"Ouh!!"
[You have lost 1 HP.]
[You have obtained <Fruit of Aiden>!]
The first sensation Demi had in a long while was that of a bump on his head.
'Shit, how long was I asleep?!'
When he woke up, the sky was on the cusp on becoming bright again. Demi hurriedly accessed the in-game clock: he had been asleep for more than 18 hours in in-game time! However, in real time, it was only about less than 5 hours.
By the 22nd century, mankind had uncovered the science behind how humans perceive time. It was similar to how vehicle crash survivors often commented how "my entire life passed by before me" or how athletes who are 'in the zone' described how they could observe every movement the opponent makes. The developers of Creation's Cradle took that concept and implemented it masterfully into the game. Their innovative methodology stretched that perception of time, and hence the time ratio between the game and real life was 4:1. After 4 days of gaming, only 1 day would have passed in real time. This was one of the most addictive characteristic of the game: players can spend a massive amount of time in-game, and it wouldn't affect their work and life at all. However, to prevent any mishaps from being overly-addicted, there is a safety mechanism that requires players to log out once every 12 hours of real time.
"Damn, I gotta g...."
"Zzz..."
Before even getting up, the natural sleeping gas released by the Tree of Tranquility seeped into Mag. There were all kinds of precious treasures Creation's Cradle. They ranged from consumables that increase stats such as the Tranquility Fruit of Aiden, to weapons, armors, pets, seed, miscellaneous tools and so on. The possibilities are limitless. However, they all had one thing in common: they were not easy to obtain.
One such example is the infinite sleep loop that Demi encountered.
Some time later...
[You have lost 1 HP.]
[You have obtained <Fruit of Aiden>!]
[You have breathed in an excessive amount of the fragrance of the Tree of Tranquility. You have fallen asleep.]
....
[You have lost 1 HP.]
[You have obtained <Fruit of Aiden>!]
[You have breathed in an excessive amount of the fragrance of the Tree of Tranquility. You have fallen asleep.]
...
[You have reached the maximum number of consecutive login hours. You will be forcefully logged out.]
For the umpteenth number of time that day, Dae-suk opened his eyes after an unknown period of time. What greeted him was a system message reflected on the transparent screen of the capsule terminal.
[Time remaining till next login: 29m 37s.]
Piip.
Dae-suk opened the capsule hatch and stood up. The digital clock on the wall showed that 6 hours had passed since he first began playing Creation's Cradle.
"Eh..."
As he attempted to do some simple stretches to loosen his body, Dae-suk found that his body didn't feel stiff at all!
"Wow, what."
The superiority of Innovat3's user-centric design shone through once more. While players lay motionless within the capsule, there were small pressure sensors within that took note of parts of the body which were getting stiff or sore. Based on those readings, nanomachines, smaller than one hundredth of a human hair's width, that were on the lying surface would subtlely massage those parts.
Demi had heard about this technology in the marketing ads for Creation's Cradle before. But experiencing it firsthand, it was a completely different feeling altogether. It was even more comfortable than his bed.
Still, it was a good idea to hydrate himself and go to the loo for the next 6 hours.
---
[Time remaining till next login: 0m 39s.]
"Okay. By now, the sleeping gas loop should be gone right?"
[Login Successful. Welcome to Creation's Cradle!]
Soon, the familiar login screen greeted him. As the front-screen music background sounded in his ears, Demi, or rather Mag, was ready to resume his day-old adventure in the game. Then, just as the bright blue light of the welcome screen faded away, Mag's eyes saw... nothing.
He was wrong. The sleep gas loop continued. Curses couldn't even burst out of Demi's mouth as he was fast asleep.
...
[You have lost 1 HP.]
[You have obtained...]
[You have breathed in...]
...
Whenever the duration of 'sleep' was over, Demi had about 5 seconds of consciousness. Each time, he tried to get up and distance himself as far from the tree as possible. However, it was arduous time because of the movement speed debuff that lasted 36 hours.
However, after 10th time, or perhaps the 20th time of whoozing in and out of consciousness, the first thing that Mag saw was no longer the emerald-like clearing, but instead two men dressed in clothes similar to his, carrying a large woven basket on their back. They seemed to be mouthing something excitedly, but Mag didn't have the time to care. He would lose his consciousness any moment now. He only had one chance to get out of this ridiculous predicament.
"PLEASE HELP BRING ME TO TOWN!!!"
A spirited shout, and darkness enveloped his vision once more.
---
It was a lazy afternoon for Gino. At this time of the day, there would be no one visiting the receptionist at all. All the apprentice warriors had went home after morning training, and there were hours till evening training started. As for the townspeople, they would usually come by just before sunset after finishing their labor for the day.
"Well... at least it's peaceful." As one of the poor aspiring warriors who couldn't afford the school fees, the kind principal allowed him to pay it through labor instead. In exchange for doing three afternoon shifts a week, he could continue to attend classes.
With a heart of gratitude, Gino sincerely wanted to do his job well to thank the principal. However, it was a hot and dreary day. Leaning back against the chair, Gino closed his eyes and yawned loudly.
"Hey, Gino."
"...!"
Gino almost fell off the chair at the sudden interruption. His sleepiness immediately vanished as it was a lie as he was jolted awake. Before him was the herb-gathering duo that frequently delivered medicinal herbs for the pharmacy. Thankfully, it wasn't the fierce supervisor, or he .might get an earful for almost dozing off during the job/
"Yes, how can I help you?"
"You see, we found this guy.."
---
When Demi roused from consciousness, he was esctatic. Finally, the scene that greeted him wasn't that maddening clearing anymore, but instead the interior of a wide house. From the looks of it, it appeared to be some sort of medieval medical ward, given the row of beds neatly arranged several meters next to each other. There was also a chair and a small table to put things next to the bed.
However, what caught Demi's attention wasn't the empty ward. It was the <!> that appeared in the corner of his vision. Based on how he customized the filters for the alerts, the <!> that popped up could only mean something good. And after all the trouble he went through... Demi licked his lips in anticipation and brought out the system log.
[You have obtained <Tranquility Fruit of Aiden>!]
[Item information has been updated.]
[Tranquility Fruit of Aiden]
Rarity: Precious
Effect: Intelligence +2. Reduces resistance to 'sleep' for 12 hours.
Description: A rare fruit that grows on the Aiden Sacred Tree. It contains the essence of the tree and can increase intelligence when consumed. Its growth cycle is unknown, and can only be obtained with luck.
A Precious item! Based on the system guide, during the open beta period, the rating of an item is as followed: Weak, Normal, Rare, and Precious. As for items beyond that, the system guide did not clarify what they were. Demi's eyes lit up at his fortune. It was still his first day of playing the game, and he had already found 2 Precious-rated items. Surely it couldn't be that easy to find them?
Satisfied, Demi then dismissed the notifications and continued down the log.
[Due to repeated exposure to the pollens of the Sacred Aiden Treant, sleep resistance has increased by 1%.]
The wide grin on Demi's face stretched even further. But the next message turned them into crescent moons.
[Due to repeated action and practice, you have obtained the skill <<Meditation>>.]
[Meditation Lv. 1]
Rarity: Rare
Effect: Increases Mana Regeneration by 3% (passive), 10% (active). Intelligence +2.
Description: Since the ancient times, people have sought to increase the body's natural mana recovery. By concentrating, the flow of mana can be better enhanced and controlled. Intelligence will increase marginally as a result.
"Hehe. Hum. Kehkehkeh. I've gotta try it."
His first skill. With his luck, Demi felt like he was the protagonist of this world. Sitting up against his pillow, he crossed his legs and activated Meditation. Immediately, a thin, blue membrane of light surrounded his body as he closed his eyes. Unfortunately, his Mana bar was full and he couldn't observe the effect of his new skill. Though, before he could do anything else, the sharp thud of footsteps on the wooden floor informed him of an arriving guest.
Soon, a middle-aged woman walked in. She continued in Demi's direction and stopped beside his bed. The net of wrinkles at the corner of her eyes gave a her an appearance of wisdom. Then, with a gentle epxression on her face, the woman spoke to him.
"Young man, how do you feel now?"
Despite feeling slightly groggy from the repeated blacking out, his good luck provided him srength and moral support, allowing him to reply much more refreshingly than usual. Also, as a beginner Demi needed to know more about this world.
"I'm fine. What happened and where am I?"
"Hmm. From what was described to me, it seemed that you had consumed something that made you weak to the pollen of the Aiden Treant. Did you consume a red fruit with goldens treaks by chance?"
"Yeah."
The woman's eyes lit up and gave a look of understanding.
"Oh, as I thought. It is a fruit that has strengthening properties when consumed. However, based on our records, it only bears fruit on very rare occasions. The conditions for that is unknown. Thankfully, we have already fed you the antidote in time. Otherwise, you might have suffered some severe permanent negative effects."
It was only then that Demi understood that he just dodged a possible bullet. His blessing would have grabbed his ankle instead. this game wasn't as innocent as it appeared. It wasn't the most anticipated game in the last decade for nothing.
"... I see. T-th-th... anks..." It was hard and extremely akward. But somehow, he croaked out these words that was never in his usual vocabulary.
Somehow, the aged lady seemed to understand Demi's difficulty. She gave him a quiet smile and continued to speak.
"My name is Imara. You are?"
"Demi."
"Well, Demi. This is the City of Basten, and this place is the Basten Training School. And this room is the medical facility of our school."
Training schools? Demi was sure that neither the system guide nor closed beta had such a feature.
Seeing the quizzical look on his face, Imara gave a more detailed explanation. "Most of the city guards' numbers are filled by our graduates. Occasionally, the children of nobles and the citizens would also enroll their children here."
Right. So something like a dojo or a martial arts school.
"We teach both the sword and also the path of magic. The current captain of the City Guards was also our former student. Currently, the student population is abo-"
".. Teach me."
"Eh?"
Caught in the moment, Demi's thunderous heartbeat rang powerfully in his ears. He didn't notice the twitching corner of Basten's Training School's vice-principal.
---
One of the main feedback received from the players during the closed beta testing is that it took too long for them to adapt to the movement and battle techniques of <<Creation's Cradle>>. In the 23rd century, virtually all of the manual labor had been replaced with machines and robots. Hence most players usually had office-bound jobs. Coupled with the fact that everyone has different aptitude for combat maneuvers, the Training School became one of the implemented solutions to that was the training school.
Players who had problems adapting could spend in-game currency to enroll and take classes, similar to the idea of learning to drive cars. Of course, not all players require that additional support. Some could simply adapt to the learning curve as they fought more battles. Regardless, the marketing department loved the idea and was planning to heavily promote it after the open beta. They felt that it further added to the fantasy experience that separated the virtual world from reality.
And Demi would be the ideal consumer of their advertising campaign. When he heard the word "training school" and "the sword", it roused in him an uncontrollable desire to grow stronger and be a powerhouse in this world. That ambition even surprised his taciturn self, and he threw his reservation to the winds.
Right now, he was sitting at the dining table in Imara's house. After giving him a quick tour of the training school, she had to rush back home to prepare dinner for her husband. Knowing that Demi was a foreigner and had nowhere to go, she graciously invited him to her place.
[You have lost 1 HP.]
[You have obtained <Fruit of Aiden>!]
The first sensation Demi had in a long while was that of a bump on his head.
'Shit, how long was I asleep?!'
When he woke up, the sky was on the cusp on becoming bright again. Demi hurriedly accessed the in-game clock: he had been asleep for more than 18 hours in in-game time! However, in real time, it was only about less than 5 hours.
By the 22nd century, mankind had uncovered the science behind how humans perceive time. It was similar to how vehicle crash survivors often commented how "my entire life passed by before me" or how athletes who are 'in the zone' described how they could observe every movement the opponent makes. The developers of Creation's Cradle took that concept and implemented it masterfully into the game. Their innovative methodology stretched that perception of time, and hence the time ratio between the game and real life was 4:1. After 4 days of gaming, only 1 day would have passed in real time. This was one of the most addictive characteristic of the game: players can spend a massive amount of time in-game, and it wouldn't affect their work and life at all. However, to prevent any mishaps from being overly-addicted, there is a safety mechanism that requires players to log out once every 12 hours of real time.
"Damn, I gotta g...."
"Zzz..."
Before even getting up, the natural sleeping gas released by the Tree of Tranquility seeped into Mag. There were all kinds of precious treasures Creation's Cradle. They ranged from consumables that increase stats such as the Tranquility Fruit of Aiden, to weapons, armors, pets, seed, miscellaneous tools and so on. The possibilities are limitless. However, they all had one thing in common: they were not easy to obtain.
One such example is the infinite sleep loop that Demi encountered.
Some time later...
[You have lost 1 HP.]
[You have obtained <Fruit of Aiden>!]
[You have breathed in an excessive amount of the fragrance of the Tree of Tranquility. You have fallen asleep.]
....
[You have lost 1 HP.]
[You have obtained <Fruit of Aiden>!]
[You have breathed in an excessive amount of the fragrance of the Tree of Tranquility. You have fallen asleep.]
...
[You have reached the maximum number of consecutive login hours. You will be forcefully logged out.]
For the umpteenth number of time that day, Dae-suk opened his eyes after an unknown period of time. What greeted him was a system message reflected on the transparent screen of the capsule terminal.
[Time remaining till next login: 29m 37s.]
Piip.
Dae-suk opened the capsule hatch and stood up. The digital clock on the wall showed that 6 hours had passed since he first began playing Creation's Cradle.
"Eh..."
As he attempted to do some simple stretches to loosen his body, Dae-suk found that his body didn't feel stiff at all!
"Wow, what."
The superiority of Innovat3's user-centric design shone through once more. While players lay motionless within the capsule, there were small pressure sensors within that took note of parts of the body which were getting stiff or sore. Based on those readings, nanomachines, smaller than one hundredth of a human hair's width, that were on the lying surface would subtlely massage those parts.
Demi had heard about this technology in the marketing ads for Creation's Cradle before. But experiencing it firsthand, it was a completely different feeling altogether. It was even more comfortable than his bed.
Still, it was a good idea to hydrate himself and go to the loo for the next 6 hours.
---
[Time remaining till next login: 0m 39s.]
"Okay. By now, the sleeping gas loop should be gone right?"
[Login Successful. Welcome to Creation's Cradle!]
Soon, the familiar login screen greeted him. As the front-screen music background sounded in his ears, Demi, or rather Mag, was ready to resume his day-old adventure in the game. Then, just as the bright blue light of the welcome screen faded away, Mag's eyes saw... nothing.
He was wrong. The sleep gas loop continued. Curses couldn't even burst out of Demi's mouth as he was fast asleep.
...
[You have lost 1 HP.]
[You have obtained...]
[You have breathed in...]
...
Whenever the duration of 'sleep' was over, Demi had about 5 seconds of consciousness. Each time, he tried to get up and distance himself as far from the tree as possible. However, it was arduous time because of the movement speed debuff that lasted 36 hours.
However, after 10th time, or perhaps the 20th time of whoozing in and out of consciousness, the first thing that Mag saw was no longer the emerald-like clearing, but instead two men dressed in clothes similar to his, carrying a large woven basket on their back. They seemed to be mouthing something excitedly, but Mag didn't have the time to care. He would lose his consciousness any moment now. He only had one chance to get out of this ridiculous predicament.
"PLEASE HELP BRING ME TO TOWN!!!"
A spirited shout, and darkness enveloped his vision once more.
---
It was a lazy afternoon for Gino. At this time of the day, there would be no one visiting the receptionist at all. All the apprentice warriors had went home after morning training, and there were hours till evening training started. As for the townspeople, they would usually come by just before sunset after finishing their labor for the day.
"Well... at least it's peaceful." As one of the poor aspiring warriors who couldn't afford the school fees, the kind principal allowed him to pay it through labor instead. In exchange for doing three afternoon shifts a week, he could continue to attend classes.
With a heart of gratitude, Gino sincerely wanted to do his job well to thank the principal. However, it was a hot and dreary day. Leaning back against the chair, Gino closed his eyes and yawned loudly.
"Hey, Gino."
"...!"
Gino almost fell off the chair at the sudden interruption. His sleepiness immediately vanished as it was a lie as he was jolted awake. Before him was the herb-gathering duo that frequently delivered medicinal herbs for the pharmacy. Thankfully, it wasn't the fierce supervisor, or he .might get an earful for almost dozing off during the job/
"Yes, how can I help you?"
"You see, we found this guy.."
---
When Demi roused from consciousness, he was esctatic. Finally, the scene that greeted him wasn't that maddening clearing anymore, but instead the interior of a wide house. From the looks of it, it appeared to be some sort of medieval medical ward, given the row of beds neatly arranged several meters next to each other. There was also a chair and a small table to put things next to the bed.
However, what caught Demi's attention wasn't the empty ward. It was the <!> that appeared in the corner of his vision. Based on how he customized the filters for the alerts, the <!> that popped up could only mean something good. And after all the trouble he went through... Demi licked his lips in anticipation and brought out the system log.
[You have obtained <Tranquility Fruit of Aiden>!]
[Item information has been updated.]
[Tranquility Fruit of Aiden]
Rarity: Precious
Effect: Intelligence +2. Reduces resistance to 'sleep' for 12 hours.
Description: A rare fruit that grows on the Aiden Sacred Tree. It contains the essence of the tree and can increase intelligence when consumed. Its growth cycle is unknown, and can only be obtained with luck.
A Precious item! Based on the system guide, during the open beta period, the rating of an item is as followed: Weak, Normal, Rare, and Precious. As for items beyond that, the system guide did not clarify what they were. Demi's eyes lit up at his fortune. It was still his first day of playing the game, and he had already found 2 Precious-rated items. Surely it couldn't be that easy to find them?
Satisfied, Demi then dismissed the notifications and continued down the log.
[Due to repeated exposure to the pollens of the Sacred Aiden Treant, sleep resistance has increased by 1%.]
The wide grin on Demi's face stretched even further. But the next message turned them into crescent moons.
[Due to repeated action and practice, you have obtained the skill <<Meditation>>.]
[Meditation Lv. 1]
Rarity: Rare
Effect: Increases Mana Regeneration by 3% (passive), 10% (active). Intelligence +2.
Description: Since the ancient times, people have sought to increase the body's natural mana recovery. By concentrating, the flow of mana can be better enhanced and controlled. Intelligence will increase marginally as a result.
"Hehe. Hum. Kehkehkeh. I've gotta try it."
His first skill. With his luck, Demi felt like he was the protagonist of this world. Sitting up against his pillow, he crossed his legs and activated Meditation. Immediately, a thin, blue membrane of light surrounded his body as he closed his eyes. Unfortunately, his Mana bar was full and he couldn't observe the effect of his new skill. Though, before he could do anything else, the sharp thud of footsteps on the wooden floor informed him of an arriving guest.
Soon, a middle-aged woman walked in. She continued in Demi's direction and stopped beside his bed. The net of wrinkles at the corner of her eyes gave a her an appearance of wisdom. Then, with a gentle epxression on her face, the woman spoke to him.
"Young man, how do you feel now?"
Despite feeling slightly groggy from the repeated blacking out, his good luck provided him srength and moral support, allowing him to reply much more refreshingly than usual. Also, as a beginner Demi needed to know more about this world.
"I'm fine. What happened and where am I?"
"Hmm. From what was described to me, it seemed that you had consumed something that made you weak to the pollen of the Aiden Treant. Did you consume a red fruit with goldens treaks by chance?"
"Yeah."
The woman's eyes lit up and gave a look of understanding.
"Oh, as I thought. It is a fruit that has strengthening properties when consumed. However, based on our records, it only bears fruit on very rare occasions. The conditions for that is unknown. Thankfully, we have already fed you the antidote in time. Otherwise, you might have suffered some severe permanent negative effects."
It was only then that Demi understood that he just dodged a possible bullet. His blessing would have grabbed his ankle instead. this game wasn't as innocent as it appeared. It wasn't the most anticipated game in the last decade for nothing.
"... I see. T-th-th... anks..." It was hard and extremely akward. But somehow, he croaked out these words that was never in his usual vocabulary.
Somehow, the aged lady seemed to understand Demi's difficulty. She gave him a quiet smile and continued to speak.
"My name is Imara. You are?"
"Demi."
"Well, Demi. This is the City of Basten, and this place is the Basten Training School. And this room is the medical facility of our school."
Training schools? Demi was sure that neither the system guide nor closed beta had such a feature.
Seeing the quizzical look on his face, Imara gave a more detailed explanation. "Most of the city guards' numbers are filled by our graduates. Occasionally, the children of nobles and the citizens would also enroll their children here."
Right. So something like a dojo or a martial arts school.
"We teach both the sword and also the path of magic. The current captain of the City Guards was also our former student. Currently, the student population is abo-"
".. Teach me."
"Eh?"
Caught in the moment, Demi's thunderous heartbeat rang powerfully in his ears. He didn't notice the twitching corner of Basten's Training School's vice-principal.
---
One of the main feedback received from the players during the closed beta testing is that it took too long for them to adapt to the movement and battle techniques of <<Creation's Cradle>>. In the 23rd century, virtually all of the manual labor had been replaced with machines and robots. Hence most players usually had office-bound jobs. Coupled with the fact that everyone has different aptitude for combat maneuvers, the Training School became one of the implemented solutions to that was the training school.
Players who had problems adapting could spend in-game currency to enroll and take classes, similar to the idea of learning to drive cars. Of course, not all players require that additional support. Some could simply adapt to the learning curve as they fought more battles. Regardless, the marketing department loved the idea and was planning to heavily promote it after the open beta. They felt that it further added to the fantasy experience that separated the virtual world from reality.
And Demi would be the ideal consumer of their advertising campaign. When he heard the word "training school" and "the sword", it roused in him an uncontrollable desire to grow stronger and be a powerhouse in this world. That ambition even surprised his taciturn self, and he threw his reservation to the winds.
Right now, he was sitting at the dining table in Imara's house. After giving him a quick tour of the training school, she had to rush back home to prepare dinner for her husband. Knowing that Demi was a foreigner and had nowhere to go, she graciously invited him to her place.
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