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Rin and Yamen walked along the now crowded streets in silence. There wasn’t an uncomfortable feeling between the two, there was just no great reason for conversation, and so none was carried out.
Even though she had received numerous reassurances from Yamen that everything would be alright, she couldn’t help but feel some unease about meeting the guild members for the first time. It was moments like these that she questioned her choice to join Crestfallen in the first place.
“It’ll be fine, you know.” Rin looked up alarmed at the sudden sound. There, she saw a warm smile from Yamen looking back at her. It was a rare showing of emotion, but one that instantly put her at ease. This feeling of contentment did not last long, however, and she soon felt the unease and uncertainty creeping its way back into her.
Ever since she had originally been offered the position in Crestfallen, Yamen had done nothing but try to encourage and assist her however he could. She felt bad about continuing to be a problem, and so she forced the feelings for her mind and returned a smile. He offered a raised eyebrow but did not pursue the issue any further.
They walked along in silence again for a few minutes after that until at last the castle-like guild hall of Crestfallen came into view. Rin took a silent breath in and once again marveled at the size and impressiveness of the structure. There were so many different rooms that could be seen from the outside alone, that it would be staggering to think of just how large it all seemed inside.
Yamen stopped her outside the door and turned to face her. His eyes searched her for a moment before he placed his hands in his pockets and leaned back in a relaxed position once again.
“There’s just one thing that you need to know before we go in there.” Rin cocked her head, listening carefully to what the blonde teen had to say. “No matter what happens, and no matter what the others think or say, Crestfallen is your home if you want it to be. There are still some hurt feelings after what happened with the last Princess of Crestfallen, so they may not be the most receptive. I promise you that if you give them a chance they are a really good group of people.
Rin had to admit that while his words were encouraging, they were also discouraging at the same time. He was obviously trying to prepare her for the fact that she would not be accepted or welcomed. The thought had occurred to her more than once of simply leaving the guild and moving on. Not only did she not want to cause any problems, she also didn’t want to deal with all the problems that her presence was bound to create. Someone like Hiroku would fit in well with the guild. He was strong and independent. She, on the other hand, had just started the game, and was far from the material to be a part of an elite guild.
Yamen opened the smaller access door that stood at the base of the massive wooden gates and motioned for Rin to enter. She gave a quick nod of thanks and walked in, followed closely by her companion who shut the door behind them.
“Not too many people will be on yet this morning, so I think this will be a fine time to introduce you. Don’t worry, there are some who bark a lot, but they generally don’t bite.” Rin paled a bit.
“Generally?” Yamen shrugged. After locking the door to prevent unwanted guests, he began to walk deeper into the adjoining court yard.
“We’ll introduce you to the members that are on, and then let the rest of the members meet and interact with you organically. “
She held her hand close to her chest and looked to the side. “Am I even right to be here?” Her question was not addressed to anyone in particular, and so she was slightly surprised when it received an answer.
“No, not at all. According to our rules, you wouldn’t stand a snowball’s chance in hell of joining this guild.” A small smile came across his face and he turned his back to her once more. “Don’t worry. We’ll get you there, though.” His tone was unnerving and Rin gave a weak smile. She soon fell in step behind Yamen and the two walked into the guild hall together.
…..
Yamen and Rin walked off the balcony from where they had addressed the online guild members. His customary dull expression blanketed his face, while Rin stood white as a sheet. The reception had been a mix of what she had expected. Some members had seemed overjoyed at the prospect of having a new “Princess of Crestfallen, and were even excited to hear that she had joined them. Others seemed enraged to have a new player in the guild, let alone holding such a distinguished rank. There had even been some that she feared might try to follow and kill her once she was out of the protection of Yamen.
Rin always felt safe when she was with Yamen. No matter where he went, he seemed to have the respect of the players that he met, and no one in the guild dared to challenge him. Even those members that were displeased would say nothing directly to him in regards to his decision. He allowed a brief moment of musing to go through her mind. She considered if possibly he was more violent than his relaxed persona would lead people to believe. Even counting the evidence at hand, she found such a suggestion highly implausible.
After they had walked for a short distance, Yamen turned to Rin and looked at her with his customary relaxed stare. “Well, that didn’t go so badly.” There was a hint of sarcasm in his tone. Rin gave him another weak smile before lowering her head.
He walked her again to the exit to the guild hall and leaned against the door, folding his arms as he did. “That’ll be enough for now. You are welcome to go anywhere and do anything in the guild hall, or you’re free to go into the rest of the game.” He pushed off from where he had been leaning and turned his back to her. “IF you’ve got some free time, you might want to think about doing some training.”
She nodded and took an unsure step outside of the guild hall and back into the streets of The Town of Beginnings. It was late morning by this point and the life had returned in full to the town. Players walked briskly in all directions, chatter could be heard from every corner of the map, and there was a liveliness and infectious happiness about the place.
She began to walk through the town, stopping at several of the carts to look at their wares along the way. She hadn’t gone far before she heard a high, excited voice behind her.
“Rin, wait up.” Re-Re rushed up behind Rin and gave her a big hug upon reaching her. “Wow that was kind of rough, huh? There were some that weren’t too pleased to hear that you were going to be joining us.” Rin looked down at the ground with a dismayed smile.
“Yeah….”
“Well, they’re wrong.” Rin looked up with surprised eyes. Re-Re gave her a big smile and nodded. “That’s’ right. I for one am glad that you joined us, and I can’t wait to see how strong you will become. In fact, I’d bet it won’t even take that long.
“You think so?” Rin’s tone was hopeful as she spoke, and though she knew that Re-Re was a naturally positive person, it gave her comfort to hear that she was accepted by at least one other member besides Yamen.
“I know so. Matter of fact, I’m going to help you train.” This was phrased as a statement, and though Rin had no desire to argue it, she got the feeling that she wouldn’t be able to even if she had wanted to.
Re-Re grabbed her hand and pulled her towards the Teleport gate. They rushed through the town at a blurring speed weaving through the crowds with a surgical precision. Rin could clearly tell that the young girl who now tightly gripped her hand was well accustomed to moving at such speeds through densely populated areas.
Before long they arrived at the Teleport gate, and Re-Re stepped forward and began selecting the area where they would teleport to. As she clicked through the various menus, she turned around and gave a big grin.
“Don’t worry, Rin. I’m taking you to a place where we can power level you. In no time at all, you’ll be super strong.” The young girl’s energy was both infectious and overwhelming at the same time, and Rin took a deep breath and a step back. Re-Re quickly grabbed her hand and pulled her forward once again. “Alright, this will be a great spot. Let’s go.” Rin wasn’t given even a moment to protest before she was pulled through the Teleport gate and into the new area.
They exited into a small town that stood on the edge of a massive forest. All around them grew a thick wood, and as Re-Re led them deeper into the ever thickening trees, a dense mist began to pour in all around them.
“Alright, Rin, I’m going to invite you to a party now, m’kay? It can get pretty hard to see here, so stick close to me and you should be fine. By the way, you aren’t afraid of spiders, are you?” Rin accepted the party request while the young girl talked, and she opened her mouth to answer the question that had been posed to her, but was cut off. “C’mon, I know a great place where monsters frequently spawn. You’ll be able to get some good experience points there.
They headed deeper into the forest, continuing to press on until they came to a point where the trees shone white in the canopy overhead. The entire area was coated in a thick layer of spider silk. A shiver ran its way down Rin’s spine, and she took an uneasy step back. This was not the first time that she had dealt with spiders in a game, but there was something about being close up with them in a VR experience so immersive that made her shudder.
Re-Re, on the other hand, seemed completely unphased by the whole thing. She turned to face Rin and gave another goofy grin. “Alright, you should probably take out your weapon now. I’ll be here to show you how to take the first couple of monsters, so just hang back, okay?” As she spoke, a large shadow enveloped her, and a massive spider began to lower itself to the ground on a thin strand. When it was nearly six feet off the ground, it released its hold on the strand and fell to the ground, landing with a loud thud. The impact was so violent that it actually cast a small amount of wind that blew through Re-Re’s long, blonde hair.
As before, she seemed completely calm about it, and rather than whirling around at the sound as would have been the normal reaction, she simply smiled and pointed over her shoulder with her thumb.
“There’s a great big spider behind me, isn’t there?” Rin face was white as a sheet as she gave a slow nod. The eight massive eyes of the spider seemed to probe her very soul, and the vividness with which they were displayed caused another shiver to run down Rin’s spine.
A dark smile came over Re-Re’s face, and she lowered her gaze slightly.
“Sweet. Stay back now, Rin. I don’t want you to get caught up in all this.” The spider raised one of its massive harry legs to attack, dropping it with immense force. Re-Re remained completely still, dodging to the side at the last moment, narrowly avoiding the damage from the blow. She reached behind her back, quickly drawing two short blades. They were slightly longer than traditional daggers, but shorter than a short sword. In total length, they appeared to stretch just beyond half the length of her arm.
She leaped into the air to avoid the next attack, landing on the ground with not so much as a sound. A dark smile came over her and she flipped the blade in her right hand, pointing it at the spider once it had spun three or four times on her palm.
“Really, you’ve got all those eyes and you couldn’t even hit me once. You must be embarrassed.” The spider lowered itself closer to the ground, crouching with all eight legs. Re-Re looked over her shoulder, shouting back a warning to Rin. “Better watch out, Princess. This one’s going to be an AOE.” No sooner had the warning been given than the spider leaped into the air, sailing over the low hanging branches and crashing back to earth with a thunderous bang. Just before the impact, Re-Re jumped into to the air. As the spider landed, a massive shockwave emanated from below it. Already in the air, the blast rolled harmlessly past the young girl, who having now reached the apex of her jump came back down, driving her blades into the monsters thorax. It collapsed to the ground, shattering into hundreds of tiny shards of green light. Rin moved to take a step forward, but Re-Re held up a hand, stopping her in her tracks.
“We’re not quite done yet. The reason I brought you here wasn’t to fight just a single monster. Once you’ve taken on several opponents at once and won, a single person won’t be a challenge to fight.” As she spoke, several other spiders appeared out of the darkness created by the canopies of the nearby trees. They rushed forward, striking with their legs, biting with their fangs, and shooting a binding silk. All attacks were in vain, as Re-Re easily dodged them all, following up with devastating counter attacks. Her movements were quick and graceful. She moved with a fluidity that was captivating to watch. It was almost as if she was dancing with every move. The monsters strikes seemed slow and sluggish in comparison to her own swift movements, and she parried, dodge, and attacked in a relentless spree of action. In what seemed like no time at all, four more spiders exploded into shards of energy, vanishing into the sky.
Rin watched as her own level bar filled as she gained experience points just for being a part of the group. Re-Re struck down the final spider that lunged at her before spinning on her heels and tucking her blades behind her back. Her face was uncomfortably close to Rin’s, and the white haired girl took a small step back, placing some distance between them once again.
“So, you ready to give it a shot?” Re-Re’s voice was confident and excited. She seemed to truly enjoy the battles that she took part in, and regardless of the size of the monsters, or the odds that she faced, she always appeared to be fearless.
“Oh…um…I guess…I..” Rin stuttered, lacking any of the confidence that her companion seemed to exert. She was quickly cut off as Re-Re snapped her fingers and began to practically vibrate.
“Oh, hey, hey, hey, I just got a great idea. Why don’t I come up with a cute nickname for you? It could be something just between the two of us. What do you think?” This time, Rin didn’t even have a chance to try to respond. “Great, now, let me think. What should I call you? Oh! I know. How about I call you Rin-Rin? Ya know, since I go by Re-Re, it could be like we’re sisters. What’ca thin, Rin-Rin?”
Rin gave a weak smile and scratched the back of her head.
“Um, yeah, that could work, I guess.” She wasn’t truly thrilled about the prospect, but she knew that it would be pointless to try to argue it.
“Cool, cool, cool.” Re-Re spun around on her heels quickly. As she completed the rotation, her eyes fell on a group of spiders that were making their way towards them. “Oh, hey, awesome. Looks like another mob has spawned.” She crouched down slightly before leaping into the air. She landed on one of the large tree branches that stood above them. “They’re all yours, Rin-Rin. Remember that they are basic insect types, so they are vulnerable to fire magic. Their legs twitch before they attack with them, and they crouch down with all eight before they do an AOE. Oh, and don’t forget to watch out for the silk that they spit. It can stick you to the ground if you get hit with it, or you can be blinded if you take it in the face. Oh, oh, and they have poisonous fangs.” She made a small action with her hands to illustrate each different attack that they held, completing each one before flashing Rin the Peace sign. “Good luck, Rin-Rin, I’m sure you’ll do awesome.”
Rin’s eyes were wide as she watched the small girl. The flood of information nocked her slightly off guard. She couldn’t tell why it was, but she felt off in this game for some reason. She had played games with a difficulty level far steeper than this one, and done just fine. For some reason, however she was having an incredibly hard time adjusting to this game and its systems.
As she was still trying to remember everything that Re-Re had said, the first spider leaped forward, attacking with its two front legs in unison. Rin stepped backwards, making sure her gate was measured as she avoided the blows. The VR added a new flare to combat that she had not experienced before, as she was not used to having the attacks seem so real.
She continued to fight, casting spells, attacking with her sword, and listening to the suggesting’s and tips that were shouted down from the canopy above. At last, she killed the three spiders that had attacked her, and once they were defeated, she dropped to her knees. The act of fighting was more physically exhausting that she had anticipated it being, and her magic levels were dangerously low. Re-Re opened a small menu and pulled out a potion which she promptly handed to Rin.
“Here, drink this. It’ll restore your magic.” Showing her gratitude with a nod, Rin took the potion and drank it. A burst of energy returned to her, and with some help, she rose to her feet once again.
Re-Re put her hands on her hips and looked at Rin for a long moment. “You’re having a little trouble adapting to this game, aren’t you?”
The white haired girl blushed and looked down. “Is it that obvious?”
“Well, I mean… yeah. Pretty much. Compared to some players I’ve seen that have started training here, you kind of suck. You’ve got a lot of potential, but you’re way too reserved.” Again, Rin’s gaze fell. “That’s not a bad thing, though. That just means that you have to find your style. Your level is still too low to be using the types of spells that you are. You’re depleting your magic waaaaaay to quickly. If you gain a little more MP, you’ll be able to use your magic more efficiently. But, in the meantime, I would stick to trying to use your spells to enchant your sword. You can add an elemental buff to melee damage by augmenting your blade with mana.”
“Do you think that would help?” Rin asked as she looked at the blonde girl.
“Of course! Doing that would allow you to use less burst magic, and would help you to draw it out a little bit more. The latest updates that have been made have completely remade the whole magic system, and there is a lot more that can be done with it now. Just like making your own sword skills, you can even create new and custom spells if you have the will and the determination to practice with it enough. Sooooo, now that we’ve got that going for you, let’s go ahead and try another mob, alright?” Rin nodded, drawing her blade and running her fingers along the flat of it.
A softness came into Re-Re’s eyes and she put her hand on Rin’s shoulder. “Hey, Rin-Rin, just take it slow, alright? Stop trying to think of this as a different game. Look at it like its real life. Don’t take it so seriously as real life, but allow yourself to become a part of this world. That’s what VR is all about. It allows us to be a part of worlds that we’d never be able to see otherwise. Plus, it’s pretty freaking cool to be able to do all this Ninja and Sorcerer stuff.” Rin took a deep breath and nodded.
She closed her eyes and focused on all that was around her. She heard the chirping of the birds and insects, she felt the weight of the blade in her hand, and even smelled the moss that grew on the trees all around them.
A spider began to make its way towards her, though she did not move from the position that she was in. As each different element of the world hit her, she was finally able to let go. She pushed aside the thoughts that it was just another game, and that she needed to treat it like all the other titles that she had played. This wasn’t just another video game, it was a whole world.
Suddenly, the fear, the reservation, and the genuine desire to quit the game were gone. Her blade glowed with fire, and as the monster rushed towards her, she heard each step that its eight legs took. Re-Re stood close by, a smile growing ever larger across her face. Rin had found the thing that attracted so many to the game, and she knew it. The white haired girl’s ruby eyes flew open and she stepped forward with her right foot, driving the blade forward. Its glowing tip pierced the spiders head directly in the center, and the monster fell to the ground. It struggled there for a moment, but as the fire burned its way into the creatures flesh, it gave up and shattered into hundreds of energy shards.
Re-Re stepped forward and clapped Rin on the back. “Great job, Rin-Rin. You took that one out like a pro. Well, that’s probably enough for right now. Ripley’s Rumor Mill has been saying that there are some weird glitches going on on this floor, and we don’t want to run into any of them. Something about monsters coming back to life or something. Anyway. Let’s head back.”
Rin looked up and for the first time since she had started, gave a genuine smile. “Yeah.” The two headed into the distant mist, slowly making their way back to town, chatting happily as they went.
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