Chapter One: Five Years

[F City, K Country. Year 20xx. North Star Medical Center.]

“Five years at most,” the doctor told him without stalling.

Yushin didn’t react at all, only stared back at the doctor, no anger nor sadness to show. His right hand unconsciously wandered to his chest.

“I’m sorry, brother. There are few cases, and still no cure. Even treatment can only help a little.”

The patient smiled, “I understand. It’s a recently discovered disease, after all.”

Kirishima’s disease. Discovered abroad, it only affects a small percentage of the world’s population, but its fatality rate is 100%. The last years are excruciating to the afflicted, even with medication.

The doctor’s heart broke in silence. Stretching his hand forward, he hesitated and changed directions. He got used to seeing ill patients, but now his best friend was one of them.

And there was nothing he could do about it.

Yushin exchanged some data on treatment, set up a visitation schedule and then got up to leave.

“You’re not going to tell them, are you? You definitely should. They deserve to know.”

“…I’ll think about it,” Yushin answered tightening his fists. But, in his heart, he already decided not to. What good would it do? To make people suffer, to see and segregate him? Making them worry about something they cannot prevent?

He didn’t need pity. He didn’t want his family to live with that burden.

That was his burden alone.

The bus usually took fifteen minutes to get home. Now, that seemed like an eternity. Everything was dull and silent. His skin tingled and heart raced. Did knowing he was only going to live at most five more years affect him that much?

Yushin smiled to himself. He never cared that much about his own life, and always thought he would die early.

Now, knowing that moment grows near, his legs trembled…

*SPLASH!*

Yushin got out of his daze as if waking up from a dream. His face dripping wet.

“Oh my god!” An elderly woman cried, the now empty bucket in front of her. She always splashed water on her dog that way. He loved it. “I-I’m awfully sorry, my son! Are you alright?!”

“Woof, woof!” The husky laughed at him. Those alluring bright blue eyes sparkling.

Yushin smiled. He had the kindest smile in the world, “Don’t worry, grandma. I was careless!”

“No, no, please, let this old lady fetch you a towel…!”

“No need, I mean it, grandma. I live right around the corner,” he told a small lie since it was still a few blocks away. “What a handsome dog! Huskies are my favorite.”

The dog barked, as if happy with the compliment.

“A naughty mutt! Made me splash the young master!”

Yushin laughed while petting the husky, “What’s his name?”

“Ma granddaughter calls him Silver Belly. This old lady calls him mutt.”

“Hahaha, grandma, that’s kinda mean, isn’t it?”

“Humph, a mutt is a mutt. The way he behaves I should call him demon.”

Yushin laughed again. That grandma and her dog actually did lift his spirits. Still wet, he said his farewells and was about to leave.

“Son, this is my shop. You come eat here, I owe you a free meal.” The sign said [Old Lady Buns, Homemade Food]. He chuckled a little, then nodded.

At home, a few minutes later, Yushin immediately got rid of his wet clothes and took a bath. He didn’t want to think too much about his disease, but that was about impossible not to do.

All around him were many books, fruits of his hard labor as a writer and reader. Ever since he was twenty he only knew how to work. Writing every day, as much as he could, without resting. In college, taking only required classes and doing everything for early graduation. Friends and family became distant, most of them either gave up or got used to not seeing him often. But, in the end, was he even happy?

He always thought that, at least, he wasn’t unhappy. After all, as a world famous novelist, he took care of the family. They would never need anything else material in life. His fans loved his work with such burning passion. Among his brand and a lot of good investments, he never had to worry about money. In that regard, Yushin was actually blessed.

Yet all that came to nothing. He couldn’t buy another life. He couldn’t extend his own life. He didn’t enjoy life and only worked.

Until that day, that was the only thing in his mind.

Upon entering his bedroom, Yushin saw the huge, recently installed capsule. One of his old friends sent it to him. Called [The Cockpit] among the gaming crowd, it did remind him of those mecha interiors from anime. Except that, in the end, it was nothing but a fancy box, with a char and virtual reality helmet attached.

It belonged to the upcoming VRMMO game called [Tales of The Heroic Kingdoms]. Created by [Kingdom Corporation], the hype around it broke all charts. Much beyond anything before, that anticipation was well deserved.

The president, Luo Zhou, a tech super genius and visionary, focused all development on the game. The power of a giant company considered the biggest one to ever exist. He perfected the VR system and took virtual reality to a whole new level. Neuro linking and other advances became integrated into the system. His tech became generally utilized in several fields, from gaming to the military.

Luo was a known gaming addict. He grew bored with the state of current games and the same models and stereotypes. His wish was to create the greatest MMO of all times. So he began to recruit experts in every related field with unparalleled aggressiveness.

Tales took eight years to complete and had a funding well over 10 billion WC (World Currency). A massive project with financing from several countries and private entities, Kingdom Corp made several breakthroughs in [Artificial Intelligence] and [Virtual Reality Immersion] during development.

Tales was finally ready to come into the world and the server coming online in a couple of hours!

Before publishing his books and pouring body and soul into his craft, Yushin was a true gamer. He breathed games so much he himself worried about going off track and never living a common life.

Back then, he dreamed of becoming a pro on a prominent MOBA. Even though he had the mind to it, his hands were not as fast. Hand speed was definitely below average.

In Tales, this would not be a problem. A thought based interface combined with Virtual Reality Immersion. The tech behind this is highly classified and encrypted.

In essence, it promised to be able to control their characters as if it were their real selves. Except that they would not be bound to current physical limits. Wasn’t this exciting? To be able to fly, jump far away and even use magic, all while feeling like real life?

Possibilities were endless. A True Gamer dream.

The game promised to be a new highlight to a stale MMO age. The golden age of MMO’s had long past. They became quite repetitive and boring. Only a grind for gear and rush raids template that never tried to go anywhere. That, combined with micro-transactions, almost ruined modern games. Kingdom Corp promised to change this, and expectations were high.

Tales worked on a subscription model, with different types and values. Making it accessible to a wider range of people, The cockpit was a premium item. The player only needed it for comfort and to experience the greatest sensation. Leasing the helmet was possible, so cheaper payment methods did not affect gameplay. Instead, it provided access to new customization options and social media sharing services. Cosmetic changes only.

Although not available on launch, the company vowed to endorse professional [eSports]. Details were not made public, but a lot of gaming communities became interested. As soon as tales opens, millions of players would flock to it. Many of those aiming to become pros, whatever would that mean for the game.

Yushin put his manuscript away. He didn’t plan on playing before, but right now something had to occupy his mind.

He wrote many books in ten years, now he had ten years of gaming to make up for!

...

It is finally time.

...

[Virtual Reality Interface activated. The Helmet is secure. No abnormal conditions. Condition is green.]

[Connecting…]

[… Welcome to Tales of The Heroic Kingdoms! This program is safe within the World Wide Virtual Reality Protection Act guidelines. Please behave within Terms of Service.]

[Global Server selected]

[Starting opening video…]

[Before, the world was prosperous. Many kingdoms spread through the lands. Humans, Dwarves, Elves, Fairies, Dragons, Lizards and Beastmen. All those species, and still so much more. Each with their society and culture. Each with their pride and ambition. All shattered. Destroyed by fate…

...And them.

When society advanced, so did magic. And no one wielded magic better than the [Heavenly Elves].

Their power grew so large no other species could compare. They began to take more risks, to thirst for more and more power. Soon curiosity aimed beyond this world. Had they known such [calamity] would be summoned upon the kingdoms, would they have stopped?

The enemies came out of nowhere. Some say through magic gates, deep underground and even from the sky. They swept through the world like blazing storm. All left after their path was carnage and destruction.

The far away kingdoms were the first to fall. The others didn’t care. Whether they were human or not, all thought this was not their problem.

They were wrong.

Enemies were endless. Take one down, more would come. Some were stronger than anything the world had ever seen before. Soon called [The Endless Demons], their true name was not known. No intent present to communicate, only eradicate.

Wave after wave cities fell. Fortresses torn apart. When all but a few handful kingdoms stood in the world, surviving species created the [Council of Fate].

Yet it was too late to fight back. How many died in those wars? How many were still left in the world that could fight?

Near the end, only the first home of the Elves did not fall. A refuge called [Graceful Wind]. Survivors of the world made their last stand there.

With the demons came a powerful mist, a miasma that weakened and poisoned foes. Those with high magical affinity were the most affected. The Heavenly Elves were in effect wiped out by this.

In the midst of falling hope, one mage took upon himself to try one last desperate measure...

Using the power of Elves to cast a powerful magic, he sealed the demon’s advance and cut down their numbers. Whatever he did prevented gates from spawning. The Demons would no longer be endless.

The survivors managed to push them back.

Yet the world was never the same. They had no strength to pursue the remaining foes too far. The miasma still stood, and Demons roared through what once were the [Fallen Kingdoms]. Many of the world’s treasures and culture lost.

The fabric of reality itself tore apart, and many mystical dungeons appeared. Some had many treasures. Some led to other worlds.

Dangerous worlds.

Mana that was once abundant disappeared. Its flow was now so thin mages became almost powerless. This was set in history as [The Mage’s Downfall].

Now, two hundred years after that calamity, the kingdoms once again looked to prosper. The Council of Fate became secretive and kingdoms rose and expanded. Many fell as well.

The path was open for adventurers to thrive. Or die.

You are one of those.

What you decide to do…

…Is up to you.

Fight. Explore. Craft. Build. Conquer. Or Kill.

But remember:

They are still out there. And they will be back.]

…

‘Player freedom, huh? I hope that means crafting classes won’t be useless like other games.’

[Please create your character according to your wishes.]

[Face scanning done…]

[Please choose your Race.]

The interface suddenly switches to a side by side view of several races, including [Human], [Dwarfs], [Fairies], [Gnomes], [Orcs] and [Giants] (!!!). Although it seems Giants aren’t actually Giants, only around three meters or so.

The screen shows a few of the unique characteristics of each race. The game has so many subspecies that normal templates are useless. There are underground, surface and even sea (!) based Dwarfs! The same with each one of the species. To go over them and see each of their weakness and strengths was too much for Yushin. He took a look at Humans and also saw they could be a half-breed with almost every other race there.

[>>>Human >>> Half-breed] He pondered over what to choose until he saw at the end of all other options:

[Randomize Origin]

‘That seems fun. What to do… Oh well, whatever.’

[>>>Randomize Origin.<<<]

[Are you sure you want to randomize your origin? There is no way to change this option in-game.]

‘Gah..’

[>>>Yes.<<<]

[Origin chosen. Please adjust facial characteristics.]

‘What...? It didn’t say my origin, though… Did I miss it somehow? …Oh, my face is in there, but I can add stuff to it, change it a bit. A cool scar? Hehehe, an X… Oops, that’s way too common. I’ll throw in a tattoo. This one looks good!’

His avatar is around 182 cm tall, with medium sized messy jet black hair as shiny as a record album. Only plain clothes were available.

[Please adjust height and weight.]

‘Eh, I’ll leave it as default, it’s pretty close to myself actually…’

[Are you happy with your choices?]

[>>>Yes.<<<]

[In Tales of The Heroic Kingdoms, there are no fixed [Classes]. You are what your [Skills] allow you to be. Your [Traits], [Advantages], [Disadvantages], [Powers] and [Skills] determine [Stat Growth]. Obtain new skills from masters, skill books, other players, hidden conditions or creation. Please select skills to determine [Starting Class].

‘Whoa, sounds amazing. So skills are a big deal, and powers are different from skills.’

[Please pick two basic weapon masteries to determine starting combat skills. ]

[Sword Class, Dagger Class, Rod Class, Staff Class, Spear Class, Bow Class, Unarmed Class, Shield Class, Mace Class, Axe Class…]

[>>>Unarmed and Spear Classes<<<]

[Please select two starting crafting skills:]

[Smithing. Locksmithing. Pottery. Stonemasonry. Tailoring. Alchemy. Cooking. Engineering… The list went on and on.]

‘That’s a huge list. Did they make them all worth it or should I go with the basics…? In a player based economy, the initial step makes a huge difference. I can learn the others later on. But everyone will be thinking the same…’

[>>>[Engineering] chosen. [Hunting] chosen. <<<]

[Please choose two extra skills:]

The list showed a lot of non-crafting skills, even the weapon masteries that weren’t chosen before. Yushin skimmed through:

‘I’ll choose those that are interesting.’

[>>>[Support Magic] chosen. [Leadership] chosen.<<<]

[Please wait until the system announces your class…]

[Your starting class definition is [Small-time Captain] (Hybrid Warrior-Magic class. Low leadership.)]

‘…WHAT? Small-Time Captain?! What’s up with this weird class?!”

[Please choose a name:]

[>>>Yushin<<<]

Back when he was gaming, Yushin never used his real name. He was very concerned about private data and security.

He himself didn’t know exactly why, but this time he felt like using it. Although known worldwide as a writer, Yushin wrote under several different pseudonyms. Exposing his identity would be difficult.

Maybe, after being aware that all things come to an end, he wanted to leave his name somewhere, his mark for all to see…

[Your character creation finished. You will start at [Red Clay City], [Vavell Kingdom.]

And when his character finally spawned, his last journey was ready to begin…