[Neural Link engaged!]
Sebastian materialized in a whirlwind of pixels.
He was in the virtual waiting room of HyperTech Industries' groundbreaking game.
His regular clothes were gone.
It was replaced by a sleek black one-piece outfit with the company's iconic logo on it.
A blue translucent interface greeted him.
[Please input your email and password!]
He entered the necessary information.
[Email: [email protected]]
[Password: Pa$$worthe]
Then he hit enter.
[Starting game…]
The game came to life as the login screen disappeared, and Shin's virtual self appeared as his chosen avatar.
It looked just like him, except with bright white hair and sharp blue eyes. He was dressed in a stylish white tunic with golden trims that were paired with fitted brown pants and sturdy boots to complete the look.
[Thank you for returning to Elden Online! You're in the Starter Town, Eses!]
Sebastian stood in the heart of the town, Eses Square.
Eses was a town that mixed different building styles.
It combined classic medieval designs with touches of dwarven craftsmanship. Most of the town was built from stone and wood, giving it a rustic but friendly mood. Along the streets were small shops, lively taverns, and warm inns that served both locals and passing adventurers.
The town sat in the eastern part of the Miyoloris Continent, near the Langria Peaks—a dangerous mountain range that split through the land. Deep within those harsh mountains was the ancient Dwarven Nation of Scandrag.
"Sometimes these logins give me a headache."
Sebastian sighed.
The vibrant hub was abuzz with players who prepared for the highly-anticipated event about to unfold.
There were also active NPCs.
Sebastian scanned the crowd for familiar faces.
"Where are the others?"
Since they weren't around, he thought it was likely the speed of his network when compared to theirs.
He used a Trynect Booster.
It was a powerful device made to improve the online gaming experience. By boosting network speed and cutting down on lag, it kept gameplay smooth and uninterrupted. Using advanced tech, it prioritized gaming data, giving players a stable and reliable connection.
Of course not everyone could afford it since it cost around $8,000.
"I should take a look at my character sheet then…"
He swiped a finger through the air.
|| S T A T U S ||
[Name: Sebastian]
[Race: Human]
[Title: None]
[Level: 9]
[Class: Mechanic]
[HP: 442/442]
[HP: 180/180]
[EXP: 20/1,125]
S T A T S]
• Strength: 14
• Dexterity: 18
• Intelligence: 20
• Vitality: 14
• Agility: 10
E Q U I P M E N T S]
• Weapon:
- Steam-Powered Rifle
• Armor:
- Iron Stone Reinforced Mechanized Suit
• Accessories:
- Goggles of Precision
- Energy Cell Pack
M A G I C - S K I L L S]
• Turret Deploy
• Mechanical Companion, Bolk
• Explosive Grenades
E X T R A - S K I L L S]
• Trap Detection (Passive)
• Lockpicking (Passive)
• Explosive Expertise (Active)
|| C L O S E ||
Magic Skills on Elden Online encompassed attack, defense, and summoning based spells.
Originally referred to as [Spells] they were renamed [Magic Skills] in the most recent update.
Just two months ago.
On the other hand, [Extra Skills] were initially called [Skills] but were renamed in said recent update. They consist of both active and passive skills, which could be upgraded to expand the skill tree.
Sebastian's in-game name was well… Sebastian.
He didn't see the point in coming up with a fancy name that he'd use in the game, so he went for his plain old name. However, it was advised to not use your real name as your in-game name.
This was mostly due to Professional Considerations.
If your in-game activities or behavior weren't aligned with your professional image, using your real name as your in-game name could potentially harm your reputation in real life.
Nevertheless, Sebastian didn't care.
He was a level 9 Engineer.
There were 10 classes on Elden Online.
They were: Warrior, Mage, Ranger, Mechanic, Necromancer, Alchemist, Bard, Cleric, Paladin, Rogue.
The Mechanic class specialized in using technology and mechanical creations for both combat and support. They usually had high intelligence and dexterity, decent strength and vitality, but low agility.
"Hmm…"
As Sebastian calmly reviewed his character sheet, his party members had already logged in.
The first to appear was Liam.
His avatar name was Helvick.
It looked uncannily similar to his real-life counterpart.
He had a goatee and looked a bit more muscular.
Dressed in full-body armor, with a sword shining at his waist and a round shield strapped to his back, he looked exactly like a knight.
Knight was one of the subclasses of the [Warrior] class.
A class could have subclasses.
In the case of the [Warrior] class, there were subclasses such as: Knight, Berserker, Samurai and so on.
Shortly after, Selena materialized into the game.
Her avatar was a mage of ethereal beauty.
Her long blue hair flowed down her back to match well with her elven ears and sharp blue eyes. She wore a flowing white robe and carried a golden staff topped with delicate, intricate rings.
Her subclass was a [Support Mage].
Her race, elven.
And most importantly, her avatar's name was Aqua.
It matched her blue hair.
Then, Bonnie, avatar name: June, emerged.
She was a ranger of unparalleled agility.
Her black bodysuit seemed to match her lustrous white hair and dull, brown eyes.
Her subclass was Gunner. And her race, human.
Finally, the leader of the party, Evander, appeared before them with his avatar named Ciel.
He was equipped with a short, navy-blue robe adorned with golden accents while he kept his sleeves elegantly folded just above the elbow.
He wore a thick and short navy-blue robe decorated with golden accents, with the sleeves neatly folded just above his elbows.
Ciel's blonde hair matched his calm blue blue eyes.
His class was [Mage] subclass [Versatile Mage].
His race was demonoid.
Sebastian gave his friends a casual glance.
"Took you long enough…"
Ciel smiled mildly.
"Not all of us have those game boosters of yours…"
Sebastian shrugged nonchalantly.
"Whatever, it's not that big of a deal."
Helvick let out an exasperated sigh as his armor clanked faintly with the motion.
"If I were as rich as you, I'd buy all those fancy gadgets to enhance my gaming experience too!"
"But you're not…" June told him plainly.
Helvick sighed heavily as his shoulders dropped.
"Yeah I know, you don't have to tell me…"
"Well, if you want, I could buy them for you."
Shin calmly offered.
Helvick's eyes widened as he blurtered out—
"Really—!? You'd do that for me?"
Aqua leaned forward on her golden staff.
"Well yeah, as selfish as it is… if Sebastian was able to buy all of us Elden Online and its expansion packs, then buying that wouldn't be a problem."
June nodded in agreement.
"Yes…"
Her half-lidded eyes were focused on the transparent blue screen before her.
Ciel interjected with his usual calm voice.
"That's enough talk, let's go over the plan one more time just to make sure we all understand it."
Aqua turned to Helvick and smiled mischievously.
"I doubt Liam does!"
Helvick's face turned red with frustration.
He almost pounced on Aqua as he shouted—
"I definitely understood it this time! And call me by my in-game name too!"
Aqua giggled softly as she hid her small mouth behind her slender hands.
"Don't get so worked up…"
Sebastian looked at Aqua for quite some time.
'She has a cute laugh…'
He was impressed but his eyes remained blank.
Ciel placed a gentle hand on Helvick's shoulder.
"I'm sure she was just joking…"
He looked at Aqua.
"Right?"
"Yes, of course I was."
Aqua giggled more.
Helvick nodded, though he looked a bit hurt.
"Y… Yeah, I knew that!"
He held out a fist and huffed boldly.
Ciel's tone became awkward as he questioned Helvick.
"But… uhm, did you… you know… really understand the game plan, though? ( ◔ ₃◔)"
He asked with heavy uncertainty.
They all knew he was two-plus-two levels of dull.
Helvick's frustration boiled over as he screamed at the top of his voice.
"I understand it! Why does everyone think I'm dumb?"
June wasn't even fazed by his drama.
"Because you look dumb…"
Her voice was plain.
Helvick theatrically clutched his chest as he staggered back with a pained expression.
"That one hurt… (´-﹏-`;)"
Helvick turned to Sebastian as his obnoxiously big eyes hoped for support.
"You don't think I look dumb, right bro?"
At that point he just wanted anyone to agree with him.
Sebastian simply shrugged with a dull look.
"Even if I said you don't look dumb… doesn't the majority carry the vote here?"
Helvick's armor clinked and clanked as he dramatically fell to his knees, frustrated and defeated. He tightened his fist and slammed it against the ground.
"You guys have no sympathy…"
Helvick strained out from under his breath.
Ciel coolly raised an eyebrow at Helvick's outburst.
He smiled a bit and placed his hands on his waist.
"Save the whining for later. Right now, we need to go over our strategy one more time."
Feeling slightly chastised, Helvick rose to his feet and brushed off the dirt from his armor.
He nodded with a slowly building determination.
"Yeah, yeah, okay…"
His voice regressed back to his usual carefree self.
"Let's get this over with."
Just like them, many other players had gathered in the central square of the starter town, Eses. It was a sea of people, with hair in every color—ranging from bright rainbows to soft pastels—and unique features like pointed ears, mystic tribal markings, or long noses.
The atmosphere was ecstatic.
Players donned their medieval attire.
Some carried bows, others wielded swords, maces, or long magic staffs.
Over 5,000 players filled the square.
They chatted amongst themselves to discuss strategies and prepare their weapons, buffs, and various items they'd need once the event commenced.
In total, there were over 10 million players online in total.
All ready to reap the rewards of the event.
"Okay guys, so the planʼs simple…"
Ciel went over their strategy.
It only took him a few minutes to go over.
"So, are we clear?" Ciel asked them.
They all nodded.
"Now, we wait…"
Ciel slotted his hands into his pockets.
Everyone awaited the start of the one-time event.
And that was when it happened… the incident…