[Rei/Lucy] Chapter 2: Velothia Online

[Throndir]

Knowledge (Velothia Online}: 8
The stars were completely foreign to you. You didn't recognize any of them.

[Rei]

Josh had expected the cowboy to be mad, or at least show a look of disapproval. Sure the blonde seemed surprised, but he just continued to smile. His words neither approved or denied Josh what he had requested. That was enough for him for now. Just knowing that he could exact revenge on those metallic beasts... and maybe some point down the road, even their master... Well, that was any heroes dream. Right? Lucy wasn't as interested in payback and Josh understood her reasons. The two of them were getting to start a life together in a new world, free from the chains of mundane reality. Lucy was eager to start and Josh had to admit that he was just as eager... But Lucy had died not so long ago and that weighed on Josh's mind even though she was alive and once again herself. Josh had boundless gratitude for this cowboy who plucked them out of their desperate situation, but there were few boundaries beyond return for Josh. Harming his friend Lucy was one such point of no return. These metallic creatures and their master had made the mistake of trampling on Josh and Lucy... There would be a day of reckoning for it. He cared little for their old world. Sure he had friends and family, but he was similar to Lucy in the regard to connections. He valued people but easily became tired and stressed out from people. Lucy was the one person he never tired to be with. Josh sighed once as Lucy waved his revenge away, and with that sigh, closure to the old world and everyone he knew. It was time for a real adventure.

He had no words for the cowboy. He just nodded his head, as the cowboy tipped his hat to them. He was ready to begin the game. As if on que, a whitening effect began to envelope the two adventuresome friends. The strange atmosphere mixed with the pacifying effect of the room gave Josh a strange sense of controlled excitement. Everything but Lucy had disappeared. Then even she disappeared momentarily to the whiteness and Josh found himself not looking at Lucy.. but staring up into a beautiful night sky full of radiant stars which danced to some unknown cosmic cadence.

That was not the first thing Josh had expected. Then again, he wasn't sure what he was supposed to expect in a new unknown world. From his first impression, he liked it. "Beautiful..." he said absently out loud even before he had noticed the bizarre inhabitants of the land. The voice which echoed his thoughts suddenly disturbed him, so much that he was removed from his stargazing to focus on the matter at hand. Why had his voice sounded more feminine and melodious? Maybe someone nearby had voiced what he was thinking and his mind was simply playing tricks on him. He did not recognize the constellations in the sky and so he turned his attention to the people whom stood before him and Lucy. A quick glance told him many things... but it left even more questions left unanswered in his mind.

That was when a translucent green screen popped into his vision, much like how common VRMMO videogames did in his own world. Being a veteran gamer, he made sure to pay attention as the texts appeared before his eyes. These all sounded very different than the kinds of abilities and skills in games. These are... Hmm. I'll look at these later. He told himself as he focused his senses on the indigenous people before him and Lucy. Beast-folk or so Josh assumed. Primitive. Matching armor possibly meant they were part of the same order or company- a military force, or maybe even a paramilitary group from the look of injuries and poor armor. What Josh could be certain of, was that there had been a battle and he suspected it had not gone too favorably for these people.

Following the amount of people from far to near again, his eyes finally rested on the pink haired maiden. A neko? Or maybe a raccoon girl? That mattered little at the moment, for the reverence of the host and the pink haired girl struck Josh as a situation that required decisiveness. He had a suspicion that he knew where this scene was going, but the girl spoke before he could say anything himself. Hero. The word made him grin. The very first word to him and Lucy in this new world was "Hero" Her question nearly threw him off-guard however and his moment of reverence nearly slipped away. From the look of the people, Josh could tell things were dire and they needed something to hold onto for hope. Plus he and Lucy just really needed information before anything crazy happened. With his most confident and loud voice, he would ask "Why have you summoned us?" he would say, hinting that their double summoning had not been any kind of mistake. He had read enough manga to know these kinds of beginner situations. Though one thing still bothered him. His question had been echoed once again from a feminine voice, it sounded sweet and soft to the ears... but that wasn't his voice... right? He would turn to look at Lucy with a slightly concerned expression on "his" face.

[Lucy]

Knowledge Roll (Velothia online) for star identification.

Rolled 1d20+6 : 18 + 6, total 24

[Throndir]

Knowledge (Velothia Online}: 24
As the group of individuals around you surrounded you, and the animal-eared one had begun to ask questions of you, the stars above were something you realized that you recognized. It was in one of the quests in Velothia Online, where one of the NPCs had asked the player to gather a variety of star charts in order to complete a map. That completed map was then overlaid on top of a map of a labyrinth dungeon, which had given the players a clue on solving the dungeon itself and entering the lower floors. There were a few specific constellations and bright stars that looked just like some of the constellation charts that you had gathered. You started to recognize each constellation as well, and the more you stared, the more you were certain that these were the same stars.

[Lucy]

White emptiness started to take over the surrounding area. Creeping into the reaches of Lucy's peripherals, it consumed all, piece by piece. The bar. The arcade machines. Tables, chairs, up to themselves and the cowboy, just for his blonde hair and smile to fade into the white with a tip of his hat. It left only Lucy and Josh remaining. Certainly they were not dead, but whatever was happening to them, it was...different. It was as if all of their sense of reality had been wiped clean, like a brand new canvas. Would this be the 'blank slate, or new start' that the cowboy had spoke of. It certainly wasn't death again. Lucy had come to understand that experience, which was the complete opposite. Just then, almost as soon as it had arrived, it faded. Brief darkness, into a mix of color and light, as if holding one's eyes shut, but still being able to see. Then, a new reality started to register within her, as a new picture was painted into reality right before her eyes within an instant. Now, instead of unending white void, it was a beautiful night sky, stars scattered about, completely let loose to sparkle and shine into existence. After a few seconds of everything coming into conscious view, Lucy had this feeling. Like, the night sky she was staring at was not so new, so foreign. No, she actually knew this sky. These stars. Familiar to her by some means, but not the same as the ones that rarely got to show themselves on the outskirts of the cities borders. These stars were just like the ones from Velothia Online. She was almost certain of it. Lucy, being the type of player she was in games, didn't like to skip out on knowledge, especially if it lead to loot and adventure. it was unclear if these were the very same stars, or if they served the very same purpose to her now as they did then, but any form of familiarity could assist them with this new life.

Her brief peace of mind under the brilliant night sky would be sorely interrupted however, as a strange screen flashed before her eyes. It listed off various titles and skills, with a decent amount of levels. Almost just as if they were really within a game once more. However, before Lucy could learn more a foreign voice could be heard. Sitting up, she found herself looking at a very voluptuous women with...cat ears? Anime waifu, wut? Lucy was a bit surprised, but then again, if it was indeed a game, it shouldn't of. However she just didn't expect this type of person to be the first one she met upon coming to this world. She wasn't alone either. Surrounding them was a small group of beaten and battered warriors. they didn't look like much and clearly, due to their current condition, were not able to hold their own. However, wounded dogs still can yield some form of threat, the looks in their eyes showed that they were desperate and weak. The girl confirmed this, as she started to ask her for help. Hero, begging. Sure enough these lot were deep in some sort of trouble and she would have to be the all mighty savior to their plea. Blek. Lucy had seen and heard it so many times before. She wasn't much of the hero type, even in games. Guess it would be the default start for them. That's when the priestess asked the golden question of two of them? Josh! Of course, they were together when they came here, however...

When Lucy looked next to her, she did not see Josh. However, it was another women. Lucy hadn't been drunk. She was perfectly fine as far as she knew. She pulled on her cheek. Yup! She could feel it. With a puzzled look on her face, she stared at this strange new girl with...car ears. Does everyone have cat ears here?! Feeling her own head, and ears briefly.  All clear, no cat ears, so it wasn't a new trait for herself at least. No turning into a neko for her, thankfully. Last thing she needed was to be questionable as a furry, or something. That aside though, she turned her back to this girl next to her, who was now asking questions. The questions were very direct, but slightly concerning and it was at that time that she seemed to look at Lucy. She looked concerned, as if she was looking for some form of answer or confirmation from Lucy, but Lucy just stared at her with narrow eyes, wonder who the fuck she was. It was then that an out of this world and their world realization popped into her head. Pointing a finger at her new companion she yelled after a brief stutter. "J..J..Josh?!" Eyes wide and confusion in her voice, Lucy completely ignored the priestess and her little entourage. Right now, she had to know if her friend was really this girl and why? Why was he now a girl/ what happened? Did he know? With the look in his eyes, it seemed not and certainly it was gonna be known now.

[Throndir]

"I don't understand why there's two of you... The summoning ritual should have only have enough for a single hero... Unless this circle was special in some way..." She shook her head as she looked towards the two of you. "Are both of you heroes?" She asked to confirm. "If you say 《Status》it should confirm it. At least, all recorded heroes have been able to."

On the ground next to you was a bag. There was another bag next to your friend as well. They were both brown leather bags and they both looked the same. They weren't empty either, you can tell from a glance that there were items in it.

[Rei]

He was in a sudden bad mood. First, Josh had a heavy suspicion that the womanly voice was his... and the second, the animal women hadn't answered his question he had tried hard to sound confident about. To make matters worse, when Jucy had looked at him... her facial expression matched the feeling Josh had. So much so that eve she questioned if she recognized him? He nodded his head vigorously as Lucy seemed to ask in exclamation if it was really him. Their whole weird situation seemed mostly irrelevant to the animal people and pointedly to the young woman who seemed like a priest or something. So she is the summoner.. he thought to himself and then soaked in her words. Apparently there was a surefire way to resolve all of this... "Status" he would say out lout.

Whether he did this to satisfy the curios cat's curiosity, or for his own worry... one couldn't be certain. Until he and Lucy knew more of the situation of this new world, their options were limited. That was when he reached for the bag at his feet, ready to open the contents. Was it these people who supplied them? Or maybe the blonde cowboy at the bar? Josh thought of the smile on the cowboy's face as he had disappeared.... There was definitely something about that guy which he hadn't told them... To satisfy the beast girl's question... Because personally he hated being ignored and treated others how he wanted to be treated- he answered her question to the best of his ability before "status" could be invoked. "We were summoned together, that's our deal." He wasn't sure if he should say anything about the cowboy, so he left the explanation ambiguous, though easily misunderstood as if saying something like "We're a pair, you can't have one without the other."

[Throndir]

Rei
The moment you said '《Status》', a translucent green window appeared in front of you.

Rei
The Fastest Learner
Level 15

Condition: Uninjured, Refreshed

HP: 49/49
MP: 28/28
STR: 22 +
DEX: 18 +
CON: 32 +
INT: 14 +
WIS: 10 +
CHA: 8 +
MAG: 18 +

Blessings: Quick Learner, Mana Sensitivity, Translate All, Personal Status, Quick Learner Extreme Edition, Regeneration

You have 3 unspent ability points.

Reaching for the bag at your feet there were multiple items inside. The first item looked to be some sort of cloth map. It was marked at the top left corner and it was apparent that this was the map of the game world of Velothia Online. Though it was designed to look old, from the quality and feel of it, it was easy to tell that this map was made with all the modern tools of your own world.

There was also a miniature outfit, primarily black, inside the bag. It was too small to wear, and judging from the size along, it looked like perhaps something a doll would wear. However, the moment you touched it, a notification appeared in your view.

Equip cosmetic?
[Yes][No]

Next was a pendant, and on it was an icon of a crescent moon with a star in the middle. From promotions of Rise of the Metallum, you knew this to be the symbol that represented the new organized group in the game that the player would have joined in order to combat the threat of the 'Metallum'. The pendant was well-made. The metal had a slight orange hue to it, and the object itself had a weighty feel to it.

After that, a small black box was pulled out. On the top of it, written simply was 'Weapon Skin'. Next were 7 vials, each one labeled as '24-hour XP Booster'. After that, there was an item that looked like a small early 21st century phone. The moment you touched this item, it turned on, and you felt a slight pull of tiredness when it did turn on. On the screen is said 'Velothia Online Official Sound Track Collections 1-16'.

It dawned on you that all these items were the pre-order bonuses that you and Lucy were supposed to get. The only strange thing was that some of these were supposed to be digital goods, while some were physical ones. These were all the same: physical items.

OODM: High Res Velothia Online Map
Actual map has more locations and markings, just didn't have time to place everything. Imagine the above but with more villages, markers for dungeons and raids, and etc.

Describe what the clothing looks like, only requirement is that it needs primarily have black.

I've added all the items in your Items tab in your character sheet. Though, if you happen to pick up items, or use items, be sure to update the sheet yourself going forward.

Everyone

"If the summoning ritual brought forth two heroes... Well, I can't question it! It's good luck either way." She stepped closer to the both of you, then held her hand out in a hand-shaking gesture, she strategically held her hand between the both of you as she glanced between the two of you, not really minding who shook her hand first. "My name is May Softpaw, First Court Mage of the remnants of the Lantosia Empire. By decree set forth by our King, we have summoned you... well... the two of you to aid us in our time of need."

[Lucy]

Things were way out of whack now, Lucy thought to herself, still a little shocked with the current situation. It seemed that indeed, this girl she was looking at was her friend Josh. How? Who knows? Her guess was probably no one, except maybe the cowboy from earlier, who was now no longer present. Certainly not the girl who apparently brought them there. Heck she didn't even know why there was two of them, let alone why anything else of them. Getting on her hands and knees, Lucy crawled close to Josh and looked him over while he chatted with the cat girl. Feminine figure, soft melodious voice, waist, bust...bust. She reached out and poked at Josh's chest. Squish Yup, those are breasts, she thought, now getting a full handful. She let go and checked herself. She was still all there. Nothing about her seemed to change at all from what she could briefly detail. Not only that, but even this female form of Josh seemed somewhat familiar, like she had seen it before. Sure, she didn't realize it with the initial shock, but his female form looked like something she knew. Was it...his avatar? Ears, general looks, basic body type and form. It seemed to fit, but seeing it now, compared to VR felt different. It was then that she finally looked past Josh's body situation and saw the bag next to him. Turning around, she saw that she had one as well. Grabbing it, she turned and listened to what Josh and the girl had been saying for a change.

Hmmm, status huh? She figured it was her best shot at something, aside from the bag and she did note the green screen from moments before. It would only make sense to investigate. "Status" With the information that would be presented, she would move over to the bag to investigate as she tried to analyze as much as she could. It was indeed full of items and trinkets. Lucy hadn't much clue at first what they entailed, but it soon dawned on her at it was stiff similar to their presale kits. Why would they have this though? I mean was this really just the game they played? Would it be exactly the same? Sure it was mentioned prior, but it hadn't fully set in for her. They would be truly living this game. Lucy turned to the girl who had just introduced herself. Wasn't a npc that she had recognized, so someone new. "So you summoned us and want our help. However, what is it that we are suppose to do exactly? We need some details, as well as some time to hash out what exactly is our situation here." Looking back between the girl and Josh, she could really see it now. It was most definitely Josh's avatar from the game and now they certainly had the preorder packs full of goodies on top of it. Before she tried to do anything with it though, she looked over the rest of the information that would be presented to her in more depth to understand more, all while waiting for more feedback from cat girl and company.

[Throndir]

Lucy
The moment you spoke the keyword of 《Status》, a translucent green window appeared.

Lucy
Accelerator
Level 17

Condition: Uninjured, Refreshed

HP: 30/30
MP: 42/42
STR: 16 +
DEX: 30 +
CON: 18 +
INT: 12 +
WIS: 14 +
CHA: 6 +
MAG: 26 +

Blessings: Quick Learner, Mana Sensitivity, Translate All, Personal Status, Accelerate, Rapid Mana Regeneration

You have 3 unspent ability points.

Going through the items, you were presented with the same notification when you touched the item that looked like a doll's outfit.

Equip cosmetic?
[Yes][No]

OODM: Also feel free to describe what your outfit looks like, doesn't necessarily have to match Rei's, same restriction, it needs to be primarily black.

Also changing her dialogue color for readability.

Everyone

"You two are heroes... The very fact you can understand me tells me this." May said as she looked at Lucy. The animal-eared girl bit her lip a moment later.

"We're deep in the territory of the demons. So we have to move out as fast as we can." May said as she glanced towards the soldiers behind her. "We ran into an enemy patrol on our way here... We rushed to this temple, and I initiated the summoning ritual as fast as I could, but I wouldn't be surprised if we end up being surrounded by them soon..." She shook her head. "Anyways, the tale is long... But suffice to say, countries and worlds, along with large chunks of lands, are suddenly appearing here. Where we are, this new world. Unfortunately... It's a land full of demons. There's an alliance of nations of this world banding together to fight them, and it's been through these summoning runes that you see around you that has given the people of this world an edge against that war."

"There's so much more I need to tell you..." She sighed. "But grab your things, we have a spare larvark at the bottom." She turned towards her men then. "Soldiers of Lantosia, head back down to your steeds. Prepare to move out as soon as possible." She then looked towards the both of you as the soldiers began to file down a set of stairs.

"Heroes... What are your names? And are you with us?" She said again, a spark of hope filling her eyes.

[Rei]

He said nothing at first, he allowed the translucent screen to pop up and verify what the cat lady was saying. As she was speaking, he would raise his hand as if to touch the translucent screen. This was all very familiar yet somehow different. He would apply his hands over the ability section of his screen and search for what he was looking for. I should invest in some useful skills and carefully plan my stats.. Though this says abilities. Maybe I should see, but I think abilities are stats. he thought to himself, reasoning a plan to put into motion at some point. [Knowledge Roll(Velothia)] "Three ability points.. I assume ability points are like stat points?" He would ask out loud, his question not specific to a person- maybe even rhetorical. He would then focus his attention on the bag that he had previously picked up.

It was just then that he felt the most unusual sensation. A prodding tickle as Lucy had crept closer to him. "Wha-" He would say in mild surprise, barely getting out the word when Lucy's poke turned into a full grope of his... her bosom. As curious and somewhat concerned as he was about his own physiology, now was not the time, nor place for such. Surely even as Lucy groped his body, no doubt there were curious and questioning eyes upon the two heroes. He would grab her hand, mostly gently- along with an emphasized look on his face as if to say "Not in front of everyone! I'll show you later."

"It seems I have a different body after being summoned..." he would say, mostly to Lucy as if to satiate both his and her curiosity on the matter. It was weird for him... but also for Lucy. His quickest suspicion was that the cowboy had played one final trick on their adventure to make things more... interesting. He wasn't too sure how he felt about the transition, but for now there was nothing he could do about it. Instead, he'd focus his attention on the bag as the cat lady continued to talk and explain the most pressing situation. Josh didn't acknowledge anything yet, but continued to peer through his bag and pull out the various things. A map... He unrolled the parchment and immediately recognized the general outline and some of the prominent details.. This was indeed Velothia Online- albeit some things appeared to be different. Most likely an effect akin to the "Rise of Metallum" expansion... To which Josh and Lucy, had become a real-life change instead of just a game. As if a cruel joke or consideration, the objects purchased in the pre-order were in there as well. A cosmetic armor skin, the map, a pendant...weapon skins and some experience booster vials. Things to think about later, but for now he would do the most basic thing for a hero. To look the part. The screen popped up and asked if he wanted to equip the skins- he clicked yes.

(Explain appearance in next post)

The details of where they were and how they were summoned- surely it would make someone nervous.. but it still felt mostly like a game to Josh. He figured since it was his second life, that bodily harm and death could come to him... but the majority of his consciousness just enjoyed the idea of this being a game. Maybe it had been coming into contact with the mysterious cowboy.. Or perhaps already having experience death once.. Either way, he felt little sense of danger or fear as May Softpaw explained their predicament. He liked a challenge, and Lucy was always reliable.  One thing remained clear to him however... and that was the organization forming in the lands... he thought of the pendant from the pre-ordered content.. Surely this was that organization. He would put the pendant around his neck, planning ahead as if it was a precaution or quest-specific action later down the line.

What he did not know.. was what a Larvark was. He thought back to Velothia online to see if he could remember. Maybe it was a steed of some kind?{Knowledge Roll(Velothia)] Hopefully one that could accommodate him and Lucy. "Rei... Just Rei." he would say, giving his name when May asked. He was his avatar in this world it seemed, so might as well go by that name, right? "Unless my partner here has any objections.. We are with you, for the time being at the least." He would say, as it was the most prudent choice. Being summoned heroes who refused service would tarnish their reputation in this world... Worse, with the knowledge of their current situation- it would be foolish to decline the aid of the tattered army in a demon-infested land. For now, it was the safest and wisest decision to follow the desperate group and see where it took the two new heroes. Surely they would run into a scouting party or something ahead that they could test their combat potential against.

[Rei]

Velothia Online roll

Rolled 1d20+7 : 13 + 7, total 20

[Throndir]

Lucy
Behind the 《Status》 window was another set of notifications that were quickly fading.

You have gained a new title『She Who Knows Status』
You have gained +1 WIS

At that same time, you noticed your 'WIS' stat increase by 1 point.

Rei
When you weren't directly looking at the Status screen that you had conjured up, it started to dissipate and fade away. When you did you noticed a set of notifications behind it as well. You managed to catch a glimpse of them before they too dissipated.

You have gained a new title『She Who Knows Status』
You have gained +1 WIS

Like what the notification mentioned, you noticed the 'WIS' stat increase by 1 point.

Knowledge (velothia online): 20
Velothia online consisted of stats similar to these. Though, there seemed to be a couple of differences as well. For one, this world's 《Status》 screen was hardly as thorough as the one you were familiar with. The concept of levels, HP, and MP points were the same. Even the concept of titles was familiar, as Velothia Online had a list of titles that one could earn depending on achievements they had done in-game. It was purely cosmetic. Though there were other things in the 《Status》 screen that were unfamiliar. Blessings for one was unfamiliar, along with the 'Ability points' the screen had mentioned. There were little 'plus' icons next to each of the stats listed above however. From your experience these were the sort of buttons that let the players spend their points.

The moment you had clicked 'Yes' on the prompt for the cosmetic outfit, the clothing you were wearing, which had been the one you wore back on Earth, seemed to suddenly transform. May, who had just finished asking her question, blinked her eyes at your new look.

The moment you had equipped the new look, the item was still in your hand. The prompt on it changed slightly.

Skin Currently Applied
[Remove][Cancel]

Knowledge (velothia online): 20
When you tried to think of what a larvark was, nothing came to mind. You yourself had played Velothia Online with Lucy for years, and you don't recall anything called a 'larvark'. From how the animal-eared people spoke, they seemed to imply it was some sort of steed. The various mounts and mount-skins back in Velothia were varied, but 'larvark' was not ringing any bells. At the very least, you haven't heard that word before.

OODM: Decided to just re-se the same roll above, but next time I'll have you roll twice for each attempt.

[Lucy]

Lucy gabbed her things and stuffed most of it back in the bag, except the small item that asked if she wanted to apply the skin. She used the prompt and sure enough it applied the skin over her current clothes, much like how one in the game would. However, compared to the skinny jeans and loose sweater from before, her outfit took on a much more dynamic and fantasy like design.

Spoiler

[close]

Her outfit now, consisting of a sort of long black jacket that wrapped around her frame, high boots, belts and even her hair tied in a pony tail. It was light, but decently warm, despite now showing off far more skin then her previous clothes. Taking a moment to observe it, Lucy came to the conclusion that though it was a bit showy, she indeed liked it. "Sexy and bad ass. I like it." She looked over to Josh, who had his own skin on now. Even if they were just skins, it made them look the part of heroes at least. With it they would blend in with their new companions as well.

New outfit aside, it would be more or less time for them to move on from their current location. May was urging them as well as her soldiers to move. Lucy looked at Josh and nodded. "I don't see a reason not to join in. Ask for my name, you may address me as Lucy. No hero Lucy or anything, either. Just Lucy will suffice." Lucy noticed that Josh had decided to go with the same name as his avatar, since he now looked the part. It made sense and to a degree she was a bit glad he did so. Calling him Josh in his current body wouldn't really fit right and being a name she was familiar with, would make it easy to remember and use in conversation. With the introductions out of the way, they would follow May to whatever this larvark thing was. She assumed it was some sort of riding animal or steed of sorts, since the women motioned for her soldiers to return to steeds. Only thing that worried Lucy was...how do we ride it? Cars, bikes, even a short ride on a horse, trains, other modern modes of transportation. These were the things Lucy understood in terms of riding and driving. However if she was going to be placed on some strange animal, there was no way she was taking the reins. A bit anxious, she pointed to Rei. "Whatever it is, you're driving, country boy...err girl." Her voice was strict and unwavering, despite her slight correction. A sign that Lucy was not going to give Rei any wiggle room in the already resolved dispute in her head. She would ride bitch the entire trip to wherever, until she felt comfortable with whatever it was she was about to mount, if it even was a mount. Though she had strong doubts that in an area of demons and battles, a carriage awaited them.

Lucy's next focus would be her stats on the status page. For whatever reason, she instinctively tried to grab the screen. Perhaps try to drag or use it sort of like a tablet of sorts. In VR games, most menus and screens are intractable. Lucy would be able to drag, toss around, open, close, the works. However she had no idea how such things worked here. This is life now. Her skin worked like it would in a game, but at the same time, it was a prompt while she held it. When she tried to touch the screen though, nothing. Her hand went right through it. Well I can't touch it I guess. Damn. I was hoping to fiddle around and see what I could do. It looked like I had little plus signs next to my stats and the feed said I leveled up. Wait, how do I level up? Lucy looked over to Rei and then over to May as they walked, biting her thumb lightly as she thought to herself. Is it strange to ask them how I level? I mean this is life for them, so do they interact with things similar to us? Leaning over to Rei, she whispered. "Uhhhh, any ideas on how we level up and use our stats?" Lucy was really hoping for some form of answer. They didn't even need to use their levels right away, but if they ran into another demon patrol, or some sort of monster, it would be nice to have use of everything they had. Matter of fact...if there were to be a fight, did they even have weapons? They didn't know how to use skills either. The others would certainly expect them to fight, being heroes and all. Lucy had to ask the golden question in her head. "Uhh...May, do you have spear weapons for us by chance? We can't deal with threats empty handed."

[Throndir]

Location: New World - Top of Tower
Date: Day 1 - Late Evening

Lucy

The moment you reached out for the Status window, it seemed to react whenever you focused on a particular location of it. A couple of screens appeared as well, related with each of the things that were focused on.

Focus on 『DEX』
Represents agility, reflexes, and balance.

Focus on 『CON』
Represents your health and stamina.

Everyone

"Lucy... Okay. And Rei.... To be honest, it feels... a bit wrong calling you with just your names." She shook her head. "Heroes are something akin to our emperor. Even though I'm the First Court Mage of the empire, I wouldn't dare call the king by his first name. I wasn't sure what to expect, but I'm glad one of you is a demihuman, it'd make things easier..." May then glanced towards Lucy specifically. "Not everyone appreciates humans, especially with what's been happening since our slice of the Lantosia empire suddenly appeared here."

Once you asked for weapons, May called out to a pair of guards. That guard then in turn pulled out one of their spare weapons and handed them to the both of you. They were both longswords, nothing spectacular about them, though they did have the same design. There was a crest imprinted into the pommel as well, one that looked like the face of a lion. It wasn't anything either of you were familiar with.

"Standard issue swords. We have spare armor as well... Though with how the two of you suddenly changed clothes, I'm not sure how it would work. Anyways, those are on the Larvark."

With another motion of her hand, she lead the way down.





Location: New World - Tower Stairs
Date: Day 1 - Late Evening

The journey down the stairs was longer than expected. There were various holes in the walls of the tower on the way down, which gave you a limited view of the night sky. The holes themselves weren't very big, but it did allow some of the rays to illuminate the interiors.

Rei's Passive Perception
The light from the moon seemed to be much brighter than usual than what you remember back on Earth. It was confusing, as you recall many times the amount of light the moon would produce. Glancing at the moon itself, though the moon was a shade of green and blue rather than the normal grey from Earth, it didn't look particularly brighter in any way. Yet, the inside of the tower was well-illuminated as if someone with you had carried a lamp.

Lucy's Passive Perception
The rest of the animal-eared people filtered down through the dark stairs downwards. They didn't seem to be having trouble descending at all, you were able to follow as well, though, with the limited amount of light, you had to pay more attention to the steep incline of the stairs.

There was a tenseness in the air from the rest of the soldiers ahead. And though many of them were armored, they moved relatively silent. May's voice broke the silence.

"When you said 'Status' earlier, did it mention blessings? From our scriptures, heroes are granted boons from the goddesses. Powers they didn't have back in their own world. There are other heroes in this world, summoned from the other countries that we now share the world with, and you would find that you would be able to learn things quicker, and be generally... 'better' than how you were before."

"There's also another thing I was curious about. You implied that you two knew each other... The two of you are friends? It's... well.. it's commendable that a human and a demihuman could be friends. It's different here."


Location: New World - Base of Tower
Date: Day 1 - Late Evening

When the group finally made it to the bottom, the first thing that was evident was an array of creatures standing side by side. They stood on two legs, were hairy, but had a head that looked like a combination of a horse and a bird. They had harnesses and a saddle. They made a unique cooing sound as the rest of the group appeared from the tower's base.

http://www.youtube.com/v/QGxZ7eYPy44

"I hope the two of you are familiar with riding a larvark... Humans of this world have something called a 'horse'. They are similar... But the larvark are better of course. We have some extra steeds, since their riders... didn't make it with us on the journey here. They're well-trained and should be able to adapt to you." May glanced at Lucy. "Lucy, come here, the larvark aren't used to humans. Put your hand out gentle towards its head, and have it get used to you before you attempt to mount it." May explained as she brought one of the creatures closer to Lucy.

OODM: Handle Animal check requested. It'll determine how well the animal gets along with you. If you don't have that, a basic CHA check.

It was after that one of the soldiers came up to the two with two sets of armors in her hand. It was a female soldier, though, this one's ears weren't as fluffy as May's, her tail too wasn't as thick, and instead was long and rounded, rather than ending as if it were a large brush like May's. Her outfit too seemed to differ from the other soldiers, sporting a set of green clothes over her own armor, with a bow strapped to her back. She wasn't at the top of the tower like everyone else, likely she waited at the base of the tower.

"Hiya dudettes!" She said.

"Kara, please, they are the heroes." May responded quickly. The other soldier shrugged.

"So, we've brought the armor reserved for our hero. But we only have that one. It is one of the national treasures of our empire, with me acting as it's guardian until now." She then presented a set of hardened leather armor, it was gilded with a lot of ornate decorations."See those swirly decorations? They actually functions as runes, the art of making armor such as these have been lost to us, but it was decided that this was to be worn by the hero. But umm.... I can't really split it, you know? Totally a problemo here."

"The other one I have is totally mundane though. So one of you gets to wear coolness, and the other one's stuck with being sucky like the rest of us here."