Without hesitation, Rydr added all fifteen of his free points to Strength! He started the game to feel strong. He meant that more literally than others might think. The temptation to force his new body past its physical limits was real, and Rydr intended to give in to it.

With the new points, his Strength score had reached twenty-five, like his mental attributes. The ability to catch up mollified him a little—a bit less mage-y and a little more hybrid. I'll take it.

Rydr turned his attention to his surroundings since he had finished with all the menus. A few people recorded his last crying episode, but he wouldn't find it out for a while. He was surprised to find he wasn't alone in the clearing. A few dozen people spread out on the lush grass and between the towering trees as they struggled to stand up.

On the forums, people were already blasting MONTECH for making such a buggy game. They could barely walk! A few level-headed divers spoke up and mentioned that it felt like driving a body naturally, compared to other FDVR games. The only problem is that it wasn't your body, so it felt like living in shoes that were too big. You could walk around in them, but it was uncomfortable, and you couldn't run to save your life.

These people also noted that other FDVR games felt more like you were piloting something, the avatar limited by what the game engine could do. None of the old limits applied here, and the fully rendered experience in an alien body was realistic. Most people needed to learn how to walk.

Red-faced Rydr continued berating himself while he sorted out his body; it would be a while before he started to check forums. After he put all his points in strength, he could see more noticeable definition in his arms. Rydr was delighted to see visible results, adrenaline surging through him. The image of himself tottering around, arms too large to move, came unbidden to his mind. There has to be an upper limit on muscularity, right?

Rydr looked around for anyone watching, but those that remained on the dappled forest floor were too busy trying to stand themselves. Rydr commando crawled as fast as he could to some boulders nearby. Once there, he clawed at the surface as he dragged his body upwards. His new strength surprised him as he climbed the boulder much more straightforward than he expected. The smooth engagement of power without sharp pain almost made him weep again, but he held it together.

The lumbering giant glanced down to better control his legs and found a pair of plain, gray sneakers on his feet. When Rydr thought back to when he created the clothes he now wore, he never included the shoes. It seemed that Eve was looking out for him.

Once his feet were under him, Rydr started to press down on the ground. Then, one foot in front of the other, Rydr made his way around the boulders. He kept his right hand on their surface but still found himself weaving left and right. A menu-chime sounded, but he shunted it to the side. His notifications ate too much of his time. These people aren't nearly everyone that dropped in Grotto. The others are already ahead of us. Desperation fueled his determination, and Rydr quickened his steps around the boulders.

Soon after the chime sounded, Rydr started to improve remarkably. His steps became steadier, and he stopped weaving like a drunk. Ten minutes in, and he finally stepped away from the boulders. Rydr stumbled forward a bit but otherwise maintained his balance. Face hot from the almost-blunder, Rydr looked around again. A few people were taking their wobbly steps forward, like him, but he was happy that he wasn't in the last place anymore.

One careful step at a time, Rydr made his way semi confidently towards the town. Each near-miss with tripping sent his heart beating crazily, but he managed not to eat dirt.

When he entered the trees, Rydr found a short curving path through the woods at the far end of the field. The journey gave Rydr time to practice walking, and he even jogged a little before he almost face-planted.

Above Rydr, rays lightly filtered in through breaks in the canopy, hundreds of feet in the air. He believed that individual sections of the forest must be pitch black. Soon enough, his trip ended, and more sunlight came into view, briefly blinding him. The entrance of Grotto was an overgrown gatehouse, mostly covered in lush foliage and vines. Trepidation built in his throat as Rydr approached the gatehouse.

"Halt! State your business in Grotto." Two town guards seemed to sprout from the plants. Replete with leather armor, helm, and a spear, the guard was real enough to step out of a renaissance fair. Stubble marked the speaker's chin where it jutted out from the half-helm he wore. His companion seemed content to stay quiet. They could be twins.

"I'm an adventurer trying to get my start in the lovely town of Grotto." Rydr didn't have much he could say to such a stereotypical question. Since the query wasn't complicated, he figured something simple would work. Rydr was still proud of himself for not stuttering.

The other guard squinted at him, "Lovely? Sure as shit, you ain't been here before, stranger." He spat to the side, "Go on in. We've plenty of your kind inside already." He swept his leather vambrace at the gate in a mock bow. The gesture didn't seem malicious, and Rydr could relate to "just doing your job."

Okay, I don't know what to do with that. With a mental shrug, Rydr walked past the guards, surprised the second spoke. They didn't hassle him anymore and quickly returned to the gatehouse through a door Rydr could now see was hidden by the foliage on approach.

A hand grabbed his shoulder to stop him, and he faced the gatehouse guard once more. "You're wearin' some strange clothes there, friend. Take some advice and go see the tailor and armorer." He slapped Ryder's shoulder twice and pushed him away, but Rydr didn't move. The guard's approach startled him.

"I have just begun my journey, sir, and I don't have any coin to purchase arms and armor." Rydr spread his hands apologetically. Making jeans and a tee wasn't my best idea. Could've made a sword if Eve was gonna let me keep it. Rydr grumbled to himself a bit more, lamenting that Eve didn't give him starter equipment.

The guard squinted through his leather helmet and stroked his chin. "I've got some coin I can lend you, but you'll have to pay me back in a week." The guard stuck out his hand, "The name's Amos." Amos didn't cover his scarred hand with any glove or armor. Many of the cuts on his hand looked recent.

Rydr hesitated only for a moment before he clasped wrists with the guard, "Rydr. I'll make sure to return double what you lent me." He accepted the deal, and a small notice appeared.

[Common Quest Accepted! Pay Back Your Debt]

-You accepted money from Grotto's guardsman, Amos, to get yourself some new clothes. Yours are too strange, and it may color people's impressions of you. Pay back double what you owe in a week's time or suffer the consequences!-

Received: 1 Silver Coin

Success:

~Pay back twice what you were lent

~Increased Fame in Grotto

~Possible Bonus Rewards

Failure:

~Lose Fame in Grotto

With that done, Rydr walked through the gate into a bustling street. I should have asked for directions. Rydr, too embarrassed to return to the guard, decided to wander until he had a grasp of the town's layout. Totally not to practice walking some more.

Rydr was also immensely pleased with his first quest. It didn't indicate if he would receive anything except Fame and some possible bonus, but the game gave it to him so fluidly it didn't break immersion. He would have to question an NPC to be sure, but I think Quests might be part of their world too.

Unable to pursue that, Rydr started to walk around. The sight of so many people wandering the streets with weapons strapped to them boggled his mind. He hoped that he had enough coin to buy a weapon too. Rydr could imagine himself swinging a giant sword. He was afraid he would have to walk up and smack-down monsters hand-to-hand—too many gross, squishy things to hit barehanded.

After half an hour of wandering, Rydr found both the tailor and the armorer in the overgrown town. Everywhere he looked, the small city burst with greenery, which somehow made everything look the same. The shops shared the same plot of land. Of course, it had to be the last place I looked. It couldn't be the first, too cliché.

However, just outside the two shops was a large market. People bustled all around Rydr. A sea of vivid hair colors, probably the other divers, was all he could see. Listening to the conversations around him, Rydr garnered that the local NPC's were informed of their arrival ahead of time and prepared...a job fair?

A job fair was the closest thing that came to mind. Rydr looked around quickly since he stood head-and-shoulders over almost everyone there. He could see challenges of speed, toughness, some weird hybrid challenges, and finally, his eyes landed on the strength competitions. From where Rydr stood, he could see the line for what looked like a traditional tug-of-war. He couldn't see the challenge clearly because of the distance and crowd.

Before he went over there, Rydr took a second look at the NPC's busy observing the competing divers. They look like college scouts. He shook his head and ignored them.

Rydr made his way through the crowd to wait in line. As he walked closer, Rydr saw that he was mistaken before. Instead of a typical tug-of-war where two sides competed, the rope here vanished into a round hole in the building's stone wall. To Rydr, it looked like a mill. Challengers went up one at a time to haul back on the rope in any way they chose. A set of stone pillars stood on either side of the rope, and challengers were free to brace on them as much as they wanted.

The current contender did just that. With a shock of short, spiked white hair, the pale warrior tried to extend his legs to brace on both pillars at once. The diver's face turned blue, then purple, and finally deathly pale.

Rydr watched everything happen in awe. The white-haired diver discovered that the pillar was out of reach, short of a full split. By the time he found out, it was already too late to pull back. The rope was too heavy, and he'd overextended.

The diver's foot slipped off the right-most pillar, but he didn't let go of the rope. All the force the diver held back suddenly whipped forward, and he yelped before slamming into the mill's stone wall. An explosion of light heralded the diver's untimely and very public death.

The rope audibly zipped through the hole as its resistance pulled it back in like a measuring tape. The warrior who ran the challenge moved for the first time besides handing someone their reward. With one hand, he grabbed the tail of the rope as it tore past and halted it in its tracks.

Holy shit! Retired as a miller and still strong enough to stop it with one hand? Rydr admired the old veteran's strength as he gently let out the rest of the tension, sliding the rope between his fingers. Once finished, he stepped to the side again and motion for someone else to come forward. The miller did everything in silence. He didn't even grunt.

No one knew that, while the old warrior was retired, the mill he ran employed only himself. Not only that, but he and the local smith attached springs, winch, and pulley systems to the entire mill and its twelve giant millstones. The longer one pulled, the more millstones were activated, while the attached springs wound tighter, increasing the resistance.

It was the miller's standard workout. The mayor asked them to set up a newbie test, which altered the system to engage three huge millstones inside the building.

It was a tense moment as everyone waited for someone else to take the challenge after witnessing the embarrassing death. The pregnant pause ended as another warrior, this time a bald, burly man, stepped up to the rope.

The crowd sagged in relief as the line resumed. When Rydr joined the queue, divers in front of him shifted nervously as the giant got in behind them. Those people that joined after Rydr were not nervous and openly gawked at his height.

The line quickly grew shorter because no one got very far. The rope was painted, which seemed to represent the level of reward you won based on the color of the exposed paint. So far, no one managed to force out anything but the red-painted rope. Divers then sullenly walked up to the barrel-chested warrior in charge and received ten copper for their efforts.

Soon enough, it was Rydr's turn. He nervously stepped up to where the rope lay on the ground. It was already sweaty from other people, but Rydr swallowed his squeamishness and picked it up. He wrapped the roped around his right hand and leaned down into it, letting his weight pull the rope taut while his right arm stayed close to his chest.

As Rydr got in position, a system chime echoed in his head. He smiled to himself and immediately opened it, expectant.

[Common Quest Accepted! Old Warrior's Challenge]

-You have accepted the Miller's Test of Strength. Do everything and anything to expose more colors for higher rewards! *This contest will be available for a week after [Frontier Online]'s Launch.*-

Success:

~Unknown (Tiered)

Failure:

~24 Hours Cool Down on "Old Warrior's Challenge"

Rydr's smile widened when he read the quest's information. Are we intended to use these tests as a measuring stick for ourselves? He assumed the timetables in the quest were "in-game."

Then Rydr transitioned, so his left leg extended, and he semi-crouched on his right. With his left hand on the rope, Rydr took a deep breath and started to pull back underhanded. Other divers began to gather around him and watch the giant in red take on the strength challenge. A number of the previous contestants recorded, hoping to see the giant fail so they could feel better about themselves.

Hand over hand, Rydr pulled at the rope. Each time he switched the grip with his right, he wrapped the rough rope around his hand again to anchor it. After five pulls on the rope, Rydr forced himself from his crouched stance and slid his feet carefully to the pillars on either side of him. The weight in his hands still felt light, but he wasn't so confident that he believed he didn't need them. His heart pounded wildly in his chest as the world faded away, the way it always did when Rydr focused.

Where others clutched at a single pillar to brace themselves, Rydr sat on the ground with both legs bent and his feet planted on both posts. His sheer size factor made the previous contestants hoping for his failure green with envy. A few of them even turned off their recordings and settled in to watch; others persisted, certain Rydr would humiliate himself despite his advantage.

Unaware, Rydr started to pull at the rope again, although his motions resembled a row now instead of pulling. Soon his second advantage showed itself. Rydr's reach was tremendous. Every time he bent his knees and exchanged grips, the amount of rope he pulled out dwarfed the preceding contestants.

Inside the mill, the second millstone engaged and started to grind as the roped suddenly changed from red to blue. At this point, Rydr's heart beat from the actual effort and not excitement. Paradoxically, Rydr's smile grew in tandem with the rope's tension.

The miller, named Shane, looked up with interest for the first time. Rydr guessed right when he assumed no one else managed to pull past red paint so far. Rope coiled messily on the ground behind Rydr, where more divers stopped to watch what was happening, a few feet away. Rydr's feet ground heavily into his sneakers where they met the stone pillars, and his joints began to ache as he pulled more.

But, I feel like I can keep going. Rydr paused for a moment to breathe, his chest heaving- but not as hard as it could. After he collected himself, Rydr resumed again. Before long, shorter than he'd paused for, the color of the rope changed to green. The third millstone rolled forward, and the sudden addition of new weight made Rydr pause for a split second before he redoubled his efforts.

Rydr grunted with each coil of rope he pulled out. Sweat poured down his face, and his shirt soaked through, sticking to his body. Rydr's unique physique, this early in the game, garnered some admiration from the audience. His shoulders bulged noticeably with every move through the thin red tee-shirt.

The young man panted as he kept going. The world was gone, the effort of the challenge eclipsing everything. His legs always shook, despite Rydr's efforts to steady them. Unable to see the rope's color anymore, Rydr didn't notice the color stop and change to the unpainted rope beneath. The rope stopped coming out of the wall.

When the resistance peaked, and he couldn't pull anymore, Rydr stubbornly dug in, abusing his poor sneakers further. The miller nervously stepped away from the wall as he eyed the giant stranger. Rydr's muscles strained against his skin as he kept pulling. With a crouch, he grabbed lower on the rope and tried to extend in a full row.

Joints screamed at him as Rydr committed to the herculean effort before the rope's tension suddenly gave way, and he went sprawling in the dirt. Other divers backed away and tripped over each other when Rydr collapsed, expecting disaster.

There was, just not near Rydr. A loud metal snap came from inside the mill with the rope went slack, which made the miller abandon his post to check inside.

Shane was dumbfounded to find the coils and pulleys broken off the first three millstones used for the newbie test. The rope, enchanted from his adventuring days, managed to hold against the giant kid's strength, but the rest of the system couldn't. Shane numbly walked around before he rummaged through his storage near the back and grabbed something.

Back outside, Rydr picked himself up off the ground as his head chimed with more notices. Under him was a gouge in the earth, where his butt leveraged against the dirt. Rydr blushed and looked around. He didn't see the old warrior anywhere but saw that the door to the mill was open. With nothing else to do, he waited by the pillars and checked his notices.

*Talk to Shane, the retired warrior, to accept your reward.*

[Elite Feat! You Broke It]

-Congratulations! With your unrestrained stubbornness, you managed to destroy the Strength Challenge in the beginner village, Grotto. Like a bull in a china shop, nothing stops you from flexing your strength! You are the only diver to achieve this feat. (Feat Tier Upgrade- Rare to Elite)-

+10 Strength

+5 Constitution