Chapter 1, BOOK 1: SUN, "The Ripple"

[Welcome to Yurayon]

~Where am I? Am I in the afterlife?~

[Would you like to start participating in this game?]

~That voice, it's all over my head, where did it came from?~

[Yes or No]

~Huh? Is this some kind of a trippy dream? Am I high or something?~

[YES OR NO]

~Will my choices matter here? I'm inside the void, what should I do?~

[Kindly choose dear player, Yes or No]

~A game? Me participating in a game? I have no clue. Wait, I must remember the last thing I did...~

[Tutorials will be provided after agreeing on playing the game, would you like to participate? Yes or No?]

~Think, remember, anything....... Ah!! The last thing I played, the latest PSX game, I'm a gamer! Should I play this game?~

[If you decline on playing the game, the star system will take you back to your body, would you like to participate in this game? Yes or No?]

~Take me back? Oh... I remember now, I choose Yes.~

*Bell Chimes*

~So that's how it is huh?~

[Thank you dear player, you are now an official player of Yurayon, please wait as the system programs your Verse]

[Loading...]

[Thank you for waiting, you will be choosing your own target location provided by your projecting tab, you will be sent to the 'Ripple' and can start the game whenever you want, Good luck dear player, the stars are watching you]

~The ripple? What exactly is that?~

[The star system will evaluate important choices and will start giving you a notification tab that will indicate the options you have at the moment, clicking it will help you get to your desired path. Note that only the player can see his/her own tab.]

~Oh just like in typical online games huh?~

[Dear player, at this moment we will warn you of the unpleasant sensations you will experience as we transfer data into your body, everything you experience will be normal as you travel light years of astral trail please take a deep breath after seeing the NEBULA, thank you]

~Woah, I have a lots of questions~

[In the count of 3, 1... 2...]

~Orrrr maybe I'll save it all for later?~

[3.... Yurayon's Gates open]

At this very moment, I was certain that this is how death feels like.

~AAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!~

Something so massive, enormous and omnipotent pulls me, my essence or what is everything that is left of me. I feel like I was being sucked in a portal. I started to feel the cold, the pressure, the speed. I can touch the debris that explodes like supernova on my surface. I can't properly see, but the violet and green light strings are all I took gaze of as I travel light years. I'm not enjoying this. I can constantly feel my bones breaking, crushed by the friction of how I travel faster than the capacity of my mind to process everything that is happening. I was fast and all of the sudden I stopped...

I opened my eyes and saw a view of outerspace between a yellow sun and all the moons that revolved around it. I tried to move but at the flinch of my finger, the sorroundings changed just like flipping a picture of a book. I'm like travelling scene by scene by scene, universe by universe. Until I recover all my senses and gasped for air in which everything stops and there I saw.

~Is this the nebula?~

My mind was so trippy that all I see is a flower which turns out to be the Nebula, a purple peach space dust. I took a deep breath and the nebula moved inside and inhaled by me. At the verge of feeling that my innards will explode, everything shuts off.

[Welcome to the Ripple, dear player, we would like to know your name]

I opened my eyes inside a room with everything in shade of white. I was still exhausted from the wild ride and thought of it as a dream. But it isn't. I looked at the nearby mirror and saw my face with tears falling out of my eyes. "Shit!" , my eyebrows lifted as I hear my voice. "No way, my voice is so handsome, but my face, it's familiar to my past face. Does this mean that I died and this is heaven?" I also noticed a lot of changes from my old self. Now time to get answers to all my questions. But first, who am I?

[We would like to know your name]

"Can I know my name from my past life?"

[Sure, here's a quest in able to get information from your past life:

-"The keeper's shelf" (Join a party and obtain three keys from a normal quest)

Additional note: the keeper's shelf is a massive library that have access to all informations on all space and time but readers are limited with the keys they obtained. 3 normal keys will be enough to know your name.]

"What the f***? All that for a single information? Can you just say it to me?"

[I'm so sorry, as a star system, I am programmed limited to the players capability and capacity to learn. If you gain more experience, it will help me to become more fluid]

I assume that since this is a game, everything will either be a quest or acquiring something will be a challenge. Nevertheless, I have retain some information of my past. First, I was a gamer. Second, I became blind and I died. How did I die anyway? Maybe I never woke up? 

[Good day player, You are in the ripple, I am this domain's program tutor. You can call me BRAILLE]

"Braille? As in braille writing?"

[Braille: Yes, just like how braille writing aids the blind people, I guide new players to their desired path. So tell me, what kind of a person are you? Are you an Athlete? Or maybe a Genius in math or science? Are you a leader? A supporter? Anything, you know about yourself]

Is this game messing with me? I became blind 2 years ago and started learning braille writing to communicate. How come the program's tutor is named braille?

"I can't properly remember, my memory is fazed and I can't remember anything about me. Could you help me get information about my life?"

[Braille: I'm sorry dear player but the system detected that you are LYING!! The system will always leave some of your memory specific to what you do passionately on your recent life. So please tell us what are you?]

Shit! It even detected that? What should I do? I need to think of it thoroughly. No wreckless decisions.

Braille asks me of what am I? Is this connected to my role? Or the location I will be taking? Maybe if I'm an athlete, I'll be engaging with locations that require physical abilities. Or puzzles if ever I tell that I'm a genius.

Despite it, I couldn't lie but tell that-

"I'm a gamer. I've played games from my past life."

[Braille: Fairly well, you my dear player is a gamer. A person with a strategic mind, precise and overcoming. Should this following location be your targets. All of these locations will give you status that will help you progress. Please choose wisely.]

A notification tab popped up in front of me. It's a long white transparent floating board that enlists 3 locations:

-Doors of Doors

-Floating Maze

-The Loop pool

~'Choose wisely' hmmmm... Which one?~

Doors of doors, is about surprises. The unknown might be dangerous. The Floating maze, this is not a maze without an obstacle. It's about sitiational problem solving capabilities, difficult. Lastly, the loop pool. I have no idea what is that except the word loop. I will take advantage with it.

"I'll be choosing the loop pool"

*click*

[Braille: thank you dear player. Before arriving to the loop pool you will have to wait for 8 more players. There are already 2 players that chose the location to complete a total of 10 players on this challenge. Tutorial will then be held right now inside the ripple so please step outside this room]

I walked outside the white room and saw a never ending black horizon. My foot stepped out on the floor and feels so fluid. That's why it was called the ripple because everytime you walk on the black super reflective floor, a circular wave or ripple was created.

A moment after, the floor bubbled and a black statue figure emerged. 

"Hi dear player! I am braille, and we will be starting the tutorial right now."

I gasped and haven't said a word- but nodded.

"At first I will let you learn the basics. This is a real life game and as a gamer you already know about an inventory. A space where items are stored and collected. You will have your own inventory. You can collect real objects and items and store it. You will not be needing a bag to carry, instead a 100 item space will be provided by the system for you to store 100 items. You can summon the items whenever wherever and you will choose what command."

A notification tab suddenly appeared in front of me written: 

'CHOOSE YOUR COMMAND TRIGGER'

The trigger should be easy. Efficient and silent. 

I swiped my hands in the front of the notification tab screen.

[Swipe, you can now summon items stored by swiping your hand. Swiping on an item will store them to your inventory space if with your consent. Note that all items have levels, you cannot store items greater that of your own level, thank you.]

Braille suddenly moved towards me. She was a black reflective feminine statue. She handed me an apple and told me to swipe it and a tab appeared.

[Do you want to store this item? 

Item: Regular apple (Lvl. 1)

Food 

+2 health

+2 Visual sense buff                   

Yes or No?]

"Yes!"

The apple then disappeared and another tab opened with 100 empty boxes and the apple was on the first box.

"Wow! This really is like a game!"

I exclaimed in excitement.

"This is just the start of your tutorial, you will learn more about your health status, status conditions, abilities and casts and more... Shall we start dear player?"

Braille explained in front of my excited determined face. I nodded and never felt this kind of excitement than before. I'm really in a game.

-MEANWHILE ON THE FLOATING MAZE-

"Think, think, think... Where is it?"

The maze was filled with people of panicked hearts. It was a floating mass of an island. Slightly spherical and moves in a slow rotation. Suspended above the sea below awaits a massive whirlpool.

"I have to stay calm, breath in and breath out"

But this girl won't let her impulses stir her chance to live a new life. She continued running inside the massive maze, jumped and climbed above every obstacles. In search of something. She stopped a second after seeing the walls and realized a very important thing. 

[5 players remaining, 15 seconds before the a new calamity arrives... 1, 2, 3....]

The girl continued running and stumbled upon a group of 4 people.

"Here she is, have you found it?"

"We should stay together so we could withstand the next calamity"

"I'm sorry I think it's too late guys", the girl disappointingly said.

[13,14,15... THUNDERSTORM ACTIVATED]

Lightning strikes all over the maze, it hit one of them and the other and the other and the other. As the floating maze rotates, their bodies fell unto the massive whirlpool and was devoured by it.

[We have a winner at this round]

All failed to survive except for the girl that clings in a vine preventing her to fall as the maze rotates. 

The whirlpool became timid and vanished. The maze stopped moving and slowly fell unto the sea forming an island. On the center of this island is a stone platform where the girl stood up. 

"It was too late for them, to find the clues on the walls. I feel guilty." The girl cried.

[Player Liza, you are able to decipher the writings on the wall and you are gifted with your literary knowledge. That is why you passed on the first phase of the maze. You can choose to continue on the second phase or skip the challenge with your reward.]

"First phase? Then the other's aren't dead yet?"

[Fortunately, they are all underwater where the second phase takes place. Would you continue or skip?]

The girl took a deep breath. And appeared an apple on her hand. She took a bite and swallowed.

[Your Health points are restored by 2]

"I'll continue!"

[Thank you, Liza. Your reward can be claimed after you finished the maze. Goodluck, the stars are delighted by your determination]

[Our next phase will test your endurance. It will start shortly after everyone gains consciousness. Get ready fiery players]