Olympus E-Book

Gus Chao

• Herausgeber: Books on Demand
• Kategorie: Gesellschafts- und Liebesromane
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 306

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2023

Beschreibung

We get to follow Fred on his journey in the metaverse of Olympus, where he is guided by Tina to fulfill the prophecy that was given to him by the game creators, and bring down Sergej who is the wicked leader of the enemy faction. Once Fred has learnt the basics of the game, we follow him as he is fighting cruel beasts, visiting the mages to gain wisdom in the Meme Tower, and travel across societies in his own faction, as well as the enemy's. All the while, we get to know more about the three characters in the real world, and their struggles in a world of apathy. Will Fred be able to realize his destiny, or will the game consume him ere he is reaching the wicked One?

Leseprobe

Table of Contents

FRED

TINA

FRED

TINA

FRED

SERGEJ

TINA

FRED

SERGEJ

TINA

FRED

TINA

SERGEJ

FRED

TINA

FRED

TINA

FRED

SERGEJ

FRED

SERGEJ

FRED

FRED

>> Welcome to Olympus! The real world, online! My name is Folly the Falu Red Fairy, and I will guide you through this simple tutorial to get you setup and ready to enter this enhanced digital experience. Your first task is to select a username. Please type in any available name using letters and/or numbers.

The pixelized fairy on the screen moved her lips continuously without speaking. Instead, each letter was printed next to her as they appeared one after the other out of her mouth. This was to be expected after buying the original game, unable to afford any expensive add-on purchases. So I typed in STRIKER, using my hand-held console, but a red text message appeared before my eyes.

>> Username already taken. Try something else.

The fairy waved her star shaped wand and I noticed how fairy-dust in all of the rainbow's colors came out from the tip of it, without having any noticeable effect whatsoever. Distressed by the fact that the name I wanted had already been taken by some foe, I tried to game the system by typing it anew using only lower-case letters. Unfortunately, my cunning plan was unsuccessful and the witch on my monitor just laughed again as she waved her wand to have even more dust rain down on us.

>> Username already taken. Try something else.

I was starting to feel tilted, and I had only just opened the game up. Mad with fury, I tried typing STRIKKER, and this time I was given that name without any fuss and moved on to the next step in the set-up process.

>> Well done! Well done! However, ere I can let you enter this magical world and have you meet your fellow Olympians, you have to decide which side you which to fight for in your quest to attain glory, and decide your character's race.

All that the Folly had to do was whip her wand twice and two buttons appeared in front of me. One was orange with the words "The Apollodorus" written on top of it. The other was purple and printed the words "The Kora". I was fairly indecisive in my choice, but I had heard from my fellows that had introduced me to the game that the orange faction was for the kind, wise, and pragmatic, whereas the purple faction was for the ambitious, cunning, and treacherous. Some considered one to represent Good and the other to represent Evil, although no game publisher had intended for such an interpretation when first creating Olympus. After some brief back-and-forth discussion taking place only inside my own mind, I decided to go for "The Apollodorus" and clicked the orange button.

Once I had done so, I was presented with three new buttons with small pixelized icons above them. 'Twas time for me to decide my character's race. As a fellow Apollodorian, my character had the option of becoming a witch or wizard, an animal, an aelf, or a human. Some choices were overlapping and independent of factions, but some were not. I had already beforehand made up my mind on what to play as, after hearing stories from others playing the game. My character was to be an aelf. After pressing that button, Folly the Falu Red Fairy appeared on my screen again.

>> Great choice! Now, let's move on to customizing your appearance.

Before my eyes a pixelized aelf showed himself.

>> First decide on your skin-color. Your options are dandelion, jade, lilac, or teal. Feel free to try them different colors out, but be sure you have selected your desired skin ere locking in your final decision. You will never be able to change it.

I played around with the different colors, not entirely sure of what looked best on my character. In the end, I went for my favorite color.

>> Excellent! You are now a proud aelf of the Diamond Islands and will start the game in zone 43. As a final step, you now have the opportunity to change the length of your ears, the shaping of your nose, and the bending of your back. Again, remember that you have no choice of re-shaping your character once your choices has been locked in, so choose wisely.

The fairy disappeared and left me in solitude with my character. I tweaked it a bit, in shaping the aelf to become just how I pictured him in my head. Was the stomach too flat? Should the eyes be of this or that color? How many toes should occupy each foot? Finally, after what had felt like an eternity, I felt content with my choices and locked in my character. He was perfect.

>> OMG! How stunning is this stud here? If only I wasn't married, I'd ask for your number. I'm only teasing you! so don't break a sweat dear. I wouldn't betray my blood that easily. Very well! You are ready to start your adventure. Make sure you have read and understood all the rules before you have loaded in and start exploring Olympus. From now on you won't be needing that controller of yours, so make sure to unplug it, and go ahead and stash it away. Good bye, STRIKKER! and good fortune!

Folly whipped her wand a couple times back and forth and vanished in an explosion of fairy dust. Darkness then fell upon my captive eyes and a spinning wheel were hypnotizing me.

>> Loading... Loading...

TINA

You stand with your human feet on hard rock. With a steel dagger in hand and two spare tucked away on your back, you listen carefully to the wind howling in your diamond decked ears. Not a sound, except for the stomping hooves from a couple hundred yards away that you can feel through your legs. The green ash woods, speckled by golden light from the setting sun, provide cover for the animals that are hiding somewhere deep inside the forest. Today you haven't had a visual of the animals yet, but on your retina you see a giant bullock with a couple of calves. You have protected these woods in zones forty-to-fifty for long enough to truly understand the life within by heart. Veal was one of the rarest forms of meat in this world, and you could only find it if you knew where to look. Heavy poaching and dark raiders from the zones to the north had led to skyrocketing prices and you were now the only wildlife protector left in these parts. The odds are wagered heavily against you, but still you must do your best to protect the herd.

The wind caught your silver hair, so rare in humans of this world, and pushes you forward. Step by step. Steadily, you increase the pace and find yourself in a rush. Bird-mutations fly above your head, and for a moment you consider shooting one down to sell on Saturday's fair. However, the time won't allow you to do so. Right now, your number one priority is to locate the animals that have went astray and usher them back to their herd.

Suddenly, you hit a sharp cliff and you struggle not to fall down into the infinitely deep canyon with its black abyss, but you manage to pull yourself back on safe soil. You open up your map in the Hub and search for an alternative route forward. If you head west you will find a way that will grant you passage, but its heavy terrain will slow you down by quite a bit. This will cost you valuable time. Time that you do not possess, for the oxen are faster than you are. Unfortunately, you do not have a choice, but have to put your trust in your stamina which is one of the highest in the entire game. Although you are only level 14 still, you have almost reached the cap stamina of one-hundred-and-twenty-eight.

After running for twenty minutes straight, you cross over the borders to enter zone 43. You have made it past the steep fall of the cliff and can pursue your approach to find the poor beasts ere it's too late. Not long thereafter after you meet ruins of old. Cautiously you enter, because you have heard tales of ghosts and monsters ruling this ancient castle. However, after the slight detour you cannot afford to waste more time looking for an alternative way forward. Time is precious. A torch hangs onto the walls of stone and you pick it up and light it ablaze. The halls you go by reveal few secrets, but will not strike fear into your lion heart. No longer are you running, and you hold a firm grip around the sheath to your daggers. You push forward without glancing backwards. At any point in time, something might jump on you, and you can only wish that it is worldly so that you can fight back.

You encounter glowing mushrooms and illuminating spider webs, but nothing attempting to block your path forward. Therefore, you pass the desolate ruins with a heavy breath. The air is thin, but you escape in one piece. Once clear, you get sight of the oxen. They are three, one large and two calves. Exactly to your expectation. Then no one has reached them ere you. They are out of bounds, and to reach them you must swim across the Pond of Despair. In your occupation, you have done so many times ere, but you always feel a shill running along your spine when taking your first strokes in its black waters. Neverere have it been proven to have malicious intentions towards you, and that held true also this time as you cross it without any complications.

Finally, you reach the animals you were sent out looking for and can begin your journey to bring them back to their herd. It will take some time because these are not the gentlest of animals in this world, but just after nightfall you will be able to return to your room at the inn in which you are staying and enjoy a long rest ere your next mission starts tomorrow.

FRED

I spawned in a strange pixelized place with an environment that reminded me of home. The dirt road under my feet mirrored the very roads I walked many times back and forth to my Texan school as a child. Although 'twas redder and more densely packed together. It took me a second to realize that maybe 'twasn't Texas it reminded me of, but the roads of Rhodesia. Of course, 'twas a long time since I sat foot in that country, and the struggle I had to endure during my long visit tore my memory apart. Just like it did my legs.

As I looked around me, I noticed that I stood right out in the open, with bright green whiskers shooting up towards the sky all around the dirt road. Every straw shone so brightly that my ears started to bleed. The path held two directions. Either I continued forward, in the direction of my nose. In that case I would eventually come up on a small village, for I noticed some wooden huts some hundred yards ahead. Or I could turn around and go for the direction of my pointy ears. Then 'twas all a mystery, for I couldn't see much because of the tall trees blocking my vision. Perhaps 'twas a safer choice to head towards the city. I had to find someone who could answer all of the questions that filled my small aelven head.

The screen started to blink in an alarming reddish color. In my admiration of the scene in front of me I had forgotten that I had to breathe. I inhaled a nip of the fresh blue air and felt a calm breeze sweep about me as it reached my lungs. This world was insane. Completely nuts! Why on Earth would anyone ever want to leave such a place of wonder for the gray everyday life? The blinking red diluted and finally disappeared from my screen. I thought to mysaelf that this was nothing like the games I had played in my past. The realistic features. The attention to detail. 'Twas something out of the ordinary.

As I took my first step towards the village I was reassured that it felt nothing like walking on the roads of my childhood. 'Twas like walking on concrete. Yet I felt blessed and tears were streaming down my cheeks. I was able to walk again. After all this time.

After struggling to figure out how to properly control my character, I sat my eyes on the village and never looked away until I reached the first wooden hut. 'Twas exhausting but I expected nothing short of it. If this ether truly offered as great of an experience as I had been told, it would require my full brain power not to get a power outage and damage my spirit.

The sky above was covered by white cloud-like smoke pixels from fires that lit up the pathway and blended with the occasional branches of birch leaves hanging down from the single trees sporadically sprouting up from the underworld. A strange smell greeted my nose, and as I took a deep breath and filled my lungs to the brim, I recognised smoked salmon, salted pork, and caramelized apples. The sound of burning wood and the whistling of the wind combined into a symphony in my ears and relieved me from all physical pain.

I continued forward in a slow pace. Made absolutely sure to enjoy every moment. Looked at every tiny detail of the huts. Every nook. Every cranny. How the building blocks were stripped naked to the roots. I looked at the few aelves working the stoves in the gardens. Their movements. Their behavior. Some of them stared at me with their eyebrows down, but I didn't blame them, for I was an outsider and a newcomer. I had been fighting in so many places of the Earth that I was used to the reservation towards strangers among commoners.

Eventually, I reached the center of this small village. Or so I thought to mysaelf. Wood had been exchanged for bricks. Light gray bricks crafting more robust settlements. The dirt road was now covered by pebble stones that made my feet call for a rest with every step forward as I had walked all this way bare-footed. Yet I didn't recognize the pain because I was amazed by the experience. Aelves, men, and strange creatures walked in my surroundings, untroubled by my existence. May be they were not even aware of me whatsoever. Who knew what filled the skulls of others?

One fellow attracted my attention. I had never seen anything like him in my entire life, and I had experienced some conspicuous individuals tormented by the flames of war. His body was that of a human, only his chest was purple and covered with thick fur, with not much of any cloth to speak of, allowing me to study his genitals swinging from one side to the other as he strutted with a false sense of pride. Right, left. Right, left. The sheer size of that thing made me sweat as 'twas nearly twice the size of me! Right, left. Right, left. Then they suddenly stopped. That creature had noticed how I stared at him and turned towards me with a head resembling that of the wild boars I hunted whilst stationed in the deep and treacherous jungles of Siam. The proportion of that giant head with the two wicked eyes looking into mine was nauseating and the constant swinging of his balls right-to-left made me feel disgusted when he approached me. I felt sick. Yet, I did my best not to throw up. That would have been inappropriate and probably anger the foul creature to an even greater extent than did my staring.

Great white tusks decorated his head and as he came closer I heard a low and stubby grunt from his snout. Right, left. Right, left. On and on they just kept swinging, hitting his thighs with a clonk every time they changed direction. Behind them I caught a glimpse of a band of feral dogs chasing a swift shadow. The barking was deafening and for a moment I was relieved from the attention I paid to those two huge pixel cubes.

Once he was close enough I could smell his last meal on his breath, he stood towering over me in an aggressive stance and made my legs shiver. I realized how I shrunk for every second that passed and had my eyes right in the line of sight of his great big balls, each one of them the size of my little aelven head. He grunted something about me "never seeing a warhog ere" and "keep my eyes on my own business", but in my condition I couldn't pay attention to his unfamiliar eastern accent. All of my power was out. So, instead, I fainted and fell to the ground, stuck with a picture in my mind of the swinging of large furry balls clinking and clonking from the right thigh to the left. A stream of red goo came out of my temple. Two hooves walking away from me and out of my sight. Then everything turned pitch black.

TINA

Once the sun is up, you have already eaten a full breakfast of eggs and ham and is ready to start your day. You had no pings of alerts during your time away, which is a good sign. That meant your animal population had not declined during the night and that the count should be the same as when you left them in the forests yesterday. After you had a change of clothes you exit through the front door of the inn and hit the streets. The city is full of life this day. Something you couldn't take for granted as the darkness was spreading at a rapid pace and new cities fell under the Kora rule with each and every passing night.

Something in the distant catches the attention of your eye. Something small laying on the rock-hard ground. It's an aelf! and he's bleeding! You run towards him as fast as your stats allows you, and pull up his head from the ground. It's nothing severe, but you patch him up just in case. Infections are mean bastards in this region. Fortunately, though, the aelf is not dead, which was your greatest fear after you had received word that the Kora has started killing innocent noobs to wreak havoc. Sending peacekeepers to create turmoil, players as foul as foul goes. Creating characters with the sole intention to spread the Kora's dark empire to the edge of the board.

Suddenly the aelf shows signs of life. His eyes are opening and connects with yours.

- What on Ether were you thinking? you squeal in a Louisville accent.

- Sorry, I wasn't really. I'm new to this place. Today is my first time playing, Strikker said.

- Oh well. Then I can be your guide if you'll have me, you say while helping Strikker to his feet.

- My guide?

- Yes. Someone who introduces noobs like yoursaelf to the game. You know, tells you how the mechanics works and explains how you can find purpose...

- I know what a guide is. I just... I just thought you were another player.

- Why can I not be both?

- So, you are real?

The aelf boy touches his sore skull and recognize the patch that is blocking parts of his vision. While moving further down his face towards his lips, he also feels a swelling, and a touch of dried blood that has seeped out from his mouth, probably from a wound he endured when biting his own tongue.

- As real as you are, you answer.

- Fascinating. But then what incentives do you have to help a... Wait a minute, what did you call me?

- A noob. A fresh. A beginner. Pick the word of your liking.

- Oh.

- Don't you worry. I was as lost as you are now when I first entered this grand world. And might I be so bold as to say that I was even more fascinated. Back then Olympus had a different color. Since then it has turned darker, with more land being painted black every minute by the Dark Side.

- The Dark Side?

- No matter. That is for another time, you say and wipe of Strikker's confusion from his face.

- All right. But then why would you help me?

- I would lie if I said it was purely because of my good nature, but I do enjoy a bit of fresh blood in my neighborhood. As you already know by now this is a decentralized game. So, except for that part that you experienced just ere you set foot here, when you created your character, it's all built on a separate layer with no involvement from the Game Masters. Or the Old Gods as we call them. They created a system that allowed this game to run for eternity without any involvement from their side.

- But that doesn't answer my question whatsoever, Strikker complained.

- True. Then again, you didn't ask me the important question.

- What question?

- How the system they created works.

- So, how does it work?

- It's complicated.

- Well, why don't you tell me about it? I've got plenty time.

- All right, kiddo. But it'll take time. And you have to accept my request of becoming your guide.

- How so?

- Because only then the game will reward me with gold for introducing a new player to the game.

- I see. So, this is kinda your job? The way in which you receives a salary to pay for goods in this world?

- Yes, and no. I am no teacher, but anyone can become a guide. Like much else in this world, you can view it as a mission. A mission that rewards you with commodities and treasures if you are successful, and punishes you if unsuccessful.

- Hmpf. So then what are you? if you are no teacher.

- I am a human. Unlike you in terms of appearance, yet we are both representing the same side in the Great War.

- The Apollodorus? Strikker asked with a tone of confidence.

- That's right.

- But how do you know that I chose that side?

- Ere I answer that you have to accept my request of becoming your guide. I'll send it now. Are you left-handed or right-handed?

- Left handed.

- Interesting. That's rare. Very well. Then you just have to press down firmly with your left thumb on your console and it will take you to your Hub.

- But I don't play on console. I have my VR-glasses and that's it. Folly told me...

- Calm down, kiddo. I know, it's the same for everyone. Your hand is your console. Simply press down your thumb on your left index finger. Got it?

The forehead of the aelf was now drowning in sweat and you noticed how his legs began to tremble, which was entirely normal for someone new and somewhat uncomfortable with the system of this world.

- Holy cow. It all turned black. And what's all of this? he asked.

- I'll tell you, but first you have to accept my request. Take a look at the top right of the page.

- Right.

- There you see a mission and request title.

- Right.

- Under it you should see a request from me. The requests are all sorted by username. Since you are new, you probably don't have to many to sort through. Can you find it?

- Your Rogue?

- Correct.

- Then I've found it. How do you accept?

- Use your mind, kiddo.

- Use my mind? All right, he said and dropped his eyebrows an inch lower.

- There you go. You're a natural. And I am your guide. You can exit your Hub now. Same way you entered it.

- Okay. But what does it mean?

- What does it mean, what?

- What does it mean that you're my guide?

- It means that I will develop your skills in the game. I will teach you valuable lessons. I will answer your questions. Do you have any now btw?

- Yeah, a bunch.

- Start with the most pressing ones.

- All right. For how long will you guide me?

- Until you're ready.

- And when will I be ready?

- When you found your purpose, understand your purpose, and have the determination and skill to pursue your purpose.

- Sounds heavy. So, what's your purpose?

- I'll tell you. When you are ready to hear it.

- All right. Keep your secrets. Now, tell me about how you knew I was Apollodorus.

A couple of birds flew over your heads, heading north, but they were not Kora mutants and so they wouldn't be troubling you.

- You're glowing in orange when I focus my vision on your character. If you were to be a member of The Kora, you'd be glowing in purple. Try it on me. Can you see it?

- Wicked! and I suppose that's also why your name above your head is in orange? he asked excitedly.

- That's right. But there's an easier way to figure it out.

- How?

- Remember how you had different species and races to pick from when constructing your appearance?

- Yeah. What about it?

- Folly the Falu Red Fairy`must have told you that some character types are specific to some faction?

- Right. She did.

- Well, you chose to be an aelf of the Diamond Islands. They are by construct belonging to the Apollodorus.

- I see. So, I guess you belong to your chosen faction for eternity?

- Why, are you thinking of switching? you ask with a slightly intimidating voice.

- No, I was just... I was just curious.

- Relax, kiddo. That is a tricky question to answer since we cannot know for sure if it's possible to switch faction. It has never happened ere in our history, but only the Old Gods would know if it is possible or not.

- All right.

- Are you ready for your first lesson?

With your first smile entering your face since your encounter with the aelf you mirror the sun and shine a light on your gray surroundings.

- Not quite yet. I have a final question to ask, if it's fine by you?

- Shoot.

- Who are you?

- That's right! I haven't introduced myself. As you have already figured out, I am Rogue, but what you don't know is that I am a human protector of the Old Forests and Magical Creatures. Most men call me ranger.

- A ranger? What's that, more precisely?

- I protect vulnerable animals and habitats from destruction. The Dark Side constantly tries to attack our source of food and living space, pushing their borders forward and laying dark waste to our green lands. My job is to protect our forests from such attempts and safeguard the animals from poachers.

- We have poachers?

- Well, we call them that. They are glitches, forces of the Kora jumping around the game and causing some real headaches. You'll experience it soon enough. I can easily track them down, though, but the issue is that they multiply as the Dark Side forces grow stronger. And I'm the only one on this mission. You can say I'm the guardian of the state of nature, protecting it from the destructive forces of civilization.

- So, that's your purpose?

- No, not really. It's something I do to make a living. It's a choice I've made myself. My purpose is much grander than that, you say with a laugh.

- Sounds intense.

- It is. But enough of that now. We have plenty time to speak of such matters at a later date. Now we have to turn to more pressing affairs. First lesson. Have you read the handbook including the rules of the game?

- Yes.

- No. You lie. The first lesson is that you never lie to me again. Fair? you say in an angry and disappointed tone.

You noticed a brown blush on the aelfs cheeks as he quickly turned his face away from yours, instead facing the busy city life.

- Fair. I'm sorry.

- No worries. No one reads the rule book. It's too thick and dull. I was taught the most important laws of this world by my guide.

- Who was he?

- A grand individual. Solid straight through. A unicorn as pure of heart as any. The last of his breed. He was killed some months ago, by a black bear. As you will learn, there are animals on both sides. The trick is to be able to identify the good ones from the bad.

- I'm sorry.

- Don't be. Anyways, there are only two laws that you have to respect. First, do not kill anyone without reason. In this world, you have the ability to make whatever choices you want. For instance, instead of helping you, I could've killed you. Why didn't I do it? Well, not only because I try to live up to the teachings of my guide, but also because of the bounty-warrant system that the Old Gods put in place.

- What's that?

- It's a system that limits players from destroying the gaming experience of others. If you commit a crime you will have a bounty on your head. It's a bounty that builds up for every criminal act you commit and depends on the gravity of your actions. You will learn that not long after you have a juicy bounty on your head, there will be bounty-hunters coming after you, and they will chase you to the ends of this world.

- But how can I know if I commit a criminal act? the aelf asked and was in deep ponder with his fingers on his temple.

- Use your common sense, kiddo. It's like a combination of the Ten Commandments and the Code of Hammurabi. Don't kill. Don't steal. Don't do stupid shit, okay?

- All right, but what happens if I do? If the bounty-hunters kills me? what happens then?

- Well, first of all, the bounty-hunters won't kill you unless you yoursaelf have committed the ultimate crime of killing another character in cold blood, particularly if the victim is a noob below the level of 6. Instead, they will turn you in and put you in prison where you will answer for your crimes.

- But what happens to you? if you die, I mean.

- Well, what happens outside this game if you die?

- So you say that the game is over? There is no way back in?

- Yes, and no. Your character will die, but there is nothing stopping you from creating a new character and start from scratch. Actually, some characters commit suicide. Then you can change things about you character that disturbs you. Change faction, you know, or whatever.

- But I will have to go through these stages of the game again.

- Not necessarily. You won't need a guide since you already know everything that there is to know. However, you will be weaker, and for some it's difficult to return to a level of the game where you are short of the powers you used to control. Only true grinders will succeed.

- All right. I think I've got it. But if the bounty-hunters kills me, won't they have a bounty on their heads?

- No, you see, it is not the action of killing that is prohibited. People kill all the time. So do I when I protect my animals from poachers. It's killing without purpose that is outlawed. Do you get it, kiddo?

- I think so. Most of it at least. But how are the bounty-hunters notified about the warrants?

- Your every action is recorded, kiddo. It all shows up on a ledger. These bounty-hunters scroll and keep track of everything, and once they notice something out of the ordinary they react and track you down.

The birds returned from the north and was now hovering over the city.

- Okay, I think I understand. So, what's the second rule? the aelf ask.

- The second rule is that you can only play for four hours straight without a break. You will notice that this world is heavily addictive and you will find it difficult to quit the game and return to the outside world. But your body needs to recover from the intense play. Your body needs water. Your body needs food. Your body needs sleep. When you drink, or eat, or sleep in the game, your mind will feel full and energetic, but it's only a trick. Your body gets none of that. That's why the game will shut you out for an hour if you have played for four hours, so it's important to schedule your power-offs so that you are not in a vulnerable state when leaving the game. Got it?

- Yes.

- We will practice that second rule later on, but now it's time for your second lesson. Core game mechanics. Let's bring up the Hub again.

- All right, Strikker said and turned his full attention to the task at hand.

- As we have already started talking about the mission and request set up, we may start talking about that briefly ere moving on to the other parts of the Hub. As you can see, you have a tab with ongoing missions that for now only should contain a mission of reaching level 6 and reach adulthood since you are a new player. You see it?

- Yeah, I see it.

- Good. Beside it you will see a tab indicating if anyone you've met have any requests from you. That tab should be empty by now.

- 'Tis.

- Great. And finally, you have a tab suggesting missions to you based on your level and statistics with a probability of success estimation besides them.

- So, I can decide mysaelf which missions to go for? Strikker asked excitingly.

- You can. But missions are cruel by nature, and I would advice you not to attempt any mission that estimates a low probability of success. The consequences may be fatal.

- Got it. What would you say is a low probability of success?

- Depends on the mission. If it is a dangerous mission I would not go about it unless I have a PoS of at least fifty percent. Then again, the more dangerous the mission is, the higher is the reward, so it all depends on your risk tolerance I guess.

- Right.

- Now, if we move to the bottom left of the screen... you say but are interrupted by Strikker's excitement.

- Why can I still see my surroundings in my periphery? he asked and turned his head around and observed characters walking by.

- I mean, it's critical for you to see if anyone attacks you, or if you are running up on a ledge or anything whilst looking at the map or at your stats. But, be patient, kiddo. I promise that we will cover everything if you only give me time.

- Sorry, Rogue.

- Don't worry. It's only good that you have questions. Okay, so if you look at the bot left of your Hub, you will see your inventory. Again you have two tabs. One is your backpack, showing you the stuff you have available athm. Since you are a level 1 noob, you only have five apples, a flask full of water, and an axe since you are an aelf. Let's try to interact with it, shall we?

- How?

- Simply grab it by the hand you feel more comfortable with. Since you are a leftie, I would suggest your left hand. Simply grip it and envision that it is in your hand.

- I can't, he said with a face screaming of distress and effort.

- Focus, kiddo. Focus!

Suddenly the axe appeared in Strikker's left hand.

- Well done. Well done, kiddo! That's the spirit.

- 'Tis rough. You really have to focus hard.

- I know, but it'll get easier. Trust me. By the time you reach level 6, it won't require any attention. You will be able to use your inventory effortlessly.

- That's nice to hear. What about the other tab?

- It's your storage. There you can keep more stuff, but you cannot interact with it unless you go to specific storage facilities. Oh, and by the way, you only have eight slots in your backpack so the storage is a great way to store weapons or food that you won't need immediately. In my storage I also keep my right of ownership of certain plots of land that are mine and it's all connected to the blockchain we're on so you don't have to worry about anything. Everything is recorded on a ledger and you will find every item in your storage in your connected wallet.

- That's neat. So, I can keep it even if I die?

- Unfortunately not. It's not that simple. The items are still connected to your wallet, but in this case you should view your character as the key phrase to grant access to that part of your inventory.

- So, if I die 'tis all lost.

- Basically, yeah, you reply without having any better way to put it yourself.

- All right, and I have to go to a storage facility to access it, you say? Where can I find these locations?