The Game Before the Fall

Chapter 8: Are you ready? (Part 2)

A.Friend: LVL 35.

Str: 20

Dex: 35

Vit: 17 (15+2)

Mag: 33 (28+5)

Spi: 54 (27+27)

My stats were definitely good for my level. In total I had 104 stat points more than when I had first started at level 1. Generally the lower end players had twice their level where as higher end players had three times their level. I was sitting just above three times my level, which didn't put me at the best of the best but much higher still than the general population.

I stood in the Capital of the Crysis Empire. The city of Crysis. It may seem odd to name the capital of the Empire its own name but it came from a historical context. Before Areithia's fall into the rift, the Crysis Empire was once the city state of Crysis. A city tied to no nation and only sustained the area within its sight. Crysis' power grew however and as neighbouring nations became envious they attacked, ultimately failed and finally became part of Crysis itself. Over a thousand year history it became what it was now. A powerhouse within Areithia and one of the few surviving nations when it broke into the Rift due to the rift walker invasion.

The city itself was formed between two mountains that were once one. Legend stated it was the sight of a battle between Haize, great spirit of the Crysis Empire and an evil dragon. Their battle tore the mountain apart creating instead two that sat beside the other. From the valley between Crysis was formed and rose up and around both mountains creating an enormous city scape that could rival those on Earth.

It was the heart and soul of the current player base. Being the Capital, it was centred close to the centre of the Empire and its people continuously flowed in and out creating thriving trade, technology and educational benefits. There were players who were devoted to discovering all the secrets of Crysis and because it was a near one to one replica of the real city, it was a monumental task. Even I who was a lore and story buff of the game didn't know a lot of the details.

Streets that were filled with people during the day and still lively at night with lanterns sparked by magic to guide the passer-by. Between the main roads that cut and turned, organised to best suit the boisterous populace, to the twisted alleys that sat between, hiding secrets and even dungeons. There was the Spirit Palace on top the eastern mountain that housed the five major families who ruled Crysis and the King himself. It drove up like an elegant spire surrounded by floral like buildings, a sight that could be seen from near anywhere in the city. On the western mountain was the Stadium of Haize, an extravagant hall dedicated to both sport and academia. It was where I stood now, high and looking down at the city below and across the mountain. The stadium itself melded into the top of the mountain, half of it contained inside the earth, while the other opened to the sky showcasing its strong stone pillars and a sailing cloth that stretched high up, blowing in the air whether a breeze existed or not.

This was Crysis. It was a place filled with memories. In the game, it was where my friends and I, like many others, had first created our base. It was where I spent majority of my time as a diplomat after the Merge. Finally, for the first half year, it was also where we survived the Fall. Though the city had been bought to ruin, the spirit of Crysis prevailed and protected the population in its many dungeons.

As I took in the sight and breathed, I felt my heart shake. There was truly nothing quite like it. A true to itself fantasy city. Not one stuck in the past but one with its own technology different to ours, a place rich in its own culture but accepting of all the races of Areithia. At the moment the stadium district was full of players who had signed up for the preliminary trials. The trials were being held for each region across the next 24 hours and aside from a recommended level and time, there wasn't much more information. I was participating in the Oceania region and hence would be part of the first set of preliminaries and the first regional tournament as well.