Ascend
647 Words
Maeve carefully observed the flowers and grass around her. The refreshing scent of plants filled the air, clinging gently to her senses. A cool breeze swept through the field, sending flower petals fluttering like soft rain—some even landed on her white dress. Everything felt overwhelmingly real.
“As expected from Jace and Clara’s work… This is amazing,” she murmured.
Before she could marvel any further, Jace’s voice echoed in her mind.
“Hey, can you hear me?”
“…So you’re the ADMIN you mentioned earlier?”
“Not just me—everyone in the observation room is an ADMIN. Whenever a player enters the game, someone will be there to assist from the outside.”
“Got it.”
“Now let’s go over the basic gameplay. Try saying ‘Status.’”
“Status.”
In the next instant, a translucent panel appeared in front of Maeve, displaying her in-game stats:
Name: Maeve
Job: Elementalist
HP: 1000
MP: 1000
Attack: 110
Defense: 100
Crit Rate: 10%
Weapon: Basic Staff +10
Luck: 30%
Gold: 100,000
Gems: 1,000
At the bottom of the panel was a button labeled “Shop.”
“The Shop is like a treasure trove our company created for players. You can find everything you need there—skills, items, gear, you name it. Of course, the prices are a bit steep. After all, we still need to fund development,” Jace chuckled.
Maeve tapped the button, and a dazzling array of items appeared—elemental magic, crafting materials, life skills, weapons, clothing, accessories...
“Elementalist skills can be purchased in town shops or earned through quests. But the Shop also sells rare magic that you can’t find elsewhere. Go ahead, try buying one.”
She scanned the list and purchased a “Ascend” spell for 100 gems. After that, she tapped the “X” in the corner to close the panel and waited for Jace’s next instruction.
“Now, all you need to do is say the name of the spell, and it will activate.”
“Ascend.”
As soon as she spoke, her body began to rise. Higher and higher, until she was nearly five meters off the ground. At first, Maeve panicked, flailing her arms as if trying to grab onto something. But soon, she calmed down and started experimenting—adjusting her altitude, speed, and direction. Before long, she had full control.
Once she got the hang of it, she gently landed back where she started.
“Well? Super fun, right?” Jace’s voice practically buzzed with excitement.
“Yeah… This feels way too real. It’s like I’ve stepped into a new continent on Earth—one filled with magic.”
Since entering the game, Maeve had been swept up in one surprise after another. Her once-quiet face now glowed with joy, like a child finally given her favorite toy.
“You’ve been in-game for about three hours. For the next two, try heading to the nearby town and interact with some NPCs. They’re not your average scripted characters. Ours are built using the most advanced tech—no preset responses, so you can talk to them however you like.”
“Oh, and before you enter the town, be sure to open your item box and show your ID to the gatekeeper. Just say ‘Item’ to open it. Your inventory has unlimited capacity, so no need to worry about running out of space.”
“As for the rest… I’ll leave that to you to discover on your own.”
Jace’s voice faded away.
Maeve cast “Ascend” again and soared toward the grassy plains near the town, then slowly approached the gate on foot.
“What kind of adventures are waiting for me next?” she thought.
With excitement brimming in her heart, Maeve stepped into the unknown once more.
- Writer
