Chapter 1: Intelligence Specialization

Gram skimmed through the VR guide that had appeared in his peripheral vision, it was also that time that the configuration completed detecting his body measurements. After the minute of acclimation, the 'Dive' button appeared in his vision.

"I just had to press this... Here we go…" And then, for a moment, his vision got enveloped by darkness and after a moment his view got engulfed by an intermittent changing of color spectrums, a myriad colors like a kaleidoscope.

It was at this point that he thought that maybe the developers wanted epileptic players to just die and have seizures before even starting the game. While thinking of non-ethical stuff, his vision got filled with whiteness as it accompanied by a heroic atmospheric sound.

"Ohhh~!!" His vision changed into the so-called cut scenes, the first visual feast of the game. He saw humans and other beings fighting with cold weapons while some were using mystical powers.

Like a slide, the scene changes into a war between human and demon empires. Monster bigger than the kingdom itself appeared roaring as it appeared with different aura's, a very inspiring view.

"The developers put so much effort into this." Gram nodded satisfied with the visual feast that had been played for him.

Another mind-blogging thing is that he couldn't feel his physical body like his soul left and became digitized itself, it only felt that something was different but he couldn't say that his body was not really his body. There were only minute differences but as you stay in the VR for longer, the feeling would disappear. Moreover, the experience and the feelings he felt earlier from the cutscenes felt eerily real as, taste the smoky and gunpowder from the wars he just experienced. He predicted that maybe the VR technology was an 'alien' technology and that humans just found or stole it from a certain historic site, although he didn't really have the basis to say so.

After the three-minute cut-scenes, a monastery appeared in his eyes. The grayish looking walls had a runic feel while having veins of bluish light that had a technological feel into it. It was the configuration lobby for the game as he finished gorging at the view, a tome appeared as the ground below shifted up with it before a floating keyboard hologram appeared at the top of the tome.

"First is the name... I shall use my old nickname, though it's just really a preference." Prompted by the floating keyboard, Gram typed 'Knox' and pushed the floating accept button. The tome floated in the air as it expanded into different beginner weapons.

There are many weapons to choose from but he only selected three different weapons while moving the others away from his selection. He chose a sword, spear, and staves. The basics of a current rpg was to choose between physical type or a magic type build. He was all familiar with the three weapons.

"I always choose these three because they have the maximum damage and versatility, though, flails and maces have more explosive power. I don't want a slow attack speed build... daggers or short swords aren't for me as I don't really like being sneaky while having no defense. As for staff, although they don't have so much defense and agility. They are still popular in games, they deal the most damage moreover users of staff or staves heads always are assured to head towards a magical job path. But this time, it would have an omni-potential, since this is a VR game, I would be able to choose from a big list of jobs. Wielding mana in an overly flexible VR game since this is my first time, let's just go with a magic weapon!" It was his first time trying out the VR game and although his reason for choosing wasn't a good one, he still chose it. As for why, it was because he wanted to wield magic like it was in reality, after all dreams like this are usual for a person like him. There was also another reason that he accepted magic class.

After all, Kaede was already a defense specialist as she chose to use a big shield. He based his selection because he wanted to complement her build.

Risa for example was going for a speed and defense-attack type build, choosing a small shield with a dagger.

Although surreal, he really wanted to see her avatar since he thought it would be so funny because of her diminutive body.

Gram removed the thought before looking again at the chosen weapon in his hand. It felt like skill-tree won't be available entirely, although skill upgrades might be in the game somewhere. It seems that players could gain skill on their own which is a big freedom for everyone. Although, at the start, it was going to be necessary that they fight without skills, it was so that they could acclimate during combat.

Since that was the case, then why not try getting many mana skills or should he say learn by himself. The question is, is that possible though? If it was, then would the system be easily exploitable? It did tell that players could gain skills after all, in the manuals and in the website.

He remembered that Kaede uses a tower shield while putting all her stat points VIT. He didn't want to get left out, and so he used her strategy of putting all points into the stat that improve magical firepower, INT.

"Staff... for mages when casting spells, but my defense would be too low to all types of damage. It would also be a problem because I can only wear cloth based equipment. Should I learn production type skills? It should be possible right?"

Gram who had read the explanation before finalized his stat points allocation. An indicator appeared in the right side of his vision, the game menu had appeared and he had been indicated to open the inventory bar. A lackluster beginner's equipment in the first slot, while a short sword had also appeared to the next slot. The short sword seemed to be a universal secondary equipment for all types of weapons that you choose.

Gram wondered what Kaede had been doing though, since if she used a large shield, she was supposed to get a large sword as well. But since she put all of her stat points in VIT, it could be said that even putting things on her inventory will make her move slower than a turtle. As Kaede said that it had been okay for her as she was already able to kill monsters, not putting STR seems really possible. This decision is only possible to those of the simpleton, like for example both him and his girlfriend, although he was just going with her gimmick.

Increasing the defense power and nullifying damage was only good at the start of the game. The popular cliche is to increase strength and agility since it was a staple in all of the RPG game genre and the evaluation of shield and tanking type build is just truly unpopular since nobody wanted to take hits while not doing any damage. Doing a roundabout way to put all to one stat points seems like the fastest way to cause a character delete, deleting character though had a long week restriction before the person could create another character.

"Receiving damage in RPG games I had played defense specialist build before and surely it doesn't contribute much to dungeon crawling. They were always salty about not getting good equipment because they don't have enough points. It's always like that, but I wonder if this game will change that?" Gram rubbed his chin and thought.

In the first place, there are only a few people who choose their equipment based on their observation because they thought it was good. Everyone had access to the website of the NWO game that had basic introductions to the features and what's the strategy on selecting the basic class combination and allocating points effectively.

Although in that time, Gram only ignored her unimaginable explanation about her defense and dislike of pain, he rolled his eyes and felt that she was joking, although he earned a leer and a soft hand chop on his head.

It was what you call a mistaken pure build. If anyone did this, they would think that they just made a blunder in their rpg life. Not allocating any points into AGI or STR would effectively cripple his movement speed. The movement speed is derivative to the AGI and although he knew it would be a pain in the ass, he still allocated everything to his glass cannon build.

Who wonders if any high-school girls could win against charging animals. His girlfriend was tough and she cried about it as she told him about it with a cute demonstration while making symbols with her hands.

"Ah~!! Thankfully I can change my hair color.." Gram's height is about 160 cm taller, a lot higher than Kaede. He had an average stature, but it had tad bits of muscles to it. His features were better than an average male in his school, cool and serious-looking with a hint of sharpness in his eyes. Although, others could be intimidated by him, his thoughts differ overly to his outward appearance.

Changing body height, and weight is different from the real world and that's why you can't change any of the major features based on the real world. Anyone won't be able to function since you had to adjust in a different body type and will be hard to move in real life since phantom movements will occur and it was very incongruent and very disorienting.

But changing colors of hair and adding tattoos or other minor changes is ok. For example, changing his gun size.

"I won't do it though." He was okay with his little guy, though. It seems that it is a hidden feature if you think about it, since the slider only appeared when he thought so.

He settled, only changing his hair color to white.

"That's about it." Gram inspected all of the floating windows in his front before nodding satisfied. He turned back to the floating tome holograms that displayed nearby cities in real life. It seems that every city in the real world has its servers. Different cities had to use an item to go to that channel, though. But during events or any large scale gathering, players in the whole nation might be included.

With a soft push of his finger, Gram's body got enveloped with light. The next time he opened his eyes. He saw that he's in a town's square of the village and many humans were walking around not bothering the newly spawned beginner.