North American Broadcast Corporation (NABC) newsroom

Oct 25, 2046:04:34 AM EST

The reporter was getting excited. This story was the type that could make a career. If only she could keep her producer from making her hand it off. Sure her shift ended a half hour ago, but this was HER story. The station had stopped running other news now. This story took all the air time, and it was hers! “Independent resources have confirmed that the authorities are now looking into the Esper: Online question. We would ask our viewers; if you have an active Esper Online account please log in and tell players there to log out. We are also looking for step by step instructions on how to log out of the ER world. Siarra Inc. still has not responded to our emails. As of 4:00 AM Eastern, customer service and Technical support have stopped answering calls, emails, and ER-Chat requests. Stay Tuned, as we keep you up to date on this trending crisis.

Half an hour later we were standing on a lightly wooded hilltop. Below us lay a large Y shaped valley created by three large hills. The trees blocked our view, but the sound of Kobolds clearly echoed up from below. “Which hill do you think the cave is in?” I asked. Lien closed her eyes and listened. Then shook her head, “Not sure the trees throw off the sound, but I know it’s not the one we are standing on.” I shrugged, it was better than I could do. Pulling my backpack tighter on my shoulders I started down the hill.

Half way down the hill I nearly ran straight into a Kobold Woodcutter. As I stepped around a large oak tree the beast was there! The kobold looked like a humanoid lizard in appearance. Standing upright on its back two legs it leaned forward at an angle to compensate for its long tail swishing behind it. It stood maybe two feet tall but was nearly three foot long from snout to scaly tail. In one clawed hand it held a short rusty axe and it wore a simple cloth shirt and had a belt at its waist. Its cold yellow lizard eyes grew great big when it saw us, but it did not hesitate. With its rusty ax in hand it charged!

Kobold Woodcutter (3)

HP: 100%

Mana: 100%

Stamina: 98%

The ax was coming at my waist in a blur. All of a sudden my hand leapt to my sword and drew it, then with a flick of my wrist my blade intercepted the axe with the flat of the blade and deflected the axe so it passed a mere inch from my stomach. How did I know how to do that?

New Skill: Apprentice Parry (Skill Level: 1 / 75)

The kobold and I stared at each other stunned. The poor beast’s purple tongue flicked out nervously, as it studied me. For critical seconds the kobold and I stared at each other dumbly. Lien on the other hand didn’t suffer from suicidal tendencies. She waved her hand and muttered some unintelligible words, casting a curse upon the beast. As a black mist surrounded the kobold’s head we both snapped out of our stunned staring contest. With a loud hiss it swung the ax again. Instead of blocking I stepped in closer and stabbed the tip of my blade at its midsection. I could feel the tip pierce soft flesh and hit something hard underneath. Stunned at how realistic that feeling was I froze in horror. Lien once again saved me, she took a step behind the kobold and struck the beast in the back of the head splashing red blood everywhere. As the kobold’s red tinged lizard eyes rolled up, the body jerked, then fell limp to the ground.

Lien stood there looking concerned. “Did you go AFK, or something?” I shook my head clearing the confusion. “No, sorry. It’s just how real this all feels now. I really felt like I had just stabbed someone.” She smiled, “You stab people all the time?” “What?!?” Lien just grinned wider, “Dumb Americans say things. They do not think first.” She pointed at the corpse, “Are you going to loot it?”

Not sure what she was going on about I knelt and searched the body.

Lucky Loot!

Torn Scrap of Paper (Grey)

Quality: Trash

Durability: 1 / 1

Weight: 0.01lb

Type: Misc.

Crafter: Unknown

Properties: None

Restrictions: Non-Tradeable

An old unreadable scrap of paper. Writing can be seen on it.

Rusty Axe (grey)

Quality: poor

Durability: 10 / 10

Weight: 6lb

Type: Axe

Crafter: Unknown

Properties: 11-15 Slash Damage

Restrictions: None

An old looking axe.

Wand of Magic Missile (Green)

Quality: High

Durability: 25/ 25

Weight: 0.25lb

Type: Wand

Crafter: Unknown

Properties: 23 Charges

Restrictions: Arcane

This worn looking wand, shoots forth a ball of invisible magic energy at the wielder’s target.

Aether of Force (Blue)

Quality: Rare

Durability: 1000 / 1000

Weight: 0.01lb

Type: Aether

Crafter: Unknown

Properties: None

Restrictions: Magi

27 Copper

Half the coins clinked into my pouch. With a happy grin I looked up at Lien. “What?” She demanded. “Can you use any of these?” I linked the gear so she could see what the kobold had dropped. She whistled oh nice, but no. That ax and paper is trash. The wand is Arcane and I’m divine. Then the Aether is Magi only. Though I’m sure they will sell for some nice coin on auction.” I nodded in agreement, “Can I have the Aether then? We can roll for the wand.” Pretending to think for a moment she finally smiled and nodded as if to say well duh. In greedy anticipation I grabbed the Aether and thought roll for the Wand.

Group Loot set to: Need before Greed

Looking at Lien in surprise I asked, “Did you do that?” Absently she shook her head and kept reading the roll results.

Lien Rolled 87 for Wand of Magic Missile.

Azriel rolled 2 for Wand of Magic Missile.

I winced at my roll, but couldn’t feel too bad. Not when the Aether sat in my bag and the change of group loot rules mocked me from my combat log. “I didn’t change it either. There is only two of us in the group.” Lien looked confused, “I’m not group leader. I can’t change the loot rules. Your leader you must have done it.” She shrugged, “What it matter, we agreed to it anyway.” I couldn’t argue that point. I was just feeling a bit unnerved. The games new ability to react to our conversations. My ability to wield a sword like a trained pro, or cast spells from rote memory. Then the game’s realistic world. The feelings, smells, sounds, and even tastes. It combined to be more than I was bargaining for. For a moment I considered logging out, just to remind myself this wasn’t real. I almost did too, but Lien had already turned down the hill and started casting at another kobold.