"Hey Ray, have you tried that new game I recommended, trust me it's really good," Kevin answered.
Ray exhaled through his nose and leaned back in his chair. Every week it was something new with Kevin, the terrible habit of his hadn't left, he still needlessly recommended games week after week.
'Doesn't he know that I haven't even started my current backlog yet.'
At this rate, Ray sincerely believed that Kevin completing a catalogue of at least ten thousand games was no longer a farcry.
"You've recommended me 3 games this week, Kevin, not to mention the ones from last week," Ray replied.
"Duuuude, it's because these games are so good. I've literally picked the gems out of the trash and given them to you."
"Kevin, you gave a game that literally deleted save files a nine out of ten."
"It had potential, man!"
"It also had a game-breaking bug in the first hour."
"Eight point five points then, you happy? The concept of the game was revolutionary—it was definitely ahead of its time. Anyway, we are getting off track. Did you play the game?"
Another sigh escaped Ray's lips. As the saying went, one man's trash was another man's gold. His friend had a very unique taste for video games, a taste that expanded over multiple genres and quality, taste that included tendencies such as mentioning a broken early-access roguelike and a polished RPG game in the same breath, then rating them both a nine.
"Which one, Kevin? Come on, I don't have all day."
"Blade & Magic. You know the one about swords and magic, monsters and dungeons. Ring a bell?"
It did, unfortunately.
The memory of playing such a game last week crossed Ray's mind. It was one of the few games out of the heap that had genuinely intrigued him slightly. So he gave the game a chance, and to say he was disappointed would be an understatement. The only words that could truly describe his feelings for the game were pure irritation. Of the little that was played of it, all Ray could remember was being frustrated.
He had only managed to get past the tutorial before uninstalling the game from his personal computer. Why? The reason was that the game's balance mechanics were horrendous, especially at the tutorial level. The tutorial taught the user the concept of 'parry guarding', a technique the user could use to deflect enemy and monster attacks.
Expecting it to be useful Ray paid attention to how the mechanics would be implemented. The overall idea wasn't something new to him so he understood it in no time. Then as if the tutorial were telling a horrible joke, the first enemy thrown at him had a skill called guard break which had a 65% chance of breaking a parry guard. This resulted in situations where he had to dodge instead of parrying, which was significantly more difficult. Countless time was spent respawning, deciding when to parry and when to dodge, only to die again and again.
What's the point of introducing a concept if the enemy can instantaneously make it useless, he thought.
After playing his fair share of soul's-like games, Ray had acquired experience with games that had a greater boundary to entry, but this game's balance was straight up ludicrous. It had taken him three and a half hours to complete a supposedly hour-long tutorial that the game labelled introductory.
"I uninstalled the game, Kevin. It's stupidly unbalanced to the point I wonder if it's really a game. How can they teach a concept such as parrying only for a 65% chance of it not to work?"
Kevin replied with a hearty laugh. "That's the whole point, man. You struggle and lose, then you think of a new strategy and try again. It's realistic—you face enemies that are stronger than you because that's what would happen in real life. The struggle is part of the game, man, c'mon."
"Yeah… yeah, you don't get it. There is a difference between a game and reality, Kevin. I didn't sign up expecting a real-life simulation, I wanted to play something enjoyable. It's way too grindy."
"Alright, man, but trust me, you are missing out. The storyline is really good so far, and the fantasy world is really immersive. Why don't you give it one more try? If you still don't like it, I'll let it go, okay?"
For a few seconds there was complete silence as Ray thought about the decision. Although pushy, Kevin wasn't type to be heavily insistent on him playing a specific game. He was the type that would rather recommend 100 different games than push the idea of a single specific one, so perhaps there was an aspect of the game he had overlooked.
Maybe there is some merit to this game.
"One second chance Kevin, okay. I don't think my opinion on the game will change, but I'll give it one more chance."
"Ayyy. That's great, bro. Trust me, you won't regret it."
"Alright, Kev, gotta go. If I'm going to play the game, I might as well start now while the small desire to play still lingers."
"Cool, ring again tomorrow. Bye!" And just like that the call ended, leaving the room in an awkward silence.
With nothing else to do, Ray turned on his PC, moving the mouse towards the trashcan icon.
Good it's still there.
Restoring the game from the bin caused it to return back onto his desktop. Begrudgingly, he clicked the icon and slowly the screen enlarged.
[Welcome back to Blade & Magic, Ray. Would you like to start a new adventure or continue from you're last save file? YES to start a new save, NO to continue.]
Start that hellish tutorial from the beginning? He would rather jump off a cliff. His hand moved with haste as he clicked the no button.
[Decision Confimed]
[Continuing with character Varkan Anderum storyline….tutorial complete….Loading gam- Error... Error...Error!]
That's weird, this didn't happen last time, did the files corrupt or something.
Just when he was about to exit the application another pop up menu appeared, except this time it wasn't being reflected of the computer screen but instead mid-air.
'What is this?'
[Transmigrating System Activating….Merging User into world…20…35…70..100%. Process complete.]
And then everything went black.
***
When he woke up, he wasn't in his room. Instead, he found himself inside what seemed to be a deep cavern. Small red crystals surrounded him in all directions, gleaming like polished gemstones. The strong stench of dried blood wafted through the air, creeping into his nostrils.
This isn't my room... there's no way this is possible, surely not?
Ray looked at his hands. They were much larger than usual, and he had a vague idea why. As if to confirm his suspicions, he got up and walked to a nearby boulder. It shared the same crimson hue as the crystals, just on a much larger scale. Using the massive stone as a makeshift mirror, he gazed at his reflection.
A gaunt man with crimson red eyes stared back. His hair was disheveled black, cascading down to his back and filled with loose twigs and debris. The skin on his face was horrendously pale, sickeningly so, as if all life had been sucked from his body. Dark circles hung beneath his eyes. His clothes were tattered and stretched, barely clinging to his frame.
There was a gaping hole on the left side of his garments were his abdomens was, its edges stained with dried blood. Presumably there had been a wound there, yet contradictorily, beneath the torn fabric was nothing but healthy skin—pale, but unbroken.
There was no denying it anymore. Somehow, he had become Varkan Anderum, one of the playable character storylines in Blade & Magic. Son of a branch family in the Anderum household, vassal to the Pendbridge Duke Estate. And if the game's lore was accurate, the last surviving member of the Anderums.
This is crazy, one minute I was at home, now I'm in the game, he thought.
Varkan stared at his hand again in disbelief. This felt like a scenario straight out of a novel or anime. To be transported into a game, it was simply unbelieveable. If he told anybody about such an idea back home they would look at him as if he had gone crazy. Furthermore, things couldn't be any worse. To be dropped of into the gruelling and unforgiving world of Blade & Magic as an individual was nothing short of death.
However he tried to rationalise it didn't matter. the evidence was undeniable. The crimson cavern, the bloody smell in the air and most damning his pale, gaunt reflection. All roads pointed to the fact that he was now in the world of Blade & Magic.
I am Varkan Andeum now, absolutely great couldn't wish for anything better.
As he reluctantly came to terms with his new identity, silver sparkles appeared in front of him, until they coalesced together to form what seemed to be a game HUD.
[Shadowbound System Activated. Conditions Met: Host Concedes Identity.]
Name: Varkan Anderum
Age: 21
Sex: Male
Status: Last Surviving Member of Anderum Branch Family
Former Allegiance: Vassal to Pendbridge Duke Estate [BETRAYED]
Titles: Fallen Noble
Essence Core: Level 1
Core EXP: 0/50
Skills: Anderum Rage (D+), Beginner Swordsmanship (E), Noble Etiquette (D)
Traits:
1) LOCKED
Goals
1) LOCKED
2) LOCKED
3) LOCKED
4) LOCKED
5) LOCKED
6) Reach Game Ending
Reward: Option To Return Home
Failure: Stuck In Game World