Project Anima : A Virtual Reality / Reincarnated Tale

Chapter 1.1: Character Creation

The man crossed his arms, eyeing the two nymphs dubiously. Both wearing a smile, the alluring nature spirits patiently waited for his decision.

Nymphs? What kind of absurd wet dream is this?

He decided to play along for now. If this was a dream, this was bound to collapse into chaos soon, and he would wake up.

Crossing his arms, he contemplated. He was never a casual player to begin with. Concerned with quest and battles, there could be only one choice for him.

The man took the hand of the forest nymph.

Everything shifted into a forest, and the other water nymph vanished. The dryad smiled at the man, grasping his palm and leading him somewhere. Leaves rustled and danced in the air. Magical fireflies followed them. Before he could ask where they were going, the forest spirit had brought him to a small grove.

In the middle of the clearing was a moss-eaten rock. And embedded on the stone, was a golden sword.

"Please draw the sword, my hero." the dryad said.

With slight reluctance, the man grasped the hilt of the sword. He tugged at the blade, and it took him three tries before he finally dislodged it from the stone. There was a flash of white, and the sword bathed him with a soft glow as he raised it next to him.

You have chosen the heroic path of the Crusader.

"From hereby," the dryad said, "you pledge to save Alcerrah from the deadly sins that plague the land."

With a shimmer, the sword dispersed into particles.

The forest nymph jumped forward and traced a seductive finger across his body. "Hero...before you go on your quest...I can give you my blessing if you want."

The man coughed. Leaves rustled, and the howling forest wind only accentuated the awkwardness of the situation.

Seeing he was not taking the hint, the forest nymph pressed her lascivious body against him, the leaf vine dress crinkling on his clothes. The man became flustered, looking away. Her evergreen hair flowed as she buried her head on his chest. The earthen smell of pine and leaves filled his nose.

The dryad gave him a sentimental look. "Please, hero. I promise, no one else would know."

When he didn't respond, the dryad spoke in a much persuading tone. "Come on, let's do it."

The man fell into a fit of coughing. He pushed the nymph away. "Are you really desperate?" Crossing his arms, he turned his back on her, hiding his flustered face.

After a while, the dryad smiled. When the man glanced back, he noticed that the forest nymph had now morphed back to the fox mage from earlier. The forest scene began to melt and fade away.

+20 Virtue

"I applaud your integrity," the vixen said. "Sadly, over 90%—roughly 900,000,000—of heroes fail the Test of Lust."

He arced an eyebrow. "That was a test?"

The vixen nodded. "Yes, and you clearly passed."

"What happens if you accept her advances?"

However, the vixen didn't reply and motioned around. "Let's move on to the other six Tests of Sin. Since you passed the first one, you are eligible for these challenges."

"What for?"

"Other than a heroic test of virtue, you will gain a rare quest item upon final completion."