Inside a room was a simple bed, a closet locker, a huge table with various equipments, and a computer terminal. On the bed was a figure with unkempt black hair, with only a pair of dark gray underpants on and black watch-like device on his left arm.

A beeping sound came from the device, and the figure on the bed woke up, revealing his platinum-colored irises. Slowly, he got up from the bed and looked at the device on his wrist. Pressing a button, a hologram appeared and hovered above the device.

From: Assistant Trainer Natalie Myers

To: Unranked Soldier Codenamed AllIsDead

Subject: Registration Completion

Message:

Soldier, today is the day. We owe you a great thanks to what you have done last month. If not for your help, would have ended up as rubble.

You have accepted our offer and proceeded with the paperworks over the course of this month. Even with the lack of information such as your origin or the reason for your appearance during that time, we have decided to ignore those facts due to our gratitude and approved your registration.

Gear up and proceed to the .

Quest Received!

Registration Completion

Proceed to the to complete your registration.

Indeed, the figure on the bed was Allen. He stood up from the bed and looked around the room. The walls and floor were made out of metal sheets. Feeling the cold seep through the soles of his feet, he hurriedly went to the closet locker. Inside were a white button-shirt, a black and gray jacket, black pants, and dark gray short boots. Touching the pants, a holographic message appeared over his hand. This was the Item Interaction Window. In it were the choices: , , , and .

In Hazard Frontier Online, Item Interaction Windows, or IIW, appear automatically whenever the player interacts with an item. A choice can then be made by mentally choosing an option without the need for manually clicking, pressing, or using a voice command. This shortens the time spent on interacting with objects in the world.

Choosing , the pants disappeared from Allen’s hand and reappeared on his body. Doing this same process for the other items, he was now fully clothed. He then tried to interact with the other items inside the room like the computer terminal and the equipments on the table, but the options were grayed out. It meant that it was not yet available for interaction.

’I guess I need to do the quest first.’

Allen was quick to adapt. He had played other games before and he had already noticed that this quest, like other games, will be used to teach the player the basics and at the same time provide some sort of back story for the game so that the player can easily immerse himself or herself in the game world.

He left the room through the automatic sliding door, commonly seen in many futuristic SF movies. On both sides of the wall beside the door was a biometric fingerprint scanner with a keypad. The decor on the outside was pretty much the same as in the room; walls and floors of metal sheets. Lined on the both sides of the corridor were doors similar to his.

’So how do I get to this lab?’

He remembered the information he read on the Internet. One of the starting items, the watch-like device on his wrist called the , had many features. One of that was the feature. Pressing one of the buttons, an IIW appeared with only one option: *New*.

Selecting , a thin blue light appeared from the watch aimed toward the floor. Before hitting the floor, it steeply curved to trace the floor, formed a straight line along the corridor and turning around a corner.

When he let go of the button, the light disappeared. Only the person and his party members could see that light. This feature reminded Allen of an old horror SF game.

He activated the again and followed the light. After a few turn, he arrived at an area with four elevators. He entered one of them. The control panel in the elevator had the among the buttons, so Allen chose that. It was a no-brainer.

While the elevator descended, Allen couldn’t help but admire at the amount of details in the game. In the previous VRMMO he played, he was too focused on getting stronger by leveling up, collecting the best equipments, and refining his combat abilities. Now, after watching that opening video, and starting the game in this manner of waking up in a room and receiving messages, he felt like he was truly living in this world. It was so immersing that he didn’t notice that he had already arrived if not for the doors opening by itself.

He walked out of the door and was greeted by a man wearing a guard uniform. He was seated behind a counter with a computer terminal The counter formed an arc surrounding a corner of the room. There was a glass-paned door by the wall beside the counter opposite the elevator. The guard took out a handheld device that looked like a bar-code scanner.

“Show me your .”

Following his instructions, Allen placed his left hand over the counter. The guard hovered the scanner device over his . After three seconds, a green light appeared over the scanner.

“Go on ahead.”

The guard pressed a few keys on the keyboard hidden behind the counter. The door opened with the sound of pressurized air escaping.

Allen entered, and as he did, the door slid close. In front of him was another door but there was no sign of it opening. Instead, cold air blew from the vent on the ceiling while air was being sucked out through the vents on the bottom of the two opposite walls. Allen felt his ears ‘pop’ as the pressure in the room changed. The door then slid open.

’That was way too awesome.’

He thought as he stepped out. At first he was actually slightly regretful for giving in to his desires and buying the game, but now, he thought it was worth it. It was different from his previous experiences, but it was still as great or even better.

’I wonder why this isn’t as famous as the other games?’

“You’re here.”

An aged voice interrupted his thoughts. He looked around and saw a balding bespectacled man who looks to be in his sixties. He wore a white lab coat and in his hand was a clipboard. Behind him were a few other people in white lab coats. Some of them were filling in and filing documents. Others were carrying samples from one station to another. In the three walls of the room were entrances to corridors that led further in.

Not knowing how to respond, Allen could only stare at him.

“Don’t be so nervous… Unranked Soldier Codenamed AllIsDead.”

He had to look at the document attached to the clipboard to figure out Allen’s name.

“I’m Doctor Kevin Pheol. I’m the head researcher here in Base 19’s laboratories. Follow me.”

He then turned around and guided Allen to the rightmost corridor. They passed by many rooms lining the corridor. Allen could see the people inside conducting all sorts of experiment with materials that looked like crystals.

Seeing his interest, Dr. Pheol started an explanation.

“These are the Living Crystal testing chambers. We are trying to further understand and discover the possible uses of Living Crystal. It’s dangerous, but we have a full complement of safety equipments and procedures for handling up to emergency case scenarios. We’re here.”

They arrived at the end of the corridor, and Allen was guided into a room. The first thing that came into view was a control terminal console in front of a glass panel. Behind the panel was a bigger room. There was a reclining chair in the center, and the backrest had a gap in the middle. There were a lot of large equipments surrounding the chair, most of them had mechanical arms with injections and surgical tools on the tips.

There was a female who seems to be in her late twenties, also in a white lab coat, sitting in front of the terminal console. As soon as they entered, she greeted them with a light nod, then turned back to the console.

“Is the calibration procedure done?”

“Almost there, doctor.”

Dr. Pheol nodded with satisfaction then guided Allen into the inner room.

“She’s my daughter, and also my assistant. Take off your upper clothes and settle down on the chair. We’ll just be behind the glass.”

He said as he left the room. The door slid close and the clicking sound of the lock could be heard. The glass panel was see-through only on one side. From the inner room, Allen could only see a mirror. He took of his clothes with the command and placed it on a nearby empty desk, then sat down on the chair, feeling slightly nervous.

’I still don’t know what’s going on.’

Dr. Pheol must have forgotten to explain to him what he was here for. That was the conclusion he came up with.

Just sit down and relax.

The doctor’s voice came through the speaker.

There’s an air vent on the sides of the headrest of the chair. We’ll be mixing a sedative in, so don’t worry.

Allen quickly felt more relaxed. The sedative was working.

Vital signs stable. We’re beginning the procedure. Injecting anesthetic through the spinal fluid. Good.

Waiting for full effect… There you go. Now, ready the control segment. Align it with the Medula Oblongata. Align the First Limiter on the Second Thoracic Vertebra. Attaching… You might still feel a slight pain. Don’t worry, that’s within the predictions.

Okay… now insert the locks. Wonderful, well done.

Prime the LC fluid. Inject in 3… 2… 1… As expected, no rejection and 100% assimilation.

Congratulations, AllIsDead. You are Base 19’s very first Crystal Soldier.

We rest our hopes upon you.

Class Up!

You are now a Crystal Soldier with Class I Rank 0.

There are ten classes, ranging from I to X. For each class, there are eleven ranks, 0 to 10. After reaching the eleventh rank, receive and pass a promotion quest to receive a recommendation for class up. Then, show the recommendation to Dr. Pheol.

You have gained 50 Crynergy Points.

With your back story of , you gain extra 20% Crynery Points. You now have a total of 60 Crynergy Points available for distribution.

Crynergy Points are used to improve your character’s traits. There are five traits:

*Vitality - This determines the amount of damage you can receive before you die.

*Health Regen - The rate at which you recover from injuries outside of combat. During combat, the recovery slows down to 5%.

*Stamina - Using skills drain stamina. Management of Stamina is essential in combat.

*Rejuvenation - The rate at which you recover from exhaustion. During combat, the recovery slows down to 50%.

*Ability - This determines the number of skills you can use in combat.

Note that the amount of Crynergy Points required for improving these traits increases every ten levels of improvement.

Distribute your Cryngery Points now

Requires 1 Crynergy Point for upgrade

Current Value 1000 => 1040 After Upgrade

Requires 1 Crynergy point for upgrade

Current Value 100/s => 105/s After Upgrade

Requires 1 Crynergy Point for upgrade

Current Value 100 => 105 After upgrade

Requires 1 Crynergy point for upgrade

Current Value 20/s => 21/s After upgrade

Requires 1 Crynergy point for upgrade

Current Value 5 => 5 After upgrade (requires eight upgrades for value to increase)

Allen had not yet risen from the reclining chair when those windows popped up in front of him. He read through them all, and he already had an idea about it. This was another one that makes this game different from the others. Instead of using the traditional stats that affect other properties, the properties or themselves were being raised by the distributed points.

He upgraded to 8, increasing the number of skills he can use in combat to five. He then upgraded and with the remaining points equally; 18 upgrades each. ’s value was now 190/s while was now 38/s.

His reasoning for this distribution was that if he increased his and , it will take longer to regenerate them. By increasing the regeneration first, it would increase his survivability on the field, as long as he doesn’t get hit too much.

New Achievement!

The Precursor

“We rest our hopes upon you.”

You are the very first player to become a Crystal Soldier of .

Rewards:

10 Creation Points

Badge

Access the terminal in your workshop to see the rewards.

Before he could react to that sudden announcement, the door opened and Dr. Pheol entered with a warm smile. He quickly put his clothes back on.

“I had never seen such a beautiful and complete assimilation of the to a human being before. I could truly expect great things from you in the future.”

Allen only nodded his head. The woman from earlier appeared behind the doctor.

“Assistant Trainer Myers left me with a message for you. She said that as soon as you’re done here, you are to proceed to the training grounds. My assistant, Eleanor, will see you out of the labs. I will be staying here to study your data and results.”

Quest updated.

Registration Completion

Proceed to the to complete your registration.

Eleanor nodded at Allen then left the room. He followed behind her, and they left through the corridor. On the way back, Allen couldn’t help but notice that his steps were lighter, and his senses felt sharper. Eleanor noticed his confusion.

“That is the effect of the Living Crystal. It boosted your physical abilities. With that boost, it makes handling the Crystal Weapons much easier.”

He remembered the opening video of the game as well as the recorded battle of BlackPrincess.

’So, those are the Crystal Weapons…’

With those over-sized weapons, it wouldn’t be hard to imagine ordinary people having a difficult time waving those things around.

Finally, they arrived at the exit of the .

“See you later.”

“Please, always be careful.”

“I will. You, too.”

After saying his farewell, he left by going through that small pressurised chamber again.

The was a simple circular room with two heightened areas on each side. The one on the left was at a height that could be jumped on, while the one on the right required pulling yourself up. On the opposite side of the entrance, on a second-storey height, was a see-through glass wall of an observation room. Behind the glass wall were three people: a stern-faced middle-aged man with only one arm, a serious-looking woman in her early twenties with short brown hair, and a bespectacled teenage girl holding a clipboard.

’The trainer, the assistant, and the secretary, I’m guessing.’

Allen had used the to quickly find the . He had just entered, and this was the site that greeted him. After a few seconds of standing there, he saw the middle-aged man conclude his conversation with the serious-looking woman, then used the microphone on the console.

Congratulations, I’ve seen the report. A hundred percent assimilation. Don’t let that get to your head. That doesn’t matter when you’re out there. What you need is real combat abilities.

We’re here to observe your capabilities in combat against those damned beasts, so we’re gonna simulate one right now. This training ground can provide a realistic hologram for you to fight against. Don’t hold back and shame yourself.

Without even introducing himself, he had made a rough explanation of what Allen was supposed to do.

On the opposite side of the entrance, on the bottom of the wall beneath the observation room, a part of the wall opened and lowered. Behind was a rack of weapons, each one as huge as Allen.

They’re just practice weapons, not the real deal. Pick one you’re most comfortable in, then we’ll start.

There were many choices, but the one that caught his attention was the pair of blades smaller than the others. It reminded him of BlackPrincess. He shook his head and seriously tried to choose a weapon. He hefted them in his hands one by one to get a feel for them.

In the end, he chose a double-edged sword. It was the easiest to use and most common weapon.

’When in doubts, choose a sword.’

That was Carl’s motto. That might also be the reason why he can’t get any better, as he kept on using a sword even though he was clumsy with it.

What a plain choice.

Even the trainer agrees.

At least, it’s tested and proved.

Ready yourself, we’ll start now.

In the middle of the room, a figure was drawn with light, then formed a material figure. It was a Crystal Beast much smaller than the ones Allen seen. It stood on all four limbs, and growled while facing him. It looked like a dog. No, a wolf.

Suddenly, it dashed toward him then opened its jaws to take a bite.

In Allen’s mind, multiple possible choices of action presented themselves. This was something that he had developed over the course of five years he had spent with BlackPrincess.

Sidestep, step back , block, parry, counter; those were the most common choices, but Allen ignore those.

He jumped.

He rested the sword on his shoulder, then bent his knees. As the beast approached, he raised his left hand to meet with its snout and extended his legs. His body lifted of into the air, then supporting his body lightly with his left arm, he cartwheeled over the beast.

Using the momentum of his vertical turn, he swung the huge blade on his shoulder, drawing a beautiful arc in the air. The blade met the flesh on the beast’s rear that was not covered by crystal shards. Its right hind leg flew into the air, and it fell down sliding forward. It then turned into particles of light and disappeared. The trainer’s voice boomed over the speakers.

Well done. It’s a beautiful skill, but that only works in here. The actual thing is much tougher than that. For now, you pass. Do your best and improve you skills. Don’t slack in training even for a day!

We have already sent things you might need. Go back to your workshop and access your terminal.

Dismissed!

Quest Updated.

Registration Completion

Return to your workshop and access your terminal to complete your registration.

With a sigh, Allen returned the weapon to the rack. It felt very comfortable in his hands. He had no plans on just using that type of sword forever, though. He remembered that the game allows players to craft their own weapons and gears. He’ll just have to hope that the crafting system can allow him to create something that could suit his taste.

As he walked toward the exit, he felt a stare on his back. Looking up at the observation room, he could see the serious-face woman staring at him.

They looked at each other for a time, until she turned and walked away.

’What was that?’

It wasn’t something new. Almost all VRMMOs have realistic NPCs, but for some reason, here on Hazard Frontier Online, the NPCs felt much realistic than in other games. It was probably because of the mood and setting. This was a post-apocalyptic world. The people of this world, the NPCs, were all trying their best to survive, grasping on the thinnest threads for hope.

Using the , he found the . It was the room he ‘woke up’ in. The door automatically slid open and he entered.

’That must be the terminal.’

He approached and stood before the terminal. It had a simple monitor and two hemispheres with five grooves each where fingers could fit.

Placing both hands on a hemisphere each, fitting his fingers in the grooves, an IIW appeared. He chose , and the monitor flickered and turned on. Instead of having to look at the monitor, the information was shown in a holographic projection hovering above the monitor.

The User Terminal is accessible in the Player’s . It contains the functions:

*Item Storage - As the name suggests, you can store items here from your item bags. Items bought by you and sent to you are all automatically stored here. It has an indefinite amount of space. You can access this to store and retrieve items.

*Trade - You can view items for sale here like crafted weapons, armors, or skills, all over Hazard Frontier Online. You can also sell your items here. Items can be sold as single purchase or it can also be auctioned.

*Achievement List - This is a list of your achievements. Access this to claim your rewards.

*Codex - View information on people you have met, events, and other things that you have encountered in world of Hazard Frontier Online.

Allen quickly opened the , and there it was. The Precursor.

He read the information again, and it seems like it wasn’t a mistake. He retrieved the rewards. Creation points could be used for crafting; that, he knew. He then equipped the badge.

Badge of Recognition

Everyone in knows who you are at a glance.

You are . In the eyes of NPCs, you are the very first person to achieve a perfect assimilation of . To Players, you are the very first player to register as your base.

The game had been live for a month already, so this confused Allen as to why he was the first person to register in . Looking back on it, no wonder the area around this base was unexplored. There was no one to explore it after all!

He opened the and selected the information of .

Base 19

This is the northernmost base and also the last base to be established before the Frontier group disappeared. Base 19 is the furthest from the central region, and thus exposed to harsher environments. The beasts in the region are much stronger than in other bases.

It is recommended to start in another base, then travel later to this base to challenge stronger opponents.

*This information as well as information on the other 18 Bases are available on the game website.

Of all the things he could miss, it was this information!

Allen felt slight despair on his situation, but then a smile slowly formed on his lips.

How ironic! He had wanted a challenge, and now the game had thrown one right in his face.

“It looks like I’ll be having a fun time.”

A mad laughter resounded inside the room.