had a flash of inspiration on how to pass this first mission.

Li Shi Ming pulled out the arrow and walked over to the dummy. Looking at the sharpened bronze tip, he stabbed it like a knife into the thick straw.

[1 damage]

"It works!" Li Shi Ming's eyes widened in excitement.

He began repeating this motion, although some of the stabs he made dealt no damage. Li Shi Ming's right hand burned slightly from the friction of stabbing the arrow into the straw, but the young man was too excited to stop.

[1 damage]

[0 damage]

[1 damage]

Finally, a final stab brought the Combat Dummy's HP to 0. Li Shi Ming watched as the Combat Dummy dissipate into pixels and vanish.

He also realized that he increased in a level and earned 1 stat point, which he threw into DEF.

[Username: Shi Ming]

Level up! 1->2

[Stats:]

HP: 15/15

ATK: 1

DEF: 12 -> 13

CRT: 1%

CRT DMG: 0

ACC: 3

AGI: 1

MAG: 1

STA: 1

[Well done] The system complimented him.

[Summoning Combat Dummy x5]

[Mission 2: Defeat all of the Combat Dummies to proceed]

Simple enough. Li Shi Ming repeated his process and made quick work of the dummies by stabbing them repeatedly with the arrowhead. Experience points flowed like water and his level increased to 3.

"This tutorial seems to be a little TOO easy now." Li Shi Ming noted and invested another stat point into DEF.

[Username: Shi Ming]

Level up! 2->3

[Stats:]

HP: 15/15 -> 16/16

ATK: 1

DEF: 12 -> 14

CRT: 1%

CRT DMG: 0

ACC: 3

AGI: 1

MAG: 1

STA: 1

Unfortunately, Li Shi Ming would regret his words for what came next.

[Summoning boss: Giant Rat]

[Mission 3: Defeat the Giant Rat to proceed]

"What?" Li Shi Ming was stunned when another portal appeared, which a huge rat slowly crawled out. "What the f*ck?"

It had beady red eyes and a plump body, at the height of about Li Shi Ming's chest. Hissing, it pounced towards him while brandishing its sharp fangs and claws.

[NPC: Giant Rat]

Level: 3

HP: 10/10

ATK: 2

DEF: 0

All other stats are at the value of 1.

Skills: None

Abilities: Tutorial boss. Guarantees 1 point of damage per successful hit.

[Status]

Jumping back nervously, Li Shi Ming focused his vision on to the enemy and checked its status while simutaneously dodging a vicious bite. His eyes narrowed at noticing the Giant Rat's ability to guarantee a fixed point of damage.

It meant that his DEF wouldn't be able to nullify its attacks if the creature landed a successful hit.

"Hiss!" The Giant Rat screeched and charged again, but instead of running it suddenly jumped into the air.

"Argh!" Li Shi Ming managed to avoid its teeth, but the claw successfully slashed his right thigh. Looking down, he saw blood darkening around the cut from where the rat landed its attack.

[Username: Shi Ming]

HP: 15/16

The Giant Rat launched another attack, but this time Li Shi Ming was ready with the arrow in his hand. First, he threw out a kick to knock the enemy off balance, then followed up by stabbing the tip of the arrow deep into its furry body.

[1 damage]

[3 damage]

The arrow broke with its tip inside the Giant Rat, causing the remaining shaft in Li Shi Ming's hand to disappear. The creature snarled in pain and its beady red eyes began to glow, while drool and blood dripped off its lips.

[NPC: Giant Rat]

Level: 3

HP: 6/10

ATK: 2 -> 3

DEF: 0

CRT: 1% -> 5%

All other stats increased to the value of 2.

Skills: None

Abilities: Tutorial boss. Guarantees 2 points of damage per successful hit.

[Status: Enraged]

"Enraged?" Li Shi Ming worriedly noticed the enemy's change and the disgusting stat buff. He wonders if this was the so called "evolving and adaptive enemies" that the game advertised.

Pulling out another arrow, Li Shi Ming was suddenly tackled by the Giant Rat who became twice as fast. He got winded and held up his arms defensively in an attempt to protect himself.

[Stunned]

[2 damage]

Li Shi Ming roared in pain when the creature's sharp fangs sank into his left arm. The Giant Rat also landed scratches on his face, causing the taste of iron to fill his mouth when the blood trickled down.

[Bleeding]

[2 damage]

[1 damage]

Through all the pain and chaos of the battle, he managed to keep an eye on his character screen.

[Username: Shi Ming]

HP: 10/16

Li Shi Ming desperately jammed the arrow underneath the Giant Rat's soft belly repeatedly, while grabbing onto the beast's neck with his free hand. The young man's eyes dilated as the adrenaline flowed through him.

[1 damage]

[2 damage]

Both man and beast rolled on the ground, causing Li Shi Ming's arrows to scatter out of the quiver. When the arrow he was stabbing with broke again, he was able to reach and pick up another one nearby.

[NPC: Giant Rat]

HP: 3/10

[1 damage]

[0 damage]

[3 damage]

After what seemed like an eternity in a tumble of blood and sweat, the beast finally stopped moving when Li Shi Ming impaled another arrow into its neck. He didn't stop though, continuing to repeatedly stab the corpse to make sure that the creature was dead.

[Mission complete]

[Congratulations on completing the first half of the tutorial!]

"F*ck you." Li Shi Ming gasped out in exhaustion and pain. He was all cut up and bloody in many areas, with his blood mixing in with the corpse of the Giant Rat's.

But he was alive, and there was a strange sense of exhilaration in his heart.

[Username: Shi Ming]

Level up! 3 -> 4

HP: 6/16

[Confirmed player is in critical condition]

[Sending information on how to restore health]

"Wait..." Li Shi Ming's stomach churned when the text appeared in his mind. He glanced at the disgusting corpse of the Giant Rat, which remained on the ground instead of disappearing into pixels like the Combat Dummies.

"I have to eat that?"