Day 0:
“Welcome to the Exiled Frontier. The latest in VRMMO’s brought to you by Icasoft. The culmination of all the exciting game development that has taken place over the last eighteen years. Explore the Frontier and become renowned across the Icarian world ....”
The ad read was a little lackluster compared to others he’d seen. But it piqued Nolon’s interests. Yet again a video game gives him the life or death decision of all or nothing.
“Come on Nolon are you gonna give it a try?” asked Jon.
“Well we’ll see i know it launched last week but I’ve gotta look into it you know how i get with things.”
“Yah dude that's why I’m recommending it to you grinding stats is super easy and the caps aren’t that high so it wont take you that long to reach MAX and just coast through the games content with me.”
“Jon, last time you said something like that I almost didn’t make it.”
“Dude, you are totally exaggerating. How was I supposed to know that Icasoft was gonna add a global ranking to there totally underplayed Glider simulator the day you were gonna log in. But hey at least they only kept the boards up for six months.” Jon smiled his apologetic but sincere smile.
“Yah only six months worth of endless nights gliding through the empty sky staring at the water. Thank god i was able to maintain first on the leaderboard.”
The bell rang and teacher called everyone to their seats.
“Promise you’ll try it tonight alright man?”
“Alright, alright. I’ll let you know if i think i can hack it.”
Nolon Ortro as you may have figured out is a bit too into video games. Not by choice mind you but by compulsion. It’s a bit of a family curse you see, Nolon would probably say he has OCD although that can be a bit understated. He must complete things. His drink must be either full or empty. His scores must be perfect. His space exceptionally organized. Nolon first discovered video games through arcade games where it wasn’t to difficult for him to be the best of his friends and score the top of the leaderboards. He also knew of his compulsion to complete, to perfect so he carefully curated his environment. To not risk anything crossing his path that would be an inconvenience. Video games would have been one of them. But escaping into another world, another being even if only until the need clawed at him to finish it. Felt good. Usually he’d read up on games before playing them. Almost always months or years after they had been released. Just to play only the ones he’d have no worries about obsessing over. Some simple point and click adventure games or maybe a puzzle platformer. Anything with collectibles that would've taken decades to find all he avoided like the plague. Thankfully the near crippling anxiety of not completing something only happened when he had actually started in the first place. This sort of completing only enough to maintain routine lifestyle was what brought us to today.
Nolon went home from school that day perfectly ready to never touch Exiled Frontier. But it was incredibly interesting. A new setting designed by Icasoft. Pulling from various stories they’d told before, mixed with adaptive tech that meant the more you were capable of in reality the more you could do in game. Realism was always their philosophy. In the glider sim he really felt like Icarus of the Greek myth soaring with makeshift wings over the ocean. He really felt the gravity pulling him down to his eventual demise by the cold ocean below. The Frontier was where they were able to bring realism back to fantasy gaming. The user couldn't hide behind an avatar anymore. You become the avatar. Cosmetics can change but the body never lies. Nolon looked at the clock, and realized high school graduation was fast approaching and after it would be the perfect time to play a game. Little did Nolon know the game would become so much more to him.
Day 1:
Jon and Nolon’s graduation ceremony ended. Both melancholy about what the future might hold.
“Well Nolon, keep in touch in whatever you decide to do.”
“I will Jon, and hey I decided to give EF a try so at the least we’ll be seeing eachother there.”
They hugged like friends saying a long goodbye.
“Bye, Nolon.”
“Goodbye, Jon”
They hopped into their cars and went home. Nolon had everything prepared for tonight. His VR setup was top notch. Settings maxed out. He couldn’t stand having less. After his evening routine. He put on his headset and laid down in his rig to ready to enter the world of Exiled Frontier. Like every player he creates his character almost identical to him but decided to have pure white hair instead of his dirty blonde. Giving it the name he always used, a palindrome like his own name. Murdrum, just an interesting old word. But a lovely palindrome.
[Welcome to the Tutorial Training Center]
Murdrum awakes in bed in a barracks of some kind. "First things first" he thinks as he tidies his mattress and sheets fluffing his pillow. After he looks outside to see swaths of other new players swinging wooden weapons at wooden dummies, running around a massive track or climbing through a rope obstacle course as various instructors bark orders. He also sees a few, more scholarly looking folks heading into a small building on the other side of the training yard.
“You must be another new trainee, come your training begins with you. Three meals are provided a day, it is only bread, jerky and water. Stay and train as long as you'd like. Though most rarely last long.” The grizzled and scarred instructor says to Murdrum.
“I'm Vett and I am in charge of your dorms and well being during your likely short stay here. I see you keep things tidy. You'd do well to keep it that way. Folks that can’t are forced to leave before they wish to.”
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“Yes Sir always.” Murdrum replied.
Vett nodded and walked out. Murdrum dusted himself off and walked outside to find racks of weapons to choose from and dummies to stand in front of. He picked up an axe first and got the most dreaded thing he could ever see.
________________________
[Axes Passive Skill Acquired]
Proficiency: 0/20
Effects:
While wielding Axes increase minimum damage of axes and attack speed by 0.25% per 1% of Proficiency.
________________________
Murdrum's heart began to hurt; he must now learn to wield the Axe.
“Damn this god forsaken game. And dammit Jon for not telling me this. Let’s get this finished.” Murdrum mumbled to himself as he stepped up to a dummy directly in front of Vett. Hoping they’d be able to offer advice that would help. He raised the axe and swung down like the kid he is trying to chop wood for the first time. Thwack! The axe got stuck inside the dummy. Yet even worse another painful screen displayed.
[Axes Skill Proficiency Increase]
_______________________
[Bash Active Skill Acquired]
Proficiency: 2/20
Effects:
When using the bash skill ignore 0.25% of Opponents Armor skill per 1% Proficiency.
_______________________
“Damn it. Just damn it. Ok well Axes and Bash not too much just a couple skills that's ok it shouldn't be too bad right.” So Murdrum eventually pulled his axe out of the dummy and began swinging again. He had to just keep swinging. Watching random damage numbers and fatigue starting to grow in him, Vett began to call out the subtle problems in his swings. Almost in a rhythm.
“Raise Up! Shift Grip! Squeeze! Swing Down! Elbows In!”
Murdrum began to feel it and eventually Vett's instruction and Murdrum's effort paid off. Thwack!
[Axes Skill Proficiency Increase]
[Bash Skill Proficiency Increase]
Already sweating and fatigued Murdrum was happy, laughing even now with his eyes still burning from sweat. He breathed out his thought…
“Status”
_____________________
[Status Window]
Player: Nolon Ortro
Character: Murdrum
Level 0/100
Title: Trainee
Class: None
Profession(s): None
Attributes
Strength: 0/20
Dexterity: 0/20
Agility: 0/20
Intelligence: 0/20
Wisdom: 0/20
Skills
Axes 4/20
Bash 4/20
_____________________
[Title: Trainee]
You have only just begun your training. Due to your instructors An environment you can learn a little better.
Effect: While training in a designated [Tutorial Training Center] Double attribute and Proficiency gains.
_____________________
“Ok well looks like I'm not gonna be leaving this training hall for quite some time then. Let's grind these stats!”
Murdrum continued to swing remembering the same rhythmic pattern Vett had barked. Suddenly after another clean. Thwack!
[Axes Skill Proficiency Increase]
[Bash Skill Proficiency Increase]
“There it is again. I'm not quite sure what I'm doing differently. But I want to.” Soon Murdrum's motions started to become more fluid and less rigid. Thwack!
[Axes Skill Proficiency Increase]
[Bash Skill Proficiency Increase]
“Is it the sound? The timing?” The sun was low in the sky, nearly set. Yet Murdrum was still in front of the dummy with the axe in hand. Exhaustion looming, breathing heavy, still puzzled. Vett walked over with a knowing smile.
“It's your form. Those swings and that noise was only when you almost had proper form. You should eat and rest now.”
It was like the gears that were turning all began to fall in place when Vett said those words.
“That was it, that's the missing piece. Thanks Vett. I think I've got some more swings in me before I call it for the night.”
“Very well Murdrum but be careful if you're too exhausted you won't be able to train any better.”
Vett leaves Murdrum behind to keep swinging. He starts fast and excited but as he slows down he feels his muscles and body growing more and more tired.
Then as he's swinging to Vett’s rhythm he began to feel and understand the subtle wrongs. He was tensing wrong here. His elbows weren't quite tucked enough there. This is why he has had to shift his grip again. With each new discovery on the brink of exhaustion came new excitement and just that much more energy. Then when he felt that there was nothing more to change, he swung again. Thunk!
[Axes Skill Proficiency Increase]
[Strength Attribute Proficiency Increase]
[Wisdom Attribute Proficiency Increase]
He swung again. Thunk!
[Axes Skill Proficiency Increase]
And again. Thunk!
[Axes Skill Proficiency Increase]
Murdrum collapsed into the dirt laughing as he goes.
“Hahahahaha…. Fuck yeah. That's how to do it. That's how I'll get to finish! Tomorrow I will get to 20 with [Axes].”
Murdrum crawled with barely any energy left and still managed to neatly put away his axe and climb into his bunk.
[Rest and Logout.]
Nolon opened his eyes in his VR headset and could still feel his muscles aching from inside the game. He unhooked his headset and slid out of the pod and crawled his way to bed. "Tomorrow is gonna be a lot faster. I'm sure." Poor Nolon didn't know how wrong he was.
