Eldritch Realms (1)

Will was ecstatic. He pulled into his driveway, the perfect summer weather barely registering in his mind. After months of grueling study and endless exams, he had finally completed his finals for his senior year of high school. This was the first summer of the rest of his life, and the excitement was almost too much to contain. All he could think about was his dark bedroom and the VRScape headset perched on his bed, waiting for him. Now that school was over, he could finally dive into Eldritch Realms, the game that had taken the world by storm.

Bursting through the front door, Will shouted a greeting to anyone within earshot. His aunt was likely in the living room, probably engrossed in her own activities, but he didn't bother to check. The anticipation was too overwhelming. He grabbed an apple from the fruit bowl, savoring the satisfying crunch as he took a bite. Racing up the stairs on all fours, his excitement was palpable. He practically tackled his bedroom door, and his school bag and keys hit the floor with a thud as he seized the headset.

Powering it on, he selected Eldritch Realms and cursed himself for not downloading it in advance. As the download bar crawled forward, he took deep, calming breaths. The vibrant and gritty world of the game was just a click away, and he didn't want to waste a second. Finishing his apple, he peeked at the progress bar and saw it was still going. Determined to prepare for an all-nighter, he snuck three energy drinks from the fridge, knowing his aunt would be upset if she found out. He also grabbed plenty of water and snacks for the night, he had everything he needed for a marathon gaming session.

He shot back upstairs and he was delighted to see the game had almost finished downloading. Donning the headset, his vision went black, save for a couple of small icons in the corner. As the screen shifted from black to grey to white, a reflection of himself appeared. The immersion was immediate, and he felt a thrill of excitement as he prepared to step into the virtual world.

[System] This is your avatar. You may adjust it as you desire.

Will meticulously customized his character using a series of sliders, each labeled a different aspect of the body, to adjust his features. He made himself shorter, with a toned yet agile build that suited his vision of a stealthy archer. Instead of his natural blonde hair, he chose brown to blend in more with the game's environment. He imagined his avatar navigating the shadows, his quick reflexes and sharp instincts allowing him to excel where others faltered. Once satisfied, he confirmed his selection. A prompt appeared for his in-game name.

[System] Enter your name.

He typed in "Fletch," his smile widening as he realized this would be his new identity in Eldritch Realms. This was his chance to make a name for himself, and he was determined to be the best archer in the game.

Fletch was lost in his delusions of grandeur and he failed to notice the teleportation timer which had just hit zero, he felt a suction effect on his right side. The world around him blurred and shifted until he found himself in a room he hadn't seen before. It appeared to be a blacksmith's shop, with weapons and armor of all kinds lining the walls. The smell of metal and leather filled the air, and the clanging of unseen forges echoed faintly. As Fletch inspected the weapons, he spotted a sturdy-looking recurve bow next to a large longbow. He had done some research on archery in his free time and knew that the recurve bow would be ideal to start, at least until he was strong enough to handle the heavier longbow. Recurve bows were slightly weaker than longbows, but their design allowed for a full draw even if an archer couldn't handle the draw weight of a longbow. The thought of mastering this intricate piece of equipment excited him.

He began to reach out towards the bow when he heard someone clear their throat behind him.

Fletch whirled around and saw the blacksmith, a burly man with calloused hands and leathery skin. The blacksmith's gaze was intense, and Fletch quickly apologized for reaching out without asking. The blacksmith nodded gruffly and asked for Fletch's name.

Fletch introduced himself with an eager grin, feeling a mix of nervousness and excitement.

The blacksmith's eyes twinkled with amusement at the obvious double meaning of his name and gestured to the recurve bow.

Blacksmith: You got your eye on that one?

Fletch: Right, I'd like to be an archer.

The blacksmith chuckled, his deep voice resonating through the shop. He grabbed the bow off the wall, but to Fletch's surprise, the bow practically fell apart in the blacksmith's grasp.

Blacksmith: That one's no good. It's been here far too long with no takers. Not many archers come through here, and those that do usually go for the longbow. What makes you different?

Fletch considered this for a moment. His enthusiasm for the archer class was not just about the challenge but also about the strategic depth it offered.

Fletch: I did my research. Most people choose the longbow for its higher attack, not realizing they lose draw speed and fire rate in exchange. Either that or they're already trained in archery and familiar with a longbow. But for a mostly new archer like myself, the recurve bow is the way to go.

The blacksmith nodded thoughtfully, clearly impressed by Fletch's knowledge. He led Fletch to the back of the shop and rummaged through the storage room. He grunted as he received a nasty looking splinter from one of the crates. He took a moment to dig it out while Fletch stewed in anticipation. After a few moments, the blacksmith had resolved his splinter problem and uncovered a beautiful silver-lined wooden recurve bow from within a dusty crate. It was elegant and finely crafted, and Fletch felt a surge of excitement as he laid eyes on it.

Hidden Quest Complete: Heart of the Archer.