Chapter 8
It was the next day after I promised to meet with Clarissa she is still a bit reserved so it is kind of hard to converse with her. We are currently having a break from grinding mobs together. I also said I would teach her the basics, so here we are, in the middle of the forest. Just a little far off one of the grinding spots for new players so that we could converse in peace.
"Before we start, is there anything on your mind?" She seems like she wants to say something but does not have the courage to.
"U-uhm...." I waited in silence for her to muster up the courage to talk. After a short while, she finally continued. " Aren't I being a bother? I-I mean you're clearly too good to waste your time on someone as useless as me," she said in a soft self-deprecating voice.
I stared at her for a while, pondering what to say. As she became more and more comfortable with my probing gaze I finally let out my piece.
"Prioritize yourself more! It's okay to be selfish sometimes even if you think you're being a bother!" I exclaimed.
"If I hear you say something like that again.... I'll be very angry, understood?" I said while wagging my finger at her, as if a mother nagging her unruly child.
"Y-yes!" she subconsciously straightened her body.
After a short while, I continued with the lessons.
"Okay, now that that's cleared up, what do you want to know about CoA?"
"Uhmm... I'm not really sure...."
Maybe that was too broad of a question, but I have no experience at all in teaching newbies. I did have a student back then but she was not a complete amateur so I'm just grasping some straws here.
It also doesn't help that the game doesn't have tutorials except for how to use the basic functions. It encourages players to have a more trial-and-error type of approach, which means you die more often than not in learning the ropes. It's incredibly harsh I know, but the CoA team reasoned that players are more than likely to enjoy a challenging game that they need to explore to learn it themselves as opposed to a game that spoon-feeds them. It seems to be working out for them I suppose with them being the most popular VRMMO currently. Though there are countless beginner-friendly guides you can search on the net anyways so it helps if you despise this manner of approach of theirs.
I never read any of those tutorials so I have no basis for teaching newbies. Besides, It will surely shatter my pride to a billion pieces if I, a former champion of the Andartha's Cup, stoop as low as reading a beginner's guide.
Seems like I have no choice. I'll just tell her whatever comes to mind I guess. I'm a veteran after all so how hard could it be?
"Okay, let's start with stats, first off is uhh..... the HP bar you can see on the topmost left side of your vision, the green one. It goes down whenever you take a hit. If it goes down to zero...... you uhm..... die...." I tried.
Okay, I definitely don't know what I'm doing, I mean, everybody already knows that. Why am I even telling her such useless information?
"Oh, I see! So that is why it goes down whenever I'm hurt!" She exclaimed as if she had a scientific revelation, so mind-blowing that it could revolutionize society as we know it.
Seriously! Is this the first ever game you've played? I sighed... This is gonna take a while.
"Moving on, next is the mp bar. Skills cast by mages and weapon skills consume mana. If you want to be a mage, you need to excel in proper mana management so you don't run out of MP on crucial times when you need to cast a certain spell that could turn the tides of a battle. And even if you're not a mage, you need to properly manage your mana so you don't run out when you need to cast your weapon skill." I continued.
"Uh-huh."
Seems like she has a hard time grasping the concept, but it doesn't matter much, I'll just instruct her as she experiences it for herself. Experience is the best teacher after all.
"Below the mana bar is the stamina bar, it goes down if you perform laborious tasks such as running and doing combo attacks. Like mana, you have to properly manage it since if it is depleted, you'll be in a state of fatigue wherein you cannot move for a short time... Still with me?"
"Y-yes".
"There are things that increase stamina consumption such as debuffs, weapon skills, acquiring a PVP orb, and many other things, but I won't get into much details of it for now."
She nodded.
"Okay let's move to the main stats. This will decide what role you specialize in depending on your stats distribution.
There are a total of 5 main attributes you can allocate your stat points into, namely: Strength, Dexterity, Intelligence, Vitality, and Wisdom. You should know them by now if you open your stats window... You do know how to open it, right?
"Yes! I learned it from the kind man I met yesterday" she replied.
She must be talking about one of the NPCs who teaches the basics of basics in one of the side quests. To be fair, AI in this game could be mistaken for real people due to all the advancement and progress we had from AI chatbots over the years. I skipped that quest though because I already know most of what it wants to teach to newbie players.
"Okay, I'll explain every stat in detail so you would know what you want to specialize in."
"First is the Strength stat" I continued. "It is the basic requirement of heavy weapons and shields such as claymores, swords, and bucklers, among others. Increasing it lets you equip those weapons. The main feature of this stat is increasing physical damage by 5 multipliers per point in it and 2 critical modifiers per point. It also affects your weight by a very slight degree so you won't get blown away easily by the heavy hits you receive. Though weight is mostly affected by armor so if you want to be heavier, equipping heavy armor is your best bet. But let's get back on topic." I got sidetracked.
Next is Dexterity, most weapons that rely on grace and mastery instead of brute strength need the Dexterity stats for you to equip them. Some of the examples of this in the back of my mind are daggers, whips, claws, dual-bladed swords, katanas, and scimitars, among others. The main point of increasing dex is to increase your critical damage. Do you know what critical damage is?"
"Uhm, I'm not quite sure" she hesitated.
Thought so.
"Have you noticed when you hit the wolves and slimes earlier when we were grinding, they sometimes die instantly?"
"Oh yes, I was wondering about that!" Her mood suddenly shifted, as if a light bulb lit her mind.....how cute.
"What you did there are critical hits. Every enemy has a critical point in them. For example, most humanoid monsters have their heads as critical points, so always aim for the head if you can. Some monsters are an exception though. For example, the slimes we fought earlier have blue orbs in their body, right? That is their critical point.
"I see" she pondered for a moment.
"Is that why you kept hitting the guy's head yesterday when you two fought?"
"Precisely, humans also have critical points. 2 points to be exact, the head and the back. The head gives a much higher damage multiplier but hitting the back of a player also counts as a critical hit, though not as high in damage compared to hitting their head if you count out backstab multipliers from some weapons. I'm not going to bore you with the exact numbers and calculations of the damage but that's the gist of it." I summarized.
Though it's more on the fact that I'm not really sure about the exact numbers. I just let the CoA community nerds do the calculations.
"Increasing dexterity gives a large increase in critical damage and a little bonus in physical damage, an increase of 5 and 2 respectively. The opposite of strength's stat increase which is 2 and 5 respectively. So if your gameplay is doing precise attacks at the enemy's critical point, prioritizing dexterity would be the best thing to do. Though I don't recommend it since you're still fairly new to the game as it requires skill in landing critical blows." I added.
"Moving on, we have the Intelligence stat. Intelligence increases your magic damage. Int stat is also a major requirement for you to equip staves and crystal orbs. Staves are what we have currently right? But do you know what a crystal orb is?"
She shook her head.
I opened my inventory. Then materialized an orb that shines dimly white. Materialize function can only be used outside dungeons and PVP scenarios so you cannot materialize a different weapon mid-fight in PVP. You also cannot use it in grinding combat scenarios when there is an enemy (a wolf for example) that is aggroed to you.
She looked at the crystal orb with awe. I can't blame her, it does have a good visual effect even though it is for early levels.
"This is a crystal orb, you could equip it to a staff if you have the required stats and mastery needed. Once equipped, you can cast the skills that the orb has." I equipped the orb to the slot my newbie staff has.
It fits perfectly in the circular end of the staff where to orb is meant to be placed.
"Now I can do this." I pointed the staff at her, and after channeling for a bit, "'Heal". I spoke softly.
A dim white light enveloped Clarissa. Healing her hp back to full.
"Huh! I feel refreshed!" She said with amazement.
ClarissaHp:100%
"This orb lets me use the skill heal, as long as I have the mana required for it. Orbs are categorized into different elements, for example, red lets you cast fire-based spells while blue lets you cast ice-based ones, and so on. There are also the extremely rare dual orbs which is a combination of 2 elements, but that's not important for now."
"Can I cast a fireball if I have a red orb?" She said expectantly.
"Of course, it is its main function after all. Do you want to specialize in spellcasting?" I asked.
"Yeah! I saw a movie once about a strong mage with my brother. The mage looked so cool!" She said excitedly.....How adorable.
"I see....." I tried my best to not fawn over her. I succeeded... Barely.
"Then I suggest you allocate your stat points to intelligence. I'll help you buy an orb later with our loot from grinding." I continued.
Mages generally don't put themselves in danger so it's better for new players like her. It's kind of a bad party setup since I'm going for a spell caster role myself but it doesn't matter that much since I could always act as a dodge tank for our party.
"Those three main stats are often called the Trinity stats since they are required to equip weapons. Most weapons require a mix of strength and dex but there are also exceptions. One example is a battle staff who needs mainly int with a bit of strength and dex."
"Lastly are the Vitality and Wisdom stat. Vitality increases your HP stat while Wisdom increases your MP stat, it is not as complex as the other 3 stats. I suggest that you increase your HP first though so you don't get 1 shot by mobs. Having higher hp makes it so that you could have more room for making mistakes since you don't die easily as much." I reasoned.
"Uh-huh."
Her focus seems to shift from me to some of the players passing by to grind mobs. Her focus is dwindling, it would be hard to continue giving her lessons. I wanted to teach her proficiencies next but I guess I'll save it for another time.
"Okay, that's it for now, want to go back to grinding," I suggested.
"Sure!" She said giddily.
She seems to enjoy killing mobs. Maybe it's because she finds it rewarding? I let her kill the wolves and slimes on her own so that she would improve naturally and only interject in crucial moments whenever she is surrounded or when she runs out of stamina due to having little experience in stamina management.
For me, grinding is like a chore since the enemies here don't pose even a bit of a challenge and I find NPC mobs quite frankly, very boring and predictable. Good thing I had made a party with her since it's quite enjoyable seeing her learn and enjoy the game or I'd die of boredom mindlessly grinding solo.
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-Elizabeth's POV-
Guys, I'll also be playing a lot of team-ranked matches today. I'm practicing for the upcoming under-20 tournament our team will be joining."
I looked at the in-game VR streaming platform window that CoA has built for players. 1358 viewers today? That's a lot considering my average views are only about 800 viewers. Taking into account CoA's popularity, it's pretty low compared to the other well-known CoA streamers that have tens of thousands of regular viewers. And especially incomparable to team Atelier, which is the most popular streamer group in the entire CoA with more than hundreds of thousands of regular viewers.
BillSmith: my team will be joining the u20 tourney too! I hope we can both pass the elimination round
Simpguy99: I always loved watching you play, your movements are so graceful and captivating!
im12btwxoxo: If you win 5x in a row in 1v1 ranked, I'll donate using my dad's credit card!
Anna124: who will be your teammates for the tourney?
HardcoreViewer: will Photon also join?
HardRock69: show tits plsss
.......Honestly, every now and then, there is always someone who comments perverted things like that, if I leave them alone others will follow suit so I should be firm here.
"HardRock69 in case you're new here, I'll repeat myself, this is a no sexual harassment stream, that's strike 1, I'll ban you if this continues."
HardRock69: @Lizbeth sorry ma'am it's just a joke! it won't happen again please don't ban me!
DiligentChad: ban him now!
Simpguy99: @HardRock69 don't talk to our princess like that!
HardcoreViewer: Perma ban him now lol
im12btwxoxo: kekl
Anna124: hahaha what a pervert
BillSmith: @HardRock69 KEEEP. MY. FAVORITE. STREAMER'S NAME. OUT. OF. YOUR. FUC**** MOUTH! or ill slap the sh** out of you.
I sigh.
"And to answer some of your questions, I'll be having two new teammates since my usual teammates FairyDust and Photon are over 20 years old and cannot participate. Renz will still be joining me though along with 2 new teammates who I'm sure will surprise you guys with their skills! It'll be a secret on who the other 2 are for now so stay tuned on my stream for the reveal of the 2 new members." I explained excitedly.
Just as I was hyping my new team up to the viewers, a ping entered my field of vision.
Player 'Photon' invited you to a PVP lobby, do you wish to accept? Yes / No
"Guys, we will be playing team-ranked matches now, I won't be able to reply that much mid-PVP fight but I'll do so in between breaks."
*zffff
I teleported into the usual party lobby, a somewhat comfortable Victorian-style luxury round table, I saw Renz and Photon already in the party lobby. Photon is dressed in a sleek semi-futuristic knight set with a modern helmet covering his head. His weapon of choice is a sword and a large shield, suitable for a hybrid DPS tank. He's one of our guild mates and a close friend of my cousin, the last person we are waiting for.
Renz on the other hand prefers the lance weapon for its long reach along with his medieval knight armor. His avatar has a very homely face with blonde hair that makes him look like a cute prince from the historical era. However, I wouldn't call him cute to his face since he has developed a complex due to our classmates back in high school making fun of him for being too cute for a boy. Seeing him in the corner of the lobby, completely lost in thought about something made me worry though, he seemed to be troubled.
"What's up with him?" I asked Photon.
"I don't know, but I heard him mumbling about his sister," Photon replied.
"I.... see."
Lately, we have been practicing hard in preparation for the tournament. Maybe the reason why he's down is because he cannot spend much time with his sister. He was always so attached to his sister even back then when we were in high school.
I can't let this go though, it'll cause trouble for the team morale if he gets mopey like that. As the team captain, my teammate's mental state is part of my responsibility too.
"Uhmm, Renz. Is there something on your mind?" I approached him.
"Ohh Liz you're here, It's just...... I was thinking about my sister.
"Why, what happened?" I ask with a hint of worry.
"When I asked her to watch a movie with me yesterday, she said she has to meet someone in VR." He said begrudgingly.
"That's..... pretty normal, right?"
"No, it's not! She seems happier these past few days and is always excited to meet this person! And when I pry about it she suddenly becomes very secretive and forcibly changes the subject! Do you think she's meeting a boy? Is she VR online dating? She's too young for that!" he panicked.
I'm pretty sure she's just 2 years younger than him, but I kept it to myself. No use in making him more agitated.
"C-calm down, I'm sure you're overthinking things, she's probably just having a chat with her high school friends on VR."
".......You're probably right" he sighed. "Maybe I am just overthinking it. Thanks, Liz, I'm grateful to have someone dissuade my worries." He said with a smile.
"You're always welcome, it's my job as your team captain after all. Let us focus on our practice matches shall we?"
zffff*
Suddenly, a silvered-haired woman teleported into the lobby. She is wearing modern elven priestess clothing that you would see in your average fantasy games. Along with her beautiful mature looks and elven fashion, she looks just like a regal elf you commonly see in the movies.
"Sorry, I'm late! Did some errands on my way home." She said apologetically.
FairyDust our last member arrived. She's the oldest of our group and also a healer-type support player. She is my cousin and was supposed to be our captain and also the guild leader of Concord of Heroes, but lately, she's busy with her work and other stuff so she relegated the position to me. She helps me from time to time though in managing our guild members which I appreciate from her.
"Looks like everyone's already here! Shall we start then?" she suggested.
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"5 wins and only 2 loses! Looks like we're improving! Especially you Lizbeth I see you're working hard for the upcoming tournament."
"Yeah, I have to improve to not fall behind my team," I replied with conviction.
"Oh, if they're really that good, Renz will only drag your team down! you better replace him now before he chokes in important matches" she joked.
"Hey, I can hold my own too you know, I'm just as good as Lizbeth!" he bantered.
"Hahahaha, welp I gotta go sleep, imma need to get up early tomorrow for some errands."
"Me, too, I'm quite hungry we've been playing all night. Ggwp guys." Photon added
"Yep, good games." Renz waved goodbye
After they're all gone, I look up my stream window in preparation to sign off. 829 viewers huh, still high enough considering the time.
"Guys I won't be streaming tomorrow since I'll be going to a friend's house to watch the match between Team Nexus Gaming and Team Atelier."
HardcoreViewer: oh im also gonna watch it tomorrow! I'm pretty hype for it. Masamune FTW!
GigaMaster: aww why not, I wanted to watch your stream on weekends
Underminer092: have a good time with your friend.
Anne111: cant you just stream instead
SimpGuy99: What am I gonna do tomorrow without you brightening up my day?
"I'll stream the day after though so don't worry, also thanks as always for watching my stream. See ya guys!"
I waved goodbye and then logged off the game. After Eating some light snacks I brushed my teeth and then laid on my bed.
I glanced at my phone to check the time. 10:21, it's this late already? After viewing my messages, mostly from Lenna, group chats, and some of my friends, I put my phone on the table beside my bed. While excitedly thinking about meeting my friends tomorrow, I gradually succumbed to dreamland.