Novel Boss
Volume 1 - Ch 1.1
Chapter 1: The First Village, Part 1
Player Name: Kaga Michio
Character Information & Equipment:
Class: Villager, Lv1
Weapon: Durandal
Accessory: Ring of Determination
It took me a while to realize that I was laying in a haystack. Why was I laying there and why in the haystack of all possible things I dont know and to be honest, I dont care. The most important thing right now is that I was apparently in some kind of barn or shed, hence the haystack. Last time I checked there was no barns or places that sold hay in Tokyo, so I have to think what the presence of all that hay around me means.
Commence the solo brainstorming session!
Okay, first things first, recollection of everything that I was doing yesterday. Most of the time I was bitching about how much dick Life has managed to stuff inside me up until now (just my typical day) and then I happened upon that sketchy post which led me to an even sketchier net game which I decided to check out in order to detach myself from all the shit Ive been dealing with lately. Then I proceeded to create an account and my character (which took ages by the way, thanks to that needles clickfest with stats) and when I was finally about to start, I lost consciousness after reading that warning which appeared on my screen. Next thing I remember was waking up here, in this haystack.
So yeah, there you have it. In conclusion, I am just like that one who became a meme on the internet recently, I know nothing. Could it be that was somehow trans
.
OH FUCK NO! THIS BETTER NOT BE AN ISEKAI STORY OR ELSE!!!
Or else what?
Okay, all right, lets calm down and think about it rationally for a second. Instead of being transported into another world, it is more probable that I am inside some kind of virtual reality. Otherwise, why would I have to deal with all of that game related stuff in the first place? No way, something like that should be impossible with the current level of technology in our world. And how would that even work when all I did was basically a character creation process like in any other game? So what? Is it more like, I dont know, a dream? A very realistic lucid dream?
[Bruuuuuoooooo!] [Wah!]
At that time I heard the sound that I wasnt able to hear before, probably because I got too lost in my own thoughts. It wasnt anything that sounded hostile, but it did give me quite the scare. Something is here in that shed with me. Maybe Ill be able to see it if I just squint my eyes and concentrate.
Huh? What is that?
When I focused my gaze on the direction the noise was coming from, an information window was displayed directly in my mind, telling me that the source of the noise was apparently just an ordinary horse. When I got up on my feet and approached, the info turned out to be true, there really was a horse in one of the boxes near the entrance to the barn. Judging by the thickness of its legs its not a Thoroughbred, but just a normal horse. Not that I could tell the difference even if I had both types in front of me, Im just a normal guy, not a friggin horse-breeding expert.
As for the hut itself, it was probably the same size as your typical studio apartment, which is to say, quite spacious. Completely different to the apartment where I was living with my old man up to this point, which was approximately the size of 64 tatami mats. But enough talking about my dull, uninteresting past, I have more pressing matters to attend to right now, like looking around and assessing my surroundings. The inside of the shed was pretty dim, but from the spaces between the boards of the wooden walls and scarcely placed wooden windows I could see that the sky outside was still tinged with a slight shade of red. The question is, does that mean the night is about to fall, or maybe the dawn is breaking to greet the new day? Other than me there are no people around. As I already said, the windows are the most basic wooden ones, without any glass or shutters.
The minutes passed and the horse eventually grew quiet, presumably drifting off to sleep. While were still on the topic of that horse, I wonder if the information that were displayed in my mind were the result of the Identify skill.
Identify.
That was one of the skills that I picked up during the character creation process, that much I can remember. Well, now is as good of an opportunity as ever, so why not take that ability for a test drive? Thinking like that, I looked at myself and said the word [Identify] out loud, and sure enough, another information window popped right up. Lets see here Kaga Michio, male, 17 years old, Villager Lv1 ohhhhh, so I guess this is my status then? Kaga Michio is my name, but how does the game know that? I mean, that was not the name that I chose for my character when I was filling out the registration form yesterday! After all, even an unsociable loser like me knows the bare minimum of the net games etiquette that states that you should never use your real-life name while making a character in game! So how is it possible that my characters name is the same as my real name? Has my computer been hacked by some kinda super hacker who messed up with my game account as a sick joke?!
Perplexed, I examined my whole body, but I wasnt feeling any kind of discomfort anywhere, and everything I touched felt super real, as if it were made of real flesh instead of a bunch of 1s and 0s. I even have the same jersey I was wearing for an entire day yesterday, complete with food and sweat stains! Yup, no matter how I look at it, it is my body. Wow, to be able to reproduce every single detail of the players looks and wardrobe, that is some seriously sick VR technology.
Since I was home all day yesterday I was also barefoot, feeling the hard ground with every inch of the soles of my feet. As for the temperature, the air around me is neither hot nor cold. Im fine with having no shoes as long as Ill stay inside of here, but a lack of shoes might be a serious problem once Ill have to venture outside. Thankfully, looking around the shed for a while I managed to find something that upon closer inspection with my Identify skill turned out to be a pair of simple sandals. Since I dont have any socks on my feet then I might as well wear them. After all, its certainly better than having no shoes at all. They were pretty primitive in their design, with strings that were supposed to be tied around the ankles to prevent them from falling off. As it turned out, I still had to tie them up manually instead of just poking them with my finger with a motion imitating clicking. When I used Identify on my body again after everything was said and done, some new information appeared.
Kaga Michio, male, 17 years old, Villager Lv1, Thief Lv1, Equipment: Sandals
Uhm that the name of that second job makes me feel like a bandit, and I probably am one for taking somebody elses possessions without asking them for permission first, but oh well, at least Ive got a second job mere minutes into the game. By the way, my jersey does not seem to be classified as equipment. Is it because it was brought here from outside of the game? The only thing listed under the equipment tab are those sandals I have stolen. And speaking of equipping, I should have some Bonus Equipment on me right now.
Next to the haystack where I have woken up I found a room which contained a sword. Using Identify on it revealed that it was the Holy Sword Durandal and it came with a crapload of various skills, among which were the ones such as Attack Power x9 and Damage Absorption 25%, HP Absorption and MP Absorption. So this is what it means to have a Bonus Weapon 6, huh? Also, next to the sword I found a curious ring. Im going to Identify it either way, but I wonder if its going to give better benefits than Durandal? It says that its a Ring of Determination. Those are some good items to start the game with.
I put on the ring and equip the sword. This further confirms my suspicion that this is indeed a game, since my actions have been confirmed in the character status screen. Once again, Im amazed how detailed this virtual reality is.
Fixing my Durandal so that it would be attached to my belt just like the katanas worn by the samurai, my preparations were now complete.
Being fully equipped for the road that lies ahead of me, I decided to leave the stable and take my first step into this new, unknown world that was waiting for me outside. What am I going to find out there? I dont know, but maybe it wont be as bad as I initially thought, minus being labeled as a Sandals thief.