Shadows flew by overhead, accompanied by a high-pitched squawk. They were seagulls, birds of the coast, bound to no one and nothing as they soared and scavenged in packs like pirates of the sky.

  Nole burst from the top of his barrel like a freshly hatched chick, tasting the world of Enix for the first time. The sunlight was blinding, tempered only by the silhouettes of birds circling above. Goosebumps rose on his skin as he leaned over the lip of the barrel and climbed onto the rickety planks of the dock.

  The Kingdom of Bluestone City stood before him, the human stronghold by the sea, a marvel of white stone, blue rooftops, and golden banners. Ships sailed in and out of its harbor, welcoming foreign adventurers from allied realms.

  All around Nole were other adventurers of all shapes, sizes, and races rushing this way and that, with classes ranging from physical to magical to hybrids of both. There were so many options that one could get lost in the selection alone, but Nole knew which path he wanted to take. It was his opportunity to be everything he wasn't.

  He took a moment to examine his newfound form, seeing it all in action instead of teased on the customization screen. Purple skin coated his muscular physique while his eyes shone like moonlight, boasting pointy ears from his long, silver hair. He was an elf, a child of the woods.

  Nole could be a tank, a meat shield dedicated to protecting the other players in the group. With high health and robust defense, he could redirect all danger upon himself for the sake of his team. Everyone needs a tank.

  A healer is just as necessary, however. They replenished health bars, removed adverse status effects, and cast protective shields. Doing most things without a healer would be unwise, if not impossible.

  Then again, he could be a damage-dealer, the badass of any scenario. Hit hard and strike fast, dealing the most damage and utilizing the flashiest abilities. The role that steals the spotlight, the DPS, was the most popular choice for obvious reasons.

  And so the choice was clear: be all three. Adaptable to any situation, Nole selected the jack-of-all-trades class, the druid. Depending on what was needed, a max-level druid could shapeshift into various animal forms to fulfill any role. He could do it all: tanking, dealing damage, or healing. There was no situation where he wouldn't be allowed. He'd fit in everywhere and anywhere.

  Next came the question of what to name his new self. Would he pick something original, or perhaps the name of a famous character from television everyone would recognize? A name is where it all begins, after all. It's the seed that sprouts the legacy.

  Nole began typing. N-O-L-E filled the text box. It was his real name, but he paused momentarily and erased it, putting N-U-L-L instead. Null meant empty or without value. But he chose this name solely as a beginning. By the end of his time here, he intended to find fulfillment and replace that nothing with something.

  Nole, the elf druid, stepped forth, reborn into the world of Enix. He removed the Longstaff from his back and playfully swung it around in front of him. But it wasn’t long before a provocative voice caught his attention.

  "Hey there, big boy," she said.

  A female elf perched on a nearby stack of crates watched him like a cat to a mouse. Head to toe, she was covered in blackened leather, with two barbed blades at her hip. Purple hair rested over her shoulder in one long braid, and she pulled the red bandana down that was covering her face. Markings were painted around her eyes like wings atop her light purple skin.

  "Packing some serious wood, I see," she teased, sliding down from her seat.

  "That's gotta be Finn," Nole replied, grinning as she approached.

  “Who’s Finn?" she asked, posing flirtatiously before him.

  "Dude, I know it's you," Nole laughed.

  She kept the act going for a moment longer and then started cracking up.

  "Alright, it’s me," she insisted, coming clean.

  "Findrinde, huh?" said Nole, reading the name tag above Finn's character. If he focused on someone, various details like names, levels, and stats became readily available.

  Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.

  "Why are you a girl?" Nole asked.

  "Hey, if I'm gonna be staring at something for hours on end, I might as well enjoy what I'm looking at," Finn replied. "You certainly went the extra mile with your name, though. I'm sitting here waiting for you to show, and suddenly, some newbie rolls up named Null. Boy, I wonder who that could be.”

  "Don't fix what ain't broken," Nole replied. "So, are you ready to make this world our oyster, or what?"

  Finn side-eyed Nole like he was a spilled drink coming his way.

  "Ew," he replied. "You go do newb stuff. You can try talking to me again when you're closer to my level.”

  “You’re level 14, though,” Nole pointed out.

  "Exactly," Findrinde replied. "You've got some serious catching up to do. Run along now, little newbie. Chop chop."

  "Well, what're you gonna be doing, then?" Nole asked.

  "Killing robot scarecrows, of course," said Finn. "Right now, I need to find hops. And, wouldn't you know it, nowhere in this game does it say where you can find hops. So I spent all day killing everything in sight until finally, it dropped off these robot scarecrows. Remember that. You can thank me later."

  "Um, okay," said Nole, scratching his head and glancing around. "Hops and robot scarecrows. So, where should I level up at?"

  "Goldwynn forest," Finn replied.

  "And that is… where?" asked Nole.

  Findrinde sighed and shook his head.

  "You skipped the tutorial, didn't you?" he asked.

  “Of course,” Nole admitted. “What do you take me for? I'm trying to play this game, not read it."

  "Alright," Finn declared, grabbing him by the hand and guiding him from the starting area. "This way, newbie."

  The two left the harbor in their rearview mirror, hugging Bluestone's hip around the bend until trees emerged in the distance. Soon, the blue skies and pillowy clouds above were obscured by puffy foliage as they plunged into the woods of Goldwynn.

  Grass and trees ran in every direction, with a new small pond or cottage visible from the last. Lionshire sat smack dab in the heart of the woods, serving as a launch pad for those heading deeper into the world, whether the mountains to the east or the farmlands to the west.

  Besides the stables and the inn, Lionshire also housed a public forum. Wherever there were towns, there were people, and where there were people, there was talking. Add some anonymity into the mix, and the conversations ran everywhere. For every genuine question and answer, there was a sea of jokes, sarcasm, and absolute nonsense that went with it. Even the players’ names themselves were jokes.

  "Never trust stairs, you guys; they're always up to something!" declared Dapple, a player outside the inn standing on the mail drop like a soap box.

  “Words to live by,” replied Garlic.

  “Stairs are one thing, but those escalators will getcha,” said Angrybaby.

  Soon, Nole and Findrinde passed through Lionshire, leaving the chat behind, and spilled onto the main road, which split the woods in two. Glimpses of small farms, pumpkin patches, and little mines stood to the south. Finally, they stood outside the Goldeep mine, peeking through a wooden fence at a slew of Kobolds.

  "These guys are perfect for you," Findrinde insisted. "They'll be decent experience points for you to level up."

  "If you say so," Nole replied.

  "See that one?" Finn asked, pointing out the Kobold closest to them. The oversized rat stood on its hind legs, scratching its nose with its pickaxe and staring off into the sky with beady eyes. Its pink tail stuck out through its overalls, and the creature wore a candle strapped to its forehead to see in the dark.

  "I see it," said Nole. "Should I attack that one?"

  "No, just keep staring at it for another twenty minutes," Finn snarked.

  "Alright, alright," Nole laughed. "I'm going."

  He jumped the fence and charged the creature. It turned and blinked momentarily before snapping out of its daydreams, and then the fight was on.

  Nole swung his staff at the Kobold, trading blow for blow with its pickaxe.

  "Don’t just auto-attack,” Findrinde called out, leaning over the fence like a trainer. “Use your abilities!"

  "What abilities?" Nole exclaimed, aimlessly swinging as they kicked up dust.

  "You're hopeless," Finn sighed, shaking his head from the sidelines. “You have an ability bar. Look at it."

  “Ability bar?” Nole echoed, eating the blunt end of a pickaxe.

  He scanned around, finally seeing the little icons floating at the bottom of his interface.

  "Moonbolt?" Nole asked, shoving the Kobold away with his staff.

  "Sure, why not," Finn replied sarcastically, resting his head in his hand. “Pick anything. Literally anything.”

  Nole’s character made a diamond with his hands, aimed it at the Kobold, and fired away. A bright light descended from the skies, frying the oversized rat and sizzling its whiskers. A chunk of Nole’s mana bar disappeared, but his enemy was still on its feet.

  “Do it again!” Findrinde called out.

  Nole blasted another Moonbolt at the Kobold and another after that. The rat fought to the bitter end as lunar fire rained down, but with the last remaining stores of his mana, Nole finished it off once and for all.

  "Not bad," Finn applauded, watching the Kobold fall in defeat.

  Nole breathed a sigh of relief. His opponent evaporated into gold dust and trickled into his experience bar, filling a tiny portion. Slowly but surely, his health and mana bars replenished themselves.

  “That was great," Nole laughed, collapsing to his butt as his friend walked up beside him.

  “Yeah," said Finn. "Just think, only 5000 more of those, and you'll be caught up.”