"Dungeon!!!" (Open as of now)

[KyotoScythe]

"Dungeon!!!"

​

In the early days of the internet age there was a mishap. The whole world was greatly affected by the event. Such an event was known as thus-"The Collapse"


Not much is known about "The Collapse". Only speculation lead on by corporate propaganda and vague news reports gave some degree of insite to such a phenomenon as the World Wide Web had mysteriously been infested with a virus of unknown origin. Thus came the long 12 years of "Purgatory". Without the internet, the world had to go back to old mean of doing business as everything had been ran with the use of the WWW.


Now is the year 2116. Technology has once again taken over the world and a brand new system of the digital age has emerged. "Neural Net". And with it the most popular DVR MMORPG (Dreamtime Virtual Reality Massive Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game) "Dungeon".


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In the game "Dungeon", you assume the role of a beginning adventurer. As a beginning adventurer it is your job to travel from city to city and uncover the secrets of their specific dungeon. But be warned. In order to do so characters must advance their skills through deadly combat in one of the most unforgiving of environments where monsters spawn in random areas and the farther you go, the stronger the monsters become.


At the start of the game, players start in the beginning city of Bella Sola on the northwestern portion of Azria. Players will then align themselves with a certain deity which will grant them the power to raise their physical abilities. "Dungeon" doesn't make use of classes and therefore gives the players the option to play the way they want. In order to raise money, an adventurer must bring back a crystal called a "Monster Shard" to the Adventurers Guild that is in each city. The Adventurers Guild is located in the center of every city in the "Apach Tower" which is above the entrance of the dungeon.

 

[KyotoScythe]

My name is Alexander Muratome. A 17 year old Japanese American Living in the suburbs of Lake Station, Indiana. I've been living by myself the past few years since my mother and father work at a company far away in Italy. Therefore most of my time is spent hanging out with friends and studying. That is until one day.......


*I'm relaxing on the sofa when one day my best friend Anthony shows up.*


NOCK NOCK


*I get up from the couch*


Yo Alex! Seems you haven't past away after all! Good to see ya!


*I lean against the door*


Seems I havent.....What's up?


Dude. You've every played "Dungeon"?


*I scratch my head because of my non-existant itch*


Nah. I don't really own the game, but I have heard about it at school....Why?


Well I've got the game already and it's sooooooo amazing! The graphics are top knotch! For a sec I couldn't even tell the difference between the game and real life.


And this has to do with me because.........


*We both stand there for a good minute before Anthony realizes I'm waiting for him. Then opens his back-pack*


I bought the game a while ago with the Neural Specs but my uncle bought me the exact same set and game so I thought I'd give this to you since I don't really need it.


Wow man I don't know what to say. But I'll have to pass. Doesn't feel right to me.


Come on! I traveled all the way over here just to bring you it! Atleast you could try it out once. Then if you don't like it you could bring it back. Who knows. Maybe you'll find a girlfriend. God knows you cant find one in the real world to save your life!


Oh ha ha. You're a comic genius......though I guess meeting someone new wouldn't hurt. Not like I have anything else to do.


There you go! Well I'm off. Got a group raid in a few minutes. Maybe we'll run into each other sometime.


Alright see ya buddy





*I walk to my room with the copy of "Dungeon" and the Neural Specs Anthony gave me. Once the game chip is inserted into the Neural Specs I put them on, plug in the cord, and fell asleep. The specs take place of the dream I would normally have and a log-in screen pops up. I use my username and password I created in high school and log into the game. I awake in the towns merchant district. My character looks as I do in real life. Black hair tied in a ponytail in the back. Somewhat tall(I get it from my mothers side). Skinny-ish. But what I'm wearing looks almost like red rags. Atleast that's what they seemed to me. Not very "battle ready" in the slightest. Sunlight is bright. The streets are practically empty as expected. After all the game has been out for 15 years so almost everyone is probably in a different city taking on harder jobs. I walk back and forth to examine my surroundings.*


Well this is great. I don't even know where to go! Man these graphics are great....


*After walking back and forth for a few minutes I decide to ask around for directions. At first I don't see anyone. Until a silhouette of a person appears down the road where I spawned at.*


E-EXCUSE ME!

 

[etherna]

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​

In one of the quiet neighborhood of Yoyogi, Tokyo; inside a bedroom in one of the peaceful houses, a sixteen-year-old high school student sat on her bed, with the famed Neural Specs in her hands. That girl, who'd been staring at it for what seemed to be hours since I've been home, is me: Fujioka Marisa: lazy student by day; hardcore gamer at night. I found the package--which contained the console and a game called Dungeon--along with a letter and a postcard from America from my father, earlier this afternoon. I found it when I arrived home, perched at my front door.


The letter was written in English, but I understood it perfectly:





Dear Marisa,


Happy birthday, my sweet child! You may have thought I have forgotten, but that's not the case. I've been working really hard to finally give you something I know you have always wanted. I know you're good with things concerning technology, so I know I don't have to tell you what to do.


Know that I'm always with you, even though we're miles apart.


Have a great birthday.


Love,


Dad.


P.S. I removed the instruction manual as well. Accept this gesture as a challenge!


I let out a sigh upon remembering my father's silly act. He'd always do things like these--not that I'm complaining. He was right, though. In a few minutes, I was able to connect and piece together everything I had to, including the chip that most likely contained the data for the game. I was, at the same time, excited--for this was a new experience; I've only ever dreamed of playing a game like this--and rather uneasy. The game has been around for some time. I wished that my father would have sent the package earlier.


But, at the same time, I was grateful. I lay on my soft and comforting bed after putting the my new Neural Specs on. I may have fallen asleep with a smile.


I successfully logged in with an account I created just earlier. Character creation took only a short while. My appearance didn't matter much, but I may or may not have made my character taller. I didn't change anything else. I found myself in a nearly-empty city, under the warm sun.


I blink. If I didn't know better, I'd think I was in the real world. But no; the graphics looked even much better and beautiful--no offense to Earth. I looked at my palms, and down at my legs. I was wearing what seemed to be the usual clothes a game would provide a starting player. My long hair flowed at my back. I'd have to find something to tie it with eventually. I named my character Marisa, because, what better name to use than my own?


Before I could decide what to do next, a voice caught my attention. I looked behind me, at the source of the voice. A male with a black ponytail approached me. Because of my taller character, I felt much more confident than the real petite me probably ever would. "Hiya," I smiled casually, glad to see someone else in the vicinity. I didn't even realize I was responding in fluent English than my mother tongue, Japanese, until I spoke again. "You look new here, too." I glanced at what he was wearing. It didn't look any better than what I had on.

 

[KyotoScythe]

Hehehe, yeah. I logged on a little while before you did.....actually probably a while longer than what I think.....I think...


*Rubs the back of my head*


It's a good thing there was at least someone here other than the NPC's. For a while I thought I'd be the only newbie in the area. Good thing I was wrong.





Oh...uh. You wouldn't happen to know how to open the map menu, would ya???


*A look of embarrassment runs across my face*

 

[etherna]

My lips formed a silent, little 'o'. I looked at our surroundings. Aside from the occasional NPC, we were alone. As expected from a game that was almost as old as me. The boy's question brought me back to this world. "I don't... actually know..." I realize, a faint fluster forming in my expression. "Wasn't it in the instruction manual?" I ask him. I would have known everything I had to about this game, if only my father didn't have to take my manual away--and just for fun, too.


I observe an NPC who stands not so far away from us. He looks like a player--dressed in starter-like clothing and a weapon in one hand and some kind of small book in another--but I know from the start that a player probably wouldn't have the capacity to stare at new players for a long time. I point at the NPC. Floating above his head is a big, green, animated exclamation point. "He looks like he wants to tell us something." I think aloud.

 

[KyotoScythe]

I looked to my left and saw the person she was referring to. Though, you couldn't really call it a person. Just a normal NPC.....if by normal you mean the awkward weapon and book combo he was clutching in both hands. *How did I not notice that?!*, I thought to myself. Maybe it was the excitement of being in such a perfect VR that made me blindly walk by. Who knows.


Interacting with NPC's should be an issue at this point and seeing as the exclamation mark was green instead of the common yellow tented exclamation marks you'd normally see for quests, this struck me as something important. I walked up to the man.





You look like you could use a hand, stranger. Care for some help?


Yes


Once I said yes. A window popped in front of my face at that moment. I stumbled back in surprise.


Woah!!! I yelped.


Recollecting my composure I scrolled through the window. From the looks of it, it was a diagram of the basics of the game. The developers must have taken no expense in creating such a well crafted informational diagram. The pictures were very detailed but somewhat had a chibi feeling like on an anime. This was definitely what I was looking for! Scanning through the window, I found many things. How to open the games menu, core mechanics for fights, how to apply to the "Adventurers Guild".............


AH HA!


A picture of a chibi girl in pigtails and a goth-esc dress was shown before me on the third page. Apparently to show and hide displays one must say the name of what they wanted to pop up followed by the word "on"...........*You kidding me?!!!*


Miss. I think you may want to take a look at this...

 

[etherna]

I neared the NPC. He probably looked like that--an amiable-looking fellow player--for the neophytes to be able to approach him any time. I peered at the layout that were accessible at every swipe at the window in front of them. I took every detail silently, allowing the fellow player to do so as well.


At the boy's declaration, I exhaled very faintly. It was a chuckle in some way--in my own way. "I can see it," I muttered, focused on the information that the cute chibi girl offered. I attempted to try calling the map the boy beside me was once talking about. "Map, on." I said calmly. A translucent window came into view in front of me. It showed the geographic chart of the area, and even much beyond where I currently stood. I had a long way to go.


"What's this city called?" I asked the NPC, who looked my way to answer.

 

[KyotoScythe]

Bella Sola. One of the three major cities of the northwestern portion of Azria! the NPC exclaimed.


I studied the map for a good four minutes. From what I could gather, the city contained many buildings. Most used for players to rent as personal homes, and other for scenery purposes. I think it was safe to say I was impressed.


What is the building in the center of the city?


Why that's Apach Tower. That's the place where adventurers who have been blessed by the Gods or Goddesses apply too. The Adventurers Guild and player market are located on the lower floors.


What about the Gods? Where are they located? a mystified look stuck to my face.


You'll want to go to the top for that, but you'll have to bring an offering to them in order to receive a blessing. It's a dangerous task really...


It can't be that bad can it?


Oh it is. You'll need to bring back a "Rabid Hare Pelt" from the first floor of the dungeon.


*Great.......* I thought to myself.


I thought about the many risks there may be down in the dungeon. From what I've heard at school there seems to be a lot of monsters that show up on the floors. One wrong move and our characters die..........I didn't want to think about how long it'll take to get the item. Especially by myself..........*Wait* I turn back around and face the girl by me.





Well it seems we're going to have to finish this "Gods Blessing" quest if we want to join the guild. And from the sound of what the NPC said and what I've heard from school this isn't going to be easy. I start to grim-mas.

 

[etherna]

"Bella Sola," I repeated, nodding at the NPC's enthusiasm. "I'll remember that."


I listened in to the conversation between the two males.


"A dungeon, huh." I raised a finger to my chin to think. "It's too early for that." I decided on his grimaced expression. I had a. mental checklist of the things I should acquire before going through something like a dungeon. I started muttering those to myself, indicating each item on a finger on my hand. "Let's see... We'd need a good weapon; better armor; experience; skills; potions, just to be ready."


I didn't care if it was difficult. Eventually, when I have all I need, it wouldn't be nightmarish anymore.


I glanced up at the other player's face. "And, I'd also need to know my fellow player's name." I raised a hand for a handshake. I dared not call him my partner, because I never know if he has other plans or wouldn't like to be called so. "I'm Marisa."

 

[KyotoScythe]

I took ahold of Marisa's stretched out hand.


I'm Grandai


It was nice meeting someone so friendly. Especially in this type of game. People now a days are very rude and self absorbed when it comes to MMORPGs. Honestly I was releaved.


Sooo since we're acquainted, let's get some armor and weapons. Luckily I know a guy from the real world who knows about this game!





It was great that this game could connect to skype and vice versa. Knowing how Anthony is when it comes to this genre of gaming, he always keeps his phone on in case members of his various guilds need him. It's a good thing I can always count on him. I bring up the main page and touched his skype address.


*boop boop boop..boop boop, BOOP* The program goes silent for a little while.


Sorry for the delay but "VALIN!!!!" cannot come to the phone right now. Please leave your name and number after the tone....


Really Anthony! You do realize we're on Skype, right?!


.........................Sorry for the del-


ANTHONY!!!


Fine. Fiiiinnne. Can't you take a joke?


I start to feel my face turn completely red from sheer annoyance. Of course he'd try to pull that off.


So what can I do for yah?


For starters I've just logged onto the game and-


Oh cool! How are yah liking it?! Pretty hig-tech, right?


Well yeah. But you see I met this girl-


Pfff hahahahahaaaaa.......good one!


I'm being serious!


Oh this is priceless! I bet you confused an NPC for a girl player! So what did you do? Propose?!


.....Just tell me how to get armor and weapons, please.......


I take it you didn't read the manual.


No....no I didn't.


If you would have, you would know by now the Adventurers Guild gives you that stuff for free as well as access to the first floor of the dungeon.


That easy?


That easy. Though fair warning. For you're sake I hope your "girlfriend" is real cuz you're gonna need all the help you can get. That dungeon is crazy! Rabid Rabbits shouldn't be taken likely.


I'll note that, man. Well take care. We're heading for the guild right now.


Have fun! Wear protection!


I will......HEY!


Thank God for Anthony. A little too playfull......but always there when I need him. I take a quick look at the map again to make sure we'll be going the right way and then turn back to Marisa.


Guess we're heading to the Adventurers Guild after all. Seems all the gear we need is given out by them. Free for adventurers. Though I doubt it's good gear.

 

[etherna]

I shook Grandai's hand firmly. "Nice to meet you."


This was the first time that I'd ever been able to have a face to face conversation with another player. Most of my fellow newcomers from previous games, I would only be able to communicate with using the chat box. That was, if I was lucky. Most of them didn't acknowledge my existence. That led me to think that maybe they were either unable to understand Japanese or English; alternate characters of experienced players; or just really snobby. "A friend, huh," I responded. The rest of my gamer internet friends had been far off in the game already. All I had was Grandai now.


I respectfully turned away from the conversation that Grandai and his friend were having, though I still heard everything they said. I faced the NPC, who gazed at me intently. My focus turned to the small book that he held. "What is that?" I asked, pointing at the object I was interested in.


He automatically handed his book, with I gratefully took. I flipped and examined the cover. It was rather thin, but its cover was hard-bound and of a dark red with golden margins lining it. Its title read Player Manual in Japanese. Grandai was most likely going to see everything in-game in English. After all, that was the language he used earlier. I glanced at him, who looked rather flustered. He must be from a far country. Probably nearer where my father is.


"Thanks." I told the NPC, who replied with his own hearty "You're most welcome". He only nodded. In an instant, another player manual appeared in his hand, where the one I have now used to rest. I wondered if every newcomer thought of doing that. Probably not. I'd admit I almost missed it. I skimmed the contents of the player manual. It definitely had many information for a new player like me, and Grandai. The diagrams and data from earlier were summarized in the manual. I smiled at my good find.





"...Wear protection!" A cheerful voice rang from behind me.


I wish I hadn't heard that.


I faced Grandai again when he seemed to have finished his call. I nod. I looked down at my ragged clothing. "Anything better than these." I say. I summoned my map and traced our way to the Adventurers' Guild. From here to there, we'd pass a few significant places, like stores, more NPCs, and areas with spawn. "Let's go, then," I said.