“Alright, let’s get started on the tutorial.” I said, nodding my head to the AI. In response, the world once more shifted drastically.

Assessing base stats...

Base stats established. Beginning Trial of Strength.

As the second window faded away, I was left standing in what looked like a modern gym. There were various weightlifting devices nearby, and just as I was deciding what to do, I heard Aria speaking up, despite her not being visibly present in this instanced area.

“You may test and train your starting Strength stat in this enclosure. The harder you push yourself, the more you will be rewarded. While in the tutorial, you will be able to train your stats faster than in the game itself. However, the longer you spend in the tutorial, the further ahead everyone will be once you begin. Presently, there are 11.5 hours remaining, due to the time compression, before the game servers open.”

I gulp a bit hearing that number. That should be a 5:1 ratio, if I’m not mistaken. Curious, I decided to ask while I had her attention(not knowing whether she was going to keep watching the entire time), “How many trials are there?”

“There are trials for Strength, Agility, Wisdom, Magic, and Combat. You may spend as long as you want in each trial.”

I nodded my head, and got to work. The character I wanted to build didn’t need to be too heavily focused on strength, but it needed enough to be able to hold its own. As such, I did something I haven’t done seriously in many years. I worked out. In one corner of the room, there was a thin metallic bar leaning against the wall. Recognizing it, I went over and picked it up, choosing to use this as my workout tool.

This is a Grav-Bar, a device capable of altering its own weight by manipulating how gravity impacts it. Using it, I gradually increased the weight until I had trouble lifting it, and then began my workout. Last time I bothered to check, I could bench press eighty pounds. I’ve never really had that much strength in my arms, honestly. But now, I needed at least basic strength, seeing as I’d be fighting in a fantasy-like world.

Gradually, I felt as my virtual body grew stronger and stronger, having to increase the weight on the Grav-Bar several times. At the end of the first hour, I was able to repeatedly bench press 100 pounds. Thankfully, it seemed as though I wouldn’t get exhausted in these trials, because I didn’t have to take any breaks before I finished. “Okay, Aria, I’m ready for the next trial.”

Final Strength evaluated at 10.

Really… that just doesn’t inspire confidence. I shook my head at the prompt, before I found myself standing on a wide log, with a series of other logs propped up on their end around me.

Welcome to the Trial of Agility.

“So… this time I’m supposed to jump around like a monkey, and not fall off?” I asked the disembodied AI voice, who responded back with a simple yes. Having my answer, I shrug, and begin casually walking between the logs close enough to walk between. That lasts for about five logs, before they start gradually growing further and further apart as I move away from the starting area. Soon, I’m forced to make small jumps to get to the next log, and have to be careful.

On my twentieth or so log, I completely miss the jump, slamming face first into the side of the log I was aiming for, slowly sliding down it while I feel the bark scratching up my face. I’ll tell you now, it did not feel pleasant. And as soon as I had hit the bottom, I found myself standing back on that first log in the center of the field.

With a sigh, I once more began to walk and hop through the logs, noticing that it was just a bit easier this time. Unlike strength, the build I wanted focused heavily on agility, so I had to stay here quite a while until I was able to reliably do these. As such, it wasn’t until three hours later when I finished this trial, satisfied with being able to casually leap between logs just over two meters apart, and cover some a bit further with difficulty. By this time, however, my fave was feeling very sore from all the failures.

Final Agility evaluated at 12.

Really? That’s only a 12? I was hoping for at least a 15… I shook my head again at that message before waiting for the scene to shift again. This time, when I arrived at my next trial, I found myself sitting down at a small table in a well lit room. In front of me was an eight by eight chess board, though nobody was sitting at the opposite side.

“Don’t worry, still here.” Aria spoke up as the first pawn moved on the other side of the table. “We’re just going to do this for a while, until I beat you enough that you’re satisfied.” There was an obviously mischievous grin in her voice as she said that, and it only made me more determined to win!

… Two hours later, and fifty seven losses, with no wins… I was hanging my head in shame while the AI kept laughing merrily. “Just… just get on with it…” I said, knowing I truly would never be able to beat this AI. It was like playing against a dozen different grandmasters all discussing strategy behind your back.

Final Wisdom evaluated at 11.

Welcome to the Trial of Magic.

I didn’t even have the presence of mind to pay attention to this latest window, still reeling from my defeat. By the time I noticed what was going on, I was standing in a wide room, surrounded on all sides by a circle of pedestals. Atop each pedestal was a single book, though there was also one inside the circle with me. Looking at the closest book, I found it to be a book detailing the basics of mana control. “You can learn from any two of these books, not counting the Mana Manipulation book before you. After you have acquired the skills, you may spend as long as you like practicing them.”

I let out a final sigh, and opened the book, reading through it. There was a strange sense of energy around my, like static over a television, and it only grew stronger as I got further along in the book. Around halfway done, I was able to identify this new feeling as mana, the key component to any and all magic in the world. The book also taught me how to pull the mana into my body, which I began doing slowly.

New Skill Acquired!Mana Manipulation - Beginner Level 1

Exp: 0.0%

This skill enables the user to sense the mana around him, and draw it into his body. Higher levels will allow for more complex manipulations.

Seeing that I had properly learned the first skill, I set it down on its pedestal, and walked around to take a look at the books around me. Each one seemed to cover a different field of magic, from nature, ice, fire, water, shadow, even more sci-fi ones like technomancy or stellar magic. Knowing that I could only choose two of them, I grabbed the one I thought most helpful to me, given my race, Nature Magic.

Opening the book, I was relieved to find that Nature Magic encompassed both plants and animals, as I was afraid I’d need to hunt through more books to find the latter. Quickly reading through the book, I memorized the basic spell taught within it, Nature’s Grasp. Strangely, I did not receive any prompts after finishing the book, so I set it down and began practicing.

Placing both hands in front of me, I gathered my mana between them. Since I was by every definition a beginner, I opted to use the chant provided for the spell. According to the books, once I gained enough skill that would no longer be necessary, but for now it was a price I had to pay. “Mother of all things, that which rules the land, come forth to my call and seal their movements.”

With each word, I caused the mana between my hands to spiral and contract, absorbing my intention before I slammed it into the ground. A moment later, a few thin vines began rising up from the ground around me, though they did not seem very energetic about it.

New Skill Acquired!Nature Magic - Beginner Level 1

Exp: 0.0%

This skill enables one to match their mana with that of the world around them, granting them power of plant and beast alike.Current Spells Known

Nature's Grasp

My smile grew three shades brighter that day, as I had managed to cast my first spell! Next, I began looking around for the other schools of magic, and ultimately decided on Wind Magic, because I felt it was a good match for my build. Reading through the book, I then practiced the spell, which was a simple gust of wind. No doubt the GMs did not want people to have strong combat spells at the beginning of the game that could make them overpowered.

New Skill Acquired!Wind Magic - Beginner Level 1

Exp: 0.0%

This skill enables the user to match their mana to that of the winds, controlling them with their magic.Current Spells Known

Gust

With this, there was simply one trial left, but I had plenty of time, so I stayed in the Trial of Magic while practicing all three of my new skills until they hit Beginner Level 2. Not that there was any noticeable change between them, but I felt like I should do it.

“Alright Aria, time for the last trial..”

“That’s right, John! One more stop, then we can get you into the world of Neo Life.” She seemed a bit more energetic than before as she said this, likely looking forward to being rid of me after spending half a day together.

Welcome to the Trial of Combat.

Looking around, I saw a weapons rack with various weapons to choose from. There were bows, swords, even a few rifles alongside the daggers and shields. “Choose wisely, young adventurer.”

I looked at the various options, but ultimately I grabbed a bow, a single quiver of arrows, and a dagger. I’d have to come up with some way to overcome the ammunition cost of the bow, but that was for the future. Once I had selected my weapons, I was brought to a shooting range. “Can’t exactly ask you to fight a monster before you even know how to fire your bow, can I?” She asked with a slight snicker.

I’ll show you! I thought in my mind as I nocked an arrow, pulling the bow back to full length, and letting it fly straight for the target!

Yeah, if only life was so nice… The arrow barely made it halfway before swerving off course and falling to the ground. I grimaced, grabbing a second arrow and shooting again… and again… finally, on my tenth arrow, I managed to hit the outer edge of the target twenty meters away.

New Skill Acquired!Archery - Beginner Level 1

Exp: 0.0%

This skill enables the user to display their mastery(or lack thereof) of the bow, striking down enemies from afar(or not so far)!

With a slight grumble, I continued firing the bow again and again, until I was consistently able to hit the target. I only hit the bullseye once, but it was enough to level up my Archery to level 2. And with my acceptance of the skill, I was brought to yet another area. This one looked like an old roman arena, a wide patch of sand with stone walls atop which a cheering audience sits. And in the seat of Caesar, was everyone’s favorite blue-haired goddess, Aria.

I knew by the mischievous grin that she was going to thoroughly humiliate me. “Ladies and gentlefolks, I bring to you our newest competitor, Anonymous784! And his opponent… the three time undefeated champion…” As she spoke, I facepalmed at her generic name for me, while at the same time the massive gates on the other end gradually opened up, and a loud roar was emitted from within.

“Common rat mob!” Wait what?

As she called for it, the small rat walked out of the oversized gate, looking up to me and twitching its nose almost cutely. “Let the games begin!”