《Choice of Fate: Online》 Ch. 1 The day was a warm and sunny one at Parks Central High School. A stifling heat arose from the almost abandoned parking lot. A few cars were parked in the front row of the high school parking lot. Save for two hawks gliding on thermals, the parking lot was devoid of life. A silence dominated the area only to be interrupted by the snapping of the American flag as the wind picked up. The calm accompaniedwith the snapping of the flag is what kept aparticular math teacher company inside the red brick high school. Inside one of the white tiled classrooms sat the 34-year-old math teacher at a computer desk in the corner. The sounds of the outside helped break the monotony of work as the pale skinned and pudgy man typed up e-mails to parents. The man sighed as he clicked send on the last e-mail. He leaned back in his computer chair brushing his left hand through his short black hair with the barest hint of a smile on his face. A knock came from the entrance of his classroom as a soft and feminine voice said, ¡°Finished with your work, Jacob?¡± Jacob¡¯s soft blue eyes swung from his screen to the short, thin, and grey-haired woman standing in his doorway. His smile perked up a bit more as he noticed the coffee mug and carry bag the other teacher had in hand. ¡°I¡¯m about done as well, Mrs. Patterson. I just finished e-mailing the last of my parents with students failing about their next steps.¡± Replied Jacob. ¡°Now I just need to get signed off by administration and I can begin my well-earned summer vacation.¡± Julie Patterson¡¯s face wrinkled slightly when Jacob called her Mrs. Patterson. Julie gestured with her coffee mug at Jacob and said, ¡°Come on Jacob! The kids are gone, you can stop calling everyone by their last name now. I know we¡¯re colleagues but you don¡¯t need to be so formal all the time!¡± Jacob chuckled lightly at her comment then bowed his head slightly and raised a hand to the air to wave her off. As his laughter settled he said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry Julie. I¡¯m just used to calling everyone by their last name when I¡¯m here.¡± Julie raised an eyebrow and said, ¡°Uh huh. I¡¯m sure that has nothing to do with my age either.¡± Jacob brought his attention back to his computer and meekly replied, ¡°I have no idea what you¡¯re implying.¡± ¡°Of course not!¡± accused Julie. She chuckled lightly and asked, ¡°Will you be coming to the department end of year party tonight?¡± ¡°Not this time.¡± Replied Jacob. He stared intently at his inbox and said, ¡°I need to finish installing some new parts that came in yesterday for my computer. One of the parts requires a technician that I scheduled before I learned of the party¡¯s time. Can you pass along my apologies to the others?¡± Julie shifted the bag and coffee mug in her hand as she turned. ¡°I will. Just do yourself a favor and leave early for once. I swear you spend all your time here.¡± A hollow laugh escaped from Jacob. ¡°I promise to leave just as soon as I finish getting signed off on these duties. See you next semester, Julie.¡± ¡°See you next semester, Mr. Irwin.¡± Replied Julie with a Cheshire¡¯s grin. Jacob¡¯s laugh was full of emotion this time as he said, ¡°Thank you, Mrs. Patterson! Have a good Summer.¡± As Julie walked away down the hallway, Jacob¡¯s mood soured. Another social event missed. He chided himself. I should have planned my computer upgrades later in the week. But the urge to play was overwhelming. I can barely wait this long! He forced a smile back onto his face as he stood up collectinghis documents to be signed by his administrator. He then powered down his computer and picked up his briefcase. A quick glance over his room told him that everything else was off and in its rightful place. He locked his room and turned down the hallway towards the front office. As he walked to the office he pulled out his smartphone and checked the time. He clicked his tongue in annoyance as he noted the time of 5:12 PM. He had to be home by six to let the technician inside his small home.A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. Jacob slid the phone back into his pocket and increased his pace. By the time he arrived at the front, Jacob was sweating slightly and could feel his heart thumping in his chest. Jacob chastised himself as he thought, I really need to be more active. His gaze dropped down to the pudge of fat around his stomach and waist. I should also eat better. But the fries and burgers are so good. Not to mention soda. Sugar and salt, I love you too much to give you up! A wave of sadness and self-loathing washed over Jacob as he raised his gaze to the door of the front office. With a sigh, Jacob smiled before he opened the door to the front office. Once inside he moved to the office two doors down to his administrator, Mr. Edmondson. Mr. Edmondson looked up with his brown eyes as Jacob entered while flashing a smile that stretched out his lean face. He stood up to his full height of six feet while straightening out the wrinkles of his brown suit and brushed back his straight brown hair. With a final brush of his tanned hand on his pants, he extended his hand to Jacob and said, ¡°Welcome Mr. Irwin.¡± Mr. Edmondson glanced at the papers in Jacob¡¯s other hand and released the handshake to taking them. ¡°Ah, finally have these done? Let¡¯s go ahead and sign these so we can both get out of here.¡± Mr. Edmondson looked at Jacob sideways, ¡°You know you are my last teacher to sign off again this year?¡± Jacob looked away from Mr. Edmondson¡¯s gaze and apologized. ¡°No worries! I¡¯m just giving you a hard time. You are also one of my most consistent teachers when it comes to paperwork.¡± Replied Mr. Edmondson as he signed the papers he had taken from Jacob.Finished, he took thedocuments and filed them away. He stood up grabbing his briefcase. ¡°I really do appreciate that I never have to track you down due to an error.¡±said Mr. Edmondson as both men walked out of the office. ¡°That¡¯s one thing I like about the math department. You all love to follow the rules.¡± Jacob smiled weakly, ¡°I suppose that¡¯s a habit we picked up from telling our students to follow the everything step by step. There¡¯s less chance of a mistake that way.¡± Mr. Edmondson stepped out in front of Jacob and opened the door for the two of them as they exited the building. ¡°All true!¡± exclaimed Mr. Edmondson. ¡°Now, what summer plans do you have?¡± Jacob paused, ¡°Well, I plan on playing Choice of Fate: Online.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the new VRMMO that¡¯s been advertised for the past two months, right?¡± inquired Mr. Edmondson with a shocked expression. Jacob nodded and gripped his briefcase tighter while trying to focus on his grip to avoid showing any embarrassment over his choice to play games. Jacob need not have worried though as Mr. Edmondson carried on with the conversation, ¡°Were you planning on playing at one of the VR centers?¡± ¡°No¡± replied Jacob hesitantly. ¡°I¡¯m actually having a technician install the last piece of hardware in my home at six today.¡± Mr. Edmondson whistled loudly as he patted Jacob on the back, ¡°Those machines cost almost as much as a brand-new car! I didn¡¯t know you were such an avid gamer.¡± Jacob reddened in embarrassment, ¡°I used to play a lot of games when I was younger. I just recently decided to get back into the swing of gaming.¡± ¡°Why?¡± asked Mr. Edmondson as the two approached their cars. ¡°I haven¡¯t been going out much or spending much of my money. I also am finding more free time now that I¡¯ve been teaching for ten years. Combine all of that with running out of good books to read and nothing good on TV that holds my interest¡­¡± Jacob trailed off for a bit before looking at the hawks soaring above the two men. ¡°I just want something new and fun to explore. Games used to provide that to me before I got so busy with my adult life.¡± Jacob looked back to Mr. Edmondson to see if he understood him. The other man shook his head lightly and said, ¡°I suppose I can understand that.¡± Mr. Edmondson opened his car door. ¡°But Jacob, you might be looking in the wrong place.¡± Mr. Edmondson lifted his left hand and tappedhis ring finger. ¡°Maybe you just need somebody to share your time with?¡± Jacob looked down at his car door and focused on his left hand. He opened the door and looked to Mr. Edmondson, ¡°Maybe you¡¯re right. But I¡¯ve already spent the money so I should at least enjoy my new toy while I have it right?¡± Mr. Edmondson laughed heartily, ¡°Definitely! Enjoy your summer break!¡± ¡°You too!¡± said Jacob as Mr. Edmondson got in his own car and shut the door. Jacob smiled at Mr. Edmondsonas he got into his used hatchback. Who would date a 34-year-old overweight man? Jacob sighed at his thought and fastened his seatbelt. Don¡¯t worry, you¡¯ll be in the world of Moirai soon. You can worry about your future relationships later. For now, get home before the technician charges you for keeping them waiting. With a press of a button the car turned on. After checking his mirrors and blind spots, Jacob shifted the car into drive and made his way home with thoughts of his first character design for Choice of Fate: Online. Ch. 2 Jacob gunned the accelerator and flicked his right turn signal on as he raced down the highway. He ventured a quick glance at his blind spots before changing lanes. Jacob eased his foot off the accelerator letting his blue compact hatchback glide with the flow of traffic. His eyes darted to the clock on his dashboard noting the time of 5:50 P.M. Jacob clicked his tongue and pressed his left thumb down on the steering wheel¡¯s Bluetooth button. A simple digital beep notified him that the voice command features were active. Jacob cleared his throat, ¡°Hey, Sam!¡± A deep and smooth male voice answered, ¡°Yes, Sir?¡± Jacob carefully commanded, ¡°Access maps. Route me home. Avoid traffic.¡± ¡°Routing. Optimal path found. Exit in 2 miles. You will arrive home in 5 minutes with current traffic conditions.¡± replied Sam. Jacob released a sigh of relief, ¡°Thank you, Sam.¡± ¡°My pleasure, Sir!¡± answered Jacob¡¯s digital personal assistant with slight melodic tones. I¡¯m going to make the appointment! No delays just an installation and I¡¯ll be ready to make my first character, Veralic. Mused Jacob. Now I just need the technician to be on time and not early. Jacob¡¯s car exited the highway and began to trek through several lights as Sam led him home. By the time 5:56 P.M. rolled around, Jacob¡¯s car had pulled up to the curb of his small one-story home. Parked on front of his car and home was the neon green and sapphire blue van of the Trinity Game¡¯s technician. A man in overalls of similar color to the van stood at Jacob¡¯s front door knocking. Jacob shifted his car into park and practically threw himself out of his car as he called to the beanpole of a technician, ¡°I¡¯m here! Right here!¡± The red-haired technician turned and grinned at Jacob in amusement. ¡°Excited about your new rig?¡± Jacob mirrored the grin laughing. ¡°Yes, I haven¡¯t been able to stop thinking about Choice of Fate for the past month!¡± The technician nodded knowingly and said, ¡°Well you picked a good time as the first Apocalypse phase just ended in game.¡± The technician extended a hand towards Jacob. ¡°I¡¯m Robert your Trinity Games technician. You can just call me Bob though.¡± Bob gestured towards the locked front door. ¡°Would you like to show me in to where you want the mechanical umbilical cord set up for your rig?¡± Jacob gave an enthusiastic nod as he quickly unlocked the door. As he opened the door he led the way through the entrance way into his living room. Jacob took a few steps forward and began to push his faux-leather couch forward to create a path. As he pushed he waved his right hand past himself to the spare bedroom that had been converted into his VR play room. Bob gave Jacob a smile of thanks moving past Jacob and into the room. Jacob followed swiftly behind Bob and flipped the switch to better light up the room. Bob scanned the room stepping onto the black foam floor and made his way to a sectioned off portion of the wall. Bob bent down and examined the tubing as well as nearby tanks containing the hydraulic fluid necessary for the operation of the mechanical umbilical cord. Bob gave a satisfied grunt as he stood back up and said, ¡°Everything looks to be in order here. Set up should take no more than five minutes. Diagnostics should take another fifteen minutes. After that we can sync your suit up with the cord and have you in game in no time!¡± Jacob glowed with Christmas like glee as he gave a short, ¡°Thank you! I¡¯ll be right back while you set up. I¡¯m going to get into my haptic suit in the meantime.¡± Bob nodded and made his way out to his van as Jacob ventured back across the living room to his bedroom. Once inside his room, Jacob quickly tore off his tie and unbuttoned his shirt tossing both garments onto his bed. Next came his dress pants and shoes as he unbuckled his belt while he wiggled out of his pants and kicked off his shoes. He dropped himself down onto his bed as he pulled off both socks. He then darted from the bed to his closet where he pulled out a bulky looking wet suit. Jacob carefully laid his haptic feedback suit onto his bed. He smiled at the black matte metallic looking surface of his suit. Both of his hands reached down and traced the mechanical tubing that trailed down the spine of the suit branching off towards the limbs like a secondary nervous system. His hands stopped near the back-waist area next to the coupling mechanism attached to the support belt built into the suit. Jacob flipped the suit over to the front and unbuckled the latches opening the suit up. Gingerly, Jacob stepped into the pants portion of the suit and shimmied into the toes of the suit until he felt a comforting tightness. He flexed his toes as he slid his arms into the upper torso of the suit. He then pulled on the suit like one would the lapels of a coat as he felt the fabric mold around him, cool to the touch. Jacob grinned from ear to ear as he donned the suit¡¯s gloves and boots. He then buckled up the front of his suit. His grin quickly fell as he sucked in his stomach to finish fastening the support belt around his waist.If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. Jacob steadied his breathing as he grabbed a towel to wipe away the bit of perspiration that had accumulated from his wardrobe change. Jacob sighed as he grabbed his phone and spoke, ¡°Hey, Sam.¡± ¡°Yes, Sir?¡± ¡°Set a morning alarm titled ¡®Jogging Time¡¯ for six, repeat daily.¡± commanded Jacob. ¡°Daily six A.M. alarm titled ¡®Jogging Time¡¯ set.¡± affirmed the machine. ¡°Thanks again, Sam.¡± said Jacob languidly in the face of future exercise. ¡°My pleasure, Sir!¡± came the automatic reply from Sam. Jacob plugged his phone onto the charger and opened his bedroom door to the living room. Bob looked up as Jacob entered and said, ¡°The cord is installed, and diagnostics are about finished. Let me put up some of this gear and I¡¯ll be right back for the range of motion test.¡± With that Bob carted his moving dolly to his van while Jacob practically bounded into the VR room. Where before a portion of the wall had been sectioned off revealing pipes and machinery, now stood a thick bundle of cords that would aide in the motion sensation of the game. Jacob edged forward as Bob returned. Bob pointed to Jacob¡¯s computer in the corner next to the mechanical umbilical cord and said, ¡°You¡¯ll want to access the first time set up portion of Choice of Fate.¡± Jacob nodded and accessed his computer bringing up the relevant program. A new window popped up on the flat screen flashing Connect M.U.C. to proceed with range of motion test! Jacob looked up to Bob and inquired, ¡°M.U.C.?¡± Bob gestured for Jacob to stand in front of the collection of mechanical hoses. ¡°Mechanical Umbilical Cord. I guess someone thought abbreviating that to sound like muck was a good idea. Who knows?¡± Shrugged Bob as Jacob stood in front of the M.U.C. ¡°Now I need you to turn around. Yup, just like that. Now open your palms towards me and take a slow step back. I want you to stop when you feel your support belt bump back into you.¡± ordered Bob. Jacob complied and slowly stepped back as instructed until he felt the bump. Immediately clamps closed onto the support belt from behind and a high-pitched whirring sound could be heard as several hoses rotated into position. A few more snaps echoed out as the hose locked into various ports along the suit. Jacob twisted his head into awkward positions trying to see everything that was happening while Bob let out a gentle laugh. Bob stepped forward and picked up the thin almost biker like helmet next to the computer on the desk. Bob placed the helmet into Jacob¡¯s hands and said, ¡°Go ahead and wear this. There is a tutorial video that will guide you through the motions. You¡¯ll basically be doing old stretches like the ones from Physical Education classes.¡± Jacob slid the helmet over his head and was soon engulfed in darkness. Jacob was about to ask why the helmet was showing him darkness when he heard the familiar whirring of the hoses again. This time Jacob had felt a soft bump followed by a snap as another hose hooked into the helmet. The soft hum of power accompanied the sight of light flooding dimly into his vision. Jacob now stood in a mirrored room like a dance room with another man smiling at him. An ethereal voice commanded, ¡°Mimic the motions of the instructor please!¡± On cue, the man standing across from Jacob began a series of movements starting with his hands touching his head. The man paused and held the position until Jacob mimicked the motion. As Jacob attempted to touch his head he felt subtle resistance from the hoses attached to the back of his suit. Jacob didn¡¯t take much time to register this resistance as the man across from him suddenly returned his hands to his hips and began some torso rotations. Again, Jacob followed the motion and felt resistance give way from the hoses. Again, without pause, the motion instructor proceeded to tap various parts of his body while repeating the sequence until Jacob completed the motions. Several minutes passed as Jacob did his best imitation of the instructor. The last section involved toe touches which left Jacob flustered and out of breath as he was barely able to touch his ankles. As Jacob came up for air, the same ethereal voice called out, ¡°Range of motion test complete for user, Pythag3. Setting saved and uploaded to Choice of Fate: Online.¡± With that the room faded away into black as Jacob felt himself lifted lightly into the air as a blue earth-like planet came into view. Just as Jacob was about to reach out for the planet, Bob¡¯s voice sounded out from the void of space, ¡°Everything checked out on this end. The M.U.C. is operating smoothly. Now I need you to demonstrate the log out procedure by pushing your hands palm down from shoulder height towards your support belt while saying, ¡®Log out.¡¯¡± Jacob nodded his head and carried out the motion as he said, ¡°Log out!¡± As the motion finished, Jacob felt himself being returned to an upright standing position as blue words played across the visor with the message: See you next time! This message was followed by the snapping and whirring sounds as the M.U.C. disengaged from his suit. Jacob pulled off his helmet with a grin as Bob smiled at him. ¡°I always find this weird to see as the M.U.C. makes everyone look like a puppet on strings when in action.¡± remarked Bob. He then pushed a tablet towards Jacob. ¡°Go ahead and sign here if you¡¯re satisfied with your installation.¡± Jacob set down his helmet as he accepted the tablet and read over the document before signing off. Jacob clicked verify on the tablet and handed it back to Bob as he said, ¡°Thanks for setting this up!¡± ¡°Not a problem at all!¡± said Bob as he tucked his tablet away and leaned forward, ¡°Can I give you some advice?¡± Jacob cocked his head in curiosity as he said, ¡°Sure...?¡± ¡°Though C.F. has built in skills for defense, there are ways to dodge certain skills if you can move in certain ways. So, I would recommend getting your range of motion up and recalibrated as much as you can.¡± Bob slapped Jacob lightly on the shoulder. ¡°Do that and you¡¯ll find yourself better positioned in battle.¡± Jacob¡¯s face reddened at the reminder of his pudge as he said, ¡°Yeah, thanks¡­ I had a feeling I would need to get in better shape to properly utilize the rig.¡± Bob grinned oblivious to Jacob¡¯s discomfort as he turned. ¡°No problem, man! Enjoy your gaming session!¡± Jacob mumbled his thanks as he followed Bob to his front door. With a final wave to Bob, Jacob closed his front door and turned back to his VR room. ¡°Time to play¡­¡± whispered Jacob to himself as he positioned himself in front of the M.U.C. As Jacob returned to the space with the earth-like planet, he reached forward and clearly said, ¡°Log in!¡± Ch. 3 Jacobrocketed towards the earth-like planet through the void of space. Propelled like a comet towards the planet, flashes of light and wisps of dark energy crackled across his vision. Light and energy flashed around him, coalescing into a protective bubble as he reached the stratosphere. Jacobdrifted to the planet belowand caught sight ofthe three major land masses of the game. He gazed to the southern hemisphere of the planet Moirai asthe continent Atroposbegan to fade from view.Atropos looked like a clawed left hand grasping at the second continent, Lachesis, that occupied the central portion of Moirai near the equator. Jacobadmired the plains and mountains that spiraled out from the center of Lachesis. The entire continent had the faintest resemblance to a shield, a resemblance that was reinforced by being a natural barrier between the southern Atropos and northern Clotho. Jacob was beginning to lose sight of Clotho as his descent brought him closer to Lachesis¡¯ highest peak, Origin. All Jacob could see of Clotho was a mass of green and white scattered about a landscape shaped like a human heart. He could scarcely take note of much more his descent sped him towards Origin. Jacob plummeted closer to the ground barreling through low hanging clouds to reveal a pristine marble temple. His face split into a wide grin as his destination grew closer. He accelerated faster as if the game had responded to his glee. There in the court of Origin¡¯s marble temple was an intricate circle diagram inlaid with gold and obsidian spiraling to a single fine point. Just as Jacob was about to slam into the circle, he felt his descent unnaturally slow to as sudden stop. There he hovered in the air for a few seconds. A clap of thunder echoed out shatteringhis bubble of light and dark energy. Fortunately for Jacob, the game assisted him in landing gracefully upon the center of the circle where his light and dark energypooled and radiated outward along the spiraling gold and obsidian.Jacob''s grin remained plastered on his face as he drunk in the sights of the courtyard. Hundreds of marble statues depicting various races of the game in poses of fighting, crafting, and commanding surrounded him. Jacob moved one foot forward to take a steponly to stumble to a haltas he noticed that his current body consisted of the same crackling energy that now radiated out from his feet. ¡°Welcome to the Origin Temple, Traveler!¡± echoed out an ethereal and feminine voice. ¡°You have been drawn to our world. Called to guide the mortals of Moirai!¡± Jacob turned in place seeking the owner of the voice as he called out, ¡°Indeed I was drawn to this world, but to whom do I speak?¡± ¡°I am simply known as the Oracle.¡± replied a gray-robed figure that stepped out from behind an elven statue. ¡°I provide guidance for those who shape the fate of mortals.¡± Oracle glided slowly to the edge of the circle coming to a stop.She cocked her head to the side, ¡°Are you of the light or the dark? I see that your travel here has left you wrapped in the energies of both.¡± Jacobwas aboutto respond when a notification window popped up before his eyes causing him to take a step back in surprise. He took a quick breath to recover and stepped forward again to examine the window.
Starting Origin: Welcome to Choice of Fate! Please choose your starting Origin. Note that this choice will affect your first character¡¯s starting continent and initial available skills. As you progress through elements of the game you will have opportunities to modify your Origin. Light Dark
Jacob brought his right hand up to his chin as he thought, Normally I would choose the Light and play a support character, but I always do that. This time I¡¯ll start with Dark and unlock Light options later. Aim for a mercenary style character that plays both sides. Jacob nodded to himself as he brought down his right hand selecting the Dark option and said, ¡°I am of the Dark!¡± Oracle raised her hand and grasped towards Jacob drawing in the light energy that had been radiating off him. As she drew her hand in towards her belly dozens of statues in the courtyard flashed with a brilliant white light. The statues that flared with brilliant light fadedfrom existence with the passing of the light. Jacob looked down at himself seeing only a black void of energy wrapped around his body. The sound of marble sliding on marble drew Jacob¡¯s attention back up towards Oracle as the statues slid into a new formation. Jacob scanned the statues thinking, These must be my available races. ¡°Choose the mortal you wish to guide, Traveler!¡± declared Oracle as she gestured with both arms to the surrounding statues. ¡°Show me all races related to demons or devils.¡± said Jacob. Oracle waved her arm causing the statues to rearrange themselves in front of Jacob. Before him stood a bulky demon, a slender devil, a beautiful incubus, human hybrids of each, and an ugly imp. Jacob moved closer to examine the bulky demon first.
Demon: Demons are known for their battle prowess and resilience. They are treated with hostility from all mortals of the Light Origin. Bonus per Level: +2 Strength, +1 Endurance Static Trait: -50% Reputation with Light Origin mortals. +50% Reputation with Dark Origin mortals.
Jacob shook his head and moved over to the slender devil and said, ¡°I don¡¯t want that reputation modifier if I¡¯m going a mercenary route.¡± He leaned forward to examine the devil coming to a stop.
Devil: Devils are known for their skill in magic as well as their ability to twist fate into their favor. Many devils take on an advisory capacity. Bonus per Level: +1 Knowledge, +1 Spirit, +3 Fate
¡°Maybe¡­¡± muttered Jacob as he moved towards the incubus. He paused in front of the incubus admiring the aesthetics of its form. After admiring the trim figure, he leaned in to examine the race details.
Incubus: Incubi are known for their ability to charm others. Many Incubi act as ambassadors, merchants, and diplomats. Bonus per Level: +2 Social, +1 Spirit Static Trait: +10% Reputation gains.
¡°I can work with that.¡± exclaimed Jacob as he moved onto the human hybrids. He dismissed the half-demon after seeing that it was a weaker version of the demon without the static trait. Next, he looked at the half-devil.You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.
Half-Devil: Half-Devil are rare but versatile human hybrids taking the best from both Devils and Humans. Half-Devils tend to look human with a few devil traits. As such they tend to be mistaken as half-elves. Bonus per Level: +1 Knowledge, +1 Social, +1 Fate Static Trait: Neutral starting reputation with all mortals.
¡°Hmm¡­ Not as heavily focused as Incubus, but that neutral starting reputation could give me more flexibility.¡± pondered Jacob aloud. He moved over to the half-incubus and quickly checked the stats.
Half-Incubus: Half-Incubus are natural merchants and diplomats. Though many despise them upon first meeting, a skilled half-incubus can quickly change their mind. Bonus per Level: +3 Social Static Trait: +5% Reputation gains. Wary starting reputation with all mortals.
Jacob let out a chuckle as he declared, ¡°I found my merchant race for later!¡± Jacob let the mirth slip from his face as he moved on to the last race, the imp. He had to crouch down closer to the impfor the race screento pop up. He then frowned as he read the details of the imp.
Imp: Imps are tiny, agile, and skilled in magic. Though they are viewed as disgusting pests, their use as familiars has continued. Bonus per Level: +2 Agility, +2 Knowledge Static Trait: All weapons have -25% reach and damage. -10% Reputation gains.
¡°Nope! Not using that one.¡± said Jacob as he pondered his choices. He turned back towards the Incubus and Half-Devil weighing their potential. I want to be able to unlock the Light Origin later, so both would be able to pursue content that would normally be difficult for Dark Origin mortals. Half-Devils have flexibility thanks to their static trait while Incubi have that bonus to reputation. The only problem with Incubi is the lack of a combat stat, which the Half-Devils have through Knowledge. thought Jacob. Jacob stopped in front of the Half-Devil and declared, ¡°Flexibility then! Oracle, I choose to guide a Half-Devil!¡± Oracle nodded and dismissed the other statues with a wave of her hand. Jacob then stepped closer to the Half-Devil causing several orbs to appear mid-air. He reached out and experimented with each orb to determine how they affected his chosen character. After a few minutes practice, Jacob got the hang of manipulating his initial appearance. He started by shifting the skin color from a dark red to a normal tan tinged with the barest traces of scarlet. Then he moved on to his hair choosing wavy shoulder length raven hair. He selected a smaller orb to change the style to that of being slicked back. Next, he adjusted his pointy ears so that they stuck out only two inches holding his hair out of his face. Jacob peered at his character¡¯s eyes changing them to a light gray and moved on to body type. Here he selected an athletic build with the slightest hint of thickness in the torso region. The last part to be modified was changing the claw like hands to a more human looking one with razor sharp nails. Jacob stepped back to appreciate his design. Satisfied he let out an appreciative sigh. ¡°This is the mortal that I will guide Oracle¡± ¡°What name shall this mortal be called?¡± inquired Oracle. A transparent keyboard materialized in front of Jacob allowing him to type in his character¡¯s name. ¡°Veralic.¡± spoke Jacob. ¡°And what abilities shall Veralic have?¡± asked Oracle. A new notification window popped up in front of Jacob. This time Jacob held his ground avoiding the shock of appearing windows.
Abilities: In Choice of Fate every character begins with abilities to help shape the type of character they will play. Though you are limited in which abilities you may purchase at character creation, many skill oriented abilities can be earned throughout your adventures. If you are a beginner to online role-playing games, then we highly recommend selecting a pre-built class template. If, however, you find that you want more creative control, then you can go the advanced route selecting abilities using a point buy system. Please Select Your Choice: Class Templates Advanced Point Buy
Jacob had no hesitation as he selected Advanced Point Buy. I¡¯m too much of a control freak and mathematician to pass up the opportunity to build my own class. thought Jacob. A new window had popped up in front of him showing several tabs sorting abilities by type. The first tab that caught his eye were the level stat bonus abilities. These were all abilities based around awarding strength, endurance, agility, knowledge, spirit, social, and fate as your character levels. After reading all the abilities, Jacob was a little disappointed in how linear the options were. He did perk up a little when he realized he could select the same stat level abilities multiple times to get a scalar multiple on specific stats. Jacob swiped the window to his right and brought his hands together forming a rectangle. ¡°Notepad¡± barked Jacob causing a digital notepad to appear. With a swipe to his left, Jacob brought the abilities window forward again. He then fell into silence as he studied the abilities. He wrote one hundred total points at the top of his notes followed by a notation of twenty points for each stat level ability. He then tapped a new tab and examined various skill abilities. These he noted as requiring ten points for basic physical and magical oriented skills. He tabbed over to another list of abilities, these he noted as being Origin specific and ranged in value from ten to seventy-five points. From the Origin list of abilities, he wrote down and circled one called ¡®Gifts of the Dark¡¯ worth seventy-five points. Next, he scanned through the race specific tab of abilities. These too were a collection of abilities unique to humans and devils, all of which ranged from ten to seventy-five as well. From the devil side of the race list he found another ability worth seventy-five points called ¡®Dealmaker¡¯. The last tab Jacob explored was titled negative traits. These were traits that one could take in exchange for more points. Most of the traits that Jacob noted would give twenty to fifty points if taken. The negative trait, ¡®Bound by the Light¡¯, awards fifty points and caught Jacob¡¯s attention due to preventing the character from gaining experience from defeating or killing enemies. Jacob smiled as he thought, I could take Gifts of the Dark, Dealmaker, and Bound by the Light. Gifts will allow me to purchase my future stats and experience using my Potential Points which gives me a way to overcome the lack of experience that Bound by the Light enforces. Though I¡¯ll still have a limit through how fast I can earn Potential Points. Dealmaker also gives me flexibility and room for future growth through contracts. Jacob pursed his lips as his internal debate continued, My growth is going to be slow though. But this build is so thematic. I can play the wheeling and dealing devil mercenary. The only real question I have is if I¡¯ll be able to survive long enough to start the slow growth process. This will be even harder because I¡¯ll be starting with zero combat skills due to this build. So, do I go for potential? Or do I go with some security? Jacob grinned to himself as he thought back to his reasoning for being a teacher. I teach because I believe in the potential of others. Why shouldn¡¯t I try and maximize the potential of my character? The journey will be difficult, but I know I can get there with a bit of grit. Jacob selected the necessary abilities and finalized the point buy. A few more windows popped up prompting for some more information and choices to confirm. With his selections done, Jacob reviewed his Character Screenand clicked the final confirm button.
Character Screen: Veralic (Pythag3) Level: Contractor 1 /Experience(EXP): 0
Race: Half-Devil Origin: Dark
Base Stats:
Strength (STR)-10 Knowledge (KNO)- 11 (+1/Level)
Endurance (END)-10 Spirit (SPI)- 10
Agility (AGI)- 10 Social (SOC)- 11 (+1/Level)
Resource Stats:
Potential Points (PP) - 100 Fate -11 (+1/Level)
Abilities:
Bound by the Light ¨C Prevented from gaining experience from defeating/killing enemies.
Gifts of the Dark- Able to exchange your PP to the Dark for stats, EXP, abilities, and resources.
Dealmaker- Able to create contracts allowing the trade of stats, EXP, abilities, and resources.
¡°Once you are ready to guide Veralic, step into his statue and you will be able to choose his fate.¡± announced Oracle. Jacob¡¯s grin widened as he extended his arm forward and pressed his palm into the statue. His haptic suit hummed in response sending a tingling sensation throughout his body while his vision swirled down a tunnel. Mere seconds later, the tingling stopped, and his vision snapped back into focus as Jacob found himself in a dimly lit stone room with one wooden door in front of him. Jacob took a moment to examine himself and his surroundings. He found that he was alone and in the body of the character he just designed. He looked to the door, the only exit out of the room, and strode forward. ¡°Time for the tutorial phase!¡± proclaimed Jacob as he reached for the door handle. He attempted to turn the handle only to meet resistance. Confused he attempted the other direction only to find more resistance. Frustrated he attempted topush and pull on the handle hoping that would open the door instead. Despite his efforts the door remained locked refusing to budge. Jacob then bent over to examine the handle closer only to be shocked by the lack of a keyhole. ¡°What!?¡± exclaimed Jacob. ¡°Why is the door locked? And why''s there no keyhole!?¡± Ch. 4 Jacob glanced around the room looking for anyone to pick up on his prompt for help. He stood there with his grin fading as no one appeared as he had expected. ¡°So much for that triggering an introduction script¡­¡± Jacob turned back to the door examining the doorknob that lacked a keyhole and the wooden door. His eyes traced the outline of the door as he tilted his head. A puzzle perhaps? A type of escape the room challenge? Well then, let¡¯s see what we can find. He stepped closer and squatted down by the bottom left of the doorframe. There he gripped the edges of the doorframe seeking any loose stones. He moved his hands methodically in a clockwise manner tracing the path of the doorframe. Each time his hands slid forward his fingers would wiggle in various directions trying to find purchase on anything that might open a path for him. He continued his search all the way around the doorframe. Jacob stood back up and let out an annoyed sigh as he reached the end of the doorframe. Well no secret latches. At least none that I could find. He slowly paced around the room letting his eyes dance across the hay strewn room. He kicked up the hay as he passed hoping that he might reveal anything that could aide him in escaping the room. He paused as he came to the end of the small room and turned around leaning back against the wall. The game wouldn¡¯t have me locked in here with no solution. The rogue route of checking for secret switches and pressure plates/stones didn¡¯t work. Though I suppose that is to be expected given that I don¡¯t have any abilities or skills related to that type of character. If I operate off the assumption that I have everything I need to escape the room, then one of my abilities should be the solution. He stood back up and brought his hands together in a rectangle. ¡°Abilities!¡± barked Jacob. From the rectangle formed by his hands, a small window popped up displaying his three abilities. His face scrunched up into a frown, a result of seeing his Dealmaker ability greyed out. The frown faded as he noticed his other two abilities were marked active and available. Maybe this is a tutorial stage designed around unlocking my abilities¡­? He checked that his Bound by the Light ability was indeed active. If Bound by the Light is active, then Veralic is probably a prisoner that has recently been sealed. This could explain my current situation. He selected his Gifts of the Dark ability and examined the gesture shortcut. He brought both hands together, his fingers grasping around an invisible ball. He ripped the invisible ball into two halves, each held in his claw-like grip. He raised both hands up to shoulder height in offering as he said, ¡°Gifts of the Dark!¡± The hushed whispers echoed lightly in the room as he was surrounded in a black mist. An ancient voice called out hushing the other voices, ¡°Ask and you shall receive. Anything you wish for can be yours, so long as you are able to pay the price!¡± ¡°I need the power to escape this room!¡± A low rumbling laugh rolled out from the black mist surrounding Jacob. ¡°There are many ways to escape this room, half-blood! Come be more specific. Do you wish for a skeleton key? How about raw strength to tear the door from its hinges? Or how about blasting your way out?¡± Finished the ancient voice of the mist with glee. Jacob blinked for a moment gathering his thoughts. ¡°I have no use for a skeleton key as the door lacks a keyhole. As for strength¡­ I don¡¯t have enough to trade for the amount I would need considering I couldn¡¯t even budge the door with my current strength. Blasting might work¡­ Ok, show me available abilities that can be used to blast objects.¡± ¡°As you wish¡­¡± A series of abilities popped up in a window before Jacob, most of which were greyed out due to his lack of PP. He filtered out the ones he couldn¡¯t access as well as any abilities that cost more than 50 PP. I can live with half my PP being spent on an ability that will help me out in combat, but I haven¡¯t had a chance to look at everything else I can use PP on yet. Always keep a rainy-day fund. He scrolled through the available skills noting that most were oriented around the game¡¯s elements of earth, fire, and shadow. There were three fifty pointer abilities Jacob was examining.
50 PP ¨C Shadow Tendrils: The caster summons spikes of shadow energy from their shadow to strike at nearby targets within 3 meters. This is a fast hitting ability that is difficult to dodge. Summons 4 tendrils, each tendril can inflict up to 7 (+KNO%) shadow damage. Cost to cast: 25% max mana.
50 PP ¨C Hellfire Ball: The caster summons an orb of hellfire to fling at targets. Can be dodged due to being subject to the caster¡¯s agility for throwing speed. Has a 2x damage multiplier versus environment targets. Burns for 6 seconds dealing 5 (+KNO%) fire damage each second. Cost to cast: 20% max mana.
50 PP ¨C Primal Spikes: The caster summons a wave of spikes in front of them that erupt in a 60-degree cone for 2 meters. Any targets hit by the attack take 25 (+KNO%) earth damage and become snared for 6 seconds. Cost to cast: 30% max mana.
Jacob rubbed his chin in thought. Shadow Tendrils is nice due to the casting speed and reliable damage. Hellfire Ball is decent but situational, though the burn effect can be used for area denial. Primal Spikes is an all-rounder throwing out damage and crowd control for a hefty cost in mana. I can roughly get four shots off with Shadow Tendrils before my mana runs dry. Hellfire Ball will get me five shots while Primal Spikes will leave me with only three shots. The damage output on Primal Spikes is too low with my mana regen right now. I¡¯ll have to come back for C.C. effects when I have more PP. That leaves me with Shadow Tendrils or Hellfire Ball. Given this is my first ability, I should go with maximum flexibility. Hellfire Ball¡¯s potential for area of effect damage and area denial wins out today then. Jacob removed his hand from his chin and tapped his selection with his right hand. A red glow of energy encompassed his right hand with the closing of the windows. His left hand glowed with a faint white mist of energy the coiled around his wrist. He lifted both hands up to shoulder height initiating Gifts of the Dark. The black mist swirled up around the white mist coiled about his hand in response to his offering. The black mist swelled as it fed upon Jacob¡¯s PP. The red glow of energy solidified into a ruby gem in Jacob¡¯s right hand with the last of the offered PP being consumed.The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. Jacob dropped his hands to his side dispersing Gifts of the Darkness. He tilted his right hand up to see the ruby gem in his grip. He smiled as he squeezed on the gem causing it to sink into his scarlet tanned palm. A series of notification windows popped up.
Congratulations! You have successfully acquired the ability Hellfire Ball. Hellfire Ball: The caster summons an orb of hellfire to fling at targets. Can be dodged due to being subject to the caster¡¯s agility for throwing speed. Has a 2x damage multiplier versus environment targets. Burns for 6 seconds dealing 5.55 fire damage each second. Cost to cast: 32 mana.
Congratulations! You have activated an ability that uses the mana system. Your Mana Pool has been unlocked as a result. Your mana pool is calculated as 10xKNO+5xSPI. Mana Pool (M.P.) - 160
New Ability Detected! You have a new ability that is currently unassigned to a gesture. Please select Hellfire Ball and assign a unique gesture to activate the ability. Please note that vocal components may be added to gesture commands.
Jacob dismissed the notifications with a wave of his hand. He brought his hands together into a rectangle and said, ¡°Abilities!¡± He scrolled down to Hellfire Ball and selected the gesture options. He fiddled with the options settling upon a hand gesture. ¡°Perform the desired gesture in 3¡­ 2¡­1¡­¡± notified the game system. Jacob touched his thumb over his index fingernail and flicked his wrist opening his hand like a fire cracker had just gone off. He then held his hand palm up grasping at what he imagined would be the Hellfire Ball. ¡°Please repeat the desired gesture for verification in 3¡­ 2¡­ 1¡­¡± Jacob repeated the task once more and then selected the mirror option which would allow him to perform the gesture with his other hand. He continued into the settings, this time for a gesture that would cancel the spell. For this sequence, he waved the opposite hands not casting over his other hand as it formed a crushing fist. Like snuffing out the spell when I don¡¯t need it. Jacob grinned with excitement and rushed towards the center of the room. He touched his finger tip and flicked his wrist bringing the Hellfire Ball into existence. He wound up ready to pitch the crackling ball of fire when he stepped on the soft padding of hay he had kicked around earlier. The grin slipped from his face. Might want to move the hay away from me. Getting burnt by environmental damage caused by my own spell would be a bad way to start. He crushed the spell out of existence and bent down. He pushed as much hay as he could to the side opposite the door. Done he stood up and brushed the clinging hay from his hands. ¡°Take two.¡± Whispered Jacob. Again, he touched his finger tips and flicked his wrist igniting the spell into the palm of his hand where it hovered ready to be thrown. He wound up and pitched as hard as he could, propelling the Hellfire Ball to the base of the door. A blast of heat and flames burst out upon contact with the door. For six seconds the door burned and blackened with the hellfire filling the room with smoke. Jacob waved a hand in front of his face trying to clear the smoke blocking his view. He glared in frustration at the charred wooden door. He stomped over and gave his best attempt at kicking it open only to be repelled onto his butt from a lack of balance. His face reddened as he scrambled to his feet. He turned his back to the door and stared at the hay piled against the wall. ¡°Ok, getting burnt doesn¡¯t sound too bad so long as I can get out of here.¡± Jacob moved a large pile of hay around the door taking care to tuck as much as he could under the sliver of the door. He waited a minute for the smoke from his first attempt to clear through the ventilation. Satisfied with his preparation, Jacob flicked his wrist summoning another Hellfire Ball. This time he flung the ball casually into the center of hay at the bottom of the door. Wisps of flame licked out consuming the hay and door. Jacob stepped forward only to receive a shock from his suit¡¯s bottom right leg. His leg went numb like it had fallen asleep as he saw his leg catch fire and char. He rolled down patting out the fire as a notification window popped up. Standing up he read the new message and chuckled.
Congratulations! You have successfully taken damage unlocking the health system! Your Health Pool is calculated as 10xEND+5xSTR+3xAGI. Health Pool (H.P.) - 180
-30 HP, environmental (fire) Jacob brought up his character screen for reference while he waited for the flames to clear from the door.
Character Screen: Veralic (Pythag3) Level: Contractor 1 /Experience(EXP): 0
Race: Half-Devil Origin: Dark
Base Stats:
Health Points (HP) ¨C 150/180 Mana Points (MP) ¨C 127/160
Health Regen (HR) ¨C 10/minute Mana Regen (MR) ¨C 31/minute
Strength (STR)-10 Knowledge (KNO)- 11 (+1/Level)
Endurance (END)-10 Spirit (SPI)- 10
Agility (AGI)- 10 Social (SOC)- 11 (+1/Level)
Resource Stats:
Potential Points (PP) - 50 Fate -11 (+1/Level)
Abilities:
Bound by the Light ¨C Prevented from gaining experience from defeating/killing enemies.
Gifts of the Dark- Able to exchange your PP to the Dark for stats, EXP, abilities, and resources.
Dealmaker- Able to create contracts allowing the trade of stats, EXP, abilities, and resources.
Hellfire Ball - The caster summons an orb of hellfire to fling at targets. Can be dodged due to being subject to the caster¡¯s agility for throwing speed. Has a 2x damage multiplier versus environment targets. Burns for 6 seconds dealing 5.55 fire damage each second. Cost to cast: 32 mana.
The fire flared back to life bringing Jacob¡¯s eyes back up to the scene unfolding. The door had crumbled to charred pieces leaving a path out into the hallway. Unfortunately for Jacob, that hallway was made of wood. The flaring of life from the fire had been the walls and ceiling catching fire while he read his status screen. A smile flickered on his face. Well Jacob, the good news is you found a way out. The bad news is you¡¯ve started a small inferno that may just burn the entire place down. Better get moving before you burn too. He jumped forward trying to avoid the flames as best he could while rushing to get out of the hallway. He turned right running as fast as he could manage with his out of shape body and slid to a halt. There at the end of the hallway were two humans dressed in the garb of soldiers. They had looks of confusion as they were examining the smoke billowing through the hallway. Jacob¡¯s dash through the hallway drew their attention and anger as they shouted, ¡°Prisoner is free!¡± Not good! Thought Jacob as he pivoted on his left leg and ran the other direction. He flicked his hand summoning two more Hellfire Balls. He flung one to the ceiling and the other in the path of the pursuing soldiers to buy time. I¡¯ve got to escape! Ch. 5 Jacob dashed through the burning hallways coming to a stop at a four-way intersection. He glanced in all directions taking in his options. To his left was a door like the one he had seen in his room. To his right, a path leading to a stairwell. Ahead of him stretched another hallway ending in a t-intersection. Jacob turned to make his way to the stairwell when he heard a pounding on the door that was now behind him. He took three cautious steps back towards the door waiting for another sound. The cracking of wood thundered out causing Jacob to jump back startled. He turned tail stumbling over his feet when the door shattered into dozens of pieces. A crimson demon roared victoriously in the shattered doorframe flexing his bulging muscles. ¡°Free at last!¡± The demon¡¯s eyes settled on Jacob and the smoke bellowing out from the hallway. ¡°So, you¡¯re the one who triggered the escape sequence early! Well no time to waste. I¡¯m Kronos a demon warrior and you are?¡± Jacob stared in shock at Kronos. ¡°Uh¡­ I¡¯m Veralic, a half-devil support mage¡­ I didn¡¯t know I would be in a tutorial with another player so soon.¡± Kronos grimaced, his posture drooping. ¡°Oh no, don¡¯t tell me this is your first tutorial?¡± Jacob hesitated, ¡°Yes, why do you ask? Kronos muttered a curse to himself, ¡°Here I was hoping you had experience since you triggered the escape sequence so early. I should have known better.¡± Kronos looked down the hallway Jacob had escaped from and back the other way. ¡°Look, the escape scenario is pretty standard. First, we make our way out of the basement and into the manor above. Next, we hit the supply room by the guard station to unlock the rest of our class features, usually taking out four to six guards in the process. Our last step after unlocking the rest of our class skills is making our way to the courtyard for a scripted boss fight. From there we escape through a portal back to our homeland, Atropos.¡± Kronos brushed past Jacob leading the way up the stairs. ¡°Follow my lead and conserve your mana for fights only. Do you have your support magic active yet?¡± Jacob shook his head. ¡°No, I managed to unlock one of my offensive abilities first. I assume my support abilities will be unlocked at the supply room you mentioned.¡± ¡°Ok, stick behind me then. You¡¯re probably too squishy to fight any of the guards. We¡¯ll need to funnel them to limit their numbers in combat.¡± Kronos paused looking back at Jacob. ¡°Did you see any other prisoner cells?¡± Jacob pointed back at the unexplored hallway, ¡°I hadn¡¯t checked as I was planning on high tailing it out of here.¡± Kronos muttered under his breath, ¡°We need to go back and¡ª¡± Shouting and the clash of combat could be heard coming from the unexplored hallway. ¡°Never mind. That player is only good for buying us time now.¡± ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we go back and help him? Don¡¯t we need him for the boss fight?¡± protested Jacob. ¡°No way am I risking a Fate getting drawn into a losing fight. That player is toast and we¡¯re wasting time talking when we don¡¯t have the time. Now follow my lead!¡± growled Kronos. Kronos whirled around climbing the stairs as fast as he could with Jacob trailing behind at his heels. Both players burst through the door at the top of the stairwell. They were greeted to the sight of three screaming guards with drawn swords. Jacob instinctively stepped back from the sharp blades while Kronos barreled into the first guard without hesitation. Kronos managed to knock back the leading guard into the one on Jacob¡¯s right. The third guard redirected his charge at Jacob to Kronos¡¯ open flank slicing into the demon. Kronos jerked back in pain from the sword and threw out his massive clawed hand at the third guard who managed to step back avoiding the blow. Kronos spared Jacob a glare and shouted, ¡°Help already!¡± Jacob shook himself from his shock and flicked his wrists summoning two Hellfire Balls as the other two guards were recovering from the knockback. Without further hesitation, both balls were flung at the two guards. One hit center mass engulfing the two guards while the second ball splashed the floor between Kronos and them. Pained shrieks escaped the mouths of the two guards. Both attempted to douse the flames by rolling away from the affected area. Jacob¡¯s head swiveled back to Kronos just in time to see a streak of five red lines sever the third guard¡¯s head leaving behind a spray of blood. Kronos spun around with a battle lust grin on his face. He glanced at the two remaining guards. ¡°Nice CC and damage. Don¡¯t throw any off that fire while I¡¯m engaging these two.¡± Both guards finished standing as the last of the hellfire died away. They raised their swords and charged with a roar. ¡°Die fiends!¡± Kronos laughed in glee as he sidestepped the first guard and grabbed his wrist. With a powerful tug, Kronos used the first guard as a meat shield absorbing the second guards charge. He chunked the first guard onto the second causing the man to crumple to the ground. Kronos wasted little time slicing the throat of the temporarily disabled guard causing another spray of blood to splatter the floors and walls. ¡°Wow, these guards are awarding more experience than normal. Maybe we should have gone to the other player.¡± Replied Kronos. He reached down picking up the first guard¡¯s sword while kicking him over and pulling out the second guards sword. His grin widened as he said, ¡°Early dual wield should make the boss fight easier. Now grab the last blade so you have something else to fight with when your mana runs dry. We need to clear the storage room quickly, so we can get the free heal and the rest of our abilities.¡±You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. Jacob blinked in shock as he realized he had been standing still the rest of the fight. He bent down awkwardly in an attempt to cover his shock only to fumble with the third guard¡¯s sword. He examined the sword noting its low quality. ¡°I¡¯m not really specialized to use a sword at all¡­¡± murmured Jacob. Kronos let out a sigh of exasperation, ¡°That doesn¡¯t matter. 5 bonus damage is extra damage. We need to take what we can get now that we¡¯re down a third party member. Now follow along. In our next fight, I want you to throw out three of those spells at the back ranks of the guards. I¡¯ll take care of the rest by knocking them into the flames and cutting down the ones that attempt to escape. Do you have enough mana for that?¡± Jacob checked his mana pool. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll be able to get three off and then a fourth after another minute.¡± Kronos nodded in satisfaction. ¡°The fight won¡¯t last that long, not unless you screw up.¡± Jacob¡¯s nose wrinkled at Kronos attitude. This guy is a real elitist, but I can¡¯t really blame him as he knows all about this scenario. Jacob calmed himself throwing on a smile. Let¡¯s take this as a learning opportunity. He¡¯s cocky for a reason, so learn from his success and mistakes. Jacob jogged up falling into pace behind Kronos. Kronos carried himself with both blades at the ready through two more corridors. He stopped suddenly raising his left arm to bar the way. He peaked slowly around the corner before bringing his head back. He turned to Jacob and whispered, ¡°I see four guarding the door to the supply room. I¡¯ll engage and draw them into this corridor. As soon as they are packed into the corridor, fire those spells. Got it?¡± Jacob grinned in acknowledgement. ¡°I¡¯m just glad I won¡¯t be able to smell the results of this plan.¡± Kronos laughed as he adjusted his grip on his twin blades. ¡°Here I go¡­¡± With a loud roar Kronos charged into the room catching the guard by surprise. He sliced one guard with both blades and kicked off him in retreat. All four responded with a war charge chasing after him. Kronos skidded to a halt as he rounded the corner setting up position by Jacob. The first guard to follow was impaled by Kronos¡¯ blades as he shouted, ¡°Start firing the spells now!¡± Jacob was prepared this time and summoned one Hellfire Ball after another. The first was thrown once the other three guards rounded the corner engulfing two of them while the third guard remained unscathed. A second Hellfire Ball slammed into the third guard with a satisfying thump. Kronos yanked his blades free of the first guard and lowered his shoulder tackling the recently engulfed third guard into the other two burning guards. As the flames began to die down, Jacob flicked his wrist summoning a third Hellfire Ball. This last one was thrown center mass of the knocked down guards. Again, the corridor was filled with shrieks from the burning guards. Kronos stepped forward and crossed his blades at the neck of a rising guard. A swift jerk of the blades resulted in the execution of one guard after the other. Soon the only sound that remained in the corridor was the crackling of flames. Kronos turned back to Jacob and said, ¡°I was really worried that you would be a useless scrub. But now I have to say that your spell made easy work of these guards thanks to my knockdowns. Together that CC gave me more than enough time to perform my execution moves.¡± He pointed the guard of the sword to Jacob giving him a thumb up. ¡°Now let¡¯s go unlock the rest of our abilities!¡± Kronos stomped through the remains of the guards trailing ash and blood in his wake as he made his way to the supply room. Jacob followed by gingerly stepping between the gore and charred remains. Just as Jacob cleared the mess of their fight, Kronos kicked the supply door room open. A subtle and low rumbling vibration came from Jacob¡¯s haptic feedback suit in the direction of the now open supply room. ¡°Can you feel that? The little vibration from one side of your suit?¡± Asked Kronos in the doorway of the supply room. ¡°Remember that feeling as the game will always use that for key quest items related to your class. Follow me in and use one outstretched hand to guide you to your gear. The vibrations act like a hot and cold game. The more intense the vibrations, the closer you are. Give it a try!¡± Jacob followed Kronos into the supply room feeling the vibrations pick up in intensity. He raised his hand and slowly guided it over the various wooden crates. He passed his hand back in a slow waving pattern to feel out the intensity of the vibrations. Guided by the intensity of the vibrations, he stepped to a crate in the back corner. A loud crash came from behind as Kronos found his supplies. Jacob meanwhile used his sword to pry open the top of the crate. A pop followed by the clattering of metal resulted from Jacob¡¯s efforts. He pulled off the top of the crate to reveal a simple set of brown cotton clothing designed to be loose on Veralic. Set aside to the clothing was a medium sized leather pouch filled with parchment, ink, and eight different colored gems each no bigger than a small coin. Jacob picked up the leather pouch and received a notification informing him that his Dealmaker ability was now available. He smiled as he changed into the new clothing and tied the pouch to his waist with a brown sash included from the clothes. He attempted to activate his Dealmaker ability only to be notified that he had no current contract templates available and that he would need to create a new contract before the ability could be used. Kronos walked up beside Jacob and exclaimed, ¡°Is that all you have? No other starting weapons?¡± ¡°Yeah, my support ability cost a lot of my points at creation.¡± Replied Jacob. ¡°I know you said we need to hurry, but if you give me a moment I can try and get my support ability up to buff you for the upcoming fight. Do you think we can spare a few minutes?¡± Kronos frowned as he checked the area outside of the supply room. After he scanned the room, he called back, ¡°You have five minutes. After that we need to go, otherwise the AI Director will send more guards to swarm us. Now work quickly.¡± Jacob cleared a space on top of the crates as he placed the pouch on top. He pulled out a piece of parchment that had a hex grid and the eight gems. After examining them, he determined each one represented a specific stat. Review of the Dealmaker ability indicated that contracts operated off an input and output sequence of instructions. There were a series of commands one would need to write out for each sequence to be carried out. Jacob smiled as he began to see the design of this contract mini-game. If I want more than a one to one trade, then I will need to cycle the desired stat to create an unbroken chain. Once I have the desired point count for the stat, then I can use a logic gate to let the chain pass through to the output. ¡°Two minutes!¡± called out Kronos. Jacob¡¯s smile vanished as he focused on his first contract. No, time for something elegant. Something simple and straightforward. Just need two cycles and a timer to determine the duration of the contract. Jacob scribbled furiously as he attempted to write out the desired contract. His hands moved deftly about the parchment as he placed two gems on the grid. He drew several command glyphs and connected them with lines to and from the gems. ¡°Time!¡± shouted Kronos. ¡°We¡¯ve got to go!¡± ¡°I¡¯m almost done! I need just a bit longer to check the logic before I can use this support magic.¡± Pleaded Jacob. ¡°Check it while we walk or stay here alone, because I am moving on!¡± said Kronos as he left the room leaving Jacob to gather his belongings. Jacob packed up everything but his current contract into the pouch. After tying the pouch back to his waist, he scampered after Kronos while trying to check his hastily written contract. Ch. 6 ¡°Keep up!¡± demanded Kronos from the end of the hallway. Jacob glanced up to see where he was going and picked up his pace while reviewing the contract. He pulled out his quill and placed the contract flat against the wall when he reached Kronos¡¯ side. He scribbled some instructions to alter the logic sequence of the contract where he noticed a flaw. Kronos swiveled his head checking around the corners sweeping every corner of the rooms and hallway ahead. His scan came to an abrupt halt as he noticed Jacob scribbling on the parchment against the wall. ¡°What kind of support magic are you making anyway, Veralic?¡± Jacob looked up from the contract raising an eyebrow. He opened his mouth to explain before it closed. His face wrinkled for a moment in thought before becoming placid. ¡°My support magic is a type of pact that both curses and buffs the one that accepts the pact. I¡¯m able to manipulate your stats by cursing one trait. The curse gives me the power to create a buff that will boost another trait as a result. All that is required is a balancing of the equation between the curse and the buff.¡± Kronos narrowed his eyes. ¡°This curse isn¡¯t permanent is it?" Jacob waved the idea away as he rolled up the contract and said, ¡°Not at all! The duration of the curse and the buff is limited by my current skill. I¡¯m apparently missing components that would allow me to make a more permanent pact. Right now, the longest I could make the pact last would be for two minutes.¡± He tucked the contract away and creeped up by Kronos. ¡°Do you want me to save the pact for the boss fight you mentioned earlier?¡± Kronos returned his gaze to the room around the corner giving a quick nod. ¡°Yeah, but tell me what stat you have set to be cursed and which will be buffed.¡± ¡°Ah, I figured I would target a stat that you probably don¡¯t use a lot. My Pact of Anetha will drain your Knowledge stat while buffing your Strength. Unfortunately, all I could manage was a drain of three Knowledge for a gain of three Strength. I know that¡¯s not much yet, especially for the duration¡­¡± replied Jacob as he chewed his bottom lip considering a thought. He pulled out his contract and quill. He unfurled the contract, pulled out a white gem from his pouch, and placed the gem on the contract against the wall. He scratched in a new sequence using an if-then logic command while Kronos gave him an annoyed look. Jacob rolled the contract up again and smiled at Kronos. ¡°Apologies for trailing off like that. I had a moment of inspiration while talking about the duration. I recalled that one of my stat gems could affect the resources stats, PP and Fate. The Pact of Anetha now has an option to boost the duration to an hour for the cost of one PP.¡± Kronos pulled Jacob forward into the dimly lit stone floored room and said, ¡°I might do that seeing as we can¡¯t get much use out of PP until we¡¯re level five and at a major city with Enchanters.¡± Jacob crawled forward with Kronos through the room towards a large wooden door and asked, ¡°What can Enchanters do with PP?¡± ¡°About what you would expect from their class title. Mainly they convert your PP into element affinities and stat boosts for your gear.¡± Muttered Kronos as he stopped by the wooden door placing his ear to the slabs. He held up a finger to his mouth calling for silence. After a few seconds he leaned back from the door. ¡°I don¡¯t hear any footsteps beyond the door. This one door likely leads to the courtyard where the boss encounter will happen. How much does activating the Pact of Anetha cost you?¡± ¡°Uh, I don¡¯t know¡­ I forgot to check.¡± Replied Jacob sheepishly. He grasped the contract and muttered, ¡°Dealmaker.¡± He reviewed the options until he found the casting cost and blinked in shock at the notification windows he received.
Pact of Anetha- (1-hour) Target: -3 KNO, +3 STR, and -1 PP. Self: +3 KNO, -3 STR, and +1 PP. Duration: 1-hour. Cost: 138 M.P. Upon Expiration of Contract: Target: +3 KNO, and -3 STR. Self: -3 KNO, and +3 STR.
Pact of Anetha- (2 minutes) Target: -3 KNO, and +3 STR. Self: +3 KNO, and -3 STR. Duration: 2 minutes. Cost: 70 M.P. Upon Expiration of Contract: Target: +3 KNO, and -3 STR. Self: -3 KNO, and +3 STR.
Jacob swiped away the notifications, held out one end of the contract with his other hand, and said, ¡°Bad news first, the 2-minute buff will cost me a total of 70 M.P. per cast. That¡¯s a little under 45% of my total mana pool. My mana regenerates at 31 M.P. per minute, with just under 20% being restored per minute. So, I cannot sustain the short-term buff and use my offensive magic for very long. The good news is that the 1-hour pact is far more efficient costing only 138 M.P. So, if we use that one I¡¯ll only be low on mana for a few minutes while you¡¯ll be buffed for an hour. Does this sound like a good trade-off for your 1 P.P.?¡± Kronos grasped the offered side of the contract and said, ¡°I can live with losing 1 P.P. for that buff, but I get the Astral Fruit that drops from the boss. That¡¯s only fair since I¡¯m the one losing the P.P. Agreed?¡± Jacob hesitated for a split-second at the mention of Astral Fruit before agreeing. I¡¯ll need to do some research about these Astral Fruits later, especially if they¡¯re worth the cost of P.P. I can¡¯t really be upset about giving up the fruit since I¡¯m already getting a free carry and P.P. from Kronos out of this. Jacob gripped his end of the contract tighter with his right hand while his left hand hovered palm up beneath the center of the contract. He intoned the activation sequence as he said, ¡°To thee this binding I offer!¡± A green swirl of energy radiated from his end as a notification popped up for Kronos¡¯ player.
Veralic offers you the Pact of Anetha: Should you accept, the following changes will occur: -3 KNO, +3 STR, and -1 PP. After 1 hour the Pact of Anetha will expire resulting in: +3 KNO, and -3 STR. Do you accept these terms?The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. ACCEPT DECLINE
Kronos read the notification twice taking care that there was no tricky language or phrasing. Satisfied he clicked accept causinga similarswirl of green energy to burst forth from his side of the contract joining Jacob¡¯s. Together the energy pooled above Jacob¡¯s palm in the center only to begin pulsing. Each pulse pulled colored wisps of energy from the two players. From Kronos came three strands of azure energy trailed by a single snowy strand that joined the mass of energy in Jacob¡¯s palm. From Jacob came three strands of crimson energy that dived into the pulsing orb of energy. A final pulse of light shone out before the energy collapsed in on itself sending waves of energy traveling up both players¡¯ arms and into the core of their being. Jacob stretched lightly as his haptic suit sent a massaging vibration in a wave to simulate the energy that had washed over Veralic. He smiled pleasantly and brought up his status window while Kronos did the same.
Character Screen: Veralic (Pythag3) Level: Contractor 1 /Experience(EXP): 0
Race: Half-Demon Origin: Dark
Base Stats:
Health Points (HP) ¨C 165/165 Mana Points (MP) ¨C 52/190
Health Regen (HR) ¨C 10/minute Mana Regen (MR) ¨C 34/minute
Strength (STR)-7 Knowledge (KNO)- 14 (+1/Level)
Endurance (END)-10 Spirit (SPI)- 10
Agility (AGI)- 10 Social (SOC)- 11 (+1/Level)
Resource Stats:
Potential Points (PP) - 51 Fate -11 (+1/Level)
Abilities:
Bound by the Light ¨C Prevented from gaining experience from defeating/killing enemies.
Gifts of the Dark- Able to exchange your PP to the Dark for stats, EXP, abilities, and resources.
Dealmaker- Able to create contracts allowing the trade of stats, EXP, abilities, and resources.
Hellfire Ball - The caster summons an orb of hellfire to fling at targets. Can be dodged due to being subject to the caster¡¯s agility for throwing speed. Has a 2x damage multiplier versus environment targets. Burns for 6 seconds dealing 5 (+.7) fire damage each second. Cost to cast: 38 mana. (20% Max MP)
¡°Ah yeah!¡± cried out Kronos in joy. ¡°We¡¯re going to wreck this boss easily. I¡¯ve got an extra 30 health and 6 points of damage per sword thanks to my abilities and your pact!¡± Jacob flashed him a grin and said, ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be amazing when we do take him on, but I¡¯m still a scrub that¡¯s never fought one of these bosses before. I need four minutes to refill my mana so can you give me a quick run-down of our strategy?¡± Kronos returned Jacob¡¯s grin with a cocky smirk and explained, ¡°The fight is pretty straightforward. The only hiccup in our plan will be the extra guards in the opening salvo due to the prisoner escape route being triggered by you earlier. Fortunately, you have an AoE spell that can burn two guards at a time. So, I¡¯ll take the lead using my knockdown ability to throw a guard into another one. While they¡¯re recovering you¡¯ll burn them with your spells. If there are only two guards nearby I¡¯ll execute them to help conserve your mana, otherwise I¡¯ll engage the extra guards.¡± Kronos glanced at Jacob¡¯s sword that had seen little action and commented, ¡°This time follow your spells up with a few slashes of the sword. You won¡¯t be doing any impressive damage, but the extra 5 to 10 points of damage can save you mana in the long run.¡± Kronos paused for a moment to collect his thoughts and continued with his plan, ¡°I estimate that we¡¯ll have four to six guards to deal with in the courtyard. Two of those guards will be praying to a statue if the boss is a Celestial Construct. Otherwise, all six guards will be flanking a paladin, probably a human one if the manor guards are any indication. Those are the two most likely scenarios for the boss. There¡¯s a third one that¡¯s unlikely to occur given the recent Apocalypse event¡­ In any one of these scenarios, it¡¯s imperative that we take down the guards in the courtyard as quickly as possible. We cannot afford to take sustained damage from them or we will die to the boss. Understand?¡± Jacob smiled and affirmed with a nod. Kronos returned the smile only to let it drop into a serious line as he said, ¡°If you hear me scream ¡®Fubar¡¯ after engaging the boss then you know we have scenario three, a light-origin player. In this case we¡¯re going to probably die due to not having a third player. If this happens don¡¯t hesitate to use a Fate point to avoid death and get an instant restoration. I know using a Fate this early sucks, but we will more than make up the difference in rewards by defeating the player. Got it?¡± ¡°Fubar means everything is hitting the fan.¡± Remarked Jacob. ¡°So, pull out the safety umbrellas and go to town. Got it.¡± ¡°Good.¡± Said Kronos as he shifted his grip on his twin blades. ¡°That should be enough time for your mana now. Let¡¯s move out.¡± He pushed open the door letting a burst of sunlight flood the room. Both players shielded their eyes waiting for them to adjust to the new light level. Emerald and azure images came into focus as the sky and trees became visible in the new light level. Kronos led the way into the courtyard stepping onto the crisp neatly trimmed grass lawn. Jacob followed suite scanning for threats. Both players made it fifty steps from the gate that would lead to freedom when they heard the pounding of boots from the nearby gate house. They spun to meet the advancing guards, six in all. Behind the guards, a figure in full-plate armor walked confidently forward. ¡°Paladin scenario!¡± hissed Kronos as he raised himself on the tip of his toes ready to spring into action. ¡°Full-plate is the boss. Focus my right then swing left.¡± The boss continued his slow stride forward pulling a steel kite shield into place and drawing his steel longsword. He pointed the tip in the direction of Jacob and Kronos. ¡°Blessing!¡± he shouted causing a creamy flash of light to engulf the six charging guards. The charging guards roared with bestial vigor as the light faded. There was little time to process when Kronos slammed the first guard into a second. Already Kronos was dancing his blades in a flurry of slashes at a third guard. Jacob initiated the plan flicking one Hellfire Ball at the two downed guards and spun to flick a second blocking the advance of the guards on Kronos¡¯ flank. The blade shifted into Jacob¡¯s primary hand as he ran towards the recovering guards and sliced twice. Both guards were charred and bloody but managed to stand raising their blades. Two swift stabs pierced Jacob, a twin spray of scarlet blood splashed the ground. -23 physical damage. -15 physical damage. The haptic feedback sent vibrations into Jacob¡¯s chest that left a feeling akin to two soft punches. A kiss of tingling electricity danced across his chest warning him of the in-game damage. His eyes went wide as panic took hold causing him to stumble back from the guards. The two bloodied masses stepped forward in pursuit. Jacob swung his blade defensively to keep them at bay. The one on his right redirected Jacob¡¯s blade leaving his chest exposed to the lunge from the guard on his left. The blade slide into his belly eliciting another spray of blood in-game followed by a twinge of electrical shocks to his abdominal muscles from the suit. -42 *Critical* physical damage. Jacob screamed in irritation chunking his sword at the guards while jumping back. He flicked both wrists summoning twin Hellfire Balls. A sadistic grin painted his face as he flung the flaming orbs at the two guards assaulting him. Both screamed in agony as they were engulfed in the hellfire. No more than six seconds passed before their screams died with them. Jacob pressed down on his wounds trying to stop the bleeding while huffing out of breath. He looked to his HP and saw that he only had 85 left. We are so screwed. That did not go how Kronos said it would go. Kronos! Jacob whipped his head up in time to see Kronos execute the last of the guards. Two lay decapitated behind him, a third behind him as a bloody and charred mess on the burnt ground from Jacob¡¯s earlier attack, and the last impaled on Kronos¡¯ twin blades. Kronos tilted the last guard off his blades letting him slide to the ground. Jacob picked up his thrown sword from before and ran to Kronos¡¯ side. Jacob stared at the unmoving boss that had his sword planted in the ground while he rested his hands upon the pommel. ¡°Why isn¡¯t he moving?¡± asked Jacob. Kronos shrugged and charged the boss as he said, ¡°Scripting maybe?¡± Kronos was fifteen strides away from the boss, when the boss yanked his sword from the ground and pointed his blade to the heavens screaming, ¡°Righteous Vengeance!¡± A blinding crimson and white arc of energy launched from the corpses of the six defeated guards into the boss empowering him. Kronos was committed to his attack as his blades connected with the shield and sword of the boss. A series of blows were exchanged as Krono¡¯s eyes widened in fear. ¡°Fubar! Fubar! Fubar!¡± he screamed. ¡°Fubar¡­¡± groaned Jacob. Ch. 7 Jacob ran as fast as he could to the melee while watching Kronos trade blows with the tutorial boss. The sharp clang of metal rung out through the courtyard with every exchange. Kronos jumped back from the boss as Jacob approached and yelled, ¡°Stop! Keep at range and flank with your spells! I¡¯ll keep up the pressure!¡± The boss paused in his attack laughing and taunted the two, ¡°You two are complete noobs. Who calls out tactics like that for your opponent to hear? I¡¯m not some scripted boss oblivious to your plans.¡± Kronos grinned as he stepped further away from the boss and said, ¡°Heh, I¡¯m not the one who gave up the momentum giving his opponents precious time to recover. Who¡¯s the noob now?¡± Kronos darted to the side attempting to draw the boss away from Jacob, who in turned ran in an arc to flank the boss. The boss slowly turned his helmeted head following Kronos and spoke with incredulity, ¡°You¡¯ve never actually played the boss role yourself, have you? The only reason I¡¯m stopped is because the tutorial stage places a limit on higher level players with action points. You may have been recovering, but so have I!¡± The boss turned his back on Kronos to face Jacob. He raised his shield and longsword in a salute and called out, ¡°I, Rothven, declare you marked by Fate for death!¡± Rothven clanged the guard of his sword against his shield and pointed the tip of his blade at Jacob. An orb of white electrical energy shot forth from the blade hitting Jacob square in the chest. Jacob blinked in confusion as he felt no pain from the blast and received no notifications of a debuff. Jacob shrugged as he checked his mana pool noting that he had recovered to a total of 93 M.P. He stood his ground and conjured a Hellfire Ball into existence with the flick of his wrist. Just as he had thrown the spell at Rothven, Kronos yelled, ¡°No! Run away now! He¡¯s going to harvest your Fate!¡± Rothven laughed in delight raising his shield to mitigate the flames from Jacob¡¯s spell. ¡°You guys really are scrubs. This is too easy!¡± He sprinted towards Jacob with inhuman strides sounding like a sack full of bouncing metal pots. Jacob stumbled in shock at the speed and turned to run as Kronos attempted to catch Rothven from behind. Jacob pushed with all his might trying to get more speed but managed only five paces before Rothven was on him. A sudden shock from his suit was the only warning he had as Rothven¡¯s blade pierced him from behind. -60 *Critical* physical damage. Rothven whispered with malice, ¡°Trash!¡± as he pulled his blade free from Jacob who stumbled away while covering the newest hole in his chest. Jacob¡¯s face twisted in anger as Rothven prepared to strike again. Jacob¡¯s chest felt numb from his wounds. His movements were sluggish due to his critical state. I need to do more! Swam the thought through Jacob¡¯s mind as he attempted to block Rothven¡¯s blow with the blade in his left hand. Even as the blades met, Jacob stepped to the right letting the force from his opponent¡¯s strike guide him closer to Rothven. Rothven¡¯s blow was too much for Jacob to maintain his grip on his sword sending it flying to the ground. Both of Jacob¡¯s hands flew out to latch onto anything they could find for purchase. His right hand managed to grab the top of Rothven¡¯s shield to keep himself from falling. Rothven let out a grunt as he twisted the shield and pushed Jacob off balance once more. Rothven swung his blade to bear on Jacob and thrust sideways to pierce the half-devil¡¯s side. Jacob had righted himself in time to see Kronos launching into an aerial attack. Jacob flicked his wrist slamming the conjured Hellfire Ball into Rothven¡¯s face blinding the man. Jacob had no time to celebrate as Rothven¡¯s blade sunk deeply into his flank and the flames of his own spell engulfed him. -25 physical damage. Jacob crumpled to the ground as his vision darkened. The last sight he had was of Kronos slamming his twin blades into the back of Rothven causing the man to buckle under the blow. Rothven tore his helmet off removing the flames from his sight and whirled around to attack Kronos. Jacob could see no more before everything went black with the arrival of a notification.
Death! You have died! Fear not though for Fate can intervene restoring you to full health. All you must do is pay the price! Revive? Cost: 1 Fate, 1-hour cooldown.
YES NO
Jacob hesitated with his finger over the yes button. Is this like my contract ability? Did Rothven¡¯s earlier ability set me up for paying him my Fate if I revive? Do I go with Kronos¡¯ plan still? He paused in consideration. Be pragmatic. You said you were going to learn from Kronos. The quickest way to figuring out these answers would be to revive. But can I trust Kronos¡¯ plan? He left me wide open to attack by initiating that flanking maneuver. Did he use me as bait!?The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Jacob withdrew his hand from the notification window partially closing his hand into a fist. Maybe, that was part of the plan to create an opening? If so that¡¯s upsetting, but logical since I¡¯m not capable of putting out as much damage as him. He sighed in frustration. I¡¯ll have to give him the benefit of the doubt and go with the plan still. Refusing to revive will result in a loss of potential gains and a possible ally. He wasted no more time in pressing yes. His vision came flooding back with him looking to the sky. He was jerked up into the air as blood that had been spilled onto the ground flowed back into him in streams. His wounds were quickly knitted as he was dropped onto the charred grass. The clash of metal demanded his attention. Eight paces away fought Kronos and Rothven. Kronos circled around Rothven probing with his blades to find an opening past the other¡¯s shield. Rothven¡¯s face was marred by burns from Jacob¡¯s last attack. A wicked grin split Rothven¡¯s reddened pale face as his long sun-kissed blonde hair fluttered on the wind. He taunted Kronos with glee, ¡°First, was the mage his Fate now mine. Now you are marked and on the verge of death. Soon, you too shall gift me your Fate!¡± Kronos glanced past Rothven to Jacob and screamed, ¡°Now!¡± Rothven jumped back bringing his shield up to defend against an expected blow from Jacob. Instead, shock painted his face as Kronos used the opening to impale himself on Rothven¡¯s sword while stabbing down with his own two swords in the gaps of Rothven¡¯s armor. Both players spasmed from the attacks. Kronos flashed a battle-crazed grin at Jacob as blood dribbled from his mouth. ¡°Light him up!¡± he spat through mouthfuls of blood and released his blades giving Rothven a bear hug to hold him in place. ¡°With pleasure!¡± said Jacob returning the same battle-crazed grin. He raised both hands and flicked two Hellfire Balls into existence thanks to his mana being restored from the Revive. One after the other were flung at the entangled pair, engulfing the two in flames. Unsatisfied with just two attacks, Jacob continued summoning Hellfire Balls and flinging them as he strode closer the blazing inferno. He stopped just two paces from the pyre of burning bodies, his wrists still flicking to summon the Hellfire. No more were able to form though due to Jacob having emptied his mana pool from the attack. He breathed heavily in excitement and exhaustion watching the flames die down. A groan and grunting could be heard from the pyre. The mass of Kronos¡¯ charred demonic body was shrugged off revealing the crippled form of Rothven below. The boss wheezed out a weak laugh as he dropped his shield and drew his sword out of Kronos. Rothven placed his empty shield arm against his chest and triggered an ability as he said, ¡°The Light Restores!¡± A surge of white light shone through his cracked skin restoring some of his vitality. He stomped unsteadily forward one step and reached up to pull out one of Kronos¡¯ blades. With a gasp, he freed himself of the blade tossing it behind him. He took another step and drew out the other blade tossing it to the ground as well. ¡°So close yet so far from victory!¡± mocked Rothven. Jacob backed away with every step Rothven took. Panic had returned to Jacob¡¯s face as he looked to his surroundings trying to find a solution. I don¡¯t have any weapons or mana left to attack with. I need time. Time to restore my mana so I can attack or time for Kronos to Revive. Either way I need to buy time. Jacob attempted a grin that faltered half formed on his face as Rothven lunged at him. A large gash tore through Jacob¡¯s side as he attempted to dodge the attack unsuccessfully. -28 physical damage. Surprised with Rothven¡¯s movements, Jacob turned tail and ran as fast as he could. Just run! He probably can¡¯t keep up with those injuries. Rothven cackled and pressed his shield arm to his chest shouting, ¡°The Light Restores!¡± Again, he was bathed in light recovering from his wounds. He stretched as the light faded returning his mobility. He sheathed his sword and charged after Jacob. Jacob glanced behind to see the paladin giving chase and gaining on him. Jacob looked forward just in time to avoid tripping over one of the corpses from the beginning of the fight. He cursed himself checking his path was clear before chancing another look at his pursuer. He yelped as he saw Rothven mid-jump tackling his feet. Both slammed hard into the ground. -10 physical damage. Rothven was the first to stand as he delivered a kick to Jacob¡¯s stomach. The blow knocked him back stunning him for a few seconds. -12 physical damage. Rothven stood victoriously over Jacob, drew his sword and raised it in salute as he said, ¡°I, Rothven, declare you marked by Fate for death!¡± He pointed the blade at Jacob finishing the ability trigger. Once more, Jacob was engulfed in the light seemingly unaffected. He immediately rolled away in fear trying to scramble to his feet. Rothven took the opening and sliced open Jacob¡¯s back. -64 *Critical* physical damage. Jacob for his part rolled onto his back in pain panting. Rothven gave him a smirk and said, ¡°GG!¡± as he began to swing down. Jacob flicked his wrist launching a Hellfire Ball into Rothven¡¯s face and rolled to the side barely avoiding the swing from Rothven¡¯s blade. Rothven screamed in anger, ¡°Just die already!¡± as he patted the flames from his face. ¡°Did that already.¡± Replied Kronos from behind Rothven. ¡°Your turn!¡± Kronos plunged his blades into Rothven and pulled them out in quick succession. Rothven stumbled and fell to his knees with his head hanging in exhaustion. Kronos lined his blade up with Rothven¡¯s neck and swung hard decapitating the boss. Kronos let out a deep sigh and grinned at Jacob. ¡°Did you miss me?¡± Jacob let out a heart-felt laugh and said, ¡°Yeah, I did. I was really worried you had left me in a bad situation.¡± Kronos chuckled as he sat down by Jacob. ¡°I¡¯ll be honest. I seriously thought about leaving you behind and just taking my losses. That player had some pretty good skills and knew how to fight.¡± Kronos flashed his grin as he looked Jacob in the eyes. ¡°But then I felt guilty about abandoning you when you followed my plan. So, what choice did I have when you were proving to be such a good minion?¡± Jacob raised an eyebrow at Kronos, ¡°Minion?¡± Kronos laughed, ¡°Yeah, what else do you call someone who follows the orders of another to a T?¡± ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t know. Maybe a competent ally?¡± provided Jacob. Both laughed at the exchange of words. Jacob leaned back to rest on the ground and said, ¡°I¡¯m just going to rest here for a few minutes to recover. I¡¯ll help with the looting in a bit, ok?¡± ¡°Yeah, no problem man.¡± Said Kronos as he stood up. ¡°I¡¯m going to check the guards first then.¡± Jacob nodded his head as he replayed the fight in his head waiting for his body to recover. Ch. 8 Jacob played the boss fight over in his head, a scowl forming with every hesitation and missed opportunity. I spent most of that fight gawking or running. I lack physical combat skills and stats which severely limited my viability for that extended fight. I can fire off five Hellfire Balls getting in about 165-damage with my normal stats within fifteen to thirty seconds. That¡¯s fine burst damage for regular in-game mobs, but a glaring weakness against players and bosses. I basically became a dead fish for the minute after firing off all my magic. The only reason we won this fight was through burning a Fate stat point for a full Revive and that is not a sustainable fighting style. Jacob propped himself up on his arms, his scowl turned bitter. I need a way to disengage my opponents or a way to buy myself time while my mana regenerates. I could use a trait ability that makes my spells more efficient or cost effective. Maybe I should invest in another ability purchase from my Gifts of the Dark. But my PP is limited currently, and I don¡¯t know where I can get more yet. I need information! Jacob sighed letting the scowl melt from his face. His eyes tracked Kronos moving from corpse to corpse. I¡¯ll also need an ally to help me with my fights this early in the game. I severely underestimated the difficulty of the beginning levels with a build that focuses on growth potential. Sure, I have great potential utility in the future, but I need combat utility now if I¡¯m going to make it to the future. Jacob checked his health and mana points. Satisfied with his level of recovery, Jacob stood up and walked over to Kronos. The other man stood up from the current corpse he was looting and greeted Jacob with a wave. He followed up the wave by tossing a pouch to Jacob that jingled with the clanking of metal when caught. ¡°Six marks is your share from the twelve I found on the guards we killed.¡± Shouted Kronos walking towards Rothven¡¯s corpse. ¡°Thanks!¡± said Jacob as he tied the pouch next to his other and followed Kronos. Jacob pointed to the remains of Rothven and asked, ¡°Why didn¡¯t he Revive using a Fate stat like us?¡± Kronos gave Jacob a confused sidelong look and answered, ¡°Because he queued up as a Boss encounter. In CF, you¡¯re able to participate in several challenges that give various awards based off your performance. Since he queued as a Boss, he was restricted to one life and could be no higher than two levels above the instance. For a tutorial instance that, limits players to level three. I just didn¡¯t expect a player since level three is still an early level to attempt the Boss challenge.¡± Kronos squatted down by Rothven and slapped the lifeless husk. ¡°This fellow had a paladin class with the avenger ability as his new game plus choice. The paladin class for tanking and the avenger ability to boost his stats is the reason why he queued so early. Not many parties can take on that combination without taking some losses. I¡¯m just surprised someone actually applied the theory crafting behind the combo, most dismissed the style as being too risky.¡± Jacob held up his hand to pause Kronos¡¯ explanation as his mind raced through dozens of questions from the information. ¡°Okay, I understand he was limited to one life, but what was the incentive for him to play the role of the boss?¡± ¡°Do you remember when he kept on saluting and declaring us marked by Fate for death?¡± Jacob nodded his head. ¡°Yeah¡­?¡± ¡°Well that¡¯s one of the Boss abilities the challenge allows you to select.¡± Explained Kronos with a matter-of-fact tone. ¡°Most players use that ability to harvest Fate stats from the marked players they defeat. There are a few ways to gain Fate in-game and harvesting through the Boss challenge is the most popular for tanks.¡± Kronos tilted his head to look up at Jacob as he contemplated, ¡°He¡¯s probably the main tank for a guild or party whose primary character was defeated in the last Apocalypse cycle. They¡¯ll use the experience boost light origin players receive from the Apocalypse to power level him. If they level him up high enough he could become a real powerhouse when the light origin players get to strike back during the Purification cycle.¡± Jacob plopped down on the ground by Kronos throwing both hands up into the air. ¡°Okay. Hold up. What are these cycles, Apocalypse and Purification, all about?¡± Kronos gave Jacob a shocked and dumbfounded expression. ¡°The cycles are the main theme of the CF. An eternal struggle between the origins of Light and Dark. The last week of every month triggers one of the two cycles, alternating every month. During an Apocalypse, all dark origin players receive a stat multiplier that makes them a threat equivalent to an instance boss of their level. Vice versa during a Purification for the light origin players.¡± ¡°Each cycle results in a push by the powered side for land and resources on the contested continent of Lachesis. There are eight fortresses surrounding the mountain Origin. Successful capture of all eight allows the side to invade the enemy¡¯s home continent. The light will invade Atropos, and the dark will invade Clotho.¡± Kronos grinned, his eyes distant recalling a recent memory. ¡°Invasions give you plenty of opportunity to score more resources for character creation such as the new game plus features. Each one is a bonus perk that can be applied to a new character or to your current character if you reset back to level 1.¡±The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. ¡°That¡¯s what I did.¡± Kronos shifted his gaze back to Jacob and smirked, ¡°The reset to level 1 allowed me to purchase extra stat points per level from my invasion spoils.¡± Jacob massaged the side of his head and asked, ¡°If you get new game plus abilities from invasions, then how did Rothven gain his since we just had an Apocalypse?¡± ¡°Ah,¡± replied Kronos. ¡°That¡¯s a core game mechanic. If your character¡¯s Fate resource stat ever reaches zero, then your character will be sealed unable to be played. When that happens you¡¯re automatically given a new game plus award for a new character.¡± Kronos raised a hand to stop Jacob from talking and continued, ¡°The seal on your character is temporary. There are three ways to unseal your character. For the first method you simply wait for the time limit of two cycles to be up. In the second method you complete the Origin Labyrinth shattering the chains that bind your character¡¯s statue. The last method is through a premium item you can purchase from Trinity Games called Fate¡¯s Intervention for $5.00, which can then be used to unseal a character or add 50 P.P. to any one character.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t realize how cut throat and player versus player focused this game was¡­¡± mumbled Jacob. ¡°Didn¡¯t you read any of the primers?¡± remarked Kronos. Jacob shook his head. ¡°Not really. I did read some about the character creation options back in March when the game first released. Those combined with the positive reviews and gameplay footage from the demos convinced me to start buying the parts for the game in April. I finally finished teaching for the school year at the end of May which is when I ordered the M.U.C. Because I was teaching I didn¡¯t get as much time to read up on the end game mechanics. So, when everything was finally installed, I just kind of dove in head first¡­¡± Kronos blinked in shock. Exasperated he asked, ¡°You have a full V.R. rig!? Do you know how expensive those are?¡± Jacob began to speak when Kronos waved him off, ¡°Of course you do. You bought one after all. Just how can you afford one off a teaching salary?!¡± ¡°Bribes from parents to pass their kids.¡± Replied Jacob in an attempt at humor. ¡°Is that legal?¡± asked Kronos skeptically. Jacob buried his head in his hand. ¡°I was joking! I¡¯m a frugal person. I spend so much of my time during the school year either at work or at home making content for my classes. I do this so often that I never really get to spend my money except for movies and the random dinners on weekends. Other times I just eat at home or watch some shows online. A few years of that and I ended up with a lot of money just sitting around. So, when Trinity Games presented the haptic feedback suits with the M.U.C. for a more immersive VR experience, I had to bite. My nostalgia for games was too strong to resist since I could afford the cost.¡± Kronos whined, ¡°Man! I wish I could afford one. I¡¯m stuck playing with just a helmet, gloves, trackpad, and motion sensor. It¡¯s a minimal set up but it gets the job done.¡± He eyed Jacob with envy and said, ¡°I could do so much more in this game with a full feedback system like that. The suit assistance features must be real handy when using your dodge skills.¡± Jacob¡¯s face reddened as he looked down and muttered, ¡°I don¡¯t have any dodge skills yet¡­¡± ¡°Jesus man!¡± shouted Kronos. ¡°How could you miss out on that with your hardware? Look that doesn¡¯t matter. When you get to the starter village we¡¯re going to one of the skill trainers and you¡¯re going to spend 75 of your starting P.P. on a dodge or dash ability.¡± Jacob rubbed the back of his head and meekly replied, ¡°I only have 51 of my starting P.P. left. I had to spend the rest on my abilities at the start to escape the room.¡± ¡°Gah!¡± shouted Kronos. ¡°Okay, new plan. We check the boss for loot and see what we can use to help you out. After the loot we¡¯ll take the portal back to Atropos where we¡¯ll meet up with some of my guildmates. From there we should be able to power level you through some beginner dungeons for their one-time clearance rewards.¡± Jacob brightened with a smile and said, ¡°Thanks!¡± ¡°No problem, I enjoy helping noobs out, it¡¯s part of the reason I do the new game plus option all the time!¡± exclaimed Kronos as he patted down the boss. His hands swarmed over Rothven pulling off three pouches and a supply bag. Kronos opened the supply bag and smiled with joy. He looked up at Jacob and pulled out a blue fruit that looked like grapes. ¡°Astral Fruit! One for each of us! Which is good because I was going to feel bad taking the only one after finding out you had so little P.P. left.¡± He tossed the Astral Fruit to Jacob and moved on to the pouches. Each pouch jingled with the sounds of marks as Kronos dumped the contents out for Jacob to see. Kronos separated the marks into two equal piles of 46. He picked up his half and handed the rest to Jacob. ¡°Alright.¡± Said Kronos. ¡°Go ahead and eat the Astral Fruit for a 10 P.P. gain and then we¡¯ll head out.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not going to eat yours?¡± asked Jacob. ¡°Nope!¡± laughed Kronos. ¡°My friend in the guild has a farmer character that can harvest the seeds from the Astral Fruit getting one to three seeds. He has the soil reagents needed to grow Astral Fruit every three days.¡± Jacob hesitated, ¡°Shouldn¡¯t I save mine then?¡± ¡°Nah, you¡¯re just starting out and need the P.P.¡± said Kronos turning towards the courtyard exit. ¡°Besides that, you don¡¯t have the resources to pay Hannah for the cost of the soil, yet.¡± Jacob shrugged and took a bite of the Astral Fruit. +10 P.P. ¨C Astral Fruit. Kronos opened the courtyard gate for Jacob who stopped suddenly to look back at the mansion. Jacob looked back to Kronos and said, ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we go back for that other player from the basement?¡± Kronos laughed and said, ¡°That player died and was requeued into another tutorial instance when they declined to Revive. They probably freaked out due to you triggering the escape route so early.¡± ¡°Ah,¡± sighed Jacob in relief. He hurried through the gate with Kronos. When the two of them stepped outside the courtyard, the sky darkened to a purple hue as storm clouds formed above. A flash of light followed by the deafening crack of thunder burst from the clouds as a lightning bolt struck the ground ahead. Both players were blinded for a second. When their vision returned, a swirling mass of black and purple energy formed a portal tunneling into the ground with black smoke curling up to the sky. Kronos jogged forward grinning back at Jacob. ¡°There¡¯s no place like home!¡± he shouted as he jumped into the portal vanishing. Jacob laughed and followed Kronos through the portal as he shouted, ¡°Goodbye Kansas!¡± Ch. 9 Jacob¡¯s vision was obscured by flashes of grey and purple as he drifted through the void of the portal. He burst forth into a black abyss, a lone figure awash the ebony shores of a starless space. He glanced behind at the fading point of light that marked his entrance into the void. The light from his entrance blinked out of existence draping him in darkness. An irrational panic began to bubble up from the depths of Jacob¡¯s mind. He jerked his head about seeking a new source of light while fighting back the icy cold emotion creeping down his spine and through his mind. Jacob breathed erratically, his mind racing to find a stimulus. The game either detected his reactions or had a scripted sequence when a pinprick of violet light shone out into the void. His attention latched onto the stimulus drinking deeply of the shining hues. A low howling of wind accompanied the growing light source easing his discomfort. Within seconds he was engulfed by the light. Again, his vision was obscured by flashes of grey and purple while his hearing was drowned in the howling wind of the portal. He felt gravity take hold as he was dumped unceremoniously onto a yellow stoned plaza floor. His vision swam, and his stomach lurched from the momentary motion sickness. He blinked his eyes firmly shut steadying himself against the ground. He steadied his breathing and slowly opened his eyes allowing the world to flood back into existence. Dozens of demons, imps, incubi, and devils walked around him in the plaza. A cacophony of sounds flooded his hearing. He surveyed his surroundings taking note of the three roads leading out of the plaza. One cut a swath through a series of tent stalls towards a harbor. The second road twisted up hill to some ancient marble temples painted a dark ebony. The third road lazily curved around what appeared to be a housing district towards a city gate. ¡°-alic!¡± Jacob rolled from all fours and sat down. He continued to scan the plaza, his eyes slipping over the many players walking around him. ¡°Veralic!¡± shouted a demon that was waving at Jacob. He blinked in confusion while processing the greeting. Groggily he replied, ¡°Kronos?¡± The demon gave a Cheshire grin as he ran up to Jacob extending a hand. ¡°Rough time through the portal network?¡± Jacob grasped the proffered hand pulling himself up. ¡°Is that what that was?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± shrugged Kronos. ¡°Some people have a bad experience with the portal¡¯s void. Motion sickness and panic attacks are reportedly the most common side effects one experiences the first few times. At least that¡¯s what users are reporting on the forums.¡± Jacob slowly nodded his head in agreement as he rebalanced himself. He tested moving from side to side getting a proper sense of balance. Satisfied, he stopped moving and looked around the plaza. ¡°So, is this the starting zone?¡± inquired Jacob. Kronos jumped forward motioning for Jacob to follow. ¡°Yup! I¡¯ve already contacted my friends. They said they¡¯ll be here in fifteen minutes. That gives us just enough time to stop by the trainers and get you a dodge ability. Then we¡¯ll need to get you a more defensive weapon. If we finish early enough we can wait by the training grounds and practice with your new ability until Milo and Sevnah show up. Once they¡¯re here we¡¯ll head out for the trial dungeons to power level you!¡± Jacob trotted after Kronos and flashed an appreciative smile. ¡°Thanks, for the help man. I would be lost and wandering the streets without you.¡± Kronos brushed off the thanks and said, ¡°It¡¯s not a problem at all. You may be new, but you listen to advice. For that reason alone, you¡¯re worth having as a friend to me. If you like my friends, you may even be up for joining our guild.¡± ¡°Yeah, I think I¡¯d like that. I just hope they¡¯re not as cocky as you though.¡± Said Jacob with a wink. Kronos let out a gut busting guffaw that startled a few passing players. ¡°Not even close! No one else in the guild is good enough to have my level of confidence!¡± Jacob joined Kronos in his laugh. Their laugh died slowly as they rounded a corner following the road. They travelled deeper into the housing district passing several side streets. Soon they arrive at another plaza, this one however had partitioned off zones for training. Jacob eyed the various training grounds and asked, ¡°To which one should I go?¡± Kronos paused in consideration. ¡°Depends, do you want a full defensive ability or a utility defensive?¡± Jacob reflected upon the boss fight. I don¡¯t want to be in melee all the time trading blows or dodging too often. So, a full defensive ability is probably outside my needs. In that case an ability with utility will be best. I need to be flexible with my options. ¡°I think a utility defensive ability is what I need. Something to close gaps and open space.¡± Said Jacob. ¡°What do you think?¡± Kronos smiled pointing to one of the training grounds. ¡°I see what you are thinking. The dodge skill is a passive that automatically assists in opening distance between you and the enemy. But, that¡¯s more of a tank/bruiser skill and doesn¡¯t address your need for closing gaps as well¡­¡± Kronos pointed to another training grounds hesitantly. ¡°If you¡¯re willing to practice, then the dash ability has the ability to both open and close distance with an opponent. With enough practice you can even use the ability to dodge aimed attacks by quickly repositioning yourself out of harm¡¯s way.¡± Jacob held up a hand to stop Kronos. ¡°That¡¯s exactly what I want. Being able to reposition yourself quickly gives you time to think. I think with time I could predict certain attacks and use dash to avoid them. What do you think?¡± Kronos looked at Jacob skeptically. ¡°Are you sure you can handle the burst of speed changes? You had an issue with the portal¡¯s void and I would hate to see you waste your points on an ability you can¡¯t use properly¡­¡± Jacob flushed with anger and embarrassment. ¡°That was unexpected. Now that I know what to expect, I can prepare myself for the feeling. I¡¯m not saying I won¡¯t get sick from the first use. But after that I will know what to expect and can control my reactions from there.¡± Kronos raised both hands warding off Jacob. ¡°Alright, alright, alright! Just giving you fair warning as it¡¯s too easy to cripple your early game with some bad choices.¡± Kronos gestured to a nearby training dummy and said, ¡°I¡¯ll be over there practicing my combinations. Come on over when you get your dash ability.¡± The two split apart heading to their destinations. Kronos thrashed at his training dummy while Jacob sought out the trainer. Jacob opened a wooden gate stepping inside the dirt packed zone. He strode with purpose towards a wiry beanstalk of a devil with grey slick-backed hair wearing a simple leather tunic. Jacob waved in greeting as he called out, ¡°Hello! I hear you are the one to see about training.¡±This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. The devil stirred into motion triggering a script as the devil replied with a bow, ¡°I am Porthas, trainer in the Martial Forms. Of what skill do you wish to learn more about?¡± ¡°I want the Dash ability.¡± Stated Jacob. The devil straightened from his bow and said, ¡°A simple matter should you have the potential to learn.¡±
Dash Dash is a simple ability that allows the user to quickly traverse a short distance in 1 second. Distance travelled increases with player level. Travel 1x (level up to five) meters in 1 second for (5% stamina). Cost to learn: 40 P.P.
Jacob was about to confirm when he thought back to his Gifts of the Dark ability. ¡°One moment please. I need to check on something else first.¡± ¡°I await your return.¡± Replied the devil before the scripted ended leaving the devil with a bored expression as he watched over the training grounds. Jacob spared a glance at Kronos before slipping around the corner of an alleyway. Jacob checked the alley for occupants making sure the coast was clear. Satisfied that there were no prying eyes, he lifted his hands in the motion to trigger his ability and whispered, ¡°Gifts of the Dark.¡± The swirl of smoke surrounded Jacob ushered by the whispers of ghosts asking one thing, ¡°Ask of us what you wish!¡± ¡°I seek the Dash ability!¡± commanded Jacob. ¡°As you wish¡­¡± came the echoed reply as a new window popped up.
Dash Dash is a simple ability that allows the user to quickly traverse a short distance in 1 second. Distance travelled increases with player level. Travel 1x (level up to five) meters in 1 second for (5% stamina). Cost to learn: 38 P.P.
Jacob grinned. ¡°That¡¯s good to now.¡± He quickly selected yes offering up the requisite P.P. in exchange for the new ability. Once the exchange was complete a new set of notifications popped up.
Congratulations! You have successfully acquired the ability Dash. Dash: The user propels themselves 1x (player level up to five) meters in any direction over 1 second. Cost to activate: (5%) stamina.
Congratulations! You have unlocked an ability that uses the stamina system. Your stamina has been unlocked as a result. Your stamina is calculated as 20xEND. Stamina ¨C 200. Regenerates at (10% per minute)
Jacob quickly accessed the gesture commands for his abilities. He selected Dash choosing a slight crouch where he balanced his weight on his toes in a runner pose. The system flashed an alert that the gesture was too generic and would trigger all the time. Annoyed, Jacob added a flaring of his hand in a pushing motion behind him to finish the gesture trigger. This time the system verified the gesture launching Jacob a meter forward almost colliding with the wall of the alley. His vision swam a bit from the sudden change, but was nowhere near as jarring as the portal void had been. Jacob beamed from ear to ear as he practiced his Dash move out of the alleyway and back into the plaza. There he stopped for a moment to find Kronos scanning the plaza for him. Jacob waved and dashed towards Kronos sliding to a halt in front of the demon. ¡°Sorry for the delay! I got carried away with practicing the dash move.¡± Kronos smiled at Jacob¡¯s enthusiasm. ¡°I take it that you¡¯re handling the ability well?¡± ¡°The vision blur is still affecting me a bit, but is barely noticeable when traveling forward.¡± Commented Jacob. ¡°And what about when you need to dash to the sides to dodge?¡± asked Kronos. ¡°Uh¡­ I haven¡¯t tried that yet.¡± Replied Jacob. Kronos grinned as pulled out a wooden practicing sword from one of the nearby sparring zones. He wound up and said, ¡°Dodge!¡± The wooden sword came in sharp towards Jacob¡¯s ribs whistling loudly. Jacob fumbled activating dash a moment too late getting slammed in the side. His fumbled resulted in the dash sliding him to the side after being hit. His vision became unfocused and blurred from the sudden perspective change triggering a sense of vertigo. He held up his hand to stop Kronos and wheezed, ¡°Side-dashes are a little more difficult. I think I need to focus on one point when dashing to avoid vision issues.¡± Jacob stood up and nodded for Kronos to continue. ¡°Let¡¯s go again.¡± Kronos grinned and pressed the attack coming from the other side. Again, Jacob was slow to activate dash earning himself another smack in the ribs. He did manage to maintain his focus on Kronos this time avoiding the blurry vision that followed the dash. ¡°Again!¡± commanded Jacob straightening from the last blow. Another blow came swinging for Jacob¡¯s flank. Again, he failed to trigger the ability in time getting lashed in the arm. He clicked his tongue in frustration. ¡°Ag-.¡± ¡°Wait!¡± shouted Kronos. ¡°Your gesture command has too long of a wind up and is easy to predict. Try this.¡± Kronos bounced lightly on his toes in place. ¡°And have the follow up trigger be pushing off with both feet leaning in the direction you need to dash like so.¡± He finished a light jump where his toes barely left the ground before tapping both feet pushing in one direction. ¡°Ok, just a second.¡± Replied Jacob opening the gesture commands and modifying the activation sequence. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ve updated the commands.¡± Jacob bounced in place earning a reprimand from Kronos. ¡°You¡¯re jumping too high! You need light taps so that your feet and toes are ready to push off in any direction at a given moment!¡± Jacob eased his jumping letting his toes brush the ground. ¡°Ready!¡± he called shifting his weight with each bounce. Kronos slashed out with the wooden sword when Jacob jumped. Jacob tapped the ground shifting his weight to the right. The wooden sword just barely brushed Jacob¡¯s side as the dash ability drew him out of the full swing. Jacob let out a cry of joy, ¡°It worked!¡± ¡°Congrats on the first stage of dodging!¡± smiled Kronos. ¡°Now pick up a training weapon. We¡¯re going to work on deflecting. Learn to use this and you should be in better shape for a lot of your opponents.¡± Jacob looked over the available practice weapons and immediately dismissed the swords. I should be sticking to range since I look to be going the mage route, at least at the start here. So, I need something that can help me defend myself and create some distance¡­ His eyes judged the merits of a mace before he dismissed them as well. Next, he drifted towards the halberds and spears. Maybe, but I don¡¯t think I can handle those properly by myself. In a group I could see the merits of a spear, but on my own¡­ I just don¡¯t see it happening. Finally, his eyes settled on one of the simplest weapons ever made, a quarterstaff. This should work. Nice and simple design with the ability to outrange basic bladed weapons. No sharp ends to accidentally poke myself with. I may even be able to combine this with magic mechanics like a regular staff. He picked up the practice quarterstaff and said, ¡°I think I want to try and learn with this.¡± Kronos laughed, ¡°What, a sword is too complicated for you?¡± Jacob reddened at the comment. ¡°Not really. This just lacks pointy bits to stab myself with. That and I feel comfortable with this, almost like I have more control.¡± Kronos chuckled, ¡°I¡¯m just teasing. You¡¯re right though, a quarterstaff is pretty good for defense. Not as good as a sword and shield in my opinion, but still good.¡± Kronos picked up a second wooden sword and said, ¡°I¡¯m going to come at you at half speed. I want you to practice slight redirections while repositioning your weapon for the next blow. Don¡¯t worry about your initial gaps in your defense. You¡¯re going to have a lot of them at first. Pay attention to those openings and figure out how to shore them up efficiently. Now begin!¡± Kronos charged at half speed as promised slashing with one blade while following up with a stab from the other. On and on the blows alternated from opposing slashes to slash and stab moves. Despite moving at half speed, Kronos continued to slip past Jacob¡¯s guard. The two continued there sparring pausing every few moments to point out how Jacob could improve before continuing. After ten minutes passed, Kronos stopped his attacks. ¡°Pause.¡± He said checking a notification. ¡°That was Milo and Sevnah. They made it to town and are waiting for us in the plaza. Let¡¯s go.¡± Jacob breathed heavily as he nodded. ¡°Just a second. That was tiring.¡± Kronos raised an eyebrow. ¡°I¡¯m a little out of shape in real life.¡± Explained Jacob turning a shade red. ¡°I¡¯m working on my cardio though! Just let me walk there and I should be good to go, ok?¡± Kronos smiled kindly at Jacob. ¡°It¡¯s all good man. Take it easy and let me know if you need a break.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± Whispered Jacob as he walked out of the training grounds with Kronos leaving the practice weapons behind. Both took a slow walk back to the main plaza to meet up with Milo and Sevnah. Ch. 10 Jacob breathed slowly in through his nostrils and out through his mouth as he followed behind Kronos. The two walked at a leisurely pace through the cobblestone streets passing pale bricked houses. Kronos had been talking at length about his power leveling strategy on their way to meet up with Milo and Sevnah. Kronos was grinning from ear to ear when he glanced back at Jacob and said, ¡°We¡¯ll be tearing through several dungeons now that Milo and Sev¡¯ are here. I can already feel that sweet experience dripping in!¡± ¡°Oh!¡± cried out Kronos. ¡°I forgot to send you a party invite after the tutorial stage. Here!¡± Jacob confirmed the party invite and scanned the new information that appeared in his vision creating a miniature heads up display of the party. He could see three icons, two of which were greyed out. The lit-up icon showed three bars representing Kronos¡¯ health, stamina, and rage. The image in the icon was a live rendering of Kronos¡¯ demonic face with a caption of ¡®Berserker level 3¡¯. Jacob¡¯s eyes drifted to the greyed-out icons of the other party members. The first icon he read below Kronos belonged to Milo. Milo¡¯s icon showed a bulky demonic face with near charcoal black skin, shaved head, and dimly glowing yellow eyes. His three bars displayed health, stamina, and a new stat called focus. The caption for Milo read ¡®Warden level 10¡¯. The last icon Jacob read belonged to the fourth member of the party, Sevnah. Her icon displayed a near symmetrical face with indigo skin tones that looked soft and delicate to the touch. She had piercing violet eyes and two protruding horns that curved back parting her raven hair into two ear length bangs. Her three bars reflected Jacob¡¯s showing health, mana, and stamina. The caption for Sevnah read, ¡®Blood Priestess level 8¡¯. Jacob was focused on the new HUD when Kronos came to a sudden stop. Jacob stumbled past Kronos at the last moment. Jacob shot Kronos a confused look and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Why are we stopping suddenly?¡¯ Kronos cocked his head back as he examined Jacob and said, ¡°How are you still level 1?¡± ¡°Ah, that would be because I¡¯m Bound by the Light.¡± Replied Jacob nonchalantly. Kronos went bug eyed and yelled, ¡°What!? The one that prevents you from gaining experience from defeating enemies?¡± ¡°The very one.¡± Kronos rubbed at his right temple and continued to walk towards the plaza. He talked over his shoulder to Jacob. ¡°That removes the power leveling option for you. Man!¡± Kronos kicked some debris in the street to the side. ¡°I was hoping I could train you up to help us hold the guild¡¯s fortress for the Purification cycle at the end of this month¡­¡± The two rounded the corner following the street into the plaza that Jacob and travelled to through the portal. The two icons that had been greyed out lit up into full color. Two other players matching the icons of Milo and Sevnah were waving enthusiastically as Jacob and Kronos approached. ¡°Guys, our training plans are out the window.¡± Lamented Kronos. ¡°What? Why!?¡± growled the gruff voice of the charcoal demon. ¡°Veralic here can¡¯t gain experience thanks to a negative perk.¡± Explained Kronos. ¡°Do you remember Kendrick, Milo?¡± The charcoal demon nodded, ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Kronos flicked his thumb towards Jacob. ¡°He took the Bound by the Light perk.¡± The indigo skinned succubus burst out in laughter and pointed at Jacob. She played at wiping away an imaginary tear and replied with a high pitched velvety smooth voice. ¡°You¡¯re screwed. No way you¡¯ll be able to help in the Purification defense.¡± Milo lifted a finger pointing at Sevnah and said, ¡°Give him a break, Sevnah! You know that¡¯s not necessarily true. Kendrick did manage to level up through quests before he ended up in the Origin Vaults.¡± ¡°Yeah, and then he immediately gave up on the character because and I quote, ¡®Questing experience sucks!¡¯¡± snapped Sevnah. Kronos turned to Jacob and gestured with his palms up. ¡°I¡¯m not sure we¡¯ll be able to help you power level. No one has posted a power leveling guide through questing. I mean there¡¯s not much demand for one¡­¡± Jacob looked at all three of them and calmly asked, ¡°What about PP? Are there any guides for farming PP?¡± All three gave him a puzzled look. Kronos spoke first. ¡°There are a few ways to farm PP, but I don¡¯t see how that¡¯s going to help you. Enchanted gear can only take you so far and there aren¡¯t any abilities you can get trained in to counteract the limit on experience from opponents¡­¡±Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. Jacob grinned as he revealed, ¡°I may be Bound by the Light, but I have another ability that allows me to slowly grow through spending PP. So, as long as I can collect PP I can develop.¡± Sevnah threw Jacob a dismissive look and said, ¡°Let me get this straight. You chose a leveling method that develops at a snail¡¯s pace in a game that is constantly changing every month?¡± Jacob nodded which triggered another bout of laughter from Sevnah. ¡°You really are screwed. Most methods of getting PP require cooldowns of twenty-four to forty-eight hours and those methods are the farming ones.¡± Jacob¡¯s grin faded into a frown. ¡°I may have a slow leveling speed but that doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m useless. I can still act in the role of support while helping ¨C.¡± ¡°Help!?¡± interrupted Sevnah. ¡°All three of us will be so far out of your level range by the end of the day that you wouldn¡¯t be able to follow us into the danger zones. We would be babysitting you the whole time.¡± She whipped around jabbing her finger at Kronos. ¡°Time, we don¡¯t have! We have to get back to level 50 before the end of the month if we¡¯re going to have a prayer of holding our fortress during the Purification.¡± Kronos brushed her jabs away and muttered, ¡°Chill, he¡¯s a competent player who listens and learns. I¡¯m sure we can-.¡± ¡°No!¡± she looked back to Jacob. ¡°Look I¡¯m sure you¡¯re a nice person and all, but we¡¯re on a tight schedule. We were all for helping you level because Kronos said he found some new talent. But your circumstances just don¡¯t work with our plans. So, no. We¡¯re not going to babysit you.¡± Kronos prepared to object when Milo let out an annoyed sigh silencing him. Jacob glanced at each of them cautiously. He threw on a gentle smile and raised his hands as he attempted to diffuse the situation. He started by meeting Sevnah¡¯s eyes and said, ¡°I perfectly understand. From what Kronos told me about the cycles, y¡¯all seem to be taking advantage of the new game plus features. That however comes with the pressure of leveling in time to defend your gains.¡± Jacob looked to Kronos. ¡°She¡¯s right and I¡¯m too new to the game to be of benefit to your guild yet. So, go ahead and level like crazy! My class is a complicated one that will require some more research and that takes time.¡± Jacob¡¯s grin grew wider as he glanced at Milo. ¡°Besides if you guys hold the fortress then I¡¯ll be fine since they can¡¯t travel to Atropos.¡± Sevnah clapped Milo on the shoulder and grinned at Kronos. ¡°See? He gets it! Everything is copasetic. Let¡¯s get going!¡± Kronos gave Jacob a guilty look and said, ¡°You can still come with us for the early stages of the power leveling. You know, get an idea of what you¡¯re facing.¡± Jacob caught the flash of anger on Sevnah¡¯s face. He quickly waved off the notion and said, ¡°I¡¯d love to man but I am actually feeling sore from our training. I guess I¡¯m not used to playing this game yet.¡± Sevnah turned the flash of anger into a smile when she saw Kronos look over his shoulder at her. When his gaze returned to Jacob, he said, ¡°Alright, take it easy man. Here, accept my friend request. Send me a message if you have any more questions about the game. You may not make level 50 in time for the Purification, but you can at least try for it by the time the next Apocalypse rolls around.¡± Jacob clicked accept on the friend notification. ¡°Thanks.¡± He looked past Kronos to Milo and Sevnah. ¡°I appreciate the help y¡¯all have given me and I look forward to seeing you guys successfully defend your fortress.¡± ¡°You¡¯re welcome.¡± Grunted Milo walking away. ¡°Yeah, no problem!¡± said Sevnah sweetly as she followed Milo. Kronos lingered for a moment longer throwing Jacob an apologetic look. ¡°Sorry about her. She¡¯s a little high-strung. But she¡¯s right about our need to rush to 50. You¡¯re a pretty chill guy so hit me up anytime you need help, ok?¡± Jacob chuckled. ¡°Sure.¡± Kronos waved a quick goodbye before running after Milo and Sevnah. A few seconds after they departed, a new notification popped up informing Jacob that he had been removed from the party. He turned his back on them and contemplated his next action. I lack a lot of information right now. He walked around the plaza and began to make a mental list. I can get experience through PP or quests. That means I need to look at the details of my Gifts of the Dark ability to determine where I get the most bang for my buck with PP as that appears to be my limiting factor right now. First point, learn more about PP sources. Second point, research beginner guides to determine gaps in my game knowledge. Jacob winced and came to a sudden stop doubling over when his calf muscle seized up in a cramp. A long minute passed with him in pain while trying to massage the cramp away. When the cramp passed he muttered under his breath, ¡°Guess I really am too tired to keep playing.¡± He made the logout gesture pushing the reality of the game down to a small bubble. One last notification popped up asking if he was sure he wanted to log out. A simple click dumped him in darkness as his helmet stopped sending sensory feedback. He felt his body being directed by the M.U.C. back into the standing position. Popping and whirring sounds could be heard as he was detached from the support rig. Gravity took hold as his full body weight pressed down on him once again. His muscles screamed in pain now that he lacked the support of the M.U.C. He wrenched his helmet off and peeled his haptic suit off. He rolled onto the floor next to his now empty suit and breathed as slowly as he could manage. That would have been embarrassing if I was with Kronos and his party. I guess I should be thankful Sevnah was so dismissive then? Jacob chuckled at his thoughts. Satisfied that he could move again, Jacob gingerly picked up his gear and made his way to his bedroom. There he felt a wave of exhaustion roll over him at the sight of his bed. He fought back the sensation of fatigue as he dropped his gear on the floor and threw his work clothes off the bed. With a spot cleared on his bed, he collapsed face first into his pillow. He turned his head towards his alarm clock and saw that the time was 8 p.m. He blinked a few times as the red numbers of his digital clock blurred with the closing of his eyes. He relaxed his body as the world went dark, slipping into a peaceful rest. Ch. 11 The cracking of a loud alarm echoed throughout the bedroom causing Jacob to stir from his slumber. A fog of exhaustion clouded his mind as the ringing drilled into his ears. He stirred, rolling onto his side only to squint at the red glowing numbers belching out the mind wrenching sound of the alarm. He grumbled to himself and called out, ¡°Sam!¡± No response came from his digital assistant. Irritation cut through the fog as Jacob growled, ¡°Hey, Sam!¡± A digital tone beeped from his phone, barely audible over the pressing alarm. The smooth and deep voice of his digital assistant replied, ¡°Yes, Sir?¡± ¡°Alarm, snooze!¡± yelled Jacob. Silence fell upon Jacob¡¯s ears when Sam said, ¡°Five-minute snooze set on ¡®Jogging Time¡¯.¡± Jacob rolled onto his back letting the peace of silence and sleep embrace him. His brain was still half asleep but bubbled with images from his first foray into Choice of Fate. His successes and challenges drifted through his waking mind. The last image that flitted through was of his cramped calf muscle and the wave of exhaustion that had knocked him out the night before. He opened his eyes to the dark room filled with only the dull glow of red from his alarm. He slowly sat up in his bed and stretched his arms and torso. He kicked his legs over the side of the bed and stood up to continue stretching. As he was stretching his arms he recalled the advice from the technician who installed the M.U.C. Flexibility would apparently allow for more maneuvers using the full immersion system he had purchased. With this memory in mind, Jacob attempted some simple toe touches. He immediately groaned as he felt the tightness in his lower back, calves and behind his knees screaming in refusal to stretch. He barely managed to touch his ankles for ten seconds before a frustrated grunt escaped him on his return to a standing position. Ok, I didn¡¯t think I was that out of shape. ¡°Hey, Sam!¡± called Jacob to the darkness. ¡°Yes, Sir?¡± came the response with the digital beep. ¡°Add event to calendar titled, ¡®Flexibility training¡¯. Repeat daily at 6:05 A.M.¡± Commanded Jacob. ¡°Event ¡®Flexibility training¡¯ added to calendar as a daily event for 6:05 A.M.¡± confirmed the digital assistant. Jacob returned to his toe touches turned ankle touches with the simple goal of loosening up his muscles as much as he could manage. He finished three sets before his alarm blared to life again causing him to jerk up from his recent attempted toe touches. He stomped over to the alarm and turned the switch off silencing the alarm. He was just about to continue another set of stretching when Sam pinged his phone and said, ¡°Event reminder for ¡®Flexibility training¡¯.¡± Jacob let out a laugh and said, ¡°Thank you, Sam.¡± ¡°My pleasure, Sir!¡± came the automated reply. Jacob flipped the light switch in his room flooding it with light while squinting to let his eyes adjust to the new brightness. He walked over to his closet and dressed in some black basketball shorts and a grey t-shirt. He grabbed a pair of ankle socks as he exited his closet and threw them onto his bed. He stopped by his bed in contemplation as he stared at his socks. I should maximize every opportunity to exercise. Start with trying to put on your socks while balancing on one foot. That should help build my balance. He picked up his socks and attempted to balance on one foot. Immediately he lost his balance and had to brace himself against the wall. He frowned at himself and tried again only to fall against the wall. Come on! This should be simple, control your center of gravity. If your center is supported, then you won¡¯t fall. He focused on one foot and slowly lifted the other. He imagined a pearl at the center of his core to represent his center of gravity. As he shifted in various directions, he imagined the orb shifting in the same direction. Slowly he grew accustomed to his center of gravity swaying outside the area supported by his foot. A smile split his face as he leaned his weight and bent his knee to draw his center over the area supported by his foot. He bent his knee further and shifted more to his left as he brought up his right foot. His left leg shook with strain to maintain his balance as he quickly slipped on his right ankle sock. He slammed his right foot down shifting his weight between both feet just before his left leg muscles could give out. His smile remained wide despite the effort he had expended just to put on one sock. Small victories. One step at a time. Just as you preach in class, ¡°Everything takes time and practice. To become an expert then require you to take one step after the other so that you can transform that practice into an expertise.¡± Confident in what to expect, he shifted his weight and bent his right knee to balance his center over the area of his foot. He purposefully took his time on his left sock to maintain a balance between the strain he put on his left leg with his right leg. When his right leg began to shake unsteadily he slowly returned his left foot to the ground.You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. He walked out of his bedroom flipping the light switch off as he entered the living room. These lights he left off as well as he moved to the foyer. He bent down and grabbed his running shoes that he normally only wears on Fridays for school spirit days. Again, he practiced maintaining his balance on one foot as he slipped both shoes onto his feet. He looked at his untied shoe laces and was about to drop to one knee when he thought about his lack of flexibility on the toe touches earlier. A deep sigh escaped his lips as he straightened his legs and attempted to tie his shoes like he was doing toe touches. He had to suck in his gut and lace his shoes quickly to avoid buckling under the strain, but he managed. His heart was already beating at an elevated rate causing him to laugh with mirth. Well, I guess I¡¯ve already taken care of my warm up. He snatched his keys from the nearby counter and stepped outside to a cool breezed morning. The first hints of sunlight shone over the tops of the neighborhood¡¯s rooftops. He turned around to his door and turned his house key to lock the door. He stepped out onto the side-walk and stretched his arms out towards the rays slicing through the early dawn shadows. He stretched every fiber of his being imagining he could grasp the light if he could just reach far enough. He chuckled to himself as he released the stretch. I should have been doing this far sooner than now. The morning rays and cool breeze is invigorating. He glanced down the west end of the road. How about a light jog to the neighborhood park? That¡¯s somewhere between a mile or two. He nodded to himself and broke out into a slow jog. One minute into the jog and he could already feel the strain on his knees followed by the drumming of his heart and heavy breathing. To aid his discomfort, he jogged on the grass rather than the sidewalk. He slowed his pace slightly and breathed slowly through his nose holding each breath for a heartbeat before exhaling through his mouth. A few minutes later, he jogged at a steady pace with less discomfort in his knees and more control over his breathing and heartrate. His mind focused on this rhythm he developed. Step, step, breathe, step, step, beat, exhale, and repeat. For ten minutes he was in a blissful zone of focused jogging and breathing. All of that focus came to a crashing halt when he turned the corner. Across the street jogged a tanned woman in her late twenties. She was trim and fit in her black yoga pants and white tank top. Her raven hair was pulled into a tight pony tail that bobbed from side to side. She barely spared Jacob a glance as she pulled further ahead of him towards the park. That one glance made Jacob self-conscious of his weight. Images of his stomach fat bouncing in time with his jog flashed through his mind causing him to falter. He came to a stop and felt a burn both from the exercise and his embarrassment surge through him. His lungs suddenly burned from the need for oxygen. He threw his hands on top of his head and attempted to catch his breath. He watched the younger woman fade away in the distance, his face reddening with every passing moment. Anger flared through him at his embarrassment. You¡¯re supposed to jog all the way to the park. The whole point is to get in better shape and yet you allow yourself to lose focus! He took a calming breath and slowly exhaled. He took a few steps in a circle and looked to the park up ahead. Remember, one step at a time. You may not be where you want to be now, but that doesn¡¯t mean you can¡¯t get there with time. If you don¡¯t want to be embarrassed by your form, then take the necessary measures to change that about yourself. Like finishing your jog despite what you or others may think! Jacob clapped his hands together to refocus his attention. He took slow breaths in through his nostrils and exhaled after a beat of the heart through his mouth. Settled, he fell back into the rhythm from before. Step, step, and breathe. He reached the park in a few minutes and allowed himself a break. There he walked to the covered picnic areas by the grass fields and pond. The water reminded him of how dry and arid his mouth felt. A quick scan of the area located a drinking fountain that he walked over to quench his thirst. As he gulped down the water he heard someone walk behind him. A melodic care-free feminine voice asked, ¡°Thirsty much?¡± ¡°Yeah, sorry about that.¡± Mumbled Jacob as he backed away from the fountain and turned to see who was speaking. He tripped over himself when he saw that the speaker was the same woman he had seen earlier. She paid no attention to him and stepped past to drink from the fountain. He couldn¡¯t help himself from looking at her closer taking note of her symmetric features and neatly plucked eyebrows. As she finished drinking from the fountain, he looked away in embarrassment. He became acutely aware of the sweat stains dripping from his neck, back and armpits. He started to walk away when she called to him, ¡°So, you a new jogger in our neighborhood?¡± He paused at the question and fought the urge to run away. He turned to face her and flashed a smile as he said, ¡°New to jogging, first day in fact, but not new to the neighborhood.¡± She returned the smile spreading her petit pink lips. ¡°Well, welcome to the jogging scene! I¡¯m Alyssa by the way.¡± She said while she extended her hand for a shake. Conscious of his sweat, Jacob attempted to wipe away any from his palm on his basketball shorts before shaking her hand. ¡°Jacob. I live about a mile or two down from the park.¡± He said pointing in the direction he had come. ¡°Nice! That would make for a great warm up jog distance before a run around the neighborhood.¡± Exclaimed Alyssa. Jacob reddened and broke eye contact as he mumbled, ¡°Yeah¡­ A warm up¡­¡± She caught his embarrassment and hurriedly said, ¡°No, no, no! I meant for me. I run marathons and spoke without thinking. It¡¯s ok to start with what you can do and build up from there step by step!¡± Jacob smiled as his embarrassment washed away. He looked her in her hazel eyes and said, ¡°I tell my students the same thing with math. It¡¯s both nice and funny to hear that said from someone else for a change.¡± She laughed and waved her hands in the air gesturing to their surroundings. ¡°Well the truth is everywhere around us. Most people just get so caught up in everything else that they miss these things.¡± Said Alyssa when her smart watch beeped loudly. ¡°Shoot! I¡¯ve gotta run now or my time will be ruined. See you around Jacob!¡± She waved lightly and turned into a run leaving him alone and bewildered by the encounter. He turned back towards his route home and began a slow walk with a pep in his step. He chuckled to himself thinking. I didn¡¯t need to be so self-conscious after all. She ended up being nice and understanding too. Here I was getting distracted by the what if¡¯s instead of focusing on what I need to do! Ch. 12 Jacob felt the kiss of the sun on his skin with the early morning breeze sending a pleasant chill down his spine. He kept a steady pace on his walk home from the park. His thoughts drifted from the early jog, to food, and then Choice of Fate. I need a clear goal in game. Sevnah and Kronos are experienced players already working on another play through to increase their power. There¡¯s also the cycles of Purification and Apocalypse to think about. The game is almost set up let a tug of war between the light and the dark. Every month one side gets a surge of power to claim more resources. The amount of resources claimed seems to influence the bonuses with which one can reset. That explains the mad dash the two are making for the level cap of 50. They want to use their gains to stay out ahead of the curve. That¡¯s something that I can¡¯t do due to my choice of using Bound by the Light. The limit of experience through quests and other rewards severely hampers my ability to power level into this cycle. What¡¯s my play then? If I can¡¯t keep pace with the other players power leveling then I will need a different goal, one that is asynchronous to their gameplay. My original goal when I created Veralic was to aim for a mercenary character with the potential to develop in the long run. So, Gifts of the Dark looks to be my primary source for growing myself at the start. When I get back I¡¯ll do some research on my current options with the ability. I¡¯ll see what I can leverage through my Dealmaker ability. I need to look for a way that the two abilities interact to generate a net positive gain. With that I can form plans around my next steps. Maybe I can use the boss system since I¡¯ll be hanging around the lower levels? Jacob¡¯s pace had slowed to a crawl from his train of thought. His eyes had been distant with his thoughts when an older couple walked passed waving hello. His eyes snapped to them focusing as he flashed a smile and returned the wave. He turned down his street still cast in morning shadows. The gentle rustle of leaves accompanied the gust of wind that brushed his ears. Another minute of walking saw him in front of his door. A twist of the key unlocked his home where he stepped inside. He closed the door and prepared to kick off his shoes before stopping himself. Habits. I need to change my habits. I¡¯ve grown far too lazy. He bent down as he attempted to untie his shoe laces while stretching out with his toe touches. He grunted with the strain of his stretched muscles. His laces untied, he shifted his balance over one foot and lifted the other to peel off his shoe. Another shift of his balance found the other shoe removed as well. He bent over once again and placed his shoes on the tiled floor of the foyer. Pleased with the extra bit of effort, Jacob made his way through the tiny living room to the kitchen. He opened the pantry and pulled out water bottle which he immediately downed. A loud satisfied gasp escaped his lips when he emptied the bottle. He threw the empty container into a sack for recycling and walked to his bedroom. He peeled off his sweat covered shirt and removed his shorts along with his socks chunking them into his dirty clothes bag. A few strides later he had the bathroom door open and turned on his shower to warm up the water. While he waited for the heat, he grabbed his toothbrush and did a quick brush and rinse. He saw steam had risen behind him from the shower. He discarded his underwear and stepped inside letting the warmth radiate through his sore muscles. He took a good five minutes slowly rotating under the stream of water as he enjoyed the soreness in his muscles melt away. A quick lather and rinse finished the shower leaving him refreshed and ready for the rest of the day. He dried himself off with a towel and threw it along with his underwear into the dirty clothes bag. As he moved into his closet he call out, ¡°Hey, Sam!¡± ¡°Yes, Sir!¡± ¡°Play me some upbeat jazz.¡± Requested Jacob. ¡°Loading music titled Morning Jazz ¨C Upbeat Music.¡± Replied Sam when a relaxing beat echoed throughout the rooms. Jacob bounced his head in time with the beat as he shifted through his garments. He pulled on his boxer briefs and grabbed a pair of socks with his blue jeans and a black t-shirt. He threw the clothing onto his bed and returned to the bathroom where he applied some deodorant. He tussled his hair into a pulled back mess with a dime sized portion of gel. He washed the stickiness from his hands and returned to his clothes on the bed. Again, he practiced his balance when he pulled his jeans and socks on. He pulled his shirt on over his head and left the room to get some food from the kitchen.You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. In the kitchen he opened the refrigerator only to have his face fall in disappointment. Inside the fridge was a barren landscape of condiments and old to-go boxes. Frustrated he emptied the rest of the fridge leaving only the eggs while the rest went into his trash. The eggs he pulled out onto his counter. He reached under the counter and opened a cabinet door to pull out a frying pan that he placed on the stove top. He flicked the burner onto a medium-low heat and poured a bit of olive oil into the pan. His attention returned to the eggs grabbing three of them. He cracked them in quick succession and scrambled them in a bowl. A few minutes later and Jacob was sitting at his small two-person table. In front of him laid a simple plain omelet. The jog and time spent cooking left him feeling ravenous. A feeling that he was all too happy to bury by shoveling the food into his mouth. Finished, he grabbed his plate and pan bringing both to the sink where he quickly scrubbed them down while fighting the urge to just leave them, so he could get to his research faster. Just a few more moments. I don¡¯t want to leave this mess out and develop a bad habit while I¡¯m trying for good habits. Finally, the dishes were done. He felt like a little kid as he ran to his room and shouted, ¡°Hey, Sam! Stop playing the music.¡± ¡°Yes, Sir!¡± replied Sam as the music cut off. Jacob bounded across the living room into his game room only to stop himself halfway there snapping his fingers. ¡°Suit.¡± He reminded himself. He ran back to his room and gathered the gear off the floor where he had left it the night before. With the gear in hand he hustled back to the game room and power on his computer. Logged in, he booted up the software for Choice of Fate: Online while changing into his haptic suit. He successfully contacted the servers as he pulled on his boots and gloves with his suit. A grin plastered his face as excitement beamed across his face. He grabbed his helmet and positioned himself next to the M.U.C. He pulled down his helmet sending himself into darkness and stepped back until he felt the push of the M.U.C. The familiar sounds of the machine echoed out through the room as it whirred to life. The tubes and hoses of the M.U.C. snapped and whizzed into place along his suit. He was gently lifted into the air as his helmet bloomed to life. The planet of Moirai floated in space before him. He reached out with his hands and commanded, ¡°Log in!¡± Again, he rocketed through space to the planet. This time the journey was far faster and less cinematic. He slammed in his ethereal energy form at the Origin Temple where a statue of Veralic stood. He spared no attention to any other statues or the center of the temple. He reached out and merged with Veralic causing the world around him to blur from the temple scene to the plaza from which he had logged out. There he noticed the plaza nearly empty as many players had not yet logged on in the morning. He grinned as he looked around the plaza for a fountain. He spotted one not too far from his current location. ¡°Practice at every opportunity, right?¡± he muttered to himself. He bobbed up and down a few times getting a feel for the rhythm. As if responding to an unseen signal, he leaned his weight forward and used his Dash skill. Dash and bob continued the pattern as he weaved his way through the few players on this early. He twisted and came to a stop by the fountain. There he sat down and pulled up his ability menu along with his digital notebook. Next to the trickling sound of water, he began to take notes. He gestured his way through several menus for his Gifts of the Dark ability. In his journal he made notes about abilities that could be purchased. He recorded the level 1 to level 50 abilities cost from 20 P.P. to 1,000 P.P. to purchase. Next, he scrolled over to the permanent stat boosts. There he noted that the cost for a single individual stat boost was 25 P.P. Hmm, that¡¯s a pretty expensive price, at least when compared to my starting P.P. of 100. Further down the stats portion of the menu he noticed a new pricing scheme to purchase a +1 stat per level bonus. These would cost 625 P.P. a piece every time he wanted to gain the bonus for a stat. The cost in P.P. is comparable to 25 individual one-time stat gains. So, I¡¯ll easily come out ahead after gaining 25 levels¡­ Which brings me to the cost of just buying experience points. He scrolled to a new part of the menu and found the conversion rate of P.P. to experience. He recorded in his journal that he would need to spend 1 P.P. per 100 experience points. I could power level early using up my P.P., but that would negatively impact my future growth. He shifted his position on the fountain. The cost-effective route appears to be the purchasing of bonus stats per level and then power leveling. He opened an in-game browser through the menu features and searched up the max stats one could gain from levels. He marked down 750 as the natural maximum of a stat through level bonuses. He pulled up a calculator and checked his numbers. His expression broke into one of shock at he looked at the numbers. To maximize one stat while leveling from 1 to 50 would require a +15 level bonus. That would require a total of 9,375 P.P. for just one stat to max out at 50. This is going to be expensive. He returned to his browser and searched for sources of P.P. in game. There are various fruits like the Astral Fruit that award 5-10 P.P. Beyond the Astral Fruits are Golden Apples which award 50-100 P.P. The best is Ambrosia Fruit dropped by god-tiered raid bosses which award 500-1,000 P.P. when consumed. Jacob sighed to himself and muttered, ¡°You really set yourself a challenge here.¡± He spent the next half-hour pouring over his options for P.P. when he received the notification he had been hoping to see. There in his friend list was Kronos with a green light by his icon indicating his presence as being online. Jacob wasted no time and sent Kronos a message asking for a moment of his time. Jacob waited in anticipation for a minute when Kronos finally replied, ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ve got some time to kill this morning. I¡¯ll be in the plaza where I last saw you in about 5 minutes. C¡¯ya soon!¡± Ch. 13 Jacob accessed his status screen to review his options while he waited for Kronos to show up. While examining the screen he rearranged the order information was displayed.
Character Screen: Veralic (Pythag3) Level: Contractor 1 /Experience(EXP): 0
Race: Half-Devil Origin: Dark
Combat Information:
Health Points (HP) ¨C 180/180 Health Regen (HR) ¨C 10/minute
Mana Points (MP) ¨C 160/160 Mana Regen (MR) ¨C 31/minute
Stamina (STA) ¨C 200/200 Stamina Regen (SR) ¨C 20
Base Stats:
Strength (STR) ¨C 10 Knowledge (KNO) ¨C 11 (+1/Level)
Endurance (END) ¨C 10 Spirit (SPI) ¨C 10
Agility (AGI) ¨C 10 Social (SOC) ¨C 11 (+1/Level)
Resource Stats:
Potential Points (PP) ¨C 23 Fate ¨C 10 (+1/Level)
Marks 52
He closed the window after seeing his marks total and recalled that he still had no weapon. He checked the in-game clock and saw that he had a few more minutes before Kronos would arrive. He hopped off his perch by the fountain and dashed past the early morning players to the nearby market district. He got lost for a minute before he found a weapon store that carried a quarterstaff to his liking. He practiced a few striking motions that Kronos had taught him. His hand slid smoothly along the wooden staff as he snapped one iron tipped end out in a jab strike. Satisfied with the feel of the weapon, he paid the merchant 9 marks and stepped out into the market. Here the activity was picking up as players were logging in to pick up supplies for their adventures that day. Jacob wandered through the streets venturing closer to the plaza while he checked out the offerings in the various storefronts. He was startled from his exploration by a beeping notification. ¡°Hey I¡¯m here. Where are you?¡± messaged Kronos. Jacob dashed back towards the plaza as he messaged back. ¡°Was picking up my weapon from the merchants. Send an invite so I can find you faster.¡± Another notification sounded off that asked Jacob if he wanted to join Kronos¡¯ party. Jacob accepted and received an arrow overlay in his vision directing him towards Kronos¡¯ position. A few moments later, Jacob dashed past another player coming into view of Kronos who waved in greeting. Jacob dashed one last time coming to a halt as his stamina zeroed out on him. He laughed as he was forced to walk the rest of the way to Kronos. The crimson bald demon player joined in the laugh and asked, ¡°Liking your dash ability?¡± Jacob smiled in joy and said, ¡°Yup! I¡¯ve gotten over the blur motion by choosing one focal point. I¡¯m loving the rush of bobbing in place and suddenly bursting in any given direction!¡± ¡°I bet¡­¡± Replied Kronos whose face turned into a frown. ¡°Did you not do any quests? Your level is still 1¡­¡± Jacob waved off the concern and said, ¡°Yeah, I was beat after training with you last night and crashed as soon as I logged. But that¡¯s ok as I did some research this morning about my abilities. From what I¡¯ve gathered I¡¯ll want to delay leveling for as long as possible, at least at the start.¡± Kronos¡¯ frown returned. ¡°What? How are you going to survive the Purification and earn bonuses then?¡± Jacob smiled. ¡°I won¡¯t earn bonuses because I¡¯ll be hiding in the back lines.¡± Concern flooded Kronos face. ¡°Hey, I¡¯m cocky and I believe my guild will be able to hold off the Light this time¡­ But you have to face the reality that they¡¯re likely to break through.¡± ¡°And if they do break through then what happens?¡± asked Jacob with curiosity in his eyes. ¡°Well any number of events really. The most popular option right now is for major guild to conquer the starting towns like this one and force a new game plus for everyone. Basically, a reset to level 1 where they get bonus abilities while we would get bonus experience growth for the week following the reset.¡± Explained Kronos. Jacob interrupted, ¡°Then there would be a surge of players going through the tutorial and early level instance, right?¡± Kronos nodded throwing Jacob a suspicious look and said, ¡°Yes, there¡¯s always a surge of early level instances at the end of each cycle. But aren¡¯t you concerned about the lost experience since a forced reset will leave you without the bonus experience growth due to your ability?¡± Jacob shook his head. ¡°No, any reset will be to my advantage if my understanding is correct. Now you said the most popular option is the reset one. That implies other options.¡± Kronos grinned. ¡°Yeah, there¡¯s another option that a few major guilds attempted at the start. They still conquer starting towns, but instead of forcing a reset they use the portals in the plaza. Once the town is seized they are able to open gateways that release god-tiered raid bosses. When the game was first released, all of the max leveled guilds attempted to take down god-tiered bosses.¡±The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. Kronos shook his head with mirth. ¡°Man were they in for a surprise when the bosses tore into their ranks. Many of the guilds had instant wipes and had to pop their Fate to revive. Even then they were barely able to scratch the bosses. To top all of this off, they were fighting them with the boost that placed them at an instance boss level. Most gave up and retreated to other towns to reset as they lacked the stats and abilities to take on these god-tiered raid bosses. The light origin guild Entropy was the only one that managed to take down one of them. They had to burn most of their Fate in that fight to win though.¡± Jacob held up a hand to stop Kronos. ¡°Wait. I thought the revive option through Fate had a one-hour cooldown.¡± Kronos nodded. ¡°It does, but during a Purification or Apocalypse that cooldown is reduced to 5 minutes for the attackers and 2 minutes for the defenders.¡± ¡°Ah,¡± said Jacob. ¡°Is that why you were so concerned about your Fate during the tutorial instance?¡± ¡°Uh-huh. I was actually down to 4 Fate from my guild pushing through to the starting towns in the last Apocalypse.¡± Confirmed Kronos. ¡°But it was worth it for the extra abilities and bonus per level in my strength.¡± ¡°Is the new game option the normal way to get the extra bonus stats per level outside of character creation?¡± asked Jacob. ¡°Yup,¡± responded Kronos before pursing his lips together in thought. ¡°At least that¡¯s the only way that I know. Anyway, what was it you wanted to talk about?¡± ¡°PP.¡± explained Jacob. ¡°I know about the fruits and how you can get them by running instances and taking down bosses. But I need another way of earning them. A lot of them.¡± Kronos shrugged. ¡°That¡¯s easy. Do what that light origin player in the tutorial did and queue up as an instance boss. Select your benefits and which rewards you¡¯re aiming for. If you want to maximize then select only PP as your reward. You won¡¯t get any experience or marks though. If you really want to min-max, then you should only select one benefit such as the boss boost to double your stats. Though that does mean you won¡¯t be able to farm Fate like he did while min-maxing.¡± Jacob pulled up the menu options to check out the instance queue features that Kronos mentioned. He went through each option and selected the PP related ones while he removed everything else. When he finished he saw a warning of a high difficulty level with a cost of 5 P.P. to queue. ¡°Queueing costs resources?!¡± exclaimed Jacob. ¡°Oh yeah, that¡¯s to keep people from spamming and throwing fights. The cost goes up the higher your level, but so do the rewards.¡± Explained Kronos. Jacob exited the screen and pulled up his Dealmaker skill. He laid out some parchment with his gems used for contracts and said, ¡°I want to front load this fight in my favor as much as possible. Will you help me out by letting me manipulate our stats really quick?¡± Kronos tilted his head and squinted his eyes as he answered, ¡°Depends¡­ What¡¯s going to change?¡± ¡°I want 5 of your Endurance while you get 5 of my Social. I want the combat boost along with the multiplier to push my health above the level they would expect. Can you do that for me? I¡¯ll pay the P.P. for the hour duration.¡± Begged Jacob. Kronos laughed, ¡°Is that all? I¡¯ve already gained my extra Endurance from leveling to 10 so I can manage with the small decrease in health. Go ahead and make your pact!¡± ¡°Thanks!¡± replied Jacob as he placed the gems in various positions on the parchment. He scribbled various command glyphs and drew lines connecting the current placement of gems. A few minutes later he finished and rolled up the contract. He quickly reviewed the results in his ability menu.
Pact of Lorka- (1-hour) Target: -5 END, and +5 SOC. Self: +5 END, -5 SOC, and -1 PP. Duration: 1-hour. Cost: 158 M.P. Upon Expiration of Contract: Target: +5 END, and -5 SOC. Self: -5 END, and +5 SOC.
He presented one end to Kronos and said. ¡°Ready?¡± Kronos nodded to which Jacob intoned, ¡°To thee this binding I offer!¡± A swirl of green energy cascaded around his palm as a notification screen popped up for Kronos.
Veralic offers you the Pact of Lorka: Should you accept, the following changes will occur: -5 END, and +5 SOC. After 1 hour the Pact of Lorka will expire resulting in: +5 END, and -5 SOC. Do you accept these terms? ACCEPT DECLINE
Kronos glanced over the terms and clicked accept. A swirl of green energy flowed from his hand as he grasped the contract. Together the energy joined with Jacobs drawing in five wisps from both players. From Jacob came amethyst colored strands along with a sixth snowy white strand. From Kronos came a dark sage green energy flecked with bits of red. The energy condensed into a bright glowing ball of energy before dispersing into both players. Flashes of purple flowed into Kronos while Jacob received the green flecked with red energy. ¡°Thanks!¡± said Jacob pulling up the instance boss queue. He quickly selected the necessary options that focused on just P.P. as the reward and chose just the boss boost. He doublechecked his choices and confirmed his choice losing 5 P.P. A notification popped up informing him that he was now queued for a level 1-3 instance as a boss. ¡°Hey! Just in case you don¡¯t know this, focus the healer. If you ignore the healer, then you¡¯ll just end up wasting the resources you spent on queueing up. Your DPS probably isn¡¯t high enough to completely burst down any enemy player, so make sure to stick with one target at a time with healers being a priority.¡± Warned Kronos. ¡°Got it. Wish me luck!¡± said Jacob as he was being enveloped in dark clouds. ¡°Good luck and may the RNG gods be in your favor!¡± shouted Kronos as Jacob was pulled away into the void. Once more, Jacob found himself floating in the empty space of the portal¡¯s void. This time he was better prepared and kept calm as he waited for the new light to flare into existence. This really is just a loading screen. A purple light opened in front of him drawing him out of the void. A thundering crack resounded through the dimly lit cavern he landed in. Six tiny imps circled around him crying out in high pitched squeaks, ¡°Boss is here! Boss is here!¡±, ¡°We serve!¡±, and ¡°Command us!¡± Jacob blinked in surprise at the green and red scurrying minions that surrounded him. ¡°Uh¡­¡± ¡°Yes!?¡± pleaded the imps while rubbing their clawed hands together in anticipation. Jacob cleared his voice and commanded, ¡°You three focus your attacks on whoever I attack. You three will attack the others and slow them as best you can.¡± The imps jumped with glee and paced around the room waiting for the enemy to arrive. Jacob held back a grin and opened his status window to see the effectiveness of the boss boost on his stats.
Character Screen: Veralic (Pythag3) Level: Contractor 1 /Experience(EXP): 0
Race: Half-Devil Origin: Dark
Combat Information:
Health Points (HP) ¨C 460/460 Health Regen (HR) ¨C 30/minute
Mana Points (MP) ¨C 310/310 Mana Regen (MR) ¨C 122/minute
Stamina (STA) ¨C 600/600 Stamina Regen (SR) ¨C 60
Base Stats:
Strength (STR) ¨C 20 Knowledge (KNO) ¨C 22 (+1/Level)
Endurance (END) ¨C 30 Spirit (SPI) ¨C 20
Agility (AGI) ¨C 20 Social (SOC) ¨C 11 (+1/Level)
Resource Stats:
Potential Points (PP) ¨C 17 Fate ¨C 10 (+1/Level)
Marks 43
Jacob scanned his surroundings and saw that he was still alone. Guess I have a few minutes before they show up. Might as well familiarize myself with the terrain. He turned to the imps and commanded, ¡°Follow and watch out for intruders.¡± The six imps jumped and glided over to his side waiting for him to move. With his minions in tow, Jacob set out to explore the cavern that made up the boss room in which he would soon be fighting. Ch. 14 Jacob wandered the empty black rock cavern. His hand traced a path as he walked the perimeter of the room. The room was elliptical with a few protrusions every dozen feet. The entrance consisted of a simple wooden door covered in runes and a glowing red light. Curious, he attempted to open the door only to be repelled by an invisible wall. Right, no leaving the boss room. He turned his back and examined the center of the room. There appeared to be an incline leading to a miniature hill with a pit in the middle. A cursory view of the pit revealed two paths that would allow one to exit out to either side of the hill. At the end of these exits were another set of inclines leading to edges that dropped off near the walls of the cavern. I¡¯ll have several paths I can take to cut off line of sight, at least that¡¯s assuming they can¡¯t keep pace with my dash. He looked from his minions to the bottom of the pit. Maybe an ambush will help me take down the adventurers? He walked down into the pit from the right-side entrance/exit with his imps. Once below the pit drop, he looked to three of the imps and commanded, ¡°You three! Guard this position. Attack enemies on sight.¡± He looked to the three other imps and guided them over to the other tunnel just out of view from the pit drop. ¡°You three! Guard this position. Attack enemies on sight.¡± The little imps nodded with glee jumping up and down. Jacob had just walked out of the left pit tunnel when the wooden door shook with a bang. The glowing red light dimmed while the cavern lighting increased. That¡¯s my cue. He hurried his way to the top of the center hill with the pit. There he supported his weight on his quarterstaff with his hands resting on top. Two more bangs echoed out from the door while he waited. Each bang flooded the room with more crimson light until he felt like he was standing under a red sun. A fourth bang saw the wooden door flung opened. Three adventurers of light origin stepped through. In the lead was a gruff human clad in leather armor. His brunette hair was pulled back in a man bun that poked through the top of a thick leather band that protected his temple and forehead. His green eyes scoured the room above his thick curly facial hair. Wherever his eyes scanned his arms followed with a drawn bow ready to fire. He stepped gingerly into the room, his arrow filled quiver bounced at his side with every step. He regarded Jacob in the center for a moment before he called back to the other two behind him, ¡°No minions or traps detected. Boss appears to be waiting in the center.¡± The other two adventurers flanked out behind the leather clad human. To his right was a female elf dressed in white robes Her hair and eyes were both silver as she too examined the room before settling on Jacob. She readied her staff in front of her in a guard position. Jacob noticed the top of the staff was topped with a metal circle inlaid with an upside-down triangle. He grinned at her thinking. You just scream healer. He brought his gaze from her to the last adventurer. This one was a half-celestial that towered over the other two by a foot. The crimson light that flooded from above seemed to flow around his golden glow. He locked eyes with Jacob while tossing his head back causing his white-haired pony tail to sway back and forth. The half-celestial drew his longsword with his right hand from the scabbard on his waist. He raised his shielded left arm and pointed the tip at Jacob and told his companions, ¡°Follow behind and use me for cover. Fenris, take his flank and start shooting when you think he is range. If he engages retreat to me so I can charge him down. Go!¡± Man bun, Fenris, broke into a sprint and headed for Jacob¡¯s right flank. The other two approached Jacob directly. The elf laid her hands on the back of the half-celestial. A blue light flashed around the man, a possible buff from what was likely a priestess. Jacob glanced to his right and saw Fenris draw his bow string taut. Immediately Jacob picked up his quarterstaff, bobbed up and down while slowly backing away using the angle of the hill to hide his lower half. He twitched his head back to the other two as they advanced. He caught sight of a blur of motion as he looked at the other two. Panic and adrenaline flooded his system which fueled the activation of a dash. The arrow that had been aimed at his chest brushed by missing him by an inch. Relief filled Jacob momentarily at his successful dodge. That was quickly crushed by the bone wracking blow that sliced into his chest from the half-celestial¡¯s long sword slicing up. -23 physical damage. Shock covered Jacob¡¯s face from the coordinated attack. The half-celestial pressed his advantage swiping at Jacob¡¯s exposed midsection. Jacob dashed to the side trying to flank around to the healer only to see her side step keeping the half-celestial between her and Jacob. Frustration painted Jacob¡¯s face as he struck at the half-celestial managing to bang his quarter staff against the shield. He drew his quarterstaff back prepared to attack again. The half-celestial however, pushed back with his shield and followed up with a piercing strike hidden behind the shield. Jacob again dashed back from the blow only to see an arrow flying directly into his dash. The arrow traced a green light from Fenris¡¯ bow that slammed into Jacob¡¯s shoulder. -5.7 physical damage. -3.5 poison damage. -3.5 poison damage. -3.5 poison damage. -3.5 poison damage. -3.5 poison damage. The damage notifications flew up in the corner of Jacob¡¯s vision. He gritted his teeth against the dull electrical sensation his suit was sending into his shoulder. He saw his HP was already down to 413.8 and started to run sideways down the hill to line up the half-celestial with Fenris to block his aim. The others didn¡¯t wait for Jacob and gave chase. The priestess sent out another buff causing a green flash to surround the half-celestial. She then hid behind him as Jacob pivoted and dashed right at them. The longsword slashed down at Jacob from the left. He pressed forward and activated a dash that angled him 10 degrees past the shield. The slash clanged into the ground as Jacob dashed to the right of the healer. He swiped with his quarterstaff at her head as he dashed by landing a critical hit. The swipe however left Jacob¡¯s chest exposed once again. Fenris didn¡¯t miss the opportunity and fired another poisoned arrow right into his chest scoring a critical hit of his own. -11.4 physical damage. *Critical* -7 poison damage. *Critical* -7 poison damage. *Critical* -7 poison damage. *Critical* -7 poison damage. *Critical* -7 poison damage. *Critical* Jacob staggered from the blow. He glanced at his remaining 367.4 HP. He grasped his quarterstaff and swiped horizontally at the healer¡¯s shoulder staggering her in the process. The roar of the half-celestial pummeled Jacob¡¯s ears as the man slashed down with the longsword. Jacob was still in mid-swing as the blade descended towards his left shoulder blade.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. Jacob took a gamble and dashed up the hill backwards following the half-celestial¡¯s slash. A grin split Jacob¡¯s face as he was rewarded with the sight of a green arrow streak flying off to his right where Fenris thought he would go. Jacob took his left hand off his staff and flicked his wrist sending a Hellfire Ball plowing into the healer. He spared no more thoughts for the other two and spun around to dash straight up the hill to Fenris. The archer managed to fire off two more shots as Jacob advanced. Both shots found purchase in Jacob, one in his left thigh and the other one in his right bicep. -5.7 physical damage. -5.7 physical damage. Jacob growled and dashed forward in another burst of speed. Fenris took one startled step back closer to the pit. Jacob¡¯s grin widened as he jabbed forward at Fenris¡¯ head who weaved to the side but took another step towards the pit as a result. Fenris held his bow behind his back and pulled out a dagger that he used to swipe at Jacob¡¯s advances. Jacob ventured a quick glance behind and saw the other two running up the hill. The elf cast another spell that enveloped her in white light healing some of her wounds. Jacob grasped his quarterstaff in both hands and pressed the attack. He struck out two times, but Fenris dodged easily enough. Jacob judged that they were no more than a few feet from the pit¡¯s edge. He brought his quarterstaff up from a low swipe like an upper cut causing Fenris to lean back. Jacob took the chance and dashed into Fenris pushing the man off balance into the pit. A scream echoed out from Fenris¡¯ fall followed by a loud crunch from his landing. Sadistic cries of glee erupted from below as the imps swarmed Fenris. ¡°Help! He has imps in reserve! I won¡¯t last down here alone! HURRY!¡± shouted Fenris accompanied by the barks and shrieks of the imps. Jacob readied his quarterstaff as he stared down the advancing elf and half-celestial. The half-celestial glared at Jacob and called over his shoulder to his companion, ¡°Jump on, we¡¯re going after Fenris!¡± The elf followed the half-celestial¡¯s command jumping on his back. Jacob raised one eyebrow at the two and gestured to one of the lower entrances with his quarterstaff. ¡°Entrance is down there. You better hurry if-.¡± The half-celestial roared and banged the hilt of his longsword against his shield triggering an ability. Immediately the two charged at Jacob who had to dash to avoid them. This opened the path to the pit which the two plummeted down. When the two slammed into the bottom of the pit, a series of clashes and yips echoed out. Jacob recovered and ran to the lip of the pit as flashes of color erupted from the activation of skills. The three adventurers had their backs to each other and were successfully repelling the attacks of the imps. Bright white light cascaded down upon Fenris whenever the elf had the opportunity to cast the heal. Jacob bit his lower lip. Did not expect them all to end up down there¡­ He grinned at his next thought. Though they are tightly packed down there now and taking damage from the imps¡­ Time to go all out then! Jacob set down his quarterstaff and stood over the pit. He flicked his right wrist and threw the summoned Hellfire Ball down at the three adventurers setting them ablaze. Curses rang out from below as Jacob flicked his left hand summoning a second one. One after another Hellfire Ball was thrown down the pit until five had been thrown leaving Jacob with a nearly empty mana pool. He listened carefully for signs of any survivors. Two yelps whined out from the clang of metal on the cavern floor. The flames died away to reveal the half-celestial¡¯s heavily burnt form dispatching the remaining imps. Jacob clicked his tongue in frustration, grabbed his quarterstaff, and leapt down the pit. He managed to slam into the half celestial minimizing his fall damage. -46 fall-damage. Jacob dragged himself up off the floor and grasped his quarterstaff in both hands. He saw that only the half-celestial was still alive while everyone else was dead. The half-celestial raised himself off the ground and roared into another charge that sliced into Jacob stunning him. The adventurer followed the stun up with a double-slash skill attack that left Jacob¡¯s chest tingling like it was on fire. -17.6 physical damage. -16.4 physical damage. -16.4 physical damage. Jacob struck back with his own blows when the stun wore off. His blows were only doing about 12-damage though. The two danced back in forth trying to hit each other. The half-celestial relented and allowed Jacob to land five more hits bringing him to the verge of death. Jacob was about to follow up with another when his stamina bar flashed red from being empty. The half-celestial grinned when Jacob faltered. The combination of charge and double-slashes slammed into Jacob peeling away his hit points. One after the other until the half-celestial was also out of stamina. -17.6 physical damage. -16.4 physical damage. -16.4 physical damage. -17.6 physical damage. -16.4 physical damage. -16.4 physical damage. -17.6 physical damage. -16.4 physical damage. -16.4 physical damage. The two stared each other down panting as they waited for their stamina to recover. Jacob glanced at his HP and grimaced at the 108.4 that he saw. His opponent saw the grimace and said, ¡°Is this it? Is that all you have?¡± Jacob frowned as his stamina recovered enough to strike the half-celestial. He raised his quarterstaff and aimed for the man¡¯s head. ¡°It was good enough to beat you.¡± He brought the staff down hard and was blinded when he connected. Though he could not see he did hear the body of the other man crumple to the ground. He blinked his eyes a few times as his vision returned to reveal a floating orb of white energy above the corpse of the half-celestial. What the¡­? The orb hovered for a second before slamming down into the half-celestial¡¯s corpse causing a wave of white energy to travel along the cavern floor and into the corpses of his companions. All three adventurers swirled with grey energy with flecks of white in response to the crash of energy from the orb. Their corpses hovered into the air off the ground in the swirl of grey energy as the flecks of white energy grew in intensity restoring their bodies. Another flash of white light released the three adventurers fully restored. ¡°Aw come on!¡± cried Jacob before he was stunned from the charge of the half-celestial. -17.6 physical damage. ¡°Gen get the buffs out! Fenris go all out he¡¯s spent on mana and stamina with maybe a quarter of health left!¡± commanded the half-celestial. Red flashes of light shone on Fenris and the half-celestial from the elf¡¯s buffs. Fenris followed with another poisoned shot while the half-celestial performed another double-slash. -8.2 physical damage. -3.5 poison damage. -3.5 poison damage. -3.5 poison damage. -3.5 poison damage. -3.5 poison damage. -20.2 physical damage. -20.2 physical damage. A sliver of health, 24.7 in all, remained as Jacob recovered from the charge¡¯s stun. He flicked his wrist and threw a Hellfire Ball with the little mana that had recovered at the elf. The half-celestial intercepted the attack with his shield and glared at Jacob who responded, ¡°Can you blame me for trying?¡± Fenris drew his bow back for a final attack and the half-celestial twirled his longsword in preparation for another double-slash. Jacob sighed and gave them a quick bow and said, ¡°Thanks for the fight! You taught me a lot.¡± The others chuckled at his bow. The half-celestial shook his head and then finished Jacob off with a double slash. -20.2 physical damage. -20.2 physical damage. Jacob found himself floating in a black abyss. A smile hung on his face as he reviewed the fight in his mind. I¡¯ve got a long way to go if I want to take on more than three opponents in the boss mode. I need a way to use my abilities more without running out of gas for them. They had me pinned as soon as I was on empty. A blue notification popped up interrupting his thoughts.
You¡¯ve Died! The following is the calculated rewards based off your selections: +30 PP (@ 10 PP per player killed) +25 PP (@ 25 PP per total party wipe) +0 PP (@ 1 P.P. per surviving minion)
Score Multiplier: 2x multiplier for voiding experience and marks.
Total: 2*55 PP = 110 PP
Jacob¡¯s smile widened upon seeing the total. 127 PP! I should be able to get more abilities to help in my boss fights with that. A purple light flared into existence at his feet. Soon he was enveloped by the portal and returned to the plaza. He landed with a thud and looked around for Kronos. He gave up after a minute of searching and thought. I guess he had errands to run. I really wanted to go over my first fight with him. He sighed to himself and sat down by the fountain to peruse his choices from his Gifts of the Dark ability.