Tony’s mouth dropped open, agape with disbelief. “Only three classes?” he muttered.

Acolyte: A novice of magical disciplines. Acolytes develop their power through research into the principles of spellcraft. Advancement beyond level 5 allows for specialization options.

Squire: A novice of martial disciplines. Squires refine their prowess through continued exposure to combat and training. Advancement beyond level 5 allows for specialization options.

Apprentice: A novice of skilled disciplines. Apprentices further themselves through non-combat encounters and the clever utilization of skills. Advancement beyond level 5 allows for specialization options.

His mind raced. Are there only three classes in the beta? Do Specializations unlock more classes? If specs are first at level 5, do you get more every five levels? What is max level?

“One thing at a time,” he reminded himself. Gambit Games had chosen him to help test the beta, not to analyze their design choices. Playing a rogue archetype character was out of the question; after the re-re-release of Skyrim Ultimate Edition Tony had sworn off "sneak-archer" since that was what every character he made for the classic game ended up as. Mage-type characters were often some of the highest damage dealers a game could produce, but Mages were tough for solo play due to their typically lackluster defense and survivability. Summoned pets or constructs could usually make up for that, but he didn't want to manage his own resources and keep track of an elemental or imp in combat.

That left him with the "Squire" option, but it just seemed so lame. Did starting as a Squire mean that he was beholden to some crusty old Knight? That he would be stuck carrying flags and doing fetch quests until he could specialize? Tony pushed those thoughts aside and focused on the Squire option. He was sure that every starting class would have their minutia to deal with in the starting quests, but he wanted to experience everything that Gambit Games had to show him in Ascendant Online, up close and personal.

Squire Class Selected. Please select a Character Customization Option:

Express Customization | Manual Customization

Headset Sync Customization (Recommended)

Use Preset Characters

Headset Sync was the obvious choice. A majority of VRMMO games had a similar feature. The headset would read the facial features of the user, use the front-mounted cameras to get a rough body composition scan and place a near-perfect recreation onto the in-game avatar. Gambit Games did most things better than their competitors. Tony couldn’t wait to see how this came out; he focused on Headset Sync Customization.

You have selected Headset Sync Customization. Would you like to continue?

This selection is final.

That’s a weird place for confirmation, Tony thought as he mentally affirmed.

As the headset scans, users may experience mild discomfort. Please do not remove the headset until the scan is complete.

The hair on the back of Tony’s neck stood on end. Every instinct fired a warning; something about this was off. He couldn't place what about the headset saying that he could experience mild discomfort made him so uncomfortable. The sync started and Tony felt the familiar tingle of initial headset boot creep over his scalp and travel down the surface of his skin. When it reached his toes, a wave of bitter cold rebounded back up. Tony’s jaw locked, and his eyes slammed shut.

I should have read the disclaimer paperwork!

The cold lingered for what felt like hours before Tony opened his eyes again. His formerly rictus frame instantly relaxed, finding himself in a bed that was hundreds, no, thousands of times more comfortable than his own. The sheets covering him were the blissful marriage between satin and velvet without the static or clinginess of either. Hesitant to leave the comfort of the bed, Tony peeked out from under the blankets. The room was covered in tapestries depicting ancient battles and victories of the gods over the Titans and their tyrannical masters, decorated with vases containing flowers and plants the likes of which he had never seen outside of a history book, and furnished with lavish seating and storage. Realization struck.

He was in the game world.

Tony shot out of the bed and rushed to the balcony, just past the elaborate mahogany dresser on the far wall from the bed. Constellations, planets, and stars that he had never seen dotted a gradient violet backdrop. Deep purples, blots of whites, pinks, and even a few streaks of green made up the space right outside his room. He reached out and his fingers brushed against a static field.

Well, at least I won't tumble into space, he thought.

There were three different suns at the center of the Galaxy, one blue, one red, and one white. Tony knew that Gambit Games tried to break the mold with every title they put out, but no one had done Space Opera in a very long time.

A notification flashed in the corner of his vision, Tony focused on it, and a shimmering white window appeared before him.

Soul Sync Completed. Traits have uploaded and await your approval. Welcome to the Ascendant Program.

That’s a neat touch, Tony thought. “Character Sheet,” he said. The notification was replaced with another window.

Name: Antonious King Title: N/A Race: Human (Ascendant)

Age: 18 Class: Squire (1) Specializations: None Essence: 1(Dormant)

Would you like to review your pending traits? Yes No

Tony sighed as he focused on the affirmative option. It always took so long to get into the meat of the game from a fresh character. His eyes widened a second later as he read through the rest of his available character sheet.

Attribute Modifiers:

+1 Endurance – Late Shift Worker -1 Charisma – Clueless Flirt

+1 Strength – Former Athlete +2 Dexterity – Martial Arts Training

+1 Wits – Quick Thinker -1 Wisdom – Hot-Headed +3 Spirit – Survivor

Trait and Background Modifiers (Progress through the Campaign to Unlock More!}

Familiar – Spirit-Tied Pet (Complete Ascendant Training to Unlock this Trait)

Unseen Ally – [Invalid FeTcH ID: Initiate]

Double-Edged Sword Aptitude – Ancestral Heritage

Ascendant Healing Factor – Ascendant Program Initial Training Required to Unlock

Ascendant Attribute Enhancement – Pending Completion of Ascendant Program Training

Character Sheet:

Attributes

Strength: 11 Charisma: 9 Intelligence: 10

Dexterity: 12 Wisdom: 9 Wits: 11

Endurance: 11 Spirit: 13 Luck: 10

Skills: Complete Ascendant Training to Unlock Skill Ranks

"I have never felt so called out by a video game as I do right now." Indignance and a dash of sarcasm coated every word. "Clueless Flirt? Hot-Headed? I mean, I know that about me, but you don't get to know that about me!" he said, pointing an accusatory finger at his character sheet.

He looked older and of a more powerful build, like the system had put him into prime shape but given him a couple of years in the process. He had always been athletic as a kid, not by choice, but he had slacked on his training during his junior and senior years in high school. He didn't see the point; he was stronger and faster than most of the varsity players on the soccer and football teams and there was only so much training he could do in a high school gym before it turned into self-induced torture.

Tony sighed. “Guess it’s time to find the Ascendant Trainer,” he said as he dismissed his character sheet with a wave. He went back inside the main part of his room, already twice as large as his apartment, and moved over to the dresser. He rifled through the drawers and found a variety of clothing, togas, jumpsuits, robes, there was a lot. Tony found some black leather pants, a white linen shirt, and some socks which he put on, grateful that the system had spawned him in bed with underwear.

Once he was dressed, he checked the rest of the drawers and found a sizeable box with "Antonious" scrawled on it. He opened it and found a set of armor inside. To the touch, it was leather, but it felt heavier and tingled in his grasp. Without a second thought, he put on the armor, tunic first, then pants, boots, belt, and wristguards. Before he got the chance to adjust the armor manually it shifted and formed to his body, stretching tight across his musculature but allowing for a full range of motion.

Eyebrow raised, Tony reviewed his equipment screen:

Squire’s Training Set

Helmet: Empty

Neck: Empty

Chest: Squire's Training Tunic | +5 Defense Rating

Shoulders: Empty

Wrist: Squire's Training Vambraces | +2 Defense Rating

Rings: Empty

Hands: Empty

Waist: Squire's Training Belt | +1 Defense Rating

Legs: Squire's Training Greaves | +5 Defense Rating

Feet: Squire's Training Boots | +2 Defense Rating

Set Bonus:

2 of 6: Squire's Surety: +10% Damage Reduction

4 of 6: Squire's Confidence: +10% Defense Rating

6 of 6: Equip the Squire's Training Helm and Gauntlets to Unlock!

The Defense Rating bonuses were meager, at best, but the set bonuses made up for it. While he didn't expect to get armor with set bonuses right from the beginning of the game, Tony wondered why the gloves and helmet weren't included or if they even existed. There were a lot of slots for worn equipment, what two slots finished out the set?

Wrangling his wandering mind, Tony determined that wading in and out of combat wouldn’t be entirely life-threatening with the four pieces he had and some decent weapons. It was time to move on and get through whatever tutorial there was so he could get into the meat of the game.

Something caught in the corner of his vision — a mirror. The rendering from the headset was remarkable. He looked almost exactly like himself: jade-green eyes stared back at him, glancing over his olive skin, paled from too much time inside, a mop of black hair rested on top of his head. He pulled back some of the wavy charcoal mess above his left eye, and sure enough, the scar just under his hairline was there. He smirked in the mirror’s reflection, satisfied.

Tony started toward the door; a mass of iron that seemed out of place amongst the rest of the lavish decor. There were some intricacies to the metal, but the whole thing looked like it was hewn from one massive slab. The glyphs looked to be roughed in with a hammer while the inscriptions on the walls and floors had been carved with scalpel-like precision.

“You about ready to go? The fate of mankind is a little more important than a fancy mirror,” a man said, leaning against the door frame. Tony hadn't seen or heard anyone come in. The man was tall and muscular, wearing a crimson toga and a burning circlet to keep back unruly, literally flaming hair. His eyes shone like the heart of a roaring bonfire and the vast amounts of his visible skin were deeply tanned. Auren, Lord of Auras, the protagonist of “Godmaker” stood before him.

“There’s no time to waste. Let's go.”