Carlos, clad in his massive armor, leaned forward and
Carlos, clad in his massive armor, leaned forward and gently tapped his friend's right shoulder—a nearly imperceptible gesture, like the touch of a butterfly's wing.
— DON'T YELL, you jackass, I'M RIGHT NEXT TO YOU. he retorted, his voice loud and clear, ironically contradicting his own words.
The contrast between the soft touch and the thunderous tone caught the attention of other players, who paused their conversations to watch the scene unfold.
With a surprisingly agile leap, Victor moved back, putting about five feet between them. Then, he raised his arms, his expression serious and defiant.
— You wanna get your ass kicked, huh? — he asked firmly.
Behind that colossal helmet, Shaolin bore a wide, threatening grin—the kind you'd see in a low-budget horror film, or on the face of a pastel-and-sugarcane-juice vendor after convincing you to buy the "mega heart attack" combo.
Unfortunately for Shaolin, Yumi couldn't see the expression, which left him slightly frustrated in his attempt at intimidation.
— HAHAHAHAHA! the tank let out a thunderous laugh, crossing his arms like a king on his throne, drawing more attention.
— You wouldn't beat me here, in China, or even in your dreams, buddy! — he added with an exaggerated scoff that bordered on ridiculous.
They faced each other for a few moments, a nearly palpable tension between them.
However, once they noticed the number of curious onlookers, they ended the show, returning to normal as if nothing had happened.
— Let's go find the others. Standing here is a waste of time. You know Lily. If we take too long, we'll be left behind. And if we get separated, guess what? It'll still be our fault. — said Victor, already walking.
Carlos soon followed, but his slow steps contrasted with his friend's brisk pace.
— This game has no minimap or friend chat. We either talk outside the game or figure out how to do it in here. By now, Robinson and Lily are probably waiting at the edge of the forest. — he said.
— If needed, one of us can log out and check the group. — he added.
— Okay. Victor nodded, probably.
They had already left the city behind. Along the way, they passed other players going in both directions.
— You know… I realized this game doesn't have that usual starter quest to guide you or introduce the world. Not even a basic tutorial for skills. — Shaolin commented.
Yumi didn't answer right away, digging through his memory for any introductory mission. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't find one.
— You're right. Maybe it's part of the game's concept. In the "about the game" tab, there was a sandbox tag. A pre-determined quest would ruin the immersion and go against that idea. — he replied.
Carlos didn't say a word, just gave his friend a silent look, signaling his agreement.
Victor saw the gesture and knew that despite the helmet hiding his face, Carlos was satisfied.
— As for skills and player stats, you can access them just by thinking the keywords: "status" or "skill." — he concluded.
— Seriously? You figured all that out already? Yumi asked, raising an eyebrow, surprised.
Carlos's answer was just a slight shrug, as if it were nothing.
— Or you can just say something like "speed" and it'll show up by itself. — he added.
"Seriously? This guy figured all this out in under 20 minutes of gameplay?" Victor thought, stunned.
He stood there, lost in thought, trying to understand how Carlos had picked up on everything so fast.
The more he thought about it, the more grateful he was for not being close enough to embarrass himself.
— Agility. said Victor, though internally, he was dying of shame.
Agility: 20
— Oh...
He examined the mechanic, realizing that even though it was simple, it could be extremely useful when opening the full status menu wasn't possible.
The topic quickly ran dry, and in silence, they continued walking, each lost in their own thoughts.
It didn't take long before they reached the first trees of the forest.
— So now what? Should we...
Victor was interrupted by a distant female voice calling out.
— HEY, GUYS!
They both turned their heads at the same time and saw a mage running toward them, with a shady figure by her side. They didn't need long to recognize them.
Standing at 5'7", she stood out for her "elegance." Her blonde hair, curled in defined ringlets, framed a lightly tanned face sprinkled with freckles.
Dark green eyes, almost black, sparkled with intensity, contrasting with her smooth, velvety skin. Her slim figure and confident posture made her seem even taller.
A pointed black felt hat, adorned with two opaque glass eyes and a grotesque mouth, sat atop her head. She wore a tight black leather top covered in metal spikes, giving her a threatening appearance.
Long leather gloves with claw-like fingertips completed her sinister look.
A thick leather belt with six compartments full of mysterious items wrapped around her waist.
A tight black leather skirt with deep side slits revealed tall, gleaming boots. Every detail, from hat to boots, radiated a dark charm.
— How the hell did you find us? Carlos asked, suspicious.
The mage tapped the tip of her staff to the ground and struck a dramatic pose, mimicking a legendary wizard who had single-handedly wiped out an army of a thousand men.
— Hehe… it was easier than it sounds. I just looked for a tank and a brawler walking together. And, as expected, found you two. — she answered with a smug smile.
They were impressed. There were dozens of players with tank and brawler classes, yet she'd picked the right ones.
— Bullshit. I've lost count of how many tanks and fighters we stopped on the way. This lunat...
SLAP
Before he could finish, her palm smacked the side of his head, a sharp and painful sound.
— Shut up, ugly rat.
She glanced at the two friends, who looked at her in disappointment.
— First lesson of the day, boys: never trust a damn rat-man. — she said, raising her left index finger.
Surprise was written all over Victor and Carlos's faces. They stared at the shady figure, and the question rang out:
— YOU'RE A FREAKING RAT-MAN?!
The creature, who had remained hidden until then, finally revealed himself in full rat-man glory.
Standing at 4'7", his figure was grotesque. Hunched forward, his thick, dark brown fur covered him from head to toe like a cloak.
Two pointy, pink ears—like a giant rat's—framed a rodent-like face with small, glinting eyes full of wicked intelligence.
Behind him, a long, bare tail dragged across the ground, wriggling like a giant worm, leaving a slimy trail.
— People say I look like Cauã Reymond at his peak. — he said, scratching his chin with a crooked smile.
Lily shook her head, watching her friends' reactions. Deep down, though, she found it all perfectly normal.
— I had the same reaction when I met him. — she added.
— But he swears there's a good explanation… Let's focus on leveling up. He'll drop that bomb later.
There were no traditional ways to change classes. They had no choice but to accept that their friend had doomed them to deal with that oddity.
Both sighed and nodded. And so, the four of them began walking deeper into the forest.
In *Glory Through War*, the monster respawn system doesn't follow a generic timer-based approach. Instead, the game uses a more dynamic and realistic method.
For instance, if a tribe in the south were completely wiped out by players, the system wouldn't just generate new enemies on the spot.
Instead, it would analyze the region and, after a while, send neighboring tribes to move into the vacant area and rebuild.
This process might involve four or more individuals from nearby zones reestablishing the tribe's presence naturally.
That's why they weren't encountering monsters—the players before them had wiped everything out, leaving the area empty.
So, they began venturing deeper into the forest.
— Oh my god… is this game just a walking simulator? Robinson grumbled, swinging his arms in frustration.
The group's formation was simple: Carlos up front, Victor close behind, then Robinson, and finally Lily.
— I'd like to go back to my other game, if that's allowed. Victor muttered.
Hearing their complaints, Lily couldn't take it anymore and spoke up:
— Would you two sissies shut up and feel the damn game?
— Huh...
— Back off! I'm a man, damn it!
Before the mage could start insulting their entire bloodline, they were caught off guard by an ambush.
CRACK-CRACK!!
A tree branch, hurled by tremendous force, came flying at the group, hitting Carlos square in the chest.
The tank, leading the group, took the full impact.
BOOM!!!
Player HP: 85/100
Enemy is attacking!!!
Be careful!!!
— Our first cliché battle.said Lily, as she ran far, far away.