NOVEL NEXT Chapter 8: Survivor (400)
"I am Minxx," the elfin girl said, extending her hands to Dimm for a handshake.
"And I am—"
"Dimm." The girl completed it.
"How did you know?" Dimm asked.
"It's a good thing I wasn't directed to the wrong person," she said, making her moves forward as Dimm followed behind her. "When you chose the name, I heard it."
Dimm was bemused with the whole turn of events. This girl appears to know much about the happenings in this game.
He needed to find out more, so, he followed behind the girl continually asking questions that remained unanswered.
"If you want to know more, you will have to follow me to my village," Minxx said.
***
Just as the broad announcement that had been broadcasted vanished, the newly prospective players began to notice some changes in their body and movements.
--[01]--
His body felt an unfamiliar force, exhilarating at the same time, coursing through his vein. His instincts flared to life, as if speed had always being part of his existence.
In the blink of an eyes, he moved, to one side. Subsequently, it moved to another. He did this in a rotary motion before he stopped, clamping his head.
The pain that shot through his head seemed to reduce, letting him make use of his mouth.
"What is this just now?"
A similar voice, the one that had introduced itself as Elion announced.
[Congrats Survivor—you have gained Special Ability—Speed.]
In a similar way, other survivors of the game got different reactions pertaining to the ability that had awakened with. This ability, merely represents the main factor that had let to your survival.
Some awakened Combat ability, some Speed, majority awakened Luck ability. Amongst all, one person awakened a Mage Ability.
--[400]--
The player with the ID 400 was a girl.
She intuitively, sat on the bare sandy ground. Her hands clutched her head as she gasped for breath.
Whispers of thoughts flooded her mind, expanding her senses beyond the physical, or what it seemed. She heard weird voices, some of them unspoken, others overlapping, all growing louder in her mind.
She fell to the ground, struggling to come over the growing whispers that distorted her thinking, and that was when it abruptly stopped. Her head becoming free again, but her hand—her finger tips—they hurt.
She moved her eyes to her hands. Flickering glows emanated on them, growing brighter before becoming dimmer. And, "swoop" it went off.
Then she heard same voice as others, the voice of Elion.
[Congrats Survivor—you have gained Special Ability—Mage!]
[Extension Ability: You can read minds—a Mother confessor!]
The girl, unlike the others, didn't glimmer at the information. She acted as though she had expected such. She, however, lowered her head to the ground where she lay, only to be jolted upright by a bright glow in the sky again.
All the current awakeners, the Survivors, wherever they were witnessed the occurrence. Somehow, Dimm was included even though he had not legally awakened as per the game rules.
[Each Survivor must have awakened an ability. This ability will help you explore your new challenges as we await your success.]
[Survivor (400) has been recruited! This will only take effect based on the ability to survive the forthcoming challenges.]
Every survivor wherever they were murmured in glamor. They wondered who this sane candidate for being able to perform to the extent that recruitment laid at the doorstep.
Some commented that without doubt, it must have been the candidate who was announced to have being tested on a high different level of difficulty.
"If his test was specifically difficult, what if I was to be in the shoes?" a Survivor, in its zone commented.
"No, if the system referred to the same candidate, it should have used the ID 160. But, clearly, this is the ID of a fellow survivor," another Survivor lamented.
Here and there, Survivors in their different zones made comments concerning the sudden development and most of them now wished to see this special being.
***
However, like the others, Dimm was bewildered by the information that blared at his eyes like a sight-seeing horn.
"That's the first that is happening for over two century, since the invention of the game," Minxx said.
"Eeh, what do you mean?" Dimm asked.
Minxx shrugged before taking the question. "I meant that Players rarely got recruitment opportunity in their first rank. It usually happened in the second rank, or mostly, the third.
"How do you know all these?" Dimm asked.
"I have offered to make you know more if you accept my request to go with me to my village," she snorted.
Unknowing to her, that was a good idea for Dimm. He has come to this environment, and had suddenly survived. His mind was focused on exploring the place rather than the challenges facing him as one of the game players.
The edge of his left eye got attracted to the glow again.
[Find the Route!]
The information in the sky now read.
[After some consideration, the system has decided to let you embark on the next round as a pair. FIND THE ROUTE!]
"The route?" Dimm was confused.
"You sure don't know anything about this game, why then come into it?" Minxx mocked.
"What is a route?" Dimm said with a serious tone.
"The will route serve as a connector between survivors. It will help Survivors to connect to each other, and whoever you connect with, will become your pair."
"It doesn't really require both Survivors to find their routes. If one of any possible pair should find the Route, then, connecting with the fellow Survivor can still be possible."
"How are the other survivors going to know this?" Dimm asked.
"They probably will," Minxx said, putting on a mocking smile. "You're actually alone in this lack of knowledge."
"That being said, I guess I won't have to find the Route with them, I'm not awakened yet—" Dimm halted in his words. "Wait, I am awakened right?"
"The information above didn't say so," Minxx replied quickly.
"Although I didn't know how it had gone for them, but I can say I heard a voice. Yes, I heard a voice," Dimm tried to explain.
"Don't explain."
Dimm's jaw dropped. Minxx noticing the effect of her reply, quickly asked.
"Did you receive any ability like they have?" she asked.
"No."
"Then, you've not awakened according to the game," Minxx said.
"But, the thirty minutes I was given must have expired, nothing happened. Any explanation?" Dimm tried to get her attention.
"None."
"Or. Maybe. Besides, you can continue telling me about the game," Dimm suggested.
"Not saying that either. Not until you reply my offer," Minxx said, picking up a stick from the ground.
"What offer?" Dimm tried to remember. "Oh, I did like to check it out."
"So, you're coming?" Minxx asked, happiness gradually spreading on her face.
"Yes," Dimm confirmed.