Vol. 1 - Ch. 0 - Prologue

"Free Species World", commonly known as FSW, is one of the most popular VR games in the world today. According to the official website, it is a royal "sword and sorcery" game. The game system is a fantasy MMORPG with a level system for both occupations and ability skills, and NPCs with AI indistinguishable from natural humans.

Even though the game had all these specialities, it was no different from any other VRMMO. However, the main reason for this game to get so much attention and popularity was the incentive to select other races than humanoids. I'm not talking about the usual fantasy elves and dwarves in games, but about the beasts like dogs and cats, goblins, orcs, other humanoids, and even non-humanoid like griffins and slimes. As the title suggests, we can play as any race as we want.

I feel so refreshed just thinking about this game.

'I'm Masashi Okada, and I work for a small, grey company that makes me work a lot. Sometimes even over time, but thankfully, they also allow me to take days off. I'm Masashi Okada, and nice to meet you.'

'I don't care about my real life! The game I've been waiting for is coming soon! The game, "Free Species World," is about to get into service!'

There is a reason why I'm so excited about this game. It's because "Free Species World" is my first VR game!

It is my first experience with both VR hardware and the genre. I've never been much of a gamer, so I guess it's understandable that I'd be super excited about everything, right?

I failed in the lucky draw for the game's beta test but thankfully succeeded in pre-ordering my first copy.

Although I have been busy lately, and maybe I can't even spare a couple of hours for the game, I'm a confirmed Enthusiast.

For the last six months, I've been looking forward to the sale of this game, and now it's finally here.

"Mmm, mmm... I should hydrate myself first."

As soon as I got home from work, I had dinner, soaked in the tub, and had enough water and sports drinks. I can say that I'm all set to log in!

It has been a hectic day of work, and playing this game would be the best way to relax.

I put on the choker-shaped device and turned it on. The icon of "Free Species World" appeared on the retina display, and I activated it from my point of view.

It was my first time using this headpiece.

As soon as the game started, I felt a floating sensation throughout my body, as if I were in an old-fashioned elevator.

I was floating in the darkness in a pair of shabby, nondescript shirt and pants.

"Oh, it is so beautiful..."

Suddenly, I got surrounded by a beautiful vast ocean of light, and below me was a planet as blue as the earth. But the continents of this planet appeared completely different from our planet.

It was a planet from the game with unique maps and designs.

'I guess this is what space travel, a timepass hobby for the rich and powerful, is like.'

"Hello?"

"Hmm?"

I was absorbed in gazing into space when I heard a voice calling me out. I turned around and saw a beautiful, or rather a divine woman standing away from me. She had gray, shiny hair that reached the back of her knees,

Her skin was smooth like a pearl that was clearer than white porcelain with no wrinkles or stains. And above all, she was wearing a kimono embroidered with Higabana flowers on a black background.

(Higabana: flower of higan; Red Spider Lily flower)

She was the kind of woman with whom I might have fallen in love at first sight if I ever saw her in real life. It felt like reality was laughing at me. I was feeling shy even by looking at her.

"I'm so sorry about this. Nice to meet you. My name is Masashi Okada. May I ask your name?" I awkwardly asked the woman who stood before me,

"Mmm-hmm. You are very polite. I'm a goddess named Yifa. Or, in the players' terms, I'm a general management AI."

General management AI, huh? I've read on some news sites that all-immersive VR games today should be considered pseudo-alternate worlds. Furthermore, Yifa seems to have a pseudo-personality AI and could be called a pseudo-otherworldly goddess.

"Now, let's get started. Okada sama, please create a character."

'Oh, so this universe is a field for character creation?

"Yes, I am excited to create my character. I think I will make it look minimal."

"Okada sama, you have to choose a character name, a race, outlook, an occupation, and ten ability skills," Yifa instructed me.

"I understand."

As I answered her, a semi-transparent window appeared in front of me. On the screen, I could see the unfashionable clothes that I wore.

'I can't believe I'm saying this, but I'm afraid the players will think of me as an NPC if I continue to look like this."

"By default, the race will be "Human" and the occupation is "Amateur Warrior". But you can change it. Also, you can alter the appearance of your character from here. I will wait as long as it takes you to change and answer any questions you may have, so please take your time in choosing."

"Thank you for your consideration Yifa sama."

'I said I'd give it some thought, but the truth is, I've already decided on a race and an occupation. I would choose the race as "moving skeletal skeleton" and the occupation as "apprentice magician".'

Yes, I'm a skeleton magician, and I'm thinking of playing a demon or a villain. And if possible, I'd like to master the magic that humans seem to hate. I don't want to unnecessarily hurt NPCs that will never respawn and end up dead. Due to my work schedule, I'll probably remain as a subtle villain who can't beat the top players.

I've come all this way to become an outsider. Is it okay to be this excited in the game?

The problem, however, is with the ability skills. I am inexperienced in games. I have only played the game once at a friend's house when I was little, so I have no idea which ones go well together or are strong. And obviously, I don't know the rules.

According to the advanced game information, every time your level in race and occupation increases, you will get points to acquire ability skills, commonly known as SP (Skill Points). However, failing in the first step itself is a painful experience. I'd rather not.

Moreover, it seems that the SP to acquire each ability skill is different, and some of them consume SP to evolve when they reach a certain level. The opportunity to gain several ability skills without spending. However, if SP is valuable, it should not be chosen at random in the beginning itself.

It's also interesting that I have to do everything by hand. But if I am doing this, at least I want to be strong enough to play the villain. So I decided to ask the goddess Yifa.

"Yifa sama, I have a question for you."

"Yes, what is it?"

"Actually.........."

I told the goddess that this was the way I wanted to play the game by roleplaying a villain. It was true that I was embarrassed to say that, but I have no regrets. No regrets at all!

"Mmmm. That's very good."

Hmmm? I thought she would laugh at me, but surprisingly, her response was appreciable. But the way she reacted was a little scary. Her smile seemed a bit creepy.

"If you're a 'moving skeletal skeleton' and an 'apprentice magician,' I highly recommend [linguistics], [archeology], [alchemy], [dark magic], and [wands] as your skills."

"Gee, [linguistics] and [archeology]?" I retorted in confusion.

"Yes. You can choose one more if you like."

What the hell was that? Are [linguistics] and [archeology] preferred over [magic]? Hmm?.

"One left? Aren't there ten slots for ability skills?" I asked to clarify my doubt.

"No, demons such as 'moving skeletons' have the race abilities like Wraithskill, which fills in the slots."

"Ohh... Seriously?"

"By the way, what are those four lineups...?" I asked Yifa about the other skills.

[Night Vision], [State Abnormality], [Light Attribute], and [Hit Vulnerability].

Whoa, there it goes! I never expected that my real-life weakness would be in the skill slot.

If you have an ability skill with weakness, you will not be able to acquire the magic of that particular skill even if you spend SP on it. However, by taking damage from that specific skill, you will gain experience and reduce your vulnerability as you level up. Eventually, you will not only overcome your weaknesses but even become resistant to them.

"How many times do I have to take a light attack before I get knocked out?"

"Well?"

Well, okay! Even if it's a thorny path, I'll stick to my original intention!

She did not reply to my question.

"I understand. Then, along with the five ... Please choose [Appraisal]."

The goddess was surprised to hear the word "appraisal". Was that word so unexpected?

"I thought you would have chosen offensive magic, but may I ask why?"

"Yes. with the [archeology] I thought it would be impossible to identify anything other than old objects with it. So this [appraisal] will help me know the value of items."

"I see, so you chose skill on information rather than attack. That's a good decision." Yifa-Sama complimented.

Oh, I got a compliment. It's nice to be complemented by a beautiful woman, even though she is an AI.

"I see you've selected your ability skills, and now they will appear in your status."

"Okay."

And that's how my status in the game got determined.

Name : Isam

Race : Moving Skeleton Lv0

Occupation : Apprentice Magician Lv0

Ability Skills

[Wand] Lv0

[Dark Magic] Lv0

[Archeology] Lv0

[Linguistics] Lv0

[Alchemy] Lv0

[Appraisal] Lv0

[Night Vision] (Lv-)

[Disable Abnormalities] (Lv-)

[Vulnerable to Light Attribute] (Lv10)

[Vulnerable to Blows] Lv10

Hmmm, looking at my skills, there's no way to attack at all! I'll have to be careful in the beginning. Oh, as for the name Isam, it's the reversal of Masasi, the romanized version of my real name.

Then I smiled at my reflection in the window, a skeleton wearing the ragged clothes and wooden staff that constitutes the initial appearance of an apprentice magician.

"This is the end of character creation. Thank you for your time."

"Oh, thank you for your hard work. So, is there a tutorial?" I asked her.

"No, there is none."

"Huh?"

"The tutorial, the Basic Training, usually takes place at the Adventurers' Guild."

"The Adventurer's Guild?"

"However, demons are the main target of the guild members, so Isam sama will not be able to receive any training. On the contrary, if you try to enter the guild, you will be hunted down."

Haaaaah! What? What the hell is that? I can't receive a tutorial and can't enter the guild city? Isn't it too much of a disadvantage that the game's main selling point is that you can play freely as you want?

"But don't worry. When Isam-sama lands in the city of Firth, please chant, 'Watch your step'. If you do that, something good will happen to you."

"Hold on! Are you just going to send me on my way?"

"Have a good day!"

Choo-choo!.. I heard a sound, and suddenly my vision went dark.

"Are you gone?" I heard another voice calling out from behind.

In the world of Free Species World, there are twelve major deities of AI and one of them, the "Goddess of War and Victory," Gunaree appeared out of nowhere. Trust me, I had no idea.

"Have you been listening to my conversations with Yifa-sama?"

"Yes, From the beginning. Oh, I don't want you to get the wrong idea, but it just happened. The player I'm in charge of has already finished the game, so I just came to Yifa."

"So you're gonna guide me or something?"

"No, I am not. The AI system has guided only one player throughout the history of this game server. And that's what the administration instructed us to do."

A player that "The Goddess of War and Victory" would guide? That's interesting.

"He is a very funny guy, and the first thing he said was, 'Make me a Wraith, the most fun race to fight with! You know?' Pfft...! She broke into a peal of laughter as she continued,

"I see. You seem to like him. So what did you recommend?"

"Imp goblin."

"...I see."

The small demon goblin is the weakest category to select in the early stages. However, if you clear several strict conditions, you can certainly reach the humanoid race which is most suitable for fighting.

"So, what does Yifa-chan expect from Isam-Kun?"

"Of course, it's chaos. If things remain the same, the balance between humans and demons will shift, and a world dominated by humans will come. Wouldn't that be boring?"

Even though the initial avatar of the demons have weak ability skills, the disadvantage of lack of tutorials and not being able to enter guilds makes them useless amateur. It means that players who choose to play as a demon are not just greedy. The players want to have fun and cause chaos as well.

In fact, less than 10% of the 50,000 players on the initial sale chose non-humans. Furthermore, most of them are ordinary beasts such as dogs and cats that are not monsters. So far, over a thousand people have selected monsters that can only be called a hell mode.

Isn't it the same as a normal, hundreds of games? I can't tolerate a world where the gameplay is repeated and mundane.

"Yes, that would be boring."

"I'm sure Isam sama will maintain chaos in this world. I bet on it."

"That's right, lady Gunaree. Then it's going to be interesting."

"Isam sama. Well, at the very least, we want you to become a demon, a king, and so on. Please meet our expectations and make it interesting, right?"

And again, after she said those words, I was thrown back into the blank space for a while.

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