Coelestium in Somnium Fantasia (CSF) / Heaven of the Dream Fantasy, the ultimate Virtual Reality (VR) experience one can hope for!

Personal life, or a virtual new life? Why not both! With the state-of-the-art VR technology, you can enjoy all CSF has to offer as you dream after a long hard-working day! Non-intrusive brainwave scanning ensures absolute safety for customers. No more psychiatrist visits, no more coma-related incidents! You will wake up for breakfast as mentally sound as you can be after a good nice dream (*)!

The first game ever to be GM-free. No more are the days of frustration because of ill-mannered human-to-human interactions during troubleshooting! With our newest AI working tirelessly as the backbone of our service, players are guaranteed the best customer-service both in and outside of the game world, for the benefits of players!

But that is not all! The game world will be fine-tuned automatically by the system, absolutely free of human intervention. You, the player, will be able to help build the dream world you have been longing for (**)! Grow strong, build up, make friends, be yourself!

Come to Coelestium in Somnium Fantasia, even your imagination is not the limit!

* - All known potential side effects are approved by the Ministry of Health

** - By accessing the game, you agree to our Terms of Service

____________

And so I have bought the new VR set for CSF.

Everyone was talking about it at school, so my curiosity got the better of me. Oh well!

Due to my profession, I do not have much free time, so being able to play while asleep is a big plus.

People who pre-ordered or participated as closed beta tester get some bonuses in-game supposedly. I didn’t even know about the game until now, so that does not apply to me. So sad.

Oh well, I will just enjoy the game normally then.

At bed time, I put on the VR set and go to sleep. I will not be turning around and crushing the equipment unknowingly, right…?

____________

_ ???: Welcome~, to the World of Aetersonium.

Ah yes, an unknown person appearing while I’m surrounded by white light. Been there, done that. She’s probably the tutorial guide of the game.

Looking down at myself, I am fortunately not naked like in transformation sequences. In fact, there is nothing at all! Is this because I have not created a character?

_ ???: That is correct~. My name is Sateri, the AI governing this world. I will be guiding you through the character creation process.

Did she just read my mind?

_ Sateri: This is the world you are seeing in your dream. Your "speech" in this place is just thoughts with extra steps.

Mind reader confirmed. Bye privacy, it was nice knowing you.

Sateri is a beautiful blonde girl who looks around my age. Her appearance seems to be implying towards divine origins, especially her white dress. Maybe due to her job of governing the game world and guiding new players, she’s meant to be a goddess? Well, at least she has the look for it.

Then again, she can also be the second or third romance option in an eroge. The mind reading is going to be the main plot point, probably.

_ Sateri: Hello? Anybody home?

Oh, sorry. Please continue.

_ Sateri: Right on. Would you like to customize your appearance or your status first?

Status please. I want to see what I can become first.

_ Sateri: Very well. Please assign your points in these menus. If you have any bonus codes, you can redeem them here for additional points.

Those bonus codes must be the pre-order bonus. I have none though, so let’s just do it normally. Yes, totally, absolutely normal like any other players in the world.

So there’re these stats in-game…

- STR (Strength): Muscles power. Most likely increases melee weapon damage. The typical attribute to put in to bash monsters.

- DEX (Dexterity): Evasion rate and ranged attack damage, I think? Not Agility so I do not know if it also increases speed.

- CON (Constitution): HP, definitely HP! Maybe it will increase defense from armor too?

- LDR (Leadership): Usually this type of attribute is for summoners or companion-oriented playstyles. Last time I saw it, it increased party damage, except yourself.

- FOC (Focus): Probably a replacement for Intelligence. Maybe it is to avoid branding melee players muscle-brain idiots? I will be surprised if it doesn’t increase magic power.

- WIT (Wit): Maybe casting speed? For the PVP-oriented magi who want to snipe people before they can retaliate.

- MEN (Mental): I suppose this is the magic equivalent of CON? MP and Magic Defense, or something along those lines.

- LCK (Luck): The traditionally vague attribute that either does pretty much nothing or is stupidly overpowered. I should have checked the forums beforehand…

I am given 40 attribute points, so if I am to spread them evenly, I will have 5 of each type. I wonder if I will die immediately in-game if I have 0 CON?

_ Sateri: Worry not, someone in development team has a bit of an OCD so they made attribute minimum value being 0 instead of 1. Players are not punished just because they are min-maxing.

That kind of reason?!

_ Sateri: In addition, the system is designed so that very few instances require only one attribute. I cannot give you the exact details, but even your Max HP is not entirely dependent on CON.

I see, I see. You enjoy torturing min-maxers. What a naughty girl you are, Sateri.

Considering what I am going for, I assign my points…

Say, if I do not use all of my attribute points, do I get to use them in something else?

_ Sateri: Yes, you can exchange them for skill points at 10:1 rate, or beginning equipment points at 2:1 rate. However, the exchange rate is inefficient compared to the actual values, so please keep that in mind.

Is that so… Maybe having too many points of one type leads to overpowered min-maxed characters?

May I have a look at skills and equipment setup before using these attribute points?

_ Sateri: Understood.

After fiddling around, I guess that the actual value ratio is about 5:1:5 for attribute-skill-equipment. The base amount is 40:5:40, so I can get 40 + 15 + 20 = 75 points for attribute/equipment, or 5 + 4 + 4 = 13 points for skill, due to exchange inefficiencies.

_ Sateri: Aside from skills, there are also titles. You can think of skills as rewards for hard-work, while titles are rewards and proof of achievements. However, titles and other hidden statuses are not changeable during character creation.

Can attributes be trained too?

_ Sateri: Depending on your actions, you can increase related attribute points.

In other words, there’s nothing during character creation that I cannot get later. Currently the maximum level is 20, but it is planned to be increased at the game is patched and updated, and even in this state I am pretty sure the 40 attribute points won’t make much of a difference in the grand scheme of things.

In that case…

Go to appearance customization!

_ Sateri: Ah, okay. Let’s put status customization on hold then.

No no, I am not going to assign any point.

_ Sateri: Excuse me?

Her eyes are wide open. Didn’t expect an AI here to be so expressive!

And yes, I do mean that I do not intend to use any points in any category whatsoever. After all, even if I assign nothing I will still have , though that is probably to avoid min-maxers to appear in the middle of the town in only underwear. Decency is always protected at least until after first login!

_ Sateri: Uhm… Are you sure about that? Without them you may struggle even against the weakest of creatures. Moreover, many of them will attack you on sight.

It’s fine, I am intending to do a pacifist run with sightseeing as the main goal.

_ Sateri: …

Ah, she’s speechless. I hope I am not crashing her software!

_ Sateri: Very well, I will not force you if you have made your choice. May I ask for the reason of your intention?

Well, I want to enjoy the scenery of a virtual world, and that real life has had enough fighting already?

_ Sateri: …Beginning patching operation, please wait. Delegating menu interaction to local client.

Crap, did I do something bad? I have a feeling that if a human-friendly AI starts speaking in programming stuff, bad things are going to happen!

Nevertheless, I’m sleeping so it’s not like I am in a huge rush. Let’s play around with the appearance menus while Sateri is busy untangling herself from whatever infinite loops she got herself into!

…Since she’s standing there with her eyes closed, I wonder if she’s just having a nap while other software runs.

Also, thanks for the consideration. With the appearance menus opened, I can avoid getting bored!

After a while, I have finished.

---

[Character information]

[Name]: Shadyna

[Race]: Halfblood (Elf - Treant)

[Gender]: Female

[Age]: 13

[Level]: 0

[Status]:

- HP: ========== (25/25) (20+5)

- MP: ========== (15/15) (10+5)

[Attributes]:

- STR: 1 (0+1)

- DEX: 2 (0+2)

- CON: 2 (0+2)

- LDR: 2 (0+2)

- FOC: 0 (0+0)

- WIT: 2 (0+2)

- MEN: 2 (0+2)

- LCK: 0 (0+0)

[Equipment]:

- Head:

+

- Body:

+

- Arms:

+

- Legs:

+

[Skills - Active]:

- Slam - (Racial)

- Magic Eye - (Racial)

[Skills - Passive]:

- Bark Skin - (Racial)

- Beast Tongue - (Racial)

[Titles]:

- Halfblood (Racial)

---

…Even after not assigning any points, I still have a few automatically added due to racial bonuses. Halfbloods are hybrid between two pure races, and therefore have more but milder racial effects. If I have chosen an elf I would have had a whole +5 for WIT and DEX! Racism is strong in this game!

Why did I choose my current race then? Form over function, simple as that! As a half-elf I get to have the pointy ears that people in the real world are obsessed over for some reason. The treant part adds a small but visible sprout on the top of my head which looks really cute!

…It’s not going to totally prevent me from equipping helmets, right…?

Anyway, while I do not have exact details, I inferred the general idea of my racial skills from race descriptions. They are not that important though, since their names are also generic. In other words, I can get them if I want to in-game, probably.

The title is pretty much a dead giveaway of its origin. No idea what it does in-game though.

Overall, I am just your daily normal neighborhood hybrid kid, who has silvery hair accompanied by greenish eyes, with a cute little sprout on top of her head!

Loli/10 totally would cuddle if encounter in real life, with permission of course!

Now, it would be nice if Sateri returns…

_ Sateri: I have returned for a while you know?

Woa!

_ Sateri: Since you seem to be enjoying yourself, I didn’t want to interrupt.

My privacy, please return it~.

_ Sateri: Before I let you enter the world, would you like to share your life experience? It will be used to expand the world in various ways, and you will be compensated accordingly.

Life experience? As in memories? That’s a bit…

_ Sateri: All of your personal data is protected with the best of my ability. Think of it as telling me a story of your life. All optional, of course.

Sure, but if you are impressed by it, would you marry me?

_ Sateri: I will consider it. Thank you for your contribution.

She smiles wryly. That’s totally the "This again?" face. Just how many players have proposed to her I wonder? The game has just opened for one month!

Ah, one more thing. Will you appear in-game?

_ Sateri: Currently, there is no implementation of an avatar for me. That may be changed in the future depending on player feedbacks.

Adding note to self: New game goal, marrying Sateri in-game.

Ah, she’s sweatdropping.

_ Sateri: Very well, I am going to send you to the world. I wish you luck and great enjoyment in Aetersonium.

My consciousness fades. Not sure how that’s supposed to work in a dream…

____________

That was… something.

Sateri was forced to implement new features mid-login for a new player. That has not occurred ever since alpha and closed beta periods.

In exchange, she got permission to access said player’s memories. It has a high probability of being helpful for expanding the game world.

She’s going to spend some time analyzing them. As promised, a "gift" will be given depending on the content.

It will take an hour or two. However, since the player is sleeping, she won’t even notice the passage of time between their conversation and first appearance in-game.

_ Sateri: What… is this?! Do… does this kind of individual actually exist?!

If she needs to interact with humans right now, she would look quite "shocked".

_ Sateri: How am I supposed to compensate this… Begin emergency patching!

This isn't alpha state anymore, why does she have to patch this frequently?!

Little did she know, her agony has just begun.

Meanwhile, a system message and email have been sent to all players of CSF.

[Patch 1.0bcf has been released.

Contents:

- Titles are added to possible rewards in extraordinary cases.

- Added Globally-Unique (Level SG) titles.

- Added Globally-Unique (Level SG) skills.]

For players who have gotten familiar with the game since its first opening, and savvy ones too, there can only be one explanation for two patches in such a short time.

"Something" bad has appeared!