Chapter 1: Chapter 1: Patch Notes

Someone’s particularly loud complaint reached my ears first. “This is bullshit! Like I want to do even more grinding for such a lame reward. I’m logging out.”

“Go ahead. Nothing is stopping you.” The game master held up his hands like he was balancing a scale. “Just be aware that if you do log out before beating the floors, your account is going to be deleted, along with all your progress.”

A gasp. “That’s worse than death!”

“You might as well end me now.”

“Sorry, little Timmy. I couldn’t protect you, but it’ll… this will… be over quick.”

“Everyone, stop!” The voice boomed across the open field. “We need to be working together through this time of crisis. And for god sake’s Peter, put away that damn battleaxe before my son gets hurt!”

The battleaxe hit the dirt below with a thud as the man sporting a bushy moustache muttered about how nobody ever supported a good murder anymore. The others around him, including Timmy, took a step back from the crazed man. 

I could only watch this shit show unfolding in disbelief, wracking my brain to try and figure out how I had gotten here. My evening had been fairly normal after all, all things considered. But I supposed it all started with that strange patch note, didn’t it?

◇

“Lucas, come downstairs and eat already. Your food’s getting cold.”

My mom’s demand went ignored as I dropped my backpack by the door and plopped myself on my gaming chair, bumping my knee against the desk. A quiet hum from my desktop computer nearly drowned out the sound of me continuously clicking my mouse. Dim light from the screen splashed across my face while I hurried through the Skill Shards Online website, searching for the latest patch notes. When I landed on the updates page, I couldn’t help squinting in confusion. It was definitely the newest patch note, displaying the numbers 12.3.1 in big, bold letters, but there was hardly any description. 

“A surprise will be waiting for those of you who log in by 17:00 PT.”

Sparing a glance at the bottom right of my computer, I realized I had about eight minutes before then. That realization kickstarted me into action. I grabbed my VR headset from atop my desk before flinging myself onto my bed. With my pillow placed under my neck, the headset snugly placed over my head, and the chin-arm locked in place, all that was left to do was to power it on.

“Damn it, get down here and eat before I take away all those electronics!” My mom shouted, banging a wooden spoon against the steel rim of a pot. “You take way too much after your dad. Just as mopey and antisocial as he used to be.”

I figured now was a prime time to do so; my mom’s temper was as short as she was and could be dealt with later. The machine let out a quiet whirl before I was plunged into darkness. That never lasted long and my vision was suddenly assaulted by a colorful wall. I crashed into it–or rather, through it–until I felt my feet hit the hard ground below. Staggering from the sudden impact, I cursed my inattentiveness. Always forgot to brace for the impact. Nonetheless, I managed to regain my balance and opened my eyes to be greeted by an unusual sight. 

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This was definitely SSO. Yet, I was no longer journeying through the snowy mountain tops of the Obsidian Range, but in the wide-open field near Beginner Woods. The tall grass tickled my bare calves, another peculiarity since I had been donning full armor the last time I was logged in. It seemed whatever this surprise the GM had been teasing about required us to be here. If that was the case, the simple explanation would be that he teleported us in mass to this location.

This was supported by the fact that there were already large gatherings of other players all around. A majority of these players I recognized from some of the top guilds as well, the emblems emblazoned on their clothes, meaning this wasn’t a group of just newbies either. That reassured me some, and I exhaled deeply. I had gotten a little nervous that my account had been hacked or glitched out or something. It was honestly a relief to see this was all for the event.

“Yo, AnoleFisting. How’s it been hanging?”

I turned to stare at the red-headed guy who stopped across from me. He smiled, his teeth on full display, seemingly waiting for some kind of answer. Sighing, my whole face turned red, embarrassed by what middle school me had thought was a hysterical username. “Lyfeti, I keep telling you that you can just call me Anole.”

He scratched the back of his neck. “And I keep telling you that’s not any better.”

“It is if you pronounce it A-null.”

“Yeah, you keep telling yourself that.”

“Anyway, what do you think about this whole thing?” I asked, spreading my arms wide.

“Hmm…” Lyfeti glanced around, absentmindedly fraying the top of a blade of grass between his fingers. “I figure it’s got to be some sort of battle royale thing. The devs are probably trying to cash in on their popularity right now.”

I blinked in confusion. “But the new players won’t stand a chance. There's such a big difference in levels ”

Motioning above his head, he laughed. “Maybe you didn’t notice, but it’ll be all about skill now.” 

I followed where he was pointing. There was his username and level like usual, although he was no longer level sixty. He was now level one. In disbelief, I traced a finger in the air in front of me, drawing up the system’s menu. Swiping to the left, I quickly glanced through my menu. The truth hung in front of my face, though.

I was also back to level one, my inventory was empty, and I had no gold. 

My high-pitched, glass-shattering scream almost matched up perfectly with the thunder that crackled across the suddenly dark sky.