The Areopagitica locked its gaze on me.
Stupid dragon, I think. The last thing I needed was another day of searching. I jump out, running from the large stone where I hid myself as the Areopagitica spits a mouthful of lava. Shoulder-rolling forward, I come up on one knee behind a thick bush and send an arrow straight up into the dragon’s throat. Only it sensed my movement that it easily slaps the arrow away with its robust wing.
“Dipshit,” I muttered.
I selected an explosive arrow from my pack and aimed at its eyes. Breathing deeply, I can feel the tension of the string as I stretch it. A shower of sparks bursts from the tail of the arrow as I release it, and just exactly the dragon turned its head to me, severing a direct hit. It roared to the heavens. Thick, dark smoke clouded its head, yet I can still see his blinking red eyes.
I stood and sent three more explosive arrows, one in its head, throat and tummy. It wasn’t even a minute until the dragon breathed its last fire. For my last assault, I neatly selected my Lightning-type arrow and aimed at the dragon’s red eyes. The arrow turned to a quick, zapping light once released, surrounding the dragon with the zigzagging light from head to toe. Its wings flapped twice, and then it closed its eyes.
“One…two…three.” And the dragon lay dead before me. I waited for the cool, clear voice of a woman — Melinda, the programmed announcer — which came shortly.
“You’ve slain a rare dragon. You can now redeem your badge — the DRAGON SLAYER — at any BASEMENT, along with your other rewards. Congratulations, player RAVEN_143.”
When the voice is gone, the dragon turned to pixels and it slowly faded away. I can feel the muscles in my face relaxing. I throw my bows in the air and it dissolved into nothing, so is the set of arrows in my back.
“Transport to the nearest basement!” I shouted, and waves of blue light surround me, temporarily blinding my eyes with brightness. When my vision is back, there are no trees, no jungle but a gigantic, hundred-floor building stood before me. The metal in my wrist flashes I’m on the CITY OF TRINKETS.
The building before me, known as the BASEMENT, is where every Grandiose player redeems their prizes when accomplishing a mission. There is at least one basement in every city.
I can see my avatar in its glass walls. Brown cropped hair, tanned skin, broad shoulders. I was wearing my favorite LIKE A VIRGIN shirt I personalized in the Grooming shop. No need for an armor or useless bling; it slows me down anyways.
I fall on the line, next to a male avatar with a sleek red hair, upon entering the basement. I placed my eyes in front of the scanner and it recognized me as player Raven_143. Inside the building everything is busy like an ant colony. There were different avatars moving around, ranging from thinly designed avatars to richly and idiotically dressed users. I was searching for a vacant spot when a hand drops on my shoulder. I turned around and saw my friend, Denver aka player Asterisk503, his distinctive Cheshire grin from ear to ear. No one ever tells their real name inside the Grandiose, but I knew Dexter personally so there’s no point in hiding.
“Hey pal, what’s up?”
Denver’s avatar is a Caucasian male with a military-cut blonde hair, body equally built with mine, wearing his personalized costume imitating that of a gladiator. I told him I have slain a dragon, something he has accomplished two years before.
“Great.” He told me. I saw a vacant counter and we walked over. A woman with a perfect smooth face and big eyes attended me. She’s got this signature ice-cream shaped red hair; Melinda. You can almost always see this girl at every programmed location in this world.
“I killed an Areopagitica this morning.” I stretched out my wrist to her where she scans my metal bracelet with her scanner. A series of clicking sounds approves my statement. “Please record my status on the International Scoreboard and deposit the gems on my account.”
“Just a minute, sir.” She leaves the counter and Denver tugs at my sleeves. He asked me what my next plan is.
“I don’t know,” I said. I’ve been thinking of forming or joining a guild to capture a mermaid in the Crumulus Ocean, or continue my tracking on one of the four forbidden rings, but I realized I’ve lost my interest in them.
Denver saw the reminiscing in my face. He produces a paper from his pocket and gave it to me. I unfolded it and read the words ANNUAL TUNKATSU TOURNAMENT will be held next week, on the Meladeer City.
“Pretty easy competition,” he says, “3 players required for each team.”
This is why Denver’s rank in the scoreboard is a mountain ahead from mine. He takes adventure missions alright, but ninety-nine percent of all his winning comes from player versus player combats — tournaments and matches like this.
I don’t really liked personal battles with other players, because of the basic reason that you can actually do that in the real world. There are many places to visit, many creatures to capture and slay, many wonders to experience. The difference is that player-to-player combat means popularity.
Denver sees the objection in my face, and he said, “this is not a pro-competition, dude. Tunkatsu is more like discovering new people, new good players they can advertise to bigger competitions.”
“How many gems?” I asked him.
“You mean aside from the EXP you’ll get?”
Of course. This is another thing why Denver is ahead of me. His level is more advanced than I am. Combat with a player gives more experience. Missions outdoors give more gems. Strength and money are the two major players in both worlds.
Melinda returns with my badge, a golden dragon, which I am to pin somewhere in my avatar. It kind of feels good to pin this badge in front of Denver, who got more or less twenty badges compared to mine of almost hundred. Ninety-four badges exactly.
“Your gems have been deposited and your level has been updated.” Melinda announces.
Outside the basement Denver asks for my reply. He said I need to join for a change, since I’ve got many badges or something. Suddenly he put his hands on his hips and says, “don’t worry pal. You’re lucky you got me as a team.”
I rolled my eyes. Surely he had known a lot of player, from monks to gypsies, but I can go without his help if I wanted to. He has a point though, that I need a change. A change of tactics. He once told me that money is nothing without strength, and strength is non-sense without money. He’s right. I need to at least balance things out.
“Who’s the other player?”
He smiles at my question. “I have one in mind. So, should I count you in?” I nodded. “Okay, great! Notify me and we’ll meet at Café Latina, in the town of Blueks, together with our teammate. No backing-out, I’m gonna register us.”
“Fine with me.”
“Cool. I gotta go. Need ta fetch my Ferousword at old Peter the blacksmith. Notify me!” He tapped his bracelet, and blue lights surround him, and he is gone.
I stared at the paper he forgot to get. Tournament. I must prepare for this. There would be players, some trained and primed for this type of events. Upgrading my gear would be the first thing when I log-in. But for now, since I’ve been in here in the world of Grandiose for a couple of days now without eating, or drinking, I got to log out.
“System, check.” I murmured, and now green lights have surrounded me. I now stood to where we call the B.R, bedroom, where we leave our Avatars to safety while we go back to the real world. The B.R is made up of connected rooms, separated by thin walls. Plain white. I opened a door and lay there.
I pushed a red button in the wall beside me and whispered, “Raven_143 is logging out.” A transparent glass encloses my bed, signaling that it is imperative for me to close my eyes in five seconds. I did. I waited for a minute until I open my eyes, and when I do, I am lying on my PORT, in my apartment here in New York City.
The PORT, which allows a person to convert his real body to his avatar in Grandiose, is like a machine, or a mechanical bed with a blue glass covering. I pushed the glass away and stepped out of the Port. I looked around and saw the epic mess of my room. The smell of the rotting cheeseburger is floating in the air, and so is the smoke that came from the nearby factories.
The moment I stood in this endless clutter, I’m wishing already that I can go back to Grandiose. I detested Earth. I loved Grandiose.
[To be cont.]
