Ben was floating in midair, surrounded by the soft white light of his interface. His body slowly rotated around an invisible axis and he felt at peace. All the misgivings that plagued his mind evaporated as soon as he connected the electro-pads to his head that morning and was sucked into Raxlon’s VD world. Here he didn’t have to face the suspicions of his friends or his own self-doubts. Here he just had to… level up.

Ben smiled as the now-familiar huge golden prompt filled his vision, together with the sound of a clear trumpet call.

Level Up! You have gained enough experience points to reach level 3. Way to go, adventurer! Level up bonus: health, stamina and mana points are fully restored. You receive 4 points to allocate - either to your skills or your ability points. Choose wisely.

He was a bit disappointed that there wasn’t any class choice this time, but he guessed that it didn’t make sense to get a new class with every new level. He should still get the +2 to wisdom from his scout class, though. Ben clicked on his character info.

Name: Ben Level: 3 Race: human Class: Scout Path: not chosen Titles: The Naked Noob (hidden), The Scout Of Sonadin (self-proclaimed) Achievements: My First Kill First Level Up Active Statuses: Honorless (hidden) Party Leader Curse of the Deep 1 (marked) Fame: 0 Hit Points: 16 (rgn 0) Stamina: 16 (rgn 0.6 per sec) Mana: 20 (rgn 2.6 per sec) Defense: 13 (-5 from Curse of the Deep) Initiative: 25 Ability Points (Points waiting for allocation: 4): Strength: 8 Dexterity: 15 Constitution: 12 Intelligence: 14 Wisdom: 22 Charisma: 16 Powers: Perception 1: Passive Focus Scout 1: Hawk Eye Tactics 1: Pause The Game! Skills (Points waiting for allocation: 4): Perception: 20 Identify: 2 Bluff: 12 Daggers: 1 Backstabbing: 1 Dagger Throwing: 1 Tracking: 9 Perseverance: 7 Crossbows: 4 Tactics: 11 Stealth: 8 Politics: 6 Leadership: 8 Known Traits: Trustworthy: 9 Honorable: 8 Weapons: Crude Dagger (equipped) Common Dagger (equipped) Rare Masterwork Crossbow Of Skewering (equipped, 12 iron bolts remaining) Wand of Throndrefeen (unidentified) Armor: Common Leather Armor (equipped) Inventory: Sonadin uniforms (equipped) Sonadin Prison’s keychain Treasure: Silver: 1 Copper: 7 Resistances: Mind 19%

Ben’s eyebrows did their little dance as he surveyed his character sheet. That was some decent character development if he might say so. True, his strength was still lower than that of the average player and his constitution still needed improvement, but some of his other stats were beginning to look not bad at all. His new title was also intriguing - he’d called himself “The Scout Of Sonadin” as he conversed with Throndrefeen, and it seemed the system decided his proclamation was good enough to add the title to his sheet. He was only sorry that his very first title, “The Naked Noob”, was still there. There wasn’t anything he could do about it, though, so he might as well let Raxlon enjoy his little joke.

Then there were his powers: Ben didn’t know how unique his special abilities were, but he had the feeling that “Pause The Game!” wasn’t a very common power and the same went for his scout power, Hawk-Eye. Having used all three of them, Ben was aware that each and every one was a potential game-changer - which was precisely why he now chose to invest one of his level-up points into perception. Bringing the skill to 21 meant he crossed its third threshold and, true enough, immediately after Ben received the following prompt:

Amazing! You have crossed the third threshold (20) for your perception skill. Bonus XP for crossing the third threshold: 200. Current XP: 3,300. Points to next level: 2,700. You receive the following boons: 20% more likely to discover hidden people and objects. Regular restrictions apply. Perception Power 2: choose one of the following >> Dark-vision. With this power, you would never again walk blindly in the dark. The stronger your wisdom score is, the better you will see in complete darkness (range: 3 feet per WIS level). This is a passive power. Far-vision. With this power, you will be able to see further and sharper than ever before. As a result, your ranged attacks will improve, granting you a higher critical chance with ranged weapons. This is an active power, though its use is unlimited.

When Ben used to play classic D&D, he always hated it when he had to choose between two (or more) amazing choices. He never had a problem making a split-second decision in stressful situations, but he never understood why any DM (Noah, in most cases) would want to torment someone with presenting two desirable options and then telling them they could choose only one. The current choice he faced wasn’t any different. Both powers of perception seemed too good to pass by, yet he would have to do just that.

Ben gritted his teeth, forcing himself to think pragmatically. Dark-vision was a classic choice. A human who could see in the dark as well as dwarves, gnomes and some of the subterranean monsters such as kobolds? Such passive power would make his scouting skills much more useful. Then again, Far-vision looked simply awesome. Together with his Passive Focus, he would be able to spot anyone who tried to ambush him from a distance. Not to mention the fact that any shot with his crossbow would become much more accurate and deadlier.

So, which one? What kind of scout did he wish to become? One who could lead his party in the darkness or one who would find the open fields much less intimidating and discover hidden dangers from afar? Thinking of it like this, he realized that the answer was actually an easy one. He was on his way to complete a quest inside a dungeon, after all. Thinking how he and his companions blindly edged their way in the darkness before the fight with the skeletons, Ben finally nodded to himself. He chose Darkvision.

Next thing on the agenda: his remaining 3 level-up points. Ben was tempted to invest all three in either Tracking, Stealth or Leadership, curious to see what else he would receive after crossing either of these skills’ first threshold. He suppressed the temptation after a short consideration, though. From his little experience thus far, he learned that while some skills were relatively easy to level up (he just had to track some more in order to increase his tracking score), it was much harder with other stats - in his case, the physical attributes.

Making up his mind, Ben invested two points in constitution and one in strength. They weren’t the most important attributes of his class, but he was sick of almost dying (or actually dying) from what other players might consider only a glancing blow. And the memory of the skeleton easily choking him to death, without him able to do anything about it, was still fresh in his mind.

Finished with the allocation, Ben surveyed his character sheet again and was happy to see that both his HP and stamina reached skill level 20 now, and his stamina regeneration increased to 1 per second. Come to think about it, he could actually feel the difference. The third level scout looked at his arms and, unless he was imagining it, it looked like his biceps just got a bit more defined. In fact…

Ben quickly clicked on his inventory icon, which enabled him to look down at his rotating self, just as he did when he first entered the game and had to choose his first set of clothes. He took his armor and bloody uniforms off - it was strange doing it while at the same time looking at himself doing it - and nodded in appreciation at what he was seeing. Ben was always skinny and when he entered the game the system copied his physical qualities to his virtual avatar. Now, however, his body looked slightly more robust and just a bit more muscular. He was still skinny and there wasn’t any muscle toning to be proud of, but he wouldn’t be shy to present said body on the beach anymore.

“Of course you would take your clothes off. Again.”

Raxlon wasn’t using his booming godly voice this time; his voice came as if he were standing in the same room with Ben - who, upon hearing it, was startled and whisked back to his regular point of view. And, true enough, his smirking DM was standing within his interface bubble, casually leaning against nothing and studying Ben with great amusement.

Ben fumed. He was under the impression that his interface was private, at least somewhat. “Isn’t it customary to knock, or something?” He snapped, before starting to put his shirt and armor back on. “Or are you just enjoying embarrassing me all the time?”

Raxlon laughed heartily. He was a man in his forties, tall and broad-shouldered, with long blond-white hair that cascaded down his shoulders in a manner that could look womanly but somehow just strengthened his masculinity. He had a heart-shaped face with a prominent nose and remarkable hazy blue eyes. He wore the same rich white cape as before, complete with a white robe and breeches that were laced with golden stripes. Ben had the impression that he was looking at the improved version of the sultan from Aladdin.

The cocky DM raised a perfect eyebrow and grinned with perfect white teeth. “To answer your first question, I don’t knock before entering rooms in my own house. To answer the second: oh yes. I do enjoy it and will continue to do so for as long as you let yourself be embarrassed. Here, let me help you with this.” The man snapped his fingers Mary Poppins style, and suddenly the armor Ben was struggling with was once again strapped to his chest.

Ben frowned. “I guess my time’s up again? If so I should thank you for not bringing me back to the game without my clothes on. That title you gave me… it’s starting to catch.”

Raxlon laughed again. “Your time for level up is indeed over, but I told the others there’s a slight technical delay, so I could have a couple of minutes with you before you continue your quest.”

Ben’s curiosity instantly peaked. The famous DM wanted a private word with him? After everything that happened Ben was getting used to Raxlon disregarding him and leaving him to survive his VD world without any guidance. Why the sudden change of heart? Ben’s gaze turned shrewd. “This has something to do with that vision I had during the battle with the undead Duergar.”

Raxlon’s grin faded somewhat and he gave Ben a long look. Finally, he nodded. “Indeed. I must say, Ben, that I was… surprised. There were multiple ways to solve that room, but what you did... “ He sighed. “Suffice it to say, it was not of my design.”

Now Ben was more than curious. He was alarmed. “What do you mean, not of your design? This is your world, isn’t it? Everything we do is part of your plan so this vision must be something that you planned as well. I -”

Raxlon raised his hand, stopping the scout before he could continue his barrage. “It is my world. And I have worked long and hard to create it. What you and the others experienced thus far is only a fraction of a fraction of what my world entails. You see, I designed not only the world in its present time but also its history. For what you call NPCs, there is a rich history of countless millenniums. Those Duergar you met, their lives were full and complete, just like any Earthly human being... Ben, I have spent the better part of my life creating these lands and their respective histories. This world is more real to me than any other.”

Raxlon’s gaze became piercing and Ben found himself gulping and involuntary taking a step back. “Why… why are you telling me all of this?” He asked weakly.

Raxlon’s gaze didn’t waver. “I tell you this because after what happened, you have to know. That vision you had, it described a scene I wrote a long time ago. What you saw is part of my world’s legacy. And somehow, in a way I don’t completely understand, you are now not only playing in the present time, but also bound with the past... it has never happened before, with any of my players. Do you understand?”

Ben licked dry lips. “I’m not - I don’t think - “ He knew he was stammering again and shut his mouth forcefully. He suddenly noticed that the light in the interface dimmed, but Raxlon remained fully illuminated. A trick of the light? Or was it intentional? The DM looked bigger than usual and Ben felt afraid. “I don’t understand,” he admitted. “What does it mean? How can it be?”

Raxlon didn’t answer for a long time. When he finally did, it was with a grave voice. “Somehow, I’m not sure how, you have managed to connect to the very core of the program I created. Ben, you are now linked directly to everything this world is based upon.” The man took a step forward until he was standing not a foot away from Ben, towering over him. “This conversation we’re having, it’s not supposed to happen. It goes against the rules of VD and I risk my license just by telling you these things. Still, I decided to take the risk. I must give you this warning: continuing playing in my world might… change you. I don’t know how exactly. I advise you to quit - I will tell the others that real-life demanded you exit the game for good.”

He paused for a moment as if contemplating something with himself. Then he continued: “If you do choose to carry on, this will be the first and last warning I will give you: you must find out why and how you are linked to the system. There is something beyond you and me here and if you don’t figure it out in time, I fear the consequences, for all of us. Also, you mustn’t tell anyone about our secret meeting here. If you do - I will banish you from the world without a second thought. Finally, if you do choose to remain, I will grant you a boon: a glimpse of my world’s history, so you’d better understand what I created. So. What’s it going to be?”

Ben’s mind reeled. Some part of him argued that Raxlon was putting on a grand performance, that this was all part of the game. For all he knew, the others had similar “secret meetings” with the crafty DM. Raxlon was playing with their minds, that’s what was happening. Another part of him refused this logic, arguing that the truth in Raxlon’s words couldn’t be denied. The DM’s warning was real. Ben’s mind somehow made a deep connection to Raxlon’s world and it spooked the professional world-designer. Then again, if that was true, it also meant that Ben was part of something very unusual… and very big.

The scout straightened, looking steadily into his DM’s blue eyes. “You know my answer. What you have created here is more than amazing, and I will take the risks, whatever they are. I’m game.”

Raxlon looked at him and a small smile appeared on his face. “Of course you are.” He snapped his fingers again -

Ben was looking at a lush and beautiful planet, from the point of view of an astronaut. Space, though, wasn’t as black as it should be but rather yellowish, as if Ben was viewing it all after his vision was photoshopped with some kind of a bad vintage effect. Then words appeared, accompanied by a deep, formal and festive voice. “Welcome, adventurer, to Nolxar!”

Nolxar, he thought absentmindedly. How droll and unimaginative of you, Raxlon.

The planet drew closer, getting bigger in his vision. More words appeared: “This magical world is more ancient than Earth, crueler than Earth, and much more beautiful than Earth. Hundreds of different races live in Nolxar, as has been for countless millennia. Wars have been fought, genocides have happened, but the balance was always kept. That is, until the Day of Reckoning came…”

He flew down at tremendous speed now. The world grew ever bigger, then his vision blurred and when it came into focus again he was looking at an epic scene: a great battle was joined amidst fields of green and gold. One side of the battle was comprised of huge figures, 6 feet tall silver-skinned humanoids that carried large glowing swords and had emerald eyes. Some of them sprouted horns from their massive heads, while others wore great robes that indicated their magical prowess. They were noble, beautiful, powerful - and they were losing. Their enemies were much less orderly and were composed of many different races; humans fought alongside dwarves, elves joined forces with orcs, kobolds and goblins ran together with gnomes and giants. It seemed like all the races of the world were joined by a common cause: to banish the majestic race off the face of the planet.

Above the din of the battle, the narrator continued: “It were the gods themselves who gave the order to attack the Founding Race: the Engill. For the first time since the creation of the world, all other races joined forces. After a war that spread over fifty years, the Engill were finally defeated.”

The land moved, blurred, came into focus again. Ben was looking at a dwarven village. Dark, hateful eyes looked over crude walls at a band of humans; crossbows were pointed at the men and women who waited beyond the settlement’s border. The humans looked at the dwarves with as much hate, a few harsh words were exchanged, and then they turned and walked away.

“After the Day of Reckoning, the different races grew distant. Without the Engill to guide them, they were like lost children. Many petty wars ensued, but this time balance did not prevail. Few brave leaders tried to bring order to the chaos, but it eventually fell to the shoulders of heroes to bring back hope to the world…”

The land moved and stopped and Ben gasped when he saw he was suddenly looking at the same man who appeared in his previous vision. The man crested a hill toward a group of human fighters. He was bloody, limping and wounded, but he held his head up high. When the fighters saw him they cheered, although Ben couldn’t catch the name they chanted.

“These heroes, the champions of the different races, drove back the threat of the chaos. Their legacies remained long after their passing, their memory strong enough to maintain the peace and to create a new generation of adventurers who would continue their endeavors. The people called them, ‘Beacons’.”

Anther movement of the land, and now Ben saw hundreds of skeletons exit a cave mouth, running wildly into the night.

“Alas, eons have passed and few heroes remain. Chaos once again runs loose. This is the world that you enter, brave adventurer. Welcome to Nolxar, a place where you can bring back hope… or join the impending doom.”

As the land faded from his view, Ben heard Raxlon’s voice in his head: “Sorry for the lousy effects, I made it a long time ago. But hey, now you know. Good luck, Scout of Sonadin. It’s time to get back to the game.”

There was the snapping of fingers, and then the world was filled with a familiar purple hue.