“Alric-kun, I might choose this.” Reina picked up a gnarled stick which looked like a wooden staff, if not for the thick bushy end. She showed it to him before an orange window popped up with a detailed description of the item after she tapped it with her finger.

“A broom? Because Reina-san likes to clean, is that it?” Alric added a hint of teasing to his voice, but it was all a cover up. He didn't know how to react to Reina's weapon choice. The obvious choices for Casters are staves, rods, wands and grimoires. So to facilitate the conversation, he resorted to teasing. Having known her for awhile, he was aware that it was the best way to gain more information from her. His quip about her being a neat freak wasn't far off the mark either.

Alric can still recall when he saw a picture of Reina’s collection. The girl had built a small library in her tiny room. All her books, manga, comic collections, and figurines were organized with painstaking precision. As for him, like any ordinary teen about his age, he did what he could to keep things tidy.

“Eh?! N-Not really, I think it might go well with my chosen race. And I also have a theory on classes... ” If it were possible, her angry-red flushed face turned to something akin to a tomato. She couldn’t take the way Alric was looking at her, making her lose her esteem.

"What's your theory?" Curiosity got the better of Alric. Since they were all new to the game, he thought that it was best to gather as much information as they could.

"That race has a direct correlation to class. But weapon of choice and skill selection also play a role in it. For example, a human and an elf caster both chose a staff as their weapon of choice. The former can advance to a mage while the latter can become a spirit channeler. They chose the same weapon and skills, but they ended up with different classes. So the deciding factor this time would be the race, right? Humans have unlimited potential while elves have high affinity with magic and spirits." Reina looked at Alric, making sure he had gotten what she has said so far.

"Well, if we take a look at weapons. It's quite simple, if a player chose a sword, they'd turn into a swordsman. If it were a bow, they'd turn to archers. Of course, race is also a determinant. But I feel that although race would be the constant, weapon choice would be the variable. It's the one that stirs your class into one direction. Since I'm a Yokai, a ghost race connected to supernatural phenomenon, if I chose a broom as a weapon then there is a chance for me to end up as a witch." Reina finished and refocused her attention to Alric.

‘Oh no...oh no! I hope Alric-kun doesn’t think I roleplay too much! But what if…what if he thinks I’m too weird and avoids me for it? Noooo! This situation is an emergency! Must divert his attention!’ She thought to herself upon seeing him blink. She mistook his surprise as a reaction to her wanting to become a witch. Even though what surprised him was how her theory made a lot of sense.

“Have you chosen a weapon Alric-kun?” She asked not meeting his gaze.

Getting back to the task at hand, Alric skimmed the array of weapons lined up on the table and walls. What Reina theorized carried some weight.

Let's say someone got lost in the middle of nowhere. If we equated the destination as the player's class, then we can say that class acquisition was the direction. The player would need tools to get to that location without any difficulty. The race would be the map that provided the blueprint. It was an immovable factor, and it will always affect a player's class. Alric liked to think that Reina's comparison of a weapon of choice to a compass, which led you to your class, was on point. Skills were the same, but instead of a compass, they're like landmarks that added a touch up to the system. If for example, a mage chose spells that only focused on fire, he or she would end up as a fire mage. So, in conclusion, this map, compass, and landmark should lead you to where you want to go.

Alric wanted to believe that there must be a hidden factor somewhere. There always was a secret to these things. You only had to find out the trick behind it.

Sorting all the information he has gathered up to now, Alric's gaze stopped at the one-hand swords right in front of him. Picking up one, he tried swinging it and found the weight to be light. Dual wielding one hand swords seemed to be the craze. He was confident that many would take that up. But he wasn't the type to ride the bandwagon.

Wanting to be unique, he returned it to the table and instead went over to the shelf with daggers and short swords. Daggers were gaining popularity due to the high mobility they offered towards their user. But that was where the pros ended. The fact that the weapon had a short reach meant it required the player to be in a short-range to deal damage. That didn’t sit well with Alric who played a mid-vanguard character.

Then his eyes fell on the weapons on the far left. He walked towards there, intrigued by the display. The swords had an Eastern theme, and they resembled katanas. He did his best to fight his impulse. The temptation was too much. After all, people have said that katanas are a man's romance. The design looked cool as always. It even had the perfect length, unlike those games that didn't make sense. He always wanted to try using one, but the style didn't fit him.

“One difficult choice after another. First, we had to deal with the number of races. It's like we're back to square one. We have so many weapon choices as beginners.” It was true; most games only offered basic equipment. At most, they either gave you a sword, spear, axe or a bow. Some even offered knuckles, claws or throwing weapons. When it came to magic weapons, it usually boiled down to a staff, rod, wand or a book.

Alric almost gave up and went with the eastern swords, but then his attention shifted to a deserted corner of the hall. Few people came by the display and the ones who did only perused the weapons in the area. No one even tried any of the things presented for all to see. The tables and walls were packed with staves in different lengths. Now don't confuse them with the kind that magic casters used to channel their spells. The ones on the table were the kinds used to bludgeon enemies, usually seen used by monks.

Now, this was where the dilemma came in. If the system tied monks to bo staff usage, will that turn him into that kind of class? He hoped not. He didn't have anything against monks. They were very versatile, being able to support and dish out damage. They can attack at mid-range while being able to buff his teammates. It was what Alric wanted to do in the first place. Except for one thing, monks were hybrid support types. He wanted to become a hybrid offense type character.

“Alric-san, are you perhaps eyeing those weapons? They aren’t a popular choice. Except the fact that it has good range, it doesn’t offer good bonuses to physical nor magical damage. How should I put it…hmm…more like they are balanced?”

“So you mean to say, since it doesn't have a lot of benefits, few people use it right?” Without her knowledge, Reina supplied three points which made Alric lean towards trying these weapons.

For one, it was perfect as it gave him a good range which fits the role he always played. It also provides balanced magical and physical bonuses that coincided with his status build. And of course, the reason that only a few people were using these kinds of weapons.

There was one more important factor that he didn't let his friends know. He trained in the art of arnis. A technique which combined several fighting styles from unarmed combat to the use of a machete. This style evolved throughout the years to involve the usage of several weapons. It ranged from two arnis sticks, to a bo staff, hook blades, machetes and more. It wasn't a sport he was into, more like a hobby he did with his late father. He only stopped when he passed away.

'Why are you making me use a stick like a barbarian? You know robbers use guns these days. This fragile thing wouldn't protect me from one.'

'Arnis isn't only about self-defense. It's also good to build character! Plus if you...'

Alric closed his eyes and took a deep breath. This moment wasn't the right time to be traipsing down memory lane. To avoid looking like a dimwitted fool, he took one staff from the display and inspected it. Like all beginner weapons, it didn’t offer anything when it came to aesthetics. It was a simple wooden stick and nothing else.

But when he gripped the handle, a line that went around the middle of the staff drew his attention. Examining it made his head tilt as he moved his hands in opposite directions.

A mechanical pop sounded, as the weapon split into two, which made Reina gasp “Ehhh! Alric-kun you broke it!”

“Not really…it’s somehow part of its mechanics. Let’s see…” He made a move to touch the weapon with his fingertips, and sure enough, a window popped out that showed its details.

"I’ve heard of three and even two section staffs before but not this one..." Alric muttered while he studied the possibilities with the weapon. The three section kinds split equally into three. Two section staffs were uneven because the location of the division was in the third quarter of the staff. The one he held was clean cut right in the middle. It didn’t even have the chains or strings inside to prevent it from entirely separating. He moved around facing the wall and gripped the weapons in both hands.

Closing his eyes, Alric took a deep breath, letting the parted staff rotate nimbly on his hands. Crouching a bit to adjust his center of gravity, Alric brought it in front of him and combined the two parts with swiftness. He spun the whole length of the staff overhead with ease. Without stopping, he shifted the rotating stick to his dominant left hand and moved it towards his back. It ended with the weapon resting on his shoulder-blade while his right hand was outstretched in front of him.

Reina had sparkling eyes from his impromptu display of skill, her mouth agape as she made an “Oooh!” sound. It was enough for Alric to feel embarrassed about his actions. He knew that he must have looked like someone from a kung-fu or karate movie without intending to. He was only checking if he still had the ability to wield such weapons.

“Well, I have my weapon now and--I didn’t discover my class. Maybe I have to pick skills to go with it?” He looked at Reina who nodded vigorously at him.

“By the way Reina-san, why is my weapon not favored by many when compared to others?” Although Reina already provided a brief explanation, Alric was still puzzled at how the players arrived at that conclusion. That battle staffs were inferior to other weapons.

“Well, there are two basic types of damage, and that is magical and physical. When we talk about the former, it’s influenced by elemental attributes and affinities. Since we’re talking about your weapon, let’s focus on the latter instead. The game system divided physical damage into five types. Slash damage is mostly attributed to swords while spears and lances do thrust. Bows and guns specialize with pierce damage. Battle staffs are for strike damage while maces and clubs are responsible for crush. Between the last two, the latter is more appealing. It adds a variety of effects such as added damage, 'stagger' or sometimes the 'faint' status. It also has higher chances of destroying armor. Also, battle staffs require two hands to master while maces and clubs have one hand varieties. If you consider it, the other kinds of damage are superior to what the battle staff offers." Reina had to pause in some parts, but she explained the points without hesitation. Like she memorized it from a script.

“Reina-san read a lot of guides huh?” It seemed to him that she became a walking encyclopedia of the game. Or it could be that his friend didn’t want to feel left out. Both of them were unable to play the beta test. Him because at that time he didn't have any interest in the game, while Reina wasn't lucky enough to be a participant. Unlike Jess and Thor who had prior experience, they were both walking in the dark. Well, that's what he thought. It was apparent that Reina did some reading about the game in the different forums.

“I-it seems we're all set Alric-kun, let’s go and follow Thor-kun and Jessie-chan outside!” Reina responded, her cheeks coloring once again. They finalized their choices, picked up their starter bags, and went out of the building.

~*~

“Oy! Alric! Reina-chan! What took you so long?” That was what greeted them when they finally made it out of the building. They had to go against the throng of people who were going inside the building. Jess waved at them and gave them a simple “Yo!” as greeting.

“I had to pause and think about my weapon. Didn't know it would be troublesome figuring out what my weapon would be, so it took us a while. The first game that offered beginners these many choices. Anyway, let’s go do some quests!” Alric said as he showed them his bo staff.

“That’s what I’m talking about! Let's party up then!” Thor pressed a few buttons on his panel, and a window popped up in front of Reina and Alric.

Leave it to Thor to come up with these weird names. The party name he came up with was inspired by the Arthurian stories he was so fond of. But then again, Alric was not that good with names as well. So to avoid potential sniping, he grudgingly let the thing slide. In fact, that’s one of the reasons why he and Thor were best of friends. They didn't have any naming sense.

The four of them met only through the online games they played. Thor and Jess already knew each other in real life for a long time. She joined a few months after Alric met Thor in-game. They all met Reina after switching to a different MMORPG. With her addition, she completed their ragtag group of friends.

Online games coupled with social media had magic which made bonds grow. It was one of those things that were unique to online games. Gamers often said that it was a case of people who never met each other in person, yet they were closer to each other compared to people they knew in real life. Although it rarely developed further than gaming to most, some friendships blossomed and strengthened throughout the years.

“The beginner quest starts there at the farmer’s house. Let’s go!”

Thor and Jess led the way, which Alric and Reina already expected since they were Beta testers who knew their way around. According to them, the beta test included limited map exploration. There were only four places accessible during that phase. The four locations coincided with the four gates of the beginner city of Lemuria. The Forest Maze to the north, the Spider Nest at the south, the Underground Cavern to the east and the Plains to the west.

“Here we are! Good morning! We’re new adventurers, and we’re looking into taking a quest!” Jess started a conversation with a rather plump female NPC whose house was near the west gate.

“Thank you for responding to our Mayor’s call! The mere presence of adventurers fills us with security! You don't know how much this means to us! We were instructed to seek your help as much as we can. Well, with the recent events that happened, more monsters started appearing in the areas around our city. Because of that, the town guards have had a hard time keeping them in check. And with that, our fields on the plains outside the gates are now populated by Gummies. If you can, please help us exterminate at least thirty of them.”

As The NPC spoke, Alric observed another thing that fascinated him regarding the game. The incredible artificial intelligence created by the developers was flawless. It allowed for the NPC’s to have an intricate vocabulary enabling them to respond freely to conversations. Coupled with the very much human-like way they moved and it seemed as if they were talking to real people. He observed every little detail he could. How their spoken words matched with synchronized gestures and facial expressions. If anything, the brilliance of the system implemented approached to godlike. They were able to reproduce human replicas inside the game. He wondered whether this was the beginning of a new age for artificial intelligence.

And also, the generic "kill number of monsters" quest. Alric almost sighed. All MMORPG's he played had this basic quest template. If he could review the game right now, he would mention this as a potential flaw. If the developers wanted to stay unique, they had to do better than this. Quests make up a substantial portion of a game. It prevented grind-y gameplay. It also provided the players a sense of connection when they completed a quest given by NPC's

Without any more questions, Jess gave her affirmative. In turn, a panel appeared in front of the party which gave a detailed description of the quest.

Since the farmer’s house was a few steps away from the western gate, it was easy enough to spot the plains infested with Gummies. Only now, it wasn’t just the bouncing monsters that were crowding the place. Adventurers who soloed and teamed up to finish the first quest set up by the game also flocked the area.

Seeing as there was a throng of players nearby, the group first chose a secluded spot. They wanted to be able to exterminate monsters without any hitch. Most players adhered to a set of rules when playing an online game. One particular rule that belonged to that list was kill stealing or commonly referred with the acronyms KS. Players considered kill stealing a taboo in online gaming etiquette. Incurring penalties from preying on mobs belonging to other players could happen in a congested area. Sometimes, even unavoidable in densely packed places. To prevent butting heads with others, the players often avoid this practice. Some games even set system-wide security to combat this. The reason for this was because some people enjoyed KS-ing for the fun of it. Thus, they coined the term 'Killstealer' for individuals who did it to cause trouble.

“Alright, I will tank them while you go protect the ladies Alric! Reina-chan and Jess will dish out damage from the back!”

Nodding in agreement, they all fell into their places without further instructions. Everyone knew what their roles were; already having played MMORPG games together before. It was one of the basics in strategy to know what your role was in a group or a party.

In that regard, Thor was the best among them when it came to advanced planning. The group calls him the strategist, coming up with a plethora of tactics in fighting different monsters. A perfectionist to the core, he liked it when the plan being implemented corners the enemies. The only problem was, he had a tendency to panic when things didn't go his way.

In contrast, Alric's skills shined in quick decision making. He was one of those types that were able to maintain grace under pressure. This trait of his allowed him a wider range in viewing how the battlefield played out. That was why he was the perfect mid-vanguard. Closing in to dish damage, moving back to ensure the safety of the healer and ranged damage dealers while still inflicting damage was his specialty.

Everyone had shared a look before they all nodded. This battle would make things official; it would mark the start of their "gaming" days in Infinitia Online. Alric gripped the two-section staff, his body tensed up as they began with the quest. The targets were bouncing blue jellies that looked like the head of some bear. Whoever thought of the pun on creating gummy bear monsters must've been drunk at the time. Suffice to say, people who had problems dealing with cute things will have trouble exterminating them. But for the group, a quest was a quest.

It was quite obvious why the farmers would want them eradicated. Don't get fooled by their peaceful appearance. The little jumping things seemed to have greens on top of their munching list. If stomping, absorbing, and digesting can be even called as munching. Since their bodies were transparent, you can see how the plants "melted" inside their bodies. The jelly swarm has already destroyed a third of the whole area. If left unchecked, the crop field would turn into a barren wasteland.

“Here goes! [‘Lion’s Roar!’]” Thor yelled, activating his skill. A loud primitive roar that imitated a lion echoed in the area. A red aura, shaped like his avatar left his body and projected outward. In response, three gummies nearby all bounced towards their direction.

“A provoke skill right off the bat?!” Alric yelled as his friend continued to generate hate while slashing with his sword and blocking with his shield to deal with the gummies attracted by his provocation.

[‘Magic Arrow!’]

[‘Snowflake Assault!’]

The words uttered by the two women from behind Alric, made him turn towards their direction. An arrow made of pure golden light left Jess’ bow, while three snowflake crystals appeared in front of Reina’s broom. Both launched at the same time and flew through the air.

The projectiles connected with the gummies and dealt lethal damage causing them to burst.

“Good job guys! Keep it coming! Alric, pay more attention to the fight!” Jess yelled which brought Alric back to reality.

The women proved that they wouldn't get left in the dust. It was evident that they also played a piece of the puzzle in their team mechanics.

Reina was a pure damage dealer. The party relegated this task to her because the girl had iron focus. When she got started on a monster, she wouldn't stop until the monster became a mass of mush. In other words, a madwoman bent on the destruction of whatever she sets her sights on. She wasn't the type to spam her skills like most damage dealers. Reina knew how to pace herself and utilize her magical energy in the most efficient way possible. That wasn't the only thing she was good at though. Lately, Reina took it upon herself and added crowd control to her repertoire. It might be the reason why she chose the ice element in the first place. Usually, her skill set came from the fire element. She had a penchant for using explosion magic.

True to her upbeat personality, Jess was the "cheerleader" of the group. She made a note of how each of them was able to accomplish their task. Chastised those who are slacking off and were veering away from the plans. While the others have their specialties, Jess had a more balanced playstyle. Her multitasking ability rounds out the overall team mechanics and helps them function as one. When it came to focus, Jess' tended to be erratic. When in a battle, she comes in second to Alric for being cool headed. But this energetic Miss loses it whenever Thor starts to lose concentration. She acted like Thor's drill sergeant who kept him in line. Aside from being second when it came to damage, Jessie focused on distraction. Her actions served as means to prevent enemy attacks from connecting. If she spotted a monster that attempted to cast a spell, her arrow would be sure to fly and stop it.

“Sorry, was just surprised at your skills.” He said and started to bludgeon the gummy that was jumping in front of him. The monster received damage, but his attack wasn’t enough to kill it.

The gummy responded by doing a head--a body tackle, since its whole body was in fact, shaped like a head. Alric narrowly avoided by dodging. He sidestepped and countered with an upward sweep of his staff. He followed up with a downward slam, which made the gummy burst, leaving behind the loot.

“Hmm…so it takes three hits to kill a gummy huh?” Alric mumbled to himself which made his other members stop what they were doing and look at him.

“It can’t be helped I guess?” Reina sighed making Alric look at his friends and say “Why are you stopping? Ehh?!”

“Alric-kun, have you perhaps checked your skill tree?” Reina looked at him with questioning eyes.

He felt himself color and to disperse it off, he laughed and scratched his head. “Well, I never really had the chance to. Sorry about that, but can you tell me more about it?”