《VRMMO: Destiny Forged》 Destiny Divine, celestial, transcendent, such are words that could describe the sanctified lands where countless races reside in. Purity encompassed the seemingly endless firmament and sacred lights shone upon the blessed lands where darkness dare not touch. The boundless ocean which was as impossibly deep as an abysscontained all the mysteries of nature and extended beyond the bounds of the horizon. Such a wonderful place can be called a paradise. This place, is the Eternal Doman, the paramount realm where Gods and Mythical creatures reside. Within this realm exists supreme and legendary warriors that are so powerful, tales and fables of them and their historic achievements were spread among countless worlds. On the lands that seemingly expanded infinitely, roamed the strongest and most ferocious of mythical beasts similar to the legends or myths depicted in epics and ancient stories. Other than the fiercest and strongest of beings, there are also peaceful and tranquil creatures that exude spirituality and life. These spiritual animals reside in all kinds of habitats, ranging from the endless forests and jungles, the seemingly limitless skies, even in the deepest parts of the ocean, and they bring forth life and growth wherever they are. Of course, the Eternal Doman, being the pinnacle of all realms and worlds, it is maintained and overlooked by the most supreme of existences across all realms. Possessing the most supreme of abilities, these beings can create and destroy worlds effortlessly. The Eternal Gods. The highest leagues or tiers of existences that ruled all the realms, worlds, and dimensions while being revered and respected by countless beings. Iara, the Goddess of Love and Magic. Elene, the Goddess of Life and Wisdom. Hyperion, the God of Light and Sun. Lakas, the God of War and Destruction. Nehlos, the God of Death and Souls. These five supreme gods were currently gathered and are having a heaven-shaking conversation. A goddess raised her head with a gaze that peered through realms and dimensions. "I can feel it." her eyes shone brightly. "They are coming." Boom! A loud explosion resounded as the god next to her slammed his foot on the ground. "Tsk, those scums." he clicked his tongue. "How ''bout letting me go on the offensive, this way I can release an onslaught on those bastards before they get here." said the god as his blood boiled with rage. "Denied. Lakas, although you are indeed the one with the most destructive power and unparalleled vitality amongst us, it will still be dangerous sending you out there alone." said a god with a pair of white eyes as he rejected flatly. "As much as I want to battle alongside you, brother." interjected a god with a blazing long hair the color of the sun. "I have to agree with Nehlos on this one, it is too dangerous even for the likes of us." his luminous eyes beamed intensely suggesting his fury. "However, we can''t just sit here and do nothing while waiting for them to come." said the same goddess from earlier. "I''ve already set up magic formations across the myriad worlds but that''s not even close to being enough." Lakas roared. "Precisely! We need to be aggressive now!" his voice reverberating around the world. "We can''t wait for them to come here, we need to bring the war to them!" While the four were debating, Elene, the most respected and senior of them all was silent with her beautiful eyes closed. Unable to reach an agreement, Iara, Lakas, Nehlos, and Hyperion looked towards Elene, wondering what her thoughts are right now. Time passed as the four gods remained quiet, they''re gaze upon Elene, waiting for her words. Possessing the most profound wisdom amongst them, Elene''s words and judgment were always impeccable and flawless, therefore, they all remained patient and waited for her decision. After a while, an absolutely beautiful smile appeared on her perfect face and following this, her eyes opened. "This upcoming calamity will indeed be our hardest and most strenuous challenge yet. It could be said that it''s almost impossible to overcome, however, there is always a way," said Elene with a carefree smile on her face. Before the other four could even respond, Elene raised her arm and pointed her finger in front of her as her eyes peered through myriad dimensions. Immediately, the space in front of her cracked like glass as fragments of the void that contained different places appeared. These "fragments" were the countless worlds and realms that exist in the universe. Her finger seemed to extend endlessly until it finally stopped and pointed at a small blue planet that was simply beautiful to behold. Iara, Lakas, Hyperion, and Nehlos looked at this world as their faces brightened up, finally guessing Elene''s plan. ---------- The year 2060 With the global advancement of medicine and technology, wars all over the world have ceased for a long time now. Presently humans could now live up to 200 years old with the help of advanced medicines and nutritional foods and drinks. Along with beneficial sustenance, martial arts have also become an essential practice around the world. Martial arts stimulates and boosts the physical growth and potential of the body as well as strengthening one''s constitution. Alongside global development and the world''s technological progress, a massive breakthrough in the field of Virtual Reality has been realized thirty years ago. And from then on, Earth has entered the era of Virtual Reality. A life of freedom and choices. Sports, Entertainment, Politics, Lifestyle, and so on have been realized within virtual reality. However, the most popular progress was within the MMORPG field. Exhilarating freedom, realized fantasies, life-changing choices, gods and devils, legends and myths. These are the promises of the Endless Gaming Company or EGC for short. The company has always been the world''s leading organization in the field of Virtual Reality. EGC has produced countless games that have become the focus of the world in the past. And now, their newly created MMORPG-Destiny Forged have finally been finished after thirty years of development, or so they said. EGC boasted that {Destiny Forged} will have 99% realism which its predecessors couldn''t even come close to.If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. And right now, the same video has been circulating all over the world, it was the teaser trailer of {Destiny Forged}. [Legends and Myths, Gods and Devils, Monsters and Heroes, Lifestyle and Combat. The game contains the freedom and fantasy that countless people all over the world have hoped and craved for!] -Endless Gaming Company. -EGC Forum- In here, discussions and debates have been going on for a while now. The trailer has already thrown the world in an uproar so everyone was wondering what the actual game would be like. "I heard that the game will have a real-life to in-game currency exchange! EGC have really been planning this game for a long time." "Of course! Not only will {Destiny Forged} be for entertainment, people could actually work there full time! I heard that the leading banks all around the world even support this game." "God I can''t wait to play the game! I can feel it in my bones that this game will be the focus of the whole world." "I heard that {Destiny Forged} will be run by Prime, EGC''s super artificial intelligence." ---------- This was the world''s first artificially created country. Home of the rich and powerful, the country boasts of the world''s most advanced technology, the best medical facilities available, and the pinnacle of martial arts. Nowhere else would you find another place where experts and geniuses of all fields were scattered along the streets like ants. Enjoying the most successful of economic developments for years now, this country is called Alpha. Alpha capital, New Era City. Amazingly designed skyscrapers towered up to the sky with the sunlight reflecting from their glass windows. The city was filled with abundant restaurants, ranging from small-scaled ones to high-class first-rate restaurants. There were a plethora of carefully designed modern to classical houses and mansions alongside a great number of four and five-star hotels that were built on different levels of lands, competing with each other. The abundant trees, bountiful grasses, beautiful and unique flowers, all the greenery and nature added a hint of natural beauty to the modern yet classical New Era City. In the center of the city existed a villa so wide that it literally took up a whole block! Other than the plentiful trees and flowers that ranged from all different types, a grand mansion with a mix of both Greek and Mediterennean design stood proudly in the middle of it all. In an open space of the mansion''s back garden that spanned a thousand sq. ft. stood a young man, who seemed to be 18 to 19 years old, with a longsword in his hand. He had jet-black hair that flowed along the wind and a pair of dazzling golden eyes with a face that seemed to be sculpted by God himself. With the longsword in his hand, he was like he was in his natural habitat as he exuded an aura of sharpness that towered up to the heavens. The image of the young man with the sword in an open space gave a fleeting yet profound picture that seemed to resonate with nature. Everything about it seemed so natural and pure like he''s held the sword countless of times. The young man raised his arm and thrust forward. *Whoosh* It was as if the wind was split where the sword had pierced. Slash, stab, cut, slice. He kept waving his arm while the sword followed his will akin to an extension of his limb. His footwork seemed illusory and random as he resembled a ghost with his mysterious steps. While his performance seemed ordinary and simple in the eyes of an ordinary citizen, an expert in martial arts or with the way of the sword would realize the truth. The swordplay was immensely profound since not a shred of opening or weakness could be seen at all, it was simply flawless! Hours passed as the young man kept training his sword arts repetitively for a few hours before a loud voice was heard. "Jaden, it''s time for dinner!" Jaden turned his head and smiled when he heard a familiar voice. His eyes landed on an incredibly beautiful woman that had a hint of resemblance with Jaden''s face. "I''ll be there,Mother," said Jaden with a smile. "Alright, hurry up." laughed the beautiful woman as she went back inside the majestic mansion. ... Inside the mansion, a grand dining table could be seen with plenty of tasty delicacies and delicious cuisines on top of it. A handsome scholarly-looking man that seemed to be in his late thirties could be seen sitting with the same beautiful woman from earlier beside him. Jaden then entered the dining room. "Mother, Father." The couple was indeed Jaden''s parents. At that moment a gentle smile appeared on both of his parent''s face. Jaden sat and started wolfing down his meal before he asked. "Dad, when is big bro coming home?" Morgan laughed and answered. "Your brother will be back in a few months I guess. He''s still supervising the two new headquarters that''s being built in Philippines and China. "Speaking of which, our company''s {Destiny Forged} will officially start in a fewhours," said Veronica, Jaden''s mother. If someone were to see and hear this woman''s words then he or she will be able to recognize her identity! Veronica Cross. The director and CEO of the leading powerhouse Endless Gaming Company. No one would''ve expected that this woman with peerless beauty was the highest shareholder of one of the, if not the, richest organization in the whole world. "Yea I completely forgot about it until earlier." sighed Jaden. "Well we already brought your gaming capsule in your room, you should check it out after you finish your food." Morgan chuckled. "Of course, you''ll get some perks since that capsule of yours is different from the others. Anyway, it''ll better for you to experience it yourself than explaining it." "Ohh! Thank you both!" exclaimed Jaden in astonishment before rapidly finishing his dinner. With unbelievable speed, he sped across the stairs and numerous rooms before entering his room. Watching Jaden''s fleeing back, Veronica mumbled with a daze. "I know how much restricted Jaden has felt all of these years. Now, he can finally be freed from all the shackles that have been chaining him down." "I''ve always known before that our son''s talent in martial arts can be both described as a curse than a gift. Living a restricted lifestyle and having the gift of unparalleled martial arts and the sharpest of instincts, I''ve always felt Jaden had been born in the wrong time and era. That was until our breakthrough in the field of VR." Morgan laughed loudly. "I wonder how much of pandemonium he''ll create later on." Veronica covered her mouth and giggled when she heard her husband''s words. She couldn''t help but look forward to the future. ... Jaden''s room. Although the room was unbelievably large, the room wasn''t designed too luxuriously or extravagantly. Near the grand bed sat the gaming capsule that numerous people would drool over for. The external surface was simple. There wasn''t anything much except a small chamber for nutritional liquids and food that entered a tube to keep the person within healthy without suffering hunger while inside. Other than that there was a voice identification and analyzing screen that seemed complex and intricate. "Wow...How amazing is this." Before Jaden could even touch the capsule, a voice was heard coming from it. [Analysing the incoming voice...complete! Welcome, Jaden Cross to the Diamond Capsule #01. Would you like to enter?] Taken aback, Jaden''s mouth gaped for a while before taking a hold of himself. "Yes." *Whoosh*! Without delay, the surface parted before a small room that seemed to fit Jaden''s body appeared. Once again the same monotonous voice was heard by Jaden. [Please enter at once to start your dive.] Hearing its words, Jaden entered the capsule and laid down inside it. Surprisingly, it was extremely comfortable once he laid down. Jaden remained calm when the surface closed. He looked around but there was only darkness that met his gaze. [The VRMMO {Destiny Forged} have been detected to be internally installed. Would you like to open it?] Hearing those words, Jaden boiled with excitement as he told the capsule to run the game at once. [Opening {Destiny Forged} right away. Please wait a moment.] *Bzzz* Suddenly the capsule started to emit a systematic sound. Gas similar to dry ice seemed to spray on his face forcing him to close his eyes. [Ding! Loading complete!] At that moment,a lightand crisp voice resounded in his ears. [Hello and welcome to {Destiny Forged}! Would you like to create your character now?] Character Creation "Oh my, I apologize for not introducing myself. My name is Aven, a descendant of the Fairy King." bowed Aven politely. Seeing his actions Jaden smiled. "Well, greetings to you Aven, my name is Jaden." "Greetings Jaden, I was sent here to aid you in the creation of your character. Shall I start a quick guide right now?" asked Aven. Jaden nodded his head in consent. Aven then flew upwards while speaking. "First, let me fill you in with the lore of {Destiny Forged}. The place that you will arrive in is called Boundless Continent. In ancient times, it was one of the strongest realms across the myriad of worlds. However, due to the countless wars that had taken place between worlds, the continent had regressed and deteriorated. Among these wars, the most fatal one was called the War of Eternal. Alien races from foreign universes attacked our worlds and brought about a mortal calamity across different realms. The most fearsome of them all are the ones that we call Chaos Gods. They enslaved the races of our worlds and brought an era of darkness. However, the Eternal Gods, along with powerful factions such as the Dragon race, Phoenixes and so on, were enraged and forced the Chaos Gods into a violent and devastating war. The heavens cried and the earth shook, and finally, victory dawned upon our side. The Chaos Gods and their spawns were either killed or mortally wounded and were forced to hide in their dimensions or the infinite void. (Infinite Void = Space/Void) Aven paused for a moment before continuing. Although we won the war, the cost was far too expensive. Mighty Heroes, Mythical Beasts, and even a few gods have died in that glorious and arduous battle. However, we cannot be too complacent! Mother Elene have spread the word that the Chaos Gods will be back soon, and they''ll even be stronger than before so we need every help that we can get. And I know that in the near future, you will be among the powerhouses that will fight for our world!" Aven was full of determination as he clenched his tiny fists while flying around. Jaden couldn''t help but laugh at the scene. ''What an interesting and immersive story, I wonder what it''s like to be on the spotlight as well, gloriously fighting alongside powerful comrades.'' he thought as his blood boiled with excitement. At this moment, Aven flew right in front of his face and asked. "Okay, now let us continue with your character creation shall we?" Jaden agreed as well. "In the world of {Destiny Forged}, aside from the level, the warriors and monsters are separated by tiers or ranks. Both NPCs and monsters are ranked as follows: NPCs: [Bronze], [Silver], [Gold], [Royal], [Imperial], [Supreme], [Legendary], and finally [Divine]. From [Royal] rank onwards, there are three sub-levels that must be attained for one to advance to further ranks, they are as follows: [Primary], [Intermediate], and finally [Pinnacle]. As for the monsters: [Normal], [Elite], [Lord], [King], [Emperor], [Ancient], [Legendary], and [Divine]. This is the order of the level of existence of all NPCs and monsters in the worlds and realms of {Destiny Forged}. Of course, the higher the rank means the stronger one is. However, there are races that are simply innately powerful and possesses an advantage compared to others. An example of this is a [Dragon]. A pure-blooded dragon is already of [King] rank when born, the powerful ones could even battle a god or even kill one! My [Fairy] race, now, are also among the top races of countless worlds due to the help of our Fairy King!" At this moment, Aven''s eyes were sparkling like diamonds when he talked about the Fairy King. Jaden raised his brows and said. "So is everyone inherently limited by their race, without a chance to improve their potential?" Aven simply laughed at his question. "Of course not! There are countless ways to overcome and break the limit of one''s potential. Consistently pushing one''s limits extremely within a battlefield, finding magical treasures or medicines, obtaining titles, being worthy and blessed by the Eternal Gods, and so on. There are plenty of ways to increase one''s rank, however, since you are a heaven''s chosen, you aren''t ranked by this typical system. (Heaven''s chosen = what NPCs call the players.) Jaden nodded his head at this revelation. At this moment Aven suddenly became stiff as his eyes became dull and empty. He then opened his mouth and spoke with a monotonous, systematic voice. [Jaden Cross, it is time to for your character creation. Please pick your character''s name.] Although he was a bit curious at Aven''s instant change, he started thinking what his name should be. Suddenly, Jaden smiled and said. "King." Jaden thought back to when he had fought many top tier martial artists and warriors all over the world, and what they nicknamed him. King. A word that carried the aura of power and authority. None can go against a king''s will. Jaden Cross. Despite being an unknown name among the masses, the inner circle of the world''s strongest martial artists knew of this name. They had nicknamed him "King" because of his unparalleled combat prowess despite living for only less than two decades. However, it wasn''t just a nickname but more of a title. A title befitting his unbeatable battle record and being unrivaled across the world. Jaden laughed when he remembered his father telling him about this story. Therefore, when he couldn''t think of a name for his character, Jaden just picked "King" as his name. [Ding! Your character is now named "King".] [There are 4 main starting classes that players can pick which are the following.] [Warrior, Thief, Mage, and Priest.] [Players can replace their starting classes in-game, however, your starting class will be the root and foundation so choose wisely.!] [Please pick one of the following starting classes.] Of course, Jaden chose the Warrior class. [Ding! You have chosen the Warrior class. Please choose your starting weapon.] At this moment, a magical scene appeared around Jaden. Weapons ranging from swords to spears, staffs to hammers, daggers to whips, all kinds of weapons floated in the air, surrounding him. As if calling for him, a longsword near him hummed as it levitated in the air, emitting sharpness around it. Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. Jaden smiled and walked towards the sword. Holding it in his hand, the longsword resonated with him as it emitted a sharp cry that reverberated in the surrounding. The other weapons all shook and hummed as if they were congratulating the sword for being chosen. "I choose the sword." declared Jaden. The usual carefree air around him was gone as he currently resembled a sheathed sword with a sharpness that towered up to the heavens. Suddenly, the sharp aura was gone as he regained his usual carefree disposition. He looked at the sword and smiled with satisfaction. ''A world where power reigns supreme...'' he thought. [Ding! For your attribute points, you have two choices to pick from. One, you will receive a fixed amount of attribute points and distribute them manually, or two, your real-life body will be scanned by the capsule and your attributes will be determined based on your body''s strength and constitution.] "Heh." Jaden laughed when he heard the system''s words. ''Since I was a kid, my body had been strengthened and refined to the limits, it''s been pushed to the extremities, I highly doubt that my body will just be a bit stronger than a normal person''s body.'' he thought. "I pick the second one, my attributes based on my real body''s capabilities." [Ding! The system is now scanning your body, please wait for a moment...10%...30%...40%...65%...80%...95%...100%! Complete! The player''s attributes will now be shown on the screen.] Right after the system''s words, a blue screen suddenly appeared in front of him. _______________________ Main Attributes: STR: 65 AGI: 78 CON: 60 INT: 58 VIT: 55 WIS: 60 ---------- Innate Attributes: CHA: 99 LUC: 70 WIL: 100 PER: 80 _______________________ [The Main Attributes are composed of Strength, Agility, Constitution, Intelligence, Vitality, and Wisdom while the Innate Attributes are composed of Charm, Luck, Willpower, and Perception, other than these, one could also unlock hidden Innate Attributes in-game.] [Only the Main attributes can be increased with the points that one can get while leveling up, while the Innate attributes can only be increased through certain means, but it will be harder of course.] Although Jaden knew that he was stronger than normal people, he didn''t know how much so he asked the system. "Can you show me the status page of a normal player''s attributes?" [Ding! Of course, please wait a moment...Ding! Complete.] _______________________ Main Attributes: Free stat points: 30 STR: 15 AGI: 12 CON: 10 INT: 11 VIT: 10 WIS: 9 ---------- Innate Attributes: Free Innate starting points: 30 CHA: 0 LUC: 0 WIL: 0 PER: 0 _______________________ "Whoa!" exclaimed Jaden with astonishment as he compared his stats with a random person''s. The difference could simply be said to be impossibly large. [The system has deemed your body to be too abnormal and have decreased your attributes to keep the balance of the game. Of course, compensation will be given for you to keep everything fair.] "What?! My stats were actually forcefully reduced just to keep the game balanced?!" Jaden laughed when he heard the system''s words. [Ding! And for the final touch, would you like to keep your current appearance the same or do you want to alter it? One can only alter one''s appearance for 50%.] "Hmm, no thanks, I''ll just keep my own face." Jaden waved his hand in refusal. [Congratulations! You have now officially finished your character creation!] [Ding! As one of the owners of the only 10 Diamond Capsules across the world and the official owner of the Diamond Capsule #01, you have received 4 gifts from the system. Would you like to open it now?] Jaden was surprised but he smiled since he knew that it was the doing of his parents. "Yes." [Ding! Opening the gifts now...] [Congratulations to King, you have received Sword of the Forsaken.] [Congratulations to King, you have received a mysterious egg.] [Congratulations to King, you have received Spatial Ring.] Jaden was excited when he heard that he won a sword, he immediately had the system show it to him. _______________________ [ Sword of the Forsaken ] Type: One-Handed Sword Rank(Can Evolve): Bronze > Silver = 30 pieces of Level 20 Bronze equipment. Damage: 50 - 110 Attributes: > +25 to all stats (Including Innate Attributes). Skills: Lifesteal(Passive): 15% of the damage dealt with restores the health. Only works with basic attacks. Description: An ancient weapon of a peerless warrior of the past that was exiled for a crime that he didn''t commit. (Upgrade the weapon to unlock more of the description). Requirements: Level 0. Bound to King. _______________________ "Wow! This sword can actually evolve?! I wonder what background it actually has..." muttered Jaden. [Not all equipment can evolve, only a few specially forged pieces of equipment can, or ones with a special history behind them. The rank of equipment in {Destiny Forged} are as follows: White > Bronze > Silver > Gold > Hero > Epic > Ancient > Legendary > Mythical.] After Jaden finished checking out the sword, he then looked at the other items that he received. _______________________ [ Spatial Ring ] Type: Ring. Rank(Can Evolve): Bronze > Silver: Reach Level 30. Attributes: > +20 Intelligence, Wisdom, Charm, and Luck. > 20 cubic meters of inventory space within the ring. Description: Forged by a legendary blacksmith using extremely rare meteor rocks containing the element of space, the spatial ring is born. Restriction: Bound to King. _______________________ [ Mysterious Egg ] Type: Pet Egg ( 0% Incubation) Rank: Unknown. Attributes: Unknown. Description: An egg of an unknown creature, it could hatch a random pet. Feed it the blood of monsters and beasts, the higher the quality the better pet it will hatch. Requirement: Bound to King. _______________________ "..." At this moment, Jaden held a large egg that wasn''t exactly an egg between his arms with a curious look on his face. ''I wonder what kind of creature will hatch from this weird egg...'' The egg was different from the eggs that Jaden knew, it wasn''t hard and it wasn''t a shell exactly, it was pretty hard to explain what it was made of exactly. While Jaden was thinking what could hatch from it, the system''s ever monotonous voice resounded again. [And finally, for your final reward, you will be sent into one of the most powerful cities in the continent.] Although it was very vague, Jaden still nodded his head and thanked the system. [Ding! This concludes your character creation, {Destiny Forged} will officially launch in an hour, prepare yourself.] "Can I stay here and wait instead?" he asked. [Yes.] Hearing that he could stay in whatever this place was, Jaden immediately took out the Sword of the Forsaken and started practicing his sword arts. ''I should use this time and get familiar with this sword and moving within this VR game as well.'' he thought, after all, reality and virtual reality are two different worlds. He would still have to get used to this world despite its 99% realism. ---------- [Ding! Destiny Forged will officially launch in ten seconds! Counting down now...] At this moment, Jaden raised his head and took a deep breath as he counted down in his head. [10] [9] [8] [7] [6] [5] [4] [3] [2] [1...] [Ding! You will now be transported to EverGuard City. Good luck on your adventures, warrior.] "EverGuard..." said Jaden silently as he wondered what kind of city it''ll be. Suddenly, a bright light flashed in front of him which resembled a portal. Jaden felt a light push come from behind him but he didn''t resist it as his body entered and was swallowed by the portal. This moment marks the beginning of a legend''s everlasting glory. EverGuard City and Training Swallowed by the bright light akin to a portal, Jaden had to close his eyes due to the searing luminosity. The surrounding was quiet but moments later, Jaden opened his eyes only to be greeted by something that couldn''t be comprehended with mere words. All kinds of colors mixed together surrounded him as he traveled inside this tunnel-like passage made up of rainbows of lights. Jaden looked around and he saw a gigantic celestial body beyond the throngs of light in front of him. He figured out that the tunnel was going that way and that place was probably the "Boundless Continent". *Bzzzzzooow* Suddenly, he was once more showered with all kinds of radiant lights forcing him to close his eyes, at this moment, Jaden felt like he was traveling at an incomprehensible speed. And finally, everything went still as Jaden eventually heard a bustling sound of caravans and merchants doing trades. "Am I at the EverGuard City yet..." he muttered quietly. And as if answering his question, Jaden heard a system prompt. [Ding! You have now reached the EverGuard City! As the first player to have arrived in the city, you have been given the title, EverGuard''s Warrior.] [Ding! As the system''s compensation for reducing your starting attributes, you have unlocked the Fighting Aura attribute!] "Wow! Rewards alread-" shouted Jaden in astonishment as he looked around as soon as he opened his eyes. However, he couldn''t even finish his words before his jaw nearly dropped to the ground. What filled his vision was all kinds of extravagant buildings that one couldn''t even see in the real world. It was a mix between fantasy and medieval style which gave off the feeling that you have really entered a whole different world. Jaden remained in a daze as he started walking around, taking in and processing everything. Towering defense walls, sacred temples, huge arenas, grand mansions, and villas, luxurious restaurant and houses, everything could simply be said to be dignified and refined yet delicate and classic at the same time. After walking around for a long while, Jaden then remembered that he received two rewards earlier when he stepped foot in the game officially. He immediately checked both of them. _______________________ Title: [EverGuard''s Warrior] Rank: Rare Description: You are the first heaven''s chosen that have reached the EverGuard City and you have become a praised warrior of EverGuard. Go forth and bring glorious achievements to the city to upgrade your title further. Effects: > 500 Reputation Points within EverGuard City. 10% discount on everything that you buy in the city. > You will receive the treatment of the lowest ranked aristocrat in any other Empire, Kingdom, or cities. > +10 STR, AGI, CON, and VIT. _______________________ "The effects are great! Wait, what are the ranks of titles in this game..." Jaden asked himself before remembering that he could connect to the DF Forums even when in-game. (DF = Destiny Forged) Jaden didn''t really do anything except search for the ranks of titles in-game. Within seconds, he already found what he was looking for. In an announcement of EGC, the titles within Destiny Forged were ranked as follows: [Common], [Rare], [Unique], [Epic], [Legendary], and finally [Myth]. "A title that can be further upgraded...alongside the unlocked attribute, the system''s compensation actually seems to be fair..." he muttered quietly. After checking the title, Jaden then looked at the attribute that he unlocked and read its description. _______________________ Fighting Aura(Innate Attribute): Fighting aura is capable of many miraculous things, not just in the field of combat. _______________________ "...that''s it? It''s not a vague description at all is it," said Jaden with sarcasm. Unable to figure out what it could do, Jaden checked in the DF Forums but couldn''t find anything useful since there wasn''t any information about it. "I guess I can only find a way to increase it and see its effects then." Since he''s been walking all this time, Jaden suddenly found himself in front of a training grounds called Basics of Combat. Suddenly feeling the desire to train, Jaden opened the humungous gate in front of him and entered inside. Surprisingly, the whole place was empty except for the wooden dummies that seemed to be newly replaced as they seemed as good as new. "Helloooo? Is anybody here?" shouted Jaden, only to hear his echoes without any replies at all. Finding that there wasn''t anyone around him, Jaden simply picked up a wooden sword from a weapons racket and walked in front of a dummy. _______________________ [ Wooden Sword ]Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. Type: One-Handed Sword Rank: White Damage: 1 - 1 Description: A wooden sword. _______________________ "Although I feel bad for being here without any permission, this is the perfect place to train myself to try and get used to this new body." _______________________ [ Basic Dummy ] HP: 300 Defense: 10 _______________________ Jaden held the sword and fixed into a stance. Immediately, he stabbed the dummy with a speed that one''s eyes couldn''t even keep up with. -120. A three-digit number in the color of red appeared above the dummy''s head once it was hit by Jaden''s stab. +300 However, suddenly another three-digit number in the color of green appeared above the dummy, restoring its health fully once more. Seeing the damage, Jaden struck out once more. -211 +300 Yet again the dummy was healed and restored back to full health. "Haha, this is perfect." Jaden laughed giddily when he found out that the dummies could heal themselves automatically. "Now I can practice non-stop..." Suddenly Jaden struck the dummy again with inhuman speed. -144, -212, -232 Within an instant, he struck the dummy three times! If a normal person saw this scene, he would probably think that Jaden was a high-leveled player since it was impossible for a Level 1 player to do such a thing. Seeing the wooden dummy collapse, Jaden moved with insane speed unto another dummy and attacked it similarly. -222, -102. -196 That dummy then collapsed as well. "So it takes roughly 5 seconds before a dummy restores itself..." Jaden smiled when he figured this out after he kept destroying the dummies. And then time passed. Seconds turned into minutes, minutes turned into hours yet Jaden was still in the training ground and was repetitively training his swordplay. Hours passed before a system prompt resounded in Jaden ears, interrupting him. [Ding! Due to your hard training, you have received +1 STR, AGI, and CON!] His eyes widened when he saw the system log and found out that he can actually receive free attributes simply from training. "I should take advantage of this and increase my stats as much as I can before I level up. Although I''ll get left behind by most players, I''ll have way more attributes than them and when I catch up to their level, the game wouldn''t even be fair for them anymore." thinking this, Jaden laughed loudly like a madman before continuing his training. At this moment, the humungous door from the entrance opened as a man that seemed to be in his early 30s with long white hair entered. He was donned in an illustrious golden armor that seemed to be impenetrable, his pauldrons had the carving of a shield with a dragon in the middle, and he also had a spear that was near twice the size of a human in his hand. The man was surprised when he saw someone on the training ground. "This place was closed for the week, how come there''s still someone here..." Just when he was about to call for him, what Jaden was doing left him stunned. He saw the kid jump from dummies to dummies only taking a millisecond before being able to destroy each of them. At first, he thought that this person was a high-level warrior at first but when he used his identification skill, although he couldn''t see the person''s attributes, he saw his level, and he was actually only Level 1. "So it''s a heaven''s chosen...he''s the first one that reached this city yet." smiled the man as he remained quiet and kept watching Jaden. He didn''t plan to interrupt him and simply watched from afar. However, although Jaden was low leveled, his stats were simply monstrous and way beyond his current level. Especially so for his perception which was monstrously high even though it was an innate attribute. That''s right, Jaden sensed the white-haired man even though low-level warriors have no chance to sense higher-leveled ones if it wasn''t on purpose. Jaden glanced at the system logs and looked at the total of attribute points that he received from the inhuman training. [Because of your arduous training, you have pushed your limits further and have received: +13 STR, +15 AGI, +20 CON.] "48 attribute points for a total of 5 hours of training, that''s not bad," he muttered. Although he trained for 5 hours in the game, only an hour has passed in the real world. One hour in the real world equaled to 5 hours in-game, this duration of time that passed was also one of the announcements of EGC when they released {Destiny Forged}. The announcement left the world in an uproar since this was the first time that a VRMMO had this feature. At this moment, Jaden stopped his training and looked in the direction of the white-haired man. "Oh?" the white-haired man was surprised when he saw the young man staring at him. "He can actually sense me this far away? What powerful perception!" he then smiled and started walking towards Jaden. ''Is he the owner of this place? Is he mad that I trespassed without permission?'' wondered Jaden as he prepared himself. He opened his mouth and just when he was about to speak, his eyes narrowed sharply when he saw a wooden spear coming his way rapidly. With lightning reflexes, just when the spear was about to pierce his forehead, Jaden moved his body sideways and dodged with ease. Before he could even ask what''s going on, another attack headed his way approached. This time, Jaden dodged the attack once more, fixed his stance, and slashed forward with his sword, towards the man''s neck. From the start, the white-haired man was surprised to see the young man dodge his attack the first time, he was even more surprised when he dodged his attack twice. Although he was higher-leveled, he brought down his strength and speed, and reduced them greatly, matching someone with abilities around Level 20. However, when he saw the young man attack, he couldn''t help but be a bit serious. He dodged the attack and clenched the wooden spear as he swept sideways with ferocity, it was as if the wind was being sliced as it sped towards Jaden. Instead of panicking and moving backward, Jaden lowered his body and stepped forward while stabbing his sword towards the man''s head with a speed incomprehensible of someone who''s Level 1. The white-haired man was again forced to bring up his power by a bit when he saw that he couldn''t deal with the brat with the same strength and speed. He brought back his spear and jumped away to dodge the attack. He smiled as the aura around him changed, Jaden narrowed his eyes and thought ''Seems he''s getting a bit serious...'' The man charged at Jaden stabbed forward repeatedly and relentlessly. The speed was just inhuman and could be said to be simply impossible to dodge, yet Jaden was able to evade them all somehow. They fought back and forth, without the use of skills, only with raw combat techniques along with their instincts and senses. The man''s surprise kept increasing as he continued to fight the young man. His earlier evaluation of him kept rising as he had to keep increasing his current power just to keep up with Jaden. Of course, if he simply used his real strength, Jaden wouldn''t even last a few seconds... After nearly an hour of fighting, the white-haired man laughed. "You are good! Every time that I thought that I could beat you down, you only kept proving me wrong time and time again. This is the first time that I''ve seen anyone like you." "Thank you...I guess?" Although Jaden didn''t know the man, he still felt grateful to him. This was the first that he was actually being suffocated and suppressed in a fight, he had forgotten this feeling for a long, long time. Jaden only felt excitement when he fought this person whom he knew was way, way stronger than the current him. Even though Jaden didn''t know this man, everyone, as in everyone, in EverGuard City knew him. If they heard this man actually praise someone like so, then they wouldn''t even believe it even if someone beat them to death! "I''ll take this up a notch by a bit now, keep up!" said the white-haired man as he laughed carefreely. However, at his heart, he was excited beyond belief. ''What a treasure I''ve found!'' he thought. Becoming a disciple The two fought for a few hours and within this time, Jaden had found out from the white-haired man that his name was Roland EverGuard, EverGuard City''s current City Lord. Apparently, the position of the city lord has been inherited and passed down through generations and generations of Roland''s family. In the midst of conversation, whilst battling, Jaden couldn''t help but ask the city lord what he was doing in this place, which was for beginner warriors. "You didn''t know, right, you''re a heaven''s chosen so I guess you wouldn''t know much about this world, let alone this city." (Roland) "Come to think of it, what exactly is a heaven''s chosen and how come you know a lot about them?" asked Jaden. "Well, first of all, all my knowledge and the others'' about heaven''s chosen all came from Mother Elene, the Goddess of Life and Wisdom. Through the priestesses and oracles of hers, she said that all kinds of people will descend unto this world, possessing rapid growth potential and the ability to resurrect endlessly. Mother Elene said that these promised champions that hailed from the heavens will help the people of this continent and beyond, to battle against the Chaos Gods and their spawns." said Roland without hiding anything. "Come to think of it, are all of the heaven''s chosen like you and as strong as you?" he asked with heated eyes while stabbing forward with his spear ferociously. ''Well, I haven''t met anyone that could last a while against me so probably not?'' Jaden thought. He wasn''t being arrogant or anything, this was what he honestly thought since he hasn''t met anyone that could actually make challenge him and make him serious. Jaden moved his body sideways smoothly to dodge the spear and honestly answered. "Hmm, I haven''t met anyone as strong as me at least among them...but as you said, all of the heaven''s chosen have good potentials and can grow rapidly. There will be many strong experts that will appear eventually. Although he knew this already, Roland nodded his head and appreciated the young man''s honesty. ''Even with his unparalleled talent, this young man is without arrogance or any excessive pride but instead calm and composed akin to a boundless ocean. However, beneath this tranquil ocean slumbers a great power like a sleeping behemoth, that if awakened, shall release a power that can shake even the heavens.'' Roland smiled as he decided in his heart. He stopped moving as Jaden followed, he then asked the young man. "Come to think of it, young warrior, what is your name?" Jaden opened his mouth and was about to say that his name was "Jaden" but he held his tongue and remembered that his identity is now different in this world. He smiled and said. "My name is King." Taken aback for a moment, Roland was stunned before he laughed loudly. "King...Hahahahaha! King! What a perfect name befitting such unparalleled talent! Hahahahaha!" At first, Jaden was stumped since he thought Roland was laughing because his name was too overbearing, however, his words amidst the laughter relaxed him. Suddenly, Roland stopped and stared at Jaden solemnly. He then opened his mouth and said with a serious tone. "Although this might seem, sudden, Young King, I, Roland EverGuard have never had any disciples in my life, therefore as the lord of EverGuard City, I''m asking you, are you willing to become my disciple?" Before Jaden could even open his mouth, a small blue window appeared in front of him alongside the sound of a system prompt. [Ding! A hidden opportunity has been unlocked!] [The City Lord of EverGuard City, Roland EverGuard wishes to take you in as his disciple. Do you accept?] Jaden remained silent for a moment before using the skill Identification that all players obtained on Roland. ''Come to think of it, this is the first time that I''m using this skill...'' he thought as Roland''s status page appeared in front of him. _______________________ Name: Roland EverGuard Age: 35 Rank: Supreme (Pinnacle) Title:: EverGuard''s City Lord (Legend) Class: ??? HP: ??? MP: ??? _______________________ Besides the name, age, rank, and title, the rest is just "???". ''Seriously though, I can''t believe he''s actually a Supreme ranked warrior, and at Pinnacle at that!'' (Author: I changed some things, check the author''s thoughts.) Despite not knowing much about the capabilities of the NPCs in different ranks, Jaden knew that Roland is among the top powerhouses of this continent. ''Even when he suppressed his strength at our battle earlier, spotting any weaknesses from him was way harder than finding a needle in a haystack.'' thought Jaden in his heart as he decided. "It would be my honor to be your disciple, master," said Jaden as he bowed respectfully. Roland let out a satisfied laugh when he heard Jaden''s decision. He stretched out his hand and smiled. "Take this badge, it represents power and authority in the city that is only below mine. Just don''t go crazy using this badge since I''ll take it back if you abuse its power within the city." Jaden then took a look at the badge in his master''s hand. The badge seemed to be crafted from a very rare obsidian-colored alloy as it gave off a strong pressure in its surrounding. It was in the shape of a shield and a sword with a dragon coiling around it was carved on the surface, representing EverGuard City''s symbol.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. Jaden reached out his arm and held the badge in his hand. At that moment, he heard a system prompt as a blue window appeared in front of him. [Congratulations! You are now the official disciple of Roland EverGuard!] [Congratulations! You have received the title "Disciple of the Lord of EverGuard"!] _______________________ Title: [Disciple of the Lord of EverGuard] Rank: Epic Description: You are now the sole disciple of Roland EverGuard, the current City Lord of EverGuard City. As the youngest Supreme Ranked warrior in the Boundless Continent, Roland EverGuard is known by almost everyone in this world! As the disciple of the Roland EverGuard, who has the achievement of being the youngest ever to reach the Supreme Rank, you should be proud and work hard to prove to the powerhouses of this world that you are worthy to be his successor! Effects: -> Comprehension and mastery of Warrior-related skills increased by 30%. (Note: Higher comprehension/mastery = faster leveling up of skills.) -> World Reputation + 1,000. -> + 50 STR, AGI, CON, VIT. _______________________ Jaden exclaimed when he saw the effects of the title. "What the?! This title is OP!" ''The increase in comprehension and mastery of warrior-related skills was simply too amazing; Although I don''t know what World Reputation +1000 means, it''s probably a good thing. Also, that increase in stats is just amazing! I can already feel the difference!'' thought Jaden as he felt power flowing throughout his body. At this moment, another round of blue messages appeared in front of him with the usual sound of the system. [Your Strength attribute have exceeded 100 points! You feel the hidden power flowing through your body! As the first player to attain 100 points in the Strength attribute, you have obtained the skill Superhuman Strength.] [As the first player to attain 100 points in Agility, you have obtained the skill Acceleration.] [As the first player to attain 100 points in Constitution, you have obtained the skill Warlord''s Challenge.] [As the first player to attain 100 points in Vitality, you have obtained the skill Enhanced Combat Regeneration.] ''The rewards just keeps on coming.'' Jaden laughed in his heart. He immediately checked the four skills that he received right after the system''s words. _______________________ [Superhuman Strength] Type: Passive ->Increases strength by 40% with or without a weapon on hand. (Doesn''t give attribute points.) (Cannot be leveled up) ---------- [Acceleration] Type: Active Level: 1 / 5 = 0% -> The world and everything will slow down in your perspective to some extent and also increases attack and movement speed by 20% for 1 minute. Cooldown: 25 minutes. ---------- [Warlord''s Challenge] Type: Active Level 1 / 5 = 0% -> Increase defense, physical resistance, and magic resistance by 10% for 30 seconds. Cooldown: 10 minutes. ---------- [Enhanced Combat Regeneration] Type: Passive -> Once activated, HP regeneration increases by 300% when health drops below 30%. (Can be activated on and off anytime.) Cooldown: 1 hour. _______________________ ''I finally got skills! And four of them at that!" Jaden was excited as he stared at the effects of the four skills. Although this was his first time playing a VRMMO, both the passive and active skills were just incredible in his opinion. Suddenly, a voice interrupted his daydream. "My disciple, we first need to clear up some things," said Roland. Jaden looked at him and nodded his head, listening like an obedient child. The atmosphere suddenly became serious as Roland continued. "Although you are my disciple, I shall not tolerate any misconduct or unethical behavior be it towards me, the knights, or the citizens of this city. Of course, if the other party keeps provoking you, then you can take action." Jaden nodded his head and kept listening. "You also must rack up your own achievements and upgrade your title EverGuard''s Warrior further. You must also prove, with your glorious achievements, to the world that you are worthy to be my disciple. There are plenty of ways to rack up achievements, for example, being victorious in the battlefield, successful dungeon raids, slaying powerful monsters, capturing bandits and thieves, and so on. The higher your achievement is, the more respected you are in this continent, and if you''re lucky, you can even be blessed by the Eternal Gods!" "Blessing of the Eternal Gods?" muttered Jaden as he wondered what kind of blessing one could get from the gods. Roland laughed when he saw him in a daze. "That''s right! The Eternal Gods, Elene, Iara, Lakas, Hyperion, and Nehlos. Other than defending many worlds, they also watch over every realms and continent, giving blessings to those that are worthy. The blessings can be for strength, power, wealth, luck, and so on. One can even advance in ranks with the help of the blessings of the gods." right now, Roland had a pious expression on his face as he talked about the Eternal Gods full of respect. He continued. "Other than that, I''ll also be helping you train." When Jaden heard this, he smiled with excitement. This was what he was looking forward to when he became Roland''s disciple. Roland was strong, incredibly strong. That''s why Jaden became his disciple. He respected him and knew that his strength, be it in this world or the real world, will increase by leaps and bound under his training. Noticing his disciple''s eyes full of determination, Roland smiled and added. "To increase the speed of your training, there will be times when I will release the full pressure of the power of Supreme. With this, you can hone yourself under this power which is way beyond your capacity, and in turn, will unleash your full potential." At this moment, Jaden didn''t have a sliver of fear or regret but instead, he was excited. He looked at his master with eyes full of resolve. Suddenly, Roland laughed and said. "Like now." Boom! A majestic aura that seemed to cover the sky and the surrounding was unleashed. An overpowering pressure descended unto Jaden at once. Right now, it was a battle of wills. Roland''s power slowly but continuously increased while his overwhelming pressure collapsed on Jaden. Without using his skills, Jaden resisted simply with his body. ''Ugh, my knees feels like they''re gonna break any second now. And this is simply his aura alone! What strength!'' Jaden felt his very existence was being decimated at this moment. With all his strength, he tried to lift his foot with difficulty and stepped forward. One step...two steps...three steps. Roland''s eyes widened as he stared at Jaden with his stubborn will and perseverance. Feeling like his cells and tissues were being ripped apart continuously, Jaden clenched his teeth as he tried to raise his sword. ... Seven hours later. [You have withstood the power of an impossibly powerful being and survived! Fighting Aura +1.] [You have withstood the power of an impossibly powerful being and survived! Fighting Aura +1.] [You have withstood the power of an impossibly powerful being and survived! Fighting Aura +1.] [You have withstood the power of an impossibly powerful being and surv...] [You have withstood the power of an impossib...] [You have withstood...] [You have...] [You...] [...] More Training - Enlightenment Jaden looked at the system messages that appeared in front of his eyes. [You have withstood the power of an impossibly powerful being and survived! Fighting Aura +1.] [You have withstood the power of an impossibly powerful being and survived! Fighting Aura +1.] [You have withstood the power of an impossibly powerful being and survived! Fighting Aura +1.] ''What exactly is fighting aura for...Wait, Roland would probably know the answer to this.'' thought Jaden as he was enlightened by this fact. At this moment, Jaden was training under the overbearing pressure of a [Royal] ranked power that Roland released. The aura that he released started from [Bronze] then [Silver] then [Gold], and now [Royal]. Jaden withstood those powers and trained rigorously without using his skills. One must remember that although Jaden''s attributes are indeed monstrous, he was still, after all, only Level 1. In {Destiny Forged}, levels don''t just represent higher attributes or higher experience. As the NPCs and Monsters of this world have their own power system, the player''s level is their evolution system. As NPCs increase their power rank, their very existence is being upgraded to something better, something more extraordinary, akin to shedding one''s mortality and developing oneself to a higher existence. And along with increasing one''s ranks, or levels in a player''s situation, one''s very being is cultivated and develops an innate and fundamental pressure or power over those that are lower ranked or lower leveled. Thus, it could be said that it''s simply a miracle how Jaden can even move, let alone fight and train, under the pressure of a [Royal] ranked power, despite it being an existence leagues above him. Under this oppressive power, the cells and tissues within Jaden''s body were being ripped apart and replaced rapidly and continuously, which in turn improves his physique, attributes, and mentality. "Hey. Roland," said Jaden with difficulty. "Hmm?" (Roland) "Fighting Aura, what is it exactly...?" Suddenly, a wave of power burst from Roland, sending Jaden dozens of meters away. ''Good thing, I''m in this training grounds, at least I won''t die here.'' muttered Jaden as he looked at his HP. _______________________ HP: 145 / 1630 _______________________ Roland''s eyes stared at Jaden solemnly. "What Fighting Aura is, it''s hard to explain, but you can think of it as an energy, power, or source that''s different than Mana. Fighting Aura is something incredibly rare, so rare that none of this continent has it except for two people, and that includes me." As he continued talking with Jaden listening like an obedient child, his expression suddenly changed as he looked at his disciple. "Wait...you shouldn''t know anything about Fighting Aura...that is unless...don''t tell me you...?" Before Roland can even finish his question, Jaden nodded his head and answered. "Yea, I unlocked this thing called Fighting Aura somehow..." said Jaden meekly as he peeked at his master''s face, which was continuously changing by the second. Silence. Seeing his master suddenly stop, Jaden stopped any movement and stood quietly as he looked at Roland who''s contemplating on something. "Well now, this changes everything..." muttered Roland as he then looked at Jaden with a grin on his face. "Seems like picking you as my disciple was a great choice huh." Jaden smiled wryly when he heard that, he was about to say something before he was interrupted. "Well, let''s talk about Fighting Aura then." said Roland as a distinctive aura started to exude from his body. "Fighting Aura. You can call it a separate mana, energy, or power, or all of the above even. It''s also similar yet different to auras or powers like sword energy, spear energy, fist energy, and so on. One can only attain Fighting Aura through sheer combat, however, if a normal person tried his utmost to realize Fighting Aura, one wouldn''t achieve it even if he or she spent their whole life trying. I don''t know how you obtained Fighting Aura but that''s not what''s important right now." Roland said as the distinctive aura from earlier, which now had the color of silver, enlarged until it towered up to the sky and enveloped the surrounding. "This is Fighting Aura!" he declared with a towering presence. Jaden gasped in astonishment as Roland''s silver-colored Fighting Aura covered him like an impenetrable armor that could withstand even the mightiest of attacks. Roland continued. "Enhancing one''s physique and strength greatly, providing unparalleled aura and presence, boosting and strengthening one''s attack and speed, even granting unmatched regeneration. Fighting Aura can do so many miraculous things that even I have not seen the limits of its capabilities." at this moment, Roland''s Fighting Aura had already expanded until it covered the whole training ground. Jaden could feel the nigh-omnipotent power coming from his master right now. "Master, how can I-" before Jaden could finish his sentence, Roland had cut him off and laughed. "My disciple, you have probably been blessed by the Eternal Gods with the ability to use Fighting Aura. Right now, with my own, I can feel a faint strand of Fighting Aura building up within you. To further enhance it, you must continuously battle opponents, be it humans, monsters, or those of other race, that are stronger than you. You must survive or be victorious again and again to repeatedly develop your Fighting Aura. And the most important of all..." Roland paused for a moment before pointing his finger at Jaden''s chest. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. "The most important of all is your heart! An indomitable will represents one''s Fighting Aura. Remember this, my disciple, the more refined and stronger your heart and will are, the stronger your Fighting Aura will be!" said Roland with passion as he recollected the memories of him traveling the continent and fighting all kinds of powerful warriors and terrifying monsters. Roland looked up at the sky for a few moments before his gaze landed on Jaden. He then lifted his foot and stomped on the ground as web-like fissures continuously expanded. -Boom- Out of nowhere, a majestic presence collapsed upon Jaden, forcing him to kneel on one knee as his whole body trembled. He couldn''t even lift his head or move any part of his body as he remained rooted on the spot. Clenching his teeth, Jaden did his utmost to withstand the powerful aura. "Under this pressure of [Imperial] power mixed with my Fighting Aura, I want you to battle this guy when you''ve adapted and can move," said Roland as a flash of light appeared from his hand. Suddenly, a heavily armored puppet appeared from who knows where and landed a few feet away from Jaden. Roland laughed heartily as he saw Jaden''s current image. He couldn''t even count how many times he''s been surprised by this disciple of his today. ''While this kid''s potential is indeed the best that I''ve ever seen and encountered, he still needs to suffer some hardship despite his unparalleled talent and even that faint Fighting Aura that''s inside him.'' Roland once again laughed as he thought of this before walking towards the entrance. Before leaving the Basics of Combat training ground, he turned around as a firm wooden sword appeared in his hand. "Oh right, use this when you two start fighting!" he yelled from afar before throwing the sword towards Jaden, landing right in front of him. _______________________ [Refined Wooden Sword] Type: One-Handed Sword Rank: White Durability: ¡Þ / ¡Þ Damage: 1 - 1 _______________________ Whistling carefreely, he walked out of the training grounds, leaving only Jaden and the armored puppet. At that moment, he probably forgot that Jaden was only Level 1... ---------- The next day. -Clank!- -Clack!- Within the grounds of Basics of Combat, a resounding sound of metal being struck hard again and again could be heard. If one looked closer, they would actually see a 3-meter tall giant that was donned in full body armor and an unbelievably handsome young man with jet-black hair and a pair of golden eyes. A normal person would probably be shocked out of his or her senses if he or she saw the current display of the young man with just a wooden sword, fighting an armored giant. _______________________ [EverGuard Battle Puppet] Type: Combat Puppet Rank: Gold HP: 14,200 DEF: 999 STR: 350 AGI: 350 CON: 350 INT: 100 VIT: 350 WIS: 100 _______________________ When Jaden first saw the puppet, he figured that with its giant body, it would be strong but its speed would then be its weakness. Therefore, after hours and hours of adapting and training himself under the tormenting pressure of the [Imperial] power, and finally when he was able to move and run around, albeit a bit slow, he immediately attacked the puppet. ''The fact that I can barely run alongside a battle against this puppet while being pressured by the [Imperial] power, I''ll probably be able to increase my attributes more...'' this was what Jaden thought at that time. Although he was right about the latter part, he was incredibly wrong thinking that he could take on the battle puppet then. The moment the puppet sensed Jaden''s intent to fight, it at once attacked him. With a speed that was way, way above Jaden''s current abilities, the puppet gave him a punch that could not just dent on a tank, but literally rip a hole in it, which sent him flying dozens of meters away. And from that moment on, Jaden''s inhuman training began once more. ---------- "Although I still can''t move as fast as before, at least now I can dodge this guy''s attacks," muttered Jaden as he tilted his head sideways, dodging an explosive fist that was headed to his face. Clenching the somehow durable wooden sword in his hand, Jaden bent his legs and lunged forward. He pulled back his arm and gathered momentum before releasing a stab full force towards the puppet''s seemingly impenetrable silver armor. -19! A two-digit number appeared above the battle puppet, displaying Jaden''s apparent low damage towards the puppet. However, he wasn''t disheartened at all. After hours and hours of fighting, Jaden''s damage has improved from an initial zero to a single digit and then to double digits. He relentlessly attacked despite being oppressed by the [Imperial] power left behind by Roland which surprisingly, still hadn''t dissipated after a whole day. It was as if Jaden had bottomless stamina and endurance as he weaved and danced around the puppet, dodging it''s ferocious attacks while releasing storm upon storm of attacks without stopping. After all the hours of his training which pushed himself to his limits, Jaden didn''t even know how much attributes he had gained all this time since they''ve been fighting for hours continuously. Thrust! Suddenly, Jaden felt as if he was walking on air, his surrounding seemed to move slowly as he was able to perceive all the attacks of the puppet by it''s minute actions. ''What is this feeling...'' when he pierced forward with his sword, it was as if he could sense everything, he felt all these energies and elements in the air and the surrounding. He felt the swaying of the grasses and the branches of the trees, he felt the wind hitting his body, he felt the contraction of his muscles, and he felt the power within him flowing throughout his perpetually. Raising his arm, with the sword in his hand, when he stabbed forward, Jaden suddenly fell in a trance. Once...twice...thrice...a hundred times...a thousand times...tens of thousands of times...hundreds of thousands of times...a million times... Hours passed quietly while Jaden, with his eyes closed, kept dodging the powerful fists as he only stabbed the puppet, with his wooden sword, endlessly and repeatedly, like a mindless machine. However, if one looked closer, one would actually see that every hit that Jaden landed upon the puppet were all on the same spot! It could be said that this was simply impossible unless his level was high enough to actually do so! But he was only at a measly Level 1! The battle puppet was incredibly fast, leagues above Jaden''s own speed, yet he was accurately hitting all his stabs with such godly precision! Suddenly, right after Jaden dodged an attack, right after he pulled his arm to gather momentum, and right after he unleashed a stab with his sword, a magical scene took place. The sword seemed to accelerate as ripples upon ripples surrounded the sword up to Jaden''s arm. An unprecedented stab. A scene of space itself collapsing as it was penetrated appeared in front of the enlightened young man. Boom! The stab landed on the battle puppet. Crack! Crack-Crack!! Shards and fragments of the silver armor fell down akin to rainwater from the [Gold] ranked battle puppet. And right after that- [Ding! You have been enlightened after hours and hours of inhuman training while withstanding an impossibly powerful pressure at the same time! You have created your own skill!] [You have created a Legendary-rated skill! Please name the skill] [As the first player to have created your own skill, you have been rewarded with the following: -> 100,000 gold. -> 10,000 World Reputation Points. -> +30 Skill Points (SP) -> Title: Becoming a Legend (1 / 3). ] [World Announcement: Congratulations to player "King" for being the first player to create a skill! Congratulations to player "King" for creating a Legendary-rated skill! This will go down in the annals of history!] [World Announcement: Congratulations to player "King" for being the first player to create a skill! Congratulations to player "King" for creating a Legendary-rated skill! This will go down in the annals of history!] [World Announcement: Congratulations to player "King" for being the first player to create a skill! Congratulations to player "King" for creating a Legendary-rated skill! This will go down...] [World Announcement: Congratulations to player "King" for being the first player to create a skill! Congratulations to player "King" ...] [World Announcement...] [World...] [...] Becoming a swordsman [You have created a Legendary-rated skill! Please name the skill!] [As the first player to have created your own skill, you have been rewarded with the following: -> 100,000 gold. -> 10,000 World Reputation Points. -> +30 Skill Points (SP) -> Title: Becoming a Legend (1 / 3).] [World Announcement: Congratulations to player "King" for being the first player to create a skill! Congratulations to player "King" for creating a Legendary-rated skill! This will go down in the annals of history!] [World Announcement: Congratulations to player "King" for being the first player to create a skill! Congratulations to player "King" for creating a Legendary-rated skill! This will go down in the annals of history!] As the same World Announcement resounded over and over again, all the players currently online were shocked senseless at the revelation. The same types of conversation were being held everywhere at this moment. "Damn, whos this King guy anyway? How on earth did he create his own skill?" "Not just a skill, a Legendary-rated one at that apparently! I didn''t even know that skills have their own ranks!" "Look at those rewards..." "I wonder what kind of skill he created?" "Whatever it is, it''s bound to be OP! I mean, it''s a legendary skill after all." "Wait, gimme a few minutes, I''ll try to create my own skill too." "Do you honestly think it''ll be that easy?" Be it in-game, or in [DF Forums], everything, everywhere, and everyone is in an uproar. RIght now, nearly every single player was either looking up who "King" was and what his background is, checking the forums and previous announcements of EGC to try and find more information about skill ranks, or doing all sorts of actions to create their own skill. Of course, none of them succeeded. Yet, that is. ---------- Imperial Sword Empire. Right before the humungous gate that was the entrance to the empire, a young man that seemed to be around 19 to 20 years old could be seen. He wore a bamboo hat alongside a strapped greatsword that was sheathed on his back. Seeing the system messages in front of him, he stopped. [World Announcement: Congratulations to player "King" for being the first player to create his own skill! Player "King" has created a Legendary-rated skill! This achievement will be recorded in the history of this continent!] "...what?" muttered the young man, speechless. "It''s only two days into the game and someone already did such a thing?" He then laughed loudly, drawing the curious eyes of the passing crowd. "Laurence, what are you giggling there for?! Hurry up!" Hearing his name being called from afar, he yelled back. "On my way!" he checked the world announcement one last time as he engraved the name King in his mind. "Here we go," said Laurence before stepping onward, towards gates of the Empire. ---------- Headquarters of the Church of Life and Wisdom. An eye-catching group consisting of priests and paladins drew the eyes of onlookers as they marched towards the temple. The priests wore similar robes that had a mixture of colors gray and white with engravings of patterns coiling from top to bottom. Some of them held ornaments and artifacts while some held some kind of book which gave the impression that it was some kind of holy text. Leading the priests were strong-looking men with explosive physiques, donned with silver armors that reflected the sunlight that shone upon them. These paladins held weapons ranging from a halberd, sword, shield, some even both. However, the most conspicuous of the group was a striking young woman. With silver hair that reached down to hair waist that was akin to a waterfall, the simple and ordinary white robe that she wore couldn''t hide the elegant and graceful disposition that she gave off. Citizens, pilgrims, adventurers, all kinds of people that walked past the group couldn''t help but stare dazedly at the young woman who appeared to be a fairy that descended to the mortal world. Seemingly accustomed to being gazed at by people, the young woman was currently staring at a system message in front of her with a stunned expression. [World Announcement: Congratulations to player "King" for being the first player to create his own skill! Player "King" has created a Legendary-rated skill! This achievement will be recorded in the history of this continent!] "King..." she muttered dazedly. "Lady Arianna, we have arrived." one of the priests beside her suddenly said. "The Supreme Pontiff awaits." This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. Arianna nodded her head and looked up at the glorious cathedral before her. Taking a deep breath, she took a step forward alongside the paladins and priests. ---------- In the Ironwood Forest, a monster''s loud cry resounded. Grrrrr! Roarrrr!!!! In front of the monster called [Dusk Bear] was a youth holding a dagger that dripped with blood, dying the ground the color of red. He had pale skin and sharp features which seemed to align with the dangerous aura that he exuded. Holding the dagger he dashed towards the bear rapidly and jumped, stabbing the exhausted bear''s eyes without mercy. The [Dusk Berar] couldn''t even react as it''s energy has been spent. Looking at the incoming youth, it knew that death was coming. The bear bellowed one last time before the area became silent. Hearing the system prompts for the experience points and items he obtained, the youth looked at the World Announcement that appeared again and again. "Legendary-rated skill...?! King...how interesting." laughed the youth as he waved his dagger, ridding the blade of the oozing blood. Then, he turned around and walked into the darkness, deep into the forest. ---------- From the elites and experts to the casual and lifestyle players, they all stared and listened to the World Announcement of this guy that already made a worldwide achievement. The casual players simply admired the player King while the hardcore experts were already walking their own path, hoping to achieve a feat similar to that player. ---------- At this moment, Jaden was already out of his daze as he stared shock at the system messages. "What just happened...that weird feeling just now...was it enlightenment? My body feels lighter and I can feel that my sword mastery had taken a step forward and improved." Jaden was quiet for a few moments before smiling widely. "Legendary-rated skill! I didn''t even know that there are skills that are ranked! It''s probably a piercing attack too! A legendary attack skill!" Right before he was about to check out the skill, he noticed a weird system message that stood out from the rest. [ Assimilation: 3% ] Assimilation...weird, what is this? Jaden checked his status page but there wasn''t anything about Assimilation there. "Oh well, I''ll look that up later." excited, he threw that topic at the back of his head and checked out the skill that he got. _______________________ [????] (Legendary) Type: Active Level: 1 / 5 = 0% Description: Created by an unparalleled genius who had enlightenment, the skill''s power and potential shocks even the gods above. Once unleashed, the heavens shall cry and the earth tremble. Be it gods, devils, demons, or even the world itself, none shall stand in your way! Cooldown: 12 hours. (Please name the skill.) _______________________ There was no exact effect or any statistical damage input on the skill page other than the overbearing description which left Jaden in awe. When he read that he needed to name the skill, Jaden at once racked his brain to think of a suitable domineering name for such a powerful skill. Time passed as all kinds of skill names popped out in his head. And then it dawned on him. "Sundering Heavens," Jaden muttered the name over and over, finding it to his liking. "I''ve decided." [The Legendary skill "????" will be renamed to Sundering Heavens. Confirm?] Yes. Confirm. [Ding! The skill Sundering Heavens (Legendary) have been created.] Jaden nodded his head, satisfied. As he was re-checking the skill page of [Sundering Heavens], a familiar voice called out to him. "Jaden." Roland could be seen standing at the entrance of the Basics of Combat training grounds. Walking up to him, Roland patted his shoulder and laughed heartily. "Hmm, you look good despite suffering some beating from the battle puppet." he waved his hand and the battle puppet from afar suddenly disappeared. Jaden was about to ask how he was able to do that but he was interrupted by his master. "Follow me," said Roland as he walked out of the training grounds. Jaden followed his master and looked around him. The bustling atmosphere of the city filled Jaden with a slight hint of belonging. He stared at the warriors with sturdy and vigorous physiques that were rowdily drinking beers and rums. He glanced at the mages and spellcasters wearing their typical long robes and staff as they passed by, drawing the envious looks of ordinary citizens. From the quietly cowled people that minded their business to the boisterous and loud ones that sought for attention and the spotlight, Jaden watched them all. Taking a deep breath, he exhaled. He''s never felt like this in a long time. This unfettered state of mind and freedom, he missed this feeling. "What a world this is..." Interrupting his daydream, Roland said. "As a heaven''s chosen, you probably don''t know anything about the Boundless Continent." he continued. "I''ll take you to the City Library where you can broaden your horizon by reading the books within. But before that, would you like to change your class? From watching you train, I can see that your affinity with the sword is simply perfect. Do you want to change your class to Swordsman?" "There''s such a class?" shocked, Jaden didn''t even think twice for agreeing to change his class to Swordsman. "Of course! There are a lot of classes known in this world and there are even more that are unknown and hidden. The Swordsman class is similar to the Warrior class, in which they are both primary classes. As EverGuard City is one of the strongest cities in this world, one can find many kinds of professions that others wouldn''t even find on any other cities, kingdoms, or even empires." Roland smirked as he took this chance to boast in front of his disciple. However, he wasn''t really lying as EverGuard City is a colossal city after all. There are a lot of masters and hidden experts that resides in this place so it would simply depend on one''s luck to encounter such opportunities. ---------- A few minutes later, in front of a blond middle-aged man that sat in a chair was a handsome young man with a pair of golden eyes that seemed to shine. [Ding! The Warrior class has now been changed to Swordsman! There will be changes on the fixed attribute gained on every level-up.] [For every level up you gain: +150 HP, +50 MP +5 STR, +5 AGI, +3 CON, +2 VIT, +2 INT, +2 WIS.] Other than the base attributes that he would gain after each level up, Jaden also received three skills for Level 1 players, two passive skills and one active skill. _______________________ [Sword Mastery] Type: Passive Mastery: Novice 1 (0%) ¡ú3% increase in damage dealt with a sword or any sword-related skills. ¡ú Can be leveled up. ---------- [Beginner Swordsman] Type: Passive Mastery: Novice 1 (0%) ¡úIf using a sword, damage increases by 1% ¡úDamage of all sword-related skills increase by 5% ¡úIncreases proficiency gained by 3% to all sword-related skills and mastery. ---------- [Chop] Type: Active Level: 1 / 5 (0%) ¡úDeals 150% damage to a single target. Cooldown: 10 seconds. _______________________ "That''ll be three silver coins for those three skills." said the man as he stroked his mustache. Initially, Jaden wanted to pay but he found out that he actually had no money at all. The only thing that the system had given him was the starter clothes that he''s wearing and the starter iron sword that was kept in his [Space Ring]. Of course, the [Sword of the Forsaken] and the [Mysterious Egg] were also kept inside. Roland didn''t know whether to laugh or cry when he saw his disciple stare at him with hopeful eyes. Reaching inside his pocket, he took out three silver coins and flicked it towards the man. "Here you go, brother Fang," The man called Fang caught the coins as he grinned. "Yo Roland, how come you''re paying for this little chick huh?" ''Hmm, the master called him "brother" and he didn''t even address master as City Lord...he''s probably not a simple man...'' thought Jaden as he looked at Fang. The man had a lean build but he wasn''t skinny at all. His expression was carefree as he chatted with Roland without care for etiquette or customs. "This young man here is my disciple." introduced Roland as he patted Jaden''s shoulder. "Oh and he''s also a heaven''s chosen but let me tell you this, this kid''s talent is just extraordinary." "Oho, is that so?" exclaimed Fang as he started to size up Jaden. ''Hmm, to make Roland praise his talent and even call him extraordinary...this kid is probably the real deal.'' Jaden came forward and reached out his hand. "Hello Sir Fang, my name is King." Eh? King? Fang whistled and suddenly laughed as he shook Jaden''s hand. When he shook Jaden''s hand, his eyes flew open as he felt a faint power hidden within the young man''s body. It can''t be...Fighting Aura?! Looking at his friend''s expression, Roland laughed and said. "You know, my disciple''s talent with the sword is the best I''ve seen. You should spar with him sometime." Once more, Fang was shocked by what Roland said as his evaluation on Jaden changed. He agreed that the kid is incredibly talented since Roland took him in as his disciple and he even has Fighting Aura at such a young age. Fang checked Jaden out once more but he couldn''t sense the sharp and piercing aura of the sword from him so he started to doubt what Roland had said just now, he thought that his friend probably just exaggerated about the sword talent part. Reading - First Quest EverGuard City Library. The city''s library could be described in one word. Massive. Hundreds of thousands of shelves containing innumerable books are within this place. From ancient scrolls and archaic records to modern texts and documents. Stories and pieces of information about the past eras and epochs up to the present historical figures and events. From historical and fictional fabrications to the present day realized biographies. Invaluable and priceless knowledge sleeps within this library and right now, a lone young man, reading a book could be seen. Although the library was actually closed, with the city lord''s permission, Jaden was allowed inside to browse to his heart''s content. Step, step, step. Footsteps were heard as Jaden turned around only to see his master carrying dozens of books in his arms, walking towards him. Slam. The sound of books landing on a table resounded as Roland picked out a book amongst the dozens. "My disciple, there is a saying that books contain knowledge and knowledge is power. Here, start with this book and finish the rest. I''ll get someone to procure more books for you in a while, so start reading." smirked Roland as he threw the book to Jaden. Catching it, Jaden read the words on the cover. "Founding of EverGuard". Roland only laughed and turned around, towards the exit of the library. With curiosity, Jaden opened up the book and started reading the first page. "My name is Arthur EverGuard. If you''re reading these words, then I have accomplished my mission and my purpose. Well, if you want to know about my story, then keep reading..." ---------- Year 1981, Age of Trials. ''It''s nearing two millennia. What am I still fighting for? I''m tired. I''ve slain archdevils and beheaded 10 of those 72 Demon Kings. I''ve fought countless monsters, even those damned Chaos Gods and survived. But It''s not enough, still not enough. Right, I need to fight. I must continue for my mission is not complete yet.'' Year 1999 Battle of the Kings. ''Those weak-willed bastards! Actually giving in to the Abyss and the Chaos Gods, what Kings, they''re no King!'' I muttered as I stabbed the forehead of the enemy in front of me. Continue or surrender. We fought each other due to two conflicting beliefs. Between the two armies, it''s starting to become clear which side is winning. Looking at the mangled and deformed corpses of my fallen comrades, I grimaced. I need to turn this situation around. What do I do? What can I do?! Cut off the head of the snake and the body will die. At once, I looked for those damned Demon Kings. My eyes peered through the warriors and monsters that were constantly fighting, and then I saw them. Tens of thousands of meters away, I saw them. Out of the 72 bastards, 3 were here, fighting. ''Hmm, seems like the other two are occupied by the other warriors and kings. Then my target has to be him.'' A hulking demon with two penetrating eyes and a horrific aura around him so dark, it was like the abyss itself. Six curved horns adorned its head like a crown befitting that of the ruler of demons. Four bat-like wings extended on its back, exuding flames that could even burn and incinerate dragons and gods alike. It stood up from its gigantic obsidian throne, yelled in a strange demonic language, and waved it''s arm, ordering the millions of hordes of demons under it to rush and dismember the human army. Baal. The top seat amongst the 72 Demon Kings and could be said to be their real King. A ruler comparable or even stronger than the Chaos Gods. Feeling an intense glare on him, Baal''s fiery eyes suddenly glared at me. He smirked mockingly, provoking me. ''This bastard.'' although the Demon Kings I''ve slain were at the bottom tier of the 72, I''ll be sure to wipe the smirk off that thing''s face. ''Oathbreaker'' I thought as I extended my arm in the air. *Crackle* Crackle* Suddenly, the atmosphere of the battlefield worsened as the roars of lightning reverberated everywhere. Boom! A bolt of lightning descended and struck my arm down to my hand. And then it appeared. Within my grasp was a two-meter-long black spear with sparks of lightning surrounding it, fearsome to behold. Golden engravings coiled around it from the top to bottom, akin to a dragon. It was a Legendary weapon. ''O God of War, Lakas., please grant me strength.'' I said in my heart. I then channeled my Fighting Aura to its limits. The red-colored aura covered me like armor and shrouded my spear, enhancing it''s destructive power to its extremity. My red aura was like a storm, towering up to the heavens and silencing the chaotic battlefield. "BAAL!" I roared at the top of my lungs, shaking even the heavens itself. "I, Arthur EverGuard, the Avatar of the God of War, shall decimate you and your army of demons!" Boom! Like a bolt of lightning, Oathbreaker flew and shot towards the demon, leaving the ground in cracks and fissures. If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. I too, dashed towards Baal as sonic booms resounded, leaving decimated corpses of demons in my trail. The demon smiled. Destructive jet-black energy radiated from him, shaking the entire battlefield as if welcoming my challenge... ---------- [Due to your immersive reading, you have acquired: +1 INT and WIS.] At this moment, Jaden was completely immersed in the story of Arthur EverGuard that he didn''t even hear the system message or noticed the number of books around him that had increased. He was enraptured by the thrilling battles and wars that King Arthur had participated in during his prime. Ancient Dragons, Colossal Behemoths, Demon Kings, even the Chaos Gods that the gods feared, all of them, he fought and survived before founding the city and ascending to the Eternal Domain, fighting alongside supreme beings and mythical warriors. "What a heart-racing journey...I wonder if I could have the same kind of adventure..." Jaden sighed when he remembered that although what he just read, or see in this case, was unbelievably lifelike, Destiny Forged is still a game in the end. Without a care for the system message, Jaden picked up another book called "The Tales of Sword Demon". ''Although it''s called "reading", it''s more like watching an inconceivable high-definition movie instead.'' he thought before immersing himself into the book. ---------- Sword Demon. Although the person wasn''t an actual demon, he got this title due to his obsession with the sword. Like Jaden, he was a man born to wield the sword. Born from an influential family, his life was set to be a smooth ride due to the family''s nobility. However, when he turned 10 years old, not just his family, but the whole kingdom was razed to the ground. A monster wave that had numerous [King] level monsters and a few [Emperor] level ones invaded the kingdom and one-sidedly slaughtered every human, except the child. Witnessing the destruction of his family in front of his eyes, the child sunk into darkness and tread the dark path as he grew up. From that time until he became 30 years old, he trained his sword like there was no tomorrow, he was obsessed. Obsessed to seek revenge, he descended into a mania while his swordsmanship advanced alongside his combat level. At the age of 34, he attained the rank of [Imperial] and at once, sought out the [Emperor] ranked monsters. As the monsters were [Emperor]-ranked, they were feared across the continent and lived the lives of an overlord. As his sword mastery was at the [Master] level already, he hunted them one by one and killed them like chickens before sacrificing the monsters towards his dead kins and ancestors. The Sword Demon''s name remained unknown, and legends say that he''s still alive and roams the world, searching for worthy enemies to perfect his swordsmanship. ---------- [Due to your immersive reading, you have acquired: +1 INT and WIS.] "Still roaming the continent until now huh...I hope I meet this Sword Demon and see his sword arts myself." After the story of Sword Demon, Jaden picked another book and immersed himself to the stories of powerful warriors of both the past and present. ... Hours passed and Jaden read all kinds of stories and legends. He read a story about a child raised by the noble dragons, he read a story of an adventurer who found a civilization of an underground archaic race, he read a story of a [Legendary] ranked sorcerer who, for unknown reasons, turned into a lich and wreaked havoc across the continent. Other than stories and fables, Jaden also learned about the influential powers and organizations, from both the past and present, he learned about the other worlds and secret realms, he even learned that there are gods and supreme beings, albeit not on the level of the Eternal Gods, that are still alive in this world! Waking up from his immersive daze, Jaden checked the system messages that he got from earlier. [From the hours of immersive reading, you have acquired a total of +15 INT and WIS.] [ Assimilation: 6% ] "This Assimilation again..." Just as Jaden was about to look up in the DF Forum what exactly "Assimilation" was, the voice of his master interrupted him. "My disciple, I''ve visited a couple of times but you were so focused on the books that I didn''t want to disturb you." laughed Roland as he walked towards Jaden. "I have some news," said Roland. "News?" Roland nodded his head."I''ve received reports about some Dragons from the west going berserk and massacring cities and kingdoms." "And what does this have to do with me exactly?" asked Jaden with curiosity. "The neighboring kingdoms have asked for the help of EverGuard to subdue or slay the rampaging Dragons since they keep terrorizing the domains near the destroyed territories. I''m here to ask you if you''re interested to come to this expedition." the atmosphere suddenly turned solemn as Roland looked at his disciple. "Of course, you are not required to fight in the crusade but this opportunity will certainly broaden your horizon. Although these Dragons are not True Dragons, they still possess draconic bloodline and immense strength that are beyond the capabilities of humans. Don''t you wanna see for yourself what that power is like?" [Ding! ¡ïHidden Quest¡ï Berserk Dragons Expedition has occurred! Accept or Refuse?] Jaden turned quiet. ''A hidden quest huh...the reward probably won''t be anything simple.'' an intense desire to battle suddenly rose inside him. "Okay, I''ll go!" [¡ïHidden Quest¡ï Berserk Dragons Expedition has been accepted!] ---------- [Hidden Quest - Berserk Dragons Expedition] Difficulty: ??? Description: Some dragons have gone berserk and have been causing havoc in the neighboring kingdoms and cities, they must be stopped! Quest Clear Requirements: Join the expedition and help subdue the rampaging dragons to prevent further casualties. Quest Completion Rewards: ??? Failure Penalty: ??? ---------- Seeing the burning passion in the eyes of his disciple, Roland though in his heart. ''You might not know it yourself yet, but you, you were born to battle.'' "The crusade will undertake in 3 weeks. From tomorrow until the day before we travel, you will complete this training routine that I''ve made daily," said Roland before handing Jaden a piece of paper with schedules written on it. [Ding! Side Quest "Roland''s Training Program" has been forcibly accepted!] ---------- [Roland''s Training Program] Difficulty: ??? Description: Although you have monstrous attributes and extraordinary abilities beyond your level, you must squeeze out the potential hidden within your body and perfect your foundation. Quest Clear Requirement: For the duration of three weeks, complete Roland''s training routine every day. Quest Completion Rewards: All attributes +50, SP +15. Failure Penalty: Roland will be disappointed at your integrity. Affinity with Roland decreases. ---------- "Seems like a straightforward quest..." said Jaden as he checked at the quest that the system had forced upon him. ''Well, I''m not complaining...'' Actually, he''s happy instead since he finally got a quest, or two in this case, after entering this world. "Follow me." Roland flicked his arm and turned around, walking out of the library while Jaden hurriedly followed. ********** Basic of Combat training grounds. As they stepped past the entrance, Jaden could see a middle-aged man with blond hair and a sword in his hand. It was Fang. Roland chuckled and patted his disciple''s shoulder. "For the whole day, train with Fang. We''ll start your training program tomorrow." after saying that, he departed, leaving only Jaden and Fang by themselves. Walking up to the blond-haired man, Jaden greeted him as Fang nodded in return. "We''ll start immediately," said Fang as he took out a wooden sword identical to Jaden''s. "I want you to give your all. Use all the techniques you have available." he declared as he jumped backward a few meters away. "Let me warn you kid, I won''t be as gentle as Roland so do your best!" grinned Fang as a sharp aura that took the shape of a sword, manifested from his body. One, two, three, the sword energies continued forming as they surrounded him, creating a domain. Right now, Fang was like the eye of a storm as the energy swords, that were akin to a cyclone, numbered in hundreds. Sensing the piercing atmosphere and the magical scene that took place in front of him, Jaden took out the refined wooden sword. "I haven''t used this skill since I''ve created it, but I can say that it''ll be powerful so you be careful too, Mr. Fang," said Jaden as he positioned his body sideways while slightly bending his knees. Then, the atmosphere around him changed. At this moment, as Jaden pulled his arm back and gathered momentum, a formless aura surrounded his whole body and ripples formed around his right arm up to his hand which wielded the wooden sword. Fang''s eyes narrowed as he suddenly felt ominous. His instincts were telling him that this coming attack shouldn''t be underestimated. And then he saw it. In less than a millisecond, Jaden''s sword thrust forward to Fang''s direction. The sound of the wind being severed was heard as space was torn apart ferociously. The heavens shook as fissures and cracks appeared on the ground. An illusion of the world being split apart appeared. [Sundering Heavens]! Improvements Seeing the destructive attack coming to his direction, Fang immediately knew that it was a skill that transcended the norm. ''Despite being only in its budding phase, it''s already monstrously powerful, that''s a legendary skill for you.'' Fang smiled. Pointing his arm forward, the sword lights surrounding him shot out at once towards Jaden. Akin to a tsunami that sought to devour everything in its path, the sword lights blotted out the sky as they drowned the legendary skill, and even Jaden himself. Boom! An explosion resounded as the ocean of sword lights clashed with the devastating attack that tore space apart. [You are fighting an unimaginably powerful opponent! Fighting Aura +1.] Ignoring the system message, Jaden refused to back down in front of the endless waves of sword lights that were coming for him. He focused on every muscle on his body, and every fiber of his being, channeling the potential of his body to further increase his strength and momentum. *Badump!* Badump!* *Rumble* Reverberating in his ears was the constant sound of a pumping heartbeat. Jaden could feel an invisible type of power flowing throughout inside of him, akin to a stream of a river. ''What a pure power.'' he thought as he felt the pristine energy that gushed out from his body. As the two skills clashed, a hint of dazzling radiance covered Jaden''s skin. Different from Roland''s red-colored aura, the one that shone from Jaden was of golden-color, bringing forth an ambiance that was glorious and majestic, yet humble and simple at the same time. "Fighting Aura...You can already materialize it?" exclaimed Fang as he looked at the young man in astonishment. Jaden couldn''t even hear Fang''s words since his attention was fully occupied by the Fighting Aura that was pulsating and resonating with him. Right now, Jaden''s figure resembled that of a god as his whole physique emanated a golden luster. His jet-black hair that flowed along the wind contrasted the glittering brilliance exuding from him. His already perfect appearance was elevated further by the resplendent aura that drifted around him. Badump! Badump!! Badump!!! The distinct sound of the pulsating heart intensified as it resounded in Jaden''s ears. At this crucial moment, Jaden suddenly closed his eyes. ''I can feel it...I can even see it...what is this, my heart...But I don''t feel any different...in fact, I feel better than ever.'' if one could see Jaden''s heart right now, then his or her mind would be blown away. Golden aura wrapped around his heart, as if both protecting and strengthening it. ''It''s fusing with my heart..? No, it''s slowly refining it...and my heart is, vice-versa, refining and enhancing the Fighting Aura. Both complementing and supporting each other. ''The most important of all is your heart!'' Jaden remembered his master''s words. ''An indomitable will represents one''s Fighting Aura. Remember this, my disciple, the more refined and stronger your heart and will are, the stronger your Fighting Aura will be!" [ Assimilation: 9% ] And at that moment that seemed eternal yet instant at the same time, Jaden''s eyes flew open. "Go!" he yelled. At once, the incandescent radiance surrounding him intensified and spread outwards to his sword, boosting the destructive power of [Sundering Heavens]. [The Sundering Heavens skill has been updated.] Boom! The sword auras dissipated and the waves of energy swords that sought to hack Jaden to pieces were destroyed as the legendary skill penetrated through. "Amazing! What a talent you are!" guffawed Fang. His eyes then flashed sharply as he lifted his foot and stomped on the ground. Bang! The whole training ground vibrated as if an earthquake had just occurred. Cracks and fissures spanning hundreds of meters appeared as the surrounding stones were decimated, turning to debris and ruins. At that instant, an overpowering presence assaulted Jaden, sending him flying dozens of meters away, his [Sundering Heavens] sliced apart. "Now, how can you use a legendary skill...Roland shouldn''t have taught you such a thing since your strength is too low." laughed Fang as he walked at the chasm afar. "The only answer left is that you must''ve comprehended and created that skill on your own." standing on the edge of the chasm with the outline of a human body, he looked down at Jaden. "Ugh...It''s called Sundering Heavens." Jaden replied, struggling to get up. "I had a sudden enlightenment the other day. " Propping his body up, he stared at the grinning Fang before jumping out of the crevice. Nodding his head, Fang remarked. "And it allowed you to develop this [Sundering Heavens] skill..that makes sense." he continued. "I presume Roland has given you your training routine for the next three weeks?" "Yes." "Good, since you''ll start your rigorous training tomorrow, let''s practice your sword arts first for now," smirked Fang as he stared at the young man in front of him.This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. Eager to try out the blond man''s sword techniques as well, Jaden nodded his head and took a few steps backward, fixing his stance. Seeing the eagerness to fight inside Jaden''s eyes, Fang laughed, and jumped a hundred meters away, standing still with the sword in his hand. At this moment, Jaden felt that Fang was akin to an immovable mountain with a peak that towered up to the firmament, standing proudly and exalted. Narrowing his eyes, Jaden dashed forward and in just a few steps, he had crossed the hundred meters gap between the two of them. Brandishing his sword, he slashed from above, bringing forth his unbendable will to decimate the unshakeable mountain before him. Retaliating, Fang struck out with a speed that accelerated beyond a human''s capabilities. Clang! Sparks flashed as the two swords collided against each other. ********** New Era City, Cross Family Mansion. "Son, what''s the news in the game, it''s been a week since Destiny Forged had officially launched," asked Morgan as he finished up his food. Jaden was silent for a moment before replying. "Well...I''m still Level 1..." "What?! Level 1?! After a week in-game, I was sure that you would''ve been among the top players already," exclaimed Morgan as he stared at Jaden. A slight giggle was heard as Morgan stared at his wife. "Huhuhu, our son has been doing ''well'' so don''t worry about it," said Veronica with amusement. "''Well''? So you''ve been watching him? Tell me what he''s been doing then for him to remain at Level 1 after all this time." "Why don''t you ask your son''s IGN first, dear." (Author: IGN > In-game name.) "IGN?" muttered Morgan before staring at Jaden. Scratching his head, Jaden replied. "King. My name is King in Destiny Forged." as he said this, he couldn''t help but stare at his mom who was covering her mouth, laughing. "...King...sounds familiar..." pondered Morgan as he suddenly found the name extremely familiar. "King...Legendary skill...that''s right! I''ve heard from my employees that there was this monster named King who had created a Legendary-rated skill on the day the game launched! Wait a moment..." At the sudden revelation, Morgan exclaimed as he stared at his son who was currently wolfing down his food. "Wahahahaha! As expected of my boy! A Legendary ranked skill already, and on the first day of the game''s launch too!" laughed Morgan as he nodded his head in satisfaction, his expression saying. ''What amazing genes I have!'' Right now, his previous scholarly image was already gone as he patted his son''s back. Jaden smiled helplessly and looked at his mother. "Wait, mom, have you been watching me all this time in-game?" Smiling beautifully, Veronica replied. "Just a little bit, although I''m the company''s president and head director, I don''t have much control of the game." "Oh? Why is that?" asked Jaden with curiosity. "Actually, Only I have a little bit of jurisdiction and authority over Destiny Forged while others don''t. Be it the other directors, the production, the operators, and normal workers they have totally no control over the game. Our company''s super A.I. Prime controls the whole game and could be said to be the game''s God." said Veronica while looking at her dazed son. "Prime is the one that creates all the NPCs, quests, events, stories, and so on while we, the directors and operators and the company, just oversee and supervise while holding up certain rules about the game. So basically, we can''t really control the game''s flow so it all depends on all the players'' decisions." "So that''s how it is..." exclaimed both the father and son. Even Morgan didn''t know the fact that EGC only held a portion of power and control over the game. "Say Jaden, what have you been up to all this time?" asked Morgan with curiosity. Thinking for a second, Jaden smirked. "Training. Both in and outside the game. I''ve been training and practicing my sword arts, improving and increasing my attributes at the same time." he then asked Veronica. "Hey mom, did you know that I was actually able to increase my stats through intense training?" "Actually, yes I knew that, but it''s extremely difficult to increase one''s attributes through training, especially when your stats get higher and higher. And then, there will be a point when it''ll be impossible to increase it further." smiled Veronica gently at her son. Enlightened, Jaden nodded his head repeatedly. "So you should take this chance to increase your attribute points as much as possible! Although you will remain at Level 1 and will be left behind by everyone, it wouldn''t matter at all. Knowing my son, you can catch up to the peak players in no time even without your increased attributes, let alone with!" Morgan agreed at his wife''s words and thought. ''Hehe, this kid''s already a terrifying monster without his stats increased, once he starts to raise his level, who can stand up to him then?'' He lightly coughed before standing up. "Alright, you both finish your dinner. I still have a lot of work to do so I''ll go up first." after saying that, he told the maids to clean up when the two are done before heading upstairs. When Morgan entered his room, he walked towards an obsidian gaming capsule, similar to that of Jaden''s. "Open," he said as the surface of the capsule parted, revealing a chamber large enough for a human to sleep in. Grinning, he entered the capsule. ********** Basics of Combat training ground. "Whew, it''s the last day of Roland''s training program huh," said Jaden as he sweated buckets. He massaged his right shoulder when he sat down on a stone chair near the training dummies. ''That Fang''s really shameless huh, using the power of a [Royal] ranked when he said to only compete in sword techniques.'' thought Jaden as he recalled the blond man''s expressionless face when he declared to only use sword techniques earlier. Speechless, Jaden proceeded to check his skills. "My sword-related skills have also improved." _______________________ [Sword Mastery] Type: Passive Mastery: Intermediate 7 (54%) ¡ú 24% increase in damage dealt with a sword and all sword-related skills. ---------- [Intermediate Swordsman] Type: Passive Mastery: Intermediate 4 (89%) ¡ú If using a sword, damage increases by 17% ¡ú Damage of all sword-related skills increases by 25% ¡ú Increases proficiency gained of all sword-related skills and mastery by 15%. ---------- [Chop] Type: Active Mastery: Level 3 (11%) ¡ú Deals 300% damage to a single target Cooldown: 7 seconds. _______________________ "The mastery of both the sword and swordsman mastery have increased to Intermediate pretty fast," muttered Jaden. "[Acceleration] and [Warlord''s Challenge] have also increased by a level, while [Chop] improved the most, reaching level 3." At this moment, Jaden was elated as he checked the skill page. He felt a sense of tranquility and accomplishment when he improved his skills. However, it wasn''t just his skills that got better, his sword arts have also improved by leaps and bound, thanks to Fang''s guidance and combat training. ''But, the most important discovery of all is the 100,000 gold!'' shouted Jaden in his mind. He recalled yesterday when he remembered from the world announcement that he obtained some rewards, so he checked his in-game mails and it sat there, a mail from Prime, Destiny Forged''s Super AI. ----- (Unread) Sender: Prime Date Received: February 17, 2060 - 3:14 P.M. Subject: System Rewards for player King ----- When Jaden opened the mail, other than the 100,000 gold and the 10,000 World Reputation points, he also obtained a new title. _______________________ Title: [Becoming a Legend] (1 / 3) Rank: Epic Description: You have achieved a legendary feat by being the first heaven''s chosen to create a skill, and not just a normal skill, but a Legendary-rated skill. You have completed 1 out of 3 tasks to obtain a legendary title! All the legendary beings are watching you! Effects: ¡ú + 9,999 World Reputation Points ¡ú EXP and Gold gained are increased by 15%. ¡ú You will be Respected by NPCs in cities and in kingdoms and empires, you will have the same treatment to that of a "Count". ¡ú All stats +15 _______________________ Jaden checked the title again and he couldn''t help but helplessly sigh once more. ''This title is indeed amazing, but why didn''t it leave any clue on how to complete the rest of the tasks for obtaining a legendary title...'' Millburn Town Millburn Town. Boom! Boom! Bang! "Ah! Please help me!" "Hey!!! Don''t leave us!!" "Bastar¡ªArghhh!" "Gak!" Earsplitting explosions and detonations resounded alongside the painful howl and screams of the villagers. The originally tranquil and peaceful utopia-like land had now transformed into a place of horror and despair. The defiant buildings that previously stood proudly were decimated and reduced to ruins. The houses made of concrete were melted by incandescent flames and were burnt to dust. The villagers living in their snug, warm homes witnessed the destruction of their birthplace, they saw their familiar friends and family who they''ve spent time with, slaughtered and immolated, powerless. The town they considered their home, razed and turned to ruins in a blink of an eye. Dismembered and mutilated bodies filled the streets, the walls and roofs painted and dyed with fresh blood, and the screeching cries of terror and dread reverberating at the same time in every inch of the small town, forming an orchestra of death and destruction. Above the town roamed winged reptile-looking monsters, flying and gliding, wreaking havoc everywhere as they spat out the famed dragon breath, disintegrating the helpless and weak humans below. Warriors and knights clad in leather and metal armors held their ground against the hoard of lizard-like monsters that wielded different weapons while withstanding the destructive rays of light from above. "Bloody hell! Where are the reinforcements from the kingdom?! Right side, shields up, hold your ground!" yelled a knight adorned in black armor that dripped of blood. "Mages, bombard the bastards with destructive spells in exactly five seconds from now." "Commander Gawen, the left wing''s being pushed back! Their side is about to be breached!" reported a young man that seemed to be in his mid-20s with a solemn expression. Glancing at the enduring warriors and knights that wielded shields, spears, and spears on the left side of the formation, Gawen clenched his teeth and asked the young man. "Damn it! Victor, what''s the status of the spellcasters?" "Sir, most of our spellcasters have already depleted their mana, our stock of mana potions have all been used up as well," said Victor, his hopeless eyes full of despair. "What about the villagers? How many casualties do we have?" although he didn''t want to know the answer to this question, Gawen still asked. Victor was silent for a moment before replying gloomily. "Of the 10,000 locals of Millburn, it is estimated that at least 6,500 people have died, with the rest either severely injured, already dead, or missing." "Push them back! Push them back!" "Watch out for the Wyverns'' breath attacks!" "Damn these lizards, they just keep coming and coming!" Frantic and frenzied cries could be heard as the knights in the front-line tried to push back the lizard amidst their formation. Gawen''s heart sunk to the bottom of the abyss as his expression darkened. "And of our troops?" as he said this, he looked at his comrades gritting their teeth to fight the hordes of [Lizard Warriors] and the terrifying [Wyverns] that numbered hundreds, flying in the sky. "Of the 3,000 knights and warriors from the kingdom, 833 have died in battle, 1,200 are fatally injured with the priests doing their utmost to heal them, and there are some that have already fled." Hearing the report, desperation filled the commander''s eyes as he had a difficult time breathing. "And the scouts? Any news from them?" "One of the three has returned and reported that a 5,000-man army from the kingdom has already been deployed, and as for the other two, still no news." Cursing, Gawen roared. "A 5-000-man army has been deployed just recently? By the time they get here, we''ll all be dead then, and so will the rest of the villagers!" Just as he was about to jump to the front-lines as well, he paused. At this moment, a few hundred meters from afar, a skinny figure wearing a light leather armor could be seen running madly towards the knights. "Commander!!! Good news!!!" Hearing the words, "Good news", Gawen, Victor, and the other knights around, all turned around and looked at the scout that was running to their direction. Creating a path, the knights moved aside as the skinny scout ran and only stopped a few steps before the commander. "I.. I have some good news, no, great news!" when he reached Gawen, the young man gasped for breath for a few moments before looking at his commander with a joyous expression. "The illustrious EverGuard Warriors are on their way here to aid us!" What?! EverGuard Warriors?! Hearing those words, Commander Gawen suddenly laughed uproariously. "Hahaha! Thank the gods! Bell, how long before they get here?" Alongside Gawen''s laugh, the rest of the knights all heaved a sigh of relief when they heard that warriors from the esteemed EverGuard City were coming to support them. The scout named Bell quickly replied," They should take less than half an hour before they get here, or maybe even less." Commander Gawen sighed with relief. He then turned around and roared loudly. "Everyone alive, listen up! Powerful warriors from EverGuard City are on their way to support us! That''s right, I said EverGuard City!" as the loud shout reverberated in the village, the knights and warriors in the middle of combat all laughed loudly. Bloody hell! The esteemed EverGuard Warriors are actually coming to help! Cleaning up these monsters should take no time when they get here! Gawen continued "They should get here in less than 30 minutes and we can definitely hold our ground till then!" Right then and there, every single soldier fighting for their lives, for their comrades'', and for their purpose, all boiled with excitement, their rage being fueled thoroughly. The morale of the troops instantly soared to the skies!The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Looking at the battlefield, Gawen, Victor and the rest of the knights and warriors, all took out their respective weapons. Roaring with fury, they all leaped towards the battle. ********** At this moment, a few hundred miles from Millburn Town, a group of warriors that numbered 50 could be seen riding warhorses that were clad in armor. The warriors were all incredibly powerful and they wore rare armors and wielded unique weapons, their aura towering up to the sky, deadly to behold. All of them were monstrously strong, the weakest being a [Gold] ranked warrior, while the strongest being a peak-[Royal] ranked powerhouse. The armor of the horses seemed to be made from rare materials and metals while being delicately and overbearingly designed. Although they were heavy armors, the horses weren''t slowed down at all as they kept running at an incomprehensible speed. Amongst these horses was a powerful-looking black stallion with a blazing red mane and red eyes. The most striking part of the horse were the sparks of flames it left behind on its trail, resembling a stallion that originated from the inferno! Furthermore, it was adorned with a lustrous red-heavy armor that had detailed engravings on it, akin to a work of a master craftsman, exuding an overwhelming presence that could frighten monsters, sending them feeling in terror. Sitting atop the black stallion was a young man with an otherworldly appearance and a pair of radiant golden eyes that shone with resplendence. He had jet-black hair that flowed carefreely along the wind and a face that dimmed gods and immortals alike. Currently, Jaden was looking at the skill page of [Sundering Heavens] that was updated previously. _______________________ [Sundering Heavens] (Legendary) Type: Active Level: 1 / 5 (33%) Description: Created by an unparalleled genius who had enlightenment, the skill''s power and potential shocks even the gods above. Once unleashed, the heavens shall cry and the earth tremble. Be it gods, devils, demons, or even the world itself, none shall stand in your way! ¡ú The skill can be enhanced and used alongside Fighting Aura, strengthening the destructive power of the skill by 200%. Mana Consumption: None. Cooldown: 12 hours. _______________________ "Fighting Aura is really a miraculous thing, huh, it can even enhance [Sundering Heavens]...wait, can Fighting Aura also enhance other attack skills?" holding his perfectly chiseled chin, Jaden pondered. After looking over the updated skill, he also checked the new skill he obtained a while ago. _______________________ [Riding] Type: Passive Mastery: Intermediate 1 (8%) ¡ú When riding a mount, movement speed increases by 11%. ¡ú Easier actions and movement when riding a mount. _______________________ To prepare Jaden for the expedition, other than the monstrously intense combat training, Roland also had Jaden practice riding. Although Jaden felt awkward and made a lot of mistakes at the start, he still got the hang of it in no time, surprising both Roland and Fang. And after a month of training, [Riding]''s mastery had improved from Basic to Intermediate 1. After checking out the skill, Jaden then proceeded to eye his status page. _______________________ STATUS Name: King Age: 18 Level: 1 Class: Swordsman Title: Disciple of the Lord of EverGuard World Rep: 21,999 Attributes: STR: 244 AGI: 231 CON: 225 INT: 176 VIT: 189 WIS: 170 Innate: CHA: 159 LUC: 60 PER: 120 FOR: 160 _______________________ If a player were to see Jaden''s attributes and level right now, then that player would definitely say that he was seeing things. Such high attributes are impossible to attain for a mere Level 1 insect! After a full month of nonstop, insane training while withstanding the overbearing pressure of a [Royal] and [Imperial] power at the same time, this miracle occurred. At the last day of training, Jaden was capable of fighting Fang and Roland under the intense pressure, of course, only the pressure, since Jaden would probably die the moment he experiences the true strength of a [Royal] ranked powerhouse let alone an [Imperial] one. Still, such feats were unprecedented and unheard of! "Hey kid, we''re only a few minutes away, prepare yourself." at this moment, a blonde-hair man with a sword sheathed on his back approached atop a beautiful white stallion that had a horn on its forehead. The man was Fang. Hearing Fang''s words, Jaden looked up and glanced afar, towards the direction where they were going. As he sat atop the warhorse, he could see the distant dark clouds that loomed the sky, it was like an omen or the symbol of a calamity as it hanged above with a foreboding presence. Fang and the rest of the warriors also saw and felt the calamitous presence that loomed above the town that exuded bloodthirst and chaos. "We''re only a few minutes away but when we get there, the city might already be razed to the ground without any survivors left, so let''s hurry up!" shouted Fang as he slapped down his rein, commanding his white horse to run faster. "Yes, sir Fang." "Okay guys, brother Fang already said so, let''s go on full speed." "Damn those berserk dragons!" After Fang had yelled his words, the rest of the warriors all agreed and rode the horses, full speed ahead. Jaden also hurried his pace as he followed alongside Fang with his black warhorse. ********** "They''re here! They''re here!" shouted Bell as he used an eye technique to see farther into the distance. Up in the sky, Gawen heard Bell''s yelps as he beheaded the Wyvern that he was standing on. Looking into the distance, he saw the silhouette of the figures he and his comrades have been waiting for. Gawen jumped from the Wyvern that fell down the sky and landed beside Bell. Roarrrr!!!!! ROARRR!! GRUAAAAA!!! Just as he was about to shout out the news of the EverGuard Warrior''s arrival, he heard multiple deafening cries that nearly shattered his eardrums. As the fearsome roars reverberated in his ears like thunder, his legs shook as they lost strength, he could only kneel on the ground, powerless. It wasn''t just Gawen, and it wasn''t just the whole warrior, knight, and mage groups, as even the endless waves of Lizard Warriors were silent, kneeling subserviently, akin to a servant prostrating oneself in front of a king; even the Wyverns that soared the sky all dropped and fell to the ground helplessly. Gawen, Victor, Bell, and the rest of the army, all looked towards the source of the thunderous cries. They all saw it. They all saw them. Five colossal figures resembling the mythical dragons could be seen flying rapidly towards the battlefield. The Berserk Dragons have come! As the dragons drew closer, they brought about a dreadful aura as the essence of the surrounding mana, light, and even life itself started deteriorating and regress. The Lizard Warriors and the Wyverns that had traces of draconic bloodline all bowed their heads and knelt as if it was an instinct of not just their blood, but their very existence. Gawen raised his head with difficulty and stared at the dragons with bloodshot eyes. He saw one of them open its massive jaw as an ink-black mana and light gathered within it. Gawen felt his bones shudder as two words appeared in his mind. Dragon Breath! Boom! A black ray of light shot forth from the large maw of the dragon into their direction. In a blink of an eye, it had already arrived tens of meters away from the army. ''It''s over.'' thought everyone present as they watched the incoming destructive attack, headed their way. *Whoosh* Right then, a sound of the wind itself being sliced apart could be heard. Bang! The ink-black dragon breath collided against something as the dragon''s attack was split apart effortlessly. Squinting its eyes, the corners of the mouth of the berserk dragon that shot out the dragon breath lifted as it saw a ten-meter long sword light swiftly flying towards its direction. Gawen turned around and he saw a figure of a young man from afar, dashing towards them at an unbelievable speed. ********** "Hey kid! What the hell do you think you''re doing?!" "Oi! Jaden! Come back here now! "Fuck, the kid''s lost his mind." Clamors and uproar could be heard amongst the armored warriors from EverGuard as they urged their warhorses to move faster. Fang smiled when he saw the young man shot forward in a blink of an eye towards the dragon. Unsheathing the sword on his back, Fang also leaped to the sky as he positioned himself into a stance. ''Dragons...'' thought Jaden as he ran towards the battlefield with unbelievable speed. The moment he saw the dragon breath from the dragon, Jaden already dismounted and started running. At this moment, thick golden aura covered the entirety of Jaden, enhancing his physique, and strengthening his very being. ''Forsaken.'' said Jaden in his mind as a rustic obsidian sword appeared in his hand. The sword looked so ordinary and common that it was as if it was a normal iron sword that was simply painted black. There were no striking engravings or beautiful design and patterns that enhanced its looks, however, a faint archaic aura could be felt coming from it. Akin to a chained behemoth, the sword was only waiting for the right time. The right time when the shackles that have been chaining it down could be undone so it can finally be free, and by then, the sword''s glory and splendor shall be known throughout the world. Pulling his arm, Jaden gathered his momentum. Golden aura exuded from him as it covered his whole body and even the surroundings, radiating towering majesty and fearsome strength. As golden ripples appeared around him, it was as if there were multiple golden illusory rings encircling around Jaden, enhancing his exalted appearance that resembled that of a god. Destructive power alongside Fighting Aura encompassed a hundred-meter radius around him, forming a unique territory or domain. With a simple thrust of his sword, space crumbled like paper as the land below were shattered and decimated, forming shockingly wide fissures. [Sundering Heavens]! First Battle - Level up! As Jaden used [Sundering Heavens], everyone could see a mirage of an illusory colossal sword that seemed to transcend space and time as it shattered everything in its path. Far into the distance, the berserk dragon that spat out the dragon breath was stunned as a shocked expression appeared in its malevolent face. Hovering in the air behind Jaden, Fang felt proud as he watched Jaden''s legendary skill used alongside Fighting Aura. He had been training the kid for a whole month, tempering and improving his initially weak Fighting Aura into a strong source of strength, capable of numerous miraculous feats. In less than a millisecond, the colossal illusory sword that was akin to a weapon of a god had already traversed thousands of meters to rend the berserk dragon. Boom! As the legendary skill hacked the dragon, the system''s ever-familiar monotonous voice resounded in his ears alongside the collision of the attack. [You have dealt 45,000 True Damage to the target.] With Roland and Fang''s combat training, Jaden trained and used [Sundering Heavens] twice a day for the duration of the month. By doing so, he had found out that the [Sundering Heavens]''s attack was a True Damage, not just a normal one. With the help of the DF Forum, Jaden discovered that the advantage of True Damage lay in its ability to disregard the target''s defense, physical resistance, magic resistance, and every single type of resistance there are. It''s definitely overbearing all right! As Jaden heard the system prompt, the dragon''s status page appeared in front of his eyes. _______________________ [Corrupted Draconian] (King) Type: Dragonkin Level: 170 HP: 1,435,000 / 1,480,000 Description: A powerful dragonkin with a small amount of draconic bloodline that''s been corrupted by the power of the Chaos Gods. Its originally monstrous attributes have been boosted to extremity, a fearsome monster near the top of the food chain. _______________________ (Author: Dragonkin isn''t equal to Dragon. They are a lower type of monster/race/species that has the bloodline of the dragons, albeit only a hint, and of low quality too.) "A corrupted monster? By the Chaos Gods?" Jaden was shocked as he looked over the Corrupted Draconian''s status page. "Is that the reason why its rampaging and berserk?" "Yes, you are correct," at that moment, a voice was heard from behind Jaden. Turning around, he saw Fang behind him, staring at the dragonkin monsters in the distance. His usual carefree expression now had a hint of seriousness. Fang continued as he clicked his tongue. "Tsk tsk tsk, seriously, the Chaos Source is already seeping into this world huh..." Confused, Jaden asked. "Chaos Source?" "It''s the reason why those dragonkin monsters are acting berserk and on a rampage. They have been corrupted by the Chaos Source, the power and essence of the Chaos Gods," said Fang as he acted like a teacher in front of a curious student. "Although the supreme Eternal Gods have been defending our world for eons and ages from the Chaos Gods, there are simply too many of those damned things and they all want a piece of meat that is this world." As Jaden listened to Fang, he noticed a sharp ferocity and rage from his tone and expression, indicating his hatred for the Chaos Gods. After his words, Jaden looked at the Corrupted Dracoians far in the distance and turned quiet, pondering who knows what. Looking at the young man''s serious expression, Fang laughed. "Though I have to say, you are seriously improving at a rapid rate that you even sent those warriors into shock." Jaden tilted his head and stared behind Fang and looked at the warriors from EverGuard. Indeed, they all had their mouth agape as they stared at Jaden who was only Level 1, yet had landed a ferocious attack on a [King] ranked Dragonkin. One must remember that monsters have an inherent and innate advantage of attributes and physique over humans and other races. And this is especially so for Dragonkins which are stronger than most monsters due to them being a branch of the dragon race, albeit being infinitely weaker than a true dragon. Meanwhile, at the side of Commander Gawen and the other knights, they wore astonished expressions as they saw the Corrupted Draconian was attacked ferociously. They even saw a vague image of a world being severed in half during that time. When they turned around and saw the reinforcement from EverGuard, they all couldn''t help but rejoice at the new lease on life. "Everyone, the EverGuard Warriors have arrived! Let''s eradicate these monsters!" shouted Commander Gawen as he laughed uproariously, his words waking up the rest of his dumbstruck comrades. "Thank the Eternal Gods they arrived earlier than expected otherwise we all would''ve died by now." "Alright, let''s take our positions! Everyone, get into formation!" "Priests please heal our brothers in the frontline!" Seeing the army''s morale increasing, Fang and the rest of the EverGuard Warriors laughed and dove right into battle. They didn''t waste any heartfelt words since that should be saved after they demolish the monsters. At this time, the Corrupted Draconian that Jaden had attacked recovered from the sudden ambush as its reptilian eyes stared at Jaden, its face full of malevolence. Opening its large maw, the dragonkin let out an earthshaking cry that resounded on every inch of the battlefield and Millburn Town.Stolen novel; please report. ROOOAARRRR!!! All of the terrified residents that have been hiding inside their homes all spat out blood as their orifices bled without stop, some even directly exploded, unable to handle the power behind the dragonkin''s roar. As if granted amnesty, all the Lizard Warriors stood up and picked up their weapons while the Wyverns rose to the sky. Meanwhile, the Corrupted Draconian turned around and seemed to converse with the other four dragonkin in a foreign and incoherent language. It was apparent that they understood each other as all five draconians scattered in the sky and started wreaking havoc in the battlefield. Boom! Boooom! Explosions devastated the ground as it shook ceaselessly, the shockwaves destroying the remaining houses that were still standing. Seeing this scene, a bloodthirsty aura emanated from Fang as he raised his sword forward. The sword looked beautiful yet dangerous as it''s color was that of red. An intricate and decoration pattern was engraved on the blade, from top to bottom, adding hints of elegance to the sword. Meanwhile, the hilt was of obsidian color and shone lustrously yet rustic at the same time, exuding an aura that seemed to have experienced the passage of time. As Fang held the sword, he resembled an ancient warrior that has survived countless battles and slain innumerable foes. He stomped on the ground, forming web-like fissures on the ground as it shook, and shot towards the monster that Jaden had attacked earlier. Sonic booms resounded around the battlefield as he broke and surpassed the speed of sound. In a blink of an eye, he appeared in front of the shocked Corrupted Draconian as if he had teleported. The draconian couldn''t even react before Fang unleashed a barrage of attacks, his sword penetrating its dark scales. At the same time, the [Gold] and [Royal] ranked warriors behind Jaden rushed with swiftly, joining the battle. Since all the backup that came from EverGuard had a melee-related profession, they were all in the frontline, causing devastation and havoc as they killed waves and waves of Lizard Warriors in no time. As for the lower ranked [Royal] warriors, they all focused on the Wyverns that hunted from above, while the higher ranked [Royal] warriors focused on the other four draconians that were killing the allies in the army. Although Jaden wanted to help kill the draconians, he knew that he will simply get in the way since those Level 170 dragonkins could just slap him to death. Therefore, he looked at the Lizard Warriors and Wyverns instead. _______________________ [Lizard Warrior} (Normal) Type: Lizardmen Level: 25 HP: 3,000 ---------- [Lizard Spearman] (Normal) Type: Lizardmen Level: 25 HP: 3,000 ---------- [Lizard Warlord] (Lord) Type: Lizardmen Level: 45 HP: 20,500 ---------- [Wyvern] (Lord) Type: Dragonkin Level: 68 HP: 62,400 ---------- [Wyvern] (Lord) Type: Dragonkin Level: 72 HP: 68,000 _______________________ As Jaden used his Identification skill, he could see the status page of the monsters on the battlefield. When he saw the HP of the Lizard Warriors and Spearmen, his gaze turned odd as he muttered. "Hmm, although they''re Level 25, my HP is actually higher than them..." He glanced at his HP which was monstrously high thanks to the insane amount of CON and VIT he had at level 1. ---------- Level: 1 (0%) HP: 4,258 MP: 700 ---------- (CON: 1 point = 10 HP, VIT: 1 point = 2 HP) ''Although I can fight a Wyvern, it''ll take me a while to kill it since it can fly and had higher health than the rest...I should focus on the Lizardmen first and once my level gets a bit higher, I can then start hunting the Wyverns.'' After deciding which preys to hunt first, Jaden immediately dashed towards a nearby [Lizard Spearman]. With a speed that exceeded that of a superhuman, he brandished his sword from above. The 5-meter tall scaly monster couldn''t even react before its body was split in two. [You have dealt 6,382 damage to the target! The target has died!] [You have leveled up!] [You have leveled up!] [You have levele...] [You hav...] [...] Bright radiance radiated from Jaden as he felt his body become stronger. In just one kill, he immediately leveled up to level 5! What an amazing feeling! Jaden felt warmth all over his body, inside and outside. He could feel a new type of power enter his body, enhancing it and improving it. As he felt this "essence" course through his veins, he clenched his hands and laughed loudly. After a month in-game, I finally leveled up! Now, let''s keep leveling up then. Jaden waved his sword, removing the blood that dripped on the blade before jumping onto his next target. [You have dealt 5,211 damage to the target! The target has died!] [You have dealt 6,913 damage to the target! The target has died!] [You have dealt 4,232 damage to the target! The target has died!] [You have leveled up!] [You have leveled up!] [You have leveled up!] [You have...] [...] The Level 25+ monsters couldn''t even withstand a single strike from Jaden as they died in an instant. All the warriors, spellcasters, priests, and knights present couldn''t help but gasp in awe as Jaden dove into the hordes of Lizard Warriors, killing them with ease and without mercy. As Fang fought the leader of the Corrupted Draconian, he couldn''t help but laugh loudly when he glanced at Jaden who resembled a domineering lion that seemed to be in its habitat. Shashing! Shiiiing! Swoosh! Right after Forsaken pierced through a Lizard Warrior''s sword and penetrated its forehead, a gigantic silhouette suddenly popped up behind Jaden. Instinctively, Jaden jumped sideways, dodging an axe that decimated the ground, creating a meter-deep crevice. Turning around, a 10-meter tall body that was full of glinting obsidian scales appeared in front of him. It had a meter long tail and an axe that was bigger and longer than an adult human body. As the [Lizard Warlord] pulled the 3-meter axe from the ground, Jaden could see fresh blood dripping from it, probably from the allied troops. Krrrghh! A sound that resembled a growl came from the monster as it leaped into the air, landing towards Jaden''s direction, intending to slaughter him. The monster''s speed was fast, but it wasn''t faster than Fang or Roland''s speed whom Jaden had long been used to. [Accelerate]! As Jaden stared at the axe that was only a few centimeters away from him, it slowed down in an instant, but in his perspective of course. Spinning sideways to avoid the axe, Jaden brandished his sword and used [Chop]. His sword''s color turned illusory for a few seconds as blue sheen radiated from it. Under the Lizard Warlord''s confused eyes, wondering how the human in front of it dodged its attack, Forsaken hacked towards the monster''s right arm which wielded the axe. [You have dealt 14,780 damage to the target!] Kruaaghhh! 70% of the monster''s health was chunked off alongside its severed arm fell on the ground. As the monster released a painful cry, Jaden jumped up and unleashed a torrent of attacks on its head. [You have dealt 4,900 damage to the target!] [You have dealt 5,244 damage to the target!] [You have dealt 5,191 damage to the target! The target has died!] Boom! As the system prompts arrived, the 10-meter robust body dropped on its knee, helplessly, its eyes dulled and hollowed. Insane Leveling Speed In the extensive battlefield, one could see an innumerable number of monster corpses on the ground, their blood turning the soil to a crimson stream of a river. Jaden''s clothes, that have been given by the system, remained untouched by the blood of his enemies, resembling a pure lotus that bloomed amidst a gory war. [You have leveled up!] [You have leveled up!] [You have lev...] [You hav...] [...] Under the eyes of the army troops, Jaden remained untainted as he slew one monster after another, relentlessly, as if in a trance. No monster could withstand a single attack from the young man, except for the Lizard Warlords, albeit dying within seconds. Taking a deep breath, Jaden exhaled. He had never felt more at ease than this moment, ever. It wasn''t like he loved to slaughter monsters or anything like that, but he simply felt like he''s currently in his domain. He had always felt out-of-place in the real world, training and honing his "gifts" that he couldn''t even put to use. But now, he felt like he finally found the place where he belongs. Looking at the corpses that laid everywhere, surrounding him, he couldn''t even count their number. "Although this is my first time taking a life, well a lot of them, I don''t feel anything at all..." muttered Jaden under his breath. Although Destiny Forged was merely a game, Jaden had never felt more real than when he was in this world. He had always wondered why he was born in this current era, although martial artists and fighters were aplenty, none could even come close to Jaden''s abilities and feats. He was lightyears ahead of them, standing at the top. No one could understand his feelings, the feeling of being alone despite there being billions of people all around the world. What did I train all of my life for? This was a question that constantly remained in his head, inextinguishable. And at this moment, Jaden had a feeling that the answer to that question was being forged, starting now. [ Assimilation: 13% ] As he remained in a daze, Jaden didn''t even hear the system prompt. Clenching Forsaken, he tilted his head and looked up, his eyes narrowing as he stared at the 50-meter tall Wyverns that were flying, their eyes full of arrogance and disdain. Immediately picking a target amongst the hundreds, Jaden lifted his right foot and stomped on the ground, hard. Crack!! Like a bolt of lightning, his body shot towards a near Wyvern that was hovering a few meters up in the air. "Again, my body feels lighter and stronger than before...it feels different than when I level up..." Jaden knew his body more than anyone else, be it in-game or in real life, and at this moment, he felt the minute changes within him, both internal and external. However, he immediately put that thought in the back of his mind and focused on the unsuspecting Wyvern that was holding a headless human body in its claw. In just a second, he appeared behind the Wyvern like a ghost. Immediately, he brandished his sword and hacked towards its right wing. [You have dealt a fatal 10,133 damage to the target!] KRAAAAGH!! The Wyvern''s cry reverberated as its dark brown-colored wing was severed, it''s flesh bleeding profusely. In a single strike, 15% of the monster''s health was gone. [Chop]! muttered Jaden as he used the skill. The [Sword of the Forsaken] radiated a blue light as it almost turned illusory. [You have dealt 22,450 damage to the target!] Following the skill, Jaden attacked five more times in less than a second, his arm and sword leaving afterimages due to his insane attack speed. [The target has been slain!] [You have slain a monster 50+ levels higher than you, experience points gained increased by 250%!] [You have gained 325,698 experience points] [You have gained 985 gold.] [You have leveled up!] [You have leveled up!] [You have levele...] [You hav...] [...] The Wyvern couldn''t even last five seconds before it was annihilated. Ignoring the non-stop system prompts, Jaden used the falling body of the dragonkin to launch himself toward a different Wyvern. Whoosh! Seeing an approaching human, the target Wyvern growled angrily, shifting its body as its near 15-meter long tail swiped towards Jaden. Although he was airborne, Jaden was without a hint of fear or panic as used [Warlord''s Challenge], increasing his defense, physical resistance, and magic resistance by 20% for 40 seconds. As the humungous tail inched closer, Jaden reached out his arm and grabbed at the tail, receiving the tail''s brunt force. [You have received 2,345 damage!] Jaden ignored the system prompt as he propped himself up on the tail, using it to increase his momentum, to jump towards the Wyvern''s upper body. As he flew in the air, Jaden sliced downward flawlessly, seemingly weightless. [You have dealt 4,233 damage to the target!] In just a second, he had already appeared in front of the monster''s head. The Wyvern opened its gigantic mouth, with the intent to devour. However, before it could even fully open its maw, Jaden had already brandished his sword and struck its right eye. [You have dealt a fatal 12,455 damage to the target!] KROOOOOGH! Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. Releasing a howl due to pain, the wyvern''s eye bled thoroughly as Jaden''s sword unleashed an onslaught continuously. [You have dealt 13,396 damage to the target!] [You have dealt...] [You...] [...] [You have slain a monster 30+ levels higher than you, experience points gained increased by 150%!] [You have gained 217,132 experience points.] [You have obtained 780 gold.] [You have leveled up!] [You have leveled up!] [You have...] [You...] [...] Jaden didn''t pay attention to a single system announcement as he kept jumping from one monster to another, slaughtering them again and again, as if in a trance. As he did so, his level continuously increased alongside his main stats. On the other side of the battlefield, Fang swoop from above, descending upon the grounded and exhausted Corrupted Draconian. Clenching his obsidian sword, silver light radiated from his whole body as his whole being turned into a silver beam, akin to a smite coming from the heavens. The Corrupted Draconian lifted its head and looked up, face full of dread and fear as its eyes reflected the silver light that was descending to it. Boom! A loud explosion resounded across the battlefield as nearby waves of Lizard Warriors and hundreds of Wyverns were annihilated and destroyed by the intense shockwave. All the eyes present turned towards that direction, where dust and debris filled the area, akin to a smoke curtain. Suddenly, everyone saw a colossal shadow coming being flung away like a ragged doll. Plop. Following the colossal figure, all the humans and monster present were stunned as they looked at the mangled corpse of the purple colored Corrupted Draconian. Coming out from the smoke, Fang''s sword disappeared as he walked out calmly, dusting off the dirt from his shoulder. Jaden''s eyes widened as he looked at the blond man that was without a single scratch on his body, looking indifferent right after he slew the 70-meter tall dragonkin. And then, all eyes turned on Fang who laughed and snapped his fingers, saying. "All right everyone, let''s finish this." as his words entered everyone''s ears, silver sword lights appeared from his body, one by one and surrounded him. In just a few seconds, there were hundreds of them. Raising his arm forward, Fang laughed as he ordered the hundreds of sword lights around him. "Go." Whoosh! Swooosh! A few moments later. KRUUUAGGH! KREEEEEEEE! KORRRRGGGH! Endless cries of monsters then reverberated, waking up the allied troops from their daydream. ********** At this moment, a young man could be seen, beheading a 50-meter tall Wyvern with ease. Bang! The head of the Wyvern fell to the ground as blood leaked out, spilling to the ground, dying it red. Exhaling lightly, Jaden waved his hand as Forsaken disappeared from his grasp, returning inside the [Space Ring]. As he heard the endless system announcement ringing in his ears, he looked around and saw a great number of corpses, both humans and monsters. Jaden sighed. ''Although we did finish off all the monsters here, we also lost a lot of citizens and brave warriors.'' Even though this world was only game, Jaden''s heart couldn''t help but tighten, as if it was gripped hard. Although the people of this world was said to be made of and controlled by AIs, Jaden didn''t think like so as he really appreciated this world that gave him a new sense of freedom and life. In his mind and heart, the NPCs of this beautiful world wasn''t made up of just numbers, fabricated and created by artificial intelligence, instead, he thought of them as a real, living and breathing humans. "It is indeed a shame that we couldn''t arrive earlier." Jaden heard a voice from behind him. Turning around, he saw Fang looking around as well, sighing. "If we did, maybe we could''ve reduced the casualties to the minimum." shaking his head, Fang patted Jaden''s shoulder and walked towards the injured troops. Nodding his head, Jaden sighed before following Fang to help the injured warriors and residents of the Millburn Town. ********** After taking care of everything in the town; helping the injured people, burying the dead ones, and cleaning up the corpses, Jaden, Fang, and the rest of the EverGuard Warriors started their journey back to the city. As Jaden sat atop the black, blazing stallion, he started checking the system prompts and announcements. [Ding! The ¡ïHidden Quest¡ï Berserk Dragons Expedition has been completed!] [You have been awarded the following: ? Title: Dragonkin Hunter ? Title: One-Hit One-Kill ? Swordsman Skill: [Lacerate] ? Silverfang Sheath ? Level +3 ? 10,000 Gold ? World Rep +500.] Jaden was delighted as he stared at rewards. "These are great!" jubilant, he immediately checked the title and skill that he received from the quest. _______________________ Title: [Dragonkin Hunter] Rank: Rare Description: You have killed a minimum of 100 Dragonkin monsters! Dragonkins will dread your fearsome strength! Effects: ? Damage against Dragonkins increases by 25% ? All Dragonkins within 300-meter radius are weakened, their attack, defense, movement speed, and attack speed are reduced by 20%. ---------- [One-Hit One-Kill] Rank: Rare Description: You have slain at least 500 monsters that are 10 levels higher than you with but a single strike. Effects: ? Damage and attack speed increases by 1% for 30 seconds after killing an enemy with a single attack. Can accumulate up to 30%. ---------- [Lacerate] Type: Active Level : 1 / 5 (0%) ? Deals 200% true damage to the target, applying the debuff [Fatal Wound] for 30 seconds. ? [Fatal Wound]: Reduces healing from all sources by 60%. ---------- [Silverfang Sheath] Rank: Hero Durability: 200 / 200 ? Strength and Agility +25. ? Damage of the sword encased within increases by 50% once drawn for 1 minute. Cooldown: 15 minutes. ¡ú A sword sheath once used by the famous swordsman, Silverfang. The sheath has the ability to increase the damage of the sword within temporarily once drawn. This sheath was one of the reasons why Silverfang was a feared swordsman throughout the continent. _______________________ (Author: This is how I''ll be setting up the equipment rank, stats, description, etc. from now on.) "These rewards are simply amazing..." Jaden''s already dazzling golden eyes kept glittering like the countless stars of the cosmos, possessing blinding radiance. After checking out the rewards he received, he then proceeded to look at his status page. _______________________ STATUS Name: King Age: 19 Level: 44 (55%) Class: Swordsman Title: Disciple of the Lord of EverGuard World Rep: 22,499 Free Points: 220 Attributes: ? STR: 464 ? AGI: 451 ? CON: 357 ? INT: 264 ? VIT: 277 ? WIS: 258 Innate: ? CHA: 159 ? LUC: 60 ? PER: 120 ? FOR: 160 ? F.A: 43 _______________________ (Author: F.A. = Fighting Aura) Nodding his head, Jaden was satisfied at his current stats. Looking at the number of free stat points that he had, he smiled. "I''ll just save those free points for now." Closing his Status Page, he then checked the spoils of war that he had received. [Wyvern Skin x80] [Wyvern Fang x110] [Wyvern Meat x390] [Wyern...] [Lizar...] [Li...] [...] There were so many miscellaneous items that Jaden couldn''t even count them all, so he just closed his inventory. Inhaling the clear air around him, he exhaled, ridding the negative energy inside of him. He closed his eyes as he rested atop the horse, recalling the events from the town earlier. As he was just resting, a loud system announcement suddenly interrupted him, as it reverberated in his ears. [System Announcement: As there are currently 3 billion players that have officially registered for Destiny Forged, the Ranking Leaderboards is now complete and is fully integrated!] [System Announcement: The current Game-Ranking Leaderboards that are available are the following: ? Level Ranking ? Glory Ranking ? Pet Ranking Further Ranking Leaderboards will be added in the near future!] "Oh? Ranking system huh? Interesting" muttered Jaden as he looked at the system message in front of him. [Ding! You have been qualified to be placed in the Level Ranking! Would you like to show your achievements to the rest of the world? Agree or Decline?] Right after he read the previous system announcement, this new one had popped up in just a second. Looking at the new message, Jaden didn''t even hesitate one bit as he answered. "Yes, agree!" [Ding! Congratulations, you have been placed within the Level Ranking that contains the top 1,000 players! Would you like to view the leaderboard?] "Yes." _______________________ ¡ï Level Ranking Leaderboard ¡ï Rank 1: King ¡ú Level: 44 | Class: Swordsman | Guild: None ---------- Rank 2: Sword Emperor ¡ú Level: 29 | Class: Swordsman | Guild: Glory Empire ---------- Rank 3: Fist Emperor ¡ú Level 29 | Class: Fighter | Guild: Glory Empire ---------- Rank 4: Laurence ¡ú Level 28 | Class: Swordsman | Guild: None ---------- Rank 5: Arianna ¡ú Level 27 | Class: Saintess | Guild: None ---------- Rank 6: Hidden Blade ¡ú Level 27 | Class: Assassin | Guild: None ---------- Rank 7: Lone King ¡ú Level 27 | Class: Warrior | Guild: None ---------- Rank 8: Queen ¡ú Level 26 | Class: Warrior | Guild: Eternal Glory ---------- Rank 9: Krystal ¡ú Level 26 | Class: Pyromancer | Guild: Eternal Glory ---------- Rank 10: Lancelot ¡ú Level 26 | Class: Knight | Guild: Front Assault ---------- Rank 11: ... ---------- Ra... ---------- .... _______________________

Level Ranking - Buying a house [Ding! Congratulations, you have been placed within the Level Ranking that contains the top 1,000 players! Would you like to view the leaderboard?] "Yes." _______________________ ¡ï Level Ranking Leaderboard ¡ï Rank 1: King ¡ú Level: 44 | Class: Swordsman | Guild: None ---------- Rank 2: Sword Emperor ¡ú Level: 29 | Class: Swordsman | Guild: Glory Empire ---------- Rank 3: Fist Emperor ¡ú Level: 29 | Class: Fighter | Guild: Glory Empire ---------- Rank 4: Laurence ¡ú Level: 28 | Class: Swordsman | Guild: None ---------- Rank 5: Arianna ¡ú Level: 27 | Class: Saintess | Guild: None ---------- Rank 6: Hidden Blade ¡ú Level: 27 | Class: Assassin | Guild: None ---------- Rank 7: Lone King ¡ú Level: 27 | Class: Warrior | Guild: None ---------- Rank 8: Queen ¡ú Level: 26 | Class: Warrior | Guild: Eternal Glory ---------- Rank 9: Krystal ¡ú Level: 26 | Class: Pyromancer | Guild: Eternal Glory ---------- Rank 10: Lancelot ¡ú Level: 26 | Class: Knight | Guild: Front Assault ---------- Rank 11: Moonlight ¡ú Level: 26 | Class: Berserker | Guild: Eternal Glory ---------- Rank 12: Severus ¡ú Level: 26 | Class: Paladin | Guild: Front Assault ---------- .... ... ... ... ---------- Rank 998: Raven ¡ú Level: 25 | Class: Assassin | Guild: None ---------- Rank 999: Iphine ¡ú Level: 25 | Class: Summoner | Guild: Killing Hand ---------- Rank 1000: Fearless ¡ú Level 25 | Class: Fighter | Guild: None _______________________ As Jaden kept reading down, he held his chin and muttered. "I''ve been training for a whole month without leveling up and I''m still the first in the leaderboard?" his expression couldn''t help but turn strange. "It''s been a month in-game, what were they doing all this time?" ********** At this moment, the whole DF Forum and player communities are in an uproar a few seconds after the release of the Level Ranking Leaderboard. "King''s at the very top, wow! After being the first player to create a skill, he then does this." "Look at the level difference, he''s nearly ahead by twice the level of the rest of the players in the leaderboard!" "As expected of my idol! It''s only been a month since the game launched and he''s already miles ahead of the rest!" "Nearly everyone searched all the player-spawned cities, kingdoms, and empires, high and low looking for King, yet no one''s still found him. I wonder where he''s farming levels that fast..." Presently, Destiny Forged has at least 3 billion players all over the world, and the number is still climbing at a rapid rate. This caused the game to easily reach every corner of the world, becoming a worldwide famous VRMMO in no time. All the VRMMO games currently famous such as Magic Continent, Elfheim, Ever Chronicles, and so on were currently suffering due to the newly launched Destiny Forged attracting their players. The companies that created, supported or invested in the other games were in a state of panic as they tried to do their best to take their users back. It''s been a few decades since the virtual industry became the top industry of the world, gaining the best economic and social progress. And the EGC, the leading powerhouse of the industry, once more took the world by storm with the release of the unprecedented and unrivaled Destiny Forged! ********* Alpha Continent, New Era City. At this moment, the most popular TV Station, plus radio house, plus internet streaming company, DreamCraft, was in it''s busiest time since it was created. Inside the 99th floor of the DreamCraft building, there''s a meeting currently being held. Standing in front of more than 30 people, all dressed in fancy suits and clothes, was a man with a wooden stand before him. Everyone in the was at least 20 years old to 50 years old, and they all had solemn expressions on their face, the atmosphere intense. Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. Slam! They shivered at the sudden sound. "It''s been 36 days! 36 days and Y''all still haven''t found that player King?!" roared a middle-aged man that seemed to be in his early 50s as he slammed the stand in front of him with his fist. "What am I paying you all for then?!" "President Harvey, we''ve contacted every player-based communities we could, even in-game, it''s just that guy doesn''t want to be found." responded a beautiful young woman with short, curly blonde hair. "Excuses, excuses! I''ll give Y''all two more days to find this, ''King'', use all the resources and contacts available!" grunted President Harvey. "If he''s still not found then, we''ll just leave him and approach the top 20 players in the level ranking leaderboard. Annie, I want you to lead this project since the rest of this bunch are imbeciles!" he said as he looked at the young woman that spoke. Annie nodded her head as she felt the envious gazes of her colleagues and co-workers. Harvey continued. "To the ones that I will call out, stand up." "Little Zhang!" "Present!" shouted a Chinese young man with glasses and fair skin as he stood up. "Matthew!" "Yes!" stood up a blond-haired man with blue eyes. "Igor!" "Lucas!" "Isaac" ... In the end, a total of 15 people stood up, all with serious expressions as they stared at Harvey who said. "The 15 people I called out will be part of Annie''s team. The main goal of this project is to set-up the number one Destiny Forged streaming station!" yelled Harvey with a serious face. "The rest of the plan will be sent via email in two-days time. As for the rest that I didn''t call out, your job, for now, is to find that top player as soon as possible. I have a feeling that whoever contacts that player first will hold the top spot for the streaming stations for Destiny Forged." The employees'' hearts were pounding hard as the words "number one" replayed in their minds continuously. Standing up, they all saluted before being dismissed by Harvey. ''There''s no way that kid is the one right..?'' pondered Harvey as he recalled the time when he met that unparalleled young man. Shaking his head, he laughed. "Well, we''ll see when the time comes." ********** EverGuard City, Basics of Combat training ground. "You''ve done well in this expedition, I can see that your skills have improved alongside your strength," said Roland as he praised his disciple. Jaden nodded his head. "I''ve seen and done things in this short span of time, widening my view of this world." Staring at Jaden, Roland knew what was on his disciple''s mind as he sighed. "Life and Death is a cycle of this world, you can simply say that it was their fate." Jaden remained silent as the death of the innocent citizens replayed in his head. "It''s the law of not just this world, but also the countless realms and dimensions. The strong eats the weak. Not many people can have the opportunity to break free from their fate and the cycle of Life and Death." said Roland as he patted Jaden''s shoulder. "Although I don''t know about other people, I am sure that you will be capable of this feat." Looking at his master''s eyes, Jaden sighed internally, lamenting the fact that this world was merely a virtual creation. Nevertheless, he put everything in the back of his mind as his eyes regained their focus, leaving Roland at ease. Changing the subject, Roland chuckled as he waved his hand, taking out a handsome white robe out of nowhere. The robe caught Jaden''s eyes as it was his first time seeing such a beautiful and delicately designed robe. ''It seems that it''s fit for battle?'' thought Jaden. "After being my disciple, I know that I haven''t really given you a lot of things, except the harsh training." smiled Roland as he handed the robe to Jaden. "This is your reward for your first successful quest." Reaching out his arm, Jaden took the robe as he immediately inspected it. _______________________ [???] Rank: Gold (0%) Durability: 450 / 450 ? Defense: 200 ? Magic Resistance: 100 ? Agility and Constitution +15 ¡ú A battle robe forged for an extremely talented young warrior who just began his adventure. Requirement: Level 30 and100 Strength, Agility. Constitution. (Bound to player King. Cannot drop or traded) (Can upgrade) (Please name the item) _______________________ "This battle robe is amazing..." exclaimed Jaden as he saw the robe''s stats. Roland chuckled. "It''s good that you like it. It''s forged by the blacksmith Rhold. He''s the city''s greatest blacksmith yet! As that equipment isn''t named yet, you should give it one." Hearing his master''s words, Jaden started thinking of a suitable name for the battle robe. "Seeing that it''s color is as white as snow and I''m a swordsman, I''ll name it [White Swordsman''s Robe]." smiled Jaden as he decided on the simple name. "White Swordsman''s Robe...hahaha" Roland couldn''t help but laugh as he felt amused at his disciple''s naming sense. "Although it''s simple, it is very fitting." [Ding! The equipment [???] is now named [White Swordsman''s Robe!] After Jaden wore the battle robe, Roland became quiet, astonished at his disciple''s current look. ''Tsk, tsk, this kid''s appearance is really something alright...what a lady killer!" Clad in the fitting white robe, Jaden resembled an immortal from the heavens at this moment. The delicate inscriptions that ran through the robe were akin to streaks of lightning and the engravings on the cuffs that flowed upwards were like coiling dragons as they shone a hint of silver. As the wind passed and the robe fluttered, his whole being seemed to resonate with the heaven and earth, one with nature. Taking out the Silverfang Sheath, Jaden slid the Sword of the Forsaken inside and hanged it behind him. His present image portrayed that of a carefree young man, traversing the world, unfettered. Looking at his disciple, Roland couldn''t help but be proud at this moment. They had spent a whole month together, although training 99% of the time, becoming closer to one another, not just as a master and disciple, but more like a family. ''Hmm, since EverGuard City will be my home in this world, I should buy a house in here too.'' thought Jaden. Now that he has a hundred thousand gold, that probably is enough to buy a house in this city. Raising his head, he looked at Roland. "Master, I feel like buying my own house in this city, can you help me get a good one. Don''t worry, I have enough gold," said Jaden as he patted his chest reassuringly. Taken aback, Roland was silent for a moment before he said. "Well...okay then, follow me to the City Administration Office." laughing, Roland walked away and left the training ground. Jaden checked the amount of gold that he had once more before following the master. ********** City Administration Office, 3rd Floor. Seats and tables made of the strongest of metals and toughest of woods while being delicately designed could be seen inside the top floor of the building. The lights above radiated a gentle light which enhanced the deluxe and luxurious grandeur of the atmosphere in the room. Standing in front of a long and wide lavishly styled golden desk, was a handsome young man clad in a white robe. He was currently talking to a purple-haired beautiful woman who seemed to be a receptionist. One would think that the beautiful receptionist would have a gentle and graceful voice, however, the reality wasn''t like so. An ever familiar monotonous voice was coming from her at this moment. [This plot of land costs 350,000 gold and the additional renovation plus the decorations and furniture cost 50,000 gold. The total amount of this purchase is 400,000 gold.] [Title Discount: EverGuard''s Warrior: 10%, Disciple of the Lord of EverGuard: 50%, Total Title Discount: 60%] [The total price of the purchase is 160,000 gold] [Purchase: Confirm or Reject?] Jaden was shocked for a moment when he saw the total amount of his villa. ''The price of the villa pierces the skies but I guess that''s a given since I''m buying a villa in EverGuard, which is one of the strongest cities in this continent...'' "Good thing the titles'' discounts are put to good use. Confirm the purchase," he said softly. [Ding! Purchase completed! Please name the villa to your desire.] "KingSword Villa," replied Jaden. He had thought long and hard since earlier. [The Clear Springs Villa had been renamed to KingSword Villa. The coordinates of the location are: XXX-XXX.] [Thank you for purchasing the land, please come again next time.] Blacksmith Rhold After leaving the City Administration Office''s building, Jaden opened his map in the system UI and followed the coordinates given to him. A few minutes later, Jaden was surprised as he found out that his villa was located only a minute or two away from both the Basics of Combat and the City Lord''s Manor, the office and home of his master. Reaching his destination, Jaden couldn''t help but exclaim out of astonishment when he laid his eyes on his newly bought home. Different trees ranging from ash trees, oak trees, pine trees, there were even cherry blossom trees, standing tall and proud on both sides of the pavement. The only difference between these trees and the ones from the real world were their sizes and age. Their barks and trunks were so big that five people wouldn''t even be able to put their arms around them, while their roots seemed to be connected to each other as parts of them could be seen sprouting above the ground. From the Administration Office, he had found out that these trees were actually more than 10,000 years old! These ancient trees were as old as the city itself! As Jaden passed through the obsidian, metallic gate, and walked forward on the pathway, he was greeted by a diverse number of plants and flowers that one wouldn''t even dream of seeing in the real world. ''This place is simply a paradise...'' thought Jaden as he continued walking. Eventually, his eyes were drawn towards a three-story mansion that exuded elegance and dignity. Built with white jades, rare granites, and magical wood, the construct suggested its luxurious exterior and infrastructure. There were images depicted in the relief decorations that spread throughout the outside of the mansion, alongside a few cuts seemingly made from a sword, adding a hint of fierceness on its somewhat carefree atmosphere. Tall and large windows allowing enough light to enter the interior of the home were added in a considerably asymmetric way portraying a rather eccentric design. Walking up to the mansion that had a mixture of the color white, gray, and brown, Jaden opened the door and entered inside. [Ding! Welcome to your new home, player King! Would you like to open the housing interface of the KingSword Villa?] Still somewhat a bit dazed, Jaden agreed as a blue 3D model of the entire land that he bought, appeared in front of him. Jaden could see the small model of the villa alongside the trees, plants, flowers, and grass. "Amazing..." he murmured. _______________________ Housing UI Name: KingSword Villa Type: Villa Rating: Royal Land: 7500 Sq. Ft. Effects: ¡ú Staying within the house increases Health and Mana regeneration by 200% ¡ú Staying in the house for 10 minutes increases EXP gained by 15% for 12 hours. Cooldown: 24 hours. ¡ú Skill and Mastery proficiency gained increases by 10% when training in the villa. (Can be leveled up) _______________________ Jaden nodded in admiration as he stared at the beneficial effects of the house. Its actually not just experience points gains, but also skills and mastery proficiency! Marvelous! One by one, Jaden checked every corner of the mansion and his joy surfaced on his face during this time. There were actually 10 bedrooms in this place, and their interior sizes were simply too big to behold! Satisfied with his decision to buy the villa, Jaden looked at his remaining 12,300. ''I should take this time to see if I can buy anything useful to me...'' he thought before walking out of the mansion. ********** EverGuard City, Central Hub. As Jaden walked along the streets of the Central Hub, he remembered his master telling him that in this place, one could obtain a treasure for a cheap price, but of course, one could also buy a fake and useless item or equipment for a high price and be swindled. Busy storefronts selling all kinds of rare equipments and materials could be seen on both sides of the streets, as far as the eye could see. Packed with people that hailed from different places, Jaden chuckled seeing this scene. Restaurants and inns were also the same as countless people with diverse professions and classes could be seen, drinking noisily. Bartering and haggling about prices could also be heard as the people kept shouting at each other non-stop. After walking for a while, Jaden stopped as he raised his head and looked up at the store sign above. [Rhold''s Smithy] The blacksmith who forged Jaden''s White Swordsman''s Robe was also the owner and the chief blacksmith of this two-story building. Although the exterior design was crude and simple, Jaden didn''t mind it since a lot of things in the world are more than what they seem, especially in a place like EverGuard City. Opening the somewhat huge and rustic door, Jaden heard a ringing of a bell as he stepped inside.This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it And indeed, the interior of the place could definitely be said to be different. Clang! Clang! Clang! A rhythmic sound of a hammer hitting a piece of metal could be heard. After glancing at the surrounding, which was vacant of customers, and the luxurious golden walls where all kinds of weapons and armors were displayed, Jaden''s eyes landed on a figure who had an extremely burly physique. _______________________ STATUS Name: Rhold Rhinestone Age: ??? Leve: ??? Rank: ??? Title: EverGuard''s Chief Blacksmith (Epic) _______________________ "..." Jaden was speechless as he stared at the status page in front of him. ''This guy is definitely stronger than master...'' he thought as he slightly narrowed his eyes. The "???" in the status page of the blacksmith suggested that Jaden''s existence was simply too measly and weak for him to see and access any information from the man. Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! As the same sound reverberated over and over, Jaden simply stared without interrupting. ''This repeated and patterned hammering sound is actually so simple yet profound...'' he thought. In Jaden''s eyes, he thought that the burly figure''s minute actions and arm swings were actually beautiful as he sensed the blacksmith resonate with nature, becoming one with heaven and earth. Seconds passed, minutes passed, and hours passed. Still ever patient, Jaden remained silent as admired and took in the profundity of the blacksmith''s actions. The world is full of marvelous things and one could learn new things every day. After an hour of systematic and precise repetition, the blacksmith stopped swinging his hammer as he stood up with a lustrous silver mask in his hand. "You''ve waited 4 hours and stood still in the same position without complaining or disturbing my action," said Rhold with a deep, raspy voice. "Your patience and temperament are definitely unique and rare for someone of your age." Rhold turned around and faced Jaden as he said those words. Jaden could then see the person''s appearance. He was bald and shiny as it reflected the light. He had a jet-black beard that connected with his rough-looking mustache. Donned in a fierce looking black leather armor, Rhold walked towards him. Although Jaden knew that this blacksmith was definitely stronger than Roland, of course, that''s because Roland is still young and has immense potential, he couldn''t feel any suffocating or overbearing pressure from the man who was walking towards his direction. There was no dignified aura of a powerful expert coming from him or a terrifying pressure that radiated from him. His aura was simply quiet and stable, akin to an immovable mountain that could support even the heavens. Bowing his head slightly, Jaden replied. "You think too highly of me master Rhold." Rhold smiled in response. "No need to be humble, I''ve sensed that you are not just talented but also calm and carefree, straight and unbending. You were born to wield the sword." "I thank you for the compliments, master Rhold," said Jaden as he didn''t refute. Although he indeed wasn''t arrogant, he wasn''t overly humble as well. His mindset and disposition were just as the blacksmith had described. "No need to call me master, just call me brother Rhold." he chuckled as he stroke his beard. "Brother Rhold." Rhold nodded his head. "Mhm." Just as Jaden was about to speak of him wishing to buy some things, he was interrupted. "I know why you''re here. Little Roland also came here a few days ago and asked me to make another item for you," said Rhold as he tossed the silver mask to Jaden. Little Roland? Abit taken aback, Jaden caught the mask and thanked the blacksmith before checking out the item. _______________________ [???] Rank: Gold (0%) Durability: 230 / 230 ? Defense: 120 ? Charm, Perception, and Fortitude +15 ? The skill Weakness Detection (Passive) will be generated. ¡ú A fitting mask for the young warrior who just started his adventure. Requirement: Level 0 (Bound to player King) (Can upgrade) (Please name the item) _______________________ "This mask that I''ve made could be said to be a set piece of the previous robe that I forged. It''s still unnamed so I suggest you name it," said Rhold. "A set piece huh..." Jaden muttered. "Alright, since it''s a piece of set equipment, I''ll just name it alongside the battle robe, White Swordsman''s Visage," he said as he put on the mask. [Ding! The equipment "???" is now named "White Swordsman''s Visage!] The mask''s color was a mix of white and silver as it shone a lustrous silver light. Alongside the delicate lines that coiled around the opening holes for the eyes and the lines that flowed horizontally, Jaden exuded an air of mysteriousness that one could get lost in. The mask covered only the upper part of Jaden''s face, leaving his nose and below in the open. However, this didn''t make him look awkward. His high nose bridge that was sculpted flawlessly alongside his thin, red lips and perfectly carved face only made him look alluring and enigmatic at the same time. "White Swordsman..." Rhold muttered as he looked at Jaden up and down. The white mask and robe contrasted his silky, jet-black hair and jade-like skin, and the sword that hung on his back was simply too fitting for the name. He displayed the name White Swordsman to perfection! Rhold praised as he repeatedly nodded his head. "Good name, very fitting indeed." he continued. "Roland already paid for that mask so you don''t need to pay for it. Look around the shop and take anything that catches your eye. I''ll gift it to you." he said before walking back near the furnace as he sat down and started hammering once more. ''Hmm, I''ll just take one item for free then use the rest of the gold to buy other things.'' thought Jaden as he started looking around. His eyes swept past the swords, armors, and helmets as he started walking towards a pair of snow-white battle sandals. _______________________ [Fleeting Snow Sandals] ¡ú Price: 9,500 gold Rank: Gold Durability: 280 / 280 ? Defense: 110 ? Agility +35 ? The skill Fleet Footwork (Active) will be generated. Requirements: Level 35 and Agility 200. ----- [Fleet Footwork] (Active) ? Dodge all enemy "projectile" and "target" skills for 30 seconds. ? Agility increases by 10% for the duration of the skill Cooldown: 10 minutes. _______________________ ''I''ll buy this one with my remaining gold.'' thought Jaden as he looked at the sandals that covered his foot and coiled upwards to his calves, akin to snakes. As he glanced around, something caught his eyes in an instant. It was a pair of silver gloves that seemed to be made of rare leather material or a monster skin. Jaden immediately walked towards the desk and opened the glass that contained the silver gloves inside. When his hand touched the gloves, his body couldn''t help but slightly shiver as he felt a powerful presence from the item. _______________________ [Duelist King''s Battle Gloves] Rank: Hero Durability: 850 / 850 ? Strength, Agility, and Constitution +80 ? There is a certain probability to stun the enemy for 1 second on every attack. ? There is a low probability to stun the enemy for 5 seconds. Cooldown: 3 minutes. ? The skill "Fatal Strike" will be generated ¡ú The battle gloves that the previous Duelist King had used throughout his life. The equipment has been greatly damaged for some reason, lowering its original rank alongside many skills being destroyed. Requirement: Strength, Agility, and Constitution 300. Melee-related Class. ----- [Fatal Strike] (Active) ? Deals 800% true damage to the target. Cooldown: 30 minutes. _______________________ Picking up the gloves, Jaden walked towards Rhold only to hear him say. "You can take the gloves for free, but you can pay for the shoes. Since you have the titles [EverGuard''s Warrior] and [Disciple of the Lord of EverGuard], you have a 60% discount. Leave the gold on the counter." Rhold didn''t even raise his head and continue hammering a piece of metal. Jaden nodded his head and left a bag with 3,800 gold inside on top of the shop''s counter before he walked towards the exit. Right before he left, he shouted. "Thanks for the gift brother Rhold, I''ll buy you a drink next time!" Jaden laughed as he stepped out of the shop. Rhold''s arm stopped for a moment before he continued hammering once more. Devilwood Forest - Epic Quest [Warning! Warning! Your level is too low! The recommended level for this map is Level 120!] Ignoring the system''s warning, Jaden stepped forward without hesitation. [Ding! You have entered the map: Devilwood Forest!] [Ding! As the first player to have reached the Devilwood Forest, EXP and Gold gained increases by 15% for 3 days.] As Jaden passed by what seemed like a formless and colorless barrier, he suddenly found himself in an eerily quiet forest with trees as tall as 20 meters, towering up to the sky. Roar!! Roar!!! Left, right, and up ahead, he could hear countless howls of monsters as they reverberated throughout the whole forest, scaring the flocks of birds and even flying monsters away. Unfazed, Jaden strode deep into the dark forest as he rechecked the quest that he got his master. _______________________ [Hidden Quest - Devilwood Cleansing] Difficulty Rating: Heroic Description: To the north of EverGuard City is a place called Devilwood Forest. Reports have been sent to the city that Demon Spawns are appearing at a rapid rate and killing adventurers and warriors that passes through the forest. Quest Clear Condition: Slay as many Demon Spawns as you can, figure out the reason for the rapid appearance of the Devil Spawns and destroy the source! Quest Completion Reward: ??? Failure Penalty: ??? _______________________ Since the whole Devilwood Forest was crawling with Demon Spawns, it only took a few minutes before Jaden had found one. Two large eyes viewing their surrounding from their sockets, a sharp nose rested below alongside its big underbite mouth that took one''s attention. Several razor-sharp teeth could be seen followed by a forked tongue that displayed menacingly. It had a tall and explosive build with two scaly black arms that dangled on both sides that ended with broad hands and incredibly long and sharp nails. A horn sprouted from its forehead which glowed with a powerful aura as the demon glanced at Jaden. _______________________ [Demon Spawn] (Lord) Type: Abyssal Demon Level: 110 HP: 124,000 _______________________ GRAA! Roared the demon as it charged at Jaden with its 8-meter tall body, brimming with ferociousness. Without a hint of fear or panic, Jaden unhurriedly unsheathed his sword from his back. In just a few moments the demon had already appeared right in front of Jaden as it swung its arm from above, its sharp claws intending to slice apart the foolish human in front of it. Ting! Effortless, Jaden parried the dark claws as the shockwave of the clash blew the surrounding wind, fluttering his white robe. Thud! [You have dealt 3,500 damage to the target!] Jaden kicked the demon spawn with a strength that was only a few points away from the 500 point threshold. Landing tens of meters away, the demon took a few moments before it regained its standing as it gazed fiercely at Jaden, only to find out that the human had disappeared from his position. Appearing at the demon''s right side, a blind spot, Jaden swung Forsaken from above radiating a flash of golden light, filled with Fighting Aura. [You have dealt 21,230 damage to the target!] HOU!! As if a butter meeting a hot knight, the Sword of the Forsaken cut the demon spawn''s arm with ease as it hissed with fear. Demons not only feared Holy Lights and Sacred Powers but also Fighting Aura. Relentless, Jaden cast [Chop] as his sword shone with blue light, leaving afterimages in its path as it swung in the air. Bang! [You have dealt 75,660 damage to the target!] The monster was flung away like a broken kite from the collision as a huge 60% of its health was chunked off. Ending the battle, Jaden jumped towards the demon and released an onslaught of sword attacks; the overall battle merely took 5 seconds before the monster, which had a high level three times that of Jaden''s, was killed with ease. [The target has been slain!] [Number of Demon Spawn slain: 1] [You have slain a monster 80+ levels higher than you, experience points gained increased by 350%] [You have gained 613,950 experience points!] [You have obtained 2,000 gold] [You have leveled up!] [You have leveled up!] [You hav...] [...] [Ding! The Mysterious Pet Egg wishes to devour the corpse of the Demon Spawn. Agree or Reject?] This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. "???" tilting his head, Jaden was both surprised and confused at the system message in front of him concerning the pet egg that he had. After more than a month in-game, the pet egg has been so silent and obscure that he would''ve forgotten about it if this message didn''t pop up in front of him. Taking out the pet egg from his space ring, Jaden confirmed the system question as the egg suddenly jumped out of his arms and hovered above the corpse of the demon spawn. And then, a shocking scene took place that Jaden''s eyes flew wide open from astonishment. The 3-feet tall egg exuded an ancient aura as it devoured the surrounding mana and elements. The skies darkened and dark clouds hung above the entire forest as rumbles of lightning could be heard, crackling within it. As if a storm was gathering around the whole area, the egg shone with a resplendent light as the luminosity covered the whole corpse of the demon spawn. A few seconds later, the whole 8-meter body of the dead demon was gone, without even a single speck of dust in its place. [Ding! Mysterious Egg incubation process: 3%.] After "enjoying" its meal, the egg flew back to Jaden''s arms. Surprised, Jaden lifted the egg as he inspected it. "Hmm...nothing''s different really..." he muttered before putting the egg back into the space ring. "I should keep hunting, its incubation process should progress then." Re-sheathing the Sword of the Forsaken, Jaden then walked deeper into the gloomy forest. ... Three hours later. [The target has been slain!] [Number of Demon Spawn slain: 22] [Ding! Mysterious Egg incubation process: 13%.] [...] [..] [The target has been slain!] [Number of Demon Spawn slain: 63] [Ding! Mysterious Egg incubation process: 26%.] [...] [...] [The target has been slain!] [Number of Demon Spawn slain: 110] [Ding! Mysterious Egg incubation process: 34%.] After killing more than a hundred demon spawn, the pet egg''s incubation seemed to stop as if unsatisfied with the quality of its "food". Jaden''s lips twitched. "This little thing...what a picky eater, Level 110 to 130 monsters can''t even satisfy it?" shaking his head, he sighed. "It seems this egg wants a higher class monster. As it''s incubation progress increases, I will need to provide stronger monsters upon stronger monsters then..." ''At least my level increased by a lot, so did my attributes.'' he smiled as he consoled himself. _______________________ STATUS Name: King Age: 19 Level: 71 (33%) Title: Disciple of the Lord of EverGuard World Rep: 22,499 Free Points: 355 stat points Attributes: ? STR: 599 ? AGI: 586 ? CON: 438 ? INT: 318 ? VIT: 331 ? WIS: 312 Innate: ? CHA: 159 ? LUC: 60 ? PER: 120 ? FOR: 160 ? Fighting Aura: 55 _______________________ The minimum attribute threshold of a [Gold] ranked warrior in this world was 500 points; It could be said that Jaden now possess the strength and agility of a [Gold] powerhouse! Meanwhile, the player community was once more in an uproar after the refresh of the Level Ranking Leaderboard. _______________________ ¡ï Level Ranking Leaderboard ¡ï Rank 1: King ¡ú Level: 71 | Class: Swordsman | Guild: None ---------- Rank 2: Queen ¡ú Level: 36 | Class: Warrior | Guild: Eternal Glory ---------- Rank 3: Sword Emperor ¡ú Level: 34 | Class: Swordsman | Guild: Glory Empire ---------- Rank 4: Fist Emperor ¡ú Level: 34 | Class: Fighter | Guild: Glory Empire ---------- Rank 5: Lone King ¡ú Level: 34 | Class: Warrior | Guild: None ---------- Rank 6: Laurence ¡ú Level: 33 | Class: Swordsman | Guild: None ---------- Rank 7: Hidden Blade ¡ú Level: 33 | Class: Assassin | Guild: None ---------- Rank 8: Moonlights ¡ú Level: 33 | Class: Berserker | Guild: Eternal Glory ---------- Rank 9: Krystal ¡ú Level: 33 | Class: Pyromancer | Guild: Eternal Glory ---------- Rank 10: Lancelot ¡ú Level: 33 | Class: Knight | Guild: Front Assault ---------- Rank 11: Arianna ¡ú Level: 33 | Class: Saintess | Guild: None ---------- Rank 12: Severus ¡ú Level: 32 | Class: Paladin | Guild: Front Assault ---------- .... ... _______________________ "Damn is that guy cheating?! How the f*ck is he Level 71?!" "I''ve already contacted the EGC administrators and sent an email, hoping for an answer soon." "Don''t be stupid, EGC can''t be hacked, how can a measly cheat program bypass Prime?! He''s a super AI for god''s sake." "To the guy above, how can you explain his level then?! It''s beyond human capabilities!" "..." "..." The same conversations and debate were being held at this moment in DF Forum and other platforms as the people were in a state of uproar regarding Jaden''s monstrously high level. One must know that the current players in the Leaderboard are overlords of all kinds of VRMMO games. For example, the guild Glory Empire has been famous since the era of virtual reality. The company backing the guild is a powerhouse in the field of VR and they have been conquering games way before Destiny Forged. They''ve been hailed as one of the giants in the virtual industry, yet suddenly, an unknown player, King, came out of nowhere and stole the limelight of all the professional players in but a blink of an eye! ... Of course, at this moment, Jaden was totally clueless about the shocking feats that he just did, leaving the world in an uproar as he focused on completing his quest. After a few hours of killing demon spawns and other monsters, leveling up, and giving "foods" to the pet egg while roaming around the forest, Jaden finally found the "source" of the demons in the Devilwood Forest. What caught his vision was the horrifying monster a hundred meters away from him, currently doing a ritual as a few magic circle were drawn on the ground, surrounding it. And right now, the monster was staring at Jaden as if he was already a dead man. "Oh? A heaven''s chosen? At this place? How interesting." a deep voice came from the monster as his words reverberated around Jaden''s ears, trying to subject him into fear. Three seething eyes stared at Jaden with ferocity as the power of heat radiated from the demon. Noxious smoke came out from its mouth alongside its sharp fangs that could bite steel in half, effortlessly. Flowing shadows adorned its three horns that were 3-feet long each, pointing to the sky. Alongside its perpetual grin, the smell of death bored down on Jaden as a bellowing smoke were released from its stumpy nose. Its wide head sat atop its gigantic physique as two skeletal flaming wings extended from its back fully as the surrounding trees and plants seemingly decayed as if the very essence of their lives were absorbed from them. _______________________ [Ekress - Avatar] (King) Type: Great Demon Level: 210 HP: 2,488,095 Description: An avatar of the Great Demon Ekress, a feared demon in the Abyss realm. For some reason, he is in the Devilwood Forest, creating Demon Spawns for unknown purposes. _______________________ Jaden''s eyes sharpened as he became serious. ''A Great Demon, they''re only below the infamous Demon Kings of the Abyss.'' At this moment, system announcements rang in his ears as windows of messages appeared in front of him. [Ding! The ¡ï Hidden Quest ¡ï Devilwood Cleansing has been completed! The reward will be held until you finish the continuation quest.] [Ding! The ¡ï Hidden Quest ¡ï Great Demon Ekress has been triggered!] [The quest has been forcibly accepted!] _______________________ [Hidden Quest - Great Demon Ekress] Difficulty: Epic Quest Clear Condition: Slay the avatar of Ekress at all cost!] Quest Clear Reward: ??? Failure Penalty: Level -71, all attributes are permanently weakened by 30%, EXP -90% for 14 days. _______________________ Jaden couldn''t help but chuckle at the penalty for failing the quest. "What a despicable and despairing quest this is." Of course, he wasn''t the least bit scared. Excitement coursed throughout his body as his blood boiled. "A Great Demon," he smirked as he stared at Ekress who ran towards him like a ferocious bull. "This demon''s even stronger than the Corrupted Draconian back in the Millburn Town." Unsheathing Forsaken, the sword vibrated as if sensing the formidable enemy. It let out a cry as power from the Silverfang Sheath flowed throughout the blade and the hilt. "This''ll be our first battle against a [King] ranked monster, my friend," said Jaden to the sword as he laughed. As if responding to his words, the Sword of the Forsaken shone brightly as a golden aura wrapped around it. Bang! Bang! Bang! The earth shook as the ground fissured and was decimated at each step of the great demon. Ekress raised his arms and clenched his huge fists as terrifying flames blazed around them. The flames ran amok as it engulfed his entire arms and then his whole body; At this moment, he perfectly portrayed the image of a demon that came hell. "Human, don''t resist any further and rejoice for you will die by the hands of I, the great Ekress. Oh but don''t worry, I shall also lay waste upon the Kingdoms and Empires in this place so you have some companions to the other world!" Ekress laughed with a malevolent face as he stared at Jaden as if he was looking at an ant. Jaden also laughed and replied. "You should also rejoice since you will be the first real demon that I will kill. Enough talk, try this technique of mine." Jaden stepped forward as a golden radiance erupted from him. The golden aura cascading along his whole body was akin to the mythical divine powers as he resembled a divinity at this moment. In a time that spanned less than a millisecond, Jaden had already pierced his sword forward. The wind was split and space was severed; cracks appeared in the direction of Ekress as if reality itself had collapsed. A colossal sword was formed as it penetrated time itself; the heavens cried and the earth shook as if the world was about to experience the apocalypse. The gods above wailed and the devils below howled. [Sundering Heavens]!