When she reached the tower's top, she saw the duck gazing out into the wilderness of Acron's forest, the digital sun shedding its light across the azure sky. It was a rather breathtaking beauty which Lucy found herself stopping to take in and admire. She had seen stunning graphics in her time playing games before virtual reality, photo-realism especially, but there was something unique about a pack of data that you could be there yourself to see.
She took slow steps until she was at the edge of the watchtower, arms folding to rest upon its wooden railing. In the distance was a faint city and here, now, she was lost in the view the game world of Eclipse could provide.
Then the duck quacked.
"It's you, girl! *quack* Did you find my children?!"
She felt a vein pop upon her head. Immediately remember her seething hatred for the dang duck.
She took deep breaths to calm herself.
This was a quest.
Yes.
A quest.
Plus, she was immune to death penalties, so maybe she shouldn't be too angry at it.
"Are you deaf, girl?" It quacked. "Or did you become a moron *quack* who understands no words?"
Lucy lunged at it, caught it, and brought her blade to its neck, azure eyes gleaming with rage.
"Listen here Mr. Duck," She said, "Don't call me a moron, or I'll stab you with my shiny sword."
It quacked and shuddered.
"You don't dare!"
Lucy pushed her blade into its neck until a thin line of blue showed as if data was being torn. A damage indicator. She smiled.
"Try me."
"Why I never—" The duck fluttered and flapped and quacked before coming down. "Alright missy *quack* what do you want?"
"Good," Lucy said and patted its head before summoning the net of ducklings. "I've got them."
"Oh god, thank you!"
She watched as they were reunited and quacks filled the air. The ducklings moved behind their father in a straight line making 6 including him.
Dafy looked at her, and she felt a sort of gentle gaze.
"Thank you, missy."
['Baby Steps, Part 3' Completed!]
{Rewards: 100 exp, 1 Duck's Approval}
[Congratulations! You reached level 5!]
[Congratulations! You unlocked the option for a crafting class!]
The duck waved its feathers until a golden one fell off and floated to her.
"Thank you for your help *quack* missy *quack* but my sons and daughters say they were taken by a goblin scout?" It quacked. "You must notify the village elder *quack* before it's too late!"
She grabbed it.
[Duck's Approval]
—this is a special feather belonging to Acron's village elder's duck, Dafy the Duck. Take it to the village elder, speak of the goblin scout, and he'll trust your words.
She didn't even get a proper reward. It was merely a quest disguised as an item. The game devs were really unkind. She stuffed it into her inventory without happiness.
She stared down at the duck.
It looked up to her, and she thought it might be smiling.
It quacked. "It was a short time we knew each other girly *quack* but I'm glad I came to know you."
"You know. . ." Lucy smiled. "I'm not."
She grabbed the confused duck and threw it off the watchtower.
"Darn you *quack* you scoundrel!" It screamed as it fell.
The ducklings waddled and watched as their father landed amidst the rushed players. He tried to flap away, but hands grasped his body and dragged him down.
"Unhand me you—you—*quack*!"
Everyone ignored him.
"Thanks Eve!" The players yelled up to her.
"No problem!" She waved.
Since this was a game, even as she had found his ducklings for him, she was sure that if it could lose its own children, it could lose plenty of other things it owned for players to find and take from a thieving goblin. That was the immersive element of Eclipse. Supposedly, no quest was exactly the same as it could very much break the illusion of reality seeing another player chasing something you had already given an NPC.
She checked her Traveler's Book and saw that the tab for a crafting class had nothing in it. She merely unlocked the option for it, nothing more. That was when she realized this was the type of game where you'd have to go adventuring to get classes.
"Drats, darn these game devs!"
Grumbling slightly, she descended the tower and ignored the commotion. Then, using expert gaming knowledge, looked for the fanciest building at the center of the village. If clichés rang true, it would either be home to the elder or be his working place.
LotsChrono
Discord Server: https://discord.gg/vwKhVUR
Want more interesting stories? Check out my profile.
When she reached the tower's top, she saw the duck gazing out into the wilderness of Acron's forest, the digital sun shedding its light across the azure sky. It was a rather breathtaking beauty which Lucy found herself stopping to take in and admire. She had seen stunning graphics in her time playing games before virtual reality, photo-realism especially, but there was something unique about a pack of data that you could be there yourself to see.
She took slow steps until she was at the edge of the watchtower, arms folding to rest upon its wooden railing. In the distance was a faint city and here, now, she was lost in the view the game world of Eclipse could provide.
Then the duck quacked.
"It's you, girl! *quack* Did you find my children?!"
She felt a vein pop upon her head. Immediately remember her seething hatred for the dang duck.
She took deep breaths to calm herself.
This was a quest.
Yes.
A quest.
Plus, she was immune to death penalties, so maybe she shouldn't be too angry at it.
"Are you deaf, girl?" It quacked. "Or did you become a moron *quack* who understands no words?"
Lucy lunged at it, caught it, and brought her blade to its neck, azure eyes gleaming with rage.
"Listen here Mr. Duck," She said, "Don't call me a moron, or I'll stab you with my shiny sword."
It quacked and shuddered.
"You don't dare!"
Lucy pushed her blade into its neck until a thin line of blue showed as if data was being torn. A damage indicator. She smiled.
"Try me."
"Why I never—" The duck fluttered and flapped and quacked before coming down. "Alright missy *quack* what do you want?"
"Good," Lucy said and patted its head before summoning the net of ducklings. "I've got them."
"Oh god, thank you!"
She watched as they were reunited and quacks filled the air. The ducklings moved behind their father in a straight line making 6 including him.
Dafy looked at her, and she felt a sort of gentle gaze.
"Thank you, missy."
['Baby Steps, Part 3' Completed!]
{Rewards: 100 exp, 1 Duck's Approval}
[Congratulations! You reached level 5!]
[Congratulations! You unlocked the option for a crafting class!]
The duck waved its feathers until a golden one fell off and floated to her.
"Thank you for your help *quack* missy *quack* but my sons and daughters say they were taken by a goblin scout?" It quacked. "You must notify the village elder *quack* before it's too late!"
She grabbed it.
[Duck's Approval]
—this is a special feather belonging to Acron's village elder's duck, Dafy the Duck. Take it to the village elder, speak of the goblin scout, and he'll trust your words.
She didn't even get a proper reward. It was merely a quest disguised as an item. The game devs were really unkind. She stuffed it into her inventory without happiness.
She stared down at the duck.
It looked up to her, and she thought it might be smiling.
It quacked. "It was a short time we knew each other girly *quack* but I'm glad I came to know you."
"You know. . ." Lucy smiled. "I'm not."
She grabbed the confused duck and threw it off the watchtower.
"Darn you *quack* you scoundrel!" It screamed as it fell.
The ducklings waddled and watched as their father landed amidst the rushed players. He tried to flap away, but hands grasped his body and dragged him down.
"Unhand me you—you—*quack*!"
Everyone ignored him.
"Thanks Eve!" The players yelled up to her.
"No problem!" She waved.
Since this was a game, even as she had found his ducklings for him, she was sure that if it could lose its own children, it could lose plenty of other things it owned for players to find and take from a thieving goblin. That was the immersive element of Eclipse. Supposedly, no quest was exactly the same as it could very much break the illusion of reality seeing another player chasing something you had already given an NPC.
She checked her Traveler's Book and saw that the tab for a crafting class had nothing in it. She merely unlocked the option for it, nothing more. That was when she realized this was the type of game where you'd have to go adventuring to get classes.
"Drats, darn these game devs!"
Grumbling slightly, she descended the tower and ignored the commotion. Then, using expert gaming knowledge, looked for the fanciest building at the center of the village. If clichés rang true, it would either be home to the elder or be his working place.
LotsChrono
Discord Server: https://discord.gg/vwKhVUR
Want more interesting stories? Check out my profile.
