“Enter.”
My vision goes dark for a moment, but it’s then replaced with one of a MagiBot in a grassy field in the middle of a forest.
I take a deep breath, knowing this is the make or break moment that gets me my life here in the new world.
“Let’s do this.”
Suddenly, I can hear the voice of the receptionist. “Hey, are you in yet?”
“Yep. I can see the MagiBot, what do I do now?”
“Good. Just sorta… I dunno, float into it or something and the test will begin.”
Float into it? How would I go about that…?
What if I try...
Oh! Just walking makes me walk in mid-air!
I assume the way this works is: I get in the MagiBot and then a tutorial starts, then I actually do things with it.
So I walk into it and the receptionist starts speaking again. “Good. Ok, now get used to moving around because the test will start soon.”
My vision is kinda strange in the MagiBot, there’s a very subtle hint of greenish-yellow coloring to everything.
I start stretching my body in strange directions, starting with my neck, twisting my head from side to side in order to see my full vision range, then my arms, my torso, legs, and finally my back.
With that, I’ve tested my full range of movement. If I were to describe it, it would be like wearing an incredibly puffy jacket and a bike helmet. Quite frankly, this specific MagiBot isn’t used for precision, so it should be just fine with the extra space I take up.
“Alright, I’m ready to begin the test,” I say aloud.
“Ok. Now, two sets of weapons will appear in front of you. Choose a primary and secondary weapon, then the combat test will begin.”
Glowing weapons popped up in midair as she said that. There’s quite the amount offered here for a test. Hmm. Now, which ones will I choose? For the primary, there’s the standard sword, a lance, a battle-axe, and variations of those, ranging from katanas to halberds, to the much more exotic flail.
Wait a minute… Is that a frying pan?
Well, I mean, you really shouldn’t underestimate the power of a hunk of blunt metal, y’know?
On that note, I actually want a club or a mace, maybe a war-hammer? Some sort of bludgeoning weapon, regardless. I have fondish memories of using them in the VR fighting games I used to play. Their ease of use and armor-ruining properties made them quite popular. Ah, there’s nothing quite like beating people over the head with a heavy instrument.
A large club it is, then.
I reach out towards a primary weapon that looks similar enough to a baseball bat and grab it.
The secondary weapons then appear, small things to be held on a small pocket somewhere.
Out of every option, I decide on a dagger. Why? A small knife is still a knife, sharp and pointy. It will help with what a bat cannot, that is, stabbing and cutting in a short range.
I grab a small, yet long looking knife. At what point is a dagger long enough to become a shortsword?
...
I’m sure an expert could tell me, but I myself don’t know.
And with that, my weapon choosing is done, bat in one metal hand and dagger in the other.
“I’m done with the weapon choosing.”
“The combat test will begin shortly, then. Ah, you should note that there’s a dedicated spot for your weapons on your MagiBot, which should be located on the arms.”
Sure enough, there’s a sort of slot on the hands, perfect size for a small weapon. It could probably fit any of the secondary ones. So where do the primaries go? The answer comes in the form of a click, as a compartment opens up on the outer side of the left arm. It's just big enough for the bat to fit in, but it leaves me wondering how the bigger things like battle-axes could be carried around.
More space magic, perhaps?
Leaving off on that, I place the dagger in the right hand’s slot, as I am right handed, and continue holding the bat.
Er, how do I hold a baseball bat again? I think it’s dominant hand over non-dominant hand…
Yeah, that feels right.
“The combat test is now starting. The objective is to defeat all the Rauged. The amount will be displayed in the top left corner of your vision. Good luck!”
With that, the receptionist’s voice disappeared.
An indicator pops up in the corner of my vision.
It says, “Objective: Kill Rauged, 0/20.”
What the heck’s a Rauged? Is that what Jag was fighting when I first appeared here?
I mean, it would make sense, with this being a combat test and having a huge robot for me to pilot…
Yeah…! What sort of things do I have to fight that it requires a huge robot?!
The answer comes immediately. A huge crab-looking creature scuttles through the simulated woods.
Um.
That’s a big crab-thing. I suppose all I have to do is hit it with my bat a lot, it will die, and I will be one Rauged closer to completing my objective. My bat suddenly looks like a flimsy stick.
I can’t lose my cool now.
This stick… No, this bat I have is a solid object, made of… Metal? Yeah, metal. It has an angled crushing force added to its armor-breaking ability whenever I swing it. A baseball player can send a baseball flying hundreds of feet just by hitting it with a baseball bat.
I have a baseball bat.
I can use it. All I have to do is swing it.
The crab is drawing closer.
I hold the bat with both hands at slightly less than arm’s length away.
The crab is nearing!
I prepare a batting stance, my left shoulder facing the crab, and my arms holding the bat behind me.
The crab is a ball. Swing and hit it. Get a home run. Win the game.
With the speed the crab is moving, it should arrive in…
3…
2…
1…
Now!
I swing and hit the crab, hearing an awful crunching sound with the impact.
The crab’s shell is now shattered, a strange pinkish-orange flesh now being revealed, a glimmering ichor dripping out of it.
The sight reminds me of raw chicken, and, if anything, I’m just glad I can’t smell it.
That single strike wasn’t enough to kill it though, as the stunned crab slowly starts to move again.
I raise my bat over my head and bring it down, over and over until the crab is nothing more than a pile of mangled flesh.
Objective: Kill Rauged, 1/20, it now says.
That’s right, this is a test, a simulation. Why am I getting so worked up over this?
A strange snuffling noise breaks me out of my stupor.
There are 19 more of these Rauged, huh? Was that one attracted to the sound of me destroying the crab?
The snuffling then reveals itself to be a two-legged-kangaroo-thing smelling the air, but much larger and much shaggier fur. It sees the crab-carnage, then me, next to the crab-carnage.
This is a Rauged, right…?
It bounds towards me, at a slightly fast pace.
Kangaroos are known for their legs, and kicking, so why would this knockoff one be any different?
I put myself in a stance, ready for the Rauged’s charge.
After this, there’s only 18 more.
I have a bat and a dagger
I can do this.
Just breathe…
Yeah, I can do this.
