"You can't be serious right now."
That's what Rachel said when I finally worked up the courage to ask her out. Not a polite "no thanks." Not even a gentle letdown. Just pure disbelief, followed by her spinning on her heel and walking straight back to her friends waiting by the lockers. I watched her lean in, whisper something, and then all four of them turned to look at me before bursting into laughter.
Yeah. That stung.
We'd been lab partners for the entire semester. I'd covered for her when she missed three straight weeks for volleyball regionals, staying up late to finish both portions of our presentation. We'd gotten an A. I guess I thought that counted for something. Looking at the contempt in her eyes just now, though, I understood she'd been playing me the whole time.
Things got worse after the final bell. Apparently, one of the guys from the varsity team had a thing for Rachel, and my asking her out was some kind of territorial violation. The fact that she'd already shot me down didn't matter. According to them, I needed to "understand where I stood."
"Stay away from her, fat-ass," the ringleader said, driving his foot into my ribs one last time while I curled up on the pavement behind the gym.
Real classy.
Eventually, I managed to drag myself to the bike rack and pedal home. The house was dark when I got there, the same as always. Dad had been gone for three years now, taken out by a drunk driver on Route 7. Mom worked double shifts at the hospital most days. No siblings to check on me or ask how my day went. Honestly, maybe that was better. Being the overweight loser with zero friends was embarrassing enough without dragging anyone else down with me.
I limped to the bathroom and dug out the medical supplies from under the sink. One skill I'd definitely mastered over the years: self-sufficiency. First aid, basic sewing, cooking, keeping the house from falling apart all me. I cleaned the cuts and bruises methodically, almost on autopilot. Sometimes I swore I healed faster when I did it myself, though that was probably just wishful thinking. When I finished, I sat on the edge of the tub and let myself breathe for a minute.
"I just want someone to care."
Even after today's disaster, the thought wouldn't leave me alone. I didn't need some fairy-tale romance. I just wanted someone to come home to. Someone who'd be there. Honestly, I'd be fine staying home, taking care of kids, keeping the house running that sounded perfect. Was that really asking too much? My stomach interrupted my pity party with a loud growl. Right. Food wasn't going to make itself.
I boiled water and dumped it in a packet of instant noodles. The weight thing wasn't about how much I ate, it was what I could afford to eat. When your budget is basically zero, you live on dollar-store pasta and discount ramen. Fresh vegetables? Decent protein? Those were luxuries. Mom never had the energy to cook anymore, so I'd taken over years ago. Given actual ingredients to work with, I might've been pretty good at it.
After forcing down dinner, I headed to my room and dropped onto the floor in front of my tiny television. I grabbed the plastic bag of used games I'd picked up from GameXchange earlier that week, clearance bin stuff, nothing over five bucks. Most of it was garbage, but that was the gamble. Every once in a while, you'd find something amazing buried in the trash pile, and that feeling made it all worth it. I loved digging for treasure.
"What's this one?"
There was a cartridge in the bag I didn't remember grabbing. The case was completely blank, no cover art, no title, no barcode. I flipped it over. Still nothing. Curious, I peeled off the plastic wrap and popped it open. Inside was a plain gray cartridge with just two words printed on the label in basic text:
''Realm descent''
There was a slip of paper inside the case. I unfolded it. Like everything else, it had no graphics just a single block of text:
'Tired of your reality? Want adventure? Treasure? Power? Companionship? Enter REALM DESCENTS a world where you hunt monsters for profit, collect legendary loot, and earn glory. Build your party, choose your class, and descend floor by floor until you defeat the Realm's master. Each victory brings wealth, reputation, and points to grow stronger. Your new life starts now.'
I stared at the paper for a long moment, then looked at the cartridge.
Well. Couldn't be worse than today.
I muttered, sliding the cartridge into my console. "Might as well give it a shot."
When the display flickered to life, I couldn't help but grimace. No visuals whatsoever! This could've been pulled from the early eighties. Just a pitch-black background with stark white lettering that read Realm Descent, followed by the prompt: 'Begin Your Journey!'
I pressed the confirmation button. Was this some kind of virtual world simulator? Maybe one of those text-adventure games that had their heyday years back. I didn't mind diving into a narrative-driven RPG, particularly if the writing held up.
"Select your archetype," I read from the display. "Your archetype differs from your profession. The archetype determines which abilities you'll develop as you explore Realm Descent. Select carefully your approach to gameplay will depend heavily on this choice."
The options weren't what I'd anticipated. Instead of conventional RPG categories like sorcerer or fighter, these were much more general. First was Offensive Combat. Second was Defensive Fortification. Third was Subterfuge. Then came Ranged Tactics. Close Quarters. Arcane Assault. Arcane Protection. I scanned through the options until something grabbed my attention.
Auxiliary. Just that single word. Actually, none of them included any explanation of their mechanics. This seemed like an even rougher experience than I'd expected. The interface was incredibly bare-bones. Still, I'd always gravitated toward support roles. I never enjoyed being the damage dealer. I preferred playing summoners or dark casters who raised armies to fight in my stead. I'd hang back while they took the hits, using minor enchantments to enhance and sustain them. I didn't spot anything resembling a summoner, shapeshifter, or beast master... so Auxiliary felt like the nearest equivalent.
I confirmed Auxiliary, and a new menu appeared. It prompted me to select a profession.
"Ah, here we go." I nodded to myself.
This menu showed the more traditional options I recognized. There was an alchemist, a Restoration Cleric, a creature controller, an enhancement specialist, and several others. Text appeared at the top of the screen.
Your profession can be anything you desire. With the proper archetype, you may alternate between professions freely. However, aside from your initial profession, all others must be acquired. The method of acquisition must be determined independently.
I frowned at the somewhat cryptic explanation. So... essentially, I could access any profession as long as I discovered it? That seemed incredibly overpowered. Ultimately, I settled on the Restoration Cleric. Not that the creature controller wasn't tempting, but I could acquire that capability down the line. Initially, I found the most frustrating aspect of games was limited recovery options. Healing items typically cost a fortune, so even basic restoration magic made a huge difference.
Obviously, I wouldn't deal much damage, but that was probably acceptable. Restoration Clerics typically got easier treatment in early gameplay. Once I transitioned to something like a creature controller, combined with Restoration Cleric abilities, I figured I'd be quite formidable. So I confirmed the Restoration Cleric profession. I had reservations about the game's production value, but I felt some anticipation about trying it. If it disappointed me, I could always switch to something else.
Do you wish to transfer to another realm?
[ Name: Derik ]
[ Archetype: Auxiliary ]
[ Profession: Restoration Cleric Level: 1 ]
"Yes," I said aloud, clicking my tongue, "Let's do this."
[ You have acquired the Restoration Cleric ability: Minor Restoration. ]
"Hold on... what?" Those words didn't appear on the television; they materialized directly in my field of vision.
An instant later, brilliant light engulfed me as everything around me dissolved into nothing.