LotsChrono I am literally posting this chapter early just to clear a piece of confusion. Plus it's a pretty nothing-happens chapter anyway. Check the author's note at the end.
"How dare they. . ." Lucy grumbled, "I mean, it makes sense, but how dare they!"
The two were currently walking out of Acron's northeastern forest area, and Worm faintly smiled. The Frenzied Bunnies that would usually attack them at first sight ignored them entirely. It seemed, if you were sufficiently powerful, lower-leveled 'red' monsters wouldn't aggro onto you without engagement.
"It's alright. I have a quest to turn in, anyway. Don't you have any, as well?" The girl asked. "Let's go there first."
"Ah—" Lucy's eyes widened, snapping her fingers. "The Innkeeper!"
She had forgotten about that particular quest line since she killed the first goblin that came running her way. Then they both entered the dungeon and, well, now they were out and only Worm's words reminded her.
"Oh hey, Eve! How was the dungeon?!" A player yelled, running towards them. "First clear and all, that's sweet!"
"Annoying. . .it was annoying. . ." Lucy muttered instantly.
The digital sky of Eclipse was a nice shade of darkening blue and Lucy swerved her head to see players running the direction the two were walking from, laughter in their steps.
"Oh my gosh, Worm! I read your articles on the classes!" One player said.
". . .umm, hello. . .thank you?" Worm seemed less adept at social interactions, weakly waving. She, too, was somewhat well known, but she was rather annoyed by that fact.
As the girl passed by the group of players, her eyes wavered over them. Lucy thought that was odd, as she had no trouble talking to her, until she figured maybe large crowds were too much for the poor girl?
'She seems so confident when spouting off game mechanics though. . .'
She sighed and looked to distract her.
"Right, the dungeon is open to everyone now," She noted.
"Indeed. Though, some may find themselves dead," Worm said.
Though the dungeon didn't have any level restriction for entering, the group of players scrambling to enter the forest were all level 4 to 5. Forgot the traps within that they would be unaware of, the team of ten level 10 goblins in the 'Tunnel of Grit' would slaughter them.
Then again. It was a two-man dungeon.
"Wait, will the dungeon warn them to go in as a team or will it just let them in one by one?" Lucy asked, stepping past a Frenzied Bunny.
"Hmm. . ." Worm debated, "Hopefully it's the former?"
"You sound unsure. . ."
"Knowing the developers, I can't be certain," The girl chuckled.
She had to agree.
Lucy sighed once more, feet finding the dirt ground of Acron Village. She held her head in her hands and glanced at the sky as they walked. Momentarily, she forgot about the quest and the surroundings.
"Why do you play this game anyway, Worm?" She asked. Curious.
"Hmm?" The girl looked at her. "Mostly to fulfill my hobby of writing about the games I play as I go about studying them. I say 'hobby' but it's technically a job now, I suppose. People seemed to find my writing and liked what I wrote. . .so I kept up. Created my own website, added ads. Pretty much funds me."
"Wow. . .that's pretty respectable," Lucy muttered.
"Is it?" Worm cocked her head. "I'm mostly doing as I like."
"It is," Lucy said, "Well, using your own skill set to make a living, no matter how small, is pretty respectable. I can't say the same for myself, however. My reasoning is a bit. . .childish."
"Oh?" Worm blinked her eyes and looked her over. "You should be about the same age as me, seeing as Eclipse doesn't allow that much of a biological difference from your actual self, right? I'm supposing you're likely 14, yes?"
". . .you're correct. . ."
What she said was entirely correct.
When first creating an account onto a VR Helmet, there were procedures you had to go through and input as data into the system. Then, using your face and irises as recognition, that particular helmet could only be activated and used by yourself. Partly for online safety reasons, partly for the safety of the players themselves, it was law that avatars couldn't differ too much, biologically, from the person's actual self.
You could look however you want, but you couldn't change your height by more than 5 inches nor your gender from male to female or vice versa.
On one note, there was initial outcry. On another note, full-dive technology was still a budding thing and—even with the betas and testing—no one had yet to fully understand the consequences of extended use. Cat-fishing. Addiction. Escapism. An inability to differentiate your real self from your avatar. Many problems could easily arise without careful thought. So, for now, the law was accepted as a necessary evil.
Worm was really smart. A bit scary, really. Lucy couldn't help but shudder at her intellect. Or maybe it wasn't intellect, more along the line of observation skills. Partnered with her desire to test the game, Worm might as well be the Sherlock Holmes of gaming, she thought. The girl in question lightly smiled as the two walked, Lucy leading the way.
"Just so you are aware, I've been called that before," Worm said.
"Huh?"
"The 'Sherlock Holmes of Gaming'. . .I've been called that before. As a nickname."
". . .how the heck did you know that was what I was thinking?"
Worm merely chuckled.
"Anyway, as I see it, I don't think you need any respectable reason for playing this game," The girl stated.
Lucy nodded. "That's true. I mostly just want to create legends in this game. It's been my dream, actually. Leave my mark on the gaming world."
Reality was reality. A virtual world was a virtual world. In a sense, nothing was challenging for her in real life. Though she was a bit lazy at school, she was smart enough to not struggle. Though she was now an orphan, she was rich enough to where troubles never came her way. In Eclipse, though she would forever continue to curse at the developers, it was reassuring that she could charge head-long into it.
"Aren't you already a legend? Being the first to die and all?" Worm cocked her head.
"Gah! No! Are you a ditz? I don't want a negative mark."
"Alright alright," The girl chuckled. "Then why don't I help you?"
Lucy raised a brow. "You'll help me? Why?"
Worm shrugged.
"Why not? Whether you're lucky or not, you seem to find yourself first in quite a bit of things in this game. Aside, there's also never a dull moment partying with you and. . .you don't mind my eccentricities. I think we can help each other. You earn legends. I write articles. They're not something secular from one another."
They stopped before a two-story inn.
"Plus, in honest, we can help each other. Your personality against mine. As I've said, I think we work well together."
Lucy couldn't decide if she were being complimented or not. Either way, she supposed, since they had already decided to be partners in the game world, it was already set in stone that they would be working together.
"Plus. . .I'm not good with crowds of unknowns and, in a game where I'm bound to interact with other players, you can save me in those situations. . ." Worm averted her eyes.
Lucy narrowed her own. "Huh? What? Did you just make me your personal spokesman?"
". . .maybe?"
She tched. "You tsundere."
"Wha—don't call me that!"
Lucy ignored the blushing Worm and stepped into the inn.
LotsChrono
Alright so, about Souls:
You gain 0 Soul for killing a foe that is lower leveled than yourself. You gain 1 Soul for killing a foe that is the same level as yourself. And you gain 1 Soul + the difference between your level for killing a foe higher-leveled than yourself. So, if you are say, level 10, and you kill a level 15 monster, you gain 6 Souls.
All party members gain their own individual Souls from defeating a foe together, based on their own individual level.
So, the equation for Souls gained from defeating a creature that is at least at the player's level is:
1 + (monster level - player level) = Souls gained
Ignore whatever I have ever explained poorly or calculated before, this is the true mechanic. Sorry about that.
Discord Server: https://discord.gg/vwKhVUR
Want more interesting stories? Check out my profile.
LotsChrono I am literally posting this chapter early just to clear a piece of confusion. Plus it's a pretty nothing-happens chapter anyway. Check the author's note at the end.
"How dare they. . ." Lucy grumbled, "I mean, it makes sense, but how dare they!"
The two were currently walking out of Acron's northeastern forest area, and Worm faintly smiled. The Frenzied Bunnies that would usually attack them at first sight ignored them entirely. It seemed, if you were sufficiently powerful, lower-leveled 'red' monsters wouldn't aggro onto you without engagement.
"It's alright. I have a quest to turn in, anyway. Don't you have any, as well?" The girl asked. "Let's go there first."
"Ah—" Lucy's eyes widened, snapping her fingers. "The Innkeeper!"
She had forgotten about that particular quest line since she killed the first goblin that came running her way. Then they both entered the dungeon and, well, now they were out and only Worm's words reminded her.
"Oh hey, Eve! How was the dungeon?!" A player yelled, running towards them. "First clear and all, that's sweet!"
"Annoying. . .it was annoying. . ." Lucy muttered instantly.
The digital sky of Eclipse was a nice shade of darkening blue and Lucy swerved her head to see players running the direction the two were walking from, laughter in their steps.
"Oh my gosh, Worm! I read your articles on the classes!" One player said.
". . .umm, hello. . .thank you?" Worm seemed less adept at social interactions, weakly waving. She, too, was somewhat well known, but she was rather annoyed by that fact.
As the girl passed by the group of players, her eyes wavered over them. Lucy thought that was odd, as she had no trouble talking to her, until she figured maybe large crowds were too much for the poor girl?
'She seems so confident when spouting off game mechanics though. . .'
She sighed and looked to distract her.
"Right, the dungeon is open to everyone now," She noted.
"Indeed. Though, some may find themselves dead," Worm said.
Though the dungeon didn't have any level restriction for entering, the group of players scrambling to enter the forest were all level 4 to 5. Forgot the traps within that they would be unaware of, the team of ten level 10 goblins in the 'Tunnel of Grit' would slaughter them.
Then again. It was a two-man dungeon.
"Wait, will the dungeon warn them to go in as a team or will it just let them in one by one?" Lucy asked, stepping past a Frenzied Bunny.
"Hmm. . ." Worm debated, "Hopefully it's the former?"
"You sound unsure. . ."
"Knowing the developers, I can't be certain," The girl chuckled.
She had to agree.
Lucy sighed once more, feet finding the dirt ground of Acron Village. She held her head in her hands and glanced at the sky as they walked. Momentarily, she forgot about the quest and the surroundings.
"Why do you play this game anyway, Worm?" She asked. Curious.
"Hmm?" The girl looked at her. "Mostly to fulfill my hobby of writing about the games I play as I go about studying them. I say 'hobby' but it's technically a job now, I suppose. People seemed to find my writing and liked what I wrote. . .so I kept up. Created my own website, added ads. Pretty much funds me."
"Wow. . .that's pretty respectable," Lucy muttered.
"Is it?" Worm cocked her head. "I'm mostly doing as I like."
"It is," Lucy said, "Well, using your own skill set to make a living, no matter how small, is pretty respectable. I can't say the same for myself, however. My reasoning is a bit. . .childish."
"Oh?" Worm blinked her eyes and looked her over. "You should be about the same age as me, seeing as Eclipse doesn't allow that much of a biological difference from your actual self, right? I'm supposing you're likely 14, yes?"
". . .you're correct. . ."
What she said was entirely correct.
When first creating an account onto a VR Helmet, there were procedures you had to go through and input as data into the system. Then, using your face and irises as recognition, that particular helmet could only be activated and used by yourself. Partly for online safety reasons, partly for the safety of the players themselves, it was law that avatars couldn't differ too much, biologically, from the person's actual self.
You could look however you want, but you couldn't change your height by more than 5 inches nor your gender from male to female or vice versa.
On one note, there was initial outcry. On another note, full-dive technology was still a budding thing and—even with the betas and testing—no one had yet to fully understand the consequences of extended use. Cat-fishing. Addiction. Escapism. An inability to differentiate your real self from your avatar. Many problems could easily arise without careful thought. So, for now, the law was accepted as a necessary evil.
Worm was really smart. A bit scary, really. Lucy couldn't help but shudder at her intellect. Or maybe it wasn't intellect, more along the line of observation skills. Partnered with her desire to test the game, Worm might as well be the Sherlock Holmes of gaming, she thought. The girl in question lightly smiled as the two walked, Lucy leading the way.
"Just so you are aware, I've been called that before," Worm said.
"Huh?"
"The 'Sherlock Holmes of Gaming'. . .I've been called that before. As a nickname."
". . .how the heck did you know that was what I was thinking?"
Worm merely chuckled.
"Anyway, as I see it, I don't think you need any respectable reason for playing this game," The girl stated.
Lucy nodded. "That's true. I mostly just want to create legends in this game. It's been my dream, actually. Leave my mark on the gaming world."
Reality was reality. A virtual world was a virtual world. In a sense, nothing was challenging for her in real life. Though she was a bit lazy at school, she was smart enough to not struggle. Though she was now an orphan, she was rich enough to where troubles never came her way. In Eclipse, though she would forever continue to curse at the developers, it was reassuring that she could charge head-long into it.
"Aren't you already a legend? Being the first to die and all?" Worm cocked her head.
"Gah! No! Are you a ditz? I don't want a negative mark."
"Alright alright," The girl chuckled. "Then why don't I help you?"
Lucy raised a brow. "You'll help me? Why?"
Worm shrugged.
"Why not? Whether you're lucky or not, you seem to find yourself first in quite a bit of things in this game. Aside, there's also never a dull moment partying with you and. . .you don't mind my eccentricities. I think we can help each other. You earn legends. I write articles. They're not something secular from one another."
They stopped before a two-story inn.
"Plus, in honest, we can help each other. Your personality against mine. As I've said, I think we work well together."
Lucy couldn't decide if she were being complimented or not. Either way, she supposed, since they had already decided to be partners in the game world, it was already set in stone that they would be working together.
"Plus. . .I'm not good with crowds of unknowns and, in a game where I'm bound to interact with other players, you can save me in those situations. . ." Worm averted her eyes.
Lucy narrowed her own. "Huh? What? Did you just make me your personal spokesman?"
". . .maybe?"
She tched. "You tsundere."
"Wha—don't call me that!"
Lucy ignored the blushing Worm and stepped into the inn.
LotsChrono
Alright so, about Souls:
You gain 0 Soul for killing a foe that is lower leveled than yourself. You gain 1 Soul for killing a foe that is the same level as yourself. And you gain 1 Soul + the difference between your level for killing a foe higher-leveled than yourself. So, if you are say, level 10, and you kill a level 15 monster, you gain 6 Souls.
All party members gain their own individual Souls from defeating a foe together, based on their own individual level.
So, the equation for Souls gained from defeating a creature that is at least at the player's level is:
1 + (monster level - player level) = Souls gained
Ignore whatever I have ever explained poorly or calculated before, this is the true mechanic. Sorry about that.
Discord Server: https://discord.gg/vwKhVUR
Want more interesting stories? Check out my profile.
