Rogue Wars Online

Chapter Three: Starting City

-chapter three-

FINN

"We are glad to announce you are now officially a beta-tester! Remember that you must finish all twenty six cities. And I may have forgot to mention this but...You cannot log out until the game is completed. Good luck, my beta-testers. May you be alive until the end."

Kinilabutan ako mula sa sinabi ng kung sino man. There was amusement laced in his serious voice. Hindi ko tuloy alam kung papakinggan ko ang sinabi niya o hindi. Is it just an empty threat to increase the player's tension?

Kung hindi, is this why I've been having a bad feeling?

Nawala ang boses at napalitan iyon ng orasan. A two-hour timer appeared on the sky. Sa ilalim nito ay ang player count kung saan may nakalagay na 200/200. The number of players that are currently inside the city. The seconds are starting to count down, but for what purpose?

No, Finn. Clear your head. Let's try to confirm what that voice said.

Virtual rift systems would usually need a voice command to navigate the settings. Pero pwede din itong through swiping.

I tried swiping saying different commands. Walang may nangyari. Next, I tried swiping it to every direction at nagbukas ito nang pataas kong ini-swipe ang kamay.

▪▪▪

Name: Finn
Alliance: Not Applicable/Unreached
Level: Not Applicable/Unreached
Cities Completed: 0

▪▪▪

Ito lang ang tanging laman ng interface. Kumunot ang noo ko sa nabasa. Bakit hindi applicable ang alliance at level? Why was it worded like that and not 'None' sa alliance and '1' or '0' for level.

Nahagip ng mata ko ang gear icon kaya pinindot ko ito. Sigurado akong ito ang settings because this is it's usual icon. Kaya naman laking pagtataka ko nang makitang walang laman ito. There's really nothing.

There really was no log-out button. At all.

Kung gano'n, kailangan nga talaga naming matapos ang buong game para makaalis?

And what did the voice mean by staying alive? Is there a possibility that we can die in game? Kaya ba ino-obserba nila ang vital signs namin?

Napatingin ulit ako sa oras. Limang minuto na ang lumipas.

This is another confusing factor. Countdowns are used in games para maglagay ng thrill at tension, gano'n na rin para guide na matapos ang dapat na quest. Usually kung ganito, kailangan patayin ang boss in thirty minutes para hindi mag-game over. Pero wala namang binigay na hint or instructions ang mga game masters.

Hindi kaya mayroon ngang city boss na nagtatago dito? Kailangan muna naming hanapin 'yon at patayin para makapunta sa susunod na city.

Alright, Finn. We're going to look for that boss and get the hell out of this city. I'm pretty sure that timer is similar to what the old man explained earlier. We only have two hours before the city once again closes. Meaning hindi na kami makakaadvance after the time expires.

Tinali ko ang buhok sa isang twin bun. Kagat-kagat ko ang ibabang labi habang hinihigpitan ang tali. Tiningnan ko ang baba ng building. This must be at least 20 floors. Suicide ang tumalon.