Priestess Online

[WELCOME TO PRIESTESS ONLINE!]

Player,

The priestess welcomes you to Zen. You are no longer in the real world. But everything that happens to you here will affect you out there, too. Be sure not to die!

You will be given 5 chances for your health points to recharge when it reaches zero and continue playing, surpassing the big boss and challenges at every level. Once you reach the 5 lives limit, you will be sent to the asylum 7X0X and wait for your verdict.

The Priestess will reward the five player team who reaches the last level by a hundred million credits.

Warning: You are not allowed to cheat your way around the game. Follow the rules and win the prize!

The priestess wishes you good fortune!

[Rules of the game]

-You will start as a four player team. Work together to defeat the big boss.

-Every stage has specific challenges to fulfill.

-AWOL players will be punished severely.

-Be the boss slayer and you will have HP, AP and MP boosts.

-You will be provided with weapons which can level up as you progress in the game.

-Every Mana Point you gain and increase in level will open up more weapons to you.

-Work with your team! A fifth player shall be added to your team as you proceed to stage 2.

-Each player will have a system - use it wisely!

[Animal Affinity - A guide to your chosen Spirit Animal]

The crow

- "trickster personality"

-helps you see the Mana Flow in an enemy. Once you identify the source, you can manipulate it to your advantage.

The Hummingbird

- "the peacemaker"

-gives access to agility and adaptability to surroundings.

-lifts the negative energy amongst teammates.

The Hawk

- "the observer"

-aids in stealth and a keen eye to surroundings.

The Owl

- "truth seeker"

-provides intuitive skills and wisdom.

Call your chosen Spirit Animal to you and you will be able to tap on its ability.

Requirement: 50 Mana Points for one stage. If you wish to keep using it, another 50 MP will be needed once you proceed to the next stage.

[Basic System Commands]

-WEAPON/WEAPONRY: opens the array of weapons to choose from. In the first stage, it can be summoned before stepping beyond the veil. For every level, before coming to the next, be sure to make the selection.

-MAP: provides access to the whole ZEN. However, when currently in the game, it only provides the view of the current stage and teammates' location.

-PROFILE: provides access to the player's profile. Only the player itself can access their profile.

*The system automatically responds to questions related to the game, such as the current big boss' profile. A translucent screen shall appear to show the Health Points. For Every attack made, the screen would continue to display the amount of Health Points left for the stage boss.

[Levels]

-Beginner (Level 1-10)

-Advanced (Level 10-30)

-Expert (Level 30 - 50)

[WELCOME TO ZEN!]

–

*Modern day: 4050 August 30

Location: Hearth; City: Zion; Population: 2,107,186 Inhabitants.

Ping!

[Welcome to Priestess Online, the Priestess wishes you good fortune!]

"Oy!" Astherielle called out. She was smiling. Her phone's screen glowed brightly over her face.

Her luxurious, wavy hair danced on her shoulders as she jumped off the leather couch she was lying on, which was facing the mounted television on the wall.

She paused in front of her friends who were lounging on the couch opposite hers, grinning like she won the lottery, her smile almost reaching the ceiling of Jaspreth's basement.

Time check: it was 2:30 in the morning on a Saturday. The four friends were enjoying the last weekend they have before school starts on Monday.

On the main couch, Beatrix glanced at her enthusiastic friend. She narrowed her gaze at what she was trying to show. Lying on her stomach, Zera did the same.

While the two girls contemplated Astherielle's sudden excitement, Jaspreth, the only thorn among the roses, had his mobile device ready. The download page displayed on his phone's screen, mimicking that of Astherielle's.

Astherielle Mizuni, the only daughter of the current mayor of the city, Vicente Mizuni, rarely makes friends with anyone.

With her high profile, she found it difficult to trust people. Most of them wanted nothing but to get close to her because of who her father was. But Jaspreth Harris was different.

Being the eldest son of Daniel Harris, the big shot detective in Zion, he treats Astherielle like one of his younger siblings. He doesn't care about her status.

Their common ground?

RPG.

In fact, RPG was what brought all of them together.

Almost.

Beatrix Xavier, daughter of Mysie Xavier, current Vice Mayor of the neighboring city: Wayne, crossed paths with the two in an online tournament. The three of them had teamed up and won several games together.

It was only later, when the reward was given out, that they learned they were actually from the same school.

Beatrix wasn't supposed to be in Zion. But she wanted to escape her mother's grasp. Being an only child, her mother gave her no choice, forcing her to follow in her footsteps. But Beatrix wanted to do something else.

Politics was never her thing.

It was what she and Zera Valentine shared in common.

Zera's father, Alexander Valentine, was Hearth's current governor. Like Beatrix, Zera was given limited choices. Her father wishes for her to continue his legacy. But unlike Beatrix, Zera was not an only child.

Her older sister was already married, while the youngest child was too rebellious for her father to control. That left Zera to shoulder all the responsibility of fulfilling her father's wishes.

For the time being, she was enjoying the freedom her father gave her. Coming to Green Light University, the best uni there was in Zion, allowed her to meet Beatrix during freshman orientation.

She easily identified her last name and managed to say hi. That simple gesture brought them to where they were now: at Jaspreth's basement.

"Priestess Online?" Beatrix read aloud. "Sounds suspicious."

Zera, who was lying on her stomach, slowly got up. She let out a hearty chuckle. Like Jaspreth, she tapped on her phone and had the download page for the said game ready.

Though she initially didn't have any interest in playing online games, being with her group for three years now, she was unable to resist their insistence in 'trying it out.

That trial went beyond its intended usage.

"What's the harm in trying?"

Beatrix blew out a long sigh, pulling up the same download page and grinned at her friends.

"Fine. But if this turns out to be a crappy game, I'm out."

"Yes!" Astherielle cheered, exchanging a high-five with Jaspreth as she joined him on the couch adjacent to where Beatrix and Zera were sitting.

Ping!

[WELCOME TO PRIESTESS ONLINE!]

A mechanical voice chanted from each of their devices simultaneously. The four friends eyed each other, smiling.

[Please select your affinity]

[Crow: Trickster Magnus - Skill: high flexibility ; Mana usage: high]

[Hummingbird: High-spirited Magnus - Skill: speed ; Mana usage: high]

[Owl: Wisdom Magnus - Skill: intuitive; Mana usage: high]

[Hawk: Candor Magnus - Skill: perceptive ; Mana usage: high]

"So, apparently, we need to choose an affinity, our spirit animal." Zera murmured, considering the options presented on her screen.

"Crow, Hummingbird, Owl, and Hawk." Astherielle read aloud. "I'll be the hummingbird."

"Crow, man. It's practically calling out to me. Trickster Magnus." Jaspreth happily chimed, selecting the icon.

"I'll be the owl, then. Intuitive."

"Well, that's settled." Zera clicked the hawk's icon, which instantly redirected her to a new page, asking for a player name.

"I'll use the same player name. MasterTrickster." Jaspreth happily announced. He clicked okay, drumming his fingers on the armrest of the couch, waiting on his friends.

Being the only guy in their midst, some people teased him about it.

"Are you gay?"

"Dude, what are you doing with these girls? Are you dating all three?"

"Playboy!"

Those were the few comments he often heard when they first hung out together. Jaspreth couldn't help but laugh at it.

He was no playboy to begin with. Although he didn't inherit his father's muscular body, he looked fine. An average guy with an average height and IQ level.

To add: he was loyal to his girlfriend. These three girls, they were like his little sisters. He tends to be protective of them. Sometimes.

But mostly, his friends could handle themselves. Their appearance screamed; pampered princesses. Yet Jaspreth saw what they could do.

With their boredom last year, they enrolled themselves in hand-combat training, which Jaspreth's uncle was holding. It was Astherielle's idea when she chanced upon seeing Jaspreth's shared post.

He was only trying to help his uncle. That help turned to something else.

"Done!" Astherielle claimed, clicking the submit button. The four friends eyed each other before looking back towards their phone's screen.

[The Priestess welcomes you to the Fortress! Please select an avatar to complete your profile]

"Cool," Beatrix murmured, concentrating on the selection.

There was a moment of silence as each of them mused over the avatars they were to use.

Ping!

[You are now ready to enter the gate. Please choose your teammates]

"There are five slots, guys. Who's our fifth?" Zera exchanged glances with each of her friends. Astherielle shrugged, clicking on the player names she knew were that of her circle.

They've been playing together for so long, she already knew what name they'd use without needing to ask.

"We've always played a five-man team with just us and some random person online. So, it could be the same case." Beatrix stated in response to Zera.

Ping!

The four of them stared at their phone screen. Each of their avatars appeared side by side with their player names written below.

At the end, they could see their chosen affinity icon. Just a little under that, the start button glowed bright blue.

An open slot lay bare beside Jaspreth's avatar. Each of them shrugged, grinning excitedly.

"On the count of three." Jaspreth stated, his hand hovering on the start button. "Three!"