《The Godling: A Litrpg Saga》 Chapter 1: Surprise Light. The hallway was so bright. That was the only thing I could think of as I sat outside my dad''s office. Today was a little strange. My dad never formally invited me to his office. I suppose there was nothing to be concerned about the invitation, but I couldn''t be sure. Anything my dad did was usually significant. Probably because he was a god. As a child of a god, I was pretty significant too. Well, I would have been if I was born during the first millennium of his reign. He''s already been around for a few thousand years so I kind of think the novelty of god''s children has worn off a bit to mortals. My dad helps oversee thousands of planets, so I suppose some worlds are more surprised than others when someone like me decides to visit. My dad isn''t the only god that''s helping take care of mortals. There are many other gods out there who help govern and judge the worlds. Some are more "committed" than others to fulfilling there roles. My dad''s told me about some of the other gods who only pursue their own interests, which doesn''t surprise me. I wonder if he''s going to start involving me with some of his plans. My reverie was broken by steps coming from down the hallway. I looked down the hall and saw my older sister walking towards me. She was tall and lithe with silver hair. She didn''t appear muscular, but she was a lot stronger than most people her age. She was a kind person, to her family. Outside of our family circle, she was known for her sass. It''s probably why she didn''t have many close friends. "Hey Chandra, did dad call you to his office as well?" I asked as she drew near. "You too little Jalen? Has he told you what it''s about?" She responded. I may have been approaching 300 years old, but I was short. Some people call their younger brothers little, but that''s more of an age thing. I was short. Like 5 feet 2 inches short. I think my sister had about 8 inches on me. She''s been having small growth spurts the last 50 years. I''ll grow eventually. "No, he just sent me an invitation to have a meeting with him. It was kind of weird. Usually he just comes down and talks with me, but this time he sent a messenger." "Hmmm, I think I may have a clue, but I don''t want to ruin the surprisea€| although it is a little early," she finished thoughtfully. "I''m not sure if you actually know or if you''re just messing with me Chandra. What were you up to earlier? Have you been visiting anywhere interesting of late?" "Well you may or may not believe it, but I got to visit a recently deserted world. It wasn''t at all like you''d think. Instead of harsh environmental conditions, it was lush green jungle everywhere. After being there for a few minutes I think I understood why. The amount of monsters inhabiting it was overwhelming. I only stayed for an hour or so, and for most of the time I stayed at a higher altitude to avoid all the trouble on the ground." Chandra was referring to was expeditions to other worlds that we as godlings were sent on. Usually they were mandatory, but occasionally some of my siblings voluntarily went to interesting places. There were a number of tasks that we were asked to do. Anything from destroying monsters to acting as messengers to the inhabitants of the world.? My sister had recently started going on expeditions. It seemed to be good for her. She had been a lot more outgoing since. She had first left when she was about 400 years old.? The first time a godling visits another world, they underwent a test. They would have to live there for a minimum number of time. It varied depending on the world and the potential to grow, but usually it ranged from 10-50 years. If someone didn''t grow enough, they were stuck there forever. "Look''s like you''re up," my sister said. I hadn''t noticed it, but one of my father''s messenger was walking towards us and looking at me. It was always interesting to see these messengers. I wondered where they came from. I doubt that they were my father''s children, but I''m not sure if my dad would employ the children of other deities in his household. Maybe they were the children from his spouses'' previous mortal marriages. My dad would only marry widowers from other worlds, and sometime they already had children. "Master Jalen, your father is expecting you, please follow me," the messenger announced. I got up to follow the messenger, but felt a tug on my clothes as I was started walking away. I turned around and saw my sister with a grin and a wink on her face. "Good luck little bro. Don''t worry, I think it could be exciting." I chuckled as I turned and strode away.? I shouldn''t be too worried after all. After some thought and more walking, I decided that the most plausible reason my father wanted to see me was that he wanted me to mentor some of my younger siblings. I had mentored a few in an informal manner previously, but never in an official capacity. I''d only heard of people becoming official mentors after they passed their expedition or "test." It could be about my educational pursuits, but I felt like I was excelling in that arena so I didn''t think so.Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. As we got nearer to the office door, I could hear some raised voices inside. If I were to guess, I imagine it would be my mother and father arguing over something. My father was always careful to not upset my mother, so I couldn''t imagine what they were talking about. The messenger reached the door first and quietly rapped his knuckles on it. Suddenly inside the office was quiet. I could imagine them both looking at the door. "My lord, your son Jaden has come as requested," the messenger stated formally. "Send him in," my father said from behind the door. The messenger opened the door and with a sweeping motion of his arm ushered me into the room. I passed by him and looked towards my father''s desk where my parents were sitting. My father was a large man with a barrel like chest. He had radiant golden hair and blue eyes, and at the moment a funny looking mustache that twirled at the end. I got my hair from my father and my eyes from my mother. My mother was short and delicately well built, with silver hair and blue eyes. My father''s eyes were more of a deep ocean blue, while my mother''s eyes were like the sky, which is what I inherited. I suppose it was a blessing to have pretty eyes, although sometimes I got unwanted attention from the opposite sex. I looked at my father and mother more closely as I approached. It appeared that my mom wasn''t looking very happy about the topic of conversation and my father was doing his best to appear calm. "Hi mom and dad, how are you doing today?" I asked as I gave both of them a hug. "We''re doing good son," my dad said while my mom snorted in exasperation. "Some of us are doing good," my mom responded. "Your father has a crazy idea that I think is unwise. I''m going to go talk with Chandra while he tells you all about it. Come see me afterwards. I have a few things I want to show you," she finished as she walked out the door, closing it behind her. "Did something happen I should know about?" I asked with concern. "No, don''t worry about it. I''ll explain everything shortly. Please take a seat. Would you like anything to drink? I do have some bread and spicy yellow cheese if you''re hungry." I moved to sit down in the chair facing my father. " I think I''ll take some water. I ''m not really hungry, I made some lunch before coming. I don''t suppose you have any mint root do you? I could really use some to chew right now." He grabbed the pitcher on his desk and poured some water in a cup. As he handed it to me he said "I don''t have any more actually. I gave the rest to your sister Rachel. I do have some berries if you like?" "I''ll be okay," I responded. My father rested his arms on the armrests and brought his hands together in front of him, resting one against the other. "Son, I have something important to talk to you about. Before I tell you, I want to let you know that I''ve been thinking about this for sometime, and I feel the time is right to bring it up. Your mom doesn''t necessarily agree with me, but I think she''ll come around. You are her youngest son after all, so I don''t feel offended. What I wanted to talk to you about was having you start your test this year, shortly after your 300th birthday." Holy cow! Doing my test 100 years early! That''s insane! I hadn''t even taken any classes on preparing for my test. My dad had continued talking so I tuned back in. "I know that it may be quite a bit early to consider your test, but I''ve seen how you''ve been progressing in your classes and practical training. You''re more than just a step above everyone else, you''re in another league. Not only that, but you''re a natural leader. I''ve seen how you work with other people. There''s not another person as ready for the test as your are." I held out my hands in disbelief. "Dad, I haven''t even taken any test prep classes. The only thing I know about the test I have is the stories that you, mom, and my siblings share with me. It seems to be a different experience for everyone, so the stories aren''t necessarily helpful in preparation either. I''ll only have about 5 months to prepare. Usually people have like, ten years!" I exclaimed. "I know, I know. It''s not a typical situation. I just feel like you''re ready for this. Something you should know is that the purpose of the courses you''ve been taking your whole life is to help you become a well rounded person. They aren''t specifically to prepare you for your test. The test prep courses are seen as mandatory, but they actually aren''t necessary. They just help you become acclimated to the world you''ll be going to. You''d learn things about the world''s politics, economies, culture, people, along with other things." "So I''d be going into my test blind? That only happens to people when they''re visiting an unknown world," I stated with a hint of frustration. "Look, I understand why you may be unhappy about this. It may seem unfair, but I have complete faith in you. I wouldn''t send you out early unless I knew you could handle it. The situation might be unique, but I have my reasons for why I want you to go now. I also want to remind you of the benefits of leaving early. You''ll be able to grow your powers that much sooner and start ranking up in my service upon returning. There are some risks involved, but the rewards are exponentially greater." What my dad was talking about was unique to his children. While we may gain knowledge and expertise in weaponry and crafting among other things, we didn''t gain power living in this realm. When godlings went to other worlds on expeditions, they somehow were able to gain different skills and attributes. I''ve hypothesized that we must take energy from other beings as we defeat them, which makes sense why we don''t grow here, since my dad doesn''t allow sibling fights in his realm. Mortals on other worlds are able to grow in power, but they''re potential for growth is much smaller than that of godlings. I''ve wondered if we take power from the environment as well, but I haven''t found any evidence that we do, or can. Maybe I''ll be able to look into it on my test. While I wouldn''t call the collection of my father''s representatives an army, they definitely had a militaristic side to them. They did other things than fight, but they were organized like an army and most often were involved in subjugation of my father''s enemies or exploring unknown worlds. Once someone completed their test, they would be granted first rank in the organization. Ranking up brought greater responsibility and power, and you know what they say, power has its privileges. My father continued, " You''ll be going to the world of Relosa. It''s a rather large world with a lot of land and ocean. Something unique about the world is that they have dungeons. I think you''ve heard about them before, but each world is a little different I don''t have time to tell you about all of it right now. You should take some time to familiarize yourself with the world. We''ll meet again before you leave. I''m sorry to surprise you like this, but I think it''ll be a great experience. I''ll try and answer any questions you might have the next time we meet. I have to take care of the preparations at the moment, so you''re free to go." I got up and started walking out without saying anything, my mind racing. I attempted to think of what to do next as I started walking out of the office, but my mind was a big jumble of confusion. Relosa? I hadn''t heard of that world. I was going to be busy researching these next few days. "Remember Jalen, your mom wants to speak with you. She should be in the garden. Good luck preparing." I stopped for a moment as my father reminded me about my mother and then continued leaving. I wasn''t sure of what to do next, so I decided I might as well go see what my mother wanted. If I were to guess, I''d imagine it would be her attempting to boost me up and make clear where she stood on the whole situation. Who knows, maybe she''ll even be able to help me prepare for my test. Chapter 2: Preparations After leaving my father''s office I wanted to get something to eat and take inventory of what I had in my office. I wasn''t allowed to bring anything with me besides a few sets of clothes and some basic necessities. Everyone was checked at the security gate before heading out on their test, so there wasn''t a lot of motivation to try and sneak any enhanced items through. There were a few keepsakes that I wanted to bring, but I had to disguise them in such a way that they blended in with the "basic necessities." As I walked to my office I considered what I had just learned. First, I was leaving for my test a few days after my 300th birthday, which was in less than a week. Second, I had no idea what I was going to do about preparation. The research to be successful on your first test normally took years. I had days. I would have to prioritize what to research and commit my findings to memory. Third, I had some goodbye''s I''d have to make. I made it to my office within a few minutes and unlocked the door. Time to get things rolling I thought as I walked into my office and strode towards my desk. "Hi little brother, did you have an *exciting* chat with father?" my sister asked in a jolly tone. "I was right by the way. There weren''t many reasons for your meeting besides talking about the test. I''m surprised you didn''t guess it," she said in a smug tone. "I would call it an *interesting* chat. Did mom tell you everything dad told me? "Yea, I think she filled me in on everything. Relosa eh? That''s a world I haven''t heard much about. Did you need some help doing some research? I sighed in resignation. "I could use all the help I can get. I think I kind of got hosed with this whole deal but whatever." "I don''t know if I agree with you, I think this is a great opportunity. Regardless, I''m here to help. What kind of research would you like me to focus on?" my sister asked. "Politics, economies, and geography. I think I''ll focus on fighting methods, culture, and language. Let''s meet back a day before my birthday and you can let me know what you learn. Dad told me I''d be leaving a few days after my birthday, but I don''t know if that means the day after or three days after. Best meet before my birthday just in case." "Sounds good, I''ll let you know what I find. By the way, mom told me to go see her. She went back to her office. She told me to have you bring her the clothing you''ll using on the test. I think she mentioned washing and mending. I''ll see you soon, good luck!" Chandra said as she walked out of my office and closed the door. Looks like it''s time to go see my mom. I packed up the clothes I was planning on taking and put them in a bag. I decided I might as well pack everything I was planning on wearing including my shoes, belt, and cloak. Now that I thought about it, I forgot to ask if there were any weapon restrictions. Sometimes when godlings went on their Test, they would bring weapons that weren''t native to that world. Occasionally it would cause an economic stir due to the interest in creating and selling said weapons. My preferred weapons were usually smaller and/or lighter in nature. Daggers, claws, short swords, scimitars, and the like. Anything that required two hands for normal people was too unwieldy for me. I finished packing and put a few things in their places before leaving. After shutting and locking the door (I didn''t want another surprise from Chandra), I set out towards my mom''s office. Along the way I see my brothers and sisters and other godlings. My dad likes to share his realm with other gods, so it''s somewhat fun to get to know others outside of my family. My mom''s office is a few floors up but I quickly arrive and knock on the door. A few moments pass before the door opens to reveal my mother, portraying an attitude of calm and regality. "Hi mom, you asked to see me?" "Come in and close the door please. Put your bag on the table and then take a seat." I dropped my bag on the side table and took a seat. I looked around my mom''s office as she walked around the desk and noticed books strewed across her desk and papers on her floor. "You look like you''ve been a bit busy mom. New project?"This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. "We don''t have a lot of time Jalen so I''ll cut to the chase. Your father and I have been talking about your Test for a while now. I didn''t think it was a good idea to send you out so young, but your father insists that you''re ready." "Mom, I haven''t even prepared for it," I interjected. "I know, I know. But your father thinks you''re ready, and I have a little secret to tell you." My mom said as she got up locked her office door. She began talking after sitting down again. "We''re not really allowed to tell people about this pre-Test, but I''m making an exception with you. What''s unique about the Test is that the Test prep courses people take don''t have as great an impact as you might think." I was slightly confused, "could you please clarify what you mean?" She sighed in exasperation. After a few seconds she had a thoughtful expression on her face. "The most I can tell you is that you forget where you came from. It''s part of the test, to see whether or not you''ll make the proper choices to help you return here. It sometimes affects the things you learn in your Test prep courses as well. There''s nothing more that I can tell you about it." That was a bombshell. This suddenly got a lot scarier. "What do you mean forget? Doesn''t that mean people won''t even try to make it back since they don''t know where they came from? How are people-" my mom interrupted me. "No questions Jalen. And you can''t tell anyone what I''ve told you. Now I have some business to take care of so I''ll be seeing you later, love you," my mother said, ending the conversation. "Alright, well, thanks mom. I''ll see you later then, love you." I left the office, leaving my things for my mom to wash and repair. I headed to the library to pick up as many books on the world of Relosa related to fighting methods, culture, and language. I decided to also pick up a book titled, "Dangers and Dungeons of Relosa." That last one piqued my interest. If I had time I''ve take a look at it. It was going to be a chaotic week of prepping. -------------------------------------- Less than a week later and my birthday was almost here. I was going to turn 300 tomorrow, and if I was to guess based off of what my mom told me, I was going to forget it ever happened. There was a knock on my door which stopped any further contemplation. I unlocked it and opened the door to see my sister with a notebook in her hand. "Well, are you ready to meet up?" she asked. "Come on in, I just finished up and was thinking about my birthday tomorrow." My sister took a seat and started talking immediately. "Well, Relosa is an interesting world to say the least. Their politics consist of local governments, heavy influenced by guilds and associations. Think of guilds as tight-knit alliances and associations as likeminded groups of people or businesses. It seems like the bigger cities have a dungeon association, craftsmen association, combat association, and mages association. There are some smaller unique associations scattered throughout as well. Association membership doesn''t transfer from one city to the other unless the cities have a trade relationship. The guilds don''t get massive because they rarely exist in multiple cities. Some do have a lot of power though, so be careful which guild you associate with. Relosa doesn''t really have any national governments due to the local governments not wanting to share their assets with others. This ties in with geography as well. Apparently they have dungeons scattered throughout this world. Basically the cities with dungeons are the ones with influence and power. When you go down, you''ll want to gravitate towards a city with a dungeon. "Easy, that''s a lot of info!'' I exclaimed. "Hold on, I''m not finished. The economy of the world is greatly influenced by these dungeons. Apparently a lot of rare materials are obtained from them and traded around the world. That will be one area where you should be able to make bank. Depending on your goals, I suggest starting your own store eventually if you can collect enough materials. As for currency, they have three different denominations. Copper, silver, and gold. 100 Copper is equal to 1 silver, and 100 silver is equal to 1 gold. Room and board at a cheap inn for a night will probably run you 8 copper, depending on the city. That''s the gist of it," my sister breathed in loudly, catching her breath after talking with hardly a breath for a minute. "Wow, that was a great recap Chandra, I appreciate you researching those topics. I think everything you mentioned will be of great use to me," I paused to let her catch her breath. She waved for me to continue. "In case you''re curious, I did a little reading on dungeons in my research." My sister raised an eyebrow. "That''s interesting, what''d you find out? I continued, "I believe that one way that I can gain more power is obtaining certain type of crystal cores, specifically from the monsters that dwell within. I''d like to do more research to see if it''s mineable, but I''m not sure at this point. I think one of my goals will be to explore the dungeons and find out which monsters have them." "That''s a smart thing to do. Gaining power is the purpose of the Test, so that should be your number one goal. Did you find out anything interesting in your other research?" "Most of the other things I researched made me realize that Relosa is a pretty normal low-tech world. They fight with hand to hand weapons, ranged items such as bows and crossbows, and rarely with magic. They don''t seem to have much in terms of gunpowder weapons. I''ll probably bring a few different weapon types and switch depending on the situation. I found out that their language has the same structure as some of the other languages I''ve studied in the past, so it should be a piece of cake. They don''t have any weird cultural habits. There is some slight discrimination between some of the races, but they seem to be based on centuries old feuds. I never really got a bearing on how many different races there are. I guess I''ll find out when I get there.? One other thing I looked into was religion. It appears that our father doesn''t really have a presence on the planet. However, they do worship other gods." "Any that you need to be worried about?" my sister asked. "No, most of them I''ve never met, nor their posterity. It seems like some of the guilds focus on worshipping an individual god as part of what they do. I probably should start my own guild that worships me," I said, chuckling to myself. My sister laughed. "Don''t get too full of yourself. I have to get going. I was supposed to be helping mom prepare for your birthday tomorrow but I''ve been busy doing research. If I don''t head over now she''s going to get real angry. I''ll talk to you later little bro." After my sister left I did a little more research into dungeons. It felt like dungeons would be my best bet to grow my powers. I had to come up with a strategy of exploring the dungeons. The book I read didn''t have info on specific dungeons, so I was stuck relying on general information. I decided it would be best to get some sleep in preparation for the festivities tomorrow. I may be leaving on my Test soon, but I know my parents would want to throw me a big party. As I started dozing off to sleep I had another thought come to me. Where in Relosa would I be relocated? Chapter 3: Birthday? I woke up to hear knocking on my door. I looked at the clock and realized I had overslept. "Hold on a second, I''m coming" I yelled as I got out of bed and dressed myself. I opened the door to see Chandra standing there with her arms folded. "Took you long enough birthday boy! Mom and dad want to speak to you so hurry up." "What happened to the messenger?" I joked. "Why are you here?" "Mom and dad want to talk to you, but it''s a family meeting." "Ok, let me get my shoes on." I hurried to grab some shoes and walked out the door. Chandra and I made small talk along the way. A lot of people wished me happy birthday as I passed them. I had lived around most of these people for many years, and yet, I felt as close to them as you would towards a class acquaintance. I got along with them, but we never hung out outside of our courses. As we got close to the lift to go up to our father''s office, I heard someone shout my name and footsteps echoing in the hall. "Jalen! Happy birthday! It''s your big three hundred! Do you have any plans for today?" asked a dark haired girl. "Hi Jillian. I''m going to go meet up with my parents right now. I think we''re doing something later tonight, but I''m not sure. If there''s a surprise party then I''m sure you''ve already heard about it." I watched Jillian features closely for any reaction. However, she didn''t as much as bat an eye. "I wouldn''t tell you either way. I''ll talk to you later!" she said as she strode away. Jillian has had a crush on me for a while now, but I''ve attempted to keep my distance from her while still being friendly. I think she''s taken the hint, but I still feel that she likes me. Chandra and I went up the lift and shortly arrived at the office. I knocked on the door and my mom promptly opened it. After a quick hug, she motions us to sit in the empty chairs around the table my father was sitting at. She joined us after grabbing my bag of clothes and stuff I left with her. "So what was it y''all wanted to talk to me about? I asked. "Well son, first off we want to wish you happy birthday. 300 years is a great milestone. We couldn''t be prouder of you. We brought you here because plans have changed," my mother said. "What do you mean plans have changed? Am I not going anymore?" My father picked up where my mother left off. "The plan still is for you to go. Just a bit sooner then we planned. We really wish things could have worked out today, but some things came up. Instead of going in a few days, the new plan is for you to leave today," my father said. "Today? I''m not mentally prepared to go yet. I thought I would have a few more days to collect myself. Why the change? What things came up?" I asked uncertainly. My parents looked at each other, my mother nodding her head like she was trying to prod my father. My father looked hesitant and slightly concerned, but started to explain. "It appears there are some people that aren''t agreeable to the idea of you leaving on your Test so early. They''re coming here to voice their displeasure, so we''re trying to get you sent off before they arrive. We''re just trying to avoid the resistance we may get if you''re still here when they arrive. I don''t see any real problems coming up, but if we wait the delay could be weeks." "Why do you guys want me to go now? What''s this plan? Why do I have to go now? There''s something that you''re not telling me and I don''t appreciate being kept out of the loop." I had a feeling that my parents were scheming for some reason, but I had no idea why I would be part of their plans. I may have been very advanced for my age, but I was the youngest child my mother had. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. "We don''t have a lot of time Jalen," my mother began. "We''ll fill you in on some basics. Being the youngest child to a God has its benefits. As you know, I''m not immortal like your father. While I may look young, I probably only have another 50 to 100 years. After which, your father is going to get married again and have more children. The reason that you''ve been able to pick up on things so quickly and do so well in everything is because you''re the youngest child." "What does having the youngest have to do with anything?" I asked, not understanding what she was getting at. "It''s not something that we understand, but many millennia ago gods came to learn that their youngest child would have accelerated growth and gain special abilities while they were the youngest. Once the god had another child, that benefit would pass on to the next child. Why do you think you''re always the top of your class? You have an advantage over everyone else," my mom finished. My dad picked up where she left off. "There are some gods who don''t like the type of progress you''ve been able to make, and are even unhappy with the prospect of you doing your Test with such an advantage. Usually by the time a godling takes the test, they aren''t the youngest anymore. In fact, I can only recall hearing about this situation occurring once before, but it didn''t end well. Apparently they threatened the mother to have another child. I also heard that opposing gods sent their children to the same world to do their Test in hopes that they would kill the youngest. I''m sure that last part is just a rumor, but the threat from others is real enough that we want you gone before they get here." I looked over at Chandra to see what her reaction was to all of this. Uncharacteristically, she was rather stoic and had furrowed her eyebrows in concern. This was really strange. I had an advantage because I was the youngest? I suppose it made sense when I thought about growing up and how good I was at everything. I was curious if Chandra experienced the same thing. I looked her way again. "Hey Chandra, did you notice a difference when you were the youngest?" I asked. "I did. For the first one hundred years of my life or so, I grew really quickly. Then after a while, progressing became a lot harder. I just believed that after growing for a while I had hit a stage in my life where growth was going to be harder. I didn''t connect your birth to it," my sister said. "I''m sorry to cut this conversation short," my father interrupted. "We need to get you to the gate. Your mother brought your things in your bag. There are a couple of things you should know. First, we''re having you sent near one of the biggest cities on Relosa. It should have all you need to grow. Second, one of the most important aspects of the Test is to live the Test without memory of this realm." I almost glanced over at my mother, but stopped myself. I didn''t want to get her in trouble with my father. "Your mind will create fictitious memories of your family and background. You''ll still remember the majority of your education and training, but some parts will be blurry with the details. As you continue to grow you''ll find clues and other things that help you realize that perhaps you came from somewhere else. Eventually you''ll find a gate on the world that brings you back here. The gate is heavily protected, hence the need for you to grow. While you won''t remember anything I tell you right now, I want you to know what you''ll need to do to return home. I have faith in you my son. We''ll take care of things here, so do your best to take care of things in Relosa." I wasn''t sure what to say. I stood there, silent for a few moments, before mom handed me my bag. "Mom, what did you do to my bag? It looks awesome!" I exclaimed. My bag looked totally different. Instead of the brown bag with one shoulder strap I used to have, she gave me what appeared to be a heavily modified bag. She had added a strap and adjusted the existing one so I could easily wear it on my back. It also had this golden fabric woven into it that made it look exquisite. To finish it off, she had added a silver buckle on it to keep it closed. I quickly peaked inside to make sure I had all of my items still in there. I noticed that my boots had the golden fabric woven in as well as on the hilts of my two long curved daggers. I looked at my mom questioningly and she gave me a small conspiratorial look. "I wasn''t able to finish fixing up all of your stuff, but I hope you like what I''ve done," she said. "Thanks mom, the gear looks great." I gave her a hug and stepped back to look at the rest of the family. "Happy birthday to me," I weakly joked. My dad gave me a hug as well as my sister. "It''s time to go son, let''s go." My father directed me to the hall and we trouped out. We quickly walked down to the gate without stopping. As we got closer we started hearing a small commotion coming from the gate room. As we got closer, we could hear arguing and angry words. My father ushered my mother, Chandra, and I into a small room close to the gate room. "Hide in hear until I figure out what''s going on. If I don''t come back alone in five minutes, it''s your responsibility to get him through the gate," he said looking at my mother. "Good luck son, I love you," he said before closing the door. We didn''t say anything for the next couple of minutes as we waited nervously in the small room. Pretty soon we could hear raised voices coming closer with my dad''s voice mixed in. I couldn''t hear what they were saying, and didn''t try in case I made any noise. The voices soon died down as they got further down the hall. We waited another minute in silence before my mother looked at me. "It''s time to go." She brought me in for a hug before putting a ring on my finger. This ring had the same look of the golden fabric woven into it as well as a sky blue metal that was the same color as my eyes. "Don''t forget about us," she said with tears in her eyes. My sister Chandra gave me a hug and whispered in my ear, "I have your back." I looked at them both with gratitude in my heart. "I love you both. Let''s go." My mother walked to the door and quietly opened it. After looking both ways, she motioned for us to quietly follow her to the gate room. Upon arrival, I offered myself for inspection before leaving. The gate security checked me and my bag, stopping to evaluate the items with the golden material in it before motioning me through. "Name and destination," one of the guards asked. "Jalen Elendor, Relosa." I responded. The guard took a moment to look at his logbook before nodding his head. "Good thing you got here when you did. If you would have arrived a few minutes earlier you would have ran into some mighty unpleasant company." "Who was it and what did they want?" I asked. "Some gods from other worlds who were coming to complain your father. Acting like a bunch of spoiled brats, demanding that we shut down the gate. Good thing your father came when he did, it could have gotten ugly," the guard said, receiving a nod of agreement from the other guard. I shook my head to show my annoyance at the intruders as well. "Good luck down there. The gate is open, you may proceed when ready." Was I ready for this? I was leaving a lot behind here to take on a new challenge that I didn''t believe I was ready for. I looked back at my mother and sister, waiving them goodbye. My mother waived back with tears in her eyes. Chandra waived as well, although I could tell she was trying to fight back the emotion. I was going to miss them, if I even remembered them. I looked at the ring on my finger and wondered for a moment what exactly my mother had given me. I looked up at the gate and decided I was ready. Fighting nervousness, I yelled, "I''m ready!" And then I stepped through the gate and everything went black. Chapter 4: Coming to and going forth "Whoa!" I exclaimed as I bolted upright. I blinked my eyes repeatedly and looked around to try and get my bearings. I sat there for about 30 seconds trying to sort out what was going on. I must have taken a really long nap or hit my head on something because I couldn''t exactly remember why I was here. Something about a mission? I looked around to see where I was at. I seemed to have been napping near the top of a grassy hill. In the distance I could see small patches of forest and even mountains in the distance. I turned around and walked up the hill to get a better view of the surrounding area. As I reached the crest of the hill I stopped in my tracks. In the near distance I saw a huge city with a small mountain sticking up in the middle of it. I could see large towers and various manors dotting the landscape. Warehouses and lower class housing were everywhere, as well as many other buildings. What was this place? I sat on the ground at the top of the hill to clear my head. I couldn''t remember much about traveling to this point, but I do remember some of my childhood. My parents had died several years back to due an illness and I was an only child. I was raised by my friend''s parents and recently left to strike out on my own. I wanted to grow and become stronger, but I couldn''t remember why I wanted to in the first place. I grabbed my pack, which looked exquisite, and decided to see if it contained any clues as to why I came here. I opened the pack and carefully dumped everything out. It didn''t look like I had a lot, but a few of my things looked just as nice as my pack. When I focused intently on my daggers that spilled out, I was surprised to see a few things pop up in my vision.
Congratulations!
You have learned your first ability. Abilities will help you grow and become better. Abilities scale with levels and can morph into other abilities.
New Ability: Analyze
Analyze allows one to identify items, people, and other objects. It also allows you to identify hidden traits of items. Some item traits won''t activate until they have been identified via analyze.
I was stunned. I received my first ability! I had heard about them previously, but I thought that they were really rare. I was really lucky to get one. I realized that I still had one more blurb to read.
New Item Identified: Blessed Daggers of Growth
Daggers blessed by the gods with limitless potential. As the user grows in power, so do the daggers.
Other Perks: ??? - Level Insufficient ??? - Level Insufficient
Wow, these daggers are incredible! Limitless potential? It sounds like I won''t ever need another weapon. I was intrigued by the other perks. It appears that I had to have a higher level if I wanted to identify what they were, let alone use them. Another thing that caught my attention was this idea of levels. I don''t recall ever hearing about them. I was just familiar with the concept of growing. Maybe growing and leveling were the same thing? I decided to try and analyze myself to see what would happen. I was hoping I would be able to see my level.
Name: Jalen Elendor HP 68
Level: 1 MP 0
Experience: 0/10000 Know Thyself 2/1000
Stats:
Strength: 14 Intelligence 22
Agiligy: 28 Spirit 19
Endurance: 20 Luck: 3
Abilities:
Analyze ??? - Level Insufficient ??? - Level Insufficient ??? - Level Insufficient
Well, that was interesting. I was learning things about myself that I previously never knew in life. I had a lot of questions after looking at my character sheet. Why was my MP zero? How do I get luck? What were all of those abilities that I couldn''t identify? And most interesting of all, what was that "Know Thyself" progress bar? I wasn''t sure what I had done to fill it, but I thought it should be fuller. I think I would know myself a little better at this point in life. I decided to look through the rest of my pack and see what else I had. It turns out I didn''t have a lot, but what I did have with me was awesome. There were some necessities such has undergarments, clothes, some sleeping and cooking materials, etc. I also found an identification card and a small bag of coins. The coins weren''t much, but the identification card was interesting. It said my name was Jalen Elendor, I was 19 years old, height and weight, more random information, and that I was from the city of Treytu, which was in the country of Moroni. It didn''t state the population, but from what I remember it was a decent sized city. I learned quite a lot about all sorts of subjects while attending school. I practiced fighting a lot with my classmates and the soldiers in training. I felt like I had really excelled in life before I got to this point. I was pleasantly surprised when I analyzed my pack and my boots.
New Item Identified: Blessed Pack of Keeping
An exquisitely made pack blessed by the gods. Items placed inside feel lighter when carried.
Other Perks: ??? - Level Insufficient ??? - Level Insufficient
New Item Identified: Blessed Boots of Movement
These boots blessed by the gods offer increased movement speed while in combat.
Other Perks: ??? - Level Insufficient ??? - Level Insufficient ??? - Level Insufficient
These things were amazing. I was slightly confused by what the whole blessed by the gods concept was, but I did recall visiting a temple somewhere and being blessed. I thought it was just a normal ritual, but it looks like the priest there must have had some amazing power. I was ecstatic to have received such powerful blessings. I was curious why none of my light armor was blessed, but I guess I couldn''t complain. I propped up my arms on my knees and rested my head on my hands as I thought about all I had learned the last few minutes. As I sat there pondering about my present and future, I noticed something slightly cold touching my chin. I looked down at my hand and saw I had a beautiful gold and blue ring. I attempted to analyze it.Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
New Item Identified: Unknown Ring
A mysterious ring of unknown power.
Other Perks: ??? - Level Insufficient ??? - Level Insufficient ??? - Know Thyself Insufficient
Wow, this ring must be something special if I don''t even get a description of the ring. Unfortunately it was kind of useless at the moment. The blessed items I identified at least had some immediate benefits to them; the ring was just a decoration. It sure looked pretty though. It was made of this blue stone with a golden weave in it. Maybe I could get it and my other items appraised somewhere. That brought my attention back to the city in front of me. As I looked on, I realized that the city probably offered me everything I was looking for. I guess I had come here on a mission. I didn''t know what the mission was, but becoming better in all aspects of my life was a good mission to pursue. The mountain in the middle of the city was probably a dungeon. That would provide me an opportunity to become physically stronger. I would be surprised if they didn''t have a library as well, which would allow me to continue my studies. As for how I''d make money...that was a good question. The dungeon should have things inside of it that were of value. Maybe collecting materials and selling them would be profitable? Another option was to work for someone on the side. Maybe there was an association or guild that was looking to hire an apprentice or something. I didn''t necessarily fancy that idea because I felt I was rather well educated to start at the bottom of the ladder. Maybe after becoming familiar with the dungeon I could become a guide? Whatever I was to do, it could be decided after I got my bearings in the city. Heading there and figuring things out would be the first step. I picked up the things I had dumped out and put them into my pack, with exception of the daggers. I found some wrist holsters in my pack that I put the daggers in. It allowed me to have instant access to them while being able to hide them in my sleeves. The material my blessed items were made of could bring unwanted trouble if I wasn''t careful. I put my pack on and I strolled down the hill into the small forest, amazed how how light the pack felt. I figured I could skip the road almost entirely if I made a beeline for the city gate through the forest. As I ducked and weaved through the foliage I considered whether I should stay at an inn tonight or a less accommodating place, such as an abandoned warehouse or outside the city gates. It was still early morning so I had plenty of time to figure things out. I had sleeping and cooking gear so I could easily rough it for a few days if need be. The leaves crackling to my left was the only warning I had before something jumped out to attack me. I flattened myself to the ground just as an animal sailed over me and hit a tree to my right. The animal was momentarily stunned which gave me the time to scramble to my feet. As I faced the animal I finally saw that it was rather large wolf with unpleasantly sharp teeth. We faced each other for a moment before the wolf tensed again to lunge at me. As I thought of using analyze a box popped up in the corner of my vision
Name Large Wolf
Level 1
Highest Stat Agility
HP 30
I triggered my daggers out from their holsters and set my feet, ready to dodge the wolf''s attack. I met the wolf''s eyes for a moment and saw nothing but a feral ferocity. As the wolf lunged straight at me, I sidestepped to the left and thrust my right dagger into the wolf''s forehead as it passed. The dagger was ripped from my hand as the wolf''s momentum carried it past me, causing me to twist and almost fall. I whirled back to face the wolf and readied myself for its next move. The wolf had collapsed upon landing and was struggling to its paws. It started to turn its body towards me before collapsing again. I stayed where I was for another thirty seconds, not wanting to get too close in case it lashed out at me in its death throes. As the wolf finally stopped moving, I slowly approached its front. I picked up a rock nearby and threw it at the wolf''s head, just in case it was faking its death. The wolf didn''t respond. Wow, I took out its thirty health points in one blow. I suppose it was in a vital area, but that concerned me knowing I only had thirty six health points. I stooped to pull out my dagger from its head and wiped it on leaves and the ground until it was clean. After putting my daggers back into their sheaths, I stared at the wolf''s corpse and realized that I had no idea what to do with it. I had never went hunting for animals growing up so I had no idea how to properly separate the meat and hide from its body. I looked up and calculated that I was probably ten minutes away from the city gate. I could drag the body to the city gate and hope that the guard could point me in the direction of a tanner and butcher. I found some vines nearby and tied the wolf''s hind paws together so it would be easier to drag. I looked around to make sure I didn''t drop anything and set off, dragging the wolf behind. I paused a few times before getting there to catch my breath, but I eventually made it to the edge of the forest without further incident. I blended into the tree line for a moment as I looked up and down the road. There were a few wagons and people walking on it, but nobody that looked threatening. I walked inside the tree line, dragging the wolf behind me until I was about fifty yards from the gate. It looked like the city had cut the trees down in a fifty yard perimeter around the whole city. I casually walked behind a wagon passing by, dragging the wolf as quickly as I could. From what I could see before leaving the tree line, the guards did a perfunctory check of the goods and people passing by, which caused a small line to form. I was hoping that I would escape notice by following the wagon in. Unfortunately I took too long dragging the wolf, and by the time I made it to the end of the line, I noticed the guards had taken notice of me. They didn''t approach me yet, but I got the feeling that they would as I got closer. I decided to analyze one of them and see what came up.
Name Jared Stoffer
Level 3
Highest Stat Strength
HP 60
He appeared to be a bit stronger than me. I wonder how he developed his strength? I wouldn''t be surprised if some of the city guards were early retirees from the dungeon. Analyze was a useful ability. Maybe I could use it to make money somehow. I hadn''t noticed it before, but there was a small crowd of people to the side of the line that didn''t appear to be trying to gain entry to the city. As I got closer to the front of the line, I realized that the people were beggars. They would attempt to solicit donations from the people near the front of the line. The guards didn''t drive them off, but did keep a wary eye on them. There were a lot of women and children among the group, with a disproportionate amount of men among them. They all had dirty and ripped clothing, with exception to one family. By my guess, they must have recently become beggars. When there were only a few people and the wagon in front of me, one of the little boys came up to me. "Please sir, would you spare a poor boy a copper?" the little boy asked. "Sorry, but I don''t have much to give," I said. "Please, anything you might have to give would do." "I''m sorry, but no. Good luck." The boy hung his head as he walked towards the people behind me. After giving his spiel a second time, They quickly shut him down as well.Seeing this pained my heart slightly. What could I do to help? I had an idea. "Hey boy!" I yelled to get his attention. "Come here for a second." The boy turned around and quickly walked back towards me. "I don''t have much money to give, but if you promise to share it with everyone in your group, then you can have my wolf kill." The little boy''s eyes grew wide. "All of it sir?" "Yes, but you have to share with everyone in your group," I said loudly, so some of the other beggars would hear and help keep the boy accountable. "Of course sir! Let me go get help to bring it over." He said ecstatically. I saw him run off towards the group of beggars and talk to another little boy. As they came back, I noticed the boy''s mother follow them over. "I''ve brought help sir! May we?" he inquired, pointing at the wolf. I motioned for them to take it and moved out of the way. The little boys ran up and each of them grabbed a hind leg and started to drag the wolf away. "Thank you so much sir, the wolf will provide food and shoes for many of us," the boy''s mother said. "Your welcome. Good luck," I said as I stepped forward in line. During my interaction with the beggars, I had moved up to second in line behind the wagon. One of the guards approached me, taking a glance at my pack and boots. "Purpose and duration of stay?" he asked with a slow drawl. "I''m hoping to make a home here, permanently. Exploring the dungeon and trade will be my main activities." I replied. "Proceed," he said and motioned me forward. I thanked the guard and walked forward into my new home. After taking a few steps I turned around. "By the way, what''s the name of this city? I asked. "The guard looked at me with a look of surprise. "It''s called Bountiful, in reference to the abundance of wealth that can be found," he replied. I turned around and walked on through the gates, wishing myself a very bountiful day. Chapter 5: The City Bountiful Immediately after passing through the gates, I got an uncomfortable feeling as I looked around. There was a crowd of people here, just as there was outside, but these people were dressed in a shady manner. I got the feeling that I was being scoped out as a mark. I sped up to try and avoid unwanted attention, but noticed a few of them staring at my pack, boots, and even my ring. Yeah, this was bad news. I turned onto a different street after passing them and took a few more turns, trying to lose any tails I might have. After about five minutes of this, I stepped into an ally and waited to see if I was followed. I didn''t see anyone I recognized pass by, but I couldn''t be sure they weren''t just waiting for me to move. I sat down near the entrance of the alley behind a crate to have a think. I realized that I wasn''t sure where I was in the city. It didn''t really matter since I had no real destination, so I decided I''d ask for directions and head towards the mountain in the middle of the city. Across the street from my alley, I could see a clothing shop. I peeked out of the alley and looked both ways before briskly walking into the shop. As I looked around I was assaulted with a bright array of colors and textures. I wasn''t sure what material some of the clothing was even made of. It almost looked like a type of animal skin, but unlike anything I''d ever seen. There were different footwear, pants, shirts, headwear, and even some interestingly crafted light armor. "Can I help you?" I slightly jumped at the voice behind me. I turned around and was amazed to see what could only be described as an elf. "Umm, I''m looking for a cloak," I said while trying not to stare at his ears, which had a slight point to them. "I have some over here," he said and walked towards a table with a mass of cloaks on it. "What kind of cloak are you looking for?" "I want something that can conceal my identity rather well. Something plain brown I''m thinking. I''d also like a pack cover and boot covers," I said. The elf looked at me up and down before picking up a cloak from the table. "This cloak should do fine, nothing special about it. I''ve been told by other customers that the hood does a good job of staying up, even when moving quickly," he said with a hint of knowing. He took a look at my pack and boots before whistling. "I''ve been doing this for hundreds of years and I''ve never seen a pair of items as exquisite as yours. Where''d you get them if you don''t mind me asking?" "I think they''re family heirlooms," I lied. I had no idea where they came from. "I just need something to help keep wandering eyes away and to protect them from the elements." The elf stared for another minute at my pack and boots before turning from me and walking to another table. He rummaged through pack covers before he found one he liked. "I assume you''d like brown as well. This should do well to protect your pack," he said. I looked at the pack cover and proceeded to try and fit it to my pack. Within a few minutes I had my pack completely covered so as to hide its intricate design. He then went to a nearby table and grabbed a couple of boot covers. "So how much for the gear?" I asked. "Two silver and forty copper," I took out my small coin person and looked inside. "I can do one silver and eighty five copper," I countered. "Two silver, final offer," he countered my counter. "Deal." I paid him the two silver, put my old cloak into my pack, and put on my new cloak, being sure to have my hood up. I took a pair of boot covers and put them on as well. I bid farewell to the elf, mentioning I''d be sure to come back if I had other clothing needs, and exited the shop. I wasn''t sure if I was just ripped off, but decided it''d be a good idea to stop by a few other clothing and apparel shops to price check. It was just starting to reach midday at this point, so I decided I''d head towards the mountain. After asking directions about the best way to get there, I was on my way. The city itself had a unique feel to it. Some of the main streets were paved with cobblestone or other hard rock surface, while most of the side streets were comprised of compact dirt. The type and quality of building depended on the district. After walking through a few different districts, I started to get a feel for the different economic and social situations of the people I passed. A lot of the homes appeared to be apartment or townhome style. In the more affluent districts, I saw huge mansions that must have been guild headquarters. They all had different names and insignias over their entrances. Most of them had guards stationed in front. I arrived at the entrance of the mountain after a half hour of walking. It reminded me of a typical town square, but about ten times bigger. There were shops, inns, and other craftsman lining the entire square. In the middle of it stood the largest building I''d seen up to this point. It had to have been about forty by forty meters, and five stories high. Some of the guild houses I''d seen were rivaled the size of it but weren''t quite as large. There was a lot of foot traffic entering and exiting the building. With its size and location, I figured it must be an important building. I''d have to check it out soon. For now, I decided I''d grab a bite to eat before attempting to head into the potential dungeon. I planned on doing some eavesdropping to learn more about it. I walked towards the entrance of the mountain looking for a place to eat nearby. As I got close to the entrance, I spotted a place and ducked inside. I took a seat at a table near the bar and tried to look inconspicuous. I ordered my meal, which consisted of a type of rice with gravy and meat. I ate and soaked in the words around me. A half hour later and I felt like I had learned a substantial amount. It turns out the mountain was a dungeon. One of the most famous dungeons on the continent at that. People came from hundreds and even thousands of miles around to make a life here, exploring the dungeon and fighting its inhabitants. I also had learned the names of some of the more powerful guilds in the city. The two that I heard the most about were the Reverent Raiders and Lupoura. Due to the fact that there were hundreds of guilds here, I wasn''t sure what the power structure was, but the Reverent Raiders and Lupoura were in the top ten from what I could tell. I finishing my meal, but before leaving I ordered food to go for a few days of travel. I wasn''t sure how long I''d be down in the dungeon and I wanted to be prepared. After paying for the food, I headed outside towards the dungeon entrance. There were guards at the entrance that I analyzed as I approached.
Name ???? ? Ryan Moffet
Level 5
Highest Stat ??????? Strength
HP 85
Name ?????? Russ Mertuka
Level 6
Highest Stat ??????? Intelligence
HP 48
One appeared to be a mage if I understood the intelligence stat correctly. I nodded to them as I started to walk by, trying to be friendly. Ryan stuck his arm out to stop me before I could pass them. "Excuse me, do you have an association pass?" the guard inquired. "Uhhh, no I don''t. Do I need one?" "Yes, you''ll need to obtain one from the dungeon association." "Where is it?" I asked. "It''s the big building in the middle of the square," he responded. Oh, that makes sense. I thanked the guard and walked to the building. I was able to maneuver myself through the front door and quickly found myself in front of a desk. "Excuse me, how can I obtain a dungeon association pass to access the dungeon? I asked the employee. "One gold," he responded. I took out my money bag from my pack and looked through it. I had three gold, and a smattering of silver and copper left. I was surprised by the price, one gold was enough to by quite a lot.Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. "Can you do seventy silver? One gold is a little steep." I countered. "It''s one gold, take it or leave it. We get enough business that we don''t need to lower the price. It helps regulate the amount of traffic going into the dungeon. No offense, but we don''t negotiate." "Okay I''ll take it," I quickly said and handed him the gold piece. "Is there anything else I should know about the dungeon?" "The dungeon is a dangerous place to be," he said as he looked me over. "You''ll probably want to go with some more experienced people your first several times. The association lists on that board over the various contracts we have for harvested monster parts or monster cores," he said as he pointed at a board near the entrance. "If you want to accept a contract, please inform one of us and we''ll register it on your pass," he said as he handed me a pass. It looked like an identification card, including name, height, weight, a picture (how did they get that already?), a number zero, my level, and a blank space. I looked at him questioningly in regards to all of the info they had on me, but he didn''t meet my stare. "What does the number zero represent, and why is there a blank space?" I asked. "The number represents the lowest floor you''ve been to, and the blank space is room for the contracts you accept." Oh, I get it now. "Will it automatically update? Or do I have to come here?" "It will automatically update." "Great, anything else I should know?" I asked, trying to prod him for any more information. "The association also provides the service of divining your stats, free of charge. You''ll just need to let one of us know and we can send you to the second floor to be tested." "So you can tell me the numerical values of my stats?" "Yes. It only takes a few seconds with one of our mages." Shucks, well it looks like I wasn''t going to be making much money off of analyzing people and telling them their information. The only customers I would get were those who weren''t association affiliated. All well, it was still a useful ability to have, especially for combat. "What''s considered normal for a level one adventurer?"? I asked. "Well, there are the five primary stats, namely, strength, agility, endurance, intelligence, and spirit. Strength is pretty self-explanatory. The easiest way to explain agility is speed and coordination. Endurance relates to how much you can endure and how long you can do something for. Strength and endurance are linked because they affect your health points. Intelligence relates to your knowledge and spell potential. Spirit reflects how in tune with your spirit you are. Intelligence and spirit are linked because they affect your mana points. A basic level one adventurer has more or less ten points in each stat category, depending on their strengths and weaknesses. After you gain a level, you gain more stats." "How many stats do you gain per level?" I inquired. "Well, I''d say around three to five. People sometimes receive more based on merit," he responded. Wow, that meant I was the equivalent to a level ten adventurer more or less. After some thought on what he had said, I thanked the employee and walked out, my new dungeon pass in hand. It was time to head into the dungeon. ***** Unknown guild''s headquarters "Guild Master Rachelle, I''m here to make my daily report." "Proceed," the woman responded with a hint of impatience. "There were three things of note at the gates. One, some of our own were seen leaving the city with supplies for a substantial journey. Their destination is unknown. Second, the wagon with the goods we''ve been waiting for finally arrived today. Third, a boy came in with more exquisite finery than I''ve ever seen. His boots and pack must be worth a fortune. We attempted to tail him, but it was plain that he suspected as much and we quickly lost him. He''s small and blends in well. That is my report." The report of her men leaving town bothered the woman for a short moment. Some of the guild members had talked about branching out to other cities, but up to this point she had forbade it. Perhaps they were trying to take matters into their own hands. They would be severely disappointed if they hoped to garner her support after the fact. Some people say that it''s easier to ask forgiveness than ask permission. She disagreed. The wagon arriving with their goods was excellent news. They had imported weapons made from materials found in another dungeon across the continent that was said to contain extremely durable metals. Her guild would test such claims. The boy peaked her interest slightly. "Explain to me what made the boy''s pack and boots so exquisite." "Well, they both seemed very well made with the addition of this golden material that was unlike anything I had ever seen. It was beautiful and spoke of great taste and expense. I was surprised to see it on a mere boy. He probably was older than sixteen, but his stature made it difficult to tell his age." The woman thought for a moment longer before saying, "If you see him again, try to tale again. Otherwise, we''ll see if he makes any waves and approach him then. You''re dismissed," she said, motioning him to leave. ***** After making it through the guards this time, I started exploring the first floor of the dungeon. I was surprised it wasn''t very crowded, but not very surprised considering the fact that the dungeon was huge and there were supposedly multiple ways to go up and down each floor. The ceiling was an unexpected advantage. There were small crystals that glowed all throughout the tunnels, enabling people to see without a torch. The floor was made of rock, but there were parts of the dungeon that had dirt on the floor as well. The dungeon wasn''t just a series of tunnels either. There were small room and caverns, boulders strewn through, and even foliage growing in places. I was about ten minutes in before I experienced my first dungeon monster. A large lizard humanoid had turned a corner, and upon seeing me, rushed to attack. The lizard humanoid was about a half meter taller than me. I immediately analyzed it and scanned the surrounding area for environmental advantages.
Name Lizard Humanoid
Level 2
Highest Stat Strength
HP 55
As it approached, I readied my daggers and scooted back a several steps. There was a rock jutting out of the ground by about a foot which I planned on using as a stepping stool. The humanoid was about eight meters away when I started running. As soon as I started running towards the monster, I could feel myself either speed up or everything else slow down. I hit the rock when it was about three meters away, pushing off of it to jump over the monster. I sailed over the monster''s surprised face, slicing his neck on both sides as he passed below me. I completed the front-flip and landed on the other side, before turning back to attack again. The humanoid had tripped over the rock after I sliced him, not getting up. It was definitely dead. It had lost so much blood within the first few seconds that it probably had fainted before dying shortly thereafter. Or perhaps tripping on the rock and hitting its head on the ground had done the trick. Regardless, these daggers were sharp, which I much appreciated. I looked at the body trying to figure out where the monster core I had heard about was at. I turned the body onto its back to do some searching. A few minutes later I found what I was looking for. I saw a slight protrusion coming from it stomach, and after some investigation with my dagger, I pulled a small crystal core from the monster''s body.
Crystal Core
Weight: .4 kg
Color: Black
From my eavesdropping in the restaurant, I had learned that the monster cores came in different weights and colors. The heavier a core, the more valuable it was. The color also determined rareness and worth. I knew black was the lowest on the totem pole of colors. If I remembered correctly, rarity was in the following order, from common to rare. Black, Brown, Grey, Green, Blue, Yellow, Red, and White. White was unimaginably rare from what I heard. There were a few other colors that people hypothesized existed, but no one had ever seen them. I put the core in my bag and decided to continue on. After walking for another minute I ran into another lizard humanoid of similar strength. Maybe there was a group nearby? This time, I spotted the monster first and hid behind a boulder. I decided I''d sneak up on it and try to one shot it like the previous one. It was walking my way, so I continued to hide until it got close. As it passed the boulder, I quietly snuck to the other side and quickly climbed up it. Before it got farther away, I took a couple of steps, once again feeling the time lag, and jumped. I soared through the air and plunged my daggers into the base of the monsters neck upon contact. The monster roared in pain and tried to reach back for me with its hand, but I just let go of one dagger and hung onto the other. It attempted to slap down on both sides of its neck to get me, but just ended up pushing the daggers further into itself. I had to let go at when it made impact with the daggers, but I didn''t have to worry because it was immediately killed. The creature fell forward on its face and I retrieved my daggers and the core. The whole slowing down time thing was a little freaky. I thought about the benefit I received from my boots and just how amazing it was, looking down in wonder. It seemed to activate when I was fighting or approaching a fight. It''s not as if everything froze and I could do whatever I wanted, but I felt like I could effortlessly attack and dodge without worry of getting hit. These monsters did seem slightly slow and dimwitted, so I couldn''t get cocky. I decided to look at my character sheet to see how many more things I''d have to kill to level up.
Name: Jalen Elendor HP 68
Level: 1 MP 0
Experience: 450/10000 Know Thyself 2/1000
Stats:
Strength: 14 Intelligence 22
Agiligy: 28 Spirit 19
Endurance: 20 Luck: 3
Abilities:
Analyze ??? - Level Insufficient ??? - Level Insufficient ??? - Level Insufficient
What!? I only had 450 experience? This was going to take forever. I took off my pack and started eating a roll, considering what my options were. I could seek out lower levels, but I didn''t feel that was wise on my first day in the dungeon. I felt like I could kill the monsters at this level easily enough, but it took a bit of time to find them. How could I find monsters at a quicker pace? A slow smile appeared on my face as I thought of an interesting idea. ***** John''s POV "Eve and Sarah, stop talking" John hissed. The girls stopped talking immediately and intently listened for movement. In the distance, they could all hear heavy footsteps coming from a tunnel on the opposite side of the small cavern. The group was currently waiting to ambush a monster. John, the warrior, Eve, the healer, and Sarah, the archer. The group were siblings and had come to Bountiful for adventure. Well, not only that, John admitted to himself. He personally wanted to make a lot of money, but so far they weren''t succeeding. It was a dangerous business, and he''d often get hurt. He was lucky that his sister Eve was a healer. Mages weren''t as rare in Bountiful as in other cities, but to have one in his group was a huge boon. "Should I shoot after you make contact or right before?" Sarah whispered. "Do it right before I''m on it, that way it''s caught off guard. Unless, it doesn''t see me, then wait until after I make contact," John responded. The group hid in another tunnel at the edge of the small cavern. As they watched, a group of three lizard humanoids walked into the small cavern, pausing in the middle to look around. They started making noises, apparently talking to each other. Shoot. Three was too many for their group to handle. John wondered if there was a way to lure one away when he saw the humanoids all look down a specific hallway to his left and ready their weapons. John couldn''t hear or see anything for a moment, but then a figure in a brown cloak dashed into the cavern, headed straight towards the humanoids. John was speechless, and he could hear Eve''s intake of breath and Sarah''s gasp behind him. The person was moving insanely fast. He could see and register the figure''s movements, but he could tell they were an order of magnitude beyond his own. The figure had reached the humanoids before he was done thinking. Right before crashing into the middle one, he veered to the right, dodging its overhead swing while slicing at its kneecap with a dagger that had appeared out of nowhere. The middle one howled in pain. The figure parried a blow from the right one with a second dagger that magically appeared, still sprinting, and almost simultaneously used its knee as a stepping stone to jump up and plunge both daggers into its neck. The other two humanoids rushed to attack the figure on their comrade, but before they arrived, the figure had pivoted itself so that it was now on the humanoid''s back, hanging on the dagger handles, thereby creating a barrier between him and the other two humanoids, as well as keeping out of reach of the one he was killing. The two humanoids started circling their comrade, one on each side, but were surprised when the figure ripped out the daggers and used their comrade as a springboard to jump at one of the two humanoids circling. It didn''t stand a chance. The figure slashed both daggers into its chest, before dropping between its legs and slashing the back of both kneecaps. The second lizard humanoid dropped to the ground in pain. The figure jumped out of the way before the humanoid dropped on him and positioned himself in front of the third humanoid. John was stunned. He could tell from the silence that the rest of his group was sharing a similar sentiment. The figure was almost like water, but in person form. It moved so fluidly. It must be a high level adventurer, although even in skirmishes he had seen in the arena, he was sure he hadn''t seen someone move so fast. While John was distracted, the figure had somehow disabled the third humanoid so it could only fight with one arm. With one last lunge, the figure parried the humanoid''s blow and stabbed it in the chest with his other dagger. This appeared to have ended the fight, because the humanoid slumped to its knees and felt face flat, the figure moving out of its way. All three humanoids were on the ground, squirming in pain or not moving at all. The figure waited about thirty seconds for the movement to stop before quickly moving to each humanoid and digging out its monster core. It took off its pack and dropped the cores in. The figure wiped the daggers on a cloth it had taken out, did a disappearing trick with the daggers, took a bite out of a roll it pulled from the pack, and then put everything back in. It looked around, considering the tunnels, before choosing one. It slung the pack back on, before jogging off. Right towards John''s group.