Chapter 5: TUTORIAL
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Something soft and moist prodded my cheek. Groggy and disoriented, I tried to brush it away, only to find a rough, noodle-like tongue licking my face.
I jolted fully awake.
“What the hell?!”
Startled, the creature scurried back, blinking at me.
It looked like a pangolin, about two feet long, with an extended snout and a tail stretching the same length as the body. I''d seen National Geographic videos about pangolins walking on their hind legs with sharp claws like tiny velociraptors. But this one was different. Its scales were silver, and under the coat of armor was a blanket of white hair—alien but kind of adorable at the same time.
Its dark eyes locked onto mine. I reached out my hand as a friendly gesture, but it took off with blinding speed, leaving a shimmering blur.
“That was a silverglint.”
Cragmarr stood behind me. Thankfully, that other… thing… the Jingozi, was gone.
“Very rare,” he continued. “The denizens of this world believe they are omens of good fortune. But there are always two.”
“I guess I was never dreaming,” I said, my throat dry. “How long was I out?”
“Three days.”
“What? Did you stand there the whole time?”
Before Cragmarr could respond, I took in my surroundings. The view was breathtaking.
The forest was a muted display of light and shadow. Humongous pine trees stood as the early sunlight poked through the canopy. A cool mist carried the sounds of waking birds and the occasional rustle of branches in the wind. Patches of moss glowed in the dim light, and dew clung to the grass. Despite my circumstances, the forest was calm and subdued, and the air smelled crisp.
I felt refreshed—invigorated even—if you ignored the fact that some creepy thing called a Jingozi had kidnapped me, and now I was talking to a pile of clay and rocks named Cragmarr.
“I do not sleep,” he said. “The tutorial package remains for you.”
Behind the log sat the box, wrapped in an ornate red scarf with the heart symbol for the Ninja faction. The scarf, made of exquisite silk and large enough to be a blanket, would have cost a fortune in Vegas.
I touched the package.
DO YOU WISH TO LOOT THE CONTENTS OF THE NINJA STARTER PACK?
[Yes/No]
Startled, I stumbled backward. The notification remained.
“Um, yes?” I said, ducking by instinct as more text started scrolling.
YOU HAVE OPENED THE NINJA STARTER PACK
You receive:
<ul>
<li>
Small backpack [12 slots]
</li>
<li>
Small knife [1]
</li>
<li>
Tinderbox [1]
</li>
<li>
Small rope [20 feet]
</li>
<li>
Bandages [10]
</li>
<li>
Rations [10]
</li>
<li>
Waterskin [1]
</li>
<li>
Basic field Ninja uniform [1]
</li>
<li>
Ninja scarf [1]
</li>
<li>
Ninja faction token [1]
</li>
</ul>
The box disappeared, and I took a moment to sit there, rubbing my eyes.
Yeah, just like a video game. What the hell?
Cragmarr strapped on a belt with pouches.
“Hey, where did all the stuff in the box go?” I asked.
"You are granted a magical storage system," he replied. "The size is based upon the quality of your armor and other accessories. Call it forth in your mind to access your inventory."
"Uh, okay."
A grid with twelve slots appeared, and a small grid was below it.
INVENTORY [SMALL BACKPACK]:
<ul>
<li>
Small knife [1]
</li>
<li>
Tinderbox [1]
</li>
<li>
Small rope [20 feet]
</li>
<li>
Bandages [10]
</li>
<li>
Rations [10]
</li>
<li>
Waterskin [1]
</li>
<li>
Basic field Ninja uniform [1]
</li>
<li>
Ninja scarf [1]
</li>
</ul>
CURRENCY:
Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
<ul>
<li>
Ninja faction token [1]
</li>
</ul>
“Okay, then,” I muttered. “Let’s see what this does.”
In my head, I concentrated on the waterskin. A brown leather bladder filled with liquid appeared in my hand. I uncapped it, gulped half the water, splashed some on my face, and dumped the rest on my neck.
That was probably a dumb idea, Em.
The ten rations were stuck together like an artisanal loaf of beef jerky wrapped in parchment. I peeled one off, the size of a hockey puck. It smelled like typical gas station beef jerky but with a hint of spices. My stomach growled, so I chewed it while checking the rest of the loot.
Next, the pile of garments and accessories appeared, neatly folded in a bundle. My current god-awful burlap sack made my skin itch unbearably. The uniform seemed meh—more like prison duds. However, the half-fingered gloves, wristbands, and slipper socks with thick soles were welcome accessories. Thankfully, the package included underwear—red, of course.
“Hey, Cragmarr,” I said.
“Yes?”
“Turn around.”
The Golem complied.
Untying the rope belt, the burlap fell around my ankles as I raced to put on the rest of the outfit. Relieved to be wearing fresh clothes, I checked the fit—it was exactly my size.
Okay, Em. Let’s say you’re not crazy. There should be a character sheet or something.
On cue, another screen popped up in my vision.
STATUS:
Name: Ember [Doctrine Dealer]
Tier: 1 [Iron] Rank 10
Faction: Ninja [Field]
Zii: 100/100
Cards: 2/2
Deck:
I’ve probably lost my mind, but it’s official… I’m a level 1 Ninja… are we really doing this?
"Do you have an interface?" I asked. "A status? I can see yours. Can you see mine?"
"No," Cragmarr answered. "We do not possess such capabilities. Only players from other dimensions like you."
I took another minute, tearing off strips of jerky with my teeth. After swallowing the last bite, I turned back to the Cragmarr.
“Okay. I have questions."
***
Sitting on a log, I worked on my third ration, stress-eating as if it were a marathon poker session. I tried to act casual, putting the remaining piece in my pocket.
“Let me get this straight,” I said, standing up to pace. “This whole world is a different dimension, not another planet, like a multiverse or something. You’ve got seven factions at war, one being the Jingozi, who are pretty much aliens. And they just appeared one day as religious missionaries with some magical card game?”
“Yes,” Cragmarr confirmed. "We learned this from ancient texts written by the Samurai mystic Dojokynn, also known as the First Prophet."
“That’s not weird at all.”
“I expected you to feel the opposite.”
“Oh no, it’s totally weird. Anyway… so, all your factions learn this game to participate in Jingozi tournaments, just like poker in my world. If you win, you receive fame, fortune, and valuable resources for your faction.”
“Yes. But you must be chosen.”
“And the Jingozi body snatch people like me from our dimension—Earth—to do what exactly?”
“You are a Doctrine Dealer now, and your role is to lead your faction to win the Jingozi tournament.”
"How am I a player if I''m a… Doctrine Dealer?"
"As a player, you advance. In doing so, you spread the Jingozi doctrine. I am a Divine Dealer. I advocate for devotion to the Jingozi. At later tiers, you may also allow non-players to use Jingozi cards, similar to dealers in your game, poker."
I rubbed my temples, mulling over the whole crazy conversation.
“Why bring us into it? It sounds like you’re all doing just fine fighting amongst yourselves.”
“That answer I do not fully comprehend,” Cragmarr confessed, stepping forward. “But your kind has been playing the game as long as us.”
“Huh?”
“The Jingozi seeded your world with the game in various forms. You do not know it as Jingozi because your world is less attuned to magic. Training with games is part of their selection process. They have been observing you.”
“Yeah, that’s crazy, but I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt here, Cragmarr. Go on.”
“There are two modes of Jingozi. The first is what you know as PVE, player versus environment. The second is—”
“PVP. Player versus player.”
He nodded and continued, "PVE is whenever you use Jingozi cards outside a Jingozi match. Throughout your journey, you will discover cards designed for this purpose. But all PVP matches occur inside a special arena constructed by the Jingozi, which requires your base battle cards. I will demonstrate this during your tutorial."
“Wait, I have a question. If I''ve been recruited to play this game, why put me through all that torture stuff?"
Cragmarr''s expression shifted to confusion.
"You remember?" he asked.
"You mean a Ninja spitting acid and melting his face off? How about the one that turned into a fire demon? Or getting beaten for who knows how long by Emperor douchebags?"
"Ember," Cragmar''s voice dropped to a low rumble, "Do not speak of those memories to anybody."
"Fine. But you''re not answering my question."
“I am sorry,” Cragmarr put a clay hand on my shoulder. “The Jingozi believe your kind plays better with a traumatic experience and story introduction. It is the fastest way to adapt to this dimension and motivates you to play the game. But you were only meant to remember the experience from the moment I freed you.”
I batted his hand away.
“Let me get this straight,” I said. “You’re telling me that whole prison escape was like an opening cinematic to a video game? And you’re what… this tutorial you''re talking about?”
“Ember,” he said, holding both hands up, “I know this is difficult. But if you do not play Jingozi, they will not let you go home.”
“And what’s up with those cards trying to murder me the other night?”
“The Jingozi consider it a rite of passage between tiers. Each tier attunes to your unique Zii frequency. The pain symbolizes your sacrifice as a Jingozi dealer.”
“What if I just refuse to play… or deal… or whatever?” I said, pointing at myself.
“Please, Ember. We must start your training.”
I took a deep breath. This entire setup was getting more convoluted by the minute, but a tantrum would get me nowhere. Everything was about getting home.
Stop being difficult, Ember Lynn. What choice do I have?
“Sorry, Cragmarr,” I sighed. “You’re just trying to help. Okay. Show me.”
***
Jingozi was a mashup of trading card games and poker. Cragmarr explained it using familiar poker terms even though the players in this dimension didn’t require similar instructions. They played using intuition. Even my interface and notifications were explicitly designed for players like me.
Roughly one in thousands are chosen to play Jingozi at any given time—giving me rare and elite status, for whatever that was worth.
Players collected a deck of 36 basic battle cards. Like a wizard, your Jingozi deck was the spell book that gave you powers. The fronts of each card resembled a domino with two stacked groups of crystalline pips. Cragmarr explained that when you play a card, the number on top is your risk score, which represents the strength of your attack. Your reward score below it was for defeating others or the strength of other magical effects during PVE.
My two cards were [0/0] and [0/1].
"This is it?" I asked. "I thought you said all players had 36 battle cards."
"You must discover and earn the rest of your deck by ranking up," Cragmarr replied. "The basic battle cards have scores up to seven. The strongest being a [7/7]."
"Got it."
“Stand here,” Cragmarr walked across the clearing. When he was about thirty feet away, he turned and took a martial arts stance as if in a duel.
CRAGMARR [GOLEM] HAS CHALLENGED YOU TO A JINGOZI MATCH [TUTORIAL MODE]
Do you accept? [Yes/No]
Sure, why not?
YOU HAVE ENTERED A JINGOZI MATCH [TUTORIAL MODE]
Opponent:
1. Cragmarr [Golem]
With a hollow warble, the world dissolved into a technicolor swirl, and I felt a strange pulling sensation, like being sucked through a vortex.
We materialized, standing in an expansive open space. The sky was mystical, illuminated by waves of translucent colors—like northern lights on psychedelics. My senses heightened to an almost unbearable degree. The air smelled of ozone and exotic flowers, and the dark ground felt solid and fluid simultaneously, like standing on swirling obsidian glass. A faint hum of energy buzzed in my ears.
An ethereal light outlined Cragmarr. With my enhanced vision, I noticed every crack and rock and even zoomed into my reflection in his eyes.
Two new boxes were now in the top left corner of my interface.
<ul>
<li>
Zii: 100/100
</li>
<li>
Cards: 2/2
</li>
</ul>
“We are in the Jingozi Arena,” Cragmarr began. “Its properties allow us to play the game within an instance of time. No harm can come to our physical forms while we are here.”
“Like being in virtual reality.”
“Correct. I have heard of this virtual reality in your world,” he continued. “But although this is not real, you will feel everything as if it were. In this arena, anything is possible if you can imagine it as you play your Jingozi cards.”
“Okay, now what do I do?” I asked.
“We battle.” He resumed his combat stance.