《Age of Avarice》


 Prologue: Character Creation

    Sirius closed his eyes and exhaled a deep breath as the scattered spray of water trickled down his body. For a moment, he just stood there, letting the warm streams wash over his sore muscles. It didn¡¯t do much to alleviate the all-encompassing dull ache left behind by his workout, but it did provide a certain amount of mental relief that only a hot shower could.


    He¡¯d gone way overboard at the gym today, Sirius knew. Pushing himself too hard in the ring and for far too long. It was a bit reckless, given his previous history with athletics-related injuries, but it was all he could do to suppress the ball of pent-up nerves and excitement that had been rapidly accumulating in his chest for the past year-and-a-half.


    ¡®Age of Avarice¡­¡¯he mused, feeling his blood racing at the mere thought. That title had been occupying his mind every waking hour. Seeming to grow grander and more mysterious with every mention.


    It was heralded as the world¡¯s first truly immersive VRMMORPG. The brainchild of DigiEdge and Vault Creative Entertainment ¡ª two titans of the tech and gaming industries respectively. Not only did AoA boast lifelike realism thanks to DE¡¯s revolutionary AI and processing engine, but the game also promised a world that was half the size of Earth and three Megaservers to accommodate upwards of a billion players in total.


    ¡®Not that it will ever reach that amount with how expensive the gaming capsules are,¡¯ Sirius grumbled internally as he scrubbed his body with soap. He¡¯d had to devote nearly a third of his remaining savings to purchase the pod and the accompanying game; almost $2000 USD in total. There were monthly payment plans available, but Sirius had decided to go all in. And of course, it was still well worth it from his perspective. He planned to dedicate his foreseeable future to the game after all.


    At 20 years of age, Sirius had dropped out of University; only two months after AoA had been announced. His parents were unhappy ¡ª to say the least ¡ª but it was the opportunity he¡¯d been waiting for. Ever since the first AIs were introduced into games, and subsequently VR, the technology advanced by leaps and bounds, causing the gaming industry to experience a never before seen boom. Sirius kept constant track of the technology¡¯s growth and was determined to be an early entrant into the VRMMO scene. He clearly saw the genre¡¯s potential ¡ª as did many others. So every summer he slowly built up his wealth, working odd jobs at home until the right moment arrived.


    And thankfully, it finally had.


    AoA was announced to the world in grand fashion and Sirius immediately packed up his bags and bought a cheap apartment in a small, no-name town in the Northeast US. His family and friends all saw it as yet another bizarre and ill-advised move, but Sirius had done his research and knew that a renowned MMA veteran had retired there and opened a gym.


    His sole purpose in moving to the town was to train diligently under this man until the game¡¯s release. Sirius had also harbored a guess that combat sports would likewise see a significant rise in popularity due to VR and wanted to get a head start.


    So far, everything had gone according to plan, and now ¡ª the long-anticipated day of release had arrived. Sirius could hardly contain himself.


    After drying off and getting settled in his most comfortable clothes, Sirius walked tenderly into his kitchen for a final meal. ¡®Less than two hours left¡­¡¯


    Not much was known about the game thus far, only leaving him all the more anxious and eager. A slew of Beta testers had entered AoA briefly a few months back, but they had all signed strict NDAs and were only able to disseminate vague information about the core themes and scope of the world.


    From what little he had managed to gather, Sirius knew that Age of Avarice was set in The Scattered Realm: a fantasy world modeled after Earth¡¯s 15th through 17th century Age of Exploration.


    An intriguing setting, and one that lent itself to more mature themes ¡ª which Sirius preferred. However, many had raised concerns over how social issues like slavery would be addressed by the developers.


    Vault Creative had confirmed that they wanted to maintain a certain level of historical accuracy, but player''s ability to interact with the slave trade and other systems would be limited to a large extent, and sexual content or harassment between non-consenting parties (including NPCs) was forbidden and would result in a lifetime ban from any VCE games. Still, it remained to be seen how exactly people would act and how modern issues would be handled in the game. The players would be delving into an untamed and entirely new world; many were sure to cut themselves loose.


    It was a bold decision on the part of VCE. One would think that with such ground-breaking technology they would choose to play it safe with the setting, but instead, they had gone in almost the complete opposite direction. Many would likely turn away from the game as a result; however, Sirius had never been bothered by such things and rather was glad that they had chosen to commit to their creative vision.


    Earth had experienced many long periods of violence, brutality, and oppression; so how could a game boasting an authentic experience be any different!


    Sirius devoured the final half of his sandwich in a flash and tossed his dish into the pile in the sink. His stomach was satisfied and his bowels were empty ¡ª it was time to play.


    Character creation would begin an hour before the launch, arriving in just a few minutes. Sirius walked down the narrow corridor past his kitchen and opened a door at the end of the hall. He arrived in a bare room; the sterile white walls and a singular window covered by a thick curtain painted a bleak picture. The only light in the space came from the old lamp resting on the nightstand next to a large mechanical pod.


    Coated in a metallic dark blue sheen, Vault Creative¡¯s new gaming pods allowed for total submersion for up to 24 hours. There were nutrient capsules, a newly remodeled nerve helmet, alarm systems, and Sirius had even had its waste tank hooked up to his building¡¯s plumbing.


    As he flipped the switch on the side of the machine to power it up, he was practically bouncing in anticipation.


    Bright neon orange lines lit up across the pod¡¯s surface, joining together to form Vault Creative¡¯s simplistic logo as it hummed to life. Soon after, the roof slowly unfolded, exposing a plush lounge chair about as large as a twin-sized bed. Sirius lifted his aching legs and clambered up onto the chair before pressing a button on the armrest to seal himself inside.


    A helmet stretched out from the back of the pod to fit snugly around his head as nanofluid flooded the empty space. The experience was quite claustrophobic, but Sirius had tested it beforehand and knew what to expect. With one final shift and a wiggle, he settled into a comfortable position; and promptly, his vision grew dark.


    Sirius smiled underneath the helmet, his irrepressible grin stretching from ear to ear.


    ***


    Greetings, Mr. Rowd. And welcome to the Age of Avarice!


    An enthusiastic female voice entered his ears from the dark void as a faint amber glow began to fill the space. The light exuded a certain warmth and was soft on the eyes, approaching slowly and with grace.


    Sirius decided to temporarily ignore the voice¡¯s prompt in favor of moving slowly through some light stretches, but something immediately felt off during his attempts. His body responded to his will; however, the mental feedback he got lacked a certain concrete physicality. Swinging his arms around, Sirius was met with some resistance and his responses were sluggish. The air was thick and heavy, almost like he was drifting underwater. And it was also a bit unsettling to see blurry shadows in the place of his limbs.


    Most VR games still weren¡¯t able to connect a user¡¯s consciousness directly with a simulated space, allowing them to inhabit an avatar, and the few that could were still in the early testing stages. AoA was the first of its kind to hit the open market, so Sirius had no idea as to what to expect in terms of movement and fluidity.


    ¡®This will certainly take some getting used t¡ª¡¯ Sirius¡¯ thoughts were abruptly cut off by the disembodied voice.


    Servers will not be open for another 58m and 35s. Would you still like to begin Character Creation at this time?


    ¡°Yes,¡± Sirius replied, his voice drifting outwards. The encroaching figure of light had coalesced into a bright globe about the size of a basketball and was now bobbing gently up and down in front of him.


    In response to his words, the sphere floated upwards, shedding light on a series of stiff figures that were lined up neatly like mannequins.


    ¡®These must be all the race options.¡¯ Sirius counted 18 figures in total, and upon closer inspection, he realized that they were all male and possessed a similar facial structure to his own ¡ª even the more exotic looking ones. It was creepy but interesting nonetheless. He took some time to walk around and take a good look at each one.


    They seemed to be grouped in clusters of three, Sirius quickly realized. Making for 6 separate races, each with three variations or ethnicities. He then found that if he concentrated on one of them for long enough, a cluster of floating text would appear at their side.


    A brief inspection of each of the six groups yielded the following results:


    Elves:Believe themselves to be the first servants of the Gods. A proud and arrogant people that devoutly pursue knowledge and wealth.


    Ethnicities: Arethene, Northern Fae, Larrel


    Racial Bonuses: +5% bonus to Maximum Spirit, +8% bonus to all Elemental Dmg


    Trait: Pompous. -5% base Charisma & -10 initial reputation with any non-elvish factions.


    Exclusive Classes: Druid, Bard


    Dracae:Descendants of the Ancient Dragons. Although stripped of their wings, they still retain their powerful bodies. Seekers of truth, the Dracae have long worked hand-in-hand with the Elves to unravel the mysteries of The Fracture.


    Ethnicities: Shaidin, Halwyrms, Elders


    Racial Bonuses: +5% flat increase to Physical and Magical Resistance, +5% bonus to base Strength & Constitution


    Trait: Lasting Scar. Unable to use Back equipment slot


    Exclusive Classes: Warlock, Scavenger


    Humans:Most populous race within The Shattered Realm, but also possess the shortest lifespans. To compensate, they have learned how to squeeze out their potential at the cost of a weaker immune system.


    Ethnicities: Enten, Oreen, Serian


    Racial Bonuses: +1 Free Attribute Point every 5 levels, +10% bonus to all Holy Damage


    Trait: Carriers. -5% Decay Resistance & prone to disease


    Exclusive Classes: Knight, Mage


    Essien:More commonly known as Shifters, they are the natives of the Shangxin Archipelago. Their clans produce many famed combatants and artists due to their discipline and enhanced senses; however, they tend to be very secretive, closely guarding their rituals and sorcery.Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.


    Ethnicities: Foxkin, Wolfkin, Bearkin


    Racial Bonuses: +5% Proficiency Experience earned, +8% bonus to base Perception


    Trait: Isolationist. -3% to all attributes when partied with members who are not among their Kin


    Exclusive Classes: Monk, Sorcerer


    Khilaite:A fierce, warmongering race that inhabits the Arid-Isles. The Khilaite value loyalty to the tribe above all else. Highly valued as slaves due to their hardy nature and robust physiques.


    Ethnicities: Toth, Orin, Vokulle


    Racial Bonuses: +5% bonus to Maximum Stamina, +5% flat increase to Fire & Decay Resistance


    Trait: Savages. More likely to be suspected of committing a crime in Non-Khilaite territories & will receive harsher sentences


    Exclusive Classes: Barbarian, Shaman


    Dwarves:A dexterous race that was originally thought to be a short and hairy breed of humans. That theory was later debunked, but they still carry a chip on their shoulders as a result. Widely renowned craftsmen and alcoholics.


    Ethnicities: Runenon, Dregs, Belmouds


    Racial bonuses: +10% bonus Profession Exp earned, +5% bonus to Equipment Effects


    Trait: Eccentric. 75% chance to fail on the first attempt when creating an original design


    Exclusive Classes: Wizard, Trickster


    Sirius returned to his original position, sweeping his gaze over the various figures one final time before sinking deep into thought.


    Two of the choices he was able to eliminate without any further consideration: Humans and Dwarves. Playing human characters in fantasy games had never been his first preference, and he was also put off by the racial trait that made them prone to disease. It was unclear how exactly disease would affect stats and the character overall, but it was sure to be running rampant considering the game¡¯s setting. Basically, it just seemed like a hassle and wasn¡¯t something he was interested in dealing with frequently. ¡®As for the Dwarves¡­¡¯ Sirius didn¡¯t have any plans to make crafting his primary focus. It would be a more consistent way to make money, but he was considerably more interested in exploring, combat, and questing. Additionally, the exclusive classes of these two races didn¡¯t wholly appeal to him.


    That left Sirius with four primary choices. Then, three as he quickly eliminated the Elves as well. Ideally, he wanted to build his character as a tanky brawler type. Not only were tanks and healers traditionally in high demand in MMOs, but he had also been training himself in boxing and martial arts for the past year and wanted to put that experience to use. Furthermore, a few of the Beta testers had mentioned how real-life reflexes and skills had a large impact on combat. Sirius assumed that this would influence a lot of players to turn towards safer, ranged classes ¡ª only further increasing his value to groups as a close-range combatant.


    Based on their racial bonuses, the Elves were definitely more geared towards playing casters. Druid seemed cool, and Sirius was interested in integrating magic into his playstyle in some form, but overall, the other options were just superior.


    Between the Dracae, Essien, and Khilaite, Sirius was most interested in the Barbarian and Monk archetypes. By all appearances, the Dracae had the best racial bonuses for a tank, but their exclusive classes didn¡¯t fit the bill and he wasn¡¯t inclined towards playing as a Marauder ¡ª one of the four non-race-locked classes. Therefore, they were next off the list.


    Sirius played around with the thought of a Bear or Wolfkin Monk for a while. It was a sorely tempting idea, but he eventually dismissed it in favor of rolling a Khilaite Barbarian. He intended to group up with others frequently due to his chosen role, so the Isolationist trait was worrying. Like many of the racials, it was unclear how big an impact 3% would be in the later stages of the game, but overall, it just seemed like the Khilaite were more suited to his goals and skill set.


    With that finally settled, Sirius checked the timer that was hovering in the upper corner of his vision. ¡®A little over 30 minutes left¡­¡¯ Plenty of time to pick an ethnicity and tweak his avatar¡¯s appearance a bit.


    ¡°I choose the Khilaite,¡± he announced. As his voice echoed through the void, the dismissed mannequins crumbled to dust one by one, swept away by an unseen wind until only 3 remained.


    The Toth, Orin, and Vokulle avatars stood proudly, their thick skin and muscles stretched taut in heroic poses. Each of the three options was unique in their own way. The Toth tribesman had dark gray skin, almost the color of charcoal, and a leaner frame ¡ª appearing the most human-like in the group. The Vokulle, on the other hand, was much more demonic; sporting vibrant crimson eyes and two ivory horns protruding from his scalp. And finally, the Orin with his sickly green skin and protruding tusks looked the closest to a traditional Orc.


    Sirius observed them closely, his anticipation mounting as he imagined himself storming into battle and pulverizing his foes. But soon, he realized that there were new pop-ups with more detailed information, so he quickly refocused himself.


    Toth


    The most reclusive of the three major Khilaite tribes. They focus on developing powerful Shamans by baptizing their young in the waters of the Spirit Plane.


    Additional Trait: Attuned Body - +10% bonus to all buffing effects given or received (excludes equipment bonuses) & increased compatibility with body augmentation.


    Vokulle


    The Vokulle bask in the brilliance of the sun. Their Warbands are fierce and unrelenting, leaving naught but ember and ash in their wake.


    Additional Trait: Pyrokinetic - +10% bonus to all fire dmg & gain the Flame Dash ability


    Orin


    Both disciplined and well-balanced ¡ª the Orin armies are the most feared forces in the Arid Isles. Their young will often devote themselves to a weapon of choice at an early age.


    Additional Trait: Warforged - Chosen weapon will start with a Mastery of Apprentice Lvl 1 & Orin will have an easier time gaining armor proficiency.


    Sirius was stunned for a moment. The additional traits were a nice surprise, but they also left him with a tough decision once again. All of the choices were appealing in some way.


    Warforged was the best trait for a tank, but Sirius had never trained with any weapons and had been planning on fighting unarmed. After hesitating briefly, he decided to question the floating light bulb.


    ¡°Excuse me, could Unarmed Mastery be affected by the Warforged trait?¡±


    No.


    The orb¡¯s blunt reply lacked some of its former enthusiasm, but it did help Sirius eliminate the Orin from his list.


    Admittedly, the Toth really stood out to him. It was clearly intended to be the most ideal choice for Shaman, but Tanks were often slapped with loads of buffs as well, so he didn¡¯t think the trait would be diminished in any way on a Barbarian.


    ¡®Attuned Body could be a core component of my build if I pick up some aura or buffing skills of my own and party up with suitable members¡­¡¯ The mention of body modification was also really intriguing.


    Flame Dash was about the only thing that attracted him to the Vokulle. Movement skills and gap closers were always vital, but it seemed more gimmicky than anything else. Sirius was confident that Barbarian would have its own skills in this area, so he ultimately decided to go with the Toth.


    However, before he moved forward there were a few final things he needed to clarify. There had been a surprising lack of readily available information throughout the process so far.


    ¡°How many character slots do each account have available?¡±


    Only one.


    ¡°Can characters be deleted at any time?¡±


    Characters may only be deleted after completing the main questline in the Tutorial Zone.


    ¡°How long does it take, on average, to complete the tutorial?¡±


    The average Beta tester took 122.3 in-game hours to complete the tutorial questline.


    ¡°Oh, is there a time compression?¡± The orb¡¯s answer was worded like there was. Sirius had hoped this would be the case.


    There is an existing 1:2 time compression. Meaning, every hour outside The Shattered Realm is equivalent to two inside.


    ¡®Nice, that¡¯s exciting! Although... the other aspects are not exactly ideal.¡¯ Sirius frowned. He¡¯d gained a lot from that rapid back-and-forth, but there was still one major issue. He knew himself well and therefore understood that while he may be confident in choices currently, he was liable to see something cool early on and immediately feel the desire to rush back into character creation and restart. It was his Achilles heel in all games.


    But now, this lightbulb was telling him he was locked in ¡ª likely for days ¡ª with whatever he decided on first. There was no time for regrets and major backtracking if he wanted to keep up with the pros.


    ¡°Please show me all the available races.¡±


    The scene expanded and he was once again confronted with the 18 statues. With his new knowledge, Sirius made sure to diligently check the additional traits of all the different ethnicities. At the very least, it would be useful information.


    Finally, after another 15 minutes of scouring, he was relieved to find that nothing had jumped out at him more than the Toth. With a new measure of confidence, Sirius made his selection.


    ¡°I choose Toth. Class: Barbarian.¡±


    Very well, would you like to make any alterations to your avatar¡¯s appearance?


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Please proceed.


    Sirius swore he could hear the smirk in the orb¡¯s voice.


    Suddenly, the solemn Toth in front of him distorted, briefly becoming a mass of wriggling shadows until it solidified a few seconds later. Now, Sirius was presented with a figure that looked uncannily similar to himself ¡ª albeit grey-skinned and a bit more masculine. There was a series of sliders available that he could manually drag in order to alter his character¡¯s looks. Unfortunately, most of them were concentrated on the face and there wasn''t much leeway to adjust the avatar¡¯s height or weight, so Sirius was stuck with an impressively average 185cm and slightly more muscular build. There would be no leaping into battle as a veritable hulk for the time being. He still had his hopes, but he understood that it was designed this way in order to avoid any feelings of disassociation when inhabiting the avatar.


    ¡®But that begs the question of how Dwarves will be handled. Maybe they just won¡¯t be as obscenely short as they¡¯re normally depicted¡­¡¯


    Anyway, the disappointment was fleeting and Sirius eventually decided to only make some minor touch-ups to his appearance; choosing a short, unruly hairstyle and a vibrant amethyst eye color.


    ¡®Definitely more suited for a Shaman,¡¯ Sirius lamented in his heart as he looked at the face staring back at him. The changes were supposed to make him look more fierce, but instead, he was left with a man that had the look of a lazy scholar: a thin face, dark messy hair, and hooded eyes that made him appear perpetually drowsy.


    ¡®Well, whatever¡­¡¯ Time was running short and he didn¡¯t want to get stuck in an endless cycle of fiddling with sliders.


    ¡°Ok, all done.¡±


    Following his decree, the avatar disappeared and the light descended to hover in front of him once more.


    Looking good! Now the next step is to choose a patron Deity from the Khilaite Pantheon. Please, make a selection from the following list:


    <ul>


    <li>Kimala, Goddess of Passage and the Ruler of the Underworld</li>


    <li>Yda, the Messenger God</li>


    <li>Doehr, the God of War and Iron</li>


    <li>Nimera, the Sky Goddess ¡ª Bringer of Wind and Rain</li>


    <li>Deias, the Creator God</li>


    <li>Solarus, God of the Sun and Flames</li>


    </ul>


    This presented another instance where Sirius felt he was lacking information. How important was this decision to his playstyle? Would it affect his faction standing, choices, questlines, etc?


    ¡°Is this decision permanent?¡±


    No. It can be changed at any time. However, converting to a new faith requires certain criteria to be met.


    A good start, but he still needed more. ¡°What can you tell me about how my chosen religion affects gameplay?¡±


    Currently, I can only provide you with information regarding the Khilaite Pantheon.


    ¡°Well¡­ Who does the Toth typically worship?¡±


    Members of the Toth tribe primarily worship Kimala and Deias.


    Sirius sighed mentally. He hated not having detailed information about every single aspect and feature of the game, but at least everyone was on a level playing field ¡ª aside from the Beta testers. Regardless, this didn¡¯t seem like something to get too hung up on considering the choice could be altered whenever.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll go with Kimala, I guess.


    Are you sure?


    ¡°...Yes.¡± Neither Kimala nor Deias seemed as well suited to the Barbarian class as Doehr did. But Doehr would likely be the choice for all Orin, and Solarus for all Vokulle. Furthermore, considering that the Khilaite seemed to have a tight-knit tribal culture, he didn''t want to set himself up as an outcast in a Toth starting zone by choosing to worship an Orin favored Deity.


    Okay, final step. Please choose a name. Note: You may call yourself whatever you desire in the game. This name will only be used for the purpose of leaderboards, announcements, etc.


    Easy enough. ¡°Sirius of the Toth,¡± he replied.


    Name accepted. Are you certain this is the character you desire?


    ¡°Y-Yes!¡± Sirius¡¯ words nearly caught in his throat, his previous excitement and a fresh bundle of nerves surging back all at once.


    Wonderful! Please use the remaining time to synchronize with your new avatar.


    Sirius¡¯ vision grew blurry, the scene around him distorting as a bout of dizziness washed over struck his mind. Fortunately, it didn¡¯t take too long to regain some stability. His feet planted on solid ground as an ancient windswept ruin appeared around him. The feeling of the sand between his toes and the faint herbal scent in the dry air, combined to create such a vivid, life-like impression that Sirius momentarily forgot who he was or what he was supposed to be doing. He simply lost himself in the scene.


    After recovering from the moment of stupor, he took a few hesitant steps forward; making his way towards the sandstone pillars and crumbling ramparts. This time, his movements felt much more natural. In short order, Sirius was running and jumping around, flowing smoothly through his usual warm-up routine. It felt great, liberating almost. And when he finally paused to run his fingers over the rough, chalky walls ¡ª a chill ran down his spine.


    ¡®This is it¡­ This is what I¡¯ve been waiting for,¡¯ he thought. Sirius paused, performing a series of deep breaths to suppress his chaotic emotions.


    The timer continued to tick down slowly as his heart hammered inside his chest.


    30 seconds¡­ 25¡­ 10¡­ 3,2,1¡­


    Thank you for your patience, Mr. Rowd. And welcome to the Age of Avarice, Sirius of the Toth!


    The light disappeared in a bright flash and Sirius soon felt his body and mind being drawn down into a dark vortex below.

 Chapter 1

    ¡°For the Hoooorde!¡±


    A deep and enthusiastic warcry rang in Sirius¡¯ ears as the portly man next to him charged forward.


    ¡®What the fuck, man!¡¯ Sirius cursed, gritting his teeth. His head was still spinning due to the weird suction-like sensation of the teleportation effect, and consequently, the man¡¯s roar had felt like a knife piercing straight into his skull. The dizziness this time was much more severe than during his earlier synchronization. He blinked rapidly a few times to clear the fog from his eyes, turning left and right to get a hold of his bearings.


    There wasn¡¯t all that much to be seen nearby. Large braziers were planted in each corner of the platform that all the players had landed on; the flames residing within vaguely illuminated the eerie, vaulted cavern. The floor beneath their feet was composed of rough, hewn stone; and it seemed to stretch outwards without end ¡ª deep darkness looming all around them. Sirius only assumed that they were in a cave of some kind due to the lingering moisture in the air and the jagged form of the shadows clinging to the walls and ceiling. It was a gloomy place to be dumped for a tutorial. Although, he had chosen to follow the Khilaite Goddess of the Underworld, so maybe it was to be expected.


    But while his mind slowly found clarity, Sirius didn¡¯t yet have the wherewithal to explore his surroundings any further. His physical capacities had only marginally recovered, and many of the others around him were stuck in a similarly disoriented state, he quickly realized. Men and women alike were groaning loudly as they stumbled around, knocking into each other like a horde of zombies. It would forever remain a mystery to Sirius how that one man had managed to recover so quickly. His whereabouts similarly remained unknown, but it turned out that his heroic charge for the horde had managed to serve a purpose greater than simply aggravating everyone¡¯s headaches.


    Alerted by the previous noise and movement within the chamber, a group of robed Toth women had shuffled into the cavernous room, appearing from who knows where. Their own cries of surprise and elation soon echoed off the dark walls.


    ¡°Ah! So many¡ª!¡±


    ¡°The Goddess has heard our prayers¡­ There is still hope!¡±


    ¡°Sisters! Calm yourselves!¡± A magnetic voice suddenly cut through the noise, silencing the round of joyous exclamations. Sirius¡¯ gaze quickly landed on the charming, willowy woman who had spoken, seemingly drawn there by its own accord.


    She paused for a few moments, her presence swelling as she allowed everyone¡¯s attention to gather, ¡°Greetings, esteemed Heralds. I am High Priestess Necrah ¡ª a humble servant of the great Goddess, Kimala; and it is my honor to be the first to welcome you into our Realm. I am saddened that we must meet in such dark times¡ª¡±


    Necrah¡¯s eloquent speech was promptly interrupted by a series of shouts from the crowd of players.


    ¡°Status!¡±


    ¡°Inventory¡­! Map¡­!¡±


    Sirius wasn¡¯t surprised that many of them couldn¡¯t be bothered to stand still for more than a few seconds and further ¡ª had no qualms ruining the immersion of others. Though, he was greatly pleased to see that many of them didn¡¯t seem to be met with any luck, and were now grumbling awkwardly to themselves.


    Alas, it would not be an easy day for the proud Priestess. After realizing that verbal commands weren¡¯t working, a few of the impatient players just took off at full tilt, storming around the cavern to look for an exit. One was followed by two, and two were followed by four. Soon enough, there was a veritable stampede of players charging past the dark-clothed priestesses ¡ª not paying any mind to their greeters as they practically trampled them. It only got worse as more players continued to phase into the area. Upon witnessing the commotion, the new arrivals joined the herd as soon as they were steady enough on their feet.


    Sirius could only shake his head as a flurry of curses soon swept through the room, sounding oddly reminiscent of an angry sports crowd.


    ¡°What the hell! The exit is blocked!¡±


    ¡°Hey! You better watch where you¡¯re going, man!¡±


    ¡°Why are we even running around? Did I miss something?¡±


    Necrah cleared her throat as she dusted off her robe in a prim manner. ¡°Heralds! Please heed my words!¡± she shouted at the top of her lungs. ¡°The Goddess has entrusted me with your care. But truthfully, it is I who am in desperate need of your assistance!¡±


    ¡®There it is¡­ a quest,¡¯ Sirius smiled. Necrah got straight to the point this time, and those magic words immediately drew the full consideration of the players.


    ¡°Our home is under siege, Heralds,¡± Necrah continued, her volume abating as she re-captured everyone¡¯s focus. ¡°The invaders from afar have cut us off from the rest of our tribe and claimed this land as their own. They seek to enslave us and bury our long-cherished traditions beneath rubble and ash. We must not let them succeed!¡±


    The priestess wore a satisfied smile as she received a rousing cheer from the ever-growing throng of players. She then proceeded to rattle off the invader¡¯s various atrocities: kidnapping, torture, extortion, theft¡­ her tone ebbed and flowed, laden with grief and hatred.


    Suffice to say, the mob was thoroughly enthused ¡ª mostly just because they were restless.


    ¡°...Now, Heralds. I must ask you this: Will you join us to repel the invaders?¡±


    *Ding!*


    A satisfying ring sounded in Sirius¡¯ mind and the cavern lapsed into silence as all the players hurried to check out their first notification.


    New Quest!


    Invasion of Blackhill Garden


    High Priestess Necrah has asked you to assist her in fighting off the unknown invaders. Will you accept? Y/N


    Hint: Actions speak louder than words. Your decision can be changed at any time.


    (Hints will only be given out during the tutorial)


    There was no reason not to accept at the moment, so Sirius reached out and pressed the YES option on the transparent screen that was hovering in front of him. The window disappeared in a flash, only to be swiftly replaced by a new one.


    You have received your first quest! Please register a keyword or gesture to access your Quest Log. To proceed, use the phrase ¡®Register Quest Log¡¯ then repeat your keyword or gesture three times.


    The new notification waited patiently for Sirius¡¯ reply. After taking a moment to consider, he decided to go with a gesture. Maybe it was the introvert in him rearing its head, but he thought it would be pretty awkward to have to speak out loud whenever he wanted to access his menus.


    ¡°Register Quest Log!¡±


    Another crisp *Ding* let him know the system was ready, so Sirius pat his left thigh twice in quick succession. After a short pause, the system beeped to spur him on, and after two more rounds of pats, he was done with the registration.


    Quest Log successfully registeredFind this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!


    Just to make sure everything had gone smoothly, Sirius gave his thigh two short taps, and sure enough, a quest window appeared in front of him.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ this looks good,¡± he muttered under his breath as he started messing around with the Quest Log¡¯s options. There was one feature he particularly liked that allowed the player to turn the log into a physical journal that could be carried around. Unfortunately, a brief inspection of his ragged starter gear revealed no pockets, and he didn¡¯t have a bag or inventory yet, so he could only wait until later to make the change.


    Similar scenes were occurring all around him as the other Toth players completed their registration. Of course, there had to be a few guys who snickered loudly as they chose some vulgar or perverted keywords, but overall, it didn¡¯t seem like anyone was met with any issues.


    Although... Necrah and the other priestesses looked understandably disturbed by a few of the Heralds.


    ¡°Ahem¡­ Yes. Thank you, Heralds. Your assistance will be a great boon to our efforts. Currently, I don¡¯t have any urgent tasks to assign you all, but I know that Foreman Orval down by the food repositories has been asking around for help. If you seek him out, I¡¯m confident that he can set you up with a job. Additionally, Madam Lily¡­¡± Necrah flashed a radiant smile as she listed off various menial tasks that were in need of completion in the village. ¡°...I understand that you all have arrived in this Realm with naught but the clothes on your back, but fear not, Heralds. The people of Blackhill Village will make sure you are rewarded properly for any work you take on. Alas, I have kept you long enough. Go forth! And may the Goddess guide your path!¡±


    As soon as the last words parted with her lips, whatever barrier that had been blocking the exit disappeared and the players sprung into action. The vast majority of them hurried out of the room, clearly keen to get a head start; however, like Sirius, there were a few that stuck around.


    Some of the stragglers meandered around the edges of the room, already searching for any secrets or treasures, whereas a few others approached Necrah and the other priestesses to engage them in dialogue.


    Sirius simply wasn¡¯t interested in jockeying for position with other players at crowded quest locations right away. He would make his way there sooner or later, but he wanted to take his time exploring the functions of the game and most importantly ¡ª focus on enjoying the experience.


    Too frequently he only looked forward, always planning his next step without remembering to actually live in the moment as well. It was a trait of his that often caused a lot of friction with his friends. They complained that he was always the one who set up their plans, but when the time came to hang out, his mind was already elsewhere. People couldn¡¯t change overnight, but Sirius was determined to at least put in some effort.


    ¡®Plus¡­ these AI are much more advanced than I expected,¡¯ he mused as he watched a group of players chatting amiably with Necrah. Their conversation flowed naturally from one topic to the next, and there were even subtle changes in the High Priestess¡¯ body language as she spoke: A strained smile when someone asked about the affairs of the temple, white knuckles as she gripped the hem of her dress when speaking about the recently captured members of the tribe, and overall, a lot of direct eye contact with each member of the conversation.


    Sirius surmised that there was much to be gained by carefully interacting with the NPCs. Feeling out their personality and goals and subsequently working on gaining their favor would allow him to reap maximum benefits from the zone. Necrah was already a prime target on his list, but she looked like she would be occupied for a while, so he could only wait for another opportunity.


    Instead, he decided to approach one of the younger priestesses who had been excluded from the discussion. She looked strikingly similar to Necrah, with silky midnight blue hair and refined, angular features. The girl started fiddling with a brooch on her unadorned black robe when she realized Sirius was heading straight over. Her nervousness only grew more pronounced as he stopped nearby and stared at her intently.


    ¡°...Y-Yes? Can I help you with anything, Herald?¡± the priestess muttered in a low voice, ducking her head to avoid eye contact.


    ¡®Hmm, no pop-ups or indicators¡­¡¯ Even after gazing at the girl for a few very long and awkward seconds, there was no name-plate or information window that appeared as there had been during the character creation process. So far, it didn¡¯t seem like there was any surefire way to distinguish between the players and NPCs.


    ¡°Please, call me Sirius,¡± he finally responded, flashing what he hoped came across as a friendly smile. ¡°May I have your name?¡±


    ¡°Oh, sorry! How rude of me... My name is Ameera,¡± she replied with a slight bow.


    ¡°It¡¯s no problem at all, Ameera,¡± Sirius chuckled, speaking casually as they appeared around the same age. ¡°But there was actually something I hoped to ask.¡±


    Ameera raised her head, a determined glint flashing across her bright golden eyes. ¡°Of course. I will do whatever I can to help!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing that serious. I was just a little confused by the whole ¡®Herald¡¯ business. To be honest, I can¡¯t seem to remember much apart from my name¡­¡± Sirius trailed off. He was curious about what background the developers had given the players. Furthermore, the answer would likely influence a lot of his future interactions.


    Ameera hesitated, biting her lip as her eyes darted back and forth between Necrah and himself.


    Seeing this, Sirius decided to give her a little nudge. He slouched his shoulders and exhaled a dejected sigh, ¡°If its a topic you¡¯re uncomfortable speaking about¡­ I don¡¯t want to put you in a difficult spot¡­¡±


    ¡°No, that''s not it!¡± Ameera interjected, hurriedly. ¡°Only¡­ Lady Necrah knows much more about the situation than myself.¡±


    ¡°I understand. Still, whatever information you can provide would be much appreciated.¡±


    ¡°Very well¡­ If my understanding is correct ¡ª all of you Heralds had previously existed as wandering souls in the Primordial Sea. Though, how you all became lost in the void beyond is still unclear to me¡­¡± Ameera paused, gathering herself before continuing on, ¡°Anyway, Kimala witnessed our current plight, and therefore, made an effort to guide you all back into our realm. She then worked together with Deias the Creator to form suitable physical vessels for you to inhabit. And now ¡ª you have arrived. We call you the Heralds because your existence is a direct manifestation of divine power and a message that the Gods have heeded our prayers.¡±


    Ameera clasped her hands in front of her chest as her gaze turned skyward.


    ¡°I see¡­ Well, thank you, Ameera,¡± Sirius replied, reciprocating her polite bow from earlier. He could now understand her earlier trepidation. She had basically just told him that the Gods had hijacked their souls in order to rescue their followers. However, it wasn¡¯t like the players were forced to act on their behalf, and being reborn into this world was certainly a fate better than floating aimlessly through the void or whatever.


    Another interesting realization was that the player¡¯s origins would likely differ depending on the race or deity that they chose. Sirius decided on the spot that it would be best to conceal his identity as a so called ¡®Herald¡¯ when venturing out beyond Blackhill Garden.


    ¡°You¡¯re very welcome. But if there¡¯s nothing else, then I must be going.¡±


    ¡°Oh, um¡­ sure. Thanks again.¡± Sirius was caught off guard by her sudden withdrawal from the conversation. There was more he still wanted to ask, but she seemed to be in a hurry. ¡®I guess I¡¯ll have to refrain from zoning out when interacting with NPCs.¡¯ They wouldn¡¯t just stand there forever, patiently waiting for his reply like in other games.


    Ameera was tugged along by her fellow priestesses as they left the area. Only Necrah remained behind to greet the steady stream of arriving players.


    After watching them depart, Sirius inhaled a deep breath, psyching himself up to confront the challenges ahead. Then, with long and steady strides, he approached the exit.


    Past the entryway of the Spawn Cave ¡ª as he decided to call it ¡ª was a broad corridor. Numerous heavy doors were interspersed evenly down its length, but a quick check of each one revealed them all to be locked tight. There were also a few murals carved into the walls; however, it was difficult to make out the scenes with only the faint glow of a few torches flickering between the doorways. At any rate, Sirius felt like he had already stalled his progress enough.


    With that in mind, he moved swiftly towards the light at the end of the tunnel, a surge of adrenaline coursing through his veins. His hurried steps transitioned into a jog as he drew closer, eventually ending in a full-on sprint as he burst out of the corridor.


    The harsh rays of the sun assaulted his exposed skin as the world suddenly laid itself bare before him. Sirius marveled at the sight; shielding his eyes while his breath came in short, ragged gasps. The wind swirled around the rocky outcropping he found himself standing on, and each time he sucked in, he caught a taste of the briny smell of the ocean and the subtle aromas of cooking.


    Blackhill Village was a far cry from the dull and filthy late-medieval town Sirius had anticipated. Well, calling it a village was an understatement as well. It more closely resembled a small but vibrant city.


    Everything was so bright and green. Thick, leafy foliage and trees dotted the sprawling island, blending in seamlessly with the village that extended from the dark mountain behind him towards the sea in descending layers. There were plenty of neat gardens, beautiful flowers, and wide, open markets. Even the motley cobblestone road that weaved its way through the clusters of tall clay buildings seemed to sparkle in the early afternoon light. The open, tropical aesthetic was only marred by an obtrusive wooden palisade that surrounded the port to the north and sectioned off the eastern portion of the island.


    ¡®That must be the work of the invaders¡­¡¯ Sirius concluded as he gazed upon the watchtowers and fortifications built into the charred and semi-intact buildings behind the walls. He couldn¡¯t see much of their activities from afar, but he was already pissed-off that they dared to lay waste to such a peaceful and charming place.


    ¡°Welp¡­ It¡¯s time to get started.¡±

 Chapter 2

    ¡°Goddamnit, where the hell is this place?¡± Sirius cursed under his breath. All around him various players and townsfolk went about their business in a hurry. The streets of the western district were a bit narrow for his liking, and he was now finding it difficult to fight against the flow of foot traffic.


    ¡°Can I help you with anything, young man?¡± An aged voice called out to him upon noticing his distress.


    ¡°Uh, yeah¡­¡± Sirius¡¯ head swiveled back and forth as he tried to locate his savior. ¡°I¡¯m looking for Foreman Olvar ¡ª at the food repositories.¡±


    ¡°Ah, well you¡¯ve gone a bit too far then,¡± A bald old man who was carrying a heavy sack slung over his shoulder replied. He wiped the sweat from his silvery brow before pointing Sirius in the right direction. ¡°It''s just back that way. Once you¡¯re past the house on the corner, take a left and walk to the end of the alley. The repositories will be right there.¡±


    Sirius ran over and clasped the man¡¯s free hand, ¡°I can¡¯t thank you enough, Sir¡­¡±


    ¡°...Biln. Everyone just calls me Old Biln,¡± the man filled in as he accepted the handshake. ¡°You must be one of them, Heralds, right? If you¡¯re having trouble finding your way around, you should head over to the village registry and pick yourself up a map.¡±


    ¡°Yea¡­¡± Sirius scratched his head. It wasn¡¯t his first time this afternoon receiving directions. The streets were rather winding and a lot of the buildings blended together with similar colors and styles, so he had trouble finding the right landmarks. ¡°I appreciate the tip; unfortunately, I arrived without a single coin to my name. But I¡¯ll make sure to get a map there later on when I can.¡±


    ¡°You haven¡¯t heard?¡± Biln chuckled, adjusting his grip on the canvas bag to make room for passersby. ¡°They¡¯re giving out free copies, a whole bunch of other benefits too.¡±


    ¡°Oh, really!¡± Sirius exclaimed. It seemed like Necrah had conveniently forgotten to mention that key point.


    ¡°Yup! Bags, maps, and even room assignments for you all to spend the night.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s great¡­¡± Sirius heaved a relieved sigh. Heading there would solve more than one of his problems. ¡°...Where can I find the registry?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re gonna want to head back to the main thoroughfare that runs north to south. Twilight Sorrel Road, it''s called. Once you¡¯re on that, just walk towards Ol¡¯ Blackhill and you¡¯ll eventually find yourself in the central market. You can find the registry there.¡±


    ¡°Thank you¡­ Thank you so much!¡± Old Biln smiled as Sirius vigorously shook his hand once more.


    ¡°It¡¯s no skin off my back, young man. But you know what¡­ My wife and I have an extra room at our place, and I think she may have put us down as a potential host. So while you¡¯re getting yourself sorted, feel free to drop my name at the registry. We¡¯d love to have a polite one like you staying with us.¡±


    ¡°Of course! I¡¯d be more than happy to ¡ª if you¡¯ll have me. Name¡¯s Sirius, by the way.¡±


    ¡°Well, Sirius, I¡¯ll be looking forward to it. Good luck today, and be prepared ¡ª my wife will surely be pestering you for some stories later.¡±


    ¡°Sounds good, Biln,¡± Sirius laughed. ¡°I¡¯ll see you later!¡±


    ¡°Yup!¡± Old Biln departed with a wave, quickly merging into the stream of pedestrians.


    ¡°Amazing¡­¡± Sirius murmured in a daze as he lost sight of the man. Even if that interaction had been scripted, it was still incredible. Old Biln felt so real, and Sirius had a gut feeling that it wasn¡¯t the case, and he had merely been at the right place at the right time. It was safe to say the Vault Creative & DigiEdge collaboration was swiftly capturing his heart.


    ¡°Hey, Idiot! You¡¯re blocking the road!¡±


    Most of the other players still sucked though. Sirius flipped off the chubby man that had yelled at him as he backtracked towards the quest location. He was already close by, so he wanted to at least get this portion of the tasks finished before he went to the registry to retrieve his allocated supplies.


    There were five jobs in total that appeared under [Invasion of Blackhill Garden] in the Quest Log; however, there was nothing that said he must complete all of the tasks ¡ª or even a time limit. Still, Sirius planned to at least check them all out. And first on the list was assisting Foreman Olvar at the food repositories.


    Thankfully, Old Biln¡¯s directions were easy enough to follow, and Sirius soon found himself in a small courtyard at the end of the alley the man had mentioned. In front of him was one of the largest buildings he¡¯d seen yet in Blackhill Village. It wasn¡¯t particularly tall, but it was wide enough to occupy the whole block, with two sets of massive, double-wide doors flung open.


    There were quite a few players milling about the area, most of them wielding what looked like a rough wooden club spattered with blood.


    Sirius moved through the closest entryway and took a quick look around. Piles of boxes and sacks of grain were stacked high to the ceiling, filling most of the space; but to his right was a relatively clear area where an imposing ashen-skinned man sat unaccompanied atop a crate, arms folded across his chest.


    ¡®Must be the Foreman¡­ And sounds like it¡¯ll be an extermination quest¡­¡¯ Sirius smiled wryly as he approached the man, pained yelps and battle-cries echoed continuously throughout the warehouse.


    ¡°Hello¡­ Foreman Olvar?¡± he called out.


    ¡°Ahhh, another runt,¡± Olvar growled, turning to face him. The man¡¯s rippling muscles threatened to burst out of his tunic as he stood up. His wild, verdant eyes drilled into Sirius.


    ¡®Now this is what a Barbarian should look like,¡¯ Sirius sighed in his heart as he returned Olvar¡¯s gaze, unabashed. ¡°High Priestess Necrah informed us that you were in need of assistance. I¡¯m here in response to her request.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m aware,¡± The Foreman grumbled. ¡°I just wish they had gotten you more prepared before sending you over¡­ Here, take these.¡± Olvar reached into the crate behind him and then tossed Sirius a small pouch and a blood-stained club. ¡°I¡¯ll need the club back when you¡¯re done, but you can keep the pouch¡­ I guess.¡±


    ¡°T-Thanks...¡± Sirius replied with an awkward laugh. A series of *Dings* rang out in his head as he caught the items, ¡°What exactly is it you need help with?¡±


    ¡°Vermin. See em¡¯ - kill em¡¯. Simple. They¡¯re normally not an issue but after over half my crew was captured by those damn invaders, I¡¯ve been having trouble keeping these abominations from getting into the food supply.¡±


    ¡°Got it. Anything else?¡±


    ¡°Nope. Just be sure to keep away from any open containers when you smash the rodents. And clean up after yourself; otherwise, I¡¯ll have you back in here scrubbing the floors.¡±


    ¡°Great. You can count on me, Foreman.¡±


    Olvar grunted his affirmation and sent him off with a nod. But before Sirius got to work, he decided to quickly sift through the bunch of notifications he¡¯d gotten.


    Quest Updated!


    Foreman Olvar will consider the job done when you¡¯ve killed 15 [Lesser Rodents].


    Current Progress: 0/15


    Note: Before entering the quest area you must watch the Combat Tutorial.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-


    Congratulations! You¡¯ve received your first weapon, [Foul Smasher]!


    You may now access the Character Sheet!


    Please use the phrase ¡®Register Character Sheet¡¯ to proceed.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-


    Congratulations! You¡¯ve received a [Worn Leather Pouch]!


    You may now access the Inventory Menu!


    Please use the phrase ¡®Register Inventory¡¯ to proceed.


    ¡®Sweet! A bunch of new stuff to check out.¡¯ Sirius moved over to an isolated corner to get everything settled. First, he wanted to register his inventory.


    He secured the pouch he¡¯d received to his belt, then said, ¡°Register Inventory!¡± This time, he used the motion of tapping the pouch as his gesture, figuring it would be more rational that way. After completing that step, he accessed the menu. Similar to the Quest Log, the Inventory Menu appeared as a small opaque window hovering in front of him. The design was relatively simple: a grid of 5 boxes, with his [Worn Leather Pouch] appearing in the first slot, and a currency counter below. He tapped on his only bag and another grid slid out of it, containing four inventory slots.


    To test it out, Sirius converted his Quest Log into a journal, like he¡¯d been waiting to, and pressed on an open slot in the bag. Following a muted flash, the journal dissolved into a cloud of glowing particles and surged into the box where it re-condensed into a book-like icon. Sirius concentrated his gaze on the icon and the note [Quest Log] immediately hovered above it.


    Simple and easy; just how he liked it. The Inventory Menu didn¡¯t have as many customization options, but there was one feature he took notice of.


    At least one bag must be worn on the person in order to access the Inventory Menu.


    That was nice. While realistic, he didn¡¯t have much interest in lugging around 5 different bags at all times ¡ª especially when they got bigger. With that settled, he moved on to the Character Sheet. The gesture he chose was placing his left hand over his heart and holding it there for a few seconds.


    This menu turned out to be much larger than the previous two. It came into view before him as a long, vertical rectangle; solid and reflecting his image like a mirror. However, his likeness in the menu remained frozen even as Sirius himself moved.


    Seven equipment slots framed the mirror on either side, making for 14 in total. They read as follows: Head, Shoulders, Chest, Back, Wrist, Hands, Waist, Legs, Feet, Neck, Fingers (2), Main-hand Weapon, Off-hand Weapon.


    Currently, all of the slots were empty aside from his Main-Hand Weapon. Sirius focused on the club icon that was framed by a burnt-orange border to reveal its stats.


    [Foul Smasher], Quest Item.


    Equip Requirements: N/A


    Rating: Unique


    Base Attack: 5-9 Physical DamageThe narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    Bonus Trait: Verminfoe - User gains 30% additional weapon damage against all monsters classified as Pests.


    ¡®A good item,¡¯ Sirius chuckled at the description, but he unequipped it anyway and watched it appear over in his Inventory. Although the quest might take longer without it, he wanted to gain Unarmed Mastery as quickly as possible. He wasn''t exactly sure how to achieve that feat, or gain any Skills really, but he assumed that fighting without any weapons was a good first step.


    Now that his menus were sorted out. It was time for the Combat Tutorial. Sirius was excited to see how the Devs would deal with typical game mechanics ¡ª like Cooldowns and Critical Strikes ¡ª in a more fluid and authentic combat system. As he left the corner and moved deeper into the warehouse, a prompt appeared to stop him.


    Would you like to begin the Combat Tutorial at this time?


    Y/N


    *Ding*


    You have started the Combat Tutorial. Please watch and listen closely to the following videos.


    Sirius devoted his full attention to the scene that began to play out in his Menu. Two soldiers stood a few paces apart with training swords in hand. They took turns slashing each with varying success and intensity before moving on to Skills and Spells. It played out just like any other video tutorial ¡ª with a narrator pausing the action at certain intervals to illustrate his points.


    In total, it took about five minutes to complete and Sirius was able to gain a rough understanding of Vault Creative¡¯s combat design philosophy. His initial conclusion was this: Spellcasting was safe and reliable, Melee combat was high risk, high reward, and ranged physical DPS builds had the highest skill-cap ¡ª but could also be the most lethal.


    AoA¡¯s combat was heavily skill based. No automatic ability targeting, minimal system assistance/correction, no % dodge chance or hit chance, and critical strikes were replaced by a new core feature ¡ª the ¡®Blows¡¯ System. This system only applied to physical damage and was divided into three categories: Glancing Blows, Standard Blows, and Severe Blows.


    Players could utilize the ¡®Glancing¡¯ effect to mitigate the damage they received from Skills or normal attacks by partially dodging or wearing armor with better coverage, thus minimizing the surface area/depth of a wound. It seemed pretty powerful and ¡®Glancing¡¯ could reduce damage by up to 90%. Although, how exactly the system calculated the extent of the mitigation was unclear.


    Standard was just as it reads. Whatever base attack the weapon or Skill listed ¡ª plus bonuses, would be received by an opponent when hit with a Standard Blow. But despite being straightforward, the tutorial had mentioned that this damage category was mostly just there to serve as a baseline for damage testing against practice dummies and such. In actual combat, hits would almost always be either Glancing or Severe.


    Finally, and most importantly, Severe Blows was how players could achieve ¡®critical damage¡¯. Striking an opponent with enough force, or in a weak point, could multiply base damage by up to 500%. This damage category also had more facets to it than the others. Impact strikes had a lower multiplier (300%) but could inflict more powerful additional effects like {Stagger} or {Daze}, whereas slashing and stab damage had a higher multiplier but could only cause {Bleed} or rarely a {Cripple}.


    However, the true potency of Severe Blows ¡ª as Sirius saw it ¡ª was that the additional effects they could inflict had no cooldown and couldn¡¯t be broken by standard Crowd Control (CC) removal abilities. This meant that a skilled player could demolish a higher leveled or better-geared opponent by kiting them with {Cripples} or pummeling them to death with a continuous {Stagger} combo.


    A lot of precision was required to pull these kinds of feats off, but it would make for some brutal and exciting fights. And a lot of complaints on the forums...


    Sirius grinned to himself as he thought of all the Casters watching this video who could only wallow in despair because their Spells were excluded from this system. Surely, there would be a few of them ¡ª desperate to score criticals ¡ª that would manage to somehow integrate physical damage into their Spells. But on the whole, all they had to worry about was the enemy''s magical resistances, managing their cooldowns, and aiming their abilities.


    *Ding*


    A new notification interrupted his gloating.


    For completing the Combat Tutorial you have gained access to the Combat Log!


    To proceed...


    ¡®Yes¡­ yes¡­¡¯ Sirius waved the notification away and exclaimed, ¡°Register Combat Log!¡± However, unlike his other menus ¡ª he actually set this one to a verbal command because it was something he didn¡¯t think he would access as frequently.


    ¡°Previous Encounter,¡± he said softly, after successfully registering the phrase. The window appeared and he got to work adjusting it. It was a simple sheet, and still blank, but fortunately, there was a multitude of useful options; the foremost being that he could now display his own Health, Stamina and other Primary Resource Bars. Sirius chose to shrink them and place them in the upper left-hand corner of his vision where he could observe them with a quick glance. Through this, he also discovered that the resource his class utilized was Rage. Though it would go unused until he actually gained a few Skills.


    Additionally, Sirius chose to display his enemy¡¯s health bars and have floating text appear that indicated Glancing and Severe Blows. He didn¡¯t care much about damage numbers right now, but it would be vital that he learned the ins and outs of the Blows System.


    ¡°Eeeeek!¡± The eardrum-shattering screech of a female player finally refocused Sirius on the task at hand. He dashed between the stacks, eager to seek out his first prey.


    It didn¡¯t take him long to find his first target. Hundreds of [Lesser Rodents] practically swarmed the place despite the many players chasing dutifully after them. The creatures weren¡¯t large, barely reaching the height of his ankle as they scurried around.


    Sirius sighed as he snuck up on one that was carefully sniffing at a toppled bag of grain. Once in range, he lifted his foot high, prepared to crush the bulbous rat with a stomp.


    Unfortunately, the little guy¡¯s reactions were much quicker than he anticipated. With room to spare, the rodent scrambled out of the way as Sirius brought down his full weight onto the stone floor. The miss was a little embarrassing, and one of the nearby players shot him a quizzical look before shaking his head and turning away.


    The [Foul Smasher] was doubtlessly more suitable for the job, but it didn¡¯t trivialize the task either; as evidenced by the men running around shouting obscenities as they waved the club over their head.


    Chasing the vermin out in the open seemed like a hopeless venture, and neither did sneaking up work with the rat¡¯s keen senses, so Sirius decided to adopt a trap-and-kick strategy. First, he would chase a few rodents into a corner, then ¡ª when they attempted to scramble back around him ¡ª Sirius would kick the closest one to knock it off balance. After that, it was much easier to line up his stomps or another series of kicks.


    A few minutes later, the bottoms of Sirius¡¯ frayed straw sandals were caked in blood. The feeling of it seeping between his toes was disgusting, but it was a minor inconvenience at most. He thought about using the Combat Log options to turn down the gore, though, it wasn¡¯t overly gratuitous in the first place and he wanted to mentally adjust to it a little.


    AoA was a mature game, requiring all players to be 18+ regardless of parent supervision, but that being said ¡ª they didn¡¯t want to scar any of their customers.


    At most, the rodents leaked some blood upon death. There weren¡¯t any guts spilling out or deformities in their skulls after Sirius stomped them¡­ Still, it was unnerving to kill something that appeared so lifelike. There were no screens or controllers to distance players from the act anymore. Ideally, people would still be able to separate reality from a game ¡ª or could even use it as an alternative method to vent their stress on some monsters, but that was a pretty optimistic perspective.


    ¡®Well... hopefully VCE can make enough money on release to hire a legion of good lawyers.¡¯ Sirius left his thoughts there and got back to killing.


    And finally, as he squashed his ninth [Lesser Rodent] with a satisfying thud ¡ª he got the notification he¡¯d been waiting for.


    *Ding*


    You have gained the Proficiency: Unarmed Combat Mastery!


    Congratulations! You have gained your first Proficiency!


    You will now be able to view your Proficiencies in the Character Sheet.


    Sirius immediately opened up his Character Sheet to check it out.


    [Unarmed Combat Mastery]


    Beginner, Lvl. 1


    All of your attacks are now delivered with more precision and force.


    Current Bonus: +5% damage to all unarmed strikes and Skills & a negligible increase to the likelihood of inflicting the {Stagger} or {Daze} effect.


    ¡®Very nice,¡¯ Sirius smiled. Right now the Character Sheet listed his base unarmed attack as a mere 3-4 physical damage, so the increased status effect likelihood was much more important to him. So far, pretty much all the kicks and stomps had been popping up as Severe Blows, but he had yet to land a single {Stagger}.


    Hopefully, he would see that change with this new Proficiency. With renewed enthusiasm, he returned to the slaughter.


    Rat corpses were everywhere at this point, their limp bodies draped over crates and sacks all around the warehouse. Sirius wasn¡¯t sure if they despawned at a certain point or even if there was a way to loot them; however, he had been making sure to carefully follow Foreman Olvar¡¯s instructions and was cleaning up after himself by stuffing his kills into his inventory. The stack of rodent corpses had reached up to 10units before he was forced to use up another inventory slot.


    He was also interested to see if there would be any bonus rewards for following through like this. Another few minutes later, Sirius approached his final mark ¡ª a particularly juicy-looking rat that waddled past its dead brethren without a care, even approaching one to take a nibble.


    It would pay for its disloyalty to the swarm, he affirmed in his heart. Any self-respecting Khilaite would be disgusted by this creature¡¯s callous display. Fueled by his anger, Sirius raised his foot, muscles tensed as he prepared to strike. This one wouldn¡¯t be getting away.


    After spending long enough observing these pests, he knew that their first instinct was always to dodge left, and jump it did ¡ª right into the path of his heel.


    Severe Blow


    {Dazed}!


    A string of bold, floating text appeared in the air as the [Lesser Rodent] perished.


    *Ding*


    You have completed the task that Foreman Olvar assigned!


    [Lesser Rodents] slain: 15/15


    Return to him for your reward!


    ---------------------------


    *Ding*


    Through the repeated performance of focused, powerful attacks ¡ª you have gained the General Skill [Heavy Strike], Lvl 1.


    Congratulations! You have gained your first Skill!


    You will now be able to view your Skills in the Character Sheet.


    Sirius took a moment to revel in the glory of the notifications. [Heavy Strike] seemed like a classic bread-and-butter skill ¡ª having a low cooldown and decent effects.


    [Heavy Strike] - Empower your next attack with Rage.


    Requirements: Barbarian or Marauder Class; Unarmed Combat or Blunt Weapon Mastery.


    Cooldown: 5s


    Effect: 5 Rage or greater = 10% bonus damage


    15 Rage or greater = 25% bonus damage


    25 Rage or greater = 50% bonus damage & increased likelihood to deliver a Severe Blow


    The 25 Rage effect was powerful, but considering that he only had 75 Rage in total ¡ª it would use a significant portion of his resources. Additionally, he built up Rage pretty slowly during combat. Until he had another Skill that could improve his Rage generation, [Heavy Strike] wouldn¡¯t be seeing extensive use.


    But a Skill was a Skill and Sirius was happy to finally have one. He hustled back to Olvar with a little extra pep in his step.


    ***


    ¡°Another runt returns,¡± the Foreman grumbled as he approached. ¡°I take it you¡¯ve killed your fill of vermin?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sir.¡± Sirius handed over the [Foul Smasher], then hesitated a moment before also retrieving one of the corpses from his inventory, ¡°I¡¯ve collected their bodies¡­ Is there anywhere you would like me to dispose of them?¡±


    ¡°Oooooh?¡± Olvar mouthed, an amused glint in his eye. ¡°Glad to see a few of you actually pay attention.¡±


    *Ding*


    Bonus reward triggered!


    The hulking man sized up Sirius for a moment. ¡°...Hmmm. You look like you didn¡¯t get much use out of that club, so I¡¯ll tell you what¡­ I¡¯ve got an old pair of gloves that haven¡¯t seen much use in a while ¡ª I¡¯ll let you have em¡¯.¡±


    Sirius struggled to contain his excitement as Olvar fumbled around in the crate behind him. ¡°Ah, here we are¡­ Should suit you nicely.¡±


    A set of dark gloves and a few shiny coins arced through the air and disappeared into Sirius¡¯ Inventory. He ignored the money and equipped the item in his Hand Slot as fast as he was able.


    [Olvar¡¯s Old Leather Gloves], Hand


    Equip Requirement: N/A


    Rating: Fair


    Physical Defense: 4; Magical Defense: 0


    Provides 2-3 additional base unarmed attack


    ¡°What¡¯re you gawkin¡¯ at, kid?¡± Olvar grumbled. ¡°Head around back and toss those corpses into the pyre.¡±


    ¡°Right away! And thank you for the gift, Sir!¡±


    ¡°Bah! Just get out of my face¡­¡± Olvar shooed him away. ¡°Next time you wanna come back to help out, you could do for a little less yappin¡¯ and a little more smashin!¡±


    ¡°Of course, Foreman,¡± Sirius chuckled as he hurried out the door. Around the rear of the building, one of Olvar¡¯s crew was tending to a large fire pit.


    One by one the corpses sailed into the rancid flames. And as the last body ignited in pile, Sirius¡¯ body was similarly suddenly engulfed in a fiery glow.


    *Ding*


    Quest Completed! You have leveled up!

 Chapter 3

    You have leveled up!


    Received: 5 Unassigned Attribute Points; Class Skill [Aura of Might]


    Due to Advancing in level, you may now access the Attribute Field in the Character Sheet!


    ¡®Perfect! Aura Skill on my first level up¡­¡¯ However, before looking at his new skill, Sirius wanted to investigate all of the Attributes.


    He pulled up the Character Sheet and found a new window positioned next to his avatar portrait.


    <table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center; vertical-align: top" scope="rowgroup">


    Sirius of the Toth


    Health Points: 140/140??Stamina: 158/158??Rage: 0/75


    Equipped Title: None


    </td>


    <td rowspan="2">


    Attributes:


    Str: 13


    Dex: 8


    Per: 9


    Con: 15


    Spr: 10


    Wis: 6


    Cha: 9


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="vertical-align: top">


    Primary Class: Barbarian??Secondary Class: Locked


    Profession: None


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Proficiencies: ????????????Skills:


    Unarmed Mastery, Beginner Lvl 1    Heavy Strike Lvl 1


    Aura of Might Lvl 1


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Locked</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    ¡®7 different attributes, a pretty standard affair from the looks of it,¡¯ Sirius mused. He was able to gain more detailed information about each of the stats by pressing on them.


    Strength: A measure of how physically dynamic a person is. Influences maximum Health and the performance of strength-based Skills.


    Dexterity: A measure of a person¡¯s fine control over their body. Dexterity also influences certain crafts, and the performance of dexterity-based Skills.


    Perception: A measure of a person''s acute senses and awareness of their surroundings. Perception influences the performance of both strength and dexterity-based Skills ¡ª as well as casting Spells.


    Constitution: A measure of how sturdy a person is. Constitution influences Resistances, maximum Health Points, and Stamina.


    Spirit: A measure of a person¡¯s affinity with the supernatural. Spirit influences maximum Spirit Pool and the ability to cast most Spells.


    Wisdom: A measure of a person''s ability to manipulate the supernatural. Wisdom influences Spirit Regeneration Rate and the ability to cast certain Spells. Additionally, provides resistance to mental damage and illusion based effects.


    Charisma: A measure of a person''s social influence, and sometimes, their physical appearance. It impacts the ability to negotiate, earn Reputation, and the performance of certain Spells.


    Again, not exactly the most detailed descriptions, but Sirius was able to draw a few conclusions: First, each character, regardless of build, would want to invest in Perception to an extent; considering the Attribute''s ability to effect all Skills and Spells across the board seemed pretty important.


    Second, players wouldn¡¯t be able to dump all their points into a singular stat. Rogue characters could invest heavily in Dexterity to increase their precision and body control, but their speed would be sorely lacking if they ignored Strength. Likewise, Spirit and Wisdom went hand-in-hand for Casters. You might favor one or the other; however, letting one fall too far behind might prevent you from being able to use higher-level Skills or Spells if there were Attribute checks ¡ª like the descriptions seemed to indicate.


    Finally, he measured a guess that each race would have different starting Attribute bases. Although, that inference didn¡¯t require much deductive reasoning.


    Sirius had a feeling that tanks were one of the few physical archetypes that would largely ignore Dexterity and instead choose to focus on Strength, Constitution, and Perception as core Attributes. His job in groups was mostly just to serve as a meat shield and disruptor, soaking up aggro and damage.


    With that in mind, he hesitantly invested 3 points into Strength, and 1 into both Constitution and Perception. For the time being, he wanted to work on getting his Str to outstrip his Con ¡ª just so that he wouldn¡¯t lack too much damage for solo-play.


    After confirming his choices, Sirius saw his Max HP jump up to 160, Stamina increase to 168, and his base unarmed attack improve from 3-4 to 4-5. From this, he was able to work out a few of the system¡¯s calculations:


    Max HP = [(Str + Con)/2] x 10


    Max Stamina = [Con x 10] + 5% bonus from his Khilaite racial passive.


    And Base Unarmed Attack was somewhere between 25-30% of his Strength.


    All simple enough. But the unarmed damage modifier was worrying. It seemed relatively low, so Sirius could only hope there would be Skills ¡ª passive or otherwise ¡ª that would increase its scaling.


    Right now, the maximum damage he would be able to deal with a strike was 36 points. This was calculated with the additional damage of his gloves, a maximum 300% multiplier from an Impact based Severe Blow, and a 50% bonus from a rage-fueled Heavy Strike {(8 x 3) = 24, [24 + (24 x 0.5)] = 36}.


    That meant a perfect strike, not even factoring in resistances, wouldn¡¯t even knock out a quarter of his own Max HP. The Khilaite likely had the best base Str and Con aside from the Dracae, still ¡ª it was enough to already make Sirius question his decision to go unarmed.


    But that was a sufficient amount of math and worrying, for the time being, he still had his Class Skill to check out and a multitude of other tasks to complete.


    Fortunately, [Aura of Might] was able to cheer him up a bit as he moved away from burning mound of rodents.


    [Aura of Might]


    None on the battlefield will be able to deny your imposing presence!


    Requirements: Barbarian Class


    Cooldown: Toggle On/Off


    Effect: Increases base Strength of all allies (including the user) by 10% within a 15-meter radius.Furthermore, the user is more likely to attract aggro while in combatand allows them to generate an additional 2 Rage every second


    Choosing the Toth was already paying dividends. Thanks to his Attuned Body trait, the aura was actually providing an 11% effective increase to Strength, and that was only at Skill Lvl 1.


    Sirius toggled on [Aura of Might] to get a feel for it. As it activated, he felt a surge of power flood his body, bringing a certain heart-pumping clarity that was very reminiscent of an adrenaline rush.


    A pair of players that had just reached the courtyard in front of the food repository suddenly flinched and backed away from Sirius as his Aura washed over them. However, it didn¡¯t deter them for long as an excitable girl, who appeared only slightly older than himself, rushed over.


    ¡°Wow! So cool! Was that a Skill?¡± she asked, the words tumbling out her mouth in a hurry.


    ¡°Uh, yeah. Sorry about that. I just got it at Level 2 and couldn¡¯t resist testing it out.¡± Sirius smiled wryly. If non-partied players could feel it ¡ª that meant NPCs likely could as well. He would have to be very careful when toggling it on out of combat, lest he sends the wrong message to a powerful opponent.


    ¡°Ah, what!¡± the girl exclaimed, her long, silver curls bouncing up and down as she pouted. ¡°I didn¡¯t get a new Spell at Level 2! What class are you?¡±


    ¡°I''m a Barbarian,¡± Sirius replied. ¡°But I didn¡¯t have any Lvl 1 Skills. How about yourself?¡±


    ¡°That makes sense, I suppose¡­¡± The girl sighed theatrically, ¡°I¡¯m an [Priestess] of Nimera. I had access to the Spell [Mending Rain] as soon as the game started.¡±


    ¡°Nimera¡­ Isn¡¯t that the Sky Goddess...¡± Sirius thought he was recalling that correctly. ¡°...How¡¯d you end up in Blackhill Garden?¡± He had assumed this would be a starting zone exclusively for the Toth followers of Kimala.The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.


    Before the girl could reply, her companion stepped in, ¡°If you and a registered friend in the Vault Creative system chose the same race and ethnicity ¡ª there was an option in the Synchronization Lobby to start in the same zone.¡± The man who spoke had shoulder-length dark hair swept across his eyes, giving him a rather gloomy appearance that stood in sharp contrast to the girl¡¯s bubbly enthusiasm.


    ¡°I see¡­¡± Sirius felt a bit embarrassed that he hadn¡¯t even considered something like that, so he tried to divert the topic. ¡°Are you two heading inside to complete Foreman Olvar¡¯s job?¡±


    ¡°Yup!¡±


    ¡°Alright, then I¡¯ll tell you this: make sure to place any of the rodents you kill into your inventory, and when you¡¯re done ¡ª ask the Foreman where to dispose of them. You should trigger a bonus reward that way.¡± Sirius didn¡¯t mind giving a tip to an easy-going pair like these two.


    ¡°Thanks!¡± The girl flashed a bright smile. ¡°I think I can return the favor. If you haven¡¯t done Alchemist Bolivar¡¯s herb collection yet, look carefully in each cluster of Chrennoil. There should be one or two stalks that appear a little larger and more vibrant in every group. If you exclusively pick those to fill the quota, Bolivar will provide you with a few Health Potions as an extra reward.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that''s pretty good! I¡¯m sure those will come in handy later on. I appreciate the help.¡±


    ¡°As do we,¡± the young man nodded politely. ¡°C¡¯mon, Talia. If you keep accosting every player with a Skill, we¡¯ll never get these jobs finished.¡±


    ¡°I know, I know¡­¡± Talia groaned.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been slacking off myself, so far,¡± Sirius chuckled. ¡°I¡¯ll be heading off. Good luck, guys.¡±


    ¡°Be seeing you! Thanks again!¡± Talia waved as she was dragged into the warehouse.


    Sirius quickly left the area and found his way back to the main road that Old Biln had mentioned previously. A Map was a necessity if he wanted to avoid another hour of wandering aimlessly through the streets.


    ¡®A clock of some kind would nice too.¡¯


    Currently, it was impossible to accurately determine both how long he¡¯d spent in the game ¡ª and what time it was in The Shattered Realm.


    Taking a look up at the sky revealed that the sun was already beginning its descent. ¡®I need to get a move on. Hopefully, there isn¡¯t a long line at the registry¡­¡¯


    ***


    *Ding*


    Congratulations! You have received a map of Blackhill Garden!


    ________________


    *Ding*


    You have received a [Small Linen Sack]


    ¡°And here¡¯s your Identity Token, Herald. Shouldn¡¯t be an issue if Old Biln already knows you¡¯re coming. But better keep it with you just to be safe.¡±


    ¡°Will do. Thanks again, Miss Rhuvi!¡±


    ¡°All right. Be safe out there, dear!¡±


    The old secretary smiled and waved as Sirius shouldered his way out of the cramped registry office.


    ¡®Thank God that¡¯s over with,¡¯ he sighed, inhaling a deep breath of the cool evening air. Waiting in a long line in real life was already horrendous, but waiting in line in a beautiful fantasy world was absolutely excruciating. No amount of torture could ever compare to it.


    On multiple occasions, Sirius had been tempted to just blast everyone with his [Aura of Might] and fight his way to the front of the line. But the Village Chief¡¯s Blackguards who were keeping the peace in the marketplace outside were more than intimidating enough to quell such thoughts. Those behemoths even made Olvar look like a weakling in comparison.


    In stark contrast to when he¡¯d arrived earlier in the day, the current scene in the market was serene. Many of the vendors were laughing with their acquaintances as they busied themselves packing up their stalls, and all the village folks were either heading back home or out to a restaurant for a meal.


    It made the situation fairly awkward for all the players who were still wandering around to check out what Blackhill had to offer. They didn¡¯t require sustenance, and neither did they have much disposable income to spend idly in a tavern while killing time. All they could really do at this point was go to their assigned residence ¡ª if they¡¯d even gotten around to visiting the registry, and logout until morning.


    Sirius was stuck in a similar state of limbo. All the tasks in his Quest Log were grayed out, which he assumed meant the quest givers weren¡¯t in their designated areas. So, with nothing else urgent to do, he decided to head over to Old Biln¡¯s and see what the man was up to.


    The registry clerk had been kind enough to mark the shortest path to the man¡¯s home down on his map, but Sirius decided to go the long way around so that he could familiarize himself with landmarks and more of the village.


    ¡®Oh! Now that I think about it¡­ I should visit all the quest locations and draw out a route¡­¡¯


    He was determined not to waste a single minute tomorrow.


    ***


    ¡°Sirius! Glad to see you made it safe and sound!¡± Old Biln exclaimed as he pulled open the worn wooden door. The warm light from inside the house leaked out onto the street.


    ¡°Yea, I¡¯ve finally got a map now, so I didn¡¯t have too much issue finding the place.¡±


    ¡°Good. That¡¯s good. Well, come on in. You¡¯ve arrived at the perfect time ¡ª we were just about to sit down for dinner.


    ¡°Great! Thanks again, Biln.¡± Sirius replied as he stepped past the man, into the foyer. Old Biln¡¯s home was a narrow, two-story building, packed tightly against its neighbors much like a townhome. The furniture that Sirius spotted inside was rather rustic, and there were a few candles lit up in the ivory sconces along the walls.


    Old Biln led him through an entryway, past the staircase that was tucked in the northwest corner of the foyer, and into the dining room beyond.


    ¡°Have you had anything to eat yet? Palma is cooking up some Vegetable Medley. I know you youths love your red meats but I have a little trouble tearing into it like I used to.¡± Old Biln flashed a wide grin, revealing quite a few gaps and chipped teeth.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t actually. And it''s no problem ¡ª Vegetable Medley sounds wonderful,¡± Sirius replied as he took an empty seat at the small round table. ¡°I¡¯m not taking anyone¡¯s spot, am I?¡± He came from a family that always had strictly assigned seats at the dinner table.


    ¡°Of course not, dear!¡± A plump woman exclaimed as she swept into the room. Like Biln, she had short greying hair and deep laughing lines at the corners of her eyes and mouth that stretched thin as she smiled brightly.


    ¡°Sirius, this is my lovely wife, Palma.¡±


    ¡°Pleasure to meet you, Ma¡¯am. I really appreciate you allowing me to stay in your home.¡± Sirius stood back up and moved to shake Palma¡¯s hand, but he soon found himself wrapped in a tight hug. Palma squeezed him with a strength that far surpassed his own.


    ¡°No need for all that!¡± she exclaimed as she released him. ¡°And Biln ¡ª don''t think your flattery is gonna earn you any extra portions tonight. I¡¯m sure Sirius must be starving.¡±


    Sirius chuckled, awkwardly. So far, there weren¡¯t any survival mechanics present in the game, and he wasn¡¯t even sure if he would be able to actually taste any food. However, he didn¡¯t want to turn down this couple¡¯s goodwill, so he would eat whatever he was served.


    After he and Old Biln sat back down, Palma soon returned with a large bowl full of semolina and steamed vegetables. It looked delicious. Very reminiscent of Couscous. Sirius had only ever tried couscous once before, but he''d loved it and was eager to dig into Palma''s version of the dish.


    Once everyone was seated, Palma and Biln paused and dipped their heads and clasped their hands atop the table. ¡°Thanks be to Deias for this bounty.¡± They chanted in unison. Afterward, they traced a symbol on their foreheads that seemed to resemble an eye, but it was difficult for Sirius to tell.


    ¡°Feel free to help yourself,¡± Palma instructed as she distributed smooth wooden plates and forks. Fortunately, neither her nor Biln seemed put off by his lack of participation in the prayer.


    ¡°Don¡¯t mind if I do,¡± Biln laughed as he was the first to shovel food onto his plate ¡ª eliciting an eye-roll from his wife.


    Sirius quickly found himself caught up in the friendly atmosphere. The food was incredible, and the banter between Palma and Biln throughout the meal was very lighthearted and fun.


    ¡®This new technology continues to amaze me,¡¯ Sirius sighed as he leaned back in his chair, the earthy flavor still lingering on his tongue. Because he didn¡¯t feel full no matter how much he ate ¡ª it was a struggle to hold himself back.


    ¡°Thank you, Palma. The meal was delicious.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m glad you enjoyed it.¡± Palma smiled, but this time it didn¡¯t reach her eyes. ¡°Been a while since I¡¯ve been able to cook for guests¡­¡±


    ¡°Pal¡­¡± Biln frowned, concern etched deeply into his forehead. ¡°The Heralds are here now. Things will get better.¡±


    Sirius sat back up, fully alert now. ¡°I noticed on the way over that your home is relatively close to the Palisades ¡ª has there been a lot of trouble in the area?¡±


    Old Biln deflated as he exhaled a deep sigh. ¡°Early on there was. After the eastern district went up in flames, our neighborhood was one of the first that those scum pillaged. They mostly went after the young couples ¡ª killed any who tried to resist¡­ W-We lost a lot of friends that night...¡± Old Blin choked up as his eyes misted over. Palma wiped the tears from her cheeks as she gently rubbed her husband¡¯s back.


    Sirius felt his heart clench as he gazed solemnly at the old couple. They were likely only spared because of their age, but that only made them feel all the more guilty and helpless.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to make you relive such painful memories.¡± Sirius hesitated to question them any further. This was a perfect opportunity to learn more about the main conflict in the Tutorial Zone, but it was obviously hard on them.


    ¡°No, it''s alright.¡± Biln looked up, anger and resolution hardening in his eyes. ¡°You¡¯ve only just arrived in this place, with hardly any context or connection to our people. So¡­ I want you to understand why we fight ¡ª and what we¡¯re fighting for. The invaders have drawn a hard line: We either renounce our faith and join their church, accepting their rule, or we find ourselves shackled as slaves. To them ¡ª we¡¯re merely savages. They don¡¯t see any value in peace or compromise¡­¡±


    ¡°I understand. Thank you, Biln. Whatever I was before doesn¡¯t matter to me. I am Sirius of the Toth now, so I will do whatever I can to see these invaders defeated and make sure that we take back what is ours.¡±


    Old Biln nodded, ¡°Good, man. I can¡¯t tell you enough how much I appreciate those words. We must be as one if we are to succeed. Our strength lies in our unity.¡±


    ¡°Aye¡­¡± Palma voiced her agreement as well. ¡°It¡¯s getting late, dear, so why don¡¯t I show you to your room. I think we could all use a good rest tonight.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Sirius readily assented. He was planning on getting an early start the next day, and logging out would pass the time quicker.


    *Ding*


    Sirius received a notification as soon as he found his way into the spare bedroom on the second floor.


    You have entered a designated Safe Zone.


    Note: Other players will not be able to intrude upon this area while you are logged out.


    "That''s nice," Sirius mumbled to himself in passing as he flopped onto the bed. He rolled from side to side to find a comfortable position, but his efforts were in vain. The straw mattress was rather thin and the feather pillow was lumpy. He¡¯d slept on worse more than once during his brief university stint, but with the comfort of his own bed a mere word away ¡ª he didn¡¯t plan on taking his role-playing too far.


    ¡®Speaking of which¡­¡¯ Sirius sighed and sat back up. ¡®I lost myself there for a bit during dinner.¡¯


    Sympathizing with the NPCs had its merits, but he couldn¡¯t let himself get too entrenched in the game world.


    ¡°Ahhh,¡± Sirius groaned. It was so hard not to. He¡¯d dreamed so often of living life in a world that wasn¡¯t his own and now he was finally presented with a taste of what that could be like. Playing AoA was almost a tease in a way.


    At the end of the day ¡ª it was all just bits of data. He needed to draw a clear distinction in his mind before he let his yearning spiral out of control.


    However, there was nothing stopping him from enjoying himself in both the virtual and real worlds. If he worked hard he could experience the best of both.


    ¡°Logout!¡± Sirius issued a command.


    It was time to see what information he could gather online.

 Chapter 3.5

    Sirius clambered out of the pod like a corpse rising from the grave. After lying still for a few hours, his previous soreness had really settled in. His stiff joints protested even the slightest movement as he ambled down the hall towards the pantry for a snack.


    ¡®Its launch day ¡ª I can cheat a little¡­¡¯ he rationalized as he flipped on a light.


    Soon, club crackers laden with cheese were being shoveled into his mouth in an endless stream as his stomach growled eagerly. In conjunction with his workout routine, he tried to keep his snacks and meals relatively healthy, but he still frequently succumbed to excuses and had a tendency to go overboard in terms of sheer quantity.


    Finally somewhat satiated, after devouring nearly a whole sleeve of crackers and a chunk of sharp-cheddar, Sirius pulled out his phone and laptop and set himself up at the desk lodged in the corner of the kitchen.


    There was a single text message waiting for him. And it was from his mom.


    Momma Rowd: I saw that your game comes out today. Have fun but be safe. Just because those capsule thingies let you stay inside for a long time, doesn¡¯t mean you should. Love you.


    Sirius: I know ¡ª I¡¯m already out for the day. I¡¯ll be careful. Love you too, Mom.


    Sirius smiled faintly as he clicked send. His mom had always been secretly supportive of him, despite his dad¡¯s disapproval. Well, neither of them really saw anything wrong with chasing after his dreams, but they did worry that he had acted too soon and didn¡¯t leave himself with a clear back-up plan. Corbin Rowd had been irate when Sirius dropped out of school. And made it clear that he would have to bail himself out should his plan fail.


    But while it may have seemed rushed to them ¡ª Sirius had felt it was his only shot at having a chance to break into the eSports scene or join an organization that could offer a more standardized salary and benefits.


    Selling items for gold and converting that into cash could provide a nice supplementary income, but he didn¡¯t want to have to rely on drops and lucky finds to make a living. It would be too stressful that way.


    ¡®Ahh, here we are¡­¡¯ The AoA forums were a complete mess. As expected. Sirius chuckled to himself as he re-directed his focus to the computer screen.


    Thousands of threads had already been started as players logged out after their first day in the game; the vast majority of them heaping praise onto AoA. Many were just completely blown away by the level of realism VCE & DigiEdge were able to achieve.


    Of course, there was a fair amount of toxicity as well ¡ª an inevitability in any gaming community. People loved to have something to complain about and there was always a group who were up in arms when they actually had to look for things and figure out game mechanics on their own.


    Admittedly, Sirius had also felt that the amount of up-front information was lacking at times, but there was also a certain charm to just diving in and figuring it out as you go. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    But despite the lack of transparency and fledgling life of the game, he still wanted to quickly browse through a few posts just to see if anyone¡¯s experience had drastically differed from his own.


    The search yielded mixed results. All of the players were still stuck in their Tutorial Zones, but it did seem that each zone¡¯s main objective varied widely. However, only a few of the Human, Elf, and Dracae starts were relatively ¡®peaceful¡¯ so to speak. They seemed to be engaged in a sort of Bootcamp, wherein the followers of their chosen Deity were preparing them for venturing out into the world in order to conquer and explore.


    Members of the other races saw this and whined about how unfair their own circumstances were, leading the players in question to protest that their starts were actually grueling and generally unexciting.


    It devolved into a whole lot of ¡®Woe is Me!¡¯ Sirius grew sick of it after merely a few lines of scrolling and had to step back. He moved away from the general threads and started browsing through the other tabs.


    There was one pretty funny post he came across. It was from a Rogue in another zone who had gotten himself captured when trying to sneak into an opposing faction¡¯s camp. While locked up, he¡¯d tried to kill himself so that he could respawn back in town, but the NPCs had seen his attempts at self-harm and responded by restricting his limbs. Now, bored and alone, he could only convert faiths or logout to pass the time because he couldn¡¯t delete the character either.


    Honestly, Sirius felt pretty bad for the guy, and he was confident the man wasn¡¯t alone in such a predicament. It was a crippling punishment to receive so early on. Players loved to do stupid shit to find exploits, but it seemed like testing the limits of the AI in AoA could backfire in a serious way if you didn''t have any strength or connections to fall back on.


    However, other than that amusing and somewhat informative scenario ¡ª there wasn¡¯t much to be seen. Some players were clamoring for more survival mechanics like satiety and thirst, while others demanded more gore. Sirius certainly did not envy the Vault Creative community liaisons who had to sift through all of this crap.


    His initial hope was that a few of the Beta Testers would break their silence now that the NDA was lifted, but it looked so far like they were either still compiling their knowledge or just didn¡¯t see it fit to share their advantage.


    Sirius couldn¡¯t blame them. Though, he had expected at least a few of them to release guides in order to attract views and attention to their websites, videos, streams, or whatever. The Testers were chosen through a random lottery, but surely a few influencers had managed to sneak their way in.


    ¡®Well, so be it¡­¡¯ Sirius sighed as he closed his laptop.


    He took a glance at the clock on his phone and leaned back in his chair. Currently, it was 8:14 pm EDT. The game had launched at 3 o''clock, which meant he had spent just under 10 hours in-game. It had felt much shorter than that but the truth before his eyes couldn¡¯t be denied.


    ¡®Tomorrow is a Saturday, so I¡¯m sure it will be just as crowded as ever. Probably even more so.¡¯ The quest at the food repositories had been fine because there were plenty of rodents to go around, but after experiencing the line at the registry, he wasn¡¯t sure if the same could be said for the other jobs. His main goal for the next day was to complete the four remaining objectives and to find out how to advance himself in the main questline by speaking with High Priestess Necrah.


    ¡®I guess I¡¯ll start with Alchemist Bolivar¡¯s request because I already know how to complete the bonus objective. While I¡¯m there ¡ª I¡¯ll try to ask around about the other tasks¡­¡¯


    There wasn¡¯t much to it, but Sirius still always liked to have a solidified objective in mind each morning.


    With that settled, he set an alarm for 3:30 am returned to his room to get some sleep. It would be another long day tomorrow and he wanted to keep his mind fresh.

 Chapter 4

    Back in the game, Sirius said his farewells to his hosts as he headed off for an early start.


    ¡°Be careful, Dear. And try to be back around the same time as yesterday if you don¡¯t want to miss dinner!


    ¡°Alright! I¡¯ll see you later, Palma,¡± Sirius called out over his shoulder as he waved goodbye.


    Twilight still shrouded the island: dusky shades of orange and yellow permeating the morning fog as the sun began its ascent.


    Sirius inhaled the cool breeze through his nose as he double-checked his map at the corner, feeling immediately energized. The island air had a real crispness to it that the air on Earth sorely lacked.


    ¡®First a right, then a quick left¡­¡¯ He took his time walking down the streets. They were practically empty at this hour, so he was finally able to appreciate all the architecture and natural fauna.


    Many of the homes had carved wood accents around the windows and door frames as well as a simple second-floor balcony where residents would hang their laundry out to dry and tend to their terrace gardens. Long vines and large, droopy leaves extended from the planters atop the rails, trailing down the walls. It really added a nice splash of color amidst the tightly packed, pastel yellow and beige buildings.


    As Sirius continued his stroll, he witnessed the morning greetings exchanged between neighbors, and wives sending their husbands off to work. Everything appeared so harmonious on the surface. However, he could almost feel the sadness in their lingering gazes as they departed.


    ¡®NPCs¡­ They¡¯re all just NPCs,¡¯ he reminded himself. It still felt so strange that he even had to do so. He kept his head down the remainder of the journey, only periodically taking a look at the route he traced out until he arrived outside Alchemist Bolivar¡¯s shop on the outskirts of town ¡ª near the stretch of woods that surrounded the base of Blackhill.


    Fortunately, during the time it took him to hike over, the tasks in his Quest Log had reactivated. Sirius walked straight up to the door and knocked twice.


    ¡°Yes¡­? Come on in.¡±


    A silver bell jingled above the door as he entered. ¡°Excuse me, I¡¯m looking for Alchemist Bolivar. I¡¯m one of the Heralds here at the behest of High Priestess Necrah.¡±


    ¡°Well, you¡¯ve come to the right place. I was just about to send out the first group to search for Chrennoil¡­¡±


    ***


    Sirius worked diligently throughout the day. Completing tasks like gathering Chrennoil for Bolivar, helping bandage and distribute medicine to injured members of the resistance, assisting the Village Chief¡¯s staff with delivering messages to various important persons around Blackhill, and even returning to the food repositories for another round of rodent stomping to break up the tedium.


    The quests initially assigned by Necrah weren¡¯t glamorous by any means, but Sirius still found himself enjoying the activities while chatting with the other players. And as long as he paid close attention to the instructions of the NPC in charge, it was pretty easy to complete the bonus objectives.


    Most of the jobs offered decent enough rewards ¡ª though none as nice as the gloves he got from Foreman Olvar. However, a nice secondary benefit was the [Fitness] Proficiency he managed to earn about halfway through the day. All it did was reduce his stamina consumption by a small margin. Nothing flashy, but more than welcome nonetheless.


    It became increasingly obvious to Sirius that the real purpose of the first leg of the main questline was just to help players get acclimated to the game and progressively learn about all of the features and systems. For example, Bolivar¡¯s quest was preempted by a video about resource gathering, then he learned about various injury states and first aid through helping Doctor Kern, and so on. Overall, the experience was pleasant enough, but his role felt sorely lacking in importance ¡ª mostly because the players didn¡¯t yet have the opportunity to directly oppose the invaders.


    Their presence in Blackhill was helping the village recover from its significant lack of manpower; however, it was clear the leaders of Blackhill didn¡¯t yet want the Heralds on the front lines. And it made sense in the grand scheme of things; as ¡ª aside from their immortality ¡ª the Heralds didn¡¯t have much to offer in terms of combat potential in their newborn state. It also remained to be seen if they could be fully trusted.


    ¡®Hopefully, I¡¯ll get another skill at Level 3,¡¯ Sirius bemoaned. It wasn¡¯t pleasant ¡ª feeling useless, and he was still eager to put all of his training to use in real combat. He sighed as he glanced at the experience bar on his Character Sheet. Each segment of the quest he completed offered precisely 25% of the experience required to level. Currently, the meter was sitting idly at three-quarters full as he was putting the finishing touches on the final task in his Quest Log. Not even going back to kill [Lesser Rodents] had budged it in the slightest.


    ¡°Hey, Shadowfire¡­ Pass me another [Sewing Kit], will you?¡±


    ¡°...Here,¡± the man shrouded in a cloak grumbled as he handed over more supplies.


    Would you like to repair the item [Fine Hide Vest]?


    Y/N?


    Sirius pressed YES on the system prompt and watched one of the kit¡¯s 5 charges disappear. ¡°Where¡¯d you get that cloak anyway?¡± he asked offhandedly, grabbing some frayed trousers from the pile on the table in front of him.


    ¡°Bought it from Madam Lily.¡± Shadowfire inclined his head to the attractive woman greeting players at the door.


    ¡°Wow¡­¡± Sirius sucked in a sharp breath. ¡°How much was that?¡± He¡¯d taken a look at the Seamstress¡¯s wares earlier and the cheapest among them was still more than 3 Silver Marks. Even after working all day, Sirius had only received 2 Marks and a few Silver Bits for his efforts.


    ¡°8 Silver Marks and 5 Bits,¡± the man replied, dryly.


    ¡°What! How¡¯d you even make that much?¡±


    ¡°Spent all last night collecting Chrennoil every time they respawned and sold them all this morning. Bolivar buys 25 stalks of any quality for 6 Bits after you¡¯ve completed his quest. There were a few players out there with me, but I could usually manage to gather over 100 stalks every half hour.¡±


    Sirius did some quick mental math in his head. 15 Silver Bits could be converted into a Mark, so that meant that even if he only worked for 8 hours ¡ª Shadowfire probably earned just under 200 bits or more than 13 Marks. That seemed like an astronomical sum at this point in the game.


    ¡°Man¡­ and here I was thinking that there wasn¡¯t much benefit to scrounging around on the island at night. I bet there are some nice stats on that cloak.¡±


    Shadowfire shrugged as he reached into the pile of damaged clothes. ¡°Not really, just a marginal bonus to sneaking in dark conditions.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡± That seemed underwhelming ¡ª to put it lightly. ¡°You¡¯re a Shaman, right? You going for a stealthy build?¡±


    ¡°Nope. I just like cloaks. I was mostly doing it to grind my [Gathering] Proficiency.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡± Sirius muttered. He probably should have expected that answer considering the guy insisted on being called Shadowfire. ¡°...You know. I could really see you more as a Warlock than a Shaman.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t get me started,¡± Shadowfire groaned.


    ¡°What?¡± Sirius chuckled as he finished his last repair. He could finally turn in the quest, but he wanted to hear Shadowfire out first.


    ¡°Warlock was indeed my first choice. But of course, my girlfriend wanted to play as an Orc. Long story short ¡ª she wouldn¡¯t relent and refused to join the game if I didn¡¯t play a Khilaite with her. Something about how starting too far apart would be lonely¡­ Anyway, it was a losing battle from the start and I only managed to convince her to allow me to roll a Toth instead of a Vokulle after a few long hours of arguing during Character Creation.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t take you for being such a big softie,¡± Sirius teased.


    ¡°Eh, she always takes care of everything at home, so it''s only right I look after her in the game. Plus, it¡¯s her first time playing an RPG, so I worry about what kind of nonsense build she would put together if I wasn¡¯t there to help out.¡±


    ¡°Makes sense. Well, it was nice meeting you Shadowfire,¡± Sirius said as he stood up, extending a hand. ¡°And I wish you luck in your romantic journey through the Shattered Realm. I¡¯ve just finished up, so I¡¯m gonna turn it in.¡±


    ¡°Last one on the list?¡± Shadowfire asked as he grasped Sirius¡¯ proffered hand for a shake.


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°Congrats in advance on Level 3 then.¡±


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Sirius replied as he released his grip. ¡°You got any more after this one?¡±


    ¡°Nope. I was done a while ago. However, I was thinking of going with Tailor as my profession, so I wanted to get some more practice in with manual repairs.¡±


    ¡°Oh, gotcha!¡± Sirius was suddenly enlightened. He¡¯d been wondering why Shadowfire was doing all the repairs by hand even though the bonus objective only required 5 out of 20 to be done manually. ¡°How¡¯d you find out about the Professions already ¡ª if you don¡¯t mind my asking.¡±


    ¡°Not at all. Just asking around with the NPCs. Only managed to glean a couple so far. Seems like there¡¯s the traditional Blacksmith, Tailor, Cook, but also more unique ones like Cartographer.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, I¡¯ll have to keep an ear out. Thanks again, Shadowfire.¡±


    ¡°Ah, one second!¡± Shadowfire called out to him as he was turning away. ¡°After you get yourself situated with your new level and everything ¡ª let me know if you¡¯re interested in grouping up for the next stage of the main quest.¡±


    Sirius saw a friend request pop up in front of his face which he accepted right away. ¡°Alright, sure thing. Talk to you later.¡± He wasn¡¯t sure what that was all about, but he would find out soon.


    ¡°Yeah, sounds good.¡±


    Shadowfire turned back to his work as Sirius jogged over to Madam Lily. Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    ¡°Excuse me, Madam Lily. Sorry to interrupt, but I¡¯ve completed the repairs you assigned.¡± He gestured towards his pile at the table while the weird mustached player trying to flirt with the Seamstress sent him a scathing glare.


    ¡°Wonderful! I appreciate your help, Herald...¡± Lily paused she glanced over Sirius¡¯ handiwork. ¡°Competent work ¡ª a few of these look quite good,¡± she continued blithely. ¡°Tell you what, I¡¯ll let you take your pick from the pile to carry out with you. Oh, and take a [Sewing Kit] with you.¡±


    *Ding*Ding*Ding*


    Bonus reward triggered!


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-


    You Have Leveled Up!


    Received: 5 Unassigned Attribute Points & Class Skill [Reckless Charge]


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-


    Quest completed!


    Return to Blackhill Garden Temple and speak with High Priestess Necrah to receive your rewards!


    Note: All previous tasks may still be repeated.


    ¡°Thank you, Madam Lily. I am undeserving of your praise.¡± Mustache man rolled his eyes as Sirius¡¯ reply elicited a pleased smile and a chuckle from the graceful Madam.


    However, while messing with the random player was amusing, he had more important business to take care of.


    He quickly grabbed the [Patchwork Leather Jerkin] he¡¯d been eyeing from his stack of repairs.


    [Patchwork Leather Jerkin], Chest


    Equip requirement: Level 2


    Rating: Poor


    Physical Defense: 8; Magic Defense: 0


    Durability: 12/12


    No bonuses, but all of the equipment had been of poor quality and this was the item with the highest defense. The [Sewing Kit] was probably worth more than this shoddy piece of armor, though it was better than the empty slot he currently had. And at least now that he¡¯d completed this quest he could view the durability of items.


    Sirius could only shake his head and sigh when thinking about the quality of his current gear. A grand total of two pieces. Players like Shadowfire who had been grinding for money were far ahead of him. He was only somewhat mollified by the knowledge that skill could significantly bridge the gap between gear scores. But who doesn''t love showing off their powerful equipment?


    Still, for now he assumed that advancing his progress in the main questline was of greatest import, so he had to resist the temptation of grinding.


    As Sirius stepped outside the shop he checked the sun. It looked to only be about 3 or 4 o¡¯clock in the afternoon ¡ª plenty of time to reach the temple before sundown considering Madam Lily¡¯s was located only a block south of the central market.


    Hence, Sirius set off at a measured pace, taking a moment to distribute his attribute points in the same manner as previously and inspect his new skill as he skirted the crowds.


    [Reckless Charge]


    Rush at your foe with wild abandon within a range of 5 meters.


    Requirements: Barbarian Class


    Cost: 10 Rage


    Cooldown: 12s


    Effect: Deal 1.2x base weapon or attack damage to the target.


    If the Skill deals a Severe Blow ¡ª damage increased to 1.5x and the opponent will be immobilized for 3s. However, if the Skill misses, user will be slowed by 30% for 2s.


    Sirius frowned slightly as he read the description. He hadn¡¯t tried it out yet, so he was unsure how difficult it would be land to the charge, but having a penalty for missing seemed harsh.


    Regardless, gap closers were vital and his skillset felt much more well-rounded now.


    ¡®Eh, this looks like a decent spot to test it¡­¡¯ Sirius thought as ducked into an empty alley. He couldn¡¯t help but scratch that itch of testing out a new ability.


    As an active Skill, [Reckless Charge] couldn¡¯t just be toggled off and on at will in his menu like [Aura of Might]. Fortunately, the Combat Tutorial had given him a general idea of how to use Skills without requiring a verbal command. Different from Spells which required pre-prepared materials, chants, or certain gestures ¡ª Skills required a combination of appropriate body movement and Resource Draw.


    The body movement was fairly straightforward, and each Skill would detail the proper steps in a picture sequence in the menu. Resource Draw, on the other hand, he was almost entirely clueless about.


    During the tutorial, the narrator had alluded to a source of power within the body ¡ª near the heart. Players could tap into this power and extract the required amount of Rage, Spirit, etc. to activate the Skill. It sounded simple enough, but Sirius had yet to distinctly feel that source within his body.


    He¡¯d felt a traces of it when battling the [Lesser Rodents] but nothing concrete enough to grasp.


    Sirius toggled on his [Aura of Might], adopting a slight crouch and tensing his leg muscles as he prepared to take off. It would take a few seconds for his Rage to generate, so he just remained still ¡ª marveling at the sensation of a foreign energy pumping through his bloodstream. The feelings of power, focus, and dominance it supplied was intoxicating.


    Six seconds ticked by quickly, and as his Rage bar surpassed the 12 unit mark, Sirius began to attempt to tap into that resource locus within his body. He struggled at first, unsure of what exactly he was looking for, but as his Rage continued to build, the fiery core of energy became increasingly clear.


    It felt like there was a small furnace in his chest, the embers of which were slowly being stoked as his Rage built. The heat wasn¡¯t uncomfortable, but he did feel an instinctual need to expel it ¡ª to unleash. Suppressing that desire wasn¡¯t difficult, but he felt himself growing slightly more agitated with each passing moment.


    ¡®Rage is truly apt¡­¡¯ Sirius smiled to himself. Then, with a concentrated effort, he began his attempts to tap into the resource pool with his consciousness.


    At first, he was all over the place, the fire slipping in and out of his grasp like an eel. But eventually, he decided to employ some imagery. Sirius pictured the core of Rage as a well filled with molten lava, and his mind a bucket.


    Dipping the bucket into the well finally elicited a response. Sirius checked the corner of his vision and saw his Rage meter instantly drop by 7 before quickly replenishing.


    ¡®Guess I need a bigger bucket...¡¯


    Following some trial and error ¡ª he finally managed to extract an even 12 Rage and proceeded to pour the hot, viscous energy into his legs where he knew it needed to be directed.


    The Rage flowed downward, and Sirius felt his muscles involuntarily tense up once more before the alley suddenly turned into a blur. He came to a stumbling halt as the Skill ended, feeling lethargic as he recovered. ¡®There¡¯s the slow...¡¯ It wasn¡¯t too bad but his movements were weighty and met with some resistance like when he¡¯d first entered the character creation lobby.


    Suddenly, a laugh bubbled forth from Sirius'' lungs. ¡®Holy Shit! That was incredible!¡¯


    Using [Reckless Charge] had felt like he imagined driving an expensive sports car would. Stomping on the gas as the traffic light in front of him suddenly turned green.


    Unable to help himself, Sirius spent the next dozen-odd minutes dashing back and forth through the alley. Not only was it immensely fun, but it also allowed him to get a better hang of Resource Drawing. It wasn¡¯t until a random drunkard stumbled into the alley that Sirius finally stopped.


    His Aura had caused the man to piss himself a bit prematurely, but he had no recompense to offer the offended. He could only smile apologetically as he toggled the Skill off and returned to the main road.


    Sirius resumed his jog towards Blackhill, and a short time later he found himself at the base of the winding trail that led up the mountain to the temple. There were a few players around the area either picking random flowers on the mountainside or traversing the path like himself.


    ''It looks a lot steeper than I remember,'' Sirius grimaced as he craned his neck upward. ''Better to get it over with...''


    His breathing was ragged by the time he crested the final switchback. Unsurprisingly the journey had exhausted almost half his Stamina. It wasn¡¯t a resource he found himself draining very often, but then again, aside from this hike, he hadn¡¯t engaged in much difficult labor or combat yet.


    After catching his breath, Sirius hurried inside. He was pleasantly surprised to find the Temple itself was relatively empty. A few Priestesses were hanging out in the long corridor, chatting idly amongst themselves. Sirius even spotted Ameera among them. She gave him a friendly wave and smile as he passed, which he returned in kind.


    He soon found Necrah in the Spawn Cave, standing in the same spot as she had been when he left nearly two days ago, busy chatting with some fresh arrivals. She was one of the few NPCs he¡¯d met that didn¡¯t seem to follow a schedule of her own. Though, considering her duty of guiding new players it made sense.


    Even now, there seemed to be people phasing into the world for the first time, gazing around in muddled wonder much as he had. Sirius questioned if these people would have the same opportunities as everyone who had arrived during the launch. Or would they get left behind as the frontrunners progressed through the storyline?


    The five quests in the first leg of [Invasion of Blackhill Garden] were static events, but it remained to be seen how the rest would pan out. Sirius couldn¡¯t imagine that the invaders would just respawn suddenly after being repelled, or the opposite should the players fail, resulting in the storyline constantly cycling through a loop. Doing so would completely diminish the urgency and importance of the story, but not providing new players with contingencies to catch up or experience events of similar magnitude would hurt the game¡¯s balance and ability to attract customers. ¡®There¡¯s definitely no perfect solution.¡¯ he mused.


    ¡°Oh! High Priestess Necrah!¡± Sirius suddenly called out as he saw a chance to grab her attention.


    ¡°...Sirius, isn¡¯t it?¡± she replied with a bemused smile as he hustled over. ¡°I¡¯ve heard whispers of your great diligence and kindness. I assume you are here to receive your due compensation?¡±


    Sirius shook his head, an idea brewing in his mind. ¡°I do not desire to be rewarded. I was only doing what I should as a member of the Toth. In truth, I have come to you to seek more responsibility. After seeing the scars left behind by the invaders firsthand, I only wish to contribute directly to the fight against them.¡±


    Necrah sighed, her sapphire eyes glittering with a hint of melancholy in the shifting light of the flames. ¡°I¡¯ve truly become jaded in these past years. It seems Ameera has already surpassed me as a judge of character¡­¡± The High Priestess squared her shoulders as she set her mouth in a hard line. ¡°Herald Sirius, I appreciate your sentiments. I think you have what it takes to emerge as a true champion of our people.¡±


    *Ding*


    Bonus reward triggered!


    Received +10 favorability with High Priestess Necrah, [Ring of Minor Strength]


    ___________________


    Quest Completed! [Invasion of Blackhill Garden Pt. 1]


    You have received +15 Reputation with Blackhill Village (5 extra for completing all bonus objectives).


    Achieved {Accepted} status in Blackhill Village!


    Hint: Faction specific rewards can be purchased from the Blackhill Village Chief


    ¡°And you are right. It is time we take the fight to the invaders! They¡¯ve been quiet for too long and I fear they are only waiting on some reinforcements before making their final assault. We must act before it is too late. Go and see Berek of the Blackguard. He is planning an operation that will take place tonight and could use all the help he can get.¡±


    *Ding*


    Quest Accepted! [Invasion of Blackhill Garden Pt. 2]


    High Priestess Necrah has instructed you to seek out Captain Berek if you wish to participate in tonight¡¯s operation against the invaders.


    ¡°Thank you for placing your trust in me, High Priestess. I will go to Berek and join him on this mission.¡±


    ¡°Very well¡­ May Kimala guide your path, Herald.¡±


    Sirius waved farewell as Necrah sent him off with a bow. Out in the temple corridor, he pulled up the Vault Creative messaging app and forwarded a text to Shadowfire.


    Sirius of the Toth (SoT): Hey. I just finished talking with Necrah. You joining that quest with Captain Berek?¡±


    Shadowfire: Yea. I¡¯ll spare you the details, but we¡¯ll be working in groups of 4. If you¡¯re okay with it, I¡¯ll go ahead and contact two other players I¡¯ve been in touch with. Another Shaman and a Priestess.


    SoT: Fine by me. Any idea where Berek usually is?


    Shadowfire: I found him previously at the Barracks ¡ª northeast of the central marketplace. Are you heading there now?


    SoT: Yup


    Shadowfire: Ok, then I¡¯ll notify the others and meet you over there.


    SoT: Cool, see you soon.


    Sirius dismissed the messenger and slipped on his [Ring of Minor Strength]. It gave him a +5 boost to Strength, but because it was an equipment effect, it only counted as a flat bonus and couldn¡¯t be enhanced by his Attuned Body or [Aura of Might]. Still, it was almost as good as another level and he had a feeling he would need all the extra damage he could get his hands on for the upcoming battle...

 Chapter 5

    ¡°Hey, Sirius! Over here!¡± A voice called out, rising above the din of the crowd.


    Darkness had already begun creeping down the jagged peak of Blackhill as the sun faded towards the sealine, yet Shadowfire¡¯s cloak still stood out like a beacon in the throng of shoddily dressed players.


    ¡®There¡¯s gotta be thousands participating in this operation tonight,¡¯ Sirius grumbled to himself as he jostled his way over to his companion.


    ¡°Shadowfire, good to see you. Things are getting out of hand. I don¡¯t even know if I¡¯ll be able to make it through to Berek to get the quest.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it for now,¡± Shadowfire waved him off, ¡°I¡¯ll share it with you once you¡¯re in the party. But before we do that, let me introduce you to the others.¡± With a flourish of his cloak, the man gestured behind him. ¡°Sirius ¡ª this is Talia and Roan, whom I mentioned to you previously.¡±


    ¡°Heya, Sirius!¡± A feminine voice tittered. ¡°Told you we¡¯d be seeing him again, Roan.¡±


    ¡°I never doubted your words. It is a pleasure to officially make your acquaintance, Sirius.¡±


    ¡°Ah! So it¡¯s you guys! What a coincidence¡­¡± Sirius shook the hands of both Talia and Roan ¡ª the duo he¡¯d met outside the food repository on the day of launch. He was honestly relieved to see it was them as he had a good impression of the two.


    ¡°Oh¡­ You all know each other?¡± Shadowfire remarked.


    ¡°Just crossed paths briefly. I accidentally hit them with a Skill outside one of the quest locations yesterday.¡± Sirius chuckled.


    ¡°It was of no consequence,¡± Roan brushed it off. ¡°In fact, we may have missed out on a bonus objective if it wasn¡¯t for your help.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, thanks again! Check out what I got,¡± Talia exclaimed, kicking out a leg to show off the brown leather boots she was wearing.


    ¡°It''s nothing. You guys returned the favor in kind, anyway.¡± Though, admittedly ¡ª Sirius was a bit jealous of her reward. He¡¯d gotten some decent wrap-around leather shoes from Palma after she saw him trudging around in straw sandals, but they had no stats to speak of and were rather thin. He was in desperate need of some good boots.


    ¡°Well, this makes things much easier,¡± Shadowfire declared. ¡°I¡¯ll go ahead and send you all the party invite now.¡±


    *Ding*


    You¡¯ve been invited to a party by user Shadowfire. Would you like to accept?


    Y/N


    As soon as Sirius accepted the request, a faint blue indicator appeared, hovering above the heads of the other party members.


    *Ding*


    User Shadowfire would like to share the Quest: [The Toth Strike Back - Invasion of Blackhill Garden Pt. 2] Would you like to accept?


    Y/N


    Note: You will not receive any rewards for this Quest if you have not completed the prerequisite - [Invasion of Blackhill Garden Pt. 1]


    Before Sirius had a chance to check out the quest details, a gruff voice rumbled through the area ¡ª suppressing all other noise.


    ¡°Listen up, Heralds! The fate of Blackhill Garden hangs in the balance tonight! I must thank you all in advance for your willingness to join us in this fight¡­¡± The speaker stood atop a makeshift dais in front of the barracks. He was a densely muscled, imposing Toth man ¡ª easily exceeding 2 meters in height, and he wore pitch-black segmented armor that looked to be made of some kind of carapace. As he spoke, he waved around a spiked club as large as a man like it weighed nothing at all.


    ¡°...We will strike on two fronts! The majority of the Heralds will charge the invader¡¯s fortifications directly, creating a distraction for the second group  ¡ª who will be hitting the caves where our brothers and sisters are currently held captive. Our scouts have gone to great lengths to retrieve this information. We are not to let their efforts go to waste¡­ Am I understood?¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡± a scattered number of enthusiastic players replied.


    ¡°Good. Those who have already received their assignments ¡ª report to the officer in charge of your operation. As for those who have just arrived, come and speak with me first. Move out!¡± Berek hopped off the dais with a shout, sending a faint shockwave through the earth as he landed.


    Sirius quickly turned to his party. ¡°Which group are we?¡±


    ¡°Second,¡± Shadowfire briefly revealed a pleased smile before his gaze hardened, ¡°However, while the rewards may be greater, it''s going to be a much more difficult task.¡±


    ¡°Any idea of how they divided it up?¡± Roan was surprisingly the one who spoke up.


    ¡°My guess is that you needed to acquire the maximum 15 reputation to join the second group,¡± Shadowfire shrugged. ¡°There were quite a few people who met with Berek before me that I know only managed to join the sacrificial pawns.¡±


    ¡°...It seems a little cruel,¡± Talia muttered, sporting a slight frown.


    ¡°True,¡± Sirius chimed in, ¡°But we can revive and the NPCs can¡¯t as far as I know. It only makes sense to send the Heralds in as bait.¡±


    ¡°I understand that,¡± Talia waved her hands. ¡°I was thinking more along the lines that some players have the chance to do more than others¡­ I know I¡¯d be upset if I was in the other group.¡±


    ¡°Ah, gotcha. I was actually thinking about something similar myself earlier,¡± Sirius sighed. ¡°Seems like the frontrunners will really be able to continue snowballing their lead¡ª¡±


    ¡°Who cares about everyone else,¡± Shadowfire clapped Sirius on the back. ¡°I¡¯m assuming you all got the 15 points, right?¡±


    Sirius and Talia both nodded.


    ¡°Exactly. So even though I shared the quest ¡ª you would have earned a spot with your own efforts. And that¡¯s what this game is all about. Playing smart. No need to feel bad about capitalizing on your opportunities or advantages. Life¡¯s never been about fairness anyway.¡±


    Roan nodded emphatically at Shadowfire¡¯s statement.


    ¡°...True enough,¡± Talia acknowledged, some of her bubbly demeanor resurfacing as she glanced around with interest. ¡°Shall we head over to meet with the officer then?¡±


    ¡°Really quick, before that¡­¡± Shadowfire held up a hand. ¡°...I¡¯d like to assign roles and go through everyone''s current Skills and Spells.¡±


    ¡°Healer! Call it!¡± Talia blurted out. ¡°I¡¯ve got [Mending Rain] and [Wind Barrier] ¡ª which can deflect projectiles.¡±


    ¡°All very useful.¡± Shadowfire chuckled. ¡°Roan. I¡¯m assuming your Spells are similar to my own? [Spark] and [Aspect Totem]?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯ve already prepared my allotted Totems. Do you have a preference?¡±


    Shadowfire turned to Sirius, ¡°Would you rather have a buff to speed or defense?¡±


    Sirius deliberated for a second before replying, ¡°Defense. My armor is still pretty shit.¡±


    ¡°Alright. Then, I¡¯ll be sticking with the [Aspect of the Tortoise], Roan.¡±


    ¡°Okay, then I¡¯ll use [Aspect of the Owl] to provide Talia with Spirit Regen.¡±


    ¡°Oh, are these not group buffs?¡± Sirius asked.


    Roan shook his head. ¡°Right now, our totems can only be linked to one person, and we can only use one at a time.¡±


    ¡°I see... Well, I¡¯ll be tanking ¡ª as I assume you guys know. I¡¯ve got [Aura of Might], [Reckless Charge], and [Heavy Strike].¡±


    ¡°Three Skills already¡­¡± Shadowfire remarked. ¡°[Heavy Strike] is a general skill correct?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, how¡¯d you know?¡±


    ¡°My guild is trying to gather as much information on Skills as we can, and our Barbarian didn¡¯t mention that one among his own. By the way, I¡¯d pay you a few Silver Marks for its details and how you earned it after this is over.¡±


    ¡°Sure thing,¡± Sirius agreed.


    ¡°Awww what?¡± Talia groaned, stomping her foot playfully ¡°I wanna know too¡­¡±


    ¡°I think I can find some time to share the details later,¡± Sirius laughed, winking at Talia. He didn¡¯t mind giving away the info for free considering the ease of acquiring the Skill, but he knew Shadowfire was trying to show his sincerity. ¡°Shall we get going?¡±


    The rest all agreed, so they made their way over to the smaller of the two crowds of players. The group was being led by a woman wearing dark blue leather armor underneath a long black coat. Her sharp grey eyes scanned the ragged formation as she nimbly spun a throwing knife between her fingers.


    ¡°...This everyone?¡± she asked, rhetorically. Her volume was scarcely above a whisper, but her words seemed to be guided by an invisible breeze into the ears of everyone present. ¡°My name¡¯s Fera, and I¡¯ll be the Blackguard leading the rescue. We don¡¯t have much time until night settles, so I¡¯ll keep things simple: anyone who disregards my orders or falls too far behind will be dismissed immediately. Is that clear?¡±


    Many of the players flinched back under the pressure of Fera''s gaze.


    ¡°Ahhh! She¡¯s so cool!¡± Talia gushed.


    ¡°Silence will also be crucial to our success,¡± Fera added, directing her glare at Talia.This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    The crowd readily nodded their agreement while Roan comforted his momentarily brooding companion.


    ¡®I wonder what the relationship of those two is...? They don''t seem like a couple...or siblings.'' Sirius thought.


    ¡°Hey, c¡¯mon. We¡¯re heading out.¡±


    Shadowfire¡¯s reminder brought Sirius back into focus. Sure enough, Fera had already taken off at a light jog ¡ª a trail of players soon following after her.


    ***


    She took the squad north, out of the city and towards Blackhill. However, instead of scaling the mountain, they wrapped around its base before cutting east through the forest ¡ª towards the palisades.


    Despite the leisure with which the woman seemed to be gliding through the dense underbrush, her pace was anything but casual. Many players were having difficulty keeping with the pack. And to further exacerbate the situation, the natural light was growing increasingly scarce. Muttered curses and yelps of pain were a constant on the journey as players frequently found themselves snagged by branches and thorns. Sirius and his party were all fairly athletic but they too were having a tough time keeping up ¡ª especially Shadowfire.


    ¡°Tch. Getting outdone by a bunch of kids,¡± the man cursed through clenched teeth as they finally paused for a break in a small clearing.


    Fera was refilling her waterskin in a small brook while the remaining players loitered around, catching their breath. The group of a few hundred had already been cut down by almost a third, setting many who remained on edge.


    Sirius glanced towards his Stamina bar. Even with two new levels in [Fitness], he still found it hanging by a thread. He was curious about what the penalties would be for emptying it completely but didn¡¯t want to risk failing the mission to sate his curiosity.


    Fortunately, Roan swooped in to save the day. He¡¯d disappeared for a few moments when they arrived in the area, but now he returned with a clump of minty green leaves in his hand. ¡°Chew on these. They should help replenish your Stamina.¡±


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Sirius responded, popping one into his mouth. It was terribly bitter, but he could immediately feel the effects as a cool, almost numbing sensation swept through his body.


    ¡°How¡¯d you know about these things?¡± Shadowfire asked, spitting off to the side.


    ¡°I bought a cheap guide book from Bolivar. The manual covers the uses and effects of pretty much all the island¡¯s herbs and plants.¡±


    Shadowfire seemed content with that answer, acknowledging it with a dip of his head.


    Off to the side, Talia hummed happily as she chewed on her leaf. She seemed to be the only one who was enjoying the quest so far, Sirius noted. Trying to stick as close to Fera as possible during the run.


    ¡°How much was it? I might have to¡ª¡± Sirius was abruptly cut off by a rolling explosion in the distance.


    ¡°The siege has begun,¡± Fera grunted. ¡°We must hurry.¡±


    ***


    Heavy smoke billowed through the sky, obscuring the creamy orange and red streaks across the horizon.


    The journey finally came to an end as Fera slowed to a stop just in front of the wall and whistled sharply into the night.


    Two short chirps echoed in reply, and soon after, a dark-clothed man stepped out of the shadows cast by the palisade. An umber feathered eagle with gleaming jade claws and beak sat perched on his shoulder.


    ¡°Is Berek in position?¡± Fera questioned as she brushed a few stray twigs and leaves from her coat.


    ¡°Mhm. I¡¯ll send him the signal as soon as you begin,¡± the new arrival replied, his gaze sweeping over the players. ¡°Are you sure this will be enough?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all we have.¡± Fera shrugged. ¡°The rest wouldn¡¯t have had the strength to assist the prisoners during the escape.¡±


    ¡°Wait. What is Berek¡¯s group doing?¡± Sirius whispered under his breath to Shadowfire. The Blackguard Captain had never mentioned that he would be accompanying either group during tonight¡¯s mission. However, Sirius thought he may have just missed something due to his late arrival.


    ¡°No idea,¡± Shadowfire replied. ¡°But I¡¯m guessing our purpose isn¡¯t much different than the first group¡¯s after all.¡±


    Sirius frowned. Though, he thought pretty much the same.


    ¡°Alright. Send us in, Rath,¡± Fera ordered, not giving Sirius any time to consider the matter further.


    ¡°Right away, Boss.¡± An ethereal blue glow promptly surrounded Rath¡¯s body, dying his grey skin azure while he rapidly swelled in size. The trees around them shook violently as the man burst through the canopy. He appeared like a wrathful titan, his mighty aura charging the atmosphere with a crackling tension akin to the calm before a violent storm. Without a word, he swung a massive blue fist into the palisade.


    The structure gave way easily with a loud crack as shattered logs and wood splinters rained down around the group.


    ¡°Quickly! Through the breach!¡± Fera shouted, rousing the players from their shock.


    Sirius wasted no time charging after Fera, his party quickly following. They had to weave their way between Rath¡¯s trunk-like legs as a burst of deep, rolling laughter reverberated all around them.


    ¡°Nimera smiles upon me today! I shall wash away my sins with the blood of these ghostly fiends!¡± Rath smiled, revealing jagged teeth as his eagle companion circled around his head ¡ª loosing an ear-piercing cry.


    ¡°So much for a quiet entrance¡­¡± Shadowfire grumbled as he watched the giant stomp through the lingering remains of the eastern district, crushing everything in his path.


    ¡°Oh my god, Jack! Do you think that was a Shaman Spell?¡± Sirius heard one of the players around him ask, unable to quell the anticipation in his voice.


    ¡°M-Maybe¡­ but it¡¯s not one¡­ you¡¯ll be getting any time soon, i-idiot¡± Jack replied through shuddering breaths.


    Fera was now leading them at a full-on sprint through the ruins, and the players had to dodge around debris and leap over crumbling walls just to catch a glimpse of her shadow. All around them, the sounds of battle grew progressively more intense. Both due to their increasing proximity and Rath¡¯s arrival into the fray. The man¡¯s manic laughter echoed continuously across the island.


    Sirius turned his head towards the noise as a bright flash of holy light suddenly pierced through the gathering clouds of smoke and ash. It smashed into the earth without any force or sound, but it did provoke a response from the rampaging giant.


    ¡°Heathen of Light! You will not escape me again!¡± Rath roared.


    Many players slowed to a halt as the booming clashes of azure lightning and golden energy sent ripples through the air.


    ¡°Do not pay any mind to the battle. We must focus on the task at hand, Heralds,¡± Fera admonished. ¡°The caves are just ahead. Those who have already grouped into a party of 4 ¡ª see me now for your final instructions.¡±


    Talia was quick on the uptake, ¡°Reporting, Lady Fera. My group is ready to begin,¡± she finished with a military salute.


    ¡°Uh, okay,¡± Fera replied, clearly confused by the gesture. ¡°Follow this path further east and enter the building marked with red paint. There¡¯s a trapdoor in the cellar that will lead into the cave system the invaders are using to hold our people.¡±


    ¡°Got it! Let¡¯s go, guys!¡± Talia urged them on.


    ¡°Hold a moment!¡± Fera warned. ¡°The invaders may not know of the many hidden entry points, but you should still expect heavy resistance inside. Most of the guards should be simple men-at-arms, but if you run into anyone bearing a crest upon their armor ¡ª I suggest you run immediately.


    ¡°We understand.¡± Shadowfire stepped forward, his gaze was solemn.


    ¡°Very well. Then, I will not keep you any longer.¡±


    *Ding*


    Quest Updated! [The Toth Strike Back - Invasion of Blackhill Garden Pt. 2]


    Blackguard Fera has instructed you to enter the caves beneath the eastern district.


    Prisoners rescued: 0/4


    Note: Every 2 additional prisoners rescued will result in bonus rewards.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get going. Sirius ¡ª you¡¯re in the lead.¡±


    ¡°Right. Follow me.¡±


    Sirius picked his way between the scattered shards of clay and stone, traversing the road Fera had indicated until he arrived in front of a mostly intact building. There was a single red stripe that looked like a smear of blood drawn on the unhinged door. He shoved it open with a grunt and descended into the cellar.


    ¡°Anyone got a torch?¡± Sirius asked, not anticipating a favorable response. It was almost pitch-black in the basement and he had no way of finding the trapdoor.


    ¡°One second,¡± Shadowfire spoke up. He retrieved a small wooden figurine from his inventory and began muttering under his breath as he clutched it in his hands. Gradually, his eyes were filled with a hazy verdant fog after he finished the chant. ¡°I didn¡¯t want to waste [Aspect of the Eagle] this early, but we have no way of knowing what¡¯s on the other side.¡±


    ¡°Good thinking,¡± Roan remarked. ¡°I¡¯ll keep mine available for any emergencies.¡±


    The party stood around patiently as Shadowfire located the trapdoor. Roan filled Sirius in on the uses of totems during the downtime; explaining that [Aspect of the Eagle] could be used to greatly enhance sight and hearing.


    ¡°...So ¡ª these totems only have a single charge?¡±


    ¡°Correct. And we can only carry a maximum of five at a time. There are seven different aspects in total; therefore, we have to choose carefully.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s tough¡­¡± Sirius sighed. He began to think about using his [Aura of Might] to charge up his Rage while they were waiting around, but Shadowfire chose that same moment to find the entrance.


    ¡°Found it. I¡¯ll head in first to take a quick peek, then report back.¡±


    The room lapsed into silence as Shadowfire delved into the earth. Sirius felt his heartbeat quicken as cold drops of sweat crawled down his spine. This was the first time he felt the threat of failure looming over his head in AoA. Not only that, but he wanted to perform well in front of his companions. For some reason ¡ª he felt attached to this group.


    Normally, he would be more at ease working alone; maybe because it granted him greater control. But he wholeheartedly believed in these people and was unwilling to let them down.


    Talia must have noticed his tension as Sirius felt a slight pinch on his arm and found her bright eyes grinning up at him through the darkness.


    Sirius returned the smile, albeit with much less confidence than her own as Shadowfire suddenly re-emerged.


    ¡°Visibility is not bad down there, but there are quite a few guards patrolling. What¡¯s worse is that they all look to be moving around in pairs.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, should we wait until a few other groups start and hope they provide us with a distraction?¡± Sirius proposed. He thought it was a decent idea considering how fond the Blackguard seemed to be of the tactic.


    ¡°Could work, but we have no idea how far we¡¯ll be spaced apart and I want to seize our headstart to get the most prisoners possible. The men-at-arms I saw were all Lvl 3 and looked lightly armed. I think I¡¯ve got a decent plan.¡± Shadowfire looked to Talia, ¡°Talia. What¡¯s the duration and cooldown on [Wind Barrier].¡±


    ¡°Lasts for 12 seconds with a 30-second cooldown after it expires. But it eats about almost a fifth of my total Spirit Pool.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine ¡ª you¡¯ll have the regen totem. Can you cast it once, so I can see the width?¡±


    Talia moved away from the group and a gnarled wooden staff suddenly appeared in her hands. She waved it through the air, whispering a chant that sounded like a fleeting summer breeze.


    Sirius couldn¡¯t see the result, but he felt it clearly. The air around them distorted and rushed forward at Talia¡¯s beckon. In the ensuing moments, it felt like they had entered a vacuum ¡ª everything around the party was exceptionally quiet and still.


    ¡°That¡¯ll work perfectly,¡± Shadowfire heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°Here¡¯s my plan: Sirius scouts ahead and locates the patrols. Once, we¡¯re in position ¡ª Talia will cast a [Wind Barrier] to cut off the guard¡¯s escape and seal the corridor. So, we¡¯ll have just under 12 seconds to blitz down the men-at-arms which I think is achievable.¡±


    Sirius had to admit that he couldn¡¯t pick out any obvious flaws in the plan. His only worry was that their damage would be a little lacking.


    But no one spoke up to offer an alternative, so they moved forward with the blitz strategy.


    ¡°Here, Sirius. Take this. You¡¯ll be checking the corners, so you should take the stealth bonus.¡± Shadowfire stripped off his cloak and handed it over.


    Sirius chuckled as he received the cloak. He never expected the mysterious figure known as Shadowfire to so easily reveal himself.


    ¡°Wow! Mr. Shadowfire you¡¯re so handsome. No wonder my older sister always talks about you,¡± Talia giggled.


    ¡®Oh?¡¯ Sirius ruminated. He had thought that Shadowfire may have just met Talia and Roan by chance as he did. He didn¡¯t expect there to be such a close connection between them.


    And Talia wasn¡¯t wrong, Sirius had to admit. Shadowfire was a seriously good-looking dude. Appearing to be around his mid-thirties, with a prominent nose and chiseled features. His heavy brows furrowed into a frown as he retorted.


    ¡°Don¡¯t go getting any ideas missy ¡ª I¡¯m taken. In fact, your sister was the one who introduced me to my girlfriend.¡±


    ¡°I know, I know¡­¡± Talia suppressed her laughter with a hand.


    ¡°Focus, please,¡± Roan quipped.


    ¡°Right¡­¡± Shadowfire cleared his throat, ¡°The trapdoor puts us in a small alcove obscured by the shadows of a torch. We¡¯ll have to enter the corridor one at a time. Sirius ¡ª give a brief knock on the door when the passage looks clear.¡±


    ¡°Got it.¡± Sirius quickly equipped the [Fine Thread Cloak] in his Back slot and followed Shadowfire to the door.


    He inhaled a deep breath to ease the hammering in his chest; then ¡ª with a smile, he dropped into the even deeper darkness below.

 Chapter 6

    Sirius landed in a narrow space, stone walls pressing against his body from all sides. He was forced to turn sideways and slide his way through the gap towards the dim light he saw flickering outside.


    Upon reaching the end of the crevice, he hesitantly peeked his head out ¡ª swiveling back and forth to check both ways. The breach in the wall was located right in between two copper sconces, positioned where the meeting shadows cast by their torches were the deepest.


    ¡®Shit!¡¯ Sirius sucked in a sharp breath as he ducked back into darkness. Two men-at-arms had just rounded a corner, approaching his position from the right.


    The enemies were just as Shadowfire had described. They were equipped with light brown gambesons and well-worn kettle helms. Both men had a hand resting on the shortsword sheathed at their belt as they walked, and a string of bold red text hovered above their heads.


    Man-at-Arms, Lvl 3


    HP: ?/?


    It was the first time Sirius had seen any name-plates, but unfortunately, it was still lacking that critical piece of information. Health Points weren¡¯t the most accurate gauge of strength but it could give them an indication of the target¡¯s stats if NPC values were calculated similarly to their own.


    He waited patiently for the patrol to pass, straining his eyes in hopes that squinting with all his might would reveal the unknown. But he wasn''t blessed with any luck and neither did they so much as spare a glance towards the crevice


    When they¡¯d disappeared from sight, Sirius backtracked and rapped softly on the door. Shadowfire hopped down a moment later as he made room for the man to enter.


    ¡°A patrol just passed ¡ª we need to move quickly,¡± Sirius whispered. He and Shadowfire entered the passageway as Talia clambered down, assisted by Roan. Now, out in the open, Sirius had a better chance to look around. The corridor was relatively wide and tall ¡ª and appeared too smooth to be natural. He assumed that it had been carved out somewhat to accommodate the large size of the average Khilaite. Although, he still had no idea what this cave system was originally used for.


    ¡°Everyone ready? Should we go from where the guards came, or follow after them?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s follow. I don¡¯t want to run head-on into anyone if we can catch others from behind. We should also see if we can gather any information from them ¡ª so try and leave one alive.¡± Shadowfire directed.


    ¡°Okay. They shouldn¡¯t be far. Is your [Wind Barrier] ready, Talia?¡±


    She nodded, and Sirius suddenly saw a violet stream of gentle light emerge, snaking around her body like a ribbon.


    Not more than a few moments later, he received a buff of his own.


    You have been bestowed the [Aspect of the Tortoise] by user Shadowfire!


    Base defense increased by 11 (Does not stack with equipment or other defense modifiers)


    Effect duration: 2h 59m


    ¡®That¡¯s impressive,¡¯ Sirius murmured internally as a nearly invisible green barrier surrounded his body, clinging closely to his clothes and skin. The Spell¡¯s effects wouldn¡¯t have much use on a heavily-armored player, but right now ¡ª it was a real godsend.


    Feeling a measure more confident, he stalked down the cave shaft in the direction of the unsuspecting patrol, finally releasing [Aura of Might] as well to fuel his Rage now that no enemies were in the vicinity.


    As expected, it didn¡¯t take long to catch up. The men-at-arms moved at a leisurely pace, seemingly unfazed by the vibrations of conflict and erratic shaking of the earth above.


    Sirius felt a tap on his shoulder and canceled his aura when the party had entered into an acceptable range. In an impressive display of coordination, Roan and Shadowfire each raised a hand, charging up their [Spark] as Talia directed the stale cavern air to seal the guards¡¯ escape.


    The men seemed startled by the sudden gust of wind brushing past them, but they didn¡¯t have much chance to react as they were suddenly struck by a flash of muffled lightning each.


    At the same time, Sirius had dashed forward. And as soon as the men tensed up, their bodies spasming from the shock, he flooded his legs with power ¡ª fueling a [Reckless Charge] to close the remaining distance in a flash. His momentum carried both him and his target straight into the wall, crushing the stunned man-at-arms with a dull thud.


    Sirius didn¡¯t need to glance at the enemy¡¯s empty health bar to let him know that the man had perished. As he extracted himself from the wall with a strained grunt, the patrolman collapsed to the ground in a boneless heap.


    The slain man¡¯s companion looked on in mute horror as Sirius dusted himself off. He clawed desperately at the dense barrier of wind barring his way, but his movements were still jerky thanks to the lingering effects of [Spark].


    A hard jab to the nose knocked the remaining opponent onto his ass and Sirius layered on the suppression by re-activating [Aura of Might].


    Shadowfire and the rest hurried over as Sirius lifted the man by his collar.


    ¡°Where are you keeping the prisoners!¡± he hissed.


    The Man-at-Arm¡¯s mouth flopped open and closed as he stared up at Sirius¡¯ cold expression. Then, as he noticed the approach of the others, his eyes suddenly rolled back into his head.


    ¡°What the fuck?¡± Shadowfire cursed. ¡°Did he just pass out?¡±


    ¡°Looks like it.¡± Sirius sighed as he dropped the man back onto the ground. He tried slapping the guy around a bit to wake him up, but nothing seemed to work. ¡°Should we wait? Or just kill him?¡±


    ¡°I vote kill,¡± Talia chirped. ¡°That was fun!¡±


    ¡°Roan ¡ª got any more of those leaves?¡± Shadowfire asked with a frown.


    ¡°Yes, but only a dozen. I want to save them for any prisoners, so I vote to kill as well.¡±


    ¡°Damn. Kill it is. You do the honors, Sirius.¡±


    Sirius knelt over the man and slammed a fist down onto his body. The 25 Rage [Heavy Strike] was met with minimal resistance, caving in the invader¡¯s chest and pulverizing his heart.


    It felt no different than beating on a punching bag, almost as if the man was filled with sand rather than flesh and bone but Sirius still shuddered as he stood back up and looked down at the corpse. Crimson blood leaked from the man¡¯s mouth, flowing lazily across his pale skin.


    ¡°Wow, Sirius ¡ª you¡¯re so strong!¡± Talia¡¯s delighted praise helped ease the tension of the moment and watching his experience bar shoot up by almost 10% worked wonders quelling his guilt as well.


    ¡°Alright. That was great work.¡± Shadowfire moved over to the body and flipped it over, standing in front of it to obscure the scene. ¡°Combo was nice and clean ¡ª we¡¯ll keep using the same one unless presented with more than two enemies at a time. I checked the Combat Log and it looks like the Men-at-Arms only have around 60-70 HP. On the first guy, my [Spark] did 25 points of damage, followed by 33 from Sirius¡¯ charge, and another 7 terrain damage. We can easily clean these mobs up, but keep that number in mind for leaving one alive.¡±


    Seeing a round of nods in reply, Shadowfire continued on, ¡°It¡¯s more than decent experience too, so we shouldn¡¯t shy away from any patrols. However, prisoners remain our first priority. Sirius ¡ª lead on.¡±


    The group got right back to work, proceeding through the labyrinth of corridors with ease as they took down patrol after patrol. It was a shame, but they couldn¡¯t get any of the survivors to talk. They either passed out like the first man had or spat defiantly at the questions. No one in the group had the stomach or desire to figure out if torture could work on the NPC¡¯s either.


    On the bright side, Sirius and the rest quickly hit level 4, though their exp progress slowed down significantly once they established a level gap with their opponents. But unfortunately, no one received any new Skills or Spells, so the speed of their encounters was only marginally quickened thanks to an increase in Attributes.


    It wasn¡¯t until they stumbled upon a group of prisoners ¡ª nearly half-an-hour later ¡ª that they were met with some change. Everyone had been growing increasingly nervous because they knew they were working on borrowed time. It was unclear how long Rath and the other Heralds would be able to distract the main force of the invaders.


    ¡°Finally¡­¡± Talia and Sirius seemed to sigh at the same time.


    The path had come to a dead-end, opening up into a small, domed room. Five Toth men were shackled to the back wall, huddled close together with heads hung low. Their bodies were smattered with all manner of lashes and dried blood, and the whole area stank of fear, urine, and feces.


    Talia had to pinch her nose and turn away from the sight, and even Roan looked like he was struggling to suppress the bile rising in his throat.


    ¡°Back off,¡± One of the men suddenly growled, lifting his gaze as Shadowfire approached. His eyes were swollen shut from a recent beating. ¡°I thought we made it clear that you¡¯ll have to kill us before you can take the boy.¡±


    ¡®Boy?¡¯ Sirius wondered.


    ¡°Brothers, we mean no harm,¡± Shadowfire urged. ¡°We have come with the Blackguard to rescue you from this accursed place.¡±


    A few of the others lifted their heads now as well ¡ª confusion etched clearly on their faces. ¡°You¡­? Who are you? I have never seen your face before in Blackhill. Have the invaders sent you demons to play tricks on our minds now as well?¡± The oldest among them uttered.


    ¡°My friend speaks the truth.¡± Talia stepped forward and cast a [Mending Rain] over the prisoners. The golden motes of light fell across their skin, washing away the blood and grime; however, the scars left behind would forever remain. ¡°We are the Heralds ¡ª sent by the Gods to bring aid to the tribe.


    ¡°T-That¡¯s [Mending Rain]!¡± one of the men stuttered in disbelief. ¡°A Spell like that cannot be faked. She is a true priestess of Nimera!¡±


    The aggressive tension and unease in the air dispersed, and Sirius was able to join Shadowfire in breaking the chains that bound the men. He also discovered the boy they had mentioned. A child, no older than 5 or 6, lay huddled on the ground behind them.


    Dense anger boiled in Sirius¡¯ gut as he helped one of the men lift the boy. He was all skin and bones, whimpering pitifully in his sleep. The guilt that had been lingering in the back of his mind from killing the patrolman in cold blood disappeared in an instant.


    ¡°What did they need the boy for?¡± Shadowfire asked as he helped one man to his feet.


    The Toth warrior coughed, spitting out a glob of blood. ¡°Claimed they wish to educate us savages. Show us the ¡®Light of Truth¡¯. They said it¡¯s too late for us adults ¡ª only the children can learn properly and experience the embrace of their Goddess. At first, we let them go. Didn¡¯t want the young ones down here slowly withering away to die. But then¡­ they started coming back. In the company of those cursed knights. They showed them off to us like our children were cattle. The boys¡­ they had no life in their eyes, almost as if their soul had been sucked right out of them¡­¡±


    ¡°...That¡¯s enough Garth. We will have plenty of time to share our tale once we¡¯re free.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right. I apologize,¡± Shadowfire assented. ¡°We need to hurry and find more of our brothers. Are any of you familiar with the layout of these caves.¡±


    ¡°Aye, the name¡¯s Bernard¡± The man who had admonished Garth stepped forward. ¡°I can lead you around for the most part¡ª-¡±


    *Boom!*


    A tremendous seismic wave sent everyone tumbling to the ground, dirt, and chunks of stone, pelting their backs as the cavern quaked violently.


    Roan was the first to his feet. ¡°That didn¡¯t feel like it originated from the surface,¡± he warned.


    ¡°The knights must have been alerted to your presence,¡± Garth added, panic etched clearly onto his face. ¡°W-We need to hurry!¡±


    ¡°We probably don¡¯t have time for another group,¡± Shadowfire quickly took charge. ¡°Bernard ¡ª where is the closest exit? We¡¯ve marked our route so far, but it may take too long to completely retrace our steps.¡±Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    Bernard chewed on his lip for a moment. ¡°Closest exit is the Ceremonies Chamber, but that¡¯s where all the knights usually gather... I-I was only an ordinary crystal miner, so I¡¯m not sure where all the hidden entrances are. Only the Blackguard would know that.¡±


    ¡°Shit,¡± Shadowfire grunted. ¡°Then we can only backtrack. I¡¯ll lead. Sirius, you hang back with your Aura active so we can maintain a steady pace. And Roan ¡ª distribute the herbs. We¡¯ll need all the buffs on the prisoners we can get.¡±


    Not long after, they were back running through the tunnels. Sirius agreed wholeheartedly with Shadowfire¡¯s judgment. Talia had been able to wipe away the wounds on the surface, but the men were still weak from months of malnourishment and whatever other punishments the invaders inflicted upon them. And it was a long run back to Blackhill.


    In hindsight, it was a blessing that they¡¯d chosen to clear out the patrols rather than avoid them. The way back was relatively void of worry aside from the incessant shaking of the ground and walls around them.


    Sadly, their luck eventually came to an end. And not at their own fault, but the interference of another party.


    ¡°Help!¡± A despondent cry echoed around the bend in front of them, followed by a flurry of stampeding footsteps.


    ¡°Idiot¡ª!¡± Shadowfire roared as a Toth man stumbled into view. He was easily identifiable as a player by a lack of cuffs and the ragged clothing he wore. But it was too late to curse the other man¡¯s stupidity further as the pack of men-at-arms behind him soon followed.


    ¡°Quick! Wall them off, Talia!¡±


    She was already a step ahead of Shadowfire, finishing her chant as he spoke. The barrier sprung into existence, trapping the player inside with his pursuers.


    The man could only look on with an aggrieved expression as numerous blades were plunged into his body. He roared in mute anger as his body dissipated but no one felt any sympathy for him.


    ¡°Back again we go!¡±


    Sirius brought up the rear as the group spun around. He looked over his shoulder to see if the barrier would be enough to hold that many men, but the result was much worse than he feared.


    The men-at-arms had stepped aside and a knight wearing gleaming silver plate armor strode forward. He lifted his shield ¡ª an image of a golden sword wrapped in feathery wings emblazoned upon it, and smiled tauntingly.


    All the light in the passage gathered eagerly near the knight as his shield was suffused by a radiant glow. With a shout, he smashed the shield into the [Wind Barrier], obliterating the Spell and sending a burst of wind into Sirius¡¯ back.


    Rhis Talwar - Templar Squire, Lvl 6


    HP: ?/?


    The men-at-arms surged forward with a rallying cry.


    ¡°Shit! The barrier is gone. There¡¯s a Lvl 6 Squire with them and it looks like he can negate magic!¡± Sirius called out to his companions ahead.


    Shadowifre growled and barked at Bernard as they all rounded a corner, ¡°Old man! Are you sure there are no other exits?¡± The enemies could easily outpace the weakened prisoners and would be upon them soon.


    ¡°I-I¡­ I really don¡¯t know!¡±


    ¡°Our best bet is to find another group and follow them to their exit,¡± Roan spoke up to save the prisoner from Shadowfire¡¯s retort. ¡°I¡¯ll use [Aspect of the Eagle] on myself and take the lead.¡±


    ¡°...Fine. Good call,¡± Shadowfire assented. ¡°We¡¯ll head towards the intersection near where we found the prisoners. The halls narrow down there and will be easier to defend if we need to.¡±


    ¡°Boy. Can you recall the crest on the squire¡¯s shield?¡± One of the prisoners suddenly asked Sirius. He looked to have suffered the most of the bunch and was already limping badly.


    ¡°It was a sword wrapped in wings¡ª¡±


    ¡°Vik¡­ Don¡¯t¡­¡± Garth started. But it was too late.


    ¡°You there ¡ª pass me a weapon,¡± Vik announced, his eyes blazing with unquenchable malice. Shadowfire didn¡¯t hesitate in the slightest tossing over the dagger that was on his waist.


    Vik caught the weapon in stride and skidded to a halt. ¡°I can¡¯t promise much, but I¡¯ll be sure to leave a scar on that monster¡¯s smug face for him to remember me by,¡± he muttered.


    ¡°I¡¯ll stay¡ª¡± Sirius started.


    ¡°No! Let him. We¡¯ll need this time, and...¡± Shadowfire didn¡¯t finish the sentence as he glanced at Vik¡¯s leg, but his message was clear. ¡°For now ¡ª we need you buffing everyone. But¡­ your turn may come later.¡±


    Talia bit her lip as she looked back at the lone man standing tall within the sputtering shadows.


    A few seconds later, a feral roar erupted in the hall behind them. Sirius clenched his jaw as the battle cry was just as swiftly cut off.


    Closer and closer the footsteps rumbled behind them. The excited shouts of the invaders seemed so close that he could almost feel their breath upon the nape of his neck.


    Vik¡¯s sacrifice was not in vain, however, as in a moment of relief and panic, they finally burst into the intersection. Roan immediately strained his ears for signs of others.


    ¡°Left!¡± he abruptly called out.


    ¡°Let¡¯s move,¡± Shadowfire urged the prisoner¡¯s ¡°Sirius ¡ª you¡¯re up.¡±


    ¡°With pleasure,¡± Sirius cracked his knuckles. He knew it would come down to this as soon as he¡¯d seen the Squire. He was eager to see how long he could hold out.


    ¡°Heralds, no!¡± Bernard shouted. ¡°You¡¯ve already risked much to save us, just take the boy and leave us!¡±


    ¡°Enough. He¡¯ll be fine.¡± Roan and Shadowfire dragged the remaining prisoners down the leftmost passage as Sirius charged back into the cramped mouth of the intersection they had originally entered from. It would allow him to funnel the men-at-arms two to three at a time.


    In they came, flooding the hall with as many as they could squeeze abreast. The invader¡¯s charged dauntlessly into the radius of his aura, swinging their swords without much grace or precision.


    Sirius stepped directly into the path of the foremost patrolman and ducked under his horizontal slash. He lifted the off-balance man by his waist and spun towards the other attacker using the new body shield to intercept the second blow.


    Surprise flickered across the soldier¡¯s face as his short sword pierced into his companion¡¯s lower back. At the same moment, Sirius¡¯ legs were wrapped in a scarlet blaze as he used [Reckless Charge] to carry his two opponents into the group of stupefied men-at-arms behind them.


    The unit went down like a cluster of bowling pins as some took the brunt of the impact while the others stumbled out of the way. Sirius watched Rhis frown as he backhanded a flailing guard with his shield and stepped over the bodies of the groaning men on the floor.


    ¡®Well done, Vik.¡¯ he smirked upon noticing the deep furrows left by fingernails on the handsome young man¡¯s face.


    However, while Sirius was full of anticipation, Rhis now eyed him with more caution than he had before. ¡°What is this?¡± he said as he drew his sword. The inflection and cadence of his voice seemed to indicate that he was speaking another language, but Sirius still understood it perfectly. He didn''t want to let his focus slip, but he couldn''t help but wonder briefly if this was something only the players had access to.


    ¡°You are not a {Marauder} but you also use Rage?¡± There was a hint of true inquisitiveness in Rhis'' tone, but Sirius was not fooled. The man was circling carefully to the right in an attempt to cut off his escape back to the intersection.


    ¡°Answer me!¡±


    Rhis'' voice struck Sirius with a tangible force, doing no damage, but locking up his retreat. The momentary stun also allowed the squire to close the gap.


    A sharp glint traced across the edge of Sirius¡¯ vision as the longsword pierced towards his chest. He reacted on instinct, bringing up a forearm to deflect its trajectory.


    You have been inflicted with a {Minor Bleed} x 2


    Lose 2% of your Max HP every second.


    Sirius hissed in pain as he stepped forward. The blade had easily sliced through the [Aspect of the Tortoise] membrane, drawing a clean gash across his forearm and side.


    His only advantage was that Rhis seemed surprised he had chosen to engage directly and was therefore slow in lifting his shield. Sirius sidestepped the incoming blow and surged forward for another grapple ¡ª knowing it would be almost impossible to damage the knight through his comprehensive armor. He clenched one arm around the back of Rhis'' legs and ducked his head under the man¡¯s sword-wielding arm, ultimately lifting Rhis over his shoulders in a fireman¡¯s carry.


    Sirius¡¯ legs nearly buckled under the impressive weight, but with a roar of effort and a spring of power from another [Reckless Charge], he managed to send his opponent flying briefly through the air and into the waiting arms of the recovering men-at-arms. They all went down in a heap once more.


    ¡°Imbeciles! Out of my way!¡± Rhis huffed as he scrambled to his feet, watching the Toth savage dash away from the fight.


    Sirius chose the only passage left available to him ¡ª the one straight ahead. To the left was his team and he didn¡¯t want to lead the invaders towards them again, whereas to the right was the dead-end in which they had found the prisoners.


    His only worry in forging straight ahead was that he¡¯d lead Rhis right into another group of players, pulling the same stunt as the guy who had gotten them into this mess. If it came to that, he would have to accept his fate and confront the squire directly. But he would try his best to survive if he could help it.


    Fortunately, without the prisoners slowing him down, Sirius was slightly faster than Rhis ¡ª even with the man using some kind of Skill or Spell to enhance his speed in short bursts.


    Sirius continued leading his pursuers on the wild goose chase through the caves. Speeding past a few unsuspecting patrols along the way ¡ª who quickly joined the herd behind Rhis. His Stamina was rapidly dwindling, even with the new levels in [Fitness], so he could only hope the same could be said for his opponents.


    Eventually, the corridor began sloping downwards, and when Sirius glanced back, he could see a wide grin spreading across the squire¡¯s face.


    ¡®Well, shit.¡¯ Sirius groaned in his mind. Rhis wouldn¡¯t be so confident for no reason, but it wasn¡¯t like he had any other avenues of escape. In another few seconds, the ramp flattened out and a magnificent, glittering cavern opened up in front of him. It was easily as large as the Spawn Cave, capable of holding thousands of people.


    Time seemed to slow to crawl as Sirius looked around. There was a man standing nearby, but his presence was dwarfed by the dense clusters of deep blue and amber crystals completely covering the ceiling, twinkling like the night sky.


    Sirius stepped forward carefully, eventually coming to a stop as he neared the pool in the center of the area. The water was completely still, reflecting the starry canopy above, and he felt like even the slightest breath or beat of his heart would disturb the image.


    He was completely awed, and as his gaze sunk further into the water ¡ª Sirius suddenly felt like he was floating adrift in the vast cosmos.


    ¡°Beautiful isn¡¯t it?¡± An unfamiliar voice drifted by.


    ¡°Mhm,¡± Sirius murmured without looking up. He knew who the voice belonged to, but he also understood that he was no match for the man, so he tried to enjoy the space for just a while longer.


    Heiros Rhime - ???, Lvl ?


    HP: ?/?


    ¡°Sir Rhime! It is good to see you well! I assume you have beaten back the savages once more?¡± Rhis called out as he approached casually from the hall. His voice shattered the phantasmal scene.


    Sirius looked up and saw Heiros¡¯ wrinkled face contort into a grimace. ¡°It is an attitude like that which has cost us gravely tonight.¡±


    ¡°Sir¡­ what do you¡ª?¡±


    Heiros dismissed Rhis¡¯ question with a wave of his hand. An oppressive weight swept through the entirety of the cavern, completely suppressing Sirius¡¯ own aura as the ornate runes woven across the older knight¡¯s armor lit up with an ominous glow.


    ¡°Need I elaborate when you fail to handle a single Non-Anointed ¡ª who is an entire two levels lower than yourself no less!¡±


    ¡°L-Lord Rhime¡­ he uses Skills and techniques I am unfamiliar with¡­ I¡ª¡±


    ¡°Exactly! There is much we don¡¯t know about these people, and acting carelessly will cost us our lives!¡± Heiros thundered. ¡°...I will give you one chance to redeem yourself, Rhis, or your father will hear of your performance when he arrives with the appointed Governor¡¯s retinue¡­¡±


    ¡®What the hell is happening?¡¯ Sirius cursed in his heart. ¡®Is this turning into kind of solo boss fight?¡¯


    The force Heiros was emitting disappeared, but a golden dome sprung into existence in its place.


    Sirius knew there was no way out this time; he could only try and take Rhis down with him. Though, he doubted Heiros would let something like that happen either. Still, it was preferable compared to getting captured alive.


    Rhis was already charging at him with a snarl plastered on his face as Sirius spun around.


    He stepped to the side to avoid the stab towards his gut, but it turned out to be a feint and he suffered a diagonal slash across his shoulder for his carelessness.


    ¡®Shit¡­¡¯ Sirius cursed again. ¡®I didn¡¯t even get the chance to completely heal back up from the earlier fight!¡¯


    Compared to the men-at-arms, Rhis was on a whole different level. His footwork was well-practiced and his strikes fluid; if the squire¡¯s range of motion hadn¡¯t been restricted earlier in the corridor ¡ª Sirius figured he would likely have never made it to this point.


    Shuffling sideways continuously as he tried to slide and dodge around, Sirius¡¯ mind was working in overdrive. The {Bleeds} were stacking up slowly despite the fact that he was able to limit most strikes to Glancing Blows. But what was worse was that Rhis was giving him no opportunity to step within arms-length this time.


    Furthermore, he was restricted on all sides by the barrier and the pool behind them. Sirius surmised that his only opportunity was catching his opponent off guard with a sudden [Reckless Charge] but Rhis was constantly maintaining a watch on his legs as well.


    ¡®Isn¡¯t this way too difficult?¡¯ Sirius sighed. He was already down below half health and had yet to land a single hit. There was only one option left to him and it was unlikely to actually yield any results.


    Sirius chugged a health potion as he continued circling around until Rhis'' back was towards the pool. Then, following a dodged stab, he lunged forward.


    Rhis smiled as victory flashed across his eyes. He lifted his radiant shield and smashed it into Sirius¡¯ face.


    You have suffered a Severe Blow!


    {Dazed}


    ¡®Should¡¯ve known shields could inflict Impact strikes,¡¯ Sirius grumbled as he was subsequently impaled through the stomach.


    A dull ache spread through his body as a flurry of system warnings rang in his ears.


    Warning! You have fallen below 10% HP!


    His end would come soon, but all was not over yet. Sirius returned Rhis¡¯ grin and pulled himself forward on the sword. Heat gathered in his legs as he used one final [Reckless Charge].


    ¡°Fool...¡± Heiros¡¯ words echoed through the chamber as he and Rhis plunged into the pool, but he had no chance to consider who that sentiment was directed at as one single feeling soon dominated his mind.


    ¡®Cold!¡¯


    The pool was bone-chillingly cold. To a degree that seemed unfathomable having experienced ice-baths in the past. In mere seconds his entire body was numb, and even the blood in his veins seemed to have frozen over as he couldn¡¯t even manage the slightest of movements.


    He¡¯d wanted to drag Rhis down with him, but Heiros¡¯ managed to quickly retrieve the man from his grasp by employing some invisible force.


    Sirius continued to sink down into the abyssal depths as his final Health Points dwindled away. More notifications continued to flash through his Combat Log in a blur, but he was much too cold to concentrate on anything aside from that feeling.


    *Ding*


    You have died!


    Note: There is no penalty for death in the Tutorial.


    Respawning in 5¡­ 4¡­ 3¡­


    ¡®Well, that¡¯s nice. And at least I managed to take his sword with me¡­¡¯ Sirius chuckled to himself as his avatar promptly dispersed in the pool and the brilliant longsword tumbled downward without purchase.

 Chapter 7

    ¡®In all fairness, that was probably much faster than returning to the village by foot,¡¯ Sirius smiled as he glanced around the Spawn Cave.


    It was quite crowded in the area currently. Numerous players were phasing in every second and the priestesses were running about frantically, trying to reassure everyone and pick out any newbies who may just be entering the world for the first time. One priestess, in particular, caught Sirius¡¯ eye and came running over.


    ¡°Sirius! I didn¡¯t expect to find you here. I thought you would be in the group returning from the caves¡­¡± Ameera trailed off at the end, blushing into a hand as she realized her slip of the tongue.


    ¡°...Yea,¡± Sirius scratched his head. ¡°My party ran into some trouble, so¡­ here I am.¡±


    ¡°I apologize for my rudeness. The sacrifices of the Heralds have left a deep impression on us all.¡±


    ¡°Ah, it¡¯s all right. I¡¯m just glad that we were able to score a victory tonight.¡±


    Ameera recoiled, her eyes widening. ¡°You¡­ but didn¡¯t you just¡­ How do you know the results of the battle on the surface?¡±


    ¡°Ran into an old knight down there that said they ¡®suffered a grave loss,¡¯ or something along those lines,¡± Sirius replied casually.


    ¡°W-What did this man look like?¡± Ameera stuttered. Sirius explained to her some of the final events leading up to his death and she hissed out a cold breath after he described Heiros¡¯ appearance. ¡°Would you mind re-counting your tale to Lady Necrah. I¡¯m confident that she and the other leaders of Blackhill will be interested to hear of your encounter.¡±


    ¡°Yea, sure.¡± Sirius shrugged. He would more than welcome any chance to get closer to Blackhill¡¯s elites and had been planning on approaching Berek or Necrah with the information anyway.


    As Ameera guided him out of the cavern, through the milling throng of players, he heard many of them talking with great longing and passion about their experiences during the assault on the invaders. Rath¡¯s appearance had struck a chord in many of their hearts, and his battle with the knights left them yearning all the more for power.


    ¡°Dale ¡ª you were recording that, right? You gotta send me the replay!¡±


    ¡°...Do you think we¡¯ll be able to do something like that one day?¡±


    ¡°Some of us, maybe¡­ But that NPC probably has a rare class¡­¡±


    ¡°Ahhh! I can¡¯t wait to level up! I wish this island had some good grinding spots...¡±


    ¡°Hah! I saw you get your head lopped off by a Lvl 2 Infantry! What makes you think you¡¯d stand a chance against monsters?¡±


    ¡°You¡ª! You think you''re so skilled just because you hide behind me and cast [Sparks]?¡±


    Their excitement and carefree attitude almost made Sirius jealous that he wasn¡¯t able to witness it himself. Sneaking around and ambushing men-at-arms in the caves had been fun, but there was just a constant sense of urgency throughout which had made the experience mentally exhausting. Add on to the fact that he¡¯d been up and working in the game world for over 12 hours and he was more than ready to pass out in the comfort of his bed.


    But before that, there were pressing matters that needed to be handled.


    Ameera had finally managed to direct them out of the crowd when Sirius received a message from Shadowfire.


    Shadowfire: Saw you just respawned. Thanks again for hanging back.


    SoT: No problem. I got an interesting experience out of it. Plus ¡ª no penalties for dying in the tutorial.


    Shadowfire: That¡¯s great! And I¡¯ve got some good news. We managed to safely make it out with another group. Fera had shown up to help them, so we piggybacked. No bonus rewards, but we were one of only 10 parties to successfully complete the mission.


    SoT: Nice! You¡¯ll have to fill me in later. I¡¯m about to meet with Necrah. Just send me a ping when you guys are back in town.


    Shadowfire: Necrah¡­ You lucky bastard! Did you trigger some hidden objective down there?


    Shadowfire: Hey? Sirius?


    Shadowfire: My cloak better be ok!


    Sirius dismissed Shadowfire¡¯s messages with a wry smile. The man¡¯s cloak was, in fact, ok. Albeit in need of serious repair.


    ¡°Right this way, Herald,¡± Ameera gestured as she unlocked the door. It was one of the many in the corridor outside the Spawn Cave and Sirius was now only more curious as to where they all led.


    To his surprise, the door led into a rather small and unimpressive room; however, the people inside were anything but. They sat around a long table resting atop a colorful rug. Six chairs were present around it, but only four were currently filled. Necrah sat at the head. To her right was the Village Chief ¡ª a man whose name constantly eluded Sirius, and on her left was Captain Berek.


    Sirius had to fight back the urge to pinch his nose as he moved past Ameera. The metallic scent of blood was thick in the air thanks to the impressive amount of gore still clinging to Berek¡¯s armor and his club which rested in the corner.


    Rath, who was the final member at the table, paused mid-sentence as they all turned to glance at the new arrival.


    ¡°I apologize for interrupting.¡± Ameera bowed, speaking with much greater poise and clarity than Sirius had seen from her thus far. ¡°But this Herald has information regarding the invader¡¯s directly from the mouth of the Golden Blade.¡±


    Instantly, the eyes of everyone in the room were trained on Sirius ¡ª inspecting him intently.


    ¡°We meet again, Sirius. And so soon at that. Why am I not surprised it is you?¡± Necrah smiled, amusement dancing across her delicate brows..


    ¡°It is a pleasure to see you again, High Priestess.¡± Sirius copied Ameera¡¯s earlier bow as the girl ducked out of the room, closing the door lightly behind her. ¡°I would like to offer my congratulations to you all on the victory.¡±


    The room suddenly shook as Berek slapped the table, laughing uproariously, ¡°Praise Doehr! Victory indeed! I wish I could have seen the look on that old man¡¯s face!¡±


    Rath looked especially weary ¡ª a shell of his former self, but he was infected by the large man¡¯s laughter and soon joined in as well. ¡°I thought his heart was about to seize up from anger when he saw the first of their warships go up in flames!¡±


    ¡°Enough, you two,¡± Necrah chided. ¡°There will be time for celebration later. I would like to hear Sirius out first. What is the news you bring us?¡±


    ¡°Well, I was being chased by one of their squires when I suddenly arrived in this large cavern¡­¡±


    Sirius delivered the abbreviated tale to the council. Only this time ¡ª he made sure to emphasize Heiros¡¯ remark about the incoming Governor and accompanying reinforcements. That was about the only real piece of relevant information he¡¯d gleaned from the encounter.


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± The Village Chief rubbed his wispy white beard, ¡°I am unsure of who or what this ¡®Governor¡¯ is, but if the Golden Blade defers to him then we are in for some serious trouble¡­¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s worse is that they¡¯ll likely be bringing more of their warships! We went through all that effort tonight to destroy the three they currently had and they won¡¯t allow us to succeed twice!¡± Berek exclaimed, pounding the table again. Sirius had no idea how the piece of furniture had managed to withstand the Captain¡¯s repeated strikes thus far.


    ¡°Agreed,¡± Rath sighed. ¡°I¡¯d much rather fight 10 Golden Blades than more of those fireball-spewing monstrosities.¡±


    Necrah remained silent through the round of complaints, eventually turning to address Sirius, ¡°Did you perceive any indication of when these reinforcements will be arriving?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid not,¡± Sirius grimaced. He could understand their fear of the invader¡¯s galleons after seeing the remains of the eastern district and putting two-and-two together.


    ¡°Our only hope is that we can repel the current forces enough to send out a messenger to Uscuur,¡± the Village Chief lamented.


    ¡°It may be worthwhile to consider evacuating Blackhill using their remaining ships if we can seize control¡ª¡±


    ¡°No! Absolutely not!¡± Necrah interrupted Berek with a scathing glare. ¡°We cannot abandon the Spirit Well ¡ª under any circumstances.¡± Rath and Berek frowned but neither spoke up to refute her. ¡°Do not forget that we have the Heralds with us. They were instrumental in our victory tonight and will be the key to our survival.¡±


    ¡°Lady Necrah, maybe it is best if we continue on this topic later¡­¡± The Village Chief indicated towards Sirius with a flick of his eyes.


    ¡°I trust him.¡± Necrah declared. ¡°And if you haven¡¯t noticed...¡± she continued with a smirk, ¡°...He has undergone the Baptism. Sirius can truly be considered one of the Toth now.¡±


    Berek startled and re-focused his attention on Sirius. ¡°You managed to enter the Spirit Well even after encountering Heiros?¡±


    Sirius was unsure exactly what they were speaking about, but he did remember some sort of baptism being mentioned in the Toth lore during character creation. ¡°This Spirit Well¡­ are you referring to the pool in the cavern of crystals?¡±


    ¡°In the Ceremonial Chamber, yes.¡± Rath rolled his eyes.


    ¡°Then, yeah. I fell into it right before I died.¡±


    ¡°There you have it.¡± Necrah smiled. ¡°Back to the point at hand... I think our best chance at regaining control of the island is to send another wave of Heralds in an assault on the docks. We need to get Fera on a ship and send her down the Stormwind Strait with a team.¡±


    ¡°Agreed.¡± Berek and the Village Chief replied in unison.


    ¡°I would like you to accompany Fera on this mission as a representative of the Heralds, Sirius. Put together a team and report back to me tomorrow. We must strike while the invader¡¯s are still recovering. And while we retain the numbers advantage.¡±


    *Ding*


    You have triggered the advanced quest [Deliverance]!


    High Priestess Necrah has instructed you to accompany Blackguard Fera in carrying a request for assistance to the Toth¡¯s Elder Council in Uscuur!


    Note: Up to four other players may join you on this mission.


    Sirius was stuck in a temporary daze before he managed to utter a reply, ¡°Y-Yes, of course. I am honored that you have entrusted me with this task, High Priestess.¡±


    Favorability with High Priestess Necrah +10!


    ¡°You are the Herald I trust the most, so it is only a matter of course. Now, I am sure you must be weary after your battle. Get some rest ¡ª for you have an arduous journey ahead.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for your consideration.¡± Sirius bowed again and hurried out of the room. He inhaled a deep breath as the door swung shut behind him.


    ¡®Holy shit! Advanced quest!¡¯ An irrepressible smile spread across his face. He had struggled tremendously to contain himself and maintain his dignity in front of Necrah and the Blackguards.


    ¡®And I really need to start checking my notifications promptly.¡¯ He¡¯d initially thought they were all just warnings related to his death, but based on that conversation ¡ª he couldn¡¯t have been more wrong.


    With a moment to himself in the hall, he decided to go through them all. The majority actually were warnings, so he wasn¡¯t far off, but he managed to filter out a few of the useful ones.


    *Ding*


    Due to repeated and tactful use of the Skill, [Reckless Charge] has gained a level!


    ____________________Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.


    *Ding*


    You have been submerged in the Spirit Well!


    Ambient energy being absorbed due to the trait [Attuned Body]...


    ____________________


    *Ding*


    Spirit Vein molding complete!


    +5 base Spirit!


    [Attuned Body] is enhanced!


    ____________________


    *Ding*


    Due to successfully completing your Baptism in the Spiritual Font ¡ª your Reputation among the Toth has been increased!


    +25 Reputation in all Toth settlements


    ____________________


    *Ding*


    You have achieved {Trusted} status in Blackhill Gardens!


    ¡®Yea¡­ that definitely explains a lot,¡¯ Sirius chastised himself. The prerequisite for unlocking the advanced quest was likely having a {Trusted} reputation. And thanks to his tumble into the Spirit Well, he was the first player to achieve that.


    ¡®Shadowfire is going to be pumped¡­ I better let the others know before I log off, so we can all be prepared for tomorrow.¡¯


    SoT: Hey! Good news!


    Shadowfire: ...What?


    SoT: Thanks to a lucky accident, I managed to snag us a new mission from Necrah!


    Shadowfire: That¡¯s incredible! Wait¡­ Us?


    SoT: Yeah! I can recruit 4 other players, so we¡¯ll be able to keep the same party ¡ª and one more if we¡¯re so inclined. How far out are you guys?


    Shadowfire: Coming into the village now. Meet us back by the barracks. I want to hear everything.


    SoT: Sure, see you soon.


    Sirius took a moment to reconfigure his notifications while everything was fresh in his mind. Information from the combat log and other general messages all blended together in one sheet, so he decided to split them up into multiple windows and filter out anything that was unnecessary like HP % warnings.


    After all that was settled, he only had one last thing to check before making his way out of the temple.


    [Attuned Body]


    +10% bonus to all buffing effects given or received (excludes equipment bonuses) & increased compatibility with body augmentation.


    Spirit Vein Molding: Increases base Spirit Regeneration by 25%


    ¡®Pretty useless,¡¯ Sirius grimaced. But his disappointment was short-lived. The dip in the well didn¡¯t do much to enhance his personal strength, considering he didn¡¯t have the Spirit resource or prioritize the attribute, but it helped him significantly in a few other ways. Namely, the Reputation boost and the knowledge that Traits could be enhanced.


    He could only hope there would be some nice tangible rewards from Fera for completing the main story mission. Because fighting Rhis had been an eye-opener in many ways. For one, he learned that named enemies had significantly more skill and combat awareness than their generic counterparts.


    Sirius had been practically toyed with and his limited range was proving to be a serious detriment in the early going. He felt like he was too reliant on Skills by going the unarmed route.


    Switching to a weapon would require him to learn a whole new combat style ¡ª which felt like such a huge setback after so much hard work and training. But on the other hand, his unarmed mastery was making little to no advancements, so it wasn¡¯t like he¡¯d gone too far down the rabbit hole yet¡­


    ¡®...Maybe Shadowfire will have some advice.¡¯


    Sirius slunk down the corridor, a confusing mixture of anticipation and apprehension swirling in his gut.


    ***


    ¡°Hey, guys!¡± Sirius glanced around as he joined his party in the short queue that had formed in front of Fera. They were back in the clearing outside the barracks, a buzzing crowd of players laughing and chatting all around. The atmosphere was so similar to that of the Spawn Cave and was fueled with so much excitement that Sirius almost thought they had traveled back in time and were still waiting for Berek to announce the commencement of the night raid.


    ¡°How¡¯s it going, Sirius?¡± Shadowfire was grinning broadly, but the reactions of Talia and Roan were much more subdued. Clearly, he hadn¡¯t told the other two about the new quest yet.


    ¡°Hey, Sirius¡­ sorry, we left you behind like that¡­¡± Talia replied softly.


    ¡°All''s well that ends well. It had to be done, and I was plenty willing. There were no death penalties and I didn¡¯t have to run all the way back either.¡±


    The last part of that statement elicited a frustrated snort from Shadowfire.


    ¡°That is good to hear.¡± A sigh of relief escaped Roan. ¡°Talia and I have discussed, and we are willing to offer up a portion of our rewards for your extra effort.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about,¡± Sirius brushed him off, unwilling to reveal too much with all the other players around. ¡°We can figure all that out after this is settled.¡±


    ¡°Agreed,¡± Shadowfire grunted. ¡°And can you hand me back my cloak already¡­¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­ of course¡­¡± Sirius chuckled awkwardly as he unequipped the item and handed it over.


    ¡°What the hell did you do to this thing?¡± Shadowfire exclaimed as he checked out the durability. It was hanging on at a solid 2 points out of 20.


    ¡°What can I say? That squire cut me up pretty good¡­¡±


    Shadowfire groaned, ¡°You¡¯re lucky I¡¯m still in need of practice with my manual repairs.¡±


    The line in front of them was moving at a steady pace as they continued to chat idly. Sirius was only surprised by the sheer amount of players who were seeking out their rewards. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that only 10 groups managed to complete the mission?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Yes. However, I think everyone is being offered some form of remuneration for participating,¡± Roan explained, brushing the hair from his eyes.


    ¡°Gotcha. Any idea of how many prisoners actually made it out?¡±


    ¡°Not very many¡± Shadowfire frowned. ¡°Maybe 150-200 max. They¡¯re all with Doctor Kern for now. A lot of groups managed partial completion, but there were just as many that were wiped out early on.¡±


    ¡°That¡­ seems awfully low. But it did take us forever to find anyone. Maybe there weren¡¯t as many prisoners down there as they thought?¡±


    ¡°Fera was really upset on the way back,¡± Talia answered with watery, downturned eyes. ¡°I think you¡¯re right ¡ª they were expecting more people to be down there.¡±


    Sirius sighed and decided to shut up after that. There wasn¡¯t anything to be done about it now, and he didn¡¯t want to piss off Fera or any of the nearby NPCs by speaking carelessly.


    In the next few minutes, their turn finally arrived.


    ¡°Ah, little Talia and her companions,¡± Fera smiled slightly, but somehow her expression remained cold. ¡°Your group has rendered great merits. ¡± She passed them all a small coin purse unceremoniously and stepped back.


    *Ding*


    Quest Complete! [Invasion of Blackhill Garden Pt. 2]


    Awarded: Experience, 150 Blackhill contribution points, and 5 Silver Marks


    Note: Contribution points may be spent alongside currency in the Faction Store.


    ____________________


    *Ding*


    You Have Leveled Up!


    Received: 5 Unassigned Attribute Points & Class Skill [Sunder Earth]


    Everyone in the party lit up simultaneously as they all reached Level 5.


    ¡°Ohhh, yes!¡± Talia pumped her fist. ¡°I got a new Spell!¡±


    ¡°Congratulations. The growth of you Heralds is truly astonishing.¡± Fera¡¯s voice remained soft and level, but Sirius thought he could see a hint of wariness in her eyes. It was the same look that the Village Chief constantly gauged him with.


    In the end, Sirius just nodded his head and moved off with the others to check out their skills. He didn¡¯t know what could be said at this point in time to reassure the stoic Blackguard. It was just as that very first quest prompt had read: actions speak louder than words.


    ¡°Hey, hey! What¡¯d you get, Sirius?¡±


    ¡°You first,¡± he laughed.


    ¡°Fine¡­ I got [Frigid Breath]. It¡¯s an AoE slow that does a bit of damage. Buutttt ¡ª get this. I can combo it with my [Wind Barrier] to create a frost wall instead! Apparently it will last longer, apply a slow, and is harder to break.¡±


    ¡°Pretty cool,¡± Sirius admitted with a laugh. ¡°Mine¡¯s actually pretty similar to yours¡­¡±


    [Sunder Earth]


    Rupture the ground in a cone in front of you to disrupt your opponents.


    Requirements: Barbarian Class


    Cost: 12 Rage


    Cooldown: 45s


    Effect: Enemies within a distance of 3 meters will be {Staggered} for 1.5s and receive 40-41 nature damage ( = 1.5x Str).


    Enemies between 3 and 8 meters will be slowed by 20% for 2s and receive 32-33 nature damage ( = 1.2x Str).


    He shared the details with Talia who then ran off to pester Roan and Shadowfire. While he had a moment, Sirius applied his attribute points in the same manner as usual and considered the benefits of the Skill. It was exactly the kind of tool he needed to engage melee opponents who had quick attacks and longer reach. However, it had a long cooldown, so if he missed or didn¡¯t manage to capitalize on a successful {Stagger} ¡ª he was still screwed.


    And if it was against an opponent like Rhis, he still had no means to deliver enough force in his basic strikes to deliver Severe Blows through heavy armor.


    Working in a party would help shore up his weaknesses ¡ª as was the whole point of such a thing, but his current build felt lackluster if his group wasn¡¯t the one with a numbers advantage.


    ¡®Now is not the time,¡¯ Sirius reminded himself again. He walked over to the others, catching the tail end of Roan¡¯s explanation on their new [Ritual Circles].


    ¡°...Exactly. It¡¯s similar to the totems in that we have to prepare them in advance and can select from a variety of effects.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re traps,¡± Shadowfire added bluntly.


    ¡°Sorry to interrupt, but I thought this would be a good opportunity to fill you in on everything before I log off.¡±


    ¡°Sure, let¡¯s hear it.¡±


    Sirius inhaled a deep breath and launched into his version of events for the third time. He was quite practiced with it now and was able to conclude it quickly without omitting anything significant.


    ¡°Wow! So we got a new quest¡­ and with Fera!¡± Talia was all for it.


    ¡°Yea. She¡¯ll be the Blackhill representative leading us.¡±


    ¡°You said this was classified as an advanced quest?¡± Roan asked. He appeared the most hesitant of the group.


    Sirius responded to the inquiry by directly sharing the quest with them all. After glancing it over, a few more questions came back.


    ¡°I¡¯m worried because it doesn¡¯t fall under the [Invasion of Blackhill Garden] questline,¡± Shadowfire admitted. ¡°Pt.2 required completion of Pt.1, so we may miss out on a good portion of the zone¡¯s main story while traveling.¡±


    ¡°Couldn¡¯t we game the system by having one person remain back to accept the quests, then share it with everyone?¡±


    Shadowfire shook his head. ¡°Tried it earlier. Quest sharing requires proximity ¡ª even in a party. Of course, I believe that an advanced quest will provide us with rich rewards, but we barely made it through by the skin of our teeth last time...¡±


    ¡°Yes. It feels like a lot of risk.¡± Roan agreed, tersely


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m going to take the quest regardless,¡± Sirius shrugged. He was a little peeved by their lack of enthusiasm outside of Talia.


    ¡°Gah. Of course, I¡¯m going to do the damn quest if you¡¯re kind enough to invite me,¡± Shadowfire groaned. ¡°Just thinking out loud, that¡¯s all.¡±


    ¡°I will go wherever Talia decides,¡± Roan stated.


    ¡°Great. Then it''s settled. I wasn¡¯t planning on inviting a fifth unless any of you had someone in mind...¡± Sirius paused, but continued on after no one spoke up, ¡°...Necrah wants to meet with us tomorrow, so why don¡¯t we plan on meeting outside the temple in the morning?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine. Though, I was going to check out the Faction store first thing if anyone would like to accompany me for that.¡±


    ¡°Ooo, me!¡± Talia cheered after hearing Shadowfire. ¡°I want to get a new staff.¡±


    ¡°You should really try and get some jewelry or other gear to boost your Wisdom,¡± Roan chastised. ¡°You¡¯ve been investing too heavily in Spirit.¡±


    ¡°Roan¡­¡± Talia slouched, ¡°Isn¡¯t that what I¡¯ve got your totem thingie for¡­?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d like to see what they have to offer as well. Let''s just meet at the Village Chief¡¯s instead.¡± Sirius chuckled. ¡°If that¡¯s all, then I¡¯m going to head back to my residence and log out.¡±


    ¡°Same¡­ I need to make sure my sister doesn¡¯t lock herself in the capsule for 12 hours straight again¡­¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­ my girlfriend has been pinging me on the Vault Creative network for the past few hours, so it¡¯s best if I head out as well.¡±


    ¡°Alright. See you guys later!¡± Sirius waved goodbye and hustled off towards Old Biln¡¯s.


    ***


    ¡®Hmm? what¡¯re they still doing up?¡¯


    He was surprised to hear sounds of revelry and see a few lights still on in the home as he approached. It was practically the dead of night and most people seemed to have holed themselves up and shuttered their windows long ago as a result of the battle.


    Sirius knocked twice before entering and was instantly stunned by the scene inside.


    ¡°...Bernard?¡± He mouthed. The words came out as barely more than a whisper, but his entry caught the attention of everyone in the kitchen.


    ¡°Y-You¡­ You¡¯re alive?¡± Bernard¡¯s mouth hung open. One arm was still wrapped around Biln¡¯s shoulder, while the other clutched a pungent beverage.


    ¡°You two have met?¡± Biln remarked, a permanent smile plastered on his face. His eyes were somewhat vacant as he wobbled unsteadily.


    ¡°Yes, Biln! This is the young man I was telling you about! He was part of the group that rescued us¡­¡± Bernard handed off Old Biln to Palma and then rushed over to grab Sirius¡¯ hand.


    ¡°I am so glad to see you alive!¡± Bernard raved. ¡°I can¡¯t thank you enough for what you did!¡±


    Sirius scratched his head as he accepted the handshake. ¡°It¡¯s really no problem. I¡¯m happy to see you all made it back safely as well¡­¡±


    ¡°Bernard!¡± Palma stepped in. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you the Heralds would be fine. The Chosen aren¡¯t the only ones who can revive around here anymore.¡±


    ¡°Yes, but¡­ It¡¯s hard to believe it without seeing it with my own eyes.¡±


    ¡°Well, there you have it. Now let the boy go, would you.¡± Palma set Biln down in a chair, and the old guy immediately nodded off. ¡°Thank you, Sirius. Truly. Bernard is an old friend of ours who¡¯s been working down in the caves with Biln since they were boys.


    ¡°Oh, Y-You¡¯re welcome,¡± Sirius bowed. He was still a bit flustered after hearing Palma casually mention ¡®Chosen¡¯ that could revive.


    Palma nodded and turned to face Bernard. ¡°I¡¯m sure Sirius came back for some rest, so why don¡¯t you come back tomorrow. Maybe you and Biln can think of a proper way to thank him once you¡¯ve sobered up.¡±


    ¡°Ah, of course,¡± Bernard profusely expressed his thanks again and hurried out.


    ¡°You know, there¡¯s really no need¡ª¡± Sirius started as the door closed behind him.


    ¡°Let the old men have it, dear,¡± Palma interrupted with a strained smile. ¡°Biln won¡¯t be satisfied until he does something for you.¡±


    ¡°Very well, I understand...¡±


    ¡°Wonderful. Now, I¡¯ve got some cleaning up to do but feel free to help yourself to any leftovers or food in the pantry. Otherwise, I wish you goodnight.¡± Palma strode off hastily into the dining room, her hunched shoulders somehow looking more weak and lonely than they had before.


    Sirius sighed, gazing at the mess in the kitchen as Biln¡¯s snores rolled through the room. He found a blanket on one of the shelves in the hall and draped it over the man before heading upstairs.


    Loud, jerky creaks soon joined the symphony of snores as he tread up the worn wooden stairs and entered the room set aside for him.


    ***


    ¡°Ahhh¡­¡± Sirius sighed blissfully as he tumbled out of the capsule and crawled over to his mattress in the corner of the room. He was still fully clothed, but couldn¡¯t be bothered to undress or even feed himself.


    As soon as his head hit the pillow ¡ª he fell asleep.

 Chapter 8

    ¡®Shit¡ª!¡¯ Sirius thought as he sprung up in bed. He immediately flipped over to check the clock on his phone and only let out his breath when he saw that it was just after 4 pm.


    He¡¯d fallen asleep so quickly that he¡¯d forgotten to set any sort of alarm for himself. Luckily, the dull ache in his stomach woke him up within a reasonable amount of time.


    Considering he¡¯d spent anywhere from 13-15 hours in-game before logging off, he probably managed a good five to five-and-a-half hours of sleep afterward. And that was more than enough for now. It was still Saturday and he wasn¡¯t worried about maintaining any sort of logical real-life schedule until everything settled down in the game.


    Sirius got dressed in a comfortable white tee and dark sweats and slunk into the kitchen for a nice early evening bowl of oatmeal and some fruit. He did have a small stock of complementary nutrient capsules still available in the pod, but they were outrageously expensive, so he wanted to hold off on using them for as long as possible.


    Eventually, his stomach gradually stopped its protesting after a second helping, and he marched off for a quick shower. It felt strange to be going through his morning rituals in the middle of the day, but in a way it was refreshing. He¡¯d been locked in the same routine of working out and adjusting his diet for what felt like such a large portion of his life ¡ª despite actually being only a year. Finally having an escape and seeing his efforts paying off was liberating.


    Feeling somewhat re-energized Sirius hopped in his pod to dive right back into The Shattered Realm.


    ¡®Maybe I should add everyone in the Vault Creative Network so that I can message them offline,¡¯ he pondered as the machine folded into position around him. He¡¯d felt so anxious and disconnected in just the short minutes he¡¯d spent eating and cleaning himself up. It was both a worrying and exciting notion. He couldn¡¯t recall the last time he¡¯d been this obsessed with a new game.


    ***


    Shadowfire: Hey, we¡¯re all in the central marketplace right now.


    SoT: Okay, see you in a few.


    Sirius dismissed the messenger and took a brief glance around the house. Neither Palma nor Old Biln was around, but he managed to find some old parchment and quill, so he decided to leave them a simple note before heading out.


    Palma and Biln,


    I¡¯ve been entrusted with a mission that may keep me out of the house for a few days.


    Just wanted to keep you informed. Send my regards to Bernard.


    Thanks again for hosting me thus far,


    ~Sirius


    ***


    Sirius groaned internally as he fought his way through the flood of pedestrians. The streets of Blackhill Village were more bustling than he¡¯d seen them yet. Maybe it was in part due to the time of day, or the fact that he was so close to the central hub ¡ª but the news of the previous day¡¯s victory seemed to have spread and everyone was excited to seize the day.


    Vendors in the marketplace were already growing hoarse from shouting over one another, and plenty of new players looked to be engaged in the Village Chief¡¯s quest as they dashed around with a satchel to deliver messages. It already felt like so long ago that he¡¯d done the same¡­


    Shadowfire and Roan were already waiting for him beside the Chief''s office ¡ª which was located adjacent to the village registry.


    Sirius clicked his tongue as he walked over. These two always seemed to be a step ahead of him. He wondered if they¡¯d even slept more than 5 hours total since launch.


    ¡°How¡¯s it going? I see you¡¯ve already hit the faction store,¡± Sirius remarked as he eyed them up and down.


    He could vaguely make out Shadowfire¡¯s new gear underneath the cloak, but Roan¡¯s was in plain view for him to see: matching black tunic and trousers underneath a long grey coat similar to the one Fera wore.


    ¡®The Toth really love their dark colors,¡¯ Sirius thought to himself. Not that he minded. Black and grey were good colors for almost every situation, and he never liked wearing fancy, patterned or branded clothing.


    ¡°Yup. It¡¯s not too crowded yet, but the line was steadily increasing ¡ª so you may want to hurry inside.¡±


    ¡°Alright. Is Talia in there? I saw she was online.¡±


    ¡°No¡­¡± Roan deflated. ¡°She¡¯s up at the temple¡­ buying a new staff.¡±


    Sirius struggled not to laugh at Roan¡¯s expense, but that outcome was along the lines of what he expected. ¡°I¡¯ll be back in a few. Thanks for waiting up.¡±


    ***


    ¡®Hmm...¡¯ Sirius scratched his head as he danced back and forth between a few items in the system menu.


    The faction store functioned a bit differently than the traditional shops he¡¯d been to thus far. Instead of being able to see the physical items on display and touch or inspect them, the Village Chief¡¯s aide had just handed him a list.


    That list was then converted into a menu which he could browse through with various sorting and filtering features. Then, once he made a selection, the item would be brought out and presented to him. Overall, it was pretty comprehensive, and there were a lot of goods to choose from. Some with level requirements ranging all the way up to 20. Though, most of the really impressive equipment required contribution points and reputation far above his own.


    Following a few minutes of fanciful window shopping, Sirius had narrowed down his options. His first selection was a nice pair of dark, banded leather boots. Next, he chose a quilted gambeson and padded wool trousers ¡ª very similar to that which Roan had selected. But instead of going for a jacket, Sirius purchased a sleeveless coat of chainmail that was woven in a fishscale pattern.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center" colspan="2">[Blackguard Chainmail Coat]</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center" colspan="2">


    Equip Requirement: Lvl 4


    Rating: {Fair}


    Resistant to Slash and Stab damage


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Physical Defense: 15</td>


    <td>Magical Defense: 2</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Slot(s): Chest (additive)</td>


    <td>Durability: 25/25</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center" colspan="2">[Quilted Gambeson]</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center" colspan="2">


    Equip Requirement: Lvl 3


    Rating: {Fair}


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Physical Defense: 8</td>


    <td>Magical Defense: 0</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Slot(s): Chest</td>


    <td>Durability: 20/20</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    The two items could actually be worn in conjunction with each other due to the chainmail¡¯s additive tag, but their defense only stacked in areas where both items overlapped.


    After making those purchases Sirius had spent 70 contribution points and moved on to looking for his big-ticket item. And that was where he found himself in a quandary.


    He didn¡¯t want to leave anything in the bank with the implied difficulty of the upcoming mission and he still had 80 points to blow through.


    There were a few Elixirs located in the miscellaneous section that were particularly tempting. They could enhance his attributes by one or two points permanently, but were limited to a single use and cost 25 CP each.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">[Doehr¡¯s Might]</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    An elixir made by fusing the essence of an Emphantine and the waters of a Spirit Well.


    Effect: +2 Strength, +1 Constitution


    Note: Users will only be affected by the first dose.


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    ¡®Man, I still don¡¯t even know how valuable attributes really are¡­¡¯ Sirius groaned internally. All he knew for sure was that Str would boost his health and unarmed damage, but the benefits of two attribute points were pretty marginal for the elixir¡¯s cost.


    Even after more than doubling his Str, Sirius had yet to notice a significant tangible difference. Maybe it was due to the steady increase over time, but when he moved ¡ª he didn¡¯t feel faster or more explosive than he did at the start. His body just felt the same as it did in the real world.


    This was beneficial in some ways because he knew his body well and exactly what it was capable of, but even more so worrying in others.


    Was he limited by what his mind felt was possible? The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    Or were there certain thresholds that needed to be crossed to see a change?


    In the end, Sirius decided to hold off on elixirs, and increase his usefulness to the party in the best way he knew how ¡ª survivability and more damage.


    He tabbed back over to the equipment section and started looking at the gauntlets available in his price and level range. And for once, it didn¡¯t take long to find exactly what he was looking for.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center" colspan="2">[Folded Drunae Carapace Gauntlets]</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="2">


    Equip Requirement: Lvl 5, 25 Str


    Rating: {Excellent}


    Provides 5-8 additional unarmed attack damage


    Additional Property: Weighted - Increases the penetration of impact damage


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Physical Defense: 18</td>


    <td>Magical Defense: 5</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Slot(s): Hand, Wrist</td>


    <td>Durability: 35/35</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Sirius purchased the gauntlets for a whopping 75 CP. They were more expensive than all the previous items combined, but he felt it was well worth it. They almost doubled his base attack, and most importantly ¡ª gave him that important boost to his damage penetration.


    He admired the sleek black gauntlets with a smile as the aide lugged them out of the backroom and plopped them onto the counter with a resounding thud.


    ¡®Oh, shit!¡¯ Sirius almost dropped the things straight through the floor when he first attempted to lift them up. Despite their lack of bulk, it was obvious they were heavy from the aide¡¯s reaction, but to feel it himself was even more impressive.


    He recognized the carapace as being the same material that was used in Berek¡¯s armor. Sheets of smooth shell layered on top of each to allow for flexible movement of the fingers and wrist. Sirius really wished he could offer his praise to the smith. The comfort and fit were superb.


    Look good, feel good. The saying had never felt more apt as he strode out of the office under the admiring gaze of some of the players running errands. All of his worries seemed to have been washed away by that vibrant green frame around his hand and wrist slots in the Character Sheet. Everything else was still of white or grey quality, so it really stood out and felt like it represented his first major step forward in the game.


    ¡°At least you look pretty ¡ª because it sure took you long enough,¡± Shadowfire pulled his hood back and cracked a wide grin as Sirius sauntered over, displaying his new gauntlets and chainmail in an exaggerated manner as the morning sun shone over the pieces.


    Roan¡¯s eyes lit up as he took a glance at the equipment. ¡°Are those the Drunae gauntlets? I was actually going to recommend those. I thought they were well suited to your style.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, they are. A bit hefty, but it shouldn¡¯t take long to get used to.¡±


    Roan nodded appreciatively. ¡°I think the chainmail was a wise choice as well. Many of the invaders use blades.¡±


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s walk and talk,¡± Shadowfire motioned. ¡°I don¡¯t want to leave those priestesses up at the temple suffering for too long under a barrage of Talia¡¯s questions...¡±


    ***


    Shadowfire¡¯s sixth sense proved uncanny as they ultimately found Talia trapping a meek priestess in the back corner of the temple corridor.


    ¡°Please¡­¡± she whined. ¡°I just want to see it once. It¡¯ll only take a second.¡±


    ¡°M-Miss Talia, it is dangerous to perform Spells in the vicinity of bystanders. And I¡¯m afraid I don¡¯t have time to move to a more suitable location and demonstrate.¡±


    ¡°Talia, let the nice woman get back to her work.¡± Shadowfire pulled Talia back to give the priestess an angle of escape. ¡°I''d like to apologize on my companion¡¯s behalf, Priestess. She¡¯s just a very curious soul.¡±


    ¡°Ah, I-I understand. It¡¯s just very busy around the temple these days, so I really must be going.¡±


    Talia slouched as she watched the priestess escape through one of the doors. ¡°Mr. Shadowfire¡­ I was so close¡­ All the other priestesses told me she had a rare Spell¡­¡±


    ¡®These priestesses are pretty ruthless to pawn Talia off onto one of their own like that,¡¯ Sirius mused as he chuckled at the scene.


    ¡°Alright, alright¡­ You¡¯ll have plenty of time to hound all the NPCs you want later, but for now, we should announce ourselves to Necrah and see if she¡¯s ready.¡±


    Shadowfire led them toward the Spawn Cave as Talia showed off her new staff to Roan. Sirius had to admit ¡ª it was an impressive piece. Smooth, dark wood that twisted upwards, opening up like a claw at the top to clutch an exquisite blue jewel the size of a fist.


    Unlike the previous gnarled staff that she kept hidden in her inventory outside of combat, Talia carried this one with pride. Tapping it softly against the stone floor as she walked. Sirius looked down at his gauntlets and smiled. He knew the feeling well.


    When he refocused his attention forward, he saw Ameera standing at the mouth of the cavern, seemingly awaiting their arrival. She stepped forward to greet Sirius as the group approached.


    ¡°Good day, Sirius. Are these the companions you¡¯ve chosen to accompany you on this mission?¡±


    All the players in the area suddenly froze as Ameera spoke. It was only after Sirius replied that they came to their senses and began whispering to one another.


    ¡°Yes. And good day to you as well. Is High Priestess Necrah ready for us?¡±


    Ameera nodded and gestured politely for them to follow. ¡°Right this way.¡±


    They wound up in the same conference room that Sirius had entered the previous day, but only Necrah and Fera awaited them inside this time.


    Necrah stood up and swept a hand across her body as they entered. ¡°Please ¡ª take a seat.¡±


    ¡°Why am I not surprised,¡± Fera grumbled as Talia dashed over and plopped down in the chair next to her.


    ¡°You are familiar with this group?¡±


    ¡°Mostly this one,¡± Fera jabbed a thumb at Talia, ¡°But yes. They performed well during the rescue.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear it.¡± Necrah¡¯s lips curled upwards. ¡°I also see that you have re-equipped yourselves. Very good. The battle to clear the blockade will be arduous, and it would be best if you all could make it aboard the escaping vessel.¡±


    Shadowfire cleared his throat as Necrah paused. ¡°Right¡­ Before we being, I''d like to ask¡ª why us? Not us specifically,¡± he gestured at the members around the table, ¡°But the Heralds. For a mission of such importance. Surely there are stronger candidates among the Blackguard and I¡¯ve gotten the impression you don¡¯t trust us very much.¡±


    Necrah¡¯s smile flattened. ¡°In part, because I would like to make your existence known to the Elder Council. They may be more inclined to lend us their aid if they know that the Gods have already seen it fit to.¡±


    Sirius shifted uncomfortably in his seat as Necrah¡¯s gaze hardened and the temperature in the room dropped. ¡°But if we are speaking so frankly ¡ª then I would say that we are left with little other choices. Many of our talented Shaman were killed while helping the civilians evacuate the eastern district during the Rain of Fire. And the only combatants left that are capable of fighting on par with the Golden Blade and his knights are Fera, Rath, and Berek. Myself and the Chief are not well-suited for battle. Fera¡¯s presence is necessary to navigate the Stormwind Straight, and Berek must remain here while Rath is still recovering. Does that answer satisfy you?¡±


    ¡°...Yes.¡±


    ¡°Then let¡¯s move on to the details of the attack. Berek will be leading the majority of the Heralds and Blackguard in an assault on the dock. You all will circle around behind the assault and look for a suitable ship to board. Follow Fera¡¯s lead on this. Any questions so far?¡±


    ¡°Just one, for now. I am primarily wondering how you plan to actually breach the blockade?¡± Shadowfire spoke up again.


    Fera stepped up to answer this time. ¡°An elite troop of Blackguards will be leading a select group of Heralds to set fire to the remainder of the invader¡¯s fleet out on the open water.¡±


    Shadowfire leaned back in his chair, folding his arms across his chest. ¡°When will the assault commence?¡±


    ¡°We hope to have everything organized by mid-afternoon.¡± Necrah clarified. ¡°Now, I will no longer be entertaining your inquiries.¡± Her words were suddenly laden with frost. ¡°I had extended this invitation to Sirius, but I have to say I am disappointed in the attitude his companions have adopted.¡±


    Shadowfire sunk further into his chair under the weight of Necrah¡¯s gaze. ¡°Know that there are others who would place the future of the tribe over their own self-interest. These are true members of the Toth and they would jump on the opportunity to accept this task¡­¡±


    Necrah skated out of the room after she finished speaking, leaving everyone frozen at the table in her wake. Fera soon followed her out, shaking her head as she released a low sigh. ¡°Meet me outside the barracks when the sun begins its descent.¡±


    ¡°What the hell, man?¡± Sirius exclaimed as the door slammed shut. He wasn¡¯t so much angry as he was taken aback.


    ¡°We needed to know why,¡± Shadowfire shrugged. ¡°In my mind ¡ª it doesn¡¯t make sense to send the Heralds.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I get that. But surely there was a more amicable way to go about asking?¡±


    ¡°I disagree. Necrah is well-practiced in the art of diplomacy. I felt like provoking her was the best way to get at least some of the truth out.¡±


    Sirius bit back a retort and took a second to collect his thoughts. ¡°Fair enough. Though, a heads up would be appreciated in the future.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right, I apologize,¡± Shadowfire acceded with a nod. ¡°It was kind of a spur of the moment idea. Roan, Talia ¡ª what do you think of everything?¡±


    Talia was the first to speak up. ¡°Fera doesn¡¯t like Necrah. I noticed that she looks at her¡­¡± she trailed off, scratching her cheek, ¡°...she looks at her the same way she looks at me ¡ª annoyed.¡±


    That statement triggered a response in Sirius¡¯ memories. ¡°When I met with the Blackhill leaders yesterday, Berek and Rath seemed disgruntled as well. Berek even proposed an evacuation but was ultimately shot down. Only the Village Chief really seemed to be on her side. Well, maybe neutral is more appropriate.¡±


    ¡°So, you think Necrah could be losing control of the Blackguard and is more willing to place her trust in us?¡± Shadowfire asked.


    ¡°Eh, I wouldn¡¯t say that¡­¡± Sirius started. ¡°...It¡¯s not like Fera would abandon Blackhill and sail off on her own. The tribe is still here, so she and any Blackguards would definitely deliver the message properly.¡±


    Roan seized the momentary lull to voice his thoughts, ¡°I¡¯m actually more inclined to believe the first part of Necrah¡¯s response ¡ª that the presence of Heralds will be useful in negotiating with the Elder Council.¡±


    ¡°I can agree with all of that. But I actually think Necrah¡¯s purpose is simple: she wants to win the favor of the Heralds. By entrusting us with important missions and rewards, she can then rely on us to back her after all this is over. Then, she won¡¯t have to worry about who controls the Blackguard.¡± Shadowfire said as he sat up, clasping his hands atop the table.


    Sirius sighed. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ not sure about all this. I think we may be reading into it too much.¡±


    ¡°Same¡­¡± Talia chimed in.


    ¡°Possibly. However, keeping these ideas tucked in the back of our minds won¡¯t hurt and will hopefully allow us to react appropriately to any unforeseen events. After thinking back on the previous mission, I¡¯ve come to believe that a mission being classified as an ¡®advanced¡¯ quest may have less to do with difficulty and more to do with the variability of possible outcomes.¡±


    Shadowfire took a deep breath, then continued, ¡°This world is constantly changing in real-time, and none of the NPCs are omniscient. In previous games, I would see a quest objective, go out and complete it, then report back. Simple. And very rarely would the quest content differ in any way than what the objective stated. But here ¡ª we run the risk that the NPC may just be flat out wrong, misinformed, or misleading us. They¡¯re more complex beings and work with information in the same way we do. Therefore, I just think it¡¯s best to consider everything carefully.¡±


    The room lapsed into silence as everyone more or less acknowledged those words. Sirius didn¡¯t disagree with anything the man had said, but he also didn¡¯t want to consider that he was slowly being manipulated by Necrah. None of the NPCs had led them astray in any way so far, and to start doubting the legitimacy of every quest he received would be too mentally taxing. It was just a game after all¡­


    Sirius stood up. ¡°Let¡¯s get going. There¡¯s still much to prepare.¡±

 Chapter 9

    *Ba-Dum*


    ¡°Everyone has their share of health regen potions and [Vitum Leaves], correct?¡±


    *Ba-Dum*


    ¡°Yup!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve received my allotment.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m all set.¡±


    *Ba-Dum*


    ¡°We¡¯re ready, Lady Fera.¡±


    Fera remained silent for a moment, adjusting her coat¡¯s collar and the handles of a few throwing knives protruding from her bandolier. ¡°Follow me,¡± she said, once satisfied with her own preparations.


    *Ba-Dum*


    The deep, rumbling bass of the war drums perched atop the mountain ridge sent shivers through the city. Sirius felt the vibrations traveling up through the soles of his boots as he ran, exciting the hot blood flowing through his veins.


    His heart pumped along with the steady rhythmic beating, and so too did his breathing. The entirety of Blackhill seemed to have transformed into a single entity ¡ª a massive beast that blanketed the island in a starved, bloodthirsty atmosphere as it breathed down upon the invaders.


    This assault lacked all the subtlety of its predecessor. Neat rows of Blackguards marched down Twilight Sorrel Road in front of them, their dark spears and shields bobbing up and down in unison. Intermingled in their ranks were the chaotic groups of players. Ranging mostly from levels 1 to 4. Any and all could participate today. The Toth were leaving nothing on the table.


    Fera abruptly took a sharp left down a westward winding alley after they passed by the central market. As they veered off from the main force, Sirius focused some effort on lightening his footsteps. Their isolation made him all the more conscious of every breath he took and the noise he produced.


    The streets were completely void of all life. Though, he could see some curious eyes peeking out from the corners of windows and the shadows of partially opened doors. Fear and expectation churned within those gazes, forcing Sirius to concentrate elsewhere lest he desired to hasten the nervous sweat forming beneath his armor.


    His sight drifted to the horizon as they descended a short flight of stairs and the view of the island gulf in which the port was built opened up. It was a beautiful day ¡ª as it always was in Blackhill Garden. The crystalline blue water shimmered under the scattered rays of the sun; and the proud masts, wrapped in red and gold cloth, poked above the fortifications surrounding the docks¡­


    ¡°Sirius¡ª!¡±


    He felt himself being yanked to the side as Shadowfire called out his name. They stumbled to a halt as Sirius realized he¡¯d very nearly ran straight into a lingering food cart on the side of the path.


    ¡°Oh... Thanks,¡± he smiled awkwardly, picking at the heavy wool that was clinging to his skin.


    Fera had stopped as well and sighed, ¡°We¡¯re not in any rush, but do leave your daydreaming until after we¡¯ve cleared the blockade.¡± Everything from the way she placed a hand on her hip to her furrowed brows ¡ª screamed irritation.


    ¡°Of course. I apologize, Ma¡¯am.¡± Sirius felt like he¡¯d been dunked in a cold bucket of water as they resumed their steady gait toward the northern shore.


    The sea soon disappeared from sight and the palisade loomed overhead ¡ª somehow feeling taller and more imposing than it had during the previous night.


    ¡°Now we wait,¡± Fera remarked. ¡°Stay down here.¡±


    Sirius and Talia stood side by side, watching with disbelief as the Blackguard leaped to the top of the nearest building in a single bound. There were plenty of indentations and wood trimmings along the clay wall with which to find purchase, but she simply ignored them all.


    They were left standing idly in the shadows of the alley as the first sounds of engagement erupted through the surrounding area.


    ¡®Was that¡­ pure stats?¡¯ Sirius wondered. Trying to occupy his mind with anything other than his worries of the battle to come. ¡®I didn¡¯t see any Skill Indicator like the glow that surrounds my legs when I use [Reckless Charge].¡¯


    ¡°You ready?¡± Shadowfire meandered over and asked as Talia and Roan whispered with each other nearby.


    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Sirius inhaled a deep breath, trying to psych himself up. ¡°In fact, I really hope we run into that same squire that we encountered in the caves. I think with our new gear and skills we stand a chance of taking him down ¡ª or at least opponents of a similar level.¡± Regardless of whether the plan blew up in their face, he hoped to satisfy his desire for revenge. The experience of being beaten so handily was still eating away at his confidence.


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t,¡± Shadowfire scoffed. His hood was up but it couldn¡¯t conceal his teasing smile. ¡°I¡¯m hoping for a nice and easy ride to Uscuur to collect our rewards.¡±


    Sirius laughed. ¡°I think we both know that¡¯ll never happen.¡±


    ¡°A man can dream¡ª¡±


    Fera suddenly landed beside them, ¡°Berek has engaged the Golden Blade. Time to go.¡±


    ¡°That sure was fast,¡± Sirius muttered under his breath as they dashed toward the wall.


    ***


    ¡°Lord Rhime. Your orders?¡±


    The knight stared at his commander, his youthful eyes sparkling with admiration. Heiros Rhime was one of the longest standing Marshals of the Dawn Heralds. And if it weren¡¯t for his victory over the lightning wielding titan, their forces may have very well been overrun during the previous assault.


    It was unclear from where exactly the new horde of savages had sprung from, but they fought with impressive zeal and weren¡¯t afraid to throw their lives away for their cause. Still, as long as Lord Rhime was around ¡ª none could stand against them.


    ¡°Take your unit and reinforce the eastern front, Sergeant Ruck.¡±


    ¡°By your will, Commander.¡± The knight nodded respectfully, lowering the visor of his helmet as he departed from the watchtower.


    ¡°...Your Lordship?¡± The other armored man standing vigil at Heiros¡¯ side spoke up, hesitantly.


    ¡°Hmm?¡± he replied, his piercing blue eyes continuing to scan the battlefield. Roaring flames and smoke obscured much of the scene as the natives set fire to the palisade, but nothing could escape his grasp.


    ¡°Was it¡­ Was it really wise to send the prisoners back to Fort Wardour? Sir Pollock and his units may have been able to¡ª¡±


    Heiros cut the man off with a wave of his hand. ¡°We lost this fight as soon as we allowed them to destroy our galleons, Sir Rolf. Their numbers are overwhelming and we no longer have the firepower with which to dissuade their Anointed from taking action. We needed to send something back to show for our efforts here.¡±


    ¡°Lord Rhime¡­ I know we suffered heavy casualties, but their losses were even greater¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve heard the tales of those so-called ¡®Heralds¡¯ who have come over to our side¡­¡± The wrinkles on Heiros¡¯ face deepened as he frowned.


    Rolf startled upon hearing the heavy tone with which the commander spoke. ¡°Y-You don¡¯t truly believe them, do you¡­? Thousands of immortal beings suddenly appearing in these lands...¡±


    ¡°None in this realm can ever truly be immortal. That is for certain. Yet... I recognize many familiar faces among those who now throw themselves upon the swords of our men once again.¡±


    ¡°Undead? It could be that they have a necromancer of sorts among their ranks...¡±


    ¡°That should not be the case. The blood of their fallen continues to soak the earth. I-I¡­" Heiros'' head sunk in contemplation. "I am not sure what forces are at play here.¡±


    Rolf blanched. The Marshal had spent over a century fighting for one of the most prestigious orders of the Aeredale Kingdoms. He may not have attained the highest rank, but he was certainly one of the most experienced men in all the Interiorem. ¡°...Shall we issue the retreat?¡±


    Heiros nodded. ¡°Gather the remaining templars and their squires first and head to the docks. The Toth will be aiming for our ships again ¡ª attempting to cut off our retreat. Our only goal now is to maintain the encirclement until the reinforcements arrive at the nearest Root Outpost.¡±


    ¡°Understood. May the light guide you, Lord.¡± Rolf saluted and turned to leave, however, Heiros addressed him once more.


    ¡°Tread with caution. I originally sensed five Anointed when we first arrived, but only four have shown themselves thus far.¡± The implied meaning of his words was not lost on Rolf. ¡°And keep Rhis close to your side. His Soul Vessel was damaged by the plunge into the natural spirit waters and he is now at risk of experiencing a true death.¡±


    Heiros exhaled a deep breath once he was alone. His gaze shifted as a crude and bestial aura suddenly spiked near the southern gate. ¡°The {Ravager} this time, is it?¡± he murmured, feathery golden wings unfolding from his back. ¡°Very well. I shall entertain you.¡±


    ***


    Sirius followed carefully behind Fera and the others. After passing through the breach, they stuck as close to the burning palisade as possible while skirting around the fierce clashes of Blackguards and Men-at-Arms occurring all around the wharf.


    Thanks to their lack of experience and levels, the melee-focused players on their side were basically just fodder to wear down the invader¡¯s infantry before the Blackguards could swoop in and finish them off. Even the Shaman were hardly of any use. It was nearly impossible to fire off a [Spark] into the turbulent melee without risking friendly fire. As a result, Priests were the only ones actually able to spam their Spells off cooldown, but the players who had chosen that class in Blackhill were few and far between.


    However, what shocked Sirius the most was that he actually saw a few Toth fighting on the side of the invaders. He could vaguely make out their nameplates from afar and quickly realized that they were players.


    ¡®Are those guys idiots? Or were they left with no other choice?¡¯ Well, it was probably a mix of both, he concluded as they ducked behind some crates. The invaders clearly looked down upon the Khilaite, so he couldn¡¯t imagine working for them would be pleasant even in the most favorable circumstances. But there were always plenty of masochists out there or those who thought themselves clever.


    ¡°Poor fools¡­¡± he heard Shadowfire mumble.


    Sirius turned toward the direction the man was looking and saw a group of 5 infantrymen rushing towards their position with swords drawn. He moved to stand up and charge into their midst, but he didn''t make it far before they suddenly collapsed in unison, clutching at their throats.


    ¡®There she goes again,¡¯ Sirius lamented. The journey had been rather uneventful thus far as Fera instantly silenced anyone who drew near them with her knives. At first ¡ª it had been cool to watch, but now, he was itching for some action of his own.


    ¡°That¡¯s our mark.¡± Fera suddenly pointed to a ship docked down at the western end of the pier.


    Sirius had done some research on early seafaring vessels after learning about the setting of AoA and therefore knew that the ship should be classified as a small caravel after seeing its rounded shape and the three pole masts. It was certainly suitable for their use.


    Not only were caravels relatively fast but they also only required a small crew to operate. Additionally, there were a few rugged men dressed in rags were already loading the ship with supplies and preparing it to set off ¡ª which was likely the primary reason why she had designated it as their target.You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    However, before they had left their cover, Fera whispered an incantation and Sirius felt himself being surrounded by a gentle breeze. His body immediately lightened, almost becoming completely weightlessness as he unconsciously drifted forward.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    You have been granted [Advanced Air Walk]!


    -Your footsteps are cushioned by the wind, dulling the noise and allowing you to more easily traverse hazardous terrain.


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Duration: 29m 56s</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    You have been affected by [Favorable Draft]!


    -Movement speed increased by 12%.


    -Jump height & length significantly increased.


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Duration: None Specified</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Without another word, Fera tensed her muscles and lept from their hiding spot towards the water below.


    Talia, and subsequently Roan, didn¡¯t hesitate to follow after seeing her land cleanly on the ocean¡¯s surface with nary a ripple of displacement.


    Shadowfire groaned with displeasure but followed anyway with Sirius quickly bringing up the rear. Toth soldiers and invaders alike were too engrossed in their life and death struggles to spare them more than a glance as they arced overhead.


    Sirius felt his stomach drop as the breeze wrapped around his body continued to push him up and outwards from behind. It was an exhilarating ride, albeit one that was short-lived. He choked back a yell as he almost landed directly on top of Talia, but fortunately, she ducked out of the way in time.


    ¡®Oh, fuck¡ª!¡¯ Sirius'' knees buckled on impact. He¡¯d been expecting contact and nearly fell as he passed through the empty space. The cushion of air below him carved a concave divet in the sea as he wobbled unsteadily. By chance, Shadowfire managed to grab him by the collar and pull him upright.


    ¡°Thanks, man,¡± Sirius exhaled, breathing heavily.


    ¡°No problem.¡±


    Fera glanced back one last time to make sure everyone had landed safely, then ran forward with her usual long and graceful stride ¡ª seeming as comfortable atop the water as she was on land as they followed hesitantly at her back.


    The feeling of [Air Walk] was exceedingly strange. Despite the slowly rolling waves beneath his feet, Sirius still felt like he was making solid contact with each step. It took him and the others a few moments to adjust to the sensation before they were able to maintain a confident pace.


    Soon, their group moved swiftly beneath the raised wooden wharf. Viscous blood leaked through the gaps between the wooden planks, dripping all around them and filling the air with a metallic smell. Corpses occasionally joined the crimson rain as well, toppling from the pier to make way for the newly deceased.


    Sirius furrowed his nose into the collar of his gambeson as they moved, wincing every time a pained shout or cry for help sounded above. Unlike their time in the caves ¡ª there was no barrier that separated them from the noise of the battle. He heard clearly every grunt, clash, and desperate gasp for air.


    ¡°Halt.¡± Fera held up a hand, listening carefully before beckoning for them to approach. They traced a path around the side of the ship nearby ¡ª the very one she had pointed out earlier. ¡°We wait until it they raise the anchor to strike,¡± she elaborated.


    Each of them struggled to find purchase on the slick wood as they pressed themselves against the hull, clinging to it in the same manner as the shadows they hid within. Sirius watched the duration of [Air Walk] slowly tick down as the voices on the deck above progressively grew in volume and number.


    There were still 20 minutes remaining on the Spell when the caravel finally showed signs of movement. The lines secured to the capstans onshore were unraveled and the anchor was drawn up from the depths.


    Fera made her move as soon as the crew pushed away from the pier and unfurled the triangular sails.


    ¡°Now!¡± she hissed as she bounced from the water like it was a trampoline, springing directly up onto the main deck. Sirius and the others followed ¡ª but with much less success.


    ¡°Shit!¡± he cursed under his breath as he nearly lost his grip on the plank that was holding him aloft. His leap had only carried him halfway up the hull. Sirius could already hear the muffled thud of bodies hitting the floor as he clambered the remainder of the way up.


    Surprisingly, he was the first to make it onto the deck with Fera. But he barely had a chance to glance around before she bombarded him with instructions.


    ¡°You! Finish clearing out the men here. I¡¯m heading to the stern to take care of a knight. Assist me as soon as you are able!¡±


    Sirius nodded and instinctively dodged the overhead slash of the Man-at-Arms right beside him. He retaliated with a brutal punch into the man¡¯s sizeable gut as his sword caught in the rail behind them. While the soldier doubled over in pain, Sirius continued his combo with a right hook to the jaw.


    The heavy blow connected with a resounding crack as the enemy¡¯s helmet caved in and his health bar plummeted to zero in an instant.


    ¡°Don¡¯t waste time going for kills ¡ª just get them off the ship!¡± Shadowfire hollered as straightened himself up after tumbling over the railing.


    ¡®It barely took a few seconds¡­¡¯ Sirius wanted to retort. But he knew Shadowfire was right. The men-at-arms offered them practically zero Exp and he wouldn¡¯t always be able to dispatch them so easily.


    Sirius¡¯ eyes darted around as unleashed his [Aura of Might] and looked for his next target. There were plenty of options to choose from, but he didn¡¯t take long to decide. Talia had just rolled onto the deck right next to two invaders who wasted no time pouncing towards her.


    The floorboards beneath Sirius cracked and splintered as he sent himself rocketing through the air with a [Reckless Charge].


    <hr>


    ¡°Ah¡ª!¡± Talia yelped as a dark blur shot past her. It was gone before her eyes could even register who or what it was, but so too were the men-at-arms. She quickly shook her head and brushed it off as another mysterious skill of Fera¡¯s and retrieved her staff from her inventory.


    Roan had appeared beside her and began chanting with a totem in hand as her mouth opened wide. Her jaw continued to stretch beyond normal limits ¡ª appearing like a bottomless pit as all the surrounding moisture in the air was drawn inside.


    The three enemies charging her direction hesitated, and that was all the time she needed to unleash a fully charged [Frigid Breath] upon them.


    A gale of faint blue wind swept past the men, leaving only lifeless ice sculptures in its wake.


    Talia startled and glanced down at the pulsing blue gem upon her staff. The description of the item had only said it would empower her water element Spells, but based on the damage numbers she saw ¡ª  it had nearly doubled their potency!


    She released a happy squeal and hugged the staff into her bosom.


    ¡°Talia! Send a [Wind Barrier] across the deck on my mark!¡± The ever-grumpy Shadowfire called out over the noise of Sirius pummeling a group guards with his flashy gauntlets.


    ¡®Hmph! My new weapon is better!¡¯ Talia lifted her chin proudly, but still focused on the task at hand. Her staff moved smoothly through the designated spell pattern as she prepared for the right timing to set it loose.


    That moment didn¡¯t take long to arrive. Strange glowing patterns appeared on the floor, condensing into a circle around Shadowfire¡¯s feet as he raised an arm. A particularly potent [Spark] shot forth from his fingertips, striking a nearby invader and leaving him stunned before it leaped to a new target.


    Five men in total were paralyzed by the chain lighting, and not even a breath later ¡ª they were all sent soaring over the rail by a fierce gale.


    Talia turned to check on Roan and saw that he had taken care of another two enemies by himself, leaving them with only a handful left to clean up before they could assist Fera.


    <hr>


    Sirius laughed uproariously as he barreled into the last remaining man-at-arms, completely out of control. He¡¯d learned previously that using [Reckless Charge] under the effects of [Air Walk] seemed to enhance the Skill by giving him a pressurized burst of air to push off of. His speed reached incredible heights as a result, but he lost all control of his momentum.


    ¡®Not that it matters,¡¯ he thought with a smile as his shoulder impacted the man¡¯s sternum and launched him through the air like a cannonball. His body was simply moving too fast for the invaders to react. Sirius skidded to a halt shortly after and glanced around the area.


    A few corpses and some large chunks of ice were scattered around the deck, but it was otherwise quiet and clear of enemies.


    Fera had finished up her fight as well, gazing down at them from the stern. ¡°Good work. Help me clean up this mess¡­ The rest is out of our hands for now.¡±


    Sirius moved diligently alongside his party members, dumping the bodies into the water as Roan went below deck to check out what had been stored.


    Behind them, the invaders remaining vessels were leaving the wharf in a hurry. They called out to the caravel after noticing the signs of battle aboard, but their shouts and the occasional arrow were only lost in the wind ¡ªcompletely missing their mark.


    Their ship was cutting swiftly through the waters as Fera focused her [Favorable Draft] into the sails, steadily increasing the gap between them and their pursuers.


    However, Sirius was unable to ease the knot of tension in his chest. He had yet to see a change in the blockade as they drew ever closer to the mouth of the gulf.


    To distract himself, he turned his attention back to the battle onshore. It had died down for the most part as the invaders retreated, though the fight between Berek and Golden Blade raged on.


    He didn¡¯t have a chance to see much of it previously, but now, he could capture the whole scene in his eyes.


    Berek¡¯s body was engorged, stretching his carapace armor to its limits as he dragged his massive club behind him, creating a trench in the blood-soaked water. The captain stared up at Heiros with a vicious grin. Yet, the old knight appeared completely at ease as he hovered in the air above the dock with a casual flap of his wings. Both men seemed content to continue sizing each other up.


    ¡®It seems like Skills that allow you to fight in any conditions are vital¡­¡¯ Sirius observed. Fera had [Air Walk], and Berek was clearly using something similar ¡ª whereas Heiros had his flight.


    A sudden flash of light interrupted his musings as Heiros struck without warning.


    Numerous golden blades descended upon Berek, but he only swiped his club lazily across his body in response. The ethereal swords that collided with the weapon dissipated harmlessly while the remainder drew shallow cuts wherever they met a gap in his armor.


    As more blood continued to flow from his wounds, Berek¡¯s body grew in size.


    Heiros seemed unfazed by the result as he sent wave after wave of blades down upon his opponent with a flick of his hand.


    Sirius estimated Berek had nearly surpassed 4 meters in height when he finally struck back.


    With a mighty roar and a leap ¡ª The Blackguard Captain skyrocketed upwards and swept his club at Heiros like he was trying to swat a fly.


    The knight ducked nimbly out of harm''s way, moving gracefully through the air with practiced ease.


    Their game of cat and mouse continued with Berek receiving a flurry of attacks every time he landed. Each consecutive jump and fall sent massive waves rolling into the wharf due to the berserker¡¯s ever-increasing size.


    Sirius was enraptured despite the lack of tension, so much so that he failed to notice the ships suddenly catching fire in the opposite direction.


    ¡°Finally¡­¡± Shadowfire breathed out beside him.


    ¡°Wha¡ª¡± Sirius spun around, his words immediately catching in his throat.


    Tortured, discordant screams echoed across the gulf as the ships at each edge of the blockade burned silently. Vibrant green flames reached their arms out greedily as they swiftly charged towards the next vessel in line.


    ¡°...W-What kind of fire is that,¡± Sirius finally managed to utter.


    Roan smiled as he returned to the deck. ¡°Chrennoil. It burns without sound and is extremely difficult to put out. The only downside is its terrible smell.¡¯ He brought a cloth up to his nose as he finished.


    ¡°I grow tired of these games...¡± Heiros¡¯ displeasure rippled through the cove as his presence descended. Sirius and the others were nearly forced to their knees under the immense weight.


    ¡°...Fuck is this?¡± Shadowfire cursed. The man tried to move but he was locked in place.


    ¡°Just some Soul Pressure,¡± Fera remarked casually as she appeared behind them. The woman seemed at ease, but Sirius¡¯ could see some traces of sweat darkening the hair around her scalp.


    Berek growled in the distance, baring his teeth defiantly. But despite his best efforts, his body began sinking down into the sea.


    Heiros materialised another wave of blades. However, he didn¡¯t send them down immediately and rather waited patiently as they coalesced into a single, massive sword ¡ª one more fitting for the immense size of his opponent.


    Sirius narrowed his eyes and held his breath as he watched the blade shudder briefly before tearing through the air towards Berek. The Blackguard Captain had managed to lift his club in some form of defense, but it looked doubtful that he would be able to fend off the blow.


    ¡°...As do I.¡± An indistinct figure suddenly stepped out of a shimmering, mirror-like portal on the beach. And time itself seemed to freeze as her cold voice sounded in the ears of everyone on the island.


    ¡°Necrah¡­¡± Sirius whispered breathlessly.


    The sword that was about to cleave Berek¡¯s head from his shoulders shattered.


    ¡°I cannot allow you to interfere, Golden Blade.¡±


    ¡°Ah, the mysterious mistress of the island ¡ª we finally have the chance to meet¡­¡± The feathery wings sprouting from Heiros¡¯ back enlarged as the man tensed up and finally drew his real sword.


    Necrah would spare the knight no further words as a ghostly silhouette emerged from her body. She waved an arm and the pale maiden obediently swam through the sky towards Heiros.


    By all appearances ¡ª it looked harmless, but Sirius felt an unprecedented sense of fear and danger as he watched the phantom¡¯s flight. As it drew closer, he could see that it bore a striking resemblance to the high priestess.


    Clearly, Heiros was wary of the Spell as well. A transparent golden barrier formed in front of him to meet the ghost¡¯s charge.


    Sirius groaned internally as he watched this play out. He knew that these knights had the means to negate magic. But much to his surprise, the maiden simply passed through the barrier like it didn¡¯t exist ¡ª diving straight in Heiros¡¯ body afterward.


    Nothing happened for a few moments, but then, Sirius saw it.


    A feather, much darker than its companions, slowly drifting down through the air. Soon, another followed. And before long ¡ª they rained down in great numbers.


    Heiros¡¯ graying hair was dyed a stark white as his body shriveled up. He held his hands out in front of him, turning them over repeatedly as he gazed upon himself with disbelief.


    Sirius felt a twinge of pain in his heart as he watched the valiant knight wither away.


    With no strength to hold himself upright, the man tumbled from this lofty position in the sky. His body spiraled downward amidst the shower of rotting feathers and landed in the cool waters with a muted splash.


    By the time Sirius refocused his attention on Necrah, he realized that she too had collapsed in a lifeless heap in the sand.


    Complete and utter silence shrouded the island...


    ¡°Close your mouths, would you? I need help rigging up the other sails.¡±


    Sirius finally released his white-knuckled grip on the rail as Fera¡¯s command shattered the spell that had frozen him in place. His head swiveled around and he realized that they had already slipped past the blockade and were out on the open sea.

 Chapter 10

    ¡°Sir Rolf! Do we pursue?¡±


    Rolf ground his teeth as he gazed at the wall of verdant flames and the smoldering ships within. It would be a simple task for him to carve a path through, but the same could not be said for the men aboard the remainder of the vessels sailing out of the gulf alongside them.


    ¡°Of course we do!¡± the hot-blooded squire next to him shouted. A storm of anger was brewing behind his dark expression. ¡°This mission will be a complete failure if they manage to bring back help!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s already a complete failure!¡± Rolf roared, spittle flying from his mouth as he turned toward the young man.


    However, Rhis refused to back down in the face of his wrath. ¡°Exactly! Lord Rhime has had his soul damaged, more than half of our fleet has been lost, and all we have to show for it is a few hundred slaves!¡±


    Rolf had to consciously restrain himself from striking the boy. It was a clear act of insubordination. With Heiros out of the picture for the foreseeable future ¡ª he was the highest-ranking templar left on the mission.


    Yet, Rhis was still someone he could not afford to casually offend.


    The squire was one of the youngest ever to be Anointed in the order. And he was supremely talented with the sword. By all means, he would even be able to surpass Lord Rhime in the future.


    ¡®If he doesn¡¯t get himself killed first,¡¯ Rolf sighed internally. Rhis was much too arrogant and rash. Their knowledge of the realm beyond the Interiorem was expanding rapidly, but as evidenced by Heiros¡¯ loss ¡ª they still knew too little of their opponent''s capabilities. Only those who were prudent and cautious would see themselves ascend in this new age.


    ¡°No. We cut our losses here and head back to the outpost to regroup with the others.¡± Rolf declared sternly.


    ¡°You¡¯re making a mistake!¡± Rhis shouted as he tore off his helmet and threw it down onto the deck. ¡°Do you really think we can show our faces to the Governor after running from some savages with our tail tucked between our legs?¡±


    The whole ship was silent now as all the men on board observed the argument.


    Rolf cursed under his breath and pulled the young man to the side. His tone was low and heavy as he addressed the squire, ¡°I know that your soul is unstable right now, Rhis. And yet you still wish to risk your life for something like this?¡±


    Rhis shook himself out of Rolf¡¯s grasp. ¡°What good is my life if I live without honor. We have an opportunity to salvage the situation! How can we just run like a bunch of cowards?¡±


    ¡°Honor¡ª!¡± Rolf hissed. ¡°No one gives a damn about honor. That should¡¯ve been made clear to you when we fired upon their homes with our cannons!¡±


    ¡°Of course those savages don¡¯t deserve our respect! They deify false idols; living in homes sculpted from the dirt and eating the bugs that crawl below¡­ I mean to say that we can¡¯t abandon Lord Rhime''s efforts. He would have done all he could to prevent their escape!¡±


    Rolf really wanted to strangle the boy now. What gave him so much confidence? There was clearly an experienced Anointed aboard the fleeing ship. How did he expect to contend when his soul had barely entered the juvenile stage!


    ¡°Sir Rolf¡­ I have to agree with Master Rhis. Our ship will be able to outpace theirs. The winds are favorable and they will not be able to sustain their current speed for long.¡±


    Rolf¡¯s glare immediately flickered over to the approaching templar, but the man similarly refused to back down.


    The three of them were locked in a tense stalemate until Rolf finally broke the silence. ¡°So be it. You all have my permission to hunt them down if you¡¯re able. However, I will hang back and help the rest of our troops safely pass through the flames.¡±


    He had seen the others gathering around as well and knew it was a lost cause. He was sorely outnumbered. The templars only truly respected the strong, and even though he outranked them currently ¡ª he was nowhere near reaching the level of Lord Rhime. Plus, they wouldn¡¯t miss out on an opportunity to win the favor of Master Rhis.


    Rolf lifted his visor and spat on the deck to rid his mouth of the bitter taste.


    ¡°Y-You¡­¡± Rhis stuttered, pointing a finger up at Rolf. ¡°...You would abandon your duties?¡±


    ¡°See it how you will.¡± Rolf shrugged. ¡°Someone needs to stay back.¡±


    A round of discontent grumbles swept through the surrounding men, but no one moved to stop Rolf as the deckhands helped him descend to the water in a rowboat.


    ¡°My father will hear of this, Rolf! You¡¯re finished in the order when I return!¡± Rhis shouted over the railing.


    ¡°I apologize, Lord Rhime. But I am not so eager to throw my life away in this godsforsaken place,¡± Rolf muttered to himself as he flagged down the nearest ship.


    ***


    Sirius looked on pensively as Fera closed her eyes and sat down to meditate. Her breathing was heavy and sweat continuously poured down her forehead.


    And as her concentration turned inwards, the powerful wind that had been inflating their sails died in an instant. Slowly, the ship settled into a gentle drift.


    Sirius glanced over his shoulder from his position at the rudder. Much to his dismay ¡ª he found that their pursuer continued on relentlessly. Caught in the shimmering reflection of the moon, the invader occupied ship appeared like a vengeful specter as it dragged itself across the dark water.


    ¡®How am I the only one worried about this?¡¯ Sirius lamented as he tracked the other¡¯s location through the party system.


    Talia was up in the crow¡¯s nest atop the mainmast, gazing up at the dense spattering of stars across the sky...


    Roan was hiding below deck reading the nautical charts he¡¯d found...


    And even Shadowfire was contentedly soaking up the cool night breeze near the bow...


    Admittedly, there wasn¡¯t much else they could do to kill time. But Sirius felt like they were lacking the same sense of urgency that had been eating away at him for the past few hours.


    A fight seemed inevitable at this point.


    He¡¯d thought them at a massive advantage when the enemy ship had first burst through the towering barrier of Chrennoil fueled flames. After all, Fera¡¯s control of the wind was every sailor''s dream.


    However, reality had quickly dispelled those notions. The enemy ship proved much faster thanks to its longer hull and more experienced crew.


    Fera had some background in sailing, but not with anything similar to a caravel, and while Sirius and the others followed orders as best they could ¡ª they were relatively useless. Add on to the fact that the Blackguard also had limited Spirit reserves with which to fuel her Spells, and the result was evident.


    Sirius sighed and continued his vigil as Fera¡¯s breathing steadied. It was difficult to gauge the exact distance between the ships, but he felt that they had no more than a few hours left until the enemy was upon them.


    ¡°Land! I see land up ahead!¡± Talia¡¯s excited shout carried down onto the deck.


    Fera immediately shot to her feet and dashed toward the bow with Sirius quickly following behind.


    He stopped next to Shadowfire who was gazing intently at a hellish gateway in the distance


    ¡°What¡­ is that?¡± Sirius whispered. Land wasn¡¯t exactly an accurate way to describe the two enormous masses of jagged rock that had pierced through the water. They splintered and twisted as they rose higher like the hands of a drowning man trying desperately to grasp at the air. Extending outwards from the clawing arms, sheer cliffs stretched across the horizon ¡ª resembling an impenetrable wall.


    ¡°That is Aungr¡¯s Folly,¡± Fera replied. Her bright yellow eyes glowed with interest as she looked ahead. ¡°Once we pass through, we will enter the Stormwind Strait.¡±


    Sirius swallowed the lump of saliva gathered in his throat. He was no longer afraid of dying in the game after experiencing it once, but the foreboding chasm seemed to be inviting him to a fate much worse than death. The darkness of night was unable to conceal the anguish etched deeply into every contortion of the rock.


    ¡°Is this truly the only way?¡± Shadowfire asked, shifting uncomfortably.


    ¡°Be at ease,¡± Fera scoffed. ¡°Nimera would not allow two of her faithful to come to harm in her domain.¡±


    Somehow, Fera¡¯s confidence didn¡¯t do much to inspire Sirius'' faith¡­


    ***


    ¡°Master Rhis¡­ do we follow? It could be a trap.¡±If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    ¡°How can you even speak those words after we¡¯ve come this far? The young squire berated the templar behind him. ¡°It won¡¯t be long until we are upon them. Have the men prepare the grappling hooks.¡±


    ¡°By your will.¡± The man bowed and hurried off to carry out the orders.


    Rhis turned his fiery gaze back to the natural archway that now loomed overhead. From his perspective on the water ¡ª it looked as if the gnarled fingers were attempting to rip the moon from heavens.


    He smiled at the thought.


    ¡®How long will it be¡­ until I am able to bathe this accursed land in the eternal light¡­?¡¯


    ***


    ¡°Their persistence is impressive!¡± Fera laughed. An almost sadistic grin spread across her face as her long hair whipped around chaotically in the torrential storm.


    As soon as they had passed through the gateway ¡ª it was as if they had arrived in an entirely different world.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    You have entered the Stormwind Strait!


    The potency of all wind and water aspected Spells is increased by 20%!


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Sirius glanced back at the system message as he tried to shield his eyes from the heavy downpour of rain that had suddenly assaulted them. The droplets smacked across his exposed skin with surprising force, making him wonder how he had yet to lose any HP.


    He could see Shadowfire trying to call out to him from across the deck, but the man¡¯s words were quickly swept away by the howling wind.


    With unsteady steps, Sirius moved over to his companions who had gathered under the alcove leading to the captain¡¯s quarters where there was at least some protection from the elements.


    ¡°What¡¯s the plan!¡± he shouted once he arrived within arm¡¯s reach.


    ¡°We can¡¯t do much until we know what kind of enemies we¡¯ll be facing,¡± Shadowfire roared back, maintaining a tight grip on the hood of his cloak. ¡°And neither can Roan and I use most of our [Ritual Circles] without damaging the integrity of the ship!¡±


    ¡°Right! Honestly, I¡¯m hoping Fera will do most of the work! I can¡¯t see shit in this storm!¡±


    As Sirius spoke, they all turned to look at the blurry figure that stood with her arms spread wide in the center of the main deck. The fierce squalls shrieked like a pack of banshees as they swirled around the woman. Even Talia¡¯s eyes flickered with fear at the sight.


    ¡°Same here! But I don¡¯t think we can rely on her to look out for us! I get the feeling she doesn¡¯t care much if we live through the journey!¡±


    Sirius grunted his agreement and they lapsed into a cluster of shivers and chattering teeth. The thick clouds above, and the towering, craggy walls on their sides, seemed to almost pass in a blur as they sped down the strait.


    After a few minutes of tense silence, Sirius grew impatient and moved out from the cover to check on their surroundings.


    Just as he did so, a metal claw suddenly flew past his head from behind and latched itself around the deck¡¯s railing as the rope connected to it was yanked backward


    ¡°Fuck! They¡¯re here!¡± Sirius shouted over his shoulder, his voice already growing hoarse.


    Everyone scrambled into action as more grappling hooks tore through the wind and the rain. Many of them missed their mark, but enough connected to allow the invader¡¯s to successfully latch on.


    Sirius swept back his matted hair to prevent as much water from dripping into his eyes as possible while adopting a ready stance.


    ¡°I¡¯ll leave the squires up to you all¡­¡± Fera¡¯s voice drifted into his ear as she shot past him and actually leaped directly up onto the enemy ship.


    ¡®Squires¡­plural...¡¯ Sirius¡¯ heart sunk as he felt his party gathering at his back. Fighting just one in the caves had already been bad enough.


    Soon, five men in gleaming armor emerged, descending from the shadows to land in front of them. For all but one, a bright Lvl 5 hovered above their dark silhouettes


    ¡®It¡¯s him¡­ of course it would be¡­¡¯ Sirius saw the man clearly as a pale glow surrounded his shield and illuminated his bare face.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Rhis Talwar (Weakened)


    Squire, Lvl 6


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>HP: ?/?</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    ¡°We need to buy time for Talia to cast her Spells. She is the most powerful among us right now!¡± Sirius already heard the faint sound of Talia chanting as Shadowfire issued the command.


    Fortunately, the knights didn¡¯t immediately charge forward. They bided their time, casting more light around the area with their Spells.


    ¡°You¡ª! I saw you die! You are no Anointed! How is it you return to walk amongst the living?" Rhis slowly unsheathed his sword. It was a fine weapon, but it didn¡¯t shine with the same brilliance as his previous. ¡°I will have my answers this time...¡± His eyes were glued to Sirius as he seethed with anger.


    Sirius remained silent, bouncing on the balls of his feet as the knight stepped forward and leveled his sword.


    ¡°Scatter!¡± Talia shouted without warning as she finished her preparations.


    Sirius dove to the side as fast as he could, feeling an exceptionally powerful gust graze his back as he rolled onto the deck.


    He recovered just in time to see Rhis smash his shield into the oncoming [Wind Barrier] as the squires behind him drew their weapons and braced for impact.


    Just as before ¡ª the young man was able to shatter her Spell. Rhis smiled triumphantly, but so too did the Toth Priestess.


    In the wake of the wind came a gout of frost. It clung to the moisture on the knight¡¯s armor, locking up their movements and dealing a significant amount of damage.


    Sirius scrambled to his feet and dove into the enemies with a [Reckless Charge]. Talia had done her job and it was time to do his.


    Rhis managed to shake himself loose and only received a glancing blow, but the squire directly behind him ended up taking the brunt of the impact.


    Shards of ice scattered through the air as Sirius lifted the man and tossed him over the edge into the raging waters below.


    ¡®Fuck that hurt!¡¯ Sirius cursed. The pain settings were tuned way down, but he felt like he had dislocated his shoulder when he collided with the heavy armor.


    Still, it was promising that they managed to level the playing field so quickly.


    Shadowfire and Roan hadn¡¯t remained idle either, buffing themselves with [Aspect of the Tortoise] before they fired [Sparks] at the other squires who were struggling to free themselves.


    ¡°I will see you shackled like the others!¡± Rhis roared as he spun around and charged at Sirius.


    Sirius was glad to see the man do so. Whether it was a result of the extra threat generated by his [Aura of Might] or simply unadulterated rage that caused it ¡ª garnering Rhis¡¯ attention was better than having it directed at the spellcasters.


    Sirius smirked as he leaned backwards, dodging a stab that had turned into a diagonal slash. It was the same feint that the squire had used last time.


    Rhis continued to hound him wildly, and thanks to the lingering ice and rain layered beneath their feet, the fight quickly developed into a sloppy melee.


    A moment later, a particularly off-balance slash was warded off by his chainmail and Sirius took the chance to slip inside the opponent¡¯s guard. He lifted Rhis by the waist and slammed him onto the deck. The wooden planks splintered under their combined weight, but before Sirius had the chance to capitalize, one of the other squires bashed him in the side with an empowered shield and freed Rhis.


    Sirius slid backward, eventually smashing into the railing as nearly a quarter of his HP disappeared. He coughed out a mouthful of blood as he struggled back up.


    Now it was his turn to be put on the back foot. Rhis and another squire had him cornered while the other two rushed at Talia. Clearly, they had designated her as the most important target aside from himself.


    Without any time to waste, Sirius channeled his Rage into both arms and raised his gauntlets to meet the two incoming strikes.


    Sparks flew, illuminating the scene in a brief flash of light as the deep crimson energy collided with the swords.


    The split [Heavy Strikes] didn¡¯t deal any damage but they were powerful enough to momentarily {Stagger} the two squires and that was all the opportunity Sirius needed.


    He kicked Rhis in the gut to create some distance before pivoting to unleash a brutal elbow strike on the other man. It connected successfully and extended the {Stagger} duration.


    With a mighty shout, Sirius threw another squire into a watery grave.


    Rhis was furious now and lunged toward him with a snarl. The sword in the knight¡¯s grasp suddenly ignited in a holy flame as it seared through the air, unbothered by the pouring rain, and bit deeply into Sirius¡¯ shoulder.


    ¡®Agh¡ª!¡¯ Sirius stifled a groan as he stumbled backward. ¡®So much damage¡­¡¯ Before he had a chance to recover he was forced to dive underneath another flaming slash.


    He figured that Rhis wouldn¡¯t be able to maintain the Spell indefinitely, so he scrambled up and leaped forward with a [Reckless Charge] that had just come up off cooldown. For now, he could only escape, because taking another hit would immediately end his life.


    But it wasn¡¯t like he was completely out of options either. With some distance between them, Sirius spun around and stomped down hard.


    ¡°No¡ª!¡± Rhis bellowed as his footing suddenly disappeared.


    The entire ship quaked as the [Sunder Earth] ripped across the deck. Sirius couldn¡¯t exhibit the Skill''s full effects in this environment, but it was enough to send Rhis tumbling down into the hull below.


    While basking in his temporary victory, a sudden piercing cry caught his attention.


    ¡°Roan!¡±


    Sirius hurried over as fast as he could, but it was already too late.


    Talia shrieked and unleashed a [Frigid Breath] upon the squire that stood over Roan¡¯s corpse, nearly catching Shadowfire in the blast. The Spell dealt enough damage to finish the man off, though it was only a small consolation for the price paid.


    Sirius was quickly able to piece together what had happened when he saw the depleted health bar of the remaining squire between Shadowfire and Talia. ''Roan must have been left alone to deal with one by himself while the other two tried to quickly finish off their target.''


    ¡°Hey! Focus, Talia!¡± Sirius yelled when he saw her rushing over to Roan¡¯s side. ¡°There are still enemies remaining!¡±


    Rhis was most certainly still alive, and the results of Fera¡¯s battle was completely unknown.


    Right on cue, Rhis burst through the cargo latch and emerged on the deck. The holy light coating his sword had died out and they were now fighting him three versus one, but Sirius knew that he still couldn¡¯t be underestimated.


    Talia was hysterical, but Shadowfire reacted appropriately and shot a bolt of lightning at the knight.


    Rhis easily deflected it with his shield but it gave Sirius a chance to reposition himself, and this time ¡ª he would not allow himself to be bested. It was much easier to deal with Rhis in a direct confrontation now that his body was properly protected and his gauntlets could be used to deflect the man¡¯s sword.


    Slowly, Sirius gained the upper hand, wearing the squire down with [Heavy Strikes] and dogged blows. Shadowfire chipped in with a [Spark] whenever he saw an opportunity and when one finally caught Rhis directly ¡ª Sirius dove in for a grapple and pinned the man down.


    He straddled Rhis, grinning broadly as he unleashed a flurry of punches down upon that smug face. Each impact sent a dull shiver up Sirius¡¯ arm as blood flowed freely with the pouring rain.


    Rhis¡¯ pale eyes burned into him with unquenchable hatred as he endured the onslaught, but that only made Sirius hit him harder.


    When the knight¡¯s health bar was nearly depleted, Sirius grabbed a handful of his hair and lifted him up so that their eyes were level. Then, he spoke softly into the man¡¯s ear, ¡°I¡¯ll send you off to your God so you can ask him for the answers you seek.¡±


    Rhis growled and started to struggle, but Sirius didn¡¯t relent and smashed his head through the deck ¡ª emptying out the last sliver of HP.


    "Well... That was a bit brutal, don''t you think?" Shadowfire chuckled as he staggered over


    "Ehhh, he was a prick" Sirius laughed, collapsing back onto his hands as the warm and brilliant glow of a level up embraced him.

 Chapter 11

    ¡°C¡¯mon, Talia. Roan will respawn and meet us back in Blackhill. Right now, we need to check on Fera.¡±


    Sirius helped the sniffling girl to his feet. She¡¯d reacted quite strongly to the death of her friend; maybe a little too intensely for him to fully understand. But he wanted to cut her some slack. During battle ¡ª it was easy to lose yourself in the intensity of the moment as he¡¯d already experienced many times.


    ¡°Right¡­ sorry.¡± Talia unsuccessfully wiped the mess of tears and water from her eyes with a soaked sleeve before casting a [Mending Rain] over the remaining party members.


    A warm golden drizzle mixed in with the pelting rain as Sirius watched his health bar climb. He was just deliberating on how to quickly distribute his new attribute points when a familiar figure dropped down next to them.


    ¡°Well, it looks like you all managed to hold on just fine,¡± Fera observed, coolly.


    Sirius bit back a retort as a sneaking suspicion that she¡¯d been watching them from afar rose to the forefront of his mind.


    ¡°Yes. It was a hard-fought victory. I take it you didn¡¯t run into any trouble?¡± Shadowfire remarked, unable to prevent a hint of sarcasm from entering his voice.


    Fera adjusted her coat, looking as impeccable as ever. It was as if she was surrounded by a bubble of wind that prevented the rain from reaching her. ¡°A few decently leveled templars, nothing serious,¡± she replied, flipping a shiny new dagger over in her hand. With a flick of her wrist, a blade of wind severed all the lines that tethered the two ships.


    And that was that. She didn¡¯t appear keen on discussing the matter further as she returned to the stern to take over the rudder and left them to their own devices.


    Talia meandered off listlessly to find some cover while Sirius exhaled a discontent sigh and plopped down onto what remained of the main deck. The damage to their ship wasn¡¯t too severe, but there remained a sizeable hole in the upper right side in the hull where Sirius¡¯ Skill had torn its path.


    It almost looked as if a massive sea creature had leaped from the water to take a bite out of the ship.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got to hand it to you, Sirius¡­¡± Shadowfire wrapped his cloak tighter around his body and sat down next to him. ¡°...you really saved us back there. If you hadn¡¯t been able to take care of two of them by yourself ¡ª we definitely would have been overwhelmed.¡±


    ¡°Ah, it wasn¡¯t much,¡± Sirius scratched his head. ¡°I didn¡¯t really succeed at my job as the group¡¯s tank either. I don''t have a great way to draw aggro.¡±


    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t sell yourself short. And as far as I¡¯m aware ¡ª there isn¡¯t any.¡± Shadowfire finished with a grumble. ¡°Out of all Skills and Spells my guildmates have gathered, there weren¡¯t any surefire taunts. My take is that Threat is more of a gauge of the enemy¡¯s wariness. They¡¯ll be more likely to go after targets they deem dangerous, leaving damage dealers much less secure.¡±


    ¡°That makes sense¡­¡± Sirius acceded.


    Shadowfire groaned loudly. ¡°Still¡­ the combat really makes me regret all those years I¡¯ve spent sitting at my desk playing games when I¡¯m stumbling around like an uncoordinated fool¡­¡±


    Sirius glanced over and saw a smile sneaking across the man¡¯s face. ¡°You don¡¯t regret it at all, do you?¡±


    ¡°Not one bit.¡± Shadowfire laughed. ¡°But man, the AI on those squires was really unforgiving. I can¡¯t imagine how skilled the even more advanced enemies will be.¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­ Their speed and body control in all that armor was impressive. Though, I suppose it makes sense. It¡¯d feel weird if these men who¡¯d been training from a young age fought in the same manner as the men-at-arms.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right, and truthfully ¡ª I enjoy the challenge. Makes it feel more real, you know? However, I¡¯m glad I stepped back from the competitive scene when I did. This is a game for the youths to shine...¡± Shadowfire chuckled again as he shoved Sirius jokingly. ¡°Kids like you who have clearly been hitting the gym and martial arts schools! Is it something you did in the past? Or have you picked it up recently?¡±


    ¡°I only started training full-time a little over a year ago ¡ª right after AoA was announced,¡± Sirius replied, frowning briefly but it was gone in a flash.


    ¡°Hoh? And what''s wrong with that?" Shadowfire had immediately picked up on his displeasure. "Sirius... I admire that drive. It takes guts. To go after what you want, and be willing to put in the effort. I¡¯m assuming you¡¯re not in school anymore then?¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­ I dropped out after my second year of University. Parents weren¡¯t too happy with the decision, though.¡±


    ¡°Eh, that¡¯s just their job. Actually... I was in a similar position myself around your age."


    "Oh, yeah? What happened?" Sirius turned and asked.


    "Well, as I said ¡ª I''ve always played a lot of games. Got really good at one in particular when I was back in high school. Towards the end of my senior year, I got an offer to join an eSports team. In the end, I accepted, foregoing a higher education. I didn''t make all that much money, but I made a lot of lifelong friends and enjoyed every minute of it. I guess what I''m trying to say is that I''m glad I lived without regrets."


    Shadowfire let out a long sigh before continuing, "I can''t claim that the way you or I did it is the right way. But I can confidently say this: You can always go back and finish school later, but in 2 years ¡ª it might already be too late to carve out a nice piece of the pie in this world."


    ¡°You think so?¡± Sirius saw the lights dancing in Shadowfire¡¯s eyes and felt his own anticipation mounting. He knew he wasn¡¯t alone in his way of thinking, but it felt nice ¡ª to finally talk to someone who shared his passion and saw the potential of the game in the same he did.


    ¡°I know so. Haven¡¯t you seen the player numbers recently?¡±


    ¡°I saw that pre-orders had almost climbed up to 15 million¡­¡±


    Shadowfire smirked. ¡°Take a guess. What do you think that number is up to now?¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Clearly, it would be much higher than his expectation based on Shadowfire¡¯s reaction. ¡°25 million. Maybe, 26?¡±


    ¡°Ha! It was already past 32 million orders last I checked!¡± Shadowfire exclaimed. ¡°Their production of the capsules just can¡¯t keep up with the demand. That¡¯s why people are still arriving in small numbers.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s crazy.¡± Sirius shook his head. ¡°More than doubled already¡­¡±


    ¡°It makes sense to me. You gotta think there were probably a lot of people on the fence. Gaming companies make so many promises, and a lot of people have been bitten by that in the past. They want to believe in the game, especially one as big as this, but most have to see it first nowadays.¡±


    ¡°I suppose so¡­¡± Sirius nodded.


    ¡°However, that¡¯s just the start.¡± Shadowfire was waving his arms around, gesticulating wildly as get got caught up in his own excitement. ¡°It¡¯s a whole world ¡ª a whole new fucking world! Once businesses and other organizations are drawn in by the player numbers¡­ it''s going to be mayhem. The people standing at the top of those companies aren¡¯t dumb, after all. They¡¯ll quickly see the massive, untapped potential of this world¡¯s economy and seek to stake their claim.¡±


    ¡°Right. And they¡¯ll need powerful players to help them do so.¡±


    ¡°Exactly!¡± Shadowfire smiled. ¡°I knew I liked you for a reason, Sirius. So¡­ shall we get to it?¡±


    ¡°Get to what?¡± Sirius glanced around. The ship was rocking amidst the strait¡¯s violent waves, but Fera looked to have everything under control.


    ¡°Looting, of course! Power won¡¯t come to those who wait,¡± Shadowfire chuckled.


    Sirius smacked his forehead. ¡°Shit. I keep forgetting about that without any prompt popping up.¡± Then, his lips curled up in a devious grin. ¡°I¡¯m sure Rhis has got a few nice things on him¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m guessing they all do. Let¡¯s get to it.¡±This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.


    ***


    Their subsequent search was met with mixed results. Two of the squires had been thrown overboard by Sirius, leaving them with just three bodies to loot. And of the three ¡ª Rhis was the only one with non-standard equipment.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center" colspan="2">Talwar Family Signet Ring</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="2">


    Equip Requirement: None


    Rating: Excellent


    Inscribed with the Talwar Family Crest, this ring provides the wearer proof of identity and the corresponding authority.


    Greater Vitality Enchantment: Provides a 10% bonus to Health and Stamina Regen both in and out of combat.


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Slot(s): Finger</td>


    <td>Durability: N/A</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    The enchantment was a nice bonus, but its most important usage was diminished by the fact that they weren¡¯t human ¡ª and likely wouldn¡¯t be entering the human territories voluntarily anytime soon.


    Sirius still claimed it to wear underneath his gauntlets, but he would have to be mindful of when and who he exposed it to.


    Aside from the ring, Rhis wore another accessory that, following a short discussion, Sirius and Shadowfire decided should go to Talia.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center" colspan="2">Talisman of Renewal</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="2">


    Equip Requirement: Lvl 5


    Rating: Excellent


    Amethyst Gemstone: Increases the effectiveness of healing Spells by 8%


    Minor Wisdom Enchantment: +3 Wisdom


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Slot(s): Neck</td>


    <td>Durability: N/A</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Two pieces of Excellent equipment could be considered a good haul in Sirius'' eyes. In addition, they collected all the sets of Steel Plate Armor and the squire¡¯s weapons. These items were all of Fair quality but didn¡¯t suit anyone in their party¡¯s current playstyle. Sirius preferred more lightweight, flexible armor, and none of them wielded swords or shields. Still, they hoped to sell everything in Uscuur should they get the chance.


    After scrounging around for another few minutes to make sure they didn¡¯t miss anything else, Sirius and Shadowfire joined Talia below deck to dry off as best they could and repair their equipment.


    ¡°Feeling any better?¡± Sirius asked the girl hesitantly as he twisted and squeezed the moisture out of his gambeson.


    Talia nodded, adjusting her position atop the crate while swinging her dangling legs back and forth. ¡°...I tried to message Roan through the party system to let him know we won, but it wouldn¡¯t send because we¡¯re too far apart. Soooo, I think I¡¯m going to log out for a bit and wake him up. I¡¯m sure he¡¯s anxious to hear about the result.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, sure thing,¡± Sirius replied. He was shocked to find out that Talia and Roan lived together, but didn¡¯t let it show on his face.


    ¡°Take this before you sign off.¡± Shadowfire tossed her the necklace.


    She glanced over it briefly before exclaiming in wonder, ¡°Woah! Thanks, guys! Get anything else cool?¡±


    Sirius shared the stats of the [Talwar Family Signet Ring], and the girl¡¯s eyes soon sparkled with their previous brilliance.


    ¡°I should¡¯ve known that pretty boy was a fat pig,¡± Talia giggled. ¡°What do ya think we¡¯ll get for our quest rewards?¡±


    ¡°Hey, we¡¯re not out of it yet,¡± Sirius couldn''t help but laugh at her sudden shift in attitude. ¡°But I wouldn¡¯t be opposed to more CP. I want to get my hands on those Elixirs in the faction shop.¡±


    ¡°Lame¡­ I want to go for a cool new robe this time,¡± Talia shot back.


    ¡°Fair enough, but I¡¯m pretty satisfied with my equipment for now,¡± Sirius replied.


    To which, Shadowfire agreed before he added, ¡°By the way, I asked Fera for an ETA while we were looting and she predicted our arrival would be sometime around midday, so keep that time in mind while logged out.¡±


    ¡°Alright!¡± Talia chirped. ¡°Then I¡¯ll be seeing you guys later.¡± Her avatar slumped lifelessly following her parting words.


    While Shadowfire maneuvered her body into a less awkward position, Sirius finally settled down to sift through his notifications and level-ups.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Congratulations! You have reached Level 6!


    Received: 5 unassigned attribute points


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Congratulations! You have reached Level 7!


    Received: 5 unassigned attribute points; Class Skill [Iron Will]


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    ¡®Two entire levels¡­¡¯ Sirius was inwardly amazed. Rhis must have really been a Boss tier character to provide them with such a tremendous amount of experience. However, he was still skeptical about the leveling system.


    There was no numerical value attached to the progress bar or the experience he received. The meter just filled discreetly, and only by checking regularly was he able to ascertain a general idea of how much each enemy or quest objective contributed. Even after searching through the menu options exhaustively he¡¯d been unable to find anything related.


    All he¡¯d managed to gather thus far was that quest completion resulted in sizeable chunks of progress ¡ª as did defeating enemies of a higher level. In contrast, when they¡¯d killed Lvl 3 Men-at-Arms at level 5, there was almost no noticeable increase.


    From this, he could infer a few things, but without concrete evidence, he was hesitant to jump to any conclusions.


    ¡®Anyway, there are more important matters at hand.¡¯ Sirius¡¯ eyes flickered with delight as he read through his other gains.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    For defeating an opponent of a higher level who has bested you in the past, you have been awarded the Title [Avenger]!


    [Avenger]: Allows you to mark a single enemy for revenge. When fighting the marked target, all attributes will be boosted by 5%.


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    The title had a very specific use, but it would certainly come in handy at times and it filled out an otherwise empty aspect of his Character Sheet.


    In addition, he gained the {Medium Armor} Proficiency and his {Unarmed Combat Mastery} had leveled twice after remaining stagnant for so long ¡ª which felt great. [Aura of Might] received its first level-up as well.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>Medium Armor, Beginner Lvl. 1</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Measures your familiarity with equipment classified as Medium Armor.


    Medium Armor will no longer feel as heavy and further mastery reduces the additional Stamina Consumption penalty.


    Current Bonus: 3% reduced penalty.


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    ¡®Goddamnit¡­ what penalty?¡¯ Sirius groaned as he quickly looked at his equipment descriptions after checking out his new Proficiency. Now, a new descriptor ¡ª that marked the armor category of each item ¡ª was displayed in their equipment slot.


    The chainmail coat, leather boots, trousers, and gambeson were all Medium Armor pieces. Whereas the Drunae gauntlets, that took up his hand and wrist slot, was classified as Heavy Armor.


    ¡®Why must they be so diligent about concealing everything¡­?¡¯ he bemoaned further as he discovered that wearing three or more pieces of medium armor increased the rate at which he consumed Stamina by 20%. ¡®Well, effectively 17% now.¡¯


    ¡°Hey, Shadowfire¡­¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡± the man responded absentmindedly, clearly lost in his own menus as he poked at the air in front of him.


    ¡°You have an armor Proficiency yet?¡±


    ¡°Ah, yeah¡­ Got the light armor one during the tail end of the rescue mission the other day. Why do you ask?¡±


    ¡°...I only just got mine,¡± Sirius grumbled, eliciting a chuckle from his companion.


    He dove back into his Character Sheet to distract himself from the nagging worries that he was somehow missing other crucial information as well. Ten juicy Attribute Points were waiting patiently to be assigned, so he wouldn¡¯t let them suffer any longer. Although, he deviated slightly from his standard application of the points. This time around, he only placed 3 into Strength, 3 into Constitution, and then 2 points into Dexterity and Perception each.


    For one, he didn¡¯t want to let his Dex become stranded too far behind should it prove valuable as he continued to learn more. Another reason he changed his distribution was the realization that he was still relatively fragile. Rhis had wiped out such a large portion of his health with a single strike when he¡¯d ignited his sword with that Spell.


    A larger increase to his Con would also pair well with the new Skill he¡¯d received from reaching level 7.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center" colspan="2">Iron Will</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: left">Requirements: Barbarian Class</td>


    <td>Passive</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="2">


    Effect: Reduces damage received by 10% when below 25% Health.


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Sirius grimaced when he thought about how tough this one would be to level, but Passive Skills were immensely beneficial, so it felt wrong to complain more than he already was about everything else.


    Finally, after one last glance over his Character Sheet, Sirius felt settled.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center" colspan="3">


    Sirius of the Toth


    Equipped Title: Avenger


    </td>


    <td rowspan="3">


    Attributes:


    Str: 33 (28)


    Dex: 10


    Per: 15


    Con: 22


    Spr: 15


    Wis: 6


    Cha: 9


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: left">HP: 275/275</td>


    <td style="text-align: left">Stamina: 231/231</td>


    <td style="text-align: left">Rage: 0/75</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: left">Primary Class: Barbarian, Lvl 7</td>


    <td style="text-align: left">Secondary Class: Locked</td>


    <td style="text-align: left">Profession: None</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Skills:


    Heavy Strike Lvl 1


    Reckless Charge Lvl 2


    Aura of Might Lvl 2


    Sunder Earth Lvl 1


    Iron Will Lvl 1


    </td>


    <td colspan="2">


    Proficiencies:


    Unarmed Combat Mastery, Beginner Lvl 3


    Medium Armor, Beginner Lvl 1


    Repair Lvl 1


    Fitness Lvl 3


    Gathering Lvl 1


    </td>


    <td>Locked</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    ¡°Alright. I think I¡¯ve got everything sorted. Probably gonna log off for a bit, Shadowfire.¡±


    ¡°Sounds good,¡± Shadowfire briefly averted his eyes and gave him a nod. ¡°I¡¯ll be joining you shortly. Just make sure you¡¯re back on in a few hours if you don¡¯t want to miss our arrival.¡±


    ¡°Yup, see you soon,¡± Sirius settled into a comfortable spot and issued the command¡­

 Chapter 12

    ¡°Nice of you all to finally wake up,¡± Fera remarked blithely as Sirius and the others emerged from the cargo hull.


    Sirius just smiled politely in response and moved over to the railing to soak up the breeze. The harshness of the storm had largely subsided. Leaving only lukewarm winds and a sheet of thin white clouds behind.


    ¡°Roan wanted me to thank you,¡± Talia spoke softly as she joined him.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing¡­ Everyone did their part and performed well, I thought. How¡¯s he doing?¡±


    ¡°Ha¡ª¡± Talia let out a short, self-deprecating laugh. ¡°He¡¯s great, excited even¡­ Turns out I was the only one really bothered.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s so bad about that? I understand the feeling. When I first died ¡ª I knew it was inevitable, so it took some of the... shock out of the moment. But even then, when I saw the sword piercing through my body, the thought of death ¡ª real death ¡ª still entered my mind. It¡¯s hard to push those things from your mind when you taste the blood in your mouth and the sharp sting of a sword.¡±


    Talia bit her lip as she mulled over Sirius¡¯ words. ¡°...Were you scared?¡±


    ¡°For a little while, yeah. Though, now that I¡¯ve gotten it out of the way, not anymore.¡± Sirius chuckled, ¡°Maybe you should try it when we get back?¡±


    ¡°No way¡­¡± Talia shook her head vehemently. Slowly, a sly smile spread across her face as she tied back her silver hair in a ponytail. ¡°So, Level 7¡­ What¡¯s the new Skill?¡±


    Sirius faced her and smiled himself. ¡°Nothing exciting to show you this time, missy. I only got a Passive Skill.¡±


    ¡°Dammit¡­¡± Talia grumbled. ¡°You and everyone else.¡±


    ¡°Hey, we¡¯ll be in Uscuur soon. Should be plenty of interesting people there, right?¡±


    Talia groaned. ¡°The NPCs are all so stingy about showing off their Spells. It sucks.¡±


    ¡°Could be your Charisma is just not high enough to entice them,¡± Sirius teased.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ You know what: you might be right! I¡¯ll have to ask Roan what he thinks¡­¡± Talia wandered off as she became lost in her plots, leaving Sirius alone near the bow.


    His eyes traced over the steadily declining precipice of the cliff faces that hemmed them in, searching for what lies beyond.


    ¡®How long will it be until I have a ship of my own?¡¯ Anticipation bubbled steadily in his gut as he thought about Uscuur and exploring more of what this world had to offer.


    Sirius consistently struggled to avoid spoilers and previews of the games he was the most excited about. Always wanting to plan his build and path through the story out beforehand. But Vault Creative had truly left everyone in the dark, and he found himself growing more and more thankful that they had.


    There was something about venturing into the unknown that both ignited his spirit and left him terrified at the same time. And these clashing emotions produced a special kind of electricity in his body...


    Mulling over these things as they drifted over the waves, Sirius sank into a lull. Only now did he feel like he had the chance to settle down and really contemplate the journey ahead. Surely, the tutorial was winding to a close. But where would he go from there?


    This party was destined to go their separate ways. He knew Shadowfire intended to meet up with his girlfriend, and the Talia ¡ª Roan duo likely had plans of their own.


    There would likely be a connecting questline that guided the players to a new destination; however, Sirius had an inkling that branching off and forging his own way might yield the best results.


    ¡®But first, I should see what this meeting has in store¡­¡¯


    The jagged walls progressively widened, submerging deeper into the frigid water as his mind continued to wander. At the edge of his perception, he could feel Fera¡¯s supernatural winds ballooning the sails. It wouldn¡¯t be long until they emerged at the opposite end of the strait.


    ***


    ¡°Not¡­ exactly what I expected¡­¡± Sirius murmured as he and Shadowfire gawked at the imposing mountain rising from the depths of the sea.


    Much like Blackhill, it was composed of dark stone that glowed with a metallic sheen in the daylight, appearing almost like onyx. However, there was no greenery, or even any land around it, to give it the same sense of vibrancy that their Tutorial Zone possessed.


    It stood alone. Desolate. Surrounded by a faint mist and sparse, rocky outcrops that jutted outwards ¡ª seemingly afraid to stand in the mountain¡¯s presence.


    They had to significantly slow down their approach in order to weave their way between the retreating sea stacks. Luckily, the mist all around them didn¡¯t do much to limit their vision, but it ebbed and flowed as if it had a life of its own. Crawling inward before washing over them like a heavy, drawn-out breath.


    Not long after they waded into the fog, a notification drew his attention away from their surroundings as they circled around towards the mountain¡¯s northern face.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Due to your proximity to a tremendous source of spiritual energy:


    Spirit Regen increased by 20%. Additionally, the speed at which excess Spirit is accrued during [Meditation] is also enhanced.


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Sirius glanced over at Shadowfire to see the man staring at the message with wide eyes.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°[Meditation] should be a non-classed Passive Skill. I looked over it briefly in our guild database, but don¡¯t have it yet myself. It allows those with the Spirit resource to rapidly increase their regeneration out of combat. And if used for long periods of time ¡ª they can also increase their maximum Spirit Pool.¡±


    Sirius sucked in a sharp breath as he thought about the implications. ¡®No wonder the Toth elites would gather here.¡¯


    ¡°How long are we talking?¡±


    ¡°Days. For incremental gains. But it doesn¡¯t have to be done in one sitting. Sorry, I need to try and get the Skill right away to test this,¡± Shadowfire hurriedly added as he sat down on the deck in a lotus position, shutting himself off from the world.


    Sirius sighed, gazing back out into the mist. Be it the Baptism or a buff like this, casters had many benefits by starting as a Toth. Although, he figured they weren¡¯t the only faction with access to a source of ¡®tremendous spiritual energy¡¯.


    ¡°What¡¯s he up to?¡± Talia walked over and nudged Sirius after seeing Shadowfire.


    ¡°Trying to get the [Meditation] Skill.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡± she shrugged, quickly focusing elsewhere.


    Sirius smiled ruefully. He didn¡¯t take Talia as the type to sit around anywhere for longer than a few minutes ¡ª let alone settle down to meditate.


    In time, the mist thickened, but under Fera¡¯s deft manipulation of the air currents, they safely navigated the treacherous field of stones and arrived before a gaping hole in the rock face. Nearly the entire lower third of the northern mountainside had been hewn away. The cut was rough. Chipped and eroded further by the tides of time, sloping upwards as it proceeded deeper into the heart of the mountain. Viewing it from a side profile, it appeared like the dark behemoth was ready to tip over and collapse at any moment.


    ¡®How strange¡­¡¯ Sirius could see numerous lights twinkling in the dense shadows within the cavern. Deep shades of blue and purple entwined making it difficult to make out anything more than blurred outlines and silhouettes through the fog. It was the first time he¡¯d seen light sources other than candles or torches in this world, and as a result, he¡¯d subconsciously dismissed the idea of resources foreign to earth being incorporated into technology.


    ¡°So pretty¡­ I¡¯ll have to see how much they cost.¡± Talia¡¯s musings drifted into his ear as their ship passed into the shade.


    Sirius tensed up momentarily as he feared that their masts would clip on the overhang, but his worries were misplaced as they entered the cavern with plenty of room to spare. He laughed to himself as he recalled all the times as a kid doing something similar. Whenever they drove underneath a tunnel or an overpass he would duck his head and forget to breathe ¡ª unnaturally afraid that somehow their car was too tall.


    ¡°Who goes there!¡± A baritone voice suddenly rippled through the dense mist, displacing it enough to reveal the two rowboats that approached them from the left.


    ¡°Blackguard, Fera. Chosen of Nimera. I bring urgent news from Blackhill Garden.¡± Fera¡¯s tone remained level as she replied. Then, as if to demonstrate the truth of her words, she sent a visible gust of verdant wind in their direction.


    It passed harmlessly through the fog, dying out just as it reached the two vessels.


    ¡°...It is true that you are a Chosen of Nimera. But for now, I must ask you to remain here. This... ship is unfamiliar to us, and we must bring a troop to inspect it and make sure you are not under duress.¡±


    ¡°Very well.¡± Fera agreed immediately and moved to drop their anchor as they waited.If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    It took about half-an-hour of idle waiting, by Sirius¡¯ estimates, before anyone re-emerged. This time, there was a veritable fleet of rowboats and small junk ships that rode out to meet them.


    Eventually, one of the more exquisitely designed boats separated from the pack and moored right alongside their ship. Fera dropped down a rope ladder and three broad-shouldered men soon clambered aboard.


    ¡®Ahh, Shadowfire will get along well with these guys¡­¡¯ Sirius suppressed a burgeoning smile as he saw that they all wore sleek black cloaks that obscured their faces and gear.


    The leader of the three stepped forward and pulled back his hood, revealing a dark, shiny scalp and worn visage. Faded scars littered his features with a particularly vicious one stretching across the bridge of his nose that seemed to squirm with agitation as he frowned.


    ¡°Fera¡­ it''s been a while¡­¡± The man¡¯s stern countenance abruptly cracked as he revealed a toothy grin.


    ¡°Master Zaun, it is good to see you well.¡± Fera bowed deeply and motioned for Sirius and the others to follow suit.


    ¡°The sentries reported that you bring urgent news¡­¡± Master Zaun spared a brief glance over their party. His sunken brown eyes not revealing any traces of surprise or emotion. ¡°...And I must admit that I am eager to hear your tale. Tell me: what is it you seek here?¡±


    ¡°I wish to be granted an audience with the Elder Council. The Garden has come under siege by foreign invaders and High Priestess Necrah has sent me to request aid.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡± Zaun nodded perfunctorily ¡ª as if this was exactly what he anticipated. ¡°Not all of the Elders are present in Uscuur at this time, but there are enough to form a quorum.¡±


    The man turned to the guards at his back and addressed them, ¡°This matter demands immediate attention. Quickly, relay word to the forum scribe and have his page¡¯s complete the necessary procedures to begin a hearing. I will guide Fera and our guests to the Council Chambers personally.¡±


    Fera¡¯s expression sunk as she saw Zaun¡¯s reaction to the news. ¡°We are not the first then?¡±


    ¡°No. And nor will you be the last. Preparations are already being made to secure safe passage between the villages, but initially, we were slow to react.¡±


    ¡°It''s understandable. Their attack caught us all off guard.¡±


    Zaun scoffed. ¡°There is no need to make excuses for the Council in my presence, Fera. You know as well as I do that they have grown increasingly indecisive and out-of-touch over the years. They would much rather lock themselves in their rooms, engaging in perpetual meditation and prayer, than deal with mundane matters,¡± he finished derisively.


    ¡°It is not my place to speak on their decisions, Master Zaun.¡± Fera revealed traces of a smile but managed to maintain her formal demeanor.


    ¡°Gah¡ª! So be it. Let us be off and get this over with¡­¡±


    ***


    Sirius lapsed into silent contemplation in the back of the rowboat as Zaun and Fera chatted quietly while manning the oars.


    Earlier on in their conversation, he¡¯d learned that Master Zaun was in charge of training all the new recruits in the Blackguard ¡ª which turned out to be the primary military force across all the Toth villages and wasn¡¯t exclusive to Blackhill like he¡¯d initially thought.


    The two spoke freely, reminiscing about Fera¡¯s days under his command and all the fresh recruits that had arrived in Uscuur this year. Talia attempted to jump into the conversation once or twice, but she was largely ignored as were Sirius and Shadowfire. However, it didn¡¯t feel as if they were being disregarded out of spite, but just a general disinterest on the part of Zaun.


    ¡®He must know we are Heralds if our group isn¡¯t the first to arrive here¡­¡¯ Maybe it was a result of their lacking faction reputation, but regardless, Sirius was happy to fade into the background and simply listen to all they had to say.


    They continued on like this until the boat entered the shallows near the end of the cavern. A few plainly dressed men stepped into the water and helped them disembark at the bottom of a wide set of stone steps.


    It may have been more accurate to refer to them as long, layered slabs that eventually leveled out after a few paces. When they arrived at the top, there were a few plain storehouses and other buildings scattered around the area. They were carved from the same dark stone that composed the mountain ¡ª as was everything else.


    There were no shops or stalls, or bright colors, presenting a very minimalistic and drab atmosphere that seemed to exude a perpetual chill despite the warmth of the mist.


    Zaun led them through the broad neatly paved streets until they reached a small plaza. At the end of which was a massive double-wide door that was etched into the rock face. Framing either side of the entrance were much larger versions of the dull amethyst and sapphire crystals that shed their light throughout the cavern. Much like the mist, these gemstones pulsed erratically as if the energy contained inside sought release.


    The door groaned open on its own accord as they drew close, revealing another great rift in the mountain. But before they crossed the threshold Zaun came to a stop and turned to face them.


    ¡°Stick close. And don''t speak to anyone unless they address you first. The Council should be gathered shortly.¡± A fiery light ignited in the man¡¯s eyes as he spun back around and led them through.


    Beyond the doors, the mountain had been hollowed out in the shape of an enormous hexagonal prism. They had entered the area somewhere near the bottom, at the base of a winding spiral slope that curled its way upward.


    Sirius haltingly approached the short stone barrier at the edge of the ramp, his stomach fluttering erratically as he gazed down into the dark, bottomless pit below. The mist surged out of the abyss in dense bursts, and his eyes followed it closely as it rose through the chasm, coiling around the intricately marked pillars positioned at each vertex of the prism until it gathered into a cloud up above that he couldn¡¯t see beyond.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t Master Zaun just instruct you to stay close by,¡± Fera quipped as she glared at Sirius.


    Fortunately, Zaun himself stepped in before Sirius had to force out an apology, ¡°It¡¯s alright, Fera. This is their first time seeing the Well of Nirvana. A little curiosity is to be expected.¡±


    ¡°What is the purpose of this place, if I might ask?¡± Shadowfire inquired as they proceeded up the slope, urged on by Fera at their back.


    Zaun¡¯s brow twitched as he hesitated, but in the end, he provided an answer ¡ª albeit a vague one. ¡°It is¡­ A place where the Chosen of the Toth gather to reflect on their path and their purpose.¡±


    Shadowfire acknowledged the reply with a gracious nod, choosing not to pry any further.


    Trudging quietly upwards, they eventually arrived at a level floor. It circled around before continuing into another slope that led to a new, higher layer.


    Each of these layers within the Well of Nirvana had numerous unmarked doors lining the walls and nothing else. Sirius estimated that by the time they reached the 7th floor, they had to have passed hundreds of these rooms, yet they had only encountered a scant few passersby ¡ª each of whom was wearing a set of plain midnight blue robes.


    These people all behaved in a similar manner as well. They would acknowledge Fera and Zaun with a polite bow while disregarding the others.


    It was at this point that Sirius started getting a little annoyed. He was well used to Fera¡¯s cold demeanor and Zaun was largely cordial throughout, but there was a hint of derision in the looks that these others shot his way that he found extremely irksome. It was all too similar to the way Rhis had first regarded him.


    ¡°We¡¯re here.¡± Zaun finally announced after what felt like miles of uphill climbing. They had stopped in front of a set of doors that were guarded by two statuesque women. He strode up to one of them and asked, ¡°Has the Council gathered?¡±


    ¡°Yes. You may enter,¡± the rightmost guard replied, flatly.


    Zaun motioned for them to follow, but that same guard suddenly stepped forward and barred the path of Shadowfire and Talia.


    ¡°The un-initiated have no right to stand before the Elders,¡± she hissed.


    Fera frowned and interceded between the two parties. ¡°They are here with me at the request of a High Priestess. It is only due to the presence of the invaders that have yet to undergo their Baptism.¡±


    However, the guard didn¡¯t even flinch in the face of Fera¡¯s anger. ¡°Regardless of extenuating circumstances, my answer remains the same. Any un-initiated must remain outside.¡±


    ¡°They are Heralds that have bled for our cause. What difference does it make¡ª!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Shadowfire interrupted, holding up a hand. ¡°Sirius can speak on our behalf, and relay the information afterward.¡±


    Fera was still seething but managed to rein herself in after a look from Master Zaun. With a huff, she brushed past the guard, dragging Sirius into the Council Chambers behind her.


    ¡°What matter could be so pressing that we must interrupt our meditations yet again, Zaun?¡± A wizened voice pressed as soon as the heavy doors slammed shut behind them.


    Sirius quickly glanced around the large domed space. It was circular in shape and all of the Elders presided over them from a raised dais that wrapped around the room.


    ¡°Now, now, Aur¡­¡± The sole woman among the present Elders chided softly. She flicked her long violet hair to the side as she settled into a more comfortable position. ¡°These are tumultuous times, and we must do our part as members of the Council. If you wish to waste your days away in isolation you could always return to the temple.¡±


    Sirius identified the old man who had first spoken when he snorted loudly in response to the young woman¡¯s rebuke.


    He sat cross-legged atop a gilded throne, thin strands of long white hair cascading down his hunched back. Upon feeling Sirius¡¯ eyes trained upon him, he smiled mischievously, sinking back into his seat.


    Before Sirius had a chance to interpret the meaning of that expression, the next voice arrived from behind. ¡°...Fera, correct? You are assigned to Blackhill Garden alongside Rath. I take it you bring us word from Necrah?¡±


    Sirius spun around to see an azure giant struggling to squeeze into a throne that looked to be formed from dark storm clouds. Lightning flashed around the man periodically as his deep voice continued rumbling through the room long after his mouth had closed.


    ¡°It is as you say, Elder Orous. We have recently emerged victorious in a struggle with the invaders ¡ª whom I am sure you are now familiar with. However, we have learned that they are expecting reinforcements. Because the power and the extent of these forces is unclear, Lady Necrah seeks support from the Council.¡±


    ¡°Indeed¡­ You are not the first to arrive with such news,¡± the woman seated at the center of the dais spoke again. ¡°Messengers from Delti Cape and the Agaze Summit have already been received.¡±


    ¡°Has there been any word from Motabest, Elder Sana?¡± Fera hastily asked, her hands fidgeting behind her back.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid not.¡± Sana shook her head, a solemn frown marring her refined features.


    ¡°I would like to ask some questions before we discuss what aid shall be lent,¡± The elder on Sana¡¯s right intoned. He had a large, beak-like nose and piercing green eyes.


    ¡°Of course,¡± Zaun spoke up in Fera¡¯s place after she remained silent for a few awkward moments.


    ¡°When did they first arrive?¡±


    ¡°A little over 3 weeks ago,¡± Fera replied after a not-so-subtle nudge from Zuan.


    The Elder mulled over her answer for a few seconds, stroking the dark feathers that lined his throne. ¡°And how many Chosen were among their ranks?¡±


    ¡°Only 4, but their leader was powerful enough to match both Berek and Rath at the same time.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, I ask this because we have reason to believe that their attacks were premeditated. They all occurred within the span of a few days, and they seemed to have a good grasp on the capabilities of our defenders.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ can agree with that sentiment,¡± Fera added. ¡°They seemed very interested in our Spirit Well. Employing targeted attacks in order to seize it.¡±


    Sana sighed as she drummed her fingers idly, ¡°Yes, we have heard similar from the others. It is unclear through which channels the Humans are gaining this information, but we are in the process of investigating the Orin settlements that they have been trading with in the northern reaches of the Isles.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve been over all this before¡­¡± Aur rolled his eyes. ¡°Unless there is new information that they can offer, let¡¯s be done with this.¡±


    ¡°Aur! Do not be so eager to dismiss the troubles of our people!¡± Orous slammed his fist down on the arm of his throne, creating a noise akin to a thunderclap.


    Sirius jumped at the sudden burst of sound. His cheeks quickly tinged red as he realized himself to be the only one to do so.


    ¡°There is some truth to Aur¡¯s words,¡± Sana attempted to mediate when the quaking of the room settled. ¡°The actions we can take are limited until we know more about our enemies and their purpose. Marin, is there anything more you would like to ask before we proceed?¡±


    The hawk-nosed elder shook his head, but his gaze remained trained on Fera. ¡°I am satisfied, but I think the Blackguard has something she would like to add.¡±


    ¡°Oh, is that so¡­¡± Aur¡¯s eyes twinkled with a hint of mirth as he suddenly sat up in his throne.


    ¡°...Yes.¡± Fera inhaled a deep breath and squared her shoulders. ¡°I would like to request the removal of Necrah from her position as High Priestess in Blackhill¡­¡±

 Chapter 13

    ¡°You should know that such a thing is no simple matter¡­¡± Elder Sana¡¯s eyes narrowed as she glared at Fera.


    Sirius too, couldn¡¯t help but stare quizzically at the Blackguard. Things in Blackhill were tense. But understandably so. There was the looming threat of slavery and destruction hanging over all their heads for weeks, after all.


    However, he didn¡¯t think it had reached a point that such drastic measures needed to be taken. Though, there could be plenty going on behind the scenes that he wasn¡¯t privy to.


    ¡°High Priestess Necrah has utterly failed in her duties as a servant of Kimala.¡± Fera lifted her chin, speaking proudly, ¡°When innocent lives were at risk, she chose to ignore the signs of impending danger¡­ This failure to act resulted in the deaths of hundreds of our brothers and sisters.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Do go on¡­¡± Sana muttered, her features contorting into a malicious frown.


    Sirius¡¯ knees buckled as he felt a weighty presence envelope the room like the gravity had suddenly increased multiple times over. ¡®This¡­  this is that Soul Pressure again¡­¡¯


    ¡°Sana!¡± Orous bellowed. ¡°Cease this immediately! It is our duty to remain neutral...¡±


    Sana shot Orous a venomous look as she sat back in her bone-white throne, retracting the pressure.


    Fera¡¯s face looked a few shades paler, but she continued on, undaunted, ¡°It is not entirely accurate to say that there was no communication between us and the invaders. When they first arrived and blockaded the gulf, their leader ¡ª the Golden Blade as we have come to call him ¡ª sought out Necrah for a meeting¡­¡±


    Everyone in the room leaned in closer to hear what she had to say next.


    ¡°...He made it clear to her that they intended to seize the Spirit Well. Peacefully or through force. Necrah immediately dismissed the notion of negotiating with the invaders and sent Golden Blade off.¡±


    ¡°Interesting¡­¡± Aur mused, the gaps in his teeth showing as he smiled.


    Sana, on the other hand, scoffed loudly. ¡°And you think she should have done differently?¡± Her voice rapidly escalated in volume, ¡°We cannot yield control of the Spirit Wells, under any circumstances! They are the pillars of our people ¡ª no amount of wealth or material gain can compensate for that...¡±


    ¡°But she did nothing¡ª!¡± Fera spat out. ¡°Even if she did not know the extent of their ship¡¯s firepower, we could accurately gauge Golden Blade¡¯s strength. Pull back from Spirit Well or attack. Those were our two options. Instead ¡ª we waited. By the time they rained fire and earth upon the eastern district, it was too late to safely evacuate the civilians. Many lives were lost as a result of her inaction¡­¡±


    ¡°This is the first we hear about the capabilities of their fleet¡­ I would like to hear¡ª¡±


    ¡°Not now, Marin.¡± Sana sliced her hand through the air. ¡°It is easy to judge the past actions of others in the present, girl. What makes you think lashing out against the invaders would have yielded more favorable results?¡±


    ¡°At the very least she should have moved more of the civilians into the temple,¡± Fera breathed heavily.


    ¡°It is true that the safety of our people is of the utmost importance. Indecisiveness is a fatal flaw¡­¡± Orous thought out loud.


    ¡®...Do I say anything?¡¯ Sirius wondered, fidgeting restlessly under the gazes of the Elders. He had a good impression of Necrah and didn¡¯t want all the favorability he had built up with her to go to waste if she was removed from power.


    ¡°I would like to hear what the Herald thinks of all this.¡± As if reading his mind, the fifth and final Elder present in the chamber spoke. He was an unassuming man; seated in the back right corner atop a bare slab of stone. His dull brown robes were worn and frayed, and he had almost no presence to speak of, unlike the others.


    Sirius inhaled a deep breath as his mind raced in a million directions at once. The room was dead silent, and it took a few seconds to calm himself enough to speak without stuttering or fumbling his words.


    ¡°I cannot speak about what occurred before I arrived in this Realm. But¡­ in my time at Blackhill Garden ¡ª I thought High Priestess Necrah displayed sufficient qualities as a leader.¡± His eyes darted over to Fera, but she remained facing forward, not sparing him a glance.


    ¡°She worked hard to integrate the Heralds into Blackhill¡¯s community. And in addition, if it were not for her selfless effort in aiding our escape, it would have taken much longer for the word of our plight to reach Uscuur.¡±


    ¡°How did she accomplish that¡­?¡± Sana inquired with raised eyebrows.


    ¡°Necrah invoked her Soul Projection to slay the Golden Blade, allowing us to pass through the encirclement,¡± Fera filled in.


    ¡°She what!¡± Sana raged. ¡°That foolish child¡ª!¡±


    All of the Elders were frowning now. Sirius panicked, thinking he may have revealed something he shouldn¡¯t have.


    The quiet man who had first addressed Sirius shook his head, sighing softly. ¡°Sana¡­ I could accompany them back to Blackhill if you would like me to aid in your disciple''s recovery.¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Sana held up a hand. ¡°She understood the consequences. And we can¡¯t afford to have any more Elders leaving Uscuur. It seems we truly must consider a temporary replacement¡­¡±


    ¡°Who is Necrah currently training as her successor?¡± Marin addressed Fera.


    ¡°Her younger sister, Ameera, esteemed Elder.¡±


    ¡°And I¡¯m assuming you are opposed to her inheriting the position?¡±


    ¡°...Yes. Ameera is one of the most talented Priestesses I have ever seen, but between myself and the other Chosen assigned to The Garden¡­ we feel that she lacks the strength of will to lead ¡ª even more so than Necrah.¡±


    ¡°Fine. We will put it to a vote.¡± Sana announced. ¡°All in favor of sending a representative to observe the management of Blackhill?¡±


    ¡°Aye¡­¡±


    ¡°Aye¡­¡±


    One by one, all the Elders agreed.


    ¡°Thank you. I can ask for no more,¡± Fera bowed once the deliberations had concluded.


    Sana dismissed her gratitude with an indifferent wave of her hand. ¡°Zaun, see to it that three additional troops of Blackguards and another Chosen are ready to join them on the trip back to Blackhill. Unfortunately, we are spread thin at the moment, so that is the best we can offer. Do any of the Elders have anything else to add?¡±


    Aur and the others glanced around but none of them seemed intent on dragging the meeting out any longer.


    So with that settled, Sana stood up and proclaimed loudly, ¡°Then by my right as Adjudicator of the Council, I declare this meeting adjourned!¡±


    Zaun and Fera moved to quickly exit the chamber, but Sirius was stopped by a gentle call.


    ¡°One moment, Herald¡­¡± It was the plain, elderly man who had spoken. He procured a vile from the folds of his robe and tossed it down to Sirius. ¡°Please pass this along to Necrah. I am regretful that I cannot tend to her personally, but this tonic should prove useful.¡±


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Quest Received!If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    [In My Hour of Need]


    Deliver Elder Hamen¡¯s tonic to High Priestess Necrah.


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Sirius caught the glass bottle as the notification flashed across his vision. He carefully eyed the swirling muddy liquid within before placing it into his inventory and finishing his dash from the room.


    Zaun and Fera were waiting just outside the doors, staring at him curiously. It looked they had questions for him, but Sirius beat them to the punch.


    ¡°I... I apologize for contradicting you, Fera. Or speaking out of line...¡± He wanted to clear the air immediately before any resentment could simmer.


    ¡°You were asked for your opinion and you gave it. No one could fault you for that,¡± Fera snorted.


    ¡°Well, yes¡­ But¡ª¡±


    Zaun smacked him on the back reassuringly. ¡°Young man, you will come to find that the Toth respect those who speak their mind. It is the reason why we are ruled by a council, unlike the Vokulle and Orin who serve a royal bloodline. For a single person to shoulder the burden of many ¡ª hinders them too severely. Only by sharing our opinions, ideas, and insights can we grow as a people.¡±


    ¡°That is commendable¡­ in many ways,¡¯ Sirius agreed, feeling greatly relieved.


    They continued on past the guards and reunited with a grumpy Talia and Shadowfire ¡ª who still appeared intent on learning [Meditation] as he sat with his back against the wall, brows furrowed in concentration.


    ¡°That was quick,¡± the man remarked to Sirius as he stood up to join them.


    ¡°Mhm. The Council was already aware of the goings-on, so they were well prepared to handle the request.¡±


    ¡°Then¡­ Any idea when we¡¯ll be heading back?¡± Talia tip-toed over and asked. ¡°The people aren¡¯t very friendly here. And it''s awfully¡­¡±


    ¡°Bleak?¡± Zaun added as they began their descent through the Well of Nirvana.


    ¡°Exactly!¡±


    Master Zaun chuckled at her enthusiasm. ¡°I understand the sentiment. And to answer your question, I¡¯ll have the troops that will be accompanying you back to Blackhill ready by tomorrow morning.¡±


    Talia grinned at that, a little extra pep infused into her steps.


    ¡°Master Zaun... or Fera,¡± Shadowfire inquired, ¡°Do you know of a place where we would be able to sell the spoils of our battle and resupply?¡±


    ¡°There is no traditional marketplace in Uscuur,¡± Zaun answered, nodding in passing to a man and woman who were engaged in a quiet discussion on the path. ¡°This is a place where the Chosen and trainees of the Blackguard come to separate themselves from their worldly desires and focus on improving their skills and their connection to the Spirit Plane. However¡­ I do know a Blacksmith stationed here who may be interested in the weapons and armor in your possession. Though, you might not receive as fair a price as you would in one of the settlements.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­ Well, I wouldn¡¯t mind stopping by and seeing what he has to offer.¡±


    ¡°Very well, I can arrange for someone to guide you to his workshop after we get you settled in your quarters.¡±


    ¡°That would be much appreciated.¡± Shadowfire dipped his head.


    ¡°...There are a few other things you may want to accomplish while you¡¯re here,¡± Fera joined in, her gaze flicking back and forth between Shadowfire and Talia. ¡°Most importantly ¡ª getting yourselves Baptised.¡±


    ¡°Ooo, yes!¡± Talia cheered. ¡°Can we really?¡±


    Zaun assented with a slight nod. ¡°Of course. Until you have, it is true that you cannot be wholly considered one of the Toth, so let us settle these matters quickly...¡±


    ***


    Sirius followed leisurely behind his guide, his eyes wandering to and fro. It was quite unfortunate that there wasn¡¯t much to be seen in this place aside from the blank stone walls and the strange, pulsing crystals.


    At first, he¡¯d almost felt like he was in some sort of bizarre low-budget dance club as the lights seemed to glow along with an unheard rhythm. However, It didn¡¯t take long to grow used to the sight, and he almost completely disregarded the purple and blue flashes now, choosing instead to focus on the faces and demeanor of the Toth he encountered along the way.


    Just like it had been when they were inside the Well of Nirvana, there weren¡¯t many people wandering around the streets of Uscuur.


    And of those who did, everyone wore the same hardened expression and walked with a clear purpose. No one seemed to have the spare time or desire to stroll about as he did, which made Sirius a little uncomfortable.


    It was clear his guide felt the same way; the man quickened his steps with every passing minute.


    Therefore, it didn¡¯t take them long to reach their destination: a small cluttered room, tucked away in the back corner of a building located in the outskirts of the cavern.


    ¡°Here we are, Herald: Master Kastros'' Workshop.¡± The guide gestured for him to enter with a broad sweep of his arm, which Sirius happily obliged.


    ¡°You have my thanks, Sir Han.¡±


    ¡°Just doing my job. I¡¯ll be waiting outside to take you back.¡±


    Sirius bowed and stepped past the man, crossing the threshold into the office. Inside, he found a surprisingly young fellow diligently pouring over a large sheet of parchment that was stretched across a table. The man was so wrapped up in his work that he completely failed to notice Sirius¡¯ entry. Or so it seemed.


    ¡°Excuse me.¡± Sirius coughed lightly, ¡°Master Kastros¡­?¡±


    ¡°Yes? What is it?¡± Kastros¡¯ pale eyes remained glued to his work as he replied.


    ¡°I¡¯ve uh¡­ come to purchase a map of the Arid Isles.¡±


    Finally, he grabbed the cartographer¡¯s attention.


    ¡°Very good. It is only right that you Heralds must be curious about your surroundings¡­¡± Kastros trailed off as he moved away from his project and started rifling through a shelf of scrolls in the corner.


    ¡°Ah, how¡¯d you know I was a Herald?¡±


    ¡°I have ears, you know¡­¡± Sirius could practically hear the man rolling his eyes. ¡°Heard the guard outside mention it.¡±


    ¡°...Sorry if we disturbed you.¡± Sirius smiled sheepishly.


    ¡°Ah-ha¡ª! Found it!¡± Kastros suddenly exclaimed. ¡°And don¡¯t worry about it. Admittedly, I¡¯ve been busy pouring over a few of the maps we¡¯ve retrieved from the Humans ¡ª to little success ¡ª so I really should be taking a break soon.¡±


    The truth of those words was evident in the man¡¯s bloodshot eyes.


    ¡°What¡¯s been the difficulty with them? If I might ask¡­¡±


    ¡°Well, for starters, they use a different system of measurement. So, I¡¯ve had trouble deciphering the scale and scope of the sea routes they¡¯ve marked. There¡¯s also many other things I¡¯m unfamiliar with. They seem to follow these ¡®Roots¡¯ ¡ª as they refer to them. Which are essentially long strips of unsettled land that cut through the ocean¡­¡±


    Kastros rambled on for a few minutes about his recent findings, gesturing animatedly.


    Sirius deemed most of what the man spoke of to be rather useless information, but he listened patiently nonetheless. And after a while, the cartographer seemed to have exhausted himself, handing over the requested map with a sigh.


    ¡°Sorry to carry on like that¡­ It¡¯ll be 12 Silver Marks for the map.¡±


    Despairing inwardly at the price, Sirius handed over nearly all of his remaining change and briefly glanced over the product in hand.


    It was more sparsely detailed than he had hoped, but at least he was finally able to get a sense of his relative location within the larger Khilaite territories. Uscuur and the other Toth settlements were located in the eastern recesses of the Isles. In comparison to the sprawling Orin empire, their lands could be considered minuscule, and were bunched much closer together; only separated by narrow stretches of sea.


    However, anything in terms of population or influence was difficult to determine.


    ¡°Thanks for this, Kastros.¡± Sirius smiled, looking up from the worn scroll. ¡°Though, I think I¡¯ve taken enough of your time, so I¡¯ll leave you to it.¡±


    ¡°Sure, sure ¡ª anytime. Feel free to come by if you ever have any questions.¡± Kastros sent Sirius off with a friendly wave.


    Outside, the guide smirked upon hearing the door slam shut. ¡°Wow¡­ I think you made it out of there in record time. Get what you needed?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that was the last thing on my list, so I¡¯m reading to head back to the lodgings.¡±


    ¡°Very well, right this way, Herald.¡±


    ***


    Sirius laid down in the cot he¡¯d been assigned with a sigh. There wasn¡¯t actually any residential areas in Uscuur, so they were forced to stay in one of the hostel-like buildings that housed all the Blackguards in training.


    He was the first one in their group who¡¯d made it back. Shadowfire and Talia were still out finishing errands of their own and completing their respective Baptisms.


    The thought of logging out until the morning had occurred to Sirius, but he¡¯d wanted to at least explore what he could of the facilities nearby and that was when it had occurred to him that getting his hands on a map would be a good idea.


    Even in a small city like Blackhill, he¡¯d struggled without one, so he knew they would be just as crucial to players'' success as anything else. Now, with one in hand, he felt like he could finally start planning out his next steps. And so, while he still had some time to kill ¡ª he did just that. Pouring over the lands of the Arid Isles for hours until a message from Shadowfire caught his attention.


    Shadowfire: Hey, met with the Blacksmith and ended up getting what Zaun actually considered a good price for the gear, so I went and made the sale.


    SoT: Cool, that¡¯s fine by me. How much did we get?


    Shadowfire: 2 Gold Marks and some change. After splitting it four ways, everyone will get 27 Silver Marks.


    SoT: Great! That¡¯s definitely more than I expected. The Baptism go well?


    Shadowfire: Yup. Got the same Spirit Vein molding enhancement as you did, so I''m guessing it''s the same for everyone. We¡¯re heading back now. I''ll hand over your share of the earnings then.


    SoT: You can actually hold on to it for now. I was thinking of logging off for the day.


    Shadowfire: Oh, alright. Have a good one, and I''ll see you later.


    SoT: You too!


    Sirius closed his messenger with a smile. He had some money, and he had a map. All that was left was to turn in his quests and he could finally set off on a journey of his own making...

 Update

    This update has been long overdue. I apologize for leaving you all in the dark, but I¡¯ve been battling with the decision for the last few weeks and didn¡¯t want to make an announcement without being certain of my plans going forward.


    I¡¯ll start with the good news: I haven¡¯t stopped writing. There¡¯s been a story idea in the back of my mind even before I started working on AoA, and I finally got around to working on it. It¡¯s darker, grittier, and slower-paced (I¡¯d place it solidly in the grimdark category, but it''s not torture porn like some of them tend to be). The MC is a lot more dynamic -- as is the supporting cast¡­ And overall, I¡¯ve just found this type of story a lot more fun to write and I believe its better suited to my writing style.


    I originally started writing a VR story because that was how I was introduced to litrpg and eventually fell in love with it, but as I progressed into the story I found myself confronting a lot of roadblocks -- primarily revolving around building tension and stakes.


    It''s really hard to do well in a virtual setting without using gimmicks like trapping them inside the game, and I didn¡¯t think the characters I had developed were interesting enough to pick up the slack.


    Other issues I encountered were things like spending a lot of time making up skill and spell names and their effects, and thinking about equipment and game-balance, and so on. Just a lot of things that detracted from the time I spent actually writing a story. That¡¯s not to say these things are bad or I didn¡¯t know what I was getting myself into, but my creativity just wasn¡¯t flowing naturally. This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    Sorry for going on a tangent there; I just wanted to give a little insight into my thought process. Because yes, for the time being, I will not be updating AoA. The story very quickly got too big for me and felt off, so I needed to take a step back.


    I also know you guys have probably read something like this tens of times on RR, and it sucks, and I¡¯m truly sorry.


    That being said, I don¡¯t want to encounter another situation like this again; and therefore, I won¡¯t be uploading my new story until the 1st book of it is done. Really and wholly finished. Satisfying conclusion and all.


    I¡¯m about 40k words into right now, and I¡¯m estimating I¡¯ll need another 40-50k to complete it. Something like that will probably take me until the first weeks of January (I tend to write around 1500-2000 words a day in my free time).


    So until then¡­ I¡¯d only say to keep following this story if you¡¯re interested. I¡¯ll update here again when I start uploading the other story upon its completion.


    For those who aren¡¯t interested, I can only again say that I¡¯m sorry.


    Thanks for all the support thus far and I wish everyone happy holidays!

 Release

    Well... The prologue and first chapter of my new fiction - Aberrant: Unbound Soul have been published.


    I''m excited, but unfortunately, it seems that the people most interested in the new work are those who were the most... disgruntled by the hiatus of the previous. I was expecting this to an extent. On RoyalRoad it''s always those who give out the random .5 stars that also go out of their way to do so.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.


    Still, if you''re not one of those people and want to give the novel a fair chance (or more than 1 chap before dropping a bad rating) -- I welcome you to check it out!