MMORPG: The Almighty Ring Chapter 2 - The First Login
Previously on MMORPG: The Almighty Ring...
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
“If the waking world has denied me this paradise, I’m going to take whatever neverland offers!”
With his mood instantly boosted by embracing that carefree “forget everything and dive in” mindset, he proceeded to craft his initial game character following the assistant’s directions.
“Please select your race!” The lively young girl exclaimed.
A crisp chime echoed around him, summoning the male avatars of four races right before his gaze: Elf, Orc, Human, and Spectre.
As Jiang Fei focused on the male Elf, a tooltip appeared with this info:
The Elves. A peace-loving folk endowed with robust, nimble physiques. They hold innate mastery over magic manipulation.
Strength growth: B
Health growth: C
Agility growth: A
Intelligence growth: A
Spirit growth: B
Initial Attribute Bonus Points: Agility +1 Intelligence +1
Race Perk: Child of the Forest. Receives a 10% boost to all Attribute Points when in Forest Terrain.
After scanning the details, Jiang Fei nodded and checked out the other three options.
The Orcs. Renowned for their fearless courage and overwhelming might. Warriors who prize raw power most highly, boasting far thicker muscles and tremendous strength. In trade for such brawn, they lack any knack for magic.
Strength growth: A
Health growth: A
Agility growth: B
Intelligence growth: C
Spirit growth: B
Initial Attribute Bonus Points: Strength +1 Health +2
Race Perk: Berserk. Boosts Attack Power by 50% right away while cutting Defense by 50%. Endures for 10 seconds. Cooldown: 10 minutes.
Humans. Versatile all-rounders. A solitary people chasing wisdom, yet oddly ignorant of outsiders. They begin ordinarily, yet their development knows no bounds.
Strength growth: B
Health growth: B
Agility growth: B
Intelligence growth: B
Spirit growth: A
Initial Attribute Bonus Points: Health +1 Spirit +2
Race Perk: Evolution. Humans can transform into another race via a secret quest. Hunt down and finish the hidden quest to shift races. (Note: 36 Race Progenitors exist. Just one player per quest, one quest per Progenitor. Think it through carefully.)
The Unyielding One: Finishing an Evolution Quest bestows the blessing of The Unyielding One, adding 5% extra Experience Points (EXP) from kills, quests, and skill training.
The Spectre. The undead. The living dead. Freed from the Spectre Emperor’s grip, they exist by their own volition. Clinging to this eerie life through pure determination, they crave only to prolong their stay.
Strength growth: A
Health growth: B
Agility growth: B
Intelligence growth: A
Spirit growth: C
Initial Attribute Bonus Points: Strength +2 Intelligence +1
Race Perk: Spectre’s Will. Clears Spirit-based Magic effects and grants Immunity for 5 seconds. Cooldown: 10 minutes.
“I’m in a dream; this can’t be real. Might as well reach for the stars! Let’s go! For humankind!”
In a genuine gaming pod, Jiang Fei would have picked Elf without doubt. He wasn’t some pro gamer backed by big firms footing the bill to grind for him. No chance he’d pour in pro-level grind to vie with elites for those elusive Hidden Evolution quests. But this was a dream! Why play it safe and ordinary here? Holding back in dreams screams trouble!
“Selection confirmed! Human race selected! Please wait...”
“Please adjust your character appearance! Please adjust the appearance grade and intensity. You may also manually adjust your appearance! Be advised; all features may only be tweaked by a maximum of 20%!”
Now came the character customization screen, a staple in countless online games. Guys usually hit randomize, but gals would spend ages maxing out every tweak allowed—within limits, that is.
“Improve all tabs by 10%!” Jiang Fei declared instantly. Dreams don’t last forever, and he might not get another shot. No way he’d squander time here. Waking up mid-creation? Total bust.
“Character creation in process... Please wait!”
“Please enter your name!”
A “Name” input field popped up, alongside a figure resembling Jiang Fei—face subtly refined, height matching his real self.
“Verdure Glider!”
Jiang Fei was totally trolling around. In other games, he would never pick such a lame name for himself. However... this was a dream! Why waste brain cells inventing a cool one?!
“Character creation complete. You will now be sent to NO2015 Beginner’s Village!”
A booming chime rang out as dazzling light flashed once more. The glow swallowed Jiang Fei and his newly crafted character. Moments later, Jiang Fei snapped to and noticed his environment had shifted entirely.
“HARGH! TAKE THIS!”
A voice thundered from the far plains, its owner clashing weapons fiercely with a hidden enemy.
“Top of the morning to you sir, how may I be of assistance?”
The shopkeeper shouted to every player striding past his store.
Jiang Fei caught just those few sounds amid the bustle. A wide grin spread across his face, excitement surging within.
“Not bad! Not bad at all! Such a realistic dream.”
“What are you talking about? Shengshi has spent years developing this game! How could it not be real! It’s the pride of the game!”
A player right beside Jiang Fei snorted dismissively.
“Hmm? How—Could I be—How is interaction possible in a dream?”
Unease gripped Jiang Fei. Something felt terribly wrong. The landscapes, the crowds, the conversations, the atmosphere... everything was insanely lifelike!
“I’ll try pinching myself!”
Jiang Fei seized his right leg and squeezed it—hard!
“Eh?!”
Sharp pain exploded through his body. The kind of agony that dreams never produced, or if they did, it would shock awake even the deepest sleepers!
“What’s going on?! This hurts way too much!”
Jiang Fei gasped sharply.
“What on earth is going on?! Is this real?! Am I really in the game?”
Jiang Fei’s mind jolted awake, shaking off the confusion. He recalled the game’s ads from before. They mentioned adjusting sensory levels from 20% all the way to 0%. Going extreme at 0% meant sacrificing tons of the full experience, so most girls chose that option.
“Oh my god! I AM in the game!”
In that instant, Jiang Fei was over the moon. He’d completely overlooked the mysterious ring still gleaming on his finger.
“Eh? How are you with me?” Jiang Fei blurted out, his gaze finally locking onto its shine. Real-life items rarely entered the game alongside players. However... if the ring dragged him inside, it totally belonged here!
As he stroked the ring, an inventory window popped up abruptly, startling Jiang Fei a bit. A massive 36-slot storage!
“Hohoho... This is a blessing!”
Jiang Fei grinned broadly. As a battle-hardened gamer veteran, he knew exactly how huge an edge a big inventory gave, especially during the early game!
“I’m not going to put too much thought into this. It’s here, it’s doing something, so I’ll use it!”
With gaming consuming his every thought, Jiang Fei dove headfirst into the world. The ring? Who cared about that now!