Afterlife Games

"God I can still remember that day, when you were still so young, 7 or 8, reading a game's storyline.

Just the first few words already intrigued you, 'When dawn breaks,' I still can't believe that's really the first time you heard of that expression considering how common it is."

I don't remember any of that, I sort of just sat with a feigned smile and listened to my uncle reminiscing about the past I have no memories of.

I felt like an asshole to him, but I also don't want to tell him how I don't actually remember anything.

"Then you were like, 'damn, that's a cool as hell sentence uncle! Let's name our clan after it!'.

It's not a bad name I'll give you that, but damn son, read some more books, it's a very common expression."

Uncle looked so excited talking about the past, so I pretended to giggle as if also remembering how funny the old times were.

We were seated in an intricately decorated restaurant in the shopping district that sold Italian dishes.

One plate of spaghetti for 10 points, not bad at all, especially since it's absolutely delicious.

"There's sellers and there's buyers, with points as the currency for exchange, does this world follow capitalism?"

"Look at you with the smart politics talk. Well I don't know much about that, but look closely at the storekeeper." Uncle pointed at the waitress walking past our table.

One closer look and I realised, that's not a real person at all, it's a hologram, and the trays they're holding were levitating a few centimetres above her fingers.

"Weird floating trays serves you here, funny huh?" Uncle said with a cheerful guffaw.

"Are all storekeepers like that?"

"As far as I'm aware, yeah, all the points you spend just goes back into the game."

"What happens to someone's points when they get eliminated."

My uncle almost choked on his tea on that question.

"Of all the questions you could be asking me about this place, that's an extreme pick."

"I'm interested."

"Not in robbing by murder right?"

"No, just how the points generally work."

I think my uncle is starting to realise how much of a different person I was compared to myself in the past, he had a puzzled expression on while hesitantly answering me.

"It goes to whoever eliminated the player. If the player wasn't killed by another player, the points just goes back to the game."

"Oh."

"Shouldn't you be more interested in knowing how to get stronger in this game? Or talking about how you're worried about the threats from the recruiter earlier?"

"I am interested in knowing how to get stronger in the game, but I am not very concerned about the recruiter or his alliance, even if I was, you would just tell me not to anyways."

"That's true...'cause Living Cemetery have more to worry about than us."

"Yeah, I expected that."

He stared at me with a rather perplexed look while I take my last bite of spaghetti, then comments,

"You're different."

"I guess."

"How's school before this?"

"Dropped out."

Then there was an awkward moment of silence between us after that, he doesn't seem angry, or disappointed, or contemptuous, just very confused.

Nonetheless, like the uncle Magnus I remember, he doesn't inquiry further, I still very much appreciate that, I don't like conversations about myself.

"Well, getting stronger, there's a couple of ways, purchasing upgrades and other weapons is one way, training is another. I suggest we start with training, that doesn't cost points."

"Can I only get points from the game?"

"Uh no if you meant the main campaigns, there's another game mode to earn points, which is by defeating npcs again and again and again."

"What's that game mode called?"

"That's Endless, main campaigns with the abandoned city and all are just called Campaign by us players. I don't think you should be doing either of those right now though, training is a better option."

"Got it." Just like how I remember, he doesn't pry, doesn't meddle with my personal matters, and will never make me uncomfortable in a conversation.

After the meal, we left to head for what my uncle calls the training centre. There's multiple centres, he took me to the closest one to the restaurant we were in, also located in the massive shopping district.

It was a large rustic manor with well-trimmed bushes and greeneries decorating it's front yard. There's five separate sections inside the building, one for each class of players.

"I'll accompany you into the hall for Fighters, there's not really that much difference between the training style of Fighters and Tanks after all, it's both melee combat skills, martial arts and stuff."

It's a lot more spacious inside than how it looks from the outside, just for the Fighters alone, there's a hall big enough to fit at least 16 badminton courts.

Why am I using badminton courts as the measuring units? I don't know, why did I?

There's a lot more players training inside, it's just as uncle explains, just martial arts trainings.

There were punching bags, boxing gloves, even three boxing rings and a bunch of other equipments that I do not know the names of.

"What's your weapon?"

"This." I summon my greatsword with a mere thought in my hand, but it was too heavy for me to wield properly, it nearly dragged my entire body to the floor when it's summoned.

"Oh... that's not very good for you." Uncle knows I'm quite weak in terms of physical strength.

"Don't worry though, I'm pretty sure upgrades will make it lighter, once you're able to afford upgrades of course."

He didn't have much points on himself either to buy upgrades for me, he spent it all to strengthen himself, which is very reasonable, I don't see too much reason to save up points instead of spending.

"I can't even lift this thing right now."

"Sorry champ, can't really help you here."

He waved his hand through the blade of my greatsword, yes, through it.

The blade turned translucent the second it makes contact with my uncle's hand, and just phases through it as if it doesn't physically exist.

"Pretty sure it's so that people don't slaughter eachother outside Campaign and Tournaments."

You can definitely kill in Campaigns or Tournaments, otherwise Isaac wouldn't have threatened us the way he did before, but I guess killing isn't possible outside of those.

"Alright put that back in your inventory, we'll do hand-to-hand combat instead."

The second the greatsword disappear from my palms, my uncle launches a lightning fast punch aiming straight for my face.

I caught it, but that's very much just because he slowed it down near the end.

"Don't get me wrong kid, slaughtering with weapons isn't possible here, that's the case for all weapons. All except for the strongest weapon we all possess, our physical body."