Chapter 3

New Brussels - In the Typhoon 6 - Zoe

“We’ll start with the basics. System and world.” Said her Uncle.

“Right. Each player’s avatar has three Main Stat, or Characteristics. Body represents the whole corporal nature of the avatar. Mind represents its logical function, and Soul represents its emotional function. Each Main Stat has at least three Sub-Stats. Strength, Agility and Constitution for the Body. Thinking Pace, Memory and Magical Affinity for the Mind. Faith, Resolve and Empathy for the Soul.”

“Good so far.” Commented her Uncle, keeping his eyes on the road but his ears focused on what she was saying. From here, the skyscrapers were truly majestic, each one surrounded by its own green park, giving the whole city centre a very spacious feel.

“As a player, you gain one Stats point at each level up, that you can invest freely between the three Main Stats. The Sub-Stats are derivated from the Main Stats through a calculation based on your class.”

“Ah, your race impact this calculation too, don’t forget it.” He intervened as he was passing a pretty slow car.

“Of course, but since you can’t choose a race other than human in character creation, what’s the point of talking about races?”

“...Point taken, keep going.”

Forest of Clarity - Dzive

The post they had chosen for their picnic was a shadowy recess in the mountainside not far from the village, just at the other side of the tiny forest they had crossed. A small stream was flowing endlessly from the rock, fed by the summer melting of the ice cap, thus ice-cold.

Her mother, who was carrying everything as always, rolled out a large blanket over the lush grass as her father was filling a pitcher with the water from the stream. Having nothing to do, Dzive started exploring the recess. What’s this? She ran her hand over the rock and light started to faintly glow.

New Brussels- Typhoon 6 - Zoe

“Players can at least have two classes, and can unlock new classes slots further on. A class give multiple advantages: Class Modifier, Expertises and Skills are the main ones. A class has 3 stages: Novice, Adept and Master. Boosting the grade of a class goes through the same conditions as making them Rank Up: You need to satisfy a number of specifics prerequisites.”

“Very good! We’ve arrived, we’ll continue this test after we’re done with the paperwork.”

“Ok!” Her Uncle parked the car in front of the Star Overdrive building, a faint smile spreading on his face.

Forest of Clarity - Dzive

“Run!” Screamed her mother in a powerful voice, enough to cover the clatter of battle. “Wait for us at the Wishes’ Shrine! GO!”

The girl thus ran with all her strength, her legs engulfing the path like a starving man a charity meal. Tears were rolling on her cheeks, furrowing through the blood that had splattered her face.

New Brussels - Star Overdrive building - Zoe

The Star Overdrive building was already quite intimidating even though they were still in the process of building new floors. The pure white blank walls were giving it the feel of a gigantic monolith firmly anchored in the ground. As of now, the young woman was moving toward the entrance of said building, her Uncle walking beside her.

They both were quiet, admiring the beautiful flower beds. Red tulips really are a good counterpoint to the white of the VDC. She smiled again. She loved colours and the work of them, be it in artworks or in reality.

The glass panels of the door opened without a sound when they arrived before them, a slight fresh airstream blowing through them making hers and her Uncle’s hair wave slightly. The words ‘Virtual Dive Center’ were written in soft blue letters over the entrance.

Forest of Clarity - Dzive

Without noticing, she had reached the trail leading to the Shrine. Noise of the battle between her parents and the.. the things had lessened until they had become inaudible. The girl, however, kept running, her footstep pushed by fear.

VDC - Zoe

“Mademoiselle, what can I do for you?” A thirty-year-old man welcomed her as she was entering. He was standing behind one of the circular desks that filled the room, the only one occupied by a member of the personnel, Zoe realized. Only one? She looked left and right. I’m the only customer? She tilted her head, puzzled.

“It’s an off-peak time and we’re in the middle of the week. It’s nothing unusual. Besides, there’s not an unlimited amount of capsule available and, as you can imagine, people tend to use their capsule, hence not being here.” Explained her Uncle, as if he had read her thoughts.

“We’re here for a booking I made.” Said her Uncle to the clerk.

“A booking?”

“Yes, for my niece.” Her Uncle put a hand on her shoulder.

“And to what name has the booking be done?”

“Naelis, Luca Naelis.”

“Yes, let me check…” The clerk raised an eyebrow and gave the both of them quite the surprised look.

“Luca Naelis… I’ve already seen this file somewhere…” He paused for a moment before..

“Oh!” He quietly looked right and left before leaning toward them. In a whispering voice:

“Are you Luca Naelis?” He asked to her Uncle.

“Yes.” The interested party answered.

“Aren’t you the owner of… of Argosphael?”

“Yes.” Answered her Uncle again, this time with a slight frown of anger.

“Sorry sorry I forgot that divers disliked saying that they own an Avatar. So you’re Argosphael? Could I have an autograph? My daughter is an absolute fan of you!” He kept trying to whisper bu his excitation made it hard for him to do so. Luca smiled.

“Of course, but can it wait for after we’ve completed the paperwork, please? I really want my niece to access her capsule.

“Ah yes of course! So you’re his niece? Lucky lass. Can I have your ID please?”

“Here.” She gave it to him, unable to suppress her smile. You’ve a big career and all, mom, but you can’t even make as much money as he did, and you’re far from having his fame. She thought bitterly.

“Thanks. Sorry for the inconvenience.” He took the ID and put it in a card reader before fiddling a bit with his holo-monitor.

“There you go! So, what do I do with the booking?”

“Full ownership transfer to her name, please.” Answered Luca.

“Right away.” A bit more fiddling.

“Perfect. Miss, you’re now the sole owner of the First-class capsule n°02, with a lease covered...for life…” He started turning green but recovered quickly. For life? She looked at her Uncle but he just softly smiled back at her. He’s so nouveau rich sometimes, is he really more than sixty years old? She rolled her eyes and took her focus back on the clerk.

“Thank you.” She said.

“Is there anything more to do before I can go to my capsule?”

“Well, I need to explain some basic things about our service, even if you’ve a renowned diver at your side.” He looked at Luca. “I’m sorry, it’s protocol.”

“Of course, of course, just go ahead, I’ll go buy something to drink and meet you at your capsule when you’re ready.” And he was gone as soon as he said it, walking toward what Zoe thought was the elevator to the cafeteria.

“He and his avatar really don’t look alike, but they’ve both this… crushing aura around them.” Said the clerk softly, talking to himself, just thinking aloud really.

“So, those basic things?”

“Ha yes, sorry. You’re now the owner of a capsule. This whole building, including the cafeteria, the infirmary and, of course, your diving room, are opened around the clock each day of the week. We basically never close. In fact, in the last five years, we never stopped operating even for one day. This way, you can access your capsule whenever you want. However, you're limited in the time you’re authorized to dive. You can’t dive more than sixteen hours a day, and never more than twenty hours in one session. This norm is implemented for health reasons. Good so far?”

“Yes, keep going please.”

“Of course. When diving, your body is monitored by a vast array of sensor. If your vital signs divert slightly from the norm, you’re warned in-game. This case of warning encompasses basic vital needs like drinking, eating, going to the bathroom and the such. If your vital signs start diverting heavily, you’ll be forcibly ejected from your dive and the medical team on watch will intervene. Those case encompass severe dehydration or malnutrition, or any striking sickness detected. Basically, you’re way more likely to survive heart attack and the like when you’re in a capsule than anywhere but a hospital bed, since your capsule is even more performant than those. Mind you, you’ve full insurance covering medical fees if you’re forcibly ejected from your capsule. Any questions?”

“No, everything was clear.”

“Great. Can I be of any further help…?”

“Well… Could you take me to my capsule?”

“Ahahah, of course! At the start you’ll maybe be a little be lost since the building is big but don’t be nervous, you’ll take the notch quite enough. Now if you would please follow me…?”

Forest of Clarity - Dzive

She collapsed, exhausted beyond words, breathing heavily. Sweat rolled over her forehead, dripping on her hands. In front of her stood the Shrine, a tiny stone pillar on which rested a circular tablet of the same material.

Above this circular tablet was floating a tiny golden sphere, with tiny chains orbiting around it, each of them forming a closed circle. She remembered the scream of her mother, the blood of her father. On her knees, she put her hands against each other. With all the strength of despair, she made a wish.

VDC - Zoe

Wow. That’s what it looks like? Other than the object throning in front of her the tiny pristine-white room was empty. Monobloc and devoid of edges or straight lines, it was giving the impression of being a hybrid of a coffin and an egg. She gave an interrogative look at Luca who, as he said, had been waiting for them in front of the room.

“You’ll need to use your ID to open the capsule. Just put it there, in front of the sensor.” She was ready to do this but was stopped by her Uncle.

“Wait. One last question before you go in. What is a player in Binding Fate?”

“Lore-wise? From what I know, we’re some kind of higher spirit summoned for another world. We create a contract with an NPC chosen for us by the system, and one of the big quests for a player is to fulfil the clauses as much as they can.”

“Good, go ahead, and keep in mind what’ you’ve dug from the internet.

“Yes, of course!” Once more, she readied herself to open the capsule but, this time, it’s the clerk that interrupted her.

“I know you’ve made research before coming here, but I just want to remind you about two facts.”

“...Go ahead? I really want to get started you know…” She answered with a desponded voice.

“Sorry. To the point: There is a time difference between our world and the game’s world. The time in-game goes five times faster than the time in reality, and by that I don’t mean that the clock goes quicker. If you play for one IRL second, you literally play for five seconds in-game, you live those five seconds. This five-fold time dilatation as been implemented so things in-game move quicker and more opportunity to do things appear.”

“Ah yes, Uncle already told me about this. It’s quite the prowess.”

“Indeed it is.” Don’t they use this feature for their R&D and administrative department to free more time for their staff?

“This being said, you’ll have two clocks in-game, one giving you the local time in-game, and one giving you the time IRL. That’s all, you now dive.”

“Thanks…” Feeling suddenly a bit shy, she asked. “So, I just need to lie down in this capsule, and I’ll start diving right away?”

“Well, you need to confirm the dive but yes, in essence, that’s all.”

"Well then… thanks for the explanation and the help.”

“Bah, that’s my job, I was happy doing it.” He answered with a large smile. “In fact, it’s an honour meeting you and your Uncle, I’m sure you’ll become famous like him, miss.” And with those words, he withdrew.

“Quite the chatty fellow, don’t you think?”

“He is eager to make a good job. I like him.” She answered. She looked at the capsule.

“What are you waiting? Go and dive.”

“Yes.” She climbed into the capsule. We’ll see if it’s really as awesome as the footages Uncle stream… It’s been a long time that I didn’t find a game really excitant or entertaining… A large childish smile bloomed on her face as the capsule was closing on her.

“I’ll go dive and wait for you in-game. Take your time in the character creator, I’ve things to take care of anyway.” He said just before the capsule sealed shut.

“Yes!” Let’s go!

At the time, no one knew. Indeed, no one knew that this capsule lid closing was the very opening of one of the greatest legend of Binding fate, a legend exceeding all borders, a legend about family.

Dzive - Whishes’ Shrine

Its step was shaking the ground and its roar fleeing the birds. That’s when she saw it. The monster. But it wasn’t it at which the girl was looking at. Oooh no, it was toward the severed arm in the mouth of the thing that her gaze was drawn to. On one of its finger, a tiny jewel was shining, mocking her. When she noticed it, despair took over.

“MOOOOOOM!!!” The scream was heartbreakingly sad, her mind entirely flooded by grief and sorrow.

Nearly entirely.

A tiny, so, so tiny flame was glowing too, growing with each passing moment, a flame of pure fury fed by her feelings of vengeance and injustice, by sadness, by the unfathomable void of the loss.

“WHY DON’T YOU ANSWER!” She screamed at the shrine.

“I’M BEGGING YOU! PLEASE, LEND ME YOUR STRENGTH ONLY ONCE AND LET ME KILL IT, I DON’T WANT THE OTHERS TO DIE! HAVE MERCY, LET ME SURVIVE! AND, ABOVE ALL, I BEG YOU: LET ME AVENGE MY PARENTS!!!” Her voice was overflowing with anger, hatred and grief, as were her tears. After each sentence, she struck the ground with her now scraped tiny hands, covered by her own blood. In the heat of the moment, the crimson liquid had even been splatter over the golden sphere and the chain...