Haven Online: Brewing Chaos

Chapter 7: Chaotic Nexus

Once Fenix had selected his race, Marisol led him to the character customization screen. However, Fenix didn't see the point in spending time tweaking his character's appearance. Although most players make slight changes to their avatar to avoid being recognized outside of the gaming world, Fenix thought that his Dryad form was already quite unrecognizable.

He knew that someone might be able to recognize him if they looked past the surface, but he highly doubted anyone would pay such close attention to his character.

"Marisol, I'm finished with this part," Fenix said to the fairy hovering nearby.

Marisol flicked her index finger, and a new screen materialized in front of Fenix. He recognized this as the stat allocation screen. Here, he would be able to distribute his starting points.

Everyone began with 21 points to spread across six categories: health, magic power, stamina, strength, intelligence, and dexterity. If he put points into strength, intelligence, or dexterity it would only raise the stat by one point, but if he put them into health, magic power, or stamina it would increase them by ten points.

For example, if someone allocated three points to health, their total health would be multiplied by 10, giving them a total of 30 health points.

Players could either manually allocate their starting stats or let the NPC fairy roll them. The latter option came with a chance of obtaining points from the hidden stats: Will and Luck.

Will determined a player's mental prowess and resilience in dangerous situations. It influenced critical damage, combat skills, magic defense, and overall survivability. Among rankers, Will was one of the most coveted stats, but it was also the most difficult to obtain. To gain it, a player had to survive a hit with only 1% of their health remaining, and even then, there was only a 2% chance of acquiring it.

Luck, on the other hand, was another mysterious stat that brought advantageousness and bonuses to players. The more luck they had, the more good things happened to them and the more bonuses they received from NPCs. It also impacted critical chance, evasiveness, and success rates of life skills.

However, catching a "rainbow-tailed fish" was the sole method to obtain this elusive stat—a feat that no one had accomplished in four years of gameplay. Even those who opted for the random NPC roll faced terrible odds, yet some players still took the risk, hoping for a stroke of luck.

Despite the risks involved with using the fairy's roll, Fenix decided to take his chances. Because he knew even if the chance was small, if he got one of the hidden stats it would help him a lot in the long run.

"I would like you to roll my stats for me," Fenix told the fairy.

"You want me to pick your stats? Oh, goodie!" The fairy's high-pitched giggle filled the air as she waved her tiny hands, summoning a giant lever.

Fenix couldn't help but feel a surge of nerves as he watched a stat card materialize beside her. He just hoped even if he didn't get a hidden stat his roll won't be too bad.

With an excited laugh, the fairy pulled down the lever with a dramatic flourish. Fenix braced himself, unable to look at the stat card. Doubts crept in, making him wonder if he was making a huge mistake.

When the numbers finally stopped moving, Marisol clapped her hands and exclaimed, "Wow, this is my best roll ever!"

Fenix slowly turned his head to look at his stats. His eyes widened in disbelief, and he had to do a double-take. Luck, the one stat he was desperately hoping for, appeared on the card.

There was only one point in it, but that was still a great start. While Luck was notoriously difficult to obtain, it wasn't as hard to train. He examined the rest of his stats: 5 points in HP, 6 in MP, 3 in STA, 1 in STR, 2 in INT, and 3 in DEX.

Fenix felt a twinge of apprehension about his low STR, but he wasn't planning on focusing on that stat once he got his job anyway. However, he did need to reach level 10 first, and with only one STR, it would be a challenge. Shaking his head, he motioned for the fairy to continue.

"You're almost done. All you have to do is choose your name, and then I'll send you on your way to the beginner town."

Fenix thought hard about a name. In his last life, he hadn't cared much since he wasn't really playing, so he named his character Worker #2 as a joke. But now, since he was going to truly immerse himself in the game and explore its vast world, he wanted a name that would suit him. After a few minutes of pondering, he knew exactly what he wanted.

"I want my name to be Chaotic Nexus," he declared to the NPC.

The fairy's eyes glazed over for a moment, and Fenix knew she was checking the database to see if the name was available. After a brief pause, she came back to life with a bright smile.

"The name you have chosen is available. You are now Chaotic Nexus. Are you ready to begin your adventure in Haven?"

Fenix nodded, and with a flick of the fairy's hands, he was transported away, finding himself in one of the many bustling beginner towns.

As soon as he stepped into town, Fenix was swept away by the sights and sounds of the bustling streets. NPCs and beginner players filled the cobblestone roads, their voices bouncing off the walls of buildings and adding to the vibrant atmosphere. Street vendors called out their wares, enticing passers-by with their colorful displays of goods and equipment.

The air was alive with energy, crackling with excitement and anticipation. Fenix's heart beat faster, his eyes wide open as he took in everything around him. This was it. He was back, but this time, things would be different. He would carve his own path, make his own choices, and get his revenge.

"It's time to get started," he whispered to himself, taking confident strides as he began his journey through this virtual world.