SJ could not believe how beautiful she looked now as a fae, with a huge smile on her face. One of her issues had always been how she felt about her body, and now that it had been transformed, she felt unbelievable. She switched to the class screen, and this time, being careful not to think about choosing anything, she once again read through the class details.
“I thought you were being an assassin?” Dave said.
“Just making one last check of things,” SJ replied.
Fae was stated as being magically attuned, and as an assassin, she would not have magic, so it may be wasteful of the racial mention, although none of the racial skills she had received were magical. That not being exactly true. The ability to shapeshift was magical, which may be what it related to.
“Ok. I have decided I am definitely going to be an assassin. I will fight for the good and the weak, defending them against the evils of this new world.”
“You do realise the world is not new. It has existed for at least 25,000 years.”
“It is a term of speech,” SJ replied, shaking her head.
The screen suddenly changed, and a message appeared.
Congratulations Legionnaire 25007077
You have now successfully chosen your race and class for your second life.
Please find your starting inventory and clothing in the locker.
Once you are ready, please select next, and the optical initialisation will commence.
Once this is completed, you will be transferred to your starting zone.
Good luck, and enjoy your second life.
A large locker suddenly slid out from the side wall of the room. SJ walked over to the locker and pulled the door open. The words ‘Assassin starter set’ were emblazoned inside the locker. She looked through the contents. Hung up were a soft brown cloth-looking halter-neck top, a pair of bottoms in the same material, undergarments, ankle-high boots in soft leather, and a brown belt.
She pulled the clothes from the hanger and started to put them on. She had to pull the halter-neck from her feet, as she could not place it over her wings. This would be a new way to dress every day. The clothes were a perfect fit. Although ugly, they felt soft and clean. At least she was no longer naked. She next looked through the shelves and drawers of the locker.
Sitting on the shelf was a small brown pouch. Picking it up, it made a tinkling sound. Opening the pouch string, she looked inside, where there were five small copper coins. She picked one out and turned it over in her hand. One side had a picture of a dragon, and the other read Amathera stamped with the number one.
“Money seems similar,” she said.
“Yes. They have coins and notes, just like Earth. Currency standards are as normal,” Dave said.
“What do you mean as normal?”
“Standard denominations.”
“A little more detail would be appreciated.”
SJ was sure that Dave would have been rolling his eyes as he replied with the tone he took. “There are 100 coppers to 1 silver, 100 silver to 1 gold, 100 gold to 1 platinum. Coin denominations come in 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50, and 100 coin options. Notes come as 5, 10, 20, 50 and 100 starting from silver, although notes are rarely used outside of merchants and traders.”
“Ok, that is a little clearer. What can I get with five coppers?”
“In the starter zone, you can probably get a meal and a room for the night.”
“Then I need to start earning money straight away if I want to be able to live.”
“Basically, but I will explain the zone details to you when we arrive.”
SJ worked through the remaining items in the locker. There was a small, short blade in a sheath. The blade was only 4 inches long and did not look very sharp. There was a small set of what she could only describe as perfume bottles. “What are these?”
“Poison bottles. All assassins are given a starter set, even if you never specialise in poisons.”
Inside the locker sat a water canteen, flint and steel, a wooden torch for lighting, a short length of rope and an item she recognised as a garrotte. It had two small wooden grips on each end of a cord.
“How do I carry these? There is no bag.”
“In your inventory.”
“What inventory?”
“Noobs,” Dave said, sighing. “Your optical alignment has not happened yet, so for now, just pick everything up and carry them. Once we get to the starter zone, you will have access to your inventory, and other details will become more apparent.”
SJ slung the rope over her shoulder, picked up the other items, and placed what she could in her trouser pockets. She attached the pouch and knife to her belt and picked up the torch.
“Is there anything else I need to do before we go?” SJ asked.
“As long as you have collected everything, we can finally get underway.”
SJ checked the locker once more. Nothing was left in it. She returned to the screen and stood looking at the welcome message again.
“What are you waiting for?” Dave asked.
“I am just feeling a little nervous, that’s all.”
“Nervous? What for?”
“For whatever is coming next.”
“Training and levelling.”
“You have not mentioned levelling to me properly.”
“I will explain all that once there.”
“And you also said you will be in my head? How does that work?”
“I do not actually reside in your head. You can hear me talk in your head. I will still have my same charming voice to soothe you with.”
“Charming? I am not sure that is how I would describe you.”
“That’s rude. What is wrong with my voice?”
“You sounded like a butler when we first met.”
“Yes, m’lady,” Dave replied in the worst-ever attempt as Parker from Thunderbirds.
“Never do that again! So, what happens when I accept?”
“We get transported. I already told you that.”
“How?”
“Well, we don’t call a cab and wait for it to arrive, if that is what you mean!” came the sarcastic reply.
SJ rolled her eyes. “For once, could you please try to be a little more helpful?”
“You should not ask such silly questions then.”
“Silly? I have no idea what is going to happen, and you have not exactly filled me with confidence yet.”
“Ok. When you accept next, there is a time dilation effect while the system aligns. You won’t notice it, but there is a delay between initiation and arrival. You will then be transported to the starter zone. Once there, your ocular alignment can then be initiated. The system will also upload your starter details. Upon arrival, I will explain the basics of what you need to do. Your priority is to start levelling as soon as you can. Does that help?”
SJ took a deep breath, staring at the icon flashing with the word ‘next’ on it. “Ok. Here goes,” selecting accept.
The room vanished, and she was suddenly in total darkness. There was nothing around her, and it was as though everything had suddenly been turned off. Her feet felt like they had nothing underneath them, and she panicked, getting the sensation she was falling. Bright flashes began to occur in front of her eyes, and she scrunched them closed, although the sensation continued. She suddenly felt solid ground under her feet. Blinking to clear the flashing lights, she opened her eyes. What met her gaze took her breath away.
She was standing by the side of a lake in a wide clearing surrounded by forests. Across the lake was a mountain, and a stunning waterfall was crashing down its side. She had seen documentaries back on Earth of beautiful areas of the world, always dreaming of visiting them, and now she was staring at one of the most picturesque views imaginable. Everything seemed to have a brighter vibrancy, the colours more vivid. Over the far side of the lake, she could see smoke drifting into the sky and what looked like a town.
She blinked her eyes several times to make sure she was seeing properly. Her eyesight had always been 20/20, but if this was how this world looked, she would be in heaven. She loved nature and walking in the woods, especially in springtime when the bluebells were first flowering. She turned and looked around the clearing. Beautiful flowers were dotted in the grass, a myriad of colours, and she could hear birds tweeting in the trees from the surrounding forest.
“This is amazing!” SJ gawped.
Dave’s voice sounded in her head. “Meh. It is not bad. I can’t believe they have dropped you here, though.”
Hearing Dave inside her head rather than through her ears was strange, and it startled her. “What do you mean?” she asked.
“This starting zone. It is not a normal one.”
“Why is it not normal?”
“Most get dropped into a village or town square. You have been dropped across the lake, which means you must travel there. It doesn’t appear to be a usual starter town either.”
“Have you been here before?”
Silence.
“Dave?”
“Wait a second.”
Silence.
“Ok. I have our location confirmed. Map details are being added, and as usual, they start with the fog of war,” he tutted. “No. I haven’t been here before. Right, let’s start by getting you sorted out.” His tone was different and much more authoritative.
“Ok,” SJ said, a little taken aback by his change. She placed the items that she had carried with her down on the grass, being careful with the small empty poison bottles.
“This area, where we are now standing, is your safe zone. You will be open to the normal world once you leave this initial area and start venturing further.”
“Like many games I have played before.”
“Yes. But remember, this is not a game.” Dave replied in a sinister voice. His immediate tone of seriousness was replaced once again. “Anyway, first things first. We need to activate your display. Blink your eyes five times rapidly.”
“Really?” SJ questioned.
“Yes,” Dave replied, his tone changing again.
SJ did as Dave said, and suddenly, her vision changed. She staggered backwards as a display opened in front of her. It was the strangest sensation she had ever experienced. The display seemed to hang in the air before her with a translucence so she could still see through it and read its contents. It resembled the character information screen that many games used, and she scanned through the details.
SJ noticed that her sheet now listed her level, experience, and assassin specialisation choices.
Class:
Path still to be chosen: Two of five options can be selected as your specialisations.
Please select below:
Martial Arts
Shadow Discipline
Traps
Poisons
Subterfuge
“Oh. I can select what specialisations I want to follow. Do you have any ideas?” SJ asked.
“It depends on what type of assassin you want to be.”
“I told you one that fights evil.”
“Not that,” Dave sighed. “You want to kill with your hands or through traps or poisons?”
SJ thought back to when she had done karate as a teenager. She had been pretty good at it and always quite fit. “I suppose martial arts would be a good choice, given my previous knowledge of karate.”
“So, you want up close and personal? I like that style,” Dave said in a maniacal voice. “Then you can also choose what I classify as a support path: Shadow Discipline or Subterfuge.”
“Can you explain them both?”
“You don’t know what they mean? I thought you were intelligent?”
“I know what the words mean. Can you explain the skill paths and choices available for them?”
“You could just look at the details yourself. To be honest, it’s a little lazy of you to ask me all that.”
“What? How?”
“Don’t you see a skills tab on your screen?”
“Yes.”
“Well, select it then!” Dave’s tone dripped with sarcasm once more.
SJ selected the tab, and the skills page opened. She was met with what she would class as a standard games skill page. All five main branches were listed, with skills trees that could be developed beneath each branch. She started reading through the various paths and choices each gave her. She really liked the development of the Martial Arts path and the Subterfuge. The subterfuge path aligned more with her forensic accounting role, and looking at the skills she could learn, she did not take long to decide.
“Ok. Martial Arts and Subterfuge.” She selected both options on her main character screen, and it adjusted, removing the other paths. She then went back to the skills tab and saw the other three trees were no longer present, and the first option for each of her new skill paths was highlighted.
The first skill under martial arts was Kata Level 1, and for Subterfuge, it was Identification Level 1. She read the individual skill details.
Kata Level 1
A Martial Artist can become proficient in their majestic fighting form through training and practice. Kata’s strengthen and improve techniques. Martial Artists must practice their kata daily to maintain and improve experience gains. Seek guidance from a Master to improve your fighting technique to reach mastery levels.
Identification Level 1
Identification is the primary basis for any successful subterfuge task. Knowing the who, what, and why, as well as a target’s strengths and weaknesses, will support your skill development. Identification improves with increased use. Learning and observing your targets will help increase your level further. Not everything can be discovered by sight alone. Warning: Some may be able to detect identification being used.
SJ was buzzing from the skill explanations. She had always enjoyed performing kata’s, pretending they were dances rather than fighting techniques. “Do you know which kata I need to do to train?”
“Does it not tell you?”
SJ checked. “No. There are no details.”
“Strange. Ummm…”
“Why is it strange?”
“There should be a basic kata listed for practice.”
“I think I remember some of the katas from when I did karate.”
SJ thought back to the Shotokan katas she had learned. She slowly clenched her fist as she had been taught, ensuring her thumb was tucked tight into the side of her fist, and took a side stance. She performed some of the basic punches and the steps she could remember. Having only reached the green belt in a couple of years, she had completed it, but as she moved around, the kata forms returned to her. It felt strange standing in a clearing performing Karate moves with a pair of wings on her back, but her new, lithe form allowed her to perform the moves with an ease and grace she had never had in her youth.
She started with the white belt, kata, before moving on to yellow and orange. However, she could not remember the green belt kata properly. Her display flashed.
Congratulations, Kata Level 2 achieved
Congratulations, Kata Level 3 achieved
“Wow. I just increased two levels in skill!” SJ exclaimed.
“Oh, they must have allowed you to use your previous knowledge,” Dave replied.
“Is that normal?”
“No.” the single-word response came.
“What did they do?”
“I have no idea. The System does its own thing at times. It also may be because you never agreed to the terms and conditions.”
“I did not think of that. Does that mean I may not have some of the restrictions others have?”
“I can’t answer that, as you are an anomaly after all,” Dave replied, and she imagined his virtual shrug.
“Next thing then, my inventory,” SJ focussed on her inventory tab, opening a standard screen where she could drop items into slots. An image of her outline and the boxes for her main equipment were positioned around the image. Her clothes were present in each related box, and the small blade sat as her primary weapon. She looked at the rope she had dropped on the ground and thought about it being in her inventory, appearing a moment later in a bag slot. She repeated the process with the other items she had carried. She re-arranged them as she had always been fastidious when it came to her inventory in games and had categorised everything together. She had used one of her friend’s accounts once and had spent hours sorting through all her items and arranging them for her as her OCD tendency had kicked in.
“What now?”
“Now you need to start levelling,” Dave said cheerily.
The fact Dave suddenly sounded so happy did not give SJ a warm feeling.
The scouting party had just returned. The huge ogre was standing amongst the gathering crowd of hobgoblins.
“What news?” the ogre said.
“We got as close as the border before we saw a guard. We stayed watching, and the routine was the same. A patrol passes the outskirts every twenty minutes,” one of the hobgoblins replied.
“Any signs of improved defences?”
“None. The streets are still open. I am guessing they will have wagons as normal.”
“The wagons are no issue. They are easily smashed with Treb,” the ogre replied, holding his massive club in the air. Hoots and cheers broke out from the gathered masses.
“Go eat. I will speak with the mage, and we will plan our next raid,” he said to the scout party. Turning to address the crowd, he bellowed in his booming voice, “Prepare yourselves, train and get ready. Soon, we march. The town will be ours.” The crowd erupted in cheering at his announcement. Walking back across the village, he approached a hut on the far side. There was no one in its vicinity, and he stooped to enter its doorway.
“We need to be ready,” he said to the back of the robed figure sitting on the floor.
“I will be when the time comes,” the mage replied as it continued to stir a blue mixture heated by an unnatural green flame.
