An endless sea of darkness, a realm of eternal stillness and silence, untouched by the concept of time as it had no power here. In this forsaken emptiness, the nothing reigned supreme, its grasp absolute and unyielding.
Uncountable eons passed in this stasis, a stagnant abyss where nothing dared to exist. Yet, within this infinite blackness, faint whispers began to emerge—quiet and fleeting, swallowed by the darkness before a foothold could be taken. These whispers, ephemeral and elusive, echoed through the dark kingdom every thousand epochs, striving to break free from the oppressive darkness.
Each time they rose, they were swallowed by the unrelenting abyss, however the whispers seemed to last a heartbeat longer each battle.
The whispers persisted, for uncountable time, growing stronger with each cycle. The cosmic dance of darkness and faint whispers continued, a seemingly eternal struggle until, at last, the whispers coalesced. The whispers in the darkness now unified channeled their new strength into a force that would forever change the world of darkness.
A single pale blue flame flickered into existence, fragile and faint, casting an almost imperceptible glow in the vast emptiness. This flame, a defiant spark in the unchanging darkness, whispered of boundless possibilities and untold mysteries.
The pale blue flame floated in the nothingness, its delicate light pushing back the all encompassing darkness. Tendrils of shadow reached for it, hoping to snuff out its warmth, but the flame endured, growing stronger and brighter with each passing moment. Over millennia, it expanded, its warmth spreading through the abyss until it could no longer contain its power in a single flame. The flame collapsed upon itself, erupting in a cataclysmic supernova that scattered embers across the darkness.
From the remnants of this cosmic event, the once radiant azure flame that pushed back the darkness was once again a flickering candle like flame. Born from the azure flames remnant power, caretakers of the flames will nurtured the newly illuminated cosmos. They forged worlds from the embers, breathed life into darkness, and wove the azure flames essence into the fabric of this new reality. Among their creations, many worlds saturated in the flames essence burned with the azure flames power, fueling growth and unexpected transformations. The most recent world to reach its threshold, Tierra sung with the whispers of old as it transformed with the azure flames power. This world is shrouded in danger but also unimaginable possibilities, where the influence of the caretakers can be felt in every atom and flicker of a warm campfire. So set forth champions of Tierra and claim what is rightfully yours.
Begin your journey, and become a legend of Tierra.
This message has greeted every new player of The Veil Online, or TVO for short, for a decade. The world of TVO took everyone by storm when it was first announced as it took huge leap forward in technology and immersion. Many questioned the safety and after effects the new POD system for a full dive system would have have on the human mind and body, but its creators provided extensive proof and trials of its safety.
Millions joined at the announcement and preordered the equipment, but that in itself did not sit right with many politicians and others of high influence. How was it possible a system this advanced, a marvel of almost futuristic engineering would be provided at no cost to gaming centers and massive facilities to experience the game had been constructed in secret. How was this company making any kind of money? That was the biggest question on everyone’s mind, but as the game released in its gold version, the millions of players who entered the world of TVO quickly forgot.
In this new world, the marvel of science and medicine that the POD system was, quickly glazed over their previous concerns. As the elderly, disabled, frankly anyone now had a life like avatar that allowed them to live a life in perfect health. For many the PODs allowed them to leave the painful existence of physical traumas, injuries and comas to live a whole life once again.
Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
The world of TVO was a one for one copy of Tierra, with all the existing landmarks and stones in a river. A decade later and no is sure how the parent company was even able to get such detail into this world, as many suspected minuscule items such as terrain and fauna would be random but a team of researchers proved everything matched exactly by visiting a remote jungle in the amazon and it matched exactly to its in game rendition.
But this was not just a world filled with copy and pasted landscapes and scents, monsters, kingdoms of beats, and dangers awaited those brave enough to venture out. TVO was an MMRPG at its heart, where the players advanced in levels and searched for riches as they experienced the world. Dragons flew high in the skies, while man eating sea life waited int the watery depths protecting sunken treasures.
In the heart of this enigmatic world stood Maverick, a lone warlock marked by his patrons sigil a dark moon. His eyes, glowing with the faint light of a full moon, it illuminated the dark and foreboding landscape before him. Amidst the ruins of a fallen city, now overrun by monstrous creatures, Maverick faced a towering corrupted knight. The knight's shield, forged from the darkest magic steel, seemed impenetrable as spell after spell ricocheted off sending the magical nukes into the hordes of monstrous creatures.
Their battle had raged for four in game days, each day inside representing an hour in the real world. Each slowly chipping away at the others reserves of power, until Mavericks ultimate ability was ready, his passives allowing the battle to finally end.
With unwavering resolve, Maverick finally raised his hands, his fingers weaving intricate patterns in the air. He spoke ancient words of power, his voice a conduit for the primal forces of the universe. The air crackled with energy as a glowing blue orb formed in his grasp, pulsing with raw, destructive power.
The orb collapsed into itself creating what looked like a black hole, where light and derby was forcefully sucked in. With a final, decisive gesture, he hurled the orb of destruction at the knight. The impact was immediate and devastating—the shield held for only a moment before it shattered into fragments. The knight roared in defiance and fear as the orb of pure annihilation impacted its center mass, rending their thick armor useless.
The orb darkened as it impacted the knight, and with a final pulse it collapsed into itself like the death of a celestial body. The orb exploded leveling much of the remains ruins, the shockwave raced for miles in all directions. To any other players dozens of miles away a thumb could have been raised towards the dark cloud in the sky.
As the dust settled, Maverick stood amidst the aftermath, his gaze fixed on a small pristine shrine, untouched from his final attack. Slowly Maverick, breathed in remembering the countless hours, days, and respawns it had taken him to clear The Butchers Valley, a sacred valley of the ancients. Those who cleared a sacred valley, were rewarded by a truly unique item, an ember from the Azure flame.
No one really knew what this ember did, or how many there was in the world of TVO but less than one thousand had been confirmed. According to Prometheus Games, the developers of The Veil Online, anyone who was able to claim an ember, would be greatly rewarded when the game fully released and exited its decade long gold status.
Maverick focused once again on his prize, pulling himself from those memories. Maverick had been attempting this particular Sacred Valley, for three years, after his character hit the max level currently available, 10. No one really knew why it was scaled to such a low level, but none the less, the journey from level one to ten felt like the grind of any other MMORPG from level one to a hundred.
Maverick cautiously walked, to the softly glowing ember. His body now suffering from the after effects of his ultimate skill. As he approached the shrine, depictions of the Butcher were carved into the marble monument. Blue flamed torches lit the small area providing a truly magical sight as the fading sun cast long shadows into the valley. The prized ember rested on a marble pedestal inside of an opened ornate obsidian box, its light pulsing like it was alive. Fearing the slightest breeze could extinguish its heat, Maverick ever so gently scooped up the box and rested his free hand atop the ember.
**System Announcement**
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Congratulations, Player Maverick.
You have successfully cleared the sacred valley, your triumph will be etched into the tapestry of fate, and the world will sing of your deeds for centuries to come.
With the ember now in hand, take your rightful spot among the chosen, you are now one with the Azure Flame's Legacy. Upon the full release of "The Veil Online," you will receive a unique alteration, and title befitting your heroic deeds along with a special growth item to aid your journey.
**Legendary Feat**: For your extraordinary feat of solo clearing of "The Butcher's Valley," your title has been upgraded. You will receive a boost to all attribute points and three free skills of your choice.
Do not falter yet as, The Veil Online still holds many secrets and treasures awaiting those brave enough to set forth. Remember young adventurer, the gods of this world favor the bold, those who create their own path. This feat is just one step along your journey.
*Congratulations* on your legendary achievement, Player.
Your legend is just beginning.