Warrior's Edge

"Okay, is everything prepared?" Sullivan asks as he turns to the friend behind him. His face an expression of determination.

Mike nods, "Yep! Everything is good to go." He gives him a smile, the helmet shining on his arms as he does so. He then asks. "So, before we go, where exactly are we going to meet?"

"The City of Ataratia." Sullivan says, glancing at his back. "A capital city, the supposed capital of the Vataravian Kingdom."

"I see, see you there?" Mike raises his fist.

Sullivan bumps it with his own. "See you there."

With all preparations done, the two of them enter into their rooms and enter into a deep dive. The world erupting into a mishmash of light.

'''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''

Sullivan stood up, brushing his clothing off as he looked around in wonder. "This is certainly a marvel of technology." he touches his face, feeling its touch. "Really, well done."

"Greetings." A voice then echoed around him. An amorphous ball of light appears before him. Sullivan tilts his head in confusion before it continued, "Do you wish to customize your appearance?"

"No." His quick response elicited a menu.

"Then please, kindly add in your attributes." A menu shines right after.

Sullivan watched the menu before he spoke, "Can you explain to me what these attributes mean? What each one contributes to my gameplay."

It replied, "Power is your body's capability in dealing damage. Endurance includes stamina and your body's capability for taking damage. While Agility dictates your speed and ability to change direction."

"That's it? Just that? What about Magic? Are there no attributes in regard to magic?" Sullivan crosses his arm, as he taps his arm in thought.

"Power and Endurance are all the attributes you require for magic."

"I see." He then looks at her in response, "Then what about the elements? Are there affinities or such that I need to know of before I begin?"

"Everything will be explained at the start of the game."

With the new information, Sullivan stops. His finger tapping at his arm as he stops in thought, his mind a whirl from the new information.

"Hmm. Endurance seems to be the most useful of all the attributes, especially when most games start with such minor damage to their kits, blasting out quantities should be better."

He purses his lips, "Then again, a bit of an attribute in power wouldn't hurt."

With his decisions done, he spoke, "Put in ninety percent of all my available attributes into Endurance. The rest put it into power."

The ball of light then still before asking another question. "Is that all? Is there anything you wish to be customized? Or have you finished?"

"Yes, I have." He squints his eyes. "What are you?"

"That is irrelevant." A map then appears behind it. "Though the choice behind me is not." The map shifts as a hundred different points light up. "As you can see, these cities are the available spawn points throughout the World. You may choose one to-"

"Ataratia." Sullivan quickly responds.

The ball dims in light before it responds, "Ataratia stands as the Imperium's Capital City. It will by all accounts be the hardest city to spawn on. It is unadvisable for anyone that wishes to casually enjoy our game. So, I ask you again, do you wish to spawn here?"

Sullivan nods, "Yes. That is what I'm planning on."

"Then, warrior. May Fortune favor the bold." The ball brightens in strength, forcing him to close his eyes. Only for him to open it at the goriest sight possible.

'''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''

A world that reeked of blood as the sky tore itself asunder, portals to the abyss. The earth then shuddered as the might of the armies before it, screams, force blasting through his ears.

He takes a deep breath, assessing the situation before him. The countless armies of men raising their spears and firing their muskets, fighting against an army of indistinguishable demons.

Demons that are varied in their size, their color and their power. Some stood like a tower of flesh, while others littered the field like insects.

Yet despite their variety, all held the same brutality as they tore through the lines and walls of Ataratia. Blood dripping down the walls.

He glances down the walls to see the gates open, as thousands try to rush in through it, hoping to gain whatever safety they could get.

He takes a deep breath. The scent of dirt and blood tearing through his nostrils as he spoke in disgust. "So this is what the battlefield smells like."

"Right!? It's fucking awesome!" A shout tore itself beside him.

Sullivan turns to the voice, to see a man standing by the barricade, whose red eye shined like blood as he grinned at him with bloody murder, his large muscles flexing at his every move.

He turns away from him and gave a curt nod. "It is, as you say, awesome."

The two watch a few seconds of carnage as tens more appear behind them, a shout tearing their attention. "Hey you fucking maggots! What the hell are you all waiting for!? Demons!?"

The shout came from a man armored in steel as he jogged through the walls. His mouth curled to a snarl as he shouts, "All of you get a goddamned weapon and fucking fight!"

He lowers his helmet. "We either die here fighting or the Imperium falls."

With such the players around Sullivan scrambles for a weapon, the armory beside them busted open as they enter with quick decisive movements.

Sullivan follows closely, inspecting each weapon. Gauntlets? too close. Spears? hard to handle. Muskets? Close combat seems unavoidable. Bows? any ranged weapon would require aim.

Aim he isn't proud of. He then turns to the side to see a sword, four kinds of sword. A long sword, a great sword, a katana and a rapier. His face scrunches in thought before he grabs a rapier.

Rapier would help him cut through and survive. With its lighter weight, his inexperience would be abated, at least for a bit.

He then looks around to see them gone, jogging behind the man as he shouts at them, red faced, "The Magic around the city is fucking bursting."

Fire bursts from his hand, "Good job, you stupid fucks! You have magic now. Just imagine whatever you want and aim it at the demons. Don't fuck it up."

He runs toward the lines of soldiers defending, only to be met by explosions erupting throughout the wall. And through the smoke, hundreds of demons tear through the lines of soldiers, large beings of great disgusting flesh acting as bridges and towers.

"Don't fucking die!" Those were the man's last words as demons flood through the walls. His swords raised as he struggles against them, his men forced back.

With that, the battles start. Sullivan pulls up his arms up as he stares. He closes his eyes and tried to find what he could feel unusual, his arms shuddering as tens of explosions rips through the Ataratian walls.

Heat forms at his hand as a ding rings through his mind. 'Fire Element Discovered.'

He opens his eyes to see a fireball. With a flourish it explodes forth from his hand, laying waste upon the demonic horde. He dashes to the man's side as he helps him up, rapier unsheathe.

"Good fucking job!" The man roars in delight. The predicted ding rings through his mind, 'Npc added: Ataratia Sergeant.'

"The was awesome!" The red-eyed man then roars, dashing to his side, slashing a great sword, cleaving them in half. Blood spattering around him, his grin turning bloodier.

"Yes, well. The demons seem to be increasing." Sullivan remarks as another explosion rocks behind them, a company of demons jumping through the smoke, engaging any players left idle.

Sullivan stops and proceeded to assess the situation around him, with demons flowing in from all sides, with no reinforcement in sight. Only cooperation could have them survive.

But he doesn't have their trust. He can't have their command. He looks at the Sergeant fighting, an idea coming to mind as he runs to his side.

"There's too many of them!" Sullivan grabs him by the shoulder. "We have to set up a perimeter! Or we'll die here, splattered against the walls."

The Sergeant looks at him before nodding, "Fuck, yeah." He turns around as Sullivan jumps in to take his place, making time for him to speak, "All you fucks! Group together!"

He shouts, his voice increasing in tone. "Everyone come to me! We group here and wait for reinforcements." His tone turns grim, "And if the wall fall we retreat together."

With such words, all tens of players congregate beside him, creating a perimeter as they fight in response against the ever increasing amount of demons.

"That was smart." The red eyed man remarks. His great sword help up against the demon scratching for his throat. He yells, "Fuck off!" Decapitating the demons before him.

"Yes, I am aware." Sullivan deadpans as he ducks and spun, gaining momentum as magic gathers at the edges of his sword, a wave of fire consuming the demons gathered before him.

"That was awesome!" The man yells, his smile wide as he grunts. "I should try that too!" He grunts before closing his eyes the wall shaking as chunks of earth slams against his sword.

Only for an explosion to stop him in his tracks. And a being walks out of the smoke. If those before were insects, a grunt, a meaningless force to waste.

This big hulking demon, packed with red flesh, muscles emanating power and a magical power that turns it's surrounding alight in flames. All held by a bull head.

If the demons before were insects. A lion now stood above them, bending at it's will. With a single furious roar, that shook the wall where it stood.

The red-eyed man laughs as the surrounding players shivered, his eyes glancing at Sullivan who looked forward, unafraid. "Looks like this just got better, right?"

Sullivan nods, "It did."