Chapter 2: Area - Library
"Welcome player. Please state your avatar name?" a sweetly mothering voice asks from the surrounding black void.
"Jossie Valentine," she says, knowing that it is taboo to use your real name in a video game. The surrounding darkness gradually fades, bringing blurred colors and shapes into view. A spiraling tower library comes into focus as Jossie feels cool solid wood beams form under her bare feet. A gasp escapes her lips as her eyes follow a rising circular staircase that separates the never ending shelves of books until it disappears into the brightly lit cloudy sky above her.
A softly glowing book sitting on a pedestal in the middle of the room projects images of Nofell being created as the same voice from before explains the images.
{The people of the land have been influenced by the mana leaking from the World Tree, and a blight has infected the world of Nofell with malicious creatures. The power itself is not evil, but as the saying goes, power corrupts even the most saintly of souls.}
"Welcome to the Library of Fate, Jossie Valentine. I am Yashi Karana, Librarian and manager of Nofell. Are you ready to choose your avatar?"
Turning from the flowing pictures, Jossie comes nose to snout with a white… dog? Taking a step back, she throws a hand up to her heart to still its pounding. Amusement shines in Yashi's human-shaped eyes as the white wolf shows a toothy grin and chuckles.
"I do apologize for startling you. You are the first human to enter my library in known history, and I was curious how you smelled," Yashi says as she takes a step to the side and waves her arm at a floating mirror. Seeing a reflection of her real body makes Jossie flinch. She has always hated how scrawny and tall she is. Yashi pushes her glasses up her mussel before walking over and wrapping a fur-covered arm around Jossie's waist. She propels Jossie forward until she is standing directly in front of the mirror.
"Tell me how you want to see yourself," she says in gentle understanding.
Taking a deep breath, Jossie thinks quickly about the things she wants to be changed. "Can I have a little meat on my bones? And maybe a little shorter, to about here, please?" She holds her hand up to her reflection, right above her breasts. Her face heats with embarrassment mixed with excitement as she watches her image shrink until it's the height she'd indicated, and her figure fills out, so she finally looks like a woman and not a gangly boy. Tears fill her eyes, and she turns to Yashi, giving her a bear hug while sniffling. The wolf chuckles and pats her back awkwardly.
"You may change your race as well if you prefer?" Yashi asks as she gently but firmly removes Jossie's arms.
Sniffing one last time, Jossie nods. With a huge smile and an excited twinkle in her eye, she gushes, "Can I be an elf? Like a wood elf?" Giddiness fills her as she watches her skin darken from ghost white to a light tan and her ears sharpen into curled points. Clapping her hands, she fists them under her chin and takes a deep breath to calm herself down. Wrinkling her nose at the sight of her lackluster brown hair, she asks, "May I have red hair? But not just red, more like a sunset red ?" The color washes over her image in a wave from her scalp to the ends of her hair. Yashi must be reading her mind because instead of hanging limply at her shoulders, the hair in the image becomes fuller and wavier than before. A sigh of pure bliss escapes Jossie's lips as she admires her altered reflection.
"I'm glad you're happy with it. Now, here's your bag with your starting items and equipment, and next you have a very important choice to make," Yashi says with mock sternness as she holds out an over-the-shoulder leather bag. The book on the pedestal is flashing from dark to light as though the program is on hold. Yashi stands next to the open pages and taps it smartly.
Small creatures start flashing at a steady pace into the air as Yashi explains, "Each of these animals are a pet that will be your constant companion on your journey through the realms. They each have their own unique quality that will help you along the way, as well as a collar that signifies your contract with each other. Do you understand?" Jossie nods in assent and Yashi waves at the still moving pictures, "Then choose your partner."
Jossie moves forward cautiously and holds her hand out towards the projections. The images stop, so she can read the information on each one. Flicking her wrist, she moves from image to image, looking at each one carefully.
"What are my starting stats?" Jossie asks as she comes to an animal that appeals to her.
"Zero," Yashi says simply, and Jossie looks at her in surprise.
"What do you mean 'zero'? If I start at zero, I'll be dead!"
Yashi harrumphs and says in a bored tone, "I mean that your skills will start at zero. Of course you'll have a health point and skill point meter, those each start at two hundred and will grow as you grow. Unlike other games, you do not level up in this one. Instead, your skills go up as you use them. I should mention that if you do not use a skill for three consecutive game days, that skill will lose one point per game day until it's back down to zero. If you die while in the realm, you will be ejected from the game and returned to your world. It will take eight hours of your time before you can return, meaning almost a month in-game."
She squints her eyes in warning before continuing, "If you try to return before then there will be a severe penalty, so be very careful. Also, if you die three times, you must start over from scratch with a new avatar and new pet. All of your items will be recycled back into the system as well."
Thinking back to the information she'd been given, Jossie says, "That means if you die, it's very possible that all of your skills will be gone or at least greatly depleted?"
Yashi's benign smile turns a tad evil and something flashes across her eyes that make Jossie shiver as she replies, "Why yes, I believe they would. It's best not to die then, don't you think?"
Shaking her head, Jossie looks back at the creature suspended above the open book. A small, sleek ferret-looking animal with wings folded along its back is curled in a relaxed ball like a cat. Its fur is pearl white with a bright blue lightning bolt on its cheek. Its claws are a darker blue than its stripe and long. Definitely not something you'd want to find hiding in your house.
Reading its information and the name one last time, Jossie says, "I'd like this one, please. A Recatska."
As the word leaves her lips, the image in front of her starts to slowly become solid, going from 2D to 3D, until the animal blinks its bright red eyes. It stretches in midair, letting out such a large yawn that Jossie was afraid it would break its jaw. Sharp little scissor teeth are on full display, and Jossie is happy that the creature is on her side. Given the chance, it wouldn't take much for the Recatska to fit its jaw around someone's windpipe.
"It needs a name," Yashi says as it jumps from the page to the floor. Looking up at Jossie, it makes the cutest high-pitched skree-skree sound in greeting.
"Skeeter," Jossie says with a small smile.
The Recatska looks up at her and makes its chirping skree-skree sound again as its throat starts glowing. A collar the same deep blue as its claws appears around its neck. A weird purring-chirp comes from it, like the sound a cat makes when it's trying to get a bird's attention.
"All that's left is to walk through the mirror, unless you have any more questions?" Yashi asks, her tone suggesting that she hopes Jossie doesn't.
Shaking her head no, Jossie walks hesitantly towards her avatar. Skeeter stops next to her, looks between the image and Jossie's face, then lifts his paw in a wave before going through the glass. The surface ripples out from where he entered, distorting the image.
Looking into her avatar's purple eyes, Jossie takes a deep breath and holds it before following Skeeter through the mirror into the world of Nofell.
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