"Oh devs who art in the issue queue. Hallowed be thy code. Thy commits merge without conflict. Thy will be done in production as it is on local. I'm sure you guys are busy and all, but I can't log out."
As a programmer, Ike knows all about Virtual Dive Experiences (VDX), but when he suddenly wakes up in a virtual game he's never heard of, he’s too busy struggling to survive to worry about how he got there. Luckily, he's got a trick up his sleeve: The ability to program custom enchantments for his gear.
He’ll need that and more to figure out what’s going on, since there’s no tutorial and True Calling plays by its own rules: Your class and race are chosen for you, the NPCs are indistinguishable from the players, every quest is unique, and the GMs keep leaving Ike’s prayers unanswered.
My Opinion: 314 pages, $5.99, Available On Kindle Unlimited
This is a slice of life trapped in a game story. Most of the story has the main character (MC) casually fighting monsters, questing, and grouping. The thing that separates the story a little from others is that the MC has an artificer class and that he crafts a lot. It's a fine story if you like crafting like I do and I did appreciate some of the details of the class and how the MC maximized them to gain some measure of power.
There were a few things that were a little off putting. I don’t think the story really needed to trap the MC in the game, it didn’t add anything to the story since his life was never threatened and he was the only person trapped. The only thing it connects to the story is a very minor thread with a business possibly trying to get the MC to break an NDA that forbade him from telling others he was trapped, which didn’t make sense that he signed in the first place. Also, this story thread doesn’t go anywhere until the very very end. Additionally, there were a few wand wavy moments towards the end that felt like they didn’t make sense from a game. I mean, not if levels and game mechanics were really important.
Overall however, it’s a fine slice of life story if you like crafting.
Score: 7.2 out of 10