In other words, suck it up?
Affirmative. If it becomes an issue during an assessment I will try to help you.
Smiling, Alan sat up, making his way to the sort of locker room he had seen earlier, glancing at the time. It was around 6:30 a.m., an hour and a half before the guild assessments began, but Alan could see a number of other recruits in the weight room warming up with light workouts. Of course, that also might have to do with the fact that Khersath didn't have exactly a 24 hour day, not that Alan really minded. His sleep schedule had always been strange.
Alan walked through the doors of the changing/cleaning area. He then stopped, stared, and hurriedly turned right around, walking back outside.
What is the issue? Eve asked.
Um, did you not see the naked chick right there?
Most in-game standards of decency are much different than you might expect. Accordingly, all facilities are gender-neutral unless there are differences for actual physical reasons.
Wait, everything is co-ed, even the bathrooms?
Affirmative. There are individual facilities for those that have qualms with these standards or feel uncomfortable around others. A few doors at the end of the room were highlighted.
Alan briefly considered walking back into the room, but decided to use the individual facilities instead. Some things he saw didn’t quite align like he thought they should. Alan resolved to research this later. If he was caught staring at someone else in any sort of sexual way it was probably an insult, and he didn’t want to accidentally create some sort of incident or be labeled a pervert.
I have detected heightened senses and a modicum of fear. This is likely another deficiency and clear area for improvement for you. Lessons have been added.
Wait, what? What deficiency?
Your virginity—
WAIT. STOP. WHAT ARE YOU SAYING?
I am simply saying your nervousness around those of the opposite gender and focus on the sexual may be a weakness enemies may exploit in the future. You must remedy all such weaknesses.
Um… fine, but not until a lot later.
Very well, lessons moved to the back of the queue.
Groaning, Alan entered the smaller room, wondering what sort of sexual education lesson Eve had planned. Still, they were in a game after all, which meant that such activity likely wouldn’t result in any offspring.
Actually— Eve began, but Alan cut her off.
Enough. Show me how to use this facility.
Alan felt a brief sense of almost exasperation from Eve, but it quickly disappeared. Within the door, he had emerged into a small bathing area the size that appeared to be a hot tub and a sort of enclosed space surrounded by glass walls, that sort of looked like a sauna. Eve instructed Alan to remove his armor and clothing, then enter the glass chamber. Alan poked his foot in, only to find it freezing cold.
What—
It is an adjustable chamber, currently I have it set to a cryogenic setting to help relieve you of your soreness. Get in. This should work.
Shivering, Alan stood in the chamber for a few minutes. He felt like he would freeze to death, but he supposed this wasn’t anything new. It was definitely better than the pain induced when he was forced to run until he collapsed. He’d never put much thought into all the pain and suffering most heroes had to endure, figuring that it would be easy in such life and death situations to simply ignore it. Now, though, he knew better, and was even beginning to second guess his choice to become a combat specialist of some sort.
The pain will become more manageable as you gain new abilities. Now, step out of the chamber and into the water.
Alan nearly jumped out of the chamber, and slowly sank into the warm bath. The floor was lifted such that Alan could comfortably lie down, resting against the side. The water was at a perfect temperature as well, Eve slowly adjusting it to his body.
Relaxing as the heat soaked through him, Alan brought up his message history. To no surprise, he regained his Ignore Pain, Programming a Path and Transcendent Will abilities, in addition to a number of endurance and willpower points. However, he had also gained another ability as well as an additional level, bringing him up to level 80!
Managing to dodge 100 consecutive shots, you have gained a new ability, Dodge!
+5 Agility
Managing to dodge 500 consecutive shots, Dodge has been upgraded to Evasive Movements!
+10 Agility
Managing to efficiently evade 1000 consecutive shots, Evasive Movements has been reclassified as Enhanced Movements, an ability under the Enhanced Control ability tree, increasing its effectiveness. Using amazing perception and precisely controlled movements with a minimum use of energy you have managed to evade a surprising number of attacks.
+25 Agility +10 Perception
Alan brought up the new ability.
Skill Name:
Skill Rank:
Skill Proficiency:
Skill Rarity:
Enhanced Movements
B*
???
B
Gives the player enhanced control over their movements, allowing them to make precise movements with ease.
Alan stared at the messages, thinking. If he managed to dodge 5000 consecutive shots in the training-treadmill-laser-death-room he’d gain the next level of the ability. According to Eve though he barely managed to dodge over 2000 shots before collapsing. That meant he had a way to go. He still had no real grasp of power levels though, and supposed it had many upgrades. From his lessons with Eve, Alan knew he had gained the XP to level from exercising.
The Game handed out a surprising amount of experience to players for tasks other than just completing quests or eliminating enemies. Players who chose professions like engineers, pilots, traders and even politicians gained levels through practicing their own crafts, although battling and quests were generally agreed to give the most experience, unless someone was a master in their field. Normally, most games would just give abilities or attributes for such feats, and unless you were of a class related to the field you worked in, the XP you received would be negligible. The Jack of All Trades ability would allow Alan to gain a bit more XP than normal from such actions. Still, this further explained the need for a workout room and why Academies, schools for new players, were so prevalent.
After Eve told him to get out of the bath, Alan emerged, and was thoroughly dried by warm gusts of air in the glass chamber. After he had put all of his clothing and equipment back on, Alan proceeded to the capsule room, making sure to save his progress and spending the additional ability point in Agility. At Eve’s insistence, he continued to save the rest of his 114 ability points.
***
Fine with arriving early, Alan made his way to his designated simulation room, which was found in the tunnels beneath the main keep. Alan had no idea how many floors there were underneath, as the lift had no buttons. As soon as he stepped into the elevator it simply began moving as though it knew his destination, which Alan supposed it did.
He emerged from the elevator into a brightly lit metal hallway lined with doors on either side, spaced about 10 feet apart. Alan walked down the hallway, past a few closed doors, until he finally found his room. Like all the others, it was simply a pure white chamber in the shape of a cube, sort of like a miniature version of his Home. Two messages popped up:
You have entered a simulated zone! All damage will be simulated and not actually affect the player. No death penalties. Severe XP penalties while in the zone.