Chaos Online VR

Chapter 1: Prologue

A dark-skinned man looked out the window of his room while he relaxed on his bed.

'Another day in paradise.' he thought happily, as the sun warmed his face through his bedside window.

His room was unusually clean for a man his age. A twenty-three-year-old would at least have a shirt on the floor or a can of soda nearby. On the other hand, Brandon wasn't your typical twenty-three-year-old. Since the moment he was born, he had been blessed. Ushered into the world as the product of two Olympic gold medalists.

In the beginning, Brandon had been raised as a relatively normal youth. He had loving parents, multiple friends, and several admirers at school. He'd even managed to get himself a sweetheart that he would often spend time with.

Unfortunately, on his thirteenth birthday, the life that Brandon had grown accustomed to came to a crashing halt. It was the day when his rigorous training, which would sculpt his body for a future of Olympic gold and glory, began. Hours of free time and leisure was replaced by strict schedules and uncompromising micro-management. The loving parents he thought he knew had turned out to be undercover Spartans, and their mission was to turn their son into the ultimate physical specimen.

He would never forget the first day his friends were turned away at the door.

*FLASHBACK*

“Why can't I play with my friends?” he asked. His mother had closed the door before he could even get a chance to see them.

“It's a significant time for your body right now, Brandon. You'll have all the time in the world for friends...” she said with an apologetic look in her eyes. They were the same eyes that had seen the view from the top. The same eyes that had witnessed countless athletes break at crucial moments. She knew the price of gold, and she knew the advantages of an early start. Above all else, she was determined to open a path for her son. Not even his cries would sway her. Resistance was futile.

*FLASHBACK END*

It took him only a few days to realize the severity of the situation, and when his mother wouldn’t listen, there was just one path to salvation.

*FLASHBACK*

“Dad, can I go outside?” Brandon asked innocently, hoping his father was too distracted by watching TV.

“Oh? You want to do a couple more laps around the block?” his father replied with a hint of surprise. Though his eyes were still glued to the screen.

“I just want to see one of my friends…”

“Is this friend a girl?”

“Well...yeah” Brandon replied somewhat bashfully. Yet, that was only on the surface. Inside, his heart was pounding.

’A chance!?’ he thought. This was his last gamble. All he could depend on for even a glimpse of freedom was the special bond between the desperate son and the loving father.

It was with a heavy, remorseful sigh that his father finally turned to him and said, “My son, when we're through with you, babes will be lined up around the block trying to get a look at you. Just you wait, I know things are tough right now. Trust me, I've been there. But for now, the girls can wait. If you have time to go see a girl, you have time to hit the gym or those books.”

*FLASHBACK END*

When not even his soft-hearted father had given in, Brandon knew he was in for trouble.

His friends that were turned away at the door soon disappeared altogether. As if that wasn't enough, his sweetheart had moved away shortly after his birthday. In under a week, his world had been changed completely.

School became a different place. The friends that had given up on him were ignored. While the admirers, who had been smitten by Brandon's charisma and charm, couldn't find the boy they knew in the face of the cold adolescent. Apparently, all work and no play made Brandon a miserable boy.

In those days, he would curse his parents, only to regret his words as soon as they left his lips. He loved them too much to mean it, yet the hate for their actions pulled his emotions into a vicious cycle. As time passed, he would often find himself more confused than anything else.

That turbulent time lasted for four long years. By the end of it, Brandon was starting his senior year. Thankfully, his training had gotten to the point where he only trained to maintain his peak physical condition.

Finally able to enjoy life, his sunny disposition returned in force. Standing at six foot one and a hundred and eighty-five pounds(1.85m and 83kg), the handsome and charismatic youth was hard to ignore. The quiet guy that sat in front of the class had started to open up. He made new friends and reconciled with those he had overlooked. His admirers couldn’t resist for long, finding every opportunity to flirt, but only after a fateful encounter did Brandon get a girlfriend. Despite all these distractions, none of his grades had ever fallen below a 'B'. He was the definition of a student-athlete.

It was around spring that year that Brandon had taken an interest in football. On the day of Varsity tryouts, he came to realize that all the training he had done had been in preparation for that day.

There was no position he couldn't play on that field. He could block, throw, run, and catch. Whatever his mind commanded, his body obeyed. The coaches had argued over where to put him all pre-season long. In the end, they started him as the quarterback.

Suddenly, a team that no one had cared about became a force to be reckoned with. Game after game, Brandon led his team to victory, and as the wins piled up, so did the attention.

On the day of the state championships, scouts from all across the country had their eyes on one player. Not that it mattered to him. Brandon had a focus that couldn’t be shaken. On that field, the only people he saw were his teammates. On that day, nothing else mattered.

*FLASHBACK*

The last play. The Norfolk Warriors were six points down with ten seconds left on the clock. Brandon looked at his friends as they huddled for the last time.

His hands were shaking, not from nerves, but from the sheer epic moment before them. Yet, he could see defeat in the eyes of some of his teammates. In the final charge to the end zone, such thoughts would not do.

"Brothers, why do I see the frowns when I look upon you?" He put his arms around the two players closest to him.

All the players looked at each other. They knew this side of Brandon well. Whenever the team fell into crisis, he would bring them into a world of their own. In that world, they weren't high school football players, they were warriors on the battlefield, soldiers of Rome. In moments, they all visibly relaxed as they returned their gazes to their general.

"Our enemies have prepared the stage for our victory, yet I see the shadows of defeat upon your faces..." Brandon continued as he looked around the huddle.

"Our men are tired. The walls won't hold much longer." a youth spoke up. He was the center of the offensive line, the one Brandon depended on the most for protection. The ‘walls’ he spoke of, were the other members of the offensive line. They were on their last legs after a long, tough game, and the situation wasn’t in their favor.

Brandon grabbed the youth’s face mask and brought their helmets crashing together as he roared, "Damn the walls! If they are to fall then so be it. I don't ask that they hold forever, but they will hold for Caesar." The team had unanimously named the ball Caesar. For on the field, the ball was everything.

"This is what we have trained for!" Brandon roared again, releasing the center to look the others in the eye. "In this final battle, in this final moment, we will show everyone what lies in our hearts. But it has to be now! For your families and for your brothers beside you!" Brandon walked around, slapping the sword emblem on each of their helmets. Every hit lit the fire within them. One last charge, that’s all it would take. Seeing the glint in the eyes of his team, Brandon knew he had them, but they needed one more push.

"But remember…” Brandon's voice lowered, the intensity drowned out the roar of the crowd. “In the end, all is for the glory of Rome."

The final words were like lightning, charging their fatigued bodies with power. Then they all gazed at the end zone thirty yards away. The final destination.

"Warriors! Cut a path for Caesar!" Brandon roared once more. The others raised their voices in unison, and their battle cries could be heard all the way at the top of the stadium.

Just as the referee began to make his approach, the warriors returned to being players. All traces of defeat had been wiped from their very souls.

'Now that's what I'm talking about!' Brandon grinned, satisfied.

"Caesar's Chariot! On three, ready!? Break!" Brandon commanded, and the team left the huddle and set up for the final play.

The play that followed was nothing short of incredible. The ball snapped, and Brandon rushed for the goal line. The offensive line, his impregnable walls, had given him plenty of time. His receivers blocked as if their lives were on the line. After rushing through the wide open path, he broke two tackles before he was brought down.

*FLASHBACK END*

Touchdown.

That's what the headlines of the local newspaper read the following day. Praises came from every direction for Brandon, but they couldn't compare to the beaming faces of his parents. All they had ever wanted was for him to be happy and successful. Little did they know, that success was around the corner.

Not long after his game, a scout had come bearing unbelievable news. With his parents’ consent, Brandon was drafted into the NFL right out of high school. Although he didn’t get to play for two years, he had practiced and trained with the team until they felt he was ready. However, Brandon never neglected his studies. When he was off the field, he was earning his associate degree through online courses.

Finally, at the tender age of twenty, he made his debut in the starting line-up.

Unsurprisingly, it was a disaster...for the other team.

Once Brandon hit the field, he could not be stopped. He had continued to make headlines as he blazed a trail through the National Football League, astounding anyone who watched him play. He broke multiple records, set examples for every quarterback to follow, and even led his team to two consecutive Super Bowl victories.

He couldn't help but smile as he looked out his window with his two Super Bowl rings sparkling as they caught the sunlight.

"How you doing superstar?" a voice interrupted his musings.

Brandon looked toward the doorway to find a familiar face poking through. He smiled and replied, "Another day in paradise, Curtis."

The man that walked in was a condensed version of Brandon. He a little shorter, but he made up for in width. His muscles rippled and flexed under his short sleeve shirt, as his dark skin tone gave off a healthy glow in the sunlight.

Curtis waltzed in and knelt beside the bed. "So, your parents are coming today. When do you plan on getting ready?"

"Well, I was thinking about taking a bath soon...care to join me?" Brandon said, with a wry smile. (Not what you think)

"I think I got some time for that." Curt laughed, then he scooped Brandon up like a princess. As he turned to the door, there was a sound of metal hitting the floor. It was one of Brandon's rings that slipped from his finger. Curtis paused and made a motion to pick it up, but he was stopped.

"Leave it. It barely fits me anymore anyway." Brandon said solemnly. When he looked down at the ring, the memories of his first Super Bowl came rushing back to him. He could remember that game like it was yesterday.

Curtis knew better than to comment, so he hugged Brandon closer to his chest and walked out the door. "Alright, one bath coming up."

"Try not to be stingy with the soap this time," Brandon grumbled.

"Hey now, I'm a professional!" Curtis retorted, pressing a button on the wall to close the door. On the closing door, there was a sign that read-

*****Important******

202

Patient: Brandon Welding

Injury: Paralysis

Lead Nurse: Curtis Julius

Lead Physician: Dr. Alexander Dixson

************

Chapter 2: Ends and Beginnings

Brandon was laying down while watching some TV. Truthfully, it was the only activity available to him at the moment. The only difference was the familiar young woman lying beside him on the bed.

She had her arm under his head while selfishly using the only pillow for herself. Her red hair was dyed black at the end, giving her naturally wavy hair an air of seduction that complemented her fair skin, and her long legs wrapped in denim stretched out over the bed. Although her outfit, a low-necked t-shirt, and skinny jeans, was nothing special, her womanly curves naturally drew the eyes.

The young woman’s name was Rose Lawson. She'd known Brandon ever since he was a young boy. Although they were close in their middle school days, they didn't get to spend much time together until their senior year in high school. Their reunion had been a pleasant surprise.

*FLASHBACK*

"Rose Lawson?" a voice called out her.

Rose had been putting her books in her locker when she had been called, so she could only guess who it was. No doubt it was another boy trying to hit on her. Her family had just moved back to their old hometown, and since the start of her senior year as a transfer student, not a day had gone by where there wasn’t some guy trying to get her number.

"What?" she huffed, not even turning around to acknowledge the person.

"I was wondering if you would hold up the end of our agreement," he said.

'Agreement?' She didn't remember making any promises recently, especially not to any of the jerks that populated the school. She wasn't interested in the least, but she was curious. This guy, whoever it was, sounded annoyingly confident.

"What agreement?" she probed, still not having turned around.

"That we'd continue our conversation from before, of course," he said. He was smiling now. Rose could hear it in his voice.

"What? I don't have time for games!" Grabbing the rest of her books, she closed the locker and walked away.

"You dropped something..." he said hurriedly.

Rose sighed as she turned to face the mysterious jerk who came to bother her. He was obviously lying, it was a simple ploy to get her to turn around and give some attention. Unfortunately, the off chance that she actually had dropped something took priority. It could be something important.

Leaning against her locker was a tall, dark-skinned youth. His black v-neck shirt hinted at the chiseled chest that lay beneath. He had his hair cut low, and it had been brushed and groomed until neat waves circled his head. Soft, gentle eyes gazed at her expectantly, and there was devilish grin spread across his full lips. She admitted that he was quite handsome, but still annoying nonetheless. His first impression had squarely placed him on her ‘Do Not Associate’ list, which was growing longer by the day.

"Where is it?" Rose looked around near the boy's feet for the supposedly dropped item.

"I lied. I just wanted to see if you'd remember me if you saw my face. Forgive me, I won't bother you again..." the boy apologized with an embarrassed smile. Yet, his voice carried a sorrowful tone that was difficult to suppress.

Without wasting another second, Rose walked away in irritation. She turned the corner to head to her teacher's office, but not before she stole a glance behind herself. When their eyes met again, he winked at her with another devilish grin on his face. It looked that way from the outside, but Rose couldn’t explain why she felt the smiled didn’t reach his eyes.

She racked her brain on the way to her teacher's office. The boy claimed to know her, and she had a sneaking suspicion that he was right. 'I'm pretty sure I'd remember a promise like that. Besides, I don't have many black frien-'

It wasn't until she was standing outside the teacher faculty room that she had an epiphany. The memories hit her like a sack of bricks. The memories were so precious that they were impossible to forget. It was as if she had sealed them away to preserve every second. Only now did the seal break to return the memories to her with perfect clarity.

She knew that boy. She knew him very well. Even though they only shared one class in middle school, they had talked a lot and often hung out after school. The growing feelings she felt at that time were evident, and she still remembered them clearly to this day-lapses not included.

First loves were never forgotten.

The scene of their final meeting replayed instantly.

---

The two teens had been sitting on a park bench watching the sunset. They had made plans in class today and decided to meet here after school, and they had been talking in soft tones for a while for no reason in particular. It could have been merely a habit since it was often just the two of them.

That day, however, the mood had been set just right.

“Have you ever been kissed before?” the boy said to her. Rose had turned away, embarrassed. The question had completely caught her off guard. She silently prayed that her heart wasn’t skipping as loud as she thought it was.

“No.” she whispered.

“That has to be a lie.” the boy protested.

“It's true!” She had turned around to face to the boy, only to find his face inches from hers. She held her breath. Although she was almost a year older than the boy, when she looked into his eyes, she felt a maturity that went beyond his years in the calm, steady gaze. A trait she found extremely attractive.

“Well, I guess that gives us something else in common. I've heard that you'll always remember your first kiss, but I've also heard that it can be wasted on someone you'd rather forget.” the boy had whispered as he looked down, releasing Rose from that gaze of his. She let out a shaky breath and tried to recover her composure, but the boy didn't give her a chance.

“Would it be so bad to remember me Rose?” he whispered. This time, she could hear the quiver in his voice at the end.

Rose didn’t dare breathe. She had never thought she be in such a situation anytime soon, with their lips close enough to feel the heated breath of the other. An unusual tension fell between them. In the unbearable, exciting moment, the sound of her rapid heartbeat continued to assault her ears. As they both leaned closer, the world seemed to hold its breath in anticipation.

“Brandon!!” a shrill voice had called out in the distance, breaking the enchantment. Just like that, the magic was gone.

“Mothers have the best timing…” the boy sighed, shaking his head. He stood up to leave but looked back at her. “I'd like to continue this conversation later if that's alright…” he looked at her expectantly.

“Okay…” Rose replied.

“Promise?” a devilish grin appeared on his face. She nodded, but it wasn't enough for him. “I'm gonna need a verbal agreement.”

“I promise.” Rose blushed. She had pretty much promised her first kiss to the boy.

The boy smiled mischievously. It was a contagious smile, spreading across the girl's face in turn. Two teens with a secret promise, made in the quiet park, in the last light of the day.

“Brandon!” the boy's mother called again in the distance.

“Uh oh!” the boy had said as he jumped, ready to bolt.

Rose grabbed his hand before he had the chance. As she felt the sweat on his palm, she smiled. There was a hint of satisfaction from the fact that he had been nervous as well.

“Happy Birthday,” she said.

“Until we meet again…” he smiled, then he sprinted home.

---

Rose cursed her lousy memory as she ran back the way she came. Rushing to get to her locker, she nearly knocked over the young man in question as she turned the corner.

"Whoa, slow down. No need to rush." he laughed, catching Rose before she fell.

"Brandon..." she said breathlessly. There he was. The young boy she had promised in the park had grown up splendidly. Tall, dark, and handsome. Her face flushed with guilt from her first thoughts after their reunion.

Brandon raised his eyebrows in surprise. "So you do remember! And here I thought I'd have to chase-"

He never got to chance to finish before Rose closed in for their first kiss.

*FLASHBACK END*

'I'll never forget again.' she thought as she looked down at her sweetheart. The past year after his incident had been hard, but as long as he was alive, it was enough.

---

Brandon was watching ESPN with a heavy heart. He had decided that today would be the day. He sighed heavily for the umpteenth time. The inevitable moment weighed on his mind as well as his body. He was a powerless Atlas with the world mercilessly placed upon his chest instead of his back.

"Want me to change the channel?" Rose said as she stroked his head lovingly. She had mistaken his sighs as a signed of depression. Watching football certainly left a bad taste in his mouth, but she was ultimately mistaken.

'God she's beautiful' he thought as she snuggled closer to him. Her fragrance lingered around him, giving him a rare sense of calm. It was always a comfort to have her near, but it only made what he had to do harder.

"I only want you to be happy..." The crushing weight of his heart forced him to whisper.

Rose tensed up immediately. She never liked it when he talked to her like this. Every word was loaded with dangerous implications. She leaned over him to look into his eyes, letting her long hair separate them from the world outside.

"I am happy," she reassured him.

"Not as happy as you could be..." he countered.

'She could have any man she wants if she tried. She deserves to be loved one hundred percent.' It was with these thoughts that Brandon steeled himself.

Rose didn't miss the subtle change in his gaze. The gentle, loving eyes from moments before were lit with a fire of determination. She knew exactly where this was going, and it scared her. Tears threatened to fall from her eyes, but she reined them in. She would fight this.

"If I was concerned about what could be, I would have left you the moment you fell down the stairs." She said.

Brandon could feel the underlying rage in her every word. She only brought up his incident when she was seriously agitated.

It had been a dark day for the NFL, and the entire sports world had been shaken. Brandon 'General' Welding, the unstoppable rookie that led his team to consecutive Super Bowl championships, had fallen down a flight of stairs. The resulting injury ended his promising career.

'I’ll accept your anger with open arms if the alternative is a life shackled to me.' Brandon thought. He knew he could only waste away in this hospital. He refused to have her share the same fate.

"Well, the fact is, I don't want you here," he replied coldly with practiced ease. It was a white lie that was hard to see through.

"You can't stop me from coming to see you." Rose forced the words out of her mouth with difficulty. She was cornered and desperately struggling now. Her throat clenched with a sob she forced down.

"I can actually. I have the right to refuse visitors." Brandon countered with a matter-of-fact tone, leaving no room for negotiation.

The words were said lightly, but each one seemed to cut through her. The tears she had held back were streaming down her face. Rose knew without a doubt that he was planning on following through. He was serious. This was it.

"Isn't it enough that I love you?" she cried desperately. Her plea may as well have been cast into the void.

"You can love someone else..." The reply was flat, toneless.

Oh, how she wanted to hit him! To beat him senseless until he realized the error of his ways. Yet, she could only muster the strength for a few pathetic taps on his shoulder. The shoulder that once carried the weight of the world had become smaller, and couldn't even feel her fists. She knew that he'd never be the same, now she was forced to accept it.

Rose lay her head on his as she cried. She cried so he could see it. So that he could witness the pain he was causing her, she cried.

Brandon never turned his gaze from hers, even as her warm tears dropped into his eyes. He accepted them stoically with a blink.

She cried for a few more minutes before she quietly got up and walked out the door.

Only a few seconds passed before Curtis walked in. "Brandon, what happened!? I just saw Rose-"

"Is she gone?" Brandon asked quietly.

"She was running down the hall in tears man." Curtis lied. Rose was, in fact, huddled down just outside the door. After catching the end of their exchange, he figured she deserved to hear some more details.

"Good. No need for her to be stuck with me..." Brandon sighed slowly as if he wanted to breathe his last breath right there.

"But why? She's stuck with you all this time." Curtis truly did understand, but he asked for Rose.

"Do you know that she's the reason I fell?" Brandon whispered. Silence fell on the room. "After winning my second Super Bowl, I went straight back to the hotel. That night, I had three rings in my possession. Two for me...and one for her."

Just outside the door, Rose caught her breath. Brandon had never told anyone what happened. But this was beyond her expectations.

"That day I would've asked her to marry me. I was so excited that I took the stairs to the twenty-third floor like an idiot. I took the stairs two at a time, desperately running to ask for her hand... but I was careless." Brandon sighed as he recollected, then he closed his eyes. He could still feel the warmth from Rose's tears.

"I could go after her, bring her back..." Curtis offered.

"No. I can no longer love Rose the way she deserves. I gotta let it burn." Brandon smiled, but there was no joy in it.

'So heavy' he sighed once more before he let the weight he'd been carrying for so long, crush him. His strangled sobs turned into cries of despair as he was utterly broken. In-between every few sobs he would scream in rage, cursing himself for his circumstances and what his love had forced him to do.

After the first few minutes, Curtis had walked out the room and closed the door. He waited with Rose and explained the situation to any of his co-workers that came running because of screams. He knew the pain of a man who just tore himself apart wasn't something that should be witnessed, let alone disturbed.

All the while, Rose cried quietly. She was just as torn. The revelations that had come to light made her want to run back into the room. However, she knew it wouldn't change how he felt. Hearing his agonized cries had somewhat relieved her. It not only confirmed his love for her, but it also showed that his decision wasn't made lightly. Yet, she cried. She cried because she hadn't been strong enough to look toward the future. Just moments before they talked, she had been reminiscing about what was. Instead of planning on what to do for the future.

She cried for the life they could have had. She could already picture Brandon running up the steps with his heart fitting to burst from joy. She could imagine his devilish grin as he dropped down to one knee, holding a ring in his hand.

But fate preyed on the careless. Her thoughts lost color as she pictured the man miss a step, succumbing to a tragedy at the happiest point in his life.

It wasn't fair. It wasn't fair at all.

---

A year passed in a blur, and Brandon did the only thing he could do, watch TV. Although he maintained his sunny disposition and unshakable will, anyone that knew him could tell that something was missing.

It was on one such day that Curtis walked in with a box and a huge grin on his face.

"Brandon, man. Do I have a surprise for you!"

"Bubbles and candles for my sponge bath?" Brandon chuckled.

"Even better," Curtis said as he tapped the box in his hands confidently. "I got you a new body."

Brandon turned his attention to the box for the first time, craning his neck to get a better look.

It was a Sonsoft Dark Chariot. He had heard about two competing game companies merging, but he hadn't paid much attention to it. Though he had seen the commercials for their Full Consciousness Submersion System, or FCSS.

"Virtual reality, huh. Will it work?" Brandon couldn’t help the hopeful tone in his voice.

"Only one way to find out," Curtis replied as he set to work opening the box, eventually bringing out a jet black helmet. After securing the device on Brandon's head, he began hooking up some extra cords to the television.

"What's all that for?" Brandon asked, watching the scene through the somewhat transparent lens.

"It's so I can watch. The doctors paid for everything under the guise of a scientific experiment."

"And what will I be playing?"

"That's the next surprise. It's a game that came out with the device." A knowing smile spread of Curtis’ face.

"This better not be a damn goat simulator..."

"It's called Chaos Online."

Brandon raised a brow at the name. "That actually sounds pretty vicious."

"Right!?"

Chaos Online, having been released along with the Dark Chariot a month ago, has been critically acclaimed as the next level of virtual reality. Players experience seventy-five percent of the pain, and the gore was made to look as real as possible. It became known as the world's first ‘Hardcore’ VRMMORPG.

"Shit...seventy five percent?" Brandon winced when he heard the details about the game.

"Yeah. When you get stabbed, it pretty much feels like you're getting stabbed for real." Curtis could only nod.

"And people voluntarily play this?"

"You'd be surprised. The level of realism gives the whole game a lot more tension. Can you imagine facing a dragon knowing you'll feel almost everything? It'd be intense." Curtis said as grabbed the remote and switched the TV channel to the appropriate input.

"So you've played it."

"I try to when I find the time." Curtis shrugged, not bothering to reveal how often he actually played.

"Have you died yet?" asked Brandon curiously. A shadow fell on Curtis' face as he recollected.

"I was ravaged by wolves on my first day. It hurt like hell, but the system knocks you out after a certain point. Sonsoft doesn't want people dying in real life. Still, they were chewing on me for about three minutes before I was knocked out."

"Whoa." Brandon sucked in a cold breath. He couldn’t even begin to fathom how it would feel to be eaten alive.

"I know. I don't even feel comfortable calling it a game anymore. Everything feels so real. I even got laid in-game..." the sly nurse tried to be nonchalant as he said it, but a smirk slowly appeared on his face.

'You had my interest, but now you have my attention.' Brandon thought secretly. Certain needs had been unfulfilled for far too long.

Watching Curtis refusing to speak more, he could only endure for a short time before he asked, "So how was it?"

"You won't even know the difference." Curtis laughed.

"Yeah, set me up." Brandon nodded with a stern face.

Curtis pretended to hesitate for a moment. "You sure? I understand if you don't want to pla-"

"Turn this damn thing on!"

Curtis laughed hysterically as he struggled to find the switch. When he finally found it, the Dark Chariot hummed to life.

[Scanning...]

[A new user has been registered.]

[Would you like to launch Chaos Online?]

Although impressed by the silky voice in his ear, Brandon commanded, "Launch."

[Welcome to Chaos Online.]

There was a bright flash of light, causing him to shut his eyes from the glare. When he opened his eyes again, he was in a white room.

[You will now create your avatar to represent yourself in-game.]

[What race do you wish to be? Chaos Onlin-]

"Human!" Brandon said hurriedly. Just the thought of returning to the body of his glory days had him genuinely anxious to start.

[Name?]

"Thadius." It was a name he had often used that name in the games of his childhood.

Soon, there was another flash of light, then an image of himself appeared.

[This is your avatar. Would you like to make any changes?]

Brandon examined his avatar 'Thadius' carefully before he spoke, "Add fifty pounds(22kg) of muscle, please. Evenly distribute it."

The system complied, and the image of Brandon instantly changed. What appeared was a mirror image of himself before his incident.

"That's perfect."

[Choose your starting destination.]

A map appeared in front of him, highlighting the available starting locations. After taking a moment to read the topography, he made his decision. "Yune, Todos Kingdom."

The light faded, replaced by the grey sunlight of a cloudy sky.

Chapter 3: Gods and Geezers

Thadius suddenly found himself in dire straights.

His most loyal soldiers died left and right. His beloved queen was murdered before his eyes in the early battles of the war. Then, as if his suffering wasn't enough, he had even failed his king and forced him to take refuge in his castle.

When had it all gone wrong? How had he come to fail so completely?

It was all due to carelessness. What had started as a simple game of chess against an old man, had quickly turned into a struggle for survival.

'This is bullshit! I should have known that playing against an NPC was the same a playing against the computer!' Thadius groaned as he lost another piece.

He should have noticed the first signs of defeat when he saw the old man playing against himself. It was a strong indication of someone with knowledge of the game. Yet, Thadius hadn't seen that. All he saw was a lonely elder with no one to play with.

Little did he know, that the old man had only run out of challengers.

"We don't get many Travelers in these parts, especially not youngins like yourself." the old man held back a chuckle as he made his move, but his overgrown beard betrayed his mirth as it quivered.

'He's toying with me!?' Thadius thought as he desperately analyzed the field for a way out. 'There!' He moved his knight beside his king to protect him at all cost. With that, he could survive another turn and find some way to salvage the situation.

Unfortunately, Thadius realized his mistake too late.

After a second glance at the board, his fingers trembled. "My God, what have I done..."

"Youngin', I'm afraid it's time to end this." the old man said as he sent a knight to infiltrate the castle, assassinating Thadius' king with ease. "Checkmate."

*****

DEFEAT THE VILLAGE CHESS CHAMPION

The old man is still undefeated. You've failed this time, but he will welcome your challenge whenever you're ready.

DIFFICULTY: C

REQUIREMENTS: Offer to play against the old man.

REWARDS: Exp. + Title: Yune Chess Champion

*****

"Don't take it to heart youngin'. I haven't lost in a long time, ho ho." the old man chuckled and reset the board.

"What's your name, old man?" Thadius asked. Despite the crushing defeat, he still had a favorable impression of his opponent.

"Round here they call me 'Old Man Tony'."

"I will defeat you Mr.Tony, but until that day comes, keep that title warm for me." Thadius said, then started to rise up from the table when Tony suddenly stopped him.

"You just got here, didn't you? If you wouldn't mind my company youngin', I could show you around." Old Man Tony offered.

Since he had literally appeared out of thin air before encountering Tony, Thadius didn't see any reason to refuse. "I'd like that."

The two set off to explore the town while the sun was still high in the sky. Although it could be called a town, Yune was more like a small city. As such, it provided all the basic necessities for Travelers like Thadius. This was extremely important since Yune was quite a distance away from the larger cities.

Everything was centered around the fountain in the central square, with the rest of the buildings spread out from there. The first building was a blacksmith for armor, weapons, and repair. The second was the tailor's shop which was right next door. On the opposite side was an inn with a restaurant, and beside it was a potions shop. The rest of the square consisted of small stands and vendors to fill the gaps.

After the central square, the city was mostly small houses and residential establishments. Yune wasn't that developed, but the people had all they needed.

During the tour of the central square, Old Man Tony started talking about the local tales and lore of the city. One such tale involved the largest mountain of the nearby range, the Mountain of Yune. It told of how the Goddess of the mountain protected it, which was why no monsters had been seen there in years.

These little bits of legends and lore made the game more exciting and gave it flavor. Thadius wasn't the least bit interested, but he remained quiet and let Tony do the talking while he enjoyed the sensation of moving again.

The end of the tour brought them to the tallest building in the city. It was a white two-story building with open windows that let fresh air in. Besides the intricately carved mahogany doors, the milky-white stone made it look quite dull. The feature that stood out to Thadius was the young maiden selling flowers in the front.

"What is this place?" he asked after Tony had finished one of his stories.

"This is the city temple. We don't have the money to be buildin' churches for every single god, so this is all we got." Tony replied.

"You mind if we...take a look?" he asked innocently. He tactfully left out what he wanted to take a look at.

Old Man Tony's overgrown eyebrows furrowed, and he stroked his long, white beard as if troubled by something. Yet, he agreed in the end. "Alrighty."

As they walked towards the doors, Thadius made sure to cross paths with the flower girl along the way. Her head turned to them sharply as they drew near.

"Excuse me! Would you like to buy some flowers?" the girl said as she shuffled toward him with a flower held up. She looked roughly fourteen or fifteen years old. Her platinum blonde hair, angelic face, and blue eyes were a timeless combination, but upon closer inspection, Thadius could tell something was off.

She looked in his general direction, but it was as if she couldn't find him. Her eyes wandered to and fro, looking at everything and nothing.

'She's blind.' Thadius though sadly as he examined the flowers in question. Sure enough, the flowers were in a poor state as they had probably been in the sun for too long. Even the flower in her hand was a little droopy. He knew no one would buy these flowers now, no matter how long she stood here. Yet, he wondered if the girl continued to hold here despite that.

"I'm sorry, but your flowers are wilted," he told her honestly.

"Y-yes...I'm sorry." the girl said sadly as she moved to return the flower to her basket.

Seeing her crestfallen expression, Thadius couldn't let the matter rest. Try as he might, he couldn't ignore the whispers of his big heart. He shook his head and sighed as he reached for his for his coins. "How much for the rest?"

"Oh! It’s only fou- no, three coppers sir!" the girl shouted excitedly.

Thadius made a wry smile when he heard the price. Travelers of Chaos Online started with five copper, five pieces of bread, and a canteen of water. Thadius was about to hand over half his fortune to flower girl on a whim. He was already off to a bad start.

'It's worth it if it brightens her day.' Thadius thought as he shrugged off his reluctance. He grabbed her hand that held the flower and replaced it with the correct amount, but he let her keep the basket.

After tasting the coins for authenticity, she was overjoyed. "Thank you, sir!" she smiled brightly.

Feeling chivalrous after a good deed, he said, "Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Thadius."

"M-my name is Christina." she curtsied clumsily with her cheeks flushed in embarrassment. She had been ready to stumble home as quickly as she could without even asking the name of her benefactor.

"How you'd end up selling flowers here Christina?" Thadius was curious as to why a blind girl would sell flowers so desperately.

"I-"

"Thadius...let's go inside." Old Man Tony cut in with a sullen expression.

'Why had he interrupted her story?' The whole situation had only strengthened his curiosity, but he turned to follow Tony into the temple.

"Wait!" Christina cried as she reached out. Thadius stopped in his tracks as she found him and cautiously raised a hand to his face. He could guess what she wanted.

"May I?" she paused.

"Sure."

She smiled again as she traced his face with her fingertips. After a few moments, she seemed to be content. Then as she reached down to pick up her basket, she leisurely slid her hand down his torso.

'Did...didn't she just cop a feel!?' Thadius stared uncertainly at the seemingly innocent girl. To his surprise, Christina had a small smirk on her lips, and her face flushed a deep red all the way to her ears.

'Guilty!' Thadius' jaw dropped.

"Thank you for your purchase!" Christina said hurriedly. Then, she quickly turned to make her escape.

As the blind maiden shuffled her way in the opposite direction, Tony called out to him again, so Thadius went to his side so that they could enter the temple together.

When they entered, Thadius was shocked to see how much better the plain temple looked inside. It reminded him of modern churches back home. There were neat rows of wooden pews and a stage in the very back. On the stage was the pulpit, where the preacher would give his sermons. The same white stone as the outer walls covered the entire floor, worn by traffic over time.

"This way," Tony called out as he made a sharp right. There was a staircase on either side of the double doors. Taking extreme care to hold onto the handrail, Thadius follow after the old man.

The second floor was littered with statues and people bent over in prayer before them. The sculptures varied in sizes, with the three largest statues standing in the middle of the room. It was also where the majority of the people were gathered.

"They are the three Greater Gods: Thena, Braumas, and Arka," Tony said, following his gaze. Upon seeing Thadius' interest, he proceeded to go into the lore.

Thena was the Goddess of Wealth and Beauty. Braumas was the God of Order and Strength. Arkas was the Goddess of Reason and Intellect. The Greater Gods were celebrated widely across the continent. No matter where you went, or who you asked, there was a high chance of finding someone who worshiped at least one of the three.

Below the Greater Gods were the Lesser Gods. They were more or less worshiped by specific professions or families. Bo, the God of Metal, was an obvious choice for blacksmiths. Tern was another favorite Lesser God as the God of Harvest. All year round, the farmers and their families prayed to him for a plentiful crop and good weather.

While Thadius listened to Tony and walked around, he noticed statues only a few feet high lined up against the walls in the back of the room.

"They are the Lower Gods. People only pray to them out of their own personal interest." Tony answered his curious look.

The Lower God statues were apparent victims of neglect because they were all covered in a layer of dust. When he pointed this out, Tony went more in-depth.

The statues were enchanted to reflect the power of the gods. So the more significant the statue was, the more power that god had at their disposal. Following this trend, the statues received treatment that reflected their status. Should a god get more powerful, their statue would change to reveal it, then the initiates of the church would attend to it accordingly.

The two slowly made their way to the very back of the room, murmuring until they stopped at the smallest statue they had seen so far. It was covered in more dust than the rest of the statues combined, and the cobwebs were hanging from it in thick layers. The Lower God wore a tattered sleeveless dress and an apron. She also carried a broom in her hand as if she were sweeping. Anyone would think she was a poor servant, much less a god.

"Who's this?" Thadius asked.

"Tegaia, she is known as the Goddess of Poverty..." Old Man Tony sighed heavily.

'Tegaia? No, Gaia. Like Mother of Earth? That Gaia?' Thadius' extensive knowledge from his favorite fantasy sitcoms had him skeptical.

"I don't believe there would be a Lower God with such powerful name..." he said.

Tony was silent for a while before he replied. "Christina was trainin' to be a priestess of this temple. She was devout, and she worked hard. Every day she would clean and maintain the statues, then she would pray to them. All of them. Prayers give them power you see."

There were well over a hundred statues in the room. Not only had Christina cleaned all the statues, but she also prayed to them in her spare time. Thadius sighed in amazement.

"The High Priestess came to commend her for her duty one day and saw her prayin' to Tegaia. She went into a rage, grabbin' a pitcher of holy water and throwin' it in Christina's face. Then she was accused of treatin' Lower Gods as the equals of the Greater Gods and was told that they would punish her for it. Sure 'nough, Christina's sight started to worsen until it was gone completely. I don't want to remind her of it. That's why I stopped you from askin’ earlier. But there's a reminder when she wakes every day, so I suppose it's useless..."

Thadius’ expression was rigid. Even if it was an overreaction, to take someone's sight was too much.

Tony continued, "She was denied further trainin'. So as penance and offerin's to the gods, she decided to raise money for the church by sellin' flowers."

"Hadn't she been seen praying to the Lower Gods before?" Thadius questioned.

"They did. But it was because Christina prayed to Tegaia that she was punished. Though...no one suspects it."

For such misfortune to befall a young girl over this unassuming goddess, Thadius knew there was something going on. "What's the story behind this goddess old man?" he asked, his voice suddenly serious.

Old Man Tony was quiet for a while this time as if he were deciding whether or not to tell him. When he spoke again, it was in hushed tones. "When I was a youngin', Tegaia was seen differently. Back then, she was the Goddess of Love, War, and Humility. But she has fallen far since then."

Thadius' eyes lit up. 'Goddess of Love? If that's the case...'

Thadius took out his canteen and wet the sleeve of his tunic. Then he began to wipe down the statue with care. He wiped off all the dust and cobwebs that had accumulated until he could clearly see the stone underneath. He heard gasps of surprised visitors coming from behind him, but he ignored them. Once he was done, he turned to the old man beside him. "Mr. Tony, you said prayers give them strength right?"

"Yes." Tony nodded.

"Alright then." Thadius nodded in return. Then took a deep breath and thought back to a year ago. Instantly, the image of a woman with red hair and tears streaming down her face was as vivid as if it were yesterday. Holding onto that vision, he gathered all his feelings in his heart and dropped to his knees. Then, he put his hands together in prayer.

---

In the Heavens, the Tower of the Gods stood majestically, overlooking the Plains of Peace. The entire structure had been forged of godsteel, which gave off the same divine radiance that the gods did.

On the lowest floor of the tower was a woman in a tattered sleeveless dress and an apron. She was very tall for a woman at six foot four(1.9m). Her shoulder-length auburn hair swayed gently when she moved, and her piercing grey eyes were focused. For the most part, she'd been having an ordinary day, sweeping the Tower of the Gods as she usually did. Anyone who didn't know better would think she was a spirit: some human who had died, gone to the Heavens and served the gods in the afterlife. Who would suspect that she was Tegaia, Mother of Creation, Goddess of Love, War, and Humility?

She was, for the most part, a Fallen God. She had been stripped of most of her power and forced to sweep the tower for the rest of her days. Most of the mortal world had forgotten about her, and those who remembered were just as powerless as she was. Even the gods that knew her thought it was unlikely that she would ever return to her former self.

Tegaia once believed, and hoped, that she would be powerful again. She wanted to purge the Heavens of the usurpers, and rewrite the injustices that had taken place in her absence. Yes, Tegaia had hoped for many things. But as the years passed, she had come to accept her fate.

It was because she had lost all hope that she was startled when a surge of power erupted in her chest.

"Hah!?" she cried as she braced herself against the wall. The sensation had truly overwhelmed her. Just as she was wondering if she had imagined that familiar feeling, a voice echoed in her mind.

*Goddess...my name is Thadius. Although I am a Traveler from a different world, I believe I have been your humble servant for a long as I can remember.*

Tegaia was brought to her knees by another surge of tremendous power. Remembering the sensation, she closed her eyes, and the vision of a young man in prayer appeared before her. 'A Traveler! They've finally come!?'

Tegaia had heard whispers of their imminent arrival all throughout the tower. The gods were wary, to say the least. Those with foresight had seen the coming of beings who would be beyond death, thus beyond their control. Anything beyond the control of the gods could only be dangerous.

'That a Traveler has prayed to me...' Tegaia was genuinely excited, but she listened attentively. She was curious as to what such a man would want from her. Suddenly, a wave of emotions racked her body and a sob escaped her lips. Then an uncontrollable torrent of tears streamed down her face. It was an emotion she knew well, remorse. The voice of the young man returned even stronger, but his emotions were also stronger. So strong that they had risen to the Heavens and influenced her.

*'Goddess...I ask for your forgiveness. I have selfishly cast aside a woman who loved me, for peace of mind. I pushed her away even as she pleaded to remain by my side. All I wanted was her happiness, and I caused her pain hoping she could obtain it.

You see goddess, in the world I come from, my body is dead to me. How can I love someone when simple gestures, such as holding hands or embracing one another, are entirely one-sided. How can I protect her from harm if I can't even rise from my own bed...*

The young man hunched over, fighting the tears and sorrow that threatened to take over. Tegaia cried in his place.

*Goddess, I also ask for your blessing. I ask that you bless my love and all those who resemble her. I know your strength has not yet returned, but as soon as you are able, please bless them.*

The vision Tegaia saw shifted to an image of a fair skinned woman with red and black hair. She had a smile that warmed the heart.

*Bless them goddess. For I wish the woman I love, and anyone who reminds me of her, happiness from the bottom of my heart. I thank you in advance. I am forever your faithful servant.*

As the prayer finished, the surges of power subsided. Tegaia stood up and wiped the tears from her face. 'Such passion from one so young...' she sighed in amazement.

It had been a simple prayer, but the results were enormous. Tegaia flexed her muscles. There was power in her limbs that she hadn't felt in years. Yet, if what Thadius said was true, that he was her follower from another world, then there was plenty more where that came from.

She quickly picked up the broken broom, which had not withstood her powerful grip during the prayer, and looked around the room. Thankfully, no one had witnessed what had transpired. If she was going to recover, then she would do so in secret.

A wry smile appeared on her lips as the subtle, godly light returned to her eyes. War was coming to the Heavens. But before that, there were things that needed be done.

---

"Phew." Thadius sighed heavily. He had almost broken down into tears in the middle of his prayer. Thankfully, he didn't. He was a man that preferred to do his crying in private.

***

Your earnest prayer has unlocked the 'Faith' stat.

+1 Faith

***

***

Your prayer has moved the goddess Tegaia to tears. Your emotions have reached her and she has granted you the forgiveness you seek.

+10 Faith

***

'Thank you, goddess.'

"That was a good prayer youngin'," Tony said as he walked up and patted him on the back.

"It's not polite to eavesdrop you know." Thadius shook his head helplessly.

Old Man Tony stroked his beard. "Ho ho, I know. But seein' you prayin' so earnestly got me thinkin'..."

"What's on your mind?"

"I have a request. I want to see Tegaia like she was when I was a boy. After what I just saw, I think you could do it." Tony said. The eyes hidden under his brows had a gleam of hope.

******

RESTORE TEGAIA TO HER GLORY

'Old Man Tony' has asked you to return Tegaia to her status as a Greater God through prayer. You will fail if you don't pray once every three days.

DIFFICULTY: Unknown

REQUIREMENTS: Befriend 'Old Man Tony' and pray to Tegaia with him as a witness.

REWARDS: Unknown

IF FAILED: Loss of intimacy with 'Old Man Tony'

******

Eyeing the vague quest description and the unknown difficulty, Thadius smiled. "That was my intention from the start."

****

Quest Accepted

****

Chapter 4: Winter Coat

When Thadius and Old Man Tony left the Grand Temple, the sky was darkening and the temperature had dropped considerably.

"Mercy! If I'd known it'd get this cold. I would have gotten some clothes instead of buying flowers!" Thadius shivered when his lungs filled with frigid air.

"The cheapest coat runs for ten copper, ho ho." Tony laughed and took a swig from a bottle he pulled out from his shirt. The old man didn’t even seem to be bothered by the cold.

"Old Man Tony! Can I have a coat!?" Thadius pleaded. He could already see his breath in the air.

"I don't have any extras, but I have plenty of pelts. You can go down to the tailor and have somethin' made. 'Til then, you can stay at my place. You'll be out of the cold at least."

Thankful for the offer, Thadius followed Tony back to his house and arrived before nightfall. As soon as the door was opened, Thadius rushed in while rubbing his arms for warmth.

Old Man Tony’s place was a cozy little hut with two rooms. The first space seemed to serve as a living room and kitchen. There was a fireplace with a kettle for cooking, and a small couch was pushed to the corner. The other room was hidden in the back. There was no bed out in front, so it was safe to say it was Tony’s bedroom.

"Make yourself comfortable youngin'. I'll see if I can find those pelts." Old Man Tony said and shuffled into his room.

Thadius sat down in the chair by the fireplace. A chill had settled in the house in Tony’s absence, so he looked around for a way to start the fire. Before he could find anything, the old man returned with a bundle in his arms.

"Here, I won these in a game a few months back. The man would've bet the clothes on his back if I hadn't stopped him, ho ho!" he chuckled.

Thadius couldn't help but smile helplessly. He had a competitive spirit too and could understand the unfortunate man. He had probably wanted to play until he won against the old man, but ran out of stuff to bet.

"Alrighty, move aside and I'll get dinner started!" Tony declared as he moved to strike a fire. Almost immediately, a flame had burst to life and spread its warmth throughout the room.

With only five pieces of bread to munch on, Thadius wouldn't deny an invitation to a warm meal. It was a curious thing for him though, eating inside of a game. The mystery as to how they replicated the flavor of food intrigued him.

While the stew was being prepared, Thadius challenged Yune’s Chess Champion again and lost a couple more games of chess. The fact that he lost didn’t him upset him much, it was the fact that he wasn't even a challenge for the opponent that made him clench his jaw in frustration.

After his third loss, the stew had cooled a bit and was ready to be served. Thadius took a bite and was pleasantly surprised.

[GOOD OLE STEW

A hearty meal of meat and vegetables.

For the next 24 hours:

+2.5% health regeneration]

Thadius nodded his head in approval and took another spoonful. "This is pretty good Mr.Tony."

"When a man lives alone, he picks up a few things here and there." the old man smiled while getting his second helping.

"You keep cooking like this and you might not be alone for much longer."

"Ho ho!"

They shared a few laughs and swapped stories while they ate. Tony gave him a few chess tips while Thadius tried to explain the game of football. After a few hours, Tony got up to go to bed. Thadius on the other hand, wasn't tired at all.

Tony pointed to the corner. "That couch is as good as any bed you'll find at the inn. Make yourself at home, I'll see you in the mornin'."

"I don't feel very tired though. You wouldn't happen to have any books would you?" It had been a while since Thadius enjoyed a good book. Rose used to read to him in the hospital, just to give him a break from watching TV. It had been a long time since then.

Tony shook his head. "The only books I have are about old stories and myths. You might not find it very entertainin'."

"That's fine. It's just to pass the time until morning." he replied honestly. He could log out, but he enjoyed feeling the sensation of his arms and legs too much to leave.

Tony nodded and went into the back room, returning with a small stack of books. There was an especially thick book at the bottom titled The Untamed Continent. Thadius grabbed that one first.

'This should keep me busy till morning.' he thought. Then he settled down in the chair and cracked open the book.

As it turns out, the Central Continent was the largest on the planet, as well as the most dangerous. It was surrounded on all sides by smaller land masses, making it a prime target for expansion. Unfortunately, the continent was littered with dangerous monsters and hidden dungeons, so if the wildlife didn't kill you, the environment would. There isn’t a single place on the Central Continent that isn’t treacherous.

For years, the various kingdoms had tried to establish a foothold. Since the Central Continent had easy access to all the lands surrounding it, if a nation managed to tame it, they would have an abundance of land as well as all their enemies within arms-reach. Therefore, the kingdoms were all competing to be the ruler of that untamed land, and the competition wasn’t always peaceful.

Thadius read page after page, piling on the knowledge. To his surprise, the book also mentioned Travelers. It stated that the Travelers, whose arrival was prophesied by the Gods, would be the key to expanding the territory on the central continent since they didn't know death. With them leading the way, the monsters would be quelled and the dungeons plundered.

The few chapters after that went into detail about the dungeons and monsters that had already been discovered. The book went over the lay of the land and how to survive the harsh conditions of specific regions that had been properly surveyed. Thadius took in as much as he could because he had a feeling he would use it in the future.

[+1 Intellect

+1 Wisdom]

During his reading session, Thadius received a few points toward his wisdom and intellect. This continued all the way until the sun had come up.

As the birds began their song, Tony shuffled out from his bedroom. "Mornin'."

"Good morning. How'd you sleep?" Thadius asked, finally closing the book.

"Like the dead. I swear I'm not gonna wake up one of these days, ho ho!"

They shared a laugh and had breakfast. While Thadius was reading, his satiety level had dropped. He didn't feel starved, but he could eat. So, without a moment of hesitation, he dug into the pancakes and sausage.

After breakfast, Thadius was ready to head to the tailor’s shop. Old Man Tony saw him off at the door before setting up his chess set on the table outside. Looking at the scene, Thadius shook his head at the thought of the countless lives that had been lost on that board. Then with a full stomach and a bundle of pelts, he quickly made his way to the tailoring shop. Thankfully, he remembered the way and found it easily. It wasn't until he was standing outside the door that he remembered something important: his financial situation.

'Hopefully, I can work it off somehow.' he thought as he opened the door.

Upon entering, he suddenly received a surprise. Behind the counter was a young girl with blonde hair, blue eyes, and an angelic face. At the sound of the door, she displayed an inviting smile.

"Welcome to the Needle and Thread, how may I help you?" she responded promptly.

"Christina?" Thadius said.

"Thadius!?" she exclaimed excitedly. Immediately recognizing the voice, she turned to shout, "Father, come and see! The man from yesterday is here!"

A man that looked very similar to Christina appeared from a room in the back. He had the same hair and eye color as his daughter, but there were streaks of silver here and there. Despite that, he looked quite young, and he seemed to carry himself with an air of nobility.

Seeing Thadius, he marched around the counter and shook his hand with a smile. "I heard you bought my daughter's flowers yesterday. You have my thanks. She's been having a rough time of it as of late. The name's Marshal."

"I was happy to do it. Selling flowers isn't the most lucrative business." Thadius smiled.

"That's what I told her, but the girl won't listen." Marshal sigh dramatically.

"Father!" Christina slapped her hands on the counter.

"So, Thadius is it? What brings you to our shop?" Marshal continued, ignoring his daughter's protest.

Thadius showed him his bundle. "I need some winter clothes. I have the materials, now I just need a skilled hand to make something of them."

Marshal took the bundle from his arms and examined the pelts. He flipped them over and ran his hands through the fur. "They're low quality, so it won't take much time to make something simple. But you only have enough for one piece. How about this. Since you helped my Christina, I'll teach you how to make a coat. No offense, but you don't seem to be rolling in coin at the moment."

"None taken, I appreciate the offer." Thadius certainly wouldn’t pass up the opportunity to save money.

"Come, my workshop is in the back." Marshal led him behind the counter and into his workshop. There was a multitude of fabrics and leathers strewn about. In the corner of the room was a long desk and a couple of chairs.

"This is where it all comes together." Marshal spread his arms wide in pride. "Now, first things first. We ne-"

Before they could get started, Christina walked in. "Father, Ms. Jackson sent word for you. Her husband found a big wolf den in the forest."

"Excellent!" Marshal cried. Then he started to rummage around his workshop. He found what he was looking for soon enough, pulling an intricate bow out from underneath a pile of cloth.

"Christina, show Thadius the basics. I should be back soon." He rushed out of the shop, without so much as a glance at the stranger he had left with his only daughter.

Christina walked over to the desk after her father left. She must have memorized where everything was because she moved without hesitation or guidance.

"Shall we get started?" she said as she pulled out the other chair.

Thadius agreed and put the pelts on the table.

"First you'll need a pattern. It's like a building blueprint or a weapon schematic. Then you'll need the materials." She handed him the pattern she pulled from out from the front counter. She had verified it as a basic coat pattern through Thadius. When he touched it, a message popped up saying he had learned a new pattern.

Christina continued, "Now just follow the pattern. You could make your own pattern, but that requires a higher level of skill. So for now, let's start with cutting the pelts into shape."

She reached out for his arm and handed him a pair of scissors. Thadius could have sworn that she had squeezed his arm to feel his muscles, but he took the scissors without a word and set to work. The whole process was a little more difficult than he anticipated since he had refused the automated guidance. Even with the shears of a professional tailor, the pelts proved tough to cut through. However, he succeeded eventually. The edges of the pieces weren't perfect, but they would do.

The next part was the sewing, which was also the most entertaining part of the experience. Christina would place her hands on his to guide him through the motions and for feeling the stitches for mistakes. Her ‘hands-on’ approach was much more than just simple guidance, and it was sometimes excessive. Thadius could tell that she attempted to be subtle, but with every success, she grew bolder. In the end, her hormones eventually got the better of her.

He had been stitching the arm of the coat when she leaned over him to check on his work. As she slid her hand down his arm towards his hand, he felt her breath against his neck. Taking advantage of the closeness, her lips brushed his cheek, ever so slightly. Needless to say, the temptation was real.

On the verge of being molested by the blind maiden, Thadius couldn’t remain silent any longer. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you're after my body Christina..."

"I don't know what yo-" she stammered. Her face immediately flushed.

"You're blushing scarlet, and your advances weren't as subtle as you thought. Not that I mind. Your groping was very entertaining." Thadius chuckled softly.

"I-I didn't mean any harm! I just..." her voice trailed away and she went silent, blushing even more.

"You're what...fourteen, fifteen? Even if you're blind, you can still be curious about a man's body..." Hearing it put that way, Christina hid her face behind her hands in embarrassment.

'Is it because she's blind that she went so far? She's been deprived of eye candy at this crucial stage in her life.' Thadius mused to himself. Then he pondered on what to do next. If he had been a predator, Christina would have been in trouble a long time ago. She had to tone it down or she would wind up in an unfortunate situation, but he had to bring her down gently.

"Christina..." he whispered and stood from his chair, taking her by the hands and pulling her closer. "There are more things to look forward to from a man than his touch..." He placed her hands on his chest and wrapped his arms around her waist, drawing her closer.

Chapter 5: Winter Coat (2)

Watching her shyly grasp his tunic, he continued, "Men are physical creatures, Christina. You have to be very careful. There are those that do not know restraint like I do. Until you come to trust and care for someone, I strongly advise you not to test them as you have tested me today. Your beauty would overwhelm them. Do you understand?"

She nodded with a downcast look on her face. Thadius didn't intend to end with a lecture. He raised her chin and put his lips inches away from hers, just enough so she could feel his breath on her skin. In seconds, her breathing quickened. The sound was clearly audible in the silent workroom.

"Now, if you don't find such a man in the next few years..." he left his sentence unfinished. Promising nothing, but implicating everything.

He'd done it now. Even he was caught in the mood. His blood rushed as he observed her quivering lips, and listened to her rapid breaths. The air was heavy with anticipation, and the wolf within him smelled it. It foamed at the mouth and licked its chops, just waiting for the next morsel.

Fortunately, Thadius had tamed that beast long ago. He released Christina and returned to the desk. When he looked at her again, the corner of her mouth was turned up in a sly smile.

[Your seductive actions have unlocked the Charm stat.

+3 Charm]

She had returned to her mischievous ways, but she didn't go overboard. Anyone that witnessed it would simply believe it was because she was blind. As far as Thadius was concerned, he had achieved his goal. Within the next hour, he managed to finish the coat. Just as Marshal returned.

[You've made a Patchwork Winter Coat. Would you like to learn the tailoring trade?]

"Might as well." he shrugged.

[You've learned Tailoring LV.1 Novice]

After learning the trade, Thadius analyzed his work. It was a shabby brown coat with no defense and low durability, but it was warm when he put it on. Marshal approved and congratulated him on his success.

While saying goodbye to Christina and thanking Marshal, Thadius saw himself out. Yet, he was stopped just outside the door.

"Thadius." Marshal said quietly from behind him. He had a serious look on his face as he closed the door.

"Yes, sir?" Thadius immediately tensed after seeing his expression.

"I appreciate the fact that you didn't take advantage of my little girl. I also respect the fact that you tried to teach her something. She's at that age now, and I don't want her to have a bad experience..."

Knowing he’d been seen in that situation, Thadius could only admonish himself silently as he replied, "You saw that, huh?"

"Did you think I'd leave her alone with some man I don't know? I came back under five minutes with my bow taunt and my quiver full."

Thadius had dodged a bullet, or arrow in this case, and he didn't even know it.

Marshal sighed, "Though I don't approve of your method, you were trying to guide her. That's something I can appreciate. Come back anytime, I'll teach you a few tricks of the trade."

"I will." Thadius nodded. He was a bit interested in the craft.

"And the next time you touch my daughter like that, I'll put an arrow in you..." Marshal glared daggers at him, and Thadius knew then that this man would carry out his threat to the fullest.

"I understand." he nodded.

"Good." Marshal nodded in approval.

They shook hands again then Thadius went on his way. Following the way he came, he was back at Tony's house within minutes to show off his new coat.

The old man appraised it with a smile. "Not too shabby. It oughta keep you warm enough at night."

"Thank you. I worked hard on it." Thadius smiled.

"You need a place to stay for the night? I got the fire goin'." the old man offered.

Thadius refused. "I'd take you up on that, but I don't think I'll turn in just yet."

On his way back to Tony's house, Thadius had an idea as gazed up at the mountain in the distance. It was something that he hadn't done in a long time.

"You said earlier that there aren't any monsters on the mountain right?" he asked. His gaze was on the peak that disappeared in the low floating clouds.

"They haven't been seen up there for years. You goin' hikin' youngin'?" Tony asked.

"I want to watch the sunrise from the top. It might take me a few days to reach the summit though. You mind if I take some of that leftover stew?" Thadius asked hopefully. He had planned to use his magical canteen as a container.

Tony shook his head. "I'll do you one better. I got some jerky dryin' out back, should last you for a week at least."

"I'd appreciate it." Thadius smiled and followed Tony out back.

It had been more than two years since Thadius had gone hiking. Every year his parents would go. Obviously, due to his injury, he had been left out on more than one occasion.

'Not this time.' he thought. The mountaintop, obscured by clouds, called to him. Being able to see the view from the top wouldn’t be a small matter for him, who had been spending his recent days in bed.

In no time, Tony helped him gather the supplies while he put them in his bag. When he was finally ready to go, night had fallen and the temperature had dropped again.

Old Man Tony pointed to a spot at the bottom of the mountain that was hidden in shadows. "There's a path the hunters use that goes up about halfway. If you take it, it should save you half a day's worth of hikin'."

"I'll keep an eye out for it. Thanks for everything old man." Thadius smiled and slung the bag of supplies over his shoulder.

"Mmmhm." Tony grumbled before shuffling back inside where it was warm.

Thadius said a quick prayer to Tegaia, and stretched his legs before he set off. With the moonlight to guide his way, he set a brisk pace. He was used to jogging in real life, but it had been a while. He wouldn't miss the opportunity to test the limits of his new legs. Cutting down the hiking time in the process wouldn't hurt either.

He jogged to the outskirts of the city, breathing through his nose and out of his mouth like he'd been taught. By the time he made it to the foot of the mountain, he had earned a new skill.

[In light of your ability to regulate your breathing, a new skill has been unlocked.

Controlled Breathing LV.1 Novice]

[Controlled Breathing LV.1 Novice

Stamina consumption when moving with Controlled Breathing active is cut by 5%

Stamina regeneration with Controlled Breathing active in increased by 2.5%]

Thadius’ eyes lit up as he read the description. 'Oh? That'll go up on its own if I just stick to it.'

It didn't take him long after that to find the trail, so he checked his bag one more time to make sure nothing fell out. Being new to virtual reality, Thadius wasn't familiar with the inventory. He'd played RPGs before, so he knew its potential. However, he was still skeptical that the small bag could hold more than it looked.

'I really hope nothing falls out.' he sighed. Then, after surveying the trail ahead, he began his jog up the mountain.

Chapter 6: Ascent

The Mountain of Yune wasn't the tallest mountain on the continent. It wasn't even the tallest in the kingdom. It was, however, the coldest. Yune was on the northern edge of the Todos kingdom. The kingdom itself was located in the far north of the continent. The temperature could easily drop below freezing every day.

Therefore, Thadius was very fortunate that he had made his hike during the spring instead of fall or winter. Not only would it be below freezing around the clock, the snow would make it nearly impossible to travel. In Yune, once the snow set in on the mountain, no one would go up. Anyone trapped on the mountain after the first snowfall was considered dead.

[+1 Strength

+1 Stamina]

Thadius had gotten a few of those messages as he jogged up the mountain. After the first few minutes of his relentless climb, his stamina had fallen dangerously low. He hadn't experienced any fatigue, but he had a feeling that completely depleting his stamina wouldn't be a good thing. With that in mind, he would slow down to a determined walk or sit down for an hour to recharge before picking up the pace again, but he wouldn't wait until it was full.

In fact, his stamina hadn't been full since he left Tony's house. With every message, he could go a little longer before he needed to rest, and the hiking became easier. So he took in the scenery along the way.

The forest all around the trail was alive with wild life. It clear that regular animals weren't counted as monsters. Yet, no matter how far he went, he didn't see a single predator. Were carnivores counted in the monster category?

While lost in thought, he received this message.

[A mysterious pressure is being exerted. Stamina consumption will be increased by 10%.]

Just when he had settled into a rhythm, this sort of message pops up. Thadius sighed in exasperation. 'I can only keep going.'

Thadius reached the end of the trail after about 15 hours. If that mysterious pressure hadn't hindered his progress, he might have made it sooner, but Thadius wasn't to type to dwell on it.

[You've reached the end of the Yune mountain trail. Beyond this point, the air thins gradually. Stamina consumption will be increased by 2.5%. The penalty increases in correlation with altitude.]

Thadius sighed again. It was bad enough that some mysterious pressure was making it harder to progress, but now the air he breathed was working against him.

He was thankful that this was a game. Going at the pace he was with only a few short breaks, would have been extremely taxing in real life. If at all possible.

'Those stat gains really helped out.' he thought as he chewed on another piece of jerky.

[DEER JERKY

A quick snack for a weary traveler

For the next 3 hours:

+15% stamina regeneration]

While thanking a certain old man, he pressed on. But he hadn't gone far before his troubles increased.

[A mysterious pressure is being exerted. You are getting closer to the source. Stamina consumption will be increased to 15%. ]

'There shouldn't be any monsters, but has anyone actually checked beyond the trail? They wouldn't claim it was true without checking the entire mountain, right?'

A seed of doubt had been placed in Thadius' mind. As a level 1 player, an encounter with anything that could survive on the mountain would be hazardous at best. He wanted to get to the peak, but he now had to consider whether or not it was worth dying for.

Thadius looked back the way he came, then he looked toward the misty peak.

'I've already come this far, and I am a little curious about where this pressure is coming from.'

He set off again at a moderate pace. He couldn't jog with all the penalties working against him, so instead of trying focusing on speed, his new goal was to simply keep moving. With the evening sun on the horizon, he knew the cold would assault him as soon as he let his body cool.

Fatigue finally set in after several grueling hours. His stamina was still in the green, but it was mental fatigue that plagued him.

-Hey, Brandon. The doc has been nagging me about getting you out of there for some grub. Just say 'logout'

"Logout."

There was a bright flash as he was taken back to reality. The lack of feeling below his neck was an immediate reminder of his harsh reality.

"So, how was it?" Curtis greeted him with a smile as he took off the Dark Chariot. He had been watching the playback footage, but he wanted to hear about it from Brandon.

"If felt good. I never thought I'd get another chance to walk or run. Thanks, Curt." Brandon said with a satisfied smile.

Curtis shook his head and patted his head. "Don't thank me. All I did was make a suggestion. It was better than having you watch T.V. all day in my opinion."

"Definitely better than T.V." Brandon quickly agreed.

"And now that you've experienced it for yourself, do you have any questions?"

Brandon had plenty of questions, but the rumble of his stomach interrupted his train of thought.

"Ah, that's right. Let's talk while you eat." Curtis brought over the tray that had a hearty looking meal on it. Thadius was ravenous after Chaos Online had awakened his long-lost appetite.

During the meal, the two conversed between every spoonful. Though Curtis did most of the talking, Brandon was surprised by how little he knew about the game.

"So all I have to say is 'status' and I can see my progress?" he asked.

"Yeah. It shows you everything, from your class skills to stats." Curtis nodded.

"And how do I get a class?"

"Depends. I'm a Squire right now, which is categorized as a pre-class. I got it by volunteering.

If I fulfill the requirements, then I'll become a Knight. At least I hope so, the guy I'm serving is an asshole." Curtis sneered as he mentioned his in-game lord.

One of the main selling points of Chaos Online was its class system. In most games, once you pick a class, it's disadvantageous to switch. Sonsoft went the extra mile and developed what they call the 'Lawless' class system. While the game supports a full roster of beginner, hidden, rare, and unique classes. The Lawless class system introduces hybrid classes for even greater chaos.

Hybrid classes are exactly as they were advertised. They're classes that are born from a specific combination of classes and abilities. A Mage that has learned a specific number of spells and switches over to a Soldier has the possibility of unlocking the Spellsword hybrid class. Most people would think that a Spellsword wouldn't be able to cast spells like Mage or fight as well as a Soldier. With the Lawless system, that way of thinking is incorrect. A Spellsword is both a Mage and a Soldier while also being able to learn all the abilities of both classes. The Spellsword also has the benefits of said classes.

Unfortunately, the requirements for getting a hybrid class are hidden, and the skills from classes outside the formula, cannot be used. Most importantly, once a hybrid class is chosen, the player can no longer switch classes. So if the Spellsword also learned Healing from the Priest class, the skill can no longer be used since the Priest class was not included in the pre-requisite classes for unlocking it.

"But wouldn't that just cause people to get a bunch of classes and level up the skills?" Thadius asked after Curtis had finished his explanation.

"No. Unless it's a hybrid class, using skills from different classes won't be as effective. You can still use them, but you won't have the benefits from the class, and the skills will level up slower than normal."

"But a knight throwing fireballs is still dangerous..."

"But a Spellsword throwing fireball is deadly." Curtis countered.

"So hybrids are better?"

"Of course, but they're hard to get since you'll never know the requirements. Not only that, if you plan on getting a super hybrid, you'll be spending most of your time playing other classes anyway."

"Super hybrid?" Brandon frowned. The number of new terms he just learned was beginning to overwhelm him.

"It's just a term people came up with for hybrids that have advanced or rare classes a pre-requisites."

"You can combine any class!?"

"No. Unique and pre-classes like the Squire will never be pre-requisite classes for hybrids. That has already been confirmed."

"But the rare and advanced classes can?"

"Beginner classes too. I just told you I'm a Squire right? Knight is the next level, so it's an advanced class. If I switch to a Mage and advanced to a Black Mage, I could probably get the Dark Knight hybrid class." Curtis explained with a thoughtful expression.

"Nice."

"Right? But I have no idea if the class even exists. I'd basically be playing by faith alone. So even if hybrids are powerful, getting them is a pain in the ass. And if you jump the gun and get one early, you might miss out on a better one or cut yourself off from classes and skills you've already learned."

"So it's basically an investment." Thadius thought out loud.

"A blind investment." Curtis nodded in agreement.

"With enough time though, it really will be Chaos Online..."

Curtis laughed. "That's what I said!"

They had talked for about an hour after they had eaten. Brandon was excited about the possibilities and was anxious to get back in the game.

"Set me up. I'm going back in."