[PP-F1] A Chance Encounter

[Guest]

Brody sat on a bench on one of the side roads of the Starting City, distraught. It was nighttime in Aincrad, but people were still up and about, practically sprinting between shops. Not surprising, given the circumstances. If that big man in the sky had been telling the truth, then he was stuck in this game until someone managed to beat it. He suspected that people would be scrambling to try and beat this thing so they could go home. Brody scoffed as he thought about that. This was an MMO. Was it even really possible to beat the game? Was there an endgame, a final quest of some kind? Maybe there were certain requirements that had to be met for the game to be considered 'finished?

Even though he'd been checking every hour on the hour ever since the news broke, Brody decided to double-check again. He swiped down and opened his menu. Sure enough, the "Log Out" button was grayed out and unavailable. He tried clicking on it several times just to make sure. Nothing. He was well and truly stuck in this game.

Brody began to think about the real world. What would happen while he was stuck here? Would he get fired from his job when he failed to show up for work? If he couldn't eat, then what would happen to his body? If something happened to his body in the real world, then what would happen to him here? There were so many questions that he just didn't know the answers to.

Edited April 24, 2016 by Q

[Guest]

Brody bowed his head and put his fingers to his temples. He had finally gotten the game, and the very first time he plays it is when this happens? After briefly sitting there with his head in his hands stressing out, he stood up from the bench. Moping around wasn't going to get him out of here any faster. If this was how it was going to be, then fine. He needed to do something if he wanted to make it out of this death game alive.

So the only way anybody was getting out of here was if someone made it to the top level and beat the boss. At least, that's what the big man in the red hoodie had said. That would take a squad of high level players with god tier weapons and armor. Brody looked at his meager starting equipment. They weren't going to get him very far. He could focus on getting some party members later. He needed better gear. And for that he needed money.

And in an RPG, what better place to start than the bounty board?

Edited May 20, 2016 by Q

[Guest]

Brody started to make his way through the city. Despite the severity of the circumstances, the game itself was still a breathtaking achievement. The sky above him was a deep shade of indigo as the sun dipped completely below the horizon, and he just make out the first stars amidst the vast darkness. A few stray clouds hung around the edges of the sky.

As he walked the side-streets, he smelled the pleasant aroma of freshly baked bread. On his left hand side was a bakery, no doubt crafting fresh batches of goods. He didn't know if it was a player-owned shop or not. He wouldn't be surprised if a player had already gotten that far, given this was an MMO. In the distance, the heavy sound of hammers striking anvils could be heard, the sounds of labor and progress. And for a moment, the game didn't feel like a prison. There were worse places to be trapped. As he continued further, the smell of bread and the sound of striking metal faded away, to be replaced with the sounds of dripping water and the smell of damp brick as he passed by an alleyway.

He wasn't quite familiar with the layout of the city, but with the help of the in-menu map function, he made his way to one of the lower level bounty boards available. There were several identical boards across town, so there weren't too many people around. It was also pretty late, and Brody assumed that some people would be hesitant to go out questing at night.

Edited June 7, 2016 by Q