First Time

“Help!” My brother screamed, dodging yet another strike from the troll.

“You’ll be fine.” I called out from the edge of the clearing with the other two members of my party. “Now stop dodging and attack the thing.”

“How?! It keeps coming at me!” He rolled again, narrowly avoiding the massive, wooden club.

The perks of playing as a Ranger: increased base dodge chance, but it won’t protect him forever. Sooner or later he would get hit.

“Okay, that’s it,” Myra, our party’s Paladin, said as she drew her long sword and started walking into the clearing, “I’m helping him.”

“No!” I pointed a hand at her in warning, stopping her in her tracks. “Do that and I will kick you out of the party, cast Inferno on you until you die, then loot all your high-tiered items and sell them for gold.”

“You wouldn’t.”

“Try me.”

At this point, Damon Weathertop, our Cleric, stepped in. “Okay, let’s not tear each other’s throats out, especially when our beloved Level 1 Ranger still needs babysitting.”

“I do NOT need babysitting!” My brother dodged again; but this time, RNG failed him and the troll hit him.

Forest Troll hits Orion Greenleaf (12 physical damage).

“Ow!” He cried in pain, pushing himself back to his feet. “Why does it hurt so much? I thought it was just VR?”

“Immersive VR.” I corrected. “The pain you feel is virtual, but your mind interprets it as real.”

“Why would people subject themselves to this?!” He started running when the troll raised its club again.

“Remember, the pain is just in your head.” I said, patience wearing thin. “Don’t think too much about it and it won’t hurt.” I raised my voice. “Now quit dodging and fight back!”

“I can’t!” My brother leapt to the side, avoiding the club as it smashed a crater into the ground.

“Of course you can, you’re a Ranger; you have bonus movement and attack speed! The troll’s slow as shit! This should be easy for you, just kite it to death!”

“The hell is ‘kite’?!”

“Were you not paying attention when I was explaining MMO terminology to you?!”

“This is not working out.” Myra said.

“No, it is not.” Damon concurred.

“Shut up!” I glared at them.

Forest Troll hit Orion Greenleaf (12 physical damage + 6 critical damage).

“Are you okay?” Damon flinched slightly as he watched the troll lift its club from my brother’s prone form.

“He’s fine.” I waved his concern away.

“Um, my vision is turning gray.” My brother said once he’s back on his feet, wobbling slightly. He had a confused look on his face. “What’s going on?”

“It means your health is low—DODGE!” I shouted as I realized he had completely forgotten about the troll who was now swinging its club down at him—

Damon Weathertop uses Heal on Orion Greenleaf.

Orion Greenleaf regains 14 hit points.

Forest Troll hit Orion Greenleaf (13 physical damage).

“Don’t worry, I’m still alive! Though everything hurts.”

“What did I say?!” I pulled up the party list and hovered my finger over the ‘Kick’ button next to Damon’s name.

“Now, now, let’s not do anything rash.” Damon held up both his hands in a placating gesture.

“What. Did. I. Say?”

“Come on, Yelena,” Myra cut in, looking done, “you’re overreacting. How’re you going to get your brother into this game if his first experience is his older sister and his party standing around, watching him get killed by a troll?”

“He won’t.”

“Oh, really?” Myra pointed at my brother just as he disappeared underneath the troll’s club again.

Forest Troll hit Orion Greenleaf (18 physical damage).

I winced internally.

“Why are you three just standing there?! Help!” My brother cried, scrambling to his feet and away from the troll.

“Screw this, I can’t take it anymore.” Myra said and before I could react, thrust her sword at the troll.

A beam of light fired from the tip—

Myra of the Black Rose uses Sun Lance on Forest Troll.

—and struck the troll in the chest—

Myra of the Black Rose hits Forest Troll (85 fire damage).

—knocking it backwards and onto the ground, sizzling and unmoving.

Forest Troll is dead.

Myra of the Black Rose gains 11 experience point.

“Thank you,” came my brother’s grateful response.

Yelena Stormborn uses Winter’s Wrath.

Ice erupted from around Myra’s feet and encased her, only to shatter immediately after. Myra was unfazed.

“You can’t hurt someone from your own party, you idiot!”

I clicked the ‘Kick’ button next to Myra’s name.

Myra of the Black Rose has been removed from your party.

“Oh, come on!”