Ascendant: Online (eBook)

Witness the Beginning

Joseph DeProfio (Autor)

eBook Download: EPUB

2020 | 1. Auflage
272 Seiten
Bookbaby (Verlag)
978-1-0983-2924-2 (ISBN)

Infos

A LitRPG with heavy fantasy action, several references to mythology, and a compelling story that pits the parallels of normal life against the drama of a post-apocalyptic starscape, Ascendant: Online is a unique take on the genre that doesn't disappoint.

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Antonious King has been selected to beta-test what promises to be the best VR MMO of 2038. As one of three hundred in the "e;Ascendant Program"e; he'll take part in a bloody civil war between the King of the Gods, Ignacious and the God-Hero Auren, granted powerful relics, artifacts, and a near-immortal body. What's the catch?There's no Logging out. There is no game. The planet Earth has been destroyed on a whim and the "e;Cadre of Justice"e; hunts Auren and his Ascendants across space with brutal efficiency. Tony learns quickly that there is much more at stake than gaining early access to the game everyone's been waiting for. Forced into combat sports as a child by a father obsessed with victory, Tony finds himself again, forced into conflict. With his back against the wall and the most powerful beings in the universe out for his head, Tony unlocks the Dread Knight class; the perfect specialization for survival in the harsh biome of Arach and avenging mankind. The hard part?He won't be able to do it alone. Vasna, the Totemic World-Shaping Shaman, Auren, the Lord of Auras, Jorogu of the Yokai cluster, and a friend thought long gone are just a few of the allies Tony will need to rally against Ignacious the Maddened God-King. Welcome, to Ascendant: Online

Textauszug

Chapter II: Paradox of Choice

Tony’s mouth dropped open, agape with disbelief. “Only three classes?” he muttered.

Acolyte: A novice of magical disciplines. Acolytes develop their power through research into the principles of spellcraft. Advancement beyond level 5 allows for specialization options.

Squire: A novice of martial disciplines. Squires refine their prowess through continued exposure to combat and training. Advancement beyond level 5 allows for specialization options.

Apprentice: A novice of skilled disciplines. Apprentices further themselves through non-combat encounters and the clever utilization of skills. Advancement beyond level 5 allows for specialization options.

His mind raced. Are there only three classes in the beta? Do Specializations unlock more classes? If specs are first at level 5, do you get more every five levels? What is max level?

“One thing at a time,” he reminded himself. Gambit Games had chosen him to help test the beta, not to analyze their design choices.

Playing a rogue archetype character was out of the question; after the re-re-release of Skyrim Ultimate Edition Tony had sworn off “sneak-archer” since that was what every character he made for the classic game ended up as.

Mage-type characters were often some of the highest damage dealers a game could produce, but Mages were tough for solo play due to their typically lackluster defense and survivability.

Summoned pets or constructs could usually make up for that, but he didn’t want to manage his own resources and keep track of an elemental or imp in combat.

That left him with the “Squire” option, but it just seemed so lame. Did starting as a Squire mean that he was beholden to some crusty old Knight? That he would be stuck carrying flags and doing fetch quests until he could specialize?

Tony pushed those thoughts aside and focused on the Squire option. He was sure that every starting class would have their minutia to deal with in the starting quests, but he wanted to experience everything that Gambit Games had to show him in Ascendant Online, up close and personal.

Squire Class Selected. Please select a Character Customization Option:

Express Customization | Manual Customization

Headset Sync Customization (Recommended)

Use Preset Characters

Headset Sync was the obvious choice. A majority of VRMMO games had a similar feature. The headset would read the facial features of the user, use the front-mounted cameras to get a rough body composition scan and place a near-perfect recreation onto the in-game avatar. Gambit Games did most things better than their competitors. Tony couldn’t wait to see how this came out; he focused on Headset Sync Customization.

You have selected Headset Sync Customization. Would you like to continue?

This selection is final.

That’s a weird place for confirmation, Tony thought as he mentally affirmed.

As the headset scans, users may experience mild discomfort.

Please do not remove the headset until the scan is complete.

The hair on the back of Tony’s neck stood on end. Every instinct fired a warning; something about this was off. He couldn’t place what about the headset saying that he could experience mild discomfort made him so uncomfortable.

The sync started and Tony felt the familiar tingle of initial headset boot creep over his scalp and travel down the surface of his skin. When it reached his toes, a wave of bitter cold rebounded back up. Tony’s jaw locked, and his eyes slammed shut.

I should have read the disclaimer paperwork!

The cold lingered for what felt like hours before Tony opened his eyes again. His formerly rictus frame instantly relaxed, finding himself in a bed that was hundreds, no, thousands of times more comfortable than his own.

The sheets covering him were the blissful marriage between satin and velvet without the static or clinginess of either.

Hesitant to leave the comfort of the bed, Tony peeked out from under the blankets. The room was covered in tapestries depicting ancient battles and victories of the gods over the Titans and their tyrannical masters, decorated with vases containing flowers and plants the likes of which he had never seen outside of a history book, and furnished with lavish seating and storage. Realization struck.

He was in the game world.

Tony shot out of the bed and rushed to the balcony, just past the elaborate mahogany dresser on the far wall from the bed. Constellations, planets, and stars that he had never seen dotted a gradient violet backdrop. Deep purples, blots of whites, pinks, and even a few streaks of green made up the space right outside his room. He reached out and his fingers brushed against a static field.

Well, at least I won’t tumble into space, he thought.

There were three different suns at the center of the Galaxy, one blue, one red, and one white. Tony knew that Gambit Games tried to break the mold with every title they put out, but no one had done Space Opera in a very long time.

A notification flashed in the corner of his vision, Tony focused on it, and a shimmering white window appeared before him.

Soul Sync Completed. Traits have uploaded and await your approval.

Welcome to the Ascendant Program.

That’s a neat touch, Tony thought. “Character Sheet,” he said. The notification was replaced with another window.

Name: Antonious King        Title: N/A        Race: Human (Ascendant)

Age:    18    Class:    Squire    (1)    Specializations:    None    Essence: 1(Dormant)

Would you like to review your pending traits?

Yes        No

Tony sighed as he focused on the affirmative option. It always took so long to get into the meat of the game from a fresh character. His eyes widened a second later as he read through the rest of his available character sheet.

Attribute Modifiers:

+1  Endurance  –  Late  Shift  Worker    -1  Charisma  –  Clueless  Flirt

+1  Strength  –  Former  Athlete  +2  Dexterity  –  Martial  Arts  Training

+1  Wits  –  Quick  Thinker  -1  Wisdom  –  Hot-Headed

+3  Spirit  –  Survivor

Trait and Background Modifiers

(Progress through the Campaign to Unlock More!)

Familiar – Spirit-Tied Pet (Complete Ascendant Training to Unlock this Trait)

Unseen Ally – [Invalid FeTcH ID: Initiate]

Double-Edged Sword Aptitude – Ancestral Heritage

Ascendant Healing Factor – Ascendant Program Initial Training Required to Unlock

Ascendant Attribute Enhancement – Pending Completion of Ascendant Program Training

Character Sheet:

Attributes

Strength: 11        Charisma: 9        Intelligence: 10

Dexterity: 12        Wisdom: 9        Wits: 11

Endurance: 11        Spirit: 13        Luck: 10

Skills: Complete Ascendant Training to Unlock Skill Ranks

“I have never felt so called out by a video game as I do right now.” Indignance and a dash of sarcasm coated every word. “Clueless Flirt? Hot-Headed? I mean, I know that about me, but you don’t get to know that about me!” he said, pointing an accusatory finger at his character sheet.

He looked older and of a more powerful build, like the system had put him into prime shape but given him a couple of years in the process. He had always been athletic as a kid, not by choice, but he had slacked on his training during his junior and senior years in high school. He didn’t see the point; he was stronger and faster than most of the varsity players on the soccer and football teams and there was only so much training he could do in a high school gym before it turned into self-induced torture.

Tony sighed. “Guess it’s time to find the Ascendant Trainer,” he said as he dismissed his character sheet with a wave. He went back inside the main part of his room, already twice as large as his apartment, and moved over to the dresser.

He rifled through the drawers and found a variety of clothing, togas, jumpsuits, robes, there was a...

Produkt-Details

• Erscheint lt. Verlag: 21.9.2020
• Sprache: englisch
• Themenwelt: Literatur ► Fantasy / Science Fiction ► Science Fiction
• ISBN-10: 1-0983-2924-4 / 1098329244
• ISBN-13: 978-1-0983-2924-2 / 9781098329242