Why can't it work that way?
In an era of VR gaming, the latest software allows the game to learn, to grow. Frontier Online is the first VR game to enable players to invent or modify their own skills.
Enchanted by the idea, Ryan Harringer learns that...
"That's fantastic; now that I have a recording of that, here's the quest! Good luck!" Izor bounced back from his serious face so fast space seemed to spasm.
A chime announced the quest in Rydr's head. He ignored it to reach for Izor with both hands, convinced that nothing good from Izor paired with words like "recording." A bubble coalesced around Izor and protected him from Rydr's wrath.
With a cackle, Izor threw his head back and thrust his hips out with hands-on both hips. A blue platform formed under him and carried him away into the trees while he caterwauled and power posed.
Syrna walked up behind the deflated giant, unsure what to say.
"I'm...sorry?" Syrna patted Rydr's elbow to comfort him. "I don't know why that's bad, but can you share the quest?" She tried to keep Rydr on task.
With a sigh, Rydr opened the notification about Izor's quest.
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An anguished sigh left Rydr as if his soul had left his body. Wordlessly he willed the quest notice to Urginok and Syrna. Rydr chuckled mirthlessly as he watched their expressions drop when they read how they would receive no help.
"What the fuck?" Syrna blurted.
"Yeah, seriously? So we 'won't be influenced'? Isn't this guy just slacking off?" Urginok's face twisted in distaste for the skeletal-thin man.
Rydr shrugged and said, "It's about par for the course with him, honestly. Ten out of ten with that serious performance, though." Rydr almost acknowledged Izor. If it weren't for all this murderous rage! He howled in his mind. He vowed that one day he would overpower Izor in a single blow. And then he would teabag him.
Rydr discovered that there was a second spot on his Shit-List. Terrible company, really.
Rydr shook his head and let his companions rant while they calmed down.
Rydr ignored them and opened his map to see where his grave marker was. Several more areas of his map fleshed themselves out to be more than gray nothingness. They showed more of the town, the graveyard where he and Syrna respawned, and the town square where they picked up Urginok.
The grave marker was a red, glowing X on Rydr's map. He could even see his winding path through the forest. On the map, his death marker was relatively close, less than a kilometer away. If Grotto's local plantlife was taken into account, it could easily take them an hour to get over there.
Rydr clapped his hands to get his companion's attention. They looked over at him, and once he saw they were paying attention, he said, "I'm down to shit talk Izor any day of the week, but we need to move if we want to get stronger. The time limit for finding the wellspring gives us two months before winter comes."
Urginok nodded and said, "I think that we should focus on getting stronger first; before we tackle the much harder, certain-to-have-a-boss-fight quest." He lightly punched Rydr in the arm. "Let's go get your pickax, knock out the smith quest you have, and start to kit ourselves out." He poked Rydr's shirtless stomach.
