2 Welcome to Aeon Odyssey!

Colors explode before my eyes. Sensation burns against my skin. My head pounds as sounds invade my ear in a discordant cacophony of noise.

My body is too heavy for my brain, and I collapse to the ground, marveling at the feel of cool dirt as my knees slam into it. Blinking sunlight out of my eyes, I eventually focus on a face that's way too close to mine.

I jerk back, almost falling over. A firm hand grabs my arm and pulls me up, holding me steady until I can stand on my own two feet as my head swivels on my neck. My eyes are probably bulging right out of my head, but can you blame me? Just a few seconds ago, I was dying.

Now, I'm awestruck at the bustling town surrounding me. Cobblestone streets wind between quaint buildings of stone and timber. This place is filled with vibrant life. The air is filled with the clamor of people going about their daily routines—vendors hawking their wares, children chasing each other through the streets, and the rhythmic clang of a blacksmith's hammer echoing from a nearby forge. Some sort of savory stew lingers in the air, and my mouth waters.

Despite the modest size of this settlement, there are armed guards patrolling the perimeter, their armor glinting in the sunlight as they maintain a watchful presence.

But what truly captivates me are the shimmering blue names floating above the heads of every person I lay my eyes upon. It's as if the very fabric of reality has been embroidered with these ethereal labels, each one a tantalizing glimpse into the identities of those around me.

Tomas the Baker. Lily Oakensong. Guardsman Edric.

The names dance before my vision.

"Hey! Hey? Are you listening to me?"

Startled, I turn back to the man holding my arm. Above his head, it says Darius Hamlin. "Hello? Do you know me?"

He smiles in a way that invites you to smile back. "Of course I do. You're a new player, and I'm your guide to the [Tutorial]."

The way he says the word "tutorial" is odd, almost as if the world added emphasis to it. It's hard not to notice it, and my ears feel attuned to that sound like some sort of trigger. "What is the tutorial?"

Huh. It doesn't seem to do the same for me. Interesting. The researcher inside me is dying to understand what's going on.

"The Tutorial for [Aeon Odyssey], of course." Darius has a look I'm way too familiar with; it's how people stare at you when you say something ridiculous. "Now, first things first. Try taking a step forward."

Now it's my turn to stare at him like he's an idiot, but I step forward obediently.

His eyebrows raise in surprise. "Wow, first try! Great job. Now, take a step back."

"Are you serious?"

Darius holds up his hands. "Hey, I'm obligated to make sure your synchronization is working. The basics are where it's at. Come on, step back."

I roll my eyes and step back, then to each side. "There. Can I go now?"

"No." Darius circles me thoughtfully. "I've never seen a player begin at 100% synchronization. How fascinating. Does this hurt?" He pinches the back of my upper arm before I can react.

"Ow!" Slapping his hand away, I take several steps away from him. "What are you talking about? What is synchronization?"

"The synchronization between your physical body and this game, of course. Theoretically, 100% synchronization should be impossible. You can always send a report to the developers if it's a bug." Darius shrugs. "I'm just a tutorial NPC, so I don't know how it works. Now, let's continue. I see you've chosen [Mage] as your beginner class."

Again, that weird emphasis on the word. "Mage?"

Darius frowns. "Your starting class. You had to choose it before starting the tutorial. You know, magic?"

"I know what a mage is," I snap. "I'm asking why you're saying the word in such a weird way."

"Ahh, you mean the [key word]? It's a part of the game's mechanics. You'll become accustomed to it all soon enough. I guess I should start teaching you some of the key words you'll need. How familiar are you with playing games? Have you played them before?"

Despite understanding every word coming out of his mouth, it's like he's speaking a different language. I don't feel like making him think I'm any more of an idiot, though, so I don't ask any more questions. "No."

"Okay! A complete beginner. My specialty! Let's start with the [Status Window]. Try saying it out loud."

"[Status Window]." A semi-transparent blue box filled with words appears in front of my eyes, and I stumble back in surprise. It follows, staying right within touch distance. Fascinating.

"That will show your name, level, stats, and skills. Remember this, because you'll be looking at it often. If you press on anything, it should further define things for you. Try pressing on STR."

I reach out with my hand hesitantly, surprised to feel the window beneath my fingers. It feels like cool glass, and each letter is raised, giving it an interesting texture. I push on STR and manage not to jump when a new, smaller box appears.

[STR: Strength is used to calculate damage for melee strikes.]

Well, that… clarifies… things? Maybe?

Okay. No. No, it really doesn't.

"Your most important stat will be INT, short for intelligence. It will be the determining factor for the strength of your spells, both offense and defense. Now, say [Inventory]."

"Um, [Inventory]." A new box replaces the status window. It has several empty, darker blue boxes within it.

"As a beginning player, you have twenty-six inventory slots. Be careful, because you won't be able to store any more than that! You can expand your inventory space with levels, skills, and spatial bags, which you can buy off the [Aeon Market]. High-leveled crafters will be able to make them for you."

My face is blank, but my head is filled with questions. He continues to chatter on, talking about skills, weapons, armor, and an odd place called the Community, where I can talk to other people in the world with words and have it reach them at any time. I don't understand any of it.

Exhausted from the overabundance of information, I hold up a hand to interrupt him. "Is there a place I can rest?"

He brightens. "Ah, some interest! I've never seen a player so unimpressed with this world. Yes, there is. Please follow me to the local tavern. As this is a starter village, you don't have to pay for your room here. It's another game mechanic." He winks at me, like he's shared some sort of secret.

Maybe he did; how would I know? I don't understand any of this.

Following Darius through the winding streets, my senses still reel from the overload of stimuli. Every sight, every sound, every scent assaults me with vivid intensity, as if the world around me has been amplified to an almost unbearable degree.

It's better to just focus on Darius' back as he leads the way. We weave through the crowd, and I can't help but marvel at the sheer diversity of the people around us, each one bearing a unique name hovering above their head. It occurs to me that this is the first freedom I've ever had; I've been within the Magic Tower for the past ten years, without the ability to visit the city.

There's a modest building with a swinging sign that reads "The Wayward Wanderer." Darius ushers me inside, and the sudden dimness is a welcome relief from the bright sunlight.

The tavern is a cozy space, with a large hearth crackling in the center and a handful of patrons nursing their drinks at the worn wooden tables. Darius approaches the bar, exchanging a few words with the barmaid before motioning for me to follow him up a narrow staircase.

We climb to the second floor, where a simple hallway stretches out before us, lined with doors. Darius stops at the first one and pushes it open, revealing a sparsely furnished room with a small bed, a chest, and simple desk and chair beneath a single window overlooking the street below.

"Here we are," he says, stepping inside. "This will be your quarters for the time being."

Acutely aware of his presence, I hesitate on the threshold. "You're coming in?"

He nods, that friendly smile still on his face. He probably looks like that all the time. "Of course. As your tutorial, I'll be with you everywhere you go, at least until level 10."

The idea of having a constant companion, especially one as chipper as Darius, is both comforting and unsettling. On one hand, his guidance might prove invaluable in navigating this strange new world. On the other, the thought of having no privacy or personal space is deeply disconcerting.

Pushing aside my reservations for the moment, I step into the room, taking in the modest surroundings. The bed looks inviting, fatigue weighs heavily on my body. Dying is an exhausting process; coming back to life even more so.

"So, what happens now?" I ask, turning to face Darius.

"That's up to you. We can go out the front gates and kill a few rabbits to get you some experience, or we can go to the Martial Center and train you on your new skills. You can walk through the city and meet new people. [Aeon Odyssey] is played at your pace."

"Right." Because it's a game. I'm starting to gain a vague understanding of how this world works. "Darius, do all players have a physical body outside of this world?"

"Of course! [Aeon Odyssey] is a full-dive Virtual Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game. Those of us without physical bodies are considered 'Non-Player Characters.' That is, we are developed by the creators of this game. Thanks to groundbreaking Artificial Intelligence technology, we are indistinguishable from players! We have unique personalities, adaptive dialogue, and behaviors. For the record, I am consistently praised in the community boards for being the best tutorial experience." He puffs his chest up a bit with pride.

I sit at the desk, looking out the window and watching these "non-player characters." They look like normal people to me. Was I, too, just a "non-player"? Someone created to die over a quest? Was everything I felt nothing more than some sort of story to someone acting as a god?

I understand, now, the look those "players" had when they stared at me. They weren't looking at another human, another person. They were looking at me like an object within some sort of fake world. A thing, just like this desk beneath my hands, or the chair I sit on.

They killed me because I was an objective.

My hands shake as I recall the fear and pain of my last moments. "Darius?"

"Yes, Player?"

"Call me Aria, please."

"Of course, Aria. What is it?"

Gripping my hands together, I take a deep breath. "Are players allowed to kill other players?"

"Of course! The PvP system—ah, that's Player versus Player—is incredibly popular. However, I do not recommend it as a new player. Perhaps when you grow stronger…"

"What happens when a player dies?"

Darius' response is immediate, of course, as he launches into explanation. "They respawn after twenty-four real life hours—three days in the game. From levels one to five, you respawn immediately. After level ten, you will lose all items in your inventory when you die, but all equipment and weapons stay with your character. If you die in PvP, the winner can take one piece of equipment or weapon, so you should choose your items wisely, in case you lose them. Bound equipment cannot be taken when you die."

"Ah." I lift my hands and nestle them beneath my chin, resting my elbows against the desk. "Pity. It would be nice to permanently erase someone's existence from this world." The face of the woman in the robe is unknown to me, but at least I know the faces of two of my killers.

But first, I need to learn more about this world. "Explain more about skills, please. I saw that I have a couple in my status window."

* * *

˻˻˻ARIA LUCARIS˼˼˼

HP: 100/100

MP: 25/25

Level 1

Race: Human

Sex: Female

Class: Mage

˻˻˻CHARACTER STATS˼˼˼

STR: 3

STA: 4

AGI: 5

INT: 10

PER: 7

CHA: 6

Total Points: 35

˻˻˻COMBAT AFFINITY˼˼˼

ATK: 3

DEF: 4

˻˻˻BOOSTS˼˼˼

Critical: 0.0%

Accuracy: 0.0%

Efficiency: 0.00%

˻˻˻SKILLS˼˼˼

Active: Firebolt Lv. 1, Frost Nova Lv.1

Passive: None