1. Great Day

Friday, September 28 2007

-Morning

As usual, in the morning, we had to watch a student standing for 30 minutes while Ms. Lambert rambled about biology.

I mean she's been late three times in a row already.

Not like I care though. In my head I am anxious about the SCRABBLE results.

Two days ago, I got a letter from National Literature. It said that at nine o’clock, a representative from them will come to my school to bring news.

I hope I qualify for the championship.

…

In the cafetaria, I grabbed the weekend specials, chicken and eggs set meal, and sat together with Fredrick. No doubt about it, it tasted really good! I chow down as fast as possible. The representative might come soon.

Fredrick: ‘Woah, you finished already?’

Eric: ‘Yeah. Can’t wait to join the championships!’

Fredrick: ‘Man, you always play that stupid board game… But, it’s nice, eh? Getting to nationals. Meanwhile the football team barely reached the regional tournament.’

Eric: ‘I heard you guys had trouble with defense.’

Fredrick: ‘Yeah… I wish you were our goalkeeper though…’

Done eating, I bid goodbye to Fredrick and ran to the teacher’s office. Unfortunately, the representative hadn't arrived yet, so I was told to wait until after school.

-Afternoon

Good thing today we didn’t get homework.

I rushed to the teacher’s office to meet with the representative. We sat down in the private room.

In front of me is Mr. Hermann, my school principal, and the national representative.

Mr. Hermann: ‘Eric, I want to introduce you to Mr. Paul. He is the committee jury for the national SCRABBLE championship.’

I shook hands with Mr. Paul. He has smooth black hair, wears eyeglasses, and has a handsome face. As expected, the people from the capital city wear nice suits.

Mr. Paul: ‘Nice to meet you, Eric. I have good news for you. You have been qualified for the national SCRABBLE championship.’

Eric: ‘Wow! I can’t believe it. I did it!’

Mr. Hermann: ‘Congratulations. It’s an amazing feat, really. A 2nd year student managed to reach that is very rare to happen.’

Mr. Paul: ‘The championship will begin on 13 October, two weeks from now on. I hope you prepare well.’

Mr. Paul then hands me an invitation letter.

Eric: ‘Two weeks? That’s a bit too-’

Mr. Paul: ‘Erm, well, don’t worry about it. I know you can do it. Putting a letter on a board… That ain’t too hard, right?.’

Eric: ‘Iif you say so.’

The meeting was brief. After that, I bid goodbye to them and went home.

I must tell my family about this!

-Evening

Lil Sis: ‘Wow… You managed to get to the nationals? That’s awesome, big bro!’

Eric: ‘Haha, thanks! When I get there, I’ll buy you lots of chocolates!’

We sat down in the dining room. Me, my mom, and my lil sis with food on the table, and a TV with a news channel. It was our evening as usual, plus some good news from mine.

Mom: ‘I’m happy for you, Eric.’

Lil Sis: ‘Where’s Dad?’

Mom: ‘Dad can’t go home today. He said he was busy at the fire station.’

Then, the TV shows a prime news segment, which always occurs at this time. It shows important news from our city.

(Today’s news! A resident has found an unconscious man in the back alley of a hotel…)

(‘We tried to wake up this guy, but he didn’t budge at all.’)

(The local police haven’t figured out the cause of this…)

Eric: ‘He must’ve drunk at the local bar nearby…’

Mom: ‘By the way, your watch has arrived. I placed it on your desk.’

Eric: ‘Thanks, mom.’

After eating, we talked for a while before I went upstairs.

…

At the desk, there’s a white envelope. Inside of it is my repaired watch, which was broken a few days ago while I was playing football.

I’ll always cherish my watch. My dad gave it to me years ago. It’s an old model, but its red color remains bold until today.

The envelope has no address from the sender. I knew I brought it to Mr. Brown’s shop, but it’s still strange… Inside the envelope, there’s a red letter that says ‘S.O.S’.

What does that mean?

The writing looks childish though. It might’ve been Mr. Brown’s kid who wrote this.

Well… Whatever. Must’ve been a prank.

I wear the watch and then study for the SCRABBLE. I need to learn new words so I have a better chance of success. I only have two weeks to prepare.

I studied until ten o’clock, washed my teeth, then went to sleep.

It was a usual day after all.

I should think about how to spend my time for the next two weeks… I have school tomorrow. I should discuss this with my board game club.

…

Sweet dreams, Eric.

***

Welcome to the Dreamfield.

That’s the first thing I heard while I was dreaming. I was floating in a rainbow colored horizon, swirling like hypnosis… I can’t explain it well.

Then, a small white fairy flies in front of me. They have no face and it’s just plain white.

???: ‘You have arrived at the Dreamfield, my hero!’

Eric: ‘Uh, what? I’m the hero?’

???: ‘Yes! Pleased to meet you. I am the Dream Wisp. Dreamfield needs a hero like you to fight against the demons! How shall I call you?’

Eric: ‘I’m Eric… What’s this about?’

A dream about fighting the demons? How strange… Yet intriguing.

Dream Wisp: ‘Let me explain how it works. Please stretch your right arm and open your hand.’

When I do that, a holographic menu shows itself.

Dream Wisp: ‘The three boxes in front of you is the skill trigger. This is where you can put a skill to use. To learn a skill, you need to obtain a job from the town academy. Your objective is to defeat demons and complete tasks to earn money, then you will pay taxes to the Dream Lord. The taxes you pay are important for the preparation against demon invasion and will be converted into points, where you can improve existing skills or learn new one!’

Eric: ‘Wait, that’s too fast, can you repeat-’

Dream Wisp: ‘Above the skill trigger is the inventory, where you can store skills or items to switch on later. You can also view your money and tax due. Now close your hand to close the menu.’

The menu disappears when I do that.

Dream Wisp: ‘Dreamfield has three towns where you can start your journey. Please choose one of them. On the right is Bronson’s Fort, the warrior town. Next is Howald, the magic town. Lastly is Fushu, the concealed village.’

I don’t get it, this wisp talks fast. There’s too much info in a dream, which I felt kind of strange. But anyway…

Eric: ‘I think I will choose Howald. Magic town sounds interesting…’

Dream Wisp: ‘Alright, you have chosen the destination. Remember the menu. You can learn the rest from the inhabitants of this world, and don’t forget to pay your taxes!’

Can’t believe a 16 year old student had to pay taxes…

A message has been found.

Dream Wisp: ‘There’s a message for you. Do you want me to read it for you?’

Eric: ‘A message? Uh, sure I guess.’

Dream Wisp: ‘Okay. Here’s the message. Liberandum populum. Invenire reum. Utere horologio tuo.’

Eric: ‘Huh? What’s that supposed to mean? Can you at least translate it-’

Dream Wisp: ‘Have a safe journey~’

Suddenly, a square black hole appeared on my foot… and I fell.

Eric: ‘AAAAAAAHHHH!’

***

When I woke up, I was in the middle of a cobble street.

It seems I was transported to the world… I think the wisp called it Dreamfield, and I’m in the town of Howald.

I smell grass, horse, and manure… How strange that I can ‘smell’ this while dreaming. Never had that before.

Speaking of which, my body feels really responsive, and my head is clear, just like real life. I pinch my face, and it hurts.

Is this actually a dream?

What I saw around me is a bunch of stone buildings, towers with cone roofs, and shops that seemingly replicate the hit theme park Desneyland I saw on the TV, but switched up its realism a little too much.

I saw people with robes of various colors, some wearing a pointy hat, some wearing a turban. Some of them carry a wheelbarrow, some of them speak english in the middle of the road, some of them ride a horse. They don’t look like actors at all, if at all, these actors act too real.

I remember this a while ago during Mr. Cohen’s history class. In the medieval times, people rode horses to get around the city, and the merchants carried goods on the road. They are the ‘cars’ of the medieval.

I open the menu by stretching my arm then open my hand. It seems I can select the inventory menu just by looking at it and then blink my eyes.

…There’s only one item inside. I have no money, and there’s 80 TAX due 4 hours written next to that. I wonder what will happen if I can’t pay taxes.

I decided to check that ‘item’ by looking at it, then blink on it. It says the same thing the Dream Wisp said before… Liberandum populum. Invenire reum. Utere horologio tuo.

I don’t understand this. I should leave this for later.

I close the inventory by blinking my eyes. There, I saw three empty transparent boxes.

The wisp said that I can add a skill here by getting a job in an academy.

I decided to ask around.

Eric: ‘Excuse me. Can I ask, where is the academy?’

Man with green robe: ‘You wanna get a job? Just follow the main road, then turn left. You’ll know it right away.’

Eric: ‘Thanks.’

Hmm…

This man talks like the everyday dialect. I thought people long time ago spoke in strange ways.

Well, whatever. Time to get a job.

***

Sure enough, I know the building in front of me is an academy. There’s a large open book statue in front of the building.

The academy looked like a court building, possibly a Roman design I saw in the history textbook. Here, almost everyone wore a cone hat.

When I entered the building, a woman receptionist greeted me. She also wore a cone hat, and a black robe. Switch that hat to a graduation cap and they will look like a graduate student.

Here’s one thing though. An academy should be the place for students, not job seekers, right?

Receptionist: ‘Welcome to Howald’s academy, where we teach wonderful magic and alchemy! How may I serve you?’

Eric: ‘I would like to get a job so I can get a skill.’

Receptionist: ‘Very well. We have four jobs here. Choose which one you want.’

The receptionist then shows me the lists of jobs available.

Scholar - A magic user focusing on fundamentals. Uses MYSTIC ARTS. Has lots of skill stock.

Cleric - A magic user devoted to the church. Uses HOLY ARTS. Essential for guilds.

Elementalist - A magic user that controls the three elements. Uses ELEMENTAL ARTS. Can switch skill elements.

Alchemist - A master of liquid. Can produce POTIONS. Can throw POTIONS.

All of them are jobs that obviously do not exist in real life…

Eric: ‘I can choose any of them?’

Receptionist: ‘Yes. However, if you wish to change jobs, you will lose all points spent on previous jobs. You may only have one primary job.’

I remember the points, it’s used to improve my skills. If I change jobs, I would lose my progress… Is that what she meant?

Anyway, I don’t know much about these jobs…

Eric: ‘I suppose I’ll go for Scholar. Mystic arts sound nice to my ear.’

Focusing on fundamentals is important!

Receptionist: ‘Very well, please follow me.’

The receptionist then led me to a classroom. Inside it looks rather quite the same as our school, but a bit dilapidated.

I sat down, and immediately a long beard old man appeared out of nowhere.

???: ‘I am the Magister of Mystic arts. My name is Obbrod. You must be Eric. Now listen carefully.’

How did he know my name?!

Obbrod: ‘The user of mystic arts is called the scholar. Mystic arts are focused on simple but instantaneous skills. They also have a high skill stock. Now Eric, open the menu.’

When I opened a menu, the inventory menu flashes. I opened it and saw a circle ball.

Obbrod: ‘Drag the skill to your skill trigger by focusing on it then pull it towards a box down there.’

When I do that, the skill trigger now has one skill. It says ‘Soul Bolt’, with 50/50 written at the bottom.

Obbrod: ‘That number represents the skill stock. That is the amount of skill you can use before it runs out. When it happens, you should drink an energy potion or visit the church. To use a skill, select from the skill trigger with your eyes, and use your finger.’

I nodded.

Obbrod: ‘With that, you have become a scholar. I shall end the lesson.’

Eric: ‘Wait, that’s it? So fast!’

Obbrod: ‘Yes. I’ve also provided you with a quest. It’s not far from here. You can check it on your menu.’

Within 3 minutes, I got a job.

***

I’m in the middle of Greener Fields. I’m tasked to defeat 30 Bushues. The task showed me the way here. They look like a pile of leaves among the tall grasses, which makes them hard to notice, but they move like a crab. They also look kind of tame. Being a firefighter son, this doesn’t ‘scare’ me at all.

It’s just a pile of leaves.

To defeat them, I need to use my ‘Soul Bolt’ against them. To do that, I open the menu, I select the ‘Soul Bolt’, then point my finger at them before shouting…

Eric: ‘Soul Bolt!’

A white bolt came out of my finger, then flew quickly to the Bushu like a gunfire, instantly defeating them, scrambling those leaves to the pieces, all without making a noise.

Also, my menu flashes when I defeat them. I saw 5 money…

So that’s how it works. Defeating monsters yields me money. Awesome. 16 Bushus mean I can pay taxes.

Then, I do the same for the other Bushues. I shoot ‘Soul Bolt’, I get money. Sometimes I miss them.

I have to say, this experience is similar to what my friends said about video games they played on JoySet 2. Well, I don’t have that and never played one… But they said in video games, they are the heroes that fight monsters and such, earn money to become stronger, so they can fight strong enemies.

This dream world is like video games. So far I like it when Bushu gets defeated.

Down to one Bushu left, I decided to try something.

The bushu crawl to me…

Then…

The leaves slap my legs.

OUCH!

These leaves are no kidding. They leave a bruise on my legs. I shoot the Soul Bolt to retaliate.

After defeating 30 Bushues, a ding dong sound appears. It seems that the task rewards me with money, so now I have 250 money.

Soon after that, the money drops to 170. It seems it is used to pay taxes. Now it says 100 money due tomorrow.

I also have 80 points, but I have no idea how to spend it. Maybe I should do that later.

My ‘Soul Bolt’ has 8/50 stock left. I think I should return back to the town.

***

When I browsed the market, I saw a bottle that was labelled ‘VIGOR’. I think it’s an energy drink… But it’s expensive. I can’t pay 600 Money at the moment.

I decided to go to church instead. It looks to be a local Fuko’s church. It’s small and stoney.

When I went inside, I saw a priest with black robe and a person with a green robe, arguing with each other.

I don’t want to disturb them, so I sat down at the end of the chair, and… pray? Well, nothing else to do anyway.

However, moments later, the argument got louder.

Priest: ‘Please, calm down.’

Man with green robe: ‘No! You’ve got to save me! There's a loud noise in my head!’

That man turned around and then began to shout around.

Man with green robe: ‘Help! Help! Somebody, please!’

Within seconds, I saw the most grotesque thing I’ve ever seen.

That man’s body bloats like a tumor, expands really large, then explodes.

Blood flies everywhere, painting the church, the priest, and my face with red.

There, standing in the middle of the carcass, a fat looking monster appears! It looks naked… There’s impaled hooks around its arm and has giant surgical stitches at the belly.

???: ‘Gahahahahaha! The hour has come! I’ll eat you all, starting with you!’

Priest: ‘Hiiii! No! No!’

That monster punched that priest really hard, sending it to the wall, before dropping down unconscious.

???: ‘Gahahaha! Sooo easy. You’re next!’

Ugh, what do I do? That monster looked really scary, plus it socked that priest in a single blow!

But, I’m the son of a firefighter! I can’t let this thing harm other people outside.

Against my guts, I decided to fire my ‘Soul Bolt’!

Eric: ‘Soul Bolt! …Soul Bolt! …Soul Bolt!’

I kept shooting that to the fat monster’s belly. Everytime it hits, it flinches.

???: ‘Gyahhhh… You bastard! Rrrrahhhhh… I’ll eat you!!’

Eric: ‘Soul Bolt! …Soul Bolt… Eh?’

Unfortunately, I ran out of stock. Uh oh. And this monster is really close to me, and it’s about to punch!

Eric: ‘Eeeeeekkk!’

Suddenly…

???: ‘Ice Bolt!’

A bolt of ice came outside of the church…

???: ‘Get away now!!’

There, I saw a girl with short purple hair with black tank top. That second moment allowed me to escape from harm, when a few seconds later…

???: ‘Electric Bolt!!’

A blinding light pierces that fat belly, causing that monster to shake like being electrocuted in the cartoon!

Finally, that monster is defeated, yielding me 40 money.

That girl saved my life! She then approached me.

???: ‘You must be a player.’

Eric: ‘Sorry?’

???: ‘My name is Sana. What’s yours?’

Eric: ‘My name’s Eric… Um, thanks for saving me.’

Sana: ‘My pleasure. You need to be careful next time, okay?’

Eric: ‘What is that monster doing here? Why does that thing kill that man?’

Sana: ‘I don’t know… I saw strange things happening in this town. Anyway, it’s almost time.’

Eric: ‘Time for what…?’

Sana: ‘Don’t you know? It’s time to wake up.’

Huh? Wake up?

Sana then left the church. I decided to chase her…

Eric: ‘Hey, wait-’

When she disappeared without a trace.

Then, a beeping sound came from my watch.

It’s 6 o’clock…

Suddenly, the world around me blurs away quickly before showing me my bedroom.

What is going on?? I just had the most bizarre dream ever. It seemed so real. Too real. I check on my legs to see if there’s a wound… to find it just fine.

Phew…

It’s just a dream… Right?

I decided to prepare for school.