Creation Online
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Book 2 / 1 - Alpha Testers
🕑 Added 2024-06-03 16:00:13 +0000 UTC[Author Note: I always forget to say this. Just remembered while scheduling this so I'll put it here. Vaustaris pronunciation is different with English and Vaustaris Tongue.
Vaustaris Tongue is the common language used in Vaustaris.
The S at the end of any word in Vaustaris is silent.
English - Vaustaris ( Vos - Ta - Ris)
Vaustaris Tongue - Vaustaris (Vos - Ta - Ri)
Something like saying Vaustaris Wolf. It appears this way with the S at the end. But pronouncing it is Vos - Ta - Ri wolf.
Thank you]
****
Gaius PoV
"Beautiful". I couldn't help but admire the pod delivered by The Ancients Inc. It was a sleek and metallic futuristic pod the length of a bed but with half the width of a standard bed. Its surface and body reflected the room's lights and gave me a sense of awe.
"So close".
The madness that had begun because of this game couldn't be understood by lesser folk. Even he didn't quite get the importance but he sure had his orders. The Ancients IInc might have believed that their people were close-lipped and loyal but even they could not expect the amount of money most prominent families had to spend. It made it easier to know just what the game meant or atleast what the lower rats of the company knew. Which was why the Alpha test slots had been vanquished fast. The Beta would have earned most of the subordinates a chance in the game if the company didn't have weird rules.
As such I knew this was one chance to complete my mission. Make a foothold in this game before the main thing comes. If I proved myself then the patriarch would surely let me manage this part of the company and if possible, I could even break away.
'First I have to evaluate this game myself and know what it offers'.
The time till Alpha login was close. But not close enough. I decided to once more take time to evaluate information on the forum.
It was a useless place. Little to no information. No description and nothing. A situation that was caused by the Creator Players getting instructed to withhold information until after the login. I didn't understand but I didn't mind. If it was luck then even the patriarch would not have me to blame for any inconveniences.
After all, even he would be watching my login.
A sigh escaped my lips as I leaned back into my chair and shut my eyes. Only time will tell.
*
Timothy's POV
The three pods were identical. Uncannily. Yet that wasn't what got my attention. It was the last pieces of security in my door that caught my eye. Getting the slots and then having my siblings play as well was something dangerous.
'A chance he could use to get to her'. My gaze flickered to the side where a pretty 14-year-old bounced excitedly in her chair. A smile crossed my face. it was always good to see Melody smile even after everything and all these years.
I once more clenched my fists as thoughts and memories reared up in my head. It was a testament to her strength that not even father could have broken her.
The door shut behind me as the contractor exhaled.
"It's all done sir. Once there are any unauthorized movements here you'll get a notice in your game". The middle-aged man wiped the sweat from his brow.
I eyed the door taking in the final house security that would keep Melody safe and let me play the game with her as much as she wished without having to worry. I shook my head in fatigue.
"Thank you. You may go now. The Butler will clear your bills". I turned away and back to the pods. 'Hopefully, you have what it takes to give her a brand new life.
*
Franco tapped his feet eagerly and quite impatiently. It was almost time. Almost. He had followed the time religiously, and kept chatting with the others who like him were just as if not more excited. He couldn't wait. Five minutes to log in and he was already in the pod, clothed in the skin suit provided for this. The liquid soaked him up. The pod shut with a hiss as he eyed the red light that scanned him before turning green.
A countdown appeared above him.
'Two minutes left '.
It was a blessing he lacked the issue of confined spaces most folks did. As such he could wait. And wait he did.
'One minute left'
Once the timer drew closer to the twenty seconds mark he found himself getting dizzy. Franco tried his best to fight the sleepy pull and his heavy lids but it was useless.
[00:00:00:15]
.
.
.
[00:00:00:04]
[00:00:00:03]
[00:00:00:02]
[00:00:00:01]
[00:00:00:00]
[May your actions spin a tale so vast the Cosmos remembers]
[Power, Might, Glory, Tales, and Legends are yours to grab]
The words gave him a little more boost to fight back but even that failed fast.
[Welcome to Creation Online Player]
*
As far as Franco could see was a pure white light. It was in every direction and he couldn't understand it. He felt nothing and sensed nothing. There was just white. For a moment he momentarily got scared. Wondering if there was some glitch and if he had been trapped in the login unable to get out.
The white cleared and he soon found himself. Yes himself, body parts, all completely standing on something that looked like stars. A bridge of stars that curved and formed a path through a swat of black space and straight into the distance.
"What am I supposed to do here?" Franco jumped as his voice echoed around him. "Woah". He grinned. Looking around he took a step. "Maybe the task is ahead". Two steps in and the bridge flickered as he found a word before him.
Not a word but a row of words. Names. He was sure it was names but not of people. Of something. Reaching out his hand passed through.
"Hmmh. Not physical. It's a game. Must be..." he tried making the words roll up with a thought and like hoped it moved. "Ahah. That's it". Scrolling he found many names that felt weird and confusing until he saw one.
[Yggdrassil]
Franco paused. Pushing lower he found another that made him squint.
[Andromeda]
He shivered as excitement and possible light bulbs began igniting in his head.
[Pangu]
[Pangea]
[Brahmanda]
He scrolled faster. Many names he didn't even recognize like the first ones shot past. Of course, Franco was still not sure of what he was looking at but by the time his eyes found a name he stilled.
[The Star Rings]
"Universe".
None of the Creator Players had shared names for their universe. Not even Creator Hildelith. Still, he remembered the name drop on one such day. He blinked hard. Something else caught his attention.
Each of the words had a numerical value of some sort next to it. But what bothered him was that each was dropping. Even the Star Rings. None of them were fast to drop but they were dropping nonetheless.
[The Star Rings] - [32/55]
It was clear that the drop had increased and if the number reached zero it wouldn't be good for him. Why else would it show him the numerals? With panic, he tapped on the word with his hand first and when he almost fell through cursed himself and thought of tapping it.
The words highlighted and he felt a grasp at him. Like a confirmation for entering.
[12/55]
Franco nearly screamed out a yes. Fortunately, he was just in time as he was whisked out of existence.
*
A crack and pop caught his ears as something twisted and bent. Franco found himself staggering to his knees as he was dropped roughly.
A look around showed he was in a house. A quaint little house. A cottage of sorts. Looking behind him he found a shit door and out through the window he saw a land covered in snow.
"Where am I?".
"Your Evaluation test*.
Franco felt himself wince as the voice grated through him. It was like nails scraping against a chalkboard dialed to the max.
"Sorry. I forgot to tone down the ?*#?*?$. Regardless. Welcome. I'd advise you get on to the rest as there are limited slots left".
Franco shook his head the feeling leaving him fast. Looking up he found himself staring into a blueish gray mist that resembled a woman. Her left arm outstretched in a gesture to the table he was only noticing now.
Infact he was only noticing the stairs the blueish mist entity stood or floated on. 'Meaning this place has an upper floor. What is there?'.
"You could explore or you could quickly take a slowly dwindling card?". The voice came again.
"I saw the numbers. There's only a certain few of us here". He argued. The mist entity had a coy grin.
"True. But I assure you. You want to make a choice and not have the leftovers".
That got his attention. Why he'd not been bothered by the entity reading his mind since this was a game and surely a game could have a program to read minds, he'd been intent on solving any hidden clues here and getting any rewards. Games had those rights.
He wasn't so sure now as he watched the cards on the table vanish one by one.
"Across this space are 54 other buildings with 54 other players. Each selecting a card and completing their login".
"Login. Wait. You mean.."
"I assure you, Franco. The Prologue is yet to begin "
With a frown at his conclusions, he rushed for the table and looked it over. Eleven card colors. And from the arrangements five different card colors. Most were gone. Whisked away. Others remained. But the one that had only a single card left was the white card.
His head tried going through colors. There was a Red, Golden yellow, Green, Silver, Blue, Purple, Gray, Black, and a last White card that vanished just as he looked. Vanishing as someone somewhere took it. Trying to reason if there was anything about the colors that the Creator had told them Franco furrowed his brows.
"Is there something we should know?".
"Good. Questions open up thoughts and thoughts create a path of confusion. But in that confusion always lies an answer. Unseen, unnoticed. But there". The mist lady floated down the stairs to stand opposite him.
"Each card stands for a sense of who you are. Pass your hand over it and choose that to which you are drawn. Remember. Picking a card is permanent".
He frowned. Unsure. Confused. But it was a game. So he followed the rules given. Passing a hand over the first one he felt nothing, and then a shock of Absolute terror washed through him. Franco stumbled back. Shock and fear rolled over him as his mind fought to calm himself.
"What, what was that?".
"Death. Destruction". The lady shrugged them motioned back to the card. Franco stared, not at the Black card, but at the rest.
'What the hell?'.
The next card was the gray one. It gave a sense of boundless power. Of pathways and routes opened to him. It felt better. The purple card was one of desolation and madness. It rubbed off on him as something he didn't like. Thr Blue gave him a sense of wonder and possibility. Of life and chances. His lips twitched in a smile. The Silver radiated strength, law, order, and an unflinching will. Green sent a pulse of imagination to him. He could think of what could be, what might be. He could envision what was possible. The Golden yellow Card filled him with immense hope and a sense of just peace and good. The last one had no feeling. He didn't get it at first until it slammed into him with force. Pure and unbridled might. He could sense his body swell with it like a hot balloon.
'How am I supposed to pick'. Another card vanishing jolted him into realizing that he either picked it or get the leftover assigned to him.
*
It wasn't hard to decide when he finally found a card he felt was connected to him. He didn't understand how either. But the moment he knew what he wanted from this game by translating the sensations he felt from the cards he just picked the closest to his desires. Whether or not it was a mistake mattered no more as the moment he held the card, even the doubt rushing through him vanished. It felt like it was meant to be.
'This is it'.
He looked up at her and found her smiling quite creepily at him. "Welcome to the Star Rings Grandson". Franco met darkness again. He was getting tired of it but there was nothing he could do.
The card he held broke up into many pieces of light and flowed straight into his chest. Simultaneously, all the cards on the table pulsed with a blueish gray dim and vanished just as he too vanished.
****
Universe -The Star Rings
Ring - 4th
Reality - Mortal Plane
Solar system - Origin
World - Vaustaris
Continent - Lunar Plains
Main Continent South - Frierwood - Frierwood Beach
[5000 Aeus APW - After Primordial Walk]
It had been five hundred Aeus since the Primordials walked Vaustaris. Many knew of those times, but few remembered it. When beings of uncanny difference and weird minds mingled with them. Taught them, brought various secrets and ways of life to them. Vaustaris had grown, and its people had thrived. There was peace. A peace and joy that they only knew.
Blood, war, and violence came only at the teeth of a Vaustaris Wolf or the countless beasts and monsters that roamed the world. Creatures that luckily fell to the blades of the various orders that had sprung up all over the world.
Old Hatari took in the sight of a grand and beautiful world for the last time. It should be, had to be. Her cheeks were wrinkled, flesh sagging. Her bones were weak and felt like a single step could shatter them. Her eyesight was worse and yet it failed to close off the beauty of her homeland. Her hearing was weak and yet the children never ceased to overjoy her with their loud shouts of play.
Hatari didn't know what came after life, but she certainly knew one thing. Somehow, she would miss this place.
BOOM
An explosion in the far distance caught many eyes. Hatari barely saw the mushroom cloud in the far distance but she could see it thanks to its great side. Even more it wasn't the only one. Streaks of flaming projectiles fell from the heavens. If her sight had been good she could have seen more in the distance, specks in the sky that hurtled down into far off lands she'd always dreamnt of traveling to.
If her sight had been good she would have seen the little brats beneath her tree house rushing off as their excited gazes followed a very large projectile as it fell for the Frierwoods. Parents and elders shouted and cried for the young uns to assemble into their houses but those were long gone into the woods.
If she had seen them maybe she would have alerted the village. Alas, she couldn't. Age had eaten too deeply into her. A small smile, the best her cheeks could perform stretched as stories of the old days returned to her memories. Her grandmother's voice of happiness and glee as she spoke of the Primordials. Beings who could heal anything with a mere wave of the hand.
Hatari didn't know what the explosions signified or the streaks falling were. But she knew, she was too old. Her time was one of peace and stability. Whatever was happening now was beyond her. Her eyes turned to the cottage at the center of the village.
'Hanma will do well'. Her daughter was a strong and willed woman. Taking after her mother. While she refused to take a husband and give her grandchildren before her time Hatari understood Hanna's stress. Watching over a village in these times, especially with the Orders and the Royals everywhere was a harsh endeavor.
'She can do it'.
Whatever this new generation brought. Hatari knew her child could do it.
Comments
Some BS Deity
Oh the curse of living in interesting times. Woe unto thee that was born during the time of Godfall
