《A Fiery VRMMORPG adventure》 Prologue

Prologue

Scorching flames licked the glass black. Fire, so primitive, destructive and unforgiving, and yet, far more beautiful than anything the world has to offer. A single spark represents hope and dreams of a better future, but too many can bring about an unstoppable inferno of ruin that consumes everything. I continued to admire the growing flames of the fireplace. My brown eyes recorded all details within the cage ¨C the change of color from orange to yellow, the distinct edges which sometimes emitted crisp sounds of igniting sparks¨C not one escaped. I was just like the fire, trapped. But that would soon change. No longer would I be... controlled. Standing up, I made my way to the kitchen. A Smeg ECF01 Espresso Coffee Machine from the early twentieth century. I pulled my hand across its shiny surface. It had been discarded just like me before I found it, left to rot although it had done nothing wrong.You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. Soon, the scent of expresso filled the room. I inhaled, then brought it with me to the window. It was a shame no one was here as I gazed out since it was the first time in many years I revealed a smile. No¨C not because of what I saw¨C not at all. The scenery was the same one I had been looking at for over ten years. The frigid, desolate landscape and the black curtain which overhung like an endless prison. However, I knew all this would change soon. I would not stay put anymore. I would be reborn from my ashes all those years ago as the phoenix I truly was. And they would all see it. As I spread my wings and took flight. I emptied the cup and walked to my bedroom. Within the spacious bedroom that only made me feel lonely lay a silvery helmet as if taken from a science fiction novel from the early 90s. I crawled into my bed and put the helmet over my head. ¡¸13%¡¹ ¡¸78%¡¹ ¡¸99%¡¹ ¡¸100%¡¹ ¡¸You have connected to Armistice.¡¹

Beginner Village (1)

The female voice of the system was robotic and monotonous. If not for the fact that I had not heard another''s voice in a long time, I might not have reacted the way I did. With deep breaths and exhilaration that is. I swallowed my abundance of saliva. ¡¸Initilazingcharacter creation.¡¹ Following the voice, a hologram of a slightly hunched, middle-aged man far past his prime appeared in the blackness. His brown eyes were dull, almost lifeless¨C yet seemed to hold some sort of hidden depth within. His brows slightly slanted downward, and his nose was sharp, and overall he was not too bad looking considering his age. The only fault was his melancholic demeanor which seemed almost tragic. I sighed inwardly. "Proceed." My voice was shaky. When you live alone for a long time, you eventually stop speaking. It is a waste of energy. A waste of time. No one can hear you anyway. As I spoke, I surprised myself. So this is how I sound? I had forgotten. ¡¸Please allocate your mastery, skill and attribute points.¡¹ I began to scroll through the tens of masteries that I had to pick from. This game, Armistice, was a joint collaboration of the universe to stop the space war which broke out when humans began to populate space. Each race of the universe¨C no matter the size¨C had a server, and arising conflicts would be decided in the game to minimize casualties. After all, the universe had grown tired of bloodshed by now. There were far too many mysteries for me to look at every one. But I already knew what I wanted. The mastery of fire. I added all my three points to it and disregarded the warning which popped up as a result of my choice. The mastery of fire gave me a total of 12% bonus fire damage. 10% was from the first point, and 2% was from the following two. Next were the skills. These existed in thousands, and I had nine points. Fireball. Yes, this was the one I was looking for. As it sounded, it was the most basic spell of fire that existed in games. However, never disrespect the basics. The basics are the foundation of a towering behemoth. Once again, a warning sign popped up when I added all my skill points into the fireball. The thing was, I already had an idea of what I wanted to do, and nine points into the beginner fireball was a must for this method. I quickly made it go away and came to the attribute selection, pumping all of my 27 attribute points into wisdom. ¡¸A player can only create one character per account. Do you wish to proceed?¡¹ ¡°Yes,¡± I stated firmly. ¡¸Congratulations, you have successfully created your character. A class will be given to you by the system according to your playstyle, choices, and achievements after you reach level ten.¡¹ ¡¸Do you wish to enter Armistice now?¡¹ I recounted what the voice said and then replied. The hologram of myself vanished in a flash. The blackness of my visions was swept up in a curtain of light, and the next thing I saw was a clear blue sky. In the middle hung a shining sun, and it was surrounded by a few, scattered clouds. ¡¸Welcome to Armistice!You havespawned in Planet 1XR43 Beginner village #1.¡¹ I, who faced upward, slowly bent my head down. The scenery was very peaceful, far more interesting than what I had been staring at for years. Men and women in everyday clothes paced back and forth all with a purpose of their own. They chatted and interacted, traded goods and laughed. I saw how children played on the sidewalk and were chased away by an angry stallkeeper. Everything was so... realistic. I found a blue bar on the edge of my vision and opened it. As expected, there were several titles such as equipment, skills, and minimap. Two of fifteen equipment slots were filled; I wore a plain white shirt for the chest slot and a pair black breeches for the leg slot while my head, necklace, shoulder, wrist, hands, waist, feet, main hand, off-hand, two rings and two accessories were left empty. I glanced through the rest of the titles and then closed the menu. The time was around twelve from the sun''s position, and it had begun to color my neck with a reddish tint. Things like these, which were unnatural in normal games, was commonplace in Armistice. It was a fantasy game trying to mirror reality. I enjoyed the fresh winds blowing in my black hair. They were lukewarm. Everything was perfect right now. However, I had things to do. Things that must be done. I took a deep breath and looked around, trying to find the village chief. The quest I had to complete was called [Protect the Farms], and I had to gain the extra reward solo before any other player on the server could get it. Of course, since I was the only living human on Pluto, and almost no human planet in the galaxy was as uninhibited as mine, the circumstances of my imprisonment all those years ago were in my favor. After a while, I found who I was looking for. Archmage Nadu who had gone missing almost a hundred years ago. Of course, I was the only one who knew his real identity. Other players would merely see him as the Beginner Village''s Chief and nothing more. The old man was draped in a white hemp robe, and his grey, Gandalf-like beard was pricked with a similar color. His bald head was covered in liver spots and his face drenched in wrinkles. As if he would fall over any second. I walked over to him. ¡±Old man, Is there anything I can help you with?¡± The old man seemed to be taken aback by my question. ¡°Help me¡­ ah! Young man, the wolves of the forest are acting up again, attacking nearby farms to get to our cattle. If we don¡¯t solve the problem, we won¡¯t last through winter! However, you don''t seem like the seasoned warrior to me. How about you gain some experience first and then come back?" I shook my head. "The village''s problems are my problems. Each passing second is a threat to its existence. Trust me and I will exterminate the wolves for you!" "Are you sure?" "Yes." "Fine, since you are so adamant about it." the old man finally gave in. Protect the Farms! Description: The village chief is concerned about the recent wolf attacks. He has requested for you to kill twenty wolves to protect the cattle and therefore the well-being of the entire village. However, he will be extra pleased if the whole den is cleared out. Task:Kill 20 [wolves] Reward: 10 Copper The old man¡¯s actions, speech, and appearance seemed so realistic I found it hard to believe this was inside a game, that the old man was merely an NPC. ¡°I will return with good news,¡± I told the man. The old man revealed a satisfied smile. It seems my determination had touched him. ¡°Very well, I await that good news then!¡± he said. I quietly took my leave and followed the minimap outside the wooden gates of the village. A plain stretched far and wide in front of me and was shaped like rolling waves with different elevations. Countless of critters roamed freely, sometimes eating grass, sometimes wasting time while laying in the sun. The frames above their heads showed they were level zero with one hp, and luckily, they were just what I needed. Practice targets. ¡±Oh mighty fire, converge!¡± My hand began to glow with a reddish color before a measly-looking fireball was shot out. Unfortunately, my aim was a bit off. The fat bunny had been eying perked its ears as the fireball flew past it. The bunny glanced around, a tad confused, and then continued to chew the yummy grass from the plain. I wrinkled his forehead and tried again. I failed. This was a lot more difficult than first expected. After a while, I figured it was similar to shooting a gun, just that the radius was larger. And if there was something I knew, it was marksmanship. So when I imagined myself holding a gun, although my skills had accumulated quite a bit of rust, I hit the bunny perfectly. The fireball dealt 21 damage in a striking red bar floating up on top of the rabbit before slowly fading away.Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. I figured my aim was good enough for the task. Also, there was no time to spare. I entered the forest and walked toward the depth where the wolf den was located. The first prey I came to face was, however, not a wolf but, a lvl 1 Tyke. The Tyke was similar to a raccoon, yet had two tails, sleeker fur and a horn on top of its head. It donned a straight up brown appearance unlike a raccon and attacked me without notice from a bush. However, it had committed a grave mistake. It had underestimated me. I reacted inhumanely fast and delivered a lightning fast kick, blowing it away like a kite. The Tyke took over ten damage. The whole fight passed in the blink of an eye. The Tyke¡¯s claws never even reached my vitals. Instead, I pummeled it to the ground, only receiving a few scratches in return. The wounds would hurt for most people but I was hardened from my former profession. Using fireballs with my limited mana on these guys would just be a waste. The Tyke filled up about a tenth of my XP bar, and I stumbled upon several more of them along the way to the wolf den. I needed to kill two more Tykes to level up to level two. As I advanced toward the depths of the forest, where the trees were uniformly spaced a meter apart from each other, I spotted a dark silhouette lying beside a tree. The wold licked its dark sleek fur and seemed to be on the verge of dozing off. Mist coiled around the trees of the forest and made the sight quite magical. The wolf was level 3 and had 127 HP. ¡°Oh mighty fire, converge!¡± The fireball blasted into the wolf. The ferocious animal cried out in pain and searched for the cause. However, by the time it found me, I had already thrown another fireball. And to my surprise, the agile wolf quickly avoided it with a fleeting movement. Squinting my eyes, I was able to release a third fireball before avoiding with a sidestep. The wolf flew past me in its pouncing movement and I directed a kick toward its bum, sending it even further away. As the dust calmed down, the wolf rose from the ground. Its legs were slightly shaking but it glared at me in anger. Three-fourths of its hp remained. Then it stared at the sky and released a fierce, icy howl. There they came. Reinforcements. I threw another two fireballs in haste and finished off the wolf with kicks and punches, reached level 2, whereafter dark familiar silhouettes emerged between trees, crouching and baring their teeth as they advanced. They formed a complete circle around me. I dashed toward the closest tree without waiting. The bark had furrows of which I was able to grip properly. The wolves seemed to take my movement for a sign of fear as they immediately chased after. Just as one of the wolves closed in on me, I pulled myself up to the first thick branch able to support me and avoided its fearsome teeth. Perfect. The information I was given was correct. The favor I had spent from that man had not been in vain. Now it was time for step two of my plan. I added the skill point gained from reaching level 2 into the fireball. Now, with ten points into beginner fireball, it evolved into the immerdate fireball. I also invested the ten attribute points you gain each level into wisdom. Fireball. Just a basic skill of the most basic skills. It is similar to the ice mastery''s frost bolt, or arcane mastery''s arcane missile, and yet, when it was upgraded from beginner to intermediate, it possessed a six seconds long burn. And this burn, or DOT as it was called, could be kept on a target in the beginner village and therefore allow it to be drawn out of its aggro range and forced to keep attacking although it couldn''t reach the user. Even a boss in the beginner village was subject to this cheat-like method, and it was this method that man had found for me when he hacked into the surface layer of Armistice game system, along with valuable information about some important quests here. All this was to give me a headstart and a good class once I reached level ten. Intermediate Fireball Description: A ball of flames conjured by a decent magician. Cost: 20 mana Damage: 20 - 30 + (1-3 burn /s for 6s) Cast time: 2.6 s. Feeling mood-wise elevated, I started chanting and throwing fireballs at one of the wolves. The wolves who weren''t affected by the burn damage ran away quickly after seeing how it was impossible to reach me, but, as expected, the one which was constantly tugged by the DOT kept trying to reach me. Its health points fell but my mana pool stayed full. Why? My wisdom was 47. Everyone had ten of each attribute in the beginning. I invested 27 and then 10. This gave me a total of 470 mana regen per minute, which was enough for me to throw about slightly over 20 fireballs per minute without losing any mana. Although I would be easily killed if they reached me, as my health was a mere hundred, that would cause no harm as I sat in the tree and allowed the DOT to dwindle down my enemies. I descended the tree and picked up the glimmering copper which had dropped. By the time dusk arrived, I had killed over fifty wolves and long ago completing the original quest. The extra reward, however, meant I had to kill all the wolves in the wolf den, which numbered twelve alpha wolves and the field boss The One-Eyed. Normally, this would take at least a hundred players in my level or a party of five lvl 10 players. But with my unique method, I would be able to complete this without a hitch. I had gained two levels while killing wolves and was now level four. These points were put into agility since I would need a good amount of movement speed to run from the cave to a tree before they chased me down. In total, I now had 47 wisdom, 30 agility, 10 intellect, 10 stamina, 10 strength and 10 endurance and 2 points into an intermediate fireball. I would need at least 40 agility to succeed with my technique but should be able to reach that sum after clearing the alphas and leveling up to level five. I found a cave in the depths of the forest. It rose like an open mouth trying to swallow the world. Several wolves lay outside. I decided to start the extermination and therefore aggroed a few with my fireballs before taking shelter in a tree. After I had cleared out everything outside, the sky was pitch-black. The servers would close in a moment so I called it a day and logged out. I wouldn''t be able to finish the quest today either so. As I logged out, I removed the silver helmet from my head and put it back on top of the drawer. It was twelve in the evening, and without much else to do than watching the fire in the fireplace, which was far more unrealistic than the fireballs in the game, I decided to sleep. For the first time in years, I actually had a dream. It was a shame though, that I was unable to recall the contents the very next day. Waking up, I walked to my farmland and inspected the crops. They were doing alright and so were the chickens and cows of my ranch. Before entering the game, I made myself a chicken stew with sweet potatoes and a pinch of coriander. It was bland ¨C probably the third time I ate it this week. Today, I would clean up the wolf den, and hand in that quest. Logging in, I was still in the same tree. The wolves outside had respawned so there was nothing else to do than kill them again. I aggroed one wolf at the time and was short of twenty percent by the time I reached the cave. It was dark and damp. I flung a few fireballs inside and ran out as quick as I could to the nearest tree. Out from the cave came twelve alpha wolves ¨C far bigger than their beta peers ¨C as well as a gigantic snowy monster. It was a wolf the size of three with white fur and a single crimson eye. The socket where his other eye should have been was covered with a thick, brown scar. It made me wonder, what beast inflicted such a wound upon it? Alpha Wolf (Elite): Level 5 Health: 243/250 The One-Eyed (Field Boss): Level 8 Health: 1670/1668 The level difference between the field boss and I was about three so my DOT did almost zero damage. On the other hand, I was very close in terms of level to the alpha wolves. I picked out one and started roasting it. The other wolves retreated to their caves. After a while, the one I picked out fell dead, adding to my XP bar. I repeated the process, though slow until only the boss remained and I had reached level 5. I invested the mastery point gained each fifth level into mastery of fire, the skill point into intermediate fireball and the attribute points into agility. The One-Eyed howled and leaped toward me. It seemed weightless as it landed on a branch not too far below me. This was the danger with one of the lowest level field boss in the game ¨C its immense agility and ability to minimize its weight. If not for the fact that I knew of this beforehand, I would have died here. I continued to fire my balls of flame every six seconds to refresh the DOT and when it came close to me I jumped down from the tree, taking a damage figure barely reaching the two digits. The wolf followed me and I lead it to the forest where the trees were very close to each other. Each time the wolf neared me, I hid behind a tree and felt the shock on the ground as its humongous body slammed against the tree. Sometimes it was really close to catching up with me but I had served the army for a long time so these situation, although a bit tensing, were doable. Suddenly, the wolf stopped in its tracks and a red shade filled its eyes. Then it howled. A far more brutal and fearsome sound emerged from its throat like a dragon¡¯s roar. The field boss grew larger and larger and its snow-white fur began to expand. Then, in a flash, the white mane of fur converged into two points, each to one side of the tail. One tail became three, growing longer than before, and I could feel the raw cutting power radiating from within those tails. They seemed hard as iron. ¡°Awoooo!¡± the white wolf howled. The sunny day seemed to transform into a cold night. Birds left the canopies of trees and critters escaped in fear. The white wolf had less than a tenth of its health remaining. Keeping the dot on for about a minute would suffice even if the level reduction and endurance severely limited my output. ¡±Oh mighty fire, converge!¡± ¡±Oh mighty fire, converge!¡± I threw to fireballs in rapid succession. The wolf charged to the tree I was hiding behind and smashed it to smithereens with its tail. I paled. That man did not tell me that the field boss would be this strong when it was in berserk condition. -24 The wooden splinters took out over a fifth of my HP. Even if I didn''t come in direct contact with it, it was able to shave off this much health. I wonder, if those tails hit me directly, would it be an insta-kill? No wonder I was told 100 users in my level or a group of 5 lvl 10''s was required to defeat this monster. -21 -19 I was left with 15 HP after a few collisions. The wolf only had a sliver left of its own red bar, and several seconds was enough to finish it off. Shit, I had to take a gamble. I stopped my movement and turned around. The wolf was about ten meters in front of me and located me with its red eye. I chanted as quickly as I could, mass-producing fireballs without regards to my mana. -6 -4 -4 *Boom!" -157 I felt a mountain crash into me, and I was thrown away like a kite. My health plummeted to zero. -1 A couple of notification popped up but I was ejected from the game before I could read all of them. The only one I saw was the one about being killed by the field boss before everything turned dark. ¡¸You have lost a level and cannot enter the game in 24 hours.¡¹ Beginner Village (2) After being ejected from the game, I got seated by the fireplace and watched the flames flicker. I could only think of two options for those notifications. Either it was only for me dying, or from both me killing the field boss and dying at the same time. What worried me most was that one damage notification. Had it been enough? I kept staring at those flames until they died out. No¨C I would not be like them. I would keep burning until my radiance overshone those who exiled me and not even then would I stop. Dammit, I would not be defeated. Not this early. By the time I woke up, having slumbered by the fire, the twenty-four-hour restriction was gone. I entered the game and spawned in the same place I did the first time I logged in ¨C In the middle of the village, surrounded by busy villagers. I looked at my XP bar and noticed how it was half-way to level six. Holy shit. I then quickly found the logs of the game menu and flat out fell to the ground in relief. I had succeded. The logs were as followed: ¡¸You have killed the field boss, The One-Eyed.¡¹ ¡¸You have gained 130% XP from killing an enemy three levels higher than you.¡¹ ¡¸You have been rewarded with the unique skill [Weightless] for being the first one in the game to kill the Field Boss TheOne-Eyed.¡¹ Weightless (Unique) Requirement:None. Description: You are as light as a feather. Cannot be upgraded. Properties: Jump Power +15, Movement speed +30% I suddenly thought of something and began to sprint out of the village.
"Is this for real? Someone actually soloed the one-eyed? How is that possible?" At the base of operation for the company behind Armistice, a four-armedmember of the Kzahe race and also a game operator, Sek''ua, was alarmed as he received a notice that someone had completed the achievement of soloing a field boss in the beginner''s village. He stood up from his chair, waved his four arms right and left ¨C unable to decide what to do before finally choosing to go tell his best buddy, also a game operator, about the feat.
"Hey, old man, I''ve completed your quest." I walked over to the old man who showed a bewildering expression. "You? On your own?" the old man asked in shock. "You''re not lying now, are you?" "No," I laughed. "Here, look." I handed the old man one of the white wolf pelts dropped from the One-Eyed wolf. I had to say, I had been very lucky for the loot to be still there. I thought it would have disappeared after 24 hours but it hadn''t. The remaining loot consisted of a pair of boots, a large wolf fang, and a single red eye. I equipped the boots earlier and stored the rest in my inventory. Now three of my fifteen slots were filled. "I see, you really did kill it." the old man said after a while. "Here, take these coppers." The old man handed me a pouch of coppers. ¡¸You have gained 10 copper.¡¹ The pouch disappeared after the notice and I saw how my XP bar, which was half way to level six from killing the boss, increased by a couple percent. "Today is a good day." the old man said and looked up to the sky. "Barely a cloud in sight, and I have finally found someone who seems worthy of this task. Youngster, let me ask you something very important; what is your purpose in life?" I knew this was the intro to an epic tale. I answered honestly. "I am an avenger, and I will stop at nothing to achieve my goal." The old man''s deep blue eyes seemed to pierce to my very core. He gazed at me for a long time before saying. "I see." "Maybe this is what is destined to be then, for someone so unlike the past me to continue where I once could proceed no longer." "Young man, will you listen to my story?" ¡¸The beginner village chief wishes to show you a fragment of his past. Y/N?¡¹ "Yes." "37 years ago..." As the old man began to talk, my world warped and the scenery changed. I found myself staring at a gargantuanblack castle. Magma flowed through the rocks of the dam around the castle and occasionally sent sparks flying to set nearby trees ablaze, which were put out almost immediately by the frigid winds. "Do you really think we can kill him?" Three figures stood before the black gates, seemingly insignificant in front of the towering walls. They wore thick clothing and one could only guess how far they had traveled. "No, but unless he dies, the world will be destroyed." one of the figures said. He was bigger than the other two, and if one could see underneath his clothes, they would find armor made from the most durable ore that had come in contact with human hands ¨C adamantine, the ore of gods. A silvery shield was sheated to his back and a sword to his waist. "We are the only ones who can stop him." the figure continued. "We must try." "I agree, Durandel. We MUST take responsibility." the one to his left said. "In the case, he descends to our world, all life will be lost His power is beyond mortality, closing in on divinity. If we allow him to take that the last step..."Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. "I know." Durandel solemnly replied. "Nadu?" "I know what to do." the third figure said. "Let us enter then," Durandal saidand pushed open the towering gate. "You sure took your time, didn''t you? A lazy voice greeted them from the other side of the wall. A young man who could not be more than fifteen sat on a barrel. He wasn''t tall enough to reach down to the ground and so his feet dangled freely. If not for the two black horns on his head and blood stain by his lips, people might actually call him cute. "Amducious," Durandal said. "You know why we are here?" "To kill me, the demon king, and save humanity" The young man laughed. Then he continued. "Or maybe, can it be you still have not forgotten her? Is that why you came? For revenge? Hey, you shouldn''t blame me for what happened, really, she was the one who desired knowledge, not me." Durandel''s eyes constricted. "Angry, lah?" Amducious asked. He licked the blood from his lips and tilted his head. "If you just knew what I did to her soul afterward. Ah, those sweet memories." The knight held his shaking hand in place as to not let it reach his sword. "I know, you are dreading the day I reach full divinity ¨C when I will no longer be shackled by the confines of the underworld."Amducious jumped off the barrel and did a front flip in the air. "Cuz'' then I''ll be coming to your world and destroy everything, lah?" "That will never happen." The second figure, neither Nadu nor Durandel, said. She removed her clothes and readied her dagger. She was the number one assassin in the world, Silvya Silver, also knows as Lunar''s Edge. It was rumored the last thing people saw before they died to her blade was her beautiful silver hair and cold, indifferent eyes. "Ah, what a beautiful young lady." the demon king,Amducious, exclaimed. "Hey, hey, do you want some knowledge? Just the price of your soul and I''ll give you anything!" Durandel snorted. "Enough fooling around. Today is the day you die." "Ah so boring. Always the knight, lah, what mood killer."Amducious sighed. He kicked away the barrel, spread out his arms, and smiled as he said. "Come at me then." Durandel nodded to his two friends as he wielded his sword and shield, charging toward the demon king. Sylvia squinted her eyes and then vanished like a shadow. The third figure, who was still draped in tick clothes, removed them and revealed an old wooden staff which curved like an ancient tree. A purple crystal ball was inserted at the top of the staff and pulsated with arcane power. I knew who he was. The younger version of the Beginner Village Chief, the long-lost Archmage Nadu. As Durandel swung his sword like lightning towardAmducious''s head, the demon king uttered a laugh. He muttered a little chant, and a crimson sword appeared in his hands, perfectly blocking the silvery sword. Durandel hurriedly retreated but it was too late. A kick came swooping from below, causing Durandal to hit the stone cold floor hard. The demon king laughed. "Well, that''s one down." He pierced toward Durandel''s heart. Suddenly, however, he pulled back his sword. A resounding clash was heard as two daggers were blocked by the rapier. Durandel saw the scene and swore. He quickly retreated, following by which a shadow appeared by his side. "Or not,"Amducious said and tilted his head for the second time again. "Such a strong lady, I bet your innards and blood are really tasty. "Fucking monster," Sylvia said to the demon king and looked at him with disgust. "Haha, monster this and monster that, everything is a matter of perspective, lah." the demon king bobbed his head up and down. "For you, I am a monster, and for me, you are. You don''t want me to destroy your world, but you want to destroy mine? How Laughable." he said, his eyes turning indifferent. "Indeed, playtime is over." They didn''t respond toAmducious''s words. The knight turned to Sylvia and said. "We lost the moment of surprise, and he is far stronger than we thought. Any ideas?" "We can only rely on Nadu, he has always been out trump card after all." "Alright, let us stall for him then." They got to an agreement and then attacked from two different sides.Amducious chanted a second time, now holding a crimson sword in each hand. He parried Durendal''s sword at the same time as he blocked Sylvia''s daggers. They traded several exchanges but it was clear who had the upper hand. Suddenly, Amducious let Durendal''s attack go through his defense and bore inte his shoulder. "Did that satisfy you a bit, lah?" Splurt!Durandal looked down at his chest. The crimson sword had pierced through the armor told to be invincible as easy as cutting through tofu. In a short while, the swords emptied all blood in his body. Demon KingAmducious sacrificed a fatal wound to kill the knight. "Hey, hey, you didn''t think you could be me, half a step into divinity, with merely that power?" the demon king asked Sylvia teasingly. "Durandal!" Sylvia screamed, not glancing at Amduciot at all. Amducious turned around to the knight''s corpse again. The stabbed his sword in and out of the knight''s chest who had already turned into a mummy. "This is so fun, don''t you think, strong lady? Ah, how revitalizing. You should try?" "I''ll kill you!" Sylvia shouted and disappeared like a gust of wind. She appeared right beside the demon king, her daggers like falling stars as they bypassed his swords and cut through his chest. However, instead of falling dead, the demon king merely grinned. "No!" Nadu who had been silent for the whole time shouted. He had been channeling his magic power ever since the start of the battle, but instinctively released the spell in order to save Sylvia. The sudden release caused a crack to spread over the crystal ball on his staff. Seeing Nadu release his spell, Sylvia swore and quickly stepped into the shadows as a massive arcane shower bombarded the demon king. As the arcane shower stopped, the tragic figure of the demon king emerged. His eyes were as crimson as his swords, and his body punctured with holes. "You..." he muttered slowly as he walked forward before disappearing just like Sylvia did. The magic spell had only been fifty percent as strong as it should have been. "Shall die!" the demon king''s voice broke the silence of the courtyard and the red sword reappeared in just front of Nadu who hastily tried to step back. However, there was no evading. He closed his eyes. Splurt! Nadu opened his eyes. In front of him, a slender figure stood bravely, a sword had pierced through her chest and out through her back. In return, her daggers had pierced the demons king''s heart. "Sylvia...?" he asked confused. Why was she in front of him? "Live well," she said to Nandu as life slowly dimmed in her eyes, turning into a mummy just like Durendal. The demon king looked down at his chest, and then up at Nadu. He coughed up a mouthful of blood and transformed into hundreds of bats, flying away in the night. Nadu crumpled down in the courtyard, looked at the red sky above and began to scream as tears fell from his cheeks. My vision changed once more and I found the old man looking at me with sadness in his eyes. "Sylvia failed to completely stab through his heart, and he survived." He kept staring at me. "I always kept my love for her hidden. She and Durandal became lovers because I was too much of a coward, and when they needed me the most ¨C when she needed me the most ¨C I failed. Had I done something, just something, and they might still have been alive today, and the demon king would have died." "Amducious will eventually recover his full strength and enter divinity. He must be killed before that, or the world as we know it will end.Young man, will you set out to do what I once failed?" Archmage Nadu''s last will Description: You have discovered the true identity of the Beginner Village chief. It turns out he was once the famous Archmage Nadu who went to the Underworld with Holy Paladin Durandel and that time''s number one assassin in the world in order to stop Demon King Amducious from reaching divinity. Being the only one to remain alive after the expedition, Archmage Nadu was too ashamed to go back. He decided to spend his remaining time by teaching young adventurers, and hopefully find someone with enough potential to carry out his last wish in life ¨C to kill Demon kingAmducious. Reward: ??? Time Limit: 5 years Beginner Village (3) "Sure," I told the old man without hesitation. "I will kill him for you." Archmage Nadu revealed a seldom seen smile. "As expected, you are fearless." "Not fearless," I spoke back, smiling. "It''s just that I have absolute confidence in myself." I saw how the old man lifted an eyebrow. "Well, as long as you don''t overestimate yourself." Archmage Nadu replied after a short period of silence. "By the way, have you not gotten a staff yet? I feel an abundance of fire within you, yet I can see no staff to channel that power." "No, I don''t." "Yes. Without a guided path, the elements will travel in disarray. Here, this is my old staff." Archmage Nadu handed me his walking stick. "My orb broke long ago, but the staff is of excellent quality, made from a piece of the world tree, and should suffice for the current you even without an orb inserted." I received the staff. It was just as the information he gave me. A growth type staff which would, with the proper materials, evolve with me as I leveled up and grew stronger. Archmage Nadu''s Walking Stick(Growth) Requirement: None. Description: This was once the staff of Archmage Nadu. It was crafted with a piece of the long-destroyed world tree and carries a tremendous vitality. Inspired by his resolve to kill the demon king and avenge his fallen comrades, it is filled with an intent to grow stronger at any costs. A suitable orb is needed for it to reveal a portion of its power. Properties: Intellect + 7, Wisdom + 13 (Attributes and bonus effects depends on the inserted ord) "If you ever find a suitable ord." Archmage Nadu said. "Come find me and I will teach you the way of staffmaking." "Already found one." I grabbed the white wolf''s red-eye from my bag. Nadu received the eye and nodded with a laugh. "Ah, how could I forget. The one-eyed, a white wolf infused with demonic power and scattered moonlight for centuries. These contrasting power were obviously enough for it to gain something of equivalent value. Hand over the staff, I shall now teach you the noble art of staffmaking." I gave back the staff to the man who held each of the items in his hands. " "The first step of staff-making is carving the shaft. We already have a shaft, and so all which is left is to find an orb that synergizes well with its spirit. Luckily, the one-eyed''s eye is perfect for my old staff. Both long for power and will stop at nothing to accomplish their goals. Just like you." the old man said. "What do you think the next step is?" "Put them together?" "Yes, now repeat after me." The old man commanded. He then began to chant. "Kindred spirits of nature, thou whose ways are lost and aim forgotten. Smoke and fire and cloud and rain. You were two rivers, now one. Fuse!" As Archmage Nadu pressed the two items together, a myriad of colors far more exquisite than the rainbow emerged. ¡¸You have learned the ancient art of staffmaking by watching Archmage Nadu.¡¹ ¡¸You have witnessed a legend in his craft. + 1 Skill point. +1 Profession Proficiency.¡¹ Art of Staffmaking (Ancient) Requirement: None. Description: Long ago, all practisers of magic created their own staff. This was because a staff created by oneself had a spirit which was in tune with one''s own spirit, allowing the elements to flow more freely. However, the art of staffmaking was lost amidst the passing of time and only a select few still remembers its former glory, while even fewer can still use it. Current proficiency: 1/100 "Do you want me to show you again?" "No, no," I hastily interjected. "I''ve got it." "Good, because I''m slightly out of breath. Here, take it. It''s yours now."If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. He gave me the staff. It was a slender wooden staff without any blemishes or marks at all ¨C as if undamaged by the pass of time. It seemed to carry a limitless vitality within, and the top of the staff was donned with a large crimson eye, sporadically moving about like it was alive. It slightly gave me the creeps, but I inspected it nonetheless. Staff of One Eye (Growth) Requirement: None. Bound to the user and cannot be dropped upon death. Description: This was once the staff of Archmage Nadu. It was crafted with a piece of the long-destroyed world tree and carries a tremendous vitality. Inspired by his resolve to kill the demon king and avenge his fallen comrades, it is filled with an intent to grow stronger at any costs. The orb of the staff if the left Eye of the One-Eyed wolf which has absorbed scattered moonlight and demonic power for centuries. Properties: Intellect + 29. Wisdom + 34. Reveal bloodlust (Active): Causes all stealthed players within a five-meter radius to lose stealth. One Eyed''s beam Active: Emits a beam of demonic and moonlight power to destroy an enemy. Damage depends on the user''s intellect and affinity with the evil god and the moon god. Costs: 50 mana. Cooldown: 10 min. Cast time: Instant Wow, the attributes and active skills of this item truly was as said ¨Cfar to good to be an item from the Beginner Village. I compared it with the boots and as expected, found them sorely lacking compared to the old Archmage''s staff. At least they would increase the damage of the active item skill, One-Eyed''s beam. Boots of The Moon Goddess (Rare) Requirement: lvl 7 Description: A pair of boots bestowed upon the One-Eyed wolf by the moon god for a long and faithful service. By her divine power, they have now been remodeled to fit its killer. Properties: Affinity with the Moon-god + 5 "Young man, your skills are excellent. I would have loved to pass my legacy onto you, and yet I feel it would only impede your progress." Archmage Nadu solemnly said. "Go, travel across the great wide world and find yourself a path of your own. Once you have sufficient power, I will find and lead you to the underworld where your destiny lies." "You sure you don''t want to pass on your legacy to me?" I asked. "I mean, these chances don''t come very often do they?" "No, no, I''m sure." "Really?" I tried again. "Yes, although you''d become the strongest mage currently in the world if I did, it will not be enough to kill the demon king." Archmage Nadu said. "I think it will if I try hard enough." "Ahem." the old man cleared his throat. "I suddenly felt a bit of pain in my chest. You should head over to blacksmith Taylor, he probably needs your help with something. I need to get some rest so you can find me later when you are strong enough to leave the village. If you need anything crafted, just tell the masters of the village I will compensate for the loss. Good luck." Archmage Nadu waved his hand and walked his tired body into a house nearby. I stood in the middle of the village, smiling widely. Now, here is where the fun begins. I began the searching for Blacksmith Taylor and eventually found him in the forge. The bulky beast of a man pushed the heavy billows up and down as smoke and fire mingled into one. Sparks flew right and left and my voice was drowned in his relentless hammering. As he finally finished, he put the sword he had been hammering into a racket where other were neatly placed. He then turned to me. "Welcome, how may I help you?" he said. There was an exclamation mark over his head. I inquired. "I heard from the village chief you needed help with something." "Ah yes, I''m in the need of a special material. Do you know what Tykes are? They live in the forest and their horns have a mineral that is especielly good in forging when refined. Can you gather a few for me?" Blacksmith Taylors Request. Description: Blacksmith Taylor is in the need of a special mineral only found in the horns of a creature called Tyke. They live in the forest nearby. Task: Gather 10 Tyke horns for Blacksmith Taylor. Reward: 10 copper, Minor Intimacy with Blacksmith Taylor. I accepted the quest and then said. "The village chief also told if I wanted something crafted, I could ask you and he would compensate you later." ¡¸Intimacy with Blacksmith Taylor lowered from neutral til hostile. Beware, he may attack you if provoked.¡¹ Anger flashed in Blacksmith Taylor''s eyes. "Are you lying to me?" I stepped back as the hulking man towered above me. "No, listen, he really told me this. Here, look, this is his staff." I showed the Staff of One Eye and pointed at the shaft. Blacksmith Taylor gradually calmed down. "I see, so he has found someone to entrust that task to. Fine, I''ll believe you, what do you need?" ¡¸Intimacy with Blacksmith Taylor has improved from hostile til friendly.¡¹ I dropped my head. The towering man had given me quite some pressure. If it was the real world, I wouldn''t have been afraid of him. But in the game, tactics, and experience was insignificant in front of true strength. "Can you perhaps make me something with this tooth?" I removed the wolf tooth that had dropped from the One-Eyed and passed it over. Demonified Wolf Tooth (Rare) Description: A tooth from the One-Eyed wolf. It contains minor demonic energy Properties: Can be used to make a necklace. "Ah, so that old dog was finally killed." the blacksmith nodded in understanding. He then said. "Well, I''m not as proficient with these kinds of materials as Jenny is. How about it, finish my quest and then I''ll take you to her. She doesn''t allow visitors very often." I nodded and left the smithy. Just wait, I will exploit you profession masters until you chase me away, I thought and laughed as I walked toward the forest. Beginner Village (4) Sometimes too much power can become somewhat boring. I held the Staff of One-Eye in my right hand as I cast fireball after fireball at the Tykes I stumbled upon. With 29 from my staff, 10 from the start and the additional 10 I invested at level 5, I almost had 50 intellect. My fireballs dealt past 300 damage and I one-shotted the tykes without difficulty. They instantly turned into ash the moment they revealed their presence, and although I enjoyed the feeling of power for once, I would rather hunt stronger mobs. This staff, which was the same as the stats gained from 6 levels, was just too overpowered. ¡¸You have picked up a Tyke Horn.¡¹ ¡¸Requirementsfor handing in Blacksmith Taylor''s Request have been fulfilled. Please return to Blacksmith Taylor in the Beginner Village Coordinates 305:746:812¡¹ I had finally gathered those twenty horns as requested by the blacksmith before he could lead me to someone who would forge me a necklace out of the demonified wolf tooth. I entered through the village gates and quickly headed over to the forge. "I''ve gathered your horns," I said and handed the towering man his horns. "Thank you, here''s the reward." the blacksmith broke out in a smile and gave me a filled pouch. "Come, let me take you to Jewelerycrafter Jenny." We left the forge and made our way to the northern part of the village. Here, there was a big workshop with strange metals and tools hanging everywhere. I followed Taylor inside and was shocked to see a plump, short girl giving a full grown man, larger than even Blacksmith Taylor, a fiery scolding. "Are you an idiot? Who the hell tries to mix black spore with the Urcha Spider''s poison? You want to blow up my workshop or what? Fuck man, I should kick you out here and now." she fiercely lashed him with her words. Blacksmith Taylor coughed to draw her attention. "Jenny?" The girl turned around. She wore a pair of sooted goggles on her forehead and her blond hair was filled with god-knows-what. As she saw us, a smile brightened her face. She was about to run over but then suddenly turned around and said to the big man who I assumed to be her co-worker or at least someone she hired. "Hey, idiot, I''m in a good mood today, don''t make any more of those mistakes or I won''t let you off easily." The big man mumbled a few words of which I thought was an excuse and then went off to another corner in the workshop. JewelryCrafter Jenny gestured for us to come over. "Jenny, aren''t you treating him a bit too harshly?" Taylor asked. "Not at all¨C guys like him need to get hammered in order to get better. Just like a lump of metal. You should know if anyone my dear blacksmith. " the short girl, or woman, I was a bit unsure, said. She then glanced at me. "This is?" I answered before Taylor could open his mouth. "I''m Charles, a pleasure to meet you, miss." "Hehe, sugar coating your words aren''t we." she winked at me. Taylor coughed for the second time today and explained. "He''s here to get a necklace done." "Oh, alright," she said. "Let me have a look at what you want to have done then." I grabbed the wolf tooth from the inventory and gave it to her. It was quite large and glistened with a dark, crimson color. "Oh, this is quite good. Where''d you get it from?" "The One-Eyed," I replied. "Nice, nice, well what you want then ¨C by your staff I assume..." she trailed off. "Hey, where did you get that staff. It seems awfully familiar for some reason." "The beginner chief gave it to me," I said. "Wait ¨C you mean?" Jenny widened her eyes. Taylor added. "Not only that, Nadu''s willing paying for our services to this guy." An awkward silence elapsed. Suddenly, Jenny began to laugh. "Haha that old coot, actually finding a successor. Well don''t worry, I''ll get you something that boosts your circulation of arcane magic, my good friend." "Actually," I scratched my head. "I''m more of a fire person."
"Come back by noon and I''ll have this fixed by then," Jenny explained to me before Taylor and I left the house. Furthermore, she had very happily told me I could come to her anytime if there was something I wanted to be crafted in terms of rings. And I also got to know she was the town''s engineer as well, so if I needed accessories she''d fix them. I turned to Taylor as we walked. "Do you perhaps know where I can get some proper clothes? Maybe a robe and a pair of pants? Or even a hat?"The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Taylor nodded. "Of course I do, at our village''s seamstress. However, she is quite the feisty one so I''m not sure she will help you." "It''s worth a try?" I suggested. He nodded again. "Follow me." The village was not as small as one would expect. There were over four hundred residents as well as a blacksmith, seamstress, jewelry crafter, engineer, alchemist, leatherworker, and an inscriptor. Each of these profession masters was well above in terms of skill of what you would find outside the beginner village. This the reason to why I pestered the Village chief for his legacy. That man who gave me the valuable information about the Protect the Farms quest also told me that if I did that, the village chief would eventually find an excuse and try to make it up for me. So how was I going to use this? Well, I would spend my time here in the beginner village well. I would kill all the field bosses you could and gather materials to produce a lot of items and equipment. Even if I wasn''t very adept at gaming, I had real-life experience in life and death battles, quick instincts and a very good foundation with my inside information about the game. With this, there would be few who could match up to me. "Goodmorning Grandma, I brought a guest here to see you." Blacksmith Taylor shouted outside a cabin in the eastern part of the village. "You mind opening the door?" I stood beside the hulking man, quiet as a mouse. Other than what that man had told me about Archmage Nadu, I knew nothing about the NPC''s of the Beginner Village. So if I, by some accident, badly triggered one of the profession masters, they might straight out refuse to craft items for me. And to be fair, I had a tendency to easily trigger people. "Is that you, little Taylor?" an old female voice sounded out from within the cottage. "Yes, grandma. It''s me, little Taylor." I was able to discern slow and relaxed footsteps before the door turned open. An old lady with a refined appearance and perfectly fitted clothes appeared in the doorway. Her silver hair was combed and her wrinkles seemed almost fitting to her respectful visage. I stepped forward and extended a hand to the seamstress "Charles. A pleasure to meet you, my lady." The old lady stared at me for a long time. Then her green, sharp eyes wandered over my body, and I noticed how the ridicule in them increased. She turned to Taylor and said. "How come you bought a beggar to my house? He wouldn''t even afford the material of my clothes." "He is someone deeply trusted by Nadu ¨C if you understand what I mean." the hulking man said submissively to the seamstress. Upon his answer, her eyes flickered. She glanced at me, then back at Taylor again. "I have no obligation to follow that old fool''s wishes." the seamstress followed up with. "If someone seeks my services then they must deserve it. You should well know I''ve denied even viscounts and dukes; money is not something I lack, nor is fame." Blacksmith Taylor scratched his head. He definitely knew this old lady''s temperament, but had it not become worse over the past few years? "If I may, my lady," I interjected as respectfully as I could. Even though her words had made me mad, there were no enemies, only eternal benefits. "Is there any way I can prove myself worthy of your time then?" I asked. The old lady nodded with a snort. "I did not close the door immediately out of respect for that old fool and Taylor standing here next to you. Hmm, I suppose you must have something special to gain his approval, but I am not as easy as him. If you wish to gain my favor, show my your earnestly. If not, you can forget my services. Good day, Taylor and... you." she said and slammed the door almost a few centimeters from our noses. Taylor and I could do nothing but to return to his forge. I asked him. "Are the other masters as difficult as her?" "As hard as me." the blacksmith laughed. I snickered. "Then do you know if any of them needs help with something? "Oh, yeah, I heard Alchemist Gaia sought a specialingredientfor an experiment," Taylor answered. "Other than that I haven''t heard much." "Do you mind telling me about him?" I asked. "I wouldn''t want the same thing happening at his place like at the seamstress." "Him?" the blacksmith blinked, then laughed. "Don''t worry, that certainly won''t happen." "It''sa her?" "Yeah, never heard of a female alchemist?" "Yes." It was also now I remembered Gaia was the name of mother earth in old Greek mythology, so it made sense it was a she. "Hey, enjoy yourself." the hulking man couldn''t hold himself for laughter. Again. I wondered what was so funny but decided not to ask. We ended the conversation shortly after and he gave me the directions to alchemist Gaia. It was outside the city. I left through the gates and followed the route Taylor recommended. It was through the forest where I fought the One-Eyed and then over a steep mountain where there were many levels six bears. I wonder why she lived all over here but didn''t give it much thought. Also, the One-Eyed had respawned so I decided to kill him later today. Maybe I''d get a few more precious mats like the wolf tooth. After an hour of walking through thick vegetation and blasting annoying bears to smithereens, I finally found a cottage. It was covered with green vines and bushes. I looked for a door. As I found it, I knocked it twice and then stepped back. A female voice was heard from inside. "Who is it?" I cleared my throat and said. "The name''s Charles. Taylor recommended me here, he said you needed a helping with finding a special ingredient for your experiment." "Oh,that," she replied. "Hold on, let me just make myself ready and I''ll be right there." After half a minute or so, the door opened. In the house stood a charming young woman with a nightgown. Her hair was brown, slightly messy, and her skin wasfair. As if deliberate, the nightgown clearly showed how great of a cleavage she had, and I, who hadn''t seen the curves of a woman in well past twenty years couldn''t help but stare. A smile curved on her face. "Come on in," she said and walked into the cottage. I followed her, staring at her behind. It was round like a plum and well-trained. Not a ripple of fat existed on her curvaceous body. It reminded me of Officer Madison who I once had an affair with, only this woman was far more alluring and pleasing to the eye. The interior of the room was very cozy. She had animal pelts hanging all over and even the floor was covered with them. A fireplace was at the far end of the room. That''s right, a house with a fireplace was not a true house. As I glanced around, Alchemist Gaia suddenly turned around and let her nightgown fall to the ground. My mouth dropped. All her goods were revealed and I couldn''t help but have my blood rush to a certain place. "What? Isn''t that why you came? To supply me with a special ingredient for my experiment?" she asked, a charming hunger in her big green eyes, as she stared at my groin which had begun to show a big bulge, biting her full lip at the same time. Beginner Village (5) I now understood why Blacksmith Taylor couldn''t help but laugh and why he told me to enjoy myself. "What? That''s not why you are here?" the woman asked. She looked around in confusion and slightly closed her nightgown. "No." "But you''re in luck," I continued with a grin. "because it''s not an offer I can possibly resist." I began to undo my shirt. This game was a game which bolstered almost a hundred percent reality, and even sex between users and NPCs was possible as long as one''s age was past eighteen. So horny ¨C I had not had sex in a long time. After a couple of months on Pluto, I had even stopped to masturbate. The memories of women began to fade and it all turned dull. Now, however, that fiery desire exploded like never before. "Come." I swiftly pulled her into my embrace. Her fair skin was smooth and I ran my fingers through her brown her as I kissed her neck. She let out a moan. Placing her hands on my cheeks, she lifted my head and started kissing me furiously. She bit my lip teasingly and I inspected her goods to see if they were as full as they seemed. No, I couldn''t hold it in anymore. I pushed her down on the bear pelt, ripped open her nightgown and pulled down my pants. My rod was on fire, rock hard and ready to be launched. Her face was flushed red and her lower mouth was dripping on the pelt. She breathed hot air into my ear and whispered. "What are you waiting for?" Both my mind and rod exploded simultaneously. She let out a moan as pushed into her. The cottage was soon filled with constant thumping and moaning. Sweat dripped down our bodies and I went blank as I finished the deed. I gasped for breaths and rolled over to my side. Gaia was likewise completely spent. ¡¸Intimacy with Alchemist Gaia has increased from neutral to friendly.¡¹ We lay there until she broke the silence. "Why did you come again?" "Does it matter?" I replied. She chuckled. "Guess not." "How was I by the way?" "Like a bull," she answered me. I laughed. How invigorating! Having sex in the game was just as good as it was in reality, and you didn''t have to care about using protection. Of course, this didn''t mean I would start going around having sex all the time. However, if the opportunity presented itself like today, I wouldn''t mind. There was a mirror in the room. I go up and inspected myself. My body was riddled with scars and I had cords of rippling firm muscles on my body, there was barely any fat for a guy in my age. However, what made me smile was not this. No, what made me happy was the fact that I no longer stood hunched. My back arched slightly back and even though my eyes weren''t bright like my younger days, they had at least regained some of their former glory. Was it the sex? No, that''s not the whole explanation at least. I had begun to take the first step of a phoenix rebirthing from its ashes. "Hey, is there something I can help you with other than what we just did?" I turned around and asked Gaia. She sat up and tied her hair into a ponytail, still stark naked. "Well, It''d be kind if you could get me some starflowers form the mountain. I''m out of stock," she said. "Just mind the bears." Starflowers for Gaia Description: Gaia needs some starflowers since she''s out of stock. Task: Pick 10 starflowers from the mountain range nearby. Reward: 500 XP, Gaia''s Favor. "Alright, no problem," I said and accepted the quest. "By the way, do you perhaps have some potions I could borrow? Nadu told me he''d compensate you for this." "How do you know about that name? Are you perhaps...?" Gaia stared blankly. "I suppose you could call me his successor in a way." Out of the blue, Gaia began to laugh. "That''s awesome! I''ve been trying to get that old magus into bed for years but he always blames he''s got someone he loves. Now I at least get to take his successor."You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. That old man will probably never forget Sylvia. I smiled sadly and then gestured I was leaving. "Take care, my vigorous bull," she said and winked at me. "Get me those flowers and I''ll give you a good, nice and long favor, along with those potions you wanted. Alright?" After leaving the cottage, I looked up to the clear, blue sky and laughed. This game is just incredible. I started making my way toward the mountain. Right now, I was infinitely close to lvl 6 and some bear hunting would do the trick. The hard thing about Armistice was that while you would get bonus XP for killing mobs at a higher level, you would recieve no XP if you were at a higher level than what you hunted. This implied that players would constantly have to strive to hunt stronger opponent in order to cope with the general population of players. However, for me, this currently held a certain benefit. Since I was alone in my beginner village, had overpowered stats for my level, I was able to farm the level seven field bosses over and over as they respawned every 24 hours as well as decimate a large number of common mobs in a small amount of time. I could then proceed with stocking up crafting materials and get great equipment and useful items made by the profession masters which would help me later on. I picked my first starflower not too long after having left Gaia. It was deep-blue with beautifully twinning stems. The shape of the flower itself resembled a star so the name made sense. Next, I traveled upward along a gentle spring stream. The environment was similar to the European forest in summer on Earth. Not too hot and not too cold. After a while, I had picked up ten starflowers and was ready to hand in the quest. I had a vague guess about what the reward was except for XP and I had to say, I was slightly looking forward to it. However, before turning back, I was surprised to see an extremely large bear further down the stream. It was covered in thick scars all over. Big Paw (Field Boss): Level 7 Health: 2200/2200 Another field boss. My luck is quite good right now. I chanted a fireball. -228 It was a reasonably large number for its endurance. Normal bears would take over 300 damage. In other words, two or three so spells would suffice for them but not for this field boss. It possessed higher endurance and stamina. As the fireball hit, the bear let out a savage roar. It stopped drinking water from the stream and rapidly charged toward me. Unlike what people may think, bears are a lot faster than what their big size seems to imply, and so I had only dropped half of its HP before it entered a ten-meter range from me. I smiled and activated my staff''s second active ability. A sizzling, red light emitted from my staff and streaked toward the bear like a lightning bolt. When it hit, there was the sound of a minor explosion and a discharge of crimson electricity caused dust in the surroundings to scatter. -1340 ¡¸You have gained 120% XP for killing an enemy above your level.¡¹ ¡¸You have leveled up!¡¹ Crimson beam had critted and taken down the bear in one swoop. Of course, I had been ready to climb a tree and keep the DOT on if it didn''t, but there was no need for that now. However, the damage truly stunned me. Crimson Beam was like a warhead, just too OP for the beginner village. Thud. The colossal figure fell to the ground and slowly faded away. I went forward and picked up the loot which mainly consisted of crafting materials as well as a leather west. The leather west had a level requirement of level eight so I stored it in my inventory along with the crafting materials. The leather armor was quite good in terms of stats. Of course, once I reached level ten and received a spellcaster class, I suspect I would only be able to wield cloth, and not leather, as that was a garment more suited for thief/rogue specialized classes. I looked for additional field bosses or elite monsters. It was a shame, though, I found none and had no choice but to go back to Gaia. However, when I came in, she wore a green robe, held a curvy wooden staff in her hand and a grave expression covered her face. It did not seem she would give me that favor anytime soon. "What''s the matter?" I asked. "Something happened in the Dungeon," she explained. "We have no time to waste, I''ll explain on the way. Follow me." She brushed past me and I hurried along. Suddenly she stopped outside the cottage. Whistling her fingers, I soon heard a swooping sound. From the sky came a large bird out of nowhere. Well, it was more of the blend between a gigantic bird and a lion. A griffin to be exact. She hopped onto the saddle and stretched me her hand. I understood what she meant and grabbed it, allowing her to pull me up to sit behind her. The Griffin took flight and the trees below soon seemed like small dots. As we flew, I was forced to lean against her in order to not fall off. Her wonderful back figure pressed against me and it made me think about the favor she owed me. However, reading the situation, I decided to ask her later and not now. "A dungeon is a place of long ago where our ancient ancestors bred different types of animals," Gaia told me under the sharp winds. "Some were used to create Warbeasts and others for special materials or ingredients. This dungeon close to us is inhabited by a special type of spider which produces a certain poison. Jenny''s student is the caretaker of the dungeon, and not too long ago he was attacked and poisoned by the giant tarantula ruling the deep cave for no reason. He barely escaped with his life but will die in two days unless cured with an antidote. You need to enter the dungeon, defeat the tarantula and gather poison from its sack so that I can connoct an antidote for him.There are other ingredients for the antidote I don''t have which I must prepare so I cannot help you with this task. Do you think you can do it yourself?" Spider Trouble! Description: Jewelry Crafter and Engineer Jenny''s student was bitten by the tarantula ruling the nearby dungeon. Enter the dungeon and procure the tarantula''s sack for Alchemist Gaia so she can connoct an antidote as quick as possible. Task: Clear the hidden dungeon [Spider Cavern]. Reward: 2000XP, major affinity with Jenny. Beginner Village (6) After a while, Gaia made the Griffin descend. We landed at the edge of the Beginner Village map in a closed-off area. If it weren¡¯t for the griffin carrying us on its majestic back, we wouldn¡¯t even have gotten past the crawling vegetation. ¡±Don¡¯t worry, I will definitely succeed,¡± I said and hopped down from the griffin, leaving her warm and snuggly backside. I pointed to my left. ¡±That¡¯s the entrance, right?¡± She nodded. ¡±Here, take this cloth and tie it around a piece of wood. Spiders are afraid of fire so it might ease your hunting.¡± she threw down a piece of yellow cloth for me. It felt sticky and smelled like sulfur as I caught it with my hand. I was just about to turn around and remind her I was a fire mage but the charming woman had already kicked at the griffin, who let out a cry and overvoiced me. ¡±Be careful not to get bitten by the bigger ones. Their venom inflicts a temporary paralysis effect,¡± she warned me again. "One mistake and you¡¯ll be swarmed by those bastards.¡± The griffin then lifted to the sky and slowly disappeared out of sight. I stood on the ground watching them leave. Now I was all by myself. And so what? I if someone as used to it. Just as I was about to step into the cave, I remembered the piece of cloth in my hand and went into the woods to search for a good stick to use as a torch. Once I found one, I wrapped the cloth around it, walked back to the cave and then entered. A couple notifications emerged.
Urcha¡¯s Den You enter a dark and damp cave that has almost been completely untouched by human hands for centuries. Spiders born from the blood of the great demon, Urcha, wander these narrow tunnels and you feel your blood turning cold as you hear their tiny legs crawl across the rock floor every now and then. Recently, something caused these gentle spiders to awaken the thin demonic lineage running through their blood. They have now turned into wretched creatures who will attack anyone they come across. Snakes and mice have long ago fled to the corners of the caves trying to preserve their lives from the spiders who wish nothing but to eat them. You are not sure how many spiders there are in here. But by the sound, you can perceive there are over a thousand of them. If you are smart, you would turn around instead of going further in.
You are the first player to discover Urcha¡¯s den across the server. You have gained +1 in all attributes. Do you wish to register your discovery? (+500 fame)
I registered my discovery since there was no need to not do so. The next second, the cave opening became overgrown with vines and thorns and the meager light my eyes had accustomed to turned into darkness.
You have entered a hidden dungeon. * Due to your quest, the difficulty has been set to hard and exiting the dungeon is not possible until the dungeon boss is defeated. *Failing to clear the dungeon in 48 hours will result in [Spider Trouble]¡¯s failure and the loss of Gaia¡¯s trust. *Logging out will temporarily stop the timer until you log in again.
I swore. Why do these profession masters always love setting me up? First the blacksmith and now the Alchemist. Well, I suppose Taylor''s act was an act of kindness. Maybe this one is too. Relieving myself of the smug smile, I held up the torch in front of me and aimed with a fireball to slightly nudge and set it ablaze. But reality doesn''t often go as you hope. The fireball struck the edge of my homemade torch but was released with such force I could not keep the torch put in my hand. It flew out and crashed into the cave wall, divided into a thousand parts. The fire snuffed out and everything went dark. This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. "Shit." Swearing again, I had no choice but to advance blindly into the cave. The only way to see something ¨C which I understand after a moment late ¨C was if I shot out fireballs every time the cooldown refreshed. So that''s what I did. Of course, I eventually heard squeaks in the process.
You have slain a demonified spiderling (lvl 2). No XP gained.
You have slain a demonified spiderling (lvl 1). No XP gained.
You have slain a demonified spiderling (lvl 2). No XP gained.
I had probably gotten hundreds of these notifications right now and I damned that woman, although she was pleasant to look at, and feel, and penetrate, for her lack giving me of useful information. These spiderlings were level 1 and 2 I should be able to kill them with hand to hand combat, but I didn''t dare. Sometimes, a couple of adult spiders popped up. They were level 7 and I probably wouldn''t be able to take them out with hand to hand combat if they attacked me in a group. I was told their poison inflicted paralysis and without enough light, I could not ensure they wouldn''t reach me. So I kept firing.
Your chant was unrecognizable. Spell failed.
Fuck me, fuck me, fuck me, fuck me! I had leveled up to 7, but... My throat was sand-paper dry and after two hours of killing almost a thousand of those damnable spiderlings it was so messed up the system didn''t even recognize it. Right now, I swore if I had gotten another chance I would have picked some melee skills instead of this fireball. Even if I gained an OP growth staff and nicely crafted gear. (Not to mention how that shit of seamstress probably wouldn''t help me) In a rage, I spent the 10 attribute points I had saved up from reaching level 7 on agility. My character menu looked like this now.
Player #6 371 937 373
Strenght: 11 Movement speed: 157 (121)
Agility: 42 Jump power: 35
Stamina: 11 Attack speed: 0.67
Endurance: 11
Intellect: 50 (21
Wisdom: 82 (48)
Masteries
* Mastery of Fire (3) All fire-related skills deal 113% damage.
Skills
Active skills:
Intermediate Fireball
Passive skills:
Weightless
My staff, though a magician''s, was very durable because it had come from the world tree. So it possessed quite a good attack power (31-36). Now that I could no longer speak, there was only one thing to do. Smash apart these frigging spiders with my staff until my voice came back from the dead! If I could find some water, that would be good too. Otherwise just letting it rest was fine as well. I closed my eyes and carefully advanced, allowing the sounds to magnify in my ears. I had fought blindfolded before. It was one of the tests we underwent before joining the army when I was a young man. To see with your ears and walk with your sense of touch. I could hear how the spiderlings came closer to me. They shrieked and swarmed the place. Must be over a hundred of them. Just as I thought I''d be dead meat, a notification rang in my ears.
You have gotten slightly used to the darkness.
I released a barrage of attacks. When I swung my staff I also kicked out with my right leg as a follow-up, and when I had to defend with my left arm and either kicked or swept with the staff. All in all, the combinations were magnificent and although I got bitten by the spiderlings, they did not have any poison and barely did any damage.The darkness seemed to get a bit lighter. I could now barely discern the rushing silhouettes as they shrieked. It was a flood of spiders, advancing on their eight legs and looking at me with their small, glowing red eyes. As the first one reached me, I bashed my staff from an overhead position and squashed it into the ground. Although the damage was far from my fireball, it was enough for killing the spiderlings. As an adult spider attacked me. Just as it was about to reach me, a crimson beam flickered into existence. The active skill of my staff. Now it was on cooldown so I had to push my voice to the limit and speak those long chants a few more times every time an adult spider appeared. However, in relation to how I used my voice prior to starting the staff-rampage, it was given a lot more rest and recuperated better. After a while, I came to a bright cave hall. However, that''s when my face dropped. There were about a 100 larger spiders present, and although the shining stalagmites in the room shed light so that I could see properly, it didn''t disguise the fact of their presence. Especielly as 800 eyes turned to me. I cleared my throat and shook my head. *Shsrii* *Shsrii* *Shsrii* An army of shrieks drowned my hearing. They charged toward me and I had but a moment to think of what do do. Think Charles. Think, think... The world seemed to move in slow-motion as I glanced around in the cavern. There. There were cracks in the walls. I put the staff back in my inventory and sprinted toward the wall.The horde of black mobs chased after me, and as I climbed, they followed. But I was faster. However, it made me wrinkle my nose. How was I faster? Ah. The skill I gained from the One-Eyed wolf. Weightless. The description was: Light as a feather. That''s right, as I climbed, my body was incredibly light. Coupled with my quite high agility, I moved fast and with ease. As I climbed, the wall became steeper as time passed, and the cracks smaller and less. I had to concentrate my utmost to find those cracks and grip them. What was good though was that I didn''t need to grip very tight in order to hold up my almost weightless body. Dang, at least they can''t get to me now. Now you might think, isn''t that great? Well, have you forgotten about my sore throat? The spiders wouldn''t leave the room as it was the core of their spawning ground and they weren''t smart enough to seek shelter. The problem was; my staff wasn''t weightless like me and my arm got sore holding it. As I bombarded the spiders with fireballs, one each plus the dot was enough to eradicate their small health pools. But I had fired about twenty of them when my voice broke and that same notification as earlier popped up. My arm was getting sore so I put the staff back in the inventory. Now a big problem remained. Until I cleared the spiders, I wouldn''t be able to go down. And sadly, I couldn''t log out either because I was hanging here from the roof. What was I gonna do? Beginner Village (7) "Huff Huff Huff!" The veins on my forearm bulged as I waved the staff and directed my ninety-first fireball. I gritted my teeth and put it back into my inventory, relaxing my right arm. My voice was hurting and... fuck, I was starting to lose feeling in my left hand. Huffing and puffing, I searched the cave roof for another crack. There. I tried to lift my right arm ¨C I couldn''t get it above my chest. Arrgh. For once, I wished Armistice would be a lot less like reality. Even my voice could be overused. Another ten minutes passed. They were brutal. My fingers were on the verge of letting go. I had no choice, I had to try. With one last push, I threw up my right arm as hard as I possibly could, barely able to insert my fingers into the narrow crack. Ahhh My left fingers fell out of the original crack. I had successfully switched position. What a relief. However, my fingers still wouldn''t move. I pursed my mouth and beat them against the hard, cold rock roof. Small numbers of damage arose but they were insignificant as was the pain. Now that I could grip the staff again, I released all my pent-up anger... "Oh m-mighty fire, converge!" The chant which was so tiring actually made me a bit happy. I kept at it and a while after fired all hundred fireballs, hitting every single one of them and decimating a hundred demonified adult spiders. I had gained an additional level in the process, but no more since the spiders were level 7 and I didn''t recieve any XP from mobs at a lower level than myself. I barely succeded climbing down the wall and even had to let go the last way in order to handle the pain. The reality immersion was indefinitely close to a 100% and I was trained to endure almost limitless pain ¨C but all of my senses were wasted and what I wanted to do most in the world was to go to bed. So I carried my spent body to a corner in the hall, hoped the spiders wouldn''t respawn while I was gone, and exited the game. "What a day," I said and removed the helmet from my head, almost instantly falling asleep after checking my voice was okay here in reality. *** I woke up in the middle of the night. Of course, the concept of night and day as most humans know doesn''t really exist here on Pluto ¨C nor in space altogether unless you lived on a planet like earth which rotated its axis so that the sun shone on half the surface every twenty-four hours. No, pluto''s day and night were each over six normal earth days long. My room was in turn constructed so there was no window or source of light when I wanted to sleep. This, however, meant I could sleep whenever I wanted and go up as I pleased. I had no train to catch, obviously, and I had just as much to do when it was nighttime as when it was daytime. Before it was absentmindedly staring out or watching the fire but now I was captivated by Armistice and how to allowed me to escape the confines of my banishment. And also, how it gave me hope to triumph over those who wronged me. My mood turned worse as I thought about the situation all those years ago. How he had stabbed me in the back only to take my position. I quickly entered the game to get on other thoughts. At least for now, I didn''t want to think about it. I had thought about it constantly for over several years now. Every day, every night¨C nevermind, I just explained how night and day barely exist. Alright, let me rephrase myself¨C every second! My stomach growled. I resisted the thought of getting more food, as I had begun thinking of revenge there was no stopping it. Not even food. Only the game could make me think about other things. I put the helmet back on, connected and logged in.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. The cave was the same as I left. Empty. No more spiders had spawned. I got up and patted the dust away from my white novice pants. I had reached level eight so I fetched the leather west from my inventory and put it on.
Big Paw''s Furry west (Rare) Requirement: Level 8 Description: A west made from the thick hide of a bear notoriously called Big Paw. His favorite hobby was to slap courageous adventurers trying to attack him into meat pulps. Properties: +4 Stamina. +3 Endurance. +2 Agility.
I decided to invest the ten attribute points I had in stamina. My health pool was at the moment 250 and it would probably suffice to take an attack from the tarantula here in the dungeon. Together with a couple of fireballs, which seemed to be its weakness as all my fireballs here in the dungeon had critted, I would surely defeat it without a problem. If people saw my game style, they would probably laugh. Who the hell invests in 37 in wisdom, 10 in intellect, 40 in agility and a mere 10 in stamina? Do they want to get killed? Well, I can somehow agree with this thought. However, the wisdom part and agility part was a must for me to survive, and I already had so much damage it was insane, with my intermediate fireball and god-like staff, so increasing the odds of my survival was far more important. I just wondered how it would select the selection of my class... I was now armed with a pair of boots, a leather vest, and a staff as I continued further down the dungeon. Though I looked like a weirdo, with a couple high-class equipment that glimmered with a respective light-blue, green and crimson light, and every other slot except for a tattered pair of jeans being empty, I guess it was okay. The stalagmites continued to shine from the roof, which made the process clearing the dungeon easier. I found a ladder at the end of the tunnel. Climbing down, I found myself in a narrow tunnel leading out to a brightly lit room. Inside the room lay a 2-meter tall spider as if asleep. It had purple fur and a shiny black carapace. As I moved closer, I noticed how spiderwebs most of the walls. I wondered if could climb further than the adult spiders, because if so wouldn''t stand much of a chance.
Demonified Mother Tarantula (Dungeon Boss): Level 10 Health: 5600/5600
Holy shit was that the standard health value of a normal dungeon boss? No, nevermind ¨C I''m on the hard difficulty for this dungeon. Normal groups at this level wouldn''t even be able to get past the hall with hundred adult spiders at once... wait, doesn''t that mean this dungeon wasn''t even meant to be cleared? I only got past by my use of weightless skill, and if I didn''t have that skill... would this be possible? In other words, only by being the first player to solo the One-Eyed could someone get to this dungeon? Inspecting the Demonified Tarantula further, I noticed a shadow standing at its left side, channeling some sort of crimson energy into its body.
???: Level ??? Health: ???
The shadow was over two meters tall with two horns on its head and stood straight as an arrow. I couldn''t discern either its name, level nor health. It flickered every now and then, and as I crouched slightly closer to get a better view, it suddenly turned around. The shadow flickered again and was snuffed out like a candle. "I a-attacked Michael?" a teary female voice emerged from the spider''s mouth. "What have I done, I¨C ARGGHG! PUNY HUMAN, I SHALL RIP¨C" it suddenly changed, then back again. "What''s happening to me, why is¨C YOU APART LIMB AFTER¨C p-please get out of my head, ah it hurts, it hur¨C LIMB HOW DARE YOU¨C i-it''s taking over! Youngster, run, I can''t hold out any long¨C INTRUDE UPON MY TERRITORY!" The giant mother tarantula slowly rose, her eight legs unfolding. The two-meter-tall spider now became a 5-meter towering presence, and as it opened its red crimson eyes, I noticed a swirling chaos inside them ¨C a madness far worse than what I had ever beheld, one that contained no reason ¨C only wanton destruction. "ANYONE WHO RESISTS THE GREAT LORD SHALL PERISH!" it screamed.
*Quest Update: Spider Trouble has been changed to Dark ploy
Dark ploy You have discovered the true cause of the Urcha Dungeon''s disturbance. It turns out a mysterious force in the form of a shadow infected the gentle spiders and Mother Tarantula with demonic energy. The shadow left before you could find out what it was and the spider was finally consumed by a presence seemingly obeying to a great lord. Task: Defeat the Demonified Tarantula, take its poison sack to Alchemist Gaia and report your findings to the Beginner Village chief. Reward: ???
Swosh the black tarantula almost instantly closed in on me. I had totally mismatched its speed and I was forced to throw myself out of its way as it tried to pierce me with one of its front legs. I tumbled over the hard rock but shot up immediately, sprinting to the wall to my right side. If not for that quick reaction, its sharp leg would have pierced my chest. She''s broken. There is absolutely no way I could beat the boss on hard difficulty in my current level straight up in a fight. And I thought getting here was hard. Hah. I evaded the sticky web and climbed up the wall faster than before. After all, I had gotten better at finding those crack. The Mother Tarantula and its humongous body ¨C supported by eight, sharp shiny legs which could be used as weapons ¨C hurled straight after. Suddenly, I felt something sticky attach my right leg to the wall. Looking down, I saw it was a white spider web. Fuck I missed it. I instantly made the decision to equip my staff and activate crimson beam. The streak of red crushed the web to smithereens and I put it back in my inventory, just a finger away from getting stabbed by the mother tarantula. The rest of the climb went quite well. Until now. As I inserted my fingers in a crack in the roof, the spider lunged from the wall toward me. Holy fuck it can do this as well. I equipped my staff and bashed the incoming leg as hard as I could, pulling myself up and clinching to the roof at the same time. With my back pressed against the wall for a moment, I witnessed how the spider''s teeth were centimeters away from crunching into my face. Then the huge spider fell, waving its eight legs as it descended onto the ground with a resounding crash. It lost about 3 damage from my strike and 650 from the fall. It glared at me from below, before I could see how its mad eyes flickered and what seemed to be a grin showed on its face. It then began to climb up the wall again. I understood what it was doing. It was going to try until it reached me, and then tear me apart. Beginner Village (8) I scanned the roof for more cracks¨C my eyes darted like lightning. One way to make sure the dungeon boss wouldn''t catch me was to move precisely after it pushed off from the wall in order to reach me. Its lunge would then fall short and I would survive. The problem was; this mother fucking tarantula was damn smart. It began using spiderweb to swing itself toward me. The first time it did so, I was taken by surprise and wasn''t able to dodge. A single graze from its front leg inflicted a bloody wound on my thigh and a poison with DOT to shave off half of my HP. I was left with a third. But somehow, the paralysis effect which Gaia spoke about never occurred. I guess it must have something with the demonification to do. Maybe the paralysis was replaced with a normal DOT poison. And for this particular moment, this was a very good thing. Sigh. If the boss caught me again, I would definitely die. Without much else to do, I came up with this theory to mass cast fireballs at it. I knew spiders were afraid of fire and I also knew that fireballs sometimes inflicted a special sort of knockback when they hit. It seemed as if my method did work after all. Although the tarantula often dodged the fireballs, and most of them didn''t cause the knockback either, some hit and a few of those who actually made the mark were lucky enough to be imbued with the effect.
Demonified Mother Tarantula (Dungeon Boss): Level 10 Health: 1834/5600
After ten minutes, it was down to a bit less than a third of its total health. I had to switch positions several times in order to balance the stress of both my arms. The staff was obviously quite heavy, you see. The tarantula shrieked loudly after its last attempt as if it had enough. The carapace on both its front and back was leaking with purple liquid (presumably its blood) and two of eight limbs were beaten into a mangled mess by the successive falls. Instead of climbing the wall, it turned its butt into the air and began to spray spider web all over the place. As if it wanted to build a safety net. I was first very complacent about what to do but then I started to laugh. A safety net built with spider web? More like an easily combusted forest you''d soon be trapped inside! The dungeon boss was very quick and efficient with its building. It created several floors in minutes and was half-way to the top when smiled widely and lit the whole place ablaze with my fire magic. As if sulfur-cloth combined torches, the threads immediately caught fire. The dungeon boss saw it when it was too late and could do nothing as it was engulfed in a sea of flames, burning to death.
You have slain Demonified Mother Tarantula.
You have gained a level.
You are now level 9.
You have killed a demon and foiled a part of the dark plot trying to engulf the whole continent in chaos. ''The Great Lord'' has taken notice of your presence. Your affinity with ''The Great Lord'' has changed from hostile to worst enemies and his forces will attempt to kill you open the spot, always prioritizing you over other players.
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As result of your great deed, you have earned the title Hidden Hero.
Hidden Hero
  • You have done an immense service for the human race by foiling a part of the plan seeking to embroil the continent in chaos. While only a select few will know of your deed, those people will do their utmost give you a helping hand if needed.
  • All stats +5
  • Charisma attribute unlocked.
Charisma
  • Increases affinity with all NPCs and rewards from quests in the continent
Dark plot... Hey, this title is really good! And Charisma! Man! I retracted my staff in rejoicing and climbed down once the thread was gone and the flames with it. On the charred stone lay five items clumped together. I retrieved them to my inventory and inspected them one by one. My mouth curved higher after each one. This dungeon has more treasures than Santa''s workshop!
Demonified front limb (Main hand)
  • The sharpest leg of the demonified version of Mother Tarantula. The demonic energy within sometimes inflicts a curse upon the designated opponent when wounded by the blade.
  • Dagger
  • Quality: Epic
  • Level Requirments: 10
  • Damage: 21-26
  • Attributes: 4 Strenght. 6 Agility. 3 Stamina.
  • Effects: Curse (Random)
Demonified Carapace (Chest)
  • The carapace of the demonified version of Mother Tarantula. It is as hard as iron and is further strengthened by the demonic energy flowing through.
  • Chestplate
  • Quality: Epic
  • Level Requirments: 10
  • Defense: 26
  • Attributes: 9 Stamina. 6 Endurance.
  • Effects: None
Mother Tarantula''s Poison Sack (Quest item)
Piece of ??? (Crafting material)
Although I none of the items were of any use to me, I received the poison sack and a mysterious item. Not that I had any clue of what the latter is. The piece of ?? was very tiny and darker than the blackest night. It seemed to come from a gem, but I wasn''t sure. Suddenly, I felt the cave shake.
Congratulations, you have cleared a dungeon and will be teleported out in one minute. 60...59...56...48...32...15...3...1....0!
The next thing I knew I was where Gaia had left me. "Charles you made it! Quick, get on! We need to hurry!" I heard Gaia''s voice from above. Descending with the Griffin, she grabbed me by one arm and pulled me up so I was sitting behind her. Holy, she''s stronger than I thought. Blood rushed to my special area as she urged the Griffin to fly faster, forcing me to clammer onto her as her plum rubbed against my rod. The village was soon within sight and we landed close to Jenny''s workshop. We ran in and Gaia immediately got started. Jenny stood beside the alchemist, a grave expression on her face. She thumped her fingers against thighs and walked around in circles, restless. I could clearly see how stressed she was. Gaia began the process by squeezing out some poison from the sack. She then mixed it with different liquids of which I understood she had prepared beforehand. "Done. Where is he, Jenny?" she stood up and asked the short girl with sooted goggles. Jenny nodded hurriedly and walked into another room of the workshop. We followed the short girl into the room. It was not very spacious but smelled fresh and seemed well-taken care off. In the bed lay a large man with rippling muscles. His face was covered with sweat and his right arm was purple up till his shoulder. "You''re gonna be alright Max," she took his hand and comforted him. "Look we brough an antidote! We really did!" The man was too tired to respond. He gave us a nod then put back his head in exhaustion. Gaia went forward, holding the antidote in a vial which she forced down his throat. His eyes widened and he then fell into deep sleep. Jenny began to circle around the bed, asking us questions about how long the antidote would take before it took effect. I suppose she really valued Max because when he showed signs of waking up she broke out in tears and hugged him wildly, calling him stupid over and over again. "How lovely," Gaia commented by my side. She snickered. "I would also love to have an earnest disciple like him, nothing beats teaching someone about what you love the most. Not to mention how I''d finally have someone for my experiments ready at all tim¨C." "Wait... what did you just say? Say that again." I interrupted her "How I''d finally have someo¨C" "No before that, something about disciple." "Oh yeah." Gaia scratched her chin. "It''s a dream for us profession masters who has reached the peak to find someone to impart our teachings on. That''s right, there''s nothing better than having an earnest disciple who wants to learn from you. Why? You interested?" That''s it! That''s how I can show my earnest side! "Thank you Gaia" I shouted and rushed out of the workshop. First I would go to old man Nadu and then I''d show that damned woman I am worthy of her equipment! After all, a mage without god-like equipment won''t do any damage!