William barely registered the passage of time in the months and weeks leading up to the release of Eternium. Between the occasional orders for art commissions, one or two even very clearly for whatever character people had planned for their grand entrance to Eternium, he was more than busy helping out his retired parents with chores and duties. His father in particular appreciated every little bit of support in these times, with his apiary company falling on hard times as bee colonies were less and less likely to survive the harsh weather conditions that had been hitting their region. Yet this wasn’t an isolated case, and species all over the planet were barely scraping by in a much too drastically changing ecosystem, unable to adapt to the new status quo. And despite the growing efforts to combat future tragedies like this, few people could deny that the situation was glum.

However, this didn’t change anything about Williams' own plans, even if he did feel a pang of guilt when he had taken the next two week off to completely concentrate on Eternium. His parents were understanding, as always, so he could still feel at ease when he hurried up to his room from breakfast and prepared for his first login. Heart racing and stomach tingling, William felt just like a kid on Christmas eve dashing away from dinner and playing with new toys. Just that his new “toy” was a brand-new, state-of-the-art VR headset capable of simulating an immersive gaming experience only thought to be science-fiction.

Unable to do anything but study the manual for the past few weeks, William could already set everything up the day prior and was only preparing for a long session now. Considering that he would be laying down flat on his bed for some four to six hours, he didn’t want to get any sore spots or muscle cramps. Apparently, the VR headset perfectly simulated the game inside your brain, leaving you in a trance-like state, yet still receptible to outside stimuli. That way, if he had to be pulled out in case of an urgent emergency, the game still allowed him to be brought back immediately, even though there was a not too subtle warning that repeated use of this emergency exit will leave him with nausea and confusion, as well as possible ingame consequences or punishments.

Basically, you couldn’t just Alt+F4 out of a hairy situation without repercussions.

Finished with his stretches and checking if his pillows and blankets were lined up perfectly, his face turned towards the key to Eternium: his VR headset. Up until now, it had been resting in its package after setting up the connection through his computer and verifying his account with the device, so not even a speck of dust would blemish the sleek design and matte finish. Now mounted on its loading station, the small lights on its side told him it was fully charged and supposedly able to last twenty whole hours of playtime - not that it mattered, since William would always keep the charging cable attached.

With less than thirty minutes until release, he leisurely got into position and gingerly put on the headset. Just like the days before, the small glas marble embedded in the front caught his eye. It was polished to a brilliant finish and seemed to give off a dull, other-worldly glimmer. The design team really kicked it out of the park here! However, it was obviously just for decorative purposes, since the actual sensors interfacing with your brain were placed all around the inside of the helmet. Or at least that’s what the manual said.

The headset obscured his vision through an opaque visor, most likely so you’re not completely blinded after a long session, while his ears were covered by the padding inside of the helmet. When the equipment registered him putting it on, several pieces inside adjusted and moved around to accommodate the shape of his head, without squeezing too tightly so it could still be yanked off in a hurry. However, having tested that out already, William could confirm it was not pleasant.

With a quick tap on the side of the headset, he powered up the unit and closed his eyes. If he still couldn’t access the servers, the game would probably just boot him out again. And after a few moments passed without anything happening, William was about to just get up again and wait for it to go live.

Yet when he opened his eyes again, he didn’t find the ceiling of his room behind an opaque visor, but a completely white space that seemingly stretched out in all directions without an end. Startled by the sudden change of scenery, William moved his hands up to the headset, yet only grabbed a handful of his hair. Was he already inside the game? That was absolutely seamless!

Do you want power*? Yes/No

The simple question appeared right in front of him, no text window or borders visible. Neat!

And while William was eager to get into the game, he hesitated to hit ‘Yes’ for a moment when he noticed how the word ‘power’ was highlighted. Did this world perhaps define that term differently? Were there other options down the line, like a COYA? Carefully reaching out towards the highlighted word, a new text seemed to extend below the original prompt.

Power is a strange thing. Some people prefer to tread the roads already paved by others, while others want to create their own path in life.

Select no, and you will still be thrown into the world of Eternium, yet you will find it more forgiving and welcoming. Run a farm, work your way up as a Blacksmith, maybe even achieve mastery in your chosen craft! You will experience a peaceful life, far away from the dangers other people are eager to throw themselves into.

Select yes, and you will have the strength to shape the world to your will. Wield arcane powers. Slay foul beasts. Create your own place in this world, no matter the opposition. But never forget that great power comes with great responsibilities - and consequences! Prepare for hardships and struggles, there is no comfort to be found in this life.

Crossing his arms, William was mulling over these words. This game definitely knew how to sound ominous, that much was obvious. But what were the implications here? Would he be unable to learn crafting jobs if he chose power, or just have a much harder time training them? It wasn’t unheard of in other MMOs that focussing on crafting would slow down your progress in character level, but the trade-off could be balanced out in some way. And you never received any advantages from just concentrating on one or the other - that alone made this game so much more intriguing to him.

Could he choose to play as a pure crafter in Eternium, providing others with his craftsmanship and still make a living off of it? William couldn’t deny that the idea appealed to him in some way, but that would also mean leaving Chelsea and Robert hanging, since he promised to play their frontline fighter. Maybe he would pick the easier option in any future endeavours, but for now, he could only choose power. With a flick of his wrist, the option was selected and a new text appeared.

Good choice. Now, do you know what is about to happen? Have you read the terms and conditions?

Well, he did read the TOS on the website, so would there be any difference here? Should there be any differences? William decided not to bother with this at all, just like any other time a game wanted him to accept its terms and conditions. It’s the greatest, most wide-spread lie, and nothing ever came off it. It’s not like he was selling his soul! Quickly selecting ‘Yes’, William just wanted to finally see more than this stark white space.

Wow, you’re really eager to jump into this, huh? But that’s your choice to make. Now, prepare for pain! Just kidding. Kind of? Doesn’t matter, go have some fun!

Yeah, not ominous at all. Perhaps he actually should’ve read through those terms and conditions? Nah, he’ll leave that up to Robert.

It didn’t take long for the scenery to ever subtly change, grey lines now crossing the floor and distant ceiling in a regular pattern, as if a pulse was shooting through straight veins. William was immediately reminded of the holo-decks from some sci-fi novels, and it just made sense really. However, he didn’t have too much time to dwell on that thought.

Welcome to Eternium! There is no saved data for your profile. Would you like to create a new character? Yes/No

Duh.

Great! You are only allowed a single character profile at any given time in Eternium - no alts in here, sorry - so choose wisely! If you decide to start a new character at a later time, all current progress with your previous character will be gone for good, including all skills, items and gold that is on your character at the time of deletion. However, you may transfer your gold through a secure in-world banking system! Additionally, you may only create a new character every thirty real world days.

That.. definitely complicated things. Up until now, no MMO had the guts to disallow alternate characters like this, and for a good reason. Just like so many others, William was particularly addicted to creating alts and experiencing the same game in a different way, often going with some more thematic flavour to the character. Sometimes, it even was necessary to have multiple characters for different crafting jobs or access to more storage space. If this would be his only shot at this game, at least until he deletes the character, he had to make it count! And the next passage seemed to be the key for that.

Would you like to select an available starting class or undergo tests and trials to see what the right choice is for you? These tests may unlock different or even unique classes based on your ability. But be warned! Taking the tests and showing low aptitudes may reduce the number of available classes! You can exit these tests at any time! Start Game / Take Tests.

The greedy little loot hoarder inside him wanted nothing more than to get its grubby hands on one of those unique classes, who wouldn’t really? Then again, he did promise Robert and Chelsea to play a melee fighter for their pre-made group. What if the unique class he would manage to unlock didn’t suit that role? If only he could somehow contact them right now, but just like him, they were already entering Eternium and probably already started their trials. And as far as he could tell, there was nothing he could do except make the choice here.

With a low sigh, William tapped the option to ‘Take Tests’. Why miss out on this revolutionary system and resign himself to a stereotypical class? They could always make due, as long as they all didn't end up as rogues somehow.

William barely finished this thought, before the air around him shimmered and the bleak, white scenery faded away to show a narrow hallway stretching out endlessly in front of him. Taken aback by this moment, he was even more startled by the flashing prompt in front of him telling him to ‘RUN!’, and a voice screaming along with it.

“Just run ahead? Why? What’s happe--”, he blurted out but interrupted himself at the loud ‘whump!’ behind him, announcing the appearance of a massive boulder. Eyes shot wide, William scrambled away from the slowly moving rock that was threatening to crush him, yet in his panic he fell over his own feet. Landing heavily against the wall, wind taken out of him and his mind racing to process the situation, William registered far too late that the boulder was looming over him, threatening to crush his feet.

“Ssshhhhiii--!”, he could only scream before the heavy weight barely graced his right foot, and the scene changed. His mind still reeling and heart still pounding, William now sat on an uncomfortable stool, facing a blank canvas with a small table decked out in painting utensils next to it. Blinking and rubbing his eyes, trying to process what just happened and why he wasn’t dead from getting crushed by a boulder, his attention fell on the all too familiar, almost cliché situation in front of him.

An undoubtedly stunning lady was undressing in the middle of the room, surrounded by empty canvas stands, and slowly getting into position on a lounger. The atmosphere was suffused with paint fumes, an aroma that William very fondly remembered from his time in art school. A soft afternoon glow shone through the high, old windows to the side, bathing the scenery in its warm splendor. It was just like back then...

“Is this the pose you wanted for your painting?”, the woman called out to him with a heavy accent that vaguely sounded Eastern European, giving even more charm to her natural allure and beauty.

Almost as if her words calmed down his nerves, Williams' focus narrowed down to a razor sharp point, directed at the woman in front of him. This was definitely another test by the game, and seemingly tailored specifically to him. Why disappoint whoever was watching? In this kind of situation, he could deliver without fail. Always.

“Yes. Please, stay as still as you can until I tell you otherwise”, William responded, already slightly absent, his hand hovering over the tools at his side. There was a myriad of utensils with such a quality to them he couldn’t even have dreamt of owning during university. An ever so slightly satisfied grin crossed his lips when he grasped his choice of “weaponry”, before turning around and focussing on the model he was supposed to paint. In his mind, her unnatural appeal didn’t even register anymore. Now she was just another object he had to perfectly encapsulate in his art.

And after the first stroke of paint struck the canvas, William didn’t even register the passage of time anymore. There was nothing occupying his mind, aside from his sole purpose in the pursuit of perfection. This was his world, his single most identifying aspect that could throw him into a feverish haze that easily clouded his better judgement. Yet little else helped in distinguishing him from others, and so giving it his everything was Williams only option.

Fingers cramping, lungs sucking in ragged breaths, the fanatic artist knew the exact moment his work was done, and his focus shifted back to reality. Those smears of paint across his clothes and skin were akin to a warrior's scars, telling of his hard-fought battle here. Settling back down onto the stool behind him, even the hard surface was soothing to his aching muscles. And after another deep breath, he looked over to the still posing woman.

“I’ve finished. You can move now”, William told her in a breathless voice. But just when the lady stirred up from her resting place, a swirl of colours obscured his vision just for a moment, leaving him startled and confused, only to settle back into the scenery of a lush forest. This time around, the trial told him in very clear terms his objective: ‘SURVIVE!’

At least now, William knew better than to stand and stare, even though the sudden change in scenery still left him a bit startled. And if the boulder earlier was any indication, this trial wouldn’t just be a nice little camping trip in the woods. It was more of a miracle that he didn’t have to fight animated painting utensils in the last one.

Carefully looking around the spot he was placed in, William tried to remember the basic rules of survival as he was taught - of course, not from his non-existent time at the boy scouts, but by watching one or another survival show and maybe looking up survival techniques online. And really, besides knowing that he shouldn’t be drinking from any old creek in the woods or eat every random berry he would come across, he had absolutely no survival skills whatsoever. To put it bluntly: William was screwed.

How long could he last without clean water? Three days before dehydration. Would the game even allow him to die in such a way? After all, he didn’t get brutally crushed by the boulder, so he should be spared from experiencing death here as well. But dying from thirst would come second anyways, since he would probably die from exposure first - he was just in sweat pants and a t-shirt, damn it! What was even the point here?!

“Screw this.. how can I logout? Maybe I can skip this trial and--”, William was mumbling to himself and waving his hands around in an attempt to open some menu this way, when a very distinct shape on the other side of the clearing caught his eye. And even a city kid like him could recognize a bear when he saw one. Trotting leisurely among the trees, the far too large beast didn’t seem to have noticed him yet, and William hastily jumped behind a cluster of bushes for cover.

Heart pounding violently, he tried to crawl in between the thick branches and hopefully hide from the certain death that was slowly approaching his position, the bear's massive paws pounding against the floor despite its strolling speed. Barely able to contain his hasty breathing by firmly pressing a hand on his mouth, William peered out through a tiny gap in the leaves, hoping and praying that the bear wouldn’t see or smell him.

When the shaggy brown fur came into view, he almost let out a frightened yelp and tried his absolute best to remain completely still. Yet when the creature didn’t seem to move on and sniffed the air instead, William felt his stomach sink. This was it, he would get mauled by a bear while hiding in a bush, he just knew it. ‘Just let it be over quick..’, he thought to himself, closing his eyes in a desperate attempt to hide from this reality.

However, just when he thought the bear would end up sticking his oversized muzzle through the branches, the sound of wood cracking and splintering drew the beast's attention away from the hiding prey. Trees seemed to crash over one after another, and a low rumble could be felt through the ground slowly approaching their position. Still frozen with fear, William didn’t dare to look for the source of the disturbance, only hoping that it would lure the bear away somehow. And in fact it did just that, hastily getting out of the hollow in between the trees and clambering up the thick roots with a hoarse growl, as the deep rumble grew ever closer and louder.

Just when William decided to abandon his hiding spot and dash in the other direction away from the bear, a whole pack of unnaturally large boars crashed through the underbrush and rushed directly towards his position with high-pitched squeaks and groans. The massive wall of fur and tusks cared little for obstacles in their way, bursting through bushes and old fallen trees without apparent effort.

With his instincts deciding that ‘freeze’ was the appropriate reaction here, William could only watch in shock as a massive snout flew towards his face, threatening to first gore and then trample him underneath the subsequent mass of creatures. Squeezing his eyes shut, he prepared himself for the worst - yet only a dull flash of pain hit him across his cheek, before everything changed once again.

Squinting with one eye, William expected to find himself in just another situation that would result in a quick and terrifying death, yet this time around, he was sitting in front of a small desk with a test booklet and writing utensils on it. The simple instruction of ‘Do Your Best!’ was written on the cover in bold letters.

“This is just some sick joke, isn’t it? First throwing me in the middle of a dangerous forest, and then making me do a whole written exam..”, William mumbled to himself with a few assorted curses towards any developer that might hear him, while reaching out to the package to at least attempt this trial - but stopped himself short. How long has this taken already? His general sense of time was completely thrown off without an ingame clock, and he didn’t want to spend most of his first session just doing these trials. As revolutionary as this game was, there was very little fun to be had so far. And doing an entire exam didn’t promise to change that for the better.

However, he already knew that his performance must’ve been shamefully poor so far. Obviously they expected him to at least try and outrun the boulder, and at least somewhat manage to survive in a hostile environment. What kind of class would he even get if the only thing he had proven to be good at was painting?

Grinding his teeth in frustration, William decided to at least try and clear this trial. As he tore open the seal on the package and grabbed one of the numerous pens to his side, his mind seemed to focus again. Linguistics first, huh? Not his favourite subject, but neither his worst. And with the gradual increase in difficulty of the exercises given, William quickly found himself occupied with the myriad of questions. Everytime he finished a page, it would be whisked away by an unseen hand, only startling him the first few times before it didn’t even bother him anymore.

Just about every subject was present in this exam, which also meant that it would be a rather accurate representation of his knowledge. While pretty much acing anything related to history, politics and arts, obviously, William could barely make it through high-school equivalent mathematics and science questions. However, there were countless questions that tested his general knowledge or even topics that he didn’t know about beyond a bare surface level. Some of the questions even made him scowl and second-guess what the developers tried to achieve with this elaborate examination.

Despite this, he was trying his absolute best, just like the trial had demanded from him, pushing himself to answer everything and as accurately as possible. In his concentration, William only noticed that he reached the last page when it was torn away from his trembling fingers, leaving him to collapse on the hard wooden surface.

“Whoever created this game was a sadist..”, he groaned out, barely able to move his aching and sore muscles, his head pounding from the strain of staring at a desk for too long. William was clearly, definitely done with this, and unless the next trial was a sleeping competition, he wouldn’t go any further. What if the next test was a duel to the death, or he had to outswim a shark? No, this was the end for him. So when the game notified him that he could choose to proceed to the next trial, William just shook his head.

“No way, I’m done with this crap. Now let me exit these trials already! There’s gotta be some way to leave this place, they explicitly told me--”, he vehemently protested and tried to lift himself up in frustration, yet the sound of something akin to a boxing bell cut him short, and the world once again twisted for a bare moment, before he found himself back in the stark white room with its grey, pulsing lines. No boulders crushing him, no stampede of wild animals goring him, and no calculus to torture his tired mind.

“Thank god, it’s over.”