Game!

"And now for the fun part" while immediately arising from bed.

<Choose Your Profession>

▪️Support (Doctor, Priest, Witch)

▪️Fighter (Archer, Swordsman, Assassin, others)

▪️Craftsman (BlackSmith, Scientist, Alchemist, Chef)

▪️Mage (Fire, Water, Earth, Air, ???)

▪️....

"Hmmm, there are so many professions to choose from, there are even unexpected ones like Doctors and Blacksmiths."

But I need a profession that can avoid the crowd as much as possible 'cause I'm still not confident with my socializing skills and am not even sure when my panic attacks will be back. 

I shook my head while embracing myself, casting those chilly feeling away. 

Though nothing has happened to me for a long time even when faced with the crowd, I still just want to be on the safe side. 

From the options given, I can see two familiar range professions; the Mage and the Archer. The Mage or the Elementalist could be a good choice, having a long range power and attack. It suits me just like the player Nijah where I can use the ability from a safe distance but... I will be graduating from senior high soon and will enter college next year. As much as possible, I also want to develop a skill that can be useful in real life too like a sport.

As what I have observed from my classmates and schoolmates, their individual sports and other extra curricular activities helped them boost their confidence and improved their communication. So... I think I'll choose to become an Archer!

Chooses archer using eyes. Click!

Woahhh, it seemed as though the system can read what I have in mind, creepy yet wonderful! But actually in order to use my eyes to select something, I have to focus my eyes at least two seconds on a specific option, that option will glow then a click sound will be heard. I can also select options by hovering my hands through the air and clicking the options directly. The eye tracking was too tiresome.

▪️ Archer

▪️ Tutorial : If you have forgotten what you've learned on the tutorials or if you need help on some things , you can always select the question mark icon ❓ on the bottom right corner of your screen or ask the AI SAIA directly by calling her "Hey SAIA".

Clicks

▪️I understand

▪️ Tutorial: Say "Status Window" to show your current status.

"Status Window"

<Profession: Archer>  <Life: IIIIIIIIII 100%>

<Level: 1>

<Mana: 50>

<Magic 1 Speed:>

<Special Skills: None>

<Attack 10 Power:>

<Strength: 10 50 (Phy: Ment: Emtl: Magic: Sprtl: 10)>

"Oh? So Archers have magical abilities too?"

▪️ Tutorial: You can close the Status Window by pressing the X button or saying "Close Window" 

"Close Window" The status window was closed but the life bar was now visible on my upper right corner together with the Device's battery while an ellipse, a scroll, a question mark button can be seen on the lower right corner.

▪️ Tutorial: Your Life bar is now visible for easy monitoring, but if you wish to remove them from your sight, just long press then select x . If you wish to add some attributes or widgets to monitor, open Status Window, long press attribute then click add to Home Screen for easy access.

The Life Bar is better to be visible so I can monitor it easily.

▪️ Tutorial: Say "Open Inventory" to show your inventories.

"Open Inventory"

A square then appeared like how the status window appeared, it has many divisions in it in a form of small squares. There, I immediately saw two items, each with descriptions under the weapon's category for they were the only things inside my inventory box.

I clicked the two items and they expanded with definitions, like power, weight, and required strength to use them.

"Wooden bow and arrows are  common weapons according to its description. Can I pick them directly?"

I tried clicking them but nothing happened so I dug my hands in it and the bow and arrows came out together with my hands.

"Woahh, The bow is quite long, it's almost 5 feet in height. It's made of wood and the design is plain simple but it looks good and it look so real." I can't believe I'm holding it like I'm really holding onto something.

I swung it from left to right and it followed my hand with no lags. This was probably because of the wrist band.

I took the bag of arrows next, with  200 arrows in it according to the floating text above it. There was a sling attached to it so I can wear it. This was what I'm saying, the players look bare in the naked eye as they lack the weapons, but now that I'm wearing the glasses I can see items that can't be seen with normal eyes.

"Okay let me try" taking an arrow, I tried shooting my bed and the virtual arrow pierced through it.

"Amazing!!!, AR can really identify plains, walls, ceilings and even items just like in the description. But the true genius are the creator of the game. This is why this game is on high demand even it's for sale!"

"But I'd like to hit some moving targets..." shall I ask the AI how?

"...hey SAIA"

"Yes Rian_S?"

A quick response, this is better than searching for my concerns from the Question Mark ❓ button.

But I was actually taken aback on how she called me with the underscore and S and it sounds weird, I'm not used to it.

"Hey SAIA, Can you call me Rian?"

"Sure, from now on I will call you Rian. But your user name must remain Rian_S unless you change it"

I chuckled due to her insistent personality. She's just an AI but it feels like talking to a real person. I'll try calling her again if she can really remember how to call me.

"Hey SAIA."

"Yes Rian."

"Oh. you really did remember my request how to call me."

"Of course, because I am Super Artificial Intelligence Assistant,  SAIA for short. The smartest AI currently existing in this world."

Wow she's so confident to call herself the smartest. Her developer must be feeding her that idea, though I'm not sure if she's really the smartest of them all as I have never talked to other AI's before.

"Hey SAIA, Is it possible to have some moving targets that I may practice using my bow?"

"Yes, monsters are provided for your bow tutorial, just say the command Open Advance Bow Tutorial "

"Open Advance Bow Tutorial."

"Advance tutorial triggered, Beat the challenge for unique and handsome rewards."

A blue circular portal with a height of an average man then appeared at my room's wall. And a moment later, a monster's hand slowly emerged from it.

"W-w-wait!, I didn't know that tutorial could be this creepy!"

A Walker Zombie level 3 as shown above it's head then slowly walked towards my direction so I panickily reached out for an arrow and dropped it. "What the?? It can be dropped?" I reached out for another arrow and shoot but I only hit its shoulders.

Its life of 100% was reduced to 95%. I need to try to hit its head, it could be its weakness.

I've drawn out another arrow and shot again, this time I missed. The walker zombie has gotten closer and closer so I took a step backwards pulled out another arrow and then another hand from the portal started to emerge again.

"W-wait!, I'm not even finish with this one yet." I shot the first zombie again and alas! I hit it on the eye. It's life showed from 95% to 75%.

The other zombie is now already behind the current zombie I'm facing. Now I'll try shooting three arrows at a time taking inspiration from animes I've watched. Tsuk tsuk tsuk. One arrow landed on the floor, one to the first zombie's leg and another one on my bed.

"Ehhh" from 75% it now becomes 64%. The first zombie has almost reached me and another zombie started emerge again from the portal. I took another step backwards as I began to panic then slipped near the door. As the zombie was about to take me, I swung my bow frantically.

"Ahhhhhh!!! Get away from me! Get away from me!" And luckily the swinging of the bow was effective too as it hit the monsters and were pushed back giving them damage.

"Marian?" I can hear mom from below calling and was about to come up after hearing me shout.

"Ahhh!, no mom I'm okay, just don't mind me!" I yelled trying to get up and while still swinging my bow. "Y-you can leave me aloooooone!" I shouted again with force as I pushed the zombies that are now already four. They really feel heavy, it must be the work of the wristbands.

"Are you sure my dear?!" Mom's voice sounds worried.

"Yes mum, I'm really okay, I just-- hmmpf! started playing!" A faint red light flashed on my vision as one of the the zombies made a scratch on my body while I'm trying to face the door to talk to her. My life from 100% becomes 88%.

"Ouch! Ouch!"

"Are you sure Rian?!"

"Ouch!" Yeah yeah I'm okay! I'll die if you don't believe me!" My vision from where the zombies kept hitting me was bombarded with red flashes of light while my life continued to drain from 88% to 64%.

"What?!" Mom's voice was clearly shocked due to misunderstanding.

"I'm okay Mom No worries! Ugh!"

"You! you! you!" I smashed the first zombie's head with my arrow repeatedly and it finally died as it disintegrated like pixel sparkles. "Woahh! My first kill!" What a wonderful feeling.

So I can attack and kill them however I want. Fighting them is not limited with how the weapons normally work, I can use them just like the normal things from the real scenario.

I then pushed the others with all my might after gaining confidence from the first kill. So funny to think that they're just holograms and non-existent in the world yet for me they feel like they were real and forceful, thanks to this advance technology.

After gaining my balance again, I ran and jumped up to my bed hurriedly and there I waited for the zombies to come.

Whenever they attempted to climb up on to my bed, I just kept on smashing their hands and heads using my bow and sometimes stabbing them with my arrows.

Every hit on the heads were fatal blow for this type of monsters thus I have discovered their weakness and consistently targeted them there. It's really the head.

The zombies were crowding in my room, a total of 24 less than the first 8 zombies I have killed. 

My heart is pumping so much and my body is starting to shiver, the feeling I have not felt for quite awhile is starting to come back again, but it's a different experience, it's not a bad feeling, rather very pleasant one. I think,.... I think I'm feeling the very thing I have already forgotten many years ago. The real feeling of true excitement!

But after awhile of defeating them one by one, they continued to grow in number. I glanced from every corner of my room then on the portal and noticed that their arrival never seem to stop. The thought of them getting crowded in my cramped room suddenly froze me like being poured with a bucket full of ice and water.

"Hey SAIA!, t-the zombies kept on multiplying, how many more should I kill to beat the challenge?" I asked while my breathing has started to become heavy not by exhaustion but due to anxiousness.

"Their number will keep on multiplying as long as there is still one alive."

"How do I stop increasing their numbers without stopping the game?? "

"The easiest way to stop their numbers is to die though."

"What?! There's no way I'll allow myself to die!" I exclaimed not thinking straight anymore as the previously wonderful elation was replaced with trembling and with memories of scattered lifeless and injured jerking bodies.

"...." SAIA remained silent for a few moments, as if confused or maybe she did not really know how to respond on this kind of conversation.

"A-and I hate crowds." I added with teary eyes, trembling still.

"...."

"SAIA???!" My heart continued to pump so hard that it's almost deafening. I hate... I really hate this kind of feeling.

"...."

"Hey SAIA???!"

  "It's just a game, they're not real, you just have to enjoy the moment."

"But..." I wanted to stop myself from shuddering but my body doesn't listen to me and my knees has started feel weak.

"What are you afraid of?"

The zombies started to crawl back again to my bed and I was startled that I instinctively withdrew my feet like jumping when another flash of faint red light showed on my screen below and there the zombies were trying to eat and scratch my feet. My life continued to drain from 64% to 50% to 46% together with the increasing number of red lights on my screen coming from different sides as some of the zombies have made it to my bed.

I fell on my feet and crawled towards the corner of my bed with my eyes closed, embracing myself while shaking. The sound of the zombies have started to become familiar like the agony of those people while I found myself calling and looking for Dad and Shaiya.

"I-I told you I hate the crowd.."

"Why is it?"

"...."

44%.... 40%...

"Why is it?"

  "They took someone from me..."

"Oh, so you only hate them?"

"What about it?!"

"SAIA is confused, if you hate them then you're not afraid of them, if you're not afraid of them, why aren't you fighting?" 37%... 34%...

"W-what?" I opened my eyes after being surprised with SAIA's logic.

I've always hated the crowd because they took my loved ones. I didn't even had the chance to do something about it.

"This is just a game, they're not real, you just have to enjoy the moment." 30%...25%..

"But..."

"I don't know why you seemed angry or afraid, but won't you even try? Knowing you have the chance of winning?"

"Oh..." I opened my eyes after realizing that this time I can do something.

"...yeah you're right." I said to SAIA. I'm not helpless, I was given the chance to fight now. Why would I be triggered with just a game? They're not even real compared from the crowd before. I just have to enjoy this moment and learn from here.

I stabbed the zombies on my sides and on my bed repeatedly until they died. Now even my phobia can't stop me from enjoying the game! "Come all of you baldies!!" I yelled excitedly  while unknowingly showing menace on my face. I pulled another arrow and held it like holding a knife.

I think I saw the zombies flinched like they understood my maniacal bloodlust.