《Shadow of Ethura》


 Chapter 1

    I tapped the keyboard with nimble fingers as the code weaved itself together to create the masterpiece of my life, Ethura. The sound never paused for a second, producing an endless stream which seemed to be unstoppable. A light smile tugged itself into existence as I made some final touches. When I thought the code was perfect and unbreakable, I had one of the beta testers to see if everything was alright.


    The kid smirked as he ran to one of the capsules and got in with eager. He had told me many times that it was comfortable, but I never got around to try. All my time, free or work hours, was spent on forging the code for the most basic mechanics of the game. The story, graphics, and events were handed over to other members of the team so that the release wouldn''t take as long as it would have with only me. I still feel it was the right decision to find an investor. If I didn''t, I would still be home in my room with only a quarter of the progress Ethura has today. For this, I''m pleased this was the route I had chosen.


    I stared at the holographic screen above the capsule, watching the beta tester as he tried to level up one of his skills. It only took a couple of minutes before it leveled up from Z to Y. The sight of it made a smile appear on my face. There were no status or levels in Ethura. Skills were the only thing which could make a character grow stronger aside from equipment. There isn''t even a health bar or a mana bar. The player had to feel out the condition of the avatar, so a capsule was required to play if you didn''t want to die all the time. I wanted to make Ethura seem as though it was real. If a player sees an HP and MP(or Energy) bar at the top, it would ruin the experience.


    As I was trapped in my thoughts, the beta tester had leveled his skill again in roughly the same amount of time as the previous one had taken. It happened again and again which caused me to frown. The code was broken. "Come out. There is no need to continue." I didn''t even wait for the kid to properly exit the game before changing a few things within my "unbreakable" code. I asked the guy to test it out again and again until the code was exactly as I wanted it to be. Now, a player has to train a skill with three times the effort in order to level it up compared to the previous. It had to be hard, or there would be no point in playing.


    I glance at the digital clock on my computer and sigh. It was nine in the morning, so I have been working on this code for how long? Twenty hours straight. I laughed weakly as I felt a sudden wave of exhaustion rush through me. I lay my head down after scooting the keyboard away. Another sleepless night, I thought as my heavy eyes drifted closer together. I tried to open them back up, to continue my work, but they refused. My mind was as blank as a sheet of unused paper. Seconds passed like hours, and it felt an eternity before a simple dream, featuring my game, appeared.


    When I woke to a rumbling stomach, it was two in the afternoon. Five hours of sleep wasn''t bad, I contemplated as I stood up and stretched my stiff limbs. I''m lucky I didn''t fall to the ground and unknowingly hurt myself in my sleep. It would not have been pretty for me or my coworkers.


    "Stayed the night again, I see." Jacob playfully hugged me from behind. His breath tickled at my neck and cheeks, sending small tingles through my body. I found it strange but amusing at the same time.


    I unhooked his interlocked fingers to free myself before I glared at him with my violet eyes. "So what if I did?" I chortled. "I am an adult now, so I am capable of taking care of myself, captain underpants."


    He gave me a look which suggested I had offended him. "I''ve never worn my underwear on the top of my head, thank you very much!"


    "I saw you and you know it! You were in your birthday suit in the pool with your swimming trunks on your head." I voice began to pick up, a rarity.


    He placed his hand on his heart and opened his mouth in shock. I rolled my eyes at his hysteria. "At least I didn''t push my family away when I was five years old! At least I had a social life when I was twenty-five years old!" My eyes narrowed at the nerve he had. The audacity to say such things right in my face. Anger began to build up in my chest, allowing me to feel the need to punch the teeth out of his mouth. Luckily, my hunger kept me. I pointed at him with a shaky finger and a hot face before storming off.


    The canteen was the best place in this building aside from my workspace. The food was much better than the garbage I make. Frankly, I would give this place the highest rank in the world for the food, a solid ten out of five. I picked out a steak, some fries, a salad and a glass of water. It wasn''t the healthiest meal in the world, but at least it wasn''t junk food. Plus, I can get anything I want here for free. It''s one of the perks of being on the Ethura Team.


    Once the food was gone, I still felt a little hungry, so I got myself a few sugar cookies to munch on as I head back to my station to continue writing some code. This time, I was implanting a few NPCs with hidden skills to be handed away. As the main designer(and creator) of Ethura, I could actually add whatever I wish without anyone questioning my authority. The other members of the team had to come to consult with me for approval with the mini projects they plan to incorporate into the game. If I didn''t like the idea, they would have to scrap it away and find a different one.


    The day drew long with continuous defeats and success for all members of the Ethura Team. I had to set aside my programming to listen to theories and idea five times. I was pretty annoyed at being interrupted when my creative juices were flowing at high speeds, so I was pretty harsh on all of those who came and only accepted two ideas as they were too good to be let go.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.


    When dusk came, so did a group of six. They would always come at this time to check on the progress I made each day. One wasmy investor, George Luther. He was a short, (forgive me for being a bit racist) black man with a small, grey goatee. He always liked to wear a golden suit and jewelry to match his rotten teeth hidden beneath golden caps. One could easily say he was a man who loved showing his wealth. Next to him was his secretary, Kila Mooth. She had a nice body and face, which was always showing due to her extremely tight, short dresses. It''s probably why she got the job because she can''t be counted on anything else. At the very least, it was my own opinion of her. The rest of the six were burly men with huge muscles. They usually wore a black tuxedo with a matching cap on the top of their heads. I found it weird George would surround himself with whites. He was always cussing them out for being useless and a waste of money.


    "How is Ethura coming along, Sarah?" George asked with a bored tone as he "secretly" moved his hand onto Kila''s butt. I heard her giggle and saw her make strange faces when he moved his hand to other places. Although I don''t really understand these actions much, I could sense that it wasn''t appropriate due to the new guard blushing.


    "Ethura''s basic skill system is ready for the launch. All I need to do now is set up the "feeling" so players will know are wounded." I smiled as I explained everything I still needed to do. If only the programming of the capsules wouldn''t have taken so long, I would have been done with this months ago.


    George grunted. "Alright. How long do you think it would take?"


    "A week at most."


    "Good!" He smiled, showing off his gold before giving his secretary a long kiss. She moaned and hooked her arms around his neck with passion. My eyes drop. I don''t see why they are doing this. It looked uncomfortable to be clinging to someone else with the excuse of love. I much prefer computers compared to humans any day. The only exception to this was her twin sister, Elena.


    Elena was the smartest between the two of us. Well, better at understanding human interaction that is. She was able to become a psychiatrist with a master''s degree. Would anyone believe a master was possible at such a young age without seeing the evidence? I don''t believe so. The people here were skeptical of my skills when I first came to this place, even George, but their comments about my age ceased when they saw me crack their defensive software with ease. She was the only one who could read my thoughts without a hassle, and she had saved me many times.


    As for Jacob...Hang on. Why am I thinking of him? He was an annoying coworker who would never leave me alone. I am unable to keep my cool when he says something I don''t approve of, just like earlier today. I need to ask my sister about all of this. She''ll be able to tell me exactly what is going on.


    I sat down in my rolly chair to begin on the new code but hesitated. Should I go home to get a nice rest before the long week ahead? I weighed the pros and cons before heading out. The receptionist wished me a good sleep right before I go through the spinning doors of death. I''m not kidding when I say that. Once, my shoe got caught in the back. I tried to unhook it by squatting down, untie the shoe, get my foot out of it, break the shoe free, exit the doors, and put my shoe back on. It would have been a simple process if the door weren''t always moving in a circular motion. I got down to squat, but that was it before I fell on my butt and was being pushed by the glass doors. I yelled and screamed for someone to help me, but people were either taking a video or ignoring me. It wasn''t until a couple of minutes later when a guard came over with the key to switch the door off automatic spin. By then, I had a massive heat rash and a few months worth of nightmare to follow through. Even now, I am scared of them, but they were the only way inside.


    I rode the subway to the housing district and walked the rest of the way home. I was welcomed with a large, closed gate which refused to open no matter how many times I place the pin in. Annoyed, I called Elena and told her to unlock the door. I was then informed that I went to the wrong house. Grumbling, I waited at the gates until a red convertible rode over from the left.


    Elena had the roof open, so she could enjoy the nice spring breeze. She gave me a smirk. "Told you," she said as she unlocked the doors. I scrambled over with profanities rolling off the tip of my tongue. Once I put the seatbelt on, she drove off to our home.


    We ate some homemade chicken and dumplings before heading to the sofa. She said I needed to relax more and watch some TV. I tried to pay attention to the show she was watching, but it was just so boring. I ended up falling to sleep in the middle.


    When I woke up, I noticed Elena had placed a fur blanket on top of me. My heart warmed at the sight of it as I snuggled deeper into its warmth and softness. I was about to fall back to sleep when I suddenly felt my phone begin to vibrate in my back pocket. I groaned as I bring it out. It was George, so I answered despite my reluctance.


    "Hello?" I greeted him while stifling back a yawn.


    "Yes, hello." It was Kila. "George has told me to inform you that your presence in the Ethura project is no longer needed."


    "Hmm? What?!" It took me a moment to realize what she was saying. Do they want to fire me? From my own creation?


    "You heard correctly, Ms. Johnson. You handed the rights of Ethura over to the company, so the game was no longer yours as soon as you had signed your signature on the contract. Therefore, Ethura is my darling''s to control. We thank you for your great service and sent a billion dollars into your account. I hope this will appease any hatred you may hold after this conversation and hope you wouldn''t spread rumors. Afterall, you still have a nice career ahead of you. Plus, your sister would still be very happy and alive. Farewell, Ms. Johnson."


    She hung up. My eyes widen as my phone buzzed again, this time from my bank. The billion was deposited. "No!"


    I scrambled up and rushed to my room upstairs. I tore through everything I owned until I found the ten-year contract I had made with them. I read through its contents, word-for-word, and my heart plummeted. It turned out Kila was telling the truth. I was only fifteen when I had signed it, so I would naturally not understand that one needs to read contracts before signing.


    Tear, genuine tears flowed out my eyes. This was too much. They were too much. I now regret my choice in going to an investor. He took advantage of my young age and made me sign this death sentence of a contract. If I am to tell anyone of my involvement in the creation of Ethura, I would be hunted and killed. If I try to hack into the system I built from scratch, they would send me to jail for the rest of my life.


    "I''m sorry, Ethura!" I sobbed. "I let you down."

 Chapter 2

    A few weeks later...


    I stared at the TV with nothing on my mind. The pictures passed by in a blur and the words were scrambled all together into this huge jumble of nonsense. Time flowed and soon my sister came from her work. I didn''t notice her entrance until she had patted my shoulder. "You okay, Sarah? You didn''t answer me." I shook my head, causing her to sigh. "I asked what you would like to eat."


    "Anything." My mouth felt dry. She sat down beside me and took her high heels off her feet, saying "much better" in the process. I cleared my throat to relieve an uncomfortable tingle but ended up coughing up a storm. Elena began to rub my back and continued until I had stopped.


    "You cried yourself sick." She commented. "Just the other night, you had a high fever. I had to take you to the hospital." It''s true. All I''ve been doing was crying over something which could not be helped. I lost my job, my Ethura(which was everything to me). I had nothing left except for Elena and an empty shell of a life. Elena smiled at me before leaving the room. After another hour of staring at the TV, she called me over to her.


    Once I got to the closed door, she covered my eyes with her hands. Why didn''t she ask me to close them? Sometimes, my sister does the dumbest things. She led me by saying "left, right, left" like I was still a small child. "Now, stop!" I followed her command and felt her move her hands away from my eyes. I opened them and saw a gaming capsule before me. "Ta-da!" She exclaimed in an excited voice. "Ethura is no longer out of your grasp. You can play it as a player instead of building it as a creator!"


    Something bubbled up in my chest as I had the sudden urge to hug the girl. My eyes sparkled as I opened the device up. Inside, there was this pale green gel which was supposed to ensure the comfort of the buyer. The little kid would always swear that it was like laying down on the most comfortable bed in the world, but I never tried it because I was too busy. I sat in it with a small smile on my face and felt the gel sink down. I laid down and couldn''t help but wonder at the substance beneath me. "How did you get it?"


    Elena chuckled. "I pre-ordered it a year ago. It came in the night you had to go to the hospital. Congratulations, sister, your game is a huge success. It has a bit too much of an Eastern feel for me though. However, it is a whole new genre for games, so it already sold over a billion capsules. The servers were supposed to start up a week ago, but this guy had a delay..." She tapped the side of the capsule to emphasize her point.


    "An Eastern feel? That''s not possible! I created a western-style game." I yelled. "Tell me how it feels Eastern to you."


    Elena frowned. "Maybe you should try it out and see for yourself. It would be easier than me trying to explain it to you." My eyes narrowed as I reached up and pulled the capsule lid down. The gel began to glow faintly as it pulled on my body, bringing it deeper inside of its contents. Panic filled my heart as the gel was about to cover my face completely. I wanted out, but before I could do anything, my vision began to distort and fall into darkness.


    It was completely silent and dark. My thoughts seemed to freeze in place. This state continued for a time I could not count. All I know is that it felt to be a long time before a piercing white light exploded into existence. A star of magnificent beauty and power.


    When my vision cleared, I was in a courtroom filled with people who had masks on their faces. The judge was wearing gold every place he could. A curvaceous woman sat in his lap affectionately. I could instantly tell who they were.


    "George, Kila." I greeted. "What is this?"


    "My administration saw you trying to play Ethura. I came to give you a fair warning and a chance. All you need to do is sign the contract on the desk before you." George replied. "I don''t want you attracting unwanted attention."


    I picked the paper up and read its contents aloud. "As long as I, Sarah Johnson, does not tell any player of the truth behind Ethura, I will be allowed to play. As a precaution, I accept the following limitations: I will not be allowed to change my character''s physical appearance. I will only be allowed one character at a time. I cannot delete my first character. I must be willing to work twice as hard when compared to other players. At night, my ability to attack will be 75% less than normal. If I fail, I will be banned from Ethura for the rest of my life and three billion dollars will be taken from my banking account.


    "As long as Sarah Johnson keeps this contract true, I, George Luther, will uphold the following: Sarah will have no need to pay the fee required to lay Ethura. Instead, she would get paid $100 a day. At nights, her health bar would increase by 50% in the case she is in the wilds. If Sarah is to die, she will go through the Yama Trials instead of having to wait for 24 hours. However, each time she dies, her skills decrease by ten levels. If I fail, I will hand Sarah Ethura and give her ten billion dollars."This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    George''s signature was already signed. From how the contract was set up, it seemed to be in her favor for the most part. "What are these Yama Trials?"


    He whispered something into Kila''s ear which made her giggle. She gave him a light kiss before standing up. Her hips swayed as she made her way over to me with a bright smile. "It will only take a few hours. I can''t say much more than that." She murmured quickly as she passed. I turned and watched her leave through the huge door I had failed to notice before.


    I thought about it for a few minutes before signing my name. As soon as I placed the pen down, the contract was bathed in a golden light as it was lifted up and sent to George''s hands. He made sure the signature was mine before he crushed it and made it disappear. He smiled. "Alright. Have fun, Sarah!" He waved his hand, making my vision begin to distort once again.


    My vision cleared up and I saw some rustic wood. I try to take a step, but it turned out I was laying down on a bed. I lightly cough as I sit up and get on my feet.


    As it turned out, I was laying on one of the beds inside of an inn. After eating a free meal to quale the hunger of my avatar, I left. Once I got out, I stared blankly at the scene before me. Ancient Chinese-styled houses with red clay tiles for roofing. Everyone I saw had the style of garb suited to the environment around them. It was strange to see all these "conservative" people moving about when they would normally wear spaghetti straps, booty shorts, or nothing at all. No jeans(which was a major downside for me). I glance down and saw my own avatar wearing the same type of garb as the rest of them. Ah. It was no wonder why Elena had said it had an Eastern flavor to it.


    I opened my character screen and was taken aback with anger. "They just had to add a f*cking HP bar!" It was only then when I noticed a small green bar at the top right of my vision. It was difficult to see, but it was still there. I sneered. That little thing wasn''t going to be of any use. There are no stats in the game to increase the amount, just skills. In order to survive, players must dodge the oncoming attacks. As long as one has the skills necessary, they wouldn''t even take in damage until the magical beasts come into play. However, the ''developers'' had completely changed everything except for the few things I had done.


    I settled my heart down before I opened my space(inventory) screen. In it, I saw some bread, water, and a few noob weapons to choose from as well as some skill books. My original plan was to make every player create all of their equipment as the game focuses on survival, but I guess they had to change this up as well. I sighed and read the books. At the very least, it was I who had implanted the skill book system in the game. In order to learn a skill from a book, a player has to actually read and be able to comprehend it to a certain degree. The more comprehension one has of the skill, the more powerful it will be.


    For example, if a person has a comprehension rate of 40%, the person will only be able to bring that much of the skill''s power into life. Let''s say two people are competing against each other. One has 30% while the other has 50% comprehended, and the skill is of the same level for both parties. If they are only using that one skill, the one with the 50% would definitely win as long as the skill is able to land on the opponent. Aside from that, comprehension would also determine how fast one is able to level up a skill.


    Naturally, if a person was able to create their own unique skill(which is very hard), their comprehension of it would be 100%. The only thing is about completing the skill which can take hours upon hours of hard work.


    A few minutes had passed when I was finished skimming over [Meditation 101]. A wonderful feeling filled my body as a golden light hovered around my body, evaluating my comprehension of the skill. A small bell rang as the light faded away.


    {Meditation comprehension: 100% Skill is now added to the character.} A cold voice said in my head. I read the other skill books in my inventory before heading over to a merchant to sell them off. Although they only sold for a copper each, which was more than what I had. I was about to sell all of the weapons I had to get myself a better sword but hesitated. Do I really want to be a melee fighter? Normally, I would choose this type of class as I had nothing to worry about. However, I now have a night debuff which would decrease my attack strength.


    Logically, a swordsman would have a disadvantage if their attack power were to suddenly decrease. Plus, they are usually the people who would use frontal attacks. I can''t be a swordsman. It would place me at too much of a disadvantage when nights come. A mage would be too difficult. A rogue would...


    Eh, why am I thinking of normal class systems? This is not your average game! I could be a jack of all trades if I wanted. However, certain skills require certain weapons. In the middle of a fight, I would not be able to bring out all of the power I have if I choose this route. My mind continued to think long and hard. For hours, I stood there in front of the merchant.


    When I was about to choose what my main weapon would be, an aged man''s yelling had captured my attention. "Hurry and move out of the way! Let me through, you big oaf!" I cast my eyes over in his direction and saw his pursuers were the guards of this small town. I watched the show as the old man in rags threw stuff at the guards as an obstacle. He ran in many circles before he started to head in my direction. It was only then when I took notice of a beautiful wooden harp was taking refuge in his arms.


    I thought he would continue on his way to escape his pursuers. I would have never thought his eyes would start to shine like stars as he handed me the instrument. I stared at it in shock. It was only when I heard him say "run" I was able to get a hold of myself. Even then, I just followed his command and ran as fast as I possibly could.


    Before I knew it, the guards had stopped chasing the ragged old man and began to follow me with pointed fingers and hatred in their eyes. This harp was a hot pocket. I wanted to get rid of it by doing the same thing the old man had done, but people ran away from me after they saw his actions. No one wanted to have a hard time in the small town.


    Why me?!

 Chapter 3

    The guards had finally stopped pursuing me when I had entered the outskirts of a zone known as Cloud Forest. I heaved a sigh in relief as I sat down to soothe my haggard breathing. The chase was way too tiring for my comfort. Before I could say "doodlebugs," a golden light rained down upon my character, and I felt my avatar''s body changing the way its breathing rhythm was and noticed my strength was returning to me. It seems like my running skill has advanced some.


    With each increase in skill level, the avatar would make the necessary changes to secure the player''s mastery of it was significant. For example, if I were to increase my swordplay skill, the skill system would help the player''s avatar match the skill level by making its stance become more sturdy and powerful with each increase. However, it was up to the player how and when they use the skill. Some players may use the running ability to dodge attacks while others may use it because of the inconvenience of not having a mount yet. There are cases where people were able to bypass the system to defeat foes of a higher "skill" level than themselves due to their combat experience in the real world. I found this out because one of the beta testers was a veteran. She was undefeatable until magic started to come into play in the game.


    It was a bit of an unfair system, but it was a survival game. In the wilds, only the strongest would survive. If they have the ability, they would undoubtedly take their place at the top. Of course, real life combat experience wasn''t the only thing which could make others excel. Gaming abilities and knowledge would allow the pros to adapt to this new environment and make their way to the summit as well. Therefore, everyone had a chance.


    I opened up my character window to check how much it had grown. Two levels weren''t so bad. I guess the chase had some benefit to it after all.


    Oh.


    I giggled as I looked at my blank character''s name. I had forgotten to name myself. I shrug my shoulders and exited the screen. I could handle that another time. For now, I had more pressing matters at hand, such as this harp.


    I hold the wooden instrument in my arms and studied its beautiful craftsmanship. Truthfully, I was wondering what I should do with it. Should I keep it for myself or give it back to the old man? I thought about it for a few moments before I decided to keep it until our paths crossed once again, so I placed into my space.


    After standing up, I began to head back to the beginner village, hoping the geezer was still there. Plus, it was near night time. I had no idea what was in this Cloud Forest, but it must be dangerous. I thought as I remembered the looks of terror on those soldiers'' faces when they saw me enter. The sooner I left, the better.


    *ROAR!*


    I was only a half a mile away from the exit of Cloud Forest when a thunderous roar resounded out as the earth quaked under the weight of something massive. I had no idea where the sound was coming from, but I could see an enormous silhouette running to me from ahead. Hell no! I wasn''t ready to fight a giant monster like you yet. I wanted to level my character up by defeating some large toads. I ran as fast as my avatar''s legs could carry me to my right. My skills were way too low to handle the creature, especially so since those soldiers ran away at the sight of the forest. Or...was it this creature they saw?


    Well, it didn''t matter at the moment because my level X running skill was not cutting it out for me. The quaking of the earth was becoming louder and stronger with each breath I took. Each tremor was now causing me to stumble all over the place. The beast, whatever it may be, was catching up.


    Damn! Its running skill must be at least level U to be able to be that much faster than I am. In a matter of seconds, it had caught up. I could feel a sharp wind blowing on my neck as the creature must have pounced towards its prey.


    I was a goner, I thought. I couldn''t see any escape route anywhere. In my first day inside of Ethura, I closed my eyes and accepted the fact that I had died while still running away from a monstrous creature.


    At least, that was what I thought. Before the claw could reach me, my feet, which were running on solid ground before, felt nothing under them. I screamed(unintentionally) as I fell down into a deep, dark pit with cold sweat covering my avatar''s back. At the bottom, there was a large pool of water. I crash landed into it, leaving me with only a sliver my HP bar, before I began to swim my way out of the pool.


    It seems like I''m still in the game, baby! I laugh nervously as I recall the close calls from before. Let''s not do that again, shall we?


    I evaluated my surroundings, a typical cave, and noted no monsters were in sight. Since it was safe, I decided to use this time to start training my avatar''s mental energy(ME). In order to use any type of skill, it calls for ME to be consumed. As one raises the level of a skill, the skill can either take more or less of ME. The running skill, which had just leveled up to W, was one where it would take less ME after each increase.


    As there are no stats to increase it directly, I had created meditate to help recover and increase both mental and physical strength. It was the most basic and important skill in the game as it can directly increase one''s power. Plus, more ME means more skill leveling without having to meditate once again.


    From running so much, my ME was nearly drained to the bottom, so I felt a bit droopy and out of it, especially after the fall I just had. It was another thing to look out for. The higher the ME, the more skills you can spam. However, less ME means getting into a near drunken state. If a player''s ME drops to the pit, they would pass out and be at the mercy of any creature or player in Ethura. That''s why players have to be mindful of how they use their skills and of their ME.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    I sat in the most comfortable position and began to activate the meditation skill. It took about three hours to increase its level. The skill actually made a player to meditate as they would in real life. If I didn''t create it like so, then my game would not get the realism I was looking for. Even then, George and the company had ruined all of that.


    Due to the rising anger in my heart, my meditation skill came to an abrupt halt when I was just about to recover all of my strength. I tried again and again. With the process of trial and error on my side, I was able to increase its level a few more times, bringing it to level V. My ME had tripled in size and my body felt more vigorous than it ever has before. I glanced at the HP bar and didn''t see any changes aside from it being filled. Then again, it doesn''t have a number on it or anywhere around it, but I had a feeling it increased.


    Feeling satisfied with the current results, I decided to get up and find an exit to this place. I walked around until I found a narrow path which led away from the pool. It was dark to the point to where I couldn''t even see my hands crawling on the walls to feel where I was heading. The sides of the cave were wet and sharp. Sometimes, there were some spikes poking from the sides of the walls, which barred my path. I would have to either duck under or jump over them depending on how tall or low they were.


    Towards the end, there were so many of these obstacles that I was forced to use the staff to effectively break the rock as me hitting it with my hand did nothing. I didn''t want to use the sword yet as I was planning to use it in case some monsters appeared. By the time I got through the thick wall, the staff had many fractures in its wood. It was another thing I didn''t like about the first equipment. The durability was too low.


    I step out into large corridor which strangely had a dim lighting. However, due to my eyes already beingacquainted with the darkness, it stung my eyes each time I had opened them and it took a short while before they adjusted. To my left was a clear dead-end, so I went right.


    Drawings of a winged man as the main character were deeply etched into the stone. The hand which drew it was very skillful as each one was very lifelike. I traced the markings with interest as I found it was not inferior to a modern artwork. The detail was exquisite and it portrayed all vital elements in art very well. The rough edges around circular corners hintedthe work was created by a blade of some kind. The dim lighting made the lines more bold and distinct.


    It appears as though the people were frightened of something when they threw stones at the winged boy. His wings made him different than everyone else and they were afraid. I didn''t understand why. Him having wings doesn''t make him a horrible person. I continued to follow the strokes with my fingers as I followed the story. The next thing I know, the boy had grown up. He was flying away from a burning town with a sack in his hands. I found it strange at how the lighting was very vibrant on the sections on fire and on the sack while all else held the same as before. I glanced up to see if there were some holes in the ceiling, but there was none. I studied it for a moment longer before moving on. Perhaps it was my mind playing tricks.


    The winged man persevered through many disasters. I watched as he fell into the traps of others and lost one of his wings. Tornadoes, volcanoes, and even a massive wave had come to threaten his life, but he was able to survive each one with the skin on his bones barely attached. He was on a quest to find his the people who had taken his right wing. He wanted it back because he wanted to know the feeling of flight once again. Each trial he faced, each wound he had, and each betrayal he had witnessed was all shown to me in the most vivid of detail. Although there were no words, my mind would conjure them for me and allow me to stand in his place. I was able to feel everything he had. The strange lighting and the amazing artistic skills I traced all contributed to story so well.


    Unknowingly, tears began to blur my vision as I watched the final pieces of the winged man''s journey. The guy had found his adversary and fought to his bitter end. He had killed himself after finding out his wing had been used to inject its DNA into other creatures. The experiments were to allow humans to grow wings and fly, but thousands had died with no success. All of the feathers from his stolen wing was plucked, so he found out his efforts were all for nothing. He was saddened and didn''t want anyone else to suffer under those cruel experiments, so he hid and starved himself to death.


    Pain filled my chest as I broke down. I couldn''t take the apathy I was trying my hardest to portray. My mind was filled with rage, regret, and sadness. Too many negative feelings were swirling in my heart to continue this facade. I tried to calm myself down when Elena was home so she could stop worrying about me. I restrained myself for too long and this carving had brought all of those feelings back to the surface in an unyielding tide. Would I end up like the winged man if I try to get Ethura back? Was this a warning?


    While I was crying my heart out over the mixed emotions I had once suppressed, Elena came to inform me dinner was ready through the microphone, so I did my best to calm myself as quickly as possible and logged out. Although I had spent over half a day inside the game, only around forty-five minutes had passed in real time. It wasn''t something I would have advised them to do as it places too much mental stress on the player, but they were worried about the time it would take in order to enter the real game world. George had pressured me to make a timetable to where one hour in real life would equal a day in the game. As I was scared my investor would quit supporting Ethura, I complied and was able to succeed after a year of hard work.


    As my mind entered my body once again, it felt like I was breathing fresh air for the first time in a long while. I opened my eyes and pressed the open button under the pale glow of the gel. My steps to the door were sluggish and clumsy. However, I took in a deep breath and placed a bright smile on my face before I left the room.


    I ate and chatted with Elena as though nothing had happened. We played a few card games together before she allowed me to go back into the game world. I was glad to see her relief when she saw how ''happy'' I was at being able to be with Ethura. It was a good thing virtual tears won''t cause any side-effects on my real body. If she knew what Ethura has brought me was more tears and anger, I know Elena would never allow me to bring so much as a foot inside of it again. So, I must be ''happy'' for now until I can truly feel the way I act.

 Chapter 4

    I was back in the cave with the winged man''s story carved on the walls. My eyes avoided looking back over to the beautiful artwork because I didn''t want to face another breakdown as I had before. However, the story and its drawings were carved into my heart as deeply as it was in the stone. I felt melancholy, but at least I wasn''t shedding tears. I ran away from the story until I slipped on a rock and fell.


    "Tsk." I couldn''t believe a story would have this kind of impact on me. I was unable to keep my feet on the ground and ended up falling. After a few more silent complaints, I got back to my feet and walked until the corridor had widened again to form a circular room. Torches of azure flames lit the room with an eerie glow. They cast long shadows upon the ground of the throne which stood in the middle. Upon the seat was a skeleton which had a single wing. The wing''s feathers had long fallen off with its flesh and had scattered about the floor. They were tattered and ruined with the passage of time, and it was a miracle they weren''t dust.


    "So this is the winged-man?" I stare at him as the pictures of his story once again emerged in my mind. Pain prickled at my heart, but I refused to cry. I wanted to get out of this place, not stay here forever.


    After calming myself, I took a step into the room. The instant my foot grazed the floor, the feathers began to shimmer and hum to life. Shock filled me as I watched them began to fly into the air. The glows on them varied in color and was dazzling my eyes as they became more and more bright and alive. In a matter of seconds, they seemed to be as brilliant as the sun. I covered my eyes and turned around before my avatar''s eyes burned out of their sockets.


    Just as fast as the feathers had risen, their glows had dimmed. I had opened my eyes quick enough to see the feathers morphing into some creature in the likes I could never have imagined with my scale of creativity. When I was sure the blinding light was gone, I opened my eyes and studied them with fascination. They were the size of a human''s pinky finger had had wings behind them. Each one had a humanoid body shape except for their heads, which were that of a crimson python. Their lips were curled up into what looked like a sneer as they glared at me with a wild gleam in their eyes.


    "Hello human," They all spoke in unison. Their voices were like a powerful whisper spoken in a raspy tone. "We are the guardians of Lyros''s crypt as well as the keeper of his legacy. To escape from this chasm, you must pass the trials and accept what will be given to you, or by killing us."


    "What if I don''t want to do either?" I asked.


    Their sneers widened into a sinister smirk. "You will never leave." The words were simple, but I was able to notice the hidden threat. If I don''t choose either of those options, they would immediately attack me for the kill. In other words, the legacy trials were the only way to get out of this alive.


    "I shall take the trials!" I shouted with my eyes firm.


    My words made them laugh with disdain. It was as though they had already predicted my choice. "Excellent choice, young one!" The world began to tremble and fall in on itself. Particles of dirt tickled down to the ground as a portion of the walls were collapsing. I thought they had tricked me and was about to curse them to my death when the rumblings had ceased. All of them had pointed to the newly opened door as they snickered. "The trial begins through there. No need to worry. It changes according to the strength of the possible legacy candidate. There is a high chance you would die, but it is your best bet as you will never be able to survive our onslaught with your level of skills."


    I glared at them before making my way to the trial. As soon as I stepped through, the world trembled again as dirt filled it up again. It was too late to turn back.


    It was as dark as the darkest night, with no moon or stars in the sky, for a few moments before a glowing fog entered my vision. From what I can see, I was inside a graveyard. Does this mean I will be fighting ghosts or zombies like those people in the movies? I hope not...They give me the creeps. I brought out the sword from my space before advancing.


    An eerie silence settled across the land except for the crunching dried leaves under my light steps. I soon began to look behind my shoulders every so often with the rising paranoia in my heart. Countless eyes were focusing their hungry gazes upon me. I could feel them, but there were no creatures in sight. They must be waiting in the shadows for any show of weakness on my part. Or, it could be the silence getting to me. It was too quiet, even for a person who loves it.This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    I came to an abrupt halt when I heard a slight crunch different from my own. "Who''s there?!" I yelled as I whipped my head around to study my surroundings, but there was nothing to be seen. After a long pause, I continued to head deeper into the silver fog. Maybe it was my imagination.


    However, a series of quick crunching sounded out from behind me, completely out of turn from my own. Without thinking, my body swirled around while taking a few steps to the side, dodging the assault. I didn''t wait for the creature to change directions before I rushed at it with the sword pointing out. Before I knew it, my weapon had pierced through its skull, killing it in one blow.


    I stumbled forward and fell upon the newly made corpse. The crimson blood which oozed out of its head seeped into my clothes, and the smell was nauseating. If it wasn''t for me knowing this was Ethura, I might have ended up spewing all of my food from dinner out on the floor. When I got up to my feet again, I grabbed the weapon and extracted it from the creature''s brain. My clothes were clinging tight around my body, and the blood was drying quickly, leaving me uncomfortable. I wanted to replace the clothes I had with a new set, but there were no extras in my space.


    After sighing in frustration, I cast my gaze over to the creature I had recently killed. It resembled a raccoon for the most part. However, its arms dragged to the ground, its claws were sharper, and horns had taken the place of its ears. It seemed to be weak after the fight, but it was mostly instincts and luck which had won the battle, not my skill. I wasn''t sure as to what its strengths and weaknesses were. Through my observations, I have come to a conclusion where these ''raccoons'' preferred to perform sneak attacks. As to why, I had no clue as of this moment. I can only wait for the next assault before I could have more accurate theories.


    I guess there was plenty of time for evaluations because I only took a few steps before another raccoon monster came rushing at me. This time, it was accompanied by another. Both of them were opposite of each other, so my dodging options were limited. My feet brought me back a few paces. I watched as the raccoons changed directions with lightning speed and clicked my tongue. I had thought they would crash into each other due to the previous adversary''s sluggish movements. However, they proved me to be a fool with actions which exceeded my expectations.


    I moved the sword to block the two clawed slashes. When they made contact, I felt a tremendous force pushing down at my weapon. Knowing I couldn''t take the pressure much longer, I backed away and watched in horror as the raccoons'' claws produced deep trenches in the ground. If one of those attacks were to land home, I would end up dying! This trial was no joke.


    I wanted to kill the two off as quick as possible, but I had no special skills available at the moment. All I had were the fundamental skills which everyone receives at the beginning of the game. Since I had no combat experience in the real world, there was no possible way I could bypass the system.


    Before I could think up a solution, the duo advanced with their claws outstretched like a cat playing with a mouse. We exchanged a couple of blows before my ME was down to a critical level. If I kept playing my cards as I have been, I would undoubtedly die. I grit my teeth as dodge the oncoming attack. This type of fighting wasn''t doing any good. I needed to use my head.


    {Night has come. Debuff activated. Buff activated}


    A robotic voice chimed in my head as a scarlet glow descended upon my avatar. The light sucked away most of my strength before dispersing. Almost immediately after, a silver glow had also descended. It revitalized my vigor and ME, making them stronger, before taking its leave.


    My eyes widened when I had realized the two raccoons have frozen in place a few feet away. Their eyes had lost their spark, and they were grey instead of brown. I took a few hesitant steps forward and gently touched one of their claws. At first, nothing had happened. However, the two raccoons poofed into dust and were scattered away by the silver fog.


    "How did it happen?" I stood there, mouth agape. It took me a few moments before reclaiming my soul. "Well, it doesn''t matter. They are gone, so there is no need to fret anymore." I continued to speak comforting things to myself as I advanced.


    What had happened confused me, but the raccoon monsters kept pouncing at me. I ended up getting hit a couple of times, but the nightly buff saved me many times. As time grew on, I came to find a cheat to this trial. As long as I don''t advance or retreat to the starting point, no creatures attack me. Therefore, I''ve come to the point to where I would meditate after each battle. That way, I would be in peak condition before another dance.


    Another thing I have come to realize is that the farther I go, the more raccoon monsters join the fight. By now, I have to fight around five at a time. My skills were leveling up by leaps and bounds due to the special nature of the trial. Truthfully, I was thankful I had the chance to take a part in this. It has helped me grow my avatar faster than I had expected.


    The quality of my fighting style had increased as well. I was able to dance around, dodging attacks while inflicting damage. However, good things must come to an end at some point. After my first tango against a group of six, the sword''s durability fell to 0 and scattered in the wind. Another bad thing is that there is now a timer for my breaks. As soon as an hour had passed, a new group of raccoon monsters comes for the kill. The trial is only becoming more difficult, and I have no idea how much longer I could survive.

 Apoligies

    I have to take a hiatus. Personally, I was wanting to create a new chapter, but my father had gotten into an accident and is in a critical care unit. I don''t have the time to write out a full-length chapter as of right now. News came in today and it turns out he even has amnesia. He doesn''t have any memories except for what his name is, so we are probably going to be spending most of our day at the hospital.