Rewrite - Chapter 3

This will be the day we've waited for

This will be the day we open up the door...

Well, or something like that. Today was the day Road to Purgatory started and I was pumped. All projects had been finished and spectating the flame-war had become boring, with no new drama to laugh at. If things had gone on like this for much longer, I may have done something stupid, like a short interview just to stir the pot again. But no, cheap amusement was no longer necessary. For it was the day I had been waiting for. And it was almost time to knock open that door.

"Pica, Display the countdown to Road to Purgatory-Launch." I ordered the thin air around me and, moments later, a set of red numbers, like the bomb-countdown in a bad thriller or on a cheap, digital clock, appeared before me. 20 minutes till launch.

Standing from the spot I had been sitting cross-legged, I went into my training hall, simply to pass some time and maybe expend some of the nervous energy. It would help to center myself, even as I marvelled at the smoothness of control I had over my virtual body. By now, the slight incongruous feeling I had in the beginning, that things were just a little bit 'off' was gone, vanquished by repeated training.

"10...9...8..." The numbers had ticked far enough down that I could simply watch them go by, without feeling time dilate to infinity, and I stood back, before speaking to the empty air again. "Thanks Pica, log me in as soon as possible."

When the countdown hit zero, I experienced that feeling of vertigo again, similarly to the first time I had used the capsule. It was a little like falling, only in reverse. As if the world was tumbling, while I remained stationary. Moments later, and just as sudden as the sensation had started, it faded and I found myself on a green meadow, with some birds singing in nearby trees, a gentle breeze making the leaves rustle.

"Greetings, Traveller" A soft voice spoke up behind me, causing me to whirl around and raise my hands in a defensive stance. In front of me stood a Mediterranean looking lady, wearing a gown of pure silver, flowing like no fabric I've ever seen before. Looking at the amused expression on her face, I felt silly for my raised fists, letting them fall to my side as I stood normally, my shoulders square and head held high. While I would never tower over anyone but children, I would not cower before anyone.

"Greetings, friend. Some call me Samantha, who might you be?" I introduced myself to the women, trying to act as if my original reaction had never happened.

"Well, some have called me Alkmene, I suppose you can do the same.” she replied, and I felt my eyebrows contract into a frown, the way she said it making me curious and a little worried.

“I am one of the Daimon, it would just not do to you my true name, not on our first meeting.” she explained, her lips curling into a smile as she continued.

“Maybe you have heard that names have power and it would be unseeming to give a new arrival such power. In turn, it would be wise if you were to choose a new name for this realm, one that you can share with all that meet you."

As she spoke, my mind went to the texts I had read to prepare, when realising that Pantheon Entertainment had borrowed heavily from Greek Folklore. Their name was a bit of a give-away, and Alkmene was one of the names I vaguely remembered, due to her connection to Hecate. If I remembered right, Alkmene had been the mother of Hercules and either died a mortal or had been turned into a polecat before being taken in by Hecate. And daimons were supposed to be immortal spirits, teaching and guiding mortals by order of their deities.

Seems like this one was a disciple of Hecate, and my guide on the Road I was about to embark on.

"Well met, Alkmene, may wise Hecate watch over both of us. For a local name, what do you think about Morgana?" I replied and the use of Hecate's name caused what looked like a genuine small smile to appear on Alkmene’s face. Once again, I had to marvel at the intricacy I was experiencing, in some ways it felt more real and relatable than the real world.

"Ah, a well read one. That might serve you well in the days to come.” she chuckled, before her face returned to the polite mask reminiscent of many a customer-service employee.

“Now, let us get on with it.” she said, before continuing on.

“To enter the world of  Mundus, you will need a suitable Avatar. You can either use your own body as a baseline or you can craft yourself one from scratch, modified by a racial choice later. You should, however, remember that using your own body as a base is of great advantage because you are most familiar with it. An unfamiliar body might require a certain acclimatisation-period.” she explained, before pausing for a moment.

“Now, which method should it be?” as she asked, a blue box appeared in front of me.

[a] Welcome to the Road to Purgatory-Beta

You met your guide to character creation. To guarantee that all features are tested, some testers will have their choices restricted, ensuring a broad range of testing.  [/a]

I had barely enough time to read the short explanation before the box disappeared and Alkmene continued as if I'd answered her question.

“Ah, so you want to use your own body as a baseline?” she stated, nodding in what looked like approval.

“Well, that means we need to find out it's attributes, does it not? Both physical and mental traits will be measured and described by the nine parameters used on the Road to Purgatory. Please remember that this is only the baseline and you will be able to modify yourself later as you further adapt your Avatar to Mundus.

Again, a series of blue windows appeared, telling me about the attributes they used.

[table][tr][td]Strength[/td][/tr]

[tr][td]This describes your physical strength, not only as pure muscle strength but also the ability to apply it. Strength also influences your overall well-being.[/td][/tr][/table]

[table][tr][td]Agillity[/td][/tr]

[tr][td]This describes your physical flexibility, speed, reflexes and physical reactions. It allows you to use your body in a precise and speedy manner.[/td][/tr][/table]

[table][tr][td]Dexterity[/td][/tr]

[tr][td]The ability to deftly use your hands and your hand-eye coordination. It is important for simple tasks like writing but also to adeptly wield a weapon, pick a lock and generally everything that requires precise manual movement.[/td][/tr][/table]

[table][tr][td]Endurance[/td][/tr]

[tr][td]Endurance allows you to be the last one standing, either on a field of battle, during a long march or anywhere else. In addition, it increases your resistance to physical forces and your pain-tolerance.[/td][/tr][/table]

[table][tr][td]Vitality[/td][/tr]

[tr][td]This describes the overall health of your body. The more Vitality you have, the longer you can live, as it will take more to kill you and you will regenerate faster, after being injured.[/td][/tr][/table]

[table][tr][td]Courage[/td][/tr]

[tr][td]This describes your ability to look the unknown into the eye without blinking, your mental toughness to go where no one went before and proudly stand in the face of overwhelming odds. Courage allows you to push past your fear and to remain calm under pressure, both magical and mundane.[/td][/tr][/table]

[table][tr][td]Intelligence[/td][/tr]

[tr][td]This describes the raw strength of your mind. Higher Intellect is linked to better mental calculations, memory and an overall higher magical power.[/td][/tr][/table]

[table][tr][td]Charisma[/td][/tr]

[tr][td]This describes your natural skill at influencing others, both with your words and with the natural aura of your body. Higher charisma allows you to manipulate others without magical means, no matter if it is to be seen in a certain way or not to be seen at all.[/td][/tr][/table]

[table][tr][td]Intuition[/td][/tr]

[tr]This describes the speed of your mind. It increases your overall perception, allows you to make better split-second decisions, helps to recognise patterns and bring yourself in harmony with magical streams.[/td][/tr][/table]

There were a few more attributes than in most games, but nothing thoroughly unexpected. Just at a glance, I thought that nothing looked truly useless, even if some of them, like Intelligence, Charisma or Endurance were a little more specialised, but I would have to wait until I saw the actual game to make a judgement.

“An average human might have around ten points in each attribute but personal growth, environmental factors and magic can change that.” Alkemene explained, once I focused back on her, after reading the boxes. “

“There will be multiple tests.” she announced before continuing, “Let's start with the first.”

I could hear her words echoing around me, as the world faded to black.