The First Stream

The alarm rang through my head. Ringing bouncing around my head like a rubber ball. Crawling out of bed I tapped the large button on my phone and got up. I brushed my teeth and crawled back into bed.

Today I'll play a bit of LSO until her stream, then I'll work the rest of the day and maybe tomorrow I'll get a free day for some solo questing.

I logged in my body separating and falling into the game. I was back. Everything feels perfect like this is my real body, my movements are so easy and uninhibited. It's amazing!

I walked into town. I have approximately sixty gold which should be just enough for what I want. I walked into the clothing shop and bought a hooded armour for twenty gold. It was a black hoodie with light steel armour on the shoulders and chest. In a sale I bought some similar trousers that were also black with steel knees. The set had a boost of three percent speed. I then walked into a smithing shop and bought a knife, it was a short white sword with the blade glistening in the sun. I then sold all my old armour and weapons heading to the tavern.

"Hey, are there any quests going?"

"What kind are you looking for?"

"I just need to level up quickly so maybe area clearing or dungeon clearing?"

"We have a few of those quests but you're only qualified for one of them."

"Qualified?"

"Yeah, to get anything higher than this you need to ally with a kingdom or church and then their prestige will be passed down to you allowing you to get higher and higher quests but I'd hurry because the capitals only have three slots each. Currently none have been filled."

I have fifty gold left for the info. It will likely be thirty. It's really scummy but I want an edge over people.

"For twenty gold will you not tell that to anyone else?"

"Sure man but you helped out my daughter too so I suppose I owe ya one, so give me thirty and we'll call it even the info the silence everything."

"Your daughter is Alice?"

"Yeah she said you saved her life."

"Thanks man."

I dropped the coins on the counter and took the details of the quest. Of course they disappeared once I touched them and went straight to the quest menu.

I walked out of the village and checked the map.

I put a lot of points into speed so let's see what it does!

I put my hands on the floor and stretched out my left leg pulling my right leg close to my stomach and planting it firmly in the ground.

I then tensed my muscles and kicked off the ground sprinting forward. I'd say I'm doing about thirty miles an hour. The trees are like a blur behind me as I run, it's a freeing feeling… I understand why so many people chose to do this. I ran out of the woods and into a huge field. There were fences and ruined houses like this used to be a village. There are no monsters in sight though.

Do I have to wait until night? Lame!!!

Aaaah I should look around, maybe it's an ambush.

I walked along the fences peering into the dried up fields and wilted flowers. My feet brushing past the dead reminance of a happy world. The cruel sun beating down on the dying plants. then walking towards the ruined house, walls crumbling, ceiling caved in. I opened the broken door and it smashed to the floor when I pressed on the wooden planks. I pressed inside walking into the cavity, the husk of a home. The first room was empty but there was a solitary camp fire with the embers still simmering in the grey pile. I crouched down and cept to the walls moving into the house.

I crept along the room approaching the next door. There was a fire that danced across the gap between the door and the floor. The shadows of people dancing, the muffled shouts of people speaking.

I opened the door and it creaked open.

My eyes widened.

Holy shit is that? A human?

On the wall hung by two nails piercing her wrists was a girl, her clothes torn to shreds and dried tears falling down her vacant eyes. I could see her chest rising and falling weakly. She was still alive!!!

I looked around the room, regaining sense. There were eight goblins… of course. It's always goblins in these games! It's always these disgusting creatures.

I lurched forward closing in on the vile thing, its long nose and warted body turning to me. They had a dagger each and charged inwards. I stuck out my hand and sprayed webs covering each of them in silk. I encased them all in the fabric. Then standing in the room they all stared at me. And then laughed. They moved forward.

Closing in on me I stared back holding the string that led to each and everyone of them. I then activated the lamp, the flames spiralling through the web and traveling to each of the monsters. It covered them, burning the bodies. Their cackles and jeers devolving to screams and cries.

'You: defeated eight goblins'

I'm still not leveling up!

I pulled the nails from the girls wrists and set her down on the floor. Kicking away the burn corpses of the monsters as they disappeared.

I pulled a nearby sheet and covered her scarred and scratched body.

"Pl… pl… m.. fath.." she shakely pointed at the next door. So I need to rescue two of them? That seems pretty easy. And for the rewards this should be a sinch.

Walking through the door I grabbed my knife. Gripping it tightly. Cautiously rounding the corner I pushed past the planked door. I walked into the final room and saw another devastating sight. This game is too realistic. Should I be letting Ellie play this? what's the use?I cant say no to her and she's already ten i'm sure it'll be fine.

I stared at the monster in front of me, he was a huge goblin with a big torso and thin arms claws stretching through the skin. His legs were curled up as he sat. his hands were curled around a man, his painted red and white face enclosed around his arm. Lines and curves crossed its long face and white fur rounded the things chest and neck like a mane blood dripped from the man falling into his mane and staining it red.

It dropped the man, his torso, head and one leg clattering to the floor.

The beast stared at me blankly as it got up towering way above me. Then lowering its face and opening its mouth. It let out a deep terrifying roar that crept into my soul. Its rows of teeth are dripping with blood and saliva.

I was shocked, stunned, petrified.

THIS GAME IS TOO REALISTIC!!!

I jumped backwards and pulled my wrists together forming an arrow of light. I shot it forward, the white attack spiralling towards its chest. But the monster caught it, his palms lacerating his grey flesh as the arrow spinned. I darted to the left but his left arm flailed out smacking into the floor in front of me. I then shifted my weight left kicking off my feet to change direction avoiding the menacing claws. But his left hand now free of the arrow smashed into the floor right in front of me. It seems obvious but I really thought that would work.

I have one more plan however, kicking off my left foot I shot forward directly at the monster's chest.

'Unique skill 'Copy' activated - 'Twin slash charge' '

Haha game over buddy!

But unexpectedly his hands flew back together making an X shape as I slammed into them cutting both his arms.

'Attack blocked -70'

But once more he pulled his hands out the claws cutting into my flesh like blades.

Aaaaaaaahhhh!!!!!!

my scream echoed out bouncing back into my ears as the claws ripped through my skin.

'-130'

I jumped backwards, the agonny reaching every cell of my body. my vision is blury. My arms feel like they're going to drop off. I can feel the cool blood running down my arms and dripping to the floor.

Dammit, that hurts.

I'm not ready for a fight like this, it's the second day for god's sake! I dont think I've ever been cut like this. The blood is making me sick and I feel dizzy.

No! I can't complain, I wanted a challenge. I wanted fun. Well this is it. The closest I'll come to a death match. He probably has beat in pure physical ability but that's been the case all my life. I need to win through my own ability my own talent. Because I'm only good at games so…

"I NEED TO WIN!!!"

I charged round to the walls running across the exposed stone walls, my feet kicking in the stone bricks as I ran. The monster's arms slamming after me like bullets chasing me relentlessly.

I clapped my hands and formed the divine arrow shooting it into his side.

'-20'

'-20'

'-20'

Then when I ran out of wall to run on I jumped to the floor running to the monsters right. He shot his arm out to catch me but I summoned the arrow once more. The vivid shape forming in my arms. Then I let it fly, the radiant bolt shooting at the monster's head. He pulled his arm back to block the arrow once more. And that was the end. I stabbed the knife into the floor swinging my body around.

And then I saw it. His heart. It was so clear. The bright blue target pumping in and out. I pulled the knife out of the ground and plunged it into that beating blue target. My knife plowing into his flesh releasing a spray of red flowing from the organ. The monster collapsed, blood flowing from the wound. I dropped to the ground with him, my heart still racing. I let out a sigh of relief.

'You: defeated Goblin Chieftain

You leveled up three times'

I also copied an ability called vicious guard but it's useless since it requires dual swords. I suppose I can't copy every ability, I'd guess I'm limited to physical attacks like punching, knife and sword skills and magic which is a pretty wide scale. There might even be weird USs that don't fall under any category.

I carried the girl back to the village as the quest instructed and brought her to the tavern where I collected my pay.

'Completed quest - 'Goblin Farm'

You leveled up two times'

_________________________________________________________________________

Username: ItsAssassin

Race: Shadowrath

Class: Knife

Level: 20

Vitality: 25

Wisdom: 15

Strength: 10

Speed: 40

Title: none

Unique skill: Copy

Special skills: Eye of death

Inventory: Amature Assassin's Blade

_________________________________________________________________________

'Psye:

Meet me outside the village in a few minutes?

You:

Sure I'm already in the game, just reached level 20.

Psye:

No way???? I'll never catch up :c'

I walked down to the entrance to the village and sure enough she was waiting there for me.

"Hey Assassin!"

"Hey."

"Alright, are you ready?"

"Sure I think."

"Good!"

"Hey hey hey everybody its S.I Rene here thank you for tuning in. I'm here with the top player, ItsAssassin, who just reached level 20!!

Today we're going to clear a dungeon"

"We are?"

"Uh huh. Let's go."

As she walked she talked into her stream chatting about the game mechanics and what it's like how the game works. I was just ahead of her reading the chat.

'Wow is that him?'

'Anyone see where they are?'

'Is he actually level 20????'

'He seems kinda wimpy!'

'Is he a shadowrath? Aren't they the worst race?'

'What's his US?'

'How does he know S.I Rene?'

Then from behind me there was a tap on my shoulder. I looked back to see Psye smiling.

"Wow assassin so many questions for you, care to answer a few?"

"Uh sure. Yeah I'm a shadowrath although I wouldn't recommend it since you get some pretty heavy discrimination and you cant accept quests until you purchase something to cover your right eye although once you get past that ist ok and the eye lets you see the enemies critical point at certain times. I am actually level 20 and I'm not wimpy in my opinion. As for my US, that's something for you guys to figure out but if you post the name correctly I'll tell you."

"Well there you have it ladies and gentlemen. Any questions for me since it's a decent walk to the dungeon."

'What's your US?'

'Is assassin's like invisibility?'

'Oooh yeah that would be useful for sure unlike my crappy US.'

Paste seemed shaken with the barrage of questions.

"Well my US is 'divine arrow' but Assassin says there aren't any bad USs"

"Yeah it all depends on how you use them."

'My US lets me leave reality for a second.'

"What man that's OP if you can leave reality you can dodge any attack! Have you tried going inside the mobs? What would the displacement do? What have you tried using it for? And plus as you level up the time limit will increase giving you like teleportation and invisibility, since you've only been in that state in one second intervals you haven't explored what you can do. That's an awesome skill."

'Whoa dude I hadn't thought of it like that'

'Hey hey do mine next'

'No me im having a real tough time breaking level eight'

'No me!'

"Sorry guys but we have run out of time since we arrived. But try to think outside the box, k?"

I opened the door by pressing my hand onto the stone entrance. The door glowed and then slid open. A loud scratching sound sounded out from the floor as the door was opened.

'Dungeon opened - arcane tomb'