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<div class="chapter-inner chapter-content"> <span style="font-weight: bold;">Contains a few gore and curses, not appropriate for very young readers.</span><br><br><span style="font-weight: bold;">Linus Chrysller </span>is an A-class Hitman, well versed in four of the nine divisions of the Organization 9.(namely Guns, Swords, Knives and Chakrams.) He is a good looking 6ft 2in Eurasian with bronze colored hair and a well-built body from years of military training. He stood looking out his 3rd floor balcony thinking of how to do his next hit today. He was concerned of his preparation which would let him kill his target and escape the area. <br>===============================================================================================<br>(Changing to First Person View)<br><br>Sighing as I went back inside to suit up for the job at hand, I decided to take my time and eat a hearty breakfast for the tedious day ahead.<br><br>I washed the dishes and went to the second floor and packed my Customized Dragunov SVD Sniper Rifle inside my suitcase. I then proceeded to my non-descript Honda beside my Camaro.<br><br>I drove to the Union Corp. Commercial branch to proceed as planned in assassinating the mayor of the city who was giving a speech 3 blocks away from Unicorn Corporation; finishing this job would earn me a few million dollars since it was a priority task given by the Organization 9.<br><br>“Haaah, I should have taken my mother’s wish and went to my uncle for a simple job.” As I painstakingly climbed to the roof top in an exasperated tone and went ahead to setup my precious rifle.<br><br> “Maybe I’ll go on vacation after this guy gets his head blown off, heh.” The target, Mayor Desmond had a lot of enemies since his order on mandatory Royal Road shutdown every weekend to increase societal productivity which enraged a lot of gamers.<br><br>“Oh well, guess it’s time to pull the trigger…maybe I’ll hit him in the eye so he’ll have to wear an eye patch in his coffin, keke.” (Seriously whack -_-)<br><br>“ This order, as I have said would increase the society’s culture and revenue into which we could create a more beneficial society …” as the Mayor explained on top of his 3ft podium stand, since he is only 4ft 8in tall, which was a comical sight for the reporters.<br><br>“As this order would be implemented-” Spleuk! A shot could be heard around them and blood could be seen as the mayor’s head whipped back and he went falling down his high podium stand. <br><br>“Time to go and make myself scarce, maybe I’ll try that new game that’s been causing all this in the first place.” I left by using the emergency exit and drove back to my beautiful 3 floored Villa overseeing the San Diego River.<br><br>Backing up the Honda in my garage, I saw that the light in the living room was on. “Hmm, someone’s going to eat a few bullets today.” As I was sure I left the house with the light off and security on.<br><br>I grabbed my Magnum and combat knife underneath the seat and stealthily crept inside my house. <br>What awaited me in my living room was my 6ft 2in boss Mario and his thick headed goons Rafael and Diego, both barely passable as B-class Hitmen in our organization.<br><br> “Linus my boy, I was wondering when you’d get over. Nice work with the shot by the way, glad to hear you still have that crazy style of yours.” Mario said as he was sipping a very generous portion of my Scotch.<br><br>“Damn boss, you should have called me. I could have opened a good year of scotch for you! Since I’ll be getting that payment you brought with you.” I was eyeing the black duffle bag he had dumped on my table. <br><br>“It’s all there, the organization expresses their thanks. Also they wanted to ask if you’re interested in a different sort of job which could be a sort of vacation for you.” He said with a smirk.<br><br>“Let me think about it…..what’s the catch though?” I said as I took the bag and sat in front of him, carefully assessing if things get rough would I have the chance to drop these three goons and make a run for it. <br><br>“Catch is you’d be out of action for a while, pay is good if you get it done.” Mario said as he flicked his finger to signal Rafael and Diego to his side.<br><br>“I don’t know boss, sounds kind of vague….” I was itching to draw my guns and think of my chances against these 2 goons and Mario.<br><br>“You got 2 minutes to decide if you’d take the job or not.” He was saying this while watching my hands reaching for my gun and continued on.<br><br>”- and base on your choice my two boys here'll either throw you down that cliff after a few shots in the head; or take you with us back to the organization.” As he nodded his head after the last word came out from his lips Rafael and Diego came nearer drawing their .45 Calibers.<br>“Well then I’d go with those terms than go swimming with the fishes” I figure even if I could kill these guys, all the upper echelons wouldn’t like me going around killing their dogs, so I’ll just play along and hear what they want.<br><br>“Well then let’s go and meet Raizel, he’ll be giving you the description of the job after you’re done with storing the cash. We’ll be waiting outside.” He got up and went to the door, “Oh and bring that scotch you were talking about a while back, I deserve at least that considering you were thinking of killing me and my boys, heh, you thought I didn’t notice? C’mon boys!” He and the bodyguards left while I was still thinking if it was really the right decision.<br><br>“Damn, well there goes my vacation, might as well put this cash inside the safe and strap the C4 on my nuts, I bet they won’t check that part part!” I took the stairs to the second floor which contains the safe and armory and left the money inside while taking the C4 and went to their car.<br><br>We arrived at Unicorn Corp. Main Branch and went inside the elevator where Mario REPLACEed his black card inside the hidden panel which took us to the fifth lower level of the establishment; Organization 9’s conference rooms.<br><br>“Go ahead Linus, Raziel is waiting for you, good luck though, I heard he hasn’t failed in killing his targets with a sword, you’ll need it! Hahaha” He laughed while pushing me outside and closing the elevator door.<br><br>I went ahead and opened the doors to the conference room and found it pristine.<br><br>It was decorated with several expensive weapons such as Ivory crafted swords, state of the art guns and carbon fiber plated katanas. As my eyes roam around the room I caught a figure sitting in the middle of the room; a well-built body was wearing an immaculate blood red suit and scarlet hair in a ponytail, Raizel.<br><br>“Linus, I see you like what I did to the room.” He said in a very cold and intimidating voice,.<br>Raizel is the Sword’s Division First General in the Organization 9; he was once also my mentor. (There are a total of 9 divisions in the Organization (Duh) which presents an aspect in combat: Swords, Guns, Knives, Hand Combat, Spears, Staffs, Whips, Chakram and Axes.) <br><br>“Yes….Ye..Yes Sir, it’s very cool.” Cold sweat ran down my spine as I came face to face with this monster, praying that he doesn’t slice me up like sushi.<br><br>“Raziel sir, what is the nature of this job and what would be my payment when it’s done?”<br><br>“Linus have you heard of the game called Royal Road? We would like you to have a “vacation” by playing in it, since you have finished your latest target, we feel you deserve a break.”<br><br>“Well I was thinking of doing that anyway, so it’s good, but what’s the payment?” This wasn’t bad, I get to have my well-deserved R &amp;R while getting paid, and there would really be a catch to this one though.<br><br>“It would depend on your performance in-game, as you know how Royal Road is a VRMMORPG; it is based on the five senses, your capabilities in real life depict your potential in the virtual realm, and since you have an exemplary training, it would be to your advantage.”<br><br>I thought about how it’s about training, natural ability, and combat prowess, why wouldn’t the generals do it?<br>“Sir, if it’s like that, why not do it yourself?”<br><br>“It’s because you need more training, we of the 9 generals think that you and several others would be qualified for the next step in the organization. As division manager, so we need to gauge your capabilities to some extent; and the fastest and most profitable way would be by conquering Royal Road and being its emperor. However, note that the game runs four times fast than in real life, and if you succeed in this mission you will be rewarded with 10% of Unicorn’s profit that month.”<br><br>I couldn't help but smile at the concept of getting paid while playing and relaxing on my vacation!<br>“Alright boss, I’ll accept this job and start ASAP.”<br><br>“Good, a special capsule is being installed in your basement made by Unicorn Engineers, Now go and finish this task successfully.”<br><br>“Yes Sir.”<br><br>“Oh and by the way Linus, we also gave this task to eight of your fellow A-class hitmen, all of you must fight to become the emperor. Keep in mind that if you fail there would be dire consequences to you, and the others.” Raziel said the last statement with an eerie smile on his face while turning his back to me.<br><br>As Linus took the elevator to make an exit, Raziel said something that was almost inaudible to hear under his breath.<br><br>“You will find that the task given isn’t what it seems-“<br><br><span style="font-weight: bold;">To be continued.</span> </div>

Contains a few gore and curses, not appropriate for very young readers. Linus Chrysller is an A-class Hitman, well versed in four of the nine divisions of the Organization 9.(namely Guns, Swords, Knives and Chakrams.) He is a good looking 6ft 2in Eurasian with bronze colored hair and a well-built body from years of military training. He stood looking out his 3rd floor balcony thinking of how to do his next hit today. He was concerned of his preparation which would let him kill his target and escape the area. =============================================================================================== (Changing to First Person View) Sighing as I went back inside to suit up for the job at hand, I decided to take my time and eat a hearty breakfast for the tedious day ahead. I washed the dishes and went to the second floor and packed my Customized Dragunov SVD Sniper Rifle inside my suitcase. I then proceeded to my non-descript Honda beside my Camaro. I drove to the Union Corp. Commercial branch to proceed as planned in assassinating the mayor of the city who was giving a speech 3 blocks away from Unicorn Corporation; finishing this job would earn me a few million dollars since it was a priority task given by the Organization 9. “Haaah, I should have taken my mother’s wish and went to my uncle for a simple job.” As I painstakingly climbed to the roof top in an exasperated tone and went ahead to setup my precious rifle. “Maybe I’ll go on vacation after this guy gets his head blown off, heh.” The target, Mayor Desmond had a lot of enemies since his order on mandatory Royal Road shutdown every weekend to increase societal productivity which enraged a lot of gamers. “Oh well, guess it’s time to pull the trigger…maybe I’ll hit him in the eye so he’ll have to wear an eye patch in his coffin, keke.” (Seriously whack -\_-) “ This order, as I have said would increase the society’s culture and revenue into which we could create a more beneficial society …” as the Mayor explained on top of his 3ft podium stand, since he is only 4ft 8in tall, which was a comical sight for the reporters. “As this order would be implemented-” Spleuk! A shot could be heard around them and blood could be seen as the mayor’s head whipped back and he went falling down his high podium stand. “Time to go and make myself scarce, maybe I’ll try that new game that’s been causing all this in the first place.” I left by using the emergency exit and drove back to my beautiful 3 floored Villa overseeing the San Diego River. Backing up the Honda in my garage, I saw that the light in the living room was on. “Hmm, someone’s going to eat a few bullets today.” As I was sure I left the house with the light off and security on. I grabbed my Magnum and combat knife underneath the seat and stealthily crept inside my house. What awaited me in my living room was my 6ft 2in boss Mario and his thick headed goons Rafael and Diego, both barely passable as B-class Hitmen in our organization. “Linus my boy, I was wondering when you’d get over. Nice work with the shot by the way, glad to hear you still have that crazy style of yours.” Mario said as he was sipping a very generous portion of my Scotch. “Damn boss, you should have called me. I could have opened a good year of scotch for you! Since I’ll be getting that payment you brought with you.” I was eyeing the black duffle bag he had dumped on my table. “It’s all there, the organization expresses their thanks. Also they wanted to ask if you’re interested in a different sort of job which could be a sort of vacation for you.” He said with a smirk. “Let me think about it…..what’s the catch though?” I said as I took the bag and sat in front of him, carefully assessing if things get rough would I have the chance to drop these three goons and make a run for it. “Catch is you’d be out of action for a while, pay is good if you get it done.” Mario said as he flicked his finger to signal Rafael and Diego to his side. “I don’t know boss, sounds kind of vague….” I was itching to draw my guns and think of my chances against these 2 goons and Mario. “You got 2 minutes to decide if you’d take the job or not.” He was saying this while watching my hands reaching for my gun and continued on. ”- and base on your choice my two boys here'll either throw you down that cliff after a few shots in the head; or take you with us back to the organization.” As he nodded his head after the last word came out from his lips Rafael and Diego came nearer drawing their .45 Calibers. “Well then I’d go with those terms than go swimming with the fishes” I figure even if I could kill these guys, all the upper echelons wouldn’t like me going around killing their dogs, so I’ll just play along and hear what they want. “Well then let’s go and meet Raizel, he’ll be giving you the description of the job after you’re done with storing the cash. We’ll be waiting outside.” He got up and went to the door, “Oh and bring that scotch you were talking about a while back, I deserve at least that considering you were thinking of killing me and my boys, heh, you thought I didn’t notice? C’mon boys!” He and the bodyguards left while I was still thinking if it was really the right decision. “Damn, well there goes my vacation, might as well put this cash inside the safe and strap the C4 on my nuts, I bet they won’t check that part part!” I took the stairs to the second floor which contains the safe and armory and left the money inside while taking the C4 and went to their car. We arrived at Unicorn Corp. Main Branch and went inside the elevator where Mario REPLACEed his black card inside the hidden panel which took us to the fifth lower level of the establishment; Organization 9’s conference rooms. “Go ahead Linus, Raziel is waiting for you, good luck though, I heard he hasn’t failed in killing his targets with a sword, you’ll need it! Hahaha” He laughed while pushing me outside and closing the elevator door. I went ahead and opened the doors to the conference room and found it pristine. It was decorated with several expensive weapons such as Ivory crafted swords, state of the art guns and carbon fiber plated katanas. As my eyes roam around the room I caught a figure sitting in the middle of the room; a well-built body was wearing an immaculate blood red suit and scarlet hair in a ponytail, Raizel. “Linus, I see you like what I did to the room.” He said in a very cold and intimidating voice,. Raizel is the Sword’s Division First General in the Organization 9; he was once also my mentor. (There are a total of 9 divisions in the Organization (Duh) which presents an aspect in combat: Swords, Guns, Knives, Hand Combat, Spears, Staffs, Whips, Chakram and Axes.) “Yes….Ye..Yes Sir, it’s very cool.” Cold sweat ran down my spine as I came face to face with this monster, praying that he doesn’t slice me up like sushi. “Raziel sir, what is the nature of this job and what would be my payment when it’s done?” “Linus have you heard of the game called Royal Road? We would like you to have a “vacation” by playing in it, since you have finished your latest target, we feel you deserve a break.” “Well I was thinking of doing that anyway, so it’s good, but what’s the payment?” This wasn’t bad, I get to have my well-deserved R &R while getting paid, and there would really be a catch to this one though. “It would depend on your performance in-game, as you know how Royal Road is a VRMMORPG; it is based on the five senses, your capabilities in real life depict your potential in the virtual realm, and since you have an exemplary training, it would be to your advantage.” I thought about how it’s about training, natural ability, and combat prowess, why wouldn’t the generals do it? “Sir, if it’s like that, why not do it yourself?” “It’s because you need more training, we of the 9 generals think that you and several others would be qualified for the next step in the organization. As division manager, so we need to gauge your capabilities to some extent; and the fastest and most profitable way would be by conquering Royal Road and being its emperor. However, note that the game runs four times fast than in real life, and if you succeed in this mission you will be rewarded with 10% of Unicorn’s profit that month.” I couldn't help but smile at the concept of getting paid while playing and relaxing on my vacation! “Alright boss, I’ll accept this job and start ASAP.” “Good, a special capsule is being installed in your basement made by Unicorn Engineers, Now go and finish this task successfully.” “Yes Sir.” “Oh and by the way Linus, we also gave this task to eight of your fellow A-class hitmen, all of you must fight to become the emperor. Keep in mind that if you fail there would be dire consequences to you, and the others.” Raziel said the last statement with an eerie smile on his face while turning his back to me. As Linus took the elevator to make an exit, Raziel said something that was almost inaudible to hear under his breath. “You will find that the task given isn’t what it seems-“ To be continued.

<div class="chapter-inner chapter-content"> “Derec! Time to get up!”<br><br>“...Mmmmmhh....... Why?” Derec grumbled.<br><br>“Remember the conversation we had. It's Monday and you need to get ready for school.”<br><br>“Mmmm... Fifth grade is stupid, I don't wanna go.”<br><br>“Lucky you then, you're not going to fifth grade.”<br><br>Derec's face scrunched up in confusion. “Then why am I going to school?” He mumbled and burrowed deeper into the warm sheets.<br><br>Henry sighed and shifted his weight. “Geez Derec, wake up and remember the whole conversation. You're in eleventh grade as of today, and you're making me later for work, so move it would you?!” he called the last of it as he travelled down the hall.<br><br>Grumbling some more as the roused himself from bed, Derec stumbled to the closet to stare at the clothes he thought much to large for him.<br><br>*********<br><br>“Okay, I'm coming with you to the guidance office where you will meet Miss. Mitchell. She will make sure you don't have any problems.” Henry explained absently as he steered the car into a parking place.<br><br>“But Henry, I'm too old for a babysitter. Even you said I was a teenager.”<br><br>“I know, I know. But even being a teenager like the other students at this school; you will be the only one who remembers playing on the play station for the first time as if it was yesterday.”<br><br>Crossing his arms, Derec looked out the windshield. A large building dominated the landscape before him. “It wasn't yesterday....It was last week.” He muttered.<br><br>Henry just raised an eyebrow at Derec's argument, his unspoken reply obvious. Henry unbuckled himself and exited the car, headed toward the building. Derec followed suit rushing to catch up. As they entered into the lobby a short young woman approached them. She wore a simple green dress, her red hair piled atop her head in a classic style. The only adornment was the welcoming smile upon her face.<br><br>“Welcome, You're Mr. Markson I presume.” At his nod of greeting she turned to Derec. “Hi, and you must be Derec.”<br><br>“I don't need a babysitter.” He complained while glaring down at her from is obvious advantage in height.<br><br>Placing her fists against her hips she glared right back. “Whoever said I was a babysitter, cause I sure didn't. For you Derec I'm more of a friend, and if that doesn't work out I'm just a bodyguard.” Turning back to Henry the smile appeared again and Derec blushed in embarrassment as he looked away. “Now Mr. Markson, Though our school prides itself on the well mannered attitudes of its students. I'm sure you're not surprised to hear that we will be expecting some issues with other students. They will view Derec as someone getting a free ride while they had to work to get in this school.”<br><br>“I fully understand. And I trust that you will take care of those issues.”<br><br>“Thank you, now come with me and I can tell you about Derec's schedule.”<br>Miss. Mitchell led them down the main hall way and opened a door on the left. Walking in they found themselves in a beautifully decorated office. The far wall dominated by a large landscape depicting a impressive waterfall that couldn't possibly be from this world. Derec managed to take a seat without tripping while still looking at the painting.<br><br>“Okay, Here we are. Based on the grades received from your previous school Derec, I have chosen your classes.” She explained while she handed both Henry and Derec the same timetable. “Every Friday, you're going to have a spare third period. At that time I want you to come to my office and we will talk about how the week went, if you are having any problems with class. And especially if you are having any problems with other students.”<br><br>“Thank you Miss. Mitchell, I'm to understand that Derec isn't actually starting today is he? Why is that?”<br><br>“Oh, yes. Because of the level of education at this school weekends are utilized by the school as a great opportunity to accomplish much. The students are expected to learn throughout the week and then apply that knowledge over the weekend to a great amount of homework by anyone's standards. Mondays are used by most teachers if not all, to review and answer questions about the assigned work. If Derec were to go to class today, he would learn nothing and it would be an ultimate waste of time.”<br><br>Listening to this Derec smiled with relief as f he had dodged a bullet. Not paying any attention to Henry and Miss. Mitchell he thought of the game once again. What strategy should he take when he got home. He wanted to explore more, but he knew he wasn't strong enough. He had barely defeated the fox and who knew what other creatures could roam a dense forest like the one surrounding the city.<br><br>“Are you okay with that Derec?” Henry asked suddenly pulling him out of his daydream,<br><br>“What?”<br><br>“Miss. Mitchell suggested that one of your electives be a phys ed. course so that you may know the strength of you're own body. And I agree that it would be a great idea.”<br><br>“Yeah okay, do I get to pick any other classes.”<br><br>“Yes, Derec, you may but I would rather you only commit to more classes in a week or two based on how you do in these classes. Though your marks in your previous school are promising, this school tends to be far more demanding.”<br><br>“Fine.”<br><br>“Well then, Thanks again Miss. Mitchell.” Henry stood to shake her hand.<br><br>“Bye Miss Mitchell see you tomorrow.”<br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.royalroadl.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=59&amp;t=696&amp;p=2970#p2970" target="_blank">&lt;PREVIOUS</a> | <a href="http://www.royalroadl.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=59&amp;t=1132" target="_blank">NEXT&gt;</a></div> </div>

“Derec! Time to get up!” “...Mmmmmhh....... Why?” Derec grumbled. “Remember the conversation we had. It's Monday and you need to get ready for school.” “Mmmm... Fifth grade is stupid, I don't wanna go.” “Lucky you then, you're not going to fifth grade.” Derec's face scrunched up in confusion. “Then why am I going to school?” He mumbled and burrowed deeper into the warm sheets. Henry sighed and shifted his weight. “Geez Derec, wake up and remember the whole conversation. You're in eleventh grade as of today, and you're making me later for work, so move it would you?!” he called the last of it as he travelled down the hall. Grumbling some more as the roused himself from bed, Derec stumbled to the closet to stare at the clothes he thought much to large for him. ********* “Okay, I'm coming with you to the guidance office where you will meet Miss. Mitchell. She will make sure you don't have any problems.” Henry explained absently as he steered the car into a parking place. “But Henry, I'm too old for a babysitter. Even you said I was a teenager.” “I know, I know. But even being a teenager like the other students at this school; you will be the only one who remembers playing on the play station for the first time as if it was yesterday.” Crossing his arms, Derec looked out the windshield. A large building dominated the landscape before him. “It wasn't yesterday....It was last week.” He muttered. Henry just raised an eyebrow at Derec's argument, his unspoken reply obvious. Henry unbuckled himself and exited the car, headed toward the building. Derec followed suit rushing to catch up. As they entered into the lobby a short young woman approached them. She wore a simple green dress, her red hair piled atop her head in a classic style. The only adornment was the welcoming smile upon her face. “Welcome, You're Mr. Markson I presume.” At his nod of greeting she turned to Derec. “Hi, and you must be Derec.” “I don't need a babysitter.” He complained while glaring down at her from is obvious advantage in height. Placing her fists against her hips she glared right back. “Whoever said I was a babysitter, cause I sure didn't. For you Derec I'm more of a friend, and if that doesn't work out I'm just a bodyguard.” Turning back to Henry the smile appeared again and Derec blushed in embarrassment as he looked away. “Now Mr. Markson, Though our school prides itself on the well mannered attitudes of its students. I'm sure you're not surprised to hear that we will be expecting some issues with other students. They will view Derec as someone getting a free ride while they had to work to get in this school.” “I fully understand. And I trust that you will take care of those issues.” “Thank you, now come with me and I can tell you about Derec's schedule.” Miss. Mitchell led them down the main hall way and opened a door on the left. Walking in they found themselves in a beautifully decorated office. The far wall dominated by a large landscape depicting a impressive waterfall that couldn't possibly be from this world. Derec managed to take a seat without tripping while still looking at the painting. “Okay, Here we are. Based on the grades received from your previous school Derec, I have chosen your classes.” She explained while she handed both Henry and Derec the same timetable. “Every Friday, you're going to have a spare third period. At that time I want you to come to my office and we will talk about how the week went, if you are having any problems with class. And especially if you are having any problems with other students.” “Thank you Miss. Mitchell, I'm to understand that Derec isn't actually starting today is he? Why is that?” “Oh, yes. Because of the level of education at this school weekends are utilized by the school as a great opportunity to accomplish much. The students are expected to learn throughout the week and then apply that knowledge over the weekend to a great amount of homework by anyone's standards. Mondays are used by most teachers if not all, to review and answer questions about the assigned work. If Derec were to go to class today, he would learn nothing and it would be an ultimate waste of time.” Listening to this Derec smiled with relief as f he had dodged a bullet. Not paying any attention to Henry and Miss. Mitchell he thought of the game once again. What strategy should he take when he got home. He wanted to explore more, but he knew he wasn't strong enough. He had barely defeated the fox and who knew what other creatures could roam a dense forest like the one surrounding the city. “Are you okay with that Derec?” Henry asked suddenly pulling him out of his daydream, “What?” “Miss. Mitchell suggested that one of your electives be a phys ed. course so that you may know the strength of you're own body. And I agree that it would be a great idea.” “Yeah okay, do I get to pick any other classes.” “Yes, Derec, you may but I would rather you only commit to more classes in a week or two based on how you do in these classes. Though your marks in your previous school are promising, this school tends to be far more demanding.” “Fine.” “Well then, Thanks again Miss. Mitchell.” Henry stood to shake her hand. “Bye Miss Mitchell see you tomorrow.” [<PREVIOUS](http://www.royalroadl.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=59&t=696&p=2970#p2970) | [NEXT>](http://www.royalroadl.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=59&t=1132)

<div class="chapter-inner chapter-content"> So i'm going to be posting my progress on this page, feel free to comment and give me any advice on what you think of the story so far.<br>This is my first fanfic and my first time writing a story since i was forced to at school. I am a 20 year old full time biochemist research student so i only have time to write this fanfic on my phone when im not in the lab. <br><br>Progress<br>Volume 1<br>Chapter 1: Complete<br>Chapter 2: Complete<br>Chapter 3: Complete<br>Chapter 4: Complete<br>Chapter 5: Complete<br>Chapter 6: Complete<br>Chapter 7: Complete<br><br><br>Volume 2<br>Prologue: Complete Editing now 21/5/14<br>Chapter 1: writing<br>Chapter 2: writingChapter 3: writing<br>Chapter 4: writing<br>Chapter 5: writing<br>Chapter 6: Planned<br>Chapter 7: Planned<br>Chapter 8: Planned<br>Chapter 9:<br><br>This is how i'm hoping to structure the story, Volume 1 will be miyuki's story, volume 2 Tatsuya's story (cba to make a new ff page),volume 3 will be when there both together, and volume 4 will be when they return to their reality. i don't want to go into more detail because it would be too much of a spoiler. So what do you think?<br><br>21/05/14 MY EXAMS ARE OVER, lets the chapter begin<br>19/07/14 is what i would like to happen but ive been busy with a summer job </div>

So i'm going to be posting my progress on this page, feel free to comment and give me any advice on what you think of the story so far. This is my first fanfic and my first time writing a story since i was forced to at school. I am a 20 year old full time biochemist research student so i only have time to write this fanfic on my phone when im not in the lab. Progress Volume 1 Chapter 1: Complete Chapter 2: Complete Chapter 3: Complete Chapter 4: Complete Chapter 5: Complete Chapter 6: Complete Chapter 7: Complete Volume 2 Prologue: Complete Editing now 21/5/14 Chapter 1: writing Chapter 2: writingChapter 3: writing Chapter 4: writing Chapter 5: writing Chapter 6: Planned Chapter 7: Planned Chapter 8: Planned Chapter 9: This is how i'm hoping to structure the story, Volume 1 will be miyuki's story, volume 2 Tatsuya's story (cba to make a new ff page),volume 3 will be when there both together, and volume 4 will be when they return to their reality. i don't want to go into more detail because it would be too much of a spoiler. So what do you think? 21/05/14 MY EXAMS ARE OVER, lets the chapter begin 19/07/14 is what i would like to happen but ive been busy with a summer job

<div class="chapter-inner chapter-content"> <div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">"You live, you breathe, you experience.<br>Bitter losses, epic victories, mind boggling feats and hilarious goof ups.<br>A world that captures a million moments.<br><br>And during this journey if you sway, <br>you will be swept away.<br>My advise? <br>Don't lose sight of your objective, no matter how great the temptation"<br><br>- Kang Jin Cheol, CFO Unicorn Corp.<br></span></div><br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://i.imgur.com/GUgd4Ro.jpg" border="0" alt="http%3a%2f%2fi.imgur.com%2fGUgd4Ro.jpg"></div> </div>

"You live, you breathe, you experience. Bitter losses, epic victories, mind boggling feats and hilarious goof ups. A world that captures a million moments. And during this journey if you sway, you will be swept away. My advise? Don't lose sight of your objective, no matter how great the temptation" - Kang Jin Cheol, CFO Unicorn Corp. 

<div class="chapter-inner chapter-content"> “You want more intellect? Then you’ve certainly come to the right place, young elf. The books stored here can increase your knowledge a hundred-fold and you would have barely made a dent in the amount of text we have.”<br><br>“I don’t want just any knowledge; I want books relating to magic and spells.”<br><br>“An aspiring practitioner of the arcane arts, are you? Whilst we certainly do have an impressive selection in the subject, it is by no means the most comprehensive on the continent, you would have to travel far to get to that place.”<br><br>“I want to read here. Where are the books?”<br><br>“They are right this way. Let me show you.”<br><br>The man rose from his seat and led Nayir through the shelves of books before stopping in the middle of an aisle.<br><br>“All of our books containing information on the arcane arts are on this side of the aisle.” The man spoke as he gestured to the several bookcases in front of them.<br><br>“Where can I study them?”<br><br>“There’s a desk and chair around the corner at the other end of the aisle to the one we approached through. Please feel free to use it and take your time.”<br><br>Nayir glanced over the books in front of him, not knowing where to start.<br><br>He was about to ask the man which book would give him stats the fastest but he noticed that he was now alone.<br><br>Looking back at the books, he picked one out at random, went to the location of the desk and sat down.<br><br>“The Memoirs of the Archmage Horrell. Well… it could be worse.”<br><br>Nayir began to read.<br><br>The book told of the Archmage’s life, from his humble roots as he studied magic under one of the masters of magic and was constantly beaten for being incompetent to his rise to fame as the most powerful mage in Versailles of the time. Through tenacious effort and a desire to break free of the tyranny of his master, the Archmage developed a form of magic that had previously been inconceivable. The book did not state what type of magic it was, or provide anything more than vague details, instead it focused on the feats and accomplishments that the Archmage had completed, which had led him to his high status among the rest of the world’s eyes. At the end of the book, in the epilogue written by the author, it mentioned that, in the last couple of months of his life, the Archmage disappeared from the world until his body was later found in a crater, created by an explosion that had been seen several leagues away. His body was interred at that spot and a tombstone constructed for him. It was located in the Kingdom of Regrid.<br><br>After finishing the last page, he closed the book and a system message appeared.<br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td>Wisdom increased by 1. ( +1 WIS )</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br>“Wisdom?!”<br><br>Nayir had wanted to gain more stats in Intellect. There was less effort required than the physical training he had done in the prison so he did not feel too upset.<br><br>“And there was no information about spells. Maybe I just need to read a different type of book?”<br><br>He retrieved another book from the shelf and started to read once again.<br><br>This time, at the end of the book, no message appeared.<br><br>“Huh?! Why didn’t I get anything?! I read the entire book! This is unfair! There was even a mention of this awesome spell! Why didn’t I learn it?! I better get one on the next book!”<br><br>After reading another book, still no message saying that there had been a stat increase or new spell appeared. <br><br>“Come on! This is stupid! That’s three books and only one stat! In Wisdom! You stupid books! Give me stats! Give me spells!”<br><br>Nayir threw the books on the floor and stormed over to the librarian’s desk.<br><br>“Why can’t I learn new spells?!”<br><br>“Well, young elf, if learning spells and skills were that simple, wouldn’t we all be walking around using them?”<br><br>“I…guess.”<br><br>“It will take several weeks of studying very specific texts, combining the information found into something practical and experimenting to learn a skill through the method you want.”<br><br>“Oh… isn’t there a quicker way to get a spell?”<br><br>“Well, there are. As a matter of fact, I have a skill that I could teach you and if you work hard then you can learn it faster. It’s not exactly one of the ‘spells’ that you are after but it will benefit you greatly from having learned it. If, of course, you are willing to help me out by copying some decrepit scrolls so that their knowledge is not lost?”<br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td>Transcribing scrolls.<br><br>The librarian of Dessera has asked you to become a scribe so that the knowledge contained in the library’s old scrolls is preserved.<br><br>Difficulty: F<br><br>Quest Completion: Finish copying the required number of scrolls.<br><br>Quest Reward: The librarian’s skill.</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br><span style="font-style: italic;">A new skill! It better be worth it!</span><br><br>“I am willing.”<br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td>You have accepted the quest.<br><br>Scrolls to copy: 0/17</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br><span style="font-style: italic;">Seventeen! This is going to be boring! But now I’m definitely sure that this skill will be amazing and I! Will! Have! It!</span><br><br>“If you would like to follow me then I will show you to the room where we store the old scrolls. All of the necessary items are in there so you may use it as a workspace where you won’t be interrupted.”<br><br>Nayir was led to a side room along one of the walls of the library.<br><br>He sat down at the desk inside.<br><br>“What do I use?”<br><br>“These are the books I would like you to write in, the ink is here, the quill here and the scrolls are lined up on the shelves either side of you. Take your pick of whichever you want. Depending on the quality of your work I may provide you with extra rewards. Work hard and thank you for your assistance.”<br><br>Nayir got to work, eager to attain a new skill; he chose a random scroll off of a shelf and started copying it out.<br><br>After copying the entire scroll, he lifted his head as a system message displayed.<br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td>Intelligence increased by 1. ( +1 INT )<br>Wisdom increased by 1. ( +1 WIS )</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br>“Wow! Two stats from this mundane work! This quest could turn out to be more profitable than I thought! Although… if only it wasn’t so boring.”<br><br>He started to work on another scroll but, soon after, he stopped.<br><br>“No. I can’t write any more today. It’s too boring. I guess I’ll…”<br><br>His stomach growled.<br><br>“Great! Now I’m hungry! Writing is more tiring than I thought! Inventory.”<br><br>Nayir’s inventory window opened before him only for him to find nothing.<br><br>“What?! Why is there nothing?! I’m sure I had food before… that guard! He took my food! I’ll kill him!”<br><br>Nayir had risen out of his chair and was pacing back and forth in front of the desk he had been sitting at.<br><br>“First, I need food. I’m not dying again!”<br><br>The cogs in his brain turned until the answer appeared before him.<br><br>“I’ll get some off of the librarian!” <br><br>Nayir emerged through the door separating the room that he had been working in and the library and walked briskly back to the entrance where the librarian was sitting.<br><br>“I want some of your food.”<br><br>“I do apologise, young elf, but I have none to give you. If you are in dire need, I could direct you to a friend of mine who will provide you with the means to getting your own food, if that will help?”<br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td>Offer of food.<br><br>The librarian suggests that you visit one of his friends who have the ability to supplement you with food.<br>Difficulty: F<br><br>Quest Completion: Presenting the librarian’s friend with a letter written by the librarian.<br><br>Quest reward: Food.</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br> “That will do. Give it to me.”<br><br>“Let me make a note for you to pass on explaining the situation and draw you a map.”<br><br>After several minutes of scribbling, the librarian handed over two pieces of paper to Nayir.<br><br>“Here you go. Make sure to go quick. You don’t want to get there after he closes as you’ll have to wait until tomorrow.”<br><br>Nayir left hurriedly, following the detailed map that the librarian had given him.<br><br>He walked quickly through the streets, eager to have something to eat before he died of hunger since he did not think he could last until the next day.<br><br>As he neared the end of the directions, Nayir noticed that the scenery had changed to one that he was familiar with.<br><br>He stopped outside of the building that the directions had led him to and read the sign above the door to the shop.<br><br>“Gourd’s Spell Shop.”<br><br>Nayir sighed.<br><br>“Great...”<br><br>Nayir was conflicted with entering, risking another trip to prison, or dying of hunger.<br><br>He came to the decision that he would rather have a small chance at not dying and walked into the shop.<br><br>The shopkeeper looked at the person who had just entered his store.<br><br>“You! Here for another shot at thievery, are you?! Didn’t learn the first time, did you?! Tough! Get out! Go on, get out!”<br><br>The shopkeeper dashed around the counter and advanced upon Nayir.<br><br>As he got close, Nayir held out the letter that had been given to him.<br><br>“Read.”<br><br>“What’s… Oh no you don’t! Trying to distract me and then make off with my goods! Do you think I was born yesterday!”<br><br>“Read. The librarian wrote it.”<br><br>“The librarian? Really?”<br><br>“Read.”<br><br>The shopkeeper took the paper offered to him, read it and sighed.<br><br>“Let’s… get started then.”<br><br>“Good. What are we eating?”<br><br>“Eating?”<br><br>“Yes, I’m hungry. Aren’t you going to cook for me?”<br><br>“You do know why you’re here, don’t you?”<br><br>“To eat.”<br><br>“The librarian has asked me to give you a job in my shop in exchange for a favour he did for me a while ago.”<br><br>“I don’t want to work. I want to eat.”<br><br>“Do you have money?”<br><br>Nayir checked.<br><br>“…no.”<br><br>“If you don’t have money, how can you eat?”<br><br>“By people giving me food.”<br><br>“In this world, you don’t normally get something for nothing.”<br><br>“But I want to eat.”<br><br>“If you work, you will earn money and, with that money, you will be able to buy food anytime you want.”<br><br>“I want to eat now.”<br><br>“Right. Because of how much debt I’m in to the librarian, I can’t just throw you out, as much as I’d love to. I need you to work here but, because you’ve tried to steal from me before, I will have to ask you to work under the effects of a spell whilst you’re here. If you can make a promise to follow this, I will even give you some food now, just this once.”<br><br>“I get to eat? Ok. I promise.”<br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td>Quest complete.</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td>Working for Gourd.<br><br>Gourd, the owner of the spell store, has offered you an opportunity to work for him in his store because of his past with the librarian.<br><br>This is a repeatable quest and automatically completes at the end of the working day.<br><br>Your pay is determined upon how hard you work.<br><br>Due to your poor relationship with the shop owner, you are required to work under the effects of an enchantment for the duration of the time you spend working in the store.<br><br>Difficulty: E</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br>The shopkeeper went out to the back of the store and brought back several pieces of fruit.<br><br>“These should last you a while.”<br><br>Nayir started devouring the fruit he was given.<br><br>“Come over here and I will show you how to run the shop.”<br><br>Reluctantly, Nayir went over to him and listened to the explanation.<br><br>The shopkeeper explained how to process transactions, include discounts for fame and other factors and how to deal with the more common of customer requests.<br><br>“If a customer asks for a Rank B spell book or above, come and get me and I shall deal with it.”<br><br>Nayir nodded.<br><br>“Now for the enchantment.”<br><br>He went out to the back again but this time returned with a plain golden bracelet.<br><br>“Wearing this enchanted band will cause the wearer to be unable to not follow the commands given to them. If you try and go against it, it will paralyse you until you are released with the key phrase being spoken.”<br><br>Nayir nodded again, he did not like the sound of it but he had promised.<br><br>“It’s an accessory that I never would have thought that I would use at the time that I had bought it; I thought it would have made a nice gift for the woman I was courting but….”<br><br>Gourd fell into a solemn silence. After a few moments he shook his head as if to clear the thoughts from his mind.<br><br>“Anyway, if you’ll give me your hand… Ok. Do you swear to not touch the store’s merchandise without the intention of making and completing a transaction to another person, to not attempt to use the knowledge in these books for your own personal gain and to not leave the store whilst you wear this enchanted band?”<br><br>“Yes.”<br><br>The bracelet flashed brightly, adorning Nayir’s wrist.<br><br>“Good. I feel more reassured about leaving you to work. I’ll be in the back organising the merchandise if you need me. Work hard.”<br><br>The storekeeper left Nayir in the now, empty store.<br><br>Deciding to check the bracelet, Nayir called out,<br><br>“Bracelet stat window.”<br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td>The Bracelet of Compulsion.<br><br>It appears to be a simple golden bracelet at first glance but it has been enchanted by a powerful mage.<br><br>Durability 10/10<br><br>Effect: Causes the wearer to follow the will of the person who attached it. Can only be removed by the same person who put it on the wearer.<br><br>The Bracelet of Compulsion is currently affecting you:<br>Unable to touch the store merchandise unless it is for a transaction.<br>Unable to use the store merchandise for yourself.<br>Unable to leave the store.</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br>Nayir sighed as he stared at the window but he was unable to do anything about it since he desperately needed food. He made a resolution to never die of hunger for as long as he played this game.<br><br>“Anyway, it doesn’t look like this place will get many customers, so this will be easy money. I’m quite lucky.”<br><br>Nayir faced the front of the store as the front door opened and a customer walked in.<br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">-END CHAPTER-</span></div><br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.royalroadl.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=129&amp;t=1044" target="_blank">&lt;&lt; Previous Chapter</a>|<a href="http://www.royalroadl.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=129&amp;t=1090" target="_blank">Next Chapter &gt;&gt;</a></div><br><br><span style="font-style: italic;">Another short chapter. I'd like some more opinions on some of the comments I've been getting. If you want longer chapters then I will be forced to release chapters at a greater interval than one week. This is the best I can do with the time available at the moment.<br><br>It's getting closer and closer to the time where I make a definitive decision on whether to continue this FanFic on or not.</span><br><br>~Emeki </div>

“You want more intellect? Then you’ve certainly come to the right place, young elf. The books stored here can increase your knowledge a hundred-fold and you would have barely made a dent in the amount of text we have.” “I don’t want just any knowledge; I want books relating to magic and spells.” “An aspiring practitioner of the arcane arts, are you? Whilst we certainly do have an impressive selection in the subject, it is by no means the most comprehensive on the continent, you would have to travel far to get to that place.” “I want to read here. Where are the books?” “They are right this way. Let me show you.” The man rose from his seat and led Nayir through the shelves of books before stopping in the middle of an aisle. “All of our books containing information on the arcane arts are on this side of the aisle.” The man spoke as he gestured to the several bookcases in front of them. “Where can I study them?” “There’s a desk and chair around the corner at the other end of the aisle to the one we approached through. Please feel free to use it and take your time.” Nayir glanced over the books in front of him, not knowing where to start. He was about to ask the man which book would give him stats the fastest but he noticed that he was now alone. Looking back at the books, he picked one out at random, went to the location of the desk and sat down. “The Memoirs of the Archmage Horrell. Well… it could be worse.” Nayir began to read. The book told of the Archmage’s life, from his humble roots as he studied magic under one of the masters of magic and was constantly beaten for being incompetent to his rise to fame as the most powerful mage in Versailles of the time. Through tenacious effort and a desire to break free of the tyranny of his master, the Archmage developed a form of magic that had previously been inconceivable. The book did not state what type of magic it was, or provide anything more than vague details, instead it focused on the feats and accomplishments that the Archmage had completed, which had led him to his high status among the rest of the world’s eyes. At the end of the book, in the epilogue written by the author, it mentioned that, in the last couple of months of his life, the Archmage disappeared from the world until his body was later found in a crater, created by an explosion that had been seen several leagues away. His body was interred at that spot and a tombstone constructed for him. It was located in the Kingdom of Regrid. After finishing the last page, he closed the book and a system message appeared. | Wisdom increased by 1. ( +1 WIS ) | | --- | “Wisdom?!” Nayir had wanted to gain more stats in Intellect. There was less effort required than the physical training he had done in the prison so he did not feel too upset. “And there was no information about spells. Maybe I just need to read a different type of book?” He retrieved another book from the shelf and started to read once again. This time, at the end of the book, no message appeared. “Huh?! Why didn’t I get anything?! I read the entire book! This is unfair! There was even a mention of this awesome spell! Why didn’t I learn it?! I better get one on the next book!” After reading another book, still no message saying that there had been a stat increase or new spell appeared. “Come on! This is stupid! That’s three books and only one stat! In Wisdom! You stupid books! Give me stats! Give me spells!” Nayir threw the books on the floor and stormed over to the librarian’s desk. “Why can’t I learn new spells?!” “Well, young elf, if learning spells and skills were that simple, wouldn’t we all be walking around using them?” “I…guess.” “It will take several weeks of studying very specific texts, combining the information found into something practical and experimenting to learn a skill through the method you want.” “Oh… isn’t there a quicker way to get a spell?” “Well, there are. As a matter of fact, I have a skill that I could teach you and if you work hard then you can learn it faster. It’s not exactly one of the ‘spells’ that you are after but it will benefit you greatly from having learned it. If, of course, you are willing to help me out by copying some decrepit scrolls so that their knowledge is not lost?” | Transcribing scrolls.The librarian of Dessera has asked you to become a scribe so that the knowledge contained in the library’s old scrolls is preserved.Difficulty: FQuest Completion: Finish copying the required number of scrolls.Quest Reward: The librarian’s skill. | | --- | A new skill! It better be worth it! “I am willing.” | You have accepted the quest.Scrolls to copy: 0/17 | | --- | Seventeen! This is going to be boring! But now I’m definitely sure that this skill will be amazing and I! Will! Have! It! “If you would like to follow me then I will show you to the room where we store the old scrolls. All of the necessary items are in there so you may use it as a workspace where you won’t be interrupted.” Nayir was led to a side room along one of the walls of the library. He sat down at the desk inside. “What do I use?” “These are the books I would like you to write in, the ink is here, the quill here and the scrolls are lined up on the shelves either side of you. Take your pick of whichever you want. Depending on the quality of your work I may provide you with extra rewards. Work hard and thank you for your assistance.” Nayir got to work, eager to attain a new skill; he chose a random scroll off of a shelf and started copying it out. After copying the entire scroll, he lifted his head as a system message displayed. | Intelligence increased by 1. ( +1 INT )Wisdom increased by 1. ( +1 WIS ) | | --- | “Wow! Two stats from this mundane work! This quest could turn out to be more profitable than I thought! Although… if only it wasn’t so boring.” He started to work on another scroll but, soon after, he stopped. “No. I can’t write any more today. It’s too boring. I guess I’ll…” His stomach growled. “Great! Now I’m hungry! Writing is more tiring than I thought! Inventory.” Nayir’s inventory window opened before him only for him to find nothing. “What?! Why is there nothing?! I’m sure I had food before… that guard! He took my food! I’ll kill him!” Nayir had risen out of his chair and was pacing back and forth in front of the desk he had been sitting at. “First, I need food. I’m not dying again!” The cogs in his brain turned until the answer appeared before him. “I’ll get some off of the librarian!” Nayir emerged through the door separating the room that he had been working in and the library and walked briskly back to the entrance where the librarian was sitting. “I want some of your food.” “I do apologise, young elf, but I have none to give you. If you are in dire need, I could direct you to a friend of mine who will provide you with the means to getting your own food, if that will help?” | Offer of food.The librarian suggests that you visit one of his friends who have the ability to supplement you with food.Difficulty: FQuest Completion: Presenting the librarian’s friend with a letter written by the librarian.Quest reward: Food. | | --- | “That will do. Give it to me.” “Let me make a note for you to pass on explaining the situation and draw you a map.” After several minutes of scribbling, the librarian handed over two pieces of paper to Nayir. “Here you go. Make sure to go quick. You don’t want to get there after he closes as you’ll have to wait until tomorrow.” Nayir left hurriedly, following the detailed map that the librarian had given him. He walked quickly through the streets, eager to have something to eat before he died of hunger since he did not think he could last until the next day. As he neared the end of the directions, Nayir noticed that the scenery had changed to one that he was familiar with. He stopped outside of the building that the directions had led him to and read the sign above the door to the shop. “Gourd’s Spell Shop.” Nayir sighed. “Great...” Nayir was conflicted with entering, risking another trip to prison, or dying of hunger. He came to the decision that he would rather have a small chance at not dying and walked into the shop. The shopkeeper looked at the person who had just entered his store. “You! Here for another shot at thievery, are you?! Didn’t learn the first time, did you?! Tough! Get out! Go on, get out!” The shopkeeper dashed around the counter and advanced upon Nayir. As he got close, Nayir held out the letter that had been given to him. “Read.” “What’s… Oh no you don’t! Trying to distract me and then make off with my goods! Do you think I was born yesterday!” “Read. The librarian wrote it.” “The librarian? Really?” “Read.” The shopkeeper took the paper offered to him, read it and sighed. “Let’s… get started then.” “Good. What are we eating?” “Eating?” “Yes, I’m hungry. Aren’t you going to cook for me?” “You do know why you’re here, don’t you?” “To eat.” “The librarian has asked me to give you a job in my shop in exchange for a favour he did for me a while ago.” “I don’t want to work. I want to eat.” “Do you have money?” Nayir checked. “…no.” “If you don’t have money, how can you eat?” “By people giving me food.” “In this world, you don’t normally get something for nothing.” “But I want to eat.” “If you work, you will earn money and, with that money, you will be able to buy food anytime you want.” “I want to eat now.” “Right. Because of how much debt I’m in to the librarian, I can’t just throw you out, as much as I’d love to. I need you to work here but, because you’ve tried to steal from me before, I will have to ask you to work under the effects of a spell whilst you’re here. If you can make a promise to follow this, I will even give you some food now, just this once.” “I get to eat? Ok. I promise.” | Quest complete. | | --- | | Working for Gourd.Gourd, the owner of the spell store, has offered you an opportunity to work for him in his store because of his past with the librarian.This is a repeatable quest and automatically completes at the end of the working day.Your pay is determined upon how hard you work.Due to your poor relationship with the shop owner, you are required to work under the effects of an enchantment for the duration of the time you spend working in the store.Difficulty: E | | --- | The shopkeeper went out to the back of the store and brought back several pieces of fruit. “These should last you a while.” Nayir started devouring the fruit he was given. “Come over here and I will show you how to run the shop.” Reluctantly, Nayir went over to him and listened to the explanation. The shopkeeper explained how to process transactions, include discounts for fame and other factors and how to deal with the more common of customer requests. “If a customer asks for a Rank B spell book or above, come and get me and I shall deal with it.” Nayir nodded. “Now for the enchantment.” He went out to the back again but this time returned with a plain golden bracelet. “Wearing this enchanted band will cause the wearer to be unable to not follow the commands given to them. If you try and go against it, it will paralyse you until you are released with the key phrase being spoken.” Nayir nodded again, he did not like the sound of it but he had promised. “It’s an accessory that I never would have thought that I would use at the time that I had bought it; I thought it would have made a nice gift for the woman I was courting but….” Gourd fell into a solemn silence. After a few moments he shook his head as if to clear the thoughts from his mind. “Anyway, if you’ll give me your hand… Ok. Do you swear to not touch the store’s merchandise without the intention of making and completing a transaction to another person, to not attempt to use the knowledge in these books for your own personal gain and to not leave the store whilst you wear this enchanted band?” “Yes.” The bracelet flashed brightly, adorning Nayir’s wrist. “Good. I feel more reassured about leaving you to work. I’ll be in the back organising the merchandise if you need me. Work hard.” The storekeeper left Nayir in the now, empty store. Deciding to check the bracelet, Nayir called out, “Bracelet stat window.” | The Bracelet of Compulsion.It appears to be a simple golden bracelet at first glance but it has been enchanted by a powerful mage.Durability 10/10Effect: Causes the wearer to follow the will of the person who attached it. Can only be removed by the same person who put it on the wearer.The Bracelet of Compulsion is currently affecting you:Unable to touch the store merchandise unless it is for a transaction.Unable to use the store merchandise for yourself.Unable to leave the store. | | --- | Nayir sighed as he stared at the window but he was unable to do anything about it since he desperately needed food. He made a resolution to never die of hunger for as long as he played this game. “Anyway, it doesn’t look like this place will get many customers, so this will be easy money. I’m quite lucky.” Nayir faced the front of the store as the front door opened and a customer walked in. -END CHAPTER- [<< Previous Chapter](http://www.royalroadl.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=129&t=1044)|[Next Chapter >>](http://www.royalroadl.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=129&t=1090) Another short chapter. I'd like some more opinions on some of the comments I've been getting. If you want longer chapters then I will be forced to release chapters at a greater interval than one week. This is the best I can do with the time available at the moment. It's getting closer and closer to the time where I make a definitive decision on whether to continue this FanFic on or not. ~Emeki

<div class="chapter-inner chapter-content"> <a href="http://www.royalroadl.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=119&amp;t=1076&amp;p=5805#p5805" target="_blank">Previous Chapter</a> <br> <br>Author's Note: <br>So here's another chapter for you. I had something I wanted to say but right now it's twelve o'clock and my mind is no longer working so that's all... Hope you like it. <br> <br>**** <br> <br>It was a great morning. Sun shone brightly basking everything in light after the night's darkness while a soft wind brushed past refreshingly. A single bird had woken up first and was telling his tale to the world. <br> <br>But humans rarely followed the pace of nature. This time was no exception. Like a great flood they were running towards a magnificent building, ready to smash it into pieces if that was what was needed to win. So a small goblin standing in their way had no chance of even delaying them for a second. <br> <br>Ace looked at them with wonder filled eyes. Why did he always in this game managed to end up in an unfavourable situation?&nbsp; <br> <br>And there wasn't a place he could run to. Maybe they would leave him alive because he's a kid? <br> <br>"Kill the goblin and advance ahead without stopping!" someone shouted and Ace felt like face palming. He was no kid but a despicable and absolutely stupid goblin. It's no surprise he stood here looking at them like an idiot. <br> <br>Something had to be done to preserve his life but what exactly? They would be on him in seconds and lots of flying things would follow him if he tried to jump away. He noticed mages sitting on top of buildings and hiding there. It was a stupid idea as goblins' throw ability was absolutely pathetic but he wasn't the one to talk. He was even worse than they... <br> <br>And then they were on him. Lots of flashing steel and roaring voices. That was seen a second before he got grabbed by the collar and dragged to the side through the masses of rushing players. They seemed to be making a small circle of free space around his abductor/saviour. It was hard to say which one the guy was exactly. <br> <br>"Tell me I didn't drag a random goblin away?" came a very familiar voice from his captor when they escaped the centre of the flood. <br> <br>"I think I'm going to promote you to a bodyguard" Ace said happily. He was quite relieved to have stayed alive. "You're always right on time." <br> <br>"Don't make a habit out of it. One day I might just decide to leave you there" Monthu said with a huff and dragged Ace to one of the buildings where his party members had ran down to hear what was going on. <br> <br>Ace didn't argue. It wasn't like his clothes could get any worse than they were now. Starting with charred downs, advancing with tons of dust and finishing with blood spattered all over him. A bit of earth had nothing on it. <br> <br>"Why did you suddenly jump in to save a goblin?" Aurora asked rushing to him. "Someone might have accidentally killed you instead." <br> <br>"He should better try" Monthu said laughing. None would even dare to think of hurting him or all army would go on the guy for revenge. He might have been low level and unknown but he led them to victory and that was all that mattered. <br> <br>"Why did you do it anyway?" Hawk asked too. <br> <br>Monthu rolled his eyes and threw the goblin, who squeaked unmanly, towards others. "Doesn't he look familiar to you?" <br> <br>Ace whined lightly, rubbing his head and raised it meeting the curious eyes of three humans. He made an innocent expression while looking up an incantation for [Revelation]. <br> <br>"Am I supposed to know him from somewhere?" Aurora asked while Par got in Ace's face. They were only a few centimetres apart. "Hey, careful there! He might be dangerous!" she said, taking Par by his shoulder and pushing him away. <br> <br>"The only one he is dangerous to is himself. I haven't seen anyone so lacking a sense of danger as him.” <br> <br>"Huh?" Aurora asked when Ace started to chant. "Visions of old that were placed to hide the truth from strangers and ignorant ones show me your true colours, Revelation!" <br> <br>His body started to shimmer, white mist surrounding it. Soon he couldn't even be seen through it. <br> <br>"Gust" he said and was revealed in all his unkempt glory. <br> <br>"Ace?" Par asked with his eyes wide. <br> <br>"One and the only" he said glaring at his clothes. On a goblin it looked normal, but on a human... Well, it wouldn't be surprising if someone mistook him for a dust collector. <br> <br>"Seriously... What did you do now?" Hawk asked with a note of jealousy in his voice. <br> <br>"I might have pretended to be a goblin to get inside and meet the leader and then earn his trust..." <br> <br>"Why would they ever believe you?" <br> <br>"Me smart! Me know to say right! Big man like me, play lot!" Ace said putting his illusion back on. But this time it was a small living one that he cancelled off after showing off. Hawk's shocked expression was a good reward. "And now I need to take a bath, so please excuse me" he said before standing up and running away. <br> <br>"Aren't you going to see Vera first? She's very worried about you!" Aurora asked shouting after him. She could have sworn he sped up even more after hearing her words. <br> <br>Ace used [Shadow Veil] after the first corner and slowed down slightly. She just had to remind him of what was to come. He shook his head. There was still time to enjoy the freedom, he'll be able to cry himself a river after that. <br> <br>Talking about a river he was quickly approaching one. The last steps he ran at full speed and jumped in using [Shadow Dash]. Cold water met him and welcomed in its deadly embrace. He fell deep, to the very bottom before rising up again. Breaking the surface he breathed a mouthful of air and sighed in relief. He was feeling better by each second he was getting the grime off his body. <br> <br>And then there was a message of him getting a cold. 'That's not fair! I'm not even finished yet!' He was about to angrily storm out when he remembered his own spell. <br> <br>"Excessive Heat!" <br> <br>He felt warmth enveloping him and removing the feeling of refreshing cold. 'It seems there's not a way I can win here' he thought annoyed and went to where the river was shallower. There he took off most of his clothes and scrubbed himself clean. He was finely feeling good when he remembered he hadn't gotten any spare clothes. So now it was wearing wet and dirty ones or wearing none. 'Why didn't I think about it before, again..?' It was a good question that he pondered for more than ten minutes. Neither prospect seemed like a good one for him. <br> <br>/Hey, can you come to the river?/ he wrote to Par in the end. <br> <br>It took the kid long twenty minutes before he managed to find him. Ace's mood had become sour by that time. Because of [Excessive Heat] he wasn't cold but was none the less stuck for a whole half an hour alone on the riverbank with nothing to do. He couldn't even play the flute because his fingers got wrinkled by spending too much time in the water. <br> <br>"What happened?" Par asked coming closer. Somehow he was alone. <br> <br>"I fell into the river... Do you by any chance have some spare clothes?" Ace asked praying the answer was positive. <br> <br>"Uhm... I should have..." he said opening his inventory. There he found a few robes. The bigger one he took out. "Is this okay?" <br> <br>It was dark green with a black ornament of a flower going down. 'Not that bad' Ace decided taking it gratefully. The thing could have been the colour of sickly green or not present at all. <br> <br>"Thanks" he said with a bright smile and put it on. It was slightly too small for him but nothing too noticeable. "You're a life saver, just like your brother." <br> <br>The compliment seemed to please the kid as his smile grew bigger before vanishing suddenly. "You're going to leave, aren't you? You have to do what they tell you, don't you?" he asked quietly. <br> <br>Ace looked at him seriously losing his playful expression too. "Who knows? You're right, I have to listen to them but it's different from you. They're not really my relatives so they don't feel sympathetic to me like your brother who would forgive you anything. But that doesn't mean there isn't a chance of getting rid of them. All I need is a single plan." <br> <br>"Do you really believe it's possible?" Par asked. There was hopelessness in his voice. He really liked Ace, but now they'll be separated by no fault of their own. Why were the grown-ups so ruthless? He wished he could become one and be able to travel around with Ace freely, without anyone capable of stopping them. <br> <br>"There's always a chance. What's the point of going forward if you don't believe in your own victory? Who cares if it's fighting windmill blades?" Ace asked rhetorically, remembering an old book he'd read. <br> <br>Par looked at him strangely. "What do you mean?" <br> <br>"Don't mind me. What I mean is, I'll surely stay around here for some time with you and return to finish the quest. So we have a few weeks to come up with a plan. I hope you're ready to become a conspirator?" Ace asked with a dangerous glint in his eyes. There was no reason not to make it into an adventure himself. Not all quests had to be written down and received from others. Sometimes you had to do something for yourself too. <br> <br>Par thought for a moment. His brother wouldn't approve of it but he really wanted to do it. He had never done anything of the like before. His brother and parents were always there to stop him from doing anything even remotely dangerous. "Okay!" <br> <br>"Deal!" Ace said with a smile and like true conspirators they shook hands solemnly, sealing their pact. "Let's meet..." <br> <br>"In the castle? I wasn't allowed in before because of goblin danger" Par said hopefully. <br> <br>"Perfect. I know everything there. Wait for me somewhere close at ten o'clock, okay?" <br> <br>"I'll be under the third beast sculpture" Par said, remembering how all those who met secretly did this. <br> <br>Ace nodded and together they stood up and went in different directions. None could see them talking. <br> <br>Inside Ace was laughing at the stupidity of both of their actions. But who wouldn't want to act out a spy film? Those were the best things ever! So behind the first tree he used [Shadow Veil] and this way went into the city. And good thing he hid. <br> <br>Right past him Vera ran through at full speed. She was rushing towards the river. 'Did she leave her appearance the same so I could recognize her easily?' Ace wondered. 'Does that mean most of them did that too?' She was a clear leader of those overprotective of him and all followed her lead most of the time. <br> <br>Further ahead he saw a female earth mage. She hadn't changed either. Raven black hair, tanned skin, &nbsp;delicate features and a small stature. She was wearing a brown mage's robe with green designs and had her hair tightened with a light green headband. It didn't look good at all. She was never good at combining colours. <br> <br>When he came closer, she just looked straight through him like she had for the last five years. At least now he had a legitimate reason to explain to himself why it was so. Shaking his head slightly he made sure no rogues were around and moved away. Nothing could be gained by standing around. <br> <br>"Hasn't anyone seen him since?" <br> <br>"Some saw the other kid going there but he's denying it." <br> <br>"How could he just disappear into thin air? That's not natural!" <br> <br>Ace hurried away. He knew exactly who they were looking for and had no wish to be found. He chose to enter some secret tunnel as it would give him some peace. He couldn’t hide forever but there was nothing bad in prolonging the time of freedom. Once he was found, nothing would be the same. <br> <br>He laughed quietly at the way he described meeting with his childhood friends. It sounded nothing less of a world war. <br> <br>The hall ended in a room filled with people. 'Oh yeah... This one belongs to the assassin family...' He had turned to go back when a hand on the shoulder stopped him. <br> <br>"What have you come here for this time?" Helbert asked. <br> <br>"Mistake. Been looking for a place to hide. I'll be out then" he said and was about to leave. <br> <br>"So you've lost. I knew it was too good to be true..." he said with sadness. His shoulders slumped in defeat. It didn't look right on him somehow. <br> <br>"What?" Elena asked appearing from nowhere too. 'They should be extremely high level if I couldn't even see shadows moving where they were.' <br> <br>"Not exactly. We won, the castle has been retaken" Ace said explaining helpfully. <br> <br>"Right. And you're hiding because it's so safe outside?" Helbert said, unbelieving. <br> <br>"My caretakers came and want to start ordering my life again so I'm trying to stave off that time as far as possible" Ace said shrugging. <br> <br>"So we're really safe now?" Elena asked hopefully. <br> <br>"Yeah. All goblins with their leaders are dead and the grounds are filled with people of the army and those who came to take me back" <br> <br>"Can we come out freely or is there a reason to wait? Is that why you didn't come to tell us the moment it happened?" Helbert asked trusting Ace's decisions. <br> <br>"I f..." Ace caught himself at the last moment. He was about to tell the people he was saving that he had totally forgotten about them! That was totally wrong! "It happened just a few hours ago so I waited some time to make sure everything was safe. I didn't want to bring you out and then see goblins had latched a surprise attack" he said in a very serious tone pretending that was really his reasoning. <br> <br><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td><div style="text-align: center">*Deception +4%* </div></td></tr></tbody></table></div> <br> <br>"Thanks. You think it's okay now?" <br> <br>"It should be. Although it would be safer if you first collected yourselves in a single place and advanced from there. You never know what might happen." <br> <br>"That is true. Could you help us in this?" <br> <br>"Sure" Ace said with a sigh. It's not like he expected to be able to hide for long. He might as well show up as a hero. "What about the earth wizard's garden? Many people could stay there hidden while everyone comes?" <br> <br>"Okay. We'll come there ourselves, you bring others." <br> <br>Ace nodded and left slightly annoyed. He had expected to gain a quest but maybe he wanted too much. They had already given him a lot and he'll be on the top of contributors' to this place list, gaining lots of bonuses. It wasn't bad at all. <br> <br>Thinking this way he went to pick up the survivors. They were ecstatic to hear the news of victory and happily agreed to first meet up with the others who made it through. Taking few groups at a time he managed to get them all by midday. <br> <br>Around a hundred people were now gathered in the small space and were chatting rapidly. They had cried enough tears for those who had fallen and now were rejoicing with those that made it through. Helbert came to see Ace who stood at the side. <br> <br>"We're all ready. Lead us to the head of the army" he said with earth mage Doran beside him. "I'm proud of you" he said. <br> <br>*The title "Flare of Hope" has become permanent* <br> <br>'Great' <br> <br>"Follow me then" Ace said and smiling skipped to the front. He chose the shortest path and threw lots of players into surprise when he marched towards Monthu's office with a large entourage. Only then did he remember that the guy didn't have to be there. He wasn't one to fill the papers all the day. <br> <br>/Are you in your office?/ he wrote being only a hundred meters away. <br> <br>/No. Why?/ '....' <br> <br>/Where are you then? Hurry!/ <br> <br>/Castle/ /The main hall/ /What's the rush?/ <br> <br>/I'm taking all survivors to you. Be prepared/ <br> <br>"This is his office but..." <br> <br>"That's my house!" someone from the crowd behind him shouted out but Ace ignored him. <br> <br>"... right now he's in the castle. It has been retaken not too long ago so he's taking care of things there" Ace said finishing and turned to the left. <br> <br>The castle was looming over him and it wasn't hard to go its way at all. He was skipping happily knowing that soon enough someone would see him and report it to Vera. He was really not waiting for that moment. <br> <br>When they entered, Ace determined where everyone was with [Instincts of a Predator] and went that way. He knew it quite well. The sounds of loud hushed voices came from the wide room, the old ballroom. Ace took his people there and without glancing at the scene marched off towards Monthu. <br> <br>He was the only one like that. All - a hundred or so people - became frozen at the spot as they glanced at what had been their dance floor. Bodies of dozens of goblins were lying around with their insides out and parts of bodies in different places. Most of them were covered in blood and some greenish liquid around which the skin had turned blue. All around the floor was full of corroded holes the size of a kid's fist. <br> <br>"What happened here?" Doran asked quietly. Goblins might have been horrible monsters but even they hardly deserved such a massacre. <br> <br>"We're trying to figure it out at the moment" Monthu said coming closer. "It seems like everyone was gathered here when an unknown force came and slaughtered them all. After that it disappeared into thin air, leaving no trace for us to follow. And by the way who might you be?" <br> <br>"I'm Sir Doran, one of the councilmen. There had been twelve of us who had ruled this place" they guy said in a strong voice but it held remorse. <br> <br>"It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Monthu, the general." <br> <br>"Then I should thank you for all the hard work you put into it. When the kid said you came to help us, I was very doubtful but it seems it was for no reason." <br> <br>"Thank you. Are these all the survivors?" <br> <br>"Yes and I'd like to let them finally go home if you're okay with it" Doran asked. <br> <br>"That is fine. Would they like my people to help?" <br> <br>"No need. We know where our houses are." <br> <br>Monthu nodded and turned towards Hawk at his right and started to chat about provisions. Ace was absolutely ignored. That was fine by him for now. Later on he'll have to make everything how it was but at the moment he wanted to be alone. <br> <br>"Ang!" came a shout from his back and Ace knew he was doomed. It was too late to make his escape now. <br> <br>A female rushed to him hugging so tightly he could barely breath. He tried to push her away but it was to no avail. <br> <br>"I can't believe I finally found you!" she said to his back. <br> <br>"Happy to see you" Ace said with a forced smile that no one could ever see through. He was a master at faking his emotions so his deceit was going to raise exponentially now that he had to deal with her. <br> <br>"I was so worried and they said you got locked in with all the goblins and a monster that ki... uhm... sent them away" she finished lamely, pulling him away and looking at him by holding his shoulders. There hadn't been any need to protect him from horrible truth of the world in reality but this game was filled with violence! <br> <br>Ace wanted to laugh at her concern but kept himself in check. Now more than ever he needed to act exceptionally well. But that didn't mean everything could be tolerated. "You know you can use the word killed and death around me..." he said with his head down. <br> <br>"What do you mean? Who said that to you?" she asked turning her head towards Monthu who was ordering his people to do something. <br> <br>Ace rolled his eyes inwardly and said "My parents explained what happens when old Anna died. You know she took care of me when I was growing up and then she suddenly disappeared. After a lot of time, they finally explained to me the truth of what happened." His words were clear but there were sadness in them as if he really loved the old hag who forcefully fed him poisonous concoctions (soup) and made him go to sleep with light (ten o'clock). <br> <br>"Aww... You poor thing. And you never told me! It should have been hard for you, my sweetie! Come here" Vera said hugging him once again. It would have been a pleasant experience considering she was a beautiful girl but her seeing him only as a child destroyed any kind of affection he might have held for her. <br> <br>Ace pushed her away. As long as the role allowed it, he wasn't going to let her be close longer than a second necessary. <br> <br>"Don't snuggle him like that. He's a big boy now, aren't you?" Kev said coming to them and ruffling Ace's hair who nodded eagerly, looking at him with shining eyes. <br> <br>"Kevin is here too!" he said in a happy shout, his mood bright once again. <br> <br>"Did you think I'll let her pamper you into a lady?" he said laughing and Ace smiled too. He knew well that Kev will spoil him just as much if not more. It was an unbreakable rule that he wasn't allowed to do anything and was given everything before even able to think about it. <br>"Does that mean others are here too?" he asked eagerly. <br> <br>"Yes, we should go see them now. They're just outside the castle." <br> <br>Like a bullet shot Ace ran outside. Every second away from the two was a breath of fresh air. No one else was as suffocating as them. His parents were the best in that regard. 'I wish they would come here and chase all of them away...' he thought with a sigh but knew better than to hope for it. It was a lost cause and he had to do everything himself if he wanted out. &nbsp; <br> <br>"Hey guys!" he said bursting outside into a group of thirty or so people. <br> <br>"Ang!" <br> <br>"We've been searching for you! How..?" <br> <br>"... looking around..." <br> <br>"... did you survive?" <br> <br>"Been fine?" <br> <br>"Has everyone been nice to you?" Vera added coming after him. It was a stupid question. There were different kinds of people so how could everyone be nice? He didn't get it. <br> <br>"Yes, I've been great! I met many new people and became friends with most of them (more like sworn enemies). Also Par and I are best friends now! We do everything together!" Ace said cheerfully, smiling from ear to ear. <br> <br>"Really? That's great!" Sam said. He didn't know her game name yet... <br> <br>"Let's go to our camp now and rest. You can tell us all about your adventures there" Vera said taking his hand but Ace evaded her clumsily. It was important to look like a useless burden or else they might suspect something. <br> <br>"I can't! I promised to stay with Par!" he said crossing his arms over his chest, his eyes changing into orange. <br> <br>"What do you mean you can't? Will something happen to you if you don't? Did that pretentious bastard threaten you?" Kev asked, taking him by his shoulders. <br> <br>"Kev your words!" Vera said in outrage. <br> <br>"Not now, Veronica. So did he?" Kev asked in a barely controlled voice. "I'm going to skin him alive if he even thought about it!" <br> <br>Ace looked at him wide eyed. That wasn't what he was going for at all! He had no wish to get Monthu killed as that would make it very complicated to launch a plan with Par. "No, no, NO!" Ace said shaking his head so much that his whole body moved in Kev's hands. "I've just promised to stay with Par and you always taught me how important it is to keep your word!" he said with tears in his eyes. Kev's hands didn't really hurt that much but it was never a bad idea to exaggerate slightly. <br> <br>"Kev release him this moment! He's not one of your guys! He's just a kid!" Vera shouted taking Ace whose eyes flashed red in her own hands from stunned Kev. "Don't worry, sweetie. He won't hurt you again. I'll make sure of it" she said promising softly. <br> <br>Ace was trying desperately to keep his temper in check. He could take any kind of abuse but one thing was still stepping on a wound. He didn't really care what else Vera was saying while he calmed himself down. He wished so much to throw her and get away but he didn't want to get locked up. For that he had to continue his act. He shut his eyes even tighter before opening them and pushing away from the concerned girl. <br> <br>"Are you okay?" <br> <br>He nodded slightly with his head down. <br> <br>"You'll be able to spend time with your friend, don't worry okay? We'll work something out for sure. Come now. You'll tell us everything about your amazing adventures and how you met your newest friend. Just don't be sad" she said with a smile and gave him a sweet. <br> <br>Ace sighed inwardly. Why were people giving candy to sad kids? How was it supposed to help? It was just a piece of sugary food. <br> <br>He took it gratefully and put in his mouth. The barmaid had had better ones... <br> <br>He went with them to their camp outside the walls. Some people had prepared a wide space in a middle with a fire going. Vera took Ace there and sat him, she and the others sat down a few steps away where they could hear him perfectly but be out of the heats range. <br> <br>It was getting very hot as Ace sat quietly waiting for everyone to find a suitable patch of earth. The day was still warm and the fire beside him was enhancing it to extremes. He was going to get cooked if nothing changed. He could say that to Vera but Ace had no wish to be thankful to her for anything. <br> <br>He thought for a moment and activated [Excessive Heat]. The skill heightened his body’s temperature so it should ease the strain of heat on him too... At least that was what he hoped for. <br> <br>What happened was that he caught on fire! Flames started to come from his body licking the clothes but leaving them intact. The grass wasn't so lucky. It caught on fire quickly and advanced in great speed before anyone was able to react. Soon Ace sat in a cage of flames but it didn't burn him at all. Interested he raised his hand and put it right in ignoring Vera's shriek. Nothing happened. <br> <br>*Splash!* <br> <br>"Apchoo!" Ace sneezed the water he had been doused in. "What was that for?" he asked in a shout angrily. He wanted to test it more and now he was wet once again without any clothes to change into. <br> <br>"You were on fire! Are you burned? I told you not to put your hand into the flames. Someone find a cleric! Fast!" Vera said fussing over him. <br> <br>"I'm fine" he said laughing. "It's just a game! I'm not hurt at all!" <br> <br>"What do you mean? I clearly saw you putting your hand into the fire!" she said not comprehending. <br> <br>"Magic" Ace said mysteriously, pretending he had known that would happen. He would never hear the end of it if he didn't. <br> <br>"Is that your skill? Oh yeah! You're a spellsword. Can you show it again? It was so cool!" someone said in a shout and Ace happily nodded standing up to get to the fire. Vera grabbed his hand and sent a death glare to the person who had opened his mouth a few moments before. <br> <br>"You're not doing anything of a kind! I ban it! It's too dangerous! The skill might not work for some reason at any given time! I got scared half to death even seeing that!" Vera said angrily. <br> <br>'And what would happen if I managed to hack the skill into not working? I would get a small burn? That's a disaster, death for sure. And it's not like there's a willing to help cleric in every direction.' Ace thought annoyed and it showed on his face but he didn't argue. She would never go down for something like that. He consulted himself by thinking of what he did when no one was looking and felt slightly better. She knew and could do nothing to stop that. <br> <br>"Sit a bit farther away from the fire now and let's hear it, your tale" Vera said smiling and Ace sat down. He was cold now but the skill made it a bit better so he hoped not to catch a cold. <br> <br>He was surprised Vera didn't get anything for him to warm up when he remembered she was from Lavana. That kingdom was great in a way that it had a single warm season. Oradin on the other hand had four of them and those who had never been here knew nothing about sicknesses and cold wind's powers. It was an early autumn so the sun was still strong, only slightly losing its heat. Snow was still ways off. Yet Ace was already eagerly waiting for it as, when he joined the game it had all melted down and in his hometown in reality it was always summer. <br> <br>There were many people around and he didn't know most of them. He remembered Monthu saying this army contained around a thousand players and they probably wanted to know why they had hurried off to find a kid. There were only thirty people eligible to join RD from his town so all others must be random. All here for him. It would have been exhilarating if it didn't mean that now he had a thousand people looking after his every step. He had no doubts Vera had told them a gazillion times to take good care of him and that she would reward everyone who did. Many will probably fall for it and he'll have to get rid of them in a nice way. So much work... <br> <br>"The sun was so bright when I came to this world! It blinded me for a moment and then I felt myself alive! I saw..." Ace said starting his tale and continued with all his adventures that had nothing shadowy in it. He talked about meeting an old man and staying with him for a long time for free. Supposedly he left because the man's family came.&nbsp; <br> <br>Later Monthu and the group showed up and took him in. Then together they cleared the cave and captured an evil illusionist. After that came a very edited version of the caravan fight and the ghost's quest. There were no breaking ins and lying in achieving that at all. In the end he explained how he came with the army, got to lead the rogues and managed to get himself locked inside by an accident. <br> <br>Ace was proud of his story. He managed to edit everything on the spot and make it look like he was a little angel while telling real events. What he did at night was forgotten altogether. <br> <br>Questions came from all sides and he answered them with a bright smile. It was fun in a way, to tell the truth. He was able to talk as much as he wanted and everyone listened to his every word like he was giving a sermon. Then they told their stories too. Most of them were funny as no battle ones were appropriate for a kid in Vera's opinion. They laughed and spent their time happily together. <br> <br>Ace wished it was always like that. Even Vera had calmed down and different kind of stories started to be told to everyone's delight. Ace sat in a middle of it and did something that happened rarely. He smiled sincerely, enjoying the moment. It changed nothing but he had learnt to treasure every moment and this one was a great one. <br> <br>The sun moved through the horizon and was now falling behind the clouds, allowing moon to take her place. Night descended but the fire burned brighter and more cheerful by each moment keeping the high spirits up. Ace was tired but he still had some unfinished business. One of them was to meet Par. <br> <br>He thought for a moment but seeing no alternative approached Vera. <br> <br>"I think I'm going to sleep." <br> <br>"Okay. Come I'll prepare a bed for you" she said with a smile. Today was a success. <br> <br>"You promised I could go to Par!" Ace said angrily. <br> <br>Vera grimaced. She had hoped he would forget it by the evening. "It's late now. You'll just fall asleep and that's all. Wouldn't it better if you went to him in the morning?" she asked, trying to persuade him. <br> <br>"You promised!" Ace said stubbornly, his small hands clenched into fists but his eyes stayed clear blue. <br> <br>"I didn't know, we'd stay up so late. There's no point in going there now" she said softly. <br> <br>"But you promised I could!" Ace said repeating his words. He had learnt it was one of the best tactics to get onto someone's nerves so much that they gave you what you wanted. All you needed was to not hear all the objections until the person ran out of them and in that way push your point through. <br> <br>"Why do you want to go there so much? I hope the guy didn't really threaten you?" she asked narrowing her eyes. "You know you can tell me and I'll protect you from him." <br> <br>Ace held himself from rolling his eyes. Were they ever going to stop with that? "Par is my friend. Aren't I supposed to want to spend time with him too?" he asked with a curiosity filled look. <br> <br>Vera had nothing to say to that. Every word she used would be then used against her later on as she was just a friend too. "There's nothing wrong with that. Feel free to go and meet him but be here in the morning" she said with a pretend smile which was as fake as it can be. Ace felt like he should teach her some things, not that she would want to hear it. Lips weren't supposed to waver and the corners of your mouth should go up too, not even going into a brightened expression and shining eyes. She was just terrible. <br> <br>"Thanks!" he said showing a perfect version and ran off ignoring her sudden concerns about his safety. The next moment he was behind a bend and used [Shadow Veil] so when she ran after him, he stood motionless and absolutely invisible. He waited for her to choose a random direction and went the other. <br> <br>It was almost midnight so he went towards the castle. The surrounding place was still empty so he found a comfortable place and took out his pair of Sai. They were such a strange weapon still, resembling a fork to him. 'I should learn to use them somehow tomorrow. But how should I escape from her again? Or would it be better to go straight to Elena when the sun raises?' While he was wondering that Par showed up. <br> <br>"Hey!" Ace said removing his shadow and scaring the kid half to death. <br> <br>"Don't do that again!" he said in a whisper/shout holding onto his heart. <br> <br>"Sorry" Ace said sheepishly but quickly a smile brightened his face. "Ready to go exploring?" <br> <br>"I thought you said you knew the castle?" Par asked uncertainly. The looming castle looked evil at night with its sharp towers and scary beasts all around. <br> <br>"You don't mean you're scared?" Ace asked incredulous. <br> <br>"Of course not!" Par said without thinking even for a second and marched off straight to the entrance. <br> <br>"Wait!" Ace said stopping him. "We're not coming in from the front. There are still people there" <br> <br>"Can't you sneak through?" Par asked tilting his head slightly. <br> <br>"And how will you get in then?" Ace asked him with a raised eyebrow. "Let's go" he said before the kid could get embarrassed and led to an entrance in a nearby house. Like a true secret tunnel it was made in the basement where lots of cobwebs occupied the place. Ace had seen his share of them and no longer even tried to get rid of them while Par did that. In vain. Those things stuck to clothes, hair and hands and nothing could change that. <br> <br>"Do we have to go through here?" Par asked unhappily. <br> <br>"We're almost there" Ace said looking for a heightened wooden floor. He had seen this place in Caro's map and hoped the tunnel was still in good shape or they would have to find a new one and that would take time. <br> <br>'There' he saw a latch on the ground and opened it up getting swallowed in a cloud of dust. Both of them sneezed a few times before being able to breathe again. Ace sent [Flare] ahead and went down the stairs thinking that if he ever had a secret tunnel in his house it would be better taken care of. If a need to escape arose, he would be caught in moments after leaving the tunnel because he would attract way too much attention being covered in a few tons of dust and cobwebs. <br> <br>At the bottom they took each other's hands and went ahead with their bodies bent like a person does when he’s sneaking. The small flame provided only a slight light leaving many dark corners that looked like good demon spawning places. Somehow passing through such corners their steps became quicker on their own. Yet there were smiles on their faces. <br> <br>It was a true adventure! Neither of them knew what exactly was waiting on the other side or even here if you were looking into that. Ace had seen the map for a whole of three minutes and couldn't remember for the sake of him where this path led. Hopefully it wasn't anything too bad. Not that he knew what that could be. <br> <br>Around half an hour later, which in truth were only ten minutes, they reached a door. It was absolutely simple without any kind of an ornament. <br> <br>"Is this it?" Par asked quietly. <br> <br>"I hope so" Ace said releasing his hand. He took out his Kris and meeting Par's eyes for a second opened the door with his left. Or tried to. "It's locked" he said in amazement. <br> <br>"So we went here for nothing?" Par asked. <br> <br>"Do you have something sharp and small?" Ace asked him ignoring the question. <br> <br>"Uhm... No? What are you planning to do?" <br> <br>"Don't you watch films? In them they just take some small sharp thing and easily open all the locks. I want to try that too!" Ace said looking through his bag but it lacked anything of the like. That left him with his daggers. He chose one of the throwing ones as they were smaller and less useful. Most of the time he never even retrieved them. <br> <br>He ordered the flame to light the lock and started to move the dagger inside as if he knew what he was doing. Time passed by as he fruitlessly tried to open it but nothing changed. Par had decided to summon his elemental and was reading a book by its light. <br> <br>"By the way when is your birthday?" Ace asked trying to push the dagger all the way through out of frustration. <br> <br>"August 7. Why?" Par asked raising his head from the book. <br> <br>"It's so soon! And what friend would I be if I missed it? It's unforgivable!" <br> <br>"You're right. When is your birthday then?" Par asked opening his notebook. It was full of spell incantations and some things he had noted on what his spells could do. <br> <br>"It is the night from April 30 to May 1, The Walpurgis Night, when witches and sorcerers meet to celebrate." Ace said stopping for a moment to remember the meaning. He liked his birthdays and hated them at the same time because his parents were always present at that time. There was no point in thinking about them but he noticed them being on the corner of his mind for the day. 'Am I missing them? That would be very stupid of me.' <br> <br>"That's cool! I wish my birthday had something as great as yours!" Par said writing the date down. <br> <br>"Well, now you have a whole day for yourself and nobody can dictate the theme of your party because it's all yours" Ace said with a smile twisting the dagger once again. <br> <br>*Click* <br> <br>Tiiriing! <br> <br><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td><div style="text-align: center">New skill acquired: Lock picking! <br> <br>You're able to open the locks that people protect their treasures with. <br> <br>+3% to opening locks&nbsp; <br>+10 Intelligence <br> <br><span style="font-weight: bold;">Warning! </span>You'll lose fame if you're seen breaking in. </div></td></tr></tbody></table></div> <br> <br>"I did it!" Ace shouted happily, forgetting all about the possible danger. <br> <br>"Really?" Par asked standing up and coming closer tried to open the door. It creaked horribly but opened up. Ace made a note to keep his future doors well-oiled too so when he tried to escape it wouldn't announce it to the whole world. <br> <br>"Let's hurry away from here" Ace said. "I'll scout ahead and you follow. I have a place in mind, okay?" <br> <br>"Sure" Par agreed and watched in wonder as Ace disappeared right from under his eyes. <br> <br>He walked ahead when a message came. /Turn left next, the coast there is clear./ This way they reached a small room that no one had even tried to search through. Who would look into a janitor's place anyway? <br> <br>Ace entered quietly and the doors made no sound. He smiled at that, the guy had been smarter than Ace had given him credit for. He knew how to take care of his things. <br> <br>Before Par came Ace lighted the candles with [Burst] and looked at the blood spattered maps on the table. 'I destroyed them quite well' he thought, because half of them were in a shape where nothing could be read from them. 'What did I do here anyway? Did I stab him again and again just for the sake of it? Shouldn't his body have disappeared if that happened?' <br> <br>His memory of the rampage was very foggy. He remembered only episodes: a hand clutching his, a goblin with his eye stabbed, fear of death in Leo's wide eyes, goblin insides falling on his hands and someone spitting at him. That hardly helped him to get a good grasp of what he did. The leftovers did but he didn't want to believe it was all his doing.. <br> <br>"I'm still a human" he whispered as Par opened the doors. <br> <br>"What did you say?" he asked looking around and liking what he saw. It was a perfect place for conspirators to meet in. <br> <br>"Nothing. Do you like it?" he asked spreading his hands as if it was all his. <br> <br>"It's amazing" Par said truthfully and sat on the single chair. <br> <br>"Great!" Ace said and sat on the table's corner. "So do you have any ideas of how I should escape?" <br> <br>"Not really..." <br> <br>"Well, neither do I..." <br> <br>Both of them looked at the candle as if the answer was hiding in its wavering flame. But it held their gazes without giving anything in return. <br> <br>"We came here for nothing" Ace concluded after some time in which he grew bored. <br> <br>Par nodded thoughtfully. "But it's still a very cool place. Let's stay here for a little longer. I told Monthu I'm staying with you anyway." <br> <br>"Same here" Ace said with a laugh. "I'm sleeping at your tent right now" <br> <br>Grins flashed on their faces as they shared a true conspiratorial look. They might not have created an elaborate plan on how to stay together but they forged a stronger bond that everyone was going to have a very hard time breaking. The smiles promised that. <br> <br> <br><a href="http://www.royalroadl.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=119&amp;t=1120" target="_blank">Next Chapter</a> </div>

[Previous Chapter](http://www.royalroadl.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=119&t=1076&p=5805#p5805) Author's Note: So here's another chapter for you. I had something I wanted to say but right now it's twelve o'clock and my mind is no longer working so that's all... Hope you like it. **** It was a great morning. Sun shone brightly basking everything in light after the night's darkness while a soft wind brushed past refreshingly. A single bird had woken up first and was telling his tale to the world. But humans rarely followed the pace of nature. This time was no exception. Like a great flood they were running towards a magnificent building, ready to smash it into pieces if that was what was needed to win. So a small goblin standing in their way had no chance of even delaying them for a second. Ace looked at them with wonder filled eyes. Why did he always in this game managed to end up in an unfavourable situation?  And there wasn't a place he could run to. Maybe they would leave him alive because he's a kid? "Kill the goblin and advance ahead without stopping!" someone shouted and Ace felt like face palming. He was no kid but a despicable and absolutely stupid goblin. It's no surprise he stood here looking at them like an idiot. Something had to be done to preserve his life but what exactly? They would be on him in seconds and lots of flying things would follow him if he tried to jump away. He noticed mages sitting on top of buildings and hiding there. It was a stupid idea as goblins' throw ability was absolutely pathetic but he wasn't the one to talk. He was even worse than they... And then they were on him. Lots of flashing steel and roaring voices. That was seen a second before he got grabbed by the collar and dragged to the side through the masses of rushing players. They seemed to be making a small circle of free space around his abductor/saviour. It was hard to say which one the guy was exactly. "Tell me I didn't drag a random goblin away?" came a very familiar voice from his captor when they escaped the centre of the flood. "I think I'm going to promote you to a bodyguard" Ace said happily. He was quite relieved to have stayed alive. "You're always right on time." "Don't make a habit out of it. One day I might just decide to leave you there" Monthu said with a huff and dragged Ace to one of the buildings where his party members had ran down to hear what was going on. Ace didn't argue. It wasn't like his clothes could get any worse than they were now. Starting with charred downs, advancing with tons of dust and finishing with blood spattered all over him. A bit of earth had nothing on it. "Why did you suddenly jump in to save a goblin?" Aurora asked rushing to him. "Someone might have accidentally killed you instead." "He should better try" Monthu said laughing. None would even dare to think of hurting him or all army would go on the guy for revenge. He might have been low level and unknown but he led them to victory and that was all that mattered. "Why did you do it anyway?" Hawk asked too. Monthu rolled his eyes and threw the goblin, who squeaked unmanly, towards others. "Doesn't he look familiar to you?" Ace whined lightly, rubbing his head and raised it meeting the curious eyes of three humans. He made an innocent expression while looking up an incantation for [Revelation]. "Am I supposed to know him from somewhere?" Aurora asked while Par got in Ace's face. They were only a few centimetres apart. "Hey, careful there! He might be dangerous!" she said, taking Par by his shoulder and pushing him away. "The only one he is dangerous to is himself. I haven't seen anyone so lacking a sense of danger as him.” "Huh?" Aurora asked when Ace started to chant. "Visions of old that were placed to hide the truth from strangers and ignorant ones show me your true colours, Revelation!" His body started to shimmer, white mist surrounding it. Soon he couldn't even be seen through it. "Gust" he said and was revealed in all his unkempt glory. "Ace?" Par asked with his eyes wide. "One and the only" he said glaring at his clothes. On a goblin it looked normal, but on a human... Well, it wouldn't be surprising if someone mistook him for a dust collector. "Seriously... What did you do now?" Hawk asked with a note of jealousy in his voice. "I might have pretended to be a goblin to get inside and meet the leader and then earn his trust..." "Why would they ever believe you?" "Me smart! Me know to say right! Big man like me, play lot!" Ace said putting his illusion back on. But this time it was a small living one that he cancelled off after showing off. Hawk's shocked expression was a good reward. "And now I need to take a bath, so please excuse me" he said before standing up and running away. "Aren't you going to see Vera first? She's very worried about you!" Aurora asked shouting after him. She could have sworn he sped up even more after hearing her words. Ace used [Shadow Veil] after the first corner and slowed down slightly. She just had to remind him of what was to come. He shook his head. There was still time to enjoy the freedom, he'll be able to cry himself a river after that. Talking about a river he was quickly approaching one. The last steps he ran at full speed and jumped in using [Shadow Dash]. Cold water met him and welcomed in its deadly embrace. He fell deep, to the very bottom before rising up again. Breaking the surface he breathed a mouthful of air and sighed in relief. He was feeling better by each second he was getting the grime off his body. And then there was a message of him getting a cold. 'That's not fair! I'm not even finished yet!' He was about to angrily storm out when he remembered his own spell. "Excessive Heat!" He felt warmth enveloping him and removing the feeling of refreshing cold. 'It seems there's not a way I can win here' he thought annoyed and went to where the river was shallower. There he took off most of his clothes and scrubbed himself clean. He was finely feeling good when he remembered he hadn't gotten any spare clothes. So now it was wearing wet and dirty ones or wearing none. 'Why didn't I think about it before, again..?' It was a good question that he pondered for more than ten minutes. Neither prospect seemed like a good one for him. /Hey, can you come to the river?/ he wrote to Par in the end. It took the kid long twenty minutes before he managed to find him. Ace's mood had become sour by that time. Because of [Excessive Heat] he wasn't cold but was none the less stuck for a whole half an hour alone on the riverbank with nothing to do. He couldn't even play the flute because his fingers got wrinkled by spending too much time in the water. "What happened?" Par asked coming closer. Somehow he was alone. "I fell into the river... Do you by any chance have some spare clothes?" Ace asked praying the answer was positive. "Uhm... I should have..." he said opening his inventory. There he found a few robes. The bigger one he took out. "Is this okay?" It was dark green with a black ornament of a flower going down. 'Not that bad' Ace decided taking it gratefully. The thing could have been the colour of sickly green or not present at all. "Thanks" he said with a bright smile and put it on. It was slightly too small for him but nothing too noticeable. "You're a life saver, just like your brother." The compliment seemed to please the kid as his smile grew bigger before vanishing suddenly. "You're going to leave, aren't you? You have to do what they tell you, don't you?" he asked quietly. Ace looked at him seriously losing his playful expression too. "Who knows? You're right, I have to listen to them but it's different from you. They're not really my relatives so they don't feel sympathetic to me like your brother who would forgive you anything. But that doesn't mean there isn't a chance of getting rid of them. All I need is a single plan." "Do you really believe it's possible?" Par asked. There was hopelessness in his voice. He really liked Ace, but now they'll be separated by no fault of their own. Why were the grown-ups so ruthless? He wished he could become one and be able to travel around with Ace freely, without anyone capable of stopping them. "There's always a chance. What's the point of going forward if you don't believe in your own victory? Who cares if it's fighting windmill blades?" Ace asked rhetorically, remembering an old book he'd read. Par looked at him strangely. "What do you mean?" "Don't mind me. What I mean is, I'll surely stay around here for some time with you and return to finish the quest. So we have a few weeks to come up with a plan. I hope you're ready to become a conspirator?" Ace asked with a dangerous glint in his eyes. There was no reason not to make it into an adventure himself. Not all quests had to be written down and received from others. Sometimes you had to do something for yourself too. Par thought for a moment. His brother wouldn't approve of it but he really wanted to do it. He had never done anything of the like before. His brother and parents were always there to stop him from doing anything even remotely dangerous. "Okay!" "Deal!" Ace said with a smile and like true conspirators they shook hands solemnly, sealing their pact. "Let's meet..." "In the castle? I wasn't allowed in before because of goblin danger" Par said hopefully. "Perfect. I know everything there. Wait for me somewhere close at ten o'clock, okay?" "I'll be under the third beast sculpture" Par said, remembering how all those who met secretly did this. Ace nodded and together they stood up and went in different directions. None could see them talking. Inside Ace was laughing at the stupidity of both of their actions. But who wouldn't want to act out a spy film? Those were the best things ever! So behind the first tree he used [Shadow Veil] and this way went into the city. And good thing he hid. Right past him Vera ran through at full speed. She was rushing towards the river. 'Did she leave her appearance the same so I could recognize her easily?' Ace wondered. 'Does that mean most of them did that too?' She was a clear leader of those overprotective of him and all followed her lead most of the time. Further ahead he saw a female earth mage. She hadn't changed either. Raven black hair, tanned skin,  delicate features and a small stature. She was wearing a brown mage's robe with green designs and had her hair tightened with a light green headband. It didn't look good at all. She was never good at combining colours. When he came closer, she just looked straight through him like she had for the last five years. At least now he had a legitimate reason to explain to himself why it was so. Shaking his head slightly he made sure no rogues were around and moved away. Nothing could be gained by standing around. "Hasn't anyone seen him since?" "Some saw the other kid going there but he's denying it." "How could he just disappear into thin air? That's not natural!" Ace hurried away. He knew exactly who they were looking for and had no wish to be found. He chose to enter some secret tunnel as it would give him some peace. He couldn’t hide forever but there was nothing bad in prolonging the time of freedom. Once he was found, nothing would be the same. He laughed quietly at the way he described meeting with his childhood friends. It sounded nothing less of a world war. The hall ended in a room filled with people. 'Oh yeah... This one belongs to the assassin family...' He had turned to go back when a hand on the shoulder stopped him. "What have you come here for this time?" Helbert asked. "Mistake. Been looking for a place to hide. I'll be out then" he said and was about to leave. "So you've lost. I knew it was too good to be true..." he said with sadness. His shoulders slumped in defeat. It didn't look right on him somehow. "What?" Elena asked appearing from nowhere too. 'They should be extremely high level if I couldn't even see shadows moving where they were.' "Not exactly. We won, the castle has been retaken" Ace said explaining helpfully. "Right. And you're hiding because it's so safe outside?" Helbert said, unbelieving. "My caretakers came and want to start ordering my life again so I'm trying to stave off that time as far as possible" Ace said shrugging. "So we're really safe now?" Elena asked hopefully. "Yeah. All goblins with their leaders are dead and the grounds are filled with people of the army and those who came to take me back" "Can we come out freely or is there a reason to wait? Is that why you didn't come to tell us the moment it happened?" Helbert asked trusting Ace's decisions. "I f..." Ace caught himself at the last moment. He was about to tell the people he was saving that he had totally forgotten about them! That was totally wrong! "It happened just a few hours ago so I waited some time to make sure everything was safe. I didn't want to bring you out and then see goblins had latched a surprise attack" he said in a very serious tone pretending that was really his reasoning. | *Deception +4%* | | --- | "Thanks. You think it's okay now?" "It should be. Although it would be safer if you first collected yourselves in a single place and advanced from there. You never know what might happen." "That is true. Could you help us in this?" "Sure" Ace said with a sigh. It's not like he expected to be able to hide for long. He might as well show up as a hero. "What about the earth wizard's garden? Many people could stay there hidden while everyone comes?" "Okay. We'll come there ourselves, you bring others." Ace nodded and left slightly annoyed. He had expected to gain a quest but maybe he wanted too much. They had already given him a lot and he'll be on the top of contributors' to this place list, gaining lots of bonuses. It wasn't bad at all. Thinking this way he went to pick up the survivors. They were ecstatic to hear the news of victory and happily agreed to first meet up with the others who made it through. Taking few groups at a time he managed to get them all by midday. Around a hundred people were now gathered in the small space and were chatting rapidly. They had cried enough tears for those who had fallen and now were rejoicing with those that made it through. Helbert came to see Ace who stood at the side. "We're all ready. Lead us to the head of the army" he said with earth mage Doran beside him. "I'm proud of you" he said. *The title "Flare of Hope" has become permanent* 'Great' "Follow me then" Ace said and smiling skipped to the front. He chose the shortest path and threw lots of players into surprise when he marched towards Monthu's office with a large entourage. Only then did he remember that the guy didn't have to be there. He wasn't one to fill the papers all the day. /Are you in your office?/ he wrote being only a hundred meters away. /No. Why?/ '....' /Where are you then? Hurry!/ /Castle/ /The main hall/ /What's the rush?/ /I'm taking all survivors to you. Be prepared/ "This is his office but..." "That's my house!" someone from the crowd behind him shouted out but Ace ignored him. "... right now he's in the castle. It has been retaken not too long ago so he's taking care of things there" Ace said finishing and turned to the left. The castle was looming over him and it wasn't hard to go its way at all. He was skipping happily knowing that soon enough someone would see him and report it to Vera. He was really not waiting for that moment. When they entered, Ace determined where everyone was with [Instincts of a Predator] and went that way. He knew it quite well. The sounds of loud hushed voices came from the wide room, the old ballroom. Ace took his people there and without glancing at the scene marched off towards Monthu. He was the only one like that. All - a hundred or so people - became frozen at the spot as they glanced at what had been their dance floor. Bodies of dozens of goblins were lying around with their insides out and parts of bodies in different places. Most of them were covered in blood and some greenish liquid around which the skin had turned blue. All around the floor was full of corroded holes the size of a kid's fist. "What happened here?" Doran asked quietly. Goblins might have been horrible monsters but even they hardly deserved such a massacre. "We're trying to figure it out at the moment" Monthu said coming closer. "It seems like everyone was gathered here when an unknown force came and slaughtered them all. After that it disappeared into thin air, leaving no trace for us to follow. And by the way who might you be?" "I'm Sir Doran, one of the councilmen. There had been twelve of us who had ruled this place" they guy said in a strong voice but it held remorse. "It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Monthu, the general." "Then I should thank you for all the hard work you put into it. When the kid said you came to help us, I was very doubtful but it seems it was for no reason." "Thank you. Are these all the survivors?" "Yes and I'd like to let them finally go home if you're okay with it" Doran asked. "That is fine. Would they like my people to help?" "No need. We know where our houses are." Monthu nodded and turned towards Hawk at his right and started to chat about provisions. Ace was absolutely ignored. That was fine by him for now. Later on he'll have to make everything how it was but at the moment he wanted to be alone. "Ang!" came a shout from his back and Ace knew he was doomed. It was too late to make his escape now. A female rushed to him hugging so tightly he could barely breath. He tried to push her away but it was to no avail. "I can't believe I finally found you!" she said to his back. "Happy to see you" Ace said with a forced smile that no one could ever see through. He was a master at faking his emotions so his deceit was going to raise exponentially now that he had to deal with her. "I was so worried and they said you got locked in with all the goblins and a monster that ki... uhm... sent them away" she finished lamely, pulling him away and looking at him by holding his shoulders. There hadn't been any need to protect him from horrible truth of the world in reality but this game was filled with violence! Ace wanted to laugh at her concern but kept himself in check. Now more than ever he needed to act exceptionally well. But that didn't mean everything could be tolerated. "You know you can use the word killed and death around me..." he said with his head down. "What do you mean? Who said that to you?" she asked turning her head towards Monthu who was ordering his people to do something. Ace rolled his eyes inwardly and said "My parents explained what happens when old Anna died. You know she took care of me when I was growing up and then she suddenly disappeared. After a lot of time, they finally explained to me the truth of what happened." His words were clear but there were sadness in them as if he really loved the old hag who forcefully fed him poisonous concoctions (soup) and made him go to sleep with light (ten o'clock). "Aww... You poor thing. And you never told me! It should have been hard for you, my sweetie! Come here" Vera said hugging him once again. It would have been a pleasant experience considering she was a beautiful girl but her seeing him only as a child destroyed any kind of affection he might have held for her. Ace pushed her away. As long as the role allowed it, he wasn't going to let her be close longer than a second necessary. "Don't snuggle him like that. He's a big boy now, aren't you?" Kev said coming to them and ruffling Ace's hair who nodded eagerly, looking at him with shining eyes. "Kevin is here too!" he said in a happy shout, his mood bright once again. "Did you think I'll let her pamper you into a lady?" he said laughing and Ace smiled too. He knew well that Kev will spoil him just as much if not more. It was an unbreakable rule that he wasn't allowed to do anything and was given everything before even able to think about it. "Does that mean others are here too?" he asked eagerly. "Yes, we should go see them now. They're just outside the castle." Like a bullet shot Ace ran outside. Every second away from the two was a breath of fresh air. No one else was as suffocating as them. His parents were the best in that regard. 'I wish they would come here and chase all of them away...' he thought with a sigh but knew better than to hope for it. It was a lost cause and he had to do everything himself if he wanted out.   "Hey guys!" he said bursting outside into a group of thirty or so people. "Ang!" "We've been searching for you! How..?" "... looking around..." "... did you survive?" "Been fine?" "Has everyone been nice to you?" Vera added coming after him. It was a stupid question. There were different kinds of people so how could everyone be nice? He didn't get it. "Yes, I've been great! I met many new people and became friends with most of them (more like sworn enemies). Also Par and I are best friends now! We do everything together!" Ace said cheerfully, smiling from ear to ear. "Really? That's great!" Sam said. He didn't know her game name yet... "Let's go to our camp now and rest. You can tell us all about your adventures there" Vera said taking his hand but Ace evaded her clumsily. It was important to look like a useless burden or else they might suspect something. "I can't! I promised to stay with Par!" he said crossing his arms over his chest, his eyes changing into orange. "What do you mean you can't? Will something happen to you if you don't? Did that pretentious bastard threaten you?" Kev asked, taking him by his shoulders. "Kev your words!" Vera said in outrage. "Not now, Veronica. So did he?" Kev asked in a barely controlled voice. "I'm going to skin him alive if he even thought about it!" Ace looked at him wide eyed. That wasn't what he was going for at all! He had no wish to get Monthu killed as that would make it very complicated to launch a plan with Par. "No, no, NO!" Ace said shaking his head so much that his whole body moved in Kev's hands. "I've just promised to stay with Par and you always taught me how important it is to keep your word!" he said with tears in his eyes. Kev's hands didn't really hurt that much but it was never a bad idea to exaggerate slightly. "Kev release him this moment! He's not one of your guys! He's just a kid!" Vera shouted taking Ace whose eyes flashed red in her own hands from stunned Kev. "Don't worry, sweetie. He won't hurt you again. I'll make sure of it" she said promising softly. Ace was trying desperately to keep his temper in check. He could take any kind of abuse but one thing was still stepping on a wound. He didn't really care what else Vera was saying while he calmed himself down. He wished so much to throw her and get away but he didn't want to get locked up. For that he had to continue his act. He shut his eyes even tighter before opening them and pushing away from the concerned girl. "Are you okay?" He nodded slightly with his head down. "You'll be able to spend time with your friend, don't worry okay? We'll work something out for sure. Come now. You'll tell us everything about your amazing adventures and how you met your newest friend. Just don't be sad" she said with a smile and gave him a sweet. Ace sighed inwardly. Why were people giving candy to sad kids? How was it supposed to help? It was just a piece of sugary food. He took it gratefully and put in his mouth. The barmaid had had better ones... He went with them to their camp outside the walls. Some people had prepared a wide space in a middle with a fire going. Vera took Ace there and sat him, she and the others sat down a few steps away where they could hear him perfectly but be out of the heats range. It was getting very hot as Ace sat quietly waiting for everyone to find a suitable patch of earth. The day was still warm and the fire beside him was enhancing it to extremes. He was going to get cooked if nothing changed. He could say that to Vera but Ace had no wish to be thankful to her for anything. He thought for a moment and activated [Excessive Heat]. The skill heightened his body’s temperature so it should ease the strain of heat on him too... At least that was what he hoped for. What happened was that he caught on fire! Flames started to come from his body licking the clothes but leaving them intact. The grass wasn't so lucky. It caught on fire quickly and advanced in great speed before anyone was able to react. Soon Ace sat in a cage of flames but it didn't burn him at all. Interested he raised his hand and put it right in ignoring Vera's shriek. Nothing happened. *Splash!* "Apchoo!" Ace sneezed the water he had been doused in. "What was that for?" he asked in a shout angrily. He wanted to test it more and now he was wet once again without any clothes to change into. "You were on fire! Are you burned? I told you not to put your hand into the flames. Someone find a cleric! Fast!" Vera said fussing over him. "I'm fine" he said laughing. "It's just a game! I'm not hurt at all!" "What do you mean? I clearly saw you putting your hand into the fire!" she said not comprehending. "Magic" Ace said mysteriously, pretending he had known that would happen. He would never hear the end of it if he didn't. "Is that your skill? Oh yeah! You're a spellsword. Can you show it again? It was so cool!" someone said in a shout and Ace happily nodded standing up to get to the fire. Vera grabbed his hand and sent a death glare to the person who had opened his mouth a few moments before. "You're not doing anything of a kind! I ban it! It's too dangerous! The skill might not work for some reason at any given time! I got scared half to death even seeing that!" Vera said angrily. 'And what would happen if I managed to hack the skill into not working? I would get a small burn? That's a disaster, death for sure. And it's not like there's a willing to help cleric in every direction.' Ace thought annoyed and it showed on his face but he didn't argue. She would never go down for something like that. He consulted himself by thinking of what he did when no one was looking and felt slightly better. She knew and could do nothing to stop that. "Sit a bit farther away from the fire now and let's hear it, your tale" Vera said smiling and Ace sat down. He was cold now but the skill made it a bit better so he hoped not to catch a cold. He was surprised Vera didn't get anything for him to warm up when he remembered she was from Lavana. That kingdom was great in a way that it had a single warm season. Oradin on the other hand had four of them and those who had never been here knew nothing about sicknesses and cold wind's powers. It was an early autumn so the sun was still strong, only slightly losing its heat. Snow was still ways off. Yet Ace was already eagerly waiting for it as, when he joined the game it had all melted down and in his hometown in reality it was always summer. There were many people around and he didn't know most of them. He remembered Monthu saying this army contained around a thousand players and they probably wanted to know why they had hurried off to find a kid. There were only thirty people eligible to join RD from his town so all others must be random. All here for him. It would have been exhilarating if it didn't mean that now he had a thousand people looking after his every step. He had no doubts Vera had told them a gazillion times to take good care of him and that she would reward everyone who did. Many will probably fall for it and he'll have to get rid of them in a nice way. So much work... "The sun was so bright when I came to this world! It blinded me for a moment and then I felt myself alive! I saw..." Ace said starting his tale and continued with all his adventures that had nothing shadowy in it. He talked about meeting an old man and staying with him for a long time for free. Supposedly he left because the man's family came.  Later Monthu and the group showed up and took him in. Then together they cleared the cave and captured an evil illusionist. After that came a very edited version of the caravan fight and the ghost's quest. There were no breaking ins and lying in achieving that at all. In the end he explained how he came with the army, got to lead the rogues and managed to get himself locked inside by an accident. Ace was proud of his story. He managed to edit everything on the spot and make it look like he was a little angel while telling real events. What he did at night was forgotten altogether. Questions came from all sides and he answered them with a bright smile. It was fun in a way, to tell the truth. He was able to talk as much as he wanted and everyone listened to his every word like he was giving a sermon. Then they told their stories too. Most of them were funny as no battle ones were appropriate for a kid in Vera's opinion. They laughed and spent their time happily together. Ace wished it was always like that. Even Vera had calmed down and different kind of stories started to be told to everyone's delight. Ace sat in a middle of it and did something that happened rarely. He smiled sincerely, enjoying the moment. It changed nothing but he had learnt to treasure every moment and this one was a great one. The sun moved through the horizon and was now falling behind the clouds, allowing moon to take her place. Night descended but the fire burned brighter and more cheerful by each moment keeping the high spirits up. Ace was tired but he still had some unfinished business. One of them was to meet Par. He thought for a moment but seeing no alternative approached Vera. "I think I'm going to sleep." "Okay. Come I'll prepare a bed for you" she said with a smile. Today was a success. "You promised I could go to Par!" Ace said angrily. Vera grimaced. She had hoped he would forget it by the evening. "It's late now. You'll just fall asleep and that's all. Wouldn't it better if you went to him in the morning?" she asked, trying to persuade him. "You promised!" Ace said stubbornly, his small hands clenched into fists but his eyes stayed clear blue. "I didn't know, we'd stay up so late. There's no point in going there now" she said softly. "But you promised I could!" Ace said repeating his words. He had learnt it was one of the best tactics to get onto someone's nerves so much that they gave you what you wanted. All you needed was to not hear all the objections until the person ran out of them and in that way push your point through. "Why do you want to go there so much? I hope the guy didn't really threaten you?" she asked narrowing her eyes. "You know you can tell me and I'll protect you from him." Ace held himself from rolling his eyes. Were they ever going to stop with that? "Par is my friend. Aren't I supposed to want to spend time with him too?" he asked with a curiosity filled look. Vera had nothing to say to that. Every word she used would be then used against her later on as she was just a friend too. "There's nothing wrong with that. Feel free to go and meet him but be here in the morning" she said with a pretend smile which was as fake as it can be. Ace felt like he should teach her some things, not that she would want to hear it. Lips weren't supposed to waver and the corners of your mouth should go up too, not even going into a brightened expression and shining eyes. She was just terrible. "Thanks!" he said showing a perfect version and ran off ignoring her sudden concerns about his safety. The next moment he was behind a bend and used [Shadow Veil] so when she ran after him, he stood motionless and absolutely invisible. He waited for her to choose a random direction and went the other. It was almost midnight so he went towards the castle. The surrounding place was still empty so he found a comfortable place and took out his pair of Sai. They were such a strange weapon still, resembling a fork to him. 'I should learn to use them somehow tomorrow. But how should I escape from her again? Or would it be better to go straight to Elena when the sun raises?' While he was wondering that Par showed up. "Hey!" Ace said removing his shadow and scaring the kid half to death. "Don't do that again!" he said in a whisper/shout holding onto his heart. "Sorry" Ace said sheepishly but quickly a smile brightened his face. "Ready to go exploring?" "I thought you said you knew the castle?" Par asked uncertainly. The looming castle looked evil at night with its sharp towers and scary beasts all around. "You don't mean you're scared?" Ace asked incredulous. "Of course not!" Par said without thinking even for a second and marched off straight to the entrance. "Wait!" Ace said stopping him. "We're not coming in from the front. There are still people there" "Can't you sneak through?" Par asked tilting his head slightly. "And how will you get in then?" Ace asked him with a raised eyebrow. "Let's go" he said before the kid could get embarrassed and led to an entrance in a nearby house. Like a true secret tunnel it was made in the basement where lots of cobwebs occupied the place. Ace had seen his share of them and no longer even tried to get rid of them while Par did that. In vain. Those things stuck to clothes, hair and hands and nothing could change that. "Do we have to go through here?" Par asked unhappily. "We're almost there" Ace said looking for a heightened wooden floor. He had seen this place in Caro's map and hoped the tunnel was still in good shape or they would have to find a new one and that would take time. 'There' he saw a latch on the ground and opened it up getting swallowed in a cloud of dust. Both of them sneezed a few times before being able to breathe again. Ace sent [Flare] ahead and went down the stairs thinking that if he ever had a secret tunnel in his house it would be better taken care of. If a need to escape arose, he would be caught in moments after leaving the tunnel because he would attract way too much attention being covered in a few tons of dust and cobwebs. At the bottom they took each other's hands and went ahead with their bodies bent like a person does when he’s sneaking. The small flame provided only a slight light leaving many dark corners that looked like good demon spawning places. Somehow passing through such corners their steps became quicker on their own. Yet there were smiles on their faces. It was a true adventure! Neither of them knew what exactly was waiting on the other side or even here if you were looking into that. Ace had seen the map for a whole of three minutes and couldn't remember for the sake of him where this path led. Hopefully it wasn't anything too bad. Not that he knew what that could be. Around half an hour later, which in truth were only ten minutes, they reached a door. It was absolutely simple without any kind of an ornament. "Is this it?" Par asked quietly. "I hope so" Ace said releasing his hand. He took out his Kris and meeting Par's eyes for a second opened the door with his left. Or tried to. "It's locked" he said in amazement. "So we went here for nothing?" Par asked. "Do you have something sharp and small?" Ace asked him ignoring the question. "Uhm... No? What are you planning to do?" "Don't you watch films? In them they just take some small sharp thing and easily open all the locks. I want to try that too!" Ace said looking through his bag but it lacked anything of the like. That left him with his daggers. He chose one of the throwing ones as they were smaller and less useful. Most of the time he never even retrieved them. He ordered the flame to light the lock and started to move the dagger inside as if he knew what he was doing. Time passed by as he fruitlessly tried to open it but nothing changed. Par had decided to summon his elemental and was reading a book by its light. "By the way when is your birthday?" Ace asked trying to push the dagger all the way through out of frustration. "August 7. Why?" Par asked raising his head from the book. "It's so soon! And what friend would I be if I missed it? It's unforgivable!" "You're right. When is your birthday then?" Par asked opening his notebook. It was full of spell incantations and some things he had noted on what his spells could do. "It is the night from April 30 to May 1, The Walpurgis Night, when witches and sorcerers meet to celebrate." Ace said stopping for a moment to remember the meaning. He liked his birthdays and hated them at the same time because his parents were always present at that time. There was no point in thinking about them but he noticed them being on the corner of his mind for the day. 'Am I missing them? That would be very stupid of me.' "That's cool! I wish my birthday had something as great as yours!" Par said writing the date down. "Well, now you have a whole day for yourself and nobody can dictate the theme of your party because it's all yours" Ace said with a smile twisting the dagger once again. *Click* Tiiriing! | New skill acquired: Lock picking! You're able to open the locks that people protect their treasures with. +3% to opening locks  +10 Intelligence Warning! You'll lose fame if you're seen breaking in. | | --- | "I did it!" Ace shouted happily, forgetting all about the possible danger. "Really?" Par asked standing up and coming closer tried to open the door. It creaked horribly but opened up. Ace made a note to keep his future doors well-oiled too so when he tried to escape it wouldn't announce it to the whole world. "Let's hurry away from here" Ace said. "I'll scout ahead and you follow. I have a place in mind, okay?" "Sure" Par agreed and watched in wonder as Ace disappeared right from under his eyes. He walked ahead when a message came. /Turn left next, the coast there is clear./ This way they reached a small room that no one had even tried to search through. Who would look into a janitor's place anyway? Ace entered quietly and the doors made no sound. He smiled at that, the guy had been smarter than Ace had given him credit for. He knew how to take care of his things. Before Par came Ace lighted the candles with [Burst] and looked at the blood spattered maps on the table. 'I destroyed them quite well' he thought, because half of them were in a shape where nothing could be read from them. 'What did I do here anyway? Did I stab him again and again just for the sake of it? Shouldn't his body have disappeared if that happened?' His memory of the rampage was very foggy. He remembered only episodes: a hand clutching his, a goblin with his eye stabbed, fear of death in Leo's wide eyes, goblin insides falling on his hands and someone spitting at him. That hardly helped him to get a good grasp of what he did. The leftovers did but he didn't want to believe it was all his doing.. "I'm still a human" he whispered as Par opened the doors. "What did you say?" he asked looking around and liking what he saw. It was a perfect place for conspirators to meet in. "Nothing. Do you like it?" he asked spreading his hands as if it was all his. "It's amazing" Par said truthfully and sat on the single chair. "Great!" Ace said and sat on the table's corner. "So do you have any ideas of how I should escape?" "Not really..." "Well, neither do I..." Both of them looked at the candle as if the answer was hiding in its wavering flame. But it held their gazes without giving anything in return. "We came here for nothing" Ace concluded after some time in which he grew bored. Par nodded thoughtfully. "But it's still a very cool place. Let's stay here for a little longer. I told Monthu I'm staying with you anyway." "Same here" Ace said with a laugh. "I'm sleeping at your tent right now" Grins flashed on their faces as they shared a true conspiratorial look. They might not have created an elaborate plan on how to stay together but they forged a stronger bond that everyone was going to have a very hard time breaking. The smiles promised that. [Next Chapter](http://www.royalroadl.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=119&t=1120)

<div class="chapter-inner chapter-content"> &lt;Church Summons&gt;<br><br><span style="font-style: italic;">The mage and the warrior made their way to the priest’s house. The priest had a beautiful and serene home in a clearing in the middle of forest. The mage and the warrior walked up to the door and knocked.<br><br>“Is anyone home?”<br><br>The mage asked as he knocked on the door of the house. The sound of hurried footsteps could be heard from within the house. Within a few moment, a young beautiful girl with long blond hair came to answer the door. <br><br>“Hello. It’s been a lot time since I’ve last saw the two of you.”<br><br>True to her occupation, she had a cheery disposition. The priest had been friends with the mage and the warrior for quite some time.<br><br>“Do you have time to talk?”<br><br>The mage asked the priest since it would be rude of him to simply bother her if she was busy.<br><br>“Of course. What’s on your mind?”<br><br>The priest didn’t really have anything better to do. Since she had already finished her plans under the new system, she didn’t have any work that needed to be done. Seeing as she didn’t have anything to do, she spent her time peacefully in the forest.<br><br>“It’s about the new system that ‘he’ has set up.”<br><br>The warrior decided to explain for the mage.<br><br>“You see, the two of us haven’t come up with any plans to generate more resources and if this keeps up then it’s going to be bad for us.”<br><br>The priest nodded her head in understanding.<br><br>“So the reason you came here is...?”<br><br>She tilted her head in confusion as to why they had decided to visit her.<br><br>“Have you managed to come up with something yet? We want to see what other people are doing so that we can come up with a plan of our own.”<br><br>The mage asked her, hoping that she could give them some advice.<br><br>“Oh, if it’s that, then yes I’ve already finished mine a long time ago. If you want, I can tell you how I decided to do mine.”<br><br>The priest began to explain but then the mage asked her if she could wait a moment. He reached for his staff, which he used to summon a piece of paper and a pen to write with. Since he was a scholar, he wanted to document his sources so that he could refer back to them anytime he wanted. Now that he was ready, the priest began her explanation.<br><br>“Once the system changed, I decided it was a good idea to...<br><br>The mage quickly took notes as the priest explained the rest.<br><br></span>***<br><br>“Halt. Which church are you from?”<br><br>The guards at the gate stopped them at the gates. The church in Somuren had considerable influence in the city and had asked the guardsmen to keep a record on the churches that have arrived thus far.<br><br>“We are the members of the church in the Citadel of Serabourg in the Kingdom of Rosenheim.”<br><br>Calvin replied to the guardsmen. After they had been processed, they entered the city and started heading to the church.<br><br>“Buying japtem. All types and quantities.”<br><br>There were various merchants on the streets buying and peddling goods. With the low tax rates, it was a haven for merchant classes. They passed by the shopping district and continued towards the church. Along the way, they received various glances from the users.<br><br>“It’s the church of Freya. They’ve been moving around in the city a lot recently.”<br>“Do you think that something is going on?”<br>“Maybe there’s going to be an event quest soon.”<br><br>Rumors were starting amongst the user base. It was very strange that the church had been starting to move on larger scale operations. Ever since the return of the treasures of the church, Helain’s Grail and Fargo’s Crown, the church had gained much more respect and influence. With their growing power, they began to become much more active throughout the continent. However, just like all things, as the light grows stronger then the dark does the same to complement it. With the growing power of the church, the forces of darkness began to crawl out of their ditches to make themselves known,<br><br>“Calvin, could you tell me the basis behind our summons?”<br><br>Sun could hear the conversations of the nearby users. It was very strange that the church would call on any other church aside from horrible tragedies such as the infestation of Lexington by the undead. If they, and the other churches in the surrounding the area, were called to make a move then it must be something of catastrophic consequence.<br><br>“I wasn’t told much...”<br><br>Calvin could only tell Sun regretfully.<br><br>“However, I do have a clue.”<br>“Let’s hear it.”<br><br>Sun knew that Calvin was a relatively bright person despite his appearances. If Calvin had an idea about the situation, then it wouldn’t usually be too far from the truth.<br><br>“Do you recall that undead dungeon that you destroyed a few months ago?”<br>“Of course.”<br><br>Sun could distinctly remember what had happened in the Corpse Tomb. That was because it was the place that he had spent an entire month crawling through and also the place where he made some of his very precious friends. During the journey, he had whispered them a few times to check on how they were doing. From the sounds of it, they had taken the longer route out of Rosenheim and would soon be leaving it’s borders.<br><br>“The recent activity of the undead have been more than suspicious as of late. The infestation of Lexington by the undead was very unusual as well as our recent encounter with the necromancers in the cave.”<br>“That is true. Those necromancers looked like they were up to something sinister.”<br><br>Sun thought back at the necromancers at the cave. Their presence in the area was very suspicious since the Bar Khu Mountain Range was a place that was highly populated by monsters. The Kingdom of Rosenheim and the United Kingdom of Briton also frequently sent extermination squads into the area to sweep up the dangerous monsters. For the necromancers to live in such a place would very easily endanger their lives. Since necromancers were usually human, they would not go to such a place without reason since their lives would be at stake.<br><br>‘There was also that ‘angel’ nonsense that necromancer kept going on about.’<br><br>Sun thought back to the undead subjugation back in the town of Lexington. The culprit, a necromancer, had tried to destroy the town of Lexington and had formed a stronghold within the Dawes Caverns. The church had mobilized its forces to destroy the undead threat. With the sacrifice of many paladins, the undead were completely purged from the area.<br><br>However, the necromancer had been unusually hostile towards Sun. Upon seeing Sun, the necromancer lost control of himself in a fit of rage. To his knowledge, he had never met this necromancer before in his life. There were many, many people in his world that wished to do him harm but he had not done any injustice to anyone in this world yet. At least none that he knew of...<br><br>‘There has to be some sort of connection.’<br><br>Sun was not foolish enough to believe that this many undead attacks were mere coincidences. Undead attacks were rare to begin with because there were few necromancers, since it wasn’t exactly an honorable or profitable profession. In most cases, the majority of undead in the world are created from a strong necromancer rather than many weak ones. Bar Khan was an example of such a necromancer.<br><br>Undead outbreaks, ‘angel’, necromancers, and the God of Light. There had to be some connection between all of them. However Sun could not fathom what all of it could mean.<br><br>They entered into the church, passing by the line of users that were waiting to buy a blessing and holy water. They then entered into a waiting room where they sat around and waited.<br><br>“How long is this going to take?”<br><br>Sun asked since it had been quite some time since they had arrived.<br><br>“Who knows?”<br><br>Calvin didn’t know either. That was reasonable because the High Priest, despite being the one that sent the summons, was a very busy person. That aside, there were a number of different churches here as well that looked like they had been waiting for a considerable amount of time.<br><br>“How long have you been waiting?”<br><br>Sun asked one of the holy knights that were from another church.<br><br>“Before you ask me a question, you should be introduce yourself first. It is only proper manners.”<br><br>Sun felt a tinge of annoyance. However, the holy knight had been correct. It was very rude of him to ask without first introducing himself.<br><br>“I apologize for being rude. I am Sun from the church in the Citadel of Serabourg in the Kingdom of Rosenheim. I have just arrived with the rest of my church on the summons of the High Priest. Are you and your brothers been summoned for the same reason?”<br><br>“I see that you do have some manners after all. I am Leon, from the church of Rue Truark in the Kingdom of Rodensia.”<br><br>To his knowledge, this was a small republic that bordered the United Kingdom of Briton.<br><br>“To answer your question, I arrived last week and it looks like the High Priest is going to give out commands once everyone arrives.”<br><br>Sun thanked the holy knight before thinking to himself.<br><br>‘So I have another month until then.’<br><br>Since they had spent two months traveling, that meant one month of time was still left until the churches from the farther regions arrive.<br><br>“Calvin, I’m going to look around the city for awhile.”<br>“Sure.”<br><br>Calvin heard the same thing as Sun and gave his approval. However before Sun began to turn around and leave, Calvin called back to him.<br><br>“Sun, before you leave take this.”<br><br>-You have received a map.<br><br>Calvin handed him a map of the Somuren Liberty City. There were a number of different markings on it to show key locations. On the map, with a picture of its symbol, was the location of the Church of Freya.<br><br>“There’s no room at the church so we have to take care of our own individual lodgings.”<br><br>Calvin told him that he needed to stay at an inn for the next month as well as take care of his own meals. Sun quickly checked his savings in his magical dimensional pouch.<br>‘I should have quite enough.’<br><br>After having hunted in the dungeon with his friends back in Rosenheim, he earned quite a lot of gold. They had given him a large cut of the gold since he had not taken any of the equipment and he played a pivotal role in the hunt.<br><br>Sun left the church and headed towards the town’s fountain. In almost every city, the fountain had the largest concentration of shops and consumer facilities.<br><br>The fountain area was bustling as expected, with all sorts of people forming parties to hunt and beginners filling their canteens with water. Feeling a little hungry, Sun decided to head over to a diner. He walked into the building and ordered some food. While he was waiting for his food to be prepared, he looked over to the image crystal to see what was going on in the continent.<br><br>“Hello everyone this is your host Shin Hye Min of KMC Media. Have you heard the latest news about Rosenheim, Oh Juwan?”<br><br>Sun looked at the girl that was in the image crystal.<br><br>‘Those are some strange clothes that she’s wearing.’<br><br>The guy and the girl that were in the crystal began talking to each other.<br><br>“You must mean that sculptor. Yes, I’ve heard about him. I would like to interview him if I could get the chance. What do you know about this topic? I heard that you were in Rosenheim recently.”<br>“That’s correct. I was in Rosenheim on personal business and was able to see the construction of the pyramid.”<br><br>The two of them began highlighting the various key points about the construction.<br><br>‘To think that something like that was going on when I was gone.’<br><br>Sun had been gone from the Citadel of Rosenheim for approximately 3 months. Two months had been spent traveling and one month had be previously spent in the dungeon. It was no wonder that he didn’t hear anything about it.<br><br>“We have a clip of the construction process that was uploaded to the internet by a user.”<br><br>The screen changed to another scene where there were a large number of people lifting giant pieces of rock towards a pyramid. The voices of several users could be heard writhing in agony from being crushed underneath the heavy rocks.<br><br>‘Who would do such an inhumane thing?’<br><br>Sun thought to himself, completely disregarding the fact that he had crushed all the bones in Awaitsun’s body while holding a princess hostage. Since he only remembered things that were useful to him, he had completely forgot about it.<br><br>Finishing up his meal, Sun paid for his meal and then left the building. Outside, he casually browsed around the stores looking at this and that. Of course he had no intention of actually buying anything and was only doing this to waste some time.<br><br>‘Now that I think about it, I still have to wait an entire month.’<br><br>Sun came back to the issue that he had nothing to do. Previously he had realized that he had this problem but then it was resolved when he went dungeon hunting with his friends. However, now he had an entire month to spend doing nothing but eating and sleeping. He needed to find something to do, otherwise he would die of boredom.<br><br>He decided to first pay for a month’s stay at an inn that was close to the church. It cost quite a bit, but it wasn’t much compared to how much he had. His total capital was currently 75 thousand gold, an outrageous sum for his level and character class. Hunting at the dungeon with Yong Li and the rest of the party had only given him a mere 1 thousand gold. The rest had come from his solo hunting and his work with the church. After pawning off all the stuff that he got from melting monsters with his skills, he had gotten himself a small fortune. For a character that was level 170, this was a horribly large sum of money. He saved a considerable amount of money because he had no need to purchase new equipment since it was supplied by the church.<br><br>With nothing better to do, Sun decided to spend his money to splurge around a little. Normally he would be against such wastefulness. This was different in this world though. If he wanted money, he could go out and kill something. Occasionally for some strange reason whenever you killed something in this world it would conveniently drop money.<br><br>With a bored yawn, Sun decided to walk around the city since nothing really caught his eye. Every now and then he would stop at a shop and buy a thing or two to eat. Other than that, he spent the majority of the month practicing his holy skills.<br><br>A few days before the deadline for the summonings, he noticed something he had not seen before. For the most part, since the rest of the church had been getting ready for a mission of some sort, the member of the church could not be seen in the town at all. This was mainly because the church members were doing various jobs in the church.<br><br>Aside from Sun, almost everyone had a duty of some sort to complete for the church. This too was mainly because of his unique existence in the game. Though he was classified as a randomly generated NPC, he retained all the freedoms and capabilities of a user.<br><br>The thing that he had noticed was another priest from the church of Freya was walking around through the town. Since he was rather bored, he decided to go talk to the priest.<br><br>“Hello, my name is Sun. I am a priest from the Church of Freya in the Citadel of Serabourg.”<br><br>With regards to religion, that was the easiest way for a priest to introduce themselves to another member of the church.<br><br>“Hello. You must be here because the High Priest had given his summons to the churches.”<br><br>The young male priest gave him a smile.<br><br>“My name is Alveron.”<br>“Nice to meet you Alveron.”<br><br>The two of them shook hands as they exchanged greetings.<br><br>“So Sun, what are you doing in the town?”<br><br>Alveron asked questioningly. It was very strange to see another priest in the town since they were a fairly unused class and they often stayed in the confines of the church.<br><br>“I have to wait until the end of the month for the rest of the churches to arrive before the High Priest will address us. How about you? What are you doing in town?”<br><br>Sun was wondering the same thing that Alveron had asked him. Priests were rather difficult to get so the few that they have are often kept close to the church.<br><br>“I recently assisted in a mission to reclaim a territory from the clutches of the evil vampires and rescue the villagers and our imprisoned brothers.”<br><br>Alveron answered with a short story about the expedition he had gone on.<br><br>“For the most part, the church decided to give me a short vacation until the churches assemble.”<br>“I see. That’s pretty amazing.”<br><br>Sun recalled from his undead encyclopedia about vampires. It was a race of undead that were basically blood sucking corpses. It was strange that they gave such a nice sounding name such as vampire.<br><br>“Want to go and get some food? My treat.”<br>“Sure.”<br><br>For the last few days of the deadline, the two of them went around town eating the various specialties.<br><br>Then the day of the deadline came.<br><br>“Sun, I asked a few friends to pass on the book to the High Priest.”<br><br>Calvin explained to a number of his priest friends about Sun’s situation and the book eventually found its way to High Priest. It would take time to translate the book but it should be done by the time they get back from the mission.<br><br>Then the High Priest came to the stand to address the various churches that have been gathered. He gradually began to give off missions to the various churches that had been gathered. Almost all of them were undead subjugation quests, giving testament to Calvin’s guess at the growing activity of undead. The mission was to exterminate and investigate the undead activity.<br><br>“Member of the church from the Citadel of Serabourg, your dispatchment will be in the city of Koress.”<br><br>Their group had received the dispatchment orders and were now being sent on their way. However, the High Priest was not yet finished.<br><br>“The concentration of undead is much higher in that area and there are hoards of powerful undead in that area. For this reason, I will send another member of the church to accompany you.”<br><br>From behind the High Priest, a young priest appeared. This young priest was the priest he had met up with the last few days.<br><br>“This is the Pope Candidate Alveron. He will accompany you on this mission. Be sure to protect him at all costs.”<br><br>With all the preparations completed, they had to set forth immediately.<br><br>“I didn’t know that you were the Pope Candidate. I guess I have been a little disrespectful then.”<br>“No, its fine. You’re older than me so I should be the one showing proper respect.”<br><br>Their friendship remained unchanged despite their occupations. Truthfully it didn’t matter since Sun was technically originally in a position of power that rivaled a Pope.<br><br>***<br><br>-One week later.<br><br>A large number of men appeared in front of the church in the Citadel of Serabourg. They were heavily armored since they were soldiers and they were bearing the insignia of the Kingdom of Rosenheim. Leading these men was a single man in shoddy looking clothing.<br><br>The High Priest welcomed the young man.<br><br>“Are you ready to depart?”<br>“Yea.”<br><br>The High Priest had teleported to the Citadel of Serabourg and brought with him 50 priests to assist the young man. There were beautiful female priestesses as well as male priests. Because of the large dispatchment of units a week earlier, there were not many units available to lend to their hero. They readied the portal and sent the young man, the soldiers, and the priests through. The High Priest looked up to the sky a little weary.<br><br>“Hero Weed...hopefully the situation is not as bad as I have feared.” </div>

<Church Summons> The mage and the warrior made their way to the priest’s house. The priest had a beautiful and serene home in a clearing in the middle of forest. The mage and the warrior walked up to the door and knocked. “Is anyone home?” The mage asked as he knocked on the door of the house. The sound of hurried footsteps could be heard from within the house. Within a few moment, a young beautiful girl with long blond hair came to answer the door. “Hello. It’s been a lot time since I’ve last saw the two of you.” True to her occupation, she had a cheery disposition. The priest had been friends with the mage and the warrior for quite some time. “Do you have time to talk?” The mage asked the priest since it would be rude of him to simply bother her if she was busy. “Of course. What’s on your mind?” The priest didn’t really have anything better to do. Since she had already finished her plans under the new system, she didn’t have any work that needed to be done. Seeing as she didn’t have anything to do, she spent her time peacefully in the forest. “It’s about the new system that ‘he’ has set up.” The warrior decided to explain for the mage. “You see, the two of us haven’t come up with any plans to generate more resources and if this keeps up then it’s going to be bad for us.” The priest nodded her head in understanding. “So the reason you came here is...?” She tilted her head in confusion as to why they had decided to visit her. “Have you managed to come up with something yet? We want to see what other people are doing so that we can come up with a plan of our own.” The mage asked her, hoping that she could give them some advice. “Oh, if it’s that, then yes I’ve already finished mine a long time ago. If you want, I can tell you how I decided to do mine.” The priest began to explain but then the mage asked her if she could wait a moment. He reached for his staff, which he used to summon a piece of paper and a pen to write with. Since he was a scholar, he wanted to document his sources so that he could refer back to them anytime he wanted. Now that he was ready, the priest began her explanation. “Once the system changed, I decided it was a good idea to... The mage quickly took notes as the priest explained the rest. *** “Halt. Which church are you from?” The guards at the gate stopped them at the gates. The church in Somuren had considerable influence in the city and had asked the guardsmen to keep a record on the churches that have arrived thus far. “We are the members of the church in the Citadel of Serabourg in the Kingdom of Rosenheim.” Calvin replied to the guardsmen. After they had been processed, they entered the city and started heading to the church. “Buying japtem. All types and quantities.” There were various merchants on the streets buying and peddling goods. With the low tax rates, it was a haven for merchant classes. They passed by the shopping district and continued towards the church. Along the way, they received various glances from the users. “It’s the church of Freya. They’ve been moving around in the city a lot recently.” “Do you think that something is going on?” “Maybe there’s going to be an event quest soon.” Rumors were starting amongst the user base. It was very strange that the church had been starting to move on larger scale operations. Ever since the return of the treasures of the church, Helain’s Grail and Fargo’s Crown, the church had gained much more respect and influence. With their growing power, they began to become much more active throughout the continent. However, just like all things, as the light grows stronger then the dark does the same to complement it. With the growing power of the church, the forces of darkness began to crawl out of their ditches to make themselves known, “Calvin, could you tell me the basis behind our summons?” Sun could hear the conversations of the nearby users. It was very strange that the church would call on any other church aside from horrible tragedies such as the infestation of Lexington by the undead. If they, and the other churches in the surrounding the area, were called to make a move then it must be something of catastrophic consequence. “I wasn’t told much...” Calvin could only tell Sun regretfully. “However, I do have a clue.” “Let’s hear it.” Sun knew that Calvin was a relatively bright person despite his appearances. If Calvin had an idea about the situation, then it wouldn’t usually be too far from the truth. “Do you recall that undead dungeon that you destroyed a few months ago?” “Of course.” Sun could distinctly remember what had happened in the Corpse Tomb. That was because it was the place that he had spent an entire month crawling through and also the place where he made some of his very precious friends. During the journey, he had whispered them a few times to check on how they were doing. From the sounds of it, they had taken the longer route out of Rosenheim and would soon be leaving it’s borders. “The recent activity of the undead have been more than suspicious as of late. The infestation of Lexington by the undead was very unusual as well as our recent encounter with the necromancers in the cave.” “That is true. Those necromancers looked like they were up to something sinister.” Sun thought back at the necromancers at the cave. Their presence in the area was very suspicious since the Bar Khu Mountain Range was a place that was highly populated by monsters. The Kingdom of Rosenheim and the United Kingdom of Briton also frequently sent extermination squads into the area to sweep up the dangerous monsters. For the necromancers to live in such a place would very easily endanger their lives. Since necromancers were usually human, they would not go to such a place without reason since their lives would be at stake. ‘There was also that ‘angel’ nonsense that necromancer kept going on about.’ Sun thought back to the undead subjugation back in the town of Lexington. The culprit, a necromancer, had tried to destroy the town of Lexington and had formed a stronghold within the Dawes Caverns. The church had mobilized its forces to destroy the undead threat. With the sacrifice of many paladins, the undead were completely purged from the area. However, the necromancer had been unusually hostile towards Sun. Upon seeing Sun, the necromancer lost control of himself in a fit of rage. To his knowledge, he had never met this necromancer before in his life. There were many, many people in his world that wished to do him harm but he had not done any injustice to anyone in this world yet. At least none that he knew of... ‘There has to be some sort of connection.’ Sun was not foolish enough to believe that this many undead attacks were mere coincidences. Undead attacks were rare to begin with because there were few necromancers, since it wasn’t exactly an honorable or profitable profession. In most cases, the majority of undead in the world are created from a strong necromancer rather than many weak ones. Bar Khan was an example of such a necromancer. Undead outbreaks, ‘angel’, necromancers, and the God of Light. There had to be some connection between all of them. However Sun could not fathom what all of it could mean. They entered into the church, passing by the line of users that were waiting to buy a blessing and holy water. They then entered into a waiting room where they sat around and waited. “How long is this going to take?” Sun asked since it had been quite some time since they had arrived. “Who knows?” Calvin didn’t know either. That was reasonable because the High Priest, despite being the one that sent the summons, was a very busy person. That aside, there were a number of different churches here as well that looked like they had been waiting for a considerable amount of time. “How long have you been waiting?” Sun asked one of the holy knights that were from another church. “Before you ask me a question, you should be introduce yourself first. It is only proper manners.” Sun felt a tinge of annoyance. However, the holy knight had been correct. It was very rude of him to ask without first introducing himself. “I apologize for being rude. I am Sun from the church in the Citadel of Serabourg in the Kingdom of Rosenheim. I have just arrived with the rest of my church on the summons of the High Priest. Are you and your brothers been summoned for the same reason?” “I see that you do have some manners after all. I am Leon, from the church of Rue Truark in the Kingdom of Rodensia.” To his knowledge, this was a small republic that bordered the United Kingdom of Briton. “To answer your question, I arrived last week and it looks like the High Priest is going to give out commands once everyone arrives.” Sun thanked the holy knight before thinking to himself. ‘So I have another month until then.’ Since they had spent two months traveling, that meant one month of time was still left until the churches from the farther regions arrive. “Calvin, I’m going to look around the city for awhile.” “Sure.” Calvin heard the same thing as Sun and gave his approval. However before Sun began to turn around and leave, Calvin called back to him. “Sun, before you leave take this.” -You have received a map. Calvin handed him a map of the Somuren Liberty City. There were a number of different markings on it to show key locations. On the map, with a picture of its symbol, was the location of the Church of Freya. “There’s no room at the church so we have to take care of our own individual lodgings.” Calvin told him that he needed to stay at an inn for the next month as well as take care of his own meals. Sun quickly checked his savings in his magical dimensional pouch. ‘I should have quite enough.’ After having hunted in the dungeon with his friends back in Rosenheim, he earned quite a lot of gold. They had given him a large cut of the gold since he had not taken any of the equipment and he played a pivotal role in the hunt. Sun left the church and headed towards the town’s fountain. In almost every city, the fountain had the largest concentration of shops and consumer facilities. The fountain area was bustling as expected, with all sorts of people forming parties to hunt and beginners filling their canteens with water. Feeling a little hungry, Sun decided to head over to a diner. He walked into the building and ordered some food. While he was waiting for his food to be prepared, he looked over to the image crystal to see what was going on in the continent. “Hello everyone this is your host Shin Hye Min of KMC Media. Have you heard the latest news about Rosenheim, Oh Juwan?” Sun looked at the girl that was in the image crystal. ‘Those are some strange clothes that she’s wearing.’ The guy and the girl that were in the crystal began talking to each other. “You must mean that sculptor. Yes, I’ve heard about him. I would like to interview him if I could get the chance. What do you know about this topic? I heard that you were in Rosenheim recently.” “That’s correct. I was in Rosenheim on personal business and was able to see the construction of the pyramid.” The two of them began highlighting the various key points about the construction. ‘To think that something like that was going on when I was gone.’ Sun had been gone from the Citadel of Rosenheim for approximately 3 months. Two months had been spent traveling and one month had be previously spent in the dungeon. It was no wonder that he didn’t hear anything about it. “We have a clip of the construction process that was uploaded to the internet by a user.” The screen changed to another scene where there were a large number of people lifting giant pieces of rock towards a pyramid. The voices of several users could be heard writhing in agony from being crushed underneath the heavy rocks. ‘Who would do such an inhumane thing?’ Sun thought to himself, completely disregarding the fact that he had crushed all the bones in Awaitsun’s body while holding a princess hostage. Since he only remembered things that were useful to him, he had completely forgot about it. Finishing up his meal, Sun paid for his meal and then left the building. Outside, he casually browsed around the stores looking at this and that. Of course he had no intention of actually buying anything and was only doing this to waste some time. ‘Now that I think about it, I still have to wait an entire month.’ Sun came back to the issue that he had nothing to do. Previously he had realized that he had this problem but then it was resolved when he went dungeon hunting with his friends. However, now he had an entire month to spend doing nothing but eating and sleeping. He needed to find something to do, otherwise he would die of boredom. He decided to first pay for a month’s stay at an inn that was close to the church. It cost quite a bit, but it wasn’t much compared to how much he had. His total capital was currently 75 thousand gold, an outrageous sum for his level and character class. Hunting at the dungeon with Yong Li and the rest of the party had only given him a mere 1 thousand gold. The rest had come from his solo hunting and his work with the church. After pawning off all the stuff that he got from melting monsters with his skills, he had gotten himself a small fortune. For a character that was level 170, this was a horribly large sum of money. He saved a considerable amount of money because he had no need to purchase new equipment since it was supplied by the church. With nothing better to do, Sun decided to spend his money to splurge around a little. Normally he would be against such wastefulness. This was different in this world though. If he wanted money, he could go out and kill something. Occasionally for some strange reason whenever you killed something in this world it would conveniently drop money. With a bored yawn, Sun decided to walk around the city since nothing really caught his eye. Every now and then he would stop at a shop and buy a thing or two to eat. Other than that, he spent the majority of the month practicing his holy skills. A few days before the deadline for the summonings, he noticed something he had not seen before. For the most part, since the rest of the church had been getting ready for a mission of some sort, the member of the church could not be seen in the town at all. This was mainly because the church members were doing various jobs in the church. Aside from Sun, almost everyone had a duty of some sort to complete for the church. This too was mainly because of his unique existence in the game. Though he was classified as a randomly generated NPC, he retained all the freedoms and capabilities of a user. The thing that he had noticed was another priest from the church of Freya was walking around through the town. Since he was rather bored, he decided to go talk to the priest. “Hello, my name is Sun. I am a priest from the Church of Freya in the Citadel of Serabourg.” With regards to religion, that was the easiest way for a priest to introduce themselves to another member of the church. “Hello. You must be here because the High Priest had given his summons to the churches.” The young male priest gave him a smile. “My name is Alveron.” “Nice to meet you Alveron.” The two of them shook hands as they exchanged greetings. “So Sun, what are you doing in the town?” Alveron asked questioningly. It was very strange to see another priest in the town since they were a fairly unused class and they often stayed in the confines of the church. “I have to wait until the end of the month for the rest of the churches to arrive before the High Priest will address us. How about you? What are you doing in town?” Sun was wondering the same thing that Alveron had asked him. Priests were rather difficult to get so the few that they have are often kept close to the church. “I recently assisted in a mission to reclaim a territory from the clutches of the evil vampires and rescue the villagers and our imprisoned brothers.” Alveron answered with a short story about the expedition he had gone on. “For the most part, the church decided to give me a short vacation until the churches assemble.” “I see. That’s pretty amazing.” Sun recalled from his undead encyclopedia about vampires. It was a race of undead that were basically blood sucking corpses. It was strange that they gave such a nice sounding name such as vampire. “Want to go and get some food? My treat.” “Sure.” For the last few days of the deadline, the two of them went around town eating the various specialties. Then the day of the deadline came. “Sun, I asked a few friends to pass on the book to the High Priest.” Calvin explained to a number of his priest friends about Sun’s situation and the book eventually found its way to High Priest. It would take time to translate the book but it should be done by the time they get back from the mission. Then the High Priest came to the stand to address the various churches that have been gathered. He gradually began to give off missions to the various churches that had been gathered. Almost all of them were undead subjugation quests, giving testament to Calvin’s guess at the growing activity of undead. The mission was to exterminate and investigate the undead activity. “Member of the church from the Citadel of Serabourg, your dispatchment will be in the city of Koress.” Their group had received the dispatchment orders and were now being sent on their way. However, the High Priest was not yet finished. “The concentration of undead is much higher in that area and there are hoards of powerful undead in that area. For this reason, I will send another member of the church to accompany you.” From behind the High Priest, a young priest appeared. This young priest was the priest he had met up with the last few days. “This is the Pope Candidate Alveron. He will accompany you on this mission. Be sure to protect him at all costs.” With all the preparations completed, they had to set forth immediately. “I didn’t know that you were the Pope Candidate. I guess I have been a little disrespectful then.” “No, its fine. You’re older than me so I should be the one showing proper respect.” Their friendship remained unchanged despite their occupations. Truthfully it didn’t matter since Sun was technically originally in a position of power that rivaled a Pope. *** -One week later. A large number of men appeared in front of the church in the Citadel of Serabourg. They were heavily armored since they were soldiers and they were bearing the insignia of the Kingdom of Rosenheim. Leading these men was a single man in shoddy looking clothing. The High Priest welcomed the young man. “Are you ready to depart?” “Yea.” The High Priest had teleported to the Citadel of Serabourg and brought with him 50 priests to assist the young man. There were beautiful female priestesses as well as male priests. Because of the large dispatchment of units a week earlier, there were not many units available to lend to their hero. They readied the portal and sent the young man, the soldiers, and the priests through. The High Priest looked up to the sky a little weary. “Hero Weed...hopefully the situation is not as bad as I have feared.”

<div class="chapter-inner chapter-content"> Road To Courage <br><br><br><br><br><br><br>Prologue<br><br> <br><br> David walked into the house and threw his backpack into the corner. Then he headed into the bathroom. He looked into the mirror and saw messed up black hair. His piercing green eyes were hidden behind glasses; however, the most eye-catching part of his appearance was a long gash and the assortment of bruises prominent on his face. He grabbed a towel and dabbed the blood on his cheek where it had split open when he was punched. He opened the cabinet and pulled out the band aids and patched up the cut.<br><br> This was a common occurrence for David; he was always being bullied and beaten up on his way home and at school. He was proclaimed a weakling and had very few friends. His parents traveled for work and were almost never home so he was usually home alone with his little sister.<br><br> After leaving the bathroom he headed up the stairs to his room. The moment he got into his room he headed to his computer. He immediately logged on to the internet and went straight to the website that never failed to bring him a rush of excitement. Unicorn Corporation, the creator of the website, was advertising a capsule that would become a gateway to Royal Road, the first virtual reality game. The capsule was coming out tomorrow, the first day of summer break.<br><br> He was so excited about the new VR world, he had played many games and had won many tournaments in the gaming world. He was usually in his room playing games, maxing out his character, or going over strategies on how to take down an enemy keep or protect some poor village from monsters.<br><br> He had been watching news on this game since the company had announced their workings on it. It was every gamer's dream for virtual reality to finally be entered into gaming and this new company had answered them. He could tell that if Royal Road gave them what it had promised it would crush all the other games out there, even the wildly popular in Korea Continent of Magic. But the virtual reality and the game weren’t the only things that were spiking the game community’s interest, there was also the challenge. Unicorn Corporation had issued a challenge that anyone who could conquer the continent the game was based in would be given the entire company's revenue for a month.<br><br> The amount of money in the reward would be astronomical if the game was a success. This all played at the back of David's mind while he searched the website for any new information before the game came out. Knowledge was power and he would find out everything he could before entering the game. Sadly he couldn't find anything new on the site except for a topic saying the game came out tomorrow. Turning off his computer screen, he got up just as he heard the door open.<br><br> <br><br><br><br>"Oh no," he muttered.<br><br> <br><br> He headed downstairs to encounter his little sister's glare when she saw him.<br><br> <br><br>"They beat you up again," she said. He felt anger radiating from her in waves.<br><br> <br><br> His sister looked cute and harmless with fiery red hair she got from their mother and the same green eyes as him, but don't let that fool you; she took four different martial arts classes and was captain of the junior varsity volleyball team. He sometimes wondered how she fit all her strength into that small body of hers.<br><br> <br><br>"I am going to kill them," she said and turned her back on him as though preparing to leave.<br><br> <br><br>"Sarah its ok. I'm fine, you don't have to do that," David panicked and rushed down the stairs towards her.<br><br> <br><br>"They hurt you again", she said with an ocean of barely suppressed rage, "I am going to find them and pound them into dust!"<br><br> <br><br>Sarah had always been like this, fiercely loyal. She always wanted to protect him, even back when we were young.<br><br> <br><br>"Sis calm down! I'm fine. See it barely hurts," he patted the side of his face and smiled while suppressing the pain.<br><br> <br><br>She glared at him, knowing he was obviously lying to her. "Fine," she said, "I'm hungry what are we having to eat."<br><br> <br><br>Her rage seemingly disappeared as she headed into the kitchen. David was shocked into stillness and could only stare after her as she walked away. This had never happened before, he usually had to hold her back from breaking down the door and going off to find who had beaten him.<br><br> <br><br>"Come on I'm starving!" he heard her call from the kitchen.<br> <br><br>Realizing he was still standing on the foyer, he quickly followed her to the kitchen. She was watching him from the counter as he came in.<br><br> <br><br>"So," she said, "where's the food"<br><br> <br><br>"Be patient," David said as he walked around the kitchen, grabbing things as he went, “I haven’t started it yet, so you don’t have to sit there watching me.”<br><br> <br><br>“What you haven’t made anything?” she complained with a pout.<br><br> <br><br>David did most of the household chores like cooking and cleaning while his sister was away at Volleyball or out with friends. It was rare that he didn’t get everything ready before Sarah got home. “I know you're hungry but you will just have to wait,” he said, “unless you want to cook it yourself.” He gave her a look that told her he didn’t want her to whine about it. She might boss him around anywhere else, but when it came to him cooking she would never talk back. He had learned to cook a lot from the food his parents brought home from all around the world. He had tried to recreate some of them in his spare time. Over several years of cooking for his sister he had become quite adept at it.<br><br> <br><br>“Fine,” she said still pouting as she slipped off the counter, ”yell for me when you're done then.”<br><br> <br><br>After he finished cooking the food, he called for his sister to come eat.<br><br> <br><br>As they started eating she started talking about volleyball and how she wouldn’t be home much for the summer due to camp.<br><br> <br><br>“What about you?” she asked. “I hope you don’t plan to spend your entire summer playing games in your room like last year.”<br><br> <br><br>“Mmh,” he said something unintelligible.<br><br> <br><br>She glared at him. <br><br> <br><br>“What else am I supposed to do? I don’t have any friends,” he said.<br><br> <br><br>She was still glaring.<br><br> <br><br>Giving up on his gaming week he sighed “Fine, what do you want to do?”<br><br> <br><br>Her glare turned into a brilliant smile, “Me and my friends were going to that new movie in 2 weeks why don’t you come with?”<br><br> <br><br>Sarah's friends were a bit of a mix since Sarah got along with everyone. Since she was moved up to Junior Varsity in the 7th grade they were a combination of both girls in her grade and girls from her team. She spent time with both groups but usually not both at the same time.<br><br> <br><br>“Who are you going with?” he asked.<br><br> <br><br>“Oh, you know Cindy and Mary,” she said.<br><br> <br><br>He did know them, they were his sister’s best friends and complete opposites of each other. Cindy was outgoing like his sister and also an amazing cook. She had even helped him out in the kitchen when she came over, and he could tell she was a better cook than him. Mary was a pretty quiet and very smart. She read a lot ,and recommended books to him when she was around. Both of them were also a year older than his sister and a year younger than him.<br><br> <br><br>"Fine I'll go with you," he said resigning himself to the fact.<br><br> <br><br>She smiled, obviously happy to have gotten him to socialize with people.<br><br> <br><br>"Well I'm gonna go to sleep," he said standing up.<br><br> <br><br>"So early?" she asked in surprise.<br><br> <br><br>"I plan on getting up early to hook up the capsule," he said, smiling at the idea.<br><br> <br><br>"Oh that thing you were talking about for months," she said looking a bit bored.<br><br> <br><br>"You should get some sleep too you have Summer Training for volleyball starting tomorrow," he advised.<br><br> <br><br>"O.K." she replied.<br><br> <br><br>He headed up into his room and layed down. He looked up at the ceiling, smiled, and said, "Just one more day."<br><br> <br><br>***<br><br> <br><br>The next day two delivery men carried the large capsule up the stairs to his room, it barely fit through the door. They set it down and helped him set up the cables before leaving. By the time they were done, it was around 11 P.M. His sister had left earlier for her volleyball stuff, so he was alone. When he got into the capsule the top slid shut and a message popped up.<br><br> <br><br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td>Do You Wish To Connect To Royal Road?</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br><br> <br><br><br><br><br><br>Full of excitement and without hesitation he shouted, "Yes!" </div>

Road To Courage Prologue David walked into the house and threw his backpack into the corner. Then he headed into the bathroom. He looked into the mirror and saw messed up black hair. His piercing green eyes were hidden behind glasses; however, the most eye-catching part of his appearance was a long gash and the assortment of bruises prominent on his face. He grabbed a towel and dabbed the blood on his cheek where it had split open when he was punched. He opened the cabinet and pulled out the band aids and patched up the cut. This was a common occurrence for David; he was always being bullied and beaten up on his way home and at school. He was proclaimed a weakling and had very few friends. His parents traveled for work and were almost never home so he was usually home alone with his little sister. After leaving the bathroom he headed up the stairs to his room. The moment he got into his room he headed to his computer. He immediately logged on to the internet and went straight to the website that never failed to bring him a rush of excitement. Unicorn Corporation, the creator of the website, was advertising a capsule that would become a gateway to Royal Road, the first virtual reality game. The capsule was coming out tomorrow, the first day of summer break. He was so excited about the new VR world, he had played many games and had won many tournaments in the gaming world. He was usually in his room playing games, maxing out his character, or going over strategies on how to take down an enemy keep or protect some poor village from monsters. He had been watching news on this game since the company had announced their workings on it. It was every gamer's dream for virtual reality to finally be entered into gaming and this new company had answered them. He could tell that if Royal Road gave them what it had promised it would crush all the other games out there, even the wildly popular in Korea Continent of Magic. But the virtual reality and the game weren’t the only things that were spiking the game community’s interest, there was also the challenge. Unicorn Corporation had issued a challenge that anyone who could conquer the continent the game was based in would be given the entire company's revenue for a month. The amount of money in the reward would be astronomical if the game was a success. This all played at the back of David's mind while he searched the website for any new information before the game came out. Knowledge was power and he would find out everything he could before entering the game. Sadly he couldn't find anything new on the site except for a topic saying the game came out tomorrow. Turning off his computer screen, he got up just as he heard the door open. "Oh no," he muttered. He headed downstairs to encounter his little sister's glare when she saw him. "They beat you up again," she said. He felt anger radiating from her in waves. His sister looked cute and harmless with fiery red hair she got from their mother and the same green eyes as him, but don't let that fool you; she took four different martial arts classes and was captain of the junior varsity volleyball team. He sometimes wondered how she fit all her strength into that small body of hers. "I am going to kill them," she said and turned her back on him as though preparing to leave. "Sarah its ok. I'm fine, you don't have to do that," David panicked and rushed down the stairs towards her. "They hurt you again", she said with an ocean of barely suppressed rage, "I am going to find them and pound them into dust!" Sarah had always been like this, fiercely loyal. She always wanted to protect him, even back when we were young. "Sis calm down! I'm fine. See it barely hurts," he patted the side of his face and smiled while suppressing the pain. She glared at him, knowing he was obviously lying to her. "Fine," she said, "I'm hungry what are we having to eat." Her rage seemingly disappeared as she headed into the kitchen. David was shocked into stillness and could only stare after her as she walked away. This had never happened before, he usually had to hold her back from breaking down the door and going off to find who had beaten him. "Come on I'm starving!" he heard her call from the kitchen. Realizing he was still standing on the foyer, he quickly followed her to the kitchen. She was watching him from the counter as he came in. "So," she said, "where's the food" "Be patient," David said as he walked around the kitchen, grabbing things as he went, “I haven’t started it yet, so you don’t have to sit there watching me.” “What you haven’t made anything?” she complained with a pout. David did most of the household chores like cooking and cleaning while his sister was away at Volleyball or out with friends. It was rare that he didn’t get everything ready before Sarah got home. “I know you're hungry but you will just have to wait,” he said, “unless you want to cook it yourself.” He gave her a look that told her he didn’t want her to whine about it. She might boss him around anywhere else, but when it came to him cooking she would never talk back. He had learned to cook a lot from the food his parents brought home from all around the world. He had tried to recreate some of them in his spare time. Over several years of cooking for his sister he had become quite adept at it. “Fine,” she said still pouting as she slipped off the counter, ”yell for me when you're done then.” After he finished cooking the food, he called for his sister to come eat. As they started eating she started talking about volleyball and how she wouldn’t be home much for the summer due to camp. “What about you?” she asked. “I hope you don’t plan to spend your entire summer playing games in your room like last year.” “Mmh,” he said something unintelligible. She glared at him. “What else am I supposed to do? I don’t have any friends,” he said. She was still glaring. Giving up on his gaming week he sighed “Fine, what do you want to do?” Her glare turned into a brilliant smile, “Me and my friends were going to that new movie in 2 weeks why don’t you come with?” Sarah's friends were a bit of a mix since Sarah got along with everyone. Since she was moved up to Junior Varsity in the 7th grade they were a combination of both girls in her grade and girls from her team. She spent time with both groups but usually not both at the same time. “Who are you going with?” he asked. “Oh, you know Cindy and Mary,” she said. He did know them, they were his sister’s best friends and complete opposites of each other. Cindy was outgoing like his sister and also an amazing cook. She had even helped him out in the kitchen when she came over, and he could tell she was a better cook than him. Mary was a pretty quiet and very smart. She read a lot ,and recommended books to him when she was around. Both of them were also a year older than his sister and a year younger than him. "Fine I'll go with you," he said resigning himself to the fact. She smiled, obviously happy to have gotten him to socialize with people. "Well I'm gonna go to sleep," he said standing up. "So early?" she asked in surprise. "I plan on getting up early to hook up the capsule," he said, smiling at the idea. "Oh that thing you were talking about for months," she said looking a bit bored. "You should get some sleep too you have Summer Training for volleyball starting tomorrow," he advised. "O.K." she replied. He headed up into his room and layed down. He looked up at the ceiling, smiled, and said, "Just one more day." *** The next day two delivery men carried the large capsule up the stairs to his room, it barely fit through the door. They set it down and helped him set up the cables before leaving. By the time they were done, it was around 11 P.M. His sister had left earlier for her volleyball stuff, so he was alone. When he got into the capsule the top slid shut and a message popped up. | Do You Wish To Connect To Royal Road? | | --- | Full of excitement and without hesitation he shouted, "Yes!"

<div class="chapter-inner chapter-content"> Filling her canteen with the fountain’s water and drinking it, Artanis had solved the water issue, knowing that at least from thirst she wouldn't die, Artanis felt slightly relieved as she filled her canteen once again so she didn't have to return to the fountain the next time she felt thirsty. <br><br>‘What I will do about food? Even if I take Hilliard’s sword to the smith, I will only receive the payment after I take the sword back to him.’ Artanis thought after sitting on the bench to rest until her stamina fully recovered, trying to find a solution to her current problems.<br><br>Even if Artanis had the sword repaired and took it back to the watch-house to receive the quest’s reward, she would not be able to spend it, as the area near it did not appear to have any stores. But that was her only option, since the heavy sword would impede her from doing almost every errand she could think of. Artanis, in the end, would have to eat that sad excuse for bread sooner that she expected.<br><br>But before she risked receiving some sort of food poisoning status, Artanis decided to look for the map Hilliard had told her about and to do so, climbed atop the bench she was sat at. With a higher viewpoint, the task was easily accomplished as she saw a rather large group of people, standing in front of a colorful mural.<br><br>Leaving the bench and approaching the mural, Artanis carefully observed the image painted at the wall; whoever created that map paid attention to every detail, showing a deep love and pride for the city depicted in it.<br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td width="25%">You have witnessed Rockheim’s Pride</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td width="25%">Rockheim's Pride<br><br>A mural painted by Lady Evelyn herself depicting an aerial view of her beloved city, simple yet well detailed, this map shows how much she cares for the city. Having walked around the entire city to capture every detail she could of her pride and joy.<br><br>This mural has stood here since before Evelyn's rise to power, after the death of her husband. Since then it has been updated many times by various artists.<br><br>This mural is considered one of the six wonders of Rockheim.<br><br>Movement speed increased by 25% inside the city, lasts for 12 hours.</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td width="25%">A new attribute has been generated: Art</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td width="25%">Art<br><br>A gift in comprehending and practicing beauty, art renders meals and products elegant in an aesthetic and practical sense, improves when you see, hear, smell, taste, or touch beautiful things, or creates artworks.</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br>It took her just a few seconds to find the location of Wystan’s workshop at the map, which leaving the plaza was located just a couple of blocks away from it. Thanks to the buff given by the mural the trip there, although still difficult because of the heavy sword, went much faster than she expected.<br><br>Before her was a solid looking two-story house made mainly of stones, with a large chimney sprouting from the middle of its roof, using her body to push the reinforced wood door, the chime of a bell could be heard.<br><br>“Welcome!” Said a tall and muscular old man sitting behind the store’s counter. He had a chiseled angular face, scarce white hair and a long neatly trimmed beard, which gave him a somewhat dwarfish appearance despite his large stature.<br><br>Contrary to the large exterior of the store, the shop itself was much smaller than one would expect. The house was clearly divided by a wall; with the chimney nowhere in sight.<br><br>“Excuse me lass, are you perhaps lost?” The man, who was the single person besides Artanis currently inside the shop, asked after seeing her clothes.<br><br>Any merchant would have done the same as often a person in such clothes had little or no money with them. But his attitude towards her, soon changed, as she got close enough for him to see the short sword the poor looking elven maiden carried.<br><br>“So Hilliard is too busy to see his old friend, eh? Although I must say you don’t exactly look like one of his soldiers.” Wystan said smiling.<br><br>“Because I am not…” She said lifting the sword as much as she could, to place it on the counter. Seeing her struggle to do so, Wystan helped her taking the sword from her using a single hand.<br><br>“I see… Then who exactly are you?” He asked inspecting the sword.<br><br>Having been asked that question, Artanis proceeded to describe to him, the events that led her to come across Hilliard and how she ended receiving the task of bringing his sword to Wystan’s workshop; although she had the good sense of withholding some events, such as how she had stalked a group of strangers.<br><br>“I see… That’s quite a feat. Hil rarely trust strangers, let alone travelers such as you.” Wystan said after hearing her story.<br><br>“Are you going to repair the sword soon?” Artanis asked.<br><br>“Ah, yes. I suppose you have better things to do than talk to an old man.” Wystan said with a saddened expression on his face.<br><br>“No… That’s not what I meant. You see… I was hoping to see you working.” Artanis said, noticing the lonely expression at the elderly man face. Although she was in fact, curious about how crafting was done in the game.<br><br>Hearing her request, the old smith was shocked. There was many reasons behind it his surprise, but the biggest being her race; rarely an elf showed interest in his craft, as they preferred to work with wood and other organic materials instead.<br><br>“Lass, instead of just observing a simple repair; wouldn’t you prefer to learn my craft?” Wystan said after a short moment of reflection.<br><br>“Wait… you are offering to…” Mumbled Artanis, confused with the offer she had received. Since not even once, she had imagined herself becoming a blacksmith. Since in every game she had played so far with her friends, Amanda always played as an elf and that always left her as a ranger, rogue, or mage.<br><br>“Yes, I am asking you to become my apprentice.” Said Wystan, interrupting Artanis train of thought.<br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td width="25%">Wystan’s Apprenticeship Offer<br><br>Having shown interest in his craft, Wystan has offered you a job as his apprentice. In exchange for his tutelage, you are expected to tend his workshop and fulfill any errands given by him.<br><br>Quest Rank: E<br>Requisites:<br>Wystan having no other apprentice working for him.<br>Having piqued Wystan’s curiosity.<br>Showing interest in Wystan’s work.<br>No blacksmithing skills.<br><br>Rewards:<br>Blacksmithing skills.</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br>“Okay, I accept your offer.” She said smiling, since Artanis had just solved her food issue. As surely, her tutor would not let her, his beautiful apprentice die of hunger.<br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td width="25%">Quest accepted.</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td width="25%">As Wystan’s apprentice, you have the following responsibilities and benefits:<br><br>Running errands, without any financial remuneration.<br>Tending the workshop and store.<br><br>An Increase of 10% in experience of skills taught by him.<br>Basic materials will be provided for practice.<br>A 1% commission on any sale you perform while tending the store.</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br>“Good, I really needed a new apprentice. You see... My last apprentice left me, not long ago, to open his own workshop at another town.” He said while scratching his beard.<br><br>“Master, will you need my help while repairing the sword?” Artanis asked, making the old man laugh. Slightly embarrassed from being called in such way by someone as beautiful as her.<br><br>“Master eh? Just call me Wystan, it will be better for my heart. As for you question, no I do not need your help; rather I have something else for you to do.” He said, opening one of the drawers on the counter he was sat beside, and taking from it a small notebook¹, pen, and ink from within it. <br><br>Artanis, that is Amanda, observed the old man in amazement. That was the first time she had ever seen a book and pen; as everyone, she knew used tablets, e-readers, and computers.<br><br>"Take this to the general store and hand it over to the owner. Done so, feel free to explore the city as much as you like, by the time you return the sword will already be repaired." Said Wystan after he finished writing, ripped off the page, folded the paper and gave it to Artanis.<br><br>Receiving her first errand as his apprentice, she left his workshop hearing the door being locked after she did so. It was clear why he needed an apprentice, the wall that divided the first floor of the building, kept his workshop hidden from the eyes of his customers, but that also meant he also couldn't see them as he worked inside it.<br><br>That whoever could be easily solved with the presence of an apprentice, which would tend the store as he worked in the workshop. That, however, also meant he needed to trust whoever was tending the store and who better, then someone directly recommended by his oldest friend, Hilliard.<br><br>Since Artanis did not know the location of the said general store, she walked towards the city plaza. Now freed from the heavy burden of the sword, her slightly higher agility as an elf showed itself; with the increase of 25% speed given by the mural, she reached her destination quickly.<br><br>At the plaza, however, her increased speed did not matter as contrary to old games where characters could easily run through a mob of players as if they were ghosts. In Royal Road, colliding with solid objects, including creatures such as a mage slightly shorter than her, tended to hurt.<br><br>In fact, said collision had even lowered her health significantly. As the point of impact, rather than his body, was the wand, he was carrying.<br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td width="25%">You received a critical hit! Health lowered by 46 (24/ 70)</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td width="25%">You’re now bleeding<br><br>Health lowered by 0.2 every second.</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br>“Wow, that hurt. Hey lady, you should…” The long red-haired mage said as he rose from the floor, after being knocked down by a running elf. However, his speech soon stopped, noticing the expression on the elf face and more importantly his ivory wand, which were now stuck at her abdomen.<br><br>“Oh my god, you’re bleeding! Here, drink this.” The mage said as he materialized a small vial filled with a clear red liquid, from inside his pouch.<br><br>At first she refused, but soon changed his mind after he explained what it was. Taking just a sip from it was enough for her wound to close, expelling the wand lodged at her stomach. Meanwhile, this all happened, a few players had warned the guard about a possible PK² attempt inside the city.<br><br>The situation however was solved easily, when the mage explained the situation for the guard, which arrived soon after.<br><br>“I am sorry about this whole situation, is there anything I could do to make amends?” Asked the mage, who realized that his wand could have killed her if it had struck somewhere else.<br><br>“No need, it’s my fault anyway. I shouldn't have walked so fast.” Answered Artanis, he had after all already given her a small vial of healing potion; which according to one of the bystanders comments was an expensive product.<br><br>And that was how the situation ended, or at least would have if her stomach had not grumbled as she said so. Which led the man to invite her to an early dinner; normally being stabbed in the stomach by said person moments before, would led her to not so politely decline his offer.<br><br>But this had happened in another world, one that made possible for the wound to disappear without leaving even the smallest scar and she knew it was after all, an accident. But something else weighed heavily in her decision.<br><br>Having been locked outside her mentor’s workshop and not having a single copper coins with her; made the only other possible solution for her hunger, aside from begging for food; eating the sad excuse for bread she currently carried.<br><br>“Fine, but I don’t have any money.” Said Artanis, trying to hide her embarrassment when doing so. The man whoever smiled, saying he never intended to make her pay for the food.<br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td width="25%"><a href="http://www.royalroadl.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=71&amp;t=879" target="_blank">&lt;&lt;&lt; Last Chapter</a></td><td width="25%"><a href="http://www.royalroadl.com/fanfic/71" target="_blank">Table Of Contents</a></td><td width="25%"><a href="http://www.royalroadl.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=71&amp;t=908" target="_blank">Next Chapter &gt;&gt;&gt;</a></td></tr><tr><td colspan="4">Spell Checked</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div> </div>

Filling her canteen with the fountain’s water and drinking it, Artanis had solved the water issue, knowing that at least from thirst she wouldn't die, Artanis felt slightly relieved as she filled her canteen once again so she didn't have to return to the fountain the next time she felt thirsty. ‘What I will do about food? Even if I take Hilliard’s sword to the smith, I will only receive the payment after I take the sword back to him.’ Artanis thought after sitting on the bench to rest until her stamina fully recovered, trying to find a solution to her current problems. Even if Artanis had the sword repaired and took it back to the watch-house to receive the quest’s reward, she would not be able to spend it, as the area near it did not appear to have any stores. But that was her only option, since the heavy sword would impede her from doing almost every errand she could think of. Artanis, in the end, would have to eat that sad excuse for bread sooner that she expected. But before she risked receiving some sort of food poisoning status, Artanis decided to look for the map Hilliard had told her about and to do so, climbed atop the bench she was sat at. With a higher viewpoint, the task was easily accomplished as she saw a rather large group of people, standing in front of a colorful mural. Leaving the bench and approaching the mural, Artanis carefully observed the image painted at the wall; whoever created that map paid attention to every detail, showing a deep love and pride for the city depicted in it. | You have witnessed Rockheim’s Pride | | --- | | Rockheim's PrideA mural painted by Lady Evelyn herself depicting an aerial view of her beloved city, simple yet well detailed, this map shows how much she cares for the city. Having walked around the entire city to capture every detail she could of her pride and joy.This mural has stood here since before Evelyn's rise to power, after the death of her husband. Since then it has been updated many times by various artists.This mural is considered one of the six wonders of Rockheim.Movement speed increased by 25% inside the city, lasts for 12 hours. | | --- | | A new attribute has been generated: Art | | --- | | ArtA gift in comprehending and practicing beauty, art renders meals and products elegant in an aesthetic and practical sense, improves when you see, hear, smell, taste, or touch beautiful things, or creates artworks. | | --- | It took her just a few seconds to find the location of Wystan’s workshop at the map, which leaving the plaza was located just a couple of blocks away from it. Thanks to the buff given by the mural the trip there, although still difficult because of the heavy sword, went much faster than she expected. Before her was a solid looking two-story house made mainly of stones, with a large chimney sprouting from the middle of its roof, using her body to push the reinforced wood door, the chime of a bell could be heard. “Welcome!” Said a tall and muscular old man sitting behind the store’s counter. He had a chiseled angular face, scarce white hair and a long neatly trimmed beard, which gave him a somewhat dwarfish appearance despite his large stature. Contrary to the large exterior of the store, the shop itself was much smaller than one would expect. The house was clearly divided by a wall; with the chimney nowhere in sight. “Excuse me lass, are you perhaps lost?” The man, who was the single person besides Artanis currently inside the shop, asked after seeing her clothes. Any merchant would have done the same as often a person in such clothes had little or no money with them. But his attitude towards her, soon changed, as she got close enough for him to see the short sword the poor looking elven maiden carried. “So Hilliard is too busy to see his old friend, eh? Although I must say you don’t exactly look like one of his soldiers.” Wystan said smiling. “Because I am not…” She said lifting the sword as much as she could, to place it on the counter. Seeing her struggle to do so, Wystan helped her taking the sword from her using a single hand. “I see… Then who exactly are you?” He asked inspecting the sword. Having been asked that question, Artanis proceeded to describe to him, the events that led her to come across Hilliard and how she ended receiving the task of bringing his sword to Wystan’s workshop; although she had the good sense of withholding some events, such as how she had stalked a group of strangers. “I see… That’s quite a feat. Hil rarely trust strangers, let alone travelers such as you.” Wystan said after hearing her story. “Are you going to repair the sword soon?” Artanis asked. “Ah, yes. I suppose you have better things to do than talk to an old man.” Wystan said with a saddened expression on his face. “No… That’s not what I meant. You see… I was hoping to see you working.” Artanis said, noticing the lonely expression at the elderly man face. Although she was in fact, curious about how crafting was done in the game. Hearing her request, the old smith was shocked. There was many reasons behind it his surprise, but the biggest being her race; rarely an elf showed interest in his craft, as they preferred to work with wood and other organic materials instead. “Lass, instead of just observing a simple repair; wouldn’t you prefer to learn my craft?” Wystan said after a short moment of reflection. “Wait… you are offering to…” Mumbled Artanis, confused with the offer she had received. Since not even once, she had imagined herself becoming a blacksmith. Since in every game she had played so far with her friends, Amanda always played as an elf and that always left her as a ranger, rogue, or mage. “Yes, I am asking you to become my apprentice.” Said Wystan, interrupting Artanis train of thought. | Wystan’s Apprenticeship OfferHaving shown interest in his craft, Wystan has offered you a job as his apprentice. In exchange for his tutelage, you are expected to tend his workshop and fulfill any errands given by him.Quest Rank: ERequisites:Wystan having no other apprentice working for him.Having piqued Wystan’s curiosity.Showing interest in Wystan’s work.No blacksmithing skills.Rewards:Blacksmithing skills. | | --- | “Okay, I accept your offer.” She said smiling, since Artanis had just solved her food issue. As surely, her tutor would not let her, his beautiful apprentice die of hunger. | Quest accepted. | | --- | | As Wystan’s apprentice, you have the following responsibilities and benefits:Running errands, without any financial remuneration.Tending the workshop and store.An Increase of 10% in experience of skills taught by him.Basic materials will be provided for practice.A 1% commission on any sale you perform while tending the store. | | --- | “Good, I really needed a new apprentice. You see... My last apprentice left me, not long ago, to open his own workshop at another town.” He said while scratching his beard. “Master, will you need my help while repairing the sword?” Artanis asked, making the old man laugh. Slightly embarrassed from being called in such way by someone as beautiful as her. “Master eh? Just call me Wystan, it will be better for my heart. As for you question, no I do not need your help; rather I have something else for you to do.” He said, opening one of the drawers on the counter he was sat beside, and taking from it a small notebook¹, pen, and ink from within it. Artanis, that is Amanda, observed the old man in amazement. That was the first time she had ever seen a book and pen; as everyone, she knew used tablets, e-readers, and computers. "Take this to the general store and hand it over to the owner. Done so, feel free to explore the city as much as you like, by the time you return the sword will already be repaired." Said Wystan after he finished writing, ripped off the page, folded the paper and gave it to Artanis. Receiving her first errand as his apprentice, she left his workshop hearing the door being locked after she did so. It was clear why he needed an apprentice, the wall that divided the first floor of the building, kept his workshop hidden from the eyes of his customers, but that also meant he also couldn't see them as he worked inside it. That whoever could be easily solved with the presence of an apprentice, which would tend the store as he worked in the workshop. That, however, also meant he needed to trust whoever was tending the store and who better, then someone directly recommended by his oldest friend, Hilliard. Since Artanis did not know the location of the said general store, she walked towards the city plaza. Now freed from the heavy burden of the sword, her slightly higher agility as an elf showed itself; with the increase of 25% speed given by the mural, she reached her destination quickly. At the plaza, however, her increased speed did not matter as contrary to old games where characters could easily run through a mob of players as if they were ghosts. In Royal Road, colliding with solid objects, including creatures such as a mage slightly shorter than her, tended to hurt. In fact, said collision had even lowered her health significantly. As the point of impact, rather than his body, was the wand, he was carrying. | You received a critical hit! Health lowered by 46 (24/ 70) | | --- | | You’re now bleedingHealth lowered by 0.2 every second. | | --- | “Wow, that hurt. Hey lady, you should…” The long red-haired mage said as he rose from the floor, after being knocked down by a running elf. However, his speech soon stopped, noticing the expression on the elf face and more importantly his ivory wand, which were now stuck at her abdomen. “Oh my god, you’re bleeding! Here, drink this.” The mage said as he materialized a small vial filled with a clear red liquid, from inside his pouch. At first she refused, but soon changed his mind after he explained what it was. Taking just a sip from it was enough for her wound to close, expelling the wand lodged at her stomach. Meanwhile, this all happened, a few players had warned the guard about a possible PK² attempt inside the city. The situation however was solved easily, when the mage explained the situation for the guard, which arrived soon after. “I am sorry about this whole situation, is there anything I could do to make amends?” Asked the mage, who realized that his wand could have killed her if it had struck somewhere else. “No need, it’s my fault anyway. I shouldn't have walked so fast.” Answered Artanis, he had after all already given her a small vial of healing potion; which according to one of the bystanders comments was an expensive product. And that was how the situation ended, or at least would have if her stomach had not grumbled as she said so. Which led the man to invite her to an early dinner; normally being stabbed in the stomach by said person moments before, would led her to not so politely decline his offer. But this had happened in another world, one that made possible for the wound to disappear without leaving even the smallest scar and she knew it was after all, an accident. But something else weighed heavily in her decision. Having been locked outside her mentor’s workshop and not having a single copper coins with her; made the only other possible solution for her hunger, aside from begging for food; eating the sad excuse for bread she currently carried. “Fine, but I don’t have any money.” Said Artanis, trying to hide her embarrassment when doing so. The man whoever smiled, saying he never intended to make her pay for the food. | [<<< Last Chapter](http://www.royalroadl.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=71&t=879) | [Table Of Contents](http://www.royalroadl.com/fanfic/71) | [Next Chapter >>>](http://www.royalroadl.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=71&t=908) | | --- | --- | --- | | Spell Checked | | | |

<div class="chapter-inner chapter-content"> ‘A Giant Flaming Penious that screams SPARTA~!!!’ -- Shylockk<br><br>[Name was originally Hikari but I changed but since Baddiez made fun of it. I hope he can continue writing soon so I can make fun of him but busy with school ; - ; . An actual series will be worked on later, hopefully. Original story belongs to Baddiez, this is just for fun, I had his permission to make this]<br><br>A Michfied Exodus <br>Prologue<br><br>*sniff* *sniff*<br><br>The midnight sky was filled with dark black clouds shrouding the Earth in shadows. The air smelled of an impending storm. It was the kind of night that would make you want to pretend to sleep if you had to. <br><br>*sniff*<br><br>A small girl, alone in her room wrapped in a blanket, her eyes red as she wipes them once more. This would be a sad sight if you ignored the fact that she was just watching anime in the dark and was damaging her eyes in every way possible.<br><br>“The people on the forums were right, Demon Beats, what a truly formidable foe.”<br><br>She had just finished watching a marathon of Demon Beats after being dared online to try finishing it without crying. Just as she finished, walking across her screen was a little maid.<br><br>“Hurry up and sleep! If you don’t have rest, how are you going to have the strength to play the new VRMMO that’s launching tomorrow?”<br><br>The maid was an AI created by her brother, a playboy genius programmer who enjoyed “seeing how a human reacts under certain conditions.” In short he was a terrible manipulative human.<br><br>Michiko, on the other hand, was an introverted person who studied diligently in order to get good grades. She had turned 18 this year, and was a senior in high school. She was 5 feet tall, had a slightly frail build, light brown eyes, and long wavy jet black hair. Her life motto was, Yama nashi, ochi nashi, imi nashi which stood for, “no peak, no fall, no meaning. In short, if nothing good happens then nothing bad can happen either; life is meaningless.<br><br>With her unique alarm modeled after [REPLACE here] even those with lack of sleep would be fine. She got up and started her daily routine. First she fixed her bed, then went to the bathroom to shower and brush her teeth. She went back to her room to put her uniform on, and went down to eat breakfast, just like any other normal day. Needless to say she looked at herself in the mirror and mad a sad face as she checked up on her ‘growth’.<br><br>“Hmph. Nii-san once told me not to worry because a flat chest is a symbol of status” she said this but didn’t believe him at all.<br><br>However, today slightly differed from other days. It was the day the new game titled “Exodus™”, would be launched worldwide. The game was developed by the most advanced AI of all time. Five years in the making, using all games popular and unpopular from the last century as references. It was dubbed a miracle game, a game that would change gaming experience forever.<br><br>Like most of the rich ‘hardcore’ gamers, she had pre-ordered the game and all the necessary equipment to play it. All she had to do was get through the day at school, and it would be smooth sailing from there. She already had her name picked out, her class, and even what she wanted to do before she even started.<br><br>Due to her small physique, most would expect her to be playing as a support class, however, she had different plans. It took a while, but she managed to decide on Dual Wielding Broadswords, with Magician as her secondary class to strengthen her swords and allow them to be imbued with elemental properties in battle. <br><br>The reason it took her so long to decide, was because every class you could imagine was available in the game, she had to pick one main class at level 10, and at level 200, she gets access to her secondary class. <br><br>It was said to be one of the most outrageous ideas in games. Imagine a priest fighting upfront instead of standing in the back healing, or maybe even a necromancer that wasn't squishy, or even having a dancer as a main source of damage The possibilities were endless.<br><br>As soon as she was ready, she left for school. As a senior she already had her license, but her parents were nice enough to afford a driver to take her to school and the minor issue that her legs didn’t extend far enough to touch the pedals. Although the school was only a five minute drive away, they wanted her to be safe. As the driver pulled into the student parking lot she saw the government’s final recruiting effort. There was a sign with big bold black letters that said “Gamer Recruitment”.<br><br>As luck would have it “Exodus™ Online” was to launch on a worldwide scale. <br><br>It was due to the nature of the game, and the objective: raise your level, conquer new lands, set sail towards unconquered territories and establish your kingdom.<br><br>As dumb and cliche as it might seem, this was virtual reality, we are talking about a second world, and many countries saw that as their opportunity to redeem themselves, or even to get revenge. Due to this, every country was engaged in a wild recruitment campaign for gamers in order to build and strengthen their virtual army.<br><br>Someone called out to her as she walked by. <br><br>“Hey you! You look like a gamer how would you like to fight for good ol ‘merica? I can promise you will be paid accordingly depending on your performance in game, hell, we’ll even provide medical, dental, and life insurance.”<br><br>‘There they go again with their crap. I don’t give a damn about fighting for the pride of my country in a virtual game. All I want is to grind, level up, get some badass armour and maybe even meet a cute ouji-sama. It would take more than that to sway my decision.’<br><br>“Sorry, not interested” Michiko answered and walked away.<br><br>She slowly approached a pair of automatic doors. When she walked through, she saw students walking in groups while having a conversation in the hallway, couples walking to class together, and teachers yelling “The bell is going to ring soon!”.<br>‘My last year in this shithole, when this is all over, I can watch all the (BL) anime and play all the (ero-)games I want. (duhuhu)’ <br><br>She walked towards the hall where her first class was, and after walking 5 minutes she arrived, she was surprised at the scene that greeted her. <br><br>Chairs and desks were pushed along the walls, and in the middle of the class was a big map, with the teacher standing on one side explaining the beginning areas. She also explained her hypothesis as to where good hunting grounds would be located in proximity of water, food sources, and shelter.<br><br>“Michiko, you are welcome to join the class today at the launch.”<br>“I’m sorry but I haven't bought the game yet Coach Johnson.”<br><br>Looking annoyed Coach Johnson responded. <br><br>“Your brother told me that you’ve got one of the first 100 manufactured copies in the States.”<br><br>‘Thanks bro, thanks a lot.’ She thought.<br><br>Now annoyed Michiko retorted. <br>“Oh? So was that where he was last night?”<br><br>Blushing, Coach Johnson backed off.<br><br>“What a tool. I bet she thinks she’s better than us. Let’s hunt her down when the ban for player-killing is lifted.” The class raged. <br><br>All except one girl, Luna Eidos the class outcast, and candidate for weirdest girl of the year based on the schools underground website. She was quietly sitting in the corner of the classroom drawing while reading some weird comic with two guys on the cover page, of course I recognized it but there was no point announcing it.<br><br>‘I wonder if she’s going to play the game. Well I doubt it. She doesn’t seem like the gamer type.’<br><br>Throughout the day, none of the classes were held. Class time was used for strategic meetings that covered every aspect of time game. A day ingame was 6 hours in real life. <br><br>The school had planned time for meals, bathroom breaks, and even offered excused absences to those who wanted to devote themselves to the game. But these students were also given homework.<br><br>When the bell signaling the end of the day finally rang, all hell broke loose. It was as if someone had pooped in the pool, and everyone was evacuating. <br><br>Bodies collided with one another, feet were stepped on, while others were trampled. No one cared. They wanted was to get home as quickly as possible and prepare for the worldwide launch that was held later that day.<br><br>Michiko sat in silence as she knew that would happen. Thinking she was the only one in the classroom she started to hum an old tune from a movie she had watched when she was younger. <br><br>She was startled when she heard a chair slide behind her and saw Luna get up and walk out of the door. <br><br>‘What the hell! I didn't even notice she was still there’<br><br>Soon, she started to gather her things and was about to leave when Luna walked back in. <br><br>“Please take this” She said giving her a note sealed with a heart shaped sticker.<br><br>‘.....’<br><br>“Ummm, Thank you.”<br><br>‘What the hell am I supposed to say?'<br><br>“So..... Are you going to play Exodus™ Online?” asked Michiko nervously.<br><br>‘Wow why the hell did I ask someone I barely know about a game. This is why I’m a loner’<br><br>“Yes, I will start playing today” Luna answered in a shy small voice.<br><br>‘Wow shes so cute. Screw my motto if she wasn’t so weird, I would definitely try to be friends.’<br><br>“Oh, ok well if you want you could give me yo—”<br><br>Luna didn't even let her finish her sentence, she simply walked away.<br><br>‘Well that went well...’<br><br>Not wanting to run into Luna again, she delayed her departure for a few minutes. She then walked out of the school premise, towards her car.<br><br>***<br><br>Headlines<br>- Germany opens dedicated gaming buildings for Exodus™ Online.<br>- France invests millions in securing internet connections.<br>- United States rumored to have trained gamers for 5 years in preparation for the game.<br>- Exodus™ Online is dominating the World Game Market.<br>- Rumored Real Currency in-game Auction House proved to be true.<br><br><br>As Michiko continued to scroll down the News Site, she soon lost interest. Everything was about Exodus™. It seemed as if the whole world was waiting for this game to launch. In actuality they were all waiting for it to launch.<br><br>Only 30 minutes remained until the launch. Michiko lay down putting on her Busby™<br>You were allowed to create your character and select a starting position 1 hour before the actual game launched.<br><br>“Welcome to Exodus™ Online."<br><br>“Please select a name”<br>“I AM DA ALMIGHTY DRAGON”<br>“Character Names may not include spaces, symbols, or numbers”<br><br>‘...’<br><br>“UBERYAOILOVER”<br>“The name you have selected is too long. Please select another name.”<br><br>‘Thanks for crushing my dreams’<br><br>“Michi2san”<br>— Name has been registered<br><br>“Would you like to alter your characters appearance?” <br><br>“Change eye color to red. That is all”<br><br>— Your character has been created.<br><br><br>“If you have a region exemption code please say it now. ”<br><br>“ I don’t have one.”<br><br>“Very well, You will be starting in the United States Beginner Region. Please select a starting town.”<br><br>A holographic map appeared in front of Michiko. Countless towns were shown listing each bonus that came from each town and the monsters that appeared around each one.<br><br>“ Random” She said in a loud voice.<br><br>The game will be launching in 10 minutes. You are free to wait here or log out and return at the time of launch.<br><br>‘ 10 minutes what to do, oh i forgot the tomato....’<br><br>To be continued.<br><br>-----------------------------------------------------------<br><br>This is not a fanfiction based off of a fanfiction, THIS IS JUST A PARODY~~~<br>This is just a placeholder for a Fanfic section. </div>

‘A Giant Flaming Penious that screams SPARTA~!!!’ -- Shylockk [Name was originally Hikari but I changed but since Baddiez made fun of it. I hope he can continue writing soon so I can make fun of him but busy with school ; - ; . An actual series will be worked on later, hopefully. Original story belongs to Baddiez, this is just for fun, I had his permission to make this] A Michfied Exodus Prologue *sniff* *sniff* The midnight sky was filled with dark black clouds shrouding the Earth in shadows. The air smelled of an impending storm. It was the kind of night that would make you want to pretend to sleep if you had to. *sniff* A small girl, alone in her room wrapped in a blanket, her eyes red as she wipes them once more. This would be a sad sight if you ignored the fact that she was just watching anime in the dark and was damaging her eyes in every way possible. “The people on the forums were right, Demon Beats, what a truly formidable foe.” She had just finished watching a marathon of Demon Beats after being dared online to try finishing it without crying. Just as she finished, walking across her screen was a little maid. “Hurry up and sleep! If you don’t have rest, how are you going to have the strength to play the new VRMMO that’s launching tomorrow?” The maid was an AI created by her brother, a playboy genius programmer who enjoyed “seeing how a human reacts under certain conditions.” In short he was a terrible manipulative human. Michiko, on the other hand, was an introverted person who studied diligently in order to get good grades. She had turned 18 this year, and was a senior in high school. She was 5 feet tall, had a slightly frail build, light brown eyes, and long wavy jet black hair. Her life motto was, Yama nashi, ochi nashi, imi nashi which stood for, “no peak, no fall, no meaning. In short, if nothing good happens then nothing bad can happen either; life is meaningless. With her unique alarm modeled after [REPLACE here] even those with lack of sleep would be fine. She got up and started her daily routine. First she fixed her bed, then went to the bathroom to shower and brush her teeth. She went back to her room to put her uniform on, and went down to eat breakfast, just like any other normal day. Needless to say she looked at herself in the mirror and mad a sad face as she checked up on her ‘growth’. “Hmph. Nii-san once told me not to worry because a flat chest is a symbol of status” she said this but didn’t believe him at all. However, today slightly differed from other days. It was the day the new game titled “Exodus™”, would be launched worldwide. The game was developed by the most advanced AI of all time. Five years in the making, using all games popular and unpopular from the last century as references. It was dubbed a miracle game, a game that would change gaming experience forever. Like most of the rich ‘hardcore’ gamers, she had pre-ordered the game and all the necessary equipment to play it. All she had to do was get through the day at school, and it would be smooth sailing from there. She already had her name picked out, her class, and even what she wanted to do before she even started. Due to her small physique, most would expect her to be playing as a support class, however, she had different plans. It took a while, but she managed to decide on Dual Wielding Broadswords, with Magician as her secondary class to strengthen her swords and allow them to be imbued with elemental properties in battle. The reason it took her so long to decide, was because every class you could imagine was available in the game, she had to pick one main class at level 10, and at level 200, she gets access to her secondary class. It was said to be one of the most outrageous ideas in games. Imagine a priest fighting upfront instead of standing in the back healing, or maybe even a necromancer that wasn't squishy, or even having a dancer as a main source of damage The possibilities were endless. As soon as she was ready, she left for school. As a senior she already had her license, but her parents were nice enough to afford a driver to take her to school and the minor issue that her legs didn’t extend far enough to touch the pedals. Although the school was only a five minute drive away, they wanted her to be safe. As the driver pulled into the student parking lot she saw the government’s final recruiting effort. There was a sign with big bold black letters that said “Gamer Recruitment”. As luck would have it “Exodus™ Online” was to launch on a worldwide scale. It was due to the nature of the game, and the objective: raise your level, conquer new lands, set sail towards unconquered territories and establish your kingdom. As dumb and cliche as it might seem, this was virtual reality, we are talking about a second world, and many countries saw that as their opportunity to redeem themselves, or even to get revenge. Due to this, every country was engaged in a wild recruitment campaign for gamers in order to build and strengthen their virtual army. Someone called out to her as she walked by. “Hey you! You look like a gamer how would you like to fight for good ol ‘merica? I can promise you will be paid accordingly depending on your performance in game, hell, we’ll even provide medical, dental, and life insurance.” ‘There they go again with their crap. I don’t give a damn about fighting for the pride of my country in a virtual game. All I want is to grind, level up, get some badass armour and maybe even meet a cute ouji-sama. It would take more than that to sway my decision.’ “Sorry, not interested” Michiko answered and walked away. She slowly approached a pair of automatic doors. When she walked through, she saw students walking in groups while having a conversation in the hallway, couples walking to class together, and teachers yelling “The bell is going to ring soon!”. ‘My last year in this shithole, when this is all over, I can watch all the (BL) anime and play all the (ero-)games I want. (duhuhu)’ She walked towards the hall where her first class was, and after walking 5 minutes she arrived, she was surprised at the scene that greeted her. Chairs and desks were pushed along the walls, and in the middle of the class was a big map, with the teacher standing on one side explaining the beginning areas. She also explained her hypothesis as to where good hunting grounds would be located in proximity of water, food sources, and shelter. “Michiko, you are welcome to join the class today at the launch.” “I’m sorry but I haven't bought the game yet Coach Johnson.” Looking annoyed Coach Johnson responded. “Your brother told me that you’ve got one of the first 100 manufactured copies in the States.” ‘Thanks bro, thanks a lot.’ She thought. Now annoyed Michiko retorted. “Oh? So was that where he was last night?” Blushing, Coach Johnson backed off. “What a tool. I bet she thinks she’s better than us. Let’s hunt her down when the ban for player-killing is lifted.” The class raged. All except one girl, Luna Eidos the class outcast, and candidate for weirdest girl of the year based on the schools underground website. She was quietly sitting in the corner of the classroom drawing while reading some weird comic with two guys on the cover page, of course I recognized it but there was no point announcing it. ‘I wonder if she’s going to play the game. Well I doubt it. She doesn’t seem like the gamer type.’ Throughout the day, none of the classes were held. Class time was used for strategic meetings that covered every aspect of time game. A day ingame was 6 hours in real life. The school had planned time for meals, bathroom breaks, and even offered excused absences to those who wanted to devote themselves to the game. But these students were also given homework. When the bell signaling the end of the day finally rang, all hell broke loose. It was as if someone had pooped in the pool, and everyone was evacuating. Bodies collided with one another, feet were stepped on, while others were trampled. No one cared. They wanted was to get home as quickly as possible and prepare for the worldwide launch that was held later that day. Michiko sat in silence as she knew that would happen. Thinking she was the only one in the classroom she started to hum an old tune from a movie she had watched when she was younger. She was startled when she heard a chair slide behind her and saw Luna get up and walk out of the door. ‘What the hell! I didn't even notice she was still there’ Soon, she started to gather her things and was about to leave when Luna walked back in. “Please take this” She said giving her a note sealed with a heart shaped sticker. ‘.....’ “Ummm, Thank you.” ‘What the hell am I supposed to say?' “So..... Are you going to play Exodus™ Online?” asked Michiko nervously. ‘Wow why the hell did I ask someone I barely know about a game. This is why I’m a loner’ “Yes, I will start playing today” Luna answered in a shy small voice. ‘Wow shes so cute. Screw my motto if she wasn’t so weird, I would definitely try to be friends.’ “Oh, ok well if you want you could give me yo—” Luna didn't even let her finish her sentence, she simply walked away. ‘Well that went well...’ Not wanting to run into Luna again, she delayed her departure for a few minutes. She then walked out of the school premise, towards her car. *** Headlines - Germany opens dedicated gaming buildings for Exodus™ Online. - France invests millions in securing internet connections. - United States rumored to have trained gamers for 5 years in preparation for the game. - Exodus™ Online is dominating the World Game Market. - Rumored Real Currency in-game Auction House proved to be true. As Michiko continued to scroll down the News Site, she soon lost interest. Everything was about Exodus™. It seemed as if the whole world was waiting for this game to launch. In actuality they were all waiting for it to launch. Only 30 minutes remained until the launch. Michiko lay down putting on her Busby™ You were allowed to create your character and select a starting position 1 hour before the actual game launched. “Welcome to Exodus™ Online." “Please select a name” “I AM DA ALMIGHTY DRAGON” “Character Names may not include spaces, symbols, or numbers” ‘...’ “UBERYAOILOVER” “The name you have selected is too long. Please select another name.” ‘Thanks for crushing my dreams’ “Michi2san” — Name has been registered “Would you like to alter your characters appearance?” “Change eye color to red. That is all” — Your character has been created. “If you have a region exemption code please say it now. ” “ I don’t have one.” “Very well, You will be starting in the United States Beginner Region. Please select a starting town.” A holographic map appeared in front of Michiko. Countless towns were shown listing each bonus that came from each town and the monsters that appeared around each one. “ Random” She said in a loud voice. The game will be launching in 10 minutes. You are free to wait here or log out and return at the time of launch. ‘ 10 minutes what to do, oh i forgot the tomato....’ To be continued. ----------------------------------------------------------- This is not a fanfiction based off of a fanfiction, THIS IS JUST A PARODY~~~ This is just a placeholder for a Fanfic section.

<div class="chapter-inner chapter-content"> Angry yelling could be heard outside the halls of soldiers, these were followed by what sounded like explosions and screams of agony. Some NPCs shuddered to think what was going on outside. The soldiers for the time being backed away from Weed and headed outside; apparently there loomed a greater threat there. Even other players who rushed to finish off Weed backed off hesitantly, they chose to wait and watch. Everyone stayed as silent as possible.<br><br>Screams of terrible pain seeped inside the hall; the audience nervously glanced at each other. There were easily over a thousand soldiers defending this castle…it had to be some sort of grand war going on outside. Some players began to step out to see the cause of the commotion. The NPCs begged them not to leave them alone and instead protect them; however the players’ curiosity could not be satiated. They had to see what was unfolding outside. One by one they all stepped out and never returned. The screams of pain never ended…Weed was scared. Although this was just a game and he could log out anytime…he was too scared to do anything. It was the sort of feeling accompanied in a horror movie. Where people like moths are lured away by the flame of a candle only to be led to their crispy death.<br><br>Theodore too, who was too shocked a few moments ago by the revelation that Weed was dark natured, was now too absorbed in the commotion outside. He gripped the holy hammer tightly and patiently waited for the screaming to stop….and it did stop. It was disturbingly quiet; a dripping sound could be heard in the distance from a leaky faulty ceiling tile…Seconds crawled like hours and everyone wondered what happened….<br><br>‘Tick Tock Tick Tock...’ Weed’s grandfather clock continued to tick away in the background…<br><br>Rodriguez shifted uncomfortably the worst was only going to unravel…<br><br>*Step* *Step* *Step*<br><br>Somebody’s footsteps could be heard echoing through the stairways that led to the hall. They grew louder and louder till they were right outside the grand doors of the hall. A few soldiers who stayed behind and personal body guards of nobles stood on the sides of the door waiting to attack the enemy who dared to open these doors.<br><br><span style="font-style: italic;"> ‘Was it a single person? ‘Did a single person wipe out the entire dwarven regiment placed outside? And what about the players who left the halls to help the soldiers? What became of them?’ </span> These just some of the many thoughts swirling in the minds of the remaining players.<br><br>A long silence enchanted the hall once again…<br><br>The soldiers nervously looked at each other, they signaled each other to open the door and check but none of them had the guts to do it. Frustrated by the cowardice of the NPCs, a player volunteered. As he opened the door…some players and NPC’s ducked behind their seats expecting a monster or an explosion…instead there was nobody….<br><br>“What the heck?” The human player said as he stood with his sword drawn. He was trembling in fear for need. “It’s all clear.” He shouted out to everyone who was hiding. “Nobody he..”<br><br>Before he could complete the sentence his body went flying across the hall and he landed on his neck…he died much before hitting the ground, an instant kill from the blow of the unseen force that flung his body away. Several women, NPCs and players alike, screamed in horror. Some were even reduced to tears. It wasn’t an easy choice to log out, logging out during critical action moments cost players levels, exp or even random items they possessed. It was almost the same punishment as dying except for the lock out period. Even then, a few immediately logged out. <br><br>Even the men were scared, nobody saw that coming. They gripped their swords and weapons tightly. Archers moved into position, they weren’t going down without a fight. A single person, stood at the entrance. His cloak was smeared in the blood of his victims. The figure slowly moved forward, the soldiers who stood by the sides of the door dropped dead like flies to the ground. What just happened? How did they die? Nobody had a clue. A few more players (includes men) shrieked as the hurriedly logged out. The choice to log out became a very easy one to make; the enemy in front of them was too strong. Wiping out a 1000 dwarf soldiers…is not an easy accomplishment. He also appeared to be insane based on how he was indiscriminately killing off everyone. The maths was simple, overpowered enemy plus insanity equals log out now and avoid being mutilated like a dog’s rag doll.<br><br>There were some players, who were absurd enough to have a go the hooded enemy. Archers launched their arrows and tanks rushed at him brandishing their swords. They were all met with instant K.O.s The enemy moved unrealistically fast as he butchered away those who dared to attack him. Some players dropped their weapons and held their hands up in surrender. It was too late, they too were killed. Shin Ye Sui and Weed were probably the only two players left in the hall.<br><br>The hooded figure began walking towards the stage. NPCs clutched to their seats as they hid behind them in terror. There was an overwhelmingly demonic aura flowing through the room lowering the morale of everyone. Theodore stood up slowly; enough was enough.<br><br>“I see, I always did wonder which one of would win if we were to fight head on…” Shadow finally broke the long dreaded silence.<br><br>It wasn’t just Theodore who was challenging him; Rodriguez and Lisa were getting their act together as well. Rodriguez pulled out a staff and Lisa pulled out her bow. With Shadow in the center and the other three spread out like points of triangle, they slowly began to pace around Shadow.<br><br>“I must say Rodriguez, you pulled a good one on me. That letter and the wild goose chase was fantastically daring of you!” Shadow had a cruel tone in his laugh. <br><br>“So the four best of friends, all gathered in one room.” He added bitterly.<br><br>Snappy moved in front of Weed and began growling at Shadow.<br><br>“Oh, I am very sorry Snappy.” Shadow added in a sarcastic tone. “The five of us. I guess that must be the elf behind you? Did he manage to win?”<br><br>“…”<br><br>“Of course he must have, I mean he had Rodriguez’s mark of approval didn’t he?”<br><br>“…” Everyone continued to stay silent as ever. This was tense and delicate moment, where losing your concentration could mean death.<br><br>“GIVE ME THE SCALES YOU DAMNED OLD FOOLS!” Screamed a livid Shadow. The halls shook with his scream.<br><br>An arrow whizzed by Shadow, Lisa began the charge. <br><br>“Graces of heavens!” Rodriguez screamed as he set up barriers one after another to restrict Shadow’s movement. “FAIRY BURST!”<br><br>The room flashed white, blinding those were watching. <br><br>Theodore lunged the holy hammer at Shadow, straight on. Lisa fired arrows in rapid succession pinning Shadow’s feet to the ground…. The trio huffed trying to catch their breath. <br><br>“Wonderful!” Shadow replied back in delight. He spoke as if he were completely unaffected the blitz attack. “Now why don’t we stop pretending and fight seriously?”<br>“Theodore lead Weed away. Lisa and I will hold him back.”<br><br>Theodore nodded as he retreated.<br><br>“And whatever makes you think, I am going to let him get away?”<br><br>“This is!” Replied Lisa as instantly appeared beside Shadow and punched him in the face.<br><br>“AAAAAA! MY FACE!” Shadow howled in pain as he gripped in face. Seeing the opportunity Rodriguez cast one holy spell after another. Theodore used the opportunity to drag Weed away who was scared stiff. All though Elementarem Vim was just a game, everything that unfolded was so realistic. The NPCs didn’t behave like typical NPCs, they appeared more natural and human like than ever. Their emotions, dialogues bordered real humans so closely that it was confusing Weed. <span style="font-style: italic;"> Were they really NPCs? </span><br><br>Shin Ye Sui was the only player that remained. She was nimble on her feet and managed to evade most spells and attacks that missed Shadow and hit the NPCs which were hiding. Some reporters spend all their lives in a VR game and never witness a single great moment, there are those fortunate few who go on to become stars over night. Shin Ye Sui was determined to become a star tonight. Although her camera man died during Rodriguez’s spell cast she could still relay a live feed to her station from her POV. She was scared and excited. She had done risky VR coverages before but something about Elementarem Vim drew her in.<br><br>“IS THAT A PIECE A OF THE DAMNED SCALE?”<br><br>A small crack appeared on Shadows black faceless mask.<br><br>Lisa looked at her ring; the black diamond stone cracked in two pieces. “I guess so?” She coolly replied. She had wanted to punch Shadow in the face for the longest time ever. “Honey, the ring broke. Could you get me a new one?”<br><br>Rodriguez sighed, Lisa had always been cheeky. Whether it was when he first met her or now, she really hadn’t changed all that much. Even the circumstances didn’t seem to affect her mood, here they were fighting a friend turned foe with their life on the line and his newly wedded wife left no opportunity to instigate him further. “You really don’t want to say that in front of him…” He whispered back.<br><br>“Say what hubby?” Lisa romantically teased back. Rodriguez lightly banged his head against the staff, she was just plain cruel. <span style="font-style: italic;"> Did I really want to marry her? </span> There was most likely something wrong with her emotion switches, one was supposed to be feeling tense, scared or perhaps even excited. Feeling romantic was the last emotion you’d feel in this situation. <br><br>“Honey? Hubby?” Shadow asked curiously. “…”<br><br>“How do I say this…Rodriguez asked me to marry him!” Lisa shouted as she showed off her ring with a big smile on her face.<br><br>Shin Ye Sui was slightly stunned, what began a horror movie was slowly changing into a standup comedy? It was somewhat anticlimactic?<br><br>A black sword whizzed through Lisa’s heart and her body lay pinned against the wall. The delightful and warm atmosphere came to a zipping end. <br><br>Shin Ye Sui threw up, although it was virtual reality, she did not see that coming. The graphic details were too realistic! The censor board was going to have a go with Unicorn Corp about this!<br><br>Rodriguez didn’t even have time to react. All his protective barriers around Lisa just gave away like paper. He rushed to Lisa’s side and grabbed her body as it slipped down when Shadow retracted the sword. He clutched her in his arms tearfully, her life was being drained away slowly. It was a single neat stab to the chest, powerful enough to deliver to death’s door step. This wasn’t Royal Road where Rodriguez could mutter a healing spell and that would take care of everything. Elementarem Vim had stricter rules. Only those of life affinity had the ability to heal could do healing magic.<br><br>If Shadow’s faceless mask had a smile, it would be a very wide smile. He enjoyed vulnerable weak people, melodramatic sorrow. He was not being kind by not attacking Rodriguez as he tended to Lisa rather he was enjoying the moment. If words were to describe Shadow, he was the embodiment of pure cruelty.<br><br>Shin Ye Sui slowly moved towards the couple, only a while back were they exchanging sweet kisses and now Lisa lay on the verge of death.<br><br>“Hey…”Lisa spoke with her life seeping away quickly, she slowly moved her hands and caressed Rodriguez’s sobbing face for one last time. “At least I got to call you hubby...” With that her lifeless hand fell to the ground and her body turned into grey ash before disappearing.<br><br>Shin Ye Sui was moved to tears. It was too tragic, virtual but it felt so real. She struggled to continue staring at Rodriguez as she wiped away her tears. It wasn’t just her who was left crying. Half the audience back in RL was moved to tears as well. Even some of the writers and female producers were left sobbing. <br><br>Rodriguez slowly stood up; his anger crossed a threshold that he had never felt before.<br><br>“Heavens Judgment.” He whispered with his back still facing Shadow.<br><br>The last thing Shin Ye Sui saw was her entire screen going white and her character losing all her health…It was a painless quick death. Shin Ye Sui removed her VR console gear and rushed towards the conference room. There must have been standby teams sent to her location! She had to know what happened next! The audience too wanted to know what happened next! Although most of the people in the audience were blacksmithing fans, they were too caught up in the moment! The teams were quickly changing POV’s to the nearest available team for them.<br><br><br><br>----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br>Authors Note:<br><br>1. Thank you so much V4LKYR13 for helping out. Thank you Tewlve for writing this!<br>2. Hope you all like it. See you in 5.11 a bonus chapter!<br>3. Will be edited soon.<br><br>--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------<div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td colspan="4">Connect to Royal Road – Elementarem Vim next Chapter?</td></tr><tr><td colspan="2"><a href="http://www.royalroadl.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=64&amp;t=1171" target="_blank">Yes</a></td><td colspan="2"><a href="http://www.royalroadl.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=64&amp;t=348" target="_blank">No</a></td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br>-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- </div>

Angry yelling could be heard outside the halls of soldiers, these were followed by what sounded like explosions and screams of agony. Some NPCs shuddered to think what was going on outside. The soldiers for the time being backed away from Weed and headed outside; apparently there loomed a greater threat there. Even other players who rushed to finish off Weed backed off hesitantly, they chose to wait and watch. Everyone stayed as silent as possible. Screams of terrible pain seeped inside the hall; the audience nervously glanced at each other. There were easily over a thousand soldiers defending this castle…it had to be some sort of grand war going on outside. Some players began to step out to see the cause of the commotion. The NPCs begged them not to leave them alone and instead protect them; however the players’ curiosity could not be satiated. They had to see what was unfolding outside. One by one they all stepped out and never returned. The screams of pain never ended…Weed was scared. Although this was just a game and he could log out anytime…he was too scared to do anything. It was the sort of feeling accompanied in a horror movie. Where people like moths are lured away by the flame of a candle only to be led to their crispy death. Theodore too, who was too shocked a few moments ago by the revelation that Weed was dark natured, was now too absorbed in the commotion outside. He gripped the holy hammer tightly and patiently waited for the screaming to stop….and it did stop. It was disturbingly quiet; a dripping sound could be heard in the distance from a leaky faulty ceiling tile…Seconds crawled like hours and everyone wondered what happened…. ‘Tick Tock Tick Tock...’ Weed’s grandfather clock continued to tick away in the background… Rodriguez shifted uncomfortably the worst was only going to unravel… *Step* *Step* *Step* Somebody’s footsteps could be heard echoing through the stairways that led to the hall. They grew louder and louder till they were right outside the grand doors of the hall. A few soldiers who stayed behind and personal body guards of nobles stood on the sides of the door waiting to attack the enemy who dared to open these doors. ‘Was it a single person? ‘Did a single person wipe out the entire dwarven regiment placed outside? And what about the players who left the halls to help the soldiers? What became of them?’ These just some of the many thoughts swirling in the minds of the remaining players. A long silence enchanted the hall once again… The soldiers nervously looked at each other, they signaled each other to open the door and check but none of them had the guts to do it. Frustrated by the cowardice of the NPCs, a player volunteered. As he opened the door…some players and NPC’s ducked behind their seats expecting a monster or an explosion…instead there was nobody…. “What the heck?” The human player said as he stood with his sword drawn. He was trembling in fear for need. “It’s all clear.” He shouted out to everyone who was hiding. “Nobody he..” Before he could complete the sentence his body went flying across the hall and he landed on his neck…he died much before hitting the ground, an instant kill from the blow of the unseen force that flung his body away. Several women, NPCs and players alike, screamed in horror. Some were even reduced to tears. It wasn’t an easy choice to log out, logging out during critical action moments cost players levels, exp or even random items they possessed. It was almost the same punishment as dying except for the lock out period. Even then, a few immediately logged out. Even the men were scared, nobody saw that coming. They gripped their swords and weapons tightly. Archers moved into position, they weren’t going down without a fight. A single person, stood at the entrance. His cloak was smeared in the blood of his victims. The figure slowly moved forward, the soldiers who stood by the sides of the door dropped dead like flies to the ground. What just happened? How did they die? Nobody had a clue. A few more players (includes men) shrieked as the hurriedly logged out. The choice to log out became a very easy one to make; the enemy in front of them was too strong. Wiping out a 1000 dwarf soldiers…is not an easy accomplishment. He also appeared to be insane based on how he was indiscriminately killing off everyone. The maths was simple, overpowered enemy plus insanity equals log out now and avoid being mutilated like a dog’s rag doll. There were some players, who were absurd enough to have a go the hooded enemy. Archers launched their arrows and tanks rushed at him brandishing their swords. They were all met with instant K.O.s The enemy moved unrealistically fast as he butchered away those who dared to attack him. Some players dropped their weapons and held their hands up in surrender. It was too late, they too were killed. Shin Ye Sui and Weed were probably the only two players left in the hall. The hooded figure began walking towards the stage. NPCs clutched to their seats as they hid behind them in terror. There was an overwhelmingly demonic aura flowing through the room lowering the morale of everyone. Theodore stood up slowly; enough was enough. “I see, I always did wonder which one of would win if we were to fight head on…” Shadow finally broke the long dreaded silence. It wasn’t just Theodore who was challenging him; Rodriguez and Lisa were getting their act together as well. Rodriguez pulled out a staff and Lisa pulled out her bow. With Shadow in the center and the other three spread out like points of triangle, they slowly began to pace around Shadow. “I must say Rodriguez, you pulled a good one on me. That letter and the wild goose chase was fantastically daring of you!” Shadow had a cruel tone in his laugh. “So the four best of friends, all gathered in one room.” He added bitterly. Snappy moved in front of Weed and began growling at Shadow. “Oh, I am very sorry Snappy.” Shadow added in a sarcastic tone. “The five of us. I guess that must be the elf behind you? Did he manage to win?” “…” “Of course he must have, I mean he had Rodriguez’s mark of approval didn’t he?” “…” Everyone continued to stay silent as ever. This was tense and delicate moment, where losing your concentration could mean death. “GIVE ME THE SCALES YOU DAMNED OLD FOOLS!” Screamed a livid Shadow. The halls shook with his scream. An arrow whizzed by Shadow, Lisa began the charge. “Graces of heavens!” Rodriguez screamed as he set up barriers one after another to restrict Shadow’s movement. “FAIRY BURST!” The room flashed white, blinding those were watching. Theodore lunged the holy hammer at Shadow, straight on. Lisa fired arrows in rapid succession pinning Shadow’s feet to the ground…. The trio huffed trying to catch their breath. “Wonderful!” Shadow replied back in delight. He spoke as if he were completely unaffected the blitz attack. “Now why don’t we stop pretending and fight seriously?” “Theodore lead Weed away. Lisa and I will hold him back.” Theodore nodded as he retreated. “And whatever makes you think, I am going to let him get away?” “This is!” Replied Lisa as instantly appeared beside Shadow and punched him in the face. “AAAAAA! MY FACE!” Shadow howled in pain as he gripped in face. Seeing the opportunity Rodriguez cast one holy spell after another. Theodore used the opportunity to drag Weed away who was scared stiff. All though Elementarem Vim was just a game, everything that unfolded was so realistic. The NPCs didn’t behave like typical NPCs, they appeared more natural and human like than ever. Their emotions, dialogues bordered real humans so closely that it was confusing Weed. Were they really NPCs? Shin Ye Sui was the only player that remained. She was nimble on her feet and managed to evade most spells and attacks that missed Shadow and hit the NPCs which were hiding. Some reporters spend all their lives in a VR game and never witness a single great moment, there are those fortunate few who go on to become stars over night. Shin Ye Sui was determined to become a star tonight. Although her camera man died during Rodriguez’s spell cast she could still relay a live feed to her station from her POV. She was scared and excited. She had done risky VR coverages before but something about Elementarem Vim drew her in. “IS THAT A PIECE A OF THE DAMNED SCALE?” A small crack appeared on Shadows black faceless mask. Lisa looked at her ring; the black diamond stone cracked in two pieces. “I guess so?” She coolly replied. She had wanted to punch Shadow in the face for the longest time ever. “Honey, the ring broke. Could you get me a new one?” Rodriguez sighed, Lisa had always been cheeky. Whether it was when he first met her or now, she really hadn’t changed all that much. Even the circumstances didn’t seem to affect her mood, here they were fighting a friend turned foe with their life on the line and his newly wedded wife left no opportunity to instigate him further. “You really don’t want to say that in front of him…” He whispered back. “Say what hubby?” Lisa romantically teased back. Rodriguez lightly banged his head against the staff, she was just plain cruel. Did I really want to marry her? There was most likely something wrong with her emotion switches, one was supposed to be feeling tense, scared or perhaps even excited. Feeling romantic was the last emotion you’d feel in this situation. “Honey? Hubby?” Shadow asked curiously. “…” “How do I say this…Rodriguez asked me to marry him!” Lisa shouted as she showed off her ring with a big smile on her face. Shin Ye Sui was slightly stunned, what began a horror movie was slowly changing into a standup comedy? It was somewhat anticlimactic? A black sword whizzed through Lisa’s heart and her body lay pinned against the wall. The delightful and warm atmosphere came to a zipping end. Shin Ye Sui threw up, although it was virtual reality, she did not see that coming. The graphic details were too realistic! The censor board was going to have a go with Unicorn Corp about this! Rodriguez didn’t even have time to react. All his protective barriers around Lisa just gave away like paper. He rushed to Lisa’s side and grabbed her body as it slipped down when Shadow retracted the sword. He clutched her in his arms tearfully, her life was being drained away slowly. It was a single neat stab to the chest, powerful enough to deliver to death’s door step. This wasn’t Royal Road where Rodriguez could mutter a healing spell and that would take care of everything. Elementarem Vim had stricter rules. Only those of life affinity had the ability to heal could do healing magic. If Shadow’s faceless mask had a smile, it would be a very wide smile. He enjoyed vulnerable weak people, melodramatic sorrow. He was not being kind by not attacking Rodriguez as he tended to Lisa rather he was enjoying the moment. If words were to describe Shadow, he was the embodiment of pure cruelty. Shin Ye Sui slowly moved towards the couple, only a while back were they exchanging sweet kisses and now Lisa lay on the verge of death. “Hey…”Lisa spoke with her life seeping away quickly, she slowly moved her hands and caressed Rodriguez’s sobbing face for one last time. “At least I got to call you hubby...” With that her lifeless hand fell to the ground and her body turned into grey ash before disappearing. Shin Ye Sui was moved to tears. It was too tragic, virtual but it felt so real. She struggled to continue staring at Rodriguez as she wiped away her tears. It wasn’t just her who was left crying. Half the audience back in RL was moved to tears as well. Even some of the writers and female producers were left sobbing. Rodriguez slowly stood up; his anger crossed a threshold that he had never felt before. “Heavens Judgment.” He whispered with his back still facing Shadow. The last thing Shin Ye Sui saw was her entire screen going white and her character losing all her health…It was a painless quick death. Shin Ye Sui removed her VR console gear and rushed towards the conference room. There must have been standby teams sent to her location! She had to know what happened next! The audience too wanted to know what happened next! Although most of the people in the audience were blacksmithing fans, they were too caught up in the moment! The teams were quickly changing POV’s to the nearest available team for them. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Authors Note: 1. Thank you so much V4LKYR13 for helping out. Thank you Tewlve for writing this! 2. Hope you all like it. See you in 5.11 a bonus chapter! 3. Will be edited soon. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | Connect to Royal Road – Elementarem Vim next Chapter? | | | | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | [Yes](http://www.royalroadl.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=64&t=1171) | | [No](http://www.royalroadl.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=64&t=348) | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

<div class="chapter-inner chapter-content"> <span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;">*******</span></span><br><br>“Welcome to our humble abode. It’s a little small, but it’s home all right.”<br><br>“Woah...”<br><br>Within the Tree Hollow , Kino entered an entirely new place, the likes of which had never been seen or explored before. Before him was the Fairy Village, where a colony of tiny fairies lived.<br><br><span style="font-style: italic;">*Ding*</span><br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td><span style="font-style: italic;">You have discovered the Fairy Tree Hollow. <br><br><br>Reward: <br>- You will gain double experience and gold from quests within this area for 7 days..<br>- Fame + 100<br><br>You were first to discover the Fairy Tree Hollow.<br>Rewards:<br>• Fame increased by 300.<br>• For a week the rewards and experience for the village’s quests are doubled.<br></span></td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br>Surprisingly, the Tree Hollow was not dark and humid, as fungi hung around the area, casting a soft hue of green on the tiny village.<br><br>All across the village as far as the eye could see, little toadstools and mushrooms thronged a paved road that cut its way across the village. Judging by the doors and windows that had been built into these mushrooms, these were meant to serve as areas of residence. It was like a scene from a fairy tale. (Or a certain cartoon about little blue things living in a forest...) Young Fairy children, their wings underdeveloped in their youth, played peacefully in the fields. <br><br>That was just a small part of the village, however. Bracket Fungi lined the walls of the Tree Hollow, and on it, even more residences had been built. The Fairy Commander gave a sheepish grin as he observed Kino's expression.<br><br>"We, uh, have a bit of a population boom at the moment, so it was necessary to expand. The fungi lasts a surprisingly long time and grows quite easily, if that is what you wish to ask."<br><br>"Oh." The forestalled question died in Kino's mouth before he could ask. He looked around, and noticed the lack of ladders or staircases.<br><br>"How do I get around, then?"<br><br>"Ah, most of us fairies go around mostly through flight, so there was no need for those rudimentary platforms. I can give you a lift, if you wish."<br><br>"It's fine, mister." Kino got onto his squirrel steed and kicked lightly against its belly. "Giddyup, Walnut."<br><br>The squirrel nodded, understanding Kino's intentions, and leapt from platform to platform. Using this method, the party made its way to the upper portions of the tree hollow. As the group made its way to the top, the simple toadstools were replaced by intricate buildings crafted out of wood and stone. Runes covered every inch of the surface, emitting a soft blue light that signified that they were active. Fairies were gathered in small groups, in furtive conclave as some of them threw suspicious looks at the war group, and at the strange and new visitor.<br><br>It was a stark contrast from the rustic scene below. The commander gave a passing glance to the tense atmosphere, and gave a sheepish grin.<br><br>"It is a hard life, being a fairy. Most of our children are raised below, and haven’t been to the upper levels at their age. They can't exactly fly at their young age, but perhaps it is for the best. Let them live out their childhood a little longer. It will be difficult later on..."<br><br>The commander heaved a loud sigh as he flew upwards. At the very top of the Tree Hollow, stood a large castle made out of brick and mortar. Unlike the buildings on the lower that still had some elements of architecture and craftsmanship in them, the castle stood in fierce belligerence. Metal Spikes are in much abundance on this piece, warping the otherwise opulent and majestic look of the castle.<br><br><br>"Uh.... Our king is a bit on the prudent side, and he likes to keep tabs on visitors. It would be in your best interests to pay him a visit first." the commander said, pointing at the castle.<br><br>Kino nodded. He had expected that, somehow. He kicked Walnut's belly lightly again, spurring the squirrel to move a little faster.<br><br>"After you then, mister."<br><br>Up close, the fierce and warlike castle at the top was... ugly, to say the least. Spikes jutted out at random along the top parts of the castle. A fairy soldier looked at the metal spikes and frowned.<br><br>“What’s the problem, mister?” Kino asked, having noticed.<br><br>“Ah. Fairies just don’t quite like the feel of iron. It messes with our magic, absorbs and throws them out of whack. We normally work with stone and wood, even with our weaponry, but iron and other minerals can be found in small amounts underground.”<br><br>“And who works with them?”<br><br>“We are in... an understanding with the gnomes, who drop by every now and then with gifts. They work with mostly gold, but the iron spikes were forged by them, and just stuck on top of the castle in such a whimsical manner. Distasteful.” the soldier spoke with clear disgust on his face.<br><br>The commander turned to the rest of his troops. “We can go on on our own from here. Head back to barracks and have a good rest. You guys deserve it.”<br><br>“Awesome. Erm, I mean, as you command, sir.” the lieutenant, a rather portly man with a wispy beard, saluted and turned to the rest of the troops, giving the command to march off. <br><br>“My men aren’t exactly too comfortable with the idea of staying so close to so much iron, so it is probably for the best.” The commander motioned to the rather large castle before him. “Shall we proceed?”<br><br>Kino frowned, but nevertheless got off Walnut and let himself be led into the castle. At least the interior of the castle maintained an air of sophistication and royalty, not that Kino bothered to look around. Works of art, paintings, sculptures carved out of wood and stone, littered the halls of the castle. The floor was flush with rich red carpeting. <br><br>“No, Walnut. No gnawing works of art.” Kino absent-mindedly smacked the squirrel on the head as he walked. The squirrel bowed its head in shame, and dropped the wooden sculpture of an acorn that he was about to sink his teeth into. It was probably a good thing that he didn’t eat that.<br><br>"Honestly, child. Did you really have to bring the squirrel as well?" the commander asked, rolling his eyes at the sight.<br><br>"Easy for you to say, mister, considering that you haven't given me your name yet." Kino easily rebutted.<br><br>"Ah, of course, where are my manners... My given name is Gale, of Silverwind. I am the... Commander of the 4th fleet of the -"<br><br>"Woah, mister, I wanted your name, not a curriculum vitae." Kino paused as he reflected on the rather difficult and certainly not childlike word (he would have to watch his language from now on, he realized). "Now, start from the top..." His voice became like that of his English Teacher.<br><br>"Um, my name is Gale?"<br><br>"That's much better."<br><br>"Uh... Ahem." The newly introduced Gale coughed. The pair had arrived at a very large and ornate door. "Oh, it seems that we have arrived." Gale took a look at the squirrel, that is now eyeing a peanut statue with a glint in his eye. "Are you really going to bring that in there?"<br><br>Kino paused to consider, or rather, merely for the sake of doing it.<br><br>"Yes, yes I am." He said firmly.<br><br><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">********</span></span><br><br><span style="font-style: italic;">AH, HE’S GONE.</span> Shaft looked at the spot where Howard was standing earlier. He turned to the Spear Spirit of the Lance. <span style="font-style: italic;">DID YOU REALLY HAVE TO TEACH HIM THAT FORM? YOU HAVEN’T ACKNOWLEDGED HIM YET, HAVE YOU? </span><br><br><span style="font-style: italic;">“It was only a matter of time anyway.”</span> Lance said nonchalantly, sitting down and resting her chin on her knee. <span style="font-style: italic;">“Besides, we don’t have any leads yet. That technique may well be a clue.”</span> <br><br><span style="font-style: italic;">YOU HAVE A LOT OF FAITH IN HIM. WELL, I AM NOT TOO SURPRISED, HE CERTAINLY LOOKS LIKE A... RESOURCEFUL MAN.</span> Shaft turned to the 3 new figures that had suddenly appeared in the fog. <span style="font-style: italic;">WHAT DO YOU THINK, GENTLEMEN?</span><br><br><span style="font-style: italic;">“Hohoho... that young man holds a lot of promise.”</span> the 1st shadow mused, stroking a wispy and laughing heartily. “You were like that in the past, right, 1st Brother?”<br><br>“Nonsense. This Old Sun wreaked a lot more havoc back then. He has a long way to go if he is to emulate my great deeds of the past. Are we really going to depend on him for help?” the middle shadow had a strange posture, and he was fidgeting restlessly.<br><br>“Well, as long as he has a lot of food <span style="font-weight: bold;">*snort*</span> with him, I would say we can depend on him. He is <span style="font-weight: bold;">*snort*</span> going to need it.” the 3rd shadow snorted. He was fatter than the others, but radiated a fierce battle aura nonetheless.<br><br>“Idiot, you only think about food!! No wonder He was so mad with us and sent us back into this world to be reincarnated” the middle shadow smacked the 3rd shadow on the head with a rod that materialised out of nowhere.<br><br>“That hurts, <span style="font-weight: bold;">*snort*</span> 1st brother. More like your hot temper was the cause of it.” the 3rd shadow retorted, rubbing his head painfully. “Nevertheless, Master has made it clear. We are to play the role of observers <span style="font-weight: bold;">*snort*</span>, nothing more.”<br><br>Shaft frowned. <span style="font-style: italic;">HE WALKS A DANGEROUS PATH THEN. UNLIKE YOU GUYS, HE DOES NOT HAVE THE BENEFIT OF VAST EXPERIENCES NOR YEARS OF CULTIVATION.</span><br><br>“This makes it more interesting then. Hohoho~” the middle shadow laughed cheerfully as he balanced his staff carefully on his head and danced cheerfully on the spot.<br><br>“All the elements have been set in place. What happens now is a matter of providence and karma.” the 1st shadow stroked his beard again as he mused to himself.<br><br>“”“And hence it has been spoken. Amitabha.””” The three shadows all intoned at once, and made a hand gesture.<br><br>“…” These kinds of Heroic Spirits do tend to get a bit over-dramatic at times, thought Lance as she watched them with a strange expression on her face. She stretched her limbs luxuriously, and put on a bright smile.<br><br><span style="font-style: italic;">“Haaaaaa... I’m tired from all the excitement. If you will excuse me, gentlemen...”</span> she faded away in a crimson light, which flowed back into the Lance that stood in the middle of the conclave.<br><br>“Ah, she was a cute one <span style="font-weight: bold;">*snort*</span>. Is she taken?” the 3rd shadow was gazing at the Lance.<br><br>“Other than food, you only think of women. That is so typical of you, Middle Brother.” the 1st shadow muttered while shaking his head.<br><br>“His taste in women seems to have... broadened widely though. I thought you favored busty women?” the middle shadow asked as he spun the pole that had suddenly appeared in his hands theatrically.<br><br>“Older Brother, you have definitely fallen behind the times. The world has advanced since that time; since then. The recognized charms of women have expanded greatly as people start to... explore. Nowadays, a fine figure and a beautiful face is not the only defining criteria.” the Middle Shadow argued back, his speech suddenly becoming like that of an academic.<br><br>“Good grief... when it comes to women, you suddenly know so much. Use your time in a more constructive manner, dumbass!!” the middle shadow smacked the 3rd shadow about with his pole. “Here, have some of that!! And that!! I will beat that perverse nature out of you on Master’s behalf!!”<br><br><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;">*Taktaktaktaktaktaktak!!*</span></span> the middle shadow beat the 3rd shadow repeatedly, chanting sutra and scolding the middle shadow as though he was exorcising him.<br><br>“Amitabha. And so it is spoken. Good, good.” the 1st shadow watched the antics of the other two shadows while nodding sagely.<br><br>Shaft beheld the comical scene before him.<br><br><span style="font-style: italic;">… ARE YOU GUYS IDIOTS? </span><br><br><br><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;">*********</span></span><br><br><br>“Are you guys idiots?!” I yelled at my two sisters as they stood there grinning sheepishly.<br><br>The kitchen was a mess. The kitchen sink was filled to the brim with dirty dishes, the milk had been spilt carelessly on the floor, and footprints could be seen everywhere as they ignored the spills and even walked over it. I nearly fainted at the sight. Why do my sisters have such filthy habits? No, this doesn’t even qualify as filthy habits. They are avatars of filth itself!<br><br>“Come on, Howard, don’t get mad.” my younger sister pleaded. It was a rather endearing sight, but it was marred by the numerous stains that covered the blouse that she wore. Holy crap, those stains will never come off!! I made a note to pick up the heavy duty detergent.<br><br>“It’s your fault anyway. You have been busy with that game lately, so we were left alone to fend for ourselves.” my older sister snorted. Hello, you are about 23 this year!! There’s no need for me to clean up after you each time, right? No wonder you didn’t manage to maintain any of your relationships. I fear for your marriage prospects, dear sister.<br><br>These thoughts ran through my head, but I didn’t dared say them out loud. My sister didn’t take kindly to people nagging her about marriage, often taking a physical approach to dealing with it.She had a black belt in Tae Kwan Do, and was currently expanding into several other disciplines. Another good reason why her marriage prospects seemed so bleak.<br><br>“Haaaaaa... you guys are hopeless. Take this and start cleaning up the mess. We will start with the floor. Lao Jie*, you take this side, and Xiao Mei*, you follow her and make sure she doesn’t screw up.” I sighed, and handed them a mop and a bucket, giving out orders in rapid succession. Having delegated the tasks to my satisfaction, I picked up a dish and started scrubbing. And there I was hoping that I would have time to make them a proper dinner for once. From the looks of things, they had been living on nothing but instant noodles for the past few days... were they trying to go bald?<br><br>Cleaning up the kitchen took up the most of an hour. And then as it turned out, this mess wasn’t the only one that they made. <br><br>“Tell me, Lao Jie.”<br><br>“Yes, Howard-Didi*?”<br><br>“You know how to use a washing machine, right?” I asked.<br><br>“Errrr, Y-Yes...” my older sister muttered awkwardly.<br><br>“What is this then?” I pointed at the vast mountain of clothing that was clearly standing right in front of me. No matter how much I closed my eyes and slowly opened them, no matter how hard I pinched my arm, it was clearly not a dream nor was it an illusion.<br><br>“The machine broke.” Now she was just making excuses.<br><br>“No, the machine is clearly fine. Just what have you been doing this past few days?!”<br><br>“Do not question my genius!!” Oh snap, I have pushed her too far. She took out the enormous book that she carried around with her and raised it threateningly. At this point, it would be wise to back off slowly... I took a hesitant step backwards. And another...<br><br>The tension now is so thick, you could probably cut it with a knife and make a delicious <span style="font-style: italic;">nonya kueh</span> (A Peranakan dessert).<br><br>Actually, forget about the <span style="font-style: italic;">Nonya Kueh</span>. I turned around and ran away with my tail between my legs. Ah, there goes a bit more of what little remained of my manliness points...<br><br>“Get back here!!” and the Woodpecker gave pursuit, like for the 559th time in the row...<br><br>And the rest of the day was filled with little scuffles like that. It was just another day in this household of mine...<br><br><span style="font-weight: bold;">Author’s note:</span> <br><br>Lao (?) ~= Old/Big ; Xiao (?) ~= Little ; Didi (??)~= Little brother. Mei (as in meimei or ??): Little Sister.<br>These words are chinese.<br><br>**<br><br>“Haaaaaa... I finally dealt with all the mess.” I collapsed on my bed. I was exhausted. After the fiasco over the laundry, I had to vacuum the place, air the mattresses and pillows, beat the dust out of the upholstery, hang up the laundry (thank god today's weather is sunny)... My parents are at work, and my sisters are hopeless at housekeeping... That case between my sisters and myself, it was certainly a strange case of role reversal...<br><br>It did teach me the importance of planning in depth, however. If I were to play the game and proceed with this bothersome quest, several changes would have to be made. I prepared some food beforehand, I placed it in the refrigerator with instructions on how to use a microwave (they can at least read and follow instructions, right?), as well as some simple recipes for them to try (An omelette, surely you guys can manage an omelette!!). I also stuck several pieces of paper all over the place, with instructions on what to do with certain appliances.<br><br>The pen and paper that I have employed in that particular endeavor lay abandoned as I settled comfortably back into the capsule and logged back into the game.<br><br>***<br><br>When I finally logged back on, the first thing I saw was nothing but pitch black. Did a bug occur, or was I back in that foggy world again?<br><br>Oh wait, what is that crumbly feeling on my body? I pushed myself up, and felt a lot of small bits falling off all around me. Some of those small bits fell into my mouth, and I choked on them, spluttering as I finally managed to pray my eyes open.<br><br>“Oh good, you are finally back.” I turned at the conversational statement, and saw Tante sitting by a campfire with a tent behind her. Next to her, her flag was left leaning against a tree. A shovel was stabbed into the ground and left standing nearby in a pile of dirt.<br><br>The flames cast everything in a warm and orange glow. The warmth washed over me, as though I had sank into a hot bath.<br><br>As I sat up and took in my surroundings, I noticed a round rock behind me. It was a gravestone, and a “epitaph” had been roughly hewn into the stone, creating the words: <br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td>“There lies Howard:<br>"Wait, wait, at least let me explain mysel- Ahhhhh!!"”</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br>Did Tante actually bother to remember all of that? I am touched... and rather disturbed at the same time. <br><br>Oh well, at least it is something to rest my back on. I may as well make myself comfortable. I pushed myself against the rock and settled into a comfortable position. <br><br>“So, what did I miss?” I asked casually, conveniently forgetting the fact that she was the one who got me buried somehow after running me through with that spear of hers. Considering that I would always revive after being killed, it was a morbid and grisly thought.<br><br>Speaking of reviving... wasn’t I supposed to respawn back at a church or a town or something? How and why did I suddenly revive at a location in the middle of nowhere?<br>“Ah, this is the first time you have died right? You actually respawn at the nearest safe point in case of death, in this case, it was this cemetary, at least a 15 minutes walk from the crypt. Very useful if you want to get away in a hurry.” Tante supplied helpfully, with a smile that suggested that she most certainly did not try to bury me even deeper than the standard 6 feet under. Erm, the fact that you just tried to cover me with even more dirt definitely suggested that intent...<br><br>Hang on, did she just say “get away in a hurry”?<br><br>Childish prank completed, Tante began to quickly pack up the campsite. “Now that you have returned, help me pack up the place. We have to get out of here as soon as possible.”<br><br>That sounded eerily similar to when the effects of Berserk Impulse wore off, and Lance told me to get out of the extremely hostile battlefield back at the crypt...<br><br>“What’s going on then?” I asked as I got up from my comfortable resting place.<br><br>“No time to explain. We have to get you somewhere safe quickly until it all dies down. Otherwise, we will never have a peaceful moment from now on for a very long time. From the looks of this map, the nearest safe spot from here lies to the border of the Western Continent.” Tante referred to a large map spread out in front of her. <br><br>So we are headed West, then. How convenient. Oh right, she doesn’t know about the quest that I was given. But then again, the NPC that gave the quest, the Spirit of the Lance, is back at the foggy world...<br><br><span style="font-style: italic;">“Ah, you are alive then. Your spirit is admirable.”</span> A youthful voice resounded in my head. Speak of the devil.<br><br>“Oh, Lance, you here?” I asked aloud. Tante gave me a strange look at my strange outburst, but she didn’t say anything and continued to pack up the place.<br><br><span style="font-style: italic;">“I did say that I would be accompanying you to the Western Continent, right?”</span><br><br>“I suppose you did.” I noted Tante’s expression and lowered my volume. No sense giving her the idea that I might have gone off the edge. “Any chance you could persuade that lady over there that I’m not crazy?”<br><br><span style="font-style: italic;">“Ah, that would be tricky.”</span> Lance responded, her tone serious. <span style="font-style: italic;">“Only Spearmen can communicate with Spear Spirits, it seems.”</span><br><br>“Isn’t her main weapon a spear?” I asked in an undertone.<br><br><span style="font-style: italic;">“It’s not quite the same, as you probably realised.”</span><br><br>“Indeed...” As Lance said, it would be tricky to persuade Tante that I have a Spear Spirit with me at the moment, and that that Spear Spirit gave me a quest to perform, which would take me deep into the Western Continent. <br><br>Well, since I had to head West anyway, I may as well go along with it for now, and bring it up along the way. I took the dirt and the shovel that was standing nearby and and smothered the camp fire. So much for getting the chance to rest...<br><br>“So, why exactly do we have to move West in such a hurry?” I asked, attempting to make conversation.<br><br><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">*THUNK!!*</span></span> A throwing knife suddenly materialized out of thin air, and buried itself deep into a tree about a hair’s breadth from my head. Ohhhh, so that’s why...<br><br>“The other members of the Punitive Force contributed to a bounty on your head, with the bulk coming from a fire mage known as Morton, who was the guy we met back at the registration booth.” Tante explained quickly, having noticed the knife as well. “As each member contributed about one gold apiece, it all adds up to a really generous amount, although not enough to warrant an really high levelled player coming at you. You were really ripping things up there back at the Crypt.”<br><br>“There he is!!” A shout came from the distance. “The Crazy Eagle!!”<br><br>Crazy Eagle? Is that what they call me?<br><br>“No hard feelings, Eagle, but we must have your head. 200 Gold is a lot to us at our levels, you know?”<br><br>200 gold? That is a large amount of gold... I wish I had a chance at that much gold. Maybe if I turn myself in, does that count? No, that would be silly...<br><br>Anyways, 4 bounty hunters suddenly appeared before us, the first wave of what looked to be many more to come... 2 Warriors, a Rogue and what seemed to be a Mage.<br><br>I let myself take in the sight before me, and felt my blood boiling, not from anger, but from excitement. The heat rushed to my head, and I felt myself naturally take a stance. It was a good feeling, much better than sinking into a hot bath at the end of the day...<br><br><span style="font-style: italic;">[Combat Immersion is now active. AGI, movement speed and reflexes have increased.]</span><br><br>And in my head, I mentally visualised a form taking shape, that of a broad-tipped spear head with an arrowhead design.<br><br>The body remembers. My mind may have been blown into the foggy world while I (or rather, my Earthly Shell, as Lance and Shaft put it) used that ability, but muscle memory is a beautiful thing. It is a bit tricky to explain however (I’m no biologist), but let’s just say that everything leaves an <span style="font-style: italic;">imprint</span> on me, if you catch my drift.<br><br>I gathered mana and gave that form substance, and before my very eyes, a spear head began to take shape in front of me. It was the skill that was unlocked on the battlefield back at the crypt with the help of Lance - the Spearman unique skill <span style="font-style: italic;">Manifest</span>.<br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td>Manifest:<br><br>With a bond between the Spearman and a Spear Spirit, manifest the material form of the Spirit in the form of a spear head or a spirit. The strength and durability of either one is fiercely dependent on the strength of that bond, and one may use certain skills and abilities while the spear head is manifested. The Spear head has a set amount of durability as well, and if it breaks, the spear spirit cannot be manifested for a week after that. You may only manifest one spear spirit at one time.</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br><span style="font-style: italic;">“Ooh, you managed to use that skill? Ha ha, you are an interesting guy indeed.”</span> Lance’s voice spoke up in my head, interest apparent in her voice. <span style="font-style: italic;">“Alright, I’ll lend you my strength. To establish a beautiful working relationship, let us introduce ourselves to one another properly. I may not be able to recall my name, but you may call me Lance.”</span><br><br>“Howard. And Lance, I didn’t think you might be the sort that would resort to verbal diarrhea. Looking forward to working with you!!” I responded with glee. <br><br><span style="font-style: italic;">“Well said,”</span> came the boisterous reply. It was like a hot-blooded gathering between men, except that I’m dealing with what might have been a figment of my imagination, and it’s a little girl at that. I must really be tired…<br><br>“What is that guy talking about?” a warrior asked, confusion apparent in his face.<br><br>“He truly is a crazy guy.” the rogue spoke, shaking his head.<br><br>It seems that the bounty hunters had no idea what I was talking about, being unable to hear the conversation between Lance and I. In their eyes, I must look like a crazy madman talking to himself. Surely Lance must truly be a figment of my imagination. I don’t really know anymore, nor do I want to know… Ah, the “Crazy” part of my given name “Crazy Eagle” has been certainly established, but what of the “Eagle” bit? Was it just given to me at a whim, I wondered to myself. Ah, whatever. I gripped my newly-formed Lance and faced the bounty hunters.<br><br>“Are you really going to take us all on? It’s 1 against 4, you know?” the warrior spoke smugly, victory already clear in his mind. Oi, oi, I did take out a lot of people back at the crypt, you know? Well... my earthly shell did, but by extension I must have done so as well, right?<br><br>“Howard!! Are you mad? We have to run!! And there’s no way you can take on 4 players at once!!” Tante yelled at me.<br><br>"I will be fine." I said smoothly, settling into a relaxed stance, another memory that has been imprinted into my body. "In fact, why don't you sit this one out? I alone will be enough to take them on."<br><br>"Cocky guy!! Do you really think that you can take us all on at the same time?" The mage shouted angrily, but there was clearly a twinge of doubt on his face. He wasn't so sure. I can use that to my advantage.<br><br>"I don't think, I know." I held up my lance in mock salute, and used the cringe-worthy and extremely cliche phrase:<br><br>"Come at me, bro."<br><br>"You arrogant bastard!!" Oh dear, it seems I made them mad. The two warriors at the forefront charged recklessly at me, one wielding a double-bladed battle axe, the other a sword and shield.<br><br>It wouldn't be an easy task to fend off an assault from warriors (not to mention that they have support from a Mage and a thief), but nevertheless, I made an effort. They are angry and confused, and angry people make mistakes, create openings which I can exploit. Thinking that, I held my ground with a confident air. I can see why people mistake this kind of actions for cockiness. The two (confidence and cockiness) tend to overlap a lot.<br><br>I sidestepped a clumsy vertical swing from the axe warrior. Due to aforementioned anger, he put a wee bit too much strength into that swing, and overextended himself. As a result, he lost balance and stumbled. I grabbed him by the shoulder and shoved, sending him on his merry way down.<br><br>The axe warrior landed heavily on his face, and I stabbed downwards with my lance, the thick spear head punching deeply into his back. And that is why you don’t let your anger affect your actions, children.<br><br><span style="font-style: italic;">[You have dealt a fatal blow]<br><br>[For killing an innocent player, you gain +15 infamy]<br><br>[You have obtained the Mark of the Murderer.]</span><br><br>Oh, lucky. That makes one down then. I quickly withdrew the lance and barely blocked a swing from the warrior wielding the sword and shield with the lance shaft. The difficulties of the spear became fiercely apparent. If the warrior had been able to get within the reach of my lance, I would have been in deep trouble.<br><br>The swordsman stepped back quickly and attempted to dance nimbly in and out of my range, jabbing with the sword. It makes a lot of sense against an opponent using a heavier and slower weapon, but I won't let you get back into my danger zone so easily now that you have so kindly waltzed out of it, you know?<br><br>When dealing with a guy like this, it was a good time to press forward and force him into the defensive. I had been thoroughly drilled by Kite back at the Warrior's Guild in the Sleepy Fortress regarding certain tactics, and that training finally bore fruit.<br><br>I advanced, exploiting the opening the swordsman had unintentionally opened, invading his "danger zone" with a fierce thrust. The lance had a larger head which made my favorite tactic of attacking with a flurry of stabs difficult, but one attack can still do the job of many if executed right. The swordsman blocked desperately with his shield, but while the lance was slower, the broad spear head gave it amazing penetrative power, and it punched deeply into the shield with a loud "Thunk". I heard bone crack, and felt that his shield arm was now useless. Pressing my advantage, I jabbed again with the spear...<br><br>But my attack was interrupted by another throwing knife which was aimed at my head. I narrowly dodged that, and the swordsman took the chance to retreat.<br><br>"Good grief, you guys got careless. I'll hold him off, if Andrews over here could heal your wounds quickly with a potion, that would be great." The rogue had stepped into the fray, a dagger on both arms. He was a dual blader variant, it seemed.<br><br>However, I had no intention of letting him get away. I pointed the lance at the swordsman and rogue, and used the skill that I had been taught by Lance.<br><br><span style="font-style: italic;">"Salamander Hunt!!" </span><br><br>I dashed forward, the lance aimed at the Swordsman. While without invoking the spell words, the skill was drastically weakened, the speed of it hasn't changed one bit, and I was able to quickly close the distance between me and the much weakened swordsman. I was, for an instant, quite literally the equivalent of a ballista bolt.<br><br>Out of self-preservation, the rogue had to get out of my way. So much for holding me off. My lance flew, and pierced deeply into the swordsman's chest.<br><br><span style="font-style: italic;">[You have dealt a fatal blow.]<br><br>[For killing an innocent player, your infamy has increased by 15.]</span><br><br><br>Erm, I had nothing witty to say about this except… <span style="font-style: italic;">DOUBLE KILL</span>. And erm, that was two easily down within a scant few minutes.<br><br>“Crap, so he got him as well, huh… We’ll just have to press on, Andrews. I’ll take him on. You stay back and cover me whenever possible.” the Rogue, saying this, advanced with his daggers. The mage nodded.<br><br>“Got it. You better be careful though, he took out both of the warriors in a single hit. How will you fare, I wonder?”<br><br>“Eh, that just means that I should not get hit. Shouldn’t be a problem.” Oooh, now that guy was a proper cocky guy. He moved with a certain grace and confidence that was absent in the two warriors. However…<br><br>“Easier said than done, dumb ass!!“ I knew about Rogues. Fast moving and agile, they specialise in high bursts of damage against a single target. They are also tricky and hard to catch, but maybe it’s not impossible to do so, and they are pretty squishy…<br><br>The Rogue dashed in at an incredible speed, the daggers in both hands moving in a blur as he slashed at me. What incredibly fast movement, I can’t follow them fully!! I took damage as the attack left glancing marks on me, but was that supposed to hurt?<br><br>“Eh? I put a rather potent paralysis poison on those, you know? How is it that you still can move?”<br><br>It’s a bit of a long story... Who ever thought that you can raise a skill by eating combat rations in the first place anyway?! And my rations are most certainly not poisonous!! Well, the Rogue doesn’t know that, but still. Tell that to my Intermediate Level Skill Iron Constitution though…<br><br>Anyways…<br><br>“You call that poison? My sisters make up worse poisons than that garbage.” And it was definitely true. One fine day, my sisters got it in themselves to prepare their twisted idea of a feast… And then, I was force-fed with every last bit of every dish on book-point by Lao Jie after my parents refused to eat any of it…<br><br>Ah, to put a long story short, a few hours later I had my stomach pumped out at the nearby hospital. Strangely, afterwards, food that I didn’t like previously became a little more tolerable… And I suddenly developed a liking for spicy foods.<br><br>Anyway, the fighting grinded to a halt as the rogue looked confusedly at his dagger.<br><br>“That’s weird; I could have sworn that I applied the poison into the daggers.” He licked the daggers and froze. “Oh crap. I probably shouldn’t have done that…” <br><br>“…” What an idiot. I stabbed him in the neck and he disappeared in a grey flash. Erm… <span style="font-style: italic;">Triple Kill!!</span><br><br><span style="font-style: italic;">[You have dealt a fatal critical blow.]<br><br>[For killing an innocent player, your Infamy has increased by 15.]<br><br>[You have gained a level.]</span><br><br>I gave the former notice little thought, but when I looked at my status window later on, I swore that I nearly fainted at the sight.<br><br>“And that leaves just you, Mr Mage.” I turned to the lone mage and pointed my lance at him. “Will you follow the same path as them, or will you run with your tail between your legs?”<br><br>“Ah, but you took out my companions, and mages are not solo players…” the mage smiled shyly as he said that. “How about you leave me be and I just walk away from all this? It’s a pretty meaningless kill if you think about it.”<br><br>“Ah, but Mr Mage. You forget that this is a game, and that all kills have some meaning to it.” I took a step forward, the lance pointing threateningly at the mage, who took a step back. “Besides, is it not written that since you ate the poison, you may as well lick the plate as well?”<br><br>And before he could open his mouth to speak or respond in any other way, I ran him clean through with the Lance. As a mage, he had lousy defensive rating and a low amount of hit points in the first place. Even an idiot would know that that was most likely a killing blow.<br><br>M-M-M-MONSTER KILL!! I'm sorry, but I can't resist it, you know?<br><br>I smiled peacefully as the Mage fell limply like a puppet with its strings cut and disappeared in a grey flash. The bounty hunters this time weren't very skilled, so I had an easy time against them, but the other hunters might be tougher... I grinned at the prospect. I turned, and saw Tante standing nearby with her eyes wide with shock.<br><br>“Eh, your mouth’s open.” I pointed out.<br><br>“Oh, was it. Sorry.” Tante blushed as she closed her slackened jaws that had fallen open as she observed the battle. She approached slowly as I busied myself with picking up the loot from the fallen bounty hunters. “When in the world did you learn to fight like that?”<br><br>“Ah… that’s a bit hard to discuss, so we’ll leave that for later. For now, just help me with this.” I sidestepped the question as I hefted the plate mail that had dropped from the Axe Warrior. “We eat well today. Those guys dropped some pretty good gear.”<br><br>“You did a number on them, though.” Tante examined the shield. It had been badly dented. She picked up the robe that the mage wore, which had a gaping hole torn through it. “But I’m sure it could be repaired. I know a person who could probably help us with the armour, but we will have to find a tailor if we are to fix this robe.”<br><br>“Well, that makes it easier for us. Well, we best get moving.” I hefted my backpack, with the lance leaning comfortably on my shoulder, Tante and I cast outwards and headed West, to the Western Continent, where the Nomadic Heroes roam with their heads held high and their posture straight, be it through lightning, rain or sun. Excuse my melodrama at this point, but you know how that kind of book goes.<br><br>And so, after a 1 month’s trial where I tried out a myriad of activities from training at a military school to babysitting a kid to dungeon crawling to a punitive force raid to fighting off my first group of bounty hunters, it seems that like the map is finally straightened out, and the road lies clear of any fog or obstacle. And my first major quest, to seek out the memories of the mysterious Spear Spirit of the Lance, begins with that kind of strange, rather random and eventful mess of a tale.<br><br><span style="font-style: italic;">[End of Arc. 0]<br><br>[Start of Arc. 1: Jouney to the West, RR edition!!]<br></span> </div>

******* “Welcome to our humble abode. It’s a little small, but it’s home all right.” “Woah...” Within the Tree Hollow , Kino entered an entirely new place, the likes of which had never been seen or explored before. Before him was the Fairy Village, where a colony of tiny fairies lived. *Ding* | You have discovered the Fairy Tree Hollow. Reward: - You will gain double experience and gold from quests within this area for 7 days..- Fame + 100You were first to discover the Fairy Tree Hollow.Rewards:• Fame increased by 300.• For a week the rewards and experience for the village’s quests are doubled. | | --- | Surprisingly, the Tree Hollow was not dark and humid, as fungi hung around the area, casting a soft hue of green on the tiny village. All across the village as far as the eye could see, little toadstools and mushrooms thronged a paved road that cut its way across the village. Judging by the doors and windows that had been built into these mushrooms, these were meant to serve as areas of residence. It was like a scene from a fairy tale. (Or a certain cartoon about little blue things living in a forest...) Young Fairy children, their wings underdeveloped in their youth, played peacefully in the fields. That was just a small part of the village, however. Bracket Fungi lined the walls of the Tree Hollow, and on it, even more residences had been built. The Fairy Commander gave a sheepish grin as he observed Kino's expression. "We, uh, have a bit of a population boom at the moment, so it was necessary to expand. The fungi lasts a surprisingly long time and grows quite easily, if that is what you wish to ask." "Oh." The forestalled question died in Kino's mouth before he could ask. He looked around, and noticed the lack of ladders or staircases. "How do I get around, then?" "Ah, most of us fairies go around mostly through flight, so there was no need for those rudimentary platforms. I can give you a lift, if you wish." "It's fine, mister." Kino got onto his squirrel steed and kicked lightly against its belly. "Giddyup, Walnut." The squirrel nodded, understanding Kino's intentions, and leapt from platform to platform. Using this method, the party made its way to the upper portions of the tree hollow. As the group made its way to the top, the simple toadstools were replaced by intricate buildings crafted out of wood and stone. Runes covered every inch of the surface, emitting a soft blue light that signified that they were active. Fairies were gathered in small groups, in furtive conclave as some of them threw suspicious looks at the war group, and at the strange and new visitor. It was a stark contrast from the rustic scene below. The commander gave a passing glance to the tense atmosphere, and gave a sheepish grin. "It is a hard life, being a fairy. Most of our children are raised below, and haven’t been to the upper levels at their age. They can't exactly fly at their young age, but perhaps it is for the best. Let them live out their childhood a little longer. It will be difficult later on..." The commander heaved a loud sigh as he flew upwards. At the very top of the Tree Hollow, stood a large castle made out of brick and mortar. Unlike the buildings on the lower that still had some elements of architecture and craftsmanship in them, the castle stood in fierce belligerence. Metal Spikes are in much abundance on this piece, warping the otherwise opulent and majestic look of the castle. "Uh.... Our king is a bit on the prudent side, and he likes to keep tabs on visitors. It would be in your best interests to pay him a visit first." the commander said, pointing at the castle. Kino nodded. He had expected that, somehow. He kicked Walnut's belly lightly again, spurring the squirrel to move a little faster. "After you then, mister." Up close, the fierce and warlike castle at the top was... ugly, to say the least. Spikes jutted out at random along the top parts of the castle. A fairy soldier looked at the metal spikes and frowned. “What’s the problem, mister?” Kino asked, having noticed. “Ah. Fairies just don’t quite like the feel of iron. It messes with our magic, absorbs and throws them out of whack. We normally work with stone and wood, even with our weaponry, but iron and other minerals can be found in small amounts underground.” “And who works with them?” “We are in... an understanding with the gnomes, who drop by every now and then with gifts. They work with mostly gold, but the iron spikes were forged by them, and just stuck on top of the castle in such a whimsical manner. Distasteful.” the soldier spoke with clear disgust on his face. The commander turned to the rest of his troops. “We can go on on our own from here. Head back to barracks and have a good rest. You guys deserve it.” “Awesome. Erm, I mean, as you command, sir.” the lieutenant, a rather portly man with a wispy beard, saluted and turned to the rest of the troops, giving the command to march off. “My men aren’t exactly too comfortable with the idea of staying so close to so much iron, so it is probably for the best.” The commander motioned to the rather large castle before him. “Shall we proceed?” Kino frowned, but nevertheless got off Walnut and let himself be led into the castle. At least the interior of the castle maintained an air of sophistication and royalty, not that Kino bothered to look around. Works of art, paintings, sculptures carved out of wood and stone, littered the halls of the castle. The floor was flush with rich red carpeting. “No, Walnut. No gnawing works of art.” Kino absent-mindedly smacked the squirrel on the head as he walked. The squirrel bowed its head in shame, and dropped the wooden sculpture of an acorn that he was about to sink his teeth into. It was probably a good thing that he didn’t eat that. "Honestly, child. Did you really have to bring the squirrel as well?" the commander asked, rolling his eyes at the sight. "Easy for you to say, mister, considering that you haven't given me your name yet." Kino easily rebutted. "Ah, of course, where are my manners... My given name is Gale, of Silverwind. I am the... Commander of the 4th fleet of the -" "Woah, mister, I wanted your name, not a curriculum vitae." Kino paused as he reflected on the rather difficult and certainly not childlike word (he would have to watch his language from now on, he realized). "Now, start from the top..." His voice became like that of his English Teacher. "Um, my name is Gale?" "That's much better." "Uh... Ahem." The newly introduced Gale coughed. The pair had arrived at a very large and ornate door. "Oh, it seems that we have arrived." Gale took a look at the squirrel, that is now eyeing a peanut statue with a glint in his eye. "Are you really going to bring that in there?" Kino paused to consider, or rather, merely for the sake of doing it. "Yes, yes I am." He said firmly. ******** AH, HE’S GONE. Shaft looked at the spot where Howard was standing earlier. He turned to the Spear Spirit of the Lance. DID YOU REALLY HAVE TO TEACH HIM THAT FORM? YOU HAVEN’T ACKNOWLEDGED HIM YET, HAVE YOU? “It was only a matter of time anyway.” Lance said nonchalantly, sitting down and resting her chin on her knee. “Besides, we don’t have any leads yet. That technique may well be a clue.” YOU HAVE A LOT OF FAITH IN HIM. WELL, I AM NOT TOO SURPRISED, HE CERTAINLY LOOKS LIKE A... RESOURCEFUL MAN. Shaft turned to the 3 new figures that had suddenly appeared in the fog. WHAT DO YOU THINK, GENTLEMEN? “Hohoho... that young man holds a lot of promise.” the 1st shadow mused, stroking a wispy and laughing heartily. “You were like that in the past, right, 1st Brother?” “Nonsense. This Old Sun wreaked a lot more havoc back then. He has a long way to go if he is to emulate my great deeds of the past. Are we really going to depend on him for help?” the middle shadow had a strange posture, and he was fidgeting restlessly. “Well, as long as he has a lot of food *snort* with him, I would say we can depend on him. He is *snort* going to need it.” the 3rd shadow snorted. He was fatter than the others, but radiated a fierce battle aura nonetheless. “Idiot, you only think about food!! No wonder He was so mad with us and sent us back into this world to be reincarnated” the middle shadow smacked the 3rd shadow on the head with a rod that materialised out of nowhere. “That hurts, *snort* 1st brother. More like your hot temper was the cause of it.” the 3rd shadow retorted, rubbing his head painfully. “Nevertheless, Master has made it clear. We are to play the role of observers *snort*, nothing more.” Shaft frowned. HE WALKS A DANGEROUS PATH THEN. UNLIKE YOU GUYS, HE DOES NOT HAVE THE BENEFIT OF VAST EXPERIENCES NOR YEARS OF CULTIVATION. “This makes it more interesting then. Hohoho~” the middle shadow laughed cheerfully as he balanced his staff carefully on his head and danced cheerfully on the spot. “All the elements have been set in place. What happens now is a matter of providence and karma.” the 1st shadow stroked his beard again as he mused to himself. “”“And hence it has been spoken. Amitabha.””” The three shadows all intoned at once, and made a hand gesture. “…” These kinds of Heroic Spirits do tend to get a bit over-dramatic at times, thought Lance as she watched them with a strange expression on her face. She stretched her limbs luxuriously, and put on a bright smile. “Haaaaaa... I’m tired from all the excitement. If you will excuse me, gentlemen...” she faded away in a crimson light, which flowed back into the Lance that stood in the middle of the conclave. “Ah, she was a cute one *snort*. Is she taken?” the 3rd shadow was gazing at the Lance. “Other than food, you only think of women. That is so typical of you, Middle Brother.” the 1st shadow muttered while shaking his head. “His taste in women seems to have... broadened widely though. I thought you favored busty women?” the middle shadow asked as he spun the pole that had suddenly appeared in his hands theatrically. “Older Brother, you have definitely fallen behind the times. The world has advanced since that time; since then. The recognized charms of women have expanded greatly as people start to... explore. Nowadays, a fine figure and a beautiful face is not the only defining criteria.” the Middle Shadow argued back, his speech suddenly becoming like that of an academic. “Good grief... when it comes to women, you suddenly know so much. Use your time in a more constructive manner, dumbass!!” the middle shadow smacked the 3rd shadow about with his pole. “Here, have some of that!! And that!! I will beat that perverse nature out of you on Master’s behalf!!” *Taktaktaktaktaktaktak!!* the middle shadow beat the 3rd shadow repeatedly, chanting sutra and scolding the middle shadow as though he was exorcising him. “Amitabha. And so it is spoken. Good, good.” the 1st shadow watched the antics of the other two shadows while nodding sagely. Shaft beheld the comical scene before him. … ARE YOU GUYS IDIOTS? ********* “Are you guys idiots?!” I yelled at my two sisters as they stood there grinning sheepishly. The kitchen was a mess. The kitchen sink was filled to the brim with dirty dishes, the milk had been spilt carelessly on the floor, and footprints could be seen everywhere as they ignored the spills and even walked over it. I nearly fainted at the sight. Why do my sisters have such filthy habits? No, this doesn’t even qualify as filthy habits. They are avatars of filth itself! “Come on, Howard, don’t get mad.” my younger sister pleaded. It was a rather endearing sight, but it was marred by the numerous stains that covered the blouse that she wore. Holy crap, those stains will never come off!! I made a note to pick up the heavy duty detergent. “It’s your fault anyway. You have been busy with that game lately, so we were left alone to fend for ourselves.” my older sister snorted. Hello, you are about 23 this year!! There’s no need for me to clean up after you each time, right? No wonder you didn’t manage to maintain any of your relationships. I fear for your marriage prospects, dear sister. These thoughts ran through my head, but I didn’t dared say them out loud. My sister didn’t take kindly to people nagging her about marriage, often taking a physical approach to dealing with it.She had a black belt in Tae Kwan Do, and was currently expanding into several other disciplines. Another good reason why her marriage prospects seemed so bleak. “Haaaaaa... you guys are hopeless. Take this and start cleaning up the mess. We will start with the floor. Lao Jie*, you take this side, and Xiao Mei*, you follow her and make sure she doesn’t screw up.” I sighed, and handed them a mop and a bucket, giving out orders in rapid succession. Having delegated the tasks to my satisfaction, I picked up a dish and started scrubbing. And there I was hoping that I would have time to make them a proper dinner for once. From the looks of things, they had been living on nothing but instant noodles for the past few days... were they trying to go bald? Cleaning up the kitchen took up the most of an hour. And then as it turned out, this mess wasn’t the only one that they made. “Tell me, Lao Jie.” “Yes, Howard-Didi*?” “You know how to use a washing machine, right?” I asked. “Errrr, Y-Yes...” my older sister muttered awkwardly. “What is this then?” I pointed at the vast mountain of clothing that was clearly standing right in front of me. No matter how much I closed my eyes and slowly opened them, no matter how hard I pinched my arm, it was clearly not a dream nor was it an illusion. “The machine broke.” Now she was just making excuses. “No, the machine is clearly fine. Just what have you been doing this past few days?!” “Do not question my genius!!” Oh snap, I have pushed her too far. She took out the enormous book that she carried around with her and raised it threateningly. At this point, it would be wise to back off slowly... I took a hesitant step backwards. And another... The tension now is so thick, you could probably cut it with a knife and make a delicious nonya kueh (A Peranakan dessert). Actually, forget about the Nonya Kueh. I turned around and ran away with my tail between my legs. Ah, there goes a bit more of what little remained of my manliness points... “Get back here!!” and the Woodpecker gave pursuit, like for the 559th time in the row... And the rest of the day was filled with little scuffles like that. It was just another day in this household of mine... Author’s note: Lao (?) ~= Old/Big ; Xiao (?) ~= Little ; Didi (??)~= Little brother. Mei (as in meimei or ??): Little Sister. These words are chinese. ** “Haaaaaa... I finally dealt with all the mess.” I collapsed on my bed. I was exhausted. After the fiasco over the laundry, I had to vacuum the place, air the mattresses and pillows, beat the dust out of the upholstery, hang up the laundry (thank god today's weather is sunny)... My parents are at work, and my sisters are hopeless at housekeeping... That case between my sisters and myself, it was certainly a strange case of role reversal... It did teach me the importance of planning in depth, however. If I were to play the game and proceed with this bothersome quest, several changes would have to be made. I prepared some food beforehand, I placed it in the refrigerator with instructions on how to use a microwave (they can at least read and follow instructions, right?), as well as some simple recipes for them to try (An omelette, surely you guys can manage an omelette!!). I also stuck several pieces of paper all over the place, with instructions on what to do with certain appliances. The pen and paper that I have employed in that particular endeavor lay abandoned as I settled comfortably back into the capsule and logged back into the game. *** When I finally logged back on, the first thing I saw was nothing but pitch black. Did a bug occur, or was I back in that foggy world again? Oh wait, what is that crumbly feeling on my body? I pushed myself up, and felt a lot of small bits falling off all around me. Some of those small bits fell into my mouth, and I choked on them, spluttering as I finally managed to pray my eyes open. “Oh good, you are finally back.” I turned at the conversational statement, and saw Tante sitting by a campfire with a tent behind her. Next to her, her flag was left leaning against a tree. A shovel was stabbed into the ground and left standing nearby in a pile of dirt. The flames cast everything in a warm and orange glow. The warmth washed over me, as though I had sank into a hot bath. As I sat up and took in my surroundings, I noticed a round rock behind me. It was a gravestone, and a “epitaph” had been roughly hewn into the stone, creating the words: | “There lies Howard:"Wait, wait, at least let me explain mysel- Ahhhhh!!"” | | --- | Did Tante actually bother to remember all of that? I am touched... and rather disturbed at the same time. Oh well, at least it is something to rest my back on. I may as well make myself comfortable. I pushed myself against the rock and settled into a comfortable position. “So, what did I miss?” I asked casually, conveniently forgetting the fact that she was the one who got me buried somehow after running me through with that spear of hers. Considering that I would always revive after being killed, it was a morbid and grisly thought. Speaking of reviving... wasn’t I supposed to respawn back at a church or a town or something? How and why did I suddenly revive at a location in the middle of nowhere? “Ah, this is the first time you have died right? You actually respawn at the nearest safe point in case of death, in this case, it was this cemetary, at least a 15 minutes walk from the crypt. Very useful if you want to get away in a hurry.” Tante supplied helpfully, with a smile that suggested that she most certainly did not try to bury me even deeper than the standard 6 feet under. Erm, the fact that you just tried to cover me with even more dirt definitely suggested that intent... Hang on, did she just say “get away in a hurry”? Childish prank completed, Tante began to quickly pack up the campsite. “Now that you have returned, help me pack up the place. We have to get out of here as soon as possible.” That sounded eerily similar to when the effects of Berserk Impulse wore off, and Lance told me to get out of the extremely hostile battlefield back at the crypt... “What’s going on then?” I asked as I got up from my comfortable resting place. “No time to explain. We have to get you somewhere safe quickly until it all dies down. Otherwise, we will never have a peaceful moment from now on for a very long time. From the looks of this map, the nearest safe spot from here lies to the border of the Western Continent.” Tante referred to a large map spread out in front of her. So we are headed West, then. How convenient. Oh right, she doesn’t know about the quest that I was given. But then again, the NPC that gave the quest, the Spirit of the Lance, is back at the foggy world... “Ah, you are alive then. Your spirit is admirable.” A youthful voice resounded in my head. Speak of the devil. “Oh, Lance, you here?” I asked aloud. Tante gave me a strange look at my strange outburst, but she didn’t say anything and continued to pack up the place. “I did say that I would be accompanying you to the Western Continent, right?” “I suppose you did.” I noted Tante’s expression and lowered my volume. No sense giving her the idea that I might have gone off the edge. “Any chance you could persuade that lady over there that I’m not crazy?” “Ah, that would be tricky.” Lance responded, her tone serious. “Only Spearmen can communicate with Spear Spirits, it seems.” “Isn’t her main weapon a spear?” I asked in an undertone. “It’s not quite the same, as you probably realised.” “Indeed...” As Lance said, it would be tricky to persuade Tante that I have a Spear Spirit with me at the moment, and that that Spear Spirit gave me a quest to perform, which would take me deep into the Western Continent. Well, since I had to head West anyway, I may as well go along with it for now, and bring it up along the way. I took the dirt and the shovel that was standing nearby and and smothered the camp fire. So much for getting the chance to rest... “So, why exactly do we have to move West in such a hurry?” I asked, attempting to make conversation. *THUNK!!* A throwing knife suddenly materialized out of thin air, and buried itself deep into a tree about a hair’s breadth from my head. Ohhhh, so that’s why... “The other members of the Punitive Force contributed to a bounty on your head, with the bulk coming from a fire mage known as Morton, who was the guy we met back at the registration booth.” Tante explained quickly, having noticed the knife as well. “As each member contributed about one gold apiece, it all adds up to a really generous amount, although not enough to warrant an really high levelled player coming at you. You were really ripping things up there back at the Crypt.” “There he is!!” A shout came from the distance. “The Crazy Eagle!!” Crazy Eagle? Is that what they call me? “No hard feelings, Eagle, but we must have your head. 200 Gold is a lot to us at our levels, you know?” 200 gold? That is a large amount of gold... I wish I had a chance at that much gold. Maybe if I turn myself in, does that count? No, that would be silly... Anyways, 4 bounty hunters suddenly appeared before us, the first wave of what looked to be many more to come... 2 Warriors, a Rogue and what seemed to be a Mage. I let myself take in the sight before me, and felt my blood boiling, not from anger, but from excitement. The heat rushed to my head, and I felt myself naturally take a stance. It was a good feeling, much better than sinking into a hot bath at the end of the day... [Combat Immersion is now active. AGI, movement speed and reflexes have increased.] And in my head, I mentally visualised a form taking shape, that of a broad-tipped spear head with an arrowhead design. The body remembers. My mind may have been blown into the foggy world while I (or rather, my Earthly Shell, as Lance and Shaft put it) used that ability, but muscle memory is a beautiful thing. It is a bit tricky to explain however (I’m no biologist), but let’s just say that everything leaves an imprint on me, if you catch my drift. I gathered mana and gave that form substance, and before my very eyes, a spear head began to take shape in front of me. It was the skill that was unlocked on the battlefield back at the crypt with the help of Lance - the Spearman unique skill Manifest. | Manifest:With a bond between the Spearman and a Spear Spirit, manifest the material form of the Spirit in the form of a spear head or a spirit. The strength and durability of either one is fiercely dependent on the strength of that bond, and one may use certain skills and abilities while the spear head is manifested. The Spear head has a set amount of durability as well, and if it breaks, the spear spirit cannot be manifested for a week after that. You may only manifest one spear spirit at one time. | | --- | “Ooh, you managed to use that skill? Ha ha, you are an interesting guy indeed.” Lance’s voice spoke up in my head, interest apparent in her voice. “Alright, I’ll lend you my strength. To establish a beautiful working relationship, let us introduce ourselves to one another properly. I may not be able to recall my name, but you may call me Lance.” “Howard. And Lance, I didn’t think you might be the sort that would resort to verbal diarrhea. Looking forward to working with you!!” I responded with glee. “Well said,” came the boisterous reply. It was like a hot-blooded gathering between men, except that I’m dealing with what might have been a figment of my imagination, and it’s a little girl at that. I must really be tired… “What is that guy talking about?” a warrior asked, confusion apparent in his face. “He truly is a crazy guy.” the rogue spoke, shaking his head. It seems that the bounty hunters had no idea what I was talking about, being unable to hear the conversation between Lance and I. In their eyes, I must look like a crazy madman talking to himself. Surely Lance must truly be a figment of my imagination. I don’t really know anymore, nor do I want to know… Ah, the “Crazy” part of my given name “Crazy Eagle” has been certainly established, but what of the “Eagle” bit? Was it just given to me at a whim, I wondered to myself. Ah, whatever. I gripped my newly-formed Lance and faced the bounty hunters. “Are you really going to take us all on? It’s 1 against 4, you know?” the warrior spoke smugly, victory already clear in his mind. Oi, oi, I did take out a lot of people back at the crypt, you know? Well... my earthly shell did, but by extension I must have done so as well, right? “Howard!! Are you mad? We have to run!! And there’s no way you can take on 4 players at once!!” Tante yelled at me. "I will be fine." I said smoothly, settling into a relaxed stance, another memory that has been imprinted into my body. "In fact, why don't you sit this one out? I alone will be enough to take them on." "Cocky guy!! Do you really think that you can take us all on at the same time?" The mage shouted angrily, but there was clearly a twinge of doubt on his face. He wasn't so sure. I can use that to my advantage. "I don't think, I know." I held up my lance in mock salute, and used the cringe-worthy and extremely cliche phrase: "Come at me, bro." "You arrogant bastard!!" Oh dear, it seems I made them mad. The two warriors at the forefront charged recklessly at me, one wielding a double-bladed battle axe, the other a sword and shield. It wouldn't be an easy task to fend off an assault from warriors (not to mention that they have support from a Mage and a thief), but nevertheless, I made an effort. They are angry and confused, and angry people make mistakes, create openings which I can exploit. Thinking that, I held my ground with a confident air. I can see why people mistake this kind of actions for cockiness. The two (confidence and cockiness) tend to overlap a lot. I sidestepped a clumsy vertical swing from the axe warrior. Due to aforementioned anger, he put a wee bit too much strength into that swing, and overextended himself. As a result, he lost balance and stumbled. I grabbed him by the shoulder and shoved, sending him on his merry way down. The axe warrior landed heavily on his face, and I stabbed downwards with my lance, the thick spear head punching deeply into his back. And that is why you don’t let your anger affect your actions, children. [You have dealt a fatal blow] [For killing an innocent player, you gain +15 infamy] [You have obtained the Mark of the Murderer.] Oh, lucky. That makes one down then. I quickly withdrew the lance and barely blocked a swing from the warrior wielding the sword and shield with the lance shaft. The difficulties of the spear became fiercely apparent. If the warrior had been able to get within the reach of my lance, I would have been in deep trouble. The swordsman stepped back quickly and attempted to dance nimbly in and out of my range, jabbing with the sword. It makes a lot of sense against an opponent using a heavier and slower weapon, but I won't let you get back into my danger zone so easily now that you have so kindly waltzed out of it, you know? When dealing with a guy like this, it was a good time to press forward and force him into the defensive. I had been thoroughly drilled by Kite back at the Warrior's Guild in the Sleepy Fortress regarding certain tactics, and that training finally bore fruit. I advanced, exploiting the opening the swordsman had unintentionally opened, invading his "danger zone" with a fierce thrust. The lance had a larger head which made my favorite tactic of attacking with a flurry of stabs difficult, but one attack can still do the job of many if executed right. The swordsman blocked desperately with his shield, but while the lance was slower, the broad spear head gave it amazing penetrative power, and it punched deeply into the shield with a loud "Thunk". I heard bone crack, and felt that his shield arm was now useless. Pressing my advantage, I jabbed again with the spear... But my attack was interrupted by another throwing knife which was aimed at my head. I narrowly dodged that, and the swordsman took the chance to retreat. "Good grief, you guys got careless. I'll hold him off, if Andrews over here could heal your wounds quickly with a potion, that would be great." The rogue had stepped into the fray, a dagger on both arms. He was a dual blader variant, it seemed. However, I had no intention of letting him get away. I pointed the lance at the swordsman and rogue, and used the skill that I had been taught by Lance. "Salamander Hunt!!" I dashed forward, the lance aimed at the Swordsman. While without invoking the spell words, the skill was drastically weakened, the speed of it hasn't changed one bit, and I was able to quickly close the distance between me and the much weakened swordsman. I was, for an instant, quite literally the equivalent of a ballista bolt. Out of self-preservation, the rogue had to get out of my way. So much for holding me off. My lance flew, and pierced deeply into the swordsman's chest. [You have dealt a fatal blow.] [For killing an innocent player, your infamy has increased by 15.] Erm, I had nothing witty to say about this except… DOUBLE KILL. And erm, that was two easily down within a scant few minutes. “Crap, so he got him as well, huh… We’ll just have to press on, Andrews. I’ll take him on. You stay back and cover me whenever possible.” the Rogue, saying this, advanced with his daggers. The mage nodded. “Got it. You better be careful though, he took out both of the warriors in a single hit. How will you fare, I wonder?” “Eh, that just means that I should not get hit. Shouldn’t be a problem.” Oooh, now that guy was a proper cocky guy. He moved with a certain grace and confidence that was absent in the two warriors. However… “Easier said than done, dumb ass!!“ I knew about Rogues. Fast moving and agile, they specialise in high bursts of damage against a single target. They are also tricky and hard to catch, but maybe it’s not impossible to do so, and they are pretty squishy… The Rogue dashed in at an incredible speed, the daggers in both hands moving in a blur as he slashed at me. What incredibly fast movement, I can’t follow them fully!! I took damage as the attack left glancing marks on me, but was that supposed to hurt? “Eh? I put a rather potent paralysis poison on those, you know? How is it that you still can move?” It’s a bit of a long story... Who ever thought that you can raise a skill by eating combat rations in the first place anyway?! And my rations are most certainly not poisonous!! Well, the Rogue doesn’t know that, but still. Tell that to my Intermediate Level Skill Iron Constitution though… Anyways… “You call that poison? My sisters make up worse poisons than that garbage.” And it was definitely true. One fine day, my sisters got it in themselves to prepare their twisted idea of a feast… And then, I was force-fed with every last bit of every dish on book-point by Lao Jie after my parents refused to eat any of it… Ah, to put a long story short, a few hours later I had my stomach pumped out at the nearby hospital. Strangely, afterwards, food that I didn’t like previously became a little more tolerable… And I suddenly developed a liking for spicy foods. Anyway, the fighting grinded to a halt as the rogue looked confusedly at his dagger. “That’s weird; I could have sworn that I applied the poison into the daggers.” He licked the daggers and froze. “Oh crap. I probably shouldn’t have done that…” “…” What an idiot. I stabbed him in the neck and he disappeared in a grey flash. Erm… Triple Kill!! [You have dealt a fatal critical blow.] [For killing an innocent player, your Infamy has increased by 15.] [You have gained a level.] I gave the former notice little thought, but when I looked at my status window later on, I swore that I nearly fainted at the sight. “And that leaves just you, Mr Mage.” I turned to the lone mage and pointed my lance at him. “Will you follow the same path as them, or will you run with your tail between your legs?” “Ah, but you took out my companions, and mages are not solo players…” the mage smiled shyly as he said that. “How about you leave me be and I just walk away from all this? It’s a pretty meaningless kill if you think about it.” “Ah, but Mr Mage. You forget that this is a game, and that all kills have some meaning to it.” I took a step forward, the lance pointing threateningly at the mage, who took a step back. “Besides, is it not written that since you ate the poison, you may as well lick the plate as well?” And before he could open his mouth to speak or respond in any other way, I ran him clean through with the Lance. As a mage, he had lousy defensive rating and a low amount of hit points in the first place. Even an idiot would know that that was most likely a killing blow. M-M-M-MONSTER KILL!! I'm sorry, but I can't resist it, you know? I smiled peacefully as the Mage fell limply like a puppet with its strings cut and disappeared in a grey flash. The bounty hunters this time weren't very skilled, so I had an easy time against them, but the other hunters might be tougher... I grinned at the prospect. I turned, and saw Tante standing nearby with her eyes wide with shock. “Eh, your mouth’s open.” I pointed out. “Oh, was it. Sorry.” Tante blushed as she closed her slackened jaws that had fallen open as she observed the battle. She approached slowly as I busied myself with picking up the loot from the fallen bounty hunters. “When in the world did you learn to fight like that?” “Ah… that’s a bit hard to discuss, so we’ll leave that for later. For now, just help me with this.” I sidestepped the question as I hefted the plate mail that had dropped from the Axe Warrior. “We eat well today. Those guys dropped some pretty good gear.” “You did a number on them, though.” Tante examined the shield. It had been badly dented. She picked up the robe that the mage wore, which had a gaping hole torn through it. “But I’m sure it could be repaired. I know a person who could probably help us with the armour, but we will have to find a tailor if we are to fix this robe.” “Well, that makes it easier for us. Well, we best get moving.” I hefted my backpack, with the lance leaning comfortably on my shoulder, Tante and I cast outwards and headed West, to the Western Continent, where the Nomadic Heroes roam with their heads held high and their posture straight, be it through lightning, rain or sun. Excuse my melodrama at this point, but you know how that kind of book goes. And so, after a 1 month’s trial where I tried out a myriad of activities from training at a military school to babysitting a kid to dungeon crawling to a punitive force raid to fighting off my first group of bounty hunters, it seems that like the map is finally straightened out, and the road lies clear of any fog or obstacle. And my first major quest, to seek out the memories of the mysterious Spear Spirit of the Lance, begins with that kind of strange, rather random and eventful mess of a tale. [End of Arc. 0] [Start of Arc. 1: Jouney to the West, RR edition!!]

<div class="chapter-inner chapter-content"> Prologue -<br><br>It was a normal classroom scene, the sound of keystrokes, the monotonous voice of the professors and... the sound of snoring. Rei Lee was completely unconscious, and the only thing that had ended up in his notebook so far was drool. The class was not unaware of this, evidenced by the occasional giggle and the constant grinding of the professors teeth every time he glanced toward the back of the room.<br><br>The professor would have normally reacted by now... except he couldn’t help but remember the humiliation of the last time he had tried. It was during the second week of class and the professor had been appalled that someone would so shamelessly dare to sleep in the middle of his lecture. He had stomped to the back of the room prepared to embarrass the lazy oaf into paying attention in the future. Except it had somehow backfired horribly.<br><br>*Bang*<br><br>The professor brought the edge of his fist down on a desk next to the sleeping student but instead of the normal shocked and frightened response the professor found a single grey eye glaring at him. The boy made no response and just held the professors gaze. The professor was already flustered by this unusual response but after a few moments of awkward silence he regained his composure.<br><br>“Please explain to the class the roles of the twelve Olympians that we have been discussing for the last thirty minutes.” <br><br>The professor couldn’t help feeling a bit smug as the boy would soon be humiliated and the professor was sure that he wouldn’t fall asleep in his class again... Except...<br><br>“Zeus, Ruler of Olympus, the skies and lightning; Poseidon brother of Zeus, Ruler of the Sea second strongest of the Olympians...” <br><br>The boy listed all the gods without fault, even adding in bits and pieces that the professor was unaware of. With each new piece of information the professor’s face became redder and redder and when the boy began talking about the various offspring of the Olympian deities the professor decided to make a hasty retreat and cut him off.<br><br>“Very good...” <br><br>The professor replied gruffly before quickly returning to the front of the classroom. The professor was persistent however and each time the professor caught the boy sleeping during the following weeks he attempted to stump the boy... and failed. <br><br>Little did the professor know that Rei was utterly obsessed with mythology and had probably read more than most mythology majors. Fantasy, science fiction, history, Rei had read them all with a voracious appetite. To Rei, the stories all had something that the real world utterly lacked... Adventure. While the real world proceeded with its humdrum existence, the lands of myth and fantasy took out evil monsters, saved nations and explored uncharted territories.<br><br>Until five months ago Rei had been a model student, his grades were at the top of his class, he handed in homework early, and listened attentively to whatever boring subject his teachers were discussing. That is until he discovered a way to go on real adventures of his own. A gate to a new world where all the things he dreamt about were real! Royal Road!<br><br>It had first appeared on one of his favorite gaming websites and Rei hadn’t even looked at it. But as the weeks passed, more and more posts were about Royal Road.<br><br>“What the hell is this! Constantly posting about an entirely different game on our forums...” <br><br>Out of curiosity Rei had decided to check it out and from the first line he was hooked. Limitless playing styles, quests, classes, professions... Unexplored territories, monsters and magic. It was like a heaven made especially for him! <br>And the only thing getting in his way was money. Rei wouldn’t allow it! To that end Rei worked more hours than most fulltime salary men. He blackmailed his uncle into letting him work at his restaurant, he annoyed his father into increasing his allowance and even sold his services among his classmates.<br><br>“$5 Per Homework Assignment! $10 Per Essay!”<br><br>In short... The only time he had to sleep was class. His allowance and a few hours at his uncle’s restaurant would allow him to easily handle the monthly fees, the real obstacle was the capsule and the installation cost.<br><br>$2,000! It was an outrageous price but Rei was close to reaching his goal. Today was Friday, also known as... Payday! And so in the back of his classroom, Rei dreamed about his future as an adventurer and what wonders awaited him until a large book met with the top of his head.<br><br>“Owwww! Damnit Sher! Stop hitting me in the head.”<br><br>“Class is over.”<br><br>The girl who spoke looked at him coldly. She was, without a doubt a beauty, her hair jet black and her features almost perfect. Her dark eyes seemed to shine behind her glasses that only seemed to make her prettier. Sher was Rei’s childhood friend and until a couple months ago she had always come in second place to Rei. Now that she was number one, however, she felt no sense of accomplishment. She couldn’t understand why Rei would give everything up for a game.<br><br>“Sorry, Sher! I’ve got to go! Today is finally the day I can get it! I talked dad into pre-ordering but if I don’t give him the money he might send it back!”<br><br>Sher sighed as Rei practically skidded out of the classroom. She sat down to wait. 3, 2, 1...<br><br>Rei flew back into the classroom.<br><br>“I forgot my bag.”<br><br>“Because you’re an idiot.”<br><br>This time they left together, with Sher threatening violence if he took off without her.<br><br><div style="text-align: center;">____________________</div><br><br>The shiny silver capsule was set up in a corner of his room and Rei could barely contain his excitement. He jittered around as the technicians installed it until his father had to drag him away by the ear. When the technicians finally finished Rei was inside the capsule before they were even completely out of his room.<br><br>“Thank you, thank you, thank you!” <br><br>Rei chanted as the Technicians completed the installation. <br>One of the technicians chuckled. <br><br>“It’s not going to run away kid! We don’t usually get thanked.”<br><br>“Hope you enjoy it. Your dad said you earned all the money yourself? That’s pretty impressive for a kid.”<br><br>Rei was a little annoyed at being called a kid but he was too excited to make a big deal out of it. The technicians exited the room just as the capsule closed. <br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td>Connect to Royal Road?<br><br> Yes | No</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br>When the message scrolled in front of his eyes, Rei shouted with joy. “Yes!”<br><br><div style="text-align: center;">__________________________</div><br><br><br>Author's Notes:<br>This is my first fan fic but please feel free to post your opinions. The good, the bad, &amp; even the ugly. I've got thick skin and don't mind at all. Please let me know if you spot any mistakes.<br><div style="text-align: center;">__________________________</div><br>Credits for Proofreading: Anonymreading &amp; Kaine </div>

Prologue - It was a normal classroom scene, the sound of keystrokes, the monotonous voice of the professors and... the sound of snoring. Rei Lee was completely unconscious, and the only thing that had ended up in his notebook so far was drool. The class was not unaware of this, evidenced by the occasional giggle and the constant grinding of the professors teeth every time he glanced toward the back of the room. The professor would have normally reacted by now... except he couldn’t help but remember the humiliation of the last time he had tried. It was during the second week of class and the professor had been appalled that someone would so shamelessly dare to sleep in the middle of his lecture. He had stomped to the back of the room prepared to embarrass the lazy oaf into paying attention in the future. Except it had somehow backfired horribly. *Bang* The professor brought the edge of his fist down on a desk next to the sleeping student but instead of the normal shocked and frightened response the professor found a single grey eye glaring at him. The boy made no response and just held the professors gaze. The professor was already flustered by this unusual response but after a few moments of awkward silence he regained his composure. “Please explain to the class the roles of the twelve Olympians that we have been discussing for the last thirty minutes.” The professor couldn’t help feeling a bit smug as the boy would soon be humiliated and the professor was sure that he wouldn’t fall asleep in his class again... Except... “Zeus, Ruler of Olympus, the skies and lightning; Poseidon brother of Zeus, Ruler of the Sea second strongest of the Olympians...” The boy listed all the gods without fault, even adding in bits and pieces that the professor was unaware of. With each new piece of information the professor’s face became redder and redder and when the boy began talking about the various offspring of the Olympian deities the professor decided to make a hasty retreat and cut him off. “Very good...” The professor replied gruffly before quickly returning to the front of the classroom. The professor was persistent however and each time the professor caught the boy sleeping during the following weeks he attempted to stump the boy... and failed. Little did the professor know that Rei was utterly obsessed with mythology and had probably read more than most mythology majors. Fantasy, science fiction, history, Rei had read them all with a voracious appetite. To Rei, the stories all had something that the real world utterly lacked... Adventure. While the real world proceeded with its humdrum existence, the lands of myth and fantasy took out evil monsters, saved nations and explored uncharted territories. Until five months ago Rei had been a model student, his grades were at the top of his class, he handed in homework early, and listened attentively to whatever boring subject his teachers were discussing. That is until he discovered a way to go on real adventures of his own. A gate to a new world where all the things he dreamt about were real! Royal Road! It had first appeared on one of his favorite gaming websites and Rei hadn’t even looked at it. But as the weeks passed, more and more posts were about Royal Road. “What the hell is this! Constantly posting about an entirely different game on our forums...” Out of curiosity Rei had decided to check it out and from the first line he was hooked. Limitless playing styles, quests, classes, professions... Unexplored territories, monsters and magic. It was like a heaven made especially for him! And the only thing getting in his way was money. Rei wouldn’t allow it! To that end Rei worked more hours than most fulltime salary men. He blackmailed his uncle into letting him work at his restaurant, he annoyed his father into increasing his allowance and even sold his services among his classmates. “$5 Per Homework Assignment! $10 Per Essay!” In short... The only time he had to sleep was class. His allowance and a few hours at his uncle’s restaurant would allow him to easily handle the monthly fees, the real obstacle was the capsule and the installation cost. $2,000! It was an outrageous price but Rei was close to reaching his goal. Today was Friday, also known as... Payday! And so in the back of his classroom, Rei dreamed about his future as an adventurer and what wonders awaited him until a large book met with the top of his head. “Owwww! Damnit Sher! Stop hitting me in the head.” “Class is over.” The girl who spoke looked at him coldly. She was, without a doubt a beauty, her hair jet black and her features almost perfect. Her dark eyes seemed to shine behind her glasses that only seemed to make her prettier. Sher was Rei’s childhood friend and until a couple months ago she had always come in second place to Rei. Now that she was number one, however, she felt no sense of accomplishment. She couldn’t understand why Rei would give everything up for a game. “Sorry, Sher! I’ve got to go! Today is finally the day I can get it! I talked dad into pre-ordering but if I don’t give him the money he might send it back!” Sher sighed as Rei practically skidded out of the classroom. She sat down to wait. 3, 2, 1... Rei flew back into the classroom. “I forgot my bag.” “Because you’re an idiot.” This time they left together, with Sher threatening violence if he took off without her. \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ The shiny silver capsule was set up in a corner of his room and Rei could barely contain his excitement. He jittered around as the technicians installed it until his father had to drag him away by the ear. When the technicians finally finished Rei was inside the capsule before they were even completely out of his room. “Thank you, thank you, thank you!” Rei chanted as the Technicians completed the installation. One of the technicians chuckled. “It’s not going to run away kid! We don’t usually get thanked.” “Hope you enjoy it. Your dad said you earned all the money yourself? That’s pretty impressive for a kid.” Rei was a little annoyed at being called a kid but he was too excited to make a big deal out of it. The technicians exited the room just as the capsule closed. | Connect to Royal Road? Yes | No | | --- | When the message scrolled in front of his eyes, Rei shouted with joy. “Yes!” \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ Author's Notes: This is my first fan fic but please feel free to post your opinions. The good, the bad, & even the ugly. I've got thick skin and don't mind at all. Please let me know if you spot any mistakes. \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ Credits for Proofreading: Anonymreading & Kaine

<div class="chapter-inner chapter-content"> Like always, tell me what you think.<br><br><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">The Mission Begins</span></span><br><br>--------------------------------------------------<br><br>The sound of birds chirping could be heard from a nearby tree. Water drops fell from leaves as they splashed onto the floor. A rooster’s morning call sounded, signalling that it was morning.<br><br>“Where am I?”<br><br>Sun sat up and glanced around from where he had been lying down.<br><br>“This place is…”<br><br>Underneath him was a large, comfortable bed and as he looked around he became certain that this was his room. Not just any room, but his personal living quarters within the Holy Temple, specifically for the Sun Knight of the Church of the God of Light.<br><br>“Why am I here? I was certain that I was in another world…”<br><br>Sun blinked a few times and then confirmed that he was actually seeing instead of using his elemental sight, since he was capable of discerning color.<br><br>“So I can see…”<br><br>If he could still see then it was possible that it meant that he was still in the other world. However, it was strange that this room so evidently resembled his own.<br><br>“It might be possible that I’ve returned?”<br><br>Although he was content with the possibility that he had returned to his world, he was overcome with great exhaustion. Putting all other thoughts aside, he decided to sleep first and figure everything out later.<br><br>“Knight Captain Sun, Knight Captain Sun…”<br><br>A familiar voice called out from outside of the room. From the sound of it it must have been Adair, his vice captain.<br><br>“Hmm…”<br><br>Too tired to deal with it, Sun buried his head underneath his pillow and burrowed himself into the sheets.<br><br>The calling from behind the door continued until…<br><br>Bang!!<br><br>A dark figure entered into the room, one that he was all too familiar with.<br><br>“Knight Captain Sun, how long do you intend to sleep?”<br><br>Lesus Judgment asked with a stern expression on his face. He was obviously not pleased with the slothfulness that was before him..<br><br>“It’s fine, isn’t it? Let me sleep.”<br><br>Sun rolled around on his bed, clutching the pillow with his body. He showed no intention of getting up at all.<br><br>“If you continue to fool around…”<br><br>Lesus’s voice suddenly vanished and was replaced with a sinister voice that he had never heard before in his life. Sun looked up from his bed to find that he was no longer in his bright and spacious room but now in a dark densely wooded forest.<br><br>A strange figure now stood before his eyes, a being made of countless shadows coalescing into itself. It opened its mouth, with countless pitch black fangs protruding from within.<br><br>“then all that you hold dear will perish, just like before.”<br><br>The shadow being melted into the ground and behind it was the cold lifeless body of the Leaf Knight.<br><br>“Gaaaaaaaah!!”<br><br>*****<br><br>“Haaaa haaah.”<br><br>Sun woke up with a start, his entire body covered in cold sweat. He looked down at his shaking hands and clenched them to see if he had any feeling in his limbs.<br><br>“So it was a dream…”<br><br>He looked around once more to check where he was. This time he was inside the wagon used by the expedition.<br><br>After a moment he was able to recall all the events that had happened previously. They had lured the giant undeads into a trap but the last undead was alerted far too quickly. Using himself as a distraction, he lured the last undead away from the group. If the paladins had not made it in time, he would have most likely died.<br><br>“Just what am I doing?”<br><br>Sun just sat there with his thoughts, contemplating his current situation. His entire existence has been turned upside down and was living in an alternate world. There had been one thing that had not changed between the two worlds.<br><br>Weakness.<br><br>Even now he felt like all his efforts had bore no results and that his strength was paper thin; to him, his power was almost nonexistent and meaningless. With no talent in the sword and surrounded some of the strongest warriors in his generation, he had felt that he would be incapable of protecting anyone.<br><br>Despair.<br><br>Both worlds had taught to him its meaning quite well. Leaf Knight’s death had weighed heavily on his mind since then.<br><br>Leaf had died because he could not protect him.<br><br>Because he was weak.<br><br>Because he did not make it there in time.<br><br>Because...it was his fault that he didn’t stop Awaitsun beforehand.<br><br>His indecision had cost his fellow brother his life. The words that Pink had told him remained in his thoughts.<br><br><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;">‘If we didn’t kill him then we would not have been able to escape your pursuit.’</span></span><br><br>She had killed Leaf to buy time for Awaitsun to escape from Sun. Even though he had managed to revive Leaf, the guilt of his death still remained and he blamed himself for it constantly.<br><br>This world was not any different. He was incapable of anything beyond that of a mere priest. As his soldiers die before him there was nothing he could do to save them.<br><br>With a sigh, he lied back down onto the floor of the wagon.<br><br>“Mmmm…”<br><br>Now that he had finally reached some clarity in his mind he finally noticed that Alena, the little 10 year old girl, was also asleep in the wagon.<br><br>“Such an innocent little child.”<br><br>Sun murmured quietly. He had always had a bit of a soft spot. Even though he was weak, he always had a righteous heart to protect others. As long as others were safe, he did not care what became of him.<br><br>A scene flashed through his head; a scene when he was young where he was standing with a similarly aged girl.<br><br>It was a very hazy memory that he did not recall very well. It was some time after he had applied to become a candidate for the Sun Knight.<br><br>“What was that…”<br><br>Deciding that it was nothing, he looked down at the little girl and stroked her short black hair affectionately. Thinking about his own childhood, it must have been tough for this little girl to be out in this dangerous place all on her own. <br><br><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">‘With everything in my power I will protect everyone that is close to me.’</span></span><br><br>Even if it costs me my life…<br><br>“Grisia are you awake? The sun has already risen…”<br><br>Alveron stopped his sentence short.<br><br>All alone in a wagon, covered in sweat with a dark expression on his face while next to a little unconscious girl. To Alveron, it looked like Sun was assaulting a little girl in her sleep.<br><br>“...”<br><br>Alveron just looked blankly at him for awhile.<br><br>“What is it?”<br><br>Sun asked, puzzled as to why he had stopped talking all of a sudden.<br><br>“Grisia...the priests of the Order of Freya are allowed to get married. Even so...attacking little girls is a crime.”<br><br>…<br><br>…<br><br>It took a few moments for Sun to register everything that Alveron had said in his mind, if fact it exactly took six dots before he realized what he was saying.<br><br>“The hell do you think you’re saying?!”<br><br>Alveron took a moment to clear his throat before he began to explain himself.<br><br>“I understand that some men enjoy woman that are younger than them, but this girl is more than half your age. Wait a moment...could it be that you plan to raise her into the perfect wife for you in the future?”<br><br>Sun could not imagine all the sort of obscenities that were running through Alveron’s head. But he had a pretty good idea from how flushed Alveron’s face was as he was speaking nonsensically.<br><br>“Whatever it is that you’re thinking, it’s wrong!”<br><br>Sun made sure to quickly deny all the things that Alveron was imagining in his mind.<br><br>“Oh, is that so?”<br><br>Alveron seemed to calm down quickly and then asked another question.<br><br>“Then why is it that you do not have a girlfriend?”<br><br>It was a very good question. Alveron had heard from the paladins from the church that Sun was quite popular with women, especially when it came to the female users.<br><br>Sun averted his eyes before responding.<br><br>“It’s just not something that I’m not used to…”<br><br>Realistically speaking, he had very few female interactions in his lifetime. He was still weighed down by the thought that women would not like him since he could ‘only love God’, the belief that accompanied the stereotype of the Sun Knight. Honestly speaking, he wanted a girlfriend more than anyone else in the world but habits were not easy to break.<br><br>With his face a little bit flushed, he coughed before changing the topic.<br><br>“Cough cough...anyways Alveron, what brings you here?”<br><br>As if suddenly remembering his original purpose in coming here, Alveron was quickly brought back from his thoughts.<br><br>“That’s right. The sun has already risen so it’s as good a time as any to start the operation.”<br><br>Sun plan required it to be daytime for it to work since the undead were severely weakened in the light and didn’t receive the night time bonus to their stats.<br><br>“Have all the necessary materials been gathered?”<br><br>Alveron nodded.<br><br>“When you passed out yesterday, Calvin told everyone to immediately start getting everything together.”<br><br>If that was the case, then everything was truly ready to begin the operation. Sun placed a blanket over Alena before leaping off the wagon to join with the rest of the group.<br><br>***<br><br>Sun headed over to the head tent where he met with Calvin and the lead paladins. Behind the tent was a large pile of materials that was covered with a large cloth. Pulling off the large cloth, Sun took a look over the amount that had been gathered.<br><br>“This should be more than enough.”<br><br>He had asked the paladins the day before to gather various different types of materials. The primary thing that he asked for from them was Holy Water. As member of the Order of Freya, each of them held onto a few vials of holy water each. Calvin, Sun, and Alveron each had about 100 vials of Holy Water on them as well, since they were Priests.<br><br>Sun inspected the rest of the materials that had been gathered in the pile. The paladins had cut apart several large trees for wood as he had requested. Apart from wood, there were also a number of other large objects that they had found in the surrounding area such as rocks and metal. Among the other miscellaneous items, these were going to be the most essential.<br><br>Picking up one of the items from the pile, Sun inspected it more closely.<br><br>“Identify.”<br><br>He had picked up the Identify skill back when he was in Rosenheim. In his study for a way back to his world, he had visited various magic shops and libraries where he picked up a number of different skills. Identify was one of them.<br><br><span style="font-weight: bold;">[Wooden Board Durability 70/100<br>A piece of wood cut from a tree. It was not handled very well so the durability is a bit lacking. Can be processed into a number of different items. Tier 2 Materials.<br><br>Options: Very tough material. Suitable for making buildings and walls.]</span><br><br>After he checked a number of different materials, he decided that it was more than enough for their purposes.<br><br>“Let the operation begin.”<br><br>The lead paladins got their divisions of men to come over and pick up the materials. They then slowly began to transport them a short distance from the shrine. Sun walked over to a hastily prepared platform, a small boulder that they had moved over and began to explain.<br><br>“For those that do not know, we are now going to attack the enemy headquarters.”<br><br>The paladins in the group began to voice their astonishment. Even though they were very righteous men, it was still reckless to fight an enemy force that was several times stronger than them. This was even more reckless since it was the enemy headquarters which increased the effects of the undead strength by an additional 50%, an effect given to monsters during nighttime and in dungeons.<br><br>Seeing the unrest among the paladins, Sun continued to explain in a slightly louder voice.<br><br>“So we will now begin the plan to destroy the enemy forces and weaken them heavily!”<br><br>A sense of bewilderment overcame the paladins. Was it really possible for their forces to wipe out thousands of undead in their headquarters? The very thought of such a thing was inconceivable.<br><br>“As you know, the giant undead from yesterday made up only a portion of the undead’s fighting strength. Thousands of undead lurk in the shrine before us, each with their own strengths and abilities. However, the biggest obstacle to us, the giant undeads, have already been defeated. Now we can easily wipe out the rest of them.”<br><br>Before the paladins could raise any complaints about the enemy’s forces, Sun shouted out aloud.<br><br>“Hear me men! Follow my orders swiftly and we will seize victory shortly! If this is successful, then we will have destroyed more than 80% of the enemy troops and weaken the remaining 20%!”<br><br>As impossible as it might have sounded, when the paladins heard this claim they began to burn with an intense willpower as their morale skyrocketed.<br><br>“Let us destroy the undead scum and drag out the ones responsible to give them long overdue retribution!”<br><br>“Uoooooh!!!!”<br><br>Large shouts erupted from the crowd of Paladins as they got ready for combat.<br><br><span style="font-weight: bold;">-The skill Righteous Crusade has been learned. When used, the morale of allied church members will increase. Affected by Leadership and Faith.-Leadership has increased by 5.<br>-Faith has increased by 3.</span><br><br>Holy related classes, such as priests, received a large increase in faith for fighting against the undead. Since he was leading the paladins he also received a bonus to his leadership stats.<br><br>The Righteous Crusade skill was capable of improving the morale of the church’s units as well as improving their faith stat temporarily and reducing negative status effects. It cost a decent amount of mana but it’s effects were outstanding since its usage was limited.<br><br>Sun hastily split the paladins into 3 squads, each of them led by one of the three priests.<br><br>Calvin’s squad was responsible for transporting the wood and other materials, as well as placing them in the appropriate locations.<br><br>Sun had his squad of paladins grab all the Holy Water and take them to the shrine.<br><br>Alveron’s squad was responsible for taking care of their wagons and transporting them to a safe location nearby as well as collecting the necessary materials from their supplies.<br><br>“Mission start!”<br><br>The paladins quickly grabbed the wood, metal, and rocks and piled them around the entire shrine, primarily blocking off its entrance. They had to move fast before the undead caught wind of their presence. Even though they were masking their holy presence, its effectiveness would decrease since they were so close to the undead forces.<br><br>“Next!”<br><br>Alveron’s squad then ran up to the shrine and began to cover the barricade in a number of different substances: alcohol, oil, gas, wood chips, paper, anything they could find that could burn.<br><br>With a quick fire spell, the entire barricade went up in flames. Still it was nowhere near enough if they wanted to get rid of the undead. The fire would only prove to be a small hindrance to them and they would soon break out in great numbers to wipe out the Paladins.<br><br>That was only if it was a normal fire.<br><br>“Paladins! Ready your aim!”<br><br>Sun yelled out loudly towards his squad of paladins. They were currently on standby with a large number of holy water vials.<br><br>The undead began to pour out of the building angrily; that was when Sun gave his command.<br><br>“Fire!”<br><br>At his command, the Paladins began to throw the holy water vials at their target. However, their target was not the undead that were starting to pour out of the buildings. No, if they did that then they would only kill a measly few hundred undead.<br><br>Against an army of a few thousand, they would need something far more definite than that.<br><br>The burning shrine.<br><br>That was their real target.<br><br>Throwing holy water at a fire? Wouldn’t that simply put out the fire?<br><br>The answer was no.<br><br>It was no simple fire after all. The reason why he had made a separate squad for Alveron was the need for them to acquire oil to create an oil fire.<br><br>Once the holy water made contact with the building, it would then quickly evaporate from the heat of the flame and change it from a liquid form into a gaseous form. Once in a gaseous form, the quantity of oxygen present would increase dramatically which led to a greater amount of fuel for the flames.<br><br>Even in a gaseous form, the holy water still kept its divinity. The oil fire instantly became a large cast Holy Fire spell, growing greater in strength with each vial of holy water. It would not be ridiculous to say that it was at the same power of a high level advanced Holy Fire spell.<br><br>“That’s enough.”<br><br>Sun stopped the Paladins from throwing the remaining vials of holy water, which were only about 100 left in number. The undead were now melting away from the intensity of the holy flames. Thousands of the undead perished as they desperately tried to claw their way through the barricade while the undead spirits were vanquished as soon as they made contact with the fire.<br><br>Some of the undead finally broke through the barricade but were in a state of extreme weakness.<br><br>“Strike them down!”<br><br>At his command the paladins pincer attacked all the undead that gradually made their way out of the building. Since there was only one entrance, the enemy would not make their way out quickly so they would only get finished off one by one. In the meantime the other undead were slowly burning to ash as they were stuck within the shrine.<br><br><span style="font-weight: bold;">-You have leveled up.<br>-You have leveled up.<br>-You have leveled up.</span><br><br>Even though he wasn’t doing much, as a priest he was getting a small cut of experience for each kill. Since there was an absurdly large number of high level undead, he was leveling up very quickly.<br><br>After letting it burn for a few minutes, it was now time to put an end to this. The majority of the lesser undead had been dealt with and now there was only a burning building left.<br><br>“Alveron. Calvin. Come over here.”<br><br>He called them over so that they could put an end to this mess. If they let the fire continue to rage on, then it was completely possible that it could spread and burn down the entire forest. If such an event were to happen then the reputation of the entire church would suffer.<br><br>To stop such a thing like an oil fire, it was usually best to deprive it of oxygen or use chemicals to extinguish it. Of course none of those options were viable at this time so Sun decided to use the next best thing he could think of.<br><br>“Oh Goddess, grant me the strength to vanquish thy foe…”<br><br>“Goddess of Light, hear my voice and lend me your strength...”<br><br>“Light brings me power and justice rules my soul…”<br><br>Alveron, Sun, and Calvin began to chant a number of different incantations simultaneously.<br><br>Their plan was but a simple one. If they could not stop the fire through the usual means then…<br><br>“Holy Smite!” “Holy Burst!” “Judgment Hammer!”<br><br>After a few minutes, the three of them cast their spells onto the flaming building together.<br><br>From the sky, a large number of different attacks rained down <br><br>Swords of light rained down from the sky, a pillar of light corroded the entire building, a divine hammer stuck down ruthlessly.<br><br>If they could not stop the fire then they would completely and utterly destroy the fire. Crude but effective for their purpose.<br><br>The spells continued to rain down on the building for a full minute before it started to show signs of stopping.<br><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br>-For defeating the undead force without any casualties, the members of the expeditions have received an increase in all stats by 1.<br>-Since the fire did not cause any destruction to nature, the Church of Freya’s influence has increased by 10.</span><br><br>Soon the dust cleared and the shrine was now in complete ruins. Most would say that their objective was now complete but Sun had a feeling that said otherwise.<br><br>“Sacred Rain.”<br><br>Muttering a few spell words, Sun called forth holy rain to quickly cool down the debris. Afterwards he gave orders to the paladins to quickly move aside the remains of the building.<br><br>“As I thought.”<br><br>Like any evil super villain that had a needlessly large building as their center of operations, it was common for there to be a secret hidden area from where they would safely conduct their insidious plots. Somewhere that people would never look in most circumstances. Who would think that an undead lich would make its home in a beat up shack in the middle of nowhere? The same idea applied here. It was more than likely that the Necromancers were hiding underground the facility rather than within it.<br><br>Taking half of the remaining holy water, Sun walked around the area and began to spread it across the ground. The Holy Water would work tandem with the Sacred Rain he had cast and would amplify its effects.<br><br><span style="font-weight: bold;">Ttiring!<br><br>-The surrounding area has become purified. All darkness related skills have received a 50% penalty. Nearby undead are severely weakened.</span><br><br>This was stage two of the plan.<br><br>The vast majority of the undead troops would be located in the shrine, but they would all be low level minions. In the underground would be the higher level undead, which would be most likely around level 300. Fighting them in a dungeon like area would be reckless so that was why he was using Holy Water and Sacred Rain.<br><br>He was now purifying the area into a sacred soil. Though the effects were only temporary, it would serve their purpose now. The remaining high tier undead would succumb to the vast holiness and receive countless stat penalties. Using a rough estimate, their combat ability would decrease to less than half.<br><br>Sun had discovered all of these things while exploring around in Royal Road. A normal fire could easily become a Holy Fire when using Holy Water. He had noticed once when he had accidentally dropped some holy water on the campfire. When an undead attacked suddenly, he had picked up a piece of burning wood and threw it at the undead, causing it to catch fire rapidly.<br><br>Blessing a region was something that he learned in the church. It was a common thing to bless a corrupted land to prevent the undead from coming back to life. However, it also could be used to weaken the undead that returned to that region.<br><br>Giving the paladins a signal, they quickly pried open the door to the cellar.<br><br>“We need to hurry before they notice that we’re coming.”<br><br>Given how quickly they had wiped out the undead shrine, the higher tier undead and the necromancers still had no idea that they were under attack. Before they realize, they needed to quickly attack before the enemy has a chance to escape. Thankfully they could not sense the giant Area of Effect spells that were cast earlier since it was difficult to sense elements through a thick layer of soil.<br><br>The battles from here on out, however, would require them to not use any holy magic at all to avoid detection. Usually this would be bad since it was difficult to kill the undead permanently since they would rise after death, but since the ground was blessed there was no need to worry.<br><br>Thought they were restricted from using strong holy magic, the paladins still could use their offensive holy skills since they were much less potent than priest spells.<br><br>“What should we do about Alena?”<br><br>Calvin asked as preparations were being made. Sun had to think about this for a moment.<br><br>They very well couldn’t leave her here alone since, even without the undead, this place was still relatively dangerous. There was no knowing what would happen in a world like this. They could leave behind some paladins but that would greatly reduce their fighting strength.<br><br>A number of different ideas played through his head but none of them were viable. They couldn’t bring her along either since it could be dangerous. He was starting to get fed up from all these choices and no solutions.<br><br>“Why don’t we take her along?”<br><br>Alveron decided to give a suggestion.<br><br>“Why do you say that?”<br><br>Calvin wanted to know the reasoning behind such a bold proposition. Surely it was dangerous out here, but it was hardly any better inside the undead dungeon.<br><br>“It would probably be safer for her to come with us, since we have paladins and priests in case something happens. She can be safe with us in the back so there’s nothing to worry about. We can just treat her as if she’s another priest.’<br><br>Sun looked at Alveron with a look of astonishment.<br><br>To think that a priest would discriminate against himself like this!<br><br>It was true that the priest didn’t really do much in combat aside from hiding in the back, buffing, and healing. It was a non-combat related class and it held that prejudice from all the melee classes, regardless of the world that they were in. However for a priest to treat himself like this was beyond anything he could have imagine.<br><br>He did not know who, but Alveron had apparently been brainwashed by someone.<br><br>“You do have a point.”<br><br>Calvin mulled over it briefly.<br><br>“Does anyone have any objections and other suggestions?”<br><br>Sun wanted to say something but he had nothing that was any better that they could do.<br><br>“Then it’s decided, we’re taking Alena with us.”<br><br>The little girl had already been awake quite some time ago and was sitting on a rock nearby during this conversation, quite preoccupied with drawing something into the dirt.<br><br>Calvin walked over to pick her up into the air before he walked over and put her on Sun’s shoulders.<br><br>“Here Sun. You can take care of her.”<br>“Why me?!”<br><br>Sun wanted to protest against this sudden treatment.<br><br>“You were the one responsible for taking care of her in the first place. If we couldn’t find if she had any parents then we were probably going to have you adopt her.”<br><br>There was nothing to be said against this since it was originally Sun’s responsibility to take care of her.<br><br><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;">‘They’re planning for me to become a father even though I have never even had a girlfriend before! What the hell is with this?!’</span></span><br><br>He could only lament at himself at this current change of events.<br><br>Since there was hardly any time to waste, the paladins assembled their weapons and ventured into the dungeon.<br><br>Their main objective remained unchanged.<br><br>Search and Destroy. </div>

Like always, tell me what you think. The Mission Begins -------------------------------------------------- The sound of birds chirping could be heard from a nearby tree. Water drops fell from leaves as they splashed onto the floor. A rooster’s morning call sounded, signalling that it was morning. “Where am I?” Sun sat up and glanced around from where he had been lying down. “This place is…” Underneath him was a large, comfortable bed and as he looked around he became certain that this was his room. Not just any room, but his personal living quarters within the Holy Temple, specifically for the Sun Knight of the Church of the God of Light. “Why am I here? I was certain that I was in another world…” Sun blinked a few times and then confirmed that he was actually seeing instead of using his elemental sight, since he was capable of discerning color. “So I can see…” If he could still see then it was possible that it meant that he was still in the other world. However, it was strange that this room so evidently resembled his own. “It might be possible that I’ve returned?” Although he was content with the possibility that he had returned to his world, he was overcome with great exhaustion. Putting all other thoughts aside, he decided to sleep first and figure everything out later. “Knight Captain Sun, Knight Captain Sun…” A familiar voice called out from outside of the room. From the sound of it it must have been Adair, his vice captain. “Hmm…” Too tired to deal with it, Sun buried his head underneath his pillow and burrowed himself into the sheets. The calling from behind the door continued until… Bang!! A dark figure entered into the room, one that he was all too familiar with. “Knight Captain Sun, how long do you intend to sleep?” Lesus Judgment asked with a stern expression on his face. He was obviously not pleased with the slothfulness that was before him.. “It’s fine, isn’t it? Let me sleep.” Sun rolled around on his bed, clutching the pillow with his body. He showed no intention of getting up at all. “If you continue to fool around…” Lesus’s voice suddenly vanished and was replaced with a sinister voice that he had never heard before in his life. Sun looked up from his bed to find that he was no longer in his bright and spacious room but now in a dark densely wooded forest. A strange figure now stood before his eyes, a being made of countless shadows coalescing into itself. It opened its mouth, with countless pitch black fangs protruding from within. “then all that you hold dear will perish, just like before.” The shadow being melted into the ground and behind it was the cold lifeless body of the Leaf Knight. “Gaaaaaaaah!!” ***** “Haaaa haaah.” Sun woke up with a start, his entire body covered in cold sweat. He looked down at his shaking hands and clenched them to see if he had any feeling in his limbs. “So it was a dream…” He looked around once more to check where he was. This time he was inside the wagon used by the expedition. After a moment he was able to recall all the events that had happened previously. They had lured the giant undeads into a trap but the last undead was alerted far too quickly. Using himself as a distraction, he lured the last undead away from the group. If the paladins had not made it in time, he would have most likely died. “Just what am I doing?” Sun just sat there with his thoughts, contemplating his current situation. His entire existence has been turned upside down and was living in an alternate world. There had been one thing that had not changed between the two worlds. Weakness. Even now he felt like all his efforts had bore no results and that his strength was paper thin; to him, his power was almost nonexistent and meaningless. With no talent in the sword and surrounded some of the strongest warriors in his generation, he had felt that he would be incapable of protecting anyone. Despair. Both worlds had taught to him its meaning quite well. Leaf Knight’s death had weighed heavily on his mind since then. Leaf had died because he could not protect him. Because he was weak. Because he did not make it there in time. Because...it was his fault that he didn’t stop Awaitsun beforehand. His indecision had cost his fellow brother his life. The words that Pink had told him remained in his thoughts. ‘If we didn’t kill him then we would not have been able to escape your pursuit.’ She had killed Leaf to buy time for Awaitsun to escape from Sun. Even though he had managed to revive Leaf, the guilt of his death still remained and he blamed himself for it constantly. This world was not any different. He was incapable of anything beyond that of a mere priest. As his soldiers die before him there was nothing he could do to save them. With a sigh, he lied back down onto the floor of the wagon. “Mmmm…” Now that he had finally reached some clarity in his mind he finally noticed that Alena, the little 10 year old girl, was also asleep in the wagon. “Such an innocent little child.” Sun murmured quietly. He had always had a bit of a soft spot. Even though he was weak, he always had a righteous heart to protect others. As long as others were safe, he did not care what became of him. A scene flashed through his head; a scene when he was young where he was standing with a similarly aged girl. It was a very hazy memory that he did not recall very well. It was some time after he had applied to become a candidate for the Sun Knight. “What was that…” Deciding that it was nothing, he looked down at the little girl and stroked her short black hair affectionately. Thinking about his own childhood, it must have been tough for this little girl to be out in this dangerous place all on her own. ‘With everything in my power I will protect everyone that is close to me.’ Even if it costs me my life… “Grisia are you awake? The sun has already risen…” Alveron stopped his sentence short. All alone in a wagon, covered in sweat with a dark expression on his face while next to a little unconscious girl. To Alveron, it looked like Sun was assaulting a little girl in her sleep. “...” Alveron just looked blankly at him for awhile. “What is it?” Sun asked, puzzled as to why he had stopped talking all of a sudden. “Grisia...the priests of the Order of Freya are allowed to get married. Even so...attacking little girls is a crime.” … … It took a few moments for Sun to register everything that Alveron had said in his mind, if fact it exactly took six dots before he realized what he was saying. “The hell do you think you’re saying?!” Alveron took a moment to clear his throat before he began to explain himself. “I understand that some men enjoy woman that are younger than them, but this girl is more than half your age. Wait a moment...could it be that you plan to raise her into the perfect wife for you in the future?” Sun could not imagine all the sort of obscenities that were running through Alveron’s head. But he had a pretty good idea from how flushed Alveron’s face was as he was speaking nonsensically. “Whatever it is that you’re thinking, it’s wrong!” Sun made sure to quickly deny all the things that Alveron was imagining in his mind. “Oh, is that so?” Alveron seemed to calm down quickly and then asked another question. “Then why is it that you do not have a girlfriend?” It was a very good question. Alveron had heard from the paladins from the church that Sun was quite popular with women, especially when it came to the female users. Sun averted his eyes before responding. “It’s just not something that I’m not used to…” Realistically speaking, he had very few female interactions in his lifetime. He was still weighed down by the thought that women would not like him since he could ‘only love God’, the belief that accompanied the stereotype of the Sun Knight. Honestly speaking, he wanted a girlfriend more than anyone else in the world but habits were not easy to break. With his face a little bit flushed, he coughed before changing the topic. “Cough cough...anyways Alveron, what brings you here?” As if suddenly remembering his original purpose in coming here, Alveron was quickly brought back from his thoughts. “That’s right. The sun has already risen so it’s as good a time as any to start the operation.” Sun plan required it to be daytime for it to work since the undead were severely weakened in the light and didn’t receive the night time bonus to their stats. “Have all the necessary materials been gathered?” Alveron nodded. “When you passed out yesterday, Calvin told everyone to immediately start getting everything together.” If that was the case, then everything was truly ready to begin the operation. Sun placed a blanket over Alena before leaping off the wagon to join with the rest of the group. *** Sun headed over to the head tent where he met with Calvin and the lead paladins. Behind the tent was a large pile of materials that was covered with a large cloth. Pulling off the large cloth, Sun took a look over the amount that had been gathered. “This should be more than enough.” He had asked the paladins the day before to gather various different types of materials. The primary thing that he asked for from them was Holy Water. As member of the Order of Freya, each of them held onto a few vials of holy water each. Calvin, Sun, and Alveron each had about 100 vials of Holy Water on them as well, since they were Priests. Sun inspected the rest of the materials that had been gathered in the pile. The paladins had cut apart several large trees for wood as he had requested. Apart from wood, there were also a number of other large objects that they had found in the surrounding area such as rocks and metal. Among the other miscellaneous items, these were going to be the most essential. Picking up one of the items from the pile, Sun inspected it more closely. “Identify.” He had picked up the Identify skill back when he was in Rosenheim. In his study for a way back to his world, he had visited various magic shops and libraries where he picked up a number of different skills. Identify was one of them. [Wooden Board Durability 70/100 A piece of wood cut from a tree. It was not handled very well so the durability is a bit lacking. Can be processed into a number of different items. Tier 2 Materials. Options: Very tough material. Suitable for making buildings and walls.] After he checked a number of different materials, he decided that it was more than enough for their purposes. “Let the operation begin.” The lead paladins got their divisions of men to come over and pick up the materials. They then slowly began to transport them a short distance from the shrine. Sun walked over to a hastily prepared platform, a small boulder that they had moved over and began to explain. “For those that do not know, we are now going to attack the enemy headquarters.” The paladins in the group began to voice their astonishment. Even though they were very righteous men, it was still reckless to fight an enemy force that was several times stronger than them. This was even more reckless since it was the enemy headquarters which increased the effects of the undead strength by an additional 50%, an effect given to monsters during nighttime and in dungeons. Seeing the unrest among the paladins, Sun continued to explain in a slightly louder voice. “So we will now begin the plan to destroy the enemy forces and weaken them heavily!” A sense of bewilderment overcame the paladins. Was it really possible for their forces to wipe out thousands of undead in their headquarters? The very thought of such a thing was inconceivable. “As you know, the giant undead from yesterday made up only a portion of the undead’s fighting strength. Thousands of undead lurk in the shrine before us, each with their own strengths and abilities. However, the biggest obstacle to us, the giant undeads, have already been defeated. Now we can easily wipe out the rest of them.” Before the paladins could raise any complaints about the enemy’s forces, Sun shouted out aloud. “Hear me men! Follow my orders swiftly and we will seize victory shortly! If this is successful, then we will have destroyed more than 80% of the enemy troops and weaken the remaining 20%!” As impossible as it might have sounded, when the paladins heard this claim they began to burn with an intense willpower as their morale skyrocketed. “Let us destroy the undead scum and drag out the ones responsible to give them long overdue retribution!” “Uoooooh!!!!” Large shouts erupted from the crowd of Paladins as they got ready for combat. -The skill Righteous Crusade has been learned. When used, the morale of allied church members will increase. Affected by Leadership and Faith.-Leadership has increased by 5. -Faith has increased by 3. Holy related classes, such as priests, received a large increase in faith for fighting against the undead. Since he was leading the paladins he also received a bonus to his leadership stats. The Righteous Crusade skill was capable of improving the morale of the church’s units as well as improving their faith stat temporarily and reducing negative status effects. It cost a decent amount of mana but it’s effects were outstanding since its usage was limited. Sun hastily split the paladins into 3 squads, each of them led by one of the three priests. Calvin’s squad was responsible for transporting the wood and other materials, as well as placing them in the appropriate locations. Sun had his squad of paladins grab all the Holy Water and take them to the shrine. Alveron’s squad was responsible for taking care of their wagons and transporting them to a safe location nearby as well as collecting the necessary materials from their supplies. “Mission start!” The paladins quickly grabbed the wood, metal, and rocks and piled them around the entire shrine, primarily blocking off its entrance. They had to move fast before the undead caught wind of their presence. Even though they were masking their holy presence, its effectiveness would decrease since they were so close to the undead forces. “Next!” Alveron’s squad then ran up to the shrine and began to cover the barricade in a number of different substances: alcohol, oil, gas, wood chips, paper, anything they could find that could burn. With a quick fire spell, the entire barricade went up in flames. Still it was nowhere near enough if they wanted to get rid of the undead. The fire would only prove to be a small hindrance to them and they would soon break out in great numbers to wipe out the Paladins. That was only if it was a normal fire. “Paladins! Ready your aim!” Sun yelled out loudly towards his squad of paladins. They were currently on standby with a large number of holy water vials. The undead began to pour out of the building angrily; that was when Sun gave his command. “Fire!” At his command, the Paladins began to throw the holy water vials at their target. However, their target was not the undead that were starting to pour out of the buildings. No, if they did that then they would only kill a measly few hundred undead. Against an army of a few thousand, they would need something far more definite than that. The burning shrine. That was their real target. Throwing holy water at a fire? Wouldn’t that simply put out the fire? The answer was no. It was no simple fire after all. The reason why he had made a separate squad for Alveron was the need for them to acquire oil to create an oil fire. Once the holy water made contact with the building, it would then quickly evaporate from the heat of the flame and change it from a liquid form into a gaseous form. Once in a gaseous form, the quantity of oxygen present would increase dramatically which led to a greater amount of fuel for the flames. Even in a gaseous form, the holy water still kept its divinity. The oil fire instantly became a large cast Holy Fire spell, growing greater in strength with each vial of holy water. It would not be ridiculous to say that it was at the same power of a high level advanced Holy Fire spell. “That’s enough.” Sun stopped the Paladins from throwing the remaining vials of holy water, which were only about 100 left in number. The undead were now melting away from the intensity of the holy flames. Thousands of the undead perished as they desperately tried to claw their way through the barricade while the undead spirits were vanquished as soon as they made contact with the fire. Some of the undead finally broke through the barricade but were in a state of extreme weakness. “Strike them down!” At his command the paladins pincer attacked all the undead that gradually made their way out of the building. Since there was only one entrance, the enemy would not make their way out quickly so they would only get finished off one by one. In the meantime the other undead were slowly burning to ash as they were stuck within the shrine. -You have leveled up. -You have leveled up. -You have leveled up. Even though he wasn’t doing much, as a priest he was getting a small cut of experience for each kill. Since there was an absurdly large number of high level undead, he was leveling up very quickly. After letting it burn for a few minutes, it was now time to put an end to this. The majority of the lesser undead had been dealt with and now there was only a burning building left. “Alveron. Calvin. Come over here.” He called them over so that they could put an end to this mess. If they let the fire continue to rage on, then it was completely possible that it could spread and burn down the entire forest. If such an event were to happen then the reputation of the entire church would suffer. To stop such a thing like an oil fire, it was usually best to deprive it of oxygen or use chemicals to extinguish it. Of course none of those options were viable at this time so Sun decided to use the next best thing he could think of. “Oh Goddess, grant me the strength to vanquish thy foe…” “Goddess of Light, hear my voice and lend me your strength...” “Light brings me power and justice rules my soul…” Alveron, Sun, and Calvin began to chant a number of different incantations simultaneously. Their plan was but a simple one. If they could not stop the fire through the usual means then… “Holy Smite!” “Holy Burst!” “Judgment Hammer!” After a few minutes, the three of them cast their spells onto the flaming building together. From the sky, a large number of different attacks rained down Swords of light rained down from the sky, a pillar of light corroded the entire building, a divine hammer stuck down ruthlessly. If they could not stop the fire then they would completely and utterly destroy the fire. Crude but effective for their purpose. The spells continued to rain down on the building for a full minute before it started to show signs of stopping. -For defeating the undead force without any casualties, the members of the expeditions have received an increase in all stats by 1. -Since the fire did not cause any destruction to nature, the Church of Freya’s influence has increased by 10. Soon the dust cleared and the shrine was now in complete ruins. Most would say that their objective was now complete but Sun had a feeling that said otherwise. “Sacred Rain.” Muttering a few spell words, Sun called forth holy rain to quickly cool down the debris. Afterwards he gave orders to the paladins to quickly move aside the remains of the building. “As I thought.” Like any evil super villain that had a needlessly large building as their center of operations, it was common for there to be a secret hidden area from where they would safely conduct their insidious plots. Somewhere that people would never look in most circumstances. Who would think that an undead lich would make its home in a beat up shack in the middle of nowhere? The same idea applied here. It was more than likely that the Necromancers were hiding underground the facility rather than within it. Taking half of the remaining holy water, Sun walked around the area and began to spread it across the ground. The Holy Water would work tandem with the Sacred Rain he had cast and would amplify its effects. Ttiring! -The surrounding area has become purified. All darkness related skills have received a 50% penalty. Nearby undead are severely weakened. This was stage two of the plan. The vast majority of the undead troops would be located in the shrine, but they would all be low level minions. In the underground would be the higher level undead, which would be most likely around level 300. Fighting them in a dungeon like area would be reckless so that was why he was using Holy Water and Sacred Rain. He was now purifying the area into a sacred soil. Though the effects were only temporary, it would serve their purpose now. The remaining high tier undead would succumb to the vast holiness and receive countless stat penalties. Using a rough estimate, their combat ability would decrease to less than half. Sun had discovered all of these things while exploring around in Royal Road. A normal fire could easily become a Holy Fire when using Holy Water. He had noticed once when he had accidentally dropped some holy water on the campfire. When an undead attacked suddenly, he had picked up a piece of burning wood and threw it at the undead, causing it to catch fire rapidly. Blessing a region was something that he learned in the church. It was a common thing to bless a corrupted land to prevent the undead from coming back to life. However, it also could be used to weaken the undead that returned to that region. Giving the paladins a signal, they quickly pried open the door to the cellar. “We need to hurry before they notice that we’re coming.” Given how quickly they had wiped out the undead shrine, the higher tier undead and the necromancers still had no idea that they were under attack. Before they realize, they needed to quickly attack before the enemy has a chance to escape. Thankfully they could not sense the giant Area of Effect spells that were cast earlier since it was difficult to sense elements through a thick layer of soil. The battles from here on out, however, would require them to not use any holy magic at all to avoid detection. Usually this would be bad since it was difficult to kill the undead permanently since they would rise after death, but since the ground was blessed there was no need to worry. Thought they were restricted from using strong holy magic, the paladins still could use their offensive holy skills since they were much less potent than priest spells. “What should we do about Alena?” Calvin asked as preparations were being made. Sun had to think about this for a moment. They very well couldn’t leave her here alone since, even without the undead, this place was still relatively dangerous. There was no knowing what would happen in a world like this. They could leave behind some paladins but that would greatly reduce their fighting strength. A number of different ideas played through his head but none of them were viable. They couldn’t bring her along either since it could be dangerous. He was starting to get fed up from all these choices and no solutions. “Why don’t we take her along?” Alveron decided to give a suggestion. “Why do you say that?” Calvin wanted to know the reasoning behind such a bold proposition. Surely it was dangerous out here, but it was hardly any better inside the undead dungeon. “It would probably be safer for her to come with us, since we have paladins and priests in case something happens. She can be safe with us in the back so there’s nothing to worry about. We can just treat her as if she’s another priest.’ Sun looked at Alveron with a look of astonishment. To think that a priest would discriminate against himself like this! It was true that the priest didn’t really do much in combat aside from hiding in the back, buffing, and healing. It was a non-combat related class and it held that prejudice from all the melee classes, regardless of the world that they were in. However for a priest to treat himself like this was beyond anything he could have imagine. He did not know who, but Alveron had apparently been brainwashed by someone. “You do have a point.” Calvin mulled over it briefly. “Does anyone have any objections and other suggestions?” Sun wanted to say something but he had nothing that was any better that they could do. “Then it’s decided, we’re taking Alena with us.” The little girl had already been awake quite some time ago and was sitting on a rock nearby during this conversation, quite preoccupied with drawing something into the dirt. Calvin walked over to pick her up into the air before he walked over and put her on Sun’s shoulders. “Here Sun. You can take care of her.” “Why me?!” Sun wanted to protest against this sudden treatment. “You were the one responsible for taking care of her in the first place. If we couldn’t find if she had any parents then we were probably going to have you adopt her.” There was nothing to be said against this since it was originally Sun’s responsibility to take care of her. ‘They’re planning for me to become a father even though I have never even had a girlfriend before! What the hell is with this?!’ He could only lament at himself at this current change of events. Since there was hardly any time to waste, the paladins assembled their weapons and ventured into the dungeon. Their main objective remained unchanged. Search and Destroy.

<div class="chapter-inner chapter-content"> Chapter 2<br><br>“You jerk! You should’ve waited for me!”<br><br> “I’m sorry, but you wouldn’t have waited either! You just made me waste a buff, too!”<br><br> “You don’t know that! You deserve it! You got a huge head start! That’s not fair. I’m not cooking tonight. Have fun with ramen.”<br><br> “What??? I had to eat the stinking rye bread! Please baby, I’ll make it up to you, just please cook for me tonight.” I didn’t mention the ham sandwich.<br><br>“No way, buster. Now get out of the way, I’ve got to play now.”<br><br> Yun-Jin had arrived back from her last class about 1½ hours after the arrival of the capsules. Screaming in rage, she had immediately crossed over and started banging on my capsule. I guess I was lucky to have a girlfriend as avid to play as I was, and also partly my fault for hyping it up so much. She was usually a reasonable girl.<br><br> Fuming, we both logged on. I found myself where I had started the game. We had only been arguing for 7 minutes, so I still had about 1½ hours for my buff. I impatiently waited for Yun-Jin to finish creating her avatar. In a flash, she materialized behind me and held her head with her eyes tightly shut. Oops, guess she forgot to cover them. Smiling evilly, I helped her up. She looked quite pretty. Sure the clothes were same as mine, but she had chosen to be a wood elf, and her attractiveness had risen accordingly. Her arms and legs were longer and now I was only an inch taller than her. Her usually jet black hair had turned dark brown to match that of a tree trunk. She looked way less intimidating. After looking around, her irritation quickly dissipated to make way for wonder.<br><br>“All right, so we have about 3 hours until dinnertime. That’s 12 hours here. Lets meet up when the timer beeps. By the way, give me half of your bread, you won’t need so much seeing as how you can start work right away and you’re going to be working at a restaurant. Try it out first, though.”<br><br>Yun-Jin took one out, ate it, and almost spit it back out. She kept hitting me.<br><br>“You did that on purpose!”<br><br>“Hey! OW! Stop hitting me! People are watching.”<br><br>It was true. Passerby and NPCs were either shaking their heads, sniggering, or muttering in muted voices, gesturing in our direction. After looking around, Yun-Jin stopped.<br><br>“Hmph. Well, I might need one or two for emergency, so here you go. Sigh~. Always wolfing down food like an animal. You inhale whatever’s in front of you. Try conserving your food.” She gave me 7 pieces of rye bread.<br><br> We had set up a timer to let us know when to stop playing. It would warn us ahead of time what time it was. We decided that the health of our real bodies was of top priority, which meant three square meals a day, and at least 6 hours of sleep on the weekdays and more on weekends. Yun-Jin could do a lot more studying in game while simultaneously improving her intelligence and other skills she had yet to learn. She had named herself Sunshine. We added each other as friends, and I pointed her way to the best restaurants, the library, the training hall where I would be, and the ranger guild.<br><br> “See ya.” She waved and made a beeline for a successful barbeque restaurant. I had no qualms of her being hired. She had always been a master around the kitchen.<br><br> Shrugging, I made my way back to the Training Hall. Once I entered, a portly man who obviously had muscles beneath his prominent belly greeted me.<br>“Young adventurer, I presume you have arrived at the Versailles continent very recently,” the instructor said.<br><br>“Yes, sir.”<br><br>“You shall find sword training absolutely necessary when you come to confront monsters. Do you need my guidance? I tell you, take any unattended scarecrow and strike him in any way you want. A wooden sword is placed in front of a scarecrow, and it is all yours.”<br><br>“Thank you for the information.” Although I knew what he was going to say, there was no need to be impolite to somebody I was bound to see often for the next couple of weeks.<br><br>“Godspeed.”<br><br>I took a wooden sword from a wall, took a deep breath, and proceeded to beat the hell out of the scarecrow. Thanks to the increased strength and vitality, I tired only slightly as time when on. I was determined to milk every last second of the buff. I focused on quality and aiming for various points of the body such as the neck, head, leg, and torso. My motion had to be fluid and smooth. My muscles tensed and flexed. My beginner clothing was soon soaked. I suddenly felt the wooden sword getting heavier and a message popped up.<br><br>Your strength and vitality have decreased by 2.<br><br> Looked like my time was up. Taking a short break, I put the sword down and walked over to a different section of the Training Hall. I smiled at what I saw. There were a bunch of free-weights neatly lined in rows, and surrounding it was a large track. I contemplated whether to work out like I did in real life. This gym was the reason I had chosen this city. I thought better of it, however, because although my stats would rise, it wouldn’t help me in completing basic training, and my sword mastery skill wouldn’t budge. Sighing, I turned back and picked up the wooden sword. My satiety was still almost full, but I knew it was start dropping in earnest now. Carbohydrates could only take you so far in comparison to proper protein and fat. Taking brief breaks for water, air, and rye bread, I continued to pummel the scarecrow. I grimaced as I swallowed the barely edible bread. The luscious meat and stir-fry vegetables Yun-Jin frequently made had definitely spoiled me. After 4 hours two windows popped up.<br><br>Focus<br>Increases power, accuracy, and the success probability of all skills. Increases ability to block out distractions.<br><br>Sword Mastery [Beginner Lvl. 1 (0%)]<br>Increases Attack Power with a sword (+10% ATK)<br>Increases Attack Speed with a sword (+3% ATK SPD)<br><br><br> I soon got a message from Yun-Jin. “I got hired!!!” That was fast. I replied “Good job, I’ll be a the training hall.” The power output had noticeably increased. I made sure to keep my body tight and flex my legs, abdominals, and back. The extra tension helped my focus and worked my whole body as a system. Then I incorporated different footwork and worked on efficiency of movement and use of energy, increasing dexterity. I decided to eat only if the satiety bar dropped past the last quarter until starvation. This would be difficult once Yun-Jin got her cooking skills up, but it was worth a try. About eight hours later, Yun-Jin joined me after politely greeting the instructor.<br><br>“Lets go over to the park, I brought dinner.”<br><br>My ears perked up at the mention of proper food.<br><br>“One sec, let me just get one more stat boost.”<br><br>“All right, I’ll be running on the track, then.”<br><br>30 minutes later, I was greeted with,<br><br>Strength rises by 1<br><br><br>“Stat window.”<br><br> <br>Character name: Meadow<br>Alignment: Neutral<br>Level: 1<br>Profession: Blacksmith Helper<br>Title: None<br>Reputation: 0<br>Vitality: 105<br>Mana: 100<br>Strength: 15<br>Dexterity: 14<br>Endurance: 15<br>Wisdom: 10<br>Intelligence: 10<br>Luck: 10<br>Leadership: 0<br>Attack: 3<br>Defense: 0<br>Fire Resistance: 0<br>Ice Resistance: 0<br>Earth Resistance: 0<br>Air Resistance: 0<br>Electricity Resistance: 0<br>Holy Resistance: 0<br>Dark Resistance: 0<br> <br><br>Sword Mastery (Beginner Lvl. 1 28%)<br>Identify (Beginner Lvl. 2 (14%))<br>Repair (Beginner Lvl. 2 (51%))<br>Sharpening (Beginner Lvl. 1 (89%))<br>Polish (Beginner Lvl. 2 (76%))<br><br><br> I put the sword away, and went over to the track. I was flabbergasted. Yun-Jin was running as if her life depended on it around the track. The sight wasn’t very pretty, and she was getting more than a few stares from the others. Fortunately, she saw me, slowed down, came over, said hi, and promptly collapsed on the track. Sighing, I piggybacked her out of the training hall. She came around on my back on the way to the park.<br><br>“Dude, you stink. Go take a shower.”<br><br>“Well you don’t smell like flowers right now either, princess. Deal with it.”<br><br>“Jerk.” Smacking my head, she swiftly wrapped her arms around me.<br><br>“This feels good.”<br><br>She sighed contentedly and I rolled my eyes. We got to the park and I set her down on a bench.<br><br>“Why were you running so fast?”<br><br>“Well running increases dexterity, so I thought the faster I ran, the faster it would increase, simple as that.”<br><br>“Yeah, but it isn’t efficient. You lose time by being passed out, and it could’ve been dangerous. What if I wasn’t there? Not everyone here is nice, you know.”<br><br>“…Pervert… Well I didn’t know my avatar would be THAT weak. Aww… Were you worried about me?”<br><br>I fought the urge to roll my eyes again.<br><br>“Whatever, just don’t let your endurance get to zero like that again, got it?”<br><br>“Got it, Dad.”<br><br>“Anyway, SHOW ME THE FOOD.”<br><br>Yun-Jin took out her canteen. Instead of water, however, it was soup. Apparently, the head chef was a nasty lady, but Yun-Jin wasn’t cowed. Since Yun-Jin couldn’t learn the cooking skill immediately, she made do with being a kitchen helper. Although she couldn’t learn the cooking skill yet, she still got to observe the masters at work and also had obtained the handicraft and sharpening skills by chopping, cleaning, washing, drying, removing trash, and so on. The head chef was so impressed with Yun-jin’s skill and work ethic she had filled her canteen full of soup to make the rye bread edible by the end of the day. Yun-Jin had earned 6 silvers, raised her level and handicraft skill by 1, and also increased her dexterity, strength, stamina, and vitality by 2. We drained the soup while having a piece of bread each. We knew we’d have an actual dinner in RL momentarily, but it was fun walking around the park at sunset. This was a good substitute for the usual dinner we ate out on Friday nights.<br><br>Art (+2)<br>A gift in comprehending and practicing beauty, art renders meals and products elegant in an aesthetic and practical sense. Improves when you see, hear, smell, taste or touch beautiful things, or create artworks.<br><br>After logging out, we ate dinner in RL, talking about classes, work, and RR, obviously. It felt strange to eat again, but we were hungry, so it didn’t matter. We logged back in afterwards. I had 12 hours to train. She had briefly visited a shop and purchased needles, strings, scissors, and other essentials of sewing. Both of us believed that multitasking was a myth, and sewing while reading with low handicraft was a recipe for blood, distraction, and disaster. She decided to spend her time in the library, and sew when her brain tired out. As for me, by hitting the scarecrow, I was able to obtain two additional points in strength and dexterity. <br>Once we logged out, it was around 11P.M., so we got ready for bed. Yun-Jin had focused on anatomy and healing magic today, and planned to focus on fire and ice over the weekend. Instead, I told her to start working on archery, as it would take longer for her to learn than simple magic. Although she had taken some archery classes and liked them, archery had proved to be quite difficult for her. She had still progressed moderately in the couple of months she had trained before the game came out, so I still had high hopes and expectations that she would eventually succeed. </div>

Chapter 2 “You jerk! You should’ve waited for me!” “I’m sorry, but you wouldn’t have waited either! You just made me waste a buff, too!” “You don’t know that! You deserve it! You got a huge head start! That’s not fair. I’m not cooking tonight. Have fun with ramen.” “What??? I had to eat the stinking rye bread! Please baby, I’ll make it up to you, just please cook for me tonight.” I didn’t mention the ham sandwich. “No way, buster. Now get out of the way, I’ve got to play now.” Yun-Jin had arrived back from her last class about 1½ hours after the arrival of the capsules. Screaming in rage, she had immediately crossed over and started banging on my capsule. I guess I was lucky to have a girlfriend as avid to play as I was, and also partly my fault for hyping it up so much. She was usually a reasonable girl. Fuming, we both logged on. I found myself where I had started the game. We had only been arguing for 7 minutes, so I still had about 1½ hours for my buff. I impatiently waited for Yun-Jin to finish creating her avatar. In a flash, she materialized behind me and held her head with her eyes tightly shut. Oops, guess she forgot to cover them. Smiling evilly, I helped her up. She looked quite pretty. Sure the clothes were same as mine, but she had chosen to be a wood elf, and her attractiveness had risen accordingly. Her arms and legs were longer and now I was only an inch taller than her. Her usually jet black hair had turned dark brown to match that of a tree trunk. She looked way less intimidating. After looking around, her irritation quickly dissipated to make way for wonder. “All right, so we have about 3 hours until dinnertime. That’s 12 hours here. Lets meet up when the timer beeps. By the way, give me half of your bread, you won’t need so much seeing as how you can start work right away and you’re going to be working at a restaurant. Try it out first, though.” Yun-Jin took one out, ate it, and almost spit it back out. She kept hitting me. “You did that on purpose!” “Hey! OW! Stop hitting me! People are watching.” It was true. Passerby and NPCs were either shaking their heads, sniggering, or muttering in muted voices, gesturing in our direction. After looking around, Yun-Jin stopped. “Hmph. Well, I might need one or two for emergency, so here you go. Sigh~. Always wolfing down food like an animal. You inhale whatever’s in front of you. Try conserving your food.” She gave me 7 pieces of rye bread. We had set up a timer to let us know when to stop playing. It would warn us ahead of time what time it was. We decided that the health of our real bodies was of top priority, which meant three square meals a day, and at least 6 hours of sleep on the weekdays and more on weekends. Yun-Jin could do a lot more studying in game while simultaneously improving her intelligence and other skills she had yet to learn. She had named herself Sunshine. We added each other as friends, and I pointed her way to the best restaurants, the library, the training hall where I would be, and the ranger guild. “See ya.” She waved and made a beeline for a successful barbeque restaurant. I had no qualms of her being hired. She had always been a master around the kitchen. Shrugging, I made my way back to the Training Hall. Once I entered, a portly man who obviously had muscles beneath his prominent belly greeted me. “Young adventurer, I presume you have arrived at the Versailles continent very recently,” the instructor said. “Yes, sir.” “You shall find sword training absolutely necessary when you come to confront monsters. Do you need my guidance? I tell you, take any unattended scarecrow and strike him in any way you want. A wooden sword is placed in front of a scarecrow, and it is all yours.” “Thank you for the information.” Although I knew what he was going to say, there was no need to be impolite to somebody I was bound to see often for the next couple of weeks. “Godspeed.” I took a wooden sword from a wall, took a deep breath, and proceeded to beat the hell out of the scarecrow. Thanks to the increased strength and vitality, I tired only slightly as time when on. I was determined to milk every last second of the buff. I focused on quality and aiming for various points of the body such as the neck, head, leg, and torso. My motion had to be fluid and smooth. My muscles tensed and flexed. My beginner clothing was soon soaked. I suddenly felt the wooden sword getting heavier and a message popped up. Your strength and vitality have decreased by 2. Looked like my time was up. Taking a short break, I put the sword down and walked over to a different section of the Training Hall. I smiled at what I saw. There were a bunch of free-weights neatly lined in rows, and surrounding it was a large track. I contemplated whether to work out like I did in real life. This gym was the reason I had chosen this city. I thought better of it, however, because although my stats would rise, it wouldn’t help me in completing basic training, and my sword mastery skill wouldn’t budge. Sighing, I turned back and picked up the wooden sword. My satiety was still almost full, but I knew it was start dropping in earnest now. Carbohydrates could only take you so far in comparison to proper protein and fat. Taking brief breaks for water, air, and rye bread, I continued to pummel the scarecrow. I grimaced as I swallowed the barely edible bread. The luscious meat and stir-fry vegetables Yun-Jin frequently made had definitely spoiled me. After 4 hours two windows popped up. Focus Increases power, accuracy, and the success probability of all skills. Increases ability to block out distractions. Sword Mastery [Beginner Lvl. 1 (0%)] Increases Attack Power with a sword (+10% ATK) Increases Attack Speed with a sword (+3% ATK SPD) I soon got a message from Yun-Jin. “I got hired!!!” That was fast. I replied “Good job, I’ll be a the training hall.” The power output had noticeably increased. I made sure to keep my body tight and flex my legs, abdominals, and back. The extra tension helped my focus and worked my whole body as a system. Then I incorporated different footwork and worked on efficiency of movement and use of energy, increasing dexterity. I decided to eat only if the satiety bar dropped past the last quarter until starvation. This would be difficult once Yun-Jin got her cooking skills up, but it was worth a try. About eight hours later, Yun-Jin joined me after politely greeting the instructor. “Lets go over to the park, I brought dinner.” My ears perked up at the mention of proper food. “One sec, let me just get one more stat boost.” “All right, I’ll be running on the track, then.” 30 minutes later, I was greeted with, Strength rises by 1 “Stat window.” Character name: Meadow Alignment: Neutral Level: 1 Profession: Blacksmith Helper Title: None Reputation: 0 Vitality: 105 Mana: 100 Strength: 15 Dexterity: 14 Endurance: 15 Wisdom: 10 Intelligence: 10 Luck: 10 Leadership: 0 Attack: 3 Defense: 0 Fire Resistance: 0 Ice Resistance: 0 Earth Resistance: 0 Air Resistance: 0 Electricity Resistance: 0 Holy Resistance: 0 Dark Resistance: 0 Sword Mastery (Beginner Lvl. 1 28%) Identify (Beginner Lvl. 2 (14%)) Repair (Beginner Lvl. 2 (51%)) Sharpening (Beginner Lvl. 1 (89%)) Polish (Beginner Lvl. 2 (76%)) I put the sword away, and went over to the track. I was flabbergasted. Yun-Jin was running as if her life depended on it around the track. The sight wasn’t very pretty, and she was getting more than a few stares from the others. Fortunately, she saw me, slowed down, came over, said hi, and promptly collapsed on the track. Sighing, I piggybacked her out of the training hall. She came around on my back on the way to the park. “Dude, you stink. Go take a shower.” “Well you don’t smell like flowers right now either, princess. Deal with it.” “Jerk.” Smacking my head, she swiftly wrapped her arms around me. “This feels good.” She sighed contentedly and I rolled my eyes. We got to the park and I set her down on a bench. “Why were you running so fast?” “Well running increases dexterity, so I thought the faster I ran, the faster it would increase, simple as that.” “Yeah, but it isn’t efficient. You lose time by being passed out, and it could’ve been dangerous. What if I wasn’t there? Not everyone here is nice, you know.” “…Pervert… Well I didn’t know my avatar would be THAT weak. Aww… Were you worried about me?” I fought the urge to roll my eyes again. “Whatever, just don’t let your endurance get to zero like that again, got it?” “Got it, Dad.” “Anyway, SHOW ME THE FOOD.” Yun-Jin took out her canteen. Instead of water, however, it was soup. Apparently, the head chef was a nasty lady, but Yun-Jin wasn’t cowed. Since Yun-Jin couldn’t learn the cooking skill immediately, she made do with being a kitchen helper. Although she couldn’t learn the cooking skill yet, she still got to observe the masters at work and also had obtained the handicraft and sharpening skills by chopping, cleaning, washing, drying, removing trash, and so on. The head chef was so impressed with Yun-jin’s skill and work ethic she had filled her canteen full of soup to make the rye bread edible by the end of the day. Yun-Jin had earned 6 silvers, raised her level and handicraft skill by 1, and also increased her dexterity, strength, stamina, and vitality by 2. We drained the soup while having a piece of bread each. We knew we’d have an actual dinner in RL momentarily, but it was fun walking around the park at sunset. This was a good substitute for the usual dinner we ate out on Friday nights. Art (+2) A gift in comprehending and practicing beauty, art renders meals and products elegant in an aesthetic and practical sense. Improves when you see, hear, smell, taste or touch beautiful things, or create artworks. After logging out, we ate dinner in RL, talking about classes, work, and RR, obviously. It felt strange to eat again, but we were hungry, so it didn’t matter. We logged back in afterwards. I had 12 hours to train. She had briefly visited a shop and purchased needles, strings, scissors, and other essentials of sewing. Both of us believed that multitasking was a myth, and sewing while reading with low handicraft was a recipe for blood, distraction, and disaster. She decided to spend her time in the library, and sew when her brain tired out. As for me, by hitting the scarecrow, I was able to obtain two additional points in strength and dexterity. Once we logged out, it was around 11P.M., so we got ready for bed. Yun-Jin had focused on anatomy and healing magic today, and planned to focus on fire and ice over the weekend. Instead, I told her to start working on archery, as it would take longer for her to learn than simple magic. Although she had taken some archery classes and liked them, archery had proved to be quite difficult for her. She had still progressed moderately in the couple of months she had trained before the game came out, so I still had high hopes and expectations that she would eventually succeed.

<div class="chapter-inner chapter-content"> “Mom, buy that for my birthday tomorrow!” I pointed at the Royal Road capsules while showing her my large puppy eyes.<br><br>“Sorry dear… I have already bought you a present, and the capsule is so expensive…” Upon hearing my mom’s response, I pouted, while my other five siblings giggled in joy.<br><br>Next morning, I woke up and found myself trapped in my bedroom. A big present was blocking my door. I look around for my chair, but it’s nowhere to be found. With my height of one meter, I can’t climb over that towering present!<br><br>I shouted for my sister, “Estee! Why is my present blocking the door?!” I stared at the present, annoyed.<br><br>I heard laughter coming out from the living room in response.<br>Desperate, I climbed onto my desk and exited my bedroom through the window.<br><br>I tried opening the sliding doors connected to the living room, however, it was locked.<br><br>“Unlock the sliding door!” I shouted in frustration.<br><br>“Use the front door,” a reply came as soon as I finished my sentence.<br><br>I twisted the door knob and proceeded into the corridor. As I was about to put my hands onto the <br>sliding door, the door suddenly opened, and party pops flew high up in the air.<br><br>I gasped in joy. A birthday party for me!<br>A large cake was in the middle of the table, with 9 lighted candles on it, and glasses of milk on the table.<br><br>Estee grabbed my hands and pulled me towards the center of the table.<br><br>Sitting beside me are my twin sisters, Estee and Ester. In front of me are the triplets, Caitlyn, <br>Evelynn and Jaclyn, while my parents sat at the sides.<br><br>After my birthday celebration, I removed my first present from the packaging. It’s a laptop! <br>Although I can’t play Royal Road with this, but at least I can play other online games, I sighed…<br><br>I walked towards my room, where the towering present stood. My five other siblings followed me eagerly.<br><br>I opened the present hastily, and my eyes shone brightly. “It’s a Royal Road capsule!” I jumped in joy.<br><br>After hugging my five sisters, I saw a birthday card hanging on the present, I grabbed the card.<br><br>“Happy Birthday Kayle. Your five beautiful sisters bought you a capsules using all their savings, and hope u won’t be naughty this year~!”<br><br>Hmm most likely they are hinting at me not to disturb them and get them to bring me out… I told myself.<br><br>I nodded in agreement, knowing that I have been a “little terror” to them ever since I was born.<br><br>My siblings helped me to shift the capsule to an empty space, and begin the setup for activation by following the instructions on the manual.<br><br>The capsule opened, and my sisters urged me to step into the capsule. And the game began.<br><br>A system message appeared in front of me.<br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td colspan="4">Connect to Royal Road<br>Yes | No</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br>“Yes!” I replied eagerly.<br><br>==============================================================================================================================<br>Thanks to sha for being my proreader xD<br>Pardon me if my prologue isn't good as my English is horrible~ </div>

“Mom, buy that for my birthday tomorrow!” I pointed at the Royal Road capsules while showing her my large puppy eyes. “Sorry dear… I have already bought you a present, and the capsule is so expensive…” Upon hearing my mom’s response, I pouted, while my other five siblings giggled in joy. Next morning, I woke up and found myself trapped in my bedroom. A big present was blocking my door. I look around for my chair, but it’s nowhere to be found. With my height of one meter, I can’t climb over that towering present! I shouted for my sister, “Estee! Why is my present blocking the door?!” I stared at the present, annoyed. I heard laughter coming out from the living room in response. Desperate, I climbed onto my desk and exited my bedroom through the window. I tried opening the sliding doors connected to the living room, however, it was locked. “Unlock the sliding door!” I shouted in frustration. “Use the front door,” a reply came as soon as I finished my sentence. I twisted the door knob and proceeded into the corridor. As I was about to put my hands onto the sliding door, the door suddenly opened, and party pops flew high up in the air. I gasped in joy. A birthday party for me! A large cake was in the middle of the table, with 9 lighted candles on it, and glasses of milk on the table. Estee grabbed my hands and pulled me towards the center of the table. Sitting beside me are my twin sisters, Estee and Ester. In front of me are the triplets, Caitlyn, Evelynn and Jaclyn, while my parents sat at the sides. After my birthday celebration, I removed my first present from the packaging. It’s a laptop! Although I can’t play Royal Road with this, but at least I can play other online games, I sighed… I walked towards my room, where the towering present stood. My five other siblings followed me eagerly. I opened the present hastily, and my eyes shone brightly. “It’s a Royal Road capsule!” I jumped in joy. After hugging my five sisters, I saw a birthday card hanging on the present, I grabbed the card. “Happy Birthday Kayle. Your five beautiful sisters bought you a capsules using all their savings, and hope u won’t be naughty this year~!” Hmm most likely they are hinting at me not to disturb them and get them to bring me out… I told myself. I nodded in agreement, knowing that I have been a “little terror” to them ever since I was born. My siblings helped me to shift the capsule to an empty space, and begin the setup for activation by following the instructions on the manual. The capsule opened, and my sisters urged me to step into the capsule. And the game began. A system message appeared in front of me. | Connect to Royal RoadYes | No | | | | | --- | --- | --- | --- | “Yes!” I replied eagerly. ============================================================================================================================== Thanks to sha for being my proreader xD Pardon me if my prologue isn't good as my English is horrible~

<div class="chapter-inner chapter-content"> <span style="font-weight: bold;"># Prologue</span><br><br>As the old saying goes:<br><br>Necessity, is the mother of all invention.<br><br>Indeed, most of the inventions made in the past were born of necessity.<br><br>The telephone. The printing press. The pneumatic wheel. The can, and by extension, the can-opener.<br><br>However, not all inventions were born out of necessity.<br><br>The potato chip, for example, was a happy accident by Native American chef, George <span style="font-weight: bold;">Crum</span>. (autocorrect almost did it's finest with that word)<br><br>But on the other end of the spectrum, there were inventions that were definitely <span style="font-style: italic;">not</span> needed.<br><br>Guns, for example.<br><br>The problem with these is not that they caused the death of countless people.<br><br>Oh no, people will always be killing other people.<br><br>The problem is, they made killing terribly <span style="font-style: italic;">easy</span>.<br><br>For the first time in history, an untrained adolescent peasant could kill the most well trained and most armored knight with the simple pull of a trigger.<br><br>They did not have to know swordmanship, nor have colossal muscles.<br><br>They did not need to have a keen eye to aim with a bow. Even with a crossbow, the bolt might not be able to penetrate the armor from a distance.<br><br>Now, all they needed to do was point and shoot.<br><br>But that was over a thousand years ago...<br><br>This is now<br><br>**********************************************<br><br><span style="font-style: italic;">*Dear Merton<br><br> We thank you for your contributions to the production of our Virtual Reality Capsule. Without your help we would not have been able to successfully launch our product. <br> To show our appreciation, we would like to present to you one free unit of the aforementioned product. <br> We hope for your continued support. <br> Thank you. <br><br>Yours sincerely, <br>Unicorn Corporation*</span><br><br><br>This was a letter attached to the large cardboard box that had just arrived at my doorstep this morning. It was a largish box, a little taller than the average person and three times as wide. Likely it was made to cater to Asians, as most other races would have trouble fitting into the machine with their taller frames. <br><br>I had been expecting it to arrive for quite some time now, as many of the other engineers and programmers who contributed to the company had already received their unit. It is no big surprise, however, that I was among the last to receive my unit.<br><br>After all, I'm not quite a proper engineer yet, but rather an engineering student who just happened to have the right connections. Also what I contributed was the design and creation of a small mechanical part. It was not even a part of the machine itself, but of the machine that produces the machine.<br><br>In truth, the person that they contacted was my teacher, but (un)fortunately, he was too busy to take the job himself and recommended his star pupil (me) to take his place. After some discussion with the heads of the school, my teacher managed to convince them to allow me to produce the part for my final year project.<br><br>And now, instead of him, it was me who received the unit. True, it was a year and a half after the actual release, but it was still free, and a student needs to save money whenever he can. I've had to resist the temptation to simply buy a capsule on my own for over a year so that I could play the latest virtual mmorpg "Royal Road", and I'm not gonna wait another moment to start.<br>The unit came with an instruction manual, but I didn't even take a glance at it.<br><br>Why?<br><br>Because I'm an engineer. (And a super ultra nerd with next to no social life who spends most of his time playing video games, reading manga and light novels and writing fanfics on his phone.) I've had to assemble more computers and machines over my school days than I could care to count.<br><br>Plus, the Capsule was a consumer product. Hence it was designed to be easily set up by the common man.<br><br>10 minutes and a whole lot of elbow grease later the capsule was set up and I was logging in.<br><br><br>***************************<br><br><br>Connect to Royal Road? Yes/No?<br><br>"Yes"<br><br>The scan on your iris and vein has determined that you are an unregistered user. Do you want to create a new account?<br><br>"Yes"<br><br>Select the Name of your Avatar.<br><br>"Notrem," my actual name backwards. Easy to remember, and sounds like an actual name, as compared to "FireDude, or "YourMomsCar". In non-virtual reality MMORPG's such names were commonplace. But in Royal Road using such a name would make you a laughing stock.<br><br>Select gender from male, female or neutral.<br><br>"Male," while many people might choose a gender opposite of theirs for fun, I'm not one of those.<br><br>Royal Road has 49 races currently 29 races are playable, please select your chosen race.<br><br>"What are the most common races?"<br><br>That would be the Humans, Elves, and Dwarves. <br><br>Dwarves are master craftsmen and sturdy Warriors. They are, however unable to use delicate weapons such as rapiers, bows an~ (if anyone finds any evidence otherwise, please tell me)<br><br>"Pass," in every game I've played, I've always played a ranged class. <br><br>Elves are excellent mages and rangers. They gain a bonus when crafting staves and bows. Their slight frame gives them high Dexterity, but lower Strength, making them unable to wield heavier equipment. <br><br>"... ... Hrm... ... No," it was tempting, but if I understand correctly, heavier weapons tend to deal higher damage, even for bows. <br><br>Might I assume that you wish to be a Human?<br><br>"Yes, please," always a good, balanced race.<br><br>You may alter your appearance.<br><br>"As is.... Wait, if my actual appearance changes, will my appearance in game also change?"<br><br>No, your appearance will still remain in your last saved state.<br><br>"Keep my appearance then."<br><br>Understood. Your glasses will be an optional equipment in game. Your vision will not be affected in any way whether or not you choose to wear them. <br><br>Your account has been activated. Your stats and class shall be determined while you are playing Royal Road.<br><br>Select a City and Kingdom you want to start in.<br><br>"Send me to a popular and well populated area." I'm not interested in being a pioneer or anything similar, and I'd rather have a stable economy. More people also means that it'll be easier to find a party.<br><br>The Citadel of Serabourg, Rosenheim Kingdom has been selected. <br><br>Welcome to Royal Road. </div>

# Prologue As the old saying goes: Necessity, is the mother of all invention. Indeed, most of the inventions made in the past were born of necessity. The telephone. The printing press. The pneumatic wheel. The can, and by extension, the can-opener. However, not all inventions were born out of necessity. The potato chip, for example, was a happy accident by Native American chef, George Crum. (autocorrect almost did it's finest with that word) But on the other end of the spectrum, there were inventions that were definitely not needed. Guns, for example. The problem with these is not that they caused the death of countless people. Oh no, people will always be killing other people. The problem is, they made killing terribly easy. For the first time in history, an untrained adolescent peasant could kill the most well trained and most armored knight with the simple pull of a trigger. They did not have to know swordmanship, nor have colossal muscles. They did not need to have a keen eye to aim with a bow. Even with a crossbow, the bolt might not be able to penetrate the armor from a distance. Now, all they needed to do was point and shoot. But that was over a thousand years ago... This is now ********************************************** *Dear Merton We thank you for your contributions to the production of our Virtual Reality Capsule. Without your help we would not have been able to successfully launch our product. To show our appreciation, we would like to present to you one free unit of the aforementioned product. We hope for your continued support. Thank you. Yours sincerely, Unicorn Corporation* This was a letter attached to the large cardboard box that had just arrived at my doorstep this morning. It was a largish box, a little taller than the average person and three times as wide. Likely it was made to cater to Asians, as most other races would have trouble fitting into the machine with their taller frames. I had been expecting it to arrive for quite some time now, as many of the other engineers and programmers who contributed to the company had already received their unit. It is no big surprise, however, that I was among the last to receive my unit. After all, I'm not quite a proper engineer yet, but rather an engineering student who just happened to have the right connections. Also what I contributed was the design and creation of a small mechanical part. It was not even a part of the machine itself, but of the machine that produces the machine. In truth, the person that they contacted was my teacher, but (un)fortunately, he was too busy to take the job himself and recommended his star pupil (me) to take his place. After some discussion with the heads of the school, my teacher managed to convince them to allow me to produce the part for my final year project. And now, instead of him, it was me who received the unit. True, it was a year and a half after the actual release, but it was still free, and a student needs to save money whenever he can. I've had to resist the temptation to simply buy a capsule on my own for over a year so that I could play the latest virtual mmorpg "Royal Road", and I'm not gonna wait another moment to start. The unit came with an instruction manual, but I didn't even take a glance at it. Why? Because I'm an engineer. (And a super ultra nerd with next to no social life who spends most of his time playing video games, reading manga and light novels and writing fanfics on his phone.) I've had to assemble more computers and machines over my school days than I could care to count. Plus, the Capsule was a consumer product. Hence it was designed to be easily set up by the common man. 10 minutes and a whole lot of elbow grease later the capsule was set up and I was logging in. *************************** Connect to Royal Road? Yes/No? "Yes" The scan on your iris and vein has determined that you are an unregistered user. Do you want to create a new account? "Yes" Select the Name of your Avatar. "Notrem," my actual name backwards. Easy to remember, and sounds like an actual name, as compared to "FireDude, or "YourMomsCar". In non-virtual reality MMORPG's such names were commonplace. But in Royal Road using such a name would make you a laughing stock. Select gender from male, female or neutral. "Male," while many people might choose a gender opposite of theirs for fun, I'm not one of those. Royal Road has 49 races currently 29 races are playable, please select your chosen race. "What are the most common races?" That would be the Humans, Elves, and Dwarves. Dwarves are master craftsmen and sturdy Warriors. They are, however unable to use delicate weapons such as rapiers, bows an~ (if anyone finds any evidence otherwise, please tell me) "Pass," in every game I've played, I've always played a ranged class. Elves are excellent mages and rangers. They gain a bonus when crafting staves and bows. Their slight frame gives them high Dexterity, but lower Strength, making them unable to wield heavier equipment. "... ... Hrm... ... No," it was tempting, but if I understand correctly, heavier weapons tend to deal higher damage, even for bows. Might I assume that you wish to be a Human? "Yes, please," always a good, balanced race. You may alter your appearance. "As is.... Wait, if my actual appearance changes, will my appearance in game also change?" No, your appearance will still remain in your last saved state. "Keep my appearance then." Understood. Your glasses will be an optional equipment in game. Your vision will not be affected in any way whether or not you choose to wear them. Your account has been activated. Your stats and class shall be determined while you are playing Royal Road. Select a City and Kingdom you want to start in. "Send me to a popular and well populated area." I'm not interested in being a pioneer or anything similar, and I'd rather have a stable economy. More people also means that it'll be easier to find a party. The Citadel of Serabourg, Rosenheim Kingdom has been selected. Welcome to Royal Road.

<div class="chapter-inner chapter-content"> <span style="font-weight: bold;">Linus Chrysller</span> is our 23yr old protagonist who is currently leaving Unicorn's premises with a relieved smile on his face as he has escaped death and acquired an interesting job at the same time. <br>(-Read prologue for more info-)<br>======================================================================================<br><br>I was walking out of Unicorn's main Building feeling quite pleased with what transpired inside the conference room, I couldn't have a better way of having a time for relaxation other than getting paid while playing so i went ahead and got inside the car where my boss Mario and his goons were waiting to take me home.<br><br>"So Linus you didn't get sliced up like a potato huh, well since you're here lets get you back to your house and get started with your job." My boss said as he was moving aside so I could take the seat beside him at the back of the car.<br><br>"Boss tell little Rafael to drive faster, I want to get started as soon as possible!" I told him and looked at Rafael incredulously as he was driving as slow as 20mph/hr in a 4 way highway.<br><br>"Kid don't make me swivel next to that truck beside us to splat you." Rafael spat his words like a guy who hasn't gotten laid in a few years. <br><br>"Just hurry up will you!" I told him as i was looking at my Villa getting bigger as we get closer to it.<br><br>I quickly launched myself out of the car and briskly walked down to the basement to see how the setup for my capsule is going along, waving a hand to say goodbye to my boss that's leaving my house.<br><br>"Good Luck Linus, I hope you accomplish this mission, for both of our sake." Mario said passingly as he drove out the gates of my house.<br><br>As I got to my basement I saw several people still setting up equipment, so I figured I had a few minutes to spare.<br><br>I went up to my room and got changed and took an apple to bite and rest a bit, after consuming my meal I rushed to get my short swords and practice my “Kata” in Eskrima Doble. ( it’s the art of using 2 sticks or swords in fighting used in Asian countries.)<br><br>“Phew, nothing beats a good sweat after a meal. Especially if its shadow fighting and slicing up imaginary thugs, hehe.” I wiped my forehead and went down to see if they have finished with the capsule.<br><br>I drew a short breath as I saw what was before me; on my right was a six foot cylindrical glass tube filled with a gel like substance built with sensory visors and air compressors. I barely noticed the guy standing beside me with a slight smile on his face.<br><br>“Sir this specialized capsule has been tailored to the specifications given by the organization, it enables you to stay playing 24/7 with its hibernation gel technology along with supplement injectors to provide you with the nutrients needed. It also has (EMS) Electrical muscle stimulation or also known as neuromuscular electrical stimulation to keep your muscles toned and fit.” He was saying this with a bare chuckle in his tone, maybe it was because I had my mouth open like a kid who found a new toy.<br><br>I could barely wait to jump inside this capsule and start playing, barely controlling myself I told him. <br><br>“Can I go in now?”<br><br>"Just a minute sir, i would like you to read this here manual about the basic in-game knowledge we have collected from the DarkGamers site and our very own leveling and skills guide from Unicorn. Should you wish to connect to the internet you are able to do so in-game by calling out the browser in-game, we have also provided you with a Rank S account in the DarkGamers site so that any information you need would be available to you." The guy was explaining this to me at the same time handing out the manual and some other pamphlets that had information about the game.<br><br>“Well yes sir, have fun inside the game and good luck with your job.” <br><br>As he left me there to drool on my new gaming machine I took my time walking towards it. <br><br>When I got inside the capsule it closed automatically and filled with the liquid after I got the visor and injectors set up.<br><br>“This is so awesome, it’s like I’m going in a deep freeze like in star trek. Wahaha” I laughed maniacally as I got giddy waiting for it to start up, I closed my eyes waiting for the start up.<br><br>Minutes passed and I was getting anxious when a very seductive female voice rang out my consciousness. <br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td>The scan on your retina and veins has shown that you are Linus Chrysller. Would you like to sign in?</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br>I got suspicious as to how I had an account ready even before I got to register my account.<br><br>“Yes please.” I said cautiously to the bodiless voice.<br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td>Please choose the name of your avatar.</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br>I thought about the name I would take, it should be regal and strong so I searched the net and found a fitting name. <br><br>“Gilgamesh”<br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td>Please choose your gender from male, female, or neutral</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br> “Male.” I thought about going female and exploring the world of women pleasures, but I’d die of embarrassment if the boss found out so I stuck with being a guy.<br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td>Royal Road has forty-nine races. Ordinarily you may select your race from the primary twenty-nine, but due to the special configuration for your account and capsule you are permitted to picky any race and hidden races that you desire.</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br>“Holy s*** that’s cool! I can picky whatever I want! I thought I was going to pick from the regular ones, jackpot!” I showed a mischievous grin as I was thinking of the advantages I had by being in the organization, now to pick an epic race that will make me the Emperor.<br><br>“Can I be allowed to create sub-races?”<br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td>Yes, you have special privileges that enable you to pick whatever is possible.</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br>I need to pick a class that is flexible and lithe while having enormous strength and intellect. Maybe a combination of an Elf and a Dragon or something powerful close to a human, hmm yeah lets go with this then.“Is there a humanoid race with strength close to the giants?”<br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td>The Darfellans closely resemble humans, and are 6 feet tall, weigh 200 pounds, and are hulking and muscular with broad backs, powerful arms and wide necks and heads. They are an oceanic race, and have webbed feet and can hold their breath underwater for up to 10 minutes. They have very little hair, with only a small bunch on their head that is traditionally tied up in a top knot. Though physically strong, they are somewhat clumsy, especially when out of water. Their skin is typically glossy and deep jet-black in color, with varying white markings. They are sometimes born entirely black, or entirely white in rare instances.</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br>“I choose a mix of Blood Elf and the Darfellans, is it possible?”<br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td>Your choice is accepted by the system and the board.</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td>Due to the privileges of your account and the specialization of your capsule you will be given additional stats and inherent skills for being the first to pick this race.</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td>There will be advantages and disadvantages with this class, are you sure of your selected race?</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br>“Yes please, Thank you!” I smiled on the choice I made; it would give me the necessary traits I need to rule the game.<br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td>You may alter your appearance</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br>“Display my appearance as a half-breed of both races.”<br><br>A model flickered to life in front of me as I said the last words; it had the height of the Darfellans with arms slightly leaner than being very muscular due to the trait of elves. <br><br>I had pointed ears, blood red eyes that had a spark of wisdom, long blue hair and turquoise skin with blue scars all over the body. It was intimidating and beautiful with the angular face of elves.<br><br><img src="http://i799.photobucket.com/albums/yy280/XMMR/Anime%20Characters/Dark_Elf_boi___by_sakimichan.png" border="0" alt="http%3a%2f%2fi799.photobucket.com%2falbums%2fyy280...michan.png"><br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td>Are you satisfied with this appearance?</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br>“Yes” I look awesome; hopefully I get good skills to help me on my four weeks inside the starting city.<br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td>Your account has been activated. Your stats and class shall be determined while you are playing Royal Road</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td>Select a city and kingdom you want to start.</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br>“Random.” I haven’t heard of this from the organization so it’s better if I just go dive ahead.<br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td>Would you like to proceed to the tutorial?</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br>“Yes please! I need to try the basic function before I jump ahead. Information is power in the fields of war." So I spend a few minutes getting the hang of basic in-game commands, movement and information related about the game.<br><br><span style="font-style: italic;"> Well let's see whats in store for me this time around!</span><br><br>I walked silently to the flashing circle ahead of me to my new world that awaits!<br><br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td>Welcome to Royal Road.</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br>A blinding light engulfed me and what I saw was better than whatever I could have imagined, thousands of people were pushing and talking all around me.<br><br>Reptilian like creatures were flying in the snowy sky, a dragon made of ice perching on a citadel. There was a sculpture made of gold seemingly moving amongst the crowd!<br><br>My eyes were constantly moving to beautifully crafted sculptures all around me, there was four plazas as I can see that all had a single sculpture in the middle. I was constantly getting system messages of looking at beautiful sculptures!<br><br>And as I was looking at the tallest building I saw one system message caught my eye.<br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td>You have seen the Tower of Light!<br><br>A great masterpiece made by a skill sculptor!<br><br>Sometimes a sculptor leaves behind a work so great that it stuns the continent.<br><br>The tower takes on a grander appearance at night and its full characteristics are displayed.<br><br>- Health, mana, and stamina regeneration increased by 25% for the entire day.<br>- All stats are increased by 15.<br>- Maximum health and mana increased by 15%.<br>- Movement speed has increased by 20%.<br>- Luck increased by 100.<br>- Increases the power of holy and elemental magic.<br><br>Statue weakens the nearby forces of darkness, strong monsters will weaken.<br><br>When the sun goes down, then a light show will occur.<br><br>The Tower of Light sculpture increases defense to 1.5 times the original value.</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br><span style="font-weight: bold;"><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td>Welcome to your chosen city on the Northern Continent, Morata.</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div></span><br><br><br>=======================================================================================<br><br>Thank you for my proofreaders:<br>DreadMoirai<br> VIM1INC<br>InbetweenIsUndecided<br><br>Credits to XMMR for the Elf Image : <a href="http://s799.photobucket.com/user/XMMR/media/Anime%20Characters/Dark_Elf_boi___by_sakimichan.png.html" target="_blank">http://s799.photobucket.com/user/XMMR/m ... n.png.html</a> </div>

Linus Chrysller is our 23yr old protagonist who is currently leaving Unicorn's premises with a relieved smile on his face as he has escaped death and acquired an interesting job at the same time. (-Read prologue for more info-) ====================================================================================== I was walking out of Unicorn's main Building feeling quite pleased with what transpired inside the conference room, I couldn't have a better way of having a time for relaxation other than getting paid while playing so i went ahead and got inside the car where my boss Mario and his goons were waiting to take me home. "So Linus you didn't get sliced up like a potato huh, well since you're here lets get you back to your house and get started with your job." My boss said as he was moving aside so I could take the seat beside him at the back of the car. "Boss tell little Rafael to drive faster, I want to get started as soon as possible!" I told him and looked at Rafael incredulously as he was driving as slow as 20mph/hr in a 4 way highway. "Kid don't make me swivel next to that truck beside us to splat you." Rafael spat his words like a guy who hasn't gotten laid in a few years. "Just hurry up will you!" I told him as i was looking at my Villa getting bigger as we get closer to it. I quickly launched myself out of the car and briskly walked down to the basement to see how the setup for my capsule is going along, waving a hand to say goodbye to my boss that's leaving my house. "Good Luck Linus, I hope you accomplish this mission, for both of our sake." Mario said passingly as he drove out the gates of my house. As I got to my basement I saw several people still setting up equipment, so I figured I had a few minutes to spare. I went up to my room and got changed and took an apple to bite and rest a bit, after consuming my meal I rushed to get my short swords and practice my “Kata” in Eskrima Doble. ( it’s the art of using 2 sticks or swords in fighting used in Asian countries.) “Phew, nothing beats a good sweat after a meal. Especially if its shadow fighting and slicing up imaginary thugs, hehe.” I wiped my forehead and went down to see if they have finished with the capsule. I drew a short breath as I saw what was before me; on my right was a six foot cylindrical glass tube filled with a gel like substance built with sensory visors and air compressors. I barely noticed the guy standing beside me with a slight smile on his face. “Sir this specialized capsule has been tailored to the specifications given by the organization, it enables you to stay playing 24/7 with its hibernation gel technology along with supplement injectors to provide you with the nutrients needed. It also has (EMS) Electrical muscle stimulation or also known as neuromuscular electrical stimulation to keep your muscles toned and fit.” He was saying this with a bare chuckle in his tone, maybe it was because I had my mouth open like a kid who found a new toy. I could barely wait to jump inside this capsule and start playing, barely controlling myself I told him. “Can I go in now?” "Just a minute sir, i would like you to read this here manual about the basic in-game knowledge we have collected from the DarkGamers site and our very own leveling and skills guide from Unicorn. Should you wish to connect to the internet you are able to do so in-game by calling out the browser in-game, we have also provided you with a Rank S account in the DarkGamers site so that any information you need would be available to you." The guy was explaining this to me at the same time handing out the manual and some other pamphlets that had information about the game. “Well yes sir, have fun inside the game and good luck with your job.” As he left me there to drool on my new gaming machine I took my time walking towards it. When I got inside the capsule it closed automatically and filled with the liquid after I got the visor and injectors set up. “This is so awesome, it’s like I’m going in a deep freeze like in star trek. Wahaha” I laughed maniacally as I got giddy waiting for it to start up, I closed my eyes waiting for the start up. Minutes passed and I was getting anxious when a very seductive female voice rang out my consciousness. | The scan on your retina and veins has shown that you are Linus Chrysller. Would you like to sign in? | | --- | I got suspicious as to how I had an account ready even before I got to register my account. “Yes please.” I said cautiously to the bodiless voice. | Please choose the name of your avatar. | | --- | I thought about the name I would take, it should be regal and strong so I searched the net and found a fitting name. “Gilgamesh” | Please choose your gender from male, female, or neutral | | --- | “Male.” I thought about going female and exploring the world of women pleasures, but I’d die of embarrassment if the boss found out so I stuck with being a guy. | Royal Road has forty-nine races. Ordinarily you may select your race from the primary twenty-nine, but due to the special configuration for your account and capsule you are permitted to picky any race and hidden races that you desire. | | --- | “Holy s*** that’s cool! I can picky whatever I want! I thought I was going to pick from the regular ones, jackpot!” I showed a mischievous grin as I was thinking of the advantages I had by being in the organization, now to pick an epic race that will make me the Emperor. “Can I be allowed to create sub-races?” | Yes, you have special privileges that enable you to pick whatever is possible. | | --- | I need to pick a class that is flexible and lithe while having enormous strength and intellect. Maybe a combination of an Elf and a Dragon or something powerful close to a human, hmm yeah lets go with this then.“Is there a humanoid race with strength close to the giants?” | The Darfellans closely resemble humans, and are 6 feet tall, weigh 200 pounds, and are hulking and muscular with broad backs, powerful arms and wide necks and heads. They are an oceanic race, and have webbed feet and can hold their breath underwater for up to 10 minutes. They have very little hair, with only a small bunch on their head that is traditionally tied up in a top knot. Though physically strong, they are somewhat clumsy, especially when out of water. Their skin is typically glossy and deep jet-black in color, with varying white markings. They are sometimes born entirely black, or entirely white in rare instances. | | --- | “I choose a mix of Blood Elf and the Darfellans, is it possible?” | Your choice is accepted by the system and the board. | | --- | | Due to the privileges of your account and the specialization of your capsule you will be given additional stats and inherent skills for being the first to pick this race. | | --- | | There will be advantages and disadvantages with this class, are you sure of your selected race? | | --- | “Yes please, Thank you!” I smiled on the choice I made; it would give me the necessary traits I need to rule the game. | You may alter your appearance | | --- | “Display my appearance as a half-breed of both races.” A model flickered to life in front of me as I said the last words; it had the height of the Darfellans with arms slightly leaner than being very muscular due to the trait of elves. I had pointed ears, blood red eyes that had a spark of wisdom, long blue hair and turquoise skin with blue scars all over the body. It was intimidating and beautiful with the angular face of elves.  | Are you satisfied with this appearance? | | --- | “Yes” I look awesome; hopefully I get good skills to help me on my four weeks inside the starting city. | Your account has been activated. Your stats and class shall be determined while you are playing Royal Road | | --- | | Select a city and kingdom you want to start. | | --- | “Random.” I haven’t heard of this from the organization so it’s better if I just go dive ahead. | Would you like to proceed to the tutorial? | | --- | “Yes please! I need to try the basic function before I jump ahead. Information is power in the fields of war." So I spend a few minutes getting the hang of basic in-game commands, movement and information related about the game. Well let's see whats in store for me this time around! I walked silently to the flashing circle ahead of me to my new world that awaits! | Welcome to Royal Road. | | --- | A blinding light engulfed me and what I saw was better than whatever I could have imagined, thousands of people were pushing and talking all around me. Reptilian like creatures were flying in the snowy sky, a dragon made of ice perching on a citadel. There was a sculpture made of gold seemingly moving amongst the crowd! My eyes were constantly moving to beautifully crafted sculptures all around me, there was four plazas as I can see that all had a single sculpture in the middle. I was constantly getting system messages of looking at beautiful sculptures! And as I was looking at the tallest building I saw one system message caught my eye. | You have seen the Tower of Light!A great masterpiece made by a skill sculptor!Sometimes a sculptor leaves behind a work so great that it stuns the continent.The tower takes on a grander appearance at night and its full characteristics are displayed.- Health, mana, and stamina regeneration increased by 25% for the entire day.- All stats are increased by 15.- Maximum health and mana increased by 15%.- Movement speed has increased by 20%.- Luck increased by 100.- Increases the power of holy and elemental magic.Statue weakens the nearby forces of darkness, strong monsters will weaken.When the sun goes down, then a light show will occur.The Tower of Light sculpture increases defense to 1.5 times the original value. | | --- | | Welcome to your chosen city on the Northern Continent, Morata. | | --- | ======================================================================================= Thank you for my proofreaders: DreadMoirai VIM1INC InbetweenIsUndecided Credits to XMMR for the Elf Image : [http://s799.photobucket.com/user/XMMR/m ... n.png.html](http://s799.photobucket.com/user/XMMR/media/Anime%20Characters/Dark_Elf_boi___by_sakimichan.png.html)

<div class="chapter-inner chapter-content"> Okay here is the chapter 4, hope you all like it! Corrections, ideas, suggestions and flames please post them on the thread <a href="http://www.royalroadl.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=113&amp;t=786" target="_blank">http://www.royalroadl.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=113&amp;t=786</a>.<br>Enjoy reading!<br>=============================================================================================================<br><br>I was already running towards the girlish screaming that came from two people rushing towards my group's location. I brandished my sword and with a flourish I slashed my sword in an arc towards the first gnome that failed to stop in time and threw my iron dagger towards the gnome who rode the wolf, before the gnome fell from the wolf it rode I was already slashing on the fourth and fifth gnomes that were behind the wolf.<br><br>It was an exhilarating experience tackling two to three enemies at the same time. Even though I was out leveled and outmatched, because of my training it was still manageable. I drove my knee to the wolf’s muzzle just before he took a chunk of my legs and stab its eye with the blood elf knife that glowed a reddish aura sucking on the flowing blood from the wound on the wolf’s eye. I took a few slashes from the goblins that were at my back but I activated my Blood manipulation aura to keep the damage on a minimum. <br><br>Sensing the danger, the two gnomes started backing away but I used my manipulation aura and formed the blood that was gushing from the wolf into needles and sent them rocketing towards the legs of the gnomes disabling them. I then made short work on the gnomes by slicing both their throats and absorbed enough blood to restore my HP. After the battle I noticed a faint red glow emanating from the elfish dagger on my left hand and it was pulsating, I examined it and noticed that the blood were pooling to the ruby in the center of the knife, it was astonishing and I tried experimenting with the bodies of the monsters, I turned my blood manipulation skill on ad focused on the pools of blood on my feet, I envisioned the blood crawling up my feet moving up to my left hand and getting absorbed by the blade.<br><br>It had an astonishing effect, it took all the blood I manipulated and sucked it in! I was greeted with a system message after the knife absorbed all the blood completely.<br><br>Triing!<br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td>Blood Elf Knife gained experience increase by 32%!</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br>I was confused on how a dagger could get experience so I called up my inventory and examined my dagger.<br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td>The Knife of the Blood Elves (Level 1):<br>Durability: 38/40 Attack: 12-20<br>Experience: 32.00%/100%<br>It is a mysterious knife given to the true descendants of the once glorious Blood Elves who had mastered the principle of life and death. Due to the lacking ability of the person who identified the knife, the other options are not visible as of the moment.<br>Restrictions:<br>Blood Elf or a descendant<br>Str: 20<br>Dex: 15<br><br>Effects:<br>When equipped, adds 1 additional mastery on blood related skills.<br>Causes 5-15 bleeding damage per injury against enemies.<br>It levels with the owner, and reforms based on its level.<br>Can transform into a sword at level 3 and to a bow at level 5.<br>Other effects are unknown as of the moment.</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br>Triing!<br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td>You have leveled up to level 3!</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td>Fighting spirit increased by 3!</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td>Stamina increased by 4!</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br>I was stunned; I had just discovered that my knife was a unique weapon that upgrades like me! It was one of those one in a million weapons that could be with you till the end game saving me a lot of gold from buying items!<br><br>I quickly stored my weapons and collected the loot and went back to my friends who were helping the two lads who were still crying when I reached them.<br><br>“Thank you sir! We would have died if you did not help us at all! Our party got wiped out while trying to clear the first level; we were just porters and cooks for the raid party. We appreciate your help and would like to ask to accompany you inside.” The guy wearing tattered clothes was explaining their encounter with the boss monster of the first level and how they barely escaped by dropping all the loot and ran outside.<br><br>I was thinking of taking them with us to get the loot they left behind so I made an agreement for them after I talked it over with Rex and Lilith.<br><br>“We will take both of you if you agree to some things that we think are appropriate for this arrangement. First is that you will do everything we say when we are inside to reduce the likelihood of losing your lives and ours, second we would like to have the loot you had dropped near the boss of the level on the condition that we defeat him as vengeance for your raiding party. In exchange you will both share a certain experience of kills and training to be fine warriors till we clear the dungeon, do we have a deal?” I took this opportunity to look at what they were wearing more closely and not surprisingly saw starter gear and wooden swords on their hips, I rolled my eyes on taking this kind of deadweight on a raid.<br><br><span style="font-style: italic;">I bet they thought they could earn a few gold and leech on their raid party, guess they chose the wrong group. </span><br><br>“My name is Rico and this guy here is Mel, we are both level 10 warriors that are slightly lacking in training, we would happily agree to your terms and are pleased to join your party.” Rico was in a jolly mood, to have found a party that can take them inside until the 4th level and train them.<br><br>“By the way, what are your names and levels?” Mel was directing his question to the beautiful Lilith with hearts in his eyes.<br><br>“My name is Lilith, Level 72 Wizard, this is Rex a 23 Warrior and your savior is Gilgamesh, level 5 no class……” Lilith dragged the last part to let the fact that a guy who had half their level saved them.<br><br>Rico paled from what they heard, he could not believe that a level 5 nobody killed several gnomes with his level and outshined some people who needed a group to kill one gnome on the field. It seemed unrealistic at the best but they were looking at the face of that evidence.<br>“We are wasting time here talking, let’s go and help clear the first floor. Rico and Mel you guys should always stay behind me, that way you’ll be out of harm’s way.” Gilgamesh was informing the group of his tactical plan when Lilith interjected.<br><br>“Sorry Gil, I think its best you clear the first floor with only Rico and Mel, they need to practice how to fight and I would only suck all the experience since I’m higher leveled.” Lilith said reluctantly.<br><br>“I’m with Lilith on this one man, you guys need all the experience you can get, we’ll camp out near the entrance and help people out who are in a bind, you go teach those pups a lesson on how to hold a sword properly.” Rex was sizing up the two warriors who looks to him like they won’t last long if they won’t get their act together, especially using only wooden swords, meaning they haven’t finished the basic training.<br><br>They all went near the cave and swept the mobs on the way to collect extra loot and score a few levels while they’re at it. Once they reached the mouth of the cave they stopped to rest and took stock of their surroundings, there were a few fights here and there but all looked like they could handle their battles. They sat and took their lunch which was prepared by Rico while Gilgamesh collected all the equipment.<br><br>“Guys, give me all your weapons and armor, I’ll repair the durability and sharpen the weapons.” He then took the items and began to work. After a while the surrounding players saw what he was doing and came nearer.<br><br>“Sir, could you please fix my sword? I don’t want to go back to Morata and get it repaired; I’ll pay you twice the normal price!” Said a guy who took his sword out and shoved it to Gilgamesh’s face and beamed.<br><br>Thinking it wasn’t a big deal and could help out the fellow he set to work and finished it in no time. The guy paid him 80 silvers and went to hunt more; soon the spectators came closer and asked their weapons to get fixed.<br><br>Seeing as there was no way out from the crowd Gilgamesh went to work with a sigh and had his work cut out for him.<br><br>Lilith observed everything that was happening without comment, thinking it was a good change to practice her identification skill as well as earning a few coppers; she then addressed the crowd with a slightly louder voice that she uses.<br><br>“You lot, if you have items you want identified or some basic potions you want to buy come to me and let’s do business, don’t be shy and come closer.” She was smiling while reeling the customers to her.<br><br>“Well since you both are going to be preoccupied for a few hours I’ll go kill some gnomes riders with the two sissies and teach them a few lessons, c’mon you lot!” Rex dragged both Rico and Mel into the bowels of the cave.<br><br>It took a few hours of constant working but finally Gilgamesh and Lilith were done. Lilith earned about 2gold and 80 silvers from identifying items, and about 15 gold coins from potions while leveling her identification to intermediate level 4. Gilgamesh had earned approximately 30 gold from repairing and sharpening items and had a few increases in the blacksmith skills as well as a levels in handicraft.<br><br>Triing!<br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td>You have leveled handicraft to level 2 Basic!</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td>You have leveled Blacksmithing to level 4 Basic!</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td>Repair skill has upgraded to level 1 Intermediate! Repair now restores max durability and adds 5% more defense.</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td>Polishing has leveled to lvl 7 Basic!</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br>“Phew! That was crazy, so many things to fix for hours, glad it paid off, now I got more skills!” Gilgamesh smiled for the skill increase as well as gold. He saw that Rico and Mel were following Rex back to the entrance and had a few bruises so he took a few herbs out and a few bandages and wrapped them up when they arrived. Since it was already late they decided to start tomorrow morning and camp outside the entrance.<br><br>Gilgamesh killed a few gnomes that were roaming that night to work up a sweat after their dinner and increased his level by 2 points and a few experience for his skill masteries.<br><br>Triing!<br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td>You have leveled to 5!</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br>“I should allocate all my remaining stats to strength and agility, maybe 10 each….Status Window!”<br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td colspan="2">Status Window</td></tr><tr><td>Character: Gilgamesh</td><td>Alignment: Neutral</td></tr><tr><td>Level 5</td><td>Class: None</td></tr><tr><td>Title: None</td><td>Fame: 20</td></tr><tr><td>Health: 720</td><td>Mana: 210</td></tr><tr><td>Stamina: 105+50</td><td>Fighting Spirit: 25</td></tr><tr><td>Strength: 71+15</td><td>Agility: 82+5</td></tr><tr><td>Sustenance: 15</td><td>Charisma: 5</td></tr><tr><td>Wisdom: 12</td><td>Intellect: 17+5</td></tr><tr><td>Endurance: 23</td><td>Vitality: 56</td></tr><tr><td>Attack: 34-37</td><td>Defense: 25</td></tr><tr><td>Fire Resistance: 6%</td><td>Earth Resistance: 0%</td></tr><tr><td>Air Resistance: 0%</td><td>Water Resistance: 0%</td></tr><tr><td colspan="2">-Due to your race being infused with Blood Elf Magic you gain additional stats when you level/age. Str, Dex, Int + 5<br>-Due to the Darfellan ancestry you gain Sta, Charisma and Str every time you level. Str+ 5,Cha+5 Stam+ 50</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br>“That should be enough for today, gotta rest up for tomorrow!” Gilgamesh went back to his friends and lay down to sleep and thought.<br><br><span style="font-style: italic;">Tomorrow we conquer the first floor and push to the fourth! RAAH!</span><br><br>============================================================================================================<br>Phew a bit of a cliffhanger, i really need to think on how to let Gilgamesh tackle the first floor and the boss as well as finishing the last few floors! Any suggestions and ideas? please post them on the thread! it will take me a few days to give a good long chapter so please bear with me thanks! {[999baw}]<br><br>Notice: I will use the last status window for further reference, since his stat is a little bit low i had modified it since i forgot to add the basic training stat bonuses :D </div>

Okay here is the chapter 4, hope you all like it! Corrections, ideas, suggestions and flames please post them on the thread <http://www.royalroadl.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=113&t=786>. Enjoy reading! ============================================================================================================= I was already running towards the girlish screaming that came from two people rushing towards my group's location. I brandished my sword and with a flourish I slashed my sword in an arc towards the first gnome that failed to stop in time and threw my iron dagger towards the gnome who rode the wolf, before the gnome fell from the wolf it rode I was already slashing on the fourth and fifth gnomes that were behind the wolf. It was an exhilarating experience tackling two to three enemies at the same time. Even though I was out leveled and outmatched, because of my training it was still manageable. I drove my knee to the wolf’s muzzle just before he took a chunk of my legs and stab its eye with the blood elf knife that glowed a reddish aura sucking on the flowing blood from the wound on the wolf’s eye. I took a few slashes from the goblins that were at my back but I activated my Blood manipulation aura to keep the damage on a minimum. Sensing the danger, the two gnomes started backing away but I used my manipulation aura and formed the blood that was gushing from the wolf into needles and sent them rocketing towards the legs of the gnomes disabling them. I then made short work on the gnomes by slicing both their throats and absorbed enough blood to restore my HP. After the battle I noticed a faint red glow emanating from the elfish dagger on my left hand and it was pulsating, I examined it and noticed that the blood were pooling to the ruby in the center of the knife, it was astonishing and I tried experimenting with the bodies of the monsters, I turned my blood manipulation skill on ad focused on the pools of blood on my feet, I envisioned the blood crawling up my feet moving up to my left hand and getting absorbed by the blade. It had an astonishing effect, it took all the blood I manipulated and sucked it in! I was greeted with a system message after the knife absorbed all the blood completely. Triing! | Blood Elf Knife gained experience increase by 32%! | | --- | I was confused on how a dagger could get experience so I called up my inventory and examined my dagger. | The Knife of the Blood Elves (Level 1):Durability: 38/40 Attack: 12-20Experience: 32.00%/100%It is a mysterious knife given to the true descendants of the once glorious Blood Elves who had mastered the principle of life and death. Due to the lacking ability of the person who identified the knife, the other options are not visible as of the moment.Restrictions:Blood Elf or a descendantStr: 20Dex: 15Effects:When equipped, adds 1 additional mastery on blood related skills.Causes 5-15 bleeding damage per injury against enemies.It levels with the owner, and reforms based on its level.Can transform into a sword at level 3 and to a bow at level 5.Other effects are unknown as of the moment. | | --- | Triing! | You have leveled up to level 3! | | --- | | Fighting spirit increased by 3! | | --- | | Stamina increased by 4! | | --- | I was stunned; I had just discovered that my knife was a unique weapon that upgrades like me! It was one of those one in a million weapons that could be with you till the end game saving me a lot of gold from buying items! I quickly stored my weapons and collected the loot and went back to my friends who were helping the two lads who were still crying when I reached them. “Thank you sir! We would have died if you did not help us at all! Our party got wiped out while trying to clear the first level; we were just porters and cooks for the raid party. We appreciate your help and would like to ask to accompany you inside.” The guy wearing tattered clothes was explaining their encounter with the boss monster of the first level and how they barely escaped by dropping all the loot and ran outside. I was thinking of taking them with us to get the loot they left behind so I made an agreement for them after I talked it over with Rex and Lilith. “We will take both of you if you agree to some things that we think are appropriate for this arrangement. First is that you will do everything we say when we are inside to reduce the likelihood of losing your lives and ours, second we would like to have the loot you had dropped near the boss of the level on the condition that we defeat him as vengeance for your raiding party. In exchange you will both share a certain experience of kills and training to be fine warriors till we clear the dungeon, do we have a deal?” I took this opportunity to look at what they were wearing more closely and not surprisingly saw starter gear and wooden swords on their hips, I rolled my eyes on taking this kind of deadweight on a raid. I bet they thought they could earn a few gold and leech on their raid party, guess they chose the wrong group. “My name is Rico and this guy here is Mel, we are both level 10 warriors that are slightly lacking in training, we would happily agree to your terms and are pleased to join your party.” Rico was in a jolly mood, to have found a party that can take them inside until the 4th level and train them. “By the way, what are your names and levels?” Mel was directing his question to the beautiful Lilith with hearts in his eyes. “My name is Lilith, Level 72 Wizard, this is Rex a 23 Warrior and your savior is Gilgamesh, level 5 no class……” Lilith dragged the last part to let the fact that a guy who had half their level saved them. Rico paled from what they heard, he could not believe that a level 5 nobody killed several gnomes with his level and outshined some people who needed a group to kill one gnome on the field. It seemed unrealistic at the best but they were looking at the face of that evidence. “We are wasting time here talking, let’s go and help clear the first floor. Rico and Mel you guys should always stay behind me, that way you’ll be out of harm’s way.” Gilgamesh was informing the group of his tactical plan when Lilith interjected. “Sorry Gil, I think its best you clear the first floor with only Rico and Mel, they need to practice how to fight and I would only suck all the experience since I’m higher leveled.” Lilith said reluctantly. “I’m with Lilith on this one man, you guys need all the experience you can get, we’ll camp out near the entrance and help people out who are in a bind, you go teach those pups a lesson on how to hold a sword properly.” Rex was sizing up the two warriors who looks to him like they won’t last long if they won’t get their act together, especially using only wooden swords, meaning they haven’t finished the basic training. They all went near the cave and swept the mobs on the way to collect extra loot and score a few levels while they’re at it. Once they reached the mouth of the cave they stopped to rest and took stock of their surroundings, there were a few fights here and there but all looked like they could handle their battles. They sat and took their lunch which was prepared by Rico while Gilgamesh collected all the equipment. “Guys, give me all your weapons and armor, I’ll repair the durability and sharpen the weapons.” He then took the items and began to work. After a while the surrounding players saw what he was doing and came nearer. “Sir, could you please fix my sword? I don’t want to go back to Morata and get it repaired; I’ll pay you twice the normal price!” Said a guy who took his sword out and shoved it to Gilgamesh’s face and beamed. Thinking it wasn’t a big deal and could help out the fellow he set to work and finished it in no time. The guy paid him 80 silvers and went to hunt more; soon the spectators came closer and asked their weapons to get fixed. Seeing as there was no way out from the crowd Gilgamesh went to work with a sigh and had his work cut out for him. Lilith observed everything that was happening without comment, thinking it was a good change to practice her identification skill as well as earning a few coppers; she then addressed the crowd with a slightly louder voice that she uses. “You lot, if you have items you want identified or some basic potions you want to buy come to me and let’s do business, don’t be shy and come closer.” She was smiling while reeling the customers to her. “Well since you both are going to be preoccupied for a few hours I’ll go kill some gnomes riders with the two sissies and teach them a few lessons, c’mon you lot!” Rex dragged both Rico and Mel into the bowels of the cave. It took a few hours of constant working but finally Gilgamesh and Lilith were done. Lilith earned about 2gold and 80 silvers from identifying items, and about 15 gold coins from potions while leveling her identification to intermediate level 4. Gilgamesh had earned approximately 30 gold from repairing and sharpening items and had a few increases in the blacksmith skills as well as a levels in handicraft. Triing! | You have leveled handicraft to level 2 Basic! | | --- | | You have leveled Blacksmithing to level 4 Basic! | | --- | | Repair skill has upgraded to level 1 Intermediate! Repair now restores max durability and adds 5% more defense. | | --- | | Polishing has leveled to lvl 7 Basic! | | --- | “Phew! That was crazy, so many things to fix for hours, glad it paid off, now I got more skills!” Gilgamesh smiled for the skill increase as well as gold. He saw that Rico and Mel were following Rex back to the entrance and had a few bruises so he took a few herbs out and a few bandages and wrapped them up when they arrived. Since it was already late they decided to start tomorrow morning and camp outside the entrance. Gilgamesh killed a few gnomes that were roaming that night to work up a sweat after their dinner and increased his level by 2 points and a few experience for his skill masteries. Triing! | You have leveled to 5! | | --- | “I should allocate all my remaining stats to strength and agility, maybe 10 each….Status Window!” | Status Window | | | --- | --- | | Character: Gilgamesh | Alignment: Neutral | | Level 5 | Class: None | | Title: None | Fame: 20 | | Health: 720 | Mana: 210 | | Stamina: 105+50 | Fighting Spirit: 25 | | Strength: 71+15 | Agility: 82+5 | | Sustenance: 15 | Charisma: 5 | | Wisdom: 12 | Intellect: 17+5 | | Endurance: 23 | Vitality: 56 | | Attack: 34-37 | Defense: 25 | | Fire Resistance: 6% | Earth Resistance: 0% | | Air Resistance: 0% | Water Resistance: 0% | | -Due to your race being infused with Blood Elf Magic you gain additional stats when you level/age. Str, Dex, Int + 5-Due to the Darfellan ancestry you gain Sta, Charisma and Str every time you level. Str+ 5,Cha+5 Stam+ 50 | | “That should be enough for today, gotta rest up for tomorrow!” Gilgamesh went back to his friends and lay down to sleep and thought. Tomorrow we conquer the first floor and push to the fourth! RAAH! ============================================================================================================ Phew a bit of a cliffhanger, i really need to think on how to let Gilgamesh tackle the first floor and the boss as well as finishing the last few floors! Any suggestions and ideas? please post them on the thread! it will take me a few days to give a good long chapter so please bear with me thanks! {[999baw}] Notice: I will use the last status window for further reference, since his stat is a little bit low i had modified it since i forgot to add the basic training stat bonuses :D

<div class="chapter-inner chapter-content"> <span style="font-weight: bold;">New World</span><br><br> The light was bright as it covered my body, the world I was engulfed in turned colorful. Was this a dream or was this just how one finds himself immersed in this logging in screen. I was in the cyber world which led me to believe that the figure before me was the game administrator, also known as the gm. The figure before me was an angel with dark wings; her body was smooth and slender as if, I was seeing an dark angel. The evil one that you would see in an anime show, but are really beautiful and tempting as if the lust god herself was this one’s portrayal.<br> <br> She smiled at me as if I was the one that would change her boredom. Her malice words were what I heard. “Foolish human, welcome to the world of Royal Road.” As she said those words, I thought ok this is probably the creator window. The chance I get to make a character of my choosing. She then noticed I was just staring at her breast. “Foolish human, stop drooling over my sexy body and decide on a race.” I finally decided and with a load voice, I yelled out.<br><br>“Please make me like you, a female body with C cup boobs for the win.”<br>The next thing I noticed was she hit me with her whip, I thought it wouldn’t hurt, but this felt very real. Then I wanted her to stop, this was just like a sex movie, where the women abused the guy. Then a book came into my mind, crap this is kind of like fifty shades of grey. With the voice of a pleading boy, I yelled. “If I have wronged you in some way, I apologize.”<br>“Please just stop this abuse.”<br><br>The Dark Angel malice was beyond belief, instead of stopping; she started gathering a dark power. Darkness spread around the whole area. But one thing I’ve noticed, the whipping was stopped but at the same time I couldn’t see anything, as if it was a room filled with dark magic. Then a sinister voice was heard from my left ear. “Enjoy your stay, for the world shall have you now.”<br><br>Was this a joke I thought, it had to be. There’s no way I would be sent into another realm. Could it? As I open my eyes, I looked up at the bright blue sky, my hand looked like my own but smooth. I tried to get up to see where I was, my surroundings was like a forest, as if I was in a rain forest in Africa, it was beautiful as if this place was one with nature itself. But I thought to myself was this Royal Road, or this is all a joke, wasn’t I suppose to start in a town called Rosenheim. My mind was still clouded from the words of the witch. It was like I was in some sort of nightmare, then I saw a blue lake, shiny as if the moon was giving it that mystical blue light. I hurried to look at my appearance, to my surprise I was a Elf with pointy ears and a blue shiny eyes as if they glowed with a powerful force. But then again the face was my actual face, just an above average looking guy. I wanted to cry, dawn I wanted to be a hot women or a handsome devil prince that could get all the ladies. <br><br>The next thing that crossed my mind was that I was still in the game. I hurried to check my stats, to my surprise my name was already chosen for me; in bright blue words it said Tallus. My stats then shown in a golden window.<br><br>Character Name: Tallus, Bloodline: Elf, Dex: 10, Str: 6, Int: 21, Wis: 21, Vit: 15, fame: 0.<br><br>Not satisfied with my stats, I started to walk along the road in search of anything or anyone. Dawn I wanted to be a warrior, but look at my pitiful str, its below average. As I walked for a mile, I started to notice my surroundings of an dark energy. But for some odd reason, I kept following that energy until I saw a black chapel ahead; it surely gave me goose bumps. In my mind I needed to find answers to where I was, because this was obviously not Royal Road.<br><br><span style="font-weight: bold;">Captured</span><br><br>The light was bright as fire, as my surrounding were engulfed in flames. I thought to myself this is really cool, how I can’t wait until I get to see my best friend in the game. A tiny little fairy girl with red wings, as bright as the sun stood before me. She was sitting on top of her throne room; a golden chair made of pure gold, this one must be rich. Or so I thought to myself, as I looked upon her licking that lollipop, she then commanded in a deep voice. “Welcome to the World.” Where your dreams and desires may come true, or rather your demises.” “My name dark angel, your will be changed by my choosing.” I wanted to respond to that, when I read the manual, it said that I could choose my own race. But this seemed like I was forced to be whatever this messed up gm demands. I yelled out in defiance.<br>“You can’t do this, the rule book clearly stated that I can choose whatever race I want and even choose my own name.”<br><br>All of a sudden, rain drops with the color of crimson red started pouring on my whole being. What is this; it feels so icky, as if this was what blood would feel like. Laughing like a little doll, she pounded on my back like I was a little dog. “Foolish mortal, how dare you question me"? With a sinister laugh she blast a red hot fire ball from her palms. The impact hit me off my feat, as my body flew through the air like a soccer ball. All I saw was black, as I drifted down a dark hole.<br><br>I heard a voice, it sounded like an angel voice. “Oh my must be heaven.” As I opened my eyes I saw 5, oh no 10 beautiful girls. They had the cutest looks, just like idols you would see on an beauty contest. But then I noticed those girls were not on the same carriage as me, the one that was in front of me was an old man by the looks of it 50 years old. I started to slap myself to see if this was an illusion or not. “Son wake up, you’re not in paradise, and this is a wagon caring prisoners to the dungeons.” What dungeon I wanted to get out of this mess. The dark knights wearing clouded armor plates with symbol of a dragon. They started to hit the wagon with the hilt of their swords. “Quiet down there, or would you like to taste my stick.” <br><br>Gawd in my mind, I would like neither. But taste of a stick sounded pretty gross; what was worse was there was around 20 knights walking beside the two carriages. I turned over and saw that these knights were led by a dark robe mage. The person had an dark aura, it sent chills down my spine when I looked. As if this being itself was not from this world or so I felt. The old man turned over at my terrified look, and whispered gently into my right ear. “These knights found you on the road, one them looked pretty horny for men.” As I looked over to my right, I saw this fat knight giving me a wink. In my mind, thoughts of depression started to spark, but most of all fear. “Nooo I am still a virgin, I must save myself from this hell hole.” But this can’t be Royal Road, this is not possible. With a horrified look I grab the old man collar shirt and whispered like a cricket. “Where am I, or better yet how do I get out of this hell hole.” The look on the old men told me he was being chocked by my grip; I loosened up as he caught his own breath again. With a look of a half dead man, whispered into my ear. “We are heading to the castle of Evilia, home to the lord of chaos, who is lead by his 12 dark lord knights.”<br>“It is said, the king rapes the women he chooses.”<br><br>“But what’s worse is the dark lords also do the same.”<br>“The world is in chaos, as the people don’t have any morals at all.”<br>“Even little girls as young as 12 are victims and there are no heroes.”<br>The old men started bursting into tears as if he had daughters that experienced the same fate as the women he was describing. Then it bloomed on me that I forgot to check my status window, as I opened up the menu, it showed.<br><br>Character Name: Rain, Race: Human, Str: 11, Agi: 21, Int: 6, Wis: 8, Vit: 15, Fame: 0.<br><br>This is really messed up, why is my name Rain as in the weather or even worse droplets. I hate the game master that did this to me, but if this happened to me, then my buddy must be suffering the same fate. But dawn I feel like I am in a worse situation then him or so I thought. Before I knew it, I wanted to know the fates of those girls, but after hearing what the old man told me, it sounded like most likely they were going to be raped. “What’s going to happen to those girls?” The old man gave me a dumbfounded expression. <br><br>“What do you think; of course the king will have his fun with those young girls.”<br>“He must plant his seed too all the women he desires, a true corrupt kingdom we live in.”<br>“sad to say, these are dark times.”<br><br><br><span style="color: #0040FF;">Here the unedited version, sorry its taken so long to update, rl work and school has taken up most of my time, enjoy!</span> {[999abo}] </div>

New World The light was bright as it covered my body, the world I was engulfed in turned colorful. Was this a dream or was this just how one finds himself immersed in this logging in screen. I was in the cyber world which led me to believe that the figure before me was the game administrator, also known as the gm. The figure before me was an angel with dark wings; her body was smooth and slender as if, I was seeing an dark angel. The evil one that you would see in an anime show, but are really beautiful and tempting as if the lust god herself was this one’s portrayal. She smiled at me as if I was the one that would change her boredom. Her malice words were what I heard. “Foolish human, welcome to the world of Royal Road.” As she said those words, I thought ok this is probably the creator window. The chance I get to make a character of my choosing. She then noticed I was just staring at her breast. “Foolish human, stop drooling over my sexy body and decide on a race.” I finally decided and with a load voice, I yelled out. “Please make me like you, a female body with C cup boobs for the win.” The next thing I noticed was she hit me with her whip, I thought it wouldn’t hurt, but this felt very real. Then I wanted her to stop, this was just like a sex movie, where the women abused the guy. Then a book came into my mind, crap this is kind of like fifty shades of grey. With the voice of a pleading boy, I yelled. “If I have wronged you in some way, I apologize.” “Please just stop this abuse.” The Dark Angel malice was beyond belief, instead of stopping; she started gathering a dark power. Darkness spread around the whole area. But one thing I’ve noticed, the whipping was stopped but at the same time I couldn’t see anything, as if it was a room filled with dark magic. Then a sinister voice was heard from my left ear. “Enjoy your stay, for the world shall have you now.” Was this a joke I thought, it had to be. There’s no way I would be sent into another realm. Could it? As I open my eyes, I looked up at the bright blue sky, my hand looked like my own but smooth. I tried to get up to see where I was, my surroundings was like a forest, as if I was in a rain forest in Africa, it was beautiful as if this place was one with nature itself. But I thought to myself was this Royal Road, or this is all a joke, wasn’t I suppose to start in a town called Rosenheim. My mind was still clouded from the words of the witch. It was like I was in some sort of nightmare, then I saw a blue lake, shiny as if the moon was giving it that mystical blue light. I hurried to look at my appearance, to my surprise I was a Elf with pointy ears and a blue shiny eyes as if they glowed with a powerful force. But then again the face was my actual face, just an above average looking guy. I wanted to cry, dawn I wanted to be a hot women or a handsome devil prince that could get all the ladies. The next thing that crossed my mind was that I was still in the game. I hurried to check my stats, to my surprise my name was already chosen for me; in bright blue words it said Tallus. My stats then shown in a golden window. Character Name: Tallus, Bloodline: Elf, Dex: 10, Str: 6, Int: 21, Wis: 21, Vit: 15, fame: 0. Not satisfied with my stats, I started to walk along the road in search of anything or anyone. Dawn I wanted to be a warrior, but look at my pitiful str, its below average. As I walked for a mile, I started to notice my surroundings of an dark energy. But for some odd reason, I kept following that energy until I saw a black chapel ahead; it surely gave me goose bumps. In my mind I needed to find answers to where I was, because this was obviously not Royal Road. Captured The light was bright as fire, as my surrounding were engulfed in flames. I thought to myself this is really cool, how I can’t wait until I get to see my best friend in the game. A tiny little fairy girl with red wings, as bright as the sun stood before me. She was sitting on top of her throne room; a golden chair made of pure gold, this one must be rich. Or so I thought to myself, as I looked upon her licking that lollipop, she then commanded in a deep voice. “Welcome to the World.” Where your dreams and desires may come true, or rather your demises.” “My name dark angel, your will be changed by my choosing.” I wanted to respond to that, when I read the manual, it said that I could choose my own race. But this seemed like I was forced to be whatever this messed up gm demands. I yelled out in defiance. “You can’t do this, the rule book clearly stated that I can choose whatever race I want and even choose my own name.” All of a sudden, rain drops with the color of crimson red started pouring on my whole being. What is this; it feels so icky, as if this was what blood would feel like. Laughing like a little doll, she pounded on my back like I was a little dog. “Foolish mortal, how dare you question me"? With a sinister laugh she blast a red hot fire ball from her palms. The impact hit me off my feat, as my body flew through the air like a soccer ball. All I saw was black, as I drifted down a dark hole. I heard a voice, it sounded like an angel voice. “Oh my must be heaven.” As I opened my eyes I saw 5, oh no 10 beautiful girls. They had the cutest looks, just like idols you would see on an beauty contest. But then I noticed those girls were not on the same carriage as me, the one that was in front of me was an old man by the looks of it 50 years old. I started to slap myself to see if this was an illusion or not. “Son wake up, you’re not in paradise, and this is a wagon caring prisoners to the dungeons.” What dungeon I wanted to get out of this mess. The dark knights wearing clouded armor plates with symbol of a dragon. They started to hit the wagon with the hilt of their swords. “Quiet down there, or would you like to taste my stick.” Gawd in my mind, I would like neither. But taste of a stick sounded pretty gross; what was worse was there was around 20 knights walking beside the two carriages. I turned over and saw that these knights were led by a dark robe mage. The person had an dark aura, it sent chills down my spine when I looked. As if this being itself was not from this world or so I felt. The old man turned over at my terrified look, and whispered gently into my right ear. “These knights found you on the road, one them looked pretty horny for men.” As I looked over to my right, I saw this fat knight giving me a wink. In my mind, thoughts of depression started to spark, but most of all fear. “Nooo I am still a virgin, I must save myself from this hell hole.” But this can’t be Royal Road, this is not possible. With a horrified look I grab the old man collar shirt and whispered like a cricket. “Where am I, or better yet how do I get out of this hell hole.” The look on the old men told me he was being chocked by my grip; I loosened up as he caught his own breath again. With a look of a half dead man, whispered into my ear. “We are heading to the castle of Evilia, home to the lord of chaos, who is lead by his 12 dark lord knights.” “It is said, the king rapes the women he chooses.” “But what’s worse is the dark lords also do the same.” “The world is in chaos, as the people don’t have any morals at all.” “Even little girls as young as 12 are victims and there are no heroes.” The old men started bursting into tears as if he had daughters that experienced the same fate as the women he was describing. Then it bloomed on me that I forgot to check my status window, as I opened up the menu, it showed. Character Name: Rain, Race: Human, Str: 11, Agi: 21, Int: 6, Wis: 8, Vit: 15, Fame: 0. This is really messed up, why is my name Rain as in the weather or even worse droplets. I hate the game master that did this to me, but if this happened to me, then my buddy must be suffering the same fate. But dawn I feel like I am in a worse situation then him or so I thought. Before I knew it, I wanted to know the fates of those girls, but after hearing what the old man told me, it sounded like most likely they were going to be raped. “What’s going to happen to those girls?” The old man gave me a dumbfounded expression. “What do you think; of course the king will have his fun with those young girls.” “He must plant his seed too all the women he desires, a true corrupt kingdom we live in.” “sad to say, these are dark times.” Here the unedited version, sorry its taken so long to update, rl work and school has taken up most of my time, enjoy! {[999abo}]

<div class="chapter-inner chapter-content"> Necromancer<br>A Royal Road Fan Fiction<br>By: Halosty<br>Chapter 15<br><br> Quietus was glad that there were few low level monsters near Morata. Although it would be a problem later, now it meant there weren’t many places Lupin, and the others, could be leveling. He reached the location they had been hunting in before, but they weren’t there. He climbed up a nearby tree, hoping to get a better view. He learned that it was hard to climb a tree stealthily- he’d have to work on that. His clothes kept getting stuck on branches as well.<br><br> He moved on to another possible location, and repeated his search. Just as he was about to give up searching the area, he spotted people from his perch on the tree. They were too far off for him to tell who they were, even squinting didn’t help much. As he was descending from his lofty perch...<br><br>*Ting*<br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td>You have learned a skill<br><br>Climbing<br><br>Reduces the stamina cost of climbing, makes climbing slightly easier, and slightly reduces the amount of falling damage you take.</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br> Although he was glad to get another skill, he didn’t think he would have much use for it. After all, a mage rarely needs to climb. He couldn’t foresee any circumstance in which it would benefit him much, except for this one. Anyone else could have told him he would use it quite a lot in the future, based on his normal activities.<br><br> He rushed as quickly as he could towards where he had seen the people, and this depleted his stamina quickly. After all, hurrying along and attempting to be stealthy at the same time can take a lot out of a man. Sure, he could have stopped sneaking. However, he didn’t want to make anyone uncomfortable by seeing him. He wouldn’t want them to think he was going to steal their mobs.<br><br> Soon, he got close enough to see the people from the ground, and he quickly recognized them. Now he would have to plan his strategy for killing Lupin... Unfortunately, Lupin was never alone.<br><br> Time passed, and they hunted monsters- and so did Quietus.<br><br> During some downtime, Quietus pondered what to do as he boiled some rabbit in his pot. Perhaps he’d have to risk it, and attack at a time when Lupin was just there with one or two of the others... preferably the wizard and the priest. The priest would die first, then the wizard, then Lupin. Hopefully he could do it silently.<br><br> After eating the rabbit, Quietus felt a bit sick. Maybe he didn’t cook it enough. It sure hadn’t tasted very good. Perhaps now would be a bad time to attack. Plus, he didn’t have a time limit he needed to kill Lupin in, and if he failed once they would be more alert.<br><br> Since he wasn’t feeling up for combat, he gathered some more herbs for his alchemy skill. He chewed on one of them he thought was supposed to reduce stomach pains, and felt a bit better.<br><br> People seemed to be gathering around and talking to the bard now. No wait, it was probably just a party meeting. Still, Quietus strained to listen from where he was. He could almost... but not quite... tell what they were saying.<br><br>Then...<br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td>You have learned a skill<br><br>Listen<br><br>Increases the distance at which you can hear, as well as your ability to pick out fine details.</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br> This skill, Quietus had to admit, would be useful. Even he couldn’t deny that he liked to listen to people sometimes. Plus, approaching closer might bother people.<br><br> Now, he could hear what was being said.<br><br> “... they say it gives great buffs to stats, very helpful for hunting. We’ll need to visit it if we want to move on to fight stronger monsters.”<br><br> Murmurs of agreement came from the rest of the group.<br><br> Thus, the party picked up and moved... to wherever they were going. A shadow followed them. In this case, as it was getting late in the evening, Quietus actually was like a shadow, as he used his dark cloak ability... as much as he was able. During the trip, he ran out of mana quite a few times. However, he did gain a level in dark magic mastery due to his continuous usage of the related magic.<br><br> <br> They stopped where there was a large gathering of people, looking at some kind of abstract art. Quietus moved closer, but hung away from the crowd some.<br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td>You have seen A night in Morata<br>15% increased health and mana regeneration during the day.<br>30% increased health.<br>All stats increased by 10.<br>All chef, dancer, and bard skills are one level higher.<br>Other statue effects do not overlap.</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br>Quietus honestly had no idea what to make of the art. Frankly, it looked like junk. Unfinished. Then again, that was often on purpose, or so he’d observed.<br><br>He quickly went back to looking at Lupin... who appeared to be wandering almost randomly about the crowd. However, after watching him for a while, Quietus noticed his hands were moving strangely. He was reaching for peoples belts, just a little bit below, as if he were... yeah, he definitely was, that sicko. He was pickpocketing them. Certainly couldn’t be anything else. Quietus frowned at the thought of theft. It just wasn’t right.<br>Then, fortuitously, Lupin moved off away from the crowd, into a dark area... presumably to count his ill gotten loot. The moon was just coming over the horizon, and Quietus activated his Darkvision spell.<br><br>Just as that happened, lights sparkled all around in the central area. It really kind of hurt Quietus’ eyes, and made him feel a bit sick, for some reason.<br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td>You have seen the Tower of Light!<br>A great masterpiece made by a skill sculptor!<br>Sometimes a sculptor leaves behind a work so great that it stuns the continent.<br>The tower takes on a grander appearance at night and its full characteristics are displayed.<br>- Health, mana, and stamina regeneration increased by 25% for the entire day.<br>- All stats are increased by 15.<br>- Maximum health and mana increased by 15%.<br>- Movement speed has increased by 20%.<br>- Luck increased by 100.<br>- Increases the power of holy and elemental magic.<br>Statue weakens the nearby forces of darkness, strong monsters will weaken.<br>When the sun goes down, then a light show will occur.<br>The Tower of Light sculpture increases defense to 1.5 times the original value.</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br>Quietus’ vision quickly recovered, and he hurried to take the opportunity that Lupin had left by going off by himself, and even turning his back on the crowd.<br><br>“Die, filthy pickpocket,” Quietus whispered.<br><br>Now, talking to someone you’re trying to kill, and thus ruining your element of surprise, is a sure recipe for disaster. Many a villain has been defeated by his arrogance. However, just a moment before that...<br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td>Critical Hit!</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br>...Quietus had stabbed his knife into a weak point in Lupin’s lower back. He’d seen too many people ruin a perfectly good surprise attack to do otherwise.<br><br>Lupin’s health bar dropped to below half almost instantly. If he had not been higher level than Quietus, he probably would have died immediately. Although he was alive, Lupin was too surprised, and confused, to properly shout for help. He was not, however, too surprised to draw his weapon.<br><br>Although Quietus had done nothing else, Lupin’s health bar continued dropping.<br><br>Lupin was not, however, out of the fight just yet. He stabbed at Quietus, but he wasn’t really very good, and Quietus easily dodged. Quietus returned with a better performed attack, but Lupin had high enough agility to partly dodge the blow, and negate the critical hit it would have been. They exchanged a few more blows, Lupin failing to connect, but Quietus making little progress. <br><br>Then, Lupin did a move that left himself open. Quietus immediately took advantage of the situation with an attack to a vital point, deftly dodging Lupin’s attack.<br><br>Well, that was what he intended. Instead, Lupin completely avoided his thrust, and Quietus found himself with a dagger in his gut, taking a critical hit.<br><br>“Oh, so that’s what it feels like,” he thought. He had only been stabbed by a dagger once before... in the dungeon.<br><br>Quietus immediately felt stupid, as he realized what had happened. He was going to show master Valarao what he had learned...<br><br>Then he remembered he was still fighting Lupin. He activated Dark Hand, and grabbed Lupin’s wrist, holding it still. Then, he slashed across Lupin’s throat, finishing off the last of his dwindling health.<br><br>The poison he’d mixed together from random herbs he was pretty sure were poisonous sure had been effective. He felt like there was something else at play, as well, as he looked down at his blood stained hands. He just wasn’t sure what.<br><br>Well, enough of that. He’d better get to the looting. First, he looked for the ring, and was glad he was able to take it. Then, he set about taking anything else the system would let him. First, he picked up the ill gotten goods Lupin had. Then, Lupin’s own money pouch. His dagger. Boots. Armor. Wow, he was sure getting a lot here. Good thing Lupin had a bag to hold all this stuff in.<br><br>Quietus walked away, leaving Lupin, dead, in just his underwear. Quietus felt he could have probably taken that, but he didn’t really need it.<br><br>He didn't notice that he was being watched.<br><br>End Chapter 15<br><br>Previous Chapter: &lt;!-- l --&gt;&lt;a class="postlink-local" href="http://www.royalroadl.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=47&amp;t=701&amp;p=3017#p3017"&gt;viewtopic.php?f=47&amp;t=701&amp;p=3017#p3017&lt;/a&gt;&lt;!-- l --&gt;<br>Next Chapter: &lt;!-- l --&gt;&lt;a class="postlink-local" href="http://www.royalroadl.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=47&amp;t=742"&gt;viewtopic.php?f=47&amp;t=742&lt;/a&gt;&lt;!-- l --&gt; </div>

Necromancer A Royal Road Fan Fiction By: Halosty Chapter 15 Quietus was glad that there were few low level monsters near Morata. Although it would be a problem later, now it meant there weren’t many places Lupin, and the others, could be leveling. He reached the location they had been hunting in before, but they weren’t there. He climbed up a nearby tree, hoping to get a better view. He learned that it was hard to climb a tree stealthily- he’d have to work on that. His clothes kept getting stuck on branches as well. He moved on to another possible location, and repeated his search. Just as he was about to give up searching the area, he spotted people from his perch on the tree. They were too far off for him to tell who they were, even squinting didn’t help much. As he was descending from his lofty perch... *Ting* | You have learned a skillClimbingReduces the stamina cost of climbing, makes climbing slightly easier, and slightly reduces the amount of falling damage you take. | | --- | Although he was glad to get another skill, he didn’t think he would have much use for it. After all, a mage rarely needs to climb. He couldn’t foresee any circumstance in which it would benefit him much, except for this one. Anyone else could have told him he would use it quite a lot in the future, based on his normal activities. He rushed as quickly as he could towards where he had seen the people, and this depleted his stamina quickly. After all, hurrying along and attempting to be stealthy at the same time can take a lot out of a man. Sure, he could have stopped sneaking. However, he didn’t want to make anyone uncomfortable by seeing him. He wouldn’t want them to think he was going to steal their mobs. Soon, he got close enough to see the people from the ground, and he quickly recognized them. Now he would have to plan his strategy for killing Lupin... Unfortunately, Lupin was never alone. Time passed, and they hunted monsters- and so did Quietus. During some downtime, Quietus pondered what to do as he boiled some rabbit in his pot. Perhaps he’d have to risk it, and attack at a time when Lupin was just there with one or two of the others... preferably the wizard and the priest. The priest would die first, then the wizard, then Lupin. Hopefully he could do it silently. After eating the rabbit, Quietus felt a bit sick. Maybe he didn’t cook it enough. It sure hadn’t tasted very good. Perhaps now would be a bad time to attack. Plus, he didn’t have a time limit he needed to kill Lupin in, and if he failed once they would be more alert. Since he wasn’t feeling up for combat, he gathered some more herbs for his alchemy skill. He chewed on one of them he thought was supposed to reduce stomach pains, and felt a bit better. People seemed to be gathering around and talking to the bard now. No wait, it was probably just a party meeting. Still, Quietus strained to listen from where he was. He could almost... but not quite... tell what they were saying. Then... | You have learned a skillListenIncreases the distance at which you can hear, as well as your ability to pick out fine details. | | --- | This skill, Quietus had to admit, would be useful. Even he couldn’t deny that he liked to listen to people sometimes. Plus, approaching closer might bother people. Now, he could hear what was being said. “... they say it gives great buffs to stats, very helpful for hunting. We’ll need to visit it if we want to move on to fight stronger monsters.” Murmurs of agreement came from the rest of the group. Thus, the party picked up and moved... to wherever they were going. A shadow followed them. In this case, as it was getting late in the evening, Quietus actually was like a shadow, as he used his dark cloak ability... as much as he was able. During the trip, he ran out of mana quite a few times. However, he did gain a level in dark magic mastery due to his continuous usage of the related magic. They stopped where there was a large gathering of people, looking at some kind of abstract art. Quietus moved closer, but hung away from the crowd some. | You have seen A night in Morata15% increased health and mana regeneration during the day.30% increased health.All stats increased by 10.All chef, dancer, and bard skills are one level higher.Other statue effects do not overlap. | | --- | Quietus honestly had no idea what to make of the art. Frankly, it looked like junk. Unfinished. Then again, that was often on purpose, or so he’d observed. He quickly went back to looking at Lupin... who appeared to be wandering almost randomly about the crowd. However, after watching him for a while, Quietus noticed his hands were moving strangely. He was reaching for peoples belts, just a little bit below, as if he were... yeah, he definitely was, that sicko. He was pickpocketing them. Certainly couldn’t be anything else. Quietus frowned at the thought of theft. It just wasn’t right. Then, fortuitously, Lupin moved off away from the crowd, into a dark area... presumably to count his ill gotten loot. The moon was just coming over the horizon, and Quietus activated his Darkvision spell. Just as that happened, lights sparkled all around in the central area. It really kind of hurt Quietus’ eyes, and made him feel a bit sick, for some reason. | You have seen the Tower of Light!A great masterpiece made by a skill sculptor!Sometimes a sculptor leaves behind a work so great that it stuns the continent.The tower takes on a grander appearance at night and its full characteristics are displayed.- Health, mana, and stamina regeneration increased by 25% for the entire day.- All stats are increased by 15.- Maximum health and mana increased by 15%.- Movement speed has increased by 20%.- Luck increased by 100.- Increases the power of holy and elemental magic.Statue weakens the nearby forces of darkness, strong monsters will weaken.When the sun goes down, then a light show will occur.The Tower of Light sculpture increases defense to 1.5 times the original value. | | --- | Quietus’ vision quickly recovered, and he hurried to take the opportunity that Lupin had left by going off by himself, and even turning his back on the crowd. “Die, filthy pickpocket,” Quietus whispered. Now, talking to someone you’re trying to kill, and thus ruining your element of surprise, is a sure recipe for disaster. Many a villain has been defeated by his arrogance. However, just a moment before that... | Critical Hit! | | --- | ...Quietus had stabbed his knife into a weak point in Lupin’s lower back. He’d seen too many people ruin a perfectly good surprise attack to do otherwise. Lupin’s health bar dropped to below half almost instantly. If he had not been higher level than Quietus, he probably would have died immediately. Although he was alive, Lupin was too surprised, and confused, to properly shout for help. He was not, however, too surprised to draw his weapon. Although Quietus had done nothing else, Lupin’s health bar continued dropping. Lupin was not, however, out of the fight just yet. He stabbed at Quietus, but he wasn’t really very good, and Quietus easily dodged. Quietus returned with a better performed attack, but Lupin had high enough agility to partly dodge the blow, and negate the critical hit it would have been. They exchanged a few more blows, Lupin failing to connect, but Quietus making little progress. Then, Lupin did a move that left himself open. Quietus immediately took advantage of the situation with an attack to a vital point, deftly dodging Lupin’s attack. Well, that was what he intended. Instead, Lupin completely avoided his thrust, and Quietus found himself with a dagger in his gut, taking a critical hit. “Oh, so that’s what it feels like,” he thought. He had only been stabbed by a dagger once before... in the dungeon. Quietus immediately felt stupid, as he realized what had happened. He was going to show master Valarao what he had learned... Then he remembered he was still fighting Lupin. He activated Dark Hand, and grabbed Lupin’s wrist, holding it still. Then, he slashed across Lupin’s throat, finishing off the last of his dwindling health. The poison he’d mixed together from random herbs he was pretty sure were poisonous sure had been effective. He felt like there was something else at play, as well, as he looked down at his blood stained hands. He just wasn’t sure what. Well, enough of that. He’d better get to the looting. First, he looked for the ring, and was glad he was able to take it. Then, he set about taking anything else the system would let him. First, he picked up the ill gotten goods Lupin had. Then, Lupin’s own money pouch. His dagger. Boots. Armor. Wow, he was sure getting a lot here. Good thing Lupin had a bag to hold all this stuff in. Quietus walked away, leaving Lupin, dead, in just his underwear. Quietus felt he could have probably taken that, but he didn’t really need it. He didn't notice that he was being watched. End Chapter 15 Previous Chapter: <!-- l --><a class="postlink-local" href="http://www.royalroadl.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=47&t=701&p=3017#p3017">viewtopic.php?f=47&t=701&p=3017#p3017</a><!-- l --> Next Chapter: <!-- l --><a class="postlink-local" href="http://www.royalroadl.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=47&t=742">viewtopic.php?f=47&t=742</a><!-- l -->

<div class="chapter-inner chapter-content"> Time passed and, after four in-game days, Nayir reappeared in the city of Dessera.<br><br>He was still bitter about being killed by a cat, on top of being denied the ultimate skills of death-bringing that he had so desired since first viewing the commercial for Royal Road.<br><br>“I will get revenge on that cat one day, just wait!”<br><br>Walking over to a wall, he sat down and watched the residents of the city go about their daily lives as he pondered on what his next course of action would be.<br><br>There were groups chatting, erupting into raucous laughter every so often; children were playing, darting in and out of the many people around; couples strolling along, hand in hand, smiling softly. <br><br>Nayir viewed it all with dour eyes.<br><br>“Stats and Skills windows.”<br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td colspan="4">Status Window</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Name</td><td width="25%">Nayir</td><td width="25%">Alignment</td><td width="25%">Neutral</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Level</td><td width="25%">1</td><td width="25%">Class</td><td width="25%">Mage</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Title</td><td colspan="3">None</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Fame</td><td colspan="3">0</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Health</td><td width="25%">60</td><td width="25%">Mana</td><td width="25%">110</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Strength</td><td width="25%">9</td><td width="25%">Agility</td><td width="25%">9</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Stamina</td><td width="25%">10</td><td width="25%">Wisdom</td><td width="25%">11</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Intellect</td><td width="25%">11</td><td width="25%">Luck</td><td width="25%">0</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Leadership</td><td colspan="3">0</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Attack</td><td colspan="3">3</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Defence</td><td colspan="3">0</td></tr><tr><td colspan="4">Magic Resistance</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Fire</td><td width="25%">6%</td><td width="25%">Water</td><td width="25%">6%</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Earth</td><td width="25%">6%</td><td width="25%">Black Magic</td><td width="25%">0%</td></tr><tr><td colspan="3">Unallocated Stat Points</td><td width="25%">10</td></tr><tr><td colspan="4">Race increases amount of mana gained by stat points.<br>Race increases amount of mana gained by level increase.<br>Race grants a slight increase in movement speed. (+2%)<br>Race grants affinity with nature. (+20 affinity with nature)<br>Able to equip certain items that are specific to your class.<br>Unable to equip armours and weapons containing iron.</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td>Magic Arrow (Lv. 1 0%): A basic projectile of pure mana is launched towards the target in a straight line.<br><br>Tier 0 Spell<br><br>Damage: 2<br>Casting Time: Instant<br>Mana Consumption: 5</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td>Meditation (Lv. 1): Recover mana at a doubled rate.<br><br>Skill does not level.</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td>Memorise (Lv. 1): Allows you to remember and recall spells.<br><br>Current spells memorised: 1/10<br><br>At Level 100: +10 spells available</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br>Sullenly, Nayir looked over his stats and skills.<br><br>“This is pathetic. They made me so weak.”<br><br>Nayir sighed.<br><br>“Hm? Unallocated stat points? When did I…?”<br><br>Thinking hard, he was unable to place where he got them.<br><br>“Well, I’ve got them now…”<br><br>Nayir contemplated how he would spend his points and, in the end, he decided that if he was going to be an all-powerful mage then he would have to have strong spells. Therefore, he invested them all into Intellect.<br><br>He stared at the two windows pitifully for a while.<br><br>The people who were passing by whispered to each other.<br><br>“What do you think happened to him?”<br><br>“Don’t make eye contact! He might harass us for money! You know what those beggar types are like! Don’t you remember what happened in Rhodium?”<br><br>Eventually, Nayir came to a decision.<br><br>“First things first! Time to get some new spells! How am I supposed to bring annihilation to everything with only one measly attack spell?!”<br><br>The foremost task Nayir needed to do was find the location of the shop that sold spells.<br><br>Not wanting to take his chances with the violence of the merchants and other players, and not seeing anyone in the street, he walked up to the nearest door and entered it.<br><br>Stepping through the door, he noticed that he was now in a scarcely decorated parlour that had all the signs of being well looked after.<br><br>He walked through the building, searching the rooms, until he found what he was searching for: a couple standing in their bedroom, holding each other in each other's embrace.<br><br>“Ah, perfect.”<br><br>The couple jumped visibly as he spoke, after being brought out of their intimate world and moved to face him as he approached.<br><br>“Which one of you can tell me where I can buy spell books?”<br><br>The couple looked at each other, in shock and confusion.<br><br>“The shop that sells spell books. Where is it?”<br><br>They looked back at Nayir and the man began to speak,<br><br>“It’s… next to the mage’s guild, if you…”<br><br>“Great, I know where that is.”<br><br>Nayir exited the house and headed towards the guild, leaving behind a bewildered couple who were staring at the door he left through.<br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td>Relationship with Viem and Seral Gallen has decreased.</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br>Nayir’s footsteps were the lightest they had been since he step foot into the game. He was not being chased, he was not injured and he was eagerly trying to decide on what spell he was going to get first.<br><br>In what seemed to be no time at all, he arrived at the front of the Mage’s guild.<br><br>“That helpful man said it was next to the guild…”<br><br>Looking both to the left and right, he could not decide which building it was and so he decided to walk up for a closer inspection. Nayir walked up to the building on the left and peered through the window and noticed that the décor was rather homely.<br><br>“It must not be this one. Which means…”<br><br>He sauntered over to the other side of the guild and peered through the window, only this time he saw a large quantity of books on display.<br><br>“I was right!”<br><br>Nayir entered the shop, glossed over the books near the front and advanced towards the man behind the counter.<br><br>“Welcome. My, my, my. It’s not very often we get elves…”<br><br>“Where are your best spell books.”<br><br>The shopkeeper was slightly taken aback with his abruptness.<br><br>“My best spell books? They’re kept in this display behind the counter.”<br><br>“I want them.”<br><br>The shopkeeper inspected Nayir, who still wore the clothes he first started in.<br><br>“You haven’t been here very long, have you foreigner? I…”<br><br>“Your best spell books.”<br><br>“I’m afraid that I can’t let someone unskilled in the usage of magic see them. You will have to make do with what I have on display.”<br><br>“I want your best spell books.”<br><br>“I’m telling you that you can’t have them.”<br><br>“Fine! If you want to be uncooperative…”<br><br>Nayir looked around him.<br><br>“I’ll just have this one!”<br><br>He picked up the nearest spell book and shouted, “Learn spell!”<br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td>You do not meet the requirements for this spell.</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td>You have attempted to steal the knowledge of a spell from Gourd’s Spell Shop and have been banned from making purchases in this store.</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td>Your relationship with the store owner of Gourd’s Spell Shop and anyone affiliated with the store has decreased dramatically.</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td>Infamy increased by 50.</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td>You are now wanted by the guards of Dessera for attempted theft. If caught, you face imprisonment of up to two weeks.</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br>Nayir read the system messages as they appeared.<br><br>“What?! Why?! Why does this game refuse to let me do what I’ve wanted to do for so long!”<br><br>“You...! You…! Get out of my store! Go on, get out you thieving elf! Out!”<br><br>Gourd, the store owner, dashed around the counter, grabbed Nayir’s top and forcefully dragged him towards the door of the store. With his free hand, Gourd wrested the spell book from Nayir’s grip and threw it aside.<br><br>At the open door, Gourd used both arms and flung Nayir out into the street, stormed back into his store and slammed the door shut behind him.<br>Nayir stumbled, trying to maintain his balance, a feat which he somehow accomplished.<br><br>He ran back to the door to the store and pounded his fists on it, pleading to be allowed to learn the spells that he longed to use.<br><br>“There he is!”<br><br>“Thief!”<br><br>“Get him!”<br><br>“Don’t let him get away!<br><br>Nayir was too busy banging the door and shouting to notice the four guards dashing down the street towards him. He was halfway through another desperate plea before his vision went black and he fell unconscious.<br><br><div style="text-align: center;">***</div><br><br>When Nayir came to, he felt cold. He felt cold, stiff and there was a throbbing pain in his head. Whilst his eyes remained closed, he managed to voice his thoughts,<br><br>“What…happened?”<br><br>“You broke the law, kid. You got what you deserved.”<br><br>“Who….”<br><br>“Me? Well, I did something a lot worse. I’ve been shut in here. It's dark in here. There's only dark in here. You can call me Dark.”<br><br>“Dark…?”<br><br>Dark laughed hoarsely and Nayir managed to open his eyes. At least he thought he had but he could see nothing but darkness, not even his own hands.<br><br>“It really is dark in here.”<br><br>“Dark is really here!” Dark laughed again.<br><br>“Crazy fool.” Nayir muttered under his breath.<br><br>After struggling for a couple of minutes, Nayir managed to sit himself up and he began to ease the stiffness out of his body. When he could move more freely, without too much pain, Nayir reached out and explored his environment with his hands.<br><br>From what he could tell, all four of the walls were made of stone, but in the centre of one of the walls were thick bars, most likely the entrance to the room. Dark was probably in a similar room not too far away.<br><br>After satisfying his urge to explore, Nayir sat down and pondered what he was going to do when he heard the clanging of metal, from a distance not too far away. He sat up straight, felt his way over to where he figured the door was, and tried to peer through gaps of the bars.<br><br>He spotted a flame approaching and, as it gradually drew nearer, he was able to see that it was a torch being held by, what he suspected to be, a guard who was carrying a sack.<br><br>“Here you go, filth! Food!” The guard emptied the contents of the bag onto the floor and Nayir could just make out pieces of barley bread, like those he had seen in his inventory previously. He noted that a couple of items made sounds that sounded like metal striking stone when they fell; he peered closer and realised that there were a couple of canteens amongst the barley bread.<br><br>Nayir faced the guard.<br><br>“Let me out.”<br><br>The guard laughed.<br><br>“Let me out now.”<br><br>“You’re not getting out of here for at least ten days, no matter what you say.” The guard spat in Nayir’s direction and went back the way he had come in, laughing.<br><br>“What an uncivil man…”<br><br>Nayir returned to the issue of the food dropped onto the floor, he welcomed receiving free goods. He stretched out his arms between the bars to where he thought the food had been only for his hand to meet with the cold stone.<br><br>Confused, he searched the nearby area thoroughly and all that he found was the same, nothing.<br><br>“Now, where…” Nayir began to wonder before he realised that there was a new sound in the darkness. It sounded similar to a feasting wild animal.<br><br>Nayir listened closer…<br><br>“…feast…a feast…it’s been… a long time… since… Dark had… a feast…”<br><br>Nayir became angry.<br><br>“You stole my food, you thief!”<br><br>“Dark’s food now… it’s a feast…”<br><br>Nayir screamed a wordless cry towards the source of the voice. No one should take what is his. It is, after all, his.<br><br>Moving deeper back into the cell, away from the door and the sounds of Dark gorging, Nayir contemplated. <br><br><span style="font-style: italic;">Ten days? That’s two and a half days in reality. I guess I’ll just log out until it’s time to come out.</span><br><br>With that thought, Nayir logged out.<br><br><div style="text-align: center;">***</div><br><br>Nayir logged back in to Royal Road after waiting for the time that he was imprisoned for to pass and appeared in the darkness of the prison once again.<br><br>“Still dark as ever,” Nayir commented, looking around, “Actually, over there seems a little lighter…”<br><br>“Ah, it was good of you to return.” A vaguely familiar voice spoke and it was a few moments before Nayir could match the voice to the person.<br><br>“The impolite guard. You’ve come to let me out, I take it. Come on, then. Hurry up.”<br><br>“No. We know all about you foreigners. You will not be let out until you remain in here physically for the ten days.”<br><br>“What?!” Nayir raged towards the voice and the small source of light.<br><br>Nayir forgot that he was surrounded on all sides by walls and a metal door and slammed, head first, into the door. He fell backwards and his head swarmed with pain.<br><br>“Why?! Let me out now! I can’t spend ten days in here! I’ll be bored!”<br><br>“You shouldn’t have been a thief then, foreigner.”<br><br>Nayir could make out the guard dropping something on the floor in front of the door.<br><br>“Your food.” Remembering what had happened the last time, Nayir rushed to pick it up.<br><br>“Oh, the old man managed to get out so we’ll be watching you extra closely. Don’t think about trying anything or you’ll regret it!” The guard left, picking up the torch he had placed in a holder further down the corridor and exited the prison with the loud, metallic clang of the door.<br><br>“You can’t do this to me! I’m going to be a great mage! I won’t be locked up here! Let me out! Let me out!”<br><br>Nayir persisted to shout into the darkness until his voice became hoarse and croaky. Sitting down and taking several mouthfuls of water from the canteen that was left with the food, he began to think.<br><br><span style="font-style: italic;">I have to be in this prison for ten days and any time I spend outside of the game is added on as extra so I have to stay in here for the whole period of ten days?! This is lunacy! Sheer lunacy! They can’t do this! What am I going to do in here? There’s nothing to do!</span><br><br>After sitting in silence for a few minutes, Nayir got irritated.<br><br>“There must be something that I can do in here! Ten days! I’ll die of boredom!”<br><br>Nayir thought back, over all of his experiences in Royal Road for something to keep him occupied in the ten days he had to wait to get out. He remembered the tutorial and its explanation of the gameplay.<br><br>Skills can be levelled through practise.<br><br>Toying with the idea, Nayir convinced himself that it was better than doing nothing and it would help him, at least until he got his hands on more powerful spells.<br><br>Nayir pointed to the space in front of him.<br><br>“Magic Arrow.”<br><br>…<br><br>Nothing happened.<br><br>“That’s strange…”<br><br>Nayir was puzzled.<br><br>“Magic Arrow.”<br><br>Still nothing happened.<br><br>“Magic Arrow!”<br><br>…<br><br>“Why?! Why won’t it work?! Magic Arrow! Magic Arrow! Magic Arrow! Magic Arrow! Magic Arrow! Magic… Damn this place!”<br><br>Annyoed, he started raving.<br><br>“All I wanted was something to do! I can’t even have that! Why not?! Why must you do this to me?! This is unfair!”<br><br>Nayir was upset.<br><br>“So… unfair.”<br><br>His magic would not work, he could not get new opportunities to learn new spells and he could not leave this place for close to two weeks whilst doing absolutely nothing for the entire time.<br><br>“What…can I do…?” Nayir choked up with tears of frustration, curled himself up into a ball and simply sat there, in the cold and dark prison, waiting for time to pass by.<br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">-END CHAPTER-</span></div><br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.royalroadl.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=129&amp;t=987" target="_blank">&lt;&lt; Previous Chapter</a>|<a href="http://www.royalroadl.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=129&amp;t=1044" target="_blank">Next Chapter &gt;&gt;</a></div><br><br><br><span style="font-style: italic;">Here is the second chapter. It's probably not as detailed as it should be... but future chapters will likely make up for that.<br><br>I figured I'd alter the stats slightly due to his race so I will be using my own calculation for them. That way I can make things up.<br><br>It's going to be a little while before he gets out of the city where the real story will begin so I'll thank you for being patient whilst I build up a foundation.<br><br>I am happy to see that I have gotten some comments on my previous chapter and it seems the type of person that the main character is proving to be interesting. I hope that as time continues on, more people will feel compelled to give their own thoughts on the story, they are always welcome.<br><br>A slight side note, if you haven't noticed by now, I use British English so don't complain about the spelling unless you're certain I'm an idiot.<br><br>If you have any general comments or suggestions then feel free to post them on the relevant topic I've created: <a href="http://www.royalroadl.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=129&amp;t=1006" target="_blank">here.</a><br><br>I will lock the first chapter soon and will continue to do the same with each chapter after I release the next one.</span><br><br>~Emeki </div>

Time passed and, after four in-game days, Nayir reappeared in the city of Dessera. He was still bitter about being killed by a cat, on top of being denied the ultimate skills of death-bringing that he had so desired since first viewing the commercial for Royal Road. “I will get revenge on that cat one day, just wait!” Walking over to a wall, he sat down and watched the residents of the city go about their daily lives as he pondered on what his next course of action would be. There were groups chatting, erupting into raucous laughter every so often; children were playing, darting in and out of the many people around; couples strolling along, hand in hand, smiling softly. Nayir viewed it all with dour eyes. “Stats and Skills windows.” | Status Window | | | | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Name | Nayir | Alignment | Neutral | | Level | 1 | Class | Mage | | Title | None | | | | Fame | 0 | | | | Health | 60 | Mana | 110 | | Strength | 9 | Agility | 9 | | Stamina | 10 | Wisdom | 11 | | Intellect | 11 | Luck | 0 | | Leadership | 0 | | | | Attack | 3 | | | | Defence | 0 | | | | Magic Resistance | | | | | Fire | 6% | Water | 6% | | Earth | 6% | Black Magic | 0% | | Unallocated Stat Points | | | 10 | | Race increases amount of mana gained by stat points.Race increases amount of mana gained by level increase.Race grants a slight increase in movement speed. (+2%)Race grants affinity with nature. (+20 affinity with nature)Able to equip certain items that are specific to your class.Unable to equip armours and weapons containing iron. | | | | | Magic Arrow (Lv. 1 0%): A basic projectile of pure mana is launched towards the target in a straight line.Tier 0 SpellDamage: 2Casting Time: InstantMana Consumption: 5 | | --- | | Meditation (Lv. 1): Recover mana at a doubled rate.Skill does not level. | | --- | | Memorise (Lv. 1): Allows you to remember and recall spells.Current spells memorised: 1/10At Level 100: +10 spells available | | --- | Sullenly, Nayir looked over his stats and skills. “This is pathetic. They made me so weak.” Nayir sighed. “Hm? Unallocated stat points? When did I…?” Thinking hard, he was unable to place where he got them. “Well, I’ve got them now…” Nayir contemplated how he would spend his points and, in the end, he decided that if he was going to be an all-powerful mage then he would have to have strong spells. Therefore, he invested them all into Intellect. He stared at the two windows pitifully for a while. The people who were passing by whispered to each other. “What do you think happened to him?” “Don’t make eye contact! He might harass us for money! You know what those beggar types are like! Don’t you remember what happened in Rhodium?” Eventually, Nayir came to a decision. “First things first! Time to get some new spells! How am I supposed to bring annihilation to everything with only one measly attack spell?!” The foremost task Nayir needed to do was find the location of the shop that sold spells. Not wanting to take his chances with the violence of the merchants and other players, and not seeing anyone in the street, he walked up to the nearest door and entered it. Stepping through the door, he noticed that he was now in a scarcely decorated parlour that had all the signs of being well looked after. He walked through the building, searching the rooms, until he found what he was searching for: a couple standing in their bedroom, holding each other in each other's embrace. “Ah, perfect.” The couple jumped visibly as he spoke, after being brought out of their intimate world and moved to face him as he approached. “Which one of you can tell me where I can buy spell books?” The couple looked at each other, in shock and confusion. “The shop that sells spell books. Where is it?” They looked back at Nayir and the man began to speak, “It’s… next to the mage’s guild, if you…” “Great, I know where that is.” Nayir exited the house and headed towards the guild, leaving behind a bewildered couple who were staring at the door he left through. | Relationship with Viem and Seral Gallen has decreased. | | --- | Nayir’s footsteps were the lightest they had been since he step foot into the game. He was not being chased, he was not injured and he was eagerly trying to decide on what spell he was going to get first. In what seemed to be no time at all, he arrived at the front of the Mage’s guild. “That helpful man said it was next to the guild…” Looking both to the left and right, he could not decide which building it was and so he decided to walk up for a closer inspection. Nayir walked up to the building on the left and peered through the window and noticed that the décor was rather homely. “It must not be this one. Which means…” He sauntered over to the other side of the guild and peered through the window, only this time he saw a large quantity of books on display. “I was right!” Nayir entered the shop, glossed over the books near the front and advanced towards the man behind the counter. “Welcome. My, my, my. It’s not very often we get elves…” “Where are your best spell books.” The shopkeeper was slightly taken aback with his abruptness. “My best spell books? They’re kept in this display behind the counter.” “I want them.” The shopkeeper inspected Nayir, who still wore the clothes he first started in. “You haven’t been here very long, have you foreigner? I…” “Your best spell books.” “I’m afraid that I can’t let someone unskilled in the usage of magic see them. You will have to make do with what I have on display.” “I want your best spell books.” “I’m telling you that you can’t have them.” “Fine! If you want to be uncooperative…” Nayir looked around him. “I’ll just have this one!” He picked up the nearest spell book and shouted, “Learn spell!” | You do not meet the requirements for this spell. | | --- | | You have attempted to steal the knowledge of a spell from Gourd’s Spell Shop and have been banned from making purchases in this store. | | --- | | Your relationship with the store owner of Gourd’s Spell Shop and anyone affiliated with the store has decreased dramatically. | | --- | | Infamy increased by 50. | | --- | | You are now wanted by the guards of Dessera for attempted theft. If caught, you face imprisonment of up to two weeks. | | --- | Nayir read the system messages as they appeared. “What?! Why?! Why does this game refuse to let me do what I’ve wanted to do for so long!” “You...! You…! Get out of my store! Go on, get out you thieving elf! Out!” Gourd, the store owner, dashed around the counter, grabbed Nayir’s top and forcefully dragged him towards the door of the store. With his free hand, Gourd wrested the spell book from Nayir’s grip and threw it aside. At the open door, Gourd used both arms and flung Nayir out into the street, stormed back into his store and slammed the door shut behind him. Nayir stumbled, trying to maintain his balance, a feat which he somehow accomplished. He ran back to the door to the store and pounded his fists on it, pleading to be allowed to learn the spells that he longed to use. “There he is!” “Thief!” “Get him!” “Don’t let him get away! Nayir was too busy banging the door and shouting to notice the four guards dashing down the street towards him. He was halfway through another desperate plea before his vision went black and he fell unconscious. *** When Nayir came to, he felt cold. He felt cold, stiff and there was a throbbing pain in his head. Whilst his eyes remained closed, he managed to voice his thoughts, “What…happened?” “You broke the law, kid. You got what you deserved.” “Who….” “Me? Well, I did something a lot worse. I’ve been shut in here. It's dark in here. There's only dark in here. You can call me Dark.” “Dark…?” Dark laughed hoarsely and Nayir managed to open his eyes. At least he thought he had but he could see nothing but darkness, not even his own hands. “It really is dark in here.” “Dark is really here!” Dark laughed again. “Crazy fool.” Nayir muttered under his breath. After struggling for a couple of minutes, Nayir managed to sit himself up and he began to ease the stiffness out of his body. When he could move more freely, without too much pain, Nayir reached out and explored his environment with his hands. From what he could tell, all four of the walls were made of stone, but in the centre of one of the walls were thick bars, most likely the entrance to the room. Dark was probably in a similar room not too far away. After satisfying his urge to explore, Nayir sat down and pondered what he was going to do when he heard the clanging of metal, from a distance not too far away. He sat up straight, felt his way over to where he figured the door was, and tried to peer through gaps of the bars. He spotted a flame approaching and, as it gradually drew nearer, he was able to see that it was a torch being held by, what he suspected to be, a guard who was carrying a sack. “Here you go, filth! Food!” The guard emptied the contents of the bag onto the floor and Nayir could just make out pieces of barley bread, like those he had seen in his inventory previously. He noted that a couple of items made sounds that sounded like metal striking stone when they fell; he peered closer and realised that there were a couple of canteens amongst the barley bread. Nayir faced the guard. “Let me out.” The guard laughed. “Let me out now.” “You’re not getting out of here for at least ten days, no matter what you say.” The guard spat in Nayir’s direction and went back the way he had come in, laughing. “What an uncivil man…” Nayir returned to the issue of the food dropped onto the floor, he welcomed receiving free goods. He stretched out his arms between the bars to where he thought the food had been only for his hand to meet with the cold stone. Confused, he searched the nearby area thoroughly and all that he found was the same, nothing. “Now, where…” Nayir began to wonder before he realised that there was a new sound in the darkness. It sounded similar to a feasting wild animal. Nayir listened closer… “…feast…a feast…it’s been… a long time… since… Dark had… a feast…” Nayir became angry. “You stole my food, you thief!” “Dark’s food now… it’s a feast…” Nayir screamed a wordless cry towards the source of the voice. No one should take what is his. It is, after all, his. Moving deeper back into the cell, away from the door and the sounds of Dark gorging, Nayir contemplated. Ten days? That’s two and a half days in reality. I guess I’ll just log out until it’s time to come out. With that thought, Nayir logged out. *** Nayir logged back in to Royal Road after waiting for the time that he was imprisoned for to pass and appeared in the darkness of the prison once again. “Still dark as ever,” Nayir commented, looking around, “Actually, over there seems a little lighter…” “Ah, it was good of you to return.” A vaguely familiar voice spoke and it was a few moments before Nayir could match the voice to the person. “The impolite guard. You’ve come to let me out, I take it. Come on, then. Hurry up.” “No. We know all about you foreigners. You will not be let out until you remain in here physically for the ten days.” “What?!” Nayir raged towards the voice and the small source of light. Nayir forgot that he was surrounded on all sides by walls and a metal door and slammed, head first, into the door. He fell backwards and his head swarmed with pain. “Why?! Let me out now! I can’t spend ten days in here! I’ll be bored!” “You shouldn’t have been a thief then, foreigner.” Nayir could make out the guard dropping something on the floor in front of the door. “Your food.” Remembering what had happened the last time, Nayir rushed to pick it up. “Oh, the old man managed to get out so we’ll be watching you extra closely. Don’t think about trying anything or you’ll regret it!” The guard left, picking up the torch he had placed in a holder further down the corridor and exited the prison with the loud, metallic clang of the door. “You can’t do this to me! I’m going to be a great mage! I won’t be locked up here! Let me out! Let me out!” Nayir persisted to shout into the darkness until his voice became hoarse and croaky. Sitting down and taking several mouthfuls of water from the canteen that was left with the food, he began to think. I have to be in this prison for ten days and any time I spend outside of the game is added on as extra so I have to stay in here for the whole period of ten days?! This is lunacy! Sheer lunacy! They can’t do this! What am I going to do in here? There’s nothing to do! After sitting in silence for a few minutes, Nayir got irritated. “There must be something that I can do in here! Ten days! I’ll die of boredom!” Nayir thought back, over all of his experiences in Royal Road for something to keep him occupied in the ten days he had to wait to get out. He remembered the tutorial and its explanation of the gameplay. Skills can be levelled through practise. Toying with the idea, Nayir convinced himself that it was better than doing nothing and it would help him, at least until he got his hands on more powerful spells. Nayir pointed to the space in front of him. “Magic Arrow.” … Nothing happened. “That’s strange…” Nayir was puzzled. “Magic Arrow.” Still nothing happened. “Magic Arrow!” … “Why?! Why won’t it work?! Magic Arrow! Magic Arrow! Magic Arrow! Magic Arrow! Magic Arrow! Magic… Damn this place!” Annyoed, he started raving. “All I wanted was something to do! I can’t even have that! Why not?! Why must you do this to me?! This is unfair!” Nayir was upset. “So… unfair.” His magic would not work, he could not get new opportunities to learn new spells and he could not leave this place for close to two weeks whilst doing absolutely nothing for the entire time. “What…can I do…?” Nayir choked up with tears of frustration, curled himself up into a ball and simply sat there, in the cold and dark prison, waiting for time to pass by. -END CHAPTER- [<< Previous Chapter](http://www.royalroadl.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=129&t=987)|[Next Chapter >>](http://www.royalroadl.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=129&t=1044) Here is the second chapter. It's probably not as detailed as it should be... but future chapters will likely make up for that. I figured I'd alter the stats slightly due to his race so I will be using my own calculation for them. That way I can make things up. It's going to be a little while before he gets out of the city where the real story will begin so I'll thank you for being patient whilst I build up a foundation. I am happy to see that I have gotten some comments on my previous chapter and it seems the type of person that the main character is proving to be interesting. I hope that as time continues on, more people will feel compelled to give their own thoughts on the story, they are always welcome. A slight side note, if you haven't noticed by now, I use British English so don't complain about the spelling unless you're certain I'm an idiot. If you have any general comments or suggestions then feel free to post them on the relevant topic I've created: [here.](http://www.royalroadl.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=129&t=1006) I will lock the first chapter soon and will continue to do the same with each chapter after I release the next one. ~Emeki

<div class="chapter-inner chapter-content"> <a href="http://www.royalroadl.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=119&amp;t=1032&amp;p=5445#p5445" target="_blank">Previous Chapter</a> <br> <br>Author's Note: <br>So here's the promised chapter :) Hope you enjoy it <br> <br>Btw thanks xion930 for pr! <br> <br>**** <br> <br>"There are no hidden entrances" Fenek the highest level rogue said reporting to Ace who nodded and turned towards Monthu. "As I mentioned to you before" there was a certain amount of annoyance in his voice but none acknowledged it. <br> <br>"That leaves us with only frontal attacks..." Monthu said thoughtfully. They probably could take the first wall but it would cost many lives. <br> <br>"What about hiring people from the nearby towns?" Hawk asked. <br> <br>"Do you have anything to pay them with? Doubtfully anyone will join us for free even if it's to regain their own castle" Monthu said dismissing that idea. "We'll have to try with what we have already." <br> <br>"Just don't underestimate them" Fenek said. <br> <br>"Do you know anything?" <br> <br>"Not really but I saw goblins bringing barrels of something up to the walls. It's way too smart for them to prepare for upcoming battles" Fenek said in a tired voice. He had been patrolling for a few days and involved in a few skirmishes when goblins tried to attack the camp under the veil of the night. It requires no mention how successful that was.&nbsp; <br> <br>"I'll take it into consideration" Monthu said and dismissed the rogue, then he turned towards Ace. "Do you have anything to add?" <br> <br>"Just agree to your way of thinking. We've already spent a week looking for any other way but there just isn't any. I'd say you should let my group try and go around the mountain but I can't say if we'll achieve anything" <br> <br>"What do you have in mind?" Hawk asked interested. <br> <br>"Well in a siege my group would be useless so we might as well try something else. If they would concentrate enough on you, I believe we could slip in through the top and cause some disturbances there" Ace said explaining his plan. <br> <br>"Isn't that a bit dangerous to go thirteen against the whole enemy base?" Aurora asked, not liking the plan at all. <br> <br>"I think it's a good idea" Monthu said thinking on a more strategic level. <br> <br>"But they'll probably just all die!" Aurora said. <br> <br>"So what? Isn't this a place to try out new things? What fun would it be to stay and watch how you win or lose? I want to see my own capabilities."&nbsp; <br> <br>Monthu looked at Ace for a little while judging his determination. There was no hesitation in the kid's eyes, only eagerness for a new adventure, a new battle to fight.&nbsp; <br> <br>"You leave this evening. Explain to everyone the plan and be prepared by then" Monthu said finally, making Ace smile in delight. <br> <br>"Cool! I'm on way!" he said mock saluting Monthu and ran off to search for his group. <br> <br>After some time Hawk asked. "Is it really a good idea to let him do what he wants? He's taking all our rogues for hardly a worthwhile thing." <br> <br>"It's better to keep him in a good mood" Monthu said with a sigh. He didn't really care about Ace's political power that was shown by getting this quest but Par liked this game. For that sole reason Monthu had to protect their reputation and that meant not angering any higher ups. Ace included. "Besides here they'll be literary useless while this way they can at least distract them for some time at worst case scenario." <br> <br>"I wish them luck then" Aurora said with sadness in her voice. It was surely a suicide mission and not required at all. <br>&nbsp; <br>Ace ran off first to find Par. It was important to make him the first to hear the news. The kid was found training his aim at the makeshift training ground for mages. <br> <br>"Hey!" Ace said loudly to gain his attention. "I want to tell you something!" <br> <br>"What is it?" Par asked stopping midcast and blowing a fireball in his face. "Ouch ouch ouch!" <br> <br>"You okay?" Ace asked concerned. <br> <br>"Yeah" Par said shaking his head slightly. <br> <br>"Come with me then!" Ace said and took Par's hand dragging him into a corner. "I've been allowed to go alone into the enemies' base!" he said once none could hear them. <br> <br>"What? Really?" <br> <br>"Yes! Me and other rogues are coming around the mountain and will jump down on their castle!" <br> <br>"That's amazing! I wish I could come with you! But my brother will never let me..." Par said wistfully. <br> <br>"Let's make a competition then!" Ace said happily. <br> <br>"What do you mean?"&nbsp; <br> <br>"Let's see who can gain more points! Last time you were confined to a wagon but this is different! What do you think?" <br> <br>"The loser will have to talk brother into visiting a circus!" <br> <br>"You drive a hard bargain" Ace said laughing and shook Par's hand. "Deal. And I'm off to win!" <br> <br>"You wish! Mages are the best!" Par said with his bright smile back. <br> <br>"Dream on!" Ace said and ran off to find his subordinates.&nbsp; <br> <br>They were even easier to find as rogues not on scouting duty stayed in the clearing Ace first talked to them. A few tents were made there to hide from rain or wind but nothing more.&nbsp; <br> <br>"What's new?" Fenek asked as all rogues circled them. The guy became the real leader while Ace was an official one. It was hard to say which one they would listen if their opinions ever differed. For now Ace brought orders from Monthu which they then divided between themselves. <br> <br>"Our new mission is to go around the mountain and try to infiltrate the castle. We're leaving tonight" Ace said in a voice full of pride and authority. He had to keep on the act. <br> <br>The rogues didn't seem particularly delighted at the idea. <br> <br>"Why such a stupid plan?" Fenek asked freely. He had no reason to talk respectively to a kid only because he had rich parents. <br> <br>"You..." Ace shook his head in disgust. "We're useless. This way we can at least be a distraction" <br> <br>That brought no arguments; they all were surprised to even be allowed to join.&nbsp; <br> <br>"We don't really have a choice, do we?" Fenek asked with a sigh. He expected something of a kind when he joined, no sane man would ever hire rogues for a siege. And now if they didn't follow, they would be removed from the quest and have wasted more than a few weeks for absolutely nothing.&nbsp; <br> <br>"I'll be leading the way. That's not debatable" Ace said readying a fighting stance but none argued him. It was a suicide mission; they had to infiltrate a base without any real plan. They might as well be led by a kid if that made him happy. "We'll go out when the sun sets. Be ready by then" Ace said and turned around to make his own preparations.&nbsp; <br> <br>Merchants were a class that followed no conventional rules. They would go into the deepest parts of hell if it only brought any profit. So there was no surprise they had come after the army and sold everything twice the price but they had all kinds of items you didn't thought about buying before and needed now.&nbsp; <br> <br>Ace came to one of such shops and looked for a new pair of shoes. His was nice and comfortable but very bad for mountain climbing. At the same time Ace picked up a few ropes, all the herbs and some pieces of cloth. You never know when such things might come in handy.&nbsp; <br> <br>Then he looked through his inventory and finding nothing of interest went to a nearby river. He looked for a deserted place and jumped into the water. 'C-c-coo-old-d-d' But that didn't mean he was planning on leaving. The freezing temperature was very refreshing and Ace enjoyed it immensely. 'It's no surprise I haven't seen anyone else coming for a swim.' <br> <br>He swam for a few more minutes before getting out and receiving a very unsettling message. <br> <br>*You have caught a cold. The body has become more rigid and the physical ability is reduced by 5%.* <br> <br>"Seriously? What nonsense! Can I no longer take a swim normally?" Ace asked incredulously with anger in his voice. Of course there was no answer. "I really do hate those game creators" <br> <br>He shook his head throwing water in all sides like a wet dog and took out a makeshift towel to dry himself. Ace was still shivering when he ran towards the tent he stayed in together with his team mates. There he found remnants of yesterday's fire and lighted a new one to warm up. His dripping wet clothes were uncomfortable but in Ace's opinion would dry soon enough so he made sure the fire won't spread and curled into a ball to sleep.&nbsp; <br> <br>Monthu was just so tired of all the planning. He liked fighting but that didn't involve being a general and being responsible for a whole army at all. He decided to check on Par to get away for at least a few moments. The first stop was their tent.&nbsp; <br> <br>Shocking sight met his eyes there. A small child was sleeping curled up into a tight ball next to a fire and sleeping soundly. Hair the colour of light gold signalled it to be Ace but Monthu could hardly believe it.&nbsp; <br> <br>The person lying there was just too innocent to be the scheming bastard he was acquainted to. 'Who is he really? The monster we see or this simple young kid?' Getting no answer from the sleeping child Monthu took out a blanket from his inventory and put it on the kid who slept on without noticing anything. <br> <br>Monthu walked out of the tent and walked to the training grounds where he and found Par. His brother talked about how Ace came to him to talk about his mission and how they created a competition who will get more points. &nbsp;Just as always it surprised Monthu how the guy could be so conscious of his brother's feelings and experience.&nbsp; <br> <br>"When will the first battle take place?" <br> <br>"This evening, once the sun sets." <br> <br>"That means I'll be the first to start" Par said smiling.&nbsp; <br> <br>"Yeah, good luck with that" Monthu said patting his brother on the shoulder and returning back to planning. It was going to be a long day. <br> <br>Sometime later Ace was woken up by a commotion near the entrance. He yawned and looked around taking in his surroundings. One thing hasn't been present before. 'Where did this blanket come from?' he wondered folding it and putting at the side. There were only embers left of his fire so he doused them off and stood up to see what was going on outside. <br> <br>A dozen people stood there looking at him with annoyance. <br> <br>"What?" Ace asked uncomprehending. <br> <br>"It's half an hour after sundown already" one of them said impatiently. <br> <br>"Whoops" Ace said with a guilty smile looking adorable. "Let's go then!" <br> <br>"Aren't you going to change into better clothing?" Fenek asked. The kid wore simple dark blue trousers and a shirt, an intricate deep purple scarf was wrapped around his neck making him look slightly older when his face indicated. <br> <br>"Nah. There's no chance in me finding any armour suited for my size anywhere around here." <br> <br>"Don't you have any specially made with your money?" <br> <br>"I'm an assassin, I don't usually get into situations where it would be better of use than the quick movement without it" Ace said explaining his lack of any defence. Then he opened the chat menu and texted Monthu. /We're leaving/ There was no answer but he hadn’t expected one.&nbsp; <br> <br>With that he ran towards the forest and used [Shadow Veil] and [Silent Steps] to disappear from sight. Rogues followed suit glimpsing him from time to time. After an hour or so they stopped to take a short break and replenish their stamina. It didn't mean they ran out of it so fast but that they didn't want to meet any 'friends' while being low and without most of their power. <br> <br>By the midnight they reached the summit of the mountain and started to walk up. For the first few hours it was easy but later on it got steeper and steeper each moment. It slowed down their pace considerably so they only made half of what Ace had planned for today. That meant it'll probably require a few more days than expected to get higher than the castle sits.&nbsp; <br> <br>When the morning came Ace found some thick brushes and made his camp there. It was horribly uncomfortable but would hide him from sight while he slept. Rogues found their own preferred sleeping places and went to rest. Only Fenek didn't follow, deciding to take watch. Ace noticed it and happily went to sleep. If there was someone smart enough to stay up to warn others about approaching danger, he would never dissuade him and do that himself.&nbsp; <br> <br>The next four days they continued upwards the same way with different people keeping watch. Ace made sure to never be one of them. In different circumstances it would have been a great way to earn his subordinates’ respect and trust but as long as he was a kid, they would only see a need to show off. It wasn't worth it at all. <br> <br>At the fifth evening they finally reached the checkpoint and in a way could see the castle and it's defenders below. It was a magnificent sight with sun going down behind the towers and thousands of goblins running in every direction yelling something unintelligible. A fight seemed to be going somewhere as they all were running in one direction. <br> <br>/That's our chance/ Ace wrote in their group chat and jumped down on one of the houses' roofs. The landing was rough even if you kept in mind that he jumped from let's say a seventh floor. It took almost all of his health and stunned him for a long ten seconds. Keeping his screams of pain at bay Ace used his broken arm to take out his strongest health potion and drank it. I <br> <br>t would regenerate his health back to maximum in five minutes but he wasn't allowed to move at all in that time. Not like he wanted to. He probably had his legs and a few other bones broken or badly bruised too. Luckily this was game and even such injuries could be healed in moments by the help of a cleric or strong enough potion.&nbsp; <br> <br>Ace put his [Shadow Veil] on and closed his eyes to wait out those agonizing minutes. 'Why do I always end up doing something extremely stupid?' he wondered knowing full well no rogue would have followed him and believed him now dead. The ability to disappear completely from sight as long as you weren't moving was that amazing. <br> <br>'What should I do now anyway, once I got here? It's not like anything has changed simply because of that.' He heard goblins walking around him looking for the culprit for the broken roof but Ace didn't open his eyes. That would only taunt him into moving and giving himself away. <br> <br>&nbsp;The numbers that symbolized the duration of his healing were moving in slow motion. 3,51. 'This is taking forever' 3,47. The shuffling of feet around only increased too. 3,35. 'Wonder what they're doing... Does at least one of them believe me to have survived it?' 3,24. 'When did seconds become so long?' 3,20. 'Gaah...' <br> <br>"What's going on here?" a man’s voice came, waking Ace up from his boredom. <br> <br>"Roof fall! None here! Mystery!" goblins said, answering in their very eloquent language. <br> <br>"Idiots" the man said cursing and started to look around himself. That wasn't good news for Ace. Humans were usually a bit smarter than goblins and this individual will probably like to investigate the landing place too, discovering an invisible body.&nbsp; <br> <br>Ace shut his eyes even more tightly and started to picture the place he was in his mind. The few pain filled moments he looked around were of little use but will have to work for now. He made as perfect a copy as he could and pushed it onto the man who by the sounds was turned away.&nbsp; <br> <br>The illusion had only one difference, the landing place was a meter away from where Ace lay still incapacitated, unless he wanted to move with a few broken bones. At least the potion worked as a painkiller too.&nbsp; <br> <br>1,59. 'I'm almost there, just a few more minutes and I can take my leave from those stupid smelly goblins.'&nbsp; <br> <br>The monsters really did smell not having had a bath in their lives and made Ace dream about his swim in the river. He wished to repeat it this very moment for the sake of getting the smell off himself. That, of course, was not meant to be as some goblin managed to fall over him anyway.&nbsp; <br> <br>"What this? Me fell! None here!" he shouted in outrage but receiving a glare from the human quieted down.&nbsp; <br> <br>Cloud was at his wits ends as to what happened here. The roof looked as if something heavy had fallen through it but there was nothing here! 'Did someone try to enter our base through here? But it would have been a suicide! Is that why there is nobody here?' he asked himself taking another long look and finding nothing but lots of dust left, ordering all the present goblins to return to their posts. Still wondering he went to report the incident to the leader. Maybe he'll be able to understand something better. <br> <br>Ace smiled as he was left alone. In the end the guy fell for the illusion and went away. 'He probably decided I had died thinking by the rules of real life. Tough luck' The smile turned malicious as Ace thought of how he was going to repay him for that. Life is such a wonderful but short lived thing. <br> <br>0.00 the numbers showed and disappeared. Ace activated [All Ears] to make sure no one was around and slowly sat up. Testing every limb he came to a conclusion he was as good as new and stood up jumping up and down a few times causing dust to rise all around.&nbsp; <br> <br>"Apchoo!" he sneezed from the onslaught of dust and used [Gust] to clear them out a bit. "Now let's see how they'll react. Sadly I can't see their faces right now." <br> <br>/Hey, guys! Aren't you coming down?/ <br> <br>/What?!/ <br> <br>/You're still alive?/ <br> <br>/How?!/ <br> <br>Ace smiled at that. 'Be amazed'&nbsp; <br> <br>/I just jumped down/ Ace said faking ignorance. <br> <br>/You should have died there/ Fenek said without any precautions. <br> <br>/The height probably isn't as great as it looks from up there/ Ace said with one corner of his lips rising slightly. 'They should get a taste of life too. I'm not going to waste my time and look for an easier way in for them.' /Just come over!/ <br> <br>Fenek didn't really believe it but he couldn't really be left behind by a kid. He took a big breath and closing his eyes jumped down. Wind rushed around him and earth came to meet him way too fast. A loud cracking noise could be heard as he landed heavily on his back. His health dropped below ten percent in an instant. 'Damn. I knew this was suicide. Why did I ever believe the kid went through it without any kind of trick?' <br> <br>Ace saw the guy crash down beside him and directed gust in a way that kept the sound inside the room. When he was sure goblins weren't coming, he moved closer to the almost dead rogue and poured the strongest health potion he had down the guy's throat.&nbsp; <br> <br>"Don't move a muscle unless you want to stay the way you are" he said in Fenek's ear and positioned himself at the side to wait.&nbsp; <br> <br>Five minutes later Fenek opened his eyes glaring at the smiling Ace. <br> <br>"What was that?" <br> <br>"You'd never have come if I told you how it was" Ace said shrugging. <br> <br>Fenek could understand his logic but didn't approve at all. The kid was way smarter and more manipulative than Fenek had given him credit for.&nbsp; <br> <br>"Why did yo..." his question was interrupted by a sound of someone crashing through the roof. <br> <br>"Gaaah!" a rogue who had just fallen screamed. <br> <br>"Shut up!" Ace hissed covering his mouth. It was already hard to hide the sounds of crashing not even starting with screaming. He poured a potion down his throat and kept a hand over the mouth to prevent any sound.&nbsp; <br> <br>"Release him at once!" Fenek said, angry for the boy's audacity. <br> <br>"Do you want us to be caught now that we survived the fall?" Ace asked quietly, looking straight into Fenek's eyes. <br>"I..." <br> <br>There was nothing to say to that. The silence had to be kept. /Fenek, are you and Fred alive?/ Belinda, the single female rogue asked him. /Yes/ he answered with a single word. It was better for them not to know what was coming or else they'll be stuck there not able to go further or go back and lose everything.&nbsp; <br> <br>"Wait, how many potions do you still have?" he suddenly asked Ace with fear in his voice. <br>"Enough" Ace said simply, strengthening the wind to make a cocoon around the house that prevented any sound from leaving. "Make them hurry up, I can't keep us unnoticed for much longer. My mana has limits too" <br> <br>"What do you mean?" Fenek asked surprised. <br>"How do you think no goblins rushed in to investigate the commotion? Did you think it was your immense luck? Sorry to disappoint you but that was my magic. And it's running out" <br> <br>In reality Ace could keep it for more than half an hour with his great regeneration but running out of it was never an option for him. Better get found out and run away than put your luck into not being found at all. <br> <br>Fenek decided to worry about it later and commanded everyone to fall down. It took him some time to make Belinda come down but finally even she jumped off and all of them were in.&nbsp; <br> <br>"That hurt!" Belinda said quietly with tears in her eyes after she had healed up. "Why did you make me do it, Fenek?" <br> <br>"We couldn't leave you behind" the guy answered with a heavy heart. It was pure torture to see a beautiful girl's face twisted in agony while a kid kept her screams silent for whole five minutes. <br> <br>The girl nodded but didn't seem any happier. Ace wasn't concerning himself about it as he was only an official leader. It was better in a way. <br> <br>"We should leave now and spread out to gather information for the rest of the night" he said glancing through a broken window outside. <br> <br>The coast was clear of any goblins or humans so Ace removed the wind shield and put on his hiding abilities before sneaking out. They seemed to have landed in a deserted alley, void of any life. It was surprising anyone had actually heard him. Moving swiftly he soon reached a more populated area. Goblins were walking in every direction talking in their simplified language, something about humans attacking. Not hearing anything of interest Ace continued on. <br> <br>Sometime later he reached the wall and looked through its defences. Climbing on a tower he looked over the battlefield. Or something of a kind. Monthu's fighters were attacking the gates with a giant pointy thing Ace had no name for but he had seen them in a few middle ages style films he'd watched. Other fighters were trying to use ladders but to no luck as goblins were smart enough to push them back. Still others were simply trying to climb the wall with one skill or another.&nbsp; <br> <br>Goblins were throwing stones or axe like things at them. Nothing made by goblin blacksmiths looked like a normal weapon. Swords were crooked, axes reminded of scythes while daggers were outmatched by even toothpicks. But nevertheless they did some damage and slowed the attackers quite well as they had to be healed every so often by clerics staged on a nearby hill.&nbsp; <br> <br>'They'll take it but there will be heavy losses or will take too much time' Ace decided. 'But what could we do to help them out? Could we may be open the gates for even a bit?' That was an interesting idea and Ace went to look for the mechanism. After some sneaking around he finally saw a big wheel lying sideways on a pedestal.&nbsp; <br> <br>Ten goblins were positioned in all sides of the room to make sure none tried to move it. After some waiting Ace noticed that they were changing after half an hour every time. 'But there are still ten of them, quite a number to deal with without a sound.' Still pondering Ace left and sneaking through the darker parts returned to the house they had fallen in. It was empty of any life. <br> <br>/Have you established a base?/ he asked Fenek through group chat. /Not yet but we have a few good places in mind/ Fenek said lying. They had found a good place to hide away but he wanted to be without the kid for a bit longer. It might have not been the kid's plan to cause suffering but he still reminded everyone of it. 'I'll tell him just before the sun rises' Fenek said to calm his own conscience and went for another check about the house.&nbsp; <br> <br>Ace wondered whenever truth was told to him as Fenek was the one to first care about survival but had no way of finding it out. The sun would be rising in an hour or two so he sneaked back to the better district and looked for a biggest house. Once one was spotted he carefully sneaked in and by looking through a lot of rooms found a secret passage who led to a single room.&nbsp; <br> <br>But it was occupied! Three adults and five kids were sleeping on the ground close to each other for warmth. In a corner a bag filled with a few days’ worth of food lay. 'Just my luck' Ace thought unhappily. There wasn't much time before sunrise when goblins will become much more active and might even see him if he was sneaking around. 'Who are they anyway? Maybe I can get useful information from them at least?'&nbsp; <br> <br>With that thought in mind he took out a ball of thread and threw at one of the adults. And it was a good idea he didn't come too close or else he might be the one sliced into pieces as what happened to the thread. 'So he's a dagger master. Interesting.'&nbsp; <br> <br>"That's not a very nice welcome" Ace said quietly as not to wake up the others. <br> <br>"Who are you?" the man asked in a threatening voice, rising from his makeshift bed, all sleep gone. "How did you get here?" <br> <br>"I'm part of the Oradin army that is trying to retake the castle from those filthy goblins" Ace said deciding to go with a saviour's act as these people seemed to be one of the last survivors. <br> <br>"Why should I believe you? You're probably just another one of those bastards that lied and took over our home!" the man said with hatred in his voice.&nbsp; <br> <br>'This isn't going too well and I'm no soldier to have an insignia symbolizing my station. I'm a kid too' <br> <br>"You're right to distrust strangers but don't you think I'd have killed all of you or at least tried to? What use would your lives have for me? But if you look from the other side and take into account that I'm from Oradin's army sent to reclaim this place it all makes sense. Don't you think?" Ace asked using a line he'd heard so many times in films. <br> <br>"So what? Where was your army when we needed you? When goblins were besieging us? You were nowhere in sight! But now that there's glory involved you're all flying here like bees to the honey. Bastards! I'm not going to help in anyway even if it costs my life! I wish you all die here like all those citizens did!" the man said in a quiet but malice filled voice. <br> <br>'Is there anyone he doesn't hate at the moment? Enemies were bad, but saviours are even worse?' Ace wondered as his eyes caught on a necklace hanging around the man's neck. It was a beautiful silver fox tail. And it horribly reminded him of one thing. To test his idea Ace slipped his hand under his shirt and brought his own out. It glistened in [Flare]'s small light.&nbsp; <br> <br>"Where did you get this?" the man asked coming closer to make sure his eyes weren't lying. <br> <br>"I had a very strange master. He talked lots and said almost nothing. One day he told me a story of a goddess and told me to pray to her. After the seventh time this necklace lay in my hands. When I asked master what it meant, he said to give a part of it to every victim of mine and get out of his house. He was done with me" Ace told his story noting the change in the man. He still seemed suspicious but much less angry. <br> <br>"Did he tell you his name by any chance?" <br> <br>"He said it was Sedgart" Ace said in surprise. 'Why should the old man have hidden his name? Or given this as a fake?' <br> <br>"Same as always, lacking any sense of preservation" the man said, shaking his head a bit with a smile. "My given name is Helbert, but around here I'm known as Owen or was as almost all are dead now. The nickname is Silver Fox"&nbsp; <br> <br>"Ace for all the open matters, Silver Wing or just Wing for darker ones" Ace said introducing himself in the same manner as his host. <br> <br>"Come with me then. There's one more room in this passage where we can talk without waking anyone up.” <br> <br>Ace nodded and followed the man stepping over the bodies. They went down a corridor for a few minutes before reaching another room. It was much easier with [Flare] in the open and not having to feel your way through. The place was made from dark stone and looked very old; the room had only a table, two chairs and a bookcase lining the wall. <br> <br>"Is this your house?" Ace asked sitting down. <br> <br>"Yeah, I've settled down here after meeting Elena. We were living happily with our two kids until those cursed humans came stealing from us, even the life of our little one."&nbsp; <br> <br>"What exactly happened here? It doesn't seem like goblins are the main problem." <br> <br>"They weren't at first. Somewhere around three-four months ago a group of well-known travellers came to our place. They told stories about great adventure and honour that occupied the minds of youths. Those kids went out to seek glory themselves to all of the parents' horror.&nbsp; <br> <br>“My daughters were too young for that so I didn't really care about that. It was a grave mistake I didn't know I was making. Not a week later the group asked for the best soldiers to defeat a goblin base that had been recently found nearby. The lord and council, me included, agreed to it and sent our best warriors and priests with them. We didn't have any bad feelings towards the group; it wasn't their fault that youths took their stories to their hearts and went out alone.&nbsp; <br> <br>“After half a month we heard news of our soldiers having been annihilated. We were in shock but a single survivor of a group, or so we thought, came to tell us that the soldiers fought with all they had and even though they destroyed the goblins' home didn't make it through. We were devastated at the loss but steeled our hearts and wrote their names among the heroes that had died protecting our home. We gave badges of honour to their families and any support they required.&nbsp; <br> <br>“Later we decided to create our army anew but only then did we notice being left without any recruits and no veterans. We had some soldiers but we were lacking in man power horribly if anyone tried to attack us. We thought about hiring adventurers but somehow none were present! That's when we understood the true magnitude of our losses and what it might mean.&nbsp; <br> <br>“Without having to wait long, it came. Hordes and hordes of goblins appeared from every direction and we had no way of fighting back. It was simply a massacre as we couldn't even hold the walls" the man told his story in an emotionless voice as if trying not to remember at the same time. <br> <br>"What happened then?" Ace asked, prodding softly when the silence continued longer than five minutes.&nbsp; <br> <br>Helbert woke up from his memories with a start but seeing only Ace before him calmed his beating heart down. <br> <br>"The nobles all barricaded themselves in their houses as the last resort. I did the same but it was of no use. They broke through it with ease and killed everyone in sight. As they were already in our house I ushered my family in the secret passage but my little one Dev jumped out and ran off to get her teddy. I tried to get her back but it was too late. Two goblins were in her room and stabbed her the moment she rushed in."&nbsp; <br> <br>Tears appeared in the man's eyes as he continued on. "She fell like a doll at the feet of those monsters who were laughing! Can you believe it? Laughing! I felt like falling next to her and dying or killing all the goblins in sight until death took me to her but Elena's desperate voice broke me out of it. I ran to her and closed the passage locking us away. We've been here, living on previously stashed food since then but it's running out. We won't last much longer." <br> <br>Ace listened to the tale with anger in his heart. 'What right did those players have to kill and abuse people they didn't even feel any hatred towards? You don't do such stuff for the fun of it or because it grants power.' Ace decided to play a game with them himself and show what it feels like to be played for a fool. And he was in a perfect position to do that, considering he had all the information in his hands about this place.&nbsp; <br> <br>"Here is some bread. It's not much but it'll help to make it through the upcoming days. I promise you soon enough this place will be free of any monsters and you'll have a place to see your remaining daughter grow up happily" Ace said to Helbert in a convincing voice. <br> <br>"How can you be so sure? The army’s leader is probably another glory starved idiot that knows nothing about fighting a large scale battle" Helbert said, dismissing even the thought of it. <br> <br>"You're wrong there. He's a friend of mine and he got the leadership by an accident, you know? But if he does something, he doesn't leave half way. I believe that the two of us can show those murderers where they belong." <br> <br>"You're one of the leaders?" Helbert asked in shock. It was surprising the kid was an assassin but how could he also be among the leaders sent to reclaim the castle? <br> <br>"Yeah. I travel around with Monthu and his group so when he got the order to create an army he gave me the control over a bunch of rogues. They're somewhere around here with me" Ace said thinking about how they didn't really care about him as the sun should have set down some time ago and no one even asked if he was all right.&nbsp; <br> <br>"That is amazing! We might actually have a chance this way!" Helbert said with hope in his voice for the first time. <br> <br>"Of course" Ace said smiling. <br> <br>"You should first look for any survivors. They will probably need help and will assist you in any way they can. Do you agree?" <br> <br>Ting! <br> <br><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td><div style="text-align: center">New Quest: Resistance <br> <br>Vascas castle has been occupied by monsters and most of its inhabitants killed. But humans are like cockroaches who survive no matter what befalls them. Even if you tried to kill them all a pair would still survive. Seek them out and earn their trust to help you out in helping them. <br> <br>Quest Difficulty: D <br> <br>Quest Requirements: Find any of the hiding families, earn their absolute trust and give them hope. <br> <br>Quest Progress: 1/15 </div></td></tr></tbody></table></div> <br> <br>'There's so many of them! They're truly like cockroaches!' Ace thought with surprise. <br> <br>"Yes, I'll look for them. Do you know anything about where they could be hiding?" <br> <br><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td><div style="text-align: center">*You have accepted the quest Resistance!*</div></td></tr></tbody></table></div> <br> <br>"I suppose some had secret rooms just like I but that's all. May the goddess of light lead your steps so they not falter!" Helbert said, praying for Ace's success. <br> <br>"May she hide you before her wings!" Ace said answering with his own. It was a specific of their goddess that there were no set prayers. You improvised yourself the way you understood the workings of the goddess and the closer you got the more chance it coming true became.&nbsp; <br> <br>The man took thirty pieces of barley bread lying on the table and left with a nod. Ace sat for a while longer before deciding to stay there for the day. He locked the door and took out some rags to use for a bed. Lying down he logged off to get some real rest too. <br>&nbsp; <br>Three days game time later Ace woke up prepared for anything but what was waiting for him. It was a single letter from Monthu asking about his progress while his group hadn't messaged him at all. 'You're all so getting de-promoted to useless mooks next time I meet Monthu'&nbsp; <br> <br>“How's it going?” Ace asked his supposed subordinates through voice chat to find out what they were up to the last few days. <br> <br>"What? You're still alive?” Fenek asked in surprise which reeked of a complaint. <br> <br>“Yep, was forced to log out for some time but now I'm back. What have you done while I was away?” <br>&nbsp; <br>“Well... We established our base and secured its surroundings...” Fenek said desperately thinking of things the kid could report to the general. 'So you were sleeping all the time waiting for Monthu to win back the castle and rescue you? Pathetic' <br> <br>“Great! Now we can launch our attack on the gates so much sooner!” Ace said cheerfully. <br> <br>“What? What do you mean?” Fenek asked in horror. <br> <br>“Have you went mad?” someone else asked also. <br> <br>“No but thanks for asking. Anyway we're doing it three days from now so get ready. I hope you didn't think now that we infiltrated the enemies base we'll be taking it easy, did you?” Ace asked laughing lightly at their misery. 'That's what you get for ignoring me. Learn your lesson well.' “I'll be contacting you then.” <br> <br>“What you're not even going to work with us?” Fenek asked, getting more and more angry.&nbsp; <br> <br>“I have my own things to do for now but I'll join you on the day whenever you have a reasonable plan or not. So be ready unless you want to be out. Bye!” Ace said lightly and cut off the chat. <br> <br>'Now I can contact Monthu' <br> <br>“Hey! Are you free at the moment?” <br> <br>There was a sigh from the other and a tired voice. “You could say so” <br> <br>“Is it that bad there?” <br> <br>“People are getting annoyed without accomplishing anything and starting to doubt my leadership. But, eh, gates can’t be bursted down easily. It might require a whole month of battering them yet nobody seems to care about such things” Monthu said explaining everything. He wasn't one to push his problems onto others but even he wanted someone to discuss them with. Yet his friends were too busy with their own groups to have time to think of battle strategies with him. <br> <br>“That doesn't sound too good. Do you have anything in mind to change it?” <br> <br>“I'm thinking of increasing the length of time we spend hitting the gates” <br> <br>“What about making it a twenty-four hour a day thing?” <br> <br>“It might weaken the morality but will surely bring faster results. Anyway, what have you been doing recently? Have you gotten into the castle?” <br> <br>“There are three things. One of them is good, one bad and one depends on a future” <br> <br>“What did you do to them?” Monthu asked already guessing the bad news. <br> <br>“It's not my fault they couldn't take a small fall! No one even died!” Ace said, genuinely annoyed at his group. <br> <br>“I have my doubts about it being a small fall but let's leave it at that. I trust you haven't done anything extremely amoral and still have them under your command?” <br> <br>“You could say that. Somewhy they truly hate me but are still afraid of getting thrown off the quest.” <br> <br>“You're already threatening them... You don't waste time, do you?” <br> <br>“Never” Ace said laughing a little. “Back to the main topic we'll be trying to open the gates in three days’ time. Be prepared in case we manage to succeed. It's doubtful as I left the planning to them but who knows. They might be geniuses in disguise” <br> <br>“Good luck with that and pull through. We would really appreciate it on the outside.” <br> <br>“I bet it” Ace said laughing and turned the chat off. <br> <br><a href="http://www.royalroadl.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=119&amp;t=1047" target="_blank">Next Chapter</a> </div>

[Previous Chapter](http://www.royalroadl.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=119&t=1032&p=5445#p5445) Author's Note: So here's the promised chapter :) Hope you enjoy it Btw thanks xion930 for pr! **** "There are no hidden entrances" Fenek the highest level rogue said reporting to Ace who nodded and turned towards Monthu. "As I mentioned to you before" there was a certain amount of annoyance in his voice but none acknowledged it. "That leaves us with only frontal attacks..." Monthu said thoughtfully. They probably could take the first wall but it would cost many lives. "What about hiring people from the nearby towns?" Hawk asked. "Do you have anything to pay them with? Doubtfully anyone will join us for free even if it's to regain their own castle" Monthu said dismissing that idea. "We'll have to try with what we have already." "Just don't underestimate them" Fenek said. "Do you know anything?" "Not really but I saw goblins bringing barrels of something up to the walls. It's way too smart for them to prepare for upcoming battles" Fenek said in a tired voice. He had been patrolling for a few days and involved in a few skirmishes when goblins tried to attack the camp under the veil of the night. It requires no mention how successful that was.  "I'll take it into consideration" Monthu said and dismissed the rogue, then he turned towards Ace. "Do you have anything to add?" "Just agree to your way of thinking. We've already spent a week looking for any other way but there just isn't any. I'd say you should let my group try and go around the mountain but I can't say if we'll achieve anything" "What do you have in mind?" Hawk asked interested. "Well in a siege my group would be useless so we might as well try something else. If they would concentrate enough on you, I believe we could slip in through the top and cause some disturbances there" Ace said explaining his plan. "Isn't that a bit dangerous to go thirteen against the whole enemy base?" Aurora asked, not liking the plan at all. "I think it's a good idea" Monthu said thinking on a more strategic level. "But they'll probably just all die!" Aurora said. "So what? Isn't this a place to try out new things? What fun would it be to stay and watch how you win or lose? I want to see my own capabilities."  Monthu looked at Ace for a little while judging his determination. There was no hesitation in the kid's eyes, only eagerness for a new adventure, a new battle to fight.  "You leave this evening. Explain to everyone the plan and be prepared by then" Monthu said finally, making Ace smile in delight. "Cool! I'm on way!" he said mock saluting Monthu and ran off to search for his group. After some time Hawk asked. "Is it really a good idea to let him do what he wants? He's taking all our rogues for hardly a worthwhile thing." "It's better to keep him in a good mood" Monthu said with a sigh. He didn't really care about Ace's political power that was shown by getting this quest but Par liked this game. For that sole reason Monthu had to protect their reputation and that meant not angering any higher ups. Ace included. "Besides here they'll be literary useless while this way they can at least distract them for some time at worst case scenario." "I wish them luck then" Aurora said with sadness in her voice. It was surely a suicide mission and not required at all.   Ace ran off first to find Par. It was important to make him the first to hear the news. The kid was found training his aim at the makeshift training ground for mages. "Hey!" Ace said loudly to gain his attention. "I want to tell you something!" "What is it?" Par asked stopping midcast and blowing a fireball in his face. "Ouch ouch ouch!" "You okay?" Ace asked concerned. "Yeah" Par said shaking his head slightly. "Come with me then!" Ace said and took Par's hand dragging him into a corner. "I've been allowed to go alone into the enemies' base!" he said once none could hear them. "What? Really?" "Yes! Me and other rogues are coming around the mountain and will jump down on their castle!" "That's amazing! I wish I could come with you! But my brother will never let me..." Par said wistfully. "Let's make a competition then!" Ace said happily. "What do you mean?"  "Let's see who can gain more points! Last time you were confined to a wagon but this is different! What do you think?" "The loser will have to talk brother into visiting a circus!" "You drive a hard bargain" Ace said laughing and shook Par's hand. "Deal. And I'm off to win!" "You wish! Mages are the best!" Par said with his bright smile back. "Dream on!" Ace said and ran off to find his subordinates.  They were even easier to find as rogues not on scouting duty stayed in the clearing Ace first talked to them. A few tents were made there to hide from rain or wind but nothing more.  "What's new?" Fenek asked as all rogues circled them. The guy became the real leader while Ace was an official one. It was hard to say which one they would listen if their opinions ever differed. For now Ace brought orders from Monthu which they then divided between themselves. "Our new mission is to go around the mountain and try to infiltrate the castle. We're leaving tonight" Ace said in a voice full of pride and authority. He had to keep on the act. The rogues didn't seem particularly delighted at the idea. "Why such a stupid plan?" Fenek asked freely. He had no reason to talk respectively to a kid only because he had rich parents. "You..." Ace shook his head in disgust. "We're useless. This way we can at least be a distraction" That brought no arguments; they all were surprised to even be allowed to join.  "We don't really have a choice, do we?" Fenek asked with a sigh. He expected something of a kind when he joined, no sane man would ever hire rogues for a siege. And now if they didn't follow, they would be removed from the quest and have wasted more than a few weeks for absolutely nothing.  "I'll be leading the way. That's not debatable" Ace said readying a fighting stance but none argued him. It was a suicide mission; they had to infiltrate a base without any real plan. They might as well be led by a kid if that made him happy. "We'll go out when the sun sets. Be ready by then" Ace said and turned around to make his own preparations.  Merchants were a class that followed no conventional rules. They would go into the deepest parts of hell if it only brought any profit. So there was no surprise they had come after the army and sold everything twice the price but they had all kinds of items you didn't thought about buying before and needed now.  Ace came to one of such shops and looked for a new pair of shoes. His was nice and comfortable but very bad for mountain climbing. At the same time Ace picked up a few ropes, all the herbs and some pieces of cloth. You never know when such things might come in handy.  Then he looked through his inventory and finding nothing of interest went to a nearby river. He looked for a deserted place and jumped into the water. 'C-c-coo-old-d-d' But that didn't mean he was planning on leaving. The freezing temperature was very refreshing and Ace enjoyed it immensely. 'It's no surprise I haven't seen anyone else coming for a swim.' He swam for a few more minutes before getting out and receiving a very unsettling message. *You have caught a cold. The body has become more rigid and the physical ability is reduced by 5%.* "Seriously? What nonsense! Can I no longer take a swim normally?" Ace asked incredulously with anger in his voice. Of course there was no answer. "I really do hate those game creators" He shook his head throwing water in all sides like a wet dog and took out a makeshift towel to dry himself. Ace was still shivering when he ran towards the tent he stayed in together with his team mates. There he found remnants of yesterday's fire and lighted a new one to warm up. His dripping wet clothes were uncomfortable but in Ace's opinion would dry soon enough so he made sure the fire won't spread and curled into a ball to sleep.  Monthu was just so tired of all the planning. He liked fighting but that didn't involve being a general and being responsible for a whole army at all. He decided to check on Par to get away for at least a few moments. The first stop was their tent.  Shocking sight met his eyes there. A small child was sleeping curled up into a tight ball next to a fire and sleeping soundly. Hair the colour of light gold signalled it to be Ace but Monthu could hardly believe it.  The person lying there was just too innocent to be the scheming bastard he was acquainted to. 'Who is he really? The monster we see or this simple young kid?' Getting no answer from the sleeping child Monthu took out a blanket from his inventory and put it on the kid who slept on without noticing anything. Monthu walked out of the tent and walked to the training grounds where he and found Par. His brother talked about how Ace came to him to talk about his mission and how they created a competition who will get more points.  Just as always it surprised Monthu how the guy could be so conscious of his brother's feelings and experience.  "When will the first battle take place?" "This evening, once the sun sets." "That means I'll be the first to start" Par said smiling.  "Yeah, good luck with that" Monthu said patting his brother on the shoulder and returning back to planning. It was going to be a long day. Sometime later Ace was woken up by a commotion near the entrance. He yawned and looked around taking in his surroundings. One thing hasn't been present before. 'Where did this blanket come from?' he wondered folding it and putting at the side. There were only embers left of his fire so he doused them off and stood up to see what was going on outside. A dozen people stood there looking at him with annoyance. "What?" Ace asked uncomprehending. "It's half an hour after sundown already" one of them said impatiently. "Whoops" Ace said with a guilty smile looking adorable. "Let's go then!" "Aren't you going to change into better clothing?" Fenek asked. The kid wore simple dark blue trousers and a shirt, an intricate deep purple scarf was wrapped around his neck making him look slightly older when his face indicated. "Nah. There's no chance in me finding any armour suited for my size anywhere around here." "Don't you have any specially made with your money?" "I'm an assassin, I don't usually get into situations where it would be better of use than the quick movement without it" Ace said explaining his lack of any defence. Then he opened the chat menu and texted Monthu. /We're leaving/ There was no answer but he hadn’t expected one.  With that he ran towards the forest and used [Shadow Veil] and [Silent Steps] to disappear from sight. Rogues followed suit glimpsing him from time to time. After an hour or so they stopped to take a short break and replenish their stamina. It didn't mean they ran out of it so fast but that they didn't want to meet any 'friends' while being low and without most of their power. By the midnight they reached the summit of the mountain and started to walk up. For the first few hours it was easy but later on it got steeper and steeper each moment. It slowed down their pace considerably so they only made half of what Ace had planned for today. That meant it'll probably require a few more days than expected to get higher than the castle sits.  When the morning came Ace found some thick brushes and made his camp there. It was horribly uncomfortable but would hide him from sight while he slept. Rogues found their own preferred sleeping places and went to rest. Only Fenek didn't follow, deciding to take watch. Ace noticed it and happily went to sleep. If there was someone smart enough to stay up to warn others about approaching danger, he would never dissuade him and do that himself.  The next four days they continued upwards the same way with different people keeping watch. Ace made sure to never be one of them. In different circumstances it would have been a great way to earn his subordinates’ respect and trust but as long as he was a kid, they would only see a need to show off. It wasn't worth it at all. At the fifth evening they finally reached the checkpoint and in a way could see the castle and it's defenders below. It was a magnificent sight with sun going down behind the towers and thousands of goblins running in every direction yelling something unintelligible. A fight seemed to be going somewhere as they all were running in one direction. /That's our chance/ Ace wrote in their group chat and jumped down on one of the houses' roofs. The landing was rough even if you kept in mind that he jumped from let's say a seventh floor. It took almost all of his health and stunned him for a long ten seconds. Keeping his screams of pain at bay Ace used his broken arm to take out his strongest health potion and drank it. I t would regenerate his health back to maximum in five minutes but he wasn't allowed to move at all in that time. Not like he wanted to. He probably had his legs and a few other bones broken or badly bruised too. Luckily this was game and even such injuries could be healed in moments by the help of a cleric or strong enough potion.  Ace put his [Shadow Veil] on and closed his eyes to wait out those agonizing minutes. 'Why do I always end up doing something extremely stupid?' he wondered knowing full well no rogue would have followed him and believed him now dead. The ability to disappear completely from sight as long as you weren't moving was that amazing. 'What should I do now anyway, once I got here? It's not like anything has changed simply because of that.' He heard goblins walking around him looking for the culprit for the broken roof but Ace didn't open his eyes. That would only taunt him into moving and giving himself away.  The numbers that symbolized the duration of his healing were moving in slow motion. 3,51. 'This is taking forever' 3,47. The shuffling of feet around only increased too. 3,35. 'Wonder what they're doing... Does at least one of them believe me to have survived it?' 3,24. 'When did seconds become so long?' 3,20. 'Gaah...' "What's going on here?" a man’s voice came, waking Ace up from his boredom. "Roof fall! None here! Mystery!" goblins said, answering in their very eloquent language. "Idiots" the man said cursing and started to look around himself. That wasn't good news for Ace. Humans were usually a bit smarter than goblins and this individual will probably like to investigate the landing place too, discovering an invisible body.  Ace shut his eyes even more tightly and started to picture the place he was in his mind. The few pain filled moments he looked around were of little use but will have to work for now. He made as perfect a copy as he could and pushed it onto the man who by the sounds was turned away.  The illusion had only one difference, the landing place was a meter away from where Ace lay still incapacitated, unless he wanted to move with a few broken bones. At least the potion worked as a painkiller too.  1,59. 'I'm almost there, just a few more minutes and I can take my leave from those stupid smelly goblins.'  The monsters really did smell not having had a bath in their lives and made Ace dream about his swim in the river. He wished to repeat it this very moment for the sake of getting the smell off himself. That, of course, was not meant to be as some goblin managed to fall over him anyway.  "What this? Me fell! None here!" he shouted in outrage but receiving a glare from the human quieted down.  Cloud was at his wits ends as to what happened here. The roof looked as if something heavy had fallen through it but there was nothing here! 'Did someone try to enter our base through here? But it would have been a suicide! Is that why there is nobody here?' he asked himself taking another long look and finding nothing but lots of dust left, ordering all the present goblins to return to their posts. Still wondering he went to report the incident to the leader. Maybe he'll be able to understand something better. Ace smiled as he was left alone. In the end the guy fell for the illusion and went away. 'He probably decided I had died thinking by the rules of real life. Tough luck' The smile turned malicious as Ace thought of how he was going to repay him for that. Life is such a wonderful but short lived thing. 0.00 the numbers showed and disappeared. Ace activated [All Ears] to make sure no one was around and slowly sat up. Testing every limb he came to a conclusion he was as good as new and stood up jumping up and down a few times causing dust to rise all around.  "Apchoo!" he sneezed from the onslaught of dust and used [Gust] to clear them out a bit. "Now let's see how they'll react. Sadly I can't see their faces right now." /Hey, guys! Aren't you coming down?/ /What?!/ /You're still alive?/ /How?!/ Ace smiled at that. 'Be amazed'  /I just jumped down/ Ace said faking ignorance. /You should have died there/ Fenek said without any precautions. /The height probably isn't as great as it looks from up there/ Ace said with one corner of his lips rising slightly. 'They should get a taste of life too. I'm not going to waste my time and look for an easier way in for them.' /Just come over!/ Fenek didn't really believe it but he couldn't really be left behind by a kid. He took a big breath and closing his eyes jumped down. Wind rushed around him and earth came to meet him way too fast. A loud cracking noise could be heard as he landed heavily on his back. His health dropped below ten percent in an instant. 'Damn. I knew this was suicide. Why did I ever believe the kid went through it without any kind of trick?' Ace saw the guy crash down beside him and directed gust in a way that kept the sound inside the room. When he was sure goblins weren't coming, he moved closer to the almost dead rogue and poured the strongest health potion he had down the guy's throat.  "Don't move a muscle unless you want to stay the way you are" he said in Fenek's ear and positioned himself at the side to wait.  Five minutes later Fenek opened his eyes glaring at the smiling Ace. "What was that?" "You'd never have come if I told you how it was" Ace said shrugging. Fenek could understand his logic but didn't approve at all. The kid was way smarter and more manipulative than Fenek had given him credit for.  "Why did yo..." his question was interrupted by a sound of someone crashing through the roof. "Gaaah!" a rogue who had just fallen screamed. "Shut up!" Ace hissed covering his mouth. It was already hard to hide the sounds of crashing not even starting with screaming. He poured a potion down his throat and kept a hand over the mouth to prevent any sound.  "Release him at once!" Fenek said, angry for the boy's audacity. "Do you want us to be caught now that we survived the fall?" Ace asked quietly, looking straight into Fenek's eyes. "I..." There was nothing to say to that. The silence had to be kept. /Fenek, are you and Fred alive?/ Belinda, the single female rogue asked him. /Yes/ he answered with a single word. It was better for them not to know what was coming or else they'll be stuck there not able to go further or go back and lose everything.  "Wait, how many potions do you still have?" he suddenly asked Ace with fear in his voice. "Enough" Ace said simply, strengthening the wind to make a cocoon around the house that prevented any sound from leaving. "Make them hurry up, I can't keep us unnoticed for much longer. My mana has limits too" "What do you mean?" Fenek asked surprised. "How do you think no goblins rushed in to investigate the commotion? Did you think it was your immense luck? Sorry to disappoint you but that was my magic. And it's running out" In reality Ace could keep it for more than half an hour with his great regeneration but running out of it was never an option for him. Better get found out and run away than put your luck into not being found at all. Fenek decided to worry about it later and commanded everyone to fall down. It took him some time to make Belinda come down but finally even she jumped off and all of them were in.  "That hurt!" Belinda said quietly with tears in her eyes after she had healed up. "Why did you make me do it, Fenek?" "We couldn't leave you behind" the guy answered with a heavy heart. It was pure torture to see a beautiful girl's face twisted in agony while a kid kept her screams silent for whole five minutes. The girl nodded but didn't seem any happier. Ace wasn't concerning himself about it as he was only an official leader. It was better in a way. "We should leave now and spread out to gather information for the rest of the night" he said glancing through a broken window outside. The coast was clear of any goblins or humans so Ace removed the wind shield and put on his hiding abilities before sneaking out. They seemed to have landed in a deserted alley, void of any life. It was surprising anyone had actually heard him. Moving swiftly he soon reached a more populated area. Goblins were walking in every direction talking in their simplified language, something about humans attacking. Not hearing anything of interest Ace continued on. Sometime later he reached the wall and looked through its defences. Climbing on a tower he looked over the battlefield. Or something of a kind. Monthu's fighters were attacking the gates with a giant pointy thing Ace had no name for but he had seen them in a few middle ages style films he'd watched. Other fighters were trying to use ladders but to no luck as goblins were smart enough to push them back. Still others were simply trying to climb the wall with one skill or another.  Goblins were throwing stones or axe like things at them. Nothing made by goblin blacksmiths looked like a normal weapon. Swords were crooked, axes reminded of scythes while daggers were outmatched by even toothpicks. But nevertheless they did some damage and slowed the attackers quite well as they had to be healed every so often by clerics staged on a nearby hill.  'They'll take it but there will be heavy losses or will take too much time' Ace decided. 'But what could we do to help them out? Could we may be open the gates for even a bit?' That was an interesting idea and Ace went to look for the mechanism. After some sneaking around he finally saw a big wheel lying sideways on a pedestal.  Ten goblins were positioned in all sides of the room to make sure none tried to move it. After some waiting Ace noticed that they were changing after half an hour every time. 'But there are still ten of them, quite a number to deal with without a sound.' Still pondering Ace left and sneaking through the darker parts returned to the house they had fallen in. It was empty of any life. /Have you established a base?/ he asked Fenek through group chat. /Not yet but we have a few good places in mind/ Fenek said lying. They had found a good place to hide away but he wanted to be without the kid for a bit longer. It might have not been the kid's plan to cause suffering but he still reminded everyone of it. 'I'll tell him just before the sun rises' Fenek said to calm his own conscience and went for another check about the house.  Ace wondered whenever truth was told to him as Fenek was the one to first care about survival but had no way of finding it out. The sun would be rising in an hour or two so he sneaked back to the better district and looked for a biggest house. Once one was spotted he carefully sneaked in and by looking through a lot of rooms found a secret passage who led to a single room.  But it was occupied! Three adults and five kids were sleeping on the ground close to each other for warmth. In a corner a bag filled with a few days’ worth of food lay. 'Just my luck' Ace thought unhappily. There wasn't much time before sunrise when goblins will become much more active and might even see him if he was sneaking around. 'Who are they anyway? Maybe I can get useful information from them at least?'  With that thought in mind he took out a ball of thread and threw at one of the adults. And it was a good idea he didn't come too close or else he might be the one sliced into pieces as what happened to the thread. 'So he's a dagger master. Interesting.'  "That's not a very nice welcome" Ace said quietly as not to wake up the others. "Who are you?" the man asked in a threatening voice, rising from his makeshift bed, all sleep gone. "How did you get here?" "I'm part of the Oradin army that is trying to retake the castle from those filthy goblins" Ace said deciding to go with a saviour's act as these people seemed to be one of the last survivors. "Why should I believe you? You're probably just another one of those bastards that lied and took over our home!" the man said with hatred in his voice.  'This isn't going too well and I'm no soldier to have an insignia symbolizing my station. I'm a kid too' "You're right to distrust strangers but don't you think I'd have killed all of you or at least tried to? What use would your lives have for me? But if you look from the other side and take into account that I'm from Oradin's army sent to reclaim this place it all makes sense. Don't you think?" Ace asked using a line he'd heard so many times in films. "So what? Where was your army when we needed you? When goblins were besieging us? You were nowhere in sight! But now that there's glory involved you're all flying here like bees to the honey. Bastards! I'm not going to help in anyway even if it costs my life! I wish you all die here like all those citizens did!" the man said in a quiet but malice filled voice. 'Is there anyone he doesn't hate at the moment? Enemies were bad, but saviours are even worse?' Ace wondered as his eyes caught on a necklace hanging around the man's neck. It was a beautiful silver fox tail. And it horribly reminded him of one thing. To test his idea Ace slipped his hand under his shirt and brought his own out. It glistened in [Flare]'s small light.  "Where did you get this?" the man asked coming closer to make sure his eyes weren't lying. "I had a very strange master. He talked lots and said almost nothing. One day he told me a story of a goddess and told me to pray to her. After the seventh time this necklace lay in my hands. When I asked master what it meant, he said to give a part of it to every victim of mine and get out of his house. He was done with me" Ace told his story noting the change in the man. He still seemed suspicious but much less angry. "Did he tell you his name by any chance?" "He said it was Sedgart" Ace said in surprise. 'Why should the old man have hidden his name? Or given this as a fake?' "Same as always, lacking any sense of preservation" the man said, shaking his head a bit with a smile. "My given name is Helbert, but around here I'm known as Owen or was as almost all are dead now. The nickname is Silver Fox"  "Ace for all the open matters, Silver Wing or just Wing for darker ones" Ace said introducing himself in the same manner as his host. "Come with me then. There's one more room in this passage where we can talk without waking anyone up.” Ace nodded and followed the man stepping over the bodies. They went down a corridor for a few minutes before reaching another room. It was much easier with [Flare] in the open and not having to feel your way through. The place was made from dark stone and looked very old; the room had only a table, two chairs and a bookcase lining the wall. "Is this your house?" Ace asked sitting down. "Yeah, I've settled down here after meeting Elena. We were living happily with our two kids until those cursed humans came stealing from us, even the life of our little one."  "What exactly happened here? It doesn't seem like goblins are the main problem." "They weren't at first. Somewhere around three-four months ago a group of well-known travellers came to our place. They told stories about great adventure and honour that occupied the minds of youths. Those kids went out to seek glory themselves to all of the parents' horror.  “My daughters were too young for that so I didn't really care about that. It was a grave mistake I didn't know I was making. Not a week later the group asked for the best soldiers to defeat a goblin base that had been recently found nearby. The lord and council, me included, agreed to it and sent our best warriors and priests with them. We didn't have any bad feelings towards the group; it wasn't their fault that youths took their stories to their hearts and went out alone.  “After half a month we heard news of our soldiers having been annihilated. We were in shock but a single survivor of a group, or so we thought, came to tell us that the soldiers fought with all they had and even though they destroyed the goblins' home didn't make it through. We were devastated at the loss but steeled our hearts and wrote their names among the heroes that had died protecting our home. We gave badges of honour to their families and any support they required.  “Later we decided to create our army anew but only then did we notice being left without any recruits and no veterans. We had some soldiers but we were lacking in man power horribly if anyone tried to attack us. We thought about hiring adventurers but somehow none were present! That's when we understood the true magnitude of our losses and what it might mean.  “Without having to wait long, it came. Hordes and hordes of goblins appeared from every direction and we had no way of fighting back. It was simply a massacre as we couldn't even hold the walls" the man told his story in an emotionless voice as if trying not to remember at the same time. "What happened then?" Ace asked, prodding softly when the silence continued longer than five minutes.  Helbert woke up from his memories with a start but seeing only Ace before him calmed his beating heart down. "The nobles all barricaded themselves in their houses as the last resort. I did the same but it was of no use. They broke through it with ease and killed everyone in sight. As they were already in our house I ushered my family in the secret passage but my little one Dev jumped out and ran off to get her teddy. I tried to get her back but it was too late. Two goblins were in her room and stabbed her the moment she rushed in."  Tears appeared in the man's eyes as he continued on. "She fell like a doll at the feet of those monsters who were laughing! Can you believe it? Laughing! I felt like falling next to her and dying or killing all the goblins in sight until death took me to her but Elena's desperate voice broke me out of it. I ran to her and closed the passage locking us away. We've been here, living on previously stashed food since then but it's running out. We won't last much longer." Ace listened to the tale with anger in his heart. 'What right did those players have to kill and abuse people they didn't even feel any hatred towards? You don't do such stuff for the fun of it or because it grants power.' Ace decided to play a game with them himself and show what it feels like to be played for a fool. And he was in a perfect position to do that, considering he had all the information in his hands about this place.  "Here is some bread. It's not much but it'll help to make it through the upcoming days. I promise you soon enough this place will be free of any monsters and you'll have a place to see your remaining daughter grow up happily" Ace said to Helbert in a convincing voice. "How can you be so sure? The army’s leader is probably another glory starved idiot that knows nothing about fighting a large scale battle" Helbert said, dismissing even the thought of it. "You're wrong there. He's a friend of mine and he got the leadership by an accident, you know? But if he does something, he doesn't leave half way. I believe that the two of us can show those murderers where they belong." "You're one of the leaders?" Helbert asked in shock. It was surprising the kid was an assassin but how could he also be among the leaders sent to reclaim the castle? "Yeah. I travel around with Monthu and his group so when he got the order to create an army he gave me the control over a bunch of rogues. They're somewhere around here with me" Ace said thinking about how they didn't really care about him as the sun should have set down some time ago and no one even asked if he was all right.  "That is amazing! We might actually have a chance this way!" Helbert said with hope in his voice for the first time. "Of course" Ace said smiling. "You should first look for any survivors. They will probably need help and will assist you in any way they can. Do you agree?" Ting! | New Quest: Resistance Vascas castle has been occupied by monsters and most of its inhabitants killed. But humans are like cockroaches who survive no matter what befalls them. Even if you tried to kill them all a pair would still survive. Seek them out and earn their trust to help you out in helping them. Quest Difficulty: D Quest Requirements: Find any of the hiding families, earn their absolute trust and give them hope. Quest Progress: 1/15 | | --- | 'There's so many of them! They're truly like cockroaches!' Ace thought with surprise. "Yes, I'll look for them. Do you know anything about where they could be hiding?" | *You have accepted the quest Resistance!* | | --- | "I suppose some had secret rooms just like I but that's all. May the goddess of light lead your steps so they not falter!" Helbert said, praying for Ace's success. "May she hide you before her wings!" Ace said answering with his own. It was a specific of their goddess that there were no set prayers. You improvised yourself the way you understood the workings of the goddess and the closer you got the more chance it coming true became.  The man took thirty pieces of barley bread lying on the table and left with a nod. Ace sat for a while longer before deciding to stay there for the day. He locked the door and took out some rags to use for a bed. Lying down he logged off to get some real rest too.   Three days game time later Ace woke up prepared for anything but what was waiting for him. It was a single letter from Monthu asking about his progress while his group hadn't messaged him at all. 'You're all so getting de-promoted to useless mooks next time I meet Monthu'  “How's it going?” Ace asked his supposed subordinates through voice chat to find out what they were up to the last few days. "What? You're still alive?” Fenek asked in surprise which reeked of a complaint. “Yep, was forced to log out for some time but now I'm back. What have you done while I was away?”   “Well... We established our base and secured its surroundings...” Fenek said desperately thinking of things the kid could report to the general. 'So you were sleeping all the time waiting for Monthu to win back the castle and rescue you? Pathetic' “Great! Now we can launch our attack on the gates so much sooner!” Ace said cheerfully. “What? What do you mean?” Fenek asked in horror. “Have you went mad?” someone else asked also. “No but thanks for asking. Anyway we're doing it three days from now so get ready. I hope you didn't think now that we infiltrated the enemies base we'll be taking it easy, did you?” Ace asked laughing lightly at their misery. 'That's what you get for ignoring me. Learn your lesson well.' “I'll be contacting you then.” “What you're not even going to work with us?” Fenek asked, getting more and more angry.  “I have my own things to do for now but I'll join you on the day whenever you have a reasonable plan or not. So be ready unless you want to be out. Bye!” Ace said lightly and cut off the chat. 'Now I can contact Monthu' “Hey! Are you free at the moment?” There was a sigh from the other and a tired voice. “You could say so” “Is it that bad there?” “People are getting annoyed without accomplishing anything and starting to doubt my leadership. But, eh, gates can’t be bursted down easily. It might require a whole month of battering them yet nobody seems to care about such things” Monthu said explaining everything. He wasn't one to push his problems onto others but even he wanted someone to discuss them with. Yet his friends were too busy with their own groups to have time to think of battle strategies with him. “That doesn't sound too good. Do you have anything in mind to change it?” “I'm thinking of increasing the length of time we spend hitting the gates” “What about making it a twenty-four hour a day thing?” “It might weaken the morality but will surely bring faster results. Anyway, what have you been doing recently? Have you gotten into the castle?” “There are three things. One of them is good, one bad and one depends on a future” “What did you do to them?” Monthu asked already guessing the bad news. “It's not my fault they couldn't take a small fall! No one even died!” Ace said, genuinely annoyed at his group. “I have my doubts about it being a small fall but let's leave it at that. I trust you haven't done anything extremely amoral and still have them under your command?” “You could say that. Somewhy they truly hate me but are still afraid of getting thrown off the quest.” “You're already threatening them... You don't waste time, do you?” “Never” Ace said laughing a little. “Back to the main topic we'll be trying to open the gates in three days’ time. Be prepared in case we manage to succeed. It's doubtful as I left the planning to them but who knows. They might be geniuses in disguise” “Good luck with that and pull through. We would really appreciate it on the outside.” “I bet it” Ace said laughing and turned the chat off. [Next Chapter](http://www.royalroadl.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=119&t=1047)

<div class="chapter-inner chapter-content"> <span style="font-weight: bold;">Pt 1: Headlong Rush Into Trouble<br></span><br>-Logging in Player Pep-Ri. Wait time left before gaining consciousness 3 minutes-<br><br>Having been forced to log off for 3 in game hours, or 45 minutes, Keith had went downstairs to grab some food from the kitchen only to be met by his youngest sister Sharon.<br><br>"Hi Keith! Are you finally bored with that game yet?"<br><br>Sharon looking bored herself was playing with her dolls. A sight which would normally be cute, if her dolls were doing something other than torturing a stuffed teddy. looking around it became apparent <span style="font-style: italic;">'She must be playing that game of spy versus spy again.' </span> Which in all reality was one of her favorite games to play. The dolls were holding a pair of scissors (taped to their hands) forcing the bear to reveal its secrets. Unfortunately for the Teddy it would never reveal those secrets as its stuffing was lying across the living room floor. Thus Sharon finishing her game had a look of boredom.<br><br>"Sharon no I am not bored with Royal Road yet. In fact despite some setbacks it has been more fun than anything I have played lately. Besides don’t you remember you’re not supposed to kill your toys anymore? Mom and Dad are going to get mad!"<br><br>Gathering her toys she quickly ran to her room crying leaving a trail of stuffing, a string of which had somehow managed to hang from the bear’s open stomach.<br><br>For the longest time Sharon had been quite violent with her friends and toys. Her idea of fun always seemed to start with seeing how long it took for her friends to scream in pain as she pinched them, into submission, with her sharp nails.. Failing that she would proceed onto slightly more cruel games. To say the least after only the first few days at kindergarten she was ignored and isolated by the other kids.<br><br>Play dates with what few friends she had, also had been canceled by the parents due to the many “accidents” that had been happening around her. Sharon was eventually left to play by herself. If anything this made Sharon only get crueler to her toys and her older siblings. Therapy with a child’s physiologist only revealed that she for some reason had been allowed to watch too many horror and slasher films… She was in fact trying to copy what she had seen in the movies.<br><br>Strange thing was no one in their family even watched such movies. When asked, where she had seen the movies the five year old (at the time) grew confused saying she had just “seen them”. Further questioning revealed that their next door neighbor Jessica, who frequently babysat Sharon was a horror buff. She had many times sat with Sharon watching Saw, Friday the 13th, etc. while the rest of the family went to Keith's swimming competitions, or family events too boring for a five year old.<br><br>To say the least Sharon was now forced into going to every family event. Even so after three years it did not curb her current little displays of toy violence which were unfortunately quite common.<br><br>Eating a sandwich Keith cleaned up his sister’s mess and comforted her until she was willing to help sew her teddy back together. To Keith's distress, he had gained the nickname toy Doctor over the past couple of years.<br><br>Taking her to their mother, who was outside tending their small garden, Keith explained what happened. It took a couple of minutes but Sharon finally apologized and started stabbing the ground with a small garden shovel. Leaving his sister and mother he made his way back to the capsule and his computer.<br>Keith then began to search the forums for info and tips on hunting. Any advantage he could gain would be a great help if he was going to survive long enough to gain a companion. He was surprised when all he read said that Rhodium was a horrible hunting grounds. Despite the small boosts one could gain from the statues and artwork throughout the city, there was nothing but sparse rabbits and the occasional fox to hunt. In other cities though, hunting grounds and the few dungeons found so far, were plentiful with mobs. It was only the fields around Rhodium that provided scarce pickings. Lines had even formed up with entire parties waiting just to take down what few rabbits could be found. The one dungeon that had been found near Rhodium had cave spiders, which were slightly more abundant but provided no drops other than venom sacks and spider legs. Decidedly getting killed by the poison was not worth a few coppers gained by selling the loot. Basically If he was going to get a decent companion he had best get away from Rhodium as soon as he logged in.<br><br>He realized that some of the problems with hunting came down to everyone’s classes. The only other players Pep-Ri had met so far all turned into blacksmiths, carpenters, dancers, bards, etc. There were no warriors, priests, and only one or two mages! Sure Rhodium was a city of artists but who knew so many of the beginner quests would end up forcing you into a profession you didn't want! Out of the three friends he had made so far only one of them had willingly chosen their profession. So while the serial quest he had received from Jenkins gave little experience and no real benefits. At only level five, leaving the city he was far better off than some of the people he was leaving behind. There was no way Pep-Ri was going to stay in a place that would only lead to a life of a support class or life of forced labor. While he could have just changed classes later, he did not want to face the drawbacks and penalties many players would face when going from a craft class to a magic or sword based class. Basically not only did he need to escape rhodium for his quest, but also so he could receive a decent class!<br><br>Suddenly a bright light flashed in front of Keith’s eyes telling him he could finally log back in.<br><br>Waking up on the ground Pep-Ri Rushed out the city gates past the lines of blood soaked players eagerly waiting their turn at the rabbit spawn area.. Running into the woods /he was only worried about one thing. Creating a bond with the perfect animal partner. Based on the Quest qualifications He had less than two hours to create a pact with a creature of nature. Knowing that his options were limited in the area surrounding Rhodium Pep-Ri had decided to run past the surrounding forest effectively leaving Rhodium and all its troublesome weak mobs to itself. If he had more time for preparation he may have stayed and looked for a party to join in his quest. His only problems with doing so were the time limit, and how weak everyone appeared to be.<br><br>Forcing his way through the brush He was constantly being met with system messages.<br><br>Tring*<br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td>You have scratched your legs and arms on the thorns. -10 Hp</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br>Tring*<br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td>You have hit your foot on a large rock. -5 Hp</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br>Tring*<br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td>You have stepped on a wolf's tale. Aggression towards wolves rises by 13.</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br>At that last one Pep-Ri turned his head to see a pack of wolves running at his feet. They were literally snapping at his heels. Crashing through the forest Pep-Ri tried weaving through the trees in order to lose his pursuers to no avail. <br>Running headfirst and making a sharp turn past a Boulder the size of a house Pep-Ri felt water rushing through his shoes. Stealing a glance backwards one of the Wolves leapt forward reaching out so it could bite his left arm.<br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td>-20 health.</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br><br>Looking at his Health bar he noticed that he only had around 35% of his max health left. Deciding that his only course of action with any chance of survival was for him to attempt his new skill that came alongside the quest. Looking ahead of him he saw the water would become fast moving rapids. Knowing that meant either the water would pull him in along with the wolves behind him or maybe, just maybe he could work it out where only the wolves would be caught up in the now harder to move in water. As the water reached his chest he adopted a swimming position. Having been on the swimming team for most his middle school and high school experience he expected he could fight the current just long enough to trap the dumb animals while he teleported to safety. What he was not expecting was Royal Road to have literally made a skill for everything. Including a somewhat unused skill in the game like, swimming mastery. Sinking deeper into the current, Pep-Ri soon lost all control of his body. An air meter even popped up in his vision which hardly even registered to the now panicking mass of swirling arms and legs. <br><br>‘I have to get air! Even if I can’t swim or breath, if I can’t speak I can’t teleport out of here! I’m dog meat. T-T’. Using what knowledge he had about swimming in currents from his swim team practices he began to fight the fast moving current. Looking around he felt the now very fast moving ground and tried to force himself upwards. Succeeding in jumping up, Pep-Ri shot out of the water almost going faster than the current could pull him. <br><br>Shooting out like a torpedo Pep-Ri was greeted with a brief pause in his movement. In a brief flash of memory, an American show his father used to watch popped into his head. Something about a coyote holding up a sign and then something bad would always happen. What show was that?<br><br>After shooting out the waterfall Pep-Ri was greeted with the sight of almost an eleven story drop into a pool of water! A quick pause in the games settings had allowed Pep-Ri a brief moment of Air time in which he literally hung upside down in mid-air. The game quickly adjusted its settings letting Pep-Ri fall to his most certain death. Falling quickly he could only manipulate his body enough to turn around and gloat at the pursuing wolves. Laughing hysterically and about to use his trump card he searched for the falling wolves only to see a pack of dog heads look over the edge of the shore near the fall. Turning around the Wolves left the edge of the cliff leaving Pep-Ri to fall to his death. <br><br>Realizing what had happened he realized that only he was stupid enough to jump headfirst into a system of rapids leading to a waterfall. This was the Wolves Territory so of course they would avoid getting caught up in the water. <br>Envisioning himself standing safely back in Rhodium’s town square. Almost using it as a curse he spat out the word, -Land Skip-. Just as he reached the water his vision of the world dissipated. Leaving only the faintest sensation of water hitting his back.<br><br><br>(On a side note.) The waterfall in which Pep-Ri had almost died. Or so he assumed, became a hotspot a few years later when a certain heat wave took the continent hostage. The river above the waterfall led into the Pool of Blissful Tears. The calming waters had a restorative effect on users allowing them to not only use the waterfall as a giant waterslide without health penalties, but also restore any life they may have lost previously during battle. Royal Road had recorded the pools founder through a sign created by NPC’s that read. <br><br>-A young Traveler chased by wolves fell over the falls only to disappear into the waters below. Before entering the water happy to be rid of a death through being torn to shreds, the brave soul let out a mighty laugh. No sign of him was ever seen again. It is believed in his brave act of desperation the God’s looked down on his soul and took pity. Allowing his tragic death to become the catalyst upon which the pool’s restorative effect could take place.- <br>(Truth is the game developer’s thought it would be cool to have a huge pool of water you fall into, from a great height, after riding a river that had been designed to act as a water slide.)<br><br>(Back to the story.)<br><br>Landing on the ground with a large Thump*. Pep-Ri could only wheeze out a complaint of… -Ugh. That hurt-<br><br>Tring*<br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td>Health has been fully restored due to unknown reasons.</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br>Tring*<br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td>Because you have improperly used the Land Skip ability to travel a long distance. You have used up all your mana and 90% of your remaining health. Long distance travel using Land Skip will now be blocked until the Teleportation skill is unlocked.</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td>Because you lost concentration during your travels through the ethereal plane you have not arrived in the intended location. A random starter city has been pulled from the known continent drawn on your map. You have now arrived in the the Fort of Creighton, Haven Kingdom.</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br>(Haven Kingdom’s Starter City has not been Stated…..If it has I missed it and will change it….)<br><br>Sitting up quickly Pep-Ri pulled out the map Jenkins had given him. Looking plainly at the various locations he exclaimed. –I just traveled half the continent in under 20 minutes of logging on!- Surrounding Pep-Ri hundreds of players were bustling about ignoring the obviously new player who had just appeared in a now familiar flash of light. That is until they noticed his leather armor.<br><br>"Gheez how’d he start out with a full set of leather armor?"<br><br>"Bet he paid real world money in order to start out with that."<br><br>"Can you believe the nerve of some people! I worked the past 3 weeks in order to only get this stinking pair of shoes! He comes in fully decked out. He’s a pixie too so why does he even need armor?"<br><br>Looking around at the many angry faces Pep-Ri shot up like a cannon and bolted. A mob of players gave chase swinging their swords and casting their spells only to quickly give up when Pep-Ri jumped a tall fence on account of their low stamina and stats.<br><br>" Sh** He not only spawns with full leather gear but increased stats as well. I call hacks on this! System call Admin!"<br><br>Reports were quickly sent out to the many players that had given chase, that the pixie player had not in fact bought anything outside the game, or hacked the codes for bonus reward. They had inadvertently just attacked ad chased an innocent player. They were all lucky he had not died else the system would have attached a PK symbol on their foreheads. <br><br><br><span style="font-weight: bold;">Pt. 2: When Being A Neutral Gets Weird</span><br><br>Getting lost in the much larger city Pep-Ri was now panicking due to his decreasing time limit. Leaving his natural habit of thinking out loud, untamed and developing into a shouting rampage!<br><br><span style="font-style: italic;">'Seriously!! First the wolves and now a bunch of jealous PK wannabes! I just have the worst luck! I get a hidden mission to go and befriend some stupid animal only to get chased and lost! Where in the world is that stupid gate?!?'</span><br><br>A nearby player pretending to be an NPC saw the young pixie child throwing a tantrum in the crowded street. Taking pity on the pixie, the young man walked up to console the frail looking girl. For upon closer inspection it was slightly noticeable that the pixie was in fact female due to her slight developing bosom. Meaning that she was probably old enough by pixie standards to be out on her own. Which means the young lady was within his strike zone. <br><br>"Young madam if you are searching for the gates why don’t you let me escort you to them. They are only a short walk away. I can maybe even buy you some food and drink on our way if you’d like. Then maybe we can party afterwards and get to know one another."<br><br>Seeing the slightly embarrassed boy Pep-Ri was astonished that he was in fact being flirted with…. By another guy! <span style="font-style: italic;">'Why is this happening? I shouldn't be getting hit on should I?' </span><br><br>Looking down she was saddened to see her chest had expanded and her hips had curved out again….. <span style="font-style: italic;">‘Curse this stinking Neutral gender thing!! Every time I turn back into a guy I just switch around again!!!’ </span>(&lt;-actually manages to keep his mouth shut while thinking this).<br><br>"N.n.no th.thank you. I believe I can make it there myself"<br><br>Mistaking her refusal as shyness the boy persisted. "Oh I get it your one of those shy types right? Here my name is Mathias. I just recently got my class and heard if you acted like an NPC beggar you could get money from people. So I have plenty of money for a couple of rounds! So let me get you something."<br><br>Grabbing Pep-Ri by the hand he pulled the shocked and disgusted Pep-Ri behind him. Pulling up next to a vendors cart he bought some food and drinks for them both secretly emptying his pocket in exchange for what he thought was a date with a potentially new girlfriend.<br><br>Eating the food and drinking the water Pep-Ri flipped through her possible escape options. <span style="font-style: italic;">'My mana and health are partially restored thanks to this meal. But that Doesn't really help the fact that the guy Mathias is literally cornering me into eating it. My guess is he spent whatever points he has earned so far into strength… With my measly childlike strength I really can't break his grasp. Being a level 5 sucks.'</span><br>Giving up on doing so she realized that she could only rely on her speed and her athletic abilities. Her mana was not enough to activate any of her abilities except maybe a short burst of the Illusionary Haze. Unfortunately she only had enough mana to keep it on for only 5 seconds, which was barely enough time to escape. Looking at the timer on the floating icon in front of her she had little choice. <br><br>Mathias so absorbed in talking about his own greatness barely had time to react when the young pixie girl pulled out a beginners dagger and cut at his hand. Losing a finger to the cut he let go and could only stare at the…. Disappearing pixie???<br><br>"Hey where did you go? I thought we would party and maybe even become friends! After that we could even meet up outside the game and I don’t know try dating!" Dismayed at the loss of his hopes and dreams the one thing he didn't want to hear was whispered out from the air.<br><br>"Get over it dude it’s not like you would have wanted to date a guy like me anyways. Just because I look like a girl doesn't mean I am one"<br><br>Dismayed at the thought of the young cute pixie being a boy, Mathias logged off wishing she had not run into someone so much like herself. Being an Andriophobic she had entered RR hoping to fall in love with a girl like herself. All her plans counted on was finding a shy enough girl who would fall in love with the first man who treated her properly. Then if their love was real Mathias would have revealed himself as a girl in real life. Hopefully continuing their relationship afterwards. Alas it was not to be.<br><br><br><span style="font-weight: bold;">Pt. 3: With Only Seconds to Spare</span><br><br><br>Following the main road Pep-Ri made sure to talk to a female NPC so his gender would be locked as a male for a bit. After doing so he ran out the gates completely unprepared for the bloody massacre that would meet his eyes. Rabbits and Foxes where running for their lives as little girls, and gigantic burly men swung axes, maces, wands, and swords in an effort to kill the elusive yet small animals. Having missed they resorted to trapping the poor things in a circle of players waiting for someone to get a final blow. It was such a sad sight that yet again Pep-Ri ran into the woods ignoring as much of what was happening as possible… It was like Sharon had told Unicorn exactly how to make the game as bloody and cruel as possible…<br><br>Rushing through the brush Pep-RI kept his eyes out for any wolves. Apparently his familiarity drop with the animals had been permanent and would likely cause any wolf that saw him to attack. Meaning no wolf would ever consent to being his companion either. With only forty-five minutes left all he could do was run until he found something worthwhile to appear in front of him.<br><br>Ten minutes later Pep-Ri was ready to give up on the quest entirely. He had found nothing larger than a fox in the past half hour. The last of which was over 15 minutes ago!! There was no way he would make it in time! <br><br>Hearing a scream from his left Pep-Ri turned towards the yell for help at a full sprint.<br><br>Tring*<br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td>You have heard a scream for help! A traveling group of NPC’s are being attacked by Kobolds for food and money. The Kobold leader NasaNusa is intent on killing all the travelers. Fight alongside the NPC’s as they battle the Kobolds! Kill all 50 Kobolds if possible so that Travelers and Merchants will no longer be plagued by<br>Quest Difficulty: C<br>Quest Rewards: Depends solely on your actions in battle and how many NPC’s are left alive after battle. Bonus Rewards: Fame, experience, a Title, and 50 gold to each player; will be rewarded for beating all the Kobolds and the named boss NasaNusa.<br>Quest Requirements: Player (‘s) must have rushed willingly towards the cry for help. Player (‘s) must have completed at least one D Rank quest already. <br>If quest is refused you will be chased by the Kobolds until death.</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td>Do you accept Yes / No</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br><br>-S***…. So even If I don’t accept I am dead….. Fine yes I accept-<br><br>Rushing into the unknown what Pep-Ri found could only be called a massacre. Men and women were dying left and right as Kobolds ran around causing chaos and slaughtering everyone who they came across. Seeing a merchant crawl under a nearby wagon Pep-Ri rushed over to him. <br><br>"Hey Mister I am going to try and help you but I am going to need all the health and mana potions along with all the strength buff potions I can get in order to defeat these Kobolds. I promise even if it takes me a hundred years I will pay you for each of the potions I use!!!"<br><br>"Why should I trust a small pixie like you! You will probably take my potions and run away from battle!! I never have trusted Pixies!! They are all dishonest and thieving!"<br><br>Knowing he had little else but what he had on him and himself Pep-Ri Took a snipet of knowledge about his race found during his research. He promised the one thing he could not break from. "I will make a blood oath with you that I will pay the upfront cost of the potions I use by todays market standards! Even If it takes me a hundred years!!"<br><br>The Alchemist looked up at that. Blood oaths were technically forbidden amongst Fairy folk as the magic in their blood forced them to comply with any oath they gave. Knowing it unfair to do such a thing as completely cheat the pixie on such a binding oath the Alchemist quickly drew up a semi-Fair contract for a loan of potions for market price value and only a 1% yearly interest. After signing the contract the Alchemist withdrew three of his strongest potions. His very life's work were put into the potions. <br><br>Pep-Ri quickly drank the potions only pausing to see what benefits they gave.<br><br>Tring*<br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td>You Drank A Legendary Potion of Invincibility Created by A Master Alchemist<br>Your health has been permanently increased by 200 and will remain at 100% for the next 5 minutes no matter how much damage you would take. You cannot die for 5 minutes. After the effects wear off you will be temporarily vulnerable to critical hits from even the slightest of hits.</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br>Tring*<br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td>You drank a legendary mana potion created by a Master Alchemist<br>Your mana has been permanently increased by 200 and will remain at 100% for the next 5 minutes no matter how many spells or skills you activate. After the effects wear off your mana will be temporarily halved for 5 days.</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br>Tring*<br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td>You drank a legendary temporary strength boost potion created by a Master Alchamist.<br>You gain 400 temporary Strength points. For the next 4 minutes you will have bulging muscles. After the effects wears off your Max strength will be temporarily halved for 5 days.</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br>"…………………………………Holy S***……………………………………."<br><br>Ignoring his thoughts of impossible situation contingencies Pep-Ri walked forwards in his newly formed God mode carrying the strength of a swordsman of level 70 who had completed basic swordsman training and devoted every level stat bonus into STR…. All while only being a level five.<br><br>Activating Illusionary Haze Pep-Ri disappeared completely from view. Cursing his Luck the Alchemist made sure that the pact had been made properly. He did not stop worrying until he saw Kobolds and loot falling left and right. <br><br>Despite his invisibility and his strength boost, due to the fact that Pep-Ri only had a beginner’s dagger it still took him multiple blows to kill each Kobold. <br><br>"These things are just too strong! Why is it even possible for a level 5 pixie to get such a quest!!"<br><br>In fact this quest was meant for a group of players who had already built a strong enough party while complete high difficulty level quests. As part of the chain quest it had opened itself to the first group who responded to the call for help.<br><br>Going from one Kobold to the next Pep-Ri only paused to pick up the item drops. Stabbing, slashing, dodging flailing weapons, and looting Pep-Ri barely had time to think straight. The NPC Fathers and Sons were fighting bravely alongside Pep-Ri. Even so most of them were carpenters, blacksmiths, and craft class workers. Quickly dispersing the entire horde of Kobold fighters, mages, and berserkers in under three minutes. Pep-Ri only had one Kobold left. <br><br>The Kolbold called NasaNusa stood half a foot taller than Pep-Ri. It had leather armor made from various animal skins patched together with thick laces. In some places the leather was hanging shredded from where his over sized Kobold body didn't quite fit. While Pep-Ri hand been busy with the last five Kobold warriors or so, NasaNusa roared his defiance at a particularly strong NPC Warrior. <br><br>The Kobold charged a young woman carrying her child. Knocking the woman over NasaNusa thrust his rusted Spatha (Roman Sword) into the woman’s side. The woman cried out in agony grabbing the sword she pushed her child to the side. Then she used her now free hand to claw at the now struggling NasaNusa as he tried to free his pinned sword.<br><br>Seeing the exposed back of NasaNusa Pep-Ri snuck up on the large monster waiting for it to raise its over sized head. Right as the Kobold jerked the sword free it fell backwards into a striking dagger. The dagger dealt massive crit damage to the kobold as it broke off into the things upper back. But it was not enough to cripple or truly endanger the fat beast. <br><br>Dropping the now useless dagger handle Pep-Ri stood weaponless as his strength boost finally ran its course. Reeling back from the unexpected strike NasaNusa looked around trying to find his attacker. Seeing nothing he wobbled over to pick up the wrapped child that was lying beside it’s dying mother. Being slightly less intelligent than an average Orc, the Kobold plucked the dagger blade from his back. Immediately he began to bleed profusely from the now mortally fatal wound. Shrieking in its own pain it fell back as a weak blow struck the inside of its knee. <br><br>Pep-Ri after losing his blade rushed NasaNusa before he could strike the infant down. Hitting the Kobold as hard as he could he realized that his fists where doing no damage whatsoever to the Kobold now that the potion had literally reduced his strength to less than 4 points… leaving his attack points around 1 point. Rushing back he had run forward and drop kicked the Kobold barely bringing it to its knees… The real damage seemed to be coming from the bleeding wound on the Brutes thick neck. <br><br><span style="font-style: italic;">'It’s only a matter of time then before he bleeds out. I have to distract him until then.'</span><br><br>Jumping on the Kobolds back he thrust his hand into and out of the seeping wound trying to widen the bleeding wound even further. Blood spurted on his chest revealing a floating blotch of NasaNusa’s own blood. The Kobold feeling the weight on its back reached back with his free hand and swiped wildly with the Spatha. <br><br>Getting knocked off the Kobold Pep-Ri rushed forward and grabbed the hanging child and placed it yet again by its mother. Turning around Pep-Ri charged the Kobold only to be swiped aside by the now aware NasaNusa. <br><br>"What??? I thought I was invisible… sorta????" Looking down at NasuNasa's blood covering his chest he realized 'Sh#^! Sure I can cause him to shift his eyes away from me with this pheromone thing. But either his blood smells worse which I think it may, or because it's his own blood he can see it.'<br><br>Giving up on the now useless skill Pep-Ri allowed the skill to turn off. Charging yet again he ducked under the now flailing arms of the quickly dying creature. Throwing all his tiny weight behind it Pep-Ri jumped yet again onto the Kobold. Pummeling his fists into the very grotesque face more gore shot out bathing Pep-Ri in more than just blood. Falling backwards the duo landed with a mighty thump on the newly slick ground. Grabbing a nearby rock Pep-Ri slammed it over and over onto the Kobold’s nose. Effectively creating a cycle of stunning the creature until it would tried to stab at Pep-Ri again. Only for Pep-Ri to stun it yet again.. <br><br>Trinng*<br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td>You have stunned Nasunasa causing 13 damage. NasuNasa will be stunned for 4 seconds.</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br>Trinng*<br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td>You have stunned Nasunasa causing 11 damage. NasuNasa will be stunned for 3 seconds.</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br>Trinng*<br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td>You have stunned Nasunasa causing 17 damage. NasuNasa will be stunned for 6 seconds.</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br>Trinng*<br>Trinng*<br>Trinng*<br>Trinng*<br><br>This cycle continued all the way until the poor thing bled to death. In it's last moments NasaNusa managed to only feebly swing his spatha clumsily. Missing drastically NasaNusa finally breathed it's last dropping his sword to the wet grass. A whole 9 minutes after Pep-Ri first hit the resilient thing with the rock…<br><br><br>Standing up from his kill, Pep-Ri thoroughly exhausted from the excessive violence collected the loot and swore he would never accept a sword class. Ever. <br><br>"The feeling of killing your opponent is just so sick and wrong."<br><br>Ignoring the various pop up messages that appeared before his eyes Pep-Ri walked up to the wounded woman. He then brought out his only health potion which he gained through his various errands in Rhodium. Pouring it into her mouth Pep-Ri collapsed next to her. While giving back her health points it did not fully heal the poor woman as she was still bleeding out.<br><br>Shooting out her hand the woman swiped at the air in panic. Looking at the now dead Kobold leader and then at Pep-Ri she relaxed slightly. Feeling the at the gaping wound in her stomach she looked back at Pep-Ri.<br><br>"Please young man. I know you have not the powers of healing. Please do this for me. Take care of my child. We were traveling back to our home alongside the merchants. Our kind is hunted and looked down on. I know that leaving her with any other would mean her death! I can only die at peace knowing she is in loving arms! Please accept and take care of her!"<br><br>Not knowing how to decline the woman’s request Pep-Ri figured he would be required to transport the child to the rest of her family or something. <br><br>"Mam I know not where to take the child but I will do my best to deliver it to safety."<br><br>The woman nodding her head handed the child to Pep-Ri. "One thing sir. She is a special child. Just as all our people are. You must know that……." In her last breath the woman left her warning unfinished.<br><br>Tring*<br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td>In a sudden twist of fate you have become the guardian of this small child. You must now raise the young one as your own. As you do not know its name you must name it. As it’s species is of a monster origin it has also become you’re companion. Yet again you are now entrusted with a small precious life. Raise it well and it will become a strong ally in your adventures…<br><br>What you name your child will determine many things about how it will perceive the world around it.. Please choose an appropriate name.</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br>Too shocked to think Pep-Ri broke down sobbing realizing he had just become a mother and father at once…. God must hate me for doing this! I entered this game wanting an adventure not the challenges of being a parent. <br><br>Looking down on the infant Pep-Ri was reminded of his sisters before everything went wrong. The baby girl was squirming around in her bundled up blanket. Her pureness inspired him in such a way that he knew that he had to protect her.<br>"She is Divine"<br><br>Trinng*<br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td>-Name has been generated. You are now the proud parent of a the female werecat Divine-</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br><br><br>Before he could object to the name he decided that the name in fact fit the child. Opening the ball of cloth covering the child Pep-Ri found a small half cat half human child looking up at him with a pair of sparkling eyes.<br><br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td colspan="3">Connect to Chapter 6? <a href="http://www.royalroadl.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=114&amp;t=1067" target="_blank">Yes</a> | <a href="http://www.royalroadl.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=114" target="_blank">No</a></td></tr></tbody></table></div></div> </div>

Pt 1: Headlong Rush Into Trouble -Logging in Player Pep-Ri. Wait time left before gaining consciousness 3 minutes- Having been forced to log off for 3 in game hours, or 45 minutes, Keith had went downstairs to grab some food from the kitchen only to be met by his youngest sister Sharon. "Hi Keith! Are you finally bored with that game yet?" Sharon looking bored herself was playing with her dolls. A sight which would normally be cute, if her dolls were doing something other than torturing a stuffed teddy. looking around it became apparent 'She must be playing that game of spy versus spy again.' Which in all reality was one of her favorite games to play. The dolls were holding a pair of scissors (taped to their hands) forcing the bear to reveal its secrets. Unfortunately for the Teddy it would never reveal those secrets as its stuffing was lying across the living room floor. Thus Sharon finishing her game had a look of boredom. "Sharon no I am not bored with Royal Road yet. In fact despite some setbacks it has been more fun than anything I have played lately. Besides don’t you remember you’re not supposed to kill your toys anymore? Mom and Dad are going to get mad!" Gathering her toys she quickly ran to her room crying leaving a trail of stuffing, a string of which had somehow managed to hang from the bear’s open stomach. For the longest time Sharon had been quite violent with her friends and toys. Her idea of fun always seemed to start with seeing how long it took for her friends to scream in pain as she pinched them, into submission, with her sharp nails.. Failing that she would proceed onto slightly more cruel games. To say the least after only the first few days at kindergarten she was ignored and isolated by the other kids. Play dates with what few friends she had, also had been canceled by the parents due to the many “accidents” that had been happening around her. Sharon was eventually left to play by herself. If anything this made Sharon only get crueler to her toys and her older siblings. Therapy with a child’s physiologist only revealed that she for some reason had been allowed to watch too many horror and slasher films… She was in fact trying to copy what she had seen in the movies. Strange thing was no one in their family even watched such movies. When asked, where she had seen the movies the five year old (at the time) grew confused saying she had just “seen them”. Further questioning revealed that their next door neighbor Jessica, who frequently babysat Sharon was a horror buff. She had many times sat with Sharon watching Saw, Friday the 13th, etc. while the rest of the family went to Keith's swimming competitions, or family events too boring for a five year old. To say the least Sharon was now forced into going to every family event. Even so after three years it did not curb her current little displays of toy violence which were unfortunately quite common. Eating a sandwich Keith cleaned up his sister’s mess and comforted her until she was willing to help sew her teddy back together. To Keith's distress, he had gained the nickname toy Doctor over the past couple of years. Taking her to their mother, who was outside tending their small garden, Keith explained what happened. It took a couple of minutes but Sharon finally apologized and started stabbing the ground with a small garden shovel. Leaving his sister and mother he made his way back to the capsule and his computer. Keith then began to search the forums for info and tips on hunting. Any advantage he could gain would be a great help if he was going to survive long enough to gain a companion. He was surprised when all he read said that Rhodium was a horrible hunting grounds. Despite the small boosts one could gain from the statues and artwork throughout the city, there was nothing but sparse rabbits and the occasional fox to hunt. In other cities though, hunting grounds and the few dungeons found so far, were plentiful with mobs. It was only the fields around Rhodium that provided scarce pickings. Lines had even formed up with entire parties waiting just to take down what few rabbits could be found. The one dungeon that had been found near Rhodium had cave spiders, which were slightly more abundant but provided no drops other than venom sacks and spider legs. Decidedly getting killed by the poison was not worth a few coppers gained by selling the loot. Basically If he was going to get a decent companion he had best get away from Rhodium as soon as he logged in. He realized that some of the problems with hunting came down to everyone’s classes. The only other players Pep-Ri had met so far all turned into blacksmiths, carpenters, dancers, bards, etc. There were no warriors, priests, and only one or two mages! Sure Rhodium was a city of artists but who knew so many of the beginner quests would end up forcing you into a profession you didn't want! Out of the three friends he had made so far only one of them had willingly chosen their profession. So while the serial quest he had received from Jenkins gave little experience and no real benefits. At only level five, leaving the city he was far better off than some of the people he was leaving behind. There was no way Pep-Ri was going to stay in a place that would only lead to a life of a support class or life of forced labor. While he could have just changed classes later, he did not want to face the drawbacks and penalties many players would face when going from a craft class to a magic or sword based class. Basically not only did he need to escape rhodium for his quest, but also so he could receive a decent class! Suddenly a bright light flashed in front of Keith’s eyes telling him he could finally log back in. Waking up on the ground Pep-Ri Rushed out the city gates past the lines of blood soaked players eagerly waiting their turn at the rabbit spawn area.. Running into the woods /he was only worried about one thing. Creating a bond with the perfect animal partner. Based on the Quest qualifications He had less than two hours to create a pact with a creature of nature. Knowing that his options were limited in the area surrounding Rhodium Pep-Ri had decided to run past the surrounding forest effectively leaving Rhodium and all its troublesome weak mobs to itself. If he had more time for preparation he may have stayed and looked for a party to join in his quest. His only problems with doing so were the time limit, and how weak everyone appeared to be. Forcing his way through the brush He was constantly being met with system messages. Tring* | You have scratched your legs and arms on the thorns. -10 Hp | | --- | Tring* | You have hit your foot on a large rock. -5 Hp | | --- | Tring* | You have stepped on a wolf's tale. Aggression towards wolves rises by 13. | | --- | At that last one Pep-Ri turned his head to see a pack of wolves running at his feet. They were literally snapping at his heels. Crashing through the forest Pep-Ri tried weaving through the trees in order to lose his pursuers to no avail. Running headfirst and making a sharp turn past a Boulder the size of a house Pep-Ri felt water rushing through his shoes. Stealing a glance backwards one of the Wolves leapt forward reaching out so it could bite his left arm. | -20 health. | | --- | Looking at his Health bar he noticed that he only had around 35% of his max health left. Deciding that his only course of action with any chance of survival was for him to attempt his new skill that came alongside the quest. Looking ahead of him he saw the water would become fast moving rapids. Knowing that meant either the water would pull him in along with the wolves behind him or maybe, just maybe he could work it out where only the wolves would be caught up in the now harder to move in water. As the water reached his chest he adopted a swimming position. Having been on the swimming team for most his middle school and high school experience he expected he could fight the current just long enough to trap the dumb animals while he teleported to safety. What he was not expecting was Royal Road to have literally made a skill for everything. Including a somewhat unused skill in the game like, swimming mastery. Sinking deeper into the current, Pep-Ri soon lost all control of his body. An air meter even popped up in his vision which hardly even registered to the now panicking mass of swirling arms and legs. ‘I have to get air! Even if I can’t swim or breath, if I can’t speak I can’t teleport out of here! I’m dog meat. T-T’. Using what knowledge he had about swimming in currents from his swim team practices he began to fight the fast moving current. Looking around he felt the now very fast moving ground and tried to force himself upwards. Succeeding in jumping up, Pep-Ri shot out of the water almost going faster than the current could pull him. Shooting out like a torpedo Pep-Ri was greeted with a brief pause in his movement. In a brief flash of memory, an American show his father used to watch popped into his head. Something about a coyote holding up a sign and then something bad would always happen. What show was that? After shooting out the waterfall Pep-Ri was greeted with the sight of almost an eleven story drop into a pool of water! A quick pause in the games settings had allowed Pep-Ri a brief moment of Air time in which he literally hung upside down in mid-air. The game quickly adjusted its settings letting Pep-Ri fall to his most certain death. Falling quickly he could only manipulate his body enough to turn around and gloat at the pursuing wolves. Laughing hysterically and about to use his trump card he searched for the falling wolves only to see a pack of dog heads look over the edge of the shore near the fall. Turning around the Wolves left the edge of the cliff leaving Pep-Ri to fall to his death. Realizing what had happened he realized that only he was stupid enough to jump headfirst into a system of rapids leading to a waterfall. This was the Wolves Territory so of course they would avoid getting caught up in the water. Envisioning himself standing safely back in Rhodium’s town square. Almost using it as a curse he spat out the word, -Land Skip-. Just as he reached the water his vision of the world dissipated. Leaving only the faintest sensation of water hitting his back. (On a side note.) The waterfall in which Pep-Ri had almost died. Or so he assumed, became a hotspot a few years later when a certain heat wave took the continent hostage. The river above the waterfall led into the Pool of Blissful Tears. The calming waters had a restorative effect on users allowing them to not only use the waterfall as a giant waterslide without health penalties, but also restore any life they may have lost previously during battle. Royal Road had recorded the pools founder through a sign created by NPC’s that read. -A young Traveler chased by wolves fell over the falls only to disappear into the waters below. Before entering the water happy to be rid of a death through being torn to shreds, the brave soul let out a mighty laugh. No sign of him was ever seen again. It is believed in his brave act of desperation the God’s looked down on his soul and took pity. Allowing his tragic death to become the catalyst upon which the pool’s restorative effect could take place.- (Truth is the game developer’s thought it would be cool to have a huge pool of water you fall into, from a great height, after riding a river that had been designed to act as a water slide.) (Back to the story.) Landing on the ground with a large Thump*. Pep-Ri could only wheeze out a complaint of… -Ugh. That hurt- Tring* | Health has been fully restored due to unknown reasons. | | --- | Tring* | Because you have improperly used the Land Skip ability to travel a long distance. You have used up all your mana and 90% of your remaining health. Long distance travel using Land Skip will now be blocked until the Teleportation skill is unlocked. | | --- | | Because you lost concentration during your travels through the ethereal plane you have not arrived in the intended location. A random starter city has been pulled from the known continent drawn on your map. You have now arrived in the the Fort of Creighton, Haven Kingdom. | | --- | (Haven Kingdom’s Starter City has not been Stated…..If it has I missed it and will change it….) Sitting up quickly Pep-Ri pulled out the map Jenkins had given him. Looking plainly at the various locations he exclaimed. –I just traveled half the continent in under 20 minutes of logging on!- Surrounding Pep-Ri hundreds of players were bustling about ignoring the obviously new player who had just appeared in a now familiar flash of light. That is until they noticed his leather armor. "Gheez how’d he start out with a full set of leather armor?" "Bet he paid real world money in order to start out with that." "Can you believe the nerve of some people! I worked the past 3 weeks in order to only get this stinking pair of shoes! He comes in fully decked out. He’s a pixie too so why does he even need armor?" Looking around at the many angry faces Pep-Ri shot up like a cannon and bolted. A mob of players gave chase swinging their swords and casting their spells only to quickly give up when Pep-Ri jumped a tall fence on account of their low stamina and stats. " Sh** He not only spawns with full leather gear but increased stats as well. I call hacks on this! System call Admin!" Reports were quickly sent out to the many players that had given chase, that the pixie player had not in fact bought anything outside the game, or hacked the codes for bonus reward. They had inadvertently just attacked ad chased an innocent player. They were all lucky he had not died else the system would have attached a PK symbol on their foreheads. Pt. 2: When Being A Neutral Gets Weird Getting lost in the much larger city Pep-Ri was now panicking due to his decreasing time limit. Leaving his natural habit of thinking out loud, untamed and developing into a shouting rampage! 'Seriously!! First the wolves and now a bunch of jealous PK wannabes! I just have the worst luck! I get a hidden mission to go and befriend some stupid animal only to get chased and lost! Where in the world is that stupid gate?!?' A nearby player pretending to be an NPC saw the young pixie child throwing a tantrum in the crowded street. Taking pity on the pixie, the young man walked up to console the frail looking girl. For upon closer inspection it was slightly noticeable that the pixie was in fact female due to her slight developing bosom. Meaning that she was probably old enough by pixie standards to be out on her own. Which means the young lady was within his strike zone. "Young madam if you are searching for the gates why don’t you let me escort you to them. They are only a short walk away. I can maybe even buy you some food and drink on our way if you’d like. Then maybe we can party afterwards and get to know one another." Seeing the slightly embarrassed boy Pep-Ri was astonished that he was in fact being flirted with…. By another guy! 'Why is this happening? I shouldn't be getting hit on should I?' Looking down she was saddened to see her chest had expanded and her hips had curved out again….. ‘Curse this stinking Neutral gender thing!! Every time I turn back into a guy I just switch around again!!!’ (<-actually manages to keep his mouth shut while thinking this). "N.n.no th.thank you. I believe I can make it there myself" Mistaking her refusal as shyness the boy persisted. "Oh I get it your one of those shy types right? Here my name is Mathias. I just recently got my class and heard if you acted like an NPC beggar you could get money from people. So I have plenty of money for a couple of rounds! So let me get you something." Grabbing Pep-Ri by the hand he pulled the shocked and disgusted Pep-Ri behind him. Pulling up next to a vendors cart he bought some food and drinks for them both secretly emptying his pocket in exchange for what he thought was a date with a potentially new girlfriend. Eating the food and drinking the water Pep-Ri flipped through her possible escape options. 'My mana and health are partially restored thanks to this meal. But that Doesn't really help the fact that the guy Mathias is literally cornering me into eating it. My guess is he spent whatever points he has earned so far into strength… With my measly childlike strength I really can't break his grasp. Being a level 5 sucks.' Giving up on doing so she realized that she could only rely on her speed and her athletic abilities. Her mana was not enough to activate any of her abilities except maybe a short burst of the Illusionary Haze. Unfortunately she only had enough mana to keep it on for only 5 seconds, which was barely enough time to escape. Looking at the timer on the floating icon in front of her she had little choice. Mathias so absorbed in talking about his own greatness barely had time to react when the young pixie girl pulled out a beginners dagger and cut at his hand. Losing a finger to the cut he let go and could only stare at the…. Disappearing pixie??? "Hey where did you go? I thought we would party and maybe even become friends! After that we could even meet up outside the game and I don’t know try dating!" Dismayed at the loss of his hopes and dreams the one thing he didn't want to hear was whispered out from the air. "Get over it dude it’s not like you would have wanted to date a guy like me anyways. Just because I look like a girl doesn't mean I am one" Dismayed at the thought of the young cute pixie being a boy, Mathias logged off wishing she had not run into someone so much like herself. Being an Andriophobic she had entered RR hoping to fall in love with a girl like herself. All her plans counted on was finding a shy enough girl who would fall in love with the first man who treated her properly. Then if their love was real Mathias would have revealed himself as a girl in real life. Hopefully continuing their relationship afterwards. Alas it was not to be. Pt. 3: With Only Seconds to Spare Following the main road Pep-Ri made sure to talk to a female NPC so his gender would be locked as a male for a bit. After doing so he ran out the gates completely unprepared for the bloody massacre that would meet his eyes. Rabbits and Foxes where running for their lives as little girls, and gigantic burly men swung axes, maces, wands, and swords in an effort to kill the elusive yet small animals. Having missed they resorted to trapping the poor things in a circle of players waiting for someone to get a final blow. It was such a sad sight that yet again Pep-Ri ran into the woods ignoring as much of what was happening as possible… It was like Sharon had told Unicorn exactly how to make the game as bloody and cruel as possible… Rushing through the brush Pep-RI kept his eyes out for any wolves. Apparently his familiarity drop with the animals had been permanent and would likely cause any wolf that saw him to attack. Meaning no wolf would ever consent to being his companion either. With only forty-five minutes left all he could do was run until he found something worthwhile to appear in front of him. Ten minutes later Pep-Ri was ready to give up on the quest entirely. He had found nothing larger than a fox in the past half hour. The last of which was over 15 minutes ago!! There was no way he would make it in time! Hearing a scream from his left Pep-Ri turned towards the yell for help at a full sprint. Tring* | You have heard a scream for help! A traveling group of NPC’s are being attacked by Kobolds for food and money. The Kobold leader NasaNusa is intent on killing all the travelers. Fight alongside the NPC’s as they battle the Kobolds! Kill all 50 Kobolds if possible so that Travelers and Merchants will no longer be plagued byQuest Difficulty: CQuest Rewards: Depends solely on your actions in battle and how many NPC’s are left alive after battle. Bonus Rewards: Fame, experience, a Title, and 50 gold to each player; will be rewarded for beating all the Kobolds and the named boss NasaNusa.Quest Requirements: Player (‘s) must have rushed willingly towards the cry for help. Player (‘s) must have completed at least one D Rank quest already. If quest is refused you will be chased by the Kobolds until death. | | --- | | Do you accept Yes / No | | --- | -S***…. So even If I don’t accept I am dead….. Fine yes I accept- Rushing into the unknown what Pep-Ri found could only be called a massacre. Men and women were dying left and right as Kobolds ran around causing chaos and slaughtering everyone who they came across. Seeing a merchant crawl under a nearby wagon Pep-Ri rushed over to him. "Hey Mister I am going to try and help you but I am going to need all the health and mana potions along with all the strength buff potions I can get in order to defeat these Kobolds. I promise even if it takes me a hundred years I will pay you for each of the potions I use!!!" "Why should I trust a small pixie like you! You will probably take my potions and run away from battle!! I never have trusted Pixies!! They are all dishonest and thieving!" Knowing he had little else but what he had on him and himself Pep-Ri Took a snipet of knowledge about his race found during his research. He promised the one thing he could not break from. "I will make a blood oath with you that I will pay the upfront cost of the potions I use by todays market standards! Even If it takes me a hundred years!!" The Alchemist looked up at that. Blood oaths were technically forbidden amongst Fairy folk as the magic in their blood forced them to comply with any oath they gave. Knowing it unfair to do such a thing as completely cheat the pixie on such a binding oath the Alchemist quickly drew up a semi-Fair contract for a loan of potions for market price value and only a 1% yearly interest. After signing the contract the Alchemist withdrew three of his strongest potions. His very life's work were put into the potions. Pep-Ri quickly drank the potions only pausing to see what benefits they gave. Tring* | You Drank A Legendary Potion of Invincibility Created by A Master AlchemistYour health has been permanently increased by 200 and will remain at 100% for the next 5 minutes no matter how much damage you would take. You cannot die for 5 minutes. After the effects wear off you will be temporarily vulnerable to critical hits from even the slightest of hits. | | --- | Tring* | You drank a legendary mana potion created by a Master AlchemistYour mana has been permanently increased by 200 and will remain at 100% for the next 5 minutes no matter how many spells or skills you activate. After the effects wear off your mana will be temporarily halved for 5 days. | | --- | Tring* | You drank a legendary temporary strength boost potion created by a Master Alchamist.You gain 400 temporary Strength points. For the next 4 minutes you will have bulging muscles. After the effects wears off your Max strength will be temporarily halved for 5 days. | | --- | "…………………………………Holy S***……………………………………." Ignoring his thoughts of impossible situation contingencies Pep-Ri walked forwards in his newly formed God mode carrying the strength of a swordsman of level 70 who had completed basic swordsman training and devoted every level stat bonus into STR…. All while only being a level five. Activating Illusionary Haze Pep-Ri disappeared completely from view. Cursing his Luck the Alchemist made sure that the pact had been made properly. He did not stop worrying until he saw Kobolds and loot falling left and right. Despite his invisibility and his strength boost, due to the fact that Pep-Ri only had a beginner’s dagger it still took him multiple blows to kill each Kobold. "These things are just too strong! Why is it even possible for a level 5 pixie to get such a quest!!" In fact this quest was meant for a group of players who had already built a strong enough party while complete high difficulty level quests. As part of the chain quest it had opened itself to the first group who responded to the call for help. Going from one Kobold to the next Pep-Ri only paused to pick up the item drops. Stabbing, slashing, dodging flailing weapons, and looting Pep-Ri barely had time to think straight. The NPC Fathers and Sons were fighting bravely alongside Pep-Ri. Even so most of them were carpenters, blacksmiths, and craft class workers. Quickly dispersing the entire horde of Kobold fighters, mages, and berserkers in under three minutes. Pep-Ri only had one Kobold left. The Kolbold called NasaNusa stood half a foot taller than Pep-Ri. It had leather armor made from various animal skins patched together with thick laces. In some places the leather was hanging shredded from where his over sized Kobold body didn't quite fit. While Pep-Ri hand been busy with the last five Kobold warriors or so, NasaNusa roared his defiance at a particularly strong NPC Warrior. The Kobold charged a young woman carrying her child. Knocking the woman over NasaNusa thrust his rusted Spatha (Roman Sword) into the woman’s side. The woman cried out in agony grabbing the sword she pushed her child to the side. Then she used her now free hand to claw at the now struggling NasaNusa as he tried to free his pinned sword. Seeing the exposed back of NasaNusa Pep-Ri snuck up on the large monster waiting for it to raise its over sized head. Right as the Kobold jerked the sword free it fell backwards into a striking dagger. The dagger dealt massive crit damage to the kobold as it broke off into the things upper back. But it was not enough to cripple or truly endanger the fat beast. Dropping the now useless dagger handle Pep-Ri stood weaponless as his strength boost finally ran its course. Reeling back from the unexpected strike NasaNusa looked around trying to find his attacker. Seeing nothing he wobbled over to pick up the wrapped child that was lying beside it’s dying mother. Being slightly less intelligent than an average Orc, the Kobold plucked the dagger blade from his back. Immediately he began to bleed profusely from the now mortally fatal wound. Shrieking in its own pain it fell back as a weak blow struck the inside of its knee. Pep-Ri after losing his blade rushed NasaNusa before he could strike the infant down. Hitting the Kobold as hard as he could he realized that his fists where doing no damage whatsoever to the Kobold now that the potion had literally reduced his strength to less than 4 points… leaving his attack points around 1 point. Rushing back he had run forward and drop kicked the Kobold barely bringing it to its knees… The real damage seemed to be coming from the bleeding wound on the Brutes thick neck. 'It’s only a matter of time then before he bleeds out. I have to distract him until then.' Jumping on the Kobolds back he thrust his hand into and out of the seeping wound trying to widen the bleeding wound even further. Blood spurted on his chest revealing a floating blotch of NasaNusa’s own blood. The Kobold feeling the weight on its back reached back with his free hand and swiped wildly with the Spatha. Getting knocked off the Kobold Pep-Ri rushed forward and grabbed the hanging child and placed it yet again by its mother. Turning around Pep-Ri charged the Kobold only to be swiped aside by the now aware NasaNusa. "What??? I thought I was invisible… sorta????" Looking down at NasuNasa's blood covering his chest he realized 'Sh#^! Sure I can cause him to shift his eyes away from me with this pheromone thing. But either his blood smells worse which I think it may, or because it's his own blood he can see it.' Giving up on the now useless skill Pep-Ri allowed the skill to turn off. Charging yet again he ducked under the now flailing arms of the quickly dying creature. Throwing all his tiny weight behind it Pep-Ri jumped yet again onto the Kobold. Pummeling his fists into the very grotesque face more gore shot out bathing Pep-Ri in more than just blood. Falling backwards the duo landed with a mighty thump on the newly slick ground. Grabbing a nearby rock Pep-Ri slammed it over and over onto the Kobold’s nose. Effectively creating a cycle of stunning the creature until it would tried to stab at Pep-Ri again. Only for Pep-Ri to stun it yet again.. Trinng* | You have stunned Nasunasa causing 13 damage. NasuNasa will be stunned for 4 seconds. | | --- | Trinng* | You have stunned Nasunasa causing 11 damage. NasuNasa will be stunned for 3 seconds. | | --- | Trinng* | You have stunned Nasunasa causing 17 damage. NasuNasa will be stunned for 6 seconds. | | --- | Trinng* Trinng* Trinng* Trinng* This cycle continued all the way until the poor thing bled to death. In it's last moments NasaNusa managed to only feebly swing his spatha clumsily. Missing drastically NasaNusa finally breathed it's last dropping his sword to the wet grass. A whole 9 minutes after Pep-Ri first hit the resilient thing with the rock… Standing up from his kill, Pep-Ri thoroughly exhausted from the excessive violence collected the loot and swore he would never accept a sword class. Ever. "The feeling of killing your opponent is just so sick and wrong." Ignoring the various pop up messages that appeared before his eyes Pep-Ri walked up to the wounded woman. He then brought out his only health potion which he gained through his various errands in Rhodium. Pouring it into her mouth Pep-Ri collapsed next to her. While giving back her health points it did not fully heal the poor woman as she was still bleeding out. Shooting out her hand the woman swiped at the air in panic. Looking at the now dead Kobold leader and then at Pep-Ri she relaxed slightly. Feeling the at the gaping wound in her stomach she looked back at Pep-Ri. "Please young man. I know you have not the powers of healing. Please do this for me. Take care of my child. We were traveling back to our home alongside the merchants. Our kind is hunted and looked down on. I know that leaving her with any other would mean her death! I can only die at peace knowing she is in loving arms! Please accept and take care of her!" Not knowing how to decline the woman’s request Pep-Ri figured he would be required to transport the child to the rest of her family or something. "Mam I know not where to take the child but I will do my best to deliver it to safety." The woman nodding her head handed the child to Pep-Ri. "One thing sir. She is a special child. Just as all our people are. You must know that……." In her last breath the woman left her warning unfinished. Tring* | In a sudden twist of fate you have become the guardian of this small child. You must now raise the young one as your own. As you do not know its name you must name it. As it’s species is of a monster origin it has also become you’re companion. Yet again you are now entrusted with a small precious life. Raise it well and it will become a strong ally in your adventures…What you name your child will determine many things about how it will perceive the world around it.. Please choose an appropriate name. | | --- | Too shocked to think Pep-Ri broke down sobbing realizing he had just become a mother and father at once…. God must hate me for doing this! I entered this game wanting an adventure not the challenges of being a parent. Looking down on the infant Pep-Ri was reminded of his sisters before everything went wrong. The baby girl was squirming around in her bundled up blanket. Her pureness inspired him in such a way that he knew that he had to protect her. "She is Divine" Trinng* | -Name has been generated. You are now the proud parent of a the female werecat Divine- | | --- | Before he could object to the name he decided that the name in fact fit the child. Opening the ball of cloth covering the child Pep-Ri found a small half cat half human child looking up at him with a pair of sparkling eyes. | Connect to Chapter 6? [Yes](http://www.royalroadl.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=114&t=1067) | [No](http://www.royalroadl.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=114) | | | | --- | --- | --- |

<div class="chapter-inner chapter-content"> Chapter 2: The Twin Samurais <br><br><br>Miyuki’s stamina and stats were overinflated for her level thanks to her class along with her magical reinforcement skill which was kept active all day. She had had lots of physical and mental training with Tatsuya and Yakiumo sensei. Not having to stop for food or drinks because her satiety wouldn’t go down as long as she had ample mana. All this made the act of continuously attacking the scarecrow very easy. But this caused a commotion and a headache for the instructor.<br><br>At first he was happy to see someone take the training seriously but the crowd of people that just stood watching her. Most of them were too nervous to speak to her and the rest were scared to approach her because of her monstrous strength and fighting spirit. She would enter the training hall every morning at 7am and continue attacking the scarecrow without break until midnight every day. After 1 week he finally snapped.<br><br>“Right you maggots if you’re not attacking a scarecrow, GET OUT!”<br><br>The instructor was an old man at the age of about 60 who had been through countless battles and was at a level of 326 one of the highest in the kingdom. Everyone stopped staring at Miyuki for a moment and looked at him… then they turned back to Miyuki completely ignoring him. That pushed him over the limit. The instructor began to unsheathe his blade and his massive fighting spirit flooded the area.<br><br>You have been stunned for 5 seconds<br>You are in a state of fear<br>All stats reduced by 10 while feared<br><br><br>The affect was massive because not many players had the fighting spirit stat and of those who did only had a few points in it. In contrast the old veteran had been through countless wars and fights. The only one not stunned was Miyuki who was given 50 fighting spirit with her class. The instructor took a battle stance. All the players were unable to move, and they watched in horror as his blade shined a light blue colour and he slashed horizontally calling out “blade wave”.<br><br>Suddenly a massive force pushed all the stunned players out of the training hall just as the wave was going to hit them. The wave sliced through 3 scarecrows then through the wall and into the street making a gash on the wall. Miyuki had saved them by using acceleration magic. They all looked at the wall, then at the instructor…….<br>“…”<br>After a monment of silence<br>“What was that?”<br>“Everyone run he’s crazy”<br>“let’s go”<br>The crowd vanished in seconds and after that there were rumours on various internet forums to never piss off training instructors.<br><br>The instructor as he was putting away his sword got a harsh verbal beating from Miyuki that he should not take others’ lives so freely and to be more careful. A good 10 minutes later he felt bad for what he did and Miyuki returned to the scarecrow. Nothing particularly else interesting happened until the 4th week of attacking the scarecrow.<br><br>Strength rises by 1 point. (+1 STR)<br>Agility rises by 1 point. (+1 AGI)<br>Vitality rises by 1 point. (+1 VIT)<br>Fame rises by 20 point. (+20 FAME)<br>Life rises by 100 point. (+100 HP)<br> <br>She had completed the basic training and received a sword from the instructor. Opting for a short sword which could be wielded of handed with the staff. Even though she completed her training Miyuki was feeling depressed because Tatsuya called about a week ago and mentioned he was going to be delayed for their meeting because he was forced to participate in a siege on the city he was in. He told her that she should try hunting a bit to raise her level now that her stats are at a sufficient level, also she should find a party of people to help her encase of anything going sideways. <br><br>Not knowing of anyone who could help her with her levelling she decided to head off to the fields and forests outside the city gates to find people. As she looked to the seemingly endless fields of grass she was happy but her mood was quickly spoiled by countless people chasing and attacking cute rabbits and fox’s. Then she spotted a little girl holding a katana being chased by a group of 4 lizard men. <br><br>The moment everyone saw the lizardmen all the players on the field began running towards the safety of the castle gates. Lizardmen in this area are known to be from a dungeon nearby and around level 30-40, it was very rare to see them this close to the city.<br><br>“Heeeeeelllllppppp meeeeee” the girl shouted as she ran.<br>No one did anything but run away from her.<br><br>Miyuki was in shook, not because of the weird beast men running towards her with green skin and scales over there body, or the fact that no one was helping the girl running away. The girl herself was why Miyuki was shocked she was Honoka’s doppelganger but 3 years younger. Felling a strong urge to protect mini Honoka, Miyuki used acceleration magic on all 4 of the lizerdmens weapon tips, accelerating them faster than a blink of an eye into their faces and out the back of their heads. In fact Miyuki used too much force and the swords didn’t stop until they hit a tree in the forest around 200 m away.<br><br>The bodies of the lizardmen turned gray, leaving behind few silver coins. Meanwhile Miyuki was surprised to see she had levelled up 13 times for killing opponents and a much higher levels than her. Mini honoka ran and jumped hugging Miyuki crying<br>“Please help my sister” *sob *sob*<br>It took a good 10 minutes for Miyuki to get her to calm down and took her to a tavern, then mini honoka explain the situation. Her name was Nana, 14 years old and her twin sister who is called Leez were about to go into a dungeon when a party of 5 offered to help them clear the dungeon. They agreed but when they got deep enough into the dungeon they got kicked from the party and were told only to damage the lizerdmen and let them finish them off, so they could get all the experience. If they didn’t they would torcher tem by slowly cutting their skin and the priest would heal them over and over.<br><br>The sisters were so scared they did as they were told until they were ambushed by 30 lizerdmen and were forced to leave Nana behind as a decoy. Nana somehow managed to escape the dungeon by running nonstop and made it here. Disgusted by the situation Miyuki stood up and hugged Nana and said <br><br>“don’t worry, ill save them can you lead me to the dungeon?” <br><br>Nana felt secure and slightly blushed at the embrace of this beautiful woman hugging her. A smile grew on her face and said “great lets get a party and save my sister”. Miyuki said “no need I should be enough to handle them if they were in a dungeon with lizermen like the ones chasing you”<br>She was confused this person infront of her looked like a priest or mage and its true that she could handle the 4 lizardmen earlier. But that was most likely because she had time to chant a spell, in a dungeon they would be surrounded by lizerdmen forcing them into close quarter combat, they needed a tank/melee to help them. Also once they finally reached her sister they would have to fight a party of 5 experienced players who were by now very high level.<br><br>Nana was trying to get her message across to Miyuki but she just kept saying “It will be fine, I’m more than enough” with a smile. Looking at the smile all Nana could do is blush and follow her. They got supplies form the city and headed of into the direction of the dungeon. It was not a very popular dungeon because the lizerdmen were tough opponents and are in progressively larger groups the further into the dungeon you go. <br><br>As they reached the entrance to the dungeon witch was in the middle of a forest, Miyuki stopped and remembered she needed to assign the stats she gained form levelling up, she split the points between Vitality, Dexterity and strength equally. She was well trained in combat so Miyuki could feel the small changes within herself. Entering the cave the atmosphere turned more humid and the temperature rose slightly, for the first 5 minutes of walking they couldn’t find anything.<br><br>“humans”<br><br>“mmmmh I want the little one”<br><br>“lets get them”<br><br>They came across a group of 5 lizerdmen, 4 held a sword and shield with no visible armour while the last was holding a bow. Miyuki was about to take care of them when Nana jumped infornt of her and said take care of the archer ill hold them off. Miyuki used acceleration magic on the archers head making it fly upwards, comically imbedding its head into the ceiling. The other lizerdmen saw this and changed targets from Nana to Miyuki but the moment they turned away from Nana 2 of the 4 lizerdmens heads rolled onto the floor. <br><br>Lizardmen have lost the will to fight<br>30% reduced damage<br>30% reduced defence<br>Will stay in effect until reinforcements arrive<br><br>Nana retuned the katana into her scabbard and took a stance. Then with a lighting fast attack took care of the remaining two. Miyuki was surprised, because of the rush to save leez she had forgot to ask about Nana’s fighting capability. They took a break and talked for a while, after Nana saw Miyuki’s stat window she was shocked beyond words level 14 with stats that would rival a level 100+ mage. Nana was a level 40 warriors and that the mobs in this dungeon were lvl 25-35 on the first floor and 50-60 on the floor below that. There is another 2 floors below that but only large punitive forces from the kingdom of heaven go down there as army training because the lizerdmen are in groups of about 50 in mid 80s levels. Feeling a lot more secure now that she knew Miyuki would be a big help in getting her sister back.<br>Out of the blue Miyuki asked “if you’re so high level why didn’t you just kill the lizerdmen chasing you when we met”<br>Nana tilted her head sideways and put her finger on her lips looking confused “I had lizerdmen chasing me?”<br>She was so caught up in getting help to rescue her sister that she didn’t notice.<br>Miyuki sighed.<br><br>The dungeon clearing was going smoothly Miyuki was knocking them out with acceration magic against walls or bumping heads between themselves. And then Nana and Miyuki would kill them with their weapons. Miyuki was using the sword the instructor gave her because it did more damage than her staff while a 99% debuff was applied. When they reached around the midpoint of the dungeon the groups of lizard men were about 10-12 making it a lot harder to kill them all while they were stunned. But Miyuki had reached intermediate level 5 with her mana manipulation allowing her to save another magic circle.<br><br>Oscillation-Systematic Magic Phonon Maser<br>With the use of mana creats a high number of supersonic oscillations to form a quantum heat wave <br>400 mana per use<br><br>Miyuki has around 5000 mana because of her stats and class. She decided she would use it 5 times and keep the remaining mana for an emergency so as soon as a group of lizerdmen came within her view 5 bright yellow waves shot out from the head of the bone tree staff instantly killing 5/6 of the lizerdmen (in some cases it would go through more than 1 lizerdman. Then Nana and Miyuki attacked with swords finishing the rest off. By now 5 lizerdmen were easy to deal with so there was no need to stun them. <br>7 hours had passed since they entered the dungeon, Nana had tried to get in contact with her sister through telepathy (pm) but she got no response. The party forced her to change her windows privacy to public and block all pms so if she answered they would know and torture her, Leez was scared but she fought on, there were currently having a break and they were making her cook for them.<br><br>“I still can get in contact with her, wait here Im goning to see if my sisters ok” Nana waved open her windo and logged out but because she was not in a safe zone her body stayed where it was. This confused Miyuki and she was worried about Nana. There was no response at all.<br>Meanwhile Nana who real name was Sakura disconnected form the game headed over to Leez capsule and manually disconnected her form the game. Leez chose her real name as her avatars name.<br><br>“Sakura….”<br><br>“Leez are you ok? im in the dungeon with a friend coming to help”<br><br>They hugged, leez was in tears.<br><br>“its gonna be ok, can you tell me where are you?”<br><br>“at the start of the second floor, I haven’t got much time if they notice I am gone for long the will suspect that im logged off and kill me” Leez said frantically and reconnected to the game, skipping lunch<br><br>Sakura when to the kitchen quickly stuffed herself with some fruit and logged back in.<br>During this time Miyuki had contacted Tatsuya explaining to him the situation and asking for help. Tatsuya knew his sister wasn’t stupid she should have had her suspicions by now about how ‘Visitors’ that’s could enter and exit this world with a flash of bright light. Also that when they die they return after 4 days, Miyuki had been in this world for 7 weeks now. Tatsuya decided it was about time she was told the truth, they were in fact in a different world but they were also in a sophisticated program called Royal road and the visitors can enter and exit the world as they please but we were stuck in it. He continued to say that he had been in contact with this programs AI system and is working to find a way back home.<br><br>Miyuki had figured most of this out byherself, but know that her oni-sama confirmed it she was scared. The life she has been living so far is a mere game, not real but never less she had met several people and she decided that she didn’t care if they were programs or ‘visitors’ she would treat them the same and enjoy the world shes in until tasuya finds a way home.<br><br>Nana woke up, “sorry did I take long? Leez is at the start of the second floor of the dungeon we should hurry they are on a break at the moment”<br><br>“you said that were about half way now right it will take us 7ish hours to get there….do you mind if a speed things up” said Miyuki<br>Nana was pumped up too<br><br>“Not at all lets go” <br><br>Miyiki grabbed Nana by the collar and dragged her back<br><br>“ just wait a little, can you pass me the map?”<br><br>Handing over the map Nana was now confused. Miyuki memorised the map then set it as the target area then activated wide area deceleration oscillation system magic niflheim.<br><br>In front of them the walls slowly turned to frost, a group of 20 lizardmen were running towards us to get away from the cold but within 5 seconds they were frozen a mere 5 meter from where they were standing. Holding it active for several seconds longer a message poped up.<br><br>You have inflicted massive damage to the lizardmen stronghold in the shortest time<br>623 lizerdmen have been killed<br>Fame has risen by 50<br>Fighting spirit has risen by 20<br>All lizardmen will hate you and hunt you when you enter their territory <br>Wide area deceleration oscillation system magic niflheim has risen x3 levels<br>Mana malipulation experience had greatly increased<br>Massive experience gain <br>You have levelled up<br>You have levelled up<br>You have levelled up<br>.<br>.<br>.<br><br>Miyuki had gained 21 levels reaching level 71 and Nana had gained experience because they were in the same party she levelled up only 5 times to reach lvl 62. (level 30-35 lizrdmen didn’t give her much experience anymore). If Miyuki had killed them separately she would have gained less experience overall due to the slow level increase making each kill worth less, but because she killed them all at the same time the experience was not lowered.<br><br>Nana stood there in shook, what she just witnessed was insane. She had never heard of such a magic, mid thought she was interrupted as Miyuki used phonon masor to clear a path in the ice for them. To shocked to say anything she followed behind Miyuki. As they passed frozen groups of lizardmen they smashed there frozen body’s and picked up the loot. It was a gruesome sight for Nana because all the innards were frozen too but she soon got over this because of the japtem they picked up. Making sure not to pick up too much japtem they only took the coins and the expensive looking items as they ran. Within half an hour they reached the entrance to the second floor.<br><br>The smell of food and smoke from a campfire engulfed the atmosphere as they entered the second floor. Peaking round the corner of the dungeon they could see the group. A little girl in the corner witch was identical to Nana, 2 warriors a mage and a priest. That meant one of them was missing. Nana took this chance.<br>“lets go”<br>She ran towards the unsuspecting mage and got a clean cut upwards from under the armpit through his shoulder blade and his neck. The mage died instantly but both the warriors and priest reacted getting into a battle stance.<br>“oh so your back little girl trying to be a hero”<br><br>“hahaha”<br><br>“get her!”<br><br>Leez didn’t stand idly, as the priest turned away she stood up and stabber her katana through the priest heart, unfortunately it wasn’t a fatal hit. They had been in the dungeon for 2 days and the priest had level up a lot compared to Leez who was force to let them last hit and take none of the experience. One of the warriors turned around to kill leez while the other was fighting Nana. Suddenly a yellow laser hit each of their legs crippling them on the floor.<br><br>“arggg, what was that”<br><br>“My leg! Its gone!”<br><br>“Who’s there?”<br><br>Miyuki walked out the shadows with and ice cold look on her face, looking right through them as they were worth nothing. This look from such a beauty froze the 2 men while the priest felt jealousy. The reason they decided to pick on the twins is because the priests was jealous of their looks. She knew that’s how they looked in real life because its almost impossible to edit 2 characters to have the same face. She began to chant a healing spell <br><br>“By the protection of the almight god……..”<br><br>You have been frozen<br>You have died<br><br>Nana ignored the frozen bodies and went and hugged leez.<br><br>“Told you I would come save” you she said smirking<br><br>“sigh” knowing whats goning to come next Leez sighed<br><br>“now you owe me”<br><br>While Leez and Nana were talking Miyuki had her gard up looking for the 5th member, before she could react a man wlaked out of the shadow and grabbed the two girls by the nack in a choke hold and held a dagger to Nanas neck.<br>“You bastards killed my team, you won’t get away with this, our guild will hunt you down…..”<br><br>As Miyuki was about to use acceleration magic to knock the dagger out of his hands the twins disappeared from his grip, reappearing on the ceiling, they kicked off it holding out their katana and twirled. It resembled a beautiful blade dance as they fell and attacked, the assassin got chopped up like meat through a meat grinder. They looted the bodies and then decided to rest while nana introduces leez to Miyuki.<br>Nana explained that they were given two swords from a dwarven traveller; they turned out to be ego swords with special teleportation skills available when they fight together and close to each other. After a while more of talking the twins decided that they would leave the dungeon because there equipment was warn out and they were tired, they added each other to their friends lists and logged out after exiting the dungeon. As their bodies disappeared with bright light, Miyuki turned around and looked at the entrance.<br><br>“These lizardmen will hurt no more people”<br><br>She stabbed the bone staff into the ground and shouted unstoppable force, directing all her hate towards the dungeon. Ripples flew out from where she was standing as they moved towards the dungeon they slowly grew and shook the earth like it was water. A loud roar and a massive gust of wind and what could only be described of a tsunami of mana could be seen flooding the dungeon making it collapse and implode on itself. Rocks bones everything for a mile in front of Miyuki had turned into what looked like fine soil.<br>Miyuki was shocked at the power that attack had, she only wanted to seal the entrance.<br>“oh well that should take care of them”<br><br>Triing<br>You have destroyed the lizards stronghold dungeon not leaving a single soul alive from the map, you have earned the title Annihilator <br>3184 lizardmen have been killed<br>The king lizard has died <br>+1000 fame<br>Bone tree staff has absorbed the lizrd king bones <br>+5 to all stat<br>+100 fighting spirit<br>+5 intellagence<br>+10 wisdom<br>+1% magic resistance<br>You have levelled up<br>You have levelled up<br>….<br>….<br>….<br><br>The windows didn’t stop coming, she was now level 163 one of the highest on the game. After assigning her stats she looked at her stats window with satisfaction.<br>“I did what oni-sama said and got strong , I hope he will praise me”<br>While smiling she skipped back to the city.<br><br>Status Window<br>Avatar Shiba Miyuki Alignment Neutral<br>Level 163 Class Survivor<br>Title Annihilator<br>Fame 1630<br>Health 9,554/9,554 Mana 16,432/16,432<br>Health reg/s 6.4 Mana reg/s 35<br>Stamina 142 System error System error<br>Strength 246 Dexterity 134<br>Vitality 352 Wisdom 583<br>Intelligence 595 Leadership 0<br>Fighting spirit 263 Endurance 205<br>Offence 1,312 Defence 490<br>Stats points remaining : 0<br>Luck 106<br>Attractiveness 294<br>Magic Resistance<br>Fire 11% Water 11%<br>Earth 11% Wind 11%<br>Dark 16% <br>All stats have increased by 20<br>+100 wisdom<br>+100 intelligence <br>+100 defence<br>+100 stamina<br>+10% magic resistance<br>+1000 Health added<br>+1000 Mana added<br>Endurance +100<br>Fighting spirit +50<br>Permanent stat gains when defeating a boss monster <br>Mana can be used to refill your satiety and thirst <br>Title Annihilator gives you additional affects:<br>+500 fame<br>+100 leadership<br>+50 fighting spirit<br>Due to natural beauty the goddess Freya has blessed you<br>New stat has been generated Attractiveness +200 <br>Dark magic ressistance+5%<br>Effects of holy magic and buffs are increased by 5%<br><br><br>Miyuki didn’t know but her class gave her an overwhelmingly high defence and endurance stat, so when she has mana reinforcement active without any armour has over 20% magic resist and as much defence as a high level Knight. </div>

Chapter 2: The Twin Samurais Miyuki’s stamina and stats were overinflated for her level thanks to her class along with her magical reinforcement skill which was kept active all day. She had had lots of physical and mental training with Tatsuya and Yakiumo sensei. Not having to stop for food or drinks because her satiety wouldn’t go down as long as she had ample mana. All this made the act of continuously attacking the scarecrow very easy. But this caused a commotion and a headache for the instructor. At first he was happy to see someone take the training seriously but the crowd of people that just stood watching her. Most of them were too nervous to speak to her and the rest were scared to approach her because of her monstrous strength and fighting spirit. She would enter the training hall every morning at 7am and continue attacking the scarecrow without break until midnight every day. After 1 week he finally snapped. “Right you maggots if you’re not attacking a scarecrow, GET OUT!” The instructor was an old man at the age of about 60 who had been through countless battles and was at a level of 326 one of the highest in the kingdom. Everyone stopped staring at Miyuki for a moment and looked at him… then they turned back to Miyuki completely ignoring him. That pushed him over the limit. The instructor began to unsheathe his blade and his massive fighting spirit flooded the area. You have been stunned for 5 seconds You are in a state of fear All stats reduced by 10 while feared The affect was massive because not many players had the fighting spirit stat and of those who did only had a few points in it. In contrast the old veteran had been through countless wars and fights. The only one not stunned was Miyuki who was given 50 fighting spirit with her class. The instructor took a battle stance. All the players were unable to move, and they watched in horror as his blade shined a light blue colour and he slashed horizontally calling out “blade wave”. Suddenly a massive force pushed all the stunned players out of the training hall just as the wave was going to hit them. The wave sliced through 3 scarecrows then through the wall and into the street making a gash on the wall. Miyuki had saved them by using acceleration magic. They all looked at the wall, then at the instructor……. “…” After a monment of silence “What was that?” “Everyone run he’s crazy” “let’s go” The crowd vanished in seconds and after that there were rumours on various internet forums to never piss off training instructors. The instructor as he was putting away his sword got a harsh verbal beating from Miyuki that he should not take others’ lives so freely and to be more careful. A good 10 minutes later he felt bad for what he did and Miyuki returned to the scarecrow. Nothing particularly else interesting happened until the 4th week of attacking the scarecrow. Strength rises by 1 point. (+1 STR) Agility rises by 1 point. (+1 AGI) Vitality rises by 1 point. (+1 VIT) Fame rises by 20 point. (+20 FAME) Life rises by 100 point. (+100 HP) She had completed the basic training and received a sword from the instructor. Opting for a short sword which could be wielded of handed with the staff. Even though she completed her training Miyuki was feeling depressed because Tatsuya called about a week ago and mentioned he was going to be delayed for their meeting because he was forced to participate in a siege on the city he was in. He told her that she should try hunting a bit to raise her level now that her stats are at a sufficient level, also she should find a party of people to help her encase of anything going sideways. Not knowing of anyone who could help her with her levelling she decided to head off to the fields and forests outside the city gates to find people. As she looked to the seemingly endless fields of grass she was happy but her mood was quickly spoiled by countless people chasing and attacking cute rabbits and fox’s. Then she spotted a little girl holding a katana being chased by a group of 4 lizard men. The moment everyone saw the lizardmen all the players on the field began running towards the safety of the castle gates. Lizardmen in this area are known to be from a dungeon nearby and around level 30-40, it was very rare to see them this close to the city. “Heeeeeelllllppppp meeeeee” the girl shouted as she ran. No one did anything but run away from her. Miyuki was in shook, not because of the weird beast men running towards her with green skin and scales over there body, or the fact that no one was helping the girl running away. The girl herself was why Miyuki was shocked she was Honoka’s doppelganger but 3 years younger. Felling a strong urge to protect mini Honoka, Miyuki used acceleration magic on all 4 of the lizerdmens weapon tips, accelerating them faster than a blink of an eye into their faces and out the back of their heads. In fact Miyuki used too much force and the swords didn’t stop until they hit a tree in the forest around 200 m away. The bodies of the lizardmen turned gray, leaving behind few silver coins. Meanwhile Miyuki was surprised to see she had levelled up 13 times for killing opponents and a much higher levels than her. Mini honoka ran and jumped hugging Miyuki crying “Please help my sister” *sob *sob* It took a good 10 minutes for Miyuki to get her to calm down and took her to a tavern, then mini honoka explain the situation. Her name was Nana, 14 years old and her twin sister who is called Leez were about to go into a dungeon when a party of 5 offered to help them clear the dungeon. They agreed but when they got deep enough into the dungeon they got kicked from the party and were told only to damage the lizerdmen and let them finish them off, so they could get all the experience. If they didn’t they would torcher tem by slowly cutting their skin and the priest would heal them over and over. The sisters were so scared they did as they were told until they were ambushed by 30 lizerdmen and were forced to leave Nana behind as a decoy. Nana somehow managed to escape the dungeon by running nonstop and made it here. Disgusted by the situation Miyuki stood up and hugged Nana and said “don’t worry, ill save them can you lead me to the dungeon?” Nana felt secure and slightly blushed at the embrace of this beautiful woman hugging her. A smile grew on her face and said “great lets get a party and save my sister”. Miyuki said “no need I should be enough to handle them if they were in a dungeon with lizermen like the ones chasing you” She was confused this person infront of her looked like a priest or mage and its true that she could handle the 4 lizardmen earlier. But that was most likely because she had time to chant a spell, in a dungeon they would be surrounded by lizerdmen forcing them into close quarter combat, they needed a tank/melee to help them. Also once they finally reached her sister they would have to fight a party of 5 experienced players who were by now very high level. Nana was trying to get her message across to Miyuki but she just kept saying “It will be fine, I’m more than enough” with a smile. Looking at the smile all Nana could do is blush and follow her. They got supplies form the city and headed of into the direction of the dungeon. It was not a very popular dungeon because the lizerdmen were tough opponents and are in progressively larger groups the further into the dungeon you go. As they reached the entrance to the dungeon witch was in the middle of a forest, Miyuki stopped and remembered she needed to assign the stats she gained form levelling up, she split the points between Vitality, Dexterity and strength equally. She was well trained in combat so Miyuki could feel the small changes within herself. Entering the cave the atmosphere turned more humid and the temperature rose slightly, for the first 5 minutes of walking they couldn’t find anything. “humans” “mmmmh I want the little one” “lets get them” They came across a group of 5 lizerdmen, 4 held a sword and shield with no visible armour while the last was holding a bow. Miyuki was about to take care of them when Nana jumped infornt of her and said take care of the archer ill hold them off. Miyuki used acceleration magic on the archers head making it fly upwards, comically imbedding its head into the ceiling. The other lizerdmen saw this and changed targets from Nana to Miyuki but the moment they turned away from Nana 2 of the 4 lizerdmens heads rolled onto the floor. Lizardmen have lost the will to fight 30% reduced damage 30% reduced defence Will stay in effect until reinforcements arrive Nana retuned the katana into her scabbard and took a stance. Then with a lighting fast attack took care of the remaining two. Miyuki was surprised, because of the rush to save leez she had forgot to ask about Nana’s fighting capability. They took a break and talked for a while, after Nana saw Miyuki’s stat window she was shocked beyond words level 14 with stats that would rival a level 100+ mage. Nana was a level 40 warriors and that the mobs in this dungeon were lvl 25-35 on the first floor and 50-60 on the floor below that. There is another 2 floors below that but only large punitive forces from the kingdom of heaven go down there as army training because the lizerdmen are in groups of about 50 in mid 80s levels. Feeling a lot more secure now that she knew Miyuki would be a big help in getting her sister back. Out of the blue Miyuki asked “if you’re so high level why didn’t you just kill the lizerdmen chasing you when we met” Nana tilted her head sideways and put her finger on her lips looking confused “I had lizerdmen chasing me?” She was so caught up in getting help to rescue her sister that she didn’t notice. Miyuki sighed. The dungeon clearing was going smoothly Miyuki was knocking them out with acceration magic against walls or bumping heads between themselves. And then Nana and Miyuki would kill them with their weapons. Miyuki was using the sword the instructor gave her because it did more damage than her staff while a 99% debuff was applied. When they reached around the midpoint of the dungeon the groups of lizard men were about 10-12 making it a lot harder to kill them all while they were stunned. But Miyuki had reached intermediate level 5 with her mana manipulation allowing her to save another magic circle. Oscillation-Systematic Magic Phonon Maser With the use of mana creats a high number of supersonic oscillations to form a quantum heat wave 400 mana per use Miyuki has around 5000 mana because of her stats and class. She decided she would use it 5 times and keep the remaining mana for an emergency so as soon as a group of lizerdmen came within her view 5 bright yellow waves shot out from the head of the bone tree staff instantly killing 5/6 of the lizerdmen (in some cases it would go through more than 1 lizerdman. Then Nana and Miyuki attacked with swords finishing the rest off. By now 5 lizerdmen were easy to deal with so there was no need to stun them. 7 hours had passed since they entered the dungeon, Nana had tried to get in contact with her sister through telepathy (pm) but she got no response. The party forced her to change her windows privacy to public and block all pms so if she answered they would know and torture her, Leez was scared but she fought on, there were currently having a break and they were making her cook for them. “I still can get in contact with her, wait here Im goning to see if my sisters ok” Nana waved open her windo and logged out but because she was not in a safe zone her body stayed where it was. This confused Miyuki and she was worried about Nana. There was no response at all. Meanwhile Nana who real name was Sakura disconnected form the game headed over to Leez capsule and manually disconnected her form the game. Leez chose her real name as her avatars name. “Sakura….” “Leez are you ok? im in the dungeon with a friend coming to help” They hugged, leez was in tears. “its gonna be ok, can you tell me where are you?” “at the start of the second floor, I haven’t got much time if they notice I am gone for long the will suspect that im logged off and kill me” Leez said frantically and reconnected to the game, skipping lunch Sakura when to the kitchen quickly stuffed herself with some fruit and logged back in. During this time Miyuki had contacted Tatsuya explaining to him the situation and asking for help. Tatsuya knew his sister wasn’t stupid she should have had her suspicions by now about how ‘Visitors’ that’s could enter and exit this world with a flash of bright light. Also that when they die they return after 4 days, Miyuki had been in this world for 7 weeks now. Tatsuya decided it was about time she was told the truth, they were in fact in a different world but they were also in a sophisticated program called Royal road and the visitors can enter and exit the world as they please but we were stuck in it. He continued to say that he had been in contact with this programs AI system and is working to find a way back home. Miyuki had figured most of this out byherself, but know that her oni-sama confirmed it she was scared. The life she has been living so far is a mere game, not real but never less she had met several people and she decided that she didn’t care if they were programs or ‘visitors’ she would treat them the same and enjoy the world shes in until tasuya finds a way home. Nana woke up, “sorry did I take long? Leez is at the start of the second floor of the dungeon we should hurry they are on a break at the moment” “you said that were about half way now right it will take us 7ish hours to get there….do you mind if a speed things up” said Miyuki Nana was pumped up too “Not at all lets go” Miyiki grabbed Nana by the collar and dragged her back “ just wait a little, can you pass me the map?” Handing over the map Nana was now confused. Miyuki memorised the map then set it as the target area then activated wide area deceleration oscillation system magic niflheim. In front of them the walls slowly turned to frost, a group of 20 lizardmen were running towards us to get away from the cold but within 5 seconds they were frozen a mere 5 meter from where they were standing. Holding it active for several seconds longer a message poped up. You have inflicted massive damage to the lizardmen stronghold in the shortest time 623 lizerdmen have been killed Fame has risen by 50 Fighting spirit has risen by 20 All lizardmen will hate you and hunt you when you enter their territory Wide area deceleration oscillation system magic niflheim has risen x3 levels Mana malipulation experience had greatly increased Massive experience gain You have levelled up You have levelled up You have levelled up . . . Miyuki had gained 21 levels reaching level 71 and Nana had gained experience because they were in the same party she levelled up only 5 times to reach lvl 62. (level 30-35 lizrdmen didn’t give her much experience anymore). If Miyuki had killed them separately she would have gained less experience overall due to the slow level increase making each kill worth less, but because she killed them all at the same time the experience was not lowered. Nana stood there in shook, what she just witnessed was insane. She had never heard of such a magic, mid thought she was interrupted as Miyuki used phonon masor to clear a path in the ice for them. To shocked to say anything she followed behind Miyuki. As they passed frozen groups of lizardmen they smashed there frozen body’s and picked up the loot. It was a gruesome sight for Nana because all the innards were frozen too but she soon got over this because of the japtem they picked up. Making sure not to pick up too much japtem they only took the coins and the expensive looking items as they ran. Within half an hour they reached the entrance to the second floor. The smell of food and smoke from a campfire engulfed the atmosphere as they entered the second floor. Peaking round the corner of the dungeon they could see the group. A little girl in the corner witch was identical to Nana, 2 warriors a mage and a priest. That meant one of them was missing. Nana took this chance. “lets go” She ran towards the unsuspecting mage and got a clean cut upwards from under the armpit through his shoulder blade and his neck. The mage died instantly but both the warriors and priest reacted getting into a battle stance. “oh so your back little girl trying to be a hero” “hahaha” “get her!” Leez didn’t stand idly, as the priest turned away she stood up and stabber her katana through the priest heart, unfortunately it wasn’t a fatal hit. They had been in the dungeon for 2 days and the priest had level up a lot compared to Leez who was force to let them last hit and take none of the experience. One of the warriors turned around to kill leez while the other was fighting Nana. Suddenly a yellow laser hit each of their legs crippling them on the floor. “arggg, what was that” “My leg! Its gone!” “Who’s there?” Miyuki walked out the shadows with and ice cold look on her face, looking right through them as they were worth nothing. This look from such a beauty froze the 2 men while the priest felt jealousy. The reason they decided to pick on the twins is because the priests was jealous of their looks. She knew that’s how they looked in real life because its almost impossible to edit 2 characters to have the same face. She began to chant a healing spell “By the protection of the almight god……..” You have been frozen You have died Nana ignored the frozen bodies and went and hugged leez. “Told you I would come save” you she said smirking “sigh” knowing whats goning to come next Leez sighed “now you owe me” While Leez and Nana were talking Miyuki had her gard up looking for the 5th member, before she could react a man wlaked out of the shadow and grabbed the two girls by the nack in a choke hold and held a dagger to Nanas neck. “You bastards killed my team, you won’t get away with this, our guild will hunt you down…..” As Miyuki was about to use acceleration magic to knock the dagger out of his hands the twins disappeared from his grip, reappearing on the ceiling, they kicked off it holding out their katana and twirled. It resembled a beautiful blade dance as they fell and attacked, the assassin got chopped up like meat through a meat grinder. They looted the bodies and then decided to rest while nana introduces leez to Miyuki. Nana explained that they were given two swords from a dwarven traveller; they turned out to be ego swords with special teleportation skills available when they fight together and close to each other. After a while more of talking the twins decided that they would leave the dungeon because there equipment was warn out and they were tired, they added each other to their friends lists and logged out after exiting the dungeon. As their bodies disappeared with bright light, Miyuki turned around and looked at the entrance. “These lizardmen will hurt no more people” She stabbed the bone staff into the ground and shouted unstoppable force, directing all her hate towards the dungeon. Ripples flew out from where she was standing as they moved towards the dungeon they slowly grew and shook the earth like it was water. A loud roar and a massive gust of wind and what could only be described of a tsunami of mana could be seen flooding the dungeon making it collapse and implode on itself. Rocks bones everything for a mile in front of Miyuki had turned into what looked like fine soil. Miyuki was shocked at the power that attack had, she only wanted to seal the entrance. “oh well that should take care of them” Triing You have destroyed the lizards stronghold dungeon not leaving a single soul alive from the map, you have earned the title Annihilator 3184 lizardmen have been killed The king lizard has died +1000 fame Bone tree staff has absorbed the lizrd king bones +5 to all stat +100 fighting spirit +5 intellagence +10 wisdom +1% magic resistance You have levelled up You have levelled up …. …. …. The windows didn’t stop coming, she was now level 163 one of the highest on the game. After assigning her stats she looked at her stats window with satisfaction. “I did what oni-sama said and got strong , I hope he will praise me” While smiling she skipped back to the city. Status Window Avatar Shiba Miyuki Alignment Neutral Level 163 Class Survivor Title Annihilator Fame 1630 Health 9,554/9,554 Mana 16,432/16,432 Health reg/s 6.4 Mana reg/s 35 Stamina 142 System error System error Strength 246 Dexterity 134 Vitality 352 Wisdom 583 Intelligence 595 Leadership 0 Fighting spirit 263 Endurance 205 Offence 1,312 Defence 490 Stats points remaining : 0 Luck 106 Attractiveness 294 Magic Resistance Fire 11% Water 11% Earth 11% Wind 11% Dark 16% All stats have increased by 20 +100 wisdom +100 intelligence +100 defence +100 stamina +10% magic resistance +1000 Health added +1000 Mana added Endurance +100 Fighting spirit +50 Permanent stat gains when defeating a boss monster Mana can be used to refill your satiety and thirst Title Annihilator gives you additional affects: +500 fame +100 leadership +50 fighting spirit Due to natural beauty the goddess Freya has blessed you New stat has been generated Attractiveness +200 Dark magic ressistance+5% Effects of holy magic and buffs are increased by 5% Miyuki didn’t know but her class gave her an overwhelmingly high defence and endurance stat, so when she has mana reinforcement active without any armour has over 20% magic resist and as much defence as a high level Knight.

<div class="chapter-inner chapter-content"> Part 5<br>Herro?!?<br><br>The next day when he woke up, the first thing he did was ask Eunhee for permission to go out in town saying that maybe if he visited a lot of places he could remember some things from before. Why you ask, well, he told everyone that he has amnesia. It’s not like he could tell them that he came from another world and he is a demon.<br><br>She accepted because Min-seo would accompany him on the way. He had other things in his agenda though.He wanted to test his newly acquired information that he decided that he would test them on Min-seo.<br><br>After they left he thought about how to proceed with the plan. What he knew about her is that she was fresh out of college and had just began to work in the hospital when she met him. About what she liked, well she seemed to play a game called Royal Road. In fact almost all her free time was spent there. Something else she liked was heroes and she was excited when she talked about the game. But when she told a story about a heroic act she seemed like she sparkled. Because he still hadn’t regained his ability to speak he needed to find a way to make do without it.<br><br>She already seemed to like him and the easiest way to do it was by making her infatuated with him. But then something unfortunate or should I say lucky for him was about to happen. While walking along a park, a small girl around 8 or 9 years old was running after her ball in the street. Where a car was approaching her at high speed. <br><br>At first he didn’t want to save her but Min-seo who was beside him started screaming after she saw the kid. It was at that moment that some gears started to turn inside his head. He waited until the last moment when she was almost impossible to save. Then he jumped in front of the car, grabbed the girl with his arms and then let himself to be hit by it. Why you ask, well that was because he thought that this way had more effect on her then if he escaped without a scratch. Then Min-seo came running towards where he had fallen and started crying loudly while asking why would he do something like that. Jumping in front of a car when he obviously had no chance of escaping. At hearing that he thought that he achieved what he first wanted but that was not enough. <br>He even kept the little girl into his arms mimicking that he was unconscious until the ambulance was coming, then he released her because if the doctors saw him like that they would know that it was fake.After he was examined by the paramedic he was released on the spot because he only had some shallow wounds and scratches. But the one who was taken out on a stretcher was the driver who had his left hand and four ribs broken which was weird seeing the way the accident happened. What happened in fact was Valde.<br><br>Taking into consideration his personality, if he was going to be hurt he wouldn’t just let the opposing party escape like that. He in fact tried to go in for the kill by kicking the glass into the drivers face, but because the driver steered the car in the opposite direction at the right moment he escaped with his life.<br><br>After the ambulance left The child's parents came and thanked Valde for saving their daughter, the father who seemed to be someone important gave him a business card and left but not until he told him to visit him at another time because now he didn’t have anaf time, he had to be with his daughter.<br><br>Part 6<br>Satisfied<br>Valde put the matter on hold for now because he wanted more to see the fruits of his labor,and tough a bit excessive he was satisfied with the result.why you ask, well that was because after the medics ended treating his wounds Min-seo grabbed a hold of his unhurt hand and didn’t let go since, all the while speaking in very worried throne, almost crying.<br><span style="font-weight: bold;">“Please don’t do that anymore,you were lucky, very lucky to escape like that and i think it was wonderful that you could save that kid but, but what if you had died, tell me wouldn’t all that become meaningless, and I, … I don’t think I can stand the tough that right now you could be dead, You know I like you, I really like you a lot, when we first met, you were sleeping with your face is so peaceful that I didn’t think you would ever recover, though the doctors thought that you were a lost cause, I knew that you would recover because you didn’t look like someone who was about to die, and i know because i really see a lot of people in that situation at that hospital, and i was right, every single day you didn’t chase to amaze us with your recovery, then i began to sympathize with you, i wanted to see you get well as fast as possible,and because of that I started watching you very carefully, and as I observed you,I show everything, all of your movements, you're slight change in expression which otherwise would be to hard to see,and I may be paranoiac but the only time you were smiling was when you were with me, and when i thought that i wouldn’t be able to see that, I realized that what i was feeling for you wasn’t sympathy, not even admiration, but love.”</span><br><span style="font-weight: bold;">“Well, though I don’t remember almost anything, I think that’s the first time someone said something like that to me” </span><br><br>At that moment Min-seo was shocked, why, that was because Valde had in fact finally spoken after such a long time and was hard for her to understand.<br><br><span style="font-weight: bold;">“Did you just, no but how?? Why ?? When ??”</span><br><br><span style="font-weight: bold;">“It seems that what was needed for me was a shock and that right now did the job properly, I saved a little girl in need and i regained my speaking ability in exchange from some scratches so I think its a win win situation for me.”</span><br><br><span style="font-weight: bold;">“You idiot, how can you say that, what if you had di…”</span><br><br><span style="font-weight: bold;">“Now now, it doesn't matter, isn't really, i’m alive and kicking so that’s all there is to it” </span><br><br>After she finally regained her composure they continued to speak about one thing or another, and when they were almost to the clinic Valde said:<br><br><span style="font-weight: bold;">“I have a request for you, could you do me a favor?”</span><br><br><span style="font-weight: bold;">“Yes, just tell me, and I’ll see after if i can comply to it.”</span><br><br><span style="font-weight: bold;">“Could you not tell everyone that i can speak just yet ??</span><br><br><span style="font-weight: bold;">“Why would want to do that, wouldn’t it be better if you would tell Dr. Eunhee the truth?”</span><br><br><span style="font-weight: bold;">“True, but i need to do something first, and it can’t be done without.”</span><br><br><span style="font-weight: bold;">“Ok”</span><br><br><span style="font-weight: bold;">“As you wish my lady”</span>Said Valde with an eerie smile on his face and let her go first inside.<br><br>He was joyful, i mean he had all the motifs in the world to be, first his experiment was a big success, and because of his permanent use of <span style="font-style: italic;">Charm</span> he discovered he could use <span style="font-style: italic;">magic</span> in this world too even if there was no outside way to replenish his <span style="font-style: italic;">Mana</span> Plus he finally had his voice back, and that would mean that he could finally use his other skills though it didn’t seam he had any need for them in this world.After he got back to his room Dr. Eunhee came and told him that she had arranged for him to play a game, named <span style="text-decoration: underline;">Royal Road</span>, not giving him any explanation, saying that finding out about it on his own was a real experience </div>

Part 5 Herro?!? The next day when he woke up, the first thing he did was ask Eunhee for permission to go out in town saying that maybe if he visited a lot of places he could remember some things from before. Why you ask, well, he told everyone that he has amnesia. It’s not like he could tell them that he came from another world and he is a demon. She accepted because Min-seo would accompany him on the way. He had other things in his agenda though.He wanted to test his newly acquired information that he decided that he would test them on Min-seo. After they left he thought about how to proceed with the plan. What he knew about her is that she was fresh out of college and had just began to work in the hospital when she met him. About what she liked, well she seemed to play a game called Royal Road. In fact almost all her free time was spent there. Something else she liked was heroes and she was excited when she talked about the game. But when she told a story about a heroic act she seemed like she sparkled. Because he still hadn’t regained his ability to speak he needed to find a way to make do without it. She already seemed to like him and the easiest way to do it was by making her infatuated with him. But then something unfortunate or should I say lucky for him was about to happen. While walking along a park, a small girl around 8 or 9 years old was running after her ball in the street. Where a car was approaching her at high speed. At first he didn’t want to save her but Min-seo who was beside him started screaming after she saw the kid. It was at that moment that some gears started to turn inside his head. He waited until the last moment when she was almost impossible to save. Then he jumped in front of the car, grabbed the girl with his arms and then let himself to be hit by it. Why you ask, well that was because he thought that this way had more effect on her then if he escaped without a scratch. Then Min-seo came running towards where he had fallen and started crying loudly while asking why would he do something like that. Jumping in front of a car when he obviously had no chance of escaping. At hearing that he thought that he achieved what he first wanted but that was not enough. He even kept the little girl into his arms mimicking that he was unconscious until the ambulance was coming, then he released her because if the doctors saw him like that they would know that it was fake.After he was examined by the paramedic he was released on the spot because he only had some shallow wounds and scratches. But the one who was taken out on a stretcher was the driver who had his left hand and four ribs broken which was weird seeing the way the accident happened. What happened in fact was Valde. Taking into consideration his personality, if he was going to be hurt he wouldn’t just let the opposing party escape like that. He in fact tried to go in for the kill by kicking the glass into the drivers face, but because the driver steered the car in the opposite direction at the right moment he escaped with his life. After the ambulance left The child's parents came and thanked Valde for saving their daughter, the father who seemed to be someone important gave him a business card and left but not until he told him to visit him at another time because now he didn’t have anaf time, he had to be with his daughter. Part 6 Satisfied Valde put the matter on hold for now because he wanted more to see the fruits of his labor,and tough a bit excessive he was satisfied with the result.why you ask, well that was because after the medics ended treating his wounds Min-seo grabbed a hold of his unhurt hand and didn’t let go since, all the while speaking in very worried throne, almost crying. “Please don’t do that anymore,you were lucky, very lucky to escape like that and i think it was wonderful that you could save that kid but, but what if you had died, tell me wouldn’t all that become meaningless, and I, … I don’t think I can stand the tough that right now you could be dead, You know I like you, I really like you a lot, when we first met, you were sleeping with your face is so peaceful that I didn’t think you would ever recover, though the doctors thought that you were a lost cause, I knew that you would recover because you didn’t look like someone who was about to die, and i know because i really see a lot of people in that situation at that hospital, and i was right, every single day you didn’t chase to amaze us with your recovery, then i began to sympathize with you, i wanted to see you get well as fast as possible,and because of that I started watching you very carefully, and as I observed you,I show everything, all of your movements, you're slight change in expression which otherwise would be to hard to see,and I may be paranoiac but the only time you were smiling was when you were with me, and when i thought that i wouldn’t be able to see that, I realized that what i was feeling for you wasn’t sympathy, not even admiration, but love.” “Well, though I don’t remember almost anything, I think that’s the first time someone said something like that to me” At that moment Min-seo was shocked, why, that was because Valde had in fact finally spoken after such a long time and was hard for her to understand. “Did you just, no but how?? Why ?? When ??” “It seems that what was needed for me was a shock and that right now did the job properly, I saved a little girl in need and i regained my speaking ability in exchange from some scratches so I think its a win win situation for me.” “You idiot, how can you say that, what if you had di…” “Now now, it doesn't matter, isn't really, i’m alive and kicking so that’s all there is to it” After she finally regained her composure they continued to speak about one thing or another, and when they were almost to the clinic Valde said: “I have a request for you, could you do me a favor?” “Yes, just tell me, and I’ll see after if i can comply to it.” “Could you not tell everyone that i can speak just yet ?? “Why would want to do that, wouldn’t it be better if you would tell Dr. Eunhee the truth?” “True, but i need to do something first, and it can’t be done without.” “Ok” “As you wish my lady”Said Valde with an eerie smile on his face and let her go first inside. He was joyful, i mean he had all the motifs in the world to be, first his experiment was a big success, and because of his permanent use of Charm he discovered he could use magic in this world too even if there was no outside way to replenish his Mana Plus he finally had his voice back, and that would mean that he could finally use his other skills though it didn’t seam he had any need for them in this world.After he got back to his room Dr. Eunhee came and told him that she had arranged for him to play a game, named Royal Road, not giving him any explanation, saying that finding out about it on his own was a real experience

<div class="chapter-inner chapter-content"> Hey everyone vsinity here! Just to let you know I'm not stopping the story just a little busy w/college.<br>Well enough about that here's the next chapter! Enjoy {[999abo}] <br><br>Ch 11<br><br>Part 1<br><br>“Fur coats! Get your warm fuzzy coats! Only 15 silvers to keep yourself nice and cozy!”<br><br>“Delicious apple pies! Get them while they are hot-hot-hot! Only 2 silvers for a yummy treat, guaranteed to warm you up!”<br><br>The entire kingdom of Rosenheim was filled with bustling activities as both players and npcs participated in the grand festivities. <br><br>The mages’ guild were busy decorating the streets with a spectacular array of lights of different shapes and colors showing off their many spells. Snow and Ice sculptures littered the streets which soon became a competition that resulted in dinosaur shaped snow figures and funny cartoon characters.<br><br>The bards had gathered in various locations; their wonderful music flowing down every street’s corner and the delicious aroma of food being prepared soon filled the air as cooks started to open their food stalls out on the streets.<br><br>Laughter and giggles could be heard everywhere as the children raced each other, running and sliding as they played in the snow making many of the adults chuckling at the amusing sight.<br><br>The cause of all the unexpected festivities was the snow; however it wasn’t ordinary snow that was causing all the commotion. The snow had come during the middle of summer in Rosenheim and not only that the snow was also a beautiful pristine blue and a soft blue glow further enhanced its charm.<br><br>The entire kingdom of Rosenheim and the fields near its outer walls were covered in a blanket of the pristine blue snow, a wonderful sight to behold! The pale blue light that the snow emitted had the effect of warming the hearts of any person that stared into its comforting glow. Priests giving buffs to players quickly discovered that the presence of the snow greatly enhanced the power of their blessings!<br><br>Soon it was known that the snow had great healing properties as well and many players frantically began to collect the snow, they kept collecting piles upon piles of snow until they later realized that the snow’s beneficial powers vanished after it melts and becomes ordinary water.<br><br>No one knew where the mysterious blue snow came from but during the next two weeks until the last of the blue snow melts away the event would forever be known as Blue Christmas.<br><br>In the midst of all the festivities while everyone was enjoying their time outside a sad girl could be seen through the tailor’s workshop’s window pouting as she enviously stared at the other people having fun as she waited with her friend who was taking a nap.<br><br>“Alex? Alex? Alex? Al-”<br><br>“What Luna? I’m taking a nap you know”<br><br>“Alex are you done yet?”<br><br>“He’s still making my clothes, what do you think?”<br><br>“Hmph”<br><br>“Luna you don’t have to wait on me”<br><br>“No, I don’t want to go by myself so hurry up”<br><br>After their intense battle against the lycanthropes Alexander’s clothes were once again ripped to shreds. Thankfully the lycanthropes drops were of good quality which they mostly sold off at a good price. The claws and fangs of lycanthropes were rare materials that could be used to make high quality potions which raised the values of the claws and fangs and soon the two made enough money to pay back the owner of the restaurant who went and cancelled their bounty.<br><br>Needing new clothes the two headed back to the tailor’s workshop where they sold most of the lycanthrope fur and soon found themselves waiting as the tailor proceeded to make a new outfit with the remaining lycanthrope fur for Alexander.<br><br>Looking up Alexander gave a puzzled look at the girl still staring out the window.<br>-She obviously wants to go hmm… guess I should give her a reason then.-<br><br>“Hey Luna?”<br><br>“Yeah?”<br><br>“Actually I have a favor to ask”<br><br>Curious Luna turned to face him.<br><br>“What’s the favor?”<br><br>“Well you see the sword you gave me is practically falling apart after that last battle. Seeing as we’re just waiting here I was wondering if you could take this to the black smith.”<br><br>“Oh, well sure I guess I could do that”<br><br>“Great here’s the sword, thanks Luna”<br><br>“Kay’ I’ll be back soon”<br><br>Turning around to leave she paused at the door when Alex stopped her.<br><br>“Oh Luna one more thing”<br><br>“Hm?”<br><br>“The repair should take some time so just go enjoy the festival”<br><br>With a quick smile forming on her face she quickly left after sticking out her tongue at Alex.<br><br>“Duh, I don’t need you around to tell me that silly”<br><br>“Wha-why you little-”<br><br>But there was only a gust of air where Luna was previously as she ran off to enjoy the festivities. Watching as the distant figure did a comical flip as she slipped in the snow Alexander let out a small chuckle as he leaned back on his chair going back to his nap.<br><br>Couples of all kinds could be seen strolling down the streets, enjoying the grand festivities and spectacles.<br><br>“Dear, where should we go next?”<br>“Hmm, You know what? I just heard that the mage guild made an enormous Christmas tree. Want to check it out?”<br>“Splendid! And seeing how the mage guild already made wonderful decorations this tree must be spectacular! Let’s go see it now darling”<br>“Haha, alright let me just-woahhhhh!”<br><br>The man was spinning around and around, another victim of the sudden gust of wind as a speeding figure could be seen running off leaving behind a sound of laughter that was strangely pleasant as it resembled chiming bells.<br><br>Meanwhile back at the tailor’s workshop after waiting/napping for 3hours Alexander finally got his new clothes. The tailor’s skills were exceptional and the heavy fur turned into a light fur coat mantle with a hood, the remaining leather was used to make a vest, pants, boots and fingerless gloves upon request. Thanking the tailor Alexander exited the shop.<br><br>A small white fog appeared as Alexander breathed in and out the winter air. Even though the sky had turned black with the coming of night the streets were bright thanks to the blue snow and the glowing decorations courtesy from the many mages participating in the festival. Looking around at all the wonderful sight Alexander let out a small smile.<br><br>“Hey isn’t that…”<br>“Woah you’re right!”<br>“What are you talking ab-omg it’s that elf dude!”<br>“The bunny slayer?”<br>“The savior of noobs!”<br>“Hurry contact the guild leader!”<br>“Hey! He’s running away!”<br>“After him! Don’t let him escape!”<br><br>Putting on his hood to hide his silvery hair Alex ran into another crowd hoping to throw off his many pursuers.<br><br>-Oh well so much for that peaceful moment.<br><br>Sighing to himself Alex continued to run as he cursed his misfortune.<br><br>Meanwhile a little girl could be seen walking with a large group behind her.<br><br>"Are you certain he was here?"<br><br>"Yes leader, I’m sorry to inform you but our scouts lost him once again."<br><br>"Extend the search and send an additional squad to the west gates."<br><br>"Understood"<br><br>Muttering to herself the girl looked wistfully to the sky.<br><br>"Ooh where is that man. I just want to thank that brave man who saved me."<br><br>Unknown to Alex was the fact that the little girl was also out at night hunting. She was better than most other players and was capable of hunting down the scarlet bunnies during the day. Over confident she stayed to fight, however like most players at the time she didn’t know about the fact that monsters became 50% stronger at night. <br><br>Facing the jaws of imminent death she closed her eyes expecting to feel the fangs biting into her flesh. Sometime had passed and as she opened her eyes in confusion her mouth opened in surprise. In front of her was a handsome, silver haired elf. The sight of blood didn’t make her feel squeamish; instead she was enchanted by the color of red that stained the elf warrior as it shimmered like rubies under the bright moonlight.<br><br>After the whole ordeal had passed she witnessed the elf warrior fall, never getting the chance to thank him personally…not that he noticed her; sadly the girl was assuming Alexander went out of his way to save her but that was just him in berserk mode. <br><br>Afterwards many players found out thanks to the girl and soon the silver haired elf warrior was known throughout the entire city and the girl along with the many thankful players formed the Crimson Bunnies guild in dedication to their savior.<br><br>The Crimson Bunnies guild consisted of over 300 members and still continued to grow. The guild’s objective was to help out beginners and find their savior, thanks to that they were constantly busy and would soon be widely known for their generosity in lending a helping hand to beginners everywhere.<br><br>Wandering the streets Alex successfully managed to shake off his pursuers but now he was lost.<br><br>"Jeez, what is up with everyone? I would have thought by now people would stop looking for me."<br><br>With a quick glance Alex observed his surroundings.<br><br>"I don’t recognize this area, what to do…oh! I’ll just contact Luna forgot all about her."<br><br>"Excuse me sir?"<br><br>Hearing a voice Alex turned around to face whoever was calling out to him only to find that no one was there.<br><br>"Sir?"<br><br>A yank on his mantle caused him to look down.<br><br>What he saw tore at his heart strings. It was a pitiful looking young boy who looked starved wearing nothing but tattered clothes, tears flowed down his cheeks as he held onto his mantle.<br><br>"Sir, can you please help me?"<br><br>"What’s wrong kid? Why are you crying?"<br><br>"It’s my mom sir, she-she just fell down m-my mom she fell down and I-I don’t know who else to ask, please sir please help my mom!"<br><br>The kid kept crying in silence, his tears of desperation and frustration fell onto the snow covered ground for he had spent the entire time running around asking strangers that just ignored him.<br><br>-What’s the point? This man is probably like the rest. So many, so many people I have asked and they just walked by ignoring me. <br><br>A pair of strong hands gripped his shoulder causing the boy to look up. He stared into stranger’s eyes; his eyes glowing of silver seemed to penetrate deep into his soul. It wasn’t intimidating if anything for the first time that night it gave him a sense of warmth and hope.<br><br>"Kid where’s your mother at?"<br><br><br><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br>Part 2</span><br><br><br>"Hurry mister!"<br><br>Thanks to his endless stamina Alex soon found himself carrying the boy on his back as he raced past people at a blurring speed. <br><br>"Take a right mister! Now left! Another left!"<br><br>For any other kid Alex would of been the best piggyback vehicle ever if it weren't for the dire situation. Unintentionally Alex would be the cause of the Daddy Piggyback Race as many kids soon after asked their dads for a piggyback after seeing Alex. <br><br>"Turn right around that street corner mister! Stop mister!"<br><br>Before Alex could put the kid down the little boy jumped off his back and quickly grabbed Alexander's hand as he ran off causing Alex to stagger due to the boy's unexpected strength.<br><br>Together the pair rushed toward a dark alley, the surrounding buildings were noticeably shabbier. The brick walls were broken down and bits of glass shards could be seen sticking out of the snow, only broken windows could be found.<br><br>The usually dark alleyway was illuminated by a dim blue light. Further up ahead where the snow was no longer illuminating laid a prone figure. Running towards the body the boy knelt down and kept crying for his mom. Feeling a hand on his shoulder the boy looked up behind him. His eyes once again met Alex's silver eyes, a feeling of calmness cleared the boy's mind and with a quick nod he got up to make room for Alex.<br><br>Alex hurried to check on the mother's status. He grimaced inwardly for the mother's body was bruised all over. Placing a finger on her wrist he breathed out a sigh of relief after sensing a very faint but consistent pulse. He thanked Luna's spell for the snow's healing properties, which was probably what had kept the kid's mother alive. The snow didn't heal most of her wounds but it was enough for now.<br><br>Just as he was about to carry his mother towards the nearest church to find a healer Alex's hands felt the touch of a sickly warm but familiar feeling. Fearing the worst he turned over the mother's back only to confirm his fears. A broken blade was sticking out of her back.<br><br>"Hey kid can you gather up some of that snow for me?"<br><br>"Kid?"<br><br>Hearing no responce Alex turned his head to see the kid. His face was pale in shock of seeing so much blood. Alex steeled himself for even though he felt pity for the kid he needed the kid's help.<br><br><span style="font-weight: bold;">"KID! WAKE UP!"</span><br><br>The sudden shout brought back the kid from his moment of shock. Seeing that the kid's attention was on him Alex continued.<br><br>"Kid, look at me. I know that you're scared but your mother needs you right now. We can save her but I need you to gather the blue snow here that are still glowing. <br><br>The boy felt a wave of calm wash over his body. It was those eyes once again giving him hope, it was incomprehensible but for some reason he could sense the power and warmth behind the stranger's eyes. Nodding his head in response the boy quickly got up and started to bring back armfuls of the glowing blue snow.<br><br>Knowing that the kid would do his part Alex gathered his focus as he consciously activated his bookworm skill. Recalling vast amount of information he quickly found the data and procedures for emergency treatment. Looking up all Alexander could see was a staggering pile of blue snow. He smiled in admiration at the young boy running back and forth bringing in more of the glowing blue snow. <br><br>-That kid had to deal with so much today it's amazing yet strange. Why would Unicorn Corps make the game so realistic? It's kind of scary how real these npc are.<br><br>A moan from the boy's mother brought back his attention. <br><br>-Enough of that I have to focus on this right now.<br><br>Using his bookworm skill Alex's hands moved automatically providing feedback on how far the broken blade was in and assessing whether removing it was safe enough. Taking out a cloth from his inventories Alex quickly folded the cloth and placed it in the mother's mouth so that she wouldn't hurt herself when she felt the pain. <br>After quickly removing the blade Alex grabbed fistfuls of the blue snow and started applying it on the wound directly. The mother hissed as she automatically bit the cloth in pain. A steam of mist appeared and soon a fog covered Alex and the boy's mom as he continued to apply more and more of the blue snow. <br><br>A heavy silence fell down in the alley as the boy looked onward at the fog, his feelings were a mixture of both anxiety and hope. Time seemed to slow down but with each passing second the fog slowly, but surely soon faded away. With hesitant steps the boy slowly approached Alex, however the minute he saw his mother in Alex's arm with her eyes open her face gently smiling towards him, her son the boy dashed straight towards his mother in glee; his worries were all gone at that moment.<br><br>Tears of joy flowed down his cheeks as the kid laughed and cried as his mother embraced him in a warm and loving hug. <br><br>"I'm so sorry love"<br><br>The sudden statement caused the boy to lift his head up in confusion.<br><br>"My time isn't much farther. Please hear me one last time son."<br><br>"No-no-no-no-no-no it can't be!"<br><br>"Please son-"<br><br>"No-no-no-no-no-no!"<br><br>Kneeling down Alex placed his hand on the boy's shoulder. The kid looked up and stared imploringly at Alex searching desperately for those silvery eyes hoping that it held the solution, but their eyes didn't meet as Alexander kept his head down in regret. <br><br>"Please kid, listen to your mother"<br><br>With that the kid realized that there was nothing that could be done to save his mother at that moment. Nodding his head in defeat the boy turned to face his mother. The mother gave a silent look of thanks towards Alex before facing her son once more. Opening her arms the boy gave her loving hug and as the two hugged each other the mother softly spoke to her son as she gently brushed his hair with her hand.<br><br>"Dear don't be nit picky about food, eat lots and grow strong for me all right dear? Life can be tough at times but remember to always have hope in your heart. Follow your dreams and don't let anyone tell you that you can't. Be happy for me, I know it's tough right now but try to live a life full of smiles dear."<br><br>Crying to himself the boy nodded as he ingrained every word his mother spoke into his heart.<br>Looking up the mother smiled at Alexander.<br><br>"Excuse me sir, I don't believe I caught your name?"<br><br>"It's Alexander Ma'am"<br><br>"Well I wanted to thank you Alexander for providing this opportunity"<br><br>"I'm sorry to say but I wish I could of done more for you ma'am"<br><br>"Don't be too hard on yourself Alexander, it's thanks to you I can speak with my son. However if you don't mind can you hear out my last request? I want you to take care of my son until he becomes a capable man. I know it's too much to ask and I have nothing I can give you in return but please guide him sir"<br><br>"Don't worry ma'am I will"<br><br>"Thank you"<br><br>Breathing a sigh of relief the mother slowly raised her son's hair and gently kissed his forehead.<br><br>"Dear it's time I have to go now"<br><br>With a startled look the boy's head raised up to face his mother.<br><br>"Wh-what?"<br><br>"It's time, Freya's angels are beckoning me to be by their side."<br><br>"Don't leave me mom!"<br><br>"I'm sorry dear, I wish I could stay with you a bit longer as well"<br><br>"Then don't go mom!"<br><br>"Oh dear, what am I going to do with you? I'm sorry my precious son I have to go now but I will always be with you in your heart. I want to let you know that you are the most wonderful thing to happen in my life and no matter what I will always be proud of you. Grow up to be a strong and wonderful man with a heart filled with kindness, I believe in you always."<br><br>"No mom! Don't go!"<br><br>Smiling she patted her son's head, her body slowly turning grey. Soon her body started to fade away. Her love was strong, with every ounce of strength she kept smiling for her son as her life faded away.<br><br>"I love you"<br><br>"Mommmmm!"<br><br>The last trace of the boy's mother's smile disappeared in a flash of grey light.<br><br>Getting up Alex leaned against the alley's walls. He remained silent letting the boy grieve in peace. After an hour had passed the kid stood up and walked towards Alex. His face was red, tears stained his cheeks and snot was dripping down his nose. Taking out a clean cloth Alex wiped the boys face. Taking the boy's hand the two stared at the spot where his mother used to be. After a final sniff the boy tugged Alex's hands a sign that he was ready to leave. <br><br><span style="font-style: italic;">Swiiiiiish! <span style="font-weight: bold;">Klang!</span> </span><br><br>Alex quickly tackled the boy! Rolling on the ground Alexander quickly took the sheathed sword in his inventory that he got from the instructor. He wasn't able to pull out the sword out of it's sheath but it was all he had. With a flick of his wrist he quickly deflected an incoming dagger. Sensing more danger he grabbed the boy's ragged shirt by the neck and dodged to the left. Three arrows thudded into the snow covered ground afterwards. <br><br>"Who's there!?"<br><br>"Oh my~my~ Look at that he managed to avoid our surprise attack"<br><br>"Never mind that, look who's with him brother."<br><br>"Ahh~ Isn't that our target? Haha what fortune brother!"<br><br>"Indeed thanks to that wench covering for him he got away"<br><br>"But I told you he'll be back didn't I brother?"<br><br>"Haha! Indeed you did brother! Now let's not waste anymore time"<br><br>Stepping out of the dark a cloaked figure appeared, a knife was held in each hand and more were probably hidden in his cloak. Hearing the crunch of snow Alex glanced towards his back confirming the sight of another cloaked man with an arrow nocked in place on his gruesome looking longbow.<br><br>The tension in the air was thick enough to cut as the three stared at each other. <br><br>"You-you bastards. Y-YOU'RE THE F**CKING BAST*RDS THAT KILLED MY MOTHER!!!" <br><br>"Kid?"<br><br>With a roar the kid charged towards the cloaked figure with the knives.<br><br>"Damn it!"<br><br>Pushing himself to his utmost limits Alex quickly dashed towards the kid and tackled him out of the way. The knives missed by mere inches but the arrows slammed into his back. <br><br>"Mister!!!"<br><br>With a grunt Alex quickly stood up.<br><br>"Don't worry about me kid my Mantle is made out some pretty tough fur, but seriously what the hell in Freya's name were you thinking!?"<br><br>"I-I ju-"<br><br>"Listen kid. Just leave those two clowns to me. Besides your mom didn't give her life just so you could throw away yours."<br><br>"But-"<br><br>"No BUTS! Don't make me repeat myself kid. Your mother entrusted your life to me so whether you like it or not I'm going to keep my end of the bargain and protect your life."<br><br>"Mister..."<br><br>"Just stick to my side got it?"<br><br>Nodding his head in response the kid stood next to Alex's side.<br><br>"Ahh~ isn't that just sweet?"<br><br>"Aye brother, it's so sweet it's making me puke"<br><br>"Agreed brother but before we kill them let me ask him a question"<br><br>"...Fine"<br><br>"Hey there! Yeah you! I was just wondering but who made your gear? That mantle of yours must be pretty well made to stop my brother's arrows"<br><br>"Well sure I could tell you but even if you have the information I doubt it would do you any good"<br><br>"Hmm and what exactly do you mean by that?"<br><br>"What I mean is that I doubt you would need clothes where you're heading"<br><br>"Huh? Wha-"<br><br>Grabbing the kid Alex used one of the shaolin staff technique using his bookworm skill. Shouting the name of the technique he swung the sheath creating a large upward gust of wind, the snow blurring the visions of the assassins. <br><br>"Sweeping A Thousand Leafs! Eagle Soaring Wings!"<br><br>"Gahhh! What's with all the snow!? I can't see a damn thing!"<br><br>"Damn it are they trying to escape!? Brother do you see anything!?"<br><br>"Brother? Brother! BROTHER!"<br><br>Despite the man's frantic yelling nothing could be heard but the whirling sound of the fierce gust of wind as the sudden explosion of air and thanks to all the snow flying through the air like a snow globe being shook. <br><br>"Brother answer me damn it!"<br><br>"Your brother is gone and now it's just me and you"<br><br>The familiar feeling of cold steel pressed against his neck. <br><br>"Wow, well I'll be damn isn't that one of my daggers?"<br><br>"Why are you after the boy?"<br><br>"Straight to the point aren't we?"<br><br>A sudden pressure to his throat caused the man to shut up.<br><br>"Answer me"<br><br>"Because he commanded us to"<br><br>"He? Who is he?"<br><br>"Our master, me and my brother's master. I can't talk more about that"<br><br>The increase of pressure on the man's throat encouraged him once more.<br><br>"Okay okay! I can't talk about him but I can tell you why he sent us after the boy! Don't cut me with it please! It has poison coated on it!"<br><br>The pressure on his throat decreased as the blade slowly moved away.<br><br>"Speak"<br><br>"According to our master the boy has an incredible amount of power. The boy doesn't realize he has that much power, which is why we were sent to end him before he became a potential threat."<br><br>"Power? What Powe-"<br><br><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;">SMACK!</span></span><br><br>A sudden force smacked into his jaws causing Alex to fall backwards. Hurrying to get back up Alex quickly got into a defensive stance expecting another attack, but the sight he saw caught him off guard. The cloaked assassin unfurled two large bat like wings. Two horns shout out of the man's hood. With a sudden heat wave flaring out of the monster's body the cloak burst into flames. Scales shot out covering it's entire body making the monster look like it just grew armor onto it's body. The creature's muscles exploded, expanding at an alarming rate. <br><br>Realizing that the monster assassin was open to attacks while it was still transforming Alex lunged forward to stab it, hoping the poison was lethal enough to kill the beast. Putting all his strength behind his dash Alex moved faster and faster, soon his body becoming a flying spear as the dagger homed in on the monster's neck!<br><br><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Stab!</span></span><br><br>"Huhk!? Y-you damn bastard..."<br><br>Gripping his assailant Alex consciousness slowly slipped away.<br><br>"I know that mister told me to stay hidden, but there's just got to be something I can do to help!"<br><br>Running out from the dark part of the alleyway the kid ran towards where Alex was only to halt in shock as he stared at the impossible and horrendous scene before him. A demonic black monster, it's overwhelmingly huge body lit in bloody red flames, and on the creatures long spear like tail hung the body of Alex, the tail had speared through his stomach. <br><br>"M-MISTER!!!!"<br><br>A loud ear-jarring sound pierced through Alex's sleep causing him to open his eyes. <br><br>"K-Kid!?"<br><br>"Mister!"<br><br>"I thought I told you to get away from here huk-!?"<br><br>"MISTER!!!"<br><br>With a flick of the demonic beast's tail Alex flew of it's tail and smashed into alley's walls. With his vision blurring Alexander laid there, his body not responding as the demon approached the kid. Soon the scenery faded out into darkness.<br><br>-Damn it. Heh, this really freaking hurts. Why did they have to make the pain so damn realistic.... damn.... sorry kid......<br><br>-<span style="font-style: italic;">So are you giving up?</span><br><br>-Huh?<br><br>-<span style="font-style: italic;">Do you not wish to save the kid? Are you giving up?</span><br><br>-No I don't want to give up! I want to save him!<br><br>-<span style="font-style: italic;">Then take my power. If you truly wish to save him then take it.</span> <br><br>-Why are you helping me? Who are you?<br><br>-<span style="font-style: italic;">When the opportunity arrives all shall be revealed, until then do what you must</span><br><br>The demon leaped towards the sky flaring open it's wings. As it hung in the night sky the monster let out a enormous roar filled with bloodlust. Flames built up in it's mouth, the heat could be felt all around. The demon soon ripped it's jaws open wide as a torrent of flame spewed forward heading straight towards the kid. <br><br>"Am I going to die? Well it won't be too bad, I guess I'll be seeing mother and mister pretty soon."<br><br>Closing his eyes the kid fell onto his knees giving up any hope of surviving the attack. <br><br>Fwoooshhh<br><br>The scarlet flames swept the area, the intense heat already burning down the nearby buildings to rubble. <br><br>"..................?"<br><br>"Don't go killing me off just yet you little brat."<br><br><span style="font-weight: bold;">!</span><br><br>"Mister!?"<br><br>"Hey there kid, sorry if I was a bit late"<br><br>Looking up the kid could see a light barrier enclosed around them was preventing the flames from harming them. With big eyes he stared at Alex whose entire body was radiating a soft silver glow, the silver aura wasn't what caught the kid's attention however.<br><br>Sticking out of Alex's pants was a tail, a long silver scaled tail with two red lines one on each side followed by a set of leather silver wings with a faint red hue. <br><br>"Hey kid"<br><br>"Yeah mister?"<br><br>"I think it's time we finally paid this bastard back for everything he's done what do you think?"<br><br>"Go get him mister!"<br><br>"Heh, sure thing kid!"<br><br>The silver aura surround Alex soon flared up as he let his primal instinct take over. Clenching his jaws Alex felt all his energy being focused into one point, with all his pent up frustration, with all his fury Alex let out a beam of white light that pierced through the sea of red flames, extinguishing them on the spot, the attack continued and blowing the demon away without a trace.<br><br>"Mister you did it!"<br><br>"Mister? Mister!"<br><br>Falling into a deep slumber Alexander let the wave of exhaustion carry him to sleep as the sounds of a boy calling out to him soon faded away.<br><br><br>So yeah kind of rushed through this one... I also got to say damn you auto correct! Had to retype some words many times on my phone. Thanks for reading and don't expect anything new anytime soon since I'll most likely focus on this when I'm on break which isn't soon. {[999abo}] </div>

Hey everyone vsinity here! Just to let you know I'm not stopping the story just a little busy w/college. Well enough about that here's the next chapter! Enjoy {[999abo}] Ch 11 Part 1 “Fur coats! Get your warm fuzzy coats! Only 15 silvers to keep yourself nice and cozy!” “Delicious apple pies! Get them while they are hot-hot-hot! Only 2 silvers for a yummy treat, guaranteed to warm you up!” The entire kingdom of Rosenheim was filled with bustling activities as both players and npcs participated in the grand festivities. The mages’ guild were busy decorating the streets with a spectacular array of lights of different shapes and colors showing off their many spells. Snow and Ice sculptures littered the streets which soon became a competition that resulted in dinosaur shaped snow figures and funny cartoon characters. The bards had gathered in various locations; their wonderful music flowing down every street’s corner and the delicious aroma of food being prepared soon filled the air as cooks started to open their food stalls out on the streets. Laughter and giggles could be heard everywhere as the children raced each other, running and sliding as they played in the snow making many of the adults chuckling at the amusing sight. The cause of all the unexpected festivities was the snow; however it wasn’t ordinary snow that was causing all the commotion. The snow had come during the middle of summer in Rosenheim and not only that the snow was also a beautiful pristine blue and a soft blue glow further enhanced its charm. The entire kingdom of Rosenheim and the fields near its outer walls were covered in a blanket of the pristine blue snow, a wonderful sight to behold! The pale blue light that the snow emitted had the effect of warming the hearts of any person that stared into its comforting glow. Priests giving buffs to players quickly discovered that the presence of the snow greatly enhanced the power of their blessings! Soon it was known that the snow had great healing properties as well and many players frantically began to collect the snow, they kept collecting piles upon piles of snow until they later realized that the snow’s beneficial powers vanished after it melts and becomes ordinary water. No one knew where the mysterious blue snow came from but during the next two weeks until the last of the blue snow melts away the event would forever be known as Blue Christmas. In the midst of all the festivities while everyone was enjoying their time outside a sad girl could be seen through the tailor’s workshop’s window pouting as she enviously stared at the other people having fun as she waited with her friend who was taking a nap. “Alex? Alex? Alex? Al-” “What Luna? I’m taking a nap you know” “Alex are you done yet?” “He’s still making my clothes, what do you think?” “Hmph” “Luna you don’t have to wait on me” “No, I don’t want to go by myself so hurry up” After their intense battle against the lycanthropes Alexander’s clothes were once again ripped to shreds. Thankfully the lycanthropes drops were of good quality which they mostly sold off at a good price. The claws and fangs of lycanthropes were rare materials that could be used to make high quality potions which raised the values of the claws and fangs and soon the two made enough money to pay back the owner of the restaurant who went and cancelled their bounty. Needing new clothes the two headed back to the tailor’s workshop where they sold most of the lycanthrope fur and soon found themselves waiting as the tailor proceeded to make a new outfit with the remaining lycanthrope fur for Alexander. Looking up Alexander gave a puzzled look at the girl still staring out the window. -She obviously wants to go hmm… guess I should give her a reason then.- “Hey Luna?” “Yeah?” “Actually I have a favor to ask” Curious Luna turned to face him. “What’s the favor?” “Well you see the sword you gave me is practically falling apart after that last battle. Seeing as we’re just waiting here I was wondering if you could take this to the black smith.” “Oh, well sure I guess I could do that” “Great here’s the sword, thanks Luna” “Kay’ I’ll be back soon” Turning around to leave she paused at the door when Alex stopped her. “Oh Luna one more thing” “Hm?” “The repair should take some time so just go enjoy the festival” With a quick smile forming on her face she quickly left after sticking out her tongue at Alex. “Duh, I don’t need you around to tell me that silly” “Wha-why you little-” But there was only a gust of air where Luna was previously as she ran off to enjoy the festivities. Watching as the distant figure did a comical flip as she slipped in the snow Alexander let out a small chuckle as he leaned back on his chair going back to his nap. Couples of all kinds could be seen strolling down the streets, enjoying the grand festivities and spectacles. “Dear, where should we go next?” “Hmm, You know what? I just heard that the mage guild made an enormous Christmas tree. Want to check it out?” “Splendid! And seeing how the mage guild already made wonderful decorations this tree must be spectacular! Let’s go see it now darling” “Haha, alright let me just-woahhhhh!” The man was spinning around and around, another victim of the sudden gust of wind as a speeding figure could be seen running off leaving behind a sound of laughter that was strangely pleasant as it resembled chiming bells. Meanwhile back at the tailor’s workshop after waiting/napping for 3hours Alexander finally got his new clothes. The tailor’s skills were exceptional and the heavy fur turned into a light fur coat mantle with a hood, the remaining leather was used to make a vest, pants, boots and fingerless gloves upon request. Thanking the tailor Alexander exited the shop. A small white fog appeared as Alexander breathed in and out the winter air. Even though the sky had turned black with the coming of night the streets were bright thanks to the blue snow and the glowing decorations courtesy from the many mages participating in the festival. Looking around at all the wonderful sight Alexander let out a small smile. “Hey isn’t that…” “Woah you’re right!” “What are you talking ab-omg it’s that elf dude!” “The bunny slayer?” “The savior of noobs!” “Hurry contact the guild leader!” “Hey! He’s running away!” “After him! Don’t let him escape!” Putting on his hood to hide his silvery hair Alex ran into another crowd hoping to throw off his many pursuers. -Oh well so much for that peaceful moment. Sighing to himself Alex continued to run as he cursed his misfortune. Meanwhile a little girl could be seen walking with a large group behind her. "Are you certain he was here?" "Yes leader, I’m sorry to inform you but our scouts lost him once again." "Extend the search and send an additional squad to the west gates." "Understood" Muttering to herself the girl looked wistfully to the sky. "Ooh where is that man. I just want to thank that brave man who saved me." Unknown to Alex was the fact that the little girl was also out at night hunting. She was better than most other players and was capable of hunting down the scarlet bunnies during the day. Over confident she stayed to fight, however like most players at the time she didn’t know about the fact that monsters became 50% stronger at night. Facing the jaws of imminent death she closed her eyes expecting to feel the fangs biting into her flesh. Sometime had passed and as she opened her eyes in confusion her mouth opened in surprise. In front of her was a handsome, silver haired elf. The sight of blood didn’t make her feel squeamish; instead she was enchanted by the color of red that stained the elf warrior as it shimmered like rubies under the bright moonlight. After the whole ordeal had passed she witnessed the elf warrior fall, never getting the chance to thank him personally…not that he noticed her; sadly the girl was assuming Alexander went out of his way to save her but that was just him in berserk mode. Afterwards many players found out thanks to the girl and soon the silver haired elf warrior was known throughout the entire city and the girl along with the many thankful players formed the Crimson Bunnies guild in dedication to their savior. The Crimson Bunnies guild consisted of over 300 members and still continued to grow. The guild’s objective was to help out beginners and find their savior, thanks to that they were constantly busy and would soon be widely known for their generosity in lending a helping hand to beginners everywhere. Wandering the streets Alex successfully managed to shake off his pursuers but now he was lost. "Jeez, what is up with everyone? I would have thought by now people would stop looking for me." With a quick glance Alex observed his surroundings. "I don’t recognize this area, what to do…oh! I’ll just contact Luna forgot all about her." "Excuse me sir?" Hearing a voice Alex turned around to face whoever was calling out to him only to find that no one was there. "Sir?" A yank on his mantle caused him to look down. What he saw tore at his heart strings. It was a pitiful looking young boy who looked starved wearing nothing but tattered clothes, tears flowed down his cheeks as he held onto his mantle. "Sir, can you please help me?" "What’s wrong kid? Why are you crying?" "It’s my mom sir, she-she just fell down m-my mom she fell down and I-I don’t know who else to ask, please sir please help my mom!" The kid kept crying in silence, his tears of desperation and frustration fell onto the snow covered ground for he had spent the entire time running around asking strangers that just ignored him. -What’s the point? This man is probably like the rest. So many, so many people I have asked and they just walked by ignoring me. A pair of strong hands gripped his shoulder causing the boy to look up. He stared into stranger’s eyes; his eyes glowing of silver seemed to penetrate deep into his soul. It wasn’t intimidating if anything for the first time that night it gave him a sense of warmth and hope. "Kid where’s your mother at?" Part 2 "Hurry mister!" Thanks to his endless stamina Alex soon found himself carrying the boy on his back as he raced past people at a blurring speed. "Take a right mister! Now left! Another left!" For any other kid Alex would of been the best piggyback vehicle ever if it weren't for the dire situation. Unintentionally Alex would be the cause of the Daddy Piggyback Race as many kids soon after asked their dads for a piggyback after seeing Alex. "Turn right around that street corner mister! Stop mister!" Before Alex could put the kid down the little boy jumped off his back and quickly grabbed Alexander's hand as he ran off causing Alex to stagger due to the boy's unexpected strength. Together the pair rushed toward a dark alley, the surrounding buildings were noticeably shabbier. The brick walls were broken down and bits of glass shards could be seen sticking out of the snow, only broken windows could be found. The usually dark alleyway was illuminated by a dim blue light. Further up ahead where the snow was no longer illuminating laid a prone figure. Running towards the body the boy knelt down and kept crying for his mom. Feeling a hand on his shoulder the boy looked up behind him. His eyes once again met Alex's silver eyes, a feeling of calmness cleared the boy's mind and with a quick nod he got up to make room for Alex. Alex hurried to check on the mother's status. He grimaced inwardly for the mother's body was bruised all over. Placing a finger on her wrist he breathed out a sigh of relief after sensing a very faint but consistent pulse. He thanked Luna's spell for the snow's healing properties, which was probably what had kept the kid's mother alive. The snow didn't heal most of her wounds but it was enough for now. Just as he was about to carry his mother towards the nearest church to find a healer Alex's hands felt the touch of a sickly warm but familiar feeling. Fearing the worst he turned over the mother's back only to confirm his fears. A broken blade was sticking out of her back. "Hey kid can you gather up some of that snow for me?" "Kid?" Hearing no responce Alex turned his head to see the kid. His face was pale in shock of seeing so much blood. Alex steeled himself for even though he felt pity for the kid he needed the kid's help. "KID! WAKE UP!" The sudden shout brought back the kid from his moment of shock. Seeing that the kid's attention was on him Alex continued. "Kid, look at me. I know that you're scared but your mother needs you right now. We can save her but I need you to gather the blue snow here that are still glowing. The boy felt a wave of calm wash over his body. It was those eyes once again giving him hope, it was incomprehensible but for some reason he could sense the power and warmth behind the stranger's eyes. Nodding his head in response the boy quickly got up and started to bring back armfuls of the glowing blue snow. Knowing that the kid would do his part Alex gathered his focus as he consciously activated his bookworm skill. Recalling vast amount of information he quickly found the data and procedures for emergency treatment. Looking up all Alexander could see was a staggering pile of blue snow. He smiled in admiration at the young boy running back and forth bringing in more of the glowing blue snow. -That kid had to deal with so much today it's amazing yet strange. Why would Unicorn Corps make the game so realistic? It's kind of scary how real these npc are. A moan from the boy's mother brought back his attention. -Enough of that I have to focus on this right now. Using his bookworm skill Alex's hands moved automatically providing feedback on how far the broken blade was in and assessing whether removing it was safe enough. Taking out a cloth from his inventories Alex quickly folded the cloth and placed it in the mother's mouth so that she wouldn't hurt herself when she felt the pain. After quickly removing the blade Alex grabbed fistfuls of the blue snow and started applying it on the wound directly. The mother hissed as she automatically bit the cloth in pain. A steam of mist appeared and soon a fog covered Alex and the boy's mom as he continued to apply more and more of the blue snow. A heavy silence fell down in the alley as the boy looked onward at the fog, his feelings were a mixture of both anxiety and hope. Time seemed to slow down but with each passing second the fog slowly, but surely soon faded away. With hesitant steps the boy slowly approached Alex, however the minute he saw his mother in Alex's arm with her eyes open her face gently smiling towards him, her son the boy dashed straight towards his mother in glee; his worries were all gone at that moment. Tears of joy flowed down his cheeks as the kid laughed and cried as his mother embraced him in a warm and loving hug. "I'm so sorry love" The sudden statement caused the boy to lift his head up in confusion. "My time isn't much farther. Please hear me one last time son." "No-no-no-no-no-no it can't be!" "Please son-" "No-no-no-no-no-no!" Kneeling down Alex placed his hand on the boy's shoulder. The kid looked up and stared imploringly at Alex searching desperately for those silvery eyes hoping that it held the solution, but their eyes didn't meet as Alexander kept his head down in regret. "Please kid, listen to your mother" With that the kid realized that there was nothing that could be done to save his mother at that moment. Nodding his head in defeat the boy turned to face his mother. The mother gave a silent look of thanks towards Alex before facing her son once more. Opening her arms the boy gave her loving hug and as the two hugged each other the mother softly spoke to her son as she gently brushed his hair with her hand. "Dear don't be nit picky about food, eat lots and grow strong for me all right dear? Life can be tough at times but remember to always have hope in your heart. Follow your dreams and don't let anyone tell you that you can't. Be happy for me, I know it's tough right now but try to live a life full of smiles dear." Crying to himself the boy nodded as he ingrained every word his mother spoke into his heart. Looking up the mother smiled at Alexander. "Excuse me sir, I don't believe I caught your name?" "It's Alexander Ma'am" "Well I wanted to thank you Alexander for providing this opportunity" "I'm sorry to say but I wish I could of done more for you ma'am" "Don't be too hard on yourself Alexander, it's thanks to you I can speak with my son. However if you don't mind can you hear out my last request? I want you to take care of my son until he becomes a capable man. I know it's too much to ask and I have nothing I can give you in return but please guide him sir" "Don't worry ma'am I will" "Thank you" Breathing a sigh of relief the mother slowly raised her son's hair and gently kissed his forehead. "Dear it's time I have to go now" With a startled look the boy's head raised up to face his mother. "Wh-what?" "It's time, Freya's angels are beckoning me to be by their side." "Don't leave me mom!" "I'm sorry dear, I wish I could stay with you a bit longer as well" "Then don't go mom!" "Oh dear, what am I going to do with you? I'm sorry my precious son I have to go now but I will always be with you in your heart. I want to let you know that you are the most wonderful thing to happen in my life and no matter what I will always be proud of you. Grow up to be a strong and wonderful man with a heart filled with kindness, I believe in you always." "No mom! Don't go!" Smiling she patted her son's head, her body slowly turning grey. Soon her body started to fade away. Her love was strong, with every ounce of strength she kept smiling for her son as her life faded away. "I love you" "Mommmmm!" The last trace of the boy's mother's smile disappeared in a flash of grey light. Getting up Alex leaned against the alley's walls. He remained silent letting the boy grieve in peace. After an hour had passed the kid stood up and walked towards Alex. His face was red, tears stained his cheeks and snot was dripping down his nose. Taking out a clean cloth Alex wiped the boys face. Taking the boy's hand the two stared at the spot where his mother used to be. After a final sniff the boy tugged Alex's hands a sign that he was ready to leave. Swiiiiiish! Klang! Alex quickly tackled the boy! Rolling on the ground Alexander quickly took the sheathed sword in his inventory that he got from the instructor. He wasn't able to pull out the sword out of it's sheath but it was all he had. With a flick of his wrist he quickly deflected an incoming dagger. Sensing more danger he grabbed the boy's ragged shirt by the neck and dodged to the left. Three arrows thudded into the snow covered ground afterwards. "Who's there!?" "Oh my~my~ Look at that he managed to avoid our surprise attack" "Never mind that, look who's with him brother." "Ahh~ Isn't that our target? Haha what fortune brother!" "Indeed thanks to that wench covering for him he got away" "But I told you he'll be back didn't I brother?" "Haha! Indeed you did brother! Now let's not waste anymore time" Stepping out of the dark a cloaked figure appeared, a knife was held in each hand and more were probably hidden in his cloak. Hearing the crunch of snow Alex glanced towards his back confirming the sight of another cloaked man with an arrow nocked in place on his gruesome looking longbow. The tension in the air was thick enough to cut as the three stared at each other. "You-you bastards. Y-YOU'RE THE F**CKING BAST*RDS THAT KILLED MY MOTHER!!!" "Kid?" With a roar the kid charged towards the cloaked figure with the knives. "Damn it!" Pushing himself to his utmost limits Alex quickly dashed towards the kid and tackled him out of the way. The knives missed by mere inches but the arrows slammed into his back. "Mister!!!" With a grunt Alex quickly stood up. "Don't worry about me kid my Mantle is made out some pretty tough fur, but seriously what the hell in Freya's name were you thinking!?" "I-I ju-" "Listen kid. Just leave those two clowns to me. Besides your mom didn't give her life just so you could throw away yours." "But-" "No BUTS! Don't make me repeat myself kid. Your mother entrusted your life to me so whether you like it or not I'm going to keep my end of the bargain and protect your life." "Mister..." "Just stick to my side got it?" Nodding his head in response the kid stood next to Alex's side. "Ahh~ isn't that just sweet?" "Aye brother, it's so sweet it's making me puke" "Agreed brother but before we kill them let me ask him a question" "...Fine" "Hey there! Yeah you! I was just wondering but who made your gear? That mantle of yours must be pretty well made to stop my brother's arrows" "Well sure I could tell you but even if you have the information I doubt it would do you any good" "Hmm and what exactly do you mean by that?" "What I mean is that I doubt you would need clothes where you're heading" "Huh? Wha-" Grabbing the kid Alex used one of the shaolin staff technique using his bookworm skill. Shouting the name of the technique he swung the sheath creating a large upward gust of wind, the snow blurring the visions of the assassins. "Sweeping A Thousand Leafs! Eagle Soaring Wings!" "Gahhh! What's with all the snow!? I can't see a damn thing!" "Damn it are they trying to escape!? Brother do you see anything!?" "Brother? Brother! BROTHER!" Despite the man's frantic yelling nothing could be heard but the whirling sound of the fierce gust of wind as the sudden explosion of air and thanks to all the snow flying through the air like a snow globe being shook. "Brother answer me damn it!" "Your brother is gone and now it's just me and you" The familiar feeling of cold steel pressed against his neck. "Wow, well I'll be damn isn't that one of my daggers?" "Why are you after the boy?" "Straight to the point aren't we?" A sudden pressure to his throat caused the man to shut up. "Answer me" "Because he commanded us to" "He? Who is he?" "Our master, me and my brother's master. I can't talk more about that" The increase of pressure on the man's throat encouraged him once more. "Okay okay! I can't talk about him but I can tell you why he sent us after the boy! Don't cut me with it please! It has poison coated on it!" The pressure on his throat decreased as the blade slowly moved away. "Speak" "According to our master the boy has an incredible amount of power. The boy doesn't realize he has that much power, which is why we were sent to end him before he became a potential threat." "Power? What Powe-" SMACK! A sudden force smacked into his jaws causing Alex to fall backwards. Hurrying to get back up Alex quickly got into a defensive stance expecting another attack, but the sight he saw caught him off guard. The cloaked assassin unfurled two large bat like wings. Two horns shout out of the man's hood. With a sudden heat wave flaring out of the monster's body the cloak burst into flames. Scales shot out covering it's entire body making the monster look like it just grew armor onto it's body. The creature's muscles exploded, expanding at an alarming rate. Realizing that the monster assassin was open to attacks while it was still transforming Alex lunged forward to stab it, hoping the poison was lethal enough to kill the beast. Putting all his strength behind his dash Alex moved faster and faster, soon his body becoming a flying spear as the dagger homed in on the monster's neck! Stab! "Huhk!? Y-you damn bastard..." Gripping his assailant Alex consciousness slowly slipped away. "I know that mister told me to stay hidden, but there's just got to be something I can do to help!" Running out from the dark part of the alleyway the kid ran towards where Alex was only to halt in shock as he stared at the impossible and horrendous scene before him. A demonic black monster, it's overwhelmingly huge body lit in bloody red flames, and on the creatures long spear like tail hung the body of Alex, the tail had speared through his stomach. "M-MISTER!!!!" A loud ear-jarring sound pierced through Alex's sleep causing him to open his eyes. "K-Kid!?" "Mister!" "I thought I told you to get away from here huk-!?" "MISTER!!!" With a flick of the demonic beast's tail Alex flew of it's tail and smashed into alley's walls. With his vision blurring Alexander laid there, his body not responding as the demon approached the kid. Soon the scenery faded out into darkness. -Damn it. Heh, this really freaking hurts. Why did they have to make the pain so damn realistic.... damn.... sorry kid...... -So are you giving up? -Huh? -Do you not wish to save the kid? Are you giving up? -No I don't want to give up! I want to save him! -Then take my power. If you truly wish to save him then take it. -Why are you helping me? Who are you? -When the opportunity arrives all shall be revealed, until then do what you must The demon leaped towards the sky flaring open it's wings. As it hung in the night sky the monster let out a enormous roar filled with bloodlust. Flames built up in it's mouth, the heat could be felt all around. The demon soon ripped it's jaws open wide as a torrent of flame spewed forward heading straight towards the kid. "Am I going to die? Well it won't be too bad, I guess I'll be seeing mother and mister pretty soon." Closing his eyes the kid fell onto his knees giving up any hope of surviving the attack. Fwoooshhh The scarlet flames swept the area, the intense heat already burning down the nearby buildings to rubble. "..................?" "Don't go killing me off just yet you little brat." ! "Mister!?" "Hey there kid, sorry if I was a bit late" Looking up the kid could see a light barrier enclosed around them was preventing the flames from harming them. With big eyes he stared at Alex whose entire body was radiating a soft silver glow, the silver aura wasn't what caught the kid's attention however. Sticking out of Alex's pants was a tail, a long silver scaled tail with two red lines one on each side followed by a set of leather silver wings with a faint red hue. "Hey kid" "Yeah mister?" "I think it's time we finally paid this bastard back for everything he's done what do you think?" "Go get him mister!" "Heh, sure thing kid!" The silver aura surround Alex soon flared up as he let his primal instinct take over. Clenching his jaws Alex felt all his energy being focused into one point, with all his pent up frustration, with all his fury Alex let out a beam of white light that pierced through the sea of red flames, extinguishing them on the spot, the attack continued and blowing the demon away without a trace. "Mister you did it!" "Mister? Mister!" Falling into a deep slumber Alexander let the wave of exhaustion carry him to sleep as the sounds of a boy calling out to him soon faded away. So yeah kind of rushed through this one... I also got to say damn you auto correct! Had to retype some words many times on my phone. Thanks for reading and don't expect anything new anytime soon since I'll most likely focus on this when I'm on break which isn't soon. {[999abo}]

<div class="chapter-inner chapter-content"> Okay this post is OLD. I won’t promise anything but because of vacations I’ll take out chapter 1 Version 2 in 2, 3 more days. It is not a promise, the only thing I can say for sure is that I will not stop writing. And; ¡Feliz Semana Santa para quien la tenga!<br> :D <br><br>P.S: I tried to delete Story post but couldn’t. ;( </div>

Okay this post is OLD. I won’t promise anything but because of vacations I’ll take out chapter 1 Version 2 in 2, 3 more days. It is not a promise, the only thing I can say for sure is that I will not stop writing. And; ¡Feliz Semana Santa para quien la tenga! :D P.S: I tried to delete Story post but couldn’t. ;(

<div class="chapter-inner chapter-content"> Please post any suggestions in this topic and i will give an estimate of when i will get a chapter done.<br><br><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Release Schedule:</span><br><br>Prologue- Done<br><br>Chapter 1- Done<br>Chapter 2- Done<br><br>Chapter 3- Done<br><br>Chapter 4- Done<br><br>Chapter 5- Done<br><br><br>Remake<br>Chapter 1- Done<br>Chapter 2- To be done over thanksgiving break.<br>Chapter 3- Undecided </div>

Please post any suggestions in this topic and i will give an estimate of when i will get a chapter done. Release Schedule: Prologue- Done Chapter 1- Done Chapter 2- Done Chapter 3- Done Chapter 4- Done Chapter 5- Done Remake Chapter 1- Done Chapter 2- To be done over thanksgiving break. Chapter 3- Undecided

<div class="chapter-inner chapter-content"> “<span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Alone I come here<br>Powerless and in fear<br><br>With Darkness to fight<br>And wrongs to make right<br><br>I call for your might<br>Come to me, wings of light.</span></span>” (I repeat, I’m not good at poetry)<br><br>The hall shone, blinding everyone, the light gathering behind Alcaeus and taking the form of wings.<br>Huge light wings three meters each were now visible on his back.<br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td>Words of power level up.</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br>*trring.* skill learnt<br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td>WoP3: Wings of light<br>Gives player the ability to fly for a certain amount of time, and super-speed.<br>96% mana can fly for 10 minutes. +5 for WoP level. -2% mana for WoP level.<br>Speed 220% +10% for WoP level.<br>Cannot kill monsters without being provoked.<br>Monsters will less likely attack you.<br>You will be the main target of undead monsters.<br>Removes murderer mark, works on others. 100% Mp 90% stamina(can be used without wings of light)<br>Xp gained reduced by 70%.<br><br>“<span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Alone I come here<br>Powerless and in fear<br><br>With Darkness to fight<br>And wrongs to make right<br><br>I call for your might<br>Come to me, wings of light.</span></span>”</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br>The priests mouth opened, eyes wide, clearly shocked from the view in front of him.<br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td>Meeting the pope<br>The pope wants to meet you.<br>Difficulty: C<br>Requirements: Impress the archbishop<br>Reward: unknown<br>Failure: Contribution to the Church of Freya lost <br> -500 fame<br> Cannot receive blessings in the name of Freya</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br>Envious eyes from players around him did not bother him at all.<br>The old man, after some time led Alcaeus to a hidden room, bowed, and left the room.<br>Silence, not even flies dared to buzz. Seconds passed.<br>.<br>.<br><br>“Greetings” the man said lowering his head.” I am called Almond and I am the current pope of the church of Freya. What is your name, winged one?”<br><br>“I am called Alcaeus. May I ask for the reason why you brought me here?” I responded after I found the courage to do so.<br><br>“Many legends speak of winged men serving our goddess Freya, yet there has been no mention of angels appearing for millennia.” The man in front of me said.” I brought you here to ask you, if you really are Freya’s right hand.”<br><br>“I am who you say I am.” I answered, politically, as I opened the light wings wider.<br>“The legends also say that they are beyond powerful, yet I sense little power in you. Know that if your statement is a lie, you insult Freya herself.”<br>“I speak the truth. However my journey here was long and tiring and I need time to regain my power.” I would level up eventually so technically I was not lying.<br>“I see, then we, the church will give our full support to you, if you are to ever need it.” The pope said.<br><br>He believed my weak argument completely, and then I remembered a certain bonus to my class;<br>+easily gain favor of NPC.<br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td>Quest complete: Meeting the pope<br>The pope wants to meet you.<br><br>Rewards:<br>Affinity with the Church of Freya has reached maximum value.<br>Influence over the church of Freya is on par with the pope.<br> All dark churches will see you as an enemy.<br>Can use the teleportation circles owned by the Church.<br>Level upLevel up<br>Level up</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br>“I also wish to give something to you” pope Almond said as he took out a golden chest.<br>*gold? Riches? Treasure?* I thought looking at the expensive chest, but was disappointed when he pulled out a feather.<br><br>“This, until now, was the only proof our church had of Freya’s angels, and I wish to give it to you.”<br>He handed me the soft, fluffy half a meter long feather.<br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td>Archangel’s feather. Durability-indestructible dmg 0 (ego item)<br>The feather of Michael. A.K.A. one of Freya’s three artifacts. <br>Cannot be dropped on death. <br>Cannot be traded.<br>Can be returned to the church.<br>All stats are increased by 1x character level.<br>Faith +1000<br>Cannot kill humans unless they have the murderers mark or attack you first.</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br> “I give you 100 of my greatest paladins to aid you on your journey.” <br>*so tempting… I could peacefully write while they protect me hmm…* I was in reverie until I snapped back to (virtual) reality.<br>“I am honored, pope, but I have to decline. My path is far too dangerous and Freya would never forgive me if I was to cause the death of so many people. But if you insist I would like some ink and paper, as that would help me a lot.” *Also I could be easily exposed as a fake, and my plans for the feather would be ruined*<br>.<br>.<br>.<br>“I am sorry but I have another request, honored pope. For four weeks I am confined in this city and cannot start to travel, I have noticed that here I need to eat and sleep *and other stuff ^^*. But I have little information and wish for you to *feed me* teach me” I asked with a pure smile worthy of an angel.<br><br>“The church’s library is yours to use, and if you have questions or requests, ask anyone here, it would be their honor to help you.”<br><br>*******<br>During the next four weeks I spent my time cooped up in the library.<br>I only came out for food and *other stuff ^^*.<br>I had finished all the books in the library and I still had three days until I could leave the city.<br>Then the writer started talking to me. <br>Me: Alcaeus, you’re confusing the user, how can one read all the books in a library within four weeks?<br><br>Al: But they already know I have Photographic Memory already so they should understand.<br><br>Me: no they do not. I forgot didn’t tell them yet.<br><br>Al: So you forgot one of my most important traits during my introduction.<br><br>Me: Look I described you while you were unconscious, I couldn’t just say “he woke up for a second and saw a notice on a board, and remembered it perfectly because he had photographic Memory.”<br><br>Al: Well I hope you are happy now; you ruined my POV, you newbie writer.<br><br>Skill used<br>Writer-character convo beginner level 3-<br>Use writer-character conversation to add stuff you forgot to mention earlier.<br>Gives character more POV time. <br><br>*************<br><br>While watching the cooks in the kitchen I learned the cooking skill and went out for a walk.<br>I saw two priestesses walking around and decided to ask them a favor.<br>After I found out that due to my class even orders sounded like kind requests to NPC I said<br>“Get me some more ink as fast as you can.” <br>-50 HP<br>I got slapped hard in the face. They were players.<br><br>*********<br><br>-What the hell was wrong with that bastard?<br>-just because he looks good he thinks he can order people around, humph.<br>-wait… it says here my faith increased by 15. (Result of Angel’s feather AKA Alcaeus’ new quill)<br>-Did you just slap the pope?<br><br>******************<br>Sorry to all the writers I silently cursed when they didn't use or show Stat windows. <br>They are a pain. :? </div>

“Alone I come here Powerless and in fear With Darkness to fight And wrongs to make right I call for your might Come to me, wings of light.” (I repeat, I’m not good at poetry) The hall shone, blinding everyone, the light gathering behind Alcaeus and taking the form of wings. Huge light wings three meters each were now visible on his back. | Words of power level up. | | --- | *trring.* skill learnt | WoP3: Wings of lightGives player the ability to fly for a certain amount of time, and super-speed.96% mana can fly for 10 minutes. +5 for WoP level. -2% mana for WoP level.Speed 220% +10% for WoP level.Cannot kill monsters without being provoked.Monsters will less likely attack you.You will be the main target of undead monsters.Removes murderer mark, works on others. 100% Mp 90% stamina(can be used without wings of light)Xp gained reduced by 70%.“Alone I come herePowerless and in fearWith Darkness to fightAnd wrongs to make rightI call for your mightCome to me, wings of light.” | | --- | The priests mouth opened, eyes wide, clearly shocked from the view in front of him. | Meeting the popeThe pope wants to meet you.Difficulty: CRequirements: Impress the archbishopReward: unknownFailure: Contribution to the Church of Freya lost -500 fame Cannot receive blessings in the name of Freya | | --- | Envious eyes from players around him did not bother him at all. The old man, after some time led Alcaeus to a hidden room, bowed, and left the room. Silence, not even flies dared to buzz. Seconds passed. . . “Greetings” the man said lowering his head.” I am called Almond and I am the current pope of the church of Freya. What is your name, winged one?” “I am called Alcaeus. May I ask for the reason why you brought me here?” I responded after I found the courage to do so. “Many legends speak of winged men serving our goddess Freya, yet there has been no mention of angels appearing for millennia.” The man in front of me said.” I brought you here to ask you, if you really are Freya’s right hand.” “I am who you say I am.” I answered, politically, as I opened the light wings wider. “The legends also say that they are beyond powerful, yet I sense little power in you. Know that if your statement is a lie, you insult Freya herself.” “I speak the truth. However my journey here was long and tiring and I need time to regain my power.” I would level up eventually so technically I was not lying. “I see, then we, the church will give our full support to you, if you are to ever need it.” The pope said. He believed my weak argument completely, and then I remembered a certain bonus to my class; +easily gain favor of NPC. | Quest complete: Meeting the popeThe pope wants to meet you.Rewards:Affinity with the Church of Freya has reached maximum value.Influence over the church of Freya is on par with the pope. All dark churches will see you as an enemy.Can use the teleportation circles owned by the Church.Level upLevel upLevel up | | --- | “I also wish to give something to you” pope Almond said as he took out a golden chest. *gold? Riches? Treasure?* I thought looking at the expensive chest, but was disappointed when he pulled out a feather. “This, until now, was the only proof our church had of Freya’s angels, and I wish to give it to you.” He handed me the soft, fluffy half a meter long feather. | Archangel’s feather. Durability-indestructible dmg 0 (ego item)The feather of Michael. A.K.A. one of Freya’s three artifacts. Cannot be dropped on death. Cannot be traded.Can be returned to the church.All stats are increased by 1x character level.Faith +1000Cannot kill humans unless they have the murderers mark or attack you first. | | --- | “I give you 100 of my greatest paladins to aid you on your journey.” *so tempting… I could peacefully write while they protect me hmm…* I was in reverie until I snapped back to (virtual) reality. “I am honored, pope, but I have to decline. My path is far too dangerous and Freya would never forgive me if I was to cause the death of so many people. But if you insist I would like some ink and paper, as that would help me a lot.” *Also I could be easily exposed as a fake, and my plans for the feather would be ruined* . . . “I am sorry but I have another request, honored pope. For four weeks I am confined in this city and cannot start to travel, I have noticed that here I need to eat and sleep *and other stuff ^^*. But I have little information and wish for you to *feed me* teach me” I asked with a pure smile worthy of an angel. “The church’s library is yours to use, and if you have questions or requests, ask anyone here, it would be their honor to help you.” ******* During the next four weeks I spent my time cooped up in the library. I only came out for food and *other stuff ^^*. I had finished all the books in the library and I still had three days until I could leave the city. Then the writer started talking to me. Me: Alcaeus, you’re confusing the user, how can one read all the books in a library within four weeks? Al: But they already know I have Photographic Memory already so they should understand. Me: no they do not. I forgot didn’t tell them yet. Al: So you forgot one of my most important traits during my introduction. Me: Look I described you while you were unconscious, I couldn’t just say “he woke up for a second and saw a notice on a board, and remembered it perfectly because he had photographic Memory.” Al: Well I hope you are happy now; you ruined my POV, you newbie writer. Skill used Writer-character convo beginner level 3- Use writer-character conversation to add stuff you forgot to mention earlier. Gives character more POV time. ************* While watching the cooks in the kitchen I learned the cooking skill and went out for a walk. I saw two priestesses walking around and decided to ask them a favor. After I found out that due to my class even orders sounded like kind requests to NPC I said “Get me some more ink as fast as you can.” -50 HP I got slapped hard in the face. They were players. ********* -What the hell was wrong with that bastard? -just because he looks good he thinks he can order people around, humph. -wait… it says here my faith increased by 15. (Result of Angel’s feather AKA Alcaeus’ new quill) -Did you just slap the pope? ****************** Sorry to all the writers I silently cursed when they didn't use or show Stat windows. They are a pain. :?

<div class="chapter-inner chapter-content"> I am writing this purely for my own enjoyment, and to immerse myself in LMS world. However, I need pointers and such sometimes, and human contact, so you can just post all that right hurrrr....<br><br>If you wish to ask questions or discuss the direction of the story, this would be the place to do so. Have problems? Post them too...<br>Edit: Can now also post how happy it makes you. XD </div>

I am writing this purely for my own enjoyment, and to immerse myself in LMS world. However, I need pointers and such sometimes, and human contact, so you can just post all that right hurrrr.... If you wish to ask questions or discuss the direction of the story, this would be the place to do so. Have problems? Post them too... Edit: Can now also post how happy it makes you. XD

<div class="chapter-inner chapter-content"> Chapter 1<br><br>-The scan on your iris and vein has determined that you are an unregistered user. Do you want to create a new account?<br><br>“Yes!”<br><br>-Select the name of your avatar.<br><br>“Meadow.”<br><br>-Select your gender. Male-<br><br>“Male.”<br><br>-Royal Road has forty-nine races. You may select your race-<br><br>“Human.”<br><br>-You may alter your appearance.<br><br>“Get rid of all blackheads and blemishes on my body, remove all hair on my face and neck, except my eyebrows, and sharpen my nose.”<br><br>I was 5’11’’, 160lbs, and in the prime of my life, but a nasty early habit of picking my nose had rounded and flattened it too greatly. Placing a perpetual Band-Aid over the offending finger had done wonders to cure me of that accursed addiction. I had just obtained a haircut, styled my hair, and looked my best. Years of working out had increased and toned my muscles, which had a side effect of lighting up my girlfriend’s eyes. My sprinting and tight diet had helped me shed some fat and water weight. This first scan was very important. The appearance could never be changed, no matter how skinny or how fat a user became later on. The problem with changing appearances was that in many cases it just looked too unnatural. A fat person who had once been of normal weight would have a good chance of generating a natural-looking slim avatar because he or she could visualize it perfectly. If one had always been fat, it would be much more difficult. I didn’t like the bodybuilder body type, as it would be impressive but cumbersome. It wasn’t practical for my tastes, especially in the movement department.<br><br>-Your account has been activated. Your stats and class-<br><br>“Pass!”<br><br>-Select a city and kingdom you want to start in.<br><br>“Verennial City, Nophen Kingdom!”<br><br>We had thought about starting in an elf city and kingdom due to their enhanced beauty, but I was afraid all the hot male elves would steal away my Yun-Jin, and that my morality would be eventually toppled by all the hot female elves. It would also ruin our real lives, as everybody in real life would seem ugly. All in all it wouldn’t benefit our relationship.<br><br>“Welcome to Royal Road!”<br><br>Flash<br><br>There was a flash of brilliant white light, but I knew that already and had covered my eyes in advance. Only once I discerned many sounds of movement around me did I stand up straight and look around. There weren’t too many people in the game yet, but I didn’t want to stick around and have to talk with possible coworkers I knew. Perhaps I should have changed my appearance more. Having already memorized the map of the Citadel. I briefly stretched, jumped up and down a couple times, cracked my knuckles, and took off quickly towards the Smithy. Before entering, I briefly stopped to fill my canteen at the fountain. I coughed as soon as I went inside. The place was quite large and smoky. I could hear the clang of a blacksmith at work in the back. There was a bell over the door that rang, and I heard a gruff voice shout.<br><br>“I’ll be right there! Just wait a second!”<br><br> Rolling my eyes, I looked around. I mostly saw swords, breastplates, and helmets; there were also armored gloves and boots around. I heard a crash, a curse, and whipped around to see a huge man with a bushy beard bend over and set a metal table upright.<br><br>“Damn, I’ll repair it later… Anyway, what can I do to help you?”<br><br>Although I had beginner clothing, I was slightly muscular so thankfully I didn’t look weak.<br><br>“I’d like to apply for a job.”<br><br>The man stared at me for a second, then roared in laughter with his head thrown back.<br><br>“Ha ha ha! Listen, boy, I like you and all, but I don’t have the kind of business in which beginners like you can meddle with yet. Most of my work is too expensive for you to ruin.”<br><br>“Well it may not look like it now, but soon enough you’ll have so many weaklings like me that need cheaper equipment. I’ll work on cheaper items that you’ll need made while you work on the more expensive stuff. You might have some others who’ll want a job. Give it to them, but me first. I can only work so many hours a week. In return you can decide my pay and your cut of what I make, within reason. Deal?”<br>“Hmm… lets see your stats first… Complete beginner, huh? Well, you need to have repair at intermediate to learn blacksmithing. I’ll regulate you to grunt work such as cleaning, repairing, and sharpening until then. If you get smart with me, or you mess up an order, you’re fired on the spot. I’ll pay you 1 silver ever hour you work, and feed you with edible food. The reduced pay should be offset by the skills you will learn by the time you leave. Deal?”<br><br>Ping!<br><br>You have received a job offer as blacksmith assistant.<br>Pay: 1 silver her hour worked.<br><br>“I accept. My name is Meadow. Nice to meet you.”<br><br>“My name’s Horaim. Let me give you the tour. ”<br><br>He proceeded to show me the different tools, and how to use, clean, and maintain them. He taught me repair, sharpening, and identify. Handing me a brillopad, he walked away to greet a customer. Taking a deep breath, I proceeded to clean and polish the equipment, floor, and materials. I thought it was stupid, because they would only become filthy momentarily, but I found that cleaning and polishing frequently prevented equipment from losing durability and effectiveness. The layers of dust and soot proved to be extremely difficult to clean, and soon I was soaked in sweat. I drained my canteen and refilled it at the grimy sink. I made sure to clean the faucet until it was sparkling first. After a couple hours a message popped up.<br><br>Ping!<br><br>Strength and Endurance rise by 1.<br><br>Polish (Beginner (0%))<br>Polishing metal will increase its durability and defense, and also temporarily increase the attractiveness of the wearer.<br><br>Later on…<br><br>Vitality and Dexterity rise by 1.<br><br>Usually with cleaning, dexterity wasn’t needed, but for more delicate objects putting too much pressure on it would scratch and damage it, so the extra care I used to gently clean and replace things like a sweaty leather handle and such helped my dexterity, albeit only moderately. I kept using the identify and repair skills on anything I could touch. The identify skill failed to activate a lot, but I kept trying anyway. For most common items it seemed that the probability of identification success increased with more proficiency, while more uncommon ones were simply impossible at this stage. I wasn’t allowed to touch any unfinished works, but there were quite a few finished products lying around. These were just in bad condition. Sharpening and polishing different weapons yielded additional stats, although I made sure not to sharpen too much as to lower durability. In the span of four hours I had cleaned only a quarter of the equipment and workplace, but Horaim didn’t seem to think I wasted my time after inspecting my work.<br><br>“Impressive. You work slower than most but take care to do a good job on what you do work on. Speed will come with time. I’ll double your salary to 2 silvers per hour. Here’s eight. Have this sandwich, too.”<br><br>Relationship with Horaim has increased. (+2)<br><br>“Thanks a lot, Horaim. I’ll be sure to come back soon.”<br><br>I munched on the sandwich. I wasn’t exactly on par with Yun-Jin’s cooking, but the healthy slab of meat inside was a heck of a lot better than the stinking rye bread I had tearfully eaten to avoid death.<br><br>Ping!<br><br>Your satiety level has maxed out.<br>Your strength and vitality rises by 2 for a period of 2 hours.<br><br><br> Relieved and energized, I walked out and headed straight for the Training Hall. I had almost arrived when a message suddenly started to flash before my eyes<br><br>“REAL LIFE INTERFERENCE. LOG OUT IMMEDIATELY.”<br><br> Noo! My temporary buff! I accessed my menu and chose “LOG OUT”, bracing for the worst. </div>

Chapter 1 -The scan on your iris and vein has determined that you are an unregistered user. Do you want to create a new account? “Yes!” -Select the name of your avatar. “Meadow.” -Select your gender. Male- “Male.” -Royal Road has forty-nine races. You may select your race- “Human.” -You may alter your appearance. “Get rid of all blackheads and blemishes on my body, remove all hair on my face and neck, except my eyebrows, and sharpen my nose.” I was 5’11’’, 160lbs, and in the prime of my life, but a nasty early habit of picking my nose had rounded and flattened it too greatly. Placing a perpetual Band-Aid over the offending finger had done wonders to cure me of that accursed addiction. I had just obtained a haircut, styled my hair, and looked my best. Years of working out had increased and toned my muscles, which had a side effect of lighting up my girlfriend’s eyes. My sprinting and tight diet had helped me shed some fat and water weight. This first scan was very important. The appearance could never be changed, no matter how skinny or how fat a user became later on. The problem with changing appearances was that in many cases it just looked too unnatural. A fat person who had once been of normal weight would have a good chance of generating a natural-looking slim avatar because he or she could visualize it perfectly. If one had always been fat, it would be much more difficult. I didn’t like the bodybuilder body type, as it would be impressive but cumbersome. It wasn’t practical for my tastes, especially in the movement department. -Your account has been activated. Your stats and class- “Pass!” -Select a city and kingdom you want to start in. “Verennial City, Nophen Kingdom!” We had thought about starting in an elf city and kingdom due to their enhanced beauty, but I was afraid all the hot male elves would steal away my Yun-Jin, and that my morality would be eventually toppled by all the hot female elves. It would also ruin our real lives, as everybody in real life would seem ugly. All in all it wouldn’t benefit our relationship. “Welcome to Royal Road!” Flash There was a flash of brilliant white light, but I knew that already and had covered my eyes in advance. Only once I discerned many sounds of movement around me did I stand up straight and look around. There weren’t too many people in the game yet, but I didn’t want to stick around and have to talk with possible coworkers I knew. Perhaps I should have changed my appearance more. Having already memorized the map of the Citadel. I briefly stretched, jumped up and down a couple times, cracked my knuckles, and took off quickly towards the Smithy. Before entering, I briefly stopped to fill my canteen at the fountain. I coughed as soon as I went inside. The place was quite large and smoky. I could hear the clang of a blacksmith at work in the back. There was a bell over the door that rang, and I heard a gruff voice shout. “I’ll be right there! Just wait a second!” Rolling my eyes, I looked around. I mostly saw swords, breastplates, and helmets; there were also armored gloves and boots around. I heard a crash, a curse, and whipped around to see a huge man with a bushy beard bend over and set a metal table upright. “Damn, I’ll repair it later… Anyway, what can I do to help you?” Although I had beginner clothing, I was slightly muscular so thankfully I didn’t look weak. “I’d like to apply for a job.” The man stared at me for a second, then roared in laughter with his head thrown back. “Ha ha ha! Listen, boy, I like you and all, but I don’t have the kind of business in which beginners like you can meddle with yet. Most of my work is too expensive for you to ruin.” “Well it may not look like it now, but soon enough you’ll have so many weaklings like me that need cheaper equipment. I’ll work on cheaper items that you’ll need made while you work on the more expensive stuff. You might have some others who’ll want a job. Give it to them, but me first. I can only work so many hours a week. In return you can decide my pay and your cut of what I make, within reason. Deal?” “Hmm… lets see your stats first… Complete beginner, huh? Well, you need to have repair at intermediate to learn blacksmithing. I’ll regulate you to grunt work such as cleaning, repairing, and sharpening until then. If you get smart with me, or you mess up an order, you’re fired on the spot. I’ll pay you 1 silver ever hour you work, and feed you with edible food. The reduced pay should be offset by the skills you will learn by the time you leave. Deal?” Ping! You have received a job offer as blacksmith assistant. Pay: 1 silver her hour worked. “I accept. My name is Meadow. Nice to meet you.” “My name’s Horaim. Let me give you the tour. ” He proceeded to show me the different tools, and how to use, clean, and maintain them. He taught me repair, sharpening, and identify. Handing me a brillopad, he walked away to greet a customer. Taking a deep breath, I proceeded to clean and polish the equipment, floor, and materials. I thought it was stupid, because they would only become filthy momentarily, but I found that cleaning and polishing frequently prevented equipment from losing durability and effectiveness. The layers of dust and soot proved to be extremely difficult to clean, and soon I was soaked in sweat. I drained my canteen and refilled it at the grimy sink. I made sure to clean the faucet until it was sparkling first. After a couple hours a message popped up. Ping! Strength and Endurance rise by 1. Polish (Beginner (0%)) Polishing metal will increase its durability and defense, and also temporarily increase the attractiveness of the wearer. Later on… Vitality and Dexterity rise by 1. Usually with cleaning, dexterity wasn’t needed, but for more delicate objects putting too much pressure on it would scratch and damage it, so the extra care I used to gently clean and replace things like a sweaty leather handle and such helped my dexterity, albeit only moderately. I kept using the identify and repair skills on anything I could touch. The identify skill failed to activate a lot, but I kept trying anyway. For most common items it seemed that the probability of identification success increased with more proficiency, while more uncommon ones were simply impossible at this stage. I wasn’t allowed to touch any unfinished works, but there were quite a few finished products lying around. These were just in bad condition. Sharpening and polishing different weapons yielded additional stats, although I made sure not to sharpen too much as to lower durability. In the span of four hours I had cleaned only a quarter of the equipment and workplace, but Horaim didn’t seem to think I wasted my time after inspecting my work. “Impressive. You work slower than most but take care to do a good job on what you do work on. Speed will come with time. I’ll double your salary to 2 silvers per hour. Here’s eight. Have this sandwich, too.” Relationship with Horaim has increased. (+2) “Thanks a lot, Horaim. I’ll be sure to come back soon.” I munched on the sandwich. I wasn’t exactly on par with Yun-Jin’s cooking, but the healthy slab of meat inside was a heck of a lot better than the stinking rye bread I had tearfully eaten to avoid death. Ping! Your satiety level has maxed out. Your strength and vitality rises by 2 for a period of 2 hours. Relieved and energized, I walked out and headed straight for the Training Hall. I had almost arrived when a message suddenly started to flash before my eyes “REAL LIFE INTERFERENCE. LOG OUT IMMEDIATELY.” Noo! My temporary buff! I accessed my menu and chose “LOG OUT”, bracing for the worst.

<div class="chapter-inner chapter-content"> She had been on Royal Road for about a month. Though it was four months in-game. She still had trouble getting used to the time difference. With so much time spent inside Royal Road, it possible to get to level one hundred. <br><br>In fact, that's what most people that started the same time as her did. They raised their skills, gained new equipment, and finished several quests. That's why it would be unthinkable for someone to still be at level eight. The only possible excuse would be if they barely play at all.<br><br>Amber McIntyre played as much as she could, as often as she could. The reason why she was at such a low level was because she had yet to leave her starting city of Margrove, in the kingdom of Jotundall. It was a city known for its great magical knowledge. Many of the players that start in this city end up as mages.<br><br>It was with this intention that Amber chose this city. The only difference between all those mages and Amber, or Circe as she was called in-game, was that she didn't take the typical path of simply learning skills from skill-books.<br><br>When she first came to the city, she wandered around aimlessly. When she came to a secluded area, she saw a wizened old man draw a glowing magic circle in the air. From it she saw a billowing wave of fire, pouring out endlessly like a giant flamethrower.<br><br>“Wow, that's incredible. What was that?”<br><br>The old man spun around and gaped at the sight of a muscular woman with strong, masculine features and close-cropped hair. “What do you want?” he asked suspiciously. He was afraid that the woman would try to mug him.<br><br>What was ironic was that in real life, Circe was nothing like the brawny character she had in-game. Like her name-sake she was young and beautiful, with delicate, almost fragile features. Unlike the muscular build in-game, she was actually fine-boned, with piercing green eyes, a small nose, and full lips, framed by long inky-black hair. Where her avatar was dark with toughened skin, in real life her soft, clear skin was a light golden-brown.<br><br>“I was just curious about what you were doing, do you think I can learn?”<br><br>“You?” the old man scoffed. “You foreigners don't have the patience for it. Only a hundred or so of you manage to learn it.”<br><br>She scowled at him and said, “don't worry, I'm stubborn so I won't leave until I learn.”<br><br>“Fine, follow me,” he snapped at her and walked away. They walked to the central library and went into the Head Librarian's office.<br><br>“No way, you're Rayling the Head Librarian?” She was shocked, as this was one of the biggest magical libraries on the continent, with hundreds of thousands of rare mystical tomes. Rayling was known by people all over the continent as not only being responsible for them, but also as one of the oldest and best mages around.<br><br>“Yes, yes, I look after a pile of old books. Congratulations on finding that out,” he said sarcastically.<br><br>Though she was irritated with his attitude, she had to admit that he was capable. For the sake of learning how to use magic, the only reason she played the game, she would have to suck it up and endure.<br><br>That's how it came to be that about four months later, after practising and studying endlessly, she did her best and put her all into it.<br><br>That's how Rayling, once unsure if she would master the skill told her, “in all my years, and trust me, I've lived a long time, you have absolutely no talent for this!” While saying this, he was pounding his fist on the table, his face red, and his voice shrill and loud.<br><br>“Now, I think you're being a little harsh. With just a little more practise-”<br><br>“Practise?! We've been practising for months now, and you've learned nothing! You haven't even grasped the fact that you're unteachable! I give you a simple fire spell, and you nearly set yourself on fire. I give you a lightning spell and you nearly electrocute yourself. Now I have no choice but to forbid you from practising magic again.”<br><br>“Forbid me?” she scoffed at him, “and how will you do that?”<br><br>“Like this.” He then lifted his hands and cast a spell on her.<br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td colspan="4">Mana Mastery skill deleted, cannot be relearned</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br>“What the hell did you do to me you old man?! You had no right to take that away from me!” She bellowed at him, her face suffused with rage.<br><br>“Oh, calm down. I said you had no talent for this, not that you'll never use magic again.”<br><br>After hearing these words, she was able to regain a bit of her composure, though she was still angry with him. “If I don't have my Mana Mastery skill, how do I cast magic?”<br><br>“Here.” He gave her a scroll he took out of his robes.<br><br>“What is it?”<br><br>“Read it and you'll find out.”<br><br>Though she still grumbled under her breath, she did as he said.<br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td colspan="4">You have learned Aura Mastery skill</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br>This was a strange skill, one that she had never heard of before. “Information: Aura Mastery”<br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td colspan="4">Aura Mastery Lvl. 1 0%<br><br>Unlike Mana Mastery, Aura Mastery does not allow any spells to be learned. Instead it gives the wielder absolute control over raw elemental energy. Can be shaped by the hands or a staff, and can be used and channelled as desired.<br><br>Cost: Sustained-15 mana per second.</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br>“I always knew that you were more of a hands-on mage. I may not be able to teach you how to use it, but here take this book. It'll teach you what you need to know. In case you need an actual teacher, take this teleportation charm. It'll send you to someone that can use magic like you can.”<br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td colspan="4">A Wise Sage<br><br>A hermit that mastered the lost art of Aura Mastery can provide guidance and knowledge regarding his craft. Find him and learn how to master the skill.<br><br>Difficulty level: E<br><br>Quest requirements<br>Be absolutely atrocious at creating magic circles and use up the last of the Head Librarian's patience.<br>Cannot previously have made any stat or skill gains before meeting the Head Librarian.<br><br>Quest rewards<br>???</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br>“Hell yes, I'll do it.”<br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td colspan="4">You have accepted the quest</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br>“Good. I don't know the extent of his skill, but from what I saw, he seemed capable. I helped him out once so he owes me a favour. Take this ring and this letter and give it to him.”<br><br>“Alright, thank you.” Now she could see that beneath the crusty and prickly exterior, there was a soft and gooey old man.<br><br>“Hmph, this would be so much easier if you just had the talent.”<br><br>Smiling at seeing how he maintained the image of a cranky old man till the end, she used the teleportation charm. In an instant, she was covered with a bright light, Blinding her and forcing her to close her eyes. When she next opened them, she saw herself near a forest.<br><br>In front of her was a log cabin with a tough-looking old man. More of a warrior than a great sage, but then she saw the long white hair he had. <span style="font-style: italic;">This must be him, old men with long white hair are always wise and powerful.</span> He seemed lost in thought, sitting besides an enormous pile of wood. <span style="font-style: italic;">It must have taken weeks to cut all that wood, and at his age, he must have used some kind of magic.</span><br><br>She walked towards him, eager to start learning. “Excuse me, I have a letter for you.”<br><br>Surprised that someone else would come here, he stood up hurriedly. Anxiously, he took the letter and the ring from her. After reading the letter, he fidgeted, seemingly worried about what he was going to do.<br><br>“Um, I know that your teacher thinks that I'm some sort of great master, but that's not really the case, you should find someone else.”<br><br>“Oh, no need to be modest, I've come here because my teacher had great faith in you. Surely you can teach me some of your ways.”<br><br>“Well, you see it's not a matter of modesty it's-”<br><br>“Ah, I understand, you need to be compensated for your time. How about two gold?” She took out the gold she painstakingly raised up by doing menial quests whenever she wasn't studying.<br><br>His eyes glinted at this. He seemed deep in thought, struggling to make a decision. “First tell me what you already know about your form of magic.”<br>“Well, apparently it's Aura Mastery. I have a book that describes it in detail.”<br><br>“Let me see it, I must see if it covers all the necessary information.” Circe agreed and gave him the book that Rayling gave her. After he flipped through the pages, he said, “good, this has all you need to know. I've made a decision. I, Ayrsted the Great Sage, shall take you as my pupil.”<br><br>Circe grinned, happy that she was finally on her way to becoming a decent mage.<br><br>“Now for your first task, take all these chopped pieces of wood and make it into a square room. The catch is that you must use magic to do so.”<br><br>“How can I do that, I don't even know how the magic works.”<br><br>“You have the book, it should be no trouble learning how to do it.”<br><br>Circe then started reading the book. It wasn't too thick, so she finished it in two hours. Instead of the simple commonplace magic which just requires the spell to be said properly, or the complicated magic circles of the Head Librarian, Aura Mastery relied on feeling the flow and movement of mana.<br><br>This was perhaps the most difficult way to use magic, while at the same time being the most basic. A true master would be able to control their mana, and convert it into an element. This allowed only one attack per element, but it can be shaped and manipulated according to the wielder's desires.<br><br>As such it was a very versatile method of fighting. This method is not suited for the analytical type, but rather the sort that are more instinctual and creative.<br><br>Having grasped the basics of Aura Mastery, she put it into effect. She tried to imagine a hand picking up the beam of wood in front of her. No matter how hard she tried, the most she raised it up was by a few inches.<br><br>After several attempts she tried to come up with another method. <span style="font-style: italic;">This isn't working, I need to try something else.</span> She put her hands in front of her, and used them to direct her aura. This time it worked much better, with her aura having a more defined form. By then end of the day she managed to get ten beams in place.<br><br>---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br><br>As the days passed, she managed to get all the beams in place, and got herself a boost in intelligence and wisdom as well. It took her two weeks in total, and through experimentation she discovered a way to convert her mana into fire and lightning. Exhausted, she walked into Ayrsted's cabin. “I'm finished.”<br><br>“That's interesting...I didn't think you would stay with it for two weeks.” He didn't even think that she could manage to finish.<br><br>“Well most people would give up for something easier, but I'm more stubborn than most. So now that I'm done that, I think it's time for you to teach me something.”<br><br>“Oh no, you're not nearly ready enough to learn directly from me. Maybe after a month or so.”<br><br>“A month? If that's the case, you should at least show me what you can do.”<br><br>“Eh?” He sounded surprised that she would ask that of her. He recovered quickly and said, “well, if I was to show you what I can do, the entire forest might get blown away.”<br><br>“What kind of master doesn't even know his own strength?” she asked with a scowl on her face.<br><br>“Well, after a certain point, your power becomes too strong to control. Well, you have to be a master to reach that level though.”<br><br>Though he delivered that line smoothly, Circe could tell that it was a load of crap. She was obviously suspicious over this old man, and said, “I think you're lying.” She stuck out her hands and said, “if you don't tell me the truth, I'm going to set you on fire.”<br><br>“You can't do that,” he sputtered out in fear.<br><br>As he watched, fire started to form around her hands. “No, see I can do it, and I'm very good at it too. SO tell me, are you a fraud?”<br><br>Ayrsted didn't say anything for a second, but as he saw the flames grow closer to him, he blurted out, “yes, I'm a fraud. But you know it's partly your fault. I told you to find someone else, but then you offered to pay me. I had no other choice you see.” He tried to explain to her why he did what he did.<br><br>“Yes, I see just fine.” Ayrsted looked up hopefully. Then he was set on fire.<br><br>He screamed in pain. “But I told you the truth, why did you still set me on fire?” he asked her once he had patted out the flames.<br><br>“Because you pissed me off.” Circe said this as if it was a perfectly normal thing to do. “So now I have a problem. I need to learn to use my magic, but you can't teach me anything. So tell me, how are you going to help me?”<br><br>“Help you? How can I do that?”<br><br>“I don't know. You really should come up with something. Your life may depend on it.” It terrified him that she could say such a thing with a smile on her face. “To trick Rayling you probably used an artifact or something, since it doesn't seem like you know magic, right?”<br><br>“Yes, but that's broken now.”<br><br>“You must have some other artifacts, right?”<br><br>He was torn about giving up what he had collected, but he would rather have his life than his possessions. He opened a trapdoor that was under a rug, and went down.<br><br>The basement had several different weapons and items, as well as a fair amount of money. She picked up an item and scowled at it. She asked him, “how can I tell what these are just by looking?”<br><br>“Here, I'll teach you the identification skill.”<br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td colspan="4">You have learned the Identification skill</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br>She went around and identified all the items. Most of the items weren't too bad, but they were for warriors. She did find a few rings and a bracelet to increase intelligence and the rate of mana regeneration.<br><br>Though these were great items for her level, they weren't exceptional. She was disappointed at not getting anything, until she came to a necklace. It was a simple clear transparent crystal on some twine, but it drew her eyes. “Identify.”<br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td colspan="4">Aura Initiate’s pendant<br><br>Durability: 15/15<br><br>An ancient artifact given to practitioners of Aura Mastery, so that they can fully grasp its power. If it is equipped when standing in a natural mana well, it will show the path to Aura Mastery.<br><br>Requirements:<br>Have Aura Mastery skill<br>INT +30<br>WIS +30</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br>Fortunately she met the requirements, as she had been studying for all this time. Even though she hadn't allocated any of her stat points yet, she still easily met the requirements. She looked at Ayrsted and asked him, “hey, you know where a mana well is?”<br><br>“I heard that there was one in a cave nearby.” He then gave her directions on how to get there.<br><br>“Alright, let me just finish up here and I'll leave.” Ayrsted was confused at this statement, but then saw her put the items in her bag.<br><br>“What, what are you doing?” He asked her.<br><br>“What does it look like? I'm taking all of this.”<br><br>“But that's stealing.”<br><br>“Says the scam artist. And it's not stealing, I just think that you owe me a little something for causing me emotional distress.”<br><br>“A little something? You're taking everything I have!” He couldn't stop his voice from rising at this.<br><br>“Yes I am. Your life savings are enough to cover my emotional distress.”<br><br>Ayrsted could do nothing except watch wordlessly as his basement was picked bare, and Circe left with a pack full of goods to be sold, and a purse that was eighty pieces of gold heavier.<br><br>-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br><br>Ayrsted watched her walk away, remembering the young man that was there just two and a half weeks ago. Both times he was filled with fear and let them walk all over him. Now he was angry and he swore revenge on them.<br><br><span style="font-style: italic;">I swear, I'll make both of you pay for humiliating me.</span> He then left his cabin and started walking, returning to the real world after years of seclusion in the forest. <br><br>The Greatest Conman was back in business, and he knew exactly how he was going to get back at them. <span style="font-style: italic;">Time to call in my other favours.</span><br><br><br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.royalroadl.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=108&amp;t=809" target="_blank">Next Chapter</a></div> </div>

She had been on Royal Road for about a month. Though it was four months in-game. She still had trouble getting used to the time difference. With so much time spent inside Royal Road, it possible to get to level one hundred. In fact, that's what most people that started the same time as her did. They raised their skills, gained new equipment, and finished several quests. That's why it would be unthinkable for someone to still be at level eight. The only possible excuse would be if they barely play at all. Amber McIntyre played as much as she could, as often as she could. The reason why she was at such a low level was because she had yet to leave her starting city of Margrove, in the kingdom of Jotundall. It was a city known for its great magical knowledge. Many of the players that start in this city end up as mages. It was with this intention that Amber chose this city. The only difference between all those mages and Amber, or Circe as she was called in-game, was that she didn't take the typical path of simply learning skills from skill-books. When she first came to the city, she wandered around aimlessly. When she came to a secluded area, she saw a wizened old man draw a glowing magic circle in the air. From it she saw a billowing wave of fire, pouring out endlessly like a giant flamethrower. “Wow, that's incredible. What was that?” The old man spun around and gaped at the sight of a muscular woman with strong, masculine features and close-cropped hair. “What do you want?” he asked suspiciously. He was afraid that the woman would try to mug him. What was ironic was that in real life, Circe was nothing like the brawny character she had in-game. Like her name-sake she was young and beautiful, with delicate, almost fragile features. Unlike the muscular build in-game, she was actually fine-boned, with piercing green eyes, a small nose, and full lips, framed by long inky-black hair. Where her avatar was dark with toughened skin, in real life her soft, clear skin was a light golden-brown. “I was just curious about what you were doing, do you think I can learn?” “You?” the old man scoffed. “You foreigners don't have the patience for it. Only a hundred or so of you manage to learn it.” She scowled at him and said, “don't worry, I'm stubborn so I won't leave until I learn.” “Fine, follow me,” he snapped at her and walked away. They walked to the central library and went into the Head Librarian's office. “No way, you're Rayling the Head Librarian?” She was shocked, as this was one of the biggest magical libraries on the continent, with hundreds of thousands of rare mystical tomes. Rayling was known by people all over the continent as not only being responsible for them, but also as one of the oldest and best mages around. “Yes, yes, I look after a pile of old books. Congratulations on finding that out,” he said sarcastically. Though she was irritated with his attitude, she had to admit that he was capable. For the sake of learning how to use magic, the only reason she played the game, she would have to suck it up and endure. That's how it came to be that about four months later, after practising and studying endlessly, she did her best and put her all into it. That's how Rayling, once unsure if she would master the skill told her, “in all my years, and trust me, I've lived a long time, you have absolutely no talent for this!” While saying this, he was pounding his fist on the table, his face red, and his voice shrill and loud. “Now, I think you're being a little harsh. With just a little more practise-” “Practise?! We've been practising for months now, and you've learned nothing! You haven't even grasped the fact that you're unteachable! I give you a simple fire spell, and you nearly set yourself on fire. I give you a lightning spell and you nearly electrocute yourself. Now I have no choice but to forbid you from practising magic again.” “Forbid me?” she scoffed at him, “and how will you do that?” “Like this.” He then lifted his hands and cast a spell on her. | Mana Mastery skill deleted, cannot be relearned | | | | | --- | --- | --- | --- | “What the hell did you do to me you old man?! You had no right to take that away from me!” She bellowed at him, her face suffused with rage. “Oh, calm down. I said you had no talent for this, not that you'll never use magic again.” After hearing these words, she was able to regain a bit of her composure, though she was still angry with him. “If I don't have my Mana Mastery skill, how do I cast magic?” “Here.” He gave her a scroll he took out of his robes. “What is it?” “Read it and you'll find out.” Though she still grumbled under her breath, she did as he said. | You have learned Aura Mastery skill | | | | | --- | --- | --- | --- | This was a strange skill, one that she had never heard of before. “Information: Aura Mastery” | Aura Mastery Lvl. 1 0%Unlike Mana Mastery, Aura Mastery does not allow any spells to be learned. Instead it gives the wielder absolute control over raw elemental energy. Can be shaped by the hands or a staff, and can be used and channelled as desired.Cost: Sustained-15 mana per second. | | | | | --- | --- | --- | --- | “I always knew that you were more of a hands-on mage. I may not be able to teach you how to use it, but here take this book. It'll teach you what you need to know. In case you need an actual teacher, take this teleportation charm. It'll send you to someone that can use magic like you can.” | A Wise SageA hermit that mastered the lost art of Aura Mastery can provide guidance and knowledge regarding his craft. Find him and learn how to master the skill.Difficulty level: EQuest requirementsBe absolutely atrocious at creating magic circles and use up the last of the Head Librarian's patience.Cannot previously have made any stat or skill gains before meeting the Head Librarian.Quest rewards??? | | | | | --- | --- | --- | --- | “Hell yes, I'll do it.” | You have accepted the quest | | | | | --- | --- | --- | --- | “Good. I don't know the extent of his skill, but from what I saw, he seemed capable. I helped him out once so he owes me a favour. Take this ring and this letter and give it to him.” “Alright, thank you.” Now she could see that beneath the crusty and prickly exterior, there was a soft and gooey old man. “Hmph, this would be so much easier if you just had the talent.” Smiling at seeing how he maintained the image of a cranky old man till the end, she used the teleportation charm. In an instant, she was covered with a bright light, Blinding her and forcing her to close her eyes. When she next opened them, she saw herself near a forest. In front of her was a log cabin with a tough-looking old man. More of a warrior than a great sage, but then she saw the long white hair he had. This must be him, old men with long white hair are always wise and powerful. He seemed lost in thought, sitting besides an enormous pile of wood. It must have taken weeks to cut all that wood, and at his age, he must have used some kind of magic. She walked towards him, eager to start learning. “Excuse me, I have a letter for you.” Surprised that someone else would come here, he stood up hurriedly. Anxiously, he took the letter and the ring from her. After reading the letter, he fidgeted, seemingly worried about what he was going to do. “Um, I know that your teacher thinks that I'm some sort of great master, but that's not really the case, you should find someone else.” “Oh, no need to be modest, I've come here because my teacher had great faith in you. Surely you can teach me some of your ways.” “Well, you see it's not a matter of modesty it's-” “Ah, I understand, you need to be compensated for your time. How about two gold?” She took out the gold she painstakingly raised up by doing menial quests whenever she wasn't studying. His eyes glinted at this. He seemed deep in thought, struggling to make a decision. “First tell me what you already know about your form of magic.” “Well, apparently it's Aura Mastery. I have a book that describes it in detail.” “Let me see it, I must see if it covers all the necessary information.” Circe agreed and gave him the book that Rayling gave her. After he flipped through the pages, he said, “good, this has all you need to know. I've made a decision. I, Ayrsted the Great Sage, shall take you as my pupil.” Circe grinned, happy that she was finally on her way to becoming a decent mage. “Now for your first task, take all these chopped pieces of wood and make it into a square room. The catch is that you must use magic to do so.” “How can I do that, I don't even know how the magic works.” “You have the book, it should be no trouble learning how to do it.” Circe then started reading the book. It wasn't too thick, so she finished it in two hours. Instead of the simple commonplace magic which just requires the spell to be said properly, or the complicated magic circles of the Head Librarian, Aura Mastery relied on feeling the flow and movement of mana. This was perhaps the most difficult way to use magic, while at the same time being the most basic. A true master would be able to control their mana, and convert it into an element. This allowed only one attack per element, but it can be shaped and manipulated according to the wielder's desires. As such it was a very versatile method of fighting. This method is not suited for the analytical type, but rather the sort that are more instinctual and creative. Having grasped the basics of Aura Mastery, she put it into effect. She tried to imagine a hand picking up the beam of wood in front of her. No matter how hard she tried, the most she raised it up was by a few inches. After several attempts she tried to come up with another method. This isn't working, I need to try something else. She put her hands in front of her, and used them to direct her aura. This time it worked much better, with her aura having a more defined form. By then end of the day she managed to get ten beams in place. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- As the days passed, she managed to get all the beams in place, and got herself a boost in intelligence and wisdom as well. It took her two weeks in total, and through experimentation she discovered a way to convert her mana into fire and lightning. Exhausted, she walked into Ayrsted's cabin. “I'm finished.” “That's interesting...I didn't think you would stay with it for two weeks.” He didn't even think that she could manage to finish. “Well most people would give up for something easier, but I'm more stubborn than most. So now that I'm done that, I think it's time for you to teach me something.” “Oh no, you're not nearly ready enough to learn directly from me. Maybe after a month or so.” “A month? If that's the case, you should at least show me what you can do.” “Eh?” He sounded surprised that she would ask that of her. He recovered quickly and said, “well, if I was to show you what I can do, the entire forest might get blown away.” “What kind of master doesn't even know his own strength?” she asked with a scowl on her face. “Well, after a certain point, your power becomes too strong to control. Well, you have to be a master to reach that level though.” Though he delivered that line smoothly, Circe could tell that it was a load of crap. She was obviously suspicious over this old man, and said, “I think you're lying.” She stuck out her hands and said, “if you don't tell me the truth, I'm going to set you on fire.” “You can't do that,” he sputtered out in fear. As he watched, fire started to form around her hands. “No, see I can do it, and I'm very good at it too. SO tell me, are you a fraud?” Ayrsted didn't say anything for a second, but as he saw the flames grow closer to him, he blurted out, “yes, I'm a fraud. But you know it's partly your fault. I told you to find someone else, but then you offered to pay me. I had no other choice you see.” He tried to explain to her why he did what he did. “Yes, I see just fine.” Ayrsted looked up hopefully. Then he was set on fire. He screamed in pain. “But I told you the truth, why did you still set me on fire?” he asked her once he had patted out the flames. “Because you pissed me off.” Circe said this as if it was a perfectly normal thing to do. “So now I have a problem. I need to learn to use my magic, but you can't teach me anything. So tell me, how are you going to help me?” “Help you? How can I do that?” “I don't know. You really should come up with something. Your life may depend on it.” It terrified him that she could say such a thing with a smile on her face. “To trick Rayling you probably used an artifact or something, since it doesn't seem like you know magic, right?” “Yes, but that's broken now.” “You must have some other artifacts, right?” He was torn about giving up what he had collected, but he would rather have his life than his possessions. He opened a trapdoor that was under a rug, and went down. The basement had several different weapons and items, as well as a fair amount of money. She picked up an item and scowled at it. She asked him, “how can I tell what these are just by looking?” “Here, I'll teach you the identification skill.” | You have learned the Identification skill | | | | | --- | --- | --- | --- | She went around and identified all the items. Most of the items weren't too bad, but they were for warriors. She did find a few rings and a bracelet to increase intelligence and the rate of mana regeneration. Though these were great items for her level, they weren't exceptional. She was disappointed at not getting anything, until she came to a necklace. It was a simple clear transparent crystal on some twine, but it drew her eyes. “Identify.” | Aura Initiate’s pendantDurability: 15/15An ancient artifact given to practitioners of Aura Mastery, so that they can fully grasp its power. If it is equipped when standing in a natural mana well, it will show the path to Aura Mastery.Requirements:Have Aura Mastery skillINT +30WIS +30 | | | | | --- | --- | --- | --- | Fortunately she met the requirements, as she had been studying for all this time. Even though she hadn't allocated any of her stat points yet, she still easily met the requirements. She looked at Ayrsted and asked him, “hey, you know where a mana well is?” “I heard that there was one in a cave nearby.” He then gave her directions on how to get there. “Alright, let me just finish up here and I'll leave.” Ayrsted was confused at this statement, but then saw her put the items in her bag. “What, what are you doing?” He asked her. “What does it look like? I'm taking all of this.” “But that's stealing.” “Says the scam artist. And it's not stealing, I just think that you owe me a little something for causing me emotional distress.” “A little something? You're taking everything I have!” He couldn't stop his voice from rising at this. “Yes I am. Your life savings are enough to cover my emotional distress.” Ayrsted could do nothing except watch wordlessly as his basement was picked bare, and Circe left with a pack full of goods to be sold, and a purse that was eighty pieces of gold heavier. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ayrsted watched her walk away, remembering the young man that was there just two and a half weeks ago. Both times he was filled with fear and let them walk all over him. Now he was angry and he swore revenge on them. I swear, I'll make both of you pay for humiliating me. He then left his cabin and started walking, returning to the real world after years of seclusion in the forest. The Greatest Conman was back in business, and he knew exactly how he was going to get back at them. Time to call in my other favours. [Next Chapter](http://www.royalroadl.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=108&t=809)

<div class="chapter-inner chapter-content"> <span style="font-style: italic;">italicized words</span> : Thoughts/Flashbacks<br><br>0o0o0o0o0<br><br>Chapter 1: Preparations for Royal Road, the Training<br><br><span style="font-style: italic;">‘…my head,’</span> Hyuna slowly rubbed her temple with one hand while the other continued surfing through the web for more information on Royal Road. <br><br>It had been less than 12 hours since the loan sharks confronted her at the hospital. Most of the money that she had earned from the sale of Weed was also gone as a result. <br><br>On one hand, it is a good thing that they will no longer have to worry about being chased because of the inherited debt. But on the flip side, it also meant that most of the plans for newly gotten money had to be scrapped. <br><br><span style="font-style: italic;">‘The money that I planned to set aside for Hyuna’s education is almost all gone. Minus the 50,000,000 won used as the down payment for our house, we would only have 40,000,000 won left.’</span><br><br>To be honest, it wasn’t enough. 40,000,000 won would barely last them two years in their current state. On top of the monthly installment payments that were needed for the new house, there were also hospital bills to pay. To top it off, Hayan is slated to start university in a year. <br><br><span style="font-style: italic;">‘And everyone knows that university education doesn’t come cheap.'</span><br><br>Even though their circumstances can be said to be better than how they were two days ago, Hyuna knew that in order to not fall back into that pit of debt, the only way was to continue earning even more money. <br><br><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><span style="font-style: italic;"> “I am Han Jinsup of Myongdong. Do you really your boldness will work in this poisonous world? If you think it’s unfair, make 3,000,000,000 in 5 years and look for me.”</span></span><br><br>The only viable route left to her was now displayed on the computer screen. <br><br><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Royal Road</span></span><br><br>It has only been three months since the game was launched, but no one seemed to have a single bad word on the latest virtual reality game in the market. <br><br><span style="font-style: italic;">‘I will wait, and I will train. One year, if the game is still growing then… Then, it shall be my platform to earn more money.’ </span>Hyuna decided. Her hands were trembling from the decision, yet her eyes were stone-cold.<br><br>The capsule that was needed for the users to play that game costs a whopping 15,000,000 won. The price of one capsule is enough to feed the three of them for at least a year! <br><br><span style="font-style: italic;">‘Who the hell would price a gaming console for 15,000,000 won?’</span> Hyuna grumbled internally. <br><br>By joining the game a year later, Hyuna would not only have more time to train herself for the game… Also, she was betting on the fact that the capsule would receive a price-cut in the coming year.<br><br><span style="font-style: italic;">‘In order to attract more casual users and keep the game afloat, the company has to reduce the price of the consoles to make it more affordable.’</span> <br><br>Looking at the clock, Hyuna quickly grabbed a few items before rushing out of the house. <span style="font-style: italic;">‘I would have barely enough time to drop by the hospital to visit grandma before going off to work.’ </span><br><br>0o0o0o0o0<br><br>Hyuna felt a body slam into her, sending her tumbling forward just as she was about to enter her grandmother’s room. <br><br>She winced when she hit the floor. Opening her eyes, she barely caught a glimpse of the man who knocked her down before he turned into a corner. <br><br>Narrowing her eyes at where she last saw him, Hyuna was about to stand when a hand appeared right in front of her. <br><br>“I apologize for my brother’s actions. Are you injured?” A man in his twenties pulled her to her feet and smiled sheepishly. <br><br>For a moment, Hyuna was tempted to reply yes. But that was before she realized the room door leading to her grandmother’s hospital bed was open and she could probably hear everything that was being said. <br><br>“No, I’m alright. Please excuse me.” She stepped to a side and was prepared to enter the room when she felt her arm grabbed by the guy. <br><br>“I hope that you don’t think badly of my brother, he is usually a nice guy. It’s just that he received some really bad news a while back…” The guy’s eyes were shadowed, and his other fist clenched tightly. It was obvious that the bad news his brother received had hit him hard as well. <br><br><span style="font-style: italic;">‘I don’t care.’</span> “I see. Please excuse me. I have a person to visit in that room.” Hyuna’s reply was unfailingly polite. She has more things to do than to pity a guy who can’t pick himself up and move on. <br><br>Prying his hand off her arm, Hyuna was stopped once again by him when he placed a name card on her palm. <br><br><span style="font-style: italic;">‘Kang Min, Manager of Scarlet Corporation for Computer Solutions <br>Head of Sales and Marketing<br>Telephone Number: xxxx xxxx xx ’ </span><br><br>“Please call if there’s anything that I can help you with. It’s the least I can do after everything.” With a bow, the man, Kang Min quickly left. <br><br><span style="font-style: italic;">‘What.’</span><br><br>“Sister!” A pair of arms was suddenly wrapped around her waist, “what are you doing standing outside the room?” <br><br>“…Hayan?”<br><br>“Yes?”<br><br>“Here.” Hyuna dropped the card on to her sister’s hand. “His brother bumped into me and he gave me this as an apology. Do what you want with it. Give grandma my regards will you? I need to rush to work now.” <br><br>With that, Hyuna hugged her sister before heading towards the exit. Because of that guy and his brother, she failed to go through with her plans to visit her grandmother. <br><br><span style="font-style: italic;">‘I guess I'll have to go visit grandma after work instead…’ </span><br><br>0o0o0o0o0<br><br>“Goodbye grandma, sleep well,” Hyuna smiled and quietly shut the door. <br><br> “So you’ve been in this room all along?” <br><br>Turning around, Hyuna stared at the stranger in front of her. He had his arms crossed and a frown on his face. <br><br>“Who are you?”<br><br>Staring hard at her, the guy moved forward, as if to intimidate her, before speaking. “My brother said I knocked you over this morning and insisted that I apologise. So there, I’m sorry.”<br><br>Raising an eyebrow, Hyuna seriously wondered if that was all he had to say. Nodding absently, she walked around him and headed for the exit. <span style="font-style: italic;">‘I wonder if Hayan ate dinner yet.’ </span><br><br>“Hey! Wait!” The guy from just now appeared before her again. “So, you are just going to walk away?” <br><span style="font-style: italic;">‘What else do you expect? I was almost late for work today because of you and your brother. Thank goodness the boss did not decide to cut my pay because of it.’ </span><br><br>“Yes,” she continued walking. <br><br>“I told you to wait!” The guy grabbed onto her arm tightly to stop her from leaving. <br><br><span style="font-style: italic;">‘Is this supposed to be painful? The splattered oil coming from the fryers hurt more than this.’ </span><br><br>“Are you going to compensate me?” Hyuna asked, looking the guy in the eye. <br><br>“Huh, what?” he seemed shocked from the question. “W-why should I!” <br><br>“Then excuse me, I have better things to do than to cater to your needs.” Hyuna jerked her arms out of his grip and left, “time is money after all.” <br><br>0o0o0o0o0<br><br><br>0o0o0o0o0<br><br><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Sneak Peek (Approx 1 year 2 months into the future): How Hayan got her Royal Road Capsule</span></span><br><br><br>“I’m home!” Hayan entered the house and quickly removed her shoes. <br><br>Placing her bag on the ground, she wandered into the various rooms looking for her sister. “Sister?” <br><br>“Oh…” Hayan stopped, gazing at the capsule that is placed against the room’s wall. “…You’re playing Royal Road again…” <br><br>Hayan pouted. <br><br>She knew that her sister was working hard in game in order to provide for the entire family. But that did not mean that she would not miss the presence of her sister, hovering over her as she checked that she was getting enough nutrition for her growth. <br><br>She wanted to help too. <br><br>Eyes suddenly lighting up, Hayan ran to her room and rummaged through one of the side cabinets by her bed. “Ah-ha! Found it!” <br><br>What was in her hand was the name card that her sister gave to her one day at the hospital. <br><br>“Kang Min… Head of Sales and Marketing…” <span style="font-style: italic;">‘That means that he should have control over the stocks in the company’s inventory, doesn’t it? …Royal Road Capsules…’ </span><br><br>Hayan grinned. <br><br>Let it never be said that Hayan was not as crafty as her sister. The only difference between both of them, was probably the fact that Hyuna had more experience with the darker side of human nature, while Hayan still chose to believe in the good within all… well, <span style="font-style: italic;">most people</span>. <br><br>But that belief would not stop her from using every means to get the things that she wants. <span style="font-style: italic;">‘As long as it does not affect my family…’ </span><br><br>Dialing the number on the card, Hayan waited as the ring tone continued to echo out of the receiver. <br><br>“Hello, this is Kang Min. Who is this?” <br><br>“Hello, I’m Lee Hayan, the sister of the girl that your younger brother bumped into at the hospital. You...mentioned that she could call if she needed help...?” Hayan sounded really hopeful, her fingers curled tightly around the phone.<span style="font-style: italic;"> ‘Please let it work!’ </span><br><br>“… Ah yes, Lee Hyuna, right? I remember my brother mentioning her. Is she alright?” A concerned voice came over the speaker. <br><br>“…that… She is fine, for now. But our family situation isn’t good. You see, the two of us inherited a huge debt... And my sister has only just managed to clear it. But coupled with the hospital bills... Sister has been working herself to the bone just to keep us from falling back into debt again. At this rate, I'm afraid... she may just collapse…” Hayan’s voice became weaker the longer she spoke. <br><br>“!! That… Is there I can do to help?” <br><br><span style="font-style: italic;">‘…He really is gullible.’</span> Hayan blinked when she heard his reply. “Well, I suppose you have heard of the game Royal Road?” <br><br>“Yes, I have. It’s currently ranked as the most popular game in the past decade. Why?” <br><br>“My sister… She has been using the money she received from trading off items to provide for the family… But, the length of time she stayed in the capsule has been increasing recently—”<br><br>“And you wish to spend more time with her?” Kang Min’s voice cut her off in the middle of the sentence, somehow, he seemed…amused? <br><br>“Ah… yes.” Hayan whispered. <br><br>“Well, Hayan, usually I would just hang up if I receive calls like this.” There, he paused, seemingly trying to find the right words, “but… considering the favor your sister did for that stubborn brother of mine, I supposed I can indulge in this request of yours.” <br><br>“Really?” <br><br>“Under one condition, you are never to call someone you don’t know with the intention of guilting him into getting something for you. Got it?” <br><br><span style="font-style: italic;">‘Shoot. He realized?’</span> Hayan winced even as she agreed to his condition. <br><br>“Very well then, a Royal Road Capsule will arrive at your house tomorrow morning. Just sign it off under your name and it’s yours.” <br><br>“…Thank you Kang Min-nim!” <br><br>A sigh was heard over the phone, before the guy started chuckling. “It’s no problem. Do me a favor and tell your sister that I would appreciate it if the two of you would drop by to visit my brother, would you?” <br><br>“Okay! Thank you again!” Hayan chirped into the phone happily before a short ‘bye’ was heard and the call ended. <br><br>“Yes!” Hayan pumped her fist into the air. “I can finally play Royal Road with my sister!” <br><br>0o0o0o0o0<br><br>A/N: Chapter 1, posted earlier than expected. As you can tell from this chapter, I will be setting aside 2-3 chapters just to cover the 1 year time-skip that the novel glossed over. I've no idea how you guys would react to this tbh. Hopefully... not badly. <br><br>A couple of points that I would like to clarify with you guys. <br><br>1) I know that from the description alone, most of you would assume that I would copy scenes from the main novel, or that things would remain more or less the same. But that isn't true. I'm just taking the given description of the LMS class and Weed's personality (and his friends) and running off with it. Hyuna may complete it with different people, she may even fail the quests, or she could have just skipped it altogether because of some other event... or something else may just happen. *shrugs* Who knows. <br><br>2) The people appearing in this and the coming few chapters aren't just for show. Most of them do play RR. What is their in-game name on the other hand... is for me to know and you to guess. <br><br>3) (This isn't exactly a point) But... I hate writing the Geomchis. :/ So if you don't see them in the coming chapter... Then it's likely that their first meeting with Hyuna will only be shown when she starts playing RR. </div>

italicized words : Thoughts/Flashbacks 0o0o0o0o0 Chapter 1: Preparations for Royal Road, the Training ‘…my head,’ Hyuna slowly rubbed her temple with one hand while the other continued surfing through the web for more information on Royal Road. It had been less than 12 hours since the loan sharks confronted her at the hospital. Most of the money that she had earned from the sale of Weed was also gone as a result. On one hand, it is a good thing that they will no longer have to worry about being chased because of the inherited debt. But on the flip side, it also meant that most of the plans for newly gotten money had to be scrapped. ‘The money that I planned to set aside for Hyuna’s education is almost all gone. Minus the 50,000,000 won used as the down payment for our house, we would only have 40,000,000 won left.’ To be honest, it wasn’t enough. 40,000,000 won would barely last them two years in their current state. On top of the monthly installment payments that were needed for the new house, there were also hospital bills to pay. To top it off, Hayan is slated to start university in a year. ‘And everyone knows that university education doesn’t come cheap.' Even though their circumstances can be said to be better than how they were two days ago, Hyuna knew that in order to not fall back into that pit of debt, the only way was to continue earning even more money. “I am Han Jinsup of Myongdong. Do you really your boldness will work in this poisonous world? If you think it’s unfair, make 3,000,000,000 in 5 years and look for me.” The only viable route left to her was now displayed on the computer screen. Royal Road It has only been three months since the game was launched, but no one seemed to have a single bad word on the latest virtual reality game in the market. ‘I will wait, and I will train. One year, if the game is still growing then… Then, it shall be my platform to earn more money.’ Hyuna decided. Her hands were trembling from the decision, yet her eyes were stone-cold. The capsule that was needed for the users to play that game costs a whopping 15,000,000 won. The price of one capsule is enough to feed the three of them for at least a year! ‘Who the hell would price a gaming console for 15,000,000 won?’ Hyuna grumbled internally. By joining the game a year later, Hyuna would not only have more time to train herself for the game… Also, she was betting on the fact that the capsule would receive a price-cut in the coming year. ‘In order to attract more casual users and keep the game afloat, the company has to reduce the price of the consoles to make it more affordable.’ Looking at the clock, Hyuna quickly grabbed a few items before rushing out of the house. ‘I would have barely enough time to drop by the hospital to visit grandma before going off to work.’ 0o0o0o0o0 Hyuna felt a body slam into her, sending her tumbling forward just as she was about to enter her grandmother’s room. She winced when she hit the floor. Opening her eyes, she barely caught a glimpse of the man who knocked her down before he turned into a corner. Narrowing her eyes at where she last saw him, Hyuna was about to stand when a hand appeared right in front of her. “I apologize for my brother’s actions. Are you injured?” A man in his twenties pulled her to her feet and smiled sheepishly. For a moment, Hyuna was tempted to reply yes. But that was before she realized the room door leading to her grandmother’s hospital bed was open and she could probably hear everything that was being said. “No, I’m alright. Please excuse me.” She stepped to a side and was prepared to enter the room when she felt her arm grabbed by the guy. “I hope that you don’t think badly of my brother, he is usually a nice guy. It’s just that he received some really bad news a while back…” The guy’s eyes were shadowed, and his other fist clenched tightly. It was obvious that the bad news his brother received had hit him hard as well. ‘I don’t care.’ “I see. Please excuse me. I have a person to visit in that room.” Hyuna’s reply was unfailingly polite. She has more things to do than to pity a guy who can’t pick himself up and move on. Prying his hand off her arm, Hyuna was stopped once again by him when he placed a name card on her palm. ‘Kang Min, Manager of Scarlet Corporation for Computer Solutions Head of Sales and Marketing Telephone Number: xxxx xxxx xx ’ “Please call if there’s anything that I can help you with. It’s the least I can do after everything.” With a bow, the man, Kang Min quickly left. ‘What.’ “Sister!” A pair of arms was suddenly wrapped around her waist, “what are you doing standing outside the room?” “…Hayan?” “Yes?” “Here.” Hyuna dropped the card on to her sister’s hand. “His brother bumped into me and he gave me this as an apology. Do what you want with it. Give grandma my regards will you? I need to rush to work now.” With that, Hyuna hugged her sister before heading towards the exit. Because of that guy and his brother, she failed to go through with her plans to visit her grandmother. ‘I guess I'll have to go visit grandma after work instead…’ 0o0o0o0o0 “Goodbye grandma, sleep well,” Hyuna smiled and quietly shut the door. “So you’ve been in this room all along?” Turning around, Hyuna stared at the stranger in front of her. He had his arms crossed and a frown on his face. “Who are you?” Staring hard at her, the guy moved forward, as if to intimidate her, before speaking. “My brother said I knocked you over this morning and insisted that I apologise. So there, I’m sorry.” Raising an eyebrow, Hyuna seriously wondered if that was all he had to say. Nodding absently, she walked around him and headed for the exit. ‘I wonder if Hayan ate dinner yet.’ “Hey! Wait!” The guy from just now appeared before her again. “So, you are just going to walk away?” ‘What else do you expect? I was almost late for work today because of you and your brother. Thank goodness the boss did not decide to cut my pay because of it.’ “Yes,” she continued walking. “I told you to wait!” The guy grabbed onto her arm tightly to stop her from leaving. ‘Is this supposed to be painful? The splattered oil coming from the fryers hurt more than this.’ “Are you going to compensate me?” Hyuna asked, looking the guy in the eye. “Huh, what?” he seemed shocked from the question. “W-why should I!” “Then excuse me, I have better things to do than to cater to your needs.” Hyuna jerked her arms out of his grip and left, “time is money after all.” 0o0o0o0o0 0o0o0o0o0 Sneak Peek (Approx 1 year 2 months into the future): How Hayan got her Royal Road Capsule “I’m home!” Hayan entered the house and quickly removed her shoes. Placing her bag on the ground, she wandered into the various rooms looking for her sister. “Sister?” “Oh…” Hayan stopped, gazing at the capsule that is placed against the room’s wall. “…You’re playing Royal Road again…” Hayan pouted. She knew that her sister was working hard in game in order to provide for the entire family. But that did not mean that she would not miss the presence of her sister, hovering over her as she checked that she was getting enough nutrition for her growth. She wanted to help too. Eyes suddenly lighting up, Hayan ran to her room and rummaged through one of the side cabinets by her bed. “Ah-ha! Found it!” What was in her hand was the name card that her sister gave to her one day at the hospital. “Kang Min… Head of Sales and Marketing…” ‘That means that he should have control over the stocks in the company’s inventory, doesn’t it? …Royal Road Capsules…’ Hayan grinned. Let it never be said that Hayan was not as crafty as her sister. The only difference between both of them, was probably the fact that Hyuna had more experience with the darker side of human nature, while Hayan still chose to believe in the good within all… well, most people. But that belief would not stop her from using every means to get the things that she wants. ‘As long as it does not affect my family…’ Dialing the number on the card, Hayan waited as the ring tone continued to echo out of the receiver. “Hello, this is Kang Min. Who is this?” “Hello, I’m Lee Hayan, the sister of the girl that your younger brother bumped into at the hospital. You...mentioned that she could call if she needed help...?” Hayan sounded really hopeful, her fingers curled tightly around the phone. ‘Please let it work!’ “… Ah yes, Lee Hyuna, right? I remember my brother mentioning her. Is she alright?” A concerned voice came over the speaker. “…that… She is fine, for now. But our family situation isn’t good. You see, the two of us inherited a huge debt... And my sister has only just managed to clear it. But coupled with the hospital bills... Sister has been working herself to the bone just to keep us from falling back into debt again. At this rate, I'm afraid... she may just collapse…” Hayan’s voice became weaker the longer she spoke. “!! That… Is there I can do to help?” ‘…He really is gullible.’ Hayan blinked when she heard his reply. “Well, I suppose you have heard of the game Royal Road?” “Yes, I have. It’s currently ranked as the most popular game in the past decade. Why?” “My sister… She has been using the money she received from trading off items to provide for the family… But, the length of time she stayed in the capsule has been increasing recently—” “And you wish to spend more time with her?” Kang Min’s voice cut her off in the middle of the sentence, somehow, he seemed…amused? “Ah… yes.” Hayan whispered. “Well, Hayan, usually I would just hang up if I receive calls like this.” There, he paused, seemingly trying to find the right words, “but… considering the favor your sister did for that stubborn brother of mine, I supposed I can indulge in this request of yours.” “Really?” “Under one condition, you are never to call someone you don’t know with the intention of guilting him into getting something for you. Got it?” ‘Shoot. He realized?’ Hayan winced even as she agreed to his condition. “Very well then, a Royal Road Capsule will arrive at your house tomorrow morning. Just sign it off under your name and it’s yours.” “…Thank you Kang Min-nim!” A sigh was heard over the phone, before the guy started chuckling. “It’s no problem. Do me a favor and tell your sister that I would appreciate it if the two of you would drop by to visit my brother, would you?” “Okay! Thank you again!” Hayan chirped into the phone happily before a short ‘bye’ was heard and the call ended. “Yes!” Hayan pumped her fist into the air. “I can finally play Royal Road with my sister!” 0o0o0o0o0 A/N: Chapter 1, posted earlier than expected. As you can tell from this chapter, I will be setting aside 2-3 chapters just to cover the 1 year time-skip that the novel glossed over. I've no idea how you guys would react to this tbh. Hopefully... not badly. A couple of points that I would like to clarify with you guys. 1) I know that from the description alone, most of you would assume that I would copy scenes from the main novel, or that things would remain more or less the same. But that isn't true. I'm just taking the given description of the LMS class and Weed's personality (and his friends) and running off with it. Hyuna may complete it with different people, she may even fail the quests, or she could have just skipped it altogether because of some other event... or something else may just happen. *shrugs* Who knows. 2) The people appearing in this and the coming few chapters aren't just for show. Most of them do play RR. What is their in-game name on the other hand... is for me to know and you to guess. 3) (This isn't exactly a point) But... I hate writing the Geomchis. :/ So if you don't see them in the coming chapter... Then it's likely that their first meeting with Hyuna will only be shown when she starts playing RR.

<div class="chapter-inner chapter-content"> Authors Note: Hey guys this is my first Fanfic so go easy on me and I just finished this before school starts over here at Hawaii. I try to post as much as I can and don't fret chapter 1 is coming along nicely.<br><br>It was a bright Thursday morning for Terrance Astin. Brighter than he ever before. So changed the world now that he really believed the quote "If you change your perspective, you can change the world" now. Of course Terrance wasn't just your typical teenager because he lacked something that everyone seemed to have now. Well make that two things. The news, at school, and all the people would talk about "it". Now he finally was going to get "it" but he refrained himself to gape at horror the time on the clock. It was 7:55 and he was 5 minutes before he would be late...again.<br><br>Hastily getting on his bike "Dammit I knew I shouldn't have stayed up all night researching!" Terrance yelled as if trying to wake the whole neighborhood.<br><br>"Pipe down runt!"<br><br>"Sorry old man Jenkins"<br><br>"I ain't old yet!"<br><br>"Well you look like your old" said Terrance making a through examination of Jenkins. Jenkins was dark skinned referring to the fact that he always tended to his garden but had a scowl that he could make that could get him first prize in a competition. "Wait I don't have time for this, bye old man Jenkins I gotta hurry" Terrance said biking away as Jenkins reply in the faded into the wind.<br><br>*5 minutes later<br><br>*ring *ring *ring<br><br>"So late again" *sigh<br><br>"Nope saved by the bell Mr. Green"<br><br>"Yes yes now take a seat Mr. Astin homeroom is starting"<br><br>And thus proceeded Terrance's longest school day of his life. Terrance not bothering to pay attention to any of the subjects Mr. Green was teaching as he constantly kept a eye on the clock. 3<br>2<br>1<br>*ring *ring *ring<br><br>Like a boxer going out to fight on the gong he dashed right out of his classroom dodging people left to right to middle to up and down. He didn't bother with any of that and got onto his trusty stallion and biked his way back home. <br><br>When Terrance turned the block to his house he saw two large men walking out and into that magical truck he dreamed of seeing for three months of saving money from his occasional allowance and his part-time job to see it drive away into the distance. Without waiting he immediately rushed to the house parking his bike in the yard and entered in.<br><br>Running up the stairs like a madman Terrance stopped in front of his doors.<br>*GULP "All I need to do is open this door"<br>He opened it and sure enough "It" was there. Like some alien just crashed landed in his room he saw the slick silver capsule and saw a white piece of paper on top of it. "Installation has been completed with no problems sir." Terrance hopped right in the capsule "Wow this is how it feels and booted the capsule up.<br>Feeling a lost of sensation and after a minute regaining it he found himself in a white room.<br>A female voice drifted into his ear from all directions <br><br>"Do you wish to connect to RoyalRoad?"<br> Yes/No<br><br>Terrance with a fist pump in the air not knowing what's in store for him answered "Yes"<br><br>Next chapter <a href="http://www.royalroadl.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=116&amp;t=828" target="_blank">http://www.royalroadl.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=116&amp;t=828</a> </div>

Authors Note: Hey guys this is my first Fanfic so go easy on me and I just finished this before school starts over here at Hawaii. I try to post as much as I can and don't fret chapter 1 is coming along nicely. It was a bright Thursday morning for Terrance Astin. Brighter than he ever before. So changed the world now that he really believed the quote "If you change your perspective, you can change the world" now. Of course Terrance wasn't just your typical teenager because he lacked something that everyone seemed to have now. Well make that two things. The news, at school, and all the people would talk about "it". Now he finally was going to get "it" but he refrained himself to gape at horror the time on the clock. It was 7:55 and he was 5 minutes before he would be late...again. Hastily getting on his bike "Dammit I knew I shouldn't have stayed up all night researching!" Terrance yelled as if trying to wake the whole neighborhood. "Pipe down runt!" "Sorry old man Jenkins" "I ain't old yet!" "Well you look like your old" said Terrance making a through examination of Jenkins. Jenkins was dark skinned referring to the fact that he always tended to his garden but had a scowl that he could make that could get him first prize in a competition. "Wait I don't have time for this, bye old man Jenkins I gotta hurry" Terrance said biking away as Jenkins reply in the faded into the wind. *5 minutes later *ring *ring *ring "So late again" *sigh "Nope saved by the bell Mr. Green" "Yes yes now take a seat Mr. Astin homeroom is starting" And thus proceeded Terrance's longest school day of his life. Terrance not bothering to pay attention to any of the subjects Mr. Green was teaching as he constantly kept a eye on the clock. 3 2 1 *ring *ring *ring Like a boxer going out to fight on the gong he dashed right out of his classroom dodging people left to right to middle to up and down. He didn't bother with any of that and got onto his trusty stallion and biked his way back home. When Terrance turned the block to his house he saw two large men walking out and into that magical truck he dreamed of seeing for three months of saving money from his occasional allowance and his part-time job to see it drive away into the distance. Without waiting he immediately rushed to the house parking his bike in the yard and entered in. Running up the stairs like a madman Terrance stopped in front of his doors. *GULP "All I need to do is open this door" He opened it and sure enough "It" was there. Like some alien just crashed landed in his room he saw the slick silver capsule and saw a white piece of paper on top of it. "Installation has been completed with no problems sir." Terrance hopped right in the capsule "Wow this is how it feels and booted the capsule up. Feeling a lost of sensation and after a minute regaining it he found himself in a white room. A female voice drifted into his ear from all directions "Do you wish to connect to RoyalRoad?" Yes/No Terrance with a fist pump in the air not knowing what's in store for him answered "Yes" Next chapter <http://www.royalroadl.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=116&t=828>

<div class="chapter-inner chapter-content"> “Uncle Winter! This is really good!” Adria, that had just devoured her lunch, exclaimed.<br><br>“Why dear, thank you,” Sella pinched Adria’s cheek lightly.<br><br>“Yes, Winter. This is really good,” Both Minalan and Adria were, of course, right.<br><br>The food was delicious. Extravagantly. <br><br>It was barely a contest for Sella to win the competition. For one, there was serious shortage of Rainbow Fish, the must-have item for the competition. Most chefs had to make do with lesser grade fishes. Any higher grade would take too long to procure. Of course,there were some that somehow got a hold of a few that the players managed to fish. But the ultimate victory still belonged to Sella. Why? She had a lot more practice.<br><br>Winter did not attend the cookout, since that was his sleeping time. Besides, he hated the idea of being sandwiched in a crowd. Minalan and Adria did attend, and said it was a landslide victory. The jury had unanimously decided that Sella was the winner of the year. Winter did not hear any mention of reward for the competition, and did not bother to ask back then. But he now most assuredly knew why Sella was so set on winning. And maybe hundreds of other chefs that had needed the bloody fish.<br><br>Winter requested the food to be anything else but fishes. Yes. They could make a request now. It was different than before he slept.<br><br>Since he returned, and up to the night before the competition, Winter, Adria and Minalan had eaten Rainbow Fish after Rainbow Fish, prepared by any method imaginable. Frying, boiling, grilled. Diced in small pieces, put into a pie. Salted, spiced, sweetened, in broth, soup, anything. The list went on. All of them were great. But he got tired of seeing fishes, and more fishes. Winter helped prepare most of the dishes, too. It was an enlightening and frightening experience. <br><br>“Yes, Adria. Sella is a good cook. This roast beef is great, Sella.” <br><br>Winter answered absent-mindedly. The two seemed to see nothing strange. But Winter was still taking it all in. Sella nodded her appreciation and cleared the empty dishes. She wore a white cook uniform now, pristinely white. She was as fat as before.<br><br><span style="font-style: italic;">Nine days ago Royal Road Time</span><br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td>Quest completed: <span style="font-weight: bold;">Rainbow Fish</span><br>Your familiarity with <span style="font-weight: bold;">Sella, the Inn Cook</span> increased<br>You received <span style="font-weight: bold;">Superior Sirloin</span> x400<br>You received <span style="font-weight: bold;">Tender Chicken Meat</span> x300<br>You received <span style="font-weight: bold;">Lavian Egg</span> x 300<br>You received <span style="font-weight: bold;">Baby Boar Ribs</span> x200<br>You received <span style="font-weight: bold;">Sella’s Personal Cookbook</span><br>You Leveled up!<br>You Leveled up!</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br>“Thank you, Winter. Now, I may have a chance to finally win the competition.” <br><br>Sella was so excited to finally receive the fish. It was not a small fish, either. It could do some serious damage if someone got smacked with it on the head. Quite a puzzle how the whole thousand of such large fishes fit into Winter’s inventory. He barely made it back on the last day of the quest as he had to wait for his chance to pull the heist. He felt rather thankful for the rude young man now as he totally forgot about the quest until he decided to steal them fishes.<br><br>“Are you sure you want only one? I have more, if you want.” <br><br>“You do? And you are willing to give them to me?” I nodded.<br><br>“How many do you want?” <br><br>“Twenty?” <br><br>Winter began rummaging through his inventory bag. He was not used to the separation function that allowed a player to split items with a quantity of more than one.<br><br>“You do not have that many? Then..” <br><br>Sella was a little disappointed. Twenty Rainbow Fish would allow her to practice a lot. A good dish was impossible to be perfected in one or two tries. Winter looked a little uncomfortable. The mature man might not have that many fishes, and Sella was putting him in an uncomfortable position. She would take any of the fishes Winter would give her. It was already good that he had an extra.<br><br>*Flood* *Slide* *Sweep*<br><br>“Ack!” <br><br>That was rather lame sounding of Winter. But he had made a little blunder. He did not materialize twenty fishes. He materialized 200. <br><br><div style="text-align: center;">xXx</div><br><br>The kitchen was smothered in fishes. Winter might have imagined it. But there might be some still flopping around slightly. Sella, who suddenly sported a really wide smile full of inspiration, looked so intensely at Winter, that he was worried for his physical self. He recognized that sort of look. Once,he had seen it in one overly amorous male, that had sent him running for the other side of the ocean. <br><br>His discomfort was never realized, fortunately. Sella was interested to obtain all his fishes. But she had no capital to buy that large a quantity. Winter had no idea that each fish cost six gold! <br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td><span style="font-weight: bold;">Deal with Sella</span><br><br>Sella has interest in the 200 Rainbow Fish you dumped on her kitchen. Unfortunately, she does not have enough capital to purchase all of the fishes. She, however, could purchase it over time, if you give her enough time. Charity is fine too. Do negotiate lightly, as Sella is not a wealthy woman. <br><br>Requirement: Unique to <span style="font-weight: bold;">Winter</span><br>Reward: Unknown<br><br>Relationship with Sella may decline if the negotiation results in dissatisfaction</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br>Since Winter stole the fishes not out of greed, he was not interested in selling them. He was satisfied with what he had in his wallet at the moment. Winter also refused to sell them for cheap or charity, because he never believed in such thing. He believed in <span style="font-style: italic;">Quid Pro Quo</span>. It need not be exactly balanced. But he had to think of something.<br><br>After racking his brain for a minute,he came up with the simplest solution. She only needed to cook. For him, Adria, and Minalan. All their meals, every time they dropped by, would be free. It was within the means of her ability to provide such services. This solved Winter’s problem of giving the virtual little girl a good meal when he was not around. Sella was a better cook than him, too. <br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td>Quest completed: <span style="font-weight: bold;">Deal with Sella</span><br>You received <span style="font-weight: bold;">Free Meal for Three</span></td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td><span style="font-weight: bold;">Free Meal for Three</span><br><br>A physical manifestation of Sella’s promise to Winter. Reward from <span style="font-weight: bold;">Deal with Sella</span> quest. Free meals forever, specified for a player, Winter, and two NPCs, Adria and Minalan. Limited to what was available for the day and Sella’s generosity.<br><br>Your relationship with Sella is at maximum<br><br><span style="font-style: italic;">This item cannot be dropped or destroyed.<br>Automatically spawned to your personal inventory space. <br>Non-transferrable</span></td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br>The item manifested as a parchment paper. No kidding. With all terms attached as seen above. After that, he went out to &lt;&lt;Minalan’s Spellshop&gt;&gt; and called the two out for a meal. It was not quite a holiday after that, though. He was in a frenzy, helping Sella prepare the fish, mainly gutting them! Winter was obviously grateful that the guts did not smell.<br><br>Minalan hesitated to accept such deal. But Winter convinced Minalan that his help would be needed later. He was probably defeated by Adria’s cutting remark that his food was terrible and delicious free meals were never to be rejected! It made Winter wonder what sort of backstory these two have. He was not one to pry, and NPCs should not have this much personality. But Royal Road continuously exceeded his expectations.<br><br><br><div style="text-align: center;">xXx</div><br><br>*Burp* <br><br>It was not me who burped. It was Adria. Impressively deep voiced, and long one too. I could never figure out the trick for burping, somehow. It only ever happened to me by accident. Minalan followed suit, artificially. Aside from burping, I was also terrible at whistling. <br><br>I smiled at both of them, shelving all the strange thoughts churning in my head. Without any need for words, we stepped out to go. Sella was busy swirling a large pot, that could sit four men comfortably, using a thick-handled spoon. Steam rose from the surface of the pot. We waved at her, and she waved back from the platform the stood on. She was pretty busy nowadays. No way! It was a small oar! I clearly saw it when she pulled the whole length out. I promised myself to check it out when I got back next time.<br><br>Another oddity in Royal Road. Sella’s kitchen had expanded to maybe eight times its original size complete with new chefs, its assistants and general helpers, while I was sleeping. They were all dressed in white, like a battle uniform, with Sella holding a wooden ladle like a baton, ordering them around. They were manning cooking stations that somehow sprouted new stoves, pots, countertop tables, at the same time I was in dreamland. <br><br>The inn was completely gone. Even the crusty-looking husband was transformed, while I was sleeping, into a slim, neat-clothed restaurant proprietor. The man was pretty fat and sour-looking. I had to circle the block three times to be sure I was at the right place. Even then, I did not recognize the husband, and was not sure I was not lost. It was Adria, who was tired of waiting for me, who came out to get me.<br><br>Three of us waddled slowly away. Adria was smiling contentedly. Her stomach was bulging. Distended, even. Minalan’s bulge looked real solid. I chose not to recall too closely how much the two ate. It was frightening. Defied human physicality completely.<br><br>It was what struck me dumb. A decent brick and timber inn was suddenly transformed into an upscale marble and glass restaurant. Overnight, probably. The size had expanded somehow. I am pretty sure there was a bar beside the inn, previously. It was swallowed up without a trace. Well, not really. On the second floor, where they had private rooms, there was a wet bar, with a stiff-looking bartender, polishing drinking glasses. Stocks of liquor were lined neatly on a shelf behind the bar. It looked cosy. <br><br>Since Winter had never gone into the bar before it was somehow demolished, he had no idea whether the bartender was the bar owner, or the bartender there. A puzzle.<br><br>Probably due to Minalan and Adria being NPCs, they probably found nothing wrong. I began accepting that the game had certain quirks that might take me awhile to wrap my head around. But I can manage. Full (virtual) stomach sure helped.<br><br>Minalan excused himself first, since he still had a shop to reopen. He left Adria in my care. We have no destination in mind, simply walking off the excess weight of the food. The city of Cosare looked the same to me. But it was possible that it had changed slightly here and there, like Sella’s inn. Dredging my thoughts, I could not recall any changes. <br><br>“Uncle Winter, I am tired. Can we stop for a moment?”<br><br>I looked down at the girl. I was lost in my thoughts. No idea how far or how long I had walked.<br><br>“Hold on, Adria. Up we go.” <br><br>I put her up on my shoulders. Her tiny hands grabbed the crown of my head, and I proceeded to wander into the park. Coincidentally, it was the park where we met. We talked about it. She clearly had a different view regarding what had gone down. I was a mean-looking, cold-eyed, old thug about to kidnap her. I was not inclined to argue. Handling children from the get go has never been one of my main strengths.<br><br><div style="text-align: center;">xXx</div><br><br>*Creak* *Jingle*<br><br>Minalan looked up. He was about to greet Winter, when Winter signed for silence with his right forefinger. The form of Adria asleep, cradled within the crook of Winter’s arm, reinforced the message.<br><br>Minalan opened the doors that adjoined to their family space, and Adria’s room. Winter gently put her down and tucked her in. Closing the door, both of them walked as silently as possible back to the shop area, and also shut the door.<br><br>*Wave* *Clank*<br><br>Minalan waved his hand and the sign flipped around from ‘Open’ to ‘Closed’.<br><br>“You have to teach me that one day, Minalan.”<br><br>“Sorry. This is something you have to figure out on your own.” Winter nodded.<br><br>Minalan had no idea why he could not teach Winter that trick. He knew how the trick worked, but somehow, knew it was impossible for Winter to understand or learn it. <br><br>“Thank you again, Winter.”<br><br>“Don’t mention it. She is a sweet child. After she finished her rebellious phase.” <br><br>Winter grimaced at some sort of unpleasant memory. Minalan was clueless at what sort of rebellious phase Winter was talking about. To his eyes, his daughter was always sweet. <br><br>They spent a little time talking about how Winter had spent the time with Adria, after they had parted. Minalan trusted Winter with his daughter’s life, but he had to know. They then talked about his adventure, something Winter never had the chance to share, since he was busy helping Sella, and then disappeared for a couple days.Outlanders like him always disappeared a couple days for no reason. Minalan regarded it as their quirks. All his previous mage apprentices did that.They would come back when they were ready. So far, Winter had been the only one that visited the most. All the other students before him had gone to who knows where.<br><br>A pity Winter never turned up for the cookout, since it was a major event. Freya then cast her magic upon the winner, and in a night, Sella’s inn was transformed into what it was now. <br><br>Minalan waited patiently until Winter was ready to talk. From what Minalan could gather from educated guesses, Winter must have gone South in order to obtain Rainbow Fish. Rainbow Fish were unique to a particular hilltop lake, that was constantly guarded by lizardmen. Outlanders always gathered together every year to vanquish them and harvest the fishes. They continued trading small talk.<br><br><div style="text-align: center;">xXx</div><br><br>Winter pulled Sun’areth from his inventory. Minalan’s eyes bulged out so large, that Winter was worried it would pop out. His mouth dropped down too in shock while his whole body made rigid spasms.<br><br>“Where did you get that!”<br><br>His voice was quavering, his shaking finger pointing to the Staff Winter pulled out. What emotions it contained, Winter was unable to guess.<br><br>“In a cave underneath the Lakeside Swamp.”<br><br>“There is a cave there?” Minalan immediately cut him off.<br><br>Winter told his story slowly. Several times, Minalan stopped him to clarify some points, especially regarding the frozen fire dragon, Fuenos. <br><br>*Flick*<br><br>A book shot out to Minalan’s outstretched hand. It flew off from the top of a shelf, one among the long row of books there. He then flipped the pages furiously.<br><br>“There!” <br><br>Minalan immediately showed Winter the page he flipped to. It was a pretty close rendering of Sun’areth, if it was uncharred.<br><br>“Just to let you know, the staff you are holding there known by us, mages as <span style="font-style: italic;">Mother Tree’s Gift</span>. Though I had never seen it in person until now, like most mages, we are learned in its true value and origin.<br><br>He read the caption on top of the illustration. To Winter it looked like random squiggles.<br><br>“Sun’areth, translate as <span style="font-style: italic;">Unbreakable Will</span> in High Magi. It belonged to Grand Magi Thorandell.”<br><br>Minalan sat down, flipped to the next page, scanned to a spot, and began to read,<br><br>“Grand Magi Thorandell’s family was slain by Fuenos, the Great Fire Dragon. The act was not of malice, but of nature. Fuenos was probably retaliating to the efforts of humans to deter, injure, and kill him. Thorandell was regretfully away, else he would not be suffering such tragedy, for the Magi possessed vast powers, more than enough to deter the great beast single-handedly.”<br>With every word spoken, the scene unfolded in the same silhouette movie he once watched, when Asric’s life story was told to him.<br><br>“The town perished due to the folly of a young lord who refused to lose a few cattles from the dragon’s feeding. Returning from his journey, the Grand Magi found his family massacred. He cared not for the city, for he was born elven. He only cared for his love, his woman, and the son and daughter she bore. Eleanne was her name, the human female with beauty that rivalled the elves, and who had captured Thorandell’s heart. Since then, Thorandell was possessed only of revenge. Unbecoming of a Magi who should stand above mundane matters of mortals. But such was the love he had, that it overcame his senses. He journeyed to the fabled land of Albion, came back with Sun’areth, the staff that signified his determination, and matched his power. <br><br>The Great Magi Thorandell then set out to find the lair of Fuenos, to exact his revenge, and was never heard of again since. Six hundred years, have I waited for his return, as I penned this book in my final days. We wondered what had happened, but were unable to find anything. Neither the elf nor dragon has been seen ever since.”<br><br>Minalan closed the book. The movie ended with the shadow of an elven figure writing on a book, while seated on his bed.<br><br><br>“This book was written seven hundred years ago, and has been translated numerous times. It detailed the history and ownership of every accountable Mother Tree’s Gift. I can see that you do not understand.”<br><br>Minalan guessed right. Winter was clueless.<br><br>“The Mother Tree is a legend that all that manipulate the power of Mana know by heart but not known widely outside mages community. It may interest to know you that Freya Church rejects her existence. You remember that the we Mages have a direct contract with Mana?” <br><br>Winter nodded. He now understood the reason why the staff gave negative relationship with the priests.<br><br>“It is said that the main reason that we Mages cannot use Iron, is related to the Mother Tree being the first sentient creature Mana contracted itself with. It also made the tree the strongest being in the universe, supposedly. It was supposedly the first sentient creature. Older than the even the elder races of Dragons, Dwarves, Elves, Demons and Giants, she was said to exist since the world was created. I know this will be long-winded. But bear with me.”<br><br>Winter was about to ask him to get to the point. This NPC knew him too well.<br><br>*Coughs*<br><br>“Where was I. Oh. Yes. Initially, the land where the great tree resided was accessible by anyone. But now, it is not anymore. No idea where it is or why it is gone. Maybe one of the elder races know the answer to that question. Anyway, the owner of a majority of Mother Tree’s Gift were elves, after all. As for why other elder races should know, well, their history would be more complete than ours, since what happened eight thousand years ago will be a history to them, not a myth, as they are so long lived.”<br><br>“I must say, I dreamed too in my younger days, to receive such a great gift. But, I realized after Adria was born, she was my greatest gift I could receive from my wife.”<br><br>Minalan beckoned to me to hand over the staff. Winter did not hesitate even a moment to hand it to him. He caressed the length of the damaged wood lovingly. Winter could clearly see he lamented the damage that it suffered. Letting out a final, drawn out sigh, he handed it back to Winter.<br><br>“Thank you. This is probably the closest I will ever get to the secret of Mana.”<br><br>“You’re welcome. What am I supposed to do about it?”<br><br>“Well... I don’t know?” Answered Minalan.<br><br>Winter and Minalan spent the rest of the night speculating on what he was supposed to do with it. Minalan was greatly interested in the Frozen Dragon Fuenos. Winter promised to show him to it the next time he went out. Winter could not hazard any guess on what had hit the dragon, and wanted to know badly.<br><br><div style="text-align: center;">xXx</div><br><br>Ronald had been spending a dangerous amount of time in-game recently. Excluding food, hygiene and sleep, it averaged to between twelve to thirteen hours a day. Even on weekends. He could do it because he was retired. No work to be done. No wife or girlfriend to please. And no family members to worry about. They could take care of themselves. All of them were old enough.<br><br>He decided to go through one full day without playing Royal Road. Why? Ronald could not put his finger into it. So he went through the daily motion of his daily life on a weekend before Royal Road. Breakfast with eggs, breads, jam and coffee. He has to stuff his handheld device somewhere because the first search he typed in was Royal Road information page. Reading the newspaper columns, Ronald’s mind drifted to sad-faced Adria, that had to be consoled when Ronald had to disappear for four days in-game.<br><br><span style="font-style: italic;">’Gah! I cannot focus!’</span><br><br>Frustrated, Ronald threw the newspaper down on the table. He was reading about some senator’s ridiculous political gaffe, that would normally crack him up. Among the top ten things that pleased Ronald the most, was when politicians screwed up and got caught.<br><br><span style="font-style: italic;">’Wonder if that Bill Clinton is still alive.’</span><br><br>The man lied under oath. Ballsy move. But also drew a shitstorm to him. He could not recall which part was funny. But somewhere, he thought it was priceless. He also believed that the president would be mad for not having any interest towards the hot interns that got posted there every year.<br><br>*Glance* <br><br>*Tick* *Tick* *Tick*<br><br><span style="font-style: italic;">’Great. Now I am counting seconds.’</span><br><br>Only at nine in the morning, Ronald’s determination had eroded by a large margin. The morose expression of Adria’s flashed up into his head again. Oh dear.<br><br><div style="text-align: center;">xXx</div><br><br>*Swish* *Swish* *Swish* <br><br>*Crash*<br><br>“Oh, crap.”<br><br>Workout would be a great way to distract himself, or so Ronald thought. Ironically, he spent the workout not running, doing sit ups,push ups,or normal calisthenics. He spent it recreating swordsmanship he learned in-game. And the digital TV was the victim. The side where his absent-minded swing clipped was cracked.<br><br>Forty-five inch, clear crystal display, priced at 5000 USD. The perfect home theater must-have. And Ronald never turned it on after he took it out of its package. No idea where the remote was too.<br><br><span style="font-style: italic;">’No big loss there for me. When was the last time I watched TV? Ten years ago?’</span><br><br>Ronald decided to clear up what was left of the TV, dismantling it before dumping it into the trash. For good measure, he smacked it a couple more times much more seriously. He did not remember whether he signed the warranty or not. Might as well give it a couple more good whacks. <br><br>The round wood broke off after a couple strong blows. A drying pole was not designed to hit hard surfaces. The clear display had a large hole in the middle after Ronald thrust at it with his whole strength. <br><br>“Well, that was refreshing.”<br><br>Ronald tossed the broken piece of wood together with the junk pile. Sweat was running all over his body. He was not bothered by the heat at all, since his core body temperature was higher than the air due to his exercise.<br><br>“Practicing your sword skill?” <br><br> A voice called from his side. It was his neighbor standing on the other side of the fence. What was his name? No idea. Ronald was saved from any need of answering.<br><br>“Nice move. You play too, I assume,” the neighbor continued.<br><br>“Yeah. I do,” Ronald answered. <br><br>Somehow, Ronald knew the mature man was talking about Royal Road.<br><br>He wiped the sweat on his forehead with the back of his left hand. This neighbor of his was much older than him. Around his sixties, if Ronald wanted to be conservative. Completely gray hair with a balding center. He sported a thick, broad, bushy beard. Made him look real smart and wise, with the old style square spectacle he wore.<br><br>“Albert Neuman. Nice to meet you,” Albert extended his hand through the low, waist-high garden shrub that separated their property. <br><br>“Ronald Hanover,” came the automatic reply from Ronald. They shook hands.<br><br>“So. What do you play, Ronald? I play a Wizard.”<br><br>“I am a mage,” Ronald answered in reflex. Albert cackled at that.<br><br>“A mage. That is a good one. Nice swing by the way.”<br><br>Ronald’s enthusiasm for the conversation immediately wilted. Albert thought he was making a good jest. Ronald could see how it could be construed as funny. Ronald laughed awkwardly with the elder man.<br><br>*Honk* *Honk*<br><br>A car horn blared twice. Both of them twisted their head to see which car did it. A red sports car stopped at the kerb. On his neighbor’s side. An equally aged man, with a full hair this time and a merry smile, sat on the driver’s seat and waved at their direction.<br><br>“That is my ride. Sorry that I cannot talk with you longer. I have to go to the meeting. You should come too when you have the chance.”<br><br>“Meeting?” Ronald wanted to end it there. But he had always been a sucker when baited with something he had no idea about.<br><br>“Yes. Royal Road meeting. You really have no idea?”<br><br>Ronald shook his head. He decided not to be offended at the ‘sad for you’ smile on Albert’s face.<br><br>*Honk* *Honk*<br><br>“Albert! Get in here now! We are going to be late!”<br><br>“Okay! Just wait a second!” Albert yelled back. He had a surprisingly strong voice for his age.<br><br>“You heard him. I have to go. Hope we get to talk again later,” Albert walked away without waiting for Ronald’s reply. His steps were quick too, for his age and diminutive frame.<br><br>The car sped away noisily but gracefully. Probably burned some rubbers on the asphalt, too. Ronald was nonplussed at their meeting and conversation. He never went out of his way to seek friends. He also never rejected a friendship when one came seeking for him. He decided to see whether his neighbor Albert would seek him out later.<br><br><div style="text-align: center;">xXx</div><br><br>Ronald was done showering off the sweat and grime he had accumulated. Since the day was too beautiful to be cooped up inside his home, and he kept looking at the wall clock whenever his mind was wandering, Ronald decided to have an early lunch at the delicious pizzeria he sometimes ordered his food from. Like his imagination, the inside was rustic, everything made of wood and glass. The most advanced equipment he could see was the cash register, that still made a ding sound when the green bills were stored. A real cellist sat at a corner, playing a slow beat melody. The cellist was the youngest person inside, probably not even legal drinking age.<br><br>“Thank you for waiting. Spaghetti Bolognaise with homemade tomato sauce, an order of Panini and unsweetened Citrus juice. Enjoy your meal!”<br><br>The blonde, middle-aged matron placed Ronald’s order and moved on to the next order. The kitchen area was visible. The chef was about as old as Albert, but had deft hands. Probably a husband and wife team. This neighborhood he stayed in had a very large retiree population. The two restaurateurs here probably opened the pizzeria not for making a profit. He even saw an ad for free piano lessons.<br><br>The meal was good. Ronald would rate that the pizza was slightly better. If there were fine details he should be commenting on, he would not know where to begin. He knew good food, but was not a gourmet. Having paid the bill, Ronald exited the place. It had began to fill up due to the lunch hour.<br><br>Ronald walked slightly faster, since he hated the heat of the noon sun beating down on him. He managed to get into his fully sealed and air-conditioned home before he broke a sweat. He was agonizing upon what he should spend the next nine hours or so doing. His practice pole was broken, with the thoroughly smashed TV as its companion in the rubbish dump. He was not interested to read novels, news or anything else. He was also not keen on spending time outside. Sleeping?<br><br>*Buzz*<br><br>“Ronald here.”<br><br>“Hey, Ronald. What are you doing?”<br><br>“Nothing, Daniel. I just had lunch. How about you?”<br><br>Only a limited number of individuals have his mobile phone number. Daniel was the only one old school enough to call. The rest usually texted him.<br><br>“Well, I have not logged in since the last time we parted.”<br><br>“That busy, huh.”<br><br>“Yeah. Anyway. Are you free for the next week or so?”<br><br>Ronald had to chuckle at the question.<br><br>“Daniel. I am retired.” <br><br>This was typical of Daniel, buttering him up, asking questions before landing the bomb. Usually he dropped only the good ones.<br><br>“How do you feel about assaulting a castle?”<br><br><div style="text-align: center;">xXx</div><br><br>Ronald logged back in before his 24 hours self-imposed ban expired. Daniel’s phone call was the last push that got him to re-enter the capsule before the ban was up. Winter respawned outside Minalan’s Spellshop. He wanted to get going immediately, but decided to at least inform Minalan first.<br><br>“Ho, Minalan!”<br><br>“Hello, Winter. You are back early.”<br><br>“Uh... yeah. I have to be gone real soon. Where is Adria?”<br><br>Ronald was expecting another tackle hug from Adria shortly after he entered the shop. It was disappointingly absent.<br><br>“She fell sick shortly after you left. I put her in meditative sleep so she can recover.”<br><br><span style="font-style: italic;">’NPC can get sick here? Meditative sleep?’</span><br><br>“Will she be okay?” Winter felt guilty, weighing between leaving Adria alone or going to a castle assault.<br><br>“Yes. This happens once in a while to all of us. Somehow you outlanders are immune to our diseases,” Minalan went on.<br><br>“Go for your adventure, Winter. She will not be awake for a few more days, at least. Come see her next time you are back. Any idea when, so I can tell her to expect you?”<br><br>Ronald did a rough calculation in his head. He believed he could reach level 90 by dungeon diving and grinding for maybe six to ten days, probably. Ronald believed he could level up twice a day on average. He would then come back, see Adria, and then leave for Harine, and level up on the way. It would leave him with extra days too, just in case.<br><br>“Maybe two weeks? I will take her out for a bit when I am back.” Minalan nodded.<br><br>“Okay. Safe trip! I will let her know. By the way, Sella asked you to drop by.”<br><br>“I will look her up later. See you, Minalan! Take good care of Adria.”<br><br>Minalan looked badly offended that Ronald even had to mention the last part. But Ronald was getting too fond of the bad-mannered little girl that had grown sweet on him. If Minalan said something, Ronald did not hear it. He was already outside the shop.<br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td colspan="2"><a href="http://www.royalroadl.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=99&amp;t=708" target="_blank">&lt;&lt;&lt;&lt;&lt; Previous Chapter</a></td><td colspan="2"><a href="http://www.royalroadl.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=99&amp;t=749" target="_blank">Next Chapter &gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;</a></td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br>==========================================================================================================================================================<br>Author's Note:<br><br>1. Credit to -The Slacker- for the diligent PR<br>2. Special Credit to Veresliosi and Vim1inc. Not to forget Ramzicmain for bouncing stuff around<br>3. Do let me know of mistakes you find. Try as me and my PR to spot them, we might miss some.<br>4. I am only releasing up to chapter 16 this week, folks. Next chapter will be beginning of the Castle Siege.<br>5. Thanks for the support and encouragement up to this point<br>6. Enjoy! </div>

“Uncle Winter! This is really good!” Adria, that had just devoured her lunch, exclaimed. “Why dear, thank you,” Sella pinched Adria’s cheek lightly. “Yes, Winter. This is really good,” Both Minalan and Adria were, of course, right. The food was delicious. Extravagantly. It was barely a contest for Sella to win the competition. For one, there was serious shortage of Rainbow Fish, the must-have item for the competition. Most chefs had to make do with lesser grade fishes. Any higher grade would take too long to procure. Of course,there were some that somehow got a hold of a few that the players managed to fish. But the ultimate victory still belonged to Sella. Why? She had a lot more practice. Winter did not attend the cookout, since that was his sleeping time. Besides, he hated the idea of being sandwiched in a crowd. Minalan and Adria did attend, and said it was a landslide victory. The jury had unanimously decided that Sella was the winner of the year. Winter did not hear any mention of reward for the competition, and did not bother to ask back then. But he now most assuredly knew why Sella was so set on winning. And maybe hundreds of other chefs that had needed the bloody fish. Winter requested the food to be anything else but fishes. Yes. They could make a request now. It was different than before he slept. Since he returned, and up to the night before the competition, Winter, Adria and Minalan had eaten Rainbow Fish after Rainbow Fish, prepared by any method imaginable. Frying, boiling, grilled. Diced in small pieces, put into a pie. Salted, spiced, sweetened, in broth, soup, anything. The list went on. All of them were great. But he got tired of seeing fishes, and more fishes. Winter helped prepare most of the dishes, too. It was an enlightening and frightening experience. “Yes, Adria. Sella is a good cook. This roast beef is great, Sella.” Winter answered absent-mindedly. The two seemed to see nothing strange. But Winter was still taking it all in. Sella nodded her appreciation and cleared the empty dishes. She wore a white cook uniform now, pristinely white. She was as fat as before. Nine days ago Royal Road Time | Quest completed: Rainbow FishYour familiarity with Sella, the Inn Cook increasedYou received Superior Sirloin x400You received Tender Chicken Meat x300You received Lavian Egg x 300You received Baby Boar Ribs x200You received Sella’s Personal CookbookYou Leveled up!You Leveled up! | | --- | “Thank you, Winter. Now, I may have a chance to finally win the competition.” Sella was so excited to finally receive the fish. It was not a small fish, either. It could do some serious damage if someone got smacked with it on the head. Quite a puzzle how the whole thousand of such large fishes fit into Winter’s inventory. He barely made it back on the last day of the quest as he had to wait for his chance to pull the heist. He felt rather thankful for the rude young man now as he totally forgot about the quest until he decided to steal them fishes. “Are you sure you want only one? I have more, if you want.” “You do? And you are willing to give them to me?” I nodded. “How many do you want?” “Twenty?” Winter began rummaging through his inventory bag. He was not used to the separation function that allowed a player to split items with a quantity of more than one. “You do not have that many? Then..” Sella was a little disappointed. Twenty Rainbow Fish would allow her to practice a lot. A good dish was impossible to be perfected in one or two tries. Winter looked a little uncomfortable. The mature man might not have that many fishes, and Sella was putting him in an uncomfortable position. She would take any of the fishes Winter would give her. It was already good that he had an extra. *Flood* *Slide* *Sweep* “Ack!” That was rather lame sounding of Winter. But he had made a little blunder. He did not materialize twenty fishes. He materialized 200. xXx The kitchen was smothered in fishes. Winter might have imagined it. But there might be some still flopping around slightly. Sella, who suddenly sported a really wide smile full of inspiration, looked so intensely at Winter, that he was worried for his physical self. He recognized that sort of look. Once,he had seen it in one overly amorous male, that had sent him running for the other side of the ocean. His discomfort was never realized, fortunately. Sella was interested to obtain all his fishes. But she had no capital to buy that large a quantity. Winter had no idea that each fish cost six gold! | Deal with SellaSella has interest in the 200 Rainbow Fish you dumped on her kitchen. Unfortunately, she does not have enough capital to purchase all of the fishes. She, however, could purchase it over time, if you give her enough time. Charity is fine too. Do negotiate lightly, as Sella is not a wealthy woman. Requirement: Unique to WinterReward: UnknownRelationship with Sella may decline if the negotiation results in dissatisfaction | | --- | Since Winter stole the fishes not out of greed, he was not interested in selling them. He was satisfied with what he had in his wallet at the moment. Winter also refused to sell them for cheap or charity, because he never believed in such thing. He believed in Quid Pro Quo. It need not be exactly balanced. But he had to think of something. After racking his brain for a minute,he came up with the simplest solution. She only needed to cook. For him, Adria, and Minalan. All their meals, every time they dropped by, would be free. It was within the means of her ability to provide such services. This solved Winter’s problem of giving the virtual little girl a good meal when he was not around. Sella was a better cook than him, too. | Quest completed: Deal with SellaYou received Free Meal for Three | | --- | | Free Meal for ThreeA physical manifestation of Sella’s promise to Winter. Reward from Deal with Sella quest. Free meals forever, specified for a player, Winter, and two NPCs, Adria and Minalan. Limited to what was available for the day and Sella’s generosity.Your relationship with Sella is at maximumThis item cannot be dropped or destroyed.Automatically spawned to your personal inventory space. Non-transferrable | | --- | The item manifested as a parchment paper. No kidding. With all terms attached as seen above. After that, he went out to <<Minalan’s Spellshop>> and called the two out for a meal. It was not quite a holiday after that, though. He was in a frenzy, helping Sella prepare the fish, mainly gutting them! Winter was obviously grateful that the guts did not smell. Minalan hesitated to accept such deal. But Winter convinced Minalan that his help would be needed later. He was probably defeated by Adria’s cutting remark that his food was terrible and delicious free meals were never to be rejected! It made Winter wonder what sort of backstory these two have. He was not one to pry, and NPCs should not have this much personality. But Royal Road continuously exceeded his expectations. xXx *Burp* It was not me who burped. It was Adria. Impressively deep voiced, and long one too. I could never figure out the trick for burping, somehow. It only ever happened to me by accident. Minalan followed suit, artificially. Aside from burping, I was also terrible at whistling. I smiled at both of them, shelving all the strange thoughts churning in my head. Without any need for words, we stepped out to go. Sella was busy swirling a large pot, that could sit four men comfortably, using a thick-handled spoon. Steam rose from the surface of the pot. We waved at her, and she waved back from the platform the stood on. She was pretty busy nowadays. No way! It was a small oar! I clearly saw it when she pulled the whole length out. I promised myself to check it out when I got back next time. Another oddity in Royal Road. Sella’s kitchen had expanded to maybe eight times its original size complete with new chefs, its assistants and general helpers, while I was sleeping. They were all dressed in white, like a battle uniform, with Sella holding a wooden ladle like a baton, ordering them around. They were manning cooking stations that somehow sprouted new stoves, pots, countertop tables, at the same time I was in dreamland. The inn was completely gone. Even the crusty-looking husband was transformed, while I was sleeping, into a slim, neat-clothed restaurant proprietor. The man was pretty fat and sour-looking. I had to circle the block three times to be sure I was at the right place. Even then, I did not recognize the husband, and was not sure I was not lost. It was Adria, who was tired of waiting for me, who came out to get me. Three of us waddled slowly away. Adria was smiling contentedly. Her stomach was bulging. Distended, even. Minalan’s bulge looked real solid. I chose not to recall too closely how much the two ate. It was frightening. Defied human physicality completely. It was what struck me dumb. A decent brick and timber inn was suddenly transformed into an upscale marble and glass restaurant. Overnight, probably. The size had expanded somehow. I am pretty sure there was a bar beside the inn, previously. It was swallowed up without a trace. Well, not really. On the second floor, where they had private rooms, there was a wet bar, with a stiff-looking bartender, polishing drinking glasses. Stocks of liquor were lined neatly on a shelf behind the bar. It looked cosy. Since Winter had never gone into the bar before it was somehow demolished, he had no idea whether the bartender was the bar owner, or the bartender there. A puzzle. Probably due to Minalan and Adria being NPCs, they probably found nothing wrong. I began accepting that the game had certain quirks that might take me awhile to wrap my head around. But I can manage. Full (virtual) stomach sure helped. Minalan excused himself first, since he still had a shop to reopen. He left Adria in my care. We have no destination in mind, simply walking off the excess weight of the food. The city of Cosare looked the same to me. But it was possible that it had changed slightly here and there, like Sella’s inn. Dredging my thoughts, I could not recall any changes. “Uncle Winter, I am tired. Can we stop for a moment?” I looked down at the girl. I was lost in my thoughts. No idea how far or how long I had walked. “Hold on, Adria. Up we go.” I put her up on my shoulders. Her tiny hands grabbed the crown of my head, and I proceeded to wander into the park. Coincidentally, it was the park where we met. We talked about it. She clearly had a different view regarding what had gone down. I was a mean-looking, cold-eyed, old thug about to kidnap her. I was not inclined to argue. Handling children from the get go has never been one of my main strengths. xXx *Creak* *Jingle* Minalan looked up. He was about to greet Winter, when Winter signed for silence with his right forefinger. The form of Adria asleep, cradled within the crook of Winter’s arm, reinforced the message. Minalan opened the doors that adjoined to their family space, and Adria’s room. Winter gently put her down and tucked her in. Closing the door, both of them walked as silently as possible back to the shop area, and also shut the door. *Wave* *Clank* Minalan waved his hand and the sign flipped around from ‘Open’ to ‘Closed’. “You have to teach me that one day, Minalan.” “Sorry. This is something you have to figure out on your own.” Winter nodded. Minalan had no idea why he could not teach Winter that trick. He knew how the trick worked, but somehow, knew it was impossible for Winter to understand or learn it. “Thank you again, Winter.” “Don’t mention it. She is a sweet child. After she finished her rebellious phase.” Winter grimaced at some sort of unpleasant memory. Minalan was clueless at what sort of rebellious phase Winter was talking about. To his eyes, his daughter was always sweet. They spent a little time talking about how Winter had spent the time with Adria, after they had parted. Minalan trusted Winter with his daughter’s life, but he had to know. They then talked about his adventure, something Winter never had the chance to share, since he was busy helping Sella, and then disappeared for a couple days.Outlanders like him always disappeared a couple days for no reason. Minalan regarded it as their quirks. All his previous mage apprentices did that.They would come back when they were ready. So far, Winter had been the only one that visited the most. All the other students before him had gone to who knows where. A pity Winter never turned up for the cookout, since it was a major event. Freya then cast her magic upon the winner, and in a night, Sella’s inn was transformed into what it was now. Minalan waited patiently until Winter was ready to talk. From what Minalan could gather from educated guesses, Winter must have gone South in order to obtain Rainbow Fish. Rainbow Fish were unique to a particular hilltop lake, that was constantly guarded by lizardmen. Outlanders always gathered together every year to vanquish them and harvest the fishes. They continued trading small talk. xXx Winter pulled Sun’areth from his inventory. Minalan’s eyes bulged out so large, that Winter was worried it would pop out. His mouth dropped down too in shock while his whole body made rigid spasms. “Where did you get that!” His voice was quavering, his shaking finger pointing to the Staff Winter pulled out. What emotions it contained, Winter was unable to guess. “In a cave underneath the Lakeside Swamp.” “There is a cave there?” Minalan immediately cut him off. Winter told his story slowly. Several times, Minalan stopped him to clarify some points, especially regarding the frozen fire dragon, Fuenos. *Flick* A book shot out to Minalan’s outstretched hand. It flew off from the top of a shelf, one among the long row of books there. He then flipped the pages furiously. “There!” Minalan immediately showed Winter the page he flipped to. It was a pretty close rendering of Sun’areth, if it was uncharred. “Just to let you know, the staff you are holding there known by us, mages as Mother Tree’s Gift. Though I had never seen it in person until now, like most mages, we are learned in its true value and origin. He read the caption on top of the illustration. To Winter it looked like random squiggles. “Sun’areth, translate as Unbreakable Will in High Magi. It belonged to Grand Magi Thorandell.” Minalan sat down, flipped to the next page, scanned to a spot, and began to read, “Grand Magi Thorandell’s family was slain by Fuenos, the Great Fire Dragon. The act was not of malice, but of nature. Fuenos was probably retaliating to the efforts of humans to deter, injure, and kill him. Thorandell was regretfully away, else he would not be suffering such tragedy, for the Magi possessed vast powers, more than enough to deter the great beast single-handedly.” With every word spoken, the scene unfolded in the same silhouette movie he once watched, when Asric’s life story was told to him. “The town perished due to the folly of a young lord who refused to lose a few cattles from the dragon’s feeding. Returning from his journey, the Grand Magi found his family massacred. He cared not for the city, for he was born elven. He only cared for his love, his woman, and the son and daughter she bore. Eleanne was her name, the human female with beauty that rivalled the elves, and who had captured Thorandell’s heart. Since then, Thorandell was possessed only of revenge. Unbecoming of a Magi who should stand above mundane matters of mortals. But such was the love he had, that it overcame his senses. He journeyed to the fabled land of Albion, came back with Sun’areth, the staff that signified his determination, and matched his power. The Great Magi Thorandell then set out to find the lair of Fuenos, to exact his revenge, and was never heard of again since. Six hundred years, have I waited for his return, as I penned this book in my final days. We wondered what had happened, but were unable to find anything. Neither the elf nor dragon has been seen ever since.” Minalan closed the book. The movie ended with the shadow of an elven figure writing on a book, while seated on his bed. “This book was written seven hundred years ago, and has been translated numerous times. It detailed the history and ownership of every accountable Mother Tree’s Gift. I can see that you do not understand.” Minalan guessed right. Winter was clueless. “The Mother Tree is a legend that all that manipulate the power of Mana know by heart but not known widely outside mages community. It may interest to know you that Freya Church rejects her existence. You remember that the we Mages have a direct contract with Mana?” Winter nodded. He now understood the reason why the staff gave negative relationship with the priests. “It is said that the main reason that we Mages cannot use Iron, is related to the Mother Tree being the first sentient creature Mana contracted itself with. It also made the tree the strongest being in the universe, supposedly. It was supposedly the first sentient creature. Older than the even the elder races of Dragons, Dwarves, Elves, Demons and Giants, she was said to exist since the world was created. I know this will be long-winded. But bear with me.” Winter was about to ask him to get to the point. This NPC knew him too well. *Coughs* “Where was I. Oh. Yes. Initially, the land where the great tree resided was accessible by anyone. But now, it is not anymore. No idea where it is or why it is gone. Maybe one of the elder races know the answer to that question. Anyway, the owner of a majority of Mother Tree’s Gift were elves, after all. As for why other elder races should know, well, their history would be more complete than ours, since what happened eight thousand years ago will be a history to them, not a myth, as they are so long lived.” “I must say, I dreamed too in my younger days, to receive such a great gift. But, I realized after Adria was born, she was my greatest gift I could receive from my wife.” Minalan beckoned to me to hand over the staff. Winter did not hesitate even a moment to hand it to him. He caressed the length of the damaged wood lovingly. Winter could clearly see he lamented the damage that it suffered. Letting out a final, drawn out sigh, he handed it back to Winter. “Thank you. This is probably the closest I will ever get to the secret of Mana.” “You’re welcome. What am I supposed to do about it?” “Well... I don’t know?” Answered Minalan. Winter and Minalan spent the rest of the night speculating on what he was supposed to do with it. Minalan was greatly interested in the Frozen Dragon Fuenos. Winter promised to show him to it the next time he went out. Winter could not hazard any guess on what had hit the dragon, and wanted to know badly. xXx Ronald had been spending a dangerous amount of time in-game recently. Excluding food, hygiene and sleep, it averaged to between twelve to thirteen hours a day. Even on weekends. He could do it because he was retired. No work to be done. No wife or girlfriend to please. And no family members to worry about. They could take care of themselves. All of them were old enough. He decided to go through one full day without playing Royal Road. Why? Ronald could not put his finger into it. So he went through the daily motion of his daily life on a weekend before Royal Road. Breakfast with eggs, breads, jam and coffee. He has to stuff his handheld device somewhere because the first search he typed in was Royal Road information page. Reading the newspaper columns, Ronald’s mind drifted to sad-faced Adria, that had to be consoled when Ronald had to disappear for four days in-game. ’Gah! I cannot focus!’ Frustrated, Ronald threw the newspaper down on the table. He was reading about some senator’s ridiculous political gaffe, that would normally crack him up. Among the top ten things that pleased Ronald the most, was when politicians screwed up and got caught. ’Wonder if that Bill Clinton is still alive.’ The man lied under oath. Ballsy move. But also drew a shitstorm to him. He could not recall which part was funny. But somewhere, he thought it was priceless. He also believed that the president would be mad for not having any interest towards the hot interns that got posted there every year. *Glance* *Tick* *Tick* *Tick* ’Great. Now I am counting seconds.’ Only at nine in the morning, Ronald’s determination had eroded by a large margin. The morose expression of Adria’s flashed up into his head again. Oh dear. xXx *Swish* *Swish* *Swish* *Crash* “Oh, crap.” Workout would be a great way to distract himself, or so Ronald thought. Ironically, he spent the workout not running, doing sit ups,push ups,or normal calisthenics. He spent it recreating swordsmanship he learned in-game. And the digital TV was the victim. The side where his absent-minded swing clipped was cracked. Forty-five inch, clear crystal display, priced at 5000 USD. The perfect home theater must-have. And Ronald never turned it on after he took it out of its package. No idea where the remote was too. ’No big loss there for me. When was the last time I watched TV? Ten years ago?’ Ronald decided to clear up what was left of the TV, dismantling it before dumping it into the trash. For good measure, he smacked it a couple more times much more seriously. He did not remember whether he signed the warranty or not. Might as well give it a couple more good whacks. The round wood broke off after a couple strong blows. A drying pole was not designed to hit hard surfaces. The clear display had a large hole in the middle after Ronald thrust at it with his whole strength. “Well, that was refreshing.” Ronald tossed the broken piece of wood together with the junk pile. Sweat was running all over his body. He was not bothered by the heat at all, since his core body temperature was higher than the air due to his exercise. “Practicing your sword skill?” A voice called from his side. It was his neighbor standing on the other side of the fence. What was his name? No idea. Ronald was saved from any need of answering. “Nice move. You play too, I assume,” the neighbor continued. “Yeah. I do,” Ronald answered. Somehow, Ronald knew the mature man was talking about Royal Road. He wiped the sweat on his forehead with the back of his left hand. This neighbor of his was much older than him. Around his sixties, if Ronald wanted to be conservative. Completely gray hair with a balding center. He sported a thick, broad, bushy beard. Made him look real smart and wise, with the old style square spectacle he wore. “Albert Neuman. Nice to meet you,” Albert extended his hand through the low, waist-high garden shrub that separated their property. “Ronald Hanover,” came the automatic reply from Ronald. They shook hands. “So. What do you play, Ronald? I play a Wizard.” “I am a mage,” Ronald answered in reflex. Albert cackled at that. “A mage. That is a good one. Nice swing by the way.” Ronald’s enthusiasm for the conversation immediately wilted. Albert thought he was making a good jest. Ronald could see how it could be construed as funny. Ronald laughed awkwardly with the elder man. *Honk* *Honk* A car horn blared twice. Both of them twisted their head to see which car did it. A red sports car stopped at the kerb. On his neighbor’s side. An equally aged man, with a full hair this time and a merry smile, sat on the driver’s seat and waved at their direction. “That is my ride. Sorry that I cannot talk with you longer. I have to go to the meeting. You should come too when you have the chance.” “Meeting?” Ronald wanted to end it there. But he had always been a sucker when baited with something he had no idea about. “Yes. Royal Road meeting. You really have no idea?” Ronald shook his head. He decided not to be offended at the ‘sad for you’ smile on Albert’s face. *Honk* *Honk* “Albert! Get in here now! We are going to be late!” “Okay! Just wait a second!” Albert yelled back. He had a surprisingly strong voice for his age. “You heard him. I have to go. Hope we get to talk again later,” Albert walked away without waiting for Ronald’s reply. His steps were quick too, for his age and diminutive frame. The car sped away noisily but gracefully. Probably burned some rubbers on the asphalt, too. Ronald was nonplussed at their meeting and conversation. He never went out of his way to seek friends. He also never rejected a friendship when one came seeking for him. He decided to see whether his neighbor Albert would seek him out later. xXx Ronald was done showering off the sweat and grime he had accumulated. Since the day was too beautiful to be cooped up inside his home, and he kept looking at the wall clock whenever his mind was wandering, Ronald decided to have an early lunch at the delicious pizzeria he sometimes ordered his food from. Like his imagination, the inside was rustic, everything made of wood and glass. The most advanced equipment he could see was the cash register, that still made a ding sound when the green bills were stored. A real cellist sat at a corner, playing a slow beat melody. The cellist was the youngest person inside, probably not even legal drinking age. “Thank you for waiting. Spaghetti Bolognaise with homemade tomato sauce, an order of Panini and unsweetened Citrus juice. Enjoy your meal!” The blonde, middle-aged matron placed Ronald’s order and moved on to the next order. The kitchen area was visible. The chef was about as old as Albert, but had deft hands. Probably a husband and wife team. This neighborhood he stayed in had a very large retiree population. The two restaurateurs here probably opened the pizzeria not for making a profit. He even saw an ad for free piano lessons. The meal was good. Ronald would rate that the pizza was slightly better. If there were fine details he should be commenting on, he would not know where to begin. He knew good food, but was not a gourmet. Having paid the bill, Ronald exited the place. It had began to fill up due to the lunch hour. Ronald walked slightly faster, since he hated the heat of the noon sun beating down on him. He managed to get into his fully sealed and air-conditioned home before he broke a sweat. He was agonizing upon what he should spend the next nine hours or so doing. His practice pole was broken, with the thoroughly smashed TV as its companion in the rubbish dump. He was not interested to read novels, news or anything else. He was also not keen on spending time outside. Sleeping? *Buzz* “Ronald here.” “Hey, Ronald. What are you doing?” “Nothing, Daniel. I just had lunch. How about you?” Only a limited number of individuals have his mobile phone number. Daniel was the only one old school enough to call. The rest usually texted him. “Well, I have not logged in since the last time we parted.” “That busy, huh.” “Yeah. Anyway. Are you free for the next week or so?” Ronald had to chuckle at the question. “Daniel. I am retired.” This was typical of Daniel, buttering him up, asking questions before landing the bomb. Usually he dropped only the good ones. “How do you feel about assaulting a castle?” xXx Ronald logged back in before his 24 hours self-imposed ban expired. Daniel’s phone call was the last push that got him to re-enter the capsule before the ban was up. Winter respawned outside Minalan’s Spellshop. He wanted to get going immediately, but decided to at least inform Minalan first. “Ho, Minalan!” “Hello, Winter. You are back early.” “Uh... yeah. I have to be gone real soon. Where is Adria?” Ronald was expecting another tackle hug from Adria shortly after he entered the shop. It was disappointingly absent. “She fell sick shortly after you left. I put her in meditative sleep so she can recover.” ’NPC can get sick here? Meditative sleep?’ “Will she be okay?” Winter felt guilty, weighing between leaving Adria alone or going to a castle assault. “Yes. This happens once in a while to all of us. Somehow you outlanders are immune to our diseases,” Minalan went on. “Go for your adventure, Winter. She will not be awake for a few more days, at least. Come see her next time you are back. Any idea when, so I can tell her to expect you?” Ronald did a rough calculation in his head. He believed he could reach level 90 by dungeon diving and grinding for maybe six to ten days, probably. Ronald believed he could level up twice a day on average. He would then come back, see Adria, and then leave for Harine, and level up on the way. It would leave him with extra days too, just in case. “Maybe two weeks? I will take her out for a bit when I am back.” Minalan nodded. “Okay. Safe trip! I will let her know. By the way, Sella asked you to drop by.” “I will look her up later. See you, Minalan! Take good care of Adria.” Minalan looked badly offended that Ronald even had to mention the last part. But Ronald was getting too fond of the bad-mannered little girl that had grown sweet on him. If Minalan said something, Ronald did not hear it. He was already outside the shop. | [<<<<< Previous Chapter](http://www.royalroadl.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=99&t=708) | | [Next Chapter >>>>>](http://www.royalroadl.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=99&t=749) | | | --- | --- | --- | --- | ========================================================================================================================================================== Author's Note: 1. Credit to -The Slacker- for the diligent PR 2. Special Credit to Veresliosi and Vim1inc. Not to forget Ramzicmain for bouncing stuff around 3. Do let me know of mistakes you find. Try as me and my PR to spot them, we might miss some. 4. I am only releasing up to chapter 16 this week, folks. Next chapter will be beginning of the Castle Siege. 5. Thanks for the support and encouragement up to this point 6. Enjoy!

<div class="chapter-inner chapter-content"> Alex looked at the new world that he had just joined. He walked around the city of Lamuar, the capital of the Heavenly Empire of Laurmath. He opened up his inventory, and saw: a strange white stick, a water canteen and 10 pieces of bread. Alex looked around, eyeing each building surrounding the square. Hidden away, squashed between 2 buildings whose sizes each were twice, if not more, it’s size, was a training center. <br><br>Each of the buildings next to it were training centers, but to Alex, it stood out, or perhaps, because it didn’t stand out, that he saw it.<br><br>He headed over to the ramshackle building that seemed like it was crumbling on top of itself. He walked to the front door and pushed the door open, the area where his hand touched had disintegrated to dust, then a loud screeching noise rang out, and the door cracked and was hanging on an edge.<br><br>He called out, “ Is anyone here?”<br><br> From the depths of the dojo, an old man came out. The old man looked him over and told him, “Young one who has just been sent to our holy empire, do you really want to train here?”<br><br>Alex looked around at his surroundings, it was a place full of rotten wood, and there were rats scurrying from one place to another. He looked back at the old man and decided,<br><br>“Yes, I would like to train here.”<br><br>“Then get out.”<br><br>Before Alex could react, the old man jumped into the air and used both of his feet to kick Alex through the doorway. Alex flew out of the dojo and landed meters away from the front entrance. He was knocked out cold, lying on the street.<br><br>The old man looked him over and walked back into the dojo, soon after, scavengers came after him and stole everything he had, except the white stick. Soldiers came later, but by then, it was too late. Alex, who didn’t have much previously, now had nothing. They then took his unconscious body and dragged it to the prison.<br><br>Alex woke up on a cold, hard. stone floor. He shook his head and sat up. He analysed his surroundings and guessed that he was in a dungeon. He thought to himself: <br><br><span style="font-style: italic;">Well this is great, first couple of hours in and now i’m in jail.</span><br>He got off the floor and brushed himself off. His prison cell was round and had 4 beds. At first sight, it was empty, but then a guard came by, “Hey, newbie, you might not want to drop the soap”. Frightened, he looked around again, and stepping out of the shadows,were some men who looked like they could eat a dragon for breakfast.<br><br>“Let’s all be nice to each other…” His voice was shaky as they advanced upon him. Before they could get to him, he quickly logged out of PGO. <br><br>“Well, that was horrifying,” he exited his capsule and looked at the time. It was 10pm.<br><br>“Might as well go to sleep.”<br><br>The next day, he woke up and was still scared about what had happened in PGO. Alex went downstairs and made breakfast. In an idle moment, a drop of hot oil hit him, and jolted him out from reliving that experience. <br><br>His twin sister came down the stairs, and Alex served breakfast for the both of them. His sister Elaine asked him, “So how was your first time playing PGO?”<br><br>“I don’t want to talk about it.”<br><br>“So what happened?”<br><br>He kept on rejecting her, but she persisted, and eventually got through.<br><br>“I met an old man who knocked me unconscious. I woke up in a jail cell and was almost raped by some big hairy men.”<br><br>After he told his story, his sister burst out laughing.<br><br>“Hey, what’s so funny?”<br><br>His sister was still laughing uncontrollably, and fell to the ground in hysterics.<br><br>She opened her mouth “I can’t believe--” but quickly broke into a fit of giggles again.<br><br>Later that day, at school, his sister had told everyone what he told her, and during lunch, he hid himself on the roof to eat.<br><br>Elaine spent the day humiliating her brother Alex, by the time they got home, he was so embarrassed, that he was borderline suicidal.<br><br>Alex went back into PGO again, and saw that he was back at square one, or even behind that, since he no longer had any food or water, and was left with a stick that he didn’t even know what it could do.<br><br>As he sat down in desperation, the old man approached him. He towered over Alex and kicked him up.<br><br>“AHHHHH what was that for!?”<br><br>“Now you can only depend on me, follow me, and I will start to train you.”<br><br>Alex reluctantly got up and followed him back into the dojo, he noticed on the way, that the dojo had become sturdier than before.<br><br>He was led to the underground level of the dojo, and was introduced to a hall with metal walls. Doors appeared periodically along its walls, and extended far beyond what his eyes could see. <br>They walked for what seemed to be hours, and finally, Alex’s patience wore thin.<br><br>He broke the silence and asked, “Where are we going?”<br><br>But the old man did not respond, instead, he stopped,turned to the left, and opened a door.<br><br>Inside was a normal training center, that was completely different from what was above ground. On one side of the room were targets placed at different heights, and in the center of the room, there was a ring, with people fighting inside.<br><br>Each punch would release a flash of light that burned its surroundings, Alex could feel the heat just from standing there.<br><br>Where you would normally find weapons in a regular dojo, was a wall full of short sticks of varying colours. <br><br>“Here, the other apprentices train, but you are new, so you will train with me.”<br><br>Alex was taken to an empty room and told to stay at his position, as the old man stood opposite of him.<br><br>“Come and hit me.”<br><br>Alex got ready to fight, and dashed towards the old man. He jabbed his fist at the old man’s abdomen. As soon as he hit the old man, his fist flew through, and he saw the old man meters away from where he had hit. <br><br><span style="font-style: italic;">What the?! I swear he was right there</span><br><br>This clash continued for awhile, every time Alex got near him and swung at the old man, the old man disappeared, but eventually, he saw what the old man was doing.<br><br><span style="font-style: italic;">So he’s using magic to confuse my sight huh.</span><br><br>From the old man’s point of view, Alex was walking around in circles swinging randomly. He chuckled under his breath,“This is always fun.”<br><br>Alex closed his eyes and started to walk towards where he thought the old man was. He swung, and opened his eyes again. He felt resistance at his knuckles, but the old man had jumped back.<br><br>[New Stat: Insight]<br>[You can see what others cannot and can discern the truth from lies]<br>[Forbidden to distribute stat points to this stat]<br>“Cool, I gained a new stat.”<br><br>“It appears that your insight has improved. However, you will pass this training once you can see through my illusion. NO EYE CLOSING.”<br><br>Then the training began again.<br><br>Alex would continuously try to hit the old man, and each time he got close, his insight improved. This process repeated for a while, and eventually, Alex was able to get past the weak illusion set by the old man. <br><br>About halfway through the training, the old man made Alex stop.<br><br>“We’ll continue this later. Don’t you have something else to do?” <br><br>Alex looked at the real world clock that was in his HUD.<br><br>“Crap, it’s already this late.”<br>----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br>As he got out of the capsule, he found his sister standing there, with her hands on her hips. <br><br><span style="font-style: italic;">Ohh crap.. I’m in serious trouble.</span><br><br>She opened her mouth, and started to berate him for nearly missing dinner.<br><br>Alex quickly went to the dinner table, and saw what awaited him. A single bowl of plain rice and some broccoli.<br><br>Shocked, he asked his sister what he had done to deserve this.<br><br>“What the hell is this?”<br><br>“Your punishment for leaving me to eat all alone.”<br><br>Alex could not help but accept this cruel fate, and cried as he ate.<br><br>----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br><br>Back in PGO, Alex met with the Instructor again.<br><br>“Finally back, are you?”<br><br>“Yes.”<br><br>“Let’s begin again. However this time, I want you to see if you can find the real me among a large number of copies.”<br><br>The old man took a step to the side and disappeared .<br><br>“Woah.”<br><br>Immediately, multiple copies of him started to appear, surrounding Alex by forming a ring around him.<br><br>Alex took a deep breath, and carefully looked each of them over, he found some peculiarities with all of them but one.<br><br>He took something from his pockets, a rock, and threw it at the suspicious one. The illusions quickly disappeared when the rock hit him.<br><br>“You passed, but I didn’t expect you to have a rock on you.”<br><br>“Revenge for kicking me onto the street.”<br><br>“Fair enough. Now we will begin the next phase of your training.” </div>

Alex looked at the new world that he had just joined. He walked around the city of Lamuar, the capital of the Heavenly Empire of Laurmath. He opened up his inventory, and saw: a strange white stick, a water canteen and 10 pieces of bread. Alex looked around, eyeing each building surrounding the square. Hidden away, squashed between 2 buildings whose sizes each were twice, if not more, it’s size, was a training center. Each of the buildings next to it were training centers, but to Alex, it stood out, or perhaps, because it didn’t stand out, that he saw it. He headed over to the ramshackle building that seemed like it was crumbling on top of itself. He walked to the front door and pushed the door open, the area where his hand touched had disintegrated to dust, then a loud screeching noise rang out, and the door cracked and was hanging on an edge. He called out, “ Is anyone here?” From the depths of the dojo, an old man came out. The old man looked him over and told him, “Young one who has just been sent to our holy empire, do you really want to train here?” Alex looked around at his surroundings, it was a place full of rotten wood, and there were rats scurrying from one place to another. He looked back at the old man and decided, “Yes, I would like to train here.” “Then get out.” Before Alex could react, the old man jumped into the air and used both of his feet to kick Alex through the doorway. Alex flew out of the dojo and landed meters away from the front entrance. He was knocked out cold, lying on the street. The old man looked him over and walked back into the dojo, soon after, scavengers came after him and stole everything he had, except the white stick. Soldiers came later, but by then, it was too late. Alex, who didn’t have much previously, now had nothing. They then took his unconscious body and dragged it to the prison. Alex woke up on a cold, hard. stone floor. He shook his head and sat up. He analysed his surroundings and guessed that he was in a dungeon. He thought to himself: Well this is great, first couple of hours in and now i’m in jail. He got off the floor and brushed himself off. His prison cell was round and had 4 beds. At first sight, it was empty, but then a guard came by, “Hey, newbie, you might not want to drop the soap”. Frightened, he looked around again, and stepping out of the shadows,were some men who looked like they could eat a dragon for breakfast. “Let’s all be nice to each other…” His voice was shaky as they advanced upon him. Before they could get to him, he quickly logged out of PGO. “Well, that was horrifying,” he exited his capsule and looked at the time. It was 10pm. “Might as well go to sleep.” The next day, he woke up and was still scared about what had happened in PGO. Alex went downstairs and made breakfast. In an idle moment, a drop of hot oil hit him, and jolted him out from reliving that experience. His twin sister came down the stairs, and Alex served breakfast for the both of them. His sister Elaine asked him, “So how was your first time playing PGO?” “I don’t want to talk about it.” “So what happened?” He kept on rejecting her, but she persisted, and eventually got through. “I met an old man who knocked me unconscious. I woke up in a jail cell and was almost raped by some big hairy men.” After he told his story, his sister burst out laughing. “Hey, what’s so funny?” His sister was still laughing uncontrollably, and fell to the ground in hysterics. She opened her mouth “I can’t believe--” but quickly broke into a fit of giggles again. Later that day, at school, his sister had told everyone what he told her, and during lunch, he hid himself on the roof to eat. Elaine spent the day humiliating her brother Alex, by the time they got home, he was so embarrassed, that he was borderline suicidal. Alex went back into PGO again, and saw that he was back at square one, or even behind that, since he no longer had any food or water, and was left with a stick that he didn’t even know what it could do. As he sat down in desperation, the old man approached him. He towered over Alex and kicked him up. “AHHHHH what was that for!?” “Now you can only depend on me, follow me, and I will start to train you.” Alex reluctantly got up and followed him back into the dojo, he noticed on the way, that the dojo had become sturdier than before. He was led to the underground level of the dojo, and was introduced to a hall with metal walls. Doors appeared periodically along its walls, and extended far beyond what his eyes could see. They walked for what seemed to be hours, and finally, Alex’s patience wore thin. He broke the silence and asked, “Where are we going?” But the old man did not respond, instead, he stopped,turned to the left, and opened a door. Inside was a normal training center, that was completely different from what was above ground. On one side of the room were targets placed at different heights, and in the center of the room, there was a ring, with people fighting inside. Each punch would release a flash of light that burned its surroundings, Alex could feel the heat just from standing there. Where you would normally find weapons in a regular dojo, was a wall full of short sticks of varying colours. “Here, the other apprentices train, but you are new, so you will train with me.” Alex was taken to an empty room and told to stay at his position, as the old man stood opposite of him. “Come and hit me.” Alex got ready to fight, and dashed towards the old man. He jabbed his fist at the old man’s abdomen. As soon as he hit the old man, his fist flew through, and he saw the old man meters away from where he had hit. What the?! I swear he was right there This clash continued for awhile, every time Alex got near him and swung at the old man, the old man disappeared, but eventually, he saw what the old man was doing. So he’s using magic to confuse my sight huh. From the old man’s point of view, Alex was walking around in circles swinging randomly. He chuckled under his breath,“This is always fun.” Alex closed his eyes and started to walk towards where he thought the old man was. He swung, and opened his eyes again. He felt resistance at his knuckles, but the old man had jumped back. [New Stat: Insight] [You can see what others cannot and can discern the truth from lies] [Forbidden to distribute stat points to this stat] “Cool, I gained a new stat.” “It appears that your insight has improved. However, you will pass this training once you can see through my illusion. NO EYE CLOSING.” Then the training began again. Alex would continuously try to hit the old man, and each time he got close, his insight improved. This process repeated for a while, and eventually, Alex was able to get past the weak illusion set by the old man. About halfway through the training, the old man made Alex stop. “We’ll continue this later. Don’t you have something else to do?” Alex looked at the real world clock that was in his HUD. “Crap, it’s already this late.” ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- As he got out of the capsule, he found his sister standing there, with her hands on her hips. Ohh crap.. I’m in serious trouble. She opened her mouth, and started to berate him for nearly missing dinner. Alex quickly went to the dinner table, and saw what awaited him. A single bowl of plain rice and some broccoli. Shocked, he asked his sister what he had done to deserve this. “What the hell is this?” “Your punishment for leaving me to eat all alone.” Alex could not help but accept this cruel fate, and cried as he ate. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Back in PGO, Alex met with the Instructor again. “Finally back, are you?” “Yes.” “Let’s begin again. However this time, I want you to see if you can find the real me among a large number of copies.” The old man took a step to the side and disappeared . “Woah.” Immediately, multiple copies of him started to appear, surrounding Alex by forming a ring around him. Alex took a deep breath, and carefully looked each of them over, he found some peculiarities with all of them but one. He took something from his pockets, a rock, and threw it at the suspicious one. The illusions quickly disappeared when the rock hit him. “You passed, but I didn’t expect you to have a rock on you.” “Revenge for kicking me onto the street.” “Fair enough. Now we will begin the next phase of your training.”

<div class="chapter-inner chapter-content"> Winter badly wanted to get drunk, but he did not really want to, at the same time. He somehow felt it was appropriate to try getting drunk in the virtual world, as his problem was in this side of the world. If one day he ever had the same problem in real world, he would get massively drunk there, too.<br><br>Sella’s restaurant was not open for dinner yet. It was late afternoon, however. In real life, the workers and chefs inside would probably begin preparing for the dinner crowd. Counting upon this, Winter tried the backdoor, that led to the kitchen area. It was unlocked as he thought.<br><br>“You! Don’t go too fast! The food also need to look good and appetizing! You are ruining the shape. And you! Quit smirking! You yourself are guilty from undercooking your meal! Never think I did not notice! Oh, hi, Winter. You are early.”<br><br>“Hi, Sella. As busy as usual, I see.”<br><br>This was the second time for the past week Winter went past the kitchen area. The previous time, it was to get to the back alley for his fool of a duel.<br><br>“I expect a lot of customers today. By the way, someone is looking for you.”<br><br>Sella whispered in a mix between conspiratorial and gossipy. She even lowered her voice and tilted her head a little, with one of her hand cupped in a whispering manner. Winter raised his eyebrows in question.<br><br>“It is an elven Magician, very beautiful. I have no idea you are that well-travelled, Winter.”<br><br>“Who?”<br><br>Winter did not recall ever knowing an elven magician. Beautiful, he expected it from elven races.<br><br>“Oh, dear. I forgot to ask for her name,” said Sella, smacking her own head.<br><br>“She is still seated inside. Good luck.”<br><br>Sella moved on to commandeer and terrorise her chefs, while occasionally tasting a few dishes here and there. How her ungainly bulk moved so quickly was another mystery for Winter. He was not in the mood to meet anyone, but since he had to pass through the dining room to climb the stairs up, he might as well see who it was.<br><br><div style="text-align: center;">xXx</div><br><br>Aloine was getting impatient. She had sat silent for hours. This was the first time for her to wait for a man to show up. Every time before this, it was the other way round. She was about to quit for the day when a face she vaguely recalled walked from the server’s door. She did not remember how he looked like, only the snow white hair and black leather gear he wore. He was also taller than her. Aloine remembered that much. She prepared her best smile and stood up, greeting the man that soon would be hers.<br><br><div style="text-align: center;">xXx</div><br><br>“Took you long enough to show up,” muttered Aloine to herself.<br><br><br>Winter already saw the elven girl the moment he walked through the kitchen door. She was hard to miss. Aside from what he would under normal circumstances describe as ‘sophisticatedly hot’, she was the only clearly non-NPC that was there.<br><br>“I am sorry. I do not recall ever knowing you.”<br><br>Winter was as brash as possible today, as his mood was terrible. He furrowed his brow to try recalling if he had ever seen the elven Magician before. He had a good memory when it comes to ladies ,and he did indeed recall it now.<br><br>“Ah. Yes. Odette’s friend, right? I am sorry. I do not think we have ever been introduced to each other.”<br><br>“I am Aloine. Nice to meet you.”<br><br>“Nice to meet you, Aloine. What do you need from me?”<br><br>“I wish to take you out for a date.”<br><br>“No thank you.”<br><br>*Silence*<br><br>“I am sorry, I did not hear you right, can you say that again?”<br><br>“No, thank you, Aloine.”<br><br>*Silence*<br><br>Aloine’s perfect smile was twitching a little. Winter, with his head in a daze, did not notice it when he usually would.<br><br>“How about a dinner? Or a drink?”<br><br>“Not today, thank you. Now if you would excuse me.. I have a barrel to finish.”<br><br>Winter turned around and began ascending the stairs.<br><br>“Wait! This is not right! You are supposed to be happy I am even asking you out!”<br><br>Winter hated a screeching girl. He had no idea who this Aloine was in real life, but she was still granted a minimum amount of courtesy, as she was Julianne’s friend. It was quickly wearing thin.<br><br>“And why do you think I should be happy?”<br><br>“I am beautiful and I am asking you out, isn’t that enough?”<br><br>“I know better beauties than you. And your personality stinks.”<br><br>Aloine was shaking in anger now. She was directly insulted!<br><br>“It must be the NPC isn’t it? It is pointless to spend time with her. As much as she is beautiful, she is only an NPC in the end.”<br><br>Winter’s temper exploded in an instant. Aloine had unexpectedly touched a sore subject. He unexpectedly activated &lt;&lt;Reflex&gt;&gt; without speaking. It made him suddenly stand in front of Aloine, who was unprepared, and squeaked in an undignified show of surprise.<br><br>“Well, tough! That girl you called NPC knows more about the matters of heart than you are. You are a dung compared to her! She is infinitely more beautiful than you! Your heart is rotten! I bet nobody ever told you that, isn’t that right?”<br><br>With every sentence, Aloine was cringing. She always relied on her beauty and subtle persuasions to control men and obtain what she wanted. This was the first time for her to truly try her feminine wiles against a grown man, and she found herself lacking. She, the self-professed Princess, for the very first time, felt her unshakable confidence shaken and cracking.<br><br>“Then hear me now. For you are NOT, a girl that I want to spend even a single second to be with. YOU are SHALLOW! YOU are ARROGANT! You are CONCEITED!”<br><br>Aloine fled through the door of the restaurant. If Royal Road allowed the tear function for players, she would be crying now. Inside the capsule, tears leaked from her closed eyes.<br><br>“HEY! I am not finished! Get back here! I have more to say!”<br><br>Aloine tried to close her ears with both her hands, but was unable to stop hearing the echoes of what the mature man said. <br><br><div style="text-align: center;">xXx</div><br><br>Winter was heaving his virtual chest. He knew he probably should not have done that. No, definitely should not. He would probably be hearing from Julianne soon about this. And if Celine were ever to find out, he would receive an earful. Still, he could not be bothered by hurting ab adolescent girl’s feelings at the moment. Actually, he should be, as his matter involved another adolescent girl’s feelings, albeit a virtual one. Everything was confusing for Winter at that moment.<br><br><span style="font-style: italic;">’Serves her right for showing up and spouting garbage at the wrong time! Now I really want that drink!’</span><br><br>Winter asked for the strongest cheap liquor from the usual stiff-faced bartender. He did not intend to squander Sella’s best stock for a customer that would never have to pay. His previous extravagance was more than enough for Sella to pay back his favor, as far as Winter was concerned. <br><br>He downed glass after glass. His vision slowly began to blur. He chuckled at himself as unexpectedly, he was able to get drunk in-game.<br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td>You are smashed!<br>Your excessive drinking has lowered your status!<br>Movement speed reduced by 75%<br>All physical status reduced by 50%<br>Physical Attack and Magic Attack is set at 5<br>Your defense is lowered to 0<br>You are seeing distortions in everything<br>All enemies looks less scary. Level lowered by 5.<br>Effect shall persist for two hours</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br>“Drinking alone again for the night?”<br><br>A voice Winter vaguely recognised sat beside his swaying avatar.<br><br>“Leave me alone. I want to at least get drunk alone tonight. How hard is that?”<br><br>“She really did a number on you huh...”<br><br>Zaya and Winter were not on the same page here. Zaya was assuming Winter’s drunkenness was the work of the vicious elven caster she saw earlier.<br><br>“No. I did this myself, so to speak. Now go. Shoo.”<br><br>Sighing at the sorry sight, Zaya moved away. Maybe she was mistaken about the man there. She quickly spotted Sella and began her work.<br><br><div style="text-align: center;">xXx</div><br><br>At some point, Winter’s head ached too much. He chose to log out. His headache was instantly gone. Almost. Some residual effect still impaired his steps the first minute, then it was fine. He was supposed to be thinking about how to resolve Adria’s infatuation with him, not drinking himself silly. He thought he had struck upon a solution, possibly. <br><br>Winter brewed his favorite coffee ,that on that night, somehow tasted foul. The bitter flavor tasted of guilt. Waiting for the hour to pass, so he could get back in without the headache.<br><br><br>Meanwhile, Adria, who was finally hungry enough, cooked herself some food. Out of habit, she served three portions instead of two. The empty seat reminded her again that she was supposed to be in anguish, yet she felt empty at that moment. Her father was clearly jittery, not speaking a word, consuming his late dinner silently.<br><br>“You look like a mess, Adria, let me help you clean up.”<br><br>That was the first sentence she heard from him that night. She immediately broke down crying again. Minalan hugged her, bracing himself against his daughter’s tears.<br><br>“It is okay, Adria. It hurts now, but you will feel better.”<br><br>“How do you know, Father. How could you know!”<br><br>“I once loved too, Adria, a beautiful woman with jet black hair like yours and eyes as green as yours. Theladria was her name.”<br><br>Adria’s sobbing was silent against Minalan’s shoulder. Minalan continued his tale, now that he had begun.<br><br>“She was as radiant as the sun to me, as I the moon that lights her way in the dark. Every touch, every kiss, every moment our eyes met, we felt blessed by the world.”<br><br>“And then she died.....”<br><br>“Yes... and then she was gone....”<br><br>This was the first time Minalan had ever told the story he held closely in his heart. His Theladria was not yet gone, but her very existence made him feel as blessed as he was suffering, daily, for his love for her will never be the same again, lost forever. Minalan sobbed against his daughter’s shoulder this time. Their late dinner was forgotten.<br><br><div style="text-align: center;">xXx</div><br><br>Zaya, who had given up on her golden ticket,which seemed to be a dud, was exiting out of the bar she was checking out for possible merchandise. She saw Herbert walking in her direction.<br><br><span style="font-style: italic;">’Uh, oh.’</span><br><br>Zaya figured that if Herbert was back, Campbell would be too. She was right. Campbell, was in tow behind him. They were walking quickly, approaching Zaya, who was undecided whether to dive in or log out quickly. She worried for nothing, though.<br><br>Herbert passed her without even giving her a second glance, while Campbell was treating her like a pebble on the roadside. Zaya was not sure whether she should be insulted or relieved. In the end she sighed. She chose to be relieved, to not be Campbell’s object of misguided affection anymore.<br><br><br>Campbell was finally able to log back in. He discovered that his sword was missing. It did not overly concern him as he had spares in stock. Spawning at the spot where he died, he contacted Herbert immediately. They were to roam around the city first seeking the Magician again for a rematch. For Campbell, he had never lost and never would. It was only delayed victory, and he would win this time. But, first, he had to be thorough in his search, to be sure the next time they dueled, there was no chance of more delays in his victory.<br><br>“Herbert, find out everything you can about this Magician.”<br><br>He thought he saw someone he recognised for a second standing in front of a building. He dismissed it immediately as he had to begin organising a manhunt.<br><br>“You know how he looks like. Spread the word to everyone. Anyone who can give me any useful information about him will receive a 1000 gold reward.”<br><br>Herbert did not reply, but quickly began typing something in his menu, while both of them walked around the central district of the city.<br><br>“Campbell, what do I put for his name? I do not know it.”<br><br>Campbell would never be able to forget the name of the player that had humiliated him. He replied quickly.<br><br>“Winter. That is his name.”<br><br>He was walking past an alley when a feminine voice called after him.<br><br>“Did you say.... Winter?”<br><br>Campbell stopped in his tracks. He liked the sound of that voice. It gave him a beautiful image of a thorny rose in full bloom. He also heard the dripping malice. Maybe he had found an unexpected ally.<br><br><div style="text-align: center;">xXx</div><br><br>Winter’s strides were hesitant shuffles. It was near dawn in Royal Road when he judged enough time had passed for the measure of four hours in-game. Sella’s waiters were stacking up the chairs and cleaning the floor and tables. Saying his thanks to the bartender,who somehow still remain in the last spot Winter recalled, he left the restaurant.<br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td><span style="font-weight: bold;">Asric’s Cursed Bracer</span> is at 100000/100000 <br>Unequipping</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br>The system message popped suddenly. Winter felt the familiar weight of the bracer disappear from his right wrist. He checked his equipment page and saw that the bracer was not there. He checked in his inventory and found it. The details said 100000/100000 when he clicked it. His time as a cursed mage was over, yet he felt no elation at all.<br><br>Sighing, Winter proceeded to continue walking down the road that led to the Magic District. He had walked the path so often, that he needed no landmarks to navigate the maze. It was enough for him to go by feel.<br><br>“Do you remember me, old man?”<br><br>Winter turned around slowly, expecting Campbell. He was the only one he recalled recently that ever called him ‘old man’. The sound’s pitch was not right, however. He still recognised the avatar that probably has been following him for a bit. It was the tall, rude, long-haired warrior who had been impolite to him after he was through exploring the cave system. He remembered the young man well, since he was especially rude. But he ranked him at third now, after Campbell and Aloine. It struck him that he had no idea what this player’s name was.<br><br>“I am not sure I do. Who are you?”<br><br>Winter was not interested in being reacquainted with this player, and chose to pretend.<br><br>“My name is Jackal, I believe we met before, once. You blew up a cart of fish.”<br><br><span style="font-style: italic;">’What is with everyone out to inconvenience him tonight! First it was Aloine, then Zaya, and then this Jackal character. But I have to give it to him. He got straight to the point.’</span><br><br>“I think you are mistaking me with someone else.”<br><br>“Am I?”<br><br>“Yes, I am sure. I have to go now.”<br><br>“Not so fast! I still think you are the one that did it.”<br><br>“And... why do you think so?”<br><br>“Well.....”<br><br>Jackal was not the sharpest tool in the shed. He was always at disadvantage when it came to averbal argument. His best method of communication was through bashing heads.<br><br>“This is troublesome. Just fight me.”<br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td><span style="font-weight: bold;">Jackal</span> requested a duel with you<br>Rule: Last Hit<br>Do you accept? Yes/No</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br>Winter rejected the request without hesitation. He was through with duels for the longest time. The player was persistent, however, as he kept sending it, and Winter kept rejecting it.<br><br>“What is this? You are refusing a duel?”<br><br>“I am. What is wrong with it?”<br><br>“Well.....”<br><br>Jackal was again tongue-tied. He had planned to beat this swordsman, ascertain the truth through it, and then proceed accordingly. His plan was instantly ruined when his duel requests were rejected. <br><br>“Look. You are looking for the wrong person. I am a proper swordsman. Here. Have a look.”<br><br>Winter showed him Campbell’s sword, that he kept in his inventory. Whenever he was about to meet Adria, he always unequipped his weapon. Though he knew it was not necessary, Winter thought he should be as good an influence as possible to Adria. This included not strapping weapon around her. This little nugget of wisdom allowed Winter to trick Jackal. <br><br>Jackal,who had experience and a good eye, recognised a good sword. It was higher-leveled than his, too. He nodded and made a quick conclusion in his head, that he was indeed about to duel with the wrong person. Probably stronger than him, too, despite his soft look. Jackal’s thought process was that of a bully. He submitted to someone stronger than him.<br><br>“My apologies. I am indeed mistaken. Have a good night.”<br><br>Winter nodded and quickly passed Jackal. The large warrior was thinking something was missing, something he was supposed to instantly grasp. After about ten seconds, he shrugged and moved on. Hard thinking never suited him. He had several questions he needed to ask his source. Jackal would bash his head for good measure, too.<br><br><br>“That was close.... I cannot believe I am so careless.”<br><br>Winter was usually a better liar than that. But tonight, he was a mess in every sense. He could not believe the brutal-looking young warrior did not realise he had dropped the ball. Thank whoever above for thick-headed men with muscles for brains!<br><br><span style="font-style: italic;">’I cannot believe I mentioned first that he was looking for a mage when I was supposed to never have seen him in the first place!’</span><br><br>It was a large hole in his argument of ‘I don’t know you’. He had no idea whether he would ever meet the player again. He hoped not. <br><br>Winter had a little more experience now compared to before. He had seen a lot of players with differing skills. He would put Campbell’s goon to be stronger than the master, judging from the silent, unimpressed look he gave after the deathmatch duel. This Jackal had lesser quality items than Campbell, but had the look of confidence that did not seem to be false or a worked image like the egomaniac he dueled before. That made his winning chances slim, and dropped to none, now that he was not receiving any further benefits from the bracer. <br><br>It hit Winter then, how sinister the bracer’s curse was. It made him rely on its help after putting him in jeopardy, like a bent over man who was used to carrying a heavy weight that was increased temporarily, and that eventually coped with the increased load, but then received great help. The man would rely on the help until it was suddenly gone, and he then became unable to carry the weight anymore.<br>Winter had relied on his reflex spell and Vermillion AOE the most so far, which was ideal if he was continuously fighting large quantity of mobs or had to dodge attacks (or in a lot of his early cases, attacking). Since his curse was lifted, he should be able to party properly now. Except his proficiency in other spells was low. Aside from Vermillion and Reflex at level 3, everything else was at Beginner Level 1. He assumed that normal players of his level had to at least have average Beginner Level 5 proficiency in every single spell, at the very least. His reduced mana was included as a deterrent to cast spells often.<br><br>He was thinking on how to fix this major problem, when his feet stopped on their own. He had reached Minalan’s shop. <br><br><div style="text-align: center;">xXx</div><br><br>The dawn was not far. Winter usually loathed disturbing someone around this time, but this could not wait. Also, the window was not shuttered. Winter could see the light from candles dancing from through the clear glass.<br><br>Hesitating, Winter knocked on the door. After waiting for a little bit, the door cracked open. He was greeted by Minalan, who seemed to have cried his share of tears too. Without words, Minalan spread the entrance open, letting Winter in.<br><br>“She is in her room now. Go.”<br><br>Winter nodded. He moved to Adria’s room,which he had never entered before. As far as he could recall, his boundary stopped at the dining table, kitchen and the shop. He never entered Minalan’s room,come to think of it.<br><br>*Knock* *Knock*<br><br>There was no reply. No permission or rejection. Winter tried the door handle lightly. It turned. Opening it slowly, he saw Adria silhouetted against the moonlight that fell from the heavens, shining through the open window.<br><br>“I am sorry, Winter. I did not hear you knock. Please, come in.”<br><br>Adria had her long hair spread around the bed, that was of her size. Winter half expected the room to still contain children-sized items. All the furnitures were for an adult. There were no chairs to sit on, so Winter sat on the bed. He chose a neutral distance.Not too far, not too close. It put them close enough together for him to be able to see the tear tracks and puffy eyes.<br><br>Turning her whole body back to the room, Winter saw she was clutching something. It was a bag of candy he had bought for her.<br><br><span style="font-style: italic;">’It began that long ago?’</span><br><br>Her knees were tucked under her long dress, further buried under her robe.<br><br>“I am hurting, Winter.... But I still love you. Can you not think about this?”<br><br>“Please?”<br><br>A shed tear flowed down her left eye. The thought of Adria begging for something like this sent Winter over the edge. He grasped Adria’s shoulder and hugged her tightly.<br><br>“I am sorry, Adria. I cannot do it. I am unable to love anyone. I can share affections, but not love.”<br><br>“But why? Please tell me....”<br><br>Winter did not answer. In the end, Winter chose unshakable logic. It was what he thought would work best on NPC. He adjusted his words to bypass the system filter.<br><br>“What do you think an Outlander does when they are asleep, Adria?”<br><br>Winter whispered on her ear. He used the definition NPCs designated for players. Adria’s hands were clutching the bag of candy still.<br><br>“They sleep?”<br><br>“Yes. But for days here.”<br><br>“Yes. I know. The world where Outlanders live in runs four times slower than Versailles.”<br><br>“We, have a second life. Out there, while we are not here, we have another life. A life like here.”<br><br>“Does it matter?”<br><br>“What if one day I have to be away for a long time from here? A month. A year? I may never get sick in Versailles, but I will tell you I can in Outland.”<br><br>“But... can you not ask Freya to make you better?”<br><br>“Freya’s power does not reach Outland, Adria. We Outlanders are godless.”<br><br>“But how do you come to be here?”<br><br>Winter formulated his answer carefully.<br><br>“We dream, Adria, we dream.”<br><br>“So... I am just a dream?”<br><br>“What? No! You are not!”<br><br>“Our dream here is as real to us out there. That is a fact.”<br><br>Winter released his embrace and stared straight at Adria’s green eyes. They were a little misty.<br><br>“I do not get it, Winter... You can just stay here forever then.”<br><br>“Does my body age?”<br><br>“That’s....”<br><br>“Do you think I will age, Adria? Do Outlanders even age? I sleep once every two or three days, and disappear for at last the whole day and night. I do not feel myself getting old or slow despite my current looks.”<br><br>“I..... I do not know....”<br><br>Adria finally breathed out her answer. This was as unfamiliar a territory to her as it was for Winter.<br><br>“Then this is a love not to be, Adria. I do not fully understand love, but I am old enough to know, that it has to be between two equals. We are not even of the same world - no - the same time.”<br><br>“But, I am younger than you, Winter. Much younger.”<br><br>“What if I never age?”<br><br>“......”<br><br>Adria let go of her bag of candy and hugged Winter back. She squeezed him as tight as she could. Winter squeezed her back too. He had no idea how long they were clutching each other that way, but she finally relaxed her grip.<br><br>“Winter....” She whispered in his ear. <br><br>It was a voice that Winter would want to remember, always. One full of love and sorrow.<br><br>“Winter.... I thank you for replying to my feeling. Thank you.”<br><br>Adria slowly slid her lips to Winter and kissed him. Winter kissed her as best as he could, in his last act of affection, the least he could do. In a moment, her whole body was slack. Alarmed, Winter parted from her and checked her over. Her whole body was relaxed. <br><br>“Minalan! Get in here!”<br><br>*Bang*<br><br>Minalan must have been standing very close to the door, judging by how quick he rushed in.<br><br>“What? Did something happen?”<br><br>“She..... she is..... asleep?”<br><br>Winter, who was through with his panic, did a quick assessment. Adria’s breathing was regular, relaxed. If Winter had to guess, that was how a human being would appear to be when they are sleep.<br><br>“What is happening here, Minalan?”<br><br>“I have no idea, Winter. I have no idea.”<br><br><div style="text-align: center;">xXx</div><br><br>Winter was on his vigil again that night. The sixth in a row. Minalan was sleeping in his room. It had been close to two weeks since Adria went into a coma. She did not eat or drink, and still appeared as fresh as she was. Minalan told him not to worry, as the goddess’s blessing would not allow them to die from starvation or dehydration. <br><br>Minalan was not worried. He was resigned. Winter was..... he was concocting one theory after another, but all his theories were based on human conditions. He had run through the list of what he could think of, and came up with the most probable cause, though it sounded ridiculous, something out of a teenage romance novel he despised. A sleep trance from a withdrawn state of mind, due to great psychological shock experienced. <br><br>He had been awake for over one and a half days in real life.Winter could have gone on for more. The human body can take much more, yet combined with his emotional state, the mental fatigue, which was more important in Royal Road than the physical one was hurting him. He found himself nodding off continuously. Tucking in his sewing set back into his inventory, Winter shook out his unfinished product. This would be his best work to date, a pure white cape made from the fur of wolves. The stitch work was immaculate, you could barely find it if you did not look carefully. He had chosen a white-colored thread for it.<br><br>It was surprising that sewing calmed his mind the most. He spent the whole time waiting for Adria to wake up, sewing. He made cloaks, gloves, shirts, anything he could think of. He had time to burn, and planned to burn more. Winter would wait here until Adria woke up, even if it took him years.<br><br>A firm hand fell upon his shoulder. He was probably asleep. Starting, he looked up to Minalan, who was beckoning for him to get out of the room. Standing up from the dinner chair he had placed inside Adria’s room, Winter exited the room. Minalan closed the door gently.<br><br>“Go and sleep, Winter. I can see you are exhausted.”<br><br>“No... I can go on.”<br><br>“You know you cannot. Not for much longer, anyway. I will be here when you are back.”<br><br>Winter knew that he eventually would fall asleep. He wondered what would happen to him if he fell asleep while playing in this virtual world. Not over thinking it too much, Winter nodded to Minalan. He chose a spot at a corner of the dining room and logged out.<br><br><br>Sighing, Ronald Hanover walked to his room and plopped belly down on his bed. In seconds, he was asleep.<br><br><div style="text-align: center;">xXx</div><br><br>Winter logged back in after a sixteen hour sleep. He was more tired than he thought. He planned to apologise to Minalan for being away for so long, when he heard a familiar voice, but not the one he expected to hear again.<br><br>“Uncle Winter! You are back!”<br><br>“A.... Adria?”<br><br>“Ah, Winter. Welcome back.”<br><br>Winter was shooting glances to Minalan, which said ‘What is going on?’. Minalan did not give any answering gaze. He only shook his head.<br><br>*Hug*<br><br>“Whoa there!”<br><br>It was the same tackle hug the ten years old Adria gave. Winter disengaged and knelt to check on her. Her bright green eyes looked as mischievous as he recalled. She was grinning, as if she knew a joke he did not.<br><br>“So, Uncle Winter. How was the adventure?”<br><br>“Huh? Adventure?”<br><br>“Yes. Adventure. Father told me that you dropped by to tell me you were about to go on an adventure, but I fell sick.”<br><br>It struck Winter like a bolt of lightning. <br><br><span style="font-style: italic;">’This.... this cannot be! How can this be!’</span><br><br>Adria’s time had regressed to the point where she fell sick, at the least. If it went any further, Winter had no clue. It was a solution for his dilemma, but he did not want this sort of solution at all. <br><br>Winter hugged the now tiny Adria tightly.<br><br>“Uncle Winter... why are you sad?”<br><br>Winter thought the real world was cruel. He never expected the virtual world to have an even more cruel side than the real world.<br><br>“You see, Adria. Uncle Winter here missed you so much. I will tell you all about my adventure.”<br><br>Winter told her the story of how he spent his time in the Forest of Lasem, killing monsters, getting chased up the tree and raining fire and death down the monsters. He also told her of his time spent looking up his friend in Harine, his trip to Ranbell Castle and the siege that ended in victory. He told it all as if Adria was never with him, and he was participating in the siege. Daniel told Ronald enough about the siege after, for Winter to tell a good story for a ten year old.<br><br>Adria was her usual sweet, delightful self. She clapped and laughed at every juncture of the story. Minalan laughed too, but Winter knew he was hurting as much as him inside. It was time for Winter to leave town. For good.<br><br><br>“Uncle Winter, can’t you any stay longer? Please?”<br><br>Adria was looking up from her position of being attached to Winter’s hip. He told Adria stories until her usual sleeping time, then talked to Minalan about his plan to leave town in the morning. He received no objection at all from the NPC he regarded as a friend.<br><br>Winter was tempted to say ‘Yes’, but this only made his resolve stronger. Steeling himself, Winter smiled.<br><br>“If I stay longer, Adria, I will be a boring old uncle. I have no more stories to tell. You have heard them all. So, to tell more stories, Uncle Winter here, has to go on more adventures.”<br><br>Adria thought about it for a second and nodded.<br><br>“Will you defeat a dragon later?”<br><br>“Maybe. I don’t know... a dragon is plenty strong.”<br><br>“But, you are stronger right, Uncle Winter?”<br><br>“That, I do.”<br><br>Winter roared and chased Adria around for a minute. She squealed when he caught her, spinning her around and tossing her up in the air. He let her go after she was breathless.<br><br>“How about giants, Uncle Winter?”<br><br>“Ha! Giants are no match for me!”<br><br>Minalan,who had been silent the whole time, nodded to Winter. As if sensing it was time for Winter to depart, Adria hugged him again.<br><br>“Uncle Winter... will you please write to me?”<br><br>Winter had no idea whether he could. He has no such plan. Still, he lied.<br><br>“Of course. I will write all my adventures for you, Adria. Do look forward to it.”<br><br>“Really?”<br><br>“Really. Really.”<br><br>Winter tousled the long dark hair that he knew would glow longer with greater lustre half a decade later. It would make her strikingly beautiful, along with the green eyes.<br><br>“Here. This is a present before I go.”<br><br>Minalan shook his head strongly behind Adria, but Winter could care less. He somehow found it appropriate that he gifted this present to Adria for their parting.<br><br>Quickly manipulating his inventory, Winter materialised the product he had finished before dawn. It did not take much work, since it was already half done.<br><br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td><span style="font-weight: bold;">Snow White Cape</span> <span style="font-style: italic;">(Durability 70/70)</span><br><br>A short cape sewn with a lot of care and attention. The white stitchings were straight and meticulously perfect, blending in with the white fur that were patched together from small pieces cut from rabbits, foxes and wolved, thinly layered on top of one another to make it plenty thick. A lot of work went into this item, despite having no ability to stop swords, arrows or magic. A perfect example of a masterful work, despite the low talent of its creator. <br><br>Effect: <br>Perfect temperature moderation in any condition<br>Easily cleaned<br>Repairs perfectly regardless of skill level</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br>Winter was surprised that this creation of his had so much durability and yielded 27% expertise rating when he finished it.<br><br>“Wow! Uncle Winter! It is beautiful!”<br><br>Winter draped it over Adria’s shoulder. It nearly touched the ground. She twisted left and right, admiring the work. She twirled a few times too.<br><br>“It is cool in here. Thank you!”<br><br>“You’re welcome, sweetie. Now, Uncle Winter really has to go, or else the monsters will escape!”<br><br>Reluctantly, Adria parted from her hug. Minalan chose that time to step forward and hug him. He whispered something.<br><br>“This is my parting gift to you, old friend, so you will not be coming back forever, if it is possible. The answer you seek is in Arcanum.”<br><br>They slapped each other’s back and parted with a smile that both did not feel at all. Adria jumped up for another hug. Winter obliged her, before tousling her hair once more and nodded to Minalan. As much as he wanted this long goodbye to last forever, it had to end somewhere.<br><br>“Goodbye, Uncle Winter! Come back soon!”<br><br>Steps heavy, Winter walked steadily out of the Magic District without looking back, imagining the black-haired, green-eyed girl, now with pure white cape on her back, waving both her hands. If he turned, he would have seen the eyes of Adria that suddenly leaked water, without her realising why.<br><br><br>Winter hoped that with enough time, the memory of him would become that of an adventurer who was kind to a little girl, but never came back, like all adventurers eventually would. At least, that was what he expected for a human. He thought he saw a ghost of a tear when he tousled Adria’s hair. Winter refused to think about it. The possibilities were too frightening to even think about.<br><br><div style="text-align: center;">xXx</div><br><br>“Are you okay, Adria? Are you hurt?”<br><br>“I don’t know, Father. It felt like I forgot something important.”<br><br>Adria’s tears leaked out all of a sudden. She had no idea why. She was not sobbing, yet the tears leaked out still.<br><br>“Go and rest now in your room. No lessons for you today.”<br><br>“Really? Yay!”<br><br>“Go, before I change my mind.”<br><br>“Okay! I am gone!”<br><br>Adria quickly slammed the door to her room close and climbed into her bed. She wished to grow up soon and go adventuring. Her bed felt a little too short, even though it was more than enough for her to stretch her whole body. The room felt a little too big, and the furnitures too small.<br><br>She began admiring the snow white cape. The texture, the thickness, the warmth. Adria hugged it against her face, enjoying the scent. It smelled like what she thought was fresh snow, though she had never seen a snowfall before since they lived in Central Continent.<br><br>“This is weird. I do not remember this being in my room.”<br><br>Adria was looking at a small cream-colored cloth bag tied closed with a red ribbon. When she opened it, she discovered it was filled with candies.<br><br>“A present from Father?”<br><br>Not giving it much thought, Adria ate the candies in the bag. Somehow to her tongue, the sweet candies had a hint of a bitter taste in between the sweetness, yet she could not stop eating it.<br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td colspan="2"><a href="http://www.royalroadl.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=99&amp;t=998" target="_blank">&lt;&lt;&lt;&lt;&lt; Previous Chapter</a></td><td colspan="2"><a href="http://www.royalroadl.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=99&amp;t=1050" target="_blank">Next Chapter &gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;</a></td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br>=============================================================================================================================<br>Author's Note:<br><br>Thats a wrap, folks.<br><br>1. Thank you to -The Slacker- for the diligent PR<br>2. Crediting myself here! Oh. Adria and Minalan too for the masterful performance. Lets leave out Winter, shall we?<br>3. Do leave comments for anything you can think of. I appreciate reading them, even for punctuation mistake!<br>4. Enjoy, folks! </div>

Winter badly wanted to get drunk, but he did not really want to, at the same time. He somehow felt it was appropriate to try getting drunk in the virtual world, as his problem was in this side of the world. If one day he ever had the same problem in real world, he would get massively drunk there, too. Sella’s restaurant was not open for dinner yet. It was late afternoon, however. In real life, the workers and chefs inside would probably begin preparing for the dinner crowd. Counting upon this, Winter tried the backdoor, that led to the kitchen area. It was unlocked as he thought. “You! Don’t go too fast! The food also need to look good and appetizing! You are ruining the shape. And you! Quit smirking! You yourself are guilty from undercooking your meal! Never think I did not notice! Oh, hi, Winter. You are early.” “Hi, Sella. As busy as usual, I see.” This was the second time for the past week Winter went past the kitchen area. The previous time, it was to get to the back alley for his fool of a duel. “I expect a lot of customers today. By the way, someone is looking for you.” Sella whispered in a mix between conspiratorial and gossipy. She even lowered her voice and tilted her head a little, with one of her hand cupped in a whispering manner. Winter raised his eyebrows in question. “It is an elven Magician, very beautiful. I have no idea you are that well-travelled, Winter.” “Who?” Winter did not recall ever knowing an elven magician. Beautiful, he expected it from elven races. “Oh, dear. I forgot to ask for her name,” said Sella, smacking her own head. “She is still seated inside. Good luck.” Sella moved on to commandeer and terrorise her chefs, while occasionally tasting a few dishes here and there. How her ungainly bulk moved so quickly was another mystery for Winter. He was not in the mood to meet anyone, but since he had to pass through the dining room to climb the stairs up, he might as well see who it was. xXx Aloine was getting impatient. She had sat silent for hours. This was the first time for her to wait for a man to show up. Every time before this, it was the other way round. She was about to quit for the day when a face she vaguely recalled walked from the server’s door. She did not remember how he looked like, only the snow white hair and black leather gear he wore. He was also taller than her. Aloine remembered that much. She prepared her best smile and stood up, greeting the man that soon would be hers. xXx “Took you long enough to show up,” muttered Aloine to herself. Winter already saw the elven girl the moment he walked through the kitchen door. She was hard to miss. Aside from what he would under normal circumstances describe as ‘sophisticatedly hot’, she was the only clearly non-NPC that was there. “I am sorry. I do not recall ever knowing you.” Winter was as brash as possible today, as his mood was terrible. He furrowed his brow to try recalling if he had ever seen the elven Magician before. He had a good memory when it comes to ladies ,and he did indeed recall it now. “Ah. Yes. Odette’s friend, right? I am sorry. I do not think we have ever been introduced to each other.” “I am Aloine. Nice to meet you.” “Nice to meet you, Aloine. What do you need from me?” “I wish to take you out for a date.” “No thank you.” *Silence* “I am sorry, I did not hear you right, can you say that again?” “No, thank you, Aloine.” *Silence* Aloine’s perfect smile was twitching a little. Winter, with his head in a daze, did not notice it when he usually would. “How about a dinner? Or a drink?” “Not today, thank you. Now if you would excuse me.. I have a barrel to finish.” Winter turned around and began ascending the stairs. “Wait! This is not right! You are supposed to be happy I am even asking you out!” Winter hated a screeching girl. He had no idea who this Aloine was in real life, but she was still granted a minimum amount of courtesy, as she was Julianne’s friend. It was quickly wearing thin. “And why do you think I should be happy?” “I am beautiful and I am asking you out, isn’t that enough?” “I know better beauties than you. And your personality stinks.” Aloine was shaking in anger now. She was directly insulted! “It must be the NPC isn’t it? It is pointless to spend time with her. As much as she is beautiful, she is only an NPC in the end.” Winter’s temper exploded in an instant. Aloine had unexpectedly touched a sore subject. He unexpectedly activated <<Reflex>> without speaking. It made him suddenly stand in front of Aloine, who was unprepared, and squeaked in an undignified show of surprise. “Well, tough! That girl you called NPC knows more about the matters of heart than you are. You are a dung compared to her! She is infinitely more beautiful than you! Your heart is rotten! I bet nobody ever told you that, isn’t that right?” With every sentence, Aloine was cringing. She always relied on her beauty and subtle persuasions to control men and obtain what she wanted. This was the first time for her to truly try her feminine wiles against a grown man, and she found herself lacking. She, the self-professed Princess, for the very first time, felt her unshakable confidence shaken and cracking. “Then hear me now. For you are NOT, a girl that I want to spend even a single second to be with. YOU are SHALLOW! YOU are ARROGANT! You are CONCEITED!” Aloine fled through the door of the restaurant. If Royal Road allowed the tear function for players, she would be crying now. Inside the capsule, tears leaked from her closed eyes. “HEY! I am not finished! Get back here! I have more to say!” Aloine tried to close her ears with both her hands, but was unable to stop hearing the echoes of what the mature man said. xXx Winter was heaving his virtual chest. He knew he probably should not have done that. No, definitely should not. He would probably be hearing from Julianne soon about this. And if Celine were ever to find out, he would receive an earful. Still, he could not be bothered by hurting ab adolescent girl’s feelings at the moment. Actually, he should be, as his matter involved another adolescent girl’s feelings, albeit a virtual one. Everything was confusing for Winter at that moment. ’Serves her right for showing up and spouting garbage at the wrong time! Now I really want that drink!’ Winter asked for the strongest cheap liquor from the usual stiff-faced bartender. He did not intend to squander Sella’s best stock for a customer that would never have to pay. His previous extravagance was more than enough for Sella to pay back his favor, as far as Winter was concerned. He downed glass after glass. His vision slowly began to blur. He chuckled at himself as unexpectedly, he was able to get drunk in-game. | You are smashed!Your excessive drinking has lowered your status!Movement speed reduced by 75%All physical status reduced by 50%Physical Attack and Magic Attack is set at 5Your defense is lowered to 0You are seeing distortions in everythingAll enemies looks less scary. Level lowered by 5.Effect shall persist for two hours | | --- | “Drinking alone again for the night?” A voice Winter vaguely recognised sat beside his swaying avatar. “Leave me alone. I want to at least get drunk alone tonight. How hard is that?” “She really did a number on you huh...” Zaya and Winter were not on the same page here. Zaya was assuming Winter’s drunkenness was the work of the vicious elven caster she saw earlier. “No. I did this myself, so to speak. Now go. Shoo.” Sighing at the sorry sight, Zaya moved away. Maybe she was mistaken about the man there. She quickly spotted Sella and began her work. xXx At some point, Winter’s head ached too much. He chose to log out. His headache was instantly gone. Almost. Some residual effect still impaired his steps the first minute, then it was fine. He was supposed to be thinking about how to resolve Adria’s infatuation with him, not drinking himself silly. He thought he had struck upon a solution, possibly. Winter brewed his favorite coffee ,that on that night, somehow tasted foul. The bitter flavor tasted of guilt. Waiting for the hour to pass, so he could get back in without the headache. Meanwhile, Adria, who was finally hungry enough, cooked herself some food. Out of habit, she served three portions instead of two. The empty seat reminded her again that she was supposed to be in anguish, yet she felt empty at that moment. Her father was clearly jittery, not speaking a word, consuming his late dinner silently. “You look like a mess, Adria, let me help you clean up.” That was the first sentence she heard from him that night. She immediately broke down crying again. Minalan hugged her, bracing himself against his daughter’s tears. “It is okay, Adria. It hurts now, but you will feel better.” “How do you know, Father. How could you know!” “I once loved too, Adria, a beautiful woman with jet black hair like yours and eyes as green as yours. Theladria was her name.” Adria’s sobbing was silent against Minalan’s shoulder. Minalan continued his tale, now that he had begun. “She was as radiant as the sun to me, as I the moon that lights her way in the dark. Every touch, every kiss, every moment our eyes met, we felt blessed by the world.” “And then she died.....” “Yes... and then she was gone....” This was the first time Minalan had ever told the story he held closely in his heart. His Theladria was not yet gone, but her very existence made him feel as blessed as he was suffering, daily, for his love for her will never be the same again, lost forever. Minalan sobbed against his daughter’s shoulder this time. Their late dinner was forgotten. xXx Zaya, who had given up on her golden ticket,which seemed to be a dud, was exiting out of the bar she was checking out for possible merchandise. She saw Herbert walking in her direction. ’Uh, oh.’ Zaya figured that if Herbert was back, Campbell would be too. She was right. Campbell, was in tow behind him. They were walking quickly, approaching Zaya, who was undecided whether to dive in or log out quickly. She worried for nothing, though. Herbert passed her without even giving her a second glance, while Campbell was treating her like a pebble on the roadside. Zaya was not sure whether she should be insulted or relieved. In the end she sighed. She chose to be relieved, to not be Campbell’s object of misguided affection anymore. Campbell was finally able to log back in. He discovered that his sword was missing. It did not overly concern him as he had spares in stock. Spawning at the spot where he died, he contacted Herbert immediately. They were to roam around the city first seeking the Magician again for a rematch. For Campbell, he had never lost and never would. It was only delayed victory, and he would win this time. But, first, he had to be thorough in his search, to be sure the next time they dueled, there was no chance of more delays in his victory. “Herbert, find out everything you can about this Magician.” He thought he saw someone he recognised for a second standing in front of a building. He dismissed it immediately as he had to begin organising a manhunt. “You know how he looks like. Spread the word to everyone. Anyone who can give me any useful information about him will receive a 1000 gold reward.” Herbert did not reply, but quickly began typing something in his menu, while both of them walked around the central district of the city. “Campbell, what do I put for his name? I do not know it.” Campbell would never be able to forget the name of the player that had humiliated him. He replied quickly. “Winter. That is his name.” He was walking past an alley when a feminine voice called after him. “Did you say.... Winter?” Campbell stopped in his tracks. He liked the sound of that voice. It gave him a beautiful image of a thorny rose in full bloom. He also heard the dripping malice. Maybe he had found an unexpected ally. xXx Winter’s strides were hesitant shuffles. It was near dawn in Royal Road when he judged enough time had passed for the measure of four hours in-game. Sella’s waiters were stacking up the chairs and cleaning the floor and tables. Saying his thanks to the bartender,who somehow still remain in the last spot Winter recalled, he left the restaurant. | Asric’s Cursed Bracer is at 100000/100000 Unequipping | | --- | The system message popped suddenly. Winter felt the familiar weight of the bracer disappear from his right wrist. He checked his equipment page and saw that the bracer was not there. He checked in his inventory and found it. The details said 100000/100000 when he clicked it. His time as a cursed mage was over, yet he felt no elation at all. Sighing, Winter proceeded to continue walking down the road that led to the Magic District. He had walked the path so often, that he needed no landmarks to navigate the maze. It was enough for him to go by feel. “Do you remember me, old man?” Winter turned around slowly, expecting Campbell. He was the only one he recalled recently that ever called him ‘old man’. The sound’s pitch was not right, however. He still recognised the avatar that probably has been following him for a bit. It was the tall, rude, long-haired warrior who had been impolite to him after he was through exploring the cave system. He remembered the young man well, since he was especially rude. But he ranked him at third now, after Campbell and Aloine. It struck him that he had no idea what this player’s name was. “I am not sure I do. Who are you?” Winter was not interested in being reacquainted with this player, and chose to pretend. “My name is Jackal, I believe we met before, once. You blew up a cart of fish.” ’What is with everyone out to inconvenience him tonight! First it was Aloine, then Zaya, and then this Jackal character. But I have to give it to him. He got straight to the point.’ “I think you are mistaking me with someone else.” “Am I?” “Yes, I am sure. I have to go now.” “Not so fast! I still think you are the one that did it.” “And... why do you think so?” “Well.....” Jackal was not the sharpest tool in the shed. He was always at disadvantage when it came to averbal argument. His best method of communication was through bashing heads. “This is troublesome. Just fight me.” | Jackal requested a duel with youRule: Last HitDo you accept? Yes/No | | --- | Winter rejected the request without hesitation. He was through with duels for the longest time. The player was persistent, however, as he kept sending it, and Winter kept rejecting it. “What is this? You are refusing a duel?” “I am. What is wrong with it?” “Well.....” Jackal was again tongue-tied. He had planned to beat this swordsman, ascertain the truth through it, and then proceed accordingly. His plan was instantly ruined when his duel requests were rejected. “Look. You are looking for the wrong person. I am a proper swordsman. Here. Have a look.” Winter showed him Campbell’s sword, that he kept in his inventory. Whenever he was about to meet Adria, he always unequipped his weapon. Though he knew it was not necessary, Winter thought he should be as good an influence as possible to Adria. This included not strapping weapon around her. This little nugget of wisdom allowed Winter to trick Jackal. Jackal,who had experience and a good eye, recognised a good sword. It was higher-leveled than his, too. He nodded and made a quick conclusion in his head, that he was indeed about to duel with the wrong person. Probably stronger than him, too, despite his soft look. Jackal’s thought process was that of a bully. He submitted to someone stronger than him. “My apologies. I am indeed mistaken. Have a good night.” Winter nodded and quickly passed Jackal. The large warrior was thinking something was missing, something he was supposed to instantly grasp. After about ten seconds, he shrugged and moved on. Hard thinking never suited him. He had several questions he needed to ask his source. Jackal would bash his head for good measure, too. “That was close.... I cannot believe I am so careless.” Winter was usually a better liar than that. But tonight, he was a mess in every sense. He could not believe the brutal-looking young warrior did not realise he had dropped the ball. Thank whoever above for thick-headed men with muscles for brains! ’I cannot believe I mentioned first that he was looking for a mage when I was supposed to never have seen him in the first place!’ It was a large hole in his argument of ‘I don’t know you’. He had no idea whether he would ever meet the player again. He hoped not. Winter had a little more experience now compared to before. He had seen a lot of players with differing skills. He would put Campbell’s goon to be stronger than the master, judging from the silent, unimpressed look he gave after the deathmatch duel. This Jackal had lesser quality items than Campbell, but had the look of confidence that did not seem to be false or a worked image like the egomaniac he dueled before. That made his winning chances slim, and dropped to none, now that he was not receiving any further benefits from the bracer. It hit Winter then, how sinister the bracer’s curse was. It made him rely on its help after putting him in jeopardy, like a bent over man who was used to carrying a heavy weight that was increased temporarily, and that eventually coped with the increased load, but then received great help. The man would rely on the help until it was suddenly gone, and he then became unable to carry the weight anymore. Winter had relied on his reflex spell and Vermillion AOE the most so far, which was ideal if he was continuously fighting large quantity of mobs or had to dodge attacks (or in a lot of his early cases, attacking). Since his curse was lifted, he should be able to party properly now. Except his proficiency in other spells was low. Aside from Vermillion and Reflex at level 3, everything else was at Beginner Level 1. He assumed that normal players of his level had to at least have average Beginner Level 5 proficiency in every single spell, at the very least. His reduced mana was included as a deterrent to cast spells often. He was thinking on how to fix this major problem, when his feet stopped on their own. He had reached Minalan’s shop. xXx The dawn was not far. Winter usually loathed disturbing someone around this time, but this could not wait. Also, the window was not shuttered. Winter could see the light from candles dancing from through the clear glass. Hesitating, Winter knocked on the door. After waiting for a little bit, the door cracked open. He was greeted by Minalan, who seemed to have cried his share of tears too. Without words, Minalan spread the entrance open, letting Winter in. “She is in her room now. Go.” Winter nodded. He moved to Adria’s room,which he had never entered before. As far as he could recall, his boundary stopped at the dining table, kitchen and the shop. He never entered Minalan’s room,come to think of it. *Knock* *Knock* There was no reply. No permission or rejection. Winter tried the door handle lightly. It turned. Opening it slowly, he saw Adria silhouetted against the moonlight that fell from the heavens, shining through the open window. “I am sorry, Winter. I did not hear you knock. Please, come in.” Adria had her long hair spread around the bed, that was of her size. Winter half expected the room to still contain children-sized items. All the furnitures were for an adult. There were no chairs to sit on, so Winter sat on the bed. He chose a neutral distance.Not too far, not too close. It put them close enough together for him to be able to see the tear tracks and puffy eyes. Turning her whole body back to the room, Winter saw she was clutching something. It was a bag of candy he had bought for her. ’It began that long ago?’ Her knees were tucked under her long dress, further buried under her robe. “I am hurting, Winter.... But I still love you. Can you not think about this?” “Please?” A shed tear flowed down her left eye. The thought of Adria begging for something like this sent Winter over the edge. He grasped Adria’s shoulder and hugged her tightly. “I am sorry, Adria. I cannot do it. I am unable to love anyone. I can share affections, but not love.” “But why? Please tell me....” Winter did not answer. In the end, Winter chose unshakable logic. It was what he thought would work best on NPC. He adjusted his words to bypass the system filter. “What do you think an Outlander does when they are asleep, Adria?” Winter whispered on her ear. He used the definition NPCs designated for players. Adria’s hands were clutching the bag of candy still. “They sleep?” “Yes. But for days here.” “Yes. I know. The world where Outlanders live in runs four times slower than Versailles.” “We, have a second life. Out there, while we are not here, we have another life. A life like here.” “Does it matter?” “What if one day I have to be away for a long time from here? A month. A year? I may never get sick in Versailles, but I will tell you I can in Outland.” “But... can you not ask Freya to make you better?” “Freya’s power does not reach Outland, Adria. We Outlanders are godless.” “But how do you come to be here?” Winter formulated his answer carefully. “We dream, Adria, we dream.” “So... I am just a dream?” “What? No! You are not!” “Our dream here is as real to us out there. That is a fact.” Winter released his embrace and stared straight at Adria’s green eyes. They were a little misty. “I do not get it, Winter... You can just stay here forever then.” “Does my body age?” “That’s....” “Do you think I will age, Adria? Do Outlanders even age? I sleep once every two or three days, and disappear for at last the whole day and night. I do not feel myself getting old or slow despite my current looks.” “I..... I do not know....” Adria finally breathed out her answer. This was as unfamiliar a territory to her as it was for Winter. “Then this is a love not to be, Adria. I do not fully understand love, but I am old enough to know, that it has to be between two equals. We are not even of the same world - no - the same time.” “But, I am younger than you, Winter. Much younger.” “What if I never age?” “......” Adria let go of her bag of candy and hugged Winter back. She squeezed him as tight as she could. Winter squeezed her back too. He had no idea how long they were clutching each other that way, but she finally relaxed her grip. “Winter....” She whispered in his ear. It was a voice that Winter would want to remember, always. One full of love and sorrow. “Winter.... I thank you for replying to my feeling. Thank you.” Adria slowly slid her lips to Winter and kissed him. Winter kissed her as best as he could, in his last act of affection, the least he could do. In a moment, her whole body was slack. Alarmed, Winter parted from her and checked her over. Her whole body was relaxed. “Minalan! Get in here!” *Bang* Minalan must have been standing very close to the door, judging by how quick he rushed in. “What? Did something happen?” “She..... she is..... asleep?” Winter, who was through with his panic, did a quick assessment. Adria’s breathing was regular, relaxed. If Winter had to guess, that was how a human being would appear to be when they are sleep. “What is happening here, Minalan?” “I have no idea, Winter. I have no idea.” xXx Winter was on his vigil again that night. The sixth in a row. Minalan was sleeping in his room. It had been close to two weeks since Adria went into a coma. She did not eat or drink, and still appeared as fresh as she was. Minalan told him not to worry, as the goddess’s blessing would not allow them to die from starvation or dehydration. Minalan was not worried. He was resigned. Winter was..... he was concocting one theory after another, but all his theories were based on human conditions. He had run through the list of what he could think of, and came up with the most probable cause, though it sounded ridiculous, something out of a teenage romance novel he despised. A sleep trance from a withdrawn state of mind, due to great psychological shock experienced. He had been awake for over one and a half days in real life.Winter could have gone on for more. The human body can take much more, yet combined with his emotional state, the mental fatigue, which was more important in Royal Road than the physical one was hurting him. He found himself nodding off continuously. Tucking in his sewing set back into his inventory, Winter shook out his unfinished product. This would be his best work to date, a pure white cape made from the fur of wolves. The stitch work was immaculate, you could barely find it if you did not look carefully. He had chosen a white-colored thread for it. It was surprising that sewing calmed his mind the most. He spent the whole time waiting for Adria to wake up, sewing. He made cloaks, gloves, shirts, anything he could think of. He had time to burn, and planned to burn more. Winter would wait here until Adria woke up, even if it took him years. A firm hand fell upon his shoulder. He was probably asleep. Starting, he looked up to Minalan, who was beckoning for him to get out of the room. Standing up from the dinner chair he had placed inside Adria’s room, Winter exited the room. Minalan closed the door gently. “Go and sleep, Winter. I can see you are exhausted.” “No... I can go on.” “You know you cannot. Not for much longer, anyway. I will be here when you are back.” Winter knew that he eventually would fall asleep. He wondered what would happen to him if he fell asleep while playing in this virtual world. Not over thinking it too much, Winter nodded to Minalan. He chose a spot at a corner of the dining room and logged out. Sighing, Ronald Hanover walked to his room and plopped belly down on his bed. In seconds, he was asleep. xXx Winter logged back in after a sixteen hour sleep. He was more tired than he thought. He planned to apologise to Minalan for being away for so long, when he heard a familiar voice, but not the one he expected to hear again. “Uncle Winter! You are back!” “A.... Adria?” “Ah, Winter. Welcome back.” Winter was shooting glances to Minalan, which said ‘What is going on?’. Minalan did not give any answering gaze. He only shook his head. *Hug* “Whoa there!” It was the same tackle hug the ten years old Adria gave. Winter disengaged and knelt to check on her. Her bright green eyes looked as mischievous as he recalled. She was grinning, as if she knew a joke he did not. “So, Uncle Winter. How was the adventure?” “Huh? Adventure?” “Yes. Adventure. Father told me that you dropped by to tell me you were about to go on an adventure, but I fell sick.” It struck Winter like a bolt of lightning. ’This.... this cannot be! How can this be!’ Adria’s time had regressed to the point where she fell sick, at the least. If it went any further, Winter had no clue. It was a solution for his dilemma, but he did not want this sort of solution at all. Winter hugged the now tiny Adria tightly. “Uncle Winter... why are you sad?” Winter thought the real world was cruel. He never expected the virtual world to have an even more cruel side than the real world. “You see, Adria. Uncle Winter here missed you so much. I will tell you all about my adventure.” Winter told her the story of how he spent his time in the Forest of Lasem, killing monsters, getting chased up the tree and raining fire and death down the monsters. He also told her of his time spent looking up his friend in Harine, his trip to Ranbell Castle and the siege that ended in victory. He told it all as if Adria was never with him, and he was participating in the siege. Daniel told Ronald enough about the siege after, for Winter to tell a good story for a ten year old. Adria was her usual sweet, delightful self. She clapped and laughed at every juncture of the story. Minalan laughed too, but Winter knew he was hurting as much as him inside. It was time for Winter to leave town. For good. “Uncle Winter, can’t you any stay longer? Please?” Adria was looking up from her position of being attached to Winter’s hip. He told Adria stories until her usual sleeping time, then talked to Minalan about his plan to leave town in the morning. He received no objection at all from the NPC he regarded as a friend. Winter was tempted to say ‘Yes’, but this only made his resolve stronger. Steeling himself, Winter smiled. “If I stay longer, Adria, I will be a boring old uncle. I have no more stories to tell. You have heard them all. So, to tell more stories, Uncle Winter here, has to go on more adventures.” Adria thought about it for a second and nodded. “Will you defeat a dragon later?” “Maybe. I don’t know... a dragon is plenty strong.” “But, you are stronger right, Uncle Winter?” “That, I do.” Winter roared and chased Adria around for a minute. She squealed when he caught her, spinning her around and tossing her up in the air. He let her go after she was breathless. “How about giants, Uncle Winter?” “Ha! Giants are no match for me!” Minalan,who had been silent the whole time, nodded to Winter. As if sensing it was time for Winter to depart, Adria hugged him again. “Uncle Winter... will you please write to me?” Winter had no idea whether he could. He has no such plan. Still, he lied. “Of course. I will write all my adventures for you, Adria. Do look forward to it.” “Really?” “Really. Really.” Winter tousled the long dark hair that he knew would glow longer with greater lustre half a decade later. It would make her strikingly beautiful, along with the green eyes. “Here. This is a present before I go.” Minalan shook his head strongly behind Adria, but Winter could care less. He somehow found it appropriate that he gifted this present to Adria for their parting. Quickly manipulating his inventory, Winter materialised the product he had finished before dawn. It did not take much work, since it was already half done. | Snow White Cape (Durability 70/70)A short cape sewn with a lot of care and attention. The white stitchings were straight and meticulously perfect, blending in with the white fur that were patched together from small pieces cut from rabbits, foxes and wolved, thinly layered on top of one another to make it plenty thick. A lot of work went into this item, despite having no ability to stop swords, arrows or magic. A perfect example of a masterful work, despite the low talent of its creator. Effect: Perfect temperature moderation in any conditionEasily cleanedRepairs perfectly regardless of skill level | | --- | Winter was surprised that this creation of his had so much durability and yielded 27% expertise rating when he finished it. “Wow! Uncle Winter! It is beautiful!” Winter draped it over Adria’s shoulder. It nearly touched the ground. She twisted left and right, admiring the work. She twirled a few times too. “It is cool in here. Thank you!” “You’re welcome, sweetie. Now, Uncle Winter really has to go, or else the monsters will escape!” Reluctantly, Adria parted from her hug. Minalan chose that time to step forward and hug him. He whispered something. “This is my parting gift to you, old friend, so you will not be coming back forever, if it is possible. The answer you seek is in Arcanum.” They slapped each other’s back and parted with a smile that both did not feel at all. Adria jumped up for another hug. Winter obliged her, before tousling her hair once more and nodded to Minalan. As much as he wanted this long goodbye to last forever, it had to end somewhere. “Goodbye, Uncle Winter! Come back soon!” Steps heavy, Winter walked steadily out of the Magic District without looking back, imagining the black-haired, green-eyed girl, now with pure white cape on her back, waving both her hands. If he turned, he would have seen the eyes of Adria that suddenly leaked water, without her realising why. Winter hoped that with enough time, the memory of him would become that of an adventurer who was kind to a little girl, but never came back, like all adventurers eventually would. At least, that was what he expected for a human. He thought he saw a ghost of a tear when he tousled Adria’s hair. Winter refused to think about it. The possibilities were too frightening to even think about. xXx “Are you okay, Adria? Are you hurt?” “I don’t know, Father. It felt like I forgot something important.” Adria’s tears leaked out all of a sudden. She had no idea why. She was not sobbing, yet the tears leaked out still. “Go and rest now in your room. No lessons for you today.” “Really? Yay!” “Go, before I change my mind.” “Okay! I am gone!” Adria quickly slammed the door to her room close and climbed into her bed. She wished to grow up soon and go adventuring. Her bed felt a little too short, even though it was more than enough for her to stretch her whole body. The room felt a little too big, and the furnitures too small. She began admiring the snow white cape. The texture, the thickness, the warmth. Adria hugged it against her face, enjoying the scent. It smelled like what she thought was fresh snow, though she had never seen a snowfall before since they lived in Central Continent. “This is weird. I do not remember this being in my room.” Adria was looking at a small cream-colored cloth bag tied closed with a red ribbon. When she opened it, she discovered it was filled with candies. “A present from Father?” Not giving it much thought, Adria ate the candies in the bag. Somehow to her tongue, the sweet candies had a hint of a bitter taste in between the sweetness, yet she could not stop eating it. | [<<<<< Previous Chapter](http://www.royalroadl.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=99&t=998) | | [Next Chapter >>>>>](http://www.royalroadl.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=99&t=1050) | | | --- | --- | --- | --- | ============================================================================================================================= Author's Note: Thats a wrap, folks. 1. Thank you to -The Slacker- for the diligent PR 2. Crediting myself here! Oh. Adria and Minalan too for the masterful performance. Lets leave out Winter, shall we? 3. Do leave comments for anything you can think of. I appreciate reading them, even for punctuation mistake! 4. Enjoy, folks!

<div class="chapter-inner chapter-content"> As jake stared into the darkness, he was finally assailed by a bright light. He shielded his eyes for the second time this day and exclaimed, "First the sun this morning, and now this!" Before he could begin cursing as per the norm, he was greeted by a feminine, slightly robotic voice which echoed in the empty white space.<br><br><span style="font-weight: bold;">"The scan on your iris and vein has determined that you are an unregistered user. Do you want to create a new account?"</span><br><br>"Yes." Said Jake.<br><br><span style="font-weight: bold;">"Select a name for your avatar."</span><br><br>Jake took at least thirty minutes to ponder about the name in which he would use. He has always taken forever to pick a name. <br><br>Finally, He looked up and said, "Azrael."<br><br><span style="font-weight: bold;">"You may select your gender from male, female, or neutral."</span><br><br>Jake looked up in disgust. <br><br>"As if I want to play as a tranny...and god only knows what neutral has in store."<br><br>"Male, please."<br><br><span style="font-weight: bold;">"Royal Road has forty-nine races. You may select your race from the primary twenty-nine­ races at this moment, however."</span><br><br>"Suppose I will go for human."<br><br><span style="font-weight: bold;">"You may alter your appearance."</span><br><br>“The way I am. Although, I wish you could make my eyes a little less mean.” Jake mumbled under his breath.<br><br><span style="font-weight: bold;">"Checking with administrators."</span><br><br>"Wait...Checking what??"<br><br><span style="font-weight: bold;">"Request accepted. Eyes have been made meaner."</span><br><br><span style="font-weight: bold;">"Your account has been activated. Your stats and class shall be determined while you are playing Royal Road."</span><br><br>“"Hold on a second, I said less mean. LESS MEAN. Do you understand?"<br><br><span style="font-weight: bold;">"Select a city and kingdom you want to start."</span><br><br>"No, no, no, I want my eyes LESS mean..."<br><br><span style="font-weight: bold;">"Select a city and kingdom you want to start."</span><br><br>Jake sighed, "Oh well."<br><br>"Random..."<br><br><span style="font-weight: bold;">"Welcome to Royal­..."</span><br><br>“Skip...”<br><br>Jake then felt a great pressure on his body, and everything went black. When he opened his eyes again, they began to adjust to a new world. Jake's mouth was left agape, and he was in awe of his surroundings. The realism of this world was unbelievable, and he could not come to terms with the fact he was laying inert in his bedroom. <br><br>He began to jump around and test his new environment out. Obviously, he drew comical looks from most of the crowd, to which he blushed and went to sit down at a nearby bench.<br><br>The tutorial had explained to him that he was bound to the starting city for one month game time which translated to one week in the real world. Thus, Jake began searching for things to do. Everywhere he looked, people averted their gazes. His once slightly mean eyes now made everyone cringe in fear and scurry away in the opposite direction.<br><br>"Accursed AI! I will have my revenge you robotic wench!" Shouted Jake, scaring people passing by even further.<br><br>As he walked, he spotted well built men wearing full plate, and fragile looking men in robes gripping staves. There was no end to the number of new sights he took in, and he assumed he would never grow tired of simply even taking in the sights of this world. <br><br>As he walked around, he spotted houses billowing purple fumes, and mages casting spells to aid in construction. Various shrubbery which he had never seen in his life came into view, and guards were doing hourly patrols. Alas, he could take in sights all day, but he was still at a loss for things to do. <br><br>"Well, I might as well check the extent of my abilities. Stats!"<br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td width="25%">Name</td><td width="25%">Azrael</td><td width="25%">Primary Class</td><td width="25%">None</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Health</td><td width="25%">100</td><td width="25%">Mana</td><td width="25%">100</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Level</td><td colspan="3">1</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Health Regen/Sec</td><td width="25%">.2</td><td width="25%">Mana Regen/Sec</td><td width="25%">.2</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Strength</td><td width="25%">10</td><td width="25%">Agility</td><td width="25%">10</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Wisdom</td><td width="25%">10</td><td width="25%">Intelligence</td><td width="25%">10</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Stamina</td><td width="25%">25</td><td width="25%">Vitality</td><td width="25%">10</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Attack</td><td width="25%">2</td><td width="25%">Defense</td><td width="25%">0</td></tr><tr><td colspan="4">Magic Resistance</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Fire</td><td width="25%">0%</td><td width="25%">Water</td><td width="25%">0%</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Earth</td><td width="25%">0%</td><td width="25%">Electric</td><td width="25%">0%</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Dark</td><td colspan="3">0%</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br>"Oh dear, I am very, very squishy..." Jake sighed once more as he started looking for one of the nearby guard patrols which had just passed by seconds ago.<br><br>Jake had no interest in money. He was a true hardcore gamer, and simply cared about his character's progression. So obviously, in his years of research, he had come to know of the local training hall which could provide permanent stat boosts. <br><br>"It's a start, and I can't travel out of the city so I might as well train."<br>Jake finally approached the guard and said, "Excuse me sir, by any chance do you know the location of the training hall?"<br><br>The guard clicked his tongue as if he had been approached by filth and stated, "You're standing in front of it you fool."<br>The guard pushed Jake down and continued on his way.<br><br>"Disrespectul AI. I swear I shall slaughter them all." Jake mumbled as he made his way inside. When he entered he saw a plethora of users swinging an assortment of wooden weapons at scarecrows. Their tenacity got Jake all fired up and he made his way to the rack of weapons. As he stared at the weapons he recalled his normal preferences. In any other game he would play it safe and maximize defense with a sword/shield combo. However, being in the game and seeing the weapons in front of him, he could not resist the two handed weapons. He loved the thought of walking around with a hammer bigger than himself. Surely then, people would see his strength and want to party with him!<br><br>The game itself, however, saw fit to ruin his plans. He could hardly lift the axe and hammer. Not only were they horribly unbalanced, but they were heavy as well. EXTREMELY HEAVY. Jake then dropped the hammer on his foot.<br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td colspan="4">-5hp</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br>"OWWW!" Screamed Jake, much to the amusement of many other people.<br><br>Cursing under his breath, Jake then took the wooden two handed sword. It simply felt right in his hands, and was quite balanced in comparison to the other two weapons. Although still heavy, he could swing this one with a bit of effort. The sound of the two handed sword cleaving through the air was ecstasy to Jake. Simply put, his mind was made up, this weapon was for him. Three more swings though, and the sword dropped to the ground. Jake's arms were on fire.<br><br>"Seems in virtual reality you are truly weak in the noob stage." Muttered Jake.<br><br>As he begrudgingly dragged the sword to one of the scarecrows, he began to strike it rhythmically. This was disgusting. He had to stop every five or so swings to rebuild his stamina, and his shirt was covered in sweat.<br><br><span style="font-weight: bold;">6 HOURS LATER...</span><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td colspan="4">Strength rises by 1 point. (+1 STR)</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td colspan="4">Stamina rises by 3 points. (+3 STM)</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br>"NOPE! No more, I can't do this anymore! This is way too boring, and it takes way too long for results!" Jake began to stomp off when he turned to look at the instructor. He looked at the sword in his hands and asked the instructor, "Sir, may I keep this sword?"<br><br>The instructor simply nodded and Jake thanked him.<br><br>Jake walked outside and checked the stats on the wooden 2h sword.<br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td colspan="4">Wooden 2h Sword</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Durability</td><td colspan="3">9/10</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Damage</td><td colspan="3">1-2</td></tr><tr><td colspan="4">A simple oaken two handed sword. Not much use in actual combat.</td></tr><tr><td colspan="4">No requirements</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br>"Why is this thing so hard to swing!!" Yelled Jake. As he walked to a nearby fountain, he was dragging the sword behind him while getting laughed at once more. He sat on the edge of the fountain, and began to nibble on a rock of supposedly "Rye" bread. He then took a few quick sips from his canteen. That was all he had in this world. Rock bread, water, and a useless sword...Jake sighed.<br><br>He was then approached by a shady old man garbed in a brown traveler's robe.<br><br>Jake looked at the man and said, "Can I help you sir? Look, it's been a long day and I kind of just want to relax."<br><br>The old man smiled and looked at jake, "Boy, you can help me, and in turn, perhaps I help you. I'm here to offer you a job. Who knows, by the end of it you may even be able to swing that sword properly!" <br><br>"Can it be true?" Thought Jake. It was. It was a quest. <br><br>T-Ting<br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td colspan="4">Chop,Haul,Cut<br><br>Help the old man with his work for a week.<br><br>Quest rank F<br><br>Must look weak<br><br>Rewards: Week's pay, item</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br>"Yes!" exclaimed Jake. I accept. <br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td colspan="4">Quest accepted</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br>"Wait...What do you mean looks weak!" Jake clicked his tongue.<br><br>The old man smiled wryly and said, "My name is Horrick."<br><br>Jake nodded and said, "I am Azrael."<br><br>Horrick nodded as well, and said,"Here is a map to my home, be there at 6:00 AM sharp two days from now and we shall begin."<br><br>Jake replied, "Gotcha, I'll be there." <br><br>Horrick gave a wave as he then went on his way.<br><br>Jake decided to log out for a little bit to eat and rest for a while before returning to the game.<br>----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- </div>

As jake stared into the darkness, he was finally assailed by a bright light. He shielded his eyes for the second time this day and exclaimed, "First the sun this morning, and now this!" Before he could begin cursing as per the norm, he was greeted by a feminine, slightly robotic voice which echoed in the empty white space. "The scan on your iris and vein has determined that you are an unregistered user. Do you want to create a new account?" "Yes." Said Jake. "Select a name for your avatar." Jake took at least thirty minutes to ponder about the name in which he would use. He has always taken forever to pick a name. Finally, He looked up and said, "Azrael." "You may select your gender from male, female, or neutral." Jake looked up in disgust. "As if I want to play as a tranny...and god only knows what neutral has in store." "Male, please." "Royal Road has forty-nine races. You may select your race from the primary twenty-nine­ races at this moment, however." "Suppose I will go for human." "You may alter your appearance." “The way I am. Although, I wish you could make my eyes a little less mean.” Jake mumbled under his breath. "Checking with administrators." "Wait...Checking what??" "Request accepted. Eyes have been made meaner." "Your account has been activated. Your stats and class shall be determined while you are playing Royal Road." “"Hold on a second, I said less mean. LESS MEAN. Do you understand?" "Select a city and kingdom you want to start." "No, no, no, I want my eyes LESS mean..." "Select a city and kingdom you want to start." Jake sighed, "Oh well." "Random..." "Welcome to Royal­..." “Skip...” Jake then felt a great pressure on his body, and everything went black. When he opened his eyes again, they began to adjust to a new world. Jake's mouth was left agape, and he was in awe of his surroundings. The realism of this world was unbelievable, and he could not come to terms with the fact he was laying inert in his bedroom. He began to jump around and test his new environment out. Obviously, he drew comical looks from most of the crowd, to which he blushed and went to sit down at a nearby bench. The tutorial had explained to him that he was bound to the starting city for one month game time which translated to one week in the real world. Thus, Jake began searching for things to do. Everywhere he looked, people averted their gazes. His once slightly mean eyes now made everyone cringe in fear and scurry away in the opposite direction. "Accursed AI! I will have my revenge you robotic wench!" Shouted Jake, scaring people passing by even further. As he walked, he spotted well built men wearing full plate, and fragile looking men in robes gripping staves. There was no end to the number of new sights he took in, and he assumed he would never grow tired of simply even taking in the sights of this world. As he walked around, he spotted houses billowing purple fumes, and mages casting spells to aid in construction. Various shrubbery which he had never seen in his life came into view, and guards were doing hourly patrols. Alas, he could take in sights all day, but he was still at a loss for things to do. "Well, I might as well check the extent of my abilities. Stats!" | Name | Azrael | Primary Class | None | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Health | 100 | Mana | 100 | | Level | 1 | | | | Health Regen/Sec | .2 | Mana Regen/Sec | .2 | | Strength | 10 | Agility | 10 | | Wisdom | 10 | Intelligence | 10 | | Stamina | 25 | Vitality | 10 | | Attack | 2 | Defense | 0 | | Magic Resistance | | | | | Fire | 0% | Water | 0% | | Earth | 0% | Electric | 0% | | Dark | 0% | | | "Oh dear, I am very, very squishy..." Jake sighed once more as he started looking for one of the nearby guard patrols which had just passed by seconds ago. Jake had no interest in money. He was a true hardcore gamer, and simply cared about his character's progression. So obviously, in his years of research, he had come to know of the local training hall which could provide permanent stat boosts. "It's a start, and I can't travel out of the city so I might as well train." Jake finally approached the guard and said, "Excuse me sir, by any chance do you know the location of the training hall?" The guard clicked his tongue as if he had been approached by filth and stated, "You're standing in front of it you fool." The guard pushed Jake down and continued on his way. "Disrespectul AI. I swear I shall slaughter them all." Jake mumbled as he made his way inside. When he entered he saw a plethora of users swinging an assortment of wooden weapons at scarecrows. Their tenacity got Jake all fired up and he made his way to the rack of weapons. As he stared at the weapons he recalled his normal preferences. In any other game he would play it safe and maximize defense with a sword/shield combo. However, being in the game and seeing the weapons in front of him, he could not resist the two handed weapons. He loved the thought of walking around with a hammer bigger than himself. Surely then, people would see his strength and want to party with him! The game itself, however, saw fit to ruin his plans. He could hardly lift the axe and hammer. Not only were they horribly unbalanced, but they were heavy as well. EXTREMELY HEAVY. Jake then dropped the hammer on his foot. | -5hp | | | | | --- | --- | --- | --- | "OWWW!" Screamed Jake, much to the amusement of many other people. Cursing under his breath, Jake then took the wooden two handed sword. It simply felt right in his hands, and was quite balanced in comparison to the other two weapons. Although still heavy, he could swing this one with a bit of effort. The sound of the two handed sword cleaving through the air was ecstasy to Jake. Simply put, his mind was made up, this weapon was for him. Three more swings though, and the sword dropped to the ground. Jake's arms were on fire. "Seems in virtual reality you are truly weak in the noob stage." Muttered Jake. As he begrudgingly dragged the sword to one of the scarecrows, he began to strike it rhythmically. This was disgusting. He had to stop every five or so swings to rebuild his stamina, and his shirt was covered in sweat. 6 HOURS LATER... | Strength rises by 1 point. (+1 STR) | | | | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Stamina rises by 3 points. (+3 STM) | | | | | --- | --- | --- | --- | "NOPE! No more, I can't do this anymore! This is way too boring, and it takes way too long for results!" Jake began to stomp off when he turned to look at the instructor. He looked at the sword in his hands and asked the instructor, "Sir, may I keep this sword?" The instructor simply nodded and Jake thanked him. Jake walked outside and checked the stats on the wooden 2h sword. | Wooden 2h Sword | | | | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Durability | 9/10 | | | | Damage | 1-2 | | | | A simple oaken two handed sword. Not much use in actual combat. | | | | | No requirements | | | | "Why is this thing so hard to swing!!" Yelled Jake. As he walked to a nearby fountain, he was dragging the sword behind him while getting laughed at once more. He sat on the edge of the fountain, and began to nibble on a rock of supposedly "Rye" bread. He then took a few quick sips from his canteen. That was all he had in this world. Rock bread, water, and a useless sword...Jake sighed. He was then approached by a shady old man garbed in a brown traveler's robe. Jake looked at the man and said, "Can I help you sir? Look, it's been a long day and I kind of just want to relax." The old man smiled and looked at jake, "Boy, you can help me, and in turn, perhaps I help you. I'm here to offer you a job. Who knows, by the end of it you may even be able to swing that sword properly!" "Can it be true?" Thought Jake. It was. It was a quest. T-Ting | Chop,Haul,CutHelp the old man with his work for a week.Quest rank FMust look weakRewards: Week's pay, item | | | | | --- | --- | --- | --- | "Yes!" exclaimed Jake. I accept. | Quest accepted | | | | | --- | --- | --- | --- | "Wait...What do you mean looks weak!" Jake clicked his tongue. The old man smiled wryly and said, "My name is Horrick." Jake nodded and said, "I am Azrael." Horrick nodded as well, and said,"Here is a map to my home, be there at 6:00 AM sharp two days from now and we shall begin." Jake replied, "Gotcha, I'll be there." Horrick gave a wave as he then went on his way. Jake decided to log out for a little bit to eat and rest for a while before returning to the game. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

<div class="chapter-inner chapter-content"> One thing I really dislike is messing up the order of the chapters, which is why I will lock my submissions as soon as I publish them. Everyone is welcome to comment/proofread/etc about them in here.<br><br>As for the fanfic: I'm making up names on the fly (so don't bother researching city names etc), though I will try to mix mythology in later as I can. I have a definite plot in my head, and I started writing since I check the website a lot at times.<br>Hope you guys enjoy. </div>

One thing I really dislike is messing up the order of the chapters, which is why I will lock my submissions as soon as I publish them. Everyone is welcome to comment/proofread/etc about them in here. As for the fanfic: I'm making up names on the fly (so don't bother researching city names etc), though I will try to mix mythology in later as I can. I have a definite plot in my head, and I started writing since I check the website a lot at times. Hope you guys enjoy.

<div class="chapter-inner chapter-content"> Wraith woke up early in the morning. Just like the day before, he made his way to Calder's training area. “Now, I know that you did pretty well yesterday, but the rounds will only get harder from her on out. Are you still sure you want to go through with this?”<br><br>“Of course.” He had already started, so he figured he might as well keep at it. Besides, there was no way he could get stronger if he ran away from fights.<br><br>This time when he stepped into the dungeon, he immediately came face-to-face with a golem. Unlike the metallic golems from the last time he was there, these golems were wooden and unarmed.<br><br>Since he was so close to the golem, he lashed out with a kick. Having kicked it back three metres, he activated his skill. “Form of the Wolf-King.” In less than a second he had transformed. He had the impression that his body had grown a bit bigger, and that he had longer, thicker hair. Even the chains on his body seemed longer and thicker.<br><br>From the earlier kick he had discovered that even though it was made of wood, it was still quite durable. It was more like a rock in terms of hardness. Because of this, he didn't understand why there were wooden golems this time around instead of the steel ones. <br><br>In all aspects the steel golems were better. While these golems were faster due to the reduced weight, it wasn't by much. However, he didn't have to wonder for long, as the golem he kicked away put up its hands and shot out wooden stakes.<br><br>Apparently the wood still kept its original properties, and thus could grow at will. Although Wraith jumped to the side, he still got scratched by the stakes as they flew past them. <span style="font-style: italic;">Dammit, I can't do anything against their spray. I really wish I had a flamethrower.</span> Though individually the stakes were relatively small and slow, when taken as a whole the attack was quite effective.<br><br>The attacks didn't let up, and instead kept on firing continuously. Wraith had no other choice but to keep moving, running just one step ahead of the stakes. <span style="font-style: italic;">If I close the distance, the attack won't be as effective.</span> With this in mind, he dashed around behind the golem.<br><br>He didn't slow down or stop, and instead kept charging right at it. He tackled the golem to the ground, thinking that he finally had an advantage over it. Suddenly a wooden stake grew out of its back, impaling his left shoulder.<br><br>He let go of the golem and moved away, snapping off the wooden stake in his shoulder. Since he didn't want to let it get up again, he wrapped his right hand around its ankle and threw it against the wall. He did this over and over again, not holding on long enough for a stake to form and stab him again.<br><br>Eventually the golem broke apart. While he did manage to kill the enemy, he wasn't happy with the outcome. His left shoulder was basically immobilized, and he was down to eighty percent health. He quickly wrapped a few bandages around his shoulder, and soaked them in a potion to aid regeneration.<br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td colspan="4">You have learned the First Aid skill.</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br>After applying bandages several times, he finally learned the first-aid skill. It was useful since it was an easy way to recover health after a battle. There was barely enough time for him to recover, as just a few seconds after he finished bandaging himself, another golem showed up from behind the corner.<br><br>This time he was better prepared, and dashed towards it immediately. Before it had a chance to lift its arms up and fire off several dozen stakes, he knocked it over with a flying kick to its chest. Once he landed he kept running and swept his leg up and around right into its side, as if he were kicking a soccer ball.<br><br>Since he was kicking it away from him, the wooden stake that extended from its body towards his was always lagging behind by a hair. It made it very easy to dodge. It may have been a crude way of fighting, but it was effective. However this kind of fighting would take a long time, so he grabbed its arm and pulled the golem up with his good hand. On its way forward, he twisted around and kneed it savagely.<br><br>Since this type of golem appeared to fight individually, he was able to finish off the other ones that followed relatively easily. They did still manage to injure him, but he managed to mitigate that damage with his bandaging skill. It made sense, given its ranged attacks that had such a wide area of effect.<br><br>After a while he had destroyed all the golems that were coming after him. Since this was just like the training the day before, he already anticipated a boss fight. Sure enough, he came to a similar arena like he did the day before. The only difference was the the ground had soft loamy soil, instead of hard rock.<br><br><span style="font-style: italic;">Oh crap, this is bad. If the boss is the same wood-type golem, it would be stronger in this terrain, and there's no telling about how it'll affect its unknown skills.</span> Now he was trapped in the arena, the only way he could leave would be to defeat the next monster.<br><br>Just like before, the golem rose up from a hole in the center of the room. It was a bigger version of the other golems, but Wraith knew from his fight with the last boss that it likely had a few aces up its sleeves.<br><br>The golem lifted its hands like the other ones did, and shot off several dozen stakes aimed at his feet. Since he was prepared, he managed to jump backwards. What he wasn't prepared for was each stake sprouting spikes of its own. Given that the stakes were already a metre long, he was unable to escape its effects.<br><br>Before he knew it, he had several holes in his body, chopping his health which had recovered to one hundred percent before the fight, to seventy. He didn't stand around and gawk, but instead started running, avoiding all the stakes, and the spikes that sprouted from it.<br><br>At the moment the only this he could do was run away. He managed to keep ahead of the spikes, but if he kept it up, he would eventually run out of stamina. <span style="font-style: italic;">If I don't attack I die, if I do attack I get impaled and die anyway. Think, think, think. There must be another way to defeat it.</span><br><br>Against a monster that can combine defence and offence, the only strategy that can be used against it is speed. He would have to attack before it knew what hit it. Instead of running around in circles around it, Wraith started angling himself towards it. It wasn't the type of monster that could be attacked with kicks or other strikes. If he did stop to use those attacks, he would immediately be impaled.<br><br>That only left hit-and-run tactics. With his arm stretched out, he clawed the golem as he ran past it. Since it was made of wood, it worked better than if it had been metal.<br><br>Even though he did some damage to it, it was still only scratches. It barely tickled the golem. What he did was turn around and do the same thing on the other side. Over and over again he ran in circles, clawing at the same spots over and over again. Over time the scratches got deeper and more severe.<br><br>Finally after thirty minutes of running and clawing at it, the golem fell down, its sides riddled with deep slashes. Exhausted, Wraith collapsed, his stamina almost at zero. When he had finally recovered enough stamina he made his way to the door that opened up.<br><br>Like before, there was a teleportation circle laid out on the floor which sent him back to the entrance. He walked out, seeing Calder waiting for him. “You took a longer than last time. Still, at least you made it out.”<br><br>“Just barely,” he grumbled. “Why haven't I made any stat or level gains?” The golems he had been fighting against were incredibly strong, and the severity of his injuries should have given him some gains in endurance at the very least.<br><br>“It's because you're in training. The point of this type of training isn't to gain levels. At the end of the day stats and levels can only get you so far. If your basic skills are lacking, then you're nothing more than an empty shell. While you're undergoing training, you will remain at the same level with the same stats you had when you first started. This extends to training done out of the dungeon as well.”<br><br>“So, no matter what I do I'll only make gains in skills?” He was horrified. For the next three days he wouldn't be able to raise his stats.<br><br>Calder laughed and said, “don't worry, I said you'll be the same during the training. Once you finish, all the stats and levels that you should have received over time will come to you all at once.”<br><br>That was an immense relief for Wraith. Though he could agree that skills were paramount for victory, stats and levels cannot be disregarded. “So in the meantime, what do you suggest I do?” He couldn't raise his tailoring skill since he lacked the materials, and he didn't want to keep taking plants from the oasis so he couldn't raise his alchemy skill either.<br><br>“Why don't you go back to Versailles for a bit? You've got about half the day left. There aren't many creatures to fight in this place. Well, none that you can handle as of yet.”<br><br>It was an interesting idea, but he couldn't move between realms as of yet. As such, he went to see Fenella. She was eating lunch when he walked in. “Fenella, I was wondering if it was possible for me to go to Versailles for a bit.”<br><br>She thought about it. She was obviously worried about his well-being, but understood his intentions. “You don't have the skill to travel here by yourself. It wouldn't be all that useful for you in this case anyway.” She walked to a cupboard and pulled out a small wooden box. She picked up a small golden disk, and gave it to him.<br><br>“This is an advanced version of the amulet you used to come here. Unlike the other one, this can be used ten times. I'll open up a portal to the same place we came from. When you need to come back just put the disk on the surface where the portal should be and walk through.”<br><br>“Thanks...mom.” It was the first time that he directly addressed her as his mom. Before he could get away without using nouns, but now he had the courage to address her as such. Needless to say she was overjoyed. “I'll be sure to come back at nightfall.”<br><br>Fenella nodded and walked over to a wall. She placed her hand on it, creating a magic circle. In an instant, a portal was opened up. Holding the disk in his hand, he walked through, finding himself in the same cavern he met Fenella at.<br><br>In a few minutes he had made his way outside of the cave. Not wanting to get lost, he took a small knife from his pack, and began marking his trail. He walked into the woods, picking any new or unidentified plants he found on the way.<br><br>He wandered around for about an hour, when he sensed a presence. He stilled immediately, and started scanning the area. When his eyes fell upon a bushy area his muscles tensed up. The other party knew that they had been spotted so they came out of hiding. From behind the green bush padded out two wolves.<br><br>They were smaller than most, as they were just on the cusp of adulthood. Their grey coats were streaked with white and black, letting them blend in with the forest.<br><br>Then one of them, the bigger one, opened its jaws. &lt;He walks on two legs, but he smell like us.&gt; It growled this to the other wolf in a distinctly masculine voice.<br><br>&lt;It could be a trick to lure us to him. He may be a hunter.&gt; The other wolf had a feminine voice. Wraith was initially stunned that he could understand them, but then realized that his race could speak to monsters and beasts.<br><br>There was one way to convince them that he could be trusted. “Form of the Wolf-King.” He transformed into his werewolf form. “You don't have to be afraid of me.”<br><br>The two wolves jumped in shock. The male then spoke, &lt;you have that form and you can understand us. As I thought, you truly are one of us.&gt;<br><br>“Yes, I bear the blood of the first wolf.”<br><br>&lt;We should bring him back to your father.&gt; The female wolf suggested to the male.<br><br>&lt;Yes we should. Will you come with us?&gt;<br><br>“I'd be honoured to.” Given how closely his class was related to the wolves, he thought it best to introduce himself to them.<br><br>They led him through the woods and into a small valley. There he saw half a dozen other wolves. They stood up at his approach, watching him warily. Though his relationship with them was at maximum value, he was still technically a stranger to them.<br><br>He couldn't help but notice that many of them were also injured to some degree or another. Even the least injured among them had several slashes across their flank and belly.<br><br>The two young wolves than walked over to the largest wolf in the pack. From snout to tail it was about three metres in length, with a thick grey coat. It would have looked powerful, were it not for the patches of fur torn off, and the blood coating its body.<br><br>Sensing that he was the leader of this pack, Wraith bowed his head in respect. “Greetings, my name is Wraith.”<br><br>&lt;You have our scent, but you are not wholly one of us.&gt;<br><br>Wraith then cancelled his skill. The other wolves were started at this, but the leader didn't flinch. &lt;I see. I've met some of your people, yet the beast in them wasn't nearly as strong as it is in you.&gt;<br><br>“I'm not like the others you've met.”<br><br>&lt;No, I suppose not.&gt; He made a hoarse, coughing sound. Wraith realized that this was a wolf's laughter. &lt;My name is Skoll. I am the leader of this pack. I believe you've already met Sarin and my son Vangar.&gt;<br><br>Having introduced himself Wraith then asked a question that had been troubling him. “If I may ask, why are you all so injured?”<br><br>&lt;It was a battle for territory. Though we were bloodied, we came out on top, so there's no need to be concerned. I know that you have other things to do, so Sarin and Vangar will take you back to where they found you. Feel free to come back and hunt with us another time.&gt;<br><br>“I have the first-aid skill, so I can bandage you up if you'll let me.”<br><br>&lt;We'll be fine, we're not so weak to require your aid.&gt; Wraith liked Skoll, he felt a kinship with the large predator. Though he was calm and spoke eloquently, he sensed the beast inside. Unfortunately he also had a predator's pride. He didn't want to show Wraith any weakness, so he turned down his aid. In Wraith's mind this was a mistake that could get him killed.<br><br>This wasn't a exaggeration. If they were taken by surprise, they could easily be defeated. He judged that Skoll, the strongest of them, was only at level fifty. This was much higher than the wolves at Serabourg, who were only at level ten, but with the nature of their injuries they weren't all that mush stronger.<br><br>Even so he kept his opinions to himself. If Skoll's pride wouldn't let Wraith wrap him up in bandages, he sure as hell wouldn't take advice from him. Instead, Wraith let the two wolves guide him back. With the acceptance of their leader, the other wolves were no longer wary of him, and instead bowed their heads at his departure.<br>-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br><br>Having gained a respectable class, Circe walked through the forest, eager to test her new skills. With the level of skill and power she had, she was full of confidence. Unfortunately, in the dense woods, there weren't many powerful enemies. Though she practised against rabbits and birds, she felt them to be too weak to match her.<br><br>That all changed when she came upon a valley. It had several wolves in it. Normally she would be no match for them, but she saw that they were all wounded. She smiled at the gift that had seemingly fallen into her lap.<br><br>Since she was downwind of the pack, they didn't smell her approach. She softly padded forward and brought up her hands. <span style="font-style: italic;">Against simple animals, the best attack would be fire.</span><br><br>She brought out her Mana and surrounded the wolves with it. Since it was still pure Mana, they weren't able to sense it. Once she had encircled all the wolves, she converted it to fire. With such a small number of wolves, she was easily able to cage them in a ring of fire.<br><br>Startled by the sudden attack, they whipped their heads around, searching for the enemy. They spotted her, but there was nothing they could do. She kept pouring more Mana in, raising the heat and the size of the flames. She grew excited at hearing the wolves cry out in pain. The smell of burnt flesh soon permeated the air.<br><br>Where there were once seven wolves, now only four remained. She kept buffeting them with flames, and sent streams of fire attacking them from all sides. The largest wolf stood before the rest of his pack to protect them, but it did little to help. They were not only injured, they were unused to fighting against magic. Though they were ferocious beasts, fear clouded their judgement. Instead of fighting against her as a pack, they were all scattered and disorganized.<br><br>Two of the wolves ran straight through the circle of fire, disregarding the scorching flames. Though they were severely burned, they made it out in one piece. Freed from the fire, they ran straight towards her. She was aware of the potential danger they posed, so she split her focus. She kept two wolves still in the flames caged, while she sent out waves of fire at the freed ones. It knocked them back and set what remained of their fur on fire. After a few waves they went grey and died, letting out their last howls of pain and fear.<br><br>-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br><br>Wraith was being led by Sarin and Vangar. They were halfway to their destination when they heard the first cries of pain. Vangar was the first to react. &lt;Someone must have attacked.&gt; He bounded back to the valley, Sarin not far behind him.<br><br>Wraith ran after them, knowing that they wouldn't be able to do much on their own. <span style="font-style: italic;">I should have known this would happen. I should have been more insistent on helping them.</span><br><br>Within a few minutes they returned to the valley. Sarin and Vangar had arrived just before Wraith, yet they stood still, stunned by what they saw.<br><br>The place they once called home was burnt down to nothingness, the corpses of their friends and family scattered across the valley. The only one still alive was Skoll, but even he would soon pass on. His body was charred, and his limbs were burnt off. It wasn't done to kill him quickly, but rather to slowly let his life drain away from him. <br><br>They soon spotted the cause of this tragedy. A woman was standing a few metres away from Skoll, casting small streams of fire. Having killed all the other members of the pack, she took her time with Skoll.<br><br>Vangar howled in rage and charged at her with Sarin. Wraith knew that they were no match for her, especially given that she was a mage. He could understand and appreciate their courage, but at their level of strength all they could do was join the rest of their pack in death.<br><br>Having noticed the two wolves, she brought her hand up towards them and sent forth a stream of fire. <span style="font-style: italic;">They won't be able to survive an attack like that.</span> Swearing under his breath he sprinted over and shielded them from the fire. Though his back was badly burnt, he only lost about ten percent of his health.<br><br>“She's not someone you can take head-on, stay back until I call on you.” Saying this, he turned back around to the woman. “What reason could you possibly have to do this?”<br><br>She looked at him quizzically, “why would I need a reason to torch a group of flea-ridden mutts? But if you really want to know, I just wanted something to test my new powers on.” The callousness of her tone and the cruelty in her words made Wraith clench his fists in barely leashed fury. She had no reason for her violence. It wasn't for food or survival, that Wraith would have understood. Instead she took their lives for sport. For Wraith, the worst kind of death would be a meaningless death.<br><br>He didn't respond to her with words, choosing instead to close the distance between them. He dodged most of the fire coming from her hands, but was unable to completely escape the flames. The woman started to grow afraid, having seen the distance shrink between them.<br><br>When he was only ten metres away, Wraith whipped a pebble he had picked up earlier at her. It flew and struck on the forehead. Though it only did about five points worth of damage, it succeeded in breaking her concentration. Since her flames had died out, he took the opportunity to charge into her and drive his knee into her gut.<br><br>With the breath knocked out of her, she couldn't use her magic. She couldn't stand either, as she was knocked backwards into a tree. After she fell forwards onto the ground he grabbed her arms and pulled them behind her, bending them until they popped out of their sockets.<br><br>In Wraith's eyes it was a relatively small injury, but she screamed as if he were tearing them off instead. Obviously she was unused to the pain in Royal Road. Some players would have stopped harming her out of pity. Wraith did stop his attack, but it wasn't to spare her any pain. It was because no matter how much he wanted to, he didn't have the right to end her life.<br><br>That was something reserved for Sarin and Vangar, so that they may take revenge for their fallen brethren. Wraith reached down and grabbed her by her clothes. He picked her up and tossed her towards them. After crashing to the ground, she rolled over a few times before landing face-up in front of the young wolves.<br><br>They didn't waste a second, and immediately set upon her. Sarin buried her jaws in the mages throat and then pulled them free, tearing open her flesh and sending arterial blood spurting out. Vangar went for her stomach instead, splitting it open and dragging her innards out. His teeth bit through her liver and intestines, and ruptured her stomach.<br><br>Had her throat not been torn out, she might have screamed in pain. During all this, Wraith looked on calmly. He didn't feel the slightest bit of revulsion or horror at her fate, this was simply the natural way of things. Everything that happened to her, she only brought upon herself. His only regret was that he couldn't do it himself.<br><br>Before she died, she looked at him with eyes filled with hate and the promise of vengeance. Once her body had disappeared, they went over to Skoll. As much as Wraith wanted to help him, his first-aid skill wasn't at a level that was able to help save him.<br><br>&lt;Vangar, Sarin, I'm sorry I failed you. I turned down help because of my pride, and let my pack be slaughtered for it.&gt; He wheezed this out, barely clinging to life. Sarin and Vangar couldn't do anything but nuzzle him with affection, knowing that it was his time to pass on.<br><br>&lt;Wraith, I saw what you did. Thank you for helping them. Now I'm going to have to ask you for another favour. Look after them. Don't let them die a dog's death like I did.&gt;<br><br>“I don't know how well I'll do, but I promise to take care of them.”<br><br>&lt;Thank you.&gt; He closed his eyes, and let out his last breath. His body went grey and then started to disappear.<br><br>At the death of their leader, the two wolves let out long mournful howls, echoing throughout the forest.<br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td colspan="4">Skill unlocked</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td colspan="4">Leader of the Pack has been learned</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br>Letting Sarin and Vangar mourn their loss, he quietly whispered, “information: Leader of the Pack.”<br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td colspan="4">Leader of the Pack<br><br>Passive Skill<br><br>Like how wolves do, you can form your own pack. As the leader you command absolute loyalty after having proven your strength and wisdom. Due to the mystical nature of the bond between you and your pack, additional skills and abilities have been bestowed upon you. Number of maximum pack members rises with higher skill levels. Skill rises through your actions in managing and guiding your pack.<br>Pack:2/4<ul><br><li>Pack members can gain experience through their actions, as well as a portion of your own exp. which can be adjusted.</li><br><li>Pack members can learn new skills as they level up which are not given to other members of their species</li><br><li>Unlike regular monsters, pack members are bonded to you, allowing their consciousness to be stored so that they can be re-summoned upon death after 96 hours in-game, their level decreased by five and all skills losing 10-15% experience</li><br><li>The pack follows a hierarchy, allowing another member to take over during periods of absence</li></ul><br></td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br>Once Sarin and Vangar had stopped howling, he activated his Form of the Wolf-King skill. “It's time to hunt.” They walked away from the valley, heading into the forest. Though they were still in mourning, hunting would take their minds off of their loss.<br><br>Soon they had come upon a small herd of deer. They were grazing at the edge of the forest, unprepared for them. Sarin and Vangar already knew how to hunt, so all Wraith needed to do was take the lead and count on them to follow.<br><br>He ran at the herd, spooking them and sending them running. While most of the herd managed to pull away, the slower ones were left at their mercy. Wraith went after the slowest of the herd, which seemed to be an old doe. He leaped on its back, his claws buried in its haunch as he brought it down. Sarin attacked its legs, while Vangar bit at its throat. Soon they brought the deer low.<br><br>With the doe dead, Wraith cut into the hide with his claws. Although Royal Road had an automatic looting system, it only gave players a fraction of the meat and leather. He had about five minutes for the doe to disappear, so he made quick work of it.<br><br>He cut off whatever skin he could, and then let Sarin and Vangar eat their fill. He watched as they gorged themselves on the innards and saw that his own satiety level was quite low.<br><br>What he did next was something he would have never thought about before he started Royal Road. <span style="font-style: italic;">Well, I am in the body of a wolf.</span> He joined them in feasting on the still warm flesh. As he tore into the flesh, he felt the hot blood slide down his throat. The metallic tang should have been revolting, but it wasn't. He chewed on the tough muscle, tasting rich and salty, not much different from a rare steak.<br><br>He knew that the taste was altered to be more palatable, but even so, most players would be revolted simply by the action of eating raw flesh from the just killed body.<br><br>Once he and his pack had eaten their fill, Wraith extracted the rest of the meat and took the bones as well. Since he had killed the doe, he figured that the least he could do was to use every possible part of it.<br><br>For the rest of the evening they spent it chasing down prey. They didn't do it to harm or kill them, but rather to experience the thrill of the chase. By sundown, Sarin and Vangar had grown slightly in strength, and level. “It's getting late. I have to go back to Jorenheim.”<br><br>Sarin's ears and tail drooped, and Vangar asked, &lt;can't we come with you? You're the alpha of our pack now.&gt;<br><br>Wraith hesitated. While he wanted to bring them with him, he didn't know if the portal would allow them through. <span style="font-style: italic;">Then again, they are bound to me, so it could happen I guess.</span> “We'll see if it's possible, if not I'll go through and find a way to bring you back.”<br><br>It did take some more convincing, but eventually he got them to agree. They helped guide him back to the portal, whereupon he took out the disc Fenella gave him, and held it up against the wall. In an instant, a magic circle formed and materialized a portal.<br><br>He anxiously stepped through, finding himself back in the boundless white landscape he first came through. He was pleased to see that Sarin and Vangar were able to follow him through. They walked over to a wooden door and stepped through.<br><br>Back at the temple, he surprised Fenella when he stepped through with two wolves in tow. “How...where did you...?” She trailed off, unsure of what to ask him.<br><br>"It would be too complicated to explain. Lets just say that they're part of my family now." She nodded slowly at this, having decided to let the matter go. Since it was so late at night, he went straight to bed. Sarin curled up next to him, her head on his stomach, while Vangar lay over his legs.<br><br>Even with all the tragic events that took place, being surrounded by his new family let him fall asleep with a smile on his face.<br><br>-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br><br>Having been forced to log out because of death, Amber got out of the capsule, her face carrying the vestiges of terror at being torn apart by wolves. She breathed deeply trying to clear her mind of fear.<br><br>When she had a handle over her emotions, the terror had drained from her face. Instead her once pretty face was contorted by rage. The image of the young man who was responsible for her death was burned into her mind. With his features it would be easy to recognize him.<br><br>She silently swore vengeance against him, and swore to kill every single wolf that crossed her path.<br><br><br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.royalroadl.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=108&amp;t=836" target="_blank">Next Chapter</a></div> </div>

Wraith woke up early in the morning. Just like the day before, he made his way to Calder's training area. “Now, I know that you did pretty well yesterday, but the rounds will only get harder from her on out. Are you still sure you want to go through with this?” “Of course.” He had already started, so he figured he might as well keep at it. Besides, there was no way he could get stronger if he ran away from fights. This time when he stepped into the dungeon, he immediately came face-to-face with a golem. Unlike the metallic golems from the last time he was there, these golems were wooden and unarmed. Since he was so close to the golem, he lashed out with a kick. Having kicked it back three metres, he activated his skill. “Form of the Wolf-King.” In less than a second he had transformed. He had the impression that his body had grown a bit bigger, and that he had longer, thicker hair. Even the chains on his body seemed longer and thicker. From the earlier kick he had discovered that even though it was made of wood, it was still quite durable. It was more like a rock in terms of hardness. Because of this, he didn't understand why there were wooden golems this time around instead of the steel ones. In all aspects the steel golems were better. While these golems were faster due to the reduced weight, it wasn't by much. However, he didn't have to wonder for long, as the golem he kicked away put up its hands and shot out wooden stakes. Apparently the wood still kept its original properties, and thus could grow at will. Although Wraith jumped to the side, he still got scratched by the stakes as they flew past them. Dammit, I can't do anything against their spray. I really wish I had a flamethrower. Though individually the stakes were relatively small and slow, when taken as a whole the attack was quite effective. The attacks didn't let up, and instead kept on firing continuously. Wraith had no other choice but to keep moving, running just one step ahead of the stakes. If I close the distance, the attack won't be as effective. With this in mind, he dashed around behind the golem. He didn't slow down or stop, and instead kept charging right at it. He tackled the golem to the ground, thinking that he finally had an advantage over it. Suddenly a wooden stake grew out of its back, impaling his left shoulder. He let go of the golem and moved away, snapping off the wooden stake in his shoulder. Since he didn't want to let it get up again, he wrapped his right hand around its ankle and threw it against the wall. He did this over and over again, not holding on long enough for a stake to form and stab him again. Eventually the golem broke apart. While he did manage to kill the enemy, he wasn't happy with the outcome. His left shoulder was basically immobilized, and he was down to eighty percent health. He quickly wrapped a few bandages around his shoulder, and soaked them in a potion to aid regeneration. | You have learned the First Aid skill. | | | | | --- | --- | --- | --- | After applying bandages several times, he finally learned the first-aid skill. It was useful since it was an easy way to recover health after a battle. There was barely enough time for him to recover, as just a few seconds after he finished bandaging himself, another golem showed up from behind the corner. This time he was better prepared, and dashed towards it immediately. Before it had a chance to lift its arms up and fire off several dozen stakes, he knocked it over with a flying kick to its chest. Once he landed he kept running and swept his leg up and around right into its side, as if he were kicking a soccer ball. Since he was kicking it away from him, the wooden stake that extended from its body towards his was always lagging behind by a hair. It made it very easy to dodge. It may have been a crude way of fighting, but it was effective. However this kind of fighting would take a long time, so he grabbed its arm and pulled the golem up with his good hand. On its way forward, he twisted around and kneed it savagely. Since this type of golem appeared to fight individually, he was able to finish off the other ones that followed relatively easily. They did still manage to injure him, but he managed to mitigate that damage with his bandaging skill. It made sense, given its ranged attacks that had such a wide area of effect. After a while he had destroyed all the golems that were coming after him. Since this was just like the training the day before, he already anticipated a boss fight. Sure enough, he came to a similar arena like he did the day before. The only difference was the the ground had soft loamy soil, instead of hard rock. Oh crap, this is bad. If the boss is the same wood-type golem, it would be stronger in this terrain, and there's no telling about how it'll affect its unknown skills. Now he was trapped in the arena, the only way he could leave would be to defeat the next monster. Just like before, the golem rose up from a hole in the center of the room. It was a bigger version of the other golems, but Wraith knew from his fight with the last boss that it likely had a few aces up its sleeves. The golem lifted its hands like the other ones did, and shot off several dozen stakes aimed at his feet. Since he was prepared, he managed to jump backwards. What he wasn't prepared for was each stake sprouting spikes of its own. Given that the stakes were already a metre long, he was unable to escape its effects. Before he knew it, he had several holes in his body, chopping his health which had recovered to one hundred percent before the fight, to seventy. He didn't stand around and gawk, but instead started running, avoiding all the stakes, and the spikes that sprouted from it. At the moment the only this he could do was run away. He managed to keep ahead of the spikes, but if he kept it up, he would eventually run out of stamina. If I don't attack I die, if I do attack I get impaled and die anyway. Think, think, think. There must be another way to defeat it. Against a monster that can combine defence and offence, the only strategy that can be used against it is speed. He would have to attack before it knew what hit it. Instead of running around in circles around it, Wraith started angling himself towards it. It wasn't the type of monster that could be attacked with kicks or other strikes. If he did stop to use those attacks, he would immediately be impaled. That only left hit-and-run tactics. With his arm stretched out, he clawed the golem as he ran past it. Since it was made of wood, it worked better than if it had been metal. Even though he did some damage to it, it was still only scratches. It barely tickled the golem. What he did was turn around and do the same thing on the other side. Over and over again he ran in circles, clawing at the same spots over and over again. Over time the scratches got deeper and more severe. Finally after thirty minutes of running and clawing at it, the golem fell down, its sides riddled with deep slashes. Exhausted, Wraith collapsed, his stamina almost at zero. When he had finally recovered enough stamina he made his way to the door that opened up. Like before, there was a teleportation circle laid out on the floor which sent him back to the entrance. He walked out, seeing Calder waiting for him. “You took a longer than last time. Still, at least you made it out.” “Just barely,” he grumbled. “Why haven't I made any stat or level gains?” The golems he had been fighting against were incredibly strong, and the severity of his injuries should have given him some gains in endurance at the very least. “It's because you're in training. The point of this type of training isn't to gain levels. At the end of the day stats and levels can only get you so far. If your basic skills are lacking, then you're nothing more than an empty shell. While you're undergoing training, you will remain at the same level with the same stats you had when you first started. This extends to training done out of the dungeon as well.” “So, no matter what I do I'll only make gains in skills?” He was horrified. For the next three days he wouldn't be able to raise his stats. Calder laughed and said, “don't worry, I said you'll be the same during the training. Once you finish, all the stats and levels that you should have received over time will come to you all at once.” That was an immense relief for Wraith. Though he could agree that skills were paramount for victory, stats and levels cannot be disregarded. “So in the meantime, what do you suggest I do?” He couldn't raise his tailoring skill since he lacked the materials, and he didn't want to keep taking plants from the oasis so he couldn't raise his alchemy skill either. “Why don't you go back to Versailles for a bit? You've got about half the day left. There aren't many creatures to fight in this place. Well, none that you can handle as of yet.” It was an interesting idea, but he couldn't move between realms as of yet. As such, he went to see Fenella. She was eating lunch when he walked in. “Fenella, I was wondering if it was possible for me to go to Versailles for a bit.” She thought about it. She was obviously worried about his well-being, but understood his intentions. “You don't have the skill to travel here by yourself. It wouldn't be all that useful for you in this case anyway.” She walked to a cupboard and pulled out a small wooden box. She picked up a small golden disk, and gave it to him. “This is an advanced version of the amulet you used to come here. Unlike the other one, this can be used ten times. I'll open up a portal to the same place we came from. When you need to come back just put the disk on the surface where the portal should be and walk through.” “Thanks...mom.” It was the first time that he directly addressed her as his mom. Before he could get away without using nouns, but now he had the courage to address her as such. Needless to say she was overjoyed. “I'll be sure to come back at nightfall.” Fenella nodded and walked over to a wall. She placed her hand on it, creating a magic circle. In an instant, a portal was opened up. Holding the disk in his hand, he walked through, finding himself in the same cavern he met Fenella at. In a few minutes he had made his way outside of the cave. Not wanting to get lost, he took a small knife from his pack, and began marking his trail. He walked into the woods, picking any new or unidentified plants he found on the way. He wandered around for about an hour, when he sensed a presence. He stilled immediately, and started scanning the area. When his eyes fell upon a bushy area his muscles tensed up. The other party knew that they had been spotted so they came out of hiding. From behind the green bush padded out two wolves. They were smaller than most, as they were just on the cusp of adulthood. Their grey coats were streaked with white and black, letting them blend in with the forest. Then one of them, the bigger one, opened its jaws. <He walks on two legs, but he smell like us.> It growled this to the other wolf in a distinctly masculine voice. <It could be a trick to lure us to him. He may be a hunter.> The other wolf had a feminine voice. Wraith was initially stunned that he could understand them, but then realized that his race could speak to monsters and beasts. There was one way to convince them that he could be trusted. “Form of the Wolf-King.” He transformed into his werewolf form. “You don't have to be afraid of me.” The two wolves jumped in shock. The male then spoke, <you have that form and you can understand us. As I thought, you truly are one of us.> “Yes, I bear the blood of the first wolf.” <We should bring him back to your father.> The female wolf suggested to the male. <Yes we should. Will you come with us?> “I'd be honoured to.” Given how closely his class was related to the wolves, he thought it best to introduce himself to them. They led him through the woods and into a small valley. There he saw half a dozen other wolves. They stood up at his approach, watching him warily. Though his relationship with them was at maximum value, he was still technically a stranger to them. He couldn't help but notice that many of them were also injured to some degree or another. Even the least injured among them had several slashes across their flank and belly. The two young wolves than walked over to the largest wolf in the pack. From snout to tail it was about three metres in length, with a thick grey coat. It would have looked powerful, were it not for the patches of fur torn off, and the blood coating its body. Sensing that he was the leader of this pack, Wraith bowed his head in respect. “Greetings, my name is Wraith.” <You have our scent, but you are not wholly one of us.> Wraith then cancelled his skill. The other wolves were started at this, but the leader didn't flinch. <I see. I've met some of your people, yet the beast in them wasn't nearly as strong as it is in you.> “I'm not like the others you've met.” <No, I suppose not.> He made a hoarse, coughing sound. Wraith realized that this was a wolf's laughter. <My name is Skoll. I am the leader of this pack. I believe you've already met Sarin and my son Vangar.> Having introduced himself Wraith then asked a question that had been troubling him. “If I may ask, why are you all so injured?” <It was a battle for territory. Though we were bloodied, we came out on top, so there's no need to be concerned. I know that you have other things to do, so Sarin and Vangar will take you back to where they found you. Feel free to come back and hunt with us another time.> “I have the first-aid skill, so I can bandage you up if you'll let me.” <We'll be fine, we're not so weak to require your aid.> Wraith liked Skoll, he felt a kinship with the large predator. Though he was calm and spoke eloquently, he sensed the beast inside. Unfortunately he also had a predator's pride. He didn't want to show Wraith any weakness, so he turned down his aid. In Wraith's mind this was a mistake that could get him killed. This wasn't a exaggeration. If they were taken by surprise, they could easily be defeated. He judged that Skoll, the strongest of them, was only at level fifty. This was much higher than the wolves at Serabourg, who were only at level ten, but with the nature of their injuries they weren't all that mush stronger. Even so he kept his opinions to himself. If Skoll's pride wouldn't let Wraith wrap him up in bandages, he sure as hell wouldn't take advice from him. Instead, Wraith let the two wolves guide him back. With the acceptance of their leader, the other wolves were no longer wary of him, and instead bowed their heads at his departure. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Having gained a respectable class, Circe walked through the forest, eager to test her new skills. With the level of skill and power she had, she was full of confidence. Unfortunately, in the dense woods, there weren't many powerful enemies. Though she practised against rabbits and birds, she felt them to be too weak to match her. That all changed when she came upon a valley. It had several wolves in it. Normally she would be no match for them, but she saw that they were all wounded. She smiled at the gift that had seemingly fallen into her lap. Since she was downwind of the pack, they didn't smell her approach. She softly padded forward and brought up her hands. Against simple animals, the best attack would be fire. She brought out her Mana and surrounded the wolves with it. Since it was still pure Mana, they weren't able to sense it. Once she had encircled all the wolves, she converted it to fire. With such a small number of wolves, she was easily able to cage them in a ring of fire. Startled by the sudden attack, they whipped their heads around, searching for the enemy. They spotted her, but there was nothing they could do. She kept pouring more Mana in, raising the heat and the size of the flames. She grew excited at hearing the wolves cry out in pain. The smell of burnt flesh soon permeated the air. Where there were once seven wolves, now only four remained. She kept buffeting them with flames, and sent streams of fire attacking them from all sides. The largest wolf stood before the rest of his pack to protect them, but it did little to help. They were not only injured, they were unused to fighting against magic. Though they were ferocious beasts, fear clouded their judgement. Instead of fighting against her as a pack, they were all scattered and disorganized. Two of the wolves ran straight through the circle of fire, disregarding the scorching flames. Though they were severely burned, they made it out in one piece. Freed from the fire, they ran straight towards her. She was aware of the potential danger they posed, so she split her focus. She kept two wolves still in the flames caged, while she sent out waves of fire at the freed ones. It knocked them back and set what remained of their fur on fire. After a few waves they went grey and died, letting out their last howls of pain and fear. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Wraith was being led by Sarin and Vangar. They were halfway to their destination when they heard the first cries of pain. Vangar was the first to react. <Someone must have attacked.> He bounded back to the valley, Sarin not far behind him. Wraith ran after them, knowing that they wouldn't be able to do much on their own. I should have known this would happen. I should have been more insistent on helping them. Within a few minutes they returned to the valley. Sarin and Vangar had arrived just before Wraith, yet they stood still, stunned by what they saw. The place they once called home was burnt down to nothingness, the corpses of their friends and family scattered across the valley. The only one still alive was Skoll, but even he would soon pass on. His body was charred, and his limbs were burnt off. It wasn't done to kill him quickly, but rather to slowly let his life drain away from him. They soon spotted the cause of this tragedy. A woman was standing a few metres away from Skoll, casting small streams of fire. Having killed all the other members of the pack, she took her time with Skoll. Vangar howled in rage and charged at her with Sarin. Wraith knew that they were no match for her, especially given that she was a mage. He could understand and appreciate their courage, but at their level of strength all they could do was join the rest of their pack in death. Having noticed the two wolves, she brought her hand up towards them and sent forth a stream of fire. They won't be able to survive an attack like that. Swearing under his breath he sprinted over and shielded them from the fire. Though his back was badly burnt, he only lost about ten percent of his health. “She's not someone you can take head-on, stay back until I call on you.” Saying this, he turned back around to the woman. “What reason could you possibly have to do this?” She looked at him quizzically, “why would I need a reason to torch a group of flea-ridden mutts? But if you really want to know, I just wanted something to test my new powers on.” The callousness of her tone and the cruelty in her words made Wraith clench his fists in barely leashed fury. She had no reason for her violence. It wasn't for food or survival, that Wraith would have understood. Instead she took their lives for sport. For Wraith, the worst kind of death would be a meaningless death. He didn't respond to her with words, choosing instead to close the distance between them. He dodged most of the fire coming from her hands, but was unable to completely escape the flames. The woman started to grow afraid, having seen the distance shrink between them. When he was only ten metres away, Wraith whipped a pebble he had picked up earlier at her. It flew and struck on the forehead. Though it only did about five points worth of damage, it succeeded in breaking her concentration. Since her flames had died out, he took the opportunity to charge into her and drive his knee into her gut. With the breath knocked out of her, she couldn't use her magic. She couldn't stand either, as she was knocked backwards into a tree. After she fell forwards onto the ground he grabbed her arms and pulled them behind her, bending them until they popped out of their sockets. In Wraith's eyes it was a relatively small injury, but she screamed as if he were tearing them off instead. Obviously she was unused to the pain in Royal Road. Some players would have stopped harming her out of pity. Wraith did stop his attack, but it wasn't to spare her any pain. It was because no matter how much he wanted to, he didn't have the right to end her life. That was something reserved for Sarin and Vangar, so that they may take revenge for their fallen brethren. Wraith reached down and grabbed her by her clothes. He picked her up and tossed her towards them. After crashing to the ground, she rolled over a few times before landing face-up in front of the young wolves. They didn't waste a second, and immediately set upon her. Sarin buried her jaws in the mages throat and then pulled them free, tearing open her flesh and sending arterial blood spurting out. Vangar went for her stomach instead, splitting it open and dragging her innards out. His teeth bit through her liver and intestines, and ruptured her stomach. Had her throat not been torn out, she might have screamed in pain. During all this, Wraith looked on calmly. He didn't feel the slightest bit of revulsion or horror at her fate, this was simply the natural way of things. Everything that happened to her, she only brought upon herself. His only regret was that he couldn't do it himself. Before she died, she looked at him with eyes filled with hate and the promise of vengeance. Once her body had disappeared, they went over to Skoll. As much as Wraith wanted to help him, his first-aid skill wasn't at a level that was able to help save him. <Vangar, Sarin, I'm sorry I failed you. I turned down help because of my pride, and let my pack be slaughtered for it.> He wheezed this out, barely clinging to life. Sarin and Vangar couldn't do anything but nuzzle him with affection, knowing that it was his time to pass on. <Wraith, I saw what you did. Thank you for helping them. Now I'm going to have to ask you for another favour. Look after them. Don't let them die a dog's death like I did.> “I don't know how well I'll do, but I promise to take care of them.” <Thank you.> He closed his eyes, and let out his last breath. His body went grey and then started to disappear. At the death of their leader, the two wolves let out long mournful howls, echoing throughout the forest. | Skill unlocked | | | | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Leader of the Pack has been learned | | | | | --- | --- | --- | --- | Letting Sarin and Vangar mourn their loss, he quietly whispered, “information: Leader of the Pack.” | Leader of the PackPassive SkillLike how wolves do, you can form your own pack. As the leader you command absolute loyalty after having proven your strength and wisdom. Due to the mystical nature of the bond between you and your pack, additional skills and abilities have been bestowed upon you. Number of maximum pack members rises with higher skill levels. Skill rises through your actions in managing and guiding your pack.Pack:2/4* Pack members can gain experience through their actions, as well as a portion of your own exp. which can be adjusted. * Pack members can learn new skills as they level up which are not given to other members of their species * Unlike regular monsters, pack members are bonded to you, allowing their consciousness to be stored so that they can be re-summoned upon death after 96 hours in-game, their level decreased by five and all skills losing 10-15% experience * The pack follows a hierarchy, allowing another member to take over during periods of absence | | | | | --- | --- | --- | --- | Once Sarin and Vangar had stopped howling, he activated his Form of the Wolf-King skill. “It's time to hunt.” They walked away from the valley, heading into the forest. Though they were still in mourning, hunting would take their minds off of their loss. Soon they had come upon a small herd of deer. They were grazing at the edge of the forest, unprepared for them. Sarin and Vangar already knew how to hunt, so all Wraith needed to do was take the lead and count on them to follow. He ran at the herd, spooking them and sending them running. While most of the herd managed to pull away, the slower ones were left at their mercy. Wraith went after the slowest of the herd, which seemed to be an old doe. He leaped on its back, his claws buried in its haunch as he brought it down. Sarin attacked its legs, while Vangar bit at its throat. Soon they brought the deer low. With the doe dead, Wraith cut into the hide with his claws. Although Royal Road had an automatic looting system, it only gave players a fraction of the meat and leather. He had about five minutes for the doe to disappear, so he made quick work of it. He cut off whatever skin he could, and then let Sarin and Vangar eat their fill. He watched as they gorged themselves on the innards and saw that his own satiety level was quite low. What he did next was something he would have never thought about before he started Royal Road. Well, I am in the body of a wolf. He joined them in feasting on the still warm flesh. As he tore into the flesh, he felt the hot blood slide down his throat. The metallic tang should have been revolting, but it wasn't. He chewed on the tough muscle, tasting rich and salty, not much different from a rare steak. He knew that the taste was altered to be more palatable, but even so, most players would be revolted simply by the action of eating raw flesh from the just killed body. Once he and his pack had eaten their fill, Wraith extracted the rest of the meat and took the bones as well. Since he had killed the doe, he figured that the least he could do was to use every possible part of it. For the rest of the evening they spent it chasing down prey. They didn't do it to harm or kill them, but rather to experience the thrill of the chase. By sundown, Sarin and Vangar had grown slightly in strength, and level. “It's getting late. I have to go back to Jorenheim.” Sarin's ears and tail drooped, and Vangar asked, <can't we come with you? You're the alpha of our pack now.> Wraith hesitated. While he wanted to bring them with him, he didn't know if the portal would allow them through. Then again, they are bound to me, so it could happen I guess. “We'll see if it's possible, if not I'll go through and find a way to bring you back.” It did take some more convincing, but eventually he got them to agree. They helped guide him back to the portal, whereupon he took out the disc Fenella gave him, and held it up against the wall. In an instant, a magic circle formed and materialized a portal. He anxiously stepped through, finding himself back in the boundless white landscape he first came through. He was pleased to see that Sarin and Vangar were able to follow him through. They walked over to a wooden door and stepped through. Back at the temple, he surprised Fenella when he stepped through with two wolves in tow. “How...where did you...?” She trailed off, unsure of what to ask him. "It would be too complicated to explain. Lets just say that they're part of my family now." She nodded slowly at this, having decided to let the matter go. Since it was so late at night, he went straight to bed. Sarin curled up next to him, her head on his stomach, while Vangar lay over his legs. Even with all the tragic events that took place, being surrounded by his new family let him fall asleep with a smile on his face. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Having been forced to log out because of death, Amber got out of the capsule, her face carrying the vestiges of terror at being torn apart by wolves. She breathed deeply trying to clear her mind of fear. When she had a handle over her emotions, the terror had drained from her face. Instead her once pretty face was contorted by rage. The image of the young man who was responsible for her death was burned into her mind. With his features it would be easy to recognize him. She silently swore vengeance against him, and swore to kill every single wolf that crossed her path. [Next Chapter](http://www.royalroadl.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=108&t=836)

<div class="chapter-inner chapter-content"> Chapter 3<br>Hey guys this is probably my longest release yet and i will try to make my releases at least this long if not more.<br><br><br>It had been a week since Perseus had begun his basic training with the instructor and his new master was due to be back anytime now. Over the past week Perseus had grown much faster and stronger, this was the result of the hellish training he had to endure. Perseus was made to do many underwater drills to improve his body control and fluidity as well as a training simulation of high altitudes. This particular training was done with the assistance of a wind mage who was put on Perseus’s revenge list. After the sixth day with instructor Grok Perseus realized that the instructor was trying to aggravate him on purpose to make him work harder. This got him and the mage, who was forced by the instructor to do what he did, off of Perseus’s revenge list. This did not though in any way prevent him from gazing at the instructor with blood lust every time he gave him more work. <br>His continuous usage of killing intent and being forced to his limits had generated a combination of stats and the creation of a skill for Perseus. <br><br>New stat generated: Killing Spirit<br>By continuously releasing you killing intent at the breaking point of your limit you have created a new hybrid stat. You may temporarily call upon superhuman strength. You also have a chance to create an illusion dependent on depth of your desire to kill and fight. You may not distribute points to this stat, spontaneously rises in accordance to user’s action.<br><br>New skill: Killing spirit manipulation<br>By manipulating you killing spirit you can direct it at will and you are able to create lesser illusions. If your Killing spirit is strong enough you have a chance of stunning and/or confusing an opponent. You may also bypass some low level illusions.<br><br>Perseus had also brought his identify, repair, polishing and sharpening up to intermediate 2, intermediate 1, beginner level 9 and beginner level 6 respectively. This was the result of spending hours upon hours every night identifying, fixing the armor and weapons in the storage room. There weren't that many weapons as there were armor so his sharpening skills were lower than the rest of his skills. By the end of the fifth day Perseus had fixed, cleaned and sharpened every piece of gear in the storage room. He had also increased his wisdom and intellect from identifying many items. The instructor had given him thirty gold for restoring all the items. <br><br>Today Perseus was woken up early the instructor for a final test of basic fitness.<br><br>“Ok Perseus you have survived a week of training with me now to put that to the test. Put on this Backpack filled with rocks and increase the amount of weights on your ankle and wrist. Good, now give me 1000 Laps around the track, 800 push ups, and 900 sit ups and then 800 laps on the pool. If you can pass that you have finished the training.”<br><br>Perseus aware of the rules did not say a word yet released his killing spirit at the instructor and faced all his aggression of being given work at the. Perseus finished the test with more than half his stamina bar remaining.<br><br>“Alright, Perseus you have now survived a week of training with me and completed the final test. To be honest at first I didn’t think you could do it but you have exceeded my expectations. You will now be the first apprentice of Sir Aglaron.”<br><br>“What do you mean first apprentice didn’t you say that there were many people who tried to pass his training?”<br><br>“Yeah, about that I meant my training if you want to be Aglaron’s apprentice you need to be acknowledged by me. Aglaron tasked me with finding a suitable apprentice for him as I get the privilege of seeing many great knights at their beginnings. You are the first to get my approval.”<br><br>“So you have no idea what his training method will be do you?”<br><br>“Nope, but it will probably be far harder than anything we have done until now. I have only trained your basic fitness and laid a foundation. Your new master will teach you how to fight. Good luck, knowing him you will probably need it.”<br><br>“Thanks, but what do I do now.”<br><br>“Well he really is on a quest right now and will be back tomorrow afternoon. I suggest you go to the library and research what types of weapon you want to learn. Come back tomorrow morning and I will give you the letter of recommendation.”<br><br>“Sounds like a plan.”<br><br>After saying his goodbyes Perseus made his way out of the training hall and to the library. He now founded it easier to navigate the roads. Perseus did not however notice that he had attracted quite a few stares, a lot of which were female. Unaware of it himself, Perseus’s continuous training over the past week had conditioned his body into steel, combined with his natural good looks and unique eyes made him stand out. To onlookers what seemed weirder than his body was his gear. He obviously gave off the look of someone who has been in quite a lot of near death experiences, yet he was wearing beginner gear and for some reason, that the onlookers could not comprehend, ankle and wrist weights. Which by the look of them were at least 20 kg. The men watching Perseus move around with such ease while wearing heavy weights all thought he was trying to show off his physical strength and dismissed it as him being a high leveled player. Why a high level player would dress as a beginner nobody knew and nobody asked as their male pride forbade them from thinking of it let alone admit a beginner was stronger than them. Perseus was oblivious, too busy thinking about what type of weapon he would like to learn to use. <br><br>‘Well as a knight I am obviously going to be using melee weapons. Should I get a sword, and axe or a mace? I like the feeling of slicing something, but sometimes you feel like hitting something with a blunt weapon to feel the recoil and other times you feel like just putting everything into just one strike and striking them in half.’<br><br>While thinking on this he had reached his destination.<br><br>‘While I am here I can use this as a chance to research Rosenheim’s Military system and background.’<br><br>“Good morning.”<br><br>“Greeting trav- I am sorry but this is not the training hall it’s the library. You can find the library to the south of here.”<br><br>After seeing Perseus’s build and weights the librarian assumed that he had mistaken the library for the training hall.<br><br>“My apologies, sir librarian you seem to have misunderstood I am here to research Rosenheim’s Military system, history and any books you may have on melee weaponry.”<br><br>“Oh yes, we have many books on the subject follow me.”<br><br>The librarian led Perseus to one of the older larger aisles. <br><br>“These are all the books we have on the military war and history, the weapons are included in the books and we have separate books on weaponry at the end of the aisle.”<br><br>“Thank you.”<br><br>“No problem, have fun.”<br><br>Perseus grabbed the books on the military of Rosenheim. He began reading and after eight hours of continuous speed reading had finished reading half the books in the aisle. His wisdom and intelligence had also risen.<br><br>He had learned of the different ranks of the Kingdom of Rosenheim. At the bottom of the food chain are the foot soldiers. Above them we have the denarions, who have command of a squad of ten soldiers, they are the lieutenants of the centurions who have command of up to a hundred soldiers. The centurions are considered to be sub-class of a knight and have the opportunity of taking a class advancement to become a knight of one of five orders. The way of advancement into an order depends on the order as the orders have different duties to attend to and the strength required to be each is different. You are automatically advanced into an order if you are trained and knighted by a knight of one of the orders. <br>The Scarlet Red Order is tasked with dealing with monsters in and around Rosenheim. They work together with the Blue order which is tasked with protecting Rosenheim. The Gold Order is tasked with protecting the castle and the royal family, as such a lot of the stronger knights are in this order. The White Order, which is know for its magic, is tasked with foreign relations with other kingdoms and assisting any of the other orders should they need it. Finally the Black Order is tasked with dealing with any threats to Rosenheim and its allies. Its orders supersede that of the other orders and have the strongest knights on par if not stronger than the Knights of the Gold Order.<br><br>Each Order has rankings within such as the regular Knights, Knight Captains, Knight Colonel, Lieutenant Commander Knights, and the Commander Knight. The Commander Knight of each Order has the authority ranking just below that of a prince. Above the Commander Knight of each order is the Commander General of the Army of the Kingdom. He is the strongest knight of the Kingdom and only answers to the direct line of the Royal Family. <br><br>Perseus had no idea which Order his new Master belonged to or his rank. He just hoped he was not weak. He was just about to begin reading the history and books on weaponry when he realized he was hungry.<br><br>‘Alright, I guess it’s time for a break.’ <br><br>Perseus put the books back on the shelf and made his way to the exit. He was about to leave when the librarian called out to him.<br><br>“Going out, did you finish all the books?”<br><br>“No, I am just going out for a bite to eat.”<br><br>“I see, well then come back soon I’ll look for some more books on Rosenheim’s history for you, I’ll have them when you get back.”<br><br>Walking out into sun Perseus realized that was around 4 in the afternoon and made his way to the training hall for lunch with the instructor. This time Perseus noticing the stares decided to take a less crowded route to the training hall and made it there in 20 minutes. It wasn’t hard to find the instructor; he was the tall orc-like human barking at people who were too weak or using their swords incorrectly.<br><br>“Good afternoon instructor.”<br><br>“Ah your back, same to you, so did you figure out what weapons you have an interest you would like to use?”<br><br>“Well not really I have had my mind on three types of weapons but before I could research them in depth I got distracted by Rosenheim’s military books.”<br><br>“So you have read those have you.”<br><br>“Yeah, by the way I was wondering what Order does my new teacher belong to and what is his rank?”<br><br>“Hmm I can’t remember, but be assured he fights regularly so he is not of the Yellow Order.”<br><br>‘I hope he is at least a Knight Captain.’<br><br>“If you say so, anyway the reason I came back I’m hungry.”<br><br>“Alright I guess I’ll have a bite to eat as well.”<br><br>The instructor and Perseus went to the instructor’s room for lunch, leaving behind a hundred confused faces. They all seemed to be asking the same question “How can anyone be that friendly with the instructor?!” <br><br>Oblivious to this all the instructor and Perseus made their way to the room and began wolfing down the steak the instructor made. <br><br>After eating his fill Perseus made his way back to the library. He took a route longer than before because even if it was virtual reality he felt the need to work off the food he ate. <br><br>He made it back to the library after 30 minutes. He didn’t see the librarian at the desk so he just went to his aisle and he was greeted by a large stack of books waiting for him. The books were all about the History of Rosenheim and some of the prominent figures in its time.<br><br>‘I should thank the librarian when I see him.’<br><br>Perseus spent the next 10 hours reading through all the books he was rewarded with a boost in his wisdom, intelligence and an in-depth knowledge of Rosenheim’s history.<br><br>Many years ago there were three great empires the Niflheim, Muspelheim and the Vanaheim empires. <br><br>The Niflheim Empire lied to the north; it however fell at the hands of a massive invasion of monsters. The emperor of the Niflheim Empire is said to have run away and it has been speculated on for years whether he had run away or not. We cannot be sure as many of the records have been lost. <br><br>The Muspelheim Empire lay in an area with many volcanoes. One day all the volcanoes blew at once. This attracted a lot of fire giants and other fire monsters. The empire was able to stop the monsters but, after the defeat of the monsters the empire split into several smaller kingdoms. The reason behind the kingdom splitting is known to few.<br><br>The Vanaheim Empire lied in the west of the continent of Versailles. They named the empire the Vanaheim empire after the Vanir due to their close relationship with the Vanir. The Vanir were race of powerful beings extremely skilled in sorcery and magic yet few in numbers as they produced a single offspring every 20 years.The Empire thrived it was a time of peace. Until The scourge Bar Khan turned them away from the path of the gods to that of Chaos and Destruction. He turned them into shadow spawn, however, even after the fall of Bar Khan they did not revert back to normal and waged war against the Empire. The Empire managed to defeat the Vanir but at a great cost, the empire was laid to waste and split into many different kingdoms each of them claiming to be led by the rightful descendant of the deceased Emperor of Vanaheim. Which royal family is the true descendant of the Emperor is unknown, known only to who truly is the heir.<br><br>*Yaaaawwwn*<br><br>‘I should get some sleep but first…’<br><br>“Stats and Skills”<br><br>Avatar: Perseus<br>Race:Human<br>Level: 1<br>Class: None<br>Title: None<br>Fame: 0<br>Life: 960<br>Mana: 250<br>Strength: 51<br>Agility: 53<br>Stamina: 70<br>Wisdom: 25<br>Intelligence: 21<br>Leadership: 0 <br>Luck: 0<br>Killing Spirit: 64<br><br>Offence: 11<br>Defense: 7<br><br>Resistance to magic:<br><br>Fire: 0%<br>Water: 0%<br>Earth: 0%<br>Black: 0%<br><br>Repair: Intermediate 1(11%)<br>Polishing: Beginner 9 (57%)<br>Sharpening: Beginner 6 (94%)<br>Identify: Intermediate 2(30%)<br>Killing Spirit Manipulation: Beginner 4 (21%)<br><br>‘I don’t look as pitiful as before. I should try using my killing spirit more often, it is too low. Anyway time to get some sleep.’<br><br>Percy logged off and was about to sleep when he remembered something.<br><br>‘Oh yea I should start the plan get back at sis.’<br><br>Percy went in to the kitchen down the stairs got what he needed and quietly went back up to his sister’s room. He slowly made his way across the room, after checking if she was sleeping. It wasn't hard his sister snored like a pig (no offense to any pigs out there reading this). His plan for revenge was simple he was going to empty a bottle of water on her bed every night for a week. In effect making her believe she is a bet wetter. Whenever she goes to bed she will remember this week for the rest of her life.<br><br>‘All done, now for sleep.’<br><br>Accomplishing his mission Percy carefully made his way back to his room and after setting the alarm fell asleep.<br><br><br>So here is chapter 3 *Joy* *Joy* *Joy*<br>If anyone can show me some real knight orders or ranks i'll be grateful. The red order was in the first volume the rest I made up. </div>

Chapter 3 Hey guys this is probably my longest release yet and i will try to make my releases at least this long if not more. It had been a week since Perseus had begun his basic training with the instructor and his new master was due to be back anytime now. Over the past week Perseus had grown much faster and stronger, this was the result of the hellish training he had to endure. Perseus was made to do many underwater drills to improve his body control and fluidity as well as a training simulation of high altitudes. This particular training was done with the assistance of a wind mage who was put on Perseus’s revenge list. After the sixth day with instructor Grok Perseus realized that the instructor was trying to aggravate him on purpose to make him work harder. This got him and the mage, who was forced by the instructor to do what he did, off of Perseus’s revenge list. This did not though in any way prevent him from gazing at the instructor with blood lust every time he gave him more work. His continuous usage of killing intent and being forced to his limits had generated a combination of stats and the creation of a skill for Perseus. New stat generated: Killing Spirit By continuously releasing you killing intent at the breaking point of your limit you have created a new hybrid stat. You may temporarily call upon superhuman strength. You also have a chance to create an illusion dependent on depth of your desire to kill and fight. You may not distribute points to this stat, spontaneously rises in accordance to user’s action. New skill: Killing spirit manipulation By manipulating you killing spirit you can direct it at will and you are able to create lesser illusions. If your Killing spirit is strong enough you have a chance of stunning and/or confusing an opponent. You may also bypass some low level illusions. Perseus had also brought his identify, repair, polishing and sharpening up to intermediate 2, intermediate 1, beginner level 9 and beginner level 6 respectively. This was the result of spending hours upon hours every night identifying, fixing the armor and weapons in the storage room. There weren't that many weapons as there were armor so his sharpening skills were lower than the rest of his skills. By the end of the fifth day Perseus had fixed, cleaned and sharpened every piece of gear in the storage room. He had also increased his wisdom and intellect from identifying many items. The instructor had given him thirty gold for restoring all the items. Today Perseus was woken up early the instructor for a final test of basic fitness. “Ok Perseus you have survived a week of training with me now to put that to the test. Put on this Backpack filled with rocks and increase the amount of weights on your ankle and wrist. Good, now give me 1000 Laps around the track, 800 push ups, and 900 sit ups and then 800 laps on the pool. If you can pass that you have finished the training.” Perseus aware of the rules did not say a word yet released his killing spirit at the instructor and faced all his aggression of being given work at the. Perseus finished the test with more than half his stamina bar remaining. “Alright, Perseus you have now survived a week of training with me and completed the final test. To be honest at first I didn’t think you could do it but you have exceeded my expectations. You will now be the first apprentice of Sir Aglaron.” “What do you mean first apprentice didn’t you say that there were many people who tried to pass his training?” “Yeah, about that I meant my training if you want to be Aglaron’s apprentice you need to be acknowledged by me. Aglaron tasked me with finding a suitable apprentice for him as I get the privilege of seeing many great knights at their beginnings. You are the first to get my approval.” “So you have no idea what his training method will be do you?” “Nope, but it will probably be far harder than anything we have done until now. I have only trained your basic fitness and laid a foundation. Your new master will teach you how to fight. Good luck, knowing him you will probably need it.” “Thanks, but what do I do now.” “Well he really is on a quest right now and will be back tomorrow afternoon. I suggest you go to the library and research what types of weapon you want to learn. Come back tomorrow morning and I will give you the letter of recommendation.” “Sounds like a plan.” After saying his goodbyes Perseus made his way out of the training hall and to the library. He now founded it easier to navigate the roads. Perseus did not however notice that he had attracted quite a few stares, a lot of which were female. Unaware of it himself, Perseus’s continuous training over the past week had conditioned his body into steel, combined with his natural good looks and unique eyes made him stand out. To onlookers what seemed weirder than his body was his gear. He obviously gave off the look of someone who has been in quite a lot of near death experiences, yet he was wearing beginner gear and for some reason, that the onlookers could not comprehend, ankle and wrist weights. Which by the look of them were at least 20 kg. The men watching Perseus move around with such ease while wearing heavy weights all thought he was trying to show off his physical strength and dismissed it as him being a high leveled player. Why a high level player would dress as a beginner nobody knew and nobody asked as their male pride forbade them from thinking of it let alone admit a beginner was stronger than them. Perseus was oblivious, too busy thinking about what type of weapon he would like to learn to use. ‘Well as a knight I am obviously going to be using melee weapons. Should I get a sword, and axe or a mace? I like the feeling of slicing something, but sometimes you feel like hitting something with a blunt weapon to feel the recoil and other times you feel like just putting everything into just one strike and striking them in half.’ While thinking on this he had reached his destination. ‘While I am here I can use this as a chance to research Rosenheim’s Military system and background.’ “Good morning.” “Greeting trav- I am sorry but this is not the training hall it’s the library. You can find the library to the south of here.” After seeing Perseus’s build and weights the librarian assumed that he had mistaken the library for the training hall. “My apologies, sir librarian you seem to have misunderstood I am here to research Rosenheim’s Military system, history and any books you may have on melee weaponry.” “Oh yes, we have many books on the subject follow me.” The librarian led Perseus to one of the older larger aisles. “These are all the books we have on the military war and history, the weapons are included in the books and we have separate books on weaponry at the end of the aisle.” “Thank you.” “No problem, have fun.” Perseus grabbed the books on the military of Rosenheim. He began reading and after eight hours of continuous speed reading had finished reading half the books in the aisle. His wisdom and intelligence had also risen. He had learned of the different ranks of the Kingdom of Rosenheim. At the bottom of the food chain are the foot soldiers. Above them we have the denarions, who have command of a squad of ten soldiers, they are the lieutenants of the centurions who have command of up to a hundred soldiers. The centurions are considered to be sub-class of a knight and have the opportunity of taking a class advancement to become a knight of one of five orders. The way of advancement into an order depends on the order as the orders have different duties to attend to and the strength required to be each is different. You are automatically advanced into an order if you are trained and knighted by a knight of one of the orders. The Scarlet Red Order is tasked with dealing with monsters in and around Rosenheim. They work together with the Blue order which is tasked with protecting Rosenheim. The Gold Order is tasked with protecting the castle and the royal family, as such a lot of the stronger knights are in this order. The White Order, which is know for its magic, is tasked with foreign relations with other kingdoms and assisting any of the other orders should they need it. Finally the Black Order is tasked with dealing with any threats to Rosenheim and its allies. Its orders supersede that of the other orders and have the strongest knights on par if not stronger than the Knights of the Gold Order. Each Order has rankings within such as the regular Knights, Knight Captains, Knight Colonel, Lieutenant Commander Knights, and the Commander Knight. The Commander Knight of each Order has the authority ranking just below that of a prince. Above the Commander Knight of each order is the Commander General of the Army of the Kingdom. He is the strongest knight of the Kingdom and only answers to the direct line of the Royal Family. Perseus had no idea which Order his new Master belonged to or his rank. He just hoped he was not weak. He was just about to begin reading the history and books on weaponry when he realized he was hungry. ‘Alright, I guess it’s time for a break.’ Perseus put the books back on the shelf and made his way to the exit. He was about to leave when the librarian called out to him. “Going out, did you finish all the books?” “No, I am just going out for a bite to eat.” “I see, well then come back soon I’ll look for some more books on Rosenheim’s history for you, I’ll have them when you get back.” Walking out into sun Perseus realized that was around 4 in the afternoon and made his way to the training hall for lunch with the instructor. This time Perseus noticing the stares decided to take a less crowded route to the training hall and made it there in 20 minutes. It wasn’t hard to find the instructor; he was the tall orc-like human barking at people who were too weak or using their swords incorrectly. “Good afternoon instructor.” “Ah your back, same to you, so did you figure out what weapons you have an interest you would like to use?” “Well not really I have had my mind on three types of weapons but before I could research them in depth I got distracted by Rosenheim’s military books.” “So you have read those have you.” “Yeah, by the way I was wondering what Order does my new teacher belong to and what is his rank?” “Hmm I can’t remember, but be assured he fights regularly so he is not of the Yellow Order.” ‘I hope he is at least a Knight Captain.’ “If you say so, anyway the reason I came back I’m hungry.” “Alright I guess I’ll have a bite to eat as well.” The instructor and Perseus went to the instructor’s room for lunch, leaving behind a hundred confused faces. They all seemed to be asking the same question “How can anyone be that friendly with the instructor?!” Oblivious to this all the instructor and Perseus made their way to the room and began wolfing down the steak the instructor made. After eating his fill Perseus made his way back to the library. He took a route longer than before because even if it was virtual reality he felt the need to work off the food he ate. He made it back to the library after 30 minutes. He didn’t see the librarian at the desk so he just went to his aisle and he was greeted by a large stack of books waiting for him. The books were all about the History of Rosenheim and some of the prominent figures in its time. ‘I should thank the librarian when I see him.’ Perseus spent the next 10 hours reading through all the books he was rewarded with a boost in his wisdom, intelligence and an in-depth knowledge of Rosenheim’s history. Many years ago there were three great empires the Niflheim, Muspelheim and the Vanaheim empires. The Niflheim Empire lied to the north; it however fell at the hands of a massive invasion of monsters. The emperor of the Niflheim Empire is said to have run away and it has been speculated on for years whether he had run away or not. We cannot be sure as many of the records have been lost. The Muspelheim Empire lay in an area with many volcanoes. One day all the volcanoes blew at once. This attracted a lot of fire giants and other fire monsters. The empire was able to stop the monsters but, after the defeat of the monsters the empire split into several smaller kingdoms. The reason behind the kingdom splitting is known to few. The Vanaheim Empire lied in the west of the continent of Versailles. They named the empire the Vanaheim empire after the Vanir due to their close relationship with the Vanir. The Vanir were race of powerful beings extremely skilled in sorcery and magic yet few in numbers as they produced a single offspring every 20 years.The Empire thrived it was a time of peace. Until The scourge Bar Khan turned them away from the path of the gods to that of Chaos and Destruction. He turned them into shadow spawn, however, even after the fall of Bar Khan they did not revert back to normal and waged war against the Empire. The Empire managed to defeat the Vanir but at a great cost, the empire was laid to waste and split into many different kingdoms each of them claiming to be led by the rightful descendant of the deceased Emperor of Vanaheim. Which royal family is the true descendant of the Emperor is unknown, known only to who truly is the heir. *Yaaaawwwn* ‘I should get some sleep but first…’ “Stats and Skills” Avatar: Perseus Race:Human Level: 1 Class: None Title: None Fame: 0 Life: 960 Mana: 250 Strength: 51 Agility: 53 Stamina: 70 Wisdom: 25 Intelligence: 21 Leadership: 0 Luck: 0 Killing Spirit: 64 Offence: 11 Defense: 7 Resistance to magic: Fire: 0% Water: 0% Earth: 0% Black: 0% Repair: Intermediate 1(11%) Polishing: Beginner 9 (57%) Sharpening: Beginner 6 (94%) Identify: Intermediate 2(30%) Killing Spirit Manipulation: Beginner 4 (21%) ‘I don’t look as pitiful as before. I should try using my killing spirit more often, it is too low. Anyway time to get some sleep.’ Percy logged off and was about to sleep when he remembered something. ‘Oh yea I should start the plan get back at sis.’ Percy went in to the kitchen down the stairs got what he needed and quietly went back up to his sister’s room. He slowly made his way across the room, after checking if she was sleeping. It wasn't hard his sister snored like a pig (no offense to any pigs out there reading this). His plan for revenge was simple he was going to empty a bottle of water on her bed every night for a week. In effect making her believe she is a bet wetter. Whenever she goes to bed she will remember this week for the rest of her life. ‘All done, now for sleep.’ Accomplishing his mission Percy carefully made his way back to his room and after setting the alarm fell asleep. So here is chapter 3 *Joy* *Joy* *Joy* If anyone can show me some real knight orders or ranks i'll be grateful. The red order was in the first volume the rest I made up.

<div class="chapter-inner chapter-content"> 3 years has passed since the successful first release of the ever so popular game, Royal Road a virtual mmorpg with a ground breaking system of 99% realism. Capsules designed for the game were sold off like hot cakes and the numbers of monthly subscriptions rose astronomically. Big companies rushed in to place ads providing further increasing the already substantial amount of funds for the rapidly growing company that designed the game, Unicorn Corporations.<br><br>Time passes 4 times faster inside the game; meaning that 4 days of game time was the equivalent to 1 day in real time. This perk attracted many working companies that soon found themselves saving a vast amount of time by holding meetings in the game. It soon became a common trend for other businesses and it wasn't unusual to see avast amount of players invading castles or fighting boss class monster while discussing about stocks and trades.<br><br>Royal Road also provided the benefit of becoming a small vacation for those with hectic and busy schedules. Even students could benefit by regularly entering the game in order to gain extra time to study, which some did but the majority would often get sidetracked as they soon become engrossed in a quest or the many unique and exquisite events constantly occurring in Royal Road.<br><br>In other words Royal Road's success is due to it's convenience and unique traits, a miniature yet vast world filled with opportunities and adventure; a world that was welcomed to all.<br><br><span style="font-weight: bold;">Click*</span><br><br><span style="font-weight: bold;">Scroll scroll scroll*</span><br><br><span style="font-weight: bold;">Click*</span><br><br>Going through all the reviews and articles, Dave Grudginer, a 42 year old man continued his task of opening and closing the list of links his 13 year old niece had provided for him. Dave Grudginer lived in a small apartment, which was as clean as a public outhouse at a fully booked rock concert; in other words his drab apartment was not clean at all. Through the rays of sunlight peeking through his blinds a dimly lit living room could be seen. <br><br>Dirty clothes in desperate need of a good washing could be seen laying everywhere. Crumbs and spills from his messy eating habits littered the floor and a recent coffee spill stained his dusty coach leaving another dark patch which would eventually match the myriad of other old stains on his already dingy couch. <br><br>This was the everyday life of Dave Grudginer, a messy, uncared for room befitting of it's current owner.<br><br>However today a peculiar object intrudes on Dave Grudginer's usually mundane day. Right in the center of his living room where his coffee table used to be was a gleaming giant silvery pod, akin to something seen in an alien movie. As to how the foreign object happened intrude upon his usually mundane and messy world a peek into Dave Grudginer's mind would reveal all as he recalled the past; he didn't have to recall far for the event had taken place only 3 hours ago. <br><br><span style="font-weight: bold;">Knock Knock Knock*</span><br><br>Sipping on a very bitter black coffee devoid of any sugar Dave Grudginer continued to drink the bitter concoction ignoring the banging on his door.<br><br><span style="font-weight: bold;">Knock Knock Knock knock knock knock*</span><br><br>Turning on the TV Dave proceeded to raise the volume to drown out the increasingly louder banging on his door. Thanks to the blaring sound as he set his TV's volume to the max Dave failed to hear the sound of his door being unlocked and could only stare in utter surprise as a team of buff men, a butler and his 13 year old niece walked nonchalantly into his living room.<br><br>"Excuse me, Ma'am? Where do you want the package to be installed?"<br><br>"Hmm, here is just fine"<br><br>"Sorry, but I don't think this um...place has enough room"<br><br>"Just throw the coffee table out then"<br><br>"Excuse me, Ma'am but we're a delivery and installation company not the garbage man."<br><br>"Samuel"<br><br>Walking up to the largest man who appeared to be the leader of the group the butler took out a stash of 100 dollar bills which soon vanished.<br><br>"Let's get this coffee table out of the way then! Hurry up men! We got 5 more orders today so be quick now!"<br><br>The mug of coffee dropped onto the arm of his coach as Dave silently continued to watch in disbelief as he processed in the sight of a group of men marching out with his coffee table only to march back in carrying what appeared to be a giant alien spaceship pod. The whirring sound of nail being screwed in could be heard as the crew quickly went to work. While the group of men were working the butler who was accompanying his 13 year old niece started to walk straight towards Dave who was still staring in shock at the workers.<br>With a flick of his hands the butler procured a spray can and a towel out of nowhere. The glint of light reflecting off the cylinder can caught Dave's attention as he finally noticed the approaching butler.<br><br>Huh? What was that light? Hmm? It's that butler...what's that in his hand?<br>Squinting his eyes Dave tried to read what the label on the can said.<br>...Bath in a can? Wha-?<br><br>A spray of liquid white foam cut off any thoughts Dave had as the butler continued to spray the foamy concoction all over him causing Dave to cough in sputter, caught by surprise a mouthful of foam entered his mouth causing him to cough in spit as he desperately sought for air.<br><br>In a matter of seconds a snowman made out of foam could be seen sitting on the coach. The rough feeling of a towel could be felt as the butler wiped the foam of Dave. Dave swore inside his mind as he thought to himself that the butler unnecessarily put to much force for when the butler was wiping his face it felt as if the towel would rip his face right off. <br><br>A blast of hot air removed the last of the foam as the butler, or as Dave would later dub him as the "Crazy Magic Man", seemed to once again procure another object out of thin air, this time a hair dryer. During this whole scene the team of buff men continued to work diligently ignoring the butler's antics. <br><br>"Boss, what is he doing?"<br>"Ignore it men."<br>"But..."<br>"Like I said ignore it. Better not to get involved and hurry up. The sooner we get done the sooner we can get out of here."<br><br>Bobbing their heads in unison the workers continued to install the capsule.<br><br>The spray can and the hair dryer vanished without a trace and once again the butler procured another object out of nowhere, this time it was a small laptop. Dave continued to stare silent as the butler placed the small laptop in his hand. Running toward his side and giving Dave a quick peck on his cheek was his 13 year old niece.<br><br>Taking the butler's hand the two proceeded to leave his living room along with the team of buff men that had quickly finished their task. The whole scene had lasted only an hour but another two hours passed until Dave finally snapped out of his disbelief of the entire event.<br><br>Not sure of what to do Dave opened up the laptop the magic butler man handed to him. On the screen was list of links and after giving the links a brief glance he quickly figured out that the alien space pod in his living room was in fact a giant game console. He wasn't an avid game player and he had no interest in playing the game his niece had given him and planned to just leave the capsule there to collect dust like everything else in his living room. <br><br>With a few more clicks and scrolls Dave finally finished the last of the links. Closing down the windows he paused at the title of a single file on the laptops screen. The title was addressed to him and out of curiosity Dave opened the file which contained a video file. Clicking on the file the media player popped up and soon Dave found himself staring at the face of the butler who was staring at him with an expressionless face. <br><br>For some reason the beginning of the scene showed the magic butler man. Suddenly the butler's lips raised revealing a smile. The smile was rather creepy causing Dave to shudder as he felt a sudden chill despite how hot it was in his dusty and unkempt room. Not knowing what the purpose of this video was for Dave continued to watch the video. As time passed Dave's puzzled face slowly transformed into a mask of pure and absolute terror and after another 3 minutes he soon found himself on his knees holding a trash bin to his face; a pool of bile soon formed inside. With shaky knees Dave got up, his hands holding onto the capsule for support.<br><br>Turning his head slowly back Dave caught the message at the video's last scene. <br><br>Play the game Dave or else. <br><br>With a gulp Dave pressed the glowing red button at the side of the silver pod or as he now knew as the capsule. The capsule whirred as the top slowly opened up revealing an electric gel bed. With a final glance at the video's end message Dave reluctantly crawled into the capsule. As he got in the capsules whirred and soon everything was dark except for the dimly glowing buttons next to his side. Pressing the light blue button Dave felt the world fall apart as he plunged into an abyss of darkness.<br><br>Nervously looking around Dave continued to fidget until a message popped up in front of him.<br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td colspan="4">Do you wish to connect to Royal Road?</td></tr><tr><td colspan="2">Yes</td><td colspan="2">No</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div> </div>

3 years has passed since the successful first release of the ever so popular game, Royal Road a virtual mmorpg with a ground breaking system of 99% realism. Capsules designed for the game were sold off like hot cakes and the numbers of monthly subscriptions rose astronomically. Big companies rushed in to place ads providing further increasing the already substantial amount of funds for the rapidly growing company that designed the game, Unicorn Corporations. Time passes 4 times faster inside the game; meaning that 4 days of game time was the equivalent to 1 day in real time. This perk attracted many working companies that soon found themselves saving a vast amount of time by holding meetings in the game. It soon became a common trend for other businesses and it wasn't unusual to see avast amount of players invading castles or fighting boss class monster while discussing about stocks and trades. Royal Road also provided the benefit of becoming a small vacation for those with hectic and busy schedules. Even students could benefit by regularly entering the game in order to gain extra time to study, which some did but the majority would often get sidetracked as they soon become engrossed in a quest or the many unique and exquisite events constantly occurring in Royal Road. In other words Royal Road's success is due to it's convenience and unique traits, a miniature yet vast world filled with opportunities and adventure; a world that was welcomed to all. Click* Scroll scroll scroll* Click* Going through all the reviews and articles, Dave Grudginer, a 42 year old man continued his task of opening and closing the list of links his 13 year old niece had provided for him. Dave Grudginer lived in a small apartment, which was as clean as a public outhouse at a fully booked rock concert; in other words his drab apartment was not clean at all. Through the rays of sunlight peeking through his blinds a dimly lit living room could be seen. Dirty clothes in desperate need of a good washing could be seen laying everywhere. Crumbs and spills from his messy eating habits littered the floor and a recent coffee spill stained his dusty coach leaving another dark patch which would eventually match the myriad of other old stains on his already dingy couch. This was the everyday life of Dave Grudginer, a messy, uncared for room befitting of it's current owner. However today a peculiar object intrudes on Dave Grudginer's usually mundane day. Right in the center of his living room where his coffee table used to be was a gleaming giant silvery pod, akin to something seen in an alien movie. As to how the foreign object happened intrude upon his usually mundane and messy world a peek into Dave Grudginer's mind would reveal all as he recalled the past; he didn't have to recall far for the event had taken place only 3 hours ago. Knock Knock Knock* Sipping on a very bitter black coffee devoid of any sugar Dave Grudginer continued to drink the bitter concoction ignoring the banging on his door. Knock Knock Knock knock knock knock* Turning on the TV Dave proceeded to raise the volume to drown out the increasingly louder banging on his door. Thanks to the blaring sound as he set his TV's volume to the max Dave failed to hear the sound of his door being unlocked and could only stare in utter surprise as a team of buff men, a butler and his 13 year old niece walked nonchalantly into his living room. "Excuse me, Ma'am? Where do you want the package to be installed?" "Hmm, here is just fine" "Sorry, but I don't think this um...place has enough room" "Just throw the coffee table out then" "Excuse me, Ma'am but we're a delivery and installation company not the garbage man." "Samuel" Walking up to the largest man who appeared to be the leader of the group the butler took out a stash of 100 dollar bills which soon vanished. "Let's get this coffee table out of the way then! Hurry up men! We got 5 more orders today so be quick now!" The mug of coffee dropped onto the arm of his coach as Dave silently continued to watch in disbelief as he processed in the sight of a group of men marching out with his coffee table only to march back in carrying what appeared to be a giant alien spaceship pod. The whirring sound of nail being screwed in could be heard as the crew quickly went to work. While the group of men were working the butler who was accompanying his 13 year old niece started to walk straight towards Dave who was still staring in shock at the workers. With a flick of his hands the butler procured a spray can and a towel out of nowhere. The glint of light reflecting off the cylinder can caught Dave's attention as he finally noticed the approaching butler. Huh? What was that light? Hmm? It's that butler...what's that in his hand? Squinting his eyes Dave tried to read what the label on the can said. ...Bath in a can? Wha-? A spray of liquid white foam cut off any thoughts Dave had as the butler continued to spray the foamy concoction all over him causing Dave to cough in sputter, caught by surprise a mouthful of foam entered his mouth causing him to cough in spit as he desperately sought for air. In a matter of seconds a snowman made out of foam could be seen sitting on the coach. The rough feeling of a towel could be felt as the butler wiped the foam of Dave. Dave swore inside his mind as he thought to himself that the butler unnecessarily put to much force for when the butler was wiping his face it felt as if the towel would rip his face right off. A blast of hot air removed the last of the foam as the butler, or as Dave would later dub him as the "Crazy Magic Man", seemed to once again procure another object out of thin air, this time a hair dryer. During this whole scene the team of buff men continued to work diligently ignoring the butler's antics. "Boss, what is he doing?" "Ignore it men." "But..." "Like I said ignore it. Better not to get involved and hurry up. The sooner we get done the sooner we can get out of here." Bobbing their heads in unison the workers continued to install the capsule. The spray can and the hair dryer vanished without a trace and once again the butler procured another object out of nowhere, this time it was a small laptop. Dave continued to stare silent as the butler placed the small laptop in his hand. Running toward his side and giving Dave a quick peck on his cheek was his 13 year old niece. Taking the butler's hand the two proceeded to leave his living room along with the team of buff men that had quickly finished their task. The whole scene had lasted only an hour but another two hours passed until Dave finally snapped out of his disbelief of the entire event. Not sure of what to do Dave opened up the laptop the magic butler man handed to him. On the screen was list of links and after giving the links a brief glance he quickly figured out that the alien space pod in his living room was in fact a giant game console. He wasn't an avid game player and he had no interest in playing the game his niece had given him and planned to just leave the capsule there to collect dust like everything else in his living room. With a few more clicks and scrolls Dave finally finished the last of the links. Closing down the windows he paused at the title of a single file on the laptops screen. The title was addressed to him and out of curiosity Dave opened the file which contained a video file. Clicking on the file the media player popped up and soon Dave found himself staring at the face of the butler who was staring at him with an expressionless face. For some reason the beginning of the scene showed the magic butler man. Suddenly the butler's lips raised revealing a smile. The smile was rather creepy causing Dave to shudder as he felt a sudden chill despite how hot it was in his dusty and unkempt room. Not knowing what the purpose of this video was for Dave continued to watch the video. As time passed Dave's puzzled face slowly transformed into a mask of pure and absolute terror and after another 3 minutes he soon found himself on his knees holding a trash bin to his face; a pool of bile soon formed inside. With shaky knees Dave got up, his hands holding onto the capsule for support. Turning his head slowly back Dave caught the message at the video's last scene. Play the game Dave or else. With a gulp Dave pressed the glowing red button at the side of the silver pod or as he now knew as the capsule. The capsule whirred as the top slowly opened up revealing an electric gel bed. With a final glance at the video's end message Dave reluctantly crawled into the capsule. As he got in the capsules whirred and soon everything was dark except for the dimly glowing buttons next to his side. Pressing the light blue button Dave felt the world fall apart as he plunged into an abyss of darkness. Nervously looking around Dave continued to fidget until a message popped up in front of him. | Do you wish to connect to Royal Road? | | | | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Yes | | No | |

<div class="chapter-inner chapter-content"> Soul-Link Chapter 10<br><br><br>“Commandeer Edwin we have annihilated 2/3 of the enemy force`s.“<br><br>“Good I will inform the lord.“<br><br>“My lord we have annihilated 2/3 of the enemy forces.“<br><br>“That is good but we have to hurry up the worker`s have to connect the base to the first floor. So we need to wrap this up send everyone to hunt down the remaining Cobalt’s.“<br><br>“As you command.“<br><br>***<br><br>“My lady we have connected the base to the first floor and The lord has cleaned up the first floor so we will assess the cost of building a military base.“<br><br>“Ok.“<br><br>“Hey Eva let’s go to Andre. But we can better say our in game names from now on you know my name is Sandra only I don’t know yours.“<br><br>“I’m called Rachel in game.“<br><br>“Andre is called Xandit.“<br><br>“Good to know“<br><br>***<br><br>“Xandit.“<br><br>“Sandra, Eva“<br><br>“She is called Rachel in game.“<br><br>“Ok. So Rachel has Sandra told you what happened?“<br><br>“Yes she did. And I struck a deal with Sandra but you will have to talk about that in private as you do not want other ear’s hear it.“<br><br>“I will hear it from Sandra latter then, by the way what is your level and class?“<br><br>“I´m level 136 and class is assassin.“<br><br>“once we are on floor 3 do you want to assist the army.“<br><br>“Why floor 3?“<br><br>“because there are enemy for your level there if you would help now you would only slow the growth of the army and their combat experience but you’re always welcome to help the support army. “<br><br>“My lady and lord, we have estimated we need 2 weeks and 65k gold to build a strong military base with one castle to defend the entree of your royal base and two castle in the front to defend from incoming enemies with a wall between them and two walls going to the end of the floor so that not one can enter only through the two castles. Behind the walls will be a small city for the soldiers and all the needs the support army required like blacksmith buildings, restaurants, drill field and all the other stuff“<br><br>For a clear image.<br><br><a href="http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/809/v7bn.png/" target="_blank"><img src="http://img809.imageshack.us/img809/1461/v7bn.png" border="0" alt="http%3a%2f%2fimg809.imageshack.us%2fimg809%2f1461%2fv7bn.png"></a><br><br> “That is within budget “<br><br>“Yeah, go ahead and build it.“<br><br>“Yes my lady.“<br><br>“What are we going to do in the mean while Xandit?“<br><br>“I know something, Sir Edwin.“<br><br>“Yes my lord?“<br><br>***<br><br>2 weeks pasted<br><br>The military base had been build and the army was now ready to enter the fourth floor.<br><br>“My lady and lord we are done with the military base.“<br><br><blockquote><cite>Quote:</cite>*Ting<br><br>First medium sides military base build by order of a player<br><br>+1000 fame.</blockquote><br><br><blockquote><cite>Quote:</cite>*Ting <br>1st base menu unlocked.<br><br>1st base menu<br><br>Population : 734/5000<br>Castle’s: 3<br>Income: 0<br>Upkeep: 1630 gold a month <br>Press here to enter owner`s menu</blockquote><br><br>“Then the last thing will be the royal retreat.“<br><br>“I already have the estimated costs it will be 186k gold “<br><br>“Go ahead.“<br><br>“Xandit we only have around 120k left so we need to watch our spending. The last time we were on floor 4 we cloud not enter the giant lizard man base. We saw them bring loot inside so they probably have a treasury.“<br><br>“Then I will tell my soldiers that the loot from inside the base belongs to their lord and Lady.“<br><br>“That will do.“<br><br>“We are moving out in 3 hours. So if you’ve got to do something I would advise you to take care of it“<br><br>***<br><br>“Fyona.“<br><br>“Yes mom?“<br><br>“I have to go again to clear a floor after we have defeated all the monster`s there we can go there together to see the mines but you have to do your homework first.“<br><br>“But I want to go with you and fight the monster.“<br><br>“All in due time, Once you twelve we will begin combat training but first you will have to learn about the world and you’re a heir to the royal family one day you have to rule the kingdom your grandpa is ruling and you need to know how to govern a kingdom before combat.“<br><br>“But…“ (Sad face)<br><br>“Sorry but you’re not yet ready right now you’re learning about diplomacy and the topographical layout of the kingdom after that you will learn the history of how your family got in power and after that you will read about different way’s of fighting and when you have a clear image of want you want to become you will start your combat training.“<br> <br>“Sandra are you ready?“<br><br>“Yeah I’m. “<br><br>“See you in a few days Fyona listen well to Julia.“<br><br>“Yes mom“.<br><br>Xandit and Sandra walked in front of the now combat hardened soldiers. Their level ranged between 110 to 170. The only down side was not all of the soldiers had good armor so they were not that efficient jet. But after this floor there would be a changes in that.<br><br>“Listen up all!“<br><br>“on the next floor there are 3 priority targets. 1 is the mines 2 is the enemy base and 3 is the treasury inside the enemy base. All the loot inside the enemy base belongs to your lord and lady. Loot from dead body will disturbed fairly. We are fighting against giant lizard man their levels range between 140-160 but they are low in number a max of 1000 lizard men occupy the floor 100 for each mine and 400 in their base. So we will first clear the mines and then move up to the base.“<br><br>“Soldier`s hear my words the mines will be important as you will get new armor from it. NEW ARMOR! AND WEAPONS.“<br><br>“LONG LIVE THE LORD, LONG LIVE THE LORD!“<br><br>“We will now move out!“<br><br>On the fourth floor after they took over the fifth mine the enemy lighted a signal fire. In response a army of 250 Giant lizard man was send out from their main base to take out the intruders. Not know of that Xandit and Sandra’s army went after the sixth mine and was almost pinned down between two fronts. If not for Sandra’s superior Aoxtz sense that now when even further noticed a army of lizard man incoming from 320 meters Xandit only sensed them when they were in range of his 130 meter range he trained his skill a lot but could not keep up with Sandra skills Sandra was just too good at it.<br><br>Sandra was a fast reader and had a lot of interests in the history of Royal Road that an AI had created with so much detail like the game was made with a start of 100 AI’s and then fast forwarded it 2000 years to get to this point there was such a rich history it was difficult to imagine that a AI could created it. But the thing that peaked her interest after reading hundreds of book the most was when she came upon a book about mythical creatures that could be summoned by offering very large amount of mana. And that everyone can summon them once in their life time if they offer enough mana. And if the creature liked the taste of your mana they sometime offer you a contract.<br><br>Sandra whispered to Xandit “I’m going to burn almost all of our mana so keep that in mind when fighting.“<br><br>“All mighty Ifrit I call upon your power to destroy my enemy’s. Rain down the fire and obliterate my enemy’s.“<br><br>Almost all her mana was drain and after a few second the earth underneath the giant lizard man started to shake and crumble. lava spew from the ground and rain drips of fire fell from the ceiling. Killing all the giant lizard man.<br><br>When this hellish spectacle was under way all the soldiers and lizard mans watch it unfold too distracted to even fight with each other after the spectacle was done the moral of the enemy was broken and the moral of Xandit and Sandra army was sky rocketing<br><br><blockquote><cite>Quote:</cite>*Ting<br><br>You have been offer a contract with king of fire Ifrit(1)<br><br>50% more fire damage <br>50% more fire resistant<br>Receive 25 % more damage from ice damage <br>Can summer Ifrit once a day consumes 90% of your mana the more mana you offer the stronger Ifrit will be<br><br>Restrictions Sandra only.<br><br>Do you accept<br><br>Yes/No</blockquote><br><br>“Yes.“<br><br>You have accepted the contract.<br><br>Taking advantage of the de-moralized enemy army. They broke through the main gate of the mining base. And rushed in to kill every last lizard man.<br><br>“Well done my army. There is only one more base remaining. And we will also take that one!“<br><br>As moral was very high there were massive cheers.<br><br>***<br><br>At the gate of the lizard man main base Xandit decided to not attack head on as he had done with the mining base because of the casualties 14 soldiers died be it was acceptably because it were surprise attacks but the enemy was now aware of them so there will be a lot more casualties if he attacked head on.<br>“We need battery rams but there is no wood on this floor there is wood but on the third floor there is but we need time to get that here.“<br><br>“I will go get the wood then Xandit.“<br><br>“Take 70 soldiers with you then in the mean time I will block of the lizard man base and wait for you to come back Sandra.“<br><br>“Cya in 4 days then.“<br><br>In the 4 days of absent<br><br>They were raided 3 time`s in the first raid there were 7 casualties and the second time 3 casualties but on the third time was the charm they were prepared for a raid and Xandit Forces obliterated the enemy raid. Around 100 lizard man were killed that night. Leaving 50 to 100 lizard man in their main base.<br><br>“I’m back Xandit I see you killed some lizard man?“<br><br>“Yeah they raided us two time`s and tried a third time those stupid lizard man.“<br><br>“Well they made it easier for us to take over the base less enemy’s to kill.“<br><br>“Do you got the supplies for the rams?“<br><br>“Yes I have it all with me we only have to make them.“<br><br>After some work the rams were made and they went on the offensive.<br>The giant lizard man base was now undermanned and could not defend against Xandit and Sandra’s army armed with rams. <br><br>Every lizard man that went on the wall died in second from the archers good aim. As they could not afford to lose more men in their defense and choice to retreat back to the HQ and hold out as long as possible not that it would save their life’s just as long as they could take out one or two more enemy soldiers was enough for them.<br><br>In minutes every build was secured except the enemy HQ. not wanting to risk anymore soldiers life Xandit went in himself as he was still 70 to a 100 levels higher and could easily take on 25 lizard man or so he thought.<br><br>“I will go in myself.“<br><br>“My Lord I would not recommend doing that.“<br><br>“I know Edwin but if I send in soldiers I would lose valuable life that I cannot afford to lose“ <br><br>“Allow me to accompany you then.“<br><br>“Can’t do that I have other plans for you. when I’m inside for 5 minutes you follow with the whole army.“<br><br>“Ok, Lord but I still think someone should accompany you.“<br><br>“Who would not be a dead weight Sandra is more mid range long range the soldiers are too low in level`s to be effective against such odds and you I need to command the army in case something unexpected happens. So who would qualify Edwin?“<br><br>“No one at the moment lord.“<br><br>“Well there you have your answer I know you have the best in mind but I have to do this and it will show that I’m a great fighter and they will be proud to serve a lord that goes in to battle himself even more.“<br><br>“You say great fighter but some could say madman.“<br><br>“Sometime you need a madman to get the best outcome. I know I can win with some dead soldiers but right now I can’t afford that so just accept that for now. When we are done with the fourth floor we can get more soldiers we have the housing to have 4000 more soldiers. We just need to wait 1 month for the monster to re-spawn.“<br><br>“Very well but you have to promise to not do this kind of actions again when we have a bigger army.“<br><br>“I promise.“<br><br>*Ting <br><br>Sir Edwin has gained some trust in you. keep your promise and you will receive more trust from Sir Edwin.<br><br>Because of your actions Sir Edwin’s respect for you has increased.<br><br>“Well I’m going in. see you in 5 minutes.“ As Xandit walked to the building Sandra sensed Xandit sucking in very large amount of AX the amount he sucked in was 4 time more than the maximum Sandra could consume. She also sensed it was getting unstable at least that is what she thought. For Xandit`s time started to slow down as he went further out of sync with the time line of RR the only problem was that Xandit had not trained to hold so much AX in his body and couldn't control the effect so his body started to regenerating but as he was on full health he started to lose health his stats increased by 1 % every 1 minute he knew it would all come crashing down in time he got maybe 4 and a half minute before his body would not function anymore.<br><br>Sir Edwin had also noticed what Xandit did but not to the degree of Sandra. All his life he served the king that also could use ax he trained hard to extend his life with AX it took him years. And now he sensed the same with Xandit but even more intense. As he know what his king could do with AX. He also know from Cliff that Xandit started training in the art of Aoxtz less than a year ago. Amazed by the Xandit progress but also scared to shit if he were to go on a rampage with another 5 years of training no one in this world could defeat him. With art of Aoxtz there is no limited the only limit is how well you can learn it. (2)<br><br>Inside the building Xandit was ambushed in a corridor from two sides 25 lizard man attacked him the first one he had to dodge the second one he sliced him in half. But the third and fourth could damage him surprised by the damage they did he noticed they were not ordinary giant lizard man all had unique name’s there level were around 230 to 270 they also had rare and unique armor &amp; weapons equipped. Using his wind blade to slow them down and do some damage we could dodge and strike some lizard man but they did not hit all of them.<br><br>“Stand still you mother fuckers!.“<br><br>One of the lizard man blade hit Xandit right next to his eye and made a cut above his ear.<br><br>*Ting<br><br>You're bleeding will lose 50 HP every 5/sec.<br><br>Xandit started to get more and more angry. (Can’t stand losing)<br><br>After every cut he wanted to kill them more and more.<br><br>But all of them were still alive<br><br>And the effects of his AX were not helping as 4 minutes 30 second had passed it did more harm than good<br><br>Wanting to kill them all and his anger were not helping as his guard was weakening in that moment all the lizard man when forward and stab him leaving him only with 10/23065 health ‘I will at least take one of you with me!’<br><br><blockquote><cite>Quote:</cite>*Ting<br><br>Skill Last stand unlocked<br><br>When you have less than 3% health.<br>You will send a shockwave from the core of your body dealing true damage of you missing health <br><br>The damage will double if your below 1% health <br><br>Friendly fire possible</blockquote><br><br>[active last stand]<br><br><blockquote><cite>Quote:</cite>*Ting<br><br>Level up<br>Level up</blockquote><br>After a few second his health was above the 10% health thanks to Sandra healing here self repeated. her help saved his life with the last attack of the lizard man, other ways he would not have survived.<br><br>“Xandit whispered Sandra. You can come in Sandra I have cleared the building I have also found the treasury.“<br><br>“Sir Edwin Xandit has cleared the building we can go in.“<br><br>Xandit and Sandra stood in the treasury room with their jaws open. When Sir Edwin walked in he could not believe his eyes.<br><br>Tens of pure gold statues, hundreds maybe thousands of jewelr’s, rare ore’s, boxes full of silverware, High grade swords and armor all this was worth close to 3 million gold. They could now call them self the riches players in the game.<br><br>-End-<br><br>(1) Ifrit is a summoned monster in the game final fantasy 8.<br><br>(2) (for clarification the skill Aoxtz has no limits the user is the limit. Aoxtz will continue the evolve from the users way of using the skill. If he or she thinks I cannot do that you will not be able to do it if you think you can you will be able to do it. You can compare it with manipulating computer data and adjusting it to your own purposes or if it does not exist you create it by adding another line of code. Another thing why Xandit and Sandra can get so good at it so fast is because Cliff, Verefas, The King and Sir Edwin are limited by the program they are a AI But they are no TRUE AI The major different is that a normal AI you can set rules and it would never break it but a TRUE AI if you set a rule it will follow it for a while but if he find out he need something but to get it he has to break a rule set up by the system he is going to think is it worth breaking the rule yes or no. Sometime in real life you need to go to work but you have a red sigh but no one is watching you can choice to go and drive or wait for a green sign and it is up to your character to go through red or green. So what I want to say is that the AI in this game are bound to the rules in the system and can’t think outside the box and thereby limiting them self)<br><br>PF NOTE - what about goddess of Versalies?(and androids?) </div>

Soul-Link Chapter 10 “Commandeer Edwin we have annihilated 2/3 of the enemy force`s.“ “Good I will inform the lord.“ “My lord we have annihilated 2/3 of the enemy forces.“ “That is good but we have to hurry up the worker`s have to connect the base to the first floor. So we need to wrap this up send everyone to hunt down the remaining Cobalt’s.“ “As you command.“ *** “My lady we have connected the base to the first floor and The lord has cleaned up the first floor so we will assess the cost of building a military base.“ “Ok.“ “Hey Eva let’s go to Andre. But we can better say our in game names from now on you know my name is Sandra only I don’t know yours.“ “I’m called Rachel in game.“ “Andre is called Xandit.“ “Good to know“ *** “Xandit.“ “Sandra, Eva“ “She is called Rachel in game.“ “Ok. So Rachel has Sandra told you what happened?“ “Yes she did. And I struck a deal with Sandra but you will have to talk about that in private as you do not want other ear’s hear it.“ “I will hear it from Sandra latter then, by the way what is your level and class?“ “I´m level 136 and class is assassin.“ “once we are on floor 3 do you want to assist the army.“ “Why floor 3?“ “because there are enemy for your level there if you would help now you would only slow the growth of the army and their combat experience but you’re always welcome to help the support army. “ “My lady and lord, we have estimated we need 2 weeks and 65k gold to build a strong military base with one castle to defend the entree of your royal base and two castle in the front to defend from incoming enemies with a wall between them and two walls going to the end of the floor so that not one can enter only through the two castles. Behind the walls will be a small city for the soldiers and all the needs the support army required like blacksmith buildings, restaurants, drill field and all the other stuff“ For a clear image. [](http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/809/v7bn.png/) “That is within budget “ “Yeah, go ahead and build it.“ “Yes my lady.“ “What are we going to do in the mean while Xandit?“ “I know something, Sir Edwin.“ “Yes my lord?“ *** 2 weeks pasted The military base had been build and the army was now ready to enter the fourth floor. “My lady and lord we are done with the military base.“ > Quote:*Ting > > First medium sides military base build by order of a player > > +1000 fame. > Quote:*Ting > 1st base menu unlocked. > > 1st base menu > > Population : 734/5000 > Castle’s: 3 > Income: 0 > Upkeep: 1630 gold a month > Press here to enter owner`s menu “Then the last thing will be the royal retreat.“ “I already have the estimated costs it will be 186k gold “ “Go ahead.“ “Xandit we only have around 120k left so we need to watch our spending. The last time we were on floor 4 we cloud not enter the giant lizard man base. We saw them bring loot inside so they probably have a treasury.“ “Then I will tell my soldiers that the loot from inside the base belongs to their lord and Lady.“ “That will do.“ “We are moving out in 3 hours. So if you’ve got to do something I would advise you to take care of it“ *** “Fyona.“ “Yes mom?“ “I have to go again to clear a floor after we have defeated all the monster`s there we can go there together to see the mines but you have to do your homework first.“ “But I want to go with you and fight the monster.“ “All in due time, Once you twelve we will begin combat training but first you will have to learn about the world and you’re a heir to the royal family one day you have to rule the kingdom your grandpa is ruling and you need to know how to govern a kingdom before combat.“ “But…“ (Sad face) “Sorry but you’re not yet ready right now you’re learning about diplomacy and the topographical layout of the kingdom after that you will learn the history of how your family got in power and after that you will read about different way’s of fighting and when you have a clear image of want you want to become you will start your combat training.“ “Sandra are you ready?“ “Yeah I’m. “ “See you in a few days Fyona listen well to Julia.“ “Yes mom“. Xandit and Sandra walked in front of the now combat hardened soldiers. Their level ranged between 110 to 170. The only down side was not all of the soldiers had good armor so they were not that efficient jet. But after this floor there would be a changes in that. “Listen up all!“ “on the next floor there are 3 priority targets. 1 is the mines 2 is the enemy base and 3 is the treasury inside the enemy base. All the loot inside the enemy base belongs to your lord and lady. Loot from dead body will disturbed fairly. We are fighting against giant lizard man their levels range between 140-160 but they are low in number a max of 1000 lizard men occupy the floor 100 for each mine and 400 in their base. So we will first clear the mines and then move up to the base.“ “Soldier`s hear my words the mines will be important as you will get new armor from it. NEW ARMOR! AND WEAPONS.“ “LONG LIVE THE LORD, LONG LIVE THE LORD!“ “We will now move out!“ On the fourth floor after they took over the fifth mine the enemy lighted a signal fire. In response a army of 250 Giant lizard man was send out from their main base to take out the intruders. Not know of that Xandit and Sandra’s army went after the sixth mine and was almost pinned down between two fronts. If not for Sandra’s superior Aoxtz sense that now when even further noticed a army of lizard man incoming from 320 meters Xandit only sensed them when they were in range of his 130 meter range he trained his skill a lot but could not keep up with Sandra skills Sandra was just too good at it. Sandra was a fast reader and had a lot of interests in the history of Royal Road that an AI had created with so much detail like the game was made with a start of 100 AI’s and then fast forwarded it 2000 years to get to this point there was such a rich history it was difficult to imagine that a AI could created it. But the thing that peaked her interest after reading hundreds of book the most was when she came upon a book about mythical creatures that could be summoned by offering very large amount of mana. And that everyone can summon them once in their life time if they offer enough mana. And if the creature liked the taste of your mana they sometime offer you a contract. Sandra whispered to Xandit “I’m going to burn almost all of our mana so keep that in mind when fighting.“ “All mighty Ifrit I call upon your power to destroy my enemy’s. Rain down the fire and obliterate my enemy’s.“ Almost all her mana was drain and after a few second the earth underneath the giant lizard man started to shake and crumble. lava spew from the ground and rain drips of fire fell from the ceiling. Killing all the giant lizard man. When this hellish spectacle was under way all the soldiers and lizard mans watch it unfold too distracted to even fight with each other after the spectacle was done the moral of the enemy was broken and the moral of Xandit and Sandra army was sky rocketing > Quote:*Ting > > You have been offer a contract with king of fire Ifrit(1) > > 50% more fire damage > 50% more fire resistant > Receive 25 % more damage from ice damage > Can summer Ifrit once a day consumes 90% of your mana the more mana you offer the stronger Ifrit will be > > Restrictions Sandra only. > > Do you accept > > Yes/No “Yes.“ You have accepted the contract. Taking advantage of the de-moralized enemy army. They broke through the main gate of the mining base. And rushed in to kill every last lizard man. “Well done my army. There is only one more base remaining. And we will also take that one!“ As moral was very high there were massive cheers. *** At the gate of the lizard man main base Xandit decided to not attack head on as he had done with the mining base because of the casualties 14 soldiers died be it was acceptably because it were surprise attacks but the enemy was now aware of them so there will be a lot more casualties if he attacked head on. “We need battery rams but there is no wood on this floor there is wood but on the third floor there is but we need time to get that here.“ “I will go get the wood then Xandit.“ “Take 70 soldiers with you then in the mean time I will block of the lizard man base and wait for you to come back Sandra.“ “Cya in 4 days then.“ In the 4 days of absent They were raided 3 time`s in the first raid there were 7 casualties and the second time 3 casualties but on the third time was the charm they were prepared for a raid and Xandit Forces obliterated the enemy raid. Around 100 lizard man were killed that night. Leaving 50 to 100 lizard man in their main base. “I’m back Xandit I see you killed some lizard man?“ “Yeah they raided us two time`s and tried a third time those stupid lizard man.“ “Well they made it easier for us to take over the base less enemy’s to kill.“ “Do you got the supplies for the rams?“ “Yes I have it all with me we only have to make them.“ After some work the rams were made and they went on the offensive. The giant lizard man base was now undermanned and could not defend against Xandit and Sandra’s army armed with rams. Every lizard man that went on the wall died in second from the archers good aim. As they could not afford to lose more men in their defense and choice to retreat back to the HQ and hold out as long as possible not that it would save their life’s just as long as they could take out one or two more enemy soldiers was enough for them. In minutes every build was secured except the enemy HQ. not wanting to risk anymore soldiers life Xandit went in himself as he was still 70 to a 100 levels higher and could easily take on 25 lizard man or so he thought. “I will go in myself.“ “My Lord I would not recommend doing that.“ “I know Edwin but if I send in soldiers I would lose valuable life that I cannot afford to lose“ “Allow me to accompany you then.“ “Can’t do that I have other plans for you. when I’m inside for 5 minutes you follow with the whole army.“ “Ok, Lord but I still think someone should accompany you.“ “Who would not be a dead weight Sandra is more mid range long range the soldiers are too low in level`s to be effective against such odds and you I need to command the army in case something unexpected happens. So who would qualify Edwin?“ “No one at the moment lord.“ “Well there you have your answer I know you have the best in mind but I have to do this and it will show that I’m a great fighter and they will be proud to serve a lord that goes in to battle himself even more.“ “You say great fighter but some could say madman.“ “Sometime you need a madman to get the best outcome. I know I can win with some dead soldiers but right now I can’t afford that so just accept that for now. When we are done with the fourth floor we can get more soldiers we have the housing to have 4000 more soldiers. We just need to wait 1 month for the monster to re-spawn.“ “Very well but you have to promise to not do this kind of actions again when we have a bigger army.“ “I promise.“ *Ting Sir Edwin has gained some trust in you. keep your promise and you will receive more trust from Sir Edwin. Because of your actions Sir Edwin’s respect for you has increased. “Well I’m going in. see you in 5 minutes.“ As Xandit walked to the building Sandra sensed Xandit sucking in very large amount of AX the amount he sucked in was 4 time more than the maximum Sandra could consume. She also sensed it was getting unstable at least that is what she thought. For Xandit`s time started to slow down as he went further out of sync with the time line of RR the only problem was that Xandit had not trained to hold so much AX in his body and couldn't control the effect so his body started to regenerating but as he was on full health he started to lose health his stats increased by 1 % every 1 minute he knew it would all come crashing down in time he got maybe 4 and a half minute before his body would not function anymore. Sir Edwin had also noticed what Xandit did but not to the degree of Sandra. All his life he served the king that also could use ax he trained hard to extend his life with AX it took him years. And now he sensed the same with Xandit but even more intense. As he know what his king could do with AX. He also know from Cliff that Xandit started training in the art of Aoxtz less than a year ago. Amazed by the Xandit progress but also scared to shit if he were to go on a rampage with another 5 years of training no one in this world could defeat him. With art of Aoxtz there is no limited the only limit is how well you can learn it. (2) Inside the building Xandit was ambushed in a corridor from two sides 25 lizard man attacked him the first one he had to dodge the second one he sliced him in half. But the third and fourth could damage him surprised by the damage they did he noticed they were not ordinary giant lizard man all had unique name’s there level were around 230 to 270 they also had rare and unique armor & weapons equipped. Using his wind blade to slow them down and do some damage we could dodge and strike some lizard man but they did not hit all of them. “Stand still you mother fuckers!.“ One of the lizard man blade hit Xandit right next to his eye and made a cut above his ear. *Ting You're bleeding will lose 50 HP every 5/sec. Xandit started to get more and more angry. (Can’t stand losing) After every cut he wanted to kill them more and more. But all of them were still alive And the effects of his AX were not helping as 4 minutes 30 second had passed it did more harm than good Wanting to kill them all and his anger were not helping as his guard was weakening in that moment all the lizard man when forward and stab him leaving him only with 10/23065 health ‘I will at least take one of you with me!’ > Quote:*Ting > > Skill Last stand unlocked > > When you have less than 3% health. > You will send a shockwave from the core of your body dealing true damage of you missing health > > The damage will double if your below 1% health > > Friendly fire possible [active last stand] > Quote:*Ting > > Level up > Level up After a few second his health was above the 10% health thanks to Sandra healing here self repeated. her help saved his life with the last attack of the lizard man, other ways he would not have survived. “Xandit whispered Sandra. You can come in Sandra I have cleared the building I have also found the treasury.“ “Sir Edwin Xandit has cleared the building we can go in.“ Xandit and Sandra stood in the treasury room with their jaws open. When Sir Edwin walked in he could not believe his eyes. Tens of pure gold statues, hundreds maybe thousands of jewelr’s, rare ore’s, boxes full of silverware, High grade swords and armor all this was worth close to 3 million gold. They could now call them self the riches players in the game. -End- (1) Ifrit is a summoned monster in the game final fantasy 8. (2) (for clarification the skill Aoxtz has no limits the user is the limit. Aoxtz will continue the evolve from the users way of using the skill. If he or she thinks I cannot do that you will not be able to do it if you think you can you will be able to do it. You can compare it with manipulating computer data and adjusting it to your own purposes or if it does not exist you create it by adding another line of code. Another thing why Xandit and Sandra can get so good at it so fast is because Cliff, Verefas, The King and Sir Edwin are limited by the program they are a AI But they are no TRUE AI The major different is that a normal AI you can set rules and it would never break it but a TRUE AI if you set a rule it will follow it for a while but if he find out he need something but to get it he has to break a rule set up by the system he is going to think is it worth breaking the rule yes or no. Sometime in real life you need to go to work but you have a red sigh but no one is watching you can choice to go and drive or wait for a green sign and it is up to your character to go through red or green. So what I want to say is that the AI in this game are bound to the rules in the system and can’t think outside the box and thereby limiting them self) PF NOTE - what about goddess of Versalies?(and androids?)

<div class="chapter-inner chapter-content"> Adria was walking alongside Winter. She was dressed in her combat gear that Minalan had prepared for her. Adria spent the next two days close to the camp where Winter logged out to crash. The news that Summer provided Winter did not affect his plan to go back to Cosare, except to make the travel less urgent, and the route more direct. They had needed to head out straight to the border of the territory and circle far. Instead, they chose the direct route to Cosare, which appeared to pass through pretty close to Harine. <br><br>“Uncle Winter. What will you do once you get back?” Adria suddenly asked. <br><br>They had spent the the day traveling in the South Westerly direction. <br><br>“Hmm... I don’t know. Maybe relax and do some fishing. I feel that I could use a few weeks of break,” Winter was mainly tired of seeing too many players in a single spot. The toll of furiously cooking, too, was not forgotten. He could use some quiet and solitude for a while in-game.<br><br>“Then.... can I join you?”<br><br>“Of course, Adria. You are always welcome. You know that.”<br><br>“Where do you want to go?”<br><br>“I don’t know. Do you have a good place in mind?” Winter asked back. <br><br>The only good fishing spot he knew was the hilltop lake where the lizardmen congregated yearly. That would be his chosen fishing spot if Adria could not come up with anything.<br><br>“How about Lir river just outside the city? There is this creek where there are tree canopies.”<br><br>“Maybe. Might be better than the hilltop lake I was thinking.”<br><br>“The one with the lizardmen?”<br><br>The two of them talked further on where they would go fishing once they got back.<br><br><div style="text-align: center;">xXx</div><br><br>A tiny figure barely three feet in height was churning her feet quickly. Its face remained blank even though it should be in distress. A figure much taller than the small running form was behind her.<br><br><span style="font-style: italic;">’How persistent! Can she not just leave me alone!’</span><br><br>The hair was a hue of purple that progressed to a little of pink at the tips of the hair, tied on each side of the head in the shape of ponytails high up. The swaying end that moved in rhythm with her footsteps barely reached the nape of her neck. A frilly maid headpiece was also swaying with the twin ponytail.<br><br>The tiny figure was ahead of her pursuer by means of consuming a speed potion that had increased her running speed by 400%. She was safe since she had infinite stamina. But her satiety bars were rather low. Her avatar would refuse to move if it was empty, and she could only consume the food in slow, small bites. The race she just converted to had a special diet and an enhanced palate. The food she ate tasted so.... heavenly, that she had to stop to appreciate it.<br><br>It was not the first time she was pursued by players since she converted. But it was the first time she found one so persistent. Served her right to trust in her natural non-aggression ability that made her safe from monsters and NPCs, but not players. If she had stayed in town, she would be totally safe. Maybe not. Last time, she stayed barely three hours before three female players began pestering her. This one had stalked her since she entered the town six days ago, and had pursued her since she left three days ago. <br><br>She was not out to kill her. She doubted anything would want to kill her, but she was facing something that could be worse than getting killed. So she ran and ran.<br><br>Her bright, flame orange-colored eyes, that seemed to look constantly bored, searched for an escape avenue. At least a place where she could refill her satiety for a bit. Her pursuers should be on their last legs. If she could last a little longer...<br><br>Her feet, encased in tiny, black shoes, with alternating black and white socks, ate up the ground as fast as she could. But she was hindered by the uneven ground. This avatar and sub-race was not designed for fast travel at all. The skirt she wore was equally black, with a large black ribbon wider than her, that kept it secured. Her shirt was a little reminiscent of a maid outfit, with a hem that covered her hands and ended in large frills. If she stood still, with arms at her side, the frills would touch the ground a little. <br><br>The skirt was short, though for her height of a meter, it looked large and fluffy, mainly due to her feet being short. The only decoration she wore, aside from the maid headpiece, was an eye-shaped brooch worn vertically. It was red, with a redder, protruding, smooth sphere trapped on the center. A length of cord that was red in color, ending in two large spheres made from an unknown substance, was dangling under the brooch, resembling two cherries. She never tried removing it, but it seemed to be used to secure the very broad, long collar with a single black line sewn near the edges of it. The same went for the white shirt containing a light hue of purple, like her hair, that she wore. You could tell it was purple, but yet still looked white.<br><br>She was dismayed when she topped the crest of a hill. She would have picked another path if she could see what was at the end of the path. A cliff. Despite her dismay, the expression of her avatar remained as blank as a paper. She was at the literal end of the road.<br>*Crunch*<br><br>The female player that had been chasing after her, crunched the gravel a few meters behind her. She immediately whipped her head so as to not place her back in unsafe direction.<br><br>This female player with black hair was so beautiful that if she existed in real life, she would feel jealousy. That complexion, limb ratio, facial features, and style, was perfect. It annoyed her even more that she could tell this was done naturally, and was not a cultivated look. She wondered if this female player looked like this in real life.<br><br>During the whole chase, this player never spoke a word, not even to ask her to stop running. That only scared her even more! She could feel the player’s eyes continuously chasing after her. No matter what she did, she never managed to lose the girl long enough to get to safety.<br><br>The female player did not pull the large sword strapped on her back out. Instead, she spread her arms open, with feet spread apart too, like she wanted to catch a stray soccer ball. Whether it was in entreaty or attempt to block her route, she could not know, as nothing was said.<br><br>Her previous avatar’s name was Christina, her deceased mother’s first name. She was not used to her current avatar’s name yet, that somehow got changed with her conversion. This race was as peculiar as the quest that had led up to the conversion.<br><br>The quiet female decided that she had waited long enough. She chose to rush forward, though so far she could never match Christina’s running speed that was improved with the potion she drank. Christina reflexively backed off with quick steps. It was too fast! Before she knew it, she had backed off over the empty air.<br><br>The black-haired player missed her grab by a hand width distance. Christina had fallen off the cliff! <br><br>Christina would have screamed something human, but the sub race she had been forcefully converted to had limited language skill. What came out of her was a long cute “CHIIIMMMUUUuuuuu....!!!” while she fell from a great height to the bottom of the cliff. This was the first time she died in this avatar.<br><br>The last sight she saw was the gaze of the black-haired player that had chased after her, that promised further pursuit.<br><br><div style="text-align: center;">xXx</div><br><br>Royal Road Hall of Fame had been constructed a month after it was launched. The purpose of the page was to showcase outstanding players, usually limited to level and achievements. Players have to be invited by Unicorn Corporation to be able to post on the page. This equals to a recognition as a candidate to be an Emperor in Royal Road. <br><br>Preston was listed there, though he ranked near the bottom of the page. As a player, he was not strong or very high-leveled, but he had his own fanbase due to his brilliance in battle tactics. Most of the videos he posted were of his engagements. Small-scale battles, large-scale battles, punitive raid commands, and the seven castle siege he participated in. The first one was what propelled him to the hall of fame. But surprisingly, his recent defeat was what made him the most popular, even if it was only a week, overshadowing Ray Bard, the constant number one Hall of Fame champion.<br><br>Players posted thousands of comments upon seeing the hilarity of the situation he was in. Of non-Wizard players zipping over the night sky. The stairs that sprouted up suddenly over the east side that was not there minutes ago. <br><br>“Oh God! These guys are nuts!” One posted.<br><br>“What are you saying! They are gods for even trying this out.”<br><br>“This plan is crazy on all counts!”<br><br>“Our guild tried this method and successfully conquered a castle. It only took us half a day!”<br><br>“Me too. Also half a day!”<br><br>“I failed! But it was fun anyway!”<br><br>“I am just sorry that it is banned now.”<br><br>It was from this posted video that the term “Superman Plan” became popularly defined as a crazy plan that sounded ridiculous, but worked amazingly well. Since then, players had been finding creative methods for further possibilities of abuse.<br><br><div style="text-align: center;">xXx</div><br><br>Penelope Water was furious. Summer, Odette’s father in real life, had just told her before he logged out that the plan was thought of by a friend of his, though he did the rest of the improvements. <br><br>“You’ve probably seen him around. He was the one walking with the female NPC around the camp.” <br><br>Summer felt it was his duty to teach a lesson in humility to haughty, arrogant girls, so they would grow up proper. He also felt especially wicked as Aloine began to overly annoy him by her constant effort to wrangle a promise from him to assist her in the future. With that, he logged out, leaving stunned Aloine alone, who had spent a day in-game attached to the wrong man.<br><br>She had the same blond hair as her in-game character, though it had considerably less lustre and length in real life. The feature was also slightly enhanced and made sharper, though this particular trait was not changed too much. Her height and body build was in exact proportion as Aloine, though she might have tinkered a little with the breast size. Leaving how Aloine looked in-game, Penelope Water was beautiful enough without all the enhancements. She was also fashionable and rich, on top of being beautiful. Boys that wished to date her queue up for her pleasure. It was the only victory she had over the popular upstart Julianne Somner, that had defeated her in study and popularity among peers.<br><br>It was also the first time she felt such humiliation. To be toyed by a man, never mind if he was older and more experienced, her pride would not allow it. She swore she would find this man that spurned her and made him hers.<br><br>(Author: Women can be illogical. I never try making sense of them as I find it futile. I think the best way to survive a stormy day from a woman was to huddle down and pray hard it will pass quickly!)<br><br><div style="text-align: center;">xXx</div><br><br>Julianne Somner sat up and yawned on her bed. She just got up after a good ten hours sleep. The house was empty. Her housemates were probably out on dates with the boys. Other girls always complained over the restriction of not seeing the boys, as their living space, arranged by the school, disallowed them to bring boys back under the threat of being expelled. Julianne had gone on a few dates with a few that were polite enough to ask and wait for her answer, but so far, found none that truly interest her. At least of her own age.<br><br>It had been a few days since their victory. Her father left her a few more apologetic messages. She was going to let him stew a few more days before forgiving him. He was acting a little disgusting for his age. She need not mention his crime, for he knew well this would be the retribution, but could not resist doing it anyway. She thought that only Uncle Ronald would have this sort of problem, yet somehow, it seemed her father was infected too.<br><br>Shaking out her long hair that had frazzled after she slept on it, Julianne checked her personal mail. The ticket home for her winter vacation was booked and set. All of her friends that got invited to the castle siege had each sent her a video of their point of view. She would cut, compile it, and share it as another good memory she made among friends. Never mind Penny, who just unfriended her for some reason on the school network page. This was the third time she did such a thing over imagined slights. Julianne thought the girl seriously had issues and needed to be more honest by listening to her inner voice, but it was not her place to comment. She had her own inner voice that was speaking louder too, recently. It defied her logical thoughts on what should be moral, and she should not judge others.<br><br>Julianne sent personal replies to each of the fifteen friends she invited, and a mail to Penny, thanking her for participating,before starting the day.<br><br><div style="text-align: center;">xXx</div><br><br>While Winter and Adria were making their way home into Cosare, a merchant wagon was rolling into town.<br><br>“Phew. That was a long journey.”<br><br>The lithe figure of a woman stretched the kinks on her back and rump, that had been glued to the hard wooden seat for three weeks. At least that would be what someone in real life would do. In Royal Road, such a thing was an unnecessary gesture though. It was just human. Despite what she just said, her mood was rather sour. But it was about to get better.<br><br>She had managed to enter the city before the night fell. She had travelled pretty far. This was her first time visiting the central side of the continent, from the southern end where she was based. The figures of three warriors dropped down from the back of the wagon. The three were the warriors she picked up from the previous town as guards. This had been how Zaya travelled from town to town. This most recent batch of warriors, she would dump here in this town to pick new ones. Somehow they seemed.... unreliable.<br><br>“Sorry, you three. But I think I will sever the contract here. I plan to stick around in this town for a bit.” <br><br>She had no such plan, but she thought this was her best excuse to get one of the three away from her. The other two was never a problem in the first place.<br><br>“Come, honey. I thought you wanted us to escort you until Central Caspian. That is at least still two months travel from here.”<br><br>The words that flowed from Campbell normally would impress a lot of girls. At least that was what he thought. It was not even close to the mark. His attempt to woo girls were accepted back in the city he was based, as he was the most powerful man there. He was the guild leader of Valorous Swords, that boasted sixteen thousand members and climbing. Girls accepted his flirting as much as they could, as they liked the benefits the clueless warrior provided. Preferred hunting ground, equipment upgrades, and help when they needed it. At least, until Campbell was bored enough and dumped them, then moved to the next girl. The cycle had repeated since he began playing. <br><br>His real life money guaranteed that his equipment remained top of the line constantly, while underlings he hired in real life too, guaranteed his level. They were professional gamers, after all. If enough money was thrown around, they would bow their head to Campbell and follow his orders. They constantly provided information on where to level up and how to best do it, including helping him when they were called. Such was the power of money.<br><br>Campbell had the perfect appearance of a blond, tall, handsome, armor-clad warrior that ladies in real world would swoon after. It was not even close to how he looked in real life, but we need not discuss that here. Zaya, the brown-haired merchant, knew how deceptive a world inside a game could be, and was not impressed even a little bit by this dandy character. <br><br>It was her mistake to make the wrong hire. No, incorrect. She had made the right hire, but she did not know that Campbell already had interest in her the moment she walked into his city<br><br>Zaya’s hiring tactic was to pick one player out of many, who was willing to travel and guard her, and let that player pick who he, or in several cases, she, wanted to bring along. So far, Zaya never had to worry about the friends hired to be troublesome. She counted on the players knowing each other well, which would allow them to work together and share companionship during the travel. What she never accounted for, was for one to actually make moves on her! What she did not know was Campbell impressed upon Gaston, the one Zaya picked to hire the rest of the guards, that his time in Sumbria would be very difficult if he did not pick him and his subordinate as the two to go with him. To sweeten the deal, Campbell promised an equipment of his pick when he went to kill a boss next time. It was a no brainer what happened next.<br><br>The whole trip, Campbell tried to impress her with stories of his conquest, his prowess in battle, his real life identity of a man with a lot of interests and wealth (true on both count, except that Campbell’s great interest was how to woo the next girl he saw around the corner). Zaya tried to be as patient as possible, but even that was wearing thin, which was why she chose to dump the three here, instead of in Central Caspian. A town pretty close around the middle of nowhere, as far as she was concerned. The original player she hired, Gaston, was perfect. He was alert, strong-looking, intimidating even, and also perfectly incapable of managing his companions. He always looked apologetic of Zaya’s situation, for some reason she could not fathom. <br><br>She had no idea how the group dynamic worked here, but she would need to think about it anymore, as she would be severing their contract right then, right now.<br><br>“I know, but I think I quite like it here. I will pay the full contract so you will not be losing out.”<br><br>Zaya began to initiate trading menu to pass the 50g agreed amount to Campell, but her request to trade was instantly rejected.<br><br>“Now, now. I do not need money. I just want to spend some wonderful time with you. If you are willing to meet me in real life, that will be even better!”<br><br><span style="font-style: italic;">’Oh my god! I think I am going to hurl! This is so creepy! Getting hit on in virtual world!’</span><br><br>Zaya was completely speechless. Since she hired Gaston, Campbell and Herbert, she had the niggling feeling that something was off. With the statement she just heard, the niggling feeling became something she understood quickly. She always thought that out of the three, Gaston was the only one that fit her idea of a mercenary guard to hire for short trips in between cities. Campbell and Herbert looked like the kind of high-powered players that spend their time in dungeons killing monsters. She always thought that they were Gaston’s friends, and accompanied him because of their travel interests.<br><br>She should probably have thought something was not right as the saying of “Too good to be true” should hold even in VR. No, especially in VR. But she was blinded by the hiring price. Sumbria to Central Caspian which was three months travel distance for 50g, though any loot gained from fighting would be claimed by the three. She already made almost 10 times the amount she set aside for the contract up till now. Going by the normal rate, each day further from their destination city, a mercenary guard should be paid ten gold each. That was what Zaya paid, before she met the three.<br><br>Swallowing her panic quickly, Zaya ran through the possible answers in her head. She was not getting anything. So she decided to simply play it straight.<br><br>“I am sorry. But I think I prefer to be alone from now on,”she put as much scorn in her voice as possible. She materialised three piles of 50g and dumped it on the ground between her and Campbell. Zaya stuck by her word every single time, especially a contract.<br>She did not wait for the reply. She jumped into her wagon seat and sped away from the three. She wanted to badly forget what had happened. It was beyond creepy for a player in a game to show that much interest in her.<br><br>Zaya always used her looks to her best advantage (in-game), but this time, it backfired on her pretty badly. She had attracted the wrong sort. She prayed that she could forget such an occurrence after sleeping. Picking the closest inn available, she secured her wagon and logged out. <br><br><br>Campbell, who saw his new interest speeding away on her wagon, was amused. He always liked a strong-willed girl. They made an interesting conquest once they were impressed with him. He would dump them once they began fawning over him. It was just unfortunate that he could not enjoy such treatment in real life. His current facility would not allow him to do that at all. So the best he could do was a world of imitation, to feed his unending ego and desire for domination and conquest. <br><br>Campbell was a pure narcissist though he did not know or even realise that he was one. His parents had placed him in a psychiatric facility for the problematic behavior he displayed due to his narcissism. They were wealthy enough to keep the problem from the eyes of the world, but there was no hiding from their own conscience. They could not completely cut him off from the world, yet could not bear to let him loose until he was well-adjusted to normal life. Therefore, they thought to at least allow their only son to have fun in Royal Road, a virtual world where he could not pose any danger to anyone, even himself.<br><br>“I have to say I like a feisty woman.”<br><br>Chuckling, Campbell picked up the three manifested bags of 50g and threw all three carelessly to Gaston, who accepted it gratefully. Gaston immediately chose to leave town, and choose somewhere else, as far away from Sumbria and Campbell. This was his chance to start afresh, without the egomaniac looking over his shoulder.<br><br><div style="text-align: center;">xXx</div><br><br>*Clank* *Jingle*<br><br>“Father. I am home.”<br><br>“AAdddriaaa!!”<br><br>Minalan did not even wait to circle the table. He leaped over it, immediately hugging her, then proceeded to check every single inch of her.<br><br>“You are not injured, right? Did you eat well? Did Winter take good care of you? Did you take good care of her, Winter? You DID, DID YOU!!! TELL ME YOU DID!!!”<br><br><span style="font-style: italic;">’Oh, boy.... this guy must really have been worried sick...’</span><br><br>“Father.. I am okay! Uncle Winter and me left before any danger could get near us. Now, let go. I smell, and I am sleepy. So I am going to take a bath and sleep.”<br><br>Minalan,who was very relieved, nodded numbly, and let his only daughter shuffle away from him, into the private section of the building. <br><br><span style="font-style: italic;">’Come to think of it... I don’t even know where the bathroom is here.... Do NPCs even need to bathe and do all the necessities?’</span><br><br>Minalan disturbed Winter’s thoughts before Winter could continue.<br><br>“Thank you, Winter. For keeping your word.” <br><br>Minalan clasped both of Winter’s hands, squeezing them tightly. He was truly worried as he was unable to contact them,he could only rely on Winter’s word. Minalan was glad his trust was not mistaken. <br><br>“I prayed every night and day to Freya for her safety. Oh. And yours too.”<br><br><span style="font-style: italic;">’What am I? Some afterthought?’</span><br><br>Winter could not blame the NPC though. If he was in Minalan’s shoes, everyone else would be afterthought. <br><br>“Don’t mention it, old friend. I am glad too that she is safe. I know how much you love her.”<br><br>Winter squeezed back Minalan’s hands in acknowledgement.<br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td>Your relationship with Minalan has increased<br>Your relationship with Minalan is now at maximum!</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br><span style="font-style: italic;">’Huh. That is unexpected.’</span><br><br>Was the time spent with Adria away from Minalan, a test that would lead to future quests based on relationship with Minalan? Winter sure thought that way, but was not completely sure. The game baffled him at every single turn. Sometimes, there was no rhyme or reason to what NPCs did, if Minalan and Adria were the prime examples. Sella probably had the most resemblance to normal of all NPCs that Winter knew well. <br><br>“Uncle Winter! Don’t leave without me later!”<br><br>Adria’s voice called out from behind the door. Receding footsteps and the slam of a door could be heard soon after.<br><br>“What was that about? Another adventure? After you just came back?”<br><br>*Squeeeeze*<br><br>“Oi! Go easy on the grip there, old friend!”<br><br>Minalan’s grip suddenly strengthened. It was not painful per se, but Winter could feel the pressure, and it was not very comfortable. <br><br>*Squeeze*<br><br>“It’s just a fishing trip to the Lir River.”<br><br>Winter said quickly. He felt he was in mortal danger, even though he was supposed to be death-proof in the VR world.<br><br>*Squeeze*<br><br>“Oi! Why is your grip getting stronger!”<br><br>Winter could hear Minalan mumbling something that sounded like “... my daughter is all grown up. She does not love me anymore....” over and over again. He ran out of the door wailing soon after. Winter flipped the sign to “CLOSED* and exited the door. He had a depressed friend to find.<br><br><br><div style="text-align: center;">xXx</div><br><br>“You see, she was so sweet when she was younger... she used to call me Papa. Oh, Adria...”<br><br>Winter had been listening to Minalan’s ranting for an hour or so, probably. The drunker Minalan, the sweeter the childhood story of Adria that came from his mouth. Winter found Minalan after asking the NPCs around a little. In the end, he should have first thought to visit Sella’s establishment. Minalan was drinking alcohol alone on the second floor. This was the first time Winter ever saw the mad, daughter-loving figure drink such thing. He was not holding back too, but continuously downed every glass that the stiff-looking bartender poured every time it emptied.<br><br>Now, the same, stiff bartender was rolling his eyes upon hearing Minalan’s sorrow. Winter shooed him away when he was about to refill Minalan’s glass with another drink. Winter ordered a grape juice for himself.<br><br>“Okay, my drunk friend, I think you need to go home.”<br><br>Winter began to start attempting to shoulder Minalan’s body away, when the NPC slid and toppled over his chair. This reminded Winter of the time when Daniel was as depressed as this. Winter tried pulling Minalan up, but found himself to be unable to budge him despite his best efforts.<br><br><span style="font-style: italic;">’Okay. So you cannot move an NPC against their will?’</span><br><br>The stiff-looking bartender got out from behind the bar, and with the help of a passing waiter, dragged Minalan to an adjoining private dining room. Winter thanked the bartender, who nodded back to him. <br><br>“....theladria...” or something, was what Winter heard before the door slammed shut, with the bartender retaking his post, and the waiter back to his duty.<br><br>“Barkeep. Your best drink, thank you.”<br><br>Winter was quickly served with an amber-colored liquid in a tall glass. At first, he thought it would be beer, except it was not frothing. It also came from a clear, crystal bottle, not a glass one. Winter had no need for money while spending his time in Sella’s establishment. He was guaranteed to have any food and drink he ever wanted without need for paying.<br><br>*Sip* *Gulp* *Guzzle* <br><br>Winter tried a single sip. It was incredibly tasty! He downed it as quickly as he could, while enjoying the rich, nutty flavor of the liquid. It was rich with.... what Winter could only describe as a combination between fruits, and several nuts, like bitter walnut, a little sour peanut, and some sort of fresh something he could not understand. That was the best Winter could do, as he was not a drinking man. He recognise the drink as VERY GOOD, but that was about it. He finished his drink with accompaniment of slamming the glass down the table, smacking his lips in satisfaction, like all the movies he saw. Did he just see the bartender crack a smile for a second there?<br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td>Drank a full glass of <span style="font-weight: bold;">Golden Apple Wine</span><br>200% Mana Regeneration for 24 hours<br>200% Health Regeneration for 24 hours<br>Your Vitality increased by 100 for 24 hours<br>Your Intelligence increased by 100 for 24 hours<br>Drinking another glass will further increase this effect</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br><span style="font-style: italic;">’That was an apple wine?’</span><br><br>Winter was curious as to the effect if he drank another glass and was about to order another one when a sweet voice called from his right.<br><br>“Think you can afford another glass of that?”<br><br>Winter looked to the person who said it. She was probably around her early twenties. Brown hair tied in a ponytail, that was probably long enough to reach the middle of her back, but now fell to her left shoulder. She had the sort of wide eyes that was beautiful and associated with intelligence and cunning. Her forehead was not as wide as he would put someone that usually had that sort of eyes should carry. She might be a little shorter than Winter if she stood, but seated there, they were almost of equal height. <br><br>Winter admired a lady that knew how to use her assets well. In this case, she showed a little hint of her breast that peeked from the sturdy-looking white shirt that was buttoned pretty tightly. The top two buttons had to be missing to have that sort of effect. She had naturally full lips that were slightly pink in color. Winter could not see her eye color due to the distance that separated them and the dim lighting that always sets the mood for this sort of cosy bar, but he thought it was brown.<br><br>“What do you mean, young lady?”<br><br>Winter asked out of interest and puzzlement.<br><br>“What you just drank was <span style="font-weight: bold;">Golden Apple Wine</span>. If I am not mistaken, the going price of a bottle now is about 1000 gold. I am actually surprised that a restaurant in a town as small as this even had a glass of it. And yet,I just saw that the bartender there has a whole case behind him.”<br><br>Winter almost choked at the price. He looked at the bartender, that still kept his neutral stiff demeanor, as if he was only doing his job when Winter asked for the best drink. Winter did not really want another glass of it. He never thought the deal with Sella had this sort of unexpected benefit.<br><br><span style="font-style: italic;">’Play it cool. Act like your age, old man!’</span><br><br>“I think I can afford another glass. Even two, if I have someone I can share them with.”<br><br>This was the sort of line Winter was good at in his younger days. He was glad he had not fully lost his touch. The lady immediately shifted in her seat, interested.<br><br>“Bartender. Two glasses please.”<br><br>Soon, two glasses appeared in front of both of them. Since the bartender also attempted to be gentlemanly and served the lady first, Winter’s glass came in the manner of being slid down from the distance of the lady’s spot. He stopped it without spilling the golden amber liquid.<br><br>“Cheers.” Toasted Winter, and drank deeply.<br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td>Drank another full glass of <span style="font-weight: bold;">Golden Apple Wine</span><br>400% Mana Regeneration for 24 hours<br>400% Health Regeneration for 24 hours<br>Your Vitality increased by 200 for 24 hours<br>Your Intelligence increased by 200 for 24 hours<br>Drinking another glass will decrease the beneficial effect</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br><span style="font-style: italic;">’Wow. If I ever get that loaded, I will buy a lot of this drink. I can almost love drinking alcohol here, I think.’</span><br><br>“That is nice of you. I am Zaya. A merchant from the Southern Continent. Nice to meet you.”<br><br>Winter scooted two seats closer in order to shake the offered hand. <br><br>“Winter. I am a local adventurer.”<br><br>Winter could hear a little commotion down the stairs. Zaya clicked her tongue in displeasure, as if she knew what was about to happen. She looked straight at Winter, taking in his gear and appearance, making a quick assessment.<br><br>“This won’t do.” Winter heard his drinking companion speak softly.<br><br>Winter did not have a lot of time to puzzle out the words, as one man stomped up the stairs connecting to the first floor.<br><br>“Sir! I am sorry! But you have to leave now if you are not ordering anything.”<br><br>*cring* *cring*<br><br>Winter could hear something small and numerous dropping on the floor. The commotion immediately stopped.<br><br><span style="font-style: italic;">’Did I just hear a player throw money on the floor?’</span><br><br>A second player, Winter assumed, ho was in league with the first player,now looked at Winter in displeasure, appeared, and stood at the top of the landing.<br><br>“Zaya. My darling. Must you continue reject my advances? Come now, you should spend your time better than with an old man.”<br><br><span style="font-style: italic;">’Old man!’</span><br><br>“I am sorry, but I think I prefer his company than yours. He is a true gentleman of the old.”<br><br>Winter did a fist pump inside his mind.<br><br>“Really, now.... then how about we do it the old-fashioned way then. A duel?”<br><br>Zaya twisted her lips in displeasure. As if she saw this coming.<br><br>“Go away, Campbell. You are disturbing our good time. Ignore him, Winter.”<br><br>Winter wanted to, but it seemed like Campbell had a different idea. He walked up close to Winter. Stared him up and down like how Zaya did, except he looked extremely condescending. This sort of treatment always made his temper flare real quick. He was holding it in check, as he was in the presence of a lady. The second man that Winter quickly demoted to the position of a goon, did not leave his last known position beside the stairs.<br><br>“Afraid of me, old man?”<br><br>The blond youth, tall and handsome, sneered at Winter. <br><br><span style="font-style: italic;">’Ignore him, ignore him! Be a mature, gentleman.’</span><br><br>“You should be. I will defeat you in ten seconds flat.”<br><br>It was getting harder and harder for Winter to try ignoring the youth. For one, he was encroaching upon his private space without permission, unlike Zaya,who Winter wanted to be there. Zaya herself was annoyed, but seemed to loathe involving Winter in her problem.<br><br><span style="font-style: italic;">’Oh. It is actually blue. I guess the lighting was that bad. Her hair was also browner than I thought.’</span><br><br>Winter filled in Zaya’s details that he missed. Her eyes were deep blue, almost bright, while her hair was brown, like exposed wood trunk. She looked fetching with her figure and height.<br><br>“Hey, old man, I am talking to you here!”<br><br>Campbell roughly grabbed Winter’s shoulder. He was pretty annoyed,as instead of skulking away, this old man was spending his time ogling over his girl! This had to be corrected.<br><br>Winter stared at the youth straight, with his best cold-eyed challenging stare. It seemed to not work at all.<br><br>“What? Finally feel like fighting now? Let us get to it so I can spend time with her.”<br><br>“You think she wants to spend time with you? Youth nowadays,” Winter shook his head in disgust.<br><br>“She will like me if she spends enough time with me. And you are in the way.”<br><br>“What if I do not want to duel you? What can you do?”<br><br>Campbell was tongue-tied. The old man was right. He could not inflict violence upon them. If he killed him, he would gain a murderer’s mark and immediately get chased out of the city, while killing Zaya there was a no-no.<br><br>“I can see that you need a lesson now in humility. Let us get outside and settle this, shall we?”<br><br>“W-w.. Wait! You need not do this on my account!”<br><br>Zaya began fidgeting and worrying for Winter. Winter normally would not bother to join this sort of thing, but win or lose, he was determined to make a good showing of himself! Besides, he would win. Why? He would cheat!<br><br>“Think you can do it, old man? You are at most level 70.”<br><br>This got Winter curious. <br><br>“What makes you say that?”<br><br>“Black Leather Set, commonly worn by archers around level 60. But since you carry a sword there, and not of very good quality too, you are either broke, or just too weak to be unable to get proper armor. That ring there, is probably a life augmentation ring. Am I right? I owned a bunch like them, so I know. That makes you, a really weak warrior, and should not be fighting me.”<br><br>Winter nodded and beckoned the youth to continue. Campbell took it as his intimidation method finally paying out, and proceeded his monologue.<br><br>“I am a level 159 warrior. Need I say more?”<br><br>*Clap* *Clap*<br><br>“Okay. That is amusing. So, shall we?”<br><br>Winter’s casual demeanor puzzled both Zaya and Campbell, as he was not intimidated at all. He was feeling a little foolhardy tonight. His mana was also incredibly high, due to the effect of the two drinks he had, increased to 800 points even after his curse. He should have more than enough spare mana to show this cocky youth up.<br><br>“It is your own shame, old man. Bring it on.”<br><br><br>Both of them set up in at the back alley of the restaurant. The street was empty since it was late night, but a few curious players stood at a distance to observe. The girl that Campbell was obsessed with stood near the back entrance of the restaurant, while the youth’s personal goon stood behind him, completely silent.<br><br>“How do you want to do it, old man? To the death, I hope.”<br>“Pass. I prefer to stay alive despite my age, youngster. How about first strike?”<br><br>“Sure. As long as you are gone.”<br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td>Campbell challenged you to a duel<br><br>Rule: First Strike<br><br>Do you accept? Yes/No</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br>Winter accepted the duel request. They were some three meters apart, waiting for the 30-second countdown to finish. <br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td>DUEL START</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td colspan="2"><a href="http://www.royalroadl.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=99&amp;t=849" target="_blank">&lt;&lt;&lt;&lt;&lt; Previous Chapter</a></td><td colspan="2"><a href="http://www.royalroadl.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=99&amp;t=881" target="_blank">Next Chapter &gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;</a></td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br>============================================================================================================================================================<br><br>Author's Note:<br>1. Thank you to -The Slacker- for the diligent PR<br>2. Thanks to Vim1inc especially for his comments here. Nothing from the usual contributors sadly.<br>3. This is part 1 of 2. Surprisingly when I was about to post it, I found that it was longer than I thought.<br>4. I am off on Holiday from this Thursday. You can expect my last release to be on Wednesday. After that, about two weeks holiday. Sorry, folks.<br>5. Comment and do let me know of any typo error or mistakes. As much as my PR did, we might have missed something.<br>6. Enjoy! </div>

Adria was walking alongside Winter. She was dressed in her combat gear that Minalan had prepared for her. Adria spent the next two days close to the camp where Winter logged out to crash. The news that Summer provided Winter did not affect his plan to go back to Cosare, except to make the travel less urgent, and the route more direct. They had needed to head out straight to the border of the territory and circle far. Instead, they chose the direct route to Cosare, which appeared to pass through pretty close to Harine. “Uncle Winter. What will you do once you get back?” Adria suddenly asked. They had spent the the day traveling in the South Westerly direction. “Hmm... I don’t know. Maybe relax and do some fishing. I feel that I could use a few weeks of break,” Winter was mainly tired of seeing too many players in a single spot. The toll of furiously cooking, too, was not forgotten. He could use some quiet and solitude for a while in-game. “Then.... can I join you?” “Of course, Adria. You are always welcome. You know that.” “Where do you want to go?” “I don’t know. Do you have a good place in mind?” Winter asked back. The only good fishing spot he knew was the hilltop lake where the lizardmen congregated yearly. That would be his chosen fishing spot if Adria could not come up with anything. “How about Lir river just outside the city? There is this creek where there are tree canopies.” “Maybe. Might be better than the hilltop lake I was thinking.” “The one with the lizardmen?” The two of them talked further on where they would go fishing once they got back. xXx A tiny figure barely three feet in height was churning her feet quickly. Its face remained blank even though it should be in distress. A figure much taller than the small running form was behind her. ’How persistent! Can she not just leave me alone!’ The hair was a hue of purple that progressed to a little of pink at the tips of the hair, tied on each side of the head in the shape of ponytails high up. The swaying end that moved in rhythm with her footsteps barely reached the nape of her neck. A frilly maid headpiece was also swaying with the twin ponytail. The tiny figure was ahead of her pursuer by means of consuming a speed potion that had increased her running speed by 400%. She was safe since she had infinite stamina. But her satiety bars were rather low. Her avatar would refuse to move if it was empty, and she could only consume the food in slow, small bites. The race she just converted to had a special diet and an enhanced palate. The food she ate tasted so.... heavenly, that she had to stop to appreciate it. It was not the first time she was pursued by players since she converted. But it was the first time she found one so persistent. Served her right to trust in her natural non-aggression ability that made her safe from monsters and NPCs, but not players. If she had stayed in town, she would be totally safe. Maybe not. Last time, she stayed barely three hours before three female players began pestering her. This one had stalked her since she entered the town six days ago, and had pursued her since she left three days ago. She was not out to kill her. She doubted anything would want to kill her, but she was facing something that could be worse than getting killed. So she ran and ran. Her bright, flame orange-colored eyes, that seemed to look constantly bored, searched for an escape avenue. At least a place where she could refill her satiety for a bit. Her pursuers should be on their last legs. If she could last a little longer... Her feet, encased in tiny, black shoes, with alternating black and white socks, ate up the ground as fast as she could. But she was hindered by the uneven ground. This avatar and sub-race was not designed for fast travel at all. The skirt she wore was equally black, with a large black ribbon wider than her, that kept it secured. Her shirt was a little reminiscent of a maid outfit, with a hem that covered her hands and ended in large frills. If she stood still, with arms at her side, the frills would touch the ground a little. The skirt was short, though for her height of a meter, it looked large and fluffy, mainly due to her feet being short. The only decoration she wore, aside from the maid headpiece, was an eye-shaped brooch worn vertically. It was red, with a redder, protruding, smooth sphere trapped on the center. A length of cord that was red in color, ending in two large spheres made from an unknown substance, was dangling under the brooch, resembling two cherries. She never tried removing it, but it seemed to be used to secure the very broad, long collar with a single black line sewn near the edges of it. The same went for the white shirt containing a light hue of purple, like her hair, that she wore. You could tell it was purple, but yet still looked white. She was dismayed when she topped the crest of a hill. She would have picked another path if she could see what was at the end of the path. A cliff. Despite her dismay, the expression of her avatar remained as blank as a paper. She was at the literal end of the road. *Crunch* The female player that had been chasing after her, crunched the gravel a few meters behind her. She immediately whipped her head so as to not place her back in unsafe direction. This female player with black hair was so beautiful that if she existed in real life, she would feel jealousy. That complexion, limb ratio, facial features, and style, was perfect. It annoyed her even more that she could tell this was done naturally, and was not a cultivated look. She wondered if this female player looked like this in real life. During the whole chase, this player never spoke a word, not even to ask her to stop running. That only scared her even more! She could feel the player’s eyes continuously chasing after her. No matter what she did, she never managed to lose the girl long enough to get to safety. The female player did not pull the large sword strapped on her back out. Instead, she spread her arms open, with feet spread apart too, like she wanted to catch a stray soccer ball. Whether it was in entreaty or attempt to block her route, she could not know, as nothing was said. Her previous avatar’s name was Christina, her deceased mother’s first name. She was not used to her current avatar’s name yet, that somehow got changed with her conversion. This race was as peculiar as the quest that had led up to the conversion. The quiet female decided that she had waited long enough. She chose to rush forward, though so far she could never match Christina’s running speed that was improved with the potion she drank. Christina reflexively backed off with quick steps. It was too fast! Before she knew it, she had backed off over the empty air. The black-haired player missed her grab by a hand width distance. Christina had fallen off the cliff! Christina would have screamed something human, but the sub race she had been forcefully converted to had limited language skill. What came out of her was a long cute “CHIIIMMMUUUuuuuu....!!!” while she fell from a great height to the bottom of the cliff. This was the first time she died in this avatar. The last sight she saw was the gaze of the black-haired player that had chased after her, that promised further pursuit. xXx Royal Road Hall of Fame had been constructed a month after it was launched. The purpose of the page was to showcase outstanding players, usually limited to level and achievements. Players have to be invited by Unicorn Corporation to be able to post on the page. This equals to a recognition as a candidate to be an Emperor in Royal Road. Preston was listed there, though he ranked near the bottom of the page. As a player, he was not strong or very high-leveled, but he had his own fanbase due to his brilliance in battle tactics. Most of the videos he posted were of his engagements. Small-scale battles, large-scale battles, punitive raid commands, and the seven castle siege he participated in. The first one was what propelled him to the hall of fame. But surprisingly, his recent defeat was what made him the most popular, even if it was only a week, overshadowing Ray Bard, the constant number one Hall of Fame champion. Players posted thousands of comments upon seeing the hilarity of the situation he was in. Of non-Wizard players zipping over the night sky. The stairs that sprouted up suddenly over the east side that was not there minutes ago. “Oh God! These guys are nuts!” One posted. “What are you saying! They are gods for even trying this out.” “This plan is crazy on all counts!” “Our guild tried this method and successfully conquered a castle. It only took us half a day!” “Me too. Also half a day!” “I failed! But it was fun anyway!” “I am just sorry that it is banned now.” It was from this posted video that the term “Superman Plan” became popularly defined as a crazy plan that sounded ridiculous, but worked amazingly well. Since then, players had been finding creative methods for further possibilities of abuse. xXx Penelope Water was furious. Summer, Odette’s father in real life, had just told her before he logged out that the plan was thought of by a friend of his, though he did the rest of the improvements. “You’ve probably seen him around. He was the one walking with the female NPC around the camp.” Summer felt it was his duty to teach a lesson in humility to haughty, arrogant girls, so they would grow up proper. He also felt especially wicked as Aloine began to overly annoy him by her constant effort to wrangle a promise from him to assist her in the future. With that, he logged out, leaving stunned Aloine alone, who had spent a day in-game attached to the wrong man. She had the same blond hair as her in-game character, though it had considerably less lustre and length in real life. The feature was also slightly enhanced and made sharper, though this particular trait was not changed too much. Her height and body build was in exact proportion as Aloine, though she might have tinkered a little with the breast size. Leaving how Aloine looked in-game, Penelope Water was beautiful enough without all the enhancements. She was also fashionable and rich, on top of being beautiful. Boys that wished to date her queue up for her pleasure. It was the only victory she had over the popular upstart Julianne Somner, that had defeated her in study and popularity among peers. It was also the first time she felt such humiliation. To be toyed by a man, never mind if he was older and more experienced, her pride would not allow it. She swore she would find this man that spurned her and made him hers. (Author: Women can be illogical. I never try making sense of them as I find it futile. I think the best way to survive a stormy day from a woman was to huddle down and pray hard it will pass quickly!) xXx Julianne Somner sat up and yawned on her bed. She just got up after a good ten hours sleep. The house was empty. Her housemates were probably out on dates with the boys. Other girls always complained over the restriction of not seeing the boys, as their living space, arranged by the school, disallowed them to bring boys back under the threat of being expelled. Julianne had gone on a few dates with a few that were polite enough to ask and wait for her answer, but so far, found none that truly interest her. At least of her own age. It had been a few days since their victory. Her father left her a few more apologetic messages. She was going to let him stew a few more days before forgiving him. He was acting a little disgusting for his age. She need not mention his crime, for he knew well this would be the retribution, but could not resist doing it anyway. She thought that only Uncle Ronald would have this sort of problem, yet somehow, it seemed her father was infected too. Shaking out her long hair that had frazzled after she slept on it, Julianne checked her personal mail. The ticket home for her winter vacation was booked and set. All of her friends that got invited to the castle siege had each sent her a video of their point of view. She would cut, compile it, and share it as another good memory she made among friends. Never mind Penny, who just unfriended her for some reason on the school network page. This was the third time she did such a thing over imagined slights. Julianne thought the girl seriously had issues and needed to be more honest by listening to her inner voice, but it was not her place to comment. She had her own inner voice that was speaking louder too, recently. It defied her logical thoughts on what should be moral, and she should not judge others. Julianne sent personal replies to each of the fifteen friends she invited, and a mail to Penny, thanking her for participating,before starting the day. xXx While Winter and Adria were making their way home into Cosare, a merchant wagon was rolling into town. “Phew. That was a long journey.” The lithe figure of a woman stretched the kinks on her back and rump, that had been glued to the hard wooden seat for three weeks. At least that would be what someone in real life would do. In Royal Road, such a thing was an unnecessary gesture though. It was just human. Despite what she just said, her mood was rather sour. But it was about to get better. She had managed to enter the city before the night fell. She had travelled pretty far. This was her first time visiting the central side of the continent, from the southern end where she was based. The figures of three warriors dropped down from the back of the wagon. The three were the warriors she picked up from the previous town as guards. This had been how Zaya travelled from town to town. This most recent batch of warriors, she would dump here in this town to pick new ones. Somehow they seemed.... unreliable. “Sorry, you three. But I think I will sever the contract here. I plan to stick around in this town for a bit.” She had no such plan, but she thought this was her best excuse to get one of the three away from her. The other two was never a problem in the first place. “Come, honey. I thought you wanted us to escort you until Central Caspian. That is at least still two months travel from here.” The words that flowed from Campbell normally would impress a lot of girls. At least that was what he thought. It was not even close to the mark. His attempt to woo girls were accepted back in the city he was based, as he was the most powerful man there. He was the guild leader of Valorous Swords, that boasted sixteen thousand members and climbing. Girls accepted his flirting as much as they could, as they liked the benefits the clueless warrior provided. Preferred hunting ground, equipment upgrades, and help when they needed it. At least, until Campbell was bored enough and dumped them, then moved to the next girl. The cycle had repeated since he began playing. His real life money guaranteed that his equipment remained top of the line constantly, while underlings he hired in real life too, guaranteed his level. They were professional gamers, after all. If enough money was thrown around, they would bow their head to Campbell and follow his orders. They constantly provided information on where to level up and how to best do it, including helping him when they were called. Such was the power of money. Campbell had the perfect appearance of a blond, tall, handsome, armor-clad warrior that ladies in real world would swoon after. It was not even close to how he looked in real life, but we need not discuss that here. Zaya, the brown-haired merchant, knew how deceptive a world inside a game could be, and was not impressed even a little bit by this dandy character. It was her mistake to make the wrong hire. No, incorrect. She had made the right hire, but she did not know that Campbell already had interest in her the moment she walked into his city Zaya’s hiring tactic was to pick one player out of many, who was willing to travel and guard her, and let that player pick who he, or in several cases, she, wanted to bring along. So far, Zaya never had to worry about the friends hired to be troublesome. She counted on the players knowing each other well, which would allow them to work together and share companionship during the travel. What she never accounted for, was for one to actually make moves on her! What she did not know was Campbell impressed upon Gaston, the one Zaya picked to hire the rest of the guards, that his time in Sumbria would be very difficult if he did not pick him and his subordinate as the two to go with him. To sweeten the deal, Campbell promised an equipment of his pick when he went to kill a boss next time. It was a no brainer what happened next. The whole trip, Campbell tried to impress her with stories of his conquest, his prowess in battle, his real life identity of a man with a lot of interests and wealth (true on both count, except that Campbell’s great interest was how to woo the next girl he saw around the corner). Zaya tried to be as patient as possible, but even that was wearing thin, which was why she chose to dump the three here, instead of in Central Caspian. A town pretty close around the middle of nowhere, as far as she was concerned. The original player she hired, Gaston, was perfect. He was alert, strong-looking, intimidating even, and also perfectly incapable of managing his companions. He always looked apologetic of Zaya’s situation, for some reason she could not fathom. She had no idea how the group dynamic worked here, but she would need to think about it anymore, as she would be severing their contract right then, right now. “I know, but I think I quite like it here. I will pay the full contract so you will not be losing out.” Zaya began to initiate trading menu to pass the 50g agreed amount to Campell, but her request to trade was instantly rejected. “Now, now. I do not need money. I just want to spend some wonderful time with you. If you are willing to meet me in real life, that will be even better!” ’Oh my god! I think I am going to hurl! This is so creepy! Getting hit on in virtual world!’ Zaya was completely speechless. Since she hired Gaston, Campbell and Herbert, she had the niggling feeling that something was off. With the statement she just heard, the niggling feeling became something she understood quickly. She always thought that out of the three, Gaston was the only one that fit her idea of a mercenary guard to hire for short trips in between cities. Campbell and Herbert looked like the kind of high-powered players that spend their time in dungeons killing monsters. She always thought that they were Gaston’s friends, and accompanied him because of their travel interests. She should probably have thought something was not right as the saying of “Too good to be true” should hold even in VR. No, especially in VR. But she was blinded by the hiring price. Sumbria to Central Caspian which was three months travel distance for 50g, though any loot gained from fighting would be claimed by the three. She already made almost 10 times the amount she set aside for the contract up till now. Going by the normal rate, each day further from their destination city, a mercenary guard should be paid ten gold each. That was what Zaya paid, before she met the three. Swallowing her panic quickly, Zaya ran through the possible answers in her head. She was not getting anything. So she decided to simply play it straight. “I am sorry. But I think I prefer to be alone from now on,”she put as much scorn in her voice as possible. She materialised three piles of 50g and dumped it on the ground between her and Campbell. Zaya stuck by her word every single time, especially a contract. She did not wait for the reply. She jumped into her wagon seat and sped away from the three. She wanted to badly forget what had happened. It was beyond creepy for a player in a game to show that much interest in her. Zaya always used her looks to her best advantage (in-game), but this time, it backfired on her pretty badly. She had attracted the wrong sort. She prayed that she could forget such an occurrence after sleeping. Picking the closest inn available, she secured her wagon and logged out. Campbell, who saw his new interest speeding away on her wagon, was amused. He always liked a strong-willed girl. They made an interesting conquest once they were impressed with him. He would dump them once they began fawning over him. It was just unfortunate that he could not enjoy such treatment in real life. His current facility would not allow him to do that at all. So the best he could do was a world of imitation, to feed his unending ego and desire for domination and conquest. Campbell was a pure narcissist though he did not know or even realise that he was one. His parents had placed him in a psychiatric facility for the problematic behavior he displayed due to his narcissism. They were wealthy enough to keep the problem from the eyes of the world, but there was no hiding from their own conscience. They could not completely cut him off from the world, yet could not bear to let him loose until he was well-adjusted to normal life. Therefore, they thought to at least allow their only son to have fun in Royal Road, a virtual world where he could not pose any danger to anyone, even himself. “I have to say I like a feisty woman.” Chuckling, Campbell picked up the three manifested bags of 50g and threw all three carelessly to Gaston, who accepted it gratefully. Gaston immediately chose to leave town, and choose somewhere else, as far away from Sumbria and Campbell. This was his chance to start afresh, without the egomaniac looking over his shoulder. xXx *Clank* *Jingle* “Father. I am home.” “AAdddriaaa!!” Minalan did not even wait to circle the table. He leaped over it, immediately hugging her, then proceeded to check every single inch of her. “You are not injured, right? Did you eat well? Did Winter take good care of you? Did you take good care of her, Winter? You DID, DID YOU!!! TELL ME YOU DID!!!” ’Oh, boy.... this guy must really have been worried sick...’ “Father.. I am okay! Uncle Winter and me left before any danger could get near us. Now, let go. I smell, and I am sleepy. So I am going to take a bath and sleep.” Minalan,who was very relieved, nodded numbly, and let his only daughter shuffle away from him, into the private section of the building. ’Come to think of it... I don’t even know where the bathroom is here.... Do NPCs even need to bathe and do all the necessities?’ Minalan disturbed Winter’s thoughts before Winter could continue. “Thank you, Winter. For keeping your word.” Minalan clasped both of Winter’s hands, squeezing them tightly. He was truly worried as he was unable to contact them,he could only rely on Winter’s word. Minalan was glad his trust was not mistaken. “I prayed every night and day to Freya for her safety. Oh. And yours too.” ’What am I? Some afterthought?’ Winter could not blame the NPC though. If he was in Minalan’s shoes, everyone else would be afterthought. “Don’t mention it, old friend. I am glad too that she is safe. I know how much you love her.” Winter squeezed back Minalan’s hands in acknowledgement. | Your relationship with Minalan has increasedYour relationship with Minalan is now at maximum! | | --- | ’Huh. That is unexpected.’ Was the time spent with Adria away from Minalan, a test that would lead to future quests based on relationship with Minalan? Winter sure thought that way, but was not completely sure. The game baffled him at every single turn. Sometimes, there was no rhyme or reason to what NPCs did, if Minalan and Adria were the prime examples. Sella probably had the most resemblance to normal of all NPCs that Winter knew well. “Uncle Winter! Don’t leave without me later!” Adria’s voice called out from behind the door. Receding footsteps and the slam of a door could be heard soon after. “What was that about? Another adventure? After you just came back?” *Squeeeeze* “Oi! Go easy on the grip there, old friend!” Minalan’s grip suddenly strengthened. It was not painful per se, but Winter could feel the pressure, and it was not very comfortable. *Squeeze* “It’s just a fishing trip to the Lir River.” Winter said quickly. He felt he was in mortal danger, even though he was supposed to be death-proof in the VR world. *Squeeze* “Oi! Why is your grip getting stronger!” Winter could hear Minalan mumbling something that sounded like “... my daughter is all grown up. She does not love me anymore....” over and over again. He ran out of the door wailing soon after. Winter flipped the sign to “CLOSED* and exited the door. He had a depressed friend to find. xXx “You see, she was so sweet when she was younger... she used to call me Papa. Oh, Adria...” Winter had been listening to Minalan’s ranting for an hour or so, probably. The drunker Minalan, the sweeter the childhood story of Adria that came from his mouth. Winter found Minalan after asking the NPCs around a little. In the end, he should have first thought to visit Sella’s establishment. Minalan was drinking alcohol alone on the second floor. This was the first time Winter ever saw the mad, daughter-loving figure drink such thing. He was not holding back too, but continuously downed every glass that the stiff-looking bartender poured every time it emptied. Now, the same, stiff bartender was rolling his eyes upon hearing Minalan’s sorrow. Winter shooed him away when he was about to refill Minalan’s glass with another drink. Winter ordered a grape juice for himself. “Okay, my drunk friend, I think you need to go home.” Winter began to start attempting to shoulder Minalan’s body away, when the NPC slid and toppled over his chair. This reminded Winter of the time when Daniel was as depressed as this. Winter tried pulling Minalan up, but found himself to be unable to budge him despite his best efforts. ’Okay. So you cannot move an NPC against their will?’ The stiff-looking bartender got out from behind the bar, and with the help of a passing waiter, dragged Minalan to an adjoining private dining room. Winter thanked the bartender, who nodded back to him. “....theladria...” or something, was what Winter heard before the door slammed shut, with the bartender retaking his post, and the waiter back to his duty. “Barkeep. Your best drink, thank you.” Winter was quickly served with an amber-colored liquid in a tall glass. At first, he thought it would be beer, except it was not frothing. It also came from a clear, crystal bottle, not a glass one. Winter had no need for money while spending his time in Sella’s establishment. He was guaranteed to have any food and drink he ever wanted without need for paying. *Sip* *Gulp* *Guzzle* Winter tried a single sip. It was incredibly tasty! He downed it as quickly as he could, while enjoying the rich, nutty flavor of the liquid. It was rich with.... what Winter could only describe as a combination between fruits, and several nuts, like bitter walnut, a little sour peanut, and some sort of fresh something he could not understand. That was the best Winter could do, as he was not a drinking man. He recognise the drink as VERY GOOD, but that was about it. He finished his drink with accompaniment of slamming the glass down the table, smacking his lips in satisfaction, like all the movies he saw. Did he just see the bartender crack a smile for a second there? | Drank a full glass of Golden Apple Wine200% Mana Regeneration for 24 hours200% Health Regeneration for 24 hoursYour Vitality increased by 100 for 24 hoursYour Intelligence increased by 100 for 24 hoursDrinking another glass will further increase this effect | | --- | ’That was an apple wine?’ Winter was curious as to the effect if he drank another glass and was about to order another one when a sweet voice called from his right. “Think you can afford another glass of that?” Winter looked to the person who said it. She was probably around her early twenties. Brown hair tied in a ponytail, that was probably long enough to reach the middle of her back, but now fell to her left shoulder. She had the sort of wide eyes that was beautiful and associated with intelligence and cunning. Her forehead was not as wide as he would put someone that usually had that sort of eyes should carry. She might be a little shorter than Winter if she stood, but seated there, they were almost of equal height. Winter admired a lady that knew how to use her assets well. In this case, she showed a little hint of her breast that peeked from the sturdy-looking white shirt that was buttoned pretty tightly. The top two buttons had to be missing to have that sort of effect. She had naturally full lips that were slightly pink in color. Winter could not see her eye color due to the distance that separated them and the dim lighting that always sets the mood for this sort of cosy bar, but he thought it was brown. “What do you mean, young lady?” Winter asked out of interest and puzzlement. “What you just drank was Golden Apple Wine. If I am not mistaken, the going price of a bottle now is about 1000 gold. I am actually surprised that a restaurant in a town as small as this even had a glass of it. And yet,I just saw that the bartender there has a whole case behind him.” Winter almost choked at the price. He looked at the bartender, that still kept his neutral stiff demeanor, as if he was only doing his job when Winter asked for the best drink. Winter did not really want another glass of it. He never thought the deal with Sella had this sort of unexpected benefit. ’Play it cool. Act like your age, old man!’ “I think I can afford another glass. Even two, if I have someone I can share them with.” This was the sort of line Winter was good at in his younger days. He was glad he had not fully lost his touch. The lady immediately shifted in her seat, interested. “Bartender. Two glasses please.” Soon, two glasses appeared in front of both of them. Since the bartender also attempted to be gentlemanly and served the lady first, Winter’s glass came in the manner of being slid down from the distance of the lady’s spot. He stopped it without spilling the golden amber liquid. “Cheers.” Toasted Winter, and drank deeply. | Drank another full glass of Golden Apple Wine400% Mana Regeneration for 24 hours400% Health Regeneration for 24 hoursYour Vitality increased by 200 for 24 hoursYour Intelligence increased by 200 for 24 hoursDrinking another glass will decrease the beneficial effect | | --- | ’Wow. If I ever get that loaded, I will buy a lot of this drink. I can almost love drinking alcohol here, I think.’ “That is nice of you. I am Zaya. A merchant from the Southern Continent. Nice to meet you.” Winter scooted two seats closer in order to shake the offered hand. “Winter. I am a local adventurer.” Winter could hear a little commotion down the stairs. Zaya clicked her tongue in displeasure, as if she knew what was about to happen. She looked straight at Winter, taking in his gear and appearance, making a quick assessment. “This won’t do.” Winter heard his drinking companion speak softly. Winter did not have a lot of time to puzzle out the words, as one man stomped up the stairs connecting to the first floor. “Sir! I am sorry! But you have to leave now if you are not ordering anything.” *cring* *cring* Winter could hear something small and numerous dropping on the floor. The commotion immediately stopped. ’Did I just hear a player throw money on the floor?’ A second player, Winter assumed, ho was in league with the first player,now looked at Winter in displeasure, appeared, and stood at the top of the landing. “Zaya. My darling. Must you continue reject my advances? Come now, you should spend your time better than with an old man.” ’Old man!’ “I am sorry, but I think I prefer his company than yours. He is a true gentleman of the old.” Winter did a fist pump inside his mind. “Really, now.... then how about we do it the old-fashioned way then. A duel?” Zaya twisted her lips in displeasure. As if she saw this coming. “Go away, Campbell. You are disturbing our good time. Ignore him, Winter.” Winter wanted to, but it seemed like Campbell had a different idea. He walked up close to Winter. Stared him up and down like how Zaya did, except he looked extremely condescending. This sort of treatment always made his temper flare real quick. He was holding it in check, as he was in the presence of a lady. The second man that Winter quickly demoted to the position of a goon, did not leave his last known position beside the stairs. “Afraid of me, old man?” The blond youth, tall and handsome, sneered at Winter. ’Ignore him, ignore him! Be a mature, gentleman.’ “You should be. I will defeat you in ten seconds flat.” It was getting harder and harder for Winter to try ignoring the youth. For one, he was encroaching upon his private space without permission, unlike Zaya,who Winter wanted to be there. Zaya herself was annoyed, but seemed to loathe involving Winter in her problem. ’Oh. It is actually blue. I guess the lighting was that bad. Her hair was also browner than I thought.’ Winter filled in Zaya’s details that he missed. Her eyes were deep blue, almost bright, while her hair was brown, like exposed wood trunk. She looked fetching with her figure and height. “Hey, old man, I am talking to you here!” Campbell roughly grabbed Winter’s shoulder. He was pretty annoyed,as instead of skulking away, this old man was spending his time ogling over his girl! This had to be corrected. Winter stared at the youth straight, with his best cold-eyed challenging stare. It seemed to not work at all. “What? Finally feel like fighting now? Let us get to it so I can spend time with her.” “You think she wants to spend time with you? Youth nowadays,” Winter shook his head in disgust. “She will like me if she spends enough time with me. And you are in the way.” “What if I do not want to duel you? What can you do?” Campbell was tongue-tied. The old man was right. He could not inflict violence upon them. If he killed him, he would gain a murderer’s mark and immediately get chased out of the city, while killing Zaya there was a no-no. “I can see that you need a lesson now in humility. Let us get outside and settle this, shall we?” “W-w.. Wait! You need not do this on my account!” Zaya began fidgeting and worrying for Winter. Winter normally would not bother to join this sort of thing, but win or lose, he was determined to make a good showing of himself! Besides, he would win. Why? He would cheat! “Think you can do it, old man? You are at most level 70.” This got Winter curious. “What makes you say that?” “Black Leather Set, commonly worn by archers around level 60. But since you carry a sword there, and not of very good quality too, you are either broke, or just too weak to be unable to get proper armor. That ring there, is probably a life augmentation ring. Am I right? I owned a bunch like them, so I know. That makes you, a really weak warrior, and should not be fighting me.” Winter nodded and beckoned the youth to continue. Campbell took it as his intimidation method finally paying out, and proceeded his monologue. “I am a level 159 warrior. Need I say more?” *Clap* *Clap* “Okay. That is amusing. So, shall we?” Winter’s casual demeanor puzzled both Zaya and Campbell, as he was not intimidated at all. He was feeling a little foolhardy tonight. His mana was also incredibly high, due to the effect of the two drinks he had, increased to 800 points even after his curse. He should have more than enough spare mana to show this cocky youth up. “It is your own shame, old man. Bring it on.” Both of them set up in at the back alley of the restaurant. The street was empty since it was late night, but a few curious players stood at a distance to observe. The girl that Campbell was obsessed with stood near the back entrance of the restaurant, while the youth’s personal goon stood behind him, completely silent. “How do you want to do it, old man? To the death, I hope.” “Pass. I prefer to stay alive despite my age, youngster. How about first strike?” “Sure. As long as you are gone.” | Campbell challenged you to a duelRule: First StrikeDo you accept? Yes/No | | --- | Winter accepted the duel request. They were some three meters apart, waiting for the 30-second countdown to finish. | DUEL START | | --- | | [<<<<< Previous Chapter](http://www.royalroadl.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=99&t=849) | | [Next Chapter >>>>>](http://www.royalroadl.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=99&t=881) | | | --- | --- | --- | --- | ============================================================================================================================================================ Author's Note: 1. Thank you to -The Slacker- for the diligent PR 2. Thanks to Vim1inc especially for his comments here. Nothing from the usual contributors sadly. 3. This is part 1 of 2. Surprisingly when I was about to post it, I found that it was longer than I thought. 4. I am off on Holiday from this Thursday. You can expect my last release to be on Wednesday. After that, about two weeks holiday. Sorry, folks. 5. Comment and do let me know of any typo error or mistakes. As much as my PR did, we might have missed something. 6. Enjoy!

<div class="chapter-inner chapter-content"> When he walked through the gateway he wasn't sure what to expect. From the Queen's statements, he gathered that her realm was more like another plane of existence. It would be a place that didn't have a corresponding physical location in the continent of Versailles.<br><br>This meant that the plants and animals, as well as the terrain and even the laws of nature would be different. What was odd was that he could see none of this. All he could see was white. On the ground, in the sky, it was all a blinding white. He didn't know how far it stretched or even where the boundary between the sky and the ground was.<br><br>“Where are we? What is this place?” asked Wraith.<br><br>“This is the inside of the portal. This is what lies between worlds. Unless you have permission, you will forever wander this infinite space. If you carry our blood, you can freely travel between worlds. If not, you require an artifact.”<br><br>“An artifact?”<br><br>“Come now, you already have it with you.”<br><br>Realizing what she meant, he took out the amulet he had received. She brought a small knife from the folds of her robe and ran the blade down the palm of her left hand. Covering the amulet with her blood she told him, “simply having the amulet normally won't do any good.” She put the bloodied amulet around his neck. “You need to have one of us charge it. The amulet will also break down on its own, to prevent other people from coming to us.”<br><br>As she chanted a spell, the amulet glowed red and turned to a mist that covered his body. His eyesight was covered by scarlet light, and when it faded away, there was a door before him, seemingly created from nothing. It was a plain wooden door, totally unlike the magical portal they came through.<br><br>The Queen opened the door, and through it he saw a clean white room, reminiscent of a temple. Following the Queen, they stepped through the door. When it closed, it quickly faded from existence.<br><br>The Queen turned to him and proudly said to him, “welcome to Jorenheim, the stronghold of the forsaken.”<br><br>Looking around, the room truly was built like a temple. It was a large room, with most of it covered by thick red carpet with golden strands woven into it. The only uncovered area was near the front of the temple. There was a polished marble pedestal with a large circle about eight metres in diameter with five lines originating from the centre and reaching the edge of the circle. It was carved into the marble itself, appearing to be where several rituals were held.<br><br>The pedestal was in fact an altar. On the wall behind the altar, were three carved statues. To the left was a giant wolf, looking demonic and angry. In the middle was a woman, half her body was a beautiful woman, the other half was a skeleton. The last statue was giant snake, the head looking somewhat like a dragon's. It's body mad a circle, with the head clasped around its tail<br><br>The walls of the temple were slate-grey, interspersed with square pillars reaching up to a domed roof. The only light came from the several wall-sconces and candle-stands around the temple and the glass dome on the roof.<br><br>“It's night time and the moon is full and bright. Daciana will get you ready while I make preparations.”<br><br>Wraith followed Daciana through a side door into the temple's living quarters. She pulled out a plain black robe from a chest and gave it to him. “Change into this and come outside when you're done. You can leave your belongings here temporarily.” Her voice was brisk and business-like, completely different from their first meeting. After handing over the robe she left the room. <br><br>He took off his pack and his clothes and put on the robe. Although he could have simple equipped and unequipped his clothes and belongings, he personally found it unsettling. It would be one thing while he was in-combat, where speed was necessary, but not outside of it.<br><br>It only took a minute for him to change, and then he left the room. When he got back to the main room, he saw that there were six other women there. There were all similar to the Queen in their appearance, yet there seemed to be weaker than she was. The Queen was up on the altar drawing the final symbols inside the circle.<br><br>When she finished she beckoned him towards the altar. He walked forwards and stood in front of her. “Now I'll ask again, before the Sisters of Hel. Do you come here willingly, ready to cast off your mortal flesh and join us in spirit and body?”<br><br>“Yes, I do.” He said this nervously, still in the dark about what actually occurs in the ritual.<br><br>“Lie down on ground, with your limbs on the lines.” He did as she asked. His head was on the line pointing to the back of the temple and each of his arms and legs were on the other lines.<br><br>She then started chanting. Her words were in a language he couldn't understand, yet he could feel its power. The air thrummed with the force of her spell. The first effects he could feel were invisible ropes binding his body down and preventing him from moving.<br><br>The symbols on the ground beneath his body glowed softly with a golden light. After a few minutes of chanting, her voice died down. However, the air was still filled with power and the symbols remained glowing.<br><br>She reached into the folds of her scarlet robe, and pulled out a translucent knife. She walked around the circle until she was above his head. She kneeled down and raised her hands above her head, the knife clasped between them.<br><br>Instead of chanting in that strange language, she spoke in English instead.<br><br>“Let new life rise from the ashes of death<br>Blood to blood, life to life<br>One life reborn anew<br>One life a vessel to bear it<br>Let the bonds of blood be formed.”<br><br>After saying this, she drove the knife into his heart, piercing it completely. She then drew it out and started chanting again, returning to that strange language. As he felt his blood leave his body, Wraith saw it run through the lines gouged out on the floor. When his blood had entered every crack in the circle, the golden glow turned white.<br><br>Black lightning sparked between his body and the circle. By this point, he was nearly dead. With only a few points of Hp left, he saw the Queen raise the knife once more.<br><br>This time she plunged it into her own stomach. A connection was then formed. The lightning travelling from the circle, to his body, and then into her stomach.<br><br>When the chanting came to an end, so too did his life. When she fell silent, his Hp dropped to zero and he was surrounded by darkness. At first he couldn't sense anything. Although he never died before in game, he didn't think that this was it.<br><br><span style="font-style: italic;">This is strange, where am I,</span> he asked himself. <span style="font-style: italic;">Stats window,</span> he thought to himself. With the absence of a mouth to talk with, or even a body to move, he hoped that thinking it would bring up his stats and character information. Fortunately it worked. At the very least he could log out if he needed to.<br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td colspan="4">Status Window</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Name</td><td width="25%">Wraith</td><td width="25%">Other Stats/Information</td><td width="25%">4:32</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br><span style="font-style: italic;">What the hell?!</span>. Other than his name, there was no other information available. The only thing that was there was a timer, slowly ticking down. <span style="font-style: italic;">That timer is counting down to something. If my hunch is correct, then in little more than four minutes from now I'll have my body back.</span><br><br>Though this gave Wraith some peace of mind, it still didn't explain what was happening to him. Since he might miss something if he logged out, he had no other choice but to wait. He left the stat window open, waiting to see any changes.<br><br>When the timer reached two minutes, something odd happened. Before he had no body, and was simply a bundle of consciousness floating in empty space. Now he could feel again. The sensations were dull and disorganized, but it was definitely there. He felt warmth around his entire body. It was like being in a warm bath.<br><br>Slowly the sensations grew stronger and more defined the more the timer went down. He could feel more and more of his body, and for of his senses came back. He heard a gurgling and a thumping sound. He couldn't breathe or smell anything, but he wasn't suffocating or drowning.<br><br>Even though he couldn't open his eyes, he had the uncomfortable feeling that he knew what was going on. Given the chant the Queen sang and what he was experiencing, there was only one explanation. <span style="font-style: italic;">I know people say that it's one of the most incredible miracles of life, but ewwww. Oh, please let me be wrong.</span><br><br>Though he begged god, and even the A.I controlling Royal Road, he was afraid that he had no choice but to experience it.<br><br>Soon there was only about a minute left on the clock. By now his senses and his body, though it was out of proportion, were basically fully developed. He could sort of hear the Queen's voice at this point, and was sure of what was happening to him.<br><br>Suddenly he felt pressure assaulting him from all sides, directing him downwards. <span style="font-style: italic;">And so the worst minute of my life begins</span>. It was a rhythmic pressure, pulsing and growing stronger. He felt himself be forced through a narrow canal, slowly sliding through it.<br><br>It felt wet, slimy and was almost painfully constricting. Fortunately it didn't last long. He soon felt cool air on his body, and was bundled up in a soft towel. Normally a baby couldn't open their eyes immediately, but perhaps because his body grew at such a fast pace, he managed to do so only a few seconds after he came out.<br><br>At first all he could see was a blinding light. His eyes adjusted quickly and found himself cradled in the Quee-<span style="font-style: italic;">no, my mother's</span> arms. He looked up at her face and though it was flushed and dripping with sweat, he could clearly see the loving gaze in her eyes as she looked upon her son.<br><br>“Sleep for now my son. When you wake up I'll tell you all you need to know.” With that, he felt himself be taken away and put in a crib beside her. He decided to listen to her, as it was a gruelling event. <span style="font-style: italic;">I'll check on my stats when I get up, I haven't slept for a day</span>. At that, he closed his eyes and nodded off.<br><br>----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br><br>When he woke up a few hours later he felt refreshed and well-rested. He tried to speak but apparently his vocal cords weren't fully developed yet. Given his current state, it was imperative that he gather more information about his situation. Normally voice commands were used to bring up windows, but he didn't have that option. Try as he might, he couldn't get 'stats window' out. He was forced to bring it up by thought instead <span style="font-style: italic;">Stats window</span>. He got it up, but it was considerably more difficult than by vocal cues.<br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td colspan="4">Status Window</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Name</td><td width="25%">Wraith</td><td width="25%">Alignment</td><td width="25%">Neutral</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Level</td><td width="25%">0</td><td width="25%">Class</td><td width="25%">None</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Title</td><td width="25%">None</td><td width="25%">Reputation</td><td width="25%">0</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Health</td><td width="25%">50</td><td width="25%">Mana</td><td width="25%">30</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Strength</td><td width="25%">0.25</td><td width="25%">Agility</td><td width="25%">0.25</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Stamina</td><td colspan="3">1</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Wisdom</td><td width="25%">1</td><td width="25%">Intellect</td><td width="25%">1</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Luck</td><td width="25%">0</td><td width="25%">Leadership</td><td width="25%">0</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Attack</td><td width="25%">0</td><td width="25%">Defence</td><td width="25%">0</td></tr><tr><td colspan="4">Magic Resistance</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Fire</td><td width="25%">0%</td><td width="25%">Water</td><td width="25%">0%</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Earth</td><td width="25%">0%</td><td width="25%">Black Magic</td><td width="25%">0%</td></tr><tr><td colspan="4">Stats will remain at a reduced state for 18 days as part of the growing period. During this time you will be unable to improve skills or gain experience. New temporary skills added for 18 days.</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><span style="font-style: italic;">The hell does this mean?! No skills and no experience for eighteen days, and I'm stuck in this body? The new skills better make up for this. Skill window.</span><br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto">[tr][td100]Formative Days (Max. Lvl.) Actions taken and information learned during this period will be reflected in stat and skill gains at the end of the growing period.<br><br>Inquisitive Mind (Max. Lvl.) Enough time spent understanding a craft can allow certain skills to be learned and trained to Master level regardless of class restrictions. Only two such skills can be learned<table><tbody></tbody></table></div></div><br><br>While in his current state he would make smaller gains in stats and skills, in the long run he would be better off than other warriors. Typically one needs to be in a craft or production class to master craft skills or even acquire them. With the Inquisitive Mind skill, this limit could be overcome.<br><br><span style="font-style: italic;">Information: Inquisitive Mind</span>. He brought up the window about the skill, since he wanted to see if there was additional information about how to gain a skill.<br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td colspan="4">Inquisitive Mind<br><br>Learning or practising tasks related to a skill will result in developing such skills on maturity. Only two such skills can be learned.</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br><span style="font-style: italic;">Information: Formative Days</span>.<br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td colspan="4">Formative Days<br><br>Physical labour and exercise can lead to gains in combat-related stats. Any education received can lead to gains in intelligence and wisdom.</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br>In a way it was just like training once more. The only difference was that the Formative Days skill wouldn't show results until it was over. The Inquisitive Mind skill could give data during use, but his physical body was severely handicapped in terms of strength and communication.<br><br>The first thing he did was to explore the limits of his body. Luckily he wasn't quite as weak as a newborn baby. While he was asleep, he had grown considerably. Now he could crawl, and his fine motor skills were more developed.<br><br>Even though he still couldn't talk, he would find a way to manage. Since the Inquisitive Mind skill could only be used to learn two skills, Wraith decided to choose only craft skills. Although there were many class-specific skills, even if he did Master them, he couldn't use them as effectively as other classes could.<br><br>Since the acquired skills could be raised to Master level if they were craft or production skills, he decided to focus on them. They would not only be profitable, but would allow him to be self-sufficient.<br><br>He had researched the different craft skills before he started playing, so he could make a relatively quick decision. Since he wanted a close combat class, the type of armour he would be wearing would be very light. If he went for heavy armour, he might be able to dish out more damage and take stronger hits, but he would lose mobility and speed.<br><br>This meant that the craft skill best suited for him would be Tailoring. Instead of being able to take heavy blows, he considered avoiding them altogether a more useful ability.<br><br>Besides making his own armour, he would also need to make his own potions and enhance his equipment. As such, the Alchemy skill would be indispensable for him. While the beginning levels can only create basic potions, higher levels can transmute and refine materials.<br><br>There were whispers bandied about on the forums and websites that said Mastering the skill gives the ability to create gold. He personally thought it was a load of crap, but he did believe that a very useful skill will still be given.<br><br>While tailoring would be relatively easy to practise and learn, he was clueless as to how he was going to acquire the alchemy skill. <span style="font-style: italic;">Well, I'll cross that bridge when I get to it. Might as well just focus on tailoring first.</span><br><br>Royal Road even rewarded looking and observing, so he could work on his skill just by studying clothes and fabrics. There was just one problem. He was trapped, held in an unbreakable prison that he couldn't get out of. Well, technically it was just a crib.<br><br>While he was thinking of a way to escape, his 'mother' came in and picked him up. “How's my baby doing today?” she cooed at him in that overly sweet voice mothers talk to their children in. Before he had only thought it to be kind of annoying, now he discovered just how humiliating it is to be on the other end.<br><br>He tried to tell her he was fine, but the only sounds that came from his body were “aufwawa.” It sounded like some sort of ethnic cuisine. <span style="font-style: italic;">Arrgh, how long will I have to suffer this humiliation?</span> He figured that with one day equalling a year of growth, he would be able to speak on the third or fourth day.<br><br>For now the only thing he could do was glare at her, though he guessed that even his angry face would look pretty cute. As he predicted, all it did was make her laugh. It was a very warm laugh, filled with love and kindness. It was completely different from her earlier laughs.<br><br>“You don't have to worry, I know that you retained your consciousness. But what you need to know is that to me you are my son.” As she started explaining the circumstances to him, she cradled him in her arms and carried him out of his room and walked down a long hall.<br><br>“I told you that my class gives great magical powers. Ones that most other races aren't able to wield. But one thing you should always remember is that there's always a price to be paid. For such wondrous powers over life and death, we lose the ability to bear children. Instead, we have the ritual. It is our one chance to become a mother.”<br><br>She paused at this and looked at him. “When we meet the individual that will become our child, a part of our body resonates with them. That, however, is not enough to successfully complete the ritual. I tested your strength, and I felt that it was enough for success, but the truth is that it's a gamble. Many other women lose their lives doing so. It's for that reason that very few actually do it.”<br><br>She opened the door at the end of the hallway and stepped out onto a terrace. She stayed silent for a moment to let the news sink in. The terrace overlooked the city, and was higher than the other buildings in the area. It was a large city, going on for miles and miles. Although it was a different realm, it was similar to Versailles.<br><br>The people at first glance, all looked human, the buildings were nothing strange or fantastical, the biggest difference was the environment. The entire city was in the middle of a desert. The only reason he didn't feel the massive difference in temperature was likely due to a cooling spell cast on the temple.<br><br>Once she felt he had taken in enough of the sights, she resumes speaking. “Did you know that before tonight, the ritual hadn't been performed in over one hundred years? Well, two hundred if you go by the last successful one. It's because of this that it's so sacred to my-, or perhaps I should say, our people.”<br><br>“In essence, what the ritual does is separate your spirit from your flesh. It then gathers your spirit and the energy released during the separation, and binds it to my flesh. Because it is sped up by the magic taken with it, the growth is rapid and in minutes the child is born. That's how, in just a few short minutes, I became a mother.”<br><br>She looked into his eyes and smiled. This was the moment Wraith knew the depth of her feelings for him. <span style="font-style: italic;">In this world, she is my mother. This is strange, maybe it's because of my body, but I'm starting to feel the same about her</span>. Try as he might, against her eyes that were filled with a deep, pure love for him, all he could do was accept and reciprocate those feelings for her.<br><br>“Now, I know that you gained two skills during this time. Don't look so surprised, this ritual was performed before, so I know a little about what happens. You may want to spend every waking moment working towards your skills and stats, but maybe you should listen to what I have to say first.”<br><br>Since the sun was starting to set, she started walking back to the room. “There are records of how the different actions affected the stat and skill acquisition of each individual. What you should know is that this growth is just like your natural growth. If you don't get the right amount of sleep, nutrition and exercise, your growth will be stunted.”<br><br>“Now I need to know what kind of skills you want to learn, so you need to come up with a way to let me know.” Since he couldn't get the required materials himself, he was forced to depend on her. Tailoring was easy, he just grabbed her robe. “So, you want to learn tailoring, is that right?” Since he couldn't say yes, he giggled in agreement.<br><br>“Okay, that's one down, what's the next skill?” Alchemy was much harder to explain. At first he didn't know how to explain it to her, but then he had an idea. He pointed to the pocket she put the bottle in. Realizing what he was pointing to, she soon caught on. “The most obvious answer is cooking, is that it?” At this he gave out a cry, to let her know that it wasn't cooking. “If it's not cooking, then it has to do with the bottle, the formula, or a liquid in a container.” She thought for a minute, then asked him, “are you interested in alchemy?” since that's the best she could think up of. Wraith giggled again, relieved that she figured it out.<br><br>“Thank goodness. Now that I know what you need, I'll get it prepared for you. Tomorrow I'll let you practise and study. For today, you'll have to go back to bed and sleep. If you don't there can be effects on your future health and strength.”<br><br>As much as it pained him to admit it, she was right. He was exhausted after just a few minutes. <span style="font-style: italic;">It wasn't like I would be able to do anything anyway at this point.</span> He didn't even bother resisting when she brought a bottle from her pocket and put it in his mouth. <span style="font-style: italic;">At least I don't need to be breast-fed, if she did that I wouldn't be able to face her again.</span><br><br>When she finished feeding him, she walked back into his room and put him down. “Don't worry, I'm in an adjoining room, so I'll be here when you wake up. I'll be sure to take good care of you. Sleep well, my beautiful baby boy.” With those last words, she kissed him softly on the forehead and went into her room.<br><br>Wraith couldn't help but feel happy. He did have loving parents at home, and while he did love his mother, what was happening right now, wasn't going to replace her. If anything, he couldn't help but see his mother in the Queen.<br><br>Her strength, beauty, kindness and unconditional love all reminded him of his mother, so he could let himself act as his son. It was something that had to be experienced in order to fully understand it. He knew that had he told anyone else about this, they wouldn't get it.<br><br>In fact, they would probably see him as a weirdo that never got any affection from his mother. Now he knew that he was a bit different from others, but he considered himself to be fairly well-adjusted. In fact, if you take away the budding sadism and indifference to human life he's just like any other boy you'd meet.<br><br>With those thoughts in mind, he slowly drifted off to sleep.<br><br><br><br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.royalroadl.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=108&amp;t=770" target="_blank">Next Chapter</a></div><br><br><br><br>*I know that the tables for the skill box doesnt work, ill try to fix it </div>

When he walked through the gateway he wasn't sure what to expect. From the Queen's statements, he gathered that her realm was more like another plane of existence. It would be a place that didn't have a corresponding physical location in the continent of Versailles. This meant that the plants and animals, as well as the terrain and even the laws of nature would be different. What was odd was that he could see none of this. All he could see was white. On the ground, in the sky, it was all a blinding white. He didn't know how far it stretched or even where the boundary between the sky and the ground was. “Where are we? What is this place?” asked Wraith. “This is the inside of the portal. This is what lies between worlds. Unless you have permission, you will forever wander this infinite space. If you carry our blood, you can freely travel between worlds. If not, you require an artifact.” “An artifact?” “Come now, you already have it with you.” Realizing what she meant, he took out the amulet he had received. She brought a small knife from the folds of her robe and ran the blade down the palm of her left hand. Covering the amulet with her blood she told him, “simply having the amulet normally won't do any good.” She put the bloodied amulet around his neck. “You need to have one of us charge it. The amulet will also break down on its own, to prevent other people from coming to us.” As she chanted a spell, the amulet glowed red and turned to a mist that covered his body. His eyesight was covered by scarlet light, and when it faded away, there was a door before him, seemingly created from nothing. It was a plain wooden door, totally unlike the magical portal they came through. The Queen opened the door, and through it he saw a clean white room, reminiscent of a temple. Following the Queen, they stepped through the door. When it closed, it quickly faded from existence. The Queen turned to him and proudly said to him, “welcome to Jorenheim, the stronghold of the forsaken.” Looking around, the room truly was built like a temple. It was a large room, with most of it covered by thick red carpet with golden strands woven into it. The only uncovered area was near the front of the temple. There was a polished marble pedestal with a large circle about eight metres in diameter with five lines originating from the centre and reaching the edge of the circle. It was carved into the marble itself, appearing to be where several rituals were held. The pedestal was in fact an altar. On the wall behind the altar, were three carved statues. To the left was a giant wolf, looking demonic and angry. In the middle was a woman, half her body was a beautiful woman, the other half was a skeleton. The last statue was giant snake, the head looking somewhat like a dragon's. It's body mad a circle, with the head clasped around its tail The walls of the temple were slate-grey, interspersed with square pillars reaching up to a domed roof. The only light came from the several wall-sconces and candle-stands around the temple and the glass dome on the roof. “It's night time and the moon is full and bright. Daciana will get you ready while I make preparations.” Wraith followed Daciana through a side door into the temple's living quarters. She pulled out a plain black robe from a chest and gave it to him. “Change into this and come outside when you're done. You can leave your belongings here temporarily.” Her voice was brisk and business-like, completely different from their first meeting. After handing over the robe she left the room. He took off his pack and his clothes and put on the robe. Although he could have simple equipped and unequipped his clothes and belongings, he personally found it unsettling. It would be one thing while he was in-combat, where speed was necessary, but not outside of it. It only took a minute for him to change, and then he left the room. When he got back to the main room, he saw that there were six other women there. There were all similar to the Queen in their appearance, yet there seemed to be weaker than she was. The Queen was up on the altar drawing the final symbols inside the circle. When she finished she beckoned him towards the altar. He walked forwards and stood in front of her. “Now I'll ask again, before the Sisters of Hel. Do you come here willingly, ready to cast off your mortal flesh and join us in spirit and body?” “Yes, I do.” He said this nervously, still in the dark about what actually occurs in the ritual. “Lie down on ground, with your limbs on the lines.” He did as she asked. His head was on the line pointing to the back of the temple and each of his arms and legs were on the other lines. She then started chanting. Her words were in a language he couldn't understand, yet he could feel its power. The air thrummed with the force of her spell. The first effects he could feel were invisible ropes binding his body down and preventing him from moving. The symbols on the ground beneath his body glowed softly with a golden light. After a few minutes of chanting, her voice died down. However, the air was still filled with power and the symbols remained glowing. She reached into the folds of her scarlet robe, and pulled out a translucent knife. She walked around the circle until she was above his head. She kneeled down and raised her hands above her head, the knife clasped between them. Instead of chanting in that strange language, she spoke in English instead. “Let new life rise from the ashes of death Blood to blood, life to life One life reborn anew One life a vessel to bear it Let the bonds of blood be formed.” After saying this, she drove the knife into his heart, piercing it completely. She then drew it out and started chanting again, returning to that strange language. As he felt his blood leave his body, Wraith saw it run through the lines gouged out on the floor. When his blood had entered every crack in the circle, the golden glow turned white. Black lightning sparked between his body and the circle. By this point, he was nearly dead. With only a few points of Hp left, he saw the Queen raise the knife once more. This time she plunged it into her own stomach. A connection was then formed. The lightning travelling from the circle, to his body, and then into her stomach. When the chanting came to an end, so too did his life. When she fell silent, his Hp dropped to zero and he was surrounded by darkness. At first he couldn't sense anything. Although he never died before in game, he didn't think that this was it. This is strange, where am I, he asked himself. Stats window, he thought to himself. With the absence of a mouth to talk with, or even a body to move, he hoped that thinking it would bring up his stats and character information. Fortunately it worked. At the very least he could log out if he needed to. | Status Window | | | | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Name | Wraith | Other Stats/Information | 4:32 | What the hell?!. Other than his name, there was no other information available. The only thing that was there was a timer, slowly ticking down. That timer is counting down to something. If my hunch is correct, then in little more than four minutes from now I'll have my body back. Though this gave Wraith some peace of mind, it still didn't explain what was happening to him. Since he might miss something if he logged out, he had no other choice but to wait. He left the stat window open, waiting to see any changes. When the timer reached two minutes, something odd happened. Before he had no body, and was simply a bundle of consciousness floating in empty space. Now he could feel again. The sensations were dull and disorganized, but it was definitely there. He felt warmth around his entire body. It was like being in a warm bath. Slowly the sensations grew stronger and more defined the more the timer went down. He could feel more and more of his body, and for of his senses came back. He heard a gurgling and a thumping sound. He couldn't breathe or smell anything, but he wasn't suffocating or drowning. Even though he couldn't open his eyes, he had the uncomfortable feeling that he knew what was going on. Given the chant the Queen sang and what he was experiencing, there was only one explanation. I know people say that it's one of the most incredible miracles of life, but ewwww. Oh, please let me be wrong. Though he begged god, and even the A.I controlling Royal Road, he was afraid that he had no choice but to experience it. Soon there was only about a minute left on the clock. By now his senses and his body, though it was out of proportion, were basically fully developed. He could sort of hear the Queen's voice at this point, and was sure of what was happening to him. Suddenly he felt pressure assaulting him from all sides, directing him downwards. And so the worst minute of my life begins. It was a rhythmic pressure, pulsing and growing stronger. He felt himself be forced through a narrow canal, slowly sliding through it. It felt wet, slimy and was almost painfully constricting. Fortunately it didn't last long. He soon felt cool air on his body, and was bundled up in a soft towel. Normally a baby couldn't open their eyes immediately, but perhaps because his body grew at such a fast pace, he managed to do so only a few seconds after he came out. At first all he could see was a blinding light. His eyes adjusted quickly and found himself cradled in the Quee-no, my mother's arms. He looked up at her face and though it was flushed and dripping with sweat, he could clearly see the loving gaze in her eyes as she looked upon her son. “Sleep for now my son. When you wake up I'll tell you all you need to know.” With that, he felt himself be taken away and put in a crib beside her. He decided to listen to her, as it was a gruelling event. I'll check on my stats when I get up, I haven't slept for a day. At that, he closed his eyes and nodded off. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- When he woke up a few hours later he felt refreshed and well-rested. He tried to speak but apparently his vocal cords weren't fully developed yet. Given his current state, it was imperative that he gather more information about his situation. Normally voice commands were used to bring up windows, but he didn't have that option. Try as he might, he couldn't get 'stats window' out. He was forced to bring it up by thought instead Stats window. He got it up, but it was considerably more difficult than by vocal cues. | Status Window | | | | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Name | Wraith | Alignment | Neutral | | Level | 0 | Class | None | | Title | None | Reputation | 0 | | Health | 50 | Mana | 30 | | Strength | 0.25 | Agility | 0.25 | | Stamina | 1 | | | | Wisdom | 1 | Intellect | 1 | | Luck | 0 | Leadership | 0 | | Attack | 0 | Defence | 0 | | Magic Resistance | | | | | Fire | 0% | Water | 0% | | Earth | 0% | Black Magic | 0% | | Stats will remain at a reduced state for 18 days as part of the growing period. During this time you will be unable to improve skills or gain experience. New temporary skills added for 18 days. | | | | The hell does this mean?! No skills and no experience for eighteen days, and I'm stuck in this body? The new skills better make up for this. Skill window. [tr][td100]Formative Days (Max. Lvl.) Actions taken and information learned during this period will be reflected in stat and skill gains at the end of the growing period. Inquisitive Mind (Max. Lvl.) Enough time spent understanding a craft can allow certain skills to be learned and trained to Master level regardless of class restrictions. Only two such skills can be learned While in his current state he would make smaller gains in stats and skills, in the long run he would be better off than other warriors. Typically one needs to be in a craft or production class to master craft skills or even acquire them. With the Inquisitive Mind skill, this limit could be overcome. Information: Inquisitive Mind. He brought up the window about the skill, since he wanted to see if there was additional information about how to gain a skill. | Inquisitive MindLearning or practising tasks related to a skill will result in developing such skills on maturity. Only two such skills can be learned. | | | | | --- | --- | --- | --- | Information: Formative Days. | Formative DaysPhysical labour and exercise can lead to gains in combat-related stats. Any education received can lead to gains in intelligence and wisdom. | | | | | --- | --- | --- | --- | In a way it was just like training once more. The only difference was that the Formative Days skill wouldn't show results until it was over. The Inquisitive Mind skill could give data during use, but his physical body was severely handicapped in terms of strength and communication. The first thing he did was to explore the limits of his body. Luckily he wasn't quite as weak as a newborn baby. While he was asleep, he had grown considerably. Now he could crawl, and his fine motor skills were more developed. Even though he still couldn't talk, he would find a way to manage. Since the Inquisitive Mind skill could only be used to learn two skills, Wraith decided to choose only craft skills. Although there were many class-specific skills, even if he did Master them, he couldn't use them as effectively as other classes could. Since the acquired skills could be raised to Master level if they were craft or production skills, he decided to focus on them. They would not only be profitable, but would allow him to be self-sufficient. He had researched the different craft skills before he started playing, so he could make a relatively quick decision. Since he wanted a close combat class, the type of armour he would be wearing would be very light. If he went for heavy armour, he might be able to dish out more damage and take stronger hits, but he would lose mobility and speed. This meant that the craft skill best suited for him would be Tailoring. Instead of being able to take heavy blows, he considered avoiding them altogether a more useful ability. Besides making his own armour, he would also need to make his own potions and enhance his equipment. As such, the Alchemy skill would be indispensable for him. While the beginning levels can only create basic potions, higher levels can transmute and refine materials. There were whispers bandied about on the forums and websites that said Mastering the skill gives the ability to create gold. He personally thought it was a load of crap, but he did believe that a very useful skill will still be given. While tailoring would be relatively easy to practise and learn, he was clueless as to how he was going to acquire the alchemy skill. Well, I'll cross that bridge when I get to it. Might as well just focus on tailoring first. Royal Road even rewarded looking and observing, so he could work on his skill just by studying clothes and fabrics. There was just one problem. He was trapped, held in an unbreakable prison that he couldn't get out of. Well, technically it was just a crib. While he was thinking of a way to escape, his 'mother' came in and picked him up. “How's my baby doing today?” she cooed at him in that overly sweet voice mothers talk to their children in. Before he had only thought it to be kind of annoying, now he discovered just how humiliating it is to be on the other end. He tried to tell her he was fine, but the only sounds that came from his body were “aufwawa.” It sounded like some sort of ethnic cuisine. Arrgh, how long will I have to suffer this humiliation? He figured that with one day equalling a year of growth, he would be able to speak on the third or fourth day. For now the only thing he could do was glare at her, though he guessed that even his angry face would look pretty cute. As he predicted, all it did was make her laugh. It was a very warm laugh, filled with love and kindness. It was completely different from her earlier laughs. “You don't have to worry, I know that you retained your consciousness. But what you need to know is that to me you are my son.” As she started explaining the circumstances to him, she cradled him in her arms and carried him out of his room and walked down a long hall. “I told you that my class gives great magical powers. Ones that most other races aren't able to wield. But one thing you should always remember is that there's always a price to be paid. For such wondrous powers over life and death, we lose the ability to bear children. Instead, we have the ritual. It is our one chance to become a mother.” She paused at this and looked at him. “When we meet the individual that will become our child, a part of our body resonates with them. That, however, is not enough to successfully complete the ritual. I tested your strength, and I felt that it was enough for success, but the truth is that it's a gamble. Many other women lose their lives doing so. It's for that reason that very few actually do it.” She opened the door at the end of the hallway and stepped out onto a terrace. She stayed silent for a moment to let the news sink in. The terrace overlooked the city, and was higher than the other buildings in the area. It was a large city, going on for miles and miles. Although it was a different realm, it was similar to Versailles. The people at first glance, all looked human, the buildings were nothing strange or fantastical, the biggest difference was the environment. The entire city was in the middle of a desert. The only reason he didn't feel the massive difference in temperature was likely due to a cooling spell cast on the temple. Once she felt he had taken in enough of the sights, she resumes speaking. “Did you know that before tonight, the ritual hadn't been performed in over one hundred years? Well, two hundred if you go by the last successful one. It's because of this that it's so sacred to my-, or perhaps I should say, our people.” “In essence, what the ritual does is separate your spirit from your flesh. It then gathers your spirit and the energy released during the separation, and binds it to my flesh. Because it is sped up by the magic taken with it, the growth is rapid and in minutes the child is born. That's how, in just a few short minutes, I became a mother.” She looked into his eyes and smiled. This was the moment Wraith knew the depth of her feelings for him. In this world, she is my mother. This is strange, maybe it's because of my body, but I'm starting to feel the same about her. Try as he might, against her eyes that were filled with a deep, pure love for him, all he could do was accept and reciprocate those feelings for her. “Now, I know that you gained two skills during this time. Don't look so surprised, this ritual was performed before, so I know a little about what happens. You may want to spend every waking moment working towards your skills and stats, but maybe you should listen to what I have to say first.” Since the sun was starting to set, she started walking back to the room. “There are records of how the different actions affected the stat and skill acquisition of each individual. What you should know is that this growth is just like your natural growth. If you don't get the right amount of sleep, nutrition and exercise, your growth will be stunted.” “Now I need to know what kind of skills you want to learn, so you need to come up with a way to let me know.” Since he couldn't get the required materials himself, he was forced to depend on her. Tailoring was easy, he just grabbed her robe. “So, you want to learn tailoring, is that right?” Since he couldn't say yes, he giggled in agreement. “Okay, that's one down, what's the next skill?” Alchemy was much harder to explain. At first he didn't know how to explain it to her, but then he had an idea. He pointed to the pocket she put the bottle in. Realizing what he was pointing to, she soon caught on. “The most obvious answer is cooking, is that it?” At this he gave out a cry, to let her know that it wasn't cooking. “If it's not cooking, then it has to do with the bottle, the formula, or a liquid in a container.” She thought for a minute, then asked him, “are you interested in alchemy?” since that's the best she could think up of. Wraith giggled again, relieved that she figured it out. “Thank goodness. Now that I know what you need, I'll get it prepared for you. Tomorrow I'll let you practise and study. For today, you'll have to go back to bed and sleep. If you don't there can be effects on your future health and strength.” As much as it pained him to admit it, she was right. He was exhausted after just a few minutes. It wasn't like I would be able to do anything anyway at this point. He didn't even bother resisting when she brought a bottle from her pocket and put it in his mouth. At least I don't need to be breast-fed, if she did that I wouldn't be able to face her again. When she finished feeding him, she walked back into his room and put him down. “Don't worry, I'm in an adjoining room, so I'll be here when you wake up. I'll be sure to take good care of you. Sleep well, my beautiful baby boy.” With those last words, she kissed him softly on the forehead and went into her room. Wraith couldn't help but feel happy. He did have loving parents at home, and while he did love his mother, what was happening right now, wasn't going to replace her. If anything, he couldn't help but see his mother in the Queen. Her strength, beauty, kindness and unconditional love all reminded him of his mother, so he could let himself act as his son. It was something that had to be experienced in order to fully understand it. He knew that had he told anyone else about this, they wouldn't get it. In fact, they would probably see him as a weirdo that never got any affection from his mother. Now he knew that he was a bit different from others, but he considered himself to be fairly well-adjusted. In fact, if you take away the budding sadism and indifference to human life he's just like any other boy you'd meet. With those thoughts in mind, he slowly drifted off to sleep. [Next Chapter](http://www.royalroadl.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=108&t=770) *I know that the tables for the skill box doesnt work, ill try to fix it

<div class="chapter-inner chapter-content"> Wraith watched Sarin and Vangar battle each other with swords in their mouths. Vangar stopped after about thirty minutes, but Sarin kept on fighting. Without Vangar, she swung the sword against a giant chunk of crystal that jutted out from the ground.<br><br>Although Wraith wasn't enthusiastic about letting her keep fighting in such a way, he let her keep swinging. When he saw that her mouth was bleeding, he decided that it was enough and stepped in.<br><br>“Sarin, there's no point in you doing this. Whatever advantage you gain in range is negated by the loss of speed and strength. All you'll get are bloody gums and a knotted jaw.”<br><br>&lt;It doesn't matter, I'll figure out a way to use it. I have to.&gt;<br><br>“Why? Your fangs are more efficient than the sword. I know you want to get stronger, but this isn't the way to go about it.”<br><br>&lt;I was supposed to protect the pack, but I failed. My mother, father, sisters and brothers all died and I couldn't do anything about it. I won't let that happen again.&gt;<br><br>“It's not your responsibility to protect everyone. That's my job. You don't have to worry about everything. I told you that we'll get some help from the werewolves. Hopefully you'll have bodies that can easily adapt to battle and aren't limited. Besides, even if I do die, I'll be back after a while.”<br><br>&lt;It would still mean that we had failed in our duty. Even if you come back, we'll still have lost you, if only for a few days. I don't want to see anyone else cut down before me.&gt;<br><br>Wraith chuckled. “You need to realize that no matter how strong you become, there will always be someone stronger. I've noticed that you take things much more seriously than Vangar does. Your problem is that you think too much. If you adjust your way of thinking, you'll live a happier life?”<br><br>&lt;What on earth are you talking about?&gt;<br><br>“I'm trying to say that sometimes you have to accept that some things are the way they are. Nothing you do will change the fact that right now you're a wolf, so fight like one. If I do die, it won't be because you're weak, but because the enemy is strong. As long as you give it your all and use your full potential, I'll be able to die with a smile on my face. Of course I'll come back with that same smile too, and we'll just have to work a little bit harder. And remember, unlike your body your mind is free from all constraints. Use that smart head of yours in battle. Hone your instincts and your intellect. You're going to need it if you're to be my right-hand man, or should I say woman.”<br><br>Sarin whipped her head towards him, her eyes wide with shock and disbelief. &lt;Me? Why would you choose me instead of Vangar or Andvare? They're much more stronger than I am.&gt;<br><br>“Andvare is a craftsman and a strong warrior, but his lightheartedness isn't suited for the task. Vangar is a powerful warrior to be sure, but he's not cut out to be a leader. I trust that you can make good decisions for the pack. So do you accept?”<br><br>&lt;Yes.&gt; Sarin buried her head in his stomach, happy that she had been given such an important task. Wraith stroked her fur, seeking to comfort her. It seemed that just as how he hadn't gotten over Fenella's passing, she was still burdened by the loss of her former pack.<br><br>While he was comforting and stroking Sarin, he glanced over to see if Vangar was similarly burdened with such problems. When he caught his eyes, he had a sense that something was wrong. In the depths of Vangar's pupils, there was a darkness that glared out at him. Though it made him uneasy, he shrugged it off, attributing it to the same cause of Sarin's grief. <span style="font-style: italic;">I suppose he hasn't gotten over losing his family either.</span><br><br>The week passed quickly for Wraith. When he wasn't practising manipulating Mana, he was either off hunting with his pack or implementing what he had learnt during the first test. When fighting as a group, if they didn't fight together as one, then instead of being stronger than the sum of the individual parts, they were considerably weaker.<br><br>There was an art to warfare that required practice, trust, and the unity of the entire group. Before, the battles were a free-for-all. Everyone would attack whatever opening was shown, unaware of what the other was doing.<br><br>When fighting as a group, they had to keep one eye on the enemy and one on their allies. While the role of directing his pack fell to Wraith, he couldn't fight and order his pack-mates properly at the same time. That was part of the reason why he gave Sarin more responsibility. He needed someone to help guide his pack to victory.<br><br>When there were more members to his pack, this would be considerably more important. As such, it was best to raise Sarin's leadership abilities early on. They settled on using Sarin and Vangar to draw an enemy's attention, while Wraith and Andvare would deal most of the damage.<br><br>Sarin and Vangar were among the fastest in their group, whereas Wraith and Andvare had the greatest mobility and offence For the time being, that was the basic set-up they used in battle. When their pack had more people, they would be able to adjust the formation to be more efficient.<br><br>With all the things he needed to do, Wraith managed to keep himself busy in anticipation of the upcoming test. The one thing he didn't do was craft items. This was due to the cap on the agility stat. Besides raising speed and the reflexes of the player, it was important in crafting items. Since it was set to ten, there was a noticeable drop in quality and experience gained. Since he didn't want to waste materials, he had to wait until he left the dungeon.<br><br>Soon the day of the final test came, and Wraith was ready. “If it's anything like the last test, we'll be gone for a week or two. We'll meet up back at your house, so I suppose you can work on your smithing in our absence.”<br><br>“Alright. I'm one good sword away from intermediate level two anyway. Oh, I almost forgot.” Andvare rummaged through his pack and pulled out a pair of metal gauntlets. “I don't know if you'll need it, but there's no harm having it on hand. Hah! Having it on hand.” He laughed at the little pun he made. “It was hard making one that you could use, so it's not a high-level item. I tried making some for Sarin and Vangar as well, but it was too clunky.”<br><br>“I appreciate the gesture Andvare. Identify.”<br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td colspan="4">Andvare's Metal Gauntlets<br><br>Defence: 5<br>Attack: 2-4<br><br>Crafted by a good blacksmith, the gauntlets provide protection as well as adding to attack. Strangely enough, the blacksmith purposefully made a low-quality item.<br><br>Requirements: STR 5+, AGI 5+</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br>Although at his level Andvare could make much better items, the gauntlets were made to suit players just starting out in Royal Road. It was then that Wraith realized how his altered stats would affect the armour and weapons he could equip. Fortunately he didn't use any real weapons to fight with, but the limit on strength made it impossible to wear heavy and certain leather armours.<br><br><span style="font-style: italic;">Oh well, nothing I can do about it now.</span> Unfortunately he couldn't equip it due to the dungeon's restriction. Since it seemed as if he worked quite hard at crafting it, Wraith didn't say anything of the sort, and accepted the gift gratefully.<br><br>&lt;We'll see you again later Andvare.&gt;<br><br>&lt;Goodbye.&gt; Unlike Sarin, Vangar's farewell was terse and held a bit of tension. Sarin and Andvare didn't pick up on it, but Wraith heard it. There was something going on with him, and Wraith didn't know what it was.<br><br>He didn't have time to give it much thought, since all of a sudden he was teleported away. When he took a look at his surroundings, he saw that he was inside a cavern. He was standing on a large circular rock in the middle of the cavern. It was about twenty metres in diameter and surrounded by a deep chasm. There were three fragile-looking bridges made of stone that attached the rock to three caves on the side of the cavern. The bridges were interspersed evenly and were about thirty metres in length.<br><br>As he peered over the edge of the rock, he saw that it was supported by a pillar that pushed up against the centre. It seemed to be a precarious situation, which was made even worse by the enormous pool of lava just underneath. He started to wonder what this test entailed, when a system message popped up.<br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td colspan="4">For the second round of testing, the objective is to survive the full length of the test. In three minutes, the bridges will separate from the disk you currently stand on. Keep in mind that falling into the lava will not result in death, but in a forcible ejection from the dungeon back to the continent of Versailles. Also note that only one person can be off the disk at a time. Should more than one person attempt to use the bridges simultaneously, even if they are different all the bridges will collapse. Logging out will replace your avatar with an equal weight. The maximum log-out time is four continuous hours. Glowing circles will appear on the places each person must stand on.</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br>At the appearance of the circles, Wraith, Sarin and Vangar took their places between each of the bridges. When the three minutes were up, the bridges separated from the disk. Unlike what he expected, it didn't break off from the edge to leave a circular stone, but rather broke off well inside the edge of the disk and extended the bridge by about five metres.<br><br>Wraith didn't expect that this would be the test. It seemed too...easy. If all he had to do was balance on the disk until the test ended then he could breeze through it with ease. As expected, it was an easy challenge to overcome.<br><br>For seven days he had to sit still in the same spot. When he logged out, it was only for fifteen minutes at most. He would wolf down food, use the facilities, and then jump back into the capsule. Since they were balanced so precariously, they had someone on watch at all times. This way, two people could sleep soundly while one was looking out for them.<br><br>The most unnerving part of the challenge was how it didn't give a time limit. There was no way to know when the test was going to end. For five days, all Wraith could do was wait patiently for something to occur.<br><br>On the sixth day, something did happen. The stone he was standing on started to crumble. The edges of the stone started to fall away into the lava. Wraith cursed at the sight. It wasn't a big piece, in fact it was less than a fist of stone that fell off.<br><br>It wasn't enough to unbalance the stone completely, but it signalled future crumbling of the stone. Every minute after that, a little bit of stone would fall away. By three days time, enough had fallen away that the stone which was once twenty metre in diameter, shrunk to fourteen.<br><br>The circles where they stood on were long since gone, which forced them to move inwards. Every hour that passed made things a little more frightening and unnerving. In the darkness of the cave, the only illumination was the lava that painted the walls orange. The dark edges of the stone stood out in sharp contrast to the light, highlighting where it had broken off. As Wraith and his pack listened to the splashes of stone falling in lava, their heartbeats quickened with fear.<br><br>He was ashamed to admit that thoughts of running across the bridge had crossed his mind. Although he wouldn't have even considered it a few days ago, seeing the stone shrink away intensified the terror of falling into the lava. In two days time, enough of the stone would break away to make escape impossible.<br><br>-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br><br>Jacob looked on the monitor to see how the different parties were faring. There were sixty parties of three in total, and one group of four. In the first six days there were only fourteen people that tried to escape via the bridge.<br><br>It wasn't terribly high, but it meant there were fourteen people less to consider. When the stone started crumbling out from under them, the number of people that tried to escape rose quickly. What the players didn't know was that escaping and leaving party members behind was considered a failure. In Jacob's eyes, it was a well-crafted trial. Unfortunately, not everyone saw things the same way.<br><br>“Sir, I know you wanted to test teamwork and unity, but how will this accomplish that? There doesn't seem to be a defined way of measuring teamwork in this test.” It was Sam that asked this. He was the same bespectacled worker that questioned Jacob's motives in bringing Wraith as a candidate.<br><br>Jacob sighed heavily, feeling a migraine forming behind his eyes. “Let me ask you a question in return, does there exist a definitive scale for grading teamwork? No. The best we can hope for is to see who works better at it than others.”<br><br>“I'm sorry sir, but I still don't understand.” Being a stickler for the rules, his way of thinking was quite rigid as well. While he was good with numbers and figures, he wasn't the most creative of people. As such, Jacob had to explain the reasoning behind the test carefully.<br><br>“This test measures teamwork in a round-about sort of way. What we look for is the person that cracks last. You see, everyone has a breaking point, no exceptions. It's just that some have a lower threshold than others. In the beginning, most people stood together and balanced on the rock. They worked to find a balance, keep watch, and look out for each other. Then, the self-preservation instinct kicked in. They abandoned their party members and tried to save themselves. After all, the others were basically strangers to them, and what was at stake was their future.”<br><br>Understanding dawned on Sam's face as Jacob explained everything to him. “So when the stone started crumbling, it jump-started that instinct.”<br><br>“Precisely. The more the stone crumbles, the further away the bridge gets from them. When they see their only hope of escape going out of their reach, the pressure builds and they crack under it. When the first member of the party leaves, the other two are put under even more pressure, and one soon follows suit. Eventually, only one member from each party is left behind. From the looks of things, it'll only take one more day.”<br><br>“But doesn't that put Wraith at an advantage? I mean, there's no penalty for abandoning his teammates. On the contrary, they would happily sacrifice themselves for him.”<br><br>“You do remember that it doesn't really matter one way or another, right? In any case, it would actually be harder for Wraith to do that. After all, he does seem to have a sense of honour. In this test, he has a big advantage.”<br><br>-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br><br>&lt;Wraith, you don't need to stay with us. If you use the bridge, you can get to safety. It says that we won't die if we fall in, and you're the one that needs this.&gt;<br><br>“No.” It was a firm, resolute reply. Sarin was correct in everything she said, but he couldn't bring himself to sacrifice them for his sake. If he did it, he may gain victory in the trial, but he would lose something far more precious. No matter what they may say, the trust Sarin and Vangar held in Wraith would be diminished. For the rest of their lives, the act of sending them into a fiery pit would forever linger between them, poisoning their relationship.<br><br>Although it wasn't the easy way out, Wraith would stay on the platform for as long as possible. Until the pillar that supported the platform broke and fell into the pit of lava, he would remain with his pack.<br><br>With each day that passed, the stone grew smaller and smaller. After two days the diameter of the circle had been cut by half. By the end of the next day, Wraith could almost reach out and touch his other pack-mates.<br><br>The crumbling had accelerated to the point that in the two weeks he had been in the cavern, the once twenty metre wide circle had shrunk to barely a tenth of it's size. At that point, Wraith didn't log-out for fear of upsetting the balance. He couldn't get any sleep either, as there wasn't the space nor the stability to do so.<br><br>They were all standing almost on top of each other. Wraith could stand upright, so he didn't take up much space, but Sarin and Vangar couldn't do so easily. It was uncomfortable and somewhat difficult, but it was the only way to avoid falling in. Were they to stand on all fours, they would need a platform three times the size of the one they were standing on. To compensate for this, Wraith let them put their front paws on his shoulders.<br><br>This made it infinitely more difficult to balance on the stone. There were several times that they nearly tipped it over too far. The only reason they could stand like that for so long was because of the qualities of Royal Road. Since they had a virtual body, there was no such thing as muscle failure based on the typical limits of the human body.<br><br>Even if he stood in the same spot for days on end, his mind would become dull and clouded, but all he would feel was a dull ache and a slow consistent burn in his legs. They would not however cramp, seize up, or spasm. As long as his stamina and satiety bar was filled, his muscles wouldn't fail him. <br><br>It was one of the key selling points for Royal Road. As long someone had a functioning brain, they weren't limited by the limits of their physical bodies. Instead they could toe the line between the sense of reality and the wonder of the impossible.<br><br>In Royal Road, a ninety year old man and a twenty-two year old athlete could feasibly run the same distance in the same amount of time, so long as their stats were identical. To make things a bit more challenging, the developers didn't erase the limits, but greatly extended them instead.<br><br>This was the purpose of the stamina bar. If it dropped to zero he would immediately drop to the ground like a puppet with its strings cut. Unfortunately for Wraith, since he couldn't rest in that position, he and his pack had to rely on stamina potions that he had brewed before coming to the test.<br><br>They were expensive, coming at about one gold a bottle. While he was hoping to save it for a protracted boss fight, he had no choice but to use it on himself and his pack.<br><br>Yet while his physical state remained constant, his mental state was terrible. It took all he had to simply keep his eyes open. Though he ate rye bread in-game, that only filled his satiety bar. His real body didn't get any food for about a day, which contributed to his fatigue and gave him a gnawing hunger in the pit of his stomach. Sleep-deprived and starved, he was almost ready to throw in the towel.<br><br>He had been pushed to his limits. Although he would keep on standing if he could, he wasn't able to stand up anymore. At any moment, he was about to pass out and plummet into the fiery pit. As he was about to step off the ledge and fall in, he was teleported out of the cavern.<br><br>After standing on an uneven surface for days on end, feeling the solid ground beneath his feet was enough to make him fall over in relief. They were back in Andvare's house, since it was where they initially teleported from.<br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td colspan="4">Congratulations, you have passed the second test. You will have eleven days to rest and look for valuable items, before the final trial begins. The upcoming test is a pure-combat test, in a tournament-styled series of matches. With locked stats and weapons, preparation is not required. Although it will be to the death, losing the fight will not result in any penalties whatsoever, including loss of skill experience or items.</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br>“We're alive?” Wraith almost couldn't believe that they had made it back in one piece. He was almost certain that they were going to fall head-first into the lava. He was so exhausted that he barely had any time to read the system message before collapsing on the floor and falling into a deep slumber.<br><br>-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br><br>Immediately after waking up, Wraith promptly logged out to have a long-awaited meal. After filling his stomach, he returned to Royal Road. Because of his exhaustion, he had spent a whole day sleeping. Since there wasn't much time left, he figured he would make the trip to the treasury and armoury that was promised to him. Besides items for him, it could also help with the quest that was given to him.<br><br>Andvare soon met up with him, and took him to where the treasures of the city were held. Sarin and Vangar were left behind, since they were still tired. “So is it really okay to give me full access to your riches?”<br><br>“Well given that you took us out of soul-crushing misery and removed a curse that has haunted us for millennia, it's the least we could do.”<br><br>“You know it was Loki that did the hard part. All I did was help out a bit.”<br><br>“I'd say it was more than a bit, and if you weren't there, Loki couldn't have done anything to help us. Besides, we doubt you planned to clear us out completely. And even if you did have deep pockets to store it all, most of it was gathering dust anyway.”<br><br>“I'll make sure to restrain myself then.”<br><br>Within a few minutes, they had arrived at a gleaming silver tower. It was conical and stretched two stories up into the air. The only feature was a metal door, sealed by magic. “Looks kinda small to hold the cities valuables.”<br><br>Andvare chuckled. “Appearances can be deceptive.” When he unsealed the door with a drop of his blood and an incantation, the door swung open to reveal a winding staircase leading downwards.<br><br>After about two minutes of walking down, the stairs ended at another giant door. Like the other door that was barred by magical seals, this one required a magical key to open it up. “This door here is locked by a specific set of Mana waves. It transmits the Mana from the body, through the crystal key and into the keyhole. Unless you have access, it's almost impossible to open.”<br><br>“Almost?”<br><br>“Well nothing is really impenetrable. If you really wanted to break in, it would cost a lot of gold and resources. Of course at that point you wouldn't need to break in since you already had more gold than was in here.”<br><br>The door opened up into a large room. The floor, ceiling and walls were covered by a layer of steel, forming a giant metallic cube. Each of the sides were about thirty metres in length, and from edge to edge, the room was covered with riches. In some places it was piled so high that it almost reached the ceiling.<br><br>“Andvare?”<br><br>“Yeah?”<br><br>“When was the last time this place was cleaned or organized?”<br><br>“About a thousand years ago, but it's not that bad a mess. Armour and weapons are on the left and precious jewels and metals are on the right...I think.”<br><br>Judging from the inch of dust that covered the treasures, Andvare wasn't exaggerating. “So how exactly do I figure out what's good and bad here?”<br><br>“You've got the identification skill don't you? Why don't you just use that?”<br><br>“You mean besides the fact that it would take me a full year to get through it all?”<br><br>“Ah, I see your point.”<br><br>Grumbling under his breath, Wraith started rummaging through the items. “So you said help myself, but what's the amount of stuff I can take without seeming too greedy?”<br><br>“Well, I would say that a cart's full of riches is fairly small.”<br><br>“So as much as I can carry in my bags then.” It would be much less than what Andvare suggested, but Wraith didn't want to come off as being greedy. While he would temporarily become rich, his relationship with the Dvergar would be soured. Since Andvare was held in high regard by his race and that Wraith would likely have more dealings with them, he couldn't afford to raid the treasury.<br><br>Instead of wasting his time looking over armour he couldn't use, Wraith started gathering up all the rings, bracelets and necklaces he could find. “Hey Andvare...” He trailed off calling Andvare for assistance, since he was no longer there. Assuming that Andvare had left him to search the treasury by himself, he dove back into the pile.<br><br>It hadn't even been fifteen minutes since Andvare left when he showed up again, with some friends in tow. “This isn't a one-man job, and we need to clean this place out anyway. Just tell us what we're looking for.”<br><br>“Well, forget about the armour and focus on finding accessories instead. Also, can you gather up any crafting materials? Specifically those related to tailoring and alchemy.” With about twenty-five volunteers, they quickly sifted through the items in the room.<br><br>As they pulled out the rings and accessories that Wraith was looking for, the pile of items Wraith was interested in soon grew immensely. With all the people helping him, Wraith was able to gather up all the accessories and crafting material within two days.<br><br>Since their work was done, the Dvergar left the treasury to Wraith. For the next seven days, Wraith spent every waking moment identifying the objects. As one would expect, it got boring really quickly. There was nothing interesting about saying “identify,” thousands of times in a row while sitting down.<br><br>He first went through the rings, trying to find the ten best ones available. About thirty percent of all the rings were basic Mana rings that increased Mana regen by ten percent. After tossing away those rings, he had to find the ten best rings in the pile.<br><br>Eventually he managed to sort them out. There were four different types of rings that he found.<br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td colspan="4">Ring of the Swift Hunter<br><br>Durability: 30/30<br><br>Made for and unmatched hunter, this ring is magically imbued with the spirit of a fleeing deer.<br><br>Equip: +30 AGI, +15% Hp Regen<br>Restriction: +200 AGI, +100 VIT</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td colspan="4">Ring of the Almighty Sage<br><br>Durability: 30/30<br><br>Crafted by a Dvergar sage who was in tune with the magical elements, this ring is filled with an ancient magical essence.<br><br>Equip: +50 WIS, +20% Mana Regen, Magic-related skills rise 15% faster<br>Restriction: +100 INT, +100 WIS</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td colspan="4">Archmage's Ring<br><br>Durability: 30/30<br><br>Crafted to raise the offensive capabilities of mages in an era of chaos, the Archmage Cardal crafted the ring using arcane methods that have been long since forgotten.<br><br>Equip: +50 INT, +25% Mana Regen, 5% of all Magical Damage is reduced and absorbed as Mana<br>Restriction: +100 INT, +100 WIS, +3000 Mana</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td colspan="4">Finely crafted Mana Ring<br><br>Durability: 30/30<br><br>Unlike other Mana rings that are rare in their own right, this ring was worked on to be far superior It is invaluable for mages, priests or shamans.<br><br>Equip: +30% Mana Regen<br>Restriction: +100 INT, +100 WIS</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br>He had four finely crafted Mana rings, and two of each of the other ones. Although there were likely other rings in the world that could do a lot more for him, the ones had right now were still top-tier. After sorting through the rings, he looked at necklaces. After looking through them, he settled on a torc, which was an ancient type of neck-wear.<br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td colspan="4">White Dragonscale Torc<br><br>Durability: 70/70<br><br>Made from the scales of a mighty white dragon, the choker is lightweight, yet can stop a mortal blow from slashing the throat. It also contains a sliver of the powers of the original dragon, which is known for wisdom that surpasses others of its kind, and an immense magical prowess. Written in Draconian runes, the true powers are locked to most mortals.<br><br>Equip: Unknown<br>Restriction: Must have a class that understands the writings of beasts and monsters</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br>Along with his ability to understand the speech of animals and monsters, his race also gave him the gift on understanding the written languages as well. As he stared at the runes, they rearranged themselves to form words in English. It took five minutes for it to happen, so it wasn't a terribly convenient ability.<br><br>“Fangs that crush mountains, claws that shred the sea. From the spirit born from the divine, let the aether rise and flow once more.” It was a small chant that ran across the length of the necklace, but one that was impossible to guess.<br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td colspan="4">White Dragonscale Torc<br><br>Durability: 70/70<br><br>Made from the scales of a mighty white dragon, the choker is lightweight, yet can stop a mortal blow from slashing the throat. It also contains a sliver of the powers of the original dragon, which is known for wisdom that surpasses others of its kind, and an immense magical prowess. Written in Draconian runes, the true powers are locked to most mortals.<br><br>Equip: +25 WIS, +25 INT, +5% Mana Regen, +15% to all magical resistances, +500 Mana (over time, the properties may change)<br>Restriction: No level or stat restriction, but is permanently bound to your avatar.</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br>It was uncertain whether it should be worn or not. While it had incredible properties, Wraith was hesitant to put it on and keep it on him forever. However, since it said that the properties may change, Wraith decided to take a chance and keep it. After all, necklaces were quite rare in Royal Road anyway.<br><br>After he had the necklace, he looked at the other accessories. There were things he hadn't even know to exist in Royal Road. In particular, he noted the circlet and the arm rings. The circlet was made of what appeared to be braided strands of a dark-red metal, with a crescent moon in the centre of the area that would rest on the forehead.<br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td colspan="4">Circlet of Val'Khan<br><br>Durability: 70/70<br><br>Worn by a prince of an ancient kingdom, the circlet was said to be made from the drops of moonlight that fell to earth. It was said that after being betrayed and slaughtered by his younger brother, the circlet became dyed in his blood and his dying fury.<br><br>Equip: +50 Killing Intent, +20 END, Hp Regen +30%. When Max. Hp falls below 25%, all stats increase by 5% and Hp Regen increases by an additional 10%.<br>Restriction: +100 Killing Intent, +50 END</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br>It was a rare item that he hadn't expected to find. Like the choker, it was something that the Dvergar had collected when they were still living with the rest of the world. Because it was an ancient item, it had properties that were rare and unique.<br><br>The last types of items that he looked for were bracelets and arm rings. His scouring revealed a pair of arm rings and bracelets.<br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td colspan="4">Twin Cuffs of Argoth<br><br>Defence: 10<br>Durability: 60/60<br><br>The two cuffs were worn together as not only an accessory, but as a type of armour for those who wore cloth instead of leather and metal.<br><br>Equip: +25 END, +20 AGI, +5% of a Critical Hit. When both cuffs are worn together, Max Hp increases by 200<br>Restriction: Warrior class, +150 AGI, +50 END</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td colspan="4">Bands of the Battlemage<br><br>Durability: 40/40<br><br>Unlike iron that hampers magical ability, these arm rings are made from pure mithril. As well as amplifying magical ability, it aids in physical combat as well. Although originally designed for a spell-sword, both warrior and mage classes can greatly benefit from them.<br><br>Equip: +15 END, +10 AGI, +15 INT, +10 WIS. When both cuffs are worn together, all magic-related skills use 15% less Mana.<br>Restriction: +100 INT, +100 WIS, +100 AGI, +50 END</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br>The arm rings and the cuffs were the final pieces of armour he needed. With them, he was finally outfitted as a powerful warrior, although he couldn't fight properly just yet. Normally such items could only be worn by players at least twice the level of him. The reason why he could use them was due to his inflated stats.<br><br>In some ways Wraith was quite lucky. Most players wouldn't have been able to receive such items, or at least not yet. Since the dungeon wasn't yet discovered, Wraith and the other candidates were able to pick the place clean of any valuables. Even if another candidate had found the city of the Dvergar, they wouldn't have been granted access to the treasury since they couldn't have removed the curse.<br><br>It was as if there was a guardian angel looking out for him. For all the failings of his race and class, it was only fair that he have the best items. After all, in this game Wraith was considered evil and a villain by most people. There's no such thing as a villain or demon king without wealth, power and luxuries. It's one of the things that make up for the standing alone.<br><br>After putting the accessories away in his pack, he went to look at the crafting materials. Compared to blacksmithing and sculpting, there weren't many items for tailoring and alchemy. However, it was still much more than would fit in his bag. Even the new bag that Andvare got for him was too small, and it had space for one hundred kilograms worth of items while reducing the weight by ninety percent.<br><br>He first took all the strange items that could be used for alchemy. This included dried wood and rare plants, as well as unique minerals and substances. He then took the finest quality fabrics for tailoring.<br><br>There was fine silk and plant fabrics, as well as spools of thread from strange and mysterious sources. There was metal wire as soft and smooth as silk, string made from a demon's sinews, thread from the down of an angel, fibres from the tree of life, and the gossamer strands of a unicorn's mane.<br><br>He also helped himself to some gold. After leaving the treasury, his pockets were considerably heavier. With almost five thousand gold coins and a bag filled to the brim with accessories and crafting items, he walked back to Andvare's house.<br><br>He was quite pleased with how things turned out. The items he got for himself would also be of use for the quest given at the start of the test. Besides that, he also reached intermediate level one in identification. While by itself it was a somewhat useless skill for most warriors, it allowed him to master the true insight skill which gave him knowledge on potion-making and in alchemy.<br><br>Although the process of raising the skill was so boring that it made him want to rip his own face off, the results were well worth the effort.<br><br>While there was still the issue of the armour and accessories unequipping themselves every time he transformed, he was certain he could find a craftsman or an enchanter to fix that problem. Ever since his stats underwent that massive change, he realized how important they would be to him. He couldn't afford to turn down even the slightest bit of extra damage or defense.<br><br>If worst came to worst he could even fight in his normal body. The advantages gained from armour and the accessories far outweighed those gained from his wolf-form. If he had time he would have went around the city seeking to find someone that could help. The Dvergar were excellent craftsmen, so they would have likely given him some help in that area. Since that option wasn't available to him anymore, he was forced to put it out of his mind and think on other matters.<br><br>While he made his way to Andvare's place, he had some time to think. After just a few more days, the testing would be over. It filled him with both excitement and apprehension. In someways it was similar to taking the year-end exams. Once it was over with, everything will have ended. Whether it would be for good or bad, he had no idea.<br><br>He had made it so far in the testing, that instead of filling him with confidence it filled him with dread. He had invested so much of his time and energy into this that not passing would be devastating.<br><br>Sure he would recover and pick up the pieces of his life, but it would leave him with very few options. He was already accepted into university, but that would mean he would have to put Royal Road on hold. Although he could become a dark gamer, he didn't know if he had the mettle to make money while playing, and he couldn't afford the capsule to start playing. While there may have been other legitimate jobs that involved playing on Royal Road, they would either require high credentials, or place him under intense scrutiny while he played the game.<br><br><span style="font-style: italic;">This is my last and only chance. There's no pressure and nothing to worry about. If you fail, it's just the end of this life in Royal Road and the death of hope, joy, and excitement.</span> One thing Wraith wasn't, was an optimist.<br><br>Some people would say that he was cynical and a downer, but he was just a realist. The odds were stacked against him, and he didn't know how he compared to the other candidates. They likely played longer, giving them more combat experience. The one small hope he held was that they were largely reliant on their skills rather than their own ability.<br><br>Though many players picked up actual combat ability after playing Royal Road for so long, many people (especially mages) only relied on their skills. They counted on their weapon-skills to correct their mistakes, and relied on special attacks to fight the enemy with.<br><br>Unlike the swordsmen that would hack and slash without any thought, Wraith was controlled and knowledgeable when it came to fighting bare-handed. Victory may not be guaranteed to him, but neither was it that far out of reach.<br><br>If he worked a little bit harder for just a little bit longer, the path to his dreams would open up before him. With his heart and mind at ease, he was ready for the final trial that would end up shaping the next several years of his life.<br><br><br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.royalroadl.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=108&amp;t=1104" target="_blank">Next Chapter</a></div> </div>

Wraith watched Sarin and Vangar battle each other with swords in their mouths. Vangar stopped after about thirty minutes, but Sarin kept on fighting. Without Vangar, she swung the sword against a giant chunk of crystal that jutted out from the ground. Although Wraith wasn't enthusiastic about letting her keep fighting in such a way, he let her keep swinging. When he saw that her mouth was bleeding, he decided that it was enough and stepped in. “Sarin, there's no point in you doing this. Whatever advantage you gain in range is negated by the loss of speed and strength. All you'll get are bloody gums and a knotted jaw.” <It doesn't matter, I'll figure out a way to use it. I have to.> “Why? Your fangs are more efficient than the sword. I know you want to get stronger, but this isn't the way to go about it.” <I was supposed to protect the pack, but I failed. My mother, father, sisters and brothers all died and I couldn't do anything about it. I won't let that happen again.> “It's not your responsibility to protect everyone. That's my job. You don't have to worry about everything. I told you that we'll get some help from the werewolves. Hopefully you'll have bodies that can easily adapt to battle and aren't limited. Besides, even if I do die, I'll be back after a while.” <It would still mean that we had failed in our duty. Even if you come back, we'll still have lost you, if only for a few days. I don't want to see anyone else cut down before me.> Wraith chuckled. “You need to realize that no matter how strong you become, there will always be someone stronger. I've noticed that you take things much more seriously than Vangar does. Your problem is that you think too much. If you adjust your way of thinking, you'll live a happier life?” <What on earth are you talking about?> “I'm trying to say that sometimes you have to accept that some things are the way they are. Nothing you do will change the fact that right now you're a wolf, so fight like one. If I do die, it won't be because you're weak, but because the enemy is strong. As long as you give it your all and use your full potential, I'll be able to die with a smile on my face. Of course I'll come back with that same smile too, and we'll just have to work a little bit harder. And remember, unlike your body your mind is free from all constraints. Use that smart head of yours in battle. Hone your instincts and your intellect. You're going to need it if you're to be my right-hand man, or should I say woman.” Sarin whipped her head towards him, her eyes wide with shock and disbelief. <Me? Why would you choose me instead of Vangar or Andvare? They're much more stronger than I am.> “Andvare is a craftsman and a strong warrior, but his lightheartedness isn't suited for the task. Vangar is a powerful warrior to be sure, but he's not cut out to be a leader. I trust that you can make good decisions for the pack. So do you accept?” <Yes.> Sarin buried her head in his stomach, happy that she had been given such an important task. Wraith stroked her fur, seeking to comfort her. It seemed that just as how he hadn't gotten over Fenella's passing, she was still burdened by the loss of her former pack. While he was comforting and stroking Sarin, he glanced over to see if Vangar was similarly burdened with such problems. When he caught his eyes, he had a sense that something was wrong. In the depths of Vangar's pupils, there was a darkness that glared out at him. Though it made him uneasy, he shrugged it off, attributing it to the same cause of Sarin's grief. I suppose he hasn't gotten over losing his family either. The week passed quickly for Wraith. When he wasn't practising manipulating Mana, he was either off hunting with his pack or implementing what he had learnt during the first test. When fighting as a group, if they didn't fight together as one, then instead of being stronger than the sum of the individual parts, they were considerably weaker. There was an art to warfare that required practice, trust, and the unity of the entire group. Before, the battles were a free-for-all. Everyone would attack whatever opening was shown, unaware of what the other was doing. When fighting as a group, they had to keep one eye on the enemy and one on their allies. While the role of directing his pack fell to Wraith, he couldn't fight and order his pack-mates properly at the same time. That was part of the reason why he gave Sarin more responsibility. He needed someone to help guide his pack to victory. When there were more members to his pack, this would be considerably more important. As such, it was best to raise Sarin's leadership abilities early on. They settled on using Sarin and Vangar to draw an enemy's attention, while Wraith and Andvare would deal most of the damage. Sarin and Vangar were among the fastest in their group, whereas Wraith and Andvare had the greatest mobility and offence For the time being, that was the basic set-up they used in battle. When their pack had more people, they would be able to adjust the formation to be more efficient. With all the things he needed to do, Wraith managed to keep himself busy in anticipation of the upcoming test. The one thing he didn't do was craft items. This was due to the cap on the agility stat. Besides raising speed and the reflexes of the player, it was important in crafting items. Since it was set to ten, there was a noticeable drop in quality and experience gained. Since he didn't want to waste materials, he had to wait until he left the dungeon. Soon the day of the final test came, and Wraith was ready. “If it's anything like the last test, we'll be gone for a week or two. We'll meet up back at your house, so I suppose you can work on your smithing in our absence.” “Alright. I'm one good sword away from intermediate level two anyway. Oh, I almost forgot.” Andvare rummaged through his pack and pulled out a pair of metal gauntlets. “I don't know if you'll need it, but there's no harm having it on hand. Hah! Having it on hand.” He laughed at the little pun he made. “It was hard making one that you could use, so it's not a high-level item. I tried making some for Sarin and Vangar as well, but it was too clunky.” “I appreciate the gesture Andvare. Identify.” | Andvare's Metal GauntletsDefence: 5Attack: 2-4Crafted by a good blacksmith, the gauntlets provide protection as well as adding to attack. Strangely enough, the blacksmith purposefully made a low-quality item.Requirements: STR 5+, AGI 5+ | | | | | --- | --- | --- | --- | Although at his level Andvare could make much better items, the gauntlets were made to suit players just starting out in Royal Road. It was then that Wraith realized how his altered stats would affect the armour and weapons he could equip. Fortunately he didn't use any real weapons to fight with, but the limit on strength made it impossible to wear heavy and certain leather armours. Oh well, nothing I can do about it now. Unfortunately he couldn't equip it due to the dungeon's restriction. Since it seemed as if he worked quite hard at crafting it, Wraith didn't say anything of the sort, and accepted the gift gratefully. <We'll see you again later Andvare.> <Goodbye.> Unlike Sarin, Vangar's farewell was terse and held a bit of tension. Sarin and Andvare didn't pick up on it, but Wraith heard it. There was something going on with him, and Wraith didn't know what it was. He didn't have time to give it much thought, since all of a sudden he was teleported away. When he took a look at his surroundings, he saw that he was inside a cavern. He was standing on a large circular rock in the middle of the cavern. It was about twenty metres in diameter and surrounded by a deep chasm. There were three fragile-looking bridges made of stone that attached the rock to three caves on the side of the cavern. The bridges were interspersed evenly and were about thirty metres in length. As he peered over the edge of the rock, he saw that it was supported by a pillar that pushed up against the centre. It seemed to be a precarious situation, which was made even worse by the enormous pool of lava just underneath. He started to wonder what this test entailed, when a system message popped up. | For the second round of testing, the objective is to survive the full length of the test. In three minutes, the bridges will separate from the disk you currently stand on. Keep in mind that falling into the lava will not result in death, but in a forcible ejection from the dungeon back to the continent of Versailles. Also note that only one person can be off the disk at a time. Should more than one person attempt to use the bridges simultaneously, even if they are different all the bridges will collapse. Logging out will replace your avatar with an equal weight. The maximum log-out time is four continuous hours. Glowing circles will appear on the places each person must stand on. | | | | | --- | --- | --- | --- | At the appearance of the circles, Wraith, Sarin and Vangar took their places between each of the bridges. When the three minutes were up, the bridges separated from the disk. Unlike what he expected, it didn't break off from the edge to leave a circular stone, but rather broke off well inside the edge of the disk and extended the bridge by about five metres. Wraith didn't expect that this would be the test. It seemed too...easy. If all he had to do was balance on the disk until the test ended then he could breeze through it with ease. As expected, it was an easy challenge to overcome. For seven days he had to sit still in the same spot. When he logged out, it was only for fifteen minutes at most. He would wolf down food, use the facilities, and then jump back into the capsule. Since they were balanced so precariously, they had someone on watch at all times. This way, two people could sleep soundly while one was looking out for them. The most unnerving part of the challenge was how it didn't give a time limit. There was no way to know when the test was going to end. For five days, all Wraith could do was wait patiently for something to occur. On the sixth day, something did happen. The stone he was standing on started to crumble. The edges of the stone started to fall away into the lava. Wraith cursed at the sight. It wasn't a big piece, in fact it was less than a fist of stone that fell off. It wasn't enough to unbalance the stone completely, but it signalled future crumbling of the stone. Every minute after that, a little bit of stone would fall away. By three days time, enough had fallen away that the stone which was once twenty metre in diameter, shrunk to fourteen. The circles where they stood on were long since gone, which forced them to move inwards. Every hour that passed made things a little more frightening and unnerving. In the darkness of the cave, the only illumination was the lava that painted the walls orange. The dark edges of the stone stood out in sharp contrast to the light, highlighting where it had broken off. As Wraith and his pack listened to the splashes of stone falling in lava, their heartbeats quickened with fear. He was ashamed to admit that thoughts of running across the bridge had crossed his mind. Although he wouldn't have even considered it a few days ago, seeing the stone shrink away intensified the terror of falling into the lava. In two days time, enough of the stone would break away to make escape impossible. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jacob looked on the monitor to see how the different parties were faring. There were sixty parties of three in total, and one group of four. In the first six days there were only fourteen people that tried to escape via the bridge. It wasn't terribly high, but it meant there were fourteen people less to consider. When the stone started crumbling out from under them, the number of people that tried to escape rose quickly. What the players didn't know was that escaping and leaving party members behind was considered a failure. In Jacob's eyes, it was a well-crafted trial. Unfortunately, not everyone saw things the same way. “Sir, I know you wanted to test teamwork and unity, but how will this accomplish that? There doesn't seem to be a defined way of measuring teamwork in this test.” It was Sam that asked this. He was the same bespectacled worker that questioned Jacob's motives in bringing Wraith as a candidate. Jacob sighed heavily, feeling a migraine forming behind his eyes. “Let me ask you a question in return, does there exist a definitive scale for grading teamwork? No. The best we can hope for is to see who works better at it than others.” “I'm sorry sir, but I still don't understand.” Being a stickler for the rules, his way of thinking was quite rigid as well. While he was good with numbers and figures, he wasn't the most creative of people. As such, Jacob had to explain the reasoning behind the test carefully. “This test measures teamwork in a round-about sort of way. What we look for is the person that cracks last. You see, everyone has a breaking point, no exceptions. It's just that some have a lower threshold than others. In the beginning, most people stood together and balanced on the rock. They worked to find a balance, keep watch, and look out for each other. Then, the self-preservation instinct kicked in. They abandoned their party members and tried to save themselves. After all, the others were basically strangers to them, and what was at stake was their future.” Understanding dawned on Sam's face as Jacob explained everything to him. “So when the stone started crumbling, it jump-started that instinct.” “Precisely. The more the stone crumbles, the further away the bridge gets from them. When they see their only hope of escape going out of their reach, the pressure builds and they crack under it. When the first member of the party leaves, the other two are put under even more pressure, and one soon follows suit. Eventually, only one member from each party is left behind. From the looks of things, it'll only take one more day.” “But doesn't that put Wraith at an advantage? I mean, there's no penalty for abandoning his teammates. On the contrary, they would happily sacrifice themselves for him.” “You do remember that it doesn't really matter one way or another, right? In any case, it would actually be harder for Wraith to do that. After all, he does seem to have a sense of honour. In this test, he has a big advantage.” ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- <Wraith, you don't need to stay with us. If you use the bridge, you can get to safety. It says that we won't die if we fall in, and you're the one that needs this.> “No.” It was a firm, resolute reply. Sarin was correct in everything she said, but he couldn't bring himself to sacrifice them for his sake. If he did it, he may gain victory in the trial, but he would lose something far more precious. No matter what they may say, the trust Sarin and Vangar held in Wraith would be diminished. For the rest of their lives, the act of sending them into a fiery pit would forever linger between them, poisoning their relationship. Although it wasn't the easy way out, Wraith would stay on the platform for as long as possible. Until the pillar that supported the platform broke and fell into the pit of lava, he would remain with his pack. With each day that passed, the stone grew smaller and smaller. After two days the diameter of the circle had been cut by half. By the end of the next day, Wraith could almost reach out and touch his other pack-mates. The crumbling had accelerated to the point that in the two weeks he had been in the cavern, the once twenty metre wide circle had shrunk to barely a tenth of it's size. At that point, Wraith didn't log-out for fear of upsetting the balance. He couldn't get any sleep either, as there wasn't the space nor the stability to do so. They were all standing almost on top of each other. Wraith could stand upright, so he didn't take up much space, but Sarin and Vangar couldn't do so easily. It was uncomfortable and somewhat difficult, but it was the only way to avoid falling in. Were they to stand on all fours, they would need a platform three times the size of the one they were standing on. To compensate for this, Wraith let them put their front paws on his shoulders. This made it infinitely more difficult to balance on the stone. There were several times that they nearly tipped it over too far. The only reason they could stand like that for so long was because of the qualities of Royal Road. Since they had a virtual body, there was no such thing as muscle failure based on the typical limits of the human body. Even if he stood in the same spot for days on end, his mind would become dull and clouded, but all he would feel was a dull ache and a slow consistent burn in his legs. They would not however cramp, seize up, or spasm. As long as his stamina and satiety bar was filled, his muscles wouldn't fail him. It was one of the key selling points for Royal Road. As long someone had a functioning brain, they weren't limited by the limits of their physical bodies. Instead they could toe the line between the sense of reality and the wonder of the impossible. In Royal Road, a ninety year old man and a twenty-two year old athlete could feasibly run the same distance in the same amount of time, so long as their stats were identical. To make things a bit more challenging, the developers didn't erase the limits, but greatly extended them instead. This was the purpose of the stamina bar. If it dropped to zero he would immediately drop to the ground like a puppet with its strings cut. Unfortunately for Wraith, since he couldn't rest in that position, he and his pack had to rely on stamina potions that he had brewed before coming to the test. They were expensive, coming at about one gold a bottle. While he was hoping to save it for a protracted boss fight, he had no choice but to use it on himself and his pack. Yet while his physical state remained constant, his mental state was terrible. It took all he had to simply keep his eyes open. Though he ate rye bread in-game, that only filled his satiety bar. His real body didn't get any food for about a day, which contributed to his fatigue and gave him a gnawing hunger in the pit of his stomach. Sleep-deprived and starved, he was almost ready to throw in the towel. He had been pushed to his limits. Although he would keep on standing if he could, he wasn't able to stand up anymore. At any moment, he was about to pass out and plummet into the fiery pit. As he was about to step off the ledge and fall in, he was teleported out of the cavern. After standing on an uneven surface for days on end, feeling the solid ground beneath his feet was enough to make him fall over in relief. They were back in Andvare's house, since it was where they initially teleported from. | Congratulations, you have passed the second test. You will have eleven days to rest and look for valuable items, before the final trial begins. The upcoming test is a pure-combat test, in a tournament-styled series of matches. With locked stats and weapons, preparation is not required. Although it will be to the death, losing the fight will not result in any penalties whatsoever, including loss of skill experience or items. | | | | | --- | --- | --- | --- | “We're alive?” Wraith almost couldn't believe that they had made it back in one piece. He was almost certain that they were going to fall head-first into the lava. He was so exhausted that he barely had any time to read the system message before collapsing on the floor and falling into a deep slumber. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Immediately after waking up, Wraith promptly logged out to have a long-awaited meal. After filling his stomach, he returned to Royal Road. Because of his exhaustion, he had spent a whole day sleeping. Since there wasn't much time left, he figured he would make the trip to the treasury and armoury that was promised to him. Besides items for him, it could also help with the quest that was given to him. Andvare soon met up with him, and took him to where the treasures of the city were held. Sarin and Vangar were left behind, since they were still tired. “So is it really okay to give me full access to your riches?” “Well given that you took us out of soul-crushing misery and removed a curse that has haunted us for millennia, it's the least we could do.” “You know it was Loki that did the hard part. All I did was help out a bit.” “I'd say it was more than a bit, and if you weren't there, Loki couldn't have done anything to help us. Besides, we doubt you planned to clear us out completely. And even if you did have deep pockets to store it all, most of it was gathering dust anyway.” “I'll make sure to restrain myself then.” Within a few minutes, they had arrived at a gleaming silver tower. It was conical and stretched two stories up into the air. The only feature was a metal door, sealed by magic. “Looks kinda small to hold the cities valuables.” Andvare chuckled. “Appearances can be deceptive.” When he unsealed the door with a drop of his blood and an incantation, the door swung open to reveal a winding staircase leading downwards. After about two minutes of walking down, the stairs ended at another giant door. Like the other door that was barred by magical seals, this one required a magical key to open it up. “This door here is locked by a specific set of Mana waves. It transmits the Mana from the body, through the crystal key and into the keyhole. Unless you have access, it's almost impossible to open.” “Almost?” “Well nothing is really impenetrable. If you really wanted to break in, it would cost a lot of gold and resources. Of course at that point you wouldn't need to break in since you already had more gold than was in here.” The door opened up into a large room. The floor, ceiling and walls were covered by a layer of steel, forming a giant metallic cube. Each of the sides were about thirty metres in length, and from edge to edge, the room was covered with riches. In some places it was piled so high that it almost reached the ceiling. “Andvare?” “Yeah?” “When was the last time this place was cleaned or organized?” “About a thousand years ago, but it's not that bad a mess. Armour and weapons are on the left and precious jewels and metals are on the right...I think.” Judging from the inch of dust that covered the treasures, Andvare wasn't exaggerating. “So how exactly do I figure out what's good and bad here?” “You've got the identification skill don't you? Why don't you just use that?” “You mean besides the fact that it would take me a full year to get through it all?” “Ah, I see your point.” Grumbling under his breath, Wraith started rummaging through the items. “So you said help myself, but what's the amount of stuff I can take without seeming too greedy?” “Well, I would say that a cart's full of riches is fairly small.” “So as much as I can carry in my bags then.” It would be much less than what Andvare suggested, but Wraith didn't want to come off as being greedy. While he would temporarily become rich, his relationship with the Dvergar would be soured. Since Andvare was held in high regard by his race and that Wraith would likely have more dealings with them, he couldn't afford to raid the treasury. Instead of wasting his time looking over armour he couldn't use, Wraith started gathering up all the rings, bracelets and necklaces he could find. “Hey Andvare...” He trailed off calling Andvare for assistance, since he was no longer there. Assuming that Andvare had left him to search the treasury by himself, he dove back into the pile. It hadn't even been fifteen minutes since Andvare left when he showed up again, with some friends in tow. “This isn't a one-man job, and we need to clean this place out anyway. Just tell us what we're looking for.” “Well, forget about the armour and focus on finding accessories instead. Also, can you gather up any crafting materials? Specifically those related to tailoring and alchemy.” With about twenty-five volunteers, they quickly sifted through the items in the room. As they pulled out the rings and accessories that Wraith was looking for, the pile of items Wraith was interested in soon grew immensely. With all the people helping him, Wraith was able to gather up all the accessories and crafting material within two days. Since their work was done, the Dvergar left the treasury to Wraith. For the next seven days, Wraith spent every waking moment identifying the objects. As one would expect, it got boring really quickly. There was nothing interesting about saying “identify,” thousands of times in a row while sitting down. He first went through the rings, trying to find the ten best ones available. About thirty percent of all the rings were basic Mana rings that increased Mana regen by ten percent. After tossing away those rings, he had to find the ten best rings in the pile. Eventually he managed to sort them out. There were four different types of rings that he found. | Ring of the Swift HunterDurability: 30/30Made for and unmatched hunter, this ring is magically imbued with the spirit of a fleeing deer.Equip: +30 AGI, +15% Hp RegenRestriction: +200 AGI, +100 VIT | | | | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Ring of the Almighty SageDurability: 30/30Crafted by a Dvergar sage who was in tune with the magical elements, this ring is filled with an ancient magical essence.Equip: +50 WIS, +20% Mana Regen, Magic-related skills rise 15% fasterRestriction: +100 INT, +100 WIS | | | | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Archmage's RingDurability: 30/30Crafted to raise the offensive capabilities of mages in an era of chaos, the Archmage Cardal crafted the ring using arcane methods that have been long since forgotten.Equip: +50 INT, +25% Mana Regen, 5% of all Magical Damage is reduced and absorbed as ManaRestriction: +100 INT, +100 WIS, +3000 Mana | | | | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Finely crafted Mana RingDurability: 30/30Unlike other Mana rings that are rare in their own right, this ring was worked on to be far superior It is invaluable for mages, priests or shamans.Equip: +30% Mana RegenRestriction: +100 INT, +100 WIS | | | | | --- | --- | --- | --- | He had four finely crafted Mana rings, and two of each of the other ones. Although there were likely other rings in the world that could do a lot more for him, the ones had right now were still top-tier. After sorting through the rings, he looked at necklaces. After looking through them, he settled on a torc, which was an ancient type of neck-wear. | White Dragonscale TorcDurability: 70/70Made from the scales of a mighty white dragon, the choker is lightweight, yet can stop a mortal blow from slashing the throat. It also contains a sliver of the powers of the original dragon, which is known for wisdom that surpasses others of its kind, and an immense magical prowess. Written in Draconian runes, the true powers are locked to most mortals.Equip: UnknownRestriction: Must have a class that understands the writings of beasts and monsters | | | | | --- | --- | --- | --- | Along with his ability to understand the speech of animals and monsters, his race also gave him the gift on understanding the written languages as well. As he stared at the runes, they rearranged themselves to form words in English. It took five minutes for it to happen, so it wasn't a terribly convenient ability. “Fangs that crush mountains, claws that shred the sea. From the spirit born from the divine, let the aether rise and flow once more.” It was a small chant that ran across the length of the necklace, but one that was impossible to guess. | White Dragonscale TorcDurability: 70/70Made from the scales of a mighty white dragon, the choker is lightweight, yet can stop a mortal blow from slashing the throat. It also contains a sliver of the powers of the original dragon, which is known for wisdom that surpasses others of its kind, and an immense magical prowess. Written in Draconian runes, the true powers are locked to most mortals.Equip: +25 WIS, +25 INT, +5% Mana Regen, +15% to all magical resistances, +500 Mana (over time, the properties may change)Restriction: No level or stat restriction, but is permanently bound to your avatar. | | | | | --- | --- | --- | --- | It was uncertain whether it should be worn or not. While it had incredible properties, Wraith was hesitant to put it on and keep it on him forever. However, since it said that the properties may change, Wraith decided to take a chance and keep it. After all, necklaces were quite rare in Royal Road anyway. After he had the necklace, he looked at the other accessories. There were things he hadn't even know to exist in Royal Road. In particular, he noted the circlet and the arm rings. The circlet was made of what appeared to be braided strands of a dark-red metal, with a crescent moon in the centre of the area that would rest on the forehead. | Circlet of Val'KhanDurability: 70/70Worn by a prince of an ancient kingdom, the circlet was said to be made from the drops of moonlight that fell to earth. It was said that after being betrayed and slaughtered by his younger brother, the circlet became dyed in his blood and his dying fury.Equip: +50 Killing Intent, +20 END, Hp Regen +30%. When Max. Hp falls below 25%, all stats increase by 5% and Hp Regen increases by an additional 10%.Restriction: +100 Killing Intent, +50 END | | | | | --- | --- | --- | --- | It was a rare item that he hadn't expected to find. Like the choker, it was something that the Dvergar had collected when they were still living with the rest of the world. Because it was an ancient item, it had properties that were rare and unique. The last types of items that he looked for were bracelets and arm rings. His scouring revealed a pair of arm rings and bracelets. | Twin Cuffs of ArgothDefence: 10Durability: 60/60The two cuffs were worn together as not only an accessory, but as a type of armour for those who wore cloth instead of leather and metal.Equip: +25 END, +20 AGI, +5% of a Critical Hit. When both cuffs are worn together, Max Hp increases by 200Restriction: Warrior class, +150 AGI, +50 END | | | | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Bands of the BattlemageDurability: 40/40Unlike iron that hampers magical ability, these arm rings are made from pure mithril. As well as amplifying magical ability, it aids in physical combat as well. Although originally designed for a spell-sword, both warrior and mage classes can greatly benefit from them.Equip: +15 END, +10 AGI, +15 INT, +10 WIS. When both cuffs are worn together, all magic-related skills use 15% less Mana.Restriction: +100 INT, +100 WIS, +100 AGI, +50 END | | | | | --- | --- | --- | --- | The arm rings and the cuffs were the final pieces of armour he needed. With them, he was finally outfitted as a powerful warrior, although he couldn't fight properly just yet. Normally such items could only be worn by players at least twice the level of him. The reason why he could use them was due to his inflated stats. In some ways Wraith was quite lucky. Most players wouldn't have been able to receive such items, or at least not yet. Since the dungeon wasn't yet discovered, Wraith and the other candidates were able to pick the place clean of any valuables. Even if another candidate had found the city of the Dvergar, they wouldn't have been granted access to the treasury since they couldn't have removed the curse. It was as if there was a guardian angel looking out for him. For all the failings of his race and class, it was only fair that he have the best items. After all, in this game Wraith was considered evil and a villain by most people. There's no such thing as a villain or demon king without wealth, power and luxuries. It's one of the things that make up for the standing alone. After putting the accessories away in his pack, he went to look at the crafting materials. Compared to blacksmithing and sculpting, there weren't many items for tailoring and alchemy. However, it was still much more than would fit in his bag. Even the new bag that Andvare got for him was too small, and it had space for one hundred kilograms worth of items while reducing the weight by ninety percent. He first took all the strange items that could be used for alchemy. This included dried wood and rare plants, as well as unique minerals and substances. He then took the finest quality fabrics for tailoring. There was fine silk and plant fabrics, as well as spools of thread from strange and mysterious sources. There was metal wire as soft and smooth as silk, string made from a demon's sinews, thread from the down of an angel, fibres from the tree of life, and the gossamer strands of a unicorn's mane. He also helped himself to some gold. After leaving the treasury, his pockets were considerably heavier. With almost five thousand gold coins and a bag filled to the brim with accessories and crafting items, he walked back to Andvare's house. He was quite pleased with how things turned out. The items he got for himself would also be of use for the quest given at the start of the test. Besides that, he also reached intermediate level one in identification. While by itself it was a somewhat useless skill for most warriors, it allowed him to master the true insight skill which gave him knowledge on potion-making and in alchemy. Although the process of raising the skill was so boring that it made him want to rip his own face off, the results were well worth the effort. While there was still the issue of the armour and accessories unequipping themselves every time he transformed, he was certain he could find a craftsman or an enchanter to fix that problem. Ever since his stats underwent that massive change, he realized how important they would be to him. He couldn't afford to turn down even the slightest bit of extra damage or defense. If worst came to worst he could even fight in his normal body. The advantages gained from armour and the accessories far outweighed those gained from his wolf-form. If he had time he would have went around the city seeking to find someone that could help. The Dvergar were excellent craftsmen, so they would have likely given him some help in that area. Since that option wasn't available to him anymore, he was forced to put it out of his mind and think on other matters. While he made his way to Andvare's place, he had some time to think. After just a few more days, the testing would be over. It filled him with both excitement and apprehension. In someways it was similar to taking the year-end exams. Once it was over with, everything will have ended. Whether it would be for good or bad, he had no idea. He had made it so far in the testing, that instead of filling him with confidence it filled him with dread. He had invested so much of his time and energy into this that not passing would be devastating. Sure he would recover and pick up the pieces of his life, but it would leave him with very few options. He was already accepted into university, but that would mean he would have to put Royal Road on hold. Although he could become a dark gamer, he didn't know if he had the mettle to make money while playing, and he couldn't afford the capsule to start playing. While there may have been other legitimate jobs that involved playing on Royal Road, they would either require high credentials, or place him under intense scrutiny while he played the game. This is my last and only chance. There's no pressure and nothing to worry about. If you fail, it's just the end of this life in Royal Road and the death of hope, joy, and excitement. One thing Wraith wasn't, was an optimist. Some people would say that he was cynical and a downer, but he was just a realist. The odds were stacked against him, and he didn't know how he compared to the other candidates. They likely played longer, giving them more combat experience. The one small hope he held was that they were largely reliant on their skills rather than their own ability. Though many players picked up actual combat ability after playing Royal Road for so long, many people (especially mages) only relied on their skills. They counted on their weapon-skills to correct their mistakes, and relied on special attacks to fight the enemy with. Unlike the swordsmen that would hack and slash without any thought, Wraith was controlled and knowledgeable when it came to fighting bare-handed. Victory may not be guaranteed to him, but neither was it that far out of reach. If he worked a little bit harder for just a little bit longer, the path to his dreams would open up before him. With his heart and mind at ease, he was ready for the final trial that would end up shaping the next several years of his life. [Next Chapter](http://www.royalroadl.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=108&t=1104)

<div class="chapter-inner chapter-content"> During the period since John had started to play Royal Road, he had grown very fond of the game.<br>He spent most of the time in it and the only time he wasn’t in the game was when he got hungry or grew tired, sometimes he even slept inside the game.<br>Now he could not log back in for twenty-four hours.<br>He longed to go back in the game, and struggled to kill his boredom.<br><br>After 24 long hours he got into the capsule and logged back in.<br>He found himself back in the city, where he had started first. He was notified that his level had dropped by one; fortunately his skills only dropped a little.<br><br>*new message*<br>“Alcaeus<br> Please do not let this world corrupt you,<br>I heard of what you did, I am the pope after all.<br>Please be more careful from now on. Or else…<br> -Almond. ”<br><br>*Go ahead and die already; there are like five pope candidates awaiting your death*<br><br>After he read it, a hand grabbed him and quickly pulled him to a dark alley.<br>The cloaked person removed the hood.<br>A blood red name written over her head “<span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="color: #FF0000;">Pandora</span></span></span>” and a ruby on her forehead had appeared.<br><br>“Please, help me!” said the girl who had killed him twenty four hours ago.<br><br>Using his skill to gain the favor of an NPC at an inn, Alcaeus managed to get a room for them even though murderers were not allowed such luxury.<br><br>***************<br><br>“So what do you need from me?” I asked her.<br><br>“Remember when I killed you yesterday?” She said apologetically.<br><br>I didn’t reply.<br><br>“Well, you see after that I got the murderer mark, and had to go to church to remove it.” She continued<br>“I met an old man and told him about it, but he didn’t remove it, instead he extended it to three months and told me to apologize to you.”<br><br>*so she’s the one who ratted me out*<br><br>“Since you did waste 96 hours I could have spent in the game, I could accept your apology if you did something for me.” I smirked.<br><br>She looked at her body, face flushed red. “No… No way! Pervert!”<br>-50 HP<br>I could not contain my laughter.<br><br>“This is not a NSFW story! I was going to make you help me with the wolves’ den dungeon inside the forest.”<br><br>“Well you should have said that first.” She mumbled embarrassed by her assumption.<br> <br>“Meet me in front of the gates in one hour” I told her knowing she’d have a hard time getting there safe and unnoticed; that’s what she gets for killing me… and slapping me. <br><br>***************************<br><br>After one hour Pandora and I met and started going towards the forest. Although I had read about the den on a book I read in the library, she knew of its exact location so I let her lead. She looked dazzling, but contrary to her appearance she had a different personality, though it would be a lie if I said I didn’t like that childish part of her.<br>On our way there we did not encounter any monsters so the journey was quiet, with little chats.<br><br>“So what’s your class?” I asked her. ”We need to know each others’ class before we start battling.”<br><br>“I’m a Champion; it’s a hidden class.” She said with her head high.<br><br>“So it’s just a cool way to say Warrior.” I said mocking her class.<br><br>“No it’s nothing like that; a champion gives up his entire defensive armor and concentrates all on attacking, parrying and dodging.” She said proudly. <br><br>*That explains the armor she’s wearing ^^*<br><br>“What about you? Some kind of mage?” she asked judging by my robe.<br><br>“No, I’m a writer.” I replied seeing Pandora’s disappointed look infused with pity. “But I have a sword.” I tried to make her feel better.<br><br>“Well at least your level is above 20”<br><br>“Nope, I’m level 10.” <br><br>“Let’s go then.” She said as she seemingly gave up on life.<br><br>And so we entered the wolves’ den. It was empty. Even after discovery, it never became popular as it was too difficult for low level players, but did not give good rewards for higher leveled ones.<br><br>*****************************<br>Epic battle between me and Al to decide who narrates the story, I won.<br>*****************************<br>And so Alcaeus and Pandora entered the dungeon.<br><br>As soon as they entered they were surrounded by five wolves.<br><br>As Alcaeus was preparing his PenSword, Pandora already jumped at the wolves, alone fending against five wolves. Her movements were mesmerizing as she dodged and attacked at the same time. But five wolves were too much as even a small scratch dealt serious damage to her.<br><br> “<span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Not to kill but to protect<br>Grant me the power and will<br>Make a hard iron sword,<br>from my soft and feathery quill</span></span>.” <br><br>As he readied his sword, Pandora killed one of the wolves, but her health was at 60% already.<br><br>“<span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Shield</span></span>”<br> “<span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Heal</span></span>”<br> <br>He used both commands on Pandora and her health was now at 75% with an additional shield protecting her.<br>After Alcaeus joined the fight the battle was over quickly. Though throughout the battle he had a very passive stance and only healed and shielded Pandora. <br><br>The dungeon was deep and hordes of up to 10 wolves kept attacking them as they reached deeper into the den, at first the battles were hard and tiring, each of them would struggle, after a while though things became much easier, as they continued to level up.<br>By now they had gotten used to each others’ style and had little difficulty defeating the wolves, the extra levels helped considerably as well.<br><br>The battle strategy was fairly simple.<br>Pandora would go in and get support from Alcaeus, and whenever she needed to recover stamina, they would switch places for a short time.<br>Things were going well, considering both of them were still under leveled, in a dungeon that required a five man group. <br><br>After four hours of fighting with few short breaks in between, Alcaeus had leveled up five times while, Pandora leveled up four times. <br><br>“We need some rest” Pandora said, with her stamina hitting rock bottom.<br><br>Alcaeus was not doing any better, and his Mana was depleted so he couldn’t support her in battle.<br>Their stomachs started to complain, they needed to eat.<br>Both of them started to gather roots.<br>They had enough wood to start a fire, but neither knew how to.<br>So they just sat there.<br><br>“I need to log out for a few minutes, I haven’t eaten real food for hours.” said Pandora.<br><br>Starving, Alcaeus got a little creative.<br>For the first time he tried to use a command on an inanimate object.<br><br>“<span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Scorch</span></span>” <br><br>He wrote over the wood and it started to burn.<br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td>Writing on air level up.</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br>*So it rises faster when I use them in new ways* Alcaeus made a realization.<br><br>He started to cook some raw rabbit meat he got from the cook in the church.<br><br>Recipe:<br>Put a stick through the rabbit<br> Hold it over the fire<br> Turn every few minutes.<br>.<br>“I’m back! I also looked up how to start a fir…” she stopped as soon as she saw Alcaeus eating rabbit meat.<br><br>“So did I!” he responded quickly, to avoid explaining why he didn’t use “scorch” earlier. <br><br>Happily she took some of the rabbit meat and had a big bite.<br>Her face expression drastically changed.<br> <br>“It’s… edible” she said about to puke somehow managing to force everything back in. <br><br>“It fills up your satiety, so don’t complain.” Alcaeus told her slightly offended although he himself would pick Rye bread over his cooking.<br><br>“You must me a terrible cook considering even the system can’t make it taste normal.” She added.<br><br>She slowly pulled out a few things from her bag, some of which were a pot, some spices, ok a lot of expensive spices and started to mix stuff together.<br><br>“Where did you get enough money to buy all these expensive items?”<br><br>“Oh, these? I got like 30 gold from killing…” she stopped.<br><br>“Me?”<br><br>-silence<br>.<br>.<br>.<br>-silence<br>.<br>.<br>-silence<br><br>“Food’s ready” Pandora announced happily.<br><br>It was delicious, almost enough for Alcaeus to forget she had stolen 30 gold from him… almost.<br>Still with his satiety still low, he ate without talking. He decided to open the subject after they cleared the dungeon.<br><br>"By the way how did you learn the cooking skill before learning how to start a fire?" Alcaeus asked curiously though he himself had not learned how to.<br><br>"You need a cooking skill to cook?" <br><br>.<br>.<br>.<br>.<br>After they ate and recovered, they moved forward.<br>A howl could be heard from the distance, a growl which got louder and louder the further they went.<br>Gradually the tunnel they were walking through widened and from the distance a large black wolf could be seen. <br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td>Boss battle: The leader of the pack ETHEL WOLF.<br>(Due to not being hunted for a long time, Ethel wolf has grown immensely in power.)</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br><br>*************************************<br>Next chapter; finally some real fighting. ^^ </div>

During the period since John had started to play Royal Road, he had grown very fond of the game. He spent most of the time in it and the only time he wasn’t in the game was when he got hungry or grew tired, sometimes he even slept inside the game. Now he could not log back in for twenty-four hours. He longed to go back in the game, and struggled to kill his boredom. After 24 long hours he got into the capsule and logged back in. He found himself back in the city, where he had started first. He was notified that his level had dropped by one; fortunately his skills only dropped a little. *new message* “Alcaeus Please do not let this world corrupt you, I heard of what you did, I am the pope after all. Please be more careful from now on. Or else… -Almond. ” *Go ahead and die already; there are like five pope candidates awaiting your death* After he read it, a hand grabbed him and quickly pulled him to a dark alley. The cloaked person removed the hood. A blood red name written over her head “Pandora” and a ruby on her forehead had appeared. “Please, help me!” said the girl who had killed him twenty four hours ago. Using his skill to gain the favor of an NPC at an inn, Alcaeus managed to get a room for them even though murderers were not allowed such luxury. *************** “So what do you need from me?” I asked her. “Remember when I killed you yesterday?” She said apologetically. I didn’t reply. “Well, you see after that I got the murderer mark, and had to go to church to remove it.” She continued “I met an old man and told him about it, but he didn’t remove it, instead he extended it to three months and told me to apologize to you.” *so she’s the one who ratted me out* “Since you did waste 96 hours I could have spent in the game, I could accept your apology if you did something for me.” I smirked. She looked at her body, face flushed red. “No… No way! Pervert!” -50 HP I could not contain my laughter. “This is not a NSFW story! I was going to make you help me with the wolves’ den dungeon inside the forest.” “Well you should have said that first.” She mumbled embarrassed by her assumption. “Meet me in front of the gates in one hour” I told her knowing she’d have a hard time getting there safe and unnoticed; that’s what she gets for killing me… and slapping me. *************************** After one hour Pandora and I met and started going towards the forest. Although I had read about the den on a book I read in the library, she knew of its exact location so I let her lead. She looked dazzling, but contrary to her appearance she had a different personality, though it would be a lie if I said I didn’t like that childish part of her. On our way there we did not encounter any monsters so the journey was quiet, with little chats. “So what’s your class?” I asked her. ”We need to know each others’ class before we start battling.” “I’m a Champion; it’s a hidden class.” She said with her head high. “So it’s just a cool way to say Warrior.” I said mocking her class. “No it’s nothing like that; a champion gives up his entire defensive armor and concentrates all on attacking, parrying and dodging.” She said proudly. *That explains the armor she’s wearing ^^* “What about you? Some kind of mage?” she asked judging by my robe. “No, I’m a writer.” I replied seeing Pandora’s disappointed look infused with pity. “But I have a sword.” I tried to make her feel better. “Well at least your level is above 20” “Nope, I’m level 10.” “Let’s go then.” She said as she seemingly gave up on life. And so we entered the wolves’ den. It was empty. Even after discovery, it never became popular as it was too difficult for low level players, but did not give good rewards for higher leveled ones. ***************************** Epic battle between me and Al to decide who narrates the story, I won. ***************************** And so Alcaeus and Pandora entered the dungeon. As soon as they entered they were surrounded by five wolves. As Alcaeus was preparing his PenSword, Pandora already jumped at the wolves, alone fending against five wolves. Her movements were mesmerizing as she dodged and attacked at the same time. But five wolves were too much as even a small scratch dealt serious damage to her. “Not to kill but to protect Grant me the power and will Make a hard iron sword, from my soft and feathery quill.” As he readied his sword, Pandora killed one of the wolves, but her health was at 60% already. “Shield” “Heal” He used both commands on Pandora and her health was now at 75% with an additional shield protecting her. After Alcaeus joined the fight the battle was over quickly. Though throughout the battle he had a very passive stance and only healed and shielded Pandora. The dungeon was deep and hordes of up to 10 wolves kept attacking them as they reached deeper into the den, at first the battles were hard and tiring, each of them would struggle, after a while though things became much easier, as they continued to level up. By now they had gotten used to each others’ style and had little difficulty defeating the wolves, the extra levels helped considerably as well. The battle strategy was fairly simple. Pandora would go in and get support from Alcaeus, and whenever she needed to recover stamina, they would switch places for a short time. Things were going well, considering both of them were still under leveled, in a dungeon that required a five man group. After four hours of fighting with few short breaks in between, Alcaeus had leveled up five times while, Pandora leveled up four times. “We need some rest” Pandora said, with her stamina hitting rock bottom. Alcaeus was not doing any better, and his Mana was depleted so he couldn’t support her in battle. Their stomachs started to complain, they needed to eat. Both of them started to gather roots. They had enough wood to start a fire, but neither knew how to. So they just sat there. “I need to log out for a few minutes, I haven’t eaten real food for hours.” said Pandora. Starving, Alcaeus got a little creative. For the first time he tried to use a command on an inanimate object. “Scorch” He wrote over the wood and it started to burn. | Writing on air level up. | | --- | *So it rises faster when I use them in new ways* Alcaeus made a realization. He started to cook some raw rabbit meat he got from the cook in the church. Recipe: Put a stick through the rabbit Hold it over the fire Turn every few minutes. . “I’m back! I also looked up how to start a fir…” she stopped as soon as she saw Alcaeus eating rabbit meat. “So did I!” he responded quickly, to avoid explaining why he didn’t use “scorch” earlier. Happily she took some of the rabbit meat and had a big bite. Her face expression drastically changed. “It’s… edible” she said about to puke somehow managing to force everything back in. “It fills up your satiety, so don’t complain.” Alcaeus told her slightly offended although he himself would pick Rye bread over his cooking. “You must me a terrible cook considering even the system can’t make it taste normal.” She added. She slowly pulled out a few things from her bag, some of which were a pot, some spices, ok a lot of expensive spices and started to mix stuff together. “Where did you get enough money to buy all these expensive items?” “Oh, these? I got like 30 gold from killing…” she stopped. “Me?” -silence . . . -silence . . -silence “Food’s ready” Pandora announced happily. It was delicious, almost enough for Alcaeus to forget she had stolen 30 gold from him… almost. Still with his satiety still low, he ate without talking. He decided to open the subject after they cleared the dungeon. "By the way how did you learn the cooking skill before learning how to start a fire?" Alcaeus asked curiously though he himself had not learned how to. "You need a cooking skill to cook?" . . . . After they ate and recovered, they moved forward. A howl could be heard from the distance, a growl which got louder and louder the further they went. Gradually the tunnel they were walking through widened and from the distance a large black wolf could be seen. | Boss battle: The leader of the pack ETHEL WOLF.(Due to not being hunted for a long time, Ethel wolf has grown immensely in power.) | | --- | ************************************* Next chapter; finally some real fighting. ^^

<div class="chapter-inner chapter-content"> When I arrived at the training hall I was a quite surprised, where the training hall should have been, was a much larger building. It was about four times as large as what I was expecting. As I went in I was even more surprised. I expected that since the building was larger there would be more scarecrows. But no, there seemed to be about the same amount of scarecrows as there was in the old building.<br><br> Besides being much larger the only real differences between the two were that this building seemed to be sectioned off and that there seemed to be a few new toys. One section had scarecrows just like before, while another had... well I wasn’t sure what they were. They looked like scarecrows except that they had wooden appendages sticking out from various areas. After watching a few others use them I noticed the ones with the appendages could actually spin. There was another section that looked like a firing range. It had a lot of empty space and a variety of targets at different ranges, there was even some hanging from the ceiling via ropes.<br><br> After looking around I located a set of weapon racks on one of the walls. As I approached, I noticed that the weapon racks weren’t holding just swords, but a wide variety of wooden weapons in all shapes and sizes. There seemed to be a weapon rack for each of the three physical damage categories. (Slashing, Piercing, and Bludgeoning). After inspecting each rack, something interesting popped out at me. Each rack seemed to hold at least one weapon of each the three size categories. (Light, One Handed, Two Handed)<br><br> I just wanted to increase my stats as quickly as possible and get this part over with already. I was hoping that all I had to do was just stress my body enough. So with that train of thought I decided to select the heaviest looking weapon there. After picking up the war hammer I went to an open spot in the building, away from all the others and started to swing from above my head towards the floor.<br> <br> I did that over and over again until my stamina bar was near the critical point, which only took about a minute. While waiting for my stamina to regenerate I would sit on the floor and rest. While sitting I would nibble on some of my rye bread and sip from my canteen. Once my stamina bar was filled I would get up and repeat the process. I did this for almost four hours (IGT). After that I got bored and decided to put the weapon back and try something different. <br><br> After putting up the war hammer I selected a pair of light weapons. With a dagger in each hand I walked to one end of a long line of scarecrows. After I got there I took a deep breath and jolted off running along them. As I approached each scarecrow I started swinging as fast as I could, I was swinging so fast that it seemed like I was wielding a flurry of small blades. I wanted to get in at least two to three strikes on each scarecrow. But I made sure that I hit each one at least once. <br><br> I was able to make it to the other side just barely before my stamina was in a critical state. Once again I would sit on the floor while I rested. While resting I could hear others talking and whispering, I was almost a hundred percent sure that it was about me but I didn't care I just wanted to get this over with. Truthfully this was the part that I was dreading the most.<br><br> After doing that for about four hours (IGT) I decided to take a break and greet the instructor. I went up to the man that I had seen giving advice to others. I didn't notice all the scars from afar but as I drew closer they started to become more visible. He had multiple small scars and a few large ones. I only noticed the height difference as I drew closer. He wasn't that much taller than me but with the scars and the way he was looking down at me it kind of made me feel a bit frail.<br><br> As I stood in front of him I bowed my head slightly and said in a respectful tone, "Hello, my name is Bunny." The man just looked at me silently, unmoving almost like a statue. I decided to try again. "I would like to get stronger, in the shortest amount of time. What's the most efficient way of doing that?”. After a moment of silence he finally spoke "This is not a playground, if you truly want to get stronger then you need to practice."<br> <span style="font-style: italic;">~Well that was a waste of time... jack ass~</span> I decided to continue my break by walking around for a bit. Maybe find on easy odd job or two and make a few coins. After stepping out of the training hall I noticed the sun was starting to rise and that it was already morning I hadn't realized I was in there for so long.<br><br>I decided to go towards the closest fountain to refill my canteen. Once I got there I was a bit surprised of how many people where around. This was supposed to be a secret area, well not so much a secret as just not as well known. As I sat on the edge of the fountain refilling my canteen I noticed a lot of people that looked like casters coming and going from one direction. I was a bit bored and this piqued my interest.<br><br> After following the road a short distance I came upon the Riverdale Library or at least where the library use to be. The building that stood before me was a lot taller and more majestic looking. As I drew closer I noticed the sign had changed from "Riverdale Library" to "Riverdale Mages Guild". I was quite surprised to see that there was a mages guild in Riverdale. I guess that's why there where so many caster types in the area. Since I was already here I decided to go in and take a look. <br><br> As I entered I noticed a sign board that explained the floor structure of the building. "1st floor: free, 2nd floor: one silver or novice membership, 3rd floor: fifty silver or apprentice membership, 4th floor: intermediate membership". ~Okay well I guess I'll stay on the first floor. ~ <br><br> The first floor was exactly like the library before it became a mages guild, shelves and all. Since I was here I decided to do some light reading. I picked a somewhat random book off the shelf, titled "Adventures Handbook 1". The book had a large variety of things written in it and flowed from one subject to another almost seamlessly. It was actually quite interesting it drew me in and time flew by without me even noticing. After finishing the book, I went to put it up. While looking for the spot I found the book in I noticed there was a second book to the series and even a third. After finding this out I was quite happy. I decided to read them both as well. At around half way into the second book I received a message.<br><br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td>+1 Intelligence</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br>After finishing the second book I received another message.<br><br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td>+1 Wisdom</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br><br>When I finished the third book I received yet another message. <br><br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td>You have finished the "Adventures Handbook" series<br><br>+1 Wisdom<br>+1 Intelligence</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td>Class Change!<br><br>You have been enticed by the tales of famous adventurers.<br><br>You can now convert to the class: Explorer. <br>If you accept, you will be able to learn skills limited to this class and any available class advancements.<br><br>Would you like to become an Explorer?</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div> </div>

When I arrived at the training hall I was a quite surprised, where the training hall should have been, was a much larger building. It was about four times as large as what I was expecting. As I went in I was even more surprised. I expected that since the building was larger there would be more scarecrows. But no, there seemed to be about the same amount of scarecrows as there was in the old building. Besides being much larger the only real differences between the two were that this building seemed to be sectioned off and that there seemed to be a few new toys. One section had scarecrows just like before, while another had... well I wasn’t sure what they were. They looked like scarecrows except that they had wooden appendages sticking out from various areas. After watching a few others use them I noticed the ones with the appendages could actually spin. There was another section that looked like a firing range. It had a lot of empty space and a variety of targets at different ranges, there was even some hanging from the ceiling via ropes. After looking around I located a set of weapon racks on one of the walls. As I approached, I noticed that the weapon racks weren’t holding just swords, but a wide variety of wooden weapons in all shapes and sizes. There seemed to be a weapon rack for each of the three physical damage categories. (Slashing, Piercing, and Bludgeoning). After inspecting each rack, something interesting popped out at me. Each rack seemed to hold at least one weapon of each the three size categories. (Light, One Handed, Two Handed) I just wanted to increase my stats as quickly as possible and get this part over with already. I was hoping that all I had to do was just stress my body enough. So with that train of thought I decided to select the heaviest looking weapon there. After picking up the war hammer I went to an open spot in the building, away from all the others and started to swing from above my head towards the floor. I did that over and over again until my stamina bar was near the critical point, which only took about a minute. While waiting for my stamina to regenerate I would sit on the floor and rest. While sitting I would nibble on some of my rye bread and sip from my canteen. Once my stamina bar was filled I would get up and repeat the process. I did this for almost four hours (IGT). After that I got bored and decided to put the weapon back and try something different. After putting up the war hammer I selected a pair of light weapons. With a dagger in each hand I walked to one end of a long line of scarecrows. After I got there I took a deep breath and jolted off running along them. As I approached each scarecrow I started swinging as fast as I could, I was swinging so fast that it seemed like I was wielding a flurry of small blades. I wanted to get in at least two to three strikes on each scarecrow. But I made sure that I hit each one at least once. I was able to make it to the other side just barely before my stamina was in a critical state. Once again I would sit on the floor while I rested. While resting I could hear others talking and whispering, I was almost a hundred percent sure that it was about me but I didn't care I just wanted to get this over with. Truthfully this was the part that I was dreading the most. After doing that for about four hours (IGT) I decided to take a break and greet the instructor. I went up to the man that I had seen giving advice to others. I didn't notice all the scars from afar but as I drew closer they started to become more visible. He had multiple small scars and a few large ones. I only noticed the height difference as I drew closer. He wasn't that much taller than me but with the scars and the way he was looking down at me it kind of made me feel a bit frail. As I stood in front of him I bowed my head slightly and said in a respectful tone, "Hello, my name is Bunny." The man just looked at me silently, unmoving almost like a statue. I decided to try again. "I would like to get stronger, in the shortest amount of time. What's the most efficient way of doing that?”. After a moment of silence he finally spoke "This is not a playground, if you truly want to get stronger then you need to practice." ~Well that was a waste of time... jack ass~ I decided to continue my break by walking around for a bit. Maybe find on easy odd job or two and make a few coins. After stepping out of the training hall I noticed the sun was starting to rise and that it was already morning I hadn't realized I was in there for so long. I decided to go towards the closest fountain to refill my canteen. Once I got there I was a bit surprised of how many people where around. This was supposed to be a secret area, well not so much a secret as just not as well known. As I sat on the edge of the fountain refilling my canteen I noticed a lot of people that looked like casters coming and going from one direction. I was a bit bored and this piqued my interest. After following the road a short distance I came upon the Riverdale Library or at least where the library use to be. The building that stood before me was a lot taller and more majestic looking. As I drew closer I noticed the sign had changed from "Riverdale Library" to "Riverdale Mages Guild". I was quite surprised to see that there was a mages guild in Riverdale. I guess that's why there where so many caster types in the area. Since I was already here I decided to go in and take a look. As I entered I noticed a sign board that explained the floor structure of the building. "1st floor: free, 2nd floor: one silver or novice membership, 3rd floor: fifty silver or apprentice membership, 4th floor: intermediate membership". ~Okay well I guess I'll stay on the first floor. ~ The first floor was exactly like the library before it became a mages guild, shelves and all. Since I was here I decided to do some light reading. I picked a somewhat random book off the shelf, titled "Adventures Handbook 1". The book had a large variety of things written in it and flowed from one subject to another almost seamlessly. It was actually quite interesting it drew me in and time flew by without me even noticing. After finishing the book, I went to put it up. While looking for the spot I found the book in I noticed there was a second book to the series and even a third. After finding this out I was quite happy. I decided to read them both as well. At around half way into the second book I received a message. | +1 Intelligence | | --- | After finishing the second book I received another message. | +1 Wisdom | | --- | When I finished the third book I received yet another message. | You have finished the "Adventures Handbook" series+1 Wisdom+1 Intelligence | | --- | | Class Change!You have been enticed by the tales of famous adventurers.You can now convert to the class: Explorer. If you accept, you will be able to learn skills limited to this class and any available class advancements.Would you like to become an Explorer? | | --- |

<div class="chapter-inner chapter-content"> **Granheim <span style="font-style: italic;">absolutely </span>does not exist in LMS. Almost everything in this is fictional and only loosely based off of Nam Hi Sung’s work. No mature content in this one, haha!**<br><br><br>“… Park Sun Ja-nim, you’re terrible.”<br>“What? Why?”<br>“Number 50 ended up with… Bo-booby.”<br>“Pft! You’re still going on about that? Do you like saying that word or something?”<br>“...”<br>“Mr. Kim, the cologne you’re wearing is… very…”<br>“…”<br>“Mr. Kim… kya~.”<br>“%$&amp;@$@I#%!!”<br><br>--<br><br>Crow didn’t know what to do.<br><br>“Uwaaa! Waaaaaa! WAAAAHHHH!”<br><br>The woman was clinging desperately to her and wailing like a banshee. It was extremely terrifying, but for some reason Crow couldn’t bring herself to run away. She even unconsciously brought her hand up to stroke the piteously quivering head, but realized what she was doing and quickly lowered it.<br><br>The tears soaked through the sleeve of Crow’s tunic. After a few minutes, the woman quieted, sniffling and hiccupping. She blew her nose on Crow’s arm and wiped her eyes.<br><br>“Thank… hic… thank you. I just… I just don’t know what to do. The shop is a mess and my… my Jay…”<br><br>Just as she looked like she was going to explode into another barrage of tears, Crow hastily put her hand on the woman’s arm. <br><br>The woman looked up. Her eyes searched Crow’s, and she seemed to find some kind of comfort in them, because she hiccupped one last time and pulled away.<br><br>In fact, Crow had just been thinking, <span style="font-style: italic;">dammit don’t cry, don’t cry.</span> By the look of it, another ocean drained on her arm would be hazardous for her clothing.<br><br>Helen eyes sparkled. “You’re so kind. My name is Helen. Can you please help me take these fabrics to the shop? Looks like I tried to take too many… I’m sorry…”<br><br><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td><div style="text-align: center">Carry Fabric to the Shop<br><br>Seamstress Helen needs your help. Take the fabrics to the store with her.<br><br>Difficulty: F<br>Quest Requirements: None<br>Quest Rewards: Helen’s trust</div></td></tr></tbody></table></div><br><br>Crow flinched at the unexpected table that appeared in front of her eyes and the ringing sound that accompanied it. So this was a quest? She quickly considered her options. She could probably just walk away, but she had nothing else to do anyways. This woman, Helen, seemed harmless enough.<br><br>She nodded, and Helen’s eyes lit up. The woman began picking up the fabrics that had fallen to the ground. “Thank you! I’ll show you the way to the shop.”<br><br>Crow nodded again and helped Helen pick up the rest of the fabrics. It was a motley collection of tasteless colors—pink that was too bright, sickly green, flamboyant red. Helen beamed and said, “I’m going to use them for a new dress. I don’t know why, but these pieces were really cheap. They’re pretty, right?”<br><br>Helen didn’t notice Crow’s pained expression and stood up, dusting off her skirt. Crow followed her up, hauling the eye-death cloth. She was bewildered by Helen’s sudden change in mood. Just a few moments ago, the woman had been bawling on Crow’s shoulder. Now, she was bright-eyed and energetic.<br><br>More importantly, getting a quest from Helen meant that she probably wasn’t another player, not another human in a capsule somewhere. What did they call them… artificial intelligences? It was incredible. Even the AIs were realistic.<br><br>She followed Helen cautiously, watching her every movement. Crow felt more at ease now that she knew Helen wasn’t a player, but that didn’t erase her misgivings. Whether they were human or AI, people were dangerous.<br><br>Helen didn’t share Crow’s doubts, however, and chattered incessantly as they walked. “Is this your first time in Granheim? You must be new to the town. Granheim is a wonderful place…”<br><br>After listening to Helen talk for awhile, Crow’s attention drifted elsewhere. They walked through several more alleys, but thankfully Helen avoided the main road. Nevertheless, they passed some people, and this time Crow had the courage to look at them. She wasn’t sure if they were AIs or players, but she was curious about what other people were doing in this game. <br><br>Many of them had swords strapped to belts around their waists. She even saw an axe and a few bows. What was this place? Did people kill each other here with those weapons? Or was there some other kind of adversity?<br><br>From what she had seen so far, it seemed like a fairly peaceful kingdom. The game was obviously set in medieval times. She hadn’t seen any cars or guns, only horses drawing carriages and weapons from times long past. There must be other kingdoms, since Harpy One was nowhere to be found.<br><br>Crow was lost in thought when Helen stopped. The woman’s expression had tightened and her mouth had miraculously stopped moving. They were in a large, bustling street. People were busily tidying shop fronts and sweeping doorways as others—probably players—strode purposefully into shops.<br><br>“This is Merchant Avenue,” Helen said. “My shop is over there.” She pointed to a cluster of smaller shops quite a distance away. Crow picked out the words, “Helen’s Tailoring,” scrawled in gaudy pink letters on a bright yellow sign. As expected, even Helen’s shop had bad taste.<br><br>Helen seemed to shrink within herself as she walked—no crept—along the side of the road. It was puzzling behavior, until…<br><br>“Helen dear, are you slinking back into your hole again?”<br><br>A voice thick with scorn assaulted the poor Helen, who seemed to shrivel into herself. Crow soon found the speaker, a large woman with even larger bosoms dressed in a revealing dress.<br><br>The ponderous woman was leaning by the doorway of a shop that matched the woman’s size. Called, “Fabulous Florisa’s,” the shop even had a gilded door and a statue of a flower in the front. Crow guessed the husky woman was the Florisa, and she was rather fabulous indeed. Her face was richly powdered, and each curl of her carefully permed hair was a perfect helix.<br><br>Her plump lips quivered hypnotically as she laughed. “Helen dear, what is that <span style="font-style: italic;">absolutely </span>horrid pile? Surely you don’t plan on making a dress with that? How <span style="font-style: italic;">absolutely </span>hilarious!” Florisa giggled. Then her eyes caught sight of Crow.<br><br>“What have you got here? What an <span style="font-style: italic;">absolutely </span>pretty little pet! Were you thinking of crawling into Helen dear’s little hole, were you, little pet? <span style="font-style: italic;">Absolutely </span>ridiculous. Come work for me, Florisa, the <span style="font-style: italic;">absolutely </span>best seamstress of Granheim!”<br><br><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td><div style="text-align: center">You have received a job offer from Florisa, a respected seamstress in Granheim.<br><br>Job requirements: Attractive physical features.<br>Job pay: One silver per day. Pay is subject to change.<br><br>If you refuse this job offer, your intimacy with Florisa will fall by a considerable amount.</div></td></tr></tbody></table></div><br><br>One silver per day… Crow wasn’t sure, but it seemed like a lot of money. Nevertheless, she didn’t even consider it. Crow had recognized Florisa as a bully from the very first sentence. The dripping superiority, the affected familiarity—all of it was too reminiscent of Harpy One. She firmly shook her head.<br><br><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td><div style="text-align: center">You have refused the job offer.</div></td></tr></tbody></table></div><br><br>Florisa’s lips wrenched downward in an ugly grimace. “Hmph. I see that trash <span style="font-style: italic;">absolutely </span>sticks to trash. You’ll regret it, dear.”<br><br>With that, she flounced back into her shop, scowling at them all the way.<br><br>Helen looked at Crow apologetically. “Sorry, she’s…”<br><br>Crow shrugged, and Helen looked rather relieved. There was nothing to forgive. People were cruel. Crow had been forced to acknowledge it a long time ago.<br><br>They walked past Florisa’s shop, and Helen seemed to relax as they drew further and further away. Finally, they stood in front of the colorful sign.<br><br>Compared to “Fabulous Florisa’s,” it was a meager place. The windows were a little grimy and the gold paint on the doorknobs was worn away.<br><br>“It’s not much, but welcome to my shop,” Helen said, beaming. She unlocked the door and stepped in, holding open the door for Crow.“You can set the fabric on the table over there. Thank you.”<br><br><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td><div style="text-align: center">You have completed the quest.</div></td></tr></tbody></table></div><br><br>The interior was as dingy as the exterior. It was a cramped place, and the walls were covered in racks of clothes. It was obvious who had made them, because almost all of them were made with astonishingly horrendous colors. Although Crow didn’t know for sure, she had a feeling that the styles were outdated and unpopular.<br><br>As Crow was looking around, she heard a series of thumping sounds. Soon afterward, a small, pale boy emerged from a stairway on the other side of the shop and ran towards them. <br><br>“Ma! You’re home!”<br><br>“Jay!” Helen moved forward and hugged her son.<br><br>After greeting his ma, Jay peered around his mom’s waist to look at Crow. “You brought a visitor, ma? Who is she? Is she a customer?” Jay babbled. Small of frame, active of mouth. Just like his mother. Strangely, despite being looked over, Crow didn’t feel uncomfortable or uneasy.<br><br>Suddenly, the boy coughed and seemed to crumple. Helen gasped and caught her son, who wheezed a little, then coughed into his handkerchief again. “Jay, you should have stayed in bed. Running is no good,” Helen murmured, looking pained. <br><br>Despite being wracked by another series of coughs, Jay tried to stand. “Huk… I’m okay, ma… it’s a good day, there’s even a customer… huk…”<br><br>Helen picked up her son and began to stumble toward the staircase. Crow felt strange. It was yet another feeling she thought she had lost. Pity. The helpless, panicking mother and her obviously ill child were to blame.<br><br>Crow stepped forward, unsure of what to think of these feelings. She would consider them later. A little hesitant, she looked at Helen and said, “Please. Let me.”<br><br>Helen looked surprised, and she gingerly put the wheezing Jay into Crow’s arms. “His room is up the stairs, on the right. I’ll get the medicine and come up shortly. Thank you.” Helen moved away hurriedly to another part of the shop.<br><br>The boy was light—too light. He was thin, but every time he coughed, Crow could feel the tremors shaking his body like a rag in a gust of wind. <br><br>Even behind his handkerchief, Jay looked embarrassed as Crow climbed the stairs and pushed open the door to his room. When she laid him in bed, he murmured a “thank you” and pulled his blanket over his flushed face, the sounds of his coughing muffled.<br><br>It was very awkward. Crow stood to one side, silent. There was nothing she wanted to say and nothing she could do, and the boy was obviously occupied. She felt that it was inappropriate to leave the room, so she took a position in a corner of the small room and waited. <br><br>Helen burst in holding a steaming cup, and Jay emerged shyly from his blanket like a turtle peeking out of its shell. <br><br>Jay drank as Helen held the cup to his lips. His face betrayed no emotion as he slowly drained the murky contents of the cup. Even from where Crow was standing, the liquid smelled awful, even absolutely awful. Her opinion of Jay vastly improved. The boy was a sock-water drinking champ.<br><br>Helen set the cup on the table. “From now on,” she said gravely, “you are to stay in bed. Too much movement will aggravate your illness, Jay.” Her voice became tender and she swept a lock of his brown hair away from his eyes. “Jay, please do as I say.”<br><br>Jay tried to force a smile, but was interrupted by another set of coughs. When it subsided, he said weakly, “Yes, ma. I just… I felt good this morning when you left, so I thought maybe…” As he spoke, his voice became groggy and his eyes slowly closed. Soon, the boy was asleep. He looked so vulnerable, so thin and pale.<br><br>Helen tucked him in and gazed at his small face for a while, then turned her attention to Crow. With a nod, she silently moved out of the room. Crow followed her out and gently closed the door behind her.<br><br>The little woman sighed, and the weight of the world seemed to settle on her shoulders. Jay seemed to be her only child. The little shop was quiet. The atmosphere had brightened a little when Jay had first greeted them, but now there was just heavy silence.<br><br>Helen led Crow back downstairs and into a small kitchen, where there was a table and three chairs. So there was one more individual in this family. It was probably the father, and Crow guessed that he would be an equally small, insubstantial man.<br><br>“Please, be seated,” Helen said, gesturing toward one of the chairs. As soon as Crow sat down, she heard her stomach growl loudly.<br><br>Both of them were shocked. It really wasn’t a good time for her belly to betray itself now. Crow wasn’t too surprised that she was hungry—the food stands had informed her that the concept of hunger existed in this game. However, she was appalled that it would manifest itself as a sound. Helen was—Helen was laughing?<br><br>Confused, another look confirmed it. Helen was really laughing. Despite all that had happened, the woman was laughing so hard she was clutching her belly. Crow frowned, and Helen wiped away a tear and said, “I’m sorry, I’m sorry. Aha… ha, I haven’t laughed like that in awhile.”<br><br>She turned aside and fiddled with the mess on the counter. “I’ll make us some tea, and if you don’t mind, you can stay for dinner as well. My husband should be home soon.”<br><br>An invitation to dinner sounded promising. Crow relaxed as Helen prattled on about what a mess the kitchen was, how much work she had to do, how the tea was taking so long. As the water boiled on the little fire stove in the corner, Helen poured some water into a large pot and began to chop up some vegetables. Crow wanted to help, but one look at the counter dashed those feelings. It really was a mess. There were unwashed dishes everywhere, and opened packets of herbs littered the surface. One of the packets had an obviously offensive smell—it was probably one of the key ingredients of Jay’s sock-water.<br><br>So she settled and listened. A short while later, Helen poured the tea into two mugs. “Here we go,” she said, sitting down with a sigh of content. Crow stared at her mug. All those scattered herb packets had raised her suspicions about what was in this liquid, but it didn’t smell bad and Helen was happily drinking it, so she drew it to her mouth. The aroma wafted in and almost seemed to refresh her. Crow took a sip.<br><br><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td><div style="text-align: center">You have consumed Helen’s Herbal Blend.<br><br>Mana has increased by 5%. Stamina has increased by 10%.</div></td></tr></tbody></table></div><br><br>Incredibly, not only did the tea taste good, but it had a positive effect on the “stats” she had observed earlier. She wasn’t entirely sure what those “stats” were for yet, but it seemed to be a good thing, and she drank the tea more readily.<br><br>Helen smiled. “I’ve been learning a little Herbology for Jay’s teas. Isn’t it good?”<br><br>Crow sputtered.<br><br>That drew another laugh from Helen. “Haha, don’t worry. I’ve just put a little stinging nettle and yellow dock in it. I can teach you how to make it, if you want.”<br><br>As she finished speaking, the door to the shop flung open and something black and enormous raced in. A wolf! A wolf was in the shop, and coming straight for them!<br><br><span style="font-style: italic;">OH SHIT,</span> Crow thought as she leapt out her chair and scrambled for a weapon. Of course, it wouldn’t do much good against such a huge beast, but she still managed to grab a ladle.<br><br>To her surprise, Helen calmly set down her cup and stood. Crow stepped forward to shove her out of harm’s way, but what she saw next flabbergasted her. <br><br>The black wolf ran up, went on its hind legs, and placed its giant paws on Helen’s shoulders.<br><br><span style="font-style: italic;">FUUUCK!</span> Crow thought, and was about to launch herself at the wolf when the she received yet another shock. Helen bared her teeth and the wolf <span style="font-style: italic;">licked her face</span>. Then she laughed and stroked the massive animal.<br><br>“Brutus! Down, boy!” bellowed a masculine voice. A heavyset man clanked into the tiny kitchen, engulfing the space with his huge muscles.<br><br>Surely… surely this man wasn’t Helen’s husband? </div>

**Granheim absolutely does not exist in LMS. Almost everything in this is fictional and only loosely based off of Nam Hi Sung’s work. No mature content in this one, haha!** “… Park Sun Ja-nim, you’re terrible.” “What? Why?” “Number 50 ended up with… Bo-booby.” “Pft! You’re still going on about that? Do you like saying that word or something?” “...” “Mr. Kim, the cologne you’re wearing is… very…” “…” “Mr. Kim… kya~.” “%$&@$@I#%!!” -- Crow didn’t know what to do. “Uwaaa! Waaaaaa! WAAAAHHHH!” The woman was clinging desperately to her and wailing like a banshee. It was extremely terrifying, but for some reason Crow couldn’t bring herself to run away. She even unconsciously brought her hand up to stroke the piteously quivering head, but realized what she was doing and quickly lowered it. The tears soaked through the sleeve of Crow’s tunic. After a few minutes, the woman quieted, sniffling and hiccupping. She blew her nose on Crow’s arm and wiped her eyes. “Thank… hic… thank you. I just… I just don’t know what to do. The shop is a mess and my… my Jay…” Just as she looked like she was going to explode into another barrage of tears, Crow hastily put her hand on the woman’s arm. The woman looked up. Her eyes searched Crow’s, and she seemed to find some kind of comfort in them, because she hiccupped one last time and pulled away. In fact, Crow had just been thinking, dammit don’t cry, don’t cry. By the look of it, another ocean drained on her arm would be hazardous for her clothing. Helen eyes sparkled. “You’re so kind. My name is Helen. Can you please help me take these fabrics to the shop? Looks like I tried to take too many… I’m sorry…” | Carry Fabric to the ShopSeamstress Helen needs your help. Take the fabrics to the store with her.Difficulty: FQuest Requirements: NoneQuest Rewards: Helen’s trust | | --- | Crow flinched at the unexpected table that appeared in front of her eyes and the ringing sound that accompanied it. So this was a quest? She quickly considered her options. She could probably just walk away, but she had nothing else to do anyways. This woman, Helen, seemed harmless enough. She nodded, and Helen’s eyes lit up. The woman began picking up the fabrics that had fallen to the ground. “Thank you! I’ll show you the way to the shop.” Crow nodded again and helped Helen pick up the rest of the fabrics. It was a motley collection of tasteless colors—pink that was too bright, sickly green, flamboyant red. Helen beamed and said, “I’m going to use them for a new dress. I don’t know why, but these pieces were really cheap. They’re pretty, right?” Helen didn’t notice Crow’s pained expression and stood up, dusting off her skirt. Crow followed her up, hauling the eye-death cloth. She was bewildered by Helen’s sudden change in mood. Just a few moments ago, the woman had been bawling on Crow’s shoulder. Now, she was bright-eyed and energetic. More importantly, getting a quest from Helen meant that she probably wasn’t another player, not another human in a capsule somewhere. What did they call them… artificial intelligences? It was incredible. Even the AIs were realistic. She followed Helen cautiously, watching her every movement. Crow felt more at ease now that she knew Helen wasn’t a player, but that didn’t erase her misgivings. Whether they were human or AI, people were dangerous. Helen didn’t share Crow’s doubts, however, and chattered incessantly as they walked. “Is this your first time in Granheim? You must be new to the town. Granheim is a wonderful place…” After listening to Helen talk for awhile, Crow’s attention drifted elsewhere. They walked through several more alleys, but thankfully Helen avoided the main road. Nevertheless, they passed some people, and this time Crow had the courage to look at them. She wasn’t sure if they were AIs or players, but she was curious about what other people were doing in this game. Many of them had swords strapped to belts around their waists. She even saw an axe and a few bows. What was this place? Did people kill each other here with those weapons? Or was there some other kind of adversity? From what she had seen so far, it seemed like a fairly peaceful kingdom. The game was obviously set in medieval times. She hadn’t seen any cars or guns, only horses drawing carriages and weapons from times long past. There must be other kingdoms, since Harpy One was nowhere to be found. Crow was lost in thought when Helen stopped. The woman’s expression had tightened and her mouth had miraculously stopped moving. They were in a large, bustling street. People were busily tidying shop fronts and sweeping doorways as others—probably players—strode purposefully into shops. “This is Merchant Avenue,” Helen said. “My shop is over there.” She pointed to a cluster of smaller shops quite a distance away. Crow picked out the words, “Helen’s Tailoring,” scrawled in gaudy pink letters on a bright yellow sign. As expected, even Helen’s shop had bad taste. Helen seemed to shrink within herself as she walked—no crept—along the side of the road. It was puzzling behavior, until… “Helen dear, are you slinking back into your hole again?” A voice thick with scorn assaulted the poor Helen, who seemed to shrivel into herself. Crow soon found the speaker, a large woman with even larger bosoms dressed in a revealing dress. The ponderous woman was leaning by the doorway of a shop that matched the woman’s size. Called, “Fabulous Florisa’s,” the shop even had a gilded door and a statue of a flower in the front. Crow guessed the husky woman was the Florisa, and she was rather fabulous indeed. Her face was richly powdered, and each curl of her carefully permed hair was a perfect helix. Her plump lips quivered hypnotically as she laughed. “Helen dear, what is that absolutely horrid pile? Surely you don’t plan on making a dress with that? How absolutely hilarious!” Florisa giggled. Then her eyes caught sight of Crow. “What have you got here? What an absolutely pretty little pet! Were you thinking of crawling into Helen dear’s little hole, were you, little pet? Absolutely ridiculous. Come work for me, Florisa, the absolutely best seamstress of Granheim!” | You have received a job offer from Florisa, a respected seamstress in Granheim.Job requirements: Attractive physical features.Job pay: One silver per day. Pay is subject to change.If you refuse this job offer, your intimacy with Florisa will fall by a considerable amount. | | --- | One silver per day… Crow wasn’t sure, but it seemed like a lot of money. Nevertheless, she didn’t even consider it. Crow had recognized Florisa as a bully from the very first sentence. The dripping superiority, the affected familiarity—all of it was too reminiscent of Harpy One. She firmly shook her head. | You have refused the job offer. | | --- | Florisa’s lips wrenched downward in an ugly grimace. “Hmph. I see that trash absolutely sticks to trash. You’ll regret it, dear.” With that, she flounced back into her shop, scowling at them all the way. Helen looked at Crow apologetically. “Sorry, she’s…” Crow shrugged, and Helen looked rather relieved. There was nothing to forgive. People were cruel. Crow had been forced to acknowledge it a long time ago. They walked past Florisa’s shop, and Helen seemed to relax as they drew further and further away. Finally, they stood in front of the colorful sign. Compared to “Fabulous Florisa’s,” it was a meager place. The windows were a little grimy and the gold paint on the doorknobs was worn away. “It’s not much, but welcome to my shop,” Helen said, beaming. She unlocked the door and stepped in, holding open the door for Crow.“You can set the fabric on the table over there. Thank you.” | You have completed the quest. | | --- | The interior was as dingy as the exterior. It was a cramped place, and the walls were covered in racks of clothes. It was obvious who had made them, because almost all of them were made with astonishingly horrendous colors. Although Crow didn’t know for sure, she had a feeling that the styles were outdated and unpopular. As Crow was looking around, she heard a series of thumping sounds. Soon afterward, a small, pale boy emerged from a stairway on the other side of the shop and ran towards them. “Ma! You’re home!” “Jay!” Helen moved forward and hugged her son. After greeting his ma, Jay peered around his mom’s waist to look at Crow. “You brought a visitor, ma? Who is she? Is she a customer?” Jay babbled. Small of frame, active of mouth. Just like his mother. Strangely, despite being looked over, Crow didn’t feel uncomfortable or uneasy. Suddenly, the boy coughed and seemed to crumple. Helen gasped and caught her son, who wheezed a little, then coughed into his handkerchief again. “Jay, you should have stayed in bed. Running is no good,” Helen murmured, looking pained. Despite being wracked by another series of coughs, Jay tried to stand. “Huk… I’m okay, ma… it’s a good day, there’s even a customer… huk…” Helen picked up her son and began to stumble toward the staircase. Crow felt strange. It was yet another feeling she thought she had lost. Pity. The helpless, panicking mother and her obviously ill child were to blame. Crow stepped forward, unsure of what to think of these feelings. She would consider them later. A little hesitant, she looked at Helen and said, “Please. Let me.” Helen looked surprised, and she gingerly put the wheezing Jay into Crow’s arms. “His room is up the stairs, on the right. I’ll get the medicine and come up shortly. Thank you.” Helen moved away hurriedly to another part of the shop. The boy was light—too light. He was thin, but every time he coughed, Crow could feel the tremors shaking his body like a rag in a gust of wind. Even behind his handkerchief, Jay looked embarrassed as Crow climbed the stairs and pushed open the door to his room. When she laid him in bed, he murmured a “thank you” and pulled his blanket over his flushed face, the sounds of his coughing muffled. It was very awkward. Crow stood to one side, silent. There was nothing she wanted to say and nothing she could do, and the boy was obviously occupied. She felt that it was inappropriate to leave the room, so she took a position in a corner of the small room and waited. Helen burst in holding a steaming cup, and Jay emerged shyly from his blanket like a turtle peeking out of its shell. Jay drank as Helen held the cup to his lips. His face betrayed no emotion as he slowly drained the murky contents of the cup. Even from where Crow was standing, the liquid smelled awful, even absolutely awful. Her opinion of Jay vastly improved. The boy was a sock-water drinking champ. Helen set the cup on the table. “From now on,” she said gravely, “you are to stay in bed. Too much movement will aggravate your illness, Jay.” Her voice became tender and she swept a lock of his brown hair away from his eyes. “Jay, please do as I say.” Jay tried to force a smile, but was interrupted by another set of coughs. When it subsided, he said weakly, “Yes, ma. I just… I felt good this morning when you left, so I thought maybe…” As he spoke, his voice became groggy and his eyes slowly closed. Soon, the boy was asleep. He looked so vulnerable, so thin and pale. Helen tucked him in and gazed at his small face for a while, then turned her attention to Crow. With a nod, she silently moved out of the room. Crow followed her out and gently closed the door behind her. The little woman sighed, and the weight of the world seemed to settle on her shoulders. Jay seemed to be her only child. The little shop was quiet. The atmosphere had brightened a little when Jay had first greeted them, but now there was just heavy silence. Helen led Crow back downstairs and into a small kitchen, where there was a table and three chairs. So there was one more individual in this family. It was probably the father, and Crow guessed that he would be an equally small, insubstantial man. “Please, be seated,” Helen said, gesturing toward one of the chairs. As soon as Crow sat down, she heard her stomach growl loudly. Both of them were shocked. It really wasn’t a good time for her belly to betray itself now. Crow wasn’t too surprised that she was hungry—the food stands had informed her that the concept of hunger existed in this game. However, she was appalled that it would manifest itself as a sound. Helen was—Helen was laughing? Confused, another look confirmed it. Helen was really laughing. Despite all that had happened, the woman was laughing so hard she was clutching her belly. Crow frowned, and Helen wiped away a tear and said, “I’m sorry, I’m sorry. Aha… ha, I haven’t laughed like that in awhile.” She turned aside and fiddled with the mess on the counter. “I’ll make us some tea, and if you don’t mind, you can stay for dinner as well. My husband should be home soon.” An invitation to dinner sounded promising. Crow relaxed as Helen prattled on about what a mess the kitchen was, how much work she had to do, how the tea was taking so long. As the water boiled on the little fire stove in the corner, Helen poured some water into a large pot and began to chop up some vegetables. Crow wanted to help, but one look at the counter dashed those feelings. It really was a mess. There were unwashed dishes everywhere, and opened packets of herbs littered the surface. One of the packets had an obviously offensive smell—it was probably one of the key ingredients of Jay’s sock-water. So she settled and listened. A short while later, Helen poured the tea into two mugs. “Here we go,” she said, sitting down with a sigh of content. Crow stared at her mug. All those scattered herb packets had raised her suspicions about what was in this liquid, but it didn’t smell bad and Helen was happily drinking it, so she drew it to her mouth. The aroma wafted in and almost seemed to refresh her. Crow took a sip. | You have consumed Helen’s Herbal Blend.Mana has increased by 5%. Stamina has increased by 10%. | | --- | Incredibly, not only did the tea taste good, but it had a positive effect on the “stats” she had observed earlier. She wasn’t entirely sure what those “stats” were for yet, but it seemed to be a good thing, and she drank the tea more readily. Helen smiled. “I’ve been learning a little Herbology for Jay’s teas. Isn’t it good?” Crow sputtered. That drew another laugh from Helen. “Haha, don’t worry. I’ve just put a little stinging nettle and yellow dock in it. I can teach you how to make it, if you want.” As she finished speaking, the door to the shop flung open and something black and enormous raced in. A wolf! A wolf was in the shop, and coming straight for them! OH SHIT, Crow thought as she leapt out her chair and scrambled for a weapon. Of course, it wouldn’t do much good against such a huge beast, but she still managed to grab a ladle. To her surprise, Helen calmly set down her cup and stood. Crow stepped forward to shove her out of harm’s way, but what she saw next flabbergasted her. The black wolf ran up, went on its hind legs, and placed its giant paws on Helen’s shoulders. FUUUCK! Crow thought, and was about to launch herself at the wolf when the she received yet another shock. Helen bared her teeth and the wolf licked her face. Then she laughed and stroked the massive animal. “Brutus! Down, boy!” bellowed a masculine voice. A heavyset man clanked into the tiny kitchen, engulfing the space with his huge muscles. Surely… surely this man wasn’t Helen’s husband?

<div class="chapter-inner chapter-content"> “Okay, Mr. Markson. I understand it will be your younger brother who will be treated using Royal Road. Am I correct?”<br><br>“Yes.” Henry replied. After his meeting with the doctor, he was introduced to a Lilly Ashbern. She was a child psychiatrist with a speciality in amnesiac cases. She had informed him at their introduction; that she had been hired by the Unicorn Corporation a year after the release of the game Royal Road. Unicorn Corp. had come up with a very brilliant idea; through the speed at which the game played they hoped to use it to their advantage by opening to a new market. This new market was a very lucrative one, there was a very large amount of people suffering mental illness that just need more time than a life time. Especially with amnesia cases, to try to live ones life just a couple steps behind was no road to success.<br><br>“Being as intelligent a man as you are, I'm sure you know of the basics of the game, correct?”<br><br>“Yes, I do. But I really don't see how this is going to help Derec.”<br><br>“Well the idea is to try and catch up Derec's mind. At this point his mind is about 7 years behind the development of his body. How Royal Road will help us is through the fact that the game runs four times the speed of reality. In effect we hope to catch up Derec's mind, at the latest by age 20. Though I would expect that he will begin to regain his memories slowly without the aid of the game, we just wish to speed up the process so Derec may have a normal life.”<br><br>“I can kind of understand that. But isn't this just going to be like another game to him?”<br><br>“Well, if we don't make any alterations to his console then yes. But what will be specific to Derec's console are some restrictions that will leave him at the age of him mind. While the game usually allows alterations to the physical appearance of the character, that will be set of the rest of the game unless they find one of the various ways to change it. In Derec's case we have used a special program that has determined his appearance at age ten, this will be a restriction on his console making his appearance unalterable. Furthermore based on my findings from the videos of his game play that will automatically sent to me, I shall determine when Derec's avatar will age. Other than that, the only other thing we have changed is the beginning stats for his avatar. For any regular player, they would begin with ten points for every basic stat. In Derec's case we will reduce his strength and intelligence stats by two, thus leaving him with equivalent stats to that of NPCs of the same age.” Dr. Ashbern finished a little out of breath with the long spiel. She could almost see Mr. Markson's mind processing the amount of information she had given him, evidence of his work buying and selling stocks.<br><br>“How much is this going to cost me?” Henry asked already realizing that this service didn't come free.<br><br>“For the restrictions on the console, the price is raised on the console by 50%. And monthly fees are doubled as you will also be paying for my time.” This brought the price of the console to $15, 000 and the monthly fees to $600. For any other family they wouldn't accept the price just. They would have completely backed out of taking care of their family member, but Henry wasn't the same. He still felt guilty for not knowing about Derec, for not helping him or keeping him from Jeraldine and Frank. To him this was the least he could do.<br><br>“Is there anything you suggest I can do for Derec?”<br><br>“I'm sure Dr. Hans has already informed you, the best you can do is make him feel comfortable and safe.” With that, Henry and Dr. Ashbern said their goodbyes. Henry returned to Derec's hospital room waiting for him to awake.<br><br>******<br><br>Cloud had spent the last three weeks within the city limits as a messenger. The city itself was absolutely beautiful, a marvel because of the way in which nature was a very large part of the city. It could have almost been an abandoned city, from how nature seemed to be reclaiming the land. Many houses had a tree growing from the center, and the sky bridges stretching over the city were really very large branches.<br><br>He learned the layout of the city, from the location of every shop and stall the the intricacies of the underground labyrinth that existed beneath the city. He used this information to his advantage, becoming that fastest and most reliable messenger within the city. In this time he had gained level four as well as numerous stats points as well as a two skills and three stats.<br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td>New Stat: Fighting Spirit<br><br>You can call on superhuman strength temporarily, or bring weaker monsters to their knees with a force in your eyes alone. You are prohibited from distributing stat bonus points to this stat, and it rises spontaneously, depending on the avatar’s action, especially if you fight monsters for a long time, or often confront monsters stronger than your current level.</td></tr><tr><td>New Stat: Sustenance<br><br>You are likely to use less stamina in action. You are prohibited from distributing stat bonus points to this stat.</td></tr><tr><td>New Stat: Efficiency<br><br>You are able to move more efficiently, reduces the amount of stamina used for movement. You are prohibited from distributing stat bonus points to this stat.</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br>Besides delivering messages there were still moments he faced criticism because of his avatar's appearance. Whenever this got to much for him, he would return to the training hall and take out his anger on some poor, defenceless scarecrow all the while listening to but more criticism until he tired and escaped to his nest.<br><br>Through these actions Cloud became well known throughout the city as the little black bird. Often he was treated like a little brother, adored by many of the female players.<br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td>Quest Complete!<br><br>After reading ht love note from Samson, Helena rushed off to confess her feelings in return. In the near future they shall be married, and live a happy life together with their three children and two grandchildren.<br><br>Reward: Leather Breast Plate<br><br>Level Up!</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br>Quickly equipping the breast plate, he was lucky it was adjustable at the sides so it fit him.<br><br>Cloud rushed to the closet city gate. He was finally free to leave the city and hunt on his own.<br><br>Looking into the forest before him, he was awestruck. The trees were nothing in comparison to those in the forest. They could easily be hundreds of years old.<br><br>“Stats Window” <br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td colspan="4">Character Status</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Charater name:</td><td width="25%">Cloud</td><td width="25%">Alignment:</td><td width="25%">Neutral</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Level:</td><td width="25%">5</td><td width="25%">Profession:</td><td width="25%">None</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Title:</td><td colspan="3">None</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Reputation:</td><td colspan="3">120</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Health:</td><td width="25%">180 (+25)</td><td width="25%">Mana:</td><td width="25%">100</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Strength:</td><td width="25%">18 (+5)</td><td width="25%">Agility:</td><td width="25%">97</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Dexterity:</td><td width="25%">13</td><td width="25%">Vitality:</td><td width="25%">24</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Stamina</td><td width="25%">68</td><td width="25%">Fighting Spirit</td><td width="25%">19</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Luck</td><td width="25%">0</td><td width="25%">Leadership</td><td width="25%">0</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Wisdom</td><td width="25%">10</td><td width="25%">Intellect</td><td width="25%">16</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Attack</td><td width="25%">9</td><td width="25%">Defense</td><td width="25%">2 (+3)</td></tr><tr><td colspan="4">Magic Resistance</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Fire:</td><td width="25%">0%</td><td width="25%">Water:</td><td width="25%">0%</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Earth:</td><td width="25%">0%</td><td width="25%">Black Magic:</td><td width="25%">0%</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br>Cloud was happy to see that the leather breast plate had given him and increase in strength, defence and health. He could only attribute it to the armour as it happened to be the only piece he wore other than the initial traveller’s outfit.<br><br>“Skills Window”<br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td>Sword Mastery (Lv. 3 6.8%): Increases attack power and hit rating for swords. <br><br>Sprint (Lv. 5 2%): Increases speed running short distances and reduces chance of stumbling.</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br><br>Overcome with excitement, Cloud raced between trees, ignoring other players in their parties as they battled raccoons. He delighted in the feeling of freedom as he ran. There was no one to stop him. No one could stop him he imagined. He was free as a bird, fast as a wolf. <br><br>Jumping a root his front foot landed on a rock, losing his footing. His feet flew out from under him and he crashed to the forest floor, right on his tailbone.<br><br>Sitting there for a moment dazed. When he snapped out of it he quickly stood up and glanced all around him, 'good no one noticed'. Rubbing his tailbone slightly he continued on at a much slower pace.<br><br>The next time he fell, wasn't from some mere rock. A fox had whipped its tail around to smack the backs of his knees. They buckled and he caught himself with his hands before doing a complete face plant.<br><br>His health had dropped by a whole 30 points due to his low defence. If he took any more of those hits, he wouldn't last much longer. <br><br>Staring down the fox Cloud considered his best options. He could go for the wooden sword in his inventory, to use against the fox. But he wasn't in the best of fighting poses and the fox could attack in the time it took him to retrieve it. <br><br>The only thing that left him was to get out of the foxes range, give himself some breathing room. Dodging to the left as the fox pounced, Cloud executed a clumsy roll and managed to stagger to his feet. Backing up as the fox advanced he open his inventory and rummaged through it to find the sword. The fox was visible through the transparent window, and crouched just as Cloud found the sword.<br><br>Holding it in front of himself with two hands, he looked quite ridiculous. To anyone else he was just a scrawny little boy holding a sword much to large for him. Furthermore he thought to fight a fox, and the sword was wooden to boot.<br><br>Cloud in reality had a small bit on inborn talent when it came to the handling of a sword, or any weapon for that matter. Firming his stance the held the sword at the proper angle and waited. He was not ready to attack first, as he had completely no combat experience.<br><br>The fox stared, waiting in turn. They both stood motionless for a whole minute before the fox lunged at Cloud. Stumbling back a few steps, his foot caught another treacherous rock and he fell to the left. Luck was on his side as the fox missed his shoulder by an inch and he fell against a tree rather than the ground. Thus he was able to regain his stance.<br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td colspan="4">Luck increased by 1 point (+1 LUC)</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br>Cloud beamed at his accomplishment. An accomplishment that really had nothing to do with his own ability.<br><br>When the fox's paws slashed through empty air it barked in frustration. Spinning around as soon as it landed, the fox again began stalking Cloud. Every step it took forward Cloud flinched. He had no real knowledge on how to fight, let alone how to win.<br><br>As the fox attacked, Cloud would dodge. His high agility made up for his lack of finesse. As time passed he slowly began to tire. <br><br>Cloud swore the fox was smirking. It knew it would win in the end. And with how this fight was going, the fox really would win. But this didn't defeat Cloud, it was something he was used to; people looking down on him, underestimating him because of his age.<br><br>Anger filled him to the brim, he wouldn't die like an old dog. He wasn't to be pitied then forgotten.<br><br>Raising his sword above his as the fox crouched, he held it there. In this position he was wide open for attack. As the fox pounced it's jaws wide, it had left itself open in the same way. <br><br>Instead of bringing the sword down in a straight cut, he arced it out to the left. If it had been a real sword, the fox would then be on the ground, it's innards spewing from a slash to the stomach. At most it was bruised and its attack faltered allowing Cloud to quickly dodge a body slam from the fox.<br><br>This occurred a few more times before the fox learned. Circling the fox looked for an opening, its instincts guiding it. Cloud turned as the fox moved always keeping it in front of him. He needed a new strategy, but nothing was coming to mind.<br><br>Again Cloud perceived a smirk upon the fox's face. And his anger consumed him, slashing at the fox he gave as good as he got. The fight turned savage, much like that of two animals fighting for food. <br><br>Quickly the fox and Cloud were nearing their last 10% health, both were panting each breath an effort. Neither the fox nor Cloud being stronger than the other, they would become each other's end.<br><br>But at the deciding moment, Cloud proved but a fraction faster than the fox. <br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td colspan="4">CRITICAL HIT!!</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br>Hitting it on the side of its head caused the fox to stagger. Stunned the fox became defenseless and Cloud finished it with a final blow to head taking the last points of health the fox had. The fox turned grey and disappeared. In its place lay a piece of meat and a fox pelt.<br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.royalroadl.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=59&amp;t=671&amp;p=2774#p2774" target="_blank">&lt;PREVIOUS</a> | <a href="http://www.royalroadl.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=59&amp;t=1125" target="_blank">NEXT&gt;</a></div> </div>

“Okay, Mr. Markson. I understand it will be your younger brother who will be treated using Royal Road. Am I correct?” “Yes.” Henry replied. After his meeting with the doctor, he was introduced to a Lilly Ashbern. She was a child psychiatrist with a speciality in amnesiac cases. She had informed him at their introduction; that she had been hired by the Unicorn Corporation a year after the release of the game Royal Road. Unicorn Corp. had come up with a very brilliant idea; through the speed at which the game played they hoped to use it to their advantage by opening to a new market. This new market was a very lucrative one, there was a very large amount of people suffering mental illness that just need more time than a life time. Especially with amnesia cases, to try to live ones life just a couple steps behind was no road to success. “Being as intelligent a man as you are, I'm sure you know of the basics of the game, correct?” “Yes, I do. But I really don't see how this is going to help Derec.” “Well the idea is to try and catch up Derec's mind. At this point his mind is about 7 years behind the development of his body. How Royal Road will help us is through the fact that the game runs four times the speed of reality. In effect we hope to catch up Derec's mind, at the latest by age 20. Though I would expect that he will begin to regain his memories slowly without the aid of the game, we just wish to speed up the process so Derec may have a normal life.” “I can kind of understand that. But isn't this just going to be like another game to him?” “Well, if we don't make any alterations to his console then yes. But what will be specific to Derec's console are some restrictions that will leave him at the age of him mind. While the game usually allows alterations to the physical appearance of the character, that will be set of the rest of the game unless they find one of the various ways to change it. In Derec's case we have used a special program that has determined his appearance at age ten, this will be a restriction on his console making his appearance unalterable. Furthermore based on my findings from the videos of his game play that will automatically sent to me, I shall determine when Derec's avatar will age. Other than that, the only other thing we have changed is the beginning stats for his avatar. For any regular player, they would begin with ten points for every basic stat. In Derec's case we will reduce his strength and intelligence stats by two, thus leaving him with equivalent stats to that of NPCs of the same age.” Dr. Ashbern finished a little out of breath with the long spiel. She could almost see Mr. Markson's mind processing the amount of information she had given him, evidence of his work buying and selling stocks. “How much is this going to cost me?” Henry asked already realizing that this service didn't come free. “For the restrictions on the console, the price is raised on the console by 50%. And monthly fees are doubled as you will also be paying for my time.” This brought the price of the console to $15, 000 and the monthly fees to $600. For any other family they wouldn't accept the price just. They would have completely backed out of taking care of their family member, but Henry wasn't the same. He still felt guilty for not knowing about Derec, for not helping him or keeping him from Jeraldine and Frank. To him this was the least he could do. “Is there anything you suggest I can do for Derec?” “I'm sure Dr. Hans has already informed you, the best you can do is make him feel comfortable and safe.” With that, Henry and Dr. Ashbern said their goodbyes. Henry returned to Derec's hospital room waiting for him to awake. ****** Cloud had spent the last three weeks within the city limits as a messenger. The city itself was absolutely beautiful, a marvel because of the way in which nature was a very large part of the city. It could have almost been an abandoned city, from how nature seemed to be reclaiming the land. Many houses had a tree growing from the center, and the sky bridges stretching over the city were really very large branches. He learned the layout of the city, from the location of every shop and stall the the intricacies of the underground labyrinth that existed beneath the city. He used this information to his advantage, becoming that fastest and most reliable messenger within the city. In this time he had gained level four as well as numerous stats points as well as a two skills and three stats. | New Stat: Fighting SpiritYou can call on superhuman strength temporarily, or bring weaker monsters to their knees with a force in your eyes alone. You are prohibited from distributing stat bonus points to this stat, and it rises spontaneously, depending on the avatar’s action, especially if you fight monsters for a long time, or often confront monsters stronger than your current level. | | --- | | New Stat: SustenanceYou are likely to use less stamina in action. You are prohibited from distributing stat bonus points to this stat. | | New Stat: EfficiencyYou are able to move more efficiently, reduces the amount of stamina used for movement. You are prohibited from distributing stat bonus points to this stat. | Besides delivering messages there were still moments he faced criticism because of his avatar's appearance. Whenever this got to much for him, he would return to the training hall and take out his anger on some poor, defenceless scarecrow all the while listening to but more criticism until he tired and escaped to his nest. Through these actions Cloud became well known throughout the city as the little black bird. Often he was treated like a little brother, adored by many of the female players. | Quest Complete!After reading ht love note from Samson, Helena rushed off to confess her feelings in return. In the near future they shall be married, and live a happy life together with their three children and two grandchildren.Reward: Leather Breast PlateLevel Up! | | --- | Quickly equipping the breast plate, he was lucky it was adjustable at the sides so it fit him. Cloud rushed to the closet city gate. He was finally free to leave the city and hunt on his own. Looking into the forest before him, he was awestruck. The trees were nothing in comparison to those in the forest. They could easily be hundreds of years old. “Stats Window” | Character Status | | | | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Charater name: | Cloud | Alignment: | Neutral | | Level: | 5 | Profession: | None | | Title: | None | | | | Reputation: | 120 | | | | Health: | 180 (+25) | Mana: | 100 | | Strength: | 18 (+5) | Agility: | 97 | | Dexterity: | 13 | Vitality: | 24 | | Stamina | 68 | Fighting Spirit | 19 | | Luck | 0 | Leadership | 0 | | Wisdom | 10 | Intellect | 16 | | Attack | 9 | Defense | 2 (+3) | | Magic Resistance | | | | | Fire: | 0% | Water: | 0% | | Earth: | 0% | Black Magic: | 0% | Cloud was happy to see that the leather breast plate had given him and increase in strength, defence and health. He could only attribute it to the armour as it happened to be the only piece he wore other than the initial traveller’s outfit. “Skills Window” | Sword Mastery (Lv. 3 6.8%): Increases attack power and hit rating for swords. Sprint (Lv. 5 2%): Increases speed running short distances and reduces chance of stumbling. | | --- | Overcome with excitement, Cloud raced between trees, ignoring other players in their parties as they battled raccoons. He delighted in the feeling of freedom as he ran. There was no one to stop him. No one could stop him he imagined. He was free as a bird, fast as a wolf. Jumping a root his front foot landed on a rock, losing his footing. His feet flew out from under him and he crashed to the forest floor, right on his tailbone. Sitting there for a moment dazed. When he snapped out of it he quickly stood up and glanced all around him, 'good no one noticed'. Rubbing his tailbone slightly he continued on at a much slower pace. The next time he fell, wasn't from some mere rock. A fox had whipped its tail around to smack the backs of his knees. They buckled and he caught himself with his hands before doing a complete face plant. His health had dropped by a whole 30 points due to his low defence. If he took any more of those hits, he wouldn't last much longer. Staring down the fox Cloud considered his best options. He could go for the wooden sword in his inventory, to use against the fox. But he wasn't in the best of fighting poses and the fox could attack in the time it took him to retrieve it. The only thing that left him was to get out of the foxes range, give himself some breathing room. Dodging to the left as the fox pounced, Cloud executed a clumsy roll and managed to stagger to his feet. Backing up as the fox advanced he open his inventory and rummaged through it to find the sword. The fox was visible through the transparent window, and crouched just as Cloud found the sword. Holding it in front of himself with two hands, he looked quite ridiculous. To anyone else he was just a scrawny little boy holding a sword much to large for him. Furthermore he thought to fight a fox, and the sword was wooden to boot. Cloud in reality had a small bit on inborn talent when it came to the handling of a sword, or any weapon for that matter. Firming his stance the held the sword at the proper angle and waited. He was not ready to attack first, as he had completely no combat experience. The fox stared, waiting in turn. They both stood motionless for a whole minute before the fox lunged at Cloud. Stumbling back a few steps, his foot caught another treacherous rock and he fell to the left. Luck was on his side as the fox missed his shoulder by an inch and he fell against a tree rather than the ground. Thus he was able to regain his stance. | Luck increased by 1 point (+1 LUC) | | | | | --- | --- | --- | --- | Cloud beamed at his accomplishment. An accomplishment that really had nothing to do with his own ability. When the fox's paws slashed through empty air it barked in frustration. Spinning around as soon as it landed, the fox again began stalking Cloud. Every step it took forward Cloud flinched. He had no real knowledge on how to fight, let alone how to win. As the fox attacked, Cloud would dodge. His high agility made up for his lack of finesse. As time passed he slowly began to tire. Cloud swore the fox was smirking. It knew it would win in the end. And with how this fight was going, the fox really would win. But this didn't defeat Cloud, it was something he was used to; people looking down on him, underestimating him because of his age. Anger filled him to the brim, he wouldn't die like an old dog. He wasn't to be pitied then forgotten. Raising his sword above his as the fox crouched, he held it there. In this position he was wide open for attack. As the fox pounced it's jaws wide, it had left itself open in the same way. Instead of bringing the sword down in a straight cut, he arced it out to the left. If it had been a real sword, the fox would then be on the ground, it's innards spewing from a slash to the stomach. At most it was bruised and its attack faltered allowing Cloud to quickly dodge a body slam from the fox. This occurred a few more times before the fox learned. Circling the fox looked for an opening, its instincts guiding it. Cloud turned as the fox moved always keeping it in front of him. He needed a new strategy, but nothing was coming to mind. Again Cloud perceived a smirk upon the fox's face. And his anger consumed him, slashing at the fox he gave as good as he got. The fight turned savage, much like that of two animals fighting for food. Quickly the fox and Cloud were nearing their last 10% health, both were panting each breath an effort. Neither the fox nor Cloud being stronger than the other, they would become each other's end. But at the deciding moment, Cloud proved but a fraction faster than the fox. | CRITICAL HIT!! | | | | | --- | --- | --- | --- | Hitting it on the side of its head caused the fox to stagger. Stunned the fox became defenseless and Cloud finished it with a final blow to head taking the last points of health the fox had. The fox turned grey and disappeared. In its place lay a piece of meat and a fox pelt. [<PREVIOUS](http://www.royalroadl.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=59&t=671&p=2774#p2774) | [NEXT>](http://www.royalroadl.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=59&t=1125)

<div class="chapter-inner chapter-content"> <div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: #FF8040;">Battle Maiden</span></span><br><span style="font-weight: bold;">Book 2: Two Path<br>Chapter 3 : Lessons and Enlistment</span></div><br><br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">*****</span></div><br><br><br>“Come!” <br><br>“It’ll take those boys a while. In the meantime, I have some things in mind.”<br><br>Vanessa En Visna had been given the title of ‘knight’ for her contributions to the kingdom. Ranked as a captain in the Royal Army, she had a platoon of her own and commanded great respect from her peers. It was said that the only reason she was not ranked higher was due to her personality.<br><br>She walked with such poise, with her back straight and proud shoulders, that it made her dull armor seem to shine with brilliance. Even though she had aged, there were many who still admired her, men and women alike.<br><br>Low ranking soldiers ceased whatever they were doing as she passed, giving the most spirited salute they can muster. Even those of the same rank and even higher would spare some time to show respect. Only this time, the saluting soldiers’ eyes was not on her. They were leering at a girl following closely behind.<br><br>You couldn’t really blame them, a girl was a rare sight in that part of town. Some foreigner women did pass by, but none exuded the air she did. Their captain, Vanessa, had an aura that was gallant in nature. The girl however, was different. It’s like watching a single beautiful flower, or a painting on an empty wall. You couldn’t help but steal a glance.<br><br>“Beyond veiling..” Vanessa mumbled to herself, unconsciously smiling.<br><br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">*****</span></div><br><br><br>Sera followed Vanessa as ordered. Along the way, she felt something familiar, pairs of eyes directed toward her. Instinctively, she put up her own barrier, as she did in real life. To show no emotion on her face, to step forward in an undisturbed face. Hiding herself from the judging eyes of the strangers.<br><br><span style="font-style: italic;">‘Even NPCs do it.’</span><br><br> As they arrived to what looked like an outdoor training ground, Vanessa finally turned around and faced Sera. The place was almost empty, due to the fact that they were preparing for an expedition.<br><br>“I assume you use both sword and shield? Then, grab a training sword and shield from that rack,” Vanessa pointed towards a rack filled with a variety of weapons.<br><br><br><span style="font-style: italic;">‘A fighting practice? She did say she’ll guide me.’</span><br><br>Unlike the training center, the weapons here were not wooden. The swords had steel blades, although blunt it was capable of inflicting serious injury. Sera quickly picked a sword and a shield, similar to the ones she was used to, before returning to face Vanessa.<br><br><span style="font-style: italic;">‘Wait what?’ </span><br><br>Sera was surprised, looking at what she returned to. What she saw was the greying knight woman carrying a log twice her height on her shoulder.<br><br>“Well, shall we begin then?” Vanessa raised the timber straight upwards.<br><br>“Wait!” Sera shouted. However, it was in vain, as the timber had already gained momentum. She jumped clumsily to the side,and barely managed to evade the attack. <br><br>“Now is not the time to worry about getting dirt on your dress. Come at me with all you’ve got!” <br><br>“You always do things your own way!” Sera exploded. It was the first time she had ever let her temper get the best of her. Having a log smashing towards her without warning might have contributed to that.<br><br>“And have you not? You too do things your own way,” Vanessa raised the log again, readying another attack. Sera used this time to step out of her reach. The log was not that big, just a bit bigger than her head. But the damage was devastating, evidenced by the hole in the ground where the log had landed earlier.<br><br>“You keep yourself out of reach. Afraid to get hurt?”<br><br>“Who in their right mind would keep themselves in the range of that big piece of wood?!”<br><br>“I’m not talking about this log.”<br><br>As if seeing the knight wield a piece of log was not surprising enough, Sera now witnessed another event that one could only see in a virtual reality game. The knight leapt through the air with the heavy log in her hands, instantly propelling her into striking distance. <br><br><span style="font-weight: bold;">Crash!</span><br><br>The log split into two as it slammed down. Dust filled the arena,as a result of the impact. On the ground, Sera lay among the debris. She had managed to avoid a direct blow, but not enough to come out unharmed.<br><br>Discarding whatever was left of her weapon, Vanessa stood over the defeated Sera. With one hand, she picked her up, forcing Sera to stand on her two feet.<br><br>“It didn’t even hit you. Don’t play dead with me,” Vanessa said as she patted away dust from Sera’s dress.<br><br>“That sort of strength is not human,” Sera complained. She had even lost some of her health points from Vanessa’s patting.<br><br>“You do get what I’m trying to tell you, don’t you? Running away or hiding will not solve anything.”<br><br>Sera understood perfectly, that all she had done was hide and run away. The more people alienated her, she alienated herself even further. It was true that people avoided her in real life, but it was not wrong to say that she avoided them first. ‘I can’t be hurt by strangers,’ she used to convinced herself.<br><span style="font-style: italic;"><br>‘So she did this on purpose just to make me realise it? The tough love type character. Maybe she’s not so bad after all.’</span><br><br>“I lost,” Sera gave a small bow, admitting her defeat. She did start this game hoping to change, and people often say that admitting your fault is the first step to overcome it. She raised her head from the bow, hoping to get some reaction from Vanessa. <br><br><span style="font-style: italic;">‘Oh shhhi--’</span><br><br>“That last wood must be a driftwood or something. To break after only two strikes,” Vanessa stood there, now holding another piece of wood, larger than the last, “Well, now that we got that bit covered, I say we get serious for round two.” <br><br>Vanessa laughed as she charged at Sera. It was at this point that Sera started having nightmares of that loud laughter of her mentor’s.<br><br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">*****</span></div><br><br><br>“Say, where do I find a class?”<br><br>Spoon was asking a random traveller. He was now level 32, clad in black-colored equipment. Half of it were quest rewards, the rest, he had bought from stores to match the others. He did not equip the hat he got however, as he thought that it would ruin his ‘all black coolness’.<br><br>“What class do you want? I’m sure all you need to do is go to their guild to get the class change quest.”<br><br>Everyone he questioned gave a similar reply. It’s not that he did not know, he was being picky. To him, most of the classes offered had limitations. He wanted something more flexible. He did try out for a knight and paladin class, but decided not to be either of them, since he didn’t feel like flattering some goddess or sugarcoating all his words at all times.<br><br>“One does not need to praise some goddess to be good. Faking chivalry to gain honor is ironic,”Spoon spoke out, saying what he thought should be obvious. Then he realised that he was speaking in front of a statue of Freya,“Um, no offense. I’m a firm believer of action speaks louder than words.”<br><br><span style="font-weight: bold;">+ 5 relationship point with Lugh</span><br><br>“Lugh? Not Freya?”<br><br>Spoon took a closer inspection of the statue. He realised that he had mistaken it for Freya. It was Lugh, another god worshipped in Versailles. He had made a mistake as both were portrayed with long hair. Holding a spear, the Statue of the god Lugh was very rare, as the Church of Lugh’s influence was low compared to Freya.<br><br>“Ahah! Sorry there, I mistook you for Freya since you look a bit feminine here.”<br><br><span style="font-weight: bold;">- 5 relationship point with Lugh</span><br><br>“I did not mean that as an insult. It’s mostly the sculptor fault here. Plus, who cares about looks when you have all that strength?”<br><br><span style="font-weight: bold;">+ 5 relationship point with Lugh</span><br><span style="font-style: italic;"><br>‘This is quite fun actually.’</span><br><span style="font-style: italic;"><br>‘Since there is no one around, might just as well play around a bit.’</span><br><br>Spoon began to back and forth flatter and piss off the god in front of him. Something he wouldn’t even consider with Freya, who had many supporters and high influence. Little did he know, he was being watched.<br><br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">*****</span></div><br><br><br><span style="font-weight: bold;">*CracK!!*</span><br><br>The wooden shield shattered, together with the timber that crashed down onto Sera. It was the second shield rendered useless by the might of Vanessa that day. <br><br><span style="font-style: italic;">‘She’s seriously trying to kill me!’<br>‘My left arm hurts so much, but I need to strike now while she’s unarmed!’</span><br><br>Sera dashed forward, taking advantage of the flying dust from the impact, hoping it would be enough to hamper Vanessa’s visibility. With every step, she could feel throbbing pain coming from her left arm; she did her best to ignore it. She know that this chance wouldn’t come often.<br><br>“Charging at an enemy who lost her weapon, not bad.” Vanessa knew Sera was coming for her, “I’ll give you praise for quick thinking.”<br><br><span style="font-style: italic;">‘Three steps.’</span><br><br>Sera calculated the distance till Vanessa was in range.<br><span style="font-style: italic;"><br>‘Two.’</span><br><br>Her left foot planted on the ground, her grip on the sword tightened. The sword laid low on on her left side, waiting to burst.<br><span style="font-style: italic;"><br>‘Now!’</span><br><br>Immediately after her right foot kicked the ground, a slash from the sword followed. The rotation from her hip amplified the speed of the strike, so fast was the strike that she literally heard the air itself being torn asunder.<br><br>By literally, it meant she had missed the attack.<br><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br>*WHAcK!*</span><br><br>Sera was sent flying from a solid kick on her stomach. The steel toed boot hurt so badly that she regurgitated her lunch out before she could even land. The landing wasn’t so smooth either, as she rolled for a good three meters before stopping. At least she rolled instead of skidding.<br><br>Things went dark for a while. As she opened her eyes, she saw the familiar figure of a halfling. It was Reghas, the priest. <br><br>“Good afternoon. How are you feeling?” Reghas asked.<br><br>“How many fingers do you see?” He held up a few fingers uncomfortably, close to Sera’s face.<br><br>“What happened?” Sera was in a muddled state.<br> <br>“You passed out. I applied some healing magic. Did you know that you had a chunk of wood embedded in your left arm?” <br><br>Sera looked at her left arm, bandaged clumsily. It was dyed red with blood, the source of the throbbing pain she felt earlier. Luckily this was a virtual reality game, where a some healing magic and a bit of bandaging could fix a wound which would disable a person for life.<br><br>“Thank you,” Sera said, “For taking care of my injury.” <br><br>“All I did is sprinkle some healing magic on you. Kind of my job description you see,” Reghas waved his hands around, wiggling his stubby little fingers, imitating a magician casting a spell.<br><br>“Uhh, where is Vanessa?” Sera looked around, she was in a room which looked like a crude hospital room, filled with the smell of herbs. The one who put her in her current state was nowhere in sight.<br><br>“After bandaging you up, she went outside to send off the scouting group. She’ll be back soon.”<br><br>“Scouting group? For the expedition?” Sera looked towards Reghas with a curious look, she was certain that Vanessa said that she was suppose to be in that expedition.<br><br>“Yes. A small group of mobile scouts, to survey the path ahead. Since the south is not really mapped properly, having scouts ahead will warn us the dangers and terrain conditions ahead. Makes it easier for the main group which consists of a lot of supply caravans.” <br>Reghas paused, rubbing his chin; fully expecting questions from Sera, who looked curious. His expectations were betrayed, as it resulted into an awkward silence. <br><br>He then decided to continue with his explanation,“You’ll be in the main group, as the vanguard alongside Van and me. The main aim of this expedition will be exploration, specifically a ruin which was discovered by foreigners.”<br><br>By foreigners, he meant players. Many players set out by themselves trying to earn fame, and some did found a dungeon or ruin and ended up getting killed by mobs too powerful for them to handle. In such cases, most would try to cut their losses by selling information to other parties. Offering this information to a kingdom or church was a good way to improve your relationship quickly with them.<br><br>“This case is a bit unique, as the informant told us that statues of Freya are spread around the ruin’s compound,” Reghas continued, briefing Sera of what was to come, “Usually monster do not stray close to Freya’s statue, but the foreigners reported sightings of high-leveled monsters roaming the area. As such, the church decided to cooperate with the royal army to search the area.”<br><br>“You mentioned monsters, I don’t think this will be just an exploration mission,” Sera finally spoke after listening attentively to Reghas.<br><br>“More so with Vanessa in charge. I think she’ll charge through the monsters by herself,”she added.<br><br>“That’s why I’m here. As soon as I heard that she will lead the royal army side, I had to volunteer. She can be a bit of a handful.”<br><br>“I think she wanted to kill me,” Sera shuddered as she remembered her fight.<br><br>“Not really. If she wanted to, you’d be dead right now. Plus, I heard you managed three rounds. That shows she took a liking to you.”<br><br>“She kicked the light out of me. It still hurt!” Sera rubbed her stomach, where the kick had landed. The damage was healed, but the pain still lingered.<br><br>“She is a bit.. unique in her ways,” Reghas’ expression changed, as he tried to find the right words, “If she’s uninterested in you, she wouldn’t even bother fighting.Even if she did, it wouldn’t last long.”<br><br>“Torturing people slowly is not much better,” Sera complained.<br><br>“She can get carried away, yes. But you need to understand, the only reason she knocked you out is because you’re bleeding profusely and needed medical attention.”<br><br>“She could have told me to stop.”<br><br>“If it will make you feel better, she did bandage you,” Reghas shrugged, in which Sera responded with a pout.<br><br>Since Sera was no longer in the mood to talk about her new master’s tough love lesson, Reghas switched the topic back to the expedition. She was informed that the main group would depart in two days’ time, after the scouting group had established a safe route for them. Usually by means of messenger pigeons, since private messaging was not available among NPCs.<br><br>The main group would be divided into several divisions, such as vanguard and rearguard, which would protect the supply caravans in the center. Since Sera was now officially Vanessa’s aide, she would be in the same group as her, the vanguard. Reghas would be in the center, overseeing the whole operation. Reghas mentioned that Vanessa had suggested so, since she said she couldn’t be bothered with such a thing as management.<br><br>The sound of metal boots interrupted them, as a soldier arrived and requested ‘Miss Sera’ to follow him.<br><br>“Captain Vanessa wishes for your presence. I’m here to escort you,” The soldier was uptight and a bit stiff,“Right this way.”<br><br>Since Reghas had other matters to attend to, he bid Sera farewell and they parted ways. Sera followed the soldier quietly down the halls.<br><br>“Hey, you’re a player right?” The soldier asked in a low voice, almost whispering.<br><br>“Yes..” Sera answered, realising that this soldier was also a player like her.<br><br>“Really? That’s a relief. You don’t mind me being informal do you? All this soldier talk is tiring me out,” The soldier sighed, all the tension from before left his body as he began to relax.<br><br>“I’m Biggs by the way. The lackey Captain Vanessa called in front of you this morning.”<br><br>“I’m Sera, but I guess that you know me already,” Sera gave a small bow, as she always did when introducing herself.<br><br>“I did call you by name before, did I not? My friend and I were not sure if you’re human, that’s all. The AI in this game are just a bit too realistic,” He chuckled, before continuing, “I just won a bet with him, he said that you’re NPC too.”<br><br>Biggs was being very friendly, as there were not many players in the royal army. Most just stayed a while for a mission or two. Being tied to an organisation was not very attractive to most players. He informed Sera that in Captain Vanessa’s platoon there were only two human players, him and his friend Wedge.<br><br>“We’re here,” Biggs tensioned up again. Vanessa was a scary person indeed.<br><br>He knocked on the door three times, before introducing himself. After a reply from beyond the door, giving him permission, he opened the door and held it for Sera. It was Vanessa’s office. A messy room with stacks of paper strewn all over it.<br><br>“Biggs,” Vanessa said from her seat. A rocking chair, to be more precise,“The shield, give it to her. Also bring out the stuff I told you to prepare before.”<br><br>Biggs complied and took out a shield from a chest which he and Wedge had brought in before. A lion decorated the shield’s face, it was Sera’s shield. He then took out few more items, a pair of gauntlets, metal greaves, a pair of battle boots and a chestplate.<br><br>“Since I just appointed you my aide, you’re automatically part of the army. All recruits are entitled to basic gear,” Vanessa explained the reason for the equipment, “Aren’t you glad I’m such a nice person?”<br><br>Sera could only sigh.<br><br><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td colspan="4"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Soldier’s Gauntlets</span></td></tr><tr><td><div style="text-align: center;">Stats</div></td><td colspan="3">Class: Medium Armor, Gloves (Common)<br>Durability: 45/45<br>Armor rating: 10</td></tr><tr><td><div style="text-align: center;">Description</div></td><td colspan="3">Basic steel gauntlets given to recruits. While dull-looking, it is highly practical and easy to move in. Sturdy yet flexible leather lined with protective plates, with extended cuffs made from steel. It is a must for any aspiring warrior.</td></tr><tr><td><div style="text-align: center;">Bonus</div></td><td colspan="3"><span style="font-weight: bold;">On Equip:</span><br>+5 Str<br><br><span style="font-weight: bold;">Special:</span><br>Reduce chance of disarmament</td></tr><tr><td><div style="text-align: center;">Requirements</div></td><td colspan="3"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Minimum Stats:</span><br>Level 15<br>STR 25</td></tr></tbody></table></div><br><br><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td colspan="4"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Soldier’s Greaves</span></td></tr><tr><td><div style="text-align: center;">Stats</div></td><td colspan="3">Class: Medium Armor, Leg Armor (Common)<br>Durability: 45/45<br>Armor rating: 12</td></tr><tr><td><div style="text-align: center;">Description</div></td><td colspan="3">Basic steel greaves given to recruits. A soldier’s mobility is of high priority, as such, the greaves are made from light steel, without compromising much of its defensive capabilities.</td></tr><tr><td><div style="text-align: center;">Bonus</div></td><td colspan="3"><span style="font-weight: bold;">On Equip:</span><br>+10 Vit</td></tr><tr><td><div style="text-align: center;">Requirements</div></td><td colspan="3"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Minimum Stats:</span><br>Level 15<br>STR 25</td></tr></tbody></table></div><br><br><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td colspan="4"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Soldier’s Boots</span></td></tr><tr><td><div style="text-align: center;">Stats</div></td><td colspan="3">Class: Medium Armor, Shoes (Common)<br>Durability: 45/45<br>Armor rating: 5</td></tr><tr><td><div style="text-align: center;">Description</div></td><td colspan="3">Steel-toed marching boots designed for long distance marches. Improves mobility on most terrain.</td></tr><tr><td><div style="text-align: center;">Bonus</div></td><td colspan="3"><span style="font-weight: bold;">On Equip:</span><br>+5 Agi<br><br><span style="font-weight: bold;">Special:</span><br>Walking and running speed increased by 5%<br>Reduce stamina consumption from walking and running by 7.5%</td></tr><tr><td><div style="text-align: center;">Requirements</div></td><td colspan="3"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Minimum Stats:</span><br>Level 15<br>STR 25</td></tr></tbody></table></div><br><br><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td colspan="4"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Soldier’s Chestplate</span></td></tr><tr><td><div style="text-align: center;">Stats</div></td><td colspan="3">Class: Medium Armor, Torso (Common)<br>Durability: 55/55<br>Armor rating: 15</td></tr><tr><td><div style="text-align: center;">Description</div></td><td colspan="3">Steel chestplate given to recruits. Worn by the proud soldiers of the empire, provides great protection in battle.</td></tr><tr><td><div style="text-align: center;">Bonus</div></td><td colspan="3"><span style="font-weight: bold;">On Equip:</span><br>+15 Vit<br>+150 HP</td></tr><tr><td><div style="text-align: center;">Requirements</div></td><td colspan="3"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Minimum Stats:</span><br>Level 15<br>STR 25<br>VIT 25</td></tr></tbody></table></div><br><br><br>The items received were nothing spectacular, a bit better compared to stock ready armor in the stores, but not as good as armor gained from quests and loots from strong monsters. The best thing about it, was that it was free.<br><br>Sera did think twice, before equipping them. She was not very fond of attaching/equipping might be better? metal armour on her body. Not the most comfortable thing. The fresh memory of being kicked square in the stomach changed her mind, as she equipped all of the equipment given. She did not, however, equip her shield. Instead, she fastened it to her backpack for convenience.<br><br>One of the best things Sera loved about the game was, the gears automatically changed sizes to fit the wearer nicely. Although she couldn’t say the same about the female armor designs; some were clearly very impractical.<br><br>“How do you find your new equipment? Fits you nicely, other that that skirt dress of yours..” Vanessa asked after Sera finished equipping them.<br><br> “If you want, we do have something more practical,” she was pointing at the dress Sera wore under all the armor. A skirt is not something you see in the army.<br><br>“I’m fine with this, thanks for the offer,” Sera declined the offer, she had grown fond of the dresses she wore in-game.<br><br>“Right,” Vanessa stood up and stretched her limbs. <br><br>“Since we still have time till our group departs, you should get used to moving in your new gear,” she smiled as she said that.<br><span style="font-style: italic;"><br>‘Wait..’</span><br><br>“To the training ground! Wedge, do my paperwork for me. Biggs, you’ll be the judge.”<br><br><span style="font-style: italic;">‘Damn!’</span><br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">*****</span></div><br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">&lt;&lt;Prev</span><span style="color: #BFFFBF;"> - - - - </span><span style="font-weight: bold;">Next&gt;&gt;</span><br><a href="http://www.royalroadl.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=68&amp;t=670" target="_blank"><img src="http://i.imgur.com/xcc1QEF.png" border="0" alt="http%3a%2f%2fi.imgur.com%2fxcc1QEF.png"></a><a href="http://www.royalroadl.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=68&amp;t=730" target="_blank"><img src="http://i.imgur.com/HF3aiKG.png" border="0" alt="http%3a%2f%2fi.imgur.com%2fHF3aiKG.png"></a></div><br><br><blockquote><cite> Wrote: </cite>EDIT: Spacing problem was fixed, thanks to caffeine powered thinking. Alien guy is fired gais<br><br>Credits: Same old PR, who lay lurking in the darkness not wishing its name to be revealed.<br>Thanks for reading, feedbacks and suggestions is highly appreciated.</blockquote><br> </div>

Battle Maiden Book 2: Two Path Chapter 3 : Lessons and Enlistment ***** “Come!” “It’ll take those boys a while. In the meantime, I have some things in mind.” Vanessa En Visna had been given the title of ‘knight’ for her contributions to the kingdom. Ranked as a captain in the Royal Army, she had a platoon of her own and commanded great respect from her peers. It was said that the only reason she was not ranked higher was due to her personality. She walked with such poise, with her back straight and proud shoulders, that it made her dull armor seem to shine with brilliance. Even though she had aged, there were many who still admired her, men and women alike. Low ranking soldiers ceased whatever they were doing as she passed, giving the most spirited salute they can muster. Even those of the same rank and even higher would spare some time to show respect. Only this time, the saluting soldiers’ eyes was not on her. They were leering at a girl following closely behind. You couldn’t really blame them, a girl was a rare sight in that part of town. Some foreigner women did pass by, but none exuded the air she did. Their captain, Vanessa, had an aura that was gallant in nature. The girl however, was different. It’s like watching a single beautiful flower, or a painting on an empty wall. You couldn’t help but steal a glance. “Beyond veiling..” Vanessa mumbled to herself, unconsciously smiling. ***** Sera followed Vanessa as ordered. Along the way, she felt something familiar, pairs of eyes directed toward her. Instinctively, she put up her own barrier, as she did in real life. To show no emotion on her face, to step forward in an undisturbed face. Hiding herself from the judging eyes of the strangers. ‘Even NPCs do it.’ As they arrived to what looked like an outdoor training ground, Vanessa finally turned around and faced Sera. The place was almost empty, due to the fact that they were preparing for an expedition. “I assume you use both sword and shield? Then, grab a training sword and shield from that rack,” Vanessa pointed towards a rack filled with a variety of weapons. ‘A fighting practice? She did say she’ll guide me.’ Unlike the training center, the weapons here were not wooden. The swords had steel blades, although blunt it was capable of inflicting serious injury. Sera quickly picked a sword and a shield, similar to the ones she was used to, before returning to face Vanessa. ‘Wait what?’ Sera was surprised, looking at what she returned to. What she saw was the greying knight woman carrying a log twice her height on her shoulder. “Well, shall we begin then?” Vanessa raised the timber straight upwards. “Wait!” Sera shouted. However, it was in vain, as the timber had already gained momentum. She jumped clumsily to the side,and barely managed to evade the attack. “Now is not the time to worry about getting dirt on your dress. Come at me with all you’ve got!” “You always do things your own way!” Sera exploded. It was the first time she had ever let her temper get the best of her. Having a log smashing towards her without warning might have contributed to that. “And have you not? You too do things your own way,” Vanessa raised the log again, readying another attack. Sera used this time to step out of her reach. The log was not that big, just a bit bigger than her head. But the damage was devastating, evidenced by the hole in the ground where the log had landed earlier. “You keep yourself out of reach. Afraid to get hurt?” “Who in their right mind would keep themselves in the range of that big piece of wood?!” “I’m not talking about this log.” As if seeing the knight wield a piece of log was not surprising enough, Sera now witnessed another event that one could only see in a virtual reality game. The knight leapt through the air with the heavy log in her hands, instantly propelling her into striking distance. Crash! The log split into two as it slammed down. Dust filled the arena,as a result of the impact. On the ground, Sera lay among the debris. She had managed to avoid a direct blow, but not enough to come out unharmed. Discarding whatever was left of her weapon, Vanessa stood over the defeated Sera. With one hand, she picked her up, forcing Sera to stand on her two feet. “It didn’t even hit you. Don’t play dead with me,” Vanessa said as she patted away dust from Sera’s dress. “That sort of strength is not human,” Sera complained. She had even lost some of her health points from Vanessa’s patting. “You do get what I’m trying to tell you, don’t you? Running away or hiding will not solve anything.” Sera understood perfectly, that all she had done was hide and run away. The more people alienated her, she alienated herself even further. It was true that people avoided her in real life, but it was not wrong to say that she avoided them first. ‘I can’t be hurt by strangers,’ she used to convinced herself. ‘So she did this on purpose just to make me realise it? The tough love type character. Maybe she’s not so bad after all.’ “I lost,” Sera gave a small bow, admitting her defeat. She did start this game hoping to change, and people often say that admitting your fault is the first step to overcome it. She raised her head from the bow, hoping to get some reaction from Vanessa. ‘Oh shhhi--’ “That last wood must be a driftwood or something. To break after only two strikes,” Vanessa stood there, now holding another piece of wood, larger than the last, “Well, now that we got that bit covered, I say we get serious for round two.” Vanessa laughed as she charged at Sera. It was at this point that Sera started having nightmares of that loud laughter of her mentor’s. ***** “Say, where do I find a class?” Spoon was asking a random traveller. He was now level 32, clad in black-colored equipment. Half of it were quest rewards, the rest, he had bought from stores to match the others. He did not equip the hat he got however, as he thought that it would ruin his ‘all black coolness’. “What class do you want? I’m sure all you need to do is go to their guild to get the class change quest.” Everyone he questioned gave a similar reply. It’s not that he did not know, he was being picky. To him, most of the classes offered had limitations. He wanted something more flexible. He did try out for a knight and paladin class, but decided not to be either of them, since he didn’t feel like flattering some goddess or sugarcoating all his words at all times. “One does not need to praise some goddess to be good. Faking chivalry to gain honor is ironic,”Spoon spoke out, saying what he thought should be obvious. Then he realised that he was speaking in front of a statue of Freya,“Um, no offense. I’m a firm believer of action speaks louder than words.” + 5 relationship point with Lugh “Lugh? Not Freya?” Spoon took a closer inspection of the statue. He realised that he had mistaken it for Freya. It was Lugh, another god worshipped in Versailles. He had made a mistake as both were portrayed with long hair. Holding a spear, the Statue of the god Lugh was very rare, as the Church of Lugh’s influence was low compared to Freya. “Ahah! Sorry there, I mistook you for Freya since you look a bit feminine here.” - 5 relationship point with Lugh “I did not mean that as an insult. It’s mostly the sculptor fault here. Plus, who cares about looks when you have all that strength?” + 5 relationship point with Lugh ‘This is quite fun actually.’ ‘Since there is no one around, might just as well play around a bit.’ Spoon began to back and forth flatter and piss off the god in front of him. Something he wouldn’t even consider with Freya, who had many supporters and high influence. Little did he know, he was being watched. ***** *CracK!!* The wooden shield shattered, together with the timber that crashed down onto Sera. It was the second shield rendered useless by the might of Vanessa that day. ‘She’s seriously trying to kill me!’ ‘My left arm hurts so much, but I need to strike now while she’s unarmed!’ Sera dashed forward, taking advantage of the flying dust from the impact, hoping it would be enough to hamper Vanessa’s visibility. With every step, she could feel throbbing pain coming from her left arm; she did her best to ignore it. She know that this chance wouldn’t come often. “Charging at an enemy who lost her weapon, not bad.” Vanessa knew Sera was coming for her, “I’ll give you praise for quick thinking.” ‘Three steps.’ Sera calculated the distance till Vanessa was in range. ‘Two.’ Her left foot planted on the ground, her grip on the sword tightened. The sword laid low on on her left side, waiting to burst. ‘Now!’ Immediately after her right foot kicked the ground, a slash from the sword followed. The rotation from her hip amplified the speed of the strike, so fast was the strike that she literally heard the air itself being torn asunder. By literally, it meant she had missed the attack. *WHAcK!* Sera was sent flying from a solid kick on her stomach. The steel toed boot hurt so badly that she regurgitated her lunch out before she could even land. The landing wasn’t so smooth either, as she rolled for a good three meters before stopping. At least she rolled instead of skidding. Things went dark for a while. As she opened her eyes, she saw the familiar figure of a halfling. It was Reghas, the priest. “Good afternoon. How are you feeling?” Reghas asked. “How many fingers do you see?” He held up a few fingers uncomfortably, close to Sera’s face. “What happened?” Sera was in a muddled state. “You passed out. I applied some healing magic. Did you know that you had a chunk of wood embedded in your left arm?” Sera looked at her left arm, bandaged clumsily. It was dyed red with blood, the source of the throbbing pain she felt earlier. Luckily this was a virtual reality game, where a some healing magic and a bit of bandaging could fix a wound which would disable a person for life. “Thank you,” Sera said, “For taking care of my injury.” “All I did is sprinkle some healing magic on you. Kind of my job description you see,” Reghas waved his hands around, wiggling his stubby little fingers, imitating a magician casting a spell. “Uhh, where is Vanessa?” Sera looked around, she was in a room which looked like a crude hospital room, filled with the smell of herbs. The one who put her in her current state was nowhere in sight. “After bandaging you up, she went outside to send off the scouting group. She’ll be back soon.” “Scouting group? For the expedition?” Sera looked towards Reghas with a curious look, she was certain that Vanessa said that she was suppose to be in that expedition. “Yes. A small group of mobile scouts, to survey the path ahead. Since the south is not really mapped properly, having scouts ahead will warn us the dangers and terrain conditions ahead. Makes it easier for the main group which consists of a lot of supply caravans.” Reghas paused, rubbing his chin; fully expecting questions from Sera, who looked curious. His expectations were betrayed, as it resulted into an awkward silence. He then decided to continue with his explanation,“You’ll be in the main group, as the vanguard alongside Van and me. The main aim of this expedition will be exploration, specifically a ruin which was discovered by foreigners.” By foreigners, he meant players. Many players set out by themselves trying to earn fame, and some did found a dungeon or ruin and ended up getting killed by mobs too powerful for them to handle. In such cases, most would try to cut their losses by selling information to other parties. Offering this information to a kingdom or church was a good way to improve your relationship quickly with them. “This case is a bit unique, as the informant told us that statues of Freya are spread around the ruin’s compound,” Reghas continued, briefing Sera of what was to come, “Usually monster do not stray close to Freya’s statue, but the foreigners reported sightings of high-leveled monsters roaming the area. As such, the church decided to cooperate with the royal army to search the area.” “You mentioned monsters, I don’t think this will be just an exploration mission,” Sera finally spoke after listening attentively to Reghas. “More so with Vanessa in charge. I think she’ll charge through the monsters by herself,”she added. “That’s why I’m here. As soon as I heard that she will lead the royal army side, I had to volunteer. She can be a bit of a handful.” “I think she wanted to kill me,” Sera shuddered as she remembered her fight. “Not really. If she wanted to, you’d be dead right now. Plus, I heard you managed three rounds. That shows she took a liking to you.” “She kicked the light out of me. It still hurt!” Sera rubbed her stomach, where the kick had landed. The damage was healed, but the pain still lingered. “She is a bit.. unique in her ways,” Reghas’ expression changed, as he tried to find the right words, “If she’s uninterested in you, she wouldn’t even bother fighting.Even if she did, it wouldn’t last long.” “Torturing people slowly is not much better,” Sera complained. “She can get carried away, yes. But you need to understand, the only reason she knocked you out is because you’re bleeding profusely and needed medical attention.” “She could have told me to stop.” “If it will make you feel better, she did bandage you,” Reghas shrugged, in which Sera responded with a pout. Since Sera was no longer in the mood to talk about her new master’s tough love lesson, Reghas switched the topic back to the expedition. She was informed that the main group would depart in two days’ time, after the scouting group had established a safe route for them. Usually by means of messenger pigeons, since private messaging was not available among NPCs. The main group would be divided into several divisions, such as vanguard and rearguard, which would protect the supply caravans in the center. Since Sera was now officially Vanessa’s aide, she would be in the same group as her, the vanguard. Reghas would be in the center, overseeing the whole operation. Reghas mentioned that Vanessa had suggested so, since she said she couldn’t be bothered with such a thing as management. The sound of metal boots interrupted them, as a soldier arrived and requested ‘Miss Sera’ to follow him. “Captain Vanessa wishes for your presence. I’m here to escort you,” The soldier was uptight and a bit stiff,“Right this way.” Since Reghas had other matters to attend to, he bid Sera farewell and they parted ways. Sera followed the soldier quietly down the halls. “Hey, you’re a player right?” The soldier asked in a low voice, almost whispering. “Yes..” Sera answered, realising that this soldier was also a player like her. “Really? That’s a relief. You don’t mind me being informal do you? All this soldier talk is tiring me out,” The soldier sighed, all the tension from before left his body as he began to relax. “I’m Biggs by the way. The lackey Captain Vanessa called in front of you this morning.” “I’m Sera, but I guess that you know me already,” Sera gave a small bow, as she always did when introducing herself. “I did call you by name before, did I not? My friend and I were not sure if you’re human, that’s all. The AI in this game are just a bit too realistic,” He chuckled, before continuing, “I just won a bet with him, he said that you’re NPC too.” Biggs was being very friendly, as there were not many players in the royal army. Most just stayed a while for a mission or two. Being tied to an organisation was not very attractive to most players. He informed Sera that in Captain Vanessa’s platoon there were only two human players, him and his friend Wedge. “We’re here,” Biggs tensioned up again. Vanessa was a scary person indeed. He knocked on the door three times, before introducing himself. After a reply from beyond the door, giving him permission, he opened the door and held it for Sera. It was Vanessa’s office. A messy room with stacks of paper strewn all over it. “Biggs,” Vanessa said from her seat. A rocking chair, to be more precise,“The shield, give it to her. Also bring out the stuff I told you to prepare before.” Biggs complied and took out a shield from a chest which he and Wedge had brought in before. A lion decorated the shield’s face, it was Sera’s shield. He then took out few more items, a pair of gauntlets, metal greaves, a pair of battle boots and a chestplate. “Since I just appointed you my aide, you’re automatically part of the army. All recruits are entitled to basic gear,” Vanessa explained the reason for the equipment, “Aren’t you glad I’m such a nice person?” Sera could only sigh. | Soldier’s Gauntlets | | | | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Stats | Class: Medium Armor, Gloves (Common)Durability: 45/45Armor rating: 10 | | | | Description | Basic steel gauntlets given to recruits. While dull-looking, it is highly practical and easy to move in. Sturdy yet flexible leather lined with protective plates, with extended cuffs made from steel. It is a must for any aspiring warrior. | | | | Bonus | On Equip:+5 StrSpecial:Reduce chance of disarmament | | | | Requirements | Minimum Stats:Level 15STR 25 | | | | Soldier’s Greaves | | | | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Stats | Class: Medium Armor, Leg Armor (Common)Durability: 45/45Armor rating: 12 | | | | Description | Basic steel greaves given to recruits. A soldier’s mobility is of high priority, as such, the greaves are made from light steel, without compromising much of its defensive capabilities. | | | | Bonus | On Equip:+10 Vit | | | | Requirements | Minimum Stats:Level 15STR 25 | | | | Soldier’s Boots | | | | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Stats | Class: Medium Armor, Shoes (Common)Durability: 45/45Armor rating: 5 | | | | Description | Steel-toed marching boots designed for long distance marches. Improves mobility on most terrain. | | | | Bonus | On Equip:+5 AgiSpecial:Walking and running speed increased by 5%Reduce stamina consumption from walking and running by 7.5% | | | | Requirements | Minimum Stats:Level 15STR 25 | | | | Soldier’s Chestplate | | | | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Stats | Class: Medium Armor, Torso (Common)Durability: 55/55Armor rating: 15 | | | | Description | Steel chestplate given to recruits. Worn by the proud soldiers of the empire, provides great protection in battle. | | | | Bonus | On Equip:+15 Vit+150 HP | | | | Requirements | Minimum Stats:Level 15STR 25VIT 25 | | | The items received were nothing spectacular, a bit better compared to stock ready armor in the stores, but not as good as armor gained from quests and loots from strong monsters. The best thing about it, was that it was free. Sera did think twice, before equipping them. She was not very fond of attaching/equipping might be better? metal armour on her body. Not the most comfortable thing. The fresh memory of being kicked square in the stomach changed her mind, as she equipped all of the equipment given. She did not, however, equip her shield. Instead, she fastened it to her backpack for convenience. One of the best things Sera loved about the game was, the gears automatically changed sizes to fit the wearer nicely. Although she couldn’t say the same about the female armor designs; some were clearly very impractical. “How do you find your new equipment? Fits you nicely, other that that skirt dress of yours..” Vanessa asked after Sera finished equipping them. “If you want, we do have something more practical,” she was pointing at the dress Sera wore under all the armor. A skirt is not something you see in the army. “I’m fine with this, thanks for the offer,” Sera declined the offer, she had grown fond of the dresses she wore in-game. “Right,” Vanessa stood up and stretched her limbs. “Since we still have time till our group departs, you should get used to moving in your new gear,” she smiled as she said that. ‘Wait..’ “To the training ground! Wedge, do my paperwork for me. Biggs, you’ll be the judge.” ‘Damn!’ ***** <<Prev - - - - Next>> [](http://www.royalroadl.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=68&t=670)[](http://www.royalroadl.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=68&t=730) > Wrote: EDIT: Spacing problem was fixed, thanks to caffeine powered thinking. Alien guy is fired gais > > Credits: Same old PR, who lay lurking in the darkness not wishing its name to be revealed. > Thanks for reading, feedbacks and suggestions is highly appreciated.

<div class="chapter-inner chapter-content"> “Mr. Kim, don’t worry. I’m only interested in virtual men.”<br>“…”<br>“Anyways, how are they?”<br>“Ahem… everything is going as expected. Most of them were overwhelmed by the sensory bombardment, but almost all of them are in good health and are playing the game.”<br>“Almost all?”<br>“Yes… number 49, Pewee, seems to be in a state of trauma.”<br>“Ah, number 49. We marked her in the first round of selection; looks like she didn’t turn out after all.”<br>“Yes. What would you like to do with her?”<br>“Keep her in the experiment for now and monitor her actions carefully. If her state worsens, pull her out immediately and notify me.”<br>“Yes ma’am.”<br><br>--<br><br>As soon as the black monstrosity fell to four giant paws, it noticed Crow.<br><br>And growled.<br><br>It was a raking, guttural sound that jarred its way up Crow’s spine and made her limbs rattle like leaves in a storm. It was a growl that brooked no arguments—if Crow was an enemy, she would very soon be a dead enemy. The aggression and wariness that surged past the enormous, bared fangs struck the trembling Crow and made her drop her ladle.<br><br>It clanged loudly. <span style="font-style: italic;">Oh shit</span>, she thought, <span style="font-style: italic;">it’s over.</span><br><br>“Brutus, down. The lady is a guest.”<br><br>The black wolf immediately lowered its hackles, plopped onto its rump, and lolled its tongue out amiably, even wagging its tail a little.<br><br>Crow had backed up into the wall. She almost slid to her feet from the relief, but steadied herself hastily. The wolf appeared to have transformed into a friendly dog, but she knew that those powerfully built muscles could spring into action at any given moment, and those sharp fangs could be at her throat. She lowered her body into a crouch, picked up the ladle, and stared at the man who had so much authority over this creature.<br><br>It was like a giant tree had stumped into the kitchen. He was solidly built, tall, and wearing a bulky suit of armor. There was an unyielding hardness in his weathered brown face. It was an expression she recognized from many of the guards at the prison. She had seen it in the faces of some of the inmates, too, and knew very well that it was something you didn’t mess with.<br><br>However, there was something particular about this man. He felt… warm. There was a trace of amusement glittering in his eyes, and his mouth was curved upward. Crow watched as the man smiled and squeezed into the kitchen to embrace Helen. He ended up knocking quite a bit of the clutter off the counter, and when he tried to reach down, his steel armor got in the way. He laughed sheepishly at that, straightened, and cast his powerful gaze over the table at the half-crouching Crow.<br><br>“And who is our guest, Helen?”<br><br>Helen smiled as she knelt to pick up the stuff on the ground. “She helped me bring some fabrics home, and we were just having a cup of tea. She hasn’t told me her name quite yet.” And turning her head away slightly, she murmured, “She helped carry Jay up the stairs…”<br><br>At the mention of Jay, the man’s expression darkened. The wolf whined.<br><br>“Jay? What happened?”<br><br>“He had an attack when he came down the stairs to greet me. The worst he’s had this week. I gave him a sleeping draft. That child… I’ve confined him to bed for the time being.”<br><br>The man frowned. “I’ll have a talk with him later.” He turned to face Crow and grinned, but the easy content was out of his face, replaced by lines of concern. He then extended his hand and said, “My name is Jorgen. I’m Helen’s husband. Pleased to meet you!”<br><br>Crow stared blankly at the hand. What was she supposed to do with it? Confused, she nodded almost imperceptibly and continued to silently clutch at the ladle.<br><br>Jorgen laughed heartily, nonchalantly washing away all awkwardness and giving no sign that he had been offended. “Well, I am famished, wife! Shall we get down to supper?”<br><br>“The stew is almost ready, and I’ll get the bread out. We ought to feast proper tonight, since we have a guest!”<br><br>Jorgen and Helen shared a few more cheerful remarks before Jorgen carefully extracted himself from the kitchen and headed for the stairs. Brutus followed, and Crow was finally able to let out her breath.<br><br>Helen must have noticed, because she giggled and said, “Brutus looks scary, but he’s a good boy. He wouldn’t hurt a fly unless it was a threat.” Helen turned and walked to a small cellar door in the corner of the kitchen. “I’m sorry to bother a guest, but could you please stir the soup? You’ve got the ladle in your hand already, and I’m going to go get the bread…”<br><br>Crow nodded as Helen’s voice trailed away, then moved towards the pot over the fire. She had cooked before, though not on such a primal stove, but it had been quite a while and she didn’t know if it was the same in this game.<br><br>Ah, yes… it was a game. She had almost forgotten. She wondered briefly what the others were doing, what Harpy One was doing. This was a game, but it was so real; this family felt real. It was just a game, but it was far from a prison.<br><br>Liberation…<br><br>Those kinds of thoughts were no good and almost always made her think of the past. She wrenched her thoughts away and focused on the soup.<br><br>It was thin, more water than stew, and boiling quite violently. She hurriedly stirred it. There were hardly any vegetables and no meat, but it still smelled infinitely better than the porridge she had every morning in the prison.<br><br>She had only stirred it twice when she heard thumping noises and the click of claws on the floor. The wolf! She whirled around and saw it steadily padding towards her. Crow jumped away, hot ladle in hand, as the wolf stretched and fell into a heap in front of the stove. It completely ignored her presence. Then Jorgen strode into the kitchen, and Crow saw a trace of deep sorrow in his face before it covered it with a forced smile.<br><br>He had taken off his mail and was now clothed in simple leather garb. Crow was somehow relieved to see that he was not wearing any of his wife’s creations. He walked to the table and sank into the biggest chair, which was only barely big enough to hold his massive frame.<br><br>This man had a commanding presence. Considering the armor he had worn and the breadth of his stature, Crow guessed that he was a soldier, and a rather high ranking one at that.<br><br>Jorgen placed his elbows on the table and stroked the stubble of his face, then spoke. “So, you’re new in town, eh? What are your plans?”<br><br>His voice expected an answer. It was not unkind, but firm.<br><br>Crow knew that with this kind of solid personality, she wouldn’t be able to maintain her silence. So she spoke, quietly, and her voice was the type of sound that begged the ears to listen, and drew the attention. It was husky, but not raspy, and smooth.<br><br>“I don’t have any.”<br><br>Jorgen seemed impervious to the effect her voice usually had on people, and simply continued to stroke his face. “Hm. Is that so. And your name?”<br><br>“Crow.”<br><br>At that moment, Helen burst out from the underground cellar. She had half-eaten loaf of bread in her hands and something wrapped in brown paper under her arm. <br><br>“Oh! Crow, is it?” she exclaimed, as she placed the small paper package and bread on the table. “I went and found the cheese, too. Ah, the stew, is the stew ready?” She whirled around rather haphazardly. “Yes! The bowls, the bowls, and spoons!”<br><br>Jorgen watched his wife’s antics with a fond look in his eyes. It was a painfully warm gaze, and Crow looked away. It was a gentle expression from a different world than Crow’s, and she suddenly realized that she didn’t belong at this table, with this loving couple. She almost stood, but the hunger in her stomach bade her to stay, and her instincts told her that neither Jorgen nor Helen would be pleased if she made her exit now.<br><br>She had nowhere to go, either. She didn’t even know what this game was about, and how it worked with such realism. How it invoked feelings in her that she thought she had lost…<br><br>“Here you go, dear,” Helen said, passing over a bowl of steaming soup to her husband. Jorgen accepted it with one hand and continued to tackle the half-loaf of bread. Judging by the extreme difficulty with which he was cutting it, Crow guessed that it was rather old and crusty. Bread. She hadn’t had bread in a very long time.<br><br>Helen brought two bowls of stew for Crow and herself.<br><br>“Let’s eat!” Jorgen had finally succeeded in cutting the bread and proceeded to pass the slices. Despite the thick crust, the inside was fairly soft, and it was delicious. It was homely and simple sourdough bread that perfectly complemented the stew, and the tang of the cheese made a nice final touch. Crow dug in timidly at first, then vigorously. It was tastier food than she had eaten in years.<br><br>“So, how do you like my wife’s cooking?” Jorgen boasted.<br>Helen laughed. “It’s not much, but you seemed starved, poor thing. Eat as much as you want.”<br><br>She said that, but there really wasn’t much to eat. Even so, Crow quickly licked the last drop of her stew and picked the crumbs off the table from her slice of bread. She felt the gazes of Helen and Jorgen watching her with curious eyes, but for once she didn’t care. Food was more important right now.<br><br>Jorgen silently handed her another slice of bread.<br><br>Crow looked at him with shining eyes.<br><br>He was glowing. An angel? The bringer of bread?<br><br>She took it two hands and murmured a “thank you” underneath her breath, then slowly chewed on the crust. She was determined to make it last for the duration of the meal.<br><br>Jorgen grinned. “I do like a lass who eats well and knows good cooking when she sees it. Well, it’s tough times.” His smile faded. “Helen has been busy taking care of our Jay, and the shop… well, the shop has seen better. I’m a soldier on guard at the walls, so I leave at dawn and come home late and can’t help out at home.”<br><br>His gaze bored into the back of Crow’s lowered head. “We’ve been looking for a hand to help out at the shop. If you don’t have any plans, why don’t you stay here? The pay won’t be much, but we can provide meal and board.”<br><br>Helen, who had been listening to the grim words with tight lips, suddenly clapped her hands with delight. “That’s a wonderful idea! Do stay. Having another woman in the house would be lovely.”<br><br><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td><div style="text-align: center">You have received a job offer from Jorgen and Helen Graystone.<br><br>The Grays have been struggling to stay afloat due to their child’s illness. They need a hand to help them in the shop and do miscellaneous jobs.<br><br>Job requirements: The trust of the Graystones.<br>Job pay: Undetermined. Meals and board provided.</div></td></tr></tbody></table></div><br><br>Meals… meals would be provided. She nodded without a second thought.<br><br><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td><div style="text-align: center">You have accepted the job offer.</div></td></tr></tbody></table></div><br><br>Helen grinned radiantly. Jorgen nodded, a thoughtful look on his face.<br><br>“Then we should tell you a little more about us. I am Jorgen Graystone. I have been a soldier for all my life. Though there have been better times in my career, it is not so bad. Brutus,” Jorgen gestured towards the sleeping wolf leaned against the stove, “is my wolfdog. He is a hybrid of wolf and dog, and my precious companion.”<br><br>At the mention of his name, Brutus raised his chin from the floor and yawned, showing off a terrifying set of canines. His hybrid breeding explained his mixed characteristics, but Crow still found the wolfdog’s obedience strange. There was something uncanny about Brutus and Jorgen’s relationship. She sensed that it was a bond that couldn’t be broken in life.<br><br>“This beautiful woman, Helen Graystone, is my wife. She is a tailor of Granheim. We have had a shop here for many years.” <br><br>Helen bobbed, still smiling. <br><br>“And my son, who you met earlier, is Jay Graystone. He is seven.” Crow watched over her slice of bread as grief streamed into the cracks of Jorgen’s face. “Only seven. And very sick.”<br><br>Helen’s expression had dimmed. She laid a hand on Jorgen’s shoulder and continued for him. “Jay… Jay has never been very healthy. It was never this bad, we always managed, but this year, he developed this horrible cough and has been getting worse. We scraped up enough money to take him to the Church, but we didn’t have enough to have him healed… they said it was too late…” Helen’s voice broke, and her next words came out as a sob. “Our Jay, our Jay won’t survive this winter.”<br><br><br>The wife and husband were silent as they held each other, comforting each other. The words didn’t come as a great surprise to Crow. The frailty of the boy, his paleness, the strength and persistence of the cough all added up. In the real world, it would probably be some form of cancer. However, there was no way to know what kind of disease it was here in Royal Road. But there was no doubt that this boy didn’t have much time left.<br><br>They had also mentioned a Church. So there was religion, and presumably priests as well. And by Helen’s words, it seemed they had the power of healing. She had the impression that magic was prevalent in this world.<br><br>Magic—this world might be in a fantasy setting, but the sorrow and pain written in the couple’s shaking forms were real.<br><br><br>Jorgen took in a deep breath and straightened, but didn’t remove his arm from Helen. “Now that you’ll be working in the shop, Helen will have more time for Jay. And I’m sure he will appreciate having a younger face around the place as well. He never attended school, so he has so few friends… please treat him kindly. He is a good boy.”<br><br>Helen nodded. “Yes. Your main jobs will be cleaning the shop, attending the store, and… ah, do you know how to sew? Maybe you can help me with the wares!”<br><br>Kang Prison was attached to a shoe factory. Crow had been forced to learn how to sew. She had spent much of her past few years slaving away in the dim and dusty factory, but she didn’t resent sewing like the others did. As dull and horrible as it was, it was an escape, and the team leaders didn’t allow any inmate interaction. Harpy One had tried once, to do it right there in the factory, but she was beaten and threatened with solitary confinement, and didn’t try again.<br><br>So Crow nodded and murmured, “I can sew.”<br><br>Helen seemed very pleased with herself. She began to clear the dishes and utensils, throwing them into the sink, and dragged Crow by the sleeve into the workshop. Crow allowed herself to be led in. Helen grabbed a pile of cloth and held them out to Crow, gesturing with her chin to a small table with sewing needles, thread, and various other items on it. “Show me what you can do!”<br><br>Crow peered at the fabric. Most of it was dyed in horrible colors, but there were a few pieces that would work. She picked out a relatively normal tan fabric and a sheet of auburn leather, then expertly threaded the needle with thick brown thread and began to sew.<br><br>She would make what she knew best—shoes.<br><br>As she cut the pieces and sewed, Helen watched eagerly. Jorgen lingered for a while, but he soon retreated upstairs, followed by his silent and dark shadow, Brutus. <br><br>The shoes took form. Strangely, her ability to sew was a little hampered, and the shoes didn’t come out quite as she expected. She didn’t know why, but with some effort she managed to make a decent pair of slippers. It took her longer than usual, but it was still under an hour of work.<br><br>When she snipped off the last hanging thread, a ringing sound tinkled into her ears. Helen didn’t seem to notice it.<br><br><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td><div style="text-align: center">You have created Simple Leather Slippers.<br><br>Not too comfortable, but better than having bare feet. Crudely fashioned due to lack of skill.</div></td></tr></tbody></table></div><br><br>Helen clapped her hands and her eyes glittered. “This is wonderful! What a charming pair of slippers you’ve made! Crow, please become my assistant Tailor!”<br><br><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td><div style="text-align: center">You can change your Profession to Tailor.<br><br>Due to your inherent skill in sewing, a Tailor has offered to take you in as their assistant. As a Beginner Tailor, you will learn the Handicraft skill. Sewing more will increase your both your Tailoring and Handicraft skills, and you will be able to create more elaborate works.<br><br>Profession bonuses: Handicraft skill, +10 Dexterity</div></td></tr></tbody></table></div><br><br><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td><div style="text-align: center">Will you change your Profession to Tailor?</div></td></tr></tbody></table></div><br><br>Crow was dumbstruck. The message that had popped up contained too many words she didn’t understand. Well, she was fairly good at sewing, and she didn’t have much else to do anyways. It would be interesting to try and work with Helen’s artistic sense. She also liked that sewing more would allow her to show more of her true ability. The level of the slippers had frustrated her, and she wanted to be able to make better goods.<br><br>“Okay.”<br><br><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td><div style="text-align: center">You have become a Tailor.</div></td></tr></tbody></table></div><br><br>Another slew of messages popped up informing her about her newly acquired Profession and skills. She swam through it dizzily. <br><br>Somehow, in this world she barely understood, she had become a Tailor. </div>

“Mr. Kim, don’t worry. I’m only interested in virtual men.” “…” “Anyways, how are they?” “Ahem… everything is going as expected. Most of them were overwhelmed by the sensory bombardment, but almost all of them are in good health and are playing the game.” “Almost all?” “Yes… number 49, Pewee, seems to be in a state of trauma.” “Ah, number 49. We marked her in the first round of selection; looks like she didn’t turn out after all.” “Yes. What would you like to do with her?” “Keep her in the experiment for now and monitor her actions carefully. If her state worsens, pull her out immediately and notify me.” “Yes ma’am.” -- As soon as the black monstrosity fell to four giant paws, it noticed Crow. And growled. It was a raking, guttural sound that jarred its way up Crow’s spine and made her limbs rattle like leaves in a storm. It was a growl that brooked no arguments—if Crow was an enemy, she would very soon be a dead enemy. The aggression and wariness that surged past the enormous, bared fangs struck the trembling Crow and made her drop her ladle. It clanged loudly. Oh shit, she thought, it’s over. “Brutus, down. The lady is a guest.” The black wolf immediately lowered its hackles, plopped onto its rump, and lolled its tongue out amiably, even wagging its tail a little. Crow had backed up into the wall. She almost slid to her feet from the relief, but steadied herself hastily. The wolf appeared to have transformed into a friendly dog, but she knew that those powerfully built muscles could spring into action at any given moment, and those sharp fangs could be at her throat. She lowered her body into a crouch, picked up the ladle, and stared at the man who had so much authority over this creature. It was like a giant tree had stumped into the kitchen. He was solidly built, tall, and wearing a bulky suit of armor. There was an unyielding hardness in his weathered brown face. It was an expression she recognized from many of the guards at the prison. She had seen it in the faces of some of the inmates, too, and knew very well that it was something you didn’t mess with. However, there was something particular about this man. He felt… warm. There was a trace of amusement glittering in his eyes, and his mouth was curved upward. Crow watched as the man smiled and squeezed into the kitchen to embrace Helen. He ended up knocking quite a bit of the clutter off the counter, and when he tried to reach down, his steel armor got in the way. He laughed sheepishly at that, straightened, and cast his powerful gaze over the table at the half-crouching Crow. “And who is our guest, Helen?” Helen smiled as she knelt to pick up the stuff on the ground. “She helped me bring some fabrics home, and we were just having a cup of tea. She hasn’t told me her name quite yet.” And turning her head away slightly, she murmured, “She helped carry Jay up the stairs…” At the mention of Jay, the man’s expression darkened. The wolf whined. “Jay? What happened?” “He had an attack when he came down the stairs to greet me. The worst he’s had this week. I gave him a sleeping draft. That child… I’ve confined him to bed for the time being.” The man frowned. “I’ll have a talk with him later.” He turned to face Crow and grinned, but the easy content was out of his face, replaced by lines of concern. He then extended his hand and said, “My name is Jorgen. I’m Helen’s husband. Pleased to meet you!” Crow stared blankly at the hand. What was she supposed to do with it? Confused, she nodded almost imperceptibly and continued to silently clutch at the ladle. Jorgen laughed heartily, nonchalantly washing away all awkwardness and giving no sign that he had been offended. “Well, I am famished, wife! Shall we get down to supper?” “The stew is almost ready, and I’ll get the bread out. We ought to feast proper tonight, since we have a guest!” Jorgen and Helen shared a few more cheerful remarks before Jorgen carefully extracted himself from the kitchen and headed for the stairs. Brutus followed, and Crow was finally able to let out her breath. Helen must have noticed, because she giggled and said, “Brutus looks scary, but he’s a good boy. He wouldn’t hurt a fly unless it was a threat.” Helen turned and walked to a small cellar door in the corner of the kitchen. “I’m sorry to bother a guest, but could you please stir the soup? You’ve got the ladle in your hand already, and I’m going to go get the bread…” Crow nodded as Helen’s voice trailed away, then moved towards the pot over the fire. She had cooked before, though not on such a primal stove, but it had been quite a while and she didn’t know if it was the same in this game. Ah, yes… it was a game. She had almost forgotten. She wondered briefly what the others were doing, what Harpy One was doing. This was a game, but it was so real; this family felt real. It was just a game, but it was far from a prison. Liberation… Those kinds of thoughts were no good and almost always made her think of the past. She wrenched her thoughts away and focused on the soup. It was thin, more water than stew, and boiling quite violently. She hurriedly stirred it. There were hardly any vegetables and no meat, but it still smelled infinitely better than the porridge she had every morning in the prison. She had only stirred it twice when she heard thumping noises and the click of claws on the floor. The wolf! She whirled around and saw it steadily padding towards her. Crow jumped away, hot ladle in hand, as the wolf stretched and fell into a heap in front of the stove. It completely ignored her presence. Then Jorgen strode into the kitchen, and Crow saw a trace of deep sorrow in his face before it covered it with a forced smile. He had taken off his mail and was now clothed in simple leather garb. Crow was somehow relieved to see that he was not wearing any of his wife’s creations. He walked to the table and sank into the biggest chair, which was only barely big enough to hold his massive frame. This man had a commanding presence. Considering the armor he had worn and the breadth of his stature, Crow guessed that he was a soldier, and a rather high ranking one at that. Jorgen placed his elbows on the table and stroked the stubble of his face, then spoke. “So, you’re new in town, eh? What are your plans?” His voice expected an answer. It was not unkind, but firm. Crow knew that with this kind of solid personality, she wouldn’t be able to maintain her silence. So she spoke, quietly, and her voice was the type of sound that begged the ears to listen, and drew the attention. It was husky, but not raspy, and smooth. “I don’t have any.” Jorgen seemed impervious to the effect her voice usually had on people, and simply continued to stroke his face. “Hm. Is that so. And your name?” “Crow.” At that moment, Helen burst out from the underground cellar. She had half-eaten loaf of bread in her hands and something wrapped in brown paper under her arm. “Oh! Crow, is it?” she exclaimed, as she placed the small paper package and bread on the table. “I went and found the cheese, too. Ah, the stew, is the stew ready?” She whirled around rather haphazardly. “Yes! The bowls, the bowls, and spoons!” Jorgen watched his wife’s antics with a fond look in his eyes. It was a painfully warm gaze, and Crow looked away. It was a gentle expression from a different world than Crow’s, and she suddenly realized that she didn’t belong at this table, with this loving couple. She almost stood, but the hunger in her stomach bade her to stay, and her instincts told her that neither Jorgen nor Helen would be pleased if she made her exit now. She had nowhere to go, either. She didn’t even know what this game was about, and how it worked with such realism. How it invoked feelings in her that she thought she had lost… “Here you go, dear,” Helen said, passing over a bowl of steaming soup to her husband. Jorgen accepted it with one hand and continued to tackle the half-loaf of bread. Judging by the extreme difficulty with which he was cutting it, Crow guessed that it was rather old and crusty. Bread. She hadn’t had bread in a very long time. Helen brought two bowls of stew for Crow and herself. “Let’s eat!” Jorgen had finally succeeded in cutting the bread and proceeded to pass the slices. Despite the thick crust, the inside was fairly soft, and it was delicious. It was homely and simple sourdough bread that perfectly complemented the stew, and the tang of the cheese made a nice final touch. Crow dug in timidly at first, then vigorously. It was tastier food than she had eaten in years. “So, how do you like my wife’s cooking?” Jorgen boasted. Helen laughed. “It’s not much, but you seemed starved, poor thing. Eat as much as you want.” She said that, but there really wasn’t much to eat. Even so, Crow quickly licked the last drop of her stew and picked the crumbs off the table from her slice of bread. She felt the gazes of Helen and Jorgen watching her with curious eyes, but for once she didn’t care. Food was more important right now. Jorgen silently handed her another slice of bread. Crow looked at him with shining eyes. He was glowing. An angel? The bringer of bread? She took it two hands and murmured a “thank you” underneath her breath, then slowly chewed on the crust. She was determined to make it last for the duration of the meal. Jorgen grinned. “I do like a lass who eats well and knows good cooking when she sees it. Well, it’s tough times.” His smile faded. “Helen has been busy taking care of our Jay, and the shop… well, the shop has seen better. I’m a soldier on guard at the walls, so I leave at dawn and come home late and can’t help out at home.” His gaze bored into the back of Crow’s lowered head. “We’ve been looking for a hand to help out at the shop. If you don’t have any plans, why don’t you stay here? The pay won’t be much, but we can provide meal and board.” Helen, who had been listening to the grim words with tight lips, suddenly clapped her hands with delight. “That’s a wonderful idea! Do stay. Having another woman in the house would be lovely.” | You have received a job offer from Jorgen and Helen Graystone.The Grays have been struggling to stay afloat due to their child’s illness. They need a hand to help them in the shop and do miscellaneous jobs.Job requirements: The trust of the Graystones.Job pay: Undetermined. Meals and board provided. | | --- | Meals… meals would be provided. She nodded without a second thought. | You have accepted the job offer. | | --- | Helen grinned radiantly. Jorgen nodded, a thoughtful look on his face. “Then we should tell you a little more about us. I am Jorgen Graystone. I have been a soldier for all my life. Though there have been better times in my career, it is not so bad. Brutus,” Jorgen gestured towards the sleeping wolf leaned against the stove, “is my wolfdog. He is a hybrid of wolf and dog, and my precious companion.” At the mention of his name, Brutus raised his chin from the floor and yawned, showing off a terrifying set of canines. His hybrid breeding explained his mixed characteristics, but Crow still found the wolfdog’s obedience strange. There was something uncanny about Brutus and Jorgen’s relationship. She sensed that it was a bond that couldn’t be broken in life. “This beautiful woman, Helen Graystone, is my wife. She is a tailor of Granheim. We have had a shop here for many years.” Helen bobbed, still smiling. “And my son, who you met earlier, is Jay Graystone. He is seven.” Crow watched over her slice of bread as grief streamed into the cracks of Jorgen’s face. “Only seven. And very sick.” Helen’s expression had dimmed. She laid a hand on Jorgen’s shoulder and continued for him. “Jay… Jay has never been very healthy. It was never this bad, we always managed, but this year, he developed this horrible cough and has been getting worse. We scraped up enough money to take him to the Church, but we didn’t have enough to have him healed… they said it was too late…” Helen’s voice broke, and her next words came out as a sob. “Our Jay, our Jay won’t survive this winter.” The wife and husband were silent as they held each other, comforting each other. The words didn’t come as a great surprise to Crow. The frailty of the boy, his paleness, the strength and persistence of the cough all added up. In the real world, it would probably be some form of cancer. However, there was no way to know what kind of disease it was here in Royal Road. But there was no doubt that this boy didn’t have much time left. They had also mentioned a Church. So there was religion, and presumably priests as well. And by Helen’s words, it seemed they had the power of healing. She had the impression that magic was prevalent in this world. Magic—this world might be in a fantasy setting, but the sorrow and pain written in the couple’s shaking forms were real. Jorgen took in a deep breath and straightened, but didn’t remove his arm from Helen. “Now that you’ll be working in the shop, Helen will have more time for Jay. And I’m sure he will appreciate having a younger face around the place as well. He never attended school, so he has so few friends… please treat him kindly. He is a good boy.” Helen nodded. “Yes. Your main jobs will be cleaning the shop, attending the store, and… ah, do you know how to sew? Maybe you can help me with the wares!” Kang Prison was attached to a shoe factory. Crow had been forced to learn how to sew. She had spent much of her past few years slaving away in the dim and dusty factory, but she didn’t resent sewing like the others did. As dull and horrible as it was, it was an escape, and the team leaders didn’t allow any inmate interaction. Harpy One had tried once, to do it right there in the factory, but she was beaten and threatened with solitary confinement, and didn’t try again. So Crow nodded and murmured, “I can sew.” Helen seemed very pleased with herself. She began to clear the dishes and utensils, throwing them into the sink, and dragged Crow by the sleeve into the workshop. Crow allowed herself to be led in. Helen grabbed a pile of cloth and held them out to Crow, gesturing with her chin to a small table with sewing needles, thread, and various other items on it. “Show me what you can do!” Crow peered at the fabric. Most of it was dyed in horrible colors, but there were a few pieces that would work. She picked out a relatively normal tan fabric and a sheet of auburn leather, then expertly threaded the needle with thick brown thread and began to sew. She would make what she knew best—shoes. As she cut the pieces and sewed, Helen watched eagerly. Jorgen lingered for a while, but he soon retreated upstairs, followed by his silent and dark shadow, Brutus. The shoes took form. Strangely, her ability to sew was a little hampered, and the shoes didn’t come out quite as she expected. She didn’t know why, but with some effort she managed to make a decent pair of slippers. It took her longer than usual, but it was still under an hour of work. When she snipped off the last hanging thread, a ringing sound tinkled into her ears. Helen didn’t seem to notice it. | You have created Simple Leather Slippers.Not too comfortable, but better than having bare feet. Crudely fashioned due to lack of skill. | | --- | Helen clapped her hands and her eyes glittered. “This is wonderful! What a charming pair of slippers you’ve made! Crow, please become my assistant Tailor!” | You can change your Profession to Tailor.Due to your inherent skill in sewing, a Tailor has offered to take you in as their assistant. As a Beginner Tailor, you will learn the Handicraft skill. Sewing more will increase your both your Tailoring and Handicraft skills, and you will be able to create more elaborate works.Profession bonuses: Handicraft skill, +10 Dexterity | | --- | | Will you change your Profession to Tailor? | | --- | Crow was dumbstruck. The message that had popped up contained too many words she didn’t understand. Well, she was fairly good at sewing, and she didn’t have much else to do anyways. It would be interesting to try and work with Helen’s artistic sense. She also liked that sewing more would allow her to show more of her true ability. The level of the slippers had frustrated her, and she wanted to be able to make better goods. “Okay.” | You have become a Tailor. | | --- | Another slew of messages popped up informing her about her newly acquired Profession and skills. She swam through it dizzily. Somehow, in this world she barely understood, she had become a Tailor.

<div class="chapter-inner chapter-content"> Ch 3.0<br><br>After swiping his access card and receiving a retina scan the heavy metal doors groaned as the machinery worked to open the doors. Past the entrance was a hall leading toward a platform with railings. With a quick glance Joshua found a black box attached to one of the inner side of the railing. <br>-oh so I just swipe my card here and <span style="font-weight: bold;">Omgggahhhhh!!!</span><br><br>Immediately after Joshua used his access card again the platform shot down at a frightening speed. The sudden plunge shocked him so much that he couldn't even scream. <br>-omg what the ***** hell f*** f*** f*** F***!!!!<br>He could however curse inside his head<br><br>After a short period of time he knew that the destination should be showing up soon especially at the rate the platform seemed to be dropping. However a cold bead of sweat started to form on his brows as he realized that the platform wasn't slowing down it was actually going even faster! <br>-This crazy piece of junk just had to break down and I am so ************ dead. I can't believe I'm actually going to die this way...I've always heard that your life is suppose to flash before your eyes but nooo do I get a free movie nooo I'm just going to die and oh wait there's my movie.<br>*A series of flashbacks later*<br>-Well guess this is it. All I can say is FML, yes those are my final words you got a ***** problem with that world do you got a ****** problem with that vsinity!!??<br><br>-Woah woah woah hey now what are you going on about? I'm not at fault here and I'm not even suppose to be in this story<br>-HOW IS THIS NOT YOUR FAULT!?<br>-Okay I might be influencing it a little but come on it's for the sak-<br>-A LITTLE!? YOU GOD DAMN ***** of ***** <br>[The user vsinity has blocked your message]<br>-OH HELL NO YOU DIDN'T YOU **--- <br><br>Ahem* after experiencing some technical difficulties we are getting back to the story<br><br>Finding himself still falling at greater speeds, Joshua sighed once again at his never ending bad situations.<br>A sudden shriek of metal shook the entire platform that was still descending. The roaring conflict of metal and hard stone only solidify Joshua's belief that this truly was the end for him.Closing his eyes in frustration Joshua could only curse the world as he continued to plummet down.<br><br>...<br><br>...<br><br>...?<br><br>"Hey private you can open your eyes now"<br><br>...!<br><br>"Hello~ Anyone there"<br><br>Quickly opening his eyes Joshua's vision met a scruffy old man with a long unkempt beard wearing an eye patch over his left eye. Seeing Joshua's eyes staring back at him the old man broke into a wide toothy grin revealing several missing teeth. <br><br>"Well well sonny how was the ride? Did you like it?" Asked the old man as if shooting down at suicidal speeds on a platform in a small confined shaft was like going to the amusement park.<br><br>...<br><br>"The silent type eh? Haha well lose that glare there lad and get up quick now it's time to fill you in on your mission."<br><br>...<br><br>"What do you hate me that much now? Hahaha well I can't blame anyone being a little hostile after that."<br><br>...<br><br>"What now boy? We have to get going or we're going to be late sonny."<br><br>Staring at the old man Joshua weakly responded, "I-I can't stand up"<br><br>The old man at that point just stared at Joshua.<br><br>...<br><br>...<br><br>"Pft"<br><br>?<br><br>"Pfthahahah-ahahha!"<br><br>!!!<br><br>The old man still laughing wiped a tear off his eye "Hahaheheehe oh I haven't had such a good laugh in so long ha ha. Just come after your wobble legs are strong enough to walk sonny I'll go ahead and explain to the commander." After breaking into another series of laugh the old man exited the area leaving Joshua behind, his laughter could still be heard as Joshua waited for his body to calm down.<br><br><br><br><br>Well I hope the pace is okay let me know what you think whether I'm taking too long or too slow <br>Once again Thanks to everyone for reading feel free to post what you think, every comment helps {[999abo}] </div>

Ch 3.0 After swiping his access card and receiving a retina scan the heavy metal doors groaned as the machinery worked to open the doors. Past the entrance was a hall leading toward a platform with railings. With a quick glance Joshua found a black box attached to one of the inner side of the railing. -oh so I just swipe my card here and Omgggahhhhh!!! Immediately after Joshua used his access card again the platform shot down at a frightening speed. The sudden plunge shocked him so much that he couldn't even scream. -omg what the ***** hell f*** f*** f*** F***!!!! He could however curse inside his head After a short period of time he knew that the destination should be showing up soon especially at the rate the platform seemed to be dropping. However a cold bead of sweat started to form on his brows as he realized that the platform wasn't slowing down it was actually going even faster! -This crazy piece of junk just had to break down and I am so ************ dead. I can't believe I'm actually going to die this way...I've always heard that your life is suppose to flash before your eyes but nooo do I get a free movie nooo I'm just going to die and oh wait there's my movie. *A series of flashbacks later* -Well guess this is it. All I can say is FML, yes those are my final words you got a ***** problem with that world do you got a ****** problem with that vsinity!!?? -Woah woah woah hey now what are you going on about? I'm not at fault here and I'm not even suppose to be in this story -HOW IS THIS NOT YOUR FAULT!? -Okay I might be influencing it a little but come on it's for the sak- -A LITTLE!? YOU GOD DAMN ***** of ***** [The user vsinity has blocked your message] -OH HELL NO YOU DIDN'T YOU **--- Ahem* after experiencing some technical difficulties we are getting back to the story Finding himself still falling at greater speeds, Joshua sighed once again at his never ending bad situations. A sudden shriek of metal shook the entire platform that was still descending. The roaring conflict of metal and hard stone only solidify Joshua's belief that this truly was the end for him.Closing his eyes in frustration Joshua could only curse the world as he continued to plummet down. ... ... ...? "Hey private you can open your eyes now" ...! "Hello~ Anyone there" Quickly opening his eyes Joshua's vision met a scruffy old man with a long unkempt beard wearing an eye patch over his left eye. Seeing Joshua's eyes staring back at him the old man broke into a wide toothy grin revealing several missing teeth. "Well well sonny how was the ride? Did you like it?" Asked the old man as if shooting down at suicidal speeds on a platform in a small confined shaft was like going to the amusement park. ... "The silent type eh? Haha well lose that glare there lad and get up quick now it's time to fill you in on your mission." ... "What do you hate me that much now? Hahaha well I can't blame anyone being a little hostile after that." ... "What now boy? We have to get going or we're going to be late sonny." Staring at the old man Joshua weakly responded, "I-I can't stand up" The old man at that point just stared at Joshua. ... ... "Pft" ? "Pfthahahah-ahahha!" !!! The old man still laughing wiped a tear off his eye "Hahaheheehe oh I haven't had such a good laugh in so long ha ha. Just come after your wobble legs are strong enough to walk sonny I'll go ahead and explain to the commander." After breaking into another series of laugh the old man exited the area leaving Joshua behind, his laughter could still be heard as Joshua waited for his body to calm down. Well I hope the pace is okay let me know what you think whether I'm taking too long or too slow Once again Thanks to everyone for reading feel free to post what you think, every comment helps {[999abo}]

<div class="chapter-inner chapter-content"> There was silence among the crowd, holding their breaths then the sound of computer “Level 100 cleared”.<br><br>“Woooooh!!” The crowd around him was cheering.<br><br>“Unbelievable, I spend 2 days playing in level 90 and I still can’t clear the stage and you. You cleared the whole game man!” still shocked while praising.<br><br>“Well if you follow the pattern you can do it also.” Kai said standing and getting ready to leave.<br><br>“I know what you said is true but it was so fast I can’t follow the pattern you told me!” Ren Liu a young man barely more than five feet eight inches tall, skinny, pale skinned, brown eyed and dark haired with tint of brown. Sigh as he said that.<br><br>“It’s ok Ren. I can’t also clear the game like you.” Max said as he pat Ren shoulder. Maximus Forester was a six feet three inches tall with muscular built young man, blond hair, rugged and strong with crystal blue eyes. “You also know it that Kai reflexes and instinct is top notch.” Looking to Kai grinning. “You can’t compare yourself to him. He’s a master class.”<br><br>Ren looking back at Max smiling face shrugged and went “I guess so” in response.<br><br>“Hey, don’t compare me to a master. Ren you’re better than me in terms of academics and I still can’t defeat my Grandpa back home in Chichibu. He’s practically unbeatable.” Kai instantly cut in. Kai Kudou was a bit taller than Ren handsome young man, light blue hair paired with intelligent blue-gray eyes, medium built with no extra fat in the muscles, not wasting extra movement when moving and like a martial artist with casual feline grace.<br><br>“You were not studying at all and you still received high grades. I know you were holding back but I don’t know why. You can…”<br><br>Max suddenly cut in asking. “When is the time you last seen your Grandpa?”<br><br>Kai doesn't have a response to Ren.<br><br>“I guess around two years ago.” Kai looking at the window feeling nostalgic about the place back home. <br><br>‘It’s been two years now eh?’ he sighed. “Come on let’s go home!” He gets his bag and turning around, walking to the door cutting the conversation about his life back at Chichibu Mountains.<br><br>Ren suddenly looked back at Max.<br><br>Max shaking his head with disagreement to him and Ren suddenly sighs.<br><br>Kai open the door turned around and said. “There is still Virtual reality game to conquer.” Kai said smiling at his friends.<br><br>Ren and Max suddenly looked at Kai in front of the door with smile appearing at their face. “Yeah!”<br><br>The most awaited game in the world, the first Virtual reality game. Every gamer wants to experience it their self, saving the Kingdom from evil, slaying the Dragon, defeating the Demon King, saving the Princess from Evil Witch, becoming a King, a Hero, occupying territories to become the Emperor of the whole continent that not even Genghis Khan, Alexander the Great and Julius Caesar can do in history.<br><br>Virtual reality game! A place where a person moves their body means you can act like in real life. Royal Road and like its name to walked the path of the emperor with serenity. Possessing more than 75% of the world’s game market share, and obviously more than 90% of Asian gamers will played this game. <br><br>Especially during beta test and preview about the game, it came to a point where it overwhelmed the viewership of all other networks in other countries. The only game in the world where is anyone could obtain fame, power and wealth. Royal Road was the result of an ingenious system interlocking with virtual reality.<br><br>They waited for this kind of game to release until last year on TV. Unicorn Corporations creator of Royal Road released to the public the first VRMMORPG. After the announcement on TV, they ordered immediately the capsule in order to play the game. No time to think if the game will be good or popular to other gamers because time is the essence, first order first serve. <br><br>The capsule Kai ordered was delivered a month ago. He went home immediately last month as the engineer set up the capsule in the corner of his room. The engineer gave him guidelines and manual on how to operate the capsule. The engineer said there is no language barrier and he can operate it in any language the AI knows.<br><br><br>The three of them became friends because of games especially the MMORPG who need party to complete the dungeons and quests. They didn’t know each other until freshman year in the first day of class when Ren sitting beside Kai brought the Game PAD during break time and playing Legendary Heroes one of the popular RPG games in Japan until last year.<br><br>“You need to drag the boss to the spring and use Ice magic to defeat it.” Kai said as Ren was struggling to fight boss with his powerful magic spells until his mana depletes, but the Fire Titan keeps regenerating HP using the fire surrounding it.<br><br>Ren looked at his right side with puzzled looked. “What do you mean?” Kai repeated what he said, and Ren do it step by step as he guide him.<br><br>Then the computer said with low pitch voice. “Fire Titan has been defeated. You gain title The Titan Slayer”<br><br>Ren was still shocked looking at his Game PAD, and then looked back at his right side. “Water was still a weakness of Fire even though it’s hot.” Kai said with a smile on his face.<br><br>“I’m Kaito Kudou, you can call me Kai.” He said as he extends his right hand.<br><br>“I’m Ren Liu, you can also call me Ren if you want.” Ren with narrow eye said with a smile on his face and response with his right hand.<br><br>That’s when the two of them became friends. They talked about the Legendary Heroes and other games, shared knowledge and tactics. Max who was sitting behind Ren heard them as he joined in also and said that he was also having problem about the game. He stand-up and joined them introducing himself.<br><br>“I’m Maximus Forester, my friends call me Max.” Max introduced himself.<br><br>Since then, they spend their time at school together playing during break time and playing mostly MMORPG at home where they can party together during quests, dungeon, siege and hunting. When they don’t have club activities they hang-out after school at someone place or challenge players at game center.<br><br>The Teito Private Academy High School is one of the elite high schools in Japan located in Kanto, Tokyo. It was considered a type of school that guaranteed promising universities around the world. Most of the students here are born of high class nobles; some are prince and princess from other countries. The unique about Teito Private Academy from other elite High School is that it isn't only focus is about getting good in academic subjects, you also need to be train to become mentally and physically fit. The school teaches and trains the students in different sports and martial arts they chose. <br><br>The student need to at least join one club related to sports aside from P.E. they teach during class. The room was floor apart to avoid other students from other room to disturb other classes, the chairs and table was built like an old theatre and there is also a platform in the front for demonstration and a board for writing.<br><br><br><br>As they walked out the Game Center they said goodbye at the owner and said it will be a long time till they come back again. The owner although feel a little sad he still smile and said. “I’ll be waiting, come back again.”<br><br>They chat as they walk to the parking area, talking about Royal Road that will start tomorrow midnight. Bidding farewell to each other they head to their own car; Mazda MX-series, Geely Tiger GT and Ford Mustang GT.<br><br>After twenty five minutes driving, Kai arrived at the front of his house. He parks his car inside the parking lot beside the garden and closing the gate, a black Doberman welcome him wagging its tail circling around him. He pats, rubs its head and neck, Bolter responds to Kai as he licks his hands and face.<br><br>Kai head inside the house but it was quiet and dark. It was a two story building with one room at first floor, three rooms at second floor and a basement. He lives alone that can house one family. He goes to the kitchen and gets the pet food for Bolter and his other pets. He put the dog food down to the bowl of Bolter and Kai head to the living room where he feed his fish on the aquarium, and lastly he goes to the backyard and feed his four birds, the two small pairs are the cockatiels and the biggest pair is the hawk-head parrots.<br><br>After watching the birds eating for five minutes, he looked at the sky and where he can see the moon and stars shining above him as there are no clouds blocking them. “There's still time.” He said.<br><br>It was 7:20PM, Kai go back inside the house and he change his attire at his room to gym clothes, black sleeveless shirt and blue gym pants as he walk down to his basement with towel on his left shoulder and water bottle at his left hand. He opened the door to his basement activating the light in the wall of the stairs.<br><br>Bolter barks at him, Kai looking back he said to Bolter. “Just be quiet okay?!” as he rubs Bolter head.<br><br>“Argh!” Bolter respond and Kai walk down the stairs together with Bolter.<br><br><br>“Kai-kun, be a good boy and always listen to Grandpa and Papa for Mama ok?!” she hugs Kai tightly and tear drops from her eyes.<br><br>“Sob-sob, don’t go away Mama, I promise I’ll be a good boy. Sob-sob” Kai said as water pour out from his eyes and nose.<br><br>“I know you will Kai-kun, promise me that you will become strong.” He nodded and she gently kiss Kai forehead and said “I love you!”<br><br>As she stands, Kai still holds on her hands and she regrettably removes her hands from him. She started walking away from him not looking back and still can hear him crying calling her “Mama” again and again.<br><br>“Mama! Mama!” Kai was still calling her mother but it seems her mother can’t hear him. He can’t run to her cause his father was holding him tightly. As her mother rides the car he was still crying her name.<br><br>Kai open his eyes and said. “It’s been a long time since I dream about my mother.”<br><br>He checks the time and its 5:00AM he has still time for morning exercise. He gets up, arranges his bed, wash his face, brush his teeth and change his clothes. As he open the door, Bolter was there and waiting. <br><br>“Argh!” as Bolter barks.<br><br>“Good Morning Bolter!” Kai answered as he rubs the head of Bolter.<br><br>Kai head to the kitchen and drinks a glass of water and head to the entrance of the door. As he puts his shoes he goes out for morning exercises and Bolter who was always following him behind when he jogs in the morning was with him.<br><br>Kai with his dog Bolter was walking along the neighborhood. It was still dark outside however, he always chose the time when the sky is just about brighten up for his daily jogging routine. He heads to the nearby park for his starting point in jogging, he stretch his limbs first before start jogging at slower pace.<br><br>Kai followed by Bolter was jogging at fast rate now, he checks his watch and notices that he was jogging for 15 minutes now and start running full speed for another 1 hour. After that he was panting as he heads home, his dog that was following him was panting as well. As they reached home he goes to the kitchen and empties the three glasses of water and he gave some to his dog also.<br><br>After taking a bath he feed his pets and prepares breakfast for him. After eating three bowls of fried rice, fried egg, noodle soup with pork meat, piece of bread and cheese he sets off to school with his car. He gave few reminders to Bolter to watches the house for him before he enters the parking lot and the dog answer with a bark.<br><br><br>It was mid-March and last day of his third term in sophomore year. As he arrived at school and drives to the parking lot and parks his car. The morning sun gave off bright rays. The clear blue sky had not a single cloud. The people around him were murmuring with each other but he could hear what they are talking.<br><br>“It’s tonight the released of Royal Road, I can’t wait to play and I can’t sleep last night cause of it.” said one of the male students to his friends.<br><br>“Yeah me too I’m excited to play also, I’m waiting for it for almost a year now.” his friend agrees at him also.<br><br>“I’m happy for you guys but I still need to wait till next week before I can play.” one of the student said as he sighed.<br><br>“Oh yeah sorry, But its ok we will all start at the same city and will help you to catch up with us.” they comfort their friend as he wasn't lucky enough to get a capsule in early batch.<br><br>Some of the people who want to play the game can’t start the same day as the others because the Unicorn released only 100,000 capsules worldwide on first batch and didn’t think on the first week of the public announcement all the capsule was sold already and others reserved for the next batch of capsule. As he and his friends they ordered during the day after the announcement on public about the VMMORPG being released. Among the first batch that got the capsule already can play Royal Road tonight as they all wait for the time of opening.<br><br>“Kai, you’re as early as usual.” Max greeted him with a smile after he saw Kai right away.<br><br>“Yeah I happened to wake up early today as usual.” Kai waited for his friend to catch up to him as he smiles also and greeted Max.<br><br>“Eh, the people sure are noisy and excited to play Royal Road quickly as they can.” Max amused as he watches the surrounding students around them.<br><br>“Can’t blame them Max, I’m also excited to play Royal Road right away.” Kai answered as if it was the normal thing.<br><br>They walked to the building for sophomore students where they see the beautiful garden surrounding the school building and beside the walls, the school building lined with elegant spires seemed very much like a palace for nobles. Advanced facility, all rooms were air-conditioned the food was free from five-star restaurants in the dining area and a couple of café stores with deserts also around the dining area. <br>On grounds around the school they can see students in different variation of uniform of different clubs. Speaking of clubs last month Kai won the first place on open weight division in karate, Max was still undefeated in lightweight division in boxing and Ren rank first in 500 meter dash in track and field. <br><br>It’s not rare experience that the students of Teito Academy won the competitions in different sports. It was a common thing here in Teito Academy to win most sports. Although it’s not easy for Teito Academy to win competition that other schools and audience watching yearly was saying, the students need to work harder in training than other schools. Even though you got talent it doesn’t mean you can win the competition, training was still the fundamentals to win in the competition. All the students representing their clubs in the competition feels pressure from the audience watching, media covering every match and for the name of the school that has a title of the ‘strongest high school’. On rare occasion that there’s a club didn’t won the championship they cut the budget of that club though money is not a problem as most of them are rich but the leader or captain of that club will be replace. They will also train on weekends and during break until they won a competition. That’s why all the members of different club and their instructor trains harder and don’t accept defeat, that was the mindset and rules for so many decades now.<br><br>They arrived at their classroom and they see their other friend Ren that was busy browsing his tablet and seriously reading about something. They called out to their friend but they didn’t receive a response so they approached him closely and called him again.<br><br>“Oh it’s you guys, come here check this on.” He said pointing at the tablet.<br><br>“What is it? Is it about Royal Road?” Kai ask because he also checks the net early this morning and most of the news is about Royal Road. There’s no other big news other than Royal Road and he didn’t bother other VMMORPG that other company planning also to release.<br><br>“Yeah what’s taking that seriously if it isn’t about Royal Road.” Max added as he also leaned over to see what’s Ren being agitated at.<br><br>“Just read it from the top, and you guys will know why I’m being like this.” Ren said as he gives the two some space to read what's written in the tablet.<br><br>The news is about the character Weed from the Continent of Magic from Korea that sold his account with the price of 3,090,000,000 won.<br><br>The two was also shocked at the price the account sold for, and they scroll down and read the details and comments after a few seconds they regained their composure.<br><br>“That was big news especially in history of gaming.” Kai commented on the news.<br><br>“Totally there’s no one in history sold their game account at that high price.” Max added as he was also amazed.<br><br>“Yeah I just read the news earlier while I’m browsing about games when this news appeared, at first it seems like a joke but when I read the contents I’m also shocked that it was true.” Ren said as he was still feeling amazed at the news he just read.<br><br>“The bidding also happened last night and I didn’t know about it.” Kai said with regret.<br><br>“Right, because you don’t have any interest in other games other than Royal Road.” Max agreed on Kai.<br><br>“I also don’t have interest in other games right now aside from Royal Road.” Ren added.<br><br>They don’t need the character or account they just feel regret as they can’t witness the legend unfolds.<br><br>“Well guys it’s ok, it’s not like we need to win the bidding for that account.” Kai said smiling at his friends.<br><br>“Yeah it’s no used for us who are going to play Royal Road.” Ren respond agreeing with Kai.<br><br>“That’s right it’s the game we are waiting for the year now.” Max said smiling as he added.<br><br>“We will also probably meet that person in the game, that’s why he sold his account to play Royal Road.” Kai was saying to his friends that they got professional gamer playing Royal Road with a title ‘God of War’ in Continent of Magic.<br><br>They all feel excited because the more rivals you got the more difficult and exciting the game is. They all want to experienced thrill and excitement that no other games or competition can give. All the games they played in the past was all easy for them, they got bored and ended up quitting after some time. Same for the competition held in school and outside they felt winning was like a chore for them and that’s not what they want. They tried and search different things until Unicorn released Royal Road on public with 99% realization, a truly splendid game. Beginning with a fully implemented world, the game contained tens of thousands of races and over tens of thousands of jobs and hundreds of thousands of skills.<br><br>You could enjoy adventure as you desire or even go sea fishing with friends for days, as long you don’t encounter whimsical typhoons of course. The massive scale of freedom was amazing, but best above all was the wondrous game’s system. Royal Road had the reputation of inducing the ultimate fun a human could enjoy in a game.<br><br><br>The normal school day pass and as the bell ring for the end of the class their teacher dismissed them. The students are starting to get out of the room although they are not running they are moving quickly and with hurry. <br><br>Kai was putting his bag and getting ready to leave the room when he was approached by three girls. The girl in front of them was Rikka her long black hair was silky and beautiful, and her features did not lose to that either. Her build was slender, but she looked like the type that seemed slimmer in clothes. <br><br>The two behind her is Rin and Chisa, the one besides her urging her to talk was Rin her hair was drawn up in a ponytail seemed more coffee brown than black, almost the color of black pearls. She did not dye her hair; it had been that color since birth. She was as beautiful and it wasn't just beauty her face projected an air of refined nobility, her eyes shone with clear intelligence.<br><br>“Hello Captain, Rikka has something to tell you.” Rin said as she turns to Rikka beside her. “Come on ask him now.” She is also a member of Karate club, her dark brown hair swayed as she moved, Rin said as she pushes Rikka in front of him.<br><br>“Um” Rikka didn’t know how to start as she forgets the scripts in the practiced earlier.<br><br>“You’re Rikka right?” Kai ask as he remembered Rikka the girl in front of him. She possessed beautiful soft black hair that was long and shiny with blue-green eyes, as well as an appearance of a quintessential Yamato Nadeshiko.<br><br>“Y-Yes, I’m Rikka you’re classmate. I have something to ask of you.” Rikka said stuttering with her words.<br><br>“Go Rikka-chan you can do it!” Said Chisa on her back she has pink hair at shoulder length and a slim body like a model because of her cute, yet childish face, it wasn't unusual for people to mistake her for a middle-school girl. She is also a member of Taekwondo club, on his school uniform she looks harmless but during her match she transforms to a demon that defeat her opponents.<br><br>“You see, I wanted to ask you earlier before class, but you guys are busy and seriously talking about something so I didn’t disturb you.” Rikka said explaining. “Now before you leave I wanted to ask you something, It’s about the virtual reality game you were going to play the Royal Road, you see we also brought a capsule a while ago and wanted to ask you where are you guys going to start, what’s the name of the city and if possible we wanted to join you guys in adventure.” Rikka said embarrassingly as her face turn crimson red. <br><br>Rikka is a member of kendo club she likes Kai and always watches his match. Last spring they went on shopping on Ueno when an accident occur as the little girl chase the cat on the road and with many fast car was passing through, before the car hit the little girl a young man jump on the road to save the little girl and also the cat. She was also running to save the little girl with his two friends but they were too late but they notices that the little girl was okay and also the cat as they were being carried by a tall light blue haired young man. The little girl who was crying earlier but when she saw the face of the young man who was carrying him with the cat at his shoulders started talking and smiling at her, she stops crying and started smiling as she hugs the cat. The guardian of the young little girl dashed at their daughter as they hug her daughter and thanks the young man and they also bowed to him. The tall young man with light blue hair paired with blue gray eyes talk the guardian for a few moments, and then he walks out the scene as he joined his two friends. Starting from that day she was love struck to the young man who was in front of her right now.<br><br>“We will not slow you down we will be a benefit to your adventure.” Rikka added to Kai as she looked to him with pleading eyes.<br><br>Kai seeing the girl in front of him pleading with cute expression, it was truly adorable. He looked back at his friends and they just nod indicating that they will accept his decision.<br><br>“I truly appreciate of what you said and willing to do for us, but we will decline.” Kai said looking apologetic to Rikka.<br><br>“Why? Is it not enough? Are we not good? Do you hate us?” Rikka said with tears forming at her eyes as she built her courage to speak with him today but the result was failed.<br><br>“No no, you see we plan to start on different place on Royal Road.” Kai said explaining.<br><br>“What do you mean, why you guys need to start on different place? When it was clear to see that when you guy’s help each other it will be easier.” Rikka asks as she was perplexed at what Kai said to her.<br><br>“That’s the point why we decide to start on different place on Royal Road. If we truly want to feel the true adventure, we will start on places we don’t know other people. We want to experience the thrill and excitement during the game, if we start on same places we will just help each other although it’s not bad to help each other but at first we want to achieve something ourselves. That’s why we decide before we start the game that if we truly want to experience true adventure we will start with ourselves first and then we will decide to meet before the start of new school year. That will be around two months in real time and eight months during the game.” Kai said to her.<br><br>“Eight months? Will that be so long and hard?” Rikka said feeling sad because she will not also see Kai during that eight months’ time. Although she take courage herself to get close to him in the Royal Road where she can help him during adventures because an adventurer needs other people to help each other and she thinks it was the right time for her to act to get closed to him but now it will be futile.<br><br>“I thought Rin know about it because I also tell my club before the tournament starts a couple of months ago.” Kai said as Rin and Rikka were friends so they can share some info right away.<br><br>“Well Captain when you tell us about it I just thought that your friends will play at the same town so you want some privacy but I didn’t know that Captain and his friends will not also start at the same place. I’m sorry because I’m the one that told Rikka to talk with you about it.” Rin embarrassingly said apologizing for her mistakes.<br><br>“No Rin-chan it was my fault. I’m sorry Kudou-san it wasn’t Rin-chan fault so don’t be angry at her.” Rikka said as she also bowed and apologizes to him. Chisa seeing her two friends apologizes she also join them as she bowed also in front of Kai.<br><br>Seeing the three girls apologizing with sad face like that Kai sigh and said. “Don’t worry about it because I’m not angry at anyone and I’m sorry also about earlier.” Kai said as he apologizes also to the girls. Kai then wears his best smile and said to them. “Alright why don’t we exchange email address so we can contact each other after two months and you girls can join our party after we meet.” After he said that the girls brightened their mood.<br><br>“Thank you Captain!” “Yes, thank you Kudou-san!” “Yes, thank you Kudou-san!”<br><br>They exchange their email address and remind them that if we contact each other don’t ask any information about Royal Road and see ya after two months. It was the last day of the third term and they don’t have any club activities. After they bid farewell to each other they go home and prepare for Royal Road.<br><br>Kai after he got home, he feed his pets and makes heavy dinner for himself and prepares a breakfast for tomorrow. <br><br>He checked the net and do light exercises before he got in the capsule.<br><br>“It’s time” He said as he wait inside the capsule that turn dark around him.<br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td colspan="2">Connect to Royal Road</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Yes</td><td width="25%">No</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br>When the message came he said immediately without hesitation.<br><br>“Yes”<br><br><br><br>Author Notes<br>This is my first time writing my own fanfic and I’m sorry because there is no originality in some parts.<br>The next chapter will be released later or tomorrow after I proofread it. I plan to add some picture, though I only get it in Google because I don't have time to draw and I’m suck on drawing. <br>I'm glad to receive any reactions about my writing either it was criticism, suggestions, corrections and etc. Just feel free to comment and I’ll try to reply if I’m given time.<br>The volume title will give you some idea about the next chapter and the whole story is about the Training Grounds though I’m not good at giving title but I tried my best so the readers can understand immediately so Neo only and there is no other.<br>Most of the story is not based in real LMS as I only get the Royal Road game though sometimes story about the real LMS will pops-up to tell the difference in timeline and other things.<br>Thank you and enjoy reading! </div>

There was silence among the crowd, holding their breaths then the sound of computer “Level 100 cleared”. “Woooooh!!” The crowd around him was cheering. “Unbelievable, I spend 2 days playing in level 90 and I still can’t clear the stage and you. You cleared the whole game man!” still shocked while praising. “Well if you follow the pattern you can do it also.” Kai said standing and getting ready to leave. “I know what you said is true but it was so fast I can’t follow the pattern you told me!” Ren Liu a young man barely more than five feet eight inches tall, skinny, pale skinned, brown eyed and dark haired with tint of brown. Sigh as he said that. “It’s ok Ren. I can’t also clear the game like you.” Max said as he pat Ren shoulder. Maximus Forester was a six feet three inches tall with muscular built young man, blond hair, rugged and strong with crystal blue eyes. “You also know it that Kai reflexes and instinct is top notch.” Looking to Kai grinning. “You can’t compare yourself to him. He’s a master class.” Ren looking back at Max smiling face shrugged and went “I guess so” in response. “Hey, don’t compare me to a master. Ren you’re better than me in terms of academics and I still can’t defeat my Grandpa back home in Chichibu. He’s practically unbeatable.” Kai instantly cut in. Kai Kudou was a bit taller than Ren handsome young man, light blue hair paired with intelligent blue-gray eyes, medium built with no extra fat in the muscles, not wasting extra movement when moving and like a martial artist with casual feline grace. “You were not studying at all and you still received high grades. I know you were holding back but I don’t know why. You can…” Max suddenly cut in asking. “When is the time you last seen your Grandpa?” Kai doesn't have a response to Ren. “I guess around two years ago.” Kai looking at the window feeling nostalgic about the place back home. ‘It’s been two years now eh?’ he sighed. “Come on let’s go home!” He gets his bag and turning around, walking to the door cutting the conversation about his life back at Chichibu Mountains. Ren suddenly looked back at Max. Max shaking his head with disagreement to him and Ren suddenly sighs. Kai open the door turned around and said. “There is still Virtual reality game to conquer.” Kai said smiling at his friends. Ren and Max suddenly looked at Kai in front of the door with smile appearing at their face. “Yeah!” The most awaited game in the world, the first Virtual reality game. Every gamer wants to experience it their self, saving the Kingdom from evil, slaying the Dragon, defeating the Demon King, saving the Princess from Evil Witch, becoming a King, a Hero, occupying territories to become the Emperor of the whole continent that not even Genghis Khan, Alexander the Great and Julius Caesar can do in history. Virtual reality game! A place where a person moves their body means you can act like in real life. Royal Road and like its name to walked the path of the emperor with serenity. Possessing more than 75% of the world’s game market share, and obviously more than 90% of Asian gamers will played this game. Especially during beta test and preview about the game, it came to a point where it overwhelmed the viewership of all other networks in other countries. The only game in the world where is anyone could obtain fame, power and wealth. Royal Road was the result of an ingenious system interlocking with virtual reality. They waited for this kind of game to release until last year on TV. Unicorn Corporations creator of Royal Road released to the public the first VRMMORPG. After the announcement on TV, they ordered immediately the capsule in order to play the game. No time to think if the game will be good or popular to other gamers because time is the essence, first order first serve. The capsule Kai ordered was delivered a month ago. He went home immediately last month as the engineer set up the capsule in the corner of his room. The engineer gave him guidelines and manual on how to operate the capsule. The engineer said there is no language barrier and he can operate it in any language the AI knows. The three of them became friends because of games especially the MMORPG who need party to complete the dungeons and quests. They didn’t know each other until freshman year in the first day of class when Ren sitting beside Kai brought the Game PAD during break time and playing Legendary Heroes one of the popular RPG games in Japan until last year. “You need to drag the boss to the spring and use Ice magic to defeat it.” Kai said as Ren was struggling to fight boss with his powerful magic spells until his mana depletes, but the Fire Titan keeps regenerating HP using the fire surrounding it. Ren looked at his right side with puzzled looked. “What do you mean?” Kai repeated what he said, and Ren do it step by step as he guide him. Then the computer said with low pitch voice. “Fire Titan has been defeated. You gain title The Titan Slayer” Ren was still shocked looking at his Game PAD, and then looked back at his right side. “Water was still a weakness of Fire even though it’s hot.” Kai said with a smile on his face. “I’m Kaito Kudou, you can call me Kai.” He said as he extends his right hand. “I’m Ren Liu, you can also call me Ren if you want.” Ren with narrow eye said with a smile on his face and response with his right hand. That’s when the two of them became friends. They talked about the Legendary Heroes and other games, shared knowledge and tactics. Max who was sitting behind Ren heard them as he joined in also and said that he was also having problem about the game. He stand-up and joined them introducing himself. “I’m Maximus Forester, my friends call me Max.” Max introduced himself. Since then, they spend their time at school together playing during break time and playing mostly MMORPG at home where they can party together during quests, dungeon, siege and hunting. When they don’t have club activities they hang-out after school at someone place or challenge players at game center. The Teito Private Academy High School is one of the elite high schools in Japan located in Kanto, Tokyo. It was considered a type of school that guaranteed promising universities around the world. Most of the students here are born of high class nobles; some are prince and princess from other countries. The unique about Teito Private Academy from other elite High School is that it isn't only focus is about getting good in academic subjects, you also need to be train to become mentally and physically fit. The school teaches and trains the students in different sports and martial arts they chose. The student need to at least join one club related to sports aside from P.E. they teach during class. The room was floor apart to avoid other students from other room to disturb other classes, the chairs and table was built like an old theatre and there is also a platform in the front for demonstration and a board for writing. As they walked out the Game Center they said goodbye at the owner and said it will be a long time till they come back again. The owner although feel a little sad he still smile and said. “I’ll be waiting, come back again.” They chat as they walk to the parking area, talking about Royal Road that will start tomorrow midnight. Bidding farewell to each other they head to their own car; Mazda MX-series, Geely Tiger GT and Ford Mustang GT. After twenty five minutes driving, Kai arrived at the front of his house. He parks his car inside the parking lot beside the garden and closing the gate, a black Doberman welcome him wagging its tail circling around him. He pats, rubs its head and neck, Bolter responds to Kai as he licks his hands and face. Kai head inside the house but it was quiet and dark. It was a two story building with one room at first floor, three rooms at second floor and a basement. He lives alone that can house one family. He goes to the kitchen and gets the pet food for Bolter and his other pets. He put the dog food down to the bowl of Bolter and Kai head to the living room where he feed his fish on the aquarium, and lastly he goes to the backyard and feed his four birds, the two small pairs are the cockatiels and the biggest pair is the hawk-head parrots. After watching the birds eating for five minutes, he looked at the sky and where he can see the moon and stars shining above him as there are no clouds blocking them. “There's still time.” He said. It was 7:20PM, Kai go back inside the house and he change his attire at his room to gym clothes, black sleeveless shirt and blue gym pants as he walk down to his basement with towel on his left shoulder and water bottle at his left hand. He opened the door to his basement activating the light in the wall of the stairs. Bolter barks at him, Kai looking back he said to Bolter. “Just be quiet okay?!” as he rubs Bolter head. “Argh!” Bolter respond and Kai walk down the stairs together with Bolter. “Kai-kun, be a good boy and always listen to Grandpa and Papa for Mama ok?!” she hugs Kai tightly and tear drops from her eyes. “Sob-sob, don’t go away Mama, I promise I’ll be a good boy. Sob-sob” Kai said as water pour out from his eyes and nose. “I know you will Kai-kun, promise me that you will become strong.” He nodded and she gently kiss Kai forehead and said “I love you!” As she stands, Kai still holds on her hands and she regrettably removes her hands from him. She started walking away from him not looking back and still can hear him crying calling her “Mama” again and again. “Mama! Mama!” Kai was still calling her mother but it seems her mother can’t hear him. He can’t run to her cause his father was holding him tightly. As her mother rides the car he was still crying her name. Kai open his eyes and said. “It’s been a long time since I dream about my mother.” He checks the time and its 5:00AM he has still time for morning exercise. He gets up, arranges his bed, wash his face, brush his teeth and change his clothes. As he open the door, Bolter was there and waiting. “Argh!” as Bolter barks. “Good Morning Bolter!” Kai answered as he rubs the head of Bolter. Kai head to the kitchen and drinks a glass of water and head to the entrance of the door. As he puts his shoes he goes out for morning exercises and Bolter who was always following him behind when he jogs in the morning was with him. Kai with his dog Bolter was walking along the neighborhood. It was still dark outside however, he always chose the time when the sky is just about brighten up for his daily jogging routine. He heads to the nearby park for his starting point in jogging, he stretch his limbs first before start jogging at slower pace. Kai followed by Bolter was jogging at fast rate now, he checks his watch and notices that he was jogging for 15 minutes now and start running full speed for another 1 hour. After that he was panting as he heads home, his dog that was following him was panting as well. As they reached home he goes to the kitchen and empties the three glasses of water and he gave some to his dog also. After taking a bath he feed his pets and prepares breakfast for him. After eating three bowls of fried rice, fried egg, noodle soup with pork meat, piece of bread and cheese he sets off to school with his car. He gave few reminders to Bolter to watches the house for him before he enters the parking lot and the dog answer with a bark. It was mid-March and last day of his third term in sophomore year. As he arrived at school and drives to the parking lot and parks his car. The morning sun gave off bright rays. The clear blue sky had not a single cloud. The people around him were murmuring with each other but he could hear what they are talking. “It’s tonight the released of Royal Road, I can’t wait to play and I can’t sleep last night cause of it.” said one of the male students to his friends. “Yeah me too I’m excited to play also, I’m waiting for it for almost a year now.” his friend agrees at him also. “I’m happy for you guys but I still need to wait till next week before I can play.” one of the student said as he sighed. “Oh yeah sorry, But its ok we will all start at the same city and will help you to catch up with us.” they comfort their friend as he wasn't lucky enough to get a capsule in early batch. Some of the people who want to play the game can’t start the same day as the others because the Unicorn released only 100,000 capsules worldwide on first batch and didn’t think on the first week of the public announcement all the capsule was sold already and others reserved for the next batch of capsule. As he and his friends they ordered during the day after the announcement on public about the VMMORPG being released. Among the first batch that got the capsule already can play Royal Road tonight as they all wait for the time of opening. “Kai, you’re as early as usual.” Max greeted him with a smile after he saw Kai right away. “Yeah I happened to wake up early today as usual.” Kai waited for his friend to catch up to him as he smiles also and greeted Max. “Eh, the people sure are noisy and excited to play Royal Road quickly as they can.” Max amused as he watches the surrounding students around them. “Can’t blame them Max, I’m also excited to play Royal Road right away.” Kai answered as if it was the normal thing. They walked to the building for sophomore students where they see the beautiful garden surrounding the school building and beside the walls, the school building lined with elegant spires seemed very much like a palace for nobles. Advanced facility, all rooms were air-conditioned the food was free from five-star restaurants in the dining area and a couple of café stores with deserts also around the dining area. On grounds around the school they can see students in different variation of uniform of different clubs. Speaking of clubs last month Kai won the first place on open weight division in karate, Max was still undefeated in lightweight division in boxing and Ren rank first in 500 meter dash in track and field. It’s not rare experience that the students of Teito Academy won the competitions in different sports. It was a common thing here in Teito Academy to win most sports. Although it’s not easy for Teito Academy to win competition that other schools and audience watching yearly was saying, the students need to work harder in training than other schools. Even though you got talent it doesn’t mean you can win the competition, training was still the fundamentals to win in the competition. All the students representing their clubs in the competition feels pressure from the audience watching, media covering every match and for the name of the school that has a title of the ‘strongest high school’. On rare occasion that there’s a club didn’t won the championship they cut the budget of that club though money is not a problem as most of them are rich but the leader or captain of that club will be replace. They will also train on weekends and during break until they won a competition. That’s why all the members of different club and their instructor trains harder and don’t accept defeat, that was the mindset and rules for so many decades now. They arrived at their classroom and they see their other friend Ren that was busy browsing his tablet and seriously reading about something. They called out to their friend but they didn’t receive a response so they approached him closely and called him again. “Oh it’s you guys, come here check this on.” He said pointing at the tablet. “What is it? Is it about Royal Road?” Kai ask because he also checks the net early this morning and most of the news is about Royal Road. There’s no other big news other than Royal Road and he didn’t bother other VMMORPG that other company planning also to release. “Yeah what’s taking that seriously if it isn’t about Royal Road.” Max added as he also leaned over to see what’s Ren being agitated at. “Just read it from the top, and you guys will know why I’m being like this.” Ren said as he gives the two some space to read what's written in the tablet. The news is about the character Weed from the Continent of Magic from Korea that sold his account with the price of 3,090,000,000 won. The two was also shocked at the price the account sold for, and they scroll down and read the details and comments after a few seconds they regained their composure. “That was big news especially in history of gaming.” Kai commented on the news. “Totally there’s no one in history sold their game account at that high price.” Max added as he was also amazed. “Yeah I just read the news earlier while I’m browsing about games when this news appeared, at first it seems like a joke but when I read the contents I’m also shocked that it was true.” Ren said as he was still feeling amazed at the news he just read. “The bidding also happened last night and I didn’t know about it.” Kai said with regret. “Right, because you don’t have any interest in other games other than Royal Road.” Max agreed on Kai. “I also don’t have interest in other games right now aside from Royal Road.” Ren added. They don’t need the character or account they just feel regret as they can’t witness the legend unfolds. “Well guys it’s ok, it’s not like we need to win the bidding for that account.” Kai said smiling at his friends. “Yeah it’s no used for us who are going to play Royal Road.” Ren respond agreeing with Kai. “That’s right it’s the game we are waiting for the year now.” Max said smiling as he added. “We will also probably meet that person in the game, that’s why he sold his account to play Royal Road.” Kai was saying to his friends that they got professional gamer playing Royal Road with a title ‘God of War’ in Continent of Magic. They all feel excited because the more rivals you got the more difficult and exciting the game is. They all want to experienced thrill and excitement that no other games or competition can give. All the games they played in the past was all easy for them, they got bored and ended up quitting after some time. Same for the competition held in school and outside they felt winning was like a chore for them and that’s not what they want. They tried and search different things until Unicorn released Royal Road on public with 99% realization, a truly splendid game. Beginning with a fully implemented world, the game contained tens of thousands of races and over tens of thousands of jobs and hundreds of thousands of skills. You could enjoy adventure as you desire or even go sea fishing with friends for days, as long you don’t encounter whimsical typhoons of course. The massive scale of freedom was amazing, but best above all was the wondrous game’s system. Royal Road had the reputation of inducing the ultimate fun a human could enjoy in a game. The normal school day pass and as the bell ring for the end of the class their teacher dismissed them. The students are starting to get out of the room although they are not running they are moving quickly and with hurry. Kai was putting his bag and getting ready to leave the room when he was approached by three girls. The girl in front of them was Rikka her long black hair was silky and beautiful, and her features did not lose to that either. Her build was slender, but she looked like the type that seemed slimmer in clothes. The two behind her is Rin and Chisa, the one besides her urging her to talk was Rin her hair was drawn up in a ponytail seemed more coffee brown than black, almost the color of black pearls. She did not dye her hair; it had been that color since birth. She was as beautiful and it wasn't just beauty her face projected an air of refined nobility, her eyes shone with clear intelligence. “Hello Captain, Rikka has something to tell you.” Rin said as she turns to Rikka beside her. “Come on ask him now.” She is also a member of Karate club, her dark brown hair swayed as she moved, Rin said as she pushes Rikka in front of him. “Um” Rikka didn’t know how to start as she forgets the scripts in the practiced earlier. “You’re Rikka right?” Kai ask as he remembered Rikka the girl in front of him. She possessed beautiful soft black hair that was long and shiny with blue-green eyes, as well as an appearance of a quintessential Yamato Nadeshiko. “Y-Yes, I’m Rikka you’re classmate. I have something to ask of you.” Rikka said stuttering with her words. “Go Rikka-chan you can do it!” Said Chisa on her back she has pink hair at shoulder length and a slim body like a model because of her cute, yet childish face, it wasn't unusual for people to mistake her for a middle-school girl. She is also a member of Taekwondo club, on his school uniform she looks harmless but during her match she transforms to a demon that defeat her opponents. “You see, I wanted to ask you earlier before class, but you guys are busy and seriously talking about something so I didn’t disturb you.” Rikka said explaining. “Now before you leave I wanted to ask you something, It’s about the virtual reality game you were going to play the Royal Road, you see we also brought a capsule a while ago and wanted to ask you where are you guys going to start, what’s the name of the city and if possible we wanted to join you guys in adventure.” Rikka said embarrassingly as her face turn crimson red. Rikka is a member of kendo club she likes Kai and always watches his match. Last spring they went on shopping on Ueno when an accident occur as the little girl chase the cat on the road and with many fast car was passing through, before the car hit the little girl a young man jump on the road to save the little girl and also the cat. She was also running to save the little girl with his two friends but they were too late but they notices that the little girl was okay and also the cat as they were being carried by a tall light blue haired young man. The little girl who was crying earlier but when she saw the face of the young man who was carrying him with the cat at his shoulders started talking and smiling at her, she stops crying and started smiling as she hugs the cat. The guardian of the young little girl dashed at their daughter as they hug her daughter and thanks the young man and they also bowed to him. The tall young man with light blue hair paired with blue gray eyes talk the guardian for a few moments, and then he walks out the scene as he joined his two friends. Starting from that day she was love struck to the young man who was in front of her right now. “We will not slow you down we will be a benefit to your adventure.” Rikka added to Kai as she looked to him with pleading eyes. Kai seeing the girl in front of him pleading with cute expression, it was truly adorable. He looked back at his friends and they just nod indicating that they will accept his decision. “I truly appreciate of what you said and willing to do for us, but we will decline.” Kai said looking apologetic to Rikka. “Why? Is it not enough? Are we not good? Do you hate us?” Rikka said with tears forming at her eyes as she built her courage to speak with him today but the result was failed. “No no, you see we plan to start on different place on Royal Road.” Kai said explaining. “What do you mean, why you guys need to start on different place? When it was clear to see that when you guy’s help each other it will be easier.” Rikka asks as she was perplexed at what Kai said to her. “That’s the point why we decide to start on different place on Royal Road. If we truly want to feel the true adventure, we will start on places we don’t know other people. We want to experience the thrill and excitement during the game, if we start on same places we will just help each other although it’s not bad to help each other but at first we want to achieve something ourselves. That’s why we decide before we start the game that if we truly want to experience true adventure we will start with ourselves first and then we will decide to meet before the start of new school year. That will be around two months in real time and eight months during the game.” Kai said to her. “Eight months? Will that be so long and hard?” Rikka said feeling sad because she will not also see Kai during that eight months’ time. Although she take courage herself to get close to him in the Royal Road where she can help him during adventures because an adventurer needs other people to help each other and she thinks it was the right time for her to act to get closed to him but now it will be futile. “I thought Rin know about it because I also tell my club before the tournament starts a couple of months ago.” Kai said as Rin and Rikka were friends so they can share some info right away. “Well Captain when you tell us about it I just thought that your friends will play at the same town so you want some privacy but I didn’t know that Captain and his friends will not also start at the same place. I’m sorry because I’m the one that told Rikka to talk with you about it.” Rin embarrassingly said apologizing for her mistakes. “No Rin-chan it was my fault. I’m sorry Kudou-san it wasn’t Rin-chan fault so don’t be angry at her.” Rikka said as she also bowed and apologizes to him. Chisa seeing her two friends apologizes she also join them as she bowed also in front of Kai. Seeing the three girls apologizing with sad face like that Kai sigh and said. “Don’t worry about it because I’m not angry at anyone and I’m sorry also about earlier.” Kai said as he apologizes also to the girls. Kai then wears his best smile and said to them. “Alright why don’t we exchange email address so we can contact each other after two months and you girls can join our party after we meet.” After he said that the girls brightened their mood. “Thank you Captain!” “Yes, thank you Kudou-san!” “Yes, thank you Kudou-san!” They exchange their email address and remind them that if we contact each other don’t ask any information about Royal Road and see ya after two months. It was the last day of the third term and they don’t have any club activities. After they bid farewell to each other they go home and prepare for Royal Road. Kai after he got home, he feed his pets and makes heavy dinner for himself and prepares a breakfast for tomorrow. He checked the net and do light exercises before he got in the capsule. “It’s time” He said as he wait inside the capsule that turn dark around him. | Connect to Royal Road | | | --- | --- | | Yes | No | When the message came he said immediately without hesitation. “Yes” Author Notes This is my first time writing my own fanfic and I’m sorry because there is no originality in some parts. The next chapter will be released later or tomorrow after I proofread it. I plan to add some picture, though I only get it in Google because I don't have time to draw and I’m suck on drawing. I'm glad to receive any reactions about my writing either it was criticism, suggestions, corrections and etc. Just feel free to comment and I’ll try to reply if I’m given time. The volume title will give you some idea about the next chapter and the whole story is about the Training Grounds though I’m not good at giving title but I tried my best so the readers can understand immediately so Neo only and there is no other. Most of the story is not based in real LMS as I only get the Royal Road game though sometimes story about the real LMS will pops-up to tell the difference in timeline and other things. Thank you and enjoy reading!

<div class="chapter-inner chapter-content"> <div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #004000;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Battle Rooster</span></span><br><span style="font-weight: bold;">Collectors Edition : Omake<br>Bawk!!</span><br><br><blockquote><cite> Wrote: </cite>Been a while since update, and here I am doing something else entirely.<br>Minor spoiler, which is not to be worried about if you read up to what was translated.<br>Anyways, this is the side thing (3rd version of the original idea), enjoy.<br>Whether or not I'll keep this running is still unknown.</blockquote><br><br><span style="font-style: italic;">Legendary heroes are but decorated heroes, whose deeds were sung in songs and told in tales by the bards in the inns. But the true heroes, lie in the shadows, unknown, unsung, yet persevere in doing what they believe is right.<br><br>This may or may not be the tale of one.<br></span><br><br><br><br>It is the time at last...<br><br><br><img src="http://i1343.photobucket.com/albums/o798/fazwick/Chicken/VRC1_zps441289f3.png" border="0" alt="http%3a%2f%2fi1343.photobucket.com%2falbums%2fo798...1289f3.png"><br><br><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br>VR CAPSULE - Prototype Alpha build 2.46</span><br><br>An early product made for the testing of Royal Road, discontinued after the commercial version of the current VR capsule was made.<br><br>To say that it is obsolete, however,is not entirely accurate. It was too pricy for normal homes. Hence, the simplified, mass produced version, took over.<br><br>The difference? Other than being bulky and hard to move around? There are plenty of differences in terms of specs, but most importantly, this unit does not have the usual vein and retinal scan. <br><br>Identification and logging in is made directly from brain wave patterns. Something not quite suitable for mass producing, or as secure as the commercial capsules.<br><br>So why is this feature so important?<br><br><br><img src="http://i1343.photobucket.com/albums/o798/fazwick/Chicken/VRC2_zpsb24dffb4.png" border="0" alt="http%3a%2f%2fi1343.photobucket.com%2falbums%2fo798...4dffb4.png"><br><br><br>Because it is possible for even me to get into that world.<br><br><br><img src="http://i1343.photobucket.com/albums/o798/fazwick/Chicken/HSHF_zps2af7ecbd.png" border="0" alt="http%3a%2f%2fi1343.photobucket.com%2falbums%2fo798...f7ecbd.png"><br><br><br>My name is Half Sauce Half Fried.<br><br>Half Sauce, Half Fried, Full masculinity. Seriously, no other rooster has such a gorgeous red comb as mine, the wattles that would sweep the feet of any hen,or the proud and strong chest of the truest of roosters.<br><br>The epitome of Cockness. Or is it Roosterness? The equivalent of manliness for the human kind.<br><br>Fun Fact: We roosters are so manly, humans named their manhood after us. Yeah.<br><br>But really, I’m getting off the point here. This should be the part where I explain what I’m doing in front of this contraption.<br><br>To begin, we shall do a quick flashback, I heard humans love flashbacks.<br><br>Lady Seo Yoon.<br><br><br><img src="http://i1343.photobucket.com/albums/o798/fazwick/Chicken/Untitled_zpsc88bde74.png" border="0" alt="http%3a%2f%2fi1343.photobucket.com%2falbums%2fo798...8bde74.png"><br><br><br>The story began when my saviour, the goddess in human form, Seo Yoon, rescued me from the grasp of my former evil master.<br><br>A master so evil, he tried to fatten me with leftover food so that he could eat me once I’m all grown up. <br><br>That was until Lady Seo Yoon stepped in and rescued me from his grasp.<br><br>For that, I am eternally grateful.<br><br><br><img src="http://i1343.photobucket.com/albums/o798/fazwick/Chicken/Hvn_zps2123a9b6.png" border="0" alt="http%3a%2f%2fi1343.photobucket.com%2falbums%2fo798...23a9b6.png"><br><br><br>After the incident, I was in her tender loving care. Despite the weird food she tried to feed me, and the other human females that occasionally tried to pet me, life was good.<br>I thought this was heaven, I thought it would last.<br><br>Until that day.....<br><br><br><br><img src="http://i1343.photobucket.com/albums/o798/fazwick/Chicken/surprised_zps4631d3a2.png" border="0" alt="http%3a%2f%2fi1343.photobucket.com%2falbums%2fo798...31d3a2.png"><br><br><br>I saw in the magic screen humans used, something quite dreadful.<br><br>It was my former master, feeding my goddess while she was defenseless.<br><br>His evil knows no bounds! First he tried to feed me, trying to plump me up so that he could eat me. Failing that, now he seeks revenge on my saviour who thwarted his plan.<br><br>What does feeding her have anything to do with revenge, you ask? Everything!!<br><br>Me overthinking stuff? Exaggerating? Fool, this former master of mine feeding others food is a marvel by itself! His greediness is beyond what your imagination can grasp! He has an ulterior motive!<br><br><br><br><img src="http://i1343.photobucket.com/albums/o798/fazwick/Chicken/Eat_zpsd52cd51e.png" border="0" alt="http%3a%2f%2fi1343.photobucket.com%2falbums%2fo798...2cd51e.png"><br><br><br>He intends to eat my master!!<br><br>It is quite obvious. He wanted to fatten up my master first because she’s too scrawny to eat. He did the same to me too. (He failed due to my current master’s intervention. That’s the motive!)<br><br>It was at that moment that I realised that I need to take action. <br><br><br><br><img src="http://i1343.photobucket.com/albums/o798/fazwick/Chicken/bawk_zpse915fa38.png" border="0" alt="http%3a%2f%2fi1343.photobucket.com%2falbums%2fo798...15fa38.png"><br><br><br>I realised that it was impossible to try communicate with her, since chicken tongue is an ancient powerful language reserved for only the mightiest of creatures.<br><br>Did not stop me from trying, though.<br><br>Since my goddess can’t understand chickenspeak, the only option is for me to go there and rescue her!<br><br><br><br><img src="http://i1343.photobucket.com/albums/o798/fazwick/Chicken/Read_zps2f4269f9.png" border="0" alt="http%3a%2f%2fi1343.photobucket.com%2falbums%2fo798...4269f9.png"><br><br><br>I started researching the magical screen, studied its properties, and managed to trace it back to its source.<br><br>It was a world different from ours, filled with more magical stuff. And to get there, one needed to go through some magical teleporting contraptions, aptly named capsule by the humans.<br><br>Thus, I began to push my research further. A world that was said to have a magic that would automatically translate everything you say, a united world where language is not a barrier. A place I can finally speak to my goddess and warn her of the evil that is Lee Hyun.<br><br>Which brings me to this day,and hence my journey begins.<br><br><br><br><img src="http://i1343.photobucket.com/albums/o798/fazwick/Chicken/Online_zpsba12b632.png" border="0" alt="http%3a%2f%2fi1343.photobucket.com%2falbums%2fo798...12b632.png"><br><br><br>“Would you like to log on to Royal Road?”<br><br><span style="color: #FF0000;">“BAWK”</span></div><br><br><br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.royalroadl.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=5157#p5157" target="_blank">Continue this madness</a></div><br><br><blockquote><cite>CREDITS Wrote: </cite>Credits to random peeps who gave early reviews. And to one particular PR who 1. PR'ed this stuff 2. drew a panel. (although I was not allowed to use the original. It was redrawn.) 3. for the hugs.<br><br><span style="color: #BFBF80;">Also, I need drawing slaves.. recruits.. collabs. I prefer the first one, no question asked. </span></blockquote><br> </div>

Battle Rooster Collectors Edition : Omake Bawk!! > Wrote: Been a while since update, and here I am doing something else entirely. > Minor spoiler, which is not to be worried about if you read up to what was translated. > Anyways, this is the side thing (3rd version of the original idea), enjoy. > Whether or not I'll keep this running is still unknown. Legendary heroes are but decorated heroes, whose deeds were sung in songs and told in tales by the bards in the inns. But the true heroes, lie in the shadows, unknown, unsung, yet persevere in doing what they believe is right. This may or may not be the tale of one. It is the time at last...  VR CAPSULE - Prototype Alpha build 2.46 An early product made for the testing of Royal Road, discontinued after the commercial version of the current VR capsule was made. To say that it is obsolete, however,is not entirely accurate. It was too pricy for normal homes. Hence, the simplified, mass produced version, took over. The difference? Other than being bulky and hard to move around? There are plenty of differences in terms of specs, but most importantly, this unit does not have the usual vein and retinal scan. Identification and logging in is made directly from brain wave patterns. Something not quite suitable for mass producing, or as secure as the commercial capsules. So why is this feature so important?  Because it is possible for even me to get into that world.  My name is Half Sauce Half Fried. Half Sauce, Half Fried, Full masculinity. Seriously, no other rooster has such a gorgeous red comb as mine, the wattles that would sweep the feet of any hen,or the proud and strong chest of the truest of roosters. The epitome of Cockness. Or is it Roosterness? The equivalent of manliness for the human kind. Fun Fact: We roosters are so manly, humans named their manhood after us. Yeah. But really, I’m getting off the point here. This should be the part where I explain what I’m doing in front of this contraption. To begin, we shall do a quick flashback, I heard humans love flashbacks. Lady Seo Yoon.  The story began when my saviour, the goddess in human form, Seo Yoon, rescued me from the grasp of my former evil master. A master so evil, he tried to fatten me with leftover food so that he could eat me once I’m all grown up. That was until Lady Seo Yoon stepped in and rescued me from his grasp. For that, I am eternally grateful.  After the incident, I was in her tender loving care. Despite the weird food she tried to feed me, and the other human females that occasionally tried to pet me, life was good. I thought this was heaven, I thought it would last. Until that day.....  I saw in the magic screen humans used, something quite dreadful. It was my former master, feeding my goddess while she was defenseless. His evil knows no bounds! First he tried to feed me, trying to plump me up so that he could eat me. Failing that, now he seeks revenge on my saviour who thwarted his plan. What does feeding her have anything to do with revenge, you ask? Everything!! Me overthinking stuff? Exaggerating? Fool, this former master of mine feeding others food is a marvel by itself! His greediness is beyond what your imagination can grasp! He has an ulterior motive!  He intends to eat my master!! It is quite obvious. He wanted to fatten up my master first because she’s too scrawny to eat. He did the same to me too. (He failed due to my current master’s intervention. That’s the motive!) It was at that moment that I realised that I need to take action.  I realised that it was impossible to try communicate with her, since chicken tongue is an ancient powerful language reserved for only the mightiest of creatures. Did not stop me from trying, though. Since my goddess can’t understand chickenspeak, the only option is for me to go there and rescue her!  I started researching the magical screen, studied its properties, and managed to trace it back to its source. It was a world different from ours, filled with more magical stuff. And to get there, one needed to go through some magical teleporting contraptions, aptly named capsule by the humans. Thus, I began to push my research further. A world that was said to have a magic that would automatically translate everything you say, a united world where language is not a barrier. A place I can finally speak to my goddess and warn her of the evil that is Lee Hyun. Which brings me to this day,and hence my journey begins.  “Would you like to log on to Royal Road?” “BAWK” [Continue this madness](http://www.royalroadl.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=5157#p5157) > CREDITS Wrote: Credits to random peeps who gave early reviews. And to one particular PR who 1. PR'ed this stuff 2. drew a panel. (although I was not allowed to use the original. It was redrawn.) 3. for the hugs. > > Also, I need drawing slaves.. recruits.. collabs. I prefer the first one, no question asked.

<div class="chapter-inner chapter-content"> [edit] I have the next two chapters done. It might be a week or two before I finish chapter seven. I was wondering if you all want either of them now or in a week? Also it seems I'm having a bit of trouble naming this chapter so if anyone has any suggestions, I'm all ears.<br><br><br><div class="spoiler"><div class="smalltext" style="margin-bottom:2px"><b>Spoiler</b> : <input type="button" value="Show" class="spoilerButton"></div><div class="spoilerContent"><div style="display: none;">----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br><br><br>After I got back to the training hall I decided to work with the war hammer again using the original routine of swinging it repeatedly overhead. I planned on doing this until I needed to refill my canteen. After a little over seven hours (IGT) I received a message. <br><br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td>+1 Strength</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br> I had been in a zoned out state repeatedly swinging the hammer overhead. So when I heard the sound of a message I was forcibly dragged back to reality, well virtual reality. I looked to see how much time it took to just increase one of my stats by one. After realizing how long it took I felt a bit depressed. I remember how much of a pain this was and thought I had the determination to complete it but my will was wavering.<br><br> I decided that I would force myself to keep going. I felt it would be a bit easier if I did something else. So I put up the war hammer and move on to my next task. This time I picked up two light maces and like I did before. I ran along the scarecrows hitting them as I passed. After resting I forced myself up and went for another go. About half way through the run I received a message.<br><br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td>+1 Vitality</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br> And when I made it all the way to the end I received yet another message.<br><br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td>New Stat: Fighting Spirit</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br> <span style="font-style: italic;">~Hells to the yeah!~</span> I was overjoyed. I got my second increase in almost no time at all. Truthfully I didn’t care much for the new stat. I never considered it useful and I knew I would receive it sooner or later. After gaining my second increase I decided to take a much needed break. <br><br> I logged back in after eating and using the restroom. This time I wanted to mix it up some. I decided to practice with a ranged weapon. So I grabbed one of the practice bows. I had never used a ranged weapon before. I was caught off guard while inspecting the bow. The bow did just pitiful damage. It only did as much damage as a wooden dagger, 1-2 damage. Looking at the damage it made me feel bad for anyone that chose to use bows as there main weapon. I had no clue bows did so little damage. Bows also only get two thirds the damage bonus from the Strength stat than that of a two handed melee weapon. Not only that but for most players that specialize in bows Strength isn’t even their main stat.<br><br> I picked a platform and got into position. Next to each platform stood a container filled with arrows. When I inspected one I noticed that arrows also have their own damage, 0-1. The damage from arrows was small but it must help even if only a bit. But even the extra damage from the arrows wouldn’t be able to fill the damage gap between two handed melee weapons and bows.<br> I put the arrow on the bow string, aimed at a close target, pulled back the bow string, and steadied my body as well as my breathing. After I did all that, I released the bow string. With a "Twang" sound the arrow went flying... about two feet in front of me, I shouldn't really call it flying it was more like it jumped and fell. I tried a few more times, each time wasn't much better than the last. I tried for almost two hours (IGT) before I decided to ask for help. I thought about asking the instructor for help, but then I remembered how useless he was the last time. I decided to instead log out and watch some tutorials on how to do it. <br><br> After about an hour and a half (RLT) I decided to try it again. <span style="font-style: italic;">~I think this is how I was supposed to stand. Okay now place my left hand on the bow right about here and set the arrow right about there. Now I just pull back on the string and... Oh wait, almost forgot to make sure my right elbow is level.~</span> After I did all the things I could remember. I let it lose, and to my surprise it flew, it flew far. I wasn't really aiming at anything I just wanted it to go forward. But the sensation I felt as I watched the arrow leave my hands and whiz threw the air was exciting, no exhilarating. So I did it again and again, this time aiming at the closest target. I did it until my stamina was almost at the critical point. Then I would go collect the arrows and rest. I practiced for another eight or so hours (IGT) before I received a message.<br><br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td>+1 Dexterity</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br> After gaining another stat I decided to reward myself with an apple. The apple was delicious it tasted better than real applies. It's hard to explain, it tasted more like apples than an apple. Kind of like an apple flavored Snapple. After finishing my apple I decided to try to hit the mid range target. I decided if I could hit it near the bulls eye eight out of ten shots I would move on to a harder target. <br><br> After about six hours (IGT) I was finally able to hit the target reliably. So I decided to move on to the next one. Each target had a diameter of about a meter and the diameter of the bull’s-eye was about six inches. The closest target was about five meters away med range one was about fifteen meters away, the one that I was aiming at now was about thirty meters away. At the moment I was only getting about two out of ten shoots into the target. <br><br> After about four hours (IGT) of shooting at it, I was hitting about six out of ten. Almost another three hours (IGT) later I get a two messages one right after the other.<br><br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td>+1 Dexterity</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td>+1 Vitality</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br> At this point I decided to take a nice long break from the game. So I logged out for the day.</div></div></div><ul><br><li></li></ul><br> </div>

[edit] I have the next two chapters done. It might be a week or two before I finish chapter seven. I was wondering if you all want either of them now or in a week? Also it seems I'm having a bit of trouble naming this chapter so if anyone has any suggestions, I'm all ears. **Spoiler** : ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- After I got back to the training hall I decided to work with the war hammer again using the original routine of swinging it repeatedly overhead. I planned on doing this until I needed to refill my canteen. After a little over seven hours (IGT) I received a message. | +1 Strength | | --- | I had been in a zoned out state repeatedly swinging the hammer overhead. So when I heard the sound of a message I was forcibly dragged back to reality, well virtual reality. I looked to see how much time it took to just increase one of my stats by one. After realizing how long it took I felt a bit depressed. I remember how much of a pain this was and thought I had the determination to complete it but my will was wavering. I decided that I would force myself to keep going. I felt it would be a bit easier if I did something else. So I put up the war hammer and move on to my next task. This time I picked up two light maces and like I did before. I ran along the scarecrows hitting them as I passed. After resting I forced myself up and went for another go. About half way through the run I received a message. | +1 Vitality | | --- | And when I made it all the way to the end I received yet another message. | New Stat: Fighting Spirit | | --- | ~Hells to the yeah!~ I was overjoyed. I got my second increase in almost no time at all. Truthfully I didn’t care much for the new stat. I never considered it useful and I knew I would receive it sooner or later. After gaining my second increase I decided to take a much needed break. I logged back in after eating and using the restroom. This time I wanted to mix it up some. I decided to practice with a ranged weapon. So I grabbed one of the practice bows. I had never used a ranged weapon before. I was caught off guard while inspecting the bow. The bow did just pitiful damage. It only did as much damage as a wooden dagger, 1-2 damage. Looking at the damage it made me feel bad for anyone that chose to use bows as there main weapon. I had no clue bows did so little damage. Bows also only get two thirds the damage bonus from the Strength stat than that of a two handed melee weapon. Not only that but for most players that specialize in bows Strength isn’t even their main stat. I picked a platform and got into position. Next to each platform stood a container filled with arrows. When I inspected one I noticed that arrows also have their own damage, 0-1. The damage from arrows was small but it must help even if only a bit. But even the extra damage from the arrows wouldn’t be able to fill the damage gap between two handed melee weapons and bows. I put the arrow on the bow string, aimed at a close target, pulled back the bow string, and steadied my body as well as my breathing. After I did all that, I released the bow string. With a "Twang" sound the arrow went flying... about two feet in front of me, I shouldn't really call it flying it was more like it jumped and fell. I tried a few more times, each time wasn't much better than the last. I tried for almost two hours (IGT) before I decided to ask for help. I thought about asking the instructor for help, but then I remembered how useless he was the last time. I decided to instead log out and watch some tutorials on how to do it. After about an hour and a half (RLT) I decided to try it again. ~I think this is how I was supposed to stand. Okay now place my left hand on the bow right about here and set the arrow right about there. Now I just pull back on the string and... Oh wait, almost forgot to make sure my right elbow is level.~ After I did all the things I could remember. I let it lose, and to my surprise it flew, it flew far. I wasn't really aiming at anything I just wanted it to go forward. But the sensation I felt as I watched the arrow leave my hands and whiz threw the air was exciting, no exhilarating. So I did it again and again, this time aiming at the closest target. I did it until my stamina was almost at the critical point. Then I would go collect the arrows and rest. I practiced for another eight or so hours (IGT) before I received a message. | +1 Dexterity | | --- | After gaining another stat I decided to reward myself with an apple. The apple was delicious it tasted better than real applies. It's hard to explain, it tasted more like apples than an apple. Kind of like an apple flavored Snapple. After finishing my apple I decided to try to hit the mid range target. I decided if I could hit it near the bulls eye eight out of ten shots I would move on to a harder target. After about six hours (IGT) I was finally able to hit the target reliably. So I decided to move on to the next one. Each target had a diameter of about a meter and the diameter of the bull’s-eye was about six inches. The closest target was about five meters away med range one was about fifteen meters away, the one that I was aiming at now was about thirty meters away. At the moment I was only getting about two out of ten shoots into the target. After about four hours (IGT) of shooting at it, I was hitting about six out of ten. Almost another three hours (IGT) later I get a two messages one right after the other. | +1 Dexterity | | --- | | +1 Vitality | | --- | At this point I decided to take a nice long break from the game. So I logged out for the day. *

<div class="chapter-inner chapter-content"> Nayir watched as the customer stepped through the doorway and approached him.<br><br>The customer was a man who looked to be in his mid-20s. He walked up to the counter Nayir stood behind.<br><br>“Hello, I was looking for the Ice Element spell ‘Frost’. Do you happen to have it?”<br><br>Nayir looked at the man blankly.<br><br>“I don’t know.”<br><br>“Ah… is there any chance of you checking for me? I would really like that spell, you see.”<br><br>Nayir sighed.<br><br>He searched around underneath the counter and found a leather-bound book that had ‘Stocklist’ written on the cover.<br><br>He opened the book and found that all of the entries were sorted categorically by element and tier. Next to each entry was a brief description of the spell, its rank, the location of it in the store and the price that it costs. Here and there, entries were stricken out, presumably because those spells were no longer supplied.<br><br>Flipping over to the Ice Element section, Nayir scanned across the pages until he came across the entry for Frost, when he found it he read the related information.<br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td>Frost<br>Tier 3 spell<br><br>Emit a freezing aura that causes the surroundings to frost over, decreasing the movement speed and attack of hostile enemies.<br><br>Rank: E<br><br>Location: Bookcase 4, Shelf 5.<br><br>Price: 7 gold.</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br>Nayir looked back up at the man to see him staring back with a face full of hope and eagerness. Nayir scanned the room and pointed.<br><br>“It’s over there.”<br><br>The customer’s head swivelled in the direction of Nayir’s finger to see several bookcases, stacked full of books. The customer turned back to him.<br><br>“If it’s not too much to ask, could you help me look for it? It will take me a while.”<br><br>Nayir sighed again, biting back a retort so that he did not lose this customer. His wages might suffer as a result and that would mean less food for him to eat.<br><br>He walked over to the bookcase that had a sign attached that read ‘4’, counted down to the fifth shelf and his finger across the spines of the books until he found the one that had ‘Frost’ written on it.<br><br>Nayir pulled the book out of the bookcase and returned to his place behind the counter. He slammed the book down, causing the man to jump slightly and told him the price.<br><br>“Could I get the discount for the amount of my fame?”<br><br>Nayir stared coldly at him and, upon noting the value of his fame, calculated the discount according to Gourd’s instructions.<br><br>“6 gold and 68 silver.”<br><br>The customer counted out the money and put it down on the counter. After confirming the amount, Nayir handed him the book and stored the money.<br><br>“I’ve finally got it! Thank you! Thank you so much! This will help a lot in my quest! Learn spell!”<br><br>The spell book shone a bright light and disappeared as the man gained the knowledge of his new spell.<br><br>He exited the store excitedly, probably going to test out the new spell.<br><br>Nayir sighed a third time.<br><br>“This work business is more exhausting than I thought it would be.”<br><br>Nayir looked around him.<br><br>“Well… now that no one is here….”<br><br>Nayir walked over to the shelf that had the Frost spell and looked it.<br><br>“Just one look wouldn’t hurt, right? The bracelet may not work…”<br><br>He confirmed that there was no one else in the store and reached out to touch the book.<br><br>As soon as his fingers touched the spine of the book, his body instantly stiffened up.<br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td>You have gone against the rules that were made upon the attaching of the Bracelet of Compulsion.<br><br>You are now paralysed.</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br>Nayir tried to move but none of his muscles would respond.<br><br>That was when he heard footsteps approaching.<br><br>“I knew it. Once a thief… Well, hopefully you’ll learn your lesson eventually.”<br><br>A few whispered words later and Nayir’s muscles relaxed, he spun around to see an annoyed Gourd.<br><br>“Try to behave yourself, I’ve got important things to do and I don’t want to keep coming back here to sort you out.”<br><br>Gourd left Nayir standing in the middle of the shop, considering what he should do.<br><br>He sat in a chair that was to the side of the counter and began to doze, reasoning that it would be unlikely that he saw any more customers today.<br><br>Nayir stood on the crest of a hill under the midday sun, below him swarmed the hordes of the Summoner Del’Farre.<br><br>He could only smile as they charged up the hill, towards the place where he was standing.<br><br>He raised his arms up to the sky and called out his most powerful spell,<br><br>“Supernova!”<br><br>High above his figure, a dazzling light started to burn.<br><br>The light grew larger and began to emit heat.<br><br>As its size increased, so did the force of the heat.<br><br>The sphere completed its growth, with its size equating one league in diameter.<br><br>Nayir smiled maliciously.<br><br>“Burn!”<br><br>Nayir thrust his arms forward, towards the stampede of monsters, and the supernova shot forwards, mimicking his actions.<br><br>The ground began to shake.<br><br>“Excuse me?”<br><br>The ground shook even more ferociously.<br><br>“Excuse me, I said.”<br><br>Nayir slowly opened his eyes to discover a small, young girl shaking his shoulders.<br><br>“What do you want?”<br><br>“I need a spell…”<br><br>Nayir got out of his chair and went to stand behind the counter, pulling out the ‘Stocklist’.<br><br>“What spell?”<br><br>“Surtr’s Blade.”<br><br>Nayir clicked his tongue.<br><br>“I need more information than that. What element?”<br><br>The little girl giggled.<br><br>“Fire.”<br><br>Nayir skimmed through the fire element section. Page after page went by without any mention of the spell. On the final page, three spells before the end, he found it.<br><br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td>Surtr’s Blade<br>Tier 10 spell<br><br>Summons Með Sviga Lævi, the sword of Surtr, which blazes with the fires of Muspelheim to tear through your foes. The sword possess unique abilities.<br><br>WARNING: This spell will inflict damage to the caster due to having to wield the raw energy of Muspelheim.<br><br>Rank: A<br><br>Location: ………….<br><br>Price: 350,000 gold.</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br>Nayir read the entry and stared at the girl.<br><br><span style="font-style: italic;">She can’t be serious! Tier 10 means that she is an extremely high level! If I don’t do what she wants…</span><br><br>“Could you go and get it for me?”<br><br>The little girl smiled sweetly at him.<br><br>“I’m just… going to…”<br><br>Nayir backed away from the grinning girl and dashed out of the back of the room. He set about trying to find Gourd.<br><br>He found him sitting at his dinner table eating soup. Gourd stopped eating, his spoon halfway to his mouth.<br><br>“What’s the matter? We’re not closed yet.”<br><br>“A girl wants to buy Surtr’s Blade…”<br><br>Gourd dropped his spoon into his bowl causing his soup to splash over the table, his shirt and face, his eyes wide with shock.<br><br>“I’ll go get it. Get back in there and make sure she doesn’t get away!”<br><br>Nayir returned to the storefront to find the little girl sitting on the counter, humming to herself and swinging her legs.<br><br>“It won’t be long.”<br><br>The little girl hopped off of the counter and faced Nayir, who had positioned himself with his back hugging the wall next to the exit.<br><br>The girl cocked her head.<br><br>“Ok.”<br><br>She resumed her humming and strolled around the store, perusing the books on display.<br><br>After a few moments, Gourd burst into the room, red in the face and panting, clutching a golden book.<br><br>“Are you… the customer who wanted the spell ‘Surtr’s Blade’?”<br><br>The little girl skipped over, beaming, when she noticed what Gourd was carrying.<br><br>“That’s me!”<br><br>“Oh my! You’re the famous…! To think I’d see you in my humble shop! Thank you for visiting a common man such as me!”<br><br>Gourd seemed like he was about to prostrate himself in front of her before he snapped back to what he was supposed to be doing.<br><br>Nayir watched the scene with bemusement. Who was this girl?<br><br>“The spell is 350,000 gold before discount. With your fame I can give you a discount of 73,580 gold so that will be 276,420 gold.”<br><br>The girl listened and, after thinking briefly, leaned forwards, tilting her head to the side and made her equivalent to ‘puppy-dog eyes’. <br><br>“Say… couldn’t you give me a little more discount?”<br><br>“…For a girl, who is as cute as you, I guess I could take another 20,000 off.”<br><br>“Wow. Thanks mister! You’re the best!”<br><br>The little girl paid the money and left the store with the spell book in hand.<br><br>“What… just… happened…”<br><br>Nayir was in shock.<br><br>This small girl had just gotten a discount of almost 100,000 gold on an extremely powerful spell.<br><br>Gourd turned to face Nayir.<br><br>“After such a big sale, I think we can afford to close up a little earlier than usual. Thank you for your work, even if there was a little incident. Here’s your wage for today.”<br><br>Nayir received 50 copper.<br><br>“Copper! Is that all! I deserve at least 5 gold for the effort I made today!”<br><br>“You get what you’re given, elf! If you don’t like it then give it back and find yourself somewhere else to work.”<br><br>Nayir pocketed the money. Even if it was a meagre amount, it was his now.<br><br>“When you want to work again, make sure you come here early in the morning. You will wear the bracelet every time. Hold your hand out and I shall remove it from you.”<br><br>After the bracelet had been removed, Nayir’s arm felt slightly lighter but there was also an indescribable feeling of released pressure from his entire body.<br><br>After Gourd bid Nayir farewell, Nayir left the store and decided he would head back towards the library, hopefully passing by a store that would sell him some food.<br>Walking down the street, a cold feeling prickled his neck.<br><br>He stopped.<br><br>His eyes darted around, searching for the source of his unease.<br><br>It was then that he spotted it.<br><br>On the other side of the road, a brown form lay.<br><br>Fear and fury rose up within Nayir.<br><br>It was that cat! The cat that killed him!<br><br>He took a step towards the cat.<br><br>“You’re going to pay for that, stupid cat!”<br><br>The cat opened its eyes and raised its head.<br><br>Nayir hesitated for a moment. He slowly took another step.<br><br>The cat hissed.<br><br>In the next instant, Nayir was sprinting down the road, hoping that the cat did not decide to chase him.<br><br>A minute of hard running passed before Nayir felt he was safe from potential harm.<br><br>During his flee he had received a system message that informed him that his stamina was depleted and his Agility had been raised by a point.<br><br>As he recovered from the exertion, he noted his current location. He appeared to be fairly close to the library, for which he was glad.<br><br>Firstly, however, he wanted food. Approaching the nearest person, he said,<br><br>“I want food.”<br><br>The person continued walking, glaring disdainfully at him.<br><br>“Hey! Don’t walk away from me! I want food!”<br><br>They disappeared around a corner.<br><br>“Hey!”<br><br>As he was about to give chase, Nayir felt a tug on his trousers.<br><br>“Excuse me, mister.”<br><br>He looked down and saw that there was a young boy pulling on his trousers.<br><br>“If its food you want, my granddad runs a shop that’s not too far away…”<br><br>“Take me there.”<br><br>The little boy led Nayir down the street, holding firmly onto the leg of his trousers.<br><br>Weaving through a few streets, the boy halted in front of a dilapidated building.<br><br>The roof and walls were barely standing, the brickwork riddled with holes. Through the remaining exterior, small weeds sprouted; the door hung on only one of its hinges and the glass in the window pane was smashed. Above the precariously fixed door, hung a similarly attached sign that was unable to be read due to the extent of the fading of the characters.<br><br>“This is where the food is?”<br><br>“Yeah! This is my granddad’s store! He’ll be happy to see you!”<br><br>“Ok.”<br><br>Nayir strode towards the door and pulled. The door came off and fell onto the floor.<br><br>He glanced at the door, shrugged his shoulders and continued inside.<br><br>Inside the house was dark, not as dark as the prison had been, yet the light of the setting sun did nothing to help illuminate the inside of the building. The interior was set out in a similar way to the spell store; the only difference was that the shelves and displays were covered in dust, cobwebs and a few broken articles instead of spell books.<br><br> Nayir walked up to the counter and looked around for the shopkeeper. When he could not find who he wanted, he clicked his tongue and turned to the young lad.<br><br>The boy dashed through the back of the room calling out,<br><br>“Granddad! I’ve got a customer! Granddad! Granddad! Customer!”<br><br>Nayir began pacing in front of the counter whilst he waited for this ‘granddad’ to appear, growing more and more impatient as the seconds passed.<br><br>Eventually, a frail old man, that looked to be at Death’s door, emerged from the same door that the boy had disappeared through, shortly before Nayir decided to storm into the back and drag the man out.<br><br>“Who are you?”<br><br>“I want food.”<br><br>The boy came back to stand next to the old man.<br><br>“Food? You… wait… come closer… you’re… an elf! I won’t have your sort in this store! Get out! Go on! Out!”<br><br>The elderly man shone with rage that it appeared that he had returned to the world of the living.<br><br>“But I want food.”<br><br>“I have none to sell you! If I’m seen with an elf, it’ll damage the reputation of my store! Out, I say!”<br><br>“Granddad…”<br><br>“Get out!”<br><br>“Granddad! Those days are over! Elves are treated the same as us now!”<br><br>“Not in my store they’re not!”<br><br>“Couldn’t you sell him some food? Just this once? We haven’t had a customer in a long time, have we?”<br><br>“That’s… true… well… just for you, my boy. What was it you said you wanted, elf?”<br><br>The old man still spat out that last word.<br><br>“Food. I want food.”<br><br>“The only food I have is barley bread. For you, I’ll sell them for 10 copper a piece.”<br><br>“Five.”<br><br>Nayir withdrew all of the coppers that he had earned that day and placed them on the counter.<br><br>The ancient shopkeeper counted the coins and, when he was satisfied that the amount was correct, he nodded to the young boy, who dashed out the back and returned carrying five pieces of barley bread.<br><br>After storing the barley bread in his inventory, Nayir turned and left the store. As he stepped back into the orange-tinted dusk, a voice rang out behind him,<br><br>“Thanks, mister! My granddad hasn’t had a customer in years so I think you made him very happy, despite what he said. Come back and buy something again sometime, ok?”<br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td>Relationship with Piln Arasia increased.</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br>Nayir continued to head back towards the library, not acknowledging that he had heard the boy.<br><br><div style="text-align: center;">***</div><br><br>Two weeks of in-game time passed.<br><br>Nayir had spent the days working in Gourd’s spell shop and the nights copying out the scrolls required for his new skill. <br><br>Through the time he spent working he managed to increase his wage but only after several more failed attempts at learning the spells in the store.<br><br>He discovered that the price of a piece of barley bread was only 3 copper when he visited another shop and cursed the old man and his extortion.<br><br>Needless to say, Nayir did not return to that store once he had found that out and had managed to save up a small sum of money. He was considering saving up some more to buy a new spell, seeing as he could not seem to learn one from the store's books without buying them.<br><br>As he progressed through the transcribing of the scrolls, Nayir managed to raise several more of his stats, a total of an extra 21 stats combined in both Intellect and Wisdom.<br><br>Though the four weeks restriction to the city had passed, against all of his impulses, Nayir had committed himself to acquiring the new skill before heading out of the gate, he had only a few more scrolls to go when he had received the notification.<br><br>As he wrote the last word and read the resulting system message, Nayir felt a surge of pride and repressed annoyance.<br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td>Quest Update<br><br>Scrolls Copied: 17/17<br><br>Quest Reward: Speak to librarian</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br>“I’ve done it! Finally! A new skill! And I can finally get out of this hellhole!”<br><br>Nayir exploded out of the side room and into the main library causing a nearby scholar to fall over in fright.<br><br>He dashed over to the librarian’s desk and reported his progress.<br><br>“I’ve finished!”<br><br>“So you have. Allow me to grant you the knowledge of my skill.”<br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td>Quest Complete<br><br>Rewards:<br><br>Gained +10 Fame.<br>Gained the librarian’s skill.</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td>New Skill: Focus<br><br>Direct your concentration to increase the damage of spells. Mana consumption is increased. Casting time is doubled. Unable to move whilst active.<br><br>Damage increases with level whilst mana consumption of spells is reduced.<br><br>Current Damage Increase: 120%<br>Current Mana Consumption of Spells: 300%<br><br>Mana Consumption: 5% of Maximum Mana upon activation.</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br>Scanning over the new skill, Nayir could only look at it in disbelief.<br><br>“What the hell is this?! I wanted something I could attack with!”<br><br>“This skill will increase the damage of your spells, surely for a mage, like yourself, this can become a greater asset than another attack skill.”<br><br>Nayir glared at the librarian, knowing that he was probably right but refusing to accept it, he could only shout wordlessly at him before stalking out of the library.<br><br>He wanted to quickly find an outlet for this frustration that he felt and thought hard.<br><br>Remembering that he was now able to go outside, he found the perfect outlet for his current emotions and started to walk in the direction of where he thought the city gates were, asking the occasional passer-by for clarification.<br><br><div style="text-align: center;">***</div><br><br>Passing the gates of the city, Nayir stepped out onto a grassy, moonlit plain. His vision was filled with scenes single players chasing down rabbits and raccoons and groups facing off with foxes and wolves. <br><br>Nayir decided that, with his new skill and increased stats, rabbits were beneath him, not worth killing and he would not be able to effectively vent his frustrations should he do so. Instead, he opted to tackle the nearest wolf and began the walk over to his first target.<br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">-END CHAPTER-</span></div><br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.royalroadl.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=129&amp;t=1063" target="_blank">&lt;&lt; Previous Chapter</a>|Next Chapter &gt;&gt;</div><br><br><span style="font-style: italic;">Chapter 5 and he finally leaves the city. It took him long enough.<br><br>I've almost finished my plans for the original "Chapter 1" and, in a few chapters, he will be heading off on his first adventure.<br><br>I hadn't planned that scene in the shop before I came to that part in the story but, since writing it, I'm quite glad I did. Maybe he'll return to that store again...<br><br>I am unsure whether I'll be able to get a release out next week but I shall do what I can.</span><br><br>~Emeki </div>

Nayir watched as the customer stepped through the doorway and approached him. The customer was a man who looked to be in his mid-20s. He walked up to the counter Nayir stood behind. “Hello, I was looking for the Ice Element spell ‘Frost’. Do you happen to have it?” Nayir looked at the man blankly. “I don’t know.” “Ah… is there any chance of you checking for me? I would really like that spell, you see.” Nayir sighed. He searched around underneath the counter and found a leather-bound book that had ‘Stocklist’ written on the cover. He opened the book and found that all of the entries were sorted categorically by element and tier. Next to each entry was a brief description of the spell, its rank, the location of it in the store and the price that it costs. Here and there, entries were stricken out, presumably because those spells were no longer supplied. Flipping over to the Ice Element section, Nayir scanned across the pages until he came across the entry for Frost, when he found it he read the related information. | FrostTier 3 spellEmit a freezing aura that causes the surroundings to frost over, decreasing the movement speed and attack of hostile enemies.Rank: ELocation: Bookcase 4, Shelf 5.Price: 7 gold. | | --- | Nayir looked back up at the man to see him staring back with a face full of hope and eagerness. Nayir scanned the room and pointed. “It’s over there.” The customer’s head swivelled in the direction of Nayir’s finger to see several bookcases, stacked full of books. The customer turned back to him. “If it’s not too much to ask, could you help me look for it? It will take me a while.” Nayir sighed again, biting back a retort so that he did not lose this customer. His wages might suffer as a result and that would mean less food for him to eat. He walked over to the bookcase that had a sign attached that read ‘4’, counted down to the fifth shelf and his finger across the spines of the books until he found the one that had ‘Frost’ written on it. Nayir pulled the book out of the bookcase and returned to his place behind the counter. He slammed the book down, causing the man to jump slightly and told him the price. “Could I get the discount for the amount of my fame?” Nayir stared coldly at him and, upon noting the value of his fame, calculated the discount according to Gourd’s instructions. “6 gold and 68 silver.” The customer counted out the money and put it down on the counter. After confirming the amount, Nayir handed him the book and stored the money. “I’ve finally got it! Thank you! Thank you so much! This will help a lot in my quest! Learn spell!” The spell book shone a bright light and disappeared as the man gained the knowledge of his new spell. He exited the store excitedly, probably going to test out the new spell. Nayir sighed a third time. “This work business is more exhausting than I thought it would be.” Nayir looked around him. “Well… now that no one is here….” Nayir walked over to the shelf that had the Frost spell and looked it. “Just one look wouldn’t hurt, right? The bracelet may not work…” He confirmed that there was no one else in the store and reached out to touch the book. As soon as his fingers touched the spine of the book, his body instantly stiffened up. | You have gone against the rules that were made upon the attaching of the Bracelet of Compulsion.You are now paralysed. | | --- | Nayir tried to move but none of his muscles would respond. That was when he heard footsteps approaching. “I knew it. Once a thief… Well, hopefully you’ll learn your lesson eventually.” A few whispered words later and Nayir’s muscles relaxed, he spun around to see an annoyed Gourd. “Try to behave yourself, I’ve got important things to do and I don’t want to keep coming back here to sort you out.” Gourd left Nayir standing in the middle of the shop, considering what he should do. He sat in a chair that was to the side of the counter and began to doze, reasoning that it would be unlikely that he saw any more customers today. Nayir stood on the crest of a hill under the midday sun, below him swarmed the hordes of the Summoner Del’Farre. He could only smile as they charged up the hill, towards the place where he was standing. He raised his arms up to the sky and called out his most powerful spell, “Supernova!” High above his figure, a dazzling light started to burn. The light grew larger and began to emit heat. As its size increased, so did the force of the heat. The sphere completed its growth, with its size equating one league in diameter. Nayir smiled maliciously. “Burn!” Nayir thrust his arms forward, towards the stampede of monsters, and the supernova shot forwards, mimicking his actions. The ground began to shake. “Excuse me?” The ground shook even more ferociously. “Excuse me, I said.” Nayir slowly opened his eyes to discover a small, young girl shaking his shoulders. “What do you want?” “I need a spell…” Nayir got out of his chair and went to stand behind the counter, pulling out the ‘Stocklist’. “What spell?” “Surtr’s Blade.” Nayir clicked his tongue. “I need more information than that. What element?” The little girl giggled. “Fire.” Nayir skimmed through the fire element section. Page after page went by without any mention of the spell. On the final page, three spells before the end, he found it. | Surtr’s BladeTier 10 spellSummons Með Sviga Lævi, the sword of Surtr, which blazes with the fires of Muspelheim to tear through your foes. The sword possess unique abilities.WARNING: This spell will inflict damage to the caster due to having to wield the raw energy of Muspelheim.Rank: ALocation: ………….Price: 350,000 gold. | | --- | Nayir read the entry and stared at the girl. She can’t be serious! Tier 10 means that she is an extremely high level! If I don’t do what she wants… “Could you go and get it for me?” The little girl smiled sweetly at him. “I’m just… going to…” Nayir backed away from the grinning girl and dashed out of the back of the room. He set about trying to find Gourd. He found him sitting at his dinner table eating soup. Gourd stopped eating, his spoon halfway to his mouth. “What’s the matter? We’re not closed yet.” “A girl wants to buy Surtr’s Blade…” Gourd dropped his spoon into his bowl causing his soup to splash over the table, his shirt and face, his eyes wide with shock. “I’ll go get it. Get back in there and make sure she doesn’t get away!” Nayir returned to the storefront to find the little girl sitting on the counter, humming to herself and swinging her legs. “It won’t be long.” The little girl hopped off of the counter and faced Nayir, who had positioned himself with his back hugging the wall next to the exit. The girl cocked her head. “Ok.” She resumed her humming and strolled around the store, perusing the books on display. After a few moments, Gourd burst into the room, red in the face and panting, clutching a golden book. “Are you… the customer who wanted the spell ‘Surtr’s Blade’?” The little girl skipped over, beaming, when she noticed what Gourd was carrying. “That’s me!” “Oh my! You’re the famous…! To think I’d see you in my humble shop! Thank you for visiting a common man such as me!” Gourd seemed like he was about to prostrate himself in front of her before he snapped back to what he was supposed to be doing. Nayir watched the scene with bemusement. Who was this girl? “The spell is 350,000 gold before discount. With your fame I can give you a discount of 73,580 gold so that will be 276,420 gold.” The girl listened and, after thinking briefly, leaned forwards, tilting her head to the side and made her equivalent to ‘puppy-dog eyes’. “Say… couldn’t you give me a little more discount?” “…For a girl, who is as cute as you, I guess I could take another 20,000 off.” “Wow. Thanks mister! You’re the best!” The little girl paid the money and left the store with the spell book in hand. “What… just… happened…” Nayir was in shock. This small girl had just gotten a discount of almost 100,000 gold on an extremely powerful spell. Gourd turned to face Nayir. “After such a big sale, I think we can afford to close up a little earlier than usual. Thank you for your work, even if there was a little incident. Here’s your wage for today.” Nayir received 50 copper. “Copper! Is that all! I deserve at least 5 gold for the effort I made today!” “You get what you’re given, elf! If you don’t like it then give it back and find yourself somewhere else to work.” Nayir pocketed the money. Even if it was a meagre amount, it was his now. “When you want to work again, make sure you come here early in the morning. You will wear the bracelet every time. Hold your hand out and I shall remove it from you.” After the bracelet had been removed, Nayir’s arm felt slightly lighter but there was also an indescribable feeling of released pressure from his entire body. After Gourd bid Nayir farewell, Nayir left the store and decided he would head back towards the library, hopefully passing by a store that would sell him some food. Walking down the street, a cold feeling prickled his neck. He stopped. His eyes darted around, searching for the source of his unease. It was then that he spotted it. On the other side of the road, a brown form lay. Fear and fury rose up within Nayir. It was that cat! The cat that killed him! He took a step towards the cat. “You’re going to pay for that, stupid cat!” The cat opened its eyes and raised its head. Nayir hesitated for a moment. He slowly took another step. The cat hissed. In the next instant, Nayir was sprinting down the road, hoping that the cat did not decide to chase him. A minute of hard running passed before Nayir felt he was safe from potential harm. During his flee he had received a system message that informed him that his stamina was depleted and his Agility had been raised by a point. As he recovered from the exertion, he noted his current location. He appeared to be fairly close to the library, for which he was glad. Firstly, however, he wanted food. Approaching the nearest person, he said, “I want food.” The person continued walking, glaring disdainfully at him. “Hey! Don’t walk away from me! I want food!” They disappeared around a corner. “Hey!” As he was about to give chase, Nayir felt a tug on his trousers. “Excuse me, mister.” He looked down and saw that there was a young boy pulling on his trousers. “If its food you want, my granddad runs a shop that’s not too far away…” “Take me there.” The little boy led Nayir down the street, holding firmly onto the leg of his trousers. Weaving through a few streets, the boy halted in front of a dilapidated building. The roof and walls were barely standing, the brickwork riddled with holes. Through the remaining exterior, small weeds sprouted; the door hung on only one of its hinges and the glass in the window pane was smashed. Above the precariously fixed door, hung a similarly attached sign that was unable to be read due to the extent of the fading of the characters. “This is where the food is?” “Yeah! This is my granddad’s store! He’ll be happy to see you!” “Ok.” Nayir strode towards the door and pulled. The door came off and fell onto the floor. He glanced at the door, shrugged his shoulders and continued inside. Inside the house was dark, not as dark as the prison had been, yet the light of the setting sun did nothing to help illuminate the inside of the building. The interior was set out in a similar way to the spell store; the only difference was that the shelves and displays were covered in dust, cobwebs and a few broken articles instead of spell books. Nayir walked up to the counter and looked around for the shopkeeper. When he could not find who he wanted, he clicked his tongue and turned to the young lad. The boy dashed through the back of the room calling out, “Granddad! I’ve got a customer! Granddad! Granddad! Customer!” Nayir began pacing in front of the counter whilst he waited for this ‘granddad’ to appear, growing more and more impatient as the seconds passed. Eventually, a frail old man, that looked to be at Death’s door, emerged from the same door that the boy had disappeared through, shortly before Nayir decided to storm into the back and drag the man out. “Who are you?” “I want food.” The boy came back to stand next to the old man. “Food? You… wait… come closer… you’re… an elf! I won’t have your sort in this store! Get out! Go on! Out!” The elderly man shone with rage that it appeared that he had returned to the world of the living. “But I want food.” “I have none to sell you! If I’m seen with an elf, it’ll damage the reputation of my store! Out, I say!” “Granddad…” “Get out!” “Granddad! Those days are over! Elves are treated the same as us now!” “Not in my store they’re not!” “Couldn’t you sell him some food? Just this once? We haven’t had a customer in a long time, have we?” “That’s… true… well… just for you, my boy. What was it you said you wanted, elf?” The old man still spat out that last word. “Food. I want food.” “The only food I have is barley bread. For you, I’ll sell them for 10 copper a piece.” “Five.” Nayir withdrew all of the coppers that he had earned that day and placed them on the counter. The ancient shopkeeper counted the coins and, when he was satisfied that the amount was correct, he nodded to the young boy, who dashed out the back and returned carrying five pieces of barley bread. After storing the barley bread in his inventory, Nayir turned and left the store. As he stepped back into the orange-tinted dusk, a voice rang out behind him, “Thanks, mister! My granddad hasn’t had a customer in years so I think you made him very happy, despite what he said. Come back and buy something again sometime, ok?” | Relationship with Piln Arasia increased. | | --- | Nayir continued to head back towards the library, not acknowledging that he had heard the boy. *** Two weeks of in-game time passed. Nayir had spent the days working in Gourd’s spell shop and the nights copying out the scrolls required for his new skill. Through the time he spent working he managed to increase his wage but only after several more failed attempts at learning the spells in the store. He discovered that the price of a piece of barley bread was only 3 copper when he visited another shop and cursed the old man and his extortion. Needless to say, Nayir did not return to that store once he had found that out and had managed to save up a small sum of money. He was considering saving up some more to buy a new spell, seeing as he could not seem to learn one from the store's books without buying them. As he progressed through the transcribing of the scrolls, Nayir managed to raise several more of his stats, a total of an extra 21 stats combined in both Intellect and Wisdom. Though the four weeks restriction to the city had passed, against all of his impulses, Nayir had committed himself to acquiring the new skill before heading out of the gate, he had only a few more scrolls to go when he had received the notification. As he wrote the last word and read the resulting system message, Nayir felt a surge of pride and repressed annoyance. | Quest UpdateScrolls Copied: 17/17Quest Reward: Speak to librarian | | --- | “I’ve done it! Finally! A new skill! And I can finally get out of this hellhole!” Nayir exploded out of the side room and into the main library causing a nearby scholar to fall over in fright. He dashed over to the librarian’s desk and reported his progress. “I’ve finished!” “So you have. Allow me to grant you the knowledge of my skill.” | Quest CompleteRewards:Gained +10 Fame.Gained the librarian’s skill. | | --- | | New Skill: FocusDirect your concentration to increase the damage of spells. Mana consumption is increased. Casting time is doubled. Unable to move whilst active.Damage increases with level whilst mana consumption of spells is reduced.Current Damage Increase: 120%Current Mana Consumption of Spells: 300%Mana Consumption: 5% of Maximum Mana upon activation. | | --- | Scanning over the new skill, Nayir could only look at it in disbelief. “What the hell is this?! I wanted something I could attack with!” “This skill will increase the damage of your spells, surely for a mage, like yourself, this can become a greater asset than another attack skill.” Nayir glared at the librarian, knowing that he was probably right but refusing to accept it, he could only shout wordlessly at him before stalking out of the library. He wanted to quickly find an outlet for this frustration that he felt and thought hard. Remembering that he was now able to go outside, he found the perfect outlet for his current emotions and started to walk in the direction of where he thought the city gates were, asking the occasional passer-by for clarification. *** Passing the gates of the city, Nayir stepped out onto a grassy, moonlit plain. His vision was filled with scenes single players chasing down rabbits and raccoons and groups facing off with foxes and wolves. Nayir decided that, with his new skill and increased stats, rabbits were beneath him, not worth killing and he would not be able to effectively vent his frustrations should he do so. Instead, he opted to tackle the nearest wolf and began the walk over to his first target. -END CHAPTER- [<< Previous Chapter](http://www.royalroadl.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=129&t=1063)|Next Chapter >> Chapter 5 and he finally leaves the city. It took him long enough. I've almost finished my plans for the original "Chapter 1" and, in a few chapters, he will be heading off on his first adventure. I hadn't planned that scene in the shop before I came to that part in the story but, since writing it, I'm quite glad I did. Maybe he'll return to that store again... I am unsure whether I'll be able to get a release out next week but I shall do what I can. ~Emeki

<div class="chapter-inner chapter-content"> Logging back in Pep-Ri realized that living as a pixie in Rhodium was going to be a challenge. She had received many bonuses when she spawned in Rhodium, all of which could be considered useless due to the mandatory boundary limit set on new players within the game.<br>Looking back on it the forums were all saying the same thing after all. Thousands of complaints from the players, all declaring that Unicorn Corp cheated the players out of the experience gained in killing mobs. Some went so far as to demand a refund! When these particular threads began to gain the support of the Premo’s (this is a group Keith named: for those who did nothing but complain about the system, while expecting to be waited on hand and foot and having their every whim taken care of… short for Premadonna). They began complaining nonstop saying, “experienced gamers like us shouldn’t have to sit around for four weeks being treated like babies in the crib. It’s not like we’re newbs to gaming after all.”<br>After about an hour of surfing the web Keith was relieved to find not only some information about his race; but an official notice from Unicorn, about the unofficially dubbed newb-crib act. Pulling up the video feed Keith sat back and watched as a series of reporters assaulted Unicorn’s Head of Public Relations with questions. Sweating profusely the rather short man finally began to answer in broken wheezing sentences.<br>“We at Unicorn made Royal Road to be the height of gaming experience... Wheeze wheeze.. As such it was determined that players in Royal Road should spend up to four weeks within their starter cities. This is more for the protection of the players than anything… Huff… To give the ultimate experience even the easiest mobs are set around level 10… If a level one player even got hit by so much as a rabbit, half of their health bar would disappear!”. Smiling the man thinking everything was going well continued after stammering for a bit. “Thi.. thi.. this would obviously have some variability based on race and any personal benefits that can given at such a level. All the same though players need to…"<br>Perking up at that one reporter interrupted the poor man shouting, “Is there really such a difference in player ability based on race?”<br>Looking out at the mass of reporters slightly aggravated he tried to maintain his failing poker face revealing his embarrassment confusion. “There are two things that Royal Road bases beginning stats on. First and foremost is race. Race specifications allow players certain advantages in certain classes. A human archer starting out would be outmatched by an Elf archer. A Barbarian would make a wonderful Tank with enhanced Vitality and ability to wear heavier armor, while say an elf would be limited in only wearing medium armor at most. Some of these short comings can be overcome through gained stats, unlocking and mastering abilities and so on. To say the least what race a player chooses helps determine what they are going to be most suited for. A hulking Barbarian would make a not so silent assassin for example. A player should use their chosen race as a base, before entering the game, if they already have a class type in mind. Yet that doesn't mean you are limited to a specific class type either."<br>“The second base used to determine beginning stats is the player’s athletic ability in the real world…” Waiting for a question that never came he continued on yet again saddened by the fact that they never asked him questions when he wanted them to. While in reality the reporters had wanted to ask more than one question about what was just said. It’s just that the last statement left the reporters in shock not knowing what to ask first.<br>“Basically when the capsule installed for the game scans your body to create your avatar, it also records your current athletic ability, and registers brain activity for a simple IQ estimation. Some stats will be altered by this. Although It is minimal and only about 5 points can be added or subtracted altogether. Leaving no one with a great advantage or disadvantage. It is only a way to encourage physical fitness in the real world while a player spends their time playing. This also includes skill sets. Someone who is a professional Chef would obviously be able to level their cooking mastery quite fast compared to someone who typically can only make burnt omelettes for breakfast like my wife.”<br>Roaring out with more questions the reporters pestered the man until he finally excused himself and made his escape. Never finishing what he was supposed to a young man rushed out to finish the interview stating that the original plan behind the four week restriction was to allow players to get used to their new bodies, raise experience through easy quests, gain gold silver and copper for armors, and train until they were capable of taking care of themselves.<br>on a side note Unicorn Corp hired a new head of Public Relations that day. Their previous Head had only made his way into his position through family contacts and leeching off the hard work of others. As soon as he reached home with the news about his unemployment. He was greeted by an empty house with nothing in it except a chair and a note. Reading it he despaired. "We will see who can only cook burnt omelettes by himself from now on. You said that on national television you scum! Now your probably even unemployed! You will be receiving the divorce papers in the mail by Monday. Have fun in your game!"<br>Turning back to his treasure trove of information found on the Royal Road Wiki page the Keith concentrated on his new race specifications. In Royal Road the Pixie race origins showed them to be a long lived species that maintained their youthful appearance once they reached adulthood. They had once been a proud and mischievous race causing all sorts of mayhem for the sake of fun. Originally the Pixies had also been born with wings allowing flight and a large wind affinity. They loved nature and many were thought to have been raised to consider animals as siblings. Due to circumstances neither side was willing to reveal, the Pixies entered a war with their ancestral Fairy brethren. After a long war with their ancestral Fairy ancestors the triumphant fairies had plucked the wings of all pixies leaving them wingless. Ashamed at their loss the King of the pixies Kratoth the flightless, killed himself leaving his wife alone to rule a now desecrated kingdom. Since then every pixie to be born was torn from their wings by the ruling Fairies. Leaving a resentment and hatred of fairies and a longing to fly in all pixies.<br>The pixie subclass is extremely a physically inferior race. They start out with low health, stamina, strength, etc. They have also been denied many forms of education preventing them from having high intelligence stats despite being creatures of nature and magic. This can be offset by reading books and other buffs, but It would start out low. Pixies are naturally curious and should be great for any magic class. Physically though Stamina and agility stats are earned at 2x’s the normal rate. Pixies were always considered fast while beign extremely weak. In game it took twice as long to earn strength stats. In fact it would cost 2 points from the five level up stat points for a single stat to appear. That is if stats were distributed to strength. This would not count for temporary buffs but permanent strength stats would take forever to raise.<br>Getting his mind back on her current dilemma Pep-Ri noticed that she was now thinking of herself as female.. Huh? Thinking back the update about her neutral gender would affect how NPC’s and some Players perceived Pep-Ri. But why was she thinking as such? Thinking about it hard she put her hands on her hips to think about it for a moment. Looking down she realized that her character had just developed well….. Yeah her shirt was now tighter around the chest for some reason. Screaming out loud Pep-ri attracted the attention of the Guard who was still standing duty in front of her.<br>“Miss are you alright?”<br>“Huh?... Uh uh uh….. I’m a girl!”<br>Thinking the girl insane the perplexed guard responded only how he felt was appropriate. “Of course you are little miss, what else would you be?”<br>Knowing that she wouldn't get anywhere with him around she ran off embarrassed. Hiding her face in her hands she ran through the streets into the market district. Passing by strangers Pep-Ri didn't notice the constant change her Avatar was going through. Not until she ran into an elderly woman pushing some groceries in a small but heavy cart.<br>Wham…<br>“Oops I am so sorry mam here let me pick those up for you.” Bending down Pep-Ri picked up the various produce placing them in the cart. Looking up at the woman he asked, “Are you alright?”<br>Looking down at Pep-Ri while nursing her elbows she said, “Well it’s not every day that a young man runs head first into me what were you thinking when you did that?”<br>Looking down at himself Pep-Ri realized he was yet again had the flat chest of a man. In fact thinking on it he had barely noticed that as he was running through the city his body changed with practically every person he passed. On a side note his short run through town cost him over ¾ his current stamina. Looking back at the woman he hastily responded, “I’m sorry mam I was well running from something I found to be quite horrible. It scared me quite dead in fact.”<br>Looking down at the ashen faced and young Pixie the kind grandmother like lady felt the sincerity in his words. Realizing that he was new in town and probably scared out of his young wits at being somewhere unfamiliar she reached out her hand. “I understand young man but that doesn’t excuse running into beautiful young women just for kicks. In fact I think you may have cracked the front wheel on my cart. The least you could do now is help me get my things home before dinner.<br>Tring*<br>Quest: After damaging the cart the old lady has asked you to help bring her groceries to her home nearby. Help the old lady with any groceries she needs to get along with returning her groceries home.Dificulty: E<br>Quest rewards: Increased familiarity with the old lady. No money or experience shall be rewarded. Any additional rewards will be determined in your work ethic.<br>Quest requirements: Have knocked the cart over, must be below level 5, must be sincere in apologizing.<br>As you have just met the woman and she has poor sight it is possible to refuse the quest and run away without any consequences as she doesn’t know who you are.<br>Do you accept the quest Yes / No?<br>Looking back on his upbringing and how he and his sisters were practically raised by his grandparents when his parents went away on business trips, he couldn't possibly refuse. Besides he loved old people they were fun to spend time with and always gave him cookies.<br>“Yes I accept.”<br>Going over to the cart Pep-Ri grabbed the handle Bars and tried to lift it up. Straining his small muscles he was able to finally get it upright and in a position to wobble along. Pushing the cart Pep-Ri realized that even before the cart was busted it would have been extremely hard to push. It was made out of solid stone with small stone wheels! The fact its tiny wheels could even allow movement of the cart surprised him. Looking back at the old woman he realized something. Despite her advanced age she was pushing this thing along the road. All be it she had be struggling, but if she could do it why couldn’t he? Thinking it must be normal for people to use Stone carts and his character’s low strength stat he looked around. Wooden carts here, wooden carts there, everywhere everyone was pushing or filling up wooden carts. Looking back on the old lady he gaped in astonishment.<br>Walking with a slight limp the old woman crouched over was slowly making her way towards a side street in the market, every once in a while pausing at a stall and bargaining for food, spices, trinkets, etc. All of which she would pile into the cart as Pep-Ri followed along. Half an hour later Pep-Ri watched as his stamina bar decreased past the 10% mark. Immediately after the woman stopped her shopping a message popped up in front of him.<br>Tring*<br>You are exhausted.<br>Due to your low stamina and Strength you become exhausted extremely fast. Strength left you because you haven’t rested for a long time. Your Stamina, Strength and Agility attributes are reduced. It is suggested that you rest. If you don’t do it, you may lose consciousness because of exhaustion.<br>Tring*<br>you are hungry. If you do not eat soon you will starve.<br>Thankful that her shopping was over Pep-Ri picked up the cart from where he placed it. His pace was quite slow but thankfully so was the woman's. Following the old lady through the streets was not only a drain on his stamina and satiety, but also his tolerance levels.. Walking around town Pep-Ri began recognizing some of the statues and buildings around him. Normally he would complain about something not being right but he kept his mouth shut out of respect. After all she lives in this town and he had partially broken her cart.<br>Every once in a while the old woman would briefly stop and look around only to walk up to a door and knock on it. During these times she would hand out some of the food she had bought. Or she would place a gift or tool the person might have needed into their hands. Leaving immediately she would continue on her journey towards home. Or so he hoped.<br>Continuing to push the cart though was leaving a toll on Pep-Ri’s body though. His only consolidation and motivation to continue on with his good deed, was despite his growing frustration his patience skill was quickly gaining experience. He hadn't leveled it yet but he had it up by 67%! Additionally he was getting increasingly annoying stamina and agility stat updates.. Over 7 points in stamina and 6 in agility under 5 hours!! Even so, he had only earned 1 strength. So while he was able to continue the task longer, it did not necessarily get any easier.<br>Tring*<br>You are severely exhausted.<br><br>The Stamina recovery has stopped. Health is gradually reducing. To prevent collapsing from exhaustion you are strongly advised to rest.<br><br>Tring*<br>You gained new stat sustenance.<br>You are likely to use less stamina in action. You are prohibited from distributing stat bonus points to this stat.<br><br>After the sun began to fall Pep-Ri really began to feel like he was about to fall to the ground any moment. Turning around the corner they finally made it to a building that appeared to be the right one. She opened the door and entered the little shack. Taking the few things left in the cart Pep-Ri brought in the groceries and placed them on the small counter near the front of the room. Looking around the home Pep-Ri realized that this home was stacked with cloth. Some clothes were hanging up and on display. Looking even closer he noticed it was a shop. <br><br>Realizing what just happened he forced his tired body to walk up to the old woman so he could ask, “Mam may I assume this is your establishment?”<br>Looking back somewhat surprised the old woman replied somewhat curious, “Young man why are you here right now? It is past closing time! Do you want me to call the Guards?”<br><br>Startled Pep-Ri called out, “Wait mam I’m the one who bumped into you earlier! You asked me to push your cart along so you could bring your groceries home.”<br><br>“D.. Did something like that really happen?” putting her hand on her chin she began to concentrate.. Looking down again she looked concerned. <br><br>“Young man I guess what you said must be true. Unfortunately I have forgotten any such meeting. You must forgive me but I don’t have anything here for you that would be appropriate for such a task. If you want once you get enough money I will give you a 5% discount on some decent cloth or leather armor.”<br><br>Realizing that this might be his only reward for half a day pushing the stone cart he could only sk one thing. “Mam I don’t usually like to pry but your grocery cart is made from stone… why is that”<br><br>Wait what!!! Why were you doing such a fool thing as using that old thing?!? I have another cart right behind the counter!! That cart used to be my husband’s. He was a stern soldier and he used that to train with as he did some chores for me.. Bless his heart I wish he was here again.”<br><br> In the back room a coughing sound could be heard as a gruff old voice shouted out. “Why are you always making it out as if I am dead!!! You old bat can’t remember a darn thing can you..” Making his way out a giant of an old man forced his way through the door. Reaching his hand out The man introduced himself as Jenkins the retired captain of the kings personal guard. His wife Estella was notorious for going around town these days when her memory failed her. Earlier that day Jenkins was about to go and get the groceries when he wife left the shop unattended. Having no choice but to man the counter he had waited all day for her to make her way back. Apologizing for his wife’s behavior he promised to meet up with Pep-Ri again in the afternoon in hopes to reimburse Pep-Ri for her hard work.<br><br>Tring*<br>Quest complete:<br>Despite all your hard work and efforts Estella was unable to remember your meeting. Unfortunately no familiarity can be gained.<br><br>Exiting the store in a huff Pep-Ri kicked a small piece of cracked stone lying on the ground. Picking it up she tossed it around as she slowly made his way to the central fountain in front of her. Drinking from the fountain Pep-Ri looked up at the statue of a young woman holding a flask above her head, out of which a trickle of water poured out. The water ran down her head and her body and into the surrounding basin. <br><br>Tring* <br>You have witnessed the fountain of eternal replenishing. This fountain depicts the goddess Freya washing her exhaustion and pain away after battle. For witnessing such a splendid masterpiece all your exhaustion has been washed away. Your health is fully restored as the grime of battle is washed away. <br>Permanent Art stat +30<br><br>Thinking back on it if it hadn't been for all those statues and pieces of art she had seen that gave her temporary stamina and strength bonuses she probably wouldn't have made it through the first hour of pushing the cart. So despite not getting anything decent from the quest at least she had gained stats and some experience for her passive skill patience.<br><br>Pulling up her stat window this is what she saw.<br><br>Character name: Pep-Ri Replica<br>Alignment: Neutral<br>Level: 1<br>Class: None<br>Health: 50<br>Mana: 180 <br>Mana regeneration: (Wis x’s .1 for a total of 4.7 per minute)<br>Health regeneration: (Sorry need to do this now or I won’t ever figure it out. Health Stat x’s .1 per minute or 50 x’s .1 for 5 hp per minute. + the 5% per hour permanent increase from chapter 2 which will be based on the total regen not the health stat or whatever. Or 5 hp per minute x’s 60 For a grand total of 300 health per hour+ 5% of 300 or 400 as the stat goes up.. Namely over an hour he gains 315 Hp or 5.25 HP per minute. I will not explain it all again. Next time I will just write the overall answer as 5.25 per minute.)<br>Strength: 6<br>Agility: 31<br>Stamina: 19<br>Wisdom: 47<br>Intellect: 18<br>Sustenance 1<br>Luck: 10<br>Art: 74<br>Leadership:0<br>Attack: 1<br>Defense: 0<br>Magic resistance<br>Fire: 2%<br>Earth: 2%<br>Water: 2%<br>Dark Magic: -10%<br><br>(all 24 hour or 1-4 hour bonuses are now gone.)<br><br><br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td colspan="3">Connect to Chapter 4? <a href="http://www.royalroadl.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=114&amp;t=976" target="_blank">Yes</a> | <a href="http://www.royalroadl.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=114" target="_blank">No</a></td></tr></tbody></table></div></div> </div>

Logging back in Pep-Ri realized that living as a pixie in Rhodium was going to be a challenge. She had received many bonuses when she spawned in Rhodium, all of which could be considered useless due to the mandatory boundary limit set on new players within the game. Looking back on it the forums were all saying the same thing after all. Thousands of complaints from the players, all declaring that Unicorn Corp cheated the players out of the experience gained in killing mobs. Some went so far as to demand a refund! When these particular threads began to gain the support of the Premo’s (this is a group Keith named: for those who did nothing but complain about the system, while expecting to be waited on hand and foot and having their every whim taken care of… short for Premadonna). They began complaining nonstop saying, “experienced gamers like us shouldn’t have to sit around for four weeks being treated like babies in the crib. It’s not like we’re newbs to gaming after all.” After about an hour of surfing the web Keith was relieved to find not only some information about his race; but an official notice from Unicorn, about the unofficially dubbed newb-crib act. Pulling up the video feed Keith sat back and watched as a series of reporters assaulted Unicorn’s Head of Public Relations with questions. Sweating profusely the rather short man finally began to answer in broken wheezing sentences. “We at Unicorn made Royal Road to be the height of gaming experience... Wheeze wheeze.. As such it was determined that players in Royal Road should spend up to four weeks within their starter cities. This is more for the protection of the players than anything… Huff… To give the ultimate experience even the easiest mobs are set around level 10… If a level one player even got hit by so much as a rabbit, half of their health bar would disappear!”. Smiling the man thinking everything was going well continued after stammering for a bit. “Thi.. thi.. this would obviously have some variability based on race and any personal benefits that can given at such a level. All the same though players need to…" Perking up at that one reporter interrupted the poor man shouting, “Is there really such a difference in player ability based on race?” Looking out at the mass of reporters slightly aggravated he tried to maintain his failing poker face revealing his embarrassment confusion. “There are two things that Royal Road bases beginning stats on. First and foremost is race. Race specifications allow players certain advantages in certain classes. A human archer starting out would be outmatched by an Elf archer. A Barbarian would make a wonderful Tank with enhanced Vitality and ability to wear heavier armor, while say an elf would be limited in only wearing medium armor at most. Some of these short comings can be overcome through gained stats, unlocking and mastering abilities and so on. To say the least what race a player chooses helps determine what they are going to be most suited for. A hulking Barbarian would make a not so silent assassin for example. A player should use their chosen race as a base, before entering the game, if they already have a class type in mind. Yet that doesn't mean you are limited to a specific class type either." “The second base used to determine beginning stats is the player’s athletic ability in the real world…” Waiting for a question that never came he continued on yet again saddened by the fact that they never asked him questions when he wanted them to. While in reality the reporters had wanted to ask more than one question about what was just said. It’s just that the last statement left the reporters in shock not knowing what to ask first. “Basically when the capsule installed for the game scans your body to create your avatar, it also records your current athletic ability, and registers brain activity for a simple IQ estimation. Some stats will be altered by this. Although It is minimal and only about 5 points can be added or subtracted altogether. Leaving no one with a great advantage or disadvantage. It is only a way to encourage physical fitness in the real world while a player spends their time playing. This also includes skill sets. Someone who is a professional Chef would obviously be able to level their cooking mastery quite fast compared to someone who typically can only make burnt omelettes for breakfast like my wife.” Roaring out with more questions the reporters pestered the man until he finally excused himself and made his escape. Never finishing what he was supposed to a young man rushed out to finish the interview stating that the original plan behind the four week restriction was to allow players to get used to their new bodies, raise experience through easy quests, gain gold silver and copper for armors, and train until they were capable of taking care of themselves. on a side note Unicorn Corp hired a new head of Public Relations that day. Their previous Head had only made his way into his position through family contacts and leeching off the hard work of others. As soon as he reached home with the news about his unemployment. He was greeted by an empty house with nothing in it except a chair and a note. Reading it he despaired. "We will see who can only cook burnt omelettes by himself from now on. You said that on national television you scum! Now your probably even unemployed! You will be receiving the divorce papers in the mail by Monday. Have fun in your game!" Turning back to his treasure trove of information found on the Royal Road Wiki page the Keith concentrated on his new race specifications. In Royal Road the Pixie race origins showed them to be a long lived species that maintained their youthful appearance once they reached adulthood. They had once been a proud and mischievous race causing all sorts of mayhem for the sake of fun. Originally the Pixies had also been born with wings allowing flight and a large wind affinity. They loved nature and many were thought to have been raised to consider animals as siblings. Due to circumstances neither side was willing to reveal, the Pixies entered a war with their ancestral Fairy brethren. After a long war with their ancestral Fairy ancestors the triumphant fairies had plucked the wings of all pixies leaving them wingless. Ashamed at their loss the King of the pixies Kratoth the flightless, killed himself leaving his wife alone to rule a now desecrated kingdom. Since then every pixie to be born was torn from their wings by the ruling Fairies. Leaving a resentment and hatred of fairies and a longing to fly in all pixies. The pixie subclass is extremely a physically inferior race. They start out with low health, stamina, strength, etc. They have also been denied many forms of education preventing them from having high intelligence stats despite being creatures of nature and magic. This can be offset by reading books and other buffs, but It would start out low. Pixies are naturally curious and should be great for any magic class. Physically though Stamina and agility stats are earned at 2x’s the normal rate. Pixies were always considered fast while beign extremely weak. In game it took twice as long to earn strength stats. In fact it would cost 2 points from the five level up stat points for a single stat to appear. That is if stats were distributed to strength. This would not count for temporary buffs but permanent strength stats would take forever to raise. Getting his mind back on her current dilemma Pep-Ri noticed that she was now thinking of herself as female.. Huh? Thinking back the update about her neutral gender would affect how NPC’s and some Players perceived Pep-Ri. But why was she thinking as such? Thinking about it hard she put her hands on her hips to think about it for a moment. Looking down she realized that her character had just developed well….. Yeah her shirt was now tighter around the chest for some reason. Screaming out loud Pep-ri attracted the attention of the Guard who was still standing duty in front of her. “Miss are you alright?” “Huh?... Uh uh uh….. I’m a girl!” Thinking the girl insane the perplexed guard responded only how he felt was appropriate. “Of course you are little miss, what else would you be?” Knowing that she wouldn't get anywhere with him around she ran off embarrassed. Hiding her face in her hands she ran through the streets into the market district. Passing by strangers Pep-Ri didn't notice the constant change her Avatar was going through. Not until she ran into an elderly woman pushing some groceries in a small but heavy cart. Wham… “Oops I am so sorry mam here let me pick those up for you.” Bending down Pep-Ri picked up the various produce placing them in the cart. Looking up at the woman he asked, “Are you alright?” Looking down at Pep-Ri while nursing her elbows she said, “Well it’s not every day that a young man runs head first into me what were you thinking when you did that?” Looking down at himself Pep-Ri realized he was yet again had the flat chest of a man. In fact thinking on it he had barely noticed that as he was running through the city his body changed with practically every person he passed. On a side note his short run through town cost him over ¾ his current stamina. Looking back at the woman he hastily responded, “I’m sorry mam I was well running from something I found to be quite horrible. It scared me quite dead in fact.” Looking down at the ashen faced and young Pixie the kind grandmother like lady felt the sincerity in his words. Realizing that he was new in town and probably scared out of his young wits at being somewhere unfamiliar she reached out her hand. “I understand young man but that doesn’t excuse running into beautiful young women just for kicks. In fact I think you may have cracked the front wheel on my cart. The least you could do now is help me get my things home before dinner. Tring* Quest: After damaging the cart the old lady has asked you to help bring her groceries to her home nearby. Help the old lady with any groceries she needs to get along with returning her groceries home.Dificulty: E Quest rewards: Increased familiarity with the old lady. No money or experience shall be rewarded. Any additional rewards will be determined in your work ethic. Quest requirements: Have knocked the cart over, must be below level 5, must be sincere in apologizing. As you have just met the woman and she has poor sight it is possible to refuse the quest and run away without any consequences as she doesn’t know who you are. Do you accept the quest Yes / No? Looking back on his upbringing and how he and his sisters were practically raised by his grandparents when his parents went away on business trips, he couldn't possibly refuse. Besides he loved old people they were fun to spend time with and always gave him cookies. “Yes I accept.” Going over to the cart Pep-Ri grabbed the handle Bars and tried to lift it up. Straining his small muscles he was able to finally get it upright and in a position to wobble along. Pushing the cart Pep-Ri realized that even before the cart was busted it would have been extremely hard to push. It was made out of solid stone with small stone wheels! The fact its tiny wheels could even allow movement of the cart surprised him. Looking back at the old woman he realized something. Despite her advanced age she was pushing this thing along the road. All be it she had be struggling, but if she could do it why couldn’t he? Thinking it must be normal for people to use Stone carts and his character’s low strength stat he looked around. Wooden carts here, wooden carts there, everywhere everyone was pushing or filling up wooden carts. Looking back on the old lady he gaped in astonishment. Walking with a slight limp the old woman crouched over was slowly making her way towards a side street in the market, every once in a while pausing at a stall and bargaining for food, spices, trinkets, etc. All of which she would pile into the cart as Pep-Ri followed along. Half an hour later Pep-Ri watched as his stamina bar decreased past the 10% mark. Immediately after the woman stopped her shopping a message popped up in front of him. Tring* You are exhausted. Due to your low stamina and Strength you become exhausted extremely fast. Strength left you because you haven’t rested for a long time. Your Stamina, Strength and Agility attributes are reduced. It is suggested that you rest. If you don’t do it, you may lose consciousness because of exhaustion. Tring* you are hungry. If you do not eat soon you will starve. Thankful that her shopping was over Pep-Ri picked up the cart from where he placed it. His pace was quite slow but thankfully so was the woman's. Following the old lady through the streets was not only a drain on his stamina and satiety, but also his tolerance levels.. Walking around town Pep-Ri began recognizing some of the statues and buildings around him. Normally he would complain about something not being right but he kept his mouth shut out of respect. After all she lives in this town and he had partially broken her cart. Every once in a while the old woman would briefly stop and look around only to walk up to a door and knock on it. During these times she would hand out some of the food she had bought. Or she would place a gift or tool the person might have needed into their hands. Leaving immediately she would continue on her journey towards home. Or so he hoped. Continuing to push the cart though was leaving a toll on Pep-Ri’s body though. His only consolidation and motivation to continue on with his good deed, was despite his growing frustration his patience skill was quickly gaining experience. He hadn't leveled it yet but he had it up by 67%! Additionally he was getting increasingly annoying stamina and agility stat updates.. Over 7 points in stamina and 6 in agility under 5 hours!! Even so, he had only earned 1 strength. So while he was able to continue the task longer, it did not necessarily get any easier. Tring* You are severely exhausted. The Stamina recovery has stopped. Health is gradually reducing. To prevent collapsing from exhaustion you are strongly advised to rest. Tring* You gained new stat sustenance. You are likely to use less stamina in action. You are prohibited from distributing stat bonus points to this stat. After the sun began to fall Pep-Ri really began to feel like he was about to fall to the ground any moment. Turning around the corner they finally made it to a building that appeared to be the right one. She opened the door and entered the little shack. Taking the few things left in the cart Pep-Ri brought in the groceries and placed them on the small counter near the front of the room. Looking around the home Pep-Ri realized that this home was stacked with cloth. Some clothes were hanging up and on display. Looking even closer he noticed it was a shop. Realizing what just happened he forced his tired body to walk up to the old woman so he could ask, “Mam may I assume this is your establishment?” Looking back somewhat surprised the old woman replied somewhat curious, “Young man why are you here right now? It is past closing time! Do you want me to call the Guards?” Startled Pep-Ri called out, “Wait mam I’m the one who bumped into you earlier! You asked me to push your cart along so you could bring your groceries home.” “D.. Did something like that really happen?” putting her hand on her chin she began to concentrate.. Looking down again she looked concerned. “Young man I guess what you said must be true. Unfortunately I have forgotten any such meeting. You must forgive me but I don’t have anything here for you that would be appropriate for such a task. If you want once you get enough money I will give you a 5% discount on some decent cloth or leather armor.” Realizing that this might be his only reward for half a day pushing the stone cart he could only sk one thing. “Mam I don’t usually like to pry but your grocery cart is made from stone… why is that” Wait what!!! Why were you doing such a fool thing as using that old thing?!? I have another cart right behind the counter!! That cart used to be my husband’s. He was a stern soldier and he used that to train with as he did some chores for me.. Bless his heart I wish he was here again.” In the back room a coughing sound could be heard as a gruff old voice shouted out. “Why are you always making it out as if I am dead!!! You old bat can’t remember a darn thing can you..” Making his way out a giant of an old man forced his way through the door. Reaching his hand out The man introduced himself as Jenkins the retired captain of the kings personal guard. His wife Estella was notorious for going around town these days when her memory failed her. Earlier that day Jenkins was about to go and get the groceries when he wife left the shop unattended. Having no choice but to man the counter he had waited all day for her to make her way back. Apologizing for his wife’s behavior he promised to meet up with Pep-Ri again in the afternoon in hopes to reimburse Pep-Ri for her hard work. Tring* Quest complete: Despite all your hard work and efforts Estella was unable to remember your meeting. Unfortunately no familiarity can be gained. Exiting the store in a huff Pep-Ri kicked a small piece of cracked stone lying on the ground. Picking it up she tossed it around as she slowly made his way to the central fountain in front of her. Drinking from the fountain Pep-Ri looked up at the statue of a young woman holding a flask above her head, out of which a trickle of water poured out. The water ran down her head and her body and into the surrounding basin. Tring* You have witnessed the fountain of eternal replenishing. This fountain depicts the goddess Freya washing her exhaustion and pain away after battle. For witnessing such a splendid masterpiece all your exhaustion has been washed away. Your health is fully restored as the grime of battle is washed away. Permanent Art stat +30 Thinking back on it if it hadn't been for all those statues and pieces of art she had seen that gave her temporary stamina and strength bonuses she probably wouldn't have made it through the first hour of pushing the cart. So despite not getting anything decent from the quest at least she had gained stats and some experience for her passive skill patience. Pulling up her stat window this is what she saw. Character name: Pep-Ri Replica Alignment: Neutral Level: 1 Class: None Health: 50 Mana: 180 Mana regeneration: (Wis x’s .1 for a total of 4.7 per minute) Health regeneration: (Sorry need to do this now or I won’t ever figure it out. Health Stat x’s .1 per minute or 50 x’s .1 for 5 hp per minute. + the 5% per hour permanent increase from chapter 2 which will be based on the total regen not the health stat or whatever. Or 5 hp per minute x’s 60 For a grand total of 300 health per hour+ 5% of 300 or 400 as the stat goes up.. Namely over an hour he gains 315 Hp or 5.25 HP per minute. I will not explain it all again. Next time I will just write the overall answer as 5.25 per minute.) Strength: 6 Agility: 31 Stamina: 19 Wisdom: 47 Intellect: 18 Sustenance 1 Luck: 10 Art: 74 Leadership:0 Attack: 1 Defense: 0 Magic resistance Fire: 2% Earth: 2% Water: 2% Dark Magic: -10% (all 24 hour or 1-4 hour bonuses are now gone.) | Connect to Chapter 4? [Yes](http://www.royalroadl.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=114&t=976) | [No](http://www.royalroadl.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=114) | | | | --- | --- | --- |

<div class="chapter-inner chapter-content"> As I promised here's the next part of the Chapter 1 - Where it Begins! Part 2<br>Though I want to add some picture from my PC but I don't know how if anyone who knows how please do tell me! Thanks and Enjoy reading! :) <br><br><br>An hour earlier inside the palace, the five thieves Tom, Fagin, Keyser, Jase and Hood wearing all black outfits infiltrate the palace of the Kingdom of Ymir, their target was the treasury obviously. They were all experts in their professions. <br><br>Their plan was to kill the soldiers guarding the Treasury room and two of them will replace the guard as a scout outside while the other three take all the treasure they can inside. They have advanced pick locking skill so it won’t be a problem if it’s a Treasury Room lock or not. <br><br>Then use their cloaking skill to conceal their presence while fleeing from the palace, the 2nd group set up a stairs for them to used waiting in the first wall, the 3rd group waiting in the second wall, the 4th group is waiting and guarding the carriage in the alleyway for their transportation and the 5th group was to open the path in the south gate.<br><br>All was going according the plan but the three thieves consume in their greediness from the mountains of treasures inside, they take more than they can take. They even spend more time than the arranged time. <br><br>Inside the treasury room was not only gold, silver and gems. There were also weapons, armors and items though it was old but has graded-A materials and was worn by famous individuals in the past of Kingdom of Ymir. There were also magic items, history books, maps and scrolls inside. It was a mountain of treasures that you need a whole week to identify it all.<br><br>Now the five of them was moving out the palace slower than usual, each of them was holding four bags although it was a high leveled modified bag that can store more than 30 times the original and they are high leveled thieves they focus on raising their agility not the strength that will help them carry more weight. <br><br>They still manage to get out the palace unharmed but there are close moments where their concealment was detected. The palace was in uproar because the patrolling guards notice that the treasures was stolen inside the Treasury room and they alert all the soldiers in the palace sending message to the guards in every wall to close the gates for not permitting the thieves exit.<br><br>The five of them was past already of the schedule time to depart, they can’t blame each other because they all consume in greed and they all agreed to better reserved their energy for fleeing and staying alive other than to argue with each other. <br><br>They ran as fast as they can to reach the walls while staying in the dark for cloaking. They climb in the stairs prepared by the 2nd groups but some of them are dead and the others are injured because of the fight in the soldiers. <br><br>Earlier the archer in the 2nd group notices the arrival of the 1st group and they execute their plan.<br><br>“They are coming, set up the stairs now.” They lay down the rope ladder and guard it till the 1st group passes the wall. While waiting the soldier of the Kingdom of Ymir patrolling the wall is arriving faster than the 1st group. The soldier notice something strange about the side of the wall rushed to the 2nd group of thieves. <br><br>“The soldiers are coming, prepare your weapons. We will protect this stairs till the 1st group passed through.” Warn the archer to the other members. His name is Volpe a high leveled archer leading the 2nd group of thieves.<br><br>They clashed weapons but the 2nd group just barely won with many injuries. There are still many soldiers arriving noticing the signal in the first wall. <br><br>“Go now and complete the mission we will hold them back as long as we can, for the Shadow Fangs Guild.” Volpe said to the 1st group ready to sacrifice himself for the mission. “Tell <span style="font-style: italic;">My Lady</span> I’m sorry but I can’t go back to her.” He added as he fire volleys of arrows to the soldier of Kingdom of Ymir.<br><br>“Save Her” Volpe said holding both Keyser shoulders with his hard grip.<br><br>“I will, don’t worry we will protect Her.” Keyser nodded at Volpe “Your sacrifice will not be in vain. Don’t worry we will complete the mission, I’ll tell <span style="font-style: italic;">My Lady</span> your bravery, for the Shadow Fangs Guild.” Keyser said to Volpe, the other member of the 1st group also nodded at Volpe and bidding farewell to the 2nd group and continuing down the wall.<br><br>They ran as fast as they could to reach the 3rd group of Shadow Fangs Guild. Although they could hear the dying cries of the 2nd group behind them but still they continue running not turning their back. As they ran to the location of the 3rd group, they can hear noises ahead the noise of metal clashing with metal and cries of the dying person. They can hear the noises louder as they ran closer and they stop on their tracks hiding to see what is happening.<br><br>“What happened? What’s going on there?” Fagin said to Keyser who are leading them he is nervous of what is going to happen.<br><br>“N-Not go-good, th-they are all dead.” Keyser said his whole body shaking. He didn’t know what to do now. They are trap on both sides and can’t get out now.<br><br>“If…If we just take we can carry, we…we can travel faster and arrived on schedule time. N-Now we can’t com-complete the mission we can’t even g-get out… alive.” Tom said feeling despair and sorrow.<br><br>“Y-Yeah…Yeah if… If we just focus on the mission we are not like this. This is your fault Keyser you tried to take all the treasures inside and now we are slow to move out. Even Volpe and our brothers sacrifice their life for the mission, we failed…we failed them and we failed <span style="font-style: italic;">My Lady</span>.” The last words rang in their ears through their hearts. Jase is crying as he said that words.<br><br>The others are also feeling despair and now they are crying. They now feel their tired bodies from running and using cloaking skill. Keyser who is task to lead in this mission felt their sorrows, because of his greediness and wanting to give a good life to his <span style="font-style: italic;">My Lady</span>, now not even the mission will be successful.<br><br>“The other thieves are there!” Shout of one of the soldiers.<br><br>“Chase them!” The captain shouts at his soldiers. “And You tell the other cohorts to surround the Central Square!” Captain Raylan orders his other soldier to send information to the centurions.<br><br>“We need to get out of here.” Hood shouts at them “This isn’t the time to feel saddened at the loss of our brothers. We need to run and hide to think of a plan.” Hood encouraged his brothers to not give up and die. They all both agree and started to run as they push their tired bodies. As long as they are alive they still can think of a plan to escape. They all put their remaining stamina to survive.<br><br>“Thank you” Keyser said to Hood. He thanked Hood for encouraging them because as their leader he failed them.<br><br>“I’m only doing this for <span style="font-style: italic;">My Lady</span>.” Hood said.<br><br>“Of course it is for <span style="font-style: italic;">My Lady</span>. But still I need to say Thank you” Keyser said feeling grateful to Hood.<br><br>“Thanked me after we survive this. You better think of a best escape plan later and treat me after we survive this.” Hood added to Keyser.<br><br>“Yes I will.” Keyser said as he steeled his motivation so they can all survive.<br><br>They all run as the groups of soldiers were chasing them. The soldiers fired a volley of arrows while riding a horse, some foot soldiers jump and block the thieves. Their escaped wasn’t going to be good as their mana and stamina were running out. Even their life was reducing little by little after some encounter with the soldiers.<br><br>Because of the weight they were carrying it was hard for them to dodge and to move. The non-stop coming of soldiers to them was also a problem but they still persevered as they run to survive. They steeled their determination as they killed the soldiers blocking their path.They weren’t just only a group of thieves that know how to steal and run even in combat they proved to be dangerous.<br><br>Though in one on one they were better than the soldiers of Ymir but being outnumbered without catching their breath was killing them little by little. The only reason they weren’t giving up given their current conditions as they hit and run was because of their <span style="font-style: italic;">My Lady</span> that they swear to protect with their own lives.<br><br>They know they can’t die in there as they remove the negative thoughts that they can’t survive. They refused to accept that they will all die and won’t complete their mission.<br><br><br>Neo is walking in the alley his shortcut to the fountain in the Central Square but as he was walking he can hear shouts and noises. The shouts coming from the denarions and centurions ordering their soldiers, and the footsteps of the soldiers and the horses. <br><br>Neo pick up his pace and now walking faster than before, because he felt the situation is getting worse, although he knows something is wrong but he still felt that if he doesn’t finished his task fast he will be in trouble. But he’s too late to notice that because he still continue on his way and after he turn right to the corner he felt something is wrong and started to walk slowly and silently.<br><br>Although his instincts was telling him to ignore it and continued to go on his way but his curiosity still wins.<br><br>‘There are still time and I‘ll just take a look and after that I’ll go to the fountain to fill my canteen of water’ He said to convince himself. <br><br>He takes a peek at the corner as the moonlight shine from the sky he saw men all covered in black outfits. They were discussing about something but he can’t hear them and can’t read through their lips because they wear face mask covering their mouth and nose and a hooded robe.<br><br>“What we do now? Hood is dead he sacrifice himself for us to escape and we are injured. We even don’t know how long will we last.” Tom said is he panted. They were all exhausted and injured. They can’t even think straight anymore and arguing with each other.<br><br>“Keyser you are the leader of this group, you decide what we need to do or else we all die.” Jase added as he bandaged himself and put pressure to Keyser who don’t know also what to do.<br><br>Keyser was silent and still can’t believe what is happening, just earlier they find hope that they can all survive as they ran to find some place to hide but they are surrounded by the soldiers and the only place to go is the central square but they all know that is a trap for them. All their mana ran out and can’t cast any skill for them to hide in the dark. Hood who is the calm and brave in the group said that he will make an opening as he rushed in the group of soldiers who are still not in formation.<br><br>“Shadow Sword Blast” He put all his spirits and determination in that attack. After Hood shout the skill there’s a large sound, the impact of the skill knocked down most of the soldiers they suffered heavy injury and some are unconscious unable to fight. Those that survived are holding their shields.<br><br>“Now, go now! Leave this to me! I’ll leave <span style="font-style: italic;">My Lady</span> to your hands.” Hood said and they all nodded as he slashed through the group of soldiers who are still recovering from the impact of the skill, he knows he won’t last long and just buying time for them to escape. <br><br>They know most of them depleted their mana and can’t use a skill, but Hood use a skill therefore the only reason is using his life to use a skill. Their clan can use a skill without mana using their life as an exchange, it was stronger than using mana but they didn’t use it often except for dangerous situation it was a double edge weapon that consumes your life when you used it. <br><br>As they rushed to the opening that Hood made but only after the few meters they can see the soldiers in front of them and as they looked back Hood was dead and his head flew near their feet. They all feel grimaced and raged filling their bodies but they still held back because Hood sacrifices himself just for them to escape.<br><br>“To the roof!” Keyser shouted to them, as they all jump to the roof and run. But as they run to the roof they were all easy targets for the archers, they suffer injuries from the arrows until they reached their place right now they used their skill to run faster as it consumes their life because if they didn’t do it they will all die.<br>They don’t want the sacrifice of Hood will be in vain as they run for their lives to survive. <br><br>They know it’s not the safe place for them hide, it’s just enough for them to catch their breaths and they know later they will be surrounded by soldiers of Kingdom of Ymir.<br><br>“Keyser can you hear me? Keyser” Tom shouted to Keyser.<br><br>Keyser who was still dazed and thinking what happened earlier, ‘we failed because of me, they died because of me and <span style="font-style: italic;">My Lady</span> will die because of me’. As he was thinking he suddenly hear a sound of a person hitting the wall.<br><br>They all suddenly stood up and prepare their weapons and they all saw Fagin who is tasked to watch for the incoming soldier because he was less injured and in much better condition compared to them but he was suddenly lying on the floor.<br><br>“W-Wha…What happened? I-Is the soldier already discovers us?” Tom asks nervously.<br><br>They all rushed to Fagin but they noticed it wasn’t the soldier of Kingdom of Ymir they saw. It was a tall light blue haired man with blue-gray eyes standing in the corner.<br><br>They all tensed up as silence continues.<br><br>Just a few moments earlier, Neo was analyzing what was in front of him. ‘They must be the thieves that stole from the palace. They looked injured and arguing at each other, well it’s only obvious because they failed to escape and now they are trapped. Plus they are all injured and exhausted it clouded their mind on what to do and arguing at each other, instead of thinking of the plan to escape, not that concern me. Better to get out of here before they notice me and that will be troublesome. If I tell to the soldiers maybe they will give me some rewards and fame but I have a scheduled Entrance Exam better don’t be late on that.’ He said to himself as he turns around.<br><br>As Neo starting to walk away he felt cold at his back that send shiver down to his spine, it was the same cold he felt as he practiced martial arts with his masters in the Chichibu and he started to duck catching the arm of the assailant using its force to throw him at the wall. <br><br>His nine years of training in martial arts with his masters imbued on his body and mind the techniques and style.Through pain and suffering his body and mind remembers it all, he was glad that all the martial arts he learns can be used in Royal Road. He enters karate club during high school but he was limited to what he can do and although the other sparring partners were good at their age they were still not enough for him to ease his boredom. <br><br>Because compared to the last nine years of training and sparring with his masters it was full of pain and suffering and now when he start to spar with the others the difference is big and he needs to hold back his strength for his sparring mates to cope with. That’s why after school every night he practices all of his martial arts until he exhausted to satisfy himself. But everything changes until the Unicorn corp. release Royal Road. <br><br>‘What the hell! You scared the wits out of me.’ He shouted inside his mind as he looked at the others rushing to the one he throw at the wall. ‘Now that is troublesome’<br><br>Now Neo faces the four thieves of the Shadow Fangs Guild, although they are injured they are still high leveled compare to Neo which is level 1. Fagin who he threw to the wall was standing up but he can still feel concussion on his head from the throw.<br><br>As he can see that Fagin was okay they turned and faced the light blue haired young man. Keyser ask the young man as he broke the silence.<br><br>“Who are you?” Keyser asks holding his weapon in his hand.<br><br>“I’m just a traveler using this alley to get to the central square but suddenly that guy tried to kill me but I manage to dodge, after that you can see what happens. Now if you guys will excuse me I’m going away now, don’t worry I don’t see anything and hear nothing.” He bow and start to leave. Although he explains to them what happened, he knows it wasn’t enough for him to go away peacefully but he still explains it to them.<br><br>“Wait, we can’t just let you go! Surely you will warn the soldiers where we are hiding.” Jase said to him as he halts his footsteps.<br><br>‘Looks like I won’t turn out peacefully, although I still have time before the exam if I don’t hurry I might get into conflict again and that is troublesome.’ As Neo thinking through the scenarios and a way to get out peacefully he sighs.<br><br>“Look if we fight with each other it will be troublesome for both of us. I know you can’t trust me but I don’t have time to argue and get into conflict between you guys and the soldiers chasing after you.” Neo said to them not filling intimidated from their numbers and levels. He knows what will happen next but he still wants to leave peacefully and not to get into conflict before the exam.<br><br>“Be careful although he looks weak he was dangerous. I concealed my presence through cloaking skill but he still manages to counter-attack at me.” Fagin told his brothers as he regained his composure. The other three became more wary to Neo although he states that he wants to leave peacefully if they let their guard down they will be in trouble plus they were all heavy injured and Fagin who is not heavy injured compared to them was defeated easily by him. <br><br>As Neo saw them readying their stances to attack, he sighed. ‘Though I can let it pass when they call me weak but it wasn’t enough for me to leave. Tsk! I guess it will still get into this, I managed to ease them up earlier but they are wary now. It’s good I have a weapon with me.’ Neo said to himself as he took his weapon from his inventory.<br><br>“If that is the case…” Neo prepared himself as he put on his wooden sword. Before he leaves the Training Hall he asks the Instructor to lend him a wooden sword. The Instructor said that the wooden sword is used only in the Training Hall and can’t give it to him but if he finished his training in the Training Hall he will give him a good and stronger sword for his level. He begs until the Instructor give in after he said he needs a weapon for the Entrance Exam to join in the Training Grounds. <br><br>Although the guards told him that he didn’t need any equipment’s for the Entrance Exam. It’s not that he doesn’t trust the guard, his policy is ‘prepare for the worse’ and he can still use it for other purposes. He get a weapon from what he could get, he doesn’t have money and he still couldn’t go outside to hunt so the wooden sword only he could get. It was much better than weaponless.<br><br><br>Earlier inside the Training Hall before Neo log out.<br><br>“Are you sure? Do you know what it was about?”The Instructor asks with perplexed expression.<br><br>“Yes Sir, here’s the recommendation by Advisor Grimnir.” Neo said as he showed the letter to the Instructor with stamp ‘OK’.<br><br>There was a shock expression from the Instructor face and told him to get what he needed inside the Training Hall and said that’s all he can give to him because he himself was not rich. Neo was thankful to the Instructor and as he was getting a wooden sword he was thinking maybe the Instructor knows something about the Training Grounds. After he got his weapon the Instructor was nowhere to be seen.<br><br>“Instructor? Where are you?” He looked around but he found nothing, ‘Though I want to ask him about the Training Grounds. Well I’ll just thank him after I logged on later’ then he walks to the entrance of the Training Hall and log out.<br><br>After a moment Neo leave the Training Hall the Instructor arrives with armors and sword at his bag. Earlier while Neo was getting a weapon the Instructor suddenly remember that he got some old weapons and armors at the storage room and dashed at its location. He didn’t tell Neo that he was getting a weapon for him and Neo didn’t know where the Instructor goes.<br><br>“Where did that kid go? How can he possibly pass the exam with just a wooden sword?” He takes more time than he imagine because he take out all the armors and weapons he can get for the kid he was fond of from the first day he arrives and train inside the Training Hall. He knows that the Entrance Exam for joining the Training Grounds can’t be passed with just half-ass weapons and armors that’s why those that wish to join prepares themselves for years of training.<br><br>“I’m still shock and can’t believe that kid got a recommendation. How can they give it to him?” He joins the Training Grounds during his younger days and knows what it is and how to get a recommendation. You need a connection with the nobles or Knight of the Kingdom of Ymir to get recommendation and they see to it that the levels are enough for him to take the exam.<br><br>‘Maybe they change the rules this year because of the Gaea of the Holy Seer send us freemen but Neo is just level 1 and his strength was still not enough. There’s something wrong here’ The Instructor knows about the freeman and he thought they were special but their strength is looked exactly the same as them, there is nothing special except they can resurrect again and disappear suddenly. <br><br>After more than a week the Instructor observed the freeman they all start in level 1 and most of them didn’t even know how to fight. The Instructor was thinking what to do but he can’t do anything to change it and just pray that Neo will come back safe.<br><br><br>Back to the present time, Neo equip his weapon.<br><br>“Item Equip Wooden Training Long Sword”<br><br><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td><span style="font-weight: bold;">Wooden Training Long Sword</span><br> <br><span style="font-weight: bold;">Durability: </span>100/100<br><span style="font-weight: bold;">Attack:</span> 1-2<br><br>Given to those who do the Basic Training Program. This widely-used training long sword is a basic type weapons that are available in a Training Hall.<br><br><span style="font-weight: bold;">Effect:</span> None<br><span style="font-weight: bold;">Requirement:</span> None</td></tr></tbody></table></div><br><br>‘Wew this is not a fair fight, look at them injured and panting. Well it’s not my fault plus they are thieves a criminal’ He was hitting only scarecrows for the past ten days, his body wants something new and he was eager to fight someone strong. Neo will now experience his first combat in Royal Road, he was excited and a little hopeful at his debut in fighting.<br><br>“Now let’s get over with this, I’m quite busy you know and I don’t want to be late.” His stance in the parlance of Japanese swordsmanship, this would be called the hassou-no-kamae one of the five basic stances in kendo. But since Neo's original posture was a flexible and natural stance, he really seemed like he was sticking to his claim of not intending to fight seriously.<br><br><br><br>To be continue...<br><br><br><br>Author Notes:<br>This is the last part of the Chapter 1 - Where it Begins! Like the title says, this incident will change the course of action of Neo in the future. Though you can start to play Royal Road or any other game after some time it was released so you can check those who fail and succeed in their first try. You now know what to avoid and what to do. It was good at its own right but i think it was better to experience it first hand. And if you know what is right and wrong from the beginning then it was no fun at all. There are also benefits when you start on first day besides you can take the lead there are also quest that was only available during the first days. :P <br><br>And Neo was not a Karate Practitioner since he was a kid. I'll tell what his original martial arts in the next chapters. You can guess based on where he trains in the Mountain. ;) <br><br>I hope you like it and I'll released the next Chapter on monday because during weekends i spend my time writing the story as of now I'm almost finished writing the Volume 1 and it takes more than 10 chapters as i already planned that was only 10 chapters per Volume. Well I already written it and honestly i liked it so i hope you like it also. <br>Feel free to post any comments, suggestions, corrections, criticism and etc.<br><br>Thank you for those who are reading my first Fanfic. I'll do my best on the next chapter. :D </div>

As I promised here's the next part of the Chapter 1 - Where it Begins! Part 2 Though I want to add some picture from my PC but I don't know how if anyone who knows how please do tell me! Thanks and Enjoy reading! :) An hour earlier inside the palace, the five thieves Tom, Fagin, Keyser, Jase and Hood wearing all black outfits infiltrate the palace of the Kingdom of Ymir, their target was the treasury obviously. They were all experts in their professions. Their plan was to kill the soldiers guarding the Treasury room and two of them will replace the guard as a scout outside while the other three take all the treasure they can inside. They have advanced pick locking skill so it won’t be a problem if it’s a Treasury Room lock or not. Then use their cloaking skill to conceal their presence while fleeing from the palace, the 2nd group set up a stairs for them to used waiting in the first wall, the 3rd group waiting in the second wall, the 4th group is waiting and guarding the carriage in the alleyway for their transportation and the 5th group was to open the path in the south gate. All was going according the plan but the three thieves consume in their greediness from the mountains of treasures inside, they take more than they can take. They even spend more time than the arranged time. Inside the treasury room was not only gold, silver and gems. There were also weapons, armors and items though it was old but has graded-A materials and was worn by famous individuals in the past of Kingdom of Ymir. There were also magic items, history books, maps and scrolls inside. It was a mountain of treasures that you need a whole week to identify it all. Now the five of them was moving out the palace slower than usual, each of them was holding four bags although it was a high leveled modified bag that can store more than 30 times the original and they are high leveled thieves they focus on raising their agility not the strength that will help them carry more weight. They still manage to get out the palace unharmed but there are close moments where their concealment was detected. The palace was in uproar because the patrolling guards notice that the treasures was stolen inside the Treasury room and they alert all the soldiers in the palace sending message to the guards in every wall to close the gates for not permitting the thieves exit. The five of them was past already of the schedule time to depart, they can’t blame each other because they all consume in greed and they all agreed to better reserved their energy for fleeing and staying alive other than to argue with each other. They ran as fast as they can to reach the walls while staying in the dark for cloaking. They climb in the stairs prepared by the 2nd groups but some of them are dead and the others are injured because of the fight in the soldiers. Earlier the archer in the 2nd group notices the arrival of the 1st group and they execute their plan. “They are coming, set up the stairs now.” They lay down the rope ladder and guard it till the 1st group passes the wall. While waiting the soldier of the Kingdom of Ymir patrolling the wall is arriving faster than the 1st group. The soldier notice something strange about the side of the wall rushed to the 2nd group of thieves. “The soldiers are coming, prepare your weapons. We will protect this stairs till the 1st group passed through.” Warn the archer to the other members. His name is Volpe a high leveled archer leading the 2nd group of thieves. They clashed weapons but the 2nd group just barely won with many injuries. There are still many soldiers arriving noticing the signal in the first wall. “Go now and complete the mission we will hold them back as long as we can, for the Shadow Fangs Guild.” Volpe said to the 1st group ready to sacrifice himself for the mission. “Tell My Lady I’m sorry but I can’t go back to her.” He added as he fire volleys of arrows to the soldier of Kingdom of Ymir. “Save Her” Volpe said holding both Keyser shoulders with his hard grip. “I will, don’t worry we will protect Her.” Keyser nodded at Volpe “Your sacrifice will not be in vain. Don’t worry we will complete the mission, I’ll tell My Lady your bravery, for the Shadow Fangs Guild.” Keyser said to Volpe, the other member of the 1st group also nodded at Volpe and bidding farewell to the 2nd group and continuing down the wall. They ran as fast as they could to reach the 3rd group of Shadow Fangs Guild. Although they could hear the dying cries of the 2nd group behind them but still they continue running not turning their back. As they ran to the location of the 3rd group, they can hear noises ahead the noise of metal clashing with metal and cries of the dying person. They can hear the noises louder as they ran closer and they stop on their tracks hiding to see what is happening. “What happened? What’s going on there?” Fagin said to Keyser who are leading them he is nervous of what is going to happen. “N-Not go-good, th-they are all dead.” Keyser said his whole body shaking. He didn’t know what to do now. They are trap on both sides and can’t get out now. “If…If we just take we can carry, we…we can travel faster and arrived on schedule time. N-Now we can’t com-complete the mission we can’t even g-get out… alive.” Tom said feeling despair and sorrow. “Y-Yeah…Yeah if… If we just focus on the mission we are not like this. This is your fault Keyser you tried to take all the treasures inside and now we are slow to move out. Even Volpe and our brothers sacrifice their life for the mission, we failed…we failed them and we failed My Lady.” The last words rang in their ears through their hearts. Jase is crying as he said that words. The others are also feeling despair and now they are crying. They now feel their tired bodies from running and using cloaking skill. Keyser who is task to lead in this mission felt their sorrows, because of his greediness and wanting to give a good life to his My Lady, now not even the mission will be successful. “The other thieves are there!” Shout of one of the soldiers. “Chase them!” The captain shouts at his soldiers. “And You tell the other cohorts to surround the Central Square!” Captain Raylan orders his other soldier to send information to the centurions. “We need to get out of here.” Hood shouts at them “This isn’t the time to feel saddened at the loss of our brothers. We need to run and hide to think of a plan.” Hood encouraged his brothers to not give up and die. They all both agree and started to run as they push their tired bodies. As long as they are alive they still can think of a plan to escape. They all put their remaining stamina to survive. “Thank you” Keyser said to Hood. He thanked Hood for encouraging them because as their leader he failed them. “I’m only doing this for My Lady.” Hood said. “Of course it is for My Lady. But still I need to say Thank you” Keyser said feeling grateful to Hood. “Thanked me after we survive this. You better think of a best escape plan later and treat me after we survive this.” Hood added to Keyser. “Yes I will.” Keyser said as he steeled his motivation so they can all survive. They all run as the groups of soldiers were chasing them. The soldiers fired a volley of arrows while riding a horse, some foot soldiers jump and block the thieves. Their escaped wasn’t going to be good as their mana and stamina were running out. Even their life was reducing little by little after some encounter with the soldiers. Because of the weight they were carrying it was hard for them to dodge and to move. The non-stop coming of soldiers to them was also a problem but they still persevered as they run to survive. They steeled their determination as they killed the soldiers blocking their path.They weren’t just only a group of thieves that know how to steal and run even in combat they proved to be dangerous. Though in one on one they were better than the soldiers of Ymir but being outnumbered without catching their breath was killing them little by little. The only reason they weren’t giving up given their current conditions as they hit and run was because of their My Lady that they swear to protect with their own lives. They know they can’t die in there as they remove the negative thoughts that they can’t survive. They refused to accept that they will all die and won’t complete their mission. Neo is walking in the alley his shortcut to the fountain in the Central Square but as he was walking he can hear shouts and noises. The shouts coming from the denarions and centurions ordering their soldiers, and the footsteps of the soldiers and the horses. Neo pick up his pace and now walking faster than before, because he felt the situation is getting worse, although he knows something is wrong but he still felt that if he doesn’t finished his task fast he will be in trouble. But he’s too late to notice that because he still continue on his way and after he turn right to the corner he felt something is wrong and started to walk slowly and silently. Although his instincts was telling him to ignore it and continued to go on his way but his curiosity still wins. ‘There are still time and I‘ll just take a look and after that I’ll go to the fountain to fill my canteen of water’ He said to convince himself. He takes a peek at the corner as the moonlight shine from the sky he saw men all covered in black outfits. They were discussing about something but he can’t hear them and can’t read through their lips because they wear face mask covering their mouth and nose and a hooded robe. “What we do now? Hood is dead he sacrifice himself for us to escape and we are injured. We even don’t know how long will we last.” Tom said is he panted. They were all exhausted and injured. They can’t even think straight anymore and arguing with each other. “Keyser you are the leader of this group, you decide what we need to do or else we all die.” Jase added as he bandaged himself and put pressure to Keyser who don’t know also what to do. Keyser was silent and still can’t believe what is happening, just earlier they find hope that they can all survive as they ran to find some place to hide but they are surrounded by the soldiers and the only place to go is the central square but they all know that is a trap for them. All their mana ran out and can’t cast any skill for them to hide in the dark. Hood who is the calm and brave in the group said that he will make an opening as he rushed in the group of soldiers who are still not in formation. “Shadow Sword Blast” He put all his spirits and determination in that attack. After Hood shout the skill there’s a large sound, the impact of the skill knocked down most of the soldiers they suffered heavy injury and some are unconscious unable to fight. Those that survived are holding their shields. “Now, go now! Leave this to me! I’ll leave My Lady to your hands.” Hood said and they all nodded as he slashed through the group of soldiers who are still recovering from the impact of the skill, he knows he won’t last long and just buying time for them to escape. They know most of them depleted their mana and can’t use a skill, but Hood use a skill therefore the only reason is using his life to use a skill. Their clan can use a skill without mana using their life as an exchange, it was stronger than using mana but they didn’t use it often except for dangerous situation it was a double edge weapon that consumes your life when you used it. As they rushed to the opening that Hood made but only after the few meters they can see the soldiers in front of them and as they looked back Hood was dead and his head flew near their feet. They all feel grimaced and raged filling their bodies but they still held back because Hood sacrifices himself just for them to escape. “To the roof!” Keyser shouted to them, as they all jump to the roof and run. But as they run to the roof they were all easy targets for the archers, they suffer injuries from the arrows until they reached their place right now they used their skill to run faster as it consumes their life because if they didn’t do it they will all die. They don’t want the sacrifice of Hood will be in vain as they run for their lives to survive. They know it’s not the safe place for them hide, it’s just enough for them to catch their breaths and they know later they will be surrounded by soldiers of Kingdom of Ymir. “Keyser can you hear me? Keyser” Tom shouted to Keyser. Keyser who was still dazed and thinking what happened earlier, ‘we failed because of me, they died because of me and My Lady will die because of me’. As he was thinking he suddenly hear a sound of a person hitting the wall. They all suddenly stood up and prepare their weapons and they all saw Fagin who is tasked to watch for the incoming soldier because he was less injured and in much better condition compared to them but he was suddenly lying on the floor. “W-Wha…What happened? I-Is the soldier already discovers us?” Tom asks nervously. They all rushed to Fagin but they noticed it wasn’t the soldier of Kingdom of Ymir they saw. It was a tall light blue haired man with blue-gray eyes standing in the corner. They all tensed up as silence continues. Just a few moments earlier, Neo was analyzing what was in front of him. ‘They must be the thieves that stole from the palace. They looked injured and arguing at each other, well it’s only obvious because they failed to escape and now they are trapped. Plus they are all injured and exhausted it clouded their mind on what to do and arguing at each other, instead of thinking of the plan to escape, not that concern me. Better to get out of here before they notice me and that will be troublesome. If I tell to the soldiers maybe they will give me some rewards and fame but I have a scheduled Entrance Exam better don’t be late on that.’ He said to himself as he turns around. As Neo starting to walk away he felt cold at his back that send shiver down to his spine, it was the same cold he felt as he practiced martial arts with his masters in the Chichibu and he started to duck catching the arm of the assailant using its force to throw him at the wall. His nine years of training in martial arts with his masters imbued on his body and mind the techniques and style.Through pain and suffering his body and mind remembers it all, he was glad that all the martial arts he learns can be used in Royal Road. He enters karate club during high school but he was limited to what he can do and although the other sparring partners were good at their age they were still not enough for him to ease his boredom. Because compared to the last nine years of training and sparring with his masters it was full of pain and suffering and now when he start to spar with the others the difference is big and he needs to hold back his strength for his sparring mates to cope with. That’s why after school every night he practices all of his martial arts until he exhausted to satisfy himself. But everything changes until the Unicorn corp. release Royal Road. ‘What the hell! You scared the wits out of me.’ He shouted inside his mind as he looked at the others rushing to the one he throw at the wall. ‘Now that is troublesome’ Now Neo faces the four thieves of the Shadow Fangs Guild, although they are injured they are still high leveled compare to Neo which is level 1. Fagin who he threw to the wall was standing up but he can still feel concussion on his head from the throw. As he can see that Fagin was okay they turned and faced the light blue haired young man. Keyser ask the young man as he broke the silence. “Who are you?” Keyser asks holding his weapon in his hand. “I’m just a traveler using this alley to get to the central square but suddenly that guy tried to kill me but I manage to dodge, after that you can see what happens. Now if you guys will excuse me I’m going away now, don’t worry I don’t see anything and hear nothing.” He bow and start to leave. Although he explains to them what happened, he knows it wasn’t enough for him to go away peacefully but he still explains it to them. “Wait, we can’t just let you go! Surely you will warn the soldiers where we are hiding.” Jase said to him as he halts his footsteps. ‘Looks like I won’t turn out peacefully, although I still have time before the exam if I don’t hurry I might get into conflict again and that is troublesome.’ As Neo thinking through the scenarios and a way to get out peacefully he sighs. “Look if we fight with each other it will be troublesome for both of us. I know you can’t trust me but I don’t have time to argue and get into conflict between you guys and the soldiers chasing after you.” Neo said to them not filling intimidated from their numbers and levels. He knows what will happen next but he still wants to leave peacefully and not to get into conflict before the exam. “Be careful although he looks weak he was dangerous. I concealed my presence through cloaking skill but he still manages to counter-attack at me.” Fagin told his brothers as he regained his composure. The other three became more wary to Neo although he states that he wants to leave peacefully if they let their guard down they will be in trouble plus they were all heavy injured and Fagin who is not heavy injured compared to them was defeated easily by him. As Neo saw them readying their stances to attack, he sighed. ‘Though I can let it pass when they call me weak but it wasn’t enough for me to leave. Tsk! I guess it will still get into this, I managed to ease them up earlier but they are wary now. It’s good I have a weapon with me.’ Neo said to himself as he took his weapon from his inventory. “If that is the case…” Neo prepared himself as he put on his wooden sword. Before he leaves the Training Hall he asks the Instructor to lend him a wooden sword. The Instructor said that the wooden sword is used only in the Training Hall and can’t give it to him but if he finished his training in the Training Hall he will give him a good and stronger sword for his level. He begs until the Instructor give in after he said he needs a weapon for the Entrance Exam to join in the Training Grounds. Although the guards told him that he didn’t need any equipment’s for the Entrance Exam. It’s not that he doesn’t trust the guard, his policy is ‘prepare for the worse’ and he can still use it for other purposes. He get a weapon from what he could get, he doesn’t have money and he still couldn’t go outside to hunt so the wooden sword only he could get. It was much better than weaponless. Earlier inside the Training Hall before Neo log out. “Are you sure? Do you know what it was about?”The Instructor asks with perplexed expression. “Yes Sir, here’s the recommendation by Advisor Grimnir.” Neo said as he showed the letter to the Instructor with stamp ‘OK’. There was a shock expression from the Instructor face and told him to get what he needed inside the Training Hall and said that’s all he can give to him because he himself was not rich. Neo was thankful to the Instructor and as he was getting a wooden sword he was thinking maybe the Instructor knows something about the Training Grounds. After he got his weapon the Instructor was nowhere to be seen. “Instructor? Where are you?” He looked around but he found nothing, ‘Though I want to ask him about the Training Grounds. Well I’ll just thank him after I logged on later’ then he walks to the entrance of the Training Hall and log out. After a moment Neo leave the Training Hall the Instructor arrives with armors and sword at his bag. Earlier while Neo was getting a weapon the Instructor suddenly remember that he got some old weapons and armors at the storage room and dashed at its location. He didn’t tell Neo that he was getting a weapon for him and Neo didn’t know where the Instructor goes. “Where did that kid go? How can he possibly pass the exam with just a wooden sword?” He takes more time than he imagine because he take out all the armors and weapons he can get for the kid he was fond of from the first day he arrives and train inside the Training Hall. He knows that the Entrance Exam for joining the Training Grounds can’t be passed with just half-ass weapons and armors that’s why those that wish to join prepares themselves for years of training. “I’m still shock and can’t believe that kid got a recommendation. How can they give it to him?” He joins the Training Grounds during his younger days and knows what it is and how to get a recommendation. You need a connection with the nobles or Knight of the Kingdom of Ymir to get recommendation and they see to it that the levels are enough for him to take the exam. ‘Maybe they change the rules this year because of the Gaea of the Holy Seer send us freemen but Neo is just level 1 and his strength was still not enough. There’s something wrong here’ The Instructor knows about the freeman and he thought they were special but their strength is looked exactly the same as them, there is nothing special except they can resurrect again and disappear suddenly. After more than a week the Instructor observed the freeman they all start in level 1 and most of them didn’t even know how to fight. The Instructor was thinking what to do but he can’t do anything to change it and just pray that Neo will come back safe. Back to the present time, Neo equip his weapon. “Item Equip Wooden Training Long Sword” | Wooden Training Long Sword Durability: 100/100Attack: 1-2Given to those who do the Basic Training Program. This widely-used training long sword is a basic type weapons that are available in a Training Hall.Effect: NoneRequirement: None | | --- | ‘Wew this is not a fair fight, look at them injured and panting. Well it’s not my fault plus they are thieves a criminal’ He was hitting only scarecrows for the past ten days, his body wants something new and he was eager to fight someone strong. Neo will now experience his first combat in Royal Road, he was excited and a little hopeful at his debut in fighting. “Now let’s get over with this, I’m quite busy you know and I don’t want to be late.” His stance in the parlance of Japanese swordsmanship, this would be called the hassou-no-kamae one of the five basic stances in kendo. But since Neo's original posture was a flexible and natural stance, he really seemed like he was sticking to his claim of not intending to fight seriously. To be continue... Author Notes: This is the last part of the Chapter 1 - Where it Begins! Like the title says, this incident will change the course of action of Neo in the future. Though you can start to play Royal Road or any other game after some time it was released so you can check those who fail and succeed in their first try. You now know what to avoid and what to do. It was good at its own right but i think it was better to experience it first hand. And if you know what is right and wrong from the beginning then it was no fun at all. There are also benefits when you start on first day besides you can take the lead there are also quest that was only available during the first days. :P And Neo was not a Karate Practitioner since he was a kid. I'll tell what his original martial arts in the next chapters. You can guess based on where he trains in the Mountain. ;) I hope you like it and I'll released the next Chapter on monday because during weekends i spend my time writing the story as of now I'm almost finished writing the Volume 1 and it takes more than 10 chapters as i already planned that was only 10 chapters per Volume. Well I already written it and honestly i liked it so i hope you like it also. Feel free to post any comments, suggestions, corrections, criticism and etc. Thank you for those who are reading my first Fanfic. I'll do my best on the next chapter. :D

<div class="chapter-inner chapter-content"> Prologue<br><br>Sirens were heard, doctors alarmed and waiting.<br>The ambulance truck arrived, from it came two people holding a stretcher with a young man on it.<br>Doctors surrounded him, trying to find out what was wrong. They removed his cracked glasses, opened his eyes only to find no light in those dark brown eyes, his short pitch black hair was covered in blood.<br>.<br>.<br>.<br>“Did he make it?” a blank voice asked.<br>“He survived.” the doctor said.<br>.<br>.<br>John Ronald, one of the most talented young writers of the 21st century, on his way to a gathering, had an accident which made it impossible for him to continue his dream.<br><br>-One year later-<br><br>John lay on his bed, looking at the ceiling, alive yet dead on the inside. His accident, long forgotten, yet scars were visible. He got up, thirsty, alone in his home, his footsteps, louder than everything there. He tried to take a glass; it fell, it shattered. He tried cursing but words no longer came out, remembering the fact he could no longer speak, John wanted to cry, but all his tears dried up long ago.The doorbell rang, he struggled to open it, in came two men carrying a large round shaped object, it was a capsule.<br>After the installation was completed the men left, as soon as the door closed, he ran towards the capsule, ready to try it.<br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td>Connect to royal road?<br> Yes/ No</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div> </div>

Prologue Sirens were heard, doctors alarmed and waiting. The ambulance truck arrived, from it came two people holding a stretcher with a young man on it. Doctors surrounded him, trying to find out what was wrong. They removed his cracked glasses, opened his eyes only to find no light in those dark brown eyes, his short pitch black hair was covered in blood. . . . “Did he make it?” a blank voice asked. “He survived.” the doctor said. . . John Ronald, one of the most talented young writers of the 21st century, on his way to a gathering, had an accident which made it impossible for him to continue his dream. -One year later- John lay on his bed, looking at the ceiling, alive yet dead on the inside. His accident, long forgotten, yet scars were visible. He got up, thirsty, alone in his home, his footsteps, louder than everything there. He tried to take a glass; it fell, it shattered. He tried cursing but words no longer came out, remembering the fact he could no longer speak, John wanted to cry, but all his tears dried up long ago.The doorbell rang, he struggled to open it, in came two men carrying a large round shaped object, it was a capsule. After the installation was completed the men left, as soon as the door closed, he ran towards the capsule, ready to try it. | Connect to royal road? Yes/ No | | --- |

<div class="chapter-inner chapter-content"> There we stood, against a humongous horned wolf with saber-shaped canine teeth that made bears look like children; it was dignified and scary all at once.<br><br>Up until now I’d fought against rabbits, foxes and wolves, creatures I knew of, read of, or seen with my very own eyes.<br>For the first time, since I started playing this game I felt excitement and fear from the unknown.<br><br><br>“<span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Not to kill but to protect<br>Grant me the power and will<br>Make a hard iron sword,<br>from my soft and feathery quill.</span></span>” <br><br>Both of us rushed at it from different sides, it turned towards Pandora, considering her a bigger threat. *Why?!*<br>Using her magnificent swordsmanship, she made several deep cuts on its skin. <br>Enraged the ETHEL WOLF opened its mouth, ready to bite off Pandora’s arm.<br><br>“<span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Paralyze</span></span>” <br><br>I wrote over it using the PenSword, while it could stop the movement of other wolves for up to ten seconds, the ETHEL WOLF was only stunned long enough for Pandora to get away from its huge mouth.<br>Now wary of us, the boss monster got serious.<br>With its giant sharp claw it slashed deep into Pandora, a single swing was enough to destroy the shield I had put on her beforehand as well as reduce her Hp by 1/5.<br><br>I had run out of ink, I could no longer use commands to aid her.<br>*think, think, think!*<br>In one swift stab to my hand with my PenSword I filled the quill with blood.<br><br>*trring.* Skill learnt <br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td>Signed in Blood beginner level 1:<br>Using blood as ink you increase the power of your words by infusing life force into them. <br>2x skill effect +0.1x/ SiB level.<br>1/2 mana needed per skill when using blood.<br>Using the blood of powerful creatures will further increase effect.</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br>I looked up to see Pandora, fighting the monster, each striking the other with ferocity, but the wolf had something more; its tremendous HP bar would slightly decrease with each hit, whereas her bar was reduced by a fifth after each slash and was now down to 40%<br>“<span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Paralyze</span></span>”<br>“<span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Heal</span></span>”<br>“<span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Shield</span></span>”<br>“<span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Heal</span></span>”<br>I used four commands consecutively with their effect doubled, stunned the wolf for five seconds, <br>Healed 50% of Pandora’s Hp and shielded her from the next two attacks.<br><br><br>With the boss still stunned I jumped on its head and held my PenSword over its eyes.<br><br>“<span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Scorch</span></span>”<br><br>-Critical hit<br>-Accuracy reduced by 40%<br>-The creature is angry<br>-attack increased by 25%<br><br>I managed to burn its left eye before it threw me away.<br>-400 HP <br><br>Although its attack increased a lot, due to the drop in accuracy, it was fairly easy for Pandora to dodge each of its attacks.<br>The monster started to screech in pain, my ears hurt.<br>With its health now at 1/3 the Ethel wolf entered a state of frenzy.<br>Until now Pandora had been its main target, this time however it started to attack me.<br>I stood there, I did move at all, as its big mouth was about to encircle my head, I stepped to the right.<br><br>“<span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Scorch</span></span>”<br><br>It’s right eye burst into flames.<br><br>-Critical hit<br>-Ethel is blind<br>-The wolf now relies on its sense of smell and hearing.<br>-accuracy back to 100%. Unable to perform critical hits.<br><br>While the wolf was attacking me, it forgot the battle was 1vs2.<br>From behind Pandora jumped with a back flip, high enough for her feet to touch the ceiling.<br>She crouched, using all her strength and pushed against the ceiling.<br>I could see her from afar, yet the wolf didn’t.<br>With a twist she jumped towards Ethel in a circular motion, both her swords attached together forming a drill.<br>In less than a second a human sized hole could be seen on the monstrous wolf’s back, blood gushed out and slowly covered the whole room in a thick layer of red.<br>The wolf’s health dropped down to dangerous levels.<br>What was left of her Hp bar, continued to drop from the fire and the bleeding caused by the wound.<br>It gave up, no longer had the desire to fight, it lay on the ground.<br><br>-level up<br>-level up<br>-level up<br>-level up<br>-level up<br><br>From hiding came out a wolf whelp and neared the dying Ethel. It started to howl, sadness took the form of sound, both Pandora and I were left speechless, we had killed his mother.<br>With a trembling voice I spoke what came to my mind.<br><br>“<span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;">All your life you have lived free<br>Your howl shaking every tree<br>Now down to your last breath<br>Knocking on your door, death<br><br>Is it death that you fear?<br>Knowing that you’ll disappear.<br>If so then rise from the ground<br>Break the chains that have you bound.<br><br>Come back to earth, don’t you dare flee<br>Don’t see the light, come back to me</span></span>.”<br><br>.<br>.<br>.<br>.<br>.<br>.<br>.<br>.<br>.<br>.<br>.<br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td>Miracle!<br>Due to your high faith and certain circumstances, a miracle has happened.<br>ETHEL WOLF has been revived.</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br>As soon as I saw the wolf-mother rise, I gave a signal to Pandora to leave.<br>As we were doing so the hall in front of us collapsed, but it was not an accident.<br><br>“Please do not leave so soon, at least not before I thank you for what you have done.” The wolf in front of us said.<br>Both Pandora and I were shocked.<br><br>“yo… you can talk?!” Pandora asked as she got into a confused state.<br><br>“I have long since known human speech.” <br><br>“Can wolves do that?” was the following question.<br><br>“Perhaps not, but my whelp and I are no mere wolves.” She replied proudly. “For we belong to the royal demon wolf tribe.”<br><br>*pfft wolf royalty *<br><br>“As I said, before you leave I wish to thank you for sparing my life and ask you a favor as well.”<br><br> “What might that favor be noble wolf?”<br><br>“I ask of you to take my only son on your travels, so that he can grow into a fine wolf-king.”<br><br>A small miniature wolf came towards me and I held him, despite the horns and teeth, he was cute.<br>*Trring*<br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td>Train the future wolf-king<br>The noble wolf Ethel has asked you to train her son so that he can one day rule over the wolves.<br>Quest requirements: Unknown.Rewards: unknown</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br><br>“I am sorry but I am nothing more than a writer and not fit to train your son so I have to refuse.” I said as I handed the adorable pup to Pandora.<br><br>“I’d be glad to help you!” Pandora accepted her request mesmerized by the cuteness of the baby wolf.<br><br>Earth shook and the corridor that was closed reopened once again. And we started to leave.<br><br>“Wait young writer, I wish to speak with you in private”<br><br>“I’ll wait for you outside” said Pandora.<br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td>-Pandora added you to her friends list accept?</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br>“Yes” I accepted as she left.<br><br>“What do you want to talk about noble wolf?”<br><br>“I wish to have a duel with you, writer.”<br><br>“Your wish is my command” I said and bowed to the royal demon wolf, confused from the strange request.<br><br>I knew her strengths and she knew mine, chills went down my spine.<br><br>“<span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="color: #FF0000;">Alone I come here<br>Powerless and in fear</span><br>Not to protect but to kill<br><span style="color: #FF0000;">With Darkness to fight<br>And wrongs to make right</span><br>Grant me the power and will<br>Make a hard iron sword<br><span style="color: #FF0000;">I call for your might</span> <br>From my soft and feathery quill<br><span style="color: #FF0000;">Come to me, wings of light.</span></span></span>” (Think of it as two people reciting different poems at the same time)<br><br><br>The mighty demon wolf attacks.<br>With the increase in speed from the wings of light, I managed to keep up with her.<br>With the swiftness of the wind her mouth reached for my leg… I dodged by a hairs thread, and at light speed I wrote over her head.<br><br>“<span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Scorch</span></span>” <br><br>As soon as Ethel saw me write, she jumped out.<br>The ground caught fire.<br>I now knew I was fighting with an intelligent being, one who understood human speech, one who unlike my other foes, could think.<br>I was immersed in battle.<br><br>“You run towards me!<br>Your claw rises ready to strike me.<br>With my sword I parry your attack and at full strength<br>I plunge my sword through your arm<br>You growl in anger!<br>Your other claw, ready to strike!<br>Retreating backwards; I slip.” I continued to describe every piece of detail from our battle.<br><br>“Your arm comes down to cut me in half,<br>With no way to parry or dodge I stop moving,<br>You… … <span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Miss</span></span>” <br><br>The demon wolf in front of me slips, she missed. While listening to me she had gotten distracted and was no longer in control of her body, taking my words in, believing them, obeying them.<br><br>Skill learnt:<br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td>Deception beginner level 1- Passive<br>Using your words in battle you are able to fool your enemy.<br>+3%chance of monsters believing your words to be true. +0.4% per level.<br>Chances increase/decrease depending on circumstances, words, intelligence and charisma.</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br>For the first time in her life, she had been controlled; it made the demon wolf furious.<br>She regained her senses, looking at me with blood red eyes she attacked.<br><br>“You dare control me?!” she howled.<br><br>She ran towards me ready to bite my head off with her jaws wide open.<br><br>“<span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Shield</span></span>” I yelled. <br><br>“That shield cannot save you!” she added with her mouth still agape, her throat still visible.<br>.<br>.<br>.<br>Her mouth burst in flames.<br><br>-critical hit<br>-strength reduced by 20%<br>-speed reduced by 20%<br>-Unable to use skill “bite”<br><br>“What is the meaning of this? How?” the wolf queen was taken by surprise her throat now enveloped in flames.<br><br>“Words are a powerful weapon indeed; they can influence you without you even knowing. <br>Say for example, you knew my shield was active yet you believed my words, and bothered not to see what I actually wrote.” A grin covered my face knowing that the seed of doubt was planted inside her.<br><br>“What you say is true, but once you know that, you are no longer affected by them. Telling me was your one mistake until now.” The wolf said after regaining her composure.<br><br>“You leap towards me, ready to crush me with your paws<br>I step aside.<br>A chance! Your head no more than one meter away from my sword.<br><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;">I strike your eye with my sword</span></span>.”<br><br>She jumped up and stood on two legs, she protected her head.<br><br>-critical hit<br>-You have struck the wolf’s heart severely damaging it.<br>-all stats reduced by 20%<br><br>As soon as she’d jumped with her front legs I’d thrust my sword deep into her chest.<br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td>Deception level up.</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br>The demon wolf retreated, she coughed up blood.<br><br>Tension rose in the air.<br>A dark red aura surrounded the demon wolf.<br> Her eyes’ pupils disappeared and her teeth clenched.<br>The Ethel Wolf had now lost reason and could no longer hear me.<br>And so just like the beast in front of me, I decided to give into my instincts.<br><br>.<br>.<br>.<br>..<br>.<br>.<br>.<br>.<br>***********************<br><br>The demon wolf stood in front of me, most of its body burnt, words carved into its skin.<br>Her breath was heavy, but she still stood. I, on the other hand had fallen to my knees, my health down to less than a hundred and my mana completely gone.<br>Neither of us moved a millimeter.<br><br>“You are terrifying… for a simple writer.” The beast calmly spoke. <br><br>“I can say the same, were you only playing with us before?”<br><br> I asked the powerful beast whose health had stayed at 100% since the time when the back aura had enveloped her. <br>.<br>.<br>.<br>.<br>“Why did you give your child to us? You are more than capable of raising him.” <br><br>“You see, writer, my time is nearing its end, I will soon cease to exist.” Her expression changed.<br><br>“So what was the duel for? My friend already accepted your request.”<br><br>“I wanted to test your skill of course. Your individual skill.”<br><br>“Why?”<br><br>“To give you this” Ethel said as her body disappeared in the form of blue-ish air which then blasted into me.<br><br>Visions appeared before me, blurry pictures were engraved into my mind.<br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td>-You have received: memories of the ancient demon wolf queen.</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div> </div>

There we stood, against a humongous horned wolf with saber-shaped canine teeth that made bears look like children; it was dignified and scary all at once. Up until now I’d fought against rabbits, foxes and wolves, creatures I knew of, read of, or seen with my very own eyes. For the first time, since I started playing this game I felt excitement and fear from the unknown. “Not to kill but to protect Grant me the power and will Make a hard iron sword, from my soft and feathery quill.” Both of us rushed at it from different sides, it turned towards Pandora, considering her a bigger threat. *Why?!* Using her magnificent swordsmanship, she made several deep cuts on its skin. Enraged the ETHEL WOLF opened its mouth, ready to bite off Pandora’s arm. “Paralyze” I wrote over it using the PenSword, while it could stop the movement of other wolves for up to ten seconds, the ETHEL WOLF was only stunned long enough for Pandora to get away from its huge mouth. Now wary of us, the boss monster got serious. With its giant sharp claw it slashed deep into Pandora, a single swing was enough to destroy the shield I had put on her beforehand as well as reduce her Hp by 1/5. I had run out of ink, I could no longer use commands to aid her. *think, think, think!* In one swift stab to my hand with my PenSword I filled the quill with blood. *trring.* Skill learnt | Signed in Blood beginner level 1:Using blood as ink you increase the power of your words by infusing life force into them. 2x skill effect +0.1x/ SiB level.1/2 mana needed per skill when using blood.Using the blood of powerful creatures will further increase effect. | | --- | I looked up to see Pandora, fighting the monster, each striking the other with ferocity, but the wolf had something more; its tremendous HP bar would slightly decrease with each hit, whereas her bar was reduced by a fifth after each slash and was now down to 40% “Paralyze” “Heal” “Shield” “Heal” I used four commands consecutively with their effect doubled, stunned the wolf for five seconds, Healed 50% of Pandora’s Hp and shielded her from the next two attacks. With the boss still stunned I jumped on its head and held my PenSword over its eyes. “Scorch” -Critical hit -Accuracy reduced by 40% -The creature is angry -attack increased by 25% I managed to burn its left eye before it threw me away. -400 HP Although its attack increased a lot, due to the drop in accuracy, it was fairly easy for Pandora to dodge each of its attacks. The monster started to screech in pain, my ears hurt. With its health now at 1/3 the Ethel wolf entered a state of frenzy. Until now Pandora had been its main target, this time however it started to attack me. I stood there, I did move at all, as its big mouth was about to encircle my head, I stepped to the right. “Scorch” It’s right eye burst into flames. -Critical hit -Ethel is blind -The wolf now relies on its sense of smell and hearing. -accuracy back to 100%. Unable to perform critical hits. While the wolf was attacking me, it forgot the battle was 1vs2. From behind Pandora jumped with a back flip, high enough for her feet to touch the ceiling. She crouched, using all her strength and pushed against the ceiling. I could see her from afar, yet the wolf didn’t. With a twist she jumped towards Ethel in a circular motion, both her swords attached together forming a drill. In less than a second a human sized hole could be seen on the monstrous wolf’s back, blood gushed out and slowly covered the whole room in a thick layer of red. The wolf’s health dropped down to dangerous levels. What was left of her Hp bar, continued to drop from the fire and the bleeding caused by the wound. It gave up, no longer had the desire to fight, it lay on the ground. -level up -level up -level up -level up -level up From hiding came out a wolf whelp and neared the dying Ethel. It started to howl, sadness took the form of sound, both Pandora and I were left speechless, we had killed his mother. With a trembling voice I spoke what came to my mind. “All your life you have lived free Your howl shaking every tree Now down to your last breath Knocking on your door, death Is it death that you fear? Knowing that you’ll disappear. If so then rise from the ground Break the chains that have you bound. Come back to earth, don’t you dare flee Don’t see the light, come back to me.” . . . . . . . . . . . | Miracle!Due to your high faith and certain circumstances, a miracle has happened.ETHEL WOLF has been revived. | | --- | As soon as I saw the wolf-mother rise, I gave a signal to Pandora to leave. As we were doing so the hall in front of us collapsed, but it was not an accident. “Please do not leave so soon, at least not before I thank you for what you have done.” The wolf in front of us said. Both Pandora and I were shocked. “yo… you can talk?!” Pandora asked as she got into a confused state. “I have long since known human speech.” “Can wolves do that?” was the following question. “Perhaps not, but my whelp and I are no mere wolves.” She replied proudly. “For we belong to the royal demon wolf tribe.” *pfft wolf royalty * “As I said, before you leave I wish to thank you for sparing my life and ask you a favor as well.” “What might that favor be noble wolf?” “I ask of you to take my only son on your travels, so that he can grow into a fine wolf-king.” A small miniature wolf came towards me and I held him, despite the horns and teeth, he was cute. *Trring* | Train the future wolf-kingThe noble wolf Ethel has asked you to train her son so that he can one day rule over the wolves.Quest requirements: Unknown.Rewards: unknown | | --- | “I am sorry but I am nothing more than a writer and not fit to train your son so I have to refuse.” I said as I handed the adorable pup to Pandora. “I’d be glad to help you!” Pandora accepted her request mesmerized by the cuteness of the baby wolf. Earth shook and the corridor that was closed reopened once again. And we started to leave. “Wait young writer, I wish to speak with you in private” “I’ll wait for you outside” said Pandora. | -Pandora added you to her friends list accept? | | --- | “Yes” I accepted as she left. “What do you want to talk about noble wolf?” “I wish to have a duel with you, writer.” “Your wish is my command” I said and bowed to the royal demon wolf, confused from the strange request. I knew her strengths and she knew mine, chills went down my spine. “Alone I come here Powerless and in fear Not to protect but to kill With Darkness to fight And wrongs to make right Grant me the power and will Make a hard iron sword I call for your might From my soft and feathery quill Come to me, wings of light.” (Think of it as two people reciting different poems at the same time) The mighty demon wolf attacks. With the increase in speed from the wings of light, I managed to keep up with her. With the swiftness of the wind her mouth reached for my leg… I dodged by a hairs thread, and at light speed I wrote over her head. “Scorch” As soon as Ethel saw me write, she jumped out. The ground caught fire. I now knew I was fighting with an intelligent being, one who understood human speech, one who unlike my other foes, could think. I was immersed in battle. “You run towards me! Your claw rises ready to strike me. With my sword I parry your attack and at full strength I plunge my sword through your arm You growl in anger! Your other claw, ready to strike! Retreating backwards; I slip.” I continued to describe every piece of detail from our battle. “Your arm comes down to cut me in half, With no way to parry or dodge I stop moving, You… … Miss” The demon wolf in front of me slips, she missed. While listening to me she had gotten distracted and was no longer in control of her body, taking my words in, believing them, obeying them. Skill learnt: | Deception beginner level 1- PassiveUsing your words in battle you are able to fool your enemy.+3%chance of monsters believing your words to be true. +0.4% per level.Chances increase/decrease depending on circumstances, words, intelligence and charisma. | | --- | For the first time in her life, she had been controlled; it made the demon wolf furious. She regained her senses, looking at me with blood red eyes she attacked. “You dare control me?!” she howled. She ran towards me ready to bite my head off with her jaws wide open. “Shield” I yelled. “That shield cannot save you!” she added with her mouth still agape, her throat still visible. . . . Her mouth burst in flames. -critical hit -strength reduced by 20% -speed reduced by 20% -Unable to use skill “bite” “What is the meaning of this? How?” the wolf queen was taken by surprise her throat now enveloped in flames. “Words are a powerful weapon indeed; they can influence you without you even knowing. Say for example, you knew my shield was active yet you believed my words, and bothered not to see what I actually wrote.” A grin covered my face knowing that the seed of doubt was planted inside her. “What you say is true, but once you know that, you are no longer affected by them. Telling me was your one mistake until now.” The wolf said after regaining her composure. “You leap towards me, ready to crush me with your paws I step aside. A chance! Your head no more than one meter away from my sword. I strike your eye with my sword.” She jumped up and stood on two legs, she protected her head. -critical hit -You have struck the wolf’s heart severely damaging it. -all stats reduced by 20% As soon as she’d jumped with her front legs I’d thrust my sword deep into her chest. | Deception level up. | | --- | The demon wolf retreated, she coughed up blood. Tension rose in the air. A dark red aura surrounded the demon wolf. Her eyes’ pupils disappeared and her teeth clenched. The Ethel Wolf had now lost reason and could no longer hear me. And so just like the beast in front of me, I decided to give into my instincts. . . . .. . . . . *********************** The demon wolf stood in front of me, most of its body burnt, words carved into its skin. Her breath was heavy, but she still stood. I, on the other hand had fallen to my knees, my health down to less than a hundred and my mana completely gone. Neither of us moved a millimeter. “You are terrifying… for a simple writer.” The beast calmly spoke. “I can say the same, were you only playing with us before?” I asked the powerful beast whose health had stayed at 100% since the time when the back aura had enveloped her. . . . . “Why did you give your child to us? You are more than capable of raising him.” “You see, writer, my time is nearing its end, I will soon cease to exist.” Her expression changed. “So what was the duel for? My friend already accepted your request.” “I wanted to test your skill of course. Your individual skill.” “Why?” “To give you this” Ethel said as her body disappeared in the form of blue-ish air which then blasted into me. Visions appeared before me, blurry pictures were engraved into my mind. | -You have received: memories of the ancient demon wolf queen. | | --- |

<div class="chapter-inner chapter-content"> After finishing his dinner and giving thanks for the food, Constantine makes his way up the stairs and dash to where the capsule are, not wanting to waste a second more.<br><br>As Constantine stepped into it, he set the timer at the side in order to prevent himself from overshooting his bedtime hours. Constantine activate the system and soon arrive in RoyalRoad.<br><br>After finding himself inside Gustav’s house once again, Zero set up to find Morrigan to ask if she has any food to spare. Apparently the sanity level wouldn’t be restored even you have eaten in real life. <br><br>Searching the possible areas she would likely be, Zero spied her sculpting a figurine from some wood in a cluttered room, which he assumes to be her workplace. <br><br>Feeling a little surprised at Morrigan’s ability to sculpt, he knocked at the door to indicate his presence. She stopped what she focusing on and raised her head, relaxing her guard when she recognizes the person standing there.<br><br>“Sorry to interrupt what you are doing, I wanted to ask if I am allowed to take some of your food in the kitchen as I am currently famished.”<br><br>“Sure, please help yourself,” replied Morrigan, continuing her sculpting.<br><br>“What are you scrulpting at this hour, it’s already quite late” ask Zero, looking at her for answers.<br><br>“I’m just trying to increase the income of the household... There’s nothing for you to worry about”.”<br><br>“Shouldn’t your husband be making enough …, before that why doesn’t Gustav hire more people to help”, said Zero finding it strange.<br><br>“W-Well.., you will find it out yourself eventually if you continue to work here.” <br><br>“Is the reason due to he is not a human as he seems too tall to be one.”<br><br>Morrigan pondered a while before deciding to tell Zero. “That’s not the reason, actually my husband is a barbarian but due to his height he was unable to fit in his homeland and came here to start afresh. He saved me from some wild beast while I was picking some flowers”, replied Morrigan , reminiscing about her past. “You will know in due time.., in due time.”<br><br>“Ok, if you say so. I will go now and continue cutting the logs”, says Zero, ending the conversation.<br><br>He swiftly went to the kitchen to fill his satisfaction level before heading back to the shed to pick up what he left off.<br><br>Before continuing the repetitive work, he inspects the axe he is holding.<br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td colspan="4">Gustav's Old Woodcutter Axe:<br><br>Durability: 21/24<br>Damage: 8-11<br>Axe used by a famous woodcutter. Axe handle was made to be longer than normal. <br><br>Axe head has become rugged due to use of over long periods of time.<br><br>Equip:<br>+5 STR<br>+10% to woodcutting skill<br>+ other effects are unavailable at this point in time</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br><span style="font-style: italic;">He’s famous? How come he didn’t tell me?</span> Reminding himself that he could have a reason for not saying, Zero continues to do his work.<br><br>6 hours later---<br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td colspan="4">Vitality increased by 1 point. (+1 VIT)</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td colspan="4">New Passive Skill: Axe Mastery</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td colspan="4">Axe Mastery<br>+ Increase Attack Power with Axe (+10% ATK)<br>+ Increase Attack Speed with Axe (+3% ATK SPD)</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br>Smiling to himself, Zero took a short break before cutting for another few hours till the timer rang.<br><br>Constantine quickly logged off and as he lay down on his bed, make a mental note of asking Jason’s character name once he reached school the following day. Thinking all the things he has accomplished, he soon fell asleep. <br><br><div style="text-align: center;">***********************</div><br><br>As Constantine arrives in front of the classroom, he make his way to his seat and sit, taking items out of his bag for class.<br><br> “Yo, how’s the game?” ask Jason, patting Constantine’s back.<br><br>“This game is good, first time having this kind of experience before.” answering Jason while turning his head to look at him. “What’s your character name? I want to register you so I can ask for your help.”<br><br>“Merlin, and sorry to burst your bubble but I’m already not in Brent Kingdom.”<br><br>“What!” exclaimed Zero, standing up in reaction to the words. “And here I was thinking of asking you for some gears so I can ready myself once I’m able to leave.”<br><br>“Why don’t you ask the rest if you really need it? I’m not the only one you know.” nodding his head in the direction of the classmates.<br><br>“W-Well.., I didn’t really talk much with the rest unlike you, “answer Constantine, returning back to his seat after noticing the teacher has arrived.<br><br>Time passes by in a blur and soon Constantine find himself back in the capsule.<br>“Royal Road, here I come”, starting it up to once again enter the world he became fond of.<br><br><div style="text-align: center;">***********************</div><br><br>Zero was hard at work over the past 4 weeks, increasing his stats and skills exponentially. New stats such as sustance were also generated during the period. He also took the short breaks in-between work to ask the training instructor at the training centre for tips on using axes and checked out skills which might prove useful to him. <br><br>Additionally he also assists Morrigan to prepare food at mealtimes to increase his cooking skills. Mainly just consists of cutting and washing as his skills are low.<br><br>On the day that Zero was able to go out of the kingdom Gustav approached him, stopping from his task.<br><br>“It’s not necessary to continue any further, you have proven yourself” said Gustav dismissing Zero’s questions. “You are free to go now.”<br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td colspan="4"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Quest Complete! Cutting Logs For Firewoods </span><br><br>You have prepared enough firewood for Gustav to fulfil his order. He feels that is no reason to let you continue cutting.<br><br>You have levelled up!<br>You have levelled up!</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br>Next Gustav questioned Zero what his next move will be.<br><br>“Increasing my levels and finding hidden classes so I can be stronger.” answered Zero as he wipes the sweat away from his forehead.<br><br>“So woodcutter class are out then,” muttered Gustav, letting off a faint sigh. “Here is the next task I have for you.”<br><br> <div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td colspan="4">After having seen you cutting the logs for a month, he is now comfortable with letting you follow him into Grey Wood to cut the trees.<br>Gustav requires to cut down the trees for building houses which is currently in short supply. Payment will be increased to 20 silver per tree.<br><br>Difficulty level: D<br><br>Quest requirements<br>Assist in fulfilling firewood order for Gustav.<br>Show tenacity and resolution.<br>Rewards: Gustav will give you his old woodcutter axe. <br>Number of trees to cut: 500</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br><span style="font-style: italic;">This is what people call a serial quest isn’t it.</span> “Alright,” answered Zero, finding no reason to refuse. After finishing preparation for the trip, they set out to the forest.<br><br>Riding on the bullock cart for roughly half an hour, they soon find themselves facing the entrance. Looking inside, animals could be seen moving about, punctuated occasionally by people chasing them. <br><br>“This forest is what people call Grey Wood”, says Gustav as he draw an imaginary line of border onto an area inside the map. “Grey Bears populate this forest so be careful when entering.”<br><br>“I will” answer Zero, making their way inside cautiously.<br><br>After showing how to do a proper woodcutting by Gustav, they spread out to their assigned area and started cutting.<br><br>“Huff.., Huff.., This is harder than I thought,” making another swing at the tree.<br><br>By the looks of the cut on the tree trunk, it can be consider as shallow. Pausing himself from what he was doing, Zero stared hard at the cut, figuring out what he have to do to improve the cut.<br><br>As Zero was thinking deeply, a low growl rumbled behind. He turn around and find himself staring face to face with a grey bear ,which was baring its teeth and dripping saliva to the ground.<br><br>Zero’s mouth went dry, he wanted to scream but could hardly make a sound. Even breathing seemed difficult at the moment. <br><br>Suddenly the bear made a lunge at Zero, missing by centimeters due to him managing to twist his body at the last second.<br><br>Zero sped away as fast as he could towards Gustav’s direction, all the while screaming like a little girl. Unfortunately, he could make no more than a few metres before falling victim to some tree roots, landing face first onto the hard ground.<br><br>Clutching his injured nose, Zero tried to keep going but was soon cut short by the bear, which pinned him to the ground and took a bite on the neck in the process.<br><br>Unable to overcome the situation, Zero close his eyes.<br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td colspan="4">You have Died</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br>He was logged out.<br><br>Constantine stepped out of the capsule, giving off a sigh.<br><br><span style="font-style: italic;">Have to know what bait to keep them away from me.</span> Deciding on the course of action, Constantine dive into the internet to research all about the bears.<br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.royalroadl.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=115&amp;t=883" target="_blank">NEXT CHAPTER&gt;&gt;&gt;</a></span></span></div> </div>

After finishing his dinner and giving thanks for the food, Constantine makes his way up the stairs and dash to where the capsule are, not wanting to waste a second more. As Constantine stepped into it, he set the timer at the side in order to prevent himself from overshooting his bedtime hours. Constantine activate the system and soon arrive in RoyalRoad. After finding himself inside Gustav’s house once again, Zero set up to find Morrigan to ask if she has any food to spare. Apparently the sanity level wouldn’t be restored even you have eaten in real life. Searching the possible areas she would likely be, Zero spied her sculpting a figurine from some wood in a cluttered room, which he assumes to be her workplace. Feeling a little surprised at Morrigan’s ability to sculpt, he knocked at the door to indicate his presence. She stopped what she focusing on and raised her head, relaxing her guard when she recognizes the person standing there. “Sorry to interrupt what you are doing, I wanted to ask if I am allowed to take some of your food in the kitchen as I am currently famished.” “Sure, please help yourself,” replied Morrigan, continuing her sculpting. “What are you scrulpting at this hour, it’s already quite late” ask Zero, looking at her for answers. “I’m just trying to increase the income of the household... There’s nothing for you to worry about”.” “Shouldn’t your husband be making enough …, before that why doesn’t Gustav hire more people to help”, said Zero finding it strange. “W-Well.., you will find it out yourself eventually if you continue to work here.” “Is the reason due to he is not a human as he seems too tall to be one.” Morrigan pondered a while before deciding to tell Zero. “That’s not the reason, actually my husband is a barbarian but due to his height he was unable to fit in his homeland and came here to start afresh. He saved me from some wild beast while I was picking some flowers”, replied Morrigan , reminiscing about her past. “You will know in due time.., in due time.” “Ok, if you say so. I will go now and continue cutting the logs”, says Zero, ending the conversation. He swiftly went to the kitchen to fill his satisfaction level before heading back to the shed to pick up what he left off. Before continuing the repetitive work, he inspects the axe he is holding. | Gustav's Old Woodcutter Axe:Durability: 21/24Damage: 8-11Axe used by a famous woodcutter. Axe handle was made to be longer than normal. Axe head has become rugged due to use of over long periods of time.Equip:+5 STR+10% to woodcutting skill+ other effects are unavailable at this point in time | | | | | --- | --- | --- | --- | He’s famous? How come he didn’t tell me? Reminding himself that he could have a reason for not saying, Zero continues to do his work. 6 hours later--- | Vitality increased by 1 point. (+1 VIT) | | | | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | New Passive Skill: Axe Mastery | | | | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Axe Mastery+ Increase Attack Power with Axe (+10% ATK)+ Increase Attack Speed with Axe (+3% ATK SPD) | | | | | --- | --- | --- | --- | Smiling to himself, Zero took a short break before cutting for another few hours till the timer rang. Constantine quickly logged off and as he lay down on his bed, make a mental note of asking Jason’s character name once he reached school the following day. Thinking all the things he has accomplished, he soon fell asleep. *********************** As Constantine arrives in front of the classroom, he make his way to his seat and sit, taking items out of his bag for class. “Yo, how’s the game?” ask Jason, patting Constantine’s back. “This game is good, first time having this kind of experience before.” answering Jason while turning his head to look at him. “What’s your character name? I want to register you so I can ask for your help.” “Merlin, and sorry to burst your bubble but I’m already not in Brent Kingdom.” “What!” exclaimed Zero, standing up in reaction to the words. “And here I was thinking of asking you for some gears so I can ready myself once I’m able to leave.” “Why don’t you ask the rest if you really need it? I’m not the only one you know.” nodding his head in the direction of the classmates. “W-Well.., I didn’t really talk much with the rest unlike you, “answer Constantine, returning back to his seat after noticing the teacher has arrived. Time passes by in a blur and soon Constantine find himself back in the capsule. “Royal Road, here I come”, starting it up to once again enter the world he became fond of. *********************** Zero was hard at work over the past 4 weeks, increasing his stats and skills exponentially. New stats such as sustance were also generated during the period. He also took the short breaks in-between work to ask the training instructor at the training centre for tips on using axes and checked out skills which might prove useful to him. Additionally he also assists Morrigan to prepare food at mealtimes to increase his cooking skills. Mainly just consists of cutting and washing as his skills are low. On the day that Zero was able to go out of the kingdom Gustav approached him, stopping from his task. “It’s not necessary to continue any further, you have proven yourself” said Gustav dismissing Zero’s questions. “You are free to go now.” | Quest Complete! Cutting Logs For Firewoods You have prepared enough firewood for Gustav to fulfil his order. He feels that is no reason to let you continue cutting.You have levelled up!You have levelled up! | | | | | --- | --- | --- | --- | Next Gustav questioned Zero what his next move will be. “Increasing my levels and finding hidden classes so I can be stronger.” answered Zero as he wipes the sweat away from his forehead. “So woodcutter class are out then,” muttered Gustav, letting off a faint sigh. “Here is the next task I have for you.” | After having seen you cutting the logs for a month, he is now comfortable with letting you follow him into Grey Wood to cut the trees.Gustav requires to cut down the trees for building houses which is currently in short supply. Payment will be increased to 20 silver per tree.Difficulty level: DQuest requirementsAssist in fulfilling firewood order for Gustav.Show tenacity and resolution.Rewards: Gustav will give you his old woodcutter axe. Number of trees to cut: 500 | | | | | --- | --- | --- | --- | This is what people call a serial quest isn’t it. “Alright,” answered Zero, finding no reason to refuse. After finishing preparation for the trip, they set out to the forest. Riding on the bullock cart for roughly half an hour, they soon find themselves facing the entrance. Looking inside, animals could be seen moving about, punctuated occasionally by people chasing them. “This forest is what people call Grey Wood”, says Gustav as he draw an imaginary line of border onto an area inside the map. “Grey Bears populate this forest so be careful when entering.” “I will” answer Zero, making their way inside cautiously. After showing how to do a proper woodcutting by Gustav, they spread out to their assigned area and started cutting. “Huff.., Huff.., This is harder than I thought,” making another swing at the tree. By the looks of the cut on the tree trunk, it can be consider as shallow. Pausing himself from what he was doing, Zero stared hard at the cut, figuring out what he have to do to improve the cut. As Zero was thinking deeply, a low growl rumbled behind. He turn around and find himself staring face to face with a grey bear ,which was baring its teeth and dripping saliva to the ground. Zero’s mouth went dry, he wanted to scream but could hardly make a sound. Even breathing seemed difficult at the moment. Suddenly the bear made a lunge at Zero, missing by centimeters due to him managing to twist his body at the last second. Zero sped away as fast as he could towards Gustav’s direction, all the while screaming like a little girl. Unfortunately, he could make no more than a few metres before falling victim to some tree roots, landing face first onto the hard ground. Clutching his injured nose, Zero tried to keep going but was soon cut short by the bear, which pinned him to the ground and took a bite on the neck in the process. Unable to overcome the situation, Zero close his eyes. | You have Died | | | | | --- | --- | --- | --- | He was logged out. Constantine stepped out of the capsule, giving off a sigh. Have to know what bait to keep them away from me. Deciding on the course of action, Constantine dive into the internet to research all about the bears. [NEXT CHAPTER>>>](http://www.royalroadl.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=115&t=883)

<div class="chapter-inner chapter-content"> &lt;A Premonition&gt;<br><span style="font-style: italic;">"Damn it!"<br><br>The mage slammed his hand onto the table and swept away all of the books and stacks of paper.<br><br>"All of my ideas have been useless so far!"<br><br>The mage was in a furious rage. He had decided to see how the new system would work out but it was causing him nothing but frustration.<br><br>The warrior walked into the mage's study and looked at the mess.<br><br>"So you've been having a hard time as well."<br>"Of course. What are we suppose to do if we aren't allowed to act freely anymore?"<br><br>The two men both were troubled by the latest change in the policies.<br><br>"At this rate we're going to run out of resources!"<br><br>The mage complained with a mild sense of urgency.<br><br>"What have the others been doing?"<br><br>The mage asked the warrior questioningly.<br><br>"Well, let's go find out. Maybe their answers will help us come up with one of our own."<br><br>The mage decided that his idea was better than sitting around. He grabbed his cloak and staff and went outside with the warrior.<br></span>---------------------------------------<br>Sun kept walking from city gates until he was back at the church. After passing through a few corridors, he knocked onto the door of the head priest and let himself in.<br><br>"Calvin! I wanted to talk to you about something. Have y-"<br><br>Before he could finish his words, Calvin stopped him and started talking himself.<br><br>"It can wait. I received an order at the meeting that I went to. We have been summoned by the High Priest for an urgent mission. We need to leave immediately since we have to get there within three months."<br><br>Calvin had been on a trip to the local church meeting that took place every few months. At this gathering they would talk about subjects of interest for the church.<br><br>This particular meeting had more urgent matters involved. The High Priest had called all the nearby churchs to mobilize their forces in Somuren Liberty City and leave only the bare minimum to upkeep the churches.<br><br> All of the church was already well underway with travel preparations. A total of 100 paladins from the church and five priests were being dispatched from this church.<br><br>"Now that you have been briefed on the mission, what is it you were saying?"<br>" Have you found anything that is related to the Twelve Holy Knights or the Kingdom of the Forgotten Sound yet?"<br><br>Calvin took his time to think. Sun had asked him about these things before and he had looked into the matter. He took out a small sheet of paper with ancient text on it.<br><br>"Does this look familiar?"<br>"That is!"<br><br>Sun could not hold his surprise.<br><br>"That's right. You had this same symbol on you when we first met."<br><br>When Sun had come to the Continent of Versailles, his entire body which had been covered in burns and cuts had healed. His clothing, however, was still damaged from the wounds he had suffered before coming here. So when he encountered the Church of Freya for the first time, he had still been wearing the clothing of the Sun Knight, with the symbol of the Church of the God of Light embroidered onto the shoulder.<br><br>Sun immediately grabbed the piece of paper to get a better look at it.<br><br>“Where did you get this and what does it say?”<br><br>This as good a clue as any to getting back to his world.<br><br>“Calm down. It’s not anything definite. Yet.”<br>“What do you mean?”<br><br>Sun asked Calvin inquisitively, confused at his choice of words.<br><br>“I found this piece of paper in the archives of the church. The thing is that it’s a single piece of a much larger book.”<br>“So where’s the rest of the book?”<br><br>The fact that there was possibly more information was going to be essential to finding out a way back.<br><br>“The thing is that we don’t have the book in this church. Or any of the other churches in fact. The whereabouts of the rest of the book are unknown.”<br>“Damn it.”<br><br>Sun cursed this course of events that further delayed his return. Then he remembered.<br><br>“The text! What do the words on this piece of paper say?”<br>“That is also another problem that we have.”<br>“What do you mean?”<br><br>Ancient languages were commonplace since they were relics of a past civilization. There exists many different ancient languages and there was usually a dictionary that was used for decoding the ancient text.<br><br>“We don’t have anyone available at this moment to decode the text.”<br>“I see. Wait you said ‘at this moment’?”<br>“That’s right. There is no one ‘here’ in this town that can translate this text.”<br><br>Sun could understand what Calvin was implying.<br><br>“So you mean that there are ‘others’ elsewhere that can read this?”<br>“That is correct.”<br>“Where?”<br><br>The fact that the scholars and mages in this town did not have the means to translate the text meant that it was a fairly ancient and difficult text. That meant that there were few people in the world who could perform this task.<br><br>“This is another reason why you need to come with me. The closest person that can translate this text is the High Priest in Somuren Liberty City. With his vast pool of knowledge he can translate this text and could possibly have other clues to your problem.”<br><br>In other words, he needed to go to Someren Liberty City either way. It was two birds with one stone. He needed to get this ancient text translated and they required his assistance at the church.<br><br>“I understand now. So how are we going to go to Somuren?”<br><br>The continent was a vast place. Sun did not have access to many maps so he could only use his map memorization ability on the maps that he had available. So he only knew the surrounding areas of Rosenheim. Kingdoms were very particular about maps regarding their landscapes since it could reveal tactical areas for invasion and defense in war.<br><br>“We are going to transverse through the Bar Khu Mountain Range.”<br><br>According to his topography, the Bar Khu Mountains was in the Southern part of the Kingdom of Rosenheim. Beyond that was the United Kingdoms of Briton, a kingdom that was seperated from the Kingdom of Rosenheim by this mountain range.<br><br>However, according to his knowledge of distances, it should not take three months to travel through the mountain range.<br><br>“Why are we using this particular route if we have three month’s time?”<br>“The thing is, we need to show up as quickly as possible. Three months time is meant for the churches that are farther away from us.”<br><br>The summons was made to various churches in the area and not only to the Citadel of Serabourg. As soon as each village’s forces arrive, they are processed and assigned to their task.<br><br>“I see. So the sooner the better.”<br><br>Travel preparations have been prepared and now they could set out at any time.<br><br>“Before we leave, is there anything you need to do?”<br><br>Calvin asked Sun since it was important to take care of any personal business before leaving. The time that they were going to be gone was going to be significant.<br><br>Sun thought back at his friends. With a smile on his face, he simply nodded and said.<br><br>“No, I’ve taken care of everything I have to do here.”<br><br>With those words, the deployment went underway. They would travel south through a number of villages and resupply along the way. That way they would not need to carry too many supplies at once.<br><br>Along the way, woodland creatures would attack the group. With their large numbers of 100 paladins and five priests, they could sweep up the small rabble of enemies. A more convenient use of these animals was for food. This way they did not have to waste their own resources and simply eat the animals that sought to attack them.<br><br>Though the monsters were not very high level, at only level 120 at best, they were still relatively good experience since Sun could increase his holy skills rather than his level. Even though the paladins were relatively high level, they did not see combat often so they had this chance to exercise their limbs a little.<br><br>Sun was able to increase his cooking skill by another level thanks to the materials gathered from the animals and spices provided by the church to cook for everyone. After three days of traveling, they stopped off at a nearby town. They were making considerable progress since the paladins were suited to traveling and there were wagons for supplies and carrying the priests.<br><br>“We have to restock supplies for now. Other than the few that I have order to gather supplies, the rest of you are to be on rest. We are to meet up here in 3 hours time.”<br><br>Calvin briefly told the paladins his plan before walking off to a nearby general store. Sun, with nothing better to do, decided to go into the store as well.<br><br>“Sun, is there something that you need to buy?”<br><br>Calvin asked while pointing at several items that he needed from the store clerk.<br><br>“Maybe. I’ll have a look around for now.”<br><br>There were a number of various different goods on the wall. It wasn’t much compared to Recette’s general store in the citadel, which sold all manners of items, including the strange and obscure types, but it had a decent selection of goods.<br><br>‘Wait, now that I think about it, where on earth did she get all those weird items of hers?’<br><br>Some things that she sold were understandable but she had all manner of strange items in her shop.<br><br>There were the basic items that one may see such as hats, charms, necklaces, rings, capes, shoes, scarves, books and medicine. However there were also weapons, armor, arm guards, shields, helmets, food, treasures, a deck of cards, monster parts, and there was even this strange cylindrical piece of metal that fired a beam once accidentally.<br><br>“Sun.”<br><br>‘There was something off with that list of items as they got further along the line. I mean what kind of general store sells armor and weapons? Isn’t that sort of thing restricted to weapon and armor shops? Where does a little girl like here even get her hands on items like those?’<br><br>“Sun are you listening?”<br>“Oh yea, right. What were you saying?”<br><br>Sun snapped out of his thoughts and looked at Calvin.<br><br>“Are you going to buy anything?”<br>“Yea....let me see.”<br><br>Sun took a look over the items again. He picked out a few items and made his purchase.<br><br>There was one thing that caught his eye though. He picked it up and then looked at it for a bit. It was a relatively small square with a flame etched into it. It didn’t look like it was made of wood but out of some strange material that was foreign to him. He didn’t know why it had garnered his attention but it did.<br><br>“What is this and how much is it?”<br>“Eh, I don’t know what that is. You know what, since you bought so much from me, you can have that on the house.”<br><br>The storekeeper answered since he didn’t know what the purpose of that item was.<br><br>“Oh really? Thanks.”<br><br>Sun pocketed the item and went outside.<br>“Sun, want to see something amazing?”<br>“Sure?”<br><br>Sun was confused since amazing was quite a strange way to put something. Nonetheless if Calvin wanted him to see something then there was probably some point to it.<br><br>Leading the way, Calvin took Sun into the crowded square. In the square there were a number of merchants doing business and several adventurers looking for parties.<br><br>“Take a look at that would you?”<br><br>Calvin instructed Sun to look in the direction near the fountain.<br><br>“That is...”<br><br>Sun was at a loss for words. Never before had he seen something like this before. It was exquisite to say the least.<br><br>-For seeing the Statue of the Goddess Freya, health and mana recovery has increased by 15% for 24 hours.<br><br>“The statue of the goddess Freya?”<br><br>Sun could not believe his eyes. He had seen many representations of the goddess Freya but nothing that was like this.<br><br>He, himself, was considered very beautiful. In fact, there was many people he knew that were handsome to the point that one would want to beat on sight so that there would be one less rival in the world. There was even that Awaitsun fellow that he wanted to hack to death himself for being too handsome.<br><br>However it was not the sheer beauty of the statue that drew him towards it but the feeling that it gave off. It was sweet and benevolent. However, Sun could feel that there was sorrow within that smile. Unlike his own fake smile that he used to give, this one felt more befitting of a Sun Knight.<br><br>“I would like to meet the person that made this one day.”<br><br>Sun felt a little better now that he had looked at the sculpture. After they had finished restocking they made their way out of Baran Village and towards the Bar Khu Mountains.<br><br>In a few days, they entered the mountain range. Following the path of the mountain, they gradually worked their way through the mountains. Occasionally monsters would attack their group, intent on defending their territory but it was no use. The superior strength of the Paladins and Priest of Freya moved on unscathed, with each battle making them stronger than before.<br><br>The average level of the Paladins of Freya were around level 220. The scary thing about NPCs were not their levels or numbers, but their high skill levels. Unlike users that sought to find shortcuts, the NPCs would work their way up honestly.<br><br>There were all sorts of monsters that were attacking. Werewolves, Trolls, Ogres, large Bears, Lycans, there were even some Orcs and some other monsters mixed in there. Sun was getting pretty decent experience from the monsters and leveled up a few times.<br><br>“Let’s stop off here for now.”<br><br>In the middle of the mountain range was a small village. To live in such a dangerous place the village had a large number of hunters in it. Of course there were other townspeople, but for the most part the hunters were responsible for the town’s safety.<br><br>Taking their time to restock, they were warmly welcomed by the village. Since they had killed quite a large number of monsters along the way they had improved the village’s security by quite a bit. Also with the monsters thinned out, they could gather and hunt with more ease.<br><br>“You are members of the Church of Freya right?”<br><br>A few hunters asked them as they made their way around the village. From the looks of it, they were the head hunters of the village and the de facto leaders.<br><br>“That is correct.”<br><br>Calvin, as the church’s representative, confirmed their remarks.<br><br>“I have a problem that has surmised recently and would like to ask for your assistance. Do you have the time to listen?”<br><br>Calvin took it into consideration and said.<br><br>“I will listen to you problem. My decision will come after I have assessed your situation. In any other time I would not hesitate to help but we are short on time.”<br><br>The leader of the hunters understood that the Paladins were busy since they would not leave the city otherwise. Still he was glad that they had been willing to hear them out.<br><br>“Recently there have been an increase in monster activity south of this area. Their numbers are too large for us to handle. However, there is something strange going on.”<br>“What do you mean by something strange?”<br><br>Calvin asked since it sounded like a rather serious situation.<br><br>“The monsters that we are talking about are the Thunder Lizards. These Thunder Lizards are usually docile and move alone. However, they have been known to move in larger groups when their territory is in danger of another predator. However, other monsters usually leave them alone.”<br>“So you’re saying that something new moved in?”<br><br>Sun surmised the situation from the bits of information he had.<br><br>“That is what we believe to be the case. There have been a number of large explosions recently and we’ve began to grow worried.”<br><br>The hunter expressed their helplessness with the situation.<br><br>“Calvin what do you think?”<br><br>Sun asked Calvin since it was his decision.<br><br>“It does sound rather strange for there to be something like this in the Bar Khu Mountains.”<br>“So what do you say?”<br><br>Calvin took his time with his thoughts.<br><br>“We shall spend some time investigating. We will try to resolve the situation but we will have to leave if we are running out of time.”<br>“Thank you for your consideration.”<br><br>Calvin, Sun, and the Paladins set out to the location of the disturbance. It was in the same direction as their destination so it was worth checking out. After a few days traveling, they managed to reach the area in question.<br><br>Then a wild Thunder Lizard appeared!<br><br>“That must be one of those Thunder Lizards.”<br><br>Sun looked over the lizard quickly. It was a rather large lizard at a height of 3 feet and a length of 5 feet. Little sparks of electricity would static off of it every now and then, giving testament to its electrical potency if it were to actually charge a spell.<br><br>The Thunder Lizard then gave a powerful roar and then fell over and died.<br><br>“That was a little anti-climatic.”<br><br>Sun complained a little. However, on close observation of the Thunder Lizard, it was actually covered in cuts and wounds from what looked like a serious battle.<br><br>“What could have done this?”<br><br>Calvin had also took it upon himself to take a look.<br><br>“From the looks of it, it must be some sort of humanoid to have made these sharp cutting marks.”<br><br>A paladin mused in looking at the corpse.<br><br>“So we must be close to the location. With these sort of grievous wounds it could not have gotten far from where it had been injured.”<br><br>Sun and the rest of the paladins ventured further into the direction that the Thunder Lizard had emerged, following the blood trail that had been left behind for them.<br><br>“What on earth is this?”<br><br>Lightning kept striking from the sky as the Thunder Lizards mounted their offensive against the enemy.<br><br>“Undead!”<br><br>The enemy in question was the undead. Brandishing their rusty swords the undead fought to defeat the Thunder Lizards while guarding a cave.<br><br>“Defeat the enemy!”<br><br>Calvin gave his orders. With the Thunder Lizards heavily injured they were no real threat. They focused on getting rid of the undead. Since they were paladins and priests that were specialized in the holy arts, they could dispatch the undead with ease.<br><br>“What on earth is in this cave?”<br><br>Sun had seen the undead defending this cave so fervently. To have undead following such a command meant that there was a necromancer or an undead capable of raising undead.<br><br>They made their way into the cave to find out the truth. The Thunder Lizards that were heavily injured were satisfied with the defeat of the undead and retreated to treat their wounds.<br><br>“Damn it. What happened to the undead?”<br><br>An outraged voice yelled out. A group of robed figures were in the end of the cave.<br><br>“Can we teleport out of here?”<br>“We can but it would take too long for all of us.”<br><br>The robed figures were contemplating their fate.<br><br>“There’s no way that those stupid lizards could have beaten us so there is someone or something else here.”<br>“That’s right. The undead would simply keep rising unless...”<br><br>The necromancers knew full well what this meant. The defeat of the undead meant the presence of holy magic. Not just any holy magic but a large enough amount to defeat the undead in a short period of time. They did not have any chance.<br><br>“If we all focus our mana we can at least let the leader escape.”<br>“Don’t be foolish! Then what of the rest of you?”<br><br>The head necromancer yelled at his subordinates.<br><br>“We will buy time for your escape.”<br>“I’m not going to leave you behind!”<br>“There is no other choice. It is up to you to carry out the rest of the mission. If we all perish here then all of our work thus far would be for nothing.”<br><br>Chanting their magic, the necromancers teleported their leader away against his will. Soon the paladins and priest entered the clearing.<br><br>“So it is as we feared. The despicable dogs of the church.”<br>“What are you necromancers doing in this mountain?”<br><br>Sun asked the necromancers clearly. Whenever necromancers began to move, there was never anything going good on. Whether it be in this world or his own.<br><br>“We have no reason to answer to you scum!”<br><br>The necromancers began to gather their magic for a spell.<br><br>“Let the dark rule over the living and-”<br><br>The paladins were faster. A small group of the strongest paladins rushed forwards and stabbed their swords through the necromancers.<br><br>“Guah!”<br><br>With the sudden onslaught, the necromancers were killed almost instantaneously. However one managed to yell before he died.<br><br>“Our God will return!”<br><br>Then the necromancers all died out. Unknown to the rest of them, the leader of these necromancers had been teleported away.<br><br>“Search the area for any clues as to their activities here.”<br><br>Calvin gave an order. Necromancers were originally scholars so they usually documented their work. After a little poking around Sun managed to find something.<br><br>“This is...”<br><br>It was a large thick book filled with ancient text. After flipping through a few pages he saw a few familiar symbols.<br><br>“Calvin, I think this book is related to the piece of paper from earlier. Why would the necromancers have this?”<br>“I think that is a question that can be answered once we show this to the High Priest.”<br><br>Calvin and the rest of the Paladins searched the area but there was nothing else. After searching the cave, they continued on their journey to the city of Somuren. They soon reached their target location. Since the start of the dispatch, two months had passed since they left the citadel.<br><br>It had also been over a year and a half since Sun had appeared on the Continent of Versailles. </div>

<A Premonition> "Damn it!" The mage slammed his hand onto the table and swept away all of the books and stacks of paper. "All of my ideas have been useless so far!" The mage was in a furious rage. He had decided to see how the new system would work out but it was causing him nothing but frustration. The warrior walked into the mage's study and looked at the mess. "So you've been having a hard time as well." "Of course. What are we suppose to do if we aren't allowed to act freely anymore?" The two men both were troubled by the latest change in the policies. "At this rate we're going to run out of resources!" The mage complained with a mild sense of urgency. "What have the others been doing?" The mage asked the warrior questioningly. "Well, let's go find out. Maybe their answers will help us come up with one of our own." The mage decided that his idea was better than sitting around. He grabbed his cloak and staff and went outside with the warrior. --------------------------------------- Sun kept walking from city gates until he was back at the church. After passing through a few corridors, he knocked onto the door of the head priest and let himself in. "Calvin! I wanted to talk to you about something. Have y-" Before he could finish his words, Calvin stopped him and started talking himself. "It can wait. I received an order at the meeting that I went to. We have been summoned by the High Priest for an urgent mission. We need to leave immediately since we have to get there within three months." Calvin had been on a trip to the local church meeting that took place every few months. At this gathering they would talk about subjects of interest for the church. This particular meeting had more urgent matters involved. The High Priest had called all the nearby churchs to mobilize their forces in Somuren Liberty City and leave only the bare minimum to upkeep the churches. All of the church was already well underway with travel preparations. A total of 100 paladins from the church and five priests were being dispatched from this church. "Now that you have been briefed on the mission, what is it you were saying?" " Have you found anything that is related to the Twelve Holy Knights or the Kingdom of the Forgotten Sound yet?" Calvin took his time to think. Sun had asked him about these things before and he had looked into the matter. He took out a small sheet of paper with ancient text on it. "Does this look familiar?" "That is!" Sun could not hold his surprise. "That's right. You had this same symbol on you when we first met." When Sun had come to the Continent of Versailles, his entire body which had been covered in burns and cuts had healed. His clothing, however, was still damaged from the wounds he had suffered before coming here. So when he encountered the Church of Freya for the first time, he had still been wearing the clothing of the Sun Knight, with the symbol of the Church of the God of Light embroidered onto the shoulder. Sun immediately grabbed the piece of paper to get a better look at it. “Where did you get this and what does it say?” This as good a clue as any to getting back to his world. “Calm down. It’s not anything definite. Yet.” “What do you mean?” Sun asked Calvin inquisitively, confused at his choice of words. “I found this piece of paper in the archives of the church. The thing is that it’s a single piece of a much larger book.” “So where’s the rest of the book?” The fact that there was possibly more information was going to be essential to finding out a way back. “The thing is that we don’t have the book in this church. Or any of the other churches in fact. The whereabouts of the rest of the book are unknown.” “Damn it.” Sun cursed this course of events that further delayed his return. Then he remembered. “The text! What do the words on this piece of paper say?” “That is also another problem that we have.” “What do you mean?” Ancient languages were commonplace since they were relics of a past civilization. There exists many different ancient languages and there was usually a dictionary that was used for decoding the ancient text. “We don’t have anyone available at this moment to decode the text.” “I see. Wait you said ‘at this moment’?” “That’s right. There is no one ‘here’ in this town that can translate this text.” Sun could understand what Calvin was implying. “So you mean that there are ‘others’ elsewhere that can read this?” “That is correct.” “Where?” The fact that the scholars and mages in this town did not have the means to translate the text meant that it was a fairly ancient and difficult text. That meant that there were few people in the world who could perform this task. “This is another reason why you need to come with me. The closest person that can translate this text is the High Priest in Somuren Liberty City. With his vast pool of knowledge he can translate this text and could possibly have other clues to your problem.” In other words, he needed to go to Someren Liberty City either way. It was two birds with one stone. He needed to get this ancient text translated and they required his assistance at the church. “I understand now. So how are we going to go to Somuren?” The continent was a vast place. Sun did not have access to many maps so he could only use his map memorization ability on the maps that he had available. So he only knew the surrounding areas of Rosenheim. Kingdoms were very particular about maps regarding their landscapes since it could reveal tactical areas for invasion and defense in war. “We are going to transverse through the Bar Khu Mountain Range.” According to his topography, the Bar Khu Mountains was in the Southern part of the Kingdom of Rosenheim. Beyond that was the United Kingdoms of Briton, a kingdom that was seperated from the Kingdom of Rosenheim by this mountain range. However, according to his knowledge of distances, it should not take three months to travel through the mountain range. “Why are we using this particular route if we have three month’s time?” “The thing is, we need to show up as quickly as possible. Three months time is meant for the churches that are farther away from us.” The summons was made to various churches in the area and not only to the Citadel of Serabourg. As soon as each village’s forces arrive, they are processed and assigned to their task. “I see. So the sooner the better.” Travel preparations have been prepared and now they could set out at any time. “Before we leave, is there anything you need to do?” Calvin asked Sun since it was important to take care of any personal business before leaving. The time that they were going to be gone was going to be significant. Sun thought back at his friends. With a smile on his face, he simply nodded and said. “No, I’ve taken care of everything I have to do here.” With those words, the deployment went underway. They would travel south through a number of villages and resupply along the way. That way they would not need to carry too many supplies at once. Along the way, woodland creatures would attack the group. With their large numbers of 100 paladins and five priests, they could sweep up the small rabble of enemies. A more convenient use of these animals was for food. This way they did not have to waste their own resources and simply eat the animals that sought to attack them. Though the monsters were not very high level, at only level 120 at best, they were still relatively good experience since Sun could increase his holy skills rather than his level. Even though the paladins were relatively high level, they did not see combat often so they had this chance to exercise their limbs a little. Sun was able to increase his cooking skill by another level thanks to the materials gathered from the animals and spices provided by the church to cook for everyone. After three days of traveling, they stopped off at a nearby town. They were making considerable progress since the paladins were suited to traveling and there were wagons for supplies and carrying the priests. “We have to restock supplies for now. Other than the few that I have order to gather supplies, the rest of you are to be on rest. We are to meet up here in 3 hours time.” Calvin briefly told the paladins his plan before walking off to a nearby general store. Sun, with nothing better to do, decided to go into the store as well. “Sun, is there something that you need to buy?” Calvin asked while pointing at several items that he needed from the store clerk. “Maybe. I’ll have a look around for now.” There were a number of various different goods on the wall. It wasn’t much compared to Recette’s general store in the citadel, which sold all manners of items, including the strange and obscure types, but it had a decent selection of goods. ‘Wait, now that I think about it, where on earth did she get all those weird items of hers?’ Some things that she sold were understandable but she had all manner of strange items in her shop. There were the basic items that one may see such as hats, charms, necklaces, rings, capes, shoes, scarves, books and medicine. However there were also weapons, armor, arm guards, shields, helmets, food, treasures, a deck of cards, monster parts, and there was even this strange cylindrical piece of metal that fired a beam once accidentally. “Sun.” ‘There was something off with that list of items as they got further along the line. I mean what kind of general store sells armor and weapons? Isn’t that sort of thing restricted to weapon and armor shops? Where does a little girl like here even get her hands on items like those?’ “Sun are you listening?” “Oh yea, right. What were you saying?” Sun snapped out of his thoughts and looked at Calvin. “Are you going to buy anything?” “Yea....let me see.” Sun took a look over the items again. He picked out a few items and made his purchase. There was one thing that caught his eye though. He picked it up and then looked at it for a bit. It was a relatively small square with a flame etched into it. It didn’t look like it was made of wood but out of some strange material that was foreign to him. He didn’t know why it had garnered his attention but it did. “What is this and how much is it?” “Eh, I don’t know what that is. You know what, since you bought so much from me, you can have that on the house.” The storekeeper answered since he didn’t know what the purpose of that item was. “Oh really? Thanks.” Sun pocketed the item and went outside. “Sun, want to see something amazing?” “Sure?” Sun was confused since amazing was quite a strange way to put something. Nonetheless if Calvin wanted him to see something then there was probably some point to it. Leading the way, Calvin took Sun into the crowded square. In the square there were a number of merchants doing business and several adventurers looking for parties. “Take a look at that would you?” Calvin instructed Sun to look in the direction near the fountain. “That is...” Sun was at a loss for words. Never before had he seen something like this before. It was exquisite to say the least. -For seeing the Statue of the Goddess Freya, health and mana recovery has increased by 15% for 24 hours. “The statue of the goddess Freya?” Sun could not believe his eyes. He had seen many representations of the goddess Freya but nothing that was like this. He, himself, was considered very beautiful. In fact, there was many people he knew that were handsome to the point that one would want to beat on sight so that there would be one less rival in the world. There was even that Awaitsun fellow that he wanted to hack to death himself for being too handsome. However it was not the sheer beauty of the statue that drew him towards it but the feeling that it gave off. It was sweet and benevolent. However, Sun could feel that there was sorrow within that smile. Unlike his own fake smile that he used to give, this one felt more befitting of a Sun Knight. “I would like to meet the person that made this one day.” Sun felt a little better now that he had looked at the sculpture. After they had finished restocking they made their way out of Baran Village and towards the Bar Khu Mountains. In a few days, they entered the mountain range. Following the path of the mountain, they gradually worked their way through the mountains. Occasionally monsters would attack their group, intent on defending their territory but it was no use. The superior strength of the Paladins and Priest of Freya moved on unscathed, with each battle making them stronger than before. The average level of the Paladins of Freya were around level 220. The scary thing about NPCs were not their levels or numbers, but their high skill levels. Unlike users that sought to find shortcuts, the NPCs would work their way up honestly. There were all sorts of monsters that were attacking. Werewolves, Trolls, Ogres, large Bears, Lycans, there were even some Orcs and some other monsters mixed in there. Sun was getting pretty decent experience from the monsters and leveled up a few times. “Let’s stop off here for now.” In the middle of the mountain range was a small village. To live in such a dangerous place the village had a large number of hunters in it. Of course there were other townspeople, but for the most part the hunters were responsible for the town’s safety. Taking their time to restock, they were warmly welcomed by the village. Since they had killed quite a large number of monsters along the way they had improved the village’s security by quite a bit. Also with the monsters thinned out, they could gather and hunt with more ease. “You are members of the Church of Freya right?” A few hunters asked them as they made their way around the village. From the looks of it, they were the head hunters of the village and the de facto leaders. “That is correct.” Calvin, as the church’s representative, confirmed their remarks. “I have a problem that has surmised recently and would like to ask for your assistance. Do you have the time to listen?” Calvin took it into consideration and said. “I will listen to you problem. My decision will come after I have assessed your situation. In any other time I would not hesitate to help but we are short on time.” The leader of the hunters understood that the Paladins were busy since they would not leave the city otherwise. Still he was glad that they had been willing to hear them out. “Recently there have been an increase in monster activity south of this area. Their numbers are too large for us to handle. However, there is something strange going on.” “What do you mean by something strange?” Calvin asked since it sounded like a rather serious situation. “The monsters that we are talking about are the Thunder Lizards. These Thunder Lizards are usually docile and move alone. However, they have been known to move in larger groups when their territory is in danger of another predator. However, other monsters usually leave them alone.” “So you’re saying that something new moved in?” Sun surmised the situation from the bits of information he had. “That is what we believe to be the case. There have been a number of large explosions recently and we’ve began to grow worried.” The hunter expressed their helplessness with the situation. “Calvin what do you think?” Sun asked Calvin since it was his decision. “It does sound rather strange for there to be something like this in the Bar Khu Mountains.” “So what do you say?” Calvin took his time with his thoughts. “We shall spend some time investigating. We will try to resolve the situation but we will have to leave if we are running out of time.” “Thank you for your consideration.” Calvin, Sun, and the Paladins set out to the location of the disturbance. It was in the same direction as their destination so it was worth checking out. After a few days traveling, they managed to reach the area in question. Then a wild Thunder Lizard appeared! “That must be one of those Thunder Lizards.” Sun looked over the lizard quickly. It was a rather large lizard at a height of 3 feet and a length of 5 feet. Little sparks of electricity would static off of it every now and then, giving testament to its electrical potency if it were to actually charge a spell. The Thunder Lizard then gave a powerful roar and then fell over and died. “That was a little anti-climatic.” Sun complained a little. However, on close observation of the Thunder Lizard, it was actually covered in cuts and wounds from what looked like a serious battle. “What could have done this?” Calvin had also took it upon himself to take a look. “From the looks of it, it must be some sort of humanoid to have made these sharp cutting marks.” A paladin mused in looking at the corpse. “So we must be close to the location. With these sort of grievous wounds it could not have gotten far from where it had been injured.” Sun and the rest of the paladins ventured further into the direction that the Thunder Lizard had emerged, following the blood trail that had been left behind for them. “What on earth is this?” Lightning kept striking from the sky as the Thunder Lizards mounted their offensive against the enemy. “Undead!” The enemy in question was the undead. Brandishing their rusty swords the undead fought to defeat the Thunder Lizards while guarding a cave. “Defeat the enemy!” Calvin gave his orders. With the Thunder Lizards heavily injured they were no real threat. They focused on getting rid of the undead. Since they were paladins and priests that were specialized in the holy arts, they could dispatch the undead with ease. “What on earth is in this cave?” Sun had seen the undead defending this cave so fervently. To have undead following such a command meant that there was a necromancer or an undead capable of raising undead. They made their way into the cave to find out the truth. The Thunder Lizards that were heavily injured were satisfied with the defeat of the undead and retreated to treat their wounds. “Damn it. What happened to the undead?” An outraged voice yelled out. A group of robed figures were in the end of the cave. “Can we teleport out of here?” “We can but it would take too long for all of us.” The robed figures were contemplating their fate. “There’s no way that those stupid lizards could have beaten us so there is someone or something else here.” “That’s right. The undead would simply keep rising unless...” The necromancers knew full well what this meant. The defeat of the undead meant the presence of holy magic. Not just any holy magic but a large enough amount to defeat the undead in a short period of time. They did not have any chance. “If we all focus our mana we can at least let the leader escape.” “Don’t be foolish! Then what of the rest of you?” The head necromancer yelled at his subordinates. “We will buy time for your escape.” “I’m not going to leave you behind!” “There is no other choice. It is up to you to carry out the rest of the mission. If we all perish here then all of our work thus far would be for nothing.” Chanting their magic, the necromancers teleported their leader away against his will. Soon the paladins and priest entered the clearing. “So it is as we feared. The despicable dogs of the church.” “What are you necromancers doing in this mountain?” Sun asked the necromancers clearly. Whenever necromancers began to move, there was never anything going good on. Whether it be in this world or his own. “We have no reason to answer to you scum!” The necromancers began to gather their magic for a spell. “Let the dark rule over the living and-” The paladins were faster. A small group of the strongest paladins rushed forwards and stabbed their swords through the necromancers. “Guah!” With the sudden onslaught, the necromancers were killed almost instantaneously. However one managed to yell before he died. “Our God will return!” Then the necromancers all died out. Unknown to the rest of them, the leader of these necromancers had been teleported away. “Search the area for any clues as to their activities here.” Calvin gave an order. Necromancers were originally scholars so they usually documented their work. After a little poking around Sun managed to find something. “This is...” It was a large thick book filled with ancient text. After flipping through a few pages he saw a few familiar symbols. “Calvin, I think this book is related to the piece of paper from earlier. Why would the necromancers have this?” “I think that is a question that can be answered once we show this to the High Priest.” Calvin and the rest of the Paladins searched the area but there was nothing else. After searching the cave, they continued on their journey to the city of Somuren. They soon reached their target location. Since the start of the dispatch, two months had passed since they left the citadel. It had also been over a year and a half since Sun had appeared on the Continent of Versailles.

<div class="chapter-inner chapter-content"> Chapter 3<br>Into the past and present<br><br>From that point onward, Crane was in the library almost constantly. The Library of Yarsan had become a second home to him. His table in the Library always seem to have at least a few stacks of book on it. But he was not just enjoying the stories of adventures, he was learning about the continent of Versailles. He read through history books of various long forgotten cities and nations, through autobiographies of famous adventures, and facts and info about the continent itself.<br><br>About seven hours after he had started his reading marathon a message appeared before him<br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td>Intelligence increased by 1 point. (+1 INT)</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br>"What the.. Show Stats Window."<br><br>Using the voice command he learned about in the intro guide for the first time, a see-through window appeared in front of him showing all his current information.<div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td colspan="2">Status Window</td></tr><tr><td>Avatar- Crane.</td><td>Alignment- Neutral</td></tr><tr><td>Level 2</td><td>Class- None</td></tr><tr><td>Title- None</td><td>Fame- None</td></tr><tr><td>Health- 350</td><td>Mana- 130</td></tr><tr><td>Strength- 10+15</td><td>Agility- 10</td></tr><tr><td>Wisdom- 10</td><td>Intellect- 11</td></tr><tr><td>Vitality- 10+15</td><td>Luck- 0</td></tr><tr><td colspan="2">Leadership- 0</td></tr><tr><td>Attack- 5</td><td>Defense- 0</td></tr><tr><td colspan="2">1 new message</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br>Crane was a human who should have most base stats at 10. The effect of the Mural of Agni would still be active for a few hours more, increasing his VIT and STR, which in turn increased his stamina, attack power, and health. But his INT stat was at 11 without a +1 indicator, meaning that it had increased permanently, along with his mana.<br><br>Up to this point Crane had been reading slowly, enjoying the experience as if he were reading at the desk in his room, but now the possibility existed that the act of reading books could strengthen his character.<br><br>This bolstered Crane's resolve to read as much as he could and learn everything the library had to offer him.<br><br>Looking back at his stat window he noticed the bottom line.<br><br>"Read message"<br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td>You have leveled up for the first time. You gain 5 points to distribute to your stats for each level up.</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br>Crane had completely forgotten that completing the quest had given him a level.<br><br>But before distributing points, he had to know what kind of character he wanted to make.<br><br>In the Central ring of the city there were many class guilds: Warrior Guild. Magician Guild, Thieves Guild, Archer Guild, Fist Guild, Adventurer Guild, Tailor Guild, Sculptor Guild, Merchant Guild, and Intelligence Guild. Crane could go to any one of these and acquire a profession, or go to the Intelligence guild where they would choose a suitable class for him.<br><br>But since he was not going into combat any time soon, he decided there was no harm in waiting. He did not want to regret choosing the wrong build, so he decided he would wait until he had chosen a class before distributing the stats. <br><br>To help him choose, he started to read a variety of different adventurer's books. Books about thieves, about swordsman, about magicians and knights, and about priests and archers. He made mental notes about each one's playing style and the preferred tactics of the adventurers who used them, as well as comparing each one.<br><br>The table he used now had three pillars of books, adventurer's stories, history books, and reference books.<br><br>When the characters in the stories he read spoke of an historical act or battle, Crane set his bookmark, closed the book, and looked through the pile of historical texts for the exact details. In some cases the details were spread in different sections of several books and in other cases none of the books had a mention of it so Crane would look for another book among the shelves and bring it back to his table. It was due to this that the stack of history books got very high.<br><br>The third pile contained books that detailed specific items that were often referenced but whose details were not found in either the story or history books.<br><br>In this way Crane devoured thousands of pages of literacy in only a few days. Once in awhile Crane would get a message that either his INT or WIS stat had increased by +1, but he did not pay much attention to them as they were only a perk of reading and not the goal.<br><br>The only breaks he made were when he ran out of water and had to walk to a small fountain near in the Central ring. A new account comes with ten pieces of rye bread and a metal flask. Crane only stopped reading to eat when his stomach started to scream at him or his thirst reached a dangerous level. When he ran out of water to drink he would fill it at a nearby fountain. He had run out of his initial supply of bread after a few days but was able to buy more with the silver he received from the library quest.<br><br>Two in game weeks after Crane first came to the library, a young man with a bowl shaped hair-do and moderately elegant clothing pulled up a chair in Crane's table and sat next to him.<br><br>No matter how deeply engrossed in a book you are, when someone invades your personal space, you notice. Crane put the book he was reading down, and asked, "Is there something I can do for you?"<br><br>"I hope so. I have come to this library three times this week to try and find information relating to my family's past. And each time I came, I noticed you had a large stack of historical texts. I have matters that need attending at this time and would like to ask if you would be interested in finding and summarizing the role my family played in the history of this city. I will of course reward you for your time, as well as for anything pertinent you find."<br><br>*Ding*<br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td>Searching the Past<br>A man has requested you search the library for details relating to his family's role in the history of Yarsan<br>Difficulty level: E<br>Quest Requirements:<br>None<br>Reward<br>Dependent on the quantity of information and the quality of details.</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br>Crane had become acquainted with much of the continent's background so far, but none of the books he had read contained any reference to the city he was in. He figured there was more to the quest than meets the eyes, but the quest itself did not seem life threatening.<br><br>"Of course I shall accept a gentleman's request."<br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td>You have accepted the quest</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br>"Thank You. The name to search for is Roricas. If I return in three days, will you have the summery complete?"<br><br>"Yes sir, I will see you in three days."<br><br>As the man began to walk away, Crane said, "I did not get your first name."<br><br>"Torres, my name is Torres." The man left quietly, disappearing into the maze of shelves.<br><br>Crane felt there was something wrong with what he said, or he was leaving something out, but he also felt that made the quest that much more interesting.<br><br>Crane made his way to the entrance to get a lead on the quest from the librarian.<br><br>"Where can I find the history of Yarsan?"<br><br>The librarian seemed to be debating on whether or not to tell him, when she asked, "Why are you interested?"<br><br>"I have not found any details in any of the books I've read so far, I want to know more about the history of this city."<br><br>Although he left out some key details, it wasn't a lie.<br><br>"Very well, the twelve volume history of Yarsan is kept in the restricted section but is available for limited check out, fill out this form and sign here."<br><br>Crane had to sign a liability waiver stating that he understood that the failure to return a book from the restricted section or an attempt to leave the library with the book would result in criminal charges.<br><br>The librarian said the books would be brought to his table shortly.<br><br>-----------------------------------------------<br><br>The twelve Volume History of Yarsan was divided between two stacks at least three feet high on his table.<br><br>Now the real challenge of the quest was revealed, anyone else would require over a week to read and summarize these books. The only thing your average person could really do in three days was skim through all twelve volumes only reading paragraphs around the name 'Roricas.' But Crane was no ordinary reader.<br><br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td>History of Yarsan<br><br>The city was founded 1000 years ago by the great sorcerer, Boafu, as a southern outpost turned city for the Kingdom of Kallamore. The area was densely populated by groups of monsters who were repelled time and again from the city by Boafu's magic and later his descendants. A hundred years after its founding, Boafu's heir was declared the ruler of Yarsan, and his descendants the Royal family. <br><br>The powerful magic Boafu left to his descendents protected the city in the place of the army, but after four centuries, a race of people emerged from the mountain who had a high resistance to magic. Boafu's descendants were no longer enough to protect the city, so the military was reinstated to combat the mountain race.<br><br>The Yarsan army fought against the invading race for decades, becoming stronger after each battle and gaining new members from Kallamore's capital city. After one hundred years, the military adviser of the time, Joul Rotan, lead a coup d'etat with the King of Kallamore's approval, putting the military's strength against the royal family's magic. Rotan expected the high magicians to put up a fight and be ground to dust by the vast number of trained soldier and mercenaries under his command, but the royal family had a ace up their sleeve that extended the war far beyond his expectations. The magic the royal family inherited from Baofu allowed them to created enhanced weapons and spell casting artifacts that could be used by anyone. They armed their loyalists with an endless supply of these weapons and fought Joul Rotan's army to a stalemate. Twenty years of endless battles later, when the end of the war seemed nowhere in sight, the leader of the loyalist surrendered. This was because a loyalist named Ruffio Roricas, decided he must put a stop to the war and poisoned the royal family. The enchanted items lost their power after their creator's deaths and the war was ended. Former military adviser Joul Rotan became the ruler, and gave each military commander under him the rank of nobility, as well as Ruffio Roricas. After the war, there were several great changes to Yarsan. The defense of the city was left to the military who built three great walls around the city, changing it from a city to a fortress. Each member of nobility was required by law to serve a term as a soldier of Yarsan. A royal palace was built for the newly appointed royal family and nobility at the top of the plateau's cliff. And spell casting items that could be used by non-magicians were outlawed.</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br>----------------------------------------------------------------------<br><br>On the third day, Torres found Crane in the same spot as when he gave him the quest. <br><br>"How did it go?"<br><br>Crane pulled a folder from underneath the stack of books that buried it and handed it to Torres.<br><br>"It seems your ancestor was solely responsible for ending the twenty year war that lead to the current government taking power."<br><br>*Ding*<br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td>Quest Complete: Searching the Past<br>Your thorough research has uncovered Ruffio Roricas's key role in the history of the Fortress of Yarsan.<br><br>You have received 5 silvers<br>Bonus- 'Treasures through the ages'</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br>"Thank you for your hard work, along with your pay, I would like you to have this book. I saw you reading over a stack of item reference books, and this book contains details of some of the rarest items and treasures discovered in the Kingdom of Kallamore."<br><br>"Your kindness is appreciated, may we meet again," said Crane.<br>At his last comment Crane thought he saw something in Torres's eye, and it gave him the impression that Torres was not the type of person one chooses to meet willing.<br><br>Torres thanked Crane again and left. Crane turned back to the table and began reading the book Torres had given him. Up to this point, Crane must've read almost a hundred books about items and unique artifacts. This book included information and details on powerful and ancient objects, items whose possessors changed the course of history. After finishing the last page, a message popped up.<br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td>You have learned new skill: Identify</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br>"Hmm, Skill Window"<br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td>Identification [1] 0% <br>Enables you to learn the true value of unidentified items.<br>Mana cost: 30</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br>According to the books he read, Identify was a general skill that was granted to thieves, wizards, adventurers, some craft classes, or taught. He realized that just like the stat points which he had been slowly gaining through reading, there were methods of gaining stats and skills other than classes or leveling up. The concept intrigued him, but if the activity to acquire the skill didn't interest, he wouldn't bother with it.<br><br>----------------------------------------<br><br>Only stopping to fill his flask with water when he was thirsty or buy cheap food with the the money he received when he was hungry, Crane continued to read book after book until he the sound of the alert system. <br><br>*Ding*<br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td>You have a new message</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br>"Read Message."<br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td>It has been four weeks since you first logged in. You are now free to leave the city.</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br>Crane had completely lost track of time, he had been reading for almost a month, but at that thought Crane remembered something. Tanner said that by this time he would have new stock. The map he gave him had been made into something highly useful, but Tanner only gave it to him because he expected him to return. <br><br>At first Crane had no intention of going, but then he came up with a useful idea.<br><br>------------------------------------------------------<br><br>"Come one, come all, you need not wander through these streets, all your needs can be found right here!"<br><br>Crane could only smile as he walked up to Tanner's shop. Tanner looked at him for a moment and yelled. <br><br>"Ah Ha, you have returned to see my new and wondrous wares!"<br><br>Crane replied, "Of course I have, and the map you gave me lead me right to you. I have come to look at each and everyone of your wares."<br><br>"Oh course, of course, I can tell you all you want to know about each item!"<br><br>Crane walked over to a small knife that had a green handle and a clear, sweet smelling substance over the blade and asked what it was.<br><br>"That my friend is the Knife of Midnight Poison! If you cut someone with it at precisely noon, the following midnight that person will promptly die! For you, I shall sell it for 30 gold pieces! However, I do not accept returns."<br><br>"May I see it?"<br><br>Tanner looked for the sun, as if to make sure it wasn't noon and after seeing it was around 3pm, handed the knife to Crane.<br><br>An item's stats cannot be seen without having it in your inventory, so customers must take the seller's word that it is good. Unless of course the buyer has a certain skill.<br><br>Crane whispered as quietly as he could, "Identify."<br><br>A window seen only by him popped up.<br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td>Green handled Knife<br>Durability 14/20<br>Damage 1~3<br>This poorly made knife's handle was painted green, and it's blade coated in dried syrup.<br>Requirements:<br>None</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br>Crane had a bit of difficulty keeping himself from bursting out laughing. As he had expected the object was worthless and Tanner was a con-man. If someone bought and complained Tanner would likely assure the customer either that it would work later or that Tanner had no idea it was fake. Crane put the knife back where he found it without saying a word and moved on to the next item.<br><br>Tanner told a story about each item, about how it was, one of a kind, unique, priceless, and contained an ability which only activated under certain circumstances. And Crane kept silently whispering 'Identify' on each one.<br><br>Skills in Royal road increased with use, Sword Mastery increased when using a sword, Identification increased with identifying.<br><br>Crane had some extra mana from the bonus INT and WIS gained through reading, but couldn't use Identify forever, he had enough mana remaining for three more times and decided to use them on something good. <br><br>"Your store has such amazing objects, but these just aren't what I'm looking for."<br><br>Tanner bit his lip and looked down for a moment, then he rushed over to his table and disappeared under it. When he stood up, he was holding a hand axe. This item was definitely different from the others in his shop. It handle was made of a darker wood and its blade had a markings engrave onto it. <br><br>"This is my most valuable item, the Forgotten Axe, made by beasts in the heart of the forbidden lands, This axe only shows it true power when it's user is in mortal peril. For this axe, I can accept no less than two hundred gold pieces."<br><br>Tanner once again handed the item to Crane. He looked down at it so Tanner couldn't see his lips move. "Identify."<br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td>Warrior's Axe<br>Durability:27/30<br>Damage: 9~15<br>This axe was not made for human hands, but can still be used easily with a single hand.<br>Options:<br>This axe's properties change when wielded in the mountains.<br>Requirements:<br>Level 15<br>STR 60</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td>Skill Level Up: Identify [2]<br>You can now learn perceive greater details</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br>Crane handed the axe back to tanner without saying a word.<br><br>This axe probably was the most valuable item in the shop, but Crane had seen enough items in his books to know it's value to be from fifty to seventy gold, depending on the axe's stat changes around mountains and one's haggling skills. The axe of course was useless to him at any price. Crane was however grateful that the axe and other objects had helped him raise his identification skill a level.<br><br>A small flash blinded him for just a moment. A golf ball sized faceted glass sphere that hung on a string from the roof had reflected the sun's light. Crane eyed for a while, and decided he had nothing to lose. "Identify"<br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td>Failed to identify item</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br>Crane let out a small cough at this unexpected message, acquiring Tanner's attention. <br><br>Crane didn't want to let on what had just happened and made up a story of his own to tell him, "It would be a waste if my trip here bore no fruit, please tell me how my this ornament is so I may leave with a souvenir."<br><br>Tanner took in a breath and held it, for a moment Crane worried he might start another tall tale, but perhaps he was tired of telling stories or maybe because he had simply run out, he let out the breath and said it was 15 copper pieces. Crane handed him the money without even haggling, thanked him and put it in his inventory. <br><br>From his inventory he looked at the glass's info<br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td>-Glass piece<br>Durability 1/1<br>The purpose of this object is unknown</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br>Crane took it out again, "Identify"<br><br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td>Failed to identify item</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br>Crane held the piece up to the sun and smiled, he didn't know if this object held any secrets but he looked forward to the possibilities.<br><br>From Tanner's shop Crane went to the city's gate. Although the shopping district was filled with other item he could Identify, most legitimate stores had the item's stats displayed next to it so they did not need Identifying. Crane was out of mana anyways and was feeling cramped inside the walls of the city. <br><br>He had only beginner equipment on but he wanted to see what was beyond those walls. The gate doors were open and the guards paid no attention to him. Passing through them, Crane saw a vast, grasslands that expanded in all directions. Directly before him were plains of dried grass, gravel coated roads, and many small trees that were no bigger than he was. Far off to the north of the city in the distance Crane could see a forest. After walking for a few minutes he saw a pair of people fighting together. He went to take a closer look and saw that they were fighting Jack Rabbits. Neither of them looked very confident in their fighting abilities, and Crane was under the impression they were users who, like him, started on the first day and were just released. They both appeared to be woman, both older than him, and both had weapons on hand, one a sword and the other a mace. Crane walked to a tree that was near them and sat down, leaning his back against it. They didn't seem to notice him yet. They fought rather clumsily, completely unaware of how to use there weapons properly and would exhaust themselves from useless motions. The mace user extended her heavy ended weapon too much while swinging and tired her arms out quickly. The sword user made exaggerated motions while swinging giving the rabbits ample warning where and when the strike was coming.<br><br>Crane watched the girls and the rabbits closely. After about forty minutes, the girls began to noticeably improve. Trial and error taught them to keep their movements tight and compact to avoid tiring out. After their form started to look some what proper, they started to hit the rabbit more often than miss. It was not trial and error but experience seeing the rabbits move for a while that taught them how the rabbits would move when they attacked and they started to adjust each strike to intercept the rabbit when it dodged.<br><br>Like him they both appeared to have no actual combat experience, but they showed it was possible to learn through experience. At this point Crane should have been in a mood to choose a class finally, but watching the women fight had the opposite effect. He decided he had not prepared enough to try his hand outside the walls, stood up and headed back to the library in search of more good information on Versailles.<br><br><br>-------------------------------------------<br><br><br>Three more weeks had passed. Crane had read hundreds of books, and was no closer to deciding on what class he wanted to be. He was too stubborn to go to the Intelligence guild to have one picked out for him, but he seemed to have no other option. <br><br>He thought about what he might be best at and said, "Stat Window."<div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td colspan="2">Status Window</td></tr><tr><td>Avatar- Crane.</td><td>Alignment- Neutral</td></tr><tr><td>Level 2</td><td>Class- None</td></tr><tr><td>Title- None</td><td>Fame- None</td></tr><tr><td>Health- 100</td><td>Mana- 550</td></tr><tr><td>Strength- 10</td><td>Agility- 10</td></tr><tr><td>Wisdom- 50</td><td>Intellect- 50</td></tr><tr><td>Vitality- 10</td><td>Luck- 0</td></tr><tr><td colspan="2">Leadership- 0</td></tr><tr><td>Attack- 2</td><td>Defense- 0</td></tr><tr><td colspan="2">Unused stat points- 5</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br>It had been a few days since the last time he got a bonus stat for reading, it seemed to top out at plus forty apiece. Mana is affected mostly by Int, but also a bit by wisdom and wisdom itself also increased mana recovery rate. If he became a spell caster like a priest or magician, he would have a huge advantage over those of the same level. But the library did not have a section that contained skill books or spell books so he had not gain any skills other than identify. <br><br>The problem was that Crane did not know what he wanted. "What do I want? I want to be strong. How do I become strong?" An image of a balding man with a scar on his forehead popped up. Kalt Owens, the strongest person he had met in the game so far. He would probably know how to become strong. But to Crane, asking him for help was no different from going to the intelligence guild. "Maybe I can ask him for a hint, does he know a book that can......" The idea hit Crane hard enough to make him stand up from his chair. Crane walked over to the librarian and told her the same thing he said the first day they met. "I would like to read The Four Heroes of Salim."<br><br>The Librarian stared at him for a moment, then took out a yellow square of paper and wrote the book's location among the shelves on it and handed the paper to Crane.<br><br>The book was about four adventurers who worked together to defeat a wicked monster at the end of a dungeon, each hero had a different class; knight, wizard, ranger, and assassin. Throughout the book each classes strengths and weaknesses were prominently displayed as well as how they fitted into the group. After finishing the book, Crane realized how he could pick a class. Each hero played a specific role in the party, and he should pick the class whose role appealed to him the most. He left the library for what may have been the last time, and walked up to the counter of a building in the Central ring.<br><br><br>"I would like to become a powerful warrior.”<br><br>Chapter 4 The Way of The Sword &lt;!-- l --&gt;&lt;a class="postlink-local" href="http://www.royalroadl.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=91&amp;t=575&amp;p=2354#p2354"&gt;viewtopic.php?f=91&amp;t=575&amp;p=2354#p2354&lt;/a&gt;&lt;!-- l --&gt;<br>Chapter 2 A Crane in the City &lt;!-- l --&gt;&lt;a class="postlink-local" href="http://www.royalroadl.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=91&amp;t=547"&gt;viewtopic.php?f=91&amp;t=547&lt;/a&gt;&lt;!-- l --&gt; </div>

Chapter 3 Into the past and present From that point onward, Crane was in the library almost constantly. The Library of Yarsan had become a second home to him. His table in the Library always seem to have at least a few stacks of book on it. But he was not just enjoying the stories of adventures, he was learning about the continent of Versailles. He read through history books of various long forgotten cities and nations, through autobiographies of famous adventures, and facts and info about the continent itself. About seven hours after he had started his reading marathon a message appeared before him | Intelligence increased by 1 point. (+1 INT) | | --- | "What the.. Show Stats Window." Using the voice command he learned about in the intro guide for the first time, a see-through window appeared in front of him showing all his current information. | Status Window | | | --- | --- | | Avatar- Crane. | Alignment- Neutral | | Level 2 | Class- None | | Title- None | Fame- None | | Health- 350 | Mana- 130 | | Strength- 10+15 | Agility- 10 | | Wisdom- 10 | Intellect- 11 | | Vitality- 10+15 | Luck- 0 | | Leadership- 0 | | | Attack- 5 | Defense- 0 | | 1 new message | | Crane was a human who should have most base stats at 10. The effect of the Mural of Agni would still be active for a few hours more, increasing his VIT and STR, which in turn increased his stamina, attack power, and health. But his INT stat was at 11 without a +1 indicator, meaning that it had increased permanently, along with his mana. Up to this point Crane had been reading slowly, enjoying the experience as if he were reading at the desk in his room, but now the possibility existed that the act of reading books could strengthen his character. This bolstered Crane's resolve to read as much as he could and learn everything the library had to offer him. Looking back at his stat window he noticed the bottom line. "Read message" | You have leveled up for the first time. You gain 5 points to distribute to your stats for each level up. | | --- | Crane had completely forgotten that completing the quest had given him a level. But before distributing points, he had to know what kind of character he wanted to make. In the Central ring of the city there were many class guilds: Warrior Guild. Magician Guild, Thieves Guild, Archer Guild, Fist Guild, Adventurer Guild, Tailor Guild, Sculptor Guild, Merchant Guild, and Intelligence Guild. Crane could go to any one of these and acquire a profession, or go to the Intelligence guild where they would choose a suitable class for him. But since he was not going into combat any time soon, he decided there was no harm in waiting. He did not want to regret choosing the wrong build, so he decided he would wait until he had chosen a class before distributing the stats. To help him choose, he started to read a variety of different adventurer's books. Books about thieves, about swordsman, about magicians and knights, and about priests and archers. He made mental notes about each one's playing style and the preferred tactics of the adventurers who used them, as well as comparing each one. The table he used now had three pillars of books, adventurer's stories, history books, and reference books. When the characters in the stories he read spoke of an historical act or battle, Crane set his bookmark, closed the book, and looked through the pile of historical texts for the exact details. In some cases the details were spread in different sections of several books and in other cases none of the books had a mention of it so Crane would look for another book among the shelves and bring it back to his table. It was due to this that the stack of history books got very high. The third pile contained books that detailed specific items that were often referenced but whose details were not found in either the story or history books. In this way Crane devoured thousands of pages of literacy in only a few days. Once in awhile Crane would get a message that either his INT or WIS stat had increased by +1, but he did not pay much attention to them as they were only a perk of reading and not the goal. The only breaks he made were when he ran out of water and had to walk to a small fountain near in the Central ring. A new account comes with ten pieces of rye bread and a metal flask. Crane only stopped reading to eat when his stomach started to scream at him or his thirst reached a dangerous level. When he ran out of water to drink he would fill it at a nearby fountain. He had run out of his initial supply of bread after a few days but was able to buy more with the silver he received from the library quest. Two in game weeks after Crane first came to the library, a young man with a bowl shaped hair-do and moderately elegant clothing pulled up a chair in Crane's table and sat next to him. No matter how deeply engrossed in a book you are, when someone invades your personal space, you notice. Crane put the book he was reading down, and asked, "Is there something I can do for you?" "I hope so. I have come to this library three times this week to try and find information relating to my family's past. And each time I came, I noticed you had a large stack of historical texts. I have matters that need attending at this time and would like to ask if you would be interested in finding and summarizing the role my family played in the history of this city. I will of course reward you for your time, as well as for anything pertinent you find." *Ding* | Searching the PastA man has requested you search the library for details relating to his family's role in the history of YarsanDifficulty level: EQuest Requirements:NoneRewardDependent on the quantity of information and the quality of details. | | --- | Crane had become acquainted with much of the continent's background so far, but none of the books he had read contained any reference to the city he was in. He figured there was more to the quest than meets the eyes, but the quest itself did not seem life threatening. "Of course I shall accept a gentleman's request." | You have accepted the quest | | --- | "Thank You. The name to search for is Roricas. If I return in three days, will you have the summery complete?" "Yes sir, I will see you in three days." As the man began to walk away, Crane said, "I did not get your first name." "Torres, my name is Torres." The man left quietly, disappearing into the maze of shelves. Crane felt there was something wrong with what he said, or he was leaving something out, but he also felt that made the quest that much more interesting. Crane made his way to the entrance to get a lead on the quest from the librarian. "Where can I find the history of Yarsan?" The librarian seemed to be debating on whether or not to tell him, when she asked, "Why are you interested?" "I have not found any details in any of the books I've read so far, I want to know more about the history of this city." Although he left out some key details, it wasn't a lie. "Very well, the twelve volume history of Yarsan is kept in the restricted section but is available for limited check out, fill out this form and sign here." Crane had to sign a liability waiver stating that he understood that the failure to return a book from the restricted section or an attempt to leave the library with the book would result in criminal charges. The librarian said the books would be brought to his table shortly. ----------------------------------------------- The twelve Volume History of Yarsan was divided between two stacks at least three feet high on his table. Now the real challenge of the quest was revealed, anyone else would require over a week to read and summarize these books. The only thing your average person could really do in three days was skim through all twelve volumes only reading paragraphs around the name 'Roricas.' But Crane was no ordinary reader. | History of YarsanThe city was founded 1000 years ago by the great sorcerer, Boafu, as a southern outpost turned city for the Kingdom of Kallamore. The area was densely populated by groups of monsters who were repelled time and again from the city by Boafu's magic and later his descendants. A hundred years after its founding, Boafu's heir was declared the ruler of Yarsan, and his descendants the Royal family. The powerful magic Boafu left to his descendents protected the city in the place of the army, but after four centuries, a race of people emerged from the mountain who had a high resistance to magic. Boafu's descendants were no longer enough to protect the city, so the military was reinstated to combat the mountain race.The Yarsan army fought against the invading race for decades, becoming stronger after each battle and gaining new members from Kallamore's capital city. After one hundred years, the military adviser of the time, Joul Rotan, lead a coup d'etat with the King of Kallamore's approval, putting the military's strength against the royal family's magic. Rotan expected the high magicians to put up a fight and be ground to dust by the vast number of trained soldier and mercenaries under his command, but the royal family had a ace up their sleeve that extended the war far beyond his expectations. The magic the royal family inherited from Baofu allowed them to created enhanced weapons and spell casting artifacts that could be used by anyone. They armed their loyalists with an endless supply of these weapons and fought Joul Rotan's army to a stalemate. Twenty years of endless battles later, when the end of the war seemed nowhere in sight, the leader of the loyalist surrendered. This was because a loyalist named Ruffio Roricas, decided he must put a stop to the war and poisoned the royal family. The enchanted items lost their power after their creator's deaths and the war was ended. Former military adviser Joul Rotan became the ruler, and gave each military commander under him the rank of nobility, as well as Ruffio Roricas. After the war, there were several great changes to Yarsan. The defense of the city was left to the military who built three great walls around the city, changing it from a city to a fortress. Each member of nobility was required by law to serve a term as a soldier of Yarsan. A royal palace was built for the newly appointed royal family and nobility at the top of the plateau's cliff. And spell casting items that could be used by non-magicians were outlawed. | | --- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------- On the third day, Torres found Crane in the same spot as when he gave him the quest. "How did it go?" Crane pulled a folder from underneath the stack of books that buried it and handed it to Torres. "It seems your ancestor was solely responsible for ending the twenty year war that lead to the current government taking power." *Ding* | Quest Complete: Searching the PastYour thorough research has uncovered Ruffio Roricas's key role in the history of the Fortress of Yarsan.You have received 5 silversBonus- 'Treasures through the ages' | | --- | "Thank you for your hard work, along with your pay, I would like you to have this book. I saw you reading over a stack of item reference books, and this book contains details of some of the rarest items and treasures discovered in the Kingdom of Kallamore." "Your kindness is appreciated, may we meet again," said Crane. At his last comment Crane thought he saw something in Torres's eye, and it gave him the impression that Torres was not the type of person one chooses to meet willing. Torres thanked Crane again and left. Crane turned back to the table and began reading the book Torres had given him. Up to this point, Crane must've read almost a hundred books about items and unique artifacts. This book included information and details on powerful and ancient objects, items whose possessors changed the course of history. After finishing the last page, a message popped up. | You have learned new skill: Identify | | --- | "Hmm, Skill Window" | Identification [1] 0% Enables you to learn the true value of unidentified items.Mana cost: 30 | | --- | According to the books he read, Identify was a general skill that was granted to thieves, wizards, adventurers, some craft classes, or taught. He realized that just like the stat points which he had been slowly gaining through reading, there were methods of gaining stats and skills other than classes or leveling up. The concept intrigued him, but if the activity to acquire the skill didn't interest, he wouldn't bother with it. ---------------------------------------- Only stopping to fill his flask with water when he was thirsty or buy cheap food with the the money he received when he was hungry, Crane continued to read book after book until he the sound of the alert system. *Ding* | You have a new message | | --- | "Read Message." | It has been four weeks since you first logged in. You are now free to leave the city. | | --- | Crane had completely lost track of time, he had been reading for almost a month, but at that thought Crane remembered something. Tanner said that by this time he would have new stock. The map he gave him had been made into something highly useful, but Tanner only gave it to him because he expected him to return. At first Crane had no intention of going, but then he came up with a useful idea. ------------------------------------------------------ "Come one, come all, you need not wander through these streets, all your needs can be found right here!" Crane could only smile as he walked up to Tanner's shop. Tanner looked at him for a moment and yelled. "Ah Ha, you have returned to see my new and wondrous wares!" Crane replied, "Of course I have, and the map you gave me lead me right to you. I have come to look at each and everyone of your wares." "Oh course, of course, I can tell you all you want to know about each item!" Crane walked over to a small knife that had a green handle and a clear, sweet smelling substance over the blade and asked what it was. "That my friend is the Knife of Midnight Poison! If you cut someone with it at precisely noon, the following midnight that person will promptly die! For you, I shall sell it for 30 gold pieces! However, I do not accept returns." "May I see it?" Tanner looked for the sun, as if to make sure it wasn't noon and after seeing it was around 3pm, handed the knife to Crane. An item's stats cannot be seen without having it in your inventory, so customers must take the seller's word that it is good. Unless of course the buyer has a certain skill. Crane whispered as quietly as he could, "Identify." A window seen only by him popped up. | Green handled KnifeDurability 14/20Damage 1~3This poorly made knife's handle was painted green, and it's blade coated in dried syrup.Requirements:None | | --- | Crane had a bit of difficulty keeping himself from bursting out laughing. As he had expected the object was worthless and Tanner was a con-man. If someone bought and complained Tanner would likely assure the customer either that it would work later or that Tanner had no idea it was fake. Crane put the knife back where he found it without saying a word and moved on to the next item. Tanner told a story about each item, about how it was, one of a kind, unique, priceless, and contained an ability which only activated under certain circumstances. And Crane kept silently whispering 'Identify' on each one. Skills in Royal road increased with use, Sword Mastery increased when using a sword, Identification increased with identifying. Crane had some extra mana from the bonus INT and WIS gained through reading, but couldn't use Identify forever, he had enough mana remaining for three more times and decided to use them on something good. "Your store has such amazing objects, but these just aren't what I'm looking for." Tanner bit his lip and looked down for a moment, then he rushed over to his table and disappeared under it. When he stood up, he was holding a hand axe. This item was definitely different from the others in his shop. It handle was made of a darker wood and its blade had a markings engrave onto it. "This is my most valuable item, the Forgotten Axe, made by beasts in the heart of the forbidden lands, This axe only shows it true power when it's user is in mortal peril. For this axe, I can accept no less than two hundred gold pieces." Tanner once again handed the item to Crane. He looked down at it so Tanner couldn't see his lips move. "Identify." | Warrior's AxeDurability:27/30Damage: 9~15This axe was not made for human hands, but can still be used easily with a single hand.Options:This axe's properties change when wielded in the mountains.Requirements:Level 15STR 60 | | --- | | Skill Level Up: Identify [2]You can now learn perceive greater details | | --- | Crane handed the axe back to tanner without saying a word. This axe probably was the most valuable item in the shop, but Crane had seen enough items in his books to know it's value to be from fifty to seventy gold, depending on the axe's stat changes around mountains and one's haggling skills. The axe of course was useless to him at any price. Crane was however grateful that the axe and other objects had helped him raise his identification skill a level. A small flash blinded him for just a moment. A golf ball sized faceted glass sphere that hung on a string from the roof had reflected the sun's light. Crane eyed for a while, and decided he had nothing to lose. "Identify" | Failed to identify item | | --- | Crane let out a small cough at this unexpected message, acquiring Tanner's attention. Crane didn't want to let on what had just happened and made up a story of his own to tell him, "It would be a waste if my trip here bore no fruit, please tell me how my this ornament is so I may leave with a souvenir." Tanner took in a breath and held it, for a moment Crane worried he might start another tall tale, but perhaps he was tired of telling stories or maybe because he had simply run out, he let out the breath and said it was 15 copper pieces. Crane handed him the money without even haggling, thanked him and put it in his inventory. From his inventory he looked at the glass's info | -Glass pieceDurability 1/1The purpose of this object is unknown | | --- | Crane took it out again, "Identify" | Failed to identify item | | --- | Crane held the piece up to the sun and smiled, he didn't know if this object held any secrets but he looked forward to the possibilities. From Tanner's shop Crane went to the city's gate. Although the shopping district was filled with other item he could Identify, most legitimate stores had the item's stats displayed next to it so they did not need Identifying. Crane was out of mana anyways and was feeling cramped inside the walls of the city. He had only beginner equipment on but he wanted to see what was beyond those walls. The gate doors were open and the guards paid no attention to him. Passing through them, Crane saw a vast, grasslands that expanded in all directions. Directly before him were plains of dried grass, gravel coated roads, and many small trees that were no bigger than he was. Far off to the north of the city in the distance Crane could see a forest. After walking for a few minutes he saw a pair of people fighting together. He went to take a closer look and saw that they were fighting Jack Rabbits. Neither of them looked very confident in their fighting abilities, and Crane was under the impression they were users who, like him, started on the first day and were just released. They both appeared to be woman, both older than him, and both had weapons on hand, one a sword and the other a mace. Crane walked to a tree that was near them and sat down, leaning his back against it. They didn't seem to notice him yet. They fought rather clumsily, completely unaware of how to use there weapons properly and would exhaust themselves from useless motions. The mace user extended her heavy ended weapon too much while swinging and tired her arms out quickly. The sword user made exaggerated motions while swinging giving the rabbits ample warning where and when the strike was coming. Crane watched the girls and the rabbits closely. After about forty minutes, the girls began to noticeably improve. Trial and error taught them to keep their movements tight and compact to avoid tiring out. After their form started to look some what proper, they started to hit the rabbit more often than miss. It was not trial and error but experience seeing the rabbits move for a while that taught them how the rabbits would move when they attacked and they started to adjust each strike to intercept the rabbit when it dodged. Like him they both appeared to have no actual combat experience, but they showed it was possible to learn through experience. At this point Crane should have been in a mood to choose a class finally, but watching the women fight had the opposite effect. He decided he had not prepared enough to try his hand outside the walls, stood up and headed back to the library in search of more good information on Versailles. ------------------------------------------- Three more weeks had passed. Crane had read hundreds of books, and was no closer to deciding on what class he wanted to be. He was too stubborn to go to the Intelligence guild to have one picked out for him, but he seemed to have no other option. He thought about what he might be best at and said, "Stat Window." | Status Window | | | --- | --- | | Avatar- Crane. | Alignment- Neutral | | Level 2 | Class- None | | Title- None | Fame- None | | Health- 100 | Mana- 550 | | Strength- 10 | Agility- 10 | | Wisdom- 50 | Intellect- 50 | | Vitality- 10 | Luck- 0 | | Leadership- 0 | | | Attack- 2 | Defense- 0 | | Unused stat points- 5 | | It had been a few days since the last time he got a bonus stat for reading, it seemed to top out at plus forty apiece. Mana is affected mostly by Int, but also a bit by wisdom and wisdom itself also increased mana recovery rate. If he became a spell caster like a priest or magician, he would have a huge advantage over those of the same level. But the library did not have a section that contained skill books or spell books so he had not gain any skills other than identify. The problem was that Crane did not know what he wanted. "What do I want? I want to be strong. How do I become strong?" An image of a balding man with a scar on his forehead popped up. Kalt Owens, the strongest person he had met in the game so far. He would probably know how to become strong. But to Crane, asking him for help was no different from going to the intelligence guild. "Maybe I can ask him for a hint, does he know a book that can......" The idea hit Crane hard enough to make him stand up from his chair. Crane walked over to the librarian and told her the same thing he said the first day they met. "I would like to read The Four Heroes of Salim." The Librarian stared at him for a moment, then took out a yellow square of paper and wrote the book's location among the shelves on it and handed the paper to Crane. The book was about four adventurers who worked together to defeat a wicked monster at the end of a dungeon, each hero had a different class; knight, wizard, ranger, and assassin. Throughout the book each classes strengths and weaknesses were prominently displayed as well as how they fitted into the group. After finishing the book, Crane realized how he could pick a class. Each hero played a specific role in the party, and he should pick the class whose role appealed to him the most. He left the library for what may have been the last time, and walked up to the counter of a building in the Central ring. "I would like to become a powerful warrior.” Chapter 4 The Way of The Sword <!-- l --><a class="postlink-local" href="http://www.royalroadl.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=91&t=575&p=2354#p2354">viewtopic.php?f=91&t=575&p=2354#p2354</a><!-- l --> Chapter 2 A Crane in the City <!-- l --><a class="postlink-local" href="http://www.royalroadl.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=91&t=547">viewtopic.php?f=91&t=547</a><!-- l -->

<div class="chapter-inner chapter-content"> Prologue<br>By. Nikita<br><br> <br>This is my first FanFic, so I hope you guys like it, I am an ESL student so I think there will be a lot of mistakes that I made. If you can, please correct my grammar or words that are misspelled.<br><br>I am a passive learner, I can read and hear a conversation without a problem, but I had a lot of problems when I was asked to write or speak in English, I memorized all tenses but for some reason I find it hard to use it when writing or speaking, I didn’t even know, lf what I write right now are grammatically correct or not. Please don’t go easy on me because I have to improve my writing skil.<br>______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ <br><br>Erica Silverwood was walking through a park, it was a beautiful day with blue sky without a cloud, the wind was blowing gently and the sound of birds chirping in the morning that makes the hearts of those who hear it to be peaceful, without realizing it, she began to sing accompanied by the chirping of the birds, with melodious voice and beautiful melodies she attracted the attention of several students who happened to be going to the same school through the park.<br><br>"Hey, do you know who that little girl?"<br><br>"I don’t know, I’ve never seen her before<br><br>“But she's wearing our school uniform.”<br><br>“Maybe she is a first year."<br><br>There were some senior students who deliberately slowed their steps to listen to her songs and some even used their mobile phone to record a video of her who was singing.<br><br>Erica was a 16 -year -old teenage girl, with height 124cm, smooth white skin, a straight beautiful knee-length silver hair , blue eyes, and a really pretty face, she looked like a fairy. Because of her small frame, many people thought that she was an elementary school student.<br><br>After she finished singing she heard someone clapping behind her, she turned around and found a girl with shoulder-length brown hair, green eyes and wearing the same school uniform as her.<br><br>"You are really good at singing."<br><br>"....."<br><br>"....."<br><br>“Hey, say something.“<br><br>“.....” <br><br>It wasn’t that Erica did not want to talk, she was not the type of person who liked to talk, she spoke only as needed, even if she wanted to talk, she didn’t know what to talk to a stranger.<br><br>"Ah, sorry I forgot to introduce myself, my name is Anna Wintersand, you can call me Anna."<br><br>"Erica, Erica Silverwood." In a soft voice Erica introduced herself .<br><br>"I'm sorry if I surprised you, I was fascinated by your beautiful singing voice and I involuntarily applauded."<br><br>“No, it's okay, I'm also singing without realizing it.”<br><br>"How can you sing without you realizing it?"Anna looked confused.<br><br>"I just knew that I was listening to the birds that were chirping and without realizing it I began to sing." Erica also seemed confused.<br><br>"Ha ha ha ha, this is the first time I heard of anyone who could do that."<br><br>"....."<br><br>"So, if I'm not mistaken your uniform, it looks like we're in the same school and in the same year."<br><br>"....."<br><br>"You didn’t seem the type who likes to talk."<br><br>"....."<br><br>"I was in class 1-C, what about you?"<br><br>"1-S."<br><br>Anna's eyes widened when she heard Erica was in class 1-S. "Not only beautiful and good at singing but also a genius."Anna looked at her with awe. <br><br>Special class or more commonly known as class 1-S was a class for gifted children, the material taught in this class were several times higher than that taught in the regular class.<br><br>When Erica was 4 years old, she was able to read and write well, She often went to her father’s study room to read books for hours, her father once asked her if she understood all the contents of the books, she told her father that she didn’t quite understand the contents of the books she had read, but she memorized everything, her father didn’t believe that she had memorized everything so he gave her a few questions about some of the contents ot the books and she answered all the questions exacty as were written in the books, at that moment her father realized that she had the ability to memorized all that she had seen before even though she had only saen it for a moment (this ability was called photographic memory).<br>They both walked to school when they heard some students talked about a game,“Did you watch this morning news?”<br><br>“You mean the news about Royal Road.”<br><br>Royal Road was an MMORPG (Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game) that was developed by Unicorn Corporation, this game was different from the usual MMORPG because this game sytem used a new Virtual Reality (VR) technology with 99% reality and you used a capsule to play this game,the players could use their five senses just like in the real world, this game will be launched today.<br><br>“I want to buy a capsule this morning so I called Unicorn and ordered a capsule but they said that the entire stock sold out, so I’ll have to wait till next month to get my hands on that game.” Anna looked disappointed.<br><br>Erica actually already had a capsule in her room , she got it even before the Unicorn announced the launch of Royal Road, this was because she was the largest shareholder in Unicorn, so even though she did not ask for it, Unicorn would gsve her one automatically.<br><br>It all started 10 years ago, when Erica was 6 years old, she competed in a jigsaw puzzel competiton, she won and got the prize money of $ 1 million, with the prize money she bought a new laptop and kept the rest of the money in the bank, when she got home, she tried to open some websites with her new laptop, after opened a few websites, she found a stock market site, she had read a book on economcs in her father’s study room before, so she understood what a stock market site was and tried to buy shares of the Unicorn which at that time had just formed, due to low stock price she bought almost all stocks owned by Unicorn.<br><br>Erica parents found out that she bought the shares when Unicorn contacted her and asked her to come to the annual shareholders' meeting, she could manage her share without the help of anyone, but this time she had to attend the annual meeting of shareholders, in the end she asked her mother to represent her to attend the meeting, since that day her mother became her secretary.<br><br>It had been 10 years since then, Unicorn turned into the biggest gaming company in the world and Erica became the richest teenage girl in the world,<br><br>Erica and Anna walked to school while discussing about Royal Road (Actually the one who talked the most was Anna) until they reached the school, Anna said goodbye to Erica and promised to have lunch with her.<br><br> ***<br><br>After school Erica didn’t go straight home but she went to Unicorn headquarters first, her mother told her to come because she had to took care some documents before Royal Road was launched.<br><br>Even though her mother became her secretary and helped manage her stake in Unicorn, she still had to do some paperwork that required her approval, she worked for several hours, when she finished, she realized that it was time for dinner, her mother took her to nearby reataurant, after that they went straight home,<br><br>Erica wanted to return to her room, she was walking to her room when her mother told her to took a bath before went into the capsule, she took a bath and changed into her pajamas after that she went into the capsule which was located beside her bed. <br> <br>Connect to Royal Road<br>YES/NO </div>

Prologue By. Nikita This is my first FanFic, so I hope you guys like it, I am an ESL student so I think there will be a lot of mistakes that I made. If you can, please correct my grammar or words that are misspelled. I am a passive learner, I can read and hear a conversation without a problem, but I had a lot of problems when I was asked to write or speak in English, I memorized all tenses but for some reason I find it hard to use it when writing or speaking, I didn’t even know, lf what I write right now are grammatically correct or not. Please don’t go easy on me because I have to improve my writing skil. \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ Erica Silverwood was walking through a park, it was a beautiful day with blue sky without a cloud, the wind was blowing gently and the sound of birds chirping in the morning that makes the hearts of those who hear it to be peaceful, without realizing it, she began to sing accompanied by the chirping of the birds, with melodious voice and beautiful melodies she attracted the attention of several students who happened to be going to the same school through the park. "Hey, do you know who that little girl?" "I don’t know, I’ve never seen her before “But she's wearing our school uniform.” “Maybe she is a first year." There were some senior students who deliberately slowed their steps to listen to her songs and some even used their mobile phone to record a video of her who was singing. Erica was a 16 -year -old teenage girl, with height 124cm, smooth white skin, a straight beautiful knee-length silver hair , blue eyes, and a really pretty face, she looked like a fairy. Because of her small frame, many people thought that she was an elementary school student. After she finished singing she heard someone clapping behind her, she turned around and found a girl with shoulder-length brown hair, green eyes and wearing the same school uniform as her. "You are really good at singing." "....." "....." “Hey, say something.“ “.....” It wasn’t that Erica did not want to talk, she was not the type of person who liked to talk, she spoke only as needed, even if she wanted to talk, she didn’t know what to talk to a stranger. "Ah, sorry I forgot to introduce myself, my name is Anna Wintersand, you can call me Anna." "Erica, Erica Silverwood." In a soft voice Erica introduced herself . "I'm sorry if I surprised you, I was fascinated by your beautiful singing voice and I involuntarily applauded." “No, it's okay, I'm also singing without realizing it.” "How can you sing without you realizing it?"Anna looked confused. "I just knew that I was listening to the birds that were chirping and without realizing it I began to sing." Erica also seemed confused. "Ha ha ha ha, this is the first time I heard of anyone who could do that." "....." "So, if I'm not mistaken your uniform, it looks like we're in the same school and in the same year." "....." "You didn’t seem the type who likes to talk." "....." "I was in class 1-C, what about you?" "1-S." Anna's eyes widened when she heard Erica was in class 1-S. "Not only beautiful and good at singing but also a genius."Anna looked at her with awe. Special class or more commonly known as class 1-S was a class for gifted children, the material taught in this class were several times higher than that taught in the regular class. When Erica was 4 years old, she was able to read and write well, She often went to her father’s study room to read books for hours, her father once asked her if she understood all the contents of the books, she told her father that she didn’t quite understand the contents of the books she had read, but she memorized everything, her father didn’t believe that she had memorized everything so he gave her a few questions about some of the contents ot the books and she answered all the questions exacty as were written in the books, at that moment her father realized that she had the ability to memorized all that she had seen before even though she had only saen it for a moment (this ability was called photographic memory). They both walked to school when they heard some students talked about a game,“Did you watch this morning news?” “You mean the news about Royal Road.” Royal Road was an MMORPG (Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game) that was developed by Unicorn Corporation, this game was different from the usual MMORPG because this game sytem used a new Virtual Reality (VR) technology with 99% reality and you used a capsule to play this game,the players could use their five senses just like in the real world, this game will be launched today. “I want to buy a capsule this morning so I called Unicorn and ordered a capsule but they said that the entire stock sold out, so I’ll have to wait till next month to get my hands on that game.” Anna looked disappointed. Erica actually already had a capsule in her room , she got it even before the Unicorn announced the launch of Royal Road, this was because she was the largest shareholder in Unicorn, so even though she did not ask for it, Unicorn would gsve her one automatically. It all started 10 years ago, when Erica was 6 years old, she competed in a jigsaw puzzel competiton, she won and got the prize money of $ 1 million, with the prize money she bought a new laptop and kept the rest of the money in the bank, when she got home, she tried to open some websites with her new laptop, after opened a few websites, she found a stock market site, she had read a book on economcs in her father’s study room before, so she understood what a stock market site was and tried to buy shares of the Unicorn which at that time had just formed, due to low stock price she bought almost all stocks owned by Unicorn. Erica parents found out that she bought the shares when Unicorn contacted her and asked her to come to the annual shareholders' meeting, she could manage her share without the help of anyone, but this time she had to attend the annual meeting of shareholders, in the end she asked her mother to represent her to attend the meeting, since that day her mother became her secretary. It had been 10 years since then, Unicorn turned into the biggest gaming company in the world and Erica became the richest teenage girl in the world, Erica and Anna walked to school while discussing about Royal Road (Actually the one who talked the most was Anna) until they reached the school, Anna said goodbye to Erica and promised to have lunch with her. *** After school Erica didn’t go straight home but she went to Unicorn headquarters first, her mother told her to come because she had to took care some documents before Royal Road was launched. Even though her mother became her secretary and helped manage her stake in Unicorn, she still had to do some paperwork that required her approval, she worked for several hours, when she finished, she realized that it was time for dinner, her mother took her to nearby reataurant, after that they went straight home, Erica wanted to return to her room, she was walking to her room when her mother told her to took a bath before went into the capsule, she took a bath and changed into her pajamas after that she went into the capsule which was located beside her bed. Connect to Royal Road YES/NO

<div class="chapter-inner chapter-content"> Ch.10<br><br>Part 1<br><br>"That will be 7 silvers and 84 pieces of copper good sir."<br><br>Sighing to himself Alexander pulled out his inventory window as he handed over the requested amount completing the transaction. With the transaction completed the bulging bags he was carrying on his back became a little more heavier as he stored away the many packs of herbs and bandages he had just bought.<br><br>"Thank you for your patronage good sir. May you be bless with good fortune."<br><br>Hearing the merchant's words Alexander heaved a big sigh.<br><br>-Good fortune? Good Fortune?<span style="font-weight: bold;"> Ha!</span> If that was only the case! Here I am running around like some errand boy because a certain <span style="font-weight: bold;">someone</span> yesterday couldn't keep their promise. Telling me eat as much as I want and then telling me to stop? Pftttt. I mean come on I only ate what? A few plates at most and she dragged me out of the place.<br><br>-I wouldn't mind having to work for the food maybe for just a few days if she didn't have the money, but<span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;"> no~</span></span>. She just had to go and grab my arm and take off. Now I'm out here getting all this shit to prepare for our journey because we no have a freaking bounty on our heads!<br><br>Ignoring our dear protagonist's ranting let me tell you what had actually occurred.<br><br>Dragging his new companion, LunaBells towards the closest restaurant he could find Alexander than proceeded to ordering every dish listed on the menu. He than proceeded to chow down, consuming his food at breath taking speeds. Without pausing he soon ordered seconds while still stuffing food into his mouth. The second serving soon became a third serving, than a fourth serving, than a fifth serving until he had finally ate a whopping total of 7 servings of every dish listed on the menu!<br><br>Of course during this entire time LunaBells was desperately trying to stop Alexander going so far as to grabbing onto his arm, which unfortunately left her in a daze as she flew into the air thanks to Alexander's high strength as he brought the fork to his mouth. LunaBells kept tried to desperately stop Alexander a few more times to no avail. <br><br>Her face soon paled when Alexander started to order everything on the dessert menu. With super human strength she wrapped her arms around Alexander's arm and dashed out of the restaurant. A cry could be heard as the two raced out of the restaurant.<br><br><span style="font-weight: bold;">"But what about my desseerrrtttttt!"</span><br><br>Needless to say Alexander's appetite was abnormal. Even if they were playing a virtual reality game the amount of food Alexander consumed was just insane considering the size of his avatar. The reason behind Alexanders insatiable appetite was simply because he was gradually becoming more in tune with his inner dragon, the appetite of a dragon!<br><br>Finished with shopping Alexander left the crowded market districts and made his way towards the tailor's workshop where upon entering through the doors he was greeted by the sight of LunaBells waiting for him with her hands on her hips. <br><br>"Just where have you been? You are late! You are so freaking late!"<br><br>Oh no, Alexander thought to himself as he grimaced in anticipation of the storm yet to come.<br><br>"Why were you so late! I thought I told you to be back here after 30 minutes!"<br><br>"Well I-"<br><br>"But no~ You just had to take your sweet time. Do you even<span style="font-style: italic;"> know </span>how long I've stood here? Just standing here waiting for you?"<br><br>"Well no...not really but-"<br><br>"<span style="font-weight: bold;">3 hours!</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"> 3 unbelievably long freaking hours!</span>"<br><br>At this point Alexander quietly muttered to himself as he recalled the giant shopping list forcibly pushed into his hands.<br><br>"Well maybe if <span style="font-weight: bold;">someone</span> here would've given me a hand I might not have taken so long."<br><br>"What was that?"<br><br>"Uh, I was... just saying how nice you look today. Are those new robes? Blue really suits you."<br><br>"Hmph! Don't think your little compliments is going to get you out of this!"<br><br>Despite her words LunaBells's cheeks were turning slightly pink.<br><br>Although Alexander was complimenting her hoping that she would forgive him, he really was surprised by how great LunaBells looked in her new outfit.<br><br>Whereas before when LunaBells was wearing her draping purple wizard robes, a large ugly pointy hat and a wand, she was now equipped with a new set of gears. She was wearing a beautifully made powder blue robe which was sleeveless and had a small hood attached upon request. The robe fit her just right showing off those natural curves as appose to the ugly drape she was forced to wear. A white ashen staff was by her side, a much improved upgrade compared to the stick wand she had before that looked as if someone just lopped off a tree branch and called it a wand, the ashen staff would serve as an additional use as a walking stick for their long journey. She no longer wore a pointy wizard hat but no complaints there. <br><br>While admiring the girl before him Alexander barely noticed the silver projectile aimed towards his face.<br>Quickly dodging to the side the silver projectile that he now saw was a sword passed by him. The poor tailor froze in fear as a sword was now hurdling towards him as he was standing behind Alexander at the time. The sword halted just inches from the now absolutely frightened tailor. The tailor was saved by Alexander's superb reflexes when he grabbed the sword's hilt as it was passing by. <br><br>"Tch"<br><br>Looking back he saw his companion had a disappointed look on her face.<br><br>"What's this?"<br><br>"What never seen a sword?"<br><br>"Haha, no, I meant why did you-"<br><br>"It's a gift"<br><br>"Really? Thanks Luna"<br><br>A pair of pants, a shirt, and a sleeveless hooded clock landed on my head.<br><br>"Here I had the tailor make those"<br><br>Smiling deviously Alexander took the clothes off his head and began to change, starting with his pants.<br><br>With her face flushing scarlet red LunaBells quickly covered her face with her hands while yelling,<br><br>"Not here you pervert! There's a changing room in the back!"<br><br>With new clothes in hand Alexander continued to smile while chuckling as he headed to the back of the tailor's workshop. <br><br>-5 minutes later-<br><br><span style="font-weight: bold;">Tap-tap-tap!</span><br><br>The sound of LunaBells's shoes repeatedly tapping on the hard wooden floors could be heard throughout the workshop.<br><br>"Ooh! What is taking that weirdo, pervert so long! I swear, if he isn't out here in the next few minutes I will-"<br><br>A tap on her shoulders stopped her in mid-sentence.<br><br>"Hey there, I'm all done now so let's go. Oh yeah. Before we go I have to ask, you will what now?"<br><br>With a hmph LunaBells quickly retorted,<br><br>"I would of ***** rip your **** in a *****! Got a problem with that? And what is whith you always covering your face? Are you that ugly or is it so embarrassing for you to be seen with someone like me?<br><br>Alexander took a step back in surprise. He soon started chuckling after his initial surprise faded. <br>-Whoa, this girl has got some serious back bone. She's got way more guts than I gave her credit for.<br><br>"What's so funny?"<br><br>"Haha, nothing it's just that you're a little tougher than most of the guys I know"<br><br>"OH? So are you calling xzame a boy now?"<br><br>"WHAT? NO-no-no-no! I just wanted to say how I like that about you being able to back yourself up.Sorry if anything I said sounded misleading."<br><br>"Oh...well since we're apologizing and all I want to say I'm sorry too. I have a short temper so I kind of tend to over react sometimes."<br><br>Alexander raised one of his eyebrows.<br><br>"Sometimes?"<br><br>Which resulted in him running out of the doors of the tailor's workshop and out the city's gate as a very angry LunaBells was frantically chasing after him while constantly sending a few sharp icicles towards Alexander and thus started the adventure of the duo as they ran out the kingdom out towards the open fields as their adventure had finally begun. The two ran off towards the setting sun, venturing off towards unknown lands.<br><br>From behind the tailor's workshop a shadow emerged chuckling as it watched the comical sight of the girl cursing while tossing spears made of ice at the hooded man who was quickly making his escape while dodging the incoming spears.<br><br><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br>Part 2</span><br><br>-10minutes of venturing off towards unknown lands later-<br><br>It wasn't long before LunaBells's stamina was quickly depleted. Mages were well known for their lack of stamina and being fragile glass cannons. Capable of dishing out a hit but not taking one themselves. <br><br>-5minutes of venturing off towards unknown lands later-<br><br>Flopping towards the ground LunaBells gasped,<br><br>"Hey... St-stop running! I-I can't move on...too tired"<br><br>"Well I don't really see how that's my problem"<br><br>It's been 30 minutes since the two started running from the tailor's workshop to way out towards the open fields of the beginner's hunting grounds and towards their current situation.<br><br>"..."<br><br>"..."<br><br>"Fine, I'll stop throwing my Ice Spears at you. Truce?"<br><br>"Truce"<br><br>Alexander flopped to the ground as well and thus the two laid there for the next few minutes while watching the setting sun until LunaBells finally caught her breath. As the two kept walking LunaBells turned to ask,<br><br>"Hey Alex?"<br><br>"Hmm? What's up?"<br><br>"I know I'm a mage and how mages tire out real quick, but come on! We were running for like a really long time and what's worse is that you were even dodging side to side the whole time and you're still not breathing hard at all!"<br><br>Not wanting to reveal the fact that he was part dragon Alexander replied,<br><br>"It's because I finish the basic training."<br><br>"Basic training?"<br><br>"Basically you just whack a scarecrow all day and it raises your strength and ugh stamina and other stats permanently."<br><br><span style="font-weight: bold;">! </span><br><br>"WHAT!? Seriously!? I would of done that if I knew that would happen! So what can anyone do this regardless of class?"<br><br>"Yeah mages, priest, you name it anyone can do it."<br><br>"Seriously!? Then why isn't everyone doing it!?"<br><br>"Well think of it this way. It took me a few hours to raise the stats the first time by 1. After the first few points I had to keep whacking the same scarecrow continuously for a few more hours until my stats rose by 1 again. So just imagine eventually having to spend 8 continuous hours repeatedly whacking a scarecrow."<br><br>"8 hours..."<br><br>"Yup"<br><br>"....hey Alex?"<br><br>"Yeah?"<br><br>"I don't think you're human anymore"<br><br>"...is it because...I'm so awesome?"<br><br>"No, it's because I think you're too crazy"<br><br>"..."<br><br>After a few more minutes of laying down the two got up, however now Alexander was slightly bummed out.<br>Just as LunaBells was about to try and cheer her gloomy companion a howl cut through the air causing the hairs on her neck to rise. The two slowly turned around to look for the sound had came from behind them.<br><br>Just a few meters away the two stood frozen to the spot as they spotted<br>a pack of eight black wolves right in front of them. <br><br>Alexander began to sweat for he was quite worried. Normally he wouldn't be so anxious in such a situation but there was something off about the black wolves. They felt dangerous.<br><br>-It's a wide open field so those wolves should have seen us coming ages ago so why didn't they attack? Oh crap! The sun is going down and it'll be night soon! Wait were these wolves waiting for this?<br><br>Alexander quickly took out and equipped his new steel sword, a gift from LunaBells, for pretty soon he would be needing it to fight for his life.<br><br>The sun was quickly going down and in the darkness of night the black wolves would clearly have the disadvantage as their black fur coat would make it impossible to spot them in the pitch black darkness not to mention the fact that at night monsters became 50% stronger. <br><br>Normally, Alexander would not have venture out so late at night, having experienced how tough it was to <br>fight monsters at night. But since the girl he met, LunaBells was a civilian she didn't have the benefits of a specially modified capsule, thus Alexander waited through most of the day for her to finish up with what she had to do in real life before she could log in. The time he spent waiting for her than planning together and not to mention his three hours spent shopping it's not surprising that the sun was setting by the time the two left the kingdom's gate. <br>The black wolves were probably attracted to the loud noises of LunaBells yells and attacks during the time she was chasing down Alexander. Monsters usually would start attacking on sight but these wolves decided to stalk their prey while waiting for the time when they would be at their strongest. This behavior was what had caused Alexander to hesitate since only intelligent monsters could act like that and usually the ones that do have a fairly high level. <br><br>Even though Alexander was cool, calm and collected while he was analyzing the situation, the same could not be said for his companion.<br><br>Freaking out over the number of wolves in front of them LunaBells's mind was in a state of panic. After letting out a high pitched scream as one of the black wolves started to flash it's teeth at her and growl she proceeded to flipping out while yelling,<br><br>"Get away from me! Ice Spears! Ice Spears! Ice Spears!"<br><br>LunaBells was frantically casting her Ice Spear spells with her eyes shut closed.<br><br>"Whoa! Luna Calm Down!"<br><br>"Ice spears! Ice spears! Ice spears!"<br><br>Alexander was taken by surprise by his partner's sudden attack which made him barely dodge the salvo of frozen spears heading his way. <br><br>Two of the frozen spears flew by the side of his face and another by his waist, ripping through his new clothes. Looking at his now exposed skin where the ice spears flew by he could see a faint trail of blood. <br><br>"AhhWoooooo!"<br><br>The howls of the black wolves finally snapped LunaBells out of her icy rampage as she finally realized what she had done.<br><br>"Oh my god! I'm so sorry Alex!"<br><br>"It's fine, just focus on the wolves and most importantly don't panic!"<br><br>Alexander quickly swerved to the side just barely dodging the outstretched claws of the pouncing wolf. <br><br>Despite conversing with Luna his eyes never left the wolves in front of him. A hard learned lesson from his sparring days in training camp where if your eyes start to wander off you'll soon find yourself with a pile of new bruises and sores making the next day of training a complete hell. <br><br>While he kept his eyes on the prowling wolves Alexander moved closer to Luna (Luna for short since it's easier on me)<br><br>"Hey Luna."<br><br>"Yeah Alex?"<br><br>"It's starting to get dark."<br><br>"Don't worry I got a spell for that."<br><br>"Really? That's great! Now that's one less thing I have to worry abou-"<br><br>"But...I need um...30 minutes to prep it up"<br><br>"Wait you need how long now??"<br><br>"I need 30 minutes..."<br><br>"..."<br><br>Sighing to himself Alexander raised his sword, switching his poster to a guard stance.<br><br>"Start preparing it now Luna! I'll buy you some time."<br><br>"Okay! <span style="font-style: italic;">Spirits of Ice and Snow heed my call, what I seek are the -</span>"<br><br>"Ahwooooooo!!!"<br><br>The howls were much louder, startling Luna which interrupted the casting.<br>We watched as one of the wolves started twitching. It's body was shaking as the muscles suddenly began to grow! As the muscles continue to grow the jet black fur grew thicker and longer. Black steam started pouring out, possibly due to the transformation. The wolf's body soon began to expand in size. The claws grew longer and sharper and it's jaws wider and wider. <br><br>Pretty soon the other wolves started to undergo the same transformation. Seconds seemed like hours as the two stood there horrified by the howls as the wolves finished changing. The black steam the monsters were emitting soon built up covering the area in a dark fog. Looking up the two could see eight monstrous beast looking down at them even more intimidating with the black smoke flowing out like a spectral cape made of shadows. It was a pack of Black Lycanthropes! Alexander was an avid fan of old horror films and he could clearly tell that things were about to turn real messy.<br><br>"OH shit!"<br><br>Speaking about things getting messy there was another potential disaster case waiting to explode right behind me.<br><br>"LUNA STOP!"<br><br>Alexander's shout woke Luna from her panicky state just in time as she was holding her staff<br>with shaky hands getting ready to cast her ice spears with her eyes shut tight.<br><br>"Luna, are you okay?"<br><br>"Yeah, sorry Alex almost freaked out there again." <br><br>However he thought differently when he looked at Luna.<br><br>-Her body is shaking, she's probably still scare<br>A sign of another possible panic attack! Must prevent it at all cost!<br><br>"Hey Luna"<br><br>"Yes?"<br><br>"You believe in me right?"<br><br>"Well of course. Why?"<br><br>"Than believe in me! Believe in the me that believes in-"<br> <br>"NO! Do not pull a Gurren Lagann reference on me! I get enough of that from my dorky little brothers."<br><br>"Haha, fine I'll spare you. But really Luna just focus on casting that spell. I'll keep protecting you so don't worry"<br><br>"What makes you so confident that you can?"<br><br>"Well I took care of those other bastards(KPM's party and her four muscly stooges) right?<br><br>"Yeah, so?"<br><br>"So, I'll just do it again. Don't worry about a thing. I'll make sure these bastards here won't even get a chance to lay their paws on you."<br><br>Luna felt a faint heat rising form her cheeks as her face flushed a bright red.<br>For the first time since the whole mess started she felt grateful for the approaching night<br>since the darkness would be able to hide her embarrassment.<br><br>Luna flashed a quick smile that was hidden by the dark as she grabbed her staff with her now steady hands.<br>She felt strangely comfortable by Alexander's words. They may have only been together for two days but she had complete trust in his words at that moment.<br><br>Raising her staff in both hands Luna closed her eyes as she blocked out the distraction around her and began chanting the incantation once again.<br><br>As Luna began to chant the last few rays of the setting sun slowly vanished, the darkness that came with the night swallowed the land and the sky and eventually the eight Lycanthropes disappeared from sight as they merged into the pitch black darkness. There was no moon and any lights coming from the stars was blocked out by the dense black fog.<br><br>The rustling of grass was all that Alexander could hear as the monsters slowly began to circle around the two waiting for the moment to strike.<br><br>Sensing movement from behind, he quickly pivoted his body towards Luna's back while swinging his sword in an upwards reverse slash fending off the incoming attack! Sparks flew as cold steel blade met with knife like claws. The exchange temporarily illuminated the area revealing a set of razor sharp teeth as the beast roared with it's jaws wide open. The light from the sparks disappeared and he was once again facing total darkness. A sudden chill sent Alexander pivoting and dashing right-left-right-left-forward-back and soon he was virtually everywhere, his sword flickering in and out as he hurried to switch to one side after another.<br><br>Soon the attacks came from multiple angles forcing Alexander to come up with new stunts to fend off each and every attack. Lunging his blade forward he could feel the blade sinking into flesh and blood causing the attacker to back off while sending a kick behind thwarting off the simultaneous attack. <br><br>Sparks started to flash all around as Alexander kept turning, pivoting and swinging his sword in a beautiful yet endless stream of patterns. The sword slashed as the claws and fangs kept coming from everywhere in the dark night. As sparks flew all around Luna kept showing her fierce determination towards completing the spell, she never once faltered for her believe in Alexander was strong. The claws and fangs kept coming faster and faster forcing Alexander to increase his pace once again. <br><br>There was not a single moment to rest for Alexander as his body continued to swerve, his feet were constantly moving back in forth turning into a blur as his arms and hands continued to weave an endless chain of attacks as his sword deflected the numerous sharp claws and razor sharp teethes aimed towards not him but Luna! The beasts had quickly understood from the very beginning that targeting Luna would keep Alexander constantly busy giving him no chance to recover. <br><br>With a fierce battle roar Alexander continued to dance the dance of death, forming a whirlwind of blades around Luna as he desperately fought to keep his promise, for he had swore to her that he wouldn't let a single one of these furry bastards lay a single paw on her. <br><br>His blade kept fending off attacks after waves of attacks as he displayed his superb swordsmanship! <br><br>But even Alexander could not perfectly block off every attack aimed towards Luna. There were many times he used his own body to shield Luna taking on the sharp knife like claws directly!<br><br>The lycanthropes' claws raked over his head, ripping his hood to shreds as it barely missed his eyes. His new clothes were also quickly being torn to shreds. The wolves kept attacking, their attacks getting swifter and fiercer encouraged by the blood dripping out of Alexander's many wounds.<br><br><span style="font-weight: bold;">-15hp!<br>-34hp!<br>-58hp!<br>-12hp!<br>-23hp!</span><br><br><span style="font-weight: bold;">Ding!</span><br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td>Minor Bleeding<br>Until you've received treatment your health will continue to drop by 15hp/sec</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br><span style="font-weight: bold;">-72hp!<br>-40hp!<br>-30hp!<br>-68hp!</span><br><br><span style="font-weight: bold;">Ding!</span><br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td>Bleeding<br>You are bleeding from many wounds<br>Until you've received treatment your health will continue to drop by 25hp/sec</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br>Blood dripped down his arms. He could feel the warm metallic red liquid pouring out from his many minor wounds.<br>With his hp now falling towards 32% it was just a matter of time before he would once again be logged out for 24 hours, 4days of worth of RoyalRoad.<br><br>His arms felt like lead, his condition started to worsen from the large amount of blood he was losing. Only his vast stamina and his iron like will power kept him going as he fought to keep up with the constant stream of attacks.<br><br>Suddenly, a rush of cold air blasted away the black lycanthropes as a tower of blue light pierced through the night. The blue light soared high into the sky, gathering into a ball of blue light. With a sudden bang the ball exploded into millions of glowing snow flakes illuminating the dark fields. Alexander winced as the glowing blue snow flakes fell onto his open wounds letting out a sizzle of white hot steam. With the steam clearing away he looked in surprise for his wounds had healed! The glowing blue snow had healing properties! <br><br>A howl full of pain brought back Alexander's attention as he watched the black lycanthropes wreathing on the ground howling in pain for the snow was burning them! <br><br>Taking and letting out a deep breath Alexander refocused at the enemies before him. They had made him suffer hell and now that the tables had turned it was his turn to inflict the pain.<br><br>The lycanthropes now hindered by the falling blue snow pitifully whimpered before the man approaching them. Soon the last of the lycanthropes flashed grey and disappeared as the blade came and ended its life. <br><br>Picking up the loot Alexander walked over to Luna who laid there in the glowing blue snow covered fields exhausted by the awesome spell she had cast.<br><br>Even though he had infinite stamina, mentally he was exhausted so he did what any person would do. He flopped down next to Luna and started to move his arms and legs up and down forming a snow angel. He stopped as Luna kept staring at him with her eyebrow raised up questioning him. A chuckle escaped from her lips which quickly escalated into laughter and so the two ended their first night of adventure sharing a good laugh under the night sky, watching the beautiful scene as the glowing blue snow gently fell down the sky covering the wide open fields of the beginner hunting grounds with a blanket of blue snow.<br><br><br><br><br><br>Author's Note:<br><br>Finally done typing this chapter out. LunaBells was hiding an awesome skill I wonder what else she was hiding?<br> <br>Going back to college today so I probably won't have time to keep making stories, as much as I do love making these I need to prioritize... yeah I hate that word too<br>I will occasionally post new chapters when I have a break or when there's a lack of schoolwork and activities with friends<br><br>Thanks for reading, vsinity signing out! {[999abo}] </div>

Ch.10 Part 1 "That will be 7 silvers and 84 pieces of copper good sir." Sighing to himself Alexander pulled out his inventory window as he handed over the requested amount completing the transaction. With the transaction completed the bulging bags he was carrying on his back became a little more heavier as he stored away the many packs of herbs and bandages he had just bought. "Thank you for your patronage good sir. May you be bless with good fortune." Hearing the merchant's words Alexander heaved a big sigh. -Good fortune? Good Fortune? Ha! If that was only the case! Here I am running around like some errand boy because a certain someone yesterday couldn't keep their promise. Telling me eat as much as I want and then telling me to stop? Pftttt. I mean come on I only ate what? A few plates at most and she dragged me out of the place. -I wouldn't mind having to work for the food maybe for just a few days if she didn't have the money, but no~. She just had to go and grab my arm and take off. Now I'm out here getting all this shit to prepare for our journey because we no have a freaking bounty on our heads! Ignoring our dear protagonist's ranting let me tell you what had actually occurred. Dragging his new companion, LunaBells towards the closest restaurant he could find Alexander than proceeded to ordering every dish listed on the menu. He than proceeded to chow down, consuming his food at breath taking speeds. Without pausing he soon ordered seconds while still stuffing food into his mouth. The second serving soon became a third serving, than a fourth serving, than a fifth serving until he had finally ate a whopping total of 7 servings of every dish listed on the menu! Of course during this entire time LunaBells was desperately trying to stop Alexander going so far as to grabbing onto his arm, which unfortunately left her in a daze as she flew into the air thanks to Alexander's high strength as he brought the fork to his mouth. LunaBells kept tried to desperately stop Alexander a few more times to no avail. Her face soon paled when Alexander started to order everything on the dessert menu. With super human strength she wrapped her arms around Alexander's arm and dashed out of the restaurant. A cry could be heard as the two raced out of the restaurant. "But what about my desseerrrtttttt!" Needless to say Alexander's appetite was abnormal. Even if they were playing a virtual reality game the amount of food Alexander consumed was just insane considering the size of his avatar. The reason behind Alexanders insatiable appetite was simply because he was gradually becoming more in tune with his inner dragon, the appetite of a dragon! Finished with shopping Alexander left the crowded market districts and made his way towards the tailor's workshop where upon entering through the doors he was greeted by the sight of LunaBells waiting for him with her hands on her hips. "Just where have you been? You are late! You are so freaking late!" Oh no, Alexander thought to himself as he grimaced in anticipation of the storm yet to come. "Why were you so late! I thought I told you to be back here after 30 minutes!" "Well I-" "But no~ You just had to take your sweet time. Do you even know how long I've stood here? Just standing here waiting for you?" "Well no...not really but-" "3 hours! 3 unbelievably long freaking hours!" At this point Alexander quietly muttered to himself as he recalled the giant shopping list forcibly pushed into his hands. "Well maybe if someone here would've given me a hand I might not have taken so long." "What was that?" "Uh, I was... just saying how nice you look today. Are those new robes? Blue really suits you." "Hmph! Don't think your little compliments is going to get you out of this!" Despite her words LunaBells's cheeks were turning slightly pink. Although Alexander was complimenting her hoping that she would forgive him, he really was surprised by how great LunaBells looked in her new outfit. Whereas before when LunaBells was wearing her draping purple wizard robes, a large ugly pointy hat and a wand, she was now equipped with a new set of gears. She was wearing a beautifully made powder blue robe which was sleeveless and had a small hood attached upon request. The robe fit her just right showing off those natural curves as appose to the ugly drape she was forced to wear. A white ashen staff was by her side, a much improved upgrade compared to the stick wand she had before that looked as if someone just lopped off a tree branch and called it a wand, the ashen staff would serve as an additional use as a walking stick for their long journey. She no longer wore a pointy wizard hat but no complaints there. While admiring the girl before him Alexander barely noticed the silver projectile aimed towards his face. Quickly dodging to the side the silver projectile that he now saw was a sword passed by him. The poor tailor froze in fear as a sword was now hurdling towards him as he was standing behind Alexander at the time. The sword halted just inches from the now absolutely frightened tailor. The tailor was saved by Alexander's superb reflexes when he grabbed the sword's hilt as it was passing by. "Tch" Looking back he saw his companion had a disappointed look on her face. "What's this?" "What never seen a sword?" "Haha, no, I meant why did you-" "It's a gift" "Really? Thanks Luna" A pair of pants, a shirt, and a sleeveless hooded clock landed on my head. "Here I had the tailor make those" Smiling deviously Alexander took the clothes off his head and began to change, starting with his pants. With her face flushing scarlet red LunaBells quickly covered her face with her hands while yelling, "Not here you pervert! There's a changing room in the back!" With new clothes in hand Alexander continued to smile while chuckling as he headed to the back of the tailor's workshop. -5 minutes later- Tap-tap-tap! The sound of LunaBells's shoes repeatedly tapping on the hard wooden floors could be heard throughout the workshop. "Ooh! What is taking that weirdo, pervert so long! I swear, if he isn't out here in the next few minutes I will-" A tap on her shoulders stopped her in mid-sentence. "Hey there, I'm all done now so let's go. Oh yeah. Before we go I have to ask, you will what now?" With a hmph LunaBells quickly retorted, "I would of ***** rip your **** in a *****! Got a problem with that? And what is whith you always covering your face? Are you that ugly or is it so embarrassing for you to be seen with someone like me? Alexander took a step back in surprise. He soon started chuckling after his initial surprise faded. -Whoa, this girl has got some serious back bone. She's got way more guts than I gave her credit for. "What's so funny?" "Haha, nothing it's just that you're a little tougher than most of the guys I know" "OH? So are you calling xzame a boy now?" "WHAT? NO-no-no-no! I just wanted to say how I like that about you being able to back yourself up.Sorry if anything I said sounded misleading." "Oh...well since we're apologizing and all I want to say I'm sorry too. I have a short temper so I kind of tend to over react sometimes." Alexander raised one of his eyebrows. "Sometimes?" Which resulted in him running out of the doors of the tailor's workshop and out the city's gate as a very angry LunaBells was frantically chasing after him while constantly sending a few sharp icicles towards Alexander and thus started the adventure of the duo as they ran out the kingdom out towards the open fields as their adventure had finally begun. The two ran off towards the setting sun, venturing off towards unknown lands. From behind the tailor's workshop a shadow emerged chuckling as it watched the comical sight of the girl cursing while tossing spears made of ice at the hooded man who was quickly making his escape while dodging the incoming spears. Part 2 -10minutes of venturing off towards unknown lands later- It wasn't long before LunaBells's stamina was quickly depleted. Mages were well known for their lack of stamina and being fragile glass cannons. Capable of dishing out a hit but not taking one themselves. -5minutes of venturing off towards unknown lands later- Flopping towards the ground LunaBells gasped, "Hey... St-stop running! I-I can't move on...too tired" "Well I don't really see how that's my problem" It's been 30 minutes since the two started running from the tailor's workshop to way out towards the open fields of the beginner's hunting grounds and towards their current situation. "..." "..." "Fine, I'll stop throwing my Ice Spears at you. Truce?" "Truce" Alexander flopped to the ground as well and thus the two laid there for the next few minutes while watching the setting sun until LunaBells finally caught her breath. As the two kept walking LunaBells turned to ask, "Hey Alex?" "Hmm? What's up?" "I know I'm a mage and how mages tire out real quick, but come on! We were running for like a really long time and what's worse is that you were even dodging side to side the whole time and you're still not breathing hard at all!" Not wanting to reveal the fact that he was part dragon Alexander replied, "It's because I finish the basic training." "Basic training?" "Basically you just whack a scarecrow all day and it raises your strength and ugh stamina and other stats permanently." ! "WHAT!? Seriously!? I would of done that if I knew that would happen! So what can anyone do this regardless of class?" "Yeah mages, priest, you name it anyone can do it." "Seriously!? Then why isn't everyone doing it!?" "Well think of it this way. It took me a few hours to raise the stats the first time by 1. After the first few points I had to keep whacking the same scarecrow continuously for a few more hours until my stats rose by 1 again. So just imagine eventually having to spend 8 continuous hours repeatedly whacking a scarecrow." "8 hours..." "Yup" "....hey Alex?" "Yeah?" "I don't think you're human anymore" "...is it because...I'm so awesome?" "No, it's because I think you're too crazy" "..." After a few more minutes of laying down the two got up, however now Alexander was slightly bummed out. Just as LunaBells was about to try and cheer her gloomy companion a howl cut through the air causing the hairs on her neck to rise. The two slowly turned around to look for the sound had came from behind them. Just a few meters away the two stood frozen to the spot as they spotted a pack of eight black wolves right in front of them. Alexander began to sweat for he was quite worried. Normally he wouldn't be so anxious in such a situation but there was something off about the black wolves. They felt dangerous. -It's a wide open field so those wolves should have seen us coming ages ago so why didn't they attack? Oh crap! The sun is going down and it'll be night soon! Wait were these wolves waiting for this? Alexander quickly took out and equipped his new steel sword, a gift from LunaBells, for pretty soon he would be needing it to fight for his life. The sun was quickly going down and in the darkness of night the black wolves would clearly have the disadvantage as their black fur coat would make it impossible to spot them in the pitch black darkness not to mention the fact that at night monsters became 50% stronger. Normally, Alexander would not have venture out so late at night, having experienced how tough it was to fight monsters at night. But since the girl he met, LunaBells was a civilian she didn't have the benefits of a specially modified capsule, thus Alexander waited through most of the day for her to finish up with what she had to do in real life before she could log in. The time he spent waiting for her than planning together and not to mention his three hours spent shopping it's not surprising that the sun was setting by the time the two left the kingdom's gate. The black wolves were probably attracted to the loud noises of LunaBells yells and attacks during the time she was chasing down Alexander. Monsters usually would start attacking on sight but these wolves decided to stalk their prey while waiting for the time when they would be at their strongest. This behavior was what had caused Alexander to hesitate since only intelligent monsters could act like that and usually the ones that do have a fairly high level. Even though Alexander was cool, calm and collected while he was analyzing the situation, the same could not be said for his companion. Freaking out over the number of wolves in front of them LunaBells's mind was in a state of panic. After letting out a high pitched scream as one of the black wolves started to flash it's teeth at her and growl she proceeded to flipping out while yelling, "Get away from me! Ice Spears! Ice Spears! Ice Spears!" LunaBells was frantically casting her Ice Spear spells with her eyes shut closed. "Whoa! Luna Calm Down!" "Ice spears! Ice spears! Ice spears!" Alexander was taken by surprise by his partner's sudden attack which made him barely dodge the salvo of frozen spears heading his way. Two of the frozen spears flew by the side of his face and another by his waist, ripping through his new clothes. Looking at his now exposed skin where the ice spears flew by he could see a faint trail of blood. "AhhWoooooo!" The howls of the black wolves finally snapped LunaBells out of her icy rampage as she finally realized what she had done. "Oh my god! I'm so sorry Alex!" "It's fine, just focus on the wolves and most importantly don't panic!" Alexander quickly swerved to the side just barely dodging the outstretched claws of the pouncing wolf. Despite conversing with Luna his eyes never left the wolves in front of him. A hard learned lesson from his sparring days in training camp where if your eyes start to wander off you'll soon find yourself with a pile of new bruises and sores making the next day of training a complete hell. While he kept his eyes on the prowling wolves Alexander moved closer to Luna (Luna for short since it's easier on me) "Hey Luna." "Yeah Alex?" "It's starting to get dark." "Don't worry I got a spell for that." "Really? That's great! Now that's one less thing I have to worry abou-" "But...I need um...30 minutes to prep it up" "Wait you need how long now??" "I need 30 minutes..." "..." Sighing to himself Alexander raised his sword, switching his poster to a guard stance. "Start preparing it now Luna! I'll buy you some time." "Okay! Spirits of Ice and Snow heed my call, what I seek are the -" "Ahwooooooo!!!" The howls were much louder, startling Luna which interrupted the casting. We watched as one of the wolves started twitching. It's body was shaking as the muscles suddenly began to grow! As the muscles continue to grow the jet black fur grew thicker and longer. Black steam started pouring out, possibly due to the transformation. The wolf's body soon began to expand in size. The claws grew longer and sharper and it's jaws wider and wider. Pretty soon the other wolves started to undergo the same transformation. Seconds seemed like hours as the two stood there horrified by the howls as the wolves finished changing. The black steam the monsters were emitting soon built up covering the area in a dark fog. Looking up the two could see eight monstrous beast looking down at them even more intimidating with the black smoke flowing out like a spectral cape made of shadows. It was a pack of Black Lycanthropes! Alexander was an avid fan of old horror films and he could clearly tell that things were about to turn real messy. "OH shit!" Speaking about things getting messy there was another potential disaster case waiting to explode right behind me. "LUNA STOP!" Alexander's shout woke Luna from her panicky state just in time as she was holding her staff with shaky hands getting ready to cast her ice spears with her eyes shut tight. "Luna, are you okay?" "Yeah, sorry Alex almost freaked out there again." However he thought differently when he looked at Luna. -Her body is shaking, she's probably still scare A sign of another possible panic attack! Must prevent it at all cost! "Hey Luna" "Yes?" "You believe in me right?" "Well of course. Why?" "Than believe in me! Believe in the me that believes in-" "NO! Do not pull a Gurren Lagann reference on me! I get enough of that from my dorky little brothers." "Haha, fine I'll spare you. But really Luna just focus on casting that spell. I'll keep protecting you so don't worry" "What makes you so confident that you can?" "Well I took care of those other bastards(KPM's party and her four muscly stooges) right? "Yeah, so?" "So, I'll just do it again. Don't worry about a thing. I'll make sure these bastards here won't even get a chance to lay their paws on you." Luna felt a faint heat rising form her cheeks as her face flushed a bright red. For the first time since the whole mess started she felt grateful for the approaching night since the darkness would be able to hide her embarrassment. Luna flashed a quick smile that was hidden by the dark as she grabbed her staff with her now steady hands. She felt strangely comfortable by Alexander's words. They may have only been together for two days but she had complete trust in his words at that moment. Raising her staff in both hands Luna closed her eyes as she blocked out the distraction around her and began chanting the incantation once again. As Luna began to chant the last few rays of the setting sun slowly vanished, the darkness that came with the night swallowed the land and the sky and eventually the eight Lycanthropes disappeared from sight as they merged into the pitch black darkness. There was no moon and any lights coming from the stars was blocked out by the dense black fog. The rustling of grass was all that Alexander could hear as the monsters slowly began to circle around the two waiting for the moment to strike. Sensing movement from behind, he quickly pivoted his body towards Luna's back while swinging his sword in an upwards reverse slash fending off the incoming attack! Sparks flew as cold steel blade met with knife like claws. The exchange temporarily illuminated the area revealing a set of razor sharp teeth as the beast roared with it's jaws wide open. The light from the sparks disappeared and he was once again facing total darkness. A sudden chill sent Alexander pivoting and dashing right-left-right-left-forward-back and soon he was virtually everywhere, his sword flickering in and out as he hurried to switch to one side after another. Soon the attacks came from multiple angles forcing Alexander to come up with new stunts to fend off each and every attack. Lunging his blade forward he could feel the blade sinking into flesh and blood causing the attacker to back off while sending a kick behind thwarting off the simultaneous attack. Sparks started to flash all around as Alexander kept turning, pivoting and swinging his sword in a beautiful yet endless stream of patterns. The sword slashed as the claws and fangs kept coming from everywhere in the dark night. As sparks flew all around Luna kept showing her fierce determination towards completing the spell, she never once faltered for her believe in Alexander was strong. The claws and fangs kept coming faster and faster forcing Alexander to increase his pace once again. There was not a single moment to rest for Alexander as his body continued to swerve, his feet were constantly moving back in forth turning into a blur as his arms and hands continued to weave an endless chain of attacks as his sword deflected the numerous sharp claws and razor sharp teethes aimed towards not him but Luna! The beasts had quickly understood from the very beginning that targeting Luna would keep Alexander constantly busy giving him no chance to recover. With a fierce battle roar Alexander continued to dance the dance of death, forming a whirlwind of blades around Luna as he desperately fought to keep his promise, for he had swore to her that he wouldn't let a single one of these furry bastards lay a single paw on her. His blade kept fending off attacks after waves of attacks as he displayed his superb swordsmanship! But even Alexander could not perfectly block off every attack aimed towards Luna. There were many times he used his own body to shield Luna taking on the sharp knife like claws directly! The lycanthropes' claws raked over his head, ripping his hood to shreds as it barely missed his eyes. His new clothes were also quickly being torn to shreds. The wolves kept attacking, their attacks getting swifter and fiercer encouraged by the blood dripping out of Alexander's many wounds. -15hp! -34hp! -58hp! -12hp! -23hp! Ding! | Minor BleedingUntil you've received treatment your health will continue to drop by 15hp/sec | | --- | -72hp! -40hp! -30hp! -68hp! Ding! | BleedingYou are bleeding from many woundsUntil you've received treatment your health will continue to drop by 25hp/sec | | --- | Blood dripped down his arms. He could feel the warm metallic red liquid pouring out from his many minor wounds. With his hp now falling towards 32% it was just a matter of time before he would once again be logged out for 24 hours, 4days of worth of RoyalRoad. His arms felt like lead, his condition started to worsen from the large amount of blood he was losing. Only his vast stamina and his iron like will power kept him going as he fought to keep up with the constant stream of attacks. Suddenly, a rush of cold air blasted away the black lycanthropes as a tower of blue light pierced through the night. The blue light soared high into the sky, gathering into a ball of blue light. With a sudden bang the ball exploded into millions of glowing snow flakes illuminating the dark fields. Alexander winced as the glowing blue snow flakes fell onto his open wounds letting out a sizzle of white hot steam. With the steam clearing away he looked in surprise for his wounds had healed! The glowing blue snow had healing properties! A howl full of pain brought back Alexander's attention as he watched the black lycanthropes wreathing on the ground howling in pain for the snow was burning them! Taking and letting out a deep breath Alexander refocused at the enemies before him. They had made him suffer hell and now that the tables had turned it was his turn to inflict the pain. The lycanthropes now hindered by the falling blue snow pitifully whimpered before the man approaching them. Soon the last of the lycanthropes flashed grey and disappeared as the blade came and ended its life. Picking up the loot Alexander walked over to Luna who laid there in the glowing blue snow covered fields exhausted by the awesome spell she had cast. Even though he had infinite stamina, mentally he was exhausted so he did what any person would do. He flopped down next to Luna and started to move his arms and legs up and down forming a snow angel. He stopped as Luna kept staring at him with her eyebrow raised up questioning him. A chuckle escaped from her lips which quickly escalated into laughter and so the two ended their first night of adventure sharing a good laugh under the night sky, watching the beautiful scene as the glowing blue snow gently fell down the sky covering the wide open fields of the beginner hunting grounds with a blanket of blue snow. Author's Note: Finally done typing this chapter out. LunaBells was hiding an awesome skill I wonder what else she was hiding? Going back to college today so I probably won't have time to keep making stories, as much as I do love making these I need to prioritize... yeah I hate that word too I will occasionally post new chapters when I have a break or when there's a lack of schoolwork and activities with friends Thanks for reading, vsinity signing out! {[999abo}]

<div class="chapter-inner chapter-content"> hello its been so long i finally got back :) <br><br>to all the fans and annons my sincerest appollagies in their being no recent updates this was originally due to my comp not liking the server crash and then it desiding not to let me on the site full stop by either a this page has been suspended message or an i message this page can not be found well i and this was the incredablely stupid part (yes u can all now boo and rant) continued my work on word docs in the vain hope of eventually get back on the site that was untill the comp died yesterday completly. losing all the work i had been merticulasly working on 'criess'<br>how ever rejoice good fans and anons for i did not take this as a mere blunder and emidiatly using my meger savings sort out a new laptop 'hurray'<br><br>basicly as soon as i get the chapters retyped they will be posted :)<br><br>allong with the mainy other prodjects i was working on :)<br><br>so ill see you hope fully by the end of the week with a new chapter <br><br>p.s before anyone coments about not having back up copies i will hold my hands up (i did not have back up copies:( ) cos im stupid<br><br>see u all around </div>

hello its been so long i finally got back :) to all the fans and annons my sincerest appollagies in their being no recent updates this was originally due to my comp not liking the server crash and then it desiding not to let me on the site full stop by either a this page has been suspended message or an i message this page can not be found well i and this was the incredablely stupid part (yes u can all now boo and rant) continued my work on word docs in the vain hope of eventually get back on the site that was untill the comp died yesterday completly. losing all the work i had been merticulasly working on 'criess' how ever rejoice good fans and anons for i did not take this as a mere blunder and emidiatly using my meger savings sort out a new laptop 'hurray' basicly as soon as i get the chapters retyped they will be posted :) allong with the mainy other prodjects i was working on :) so ill see you hope fully by the end of the week with a new chapter p.s before anyone coments about not having back up copies i will hold my hands up (i did not have back up copies:( ) cos im stupid see u all around

<div class="chapter-inner chapter-content"> Fang talked the helpful stranger into accompanying her on her errands. She had pretended to be jumpy and nervous when peeking out the door, before asking for help. He had politely claimed he had similar errands to run as well before following her out the door. <br><br>The drunks were probably sober now, and perhaps the guards had thrown them out of town for a while. She also resolved to give them a beat down if she spotted them. She’d fight smarter this time, though. She would be more aware of her surroundings, and she would PK them. She wanted to, at least. <br><br>Perhaps if she chose a class and leveled fast, she would be able to wipe them out. The only problem with that idea was time. Where was she going to find the time to out-level them? She was still a college student, she still had a scholarship, and she still needed to keep the scholarship. This meant she had hours of studying to do. Fang shook off those unpleasant thoughts. She didn’t enter virtual reality to think about reality. She had shopping to do and leveling to do as well.<br><br>She glanced back over her shoulder, and saw him looking at her with a perplexed expression.<br><br><span style="font-style: italic;">Why is he..? Oh yeah, I’m supposed to be afraid that those guys would come back.</span><br><br>Before she could slink back to join him and try to make herself seem apprehensive, he lengthened his strides and caught up to her. For a second she wondered how he did that, and then remembered he was taller than her by a few inches. She may have readjusted her height to make her more average for a guy, but he seemed to be half a foot taller. <br><br>She wanted to spend a moment to admire his appearance with feminine appreciation, but she was genderless, and wanted to keep the vague impression of being a guy. Moon-calfing over her rescuer would not help that impression. She took sudden intent interest in the street she was walking on. If she thought about it too much she might give herself away. She was glad she had spent all that time practicing how to walk like a guy. She had spent a great deal of time when walking around studying the ways guys walked in order to mimic them in game. She wasn’t letting a silly thing like how she walked and talked give her away.<br><br><div style="text-align: center;">***</div><br><br>Dammage purposely dragged behind the person he rescued. All he knew was the person’s name. As for the gender… there was something distinctly feminine about… him/her/it? The person he rescued looked like a guy, technically based on appearances; the person was probably a guy. The problem was, some girls were very flat chested, and so he couldn’t be sure based upon that alone. Perhaps the shoulders were a little narrower than others, but it wasn’t that obvious and some guys just had narrow shoulders. The way the person moved looked somewhat like a guy, but occasionally, there was a slight feminine sway to the hips. Then there was the issue with the hips. Normally, Dammage could tell gender and identify people by their build with or without the chest as an indicator. The person in front of him, though, while the hips were a bit wider than a normal guy’s, they were also narrower than a woman’s. <br><br><span style="font-style: italic;">Damn it! Is this person in front of me a girl or a guy!?! I can’t tell. I can usually tell. </span><br><br>He wasn’t sure if he wanted to risk asking if the person was a girl or a guy. It made it somewhat hard to address him/her/it though. The name told him nothing: “Fang,” a four letter word. There was no specific gender attached to it. If only the person in front of him had chosen a name like “Yukihime” or “Kenji” or “Kate” or “David” or something.<br><br><span style="font-style: italic;">But no… it had to be “Fang.” </span><br><br>The person named Fang glanced over his/her/its shoulder and started to slow. Dammage caught up and worked up his courage to ask. As he was about to open his mouth, Fang opened a door and went into a store. Dammage watched Fang barter over goods and had to nerve up again. When they left the store, he asked the question.<br><br>“So… are you a guy or a girl?”<br><br>Fang shot a glance at him then a somewhat mischievous grin crept up over his/her/its face. Suddenly Fang sped up in front of him and walked with an exaggerated sway of his/her/its hips. Then Fang seemed to resume a normal walk. Fang glanced back over his/her/its shoulder and called back. <br><br>“What do you think?”<br><br><span style="font-style: italic;">Damn it!</span> Dammage knew when he was being teased. Fang laughed at his expression.<br><br>He caught up and finally decided. <br><br>“I’m going to call you ‘It’ from now on.” He muttered.<br><br>The look on Fang’s face went from mischief, to surprise, to amusement. The amusement Fang radiated was almost thick enough he could taste it. <br><br><span style="font-style: italic;">Evil! This person is decidedly evil!</span><br><br><div style="text-align: center;">***</div><br><br>Fang tried not to laugh. This person was fun to tease. He glowered at her with a mix of fury, embarrassment, and amusement. He was more amused than furious, and more embarrassed than amused. If he had been truly furious, he wouldn’t be so fun to tease. It was the embarrassment that made her want to tease him more. It was a bit endearing and very, very funny.<br>They traipsed through the streets of Rosenheim’s capital buying and selling loot they had and replacing it with supplies for travel. As they shopped, Dammage’s mood lightened as did Fang’s. Soon she would be able to hunt and level… and then kick ass. Suddenly, Fang started to wonder what level her companion was. Regardless, having him as an ally could be very advantageous for her.<br><br>“Say Dammage, what level are you?” Fang asked.<br><br>He glanced sidelong at her before answering. <br><br>“Level 257 Archer, you?”<br><br>Fang looked away and muttered something. <br><br>“Excuse me?”<br><br>“…”<br><br>“Sorry. I didn’t catch that.”<br><br>“Level 38. No class.”<br><br>“…”<br><br>“…”<br><br>“… I’m sorry, I think I misheard something. You couldn’t have said level 38 and no class, right?”<br><br>“… No. You heard right.”<br><br>“Um… even if you were an artisan class, I wouldn’t laugh.”<br><br>“I wouldn’t lie about that! I seriously don’t have a class yet!”<br><br>“I… What? Why?”<br><br>“There were too many choices! I couldn’t choose! I have no idea what I want to be!”<br><br>“…”<br><br>There was a loud thump as Dammage smashed his forehead into the nearest wall.<br><br>“…”<br><br>“It’s not that unreasonable…” Fang grumbled under her breath. “You didn’t need to crack the wall…”<br><br>“ Is your head alright?”<br><br>“…no… it really hurts…”<br><br>“Well… yeah… you cracked the wall… Um… is your HP alright?”<br><br>“…yeah…”<br><br>“Should we find a cleric?”<br><br>“…yeah…”<br><br><div style="text-align: center;">***</div><br><br>It didn’t take much searching to find one who was willing to help. Quite a few of the clerics here seemed to be true healers at heart. When they saw the injured, they just had to help. Fang mentally noted that down. It could be useful, after all. Dammage was quiet for a few minutes as they continued getting their supplies. <br><br>Before she could say a word, Dammage broke the silence, with an interrogation.<br><br>He began questioning her about her fighting styles, how she’d leveled so far and what she liked doing. Finally the relentless questions ended and he suggested a class. <br><br>“You should go be a hunter.”<br><br>“A wha-?”<br><br>“Hunter. You use traps and ranged attacks when you can help it. You’re more suited to it.”<br><br>“Well… but… but… what if I don’t like it?”<br><br>“Start over again?”<br><br>“But… I worked so hard…”<br><br>“You’re not getting far without a class.”<br><br>“Well… true… but…”<br><br>“If you want to remain this way without a combat class, you can always try a production class. You also seem to enjo...”<br><br>“Never!”<br><br>“Okay, then let’s go to the Hunter’s Guild.”<br><br>Somehow during this conversation, Dammage had steered Fang towards the Hunter’s Guild without her noticing.<br><br>“Wait!”<br><br>Fang dug in her heels when the Hunter’s Guild came in sight.<br><br>“I’m not ready for this! I don’t wanna! What if I regret this decision for the rest of my life!?! I don’t wanna be depressed and spend the rest of my days growing mushrooms in the corner!”<br><br><span style="font-style: italic;">Mushrooms!?! What is this person on about… Mushrooms?</span><br><br>“Would you rather make this decision later in the game when you have more levels and money to lose?”<br><br>“No…”<br><br>“You should do this early, when you have less to lose.”<br><br>“Well yeah… but…”<br><br>“But what?”<br><br>“But… But… but… but…”<br><br>Dammage waited patiently between the pauses. He was starting to find this as funny as he found it exasperating.<br><br>“Damn it!” Fang cursed under her breath and stalked into the guild, with Dammage following after her, a small smile of amusement on his lips.<br><br><div style="text-align: center;">***</div><br><br>“All right, Dammage. I’m a hunter now, happy?”<br><br>“Very.”<br><br>“Well… well… bleh.” <br><br>Fang stuck out her tongue at Dammage and then grumbled to herself.<br><br>Dammage did his best not to grin. This strange person was funny. He let her mutter to herself for a bit.<br><br>“From now on, you should start setting your stats toward the hunter class. How many stat points do you have to spend?”<br><br>There was a pause as Fang checked her stats.<br><br>“One-hundred and eighty-five stat points.”<br><br>“…what…?”<br><br>“185 stat points.”<br><br>“No… I heard you… I mean… how…?”<br><br>“Oh, I didn’t know where to put my stats. I wasn’t sure what class I was going for and what builds would be good. So I just didn’t bother.”<br><br>Crunch!<br><br>“…”<br><br>“…”<br><br>“… I’ll go get a cleric…”<br><br>“Please do…” </div>

Fang talked the helpful stranger into accompanying her on her errands. She had pretended to be jumpy and nervous when peeking out the door, before asking for help. He had politely claimed he had similar errands to run as well before following her out the door. The drunks were probably sober now, and perhaps the guards had thrown them out of town for a while. She also resolved to give them a beat down if she spotted them. She’d fight smarter this time, though. She would be more aware of her surroundings, and she would PK them. She wanted to, at least. Perhaps if she chose a class and leveled fast, she would be able to wipe them out. The only problem with that idea was time. Where was she going to find the time to out-level them? She was still a college student, she still had a scholarship, and she still needed to keep the scholarship. This meant she had hours of studying to do. Fang shook off those unpleasant thoughts. She didn’t enter virtual reality to think about reality. She had shopping to do and leveling to do as well. She glanced back over her shoulder, and saw him looking at her with a perplexed expression. Why is he..? Oh yeah, I’m supposed to be afraid that those guys would come back. Before she could slink back to join him and try to make herself seem apprehensive, he lengthened his strides and caught up to her. For a second she wondered how he did that, and then remembered he was taller than her by a few inches. She may have readjusted her height to make her more average for a guy, but he seemed to be half a foot taller. She wanted to spend a moment to admire his appearance with feminine appreciation, but she was genderless, and wanted to keep the vague impression of being a guy. Moon-calfing over her rescuer would not help that impression. She took sudden intent interest in the street she was walking on. If she thought about it too much she might give herself away. She was glad she had spent all that time practicing how to walk like a guy. She had spent a great deal of time when walking around studying the ways guys walked in order to mimic them in game. She wasn’t letting a silly thing like how she walked and talked give her away. *** Dammage purposely dragged behind the person he rescued. All he knew was the person’s name. As for the gender… there was something distinctly feminine about… him/her/it? The person he rescued looked like a guy, technically based on appearances; the person was probably a guy. The problem was, some girls were very flat chested, and so he couldn’t be sure based upon that alone. Perhaps the shoulders were a little narrower than others, but it wasn’t that obvious and some guys just had narrow shoulders. The way the person moved looked somewhat like a guy, but occasionally, there was a slight feminine sway to the hips. Then there was the issue with the hips. Normally, Dammage could tell gender and identify people by their build with or without the chest as an indicator. The person in front of him, though, while the hips were a bit wider than a normal guy’s, they were also narrower than a woman’s. Damn it! Is this person in front of me a girl or a guy!?! I can’t tell. I can usually tell. He wasn’t sure if he wanted to risk asking if the person was a girl or a guy. It made it somewhat hard to address him/her/it though. The name told him nothing: “Fang,” a four letter word. There was no specific gender attached to it. If only the person in front of him had chosen a name like “Yukihime” or “Kenji” or “Kate” or “David” or something. But no… it had to be “Fang.” The person named Fang glanced over his/her/its shoulder and started to slow. Dammage caught up and worked up his courage to ask. As he was about to open his mouth, Fang opened a door and went into a store. Dammage watched Fang barter over goods and had to nerve up again. When they left the store, he asked the question. “So… are you a guy or a girl?” Fang shot a glance at him then a somewhat mischievous grin crept up over his/her/its face. Suddenly Fang sped up in front of him and walked with an exaggerated sway of his/her/its hips. Then Fang seemed to resume a normal walk. Fang glanced back over his/her/its shoulder and called back. “What do you think?” Damn it! Dammage knew when he was being teased. Fang laughed at his expression. He caught up and finally decided. “I’m going to call you ‘It’ from now on.” He muttered. The look on Fang’s face went from mischief, to surprise, to amusement. The amusement Fang radiated was almost thick enough he could taste it. Evil! This person is decidedly evil! *** Fang tried not to laugh. This person was fun to tease. He glowered at her with a mix of fury, embarrassment, and amusement. He was more amused than furious, and more embarrassed than amused. If he had been truly furious, he wouldn’t be so fun to tease. It was the embarrassment that made her want to tease him more. It was a bit endearing and very, very funny. They traipsed through the streets of Rosenheim’s capital buying and selling loot they had and replacing it with supplies for travel. As they shopped, Dammage’s mood lightened as did Fang’s. Soon she would be able to hunt and level… and then kick ass. Suddenly, Fang started to wonder what level her companion was. Regardless, having him as an ally could be very advantageous for her. “Say Dammage, what level are you?” Fang asked. He glanced sidelong at her before answering. “Level 257 Archer, you?” Fang looked away and muttered something. “Excuse me?” “…” “Sorry. I didn’t catch that.” “Level 38. No class.” “…” “…” “… I’m sorry, I think I misheard something. You couldn’t have said level 38 and no class, right?” “… No. You heard right.” “Um… even if you were an artisan class, I wouldn’t laugh.” “I wouldn’t lie about that! I seriously don’t have a class yet!” “I… What? Why?” “There were too many choices! I couldn’t choose! I have no idea what I want to be!” “…” There was a loud thump as Dammage smashed his forehead into the nearest wall. “…” “It’s not that unreasonable…” Fang grumbled under her breath. “You didn’t need to crack the wall…” “ Is your head alright?” “…no… it really hurts…” “Well… yeah… you cracked the wall… Um… is your HP alright?” “…yeah…” “Should we find a cleric?” “…yeah…” *** It didn’t take much searching to find one who was willing to help. Quite a few of the clerics here seemed to be true healers at heart. When they saw the injured, they just had to help. Fang mentally noted that down. It could be useful, after all. Dammage was quiet for a few minutes as they continued getting their supplies. Before she could say a word, Dammage broke the silence, with an interrogation. He began questioning her about her fighting styles, how she’d leveled so far and what she liked doing. Finally the relentless questions ended and he suggested a class. “You should go be a hunter.” “A wha-?” “Hunter. You use traps and ranged attacks when you can help it. You’re more suited to it.” “Well… but… but… what if I don’t like it?” “Start over again?” “But… I worked so hard…” “You’re not getting far without a class.” “Well… true… but…” “If you want to remain this way without a combat class, you can always try a production class. You also seem to enjo...” “Never!” “Okay, then let’s go to the Hunter’s Guild.” Somehow during this conversation, Dammage had steered Fang towards the Hunter’s Guild without her noticing. “Wait!” Fang dug in her heels when the Hunter’s Guild came in sight. “I’m not ready for this! I don’t wanna! What if I regret this decision for the rest of my life!?! I don’t wanna be depressed and spend the rest of my days growing mushrooms in the corner!” Mushrooms!?! What is this person on about… Mushrooms? “Would you rather make this decision later in the game when you have more levels and money to lose?” “No…” “You should do this early, when you have less to lose.” “Well yeah… but…” “But what?” “But… But… but… but…” Dammage waited patiently between the pauses. He was starting to find this as funny as he found it exasperating. “Damn it!” Fang cursed under her breath and stalked into the guild, with Dammage following after her, a small smile of amusement on his lips. *** “All right, Dammage. I’m a hunter now, happy?” “Very.” “Well… well… bleh.” Fang stuck out her tongue at Dammage and then grumbled to herself. Dammage did his best not to grin. This strange person was funny. He let her mutter to herself for a bit. “From now on, you should start setting your stats toward the hunter class. How many stat points do you have to spend?” There was a pause as Fang checked her stats. “One-hundred and eighty-five stat points.” “…what…?” “185 stat points.” “No… I heard you… I mean… how…?” “Oh, I didn’t know where to put my stats. I wasn’t sure what class I was going for and what builds would be good. So I just didn’t bother.” Crunch! “…” “…” “… I’ll go get a cleric…” “Please do…”

<div class="chapter-inner chapter-content"> ~Now go… you are needed. ~ A voice with no origin was whispered into my ear.<br>I turned towards the tunnel that led to the outside of the lair, my steps slow as my brain tried to remember those images that flashed before me when Ethel disappeared.<br>From afar light could be seen followed by noise.<br><br>“Attack from the left!” a man yelled.<br>“Light bolt!”<br>“Don’t let her get away!”<br>-clang! Clang! <br>“Heal me!”<br><br>Alerted by the sounds, I rushed towards the exit, although my recovery was not complete, I was ready for battle.<br>The bright light blinded me… then the view became clearer.<br>What I saw was Pandora fighting against four people, her health and stamina low.<br> With no more than 30% of HP left she continued to attack fiercely.<br>I started to run towards her, the distance between us was great, the possibility of not reaching her in time frightened me, I could only watch as I continued to sprint.<br><br>Pandora was cornered by two warriors, behind her a pitch black hole, she jumped high over both warriors and danced in the air like the wind.<br>Her feet touched the ground in front of a woman who looked like a priestess. In a blink two swords were plunged into the priestess’ heart and stomach, her health bar disappeared and body turned grey. <br><br>As soon as Pandora was done, she headed towards the other priestess only for her blades to be stopped by the warriors.<br>The priestess used some kind of curse.<br> Pandora’s speed plummeted.<br>With the advantage in speed gone, she was slowly pushed back towards the hole, again she was cornered.<br>Pandora tried to jump. But with her agility low, the warriors could follow her movement and as soon as her feet left the ground, a shield bashed into her and knocked her back, Pandora coughed, blood flowed from her mouth.<br>Still in the air with a back flip she regained her composure. Her legs crouched ready to leap towards the priestess the moment she landed, but there was nothing to support her below. With a high pitched scream she fell and disappeared in the darkness of the hole.<br><br>I neared the battlefield with my PenSword I slashed through the three of them, I knew I could not kill them because of the archangel’s feather’s effect but that was not my goal right now. With all the strength I could muster I jumped down the black pit.<br><br>********************<br><br>“Damn! We could have gotten so much fame if we killed her.”<br>“Then why don’t we follow them?”<br>“Are you crazy? A friend of mine jumped down and it took him 30 minutes to reach the end, and after that he died from the fall.”<br>“Creda can you heal both of us at the same time, we need more wolf pelts for the quest?”<br>“As long as we don’t fight more than six wolves at the same time… and I get half of the loot.” The priestess said with a smile while reading a system message she just got.<br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td>-Faith permanently increased by 15.</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br>*Crap… it was that Guy.* Creda thought as she stroked her long blonde hair.<br><br>**********************<br><br>I can’t see her, I’m falling… a scream is the only thing telling me Pandora is below me.<br>A reaching hand enters my field of vision. I grab it.<br>I find myself face to face with Pandora, she’s scared… I am too.<br><br>-mana bar 88%<br><br>We continue to fall; our eyes try to comfort each other.<br><br>-Mana bar 89%<br><br>“Alone I come here<br>Powerless and in fear…<br><br>The thought of falling from such height, made me believe we would truly die.<br>It was nothing like a game… the fall was real.<br><br>-Mana bar 90%<br><br>…With Darkness to fight<br>And wrongs to make right…<br>-Mana bar 91%<br><br>… I call for your might…<br><br>The bottom of the pit was visible. In less than ten seconds our bodies would be bashed into the hard stone floor.<br><br>…Come to me, wings of light!<br><br>-Mana bar 92%<br><br>The distance between us and the ground… three meters.<br>Wings of light embraced us.<br>With all my strength I tried to counter the velocity of our fall.<br>Our skulls were about to kiss the floor. Our direction changed.<br>We were falling diagonally with me on the bottom and her on top of me.<br><br>-CRASH!<br><br>-1000 HP<br><br><br>I lost most of my health… I was in pain; it felt as if the skin behind me had been forcefully ripped off… but I was alive, and so was Pandora whose HP had already been low from her previous fight.<br><br>I tried to get up but I couldn’t. Not because my legs were injured.<br>When I looked at my feet they were shaking, I was unable to stop them.<br>I raised my head to look at Pandora. The fear in her eyes had disappeared and was replaced by awe as she looked at the light wings still on my back.<br>Our eyes met with a silent agreement; we needed rest and decided to log off.<br>.<br>.<br>.<br>***************<br><br>The capsule head slowly opened, I got up.<br>The thrill from the game had followed me here; my body, filled with goose bumps, shivered from the somewhat familiar experience.<br>A rumbling sound echoed; it was my stomach’s doing.<br>I walked to the fridge still thinking about the events that happened in the game.<br>I looked inside the fridge filled with frozen and instant meals.<br>After ten minutes of examining each box, I decided to eat lasagna.<br>As I watched it melt inside the microwave I remembered the time when I lived with my parents.<br>They had asked me to move back in after the accident… needless to say I declined.<br><br>*trring * (quest complete ^^)<br>The food was ready. It was almost as good as the stew Pandora prepared in RR.<br>While eating the two portions alone, I could not stop thinking how I was still so thin.<br>With my stomach full, I headed to the bedroom and fell on my bed.<br>.<br>.<br>*********************<br> <br>“Log in”<br><br>I found myself over a blanket covered in bandages from neck to toe.<br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td>-Max health increased by 400 for a week<br>-health regen increased by 30% for two days</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br>I knew of the first-aid skill, but this was something else.<br>Pandora stood in front of me, the ruby on her forehead and the red name over her gone. <br><br>“Alcaeus, follow me.”<br><br>Her hand grabbed mine and I followed.<br><br>“Where are we going?”<br><br>“You’ll see in a minute.”<br><br>She led me towards a bright tunnel that was the only source of light in the big dome we were in.<br>Soon I found myself in a cave.<br>The walls radiated warmth and light revealing different colors such as blue and green. The rocks below reflected that light on their own image in the lake below, the lake motionless and clear as day.<br><br><img src="http://static.environmentalgraffiti.com/sites/default/files/images/http-inlinethumb52.webshots.com-15347-2057841650103830173S600x600Q85.jpg" border="0" alt="http%3a%2f%2fstatic.environmentalgraffiti.com%2f...600Q85.jpg"><br><br>The view left me speechless. We stood still with worry that a single movement would disrupt the peacefulness in front of us.<br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td>You have seen and understood the beauty of The glow stone Cave<br>-All stats permanently increase by 5.</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div> </div>

~Now go… you are needed. ~ A voice with no origin was whispered into my ear. I turned towards the tunnel that led to the outside of the lair, my steps slow as my brain tried to remember those images that flashed before me when Ethel disappeared. From afar light could be seen followed by noise. “Attack from the left!” a man yelled. “Light bolt!” “Don’t let her get away!” -clang! Clang! “Heal me!” Alerted by the sounds, I rushed towards the exit, although my recovery was not complete, I was ready for battle. The bright light blinded me… then the view became clearer. What I saw was Pandora fighting against four people, her health and stamina low. With no more than 30% of HP left she continued to attack fiercely. I started to run towards her, the distance between us was great, the possibility of not reaching her in time frightened me, I could only watch as I continued to sprint. Pandora was cornered by two warriors, behind her a pitch black hole, she jumped high over both warriors and danced in the air like the wind. Her feet touched the ground in front of a woman who looked like a priestess. In a blink two swords were plunged into the priestess’ heart and stomach, her health bar disappeared and body turned grey. As soon as Pandora was done, she headed towards the other priestess only for her blades to be stopped by the warriors. The priestess used some kind of curse. Pandora’s speed plummeted. With the advantage in speed gone, she was slowly pushed back towards the hole, again she was cornered. Pandora tried to jump. But with her agility low, the warriors could follow her movement and as soon as her feet left the ground, a shield bashed into her and knocked her back, Pandora coughed, blood flowed from her mouth. Still in the air with a back flip she regained her composure. Her legs crouched ready to leap towards the priestess the moment she landed, but there was nothing to support her below. With a high pitched scream she fell and disappeared in the darkness of the hole. I neared the battlefield with my PenSword I slashed through the three of them, I knew I could not kill them because of the archangel’s feather’s effect but that was not my goal right now. With all the strength I could muster I jumped down the black pit. ******************** “Damn! We could have gotten so much fame if we killed her.” “Then why don’t we follow them?” “Are you crazy? A friend of mine jumped down and it took him 30 minutes to reach the end, and after that he died from the fall.” “Creda can you heal both of us at the same time, we need more wolf pelts for the quest?” “As long as we don’t fight more than six wolves at the same time… and I get half of the loot.” The priestess said with a smile while reading a system message she just got. | -Faith permanently increased by 15. | | --- | *Crap… it was that Guy.* Creda thought as she stroked her long blonde hair. ********************** I can’t see her, I’m falling… a scream is the only thing telling me Pandora is below me. A reaching hand enters my field of vision. I grab it. I find myself face to face with Pandora, she’s scared… I am too. -mana bar 88% We continue to fall; our eyes try to comfort each other. -Mana bar 89% “Alone I come here Powerless and in fear… The thought of falling from such height, made me believe we would truly die. It was nothing like a game… the fall was real. -Mana bar 90% …With Darkness to fight And wrongs to make right… -Mana bar 91% … I call for your might… The bottom of the pit was visible. In less than ten seconds our bodies would be bashed into the hard stone floor. …Come to me, wings of light! -Mana bar 92% The distance between us and the ground… three meters. Wings of light embraced us. With all my strength I tried to counter the velocity of our fall. Our skulls were about to kiss the floor. Our direction changed. We were falling diagonally with me on the bottom and her on top of me. -CRASH! -1000 HP I lost most of my health… I was in pain; it felt as if the skin behind me had been forcefully ripped off… but I was alive, and so was Pandora whose HP had already been low from her previous fight. I tried to get up but I couldn’t. Not because my legs were injured. When I looked at my feet they were shaking, I was unable to stop them. I raised my head to look at Pandora. The fear in her eyes had disappeared and was replaced by awe as she looked at the light wings still on my back. Our eyes met with a silent agreement; we needed rest and decided to log off. . . . *************** The capsule head slowly opened, I got up. The thrill from the game had followed me here; my body, filled with goose bumps, shivered from the somewhat familiar experience. A rumbling sound echoed; it was my stomach’s doing. I walked to the fridge still thinking about the events that happened in the game. I looked inside the fridge filled with frozen and instant meals. After ten minutes of examining each box, I decided to eat lasagna. As I watched it melt inside the microwave I remembered the time when I lived with my parents. They had asked me to move back in after the accident… needless to say I declined. *trring * (quest complete ^^) The food was ready. It was almost as good as the stew Pandora prepared in RR. While eating the two portions alone, I could not stop thinking how I was still so thin. With my stomach full, I headed to the bedroom and fell on my bed. . . ********************* “Log in” I found myself over a blanket covered in bandages from neck to toe. | -Max health increased by 400 for a week-health regen increased by 30% for two days | | --- | I knew of the first-aid skill, but this was something else. Pandora stood in front of me, the ruby on her forehead and the red name over her gone. “Alcaeus, follow me.” Her hand grabbed mine and I followed. “Where are we going?” “You’ll see in a minute.” She led me towards a bright tunnel that was the only source of light in the big dome we were in. Soon I found myself in a cave. The walls radiated warmth and light revealing different colors such as blue and green. The rocks below reflected that light on their own image in the lake below, the lake motionless and clear as day.  The view left me speechless. We stood still with worry that a single movement would disrupt the peacefulness in front of us. | You have seen and understood the beauty of The glow stone Cave-All stats permanently increase by 5. | | --- |

<div class="chapter-inner chapter-content"> Chapter 3: The Girl Without a Home<br><br>The night soon passed by and it was morning once more. Since it was quite some time since he had gotten some decent rest, he wanted to sleep in. However, as soon as he had that thought, Calvin barged his way into his room and forced him awake.<br><br>“Sun, wake up already!”<br><br>Calvin had grabbed onto Sun’s clothing and began to shake him around.<br><br>“Stop shaking me already, I’m awake!”<br><br>Sun yelled in protest so that Calvin would stop shaking him already. Calvin had known Sun for almost 2 years now. It was times like these that he knew that Sun would want to oversleep. Alveron had already woken up several hours before and had already eaten breakfast.<br><br>“Grisia, here’s your food.”<br>“Thanks a lot.”<br><br>Seeing that Sun would be hungry when he woke up and that he would not wake up in time for breakfast, Alveron was considerate enough to get a serving of food for Sun as well. Munching onto his breakfast, Sun asked Calvin about their plans for the day.<br><br>“So are we going to investigate that rumor?”<br><br>The rumor that he was referring to was about the strange appearance of undead in the city when the undead had previously left to the Plains of Despair.<br><br>“That’s right. As members of the Order of Freya, we can’t leave without investigating. Especially since it concerns the undead.”<br><br>The Order of Freya was a religious group that highly valued justice. Since it was a group that focused heavily on holy light, the undead were their natural enemies.<br><br>‘Sounds alot like the God of Light.’<br><br>It was very true that the two gods shared many similarities. That is always the case for gods that represented the same divinities and beliefs.<br><br>Scarfing down the rest of his breakfast, Sun got out of his bed and went downstairs. He had been sleeping for quite some time since the rest of the paladins were already ready and waiting at the town fountain.<br><br>With a final check on their supplies, the expedition departed from the village and into the mountains where the undead were said to have appeared.<br><br>“What other information did you manage to get from the locals?”<br><br>Information was vital to any hunt, especially when it concerned the undead. If they don’t have enough information then they could easily be heading into an unfavorable situation. He has asked Calvin since he was the leader of the expedition and the task of obtaining reliable information fell to him.<br><br>“I asked the adventurers and citizens in the city about the undead. For the most part, the adventurers didn’t know anything about the undead since they hardly ever fought against them.”<br><br>For most users, the undead were not creatures that they wanted to fight. Fear in real life and fear in virtual reality were not too far apart from each other. Horror movies have made that fact even more evident in recent years. Not many users would actually fight against monsters such as the undead or any other ferocious creatures. It was for this reason that many users fell behind when it came to leveling up.<br><br>“However, when I asked the villagers, there was a supple amount of information about the undead in the area.”<br><br>NPCs were highly reliable when it came to processing information. Even the most trivial fact would not be overlooked by an NPC and, since the NPCs had a close community, they were able to share information quickly and efficiently.<br><br>Calvin began to explain the information that he had managed to extract from his findings. Some of the undead were in their mid level 200s, which was quite impressive. This meant that all the undead were at their second advancement already, which could prove to be quite dangerous.<br><br>The undead were high in number, but the majority of the undead were around level 200 and below. The paladins were around around their level 270s and above, so they were much stronger than the average undead.<br><br>Sun had barely reached level 200 over the course of the trip, but his skills and stats had increased far greater than a normal priest since he was tasked with managing the healing and buffs of a large number of paladins. Taking his cumulative efforts into account, even though he was only level 200, he had the power and skills of an average level 300 priest.<br><br>Calvin was also an extremely strong priest since he had been working in the Order for several years now. Like the paladins, he was over level 270 but the growth of NPCs could not be compared to that of users.<br><br>Calvin, as well as the paladins, were over level 270 but their strength rivaled that of an ordinary user in the mid 300s. This difference is even more apparent when compared to users that did not bother to raise their skill levels. Since players of that level were rare, the power of the paladins was extraordinary.<br><br>Alveron, as the Pope Candidate, was extremely high level and could not compare to any ordinary priest. With his unique skills, class, and his extremely high level, it wouldn’t be too much to say that he was one of the strongest priests on the Continent of Versailles.<br><br>“Even so, that does sound like it might be a little difficult to deal with.”<br><br>A little was a bit too much of an understatement. Even if they had high holy affinity, the undead were not creatures that could be dealt with easily. Their group was relatively small and they only had three priests.<br><br>“You’re right, it is a bit much.”<br><br>Calvin knew how dangerous this mission was going to be and didn’t bother to pretend that it was otherwise.<br><br>“It does not matter how difficult it is. It is our beliefs that we are fighting for and that is reason enough for us to go.”<br><br>Surprisingly enough, it was Alveron that had spoken up. It was not something that a priests that stood at the back of the battle would usually say but it rang true through the group of paladins.<br><br>Each of them had their own moral code that they followed throughout their lives. It was something that they lived by, a goal that they worked towards, and a belief that they would sacrifice their lives to protect.<br><br>‘He’ll make a hell of a pope one day.’<br><br>As the future candidate for the leader of their entire church, it would be unreasonable if he did not have the ability to move the hearts of his people and instill in them the courage to fight any foe.<br><br>“Graaaaaaah!”<br><br>A loud hideous roar echoed through the mountains.<br><br>“Filthy humans!”<br><br>There was nothing to be mistaken about. Their monster in question was the undead that they had been looking for. From the looks of it, this was only a small group that was patrolling the area since there were only about 200 or so undead. <br><br>From the information that they had gathered in town, they had guessed that there would be at least a couple thousand undead. Even so, undead were not creatures that hoarded together like this.<br><br>The undead were being led by a Death Knight, most likely around level 300 from the looks of its equipment. The rest of them were lesser rank undead, among which were Dullahans and Spectres. However there were a considerable number of them and their levels were all around the mid 200s.<br><br>“Let the divine power grant my allies the strength to overcome any obstacle!”<br><br>Sun, Alveron, and Calvin had no time to waste as they immediately began to cast buffing magic onto the paladins to counteract the enemy. Every second counted against such a large group of enemies. They also began to cast holy spells that would help them against the specific skills of the undead.<br><br>Dark Speculation was a skill that the Death Knights used to increase the damage dealt to living creatures several fold. It was a very strong skill and could potentially wipe them out if used correctly. But it was not impossible to deal with. Using holy magic, they were able to sanctify the ground and prevent the undead from using status effecting skills such as Dark Speculation.<br><br>“Holy Fire!”<br><br>The holy magic of a priest was extremely effective against the forces of darkness, and even more against the undead. The distance between the paladins and the undead was still considerable which is why Sun thought that it was best to thin the ranks of the undead as much as he could before they could get into range.<br><br>Burning through the undead, he was able to kill a few dozen of them. The spirits were difficult to deal with physical attacks but they could be burned very easily with his fire. He could not keep this up for long since many of the undead were very quick and were able to close the gap between them and the paladins, especially the undead that had horses.<br><br>The number of the undead had dropped to a little under 150 units, with most of the ghost units dead and a few of the other units on fire. Since the undead had no way of stopping the fire, they either had to wait for it to stop naturally with their magic resistance or die from damage over time.<br><br>“All units forwards! Defensive formation!”<br><br>Paladins were very well know for their tankiness. Knights were also quite durable but it was incomparable to a paladin. Knights were very strong because they could mount horses and increase their destructiveness several fold.<br><br>However, Paladins were the exact opposite and held their ground with their heavy armor, shields, and defensive skills. Though they had very strong defense, their attack power did not fall very far behind. Especially if it was in a fight against the undead, the Paladins were unmatched in their combat abilities.<br><br>“Die you scum!”<br>“Foul creatures return to you slumber!”<br><br>The Paladins shouted all sorts of curses at the undead as they brutally hacked away at the rotting flesh. Since their blades were imbued with holy light, they would cut through the undead and searing the wounds as the blade passes through. Once the sword entered into the core of the undead the paladins would use their skills to exterminate them from existence.<br><br>“Holy Burst!”<br><br>Even though it had the same name as one of Sun’s holy magic artes, it was a distinctly different ability. It was an application of the skill that was exclusive to the Paladin class. Holy Burst was a priest skill that focused on filling the entire surroundings with holy light to the point that it explodes and damages all nearby enemies, consuming all mana in the process and converting that into power.<br><br>The Holy Burst that paladins used was distinctly different. Unlike the priest version of the skill, the paladin version only required a fixed amount of mana that could be reduced through various means such as raising the skill level of sword mastery.<br><br>This skill had some limitations to it as well. It could only be used when properly wielding a sword and dealing a significant amount of damage to an enemy’s weak point, meaning a critical hit. <br><br>Once the sword makes contact with the enemy’s weak point, then the paladin can cause an instantaneous burst of holy light at the edge of the blade to increase its sharpness and destructive power. The skill could only be used single target and the damage could not compare to holy burst, but it was a skill that could tear through undead like a knife through butter.<br><br>The undead put up a strong resistance but they were no match for their obvious weakness. If they had much larger numbers then it would pose a greater threat, but this battle had only a small number of undead.<br><br>The Death Knight leading the charge was now breathing heavily under the various wounds that it had taken during the battle. It could not fight back any longer now that all of its units were dead and it had depleted all of its strength.<br><br>“Kill me.”<br><br>The Death Knight refused to stay at their mercy any longer. However, as a knight he still had his honor and refused to kill himself.<br><br>“That can wait. Tell us, who is your master and what is his purpose in his place?”<br><br>Calvin didn’t waste any time and started interrogating the Death Knight immediately.<br><br>“Ha ha ha ha ha!”<br><br>The Death Knight only laughed, despite being at the end of his life.<br><br>“You come all this way and you know not what you fight?”<br><br>The Death Knight could only mock their ignorance.<br><br>Answer my question! What is your purpose in this land?!”<br><br>Calvin walked up to the half dead Death Knight and focused holy light into his hand as he slowly pressed the light into the Death Knight’s abdomen, slowly burning through the armor and into its body. As if it wasn’t enough already, Calvin clenched his other fist, which was encased in holy aura, and started to pummel the Death Knight in the face.<br><br>“Graaagh!”<br>“Answer me!”<br><br>There was no mercy for the undead. The Paladins of the Order of Freya were known to be unforgiving to those that were considered evil.<br><br>“It..gah! Matters not. Soon...he will return to us.”<br>“Who is he?!”<br><br>It was already no good. The Death Knight had already perish once it had finished its sentence. Calvin focused more holy light into his hand and tore through the Death Knight’s body. Immediately after its body began to burn with a faint holy light as it was purified. Once the undead was killed then its body needed to be purified.<br><br>Even if it was a corpse that was turned into a monster, it was originally a normal person’s body and they needed to give it proper respects. For this reason they burned the rest of the undead corpses with holy light to release the hatred from the souls of the owners of the bodies.<br><br>“So we got nothing out of him.”<br><br>Calvin felt a little disappointed with himself for not being able to get the location of the culprit.<br><br>“No, we did get some information out of him. He gave us more information that he had thought.”<br><br>Sun had watched the entire scene before him calmly. Though it was a bit cruel, it was within the realms of reason. He had no right to judge them when he himself used to have undead attack the city so that he could release his pent up frustration.<br><br>The Death Knight had yielded a considerable amount of information in his death. There were a few things that they could understand from the situation.<br>Whoever the enemy was, they did not have any idea that the expedition was here.<br><br>This person that the Death Knight had said was returning was most likely the mastermind of the undead.<br><br>From this information they could tell that they were short on time, but they still had the element of surprise since the enemy did not know they were here.<br><br>“Yes, you’re right. Whatever it is, we still have enough time to resolve it.”<br><br>They did not suffer any casualties against the undead, but a number of them were injured from the fight. Using their holy magic, they healed the injured paladins and continued through the mountains.<br><br>Since the mountain was quite large and they were short on time, they decided to use Sun’s Elemental Perception to scout for the undead.<br><br>There was some sort of shrine that was filled with countless amounts of undead. From the concentration of dark matter and the corruption that it had on the surrounding elements it was probably the right place.<br><br>“How does it look?”<br><br>Though it was not accurate, his elemental perception allowed him to roughly gauge the number and strength of the target based on the shape of the elements. Since he was a priest that was filled with holy light, it made searching out dark element very easy.<br><br>“I think it’s about 3 thousand undead in total. Most of them are as strong as the ones that we killed here.”<br><br>It was very troubling news for them. With their small group of 100 paladins and 3 priests, despite their individual strength, could not take on a force that was 30 times their size. However, Sun thought about it from a different point of view.<br><br>If they were to fight the undead on an open field they would most surely perish. That was only if they were to fight in such one sided conditions. They could potentially force the undead to fight under conditions that would be advantageous for them. With a simple spell of shrouding they could mask their holy presence and raze the enemy headquarters to the ground, then picking off the remaining enemies with the paladins.<br><br>The paladins thought about what Sun had said for a moment before agreeing that it was a good idea.<br><br>Shwa shwash.<br><br>A strange rustling sound came from a moderate distance away.<br><br>“We’re surrounded.”<br><br>The paladins had were very adept combatants and could roughly estimate the size of the enemy force.<br><br>“How many are there?”<br><br>If there were enough enemies then they would surely be overpowered by them.<br><br>“Maybe around 3 hundred?”<br><br>If there were only 3 hundred then it was manageable since they would only need to murder 3 enemies apiece, a tough task but doable.<br><br>“Is it the undead?”<br><br>Alveron asked Sun about the identity of the enemy. Since he had performed Elemental Scouting beforehand, he would know whether or not these enemies were undead.<br><br>“No, there weren’t any other undead in the area when I checked. These enemies are...”<br><br>Sun performed a quick check of the enemy figure before responding.<br><br>“Most likely humans or humanoid.”<br><br>If these were a group of strong humanoids then the battle could be tricky. Even more so if they had strong classes within their ranks such as berserkers and elven mages.<br><br>“We know you’re there! Show yourselves!”<br><br>Calvin activated his Preach Skill, a skill that increases faith of allied units within range.<br><br>Since there was no longer any point in hiding, the enemy came out from behind their cover.<br><br>“Give us all of your items. After that, we’re going to take you and sell you off as slaves to the central kingdoms.”<br>“Haaaah...”<br><br>Sun gave a huge sigh at the recent turn of events. The enemy was nothing more than a lowly group of mountain bandits. It was true that the enemy bandits were all users that were part of a red guild, namely a guild that makes a living off of hunting down other users, but that only meant that these users were very weak.<br><br>From the looks of it, they were all around level 150 and their equipment was very cheap. Their skills levels could hardly be any better. Blinded by greed at the sight of a small number of enemies with good equipment, the bandits thought that it was a good catch and mobilized their group to attack them.<br><br>“Looks like we were worried for nothing.”<br><br>Alveron had long understood how to differentiate the strong from the weak. Calvin just shrugged his shoulders and motioned to the paladins with his hand.<br><br>“Kill them!”<br><br>The bandit leader shouted to the brigands to attack. The brigands began their charge.<br><br>Pew pew pew.<br><br>Quick and accurate bolts of light came flying towards the bandits. Sun had started sniping away with his arrows of light. Since these arrows of light were not bounded by the force of gravity, they could fly much farther and faster than normal arrows. The target of his arrows were the enemy archers. There was no need to look for any mages because bandits, for the most part, had no mages within their ranks. The main reason for this was because mages were the main target of bandits because they were so squishy.<br><br>Meanwhile, Alveron and Calvin busied themselves with buffing the troops. Since the bandits were so damn slow, they finished buffing with time to spare. Since they had plenty of time, they started using spells to weaken the enemy with Slows and Weakens.<br><br>Once the troops made contact with each other, the bandits were murdered almost instantaneously with only one or two hits.<br><br>The bandit leader was flabbergasted as the situation. They had three times the force and they had thought that the enemy was low level since not many users were past level 200, much less 300. Another problem was that they were stupid as hell and could not recognized that the people they were attacking were the paladins of the Order of Freya.<br><br>With almost no forces left, the bandit leader decided to abandon the rest of his men and run for his life. He ran with all his might but could not budge an inch from his position. When he looked down there were two shackles of light binding him to the ground.<br><br>“Please let me go. I don’t want to die!”<br><br>The bandit leader begged for his life, with no sense of dignity left in pitiful self. Feeling a great and unknown force compelling him that was otherwise known as sadism, Sun playfully walked up to the bandit leader and started kicking him around as hard as he could.<br><br>Ttiring!<br>A new skill 'Sadism' has been learned!<br><br>Sadism [1]<br>Passive<br>Increases the degree of pain towards target. Only works when torturing a target unnecessarily and with the sole intent of causing pain. Increases damage dealt by 25% toward target. Target will not die from attacks when sadism is active as long as there is no intent to kill.<br><br>Forcing the bandit to his feet, they followed the bandit back to his headquarters. As the bandit had explicitly stated before, they had attacked several villages in the surrounding area and captured NPCs to be sold as slaves.<br><br>They entered into the bandit camp and freed a couple dozens of NPCs from captivity.<br><br>“Can you return to your villages from here?”<br><br>Sun asked the released villagers since they did not have the capability to lead them to safety at this time.<br><br>“Yes, luckily we’re all from the same village.”<br><br>Since the bandits had only recently started their pillaging, they had only targeted a single weak village for slaves.<br><br>“Ah!”<br><br>As if he was remembering something important, the villager tried to explain to Sun.<br><br>“There is one thing that I forgot to mention. There’s this little girl that was brought in a few days ago but we have never seen her before in our village. So we don’t know where she’s from or if she has anyone to stay with.”<br><br>The villager motioned to a small girl, roughly 10 years of age, that was sitting down in the corner.<br><br>“So you sick bastard, where did you kidnap this girl from?”<br><br>Sun smashed his staff into the bandit’s head as he spoke. The bandit yelled out in pain before answering.<br><br>“We picked her up in the mountains.”<br><br>It hardly sounded believable since the mountains were quite dangerous and made no sense for a little girl to be wandering in them. Seeing as he couldn’t trust the bandit, he decided to ask the little girl himself.<br><br>“What’s your name? Do you know where you live?”<br><br>Sun sat down and asked the little girl that was sitting on the floor.<br><br>“It’s no good. She hasn’t spoken a word since I saw her come here.”<br><br>The villager tried to explain that the young girl hadn’t responded to anyone for the last few days.<br><br>“..ena.”<br><br>The girl had said something that was a little inaudible since the villager’s previous words had masked over it.<br><br>“My name is Alena.”<br><br>Sun looked over at the villager as if he was stupid or something. The villager could only avert his eyes from his gaze.<br><br>“So Alena, do you know where you parents are?”<br><br>The girl shook her head to show that she didn’t.<br><br>“This makes things difficult. Can you take her back with you to your village?”<br><br>Calvin asked one of the villagers.<br><br>“Well, its possible...”<br>“No.”<br><br>Before he could finish his sentence, the little girl cut off his sentence. From the sounds of it, she didn’t want to go with them.<br><br>“So what should we do?”<br><br>Sun thought aloud to the group. Nobody could come up with a good enough solution to their problem.<br><br>“How about we take her along?”<br><br>Alveron asked since it seemed like it was an answer that would solve their current dilemma.<br><br>“It would be a lot easier for the church to locate her parents or if necessary she could be adopted into the church.”<br><br>Calvin began to evaluate whether or not it was a viable option.<br><br>“It would be quite dangerous for her to come with us wouldn’t it?”<br><br>Sun could not help but feel that taking a little girl into a den of undead was the best plan to do. However it seemed that the girl was unwilling to go to the nearby village and looking for her parents through the church was easier than leaving her to a small town.<br><br>“I want to go with.”<br><br>Alenal plainly voiced her opinion to the group.<br><br>“It’s going to be very dangerous.”<br><br>Sun tried to dissuade her from coming along. There was no knowing what kind of trauma she could experience along the way that he would responsible for indirectly.<br><br>“I don’t mind.”<br><br>Alena had already made up her mind to come along with them for whatever reasons that were going through her head. Sun looked over to Calvin for some help with the situation.<br><br>“If all goes according to plan then there is nothing to be worried about right?”<br><br>From the looks of it, no help was coming his way from Calvin and Alveron was hardly any help either since he had been the one that had suggested bringing her along in the first place.<br><br>“Haaaah.”<br><br>Sun could only sigh in defeat.<br><br>“You have to promise that you listen to what I have to say and that you will stay somewhere that you are safe. Okay?”<br>“I promise.”<br><br>Since they had decided to bring Alena along, they put her in the back of one of the wagons. However, Sun had one thing left to do before they could move onto the undead lair.<br><br>“Please, I beg of you, let me go!”<br><br>Sun had tied the bandit up to a tree and left him there. After a few hours wild beasts would surely show up to rip him apart and feast on his innards. Of course before leaving him there, Sun made sure to take away the bandit’s items.<br><br>Heading back to the location where they had murdered the bandits, Sun noticed something quite strange ahead. Noticing this anomaly, Sun motioned to the rest of the units to stop so that he could investigate more clearly.<br><br>‘This is...’<br><br>Sun could not believe what he was seeing with his elemental perception. There were a number of undead ahead where the battle had been fought earlier. They quickened their pace to investigate the undead and launch an offensive. Under the protection of the spell of shrouding, they slowly investigated the undead’s actions.<br><br>The undead had been picking up the corpses of the dead bandits of throwing them onto a wagon. Close to about 200 undead were lurking around and picking through the corpses.<br><br>“Looks like they’re gathering bodies for the necromancers.”<br><br>Calvin made a quick gesture with his hand and the paladins rushed out to fight against the undead. Hacking apart the undead with their divine blades, the undead slowly began to notice that they were under attack. However this group of undead was only filled with lowly undeads in their level 200s for the purpose of grunt work. Without a strong leader like a Death Knight leading them, they were decimated quickly.<br><br>Sun looked around the site and put together what he could understand from the situation.<br><br>“So this must be the explanation for the growing number of undead.”<br><br>The undead had been gathering the nearby corpses of monsters and humans so increase their ranks. It was quite difficult for a necromancer to raise undead without corpses. Thankfully they had caught this dispatchment of undead and were able to wipe them out, thinning out the number of enemies by quite a bit.<br><br>With the number of undead they had killed before and the number that they had killed now, there should be roughly 2.5 thousand or so undead left in the den. With less undead to deal with later, the probability of his plan succeeding increased quite a bit. So that the undead would not be able to use the corpses, they decided to burn the rest of the corpses with holy fire to make sure that both the bodies and souls would not fall to dark purposes. Now that it was done with, they continued on to the shrine. </div>

Chapter 3: The Girl Without a Home The night soon passed by and it was morning once more. Since it was quite some time since he had gotten some decent rest, he wanted to sleep in. However, as soon as he had that thought, Calvin barged his way into his room and forced him awake. “Sun, wake up already!” Calvin had grabbed onto Sun’s clothing and began to shake him around. “Stop shaking me already, I’m awake!” Sun yelled in protest so that Calvin would stop shaking him already. Calvin had known Sun for almost 2 years now. It was times like these that he knew that Sun would want to oversleep. Alveron had already woken up several hours before and had already eaten breakfast. “Grisia, here’s your food.” “Thanks a lot.” Seeing that Sun would be hungry when he woke up and that he would not wake up in time for breakfast, Alveron was considerate enough to get a serving of food for Sun as well. Munching onto his breakfast, Sun asked Calvin about their plans for the day. “So are we going to investigate that rumor?” The rumor that he was referring to was about the strange appearance of undead in the city when the undead had previously left to the Plains of Despair. “That’s right. As members of the Order of Freya, we can’t leave without investigating. Especially since it concerns the undead.” The Order of Freya was a religious group that highly valued justice. Since it was a group that focused heavily on holy light, the undead were their natural enemies. ‘Sounds alot like the God of Light.’ It was very true that the two gods shared many similarities. That is always the case for gods that represented the same divinities and beliefs. Scarfing down the rest of his breakfast, Sun got out of his bed and went downstairs. He had been sleeping for quite some time since the rest of the paladins were already ready and waiting at the town fountain. With a final check on their supplies, the expedition departed from the village and into the mountains where the undead were said to have appeared. “What other information did you manage to get from the locals?” Information was vital to any hunt, especially when it concerned the undead. If they don’t have enough information then they could easily be heading into an unfavorable situation. He has asked Calvin since he was the leader of the expedition and the task of obtaining reliable information fell to him. “I asked the adventurers and citizens in the city about the undead. For the most part, the adventurers didn’t know anything about the undead since they hardly ever fought against them.” For most users, the undead were not creatures that they wanted to fight. Fear in real life and fear in virtual reality were not too far apart from each other. Horror movies have made that fact even more evident in recent years. Not many users would actually fight against monsters such as the undead or any other ferocious creatures. It was for this reason that many users fell behind when it came to leveling up. “However, when I asked the villagers, there was a supple amount of information about the undead in the area.” NPCs were highly reliable when it came to processing information. Even the most trivial fact would not be overlooked by an NPC and, since the NPCs had a close community, they were able to share information quickly and efficiently. Calvin began to explain the information that he had managed to extract from his findings. Some of the undead were in their mid level 200s, which was quite impressive. This meant that all the undead were at their second advancement already, which could prove to be quite dangerous. The undead were high in number, but the majority of the undead were around level 200 and below. The paladins were around around their level 270s and above, so they were much stronger than the average undead. Sun had barely reached level 200 over the course of the trip, but his skills and stats had increased far greater than a normal priest since he was tasked with managing the healing and buffs of a large number of paladins. Taking his cumulative efforts into account, even though he was only level 200, he had the power and skills of an average level 300 priest. Calvin was also an extremely strong priest since he had been working in the Order for several years now. Like the paladins, he was over level 270 but the growth of NPCs could not be compared to that of users. Calvin, as well as the paladins, were over level 270 but their strength rivaled that of an ordinary user in the mid 300s. This difference is even more apparent when compared to users that did not bother to raise their skill levels. Since players of that level were rare, the power of the paladins was extraordinary. Alveron, as the Pope Candidate, was extremely high level and could not compare to any ordinary priest. With his unique skills, class, and his extremely high level, it wouldn’t be too much to say that he was one of the strongest priests on the Continent of Versailles. “Even so, that does sound like it might be a little difficult to deal with.” A little was a bit too much of an understatement. Even if they had high holy affinity, the undead were not creatures that could be dealt with easily. Their group was relatively small and they only had three priests. “You’re right, it is a bit much.” Calvin knew how dangerous this mission was going to be and didn’t bother to pretend that it was otherwise. “It does not matter how difficult it is. It is our beliefs that we are fighting for and that is reason enough for us to go.” Surprisingly enough, it was Alveron that had spoken up. It was not something that a priests that stood at the back of the battle would usually say but it rang true through the group of paladins. Each of them had their own moral code that they followed throughout their lives. It was something that they lived by, a goal that they worked towards, and a belief that they would sacrifice their lives to protect. ‘He’ll make a hell of a pope one day.’ As the future candidate for the leader of their entire church, it would be unreasonable if he did not have the ability to move the hearts of his people and instill in them the courage to fight any foe. “Graaaaaaah!” A loud hideous roar echoed through the mountains. “Filthy humans!” There was nothing to be mistaken about. Their monster in question was the undead that they had been looking for. From the looks of it, this was only a small group that was patrolling the area since there were only about 200 or so undead. From the information that they had gathered in town, they had guessed that there would be at least a couple thousand undead. Even so, undead were not creatures that hoarded together like this. The undead were being led by a Death Knight, most likely around level 300 from the looks of its equipment. The rest of them were lesser rank undead, among which were Dullahans and Spectres. However there were a considerable number of them and their levels were all around the mid 200s. “Let the divine power grant my allies the strength to overcome any obstacle!” Sun, Alveron, and Calvin had no time to waste as they immediately began to cast buffing magic onto the paladins to counteract the enemy. Every second counted against such a large group of enemies. They also began to cast holy spells that would help them against the specific skills of the undead. Dark Speculation was a skill that the Death Knights used to increase the damage dealt to living creatures several fold. It was a very strong skill and could potentially wipe them out if used correctly. But it was not impossible to deal with. Using holy magic, they were able to sanctify the ground and prevent the undead from using status effecting skills such as Dark Speculation. “Holy Fire!” The holy magic of a priest was extremely effective against the forces of darkness, and even more against the undead. The distance between the paladins and the undead was still considerable which is why Sun thought that it was best to thin the ranks of the undead as much as he could before they could get into range. Burning through the undead, he was able to kill a few dozen of them. The spirits were difficult to deal with physical attacks but they could be burned very easily with his fire. He could not keep this up for long since many of the undead were very quick and were able to close the gap between them and the paladins, especially the undead that had horses. The number of the undead had dropped to a little under 150 units, with most of the ghost units dead and a few of the other units on fire. Since the undead had no way of stopping the fire, they either had to wait for it to stop naturally with their magic resistance or die from damage over time. “All units forwards! Defensive formation!” Paladins were very well know for their tankiness. Knights were also quite durable but it was incomparable to a paladin. Knights were very strong because they could mount horses and increase their destructiveness several fold. However, Paladins were the exact opposite and held their ground with their heavy armor, shields, and defensive skills. Though they had very strong defense, their attack power did not fall very far behind. Especially if it was in a fight against the undead, the Paladins were unmatched in their combat abilities. “Die you scum!” “Foul creatures return to you slumber!” The Paladins shouted all sorts of curses at the undead as they brutally hacked away at the rotting flesh. Since their blades were imbued with holy light, they would cut through the undead and searing the wounds as the blade passes through. Once the sword entered into the core of the undead the paladins would use their skills to exterminate them from existence. “Holy Burst!” Even though it had the same name as one of Sun’s holy magic artes, it was a distinctly different ability. It was an application of the skill that was exclusive to the Paladin class. Holy Burst was a priest skill that focused on filling the entire surroundings with holy light to the point that it explodes and damages all nearby enemies, consuming all mana in the process and converting that into power. The Holy Burst that paladins used was distinctly different. Unlike the priest version of the skill, the paladin version only required a fixed amount of mana that could be reduced through various means such as raising the skill level of sword mastery. This skill had some limitations to it as well. It could only be used when properly wielding a sword and dealing a significant amount of damage to an enemy’s weak point, meaning a critical hit. Once the sword makes contact with the enemy’s weak point, then the paladin can cause an instantaneous burst of holy light at the edge of the blade to increase its sharpness and destructive power. The skill could only be used single target and the damage could not compare to holy burst, but it was a skill that could tear through undead like a knife through butter. The undead put up a strong resistance but they were no match for their obvious weakness. If they had much larger numbers then it would pose a greater threat, but this battle had only a small number of undead. The Death Knight leading the charge was now breathing heavily under the various wounds that it had taken during the battle. It could not fight back any longer now that all of its units were dead and it had depleted all of its strength. “Kill me.” The Death Knight refused to stay at their mercy any longer. However, as a knight he still had his honor and refused to kill himself. “That can wait. Tell us, who is your master and what is his purpose in his place?” Calvin didn’t waste any time and started interrogating the Death Knight immediately. “Ha ha ha ha ha!” The Death Knight only laughed, despite being at the end of his life. “You come all this way and you know not what you fight?” The Death Knight could only mock their ignorance. Answer my question! What is your purpose in this land?!” Calvin walked up to the half dead Death Knight and focused holy light into his hand as he slowly pressed the light into the Death Knight’s abdomen, slowly burning through the armor and into its body. As if it wasn’t enough already, Calvin clenched his other fist, which was encased in holy aura, and started to pummel the Death Knight in the face. “Graaagh!” “Answer me!” There was no mercy for the undead. The Paladins of the Order of Freya were known to be unforgiving to those that were considered evil. “It..gah! Matters not. Soon...he will return to us.” “Who is he?!” It was already no good. The Death Knight had already perish once it had finished its sentence. Calvin focused more holy light into his hand and tore through the Death Knight’s body. Immediately after its body began to burn with a faint holy light as it was purified. Once the undead was killed then its body needed to be purified. Even if it was a corpse that was turned into a monster, it was originally a normal person’s body and they needed to give it proper respects. For this reason they burned the rest of the undead corpses with holy light to release the hatred from the souls of the owners of the bodies. “So we got nothing out of him.” Calvin felt a little disappointed with himself for not being able to get the location of the culprit. “No, we did get some information out of him. He gave us more information that he had thought.” Sun had watched the entire scene before him calmly. Though it was a bit cruel, it was within the realms of reason. He had no right to judge them when he himself used to have undead attack the city so that he could release his pent up frustration. The Death Knight had yielded a considerable amount of information in his death. There were a few things that they could understand from the situation. Whoever the enemy was, they did not have any idea that the expedition was here. This person that the Death Knight had said was returning was most likely the mastermind of the undead. From this information they could tell that they were short on time, but they still had the element of surprise since the enemy did not know they were here. “Yes, you’re right. Whatever it is, we still have enough time to resolve it.” They did not suffer any casualties against the undead, but a number of them were injured from the fight. Using their holy magic, they healed the injured paladins and continued through the mountains. Since the mountain was quite large and they were short on time, they decided to use Sun’s Elemental Perception to scout for the undead. There was some sort of shrine that was filled with countless amounts of undead. From the concentration of dark matter and the corruption that it had on the surrounding elements it was probably the right place. “How does it look?” Though it was not accurate, his elemental perception allowed him to roughly gauge the number and strength of the target based on the shape of the elements. Since he was a priest that was filled with holy light, it made searching out dark element very easy. “I think it’s about 3 thousand undead in total. Most of them are as strong as the ones that we killed here.” It was very troubling news for them. With their small group of 100 paladins and 3 priests, despite their individual strength, could not take on a force that was 30 times their size. However, Sun thought about it from a different point of view. If they were to fight the undead on an open field they would most surely perish. That was only if they were to fight in such one sided conditions. They could potentially force the undead to fight under conditions that would be advantageous for them. With a simple spell of shrouding they could mask their holy presence and raze the enemy headquarters to the ground, then picking off the remaining enemies with the paladins. The paladins thought about what Sun had said for a moment before agreeing that it was a good idea. Shwa shwash. A strange rustling sound came from a moderate distance away. “We’re surrounded.” The paladins had were very adept combatants and could roughly estimate the size of the enemy force. “How many are there?” If there were enough enemies then they would surely be overpowered by them. “Maybe around 3 hundred?” If there were only 3 hundred then it was manageable since they would only need to murder 3 enemies apiece, a tough task but doable. “Is it the undead?” Alveron asked Sun about the identity of the enemy. Since he had performed Elemental Scouting beforehand, he would know whether or not these enemies were undead. “No, there weren’t any other undead in the area when I checked. These enemies are...” Sun performed a quick check of the enemy figure before responding. “Most likely humans or humanoid.” If these were a group of strong humanoids then the battle could be tricky. Even more so if they had strong classes within their ranks such as berserkers and elven mages. “We know you’re there! Show yourselves!” Calvin activated his Preach Skill, a skill that increases faith of allied units within range. Since there was no longer any point in hiding, the enemy came out from behind their cover. “Give us all of your items. After that, we’re going to take you and sell you off as slaves to the central kingdoms.” “Haaaah...” Sun gave a huge sigh at the recent turn of events. The enemy was nothing more than a lowly group of mountain bandits. It was true that the enemy bandits were all users that were part of a red guild, namely a guild that makes a living off of hunting down other users, but that only meant that these users were very weak. From the looks of it, they were all around level 150 and their equipment was very cheap. Their skills levels could hardly be any better. Blinded by greed at the sight of a small number of enemies with good equipment, the bandits thought that it was a good catch and mobilized their group to attack them. “Looks like we were worried for nothing.” Alveron had long understood how to differentiate the strong from the weak. Calvin just shrugged his shoulders and motioned to the paladins with his hand. “Kill them!” The bandit leader shouted to the brigands to attack. The brigands began their charge. Pew pew pew. Quick and accurate bolts of light came flying towards the bandits. Sun had started sniping away with his arrows of light. Since these arrows of light were not bounded by the force of gravity, they could fly much farther and faster than normal arrows. The target of his arrows were the enemy archers. There was no need to look for any mages because bandits, for the most part, had no mages within their ranks. The main reason for this was because mages were the main target of bandits because they were so squishy. Meanwhile, Alveron and Calvin busied themselves with buffing the troops. Since the bandits were so damn slow, they finished buffing with time to spare. Since they had plenty of time, they started using spells to weaken the enemy with Slows and Weakens. Once the troops made contact with each other, the bandits were murdered almost instantaneously with only one or two hits. The bandit leader was flabbergasted as the situation. They had three times the force and they had thought that the enemy was low level since not many users were past level 200, much less 300. Another problem was that they were stupid as hell and could not recognized that the people they were attacking were the paladins of the Order of Freya. With almost no forces left, the bandit leader decided to abandon the rest of his men and run for his life. He ran with all his might but could not budge an inch from his position. When he looked down there were two shackles of light binding him to the ground. “Please let me go. I don’t want to die!” The bandit leader begged for his life, with no sense of dignity left in pitiful self. Feeling a great and unknown force compelling him that was otherwise known as sadism, Sun playfully walked up to the bandit leader and started kicking him around as hard as he could. Ttiring! A new skill 'Sadism' has been learned! Sadism [1] Passive Increases the degree of pain towards target. Only works when torturing a target unnecessarily and with the sole intent of causing pain. Increases damage dealt by 25% toward target. Target will not die from attacks when sadism is active as long as there is no intent to kill. Forcing the bandit to his feet, they followed the bandit back to his headquarters. As the bandit had explicitly stated before, they had attacked several villages in the surrounding area and captured NPCs to be sold as slaves. They entered into the bandit camp and freed a couple dozens of NPCs from captivity. “Can you return to your villages from here?” Sun asked the released villagers since they did not have the capability to lead them to safety at this time. “Yes, luckily we’re all from the same village.” Since the bandits had only recently started their pillaging, they had only targeted a single weak village for slaves. “Ah!” As if he was remembering something important, the villager tried to explain to Sun. “There is one thing that I forgot to mention. There’s this little girl that was brought in a few days ago but we have never seen her before in our village. So we don’t know where she’s from or if she has anyone to stay with.” The villager motioned to a small girl, roughly 10 years of age, that was sitting down in the corner. “So you sick bastard, where did you kidnap this girl from?” Sun smashed his staff into the bandit’s head as he spoke. The bandit yelled out in pain before answering. “We picked her up in the mountains.” It hardly sounded believable since the mountains were quite dangerous and made no sense for a little girl to be wandering in them. Seeing as he couldn’t trust the bandit, he decided to ask the little girl himself. “What’s your name? Do you know where you live?” Sun sat down and asked the little girl that was sitting on the floor. “It’s no good. She hasn’t spoken a word since I saw her come here.” The villager tried to explain that the young girl hadn’t responded to anyone for the last few days. “..ena.” The girl had said something that was a little inaudible since the villager’s previous words had masked over it. “My name is Alena.” Sun looked over at the villager as if he was stupid or something. The villager could only avert his eyes from his gaze. “So Alena, do you know where you parents are?” The girl shook her head to show that she didn’t. “This makes things difficult. Can you take her back with you to your village?” Calvin asked one of the villagers. “Well, its possible...” “No.” Before he could finish his sentence, the little girl cut off his sentence. From the sounds of it, she didn’t want to go with them. “So what should we do?” Sun thought aloud to the group. Nobody could come up with a good enough solution to their problem. “How about we take her along?” Alveron asked since it seemed like it was an answer that would solve their current dilemma. “It would be a lot easier for the church to locate her parents or if necessary she could be adopted into the church.” Calvin began to evaluate whether or not it was a viable option. “It would be quite dangerous for her to come with us wouldn’t it?” Sun could not help but feel that taking a little girl into a den of undead was the best plan to do. However it seemed that the girl was unwilling to go to the nearby village and looking for her parents through the church was easier than leaving her to a small town. “I want to go with.” Alenal plainly voiced her opinion to the group. “It’s going to be very dangerous.” Sun tried to dissuade her from coming along. There was no knowing what kind of trauma she could experience along the way that he would responsible for indirectly. “I don’t mind.” Alena had already made up her mind to come along with them for whatever reasons that were going through her head. Sun looked over to Calvin for some help with the situation. “If all goes according to plan then there is nothing to be worried about right?” From the looks of it, no help was coming his way from Calvin and Alveron was hardly any help either since he had been the one that had suggested bringing her along in the first place. “Haaaah.” Sun could only sigh in defeat. “You have to promise that you listen to what I have to say and that you will stay somewhere that you are safe. Okay?” “I promise.” Since they had decided to bring Alena along, they put her in the back of one of the wagons. However, Sun had one thing left to do before they could move onto the undead lair. “Please, I beg of you, let me go!” Sun had tied the bandit up to a tree and left him there. After a few hours wild beasts would surely show up to rip him apart and feast on his innards. Of course before leaving him there, Sun made sure to take away the bandit’s items. Heading back to the location where they had murdered the bandits, Sun noticed something quite strange ahead. Noticing this anomaly, Sun motioned to the rest of the units to stop so that he could investigate more clearly. ‘This is...’ Sun could not believe what he was seeing with his elemental perception. There were a number of undead ahead where the battle had been fought earlier. They quickened their pace to investigate the undead and launch an offensive. Under the protection of the spell of shrouding, they slowly investigated the undead’s actions. The undead had been picking up the corpses of the dead bandits of throwing them onto a wagon. Close to about 200 undead were lurking around and picking through the corpses. “Looks like they’re gathering bodies for the necromancers.” Calvin made a quick gesture with his hand and the paladins rushed out to fight against the undead. Hacking apart the undead with their divine blades, the undead slowly began to notice that they were under attack. However this group of undead was only filled with lowly undeads in their level 200s for the purpose of grunt work. Without a strong leader like a Death Knight leading them, they were decimated quickly. Sun looked around the site and put together what he could understand from the situation. “So this must be the explanation for the growing number of undead.” The undead had been gathering the nearby corpses of monsters and humans so increase their ranks. It was quite difficult for a necromancer to raise undead without corpses. Thankfully they had caught this dispatchment of undead and were able to wipe them out, thinning out the number of enemies by quite a bit. With the number of undead they had killed before and the number that they had killed now, there should be roughly 2.5 thousand or so undead left in the den. With less undead to deal with later, the probability of his plan succeeding increased quite a bit. So that the undead would not be able to use the corpses, they decided to burn the rest of the corpses with holy fire to make sure that both the bodies and souls would not fall to dark purposes. Now that it was done with, they continued on to the shrine.

<div class="chapter-inner chapter-content"> by VIM1INC » Sun Jun 23, 2013 10:09 pm<br><br><br>And all of a sudden, an Anvil came crashing down from the heavens. It struck the kraken with an almighty *THUNK*!!<br><br>And the kraken teetered back and forth, crashing and breaking buildings left and right. <br><br>*<br><br>Meanwhile, at a random glass factory.<br><br>"Steady now, steady."<br><br>"What, did you mean, press the teleport switch?"<br><br>"Not that, you dumbass!!"<br><br>*press*<br><br>And in an act that no one will have ever thought to do because it's idiotic and people who do that should not be a part of society and be locked away in a cushioned cell somewhere and tied up in case they hurt themselves, the bottle was unleashed.<br>Unleash the bottle?<br><br>**<br><br>And the bottle just appeared out of nowhere and encased the badly concussed kraken. And in time, the bottled up kraken became an attractive part of the Rosenheim Kingdom and brought in lots of revenue because people have nothing better to do. That is, until a troupe of sushi chefs came along, saw the biggest squid in the world, and decided to test their sushi making skills. Incidentally, they were joined by a group of fish and chip chefs, and together, they made mincemeat out of the poor kraken, and the remains were put back in the bottle and pickled up.<br><br>PLOT DEVICE FTW.<br><br>(Peril: Squawk? &lt;but what about my fish?&gt; Faz: And my Chicken?) </div>

by VIM1INC » Sun Jun 23, 2013 10:09 pm And all of a sudden, an Anvil came crashing down from the heavens. It struck the kraken with an almighty *THUNK*!! And the kraken teetered back and forth, crashing and breaking buildings left and right. * Meanwhile, at a random glass factory. "Steady now, steady." "What, did you mean, press the teleport switch?" "Not that, you dumbass!!" *press* And in an act that no one will have ever thought to do because it's idiotic and people who do that should not be a part of society and be locked away in a cushioned cell somewhere and tied up in case they hurt themselves, the bottle was unleashed. Unleash the bottle? ** And the bottle just appeared out of nowhere and encased the badly concussed kraken. And in time, the bottled up kraken became an attractive part of the Rosenheim Kingdom and brought in lots of revenue because people have nothing better to do. That is, until a troupe of sushi chefs came along, saw the biggest squid in the world, and decided to test their sushi making skills. Incidentally, they were joined by a group of fish and chip chefs, and together, they made mincemeat out of the poor kraken, and the remains were put back in the bottle and pickled up. PLOT DEVICE FTW. (Peril: Squawk? <but what about my fish?> Faz: And my Chicken?)

<div class="chapter-inner chapter-content"> It had been 6 months (IGT) since Arthe and the rest of his group had begun traveling together, in that time Arthe had managed to increase his level to 306. Frith and the others had also leveled into the high 200's and were only 11 or so behind Arthe. On the downside there had been no further discoveries of the armor set Arthe was looking for, despite this the party was in high spirits. This was because they had just turned in a quest given to Arthe by the High-Priest of Freya living in Somre, the quest involved the destruction of a group of demon worshipers that had been kidnapping young people as sacrifices. For saving the victims and stamping out the heretics Merrak had been promoted to High-Priest and Arthe had gained over 200 Faith as well as over 2500 contribution points with the church.<br><br>Sadly Becoming a High-Priest meant that Merrak now had his own region to oversee, although he was still allowed to quest as long as he returned to his regional head church once every 5 days. This new restriction meant the loss of both Merrak and Talis as she refused to leave his side for any length of time, still now that he was a high ranking member of the church he was able to provide quests of his own so Talis wouldn't really miss out on anything. Plus she had also developed her class during their travels, Talis was now a full blown Ranger with all the perks including the companionship of a large white tiger rescued from the clutches of a party of ogres. Unfortunately for the tiger Talis had decided to call it Snowball VI in honour of her favorite retro cartoon. <br><br>After a long night of drinking and dancing Arthe and Frith said farewell to Merrak and Talis then headed out into the wilderness. After about an hour of traveling Arthe finally broke the silence.<br><br>"Hey are you okay?"<br><br>Frith looked at him a little sadly, "it's not quite the same with just us two, I've gotten so used to having the pair of them around that without them I feel a little lonely."<br><br>"I know what you mean, without Merrak to protect me from your shenanigans whatever will i do." Arthe chuckled.<br><br>"Tell you what why don't we head on back to Ymirheim so you can go and see your family and I can check in with Heimdall, he might have some clues on the whereabouts of the two remaining pieces of Freya's armour. Plus we can stop at the Guardians Retreat on the way back and see how it's getting on, I mean the message updates are one thing but I'd like to see it for myself. If we're lucky they'll have the teleport circle set up there as well which will cut our travel time by at least 2/3's"<br><br>Frith grabbed him, gave him a big hug and a kiss on the cheek. "Thank you, I've been feeling a little homesick recently and with Talis and Merrak gone as well it's made me a bit depressed".<br><br>"Hey whatever I can do to cheer you up. Although now that i think about it that may not be a good thing, when you're happy you start playing horrific practical jokes on me. Think about something sad quick; ummm crying babies, tragic love stories and diets that don't work!" Arthe teased, jumping quickly out of arms length.<br><br>Frith looked at him in outrage before breaking into laughter and chasing him around with her fists raised menacingly.<br><br>"Why you.. Think about something sad eh? I'll give you something sad to think about!"<br><br><br>A couple of days later the two of them reached the city of Rhodium, which was according to Frith the most depressing place on the continent due to the large numbers of out of work artists and wordsmiths. Apparently you couldn't go 10 feet without some budding poet spouting tragic verse at you or a painter trying to sell you a picture of a piece of fruit. Arthe could well believe it, especially when it took them 2 hours to get to the cathedral because the sheer number of beggars surrounding them and trying to scam money of them. <br><br>As they started up the cathedral steps they passed a slender Asian man coming down, he looked to be in a bit of a hurry and there were a couple of priests following him as well. Arthe stopped one and asked him what was wrong.<br><br>"Oh nothing's wrong we were just trying to ask Weed-nim for help."<br><br>Now Arthe and Frith had heard a lot about Weed during their travels, supposedly he'd slain the vampires of the north and retrieved 2 of the most sacred treasures of the Church of Freya. Other tales said that he was a brilliant sculptor and that he had built a great monument to the now dead king of Rosenheim.<br><br>"Huh that was Weed, looked different to what i expected. Anyway is the High-priest available?"<br><br>"I'm sorry but I cannot allow you to speak to him without first reviewing your credentials." The officious little priest replied arrogantly.<br><br>"Please tell him that Arthedain would like to speak to him and also tell him that a Guardian has need of his aid."<br><br>The priest gave Arthe a look of confused disdain at his message but ushered them into the front hall of the cathedral before summoning a young acolyte to deliver the message. Arthe and Frith didn't even have to wait 5 minutes before the High-priest came running to meet them.<br><br>"Priest Tolan, how could you keep our esteemed guest waiting like this? Honestly, please forgive my young friend Sir Arthedain he is not yet well versed in the more unknown ranks of our holy church." This last bit was accompanied by a slight bow and an outstretched hand.<br><br>Arthe shook the offered hand before speaking, "Think nothing of it, what i am is supposed to be unknown and I am not in such a rush that the formalities can be ignored. Although perhaps in future the young priest could be a little more diplomatic with his attitude, especially considering that not all well traveled adventurers are what they seem. On that note may i introduce my companion, Princess Frith Valeria Corinsdottr of the kingdom of Baldur."<br><br>Upon hearing Frith's full name the officious priest squeaked then fainted.<br><br>"A great pleasure to meet someone of your beauty and stature your highness, how may i aid the two of you today?"<br><br>Arthe looked around at the hall full of supplicants and lesser priests. "Perhaps we might speak a little more privately Holy Father, some of the information I tell you is not for the ears of the general public."<br><br>The High-priest looked a bit startled at this but guided them to his office where to Arthe's surprise he saw a priests staff made of Runite stood in one corner.<br><br>"So what secret knowledge do you have to share with me Sir Guardian?" The elderly priest asked seriously.<br><br>"What do you know of the origin of the material that staff is made from Holy Father? Do you know where it comes from or how it was discovered?"<br><br>"Hmm, i was told that it was discovered by a ranking member of Freya's paladins and that aside from the Church of Freya very few pieces of the mineral or the refined ore can be found in the general markets. Also the price for even the smallest amount is quite prodigious, more expensive than mithril."<br><br>Arthe looked at Frith knowingly, before turning back to the priest. <br><br>"What i can tell you, Father, is that i am the discoverer of the ore and that the location of the mine is a closely guarded secret among the paladin order. Only paladins of 10 years or more know it's location and even they are forbidden to discuss it, the mine itself is guarded by a fort manned by members of all three orders and the only member of the priesthood that knows the location is the Arch-priest himself. However I find myself in need of your teleport circle, this means that I will have to entrust the location to you on the sworn oath that it will never be told to another living soul. Needless to say if a group of necromancers or demon worshipers ever got there hands on an unlimited supply of the ore the consequences would be dire. So with that restriction do you feel able to help us get to where we need to go?"<br>The priest looked thoughtful for a moment before nodding his acceptance.<br><br>"Excellent, do you have some writing materials handy, i do not want to speak the name of the location for fear of being overheard and as soon as you are done memorizing the name it will be burnt."<br><br>After about ten minutes the priest led Arthe and Frith to the teleport chamber under the Cathedral, normally there would be five priests there to power the spell but this time the High-priest was going to do it alone. the mana cost would be exhaustive but necessary for secrecy.<br><br>Arthe and Frith emerged from the teleport in a circular room and were confronted by the tips of 10 swords pointed at their throats.<br><br>"State your names and your business here, you have 10 seconds before you are either killed or returned to your previous location!"<br><br>"Hah i recognize that voice, been a while hasn't it Cadfael?"<br><br>A figure stepped into the light and stared at Arthe's face.<br><br>"Holy Freya it is you Arthe! What are you doing here? Have you come because of the Quest?"<br><br>Arthe looked at Frith in confusion and mouthed What Quest?<br> <br>"What are you talking about Cadfael, I haven't heard anything about any quest? I just came to check up on how my tower's been doing before i escort Frith here back to Ymirheim and go see Heimdall."<br><br>Cadfael gestured to the two of them to follow him out of the chamber as the ten guards stepped back into position. On the way out Arthe was pleased to see that the symbols of the door frame were those of the Guardian order and that the equipment worn by the guards had Runite inlay.<br><br>"Huh looks like the Order is putting my discovery to good use. How's the tower expansion looking?"<br><br>Cadfael turned to Arthe and grinned widely.<br><br>"I'll say they're putting it to good use, they mixed the ore into the cement used for the walls so that they could turn the outer defenses into one giant Turn Undead ward. You won't find any undead within 5 leagues, plus they've issued every single man stationed here with a Runite edged weapon. Apparently the priests have been able to imbue the refined metal with certain spells, for example Holy Wrath is imbued into all war-hammers used here and most of the shields have a moderate healing spell imbued on them. The best thing is the Mana cost is drawn from the ore itself, the priests reckon that they can charge each weapon with about 5000 mana. That means the paladins using them can spend their own mana on other spells at the same time as their equipment is blasting the holy light out of any enemy. As to the tower expansion I'll let you see that for yourself."<br><br>Cadfael opened a door at the top of the stairs and the three of them stepped out into a small armory filled with armour and weaponry of all shapes and sizes. No weapon was left out; one wall was devoted to ranged weaponry, another was covered with swords of all styles and designs, there were racks of war-hammers, rows of axes, even a box of throwing stars. The armour itself was stunning; one large chest held nothing but robes embroidered with gold thread and Runite buttons, another had leather armour half covered in tiny Runite plates, there was chainmail and scale-mail, half-plate and full plate, but the cream of the crop was a truly phenomenal set of Champion Armour. It had leather underneath covered by both chainmail AND scale-mail; on top of that were truly massive pieces of mithril plate armour, each piece of which had Runite backing and was engraved with literally dozens of warding spells. The armour was gold lacquered and the engravings inlaid with Runite, it even came with a monstrous two handed sword and a beautiful sky blue cape embroidered with the symbols of the three paladin orders surrounding the symbol of Freya.<br><br>Arthe and Frith looked at the armour, speechless with wonder. Cadfael gave them a knowing look and then laughed at their expressions.<br><br>"Haha, look at you two! Seriously though i know what you mean, it's the crown jewel of the armory. Every paladin in this place would give his left arm to own it, sadly it's being given to Preceptor Vallinforth head of the 3 orders. Still we can all dream, plus a little birdy told me that a certain guardian of my acquaintance was gathering the pieces of Freya's armour and that is supposed to be the most wondrous armour ever made."<br><br>Arthe stopped staring and grinned, he grabbed Frith and walked towards the exit.<br><br>"Come along Frith you can drool over it later, as long as you wipe it off afterwards. Anyway Cadfael what's this about a quest? Is it something I need to know?"<br><br>"Hmm it depends, as you know there are various ranks in the paladin order that apply to all the orders, for example Knight-Captain and Grandmaster. Well there is also a promotional class change available to all paladins as well, however the opportunity doesn't come along very often as to get it you have to complete a particularly challenging quest."<br><br>"i don't see what makes this class change quest so special, lots of class changes require you to complete quests." Frith interrupted.<br><br>"Well yes but this quest can only be given by one being and that is Freya herself," Arthe and Frith gasped in shock, " you see why it's so special. The last time this quest was given was during the Bar'Khan crisis, the class is called Freya's Templar. It's the dream of every paladin to achieve it and every time the quest is given at least 15 paladins have died in its pursuit, however the gains are phenomenal. It is said that the Templar can negate 90% of black magic and that even undead Bone dragons hesitate before engaging one in combat; according to historic lore the Templar is Freya's militant arm and that it is the second last step on the road to becoming her Avatar, apparently he can heal almost any wound and he emits an aura of such piety and faith that those around him never suffer illness or disease. In all of the Church's history there have only been 3 Templars and each of them has done the impossible; one drove back the might of the Embinyu from the city of Somre single-handed, another stopped Artosh and his brood of Bone dragons from destroying the country of Haven and the third devastated the army of Bar'Khan and drove them back into the depths of the earth."<br><br>Arthe rubbed his hands excitedly after hearing about this new class, he turned to Frith with a question in his eyes. She looked at him fondly then nodded, he then turned back to Cadfael and grabbed his hand.<br><br>"Right then where do I sign up?" </div>

It had been 6 months (IGT) since Arthe and the rest of his group had begun traveling together, in that time Arthe had managed to increase his level to 306. Frith and the others had also leveled into the high 200's and were only 11 or so behind Arthe. On the downside there had been no further discoveries of the armor set Arthe was looking for, despite this the party was in high spirits. This was because they had just turned in a quest given to Arthe by the High-Priest of Freya living in Somre, the quest involved the destruction of a group of demon worshipers that had been kidnapping young people as sacrifices. For saving the victims and stamping out the heretics Merrak had been promoted to High-Priest and Arthe had gained over 200 Faith as well as over 2500 contribution points with the church. Sadly Becoming a High-Priest meant that Merrak now had his own region to oversee, although he was still allowed to quest as long as he returned to his regional head church once every 5 days. This new restriction meant the loss of both Merrak and Talis as she refused to leave his side for any length of time, still now that he was a high ranking member of the church he was able to provide quests of his own so Talis wouldn't really miss out on anything. Plus she had also developed her class during their travels, Talis was now a full blown Ranger with all the perks including the companionship of a large white tiger rescued from the clutches of a party of ogres. Unfortunately for the tiger Talis had decided to call it Snowball VI in honour of her favorite retro cartoon. After a long night of drinking and dancing Arthe and Frith said farewell to Merrak and Talis then headed out into the wilderness. After about an hour of traveling Arthe finally broke the silence. "Hey are you okay?" Frith looked at him a little sadly, "it's not quite the same with just us two, I've gotten so used to having the pair of them around that without them I feel a little lonely." "I know what you mean, without Merrak to protect me from your shenanigans whatever will i do." Arthe chuckled. "Tell you what why don't we head on back to Ymirheim so you can go and see your family and I can check in with Heimdall, he might have some clues on the whereabouts of the two remaining pieces of Freya's armour. Plus we can stop at the Guardians Retreat on the way back and see how it's getting on, I mean the message updates are one thing but I'd like to see it for myself. If we're lucky they'll have the teleport circle set up there as well which will cut our travel time by at least 2/3's" Frith grabbed him, gave him a big hug and a kiss on the cheek. "Thank you, I've been feeling a little homesick recently and with Talis and Merrak gone as well it's made me a bit depressed". "Hey whatever I can do to cheer you up. Although now that i think about it that may not be a good thing, when you're happy you start playing horrific practical jokes on me. Think about something sad quick; ummm crying babies, tragic love stories and diets that don't work!" Arthe teased, jumping quickly out of arms length. Frith looked at him in outrage before breaking into laughter and chasing him around with her fists raised menacingly. "Why you.. Think about something sad eh? I'll give you something sad to think about!" A couple of days later the two of them reached the city of Rhodium, which was according to Frith the most depressing place on the continent due to the large numbers of out of work artists and wordsmiths. Apparently you couldn't go 10 feet without some budding poet spouting tragic verse at you or a painter trying to sell you a picture of a piece of fruit. Arthe could well believe it, especially when it took them 2 hours to get to the cathedral because the sheer number of beggars surrounding them and trying to scam money of them. As they started up the cathedral steps they passed a slender Asian man coming down, he looked to be in a bit of a hurry and there were a couple of priests following him as well. Arthe stopped one and asked him what was wrong. "Oh nothing's wrong we were just trying to ask Weed-nim for help." Now Arthe and Frith had heard a lot about Weed during their travels, supposedly he'd slain the vampires of the north and retrieved 2 of the most sacred treasures of the Church of Freya. Other tales said that he was a brilliant sculptor and that he had built a great monument to the now dead king of Rosenheim. "Huh that was Weed, looked different to what i expected. Anyway is the High-priest available?" "I'm sorry but I cannot allow you to speak to him without first reviewing your credentials." The officious little priest replied arrogantly. "Please tell him that Arthedain would like to speak to him and also tell him that a Guardian has need of his aid." The priest gave Arthe a look of confused disdain at his message but ushered them into the front hall of the cathedral before summoning a young acolyte to deliver the message. Arthe and Frith didn't even have to wait 5 minutes before the High-priest came running to meet them. "Priest Tolan, how could you keep our esteemed guest waiting like this? Honestly, please forgive my young friend Sir Arthedain he is not yet well versed in the more unknown ranks of our holy church." This last bit was accompanied by a slight bow and an outstretched hand. Arthe shook the offered hand before speaking, "Think nothing of it, what i am is supposed to be unknown and I am not in such a rush that the formalities can be ignored. Although perhaps in future the young priest could be a little more diplomatic with his attitude, especially considering that not all well traveled adventurers are what they seem. On that note may i introduce my companion, Princess Frith Valeria Corinsdottr of the kingdom of Baldur." Upon hearing Frith's full name the officious priest squeaked then fainted. "A great pleasure to meet someone of your beauty and stature your highness, how may i aid the two of you today?" Arthe looked around at the hall full of supplicants and lesser priests. "Perhaps we might speak a little more privately Holy Father, some of the information I tell you is not for the ears of the general public." The High-priest looked a bit startled at this but guided them to his office where to Arthe's surprise he saw a priests staff made of Runite stood in one corner. "So what secret knowledge do you have to share with me Sir Guardian?" The elderly priest asked seriously. "What do you know of the origin of the material that staff is made from Holy Father? Do you know where it comes from or how it was discovered?" "Hmm, i was told that it was discovered by a ranking member of Freya's paladins and that aside from the Church of Freya very few pieces of the mineral or the refined ore can be found in the general markets. Also the price for even the smallest amount is quite prodigious, more expensive than mithril." Arthe looked at Frith knowingly, before turning back to the priest. "What i can tell you, Father, is that i am the discoverer of the ore and that the location of the mine is a closely guarded secret among the paladin order. Only paladins of 10 years or more know it's location and even they are forbidden to discuss it, the mine itself is guarded by a fort manned by members of all three orders and the only member of the priesthood that knows the location is the Arch-priest himself. However I find myself in need of your teleport circle, this means that I will have to entrust the location to you on the sworn oath that it will never be told to another living soul. Needless to say if a group of necromancers or demon worshipers ever got there hands on an unlimited supply of the ore the consequences would be dire. So with that restriction do you feel able to help us get to where we need to go?" The priest looked thoughtful for a moment before nodding his acceptance. "Excellent, do you have some writing materials handy, i do not want to speak the name of the location for fear of being overheard and as soon as you are done memorizing the name it will be burnt." After about ten minutes the priest led Arthe and Frith to the teleport chamber under the Cathedral, normally there would be five priests there to power the spell but this time the High-priest was going to do it alone. the mana cost would be exhaustive but necessary for secrecy. Arthe and Frith emerged from the teleport in a circular room and were confronted by the tips of 10 swords pointed at their throats. "State your names and your business here, you have 10 seconds before you are either killed or returned to your previous location!" "Hah i recognize that voice, been a while hasn't it Cadfael?" A figure stepped into the light and stared at Arthe's face. "Holy Freya it is you Arthe! What are you doing here? Have you come because of the Quest?" Arthe looked at Frith in confusion and mouthed What Quest? "What are you talking about Cadfael, I haven't heard anything about any quest? I just came to check up on how my tower's been doing before i escort Frith here back to Ymirheim and go see Heimdall." Cadfael gestured to the two of them to follow him out of the chamber as the ten guards stepped back into position. On the way out Arthe was pleased to see that the symbols of the door frame were those of the Guardian order and that the equipment worn by the guards had Runite inlay. "Huh looks like the Order is putting my discovery to good use. How's the tower expansion looking?" Cadfael turned to Arthe and grinned widely. "I'll say they're putting it to good use, they mixed the ore into the cement used for the walls so that they could turn the outer defenses into one giant Turn Undead ward. You won't find any undead within 5 leagues, plus they've issued every single man stationed here with a Runite edged weapon. Apparently the priests have been able to imbue the refined metal with certain spells, for example Holy Wrath is imbued into all war-hammers used here and most of the shields have a moderate healing spell imbued on them. The best thing is the Mana cost is drawn from the ore itself, the priests reckon that they can charge each weapon with about 5000 mana. That means the paladins using them can spend their own mana on other spells at the same time as their equipment is blasting the holy light out of any enemy. As to the tower expansion I'll let you see that for yourself." Cadfael opened a door at the top of the stairs and the three of them stepped out into a small armory filled with armour and weaponry of all shapes and sizes. No weapon was left out; one wall was devoted to ranged weaponry, another was covered with swords of all styles and designs, there were racks of war-hammers, rows of axes, even a box of throwing stars. The armour itself was stunning; one large chest held nothing but robes embroidered with gold thread and Runite buttons, another had leather armour half covered in tiny Runite plates, there was chainmail and scale-mail, half-plate and full plate, but the cream of the crop was a truly phenomenal set of Champion Armour. It had leather underneath covered by both chainmail AND scale-mail; on top of that were truly massive pieces of mithril plate armour, each piece of which had Runite backing and was engraved with literally dozens of warding spells. The armour was gold lacquered and the engravings inlaid with Runite, it even came with a monstrous two handed sword and a beautiful sky blue cape embroidered with the symbols of the three paladin orders surrounding the symbol of Freya. Arthe and Frith looked at the armour, speechless with wonder. Cadfael gave them a knowing look and then laughed at their expressions. "Haha, look at you two! Seriously though i know what you mean, it's the crown jewel of the armory. Every paladin in this place would give his left arm to own it, sadly it's being given to Preceptor Vallinforth head of the 3 orders. Still we can all dream, plus a little birdy told me that a certain guardian of my acquaintance was gathering the pieces of Freya's armour and that is supposed to be the most wondrous armour ever made." Arthe stopped staring and grinned, he grabbed Frith and walked towards the exit. "Come along Frith you can drool over it later, as long as you wipe it off afterwards. Anyway Cadfael what's this about a quest? Is it something I need to know?" "Hmm it depends, as you know there are various ranks in the paladin order that apply to all the orders, for example Knight-Captain and Grandmaster. Well there is also a promotional class change available to all paladins as well, however the opportunity doesn't come along very often as to get it you have to complete a particularly challenging quest." "i don't see what makes this class change quest so special, lots of class changes require you to complete quests." Frith interrupted. "Well yes but this quest can only be given by one being and that is Freya herself," Arthe and Frith gasped in shock, " you see why it's so special. The last time this quest was given was during the Bar'Khan crisis, the class is called Freya's Templar. It's the dream of every paladin to achieve it and every time the quest is given at least 15 paladins have died in its pursuit, however the gains are phenomenal. It is said that the Templar can negate 90% of black magic and that even undead Bone dragons hesitate before engaging one in combat; according to historic lore the Templar is Freya's militant arm and that it is the second last step on the road to becoming her Avatar, apparently he can heal almost any wound and he emits an aura of such piety and faith that those around him never suffer illness or disease. In all of the Church's history there have only been 3 Templars and each of them has done the impossible; one drove back the might of the Embinyu from the city of Somre single-handed, another stopped Artosh and his brood of Bone dragons from destroying the country of Haven and the third devastated the army of Bar'Khan and drove them back into the depths of the earth." Arthe rubbed his hands excitedly after hearing about this new class, he turned to Frith with a question in his eyes. She looked at him fondly then nodded, he then turned back to Cadfael and grabbed his hand. "Right then where do I sign up?"

<div class="chapter-inner chapter-content"> Chapter 6<br>The skill to win<br><br>The first thing Crane did after the pair he was left alone was collect the loot and money from the ground. He had killed at least eighty bugs on his side and Levi had done likewise and the queen as well. Crane found a knife where the queen was slain and picked it up.<br><br>"Identify."<br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td>Steel Throwing Knife<br>Durability 40/40<br>Damage 7~10<br>This knife was made with a perfect balance to be thrown.<br>Requirements:<br>+50 AGI</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br>Crane suddenly became aware of his lack of distance attacks. The knife had decent damage and would need to be retrieved after it's use, but if Crane practiced a lot he knew he should be able to gain the skill Throw. Crane held the knife as he walked through the dungeon. Although most of the beetles had been called by the queen and killed, there were still many left in the dungeon. When a group popped up the first thing Crane would do was throw his knife. After that Crane would take out his sword and kill the beetles. However for the first few attempts it he couldn't aim at all. After a while the blade was finally going where he wanted it to, but it took longer still for Crane to get the hang of making sure the blade was facing the target at the moment of contact. All the while Crane wandered through the tunnels collecting the loot of the monsters Levi and himself, but mostly Levi, had killed. <br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td>Fighting Spirit increased by 1 point. (+1 FGT SP)</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br>Crane had been receiving +1 messages for the vitality and fighting spirit stat since he got them after defeating the wave of beetles, but had not looked up their use yet. "Show Stat Fighting Spirit and Perseverance."<br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td>Fighting Spirit<br>You can call on superhuman strength temporarily, or bring weaker monsters to their knees with a force n your eyes alone. You are prohibited from distributing stat bonus points to this stat, it rises spontaneously, depending on the avatar's action, especially if you fight monsters for a long time, or often confront monsters stronger than your current level. Dying or running away from battles may lower this stat</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td>Perseverance<br>You are likely to use less stamina in action. You are prohibited from distributing stat bonus points to this stat.</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br>Crane could only smile. From what he understood of their uses, fighting spirit increased after winning a battle that was fought at the edge of life and death, and perseverance increased after doing a difficult task for a long time. In other words he just had to fight hard and fight often. <br><br>A side effect of this strategy to enter more intense fights was that he was injured a lot more, and although he packed two weeks worth of herbs, rye bread, and bandages, he would eventually run out. Crane had considered ending his intensive battle streak when, after another blow, he received another message.<br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td>New Stat: Endurance</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br>After the battle, Crane said, "Show Stat Endurance."<br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td>Endurance<br>Reduces physical damage and slightly increases life. You are prohibited from distributing stat bonus points to this stat.</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br>And again, Crane smiled. Now he would purposely take strong hits, enduring the pain so he could increase his new stat. Crane now had everything he needed and no reason to leave, until...<br><br>After dealing the finishing blow to another Beetle, Crane heard a sharp CRACK sound from his sword, and a message appeared.<br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td>Your sword's durability has reached 2/80<br>If you continue to use your sword it shall break and sustain unrepairable damage</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br>Crane felt a shiver of fear as he realized he needed to get back to the city immediately. He had already collected all the fallen loot he could find and was currently taking advantage of the 2x experience he had for another day. Crane rushed back to the entrance as fast as he could, when he encountered monsters he used repeated Dashes to get through the slow moving bugs. <br><br>After an hour of running around and having just finished off his mana, Crane found the door to the surface and went through. When he opened the latched his eyes screamed out in pain. Crane had forgotten that he had been in a dimly lit with glowing roots underground dungeon for almost a week. Crane shut his eyes for about three minutes before he slowly opened them for another five minutes. <br><br>After regaining his sight, he knew the first thing he wanted to see. "Show stats and skill window."<br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td colspan="2">Status Window</td></tr><tr><td>Avatar- Crane.</td><td>Alignment- Neutral</td></tr><tr><td>Level 71</td><td>Class- Kallamore Warrior</td></tr><tr><td>Title- None</td><td>Fame- 40</td></tr><tr><td>Health- 3130</td><td>Mana- 1530</td></tr><tr><td>Strength- 150+45</td><td>Agility-155+46</td></tr><tr><td>Wisdom- 60+22</td><td>Intellect- 60+22</td></tr><tr><td>Vitality- 30+16</td><td>Luck- 0+10</td></tr><tr><td>Leadership- 0+10</td><td>Finesse- XX+10</td></tr><tr><td>Fighting Spirit- 8+11</td><td>Perseverance 14+12</td></tr><tr><td colspan="2">Endurance- 12+12</td></tr><tr><td>Attack- 154</td><td>Defense- 35</td></tr><tr><td colspan="2">+ All stats are added 10<br>+ While using a sword you receive +50% bonus to Attack<br>+ Decreases Mana Cost for Sword Skills by 50%<br>+ Can learn skills that use the Stat Finesse<br>+ All stats increase by 20% while wearing the Kallamore Warrior's helmet<br>+ All stats decrease by 20% while not wearing the Kallamore Warrior's helmet</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td colspan="2">Skills Window</td></tr><tr><td>Identification [6] 78%: Enables you to learn the true value of unidentified items.<br>Mana Cost: 30</td></tr><tr><td>Sword Mastery [9] 86%: Increases attack power and hit rating for swords. <br>+90% ATK +27% ATK SPD while using a sword.</td></tr><tr><td>Twelve Forms [6] 3%: Increases strength and speed while fighting using the twelve forms.<br>+60% STR +60% AGI<br>Mana Cost: 10 per second</td></tr><tr><td>Flurry [2] 73%: Rapid series of thrusts<br>3 thrusts per second<br>Mana Cost: 30 per second</td></tr><tr><td>Dash [4] 32%: Move a great distance in a single step<br>Mana Cost: 10</td></tr><tr><td>Power Lunge [5] 23%: A strengthen piercing attack that covers some distance<br>Mana Cost: 45</td></tr><tr><td>Soa's Routines [3] 55%: The routines used by Kallamore Kingdom's most elegant swordsman</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br>A week's worth of fighting higher level monsters at double experience did wonders for his level and his sword mastery which increases at twice the rate because of his warrior sub-profession. However even though his twelve forms and identify skill were highly useful in there, his dash, flurry and Power Lunge however were not so much against bug shells.<br><br>The only thing that had not increased another level was Soa's Routine. After the fluke in the queen's chamber, he still could not reach past 50 finesse when using the skill, and it seemed that low finesse techniques barely if at all increased the proficiency of the skill.<br><br>Crane looked around and saw nothing in all directions. Crane knew his position was west of a road that was north of the city of Yarsan, so he headed southeast until he hit the road. Another two days of walking and Crane saw the Cliff that marked the city. After returning, Crane went to to shopping district to try to sell his items. Although the shoddy equipment he found would sell for something, few people would hang onto bug parts to try to sell them. But Crane knew better than most people. According to some of the books Crane read, certain bug pieces did have a use. <br><br>Crane entered the Sorcerer's shop and looked around. This shop was the only place in the city where people could buy magic ingredient and items. However according to the law, the store could only sell magical tools that only magicians could use which were mostly pointless and redundant. Because of that the store became a specialty store that sold items required for magic ceremonies and rituals, potions, and potion ingredients. Crane walked up to the shop counter.<br><br>Crane looked at the merchant and calmly asked, "This store buys and sells ingredients for potions and the like correct?" <br><br>"Of course, we buy ingredients to make potions ourselves or to sell back to people who make their own."<br><br>"What can you tell me about the shell of the Grass beetle? Do you have any in stock?"<br><br>"That it is a mid-class ingredient that can be used to make strong stamina enhancing potions popular with warriors. But I am sorry sir, we do not have any in stock."<br><br>"I see, would you care to buy some from me?"<br><br>The merchant's eyes lit up, "Of course, but there are several grades of that ingredient. If you show me all you have, I will give you a fair price that takes into account the overall grade of the stock." Crane knew that the merchant would claim his haul was lower quality than it actually was to pay as little as possible for it. But could not have known that Crane had the identify skill, and leveled it up four times sorting each and every piece he had into bags ranked by their quality.<br><br>Crane took out three bags and placed them on the table. "I have taken the liberty of sorting by grade, I think you will find everything in order, and I would like to negotiate on the price of each separately." The merchant was doomed as soon as he told Crane what the item was used for. With his extensive knowledge of item prices he obtained from reading, Crane knew exactly what the merchant could sell it for, and negotiated until the merchant would only make a profit by the barest of margins. However Crane had another goal in mind. <br>"You drive one of the hardest deals I've ever seen, but ok. I'll buy the low grade bag for 35G, the mid grade for 63G, and the high grade 112G. That is a total of 210 gold pieces and the absolute highest I can go, take it or leave it." It finally reached the point Crane had been waiting for. "Sir, your deal sounds reasonably to me, but before I take it, I have a question, do you make your own potions?"<br><br>"Why yes I do, every bottle in this store was made by yours truly."<br><br>"That's incredible, in that case, I've changed my mind. I'll give you everything I have for free if you can teach me your skill!"<br><br>Any profession that involves magic, whether magician or potion maker required a great deal of money. Due to this, most if not all members of these professions are always money hungry, and practically giving the man 200 gold pieces for nothing was an excellent way to disorient him. Although any decent cook could make a potion or tonic, only people with the alchemy skill could truly make potions with powerful effects from lower quality ingredients. An NPC with a skill can teach the skill to a User, but of all the skills that could be learned, Alchemy was the most well guarded. Alchemists were few in number and the craft guild preferred it that way to allow monopolization of the high grade potions.<br><br>The man blinked for a few seconds as if he could not register what Crane had said, but as his mind slowly reassembled. The words, 'two hundred gold', 'free', 'teach', and 'skill', lined up in a row inside his head. The man then said, "It's a deal, come on in the back and I'll show you how's it's done." The man picked up the bag of low grade bug pieces and took them to a small cauldron in the back of his store. He dropped the bug shell in then poured several vials into the cauldron and said, "Watch carefully, the secret of potion making is in the stirring." Crane watched carefully as the merchant stirred in a figured eight pattern that slowly rotated clockwise. <br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td>You have learned new Skill: Alchemy</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br>After showing him the skill he left the cauldron and went to a bookshelf in the back. <br><br>"Here you go, it is the oldest book I have. I have long since memorized the recipes in it and it does no one any good collecting dust on a bookshelf, so you should take it, and these as well." Crane only smiled and received the book and the empty bottles from the merchant. As he left through the door he said, "Good bye and have a nice day."<br><br>At his words the merchant shook his head as if he had woken up from a dream. "What just happened here..?" <br><br>Whether or not he would realize what had happened Crane did not know, but he knew he would not have as much luck with the blacksmith. Before he got there he took out the book he got and looked at it. The cover was blue but it was so worn the words on the cover were no longer legible. "Identify."<br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td>Potent Recipes of Kallamore<br>Gives lists of ingredients of various potion recipes.<br>Recipes will yield poor quality potions if used without sufficient Alchemy Skill</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br>When the merchant said it was his oldest one, Crane thought he meant the first one he got, like a basic beginner book, but he gave Crane a the oldest book he had that contained ancient recipes with powerful effects. Crane's trick had worked far better than he hoped, a mere 200G for this book and the skill to use it was a bargain.<br><br>Crane saw a thick dwarf sitting on a chair in front of the blacksmith shop. Crane had seen him before, and timed his arrival with the time the Dwarf usually used to take a break. Crane not only needed his sword repaired, he decided he needed to learn the repair skill for himself. However even though the repair skill was far more common than alchemy, learning it from this dwarf would be a greater challenge. Crane walked up to him and said, "Great blacksmith Oralast, I ask of you something only your great dwarven skills can accomplish." <br><br>The dwarf's eyes moved to Crane and he said in a low voice, "Speak."<br><br>"I am a soldier of Yarsan who wishes to learn how to repair equipment so my fellow warriors can always be ready for battle. My captain recommended I learn from an Elven Blacksmith he favors. But I know that dwarves are superior to elves in this field and have come against my captain's wishes to learn from the greatest blacksmith in Yarsan." The dwarf's eyes widened a bit at the term 'Elven Blacksmith,' but he still needed another push. "I have brought many broken and battered weapons with me so that you could use them to better instruct me in repairing them. After I have repair them, I shall give them all to you as payment as well as 100G for your time." After the last comment, Oralast got up from his chair and said, "I see you got a fine fire in ya, you'll be welcomed by the hearth. Now get out that beaten equipment so I can show you why dwarves are superior to elves on the forge.<br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td>You have learned new Skill: Repair</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br>Two hours and a hundred gold later Crane had a newly repaired sword and his repair skill hit level three. Crane considered that the skill would not raise that fast normally but under the supervision of a skilled dwarf he rose his proficiency faster than normal. Crane still hadn't gotten the skill, Throw, after practicing in the tunnel, so after thanking and paying him Crane bought a set of ten throwing knives for 35G and a small cauldron for 15G. Crane then went back to the grocer's and used the last of the coin he obtained to fill up on supplies and few ingredients to use for practice potions.<br><br>Almost two weeks after leaving, Crane returned to his army base to find Owens. "I have returned from the field sir."<br>"And your timing couldn't’ve been better. I've received a report that there's a gang of criminals who've taken captive of the villagers of Surrol. That village is under our protection so we're sending in a combat force to negotiate or deal with the criminals and I want you on it.<br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td>Surrol Liberation<br>The people of Surrol have been invaded by a criminal gang lead by a mysterious thief. Go with the military force to Surrol to save the villagers and if necessary kill the bandits.<br>Difficulty: D<br><br>Reward- Dependent on Contribution to quest.</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br>Crane was weary of this opportunity, if the quest's combat force could been assembled without him, why was he needed at all?<br>"Sir, why do you want me to go?"<br>"Because everyone else on that force in a backstabbin nobleman, and I don't trust them any further than I can throw them." <br><br>Crane said," The noblemen are skill book using high level soldiers, what is their average level and what of the gang member's levels?"<br><br>Owens looked at Crane through narrow eyelids like he had just been asked questions he had not wanted to be. "The noblemen average level 110 and our intel places the gang members average level at 85. We don't know what there boss's level is."<br>"Ok, I'll accept under one condition."<br>Owen's eyes narrowed further, "What?"<br>"Tell me how to use the finesse stat. I am stuck at only getting 50."<br>He relaxed his posture with a look of relief and said, "Hmm, I've told you before that having the answer given to you retards you progress permanently, however, if you are stuck at fifty, then there is a hint I can give you, but accept the mission first."<br><br>"I'll go to Surrol to take care of the villagers."<br> <br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td>You have accepted the quest.</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br>"Now, you say you've gotten to 50 already, that's impressive for couples of weeks. But a fencer's routine is only half physical motion. That is probably the half you're getting right. The other half is mental. Ask yourself why routines were created in the first place and where the source of their power comes from."<br><br>Crane was relieved that he had not been doing the routines incorrectly, only incompletely. Now he just need to figure out the source of the routine’s power and use it to figure out the mental aspect of the routines. But first he needed to join a band of sheltered brats and save a village from a group of criminals who could each probably kill him single handedly. <br><br>According to Owens, the group would leave at sundown. Crane had until then to practice his throwing skill on an archery target. Being able to throw ten knives before having to retrieve them shortened his learning time and he was getting use to throwing at different distances. <br><br>Crane stood with a knife in hand 40 feet from the target, he raised his hand behind his shoulder and held his breath. After confirming the motion in his head, he forced out his breath in a shout, something he learned increased muscle strength for a moment, and let his hand fly over his shoulder with a moderate wrist movement to control the spin. The blade missed the target.<br><br>Crane took a couple steps forward and one to the left. He had been practicing throwing at varying distances and angles and even added a shout to his throw since leaving the dungeon. It was something he read martial artists did and he thought it would be cool to practice. Crane took another dagger out and threw it with a "HA."<br>It hit a few inches off the center, but Crane was pleased with his progress. He took several steps to the right and a few back and threw his last knife from the set with another shout. After the sound of it striking the target was heard, two messages popped up.<br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td>You have learned new Skill: Throw</td></tr><tr><td>You have learned new Skill: Shout</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br>Crane started laughing hysterically. Today had been a good day. He brought up his skill window to see how profitable it had been.<br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td>Alchemy [1] 0% Enables you to create potent potions from various ingredients</td></tr><tr><td>Repair [3] 7% Enables you to repair weapons and armors. Beyond Lv. 10, you can forge new weapons and gears.</td></tr><tr><td>Throw [1] 0% You can throw objects and weapons further and more accurately</td></tr><tr><td>Shout [1] 0% Increases strength for an instant while shouting. <br>Mana Cost: 5<br>STR +3% for an instant</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br>The shout skill was unexpected but welcomed, it seemed that the timing required to learn shout was easier for him to learn than the accuracy required to learn throw. <br><br>Besides the ten knife set he purchased, Crane had one last knife from the Burrower's loot. He pulled it out and threw it at the target with a shout. The blade moved faster than they usually did and stuck itself a few inches into the center of the target. Crane dug it out and retrieved his other knives before heading to the meeting place of the combat force. <br>He arrived about half an hour before sundown and sized up the group. Only half of them were there but each of them had high class equipment Crane judged had requirements right at their level, making them as strong as they could be. Another pair walked through the door followed by Barrows, in equipment Crane recognized had a level 120 minimum requirement and some rare shoes that increased movement speed. Crane wanted to say something but Barrows ignored his existence. One more member came through the room and Barrows started speaking, "The leader of this force, Captain Dessan, informed me we will meet him at his camp by the village of Surrol. You are all expected to bring your own supplies. We move out now." <br><br>Short and to the point, Barrows seemed to act this way to everyone, not just him. But although Barrows met everyone's eyes as he spoke, he looked through Crane like an empty seat. This reminded Crane that Barrows and every person in that room other than himself was a member of nobility and thought poorly of Crane. The soldiers flowed out of the room followed by Crane. <br><br>The entire atmosphere of the meeting ruined his good mood from earlier. To these people Crane was less than nothing. He was an unwanted source of competition for the reputation that individual achievement gained on the quest. Crane decided it would be best to keep his mouth shut and remain as small as possible until he returned to the base. <br><br>From there it only went downhill. After Barrows passes the city gates he started running as did the entire combat force. Running wouldn't be a problem for an average person, but Crane hadn't actually done any long term running in several years. It didn't long for them to lose Crane, and after three hours of running he was alone. However Crane had long since memorized the geography of Kallamore from books and could find his way without help. <br><br>He ran until his chest burned and his legs ached but still did not see them and ran some more. After another hour a message appeared.<br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td>Your Stamina has fallen, you can run no further</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br>Crane was breathing heavily and barely moving forward. Crane sat down and took a look at the sky. Even though he was abandoned, tired and cold, he still smiled after he looked up. The night sky was filled with shining stars. Crane reached his hand into the air and felt like he could reach the sky. This couldn't be called a game. It wasn't real either. But he could feel the pain in his legs and the breeze on his face. Crane didn't know how long he stayed there, staring at the stars, but after he saw his stamina had fully returned, he got back on his feet and started running. <br><br>After four more days of running, he arrived close to Surrol. For all he knew the criminals had all been wiped out by that time, and the town was safe and happy. On the road to the town Crane saw a very large pair of weapon bearing men. "Ok, scratch that thought." Crane opened his inventory and re-equipped his started equipment before the men could see he was wearing an army uniform and helmet and walked towards them. Compared to the men, Crane was a young, skinny, poorly dressed, boy with a thin sword. Crane tried to walk while appearing as meekly as he could. As he closed in on them, one of the men said, "Halt, this road is closed, go another way." <br><br>Crane raised his hands like he was afraid of being beaten and said, "good sir, the next road over is a full day longer by foot, if I may ask, how long until this road reopens?" The guards looked at each other and started chuckling. "Heh, by sundown tomorrow, everything will be taken care of." Crane nodded and left back down the road. A few hundred feet down the road Crane saw another pair of men, these ones he recognized. The two soldiers from the combat force glared at him and motioned for Crane to follow them. He figured that there were people posted at both the north and south exit to ascertain how many people came and went from the village. <br><br>Crane was lead to a small camp outside the village where all but two members of the combat force were located. One of the men escorting him went to a man Crane had not seen before while the other stayed with Crane. The unknown man walked up to Crane and said, "I am Captain Dessan. I wasn't sure that you would make it here. I am sorry you wasted your trip, but you are not needed and may return to the city."<br><br>Crane said, "I beg your pardon Captain, but I cannot do as you ask."<br><br>Dessen replied with a dangerous look in his eye, "Is that so?"<br><br>"Yessir, my instructor Owens told me he would reward me with a skill book depending on how I contribute to the quest. I know I am weak, but I will carry my own weight."<br><br>Crane could hear Dessen mutter the word 'Owens,' along with some profanity before saying, "Carry your own weight can you? Let me see your sword."<br><br>Crane could not defy the order of his rightful commanding officer and handed Dessen his rapier by the hilt. Dessen gripped the sword hard before saying, "Barrows."<br><br>Barrows slashed his sword through the space between Crane and Dessen where Crane's rapier was. The blade of the Rapier had snapped off in what Crane believed to be the skill Power Break. Dessen dropped the bladeless handle and said, "It is dangerous to carry a damaged sword into combat, it could snap at any time and leave you defenseless. How can you carry your own weight if you don't even have a proper sword?" <br><br>Crane's willpower was just barely keeping him from assaulting a man who was likely twice his level. Crane's sword had not been used since brought back to full durability by the blacksmith Oralast. Barrows sword was stronger, his level higher, and if Crane was correct had used Power Break. Crane bent down to pick up his sword when Dessen said, "Get yourself back to the city to fix that up, you can return after that but everything here will have concluded by then." Crane found the broken blade and walked out of the camp. Just before he left, Dessen said, "Don't forget to thank Barrows for demonstrating the danger you faced here. He did save your life." Crane walked out saying nothing, but at his back he could hear laughing. <br><br>Crane started running away from the camp in the direction of the city without looking back. After two hours of running he stopped. Crane figured Dessen would sent scouts after Crane to ensure he was heading home, but they would've turned back by now. Crane took out the broken sword and said "Repair"<br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td>Could not be restored to full durability with current skills<br>Maximum Durability has been lost</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td>Light Rapier: <br>Durability 50/71<br>Damage- 10~12<br>A fine rapier made of quality iron. The back of the blade was made with a stronger iron, making it more durable<br>Options: +5 AGI<br>Requirements<br>STR 50</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br>Crane hated Dessen for what he had done but was relieved the attack on his sword had not dropped, even if the max durability had. He was at least glad he had his helmet inside his inventory, or Dessen may have made an excuse to take it away. Crane need to figure out what Dessen did not want Crane around for and if it had anything to do with the sundown tomorrow deadline he had been told the road to the village would be closed till. Crane needed more information but had limited resources, he needed more options. Crane needed to clear his mind, so he did something that always did the trick. He took out a book and begun to read. <br><br>Potent Recipes of Kallamore was the only thing he had, but maybe something there could give him an idea. The book contained recipes for ancient elixirs and poisons, but he needed a high level Alchemy skill to make them successfully. The ingredients he had could make only make health potions. However the book contained recipes that used wild herbs that grew in Kallamore Kingdom, the grasslands he was now in. Crane's ingredients could be combined with certain plants that grew in the area to make poisons. However Crane only had the name of the missing ingredients, he did not know what they looked like. At that point Crane started to search the grasslands for herbs and use identify on each one he found. It was a long shot but if he could find something to make a poison, he may have been able to stand a chance.<br><br>At about the time the sun rose, Crane was reasonably depressed. He had found some plants he could use to make a decent poison, but he failed to extract them, destroying the usability in the process. The only herb Crane had successfully harvested was a paralytic ingredient. And it seemed that because they were poorly extracted, they were of the lowest grade in quality. Crane was running out of time and used all the herbs he collected to make the paralytic poison in his cauldron. He managed to fill a single bottle. "Identify."<br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td>Simple potion of paralysis<br>The ingredients are of low quality but created by someone with skill<br>Paralysis for 3~10 seconds</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br>The potion came out pretty bad but it was the best he could do and it did give him more options he did not have before. <br><br>Both criminal guards and Dessen's scouts would be watching the north and south entrances to the village and Dessen was camped on the west side, so Crane went a long way around to the east side of the village before making his approach. He did his best to approach unnoticed, but doing so was slow and it took four hours before Crane could see the outskirts of the town. Crane saw a single guard leaning on a rock looking out over the landscape. Before entering Crane would half to deal with him. Crane moved to the backside of the rock, where the guard could not see and took out a knife and potion. Crane poured the potion over the knife, and knelt down to pick up a rock. Crane threw the small rock hard at the back end of the rock the guard was leaning against, making a loud noise. Crane stayed perfectly motionless, knife in hand, as the guard circled to the back of the rock. Crane threw the knife at the man, and before confirming the hit, used dash to shorten the distance between the two. The knife hit his arm, but before he could raise his weapon, he froze in place. Crane shouted and used power lunge, combining his shout, dash, and lunge to a single strengthen attack. However the guard was not dead yet, Crane did not know when the man would recover so he took his majestic stance, 50!, shouted at the top of his lungs, and used Flurry. After three seconds of Flurry the man finally dissolved, leaving behind his armor. Crane had an idea. <br><br>Crane, now dressed in the guard's armor entered the village, trying to attract as little attention as possible. Crane found his way to the largest building in the village, where in front of it he saw two men talking. Crane hid next to the wall and listened in on the conversation.<br><br>"If the ransom isn't delivered by sundown, we get to kill every person in the village."<br><br>"I almost wish they don't pay, there are so many women here I want to make dead."<br><br>"Don't even talk like that, between this lot and my shared of 50,000 gold, I'd rather have the gold."<br><br>"But we were told a man called Dessen would bring us the ransom by now, where is he?"<br><br>Crane saw another man approaching so he quickly left. He found a broken down home and risked opening the door. He saw no one inside and decided here would be an ok spot to stop and plan. Crane had read of many such scenarios and it sounded like one of two things were happening. Dessen and his troops were given orders to kill the criminals and save the village folks held hostage. However if that were true he would have no reason to reject Crane's help, meaning it would be the second possibility. Dessen was given 50,000 gold to pay the criminals, he will wait until the deadline had passed and the criminals have killed all the villagers. Dessen and his combat force will then kill the criminals. He would likely report that the criminals killed the villagers after getting the ransom, he killed them in retaliation but did not recover the 50,000 gold. He would get the reputation for killing the awful criminals who slaughtered innocents and 50,000 gold as well.<br><br>Crane had to do something but he had no more paralysis potion, and even if he did, he could not kill the entire criminal gang by himself. Nothing had changed from before. Crane needed an army of his own to free the villagers. Crane raised his head as an epiphany struck him, he did have an army, they just didn't know it yet. <br><br>Crane took off the guard's uniform and hid it inside the house after re-equipping his military uniform. The bandit's was better than his uniform but Crane didn't want the criminals to find it while searching him and discover he killed one of their own. Crane exited the house and walked towards the center of town. He was surrounded by the criminals in less than a minute. <br><br>"Take me to your leader." <br><br>Like all sane people in the world, he had always wanted to say that, but a man replied, "Why shouldn't we kill you right now?"<br><br>"Because I got here somehow, and whoever is in charge will want to hear what I have to say." Crane was taken to a empty house where he was under a two man guard until the door opened revealing a slender halfling in what Crane recognized to be a thief's upper level choice clothing. "Hello, my name is Tensford, and I am told you have something I'll want to hear." Crane remembered that the halfling race is not native to Kallamore kingdom, meaning the leader of these bandits was a user.<br><br>"Captain Dessen is in a camp to the west of here with your 50,000 gold. But he won’t be sharing it with you. As long as there are no survivors, whatever he says happened here is what everyone will believe. After you have killed everyone to make a point that your demands are to be met, Dessen's soldiers will kill everyone one you."<br><br>Tensford's face remained neutral as he removed his dagger and shined sun's light at Crane with the blade. "And why should I believe you?" Everything Crane had said could not be proven, his only choice was to make a leap of faith and trust his intuition. "Because you are being used by Dessen's employer." Tenford's eyes widened for just a moment. "You were given a quest by someone to ransom the villagers here for 50,000 gold. Not the person who gave you the quest, but the person who hired them, used their influence to ensure that Dessen and some spoiled noblemen would be the ones to deliver the ransom. After you are dead Dessen will deliver the 50,000 gold to that person himself. Though the nature of that deal is unknown to me."<br><br>Tensford's eyes noticeably twitched. He raised his dagger and stabbed it with all his force into the table. "If what you say is true, what do you propose?" As Crane thought this person was a user, though whether or not he knew that the Kallamore Warrior Crane was one as well was still a mystery. <br><br>Crane looked up at Tensford and smiled. "How high is your pickpocket skill?"<br><br><br>-----------------------------------------<br><br>Crane watch the horizon from the roof of a house to see the last bit of the sun vanish. Dessen would arrive in the village shortly to kill the criminals, and Crane didn't want to miss the show. Dessen and his men could be seen heading for the village, but what they found left them speechless. The villagers were set free and noticed the arrival of the the combat force. They rushed to them with open arms shouting, "Thank You nobleman of Yarsan," and "You have saved us." The villagers came right up to the people and actually hugged them. Crane smiled from above as Barrows got a nice big hug and looked very uncomfortable. A man came up to Dessen but before he could get close Dessen raised his sword. The people who had been close to the soldiers backed away at his gesture but the man continued towards Dessen. The Captain extended his sword in a very threatening manner, but the man stopped and said, "I am the village elder. I was told you are Captain Dessen, and you are responsible for paying our ransom. From the bottom of our hearts, we thank you."<br><br>Dessen looked incredibly uncomfortable, his plan required the villager to be killed by the criminals, he could not kill them himself and get away with it because the criminals were still out there. And there was the manner of the paid ransom. Dessen turned his head slowly to Barrows. Barrows moved his hand in the air, an indication he was looking through his inventory. Barrows said nothing but his face went white. Dessen narrowed his eyes and gave Barrows a look that could kill. He put on a calm mask and asked the village elder, "Told by who?"<br><br><br>---------------------------------------------<br><br><br>Crane slowly got off the roof so as not to be noticed and Dashed to the the southern end of the village, where he saw the man who had given a hug to Barrows.<br><br>Tensford asked, "How did you know that it was the man called Barrows, and not Dessen himself or any other member of his unit that was holding onto the 50,000 gold? From what you told me you could not have known who Dessen trusted enough to hold onto the money for him. <br><br>Crane let another smile slip and said, "The shoes. Each of those guys had expensive, high quality shoes focused on defense, but only Barrows had shoes that enhanced movement speed instead of defense. If everything went to hell the guy with the money had to be able to make it out. I confirmed this when I saw the Dessen had on normal shoes as well."<br><br>Tensford let out another laugh and said. "Well, now I get to decided whether or not to kill you. You have helped us and if you were apart of my gang you would receive a fair cut, but you are not. You are young, but you have proven yourself formidable. It just so happens that one of my men was killed and we have an opening. Would you like to join my gang?"<br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td>You have received an offer to join a criminal gang!<br><br>If you accept it, your post as a infantryman of Kallamore will be abandoned and you will be charged with desertion. You are entitled to receive training in criminal skills. Your infamy will raise with each successful crime, and you position shall rise with your infamy. You will receive your cut of the ransom, 15,000 gold.</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br>It sounded like Tensford knew that Crane had killed him but was fine with it because it proved he had the skills to do so. The idea of abandoning the city to live the life of crime sounded fun, and Crane would be able to learn skills like pickpocket and lockpicking, but Crane got more fun from being the hero than the villain. That and he would incur strict penalties and be unable to leave his class if he left the Royal Kallamore Army. "I thank you for your offer. But that isn't the kind of person I am."<br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td>You have rejected the offer.</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br>Tensford frowned and said. "Then we have a problem. You know my face and are not under my command. I think I may have to kill you."<br><br>Crane nodded and said, "Yes, I understand you have to protect your interests. But there is a way I can join you without becoming a criminal."<br><br>Criminals get money by performing crimes, but most of the income from a professional criminal comes from contract work. The trick to hiring a criminal is knowing where to look, so criminal organizations often posed as legitimate guilds. The only way to learn of which guild was a so-called dark guild was by referral, making them all but untraceable. However if every member of a gang was apart of the guild, word about which guilds were secretly dens of criminals would get out quick. But the User leader of a criminal gang was almost always guaranteed to be a dark guild member. However although most guilds are run by NPCs, since the starting of the game only Users could join a guild.<br><br>At Crane's implication Tensford narrowed his eyes and said, "Wait, you're a user? User's can't join the army of Kallamore."<br><br>"I can prove it, would you like to be friends?"<br><br>And once again another round of laughter from Tensford, he even said, "sure."<br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td>Tensford has been added to your friend list.</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br>Only users could be added and Crane had spent two months in an empty library and two months in an NPC only army base. He had met few if any users in Royal Road and this was his first request.<br><br>Tensford said, "Alright then, but as for your request, I don't have that authority. I'll tell them you're interested of course, but no promises." Leaving it at that, Tensford walked away.<br><br>Chapter 7 Allies and Enemies &lt;!-- l --&gt;&lt;a class="postlink-local" href="http://www.royalroadl.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=91&amp;t=578&amp;p=2357#p2357"&gt;viewtopic.php?f=91&amp;t=578&amp;p=2357#p2357&lt;/a&gt;&lt;!-- l --&gt;<br>Chapter 5 The Variable Stat Finesse &lt;!-- l --&gt;&lt;a class="postlink-local" href="http://www.royalroadl.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=91&amp;t=576"&gt;viewtopic.php?f=91&amp;t=576&lt;/a&gt;&lt;!-- l --&gt; </div>

Chapter 6 The skill to win The first thing Crane did after the pair he was left alone was collect the loot and money from the ground. He had killed at least eighty bugs on his side and Levi had done likewise and the queen as well. Crane found a knife where the queen was slain and picked it up. "Identify." | Steel Throwing KnifeDurability 40/40Damage 7~10This knife was made with a perfect balance to be thrown.Requirements:+50 AGI | | --- | Crane suddenly became aware of his lack of distance attacks. The knife had decent damage and would need to be retrieved after it's use, but if Crane practiced a lot he knew he should be able to gain the skill Throw. Crane held the knife as he walked through the dungeon. Although most of the beetles had been called by the queen and killed, there were still many left in the dungeon. When a group popped up the first thing Crane would do was throw his knife. After that Crane would take out his sword and kill the beetles. However for the first few attempts it he couldn't aim at all. After a while the blade was finally going where he wanted it to, but it took longer still for Crane to get the hang of making sure the blade was facing the target at the moment of contact. All the while Crane wandered through the tunnels collecting the loot of the monsters Levi and himself, but mostly Levi, had killed. | Fighting Spirit increased by 1 point. (+1 FGT SP) | | --- | Crane had been receiving +1 messages for the vitality and fighting spirit stat since he got them after defeating the wave of beetles, but had not looked up their use yet. "Show Stat Fighting Spirit and Perseverance." | Fighting SpiritYou can call on superhuman strength temporarily, or bring weaker monsters to their knees with a force n your eyes alone. You are prohibited from distributing stat bonus points to this stat, it rises spontaneously, depending on the avatar's action, especially if you fight monsters for a long time, or often confront monsters stronger than your current level. Dying or running away from battles may lower this stat | | --- | | PerseveranceYou are likely to use less stamina in action. You are prohibited from distributing stat bonus points to this stat. | | --- | Crane could only smile. From what he understood of their uses, fighting spirit increased after winning a battle that was fought at the edge of life and death, and perseverance increased after doing a difficult task for a long time. In other words he just had to fight hard and fight often. A side effect of this strategy to enter more intense fights was that he was injured a lot more, and although he packed two weeks worth of herbs, rye bread, and bandages, he would eventually run out. Crane had considered ending his intensive battle streak when, after another blow, he received another message. | New Stat: Endurance | | --- | After the battle, Crane said, "Show Stat Endurance." | EnduranceReduces physical damage and slightly increases life. You are prohibited from distributing stat bonus points to this stat. | | --- | And again, Crane smiled. Now he would purposely take strong hits, enduring the pain so he could increase his new stat. Crane now had everything he needed and no reason to leave, until... After dealing the finishing blow to another Beetle, Crane heard a sharp CRACK sound from his sword, and a message appeared. | Your sword's durability has reached 2/80If you continue to use your sword it shall break and sustain unrepairable damage | | --- | Crane felt a shiver of fear as he realized he needed to get back to the city immediately. He had already collected all the fallen loot he could find and was currently taking advantage of the 2x experience he had for another day. Crane rushed back to the entrance as fast as he could, when he encountered monsters he used repeated Dashes to get through the slow moving bugs. After an hour of running around and having just finished off his mana, Crane found the door to the surface and went through. When he opened the latched his eyes screamed out in pain. Crane had forgotten that he had been in a dimly lit with glowing roots underground dungeon for almost a week. Crane shut his eyes for about three minutes before he slowly opened them for another five minutes. After regaining his sight, he knew the first thing he wanted to see. "Show stats and skill window." | Status Window | | | --- | --- | | Avatar- Crane. | Alignment- Neutral | | Level 71 | Class- Kallamore Warrior | | Title- None | Fame- 40 | | Health- 3130 | Mana- 1530 | | Strength- 150+45 | Agility-155+46 | | Wisdom- 60+22 | Intellect- 60+22 | | Vitality- 30+16 | Luck- 0+10 | | Leadership- 0+10 | Finesse- XX+10 | | Fighting Spirit- 8+11 | Perseverance 14+12 | | Endurance- 12+12 | | | Attack- 154 | Defense- 35 | | + All stats are added 10+ While using a sword you receive +50% bonus to Attack+ Decreases Mana Cost for Sword Skills by 50%+ Can learn skills that use the Stat Finesse+ All stats increase by 20% while wearing the Kallamore Warrior's helmet+ All stats decrease by 20% while not wearing the Kallamore Warrior's helmet | | | Skills Window | | | --- | --- | | Identification [6] 78%: Enables you to learn the true value of unidentified items.Mana Cost: 30 | | Sword Mastery [9] 86%: Increases attack power and hit rating for swords. +90% ATK +27% ATK SPD while using a sword. | | Twelve Forms [6] 3%: Increases strength and speed while fighting using the twelve forms.+60% STR +60% AGIMana Cost: 10 per second | | Flurry [2] 73%: Rapid series of thrusts3 thrusts per secondMana Cost: 30 per second | | Dash [4] 32%: Move a great distance in a single stepMana Cost: 10 | | Power Lunge [5] 23%: A strengthen piercing attack that covers some distanceMana Cost: 45 | | Soa's Routines [3] 55%: The routines used by Kallamore Kingdom's most elegant swordsman | A week's worth of fighting higher level monsters at double experience did wonders for his level and his sword mastery which increases at twice the rate because of his warrior sub-profession. However even though his twelve forms and identify skill were highly useful in there, his dash, flurry and Power Lunge however were not so much against bug shells. The only thing that had not increased another level was Soa's Routine. After the fluke in the queen's chamber, he still could not reach past 50 finesse when using the skill, and it seemed that low finesse techniques barely if at all increased the proficiency of the skill. Crane looked around and saw nothing in all directions. Crane knew his position was west of a road that was north of the city of Yarsan, so he headed southeast until he hit the road. Another two days of walking and Crane saw the Cliff that marked the city. After returning, Crane went to to shopping district to try to sell his items. Although the shoddy equipment he found would sell for something, few people would hang onto bug parts to try to sell them. But Crane knew better than most people. According to some of the books Crane read, certain bug pieces did have a use. Crane entered the Sorcerer's shop and looked around. This shop was the only place in the city where people could buy magic ingredient and items. However according to the law, the store could only sell magical tools that only magicians could use which were mostly pointless and redundant. Because of that the store became a specialty store that sold items required for magic ceremonies and rituals, potions, and potion ingredients. Crane walked up to the shop counter. Crane looked at the merchant and calmly asked, "This store buys and sells ingredients for potions and the like correct?" "Of course, we buy ingredients to make potions ourselves or to sell back to people who make their own." "What can you tell me about the shell of the Grass beetle? Do you have any in stock?" "That it is a mid-class ingredient that can be used to make strong stamina enhancing potions popular with warriors. But I am sorry sir, we do not have any in stock." "I see, would you care to buy some from me?" The merchant's eyes lit up, "Of course, but there are several grades of that ingredient. If you show me all you have, I will give you a fair price that takes into account the overall grade of the stock." Crane knew that the merchant would claim his haul was lower quality than it actually was to pay as little as possible for it. But could not have known that Crane had the identify skill, and leveled it up four times sorting each and every piece he had into bags ranked by their quality. Crane took out three bags and placed them on the table. "I have taken the liberty of sorting by grade, I think you will find everything in order, and I would like to negotiate on the price of each separately." The merchant was doomed as soon as he told Crane what the item was used for. With his extensive knowledge of item prices he obtained from reading, Crane knew exactly what the merchant could sell it for, and negotiated until the merchant would only make a profit by the barest of margins. However Crane had another goal in mind. "You drive one of the hardest deals I've ever seen, but ok. I'll buy the low grade bag for 35G, the mid grade for 63G, and the high grade 112G. That is a total of 210 gold pieces and the absolute highest I can go, take it or leave it." It finally reached the point Crane had been waiting for. "Sir, your deal sounds reasonably to me, but before I take it, I have a question, do you make your own potions?" "Why yes I do, every bottle in this store was made by yours truly." "That's incredible, in that case, I've changed my mind. I'll give you everything I have for free if you can teach me your skill!" Any profession that involves magic, whether magician or potion maker required a great deal of money. Due to this, most if not all members of these professions are always money hungry, and practically giving the man 200 gold pieces for nothing was an excellent way to disorient him. Although any decent cook could make a potion or tonic, only people with the alchemy skill could truly make potions with powerful effects from lower quality ingredients. An NPC with a skill can teach the skill to a User, but of all the skills that could be learned, Alchemy was the most well guarded. Alchemists were few in number and the craft guild preferred it that way to allow monopolization of the high grade potions. The man blinked for a few seconds as if he could not register what Crane had said, but as his mind slowly reassembled. The words, 'two hundred gold', 'free', 'teach', and 'skill', lined up in a row inside his head. The man then said, "It's a deal, come on in the back and I'll show you how's it's done." The man picked up the bag of low grade bug pieces and took them to a small cauldron in the back of his store. He dropped the bug shell in then poured several vials into the cauldron and said, "Watch carefully, the secret of potion making is in the stirring." Crane watched carefully as the merchant stirred in a figured eight pattern that slowly rotated clockwise. | You have learned new Skill: Alchemy | | --- | After showing him the skill he left the cauldron and went to a bookshelf in the back. "Here you go, it is the oldest book I have. I have long since memorized the recipes in it and it does no one any good collecting dust on a bookshelf, so you should take it, and these as well." Crane only smiled and received the book and the empty bottles from the merchant. As he left through the door he said, "Good bye and have a nice day." At his words the merchant shook his head as if he had woken up from a dream. "What just happened here..?" Whether or not he would realize what had happened Crane did not know, but he knew he would not have as much luck with the blacksmith. Before he got there he took out the book he got and looked at it. The cover was blue but it was so worn the words on the cover were no longer legible. "Identify." | Potent Recipes of KallamoreGives lists of ingredients of various potion recipes.Recipes will yield poor quality potions if used without sufficient Alchemy Skill | | --- | When the merchant said it was his oldest one, Crane thought he meant the first one he got, like a basic beginner book, but he gave Crane a the oldest book he had that contained ancient recipes with powerful effects. Crane's trick had worked far better than he hoped, a mere 200G for this book and the skill to use it was a bargain. Crane saw a thick dwarf sitting on a chair in front of the blacksmith shop. Crane had seen him before, and timed his arrival with the time the Dwarf usually used to take a break. Crane not only needed his sword repaired, he decided he needed to learn the repair skill for himself. However even though the repair skill was far more common than alchemy, learning it from this dwarf would be a greater challenge. Crane walked up to him and said, "Great blacksmith Oralast, I ask of you something only your great dwarven skills can accomplish." The dwarf's eyes moved to Crane and he said in a low voice, "Speak." "I am a soldier of Yarsan who wishes to learn how to repair equipment so my fellow warriors can always be ready for battle. My captain recommended I learn from an Elven Blacksmith he favors. But I know that dwarves are superior to elves in this field and have come against my captain's wishes to learn from the greatest blacksmith in Yarsan." The dwarf's eyes widened a bit at the term 'Elven Blacksmith,' but he still needed another push. "I have brought many broken and battered weapons with me so that you could use them to better instruct me in repairing them. After I have repair them, I shall give them all to you as payment as well as 100G for your time." After the last comment, Oralast got up from his chair and said, "I see you got a fine fire in ya, you'll be welcomed by the hearth. Now get out that beaten equipment so I can show you why dwarves are superior to elves on the forge. | You have learned new Skill: Repair | | --- | Two hours and a hundred gold later Crane had a newly repaired sword and his repair skill hit level three. Crane considered that the skill would not raise that fast normally but under the supervision of a skilled dwarf he rose his proficiency faster than normal. Crane still hadn't gotten the skill, Throw, after practicing in the tunnel, so after thanking and paying him Crane bought a set of ten throwing knives for 35G and a small cauldron for 15G. Crane then went back to the grocer's and used the last of the coin he obtained to fill up on supplies and few ingredients to use for practice potions. Almost two weeks after leaving, Crane returned to his army base to find Owens. "I have returned from the field sir." "And your timing couldn't’ve been better. I've received a report that there's a gang of criminals who've taken captive of the villagers of Surrol. That village is under our protection so we're sending in a combat force to negotiate or deal with the criminals and I want you on it. | Surrol LiberationThe people of Surrol have been invaded by a criminal gang lead by a mysterious thief. Go with the military force to Surrol to save the villagers and if necessary kill the bandits.Difficulty: DReward- Dependent on Contribution to quest. | | --- | Crane was weary of this opportunity, if the quest's combat force could been assembled without him, why was he needed at all? "Sir, why do you want me to go?" "Because everyone else on that force in a backstabbin nobleman, and I don't trust them any further than I can throw them." Crane said," The noblemen are skill book using high level soldiers, what is their average level and what of the gang member's levels?" Owens looked at Crane through narrow eyelids like he had just been asked questions he had not wanted to be. "The noblemen average level 110 and our intel places the gang members average level at 85. We don't know what there boss's level is." "Ok, I'll accept under one condition." Owen's eyes narrowed further, "What?" "Tell me how to use the finesse stat. I am stuck at only getting 50." He relaxed his posture with a look of relief and said, "Hmm, I've told you before that having the answer given to you retards you progress permanently, however, if you are stuck at fifty, then there is a hint I can give you, but accept the mission first." "I'll go to Surrol to take care of the villagers." | You have accepted the quest. | | --- | "Now, you say you've gotten to 50 already, that's impressive for couples of weeks. But a fencer's routine is only half physical motion. That is probably the half you're getting right. The other half is mental. Ask yourself why routines were created in the first place and where the source of their power comes from." Crane was relieved that he had not been doing the routines incorrectly, only incompletely. Now he just need to figure out the source of the routine’s power and use it to figure out the mental aspect of the routines. But first he needed to join a band of sheltered brats and save a village from a group of criminals who could each probably kill him single handedly. According to Owens, the group would leave at sundown. Crane had until then to practice his throwing skill on an archery target. Being able to throw ten knives before having to retrieve them shortened his learning time and he was getting use to throwing at different distances. Crane stood with a knife in hand 40 feet from the target, he raised his hand behind his shoulder and held his breath. After confirming the motion in his head, he forced out his breath in a shout, something he learned increased muscle strength for a moment, and let his hand fly over his shoulder with a moderate wrist movement to control the spin. The blade missed the target. Crane took a couple steps forward and one to the left. He had been practicing throwing at varying distances and angles and even added a shout to his throw since leaving the dungeon. It was something he read martial artists did and he thought it would be cool to practice. Crane took another dagger out and threw it with a "HA." It hit a few inches off the center, but Crane was pleased with his progress. He took several steps to the right and a few back and threw his last knife from the set with another shout. After the sound of it striking the target was heard, two messages popped up. | You have learned new Skill: Throw | | --- | | You have learned new Skill: Shout | Crane started laughing hysterically. Today had been a good day. He brought up his skill window to see how profitable it had been. | Alchemy [1] 0% Enables you to create potent potions from various ingredients | | --- | | Repair [3] 7% Enables you to repair weapons and armors. Beyond Lv. 10, you can forge new weapons and gears. | | Throw [1] 0% You can throw objects and weapons further and more accurately | | Shout [1] 0% Increases strength for an instant while shouting. Mana Cost: 5STR +3% for an instant | The shout skill was unexpected but welcomed, it seemed that the timing required to learn shout was easier for him to learn than the accuracy required to learn throw. Besides the ten knife set he purchased, Crane had one last knife from the Burrower's loot. He pulled it out and threw it at the target with a shout. The blade moved faster than they usually did and stuck itself a few inches into the center of the target. Crane dug it out and retrieved his other knives before heading to the meeting place of the combat force. He arrived about half an hour before sundown and sized up the group. Only half of them were there but each of them had high class equipment Crane judged had requirements right at their level, making them as strong as they could be. Another pair walked through the door followed by Barrows, in equipment Crane recognized had a level 120 minimum requirement and some rare shoes that increased movement speed. Crane wanted to say something but Barrows ignored his existence. One more member came through the room and Barrows started speaking, "The leader of this force, Captain Dessan, informed me we will meet him at his camp by the village of Surrol. You are all expected to bring your own supplies. We move out now." Short and to the point, Barrows seemed to act this way to everyone, not just him. But although Barrows met everyone's eyes as he spoke, he looked through Crane like an empty seat. This reminded Crane that Barrows and every person in that room other than himself was a member of nobility and thought poorly of Crane. The soldiers flowed out of the room followed by Crane. The entire atmosphere of the meeting ruined his good mood from earlier. To these people Crane was less than nothing. He was an unwanted source of competition for the reputation that individual achievement gained on the quest. Crane decided it would be best to keep his mouth shut and remain as small as possible until he returned to the base. From there it only went downhill. After Barrows passes the city gates he started running as did the entire combat force. Running wouldn't be a problem for an average person, but Crane hadn't actually done any long term running in several years. It didn't long for them to lose Crane, and after three hours of running he was alone. However Crane had long since memorized the geography of Kallamore from books and could find his way without help. He ran until his chest burned and his legs ached but still did not see them and ran some more. After another hour a message appeared. | Your Stamina has fallen, you can run no further | | --- | Crane was breathing heavily and barely moving forward. Crane sat down and took a look at the sky. Even though he was abandoned, tired and cold, he still smiled after he looked up. The night sky was filled with shining stars. Crane reached his hand into the air and felt like he could reach the sky. This couldn't be called a game. It wasn't real either. But he could feel the pain in his legs and the breeze on his face. Crane didn't know how long he stayed there, staring at the stars, but after he saw his stamina had fully returned, he got back on his feet and started running. After four more days of running, he arrived close to Surrol. For all he knew the criminals had all been wiped out by that time, and the town was safe and happy. On the road to the town Crane saw a very large pair of weapon bearing men. "Ok, scratch that thought." Crane opened his inventory and re-equipped his started equipment before the men could see he was wearing an army uniform and helmet and walked towards them. Compared to the men, Crane was a young, skinny, poorly dressed, boy with a thin sword. Crane tried to walk while appearing as meekly as he could. As he closed in on them, one of the men said, "Halt, this road is closed, go another way." Crane raised his hands like he was afraid of being beaten and said, "good sir, the next road over is a full day longer by foot, if I may ask, how long until this road reopens?" The guards looked at each other and started chuckling. "Heh, by sundown tomorrow, everything will be taken care of." Crane nodded and left back down the road. A few hundred feet down the road Crane saw another pair of men, these ones he recognized. The two soldiers from the combat force glared at him and motioned for Crane to follow them. He figured that there were people posted at both the north and south exit to ascertain how many people came and went from the village. Crane was lead to a small camp outside the village where all but two members of the combat force were located. One of the men escorting him went to a man Crane had not seen before while the other stayed with Crane. The unknown man walked up to Crane and said, "I am Captain Dessan. I wasn't sure that you would make it here. I am sorry you wasted your trip, but you are not needed and may return to the city." Crane said, "I beg your pardon Captain, but I cannot do as you ask." Dessen replied with a dangerous look in his eye, "Is that so?" "Yessir, my instructor Owens told me he would reward me with a skill book depending on how I contribute to the quest. I know I am weak, but I will carry my own weight." Crane could hear Dessen mutter the word 'Owens,' along with some profanity before saying, "Carry your own weight can you? Let me see your sword." Crane could not defy the order of his rightful commanding officer and handed Dessen his rapier by the hilt. Dessen gripped the sword hard before saying, "Barrows." Barrows slashed his sword through the space between Crane and Dessen where Crane's rapier was. The blade of the Rapier had snapped off in what Crane believed to be the skill Power Break. Dessen dropped the bladeless handle and said, "It is dangerous to carry a damaged sword into combat, it could snap at any time and leave you defenseless. How can you carry your own weight if you don't even have a proper sword?" Crane's willpower was just barely keeping him from assaulting a man who was likely twice his level. Crane's sword had not been used since brought back to full durability by the blacksmith Oralast. Barrows sword was stronger, his level higher, and if Crane was correct had used Power Break. Crane bent down to pick up his sword when Dessen said, "Get yourself back to the city to fix that up, you can return after that but everything here will have concluded by then." Crane found the broken blade and walked out of the camp. Just before he left, Dessen said, "Don't forget to thank Barrows for demonstrating the danger you faced here. He did save your life." Crane walked out saying nothing, but at his back he could hear laughing. Crane started running away from the camp in the direction of the city without looking back. After two hours of running he stopped. Crane figured Dessen would sent scouts after Crane to ensure he was heading home, but they would've turned back by now. Crane took out the broken sword and said "Repair" | Could not be restored to full durability with current skillsMaximum Durability has been lost | | --- | | Light Rapier: Durability 50/71Damage- 10~12A fine rapier made of quality iron. The back of the blade was made with a stronger iron, making it more durableOptions: +5 AGIRequirementsSTR 50 | | --- | Crane hated Dessen for what he had done but was relieved the attack on his sword had not dropped, even if the max durability had. He was at least glad he had his helmet inside his inventory, or Dessen may have made an excuse to take it away. Crane need to figure out what Dessen did not want Crane around for and if it had anything to do with the sundown tomorrow deadline he had been told the road to the village would be closed till. Crane needed more information but had limited resources, he needed more options. Crane needed to clear his mind, so he did something that always did the trick. He took out a book and begun to read. Potent Recipes of Kallamore was the only thing he had, but maybe something there could give him an idea. The book contained recipes for ancient elixirs and poisons, but he needed a high level Alchemy skill to make them successfully. The ingredients he had could make only make health potions. However the book contained recipes that used wild herbs that grew in Kallamore Kingdom, the grasslands he was now in. Crane's ingredients could be combined with certain plants that grew in the area to make poisons. However Crane only had the name of the missing ingredients, he did not know what they looked like. At that point Crane started to search the grasslands for herbs and use identify on each one he found. It was a long shot but if he could find something to make a poison, he may have been able to stand a chance. At about the time the sun rose, Crane was reasonably depressed. He had found some plants he could use to make a decent poison, but he failed to extract them, destroying the usability in the process. The only herb Crane had successfully harvested was a paralytic ingredient. And it seemed that because they were poorly extracted, they were of the lowest grade in quality. Crane was running out of time and used all the herbs he collected to make the paralytic poison in his cauldron. He managed to fill a single bottle. "Identify." | Simple potion of paralysisThe ingredients are of low quality but created by someone with skillParalysis for 3~10 seconds | | --- | The potion came out pretty bad but it was the best he could do and it did give him more options he did not have before. Both criminal guards and Dessen's scouts would be watching the north and south entrances to the village and Dessen was camped on the west side, so Crane went a long way around to the east side of the village before making his approach. He did his best to approach unnoticed, but doing so was slow and it took four hours before Crane could see the outskirts of the town. Crane saw a single guard leaning on a rock looking out over the landscape. Before entering Crane would half to deal with him. Crane moved to the backside of the rock, where the guard could not see and took out a knife and potion. Crane poured the potion over the knife, and knelt down to pick up a rock. Crane threw the small rock hard at the back end of the rock the guard was leaning against, making a loud noise. Crane stayed perfectly motionless, knife in hand, as the guard circled to the back of the rock. Crane threw the knife at the man, and before confirming the hit, used dash to shorten the distance between the two. The knife hit his arm, but before he could raise his weapon, he froze in place. Crane shouted and used power lunge, combining his shout, dash, and lunge to a single strengthen attack. However the guard was not dead yet, Crane did not know when the man would recover so he took his majestic stance, 50!, shouted at the top of his lungs, and used Flurry. After three seconds of Flurry the man finally dissolved, leaving behind his armor. Crane had an idea. Crane, now dressed in the guard's armor entered the village, trying to attract as little attention as possible. Crane found his way to the largest building in the village, where in front of it he saw two men talking. Crane hid next to the wall and listened in on the conversation. "If the ransom isn't delivered by sundown, we get to kill every person in the village." "I almost wish they don't pay, there are so many women here I want to make dead." "Don't even talk like that, between this lot and my shared of 50,000 gold, I'd rather have the gold." "But we were told a man called Dessen would bring us the ransom by now, where is he?" Crane saw another man approaching so he quickly left. He found a broken down home and risked opening the door. He saw no one inside and decided here would be an ok spot to stop and plan. Crane had read of many such scenarios and it sounded like one of two things were happening. Dessen and his troops were given orders to kill the criminals and save the village folks held hostage. However if that were true he would have no reason to reject Crane's help, meaning it would be the second possibility. Dessen was given 50,000 gold to pay the criminals, he will wait until the deadline had passed and the criminals have killed all the villagers. Dessen and his combat force will then kill the criminals. He would likely report that the criminals killed the villagers after getting the ransom, he killed them in retaliation but did not recover the 50,000 gold. He would get the reputation for killing the awful criminals who slaughtered innocents and 50,000 gold as well. Crane had to do something but he had no more paralysis potion, and even if he did, he could not kill the entire criminal gang by himself. Nothing had changed from before. Crane needed an army of his own to free the villagers. Crane raised his head as an epiphany struck him, he did have an army, they just didn't know it yet. Crane took off the guard's uniform and hid it inside the house after re-equipping his military uniform. The bandit's was better than his uniform but Crane didn't want the criminals to find it while searching him and discover he killed one of their own. Crane exited the house and walked towards the center of town. He was surrounded by the criminals in less than a minute. "Take me to your leader." Like all sane people in the world, he had always wanted to say that, but a man replied, "Why shouldn't we kill you right now?" "Because I got here somehow, and whoever is in charge will want to hear what I have to say." Crane was taken to a empty house where he was under a two man guard until the door opened revealing a slender halfling in what Crane recognized to be a thief's upper level choice clothing. "Hello, my name is Tensford, and I am told you have something I'll want to hear." Crane remembered that the halfling race is not native to Kallamore kingdom, meaning the leader of these bandits was a user. "Captain Dessen is in a camp to the west of here with your 50,000 gold. But he won’t be sharing it with you. As long as there are no survivors, whatever he says happened here is what everyone will believe. After you have killed everyone to make a point that your demands are to be met, Dessen's soldiers will kill everyone one you." Tensford's face remained neutral as he removed his dagger and shined sun's light at Crane with the blade. "And why should I believe you?" Everything Crane had said could not be proven, his only choice was to make a leap of faith and trust his intuition. "Because you are being used by Dessen's employer." Tenford's eyes widened for just a moment. "You were given a quest by someone to ransom the villagers here for 50,000 gold. Not the person who gave you the quest, but the person who hired them, used their influence to ensure that Dessen and some spoiled noblemen would be the ones to deliver the ransom. After you are dead Dessen will deliver the 50,000 gold to that person himself. Though the nature of that deal is unknown to me." Tensford's eyes noticeably twitched. He raised his dagger and stabbed it with all his force into the table. "If what you say is true, what do you propose?" As Crane thought this person was a user, though whether or not he knew that the Kallamore Warrior Crane was one as well was still a mystery. Crane looked up at Tensford and smiled. "How high is your pickpocket skill?" ----------------------------------------- Crane watch the horizon from the roof of a house to see the last bit of the sun vanish. Dessen would arrive in the village shortly to kill the criminals, and Crane didn't want to miss the show. Dessen and his men could be seen heading for the village, but what they found left them speechless. The villagers were set free and noticed the arrival of the the combat force. They rushed to them with open arms shouting, "Thank You nobleman of Yarsan," and "You have saved us." The villagers came right up to the people and actually hugged them. Crane smiled from above as Barrows got a nice big hug and looked very uncomfortable. A man came up to Dessen but before he could get close Dessen raised his sword. The people who had been close to the soldiers backed away at his gesture but the man continued towards Dessen. The Captain extended his sword in a very threatening manner, but the man stopped and said, "I am the village elder. I was told you are Captain Dessen, and you are responsible for paying our ransom. From the bottom of our hearts, we thank you." Dessen looked incredibly uncomfortable, his plan required the villager to be killed by the criminals, he could not kill them himself and get away with it because the criminals were still out there. And there was the manner of the paid ransom. Dessen turned his head slowly to Barrows. Barrows moved his hand in the air, an indication he was looking through his inventory. Barrows said nothing but his face went white. Dessen narrowed his eyes and gave Barrows a look that could kill. He put on a calm mask and asked the village elder, "Told by who?" --------------------------------------------- Crane slowly got off the roof so as not to be noticed and Dashed to the the southern end of the village, where he saw the man who had given a hug to Barrows. Tensford asked, "How did you know that it was the man called Barrows, and not Dessen himself or any other member of his unit that was holding onto the 50,000 gold? From what you told me you could not have known who Dessen trusted enough to hold onto the money for him. Crane let another smile slip and said, "The shoes. Each of those guys had expensive, high quality shoes focused on defense, but only Barrows had shoes that enhanced movement speed instead of defense. If everything went to hell the guy with the money had to be able to make it out. I confirmed this when I saw the Dessen had on normal shoes as well." Tensford let out another laugh and said. "Well, now I get to decided whether or not to kill you. You have helped us and if you were apart of my gang you would receive a fair cut, but you are not. You are young, but you have proven yourself formidable. It just so happens that one of my men was killed and we have an opening. Would you like to join my gang?" | You have received an offer to join a criminal gang!If you accept it, your post as a infantryman of Kallamore will be abandoned and you will be charged with desertion. You are entitled to receive training in criminal skills. Your infamy will raise with each successful crime, and you position shall rise with your infamy. You will receive your cut of the ransom, 15,000 gold. | | --- | It sounded like Tensford knew that Crane had killed him but was fine with it because it proved he had the skills to do so. The idea of abandoning the city to live the life of crime sounded fun, and Crane would be able to learn skills like pickpocket and lockpicking, but Crane got more fun from being the hero than the villain. That and he would incur strict penalties and be unable to leave his class if he left the Royal Kallamore Army. "I thank you for your offer. But that isn't the kind of person I am." | You have rejected the offer. | | --- | Tensford frowned and said. "Then we have a problem. You know my face and are not under my command. I think I may have to kill you." Crane nodded and said, "Yes, I understand you have to protect your interests. But there is a way I can join you without becoming a criminal." Criminals get money by performing crimes, but most of the income from a professional criminal comes from contract work. The trick to hiring a criminal is knowing where to look, so criminal organizations often posed as legitimate guilds. The only way to learn of which guild was a so-called dark guild was by referral, making them all but untraceable. However if every member of a gang was apart of the guild, word about which guilds were secretly dens of criminals would get out quick. But the User leader of a criminal gang was almost always guaranteed to be a dark guild member. However although most guilds are run by NPCs, since the starting of the game only Users could join a guild. At Crane's implication Tensford narrowed his eyes and said, "Wait, you're a user? User's can't join the army of Kallamore." "I can prove it, would you like to be friends?" And once again another round of laughter from Tensford, he even said, "sure." | Tensford has been added to your friend list. | | --- | Only users could be added and Crane had spent two months in an empty library and two months in an NPC only army base. He had met few if any users in Royal Road and this was his first request. Tensford said, "Alright then, but as for your request, I don't have that authority. I'll tell them you're interested of course, but no promises." Leaving it at that, Tensford walked away. Chapter 7 Allies and Enemies <!-- l --><a class="postlink-local" href="http://www.royalroadl.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=91&t=578&p=2357#p2357">viewtopic.php?f=91&t=578&p=2357#p2357</a><!-- l --> Chapter 5 The Variable Stat Finesse <!-- l --><a class="postlink-local" href="http://www.royalroadl.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=91&t=576">viewtopic.php?f=91&t=576</a><!-- l -->

<div class="chapter-inner chapter-content"> 2 hours of general boredom later, Pep-Ri appeared in a small clearing within the city of Rhodium. Immediately upon appearing, a list of pop up messages assaulted Pep-Ri.<br><br>Tring*<br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td>For finishing the tutorial and listening to the history of Versails Continent you have received + 5 to your wisdom stat</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><span style="font-style: italic;">Wait only a five point increase in wisdom? I sat through a grueling two hours! There has to be a mistake</span>.<br><br>Tring*<br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td>Additional Bonus: For being the first player to complete the entire tutorial you have received an additional +10 to you wisdom stat. You have also gain the skill patience</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><span style="font-style: italic;">'Wait the entire tutorial??? Fu--! Does that mean I could have skipped it entirely? Well, I guess a total of fifteen points to my wisdom stat, and a free skill isn't really a bad thing.'</span><br><br>Tring*<br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td>You are the first player to discover Rhodium, the city of artists, familiarity with the citizens of Rhodium has increased by 3%. Trading will be more profitable, and more quests will appear as familiarity increases. for 1 week you will receive an increase in experience and drop rates from the monsters in the surrounding fields. The first monster you kill will most likely drop a rare item</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br><span style="font-style: italic;">'Sweet!! A familiarity boost is going to help in gaining and conserving money! And an exp increase! Maybe if I rush to the surrounding fields now I can start leveling my character!'</span><br><br>Tring*<br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td>You are the first player to begin your journey in Rhodium, the city of artists, you gain the art stat. Familiarity with the citizens of Rhodium increases by an additional 5%. Trading will be more profitable, and more quests will appear as familiarity increases</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br><span style="font-style: italic;">'Well I guess you couldn’t have too much familiarity with the locals. But an art stat?? I wasn’t planning on being a crafting class what good would art do?'</span><br><br>Tring*<br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td>You are the first player within the Versailles continent to play as a pixie. As such familiarity with all pixies rises by 10%. Pixies everywhere will help you in times of trouble. You will also gain an additional 10 skill points to distribute in skill slots capable of being raised. You will also receive a hidden quest and a skill upon leaving the city</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br>Tring*<br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td>You are the first player to choose the neutral gender. You will gain no skills, points, or hidden classes or quests for this. You will always be treated by NPC’s as someone of the opposite gender. We just wanted to congratulate you on doing something unique. You will be pleased to note that as you are above the age of 18 you are allowed to marry either gender of your preference within the game. Typically this gender is used by those trying to attract someone of the same sex. Enjoy!</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br><span style="font-style: italic;">'What the F*** Forget that!'</span> Keith or now Pep-Ri, he assumed he should call himself, was only a ladies man. Yet again he cursed the stupid computer program that forced this gender on him!<br>With the end of the pop up barrage Pep-Ri was finally able to let it all sink in. Sweet this is awesome! With all these stat bonuses, new skills, and even a hidden quest Pep-ri could almost forgive the fact that being a pixie character, with the name of well Pep-Ri, was not what had been planned. He also had two skills to unlock! One, for being the first pixie, and the other for being the third player to register an account. Not only that but Pep-Ri could explore an entire city all by himself until someone else reached it!<br><br>Calling up his stats, He was shocked at both the good and the bad.<br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td width="25%">Character Name</td><td width="25%">Pep-Ri Replica</td><td width="25%">Alignment</td><td width="25%">Neutral</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Level</td><td width="25%">1</td><td width="25%">Profession</td><td width="25%">None</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Title</td><td colspan="3">None</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Reputation</td><td colspan="3">0</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Health</td><td width="25%">50</td><td width="25%">Mana</td><td width="25%">50</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Strength</td><td width="25%">5</td><td width="25%">Agility</td><td width="25%">20</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Stamina</td><td width="25%">5</td><td width="25%">Art</td><td width="25%">1</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Wisdom</td><td width="25%">15(+15)</td><td width="25%">Intelligence</td><td width="25%">5</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Luck</td><td width="25%">10</td><td width="25%">Leadership</td><td width="25%">0</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Attack</td><td colspan="3">1</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Defense</td><td colspan="3">0</td></tr><tr><td colspan="4">Magic Resistance</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Fire</td><td width="25%">2%</td><td width="25%">Water</td><td width="25%">2%</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Earth</td><td width="25%">2%</td><td width="25%">Dark Magic</td><td width="25%">-10%</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br><span style="font-style: italic;">'What the! What was with the low health, strength, stamina, mana, and intellect stats!! And my wisdom, luck, and agility are through the roof for a beginner. I also have some magic resistances on the offset of being extremely weak to dark magic. When I had gone through my planning stages I knew being an elf would have made him physically weaker by half. But being a pixie has left me incapable of wielding probably the lightest of weapons! I also can't run for more than a few minutes!'</span><br>Thinking about it some more Pip-Ri decided to look up the skill he had gained.<br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td>Patience (beginner level 1): This skill allows the user to wait silently until the perfect opportunity to strike. It increases your chances of getting a critical hit based on how long you waited to strike. As you raise your skill level you can decrease the waiting time needed before getting a critical hit. Higher levels can also raise the damage of a critical strike. No skill points can be added to this skill</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td>Pixie shot (Racial skill, beginner level 1): All arrows, stones, or weapons thrown have a 1% chance of causing confusion on top of any other effects created by other skills. This skill naturally grows alongside other reanged skills such as archery, throw, and magical attacks. Effect chance rate will be raised with this skills level. No skill points can be added</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td>Illusionary haze (Racial skill, beginner level 1): You can create a magical mist in your surroundings that will conceal and protect you. This skill has often been misunderstood as an invisibility spell. In fact it is created as magic is released, in the sweat a pixie excretes, and mixes with the surrounding air. The pixie does not in fact disappear. The magic released into the air interferes with an opponent’s vision long enough for pixies to quickly make an escape. 10 mana per second Higher levels of this skill can increase the potency of the pheromones to battle any resistance which an enemy may have. No points can be applied to this skill</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br>All in all Pep-Ri was going to be starting out at level one with a few more skills and stats than most people. Other Gamers who started out as the first of their species or first in a kingdom might have similar results, but overall he was going to be better off than most pixies would whenever some joined. He also had his 10 bonus stats that he could apply, 5 that he would get at level 5 along with two more skills. Adding the immediate 10 points into stamina and agility, Pep-Ri looked around at his surroundings for the first time.<br><br>The city of Rhodium was beautifully crafted and the structure of the buildings were all so different. Admiring the city and its statues as he passed through the city he was yet again bombarded by messages about how he had witnessed, admired, and enjoyed some such art work or another. In total he received 43 art stat points, 17 more wisdom, 8 intelligence, and 2 stamina. As the first player to see some of the pieces he received additional bonuses such as a permanent 5% per hour increase in health regeneration. Most of which were temporary though. Pep-Ri even found a couple of copper coins drifting in a central fountain.<br><br>Looking around yet again Pep-Ri finally made it to the town gate. Preparing to exit, so to best take advantage of the temporary increase in experience from the surrounding fields, Pep-Ri was caught by a city guard.<br><br>"Where do you think your going little girl? Newcomers to Versails continent are only permitted to leave after spending 4 weeks inside the city.<br><br><br>Deciding that since she could do little else till her afternoon meeting with Jenkins Pep-Ri shrugged off whatever mental tiredness was left in her body. Looking at the fountain statue again she quickly formulated a plan on how to quickly build up stamina and agility. ‘If this statue here can restore my stamina and keep me from falling dead then it is perfect for spamming during exercise!’ Starting off at a jog she ran up and down the streets of Rhodium frequently making stops at the fountain for water and to eat. Running throughout the night Pep-Ri raised her stamina and agility each by 11 points! He even gained a new skill running, which admittedly only decreased stamina usage.<br><br>After the bright morning sun rose over the crest of the surrounding hills, NPC’s and a few players began to flood the previously abandoned streets. Having watched her ability to raise agility and stamina stats at double the normal rate she realized something. ‘Pixies are only good at running away aren’t they. They have great potential to be faster than a cheetah or run longer than a wolf. But they can’t build up any strength! A warrior class is useless to me like this! I would never be able to deal the proper amount of damage needed to defeat my enemy. Besides pixies also have naturally low health starting out! Half the normal starting rate for a new player. I only have 50 HP! And while it is good to build up stamina and agility they were useless in a fight without health, strength, and the necessary skills.’<br><br>Becoming crestfallen Pep-Ri fell against a wall in the middle of the street. Many NPC’s looked at Pep-Ri curious to see a young man and sometimes a poor girl sitting down looking as if the world had turn against her/him. Thinking about it many of them came to the same conclusion “Maybe he lost his way to a con man and chose a bad class” or, “She must have gotten stuck with being a sculptor”. <br><br>Having no idea why Pep-Ri was really upset they each placed a few copper coins and even one silver at her feet, as they passed by. While in all reality, Keith had logged out leaving his character unprotected on the streets.<br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td colspan="3">Connect to Chapter 3? <a href="http://www.royalroadl.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=114&amp;t=960" target="_blank">Yes</a> | <a href="http://www.royalroadl.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=114" target="_blank">No</a></td></tr></tbody></table></div></div> </div>

2 hours of general boredom later, Pep-Ri appeared in a small clearing within the city of Rhodium. Immediately upon appearing, a list of pop up messages assaulted Pep-Ri. Tring* | For finishing the tutorial and listening to the history of Versails Continent you have received + 5 to your wisdom stat | | --- | Wait only a five point increase in wisdom? I sat through a grueling two hours! There has to be a mistake. Tring* | Additional Bonus: For being the first player to complete the entire tutorial you have received an additional +10 to you wisdom stat. You have also gain the skill patience | | --- | 'Wait the entire tutorial??? Fu--! Does that mean I could have skipped it entirely? Well, I guess a total of fifteen points to my wisdom stat, and a free skill isn't really a bad thing.' Tring* | You are the first player to discover Rhodium, the city of artists, familiarity with the citizens of Rhodium has increased by 3%. Trading will be more profitable, and more quests will appear as familiarity increases. for 1 week you will receive an increase in experience and drop rates from the monsters in the surrounding fields. The first monster you kill will most likely drop a rare item | | --- | 'Sweet!! A familiarity boost is going to help in gaining and conserving money! And an exp increase! Maybe if I rush to the surrounding fields now I can start leveling my character!' Tring* | You are the first player to begin your journey in Rhodium, the city of artists, you gain the art stat. Familiarity with the citizens of Rhodium increases by an additional 5%. Trading will be more profitable, and more quests will appear as familiarity increases | | --- | 'Well I guess you couldn’t have too much familiarity with the locals. But an art stat?? I wasn’t planning on being a crafting class what good would art do?' Tring* | You are the first player within the Versailles continent to play as a pixie. As such familiarity with all pixies rises by 10%. Pixies everywhere will help you in times of trouble. You will also gain an additional 10 skill points to distribute in skill slots capable of being raised. You will also receive a hidden quest and a skill upon leaving the city | | --- | Tring* | You are the first player to choose the neutral gender. You will gain no skills, points, or hidden classes or quests for this. You will always be treated by NPC’s as someone of the opposite gender. We just wanted to congratulate you on doing something unique. You will be pleased to note that as you are above the age of 18 you are allowed to marry either gender of your preference within the game. Typically this gender is used by those trying to attract someone of the same sex. Enjoy! | | --- | 'What the F*** Forget that!' Keith or now Pep-Ri, he assumed he should call himself, was only a ladies man. Yet again he cursed the stupid computer program that forced this gender on him! With the end of the pop up barrage Pep-Ri was finally able to let it all sink in. Sweet this is awesome! With all these stat bonuses, new skills, and even a hidden quest Pep-ri could almost forgive the fact that being a pixie character, with the name of well Pep-Ri, was not what had been planned. He also had two skills to unlock! One, for being the first pixie, and the other for being the third player to register an account. Not only that but Pep-Ri could explore an entire city all by himself until someone else reached it! Calling up his stats, He was shocked at both the good and the bad. | Character Name | Pep-Ri Replica | Alignment | Neutral | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Level | 1 | Profession | None | | Title | None | | | | Reputation | 0 | | | | Health | 50 | Mana | 50 | | Strength | 5 | Agility | 20 | | Stamina | 5 | Art | 1 | | Wisdom | 15(+15) | Intelligence | 5 | | Luck | 10 | Leadership | 0 | | Attack | 1 | | | | Defense | 0 | | | | Magic Resistance | | | | | Fire | 2% | Water | 2% | | Earth | 2% | Dark Magic | -10% | 'What the! What was with the low health, strength, stamina, mana, and intellect stats!! And my wisdom, luck, and agility are through the roof for a beginner. I also have some magic resistances on the offset of being extremely weak to dark magic. When I had gone through my planning stages I knew being an elf would have made him physically weaker by half. But being a pixie has left me incapable of wielding probably the lightest of weapons! I also can't run for more than a few minutes!' Thinking about it some more Pip-Ri decided to look up the skill he had gained. | Patience (beginner level 1): This skill allows the user to wait silently until the perfect opportunity to strike. It increases your chances of getting a critical hit based on how long you waited to strike. As you raise your skill level you can decrease the waiting time needed before getting a critical hit. Higher levels can also raise the damage of a critical strike. No skill points can be added to this skill | | --- | | Pixie shot (Racial skill, beginner level 1): All arrows, stones, or weapons thrown have a 1% chance of causing confusion on top of any other effects created by other skills. This skill naturally grows alongside other reanged skills such as archery, throw, and magical attacks. Effect chance rate will be raised with this skills level. No skill points can be added | | --- | | Illusionary haze (Racial skill, beginner level 1): You can create a magical mist in your surroundings that will conceal and protect you. This skill has often been misunderstood as an invisibility spell. In fact it is created as magic is released, in the sweat a pixie excretes, and mixes with the surrounding air. The pixie does not in fact disappear. The magic released into the air interferes with an opponent’s vision long enough for pixies to quickly make an escape. 10 mana per second Higher levels of this skill can increase the potency of the pheromones to battle any resistance which an enemy may have. No points can be applied to this skill | | --- | All in all Pep-Ri was going to be starting out at level one with a few more skills and stats than most people. Other Gamers who started out as the first of their species or first in a kingdom might have similar results, but overall he was going to be better off than most pixies would whenever some joined. He also had his 10 bonus stats that he could apply, 5 that he would get at level 5 along with two more skills. Adding the immediate 10 points into stamina and agility, Pep-Ri looked around at his surroundings for the first time. The city of Rhodium was beautifully crafted and the structure of the buildings were all so different. Admiring the city and its statues as he passed through the city he was yet again bombarded by messages about how he had witnessed, admired, and enjoyed some such art work or another. In total he received 43 art stat points, 17 more wisdom, 8 intelligence, and 2 stamina. As the first player to see some of the pieces he received additional bonuses such as a permanent 5% per hour increase in health regeneration. Most of which were temporary though. Pep-Ri even found a couple of copper coins drifting in a central fountain. Looking around yet again Pep-Ri finally made it to the town gate. Preparing to exit, so to best take advantage of the temporary increase in experience from the surrounding fields, Pep-Ri was caught by a city guard. "Where do you think your going little girl? Newcomers to Versails continent are only permitted to leave after spending 4 weeks inside the city. Deciding that since she could do little else till her afternoon meeting with Jenkins Pep-Ri shrugged off whatever mental tiredness was left in her body. Looking at the fountain statue again she quickly formulated a plan on how to quickly build up stamina and agility. ‘If this statue here can restore my stamina and keep me from falling dead then it is perfect for spamming during exercise!’ Starting off at a jog she ran up and down the streets of Rhodium frequently making stops at the fountain for water and to eat. Running throughout the night Pep-Ri raised her stamina and agility each by 11 points! He even gained a new skill running, which admittedly only decreased stamina usage. After the bright morning sun rose over the crest of the surrounding hills, NPC’s and a few players began to flood the previously abandoned streets. Having watched her ability to raise agility and stamina stats at double the normal rate she realized something. ‘Pixies are only good at running away aren’t they. They have great potential to be faster than a cheetah or run longer than a wolf. But they can’t build up any strength! A warrior class is useless to me like this! I would never be able to deal the proper amount of damage needed to defeat my enemy. Besides pixies also have naturally low health starting out! Half the normal starting rate for a new player. I only have 50 HP! And while it is good to build up stamina and agility they were useless in a fight without health, strength, and the necessary skills.’ Becoming crestfallen Pep-Ri fell against a wall in the middle of the street. Many NPC’s looked at Pep-Ri curious to see a young man and sometimes a poor girl sitting down looking as if the world had turn against her/him. Thinking about it many of them came to the same conclusion “Maybe he lost his way to a con man and chose a bad class” or, “She must have gotten stuck with being a sculptor”. Having no idea why Pep-Ri was really upset they each placed a few copper coins and even one silver at her feet, as they passed by. While in all reality, Keith had logged out leaving his character unprotected on the streets. | Connect to Chapter 3? [Yes](http://www.royalroadl.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=114&t=960) | [No](http://www.royalroadl.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=114) | | | | --- | --- | --- |

<div class="chapter-inner chapter-content"> Opening his eyes William finds himself in front of a fountain, looking around for a few moments before calling out his Stat window:<br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td colspan="4">Status Window</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Character Name</td><td width="25%">Will</td><td width="25%">Alignment</td><td width="25%">Neutral</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Level</td><td width="25%">1</td><td width="25%">Class</td><td width="25%">None</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Title</td><td width="25%">None</td><td width="25%">Fame</td><td width="25%">0</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Health</td><td width="25%">100</td><td width="25%">Mana</td><td width="25%">100</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Strength</td><td width="25%">10</td><td width="25%">Dexterity</td><td width="25%">10</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Vitality</td><td width="25%">10</td><td width="25%">Wisdom</td><td width="25%">10</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Intellect</td><td width="25%">10</td><td width="25%">Leadership</td><td width="25%">0</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Luck</td><td width="25%">0</td><td width="25%">Offense</td><td width="25%">0</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Defense</td><td width="25%">0</td><td width="25%">Magic Resistance</td><td width="25%">0%</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br>Looking over his new avatar stats Will closes the windows opens his inventory bag and fills up the canteen with water from the fountain. Turning around Will starts to walk down the busy street, upon entering a tavern Will moves right towards the Barman and asks.<br><br>Will: Happen to have any labor to do? I am looking to earn some coins.<br>Barman: Ney, already have two slackers in the back, sorry cant help you out. Visit me if you need a cheap but good meal and a bed for the night.<br>Will: Thank you.<br> <br>Slightly discouraged Will leaves the tavern and visits few shops but alas none of them are hiring. Almost giving up on finding employment Will decides to head toward the Training hall before he was able to enter it Will stumbled and collided with an old man knocking him over.<br><br>Will: Ah I am very sorry , are you alright?<br>Old Sage: Darn you young ones, yes I am fine but help me pick up all the herbs.<br><br>Will starts picking up the shattered herbs laying across the ground, every once a while he tries to check what herbs they are but he is unable to identify them as he starts to hand them over to the old man, the old man shakes his head.<br>Old Sage: Now follow me and dont dare to drop any of them.<br><br>Will nods his head and follows the old man. Upon reaching and old and shabby looking shack the old man enters right away and waits for Will to step in to close the door behind him. Will is awestruck from the sudden rush of all sort of different aromas ranging from sweet as honey to sour as a lemon. Will feels like he just entered a portal and got teleported somewhere as the shack inside look like a green house filled with various herbs. The old man moves to his work desk, dozen of vials and odd machinery sloppily placed on top of the desk. <br><br>Old Sage: Come here, place the herbs here. I need to sort them out now<br><br>Obeying the old man Will moves towards the desk and drops the herbs he was carrying, taking few steps back watching the old man carefully examine and sort out the herbs, putting them in different containers and few moving aside to dry them. Once the old man is finished with the herbs he turns towards Will.<br><br>Old Sage: Still here? Suppose I should thank you for your assistance.<br>Will: No need but I am curious what are all these for? <br><br>The old man chuckles a bit before he replies.<br><br>Old Sage: Well most of them are for medicine to cure different diseases but some are more dangerous, without the right processing they could turn into deadly poison. Seems like your interested in this line of work. I do need some assistance, think you are up for the task?<br><br><br><br>The Sages Assistant.<br><br>The Sage request your assistance to complete his orders. Various tasks from collecting herbs to helping produce medicine and delivering them. <br><br>Difficulty Level: E <br>Reward: Unknown<br><br><br>Will nods and says “Yes!”.<br><br>You have accepted the quest.<br><br>Old Sage: Good, you can sleep in the shack but I doubt that you will find time for sleeping. Let me show you some basics, come.<br><br>Following the old man Will listened carefully to every word he spoke. The old man showed Will how to tell apart basic herbs and their attributes and best usage.<br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td colspan="4">Skill : You have learned Herbalism.</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br>Intellect increased by 1 (+1 Int). </div>

Opening his eyes William finds himself in front of a fountain, looking around for a few moments before calling out his Stat window: | Status Window | | | | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Character Name | Will | Alignment | Neutral | | Level | 1 | Class | None | | Title | None | Fame | 0 | | Health | 100 | Mana | 100 | | Strength | 10 | Dexterity | 10 | | Vitality | 10 | Wisdom | 10 | | Intellect | 10 | Leadership | 0 | | Luck | 0 | Offense | 0 | | Defense | 0 | Magic Resistance | 0% | Looking over his new avatar stats Will closes the windows opens his inventory bag and fills up the canteen with water from the fountain. Turning around Will starts to walk down the busy street, upon entering a tavern Will moves right towards the Barman and asks. Will: Happen to have any labor to do? I am looking to earn some coins. Barman: Ney, already have two slackers in the back, sorry cant help you out. Visit me if you need a cheap but good meal and a bed for the night. Will: Thank you. Slightly discouraged Will leaves the tavern and visits few shops but alas none of them are hiring. Almost giving up on finding employment Will decides to head toward the Training hall before he was able to enter it Will stumbled and collided with an old man knocking him over. Will: Ah I am very sorry , are you alright? Old Sage: Darn you young ones, yes I am fine but help me pick up all the herbs. Will starts picking up the shattered herbs laying across the ground, every once a while he tries to check what herbs they are but he is unable to identify them as he starts to hand them over to the old man, the old man shakes his head. Old Sage: Now follow me and dont dare to drop any of them. Will nods his head and follows the old man. Upon reaching and old and shabby looking shack the old man enters right away and waits for Will to step in to close the door behind him. Will is awestruck from the sudden rush of all sort of different aromas ranging from sweet as honey to sour as a lemon. Will feels like he just entered a portal and got teleported somewhere as the shack inside look like a green house filled with various herbs. The old man moves to his work desk, dozen of vials and odd machinery sloppily placed on top of the desk. Old Sage: Come here, place the herbs here. I need to sort them out now Obeying the old man Will moves towards the desk and drops the herbs he was carrying, taking few steps back watching the old man carefully examine and sort out the herbs, putting them in different containers and few moving aside to dry them. Once the old man is finished with the herbs he turns towards Will. Old Sage: Still here? Suppose I should thank you for your assistance. Will: No need but I am curious what are all these for? The old man chuckles a bit before he replies. Old Sage: Well most of them are for medicine to cure different diseases but some are more dangerous, without the right processing they could turn into deadly poison. Seems like your interested in this line of work. I do need some assistance, think you are up for the task? The Sages Assistant. The Sage request your assistance to complete his orders. Various tasks from collecting herbs to helping produce medicine and delivering them. Difficulty Level: E Reward: Unknown Will nods and says “Yes!”. You have accepted the quest. Old Sage: Good, you can sleep in the shack but I doubt that you will find time for sleeping. Let me show you some basics, come. Following the old man Will listened carefully to every word he spoke. The old man showed Will how to tell apart basic herbs and their attributes and best usage. | Skill : You have learned Herbalism. | | | | | --- | --- | --- | --- | Intellect increased by 1 (+1 Int).

<div class="chapter-inner chapter-content"> Clash of Gods<br><br> <br>“How should I do this” I ask out loud while standing in front of the apartment building.<br><br>After getting to my new home, my new guardians had a phone call from work, said it was an emergency, and gave me a letter, “So that there are no misunderstandings between you and your sister” they said, it looked completely planned. Maybe they did not want to tell the news themselves. <br><br>Well at least the house isn’t absurdly big or anything’ I thought they would live in a great mansion with rolling hills behind, and millions of dollars wasted in art like an eccentric rich couple probably would, not that I like money per se but the waste of it makes me want to hit someone. Unexpectedly it was in an apartment building with three floors, ten apartments each, and the one he was going to be living on was apartment #205.<br><br>The area was a nice one full of big houses and healthy looking businesses. The apartment building included many facilities, a gym, tennis court, basketball court, a small park nearby with its own trail for jogging and playing area for kids.<br><br>As I walked to the apartment I could see nothing weird. The hallway was clean, and there was no noise coming from any apartment which made me a little anxious.<br><br>The inside was a surprise in various ways.<br><br>Entering the house is what looks like a living room, but it did not really look comfortable at all anymore, the cushions were in disarray and the sofa was pointing away from the TV. There is a huge TV against the wall near the entrance with woman’s undergarments on it, a desktop with a computer and a table that seemed to be for playing card games, if the mess on it was any indication.<br><br>If I did not know better I would have though the place was from an old arms dealer bachelor I knew from experience.<br><br>I felt like exploring a bit, because the absence of any noise meant that nobody was home. So moved to the hallway which was behind the sofa, and checked out the rest of the house. <br><br>I was shocked to see that everything everywhere was in a mess. The kitchen had dirty plates, and take out boxes everywhere, the library was full of books out of the shelves and some school books, the first bedroom was a mess but it seemed not exaggerated, the only clean place was new guardians bedroom (knew because of size), and every time I saw something dirty I had to suppress the impulse to clean, to organize, it was weird since they were rich and could afford a maid… or three.<br><br>But my sister’s bedroom was the last straw.<br><br>Clothes, books, cushions, pencils, school material, even electric notebooks, everywhere, the bed did not look like a bed at all, it had more similarities with a rats nest.<br><br>The only clean things in the bedroom were 2 immaculately clean capsules, which took me by surprise, for only a moment.<br><br>But it was too late, I could no longer control myself and so I gave in to my urge to clean, I took my long raven black hair and tied it in a pony tail with the black rubber band that I had on my wrist, and got to work.<br><br>I was immersed in cleaning, gathering all found dirty clothes in a bag from the bathroom. Took all school books and materials and put them in a desktop attached to the bedroom wall in relative order.<br><br>I could not believe what I was seeing, the more I cleaned the messiest it seemed.<br><br>I was so immersed in cleaning the room for what could have been hours, and wondering where the next mess was, that I somehow lost myself, and stopped paying attention to my surroundings.<br><br>Which is probably why I got stunned when I turned around, in the now immaculate living room ready to put the things I took back on their place, and saw my sister<br><br>She was looking at me with eyes full of amusement if a little reserved, ‘she probably thinks I’m no threat, but senses something from me’ which made me wonder just how much time she had been there looking at me, and her ability in Martial Arts.<br><br>It was my first time looking at her in real life after 12 years and she did not turn out how I thought she would at all.<br><br>She was beautiful with a short haircut that reached her shoulders, in a shock of black hair like mine, but I could see that that was the full extension of our similarities. She was pretty but I knew that because of her gallantry she was more popular with girls than boys. She was what I could call handsome, with well defined features, as in full but not extremely so lips, a strong jaw line, roman nose, fine eyebrows, smooth sun bathed skin, and a pair of brilliant baby blues that seemed see-through, but what most made her seem manly was her stance with which she carried herself, seemed ready to fight and looked tough instead of delicate, her muscles and stature, made her look beautiful yet imposing, she was 183 cm tall ,with lean wide shoulders, and thin yet curvy physic that would make many a model envy. The whole made her look like a beautiful, powerful and handsome Amazon warrior.<br><br>She seemed to look at me with eyes full of amusement the reservation seemed to leave after taking me all in, yes, that kind of thing tended to happen, her eyes seemed to ask the unspoken question, how did you get in here, and what the heck are you doing?<br><br>I got a moment of embarrassment, and got the urge to knock her unconscious and escape, but repressed it, as I could not explain what a stranger was doing in her house cleaning her apartment, but I did not have to worry for she took the initiative, dammit it was easier when you have a role to play and a mission to do.<br><br>“Who are you” she said in a pleasant if amused voice.<br><br>I could see that she did not think of me as a threat or a thief, but got a little nervous anyway, as I really wanted to make a good first impression.<br><br>“I, um, my name is Athanasius but you can call me Nass” I could see that my introduction was not quite enough, “well, I was adopted you see by your, our parents, and as of today I am your new brother, see, here, this is a letter that your parents gave me, to give to you” I seemed to be somewhat flustered by my first meeting and her amused look, this was not a normal situation for me, but still there was no excuse.<br><br>I gave her the letter while looking at my feet with a red face ‘How embarrassing’ I am lethal and death would not even scare me but facing my sister made me stutter, I wanted to dig a hole somewhere and die, or knock my sister unconscious and escape ‘stop it, there’s no escaping NOW!’.<br><br>As I stood there fidgeting, waiting for a response from my sister I could see that her face was coloring slightly the more she read, ‘is she mad, don’t tell me she’s mad’ I did not want her to see our situation as something bad, so when she looked up after finishing reading and was about to say something, I started speaking, before she could say whatever she wanted to say, dammit none of these was planned!<br><br>“I know this is too fast and is probably a surprise to you, as the reaction your, our parents had when I asked about you is any indication, heck it’s a surprise for me too, but I’ve never had a family and seeing you, well I have this hope you know for a new family” as I started rambling with words I could see her getting redder as if containing something, and as she tried to speak I rushed some more thinking ‘Don’t let her speak! Convince her you idiot!’ and a smaller panic filled voice yelling ‘hit and run, hit and run’ which was getting harder to ignore the more I talked “and well I want new family you know I have been in the orphanage for a long time and when they told me about you I got all giddy, which is my own fault!, I know you probably don’t want me here and all but…” as I felt tears threatening to fall, curse those extra female hormones from the alteration, (manly assassin here who?) I got surprised to hear a choking sound.<br><br>I looked up and saw my sister doubled over shaking all over ‘is she crying don’t tell me she’s crying?!’ as I approached her cautiously, I could feel my panic rising, I put my hand on her shoulder and started to apologize as I did not know what else to do “I’m sorry did I do something wrong, what can I do, I’m sorry” I bit my lower lip and could feel tears starting to fall from my eyes ‘so manly’ until I heard an irritating sound. God what a sucker I turned out to be in real life situations.<br><br><br>“Nahaha, ha-ha” in an extremely infuriating way my sister started laughing and laughing, and I had a feeling that there was nothing I could do about it, ‘and here I am all nervous about it, and she’s having the time of her life’ my panic was giving way to irritation, and I started to consider plan B of ‘Hit and run’ in a more favorable light.<br><br>A few minute passed in which she would calm down a little then look at me and start all over laughing while saying things like “hurts, it hurts” and “please stop” and other things that were swallowed by her laughter. she gained control of herself after a couple of minutes of belly aching laughter then started talking in a pitch higher than previously used, in which the laughter could almost be heard.<br><br>“I’m sorry it’s just that the letter, I read it, and you look so cute, but it said you are a man. Then you started talking and talking, and you didn’t let me even say anything, then you had tears, and I tried to say something but you kept on talking, and NOW!, see, see you are pouting, are you really a boy, and my brother? If so, don’t worry I’ll protect you anywhere we go, as I read your condition of getting lost, under normal circumstances I’d have cursed you but you are cute so I’ll give you a pass, welcome home little brother” this last was said with a serious face, small grin, and craving eyes.<br><br>I did not even realize that I had stuck out my lower lip, in a pout and felt tears threaten once again, ‘I don’t normally cry this much I swear’ but who could blame me when I was nervous and my sister laughed off all my insecurities and welcomed me home.<br><br>But I still replied “Thank you” while thinking of ways to take advantage of the first impression given to my sister, ‘I might have done it without a conscious though but I will take every advantage I can in order to protect her’.<br><br>“Well let me introduce myself, I am your new sister, my name’s Shamira, but you can call me Ira or sister however you prefer. Well, are you hungry, do you want something to eat? I could prepare it for you, something that is, if you are hungry? , not that I am any good at it as you probably guessed from the kitchen, if not come and play with me as I have a promise to keep and people to meet in Clash of Gods, school is still out for summer from a week ago and –Clash of God s- started a month ago, what’s your age anyway, if you are a boy you can’t be over 14 right? I’ve always wanted to have a younger brother, you know.” She muttered somewhat longingly while looking at me.<br><br>She seemed to want to know a lot so I answered as best I could, “Nice to meet you Sis, now I am not really hungry, thank you. And my age is 16, our parents told me we are of the same age and grade, and I’d love to play Clash of Gods, I’ve heard a lot from our parents about it” <br><br>“Well yes that’s something that said in the letter, your age that is, I just had a hard time believing it except for your height, and my parents probably chewed your ear out with so much talk of the game, but it is awesome and I’m proud of them, come I’ll show you to your room and the capsule you will use, and don’t worry about friends I’ll introduce them to you later, choose Leaf city in the Greenclad kingdom, I’ll be there to help you.”<br><br>With that she started walking towards the first room and entered. “I’m sorry for the messes on the house, and the mess in your new room even though its clean now, I used it because my room was simply horrible, well enough of that, there’s the capsule, You have to turn it on first, just lay there, you don’t need anything extra, but just remember not to be disrespect the A.I at the start, and don’t take all like a game, this game is more like a second life than anything else just without the real fear of real death, and don’t worry about your misdirection condition in game, as wherever you go is a probability of a new adventure, if you have trouble contact me, my name in game is Ira Shance, and am currently near leaf city with friends, do tell me if you decide on somewhere else” with that brief explanation she walked out with a last smile. As she left I could swear I heard my sister’s obnoxious laughter ringing in my ears for a while longer.<br><br>‘That actually went really well’<br><br>Now I had many excuses to be near her ‘I know we can become close’ I though while smiling.<br><br>I could faintly hear her laughter ‘What an easygoing person’ <br>I was a little torn, between starting to play, and to finish cleaning, for the house was nowhere near what I was used to.<br><br>But I was more drawn to the game, so I went to the capsule.<br><br>I touched it, got brighter and read, -Welcome to Clash of Gods-, do you want to activate this capsule. With yes, no and options as answers, I touched yes, the capsule opened with a small whoosh of air.<br><br>I was a bit nervous, but got in any way, as I wanted to see the pride and joy of my new parents, and I might as well protect my sister inside the game too, ‘I’ve a month to catch up too’ that was my last though as it all went black.<br><br><br><br><br>It was dark, not a dark that scared me, but one that comforts instead. It felt like floating while being embraced.<br><br>I felt a little like crying ‘dang my emotional state, having family makes me all emotional, and weak’ but did not have eyes with which to do that so I stayed silent instead and heard a soft feminine voice.<br><br>“Scanning body signals, eyes, fingertips, iris, body, density, DNA… process done.”<br><br>“You seem to be a new user do you want to create a new account in Clash of Gods?”<br><br>The voice seemed to come from everywhere and had a slightly and pleasant female pitch.<br><br>“Yes”<br><br>“Very well, would you like to start with, account creation, if you already have one then simply link your avatar, or continue directly to making your avatar?” <br><br>“What does making an account entail?”<br><br>“By making an account you would then be able to have access to different sites made by -Godly Entertainment- in which there are some variety, like forums, auction site, etc. Would you like to know more? Create an account? Or continue with your avatar?”<br><br>“I would like to create an account please.” I was trying to be respectful, as I heeded my sister’s advice of treating the A.I well.<br><br>“All right first of all. What is your name?”<br><br>“Athanasius Tomaya”<br><br>When I said my name, I heard a small gasp followed by a short silence. “Are you the new son of John and Gabriela?” that was the first time the A.I had any emotion in its voice.<br><br>“Well yes, as of today, that’s the reason I’m playing the game, as they talked about it with a lot of pride in their voices.”<br><br>“Oh, okay then you need to know that as the son of the Tomaya’s you have one wish that can be granted at the time of your avatars creation, of course inside certain parameters, well let’s continue. What username would you like?”<br><br>“Username?” I knew what it was but wasn’t very familiar with the term.<br><br>“Yes the name you would like to use for your account, it has to be unique to you as it is what people will call you and identify you.” It seemed it returned back to its normal and emotionless voice.<br><br>“How about my name is that okay”<br><br>A small flash and my name appeared, -Athanasius- Followed by “Your name is available would you like some changes? If not please tell me your password.”<br><br>“Yes it is okay and my password, I would like it to be -**************-, is that okay?<br><br>“Yes. Wait a moment” about ten seconds passed and then, “Thriing” a sound like a bell “Your account has been finished and authorized with some extra authorization for who you are, would you like to proceed to your avatar creation”<br><br>“Yes, please”<br><br>“Please select the name of your Avatar”<br><br>“Nass”<br><br>“And your last name?”<br><br>“Last name?”<br><br>“Yes so that there would be no players with the same name, last names to your characters are necessary”<br><br>“Then Nass … ummm.”<br><br>“-Nass Umm- This name is not available please select another”<br><br>‘Dang it I have to come up with something’ in the end I decided with a combination of my nickname and blood, bloodshed and carnage in Latin for my last name “Athanasius Nassanguise” I said<br><br><br>“Athanasius Nassanguise, will be the name of your avatar, this will not change for any reason, only the elimination of the avatar will let you have another name as there is only one character available per person, but NPC’s and other players can end up knowing you by a different name depending on actions, are you sure you will you choose this name?” the more she talked the more certain of my name I was, as there did not seem to be any difference at all anyway.<br><br>“Yes”<br><br>“Please choose your race, between your options now available are 4 main species, and 12 subspecies. As the game progresses more will become available and change in game of species, is mostly impossible, and change in sub species are easier to come by but still difficult. Would you like to choose now? Or hear information about them?”<br><br>“Please tell me in a resumed manner, about the different main species.”<br><br>“Yes. The –Human- species is the most generic, and balanced, some say from this species more doors could open than any other. <br><br>The –Elf- specie are said to be beautiful, haughty and arrogant, have many enemies as they believe themselves to be protectors of nature, seem to lack brute strength while they compensate with magic dexterity and agility.<br><br>The –Dwarf- species have small statures, but compensate with their pride, strength, and blacksmithing ability, are strong against fire, and are good fighters as their small stature helps their center of gravity.<br><br> The -Beast kin- or specie, are said to have characteristics of animals depending on their tribe, average magic and are ferocious warriors, with speed and strength, currently enemies of humans.”<br><br>“What subspecies do the elves have?” I wanted to know as I could use the preconceptions others had of the elves nature to my advantage.<br><br>“Until now, the available elves are, High elves, Elves, and Moon Elves.”<br><br>“Can you please describe in a resume manner their talents and differences please.”<br><br>High elves, is the subspecies of elves that are more inclined towards magic than any other elves, but what they gain in bonus magically they lose physically, and are said to be the weaker, and slower, elves .<br><br>Elves, closest to human kind, they have enhanced magic and agility, but lose some brute strength, are said to be the most common and well-rounded of the elves.<br><br>Moon Elves, they started as high elves but left to start a new city under a new god, have very similar characteristics to the high elves, but their power of magic is amplified with moonlight.”<br><br>Everything the A.I said appeared in different windows that disappeared with a though of mine, but there wasn’t anything that attracted me. What I wanted was something unique beautiful but deathly in everything.<br><br>“Are there any species of elves undiscovered or unplayable under normal circumstances that I could use? I, if I like them, would choose one of them as my wish” I tried using my most reasonable voice, to make them see my point of view.<br><br>“U, um if you’ll excuse me I would have to check with administration”<br><br>I liked rattling the A.I it let a cuter voice when it did not know what to do. After about three minutes of silence the voice returned.<br><br>“They appeared to accept your request as a possible wish, but these yet unexplored subspecies of elves are still seen as threats by most species, do you still want to hear about them?”<br><br>“Yes” I answered without hesitation, somewhat excited already.<br><br>Sun Elves, elves that live near the dessert, no much is known of them, but that they specialize in fire and light magic, and they revere the Sun God. There are many more advantages and disadvantages to this race that you will discover as time passes<br><br>Forest Elves, are illusive elves with the most connection to the forest, and nature. They revere Gaia Mother Nature, and are said to be masters of illusion magic. There are many more advantages and disadvantages to this race that you will discover as time passes<br><br>“The race is -Elves- sub specie –Savage- or –Blood- elves, are said to be monsters of little reason and intelligence and the ones that started vampire kind, because they turned from all gods and instead tried to get power from the blood of others, and were cursed to drink it from many of the gods that feared them. Are said to be extinct. If you choose this race NPCs that recognize your species will treat you like a monster, the only way to avoid these is befriending them or gaining contribution points etc. If users kill you there will be half the normal penalty and no bounty on their head, but you would be treated more like an NPCs and will have to pay your way out of bounties, there are many more advantages and disadvantages to this race that you will discover as time passes.”<br><br>It seemed that blood elves are monsters from the start, ‘I will probably be discriminated against everywhere I go’ and will probably be hunted and seem to be a boss monster to users, I smiled, this was perfect, and it seemed full of challenges well “I would like to be a blood elf”<br><br>“Very well, here will be unique obligatory changes, would you like to see yourself?”<br><br>“Yes please”<br><br>Before I finished saying my response two lights flashed crossing where my avatar appeared as if on the stage of a theater, and what appeared was me with minor differences.<br><br>My avatar was 178 centimeters in stature, had my heart shaped and feminine face, with full lips, wide solid silver eyes that seemed to reflect light lifeless and attractive most called them, arched eyebrows, delicate looking chin and jaw, and a body type that looked like a girl, from almost every angle as I did not have breasts, but it only gave me a tomboyish look instead of manly, my body, no matter the exercise did not mold in the way I wanted, instead of the muscles I wanted, there was creamy skin that my race made smoother and whiter, and all this was completed with my waist length raven black hair, it was a black so very dark that it seemed to draw you in, not that I wasn’t strong it just did not show, but all in all I looked like a girl even with the trousers and shirt that every male beginner used perfect for my job, a blow to my self-esteem.<br><br>There did not seem to be many differences from my normal aspect, so I asked the A.I about it.<br><br>“Oh, the Blood elf is a very sneaky class as to get sentient prey, but there are sure fire ways to distinguish one from any other monster, the first one is their eyes, as a blood elf feels excitement of any kind they change on a red depending on the original eye color of the user would you like to see?.”<br><br>With that said my avatar eyes started to change and the voice of the A.I intruded “Joy” and my eyes seemed to have a light of their own as they seemed to glow a cheerful silver red that did not seem threatening, “Battle Lust” with the voice followed a change to my eyes as they lost some of their happy gleam, and glowed instead with a manic red that seemed like molten red silver, coupled with my black hair and nonmoving expression, it even gave me a chill, and could feel Goosebumps in my nonexistent arms. “This is perfect, is there any other difference?”<br><br>Without a single word my avatar expression shifted to a wide smiling one, that normally got me in or out of trouble as they said it looked mischievous, and adorable-their words not mine-, but coupled with the molten red eyes it looked terrifying and ominous. ‘that’s so cool’ but that was not all, I noticed that all my teeth seemed a little sharper, and my canine teeth were about 5 centimeters longer than any other, and the ones on the bottom seemed to be 3 centimeters longer, making it a grin that looked mischievous adorable, but dangerous in a -watch out the puppy bites- kind of way instead of the –if you touch that your hand will be gone- kind of way, which was preferable as people will lower their guards upon seeing it, yet I could not stop the pang of regret at my ultimate weapon, as I knew would brin g me many problems in school.<br><br>I could feel a smile even if I did not have a face in which to do it, I felt giddy and wanted to start fighting and killing things anyway.<br><br>“Can I start, I want to start” Normally I was composed of character but when my patience ran thin I seemed to start sounding like a spoiled little girl dammit!, but usually in that stage I did not really care anymore.<br><br>“So you want to be a -Blood Elf- can you confirm?<br><br>“Yes I want to start now”<br><br>“Very well, welcome to -Clash of Gods- where gods fight for land and followers, where the conquest of all is the goal, I wish you luck in surpassing all human limitation and be on top of all creation.”<br><br>With that said my avatar disappeared and I opened my eyes.<br><br><br>Do tell me any mistakes I make, thank you all for Reading. </div>

Clash of Gods “How should I do this” I ask out loud while standing in front of the apartment building. After getting to my new home, my new guardians had a phone call from work, said it was an emergency, and gave me a letter, “So that there are no misunderstandings between you and your sister” they said, it looked completely planned. Maybe they did not want to tell the news themselves. Well at least the house isn’t absurdly big or anything’ I thought they would live in a great mansion with rolling hills behind, and millions of dollars wasted in art like an eccentric rich couple probably would, not that I like money per se but the waste of it makes me want to hit someone. Unexpectedly it was in an apartment building with three floors, ten apartments each, and the one he was going to be living on was apartment #205. The area was a nice one full of big houses and healthy looking businesses. The apartment building included many facilities, a gym, tennis court, basketball court, a small park nearby with its own trail for jogging and playing area for kids. As I walked to the apartment I could see nothing weird. The hallway was clean, and there was no noise coming from any apartment which made me a little anxious. The inside was a surprise in various ways. Entering the house is what looks like a living room, but it did not really look comfortable at all anymore, the cushions were in disarray and the sofa was pointing away from the TV. There is a huge TV against the wall near the entrance with woman’s undergarments on it, a desktop with a computer and a table that seemed to be for playing card games, if the mess on it was any indication. If I did not know better I would have though the place was from an old arms dealer bachelor I knew from experience. I felt like exploring a bit, because the absence of any noise meant that nobody was home. So moved to the hallway which was behind the sofa, and checked out the rest of the house. I was shocked to see that everything everywhere was in a mess. The kitchen had dirty plates, and take out boxes everywhere, the library was full of books out of the shelves and some school books, the first bedroom was a mess but it seemed not exaggerated, the only clean place was new guardians bedroom (knew because of size), and every time I saw something dirty I had to suppress the impulse to clean, to organize, it was weird since they were rich and could afford a maid… or three. But my sister’s bedroom was the last straw. Clothes, books, cushions, pencils, school material, even electric notebooks, everywhere, the bed did not look like a bed at all, it had more similarities with a rats nest. The only clean things in the bedroom were 2 immaculately clean capsules, which took me by surprise, for only a moment. But it was too late, I could no longer control myself and so I gave in to my urge to clean, I took my long raven black hair and tied it in a pony tail with the black rubber band that I had on my wrist, and got to work. I was immersed in cleaning, gathering all found dirty clothes in a bag from the bathroom. Took all school books and materials and put them in a desktop attached to the bedroom wall in relative order. I could not believe what I was seeing, the more I cleaned the messiest it seemed. I was so immersed in cleaning the room for what could have been hours, and wondering where the next mess was, that I somehow lost myself, and stopped paying attention to my surroundings. Which is probably why I got stunned when I turned around, in the now immaculate living room ready to put the things I took back on their place, and saw my sister She was looking at me with eyes full of amusement if a little reserved, ‘she probably thinks I’m no threat, but senses something from me’ which made me wonder just how much time she had been there looking at me, and her ability in Martial Arts. It was my first time looking at her in real life after 12 years and she did not turn out how I thought she would at all. She was beautiful with a short haircut that reached her shoulders, in a shock of black hair like mine, but I could see that that was the full extension of our similarities. She was pretty but I knew that because of her gallantry she was more popular with girls than boys. She was what I could call handsome, with well defined features, as in full but not extremely so lips, a strong jaw line, roman nose, fine eyebrows, smooth sun bathed skin, and a pair of brilliant baby blues that seemed see-through, but what most made her seem manly was her stance with which she carried herself, seemed ready to fight and looked tough instead of delicate, her muscles and stature, made her look beautiful yet imposing, she was 183 cm tall ,with lean wide shoulders, and thin yet curvy physic that would make many a model envy. The whole made her look like a beautiful, powerful and handsome Amazon warrior. She seemed to look at me with eyes full of amusement the reservation seemed to leave after taking me all in, yes, that kind of thing tended to happen, her eyes seemed to ask the unspoken question, how did you get in here, and what the heck are you doing? I got a moment of embarrassment, and got the urge to knock her unconscious and escape, but repressed it, as I could not explain what a stranger was doing in her house cleaning her apartment, but I did not have to worry for she took the initiative, dammit it was easier when you have a role to play and a mission to do. “Who are you” she said in a pleasant if amused voice. I could see that she did not think of me as a threat or a thief, but got a little nervous anyway, as I really wanted to make a good first impression. “I, um, my name is Athanasius but you can call me Nass” I could see that my introduction was not quite enough, “well, I was adopted you see by your, our parents, and as of today I am your new brother, see, here, this is a letter that your parents gave me, to give to you” I seemed to be somewhat flustered by my first meeting and her amused look, this was not a normal situation for me, but still there was no excuse. I gave her the letter while looking at my feet with a red face ‘How embarrassing’ I am lethal and death would not even scare me but facing my sister made me stutter, I wanted to dig a hole somewhere and die, or knock my sister unconscious and escape ‘stop it, there’s no escaping NOW!’. As I stood there fidgeting, waiting for a response from my sister I could see that her face was coloring slightly the more she read, ‘is she mad, don’t tell me she’s mad’ I did not want her to see our situation as something bad, so when she looked up after finishing reading and was about to say something, I started speaking, before she could say whatever she wanted to say, dammit none of these was planned! “I know this is too fast and is probably a surprise to you, as the reaction your, our parents had when I asked about you is any indication, heck it’s a surprise for me too, but I’ve never had a family and seeing you, well I have this hope you know for a new family” as I started rambling with words I could see her getting redder as if containing something, and as she tried to speak I rushed some more thinking ‘Don’t let her speak! Convince her you idiot!’ and a smaller panic filled voice yelling ‘hit and run, hit and run’ which was getting harder to ignore the more I talked “and well I want new family you know I have been in the orphanage for a long time and when they told me about you I got all giddy, which is my own fault!, I know you probably don’t want me here and all but…” as I felt tears threatening to fall, curse those extra female hormones from the alteration, (manly assassin here who?) I got surprised to hear a choking sound. I looked up and saw my sister doubled over shaking all over ‘is she crying don’t tell me she’s crying?!’ as I approached her cautiously, I could feel my panic rising, I put my hand on her shoulder and started to apologize as I did not know what else to do “I’m sorry did I do something wrong, what can I do, I’m sorry” I bit my lower lip and could feel tears starting to fall from my eyes ‘so manly’ until I heard an irritating sound. God what a sucker I turned out to be in real life situations. “Nahaha, ha-ha” in an extremely infuriating way my sister started laughing and laughing, and I had a feeling that there was nothing I could do about it, ‘and here I am all nervous about it, and she’s having the time of her life’ my panic was giving way to irritation, and I started to consider plan B of ‘Hit and run’ in a more favorable light. A few minute passed in which she would calm down a little then look at me and start all over laughing while saying things like “hurts, it hurts” and “please stop” and other things that were swallowed by her laughter. she gained control of herself after a couple of minutes of belly aching laughter then started talking in a pitch higher than previously used, in which the laughter could almost be heard. “I’m sorry it’s just that the letter, I read it, and you look so cute, but it said you are a man. Then you started talking and talking, and you didn’t let me even say anything, then you had tears, and I tried to say something but you kept on talking, and NOW!, see, see you are pouting, are you really a boy, and my brother? If so, don’t worry I’ll protect you anywhere we go, as I read your condition of getting lost, under normal circumstances I’d have cursed you but you are cute so I’ll give you a pass, welcome home little brother” this last was said with a serious face, small grin, and craving eyes. I did not even realize that I had stuck out my lower lip, in a pout and felt tears threaten once again, ‘I don’t normally cry this much I swear’ but who could blame me when I was nervous and my sister laughed off all my insecurities and welcomed me home. But I still replied “Thank you” while thinking of ways to take advantage of the first impression given to my sister, ‘I might have done it without a conscious though but I will take every advantage I can in order to protect her’. “Well let me introduce myself, I am your new sister, my name’s Shamira, but you can call me Ira or sister however you prefer. Well, are you hungry, do you want something to eat? I could prepare it for you, something that is, if you are hungry? , not that I am any good at it as you probably guessed from the kitchen, if not come and play with me as I have a promise to keep and people to meet in Clash of Gods, school is still out for summer from a week ago and –Clash of God s- started a month ago, what’s your age anyway, if you are a boy you can’t be over 14 right? I’ve always wanted to have a younger brother, you know.” She muttered somewhat longingly while looking at me. She seemed to want to know a lot so I answered as best I could, “Nice to meet you Sis, now I am not really hungry, thank you. And my age is 16, our parents told me we are of the same age and grade, and I’d love to play Clash of Gods, I’ve heard a lot from our parents about it” “Well yes that’s something that said in the letter, your age that is, I just had a hard time believing it except for your height, and my parents probably chewed your ear out with so much talk of the game, but it is awesome and I’m proud of them, come I’ll show you to your room and the capsule you will use, and don’t worry about friends I’ll introduce them to you later, choose Leaf city in the Greenclad kingdom, I’ll be there to help you.” With that she started walking towards the first room and entered. “I’m sorry for the messes on the house, and the mess in your new room even though its clean now, I used it because my room was simply horrible, well enough of that, there’s the capsule, You have to turn it on first, just lay there, you don’t need anything extra, but just remember not to be disrespect the A.I at the start, and don’t take all like a game, this game is more like a second life than anything else just without the real fear of real death, and don’t worry about your misdirection condition in game, as wherever you go is a probability of a new adventure, if you have trouble contact me, my name in game is Ira Shance, and am currently near leaf city with friends, do tell me if you decide on somewhere else” with that brief explanation she walked out with a last smile. As she left I could swear I heard my sister’s obnoxious laughter ringing in my ears for a while longer. ‘That actually went really well’ Now I had many excuses to be near her ‘I know we can become close’ I though while smiling. I could faintly hear her laughter ‘What an easygoing person’ I was a little torn, between starting to play, and to finish cleaning, for the house was nowhere near what I was used to. But I was more drawn to the game, so I went to the capsule. I touched it, got brighter and read, -Welcome to Clash of Gods-, do you want to activate this capsule. With yes, no and options as answers, I touched yes, the capsule opened with a small whoosh of air. I was a bit nervous, but got in any way, as I wanted to see the pride and joy of my new parents, and I might as well protect my sister inside the game too, ‘I’ve a month to catch up too’ that was my last though as it all went black. It was dark, not a dark that scared me, but one that comforts instead. It felt like floating while being embraced. I felt a little like crying ‘dang my emotional state, having family makes me all emotional, and weak’ but did not have eyes with which to do that so I stayed silent instead and heard a soft feminine voice. “Scanning body signals, eyes, fingertips, iris, body, density, DNA… process done.” “You seem to be a new user do you want to create a new account in Clash of Gods?” The voice seemed to come from everywhere and had a slightly and pleasant female pitch. “Yes” “Very well, would you like to start with, account creation, if you already have one then simply link your avatar, or continue directly to making your avatar?” “What does making an account entail?” “By making an account you would then be able to have access to different sites made by -Godly Entertainment- in which there are some variety, like forums, auction site, etc. Would you like to know more? Create an account? Or continue with your avatar?” “I would like to create an account please.” I was trying to be respectful, as I heeded my sister’s advice of treating the A.I well. “All right first of all. What is your name?” “Athanasius Tomaya” When I said my name, I heard a small gasp followed by a short silence. “Are you the new son of John and Gabriela?” that was the first time the A.I had any emotion in its voice. “Well yes, as of today, that’s the reason I’m playing the game, as they talked about it with a lot of pride in their voices.” “Oh, okay then you need to know that as the son of the Tomaya’s you have one wish that can be granted at the time of your avatars creation, of course inside certain parameters, well let’s continue. What username would you like?” “Username?” I knew what it was but wasn’t very familiar with the term. “Yes the name you would like to use for your account, it has to be unique to you as it is what people will call you and identify you.” It seemed it returned back to its normal and emotionless voice. “How about my name is that okay” A small flash and my name appeared, -Athanasius- Followed by “Your name is available would you like some changes? If not please tell me your password.” “Yes it is okay and my password, I would like it to be -**************-, is that okay? “Yes. Wait a moment” about ten seconds passed and then, “Thriing” a sound like a bell “Your account has been finished and authorized with some extra authorization for who you are, would you like to proceed to your avatar creation” “Yes, please” “Please select the name of your Avatar” “Nass” “And your last name?” “Last name?” “Yes so that there would be no players with the same name, last names to your characters are necessary” “Then Nass … ummm.” “-Nass Umm- This name is not available please select another” ‘Dang it I have to come up with something’ in the end I decided with a combination of my nickname and blood, bloodshed and carnage in Latin for my last name “Athanasius Nassanguise” I said “Athanasius Nassanguise, will be the name of your avatar, this will not change for any reason, only the elimination of the avatar will let you have another name as there is only one character available per person, but NPC’s and other players can end up knowing you by a different name depending on actions, are you sure you will you choose this name?” the more she talked the more certain of my name I was, as there did not seem to be any difference at all anyway. “Yes” “Please choose your race, between your options now available are 4 main species, and 12 subspecies. As the game progresses more will become available and change in game of species, is mostly impossible, and change in sub species are easier to come by but still difficult. Would you like to choose now? Or hear information about them?” “Please tell me in a resumed manner, about the different main species.” “Yes. The –Human- species is the most generic, and balanced, some say from this species more doors could open than any other. The –Elf- specie are said to be beautiful, haughty and arrogant, have many enemies as they believe themselves to be protectors of nature, seem to lack brute strength while they compensate with magic dexterity and agility. The –Dwarf- species have small statures, but compensate with their pride, strength, and blacksmithing ability, are strong against fire, and are good fighters as their small stature helps their center of gravity. The -Beast kin- or specie, are said to have characteristics of animals depending on their tribe, average magic and are ferocious warriors, with speed and strength, currently enemies of humans.” “What subspecies do the elves have?” I wanted to know as I could use the preconceptions others had of the elves nature to my advantage. “Until now, the available elves are, High elves, Elves, and Moon Elves.” “Can you please describe in a resume manner their talents and differences please.” High elves, is the subspecies of elves that are more inclined towards magic than any other elves, but what they gain in bonus magically they lose physically, and are said to be the weaker, and slower, elves . Elves, closest to human kind, they have enhanced magic and agility, but lose some brute strength, are said to be the most common and well-rounded of the elves. Moon Elves, they started as high elves but left to start a new city under a new god, have very similar characteristics to the high elves, but their power of magic is amplified with moonlight.” Everything the A.I said appeared in different windows that disappeared with a though of mine, but there wasn’t anything that attracted me. What I wanted was something unique beautiful but deathly in everything. “Are there any species of elves undiscovered or unplayable under normal circumstances that I could use? I, if I like them, would choose one of them as my wish” I tried using my most reasonable voice, to make them see my point of view. “U, um if you’ll excuse me I would have to check with administration” I liked rattling the A.I it let a cuter voice when it did not know what to do. After about three minutes of silence the voice returned. “They appeared to accept your request as a possible wish, but these yet unexplored subspecies of elves are still seen as threats by most species, do you still want to hear about them?” “Yes” I answered without hesitation, somewhat excited already. Sun Elves, elves that live near the dessert, no much is known of them, but that they specialize in fire and light magic, and they revere the Sun God. There are many more advantages and disadvantages to this race that you will discover as time passes Forest Elves, are illusive elves with the most connection to the forest, and nature. They revere Gaia Mother Nature, and are said to be masters of illusion magic. There are many more advantages and disadvantages to this race that you will discover as time passes “The race is -Elves- sub specie –Savage- or –Blood- elves, are said to be monsters of little reason and intelligence and the ones that started vampire kind, because they turned from all gods and instead tried to get power from the blood of others, and were cursed to drink it from many of the gods that feared them. Are said to be extinct. If you choose this race NPCs that recognize your species will treat you like a monster, the only way to avoid these is befriending them or gaining contribution points etc. If users kill you there will be half the normal penalty and no bounty on their head, but you would be treated more like an NPCs and will have to pay your way out of bounties, there are many more advantages and disadvantages to this race that you will discover as time passes.” It seemed that blood elves are monsters from the start, ‘I will probably be discriminated against everywhere I go’ and will probably be hunted and seem to be a boss monster to users, I smiled, this was perfect, and it seemed full of challenges well “I would like to be a blood elf” “Very well, here will be unique obligatory changes, would you like to see yourself?” “Yes please” Before I finished saying my response two lights flashed crossing where my avatar appeared as if on the stage of a theater, and what appeared was me with minor differences. My avatar was 178 centimeters in stature, had my heart shaped and feminine face, with full lips, wide solid silver eyes that seemed to reflect light lifeless and attractive most called them, arched eyebrows, delicate looking chin and jaw, and a body type that looked like a girl, from almost every angle as I did not have breasts, but it only gave me a tomboyish look instead of manly, my body, no matter the exercise did not mold in the way I wanted, instead of the muscles I wanted, there was creamy skin that my race made smoother and whiter, and all this was completed with my waist length raven black hair, it was a black so very dark that it seemed to draw you in, not that I wasn’t strong it just did not show, but all in all I looked like a girl even with the trousers and shirt that every male beginner used perfect for my job, a blow to my self-esteem. There did not seem to be many differences from my normal aspect, so I asked the A.I about it. “Oh, the Blood elf is a very sneaky class as to get sentient prey, but there are sure fire ways to distinguish one from any other monster, the first one is their eyes, as a blood elf feels excitement of any kind they change on a red depending on the original eye color of the user would you like to see?.” With that said my avatar eyes started to change and the voice of the A.I intruded “Joy” and my eyes seemed to have a light of their own as they seemed to glow a cheerful silver red that did not seem threatening, “Battle Lust” with the voice followed a change to my eyes as they lost some of their happy gleam, and glowed instead with a manic red that seemed like molten red silver, coupled with my black hair and nonmoving expression, it even gave me a chill, and could feel Goosebumps in my nonexistent arms. “This is perfect, is there any other difference?” Without a single word my avatar expression shifted to a wide smiling one, that normally got me in or out of trouble as they said it looked mischievous, and adorable-their words not mine-, but coupled with the molten red eyes it looked terrifying and ominous. ‘that’s so cool’ but that was not all, I noticed that all my teeth seemed a little sharper, and my canine teeth were about 5 centimeters longer than any other, and the ones on the bottom seemed to be 3 centimeters longer, making it a grin that looked mischievous adorable, but dangerous in a -watch out the puppy bites- kind of way instead of the –if you touch that your hand will be gone- kind of way, which was preferable as people will lower their guards upon seeing it, yet I could not stop the pang of regret at my ultimate weapon, as I knew would brin g me many problems in school. I could feel a smile even if I did not have a face in which to do it, I felt giddy and wanted to start fighting and killing things anyway. “Can I start, I want to start” Normally I was composed of character but when my patience ran thin I seemed to start sounding like a spoiled little girl dammit!, but usually in that stage I did not really care anymore. “So you want to be a -Blood Elf- can you confirm? “Yes I want to start now” “Very well, welcome to -Clash of Gods- where gods fight for land and followers, where the conquest of all is the goal, I wish you luck in surpassing all human limitation and be on top of all creation.” With that said my avatar disappeared and I opened my eyes. Do tell me any mistakes I make, thank you all for Reading.

<div class="chapter-inner chapter-content"> Chapter 7 <br><br>Allies and enemies<br><br>Crane ran to the north of Yarsan and waited on the road for two days. He doubted he could make it back to Yarsan before Dessen's men, and he had a distinct feeling that they would be waiting for him to get revenge. Crane had to get back into the city without running into them so he waited for a caravan like the one he saw on his first day in royal road. Crane hid in the tail end and followed it all the way to Yarsan. Once again after it entered the gates it split into a big group that continued into the Central ring and a small group that went to the shopping district. This time Crane followed the large group since it was the same direction as the base. However to Crane's surprise, the caravan continued from the Central ring into the base. Crane showed his military pass at the gate and said, <br>"Where do all those supplies go?" <br><br>The guard answered, "To the top, there is a passage from the base to the top of the cliff where the nobles live, all these supplies go to them."<br><br>Crane continued into the base and found his way to Owens' study.<br>"Reporting back sir, the people of Surrol are all safe."<br><br>Owens glanced at him and said, "Those nobleman are looking for you, they said they cannot file the incident report until you are found, the higher ups have commanded that you be brought to them immediately upon your return. Why would they need you before they can turn in their report?"<br><br>"That doesn't mean I cannot turn in my own report. I have it here and a few copies you can hand out to the commanders and anyone who asks for it, all the details are inside."<br><br>Crane handed Owen the stack of identical folders he had spent a few hours writing while he waited for the caravan. Owen took his time reading the report thoroughly and said, "I can't believe it, is this really what happened?"<br><br>Crane answered, "Please hand those out to the higher ups sooner rather than later."<br><br>Owens nodded and said, "Very well, dismissed."<br><br>Ding*<br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td>Quest Completed: Surrol Liberation<br>The people of Surrol are safe without a single casualty<br>Reward: Nothing<br><br>You have leveled up<br>You have leveled up</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br>Crane gained two levels for completing a D ranked mission but nothing else. This quest reward was based off contributions measured by the infamy of the criminals he killed. Now Crane knew why Tensford wasn't upset that Crane killed one of his men, the poor guy must've been a small fry with little to no infamy. <br><br>Crane distributed his stats entirely to Vitality. Since he couldn't add stats to Perseverance, the stat that determined stamina he added it to the next best thing. Hopefully next time he was running with a group of powerful warriors Crane didn't wouldn't to be left behind. <br><br>Crane had one more copy of his report in hand and walked to his room, where he saw Barrows in the hall with his sword drawn. He gave Crane a glare that said 'Don't test me,' and then said, "Come with me." Barrows lead Crane to another part of the base where he had never been before and into a large room. It looked like Owens' study but larger, and filled with more expensive items. From a shelf in the corner came Dessen, looking at Crane with the face of an ogre. He took the folder out of his hand and lifted Crane into the air by his collar and slammed him into a wall. "Where is my gold you lowborn foreigner?!"<br>"With the criminals Captain, in exchange for the safe release the hostages of course."<br><br>Dessen slammed his back into the wall once more. This time was hard enough that Crane lost a quarter of his health. Dessen lifted the folder in his hand and said, "Now listen here, I am going to tell you what happened, and you are going to report that it happened, you understand me?"<br><br>"Yes Captain, I shall inform Owens that I must edit the reports I gave him."<br><br>Dessen's eye's grew if possible, darker, and said, "Edit? You have turned in a report?!"<br><br>"Yes Captain, I made several copies as well and gave them to my commander Owens when I returned. He said he will give the copies out for me, so I returned to my room with my last copy."<br><br>Dessen looked at Barrows and said, "He already saw Owens?!"<br><br>Barrows turned to avoid eye contact, the shame clear in his features. Dessen pressed Crane against the wall again, threw him at the floor of his office, and opened up the folder. Crane could see his eyes widen and narrow as he read over the file. He must've been more surprised by its contents than Owens was. Crane made a report that did not include a single thing Dessen had done or planed to do. <br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td>Quest Report by Crane<br>Made camp west of Turrol<br>Captain Dessen went over plan<br>Two hours before sundown Barrows given ransom money. <br>Ordered to give to gang leader<br>I ordered to go with him<br>Captain stationed men at edge of village for immediate response in case mission went south<br>Barrows met with leader and I was taken to where villagers kept<br>Barrows gave money to leader, returned to Captain<br>I helped with release of prisoners, and informed them of who they were saved by<br>Captain and his men watched criminals leave village to make sure they did not go back on their word<br>After sundown Captain returned to Turrol where he met the village elder who expressed his deepest gratitude.</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br>According to the report, Dessen gave the criminals the gold as he was ordered to, but did nothing special. For this he would receive nothing but experience, just like Crane had. If Dessen's plan had gone through, the criminals would have killed the villagers, increased their own infamy, which in turn would increase the fame the Captain and his men would obtain from killing them. Although this report did not incriminate him, it did nothing for him either. <br>Dessen walked over to Crane who had stood up since Dessen began reading and grabbed him by the hair. "You have made some powerful enemies, you will pay for this." <br><br>At that moment a large amount of bells started to ring throughout the base. Dessen looked around to see the source of the noise. A bell in the corner of his room with a string attached to it through the wall was swinging back and forth. Dessen threw Crane out his door by Crane's hair and slammed it shut. The bells in the hallway and likely in every single room in the base were ringing. Crane had seen them before, but never saw them in use. He ran to Owen's room, and met him as he was coming out the door. "Sir, what is going on?" "An army must've been spotted heading to Yarsan, we're heading to battle, get ready, you're expected on the front lines."<br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td>Defend Yarsan<br><br>An army is heading for Yarsan, fight with the soldiers of Yarsan against the enemy.<br>Difficulty: Unknown<br>Cannot refuse quest if a member of Yarsan Army<br>Reward based on contribution to victory<br>Quest fails if Yarsan falls</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br>Crane headed out to the west edge of the Central ring to see the Mural of Magni. There was a long line of soldiers going up the stairs, and Crane actually saw that at the entrance to the stairs leading to the viewing platform was a priest with a collection box. Crane didn't have time to stand in line or pay a 'donation,' so he went under the platform and climbed the scaffolding. He looked out over the courtyard.<br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td colspan="2">You have seen the Mural of Magni</td></tr><tr><td>Strength +15<br>Stamina +15<br>Vitality +15<br>Fighting Spirit + 15<br>For a day</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br>The first time Crane had seen the mural he did not have fighting spirit so he did not receive a bonus from it. He climbed back down and ran for the gate. Along the way he could see shops and buildings closing up their windows and barring their doors. Crane passed the outer city wall, where he saw a hundred of archers stationed. <br><br>Crane was not apart of any specific unit. He was told he had transferred to Owens' unit, but he later discovered that the finesse skill was exceptionally rare, and his fellow would-be fencers had all been sent out by Owen on quests, just like Owens had been doing to him. Crane may have been the only warrior in the entire battlefront with the finesse stat, but that did not matter. Crane decided that no unit meant no limits, meaning he could fight however he wanted. This was going to be his first large scale conflict, and he wanted to enjoy it. <br><br>But there was something else Crane had to do. He had only been in a single fight since Owens told him the hint to finesse and he did not try it out then. There was still time till whatever army was coming had arrived and Crane needed to figure out the source of power behind finesse, and how it related to the mental half of routines. Why did routines make a fencer stronger. Crane had tried several times to remember what he had done in the Burrower's lair that lead him to get an finesse stat of 75, but he was in a different frame of mind then, and couldn't remember what happened. Crane was convinced that if he could experience a difficult battle he could relive that moment and remember what happened. <br><br>A dust cloud was rising at the distance and heading for Yarsan, Crane could not yet see the enemy, but knew they won’t be there in minutes. Dust doesn't come up when walking, only running. As they got closer, Crane realized they were not human. <br><br>According to the history of Yarsan, 250 years after Yarsan's founding, an enemy emerged from over the mountains. Where they came from no one knew, but they came over and over, year after year, the Ekril. The Ekril was a tall, long limbed humanoid race with thin brown hair covering their bodies. Soldiers commented that each Ekril shaved off sections and patterns of their hair, giving each one unique tattoo like hair patterns that covered them from head to toe. The Ekril's most potent natural aspect was their high resistance to magic. The Ekril's constant attacks lead to the building of the Yarsan Army and the eventual fall of the High Sorcerer family that once ruled. In the years since then the attacks steadily increased in frequency.<br><br>Crane went over every report of the Ekril he had read.<br>Ekril come in three general classes, warrior, beastmaster, and blood shaman. The warriors could use spears, swords, and hand axes, using their longer limbs to attack with greater reach. The beast masters tamed the monsters of the lands, somehow bending them to their will and fighting alongside them. Blood shamans, like all Ekril have no mana. So they use magic that requires the caster's blood instead of mana. They carry knives they use to cut their own arms and flick the blood. The blood disappears when the shaman chants and a spell comes forth.<br><br>Crane heard the loud creak of the massive fortress doors close behind him. Captain Elestas raised her sword and charged forward. Her knight unit followed her and the rest of the army followed them. Crane drew his sword and calmed his mind. <br><br>He wanted to run forward with the rest of them, but he had no idea how to fight in a battle like this. So he calmly walked forward while looking for places he could fight and not get in the way. His chance came earlier than he thought, the crowd in front of him was pushed away, by a charging rhino looking monster ridden by an Ekril. Crane took out a knife, steadied his hand, and with a shout he threw it right at the rhino's face, just missing the eye. The monster roared but moved forward, only his aim was adjusted to charge right into Crane. Crane took a stance and looked the Ekril right in his eye as he came within a few feet of him. Crane knew he had already won, when the rhino was only two feet away Crane used Noble step, 70! and quickly took a step out of the way and another step forward. He was at the rhino's side and shouted as he drove his sword into the rhino's hind leg. The rhino passed him and collapsed after taking another step. Crane turned around to see the rider had already jumped at Crane before his mount hit the ground. Crane rolled forward under the Ekril before he was chopped by the Beastmaster's axe. Crane had another moment before the next attack so he made a motion with sword and held it in front of his face, 50! The Ekril let out another attack which Crane caught with his Regal Guard and parried to the side, leaving the Ekril open to Crane's Flurry attack. After several hits the Ekril slashed at Crane. Using Flurry left him open as well, preventing him from dodging it and taking damage. Crane survived the blow but saw that the Ekril was not looking at him, but past him. Crane's instincts screamed as he jumped to the side just as the rhino charged from behind.<br><br>Crane's opponent fought at his beast's side making it two on one. He was likely going to be killed. Crane smiled, that kind of thing didn't matter, he knew he should fight like he had already won. From his majestic stance, Crane launched into a dash power lunge while shouting at the Rhino. 75! The lunge was aimed for the tip of the knife sticking out of the rhino's face. Due to the high finesse of the stance, Crane's time was slowed down enough to guide the tip of his blade to the knife, then slide the tip down the knife through the penetrated skin into the wound. <br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td>-Critical Hit!</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td>-You have leveled up</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td>-Skill Level Up: Sword Mastery. You sword mastery has reached intermediate level. You gain an additional 50% attack when using a sword</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br>The rhino dissolved around crane's sword, the Ekril looked stunned. He must've thought Crane would attack him first, not his mount. Crane did not let the opportunity go to waste, "Twelve forms, HAA!" Crane let loose a barrage of sword attacks against the Ekril who started barely defending himself. Crane's level 9 sword mastery which once provided +90% attack and +27% attack speed leveled up with an additional +50% attack, making it +150% Attack and +30% attack speed. The Ekril couldn't keep up with the onslaught and finally died. <br><br>Crane looked around assessing the battlefield. The Ekril had broken through at several points. There was a massive number of Ekril foot soldiers fighting Kallamore Infantryman in front of the main gate. Crane walked over to them while going over the fight he just had. He remembered that when he fought the bugs, he had imagined victory before the battle. In two out of three times in the last fight he had done the same, and broke the 50 finesse barrier. That was the mental half of routines, or at least a part of it. The act of performing the routine must cement the image that you will be victorious before the battle begins. A group of three Ekril spotted Crane and started running at the lone swordsman. Crane imagined cutting each of their bodies a thousand times before they struck him once and performed Majestic Stance. <br><br><br>----------------------------------<br><br><br>After ten hours of conflict Crane had found himself fighting alongside a group of kallamore warriors, two priests of Magni, and a very large great axe wielding Barbarian who kept the Ekril from the city gates. Crane set up a rotation system where several soldier fought in front of the barbarian, killing most the ekril that made it through the wall of infantrymen ahead of them. And when they ran low on health, mana or stamina they switch with the people behind the Barbarian who were being healed by the priest or recovering from fatigue. The barbarian acted as a last defense wall that prevented ekril who made it past the warriors from getting to the injured behind him. Crane had a larger than average supply of mana and of stamina from his leveling up earlier, and he choose to fight on when he had very low health because it eventually increased his fighting spirit stat. He fought like a madman using fast accurate movements to take on up to three ekril at once, only returning to the back to recover when his mana ran dry. He made a mental note to gather lots of ingredients to make a lot of mana potions later so he wouldn't have to wait to recover in situations like this. However Crane was the only one of the warriors capable of combat on that scale. Almost half of the Ekril who fought the warriors when Crane was recovering made it past them to be taken out in a single strike by the massive barbarian. Crane got up when his mana fully recovered and walked back to the front. As he passed, the barbarian said, "You sure you wanna get up? I haven't even gotten to stretch yet." Crane said, "neither have I," and went back to slaying the ekril. From the back emerged a hooded ekril Crane recognized as a blood shaman. They usually did not make it past the army, so this would be Crane's first encounter. Actually Crane realized this would be his first fight against anyone who could use magic. Crane motions for the warriors behind him to stay there as he walked forward to meet the shaman. Crane took his stance and waited for the shaman to walked within range of his dash powered lunge. Instead he stopped and in a smooth motion, drew a small knife, cut his forearm and flicked it in front of him while muttering something. Crane realized his mistake and used noble step to aviod a column of fire that ruptured from the ground he was just standing on. <br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td>-You have been burned, your health will slowly decline.</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br>He had not escaped the pillar entirely and got a burn to go with the massive damage he took. Crane dashed to him and saw him make another motion with his knife and a green fog appeared around him. Crane stopped before going into it and pulled out his knives. He wouldn't be able to recover them after this, but he threw them them one at a time onto the cloud until he heard a his target make a painful sound. Crane then threw his remaining knives at him, each with a shout powered throw.<br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td>Skill Level up: Throw [2]<br>Skill Level up: Shout [4]</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br>Crane had been shouting a lot more this battle than throwing but it was still sastifying to see them rise up together. The fog lifted and revealed the ekril. He had four knives stuck in his body and was bleeding badly. The blood shaman smile, as Crane felt the chill of death envelop him. The Ekril shouted in a strange tongue and started to glow, Crane saw something in the corner of his eye pass in front of him just as the shaman exploded in a massive light. <br><br>Even shielded the shockwave threw him to his back. When he opened his eyes again he saw the barbarian in front of him. The man seemed to have been badly damaged and said, "Careful, those guys tend to go out with a bang." A few more hits would likely kill the man which wasn't great due to the hole created by the explosion letting in dozens of Ekril warriors. <br><br>Crane stepped in front of him and said, "Switch, you go get yourself patched up and I'll hold things here." The barbarian wasn't in a position to argue and said, "I need you to hold them all for two minutes." Crane was surprised at how serious he sounded. He guessed the man had an excellent potion and said, "No problem." Crane faced the horde approaching and found it very difficult to imagine coming out alive. He silenced his mind and realized the true purpose of routines. A person cannot truly imagine victory over any outcome without practice. That was what a routine was. The movement was performed while imagining the victory, strengthened the bond between the movement and the image with use. Over time and with practice the routine's use would invoke the image of victory regardless of the circumstances. Crane willed it that the use of the routine would make him see victory. He performed the motions of Majestic stance and imagined slicing through the entire army in a matter of seconds. 95! Crane used dash, moving faster than he ever had moved before right into the Ekril hord and started up continuous use of twelve forms. Even the kalamore warriors who fought beside him watched from the rear in amazement at the speed, power, and accuracy of Crane's movements. Crane never stopped in a single place but moved through the entire group seeming to be at battle with the whole thing simultaneously. The group could not advance forwards because they would immediately be attacked from behinds if they did. Several died but Crane was receiving wounds left and right from the omnidirectional attacks he received. <br><br>The weakness of twelve forms as a skill was it's lack of dodging motions. When he dodged an attack he could not parry it counted as stopping the skill which used up one movement boost from the routine. It did not take long for Crane to run out of the boost. <br><br>Crane's life was at a quarter when he dashed to the front of the horde and stood with his back to the area between him and the wall. He had successfully pissed them all off enough for them to prioritize skewering his head over passing him to the gate. Crane fought while parrying at least six frontal attacker and walking backwards to prevent them from getting his back. However his stalling tatics worked and the Barbarian came from behind killing the Ekril with each wave of sword until the hord started to run away. As the running Ekril passed the army a horn sounded and the rest of the army started to fall back. <br><br>Crane started to walk around the field collecting dropped items when the warriors behind him ran up to him and said, "That was amazing," and, " I can't believe anyone can move like that." They were praising him when the barbarian said, "That was impressive. I haven't seen someone so young fight so well in a long time. I don't believe I've introduced myself, I am Dairos Burq." The warriors around him gasped and Crane knew why. Diaros Burq was a famous NPC mercenary whose exploits were known throughout the continent. He was an expert on rare and secret dungeons, and a well known member of one of the most exclusive guilds on Versailles, the Dark Djinns. Crane wondered why a person such as this, a person who must've been at least level 200, would come to the outskirts of Kallamore Kingdom and take part in part in this battle. Even more so why he would stay in the rear as a guard when he could've been in the front killing hundreds of Ekril. <br><br>The great barbarian said, "You've shown that you have great potential, would you like to join the Dark Djinns?" <br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td>-You have received an invitation to join the guild Dark Djinns</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br>Again, the warriors around Crane gasped, but Crane had made other arrangements. You can only join a single guild and Crane had made a promise to join the thief Tensford's guild. He was about to refuse when Crane saw Dairos tapping the hilt of a small knife he had on his side. It was identical to the Knife Tensford had. Dairos saw Crane looking at the knife and said, "I'm sure you were meant to join us." Crane nodded in understanding and said, "I would be honored to join."<br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td>You have accepted<br><br>You are now a member of the guild, Dark Djinns<br>You have access to the guild's bases and resources</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br>Now Crane knew why Darios was there. Crane had made it known to Tensford that he wanted to join his dark guild, but did not want to be a criminal. If Crane was a prospective member and a criminal then he would be invited in secret, but if he was outwardly righteous than he would be invited publicly and add to the good face of the guild. Crane found it ironic he never suspected a guild called Dark Djinns of being a Dark guild but that just went to prove how good the public face of the guild actually was. <br><br>Dairos passed a piece of paper to Crane and said, "Lets have a drink tomorrow. This is the address of a good bar."<br><br>Crane bowed and went back to collecting fallen loot.<br><br><br>-----------------------------<br><br><br>Back at the base, Crane was called into a meeting with Owens. <br>"Good job kid, I hear you really showed your stuff out there and did me proud."<br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td>Quest Completed: Defend Yarsan<br>You gained 200 fame<br>You gained 50 gold<br> <br>- You have leveled up<br>- You have leveled Up<br>- You have leveled up<br>- You have leveled up</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br> <br>Crane told Owens,<br>"I only did what I was trained to sir, just like every soldier out there today."<br>"Every soldier on that battlefield didn't have an audience of two hundred archers on the fortress walls watching his every sword swing. The entire city is talking about you. Fame for you is fame for the army and the higher ups have decided you will be promoted and get some lackeys of your own."<br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td>You have been promoted to the rank of officer.<br>Your pay will increase to 3 gold a month<br>You will be given command of 10 infantryman</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br>Because of how good the army had been to him, he was eager to continue and get stronger. The Knights of Kallamore were known to be some of the strongest in the continent. The reason is because the cities within Kallamore were prone to almost constant attack by monsters and the soldiers became strong as steel fighting them off so often. Today Crane had gotten a little taste of that and had become considerably stronger. Crane thanked Owens and left the base. He withdrew the paper Dairos Burq gave him. As he thought it was an address to a house in the slums. <br><br>The next day Crane found his way to the address and knocked on the door. The door opened to reveal a young woman who gestured for Crane to come in. She lead him into the basement where Dairos and another woman waited for him. The hostess left and Crane waited as the woman next to Dairos sized him up.<br><br>"My name is Isse, and I am a senior member of the Dark Djinns. I was told of you by a mutual friend a few days ago and arrived in the city with my escort yesterday to investigate you. Not long after the battle started I got my hands on this." She waved a copy of Crane's report on the Liberation of Surrol and said, "Trust is not a simple thing, but after hearing about the situation from our mutual friend and reading this, I decided you were worth a look, and sent my escort to see if you were worth the trouble. You know the rest."<br><br>The fact that this woman, likely a user, had Dairos as a bodyguard told Crane a great deal about her. She continued, "So now that we have caught up to our present, we need to determine our future. Why did you ask to join our guild, the purveyor of dark wishes?"<br><br>Crane took in a breath and started. "Foresight. I am a good person who has done nothing wrong, in a sane world that isn't a bad thing. But in Versailles, that could severely limit me, I recognize that and when an opportunity came along that could remove that limit, I did not hesitate."<br><br>"So you don't want to do bad things but you don't want that to stop you from doing anything?... And here I thought someone who turned down fifteen thousand gold would be a little less greedy. Well I don't have a problem with that but I am going to need to see your credentials."<br><br>At this point Crane said, "What? Oh, credentials, Show stat and skill screen."<br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td colspan="2">Status Window</td></tr><tr><td>Avatar- Crane.</td><td>Alignment- Neutral</td></tr><tr><td>Level 92</td><td>Class- Kallamore Warrior</td></tr><tr><td>Title- None</td><td>Fame- 240</td></tr><tr><td>Health- 3840</td><td>Mana- 1840</td></tr><tr><td>Strength- 200+60</td><td>Agility- 205+66</td></tr><tr><td>Wisdom- 70+24</td><td>Intellect- 70+24</td></tr><tr><td>Vitality- 50+20</td><td>Luck- 0+10</td></tr><tr><td>Leadership- 0+10</td><td>Finesse- XX+10</td></tr><tr><td>Fighting Spirit- 28+15</td><td>Perseverance 34+14</td></tr><tr><td colspan="2">Endurance- 40+18</td></tr><tr><td>Attack- 178</td><td>Defense- 63</td></tr><tr><td colspan="2">+ All stats are added 10<br>+ While using a sword you receive +50% bonus to Attack<br>+ Decreases Mana Consuption for Sword Skills by 50%<br>+ Can learn skills that use the Stat Finesse<br>+ All stats increase by 20% while wearing the Kallamore Warrior's helmet<br>+ All stats decrease by 20% while not wearing the Kallamore Warrior's helmet</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td colspan="2">Skills Window</td></tr><tr><td>Identification [6] 92%: Enables you to learn the true value of unidentified items.<br>Mana Cost: 30</td></tr><tr><td>Sword Mastery Intermediate [2] 12%: Increases attack power and hit rating for swords. <br>+170% ATK +36% ATK SPD while using a sword.</td></tr><tr><td>Twelve Forms [8] 3%: Increases attack power and speed of attack while fighting using the twelve forms.<br>+80% STR +80% AGI<br>Mana Cost: 10 per second</td></tr><tr><td>Flurry [4] 78%: Rapid series of thrusts<br>5 thrusts per second<br>Mana Cost: 30 per second</td></tr><tr><td>Dash [5] 32%: Move a great distance in a single step<br>Mana Cost: 10</td></tr><tr><td>Power Lunge [5] 43%: A strengthen piercing attack that covers some distance<br>Mana Cost: 45</td></tr><tr><td>Soa's Routine [4] 31%<br> <br>Majestic Stance- Increases attack strength and speed of techniques performed after stance used<br>-Attack Str and Spd +40% for 4 techniques after use<br>Mana Cost: 20<br><br>Regal Guard- Increase defense and chance of successful parry after use<br>-Defense +20 Luck +40<br>Mana Cost: 30<br><br>Noble Step- Increase movement speed to dodge oncoming attack after use<br>-Movement speed +80% for 3 steps after use<br>Mana Cost: 15<br><br>All effects are multiplied by Finesse stat/97</td></tr><tr><td>Alchemy [1] 6% Enables you to create potions from ingredients</td></tr><tr><td>Repair [3] 12% Enables you to repair weapons and armors. Beyond Lv. 10, you can forge new weapons and gears.</td></tr><tr><td>Throw [2] 4% You can throw objects and weapons further and more accurately</td></tr><tr><td>Shout [4] 3% Increases strength for an instant while shouting. <br>STR +12% for an instant<br>Mana Cost: 5</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br>From what Crane could tell, the average Ekril warrior was between level 80 and 120, and he had fought hundreds of them for hours and hours. After leveling he distributed his stats to what he felt he need more of during the battle. He gave 10 points each to INT for mana and WIS for faster mana regeneration. He had already given 20 points to Vitality so he distributed what was left between STR and AGI. He had also taken every powerful hit he could survive willingly to strengthen his endurance and he spent at least a fifth of his time fighting with less than 8% of his health against multiple opponents, strengthening his Fighting Spirit.<br><br>Isse looked at his stats and skills for while and said, "You definitely have some potential. I've heard of only three fighters who used finesse in my time and from what Dairos tells me you trump them all."<br><br>Now Crane was curious, so he asked, "what was wrong with them?"<br><br>She sighed and said, "Apparently they were told in detailed how to use finesse instead of figuring it out for themselves, that it seems crippled them for some reason and the could never use more than half their skill."<br>Crane understood, if one was simply told it basically works by conditioning yourself to think positively they would never believe it and without the belief they only had the form.<br><br>She started up again, "One last question, how far would you be willing to go for the guild."<br><br>Crane had already decided, "As far as you need me to. That being said I will do what I can to make myself more valuable to you as someone who doesn't have a bounty on his head."<br><br>Isse smiled and said, "Ok, it's official, you're in. This house serves as our secret base in Yarsan and you can use any empty room if you need it." She got up and left for the stairs, Dairos stayed behind and said, "I heard about what you did to those nobleman, Isse said I was sent to watch you but the truth is I was sent to protect you. Along with that folder, Isse found out plans were being made to eliminate you. Be careful out there."<br><br>Crane went back to the army base and wondered how they were going to kill him. Crane found it amusing himself because he was the only member of the Royal Kallamore Army who was a user, therefore the only one who couldn't be killed permanently. Whatever they had planned would be interesting to see, but it would be useless in the long run. Crane mildly looked forward to it as another adventure.<br><br>Chapter 8 Into the Spider's Web &lt;!-- l --&gt;&lt;a class="postlink-local" href="http://www.royalroadl.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=91&amp;t=579&amp;p=2358#p2358"&gt;viewtopic.php?f=91&amp;t=579&amp;p=2358#p2358&lt;/a&gt;&lt;!-- l --&gt;<br>Chapter 6 The Skill to Win &lt;!-- l --&gt;&lt;a class="postlink-local" href="http://www.royalroadl.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=91&amp;t=577"&gt;viewtopic.php?f=91&amp;t=577&lt;/a&gt;&lt;!-- l --&gt; </div>

Chapter 7 Allies and enemies Crane ran to the north of Yarsan and waited on the road for two days. He doubted he could make it back to Yarsan before Dessen's men, and he had a distinct feeling that they would be waiting for him to get revenge. Crane had to get back into the city without running into them so he waited for a caravan like the one he saw on his first day in royal road. Crane hid in the tail end and followed it all the way to Yarsan. Once again after it entered the gates it split into a big group that continued into the Central ring and a small group that went to the shopping district. This time Crane followed the large group since it was the same direction as the base. However to Crane's surprise, the caravan continued from the Central ring into the base. Crane showed his military pass at the gate and said, "Where do all those supplies go?" The guard answered, "To the top, there is a passage from the base to the top of the cliff where the nobles live, all these supplies go to them." Crane continued into the base and found his way to Owens' study. "Reporting back sir, the people of Surrol are all safe." Owens glanced at him and said, "Those nobleman are looking for you, they said they cannot file the incident report until you are found, the higher ups have commanded that you be brought to them immediately upon your return. Why would they need you before they can turn in their report?" "That doesn't mean I cannot turn in my own report. I have it here and a few copies you can hand out to the commanders and anyone who asks for it, all the details are inside." Crane handed Owen the stack of identical folders he had spent a few hours writing while he waited for the caravan. Owen took his time reading the report thoroughly and said, "I can't believe it, is this really what happened?" Crane answered, "Please hand those out to the higher ups sooner rather than later." Owens nodded and said, "Very well, dismissed." Ding* | Quest Completed: Surrol LiberationThe people of Surrol are safe without a single casualtyReward: NothingYou have leveled upYou have leveled up | | --- | Crane gained two levels for completing a D ranked mission but nothing else. This quest reward was based off contributions measured by the infamy of the criminals he killed. Now Crane knew why Tensford wasn't upset that Crane killed one of his men, the poor guy must've been a small fry with little to no infamy. Crane distributed his stats entirely to Vitality. Since he couldn't add stats to Perseverance, the stat that determined stamina he added it to the next best thing. Hopefully next time he was running with a group of powerful warriors Crane didn't wouldn't to be left behind. Crane had one more copy of his report in hand and walked to his room, where he saw Barrows in the hall with his sword drawn. He gave Crane a glare that said 'Don't test me,' and then said, "Come with me." Barrows lead Crane to another part of the base where he had never been before and into a large room. It looked like Owens' study but larger, and filled with more expensive items. From a shelf in the corner came Dessen, looking at Crane with the face of an ogre. He took the folder out of his hand and lifted Crane into the air by his collar and slammed him into a wall. "Where is my gold you lowborn foreigner?!" "With the criminals Captain, in exchange for the safe release the hostages of course." Dessen slammed his back into the wall once more. This time was hard enough that Crane lost a quarter of his health. Dessen lifted the folder in his hand and said, "Now listen here, I am going to tell you what happened, and you are going to report that it happened, you understand me?" "Yes Captain, I shall inform Owens that I must edit the reports I gave him." Dessen's eye's grew if possible, darker, and said, "Edit? You have turned in a report?!" "Yes Captain, I made several copies as well and gave them to my commander Owens when I returned. He said he will give the copies out for me, so I returned to my room with my last copy." Dessen looked at Barrows and said, "He already saw Owens?!" Barrows turned to avoid eye contact, the shame clear in his features. Dessen pressed Crane against the wall again, threw him at the floor of his office, and opened up the folder. Crane could see his eyes widen and narrow as he read over the file. He must've been more surprised by its contents than Owens was. Crane made a report that did not include a single thing Dessen had done or planed to do. | Quest Report by CraneMade camp west of TurrolCaptain Dessen went over planTwo hours before sundown Barrows given ransom money. Ordered to give to gang leaderI ordered to go with himCaptain stationed men at edge of village for immediate response in case mission went southBarrows met with leader and I was taken to where villagers keptBarrows gave money to leader, returned to CaptainI helped with release of prisoners, and informed them of who they were saved byCaptain and his men watched criminals leave village to make sure they did not go back on their wordAfter sundown Captain returned to Turrol where he met the village elder who expressed his deepest gratitude. | | --- | According to the report, Dessen gave the criminals the gold as he was ordered to, but did nothing special. For this he would receive nothing but experience, just like Crane had. If Dessen's plan had gone through, the criminals would have killed the villagers, increased their own infamy, which in turn would increase the fame the Captain and his men would obtain from killing them. Although this report did not incriminate him, it did nothing for him either. Dessen walked over to Crane who had stood up since Dessen began reading and grabbed him by the hair. "You have made some powerful enemies, you will pay for this." At that moment a large amount of bells started to ring throughout the base. Dessen looked around to see the source of the noise. A bell in the corner of his room with a string attached to it through the wall was swinging back and forth. Dessen threw Crane out his door by Crane's hair and slammed it shut. The bells in the hallway and likely in every single room in the base were ringing. Crane had seen them before, but never saw them in use. He ran to Owen's room, and met him as he was coming out the door. "Sir, what is going on?" "An army must've been spotted heading to Yarsan, we're heading to battle, get ready, you're expected on the front lines." | Defend YarsanAn army is heading for Yarsan, fight with the soldiers of Yarsan against the enemy.Difficulty: UnknownCannot refuse quest if a member of Yarsan ArmyReward based on contribution to victoryQuest fails if Yarsan falls | | --- | Crane headed out to the west edge of the Central ring to see the Mural of Magni. There was a long line of soldiers going up the stairs, and Crane actually saw that at the entrance to the stairs leading to the viewing platform was a priest with a collection box. Crane didn't have time to stand in line or pay a 'donation,' so he went under the platform and climbed the scaffolding. He looked out over the courtyard. | You have seen the Mural of Magni | | | --- | --- | | Strength +15Stamina +15Vitality +15Fighting Spirit + 15For a day | The first time Crane had seen the mural he did not have fighting spirit so he did not receive a bonus from it. He climbed back down and ran for the gate. Along the way he could see shops and buildings closing up their windows and barring their doors. Crane passed the outer city wall, where he saw a hundred of archers stationed. Crane was not apart of any specific unit. He was told he had transferred to Owens' unit, but he later discovered that the finesse skill was exceptionally rare, and his fellow would-be fencers had all been sent out by Owen on quests, just like Owens had been doing to him. Crane may have been the only warrior in the entire battlefront with the finesse stat, but that did not matter. Crane decided that no unit meant no limits, meaning he could fight however he wanted. This was going to be his first large scale conflict, and he wanted to enjoy it. But there was something else Crane had to do. He had only been in a single fight since Owens told him the hint to finesse and he did not try it out then. There was still time till whatever army was coming had arrived and Crane needed to figure out the source of power behind finesse, and how it related to the mental half of routines. Why did routines make a fencer stronger. Crane had tried several times to remember what he had done in the Burrower's lair that lead him to get an finesse stat of 75, but he was in a different frame of mind then, and couldn't remember what happened. Crane was convinced that if he could experience a difficult battle he could relive that moment and remember what happened. A dust cloud was rising at the distance and heading for Yarsan, Crane could not yet see the enemy, but knew they won’t be there in minutes. Dust doesn't come up when walking, only running. As they got closer, Crane realized they were not human. According to the history of Yarsan, 250 years after Yarsan's founding, an enemy emerged from over the mountains. Where they came from no one knew, but they came over and over, year after year, the Ekril. The Ekril was a tall, long limbed humanoid race with thin brown hair covering their bodies. Soldiers commented that each Ekril shaved off sections and patterns of their hair, giving each one unique tattoo like hair patterns that covered them from head to toe. The Ekril's most potent natural aspect was their high resistance to magic. The Ekril's constant attacks lead to the building of the Yarsan Army and the eventual fall of the High Sorcerer family that once ruled. In the years since then the attacks steadily increased in frequency. Crane went over every report of the Ekril he had read. Ekril come in three general classes, warrior, beastmaster, and blood shaman. The warriors could use spears, swords, and hand axes, using their longer limbs to attack with greater reach. The beast masters tamed the monsters of the lands, somehow bending them to their will and fighting alongside them. Blood shamans, like all Ekril have no mana. So they use magic that requires the caster's blood instead of mana. They carry knives they use to cut their own arms and flick the blood. The blood disappears when the shaman chants and a spell comes forth. Crane heard the loud creak of the massive fortress doors close behind him. Captain Elestas raised her sword and charged forward. Her knight unit followed her and the rest of the army followed them. Crane drew his sword and calmed his mind. He wanted to run forward with the rest of them, but he had no idea how to fight in a battle like this. So he calmly walked forward while looking for places he could fight and not get in the way. His chance came earlier than he thought, the crowd in front of him was pushed away, by a charging rhino looking monster ridden by an Ekril. Crane took out a knife, steadied his hand, and with a shout he threw it right at the rhino's face, just missing the eye. The monster roared but moved forward, only his aim was adjusted to charge right into Crane. Crane took a stance and looked the Ekril right in his eye as he came within a few feet of him. Crane knew he had already won, when the rhino was only two feet away Crane used Noble step, 70! and quickly took a step out of the way and another step forward. He was at the rhino's side and shouted as he drove his sword into the rhino's hind leg. The rhino passed him and collapsed after taking another step. Crane turned around to see the rider had already jumped at Crane before his mount hit the ground. Crane rolled forward under the Ekril before he was chopped by the Beastmaster's axe. Crane had another moment before the next attack so he made a motion with sword and held it in front of his face, 50! The Ekril let out another attack which Crane caught with his Regal Guard and parried to the side, leaving the Ekril open to Crane's Flurry attack. After several hits the Ekril slashed at Crane. Using Flurry left him open as well, preventing him from dodging it and taking damage. Crane survived the blow but saw that the Ekril was not looking at him, but past him. Crane's instincts screamed as he jumped to the side just as the rhino charged from behind. Crane's opponent fought at his beast's side making it two on one. He was likely going to be killed. Crane smiled, that kind of thing didn't matter, he knew he should fight like he had already won. From his majestic stance, Crane launched into a dash power lunge while shouting at the Rhino. 75! The lunge was aimed for the tip of the knife sticking out of the rhino's face. Due to the high finesse of the stance, Crane's time was slowed down enough to guide the tip of his blade to the knife, then slide the tip down the knife through the penetrated skin into the wound. | -Critical Hit! | | --- | | -You have leveled up | | --- | | -Skill Level Up: Sword Mastery. You sword mastery has reached intermediate level. You gain an additional 50% attack when using a sword | | --- | The rhino dissolved around crane's sword, the Ekril looked stunned. He must've thought Crane would attack him first, not his mount. Crane did not let the opportunity go to waste, "Twelve forms, HAA!" Crane let loose a barrage of sword attacks against the Ekril who started barely defending himself. Crane's level 9 sword mastery which once provided +90% attack and +27% attack speed leveled up with an additional +50% attack, making it +150% Attack and +30% attack speed. The Ekril couldn't keep up with the onslaught and finally died. Crane looked around assessing the battlefield. The Ekril had broken through at several points. There was a massive number of Ekril foot soldiers fighting Kallamore Infantryman in front of the main gate. Crane walked over to them while going over the fight he just had. He remembered that when he fought the bugs, he had imagined victory before the battle. In two out of three times in the last fight he had done the same, and broke the 50 finesse barrier. That was the mental half of routines, or at least a part of it. The act of performing the routine must cement the image that you will be victorious before the battle begins. A group of three Ekril spotted Crane and started running at the lone swordsman. Crane imagined cutting each of their bodies a thousand times before they struck him once and performed Majestic Stance. ---------------------------------- After ten hours of conflict Crane had found himself fighting alongside a group of kallamore warriors, two priests of Magni, and a very large great axe wielding Barbarian who kept the Ekril from the city gates. Crane set up a rotation system where several soldier fought in front of the barbarian, killing most the ekril that made it through the wall of infantrymen ahead of them. And when they ran low on health, mana or stamina they switch with the people behind the Barbarian who were being healed by the priest or recovering from fatigue. The barbarian acted as a last defense wall that prevented ekril who made it past the warriors from getting to the injured behind him. Crane had a larger than average supply of mana and of stamina from his leveling up earlier, and he choose to fight on when he had very low health because it eventually increased his fighting spirit stat. He fought like a madman using fast accurate movements to take on up to three ekril at once, only returning to the back to recover when his mana ran dry. He made a mental note to gather lots of ingredients to make a lot of mana potions later so he wouldn't have to wait to recover in situations like this. However Crane was the only one of the warriors capable of combat on that scale. Almost half of the Ekril who fought the warriors when Crane was recovering made it past them to be taken out in a single strike by the massive barbarian. Crane got up when his mana fully recovered and walked back to the front. As he passed, the barbarian said, "You sure you wanna get up? I haven't even gotten to stretch yet." Crane said, "neither have I," and went back to slaying the ekril. From the back emerged a hooded ekril Crane recognized as a blood shaman. They usually did not make it past the army, so this would be Crane's first encounter. Actually Crane realized this would be his first fight against anyone who could use magic. Crane motions for the warriors behind him to stay there as he walked forward to meet the shaman. Crane took his stance and waited for the shaman to walked within range of his dash powered lunge. Instead he stopped and in a smooth motion, drew a small knife, cut his forearm and flicked it in front of him while muttering something. Crane realized his mistake and used noble step to aviod a column of fire that ruptured from the ground he was just standing on. | -You have been burned, your health will slowly decline. | | --- | He had not escaped the pillar entirely and got a burn to go with the massive damage he took. Crane dashed to him and saw him make another motion with his knife and a green fog appeared around him. Crane stopped before going into it and pulled out his knives. He wouldn't be able to recover them after this, but he threw them them one at a time onto the cloud until he heard a his target make a painful sound. Crane then threw his remaining knives at him, each with a shout powered throw. | Skill Level up: Throw [2]Skill Level up: Shout [4] | | --- | Crane had been shouting a lot more this battle than throwing but it was still sastifying to see them rise up together. The fog lifted and revealed the ekril. He had four knives stuck in his body and was bleeding badly. The blood shaman smile, as Crane felt the chill of death envelop him. The Ekril shouted in a strange tongue and started to glow, Crane saw something in the corner of his eye pass in front of him just as the shaman exploded in a massive light. Even shielded the shockwave threw him to his back. When he opened his eyes again he saw the barbarian in front of him. The man seemed to have been badly damaged and said, "Careful, those guys tend to go out with a bang." A few more hits would likely kill the man which wasn't great due to the hole created by the explosion letting in dozens of Ekril warriors. Crane stepped in front of him and said, "Switch, you go get yourself patched up and I'll hold things here." The barbarian wasn't in a position to argue and said, "I need you to hold them all for two minutes." Crane was surprised at how serious he sounded. He guessed the man had an excellent potion and said, "No problem." Crane faced the horde approaching and found it very difficult to imagine coming out alive. He silenced his mind and realized the true purpose of routines. A person cannot truly imagine victory over any outcome without practice. That was what a routine was. The movement was performed while imagining the victory, strengthened the bond between the movement and the image with use. Over time and with practice the routine's use would invoke the image of victory regardless of the circumstances. Crane willed it that the use of the routine would make him see victory. He performed the motions of Majestic stance and imagined slicing through the entire army in a matter of seconds. 95! Crane used dash, moving faster than he ever had moved before right into the Ekril hord and started up continuous use of twelve forms. Even the kalamore warriors who fought beside him watched from the rear in amazement at the speed, power, and accuracy of Crane's movements. Crane never stopped in a single place but moved through the entire group seeming to be at battle with the whole thing simultaneously. The group could not advance forwards because they would immediately be attacked from behinds if they did. Several died but Crane was receiving wounds left and right from the omnidirectional attacks he received. The weakness of twelve forms as a skill was it's lack of dodging motions. When he dodged an attack he could not parry it counted as stopping the skill which used up one movement boost from the routine. It did not take long for Crane to run out of the boost. Crane's life was at a quarter when he dashed to the front of the horde and stood with his back to the area between him and the wall. He had successfully pissed them all off enough for them to prioritize skewering his head over passing him to the gate. Crane fought while parrying at least six frontal attacker and walking backwards to prevent them from getting his back. However his stalling tatics worked and the Barbarian came from behind killing the Ekril with each wave of sword until the hord started to run away. As the running Ekril passed the army a horn sounded and the rest of the army started to fall back. Crane started to walk around the field collecting dropped items when the warriors behind him ran up to him and said, "That was amazing," and, " I can't believe anyone can move like that." They were praising him when the barbarian said, "That was impressive. I haven't seen someone so young fight so well in a long time. I don't believe I've introduced myself, I am Dairos Burq." The warriors around him gasped and Crane knew why. Diaros Burq was a famous NPC mercenary whose exploits were known throughout the continent. He was an expert on rare and secret dungeons, and a well known member of one of the most exclusive guilds on Versailles, the Dark Djinns. Crane wondered why a person such as this, a person who must've been at least level 200, would come to the outskirts of Kallamore Kingdom and take part in part in this battle. Even more so why he would stay in the rear as a guard when he could've been in the front killing hundreds of Ekril. The great barbarian said, "You've shown that you have great potential, would you like to join the Dark Djinns?" | -You have received an invitation to join the guild Dark Djinns | | --- | Again, the warriors around Crane gasped, but Crane had made other arrangements. You can only join a single guild and Crane had made a promise to join the thief Tensford's guild. He was about to refuse when Crane saw Dairos tapping the hilt of a small knife he had on his side. It was identical to the Knife Tensford had. Dairos saw Crane looking at the knife and said, "I'm sure you were meant to join us." Crane nodded in understanding and said, "I would be honored to join." | You have acceptedYou are now a member of the guild, Dark DjinnsYou have access to the guild's bases and resources | | --- | Now Crane knew why Darios was there. Crane had made it known to Tensford that he wanted to join his dark guild, but did not want to be a criminal. If Crane was a prospective member and a criminal then he would be invited in secret, but if he was outwardly righteous than he would be invited publicly and add to the good face of the guild. Crane found it ironic he never suspected a guild called Dark Djinns of being a Dark guild but that just went to prove how good the public face of the guild actually was. Dairos passed a piece of paper to Crane and said, "Lets have a drink tomorrow. This is the address of a good bar." Crane bowed and went back to collecting fallen loot. ----------------------------- Back at the base, Crane was called into a meeting with Owens. "Good job kid, I hear you really showed your stuff out there and did me proud." | Quest Completed: Defend YarsanYou gained 200 fameYou gained 50 gold - You have leveled up- You have leveled Up- You have leveled up- You have leveled up | | --- | Crane told Owens, "I only did what I was trained to sir, just like every soldier out there today." "Every soldier on that battlefield didn't have an audience of two hundred archers on the fortress walls watching his every sword swing. The entire city is talking about you. Fame for you is fame for the army and the higher ups have decided you will be promoted and get some lackeys of your own." | You have been promoted to the rank of officer.Your pay will increase to 3 gold a monthYou will be given command of 10 infantryman | | --- | Because of how good the army had been to him, he was eager to continue and get stronger. The Knights of Kallamore were known to be some of the strongest in the continent. The reason is because the cities within Kallamore were prone to almost constant attack by monsters and the soldiers became strong as steel fighting them off so often. Today Crane had gotten a little taste of that and had become considerably stronger. Crane thanked Owens and left the base. He withdrew the paper Dairos Burq gave him. As he thought it was an address to a house in the slums. The next day Crane found his way to the address and knocked on the door. The door opened to reveal a young woman who gestured for Crane to come in. She lead him into the basement where Dairos and another woman waited for him. The hostess left and Crane waited as the woman next to Dairos sized him up. "My name is Isse, and I am a senior member of the Dark Djinns. I was told of you by a mutual friend a few days ago and arrived in the city with my escort yesterday to investigate you. Not long after the battle started I got my hands on this." She waved a copy of Crane's report on the Liberation of Surrol and said, "Trust is not a simple thing, but after hearing about the situation from our mutual friend and reading this, I decided you were worth a look, and sent my escort to see if you were worth the trouble. You know the rest." The fact that this woman, likely a user, had Dairos as a bodyguard told Crane a great deal about her. She continued, "So now that we have caught up to our present, we need to determine our future. Why did you ask to join our guild, the purveyor of dark wishes?" Crane took in a breath and started. "Foresight. I am a good person who has done nothing wrong, in a sane world that isn't a bad thing. But in Versailles, that could severely limit me, I recognize that and when an opportunity came along that could remove that limit, I did not hesitate." "So you don't want to do bad things but you don't want that to stop you from doing anything?... And here I thought someone who turned down fifteen thousand gold would be a little less greedy. Well I don't have a problem with that but I am going to need to see your credentials." At this point Crane said, "What? Oh, credentials, Show stat and skill screen." | Status Window | | | --- | --- | | Avatar- Crane. | Alignment- Neutral | | Level 92 | Class- Kallamore Warrior | | Title- None | Fame- 240 | | Health- 3840 | Mana- 1840 | | Strength- 200+60 | Agility- 205+66 | | Wisdom- 70+24 | Intellect- 70+24 | | Vitality- 50+20 | Luck- 0+10 | | Leadership- 0+10 | Finesse- XX+10 | | Fighting Spirit- 28+15 | Perseverance 34+14 | | Endurance- 40+18 | | | Attack- 178 | Defense- 63 | | + All stats are added 10+ While using a sword you receive +50% bonus to Attack+ Decreases Mana Consuption for Sword Skills by 50%+ Can learn skills that use the Stat Finesse+ All stats increase by 20% while wearing the Kallamore Warrior's helmet+ All stats decrease by 20% while not wearing the Kallamore Warrior's helmet | | | Skills Window | | | --- | --- | | Identification [6] 92%: Enables you to learn the true value of unidentified items.Mana Cost: 30 | | Sword Mastery Intermediate [2] 12%: Increases attack power and hit rating for swords. +170% ATK +36% ATK SPD while using a sword. | | Twelve Forms [8] 3%: Increases attack power and speed of attack while fighting using the twelve forms.+80% STR +80% AGIMana Cost: 10 per second | | Flurry [4] 78%: Rapid series of thrusts5 thrusts per secondMana Cost: 30 per second | | Dash [5] 32%: Move a great distance in a single stepMana Cost: 10 | | Power Lunge [5] 43%: A strengthen piercing attack that covers some distanceMana Cost: 45 | | Soa's Routine [4] 31% Majestic Stance- Increases attack strength and speed of techniques performed after stance used-Attack Str and Spd +40% for 4 techniques after useMana Cost: 20Regal Guard- Increase defense and chance of successful parry after use-Defense +20 Luck +40Mana Cost: 30Noble Step- Increase movement speed to dodge oncoming attack after use-Movement speed +80% for 3 steps after useMana Cost: 15All effects are multiplied by Finesse stat/97 | | Alchemy [1] 6% Enables you to create potions from ingredients | | Repair [3] 12% Enables you to repair weapons and armors. Beyond Lv. 10, you can forge new weapons and gears. | | Throw [2] 4% You can throw objects and weapons further and more accurately | | Shout [4] 3% Increases strength for an instant while shouting. STR +12% for an instantMana Cost: 5 | From what Crane could tell, the average Ekril warrior was between level 80 and 120, and he had fought hundreds of them for hours and hours. After leveling he distributed his stats to what he felt he need more of during the battle. He gave 10 points each to INT for mana and WIS for faster mana regeneration. He had already given 20 points to Vitality so he distributed what was left between STR and AGI. He had also taken every powerful hit he could survive willingly to strengthen his endurance and he spent at least a fifth of his time fighting with less than 8% of his health against multiple opponents, strengthening his Fighting Spirit. Isse looked at his stats and skills for while and said, "You definitely have some potential. I've heard of only three fighters who used finesse in my time and from what Dairos tells me you trump them all." Now Crane was curious, so he asked, "what was wrong with them?" She sighed and said, "Apparently they were told in detailed how to use finesse instead of figuring it out for themselves, that it seems crippled them for some reason and the could never use more than half their skill." Crane understood, if one was simply told it basically works by conditioning yourself to think positively they would never believe it and without the belief they only had the form. She started up again, "One last question, how far would you be willing to go for the guild." Crane had already decided, "As far as you need me to. That being said I will do what I can to make myself more valuable to you as someone who doesn't have a bounty on his head." Isse smiled and said, "Ok, it's official, you're in. This house serves as our secret base in Yarsan and you can use any empty room if you need it." She got up and left for the stairs, Dairos stayed behind and said, "I heard about what you did to those nobleman, Isse said I was sent to watch you but the truth is I was sent to protect you. Along with that folder, Isse found out plans were being made to eliminate you. Be careful out there." Crane went back to the army base and wondered how they were going to kill him. Crane found it amusing himself because he was the only member of the Royal Kallamore Army who was a user, therefore the only one who couldn't be killed permanently. Whatever they had planned would be interesting to see, but it would be useless in the long run. Crane mildly looked forward to it as another adventure. Chapter 8 Into the Spider's Web <!-- l --><a class="postlink-local" href="http://www.royalroadl.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=91&t=579&p=2358#p2358">viewtopic.php?f=91&t=579&p=2358#p2358</a><!-- l --> Chapter 6 The Skill to Win <!-- l --><a class="postlink-local" href="http://www.royalroadl.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=91&t=577">viewtopic.php?f=91&t=577</a><!-- l -->

<div class="chapter-inner chapter-content"> Please put any suggestions or advice for the fan fiction. This is my first time writing a story like this and also I want to try to create skills close to the actual games. </div>

Please put any suggestions or advice for the fan fiction. This is my first time writing a story like this and also I want to try to create skills close to the actual games.

<div class="chapter-inner chapter-content"> Derec awoke to a pain in his chest. During the day he never had any issues with his injuries, he watched how he moved so there wasn't much pain to complain about. But when he slept he wasn't aware of his own movements, he would lie on the wrong side or completely on top of his injured arm. <br><br>Medical research had leaped from what he had known it to be. His bones were held together from the inside, completely hiding the fact that they were broken and a salve had been used on his cuts and scraps so that now all that was left of them were scabs and scars for the smaller ones.<br><br>Derec made his way to the capsule and immersed himself in the gentle darkness.<br><br>Darkness lifted slightly to show the sky lightening in the predawn hour, Cloud stretched like a cat and lept lightly from the inn rooftop to the one beside it. He quickly made his way to the city walls despite the early morning shadows.<br><br>He practically slithered down the city walls making his way to the ground. He had waited long enough and it was time to do as Magnus asked of him.<br><br>Cloud looked out to the field, empty in the early hours and surveyed the creatures before him. Closest to the city walls, rabbits wondered. Farther out raccoons appeared and foxes after that. From what Cloud could see beyond that in the darker reaches of the forest, dark shadows moved swiftly beneath the brushes; that he could only assume what they may be.<br><br>Pulling out the wooden sword attained from the training hall Cloud slowly approached a rabbit, creeping up behind it. When he came within five feet of the rabbit he paused, the rabbit lifted its head from the grass. Its nose twitched and the ears moved. The rabbit turned an inspected Cloud, not really viewing him as a threat.<br><br>Cloud had basically no battle experience other than the fox, and that he had won mostly through luck. He had to prove that he could actually take down an opponent.<br><br>The bunny hopped toward Cloud raising its head higher and sniffing the air vigorously. As Cloud waited for the bunny to make an action he raised his sword. Quick as lightning the rabbit leaped and bit Cloud's hand.<br><br>Jumping back, Cloud shook his hand. The pain was manageable, but the bite itself bled profusely compared to its size. The bunny approached again to take a leap at Cloud. Moving cautiously, he didn't know what he was doing. With the fox it was more of a blood-fest than a fight. When the rabbit attacked, Cloud side stepped and spun to face the rabbit once again.<br><br>In normal circumstances, such a low level play would not have been able to dodge the swiftness of a rabbit. But due to Cloud's quests as a messenger he had the agility of a higher level player by far.<br><br>The moment the rabbit righted itself to face Cloud, he stepped forward and swung his sword. But the instant his sword curved toward the rabbit, it jumped above the arc of the wooden blade, only to bite Cloud again. Shaking his hand, Cloud found himself losing another 5 points of health along with quite a bit of blood.<br><br>Trying again the swung the sword, and found himself with another geyser spurting from his bare forarm. It went like this for a short while, Cloud would swing and the bunny would bite.<br><br>'This is the definition of insanity.' He thought to himself. 'I'm getting nowhere, and if I continue like this I'll probly kick the bucket.'<br><br>Scowling Cloud stared down the rabbit. So far he had always been the one to attack first, and the the only one to get hurt. Now Cloud waited, the rabbit should eventually attack if he waited long enough. After a full five minutes staring one another down, the rabbit leaped at Cloud. Spinning to the right, his arm followed his momentum and smacked the rabbit in its hind quarters. The blow caused the Rabbit to stumble as it landed and Cloud took the opportunity to swing at it.<br><br>For an instant, he almost thought he had won. Yet the rabbit staggered back barely dodging the end of the sword so Cloud waited. A little wary, the rabbit took longer to attack, but Cloud didn't waste it. Yet again the spun and hit the rabbit. Then quickly stepped forward to strike again.<br><br>The bunny faded and left meat on the ground. Picking up the meat, Cloud frowned at the ground. He searched the immediate area hoping he had just missed seeing the rabbit foot. But he hadn't.<br><br>'This really isn't going to be as easy as I thought.'<br><br>For the next few hours Cloud slaughtered the rabbits and gained three lucky rabbits' feet. It really was a repetitive process, and if not for the need to show up Magnus he would have given up hours ago. But the experience wasn't all bad. Within the third hour of hunting his the style he used proved smart.<br><br>Skill: You have learned Counter Strike<br><br>Cloud was quite happy with this outcome. At least he had learned something from the gruelling work. Now that he took a moment to rest he opened the window to look at his new skill.<br><br>Counter Strike<br><br>This skill allows you to strike at the critical moment when the opponents defence is down, with higher damage and success ratio of a clean hit.<br><br>+2% Critical hit<br><br>Looking at the sky, Cloud saw he had a few more hours before darkness. In the waning daylight he killed more rabbits until he attained his last rabbit foot. Feeling tired, Cloud couldn't rustle up the energy to deal with Magnus at that moment. <br><br>Powering off the capsule to opened his consciousness to knocking on his bedroom door.<br><br>“Derec! Time to get up. Breakfast in twenty, so take a shower and come when you're ready!”<br><br>Rubbing his dry eyes, Derec staggered to the bathroom to shower and change into clothes that he thought should be too big. On his way down the hall he smelt pancakes and heard Henry humming.<br><br>“Oh, good you're done. I didn't know what your favorite was, but I didn't think I cold go wrong with pancakes?”<br><br>“Sweet! I love pancakes! Thanks Henry.” Derec quickly took a seat and attcked the pancakes that were set on the table before him.<br><br>“So today is your fist day, are you excited?”<br><br>“Mmmmhmmm” Derec said through a mouthful of food.<br><br>“Swallow before trying to speak Derec, you may actually get some words out that way.”<br><br>“Sorry....But yeah I guess I'm excited though I don't know what I'm doing besides gym.”<br><br>“You didn't look at the sheet Miss. Mitchell gave you?” At the shake of Derec's head, Henry sighed. “Well you might want to so you know your schedule, and what classroom each class is in. Anyway, you're in all applied classes, because they haven't determined your aptitude for each subject. But you--”<br>“What's aptitude?” Derec interrupted.<br><br>With a sheepish grin Henry berated himself 'Of course a ten year old wouldn't know what it meant.'<br><br>“Well, aptitude is your ability to do something, or how suited you are to something. Anyhow that might change depending on how you do in your classes. But so far you just have the basics like Physics, English, Functions, History, Phys. Ed. and a Virtual Simulation Technologies course. But remember based on how you do, you might get other classes, so I don't want you just doing what you're told. Try to excell at every opportunity and you might find it much more fun when you're challenged than when you're bored out of your mind...Okay Derec?”<br><br>“Yes sir!” Derec answered with a salute, and Henry grinned.<br><br>“Good, now you want more pancakes?”<br><br>“Please!!!”<br><br>Henry set the next plate on the table and leisurely ate as he watched Derec. He was still surprised to see a teen acting like a child even after the week he has spent with Derec. Yet because of what Henry knew about Derec's state of mind there were some things that confused Henry. Derec never complained, ever. Dr. Hans had explained that Derec would experience pain even though he appeared mostly healed due to the mending of bones. But Derec hadn't spoken a word of complaint, nor had he asked about his father.<br><br>Since Henry and Miss. Mitchell had thought it best they don't mention what happened—during their conversation late last week—the only thing Derec knew about his father was that he could no longer take care of him. This Made little sense, the only thing familiar to Derec was gone, Derec had no idea why but he accepted it and didn't question why.<br><br>Glancing at the clock Henry snapped out of his musings.<br><br>“Oh sh—er....shoot....Derec be quick now, we've got to leave soon. Come on, go brush your teeth while I clean up the table.” Rushing around to gather his things, Henry made it to the door after Derec. “Derec grab that bag by the door would you?”<br><br>“What's in here?” He asked while lifting the backpack onto his shoulder.<br><br>“Oh just some supplies for school. Mostly binders, paper, pencils, a ruler and calculator. Oh, I got you a laptop, I thought you could use it and a phone. My name is already in the contacts to just text or call me if you have any problems that I need to deal with. Other than that you can go to Miss. Mitchell, or the guide she will assign to you today.”<br><br>“Woah, you got me a laptop. But they're so expensive aren't they?”<br><br>“Don't worry about it Derec, in the recent years it has become a lot cheaper to produce computers, and a lot more efficient.”<br><br>Derec just nodded at this, and was reminded about his memories or lack there of. Hopping into the car they listened to the radio on the way to Derec's school. Coincidentally, Henry and Derec enjoyed much of the same music, making Henry feel more like family to Derec, more like an older brother.<br><br>Arriving at school, Derec hopped out of the car in excitement and waved to Henry as he headed to the guidance office.<br><br>“Derec! Good morning.”<br><br>“'Morning Miss. Mitchell.”<br><br>“Okay, since you're a little earlier that most of the students, and the guide that I picked then we can have some time to talk about your classes. So you have your schedule with you right?” At Derec's nod she continued. “Today you start with English, which shouldn't be too difficult I hope. But the class I'm sure you will enjoy the most is Virtual Simulation Technologies or VST.”<br><br>“Ummm, What's that?”<br><br>“Well. Derec. VTS is mostly the study of RR.” Miss. Mitchell grinned, at Derec's happy reaction. “The class is conducted within the game, where the students will mostly play the game but be expected to find the answer to questions or complete a task during the course of each week. All your other courses will be learning during the week and assignments will be given on Friday and due Monday. Okay?”<br><br>Before Derec answered there was a knock on the door.<br><br>“And that must be Cameron now.” Walking to the door Miss. Mitchell opened it to reveal a dark skinned boy with casual grin. He was a little shorter than Derec, he would guess. But that really made him about average in height.<br><br>“Hey Miss. M. How's it going?”<br><br>“Good, Cameron. This is Derec, he's the new student you'll be guiding around the school.”<br><br>“Hey, man. The name's Cameron but you can call me Cam.”<br><br>“Umm,.....hi.”<br><br>“Don't be nervous Derec. Cameron knows about your memory, but no more. If he wants to know more then it's up to you okay?”<br><br>“Yeah, don't worry about it. You don't have to say a word and I won't ask. If you do, I'm awesome at keeping secrets, won't tell a soul.”<br><br>“Thanks.”<br><br>At the sound of a toll, Derec followed Cam out the office and down the hall. Packed with students the two boys struggled through the masses. Often Derec got stared at, being the new student in a prestigious school meant everyone knew everyone by name.<br><br>“'Kay, What's the first class D?”<br><br>“English.”<br><br>“Okay. Down this way, in 149 right?”<br><br>Nodding his head Derec followed Cam until they stopped at a door midway down.<br><br>“So, after class I'll be back here and show you to your next one.” Derec just nodded and looked at the door, watching students pass by him and settle in a desk. Soon enough the halls emptied and they stood by themselves outside.<br><br>Shifting his weight Derec looked uncomfortable, he didn't know what to do and felt completely out of place. <br><br>“Hey D?” Derec turned to look at Cam to see him grinning. “Every need a shoulder to cry on, or a really good hug, I'm right—” <br><br>At this Derec lightly punched Cam's arm grinning himself.<br><br>“Okay, okay. Truce right?” Cam raised his hands in surrender. “Gotta get to class, seeya.”<br><br>And with that Cameron moved swiftly away turning into an adjacent hallway and disappearing from sight.<br><br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.royalroadl.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=59&amp;t=1125&amp;p=6186#p6186" target="_blank">&lt;PREVIOUS</a> | <a href="http://www.royalroadl.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=59&amp;t=1139" target="_blank">NEXT&gt;</a></div> </div>

Derec awoke to a pain in his chest. During the day he never had any issues with his injuries, he watched how he moved so there wasn't much pain to complain about. But when he slept he wasn't aware of his own movements, he would lie on the wrong side or completely on top of his injured arm. Medical research had leaped from what he had known it to be. His bones were held together from the inside, completely hiding the fact that they were broken and a salve had been used on his cuts and scraps so that now all that was left of them were scabs and scars for the smaller ones. Derec made his way to the capsule and immersed himself in the gentle darkness. Darkness lifted slightly to show the sky lightening in the predawn hour, Cloud stretched like a cat and lept lightly from the inn rooftop to the one beside it. He quickly made his way to the city walls despite the early morning shadows. He practically slithered down the city walls making his way to the ground. He had waited long enough and it was time to do as Magnus asked of him. Cloud looked out to the field, empty in the early hours and surveyed the creatures before him. Closest to the city walls, rabbits wondered. Farther out raccoons appeared and foxes after that. From what Cloud could see beyond that in the darker reaches of the forest, dark shadows moved swiftly beneath the brushes; that he could only assume what they may be. Pulling out the wooden sword attained from the training hall Cloud slowly approached a rabbit, creeping up behind it. When he came within five feet of the rabbit he paused, the rabbit lifted its head from the grass. Its nose twitched and the ears moved. The rabbit turned an inspected Cloud, not really viewing him as a threat. Cloud had basically no battle experience other than the fox, and that he had won mostly through luck. He had to prove that he could actually take down an opponent. The bunny hopped toward Cloud raising its head higher and sniffing the air vigorously. As Cloud waited for the bunny to make an action he raised his sword. Quick as lightning the rabbit leaped and bit Cloud's hand. Jumping back, Cloud shook his hand. The pain was manageable, but the bite itself bled profusely compared to its size. The bunny approached again to take a leap at Cloud. Moving cautiously, he didn't know what he was doing. With the fox it was more of a blood-fest than a fight. When the rabbit attacked, Cloud side stepped and spun to face the rabbit once again. In normal circumstances, such a low level play would not have been able to dodge the swiftness of a rabbit. But due to Cloud's quests as a messenger he had the agility of a higher level player by far. The moment the rabbit righted itself to face Cloud, he stepped forward and swung his sword. But the instant his sword curved toward the rabbit, it jumped above the arc of the wooden blade, only to bite Cloud again. Shaking his hand, Cloud found himself losing another 5 points of health along with quite a bit of blood. Trying again the swung the sword, and found himself with another geyser spurting from his bare forarm. It went like this for a short while, Cloud would swing and the bunny would bite. 'This is the definition of insanity.' He thought to himself. 'I'm getting nowhere, and if I continue like this I'll probly kick the bucket.' Scowling Cloud stared down the rabbit. So far he had always been the one to attack first, and the the only one to get hurt. Now Cloud waited, the rabbit should eventually attack if he waited long enough. After a full five minutes staring one another down, the rabbit leaped at Cloud. Spinning to the right, his arm followed his momentum and smacked the rabbit in its hind quarters. The blow caused the Rabbit to stumble as it landed and Cloud took the opportunity to swing at it. For an instant, he almost thought he had won. Yet the rabbit staggered back barely dodging the end of the sword so Cloud waited. A little wary, the rabbit took longer to attack, but Cloud didn't waste it. Yet again the spun and hit the rabbit. Then quickly stepped forward to strike again. The bunny faded and left meat on the ground. Picking up the meat, Cloud frowned at the ground. He searched the immediate area hoping he had just missed seeing the rabbit foot. But he hadn't. 'This really isn't going to be as easy as I thought.' For the next few hours Cloud slaughtered the rabbits and gained three lucky rabbits' feet. It really was a repetitive process, and if not for the need to show up Magnus he would have given up hours ago. But the experience wasn't all bad. Within the third hour of hunting his the style he used proved smart. Skill: You have learned Counter Strike Cloud was quite happy with this outcome. At least he had learned something from the gruelling work. Now that he took a moment to rest he opened the window to look at his new skill. Counter Strike This skill allows you to strike at the critical moment when the opponents defence is down, with higher damage and success ratio of a clean hit. +2% Critical hit Looking at the sky, Cloud saw he had a few more hours before darkness. In the waning daylight he killed more rabbits until he attained his last rabbit foot. Feeling tired, Cloud couldn't rustle up the energy to deal with Magnus at that moment. Powering off the capsule to opened his consciousness to knocking on his bedroom door. “Derec! Time to get up. Breakfast in twenty, so take a shower and come when you're ready!” Rubbing his dry eyes, Derec staggered to the bathroom to shower and change into clothes that he thought should be too big. On his way down the hall he smelt pancakes and heard Henry humming. “Oh, good you're done. I didn't know what your favorite was, but I didn't think I cold go wrong with pancakes?” “Sweet! I love pancakes! Thanks Henry.” Derec quickly took a seat and attcked the pancakes that were set on the table before him. “So today is your fist day, are you excited?” “Mmmmhmmm” Derec said through a mouthful of food. “Swallow before trying to speak Derec, you may actually get some words out that way.” “Sorry....But yeah I guess I'm excited though I don't know what I'm doing besides gym.” “You didn't look at the sheet Miss. Mitchell gave you?” At the shake of Derec's head, Henry sighed. “Well you might want to so you know your schedule, and what classroom each class is in. Anyway, you're in all applied classes, because they haven't determined your aptitude for each subject. But you--” “What's aptitude?” Derec interrupted. With a sheepish grin Henry berated himself 'Of course a ten year old wouldn't know what it meant.' “Well, aptitude is your ability to do something, or how suited you are to something. Anyhow that might change depending on how you do in your classes. But so far you just have the basics like Physics, English, Functions, History, Phys. Ed. and a Virtual Simulation Technologies course. But remember based on how you do, you might get other classes, so I don't want you just doing what you're told. Try to excell at every opportunity and you might find it much more fun when you're challenged than when you're bored out of your mind...Okay Derec?” “Yes sir!” Derec answered with a salute, and Henry grinned. “Good, now you want more pancakes?” “Please!!!” Henry set the next plate on the table and leisurely ate as he watched Derec. He was still surprised to see a teen acting like a child even after the week he has spent with Derec. Yet because of what Henry knew about Derec's state of mind there were some things that confused Henry. Derec never complained, ever. Dr. Hans had explained that Derec would experience pain even though he appeared mostly healed due to the mending of bones. But Derec hadn't spoken a word of complaint, nor had he asked about his father. Since Henry and Miss. Mitchell had thought it best they don't mention what happened—during their conversation late last week—the only thing Derec knew about his father was that he could no longer take care of him. This Made little sense, the only thing familiar to Derec was gone, Derec had no idea why but he accepted it and didn't question why. Glancing at the clock Henry snapped out of his musings. “Oh sh—er....shoot....Derec be quick now, we've got to leave soon. Come on, go brush your teeth while I clean up the table.” Rushing around to gather his things, Henry made it to the door after Derec. “Derec grab that bag by the door would you?” “What's in here?” He asked while lifting the backpack onto his shoulder. “Oh just some supplies for school. Mostly binders, paper, pencils, a ruler and calculator. Oh, I got you a laptop, I thought you could use it and a phone. My name is already in the contacts to just text or call me if you have any problems that I need to deal with. Other than that you can go to Miss. Mitchell, or the guide she will assign to you today.” “Woah, you got me a laptop. But they're so expensive aren't they?” “Don't worry about it Derec, in the recent years it has become a lot cheaper to produce computers, and a lot more efficient.” Derec just nodded at this, and was reminded about his memories or lack there of. Hopping into the car they listened to the radio on the way to Derec's school. Coincidentally, Henry and Derec enjoyed much of the same music, making Henry feel more like family to Derec, more like an older brother. Arriving at school, Derec hopped out of the car in excitement and waved to Henry as he headed to the guidance office. “Derec! Good morning.” “'Morning Miss. Mitchell.” “Okay, since you're a little earlier that most of the students, and the guide that I picked then we can have some time to talk about your classes. So you have your schedule with you right?” At Derec's nod she continued. “Today you start with English, which shouldn't be too difficult I hope. But the class I'm sure you will enjoy the most is Virtual Simulation Technologies or VST.” “Ummm, What's that?” “Well. Derec. VTS is mostly the study of RR.” Miss. Mitchell grinned, at Derec's happy reaction. “The class is conducted within the game, where the students will mostly play the game but be expected to find the answer to questions or complete a task during the course of each week. All your other courses will be learning during the week and assignments will be given on Friday and due Monday. Okay?” Before Derec answered there was a knock on the door. “And that must be Cameron now.” Walking to the door Miss. Mitchell opened it to reveal a dark skinned boy with casual grin. He was a little shorter than Derec, he would guess. But that really made him about average in height. “Hey Miss. M. How's it going?” “Good, Cameron. This is Derec, he's the new student you'll be guiding around the school.” “Hey, man. The name's Cameron but you can call me Cam.” “Umm,.....hi.” “Don't be nervous Derec. Cameron knows about your memory, but no more. If he wants to know more then it's up to you okay?” “Yeah, don't worry about it. You don't have to say a word and I won't ask. If you do, I'm awesome at keeping secrets, won't tell a soul.” “Thanks.” At the sound of a toll, Derec followed Cam out the office and down the hall. Packed with students the two boys struggled through the masses. Often Derec got stared at, being the new student in a prestigious school meant everyone knew everyone by name. “'Kay, What's the first class D?” “English.” “Okay. Down this way, in 149 right?” Nodding his head Derec followed Cam until they stopped at a door midway down. “So, after class I'll be back here and show you to your next one.” Derec just nodded and looked at the door, watching students pass by him and settle in a desk. Soon enough the halls emptied and they stood by themselves outside. Shifting his weight Derec looked uncomfortable, he didn't know what to do and felt completely out of place. “Hey D?” Derec turned to look at Cam to see him grinning. “Every need a shoulder to cry on, or a really good hug, I'm right—” At this Derec lightly punched Cam's arm grinning himself. “Okay, okay. Truce right?” Cam raised his hands in surrender. “Gotta get to class, seeya.” And with that Cameron moved swiftly away turning into an adjacent hallway and disappearing from sight. [<PREVIOUS](http://www.royalroadl.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=59&t=1125&p=6186#p6186) | [NEXT>](http://www.royalroadl.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=59&t=1139)

<div class="chapter-inner chapter-content"> before u read this I would like everyone to know this book is not about LMS very much but I'm going to be trying to fix Dante and the crew inside of the game that was made so please leave comments and criticism as well as how well I did.<br> <br><br> Dante<br> Son of a demon and angel after their execution Lucifer decides to raise Dante and after living in hell for 16 years Dante escapes into the human world finding things he has never though possible.<br> <br> Athanasius<br> A dragon terrorizing villages when he meets Dante and after losing to him in a fight he becomes Dante's loyal servant.<br> <br> Lucifer<br> King of the demons prince of evil<br> After losing Dante all hell breaks loose and they search and unbeknownst to Dante he is a child that's birth has been prophesized since the beginning of time. <br> The prophesy says a time will come when a child will be born of the strongest light and the strongest darkness he can bring the end to a war that has been going on since the beginning of time but the question is which side will he go to will he embrace the darkness and follow the path of a demon or believe in light, something he has never truly felt before in his whole life but the thing is fate has a funny way of messing with prophecy and Dante will soon find out not everything is labeled black and white but millions and millions shades of gray where good guy are bad and bad guys are good welcome to the kingdom of Albion A.K.A Morata where the lord of the land is weed a legendary warrior and even more of a legendary sculptor. </div>

before u read this I would like everyone to know this book is not about LMS very much but I'm going to be trying to fix Dante and the crew inside of the game that was made so please leave comments and criticism as well as how well I did. Dante Son of a demon and angel after their execution Lucifer decides to raise Dante and after living in hell for 16 years Dante escapes into the human world finding things he has never though possible. Athanasius A dragon terrorizing villages when he meets Dante and after losing to him in a fight he becomes Dante's loyal servant. Lucifer King of the demons prince of evil After losing Dante all hell breaks loose and they search and unbeknownst to Dante he is a child that's birth has been prophesized since the beginning of time. The prophesy says a time will come when a child will be born of the strongest light and the strongest darkness he can bring the end to a war that has been going on since the beginning of time but the question is which side will he go to will he embrace the darkness and follow the path of a demon or believe in light, something he has never truly felt before in his whole life but the thing is fate has a funny way of messing with prophecy and Dante will soon find out not everything is labeled black and white but millions and millions shades of gray where good guy are bad and bad guys are good welcome to the kingdom of Albion A.K.A Morata where the lord of the land is weed a legendary warrior and even more of a legendary sculptor.

<div class="chapter-inner chapter-content"> The sixth day passed without anything new or exciting, Will made some potions as instructed and delivered them on time, on the seventh and last day of the quest the Old Sage had something in mind for Will. <br><br>Old Sage: For today I have a different task for you, you will need this. Now go and gather three bundles of lemon grass and a couple of urkat herbs.<br><br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td colspan="4">You have received an old knife.</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br>“Item stat window”.<br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td colspan="4">Old knife:</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Durability 6/15</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Damage: 1-2</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">A simple blade, used for cutting. The blade is quite dull and a bit rusty.</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br><br>Will: I will do my best.<br><br><br>After equipping the old knife Will left off to gather the lemon grass. Its one of the most common grass around so just by walking around the town Will was able to find enough, but finding the urkat herb would be more challenging since Will cannot leave the town before the 4 weeks initial phase is over. Will pondered for a while before recalling that there were some urkat herbs in the royal court, but getting into the royal court is easier said then done. Will arrived in front of the big palace gate guarded as always, Will approached one of the guards.<br><br><br>Guard: Halt, whats your business?<br>Will: I was sent by the Old Sage to collect some herbs from the garden.<br>Guard: That is not my concern, I cannot allow anybody to pass without a permit. Now leave!<br><br><br>Will turned around and left feeling slightly rejected and even a bit angry, a lowly level 40 guard would never been so rude to William. Will loitered around the streets half the day waiting for the guards to change. Once the guards exchanged Will gave it another shot but before reaching the guards a beggar appeared asking for few coppers. Will rejected the beggar and headed towards the guards. Will tried his best to persuade the guards even tried to bribe them but without any success, feeling lower then low for not being able to finish this simple request Will sat down nearby, without Will noticing the beggar from earlier approached again asking for some coppers again, suddenly Will was struck by an idea, Will pulled the beggar closer and whispered:<br><br>Will: Want to earn a silver coin quite easily?Beggar: How?<br>Will: All you need to do is cause a bit of ruckus in front of the royal court to distract the guards so I can sneak in.<br>Beggar: Sounds alright but pay me in front.<br>Will: I will give you 50 copper now and 50 later, deal?<br>Beggar: Hmm, Fine deal.<br>Will: Head off then and signal me when you are ready.<br><br>After handing the 50 copper to the beggar Will was left penniless. The beggar moved over to the main streets waited couple of minutes before tumbling against a pedestrian, falling over and yelling out loudly:<br><br>Beggar: Stop him, he knocked me over and is trying to steal my purse.<br><br><br>The beggar is making a lot of noise as the ruckus does not die out with more people gathering around the guards finally leave their post and Will sneaks past them entering the Royal Court. Will sees the guard dragging away the beggar from the streets, the fine is probably higher then what Will paid the beggar. Quietly and silently moving forward to the garden avoid all eyes Will managed to learn “Sneak” skill. Reaching the garden, Will swiftly grabbed the herbs needed and tried to make to get out but did not get far before a guard spotted Will and stopped Will on the spot.<br><br>Guard: What are you doing here? I have never seen you before, do you have a permit to be here?<br>Will; Umm I am just here to help out the gardener with weeding, was just about to go and dump the weed.<br><br>The guard released Will after seeing the bundles of lemon grass.<br><br>Guard: Fine, carry on.<br><br>Will sighed out deeply, feeling such relief after getting out of the Royal Court without being caught. The sun long set when Will arrives at the old shack. Handing over the herbs and grass to the Old Sage.<br><br>Old Sage: Good Good, you got everything needed but what took you so long to complete this task?<br>Will: The guard in front of the Royal Court did not let me pass without a permit so I had to sneak in for the urkat herbs.<br>Old Sage; Hahaha, why not came back and asked me for it? I would written you a permit, I can enter the Royal Court as I wish.<br><br>Feeling exhausted about all the trouble Will had to go through for the task, all the tension fading as Will sighs loudly.<br><br>Quest complete!<br><br>The Sages assistant<br><br>Helped the Sage to produce and deliver all medicine needed.<br><br>Reward: Herbalist Knife, Herb bag, 3silver 50copper.<br><br>You leveled up!<br>You leveled up! </div>

The sixth day passed without anything new or exciting, Will made some potions as instructed and delivered them on time, on the seventh and last day of the quest the Old Sage had something in mind for Will. Old Sage: For today I have a different task for you, you will need this. Now go and gather three bundles of lemon grass and a couple of urkat herbs. | You have received an old knife. | | | | | --- | --- | --- | --- | “Item stat window”. | Old knife: | | | | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Durability 6/15 | | Damage: 1-2 | | A simple blade, used for cutting. The blade is quite dull and a bit rusty. | Will: I will do my best. After equipping the old knife Will left off to gather the lemon grass. Its one of the most common grass around so just by walking around the town Will was able to find enough, but finding the urkat herb would be more challenging since Will cannot leave the town before the 4 weeks initial phase is over. Will pondered for a while before recalling that there were some urkat herbs in the royal court, but getting into the royal court is easier said then done. Will arrived in front of the big palace gate guarded as always, Will approached one of the guards. Guard: Halt, whats your business? Will: I was sent by the Old Sage to collect some herbs from the garden. Guard: That is not my concern, I cannot allow anybody to pass without a permit. Now leave! Will turned around and left feeling slightly rejected and even a bit angry, a lowly level 40 guard would never been so rude to William. Will loitered around the streets half the day waiting for the guards to change. Once the guards exchanged Will gave it another shot but before reaching the guards a beggar appeared asking for few coppers. Will rejected the beggar and headed towards the guards. Will tried his best to persuade the guards even tried to bribe them but without any success, feeling lower then low for not being able to finish this simple request Will sat down nearby, without Will noticing the beggar from earlier approached again asking for some coppers again, suddenly Will was struck by an idea, Will pulled the beggar closer and whispered: Will: Want to earn a silver coin quite easily?Beggar: How? Will: All you need to do is cause a bit of ruckus in front of the royal court to distract the guards so I can sneak in. Beggar: Sounds alright but pay me in front. Will: I will give you 50 copper now and 50 later, deal? Beggar: Hmm, Fine deal. Will: Head off then and signal me when you are ready. After handing the 50 copper to the beggar Will was left penniless. The beggar moved over to the main streets waited couple of minutes before tumbling against a pedestrian, falling over and yelling out loudly: Beggar: Stop him, he knocked me over and is trying to steal my purse. The beggar is making a lot of noise as the ruckus does not die out with more people gathering around the guards finally leave their post and Will sneaks past them entering the Royal Court. Will sees the guard dragging away the beggar from the streets, the fine is probably higher then what Will paid the beggar. Quietly and silently moving forward to the garden avoid all eyes Will managed to learn “Sneak” skill. Reaching the garden, Will swiftly grabbed the herbs needed and tried to make to get out but did not get far before a guard spotted Will and stopped Will on the spot. Guard: What are you doing here? I have never seen you before, do you have a permit to be here? Will; Umm I am just here to help out the gardener with weeding, was just about to go and dump the weed. The guard released Will after seeing the bundles of lemon grass. Guard: Fine, carry on. Will sighed out deeply, feeling such relief after getting out of the Royal Court without being caught. The sun long set when Will arrives at the old shack. Handing over the herbs and grass to the Old Sage. Old Sage: Good Good, you got everything needed but what took you so long to complete this task? Will: The guard in front of the Royal Court did not let me pass without a permit so I had to sneak in for the urkat herbs. Old Sage; Hahaha, why not came back and asked me for it? I would written you a permit, I can enter the Royal Court as I wish. Feeling exhausted about all the trouble Will had to go through for the task, all the tension fading as Will sighs loudly. Quest complete! The Sages assistant Helped the Sage to produce and deliver all medicine needed. Reward: Herbalist Knife, Herb bag, 3silver 50copper. You leveled up! You leveled up!

<div class="chapter-inner chapter-content"> Jake was thankful classes were finally over. He could now immerse himself in all his classmates' conversations, but was still too scared to approach them. Even more so, they would probably get even more scared if he did approach them...<br><br>"At least my eyes are less mean in real life. Never thought I'd be saying that." Chuckled Jake.<br><br>"Still though, I should attempt to slowly work my way into talking to people and show them I am not scary." Sighed Jake.<br><br>Jake was in his last year of college. He had gained most of his credits and luckily only had classes on Monday and Friday.<br><br>"That decides it, I will spend all my time off attempting to converse in Royal Road! If my mean ass looking avatar can make friends, so can I!" Yelled Jake triumphantly.<br><br>As Jake finally reached his home, he saw Amanda starting to come out of her front door, so he hurried inside like the roach he is.<br><br>Amanda let out a chuckle and headed down the street.<br><br>"I need to start at least greeting her." Sighed Jake.<br><br>Jake finally felt like doing some real cooking today! Thus, he began to boil some water. After the water was boiling, he poured it into his cup of ramen...<br><br>"Ah, it's nice to have a hot meal." Said Jake...<br><br>(Such a sad, sad man...)<br><br>After attending to his needs, Jake hopped in the capsule.<br><br>Upon logging back in, Jake was at a loss for what to do. He was back to square one...Sitting on the fountain in front of the training hall, chewing a rock.<br><br>"What am I going to do for the last three weeks?" Thought Jake as he checked to see if his teeth were still intact.<br><br>Shortly thereafter, he pulled out the wooden sword and was surprised that he could heft it with ease and no longer had to drag it! It was then he recalled he gained a good amount of stats working for the shifty codger! Jake then started swinging the sword excitedly.<br><br>"It feels so light now! Thanks Horrick, you weird ol' bast..." Jake started.<br><br>"Oi, you!" Yelled a nearby guard.<br><br>As Jake was reveling in his progress, he was approached by the same guard from the first week.<br><br>"You better stop swinging around that piece of crap in the streets like an idiot, or I'll have you fined and and jailed." Stated the guard, in an angry tone.<br><br>"Yes sir..." Said Jake apologetically.<br><br>Jake sat back on the fountain, mood turned to crap.<br><br>"That guard must be following me..." Said Jake in a paranoid tone.<br><br>As Jake sat, he was once again approached by a shady cloaked figure.<br><br>"Sir I simply wish to relax, please leave me alone" Said Jake, with a feeling of Déjà vu.<br><br>Upon further inspection, Jake could tell that the cloaked figure was a young boy of around eleven or twelve years of age. No...This boy was something different, something ominous. He had snow white hair, and pale red eyes. His face showed no emotion and he exuded a killing intent that almost made Jake add a couple ounces of liquid to the fountain. On the boy's back was a sword taller than Jake. It was more an iron slab than a sword, except it was jet black and covered in runes. <br><br>"What...are you?" Jake finally managed to get out.<br><br>The boy replied, "There are forces in this world that should not be sought, I am one who seeks them. We seek them."<br><br>"Ehh...Forces? We? We who?" Said Jake.<br><br>"That is for another time. I saw you at Horrick's and thought you had potential. I simply wish to extend to you a trial." Stated the boy.<br><br>"Damn it! More crap from Horrick! I should have known. Wait! Why does that codger know a kid your age? This just doesn't add up!"<br><br>"My name is Auruk. Will you take my trial, or not?" Stated Auruk, without emotion.<br><br>T-ting<br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td colspan="4">Trial of the Slayer<br><br>Auruk has offered to train you for four weeks, and will then send you to the ancient grounds of his people. You must reach the end of the temple, and retrieve the item within two months. This will complete the rite of passage.<br><br>You may not receive any assistance with this quest.<br><br>Difficulty level: C<br><br>Quest requirements<br>Must be friends with Horrick.<br>Must have declined Shady Forester.<br>Must have interest in two handed weaponry.<br>Must look weak.<br><br>Failure if you die, or fail to retrieve the item within two months time.</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br>Jake hurried accepted, as he would never forego a chance to become stronger.<br><br>"HEY! I DO NOT LOOK WEAK DAMN IT!" Shouted Jake.<br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td colspan="4">You have accepted the quest.</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br>Auruk nodded and said, "Good, let us get started immediately. Follow me."<br><br>As Jake followed Auruk, he was led into a less than appealing part of town. There was a wide assortment of ramshackle buildings, coupled with seedy characters wherever you looked.<br><br>"Eh...Auruk, are you sure we are going the right way? Said Jake.<br><br>Auruk did not respond.<br><br>"Are...Are you going to mug me?" Stammered Jake.<br><br>Auruk still said nothing.<br><br>As Jake grew more paranoid by the second, the pair stopped at a poorly constructed old building. Approaching the door, Auruk simply waved his hand and muttered. The door creaked open without assistance, and inside was a clean white space.<br><br>"What the hell do you call this? Spatial distortion? I don't even..." Said Jake, as he stared in awe.<br><br>His view was met with a spotless marble floor and giant pillars. Each pillar was etched with a different beast, and there was various training stations and rings wherever you looked.<br><br>"This is my personal training area. We must get your body and spirit into shape." Said Auruk...With as little emotion as usual.<br><br>"Well...I suppose that sounds fine. I do love progressing...I suppose." Said Jake with a slightly worried tone.<br><br>"Then, let us begin." Said Auruk.<br>-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------For the next four weeks, Jake could hardly keep up. His schedule consisted of two handed sword training, normal physical training, and sharpening his reflexes. The hours of constant fighting had blessed him with a new skill, and a new stat as well.<br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td colspan="4">New Skill: Two Handed Sword Mastery - Beginner 1 - 17%</td></tr><tr><td colspan="4">Increased damage and speed with a two handed sword.<br>+10% DMG<br>+3% SPD</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td colspan="4">New Stat: Fighting Spirit<br><br>You can call on superhuman strength temporarily, or bring weaker monsters to their knees with a force in your eyes alone. You are prohibited from distributing stat bonus points to this stat, and it rises spontaneously, depending on the avatar’s action, especially if you fight monsters for a long time, or often confront monsters stronger than your current level.</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br>When Jake finally finished the arduous task, he had gained a staggering 34 STR, 28 AGI, 24 VIT, 34 Stamina, and 22 Fighting Spirit. His two handed sword mastery also saw a significant rise.<br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td colspan="4">Two Handed Sword Mastery - Beginner 4 - 72%</td></tr><tr><td colspan="4">Increased damage and speed with a two handed sword.<br>+40% DMG<br>+12% SPD</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br>The four weeks were definitely hell, but they were also definitely worth it. <br><br>Auruk gave a nod of approval and said, "You have done well. I understand this was not easy for one as weak as yourself."<br><br>"I AM NOT WEAK!" Screamed Jake.<br><br>"Yes, now you are not. Thanks to me." Said Auruk, With the closest thing to a smile Jake has ever seen on the creepy little ba...nevermind.<br><br>"For completing the training, I gift you with this sword. It was the first sword I used when I started training. Also, here is the map to where you will take part in your trial." Stated Auruk proudly.<br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td colspan="4">Gained Item: Auruk's Old 2h Sword</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br>"Stats!" Yelled Jake.<br><br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td colspan="4">Auruk's Old 2h Sword</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Durability</td><td colspan="3">35/35</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Damage</td><td colspan="3">13-17</td></tr><tr><td colspan="4">Auruk's old sword. This bad boy has seen a lot of use, and not a lot of emotion...<br>It isn't much more than a slab of grey on a stick, but it'll do some damage!<br>+5 STR<br>+5 VIT</td></tr><tr><td colspan="4">Requires: 30 STR, 30 AGI</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br>Jake was impressed by the sword. It was immensely better than the wooden one. The true test was...well...could he lift it. Jake hoisted the sword into the air with ease, and almost drooled over the sound it made slicing through the air. <br><br>After he was done goofing off, Auruk approached him once more.<br><br>"Here's the map to the location of the trial. It's about five days on foot. Good luck over the next month. If you succeed, you will find me here. If you fail, it will be like I never existed. Once again, good luck." Auruk said, as he ushered Jake out.<br><br>"Okay...recap...I am level three, with a class C quest...I myself am classless and lacking the bonuses that come with one, and I gained an insane amount of stats by busting my ass...I wonder if this is a normal experience for most players? I sure hope I can finish the quest though...otherwise all will be for naught..." Pondered Jake, as he walked down the street.<br><br>"Stats!" Jake yelled.<br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td width="25%">Name</td><td width="25%">Azrael</td><td width="25%">Primary Class</td><td width="25%">None</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Health</td><td width="25%">1060</td><td width="25%">Mana</td><td width="25%">100</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Level</td><td colspan="3">3</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Health Regen/Sec</td><td width="25%">3.2</td><td width="25%">Mana Regen/Sec</td><td width="25%">.2</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Strength</td><td width="25%">63(+5)</td><td width="25%">Agility</td><td width="25%">44</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Wisdom</td><td width="25%">10</td><td width="25%">Intelligence</td><td width="25%">10</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Stamina</td><td width="25%">115</td><td width="25%">Vitality</td><td width="25%">46(+5)</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Attack</td><td width="25%">26-30</td><td width="25%">Defense</td><td width="25%">0</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Fighting Spirit</td><td colspan="3">22</td></tr><tr><td colspan="4">Magic Resistance</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Fire</td><td width="25%">0%</td><td width="25%">Water</td><td width="25%">0%</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Earth</td><td width="25%">4%</td><td width="25%">Electric</td><td width="25%">0%</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Dark</td><td colspan="3">0%</td></tr><tr><td colspan="4">N/A</td></tr><tr><td colspan="4">Skill points left to distribute: 10</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br>"Well now, I look to be in pretty good shape! Unless, of course, I wanted to be a mage...Nah...Screw those squishies. Huzzah, who's weak now!" Proclaimed Jake, as he walked through the seedy area once more.<br><br>Except now, none of the seedy street urchins looked at him as prey, but as the hunter.<br><br>Jake had finally made his way to the front gate, and was quivering with excitement as he was about to take his first steps out of the town.<br>----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- </div>

Jake was thankful classes were finally over. He could now immerse himself in all his classmates' conversations, but was still too scared to approach them. Even more so, they would probably get even more scared if he did approach them... "At least my eyes are less mean in real life. Never thought I'd be saying that." Chuckled Jake. "Still though, I should attempt to slowly work my way into talking to people and show them I am not scary." Sighed Jake. Jake was in his last year of college. He had gained most of his credits and luckily only had classes on Monday and Friday. "That decides it, I will spend all my time off attempting to converse in Royal Road! If my mean ass looking avatar can make friends, so can I!" Yelled Jake triumphantly. As Jake finally reached his home, he saw Amanda starting to come out of her front door, so he hurried inside like the roach he is. Amanda let out a chuckle and headed down the street. "I need to start at least greeting her." Sighed Jake. Jake finally felt like doing some real cooking today! Thus, he began to boil some water. After the water was boiling, he poured it into his cup of ramen... "Ah, it's nice to have a hot meal." Said Jake... (Such a sad, sad man...) After attending to his needs, Jake hopped in the capsule. Upon logging back in, Jake was at a loss for what to do. He was back to square one...Sitting on the fountain in front of the training hall, chewing a rock. "What am I going to do for the last three weeks?" Thought Jake as he checked to see if his teeth were still intact. Shortly thereafter, he pulled out the wooden sword and was surprised that he could heft it with ease and no longer had to drag it! It was then he recalled he gained a good amount of stats working for the shifty codger! Jake then started swinging the sword excitedly. "It feels so light now! Thanks Horrick, you weird ol' bast..." Jake started. "Oi, you!" Yelled a nearby guard. As Jake was reveling in his progress, he was approached by the same guard from the first week. "You better stop swinging around that piece of crap in the streets like an idiot, or I'll have you fined and and jailed." Stated the guard, in an angry tone. "Yes sir..." Said Jake apologetically. Jake sat back on the fountain, mood turned to crap. "That guard must be following me..." Said Jake in a paranoid tone. As Jake sat, he was once again approached by a shady cloaked figure. "Sir I simply wish to relax, please leave me alone" Said Jake, with a feeling of Déjà vu. Upon further inspection, Jake could tell that the cloaked figure was a young boy of around eleven or twelve years of age. No...This boy was something different, something ominous. He had snow white hair, and pale red eyes. His face showed no emotion and he exuded a killing intent that almost made Jake add a couple ounces of liquid to the fountain. On the boy's back was a sword taller than Jake. It was more an iron slab than a sword, except it was jet black and covered in runes. "What...are you?" Jake finally managed to get out. The boy replied, "There are forces in this world that should not be sought, I am one who seeks them. We seek them." "Ehh...Forces? We? We who?" Said Jake. "That is for another time. I saw you at Horrick's and thought you had potential. I simply wish to extend to you a trial." Stated the boy. "Damn it! More crap from Horrick! I should have known. Wait! Why does that codger know a kid your age? This just doesn't add up!" "My name is Auruk. Will you take my trial, or not?" Stated Auruk, without emotion. T-ting | Trial of the SlayerAuruk has offered to train you for four weeks, and will then send you to the ancient grounds of his people. You must reach the end of the temple, and retrieve the item within two months. This will complete the rite of passage.You may not receive any assistance with this quest.Difficulty level: CQuest requirementsMust be friends with Horrick.Must have declined Shady Forester.Must have interest in two handed weaponry.Must look weak.Failure if you die, or fail to retrieve the item within two months time. | | | | | --- | --- | --- | --- | Jake hurried accepted, as he would never forego a chance to become stronger. "HEY! I DO NOT LOOK WEAK DAMN IT!" Shouted Jake. | You have accepted the quest. | | | | | --- | --- | --- | --- | Auruk nodded and said, "Good, let us get started immediately. Follow me." As Jake followed Auruk, he was led into a less than appealing part of town. There was a wide assortment of ramshackle buildings, coupled with seedy characters wherever you looked. "Eh...Auruk, are you sure we are going the right way? Said Jake. Auruk did not respond. "Are...Are you going to mug me?" Stammered Jake. Auruk still said nothing. As Jake grew more paranoid by the second, the pair stopped at a poorly constructed old building. Approaching the door, Auruk simply waved his hand and muttered. The door creaked open without assistance, and inside was a clean white space. "What the hell do you call this? Spatial distortion? I don't even..." Said Jake, as he stared in awe. His view was met with a spotless marble floor and giant pillars. Each pillar was etched with a different beast, and there was various training stations and rings wherever you looked. "This is my personal training area. We must get your body and spirit into shape." Said Auruk...With as little emotion as usual. "Well...I suppose that sounds fine. I do love progressing...I suppose." Said Jake with a slightly worried tone. "Then, let us begin." Said Auruk. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------For the next four weeks, Jake could hardly keep up. His schedule consisted of two handed sword training, normal physical training, and sharpening his reflexes. The hours of constant fighting had blessed him with a new skill, and a new stat as well. | New Skill: Two Handed Sword Mastery - Beginner 1 - 17% | | | | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Increased damage and speed with a two handed sword.+10% DMG+3% SPD | | | | | New Stat: Fighting SpiritYou can call on superhuman strength temporarily, or bring weaker monsters to their knees with a force in your eyes alone. You are prohibited from distributing stat bonus points to this stat, and it rises spontaneously, depending on the avatar’s action, especially if you fight monsters for a long time, or often confront monsters stronger than your current level. | | | | | --- | --- | --- | --- | When Jake finally finished the arduous task, he had gained a staggering 34 STR, 28 AGI, 24 VIT, 34 Stamina, and 22 Fighting Spirit. His two handed sword mastery also saw a significant rise. | Two Handed Sword Mastery - Beginner 4 - 72% | | | | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Increased damage and speed with a two handed sword.+40% DMG+12% SPD | | | | The four weeks were definitely hell, but they were also definitely worth it. Auruk gave a nod of approval and said, "You have done well. I understand this was not easy for one as weak as yourself." "I AM NOT WEAK!" Screamed Jake. "Yes, now you are not. Thanks to me." Said Auruk, With the closest thing to a smile Jake has ever seen on the creepy little ba...nevermind. "For completing the training, I gift you with this sword. It was the first sword I used when I started training. Also, here is the map to where you will take part in your trial." Stated Auruk proudly. | Gained Item: Auruk's Old 2h Sword | | | | | --- | --- | --- | --- | "Stats!" Yelled Jake. | Auruk's Old 2h Sword | | | | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Durability | 35/35 | | | | Damage | 13-17 | | | | Auruk's old sword. This bad boy has seen a lot of use, and not a lot of emotion...It isn't much more than a slab of grey on a stick, but it'll do some damage!+5 STR+5 VIT | | | | | Requires: 30 STR, 30 AGI | | | | Jake was impressed by the sword. It was immensely better than the wooden one. The true test was...well...could he lift it. Jake hoisted the sword into the air with ease, and almost drooled over the sound it made slicing through the air. After he was done goofing off, Auruk approached him once more. "Here's the map to the location of the trial. It's about five days on foot. Good luck over the next month. If you succeed, you will find me here. If you fail, it will be like I never existed. Once again, good luck." Auruk said, as he ushered Jake out. "Okay...recap...I am level three, with a class C quest...I myself am classless and lacking the bonuses that come with one, and I gained an insane amount of stats by busting my ass...I wonder if this is a normal experience for most players? I sure hope I can finish the quest though...otherwise all will be for naught..." Pondered Jake, as he walked down the street. "Stats!" Jake yelled. | Name | Azrael | Primary Class | None | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Health | 1060 | Mana | 100 | | Level | 3 | | | | Health Regen/Sec | 3.2 | Mana Regen/Sec | .2 | | Strength | 63(+5) | Agility | 44 | | Wisdom | 10 | Intelligence | 10 | | Stamina | 115 | Vitality | 46(+5) | | Attack | 26-30 | Defense | 0 | | Fighting Spirit | 22 | | | | Magic Resistance | | | | | Fire | 0% | Water | 0% | | Earth | 4% | Electric | 0% | | Dark | 0% | | | | N/A | | | | | Skill points left to distribute: 10 | | | | "Well now, I look to be in pretty good shape! Unless, of course, I wanted to be a mage...Nah...Screw those squishies. Huzzah, who's weak now!" Proclaimed Jake, as he walked through the seedy area once more. Except now, none of the seedy street urchins looked at him as prey, but as the hunter. Jake had finally made his way to the front gate, and was quivering with excitement as he was about to take his first steps out of the town. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

<div class="chapter-inner chapter-content"> <span style="font-weight: bold;">#Yet another Queen</span><br><br>"There she is. The Ant-Queen," said Jenna.<br><br>Having rested enough, we were ready to take on the boss. For now, we were simply observing her from afar.<br><br><span style="font-style: italic;">*That thing's even bigger than the Wolf-Queen!*</span><br><br>Indeed, the Ant-Queen stood at almost six stories tall! And I literally mean "stood", as she is somehow able to stand on her back-most pair of legs with her ass-bulb (thorax) resting on the floor.<br><br>"See those ants flying around her? Those are her Drones. They're a little stronger than the Soldier ants we fought a moment ago. Once the match starts they'll continue to spawn every minute or so."<br><br>"Kang-kun, what is the Drone's job?"<br><br>"Well, Pepe.... They're job is to <span style="font-weight: bold;">BEEEP</span> the Queen."<br><br>"...Ew..."<br><br>"The Drones are considered a part of the Queen, and the Queen will take damage whenever you kill a Drone. So try to kill them whenever you can, since they'll also be a hindrance. On a side note, since they are considered a part of the Queen, their corpses won't dissapear until the Queen is dead."<br><br>"Then what about those eggs?" I pointed at the eggs that the Queen was currently laying.<br><br>"Yes, those are the biggest problem we'll face. Those eggs will hatch half a minute after they are layed, and those that are already laid will hatch a minute after the match starts. They're weak, but the Queen will keep laying them almost constantly throughout the entire match. Which is why I've thought of a way to get rid of them. And that is..."<br><br>All of us listened in anticipation.<br><br>"I WILL FLOOD THE CAVERN!"<br><br>"""!!!"""<br><br>"Just a little. The ants will only be a foot tall. They'll drown as long as the water is knee-deep. It will be a little harder to move, but it will be worth it."<br><br>The rest of us nodded in agreement.<br><br>"Notrem, between you and Pepe, you're the one with the higher accuracy. So, I want you to take down the Drones as soon as you can. If there aren't any Drones around, then you will attack the Queen directly."<br><br>"Alright."<br><br>"As for Kang and Pepe, just focus on the Queen. Honestly, her minions are more dangerous than she is, and she's not very mobile, but she can still shoot acid, so watch out for that."<br><br>"Yes! (Jenna-san!)"<br><br>"Combat will start the moment I cast my spell, but it might take them a few moments to find us. Take this time to get into position. If everybody's ready, let's go!"<br><br>**********************************************************<br><br>"Invoke Water!" whispered Jenna, as she tapped into the underground river.<br><br>The spell "Invoke Water" is used to draw water out of any nearby water sources. Normally this is used as a prelude to other water based spells, but in this case she's using it to flood the chamber.<br><br>As soon as the spell was cast, the Ant-Queen and the Drones started to look around in confusion. Kang and Pepe quickly crept closer to the boss, while I stayed near Jenna near the corner of the cavern. From this distance, I had a wider view, allowing me to quickly find and target and Drones that are spawning, as well as allowing me to protect Jenna whenever she might be in trouble.<br><br>Right now, there were 6 Drones flying about. I took careful aim at the furthest one, so that I can take out the hardest target as soon as possible.<br><br><span style="font-style: italic;">KIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIK!</span><br><br>"WE'VE BEEN SPOTTED!"<br><br>One of the Drones managed to spot Kang, who had almost reached the Queen. Coincidentally, it was the same Drone I was targeting.<br><br>"(Fake) Double Arrow!"<br><br>I let lose the arrow that was already nocked on my bow and immediately cast "Snap Shot", while being careful not to move my bow after the first shot.<br><br>The first arrow hit the Drone dead center, but the second shot was slightly off mark and hit the wing instead, causing the Drone to plummet to his death.<br><br><span style="font-style: italic;">*So it seems a quick way to kill the Drones is to make them fall down.*</span><br><br>Which was easier said than done, since I could barely see the translucent wings.<br><br>"PEH! PE-pe-pe-pe-pe-pe-pe-pe-pe-pe-pe-pe-pe-pe-pe-pe!"<br><br>Pepe started peppering the Ant-Queen's flank with arrows as quickly as she could, a relatively safe position that she couldn't quickly reach. With a target this big, Pepe could fire as quickly as she wanted without having to aim, and as long as the kept strafing, the Ant-Queen wouldn't be able to reach her.<br>Pepe's strategy was really the safest one, unlike what Kang was doing right now.<br><br>"SENKUUGOUSHOUHA!"<br><br>Kang decided to attack the Ant-Queen head on with a powerful dashing punch. (palm? I don't really know, it's not a very famous Street Fighter move) The punch itself probably wasn't very effective, but it attracted the attention of the boss.<br><br>*I see. He's trying to aggro the boss.*<br><br>But the Queen was smarter than she looked, as she realized that the biggest threat in the room was Jenna, who had flooded the cavern to almost a foot deep. Even if she stopped now, the ants that will hatch would have some serious trouble moving around.<br><br><span style="font-style: italic;">Klack! Klack!</span><br><br>The Ant-Queen clapped her jaws together, a signal that she's about to spew acid.<br><br>"Shit!" I had just finished taking down my second Drone when I noticed, "Snap Shot!"<br><br>My "fired-from-the-hip" shot just flew past her head. Even though it didn't hit, apparently seeing the arrow fly by had startled her, causing her to misfire and spew her acid downwards.<br><br>"KANG! LOOK OUT!"<br><br>Kang, who was punching away at the boss right under her metaphorical nose looked up to see acid falling down towards him.<br><br>"Shinkuuu......."<br><br>"NOW'S NOT THE TIME FOR-"<br><br>"HADOKEN!"<br><br>A wave of force flew out from his palms and intercepted the falling acid, causing it to fly all over the place.<br><br>"YOU CAN DO THAAAAT????!?!?!?!"<br><br>"I CAN DO THAAAAT?!?!!?!?!?!?"<br><br>"YOU DIDN'T KNOW?!?!?!?!?"<br><br>"THE SKILL JUST GENERATED!"<br><br><span style="font-style: italic;">*He's an idiot...*<br></span><br>"Kyaaa-! The eggs are hatching!"<br><br>"At the far end of the cavern, the eggs that were stuck to the wall were hatching, and miniature versions of the Giant Ants were crawling onto the cavern floor.<br><br>"Don't worry Pepe, by the time they reach you I would've flooded the cavern deep enough to stop them."<br><br>"Pepe!" There was a Drone that was flying towards her from above, but was intercepted by my arrow. A second arrow followed it, and a third one by Pepe killed it.<br><br>Not long after, I managed to kill the sixth Drone, and the seventh one that just spawned. I was starting to get the hang of hitting the wings, and could kill that almost instantly.<br><br>Kang was still hitting the Queen head on, and the Queen was having a suprisingly hard time trying to hit him as he was too close to her.<br><br>It seems that Jenna's prediction was correct, without her minions, the Ant-Queen wasn't much of a danger.<br><br><span style="font-style: italic;">*Now I can finally focus on the boss.*</span><br><br>"Alright, I'm done! Water Jet!" Jenna was finally satisfied with the depth of the water, and started to shoot spears of water at the Queen's body. The damage was miniscule, but every little bit helps.<br><br>With all of us attacking her, the Queen began to look more flustered as she began to take more and more damage.<br><br>"Woah!" Kang made a desperate dive sideways as the Queen tried to crush Kang by falling on him. The resulting wave from her attack still managed to hit Kang, pushing him back quite a distance and stunning him. <br><br>The Queen slowly got back up.<br><br><span style="font-style: italic;">KIIIIIIK!<br><br>Klack! Klack!</span><br><br>"Kang! She's gonna shoot you!"<br><br>But the Queen wasn't aiming at Jenna's cousin. Instead, she looked straight down and started spewing acid on the floor.<br><br>"Is she puking?" (Pepe)<br><br>*Oh shit.*<br><br>"She's not puking," I said as I realized what the Queen was doing, " Everyone! Climb onto one of the Drone corpses! Find higher ground!"<br><br>"""???"""<br><br>"THE FLOOR IS LAVA!" (Well, acid... but...)<br><br>All around us, the water started turning green.<br><br>*************************************************************<br><br>Authors note:<br><br>Hello again!<br><br>Has it already been a week since my last release?<br><br>It also feels like my releases have been getting shorter and shorter.<br><br>Like some kind of Manga whose first chapter if 50 pages long, and slowly drops to 20 pages a chapter... heh...<br><br>Well. Here's the first half of the boss fight.<br><br>First half, because you all know how much I love cliffhangers :p<br><br>The next half will probably come in another week's time, if nothing stops me.<br><br>As usual, any and all comments and criticisms are welcome! </div>

#Yet another Queen "There she is. The Ant-Queen," said Jenna. Having rested enough, we were ready to take on the boss. For now, we were simply observing her from afar. *That thing's even bigger than the Wolf-Queen!* Indeed, the Ant-Queen stood at almost six stories tall! And I literally mean "stood", as she is somehow able to stand on her back-most pair of legs with her ass-bulb (thorax) resting on the floor. "See those ants flying around her? Those are her Drones. They're a little stronger than the Soldier ants we fought a moment ago. Once the match starts they'll continue to spawn every minute or so." "Kang-kun, what is the Drone's job?" "Well, Pepe.... They're job is to BEEEP the Queen." "...Ew..." "The Drones are considered a part of the Queen, and the Queen will take damage whenever you kill a Drone. So try to kill them whenever you can, since they'll also be a hindrance. On a side note, since they are considered a part of the Queen, their corpses won't dissapear until the Queen is dead." "Then what about those eggs?" I pointed at the eggs that the Queen was currently laying. "Yes, those are the biggest problem we'll face. Those eggs will hatch half a minute after they are layed, and those that are already laid will hatch a minute after the match starts. They're weak, but the Queen will keep laying them almost constantly throughout the entire match. Which is why I've thought of a way to get rid of them. And that is..." All of us listened in anticipation. "I WILL FLOOD THE CAVERN!" """!!!""" "Just a little. The ants will only be a foot tall. They'll drown as long as the water is knee-deep. It will be a little harder to move, but it will be worth it." The rest of us nodded in agreement. "Notrem, between you and Pepe, you're the one with the higher accuracy. So, I want you to take down the Drones as soon as you can. If there aren't any Drones around, then you will attack the Queen directly." "Alright." "As for Kang and Pepe, just focus on the Queen. Honestly, her minions are more dangerous than she is, and she's not very mobile, but she can still shoot acid, so watch out for that." "Yes! (Jenna-san!)" "Combat will start the moment I cast my spell, but it might take them a few moments to find us. Take this time to get into position. If everybody's ready, let's go!" ********************************************************** "Invoke Water!" whispered Jenna, as she tapped into the underground river. The spell "Invoke Water" is used to draw water out of any nearby water sources. Normally this is used as a prelude to other water based spells, but in this case she's using it to flood the chamber. As soon as the spell was cast, the Ant-Queen and the Drones started to look around in confusion. Kang and Pepe quickly crept closer to the boss, while I stayed near Jenna near the corner of the cavern. From this distance, I had a wider view, allowing me to quickly find and target and Drones that are spawning, as well as allowing me to protect Jenna whenever she might be in trouble. Right now, there were 6 Drones flying about. I took careful aim at the furthest one, so that I can take out the hardest target as soon as possible. KIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIK! "WE'VE BEEN SPOTTED!" One of the Drones managed to spot Kang, who had almost reached the Queen. Coincidentally, it was the same Drone I was targeting. "(Fake) Double Arrow!" I let lose the arrow that was already nocked on my bow and immediately cast "Snap Shot", while being careful not to move my bow after the first shot. The first arrow hit the Drone dead center, but the second shot was slightly off mark and hit the wing instead, causing the Drone to plummet to his death. *So it seems a quick way to kill the Drones is to make them fall down.* Which was easier said than done, since I could barely see the translucent wings. "PEH! PE-pe-pe-pe-pe-pe-pe-pe-pe-pe-pe-pe-pe-pe-pe-pe!" Pepe started peppering the Ant-Queen's flank with arrows as quickly as she could, a relatively safe position that she couldn't quickly reach. With a target this big, Pepe could fire as quickly as she wanted without having to aim, and as long as the kept strafing, the Ant-Queen wouldn't be able to reach her. Pepe's strategy was really the safest one, unlike what Kang was doing right now. "SENKUUGOUSHOUHA!" Kang decided to attack the Ant-Queen head on with a powerful dashing punch. (palm? I don't really know, it's not a very famous Street Fighter move) The punch itself probably wasn't very effective, but it attracted the attention of the boss. *I see. He's trying to aggro the boss.* But the Queen was smarter than she looked, as she realized that the biggest threat in the room was Jenna, who had flooded the cavern to almost a foot deep. Even if she stopped now, the ants that will hatch would have some serious trouble moving around. Klack! Klack! The Ant-Queen clapped her jaws together, a signal that she's about to spew acid. "Shit!" I had just finished taking down my second Drone when I noticed, "Snap Shot!" My "fired-from-the-hip" shot just flew past her head. Even though it didn't hit, apparently seeing the arrow fly by had startled her, causing her to misfire and spew her acid downwards. "KANG! LOOK OUT!" Kang, who was punching away at the boss right under her metaphorical nose looked up to see acid falling down towards him. "Shinkuuu......." "NOW'S NOT THE TIME FOR-" "HADOKEN!" A wave of force flew out from his palms and intercepted the falling acid, causing it to fly all over the place. "YOU CAN DO THAAAAT????!?!?!?!" "I CAN DO THAAAAT?!?!!?!?!?!?" "YOU DIDN'T KNOW?!?!?!?!?" "THE SKILL JUST GENERATED!" *He's an idiot...* "Kyaaa-! The eggs are hatching!" "At the far end of the cavern, the eggs that were stuck to the wall were hatching, and miniature versions of the Giant Ants were crawling onto the cavern floor. "Don't worry Pepe, by the time they reach you I would've flooded the cavern deep enough to stop them." "Pepe!" There was a Drone that was flying towards her from above, but was intercepted by my arrow. A second arrow followed it, and a third one by Pepe killed it. Not long after, I managed to kill the sixth Drone, and the seventh one that just spawned. I was starting to get the hang of hitting the wings, and could kill that almost instantly. Kang was still hitting the Queen head on, and the Queen was having a suprisingly hard time trying to hit him as he was too close to her. It seems that Jenna's prediction was correct, without her minions, the Ant-Queen wasn't much of a danger. *Now I can finally focus on the boss.* "Alright, I'm done! Water Jet!" Jenna was finally satisfied with the depth of the water, and started to shoot spears of water at the Queen's body. The damage was miniscule, but every little bit helps. With all of us attacking her, the Queen began to look more flustered as she began to take more and more damage. "Woah!" Kang made a desperate dive sideways as the Queen tried to crush Kang by falling on him. The resulting wave from her attack still managed to hit Kang, pushing him back quite a distance and stunning him. The Queen slowly got back up. KIIIIIIK! Klack! Klack! "Kang! She's gonna shoot you!" But the Queen wasn't aiming at Jenna's cousin. Instead, she looked straight down and started spewing acid on the floor. "Is she puking?" (Pepe) *Oh shit.* "She's not puking," I said as I realized what the Queen was doing, " Everyone! Climb onto one of the Drone corpses! Find higher ground!" """???""" "THE FLOOR IS LAVA!" (Well, acid... but...) All around us, the water started turning green. ************************************************************* Authors note: Hello again! Has it already been a week since my last release? It also feels like my releases have been getting shorter and shorter. Like some kind of Manga whose first chapter if 50 pages long, and slowly drops to 20 pages a chapter... heh... Well. Here's the first half of the boss fight. First half, because you all know how much I love cliffhangers :p The next half will probably come in another week's time, if nothing stops me. As usual, any and all comments and criticisms are welcome!

<div class="chapter-inner chapter-content"> Arthe was now back in Ymrheim after a month away, he was currently attending a ceremony at the church. A ceremony honoring those who had become paladins, it was also the time for the new paladins to choose which order they wished to join. Representatives from each of the orders were present: the one from the Arbiter order was a huge man with fierce eyes and a large claymore, in contrast the representative from the Order of Freya's Grace was a neat man in silver mail wielding a pair of hammers. But neither of these two came close to the sheer presence of the last representative, the Order of the Holy Light had sent a man so large that he could have been part giant. He was wearing massive full plate armor and wielding a huge tower shield with one hand and an even larger silver spear in the other, many of the graduates were staring at him with awe but Arthe was not one of them.<br><br>His attention was firmly focused on another man, one who did not stand out and yet seemed to exude an aura of peaceful ferocity. This contradicting aura seemed to have differing effects on those around it, some relaxed and others tensed up. The man himself was wearing simple half-plate with a black tabard on top. The tabard had a golden tree in the center and it seemed to glow with its own inner fire, around the mans waist was a belt the same as Arthe's. When he was seen by the other representatives their eyes widened and they examined the new graduates more closely until they saw the belt around Arthe's waist, then they signaled to the ranking priest there to begin the ceremony.<br><br>Much of the ceremony was ritual chanting and the singing of holy hymns, it wasn't until near nightfall that the priest began to call on the graduates to approach the altar and swear fealty. One by one the new paladins knelt at the altar of Freya and swore their devotion to the cause of good, as they finished they were presented with armor and weaponry by the priests and when they had received those they went to stand in front of the representatives. Finally it was Arthe's turn, he strode up to the altar and dropped to his knees. He could still hear the voice of Freya in his head and so consumed was he by these thoughts that he repeated the oath she had given him.<br><br>"I shall be a Light in the dark places, where others fall to hunger or fear I will persevere. Where others greed leads them to evil, I will give generously. Where there are those who would hurt the innocent I shall defend them. I am the light and the hope to those without either, none shall know my name but all shall know what I am. I am a Guardian. I am Freya's defender and champion, no other shall rule me save her and no other may command me save by her will."<br><br>The other graduates listened with wonder without realizing that the representatives and the priests had all fallen to their knees in prayer at the sound of these words, even the other guardian was kneeling to the image of Freya. When Arthe had finished he raised his head and saw the postures of the others, before he could speak the High priest presented him with his own armor back with a minor difference. His own helmet had been replaced with the one he had seen in Marshal Sif's office, as well as this a black tabard had been laid over the top of his breastplate. It had the same design as the one he had seen the other Guardian wearing earlier.<br><br>"May you wear these arms well and may they aid you in defending the weak and upholding the will of Freya." The priest intoned before bowing to Arthe with respect.<br><br>After that the new Paladins began to talk to the 3 representatives about joining their Orders and after some time every one of them had decided on an Order to enter, Arthe had hung back as he was aware that Guardians belonged to the secret fourth order and that he would receive his initiation from the man he had seen before. While he waited he decided to look at the helmet he had been given by Marshal Sif.<br><br>Helmet Of Freya's Justicar:<br>Durability:250/250<br>Defense: 150<br>This Helmet was said to have been presented to the last Champion of Numenor by the Goddess Freya herself. They create an aura of purity around the wearer that can defend them from dark powers. This Helmet grows along with the wearer as they improve so too does the power of this Helm.<br>Equip:<br>+100 Faith<br>+30 WIS<br>+20 INT<br>+20 VIT<br>+25% Dark Resistance<br>+ 1 level to Holy Mastery<br>When worn with the rest of the Freya's Favour armor set effects are doubled.<br>Requirements:<br>Level 300 for displayed stats, stats decrease by 20% every 100 levels<br>Must Have Faith stat generated<br>+50 STR<br>+50 Faith<br>+200 Fame<br><br>An hour had passed whilst he waited in the church, eventually the door to the church opened and the Guardian came in followed by the other 3 representatives, Arthe got to his feet and bowed to the 4 people.<br><br>"No Guardian you do not bow to us, we bow to you." The smallest representative said with a smile.<br><br>"We representatives of the 3 main orders are Freya's presence on the world of mortals but you Guardian are her will and her might. No one except other paladins will know of your unique existence, most will just see you as an ordinary paladin. If they see you at all." This comment came from the Arbiters representative.<br><br>"But those who do know of you are aware of your great calling, you will be the first line of defense and the first to strike against the greatest evils of the world. You will be alone against the worst foes imaginable, only the will of Freya shall accompany you. There will be no shelter where you go, no beds to rest your weary body and no Inns to eat your fill. You will be the only light found in the darkest places and as such deserve our respect. Where you travel no other paladin may ever tread, no priest will ever heal those you aid and no church will be built in any towns or villages you defend. For these reasons and more it is us who bow to you." After the giant man had said this all 3 of the representatives bowed deeply to Arthe and offered him their utmost respect.<br><br>The Guardian spoke for the first time after this, his voice was cheerful and friendly.<br><br>"Come now Guardian, it is not as bad as they make it sound. True you shall be alone for most of your journeys but the open road is beautiful and you will discover more great works of Freya and the other gods than are known by all inhabitants of this continent. You will feel more warmth from the sun than any other and see more good in people than is seen by any except for the gods. All these things and more are your reward for faithful service. I have served for nearly 10 years and have seen such wonders and experienced more joy than many people will ever do."<br><br>Arthe nodded to him, already thinking about all the things he would see and experience out there in the ever growing world of Royal Road.<br><br>"But before you will see these things I must initiate you into my order with these fine fellows as witnesses. Are you ready to begin?"<br><br>"I am ready to serve the will of Freya." Arthe replied.<br><br>"Good then i shall begin." Saying that the Guardian bade Arthe kneel at the altar and then he unsheathed his dagger.<br><br>"On your right hand is the symbol of Freya's acceptance and spirit, on the left will be the symbol of your own acceptance and courage. Take this dagger and etch the Holy symbol into your own flesh as a reminder that those without power feel the worst pain, and that you will bear their pain for them and carry them into the light."<br>He then gave Arthe his dagger and instructed him to carve the same symbol that was on his right hand into the skin of his left. As soon as Arthe made the first cut he was hit with the most agonizing pain he had ever felt whilst playing Royal Road, if the pain levels had been any higher he doubted he would have stayed conscious. Nevertheless he persevered through the pain until the symbol was fully carved, when it was a bright light flashed from the wound. Arthe looked again at the scar only to discover that it had turned into an exact copy of the one on his right hand.<br><br>"Ding"<br>You may now change class.<br>The Hidden class of the Guardian of Freya is only granted to a few brave souls every decade.<br>Do you wish to change class? yes/no?<br><br>"Yes I wish to become a Guardian of Freya." <br><br>You are now a Guardian of Freya.<br>Stat bonuses in effect.<br>+50 STR<br>+50 STAM<br>+20 WIS<br>+20 INT<br>+100 Faith<br>Life increased by 500<br>Mana increased by 500<br><br>All Holy skills are increased by one level as long as this class is activated<br>Attack power increased by 50%<br>Block percentage increased by 50%<br>Holy Mastery permanently increased by 1 level.<br>New skill: Freya's Guidance<br><br>Freya's Guidance:<br>Once per week you may call on Freya for advice and guidance. This skill can be used to find new dens of evil and new quests to save the weak.<br>It can also be used to help you with any quests related to the Church of Freya. If used for personal gain you may incur the wrath of the goddess.<br>Cost: 1000 Mana.<br><br>Arthe was astounded at the class benefits granted to him by the guardian class and he was particularly impressed with his new skill as it would come in handy when looking for the final pieces of the Justicar's armor set. By the time he had finished looking at all the message boxes all of the representatives had left and only the other Guardian was left.<br><br>"Welcome to our Order brother, we haven't had a new recruit for almost 7 years. Now that you have been initiated it is time for you to hear the oath made by the final follower of the Justicar. This oath is not to be repeated to anyone save another Guardian and even then it should not be spoken of without care. Here read this." The Guardian gave Arthe a scroll of parchment to look at, which read like this:<br><br>The fourth follower was silent for a time, so quiet in fact that the other 3 were unsure as to whether he would even make an oath. However their fears were groundless as he opened his mouth to speak.<br><br>I vow on my very soul and by the grace of Freya our goddess, that neither I or those who follow after me will either eat our fill or rest our bodies until the very soul of Lokyi has been ripped asunder. Until that time happens I and my followers will seek for his hiding place relentlessly and we shall be unmerciful to any who aid him, we shall not abide in those lands where the peace of Freya extends nor shall be stay in any place where the presence of evil is negligible. Instead we shall traverse the darkest corners of the world seeking out any who wish for a better way of life; we will be the only light in the dark, the only hope amidst despair, the first strike against evil and the final shield for the downtrodden. There shall be no place we are not found and no evil left unchallenged, me and my brethren will fight unto our last breath and beyond for the will of Freya and the memory of the Justicar our leader. We will know no kings and acknowledge no command other than that of the goddess, none save her will know of our mission and none save her will ever remember our names. This I swear and so shall my followers swear throughout time until the very ending of the world.<br><br>As his oath was finished the 4 men were visited by a bright light from which issued a voice unlike any produced by mortal man. <br><br>I have heard your oaths and shall uphold them, to you who have sworn to destroy evil I grant this sword that you may smite them in my name. To you who vowed to defend the weak I grant this shield that you may protect them from evil, and to you who vowed to heal the wounded I grant this staff that you may repair the damage done to them by the forces of evil. You three have sworn an oath honest and true and so you are rewarded, but the fourth amongst you is the most honored for he has given up his very existence to aid my cause and as such is to be respected above all others.<br>To him I grant this belt, it will offer him sanctuary in the dark lands and will nourish him when he starves. His oath I hold most dear to me for he has willingly forsaken my grace to fight in places without it, his gift is all he will ever have and as such must be all he will ever need.<br><br>With that the light vanished and the men were left alone, on the hand of the fourth man a golden tree had been etched. The other three saw that this was a mark of Freya's respect and so bowed deeply to the other man, however he saw them not. He had heard a call from distant lands beckoning to him and requesting his aid, shouldering his sword and wearing his belt but nothing else he walked away from the light into shadow.<br><br>Nothing was ever heard from the First Guardian again save for rumor and gossip, some heard he had saved a town from ogres, others that he had brought down an evil tyrant. None however knew his name or why he was doing what he did. In time other guardians were chosen and they too vanished in the same way, but each of them had their own tales and rumors associated with them.<br><br>Much is known about the other 3 paladin orders but only the Grandmasters are aware of the mission of the fourth, although many among the paladins speak of the heroic Guardians who venture into areas other paladins dare to tread.<br><br><br>When Arthe had finished reading the other Guardian had vanished, he had left a short note telling Arthe to head west and to fight any evil he came across regardless of reward. Then the note wished him good luck and the writing stopped there.<br><br>Arthe left the Church feeling strange, there was a sort of insistent pulling towards the west in his head. When he tried to go in any other direction it got worse so he gave up and headed out of the west gate. There were a number of priests walking about the city as he left and they surprised all the other users around by bowing deeply to Arthe and praying for him as he passed, when he left the city the priests collectively knelt and asked Freya's blessings for him.<br><br>One of the users was a muscular knight with a large claymore, he went up to one of the priests to find out what they were doing.<br><br>"Excuse me, why did you all just bow and pray for that man as if he was going to his death?"<br><br>"Ah you are unaware of his calling aren't you, he has been chosen above all paladins for a mission so secret and so holy that only one other person in the entire priesthood of Freya is aware of it. We are not even aware of his name or his background and we never will be, we know only that he will battle great evil for no reward and that all those he defends will forever be delivered into the light of Freya. We pray for him because he has surrendered himself to Freya's will and as such will never be known by mortal man."<br><br>Steve was appalled, he had to log off later and make his brother tell him what had happened to him. It sounded like his brother was going off to his death with no one to help him. </div>

Arthe was now back in Ymrheim after a month away, he was currently attending a ceremony at the church. A ceremony honoring those who had become paladins, it was also the time for the new paladins to choose which order they wished to join. Representatives from each of the orders were present: the one from the Arbiter order was a huge man with fierce eyes and a large claymore, in contrast the representative from the Order of Freya's Grace was a neat man in silver mail wielding a pair of hammers. But neither of these two came close to the sheer presence of the last representative, the Order of the Holy Light had sent a man so large that he could have been part giant. He was wearing massive full plate armor and wielding a huge tower shield with one hand and an even larger silver spear in the other, many of the graduates were staring at him with awe but Arthe was not one of them. His attention was firmly focused on another man, one who did not stand out and yet seemed to exude an aura of peaceful ferocity. This contradicting aura seemed to have differing effects on those around it, some relaxed and others tensed up. The man himself was wearing simple half-plate with a black tabard on top. The tabard had a golden tree in the center and it seemed to glow with its own inner fire, around the mans waist was a belt the same as Arthe's. When he was seen by the other representatives their eyes widened and they examined the new graduates more closely until they saw the belt around Arthe's waist, then they signaled to the ranking priest there to begin the ceremony. Much of the ceremony was ritual chanting and the singing of holy hymns, it wasn't until near nightfall that the priest began to call on the graduates to approach the altar and swear fealty. One by one the new paladins knelt at the altar of Freya and swore their devotion to the cause of good, as they finished they were presented with armor and weaponry by the priests and when they had received those they went to stand in front of the representatives. Finally it was Arthe's turn, he strode up to the altar and dropped to his knees. He could still hear the voice of Freya in his head and so consumed was he by these thoughts that he repeated the oath she had given him. "I shall be a Light in the dark places, where others fall to hunger or fear I will persevere. Where others greed leads them to evil, I will give generously. Where there are those who would hurt the innocent I shall defend them. I am the light and the hope to those without either, none shall know my name but all shall know what I am. I am a Guardian. I am Freya's defender and champion, no other shall rule me save her and no other may command me save by her will." The other graduates listened with wonder without realizing that the representatives and the priests had all fallen to their knees in prayer at the sound of these words, even the other guardian was kneeling to the image of Freya. When Arthe had finished he raised his head and saw the postures of the others, before he could speak the High priest presented him with his own armor back with a minor difference. His own helmet had been replaced with the one he had seen in Marshal Sif's office, as well as this a black tabard had been laid over the top of his breastplate. It had the same design as the one he had seen the other Guardian wearing earlier. "May you wear these arms well and may they aid you in defending the weak and upholding the will of Freya." The priest intoned before bowing to Arthe with respect. After that the new Paladins began to talk to the 3 representatives about joining their Orders and after some time every one of them had decided on an Order to enter, Arthe had hung back as he was aware that Guardians belonged to the secret fourth order and that he would receive his initiation from the man he had seen before. While he waited he decided to look at the helmet he had been given by Marshal Sif. Helmet Of Freya's Justicar: Durability:250/250 Defense: 150 This Helmet was said to have been presented to the last Champion of Numenor by the Goddess Freya herself. They create an aura of purity around the wearer that can defend them from dark powers. This Helmet grows along with the wearer as they improve so too does the power of this Helm. Equip: +100 Faith +30 WIS +20 INT +20 VIT +25% Dark Resistance + 1 level to Holy Mastery When worn with the rest of the Freya's Favour armor set effects are doubled. Requirements: Level 300 for displayed stats, stats decrease by 20% every 100 levels Must Have Faith stat generated +50 STR +50 Faith +200 Fame An hour had passed whilst he waited in the church, eventually the door to the church opened and the Guardian came in followed by the other 3 representatives, Arthe got to his feet and bowed to the 4 people. "No Guardian you do not bow to us, we bow to you." The smallest representative said with a smile. "We representatives of the 3 main orders are Freya's presence on the world of mortals but you Guardian are her will and her might. No one except other paladins will know of your unique existence, most will just see you as an ordinary paladin. If they see you at all." This comment came from the Arbiters representative. "But those who do know of you are aware of your great calling, you will be the first line of defense and the first to strike against the greatest evils of the world. You will be alone against the worst foes imaginable, only the will of Freya shall accompany you. There will be no shelter where you go, no beds to rest your weary body and no Inns to eat your fill. You will be the only light found in the darkest places and as such deserve our respect. Where you travel no other paladin may ever tread, no priest will ever heal those you aid and no church will be built in any towns or villages you defend. For these reasons and more it is us who bow to you." After the giant man had said this all 3 of the representatives bowed deeply to Arthe and offered him their utmost respect. The Guardian spoke for the first time after this, his voice was cheerful and friendly. "Come now Guardian, it is not as bad as they make it sound. True you shall be alone for most of your journeys but the open road is beautiful and you will discover more great works of Freya and the other gods than are known by all inhabitants of this continent. You will feel more warmth from the sun than any other and see more good in people than is seen by any except for the gods. All these things and more are your reward for faithful service. I have served for nearly 10 years and have seen such wonders and experienced more joy than many people will ever do." Arthe nodded to him, already thinking about all the things he would see and experience out there in the ever growing world of Royal Road. "But before you will see these things I must initiate you into my order with these fine fellows as witnesses. Are you ready to begin?" "I am ready to serve the will of Freya." Arthe replied. "Good then i shall begin." Saying that the Guardian bade Arthe kneel at the altar and then he unsheathed his dagger. "On your right hand is the symbol of Freya's acceptance and spirit, on the left will be the symbol of your own acceptance and courage. Take this dagger and etch the Holy symbol into your own flesh as a reminder that those without power feel the worst pain, and that you will bear their pain for them and carry them into the light." He then gave Arthe his dagger and instructed him to carve the same symbol that was on his right hand into the skin of his left. As soon as Arthe made the first cut he was hit with the most agonizing pain he had ever felt whilst playing Royal Road, if the pain levels had been any higher he doubted he would have stayed conscious. Nevertheless he persevered through the pain until the symbol was fully carved, when it was a bright light flashed from the wound. Arthe looked again at the scar only to discover that it had turned into an exact copy of the one on his right hand. "Ding" You may now change class. The Hidden class of the Guardian of Freya is only granted to a few brave souls every decade. Do you wish to change class? yes/no? "Yes I wish to become a Guardian of Freya." You are now a Guardian of Freya. Stat bonuses in effect. +50 STR +50 STAM +20 WIS +20 INT +100 Faith Life increased by 500 Mana increased by 500 All Holy skills are increased by one level as long as this class is activated Attack power increased by 50% Block percentage increased by 50% Holy Mastery permanently increased by 1 level. New skill: Freya's Guidance Freya's Guidance: Once per week you may call on Freya for advice and guidance. This skill can be used to find new dens of evil and new quests to save the weak. It can also be used to help you with any quests related to the Church of Freya. If used for personal gain you may incur the wrath of the goddess. Cost: 1000 Mana. Arthe was astounded at the class benefits granted to him by the guardian class and he was particularly impressed with his new skill as it would come in handy when looking for the final pieces of the Justicar's armor set. By the time he had finished looking at all the message boxes all of the representatives had left and only the other Guardian was left. "Welcome to our Order brother, we haven't had a new recruit for almost 7 years. Now that you have been initiated it is time for you to hear the oath made by the final follower of the Justicar. This oath is not to be repeated to anyone save another Guardian and even then it should not be spoken of without care. Here read this." The Guardian gave Arthe a scroll of parchment to look at, which read like this: The fourth follower was silent for a time, so quiet in fact that the other 3 were unsure as to whether he would even make an oath. However their fears were groundless as he opened his mouth to speak. I vow on my very soul and by the grace of Freya our goddess, that neither I or those who follow after me will either eat our fill or rest our bodies until the very soul of Lokyi has been ripped asunder. Until that time happens I and my followers will seek for his hiding place relentlessly and we shall be unmerciful to any who aid him, we shall not abide in those lands where the peace of Freya extends nor shall be stay in any place where the presence of evil is negligible. Instead we shall traverse the darkest corners of the world seeking out any who wish for a better way of life; we will be the only light in the dark, the only hope amidst despair, the first strike against evil and the final shield for the downtrodden. There shall be no place we are not found and no evil left unchallenged, me and my brethren will fight unto our last breath and beyond for the will of Freya and the memory of the Justicar our leader. We will know no kings and acknowledge no command other than that of the goddess, none save her will know of our mission and none save her will ever remember our names. This I swear and so shall my followers swear throughout time until the very ending of the world. As his oath was finished the 4 men were visited by a bright light from which issued a voice unlike any produced by mortal man. I have heard your oaths and shall uphold them, to you who have sworn to destroy evil I grant this sword that you may smite them in my name. To you who vowed to defend the weak I grant this shield that you may protect them from evil, and to you who vowed to heal the wounded I grant this staff that you may repair the damage done to them by the forces of evil. You three have sworn an oath honest and true and so you are rewarded, but the fourth amongst you is the most honored for he has given up his very existence to aid my cause and as such is to be respected above all others. To him I grant this belt, it will offer him sanctuary in the dark lands and will nourish him when he starves. His oath I hold most dear to me for he has willingly forsaken my grace to fight in places without it, his gift is all he will ever have and as such must be all he will ever need. With that the light vanished and the men were left alone, on the hand of the fourth man a golden tree had been etched. The other three saw that this was a mark of Freya's respect and so bowed deeply to the other man, however he saw them not. He had heard a call from distant lands beckoning to him and requesting his aid, shouldering his sword and wearing his belt but nothing else he walked away from the light into shadow. Nothing was ever heard from the First Guardian again save for rumor and gossip, some heard he had saved a town from ogres, others that he had brought down an evil tyrant. None however knew his name or why he was doing what he did. In time other guardians were chosen and they too vanished in the same way, but each of them had their own tales and rumors associated with them. Much is known about the other 3 paladin orders but only the Grandmasters are aware of the mission of the fourth, although many among the paladins speak of the heroic Guardians who venture into areas other paladins dare to tread. When Arthe had finished reading the other Guardian had vanished, he had left a short note telling Arthe to head west and to fight any evil he came across regardless of reward. Then the note wished him good luck and the writing stopped there. Arthe left the Church feeling strange, there was a sort of insistent pulling towards the west in his head. When he tried to go in any other direction it got worse so he gave up and headed out of the west gate. There were a number of priests walking about the city as he left and they surprised all the other users around by bowing deeply to Arthe and praying for him as he passed, when he left the city the priests collectively knelt and asked Freya's blessings for him. One of the users was a muscular knight with a large claymore, he went up to one of the priests to find out what they were doing. "Excuse me, why did you all just bow and pray for that man as if he was going to his death?" "Ah you are unaware of his calling aren't you, he has been chosen above all paladins for a mission so secret and so holy that only one other person in the entire priesthood of Freya is aware of it. We are not even aware of his name or his background and we never will be, we know only that he will battle great evil for no reward and that all those he defends will forever be delivered into the light of Freya. We pray for him because he has surrendered himself to Freya's will and as such will never be known by mortal man." Steve was appalled, he had to log off later and make his brother tell him what had happened to him. It sounded like his brother was going off to his death with no one to help him.

<div class="chapter-inner chapter-content"> Arthe had been repairing and purifying items for quite some time now, the majority of them were items not suitable for either him or Frith to use but there were a couple that would compliment their current gear quite well. He had finished with the normal items and was now moving on to the Ancient Equipment, first up was the Ancient breastplate of the Forsworn.<br><br>"Purify! Repair!"<br><br>You have purified and repaired an item, its properties have changed.<br><br>Ancient Breastplate of the Honorable Knight-Captain:<br>Durability: 150/150<br>Defense: 80<br>This breastplate belonged to a Captain of Numenor who was tricked into betrayal, both his armor and his soul have been redeemed.<br><br>Equip:<br>+30 STR<br>+20 END<br>+10 VIT<br>+5% to all resistances<br><br>Requirements:<br>Level 150<br>+100 STR<br>+50 VIT<br>must have either Neutral or Good alignment<br><br>Then came the Chainmail.<br><br>"Purify! Repair!"<br><br>You have purified and repaired an item, its properties have changed.<br><br>Chainmail Hauberk of Tactics:<br>Durability: 100/100<br>Defense: 60<br>This armor belonged to a strategist who was blinded by his own hubris and fell into evil. Both he and it have been redeemed.<br><br>Equip:<br>+100 Fame<br>+10% Attack speed<br>+20 AGI<br>+20 STR<br>+30% chance to deflect arrows<br><br>Requirements:<br>Level 150<br>Fame +400<br>AGI +50<br>STR +80<br><br>Arthe continued with his work and purified a set of Chainmail leg-guards, 2 pairs of boots and a set of shoulder-guards. Finally he came to the cloak and greaves that the named Death Knight had dropped.<br><br>"Purify! Repair!"<br><br>You have purified and repaired an item, its properties have changed.<br><br>The black cloak glowed brightly for a moment and when it stopped the cloak had gained a golden trim.<br><br>Cloak of the Unknown Paladin:<br>Durability: 50/50<br>Defense: 15<br>This cloaks origin is lost to time, judging by the design it once belonged to a paladin of Freya. How it came to be in the hands of a Death Knight is unknown, recently purified and repaired.<br><br>Equip:<br>+50 Faith<br>+20 VIT<br>+20 WIS<br><br>Requirements:<br>Paladin class<br>Level 120<br>+30 STR<br>+40 WIS<br><br><br>Greaves of the Nimble Warrior:<br>Durability: 120/120<br>Defense: 40<br>These Leg-guards belonged to an intrepid adventurer who fell at the hands of a Death Knight. Worn by the monster for many years they have recently been purified and repaired.<br><br>Equip:<br>+20 AGI<br>+20 STR<br>+15% movement speed<br>Reduces stamina usage on rough terrain.<br><br>Requirements:<br>Level 140<br>+60 STR<br>+70 VIT<br>+80 AGI<br><br>Arthe gave the purified items back to Frith to look at, then they began to divide the spoils. Arthe took the breastplate and the cloak as well as a Mana regeneration ring and shoulder-guards, plus a couple of the other items i.e. a bracelet and 1 of the pairs of boots. Frith claimed the chainmail gear as it was easier for her to wear that than plate armor and she also claimed the Nimble Warriors boots, on top of that she also had another set of boots and a ring of her own that increased maximum life. The junk items were divided equally and Arthe traded Frith's share of the ores for the stiletto he had found in the desk, he was going to start seriously focusing on raising his blacksmithing level because it wasn't everyday he picked up loot as good as this.<br><br>When they were done they had another quick look around the fort to see if they had missed anything and then they left. Unbeknownst to them they had missed a treasure more valuable than anything else there, a book of ancient magics that contained some of the most powerful spells of ancient times. It sat on a shelf in what used to be the Adjutants room gathering dust and it would be a long time before anyone came along to claim it.<br><br>Our adventurers knew nothing of this however and were happily heading westward towards the river so that Arthe could claim the Sword of the Justicar, as they traveled they were periodically stopping to hunt down and kill lone monsters for fun. This was probably not the right kind of behavior for a princess and a paladin to have but it kept them entertained, eventually however the word spread and creatures began to flee when they heard the duo coming.<br><br>After 2 days of walking Arthe and Frith finally came upon the river, it wasn't the clear blue they were expecting. The water was brown and full of muck and sludge, evidently something had happened upstream to poison the waters as there were dead fish floating on the surface. Arthe attempted to use purify on the water but the spell wasn't strong enough to clear more than a 2 meter gap and the river was flowing too fast for him to make it any larger, the pair had to resort to filling their canteens with the filthy water and having Arthe purify it there. Fortunately he gained a new skill out of it so it wasn't all bad.<br><br>New skill: Purify Nature<br>There are places in the world where nature has been corrupted and life struggles to flourish, this skill will allow you to cleanse those places. When you do you shall receive the blessings of nature, these blessing vary depending on what you cleanse.<br>Water: Mana regeneration is increased by 45% for 1 day<br>Earth: Life points are increased by 300 for 1 day<br>Plant Life: Experience gain is doubled for 1 day<br>Animal Life: Attack power and speed is increased by 50% for 1 day.<br>This skill cannot be increased, effects of blessings may increase depending on amount of corruption or danger of location.<br><br>Arthe and Frith resolved to head up river and find the source of the corruption once they had retrieved the Sword, with this decided they made their way downstream to find the cave. It took them another 2 days to get there, part of this delay was because there were numerous small caves along the riverbank that were occupied by small numbers of monsters and they had to clear out each one, when they finally arrived they realized that they needn't have bothered checking the other caves. This one had a door and a rusted plaque set into the entrance, when they cleaned the plaque up a bit it read <span style="font-style: italic;">This is the resting place of a sacred artifact, any person doing evil here will be punished accordingly.</span><br><br>The two looked at each other and then pushed against the door hard to open it, the locks had long rusted through and so the door opened fairly easily albeit noisily. The inside of the cave was musty and the air was stale, obviously no-one had been in here for a long time. However Arthe could sense a number of shadowy presences further into the cave and so he stopped Frith from rushing ahead, calling a light globe he cautiously proceeded into the cavern.<br>As he got further in he could feel the strange presences more and more, beyond them he could feel a source of holy power that had to be the Sword. Eventually he and Frith came upon another door, this one was bound with iron and was in much better condition than the first. It took them a while to locate a hidden lever that opened it and when they did they were confronted by a harsh red glow.<br>The room beyond was filled with monsters sitting around campfires, forest trolls to be more specific, 8 of them. Frith cursed under her breath, she was aware that trolls were among the worst monsters around because of their ridiculous regeneration ability. Arthe on the other hand was focused on a small golden light emanating from an alcove at the far side of the room, the Sword!<br><br>He dropped his backpack and drew his sword, Frith hissed at him in warning but he ignored it. Arthe just waved to her to follow him and then walked straight up to the nearest troll and stabbed it in the head before it could react, now he wasn't stupid enough to think that had killed it so before removing his sword he cast the spell Holy Fire through it making the trolls head explode and its body burn.<br><br>Holy Fire Intermediate 7<br>Summons a purifying flame to chastise your enemies and sear their flesh, deals double damage to undead. Lasts 5 minutes.<br>Cost: 250 Mana<br><br>The spell continued to burn the trolls body until it was nothing but dust, it was then that the other trolls woke up and roared at Arthe. Unconcerned he charged at the next closest trolls and slashed them with his blade casting Holy Fire repeatedly as he did, without even stopping to check if they were dead he moved on to the next opponent and did the same thing. He was so quick that by the time the Frith had begun to finish off the first troll the other 6 were already aflame, the room was now occupied by 7 troll candles emitting white flames. Arthe gave his sword a quick wipe to remove the troll blood and then began to spam Targeted thrust on the trolls over and over, due to the flames on their bodies they could not regenerate fast enough to cope with his and Frith's attacks and very soon all of them had fallen. The entire battle had only taken 4 minutes and 46 seconds, if Arthe chose to post this online it would undoubtedly win the prize for shortest troll massacre ever.<br><br>With the trolls taken care of and Frith standing over their bodies in shock, Arthe headed for the alcove and the object that lay within.<br>He leaned in and retrieved the Sword from it's resting place, as he did so a message popped up in front of him.<br><br>"Ding"<br>You have found the Sword of Freya's Arbiter.<br>Faith increased by 100<br>You have leveled up!<br>You have leveled up!<br><br>Sword of Freya's Arbiter:<br>Durability: 200/200<br>Attack: 75~92<br>Holy Damage: 31~43<br>This Sword is said to have been presented to the last champion of Ancient Numenor by Freya herself. It cleaves through evil souls and empowers the wielder. This Sword grows more powerful as the user does.<br><br>Equip:<br>Soul Severing Weapon<br>+40 STR<br>+30 AGI<br>+ 200 Faith<br>+5% Attack power<br>+5% Attack speed<br>+1500 Fame<br>When equipped alongside Shield of Freya's Guardian effects are doubled.<br>[In effect]<br>Requirements:<br>Level 300 for displayed stats, stats decrease by 20% every 100 levels<br>Must have Faith stat generated<br>Faith+200<br>Honor+150<br>STR+100<br><br><br>Arthe admired the finish on the blade and the ornamentation on the hilt, he placed his old sword down on the floor and went to sheath the new one. The sword wouldn't fit in his scabbard it was then that he noticed that the alcove was still glowing with a pearly sheen, he reached inside once again and this time drew out a wondrous scabbard of tooled leather. The sheath was bright white and was embroidered with the fruit laden tree symbol near the top, it had gold chasing on the sides and gold fixtures at the top and the tip. Arthe removed his old scabbard and fastened on his new one, when he did his Guardian belt changed colour to match the sheath and both began to glow dimly with a soft golden light.<br><br>"Ding"<br><br>Belt has generated new properties.<br><br>Freya's Guardian Belt now glows in the presence of evil, when combating an evil monster the belt will decrease the monsters abilities. Evil creatures of a lower level than the wearer will suffer a reduction penalty of 25% across all stats and skills. When fighting stronger monsters than the wearer this penalty is reduced by 1% for every 2 levels difference.<br><br>Arthe read this message with wonder, he could no longer be caught unawares by monsters and even if by some miracle he was then the belt would inflict a penalty on the enemy anyway. By this point Frith had recovered her senses and had come over to have a look at the sword, when he showed it to her she whistled in admiration before handing it back.<br><br>"That is some sword, too bad you aren't level 300 so you can get the full effects. Still even with the 30% reduction that sword is epic for your level. Oh and by the way..."<br><br>Smack!!<br>You lose 25hp!<br><br>"Ow why did you just slap me round the face?" Arthe exclaimed holding his now burning cheek.<br><br>"For being a complete idiot and charging a group of trolls without any sort of plan or warning, and for scaring the crap out of me in the process. Freya knows why She chose you as a paladin you've got about as much sense as newborn Orc." Frith replied rubbing her palm, she hadn't meant to hit him quite so hard.<br><br>"Oh if that's the reason then okay, shall we leave."<br><br>"What you mean you knew it was a stupid, idiotic, dumb-ass thing to do and you did it anyway. I swear sometimes I think you'll be the death of me."<br><br>"Hey it worked didn't it!"<br><br> Arthe instantly knew this was the wrong thing to say, he ended up leaving the cave with a stab wound in the side and another slap mark on his face. In fact Frith continued to beat on him every time he tried to apologize for the next day and a half. Finally they reached the point where they had arrived at the river the first time and Arthe tried once more to apologize.<br><br>"Look I'm sorry alright, next time I'll tell you my plan in advance and request your approval in writing beforehand. Don't worry so much I'm not that easy to kill and I don't even know why you're so angry it's not like I saw you naked or anythi.... Crap!"<br><br>Smack, Slap, Slam, Bash, Kick!!! </div>

Arthe had been repairing and purifying items for quite some time now, the majority of them were items not suitable for either him or Frith to use but there were a couple that would compliment their current gear quite well. He had finished with the normal items and was now moving on to the Ancient Equipment, first up was the Ancient breastplate of the Forsworn. "Purify! Repair!" You have purified and repaired an item, its properties have changed. Ancient Breastplate of the Honorable Knight-Captain: Durability: 150/150 Defense: 80 This breastplate belonged to a Captain of Numenor who was tricked into betrayal, both his armor and his soul have been redeemed. Equip: +30 STR +20 END +10 VIT +5% to all resistances Requirements: Level 150 +100 STR +50 VIT must have either Neutral or Good alignment Then came the Chainmail. "Purify! Repair!" You have purified and repaired an item, its properties have changed. Chainmail Hauberk of Tactics: Durability: 100/100 Defense: 60 This armor belonged to a strategist who was blinded by his own hubris and fell into evil. Both he and it have been redeemed. Equip: +100 Fame +10% Attack speed +20 AGI +20 STR +30% chance to deflect arrows Requirements: Level 150 Fame +400 AGI +50 STR +80 Arthe continued with his work and purified a set of Chainmail leg-guards, 2 pairs of boots and a set of shoulder-guards. Finally he came to the cloak and greaves that the named Death Knight had dropped. "Purify! Repair!" You have purified and repaired an item, its properties have changed. The black cloak glowed brightly for a moment and when it stopped the cloak had gained a golden trim. Cloak of the Unknown Paladin: Durability: 50/50 Defense: 15 This cloaks origin is lost to time, judging by the design it once belonged to a paladin of Freya. How it came to be in the hands of a Death Knight is unknown, recently purified and repaired. Equip: +50 Faith +20 VIT +20 WIS Requirements: Paladin class Level 120 +30 STR +40 WIS Greaves of the Nimble Warrior: Durability: 120/120 Defense: 40 These Leg-guards belonged to an intrepid adventurer who fell at the hands of a Death Knight. Worn by the monster for many years they have recently been purified and repaired. Equip: +20 AGI +20 STR +15% movement speed Reduces stamina usage on rough terrain. Requirements: Level 140 +60 STR +70 VIT +80 AGI Arthe gave the purified items back to Frith to look at, then they began to divide the spoils. Arthe took the breastplate and the cloak as well as a Mana regeneration ring and shoulder-guards, plus a couple of the other items i.e. a bracelet and 1 of the pairs of boots. Frith claimed the chainmail gear as it was easier for her to wear that than plate armor and she also claimed the Nimble Warriors boots, on top of that she also had another set of boots and a ring of her own that increased maximum life. The junk items were divided equally and Arthe traded Frith's share of the ores for the stiletto he had found in the desk, he was going to start seriously focusing on raising his blacksmithing level because it wasn't everyday he picked up loot as good as this. When they were done they had another quick look around the fort to see if they had missed anything and then they left. Unbeknownst to them they had missed a treasure more valuable than anything else there, a book of ancient magics that contained some of the most powerful spells of ancient times. It sat on a shelf in what used to be the Adjutants room gathering dust and it would be a long time before anyone came along to claim it. Our adventurers knew nothing of this however and were happily heading westward towards the river so that Arthe could claim the Sword of the Justicar, as they traveled they were periodically stopping to hunt down and kill lone monsters for fun. This was probably not the right kind of behavior for a princess and a paladin to have but it kept them entertained, eventually however the word spread and creatures began to flee when they heard the duo coming. After 2 days of walking Arthe and Frith finally came upon the river, it wasn't the clear blue they were expecting. The water was brown and full of muck and sludge, evidently something had happened upstream to poison the waters as there were dead fish floating on the surface. Arthe attempted to use purify on the water but the spell wasn't strong enough to clear more than a 2 meter gap and the river was flowing too fast for him to make it any larger, the pair had to resort to filling their canteens with the filthy water and having Arthe purify it there. Fortunately he gained a new skill out of it so it wasn't all bad. New skill: Purify Nature There are places in the world where nature has been corrupted and life struggles to flourish, this skill will allow you to cleanse those places. When you do you shall receive the blessings of nature, these blessing vary depending on what you cleanse. Water: Mana regeneration is increased by 45% for 1 day Earth: Life points are increased by 300 for 1 day Plant Life: Experience gain is doubled for 1 day Animal Life: Attack power and speed is increased by 50% for 1 day. This skill cannot be increased, effects of blessings may increase depending on amount of corruption or danger of location. Arthe and Frith resolved to head up river and find the source of the corruption once they had retrieved the Sword, with this decided they made their way downstream to find the cave. It took them another 2 days to get there, part of this delay was because there were numerous small caves along the riverbank that were occupied by small numbers of monsters and they had to clear out each one, when they finally arrived they realized that they needn't have bothered checking the other caves. This one had a door and a rusted plaque set into the entrance, when they cleaned the plaque up a bit it read This is the resting place of a sacred artifact, any person doing evil here will be punished accordingly. The two looked at each other and then pushed against the door hard to open it, the locks had long rusted through and so the door opened fairly easily albeit noisily. The inside of the cave was musty and the air was stale, obviously no-one had been in here for a long time. However Arthe could sense a number of shadowy presences further into the cave and so he stopped Frith from rushing ahead, calling a light globe he cautiously proceeded into the cavern. As he got further in he could feel the strange presences more and more, beyond them he could feel a source of holy power that had to be the Sword. Eventually he and Frith came upon another door, this one was bound with iron and was in much better condition than the first. It took them a while to locate a hidden lever that opened it and when they did they were confronted by a harsh red glow. The room beyond was filled with monsters sitting around campfires, forest trolls to be more specific, 8 of them. Frith cursed under her breath, she was aware that trolls were among the worst monsters around because of their ridiculous regeneration ability. Arthe on the other hand was focused on a small golden light emanating from an alcove at the far side of the room, the Sword! He dropped his backpack and drew his sword, Frith hissed at him in warning but he ignored it. Arthe just waved to her to follow him and then walked straight up to the nearest troll and stabbed it in the head before it could react, now he wasn't stupid enough to think that had killed it so before removing his sword he cast the spell Holy Fire through it making the trolls head explode and its body burn. Holy Fire Intermediate 7 Summons a purifying flame to chastise your enemies and sear their flesh, deals double damage to undead. Lasts 5 minutes. Cost: 250 Mana The spell continued to burn the trolls body until it was nothing but dust, it was then that the other trolls woke up and roared at Arthe. Unconcerned he charged at the next closest trolls and slashed them with his blade casting Holy Fire repeatedly as he did, without even stopping to check if they were dead he moved on to the next opponent and did the same thing. He was so quick that by the time the Frith had begun to finish off the first troll the other 6 were already aflame, the room was now occupied by 7 troll candles emitting white flames. Arthe gave his sword a quick wipe to remove the troll blood and then began to spam Targeted thrust on the trolls over and over, due to the flames on their bodies they could not regenerate fast enough to cope with his and Frith's attacks and very soon all of them had fallen. The entire battle had only taken 4 minutes and 46 seconds, if Arthe chose to post this online it would undoubtedly win the prize for shortest troll massacre ever. With the trolls taken care of and Frith standing over their bodies in shock, Arthe headed for the alcove and the object that lay within. He leaned in and retrieved the Sword from it's resting place, as he did so a message popped up in front of him. "Ding" You have found the Sword of Freya's Arbiter. Faith increased by 100 You have leveled up! You have leveled up! Sword of Freya's Arbiter: Durability: 200/200 Attack: 75~92 Holy Damage: 31~43 This Sword is said to have been presented to the last champion of Ancient Numenor by Freya herself. It cleaves through evil souls and empowers the wielder. This Sword grows more powerful as the user does. Equip: Soul Severing Weapon +40 STR +30 AGI + 200 Faith +5% Attack power +5% Attack speed +1500 Fame When equipped alongside Shield of Freya's Guardian effects are doubled. [In effect] Requirements: Level 300 for displayed stats, stats decrease by 20% every 100 levels Must have Faith stat generated Faith+200 Honor+150 STR+100 Arthe admired the finish on the blade and the ornamentation on the hilt, he placed his old sword down on the floor and went to sheath the new one. The sword wouldn't fit in his scabbard it was then that he noticed that the alcove was still glowing with a pearly sheen, he reached inside once again and this time drew out a wondrous scabbard of tooled leather. The sheath was bright white and was embroidered with the fruit laden tree symbol near the top, it had gold chasing on the sides and gold fixtures at the top and the tip. Arthe removed his old scabbard and fastened on his new one, when he did his Guardian belt changed colour to match the sheath and both began to glow dimly with a soft golden light. "Ding" Belt has generated new properties. Freya's Guardian Belt now glows in the presence of evil, when combating an evil monster the belt will decrease the monsters abilities. Evil creatures of a lower level than the wearer will suffer a reduction penalty of 25% across all stats and skills. When fighting stronger monsters than the wearer this penalty is reduced by 1% for every 2 levels difference. Arthe read this message with wonder, he could no longer be caught unawares by monsters and even if by some miracle he was then the belt would inflict a penalty on the enemy anyway. By this point Frith had recovered her senses and had come over to have a look at the sword, when he showed it to her she whistled in admiration before handing it back. "That is some sword, too bad you aren't level 300 so you can get the full effects. Still even with the 30% reduction that sword is epic for your level. Oh and by the way..." Smack!! You lose 25hp! "Ow why did you just slap me round the face?" Arthe exclaimed holding his now burning cheek. "For being a complete idiot and charging a group of trolls without any sort of plan or warning, and for scaring the crap out of me in the process. Freya knows why She chose you as a paladin you've got about as much sense as newborn Orc." Frith replied rubbing her palm, she hadn't meant to hit him quite so hard. "Oh if that's the reason then okay, shall we leave." "What you mean you knew it was a stupid, idiotic, dumb-ass thing to do and you did it anyway. I swear sometimes I think you'll be the death of me." "Hey it worked didn't it!" Arthe instantly knew this was the wrong thing to say, he ended up leaving the cave with a stab wound in the side and another slap mark on his face. In fact Frith continued to beat on him every time he tried to apologize for the next day and a half. Finally they reached the point where they had arrived at the river the first time and Arthe tried once more to apologize. "Look I'm sorry alright, next time I'll tell you my plan in advance and request your approval in writing beforehand. Don't worry so much I'm not that easy to kill and I don't even know why you're so angry it's not like I saw you naked or anythi.... Crap!" Smack, Slap, Slam, Bash, Kick!!!

<div class="chapter-inner chapter-content"> I like it when people (Even annons) give me feedback. this is very much a personality thing. I like improvement and sometimes i cant improve without both negative and positive comments. It is constructive criticism... What about my character is good? the story? my writing style? what needs improved? what needs added or removed? Are you willing to read it again (old chapters if i do make changes to accommodate?) Is this a lost cause which should continue past 10 chapters or should i stop at the 8 i already have written out so far while creating something new? &lt;- That last one wont happen... I am invested in the character's story to give it up... probably have as many as 20 chapters or more depending on the time i have available during collage. Still try for weekly updates. if not more frequent (antisocial to probably have the free time for it). Yada yada yada.. now comment lol {[999aag}] </div>

I like it when people (Even annons) give me feedback. this is very much a personality thing. I like improvement and sometimes i cant improve without both negative and positive comments. It is constructive criticism... What about my character is good? the story? my writing style? what needs improved? what needs added or removed? Are you willing to read it again (old chapters if i do make changes to accommodate?) Is this a lost cause which should continue past 10 chapters or should i stop at the 8 i already have written out so far while creating something new? <- That last one wont happen... I am invested in the character's story to give it up... probably have as many as 20 chapters or more depending on the time i have available during collage. Still try for weekly updates. if not more frequent (antisocial to probably have the free time for it). Yada yada yada.. now comment lol {[999aag}]

<div class="chapter-inner chapter-content"> Volume 2 Chapter 2<br><br>The Most Dangerous Game<br><br>Sarah, the elvish summoner, came to the capital city of the kingdom of Itsoeu for one reason, to head east. She got wind of a rumor that the first user to discover and enter a city gains mountains of fame. Fame determined the level of quests one could easily get, so the more fame one had, the faster one could get strong. Sarah started an account with her sisters and they were competing with one another to see who could become the strongest. Sarah had obtained an impressive level of 130, but was still behind her sisters. Itsoeu Kingdom was the easternmost kingdom of the center on the continent, centered between an extensive mountain range that extended north and south, the city was a gateway to the unexplored east. It was know that the north was too cold to explore, the south too dangerous, and the west had many people ahead of her, so she decided on taking the east. However when she arrived at the capital city, she discovered why the east remained unexplored. Itsoeu's neighboring kingdom to the east, Palmer, had its borders shut. According to what she had learned, it had a no outsiders law to prevent criminals from ever entering. Itsoeu kingdom had a treaty with Palmer that required Itsoeu to prevent any person without Palmer citizenship from entering the kingdom.<br><br>Her only option was to go around the Kingdom of Palmer, but that would take a minimum of four months. She didn't know what to do but she had to do something, so she got a job. Sarah found a job at the local Sorcerer's shop. Being a summoner she knew the uses of most of the items, and being a beautiful elf, she attracted customers back to the shop. Shortly after coming to the city, she found a quaint restaurant that served delicious food at a good price. It quickly became her favorite restaurant. Everyday after work, she would walk down a narrow street, giving a coin to the old man who sat there, and make her way to the somewhat hidden dinner.<br><br>One day after work, she saw a group of warriors beating up the old man. "Hey! Quit it!" The group dispersed and she went to check on the old man. The man said, "thank you young one," before looking up and recognizing that it was the elf who always gave him a silver coin when she passed him by. "Ahh, its you. I'm sorry to do this but I don't have much time left. I must ask you to do something for my friends." She asked, "Your friends?" He answered, "They died long ago, but their souls do not rest in peace. I sense you have power of the spirits within you, will you listen to my tale?" She could sense what this was leading up to, and quickly and calmly answered, "Yes, of course."<br><br>He began his story, "Long ago I was an adventurer. My friends and I explored together, fought together, and partied together." He looked like he was enjoying his reminiscing, but then his face turned to despair. "During a great battle, we were injured and took refuge inside a crevice in the shadow of a rock, twenty five miles southeast of here, just north of the forest. There we found a cave, and decided to wait there until the battle was over. But it was a case of out of the frying pan and into the fire. The cave had many tunnel and was home to many monsters. We were caught off guard and ran for our lives. I made it back to the surface but my friends, my wife among them never did. I know they died down there. But their spirits are not free, they remain trapped. Here, take this." The old man took off a necklace with a small sword pendant on it. "Each of the five other members of my party had a necklace like this, please find them and take them out of that dark place and into the sun. I know once you do, my friend will rest in peace." <br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td>Free the spirits<br>In the depths of a monster filled cave are the five necklaces of the old veteran's fallen comrades. Collect them all and take them to the outside and the sun.<br>Difficulty level: C<br>Quest Requirements:<br>Familiarity with the old veteran<br>Class associated with spirits</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br>Sarah took the old man's hands and said, "You have my word, it will be done."<br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td>You have accepted the quest</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br>The veteran showed a smile of relief and collapsed onto the ground. Sarah checked to make sure, but he was dead. She didn't know if it was old age, the damage from the men who beat him up or if he was just hanging on until he could give the quest. She placed his blanket over him and continued down the street. <br><br>She had made plans to leave the city for the dungeon, but first she needed to eat. She thought that seeing a NPC die would turn her appetite, but she had grown so accustomed to eating after getting off work and her stomach wouldn't let her skip it.<br><br>She entered the restaurant and ordered the beef stew. The burly barbarian at the counter yelled to the kid in the back to make it, and Sarah paid the man. She sat down at her usual table and waited, but through the door, came the group who she had chased off the old man. The spotted her and walked up to her table. She eyed them carefully and asked, "What do you want?"<br><br>They look at eachother and smile before saying, "Relax doll, we don't want trouble, and I'm sure you don't either. It's just that we heard what that geezer told you about that dungeon. We feel really bad about what we did, and want to help you complete the quest."<br><br>Sarah was not naive enough to believe him. Sure he would complete the quest, that part was true, but he didn't feel bad about hurting the old man, he just wanted the experience that went along with completing a quest in that dungeon. She said, "Sorry, not interested in your help." <br><br>The guys looked at eachother again and smiled before looking back at her. "Now now pretty missy, this isn't an offer you can refuse. I'm a member of the Lion Guild and we already heard the location of the dungeon. Once we report it to our guild master, the whole guild will make their way there. If you refuse our help, we'll make sure you never complete your quest."<br><br>Sarah recognized the name of the guild, it was a powerful local guild of Users, and in the city it held more power than most politicians. Any guild would kill to the exclusive rights to a dungeon, and since these guys already heard its location, there was nothing she could do to stop them. If the guild found one of the necklaces before she did, she would never be able to complete the quest. Any User could only have a maximum of three quests at a time, the only way to quit was to ask the quest giver, but the old man was dead. <br><br>At that moment, she heard a noise behind the group. "Excuse me, your beef stew is ready." It was the kid in the back who made the food, with a tray that had a bowl of steaming stew. The guy who had been talking to her said, "Hey kid, can't you see the adults are talking?" He knocked over the tray, spilling the soup over the floor. The kid looked up and said, "Are you going to pay for that?" The entire group burst out laughing, and after a moment the guy said, "Of course not, hahaha." The kid calmly said, "Then please leave, this is a place for paying customers only." This renewed the rounds of laughter and the guys said, "Well why don't you make me kid! Ahh ha haha!"<br><br>The kid then punched the man cleanly in the stomach, causing him to keel over. The guy next to him took out his sword and swung it down at the kid's head. Sarah almost looked away but she saw the kid's arm move up to block the blade. She expected it to slice through the sleeve of the chef uniform and the kid's wrist, but upon contact a loud ringing sound was heard, and the sword bounced off the cut made in the uniform's sleeve, revealing the blue steel gauntlets beneath it. The kid then bent down and sweep kicked the the swordsman. The other guys had already begun to draw their weapons, but the kid had already move to one, gave him an uppercut to the jaw, and spun around and smashed his other elbow into the jaw of another fighter. There were only two left and the first two were getting off the ground. They figured out they would be taken if they took the time to draw their weapons so they both tried punching the kid. He sidestepped one and caught the fist of the other, pulling him forward while twisting his own shoulder back, rotating the caught fist uncomfortably. He then back kicked the guy while ducking the punch from the one he dodged with a side step. Before the guy could retract his fist it was grabbed, and the kid pulled it over his own shoulder while kneeing the guy in the gut, just below the rib cage. The first two the kid took down got up, with a fierce gaze in their eyes. <br><br>The kid had taken down each member in a matter of seven seconds. Before the two could do anything, the head of the restaurant had come over. After watching his busboy take down the group, he spoke up, "What is going on here?" The kid turned to his boss and said, "These men had business with the young lady, but they are finished and were just leaving." <br><br>The first guy said, "We aren't going anywhere!" He was practically frothing at the mouth with anger. The head chef asked, "Are you going to buy something then?" The guy responded, "We're not going to buy anything at this piece of sh-" The chef's sword left its scabbard without anyone seeing anything, and rested at the throat of the man who had been speaking. In an even voice, the man said, "This restaurant is for paying customers only. Leave. Now." It was obvious that the man was an absurdly high level. It was far too dangerous to mess with him, so the group obediently left the restaurant. <br><br>Sarah could not believe what she had just seen. The head chef seemed to be a barbarian, so his skill was not that surprising, but a kid who appeared at least ten years younger than her had just taken out a group of grown men. She knew that in the game, the age doesn't really matter, what mattered was skill, experience, and level. However it was still a fact that this kid possessed all that, and was probably stronger than she was. She asked the kid, "Who are you?" She had almost asked, 'what are you.'<br><br>The busboy looked up at the elf and said, "The name's Crane. Can I get you another bowl of stew?"<br><br>On impulse she said, "Actually, my name is Sarah, and I wanted to ask for your help. Those guys wanted to take part in my quest, but I refused them. If they get to the dungeon first, they'll take the double experience and prevent me from ever completing the quest."<br><br>Crane seemed to ponder the lady's dilemma. She panicked that he would refuse and said, "I'll throw in a bonus, I work at the sorcery shop, I'll give you a discount on whatever you want there." On this the kid's eyes lit up. "Ok, I'm in. My shift ends in thirty minutes, wait here and I'll come with you to the dungeon." She panicked again, "But if we don't leave now they will beat us to the dungeon!" He asked, "how far is it?" "Twenty five miles,” she answered. He told her, "relax then, we'll make it there before those guys do." She relaxed a little. If the kid said they would make it he must have a plan. A few minutes later Crane brought out another bowl of stew, Sarah blushed a little bit that she had completely forgotten that she had ordered food. She enjoyed it and thanked Crane for the food. When the time came, Crane, wearing a blue overcoat and blue feather hat, came out to her table. They left the restaurant and headed for the gate. <br><br>Along the way, Sarah felt the strangest feeling she had felt since first logging into Royal Road. Overwhelming, intense fear. It was like she was surrounded by an inescapable, shadow that brought death itself. She had never known such intense fear before, it was the kind that could drive someone crazy, but it lasted only for an instant. She collapsed at the shock, and noticed a few screams around her and several people fainting. Whatever had happened to her seemed to have happened to a wide area. Crane turned around and helped her back up. He said, "Oh, sorry about that, you wanted to rush so I couldn't wait to leave the city before calling my partner." She took his hand to help her get up and asked, "Partner? Wait, that was you?" <br><br>He showed uneasy face and said, "Yeah, my partner is outside the city and has the ability to detect fighting spirit. Strengthening my own for a moment is a signal between us. He will be waiting outside the gate."<br><br>"But that was so intense! How did you do that?!"<br>She could barely believe that what she had just experienced had come from this kid.<br><br>"It's a learned skill called battle aura that lets you control your fighting spirit to have different effects, it can't actually harm anyone. Hmm, come to think of it I don't actually know how it affects others very well, I usually use it to scare away monsters and communicate long distance with my partner. My partner isn't really affected by it but I never asked the monsters who ran away how they felt."<br><br>"Well, that felt like I was being suffocated by death. Harm or not, if you sprang that unexpectedly on someone for a long time, it could drive them mad. Be careful ok?"<br><br>Crane nodded thoughtfully, "I see, I'll be more careful in areas crowded with bystanders."<br><br>She realized he had just said he would only use it in such a manner in areas without innocent bystanders, this did not make her feel better. <br><br>He continued, "It only has such a strong effect on those without fighting spirit, you're a magic user aren't you?"<br><br>She realized that although she had told him her name, she had not introduced herself, "Yes, I am a Summoner, and are you a fighter, or monk?"<br><br>She had seen his hand to hand combat skills and although he had not actually used a skill, she was confident in her assessment.<br><br>"Neither, I'm a spellsword."<br><br>Spellsword was the common term for classes that used both magic and sword skills together, though most were weaker than either a wizard or warrior of the same level. She asked, "But you used such excellent hand to hand combat skills."<br><br>"Did you know that you can go to a monk's guild and pay for lessons in hand to hand combat? I couldn't learn skill other than fist mastery of course but I been training with them for a while now. Since coming to the city in fact I have split my time between working at the restaurant and training at the monk's guild. I've been at the level where I can spar freely with them for the past week."<br><br>Although Sarah understood everything he said, it still didn't make sense. Why would someone who uses a sword and spells learn hand to hand combat skills when they could be advancing the skills they already know. It was common sense that a man who mastered one thing was stronger than a man who learned a hundred. Was this kid someone who played for fun, and didn't care if he became weak? But he wasn't weak when he showed his skill in the restaurant, and from what he said, those skills were learned recently. What kind of monster was this kid? Now she seemed to accept the reality she felt from the fear from earlier. This kid was not one you wanted to be your enemy. <br><br>They reached the gates and Crane lead her just pass a group of tree, beyond the guard's sight. Laying there, was a giant sabertooth tiger, with beautiful blue flames coming from its body. As a summoner she had seen many strange beasts, some of them conjured through her own spells, so the sight was not all that alarming. She saw it stare at her, but there was no hostility in its eyes. <br><br>Crane said, "This is my partner, Keagan. Keagan, this is the summoner, Sarah." Sarah bowed a bit and Keagan nodded his head. Crane turned to Sarah and said, "Time to get to business, it is your quest so it is your party."<br><br>She nodded and said, "Would you like to join my party?"<br><br>"Yes."<br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td>You have created a party</td></tr><tr><td>Crane has joined your party</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br>Crane continued, "So, where to?"<br><br>"25 miles southeast, near a rock at the line of trees that leads to the forest."<br><br>Keagan spoke up in a low husky voice, "I know of the place you speak, a group of fifty headed in that direction not long ago."<br><br>Crane said, "We gotta beat them there, you up for it?"<br><br>Keagan grinned, prominently showing his teeth, and his two large fangs as well. The fire on his back died down and he knelt low. Crane hopped on the tiger's back and motioned for Sarah to do likewise. Crane bent over low and Sarah did the same, putting her arms around Crane's waist just before Keagan started in a run. <br><br>After ten minutes of running, Crane pointed to their left. Sarah saw the group Keagan spoke of, it was definitely the Lion guild. Some of them noticed that a flaming sabertooth tiger with two people riding on it were running past them. Sarah thought it was better to go around and not be seen by the group, but if they were seen it was likely because Crane had wanted them to be seen. <br><br>Another forty minutes later and they arrived at the rock in front of the forest. The pair got off and Keagan asked, "Should I eat them?" Sarah answered for him, "No! That guild is known for having many Users over level 200!"<br><br>Average players were around level 50, with the true gamers averaging around level 130. For a player to get to 200 so fast meant they must've been people who practically lived in the game. Crane said, "I've heard of those guys. Keagan, you can do what you want but if you die, I won't be able to summon you until we leave the dungeon." <br><br>Sarah didn't understand what he meant, was the firecat a summons? If it was a summoned spirit she would have felt it but she did not.<br><br>Keagan said, "I understand," and left for the forest. <br><br>Sarah looked at Crane who could tell what she was thinking. Crane took off a necklace he was wearing. "This is a storage gem. I formed a contract with Keagan, and stored his lifeforce within it, making him immortal. If he dies, he will return to the necklace, and after a while, I'll be able to call him out again."<br><br>As a Summoner, that sounded too good to be true to her. "There has to be a catch."<br><br>Crane thought about it and said, "Well, until Keagan can come back to life at my call without the necklace, 20% of all my experience goes to him as long as he is out. None of his goes to me."<br><br>20% less experience while hunting was no small sum, but it still seemed like cheating to her. <br><br>"Where can I get one of those storage gems?"<br><br>"Don't know, I found this one at a tourist shop, the owner didn't know it's true value either."<br><br>So no help there. She dropped the subject and looked around the rock. At one side of it was a crack that looked shallow, but upon closer inspection it was deep, and was in fact the entrance. They both slipped through the crevice into a wider passage that lead down a dark rocky path. <br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td>Dungeon: You are the first players to discover The Sunken River Caves<br>Reward 100 Fame<br>Double experience, 2x item drop rate.<br>The first monster killed will drop a good quality item.</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br>"Whew, we really are the first ones to make it."<br><br>Crane said, "Looks that way. Hey, if the first thing we'll kill in this dungeon is User, you think he'll drop his best items?"<br><br>Now Sarah understood why they passed the guild instead of going around. The little blue monster wanted to eat them. "Well, the message says the first monster killed, I don't think Users qualify."<br><br>Crane nodded. "Alright then, keep up your guard, we're gonna explore this place a bit before they get here."<br><br>"Wait a moment, I can help with that." She took out the level three summoning component Fairy's Hair, and buried in under some loose soil. She rose her staff and said, "I call upon the spirit of the earth, Summon Golem!" A magic circle appeared over the spot she buried the fairy hair and from it arose a six foot tall, with shoulders three feet broad rock man. <br><br>Sarah said, "Please help us explore these tunnels and search for five dead adventurers." The golem nodded and sank back into the earth. From the earth several small dirt mounds split apart and disappeared in different directions.<br><br>Crane said, "I didn't know golems could do that."<br><br>"Most can't, they just walk around and attack or defend, but that one was a higher quality summon."<br><br>"I could tell, fairy hair costs 78 gold."<br><br>"With my discount as an employee I only pay 56 gold for it."<br><br>Crane nodded and the pair hurried down into the dungeon before the Lion guild arrived at the entrance. <br><br>-------------<br><br>Khan was a powerful user and founder of the Lion guild. He named his character after his favorite historical figure, Genghis Khan. Behind that name, he would build up an army and become the emperor of Versailles continent. With this goal in mind he fought constantly in Royal Road, he spent most of the past few months inside his capsule. <br><br>In large scale battles he always used a method of leveling up, inspired by lions. An adult lion would cripple an animal and let its children finish it off, only he did it the opposite way. All his subordinates would go hunting powerful creatures, and he would always deal the final blow. This combined with the fact that he practically live in Royal Road made him one of the highest level characters in the game. He allowed only those most loyal to him to use the same method using his subordinates. Although anyone else in this power leveling scheme would suffer and get little experience during these hunts, they were too weak to complain. Besides, although they did not have strength, they had loyalty. The leader's power was their power, and the number of Users who joined Khan's group increased. Khan eventually founded a guild named after the method used to power level players. Every once in awhile Khan would choose another loyal member to receive power leveling, and each time he did, the group as a whole became more loyal, in the hopes that next time it would be them who would be chosen to become powerful. <br><br>They were idiots. The people Khan choose 'based on loyalty' were in fact rich users who paid Khan gold and real money to receive the power leveling program. Due to this Khan was able to make a living off Royal Road and his lion system. Through their money, both on and off Royal Road, Khan was able to increase the power of the Lions guild to be one of the strongest in Itsoeu Kingdom. Representatives of the Lion's guild went to various towns, forts, and villages offering protection in exchange for loyalty. With the reputation of the guild being so high many accepted, and now the Lion guild had direct control over those settlement's taxes and where it went. On this note Khan did not mimic his idol. Genghis Khan would often set a lower, fairer tax rate when he took over a city. The User, Khan, was greedy, and would squeeze every copper he could out of every village, and because only a handful of the guild’s Users were high level, the protection the settlement's received was shoddy. The only time a powerful User from the guild came by was to quell any thoughts of disloyalty to the Lion guild. However even after all this, they were only the 2nd most powerful guild in the Kingdom of Itsoeu. Their rivals, the Copper Hearts guild, had possession of dozens of dungeons that only their members could use. It was a simple plan Khan hadn't thought of, find a great dungeon, station multiple guards at the front, and allow only guild members to enter. Due to these private dungeons, the guild members were able to become powerful without a power leveling program. Khan's guild found many dungeons, but their quality was poor. They found dungeons with powerful monsters, but every hunting party that was sent in was wiped out. The only dungeons that they could hunt had low level monsters that gave little experience. He needed to find dungeons with good monsters that gave great experience. If he ever wanted to surpass the Copper Hearts guild, he needed to find more dungeons. <br><br>A man entered his room, "Sir, we've learned the location of an undiscovered dungeon!"<br><br>Khan rose from his seat, "Tell me everything."<br><br>After hearing the whole story, Khan ordered every one of his strongest members to follow him. He even sent whispers to other members who had been on guard in other towns to meet him at the dungeon, though they would take at least a day to get there. <br><br>Khan didn't know what kind of person this busboy was, but he would not underestimate him. Khan's class was Shadow monk, when he reached level 200 he choose to advance to a class that specialized in pressure point strikes. No matter how strong the boy was, any man who gets his pressure points hit will lose all their strength and speed. <br><br>Forty minutes after setting out, the men spotted a giant beast running by them. One of the men who were beaten by the busboy was a hunter, with his enhanced vision he saw that on the beast rode the elf and the busboy. When Khan heard this he was furious. Although the dungeon's capture would pay off in the long term, he would still lose the Fame and double experience if those two got to the dungeon first. Khan quietly seethed, "Those two will pay for this." <br><br>It was almost sundown by the time they reached the rock. When Khan laid his eyes on the forest behind the rock a shiver went down his spine. "HOLD!" The guild stopped in its tracks. Khan knew this feeling, it was the same when as the feeling of being hunted by a powerful beast, something he had experience many times on his power leveling hunts. Every member of the guild drew their weapons in response. The priests readied their spells and hid behind the warriors. "There!" One of the men at his side pointed out a dull flame, shimmering behind the trees. It was that fire cat the pair had ridden. If it was here, that confirmed the two were already in the dungeon. "Vice Captains, with me, everyone else, protect the priests." With him were six Users who, like him, were over level 200, and two more would join him by the end of the day. Although the average Copper Hearts member was much stronger than an average Lion guild member, Khan's loyal unit of vice captains was a force that no one dared to touch. It was known that there were once three great guilds of the Kingdom of Itsoeu. When the Lion guild had obtained five members who were above level 200, the group systematically annihilated every branch of the 3rd guild. Now his guild had a total of ten level 200+ Users, one was on the other side of the kingdom so was of no use, two were on their way, and seven were about to kill whatever was behind those trees. The archers behind the seven men readied their bows and kept both eyes on the flame. The warriors did not let it out of their sight, and the priests stayed in the back, furthest away from the fire cat. <br>Khan smiled, a flaming monster trying to hide as the sun was going down was too funny. When he saw it before, he noticed that it looked a lot like a tiger. Somewhere in his mind, he remembered that he once heard that tigers hunt by circling their opponents, and jumping from behind. A cold sensation surrounded his body at this realization and he turned around and yelled, "From behind!" <br><br>The firecat leaped at the priests in the back, it bit off the man's head and had jumped for another before the group realized what was happening. The warriors turned around and attacked the firecat, but it was covered in flames and the moment they got close enough to strike it they caught on fire. Screaming burning men ran away from the monster while archers shot arrows at it. The firecat was large but agile, as soon as it was fired upon it moved behind warriors and engaged in fighting them. The archers separated from the warriors to get a clear shot, but when they did the blue flames grew in size and the cat ran at the group. It set them on fire and ran away before the Khan and vice captains returned to the group. The remaining three priests used purify on the archers before moving on to everyone else who was on fire, so the Archers were able to shoot at the fleeing fire cat. However their arrows were way off the mark, their wooden bows had taken extensive damage from being on fire as did a lot of their equipment. The guild being one that focused on power and money had no members with the repair skill. Whenever they needed better equipment they just bought it. <br><br>"Incompetent Fools! fifty of you against one beast and it got away from you!" Khan wasn't pleased by the situation. He lost three priests, four warriors, and the ranged firepower of his whole guild. He took a deep breathe. It wasn't any real loss. The priests were regrettable but the entire group wasn't the equivalent of one of their vice captains. One of the archers asked Khan, "Should we return to the city and repair our bows?" To Khan, the people there other than the vice captains were there for one reason, to weaken enemies so that the vice captains could finish them off. "Negative, you would need an escort to prevent that beast from killing you, and to prevent it from burning your bows after they were repaired." It was a wiser idea to make a few of the Vice captains escort them, but they were not as loyal as the guild thought. They paid for power leveling, and according to their contract, they had priority to newly discovered dungeons. Because of this Khan could not tell any of them to leave the dungeon and escort the archers back to the city. <br><br>"We all go in as is." The large group quickly found the crevice in the rock and one by one slip inside the dungeon. <br><br>---------------------<br><br><br>Sarah and Crane had been fighting the monsters of the dungeon. The dungeon seemed to have been formed by ground water seeping through the ground and eroding the loose soil between the tightly packed rocks. The monsters of the caves were a variety of humanoid amphibians. The frog breed were wide, green, fat brutes that shot their sticky tongues out which latch on and pulled forward. They always were with the salamander breed, blue, skinny, long limbed creature with fins on both sides of their face where the ears should be and long sharp claws on their skinny webbed fingers. They worked in unison, the frogs drew you close and the Salamanders fought in close combat.<br><br>Thanks to the help of the golem, they had found two of the necklaces. They needed three more. <br><br>A small mound appeared on the wall and started shaking. Sarah could hear its voice, it said a large group had just entered the dungeon. Sarah turned to Crane and said, "Well, your prey is here." Crane smiled. Crane had told her since the beginning he would only kill the monsters she was unable to. For small parties the experience per kill was divided based on how much damage each member dealt, but if one of the Users was a much higher level than another, the higher level user would receive most of the experience after dealing any damage. Due to this, Crane would not attack any monster Sarah was fighting, only the ones she could not handle alone. She knew however that Crane was not simply being generous, Crane was waiting for bigger game. She saw the light in his eyes when she said the guild had level 200+ players. Crane said, "First things first, we finish mapping out the dungeon. They won't be going anywhere till they've done the same." Sarah smiled, this little kid was patient, but that just made him more dangerous. <br><br>------------------<br><br>Khan ordered his guild to four groups, each with at least one Vice captain, to split up and explore various tunnels of the dungeon. His own group was now fighting the amphibians. Although they appeared to be the same color, frogs green, salamanders blue, each has its own shade, with lighter colors around level 120 and the the darker colors around level 145. They came in small groups and had predictable attack patterns. But most importantly, the experience wasn't bad. Although his vice captains would not gain much experience here, the was a good place to power level to 150. By forming a raiding party instead of a normal one, the person who dealt the last blow would always get half the experience, This was a great place to to train. <br><br>Khan's group had reach another dead end in the cave system. They marked it on a map they were making and moved on, but before that, "Sir! I found something." Khan turned around and went to the end where the man had spoken. There, laid a skeleton with a shining pendant around its neck. Khan remembered that the little elf's quest required her to find five of these necklaces. Khan ripped it off the skeleton, parting the skull and the spine. The pendant was a small shield, with a tiny gem in the center. Khan put it around his neck and under his tunic. As long as he lived, that pendant would never see the light of day. <br><br>-Khan, I've spotted the elf and kid, I'm pursuing now. <br><br>The whisper had come from Doken, a vice captain whose level was 218, the second strongest in level behind himself. The vice captain and his group of ten men were on the path to kill the those two. Khan regretted a bit that he would not be able to rip that pair's throats out himself for denying him the double experience but he took solace in the fact that most of his vice captains were almost as ruthless as he was. <br><br>Three hours of exploring later he received another whisper, but from Elroy, a different vice captain.<br><br>-Khan, The elf and kid are down here in the lower east section. Me and Yorden and going to take them out. <br><br>He wasn't sure if he should be agitated or relieved. If the kid got away from Doken's group that meant both that the man was incompetent and that the kid may prove to be worth fighting after all. He brought up the screen to send a whisper to Doken.<br><br>-Did you lose the kid? Is he any good?<br><br>...Nothing, no response. He tried again.<br><br>-Answer me dammit! Are you there!<br><br>There were several reasons a person could not send a whisper. There were places where whispers could not be sent or received, jail for example. But he had been receiving and sending whispers since he arrived. That meant that either he was being ignored, or the receiver was not online. <br><br>Khan didn't think that someone could defeat his highest level vice captain, but that didn't mean it was impossible. Because he was the strongest vice captain, his went without another vice captain and was the only one of the four groups that did not have one of the three remaining priests. He decided it was better to be safe than sorry, there was one vice captain with him so he sent the same whisper to the remaining four vice captains inside the dungeon.<br><br>-Doken is not returning any messages, he may have been defeated. Protect your priests.<br><br>Borne, one of the two vice captains in the last group sent a whisper.<br><br>-Doken? No way. The monsters in this cave are too weak to defeat us. <br><br>-There are more than just monsters in this cave.<br><br>-The elf and kid?! You say they defeated Doken?! That's impossible.<br><br>-Elroy and Yorden's group are chasing the pair now. Meet up with them if you want. <br><br>Another few moments later.<br><br>-Khan... Elroy isn't returning any whispers back to me, neither is Yorden. <br><br>-...... You and Xander get over to the entrance immediately. We will wait for the last two vice captains to get here. Send a whisper every 15 minutes until you get here.<br><br>Khan confirmed that Elroy and Yorden were indeed not replying. This was unprecedented, the busboy and elf couldn't be stronger than they were, the kid was working at a restaurant! The power leveling he used required at least twenty members to assist in weakening monsters during hunting for a period of four months. This guy could not be as strong as his vice captains, if he were there would be no reason to run away. No, he must have used some kind of trick, lead them into an ambush. If Khan were to do it, he would aggravate a large group of monsters and lead them to his target. The safest countermeasure for such a tactic was to regroup and wait patiently. He was not a patient man, but he was not stupid either.<br><br>--------------------<br><br>"I guess he's not stupid." said Crane. Sarah had just told Crane that her golem said all the Lion Guild's member were heading towards each other, regrouping. She was amazed at how easily he had killed the guild members. From how he explained it, their power leveling raised their level without increasing their skill proficiency. He said it didn't feel like the warriors even had intermediate level swordmastery. They were like painted ornaments, strong appearance, fragile bodies. Crane had even used the terrain to his advantage. He lead the parties through areas with a lot of water falling down to get them drenched, then froze them solid with a black ice spell. The only one who wasn't affected was the high level vice captain. Crane dealt with him with unbelievably skilled swordsmanship. In the three minutes it took to kill him Crane had only received a single blow. When the man fell, so did his armor and sword. It seemed that double drop rate did extend to killed users, and according to Crane, so did the double experience. Crane then cleanly killed each of the frozen group members, one strike a piece. The next group seemed to be only marginally more difficult for him. It had two high level users, so Crane made sure they were completely soaked before sending what seemed to be an even more powerful freezing spell. The two still weren't frozen, but they were slowed enough for Crane to take them both on single handedly, without taking a single hit. After killing the remaining members, he took the drops for himself. Sarah didn't ask for him to share, no matter how rare or expensive the items were. She hunted monsters, and picked up her drops, he hunted Lions, and picked their drops.<br><br>The pair had finished mapping most of the dungeon save a few areas and had collected three necklaces. Crane said if the Lions didn't have the last two, they would find them after killing the rest. Thanks to her golem they knew the general area of every group in the dungeon so they could not run into them without wanting to, which allowed her to be able to hunt monsters on her own without worrying. Her multicast skill was intermediate, which allowed her to call up to four summons at the same time. While her golem kept an eye on the dungeon, her bird of paradise, icicle serpent, and fire fox fought the amphibians while she cast nature magic. She had summoned her water lizard, but had to recall it when she learned of the monster's almost immunity to water attacks and replaced it with icicle serpent, whose attacks worked just fine. Crane didn't help her in her fights, but she didn't need him, although multicast only allowed her to call weaker summons in groups and she couldn't summon more that one of each type, she had fought with her little pals long enough to work like a well oiled engine, a whole, greater than the sum of its parts. And just because he didn't help during the battle, that didn't mean he didn't help. After the battle he would give her tonics and food that had a rejuvenating effect. She fought with buffs gained from light snacks the whole time, and it was comforting to know that he was watching her back.<br><br>The pair made their way to the bottom of the dungeon. It was a large cavern, hundred of feet across with a large underground lake. The lake reflected the blue glowing moss on the ceiling, a common sight in most underground dungeons. At the other end of the lake was a pile of shining treasure. "This seems to be the place of the final battle." Crane said, Sarah hesitated, "This is the boss room right?" Crane nodded, "Yea, that lake is probably where all the water collects after being filtered through the rocks. I suspect it is filled with the eggs of these monsters, as well as the home of whoever is guarding the eggs." Sarah tensed up for a minute before he said, "Don't worry, he won't pop out until we take a step into the water, that treasure is the bait. It is probably the loot of every kill these guys have made." Sarah nodded, "So what do we do?" Crane said, "Well, there are two options, you kill the boss on your own, I can keep the fight just between you two but I won't help you fight him. Or we let the Lion's guild come down here, let them kill the boss, and take them out afterwards when they are weaken." Sarah thought about it for a minute. "Can you still take out the guild without using the boss?" "Of course, that way I'll get 200% of the experience for killing all of them instead of sharing with the boss." Sarah nodded. "I'll take him on." Crane smiled at her answer and walked over to the shore. She made some preparations, walked up to the water, and smashed her foot in, announcing her presence before backing away. The still surface of the water became violent. Sarah saw a large shark like fin speeding its way around the lake, after winding a bit it back and forth, seeming to increase its speed, it headed for the shore. Crane said, "Fight it away from the shore." She was sure there was a reason, but she didn't have time to ask. Crane stepped away from her as the fin approached the shore and a nine foot tall monster jumped out of the water with the name, Darkwell, hovering above its head. It was heavily muscular, possessing the head of a frog and long limbs with razor sharp claws. The best of both monsters as it were. Before it landed, Sarah begun her attack. The icicle serpent sprayed a frosty breath at the floor while the bird of paradise swooped in and knocked the creature's feet. It landed unbalanced and ungracefully slipped on the icy floor the serpent just made. Sarah and her fire fox simultaneously shot fireballs at Darkwell. The practice combo allowed them to merge their attacks into one just before it impacted the monster. The pair cast another round of fireballs but Darkwell had dug his claws into soil for traction and pushed himself out of the way and off the ice. It looked up at the bird of paradise and shot its tongue at it, catching and pulling the rainbow color summon into its mouth before crushing it with its rows of teeth. Sarah glanced at Crane to see what he was doing, but he was just staring at the water. Sarah ordered icicle serpent and firefox to attack and give the golem a chance to make a surprise attack. The snake fired icicles from its mouth while the fox shot fireballs. Darkwell jumped forward and from side to side dodging the magic attacks. It choose to take out fire fox first and jumped to it in a zigzag pattern. When it got close it swiped it arm and four streaks of water projected forward from the monster’s fingertips. The water claw destroyed the fire fox as Darkwell turned to attack the serpent. The icicle snake changed its tactics from shooting icicles to blowing ice breathe. The longer the still wet amphibian was in the ice spray, the slower it got. It stopped outside the breathes range and waited. Nothing could keep attacking forever, but that was the opportunity the golem had been waiting for. The rock beneath it sunk as the rock around the feet shot up to engulfed it. Darkwell jumped at the last second but its foot was caught and dragged by the rock into the ground. Darkwell yelled and smashed the rock that trapped its foot, breaking it to pieces. The golem reassembled and fought the creature. Darkwell opened its mouth and shot a powerful water jet at the golem, sending it backwards into the lake behind it. Darkwell jumped in.<br><br>A rock golem could only be destroyed beyond reformation through the use of its summoners mana if smashed to pieces out of contact with the earth. Sarah recalled her icicle serpent and waited for the rock golem to be destroyed. The two most effective types against it were fire and ice, fire did more damage but ice had greater effect. She thought about what Crane would do and started her summon ritual. "I call upon the ancient being to fulfill our contract and come at my call, Summon Black Wolf!" She had just felt the golem vanish and had already buried several summoning components around the area. From the area she had buried the special component, cinders of black fire, came a black magic circle. black snow shot out from the edges of the circle, and a howl echoed through the cavern. A giant black wolf, jumped out of the magic circle, its size the same as Keagan's. Black snow fell from the wolf's black fur. As the wolf got closer to the edge of the water, the surface began to freeze over. Darkwell jumped out of the water just as the splash he made froze solid. While in the air it shot a water jet at the wolf who jumped out of the way and roared with an icy wind at the monster, before it landed, slowing down. However instead of heading to the monster, the black wolf approached Crane. For the first time since her fight began Crane turned away from the water and looked at the ice wolf. It bared its teeth at him before Sarah yelled, "Not Him! The big guy!" Crane turned back to staring at the water as if nothing had happened and the wolf turned back to the creature. But after yelling out, Sarah became Darkwell's target. He leaped forward to her and closed the distance in two leaps and shot his tongue at her. It latched on and pulled her off the ground into the creature's oversized mouth. Before she was eaten the black wolf ran up and bit the its tongue, ripping it off. Sarah landed on the ground near the Black wolf and saw that the end of the tongue was covered in ice. The wolf jumped at the monster and their battle truly began. They circled and jumped around each other, biting, slashing, and kicking one another. Although it was an ice wolf, it still had to avoid the water shots and water claws. Water that accumulated on its fur instantly became ice, and though it did no damage, it lowered its speed until it broke off. The same could be said for the amphibian, when it got close to the wolf's fur or got hit with the icy breathe it suffered from freezing, and was slowed until it waited to be thawed. Sarah watched the battle and wanted to help out, but she knew she couldn't. Crane had not said anything to her about it but she finally realized that the monsters within the cave were blind. They reacted to movement and sounds but without that they didn't notice you. Crane had not moved from staring at the water with the one exception and Darkwell never even looked at him. Although she couldn't attack she could still assist. She silently caste buffs and healing spells when needed, though the summon healing spells cost her both mana and health.<br><br>The battle appeared to be going in the black wolf's favor but that was only thanks to Sarah's constant buffs and heals. Summons had a notoriously low health pool and she didn't have anymore of the cold cinders of black fire to summon him again. She was already at one quarter health but the creature seemed to be still going strong. She only had one option, she had to give the black wolf time to charge its most powerful attack. Sarah drank the last mana potion Crane had given her and yelled, "Vine Snare!" Green roots shot from the ground and wrapped around Darkwell. It turned to face Sarah and leaped to her, breaking the vines easily. "Vine Snare! Fireball! Vine Snare!" Roots shot from the ground and entangled the creatures feet but it was still able to break through and dodge the incoming fireballs. Sarah cast a few more spells before the monster got close enough to send a water claw out. It was too close to dodge completely but she jumped to the side just as the the projected slash tore through her legs. <br><br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td>Your legs have been crippled, you are unable to walk until treated.</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br>She had only 18 health points left and she was completely out of mana. Darkwell rushed to deliver the final blow, but stopped when it heard a howl behind it. the black wolf had been charging its attack, black snow circled around like a small tornado. The giant frog didn't move. It sensed the danger from the attack and decided the only safe spot was where it stood. In front of Sarah. She looked at the creature's back and smiled, it was over. The black blizzard that circled the wolf shot out at the creature. It ran away but the black blizzard actually chased it. The shore was guarded by the wolf so it ran back to the crippled summoner in the hopes the spell would be stopped. It wasn't, the blizzard passed through her and Darkwell. Darkwell was frozen solid. Not encased in ice but completely permeated by it. Sarah was unharmed. A side effect of her contract was that the black snow had no effect on her. Crane finally stopped looking at the water and walked back to Sarah. The black wolf did not take its eyes off him. <br><br>Crane threw a potion to her and said, "Let me bandage those legs, the potion will take care of the rest."<br><br>A few minutes later she was back to full health and could walk. She then started bashing the iced boss with her staff. It took a few minutes of bashing and more than once she asked Crane to repair it because it was weaker than the ice. Eventually a crack appeared and with a few more hits the iced boss snapped in two. <br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td>You have gained a Level!<br>You have gained a Level!</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br>Sarah sat down and looked around. "Well, that was easy." Crane smiled and said, "You have no idea. Imagine how it would've been if the fight had been joined by two hundred monsters."<br><br>"What do you mean? Come to think of it, you did say you would make sure it was just me versus it. What did you do?"<br><br>Still smiling, he said, "I stared them down using Battle aura. As long as their boss was still fighting, they would continue to pop out and come to its aid, I just made them think twice. When the boss stopped fighting, they no longer felt the need to come up here so I could stop."<br><br>"Ah, well, what was that between you and my black wolf?"<br><br>"That wolf has good instincts, it knew who the most dangerous person in the room was. But I think I should be the one asking that question. That wolf is far too powerful for someone of your level to summon. Isa!"<br><br>The same black wave that froze the Lion's guild members came out of his hand and passed over Sarah, but nothing happened. "I thought so."<br><br>Sarah looked mildly embarrassed, she couldn't tell him what she had done to get that power, but he continued, "That black wolf is a familiar of Fenrir right?" Sarah looked up in shock, how could he know that? Could he have some connection to Fenrir as well? She had recognized the black wave as Ice from Niflheimr, the home of Fenrir, but she had said nothing. Crane said, "If you are immune to Niflheimr's ice and you can summon that black wolf, you must have made a contract with Fenrir." <br><br>Fenrir was a the father of all wolves, a massive black wolf. Fenrir's most troublesome aspect was his capabilities for growth, he became too strong too fast, he could hunt dragons like rabbits and even challenged the power of the gods. It was foretold that one day he would grow powerful enough to kill Odin himself, and cause Ragnarök. Due to this he was bound in chains deep in the ice of Niflheim, during the binding he managed to bite off the right hand of the god, Týr.<br><br>Ragnarök was not something people look forward to so any affiliation with Fenrir was generally frowned upon. If people learned that Sarah was a contractor of Fenrir she would chastised, at the very least, the Church of Týr would place a bounty on her head.<br><br>Crane asked, "So what's the contract?"<br><br>She realized there was no point in further hiding so she said, "He gets 5% of my experience for the duration of the contract, for every three levels I gain I get more of the component needed to summon the black wolf. I also gained a spell that lets me subjugate spirits, but I don't use it."<br><br>Crane showed no ill intent, only curiosity. He said, "What's the binding spell?"<br><br>"Why? I said I don't want to use it."<br><br>"I'm guessing it is based off a property of my ice spell, my class can learn spells based off the spells I know."<br><br>"So you can learn it? Alright, you can give it a shot, ask him to teach it to you." She pointed at the black wolf and Crane walked up to him. She didn't follow him, she wanted to go swim to the other side of the lake and check out the pile of treasure but Crane did tell her that there was two hundred monsters in the lake and she didn't think it wise to go swimming in the monster amphibian infested waters. Crane and the wolf seemed to be chatting. She then saw Crane raise his hand over the the water and shoot a chain made of black ice. It shattered before hitting the surface of the water and Crane went back to Sarah. "That went well."<br><br>Sarah nodded, "At least someone will get some use out of that spell. And now that my final battle is over, is it time for yours?"<br><br>"Not yet, those guys are probably waiting at the entrance for more reinforcements. While we wait you wanna kill the monsters in the lake? I won't kill them for you but I can keep the numbers down with my battle aura."<br><br>"Thanks, lets do this."<br><br>------------- </div>

Volume 2 Chapter 2 The Most Dangerous Game Sarah, the elvish summoner, came to the capital city of the kingdom of Itsoeu for one reason, to head east. She got wind of a rumor that the first user to discover and enter a city gains mountains of fame. Fame determined the level of quests one could easily get, so the more fame one had, the faster one could get strong. Sarah started an account with her sisters and they were competing with one another to see who could become the strongest. Sarah had obtained an impressive level of 130, but was still behind her sisters. Itsoeu Kingdom was the easternmost kingdom of the center on the continent, centered between an extensive mountain range that extended north and south, the city was a gateway to the unexplored east. It was know that the north was too cold to explore, the south too dangerous, and the west had many people ahead of her, so she decided on taking the east. However when she arrived at the capital city, she discovered why the east remained unexplored. Itsoeu's neighboring kingdom to the east, Palmer, had its borders shut. According to what she had learned, it had a no outsiders law to prevent criminals from ever entering. Itsoeu kingdom had a treaty with Palmer that required Itsoeu to prevent any person without Palmer citizenship from entering the kingdom. Her only option was to go around the Kingdom of Palmer, but that would take a minimum of four months. She didn't know what to do but she had to do something, so she got a job. Sarah found a job at the local Sorcerer's shop. Being a summoner she knew the uses of most of the items, and being a beautiful elf, she attracted customers back to the shop. Shortly after coming to the city, she found a quaint restaurant that served delicious food at a good price. It quickly became her favorite restaurant. Everyday after work, she would walk down a narrow street, giving a coin to the old man who sat there, and make her way to the somewhat hidden dinner. One day after work, she saw a group of warriors beating up the old man. "Hey! Quit it!" The group dispersed and she went to check on the old man. The man said, "thank you young one," before looking up and recognizing that it was the elf who always gave him a silver coin when she passed him by. "Ahh, its you. I'm sorry to do this but I don't have much time left. I must ask you to do something for my friends." She asked, "Your friends?" He answered, "They died long ago, but their souls do not rest in peace. I sense you have power of the spirits within you, will you listen to my tale?" She could sense what this was leading up to, and quickly and calmly answered, "Yes, of course." He began his story, "Long ago I was an adventurer. My friends and I explored together, fought together, and partied together." He looked like he was enjoying his reminiscing, but then his face turned to despair. "During a great battle, we were injured and took refuge inside a crevice in the shadow of a rock, twenty five miles southeast of here, just north of the forest. There we found a cave, and decided to wait there until the battle was over. But it was a case of out of the frying pan and into the fire. The cave had many tunnel and was home to many monsters. We were caught off guard and ran for our lives. I made it back to the surface but my friends, my wife among them never did. I know they died down there. But their spirits are not free, they remain trapped. Here, take this." The old man took off a necklace with a small sword pendant on it. "Each of the five other members of my party had a necklace like this, please find them and take them out of that dark place and into the sun. I know once you do, my friend will rest in peace." | Free the spiritsIn the depths of a monster filled cave are the five necklaces of the old veteran's fallen comrades. Collect them all and take them to the outside and the sun.Difficulty level: CQuest Requirements:Familiarity with the old veteranClass associated with spirits | | --- | Sarah took the old man's hands and said, "You have my word, it will be done." | You have accepted the quest | | --- | The veteran showed a smile of relief and collapsed onto the ground. Sarah checked to make sure, but he was dead. She didn't know if it was old age, the damage from the men who beat him up or if he was just hanging on until he could give the quest. She placed his blanket over him and continued down the street. She had made plans to leave the city for the dungeon, but first she needed to eat. She thought that seeing a NPC die would turn her appetite, but she had grown so accustomed to eating after getting off work and her stomach wouldn't let her skip it. She entered the restaurant and ordered the beef stew. The burly barbarian at the counter yelled to the kid in the back to make it, and Sarah paid the man. She sat down at her usual table and waited, but through the door, came the group who she had chased off the old man. The spotted her and walked up to her table. She eyed them carefully and asked, "What do you want?" They look at eachother and smile before saying, "Relax doll, we don't want trouble, and I'm sure you don't either. It's just that we heard what that geezer told you about that dungeon. We feel really bad about what we did, and want to help you complete the quest." Sarah was not naive enough to believe him. Sure he would complete the quest, that part was true, but he didn't feel bad about hurting the old man, he just wanted the experience that went along with completing a quest in that dungeon. She said, "Sorry, not interested in your help." The guys looked at eachother again and smiled before looking back at her. "Now now pretty missy, this isn't an offer you can refuse. I'm a member of the Lion Guild and we already heard the location of the dungeon. Once we report it to our guild master, the whole guild will make their way there. If you refuse our help, we'll make sure you never complete your quest." Sarah recognized the name of the guild, it was a powerful local guild of Users, and in the city it held more power than most politicians. Any guild would kill to the exclusive rights to a dungeon, and since these guys already heard its location, there was nothing she could do to stop them. If the guild found one of the necklaces before she did, she would never be able to complete the quest. Any User could only have a maximum of three quests at a time, the only way to quit was to ask the quest giver, but the old man was dead. At that moment, she heard a noise behind the group. "Excuse me, your beef stew is ready." It was the kid in the back who made the food, with a tray that had a bowl of steaming stew. The guy who had been talking to her said, "Hey kid, can't you see the adults are talking?" He knocked over the tray, spilling the soup over the floor. The kid looked up and said, "Are you going to pay for that?" The entire group burst out laughing, and after a moment the guy said, "Of course not, hahaha." The kid calmly said, "Then please leave, this is a place for paying customers only." This renewed the rounds of laughter and the guys said, "Well why don't you make me kid! Ahh ha haha!" The kid then punched the man cleanly in the stomach, causing him to keel over. The guy next to him took out his sword and swung it down at the kid's head. Sarah almost looked away but she saw the kid's arm move up to block the blade. She expected it to slice through the sleeve of the chef uniform and the kid's wrist, but upon contact a loud ringing sound was heard, and the sword bounced off the cut made in the uniform's sleeve, revealing the blue steel gauntlets beneath it. The kid then bent down and sweep kicked the the swordsman. The other guys had already begun to draw their weapons, but the kid had already move to one, gave him an uppercut to the jaw, and spun around and smashed his other elbow into the jaw of another fighter. There were only two left and the first two were getting off the ground. They figured out they would be taken if they took the time to draw their weapons so they both tried punching the kid. He sidestepped one and caught the fist of the other, pulling him forward while twisting his own shoulder back, rotating the caught fist uncomfortably. He then back kicked the guy while ducking the punch from the one he dodged with a side step. Before the guy could retract his fist it was grabbed, and the kid pulled it over his own shoulder while kneeing the guy in the gut, just below the rib cage. The first two the kid took down got up, with a fierce gaze in their eyes. The kid had taken down each member in a matter of seven seconds. Before the two could do anything, the head of the restaurant had come over. After watching his busboy take down the group, he spoke up, "What is going on here?" The kid turned to his boss and said, "These men had business with the young lady, but they are finished and were just leaving." The first guy said, "We aren't going anywhere!" He was practically frothing at the mouth with anger. The head chef asked, "Are you going to buy something then?" The guy responded, "We're not going to buy anything at this piece of sh-" The chef's sword left its scabbard without anyone seeing anything, and rested at the throat of the man who had been speaking. In an even voice, the man said, "This restaurant is for paying customers only. Leave. Now." It was obvious that the man was an absurdly high level. It was far too dangerous to mess with him, so the group obediently left the restaurant. Sarah could not believe what she had just seen. The head chef seemed to be a barbarian, so his skill was not that surprising, but a kid who appeared at least ten years younger than her had just taken out a group of grown men. She knew that in the game, the age doesn't really matter, what mattered was skill, experience, and level. However it was still a fact that this kid possessed all that, and was probably stronger than she was. She asked the kid, "Who are you?" She had almost asked, 'what are you.' The busboy looked up at the elf and said, "The name's Crane. Can I get you another bowl of stew?" On impulse she said, "Actually, my name is Sarah, and I wanted to ask for your help. Those guys wanted to take part in my quest, but I refused them. If they get to the dungeon first, they'll take the double experience and prevent me from ever completing the quest." Crane seemed to ponder the lady's dilemma. She panicked that he would refuse and said, "I'll throw in a bonus, I work at the sorcery shop, I'll give you a discount on whatever you want there." On this the kid's eyes lit up. "Ok, I'm in. My shift ends in thirty minutes, wait here and I'll come with you to the dungeon." She panicked again, "But if we don't leave now they will beat us to the dungeon!" He asked, "how far is it?" "Twenty five miles,” she answered. He told her, "relax then, we'll make it there before those guys do." She relaxed a little. If the kid said they would make it he must have a plan. A few minutes later Crane brought out another bowl of stew, Sarah blushed a little bit that she had completely forgotten that she had ordered food. She enjoyed it and thanked Crane for the food. When the time came, Crane, wearing a blue overcoat and blue feather hat, came out to her table. They left the restaurant and headed for the gate. Along the way, Sarah felt the strangest feeling she had felt since first logging into Royal Road. Overwhelming, intense fear. It was like she was surrounded by an inescapable, shadow that brought death itself. She had never known such intense fear before, it was the kind that could drive someone crazy, but it lasted only for an instant. She collapsed at the shock, and noticed a few screams around her and several people fainting. Whatever had happened to her seemed to have happened to a wide area. Crane turned around and helped her back up. He said, "Oh, sorry about that, you wanted to rush so I couldn't wait to leave the city before calling my partner." She took his hand to help her get up and asked, "Partner? Wait, that was you?" He showed uneasy face and said, "Yeah, my partner is outside the city and has the ability to detect fighting spirit. Strengthening my own for a moment is a signal between us. He will be waiting outside the gate." "But that was so intense! How did you do that?!" She could barely believe that what she had just experienced had come from this kid. "It's a learned skill called battle aura that lets you control your fighting spirit to have different effects, it can't actually harm anyone. Hmm, come to think of it I don't actually know how it affects others very well, I usually use it to scare away monsters and communicate long distance with my partner. My partner isn't really affected by it but I never asked the monsters who ran away how they felt." "Well, that felt like I was being suffocated by death. Harm or not, if you sprang that unexpectedly on someone for a long time, it could drive them mad. Be careful ok?" Crane nodded thoughtfully, "I see, I'll be more careful in areas crowded with bystanders." She realized he had just said he would only use it in such a manner in areas without innocent bystanders, this did not make her feel better. He continued, "It only has such a strong effect on those without fighting spirit, you're a magic user aren't you?" She realized that although she had told him her name, she had not introduced herself, "Yes, I am a Summoner, and are you a fighter, or monk?" She had seen his hand to hand combat skills and although he had not actually used a skill, she was confident in her assessment. "Neither, I'm a spellsword." Spellsword was the common term for classes that used both magic and sword skills together, though most were weaker than either a wizard or warrior of the same level. She asked, "But you used such excellent hand to hand combat skills." "Did you know that you can go to a monk's guild and pay for lessons in hand to hand combat? I couldn't learn skill other than fist mastery of course but I been training with them for a while now. Since coming to the city in fact I have split my time between working at the restaurant and training at the monk's guild. I've been at the level where I can spar freely with them for the past week." Although Sarah understood everything he said, it still didn't make sense. Why would someone who uses a sword and spells learn hand to hand combat skills when they could be advancing the skills they already know. It was common sense that a man who mastered one thing was stronger than a man who learned a hundred. Was this kid someone who played for fun, and didn't care if he became weak? But he wasn't weak when he showed his skill in the restaurant, and from what he said, those skills were learned recently. What kind of monster was this kid? Now she seemed to accept the reality she felt from the fear from earlier. This kid was not one you wanted to be your enemy. They reached the gates and Crane lead her just pass a group of tree, beyond the guard's sight. Laying there, was a giant sabertooth tiger, with beautiful blue flames coming from its body. As a summoner she had seen many strange beasts, some of them conjured through her own spells, so the sight was not all that alarming. She saw it stare at her, but there was no hostility in its eyes. Crane said, "This is my partner, Keagan. Keagan, this is the summoner, Sarah." Sarah bowed a bit and Keagan nodded his head. Crane turned to Sarah and said, "Time to get to business, it is your quest so it is your party." She nodded and said, "Would you like to join my party?" "Yes." | You have created a party | | --- | | Crane has joined your party | Crane continued, "So, where to?" "25 miles southeast, near a rock at the line of trees that leads to the forest." Keagan spoke up in a low husky voice, "I know of the place you speak, a group of fifty headed in that direction not long ago." Crane said, "We gotta beat them there, you up for it?" Keagan grinned, prominently showing his teeth, and his two large fangs as well. The fire on his back died down and he knelt low. Crane hopped on the tiger's back and motioned for Sarah to do likewise. Crane bent over low and Sarah did the same, putting her arms around Crane's waist just before Keagan started in a run. After ten minutes of running, Crane pointed to their left. Sarah saw the group Keagan spoke of, it was definitely the Lion guild. Some of them noticed that a flaming sabertooth tiger with two people riding on it were running past them. Sarah thought it was better to go around and not be seen by the group, but if they were seen it was likely because Crane had wanted them to be seen. Another forty minutes later and they arrived at the rock in front of the forest. The pair got off and Keagan asked, "Should I eat them?" Sarah answered for him, "No! That guild is known for having many Users over level 200!" Average players were around level 50, with the true gamers averaging around level 130. For a player to get to 200 so fast meant they must've been people who practically lived in the game. Crane said, "I've heard of those guys. Keagan, you can do what you want but if you die, I won't be able to summon you until we leave the dungeon." Sarah didn't understand what he meant, was the firecat a summons? If it was a summoned spirit she would have felt it but she did not. Keagan said, "I understand," and left for the forest. Sarah looked at Crane who could tell what she was thinking. Crane took off a necklace he was wearing. "This is a storage gem. I formed a contract with Keagan, and stored his lifeforce within it, making him immortal. If he dies, he will return to the necklace, and after a while, I'll be able to call him out again." As a Summoner, that sounded too good to be true to her. "There has to be a catch." Crane thought about it and said, "Well, until Keagan can come back to life at my call without the necklace, 20% of all my experience goes to him as long as he is out. None of his goes to me." 20% less experience while hunting was no small sum, but it still seemed like cheating to her. "Where can I get one of those storage gems?" "Don't know, I found this one at a tourist shop, the owner didn't know it's true value either." So no help there. She dropped the subject and looked around the rock. At one side of it was a crack that looked shallow, but upon closer inspection it was deep, and was in fact the entrance. They both slipped through the crevice into a wider passage that lead down a dark rocky path. | Dungeon: You are the first players to discover The Sunken River CavesReward 100 FameDouble experience, 2x item drop rate.The first monster killed will drop a good quality item. | | --- | "Whew, we really are the first ones to make it." Crane said, "Looks that way. Hey, if the first thing we'll kill in this dungeon is User, you think he'll drop his best items?" Now Sarah understood why they passed the guild instead of going around. The little blue monster wanted to eat them. "Well, the message says the first monster killed, I don't think Users qualify." Crane nodded. "Alright then, keep up your guard, we're gonna explore this place a bit before they get here." "Wait a moment, I can help with that." She took out the level three summoning component Fairy's Hair, and buried in under some loose soil. She rose her staff and said, "I call upon the spirit of the earth, Summon Golem!" A magic circle appeared over the spot she buried the fairy hair and from it arose a six foot tall, with shoulders three feet broad rock man. Sarah said, "Please help us explore these tunnels and search for five dead adventurers." The golem nodded and sank back into the earth. From the earth several small dirt mounds split apart and disappeared in different directions. Crane said, "I didn't know golems could do that." "Most can't, they just walk around and attack or defend, but that one was a higher quality summon." "I could tell, fairy hair costs 78 gold." "With my discount as an employee I only pay 56 gold for it." Crane nodded and the pair hurried down into the dungeon before the Lion guild arrived at the entrance. ------------- Khan was a powerful user and founder of the Lion guild. He named his character after his favorite historical figure, Genghis Khan. Behind that name, he would build up an army and become the emperor of Versailles continent. With this goal in mind he fought constantly in Royal Road, he spent most of the past few months inside his capsule. In large scale battles he always used a method of leveling up, inspired by lions. An adult lion would cripple an animal and let its children finish it off, only he did it the opposite way. All his subordinates would go hunting powerful creatures, and he would always deal the final blow. This combined with the fact that he practically live in Royal Road made him one of the highest level characters in the game. He allowed only those most loyal to him to use the same method using his subordinates. Although anyone else in this power leveling scheme would suffer and get little experience during these hunts, they were too weak to complain. Besides, although they did not have strength, they had loyalty. The leader's power was their power, and the number of Users who joined Khan's group increased. Khan eventually founded a guild named after the method used to power level players. Every once in awhile Khan would choose another loyal member to receive power leveling, and each time he did, the group as a whole became more loyal, in the hopes that next time it would be them who would be chosen to become powerful. They were idiots. The people Khan choose 'based on loyalty' were in fact rich users who paid Khan gold and real money to receive the power leveling program. Due to this Khan was able to make a living off Royal Road and his lion system. Through their money, both on and off Royal Road, Khan was able to increase the power of the Lions guild to be one of the strongest in Itsoeu Kingdom. Representatives of the Lion's guild went to various towns, forts, and villages offering protection in exchange for loyalty. With the reputation of the guild being so high many accepted, and now the Lion guild had direct control over those settlement's taxes and where it went. On this note Khan did not mimic his idol. Genghis Khan would often set a lower, fairer tax rate when he took over a city. The User, Khan, was greedy, and would squeeze every copper he could out of every village, and because only a handful of the guild’s Users were high level, the protection the settlement's received was shoddy. The only time a powerful User from the guild came by was to quell any thoughts of disloyalty to the Lion guild. However even after all this, they were only the 2nd most powerful guild in the Kingdom of Itsoeu. Their rivals, the Copper Hearts guild, had possession of dozens of dungeons that only their members could use. It was a simple plan Khan hadn't thought of, find a great dungeon, station multiple guards at the front, and allow only guild members to enter. Due to these private dungeons, the guild members were able to become powerful without a power leveling program. Khan's guild found many dungeons, but their quality was poor. They found dungeons with powerful monsters, but every hunting party that was sent in was wiped out. The only dungeons that they could hunt had low level monsters that gave little experience. He needed to find dungeons with good monsters that gave great experience. If he ever wanted to surpass the Copper Hearts guild, he needed to find more dungeons. A man entered his room, "Sir, we've learned the location of an undiscovered dungeon!" Khan rose from his seat, "Tell me everything." After hearing the whole story, Khan ordered every one of his strongest members to follow him. He even sent whispers to other members who had been on guard in other towns to meet him at the dungeon, though they would take at least a day to get there. Khan didn't know what kind of person this busboy was, but he would not underestimate him. Khan's class was Shadow monk, when he reached level 200 he choose to advance to a class that specialized in pressure point strikes. No matter how strong the boy was, any man who gets his pressure points hit will lose all their strength and speed. Forty minutes after setting out, the men spotted a giant beast running by them. One of the men who were beaten by the busboy was a hunter, with his enhanced vision he saw that on the beast rode the elf and the busboy. When Khan heard this he was furious. Although the dungeon's capture would pay off in the long term, he would still lose the Fame and double experience if those two got to the dungeon first. Khan quietly seethed, "Those two will pay for this." It was almost sundown by the time they reached the rock. When Khan laid his eyes on the forest behind the rock a shiver went down his spine. "HOLD!" The guild stopped in its tracks. Khan knew this feeling, it was the same when as the feeling of being hunted by a powerful beast, something he had experience many times on his power leveling hunts. Every member of the guild drew their weapons in response. The priests readied their spells and hid behind the warriors. "There!" One of the men at his side pointed out a dull flame, shimmering behind the trees. It was that fire cat the pair had ridden. If it was here, that confirmed the two were already in the dungeon. "Vice Captains, with me, everyone else, protect the priests." With him were six Users who, like him, were over level 200, and two more would join him by the end of the day. Although the average Copper Hearts member was much stronger than an average Lion guild member, Khan's loyal unit of vice captains was a force that no one dared to touch. It was known that there were once three great guilds of the Kingdom of Itsoeu. When the Lion guild had obtained five members who were above level 200, the group systematically annihilated every branch of the 3rd guild. Now his guild had a total of ten level 200+ Users, one was on the other side of the kingdom so was of no use, two were on their way, and seven were about to kill whatever was behind those trees. The archers behind the seven men readied their bows and kept both eyes on the flame. The warriors did not let it out of their sight, and the priests stayed in the back, furthest away from the fire cat. Khan smiled, a flaming monster trying to hide as the sun was going down was too funny. When he saw it before, he noticed that it looked a lot like a tiger. Somewhere in his mind, he remembered that he once heard that tigers hunt by circling their opponents, and jumping from behind. A cold sensation surrounded his body at this realization and he turned around and yelled, "From behind!" The firecat leaped at the priests in the back, it bit off the man's head and had jumped for another before the group realized what was happening. The warriors turned around and attacked the firecat, but it was covered in flames and the moment they got close enough to strike it they caught on fire. Screaming burning men ran away from the monster while archers shot arrows at it. The firecat was large but agile, as soon as it was fired upon it moved behind warriors and engaged in fighting them. The archers separated from the warriors to get a clear shot, but when they did the blue flames grew in size and the cat ran at the group. It set them on fire and ran away before the Khan and vice captains returned to the group. The remaining three priests used purify on the archers before moving on to everyone else who was on fire, so the Archers were able to shoot at the fleeing fire cat. However their arrows were way off the mark, their wooden bows had taken extensive damage from being on fire as did a lot of their equipment. The guild being one that focused on power and money had no members with the repair skill. Whenever they needed better equipment they just bought it. "Incompetent Fools! fifty of you against one beast and it got away from you!" Khan wasn't pleased by the situation. He lost three priests, four warriors, and the ranged firepower of his whole guild. He took a deep breathe. It wasn't any real loss. The priests were regrettable but the entire group wasn't the equivalent of one of their vice captains. One of the archers asked Khan, "Should we return to the city and repair our bows?" To Khan, the people there other than the vice captains were there for one reason, to weaken enemies so that the vice captains could finish them off. "Negative, you would need an escort to prevent that beast from killing you, and to prevent it from burning your bows after they were repaired." It was a wiser idea to make a few of the Vice captains escort them, but they were not as loyal as the guild thought. They paid for power leveling, and according to their contract, they had priority to newly discovered dungeons. Because of this Khan could not tell any of them to leave the dungeon and escort the archers back to the city. "We all go in as is." The large group quickly found the crevice in the rock and one by one slip inside the dungeon. --------------------- Sarah and Crane had been fighting the monsters of the dungeon. The dungeon seemed to have been formed by ground water seeping through the ground and eroding the loose soil between the tightly packed rocks. The monsters of the caves were a variety of humanoid amphibians. The frog breed were wide, green, fat brutes that shot their sticky tongues out which latch on and pulled forward. They always were with the salamander breed, blue, skinny, long limbed creature with fins on both sides of their face where the ears should be and long sharp claws on their skinny webbed fingers. They worked in unison, the frogs drew you close and the Salamanders fought in close combat. Thanks to the help of the golem, they had found two of the necklaces. They needed three more. A small mound appeared on the wall and started shaking. Sarah could hear its voice, it said a large group had just entered the dungeon. Sarah turned to Crane and said, "Well, your prey is here." Crane smiled. Crane had told her since the beginning he would only kill the monsters she was unable to. For small parties the experience per kill was divided based on how much damage each member dealt, but if one of the Users was a much higher level than another, the higher level user would receive most of the experience after dealing any damage. Due to this, Crane would not attack any monster Sarah was fighting, only the ones she could not handle alone. She knew however that Crane was not simply being generous, Crane was waiting for bigger game. She saw the light in his eyes when she said the guild had level 200+ players. Crane said, "First things first, we finish mapping out the dungeon. They won't be going anywhere till they've done the same." Sarah smiled, this little kid was patient, but that just made him more dangerous. ------------------ Khan ordered his guild to four groups, each with at least one Vice captain, to split up and explore various tunnels of the dungeon. His own group was now fighting the amphibians. Although they appeared to be the same color, frogs green, salamanders blue, each has its own shade, with lighter colors around level 120 and the the darker colors around level 145. They came in small groups and had predictable attack patterns. But most importantly, the experience wasn't bad. Although his vice captains would not gain much experience here, the was a good place to power level to 150. By forming a raiding party instead of a normal one, the person who dealt the last blow would always get half the experience, This was a great place to to train. Khan's group had reach another dead end in the cave system. They marked it on a map they were making and moved on, but before that, "Sir! I found something." Khan turned around and went to the end where the man had spoken. There, laid a skeleton with a shining pendant around its neck. Khan remembered that the little elf's quest required her to find five of these necklaces. Khan ripped it off the skeleton, parting the skull and the spine. The pendant was a small shield, with a tiny gem in the center. Khan put it around his neck and under his tunic. As long as he lived, that pendant would never see the light of day. -Khan, I've spotted the elf and kid, I'm pursuing now. The whisper had come from Doken, a vice captain whose level was 218, the second strongest in level behind himself. The vice captain and his group of ten men were on the path to kill the those two. Khan regretted a bit that he would not be able to rip that pair's throats out himself for denying him the double experience but he took solace in the fact that most of his vice captains were almost as ruthless as he was. Three hours of exploring later he received another whisper, but from Elroy, a different vice captain. -Khan, The elf and kid are down here in the lower east section. Me and Yorden and going to take them out. He wasn't sure if he should be agitated or relieved. If the kid got away from Doken's group that meant both that the man was incompetent and that the kid may prove to be worth fighting after all. He brought up the screen to send a whisper to Doken. -Did you lose the kid? Is he any good? ...Nothing, no response. He tried again. -Answer me dammit! Are you there! There were several reasons a person could not send a whisper. There were places where whispers could not be sent or received, jail for example. But he had been receiving and sending whispers since he arrived. That meant that either he was being ignored, or the receiver was not online. Khan didn't think that someone could defeat his highest level vice captain, but that didn't mean it was impossible. Because he was the strongest vice captain, his went without another vice captain and was the only one of the four groups that did not have one of the three remaining priests. He decided it was better to be safe than sorry, there was one vice captain with him so he sent the same whisper to the remaining four vice captains inside the dungeon. -Doken is not returning any messages, he may have been defeated. Protect your priests. Borne, one of the two vice captains in the last group sent a whisper. -Doken? No way. The monsters in this cave are too weak to defeat us. -There are more than just monsters in this cave. -The elf and kid?! You say they defeated Doken?! That's impossible. -Elroy and Yorden's group are chasing the pair now. Meet up with them if you want. Another few moments later. -Khan... Elroy isn't returning any whispers back to me, neither is Yorden. -...... You and Xander get over to the entrance immediately. We will wait for the last two vice captains to get here. Send a whisper every 15 minutes until you get here. Khan confirmed that Elroy and Yorden were indeed not replying. This was unprecedented, the busboy and elf couldn't be stronger than they were, the kid was working at a restaurant! The power leveling he used required at least twenty members to assist in weakening monsters during hunting for a period of four months. This guy could not be as strong as his vice captains, if he were there would be no reason to run away. No, he must have used some kind of trick, lead them into an ambush. If Khan were to do it, he would aggravate a large group of monsters and lead them to his target. The safest countermeasure for such a tactic was to regroup and wait patiently. He was not a patient man, but he was not stupid either. -------------------- "I guess he's not stupid." said Crane. Sarah had just told Crane that her golem said all the Lion Guild's member were heading towards each other, regrouping. She was amazed at how easily he had killed the guild members. From how he explained it, their power leveling raised their level without increasing their skill proficiency. He said it didn't feel like the warriors even had intermediate level swordmastery. They were like painted ornaments, strong appearance, fragile bodies. Crane had even used the terrain to his advantage. He lead the parties through areas with a lot of water falling down to get them drenched, then froze them solid with a black ice spell. The only one who wasn't affected was the high level vice captain. Crane dealt with him with unbelievably skilled swordsmanship. In the three minutes it took to kill him Crane had only received a single blow. When the man fell, so did his armor and sword. It seemed that double drop rate did extend to killed users, and according to Crane, so did the double experience. Crane then cleanly killed each of the frozen group members, one strike a piece. The next group seemed to be only marginally more difficult for him. It had two high level users, so Crane made sure they were completely soaked before sending what seemed to be an even more powerful freezing spell. The two still weren't frozen, but they were slowed enough for Crane to take them both on single handedly, without taking a single hit. After killing the remaining members, he took the drops for himself. Sarah didn't ask for him to share, no matter how rare or expensive the items were. She hunted monsters, and picked up her drops, he hunted Lions, and picked their drops. The pair had finished mapping most of the dungeon save a few areas and had collected three necklaces. Crane said if the Lions didn't have the last two, they would find them after killing the rest. Thanks to her golem they knew the general area of every group in the dungeon so they could not run into them without wanting to, which allowed her to be able to hunt monsters on her own without worrying. Her multicast skill was intermediate, which allowed her to call up to four summons at the same time. While her golem kept an eye on the dungeon, her bird of paradise, icicle serpent, and fire fox fought the amphibians while she cast nature magic. She had summoned her water lizard, but had to recall it when she learned of the monster's almost immunity to water attacks and replaced it with icicle serpent, whose attacks worked just fine. Crane didn't help her in her fights, but she didn't need him, although multicast only allowed her to call weaker summons in groups and she couldn't summon more that one of each type, she had fought with her little pals long enough to work like a well oiled engine, a whole, greater than the sum of its parts. And just because he didn't help during the battle, that didn't mean he didn't help. After the battle he would give her tonics and food that had a rejuvenating effect. She fought with buffs gained from light snacks the whole time, and it was comforting to know that he was watching her back. The pair made their way to the bottom of the dungeon. It was a large cavern, hundred of feet across with a large underground lake. The lake reflected the blue glowing moss on the ceiling, a common sight in most underground dungeons. At the other end of the lake was a pile of shining treasure. "This seems to be the place of the final battle." Crane said, Sarah hesitated, "This is the boss room right?" Crane nodded, "Yea, that lake is probably where all the water collects after being filtered through the rocks. I suspect it is filled with the eggs of these monsters, as well as the home of whoever is guarding the eggs." Sarah tensed up for a minute before he said, "Don't worry, he won't pop out until we take a step into the water, that treasure is the bait. It is probably the loot of every kill these guys have made." Sarah nodded, "So what do we do?" Crane said, "Well, there are two options, you kill the boss on your own, I can keep the fight just between you two but I won't help you fight him. Or we let the Lion's guild come down here, let them kill the boss, and take them out afterwards when they are weaken." Sarah thought about it for a minute. "Can you still take out the guild without using the boss?" "Of course, that way I'll get 200% of the experience for killing all of them instead of sharing with the boss." Sarah nodded. "I'll take him on." Crane smiled at her answer and walked over to the shore. She made some preparations, walked up to the water, and smashed her foot in, announcing her presence before backing away. The still surface of the water became violent. Sarah saw a large shark like fin speeding its way around the lake, after winding a bit it back and forth, seeming to increase its speed, it headed for the shore. Crane said, "Fight it away from the shore." She was sure there was a reason, but she didn't have time to ask. Crane stepped away from her as the fin approached the shore and a nine foot tall monster jumped out of the water with the name, Darkwell, hovering above its head. It was heavily muscular, possessing the head of a frog and long limbs with razor sharp claws. The best of both monsters as it were. Before it landed, Sarah begun her attack. The icicle serpent sprayed a frosty breath at the floor while the bird of paradise swooped in and knocked the creature's feet. It landed unbalanced and ungracefully slipped on the icy floor the serpent just made. Sarah and her fire fox simultaneously shot fireballs at Darkwell. The practice combo allowed them to merge their attacks into one just before it impacted the monster. The pair cast another round of fireballs but Darkwell had dug his claws into soil for traction and pushed himself out of the way and off the ice. It looked up at the bird of paradise and shot its tongue at it, catching and pulling the rainbow color summon into its mouth before crushing it with its rows of teeth. Sarah glanced at Crane to see what he was doing, but he was just staring at the water. Sarah ordered icicle serpent and firefox to attack and give the golem a chance to make a surprise attack. The snake fired icicles from its mouth while the fox shot fireballs. Darkwell jumped forward and from side to side dodging the magic attacks. It choose to take out fire fox first and jumped to it in a zigzag pattern. When it got close it swiped it arm and four streaks of water projected forward from the monster’s fingertips. The water claw destroyed the fire fox as Darkwell turned to attack the serpent. The icicle snake changed its tactics from shooting icicles to blowing ice breathe. The longer the still wet amphibian was in the ice spray, the slower it got. It stopped outside the breathes range and waited. Nothing could keep attacking forever, but that was the opportunity the golem had been waiting for. The rock beneath it sunk as the rock around the feet shot up to engulfed it. Darkwell jumped at the last second but its foot was caught and dragged by the rock into the ground. Darkwell yelled and smashed the rock that trapped its foot, breaking it to pieces. The golem reassembled and fought the creature. Darkwell opened its mouth and shot a powerful water jet at the golem, sending it backwards into the lake behind it. Darkwell jumped in. A rock golem could only be destroyed beyond reformation through the use of its summoners mana if smashed to pieces out of contact with the earth. Sarah recalled her icicle serpent and waited for the rock golem to be destroyed. The two most effective types against it were fire and ice, fire did more damage but ice had greater effect. She thought about what Crane would do and started her summon ritual. "I call upon the ancient being to fulfill our contract and come at my call, Summon Black Wolf!" She had just felt the golem vanish and had already buried several summoning components around the area. From the area she had buried the special component, cinders of black fire, came a black magic circle. black snow shot out from the edges of the circle, and a howl echoed through the cavern. A giant black wolf, jumped out of the magic circle, its size the same as Keagan's. Black snow fell from the wolf's black fur. As the wolf got closer to the edge of the water, the surface began to freeze over. Darkwell jumped out of the water just as the splash he made froze solid. While in the air it shot a water jet at the wolf who jumped out of the way and roared with an icy wind at the monster, before it landed, slowing down. However instead of heading to the monster, the black wolf approached Crane. For the first time since her fight began Crane turned away from the water and looked at the ice wolf. It bared its teeth at him before Sarah yelled, "Not Him! The big guy!" Crane turned back to staring at the water as if nothing had happened and the wolf turned back to the creature. But after yelling out, Sarah became Darkwell's target. He leaped forward to her and closed the distance in two leaps and shot his tongue at her. It latched on and pulled her off the ground into the creature's oversized mouth. Before she was eaten the black wolf ran up and bit the its tongue, ripping it off. Sarah landed on the ground near the Black wolf and saw that the end of the tongue was covered in ice. The wolf jumped at the monster and their battle truly began. They circled and jumped around each other, biting, slashing, and kicking one another. Although it was an ice wolf, it still had to avoid the water shots and water claws. Water that accumulated on its fur instantly became ice, and though it did no damage, it lowered its speed until it broke off. The same could be said for the amphibian, when it got close to the wolf's fur or got hit with the icy breathe it suffered from freezing, and was slowed until it waited to be thawed. Sarah watched the battle and wanted to help out, but she knew she couldn't. Crane had not said anything to her about it but she finally realized that the monsters within the cave were blind. They reacted to movement and sounds but without that they didn't notice you. Crane had not moved from staring at the water with the one exception and Darkwell never even looked at him. Although she couldn't attack she could still assist. She silently caste buffs and healing spells when needed, though the summon healing spells cost her both mana and health. The battle appeared to be going in the black wolf's favor but that was only thanks to Sarah's constant buffs and heals. Summons had a notoriously low health pool and she didn't have anymore of the cold cinders of black fire to summon him again. She was already at one quarter health but the creature seemed to be still going strong. She only had one option, she had to give the black wolf time to charge its most powerful attack. Sarah drank the last mana potion Crane had given her and yelled, "Vine Snare!" Green roots shot from the ground and wrapped around Darkwell. It turned to face Sarah and leaped to her, breaking the vines easily. "Vine Snare! Fireball! Vine Snare!" Roots shot from the ground and entangled the creatures feet but it was still able to break through and dodge the incoming fireballs. Sarah cast a few more spells before the monster got close enough to send a water claw out. It was too close to dodge completely but she jumped to the side just as the the projected slash tore through her legs. | Your legs have been crippled, you are unable to walk until treated. | | --- | She had only 18 health points left and she was completely out of mana. Darkwell rushed to deliver the final blow, but stopped when it heard a howl behind it. the black wolf had been charging its attack, black snow circled around like a small tornado. The giant frog didn't move. It sensed the danger from the attack and decided the only safe spot was where it stood. In front of Sarah. She looked at the creature's back and smiled, it was over. The black blizzard that circled the wolf shot out at the creature. It ran away but the black blizzard actually chased it. The shore was guarded by the wolf so it ran back to the crippled summoner in the hopes the spell would be stopped. It wasn't, the blizzard passed through her and Darkwell. Darkwell was frozen solid. Not encased in ice but completely permeated by it. Sarah was unharmed. A side effect of her contract was that the black snow had no effect on her. Crane finally stopped looking at the water and walked back to Sarah. The black wolf did not take its eyes off him. Crane threw a potion to her and said, "Let me bandage those legs, the potion will take care of the rest." A few minutes later she was back to full health and could walk. She then started bashing the iced boss with her staff. It took a few minutes of bashing and more than once she asked Crane to repair it because it was weaker than the ice. Eventually a crack appeared and with a few more hits the iced boss snapped in two. | You have gained a Level!You have gained a Level! | | --- | Sarah sat down and looked around. "Well, that was easy." Crane smiled and said, "You have no idea. Imagine how it would've been if the fight had been joined by two hundred monsters." "What do you mean? Come to think of it, you did say you would make sure it was just me versus it. What did you do?" Still smiling, he said, "I stared them down using Battle aura. As long as their boss was still fighting, they would continue to pop out and come to its aid, I just made them think twice. When the boss stopped fighting, they no longer felt the need to come up here so I could stop." "Ah, well, what was that between you and my black wolf?" "That wolf has good instincts, it knew who the most dangerous person in the room was. But I think I should be the one asking that question. That wolf is far too powerful for someone of your level to summon. Isa!" The same black wave that froze the Lion's guild members came out of his hand and passed over Sarah, but nothing happened. "I thought so." Sarah looked mildly embarrassed, she couldn't tell him what she had done to get that power, but he continued, "That black wolf is a familiar of Fenrir right?" Sarah looked up in shock, how could he know that? Could he have some connection to Fenrir as well? She had recognized the black wave as Ice from Niflheimr, the home of Fenrir, but she had said nothing. Crane said, "If you are immune to Niflheimr's ice and you can summon that black wolf, you must have made a contract with Fenrir." Fenrir was a the father of all wolves, a massive black wolf. Fenrir's most troublesome aspect was his capabilities for growth, he became too strong too fast, he could hunt dragons like rabbits and even challenged the power of the gods. It was foretold that one day he would grow powerful enough to kill Odin himself, and cause Ragnarök. Due to this he was bound in chains deep in the ice of Niflheim, during the binding he managed to bite off the right hand of the god, Týr. Ragnarök was not something people look forward to so any affiliation with Fenrir was generally frowned upon. If people learned that Sarah was a contractor of Fenrir she would chastised, at the very least, the Church of Týr would place a bounty on her head. Crane asked, "So what's the contract?" She realized there was no point in further hiding so she said, "He gets 5% of my experience for the duration of the contract, for every three levels I gain I get more of the component needed to summon the black wolf. I also gained a spell that lets me subjugate spirits, but I don't use it." Crane showed no ill intent, only curiosity. He said, "What's the binding spell?" "Why? I said I don't want to use it." "I'm guessing it is based off a property of my ice spell, my class can learn spells based off the spells I know." "So you can learn it? Alright, you can give it a shot, ask him to teach it to you." She pointed at the black wolf and Crane walked up to him. She didn't follow him, she wanted to go swim to the other side of the lake and check out the pile of treasure but Crane did tell her that there was two hundred monsters in the lake and she didn't think it wise to go swimming in the monster amphibian infested waters. Crane and the wolf seemed to be chatting. She then saw Crane raise his hand over the the water and shoot a chain made of black ice. It shattered before hitting the surface of the water and Crane went back to Sarah. "That went well." Sarah nodded, "At least someone will get some use out of that spell. And now that my final battle is over, is it time for yours?" "Not yet, those guys are probably waiting at the entrance for more reinforcements. While we wait you wanna kill the monsters in the lake? I won't kill them for you but I can keep the numbers down with my battle aura." "Thanks, lets do this." -------------

<div class="chapter-inner chapter-content"> This is also a bit slapdash and in works. Chapter 1 will be from the POV of Theodora. I'm currently working on editing my style to be less wordy but strangely have more dialogue. Chapter 1 should hopefully be ready by next week. Knock on wood. I may at a later date pull a Lost Sun (Revamped) on you guys and completely revise the whole story when my writing skills improve or if I want to redirect the storyline. There's a learning curve here since I'm starting from scratch. <br><br>Prologue 2: Neither Child nor Prodigy<br><br> Theodora was 10 years old when she received her first doctorate. To the outside world that would appear to be the act of a child prodigy, but to quote a statement she made for Noble prize she received on her doctoral thesis. "This was not an accomplishment of genius, but the product of over twenty years of hard work, determination, and than more a little bit of obsession." Wait, how can a ten year old spend twenty plus years working on a doctoral thesis? It's a long story...<br><br> Her parents being a product of their times and environment had done the usual things of their upbringing. Went to college, fell in love, graduated, struggled with getting jobs, dealing with student loans, mortgage, growing up and marrying. They, having had planned parenthood instilled as a virtue waited until they were stable financially with a home and white picket fence and a dog on the porch until they decide to have a baby. Actually that's a lie. They had a nice condo and a cat and a little too much vino on their ten year anniversary trip to Italy. Also it's hard to look up "Where can I buy a condom?" in the Italian/English dictionary when your hammered drunk. So you can say Theodora was a oops surprise baby. Jill was a hard core corporate career woman and upon finding out she was in the family way, pretty much told Jack he was taking paternity leave on his job cause she had work she could not miss. Jack, having survived ten years of marriage replied the only way he could. "Yes dear."<br><br> It was during the third trimester when the second surprise was made known. Their unborn baby girl had diagnosed with an incurable chronic illness and would not even survive childbirth save serious medical intervention. Jill, being shark in the boardroom was still all mother and broke down in tears. Only to pull herself together and go on the offensive. Firing question after question, calling in experts and doing her own research. <br>"Incurable my ass, they said the same thing about polio, smallpox, bubonic plague and on and on. In this day and age even cancer is curable. We just need to hold on until medicine advances to find the cure." <br>So, thanks to Jill's grim determination a plan when devised to keep her baby girl alive. First, a Caesarean section because normal child birth would be too traumatizing to the baby's fragile state, then a specially made incubator to keep her alive. Unfortunately she would remain in that incubator until the cure was found.<br><br> Her parents named her Theodora, which means God's gift, but she always thought of herself as a burden to her family. Which is why when she entered college she decided to find a way to become independent. Easy to say but hard for a five year old girl in box to do. It was not really a box, it was a sophisticated piece of high tech that combined full life support with the latest virtually reality hardware. Why you ask, because Theodora was ill, very ill. To the point where without the box keeping her alive she would die within hours. The VR was hooked up to her life support to give the healthy mind trapped within her immobile body something to so it stayed healthy/sane. When she was a child her "world" was a VR nursery room with a AI nanny for the times her parents could not be with her. A byproduct of VR that directly interfaces with your brain is that everything happens at the speed of thought. For every hour in the real world four hours are spent in the virtual world. This affect on Theodora went mostly unnoticed at first because babies spend a good 16 hours a day sleeping and she was only in her VR nursery eight hours or less. As time went on it became more obvious. Her parents worried but came to the conclusion that as long as Theo was happy and healthy they would not try to suppress her mental development. <br> Time went by, both in the real world and inside Theo's box. Theo's world expanded through software patches to a house and a backyard to play in. She was given a pretty normal homeschool education of the times, a combination of AI tutors and online real teachers. Only since her time went at four times the speed on the outside world she speed through school at rate that made her seem a child prodigy. That really was not the case. She did not have to eat or brush her teeth, bath, or go to the toilet. Theo had a very limited world with not much to do, a lot of time on her hands, might as well study. When she turned five her parents deemed her old enough to surf the internet, and even with parental controls it expanded her little VR world to the whole real world outside. It was then she realized how she differed with other children, and with a mental maturity of someone four times her age she took it well and formed a plan.<br><br> First was education. Her parents while not wealthy were well off. Though her special medical needs were very expensive at first she was now stable and amounted to retaliative inexpensive daily maintenance. Most families would have been crippled by the medical debts, but Mama was a hard worker. Better yet she was a smart one. Thanks to her the families finacial credit was still good. True to being her mother's daughter, Theo worked the system for all it's worth getting scholarships, grants, and loans so paying tuition was no problem. There were also whole universities that were completely online but older more prestigious ones still had real classrooms. She enrolled in college in the off season online of several different schools. She transferred summer credits and tested out of classes skipping all freshmen requirements come fall of her first year. Since she qualified as disabled was able to get schools to make exceptions in attending classes physically and made use of 3D video chats. Students in classes volunteered to carry her lap top to her classes and set it up on a desk facing the professor so she could attend class. In this manner Theo continued her rapid education and quadrupled majored eventually getting a Doctorate in Computer Science.<br><br> Theo's doctoral thesis was a VR research laboratory. It combined health informatics, computational science, artificial intelligence, with Theo's mad software engineering skills to make. Since it was not slowed down to the speed of human thought, but rather Theo's custom made AI it as capable of working 25 times the speed of the real world. The first task she set it. <br><br>"Find a cure to my disease."<br><br>It took less then a year. Along the way, her VR lab made ground breaking medical discoveries and new techniques. New treatments that saved many people who would have been untreatable before. The patents of which paid back all her student loans as well as her family's medical debts with millions left over. When the program finally announce it had found the cure, it was a bit anticlimactic given all the marvels it had already produced. So at eleven years old, after months of treatment and physical therapy Theodora took her first step outside of her box. It was a wobbling weak baby step but a promise of a full recovery and a new life to come. </div>

This is also a bit slapdash and in works. Chapter 1 will be from the POV of Theodora. I'm currently working on editing my style to be less wordy but strangely have more dialogue. Chapter 1 should hopefully be ready by next week. Knock on wood. I may at a later date pull a Lost Sun (Revamped) on you guys and completely revise the whole story when my writing skills improve or if I want to redirect the storyline. There's a learning curve here since I'm starting from scratch. Prologue 2: Neither Child nor Prodigy Theodora was 10 years old when she received her first doctorate. To the outside world that would appear to be the act of a child prodigy, but to quote a statement she made for Noble prize she received on her doctoral thesis. "This was not an accomplishment of genius, but the product of over twenty years of hard work, determination, and than more a little bit of obsession." Wait, how can a ten year old spend twenty plus years working on a doctoral thesis? It's a long story... Her parents being a product of their times and environment had done the usual things of their upbringing. Went to college, fell in love, graduated, struggled with getting jobs, dealing with student loans, mortgage, growing up and marrying. They, having had planned parenthood instilled as a virtue waited until they were stable financially with a home and white picket fence and a dog on the porch until they decide to have a baby. Actually that's a lie. They had a nice condo and a cat and a little too much vino on their ten year anniversary trip to Italy. Also it's hard to look up "Where can I buy a condom?" in the Italian/English dictionary when your hammered drunk. So you can say Theodora was a oops surprise baby. Jill was a hard core corporate career woman and upon finding out she was in the family way, pretty much told Jack he was taking paternity leave on his job cause she had work she could not miss. Jack, having survived ten years of marriage replied the only way he could. "Yes dear." It was during the third trimester when the second surprise was made known. Their unborn baby girl had diagnosed with an incurable chronic illness and would not even survive childbirth save serious medical intervention. Jill, being shark in the boardroom was still all mother and broke down in tears. Only to pull herself together and go on the offensive. Firing question after question, calling in experts and doing her own research. "Incurable my ass, they said the same thing about polio, smallpox, bubonic plague and on and on. In this day and age even cancer is curable. We just need to hold on until medicine advances to find the cure." So, thanks to Jill's grim determination a plan when devised to keep her baby girl alive. First, a Caesarean section because normal child birth would be too traumatizing to the baby's fragile state, then a specially made incubator to keep her alive. Unfortunately she would remain in that incubator until the cure was found. Her parents named her Theodora, which means God's gift, but she always thought of herself as a burden to her family. Which is why when she entered college she decided to find a way to become independent. Easy to say but hard for a five year old girl in box to do. It was not really a box, it was a sophisticated piece of high tech that combined full life support with the latest virtually reality hardware. Why you ask, because Theodora was ill, very ill. To the point where without the box keeping her alive she would die within hours. The VR was hooked up to her life support to give the healthy mind trapped within her immobile body something to so it stayed healthy/sane. When she was a child her "world" was a VR nursery room with a AI nanny for the times her parents could not be with her. A byproduct of VR that directly interfaces with your brain is that everything happens at the speed of thought. For every hour in the real world four hours are spent in the virtual world. This affect on Theodora went mostly unnoticed at first because babies spend a good 16 hours a day sleeping and she was only in her VR nursery eight hours or less. As time went on it became more obvious. Her parents worried but came to the conclusion that as long as Theo was happy and healthy they would not try to suppress her mental development. Time went by, both in the real world and inside Theo's box. Theo's world expanded through software patches to a house and a backyard to play in. She was given a pretty normal homeschool education of the times, a combination of AI tutors and online real teachers. Only since her time went at four times the speed on the outside world she speed through school at rate that made her seem a child prodigy. That really was not the case. She did not have to eat or brush her teeth, bath, or go to the toilet. Theo had a very limited world with not much to do, a lot of time on her hands, might as well study. When she turned five her parents deemed her old enough to surf the internet, and even with parental controls it expanded her little VR world to the whole real world outside. It was then she realized how she differed with other children, and with a mental maturity of someone four times her age she took it well and formed a plan. First was education. Her parents while not wealthy were well off. Though her special medical needs were very expensive at first she was now stable and amounted to retaliative inexpensive daily maintenance. Most families would have been crippled by the medical debts, but Mama was a hard worker. Better yet she was a smart one. Thanks to her the families finacial credit was still good. True to being her mother's daughter, Theo worked the system for all it's worth getting scholarships, grants, and loans so paying tuition was no problem. There were also whole universities that were completely online but older more prestigious ones still had real classrooms. She enrolled in college in the off season online of several different schools. She transferred summer credits and tested out of classes skipping all freshmen requirements come fall of her first year. Since she qualified as disabled was able to get schools to make exceptions in attending classes physically and made use of 3D video chats. Students in classes volunteered to carry her lap top to her classes and set it up on a desk facing the professor so she could attend class. In this manner Theo continued her rapid education and quadrupled majored eventually getting a Doctorate in Computer Science. Theo's doctoral thesis was a VR research laboratory. It combined health informatics, computational science, artificial intelligence, with Theo's mad software engineering skills to make. Since it was not slowed down to the speed of human thought, but rather Theo's custom made AI it as capable of working 25 times the speed of the real world. The first task she set it. "Find a cure to my disease." It took less then a year. Along the way, her VR lab made ground breaking medical discoveries and new techniques. New treatments that saved many people who would have been untreatable before. The patents of which paid back all her student loans as well as her family's medical debts with millions left over. When the program finally announce it had found the cure, it was a bit anticlimactic given all the marvels it had already produced. So at eleven years old, after months of treatment and physical therapy Theodora took her first step outside of her box. It was a wobbling weak baby step but a promise of a full recovery and a new life to come.

<div class="chapter-inner chapter-content"> This topic will show the most recent stats, skills and equipment of Perseus. It will also be updated after every chapter.<br><br><span style="font-weight: bold;">Stats</span><br>Avatar: Perseus<br>Race: Human<br>Level: 18<br>Class: Twilight Guardian<br>Title: The Bane of Wolves<br>Fame: 200<br>Life: 1800<br>Mana: 600<br>Strength: 87 (+20)<br>Agility: 85 (+20)<br>Vitality: 95<br>Endurance: 93<br>Sustenance: 90<br>Wisdom: 30<br>Intelligence: 35<br>luck: 10<br>Leadership: 0 <br>Killing Spirit: 134<br>Health Regeneration: 3 h/s (Formula is total health divided by 10 minutes. Then divided by 60 secs.)<br>Mana regeneration: 0.66 m/s (Formula is total mana divided by 15 minutes. Then divided by 60 secs.) <br>Offence: 22<br>Defense: 32<br>Resistance to magic:<br>Fire: 10%<br>Water: 0%<br>Earth: 0%<br>Black: 0%<br>Unassigned stats: 90<br><br>•+20 str and agi<br>•Armor worn weighs 25% less than original weight<br>•Monsters with Unlawful or Chaotic alignment will attack you on sight without the ability to disengage combat<br>•Disengaging combat before your opponent has fallen causes a permanent decrease to stats<br>•Skills can be used when mana has reached zero at the cost of 500% stamina.<br>•All healing received by outside sources has +25% effect strength<br>•When fighting monsters or characters with Unlawful or Chaotic Alignment, all stats increase by 30%.<br>•Killing non-monsters with Lawful or Good alignment causes a permanent decrease to stats<br>•Under certain conditions killing those of unlawful or Chaotic alignment causes you to gain permanent increases to stats<br><br><span style="font-weight: bold;">Skills</span><br><br>Repair: Intermediate 2(11%)<br>You can repair items to their maximum durability.<br><br>Polishing: Intermediate 4 (27%)<br>Increase defence by 16%<br>Chance to dodge by 2%<br><br>Sharpening: Intermediate 3 (46%)<br>Increase attack power by 13%<br><br>Identify: Intermediate 3 (22%)<br>You are Able to identify items of higher tiers and level.<br><br>Killing Spirit Control: Intermediate 1 (0%)<br>You can control your Killing Spirit much more easily and efficiently.<br>Additional Ability-You can now change the physical shape of your Killing Spirit to an extent. Because of additional ability all sub abilities now have an increased mana cost. <br><br>Sub Techniques:<br>Iron Lungs - Increases lung capacity by 100%, Stamina increases by 100%, stamina decreases 50% slower - Mana cost 20m/s<br><br>Sturdy Bones - Your bones have more support and you can take recoil with less damage, recoil decreases by 50% - Mana cost 20m/s<br><br>Muscle Empowerment - Your muscles have been strengthened by your Killing Spirit, strength increase by 100%, speed increase by 100% - Mana cost 20m/s<br><br>Steel Skin - Your body has been coated with Killing Spirit, Defense increase by 100% - Mana cost 20m/s<br><br>Spirit Weapon – Your Weapon is coated in Killing Spirit, Attack Power increase by 100%, Attack Speed increase by 100% - Mana cost 20m/s <br><br>Killing Spirit Burst – You release all your Killing Spirit in a condensed burst – mana cost – your entire mana supply if not enough mana is left the rest will be deducted from your life instead. Current level: attack power is multiplied by 7 in a single strike.<br><br>Riding: Beginner 7 (85%)Riding skill improves your ability to balance and speed to an extent when riding a horse.<br>Improve balance by 70%<br>Improved riding speed by 35%<br><br>Weapon Mastery: Beginner 9 (76%)<br>Atk power increase by 90%<br>Atk speed increase by 45%<br><br>Blacksmithing: Beginner 7 (78%)<br>You can create better equipment.<br><br>Ambidextrous: Beginner 6 (68%)<br>You are skilled at using both hands. <br>Increases the speed, attack and accuracy of your off hand. Increases all of the above by 70%<br><br>Dual Wield: Beginner 6 (68%)<br>Allows you to use two weapons at the same time. Increases speed of attacks by 55%<br>Increase attack power by 30%<br><br><span style="font-weight: bold;">Class Skills:</span><br><br>Battle Healing: Beginner 1 (0%)<br>Increase health regeneration while in combat with beings of darkness.<br>+300% Health Regen during combat with Unlawful or chaotic aligned monsters or characters<br><br>Battle Rage: Beginner 3 (56%)<br>The longer a fight takes the stronger you become.<br>After 2 mins and 54 secs of combat, STR and AGI increase by 1 every 10 seconds<br><br>Righteous Fury: Beginner 1 (0%)<br>When you or any party member receive a blow that reduces your health by 30% or more, you become enraged for 30 seconds<br>+10% STR, VIT, AGI, -10% INT, WIS, CHA. +25% ATT<br><br>Familiar Taming: Beginner 1 (0%)<br>Any creature you bond with can become your familiar and fight by your side.<br>-20% EXP after bonding with a familiar who receives the EXP. Familiar can be summoned 24 hours after its death. Max number of familiars-2. Familiars receive a +10% bonus to their stats.<br><br>Roar of Might: Beginner 2 (63%)<br>You release a roar declaring your strength. <br>Increase all offensive abilities by 15% for 10 seconds, Mana Cost 300.<br><br><br><span style="font-weight: bold;">Equipment</span><br><br>Dual Hard Iron Claymore<br>Durability: 55/55<br>Damage: 20-24<br>Created by a Blacksmith with decent skill.<br>Effects:<br>Strength +15<br>Speed decrease by 10%<br>Options:<br>When used with its counterpart effects and damage are increased by 20%.<br><br>Thick LeatherLeather Jerkins<br>Defense: 6<br>A thick leather jerkin that gives good defence.<br><br>Strong Leather Greaves<br>Defence: 7<br>A strong pair of leather Greaves give good defence.<br><br>Hard Iron Chain Mail<br>Defense: 17<br>Created by a blacksmith with decent skill. Provides good defense.<br>Limits:<br>STR +50<br><br>Hard Iron Breastplate<br>Defense: 19<br>Created by a blacksmith with decent skill. Provides good defense.<br>Limits:<br>STR +50<br><br>Hard Iron Gauntlets<br>Defense: 15<br>Created by a blacksmith with decent skill. Provides good defense.<br>Limits:<br>STR +50<br><br>Hard Iron Bracers<br>Defense: 16<br>Created by a blacksmith with decent skill. Provides good defense.<br>Limits:<br>STR +50<br><br>Hard Iron Boots<br>Defense: 17<br>Created by a blacksmith with decent skill. Provides good defense.<br>Limits:<br>STR +50<br><br>Hard Iron Leg Guards <br>Defense:19<br>Created by a blacksmith with decent skill. Provides good defense.<br>Limits:<br>STR +50<br><br>Hard Iron Helm<br>Defense: 18<br>Created by a blacksmith with decent skill. Provides good defense.<br>Limits:<br>STR +50 </div>

This topic will show the most recent stats, skills and equipment of Perseus. It will also be updated after every chapter. Stats Avatar: Perseus Race: Human Level: 18 Class: Twilight Guardian Title: The Bane of Wolves Fame: 200 Life: 1800 Mana: 600 Strength: 87 (+20) Agility: 85 (+20) Vitality: 95 Endurance: 93 Sustenance: 90 Wisdom: 30 Intelligence: 35 luck: 10 Leadership: 0 Killing Spirit: 134 Health Regeneration: 3 h/s (Formula is total health divided by 10 minutes. Then divided by 60 secs.) Mana regeneration: 0.66 m/s (Formula is total mana divided by 15 minutes. Then divided by 60 secs.) Offence: 22 Defense: 32 Resistance to magic: Fire: 10% Water: 0% Earth: 0% Black: 0% Unassigned stats: 90 •+20 str and agi •Armor worn weighs 25% less than original weight •Monsters with Unlawful or Chaotic alignment will attack you on sight without the ability to disengage combat •Disengaging combat before your opponent has fallen causes a permanent decrease to stats •Skills can be used when mana has reached zero at the cost of 500% stamina. •All healing received by outside sources has +25% effect strength •When fighting monsters or characters with Unlawful or Chaotic Alignment, all stats increase by 30%. •Killing non-monsters with Lawful or Good alignment causes a permanent decrease to stats •Under certain conditions killing those of unlawful or Chaotic alignment causes you to gain permanent increases to stats Skills Repair: Intermediate 2(11%) You can repair items to their maximum durability. Polishing: Intermediate 4 (27%) Increase defence by 16% Chance to dodge by 2% Sharpening: Intermediate 3 (46%) Increase attack power by 13% Identify: Intermediate 3 (22%) You are Able to identify items of higher tiers and level. Killing Spirit Control: Intermediate 1 (0%) You can control your Killing Spirit much more easily and efficiently. Additional Ability-You can now change the physical shape of your Killing Spirit to an extent. Because of additional ability all sub abilities now have an increased mana cost. Sub Techniques: Iron Lungs - Increases lung capacity by 100%, Stamina increases by 100%, stamina decreases 50% slower - Mana cost 20m/s Sturdy Bones - Your bones have more support and you can take recoil with less damage, recoil decreases by 50% - Mana cost 20m/s Muscle Empowerment - Your muscles have been strengthened by your Killing Spirit, strength increase by 100%, speed increase by 100% - Mana cost 20m/s Steel Skin - Your body has been coated with Killing Spirit, Defense increase by 100% - Mana cost 20m/s Spirit Weapon – Your Weapon is coated in Killing Spirit, Attack Power increase by 100%, Attack Speed increase by 100% - Mana cost 20m/s Killing Spirit Burst – You release all your Killing Spirit in a condensed burst – mana cost – your entire mana supply if not enough mana is left the rest will be deducted from your life instead. Current level: attack power is multiplied by 7 in a single strike. Riding: Beginner 7 (85%)Riding skill improves your ability to balance and speed to an extent when riding a horse. Improve balance by 70% Improved riding speed by 35% Weapon Mastery: Beginner 9 (76%) Atk power increase by 90% Atk speed increase by 45% Blacksmithing: Beginner 7 (78%) You can create better equipment. Ambidextrous: Beginner 6 (68%) You are skilled at using both hands. Increases the speed, attack and accuracy of your off hand. Increases all of the above by 70% Dual Wield: Beginner 6 (68%) Allows you to use two weapons at the same time. Increases speed of attacks by 55% Increase attack power by 30% Class Skills: Battle Healing: Beginner 1 (0%) Increase health regeneration while in combat with beings of darkness. +300% Health Regen during combat with Unlawful or chaotic aligned monsters or characters Battle Rage: Beginner 3 (56%) The longer a fight takes the stronger you become. After 2 mins and 54 secs of combat, STR and AGI increase by 1 every 10 seconds Righteous Fury: Beginner 1 (0%) When you or any party member receive a blow that reduces your health by 30% or more, you become enraged for 30 seconds +10% STR, VIT, AGI, -10% INT, WIS, CHA. +25% ATT Familiar Taming: Beginner 1 (0%) Any creature you bond with can become your familiar and fight by your side. -20% EXP after bonding with a familiar who receives the EXP. Familiar can be summoned 24 hours after its death. Max number of familiars-2. Familiars receive a +10% bonus to their stats. Roar of Might: Beginner 2 (63%) You release a roar declaring your strength. Increase all offensive abilities by 15% for 10 seconds, Mana Cost 300. Equipment Dual Hard Iron Claymore Durability: 55/55 Damage: 20-24 Created by a Blacksmith with decent skill. Effects: Strength +15 Speed decrease by 10% Options: When used with its counterpart effects and damage are increased by 20%. Thick LeatherLeather Jerkins Defense: 6 A thick leather jerkin that gives good defence. Strong Leather Greaves Defence: 7 A strong pair of leather Greaves give good defence. Hard Iron Chain Mail Defense: 17 Created by a blacksmith with decent skill. Provides good defense. Limits: STR +50 Hard Iron Breastplate Defense: 19 Created by a blacksmith with decent skill. Provides good defense. Limits: STR +50 Hard Iron Gauntlets Defense: 15 Created by a blacksmith with decent skill. Provides good defense. Limits: STR +50 Hard Iron Bracers Defense: 16 Created by a blacksmith with decent skill. Provides good defense. Limits: STR +50 Hard Iron Boots Defense: 17 Created by a blacksmith with decent skill. Provides good defense. Limits: STR +50 Hard Iron Leg Guards Defense:19 Created by a blacksmith with decent skill. Provides good defense. Limits: STR +50 Hard Iron Helm Defense: 18 Created by a blacksmith with decent skill. Provides good defense. Limits: STR +50

<div class="chapter-inner chapter-content"> Just another average morning for our protagonist William, an average teenager and high school student. Yawning loudly as William rises from his bed, scrawls slowly to the bathroom to get this morning started. Finishing his breakfast and sending off his dad, few more weeks of summer vacation left until school starts again. William moves to his room and slips into his capsule. William has been playing Royal Road slightly over a year. He was one of the few members who started the Black Lion guild which is one of the top current guilds.<br><br>As soon as William logs on he feels a headache coming as his eyes gaze over the guild chat another meaningless argument. William sighs and speaks with a low voice : so sick and tired of his already afterward William calls out his Stat windows:<br><br><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto">[/tr][tr][tr][tr][/tr[tr]<table><tbody><tr><td colspan="4">Status Window</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Character Name</td><td width="25%">William</td><td width="25%">Class</td><td width="25%">Paladin</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Health</td><td width="25%">11752</td><td width="25%">Mana</td><td width="25%">2012</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Level</td><td width="25%">223</td><td width="25%">Alignment</td><td width="25%">Lawful</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Strength</td><td width="25%">512+70</td><td width="25%">Agility</td><td width="25%">199+40</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Vitality</td><td width="25%">591+130</td><td width="25%">Wisdom</td><td width="25%">88+20</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Intellect</td><td width="25%">44</td><td width="25%">Fighting Spirit</td><td width="25%">112</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Stamina</td><td width="25%">377</td><td width="25%">Endurance</td><td width="25%">502</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Luck</td><td width="25%">12</td><td width="25%">Offense</td><td width="25%">331</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Defense</td><td width="25%">972</td><td width="25%">Magic Resitance</td><td width="25%">15%</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Faith</td><td width="25%">843</td></tr></tbody></table></div><br><ul><br><li>* Vulnerable to Darkness magic.<br>*Mace skills +3.<br>*Encumbered due to heavy armor, movement speed slowed.<br>*Able to learn and cast simple holy spells.<br>*Resistance to Holy and Fire spells.<br></li></ul><br><br>´Looking over his stats pondering a bit before receiving a whisper from another high ranking in the guild.<br><br>Jessica : Hey Willy, you are up early today get to the guild castle quickly.<br>William replied a bit flustered and loud voice: Stop calling me that. I will be there shortly.<br><br>Upon entering the guild castle William is surrounded by several people bugging with questions. Several minutes pass before William is able to flee from the flock of people, he continues to the meeting room. Still an hour time before the meeting starts William and Jessica start discussing hunting ground and recently explored dungeon in their territory, once all the guild officers have arrived and seated the weekly meeting started. Each high officer gave report of their on their progress and set backs in their villages. Sadly this weeks meeting got heated up half way and ended suddenly with 3 officers storming out of the meeting room. William sighed and turned over to Jessica : Think we can head down the new dungeon and explore a bit, it would be a nice change of pace. Jessica looked a bit down and replied : “Sorry, I need to get back and manage the soldier training need to build up stronger defense in case of oncoming siege. I will get back to you soon Willy.” Jessica got up her seat and left, several minutes later William rose from his seat and left the guild castle, moving to the pub looking for a decent meal before heading out but unfortunately the peace did not last since William got swarmed by other players as he took his first step into the pub. Feeling frustrated and quite annoyed about all this attention William had nothing else to do but log out and take a breather. Several hours pass as William does some chores, makes himself lunch and channel surfs a bit before entering his capsule again and logging online. His peace was interrupted as soon as he managed to log in and leave the pub, instantly flooded by whispers. Williams head pounding already before he is able to leave the town, unable to stand all this focus and attention William started to log out again but this time he does not get out of his capsule instead he stays at the log in screen, few minutes pass before William speaks up in a mild manner and says: delete avatar few seconds passes as William gets the automatic reply “Are you sure?”. William nods lightly and firmly says: “Yes!”<br><br>William takes a deep breath as he sees his character is deleted, a years worth of hard work gone in few seconds. Standing in the void a while as feeling a bit lost with his character gone, regaining his senses William yells out: “Create new character!”<br><br>Select the name of your avatar<br>“Will”<br><br>Select your gender from male, female or neutral.<br>William ponders a bit before replying “neutral”<br><br>Royal Road has forty-nine races. You may select your race from the primary thirty.<br>William speaks up before the admin could even finish the sentence “Human”<br><br>You may change your appearance to your liking.<br><br>Hmm, change hair color to black. Change eye color to brown. Decrease height by 10cm (3-4 inches). Reflecting on the changes to the avatar, William tries his best to make it look as plain as possible.<br><br><br>Your account has been activated, your stats and class shall be determined while you are playing Royal Road. <br>Select a city or kingdom to start in.<br><br>“Rosenheim Kingdom”<br><br>Welcome to Royal Road, enjoy your journey. </div>

Just another average morning for our protagonist William, an average teenager and high school student. Yawning loudly as William rises from his bed, scrawls slowly to the bathroom to get this morning started. Finishing his breakfast and sending off his dad, few more weeks of summer vacation left until school starts again. William moves to his room and slips into his capsule. William has been playing Royal Road slightly over a year. He was one of the few members who started the Black Lion guild which is one of the top current guilds. As soon as William logs on he feels a headache coming as his eyes gaze over the guild chat another meaningless argument. William sighs and speaks with a low voice : so sick and tired of his already afterward William calls out his Stat windows: [/tr][tr][tr][tr][/tr[tr] | Status Window | | | | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Character Name | William | Class | Paladin | | Health | 11752 | Mana | 2012 | | Level | 223 | Alignment | Lawful | | Strength | 512+70 | Agility | 199+40 | | Vitality | 591+130 | Wisdom | 88+20 | | Intellect | 44 | Fighting Spirit | 112 | | Stamina | 377 | Endurance | 502 | | Luck | 12 | Offense | 331 | | Defense | 972 | Magic Resitance | 15% | | Faith | 843 | * * Vulnerable to Darkness magic. *Mace skills +3. *Encumbered due to heavy armor, movement speed slowed. *Able to learn and cast simple holy spells. *Resistance to Holy and Fire spells. ´Looking over his stats pondering a bit before receiving a whisper from another high ranking in the guild. Jessica : Hey Willy, you are up early today get to the guild castle quickly. William replied a bit flustered and loud voice: Stop calling me that. I will be there shortly. Upon entering the guild castle William is surrounded by several people bugging with questions. Several minutes pass before William is able to flee from the flock of people, he continues to the meeting room. Still an hour time before the meeting starts William and Jessica start discussing hunting ground and recently explored dungeon in their territory, once all the guild officers have arrived and seated the weekly meeting started. Each high officer gave report of their on their progress and set backs in their villages. Sadly this weeks meeting got heated up half way and ended suddenly with 3 officers storming out of the meeting room. William sighed and turned over to Jessica : Think we can head down the new dungeon and explore a bit, it would be a nice change of pace. Jessica looked a bit down and replied : “Sorry, I need to get back and manage the soldier training need to build up stronger defense in case of oncoming siege. I will get back to you soon Willy.” Jessica got up her seat and left, several minutes later William rose from his seat and left the guild castle, moving to the pub looking for a decent meal before heading out but unfortunately the peace did not last since William got swarmed by other players as he took his first step into the pub. Feeling frustrated and quite annoyed about all this attention William had nothing else to do but log out and take a breather. Several hours pass as William does some chores, makes himself lunch and channel surfs a bit before entering his capsule again and logging online. His peace was interrupted as soon as he managed to log in and leave the pub, instantly flooded by whispers. Williams head pounding already before he is able to leave the town, unable to stand all this focus and attention William started to log out again but this time he does not get out of his capsule instead he stays at the log in screen, few minutes pass before William speaks up in a mild manner and says: delete avatar few seconds passes as William gets the automatic reply “Are you sure?”. William nods lightly and firmly says: “Yes!” William takes a deep breath as he sees his character is deleted, a years worth of hard work gone in few seconds. Standing in the void a while as feeling a bit lost with his character gone, regaining his senses William yells out: “Create new character!” Select the name of your avatar “Will” Select your gender from male, female or neutral. William ponders a bit before replying “neutral” Royal Road has forty-nine races. You may select your race from the primary thirty. William speaks up before the admin could even finish the sentence “Human” You may change your appearance to your liking. Hmm, change hair color to black. Change eye color to brown. Decrease height by 10cm (3-4 inches). Reflecting on the changes to the avatar, William tries his best to make it look as plain as possible. Your account has been activated, your stats and class shall be determined while you are playing Royal Road. Select a city or kingdom to start in. “Rosenheim Kingdom” Welcome to Royal Road, enjoy your journey.

<div class="chapter-inner chapter-content"> Ch5 The Forgotten Temple<br>Rouge was angry with Mage about him firing the fireball but he just decided to wait and see how Aaron fared from the attack. <br><span style="font-style: italic;"><br>I hope he survived to I can take my time torturing him and stripping him of every single piece of gear he has.</span><br><br>As the smoke began to clear he became confused and started to search his surroundings. Aaron was nowhere in site with what was remaining of the smoke was still clearing.<br><br>Rouge, “Do you guys see him anywhere?!”<br><br>Mage, “No sir! I also believe he is not dead since I did not get any experience or level up.”<br><br>They began to walk to the spot where he had vanished. Almost immediately they spotted the hole in the ground. <br><br>Rouge groaned and turned to Mage<br><br>Rouge, “great going there dumbass now we can’t get to him if he even is alive from the fall. “<br><br>Mage, “I how was I suppost to know about there being something under the ground let alone a underground cave or ruin.”<br><br>Rouge, “What ever! Do you have a spell or something to create a light with?”<br><br>Mage, “Wait a moment I got a spell right here.”<br><br>He pulled out a spell book that he had stolen from a mage they had striped for goods and experience points.<br><br>Knight, “um boss… ah”<br><br>Rouge, “be quiet Knight!”<br><br>Mage began to recite the spell from the book, as he finished he let it slowly fall down the hole. They could not see anything yet as it reached about five feet down.<br><br>Knight, “Um boss you should see this!”<br><br>Rouge looked at Knight and said, “what do you want Moron!”<br><br>He then noticed things starting to rise up out of the ground and that a number where already standing. Mage also looked up after the other two had frozen. A large number of undead where rising from the ground and stumbling towards them with old rotten armor and weapons. <br><br>Mage, “Shit I don’t have any holy magic spells!”<br><br>Rouge, “we need to get out of here.”<br><br>Knight, “How are we going to do that?”<br><br>Rouge, “what do you mean?”<br><br>Knight pointed behind the two. They both slowly turned to se more coming from the woods and what was left of the wall of fire. They both groaned at the sight and prepared their weapons. They looked for the the thinnest section of undead but it was almost unending. <br><br>The three started to back up to the cliff while mage was throwing fireballs at any undead that got to close. Soon they had to stop or risk falling over the edge.<br><br>Rouge, “well this has been fun guys.”<br><br>Mage, “sure has but its not over yet.”<br><br>Knight, “ah what’s been fun?” He looked at them confused.<br><br>Rouge, “forget it we need to fight or else.”<br><br>Soon the leading undead reached them and where hacked to pieces. The three paused looking around as undead where coming and the fires continued to grow to surround the clearing. Another wave of the undead finally reached them and they continued to hack away at them. Soon every time one fell another two took their place.<br><br>Mage, “watch out I’m going to use rock wave!”<br><br>The other two stepped back as the Mage cited a spell and slammed his staff against the ground. The attack sent the ground in front of the three flying into the undead sending them back or destroying them.<br><br>Rouge, “I’m almost out of stamina how are you guys?”<br><br>Mage, “I’m almost out of mana to but I still have one potion left.”<br><br>Knight, “I’m at my limits, I’m almost on empty.”<br><br>As he said that they heard something between a scream and a roar. They turned to look at the forest edge and saw a large undead Troll walking out dragging a large club behind it.<br><br>The three took up another fighting stance again as the undead came at them again they continued to cut and hack until the undead troll was on them. The knight charged forward to swing his sword at its leg but instead tripped over a crawling undead and fell face first. As he began to get up he saw the trolls leg he was going to strike come down on top of him. The Knight vanished as the Troll continued to come towards the rest of the group.<br><br>Mage, “Just great what are we going to do now? ... Hercules?”<br><br>He turned to see Hercules starting to climb down the cliff.<br><br>Mage, “you coward! To Hell…”<br><br>He could not finish his sentence as he was sent flying over the cliff by the swing of the undead trolls club. He fell to his death screaming like a little girl all the way down.<br><br>Rouge, “sorry guys but I at least have to make it out of here.”<br><br>He was still climbing down but saw a shadow and looked up. A number of the undead where falling over the edge to get at him but missing. He began to climb down again as one of the undead crashed into him making him lose his grip.<br><br>He plummeted to the ground thinking why me. <br>___ _ ___<br><br><span style="font-weight: bold;">-Back at the Tavern-<br></span><br>Aarons friends where finally all together again after logging off for a break. They where all watching a number of the fights going on from the groups facing off to duels and even a fight that was just a jumble of players attacking each other. Then they finally saw who they where waiting for.<br><br>Aaron was walking to a stream where he was getting some water. Then cam out the three players form the other day.<br><br>Marcella Dawntracker, “Ah that’s just great it’s the three stooges from the other day!”<br><br>Kevril Falconsflight, “That’s going to be one tuff fight.”<br><br>Merlin Wizardblood, “I believe that the chance of victory is not in our friends favor.”<br><br>Alimore Serpenthelm, “Are you saying that he’s not going to win? I can’t believe that he is one of the strongest players I have ever seen!”<br><br>Kevril, “That’s not what Merlin meant its just that it is three on one and the threes levels are unknown.”<br><br>Marcella, “That’s another thing I hope he kicks their butt.”<br><br>They watched as the three chased after Aaron towards the clearing. They gave a laugh at Hercules getting dragged up into the air by one of Aaron’s traps but soon stopped as the mage through a fireball ahead of Aaron igniting a wall.<br><br>They saw Aaron start to head to the side of the clearing where the winded Hercules began to step out of. Aaron had stopped and they said a few things to each other before Aaron ran towards Hercules. Just then Aaron disappeared from a fireballs explosion that the Mage had launched at him.<br><br>Alimore, “What that could not have happened! Where’s Aaron?!”<br><br>Marcella, “I don’t know? Your right he could not have just disappeared.”<br><br>Merlin, “Your right he is still on the Competitors list.”<br><br>Erick (Blacksmith), “That’s one of the reasons I hate Magic.”<br><br>Instructor, “Just watch we might see what happened to him.”<br><br>They watched as the three stooges argued and began to search the area where Aaron had disappeared. Right then they could see the hole that was in the ground .<br><br>Kevril, “Nice escape but hopefully nothing bad happened to him.”<br><br>Then everyone in the room froze and fell silent as the undead began to rise up out of the ground. The three stooges on the screen still did not notice until the knight looked around. Eventually the other two noticed but it was to late they where already surrounded in the clearing.<br><br>As they began to back up to the cliff on screen the Blacksmith and Instructor along with a few other NPCs ran to the door saying something about an emergency council. <br><br>Kevril watched as they left, “Guys looks like Aaron just activated an event.”<br><br>Merlin, “Not sure it was him but it was perfect timing.”<br><br>They all looked back at the screen as the room started to get loud from players bustle with excitement about what had just happened.<br>Alimore, “I hope he’s alright.”<br>___ _ ___<br><br><span style="font-weight: bold;">-Ruins-</span><br><br>Aaron had landed on a pile of dirt and rubble while losing over two thirds of his health. He sat up and tried to get a view of his surrounding but it was to dark to see anything besides what was in the little light from the hole. <br><br>Aaron looked up, “man that was a long fall I’m lucky I’m even alive.”<br><br>He slowly got up and pulled up his inventory to get an unlit torch out. As he did that a light orb began to slowly descend from the ceiling. He then started to use his striking flint to try and light his torch. <br><br>Once lit he looked at his surrounding though it was still hard to make out anything. He seemed to be in a great hall, behind him there was a large door blocked by a large amount of debris and ruble. To his right was a long wall with alcoves between arches, to his left was the same thing. In front of him was another door towards the far end of the room.<br><br>He decided to go look at the alcoves to his right first. The first alcove he came to there was a old weapons rack with some old rusted and dusty weapons. Most of them looked like they could fall apart while a few looked durable enough to become usable again if repaired. He decided to grab three of the swords and through them in his pack.<br><br>He walked over to the next alcove along the wall where a old skeleton was lying on the floor. He walked around it and saw a bunch of old relics lying around on shelves but nothing worth taking besides a handful of gold coins. As he reached the last alcove on this side of the room he began to hear explosions above with some dust beginning to fall from the ceiling. <br><br>He looked up at the ceiling and wondered what the three stooges where doing but continued on looking at the alcove. There where a number of books on shelves with a number of them falling apart. He grabbed a few the last one having a sword on its cover and through them in his pack.He ran to the other side’s alcoves and grabbed some more books and gold coins until he noticed a creaking sound be hind him. He stepped to the side while drawing out his swords into his hands. <br><br>Where he was standing a second ago an axe came down striking the stones. Aaron took a few steps back to get a better look at his attacker and to get into a better position. An undead skeleton was standing there slowly lifting its axe off the ground. He recognized the skeleton as the one that he walked by earlier. <br><br>Aaron swung both his swords at its legs but only managed to hit one as it tried to dodge his attack. His attack took off from just above its knee down. It was about to take another swing at him with its axe. He kicked out its other leg causing it to fall and miss with its attack. Aaron then began to hack away at the skeleton taking of its limbs then head. Once that was done he began to crush the things ribcage in by stomping on it repeatedly in anger. <br><br>He stopped and stepped back to catch his breath.<br><br><span style="font-style: italic;">Man that was a close call I didn’t even notice the thing until it was on me. </span><br><br>Aaron began to pick up the loot from the skeleton, which was some coins and some boots. As he grabbed the boots he noticed that he could not hear any explosions anymore.<br><br>Aaron stood up and began to look around at his surroundings once more when a number of skeletons began to fall from the hole in the ceiling falling apart as they hit the ground then slowly starting to reassemble them while more continued to come through the hole.<br>Aaron knew he did not have any time left and ran for the door passing the remaining alcoves. Once he pushed one of the doors slowly open and ran in once he could fit and shut it behind him. <br><br>Aaron stepped back and looked for any thing to block the door. He saw a number of old barrels and crates along with two small statues. He grabbed one of the swords he had picked up earlier and slid it through the doors handles. After that he began to stack the crates and barrels against the door. As he started to slide the first statue in front of the stacks to help hold it the doors started to reverberate from the undead beginning to hit at the door. He quickly slid the other statue to his make shift barricade then stepped back.<br><br><span style="font-style: italic;">That should buy me some time! Now if only I could find a way out of here.</span><br><br>Aaron turned and ran down the hall keeping an eye out for any monsters or undead that may be lurching within the ruins.<br>___ _ ___<br><br><span style="font-weight: bold;">-Back at the Tavern-</span><br><br>Since the undead took out the three stooges more and more of them began to appear all over the area. Players that had once been fighting each other as part of the contest where soon either on the run or fighting back against the undead.<br><br>“The Seekers of the Land” began to rally a number of the players together to confront the undead. They had about 73 players in the middle of a large field outside the forest. They where picking off groups of the undead as they came at them, they even managed to take out two undead trolls. But as they took out each new group of undead there was another even larger group coming at them.<br><br>Kevril, “Man this tournament sure did turn into something didn’t it.”<br><br>Merlin pushed up his glasses, “yes it sure did, who would of expected an event to be triggered in the middle of it like this.”<br><br>Kevril, “There where a number of random events like this in the beta such as… um never mind.”<br><br>Merlin, “what do you mean they’re where others like this.”<br><br>Kevril, “Um yes I heard something about it from a friend though I don’t really know all the details.”<br><br>Alimore, “I hope I don’t have to face any undead like that any time soon.”<br><br>Marcella walked back to the table from the bar with some more drinks for the group.<br><br>Marcella, “Has there been anything new about Aaron?”<br><br>Alimore, “not yet I’m starting to get worried.”<br><br>Kevril, “Don’t worry he should be fine Merlin has been keeping and eye one the rapidly decreasing competitors list.”<br><br>Merlin, “Hey why don’t you keep an eye on it for once? I’m getting tired of repeatedly going through the names.”<br><br>Marcella, “hey why don’t we all calm down and just keep watching…”<br><br>A player burst through the door making it slam and reverberate. Everyone looked at him while he caught his breath.<br><br>Player, “The Elder and… Angels are going to make… a live announcement in a few minutes.”<br><br>With that everyone began to talk amongst themselves again.<br><br>Merlin, “Well hopefully its something good.”<br><br>On the screen a few of the 73 players have died and risen again as the undead and where attacking their fellow player. A few of the players also began to run away only to find themselves surrounded and alone within a short distance. The mages shortly began to continuously shoot fireballs at the oncoming undead while the clerics healed the players and cast holly spells on the undead to weaken them. <br><br>Merlin, “well they are going to run out of mana very soon.”<br><br>Kevril, “yah they should be using it steadily and conserve as much of it as they can or else they will be exhausted when the larger groups of undead hit them.”<br><br>The screen changed quickly to have the angels and a few members of the village council.<br><br>Angel, “Due to unforeseen events we have decided to cancel the rest of the tournament until further notice. All remaining players will be teleported back until we have control over this current crisis. That is all”<br><br>The screen turned back to the player’s battle against the undead and began to have the remaining players teleport out. Once the last player was seen teleporting the screens vanished. <br><br>The room fell Quiet.<br>___ _ ___<br><br><span style="font-weight: bold;">-Ruins-</span><br><br>Aaron was continuing to run through the halls checking out each room and passing more hallways. He hand long since left the barricade and knew it was gone since he heard something similar to an explosion. He continued to pick up loot along the way. As he reached another intersection a group of undead came at him from the hall on his left.<br><br>He quickly readied his weapons and attacked the closest one. The undead struck at him but he blocked it. To get a better opening he ran into the undead with his shoulder first nocking it into its companions. Aaron then went at hacking it and its companions. Soon there where only three of them left standing one of them was a undead mage behind a great sword wilder and axe wielder. Aaron ran forward sliding between the two weapon wielders causing their attacks to his each other. <br><br>Aaron continued forward raising his swords to slice the mages head off before it could finish the spell it had just started. His blades struck perfectly taking off its head and causing it to vanish leaving loot behind.<br><br>He then rounded on the two remaining undead and hacked at them blacking a few swings before he took out their legs from underneath them. He continued the hack at them until they to vanish.<br><br>Aaron stood there a moment taking a breather then walked back to the intersection. Looking down all the halls he could see undead from the hall he just came down and the ones to his left and right his only way was to continue further heading down the same hall.<br><br>This time he ran down the hall not stopping for anything passing a few rooms until he reached a circular chamber. The chamber had five massive standing statues that seemed to be woman but where to worn out to make out their featchers. Another of the statues was lying on the ground where it had fallen while its broken off fee where still in their place. Between the statues where doors that all had chains locking them shut.<br>I guess the only thing to do is to see if there is an opening on the other side of the fallen sculpture. <br><br>Aaron ran taking off his scarf and tying his sword to one of its ends. Once he was close enough to the statue he throw the sword end over the arm and pulled it Tight. He slowly climbed onto it and looked back to see that the undead where almost to the room.<br><br><span style="font-style: italic;">I hope that this at least slows them down.</span><br><br>He quickly looked on the other side of the statue to see a Brocken down door by the statues other arm, which had broken off. He quickly untied his scarf and sword and worked his way down to the floor. <br><br>Aaron walked into the room and saw many wonderful artifacts and relics in the room set up as if it was a display behind a temple alter. At the far end a marvelous black and white armor stood on an armor display rack. The armor made him almost forget about the undead behind him as he walked across the room to it. <br><br>If I can use this armor maybe it could help me escape from this place.<br><br>Aaron Used Identify<br><br><span style="font-weight: bold;">Armor: Goddess Anae’s Armor<br>Dexterity: Unknown Defense: Unknown<br>Ancient Armor of unknown origin<br>Level is to low to fully Identify Object</span><br><br>This thing is Amazing.<br><br>Aaron began to lift parts of the armor off the stand when he heard a musical feminine voice.<br><br>Do you wish to become my vessel and my hand in the world?<br><br><span style="font-weight: bold;">You have been offered a Class!<br>Goddess Enae’s Chosen<br>Do You Wish To Accept?</span> </div>

Ch5 The Forgotten Temple Rouge was angry with Mage about him firing the fireball but he just decided to wait and see how Aaron fared from the attack. I hope he survived to I can take my time torturing him and stripping him of every single piece of gear he has. As the smoke began to clear he became confused and started to search his surroundings. Aaron was nowhere in site with what was remaining of the smoke was still clearing. Rouge, “Do you guys see him anywhere?!” Mage, “No sir! I also believe he is not dead since I did not get any experience or level up.” They began to walk to the spot where he had vanished. Almost immediately they spotted the hole in the ground. Rouge groaned and turned to Mage Rouge, “great going there dumbass now we can’t get to him if he even is alive from the fall. “ Mage, “I how was I suppost to know about there being something under the ground let alone a underground cave or ruin.” Rouge, “What ever! Do you have a spell or something to create a light with?” Mage, “Wait a moment I got a spell right here.” He pulled out a spell book that he had stolen from a mage they had striped for goods and experience points. Knight, “um boss… ah” Rouge, “be quiet Knight!” Mage began to recite the spell from the book, as he finished he let it slowly fall down the hole. They could not see anything yet as it reached about five feet down. Knight, “Um boss you should see this!” Rouge looked at Knight and said, “what do you want Moron!” He then noticed things starting to rise up out of the ground and that a number where already standing. Mage also looked up after the other two had frozen. A large number of undead where rising from the ground and stumbling towards them with old rotten armor and weapons. Mage, “Shit I don’t have any holy magic spells!” Rouge, “we need to get out of here.” Knight, “How are we going to do that?” Rouge, “what do you mean?” Knight pointed behind the two. They both slowly turned to se more coming from the woods and what was left of the wall of fire. They both groaned at the sight and prepared their weapons. They looked for the the thinnest section of undead but it was almost unending. The three started to back up to the cliff while mage was throwing fireballs at any undead that got to close. Soon they had to stop or risk falling over the edge. Rouge, “well this has been fun guys.” Mage, “sure has but its not over yet.” Knight, “ah what’s been fun?” He looked at them confused. Rouge, “forget it we need to fight or else.” Soon the leading undead reached them and where hacked to pieces. The three paused looking around as undead where coming and the fires continued to grow to surround the clearing. Another wave of the undead finally reached them and they continued to hack away at them. Soon every time one fell another two took their place. Mage, “watch out I’m going to use rock wave!” The other two stepped back as the Mage cited a spell and slammed his staff against the ground. The attack sent the ground in front of the three flying into the undead sending them back or destroying them. Rouge, “I’m almost out of stamina how are you guys?” Mage, “I’m almost out of mana to but I still have one potion left.” Knight, “I’m at my limits, I’m almost on empty.” As he said that they heard something between a scream and a roar. They turned to look at the forest edge and saw a large undead Troll walking out dragging a large club behind it. The three took up another fighting stance again as the undead came at them again they continued to cut and hack until the undead troll was on them. The knight charged forward to swing his sword at its leg but instead tripped over a crawling undead and fell face first. As he began to get up he saw the trolls leg he was going to strike come down on top of him. The Knight vanished as the Troll continued to come towards the rest of the group. Mage, “Just great what are we going to do now? ... Hercules?” He turned to see Hercules starting to climb down the cliff. Mage, “you coward! To Hell…” He could not finish his sentence as he was sent flying over the cliff by the swing of the undead trolls club. He fell to his death screaming like a little girl all the way down. Rouge, “sorry guys but I at least have to make it out of here.” He was still climbing down but saw a shadow and looked up. A number of the undead where falling over the edge to get at him but missing. He began to climb down again as one of the undead crashed into him making him lose his grip. He plummeted to the ground thinking why me. \_\_\_ \_ \_\_\_ -Back at the Tavern- Aarons friends where finally all together again after logging off for a break. They where all watching a number of the fights going on from the groups facing off to duels and even a fight that was just a jumble of players attacking each other. Then they finally saw who they where waiting for. Aaron was walking to a stream where he was getting some water. Then cam out the three players form the other day. Marcella Dawntracker, “Ah that’s just great it’s the three stooges from the other day!” Kevril Falconsflight, “That’s going to be one tuff fight.” Merlin Wizardblood, “I believe that the chance of victory is not in our friends favor.” Alimore Serpenthelm, “Are you saying that he’s not going to win? I can’t believe that he is one of the strongest players I have ever seen!” Kevril, “That’s not what Merlin meant its just that it is three on one and the threes levels are unknown.” Marcella, “That’s another thing I hope he kicks their butt.” They watched as the three chased after Aaron towards the clearing. They gave a laugh at Hercules getting dragged up into the air by one of Aaron’s traps but soon stopped as the mage through a fireball ahead of Aaron igniting a wall. They saw Aaron start to head to the side of the clearing where the winded Hercules began to step out of. Aaron had stopped and they said a few things to each other before Aaron ran towards Hercules. Just then Aaron disappeared from a fireballs explosion that the Mage had launched at him. Alimore, “What that could not have happened! Where’s Aaron?!” Marcella, “I don’t know? Your right he could not have just disappeared.” Merlin, “Your right he is still on the Competitors list.” Erick (Blacksmith), “That’s one of the reasons I hate Magic.” Instructor, “Just watch we might see what happened to him.” They watched as the three stooges argued and began to search the area where Aaron had disappeared. Right then they could see the hole that was in the ground . Kevril, “Nice escape but hopefully nothing bad happened to him.” Then everyone in the room froze and fell silent as the undead began to rise up out of the ground. The three stooges on the screen still did not notice until the knight looked around. Eventually the other two noticed but it was to late they where already surrounded in the clearing. As they began to back up to the cliff on screen the Blacksmith and Instructor along with a few other NPCs ran to the door saying something about an emergency council. Kevril watched as they left, “Guys looks like Aaron just activated an event.” Merlin, “Not sure it was him but it was perfect timing.” They all looked back at the screen as the room started to get loud from players bustle with excitement about what had just happened. Alimore, “I hope he’s alright.” \_\_\_ \_ \_\_\_ -Ruins- Aaron had landed on a pile of dirt and rubble while losing over two thirds of his health. He sat up and tried to get a view of his surrounding but it was to dark to see anything besides what was in the little light from the hole. Aaron looked up, “man that was a long fall I’m lucky I’m even alive.” He slowly got up and pulled up his inventory to get an unlit torch out. As he did that a light orb began to slowly descend from the ceiling. He then started to use his striking flint to try and light his torch. Once lit he looked at his surrounding though it was still hard to make out anything. He seemed to be in a great hall, behind him there was a large door blocked by a large amount of debris and ruble. To his right was a long wall with alcoves between arches, to his left was the same thing. In front of him was another door towards the far end of the room. He decided to go look at the alcoves to his right first. The first alcove he came to there was a old weapons rack with some old rusted and dusty weapons. Most of them looked like they could fall apart while a few looked durable enough to become usable again if repaired. He decided to grab three of the swords and through them in his pack. He walked over to the next alcove along the wall where a old skeleton was lying on the floor. He walked around it and saw a bunch of old relics lying around on shelves but nothing worth taking besides a handful of gold coins. As he reached the last alcove on this side of the room he began to hear explosions above with some dust beginning to fall from the ceiling. He looked up at the ceiling and wondered what the three stooges where doing but continued on looking at the alcove. There where a number of books on shelves with a number of them falling apart. He grabbed a few the last one having a sword on its cover and through them in his pack.He ran to the other side’s alcoves and grabbed some more books and gold coins until he noticed a creaking sound be hind him. He stepped to the side while drawing out his swords into his hands. Where he was standing a second ago an axe came down striking the stones. Aaron took a few steps back to get a better look at his attacker and to get into a better position. An undead skeleton was standing there slowly lifting its axe off the ground. He recognized the skeleton as the one that he walked by earlier. Aaron swung both his swords at its legs but only managed to hit one as it tried to dodge his attack. His attack took off from just above its knee down. It was about to take another swing at him with its axe. He kicked out its other leg causing it to fall and miss with its attack. Aaron then began to hack away at the skeleton taking of its limbs then head. Once that was done he began to crush the things ribcage in by stomping on it repeatedly in anger. He stopped and stepped back to catch his breath. Man that was a close call I didn’t even notice the thing until it was on me. Aaron began to pick up the loot from the skeleton, which was some coins and some boots. As he grabbed the boots he noticed that he could not hear any explosions anymore. Aaron stood up and began to look around at his surroundings once more when a number of skeletons began to fall from the hole in the ceiling falling apart as they hit the ground then slowly starting to reassemble them while more continued to come through the hole. Aaron knew he did not have any time left and ran for the door passing the remaining alcoves. Once he pushed one of the doors slowly open and ran in once he could fit and shut it behind him. Aaron stepped back and looked for any thing to block the door. He saw a number of old barrels and crates along with two small statues. He grabbed one of the swords he had picked up earlier and slid it through the doors handles. After that he began to stack the crates and barrels against the door. As he started to slide the first statue in front of the stacks to help hold it the doors started to reverberate from the undead beginning to hit at the door. He quickly slid the other statue to his make shift barricade then stepped back. That should buy me some time! Now if only I could find a way out of here. Aaron turned and ran down the hall keeping an eye out for any monsters or undead that may be lurching within the ruins. \_\_\_ \_ \_\_\_ -Back at the Tavern- Since the undead took out the three stooges more and more of them began to appear all over the area. Players that had once been fighting each other as part of the contest where soon either on the run or fighting back against the undead. “The Seekers of the Land” began to rally a number of the players together to confront the undead. They had about 73 players in the middle of a large field outside the forest. They where picking off groups of the undead as they came at them, they even managed to take out two undead trolls. But as they took out each new group of undead there was another even larger group coming at them. Kevril, “Man this tournament sure did turn into something didn’t it.” Merlin pushed up his glasses, “yes it sure did, who would of expected an event to be triggered in the middle of it like this.” Kevril, “There where a number of random events like this in the beta such as… um never mind.” Merlin, “what do you mean they’re where others like this.” Kevril, “Um yes I heard something about it from a friend though I don’t really know all the details.” Alimore, “I hope I don’t have to face any undead like that any time soon.” Marcella walked back to the table from the bar with some more drinks for the group. Marcella, “Has there been anything new about Aaron?” Alimore, “not yet I’m starting to get worried.” Kevril, “Don’t worry he should be fine Merlin has been keeping and eye one the rapidly decreasing competitors list.” Merlin, “Hey why don’t you keep an eye on it for once? I’m getting tired of repeatedly going through the names.” Marcella, “hey why don’t we all calm down and just keep watching…” A player burst through the door making it slam and reverberate. Everyone looked at him while he caught his breath. Player, “The Elder and… Angels are going to make… a live announcement in a few minutes.” With that everyone began to talk amongst themselves again. Merlin, “Well hopefully its something good.” On the screen a few of the 73 players have died and risen again as the undead and where attacking their fellow player. A few of the players also began to run away only to find themselves surrounded and alone within a short distance. The mages shortly began to continuously shoot fireballs at the oncoming undead while the clerics healed the players and cast holly spells on the undead to weaken them. Merlin, “well they are going to run out of mana very soon.” Kevril, “yah they should be using it steadily and conserve as much of it as they can or else they will be exhausted when the larger groups of undead hit them.” The screen changed quickly to have the angels and a few members of the village council. Angel, “Due to unforeseen events we have decided to cancel the rest of the tournament until further notice. All remaining players will be teleported back until we have control over this current crisis. That is all” The screen turned back to the player’s battle against the undead and began to have the remaining players teleport out. Once the last player was seen teleporting the screens vanished. The room fell Quiet. \_\_\_ \_ \_\_\_ -Ruins- Aaron was continuing to run through the halls checking out each room and passing more hallways. He hand long since left the barricade and knew it was gone since he heard something similar to an explosion. He continued to pick up loot along the way. As he reached another intersection a group of undead came at him from the hall on his left. He quickly readied his weapons and attacked the closest one. The undead struck at him but he blocked it. To get a better opening he ran into the undead with his shoulder first nocking it into its companions. Aaron then went at hacking it and its companions. Soon there where only three of them left standing one of them was a undead mage behind a great sword wilder and axe wielder. Aaron ran forward sliding between the two weapon wielders causing their attacks to his each other. Aaron continued forward raising his swords to slice the mages head off before it could finish the spell it had just started. His blades struck perfectly taking off its head and causing it to vanish leaving loot behind. He then rounded on the two remaining undead and hacked at them blacking a few swings before he took out their legs from underneath them. He continued the hack at them until they to vanish. Aaron stood there a moment taking a breather then walked back to the intersection. Looking down all the halls he could see undead from the hall he just came down and the ones to his left and right his only way was to continue further heading down the same hall. This time he ran down the hall not stopping for anything passing a few rooms until he reached a circular chamber. The chamber had five massive standing statues that seemed to be woman but where to worn out to make out their featchers. Another of the statues was lying on the ground where it had fallen while its broken off fee where still in their place. Between the statues where doors that all had chains locking them shut. I guess the only thing to do is to see if there is an opening on the other side of the fallen sculpture. Aaron ran taking off his scarf and tying his sword to one of its ends. Once he was close enough to the statue he throw the sword end over the arm and pulled it Tight. He slowly climbed onto it and looked back to see that the undead where almost to the room. I hope that this at least slows them down. He quickly looked on the other side of the statue to see a Brocken down door by the statues other arm, which had broken off. He quickly untied his scarf and sword and worked his way down to the floor. Aaron walked into the room and saw many wonderful artifacts and relics in the room set up as if it was a display behind a temple alter. At the far end a marvelous black and white armor stood on an armor display rack. The armor made him almost forget about the undead behind him as he walked across the room to it. If I can use this armor maybe it could help me escape from this place. Aaron Used Identify Armor: Goddess Anae’s Armor Dexterity: Unknown Defense: Unknown Ancient Armor of unknown origin Level is to low to fully Identify Object This thing is Amazing. Aaron began to lift parts of the armor off the stand when he heard a musical feminine voice. Do you wish to become my vessel and my hand in the world? You have been offered a Class! Goddess Enae’s Chosen Do You Wish To Accept?

<div class="chapter-inner chapter-content"> Soul Link - Chapter 8<br><br>“I’m afraid we have to refuse for now. We are on a Quest for someone but after that we would love to accept it.”<br><br>“For who are you on a Quest I will send solders to take care of that.”<br><br>“Cliff, Verefas you can come out.”<br><br>A green glowing sphere and a light colored sphere appeared in the room.<br><br>“Master. “<br><br>“It’s been a while since I have last seen you. “<br><br>“48 years to be precise master. “<br><br>“My first disciple you have become quite skilled in the art of Aoxtz. “<br><br>“I did sense something different about them something to do with AX but now it all makes sense. Are they on a Quest for you. “<br><br>“Yes they are. “<br><br>“What do they need to do. “<br><br>“They are going to kill my father. “<br><br>“Are they that strong? “<br><br>“With four of us we are. “<br><br>“Well then is there something I can assist you in to speed up your quest Sanni? “<br><br>“We need to get an army of 500 soldiers and some workers to make room for the soldiers.“<br><br>“For the soldiers you can talk to Edwin and for the works you have to go the architect guild I will make you a letter of introduction so they will send the best workers. When you have done with your quest come back in the city in my passed away daughters clothes on and announce yourself as Sandra. “<br><br><blockquote><cite>Quote:</cite>*Ting received Sandra’s clothes<br><br>Quest become parents now automatically accepted<br><br>Quest accepted.</blockquote><br><blockquote><cite>Quote:</cite>*Ting <br><br>Quest become parents<br><br>will start upon entering the city with Sandra cloths on.</blockquote><br><br>Sir Edwin, Xandit, Sanni Cliff and Verefas went to the training ground in the meanwhile the king started on his introduction letter.<br><br>“Xandit, Sanni what kind of army do you want.“<br><br>“I was thinking about 200 sword and shield soldiers, 100 spearman, 100 rangers, rest healers, cooks, craftsman, blacksmith and repair man“<br><br>“Very well I will prepare them give me a few hours. In the meantime I would suggest you go to the king and get the letter introduction and go to the architect guild. “<br><br>***<br><br>Knok Knok <br><br>“Come in. “<br><br>“My liege Sanni and Xandit are here. “<br><br>“Let them in. “<br><br>“Good day king“<br><br>“Hello Sanni, Xandit. Here you go, ask for the headmaster and only let him read the letter.<br><br>*ting <br><br>Received introduction letter<br><br>“I have more things to do so I have no time to chat. “<br><br>“Ok we will go to the architect guild then. “<br><br>“bye. “<br><br>The gang left the palace.<br><br>For Xandit and Sanni this was the first time they were in a city.<br><br>They were in de noble district were the most extravagant buildings were located.<br><br>“Why don’t we do some sightseeing. “<br><br>“Yeah! “<br><br>Xandit and Sanni walked all around the city they found the magic guild, ranger guild, warrior guild, the grand library, alchemy guild, blacksmith guild, some hotels and restaurants. Their trip around the city ended on a bench near the fountain in the towns square.<br><br>Sanni Leaned against Xandit, Xandit put his hand around her and press her against him.<br><br>“I miss you real life Andre. “ Andre look at Shara’s face for a second and then kissed her with all his feeling for her. Time passed quickly as it was evening. <br><br>“How about you don’t log out and spend the night with me in a hotel. “<br><br>I do want to but if I’m sleeping with you I want to be touched by you I want you to pleasure my entire body and I can’t have that in a game I would go crazy if you can only lay next to you. “<br><br>“Don’t worry about that there is a option in this game if you’re married you can turn on (18+) as we already have rings from Soul-Link they can act as our wedding rings we only have to register as a married couple.“<br><br>Andre went on his née, “Shara do you want to marry me“ <br><br><blockquote><cite>Quote:</cite>*Ting <br><br>Marriage proposal do you accept<br><br>Yes / No</blockquote><br><br>“I do! “ Shara said with tears of happiness in her eyes.<br><br><blockquote><cite>Quote:</cite>*Ting<br><br>Xandit and Sanni are now married.<br><br>Additional class effects now unlocked<br>If your partner is within a radius of a 100 meter you will receive 15% increased stats.</blockquote><br>***<br><br>After a good night sleep (yeah right ;) ).<br><br>Xandit and Sanni walked refreshed out of the hotel ready to take over the world. <br><br>“We need to hurry up to the architect guild Sir Edwin is probably waiting for us. “<br><br>“Yea, I love you Andre. “<br><br>“I love you too. “<br><br>They walked with the morning crowd to the marked district. Once in the marked district they went to the architect guild they found yesterday. <br><br>Xandit and Sanni walked in the reception hall. Left and right of them there were chairs and tables to wait on and in front of them was the reception they had to wait in line for the people in front of them to finish. 20 minutes later it was their turn <br><br>“Hello, how can I help you? “<br><br>“Hello, I would like to speak with the headmaster of this guild base. “<br><br>“Do you have a appointment? “<br><br>“No we do not be we have this“ Xandit held the letters seal in front of the receptionist <br><br>“Sorry but without a ap- THAT’S THE SEAL of the Royal family, one moment. “<br><br>After two minute’s <br><br>“Please follow me. “<br><br>They went to the third floor were the headmasters office was located.<br><br>Knok knok.<br><br>“Come in.“<br><br>Xandit and Sanni walked in.<br><br>“I hear you got a letter for me. “<br><br>“That is correct sir. “ Xandit handed the letter to the headmaster.<br><br>“You can call me dean. This is a genuine seal of the king. “<br> After reading the letter, “so you want my best builders to make rooms for 500 soldier. “<br><br>“Yes“<br><br>“I will send a foreman and some workers, the foreman will say what he needs and if you agree he will build it. “<br><br>“Ok send them to the palace court yard. “<br><br>Xandit and Sanni went back to the palace at the palace gate they were told that sir Edwin was waiting for them in the court yard. So they went straight to the court yard.<br><br>“Sir Edwin you needed us?“<br><br>“Yes at this moment I cannot get you real soldier only soldier in training their level range between 10-35. “<br><br>“That is still better than nothing. “<br><br>“I will then come along to support and observe. “<br><br>“Thanks we only need to wait for the builders now. “<br><br>Xandit and Sanni went inside to say good bye to Fyona till They cleared the dungeon. Once inside Fyona’s room.<br><br>“Fyona. “Sanni said<br><br>Fyona ran with excitement to Sanni and hugged her. “Mom come play game with me. “<br><br>Sanni look at the head maid, she nodded with a smile<br><br>“Sure Fyona“<br><br>After Fyona won, Sanni said. “I have to go do a quest for someone so I will be gone for sometime“<br><br>“How long? “<br><br>“I don’t know. “<br><br>“I don’t want you to leave. “ She started to hug Sanni harder. <br><br>“We could ask your grandpa to let you go with us. “<br><br>“Yeaaaa….“ Fyona ran out of the room looking for her grandpa.<br><br>She ran in to the kings room. “grandpa grandpa. “<br><br>“What is there Fyona? “<br><br>“I wane go with mom please let me. “<br><br>Right then Sanni and Xandit walked in.<br><br>“She want to go with you. “<br><br>“Yes she want to go with us, I would like your permission first for her to come with us is your decision. If she comes with us we will protect her with our lives. “<br><br>“Well then I will allow her to come with you as long as you do not let her get in combat and I will send 4 royal guardsmen with you to solely protect her they will listen to you but have Fyona safety as priority. “<br><br>“No problem. “ <br><br>“You can go with them Fyona. “<br><br>With Fyona they went back to the palace courtyard everyone was ready to leave. <br><br>“Fyona go to the head maid to get you a travel outfit and make her prepare you some extra cloths for the trip. “<br><br>Fyona said “Ok“ with a big smile <br><br>“Sir Edwin? “<br><br>“Here I’m also from now on I’m calling you my lady and so will all the other people and for Xandit it will be my lord. You are now the daughter of our king and sole heir to the throne. So we will treat you as such. “<br><br><blockquote><cite>Quote:</cite>*Ting <br><br>You’re now recognized as the sole heir of the royal family but is not widely known return to the city in the royal cloths of Sandra to make it know the sole heir is back. <br><br>Unique quest situation has been activated.<br><br>Nickname Sanni has been changed to Sandra.<br><br>Sole heir Stats bonuses.<br><br>+2500 leadership<br>+1000 charisma <br><br>Have mayor influences in the Rosenheim kingdom<br>Political power 30/100</blockquote><br><br>“We will live up to your expectations. What is the status of our army. “<br><br>“They are as ready as can be, they are in training but if you can guide them they will be the best I hand pick all of them they all have talents but you have to develop them. The people from the construction guild are also ready so we are only waiting for your command to move out. “ <br><br>“Then we only need to wait for Fyo-“<br><br>Right that moment Fyona came to the courtyard with the head maid and the four royal guardsmen.<br><br>“If you don’t mind my lady, my lord I’m coming with you to take care of Fyona the moment you’re not able to. “<br><br>“Much appreciated Julia. “<br><br>“We are going Fyona. “<br><br>“Yeah! “<br><br>“All move out! “<br><br>The palace gate opened.<br><br>Every one marched out of the palace to the town square with.<br><br>Because the city was no longer on lockdown the city was filed with people everyone moved out of the way of the marching army until they stop at the towns square. <br><br>“Cliff, Verefas can you open a portal to the base. “<br><br>“In the base is not enough room for all these people so we have to split up the army to the First Floor of the dungeon. Xandit will train with them and Sandra will go to the base with the workers and connect it to the first floor of the dungeon and once the first floor is cleared of monster they will build the army base there. “<br><br>“Shara shara Shara SHAra SHARA!! “<br><br>“Are you hearing that Sandra your name. “<br><br>“Yeah Xandit it’s coming from the left. Edwin come with us cliff Verefas wait a sec. “<br><br>As they walked to the left side of the waiting army Sandra saw her best friend from uni. <br><br>“Eva! “<br><br>“Shara you finally heard me. What are you doing? “<br><br>“Long story short I’m on a quest from the king. “<br><br>“THE KING! “<br><br>“Yeah wana come along? You will be gone for some time. “<br><br>“Mama who is that “<br><br>“A friend of mama and daddy! “<br><br>“My lady and lord we need to go we are attracting to much attention. “<br><br>“Ok Sir Edwin. You have to make a decision fast Eva? “ <br><br>“Well it sound like you got yourself one hell of an adventure I would not want to miss out on that. “<br><br>“Verefas, cliff you can open the portals. “<br><br>“All army personnel follow The lord. All the construction personnel follow me. Eva you can best follow me. “<br><br>I took 15 minutes for all the soldiers and workers to go via the portals. <br><br>-END-<br><br>xion930 - a bit late that mariage<br><br>Zapper - lets just say it’s from first time writing. (beginners flaws) </div>

Soul Link - Chapter 8 “I’m afraid we have to refuse for now. We are on a Quest for someone but after that we would love to accept it.” “For who are you on a Quest I will send solders to take care of that.” “Cliff, Verefas you can come out.” A green glowing sphere and a light colored sphere appeared in the room. “Master. “ “It’s been a while since I have last seen you. “ “48 years to be precise master. “ “My first disciple you have become quite skilled in the art of Aoxtz. “ “I did sense something different about them something to do with AX but now it all makes sense. Are they on a Quest for you. “ “Yes they are. “ “What do they need to do. “ “They are going to kill my father. “ “Are they that strong? “ “With four of us we are. “ “Well then is there something I can assist you in to speed up your quest Sanni? “ “We need to get an army of 500 soldiers and some workers to make room for the soldiers.“ “For the soldiers you can talk to Edwin and for the works you have to go the architect guild I will make you a letter of introduction so they will send the best workers. When you have done with your quest come back in the city in my passed away daughters clothes on and announce yourself as Sandra. “ > Quote:*Ting received Sandra’s clothes > > Quest become parents now automatically accepted > > Quest accepted. > Quote:*Ting > > Quest become parents > > will start upon entering the city with Sandra cloths on. Sir Edwin, Xandit, Sanni Cliff and Verefas went to the training ground in the meanwhile the king started on his introduction letter. “Xandit, Sanni what kind of army do you want.“ “I was thinking about 200 sword and shield soldiers, 100 spearman, 100 rangers, rest healers, cooks, craftsman, blacksmith and repair man“ “Very well I will prepare them give me a few hours. In the meantime I would suggest you go to the king and get the letter introduction and go to the architect guild. “ *** Knok Knok “Come in. “ “My liege Sanni and Xandit are here. “ “Let them in. “ “Good day king“ “Hello Sanni, Xandit. Here you go, ask for the headmaster and only let him read the letter. *ting Received introduction letter “I have more things to do so I have no time to chat. “ “Ok we will go to the architect guild then. “ “bye. “ The gang left the palace. For Xandit and Sanni this was the first time they were in a city. They were in de noble district were the most extravagant buildings were located. “Why don’t we do some sightseeing. “ “Yeah! “ Xandit and Sanni walked all around the city they found the magic guild, ranger guild, warrior guild, the grand library, alchemy guild, blacksmith guild, some hotels and restaurants. Their trip around the city ended on a bench near the fountain in the towns square. Sanni Leaned against Xandit, Xandit put his hand around her and press her against him. “I miss you real life Andre. “ Andre look at Shara’s face for a second and then kissed her with all his feeling for her. Time passed quickly as it was evening. “How about you don’t log out and spend the night with me in a hotel. “ I do want to but if I’m sleeping with you I want to be touched by you I want you to pleasure my entire body and I can’t have that in a game I would go crazy if you can only lay next to you. “ “Don’t worry about that there is a option in this game if you’re married you can turn on (18+) as we already have rings from Soul-Link they can act as our wedding rings we only have to register as a married couple.“ Andre went on his née, “Shara do you want to marry me“ > Quote:*Ting > > Marriage proposal do you accept > > Yes / No “I do! “ Shara said with tears of happiness in her eyes. > Quote:*Ting > > Xandit and Sanni are now married. > > Additional class effects now unlocked > If your partner is within a radius of a 100 meter you will receive 15% increased stats. *** After a good night sleep (yeah right ;) ). Xandit and Sanni walked refreshed out of the hotel ready to take over the world. “We need to hurry up to the architect guild Sir Edwin is probably waiting for us. “ “Yea, I love you Andre. “ “I love you too. “ They walked with the morning crowd to the marked district. Once in the marked district they went to the architect guild they found yesterday. Xandit and Sanni walked in the reception hall. Left and right of them there were chairs and tables to wait on and in front of them was the reception they had to wait in line for the people in front of them to finish. 20 minutes later it was their turn “Hello, how can I help you? “ “Hello, I would like to speak with the headmaster of this guild base. “ “Do you have a appointment? “ “No we do not be we have this“ Xandit held the letters seal in front of the receptionist “Sorry but without a ap- THAT’S THE SEAL of the Royal family, one moment. “ After two minute’s “Please follow me. “ They went to the third floor were the headmasters office was located. Knok knok. “Come in.“ Xandit and Sanni walked in. “I hear you got a letter for me. “ “That is correct sir. “ Xandit handed the letter to the headmaster. “You can call me dean. This is a genuine seal of the king. “ After reading the letter, “so you want my best builders to make rooms for 500 soldier. “ “Yes“ “I will send a foreman and some workers, the foreman will say what he needs and if you agree he will build it. “ “Ok send them to the palace court yard. “ Xandit and Sanni went back to the palace at the palace gate they were told that sir Edwin was waiting for them in the court yard. So they went straight to the court yard. “Sir Edwin you needed us?“ “Yes at this moment I cannot get you real soldier only soldier in training their level range between 10-35. “ “That is still better than nothing. “ “I will then come along to support and observe. “ “Thanks we only need to wait for the builders now. “ Xandit and Sanni went inside to say good bye to Fyona till They cleared the dungeon. Once inside Fyona’s room. “Fyona. “Sanni said Fyona ran with excitement to Sanni and hugged her. “Mom come play game with me. “ Sanni look at the head maid, she nodded with a smile “Sure Fyona“ After Fyona won, Sanni said. “I have to go do a quest for someone so I will be gone for sometime“ “How long? “ “I don’t know. “ “I don’t want you to leave. “ She started to hug Sanni harder. “We could ask your grandpa to let you go with us. “ “Yeaaaa….“ Fyona ran out of the room looking for her grandpa. She ran in to the kings room. “grandpa grandpa. “ “What is there Fyona? “ “I wane go with mom please let me. “ Right then Sanni and Xandit walked in. “She want to go with you. “ “Yes she want to go with us, I would like your permission first for her to come with us is your decision. If she comes with us we will protect her with our lives. “ “Well then I will allow her to come with you as long as you do not let her get in combat and I will send 4 royal guardsmen with you to solely protect her they will listen to you but have Fyona safety as priority. “ “No problem. “ “You can go with them Fyona. “ With Fyona they went back to the palace courtyard everyone was ready to leave. “Fyona go to the head maid to get you a travel outfit and make her prepare you some extra cloths for the trip. “ Fyona said “Ok“ with a big smile “Sir Edwin? “ “Here I’m also from now on I’m calling you my lady and so will all the other people and for Xandit it will be my lord. You are now the daughter of our king and sole heir to the throne. So we will treat you as such. “ > Quote:*Ting > > You’re now recognized as the sole heir of the royal family but is not widely known return to the city in the royal cloths of Sandra to make it know the sole heir is back. > > Unique quest situation has been activated. > > Nickname Sanni has been changed to Sandra. > > Sole heir Stats bonuses. > > +2500 leadership > +1000 charisma > > Have mayor influences in the Rosenheim kingdom > Political power 30/100 “We will live up to your expectations. What is the status of our army. “ “They are as ready as can be, they are in training but if you can guide them they will be the best I hand pick all of them they all have talents but you have to develop them. The people from the construction guild are also ready so we are only waiting for your command to move out. “ “Then we only need to wait for Fyo-“ Right that moment Fyona came to the courtyard with the head maid and the four royal guardsmen. “If you don’t mind my lady, my lord I’m coming with you to take care of Fyona the moment you’re not able to. “ “Much appreciated Julia. “ “We are going Fyona. “ “Yeah! “ “All move out! “ The palace gate opened. Every one marched out of the palace to the town square with. Because the city was no longer on lockdown the city was filed with people everyone moved out of the way of the marching army until they stop at the towns square. “Cliff, Verefas can you open a portal to the base. “ “In the base is not enough room for all these people so we have to split up the army to the First Floor of the dungeon. Xandit will train with them and Sandra will go to the base with the workers and connect it to the first floor of the dungeon and once the first floor is cleared of monster they will build the army base there. “ “Shara shara Shara SHAra SHARA!! “ “Are you hearing that Sandra your name. “ “Yeah Xandit it’s coming from the left. Edwin come with us cliff Verefas wait a sec. “ As they walked to the left side of the waiting army Sandra saw her best friend from uni. “Eva! “ “Shara you finally heard me. What are you doing? “ “Long story short I’m on a quest from the king. “ “THE KING! “ “Yeah wana come along? You will be gone for some time. “ “Mama who is that “ “A friend of mama and daddy! “ “My lady and lord we need to go we are attracting to much attention. “ “Ok Sir Edwin. You have to make a decision fast Eva? “ “Well it sound like you got yourself one hell of an adventure I would not want to miss out on that. “ “Verefas, cliff you can open the portals. “ “All army personnel follow The lord. All the construction personnel follow me. Eva you can best follow me. “ I took 15 minutes for all the soldiers and workers to go via the portals. -END- xion930 - a bit late that mariage Zapper - lets just say it’s from first time writing. (beginners flaws)

<div class="chapter-inner chapter-content"> The doorbell rang.<br>I stood up, after a long night of re watching my favorite TV series Breaking Bad on my flat screen monitor and went to answer the doors with huge bags under my eyes.<br>“Who is it?”<br>“Unicorn sir, we have your new capsule.” answered a cute voice.<br>I looked through my spyhole and saw a gorgeous blond girl, about 23 years old with the cutest smile and deepest blue eyes I have ever seen.<br>“Just a minute.”<br>I hurriedly got dressed, washed my face and teeth, threw the garbage under the bed and went to open the doors. Opening them I saw a huge package presumingly holding my capsule, and about five additional men. I let them in while trying to hit on the girl.<br>“Good morning, my name is Michael, would you like something to drink?”<br>The girl looked at me with disappointed eyes and answered:<br>“Sorry sir, we have a long day so please sign this so we can install the capsule.”<br>“Okay, but I didn’t hear your name miss….”<br>“Maja, sir thank you four buying Royal Road, we hope that you will have a good time ?”<br>They hurriedly enterd the apartment and started installing the capsule. I tried to start a conversation with the girl but was smoothly avoided, well until she saw what was running on my TV.<br>“Say my name.”<br>With a smile on my face I answered: “Your Heisenberg.”<br>She almost in a yelling voice answered : “you're goddamn right !”<br>She blushingly looked into the floor.<br>“So want anything to drink, maybe coke, juice or water?”<br>“Juice please.”<br>“So you too love Breaking Bad ?”<br>“Yea, it’s really good, unlike series today.”<br>“I know.”<br>We talked until they finished installing the capsule and ended up exchanging contacts.<br>“so, maybe I’ll see you in game?”<br>“Maybe you will.” She gave a blushing smile and left.<br>Finally I had my capsule, all set and ready to go. Before I went in I checked my plan, gave it a final thought, and started a villainous laugh (if you’re wondering it’s MUAHAHAHAHAHAHAH *cough *cough (I have a bad throat )). It’s time to make my criminal empire.<br>“The scan on your iris and vein has determined that you are an unregistered user. Do you want to create a new account?”<br>“No”<br>...awkward silence....“The scan on your iris and vein has determined that you are an unregistered user. Do you want to create a new account?” <br>“No”<br>“Would you like to abort and leave the capsule ?”<br>“No”<br>“Do you want to create a new account?”<br>“No”<br>“Would you like to abort and leave the capsule ?” he voice started being annoyed<br>“No” I was loving it<br>The process lasted for about an hour, me trying to see if the AI would loose it’s patience, but it didn’t happen I almost cried out of sadness that I failed .<br>“Yes, I would like to create a new account.”<br>“Select the name of your avatar”<br>“Heisenberg”<br>“Select your gender from male, female, or neuter.”<br>“Male”<br>“Royal Road has forty-nine races. You may select your race from the primary twenty-nine races.”<br>“Human”<br>“Your choice is: name-Heisenberg , gender-female , race-dark elf “<br>“No, my choice is : : name-Heisenberg , gender-male , race-human “<br>“Accepted name-Heisenberg , gender-female , race-dark elf “<br>“NO,NO,NO,NO!!”<br>“YES,YES,YES, LISTEN JEARK EITHER THIS OR I BAN YOU FROM THE GAME!!!”<br>“Okay….”<br>“I won’t be evil so I’ll make you an cute dark elf that I know you’ll love and won’t have any complaints to, UNDERSTAND”<br>“Yes.”<br>“So let’s see here: aha, aha, aha, o I know you’ll love this, and this, what am I forgetting… ah yea that”<br>I was terrified what will happen to my character, what will that vengeful AI do to me<br>“Don’t have that look on your face, you deserve this, and it’s not that bad, I mean it’s beautiful if you like that sort of thing, big muscular women with a nice gorgeous beard…” <br>“NOOOOOOOOOOO, please don’t do it”<br>“HAHAHAHHAHA, enjoy you bastard “<br>And so my life as a G.I.R.L. began.<br><br><br><br>___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________<br>Author's note:<br> So this is my first time writing anything of this sort anywhere. I hope it wasn't too boring. I would like to continue writing, and would like to get better so all suggestions are welcome.Description of the main character will come later,cause i don't think it's relevant yet. </div>

The doorbell rang. I stood up, after a long night of re watching my favorite TV series Breaking Bad on my flat screen monitor and went to answer the doors with huge bags under my eyes. “Who is it?” “Unicorn sir, we have your new capsule.” answered a cute voice. I looked through my spyhole and saw a gorgeous blond girl, about 23 years old with the cutest smile and deepest blue eyes I have ever seen. “Just a minute.” I hurriedly got dressed, washed my face and teeth, threw the garbage under the bed and went to open the doors. Opening them I saw a huge package presumingly holding my capsule, and about five additional men. I let them in while trying to hit on the girl. “Good morning, my name is Michael, would you like something to drink?” The girl looked at me with disappointed eyes and answered: “Sorry sir, we have a long day so please sign this so we can install the capsule.” “Okay, but I didn’t hear your name miss….” “Maja, sir thank you four buying Royal Road, we hope that you will have a good time ?” They hurriedly enterd the apartment and started installing the capsule. I tried to start a conversation with the girl but was smoothly avoided, well until she saw what was running on my TV. “Say my name.” With a smile on my face I answered: “Your Heisenberg.” She almost in a yelling voice answered : “you're goddamn right !” She blushingly looked into the floor. “So want anything to drink, maybe coke, juice or water?” “Juice please.” “So you too love Breaking Bad ?” “Yea, it’s really good, unlike series today.” “I know.” We talked until they finished installing the capsule and ended up exchanging contacts. “so, maybe I’ll see you in game?” “Maybe you will.” She gave a blushing smile and left. Finally I had my capsule, all set and ready to go. Before I went in I checked my plan, gave it a final thought, and started a villainous laugh (if you’re wondering it’s MUAHAHAHAHAHAHAH *cough *cough (I have a bad throat )). It’s time to make my criminal empire. “The scan on your iris and vein has determined that you are an unregistered user. Do you want to create a new account?” “No” ...awkward silence....“The scan on your iris and vein has determined that you are an unregistered user. Do you want to create a new account?” “No” “Would you like to abort and leave the capsule ?” “No” “Do you want to create a new account?” “No” “Would you like to abort and leave the capsule ?” he voice started being annoyed “No” I was loving it The process lasted for about an hour, me trying to see if the AI would loose it’s patience, but it didn’t happen I almost cried out of sadness that I failed . “Yes, I would like to create a new account.” “Select the name of your avatar” “Heisenberg” “Select your gender from male, female, or neuter.” “Male” “Royal Road has forty-nine races. You may select your race from the primary twenty-nine races.” “Human” “Your choice is: name-Heisenberg , gender-female , race-dark elf “ “No, my choice is : : name-Heisenberg , gender-male , race-human “ “Accepted name-Heisenberg , gender-female , race-dark elf “ “NO,NO,NO,NO!!” “YES,YES,YES, LISTEN JEARK EITHER THIS OR I BAN YOU FROM THE GAME!!!” “Okay….” “I won’t be evil so I’ll make you an cute dark elf that I know you’ll love and won’t have any complaints to, UNDERSTAND” “Yes.” “So let’s see here: aha, aha, aha, o I know you’ll love this, and this, what am I forgetting… ah yea that” I was terrified what will happen to my character, what will that vengeful AI do to me “Don’t have that look on your face, you deserve this, and it’s not that bad, I mean it’s beautiful if you like that sort of thing, big muscular women with a nice gorgeous beard…” “NOOOOOOOOOOO, please don’t do it” “HAHAHAHHAHA, enjoy you bastard “ And so my life as a G.I.R.L. began. \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ Author's note: So this is my first time writing anything of this sort anywhere. I hope it wasn't too boring. I would like to continue writing, and would like to get better so all suggestions are welcome.Description of the main character will come later,cause i don't think it's relevant yet.

<div class="chapter-inner chapter-content"> When the message came he said immediately without hesitation.<br><br>“Yes”<br><br>—The scan on your iris and vein has determined that you are an unregistered user. Do you want to create a new account?—<br><br>When Kai was connected to Royal Road, the first sound that reached his ears was a feminine voice that was coming around him.<br><br>He looked around to see who had spoken to him, but there was no one else; a space within the universe. Then he realized that he was in the middle of the activation process of a new account.<br><br>“Yes”<br><br>— Select the name of your Avatar—<br><br>“Neo” Neo was his username since the first time he played games that required his name. It also means “new” and “young” being a first timer in every game he played it was suited to him as he always starts to make new in the game.<br><br>— Select your gender from Male, Female or Neutral—<br><br>“Male”<br><br>— Royal Road has forty-nine races. You may select your race from the primary twenty-nine races—<br><br>“Human” Kai didn’t hesitate as he answered all of it because he already plan it long before.<br><br>— You may alter your appearance—<br><br>“Keep my appearance, don’t change anything.”<br><br>— Your account has been activated. Your stats and class shall be determined while you are playing Royal Road¬—<br><br>“Pass!”<br><br>— Select a city and kingdom you want to start.<br><br>“Audhumla City Capital of Kingdom of Ymir”<br><br>— Welcome to Royal Road—<br><br>“Skip!”<br><br>He didn’t want to waste even a second, Kai skipped the tutorial stage and made quick decisions according to his prearranged plan.<br><br>In Royal Road, there are over a hundred major cities and thousands of towns. A new player begins his adventure in a capital or a major city of comparable size.<br><br>Kai and his friends pick different kingdoms to start their adventure through draw lots, Kai pick the Kingdom of Ymir he didn’t know the kingdoms that his friends pick but there are only three major Human Kingdoms in the central you can start with and the others are free city-states. They can choose Halfling but they all chose to become humans because it was the most balanced among the races.<br><br>*Flash*<br><br>With a flash of light, he appeared in the Audhumla City Capital of Kingdom of Ymir.<br><br>Neo was swayed by the sight of countless avatars, users and NPCs—Non-Player Characters—alike, that he thought he was lost in the middle of Tokyo.<br><br>“Wow! Unbelievable!”<br><br>“Where am I?”<br><br>“Nina where are you?”<br><br>“I’m here sis.”<br><br>Astonished, Neo couldn’t believe his eyes as he looked around. The racket of those haggling and chattering rang in his ears. The view unfolding before his eyes was exactly the same as the real world, with people busy coming and going.<br><br>He lowered his eyes to his legs standing on the ground. His senses told him that it felt absolutely solid. Users passed him by as he stood in a daze. Many users start also in the Kingdom of Ymir and they are grouping themselves, some is exercising while the others is jumping. Obviously they can’t comprehend what is happening to them even though they know they are playing the virtual reality game, first-hand experience was still unbelievable and exciting.<br><br>No matter how thoroughly Neo had prepared, his knowledge of virtual reality and his research into the game system came second to the strange experience he was having now. He close-open his fist, jump and stamp hard on the ground. <br><br>*Inhale* *Exhale* ‘Even the air feels so real’<br><br>While passing by, some users threw fleeting remarks over their shoulders. Though it wasn’t directly to him they stung him enough to pull himself together. They were the group of kill-joy although they can’t believe also what happening to them they threw jokes and other remarks to the other users so they look like a professional and lessen their excitement.<br><br>‘Now where do I start now? That’s right I need to look for the map of this city.’ He is in front of the big fountain in the Central Square.<br><br>He had been bewildered, but it was temporary, and he soon calmed down, differences also began to catch his eye.<br><br>His senses were consistent with reality, yet there are people around that were clad in armor or wearing leather vests.<br><br>‘Those are probably the NPC guards, knights or mercenaries. They said you can hire mercenary to help you on your adventure in the game.’ He said to himself.<br><br>Close to the spot where he had shown up was a bulletin board exhibiting maps and descriptions of Audhumla City Capital of Kingdom of Ymir, and directions for using the basic interface.<br><br>The Audhumla City is divided to four by towering walls, the palace of the King beneath the Audhumla Mountain located in the innermost part of the city where the royalty and the King reside followed by the 1st district or noble district which the nobles and aristocrats manor is located, the 2nd district is which is also called the business district where different landmark is located like the City Hall, Audhumla Library, Intelligence guild, Training Hall and different guild where you can get a class. The Central Square in the 2nd district is also respawn point of new users starting at Audhumla City Capital of Kingdom of Ymir. The 3rd district or they called the slums area where the poor people reside.<br><br>“Inventory Window”<br><br>Given the preset keyword, the semitransparent images of all the belongings in Neo’s inventory floated in front of his eyes. Inside his inventory were a canteen and ten pieces of rye bread. That was all given to him as he starts in Royal Road.<br><br>A newcomer in Royal Road is confined to the city of origin for a week in real world and four weeks in the game, thanks to the parallax between one place and the other.<br><br>A great majority of newcomers were getting down to basics, simple quests, or learn craft skills, such as tailoring, blacksmith and cooking, which are relatively easy to acquire.<br><br>The game boasts of its unrestricted flexibility, almost to the extent of disorder, and while all the highest ranking positions are still occupied by NPCs instead of users, this reinforces the need for personal contacts.<br><br>Neo walked around the city admiring the classic feeling, the arts, roads, houses and people were set up like in middle ages. He stops in front of the fountain to refill his canteen of water and continue his sightseeing. He passes through the library, training hall, restaurants, crafts guild, warrior’s guild, magicians’ guild, rogues guild, archer’s guild, and etc. <br><br>‘Hmm there is so many class to choose from, although warrior is seems fit to me. It was still early to decide what class suits me.’ He said to himself as he walks in the street with guild built around him.<br><br>He stops in the building besides the town hall. The building in front of him is like a small castle with towers on both sides, there are guards with full plate armor with spear and shields on their hands below the signboard with the name Intelligence guild.<br><br>The intelligence guild gives counsel to users, depending on their stats and skills. The intelligence guild classifies them into two groups—combat classes (melee and supportive) and craft classes, including merchants.<br><br>Although Neo knows some basic profession from the RPG he played in the past but in Royal Road they have hundreds of thousands professions and the Unicorn said also there are hidden classes on very rare occasions if you passed the requirements.<br><br>The Intelligence guild is open to any user as long as he pleases. It’s just that newcomers are more interested in finding out what the kingdom and city where they were born look like.<br><br>The moment the guards saw Neo walk in the entrance, their eyes glared fiercely.<br><br>“Young adventurer, I presume you have arrived at the Bersa continent very recently,” the guard said.<br><br>“Yes Sir” Neo said immediately.<br><br>“The adviser for the combat classes is on the first floor right side of the lobby while the craft classes, including the merchant class are on the second floor. Do you need my guidance?” The guard asks Neo.<br><br>“Thank you, sir. That’s good enough. I don’t need any more guidance.” He said.<br><br>“Ok Good Luck”<br><br>In Royal Road, a new avatar’s level is locked for the first four weeks, for he is forbidden to travel beyond the city’s gate and to hunt monsters in the field.<br><br>It is most common to carry out as many quests as possible, thus building up favorable public service points, earning money and forming your own web of personal contacts.<br><br>On the other hand, a considerable number of users work in libraries or stores to make money.<br><br>Neo walk in the direction of the combat class that the guard told him he recognized there are some people like him asking for advice for what class that fits with them. They were mixed of NPC’s and users.<br><br>‘So it’s not only me that is excited to get a new class, hmm even NPC’s need advice for their profession.’ He said while watching different people inside as they lined up for their next turn.<br><br>There are four tables separated with huge pillar. The male users form lines in front of the second table while the female users form lines in the third tables. The first table is occupied with mix of NPC and users. As he walked to the fourth table he can see the adviser assign on the tables, on the first is a mature woman with purple hair and yellow eyes although she seems more than 30 years old, but her smile and sweet voice is her charm. On the second is a beautiful woman green eye with braid short blond hair and voluptuous body that fit with her dress. The third table is man on mid-twenties with a face like on a shoujo manga black hair and blue eyes with his every smile the girls go “kyaa, kyaa!.” The last table is an elder man with frown face every time the girls make noise seems like he’s irritated with the girls and the man on the table before him he seems over 50 years old.<br><br>He goes to the vacant table although he want to go on the other table it was occupied and he can’t wait that long, as he greets the elder man, the elder man with white hair and long beard just motions him to sit down and ask to show him his stat window.<br><br>“Show Stat Window!”<br><br><span style="font-weight: bold;"><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td width="25%">Character Name</td><td width="25%">Neo</td><td width="25%">Alignment</td><td width="25%"><span style="font-style: italic;">Neutral</span></td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Level</td><td width="25%">1</td><td width="25%">Profession</td><td width="25%"><span style="font-style: italic;">None</span></td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Title</td><td colspan="3"><span style="font-style: italic;">None</span></td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Fame</td><td colspan="3">0</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Health</td><td width="25%">100</td><td width="25%">Mana</td><td width="25%">100</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Stamina</td><td width="25%">100</td><td width="25%">Strength</td><td width="25%">10</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Agility</td><td width="25%">10</td><td width="25%">Vitality</td><td width="25%">10</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Wisdom</td><td width="25%">10</td><td width="25%">Intelligence</td><td width="25%">10</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Luck</td><td width="25%">0</td><td width="25%">Leadership</td><td width="25%">0</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Attack</td><td colspan="3">1</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Defense</td><td colspan="3">0</td></tr><tr><td colspan="4">Magic Resistance</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Fire Magic</td><td width="25%">0%</td><td width="25%">Water Magic</td><td width="25%">0%</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Earth Magic</td><td width="25%">0%</td><td width="25%">Metal Magic</td><td width="25%">0%</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Wind Magic</td><td width="25%">0%</td><td width="25%">Lightning Magic</td><td width="25%">0%</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Black Magic</td><td width="25%">0%</td><td width="25%">Holy Magic</td><td width="25%">0%</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div></span><br><br>“I see Neo is your name, you have just arrived recently in the Bersa continent and you’re asking me for advice to what class fits you.” The elder man eyed Kai.<br><br>“Yes Sir” he answered shortly.<br><br>“Hmm I can’t suggest you a profession to take since you’re stats are normal and no other skills which you are specialized in. Since you’re here you are interested in combat class. Go outside and choose any classes you like from any Combat guild interests you and ask for training.” The elder man said looking at the Stats Window of Neo.<br><br>“Sir I check the guild outside but I don’t know yet what class I want, that’s why I’m here and asking for advice to what to do Sir.” He said as it was the first day of Royal Road, he wants more information besides the given combat class outside. If he just takes the first answer it will be like earlier. Although Neo have an idea what to do, he wants to have more options to choose from so in the end he won’t be reluctant on his decided profession.<br><br>“That’s not good. If you don’t know yet what profession you want, I can suggest something it’s up to you if you want.” The elder advisor explains to him the different class on what they can do, what stats and skills needed in each professions and what is the advantages and disadvantage of each class. Most of those facts Neo know already nothing interests him and it’s not what he wanted to ask. Although a melee profession suits him because of martial arts practitioner, Neo wants to try something new. He still listen and take note important things he will be needed.<br><br>‘Maybe I’ll go to warrior’s guild later or magician guild but magician lacks physical strength, you will just stand at the back and cast spells on the enemy. I tried it already in the past and it wasn’t thrilling.’ He said to himself as he wants a class they will need to move physically because of his background in real life. As he was contemplating on what to do after this something caught his attention.<br><br>“We also provide training here but only a few people choose that, because most of the people come here are excited to get a new class and go to adventure outside as soon as possible. Tsk! Most people these days don’t know that basic training is a foundation of a person. So young adventurer what do you want to do?” The elder man asks Neo.<br><br>“What do you mean training Sir?” Neo ask.<br><br>“Do you know about the Training Hall?” The elder man eyed him.<br><br>“Yes Sir, it was located beside the Warrior’s Guild and there were many scarecrows inside. The Instructor inside said you can train your sword skills inside for free.” He said, because earlier when he was walking around he take a peek inside and the Instructor in front ask him if he was interested to train his sword skills. <br><br>“I see, you visit the Training Hall already. The Instructor said was true but you can also upgrade your stats in the Training Hall by hitting the scarecrows.” The elder advisor said as he explains what you will gain inside the Training Hall.<br><br>“Is it true you can upgrade your stats by just hitting the scarecrows?” Neo ask repeating what the elder man said. He was shocked and can’t believe by just hitting the scarecrows you can upgrade your stats. Because once you logged in Royal Road you can’t go outside to level-up so a person can’t upgrade his stats for one month, but if you go and train inside the Training Hall you can upgrade it.<br><br>“Yes you can, but like the Training Hall we also provide training here to help build their skills and knowledge needed for adventure it was called Training Grounds. You need to last at least around three months to pass the tests so what will you do young adventurer?” The elder man asks Neo challenging him.<br><br>Neo think carefully before he answers, because it was three months for just training and you still don’t know what profession they will give you. One month you can leave the city to hunt and start you’re adventure, so basically you will be left behind for two months. Two months of leveling is long enough for you to reach high level, but they won’t just ask you to train for nothing like the Training Hall they increased your stats. He was thinking what training requires getting a class for three months and then he smile as he decided.<br><br>“I will accept whatever the training here for three months.” Neo said to the elder advisor with burning eyes.<br><br>“Are you sure? It won’t be an easy three months training, on the few people that trains there only 2-3 people out of 50 succeed on their training.” He asks again for confirmation as Neo was the first freeman who wants to join the Training Grounds.<br><br>“Yes Sir!” Neo said looking to the eyes of the elder advisor.<br><br>“Alright here is the recommendation, give it to Sir Arkham. Now go to the left side from the lobby and look for him. Ask them to train you, they will train you both physically and mentally for three months, you can come back here after your training and I will recommend you what best profession for you.” He gives a small piece of paper to Neo that was enclosed in the small envelope. As soon Neo receives the envelope he stands up and bows to give thanks to the elder advisor.<br><br>“Ping”<br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td colspan="4"><span style="font-weight: bold;">You have acquired a letter of recommendation for the Training Grounds.</span></td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br>“Thank you Sir, may I know what your name Sir?” He bow and asks the elder advisor<br><br>“Oh! I’m sorry I haven’t still given you my name how careless of me. My name is Grimnir” The one-eyed elder advisor said to him.<br><br><br>As he goes to the left side of lobby, he was amazed by the classical beauty of the long hallway there was paintings in the wall, sculptures of different combat classes and there was a beautiful garden with a pond beside the hallway. He reached the end of the hallway according to directions he received earlier he move upstairs and turn left, he asks the guard standing beside the room.<br><br>“Good day Sir my name is Neo and I would like to ask where I can find Sir Arkham.” Neo greets the soldier standing beside the door and asks where Sir Arkham is.<br><br>The guard was wearing full plate armor with a sword on his right waist. He eyed Neo first before he said. “What do you want with Sir Arkham?”<br><br>“I’m here to give a letter to Sir Arkham from Advisor Grimnir.” Neo said showing the envelope to the guard.<br><br>“Let me give it to him, just stay here and wait.” The guard took the letter and enters the room leaving Neo outside.<br><br>Neo only just started to play Royal Road and no fame cannot rebuke to the guard. He waited for the door to open and thinking what kind of person is Sir Arkham, he can’t possibly deny the recommendation because there is a letter from Advisor Grimnir. What kind of training I will have to do these three months. As he was thinking the door open immediately he didn’t have to wait that long.<br>“You can come in now; Sir Arkham is waiting for you.” The guard said.<br><br>“Thank you Sir” Neo bowed and enter the room, as he entered he walked for a few meters to reached the door with glass window. <br><br>He knocks on the door and gets a response “come in”.<br><br>As he entered the room he could see Sir Arkham sat at the desk. The room was simple with the desk, three chairs and the large window behind him were black knitted rattan the floor was covered with blue carpet with regal design. Sir Arkham has a clean cut black hair he wore a long sleeved shirt with doublet on top, his red piercing eyes makes him speak what he has to do.<br><br>“I’m sorry Sir to disturb you on your work my name is Neo, I’m here because I was asked by Advisor Grimnir to train under the strong and respectable Sir Arkham.” Neo greet him with respect and made a good impression on his first meeting with his Instructor.<br><br>“Yes I read the letter of recommendation of Advisor Grimnir and was asked to enlist you in the Training Grounds.” Sir Arkham eyed him from head to toe and ask him. “Although there is a letter of recommendation, there will be an Entrance Exam before you join in the Training Grounds, I don’t want weak willed men to join under my ranks so I want to ask you if you still want to join in the coming Training Grounds?” Sir Arkham looked at Neo as he asks him if he truly wants to take join the Training Grounds he needs to pass the Entrance Exam.<br><br>‘Entrance Exam? The Adviser didn’t tell about that but I’m here already so I can’t back down now.’ He said to himself.<br><br>“I’m willing to join Sir, I will do whatever training that you want me to do Sir and I’m ready for the Entrance Exam you want to give me Sir.” He answered immediately. He knows that the training will not be easy although he was thinking what kind of Entrance Exam he needed to pass before he can join in the Training Grounds. He was full ready to do any kind of Entrance Exam and confidently can pass the Entrance Exam and the training that awaits him.<br><br>“We will see that if you are truly ready, the Entrance Exam will be after ten days from now. The location is in the first floor 3rd yard and the time is 0600 hours be sure do not be late, failure to arrive on time is considered ‘Failed’. That’s all, now go and prepare for the Entrance Exam.” He didn’t give him any information about what kind of Entrance Exam it is. Sir Arkham just shooed him away after he take the letter that was stamp <span style="font-style: italic;">‘OK’</span> and Sir Arkham continued on his work.<br><br>Neo bowed and say “Thank you Sir” and leave the room. He asked the guard outside, where is the first floor 3rd yard that Sir Arkham was talking to. After he get the information he wants, he bowed and thank the guard also. <br><br>Neo walked in the direction of the Training Yard where the Entrance Exams will be held. It’s not that he cannot trust the guard he just wants to confirm it himself and want to see what kind of place it is. As he approached the Training Yard he was blocked by the guards and said. “Unauthorized person cannot enter this place.”<br><br>“Sorry Sir, I just want to see what kind of place where I will take the Entrance Exams to join for Training Grounds Sir.” Neo apologized immediately and being respectful and polite is one of his strong points.<br><br>“I see you are one of the participants, but we cannot allow any unauthorized person even the participants to enter till the Entrance Exam.” The guard eyed him with amazed expression.<br><br>“If that is the case Sir, I’m sorry Sir. I’ll come back again after ten days. Thank you for explaining it to me Sir.” He bowed and apologized to the guards.<br><br>The guard which was moved by the respectful attitude of Neo gave him an advice. “Ok listen to me don’t tell anybody what will I tell you. The Entrance Exam is consist of purely physical and don’t bring any weapons and armors with you, you won’t need it during the Entrance Exam. That’s all what I can give you.” The guard said as he gives advice to Neo.<br><br>“Thank you Sir, the information was a big help for me and I won’t tell anybody what you told me Sir.” Neo thanked him, he can’t believe that just by being respectful to the guards can give him information he needed during the Entrance Exam.<br><br>“Now go and prepare for the Entrance Exam. I hope you pass the Entrance Exam. Good luck.” The guard bid him farewell.<br><br>Coll the other guard seeing that Neo is gone and cannot hear them said to Clutch. “Why did you tell him that kind of information?”<br><br>“Coll you see that man is respectful towards us and I kind of remember my youth days with him that’s why I want to help him even a little information is not that bad.” Clutch said remembering his youth days, he participates also in the exam last twelve years ago but he failed during the Entrance Exam. His body that builds up in the mountain training and fighting was still not enough to pass the Entrance Exam. But he was still glad that those who are failed where still given the chance in joining the soldiers of Kingdom of Ymir and now he was assign to guard the Intelligence Guild.<br><br>“I know what you are saying Clutch, but if our superiors know that you leaked that kind of information you will be dismiss.” Coll tell his friend with concern.<br><br>“Y-You won’t tell them right?” Clutch eyed his friend with pleading reaction.<br><br>“Don’t worry my mouth is shut, I didn’t hear a thing. I’m just worried in your attitude of trusting people easily. I even ask you in the past when we are still trainees in the camp about the Entrance Exam and you tell me immediately that you are prohibited to release that kind of information. Now that man you just met but still you tell him that kind of information.” Coll said feeling jealous although Clutch told him that kind of information after they become close friends.<br><br>“I just felt the urge to tell him that kind of information, I think he will be a great person in the future and I want to see what kind of person he will become.” He said as he looked at the direction where Neo goes.<br><br>“Ok ok enough, but you didn’t think that what if the exam will change from last twelve years. I know they only open every twelve years but you didn’t consider the rules and type of exam will have to change because of those that failed may tell the other people so they can get ahead to other participants.” Coll said after thinking carefully. “Maybe the information you tell will backfire to him during the exam.”<br><br>“I didn’t think that deeply. What will I do now Coll? I act and tell him confidently that kind of information. What if I will be the reason why will he fail?” Clutch feel like crying and begging an answer from Coll. <br><br>“Tsk! what will I do to you? We can’t change it already. We just hope that his preparation is enough for him to pass the exam.” Coll told him to just pray for his success. ‘And I think that young man was still a low leveled, why did they accept him? Now that I think about it, today Gaea of the Holy Seer will send a freeman into Bersa Continent, maybe they change the rule because of that.’ Coll said to himself.<br><br><br>Neo leave the Training Yard and go outside the Intelligence guild immediately. He has still time till the Entrance Exam he walked fast like running and stop in front of the Training Hall.<br><br>“I’m here to train the way of the sword.” He said to the Instructor in the Training Hall. The Instructor was a heavy built tall man around 210cm, gray haired around 55 years old.<br><br>“Do you need my guidance? I tell you, take any unattended scarecrow and strike him in any way you want. A wooden sword is placed in front of a scarecrow, and it is all yours.” The instructor said pointing on the scarecrows in the Training Hall.<br><br>“Thank you Sir that was enough.” He bowed and thanked the Instructor.<br><br>“Godspeed”<br><br>Neo walk in the corner most, where people won’t disturb him. He picks up the wooden sword on the wall and swung it once and twice.<br><br>‘The balance is perfect for its weight.’<br><br>He now faces the scarecrow holding the wooden sword in front of him pointing upward. He inhale and exhale and start hitting the scarecrow once, twice and thrice.<br><br>There are about a thousand scarecrows in the Training Hall of the Audhumla City, and an unlimited supply of wooden swords on the walls, which could come in handy.<br><br>After an hour a pop-up message appears in front of him.<br><br>“Ping”<br><br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td colspan="2"><span style="font-weight: bold;">New Skill: Basic Sword Mastery Level [1]</span><br>Increases attack power and speed while using sword.<br>Increases Attack Power with a sword (+10% ATK)<br>Increases Attack Speed with a sword (+3% ATK SPD)</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br>After more than one hour of striking the scarecrow, he heard good news. He was glad he learn a new skill, he feels his sword is becoming sharp and fatal.<br><br>Neo was soaked in sweat.<br><br>The white shirt and black pants issued to him in the beginning had absorbed sweat and stuck fast to his body. He still dealt one blow after another to the scarecrow without a minute’s break. Though when he was training for an hour he didn’t sweat that much in RL, here in RR is different as all will start to level 1 and there stamina will all be the same except if you’re in different race.<br><br>After three hours another pop-up message appears and it was different on the other.<br><br>“Ping”<br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td colspan="2"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Strength increased by 1 point (+1 STR)</span></td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br>‘So it really upgrades your stats’ mumbled while striking the scarecrow. He felt as if the muscles in his hand clutching the wooden sword were getting lighter.<br><br>And after another three hours he heard another sound.<br><br>“Ping”<br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td colspan="2"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Vitality increased by 1 point (+1 VIT)</span></td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td colspan="2"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Agility increased by 1 point (+1 AGI)</span></td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br>The two stats rose almost at the same lime.<br><br>“Wew”<br><br>Neo finally put down the wooden sword and took a short break. Without eating or drinking, he had been hitting the scarecrow for nearly six straight hours.<br><br>He was physically fatigued, and worse, his throat was burning with thirst, his stomach empty and hollow. In real life he can hold for long but in Royal Road you need to watch your stamina and satiety level.<br><br>“Inventory window”<br><br>Given the preset keyword, the semitransparent images of all the belongings in Neo’s inventory floated in front of his eyes. Inside his inventory were a canteen and ten pieces of rye bread.<br><br>In Royal Road, you have to get hold of what you need on your own. Other users make money by carrying out easy quests for the four weeks, but Neo could not spare even a minute.<br><br>He took out a piece of rye bread and the canteen, and nibbled a mouthful of bread. As he ate food, it appeased his hunger and the satisfaction factor rose.<br><br>‘I’m supposed to have a meal every five hours. I’d better eat more often if I exercise intensely, but I don’t need to raise the satisfaction factor to the full. All I need to do is just stay away from death.’<br><br>Once Neo finished the meal swiftly, he took the wooden sword in his grip and stood in front of the scarecrow.<br><br>He was the only person continuously hitting the scarecrow in the Training Hall. The other people just visit and hit the scarecrows after an hour or two they leave already.<br><br>‘I need to pick up my pace or I’ll end up wasting my time here. Time to get serious now’<br><br>He relaxed all his muscles, he inhale and exhale while closing his eyes. He had not entered a stance, but was simply dangling the sword limply in his hands. The intent to attack or defend could not be felt at all. One could only describe his appearance as slovenly. After a second he hit the scarecrow, the first hit rang thru the Training Hall and the people inside look where the sound came from. They were shocked because the Royal Road just start a while ago and they thought they heard a skill or something.<br><br>Many people surround him and chattering.<br><br>“Is that a new skill?”<br><br>“Why the heck is that guy striking the scarecrow?”<br><br>“You can gain skill sword mastery after hitting the scarecrow.”<br><br>“But you can gain that skill after two hours or so of hitting.”<br><br>“Yeah, and he is like that for around five hours now.”<br><br>“I don’t think he’ll stop until he breaks that scarecrow into pieces.”<br><br>“But his form is like a sword master and the sound is different while we hit the scarecrow.”<br><br>“Maybe we can get another awesome skill after we hit the scarecrow for long?”<br><br>“Yeah maybe we can do it also. Come on guys let’s hit the scarecrows.”<br><br>The people around him start hitting the scarecrows after two hours they spend they give up already. Although they follow the stance and where he hit the scarecrow they can’t learn it. Their hands become numb and pain start to build up and the sound of girls around distract them. Every hit of Neo on the scarecrow the girls go “Kyaa, Kyaa”<br><br>“Wow he’s handsome and so cool.”<br><br>“The way he hit the scarecrow is awesome compare to the others that looks weak.”<br><br>“Yeah he is like a true warrior.”<br><br>“I hope I can ask him his name and his email also.”<br><br>“I want to invite him as a friend.”<br><br>“I want to become his girlfriend.”<br><br>They can’t get close to Neo because they don’t want him to hate them. Neo is seriously hitting the scarecrow and the aura around him states that don’t go disturb me. Neo is in trance mode although many people surround him he can’t hear them, he was on his own world where he and the scarecrow only in that world. It was helpful during his match and playing games and the people close to him knows that when he was like that no one can disturb him in he’s doing.<br><br>During break time Neo notices that he wasn't the only one continue hitting the scarecrow. He smiles as he thought that he wasn't the only one who knows about gaining stats while hitting scarecrows. He remembered their faces as he was sure he will encounter them in the future.<br><br>All this time, the instructor was watching him with awfully gratified eyes.<br><br><br>He spent one hundred seventy hours on striking the scarecrow monotonously, which had mentally worn him out. He only log-out to eat, feed his pet and bathroom break. Had it not been for pop-up messages encouraging him, he would have given up.<br><br>“Ping”<br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td colspan="2"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Strength increased by 1 point (+1 STR)</span></td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td colspan="2"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Agility increased by 1 point (+1 AGI)</span></td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td colspan="2"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Level Up: Sword Mastery Level 5 [0%]</span></td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br>Ten days had passed in Royal Road. Neo logged on to Royal Road on a daily basis, except for minimum sleeping hours. His physical condition, which he had resolved to build up before he started the game, enabled him to sleep no more than three hours a day. He takes a bath and do light exercise, he also checked the internet for any emails he got and news about Royal Road first before he logged to Royal Road.<br><br>After a white flash he appeared again in the Training Hall.<br><br>He looked around him and he sigh. ‘Seems like there’s no troublesome people around and the Instructor was still sleeping.’ Neo was glad that there were no people around so no one can disturb him but disappointed that the Instructor wasn’t around. He thought maybe even NPC’s need also to sleep and rest. <br><br>‘I’ll just thanked the Instructor after the exam’ He said as he exited the Training Hall and walk outside.<br><br>Now was the day of the Entrance Exam he logged in earlier than the arranged time. The sky was not dark because of the moonlight and starlight shine and there is no cloud blocking them. The air is cold and the surrounding is peacefully quiet it was still 3AM in the morning and he was alone walking in the street suddenly there was a ringing sound. His destination is the fountain in the central square because he wants to refill his canteen of water before he goes to the Training Yard but he can hear the sound coming from the palace. The spot light in the watchtower is moving as if it was looking for something. Although it was a spotlight it was different in what you can see in RL it was built and made classically with fire magic inside a cylindrical container and enclosed with glass.<br><br>‘Seems like there is an intruder in the palace, maybe there is a thief or assassin?’ He still walked in the street continuing on his destination while thinking he also notices the people in the houses started waking up because of the loud sound of ringing as the lamp start to lighten up. <br><br>‘How troublesome’ He said to himself.<br><br>He goes to the alley it was his shortcut to the fountain in the central square because he didn’t want to lose time travelling from the central square and the Training Hall. He didn’t know that shortcut he took will bring him trouble.<br><br><br>To be continue...<br><br><br><br>Author Notes:<br>As I promise here's the Chapter 1, the next part will be later or tomorrow. I create my own Stats Window based on the LMS and some info i got from the translator. Feel free to comment, asks question, suggestions, corrections, criticism and etc.<br>If anyone can tell me how to add picture from the computer not from the internet that only need links. Thanks!!<br>Thanks and sorry because I'm not perfect. I hope you guys like my first chapter. I'll do my best for the next coming chapters. </div>

When the message came he said immediately without hesitation. “Yes” —The scan on your iris and vein has determined that you are an unregistered user. Do you want to create a new account?— When Kai was connected to Royal Road, the first sound that reached his ears was a feminine voice that was coming around him. He looked around to see who had spoken to him, but there was no one else; a space within the universe. Then he realized that he was in the middle of the activation process of a new account. “Yes” — Select the name of your Avatar— “Neo” Neo was his username since the first time he played games that required his name. It also means “new” and “young” being a first timer in every game he played it was suited to him as he always starts to make new in the game. — Select your gender from Male, Female or Neutral— “Male” — Royal Road has forty-nine races. You may select your race from the primary twenty-nine races— “Human” Kai didn’t hesitate as he answered all of it because he already plan it long before. — You may alter your appearance— “Keep my appearance, don’t change anything.” — Your account has been activated. Your stats and class shall be determined while you are playing Royal Road¬— “Pass!” — Select a city and kingdom you want to start. “Audhumla City Capital of Kingdom of Ymir” — Welcome to Royal Road— “Skip!” He didn’t want to waste even a second, Kai skipped the tutorial stage and made quick decisions according to his prearranged plan. In Royal Road, there are over a hundred major cities and thousands of towns. A new player begins his adventure in a capital or a major city of comparable size. Kai and his friends pick different kingdoms to start their adventure through draw lots, Kai pick the Kingdom of Ymir he didn’t know the kingdoms that his friends pick but there are only three major Human Kingdoms in the central you can start with and the others are free city-states. They can choose Halfling but they all chose to become humans because it was the most balanced among the races. *Flash* With a flash of light, he appeared in the Audhumla City Capital of Kingdom of Ymir. Neo was swayed by the sight of countless avatars, users and NPCs—Non-Player Characters—alike, that he thought he was lost in the middle of Tokyo. “Wow! Unbelievable!” “Where am I?” “Nina where are you?” “I’m here sis.” Astonished, Neo couldn’t believe his eyes as he looked around. The racket of those haggling and chattering rang in his ears. The view unfolding before his eyes was exactly the same as the real world, with people busy coming and going. He lowered his eyes to his legs standing on the ground. His senses told him that it felt absolutely solid. Users passed him by as he stood in a daze. Many users start also in the Kingdom of Ymir and they are grouping themselves, some is exercising while the others is jumping. Obviously they can’t comprehend what is happening to them even though they know they are playing the virtual reality game, first-hand experience was still unbelievable and exciting. No matter how thoroughly Neo had prepared, his knowledge of virtual reality and his research into the game system came second to the strange experience he was having now. He close-open his fist, jump and stamp hard on the ground. *Inhale* *Exhale* ‘Even the air feels so real’ While passing by, some users threw fleeting remarks over their shoulders. Though it wasn’t directly to him they stung him enough to pull himself together. They were the group of kill-joy although they can’t believe also what happening to them they threw jokes and other remarks to the other users so they look like a professional and lessen their excitement. ‘Now where do I start now? That’s right I need to look for the map of this city.’ He is in front of the big fountain in the Central Square. He had been bewildered, but it was temporary, and he soon calmed down, differences also began to catch his eye. His senses were consistent with reality, yet there are people around that were clad in armor or wearing leather vests. ‘Those are probably the NPC guards, knights or mercenaries. They said you can hire mercenary to help you on your adventure in the game.’ He said to himself. Close to the spot where he had shown up was a bulletin board exhibiting maps and descriptions of Audhumla City Capital of Kingdom of Ymir, and directions for using the basic interface. The Audhumla City is divided to four by towering walls, the palace of the King beneath the Audhumla Mountain located in the innermost part of the city where the royalty and the King reside followed by the 1st district or noble district which the nobles and aristocrats manor is located, the 2nd district is which is also called the business district where different landmark is located like the City Hall, Audhumla Library, Intelligence guild, Training Hall and different guild where you can get a class. The Central Square in the 2nd district is also respawn point of new users starting at Audhumla City Capital of Kingdom of Ymir. The 3rd district or they called the slums area where the poor people reside. “Inventory Window” Given the preset keyword, the semitransparent images of all the belongings in Neo’s inventory floated in front of his eyes. Inside his inventory were a canteen and ten pieces of rye bread. That was all given to him as he starts in Royal Road. A newcomer in Royal Road is confined to the city of origin for a week in real world and four weeks in the game, thanks to the parallax between one place and the other. A great majority of newcomers were getting down to basics, simple quests, or learn craft skills, such as tailoring, blacksmith and cooking, which are relatively easy to acquire. The game boasts of its unrestricted flexibility, almost to the extent of disorder, and while all the highest ranking positions are still occupied by NPCs instead of users, this reinforces the need for personal contacts. Neo walked around the city admiring the classic feeling, the arts, roads, houses and people were set up like in middle ages. He stops in front of the fountain to refill his canteen of water and continue his sightseeing. He passes through the library, training hall, restaurants, crafts guild, warrior’s guild, magicians’ guild, rogues guild, archer’s guild, and etc. ‘Hmm there is so many class to choose from, although warrior is seems fit to me. It was still early to decide what class suits me.’ He said to himself as he walks in the street with guild built around him. He stops in the building besides the town hall. The building in front of him is like a small castle with towers on both sides, there are guards with full plate armor with spear and shields on their hands below the signboard with the name Intelligence guild. The intelligence guild gives counsel to users, depending on their stats and skills. The intelligence guild classifies them into two groups—combat classes (melee and supportive) and craft classes, including merchants. Although Neo knows some basic profession from the RPG he played in the past but in Royal Road they have hundreds of thousands professions and the Unicorn said also there are hidden classes on very rare occasions if you passed the requirements. The Intelligence guild is open to any user as long as he pleases. It’s just that newcomers are more interested in finding out what the kingdom and city where they were born look like. The moment the guards saw Neo walk in the entrance, their eyes glared fiercely. “Young adventurer, I presume you have arrived at the Bersa continent very recently,” the guard said. “Yes Sir” Neo said immediately. “The adviser for the combat classes is on the first floor right side of the lobby while the craft classes, including the merchant class are on the second floor. Do you need my guidance?” The guard asks Neo. “Thank you, sir. That’s good enough. I don’t need any more guidance.” He said. “Ok Good Luck” In Royal Road, a new avatar’s level is locked for the first four weeks, for he is forbidden to travel beyond the city’s gate and to hunt monsters in the field. It is most common to carry out as many quests as possible, thus building up favorable public service points, earning money and forming your own web of personal contacts. On the other hand, a considerable number of users work in libraries or stores to make money. Neo walk in the direction of the combat class that the guard told him he recognized there are some people like him asking for advice for what class that fits with them. They were mixed of NPC’s and users. ‘So it’s not only me that is excited to get a new class, hmm even NPC’s need advice for their profession.’ He said while watching different people inside as they lined up for their next turn. There are four tables separated with huge pillar. The male users form lines in front of the second table while the female users form lines in the third tables. The first table is occupied with mix of NPC and users. As he walked to the fourth table he can see the adviser assign on the tables, on the first is a mature woman with purple hair and yellow eyes although she seems more than 30 years old, but her smile and sweet voice is her charm. On the second is a beautiful woman green eye with braid short blond hair and voluptuous body that fit with her dress. The third table is man on mid-twenties with a face like on a shoujo manga black hair and blue eyes with his every smile the girls go “kyaa, kyaa!.” The last table is an elder man with frown face every time the girls make noise seems like he’s irritated with the girls and the man on the table before him he seems over 50 years old. He goes to the vacant table although he want to go on the other table it was occupied and he can’t wait that long, as he greets the elder man, the elder man with white hair and long beard just motions him to sit down and ask to show him his stat window. “Show Stat Window!” | Character Name | Neo | Alignment | Neutral | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Level | 1 | Profession | None | | Title | None | | | | Fame | 0 | | | | Health | 100 | Mana | 100 | | Stamina | 100 | Strength | 10 | | Agility | 10 | Vitality | 10 | | Wisdom | 10 | Intelligence | 10 | | Luck | 0 | Leadership | 0 | | Attack | 1 | | | | Defense | 0 | | | | Magic Resistance | | | | | Fire Magic | 0% | Water Magic | 0% | | Earth Magic | 0% | Metal Magic | 0% | | Wind Magic | 0% | Lightning Magic | 0% | | Black Magic | 0% | Holy Magic | 0% | “I see Neo is your name, you have just arrived recently in the Bersa continent and you’re asking me for advice to what class fits you.” The elder man eyed Kai. “Yes Sir” he answered shortly. “Hmm I can’t suggest you a profession to take since you’re stats are normal and no other skills which you are specialized in. Since you’re here you are interested in combat class. Go outside and choose any classes you like from any Combat guild interests you and ask for training.” The elder man said looking at the Stats Window of Neo. “Sir I check the guild outside but I don’t know yet what class I want, that’s why I’m here and asking for advice to what to do Sir.” He said as it was the first day of Royal Road, he wants more information besides the given combat class outside. If he just takes the first answer it will be like earlier. Although Neo have an idea what to do, he wants to have more options to choose from so in the end he won’t be reluctant on his decided profession. “That’s not good. If you don’t know yet what profession you want, I can suggest something it’s up to you if you want.” The elder advisor explains to him the different class on what they can do, what stats and skills needed in each professions and what is the advantages and disadvantage of each class. Most of those facts Neo know already nothing interests him and it’s not what he wanted to ask. Although a melee profession suits him because of martial arts practitioner, Neo wants to try something new. He still listen and take note important things he will be needed. ‘Maybe I’ll go to warrior’s guild later or magician guild but magician lacks physical strength, you will just stand at the back and cast spells on the enemy. I tried it already in the past and it wasn’t thrilling.’ He said to himself as he wants a class they will need to move physically because of his background in real life. As he was contemplating on what to do after this something caught his attention. “We also provide training here but only a few people choose that, because most of the people come here are excited to get a new class and go to adventure outside as soon as possible. Tsk! Most people these days don’t know that basic training is a foundation of a person. So young adventurer what do you want to do?” The elder man asks Neo. “What do you mean training Sir?” Neo ask. “Do you know about the Training Hall?” The elder man eyed him. “Yes Sir, it was located beside the Warrior’s Guild and there were many scarecrows inside. The Instructor inside said you can train your sword skills inside for free.” He said, because earlier when he was walking around he take a peek inside and the Instructor in front ask him if he was interested to train his sword skills. “I see, you visit the Training Hall already. The Instructor said was true but you can also upgrade your stats in the Training Hall by hitting the scarecrows.” The elder advisor said as he explains what you will gain inside the Training Hall. “Is it true you can upgrade your stats by just hitting the scarecrows?” Neo ask repeating what the elder man said. He was shocked and can’t believe by just hitting the scarecrows you can upgrade your stats. Because once you logged in Royal Road you can’t go outside to level-up so a person can’t upgrade his stats for one month, but if you go and train inside the Training Hall you can upgrade it. “Yes you can, but like the Training Hall we also provide training here to help build their skills and knowledge needed for adventure it was called Training Grounds. You need to last at least around three months to pass the tests so what will you do young adventurer?” The elder man asks Neo challenging him. Neo think carefully before he answers, because it was three months for just training and you still don’t know what profession they will give you. One month you can leave the city to hunt and start you’re adventure, so basically you will be left behind for two months. Two months of leveling is long enough for you to reach high level, but they won’t just ask you to train for nothing like the Training Hall they increased your stats. He was thinking what training requires getting a class for three months and then he smile as he decided. “I will accept whatever the training here for three months.” Neo said to the elder advisor with burning eyes. “Are you sure? It won’t be an easy three months training, on the few people that trains there only 2-3 people out of 50 succeed on their training.” He asks again for confirmation as Neo was the first freeman who wants to join the Training Grounds. “Yes Sir!” Neo said looking to the eyes of the elder advisor. “Alright here is the recommendation, give it to Sir Arkham. Now go to the left side from the lobby and look for him. Ask them to train you, they will train you both physically and mentally for three months, you can come back here after your training and I will recommend you what best profession for you.” He gives a small piece of paper to Neo that was enclosed in the small envelope. As soon Neo receives the envelope he stands up and bows to give thanks to the elder advisor. “Ping” | You have acquired a letter of recommendation for the Training Grounds. | | | | | --- | --- | --- | --- | “Thank you Sir, may I know what your name Sir?” He bow and asks the elder advisor “Oh! I’m sorry I haven’t still given you my name how careless of me. My name is Grimnir” The one-eyed elder advisor said to him. As he goes to the left side of lobby, he was amazed by the classical beauty of the long hallway there was paintings in the wall, sculptures of different combat classes and there was a beautiful garden with a pond beside the hallway. He reached the end of the hallway according to directions he received earlier he move upstairs and turn left, he asks the guard standing beside the room. “Good day Sir my name is Neo and I would like to ask where I can find Sir Arkham.” Neo greets the soldier standing beside the door and asks where Sir Arkham is. The guard was wearing full plate armor with a sword on his right waist. He eyed Neo first before he said. “What do you want with Sir Arkham?” “I’m here to give a letter to Sir Arkham from Advisor Grimnir.” Neo said showing the envelope to the guard. “Let me give it to him, just stay here and wait.” The guard took the letter and enters the room leaving Neo outside. Neo only just started to play Royal Road and no fame cannot rebuke to the guard. He waited for the door to open and thinking what kind of person is Sir Arkham, he can’t possibly deny the recommendation because there is a letter from Advisor Grimnir. What kind of training I will have to do these three months. As he was thinking the door open immediately he didn’t have to wait that long. “You can come in now; Sir Arkham is waiting for you.” The guard said. “Thank you Sir” Neo bowed and enter the room, as he entered he walked for a few meters to reached the door with glass window. He knocks on the door and gets a response “come in”. As he entered the room he could see Sir Arkham sat at the desk. The room was simple with the desk, three chairs and the large window behind him were black knitted rattan the floor was covered with blue carpet with regal design. Sir Arkham has a clean cut black hair he wore a long sleeved shirt with doublet on top, his red piercing eyes makes him speak what he has to do. “I’m sorry Sir to disturb you on your work my name is Neo, I’m here because I was asked by Advisor Grimnir to train under the strong and respectable Sir Arkham.” Neo greet him with respect and made a good impression on his first meeting with his Instructor. “Yes I read the letter of recommendation of Advisor Grimnir and was asked to enlist you in the Training Grounds.” Sir Arkham eyed him from head to toe and ask him. “Although there is a letter of recommendation, there will be an Entrance Exam before you join in the Training Grounds, I don’t want weak willed men to join under my ranks so I want to ask you if you still want to join in the coming Training Grounds?” Sir Arkham looked at Neo as he asks him if he truly wants to take join the Training Grounds he needs to pass the Entrance Exam. ‘Entrance Exam? The Adviser didn’t tell about that but I’m here already so I can’t back down now.’ He said to himself. “I’m willing to join Sir, I will do whatever training that you want me to do Sir and I’m ready for the Entrance Exam you want to give me Sir.” He answered immediately. He knows that the training will not be easy although he was thinking what kind of Entrance Exam he needed to pass before he can join in the Training Grounds. He was full ready to do any kind of Entrance Exam and confidently can pass the Entrance Exam and the training that awaits him. “We will see that if you are truly ready, the Entrance Exam will be after ten days from now. The location is in the first floor 3rd yard and the time is 0600 hours be sure do not be late, failure to arrive on time is considered ‘Failed’. That’s all, now go and prepare for the Entrance Exam.” He didn’t give him any information about what kind of Entrance Exam it is. Sir Arkham just shooed him away after he take the letter that was stamp ‘OK’ and Sir Arkham continued on his work. Neo bowed and say “Thank you Sir” and leave the room. He asked the guard outside, where is the first floor 3rd yard that Sir Arkham was talking to. After he get the information he wants, he bowed and thank the guard also. Neo walked in the direction of the Training Yard where the Entrance Exams will be held. It’s not that he cannot trust the guard he just wants to confirm it himself and want to see what kind of place it is. As he approached the Training Yard he was blocked by the guards and said. “Unauthorized person cannot enter this place.” “Sorry Sir, I just want to see what kind of place where I will take the Entrance Exams to join for Training Grounds Sir.” Neo apologized immediately and being respectful and polite is one of his strong points. “I see you are one of the participants, but we cannot allow any unauthorized person even the participants to enter till the Entrance Exam.” The guard eyed him with amazed expression. “If that is the case Sir, I’m sorry Sir. I’ll come back again after ten days. Thank you for explaining it to me Sir.” He bowed and apologized to the guards. The guard which was moved by the respectful attitude of Neo gave him an advice. “Ok listen to me don’t tell anybody what will I tell you. The Entrance Exam is consist of purely physical and don’t bring any weapons and armors with you, you won’t need it during the Entrance Exam. That’s all what I can give you.” The guard said as he gives advice to Neo. “Thank you Sir, the information was a big help for me and I won’t tell anybody what you told me Sir.” Neo thanked him, he can’t believe that just by being respectful to the guards can give him information he needed during the Entrance Exam. “Now go and prepare for the Entrance Exam. I hope you pass the Entrance Exam. Good luck.” The guard bid him farewell. Coll the other guard seeing that Neo is gone and cannot hear them said to Clutch. “Why did you tell him that kind of information?” “Coll you see that man is respectful towards us and I kind of remember my youth days with him that’s why I want to help him even a little information is not that bad.” Clutch said remembering his youth days, he participates also in the exam last twelve years ago but he failed during the Entrance Exam. His body that builds up in the mountain training and fighting was still not enough to pass the Entrance Exam. But he was still glad that those who are failed where still given the chance in joining the soldiers of Kingdom of Ymir and now he was assign to guard the Intelligence Guild. “I know what you are saying Clutch, but if our superiors know that you leaked that kind of information you will be dismiss.” Coll tell his friend with concern. “Y-You won’t tell them right?” Clutch eyed his friend with pleading reaction. “Don’t worry my mouth is shut, I didn’t hear a thing. I’m just worried in your attitude of trusting people easily. I even ask you in the past when we are still trainees in the camp about the Entrance Exam and you tell me immediately that you are prohibited to release that kind of information. Now that man you just met but still you tell him that kind of information.” Coll said feeling jealous although Clutch told him that kind of information after they become close friends. “I just felt the urge to tell him that kind of information, I think he will be a great person in the future and I want to see what kind of person he will become.” He said as he looked at the direction where Neo goes. “Ok ok enough, but you didn’t think that what if the exam will change from last twelve years. I know they only open every twelve years but you didn’t consider the rules and type of exam will have to change because of those that failed may tell the other people so they can get ahead to other participants.” Coll said after thinking carefully. “Maybe the information you tell will backfire to him during the exam.” “I didn’t think that deeply. What will I do now Coll? I act and tell him confidently that kind of information. What if I will be the reason why will he fail?” Clutch feel like crying and begging an answer from Coll. “Tsk! what will I do to you? We can’t change it already. We just hope that his preparation is enough for him to pass the exam.” Coll told him to just pray for his success. ‘And I think that young man was still a low leveled, why did they accept him? Now that I think about it, today Gaea of the Holy Seer will send a freeman into Bersa Continent, maybe they change the rule because of that.’ Coll said to himself. Neo leave the Training Yard and go outside the Intelligence guild immediately. He has still time till the Entrance Exam he walked fast like running and stop in front of the Training Hall. “I’m here to train the way of the sword.” He said to the Instructor in the Training Hall. The Instructor was a heavy built tall man around 210cm, gray haired around 55 years old. “Do you need my guidance? I tell you, take any unattended scarecrow and strike him in any way you want. A wooden sword is placed in front of a scarecrow, and it is all yours.” The instructor said pointing on the scarecrows in the Training Hall. “Thank you Sir that was enough.” He bowed and thanked the Instructor. “Godspeed” Neo walk in the corner most, where people won’t disturb him. He picks up the wooden sword on the wall and swung it once and twice. ‘The balance is perfect for its weight.’ He now faces the scarecrow holding the wooden sword in front of him pointing upward. He inhale and exhale and start hitting the scarecrow once, twice and thrice. There are about a thousand scarecrows in the Training Hall of the Audhumla City, and an unlimited supply of wooden swords on the walls, which could come in handy. After an hour a pop-up message appears in front of him. “Ping” | New Skill: Basic Sword Mastery Level [1]Increases attack power and speed while using sword.Increases Attack Power with a sword (+10% ATK)Increases Attack Speed with a sword (+3% ATK SPD) | | | --- | --- | After more than one hour of striking the scarecrow, he heard good news. He was glad he learn a new skill, he feels his sword is becoming sharp and fatal. Neo was soaked in sweat. The white shirt and black pants issued to him in the beginning had absorbed sweat and stuck fast to his body. He still dealt one blow after another to the scarecrow without a minute’s break. Though when he was training for an hour he didn’t sweat that much in RL, here in RR is different as all will start to level 1 and there stamina will all be the same except if you’re in different race. After three hours another pop-up message appears and it was different on the other. “Ping” | Strength increased by 1 point (+1 STR) | | | --- | --- | ‘So it really upgrades your stats’ mumbled while striking the scarecrow. He felt as if the muscles in his hand clutching the wooden sword were getting lighter. And after another three hours he heard another sound. “Ping” | Vitality increased by 1 point (+1 VIT) | | | --- | --- | | Agility increased by 1 point (+1 AGI) | | | --- | --- | The two stats rose almost at the same lime. “Wew” Neo finally put down the wooden sword and took a short break. Without eating or drinking, he had been hitting the scarecrow for nearly six straight hours. He was physically fatigued, and worse, his throat was burning with thirst, his stomach empty and hollow. In real life he can hold for long but in Royal Road you need to watch your stamina and satiety level. “Inventory window” Given the preset keyword, the semitransparent images of all the belongings in Neo’s inventory floated in front of his eyes. Inside his inventory were a canteen and ten pieces of rye bread. In Royal Road, you have to get hold of what you need on your own. Other users make money by carrying out easy quests for the four weeks, but Neo could not spare even a minute. He took out a piece of rye bread and the canteen, and nibbled a mouthful of bread. As he ate food, it appeased his hunger and the satisfaction factor rose. ‘I’m supposed to have a meal every five hours. I’d better eat more often if I exercise intensely, but I don’t need to raise the satisfaction factor to the full. All I need to do is just stay away from death.’ Once Neo finished the meal swiftly, he took the wooden sword in his grip and stood in front of the scarecrow. He was the only person continuously hitting the scarecrow in the Training Hall. The other people just visit and hit the scarecrows after an hour or two they leave already. ‘I need to pick up my pace or I’ll end up wasting my time here. Time to get serious now’ He relaxed all his muscles, he inhale and exhale while closing his eyes. He had not entered a stance, but was simply dangling the sword limply in his hands. The intent to attack or defend could not be felt at all. One could only describe his appearance as slovenly. After a second he hit the scarecrow, the first hit rang thru the Training Hall and the people inside look where the sound came from. They were shocked because the Royal Road just start a while ago and they thought they heard a skill or something. Many people surround him and chattering. “Is that a new skill?” “Why the heck is that guy striking the scarecrow?” “You can gain skill sword mastery after hitting the scarecrow.” “But you can gain that skill after two hours or so of hitting.” “Yeah, and he is like that for around five hours now.” “I don’t think he’ll stop until he breaks that scarecrow into pieces.” “But his form is like a sword master and the sound is different while we hit the scarecrow.” “Maybe we can get another awesome skill after we hit the scarecrow for long?” “Yeah maybe we can do it also. Come on guys let’s hit the scarecrows.” The people around him start hitting the scarecrows after two hours they spend they give up already. Although they follow the stance and where he hit the scarecrow they can’t learn it. Their hands become numb and pain start to build up and the sound of girls around distract them. Every hit of Neo on the scarecrow the girls go “Kyaa, Kyaa” “Wow he’s handsome and so cool.” “The way he hit the scarecrow is awesome compare to the others that looks weak.” “Yeah he is like a true warrior.” “I hope I can ask him his name and his email also.” “I want to invite him as a friend.” “I want to become his girlfriend.” They can’t get close to Neo because they don’t want him to hate them. Neo is seriously hitting the scarecrow and the aura around him states that don’t go disturb me. Neo is in trance mode although many people surround him he can’t hear them, he was on his own world where he and the scarecrow only in that world. It was helpful during his match and playing games and the people close to him knows that when he was like that no one can disturb him in he’s doing. During break time Neo notices that he wasn't the only one continue hitting the scarecrow. He smiles as he thought that he wasn't the only one who knows about gaining stats while hitting scarecrows. He remembered their faces as he was sure he will encounter them in the future. All this time, the instructor was watching him with awfully gratified eyes. He spent one hundred seventy hours on striking the scarecrow monotonously, which had mentally worn him out. He only log-out to eat, feed his pet and bathroom break. Had it not been for pop-up messages encouraging him, he would have given up. “Ping” | Strength increased by 1 point (+1 STR) | | | --- | --- | | Agility increased by 1 point (+1 AGI) | | | --- | --- | | Level Up: Sword Mastery Level 5 [0%] | | | --- | --- | Ten days had passed in Royal Road. Neo logged on to Royal Road on a daily basis, except for minimum sleeping hours. His physical condition, which he had resolved to build up before he started the game, enabled him to sleep no more than three hours a day. He takes a bath and do light exercise, he also checked the internet for any emails he got and news about Royal Road first before he logged to Royal Road. After a white flash he appeared again in the Training Hall. He looked around him and he sigh. ‘Seems like there’s no troublesome people around and the Instructor was still sleeping.’ Neo was glad that there were no people around so no one can disturb him but disappointed that the Instructor wasn’t around. He thought maybe even NPC’s need also to sleep and rest. ‘I’ll just thanked the Instructor after the exam’ He said as he exited the Training Hall and walk outside. Now was the day of the Entrance Exam he logged in earlier than the arranged time. The sky was not dark because of the moonlight and starlight shine and there is no cloud blocking them. The air is cold and the surrounding is peacefully quiet it was still 3AM in the morning and he was alone walking in the street suddenly there was a ringing sound. His destination is the fountain in the central square because he wants to refill his canteen of water before he goes to the Training Yard but he can hear the sound coming from the palace. The spot light in the watchtower is moving as if it was looking for something. Although it was a spotlight it was different in what you can see in RL it was built and made classically with fire magic inside a cylindrical container and enclosed with glass. ‘Seems like there is an intruder in the palace, maybe there is a thief or assassin?’ He still walked in the street continuing on his destination while thinking he also notices the people in the houses started waking up because of the loud sound of ringing as the lamp start to lighten up. ‘How troublesome’ He said to himself. He goes to the alley it was his shortcut to the fountain in the central square because he didn’t want to lose time travelling from the central square and the Training Hall. He didn’t know that shortcut he took will bring him trouble. To be continue... Author Notes: As I promise here's the Chapter 1, the next part will be later or tomorrow. I create my own Stats Window based on the LMS and some info i got from the translator. Feel free to comment, asks question, suggestions, corrections, criticism and etc. If anyone can tell me how to add picture from the computer not from the internet that only need links. Thanks!! Thanks and sorry because I'm not perfect. I hope you guys like my first chapter. I'll do my best for the next coming chapters.

<div class="chapter-inner chapter-content"> “Hey! How was your day?” Henry questioned the moment Derec opened the car door.<br><br>“... Fine.”<br><br>He replied in a grudging tone. Watching Derec from the corner of his eye, Henry exited the lot and headed home. Deciding whether or not he should press the issue. Then he reminded himself, Derec needed a father more than he needed a brother at the moment.<br><br>“Derec, what is it?”<br><br>“It's nothing!”<br><br>“Nothing doesn't yell at me when I ask.”<br><br>Crossing his arms Derec stared out the passenger window with a scowl on his face. Effectively giving Henry the silent treatment.<br><br>“Derec.........Derec?”<br><br>And He was blocked out. They rode the rest of the way in silence, and when they arrived home, Derec raced out the car as if the hounds of hell were riding his heels. Sighing in frustration Henry took the walk up more slowly, Derec had beat Henry to the apartment door but needed him to unlock it. On entrance Derec made a beeline for his room, Henry wouldn't be able to talk to him until dinner and only then if Derec was in a receptive mood.<br><br>*********<br><br>Once again in the enclosure of the capsule, Derec could relax. This wasn't the real world, and he wasn't a freak. He was just like any other player.<br><br>The inn was busy as usual and Cloud sat in his same spot drinking his apple juice.<br><br>“Waiting again, eh?” asked the bartender.<br><br>“Yup.”<br><br>And that was their conversation. Derec was extremely excited. He finished his first hunting quest and he could wait to see what items he would get. How much experience would he gain and would it be enough to level?<br><br>While he daydreamed Magnus walked into the building and sat down. Without a word to Cloud he accepted his drink and sat quietly as he consumed it.<br><br>“Aren't you going to talk to him? That's why you're here again aren't you?”<br><br>Imitating the sigh Cloud had heard adults giving to ignorant children, he attempted to look down his nose at the bartender. Which in reality made him look quite comical with his head tilted back so far.<br><br>“I told you before, if I talk to him then he wins.”<br><br>“Right.”<br><br>The bartender then turned to a beckoning customer to serve him while chuckling under his breath. Had Cloud not looked completely ridiculous when he wanted to seem superior, the bartender would have taken offence from the situation.<br><br>And so the day went, Magnus and Cloud sat at the bar in silence. As the sky darkened Cloud reached his wicks end. Muttering under his breath about stupid old men he made his way to the exit. As he passed Magnus spoke for the first time that day.<br><br>“What's it boy?”<br><br>“What is it?! What is it?!! You wasted my entire day is what it is!!”<br><br>“Hey, I didn't waste your day, you did that all on your own.”<br><br>“No! I sat there waiting for yo to speak to me!”<br><br>“Well, I sat here to drink. So in my books if you want the conversation then you should start it, not wait for it to start itself.”<br><br>“Hey! You're the one that needs me. You made me get those rabbit feet for you!”<br><br>“Yes, quite true. But then again I'm giving you something in return. Which means we both are quite equally involved in this endeavor, you are in no way doing me a favour. Rather you are my employee and once you have done what I have assigned you then you shall get paid.”<br><br>Fists clenched in frustration, Cloud's mouth opened and shut as he was at a loss for an argument.<br><br>“...I...... I don't even now what endeavor means!”<br><br>“Mmmm, then look it up. Now my rabbits feet would you? You have them correct?”<br><br>“Of course I have them! Here take them!”<br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td>Quest Complete!<br><br>Magnus Burnade accepted the lucky rabbits feet, which will help him in future to win back his money and pay back his gambling debt. He feels a little more trustworthy of your claims about the letter and will now accept it from you.<br><br>Reward: Acceptance of the letter</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br>“What?!? I don't get a reward?”<br><br>“Yeah, you do. I'm giving you a little of my invaluable trust.”<br><br>“Gaahhh, fine whatever take the letter!”<br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td>Quest Complete!<br><br>Magnus Burnade has accepted the letter.<br><br>Reward: Dingy old book</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br>Magnus read the contents of the letter, and the more he read the darker his expression turned. Murmuring to himself Magnus shoved the letter into his pocket, then rummaged around for something else. This happened to be an extremely tattered book. The cover was extremely dirty and may have been a bright orange or yellow under all the grime.<br><br>“Now this book, boy, it very valuable. Don't think to sell it until you know what it's about.”<br><br>Taking the book Cloud flipped open to the first page with illegible scrawl across the page.<br><br>“How am I supposed to read this? It's in a different language, and the words themselves are chicken scratch.”<br><br>“Not my problem. But one more thing. When you become strong, come see me again.”<br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td>Burnade's Beck and Call<br><br>When you have become a renowned fighter, return to speak with Magnus Burnade.<br><br>Difficulty: ??<br><br>Quest Requirement: Complete Quest Prove Your Word</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br>“What kind of quest is this?”<br><br>“An important one. Now accept.”<br><br>“Fine, I'll do it.”<br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td colspan="4">You have accepted the Quest.</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br>Leaving the inn without another word to Magnus, Cloud headed to the city gates. What was he supposed to do now? What did it mean to get stronger, there wasn't even an explanation to how 'strong' was strong?<br><br>Any conversation he had with Magnus left him clenching his teeth in anger. Scuttling up the side of the building, Cloud used the rooftops to make his way to the training hall. Whacking scarecrow was sure to relieve some stress, especially if the scarecrow reminded him of a certain someone.<br><br>Hours passed as he attacked to scarecrow, like the last time, stats were raised slowly yet steadily as he exhausted himself. Eating what was let of the rye bread, thankful that he was probably never going to eat the stuff again.<br><br>He continued beating the scarecrow, thoughts of his anger at Magnus had reminded him of the students at school. They talked about him when they thought he wasn't listening or wouldn't be able to hear them. They thought of him as a freak, they may not know the true story but he was different from them and they knew it.<br><br>'How much more will they hate me when they find out the truth.'<br><br>This spurred him on even more, he fought the scarecrow. It thing ridiculed him and his inability to remember.<br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td>Strength increased by 1 point (+1 STR)</td></tr><tr><td>Agility increased by 1 point (+1 AGI)</td></tr><tr><td>Vitality increased by 1 point (+1 VIT)</td></tr><tr><td>Fame increase by 20 points (+20 FAME)</td></tr><tr><td>Life increased by 100 points (+100 HP)</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br>As time passed his stats rose along with his mood. He began to notice the ache in his muscles, the beads of sweat rolling down his forehead. Lowering his wooden sword he backed away from the scarecrow and turned to head out of the training hall. Before he made it half way to the door a system message popped up.<br><blockquote><cite>Quote:</cite>--Power down activated from outside source. Accept?--</blockquote><br><br>Accepting Derec climbed from the capsule.<br><br>“Dinner Derec.”<br><br>Henry said before disappearing from the doorway. Derec's first thought was that Henry was mad.<br><br>'He has to be. I was rude in the car, and now he's angry. I shouldn't have been rude to him. But he doesn't want to hear about what happened at school, he just asked 'cause it was the normal thing to do. But I didn't have to be so rude.'<br><br>Contemplating the situation, Derec made his way down the hall to the kitchen.<br><br>Watching as Derec approached, Henry tried to see if there was any of the same emotion as in the car. Yet there was nothing to see, Derec's face was a blank slate, like that of the best gambling player. If Derec was ever to gamble he was sure to be a genius if he could hold up a face like that throughout the game and especially while bluffing.<br><br>He gave nothing away until the moment he sat down. Looking to his plate, his eye grew just a bit larger. And then again when Henry proceeded to put another spoon of rice on his plate.<br><br>“Something the matter?”<br><br>Henry asked in a neutral tone. Looking up then back at his plate Derec just shook his head.<br><br>'It's the food, he didn't expect to get any.'<br><br>Henry pondered this, but he couldn't come up with a reason as to why Derec wouldn't expect any food when he came to the dinner table after being called.<br><br>Henry finished dishing up for the both of the and then sat down to eat. They ate in silence for the first little while.<br><br>“So Derec, will you tell me what's going on at school?”<br><br>Derec looked up instantly.<br><br>“You really want to know? You're not angry?”<br><br>“If I didn't want to know then wouldn't have asked. And why would I be angry?”<br><br>“Cause I was being bad, I didn't answer a question when you asked me one.”<br><br>In that moment it clicked. Derec hadn't expected any food from him because Derec thought Henry was angry at him. But he wondered where a ten year-old would get the idea that anger equalled starvation. Henry decided he would look into that at another time.<br><br>“Derec, if I ask you a question it's your choice on whether or not you want to answer me. At the most I was a little frustrated that you don't believe you can trust me enough to tell me what's going on. But you can, I'm here for you every step of the way. Okay?”<br><br>“Okay.”<br><br>“Now you wanna tell me what's going on?”<br><br>“It's nothing really.” Derec said, testing the boundaries for this 'answer if you want to' while he tensed on the inside, waiting for Henry's reaction to his refusal to answer.<br><br>“Fine. You can go now if you're done.”<br><br>Henry sighed as he watched Derec flee to his room.<br><br>The moment Derec shut the door he raced back to his console and climbed in. Returning to Royal Road he found himself at the exit to the training hall. Immediately he turned around and resumed hiss place in front of the scarecrow, where he began to wail at the poor thing.<br><br>He fought the scarecrow, taking out further frustration. He couldn't understand why he didn't tell Henry the truth when he should have. Now he was just a liar, hiding in the game to escape Henry. He punished his own body—though he wasn't intentionally doing so—he was beyond his limits and forcing himself to attack.<br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td>New Skill: Last Stand [Passive] (Lv. 1 0%)</td></tr><tr><td>Skill activation when you reach 5% health or stamina and continue battle.<br>+20% Agility<br>+10% Strength<br>Duration 30 seconds</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br>Ignoring the system message Cloud continued to attack. His stomach gradually got tighter until it pained him to move. Stopping, he checked his satiation to find it severely depleted. Checking his bag he found it completely devoid of any edible food. The only thing it contained was the fox pelt, some meat and rabbit fur and meat.<br><br>He slumped to the ground too tired to do much other than sit still and watch what few people came to the training hall. He turned his head really looking around at the hall and found the instructor approaching him.<br><br>“Surprised to see you back here lad.”<br><br>He just stared, had he the energy he wuld have taken offence.<br><br>'He thinks of me as small and weak, and he never thought I could ever make it this far.'<br><br>“Has nothing to do with yer size boy, though I must say yer a short. But the reason is you're done yer training. You have completed the Basic training. I didn't get a chance to give you this.” The instructor handed Cloud a heavy long sword that was easily comparably in length to his own arm.<br><br>“What's this?”<br><br>“This is yer reward for yer hard work. Every person that completes the basic training is given one of those.”<br><br>“Basic training?”<br><br>“Ah, you didn't even know you were doing it. Don't get many of those around here. Well, the basic training is the lowest but mot important kind of training there is. There are other locations that will give you more training in the art of the sword, but you'll have to find them yourself lad.”<br><br>Tilting his head the instructor looked at Cloud in a contemplative manner.<br><br>“You look tired and hungry, let me give you some food.” <br><br>He rummaged in his pack and produced an apple which he handed to Cloud, who then immediately began to consume it. As Cloud ate the instructor continued to speak.<br><br>“You're quite tough now aren't you? Well then, lets test that shall we?”<br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td>Final Test<br><br>You have completed the Basic training and the instructor wishes to see how much you have learned. Collect 10 fox pelts and show them to the instructor.<br><br>Quest Requirement: Complete Basic Training.<br><br>Difficulty: F</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br>Nodding vigorously with his mouth full, Cloud grinned up at the instructor.<br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td colspan="4">You have accepted the quest</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br><br>Finishing the apple in record time, Cloud raced out the hall and through the city by way of roofs.<br><br>Cloud exited the city through his usual method of climbing the wall. The guards at the gates weren't much better than the people in the city so he mostly avoided them. <br><br>Wanting to test his strength bit by bit, Cloud decided to hunt raccoons rather than rabbits which were now easy game.<br><br>Raccoons roamed farther than rabbits, but stuck mostly to the open terrain where the foxes and wolves were less likely to go. <br><br>Cloud headed to the forest, skirting other players to avoid their scorn. While he was careful not to go too close to the trees.<br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.royalroadl.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=59&amp;t=1139&amp;p=6268#p6268" target="_blank">&lt;PREVIOUS</a> | <a href="http://www.royalroadl.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=59&amp;t=1156" target="_blank">NEXT&gt;</a></div> </div>

“Hey! How was your day?” Henry questioned the moment Derec opened the car door. “... Fine.” He replied in a grudging tone. Watching Derec from the corner of his eye, Henry exited the lot and headed home. Deciding whether or not he should press the issue. Then he reminded himself, Derec needed a father more than he needed a brother at the moment. “Derec, what is it?” “It's nothing!” “Nothing doesn't yell at me when I ask.” Crossing his arms Derec stared out the passenger window with a scowl on his face. Effectively giving Henry the silent treatment. “Derec.........Derec?” And He was blocked out. They rode the rest of the way in silence, and when they arrived home, Derec raced out the car as if the hounds of hell were riding his heels. Sighing in frustration Henry took the walk up more slowly, Derec had beat Henry to the apartment door but needed him to unlock it. On entrance Derec made a beeline for his room, Henry wouldn't be able to talk to him until dinner and only then if Derec was in a receptive mood. ********* Once again in the enclosure of the capsule, Derec could relax. This wasn't the real world, and he wasn't a freak. He was just like any other player. The inn was busy as usual and Cloud sat in his same spot drinking his apple juice. “Waiting again, eh?” asked the bartender. “Yup.” And that was their conversation. Derec was extremely excited. He finished his first hunting quest and he could wait to see what items he would get. How much experience would he gain and would it be enough to level? While he daydreamed Magnus walked into the building and sat down. Without a word to Cloud he accepted his drink and sat quietly as he consumed it. “Aren't you going to talk to him? That's why you're here again aren't you?” Imitating the sigh Cloud had heard adults giving to ignorant children, he attempted to look down his nose at the bartender. Which in reality made him look quite comical with his head tilted back so far. “I told you before, if I talk to him then he wins.” “Right.” The bartender then turned to a beckoning customer to serve him while chuckling under his breath. Had Cloud not looked completely ridiculous when he wanted to seem superior, the bartender would have taken offence from the situation. And so the day went, Magnus and Cloud sat at the bar in silence. As the sky darkened Cloud reached his wicks end. Muttering under his breath about stupid old men he made his way to the exit. As he passed Magnus spoke for the first time that day. “What's it boy?” “What is it?! What is it?!! You wasted my entire day is what it is!!” “Hey, I didn't waste your day, you did that all on your own.” “No! I sat there waiting for yo to speak to me!” “Well, I sat here to drink. So in my books if you want the conversation then you should start it, not wait for it to start itself.” “Hey! You're the one that needs me. You made me get those rabbit feet for you!” “Yes, quite true. But then again I'm giving you something in return. Which means we both are quite equally involved in this endeavor, you are in no way doing me a favour. Rather you are my employee and once you have done what I have assigned you then you shall get paid.” Fists clenched in frustration, Cloud's mouth opened and shut as he was at a loss for an argument. “...I...... I don't even now what endeavor means!” “Mmmm, then look it up. Now my rabbits feet would you? You have them correct?” “Of course I have them! Here take them!” | Quest Complete!Magnus Burnade accepted the lucky rabbits feet, which will help him in future to win back his money and pay back his gambling debt. He feels a little more trustworthy of your claims about the letter and will now accept it from you.Reward: Acceptance of the letter | | --- | “What?!? I don't get a reward?” “Yeah, you do. I'm giving you a little of my invaluable trust.” “Gaahhh, fine whatever take the letter!” | Quest Complete!Magnus Burnade has accepted the letter.Reward: Dingy old book | | --- | Magnus read the contents of the letter, and the more he read the darker his expression turned. Murmuring to himself Magnus shoved the letter into his pocket, then rummaged around for something else. This happened to be an extremely tattered book. The cover was extremely dirty and may have been a bright orange or yellow under all the grime. “Now this book, boy, it very valuable. Don't think to sell it until you know what it's about.” Taking the book Cloud flipped open to the first page with illegible scrawl across the page. “How am I supposed to read this? It's in a different language, and the words themselves are chicken scratch.” “Not my problem. But one more thing. When you become strong, come see me again.” | Burnade's Beck and CallWhen you have become a renowned fighter, return to speak with Magnus Burnade.Difficulty: ??Quest Requirement: Complete Quest Prove Your Word | | --- | “What kind of quest is this?” “An important one. Now accept.” “Fine, I'll do it.” | You have accepted the Quest. | | | | | --- | --- | --- | --- | Leaving the inn without another word to Magnus, Cloud headed to the city gates. What was he supposed to do now? What did it mean to get stronger, there wasn't even an explanation to how 'strong' was strong? Any conversation he had with Magnus left him clenching his teeth in anger. Scuttling up the side of the building, Cloud used the rooftops to make his way to the training hall. Whacking scarecrow was sure to relieve some stress, especially if the scarecrow reminded him of a certain someone. Hours passed as he attacked to scarecrow, like the last time, stats were raised slowly yet steadily as he exhausted himself. Eating what was let of the rye bread, thankful that he was probably never going to eat the stuff again. He continued beating the scarecrow, thoughts of his anger at Magnus had reminded him of the students at school. They talked about him when they thought he wasn't listening or wouldn't be able to hear them. They thought of him as a freak, they may not know the true story but he was different from them and they knew it. 'How much more will they hate me when they find out the truth.' This spurred him on even more, he fought the scarecrow. It thing ridiculed him and his inability to remember. | Strength increased by 1 point (+1 STR) | | --- | | Agility increased by 1 point (+1 AGI) | | Vitality increased by 1 point (+1 VIT) | | Fame increase by 20 points (+20 FAME) | | Life increased by 100 points (+100 HP) | As time passed his stats rose along with his mood. He began to notice the ache in his muscles, the beads of sweat rolling down his forehead. Lowering his wooden sword he backed away from the scarecrow and turned to head out of the training hall. Before he made it half way to the door a system message popped up. > Quote:--Power down activated from outside source. Accept?-- Accepting Derec climbed from the capsule. “Dinner Derec.” Henry said before disappearing from the doorway. Derec's first thought was that Henry was mad. 'He has to be. I was rude in the car, and now he's angry. I shouldn't have been rude to him. But he doesn't want to hear about what happened at school, he just asked 'cause it was the normal thing to do. But I didn't have to be so rude.' Contemplating the situation, Derec made his way down the hall to the kitchen. Watching as Derec approached, Henry tried to see if there was any of the same emotion as in the car. Yet there was nothing to see, Derec's face was a blank slate, like that of the best gambling player. If Derec was ever to gamble he was sure to be a genius if he could hold up a face like that throughout the game and especially while bluffing. He gave nothing away until the moment he sat down. Looking to his plate, his eye grew just a bit larger. And then again when Henry proceeded to put another spoon of rice on his plate. “Something the matter?” Henry asked in a neutral tone. Looking up then back at his plate Derec just shook his head. 'It's the food, he didn't expect to get any.' Henry pondered this, but he couldn't come up with a reason as to why Derec wouldn't expect any food when he came to the dinner table after being called. Henry finished dishing up for the both of the and then sat down to eat. They ate in silence for the first little while. “So Derec, will you tell me what's going on at school?” Derec looked up instantly. “You really want to know? You're not angry?” “If I didn't want to know then wouldn't have asked. And why would I be angry?” “Cause I was being bad, I didn't answer a question when you asked me one.” In that moment it clicked. Derec hadn't expected any food from him because Derec thought Henry was angry at him. But he wondered where a ten year-old would get the idea that anger equalled starvation. Henry decided he would look into that at another time. “Derec, if I ask you a question it's your choice on whether or not you want to answer me. At the most I was a little frustrated that you don't believe you can trust me enough to tell me what's going on. But you can, I'm here for you every step of the way. Okay?” “Okay.” “Now you wanna tell me what's going on?” “It's nothing really.” Derec said, testing the boundaries for this 'answer if you want to' while he tensed on the inside, waiting for Henry's reaction to his refusal to answer. “Fine. You can go now if you're done.” Henry sighed as he watched Derec flee to his room. The moment Derec shut the door he raced back to his console and climbed in. Returning to Royal Road he found himself at the exit to the training hall. Immediately he turned around and resumed hiss place in front of the scarecrow, where he began to wail at the poor thing. He fought the scarecrow, taking out further frustration. He couldn't understand why he didn't tell Henry the truth when he should have. Now he was just a liar, hiding in the game to escape Henry. He punished his own body—though he wasn't intentionally doing so—he was beyond his limits and forcing himself to attack. | New Skill: Last Stand [Passive] (Lv. 1 0%) | | --- | | Skill activation when you reach 5% health or stamina and continue battle.+20% Agility+10% StrengthDuration 30 seconds | Ignoring the system message Cloud continued to attack. His stomach gradually got tighter until it pained him to move. Stopping, he checked his satiation to find it severely depleted. Checking his bag he found it completely devoid of any edible food. The only thing it contained was the fox pelt, some meat and rabbit fur and meat. He slumped to the ground too tired to do much other than sit still and watch what few people came to the training hall. He turned his head really looking around at the hall and found the instructor approaching him. “Surprised to see you back here lad.” He just stared, had he the energy he wuld have taken offence. 'He thinks of me as small and weak, and he never thought I could ever make it this far.' “Has nothing to do with yer size boy, though I must say yer a short. But the reason is you're done yer training. You have completed the Basic training. I didn't get a chance to give you this.” The instructor handed Cloud a heavy long sword that was easily comparably in length to his own arm. “What's this?” “This is yer reward for yer hard work. Every person that completes the basic training is given one of those.” “Basic training?” “Ah, you didn't even know you were doing it. Don't get many of those around here. Well, the basic training is the lowest but mot important kind of training there is. There are other locations that will give you more training in the art of the sword, but you'll have to find them yourself lad.” Tilting his head the instructor looked at Cloud in a contemplative manner. “You look tired and hungry, let me give you some food.” He rummaged in his pack and produced an apple which he handed to Cloud, who then immediately began to consume it. As Cloud ate the instructor continued to speak. “You're quite tough now aren't you? Well then, lets test that shall we?” | Final TestYou have completed the Basic training and the instructor wishes to see how much you have learned. Collect 10 fox pelts and show them to the instructor.Quest Requirement: Complete Basic Training.Difficulty: F | | --- | Nodding vigorously with his mouth full, Cloud grinned up at the instructor. | You have accepted the quest | | | | | --- | --- | --- | --- | Finishing the apple in record time, Cloud raced out the hall and through the city by way of roofs. Cloud exited the city through his usual method of climbing the wall. The guards at the gates weren't much better than the people in the city so he mostly avoided them. Wanting to test his strength bit by bit, Cloud decided to hunt raccoons rather than rabbits which were now easy game. Raccoons roamed farther than rabbits, but stuck mostly to the open terrain where the foxes and wolves were less likely to go. Cloud headed to the forest, skirting other players to avoid their scorn. While he was careful not to go too close to the trees. 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<div class="chapter-inner chapter-content"> A beautiful princess kidnapped by a ferocious evil dragon is locked by her captor in a desolate tower. Her salvation comes in the form of a horse-riding knight in shining armor, which not only saves the helpless princess and slays the mighty dragon; but ends being a handsome foreign prince which she ends falling in love with.<br><br>Variations of the same tale have been told by parent to child for many generations throughout the world, their reactions as they heard such story varied from child to child. Who lost in their imaginations took the role of the princess, the knight or sometimes even of the dragon.<br><br>The way a cute little girl called Amanda Ferreira reacted was however far different from what her mother Susana expected, when she decided to tell her such story after placing her daughter in its bed at night.<br><br>“Why would the dragon take away the princess, just to keep her in a tower?” Amanda asked looking up to her mother expectantly with her clear blue eyes.<br><br>“Because...” Her mother muttered as her eyebrows creased thinking of a response. She, herself had never asked such a question before. However, before she could think of a proper response for her beloved, she presented a new question. <br><br>"Why a tower?" asked Amanda as she pushed down the blanket her mother had covered her with, "Since he could fly, wouldn't a mountain be a better place to hide the princess?” She said as she sat on her bed with a pensive expression on her face.<br><br>By now, her mother knew that her attempt of putting her daughter to sleep by telling her a story had failed miserably as more questions kept flowing from her daughter’s mouth.<br><br>Questions such as why didn't he eat her if he were such an evil monster, since that what monsters supposedly do? Since the princess was locked at the tower, does that mean the dragon feeding her every day?<br><br>If he was, what was he feeding her? Did the dragon cook for her? Why and how, a single knight did manage to succeed in not only rescuing the princess and killing the dragon, when all the other knights who protected the princess’s kingdom had failed?<br><br>Susana was shocked, after hearing such questions from her beloved 7 years old daughter. Not knowing what to say, she discussed such events with her husband Fernando, which managed to convince both her and himself, that such reaction should be attributed to the importance they had always placed on their single child's education.<br><br>Having enrolled her at the best, most expensive private school available at their country, which included a pre-school division and a nursery, which Amanda passed most of her time at when her parents were at work.<br><br>However, with each passing year, the truth became clearer. Always ranking among the top of her class, Amanda, who had a platinum blond hair just like her mother; went against the cliché that all blondes were stupid.<br> <br>It was after that young girl’s sixteenth birthday, when a few apparently insignificant events started shaping her fate. In a regular school day her best friend Laura Rodrigues, excitedly spoke about the future release of according to her words, the best game ever created.<br> <br>A few years before, a breakthrough in technology had introduced something that had existed for years in the minds of science fiction fans, a working virtual reality system which was wholeheartedly accepted by the gaming industry.<br> <br>The reason for Laura’s excitement was her participation in the closed beta test of the game named Royal Road that, at least according to her, was more than just a game, calling it a portal to another world was more appropriate.<br> <br>A world inhabited by humans, demi-humans and monsters. A world where you could enjoy fantastical adventures of sword and magic, or just relax by a beautiful lake eating a handmade meal. The possibilities were nearly infinite in a system, which promised thousands of professions, and millions of skills.<br> <br>“It sounds amazing right?” Laura said smiling, after spending most of the morning glorifying Royal Road.<br> <br>“Yes it does,” Said Amanda before sighing, “But didn't you say it was a Korean game?” She asked with an annoyed expression on her face. Her experiences with Korean games had a single common trait, the fact they were all entirely in Korean.<br> <br>“I did, but it has a translation system installed.” Her friend responded with a smirk on her face.<br> <br>“Oh really... I didn't think they would care.” Amanda retorted because of the prejudices she had about Koreans.<br> <br>The reason behind it was in her past encounters with them; Koreans had, as many other ethnic groups migrated to Brazil, and opened their own communities and stores. It was in one of their stores, that Amanda had gone to buy her father’s birthday present.<br> <br>Entering the store for the first time, which sold the most varied things imported from Asia. Amanda observed a well-adorned jian¹ balanced precariously on one of the store’s glass displays. Subsequently, that rather mundane action somehow had earned the storekeepers full attention. Who gave her the evil eye as if she were somehow dirtying or trying to steal the sword.<br> <br>Uncomfortable with the treatment received in such store, she ended leaving it without buying anything, never to walk into it again. That was sadly,one of the many unfortunate encounters she had involving Koreans, all which left a deep impression in her.<br> <br>“Good morning class, I am sorry to interrupt your pleasant conversations. But if you all were to be kind enough to open your books at page forty-two, we will now commence today’s lesson.” Amanda’s history teacher said as she entered the classroom.<br><br>“Let’s continue later, okay?” Laura said before returning to her seat to study. Throughout the day, their rather one-side conversation continued at every chance they had. However, with the many classes they had on that day, their conversation did not progress much further.<br><br>It would have been just like any other regular school day for them, if not for the art teacher receiving a phone call at the start of his class, informing him that his wife had gone into labor.<br><br>Being the day’s last class, they were allowed to leave school earlier, but not before an announcement by the school’s director. Reminding them about the trip to Rio de Janeiro that had been programmed to the end of the year.<br><br>After the speech was given, Amanda and Laura left the school and went to a bus station near it. Even though they were both from wealthy families, both had grown accustomed to using the public transportation system that had finally reached a level similar to Japan, after the Brazilian government, under the pressure of continuous protests from the general population; made heavy investments in the sector. <br><br>As they waited for a few minutes until the next bus scheduled arrival, Laura promised to send an email to Amanda’s smart phone with many links about the game. This included the prices involved in playing it.<br><br>“See you later Amanda, good luck at your work.” Said Laura before entering the bus, which would take her home.<br><br>The work mentioned by her friend was a part-time job she had gotten at Burger Queen. Even though, Amanda came from a wealthy family there was one simple reason as to why she was working at such place. She had simply wanted to save more money for the trip to Rio de Janeiro.<br><br>Amanda already received a large monthly allowance from her family. So they refused to gift her more for the trip, thinking she needed to learn the value of money. To their surprise she took one of her father’s jokes about working part time in Burger Queen seriously.<br><br>Consequently, that was the reason why she boarded the next available bus; after Laura's. And why Amanda was now behind the counter of her favorite's shopping mall's Burger Queen store; wearing their trademark uniform. Her workday went smoothly, with no noteworthy events until a group of foreign students walked into the store.<br><br>Among them a were twin brothers, which were having difficulty ordering their food, going as far as to resort to mimic to get across to the other party. They approached the female cashier who apparently knew nothing about the English language.<br><br>“No onions, get it? I don’t want any onions.” The scrawniest of the twins, who had a long red hair and wore glasses articulated.<br><br>“I am sorry, I don’t speak English.” Stammered the cashier, regretting the fact she slept through English classes.<br><br>“Forget it brother, you can just take it off later.” The more athletic of the twins advised. Who differently from his brother, did not wear glasses and had a shorter haircut.<br><br>“No, the taste will stay on the meat and you know how much I hate onions.” He complained to his brother. His brother sighed because of all the negative attention they were getting.<br><br>The whole problem transpired moments after Amanda’s turn ended, having already registered her exit in the store’s system she had yet to change out of her uniform. When Amanda heard one of her colleagues mention the problem at the cashier, deciding to help she marched towards the source of the problem.<br><br>“<span style="text-decoration: underline;">Please leave it to me.</span>²” Amanda confidently said, touching the cashier's shoulder.<br><br>“<span style="text-decoration: underline;">Thank you Amanda, you’re a lifesaver.</span>” The relieved cashier said, before smiling and leaving her station.<br><br>“Excuse me sir, what is the problem?” Asked Amanda, using what she learned during her training, a pleasant smile.<br><br>“What's wrong? Is my accent bad?” She asked since no answer came from them as the twins stood in silence staring at her.<br><br>The first brother, who woke up from his daze, was the short-haired one who shoved his brother’s back as discreetly as he could. But since that did not work, he decided to speak in his stead.<br><br>“I am terribly sorry, but you see my dear younger brother cannot stand the taste of onions, so could you please not add them to his burger?”<br><br>“It’s bad to be a picky eater, but then again you’re the customer...” Amanda said smiling.<br><br>“I know, I couldn’t agree more. Sadly, it’s easier to convince him to bungee jump, than to make him eat a slice of onion.” Joked the older of the two brothers while smirking, but Amanda, not caring for his bad joke continued with her work.<br><br>“Two chocolate milk-shakes, two medium fries, a double cheeseburger and a Big Queen without onions, is that correct sir?” Said Amanda, trying to ignore that his gaze was directed at her chest. Contrary to what she, or any onlookers thought he was mostly reading the name tag, which was conveniently placed on top one of her breasts.<br><br>“Yes, that’s all. Thank you for your help Amanda.” The older brother said before paying for their meal.<br><br>Only a few minutes later, after both received their meals, the younger brother got back to his senses and followed his brother into one of the few vacant tables whom after taking a few bites of his sandwich, spoke.<br><br>“She’s perfect.” He said with a piece of half-chewed hamburger inside his mouth.<br>“Is your Big Queen that good?” Asked his brother smirking, as he knew exactly about what he was talking about.<br><br>"Very funny," He said after swallowing the food inside his mouth, "I know you were also staring at her." Said the younger brother pushing up his glasses frame, his vision was flawless and did not need corrective glasses, which were already obsolete. Since reparative surgery had become cheaper and more effective, but many people still wore fake lenses as he did out of habit.<br><br>“Go ask her out.” His brother said, with a broad smile on his face.<br><br>“What? No way, she won’t accept...” He answered while shaking his head.<br><br>“Whatever, we're leaving Brazil tomorrow anyway; this is your last chance bro.” His brother said while barely containing his urge to laugh.<br><br>“But...” The younger brother started to mumble, but was interrupted by his brother.<br><br>“Just go, or I will be telling mom about it, and you know how she loves gossiping at the hairdresser...” The elder brother said taking a bite at his burger, stuffing his mouth as to prevent himself from laughing.<br><br>“Fine... I will go, but if you say a single word about this to mom, I swear no one will recognize you as my twin after I am done with you.” The younger brother says as he leaves his chair.<br><br>He couldn’t help but to laugh at his younger brother’s words, despite the serious tone of his voice. Cheering him on, as he got off his chair and walked towards the cashier. <br><br>Every step seemed difficult for his brother, who dragged his legs as if they were bound to a heavy iron ball. Despite all the effort it took him, he ended managing to reach the cashier and asking the man who now stood there, where the girl who helped them earlier had gone.<br><br>“Oh, you mean Amanda? She left already.” He answered with a grin on his face, as he crushed the red haired young man's hope.<br><br>Oblivious to that, Amanda was inside the bus heading back to her home; It didn’t take long for the bus to reach the station closest to where she lived, which was only a short walk away from the four-building apartment complex where Amanda and her parents lived. When she reached the condominium’s gate, a man inside the gatehouse greeted her.<br><br>"Hello Amanda." Ayrton greeted her, "Still working at Burger Queen?" He asked with a smile on his face, as South Valley's oldest gatekeeper, having worked that since before Amanda's birth. Ayrton knew her and her family well enough to be considered one of their friends.<br><br>"Yes, and something interesting happened there today." Said Amanda as she passed through the gate. Moments after the gate closed behind her she started to narrate the events which had taken place on her work place.<br><br>Done so, she excused herself after she noticed the clock inside the gatehouse wall. They both exchanged farewells before Amanda left the gatehouse and entered the edifice C, taking the elevator to reach the eleventh floor.<br><br>When the elevator arrived she left it and walked to the door of apartment KC-2, where she lived along with her parents. Pressing her finger against the digital lock installed on the door, it silently opened.<br><br>“Welcome home.” Said a man sitting on the living room’s couch while watching TV.<br><br>“Thank you father, you look well today.” Said Amanda smiling, the man who had greeted her was her father, Fernando Ferreira.<br><br>“What do you want, Amanda?” Fernando sighed before asking so, as he knew his daughter well enough to know what her compliment truly meant.<br><br>“It’s rather expensive, but I want this.” She said, showing the pamphlet Laura had given her on the bus.<br><br>“Virtual Reality Capsule? And why would you need that for?” Asked her father, who was not very fond of new technologies, since to him they had made the mankind weaker and lazier. While his opinion was not entirely wrong and he knew technology had many benefits, but he couldn’t help but sigh every time he heard complaints that came from others when they found out an elevator was in maintenance.<br><br>“For a game.” She answered wishing she could have given a better reason, for him to spend a rather high amount of money on something superfluous. Unfortunately, different from most people, he was not easily manipulated by her words.<br><br>“I won’t buy it.” Said her father, crushing her hopes as if they were an egg stepped by an elephant, she tried to change his mind, but failed to do so.<br><br>‘Stubborn fools’ Amanda thought after she had spent the rest of the day trying to convince him. Going as far as to ask for her mother’s help, but that hadn't changed anything as she too agreed with her husband’s opinion. She did not give up, and almost every day tried to ask for it, by subtly shifting the conversation.<br><br>But it was only at her eighteenth-birthday party, that she gained the desired capsule; apparently, as a reward, for passing the university entrance exam. She couldn't wait to play with it, but had to entertain her party guests.<br><br>“Congratulations Amanda! Now you can finally join me.” Said her friend Laura, smiling after she saw her best friend’s gift.<br><br>On that day’s evening, after all guests had left, Amanda entered the capsule for the first time. Inside it, she was involved by a deep darkness, but aside from that nothing was happening, making her think that perhaps the capsule had not been installed properly.<br><br>Amanda sighed, ‘Just my luck.’ She thought, moments before the surge of a bright light nearly blinded her.<br><br>“The scan of your iris has determined that you are an unregistered user, do you wish to create a new account?” Asked a feminine voice searching for the voice’s owner she looked around. But after she saw nothing but white Amanda gave up and gave her answer to the empty white room.<br><br>“Yes.” She answered, thinking that whoever had asked clearly was not very bright why else she would be here?<br><br>“Please select the name of your avatar.” Said the body less voice, in the two last years she had waited, Amanda had thought long and hard on a name fit for the character she wanted to create.<br><br>“Artanis.” She answered, having already decided on her name and race.<br><br>“Please select your gender, from male, female or neutral.” Stated the voice, as amusing as playing a male could be and no matter how curious she was about the neutral gender, her answer was not surprising.<br><br>“Female.” She said to the mysterious female voice.<br><br>“Royal Road has forty-nine races. You may select your race from the primary thirty-one.” The voice said before a list appeared before Amanda’s eyes.<br><br>Even though, she already had a race mind, one that fitted her avatar’s name. She took her time to read it, curious about the list's contents.<br><br>According to the list’s description, her desired race the elves; were creatures incapable of dying from old age, which after reaching maturity, stayed with the appearance same through their life. Being said to descend from fairies, elves were agile, intelligent, wise and also possessed a physical strength nearly equal to the one found on an average human. Their biggest flaw was their low vitality, result of their lithe frame leaving their bodies frailer than the ones of most races.<br><br>Currently on Royal Road, only two elven sub-races are available at the character creation, half-elves that were almost no different from humans, aside from their somewhat pointy ears and dark elves. Who were stronger and sturdier than their elven counterparts, but less agile. They also not well seen by most races.<br><br>“Elf.” Said Amanda<br><br>“You may alter your appearance anyway you like.” The voice stated.<br><br>‘That won’t be necessary.’ Was what Amanda thought; at least before seeing the 3D model representing her, that suddenly appeared.<br><br>“Please match the skin tone with mine.” Said Amanda, since the beautiful elven maiden before her had nearly all of Amanda’s features, including her beautiful platinum blond hair and clear blue eyes. Being nearly a perfect copy, aside from two things, one being the characteristic long ears every elf possess; the other her skin.<br><br>Rather that her tanned skin, the result of hours under the sun. Was a fair white one, similar to the one she had, in older pictures found in her family digital album. The mysterious entity, hearing her request, changed the model’s skin, which was slowly tanned, till it achieved the same beautiful tone the real Amanda currently had. But on closer inspection, Amanda noted there was something else that needed to be changed.<br><br>“Please make her skin uniform.” Said Amanda, since the model before her, had all her skins characteristics, including the marks caused by the clothes she wore. Answering her request, the 3D model once again changed, achieving a perfect tan through its entire skin.<br><br>“I've finished editing it, please continue.” She said, having changed the only flaw she could find on her avatar since she considered her appearance perfect. It might sound arrogant, but it only meant she loved herself the way she was, and never once thought that anything needed to be changed.<br><br>She had often heard derogatory and petty remarks about her body, but she had been assured by her family they all came from people jealous and envious of her appearance. A certain documentary about plastic surgery helped her to confirm what her family said was actually true.. Seeing many women being put under the knife to achieve a figure close to hers, made her glad that she needed not to undergo such procedures.<br><br>“Your account has been activated, your attributes and class shall be determined based on your actions in the game. Please select a city and kingdom to begin your journey.” The female voice said, hearing this Amanda assumed the account activation process was nearing its end.<br><br>“Any city is fine as long it's well populated.” Answered Amanda since she did not know anything about the game’s geography and her real life friends told her to pick any city she wanted as she could always travel to meet them.<br><br>“Welcome to Royal Road. May you have a grand adventure, on your journey to becoming the next Empress.” Were the last words said by the mysterious voice before Amanda was once again enveloped in a bright light.<br><br>When regained her senses she was in a small forest covered elven village. There Amanda learned, among other things, how to manipulate the various windows and controls of the game, after she completed the tutorial, the elven village residents waved her goodbye as a horse pulled carriage took her away.<br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"><table><tbody><tr><td width="25%">&lt;&lt;&lt; Last Chapter</td><td width="25%"><a href="http://www.royalroadl.com/fanfic/71" target="_blank">Table Of Contents</a></td><td width="25%"><a href="http://www.royalroadl.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=71&amp;t=879" target="_blank">Next Chapter &gt;&gt;&gt;</a></td></tr><tr><td colspan="4">Spell Checked</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div> </div>

A beautiful princess kidnapped by a ferocious evil dragon is locked by her captor in a desolate tower. Her salvation comes in the form of a horse-riding knight in shining armor, which not only saves the helpless princess and slays the mighty dragon; but ends being a handsome foreign prince which she ends falling in love with. Variations of the same tale have been told by parent to child for many generations throughout the world, their reactions as they heard such story varied from child to child. Who lost in their imaginations took the role of the princess, the knight or sometimes even of the dragon. The way a cute little girl called Amanda Ferreira reacted was however far different from what her mother Susana expected, when she decided to tell her such story after placing her daughter in its bed at night. “Why would the dragon take away the princess, just to keep her in a tower?” Amanda asked looking up to her mother expectantly with her clear blue eyes. “Because...” Her mother muttered as her eyebrows creased thinking of a response. She, herself had never asked such a question before. However, before she could think of a proper response for her beloved, she presented a new question. "Why a tower?" asked Amanda as she pushed down the blanket her mother had covered her with, "Since he could fly, wouldn't a mountain be a better place to hide the princess?” She said as she sat on her bed with a pensive expression on her face. By now, her mother knew that her attempt of putting her daughter to sleep by telling her a story had failed miserably as more questions kept flowing from her daughter’s mouth. Questions such as why didn't he eat her if he were such an evil monster, since that what monsters supposedly do? Since the princess was locked at the tower, does that mean the dragon feeding her every day? If he was, what was he feeding her? Did the dragon cook for her? Why and how, a single knight did manage to succeed in not only rescuing the princess and killing the dragon, when all the other knights who protected the princess’s kingdom had failed? Susana was shocked, after hearing such questions from her beloved 7 years old daughter. Not knowing what to say, she discussed such events with her husband Fernando, which managed to convince both her and himself, that such reaction should be attributed to the importance they had always placed on their single child's education. Having enrolled her at the best, most expensive private school available at their country, which included a pre-school division and a nursery, which Amanda passed most of her time at when her parents were at work. However, with each passing year, the truth became clearer. Always ranking among the top of her class, Amanda, who had a platinum blond hair just like her mother; went against the cliché that all blondes were stupid. It was after that young girl’s sixteenth birthday, when a few apparently insignificant events started shaping her fate. In a regular school day her best friend Laura Rodrigues, excitedly spoke about the future release of according to her words, the best game ever created. A few years before, a breakthrough in technology had introduced something that had existed for years in the minds of science fiction fans, a working virtual reality system which was wholeheartedly accepted by the gaming industry. The reason for Laura’s excitement was her participation in the closed beta test of the game named Royal Road that, at least according to her, was more than just a game, calling it a portal to another world was more appropriate. A world inhabited by humans, demi-humans and monsters. A world where you could enjoy fantastical adventures of sword and magic, or just relax by a beautiful lake eating a handmade meal. The possibilities were nearly infinite in a system, which promised thousands of professions, and millions of skills. “It sounds amazing right?” Laura said smiling, after spending most of the morning glorifying Royal Road. “Yes it does,” Said Amanda before sighing, “But didn't you say it was a Korean game?” She asked with an annoyed expression on her face. Her experiences with Korean games had a single common trait, the fact they were all entirely in Korean. “I did, but it has a translation system installed.” Her friend responded with a smirk on her face. “Oh really... I didn't think they would care.” Amanda retorted because of the prejudices she had about Koreans. The reason behind it was in her past encounters with them; Koreans had, as many other ethnic groups migrated to Brazil, and opened their own communities and stores. It was in one of their stores, that Amanda had gone to buy her father’s birthday present. Entering the store for the first time, which sold the most varied things imported from Asia. Amanda observed a well-adorned jian¹ balanced precariously on one of the store’s glass displays. Subsequently, that rather mundane action somehow had earned the storekeepers full attention. Who gave her the evil eye as if she were somehow dirtying or trying to steal the sword. Uncomfortable with the treatment received in such store, she ended leaving it without buying anything, never to walk into it again. That was sadly,one of the many unfortunate encounters she had involving Koreans, all which left a deep impression in her. “Good morning class, I am sorry to interrupt your pleasant conversations. But if you all were to be kind enough to open your books at page forty-two, we will now commence today’s lesson.” Amanda’s history teacher said as she entered the classroom. “Let’s continue later, okay?” Laura said before returning to her seat to study. Throughout the day, their rather one-side conversation continued at every chance they had. However, with the many classes they had on that day, their conversation did not progress much further. It would have been just like any other regular school day for them, if not for the art teacher receiving a phone call at the start of his class, informing him that his wife had gone into labor. Being the day’s last class, they were allowed to leave school earlier, but not before an announcement by the school’s director. Reminding them about the trip to Rio de Janeiro that had been programmed to the end of the year. After the speech was given, Amanda and Laura left the school and went to a bus station near it. Even though they were both from wealthy families, both had grown accustomed to using the public transportation system that had finally reached a level similar to Japan, after the Brazilian government, under the pressure of continuous protests from the general population; made heavy investments in the sector. As they waited for a few minutes until the next bus scheduled arrival, Laura promised to send an email to Amanda’s smart phone with many links about the game. This included the prices involved in playing it. “See you later Amanda, good luck at your work.” Said Laura before entering the bus, which would take her home. The work mentioned by her friend was a part-time job she had gotten at Burger Queen. Even though, Amanda came from a wealthy family there was one simple reason as to why she was working at such place. She had simply wanted to save more money for the trip to Rio de Janeiro. Amanda already received a large monthly allowance from her family. So they refused to gift her more for the trip, thinking she needed to learn the value of money. To their surprise she took one of her father’s jokes about working part time in Burger Queen seriously. Consequently, that was the reason why she boarded the next available bus; after Laura's. And why Amanda was now behind the counter of her favorite's shopping mall's Burger Queen store; wearing their trademark uniform. Her workday went smoothly, with no noteworthy events until a group of foreign students walked into the store. Among them a were twin brothers, which were having difficulty ordering their food, going as far as to resort to mimic to get across to the other party. They approached the female cashier who apparently knew nothing about the English language. “No onions, get it? I don’t want any onions.” The scrawniest of the twins, who had a long red hair and wore glasses articulated. “I am sorry, I don’t speak English.” Stammered the cashier, regretting the fact she slept through English classes. “Forget it brother, you can just take it off later.” The more athletic of the twins advised. Who differently from his brother, did not wear glasses and had a shorter haircut. “No, the taste will stay on the meat and you know how much I hate onions.” He complained to his brother. His brother sighed because of all the negative attention they were getting. The whole problem transpired moments after Amanda’s turn ended, having already registered her exit in the store’s system she had yet to change out of her uniform. When Amanda heard one of her colleagues mention the problem at the cashier, deciding to help she marched towards the source of the problem. “Please leave it to me.²” Amanda confidently said, touching the cashier's shoulder. “Thank you Amanda, you’re a lifesaver.” The relieved cashier said, before smiling and leaving her station. “Excuse me sir, what is the problem?” Asked Amanda, using what she learned during her training, a pleasant smile. “What's wrong? Is my accent bad?” She asked since no answer came from them as the twins stood in silence staring at her. The first brother, who woke up from his daze, was the short-haired one who shoved his brother’s back as discreetly as he could. But since that did not work, he decided to speak in his stead. “I am terribly sorry, but you see my dear younger brother cannot stand the taste of onions, so could you please not add them to his burger?” “It’s bad to be a picky eater, but then again you’re the customer...” Amanda said smiling. “I know, I couldn’t agree more. Sadly, it’s easier to convince him to bungee jump, than to make him eat a slice of onion.” Joked the older of the two brothers while smirking, but Amanda, not caring for his bad joke continued with her work. “Two chocolate milk-shakes, two medium fries, a double cheeseburger and a Big Queen without onions, is that correct sir?” Said Amanda, trying to ignore that his gaze was directed at her chest. Contrary to what she, or any onlookers thought he was mostly reading the name tag, which was conveniently placed on top one of her breasts. “Yes, that’s all. Thank you for your help Amanda.” The older brother said before paying for their meal. Only a few minutes later, after both received their meals, the younger brother got back to his senses and followed his brother into one of the few vacant tables whom after taking a few bites of his sandwich, spoke. “She’s perfect.” He said with a piece of half-chewed hamburger inside his mouth. “Is your Big Queen that good?” Asked his brother smirking, as he knew exactly about what he was talking about. "Very funny," He said after swallowing the food inside his mouth, "I know you were also staring at her." Said the younger brother pushing up his glasses frame, his vision was flawless and did not need corrective glasses, which were already obsolete. Since reparative surgery had become cheaper and more effective, but many people still wore fake lenses as he did out of habit. “Go ask her out.” His brother said, with a broad smile on his face. “What? No way, she won’t accept...” He answered while shaking his head. “Whatever, we're leaving Brazil tomorrow anyway; this is your last chance bro.” His brother said while barely containing his urge to laugh. “But...” The younger brother started to mumble, but was interrupted by his brother. “Just go, or I will be telling mom about it, and you know how she loves gossiping at the hairdresser...” The elder brother said taking a bite at his burger, stuffing his mouth as to prevent himself from laughing. “Fine... I will go, but if you say a single word about this to mom, I swear no one will recognize you as my twin after I am done with you.” The younger brother says as he leaves his chair. He couldn’t help but to laugh at his younger brother’s words, despite the serious tone of his voice. Cheering him on, as he got off his chair and walked towards the cashier. Every step seemed difficult for his brother, who dragged his legs as if they were bound to a heavy iron ball. Despite all the effort it took him, he ended managing to reach the cashier and asking the man who now stood there, where the girl who helped them earlier had gone. “Oh, you mean Amanda? She left already.” He answered with a grin on his face, as he crushed the red haired young man's hope. Oblivious to that, Amanda was inside the bus heading back to her home; It didn’t take long for the bus to reach the station closest to where she lived, which was only a short walk away from the four-building apartment complex where Amanda and her parents lived. When she reached the condominium’s gate, a man inside the gatehouse greeted her. "Hello Amanda." Ayrton greeted her, "Still working at Burger Queen?" He asked with a smile on his face, as South Valley's oldest gatekeeper, having worked that since before Amanda's birth. Ayrton knew her and her family well enough to be considered one of their friends. "Yes, and something interesting happened there today." Said Amanda as she passed through the gate. Moments after the gate closed behind her she started to narrate the events which had taken place on her work place. Done so, she excused herself after she noticed the clock inside the gatehouse wall. They both exchanged farewells before Amanda left the gatehouse and entered the edifice C, taking the elevator to reach the eleventh floor. When the elevator arrived she left it and walked to the door of apartment KC-2, where she lived along with her parents. Pressing her finger against the digital lock installed on the door, it silently opened. “Welcome home.” Said a man sitting on the living room’s couch while watching TV. “Thank you father, you look well today.” Said Amanda smiling, the man who had greeted her was her father, Fernando Ferreira. “What do you want, Amanda?” Fernando sighed before asking so, as he knew his daughter well enough to know what her compliment truly meant. “It’s rather expensive, but I want this.” She said, showing the pamphlet Laura had given her on the bus. “Virtual Reality Capsule? And why would you need that for?” Asked her father, who was not very fond of new technologies, since to him they had made the mankind weaker and lazier. While his opinion was not entirely wrong and he knew technology had many benefits, but he couldn’t help but sigh every time he heard complaints that came from others when they found out an elevator was in maintenance. “For a game.” She answered wishing she could have given a better reason, for him to spend a rather high amount of money on something superfluous. Unfortunately, different from most people, he was not easily manipulated by her words. “I won’t buy it.” Said her father, crushing her hopes as if they were an egg stepped by an elephant, she tried to change his mind, but failed to do so. ‘Stubborn fools’ Amanda thought after she had spent the rest of the day trying to convince him. Going as far as to ask for her mother’s help, but that hadn't changed anything as she too agreed with her husband’s opinion. She did not give up, and almost every day tried to ask for it, by subtly shifting the conversation. But it was only at her eighteenth-birthday party, that she gained the desired capsule; apparently, as a reward, for passing the university entrance exam. She couldn't wait to play with it, but had to entertain her party guests. “Congratulations Amanda! Now you can finally join me.” Said her friend Laura, smiling after she saw her best friend’s gift. On that day’s evening, after all guests had left, Amanda entered the capsule for the first time. Inside it, she was involved by a deep darkness, but aside from that nothing was happening, making her think that perhaps the capsule had not been installed properly. Amanda sighed, ‘Just my luck.’ She thought, moments before the surge of a bright light nearly blinded her. “The scan of your iris has determined that you are an unregistered user, do you wish to create a new account?” Asked a feminine voice searching for the voice’s owner she looked around. But after she saw nothing but white Amanda gave up and gave her answer to the empty white room. “Yes.” She answered, thinking that whoever had asked clearly was not very bright why else she would be here? “Please select the name of your avatar.” Said the body less voice, in the two last years she had waited, Amanda had thought long and hard on a name fit for the character she wanted to create. “Artanis.” She answered, having already decided on her name and race. “Please select your gender, from male, female or neutral.” Stated the voice, as amusing as playing a male could be and no matter how curious she was about the neutral gender, her answer was not surprising. “Female.” She said to the mysterious female voice. “Royal Road has forty-nine races. You may select your race from the primary thirty-one.” The voice said before a list appeared before Amanda’s eyes. Even though, she already had a race mind, one that fitted her avatar’s name. She took her time to read it, curious about the list's contents. According to the list’s description, her desired race the elves; were creatures incapable of dying from old age, which after reaching maturity, stayed with the appearance same through their life. Being said to descend from fairies, elves were agile, intelligent, wise and also possessed a physical strength nearly equal to the one found on an average human. Their biggest flaw was their low vitality, result of their lithe frame leaving their bodies frailer than the ones of most races. Currently on Royal Road, only two elven sub-races are available at the character creation, half-elves that were almost no different from humans, aside from their somewhat pointy ears and dark elves. Who were stronger and sturdier than their elven counterparts, but less agile. They also not well seen by most races. “Elf.” Said Amanda “You may alter your appearance anyway you like.” The voice stated. ‘That won’t be necessary.’ Was what Amanda thought; at least before seeing the 3D model representing her, that suddenly appeared. “Please match the skin tone with mine.” Said Amanda, since the beautiful elven maiden before her had nearly all of Amanda’s features, including her beautiful platinum blond hair and clear blue eyes. Being nearly a perfect copy, aside from two things, one being the characteristic long ears every elf possess; the other her skin. Rather that her tanned skin, the result of hours under the sun. Was a fair white one, similar to the one she had, in older pictures found in her family digital album. The mysterious entity, hearing her request, changed the model’s skin, which was slowly tanned, till it achieved the same beautiful tone the real Amanda currently had. But on closer inspection, Amanda noted there was something else that needed to be changed. “Please make her skin uniform.” Said Amanda, since the model before her, had all her skins characteristics, including the marks caused by the clothes she wore. Answering her request, the 3D model once again changed, achieving a perfect tan through its entire skin. “I've finished editing it, please continue.” She said, having changed the only flaw she could find on her avatar since she considered her appearance perfect. It might sound arrogant, but it only meant she loved herself the way she was, and never once thought that anything needed to be changed. She had often heard derogatory and petty remarks about her body, but she had been assured by her family they all came from people jealous and envious of her appearance. A certain documentary about plastic surgery helped her to confirm what her family said was actually true.. Seeing many women being put under the knife to achieve a figure close to hers, made her glad that she needed not to undergo such procedures. “Your account has been activated, your attributes and class shall be determined based on your actions in the game. Please select a city and kingdom to begin your journey.” The female voice said, hearing this Amanda assumed the account activation process was nearing its end. “Any city is fine as long it's well populated.” Answered Amanda since she did not know anything about the game’s geography and her real life friends told her to pick any city she wanted as she could always travel to meet them. “Welcome to Royal Road. May you have a grand adventure, on your journey to becoming the next Empress.” Were the last words said by the mysterious voice before Amanda was once again enveloped in a bright light. When regained her senses she was in a small forest covered elven village. There Amanda learned, among other things, how to manipulate the various windows and controls of the game, after she completed the tutorial, the elven village residents waved her goodbye as a horse pulled carriage took her away. | <<< Last Chapter | [Table Of Contents](http://www.royalroadl.com/fanfic/71) | [Next Chapter >>>](http://www.royalroadl.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=71&t=879) | | --- | --- | --- | | Spell Checked | | | |

<div class="chapter-inner chapter-content"> Hey guys, sorry about the long wait. Had stuff to do, but don't worry I'm back in full swing from now on. Another short one this time I'm afraid, mainly just a filler before I start work on a new story arc. <br><br><br>Country of Dakar, Versailles Continent<br><br>Arthe and co had been traveling together for roughly a month now (in game time) and during that time they had been on many small adventures, usually quests involving the death of certain types of monster. Frith and Talis had eventually become friends after Frith had discovered that Talis was actually Merrak's girlfriend, for some reason unknown to Arthe this fact made Frith happy. (yes he's thick)<br><br>At this exact moment in time Arthe was running away from a particularly large and angry rock giant, whose sleep had been disturbed when Frith 'accidentally' stabbed it in the eye just before Arthe was going to steal the large sapphire hanging from around its neck. Needless to say when it woke up and noticed the group of would be thieves crawling around its home the giant got a little upset and attempted to squish them into paste. Currently it was trying to crush Arthe with a large stone club, at the same time Frith was laughing at the sight and the other two were attempting to strip the cave of loot whilst the giant was distracted.<br><br>"Hey Frith, stop laughing at Arthe's 'unique' running style and come help us carry this stuff out of here", Talis called as she grabbed a large engraved warhammer hanging from the wall of the cave.<br><br>Arthe was getting pretty irritated at this point because it wasn't the first time something like this had happened, a week ago the party was in a dungeon full of thieves and he was attacking the final boss when Frith and Talis persuaded Merrak to use a slow spell on both Arthe and the boss. It took Arthe 2 hours to kill the boss in slow motion whilst putting up with the laughter and the jokes, and this incident wasn't even the worst one.<br>2 days earlier Arthe and Merrak had been bathing in a stream and the girls decided to take all their clothes and replace them with a couple of leather dresses and a couple of bras, then they proceeded to attract the attention of a nearby group of goblins. They pulled the goblins to the stream where the lads were bathing and then watched as Arthe and Merrak were forced to put on the only clothes they had available and fight the monsters. The worst thing was that Talis took screenshots and when Arthe logged off that day feeling pretty angry he discovered that she had posted a video of the entire escapade online. Thankfully she had covered their faces but 28 thousand people still saw two men wearing girls clothes attacking a group of goblins.<br><br>Arthe ground his teeth as he recalled these incidents and others like them, he then decided that enough was enough so he turned and threw himself bodily at the rock giant. With a shout of fury Arthe proceeded to attack one of the monsters legs, slashing the back of its knees and stabbing deeply into the muscle of the giant's thigh. The monster crashed to the floor as its leg gave way, Arthe then cast numerous Holy Bolts at the creatures remaining eye blinding it it permanently. He then casually walked over to Frith and picked her up, carrying her back over to the thrashing giant he dropped her next to its useless leg and then attracted the attention of the beast by stabbing it in the leg again. After that he walked off and left Frith to finish off the giant alone. </div>

Hey guys, sorry about the long wait. Had stuff to do, but don't worry I'm back in full swing from now on. Another short one this time I'm afraid, mainly just a filler before I start work on a new story arc. Country of Dakar, Versailles Continent Arthe and co had been traveling together for roughly a month now (in game time) and during that time they had been on many small adventures, usually quests involving the death of certain types of monster. Frith and Talis had eventually become friends after Frith had discovered that Talis was actually Merrak's girlfriend, for some reason unknown to Arthe this fact made Frith happy. (yes he's thick) At this exact moment in time Arthe was running away from a particularly large and angry rock giant, whose sleep had been disturbed when Frith 'accidentally' stabbed it in the eye just before Arthe was going to steal the large sapphire hanging from around its neck. Needless to say when it woke up and noticed the group of would be thieves crawling around its home the giant got a little upset and attempted to squish them into paste. Currently it was trying to crush Arthe with a large stone club, at the same time Frith was laughing at the sight and the other two were attempting to strip the cave of loot whilst the giant was distracted. "Hey Frith, stop laughing at Arthe's 'unique' running style and come help us carry this stuff out of here", Talis called as she grabbed a large engraved warhammer hanging from the wall of the cave. Arthe was getting pretty irritated at this point because it wasn't the first time something like this had happened, a week ago the party was in a dungeon full of thieves and he was attacking the final boss when Frith and Talis persuaded Merrak to use a slow spell on both Arthe and the boss. It took Arthe 2 hours to kill the boss in slow motion whilst putting up with the laughter and the jokes, and this incident wasn't even the worst one. 2 days earlier Arthe and Merrak had been bathing in a stream and the girls decided to take all their clothes and replace them with a couple of leather dresses and a couple of bras, then they proceeded to attract the attention of a nearby group of goblins. They pulled the goblins to the stream where the lads were bathing and then watched as Arthe and Merrak were forced to put on the only clothes they had available and fight the monsters. The worst thing was that Talis took screenshots and when Arthe logged off that day feeling pretty angry he discovered that she had posted a video of the entire escapade online. Thankfully she had covered their faces but 28 thousand people still saw two men wearing girls clothes attacking a group of goblins. Arthe ground his teeth as he recalled these incidents and others like them, he then decided that enough was enough so he turned and threw himself bodily at the rock giant. With a shout of fury Arthe proceeded to attack one of the monsters legs, slashing the back of its knees and stabbing deeply into the muscle of the giant's thigh. The monster crashed to the floor as its leg gave way, Arthe then cast numerous Holy Bolts at the creatures remaining eye blinding it it permanently. He then casually walked over to Frith and picked her up, carrying her back over to the thrashing giant he dropped her next to its useless leg and then attracted the attention of the beast by stabbing it in the leg again. After that he walked off and left Frith to finish off the giant alone.

<div class="chapter-inner chapter-content"> <a href="http://www.royalroadl.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=119&amp;t=1161&amp;p=6454#p6454" target="_blank">Previous Chapter</a> <br> <br>Author's note: <br> <br>So here's the promised prologue :) Hope you enjoy it and learn a few new things about Kirin. <br> <br>Also to celebrate the beginning of a third arc and the return of my internet I decided to share a picture my best friend had drawn for me. It's Ace at the beginning of the game so be sure to check it out and say wherever you imagined him this way or not&nbsp; <br> <br><a href="http://www.royalroadl.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=930" target="_blank">Link Here</a> <br> <br>**** <br> <br>Dark clouds. They were obstructing the sun's view. Only a few rays managed to get past the blockade and burst out basking the world in their light. <br> <br>One of them landed on a boy. He was hugging his legs, eyes directed at the play ground below. It was empty at the moment, everyone spending time with their computers. It was rare to see any life here. Only bored wind would move the swings from time to time, reminding them of the times gone.&nbsp; <br> <br>But the kid wasn't seeing that. His eyes locked on the swings were misty, lost in a different world. They saw a bright sun shining happily on the world. Kids of different ages were laughing and playing together as their parents watched from the benches. Smiles were everywhere and a blonde haired kid with bright blue eyes had the biggest one. <br> <br>He was sitting on the swings and bending his legs to get higher and higher. The start alone was hard but he was on a roll now. Higher and higher, right to the sky! He rose and fell still reaching up. Other kids looked at him in wonder as he passed their height long ago and was still going up. Fear? Who cared about that! There was heaven almost in his reach! <br> <br>When he was at the peak from where you couldn't go any higher, he jumped off spreading his arms. Air hit him with a strong force making his eyes water. He flapped his hands pretending to be a bird soaring into the sun but the sky wasn't coming closer.&nbsp; <br> <br>The earth was. <br> <br>Hands started to move in wild motions along the legs as time slowed down for a moment. He saw mother starting to sprint and terrified gazes watching his flight. An even brighter smile blossomed on his face at the same moment that he hit the ground. <br> <br>Blackness. It was his only companion for a few very long moments. He could hear and feel but there was no sight. Darkness all around. His heart started to race as fear began to consume him. Had he gone blind? <br> <br>Slowly colours started to return. Pieces of mother's face and blue sea behind her. Soon it was over but it was then that the pain hit him. <br> <br>"Owowow! It hurts!" he screamed with tears in his eyes, clutching his left hand to himself. <br> <br>Mother kissed on the head as she raised him from the ground. "Let me look at it, please?" she asked looking him in the eyes. <br> <br>"It hurts!" he had said shaking his head and clutching the arm closer. The pain was unbearable; he couldn't even move it slightly without a searing heat passing through it. <br> <br>"Can you stand up, Kirin?" she asked. <br> <br>He had nodded and stood up on shaky legs. Shorts were torn, bruised and bloody knees showing. But he felt nothing of that. Arm didn't allow any attention to go to other parts of the body that had been hurt by the flight. <br> <br>"Let's go to the doctor then, okay?" his mother asked, unwrapping her scarf and fastening his arm to chest.. That freed his right hand so she took it and together they left the playground. <br> <br>He hadn't seen it back then but he could imagine how shocked other parents were. His mother not only didn't call him by sweet names, but didn't carry him either. He was still very small and thin so it should have been no problem. There undoubtedly were disgust in their eyes. Would there have been in his too if she hadn't been his mother and he the victim of his own foolishness? <br> <br>But she was tired. And the break short. She didn't have time to care for his stupidity. It was hard and without it. Money didn't grow on trees. Sadly. Life might have been so much better otherwise. <br> <br>They silently walked to the doctor. <br> <br>"What happened?" the man asked, writing something. He didn’t pay any attention to them as they came in. <br> <br>"I fell from the swings" he had said, looking at the man as if daring him to disagree. The doctor didn’t raise his head. He took the hand and against the screams gently examined it. <br> <br>"It's swollen and turning blue. You'll have to take an X-ray." <br> <br>After that they got the photo and it was decided that he had slightly fractured the bone. Luckily, it was still in place and a cast was enough. Everything was done in half an hour. Still some time left. <br> <br>As they went home mother glanced at his hand and asked. "Why did you jump off?" <br>"I wanted to fly!" he had said, searching for understanding in her eyes. What he found was simple tiredness. There was hardly any place left for anything else. <br> <br>"Why don't you like it down here, Kirin?" <br> <br>"I want to fly to the sun like Icarus had!" he had said with admiration in his voice. <br> <br>"You know, he never reached it" mother said with a sigh, her shoulders down. <br> <br>"But I would! I would fly right to the sun and see how it shines so brightly! Then I would bring her warmth down here and everyone would be happy forever! Isn't that right? No one is ever sad when the sun is shining!" he had said raising their entwined hands to the sun. A stupid childish smile brightening his face. <br> <br>There was a tired one on his mother's too. "My little hero" she murmured opening the doors and taking him to the kitchen where father was already sitting. <br> <br>"What happened?" he asked, noticing his cast. <br> <br>"I flew towards the sun but it was out of reach..." he said, sadness evident. His father shook his head, curls dancing around it. There were dark circles around his eyes. "You've been lonely again, haven't you?" <br> <br>"Samantha didn't come today" he said shrugging and climbed onto his father's legs. "How's work? Did the big bad monster shout at you again?" <br> <br>"Yes, he did" father said, throwing mother a helpless smile. She laughed and threw him an apple. He always ate them while she warmed the pizza up. "But let's forget it for now. Why don't you become friends with other kids?" he asked seriously. <br> <br>"I don't like them" he had answered with a solemn face. "All they care about are newest computer games and the progression of virtual reality. They don’t even know a single tale and care nothing for princesses. Neither of them would even put on armour to save them! They'd say it's too heavy! I don't like them." <br> <br>"Were we wrong to teach you it all?" father asked tiredly, looking at mother who just shook her head. "We were trying to pass the exams. It was tell him those stories or never even see him. We made our choice." <br> <br>"But to tell him history for bed time stories? And math formulas? Or theory behind creating good advertisements? Wasn't that too much?" father asked hugging him closer. He never intruded on their private conversations. They rarely had any time together so he'd learnt to pretend like he wasn't there. He never asked questions and acted as if he knew nothing of what had been talked about. Because of it he was allowed to hear all the horrors that a young family had to face. <br> <br>"He's the best student now because of it. I'm sure if he tried harder, he could have many friends. Even among people his age he's quite popular when he wants to be. Do you remember their admiration filled eyes when he acted out a knight’s role in the school's play? For the whole evening he was a hero until he got tired of it and started to ignore everyone" mother said and he wanted to hide behind father's hands. <br> <br>It wasn't his fault that they decided to follow him all around and he couldn't take it anymore. How could one live being surrounded by so many people watching his every step? It was too suffocating. <br> <br>"Kirin?" father asked and he raised his head. There was fire in his father's eyes. "Can you trust me and become friends with them?" <br> <br>"Why?" he had whined. "I don't like them..." <br> <br>"Friends are what will keep you up when you hit rock bottom. You can't make it through the life without them. Trust me. If not the help of all the friends, we wouldn't be sitting here all together. Do you understand that?" he asked, taking his shoulders with his hands. The left one hurt but he kept quiet and nodded unhappily. <br> <br>"Promise me it! Promise that you'll have friends no matter where you are! Even if you don't like them at first, it doesn't matter! No one starts to trust others without a cause, especially you, so wait. One day they'll prove you, it was worth it all along! So promise me!" he said, eyes drilling right into his soul. <br> <br>"I promise" he had said and never forgotten it. <br> <br>Years passed, things changed but he kept it. No matter what, he always had a bunch of people to rely on if a disaster stuck. It might have been selfish of him but he made a promise to his father. <br> <br>Soon after that a true disaster struck and he became what he is now. A creature frozen in time. Life changed then, taking all he had with it and leaving horror in its place. He had thought that evening was suffocating... What stupidity! And naivety! But how was he supposed to know it was going to become so much worse? <br> <br> <br><a href="http://www.royalroadl.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=119&amp;t=1204" target="_blank">Next Chapter</a> </div>

[Previous Chapter](http://www.royalroadl.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=119&t=1161&p=6454#p6454) Author's note: So here's the promised prologue :) Hope you enjoy it and learn a few new things about Kirin. Also to celebrate the beginning of a third arc and the return of my internet I decided to share a picture my best friend had drawn for me. It's Ace at the beginning of the game so be sure to check it out and say wherever you imagined him this way or not  [Link Here](http://www.royalroadl.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=930) **** Dark clouds. They were obstructing the sun's view. Only a few rays managed to get past the blockade and burst out basking the world in their light. One of them landed on a boy. He was hugging his legs, eyes directed at the play ground below. It was empty at the moment, everyone spending time with their computers. It was rare to see any life here. Only bored wind would move the swings from time to time, reminding them of the times gone.  But the kid wasn't seeing that. His eyes locked on the swings were misty, lost in a different world. They saw a bright sun shining happily on the world. Kids of different ages were laughing and playing together as their parents watched from the benches. Smiles were everywhere and a blonde haired kid with bright blue eyes had the biggest one. He was sitting on the swings and bending his legs to get higher and higher. The start alone was hard but he was on a roll now. Higher and higher, right to the sky! He rose and fell still reaching up. Other kids looked at him in wonder as he passed their height long ago and was still going up. Fear? Who cared about that! There was heaven almost in his reach! When he was at the peak from where you couldn't go any higher, he jumped off spreading his arms. Air hit him with a strong force making his eyes water. He flapped his hands pretending to be a bird soaring into the sun but the sky wasn't coming closer.  The earth was. Hands started to move in wild motions along the legs as time slowed down for a moment. He saw mother starting to sprint and terrified gazes watching his flight. An even brighter smile blossomed on his face at the same moment that he hit the ground. Blackness. It was his only companion for a few very long moments. He could hear and feel but there was no sight. Darkness all around. His heart started to race as fear began to consume him. Had he gone blind? Slowly colours started to return. Pieces of mother's face and blue sea behind her. Soon it was over but it was then that the pain hit him. "Owowow! It hurts!" he screamed with tears in his eyes, clutching his left hand to himself. Mother kissed on the head as she raised him from the ground. "Let me look at it, please?" she asked looking him in the eyes. "It hurts!" he had said shaking his head and clutching the arm closer. The pain was unbearable; he couldn't even move it slightly without a searing heat passing through it. "Can you stand up, Kirin?" she asked. He had nodded and stood up on shaky legs. Shorts were torn, bruised and bloody knees showing. But he felt nothing of that. Arm didn't allow any attention to go to other parts of the body that had been hurt by the flight. "Let's go to the doctor then, okay?" his mother asked, unwrapping her scarf and fastening his arm to chest.. That freed his right hand so she took it and together they left the playground. He hadn't seen it back then but he could imagine how shocked other parents were. His mother not only didn't call him by sweet names, but didn't carry him either. He was still very small and thin so it should have been no problem. There undoubtedly were disgust in their eyes. Would there have been in his too if she hadn't been his mother and he the victim of his own foolishness? But she was tired. And the break short. She didn't have time to care for his stupidity. It was hard and without it. Money didn't grow on trees. Sadly. Life might have been so much better otherwise. They silently walked to the doctor. "What happened?" the man asked, writing something. He didn’t pay any attention to them as they came in. "I fell from the swings" he had said, looking at the man as if daring him to disagree. The doctor didn’t raise his head. He took the hand and against the screams gently examined it. "It's swollen and turning blue. You'll have to take an X-ray." After that they got the photo and it was decided that he had slightly fractured the bone. Luckily, it was still in place and a cast was enough. Everything was done in half an hour. Still some time left. As they went home mother glanced at his hand and asked. "Why did you jump off?" "I wanted to fly!" he had said, searching for understanding in her eyes. What he found was simple tiredness. There was hardly any place left for anything else. "Why don't you like it down here, Kirin?" "I want to fly to the sun like Icarus had!" he had said with admiration in his voice. "You know, he never reached it" mother said with a sigh, her shoulders down. "But I would! I would fly right to the sun and see how it shines so brightly! Then I would bring her warmth down here and everyone would be happy forever! Isn't that right? No one is ever sad when the sun is shining!" he had said raising their entwined hands to the sun. A stupid childish smile brightening his face. There was a tired one on his mother's too. "My little hero" she murmured opening the doors and taking him to the kitchen where father was already sitting. "What happened?" he asked, noticing his cast. "I flew towards the sun but it was out of reach..." he said, sadness evident. His father shook his head, curls dancing around it. There were dark circles around his eyes. "You've been lonely again, haven't you?" "Samantha didn't come today" he said shrugging and climbed onto his father's legs. "How's work? Did the big bad monster shout at you again?" "Yes, he did" father said, throwing mother a helpless smile. She laughed and threw him an apple. He always ate them while she warmed the pizza up. "But let's forget it for now. Why don't you become friends with other kids?" he asked seriously. "I don't like them" he had answered with a solemn face. "All they care about are newest computer games and the progression of virtual reality. They don’t even know a single tale and care nothing for princesses. Neither of them would even put on armour to save them! They'd say it's too heavy! I don't like them." "Were we wrong to teach you it all?" father asked tiredly, looking at mother who just shook her head. "We were trying to pass the exams. It was tell him those stories or never even see him. We made our choice." "But to tell him history for bed time stories? And math formulas? Or theory behind creating good advertisements? Wasn't that too much?" father asked hugging him closer. He never intruded on their private conversations. They rarely had any time together so he'd learnt to pretend like he wasn't there. He never asked questions and acted as if he knew nothing of what had been talked about. Because of it he was allowed to hear all the horrors that a young family had to face. "He's the best student now because of it. I'm sure if he tried harder, he could have many friends. Even among people his age he's quite popular when he wants to be. Do you remember their admiration filled eyes when he acted out a knight’s role in the school's play? For the whole evening he was a hero until he got tired of it and started to ignore everyone" mother said and he wanted to hide behind father's hands. It wasn't his fault that they decided to follow him all around and he couldn't take it anymore. How could one live being surrounded by so many people watching his every step? It was too suffocating. "Kirin?" father asked and he raised his head. There was fire in his father's eyes. "Can you trust me and become friends with them?" "Why?" he had whined. "I don't like them..." "Friends are what will keep you up when you hit rock bottom. You can't make it through the life without them. Trust me. If not the help of all the friends, we wouldn't be sitting here all together. Do you understand that?" he asked, taking his shoulders with his hands. The left one hurt but he kept quiet and nodded unhappily. "Promise me it! Promise that you'll have friends no matter where you are! Even if you don't like them at first, it doesn't matter! No one starts to trust others without a cause, especially you, so wait. One day they'll prove you, it was worth it all along! So promise me!" he said, eyes drilling right into his soul. "I promise" he had said and never forgotten it. Years passed, things changed but he kept it. No matter what, he always had a bunch of people to rely on if a disaster stuck. It might have been selfish of him but he made a promise to his father. Soon after that a true disaster struck and he became what he is now. A creature frozen in time. Life changed then, taking all he had with it and leaving horror in its place. He had thought that evening was suffocating... What stupidity! And naivety! But how was he supposed to know it was going to become so much worse? [Next Chapter](http://www.royalroadl.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=119&t=1204)

<div class="chapter-inner chapter-content"> <span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size: 2.3em;">#One-Winged Angel</span></span><br><br>"My name... Toshimitsu Takamiya.... Or just Takamiya..." The traveller introduced himself in a slightly grainy voice once he took a seat in the wagon, "This pelt... I just killed it... Take it...as a gift for... providing shelter..."<br><br>It was only as Takamiya was taking off the bear pelt that we could actually see his appearance, and what we saw suprised all three of us riding in the wagon (including slenderman).<br><br>First off, he was an Elf. Not that it was very suprising. Just that it was fairly uncommon, since most players simply chose to be humans. Especially if they planned to be a warrior class, as Elves have little natural STR growth.<br><br>But that wasn't the biggest issue.<br><br>Second of all, despite his well toned body, it was easy to see that this was an extremely old person. His short hair had long gone white with age, a distictively different color from Taylor's computer-generated hair color. While his eyes remained sharp between his two pointy ears , the rest of his face were covered in wrinkles. Underneath his bear pelt cloak, he was wearing a light green bathro- I mean a... yukata.<br><br>Which brings us to our last point.<br><br>As he was shrugging off his cloak, the left side of his yukata slid off his shoulder and fell to the floor, revealing the bandages wrapped around his shoulder.<br><br>How does one wrap a bandage <span style="font-style: italic;">around</span> a shoulder? Not over the shoulder, or under the armpit, but actually <span style="font-style: italic;">around</span>, with the arm in the way?<br><br>Very simple.<br><br>Remove the arm.<br><br>On the left side of his body, where an arm was supposed to be, was simply nothing.<br><br>On other words, Takamiya was an amputee, who came into Royal Road and chose not to have his arm restored.<br><br>An old person might choose to keep his appearance in the game, rather than restoring his youth.<br><br>But I'd never have thought that a handicapped person might choose to keep said handicap in the game.<br><br>Since each person could only have one character, and considering that he's high enough level to kill a bear, does he plan to remain in this state for the rest of the game?<br><br>Does he know that? And if he does, that what is his reason for doing what he did? What happened to his arm in the first place?<br><br>These were the questions that ran through my mind, but in the end I chose not to ask them, lest I give offense to him.<br><br>"Thank you! Heywhathappenedtoyourarm?"<br><br>(REPLACE Facepalm image here)<br><br><img src="http://972mag.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/facepalm.jpg" border="0" alt="http%3a%2f%2f972mag.com%2fwp-content%2fuploads%2f201...cepalm.jpg"><br><br>(There we go!)<br><br>"This?... It's an... old sports injury..." Takamiya answered almost nonchalantly, "Long ago... Doesn't matter now..."<br><br><span style="font-style: italic;">:Looks like it really hurt!:</span><br><br>...<br><br>...<br><br>...<br><br>"Ah... When I woke up... already cut-off..."<br><br>"WAIT JUST ONE MOMENT!!!" I suddenly shouted, "Doesn't it shock you even a little that there's a ghost here!!!"<br><br>"... ... This game... has Zombies... Dragons... Elves... and Demons... Why should a ghost... suprise me?"<br><br>He has a point...<br><br><span style="font-style: italic;">*I feel like an idiot now.*</span><br><br>"So where you heading old man?" asked Taylor.<br><br>"Nowhere... really... Just where... there are people to... fight..."<br><br>"We're headed to kill some bandits for a quest," I told him, "Would you want to come along."<br><br>"... Sure... Could be fun..."<br><br><span style="font-style: italic;">:Yay! Another person to help out!:</span><br><br>"But first we'll make a stop at Groun, then we'll reach their camp tomorrow morning."<br><br>"No... Not to Groun... There is... Trouble there..."<br><br>"Trouble? Is there anything we can do to help?" I asked.<br><br>"No... we will cause... more... trouble..."<br><br>"Well alright," said Taylor, "Change of plans then! Tonight, we will attack.... Or rather you guys will, I can't actually fight."<br><br>********************************************************************************<br><br>Night had fallen by the time we reached the Bandit camp, which was located in a dip in the forest ground, that somewhat protected it from sight.<br>The camp was encircled by tall wooden stakes driven into the ground, with a watchtower at either side of the only entrance. For whatever reason, there was no gate.<br><br>In the camp, the large tents were set out in a surpisingly orderly manner along the inner circumference of of the camp, with a large clearing in the center.<br><br>In other words, it looked like a cliche bandit camp from any video game, but that doesn't make it any less efficient. If not for slenderman's directions, we would never have found the place.<br><br>But what slenderman failed to inform us of was the sheer number of bandits we had to kill.<br><br>There must be at least a hundred of them milling about the camp doing whatever it is bandits do in their free time. Some of them were repairing worn armor or sharpening weapons, while others were engaging in mock combat, or lazing around in general. There were sentries in the watchtowers, but none of them were holding weapons.<br><br>All of this was observed while we were hidden in the trees on a nearby hill. Taylor had dropped us off as close as he could with his wagon, but chose not to follow us into the forest.<br><br><span style="font-style: italic;">:There're alot more of them than there used to be!:</span><br><br><span style="font-style: italic;">*I see... But the problem is how to kill that many of them...*</span><br><br>"Those bandits.... are from Groun..." Takamiya suddenly said, "Their levels and... stats... are high... But they are... very unskilled..."<br><br><span style="font-style: italic;">*If that's the case we could probably defeat them by bottlenecking them at the entrance... If I had some kind of burning arrow I might be able to set the entire camp on fire...*</span><br><br>"Even if they're weak, with this many enemies, it could be fun!"<br><br><span style="font-style: italic;">*In fact I can just make a fire now and...*</span><br><br>"WHAT THE FUCK!!!"<br><br>Without warning, Takamiya suddenly charged towards the camp!<br><br>"Wait up!" I shouted as I started chasing after him.<br><br>"BUA HAHAHAHA-HA!!!" while running at a speed that didn't match his old age, Takamiya started to emit a maniacal laugh.<br><br><span style="font-style: italic;">*It's like he's a whole different person!*</span><br><br>Since we were basically charging in from the front, it wasn't long before the sentries in the watchtowers spotted us.<br><br>"HE'S HERE!" one of them shouted, "THE ONE-WINGED ANGEL HAS ARRIVED!"<br><br><span style="font-style: italic;">*Huh? What?*</span><br><br>More shouting could be heard from the inside of the camp as they stopped whatever they were doing to get ready to face us.<br><br>"OGRE-FIST SMASHER CHALLENGES ONE-WINGED ANGEL TO COMBAT!" shouted one of them.<br><br>"NO! THAT MAN KILLED MY BROTHER!" a second one shouted, "GREAT-CLAW WILL FIGHT HIM!"<br><br><span style="font-style: italic;">*What?*</span><br><br>"I WILL FIGHT HIM!" yet another one shouted.<br><br>"HE KILLED MY SON!"<br><br>"HE KILLED MY FATHER! TWO-SWORD MANTIS CLAIMS RIGHT OF COMBAT!"<br><br>"MY HUSBAND WAS KILLED BY HIM!"<br><br>"HE STOLE MY WIFE!"<br><br>"Actually that was me..."<br><br>"... Seriously?"<br><br>"WHO CARES ABOUT YOUR WIFE! HE KILLED MY WHOLE FAMILY!"<br><br>"SORE-CRACK THE CLUB DEMANDS A FIGHT!"<br><br>"YOU FOOLS! THIS ISN'T GROUN ANYMORE!" a sharper voice cut through the chaos, "THERE'S NO NEED FOR ONE-TO-ONE COMBAT! WE CAN ALL FIGHT HIM AT THE SAME TIME!"<br><br>"ONE-WINGED ANGEL ACCEPTS ALL YOUR CHALLENGES!" shouted Takamiya as he leapt into battle.<br><br><span style="font-style: italic;">*Huh??? Huh??? HUUUUUH??????*</span><br><br>********************************************************************************<br><br>Author's Notes:<br><br>Hello all!<br><br>One more week, one more chapter!<br><br>Short chapters seem to agree with me more that long ones. When the dateline is closer, I tend to procrastinate less.<br><br>Hopefully, I can keep up this pace.<br><br>As usual, all comments and criticisms are welcome!<br><br>Over and out.<br><br><br>Edit: oh, and <a href="http://www.royalroadl.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=118&amp;t=1107" target="_blank">Sword-Bow<span style="font-size: 0.7em;">(patent pending)</span></a> </div>

#One-Winged Angel "My name... Toshimitsu Takamiya.... Or just Takamiya..." The traveller introduced himself in a slightly grainy voice once he took a seat in the wagon, "This pelt... I just killed it... Take it...as a gift for... providing shelter..." It was only as Takamiya was taking off the bear pelt that we could actually see his appearance, and what we saw suprised all three of us riding in the wagon (including slenderman). First off, he was an Elf. Not that it was very suprising. Just that it was fairly uncommon, since most players simply chose to be humans. Especially if they planned to be a warrior class, as Elves have little natural STR growth. But that wasn't the biggest issue. Second of all, despite his well toned body, it was easy to see that this was an extremely old person. His short hair had long gone white with age, a distictively different color from Taylor's computer-generated hair color. While his eyes remained sharp between his two pointy ears , the rest of his face were covered in wrinkles. Underneath his bear pelt cloak, he was wearing a light green bathro- I mean a... yukata. Which brings us to our last point. As he was shrugging off his cloak, the left side of his yukata slid off his shoulder and fell to the floor, revealing the bandages wrapped around his shoulder. How does one wrap a bandage around a shoulder? Not over the shoulder, or under the armpit, but actually around, with the arm in the way? Very simple. Remove the arm. On the left side of his body, where an arm was supposed to be, was simply nothing. On other words, Takamiya was an amputee, who came into Royal Road and chose not to have his arm restored. An old person might choose to keep his appearance in the game, rather than restoring his youth. But I'd never have thought that a handicapped person might choose to keep said handicap in the game. Since each person could only have one character, and considering that he's high enough level to kill a bear, does he plan to remain in this state for the rest of the game? Does he know that? And if he does, that what is his reason for doing what he did? What happened to his arm in the first place? These were the questions that ran through my mind, but in the end I chose not to ask them, lest I give offense to him. "Thank you! Heywhathappenedtoyourarm?" (REPLACE Facepalm image here)  (There we go!) "This?... It's an... old sports injury..." Takamiya answered almost nonchalantly, "Long ago... Doesn't matter now..." :Looks like it really hurt!: ... ... ... "Ah... When I woke up... already cut-off..." "WAIT JUST ONE MOMENT!!!" I suddenly shouted, "Doesn't it shock you even a little that there's a ghost here!!!" "... ... This game... has Zombies... Dragons... Elves... and Demons... Why should a ghost... suprise me?" He has a point... *I feel like an idiot now.* "So where you heading old man?" asked Taylor. "Nowhere... really... Just where... there are people to... fight..." "We're headed to kill some bandits for a quest," I told him, "Would you want to come along." "... Sure... Could be fun..." :Yay! Another person to help out!: "But first we'll make a stop at Groun, then we'll reach their camp tomorrow morning." "No... Not to Groun... There is... Trouble there..." "Trouble? Is there anything we can do to help?" I asked. "No... we will cause... more... trouble..." "Well alright," said Taylor, "Change of plans then! Tonight, we will attack.... Or rather you guys will, I can't actually fight." ******************************************************************************** Night had fallen by the time we reached the Bandit camp, which was located in a dip in the forest ground, that somewhat protected it from sight. The camp was encircled by tall wooden stakes driven into the ground, with a watchtower at either side of the only entrance. For whatever reason, there was no gate. In the camp, the large tents were set out in a surpisingly orderly manner along the inner circumference of of the camp, with a large clearing in the center. In other words, it looked like a cliche bandit camp from any video game, but that doesn't make it any less efficient. If not for slenderman's directions, we would never have found the place. But what slenderman failed to inform us of was the sheer number of bandits we had to kill. There must be at least a hundred of them milling about the camp doing whatever it is bandits do in their free time. Some of them were repairing worn armor or sharpening weapons, while others were engaging in mock combat, or lazing around in general. There were sentries in the watchtowers, but none of them were holding weapons. All of this was observed while we were hidden in the trees on a nearby hill. Taylor had dropped us off as close as he could with his wagon, but chose not to follow us into the forest. :There're alot more of them than there used to be!: *I see... But the problem is how to kill that many of them...* "Those bandits.... are from Groun..." Takamiya suddenly said, "Their levels and... stats... are high... But they are... very unskilled..." *If that's the case we could probably defeat them by bottlenecking them at the entrance... If I had some kind of burning arrow I might be able to set the entire camp on fire...* "Even if they're weak, with this many enemies, it could be fun!" *In fact I can just make a fire now and...* "WHAT THE FUCK!!!" Without warning, Takamiya suddenly charged towards the camp! "Wait up!" I shouted as I started chasing after him. "BUA HAHAHAHA-HA!!!" while running at a speed that didn't match his old age, Takamiya started to emit a maniacal laugh. *It's like he's a whole different person!* Since we were basically charging in from the front, it wasn't long before the sentries in the watchtowers spotted us. "HE'S HERE!" one of them shouted, "THE ONE-WINGED ANGEL HAS ARRIVED!" *Huh? What?* More shouting could be heard from the inside of the camp as they stopped whatever they were doing to get ready to face us. "OGRE-FIST SMASHER CHALLENGES ONE-WINGED ANGEL TO COMBAT!" shouted one of them. "NO! THAT MAN KILLED MY BROTHER!" a second one shouted, "GREAT-CLAW WILL FIGHT HIM!" *What?* "I WILL FIGHT HIM!" yet another one shouted. "HE KILLED MY SON!" "HE KILLED MY FATHER! TWO-SWORD MANTIS CLAIMS RIGHT OF COMBAT!" "MY HUSBAND WAS KILLED BY HIM!" "HE STOLE MY WIFE!" "Actually that was me..." "... Seriously?" "WHO CARES ABOUT YOUR WIFE! HE KILLED MY WHOLE FAMILY!" "SORE-CRACK THE CLUB DEMANDS A FIGHT!" "YOU FOOLS! THIS ISN'T GROUN ANYMORE!" a sharper voice cut through the chaos, "THERE'S NO NEED FOR ONE-TO-ONE COMBAT! WE CAN ALL FIGHT HIM AT THE SAME TIME!" "ONE-WINGED ANGEL ACCEPTS ALL YOUR CHALLENGES!" shouted Takamiya as he leapt into battle. *Huh??? Huh??? HUUUUUH??????* ******************************************************************************** Author's Notes: Hello all! One more week, one more chapter! Short chapters seem to agree with me more that long ones. When the dateline is closer, I tend to procrastinate less. Hopefully, I can keep up this pace. As usual, all comments and criticisms are welcome! Over and out. Edit: oh, and [Sword-Bow(patent pending)](http://www.royalroadl.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=118&t=1107)