Chapter 1 – Welcome

Matt reached out his hand, watching the virtual representation of his gauntleted hand move toward the “Y” hovering before him. He made a motion to tap it, indicating his confirmation to log out of Dark Times Online.

As the screen turned black, he lifted the headset from his eyes. The early morning sun peeking through the blinds almost convinced him to return to the comforting darkness beneath the visor. Instead he stretched and placed the headset on the rack next to him, then peeled off the haptic gloves before unzipping his bodysuit.

Man, I really need to shower before playing the game from now on, Matt admitted to himself as he draped the suit, now damp with sweat, over the railing next to his computer. Where the computer chair normally sat a few months ago, a trackpad that allowed him to move in any direction while remaining stationary now claimed the floorspace.

Stepping off and taking a moment to regain his balance in a world where the ground stayed still and he had to move, he made his way to the bathroom.

That thing leaves some brutal creases in the user’s forehead, Matt observed in front of the mirror. Dark bags discolored the skin under his eyes. Being self-employed had its benefits, but they weren’t without cost. As a graphic designer he set his own hours and could take or refuse commissions as he wanted. When times were good, this provided great income and left him plenty of time to game. When they weren’t, well, at least he still had plenty of time to game.

He turned sideways at his reflection and took in the paunch that had formed in his late twenties. That belly made it clear it was here to stay when he turned thirty-five last week. It complemented the tired and drawn face peeking out from behind a patchy brown beard under a lately ever-present bedhead.

Maybe a shower before and after each gaming session, he sighed to himself, stepping onto the tile before the water had a chance to heat up. It took ages in the old apartment to even reach lukewarm temperatures.

Cleaned and dressed he made his way back to the computer and pulled out the exercise ball he kept shoved under the desk to allow more room to move while immersed in VR. Taking a seat, he logged into his business email.

A big, fat, nothing. Just like last week. With the charges for the haptic suit I’m gonna be in trouble soon. May not even have been worth it, with those new PODs Edict Corp. just launched. Damn.

Matt sighed. He had been gaming his entire life, and Role-Playing games were his go-to source of entertainment. He’d played every RPG released in the past thirty years, and many of the older classics. Single player, multiplayer, massively multiplayer online – it didn’t matter. What mattered was escaping his real-world woes to a virtual reality where the imagination reigned, and the only limits were the abilities of skilled programmers and artists.

With a disappointed glance at his haptic suit – sure, it provided feedback and a slight pressure to the abdomen coincided with the stab of a dagger there, but it didn’t give him any real sense of danger or rush – he brought up the news on Velli Machia Online’s release the day before and maximized it on screen.

[Edict Corporation has done it again. Already the largest gaming conglomerate in the world with a presence in eSports and genre defining brands on console and mobile, they’ve released their next innovation: POD units. Personal Online Dive units are full immersion “pods” designed to place the players’ body in a sensory deprivation environment and send signals directly to the brain, bypassing the need for visual and aural stimulation. The pods utilize a non-adhesive, gel-like substance that conforms to the body. Nanites within the gel cover the skin, interacting with the player’s nervous system, sending signals between the player’s body and the game server.]

[While Edict Corporation faced media backlash only four years ago when five Alpha testers became unable to log out of the system and are still under medical supervision while they work toward a resolution, testing by both government-funded and third-party teams have determined the new PODs to be completely safe to current consumers. The PODs were launched yesterday to critical acclaim along with their new game: Velli Machia Online.]

[VMO seeks to redefine the massively multiplayer online gaming space the same way PODs are revolutionizing player interaction with virtual reality. Run by an Artificial Intelligence overlord nicknamed Machiavelli, housed on a quantum server which governs a multitude of other A.I.s, VMO should be the first game to provide a truly realistic world - between Non Player Characters that respond to not only the actions but also the spoken word of players, to non-scripted events and world evolution that no human programmer had a hand in creating, it is no surprise they enjoyed fifty million log-ins on launch day.]

Matt looked over at his haptic suit again. How could that compete? Unfortunately, he’d looked up the pre-order prices of the PODs weeks ago: over 9,000 USD. That was way out of his current ability to cover, especially with the cost of the suit still weighing down his credit line. Moving to close the browser, an ad in the corner caught his eye.

Apparently LunCaf, the net café down the street, just licensed a line of PODs and were opening memberships today. Maybe I can make this work after all... Worth looking at, in any event.

He shut down his computer, then grabbed his wallet and made his way out and down from the second story apartment he’d rented for the past two years and began the three-block walk to LunCaf.

A slight, crisp autumn breeze cooled his skin and Matt almost considered turning back for his jacket, but he was already imagining what true immersion would feel like. It added a spring to his step that belied the extra pounds he’d put on these past few years. He didn’t even glance in the window of the burger joint that marked the half-way point of his trip, so busy was his mind with the various theories on what the experience would be like.

“Irashaimase!” Joe shouted in welcome as Matt opened the door to LunCaf. This wasn’t Japan, and Joe wasn’t Japanese, but he was an anime nerd, so Matt decided not to say anything about the odd welcome. He’d gone to college with Joe, and they made small talk the few times he stopped in for coffee. With his own high-speed internet connection at home however, Matt had never made a point of spending a lot of time at LunCaf. There was a line, and behind it a group of teenagers argued about strategy in a turn-based game he’d never played.

“Hey man, is it true?” Matt asked Joe as the line gave way and he reached the counter. He didn’t wait for an answer. “You’ve got the new PODs? Where do I sign? How much is it? Do you take credit?”

Joe stared at him a moment, then laughed. “Dude. I don’t think I’ve ever heard you talk that fast, like, ever man.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Matt brushed him off. “I saw one of your ads online that LunCaf has PODs and I really want to check out VMO. Like, bad.”

“Sure thing, man, got you covered. We’ve got five installed already, the rest should arrive next week. One is open right now if you want to sign up and dive right in?” Joe got out a tablet and handed it to Matt. “You just need to fill out the application for an annual subscription, sign the standard waiver stuff, pay, and I can show you the POD.”

Matt gave everything a cursory read, checked where checks were needed and signed in the appropriate spots. $800 per year? Damn, it’ll fit on my card for now though, he justified to himself, tapping his card on the tablet to charge his account.

“I’m all set – lead the way bro,” he said, handing the tablet back to Joe.

Joe stepped out from behind the coffee counter and led him past rows of computers to the back. There, behind a walled-off section of the otherwise open interior of the café, were five PODs.

“They look a bit like futuristic tanning beds,” Matt commented, as Joe gave him a key fob and led him to the only one currently showing a [GREEN] status light across its front. The others were all red.

“Alright, so these things are expensive and we’re only able to license so many. Once the others arrive, we should be good for a while, but it might be tight in the meantime. We’re 24/7 but if all you want is to utilize a POD, you’re welcome to come in that back door there,” Joe pointed just beyond the row of pods. “This key fob will let you in. Then, any POD showing green will let you log into your account.”

“Awesome! Do I need to like, I don’t know, disrobe or anything? Kinda public in here.”

“Nah man, the nanites in the gel will find their way past your clothes and make skin contact, no worries. I am required to tell you, though, that it can be disorienting the first time you immerse. Just make sure when you’re done that you clean up any mess and close the lid again. Apparently, the gel stuff can dry out if you leave the lid open too long, and it’s a pain to refill.” He nodded as he finished his spiel.

“Cool man, thanks a lot.” The front door chimed as Matt turned away from Joe.

“Irashaimase!” he heard Joe shout as the man’s footsteps quickly faded away.

Time to see what this is all about!

Matt opened the lid, much the same way a tanning bed opened, and studied the pink gel inside. Poking it, he found it to be reminiscent of memory foam, though he could push into it with his fingers if he tried. Pulling his fingers away, the gel filled back in to look whole once more and didn’t leave any residue on his fingers.

Neat. Here goes!

He kicked off his shoes, climbed in and laid down. The cover of the POD closed automatically as he sank into the gel, suddenly feeling weightless. As the light faded and plunged him into blackness, he became increasingly aware of the lack of sound. No keyboard clacking, no hiss of the espresso machine, no shouts of welcome in Japanese.

Nothing.

In a way, the silence itself became loud. He began to hear the pounding of his own heart and colors started to form in front of his eyes in the darkness. He gradually became worried as he heard the blood pumping in his veins, but a small spot of light began to grow brighter in front of him.

[Welcome] it read, faintly illuminated in the otherwise black expanse before him. [Edict Corporation is proud to present you: POD. Disorientation is normal. If at any time you wish to end your session, simply say, or think: “Edict, disconnect me,” and the lid will open.]

Fair enough, but I’m here so let’s keep going.

[Velli Machia Online has finished loading. Edict Corporation is showing that this is your first time logging into one of their services. Is this correct? Please say or think: “Yes” or “No”.]

“Yes.”

[Thank you. You will create your account as part of Character Creation. Players are allowed only one Character in Velli Machia Online at any given time. While there is no restriction on how many characters you can play over the life of your account, only one may be in use at any time. It will be overwritten if you decide to start anew. More information about this can be found in-game. Please wait a moment while VMO initiates. Edict Corporation thanks you for your interest and wishes you a pleasant immersion.]

Alright! Here we go! What should I play as? I bet a game like VMO has a ton of options. Maybe I’ll spend my whole session today just working through character creation…

**** **** ****

A dim sound grew even louder as light filled Matt’s vision. Vertigo washed over him, and he was instantly flying over a medieval landscape like an eagle. A tower on a mountainside grew closer as his speed increased until his vision blurred, before he abruptly halted at the top of the tower.

Three gray, hazy figures stood atop the tower as a window popped up in his view:

[Welcome to Velli Machia Online! Please register your account before proceeding to Character Creation.]

It was all very straightforward. Matthew Ramsay. 35. Male. Self-Employed. Graphic Design. A few boring minutes later and he checked off his digital signature.

[Thank you, Matthew Ramsay! As you proceed through Character Creation and enter Velli Machia Online, you can utilize standard gameplay functions such as accessing menus or making text-based choices, simply by thinking them. Thinking about your inventory will open a graphical window, such as this one, with the traditional interface showing items in your position. To move to Character Creation, simply think about closing this window.]

Wow, that’s wild! Is this the nanites at work? He mused on the possibilities of a system that could read or sense his thoughts. Kind of creepy too, though… Then again, so many sites and corporations have all the information about us we could ever think up, so what’s one more? Okay. Go away, window!

The overlay disappeared and the blurry effect he’d noticed before shimmered away, revealing three mannequins standing before him atop the tower. A slight breeze raised goosebumps across Matt’s skin, and he marveled at the feeling.

Nanites for the win, he thought, looking to the figures.

The first was draped in a hooded robe. A clamp-locked book dangled from a chain around its waist. The middle mannequin wore a leather chest piece and held a dagger in each hand. The final had a metal breastplate, and had a large sword strapped to its back.

Just three classes? I mean, I know it just launched yesterday but seriously? Matt shoved the cynicism down and looked at the three figures. Maybe it’ll open more as I progress through the game. Let’s check out this robed guy first. Matt focused his vision on the mannequin draped in a brown hooded robe, and more text popped up before his eyes:

[Mages are scholars who respect intellect and are constantly pursuing new avenues of hidden or forgotten arcane knowledge. Outside of the standard academic research fields, Mages tend to guard their findings carefully. Whether seeking mastery of the elements, the mind, or life and death itself, the learning never stops. Mages go on to become Elementalists, Necromancers, Shamans, Mesmers, Rune Scholars, and Summoners, or follow paths they discover along the way. Choose Mage if you seek a gaming experience designed around investigating secrets, solving puzzles, and unraveling the mysteries of the world that is Velli Machia Online.]

Alright, well I just played a knight in Dark Times Online, so let’s go the complete opposite direction. He closed the text pop-up, once more setting his eyes on the robbed mannequin and thought: Select Mage.

The other two mannequins disintegrated, the armor and weapons turning to dust and blowing away with the breeze off the edge of the tower. The robe flew off the remaining mannequin, twisting itself violently up through the air like fabric possessed, before careening into Matt’s face, knocking him off the tower as his vision darkened.

He fell.

**** **** ****

“I said, what is your name, Acolyte?”

Matt’s vision returned, and he found himself standing on a stone floor in a torch-lit room. Books lined shelves on the wall and some light poured in through thin windows between them. A large, oaken desk stood between him and the source of the question.

A short, slightly pudgy man with thinning gray hair looked at him over a bulbous nose.

“I won’t ask again! I’ve too much to get to today and you Outsider Acolytes spend all your time daydreaming!”

“Daos,” Matt said, reverting to the moniker he’d used for the past thirty years of gaming whenever he played a male character. “My name is Daos.”

“Daos, eh? You outsiders are all just as strange from one to the next. Do you have a last name?” His gray eyes peered up at Matt, belying a sharp intellect despite his apparent age.

“No, just… Just Daos.” This dialog system is straightforward so far, but the inflection in his voice is superb. Was this recorded by voice actors or generated by the A.I.? And he pronounced Daos correctly, like Day-Ahs. Does it hear and learn from my own speech?”

“Daos Not-son, then. At least you didn’t try to tell me numbers were part of your name,” he grumbled, writing with a feathered quill in his book. “Alright then, Daos: why have you come to The Academy?”

Matt stood, considering.

“I told you, I don’t have all day,” the old man said, his gravelly voice taking on an edge.

“I want to learn magic, of course,” he answered, improvising. Alright dialog system, I can play this game. Bring it.

“And why do you want to learn the arcane arts, hmm?”

Matt paused for only a moment, recalling something he’d read in Dark Times Online. “Because knowledge leads to power, but power also leads to knowledge. Both are required if I am to survive what is to come.” Let’s see how far this system can follow me.

The old man peered at him. “You have absolutely no idea what is to come, novice. But you will, oh yes.” He reached below the desk and Matt tensed, sensing a trap. “Here is your wand,” he said, handing Matt a gnarled wood rod about the length of his forearm.

“You will also need an Acolyte robe if you are to be admitted to other areas of the building and left alone by the Town Guard. Levitate something off my desk to show me you know your way around a wand, and I’ll hand over the robe.”

Matt took the wand and held it like he’d seen conductors hold batons in front of an orchestra.

The old man snorted.

Frowning, Matt ignored him and looked at a piece of parchment on the desk in front of him. The introduction told me to simply think commands and the game would respond. So, paper: rise!

He waved the wand in a semi-circle, pointing it at the parchment. Nothing happened.

The old man broke out into a fit of laughter, then stopped abruptly. “You Outsiders are all the same! Is there no magic where you come from, truly? You can’t cast magic without knowing a spell first. Well, the masses can’t, anyway. Oh, the look on your face was worth it! Here are your Acolyte robes. Here, also, is your first spell book. I’ve taken the liberty of inscribing the first spell every Acolyte learns: Arcane Shield.”

He handed Matt a folded robe, on top of which was a lockable tome much like the one he’d seen dangling from the mannequin’s chain belt.

Robe, equip, Matt thought to himself. The robe disappeared, reappearing on his person, and leaving the tome in his hands. Alright, so the mechanic does work for something.

“Ah, so some magical aptitude has found its way into you after all! Good. Almost everybody has some base level of magic ability, but some of you Outsiders are slow on the uptake.”

“What is your name, old man?” Matt asked, ignoring his jibe, and opening his new tome. It opened to the middle and didn’t seem to have turnable pages. There were two squares at the top o the first page, and in the first was a rune-like image of an oval around a stick figure. Concentrating on the image, he received a pop-up text overlay:

[Arcane Shield: Creates a magical barrier around yourself to ward off enemy attacks, both physical and magical. An Acolyte can maintain the shield for approximately 10 seconds, but if too much damage is absorbed the shield will fail. Further training can increase both duration and absorption amount. Use the Arcane Shield once to absorb damage to determine the starting absorption amount.]

“Old man? Yes, I suppose by Outsider standards I would be old, wouldn’t I…” he trailed off, lost in thought for a moment. “Well, in any event, you may call me Meister Oric.”

I admit, it’s amazing how this NPC is following my dialog and responding in kind. I’ve never seen anything quite like it. It’s gotta be almost entirely A.I. generated, there’s no way they have enough voice recordings to allow for all these inflections.

“I see my first spell is a shield of sorts. What do I need to do to learn something more offensive?” Matt asked.

The Meister’s shoulders dropped slightly. “Just like an Outsider. I have half a mind to – no, no. Daos, I need you to do something for me before we proceed with training. It is a matter of utmost importance,” he explained, pulling a wax-sealed scroll from a pocket lost in the folds of his robes. “I need you to take this missive to the guards posted at the South Gate. Do not read it, it does not concern you. However, I have another three Outsiders coming soon that need the same introduction you are receiving, and I simply do not have the time to deliver it.”

“A fetch quest, seriously?” Matt stared deadpan at the old man.

“Quite! I’ve heard your kind call requests like these “fetch quests” before, I’m quite familiar with the term. I also know you all view them with eye rolls and sighs. However, I simply cannot proceed with your teaching until this missive has been delivered. I should finish with the three other Outsiders by the time you return. Plus, you’ll be able to start learning your way around town. Now, off you go!” he finished, with a shooing motion of his hands.

Of all the starting quests… Missive, go to inventory. Matt turned as the scroll disappeared from his hands and made his way to the door when he heard the old man’s throat clear in that telltale way someone does when your fly is down. Scowling slightly, he turned back to the Meister.

“You just going to carry around that tome in your loose grip, willy-nilly for anyone to come by and steal?”

Shit. Tome, equip!

A chain formed, linking the binding of the book to the chain belt around his waist. The chain adjusted its length as he lowered the tome to his side, or pulled it up to read. He let it go and it collapsed to his waist with just enough length to sway slightly as he walked.

The Meister nodded and turned his attention back to his book, clearly dismissing Matt – or Daos, as he saw him, from the room.

**** **** ****

Matt made his way down a spiral staircase and into a large open room with a vaulted ceiling. Columns spanned the height from floor to ceiling periodically, and a red carpet ran through the center of the room.

Many doorways like the one he was exiting existed along both walls, and it reminded him quite a bit of a medieval church in its construction. Looking to his right he saw two large double doors side by side.

That must be the exit.

As he approached the set of doors, they swung open automatically. A faint purple aura trailed behind but quickly faded from view.

Magical automatic doors? Works for me.

[Congratulations! You have unlocked Arcane Perception. This skill affects your chances to notice things in the arcane spectrum that may not otherwise be readily apparent. Arcane Perception is a passive skill that increases with successful activations and time. Arcane Perception: 1]

[125 Experience Points awarded for unlocking Arcane Perception! Would you like to receive an alert each time you receive Experience Points? Yes, or No?]

No, gods no, he thought without hesitation. The pop-up faded from view.

Interesting! So, much like Dark Times Online, skills can be learned not only from mentors or books the way I learned Arcane Shield, but also through exploration and triggering things in the world. Good to know, I’ll have to keep my eyes open and try new things as I go. In fact, I wonder – Character Sheet, open.

Instead of a traditional sheet, he received another text pop-up:

[Velli Machia Online has many of the traditional mechanics and screens that gamers have become familiar with over the years. As part of the syncing process between POD nanites and the Velli Machia Online servers, some features are enabled gradually as data is transmitted. Traditional Character information, such as Attribute values, and Skills, will become available for viewing when you reach Level 2. Thank you, and enjoy Velli Machia Online!]

Well, that answers that. Off on the damned fetch quest, then, Matt sighed and stepped outside.

All his senses were assaulted without warning. Seemingly hundreds of people bustled through the streets. Street vendors shouted over conversations and the clopping of horse hooves in an effort to be heard. The general bustle of medieval city life was accompanied by an appropriately medieval smell.

His olfactory sensors went into overload filtering out fresh pastries and meat pies, horse dung, and whatever was coming out of the sewer grate off to the side of the building. He could almost taste the foul stench as powerfully as the spiced meats from the pie vendor off the left curb.

Shaking his head in awe, he started off before realizing he didn’t have a compass. Compass. Map. Nothing? Time to test the dialog system again, then. He made his way over to the teenager peddling the pleasantly selling meat pies. “Hey kid, which way to the South Gate?”

“’Ew you callin’ kid, eh? Get ya wanker self back if ya not buyin’ me pies! Ain’t nobody not knowin’ they’s South from they’s North,” he finished, jerking his chin down the road in the opposite direction, then went back to hawking his product. “Pies! Nothin’ no mystery about ‘em, legitimate cattle-based pies!”

Matt simply nodded, slightly stunned at the cultural difference between the Meister and the street pie peddler as he turned in the direction the boy had indicated.

Foot traffic thinned a bit as he moved away from the market outside the Academy, though the streets were far from empty.

Whatever this city is called, it must be a major one!

He heard the sharp twang of metal on metal before the smithery came into view and felt the heat even from the cobblestone as he passed by. A large, hairy-armed man wielding heavy looking tongs pulled a red-hot rod of metal from the flames.

Stereotypical blacksmith, check.

Turning around, the brute of a man placed the rod on an anvil behind him, where it was then struck by a hammer in the hands of a red-headed woman who couldn’t be much older than twenty. A black smear across her forehead marred her otherwise youthful features, probably the result of wiping sweat away.

Or maybe not so stereotypical. Interesting.

A few nondescript buildings beyond the smithery gave way to what appeared to be a clothier, though without money he didn’t want to take the time to enter. The final building before an intersection, beyond which looked to be the gate he was seeking, was a tavern called Sauced & Sloshed.

Nice, Matt chuckled to himself. Immediately descriptive. I wonder just how many of the world’s locations and NPCs were coded by developers and designers, and how many were generated by the A.I. after it was deployed?

Matt reached the gate as he finished musing about where human interaction with the VMO world ended and machine rule began. Two guards stood to either side of the gate, staring out viewports to the land beyond the town wall. Walking up to the left one, he cleared his throat.

“Excuse me, Mr. Guard man?”

When Matt received only a grunt in response – the man continued to stare out the window – he decided to get to the point.

“Meister uh… Oric? Yeah, Meister Oric told me to give you this letter.”

“Missive from the Academy? You’re late, Acolyte. Hand it here.” The guard held out his hand, still not averting his gaze.

Matt passed the scroll over to him and asked the guard, “What’s so interesting out there?”

“You must be new here. An Outsider too, with a question like that.” The guard sighed. “We remain ever vigilant against attack. Outside forces want this town and the souls within it. We are here to alert the rest of the guard, should an attack occur. You’ve done your duty, now begone.” The guard fell silent.

Fair enough, generic guard NPC. Obviously, you have nothing else for me. Ignoring me must be the equivalent of just repeating the same thing over and over, like other games do. Maybe the dialog system is only complex for story-centric characters? Or maybe this guy’s just a boring asshole.

Matt turned to head back the way he came, curious about the next spell he’d learn from Oric to fill the second slot in his tome. He was passing the intersection between the clothier and the block that housed the smithery when he heard a cry come from the alley. He stopped and looked toward the sound.

[Congratulations! You have unlocked the skill: Perception. This skill affects your chance to notice things you may not have been on the lookout for specifically. Perception is a passive skill that increases with successful activations and time. Perception: 1]

Sweet, I’ll take it!

Two men in blue Mage robes were standing over another on his knees who wore the same Acolyte brown robe that Matt had equipped. He looked at the two standing mages. The freckled one held a scroll sealed with wax, exactly like the missive he’d just delivered.

“Poor little frosh can’t even hold on to his task items assigned to him as an Acolyte,” Freckles said, laughing. The other blue-robed Mage smiled and watched.

That guy must be another new player, on the same quest I just finished! Who are these two jerks? NPCs or other players?

Matt tried concentrating on them, thinking maybe gamer tags or names would appear above them as in other games. Nothing happened, and it only occurred to him then that on his journey thus far, no names or other indicators had appeared above any heads.

“What’s up, guys? Picking on someone smaller than yourself? Classic.” What am I doing, I only have one spell and it’s defensive? I always get into trouble like this.

“Who’s this wanker?” the dark-haired bully said, bringing Matt to the attention of all three of them.

“Another frosh, look at ‘im. Run away, little frosh, or you’ll meet pavement too.” Freckles laughed.

I suppose now is as good a time as any to test out player versus player combat. If they’re players, that is. How am I supposed to tell in this game?

“The name’s Daos, Freckles. And you just bluffed the wrong Mage.”

Matt saw Freckles’ eyes widen in surprise as he charged him. He watched as a faint purple shimmer appeared around the other mage.

Shield, right! Arcane Shield, Matt thought to himself, willing his own to activate.

He saw a similar shimmer appear before his eyes right as he crashed into Freckles. Bullies never expect attacks, and true to form, Freckles hadn’t. Matt’s momentum would have carried them both to the ground in a tackle, but thanks the shield Matt was brought to an abrupt full stop and Freckles hit the ground. His shield sparking slightly as it absorbed the impact.

The missive he’d taken from the other Acolyte dropped from his hands, and Matt watched the Acolyte reach for it.

Unfortunately, he also saw the dark-haired bully pull out his wand.

Shit! I bet robe colors indicate advancement, like martial arts belts or something. Okay, I did my part, that newbie is on his own. Time to get! Matt turned and ran.

He heard a sound like electrical cables sparking, and the purple shimmer representing his shield dropped as a magical spell of some kind hit him from behind. He hadn’t felt anything, so he deduced the Arcane Shield absorbed it but had maxed out and fizzled.

He turned the corner just as another purple bolt whistled past him, splashing harmlessly into the door of a building across the street. Not waiting to see what happened next, he kept running back to the Academy, inside, and up the spiral stairs to Meister Oric’s office.

He paused outside the old man’s door to catch his breath. Why am I out of breath, anyway? This is a game! Is my character’s stamina somehow tied to what my brain interprets as reality? That level of immersion might be a bit much. Then again, I’ve never had a rush like I just did with Freckles and friends back in Dark Times Online. Whew!

A minute later, feeling calmer, Matt knocked on the door.

“Enter!”

He swung it open and stepped inside.

“Ah, Daos! Right on time, come, come,” Meister Oric beckoned Matt into the room. “Thank you for delivering the missive. It’s important the guards be kept abreast of what our Mage scouts uncover just as much as their own. We must always be prepared for an attack, yes.”

Matt opened his mouth to speak but was cut off.

“So! Daos. An uneventful trip, I presume?”

“For the most part. I ran into a couple bullies, but it wasn’t anything I couldn’t handle,” Matt answered, half bluffing.

Meister Oric smirked. “But of course. That was a setup, I must confess.”

Matt stared at the man and narrowed his eyes.

“Naturally, I have to test you in some way before I turn over an offensive spell. What a Mage’s natural instincts are often determines the path they follow through the arcane arts. There are many different paths to lose oneself in, and while the first spell an Acolyte learns is always the same, the second usually ends up being their first step down a path. Had you responded by ignoring the scuffle in the alley, or throwing a punch, what I teach you next would differ, you see.”’

“So, did I pass your little test?” Matt asked, trying to keep the annoyance out of his voice.

Why am I even annoyed? This is legit. Usually the games inform you that you’re on a particular story path. I’m getting worked up over a mechanic. Maybe I should take a breather after this.

“Given that you’re an Outsider, I’m satisfied with your analytical skills when encountering potential danger. You attempted discourse but when it became apparent that path was closed, you responded with non-violent violence. That is to say,” the Meister continued before Matt could ask for clarification, “you used your Arcane Shield offensively – an action that you knew would not result in any real danger to the bully – to distract him into dropping your fellow Acolyte’s missive. Thus freeing him to return to his quest and recognizing the growing danger represented by the appearance of a wand, you used the remaining time of your Arcane Shield to make a hasty retreat.”

Yep, you got it old man. That was exactly my plan, all along, yessiree. I’ll roll with your explanation of events.

“Mages must be smart about these things. Heavy armor inhibits channeling abilities in almost all of us. There are exceptions to this of course, but in general the rule applies, and so often a hasty retreat is the best way to stay alive. We all want to be heroes, but we aren’t all tanks.”

Wait, tanks? Did he just use a gaming term?

“And so it is with pleasure, and also to get you out of my office as I am busy-busy, that I present you with your next skill. Please, take a look at your tome.” The Meister smiled briefly, then went back to writing in his own book with that quill of his.

Matt opened his tome and noticed another picture, like a straight shooting star, in the second square. He concentrated on it.

[Arcane Bolt: Create a small burst of raw, arcane energy directed out the tip of your wand. Moving faster than an arrow, Arcane Bolt deals magical damage to its target. Arcane Bolt is an active skill that requires intent to cast. It is an aimed skill, and further training can modify the spell in a variety of ways. Use Arcane Bolt on a sentient target at least once to determine starting damage values.]

Nice. That must be what the dark-haired bully hit me with while I was fleeing. I wonder how much more advanced they were than me? It’s hard to tell without seeing enemy levels. More for me to research later. I’d better call it here. I’ll just queue up one more quest.

“Thank you, Meister,” Matt said, trying a polite tactic to see how the A.I. would respond. “I appreciate you taking the time away from your busy schedule for me. I would like to use that time efficiently and then get out of your hair. What are my next steps?”

“Hmph, fair enough, Acolyte, fair enough. I consider this first test complete.”

A burst of light and a wave of pleasure surged through Matt, leaving him weak in the knees and cutting out whatever the old man went on to say.

[Level Up! Points to spend: 2 – Congratulations! You have just earned your first level in Velli Machia Online! You are now Level 2. When you next log in, you’ll be able to see information about your Character such as Attributes, Skills, and other goodies that we won’t spoil just yet. We recommend for safety purposes, and because we must upload and process the data we’ve gathered so far, that you log out now and enjoy the real world for a bit. Your body will acclimate to full immersion over time, and we ask that you consider your health right now. Thank you, and we look forward to watching your progress in Velli Machia Online! – the Edict Corporation Team.]

“- and so you will need to prepare for The Trials to avoid that. Talk with Meister Reichart next,” Matt heard the old man finish speaking as the level-up window faded from view and he gained strength back in his knees.

“I’m sorry, what was that about trials?”

“Gah! You Outsiders never listen! I will not repeat myself any more this day, Daos! Speak with Meister Reichart, and begone! Shoo! I’ve work to do!” the Meister ended the conversation, pushing Matt out of the room.

Wow, what a trip. Will every level I gain feel like that? What an addictive thing to add to VMO. That’ll definitely keep people grinding levels, without a doubt! Alright, log out time. Who knows how long I’ve been in here? Game, log me out.”

Matt’s vision slowly dimmed to black, and the volume faded once more to that lonely, all-consuming silence.