Chapter 14: Login 14: New Beginnings
<<Crystal Mist Apartment Complex>>
Time 5:20 PM
Nico sat in front of his piano, playing a piece called "River Flows In You" by Yiruma. He absolutely loves this particular pieces so much, that whenever he had the chance to play, it would be a sure guaranty that he will play this piece at least once. The piece just has this certain effect on him, that whenever he hears it or plays it, it deeply calms him.
As he was practicing, music flowed like a river from his finger tips as it dance across the ivory keys. He was playing so well until a stray note just destroys everything. Nico internally groan unhappily, as he keeps making more and more mistakes lately. This doesn't usually happened, in fact it rarely happens, but for some reason his mojo is somewhere having a vacation and left him in misery. All of it was because of the dark, gloomy, and depressing cloud that keeps hovering around him.
Nico turned his head towards the couch, where a miserable looking Jae sat, facing towards the window, starring into nothingness. He's been like that for over a couple of days now after he revealed everything. Like a routine: He wakes up, sits on the couch without even brushing or freshening up, and just sat there for the whole day, wallowing in misery. He doesn't have the appetite to eat which worried Nico, at the same time, stressed him severely.
Nico understood what Jae was going through, so he let him be like that for the past couple of days. But on the third day Nico really couldn't take it anymore. The constant depressing atmosphere has been affecting his daily life, and it needs to end right that instant. Nico already had enough, now it was time for some tough love.
Nico stood up, and sat beside Jae.
"Jae!" Nico said with hard voice, snapping Jae out of his thoughts. Slowly Jae faced Nico to only find him starring at him with a cold expression. A sudden thought popped out of his mind, that just further depressed him even more. He was anticipating in fear, as he waits for Nico to finally say it, but Nico just starred at him.
Jae's heart kept beating faster and faster, that he almost couldn't breath. As the time passed, Nico finally let out a deep breath, while Jae held in his breath.
"Jae, I know that you went through a rough time, but this-" Nico waved his hand towards Jae's whole body "This is depressing me and it needs to stop!" Nico said it honestly. He didn't care if Jae got hurt, but he had to know the truth and sometimes the truth hurts.
Jae was about to open his mouth, but Nico held out a finger, indicating to let him finish first. Jae's mouth snapped back closed and listed.
"Look I know it's hard, and I'm not just saying this just for the sake of saying it. I'm saying it because I went through it as well. But at some point in your life, you have to move forward. You cannot let that one bad moment ruin you for the rest of your life!" Nico said with genuine sympathy and care "You're only 19, you're still young! Imagine all the possibilities that life has to offer. Yeah, sometimes bad things happened, but it's not the end of the world. Those challenges that life throws at us are not meant to destroy us, but to build us up and strengthen us. It only comes down to your choice. Are you gonna let that circumstance defeat you or fight back?"
At the moment Jae's still hazy brain cleared up. His emotions wanted to protest because they were hurt, but Jae suppressed them, because he can see the care in Nico's eyes. He wasn't just casually throwing out words at him, instead every word was filled with genuine understanding and care. He knew that Nico was just looking out for him, that's why Nico was telling him all this.
Jae's head lowered in shame as he didn't know what to say.
"Look, do you really love singing?" Nico asked
Jae nodded his head
"Do you really love dancing?"
Nod
"Do really love performing?"
Nod
"Do you really love Rampage?"
At that moment, Jae's head shot up, facing Nico head on and nodded.
"Then, If you truly love something, are you gonna let anything stop you from doing it or achieving it?"
Jae then shook his head
"Then, there you go!" Nico said with a big smile "You said it yourself, that you will make all those doubters believe in you and regret what they did, right?"
"I know I said those, but I really don't know if I can do it." Jae said with a raspy voice "I know my limitations-"
"And that's where I'll be stopping you" Nico interrupted "You see, you are the only one limiting yourself. You keep doubting yourself, that's why you stopped growing. You need first to get rid of that doubt that's been clouding your heart for a very long time, and when that happens. Disguise the limit! Remember you are limitless!" Nico said encouragingly "A lot of players doubted the Minstrel because of its mediocre starting base stats and skills. That's why players already gave up even before starting. As for me? I didn't listen to those doubts because I believed in the potential that it has. I mean, why would the developers create something that's mediocre right from the very start, until the very end? That's just not possible. Not only would they've wasted a lot of money, but time, effort and a whole lot of other things as well." realizing that he was already rambling, Nico calmed himself then got on with the point "The point is, no one starts off great from the get go. Every person that's great at their craft has went through a lot of challenges and hardships along the way for them to achieve what they have. Did they give up? No, because if they did, they wouldn't be where they're at right now. Am I making sense?"
"Yeah" Jae replied "But the thing is..... I don't know how?"
"One step at a time" Nico answered "All journey starts with a single step, or in this case, All new beginnings starts with single step. You just have to take one step at a time. Don't rush, because you cannot rush greatness. You'll know when you get there"
Seemingly like all the weight that he's been carrying all this time had finally been lifted, the flames that's getting dimmer and dimmer inside Jae, suddenly blazed back up, radiantly.
Seeing the new fire that's been lit up in Jae's eyes, Nico felt very accomplished and satisfied. He did what he came to do and he couldn't ask for a more better out come.
Nico then looked at his watch only to find out, yet again, that he was running late for work.
"Anyways, I have to go to work" Nico informed Jae, while standing up "While I'm gone, the best first step that I would suggest is, clean yourself up and shave for goodness sake!"
Jae touched his chin and felt the rough stubble of facial hair pricking his fingers. Not only that, but his hair is all over the place, large bags were under his eyes, he hasn't changed in two days, and his breath smells like death, literally. Jae hasn't been paying attention to his appearance for the last two days, that his boyish good looks that he once had was now nowhere to be found. In other words, he was a complete disaster.
"You can use my laptop to play if you want. I know from just looking at you the other day, that you really miss playing Rampage" Nico said, as he rushed all over the apartment, while grabbing his things.
"I.. I don't have a character anymore" Jae said sadly.
"Then create another one" Nico said like it was the most natural thing to do, then realized something. The character that Jae once had was the one that accompanied him from the very beginning.
Slowing down, Nico said "Sometimes in life, in order for us to gain something, something must be let go. Maybe your story with your old character has already ended, so that you can start a brand new journey with a new one."
Then Nico looked at his watch once again, and remembered that he was actually still running late.
"Anyhow, I won't force but you can always use my laptop whenever you want" Nico said as he puts on his shoes.
"Thanks Nico..... for everything" Jae said genuinely. He couldn't imagine what would be of him, if Nico wasn't there to straighten him up.
"You're welcome" Nico replied with a smile "Now be a good boy and don't forget to clean yourself up; food is in the fridge; here's my gym pass if you ever wanted sweat it out" Nico said, handing Jae his gym pass "Also don't loose it, that's expensive. AND if ever you decided to create a new character, PLEASE stay away from Blade Emperors. Dragoon actually suits your play style better..... And lastly please keep the house clean okay?"
Jae couldn't help but smile, as Nico started acting like his mom again "Yes, mom!" He answered teasingly
"I'm going!" Nico said with a huge grin, before leaving the apartment in a mad rush.
<<***>>
Time 10:00 PM
Jae sat at the couch, inside Nico's dark apartment, as he faces Nico's laptop.
After Nico left, Jae went to the gym first to sweat it out a little bit, thankfully nobody was there when he arrived. He made sure that he didn't do anything too strenuous, since his body is still healing. He actually enjoyed working out that he only stopped when he saw that he has already been working out for two hours. He went to the sauna for a bit before heading back to the apartment. He took his time under the shower as he enjoys and let the warm water flow through his body, easing his tensed and tired muscles.
After taking a bath, he shaved first before putting on fresh clothes. He then went to the kitchen to get something to eat, since he hasn't eaten for the past couple of days and he was starving. He searched the fridge for whatever he can find and re-heated it. Knowing his appetite, he managed to almost clean the fridge off of the left overs that was in there, and felt really satisfied. After eating he cleaned the dishes, then walked over to the living room and just decided to open Rampage.
Now, he sat in front of Nico's laptop, his hand shaking lightly as his fingers hovered over the keyboard. At that moment Jae was really having second thoughts if he was really ready to face the fact that he really wouldn't have the chance of playing his old character ever again. After joining Hysteria, Riot required Jae to transfer his character to the company's personal account, as was like for every professional team there is.
He wavered for a moment and actually wanted to give up on the thought of playing again. He felt that it was too soon and that his heart still needed time to heal, but suddenly Nico's voice started coming back to him. The next thing he knew he was typing in his account the pressed enter. Once his account loaded in, an empty podium greeted him, which sent him great waves of sadness. The character that he once had, has been with him from the moment he started playing Rampage on the beta server. He has poured his blood, sweat and tears on that character, but now it's gone, forever out of his reach.
His heart clenched and his chest tightened, but he steeled his resolve and continued moving forward, as he reminded himself of all the things that Nico told him.
He clicked on the <<Create New Character>> button and the screen went briefly black, before it went back on again, transporting him in the middle of a very vast field.
The tranquil and beautiful scenery of the field was accompanied by the soft music of the theme, giving one a sense of peace while creating a character. Jae suddenly felt very nostalgic about hearing the character creation theme once again. Yes, he did miss the time when created his old character, but at the moment he also felt surprisingly and pleasantly calm, and didn't feel an announce of sadness in him. Then he realized something that made him smile. The character creation theme is called "New Beginnings" and it truly lives up to it, because it really helps oneself to look forward to it.
On the field, under the starry night sky and the soft glow of the moon, stood 22 figures, all looking very majestic.
<<Simple Class Guide>>
Rampage has a very large pool of classes to choose from. Currently, there are 21 classes equipped with their own unique game play, features and set of skills. The classes are divided into 7 class designations, which are: Warriors, Fighters, Casters, Healers/Supports, Marksman, Assassins, and The Hybrids.
Warriors:
Royal Guard - Is a warrior type class that uses a sword and a shield. They are mainly known for their high health, high physical and magical defense, and though resistance. This class is a very beginner friendly class.
Blade Emperor - Is a warrior type class that uses a single handed sword. They are known for their swift and agile transitions of their thrusting and slashing abilities. This class is a very beginner friendly class.
Infinity Edge - Is a warrior type class that uses a gigantic sword. What they lack in speed, they make up for with their explosive and destructive power. This class is for intermediate level players.
Dragoon/Valkyrie - Is a warrior type class that uses pole arm type weapons. This is the only class that varies depending on the gender chosen. Dragoon for males and Valkyries for females; both of which also has their own unique set of skills. This class is for expert level players.
Fighters:
Ace - Is a fighter type class that is focused on mixed martial arts. They are know for their expert control of Ki and high DPS output. This class is a very beginner friendly class.
Celestial - Is a fighter type class that pulls power from the celestial bodies (Eg. Sun, Moon, Stars, and such) to magnify their CQC abilities. They are know for their high burst damage and unique mechanics. This class is for expert level players.
Colossus - Is a fighter type class that uses the energy of nature to fight. They are know to be very balanced in regards to damage output and tankiness. This class is a very beginner friendly class.
Casters:
Arcane Poet - Is a caster type class that heavily relies on spirits to be their weapon in battle. They are know for their limitless potential in all fields, depending on the spirit that they are using. They are also know for having a very complex and complicated mechanics. This class is for expert to professional level players.
Grand Magus - Is a caster type class that uses the power of Light and Darkness to vanquish their foes. They are know for easily fading in and out of combat while dealing an immense amount of AOE damage. This class is for intermediate to expert level players.
Elemental Majesty - Is a caster type class that uses the elements in battle. They are known for being glass cannons. This class is a beginner friendly class.
Healers/Supports:
Medicus - Is a healer/support type class that uses their medical intelligence to their advantage. They are know for their DoT healing and damaging abilities, and are also expert debuffers. This class is for intermediate level players.
Saint - Is a healer/support type class that uses divine magic to heal and support their comrades. They are know for their high healing and buffing capabilities. This class is a beginner friendly class.
Paragon - Is a healer/support type class that is said to be the perfect example of a balance between defense and supporting capabilities. They are known to have the highest defense in Rampage, even surpassing Royal Guards, if played right. This class is for intermediate to expert level players.
Marksman:
General - Is a marksman type class that uses future type weaponry (Eg. Plasma Cannons, Drones and such). They are known to be able to decimate their opponents without even moving a single step. This class is for intermediate to expert level players.
Rebellion - Is a marksman type class that uses a wide array of firearms. They are know to be very agile with an explosive damage output. This class is for beginners to intermediate level players.
Jaeger - Is a marksman type class that uses a bow. They are know for their smooth transition from being ranged to melee and vise versa. This class is for intermediate level players.
Assassins:
Soul Sword - Is an assassins type class that cuts through one's soul with their Katanas. They are known for their high mobility and burst damage. This class is for intermediate level players.
Chaos Reaper - Is an assassins type class that uses a gigantic scythe to massacre anyone in their path. They are know for their wide array of assorted skills that can sometimes be confusing if not applied right. They are also known to be debuff masters. This class is for intermediate level players.
Shadow Chaser - Is an assassins type class that uses twin daggers to assassinate their opponents with ease. They are know to be silent killers, with their high mobility and high critical damage output. This class is for intermediate level players.
Hybrids:
Minstrel - Is a Hybrid type class that uses the power of music to bring peace into the land of Rampage once again. Minstrel is currently considered the most hardest class to play in Rampage: With having the lowest base stat, mediocre low level skills and with really complex mechanics, it really doesn't draw new or old players alike to play the class. Minstrels leans more towards to the technically of the mechanics even at such a low level that new players started giving up even before they started. Focusing more on the technical side, it gives a low appeal compared to the other classes with a more flashy and exciting game plays. There are currently only 5% of the general population of Rampage, that plays a Minstrel class. This class is for expert to professional level players.
Mystic Dancer - Is a Hybrid type class that uses the power of dance to call forth mythological creatures to aid them in battle. Like the Minstrel, Mystic Dancer is considered to be the second most hardest class to play in Rampage. With skills that dazzles the screens of anyone who witnesses it, Mytsic dancers definitely makes up for the lack of flashiness that the Minstrel doesn't have in the early stages of the game, but having said that, Mystic Dancers has a very complicated mechanic that is said to rival even of Minstrel's. There are also currently only 5% of the general population of Rampage, that plays a Mystic Dancer class. This class is for expert to professional level players.
Notes:
Character transfer -*Characters can be transferred into a different account. The process of transferring a character, requires for the account holder to do the transfer by entering a special code that they have, so stealing a character by hacking is impossible. Once the account holder confirms that the character will be transferred. The receiver will also have to accept the transfer. After both parties have already confirmed the transfer, then they will just have to wait for 7 days for the transfer to be completed.
The Creation Field -*The scene of the creation field depends on the current time that the player is creating the character.
- Day, Night, Dawn and Dusk
- Sunny, Rainy and Snowing
- Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter
Glass cannon -*is a popular term in gaming (especially online-gaming), where it refers to a character class that has remarkable offensive power, but has low defense*
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
harpdance26
harpdance26 Hi guys!
Thank you so much for reading!
Please leave a comment and a star if you like what you saw. Also please share and leave a review, so I know what y'all are thinking.
Thank you guys and God bless!
PS - What do you guys think will Jae's new class will be? Will he be going with what Nico recommended or choose a completely different one?
If it were you, what class would you be? Tell me on the comments below! :D