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  defining characteristics of the Mana Discipline school; unlike other disciplines that often required complex hand gestures and long incantation, Mana based spells were more straightforward, uncomplicated, yet powerful.

  They had served me well during my adventuring days of fighting monsters and dueling other players. It was also my best initial source of income. People were always willing to pay a lot of gold to learn to blast things with pure will.

  Thanks to my successful test I had all the information I needed.

  I decided to log out for now.

  I needed some time to carefully plan my character’s future, and figure out my long-term strategy. Both would require careful consideration with a clear head, and I was too tired for that at the moment. A good night’s sleep in my own bed would do me wonders. Then I could dedicate some time to brainstorming my future.

  Log out I thought, and my view became dark again.

  3 - Revelations

  Class Assignment: The evolution of FIVR technology

  By: Oren Berman, 10th grade

  A decade ago, scientific breakthroughs led to better understanding of how the human brain interprets signals sent to and from the body. That understanding led to the development of devices that mimic those signals, effectively communicating with the human brain, nervous, and sensory system directly. The first practical application of those principles was in neuro-controlled prosthetics, allowing amputees to control their mechanical limbs as they would any other part of their body.

  The entertainment industry was quick to realize the enormous potential the technology represented. It was no secret that direct neural interface was the future of VR. It seized on the new technology, impelling the leap beyond the inadequate VR devices available until then; the stereo-display goggles, haptic gloves, treadmills and other, now vintage, devices.

  New devices, the first Immersive Virtual Reality (IVR) experience became available in the commercial markets. The first gaming device, a headset, had a relatively limited interface that streamed visual and auditory experiences directly into the user’s brain.

  The first-generation helmets were quickly replaced by more robust second generation full-body devices that offered better and fuller sensory stimulation. That generation of VR devices was prone to causing a variety of user issues. Their significance was only as the final iteration of the technology before the ultimate experience in VR became available. That ultimate experience became a reality when the first Full Immersion Virtual Reality (FIVR) capsule was released on the market, a technological design that forever changed the world.

  The users of the new FIVR capsules experienced an induced reality with the full range of human senses, making it virtually indistinguishable from reality. In fact, mandatory subliminal cues were later patched into the FIVR systems to remind users that the induced environment was not ‘real.’

  The entertainment industry continuously pushed the boundaries of those environments so users could have newer, even better experiences in FIVR. New VR games used the full potential of the breakthrough technology to realize the almost century old dream of gamers and game-makers; fully interactive virtual reality game environments. Everyone wanted to experience playing these exciting new worlds. When the FIVR devices reached the commercial market, they were enabled for far more than just game content. People could experience simulations of fictional or factual content; they could travel the world, or take on the role of favorite characters from movies and act them out. Almost overnight, the tourist and hospitality industries changed even more radically than the gaming industry had. Traveling physically, in real life, became obsolete. Now anyone could travel anywhere in the world, instantly, comfortably, and luxuriously. But why limit travel destinations to only this world? It was just as easy to travel to Rivendell, in Tolkien’s fantastical 'Lord of the Rings' made real in VR. Hand in hand with travel, the food industry was revolutionized. Why pay hundreds of dollars for an exquisite Kobe beef filet in Tokyo, when perfect simulations of that and even more exotic dishes, sautéed Dragon liver for example, were available in VR. And all those choices were accessible in any public gaming parlor, costing only the hourly rental fee of a VR capsule. Of course, for those who could afford it, privately owned capsules made fantasies real for as long and as often as they wish.

  .

  ***

  “....Initiating log out sequence….”

  “....Log out in 3…”

  “2…”

  “1…”

  Back in the VR pod I opened my eyes, lying on the gel-matrix, relaxing as I reoriented to the Real World while the dozens of connected electrodes peeled away from me with a soft sound and withdrew into the pod.

  I was elated at the success of my tests in-game. I was still more tired than usual, but the possibility of making my new char into some sort of a goblin-death-machine exhilarated me.

  I got up and stretched, feeling much more relaxed and optimistic. I looked down at my customized gaming capsule and felt the same pride I always did when looking at it. I imagine a car enthusiast might view their hot rod. After all, the gaming capsules were marvels of cutting edge science and technology.

  They were outrageously expensive too. Most people only played using a public FIVR gaming parlors, paying an hourly fee. Few could afford the money and space a personal home capsule required. Since I had few expenses and no obligations other than to myself - no family, wife or children - buying a basic module, was just within my means when they came out.

  When I moved into the apartment, I had a top of the line FIVR capsule installed in one of the two bedrooms, the designated ‘game-room.’ The capsule took up half the floor space, and the upgrades I purchased eventually took up the rest. The floor was covered in bundles of connections and power lines, linking several backup servers, a backup power supply and storage units to the capsule. Those redundancy appliances, enabled me to keep playing through power and network outages, and kept a full record of everything I did while in the game. I also bought the best adapter frame available, a novelty that ensured ‘plug-N-play’ support for all future capsule upgrades.

  It was past 2 o’clock in the morning, and I was tired, physically and mentally. Not bothering to change, I crashed into bed and instantly fell into a deep, and as usual dreamless, sleep.

  I woke up late the next morning feeling much better, and with renewed focus on fixing my situation. And a starving, growling, stomach.

  Everything tasted so much better in-game, that cooking had become pointless, so I usually wolfed down a frozen dinner at mealtimes. Today, the thought of eating one of the meals from my freezer was distasteful, so I decided to treat myself to a proper breakfast. I would relax over my coffee, and carefully consider my next moves in NEO.

  I drove to a nearby restaurant I frequented, a picturesque country style café, and sat at my usual patio table, enjoying the sunlight and sipping fresh squeezed orange juice while I waited for the Farmer’s Feast breakfast platter I’d ordered.

  As I slowly enjoyed the morning meal, I considered the game and my future in it.

  First, I needed to get everything about my situation straight in my head. What were my assets and advantages? What were my options?

  Losing my items was a real hit. It was one of the most depressing consequences of the curse. Once the transformation was complete, Arladen’s equipped items, as well as those in his inventory had just fallen off instead of transferring over to the new character.

  I sighed, lamenting my losses. To make up for them I spread even more quince jam on the piece of toast I was eating.

  First, it was no surprise I still had the bone dagger, since my goblin died with it in hand. While characters did resurrect under a Death Debuff, characters did not lose items when killed in the game. The Death Debuff was part of the reason why I was so debilitated when I first resurrected in the goblin cave, it was a temporary ‘curse’ that weakened and slowed characters after they respawned from dying. Incidentally, the effects and duration
of the Death Debuff become more severe as the character level goes up.

  Next advantage, I learned that I am able to regain the skill-set and spells I invented as Arladen. I sighed again. Maybe more quince jam was needed. I could still use magic, that had always been the base of my power. Even though I did not have the Prime for re-learned skills, the spells and magic skills still represented a significant advantage in-game. Despite the Physical bonus, goblins were among the weakest race in NEO, so having magic would level the playing field for me.

  Since it was clear my strong suit was my affinity for magic, I needed to concentrate on building my magic levels up as soon as possible. It would have been much easier if I had gotten the Prime badges for the spells I had re-learned. Even if I was unable to teach ‘monster only’ spells to other players, the +50% skill progression they granted would have been a significant boost to my growth rate.

  I had regained two of my old spells ‘Mana Manipulation’ and ‘Mana Arrow,’ but they were un-Primed. I was now certain that my theory of parallel skills for players, monsters and NPCs was correct. So if I wanted to use any Prime badges, I would have to come up with completely original spells, ones not already in use by other monsters. Not an easy task. NEO had been active for over three years, and the world had an already established deep history when it opened. That was plenty of time and opportunity for the monsters to thoroughly develop the use of magic.

  I decided that spell Primes were an objective that I had to table, at least for now. If I got a Prime, great, but I had to focus my efforts where I had the most opportunity for gain.

  Equipment was a whole other problem. I desperately needed some decent gear, but the closest of my treasure caches was too far to reach. And even if I had access to the cache, I couldn’t use the player only items, and there was no place I could buy or sell any of the contents.

  The extensive exploring and mapping I’d done over the years hadn’t been deleted after my ‘race-change operation’, so I knew the nearest city market was several weeks away, through dangerous, monster-infested territory.

  Goblins were fodder even for other monsters, so at my current power level, I’d probably die within an hour of leaving the safety of the goblin cave. Even if I could, somehow, reach civilization, I’d be identified as a wandering monster and killed on sight.

  It was a shame really. In any of the cities I could have bought some of the relatively inexpensive ‘monster only’ loot items sold in bulk at the markets. As a monster I would’ve been able to equip such items, while players could not. Usually crafters bought those items and disassembled them into crafting components to practice their skills on.

  Crafting was the only reliable way to acquire superior equipment in New Era Online.

  There were players that preferred honing and perfecting their Crafting skills to going on adventures and quests, proving the game’s mantra, that there was something for everyone in NEO.

  Crafting included a wide range of skills, professions and sub-professions. Master Crafters made most of the top-tier, specialized, high-quality and high-level items in NEO. Those items were costly, in high demand, and invaluable to players. It was for these reasons that the best Craft Masters were by far the top earners in NEO.

  Every player knew the general principles which applied to every Craft, but the details of each were different. Forging a sword and mixing a potion followed the same paradigm: Craft skills, Tools, Place, Plans, and Consumables.

  To make a sword the Crafter needed the Weaponsmith skill, have access to a working Smithy, and possess a schematic for the sword. The most important element though, were consumables. To make a sword a crafter required plenty of metal ingots, sword components, and fire, or the fuel for the fire.

  Successfully making an item depended on many, many variables, including luck. Just as intended by NEO and Guy.

  It seemed my best option to get some decent equipment would be to gather crafting materials and develop some crafting skills of my own. Even the basic items I’d be able to make would give me some advantage. Being the only player with a monster character meant I had to become self-sufficient. I had dabbled in crafting before, but didn’t invest much time in it. Developing my magic abilities offered far more advantages.

  It was almost noon when I finished eating, but I continued to sit, lingering over espresso, contemplating. The waitress didn’t mind, she knew she would be tipped well.

  I needed to grind, of course. I had to gain a lot of levels, fast. My enemies were now years ahead of me in terms of levels. But I had found an ace card, and it was in my sleeve. The 25% added to experience gain from the goblin racial bonus would speed my level progression by, well 25%.

  I finished my espresso and gestured the waitress for another cup. So I’ll try to invent some new spells, then learn how to craft some basic equipment for myself... then what?

  In NEO combat prowess is mostly determined by skill levels, but character levels do contribute to them significantly. In theory, a level 1 character with Sword skill at level 10 is superior to a level 10 character with no martial skills. For example, a level 1 Soldier would logically be deadlier in combat than a level 10 Farmer. Combat power varied, but it did not grow linearly with a character’s levels, so a level 100 player might be more powerful than a level 10 player by a factor of 50, not 10.

  I also had to take into consideration that my current location wasn’t safe. I had to have a strong base to fall back to while I trained and crafted. I had to stay with the Drippers clan a while longer. I had to turn it into a base of operations, and in order to do that, I needed to join their clan. Luckily, Bogan the chieftain already gave me a way to do that. I just had to complete his quest. Then I will be relatively safe, and free to pursue my own training.

  A sudden pang of fury caught me unaware and I banged my fist on the dining table with clenched teeth, startling a couple of elderly women who were eating nearby.

  I wouldn’t be in this mess, having to do pathetic noob quests if I’d kept my eyes open. God damn you Vatras! I fumed. I took slow steadying breaths, reining in my anger.

  No. I will turn this around to my advantage. Somehow, I will emerge from it, stronger than ever and I. will. make. Him. Pay.

  I calmed my raging thoughts, put down my espresso cup and munched on a cookie.

  As far as I knew, I was the first player to have any success at playing a monster character after being hit by the race change curse. I had no idea why that was. The lack of information of my new situation was a bit frustrating.

  Luckily, I knew just who to turn to, I brought up Tal Weisman’s contact details on my smartphone. Tal was a good friend of mine from university. We were both taking an Advanced Machine Learning class, and hit it off immediately. We became close friends, and study partners. In order to graduate, everyone had to submit a

  final graduation project, and ours received the highest marks in the class. After graduation I became a freelance algorithm expert, While Tal worked for a game company and eventually ended up working on NEO. He was promoted to lead designer a few years ago. We stayed in touch after university meeting for a few beers every once in a while. He never discussed his work with me though, the company had brutal NDA agreements, and he was very careful not to reveal anything that wasn’t publicly known. Given my current predicament, I hoped he might answer some of my questions.

  Maybe he even knows how to reverse the spell? I thought. Though I knew it was a long shot.

  Tal answered on the second ring.

  “Hi bro, long time no speak, how’ve you been?” He sounded cheerful.

  “Hi Tal, good to hear you. Well... to be honest, I’ve seen better days…”

  I never shared my life’s downsides with him, so his voice immediately got serious and business like “What happened? Anything I can do to help?”

  That’s Tal for you, a great guy to have a few beers with in the good times, and a dependable friend through the bad ones. “Well… have you ever heard of an epic spell scroll
‘race change’?” I asked, and proceeded to fill him in on the details of my fall from grace in NEO.

  “Oh man, please tell me you deleted your character right away.” His voice became alarmed.

  “No… “ I replied slowly. “I thought about it, but I couldn't just let all the Prime badges I’ve accumulated go. I’ll be damned if I let those bastards have them!”

  “Listen man,” His tone became deadly serious, “this is some heavy shit. You know I'm not supposed to reveal inside information, but this is a special situation…” He paused pensively, then continued. “Those scrolls are a mistake. They started off as a joke, a way for the devs to mess around with the test team. But no one foresaw the repercussions they would cause. Those scrolls became a nightmare for the devs. Simply put, players are not meant to be subjected to the same system that governs NPCs. Having a player act as one was like opening a Pandora's box of coding glitches, bugs and recursive loops that we just could not resolve. We learned early on how physically dangerous to players they could be.”

  What? Dangerous? In real life? How can anything in the game be dangerous?

  Tal continued, answering my unvoiced question. “The scroll soft-deletes the player’s old character, then initiates the character creation sequence mid-game. It assigns a random monster race to the player then completes the character creation. The user then finds himself playing a character that isn’t governed by player character rules, and that’s fertile ground for severe game bugs. And a buggy system that connects directly to your brain is not a good thing.“

  “How the hell do the scrolls still exist then? Why didn’t you just delete them?” I was outraged. It sounded like the devs had cut some corners, and now I was paying the price for their laziness.

  Tal chuckled, “If only it were that easy. it was never meant to be part of the game, just a trial test in the alpha. But it was forgotten and overlooked, then ended up in one of the updates, and was patched into the game servers. We’ve been trying to remove it ever since. We have no way to locate the scrolls that are already in circulation. We’ve executed more than a dozen overrides to almost every part of the game-engine logic.” He sighed. “We managed to prevent the generation of new scrolls, but by the time we did, some of them had already been generated and assigned to monsters as drops. Despite our best efforts, there are still a few bosses in NEO that carry the scrolls, ready to drop when the boss is defeated. I won’t go into too much detail, but Guy has complete autonomy over those parts of the game mechanics. When the higher-ups found out about this screw-up, we ran cost estimation for an all-out effort to fix the issue, it was deemed too expensive to implement. Instead, the company placed a bounty of one million gold on those scrolls. That’s right, the company is willing to pay $100,000 per scroll, just to keep them from being used in the game. That ought to give you an idea of how unwise it is to continue playing your goblin, bro. You gotta delete it!”