I sat on a bench while everyone around me did the same. Everyone had gone back to crying and panicking. But I didn't do any of that. I swiped my hand down and looked at my menu, just like in any other game there was an inbox, and messages tab, along with storage that I could carry everything in. But there was an extra tab that had a book symbol on it. I clicked it and the screen split in two with a small section on the right and the larger section on the left.

'Celestial Spirit Mage'

The only option available on the right section said. I tapped it and words typed out at a fast pace across the large section on the left.

'So we have an index on all the Magic's in the game. But it looks like we have to hear about something first before we are able to learn about it.'

I thought eyeing the very empty selection surrounding the tab with my magic etched into it and started to read it.

'A Celestial Spirit Mage, also known as Stellar Mage, has the ability to be able to summon spirits. The more famously know spirits would be the twelve Zodiacs.

These Spirits come in a form of keys that can be found everywhere around the map.

In order to obtain these keys, you can either buy them in shops or win them in a fight. However, there is only one of every key.'

I switched over to my storage tab and saw that it was empty. I was going to have to search for these keys before I did anything else. I closed down my menu and headed towards a shop that was nearby. As I opened the door, a little bell rang above the door. And young man, couldn't have been more than a couple years older than me was sweeping.

"Excuse me." I said trying to get his attention, and he stopped sweeping to turn to me. He had a handsome face, but unlike everyone else I've seen up until this point was actually happy.

"Hello, what can I help you with?" He asked with a smile.

"I'm looking for some keys." I told him. "But they're not regular old keys, they're magical keys." He hummed as he swiped down and opened his menu and scrolled through what I can only guess would be the store's inventory, and selected something on his menu. And small-sized display box appeared on the counter.

"Would these be what you're looking for?" The man asked as he shut down his menu and smiled at me. 

Before I could even take a step forward, I could feel something within me turn. Like I was a clock, and the sudden appearance of the keys were making me step forward.

"Really well-done sensory mechanics." I commented under my breath. I had never felt a push or pull like that ever in a nerve-gear game, and I even had the super popular, well-funded games that didn't feel this immersive.

I walked forwards and examined the keys that were in front of me. There were three gold keys and three silver keys. I touched them ever so slightly and I could feel something surge through me.

"I think they are." I told him. "How much?"

"Well, which one are you interested in?" He asked me and leaned on the counter.

"All of them." I said and looked up at him. He flinched in surprise and laughed a bit.

"Miss, you do know that these are quite expensive keys right?" He asked me.

"I figured, but they are required for me to be able to use my magic." I informed him.

"I see." He said and looked down at the keys that were in front of him. "Well, unfortunately, the silver are five thou- . . ." He started to say but didn't finish his sentence as he froze in place. His eyes seemed to have become static, and his face became blank. He then shook his head after a moment, and his eyes seemed to have dulled over. "The silver keys are five hundred jewels each. And the gold is eight hundred each." He said with suddenly no emotion.

"Are you okay?" I asked him.

"Do you want them or not?" He asked me suddenly forcefully, emotionless. He was an AI.

"Umm." I hummed as I looked up in the corner of my HUD that said that I had ten-thousand jewels. I quickly did the math for all six keys and it added up to thirty-nine hundred jewels. Though that was quite a bit, it wasn't as expensive as I thought he was going to say. "Yes." I blurted out. "I'll take them all."

"Here." He said as he slid the display box towards me and I grabbed the keys and placed them into my inventory, and took out the jewels I needed to pay for them. As I closed my inventory I got a notification at the top right of my HUD that 'Celestial Keys' had just been added to my inventory. "Thank you for your business." He said and grabbed the jewels from me, quite forcefully.

"You're welcome?" I said and made my way to the door.

"Have a nice day!" He called behind me and when I looked behind me his eyes were bright again and he smiled as he waved goodbye to me. I waved back as I let the door close, and I stared at the wooden door for a couple of seconds as I tried to figure out what had just happened.

'Maybe the game has some bugs? I mean I doubt test servers were even an idea for this game.'

It was starting to get dark out, and I looked and saw that it was a little past eight at night and the sun was starting to set and I was going to need food and somewhere to sleep soon. I checked through my menu looking for any type of map, but couldn't find one. I looked around and saw a small stand across the square with someone standing behind it, and it looked like they were selling pamphlets that I could only assume were maps.

"Hello?" I said as I walked up to the booth. I couldn't tell if this seller was going to bug out like that last guy, or not.

"Good evening!" He said excitedly. I could tell from his jumpy exciting attitude that he was definitely an AI. He had long black hair pulled up into a bun and he had lots of freckles all over his face. "Are you interested in a map? It will guide you through the whole world."

"Yes." I said as I pulled out the needed jewels to pay for it.

"But know, that this is only one of many pieces of a map." He told me.

"What do you mean?" I asked him.

"Well, this map is just a basic map." He said as he handed it to me. "As you travel throughout the game, you will most likely come across different pieces of maps to add to this one. Once you obtain a piece, it is yours to keep. If you choose, you can share them with other players whether they be friend or foe. And if or when you join a guild, that guild will have a master map that you can have access to."

"A guild?" I asked.

"Yes." He told me. "And because you are an Elf, might I suggest finding an Elven guild. Though it may be hard to find one."

"Why would you say that?" I asked him and placed my map in my inventory, a moment later the notification popped up.

"Well Elves are extremely powerful beings, might I suggest visiting the library before you find a place to sleep tonight? Find out some more information about your kind." He told me. "And mind you, be careful. Though everyone is new to the game and are unaware of your rarity now, they may not be so friendly later in the game. Elves are extremely powerful and can be used for your magic abilities." I flinched at the information that I was hearing.

'Great! I can't trust anyone in the real world, and now I can't trust anyone in here either.'

A notification popped up saying I had learned new information. I opened it and there was now two different categories, one was labeled 'Magics' and then other was labeled 'Species'. I selected species to find that all the information that I was just told was there. Along with a note at the bottom.

'New information is still available.'

"Thank you." I said, not exactly knowing how to feel about this.

"Don't worry Las, a hero will come along at some point." He told me.

"A hero?" I asked him. "What hero?"

"Well, every good story has a hero doesn't it?" He asked me. "Someone will have to be your hero before anyone can leave this game."

"Why do you say that?" I looked at him and he sighed into a small laugh.

"Isn't that how all games work?" He asked. "Someone has to be a hero and defeat the final boss before the game is over."

"And what happens if no one can be our hero?" I asked him. He continued to smile, as he spoke in a sadder tone. But I could tell that he couldn't come across as sad, he probably wasn't programmed to be able to.

"Then the villain wins."