I regained consciousness again, and my eyes fluttered open. I was still in the same familiar cave.
"Welcome back, Player," Val said.
I stood easily, not feeling any of the discomfort from moments ago. In fact, I felt better than I had all day, although my thoughts were still a little scrambled.
"Your Player interface will boot up momentarily."
"My what..." I started to say but was interrupted by a pinging sound in my brain.
Text appeared in my vision, and I heard a neutral male voice speak.
WELCOME TO THE TWO-HUNDRED-AND-NINTH CHAPTER OF QUEST FOR CONQUEST. PLEASE STATE YOUR PLAYER DESIGNATION.
The new voice coming from inside my head had the same tinny sound as Val's, but this voice had less inflection and personality.
"It wants you to state the name you will use as a Player," Val said helpfully.
"Quest for Conquest?" I said. "What a dumb name."
RESPONSE NOT RECOGNIZED.
"It sounds better in the language of the Triarchy," Val said. "Now, name yourself."
"What should I tell it?" I asked.
RESPONSE NOT RECOGNIZED.
"Think your questions to me, idiot," Val said, or thought, I guessed.
"Now you tell me," I whispered to myself and rolled my eyes.
Val didn't reply.
I did as requested and thought, "Should I use my real name or my Erda name?"
"Most Players adopt a new name when they join the game, but it is optional. I recommend you don't use either name. I doubt it would be problematic, but it's better to err on the side of caution."
"So, just make one up?"
"Yes."
"Uh, um." I was stammering. This should be easy, but I was feeling rushed. An idea struck me, and I ran with it. "My name is John McClane."
JOHN MCCLANE. WELCOME TO QUEST FOR CONQUEST. THE GOAL OF THIS GAME IS TO SEEK ADVENTURE. GAIN POWER AND INFLUENCE. DEFEAT MYTHICAL FOES. BE A HERO. BECOME A GOD AMONG MEN. UNITE THE WORLD UNDER YOUR BANNER. ETERNAL GLORY AWAITS YOU.
IF LEADERSHIP IS NOT WHAT YOU SEEK, GLORY CAN BE FOUND ELSEWHERE. SERVE WITH HONOR, FIGHT FOR YOUR BETTERS, AND DO YOUR PART TO BRING VICTORY TO YOUR ALLIES.
OR DON'T. FIGHT FOR YOURSELF. HOARD YOUR POWER AND RICHES. LIVE YOUR LIFE ACCORDING TO YOUR DESIRES. THE CHOICE IS YOURS.
A sense of anxiety weighed me down as I began to question myself. I wondered just how much influence Val had over my decisions, over my mind. I had jumped into this so quickly, and Val was the one setting the pace.
A visual overlay appeared before my eyes. Or perhaps in my head. It had different tabs for me to select. They highlighted individually as I focused my thoughts on them.
I clicked on the tab marked "Inventory."
More categories appeared: Chest, Legs, Hands, Feet, and Head. There were also multiple jewelry slots and one for a souvenir.
The inventory was similar to many video games I played when I was younger. I had always enjoyed a nice fantasy game and even played a few MMOs.
"How is an inventory system realistic?" I asked. "Shouldn't I only be able to carry what I can hold?"
YOU ARE READING
Non Player Character
FantasyThe world is a game, and humans don't get to play. When Milton Musgrave learns that his entire existence is a lie and a powerful alien enemy has turned Earth into a fantasy game, he embarks on a journey to find his lost wife and take back the world...
