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paulythide · 7 months

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My history.

I've been thinking lately, after I suffered my heatstroke, that while I do enjoy writing fan fiction as a hobby.

I truly want to write my own history. We don't often know what the future holds, and I feel that if I don't write this history, I will end up regretting it.

So, I'll post this little prologue so you guys can tell me what you think about it!

(Also, trigger warning at the first part of the history!)

As she sat hunched over her computer, her fingers ached with weariness from the countless hours of typing and inputting an endless stream of numbers and paperwork. Despite her diligent efforts, she knew that her employer and the company saw her as nothing more than another faceless worker lost in the sea of their countless employees. The lack of breaks and constant pressure to perform had become the norm, leaving her feeling undervalued and underappreciated.

But would she cry about it? No, what would be the point of it all? Nothing really mattered. Truth be told, the numbness in her was proof that she no longer cared about anything. The only thing she cared about now was going home and losing herself in the only escape in her life.

"Miss Elaine," a voice said from behind as she froze immediately. Soon enough, Elaine began to sweat anxiously, hearing the voice of her boss nearby. Her body unconsciously recoiled at each step the man took towards her. Elaine took a deep breath, refusing to let him dominate her again.

"Yes, Mr. Wilson?" Elaine replied quickly, gulping deeply and doing her best to look calm from the outside. Perhaps, with any luck, he would ignore her.

"Have you finished the list for this term?" Mr. Wilson, the pig man, asked, creeping a hand on Elaine's shoulder, an action that made her sense danger. But again, she refused to look frightened. Nothing good would happen if that person saw her like that. Elaine has learned the hard way not to give this type of person the satisfaction of feeling empowered.

"I have, Mr. Wilson," Elaine replied calmly, showing an emotionless face. "It should be in Mr. Stephen's mail by now."

Mr. Wilson hissed slightly, annoyed by her lack of response. "I see. Great job, Miss Elaine."

"Thank you, sir," Again, Elaine wasted no time replying, and for a brief moment, she thought he'd leave her alone. But that was wishful thinking.

Without bothering, Mr. Wilson let his hand roam freely on Elaine's chest, groping his heart's content and smiling to himself as he expected a reaction from her to allow him to do more. But nothing of the sort came. Elaine remained unfazed, motionless as if she were not there.

"You're well-endowed, the same as my daughter. You're young, aren't you? 28 years old? Do you have a boyfriend? Do you have sex regularly?" The pig stated lustfully. Gradually, the pleasure he had been experiencing started to fade as Elaine's lack of response became more apparent. It seemed as if her piercing blue eyes were silently taunting him, which only added to his frustration.

"Would that be all, sir?" Elaine asked, showing nothing but emptiness in her eyes.

After letting her chest go, Mr. Wilson scoffed and walked away. Elaine did nothing but gaze; her face exhibited no expression, but the rest of her body certainly did. Her hands trembled, and she felt the sharp pain of her nails piercing into her palm. Did she feel scared? Yes. Was it guilt and embarrassment from being helpless to stop it? Of course, it was. Mr. Wilson was the son of the company's founder. He had free reign to do whatever he wanted, much to the horror of Elaine and many other women in the company.

Like a pig that rolls in the mud and then walks away, leaving his squatter's footprints everywhere he goes, knowing no one will dare to stop him.

Elaine was ashamed and embarrassed, but her anger at her own weakness was worse. For years, she buried her head in the sand out of helplessness as she watched and endured abuse. But Elaine couldn't do anything to stop it or help others. Elaine has been on both ends of suffering for so long—as a victim and a witness—that she now feels hopeless and powerless to escape the cycle.

Perhaps there was an exit, but it was one that Elaine refused to take. She was not that brave.

So, without much she could do, Elaine finished her work and returned home, the only place she could feel safe.

The year was 2099, and the start of a new century was coming close. Everyone always spoke about how bright the future would be and how the next century would be better for all. Elaine doubted it. Each year was the same. Each decade did not make things better. So, why would a new century change all of that? A naive thought—that was what Elaine believed it was.

"A simple wish to forget it all."

Elaine sighed, finishing her small grocery store trip before reaching home. She lived in a high-end department—quite a luxurious place for someone like her. The only good that came out of working for such a monstrous company was the pay she received, which allowed her to live quite a good life. But looks were often deceiving. While it was true that Elaine was technically wealthy, she had no one to share it with. She had no family to speak of, no lover to hold her at night, no friends to share connections, or even pets that would make her feel wanted after returning home from work.

Elaine was alone. Or perhaps not truly. After all, she had something to look forward to every night.

"I do hope the new patch didn't mess up the launcher again," Elaine muttered, annoyed, as she put on her VR headset and dived into the only place where she wasn't herself. Elaine entered a game called Antherion.

A VR-MMORPG that shook the world when it came out eight years ago. It was a vast world filled with such a large quantity of races, weapons, classes, and more that every player would be so different from one another that even creating class guides was almost impossible. And not because it was a bad thing. Antherion rewarded creativity above all else, to the point that no player on a whole server would have the same build, class, weapons, armour, or hairstyle as another.

A place where it was said that dreams came true. But for Elaine, Antherion was a world that made her forget about the reality of her life, where she could be someone else.

Someone she could be proud of being. Someone ferocious who won't be humiliated or frightened by anyone, and above all else, someone powerful.

Those emotions drove Elaine to play the game, to grind her way up, and to truly be that person she always fantasised about being.

"Let's see, what's the patch about?" Elaine muttered as she moved around the game's menu while Antherion's theme menu played in the background. "Uh, there's nothing written in the Dev blog?"

Elaine frowned underneath the VR headset, watching how there was nothing at all on the patch notes, too. "Could it be that they forgot to... update it? It could be, but I truly don't think so."

Then Elaine saw something pooping on the screen.

You've been chosen; a call for help arrives, and you have a new world to explore. Would you assist them? Or would you destroy them?

Accept?

->Decline.

Elaine stared, confused at what was in front of her. "Ah, is this a new event or something? Did the patch note bug out for me? I don't remember reading anything about new content for the game in the forums."

Elaine frowned, but she accepted, thinking that she would just enter a new event in the game and nothing more.

->Accept

Decline.

"I do hope the event has good mounts. The last one had nothing good to offer."

Elaine simply shrugged it off as she entered the game and was soon met with her character profile.

[Character Profile]

->Avnas = Level 180

-[Race: Demon.]

Elaine grinned, proudly watching her character. A towering demon with dazzling white hair. Deep yellow eyes with gold flecks. Two horns and a lengthy tail highlight her appearance. After hundreds of hours invested in character, one should be proud to have accomplished that much. And Elaine did, because who wouldn't be pompous after fulfilling all of the objectives of their own character?

After truly checking every box of challenges one sets for themselves. Elaine knows she wasn't the only one who thought the same.

"And here I thought they'd widen the level cap. But that was wishful thinking on my part. It would have produced further problems for the players, who didn't know how to level up correctly."

Elaine muttered to no one but herself. She began to check her email before diving into the game. She wanted to make sure no one would bother her. These were sacred hours for her.

"Well, truly, levelling in this game is quite confusing," Elaine's inner monologue was out loud. She has become a master of speaking to herself.

If she was honest, Elaine was being unfair, It wasn't the fault of some players for not levelling up their characters correctly. She made the same mistake when she started playing.

Maybe it was because of how big the level gap looks to new players. It could genuinely be intimidating for people who are casual.

The level ceiling was 180, which could seem exaggerated, but it wasn't. It was actually a four-division level put together.

Ninty levels were the maximum for the main class.

Fifty levels were for sub-class.

Thirty levels were for job-specific talents.

And the last ten levels were for race-unique levels.

It was a straightforward way to see things and to play with them. It was not complicated at all. For example, Elaine's character, Avnas, was a level 90 [Arcane Spellcaster]. She then devoted 50 of her sub-class levels to making her class more unique and filling the gaps of apparent weakness a magic caster would typically have in a game like this. She took [Arcane Warrior], making both main class and sub-class sync better, allowing her to fully use her abilities without a downside.

Then, there were job-specific talents.

Job-specific talents were things like [Blacksmith] [Craftmen] [Sword-dancer] [Erudite] etc. Each job had a cap level of ten, which generally allowed someone to choose three job traits.

One could also divide the levels to get more job-specific talents, but in Elaine's humble opinion, the trade-off was not worth it. One would have a bunch of job talents that were unmaxed and useless.

Elaine chose the best job-specific talents that could work with her main class and sub-class. [Academic Wizard], [Arcanist and Mana Reservist] and [Demonic Knight].

Now, race-unique levels were the most important and the ones that took the longest to level up. Reaching level 170 was easy. One could do it in two weeks with XP Boost. But those 10 last levels could not be boosted by anything in the store. They were locked behind special quests, events, and time.

They were so vital and game-changing that a level 170 player could never beat a level 180 player. The 10-level gap was as big as a level 10 facing a level 170.

Each level offered an attribute called race mastery that served as a particular talent, skill, or characteristic. It was simple enough for many to understand and implement.

"Tomorrow is Sunday. At the very least, I don't have to work," Elaine sighed deeply, deciding to ignore the emails from work and just focus on playing the game she loved so much.

She adjusted her VR and leaned backwards on her chair. Soon enough, Elaine expected to be in her character, but something wasn't right. Her eyes were looking at how the loading screen was stuck in place. Strange, but not uncommon.

"For crying out loud," Elaine groaned as she pushed the reset button. But again, something was wrong. The screen was still stuck on the same loading screen. "I really don't need this right now!"

Elaine hissed angrily, but as she was about to reboot her entire system completely, she began to feel sick and in pain. Elaine felt as if something was ripping her apart, then squeezed. It was like being sucked into a vacuum, and as fast as that horrible experience came, it vanished. She wanted to take the VR headset but couldn't. It was stuck around her head somehow.

Arghhh! Please! Someone help me! Elaine wailed inside her mind because her voice did not obey her.

It seemed as though something was slowly and cruelly crushing her brain. Fear and despair set in, along with disorientation. Was she going to die? Was she having a seizure? Elaine didn't know. But one thing was clear for her: I don't want to die!

Those were Elaine's last thoughts—her final human thoughts before darkness took her.

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This is just a prologue. Also, I am wondering where to post it. I think that AO3 will be good, but I am also thinking of other pages.

Like Royal Road or Tapas, but I don't know yet. Do you guys have any suggestions?

#announcement #ao3 author #original post #original history #isekai #webnovel #fantasy world #thank you

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j0400 · 4 months

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Elysia's story: Chapter #2 Training.

Starting the preparations for training, I put on the necessary clothes and make my way to the mansion's fighting gym. Descending the stairs and crossing the garden, I arrive at the building where the gym is located.

As soon as I get there, I immediately start the stretching exercises. While I'm doing that, I continue to observe the other people who are already training. Some are practicing specific strikes or movements, while others are doing weightlifting or other types of activities. However, what catches my attention the most are the groups of people engaged in fights.

Even though it's not the preferred training time, there are already a lot of people here. But that's not surprising, given my family's role in "adopting" people with potential. Due to my family's influence, these people are putting in effort because they know that if they prove to be important or useful, they will have more opportunities and better conditions in the future.

The influence that the Hayashi Family has built, through stories of the achievements and victories of ancestors, has resulted in a tradition of great individuals and fighters. With that, not only has the importance and influence increased, but also the expectations for the members of this family have grown to absurd levels.

To meet these expectations, the Hayashi Family needs to go beyond its blood members and do whatever is necessary to contribute in the expected way to the future and peace. Thus, people are willing and determined to honor this tradition, constantly seeking excellence and personal growth, especially true family members like myself.

That being said, even though the proper opportunities and necessary resources are provided, the people here are still on their own. How good they are and how far they will go will depend solely on their efforts or lack thereof.

Finishing the initial exercises, I approach a group that is practicing styles in relay. As everyone is here to train, the more people the better. Therefore, there is no reason to be refused, so I join the group. I try to pay more attention to my weaknesses and improve my movement techniques, mainly by fighting against those from whom I can learn. Despite there being regulars and people I have already interacted with, facing as many variations and fighting styles as possible is the best way to enhance my learning. Since in this gym, only martial arts fights are allowed without the use of magic, attention to details is necessary.

Even though in normal situations fights without magic or weapons don't happen, the advantages of seeking to improve posture and movements are many and help in any situation, such as agility, reflex, and quick thinking.

After a few fights, I decide to stop, as there are still many things to be done today. As for wins or losses, I prefer not to waste time thinking about them. What really matters is whether I was able to learn a little more and improve my skills, even if it's just a little. That's what will truly help me in the future.

After the fights, I do some more exercises and rest for a while. Then, I change into different clothes and head to the mansion's outdoor area, where there is a large space dedicated to archery training. Although this is not my next training, the space is big enough to be a great place for simulations of real fights.

Situated next to a serene blooming cherry tree is an elderly man, with his white hair glistening like silver. There is no noise or disturbance in the environment, only the gentle singing of birds and the golden glow of the sun, lending the scene a peaceful atmosphere. It is a true respite for the senses, as if he is enjoying his time in peace. By his side, rest two swords in their respective sheaths.

This man is called Shin, my master in the art of swords. Although not an official instructor of the family, he is widely respected, even by powerful and influential people. When he came to visit my father at the mansion, I took the opportunity to ask him to accept me as his disciple in the way of the sword.

However, he refused, stating that he already has many interested in becoming his disciples. If he were to accept anyone else, he would be overwhelmed with requests and already has too much on his plate. Although I suspect that this last part may be partly a lie, after much insistence, I managed to convince him to at least have some fights with me and share his opinions and tips.

In the various battles we have fought so far, I have never seemed to have even the slightest chance of defeating him, not even landing a single hit.

His fighting style is peculiar. Despite not displaying fast movements, there is a supernatural agility that allows him to defend against all my attacks. So far, he has not even used his magic. I do not know if this is due to some limitation or if he simply did not feel the need to employ it. Regardless, this discrepancy in power and the respect he commands make me think that in his past, he must have been a formidable warrior.

As I approach, he quickly senses my presence and shifts his attention to me:

Elysia: Sorry to keep you waiting for so long?

Shin: Don't worry, I've only been here for a few minutes. And how are you, Elysia? Have your classes at school resumed?

Elysia: I'm doing well. My classes are about to start again.

Shin: Are you looking forward to going back? You were one of the top students last year, right?

Elysia: I ranked second in class A and fifth overall. I'm not anxious because this is my last year. I will do my best to perform even better and graduate in a good position.

Shin: I understand. The final year is probably challenging, with all the events and competition among students for a good ranking. I understand that it is beneficial in many aspects, perhaps even more fair for the less privileged, based on merit. However, sometimes it can be a bit excessive, don't you agree?

Elysia: Well, maybe. But I believe that it can have a positive impact on the students' future, so it's natural that everyone is striving for the best possible results.

Shin: Certainly. Putting that aside, are you prepared? Can we begin?

Elysia: Yes, I have warmed up enough with my previous training.

Shin: Great. There's no need to prolong this any further.

Saying that, he takes one of the swords and heads towards the open field. I do the same, maintaining an appropriate distance between us, assuming a ready stance.

Shin: When you're ready, you can start.

With the utmost concentration and focus that I can gather, I start to attack him.

Just like in the previous fights, I continue to press on while he remains on the defensive, exerting myself to use a variety of strikes.

Thrust, overhead strike, horizontal, diagonal, each strike with the greatest strength and speed I can muster.

After several minutes of repeating these movements, the pattern remains the same, none of my strikes hit him, and he doesn't seem to have any difficulty blocking all the strikes with his sword.

It doesn't seem to be speed, when I move, I am faster. I used to think that he was faster and had better reflexes than me, which is why he could defend himself in this way. However, I realized, for sure, I am faster than him.

But why can't I hit him?

Even with complete attention to my movements, I can't perceive any mistakes, so how is he defending against my strikes?

Anticipation or experience? Even with that, I should be able to surpass it with my speed. No, it's something more complex.

I try to change the patterns of my movements, moving closer to shorten the distance.

Sliding to try to catch him off guard, all ineffective.

There is something strange about his movements, as if at the moment I am making my movements to hit him, just for a brief fraction of time, his movements quickly advance to block my blade.

Maybe if I try more unexpected moves, target his weak spots, or target his leg-

CRACK!

In a precise movement, he managed to parry, taking advantage of my movement to counterattack with absurd efficiency.

I barely managed to dodge, with a reflexive movement of my head.

Shin: I think if we continue like this, there won't be any advantage in fighting, right? Why aren't you using your magic yet?

Tsk...

Because he's not using his magic, I didn't want to use mine either.

But... he's right. This way, it won't be of any use.

I don't have a choice here.

Shin: There's no need to hesitate. After all, you're here to improve, and you won't improve at all if you're not giving it your all, right?

Elysia: Alright then, allow me to start over.

Once again focused, I advance.

I not only focus on my opponent, but beyond him, I go beyond my surroundings and feel a supernatural force emerging from within, absorbing and compressing. I push all of this to the limit, forcing the expulsion of all mana.

With an explosion of mana around us, I use my ability "INFECT".

In a short, swift movement, I shorten the gap in space that separates us.

It's not that I have become faster. He has become slower.

With my mana infiltrating his body, his physical abilities decrease considerably.

Returning to focus on the attack, I try a variety of movements, but I encounter more difficulties. Now, he is not only defending, but also counterattacking.

Of course, he is not attacking with all his strength, but that can change at any moment. With 5 or 6 movements, due to the discrepancy in our speeds, there is a brief opening for an attack.

When that happens, he takes precautions to use a counterattack to break the sequence of attacks.

Even so, I will continue attacking. At some point, I will gain the advantage.

Shin: So, are you coming at me with everything you've got? I expected more.

Ugh...Of course, he is not attacking with all his strength, but that can change at any moment. With 5 or 6 movements, due to the discrepancy in our speeds, there is a brief opening for an attack.

When that happens, he takes precautions to use a counterattack to break the sequence of attacks.

Even so, I will continue attacking. At some point, I will gain the advantage.

Shin: So, are you coming at me with everything you've got? I expected more.

Ugh...

Is he mocking me or is he being serious?

Elysia: I am using my magic. Beyond this point, I don't have full control over it. Are you really serious? Do you really think it's necessary to go this far in training? If I don't show mercy even here, how will I distinguish a real enemy from a training opponent?

Shin: If you don't attack with everything you've got and with the intention to kill, you will never hit me, let alone win the fight. A real opponent won't give you so many opportunities to take the fight seriously, Elysia. A single slip or mistake is enough to cause your defeat and, consequently, death. That's what it means to follow the path of the sword.

Elysia: I understand. In that case, I will give it my all.

Shin: Of course, come at me with everything you've got.

Very well.

In that case, I will unleash everything I can and keep attacking until victory.

With determination pulsating within me, I release a torrent of mana, letting all the power I can control flow. I feel it spreading, energizing every fiber of my being, and flowing like a waterfall toward my opponent, while I launch myself into a fierce attack, releasing as much mana as I can control.

There is not as much precision as before, but now the strategy is different. Besides speed, I will use any advantage I can get in strength as well.

With the amount of mana I am releasing, his physical abilities shouldn't be much superior to those of a normal civilian.

Even if he can defend himself, my blows are effective. I can almost hear the sounds of his arms with each blocked strike.

Whether due to weakness or slowness, sooner or later, I will corner him.

Almost there...

Just a little more and I will win.

Just one strike...

Elysia: Aaaaah! I WILL WIN!

CATCHA!

The sensation of overpowering is overwhelming. In an instant, my mana slips from my hands, like fine sand escaping through my fingers. In a moment of loss of control, I am hit by Shin's hand and sword hilt. The pain is sharp, and a wave of fatigue weighs heavily on me, making any movement a daunting task.

When I was about to succeed...

Did the mana run out...?

Or did it just get out of control?

It doesn't matter. In just one moment where my control faltered, he won.

I fall and, simultaneously, fatigue and pain hit me, making any kind of movement difficult.

Urgh...

Ah, damn it...

With great effort, I manage to turn around and get into a more comfortable position.

I lost.

Again.

My defeat is a bitter mix of frustration and disappointment. I feel disoriented and powerless as I struggle to catch my breath. Once again, Shin has demonstrated his superiority. The feeling of failure permeates every part of my being, leaving a bitter taste on my lips.

While I try to stabilize myself, I see Shin returning to his previous position, calmly picking up his swords from the ground. His impassive gaze reveals a part of his personality that I had not yet known - a subtle blend of indifference and satisfaction. It's as if he knew that victory was certain from the beginning and was merely waiting for the inevitable outcome.

After a few minutes, I managed to compose myself and stand up. I approached Shin and he exclaimed:

Shin: I think we've reached the end of our training, haven't we?

Elysia: Yes, it seems so... I can't continue.

Shin: I understand. So, can you tell me the reason for your defeat?

Elysia: Yes, I was able to notice several reasons. There's the lack of control over mana when it's released in large quantities, and also the decrease in the accuracy of my strikes. Probably because I'm not used to using so much mana

it's a problem to have to pay attention to so many things at once.

Elysia: And lastly, the biggest reason that resulted in my defeat was your defensive abilities.

Shin: It seems like you have a good understanding of the fight, but can you tell me what makes my defensive abilities so efficient?

Elysia: During the fight, I noticed that you moved anticipating my next moves and defended yourself with movements that ensure the least effort for the next defense.I believe it's the experience and prediction that make you so effective.

Shin: Anything else?

Elysia: Uhh... During the fight, you uhh... Ah! You not only anticipated my strikes, but also influenced me to attack where you wanted, with specific movements, like eye movements or directions. That made me realize that you had an exact understanding of when to increase the speed of your movements and block with the least time and effort, which explained the strangeness in your movements.

Shin: Yes, it seems like you've gained an initial understanding of my abilities.

An initial understanding? So it's not that simple, or you just don't want to admit it?

Shin: There's one last thing. From today, we're going to put a pause on the fights for a while.

Elysia: Oh, why?

Shin: You're starting classes, in addition to your training and everything else you have to do. You'll probably have less time. Also, I would prefer if you didn't spread the word that I'm training you.

Elysia: Is that really important to you?

Shin: Of course it is. If rumors spread out that I'm accepting students, there will be pressure and persistent attempts for me to accept disciples. Besides, if influential people try and get rejected, there might be a sense of dissatisfaction, as if I'm favoring their family or being against someone. That would cause problems.

Elysia: Sometimes it seems like you're just running away or being lazy instead of helping others.

Shin: Lazy? I don't think so. If I can set aside time for myself, why wouldn't I do that instead of creating all sorts of problems for myself?

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