Monster Soul Online

“Hello. Welcome to the world of Monster Soul. I am an NPC (Non-Player Character) who responsible for assisting new players before they enter into an actual game.”

A sweet voice echoed in a black room. This sound wouldn’t be recognized as a computer sound no matter how hard one tries.

“How strange... Excuse me. Are you human?” asked Sila.

“Exactly, I am a real person who acts as NPC. We have to talk, answer, and adapt to every unpredictable situation so the company uses real person. By the way, NPC which is an AI (Artificial Intelligence) could be found in the game. However, even if they are an AI, the player will have a hard time separating them from an actual person. Our AI is considered the most advanced as of now.”

“Then, what should I do here? Umm... I haven’t played an online game before.”

“I see. You are the newly unregistered user. First, let’s give a name for your avatar.”

“Avatar’s name, hmm?”

If Montra used his real name for playing, then Sila didn’t see any reason why he cannot.

“I will use my real name. My name is Sila.”

“Roger. Do you confirm the name Sila?”

“Confirm.”

“Confirmation completed. Next, please adjust your avatar. You can adjust your avatar at the maximum of 30% of your real face and body.”

The holographic of Sila’s face, frontal body, side body, and back body were shown.

‘30%? That’s quite a lot. Well, that guy also uses his real face.’

For the same reason, Sila didn’t want to confront Montra with someone else’s face.

“Don’t change.”

“Player Sila doesn’t wish to change his face and body. Please kindly confirm this.”

“Confirm.”

The system sound alarmed.

You have successfully created your avatar. You have gotten Beginner Clothing 1 EA and Beginner Dagger 1 EA.

“Player Sila, would you like to listen to an explanation of the game?”

“Do I have to listen to all of them?”

Sila asked back. He was kind of a curious person.

“No, you don’t have to. You can choose to listen to only the parts you interest in. And even if you want to listen to this kind of explanation later, you can still visit the Beginner Building located on the Beginning Island to listen to all of it.”

“Then, please summarize only important parts to me. You can just explain them briefly. If I don’t understand, I’ll go ask the person in the Beginner Building later.”

“Roger. In this game, the player will act as a role of a people who lives in the world of Monster Soul, the world where monsters and humans coexist. The time ratio between this game and real life is 5:1. The notable things that this game is quite different than other games is that; this game has no profession system, and the avatar’s level has no correlation to the fighting ability.”

Sila frowned a bit. “Eh? So, self-training is enough? Don’t we have to fight a monster? What is the point of avatar’s level, then?”

“Avatar’s level has benefits for receiving some quests, unlocking skills, as well as unlocking the ability to equip higher-tier weapons. For example, a level 1 player can train oneself to fight a level 30 wolf. But he'll be unable to equip equipment that designed for the higher-leveled character to use.”

Sila nodded as he understood. Then, he asked about the thing that his uncle mentioned.

“I heard that this game is very realistic. So, if our avatar feels pain, we will also be painful; if an avatar dies, we will also die. Is that true?”

“That’s not quite true. Allow me to explain; in this game, if player dies, avatar’s level will be decreased by 10, equipment and item will randomly drop, and player will have to wait for one in-game hour. About painfulness, in the game, player will feel one-tenth of the painfulness you are supposed to feel. Adjusting the painfulness level to a higher degree is optional. Doing so will grant player a special reward from the system. The higher the painfulness level, the more valuable item you will get.”

Sila confused, “It can be adjusted? Then, there should be many people who get special reward from this, shouldn’t there?”

“That’s not it. Although this game is realistic, no one would want to receive a realistic pain. Also, the condition to get this painfulness adjustment option is not currently known of. The condition is; asking about painfulness during avatar creation process. By the way, once you decide on a certain painfulness degree, you cannot change it anymore. Of course, there are some other secret methods to change the painfulness level, but all of them are very complex, I can safely say that this condition is the easiest. Players usually go straight playing game immediately after creating their avatar. Not many waste times listening to my explanation as they know they can later listen to it anytime they want at the Beginner Building. Actually, you are the second person who unlocked this condition.”

“Hmm? Who is the first one? And what item did he get?”

“The first one is Player Montra. But as for his reward, I cannot tell you that since it’s player’s personal secret.”

Sila’s eyes changed as soon as he heard the name Montra.

“Which painfulness degree did he choose?” Sila’s sound was full of coldness.

NPC fell silent shortly as she somehow sensed the change in Sila’s feeling. She answered slowly, “Player Montra set his painfulness level at 10 out of 10, which is equal to real life pain.”

“I ask for more than him five folds, then.”

With the feeling that he didn’t want to be inferior to Montra, Sila told NPC that sentence.

NPC paused for a moment in shock. She had never seen a player like this.

“We are truly sorry, but 10 is the highest degree that player can choose. System does not allow for player to adjust painfulness level higher than that. Otherwise, it would be dangerous to player.”

“In that case, 10 is fine.”

“Painfulness level is at 10 degrees which is equal to the reality. Please confirm this.”

A smile formed at the corner of Sila’s mouth as he sneered inwardly, ‘Equal to reality, huh? I am a hundred times more painful than this in reality.’

“Confirm.”

“The system would like to inform you that the pain caused in this game will affect your actual body. Despite the fact that there are no real injuries, if the brain perceives painful feeling, your actual body will likely be affected. The company will not responsible for any harm caused by the virtual painfulness level 10. If player understands this condition, please accept the agreement and reaffirm.”

“I accept and confirm.”

The system voice rung again.

You have gotten the Sealed Box 1 EA.

A ring-size black box with silver chain covering it appeared and floated in front of Sila. He grabbed it and read the detail of the box immediately.

(S) Sealed Box

The sealed box that, upon opening, will randomly give you one of the unique items in ‘The Sealed One’ set, which contains seven parts. Only six parts currently remained. (If player receives this box after no part was remaining, the box will change itself to (S) Mysterious Box, which randomly gives out one S Grade’s item instead.)

Sila tried to open it, but there was no such command. While he frowned and was about to ask, the NPC girl then answered his question beforehand.

“In this place, all items will be unusable. Please try opening it again after you are inside the game.”

Hearing this, Sila threw the box into his system window.

“Do you need any more information?”

“No. please sends me into the game.”

“Roger. We suggest player visit the Beginner Building to receive starting items there. The system will now send you to the Beginning Island, starting on the outskirt. We wish you have fun playing the game, sir.

Sila made a little grin on his face, ‘Have fun, huh?’ before he became a white light and then disappeared.

***

The light appeared in the suburb. This was a very common sight around Beginning Town; it’s the sign of the beginning of a new player.

Sila emerged amid that light. He looked around and found that this place was a wide grass field. On his right hand’s side, he could see the forest area that trees were not too dense, while saw a city on his left hand’s. The destination from here to the city should be around two kilometers.

While he was still deciding whether he should go straight to the city or not, the system alerted.

Monster Pink Slime, Squire Rank, Level 1, has appeared.

Pink mucus being danced left and right around his feet. However, it had no sign of attacking him at all.

‘Weird. It doesn’t seem as though it will attack me anytime. Is it a non-aggressive monster?’

At first, Sila was going to try punching it since he specialized in bare hand combat. But he later felt somehow a bit disgusting toward this slime. So he decided to equip his Beginner Clothes and Dagger first.

(F) Beginner Clothing

Uniform designed for a new player. Increases physical defense by 3 points.

(F) Beginner Dagger

Increases physical attack by 3 points.

They were such an ordinary dagger and brown normal-looking clothing. Well, he didn’t care. At least he felt safer holding a dagger than using his bare hand to attack slime.

He tried to stab this pink mucus one time.

After the attack, the pink slime then immediately but slowly attacked him back.

However, Sila could easily dodge its slow attack. He stabbed it again and again. Soon, the slime’s body broke after getting stabbed three more times.

System sound alarmed.

You have defeated Pink Slime, Squire Rank, Level 1.

You have received 5 experience points, gotten 3 silver and Pink Slime Card 1 EA.

You have learned a passive skill: Dagger Mastery – Level 1.

“Hmm? I got a card? Didn’t Miss NPC tell me that monster cards are rare to drop? Why did I get it on my first time? Am I that lucky?”

Sila defeated many slimes around there afterward.

One hour had passed. Sila somehow got tired. He killed about a hundred nearby slimes, but his level was only at 2, these indicated that Pink Slime gives very few experience points even for a new player. Surprisingly, Sila got 67 cards from them. It appeared that Pink Slime Card’s drop rate was very high. His Dagger Mastery skill level also rose to 15.

Sila opened his system window to see his avatar’s status.

Player Status: Sila

Level: 2

Race: Human

Rank: Squire

Health Point: 473 / 512

Magic Point: 50 / 50

‘Is this high or low?’ Sila wondered since he had never played game. His life had dedicated only for martial art training.

He looked over other windows leisurely. He changed his system window’s color to deep blue, connected game system to his mobile phone, and set his system sound to soft and girly voice. Strangely, there was a terrified and scary lady boy’s voice available for him to choose. Sila thought this was a joke designed by a game designer.

He finally stumbled on the Seal Box.

‘I forgot that I have to open it in the game. Well, I better open it now.’

Sila held the small back box on his right hand, and said, “open.”

The silver chain broke out with a bright silver sparkling. The system sound could be heard inside Sila’s head.

You have gained an active skill: Unseal – Level 1.

‘Oh? I even gained a skill. The item inside must be good.’

You have gotten (S) Right Arm of the Sealed One. It’s a special item which cannot be sold or transferred, and you are forced to equip it. The system now automatically equips it on you. (F) Beginner Dagger now is transferred to Item Window. Passive skill: Dagger Mastery - Level 15 is deleted.

Sila’s right arm from below elbow suddenly turned into stone.

“What’s this!? I can’t move my hand! And did it just delete my skill?”

Sila felt shocked. He hurriedly read the information of the Right Arm of the Sealed One, but it was labeled with [Has not yet been unsealed] status.

“Unseal” Sila used his skill reflexively.

The level of Unseal skill has risen to level 2 … 3 ... 4 ... 15.

Now Sila’s arm could move properly, but its appearance was not the same. Now he was like wearing a long armlet that looked antique and full of characters that Sila couldn’t understand. However, he did not pay attention to its shape much. His focus was on its information.

(S) Right Arm of the Sealed One

The right arm of a certain man who was sealed somewhere in this world. Increases physical attack by 100 points. Cannot be unequipped under any circumstances. You cannot equip main weapon or use the unique skills that available only for human race.

Normal people would complain. But for Sila, his reliance and confidence lied in his fists, and he did not intend to use any weapon from the start. His only worrisome was the fact that he couldn’t use human race’s unique skills. What does it mean? He is a human, right? Did this mean he cannot use any skills?

“I don’t see how this is an S-grade item. I really can’t understand the thought of this game’s designer.”