Prologue

“Free Species World,” commonly known as FSW, was currently the most talked-about VR game worldwide. According to the official website, it was a classic “swords and magic” fantasy MMORPG. The game adopted a level-based system for both character professions (jobs) and abilities (skills). Still, what truly set it apart was the inclusion of NPCs equipped with AI capabilities that rivaled those of real humans.

At first glance, FSW might seem like just another VRMMO among the many available. However, the reason it had gained so much attention was its assertion of being able to become a non-human species as well. And by non-human, I didn’t mean the typical fantasy races like elves or dwarves. You could transform into beast-like creatures such as dogs or cats, humanoid beings like goblins or orcs, or even non-humanoid entities like griffins or slimes. It truly lived up to its title of “Free Species,” allowing players to experience various races.

“Well, that’s refreshing.”

Oh, I apologize for not introducing myself earlier. My name is Masashi Okada, and I am an employee of a gray-area company that, fortunately, grants me occasional days off despite the frequent overtime. It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance. 

But enough about my real life! The game I’ve been eagerly awaiting, “Free Species World,” is about to launch its service!

You see, there was a specific reason why my excitement was off the charts, even though I wasn’t exactly a youngster. It was because “Free Species World” was going to be my first ever VR experience! This marked the very first time I would lay my hands on the hardware and delve into this genre…. Moreover, I wasn’t someone who frequently played games, so it was only natural for me to experience a blend of nervousness and excitement, right? Yes, it was an inevitable sensation!

Although I didn’t win the lottery for the beta test, I was successful in securing my purchase reservation for the first release. Being busy with work and uncertain if I could spare even two or three hours a day, I was sure I would turn out to be just a casual player, but that was fine with me! After all, for the past six months, I had eagerly awaited the game’s release with great anticipation!

“Gulp, gulp… Ah, refreshing! Okay, I’m fully hydrated now!”

After returning home, I quickly had dinner, took a relaxing soak in the bathtub, and replenished my energy with a refreshing sports drink to stay hydrated. Now, I was fully prepared to log in! 

I attached the choker-shaped device, switched it on, and activated the “Free Species World” icon that appeared on the retinal display, perfectly aligned with my field of vision.

◆◇◆◇◆◇ 

As soon as the game started, I felt a sensation of weightlessness engulf my body, which felt akin to riding an outdated elevator. Once that indescribable feeling subsided, I found myself floating in outer space, clad in a rather drab ensemble of a plain shirt and pants.

“Oh, how beautiful…”

A breathtaking expanse of shimmering light stretched out in all directions around me, while below, there were planets with blue continents distinct from the Earth. 

This must be what the bourgeois folks experience during their leisurely space travels.

“Hello”

“Hmm?”

Lost in the mesmerizing view of space, I was startled by a voice calling out to me. When I turned in its direction, I saw an incredibly stunning figure standing there—more than beautiful, I would say, she appeared divine. Her glossy hair cascaded down to her knees in a shade of gray, her flawless skin possessed a transparency greater than fine porcelain, devoid of any blemishes or wrinkles. She exuded an elegant charm that made me almost swoon. And to top it all off, she wore a kimono adorned with embroidered red spider lilies on a black background. It was a perfect match for my personal taste!

The woman, who seemed capable of captivating anyone in real life, gave me a wry smile. She appeared embarrassed.

“Oh, well… I must apologize. Nice to meet you, I’m Masashi Okada. And may I ask for your name?”

“Ufufu, how polite of you. I am known as Yifa, the goddess. If we were to put it in terms familiar to players, I am the general management AI.”

General management AI, huh? I recall reading on some news websites that modern immersive VR experiences should be regarded as pseudo-alternate worlds. Furthermore, it seems Yifa undoubtedly incorporates a pseudo-personality AI, so I should consider her as the goddess of this pseudo-alternate world.

“Now then, let’s get started, Okada-sama. I would like you to create your character.”

Oh, I see. So this space is a field dedicated to character creation.

“For Okada-sama, please choose your character name, your race, and your job (profession), one at a time. Additionally, select ten skills.”

“Understood.”

After I responded, a semi-transparent window appeared before me. It displayed my current drab attire from head to toe. I couldn’t help but think that if I continued looking like this, players might mistake me for an NPC, especially with my mob looking face.

“By default, your race is set as ‘Human’ and your job as ‘Apprentice Warrior’ From here, you can also modify the appearance of your avatar. I can wait as long as needed and answer any questions you may have, so please take your time to choose,” Yifa explained.

“I appreciate your consideration. I will carefully consider my options,” 

Although I said I would carefully consider, in reality, I had already made up my mind about the race and job. The former would be ‘Skeleton,’ and the latter, ‘Apprentice Mage.’

Yes, I had decided to play as a skeleton mage to indulge in a role-playing experience as a villain or antagonist. I wanted to explore magic that humans would likely find repulsive. Of course, I had no intention of mindlessly harming NPCs or causing unnecessary damage. In the end, I would probably be a delicate villain who couldn’t compete with the top players due to real-life commitments.

After all, I had the opportunity to become something non-human. It wouldn’t hurt to let loose and have some fun in the game, right?

However, the issue lay with the skills. My experience with games was limited, only having played at a friend’s house when I was younger. I had no idea which skills were compatible or strong. I was completely clueless about the established strategies.

According to the pre-game information, it seemed that skill points, commonly known as SP, were acquired as the level of race and job increased, allowing the acquisition of skills. So, it wasn’t limited to just ten points as a fixed amount. However, stumbling at the very beginning would prove to be a struggle. I would rather avoid that.

Moreover, it appeared that the SP required for each skill varied, and some of the skills could evolve by consuming SP once reaching a certain level. Considering that, the opportunity to obtain multiple skills without spending any initial SP was valuable, and making haphazard choices wouldn’t be wise.

Exploring everything blindly did have its charm. However, if I was going to do it, I wanted to at least become strong enough to manipulate things behind the scenes as a minimum requirement for a villain. That’s why I decided to consult with the goddess Yifa.

“Yifa-sama, I have something I’d like to ask.”

“Yes, what is it?”

“Well, actually…”

I expressed my desired playstyle to the goddess. despite feeling embarrassed. I had no regrets. Absolutely none!

“Fufufu. That’s good, really good,” 

I was taken aback. I expected her to laugh at me, but surprisingly, she seemed pleased. However, there was something unsettling about her laughter. It was a bit sinister, to say the least.

“If you choose the “Skeleton” as your race and the “Apprentice Mage” as your job, I highly recommend focusing on [Linguistics], [Archaeology], [Alchemy], [Dark Magic], and [Staff Mastery],” she advised.

“What? [Linguistics] and [Archaeology]?” 

“Yes. You can choose one more skill based on your preference,” she replied.

What on earth? Are linguistics and archaeology really more important than magic? Wait a minute…

“Only one more skill left? Aren’t there ten slots for ability skills?” I inquired.

“No, creatures like the ‘Skeleton’ have racial ability skills that fill up some slots,” she explained.

Oh… seriously?

“By the way, what are those four skills…” I asked.

“[Night Vision], [Status Resistance], [Light Weakness], and [Physical Attack Weakness],” she replied.

Whoa, that’s how it is! I never thought that weaknesses would also occupy skill slots…

“By the way, if you have attribute related weakness skills, you won’t be able to acquire magic for that attribute even if you spend SP. However, by taking damage from that attribute, you can accumulate experience points and gradually reduce your weakness through leveling up. Eventually, you can not only overcome that weakness but also gain resistance,” she explained.

“How many times do I have to endure light attribute attacks until then?” I asked.

“Well, who knows?” she responded with a smile.

Ugh… I won’t be deceived by that smile! It’s probably an astronomical number of times, isn’t it?

Well, whatever! Even if it’s a thorny path, I will stick to my initial resolve!

“Understood. Then, I’ll go with the five skills you have mentioned… and, yes, please add [Appraisal] too,” I requested.

The goddess looked surprised when she heard me say, “[Appraisal].” Was it that unexpected?

“I thought you would choose an offensive magic… Can I ask for the reason?” 

“Yes. The goddess chose [Archaeology] for me, but I thought the skill itself wouldn’t be able to identify anything other than ages-old things,” I explained.

“I see. So you prioritized gathering information over attacking power. That’s a wise decision,” she remarked.

Oh, I received a compliment. Even though it’s an AI, being praised by an elegant woman sure feels nice.

“Now that you’ve finished selecting your skills, let me update your status,” she said.

“Understood.”

And thus, my finalized status looked like this:

――――――――――

Name: Isam

Race: Skeleton (Lv0)

Job: Apprentice mage (Lv0)

Skills:

• [Staff mastery] (Lv0)
• [Dark Magic] (Lv0)
• [Archaeology] (Lv0)
• [Linguistics] (Lv0)
• [Alchemy] (Lv0)
• [Appraisal] (Lv0)
• [Night Vision] (Lv-)
• [Status Resistance] (Lv-)
• [Light Weakness] (Lv10)
• [Physical Attack Weakness] (Lv10)

――――――――――

Hmm, looking at it this way, I didn’t have any means of attack at all! I would have to proceed cautiously in the early stages. Oh, by the way, the name I chose was Isam. It was modification of my original name, MASASI, rearranged in Roman letters, spelled backward as ISASAM, and then modifed to create a more natural-sounding name.

At that moment, I directed my gaze towards the window screen and couldn’t help but chuckle with satisfaction. The reason behind my amusement? There stood a skeletal figure adorned in tattered garments, clutching a wooden staff—the initial equipment of an “Apprentice Mage.” Words fail to capture the indescribable sensation that washed over me. 

“With that, character creation is complete. Well done,” 

“Ah, thank you. So, will there be a tutorial?” I inquired.

“There won’t be,” 

Huh?

“The basic training, which serves as the tutorial, takes place at the Adventurers’ Guild,” Yifa explaied.

The Adventurers’ Guild?

“However, since guild members are tasked with subjugating monsters, Isam-sama won’t be able to receive any training. In fact, if you try to enter human town, you may end up being targeted for subjugation,” .

“Haaah!? Eh? What’s this? I can’t receive a tutorial? I can’t enter the town? Isn’t the selling point supposed to be the ability to play as a non-human character? Isn’t it unfair for the non-human races to be so disadvantaged?”

“However, please rest assured. When Isam-sama sets foot in the town of Firth, simply chant ‘Watch your step.’ If you do that, something good is bound to happen.”

“Wait a minute!”

Hold on! Is this how it’s going to end?!

“Well then, off you go.”

“Wai——!”

Right after that, my vision faded into darkness.

◆◇◆◇◆◇

“So he arrived.”

My task involved confirming the arrival of Okada-sama, also known as Isam, at the precise coordinates I had specified. Everything seemed to have proceeded smoothly, so I felt relieved. 

“So, the die has been cast, huh?”

“Is it Grenelle?”

Out of nowhere, Grenelle, one of the twelve pillars of the general management AI for the ‘Free Species World,’ the goddess of war and victory, appeared behind me. 

“Were you eavesdropping on my conversation with Isam?”

“Right from the start. Oh, please don’t misunderstand, it was purely coincidental, you see? Since the player I was assigned to has completed their character creation, I came over to Yifa’s place and happened to overhear, you know?” 

“Are you planning to condemn me then?”

No matter how you looked at it, my actions were undeniably wrong. As an administrator, displaying favoritism towards an individual was unacceptable.

“Nya, I wouldn’t say that. Because I did the same thing. Favoritism!”

“Oh?”

There was a player who could actually catch the attention of the ‘Goddess of War and Victory’ and make her show favoritism? Quite intriguing.

“Oh, they’re a really interesting one! Right off the bat, their first request was, ‘Make me a race that enjoys fistfights the most!’ Hahaha!”

“I see. They seem like someone who would capture your interest. So, what did you recommend?”

“Goblin.”

“I see…”

The Goblin race is considered one of the weakest choices available at the beginning, but if they manage to overcome several challenging conditions, they can indeed become the most adept humanoid race for hand-to-hand combat.

“So, Yifa-chan, what are you expecting from Isam-kun?”

“Chaos, of course. If things continue as they are, the balance between humans and monsters will tip, and a world dominated by humans will arrive. That would be boring, wouldn’t it?”

With the weakness-based skills and the handicap of not being able to enter towns without receiving a tutorial, the initial avatar of the monster race is far from being a choice for the faint of heart.

In reality, among the initial 50,000 players, less than ten percent chose non-human options. Furthermore, the majority of those were ordinary creatures like dogs and cats, not monsters. So far, only a little over a thousand players have dared to select a monster like Isam-sama, which can be considered akin to playing in “Ultra Hard Mode.” This was a grave issue, indeed.

In that case, it would be just like any other ordinary game, wouldn’t it? I cannot allow the world I manage to degenerate into something mundane and ordinary.

“As expected of the ‘Goddess of Death and Chaos.’”

“I am confident that Isam-sama will reach ‘that’ without a doubt. I have placed my bet on that.”

“I see. In that case, it’s bound to be interesting!”

We are observing you from this divine realm, Isam-sama. Well, at the very least, we hope you can become a Demon Lord or something of that level. Please live up to our expectations and make it entertaining, won’t you?

***************

TN: status resistance is a skill that reduces the duration of most status debuffs

TN: please keep in mind that as I read further along I may make some adjustments to skill names, but that remains less likely as I took my time with the skill names in order for that not to happen