Author's Note: Thank you all so very much for any feedback and reviews. Having viewers inspires me to write. Having feedback helps me do it better. Thank you!

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Tannin opened his eyes. A soft breeze stroked his cheek as his eyes adjusted to the new world. Giant shapes slowly came into focus. Trees that seemed 200 feet tall surrounded him, their canopies filtering soft light down below.

He approached one tree and stared up close. The fine details of the tree were life-like down to the molecule. The touch felt just like bark would feel. The smell was of a mix of pine and cedar. Even more, if he placed his ear to it, he could hear it pumping water it was so massive.

Soft moss covered the forest floor. A few vines and flowers encircled the trees and exposed roots.

“All-in-all, very well done. Feels like real life.”

He began to explore, wandering around looking for a beginner town. The trees were numerous and prevented any clear distance for sight. He was forced to move around the trees entirely. While he did he took the opportunity to test out his new body.

His body was made up of data now, but still he had his five senses. It moved like a normal body would. Except for the fact that he knew the pain inhibitor was in place. A little less realistic, but real pain in game would turn many players away.

“Where am I? Where's the NPCs? The starter town?”

What kind of game just dropped one in the middle of nowhere?

He remembered a snippet from an interview article about the game.

'The genre of the game is what the players make it. It is definitely an MMO-style game.'

Did that mean it was a brand-new world? With no history? In that case, the A.I. must be an impressive system. What kind of technology was required for such a powerful A.I.?

Well, it didn't matter. Not as long as he could enjoy the game.

He walked some more, listening to the wind in the leaves and birds chirping above.

“What should I do? Some scouting?”

He'd walked for a while now without running directly into any NPCs or monsters.

“Does this game even have monsters?”

His foot caught on a branch.

“Oomph!”

He caught himself before he face-planted into a root.

Thud.

Tannin unstuck his foot, then looked at what had fallen. He picked up what looked like a fan. He unfurled it. Instantly he knew it was a weapon. This was the War Fan of the Conqueror the game had given him.

“So there's still starter items.”

The fan was a bit long, with spines made of copper. The edges were sharp, rimmed with a copper plate. It was lightweight and sharp.

He swung the fan a few times, hearing a nice sound. He faced a tree, then hacked at it. Bark flew as the copper fan cut, then got lodged into the tree. He pulled it out, checking for damage. The copper fan was unharmed, but the tree remained cut.

“Everything can be influenced.”

This is what the developers meant by 'the players make the world'. In that kind of world it would be best to prepare for any kind of situation. What kind of items did they give players to start with?

He found a belt at his waist. On the belt were two pouches and a slot to hang his fan. He hung his fan and checked the bags. They were empty. How much could they carry?

16 empty bag slots.

The information window appeared briefly, just to his right.

“The game has this kind of capability?”

He studied his clothing, the description and stats for each item popping up just over the cloth.

TopGradeBasicTypeClothDefense+ 02--Special: --Durability10/10DescriptionThis shirt has seen many days.

BottomsGradeBasicTypeClothDefense+ 02--Special: --Durability10/10DescriptionTraveler's first pair of pants.

BootsGradeBasicTypeClothDefense+ 01--Special: --Durability10/10DescriptionThe holes are proof of the distance walked.

BeltGradeBasicTypeClothDefense+ 01--Accessory: --Accessory: --Special: --Durability10/10DescriptionEvery hero needs a starter utility belt.

The basic starter set. This much was normal of a game.

He held his hand up. “System information.”

System Error.

“What?”

He raised his hand again. “System information.”

System Error.

“I'm sure that was the command. System information!”

System Error.

“Must be a glitch. New games always have a glitch or two. They'll probably fix it soon, since that's a deal breaker.”

Aleric sat on a root, leaning his back against another. A small flower grew nearby. He plucked it.

“I wonder what would happen if I ate this.”

He stuffed the whole flower into his mouth. It tasted sweet, much like a dandelion did. He chewed it, the texture like wet grass and milky nectar. He swallowed.

Satiety +1.

You have consumed a small flower. It slightly abates your hunger.

“Hunger?”

There was also a survival type of play?

He stood up as the thought came to him. He looked around, seeing the world differently. This was not a game world. This was meant to be real.

He looked at his hand and flexed it, feeling the muscle and tendons bend. The air in his lungs as his chest rose and fell. His heart picking up pace as he realized he could die in the game.

As real as it was, there was a chance that there was permadeath. He couldn't just sit and enjoy the game like he had planned. If he didn't try to survive, then his avatar might be deleted. He might even have to recalibrate the VLAM to create a new avatar. That's at least three weeks behind everyone else.

“Lets see if there's any more of those small blooms.”

You have named the newly discovered flower 'Small Bloom'.

“Really?!”

Tannin approached a tree and ripped a leaf off of a vine. The vine's leaves curled, small spines emitting from the vine. The leaf in his hand was soft and dark green. He stuffed it in his mouth, wincing at the bitter, milky taste.

HP + 0.

You have consumed a mysterious leaf. You feel slightly queasy.

You have discovered a medicinal plant. It may heal slight wounds.

“So this is like an herbal leaf?”

You have named the newly discovered plant 'Herbal Leaf'.

“I see. It takes content from my words to make the name. I should remember that.”

He looked up at the trees, seeing a few birds flit from branch to branch. Could he catch and eat those too? That would require some kind of projectile. The only weapon he had on him was a fan. He didn't dare throw his only weapon.

“I'll think of something later. Until then, I better get some food in me.”

As he searched, he remembered some of the survival games he'd played before.

“I need food, water, and shelter. Then a plan of action.”

He proceeded to search the areas he passed, plucking Small Blooms and Herbal Leafs. The vines he could only pick from once, as the vines defended themselves with thorns. Best not to test if they were poisonous.

His bags filled up with a few different discovered items. Each item stacked on top of itself continuously. At one point, after a few hours of travel and gathering, he checked his bags and was surprised to find how much he had collected.

Small Bloom x35Herbal Leaf x12Great Tree's Bark x22Soft Moss x5Blue Cherry Berry x14Slot EmptySlot EmptySlot EmptySlot EmptySlot EmptySlot EmptySlot EmptySlot EmptySlot EmptySlot EmptySlot Empty

The Great Tree's Bark he'd pulled from the surrounding trees. It had no medicinal value other than as an antiseptic, and no value as food.

The Soft Moss grew on the side of trees that stayed out of direct sunlight in the darker corners of roots. It actually grew slightly under the bark and was a rare find. Eating a small bit proved it to be slightly poisonous.

The Blue Cherry Berry grew in direct sunlight in small patches. Although it was blue, there was a strange oily black hue to it in the light. He was hesitant in eating something looking polluted. If he was starving, he might eat it then.

Just thinking of the food made his stomach rumble. Like in real life, he got hungry and tired as time passed. The lighting of the day was passing noticeably. Time was moving at a pace similar to real life, if not a bit faster. The feeling was surreal.

It made him a little dizzy whenever he thought about the real world. The virtual world was so well done that if he had been born in it he would have thought it absolutely real.

“Man, I'm hungry.”

He pulled the Small Blooms out of his bags. He ate them slowly, counting how many it took to make him full. He got down to 5 Small Blooms before the game responded.

You are full. You cannot possibly eat any more.

“Thirty blooms to satisfy hunger.”

All he had to do was pick as he went. That would take care of hunger. His other needs were water and shelter. He looked up at the canopy.

“What time is it?”

He looked around for appropriate places to sleep. The huge roots was an easy roof. He just needed something out of open air in case it rained. Several likely places turned out bad after checking. The vines made it tricky, wrapping down entire trees, roots, and past the tree bases across the ground. All it took was disturbing one leaf and the spikes would come out.

The light was dimming when he found a suitable place. He crept closer, a little wary. It was dark underneath the trees. The roots nearby cast black shadows, tricking him into thinking there was something there. He kept his eyes wide, trying to see.

Using his hands, he shaped out the place to sleep. It went deep enough to allow him to sit comfortably and have small space to stretch. The dirt underneath was soft and yielding. For his first night in another world, it was not so bad.

He settled himself in. After a while everything became pitch black. Probably because of the thick canopy. He sighed and rested his eyes. Rest came quickly, but it was without dreams.

#

Birdsong. It woke him gently. The birds were pecking the ground just outside his rest place. They were the first animals he saw in game. They appeared like bluejays and didn't seem to notice him. Their back was to him. A perfect opportunity.

Tannin crouched slowly, quietly drawing his war fan. He closed the fan, using it like a club. He crept out. The soft ground aided his silent approach, cushioning each step.

One bird turned. He froze. It pecked, then looked up, directly at him. It hopped closer. It seemed curious, tilting it's head from side to side. It stopped, staring at him. It was just out of range.

One of the other birds took off, startled. He leaped forward, missing his target by inches. All the birds panicked and flew. An easy meal, gone.

“Damn! Back to picking, I guess.”

He picked as he traveled again, eating the flowers as he got them. Nothing had changed since the first day. He discovered no new plants or wildlife. Several hours passed before there was a change.

Rumble.

“What.”

He looked around him carefully. Large trees, roots, and vines were all he saw.

Rumble.

“What is that?”

Rumble.

You are hungry.

“That can't be. I ate this whole time...”

Except for night. He hadn't eaten anything when sleeping. The satiety meter must have dropped.

He searched for another small bloom. He stared at it, it's window popping up.

Small BloomDescriptionA small flower that slightly abates hunger.DetailsGain +1 Satiety when eaten. Not a full meal.

“Not a full meal?”

It only gave 1 satiety. If he produced a real meal it might have a bigger affect. Flowers were not enough. He needed more. A real meal.

Birds were complete chance. He would die of hunger before catching one. For now they were out of reach.

Rumble.

You are hungry.

“I know! Shut up!”

If he picked more flowers before nightfall and ate them all before sleeping.. No, there was no proof he could max out satiety on just flowers.

Something scraped behind him and he spun around. He looked carefully.

“Nothing. Hunger must be getting to me.”

Rumble.

“Flowers until I find something better then.”

He sped up, picking, eating, and moving as fast as he could. He nearly pricked himself on vines when he went too fast.

There were times when he thought he heard something. Rustling of the leaves above or scraping of bark. He would check the area, but find nothing. Not even birds. It was eerie being the only one around.

A few more hours passed. He felt a little weak in the knees. He stretched, hearing his back pop.

“Even that's in game. I give an A+ for sight and sound effects.”

“Time to eat.” He took a seat on a root and checked his bags.

Small Bloom x124Herbal Leaf x48Great Tree's Bark x86Soft Moss x18Blue Cherry Berry x32Slot EmptySlot EmptySlot EmptySlot EmptySlot EmptySlot EmptySlot EmptySlot EmptySlot EmptySlot EmptySlot Empty

“Those berries...”

He pulled out a blue cherry berry, staring. It's window popped into view.

Blue Cherry BerryDescriptionA small berry that grows low to the ground.DetailsUnknown.

He hesitantly put it into his mouth and bit down. His teeth hit a seed and a strong tang filled his mouth.

“These are good.”

He spit the seed into his hand, then took out another berry to check the message.

Blue Cherry BerryDescriptionA small berry that grows low to the ground, rich in nutrients with a strong tangy taste.DetailsGain +6 Satiety when eaten. A handful I is a meager meal.

Plus 6 Satiety and if he had enough it was a meal. He took out the rest of the berries and ate them, leaving 2 in his bag to keep the slot open.

Your hunger is satisfied. You are full. You will not feel hunger for a few hours. You feel invigorated. Temporarily gain +2 stamina..

“Oh! Stat gain! Can't waste it. But first the seeds.” He picked up a seed and observed.

Blue Cherry Berry SeedDescriptionThe seed of a blue cherry berry. Poisonous when ingested.DetailsMay grow if planted in direct sunlight.

Tannin rose and placed the seeds in his bags. He plucked plants and speed-walked for hours. The rare berries remained out of sight. He was in the middle of plucking a flower and grabbed just the petal when a game window popped up.

Ding!

You have learned a new skill: Wildcrafting.

WildcraftingYou are able to harvest key parts of plants without destroying it, allowing it to produce again.Level01Experience00.00%RankNovicePlants recover every 3 days.

“A new skill!”

He immediately tried it out. He plucked a single petal off a small bloom.

Small Bloom PetalDescriptionA small bloom petal.DetailsEnough can be considered a salad. A light meal.

“Yes! No more hunger.”

He plucked just the petals from the flowers. He found he also could pluck a leaf from a vine without it reacting. He plucked quickly and happily, not worrying about being poisoned. It was with much gusto that he failed to notice the scraping sound that had been following him.

Tannin paused, feeling something off.

“There's no birdsong.”

Crack.

He spun around, his hand reaching for his war fan. He brought it up just as something slammed into him. He felt a burning in his shoulder as he was thrown back. He landed, the wind knocked out of him.

-50 HP.

He struggled for breath as he looked up.

A giant cat faced him, it's eyes narrowed. It's mouth was open, teeth glistening white. It crouched low, then screamed as it launched towards him. Furrows of earth moved under it's paws, testament to it's strength.

He rolled himself to the side, missing it's jaws. It's claws swept past, raking his leg.

“Argh!”

-35 HP.

He crawled forward, hearing it come at him again. He opened his war fan and swung it back behind him. The fan bounced harmlessly off the hard fur.

Miss.

Fangs pierced his forearm. The teeth sunk through his arm, crushing it. The pain radiated out, making his arm spasm. His grip loosened and the war fan dropped.

-80 HP.

You have lost the use of your right arm. You are gravely wounded.

The giant cat clawed his chest, pushing him down with it's massive weight. It let go of his ruined arm, going for his head. He reached for the war fan with his good arm.

He picked it up, jabbing it toward the cat's head. The cat opened wide, consuming his left arm just past the elbow. He opened the fan, feeling it jamming into the cat's mouth. He gripped hard, not letting go.

The cat screamed. It bit down hard, shaking him left and right.

-25 HP.

It paused, seeing if he was dead.

He took the chance and twisted the fan inside. He could barely keep his grip on the fan. He could feel his strength draining away. The cat sensed this and shook him again. He was dragged to some large roots and thrashed against them.

“Ghgh!”

-20 HP.

Thwak.

-20 HP.

Thwak.

-20 HP.

You have sustained fatal damage.

Thump.

The last slam was weaker. He felt himself dragged a bit before his arm was released, war fan still gripped tightly. He couldn't move. Pain was everywhere.

You have lost the use of your left arm.

His head flopped to the right, showing him the giant cat as it hacked and huffed. Blood dripped from it's nose and mouth. It howled in misery. The blood continued to pour out. He must have gotten it good.

He watched as the cat slowly lost it's own strength and mauled the ground. Forgetting him, it tried to climb a tree to escape. It's grip wasn't enough. Half way up the tree it fell. The ground shook with the force as it landed nearby.

Ding!

You have reached level 2! HP +20. MP +15. Your base stats have risen by +1. You have killed an adversary over five times your level. A special bonus has been applied to your skills.

Wildcrafting exp +250.

WildcraftingYou are able to harvest key parts of plants without destroying it, allowing it to produce again.Level05Experience20.18%RankNovicePlants recover every 3 days.

“Ugh.”

Pain rushed him as he attempted to move. His arms were useless.

“Need to heal...”

It was too much. He was going to die right there.

“Crap.” The pain level was unreal.

Crack.

His heart pounded as something else arrived. It scraped and dragged itself around the tree behind him. He was doomed. His first death in game would be from being eaten by cats.

A boot came into view. Two knees slammed down next to him. A gloved hand pressed against his chest.

“Heal!”

A soft green glow encompassed the hand. Warmth spread out, reaching into him. The warmth searched to his wounds, giving slight relief. The green light faded.

“Heal!”

The warmth came and went again. His vision became blurred, so he closed his eyes.

“Don't die! Heal! Heal! Heal!”

“Yes! A new skill!”

The warmth vanished, then another hand was placed on his chest. He felt the heat gather there as he struggled to stay focused.

“Grand Heal!”

A huge surge of fiery heat beat through him. It centered on his wounds, burning them clean. He came wide awake, the blurred vision gone. The surge of heat died down to a simmer. Next to him was his savior.

“Stay down. You're still not fully healed.”

Dressed heavily in long flowing robes was an elderly man. His face was full of wrinkles, but his eyes showed a deep light. He wore no hat, but his snowy hair was well-kept and swept back.

“Thanks. I almost died.”

“Yes, you were very close. Luckily I'm a healer.”

The old man looked back at the cat as he continued to use Heal and Grand Heal.

“What possessed you to fight something that level?”

“What do you mean?”

“The game has you at level 2, and the cat is level 8. From what I've seen, they are the main predator in this area.”

“I only just hit level 2.”

“You killed a level 8 as a level 1? You must have some special skill.”

“Just my weapon.”

He could still feel the war fan in his hand.

“Look at yourself. You took too big a risk.”

“I'd just rez.”

“I'm not so sure about that. I had a party member die yesterday. Her character disappeared so I assumed she had resurrected. I searched the area and waited a few days. She never came back.”

“Maybe she went another direction.”

“Maybe. I'll find out today after I log off. Let's get you healed up first.”

“Thanks again. I only have some crappy heal items. I just couldn't use them.” He nodded toward an arm.

“Just give me a bit more. Your wounds are starting to close. Good thing too. I'm almost out of mana.”

“Feels a lot better already.”

“What?”

“The pain's mostly gone.”

“I didn't think you were a role-player. Sorry, I'd role-play back if I was any good at it.”

“I'm not role-playing.”

“Then you have straight forward jokes. You should work on that.”

Tannin scowled. The old man mustn't have been hurt yet. The pain system in the game needed some adjustments. There was way too much of it.

“By the way, my name is Lucas.”

“Tannin.”

“Nice to meet you Tannin.”

Lucas lent a hand out to him, helping him to stand.

“Thanks again.”

“No problem. It's why I chose the healer skill. This area is crazy dangerous.”

“That saber cat is the first beast I've come across.”

You have named the giant cat 'Saber Cat'.

“Saber cat, huh.”

“What?!”

Tannin saw Lucas's shocked face.

“What?”

“The name changed! You can do that?”

“Can't you?”

“No. Everything I've seen has already been named or has question marks in the name, like I can't identify it.”

“So, I guess I can identify things?”

Tannin scowled, thinking back. There was no skill he had for identifying. He only had Wildcrafting. Best to keep it from the old man.

“You can do that? Great! Maybe you can identify a few of my items for me.”

“Ah, sure.”

Lucas pulled out teeth, hide, and a small jewel.

“I got these yesterday during the grind.”

“Let me see.”

You have discovered new items: Unknown tooth. Unknown skin. Unknown gem.

Tannin stared at the items in order.

Unknown tooth. A tooth from a strange, green, bi-pedal humanoid. Stinky and rotting.

“This item is a goblin tooth.”

You have named the unknown tooth 'Goblin Tooth'. A tooth harvested from the goblin monster. It has no real use.

“This item...”

Unknown skin. Soft and tough. From some kind of common hoofed beast. Can be used as a material.

“This is deer hide.”

You have named the unknown skin 'Deer Hide'. Has multiple crafting possibilities.

“And this is...”

Unknown gem. A mysterious gem dropped by a spirit of night.

“This is a night spirit gem.”

You have named the unknown gem 'Night Spirit Gem.' The gem is imbued with shadow magic.

He gave the new items back to Lucas.

“I see! Now I can read them. I guess everything new has to be identified before others can see it.”

Lucas put the items away and retrieved a staff from the ground.

“This is my weapon. The Staff of Arts. Apparently it has a high affinity with magic.”

“This is mine. War Fan of the Conqueror. I'm not sure what it's good for yet.”

“It saved your life in the fight with that saber cat. It's both a weapon and a tool for living.”

“I guess.” He studied his war fan. The bronze edge gleamed red with saber cat blood. He wiped it clean on the mossy forest floor.

“Say, Tannin. This game being so dangerous and harsh, would you like to party up with me?”

“Um...”

“It's just for the time being. I'm not really a close fighter. Your fan would be better protection than my staff until I learn to use it right.”

“Okay. I guess it would be easier to level too.”

“Right. Then let's add each other to our friend's list. If we get separated we can still whisper each other.”

Lucas held his hand up. “System information.” He tapped an invisible screen known only to him. A window popped up in front of Tannin.

Would you like to be friends with Lucas? Yes / No

Tannin tapped yes.

Lucas has been added to your friend's list. At a thought you will now know Lucas' general location.

“How convenient.”

“Isn't it? Well, I believe it's time for me to go. I have work tomorrow. I'll see you when next I log on.”

“Alright. See you later.”

Lucas held his hand up one last time. “System Information.” Two taps and his character shimmered, then vanished.

“Damn this game is crazy.”

Tannin looked toward the saber cat. “Level 8, huh?”

He came close to it, then focused.

Saber Cat Lvl 8. HP 0 / MP 0.

He stroked it's fur, feeling strange quills or bristles hidden underneath.

“So that's why I couldn't cut through.”

He plucked a quill and examined it.

Saber Cat QuillDescriptionAs hard and unbreakable as stone.Details-

He pulled out his war fan. He placed the quill on the ground. Swinging with all his might, the quill remained undamaged. He swung a few more times for good measure. On the last swing he got a system message.

War Fan of the Conqueror has gained the properties of Saber Cat Quill.

“What?!”

He studied the war fan.

War Fan of the ConquerorLevel00Experience00.00%Attack+ 20Defense+ 20DetailsA weapon imbued with old soul magic capable of adapting to it's environment.Sharpness10/10--BonusAs Hard As StoneThe Saber Cat Quill has passed on it's hardness +5% Defense.

“Okay, this is just wicked.”

Suddenly, Tannin felt a yawn escape.

“Guess I should log out too. Since Lucas logged out that error should be gone.”

He put the fan away. He raised a hand.

“System Information.”

System Error.

“....” This can't be right.

“System Information!”

System Error.

“How am I supposed to log out?!”

He tried his other hand.

“System Information!”

System Error.

“Log me out! GM! I need assistance!”

Voice command input failed. System Error.

“No way.”

He couldn't log out. Advertisement Previous

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Chapter RSS About the author 1 Fictions 1 Posts 0 Threads Immortal Fantasy Follow Author Saturday, February 14, 2015 12:53:22 AM Saturday, February 14, 2015 7:16:28 AM USA http://www.immortalfantasy.com

Bio: I just want to spend my time enjoying great stories.

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