Mickey was back in the dimly lit chamber, outfitted with a new set of clothes. He was wearing a blue, loose shirt over a skin-tight, long-sleeved undershirt, and a pair of black shorts over black tights. As he inspected his outfit, he got used to the feeling of disorientation, and whenever the environment’s realness became too much, he just reminded himself this was most likely a super-advanced game that was interfacing with his brain—just like how it worked in science fiction. He completely shut out the nagging thought of any possible side effects. If he was going to get cancer—he probably already shot himself in the foot.

God, please don’t let this be some madman’s elaborate cancer-spreading scheme.

Mickey shook that final thought off of him and focused on the screen that was in front of him—the one asking for a Trailblazer Name.

“Okay, so this is what I’ll be referred to as, in-game, right?”

Mickey tapped on the screen, sending a ripple out from the point of his touch. From behind that ripple appeared a keyboard.

“Okay, that’ll do. I’ve never been very original.”

On the screen, beneath the prompt was his chosen name.

Tralas Mick.

Mickey had never been an original person. He used some variation of his name in almost all games he had ever played.

The confirmation tone rang—another jingle featuring a harp. The game accepted the name Tralas Mick. Immediately after, a new message box appeared before Mickey, giving him instructions.

***

Welcome, Tralas Mick!

This is the Unlimited Realm, the Realm that will let you live out your greatest potential for a short period of time for the purposes of completing a trial. You will have two options for trials.

1. A combat trial.

2. A non-combat trial.

The first option is for those who want to play any kind of combat role. The trial will be more geared toward allowing you to unleash your true power and will produce skills more geared for combat.

The second option is for those who want to live a more peaceful life with a support role. This trial will be more geared toward allowing you to use non-conventional means to solve problems or achieve goals.

Please select your trial.

[1. Combat Trial]

[2. Non-combat Trial]

***

“I kind of wish they could tell me what the trials actually entailed… What did the guide say again?”

Thinking back on it, Mickey recalled that the guide recommended keeping an open mind. The guide didn’t recommend a trial, but given that most of the Excia-earning activities he read of were geared towards exploring, going with the combat trial would be the better bet.

“Yeah, I’ll do that. I like role-playing games anyway—I can’t imagine diving into an RPG and not doing combat.”

Mickey selected the first option and a new window appeared.

***

Combat Trial

Unleash everything you want to unleash!

If you can imagine it, you can have it.

Use the power you can imagine and defeat

100 Goblins!

Welcome To Your Unlimited.

Greet Your Potential Kindly.

***

A countdown started ticking. Mickey had ten seconds to prepare.

“Hey, wait, just like that? What about weapons? Not even a tutorial sword?”

Knowing that goblins, a common beginner enemy, were coming was exciting and very game-like but the suddenness with which it all happened caught Mickey by surprise.

Not even going to give me a tutorial?! he had exclaimed right as the countdown hit zero.

The window closed, an unearthly chill descended upon the chamber and before Mickey’s eyes, shadows swirled and coalesced. From within those shadows came gurgling growls, and then came many pairs of blinking red circles.

With inhuman roars, ten goblins leaped out from the shadows. Each one was of a sickly green shade, bald and scraggly. Standing at about four feet tall, these little monsters wore tattered and blood-splattered armor, and carried makeshift stone weapons.

“Let my imagination run wild—In what way?! What direction?!” Mickey yelped, overwhelmed by the sudden arrivals.

The goblins jumped at Mickey and he just as quickly jumped back. He was too slow—the goblins were steps away from him. One pulled in closer, a step faster than the others, and swiped at Mickey—

“Gah! OWW!”

The make-shift stone knife in the goblin’s hand had a layer of red on it—Mickey’s blood. The goblin had sliced right across Mickey’s abdomen.

Mickey backed away as the goblins danced around, hopping in place, while the assailing goblin shook the bloodied weapon in the air. He was lucky they were distracted—he was just as distracted by the burning pain coming from below the hand covering the wound.

Seriously? I’m hurt! Is this what getting slashed feels like?!

Mickey had never been in a fight nor had he ever been so grievously injured that a wound burned and leaked as much as this one did.

In sci-fi, VR can replicate sensations—even painful ones. I could already feel my body and my surroundings—is this just the natural conclusion?

Mickey looked up at the goblins—the goblins all quieted and sneered at him.

These guys are going to hurt me.

The goblins began walking toward him, still sneering with some licking their lips.

Ahh—it hurts. I can’t concentrate—I wish I could reset, now that I know I could be hurt—I’d avoid it—

A glow came from below, illuminating Mickey’s face. His eyes went wide as the goblins yelled.

Huh?

Below his hand, there was no pain. In fact, the blood that had dyed his hand was gone, and the gash was gone too.

H-Healed? I’m healed?

Mickey looked at the goblins, realizations hitting him.

“Let your imagination run wild.”

The goblins started running at Mickey, hollering and waving their weapons.

“Do not get stuck on how other games work.”

Mickey, urged forward by the words of the guide, recalled a memory from his childhood.

“Imagine you are living a dream.”

The goblins, starting from the one to the furthest left of Mickey, looked to their right a split-second before they were hit by it. Mickey swung from his left to the right—the goblins one by one were hit—their bodies contorting against the ominous mass that struck them. The sounds of bones cracking overpowered their pained howls.

A wrecking ball tore through them—Mickey's wrecking ball.

“RAAAAAA!” Mickey yelled as he followed through.

The wrecking ball had swept across the goblins, squishing the ten against a wall of the chamber with a mighty crash.

Mickey completed his swing, an eight spiked ball the size of Mickey’s torso lodged into the wall, black blood splattered behind it, with a silver chain connecting it to Mickey’s grip.

“Sorry, master guider, I thought back to a game I once played.”

As he expressed his apology, another ten goblins appeared, each looking a little bit more muscular than the last bunch.

***

Now Loading... Information

Fixture of the World

Unlimited Trial -

The first trial new Trailblazers take on. Recognized as a Trailblazer's First Impression. What a Trailblazer does during the course of this trial greatly impacts their future in the Hidden World.

Term

Trailblazer-

What player characters are referred as. It seems the term might have more meaning...

Equipment

Tralas Mick's Starter Outfit -

Tralas Mick's default appearance. These clothes offer no benefits.

"Very comfortable set of clothes. The undershirt and tights are hugging me, but I can barely feel it when I don't pay attention. It's hard to feel uncomfortable actually. I feel even more comfortable than real life."

Bestiary

Goblin(Trial)

No info...

"They look really sickly. Can they really hurt me-OWW! Never mind, they can! Their knives are jagged!"