Chapter 12 [ Extra ]
{ Hello! I am 001, your personal guide to the world of VANHA! }
A cheerful voice resounds in my head, as the palm-sized bird floats before me.
"A-ah hello, you may call me Indrid."
Stuttering a bit, I quickly regain my calm. The voice from earlier was too emotional to be an AI! Could it be a real person operating the AI from behind??
Several conspiracy theories run through my head, though I quickly snap out of it after hearing 001's voice once more.
{ Hello, Indrid! I will follow you in your journey throughout VANHA and assist you. As my name states, you may think of me as a mini system. You may ask questions regarding the game after I introduce you to the basic functions of the system. }
Pausing a little, 001 continues as a large blue screen pops up beside the white bird.
[ System Menu ]
[ >Host Status< ]
[ >Quest Page< ]
[ >Forum< ]
[ >Settings< ]
[ >Log out< ]
{ This is the system menu! Most of these should be familiar to you. The >Host Status< shows information about your avatar. >Quest Page< has information about ongoing and frozen quests, along with their current progress. }
The >Host Status< and >Quest Page< options were grey, indicating they're locked.
{ They are greyed because you haven't chosen your avatar yet, and quests are unavailable as you haven't entered VANHA as of now. }
001 responds, seeing Indrids obvious confusion.
"Ah, okay."
{ Anyway, >Forum< is the main Forum page, which is also available to non-players and players who aren't playing right now. >Settings< are the options for sensitivity, like pain sensitivity, as well as BGM and system notifications. You can explore those on your own }
The white bird points its small white wings towards the >Log out< option, which is colored in blue, indicating that it's available as of now.
{ >Log out< will transfer your consciousness back to your own body. Do take note that if you log out, your avatar is still in the game. And during battles, you aren't allowed to log out. }
Nodding my head, I wait for the AI to continue.
001 waves their wings as the [ System Menu ] dissipates, a blank male human body materializes a few feet away as a 5ft long system screen appears beside it.
{ This is your avatar, the screen allows you to customize and chose your species. You will be given a specialized talent after you are transferred into the world. Feel free to experiment, I will be on standby, call me when you're done. }
Without waiting for Indrid's response, 001 fades into little particles, leaving Indrid by himself.
"Ah."
---
15 minutes have passed after Indrid was left to customize his avatar.
What was originally a blank canvas now stood a handsome man with grey hair.
The eyes were a dull black, as it was just a soulless simulation. With short dark grey hair, it had tan skin and a clean face.
Indrid looked at the male specimen with satisfied eyes. This is gonna be him in the game!
Its face was the same as Indrids', with only a few pinches here and there, like the lack of eye bags and tighter skin.
"Um... 001, I'm done customizing my avatar"
Indrid calls out, unsure if 001 was still on standby.
{ ...oh you're done already? The other's told me that it would usually take hours... }
001's soothing voice could be heard as they mumble something quietly.
Indrid ignores the last part and simply nods at the white bird who just materialized before him.
{ Alright, now that you're done with everything, it's time to choose your starting point. }
The avatar simulation had long since disappeared, in its place was a large virtual map of what should be VANHA.
It had 4 mainlands, and one densely packed island. The land in the middle was slightly larger than the others and had a bridge of sand connecting them.
Small green dots were dotted about in the surrounding 4 lands, indicating the starting points.
There were only 10 in each continent, all of which were in the outer areas.
{ There are 5 main continents. The Silver continent, Divine Beast Continent, Vermillion Continent, Sun continent, and the Neutral lands. The Neutral lands aren't available as of now but the others are. }
001 pointed their right-wing at the large continent in the middle.
{ As you have chosen human as a race, it's recommended you start in either the Silver Continent, Vermillion Continent, or Sun Continent. }
"Ah? Why not the Divine Beast Continent?"
Indrid asks as he looks at the large continent at the bottom of the map.
{ That's because the Silver, Vermillion, and Sun Continents are relatively friendly to humans, if anything, you'd probably die in the Divine Beast continent after getting mauled by the beasts there. }
The white bird patiently looked at him with its beady eyes.
{ The Silver Continent is the territory of the Federation and is a purely human democratic major force. }
001 pulls out a window regarding the Federation before Indrid.
Subsequently, 2 more holographic screens appear next to each other.
{ While the Vermillion Continent is of the Holy Empire's, the royal family is of human lineage and is a force of a multitude of races. }
Pausing for a bit, Indrid digests the information he'd just received.
"Then what about the Sun continent?"
He asks the bird with curious eyes.
{ The Sun continent is more of an archipelago, this one. }
001's wing point at the densely packed islands to the bottom right of the map, its size rivaling the Vermilion continent.
{ It belongs to the Solis alliance, an alliance made up of many other smaller forces. Some of which are human forces. }
Indrid looks at the Solis Alliance's information on the screen, before asking about the other places.
{ Divine Beast continent is the continent of beasts, it's unlikely you would survive there as a newbie. The Neutral lands aren't available now. They have no ruling force and it's pretty chaotic. Not recommended. }
"Uh... I think I'll just start at the Silver Continent."
Indrid says after a while of contemplation, looking at the marked places on the map.
{ Alrighty then, do you wanna choose where you start, or would you like a random draw? There's no difference in where you start, really. }
"...I choose this starting village."
Indrid points at a green dot to the bottom corner of the Silver continent.
{ Okay! Get ready for transmission, it will only take a few seconds. }
001's virtual body dissipates as the screens are dismissed, leaving Indrid alone in the white space.
A headache hits Indrid as his vision abruptly blurs.
[ Alert : Commencing consciousness transmission, please stay still. ]
[ Commencing transmission ]
[ □□□□ ]
[ ■□□□ ]
[ ■■□□ ]
[ ■■■□ ]
[ ■■■■ ]
The system notification rings inside his head before his sight turns dark.
---
I wake up to see a blue sky littered with pale white clouds.
Small blades of grass tickled my neck as the scent of fertile earth enters my nose.
Getting up, I find myself in a small clearing surrounded by trees.
I could very faintly hear noises coming from the distance.
Standing on my feet, I quickly adjust to my new body, my avatar.
I could do it so quickly was because there wasn't much difference in bodily structure than my real body.
A white shirt and jeans were all I had on me.
If not for the grey hair that was covering my eyes, as well as my smooth skin, I would have thought I really crossed!
Crunch
Crunch
The sound of dead leaves being crushed could be heard from the surrounding forest.
Looking vigilantly in the direction of the sound, I could see faint silhouettes from the forest as 3 people emerge from the fauna before me.
A brown-haired guy is the first one to enter my sight, followed by a similarly brown-haired woman and a blonde man.
"Who are you?"
The brown-haired man questions me loudly, as the other 3 also look at me with equally vigilant eyes.
"I am Indrid."