The World Of Skill

Qualification To Play

The weather is a little bit hot, a sign that summer is coming. While the cicada sound can be heard faintly among the trees, the murmur of the crowd is dominating the street.

“Have you watch the news?”

“Yeah, the game 【Green World】 is finally reaching 500 million players worldwide.”

“That is amazing right! I heard that they will be launching their 3rd expansion updates. With this update, the size of the game world will finally equal to earth.”

“It really is crazy. I have been playing the game for almost two months but I haven’t even explored 1% of the 『Old Midgard』 and now they are expanding the world.”

“That’s normal though. Since most of the players are focused on leveling up their skills instead of exploring the world. But this is nice for us. The new expansion means new monsters to slay, new places to explore, new quests to complete, and probably new players will get in the game.”

“Ah, I can’t wait to play the game right now but we should hurry to the class or we will be late.”

The students are starting to move faster, afraid that they will arrive late at the class.

However, among the rushing people, one person is moving slowly. Carrying a long cloth-covered object on his back nevertheless, it doesn’t seem to be heavy. He was carrying a bow on his back, a rare occurrence in this world that has been completely digitalized. Even on the Olympic games, the bow used for the competition is made of carbon handle with projected strings and arrow.

Letting out a big sigh, the person who seemed to be in his teenage year complained.

“Why did I have to bring this stupid thing with me every day? Dad doesn’t get it that it looks totally uncool. Archery is our lineage treasure my a*s. Haaah. Anyway, I am going to be sixteen this summer. I can finally enter the Olympic. I will win the gold medal for sure and dad have promised to fulfill my wish if I win. Huhuhuhu.”

Letting out a villain like laugh, the boy let out his inner thought leaks out.

“I really have enough of being the outcast of the class because of not playing the game Green World. Moreover, this stupid wooden bow makes me totally give out a caveman vibe. Oh, I really want to play the game right now. I want to hunt monster with friends and talk about dungeon strategy. I want to see the rumored virtual reality that pop up straight from fantasy book. However, the most important thing is, I want to hold hands with a girl! Maybe a k-k-kiss after we got closer… Ah, the point is I have enough of this lifestyle of training with the bow and no entertainment at all!”

While the boy keeps on yammering, someone smacked his head from behind.

“Ouch! Who’s that? How can you hit the back of my head like that? What if I become an i***t because of that?”

While holding his pained head, the boy looked behind him but the culprit already went past by him and running forward.

“Really Ryu? It’s already this late and you’re taking your time walking. The gate will be closed at this rate and you will have to run a lap around the school before the first period. I’m going first, see you!”

“Ah, darn you Ginji! Wait for me!”

Ginji is running while laughing and leaving Ryu who is a couple of steps behind run a lap around the school because he was late for a fraction of seconds before bell rang and the gate is closed.

The school time ends and it’s time for club. Heading towards the clubroom together, Ginji is talking about the Green World all the time that makes Ryu a bit annoyed.

“As I said before Ryu, Green World is already different from most of virtual reality games out there since they focused more on 【 Skill】 rather than 【 Stats】 or 【 Level】 but, the most important thing about the game is their 99,99% brain synchronization rate which means it really feels like another reality.”

“yeah yeah yeah, I already know about that and this expansion is amazing, bla bla bla. I already tell you before that it is pointless to tell me all about that before I even allowed to play the game by my father.”

“You don’t get it Ryu, that’s the point. If you have played the game, I won’t even bother telling you this. Haha.”

“You!”

Ginji can be called as Ryu’s only friend at the school that talk about the game to him who doesn’t even play the game. Although there are a lot of virtual reality game out there, Green World is one of the most successful one out there. Aside from the game concept that is focusing on player’s skill, they are also giving a 99,99% brain synchronization experience which can be said too real to be a game.

“Anyway, I wonder why you are entering the archery club with me Ginji? It’s not like your parents forces you like me and it doesn’t even seem like you are taking this seriously.”

“Do you want to hear the truth? Actually, it’s because archery looks cool. While making a pose, I hope I can shoot some love arrows to girls that watched my performance. Hehe.”

“Well, you sure got the looks Ginji, but your arrow always misses the mark, so I think it’s about time you quit. Haha.”

“Darn you Ryu, you’ve got guts to start teasing me!”

Ryu then run towards the club room leaving Ginji behind.

When it is practice time, no matter what kind of complaint Ryu said before he is practicing seriously. The arrow that he shot hit the bullseye 9 out of 10 times. Even though what he is using is a carbon bow and projected arrow that is prepared by the club.

“Darnit I don’t want to admit but really, using a real wooden bow and arrow is different. The sensation of the string repelling my pulls can’t really be replicated by projected one. I miss one out of ten while I could hit it all perfectly at home.”

“You know Ryu, that was amazing enough. I can barely hit 1 out of 10 and by 1 hit I mean it hit the board not dead center.”

“It’s just because you never took archery seriously!”

“Hahaha. Anyway, you will be able to realize your dream if you play the game. Archers are quite rare inside the game because the game aiming assistant doesn’t even guarantee sure hit on every attack so most of them are choosing 【 swordsman】 or even 【 magician】 which spells assistance is hardly being avoided in combat.

“Hell no! I have enough of this bow and arrow bullshit in reality. I don’t even want to choose archer as my class inside the game too. I want to play the game to escape reality, isn’t that what other people is doing? If I choose archer, that’s basically no difference from real life.”

“Are you sure?”

While Ryu is refusing archer class, Ginji weird expression tells him something is fishy.

“Don’t you know, what is my class inside the game?”

“Huk! Don’t tell me it’s archer?”

“Correct!”

“Eh, why?”

“Because they are a rare class. I even got some girls to date this weekend because they are amazed by my shooting skill and cool pose.”

“Ugh, is that true? But you can’t even hit your target. You are lying to me.”

“My boy, there is something called aiming assistance as I have told you before. Even if I miss the target, the chance won’t be like here in reality. Half of the time I hit the target and deal critical damage.”

“Whoa! 50% increase from reality. B-b-b-but wait, tell me more, is it true that you manage to get some girls to date?”

“Yea, want to check out their picture?”

While putting his hand across Ryu’s shoulder, Ginji took out his phone and showed some girls picture to Ryu.

“Whoa, amazing! She looks so hot and gorgeous.”

“I told you. Definitely choosing archer is the best decision I made in my life so far.”

Ryu nodded to Ginji remarks but didn’t realize Ginji is silently smirking.

“A-a-anyway if I am playing the game, I will choose archer as my class. Not because of girls, definitely not because of them. But because it is something that I am good at. It is also something for a later time. I will need to win a gold medal first so my dad will allow me to play the game.”

“Right, that’s the spirit.”

Day passed by so fast and finally the summer Olympic has started. In the era of digitalization most of the equipment have been replaced by projected ones. Running doesn’t even have to be done in a large stadium but on top of a treadmill with projected surroundings. The event now captures close view of the athletes and streamed live all over the world. From swimming in a 5x5 meter box instead of a large swimming pool to bowling that is only throwing a ball to a wall and be projected to the virtual bowling lane. However, it doesn’t diminish the competitive spirit since the money used to maintain the stadium and large mobilization of staff is allocated to the prize money instead.

“Today is the final of the archery competition. I can’t imagine that the final will be between two teenagers. Kim Woo Hyun from South Korea, a top archer from Green World is going against a dark horse Ryuzi from Japan with no record at the Green World. It is amazing how the archery athletes mostly listed in the top archer from Green World. Only Ryuzi is creating an upset with no Green World gaming background.”

“For sure Kim Woo Hyun who is listed 9th on the archer rank on Green World is creating a surprise by defeating the 3rd and 4th archers David White and Robin Van Ignis in earlier round. Ryuzi on the other hand is creating many upset when winning against the 13th and 7th top archer.”

“On the other note, it is amazing that out of the 14,350 athletes that participated in the Olympic, 73% played the Green World while the rest played other virtual reality game such as RO:II , Grand Blue Fantasy and Tree of Life. We couldn’t deny how these virtual realities is replicating the real world to such degree to allow training or simulation of Olympic competition inside the game.”

“Okay, here’s the final round of the archery competition. Both athletes are getting ready walking to their shooting pit.”

Glancing at Ryu who is younger and shorter than him, Kim Woo Hyun is sending provocative word.

“You don’t even play the game Green World; I wonder where a weirdo like you come out from. I bet you are one of those savages that live in the mountains and kill wild animal to eat.”

“Tch, I thought you know that an archer should hit the target with arrows not words.” (Ryu)

“You! Let’s see how you made it this far. I bet you are just a lucky bastard for hitting the target. Don’t you know that without the aiming assistance from the game, I can hit the board 10 out of 10.”

“Haha, it seemed that you haven’t watch my match. I can not only hit the board 10 out of 10, I can even hit your mom’s ***** with my eyes closed.” (Ryu)

As childish as they could be, due to the modern era, their bantering words and curse are almost hell inducing for anyone who heard it. Thankfully the screen only projected their shooting pit, not the hallway to the pit. Kim Woo Hyun has to be restrained by his coach from hitting Ryu before the match and getting disqualified.

“Tch, it would be great if I could win without needed to shoot. I am tired already. Well, I need to do this. I will win the gold medal, play the game and… Kukuku, girls, my arrow will be aiming for your heart. You better be ready.”

After muttering his inner thoughts, Ryu opened his eye with fiery passion emitted from it.

“Girls, here I come!”