The Unbreakable Fortress (1)

The world was replaced by a black screen with the word INNOVATION in the center, followed by a warning explaining that certain individuals might be prone to nausea or dizziness due to factors unrelated to the Spirit Reader. Next to appear was the game logo: two crossed swords emitting sparks, with the phrase "SWORD DANCE" in capital letters. The image of Invicta Arx soon replaced the loading screen. A grand structure that defied the skies of Morvath. The gold and silver castle with the scale of a mountain, The Unbreakable Fortress.

What a pompous scene.

Two options appeared at the bottom.

Log in. Create account.

I immediately tapped "create account." The Spirit Reader allowed me to press buttons just by thinking about it.

A menu appeared within seconds. I didn't want to waste time and used the Spirit Reader account to speed things up. The system checks were completed successfully. A message popped up.

[Account created successfully. Return to the loading screen.]

I did so and quickly pressed "log in."

It wasn't long before a tunnel of golden lights replaced my field of vision. The experience felt like accelerating from zero to 1000 in the blink of an eye, a hyperspace jump in its own right.

Shit.

After three seconds, I appeared in a white room filled with mirrors of various shapes and colors. I looked at my reflection instinctively. I had become an albino mannequin with black outlines, without clothes or a face. My limbs worked better than before.

"I can walk properly!" I blurted out.

A mechanized voice interrupted my internal musings.

"Welcome, player. Please enter your alias. Remember that: 1. Names are unique and cannot be repeated. 2. The alias cannot be changed once chosen. The only way to do so is by acquiring the 'scribe's quill' item."

What should I put?

My head suddenly lit up.

That might work!

I typed the word "SilverRice" in the brand-new bluish window, adorned with pixelated lines. My name didn't have a deep meaning. I loved rice, a cheap and easy-to-prepare food. If it were up to me, I would eat rice every day.

Mmh, I wonder if they sell rice pudding in Invicta Arx.

There has to be, right?

I ignored my thoughts and pressed accept. My alias was successfully registered. The voice from before gave me a message.

"Name registered. Proceeding to the next stage: 'race selection.' Please choose one of the four available races: Humans, Bestari, Noctharys, and Dravarian. The chosen race cannot be changed by any method. Read carefully."

Sparks!

This race thing caught me by surprise. Not even the leakers knew about this. I inspected the pop-up window: four brightly colored banners were displayed on it. The structure reminded me of gacha games, lively traps filled with animated images.

I couldn't take this point lightly. I began to read the description of each race carefully.

Let's see this one.

[1. Humans. The most versatile race. With balanced stats and fast leveling, they master various professions and skills. Their high INTELLIGENCE allows them to economize salmia and learn advanced techniques (arts or weapon techniques). They possess the racial ability, Stronger Together: when in a group of three or more members, they gain a psionic shield that mitigates damage by half (equivalent to 75% of their health bar). The shield regenerates over time; the larger the team, the faster it regenerates. This ability does not consume salmia.]

A shield that mitigates damage. Not bad, huh.

I tapped on the next race.

[2. Bestari (Beastmen). A race with high physical capabilities: they triple human HP and boast the highest strength in the game. Their power comes at a price: they learn more slowly (requiring more experience to level up) and only master physical skills/professions (martial arts, blacksmithing, etc.). Gifted with animal instincts, they are the first to detect threats. They can activate Primal Fury: a bestial transformation that multiplies their physical stats by 2.5, granting immunity to negative effects and increasing aggression at the cost of clouding judgment. Primal Fury can be used once a day and lasts 15 minutes. Once the ability ends, the user becomes extremely tired.]

I touched my chin.

A race for those who always charge forward.

Interesting, interesting.

I like that Primal Fury, although it has drawbacks.

I looked for the third race.

[3. Noctharys (Ruler of the Night). Beings with pointed ears and mystical tattoos, they stand out for their ocular power and mastery of monsters. With great intelligence and speed, they master a wide range of salmic arts, but their low defense and health make them more vulnerable than other races. Their racial ability, The Monarch's Eye, allows them to temporarily control weak or previously defeated creatures (with simple commands) or interfere with larger enemies (restricting their attacks for brief seconds), all at the cost of salmia. Noctharys are ideal for specialized roles (assassin, mage, healer, archer, etc.) where they avoid close combat.]

The Monarch's Eye…

It's the first ability that directly interferes with an external factor, monsters.

This race looked promising (especially because of the Monarch's Eye). The thing is, it didn't fit my playstyle. I wanted to use my legs to the fullest! Fight with daggers and swords!

I had to rule out the Noctharys. One race remained.

[4. Dravarian (Dragonblood). A hybrid race between dragons and humans, they stand out for their draconic features (horns, wings, tails, etc.) that intensify as they level up. Their stats, balanced at the beginning, scale dangerously when they take damage, turning them into unbeatable beasts in prolonged battles. This race possesses the racial ability "Aggressive Regeneration," which regenerates (steals) a percentage of HP when attacking monsters or living beings (more damage = more healing). It regenerates a little more when hit. Dravarians have the slowest progression in the game. But they are the strongest race in the long run.]

The strongest, huh.

I didn't have to think much to choose. The Noctharys were ruled out a while ago, and the Bestari seemed excessively dependent on the physical factor. My options were reduced to two races: the Dravarian and the Humans. I opted for the former.

Screw the progression. I want to breathe fire.

I delved into the last banner, filled with characters with draconic features. I tapped accept. Suddenly, an orange lightning bolt invaded the screen like a zigzag of alternating current.

The static dissipated, and the next thing I saw was that Humans replaced the Dravarian. What?

I tried to go back to the dragons, but the banner wouldn't go away. The buttons weren't responding.

Shit, it won't let me choose anything else.

I scratched my head.

Come on, system, do me a solid!

My complaints were useless.

Damn it.

I had no choice but to choose humans. I did it with a sinister smile on my face.

Whatever!

I pressed "accept race," and immediately a mechanized voice spoke.

"Race selection confirmed. Humans are the most versatile race in the game. Humans possess various ethnic characteristics that can be set in the 'Character Editing' section. Do you wish to manually edit your character?"

"That sounds like a lot of work," I replied with a calm voice. "Is there another way to create a character?"

"INITIATING INTERACTIVE MODE."

Now you answer me, huh?

The voice became more human.

"Of course, SilverRice. There are three options to speed up the process. 1. Use your real-world appearance (specific changes can be added). 2. Create a character based on 5 or more adjectives chosen by the player (using AI). 3. Import an illustration, image, or drawing of the character you wish to create. The AI will replicate it for you (specific changes can be added)."

"That's what I'm talking about!" I got a little excited. "I'd like to use option three."

"Ready, SilverRice. Import the image you wish to use in the pop-up window. I'll take care of the rest."

I looked for the drawing Sylvie gave me on Tuesday, bingo! I imported it into the system.

"That's it. I want to look like this."

The system gave me a result within seconds.

"Model 1.0. 18-year-old male. What do you think?"

The 3D projection showed a young man with Caucasian features: fair skin, red eyes, and thick orange hair; with large eyebrows and a prominent jawline. His reddish beard gave him the appearance of a hermit. He was the spitting image of a fierce Viking.

He wore nothing more than linen pants and a shirt, with a leather breastplate and a pair of dirty boots. I whistled.

"I like it, I like it. Let's choose this one."

I tapped accept for the umpteenth time; immediately, my appearance took on the features of the character presented by the system, Sylvie's drawing. The process took less than a minute. My new body was complete.

Holy crap! Look at my appearance!

I examined myself from head to toe. My beard was a little itchy. The system voice explained the next step.

"Character editing complete. Do you wish to proceed with equidistant calibration?"

"Ah, yes, yes."

"The process will take a few minutes. Please run with all your might to adjust the parameters."

"Where to?"

"Anywhere."

"Okay!"

I did a couple of stretches and started running like there was no tomorrow. In this area, my body didn't get tired, my legs didn't burn, and I didn't run out of oxygen. I flew!

"I feel unstoppable," I said.

"Ready, SilverRice. Calibration complete."

I stopped without a drop of sweat on my forehead. The moment had arrived.

"My guidance is over, SilverRice. Please follow the instructions in the pop-up window."

"Ah, wait!"

"What's wrong?"

"I want to file a complaint. The game doesn't let you choose any race other than human; they should fix that."

"Analyzing complaint. Did that happen to you?"

"Obviously."

"Understood. INNOVATION apologizes for the bad experience. We will provide corresponding compensation in the next few minutes."

"Ah, okay."

"I'll leave you then."

A photon window appeared within seconds; two simple sentences were displayed on it.

Enter the world. Play the tutorial.

I slammed my right fist into my left palm. My decision was made.

"The tutorial is for losers," I said, pressing the first option.

Immediately, a screen popped up in my face.

[It is recommended to play the tutorial for a full SDF experience. The tutorial takes no more than 15 minutes. Do you wish to skip it?]

"Yes."

I didn't hesitate and started the game.

Let's go.

The world went dark in less than a blink and turned back on, furious, in a golden flash that invaded my psyche with yellow.

The canvas soon cracked into countless golden shreds carried by the wind, then—instinctively—I looked at my pixelated hands—which were beginning to take shape—I looked at my nails, my wrinkles, and the hair on my calloused fingers. My palms exceeded my expectations: their texture, their temperature, and the sounds they made when I cracked my knuckles. I couldn't believe it. The realism in SDF left me absorbed! The other Spirit Reader games didn't compare to this. My eyes shone like twin stars.

What level of detail, my God.

It looks wonderful.

I inspected my surroundings, a plain full of hills, with green grasslands and pink tulips, dotted with exotic monoliths that looked like great warriors. A four-armed centurion wielding curved swords. A black-horned minotaur carrying chained axes. A headless archer with shapeless and lanky limbs. The monoliths numbered in the hundreds. There were all types and sizes.

What a surreal scene, I thought.

After that, I noticed other players appearing on the plain, the actors of this world, I thought.

Imposing, The Unbreakable Fortress flew above us in the cloud-filled sky. My hair swayed in the breeze.

"I've arrived, Naomi," I said, sharpening my gaze. I raised my arm and clenched my fist tightly, "to this world, Invicta Arx."