《The Final Quest》 The Lone Legend ___________________________________________________________ Our story begins at the Throat of the World. With all of the Dovahkiin''s enemies hopelessly outclassed, they decided to band together. With a literal sea of enemies scaling the mountain sides, avoiding the occasional dragon corpse that fell down, they had the Dovahkiin surrounded. Dragons flew through the air, covering the pale sky as they swooped in. They could no longer stand the Dovahkiin being the alpha Dov, as a mortal could not truly command the Dov. Alone the Dovahkiin stood, shouting down dragons from the sky. A single swing from one of it¡¯s blades obliterated droves of creatures. A single punch blew away scores off the mountain, Thousands were shot down before battle even started, their arrow filled body contained all the arrows the Dovahkiin ever collected. Alone and unafraid of what comes next. Reminiscing the past lives that were lived as the Dovahkiin fought on through the waves. Shortly after it¡¯s fourth incarnation, the Dovahkiin realised what the world was. It¡¯s sixth incarnation it mastered more spells and magic than what was thought possible. It¡¯s current and final incarnation was having it¡¯s last bits of fun before the gods took the soul that inhabited the Dovahkiin¡¯s body. With multiple incarnations, and thousands of dragon souls for it to feed on. The Dovahkiins soul was hundreds of times stronger than a regular mortal. The only thing that could possibly hold the Dovahkiin¡¯s soul was the Black Star. The Dovahkiin smiled at the thought as another dragon was felled by the blade. Although the Black star is powerful, the Dovahkiin chose to keep it as it was intended. Five days later, and sea of enemies was still on the attack. The ground on the throat of the world was stained red, bodies of the fallen were being raised to fight on both sides. Hundreds of times, specters of sovngarde helped the Dovahkiin, and hundreds of times they were killed, over run by the seemingly never ending tide. It seemed that the stalemate would last forever, when Seven men stepped through portals. Each one held an elder scroll. Each one wearing a long grey robe. Each one with worn out faces. ¡°Dragonborn, by the order of the gods themselves, we demand that you lower your weapons, and surrender yourself to our custody.¡± ¡°I already said this, and I will say it again.You¡¯ll never take me alive!¡± ¡°Then you leave us no choice.¡± The Dovahkiin¡¯s sword swung once more, only to be blocked by a poweful barrier, which cracked under the pressure of the weapon, only to be enhanced by six more similarly powerful barriers. Each barrier enhancing the other The men on by one open the scrolls, the power in the air building ¡°By the will of the gods.¡± The man on the furthest right said as he opened his scroll, the Redguard was clearly ready to finish it ¡°By the will of men¡± The Imperial accent was clearly and cleanly heard as the scroll unraveled open ¡°By the will of the Sun¡± The Dark Elf''s eyes reflected the light from the occasional lighting strike as he opened his scroll ¡°By the will of the Moon¡± The cunning voice of the Kajit cut threw the air as the fourth scroll opened ¡°By the will of Oblivion¡± The voice of the orc was rough and brave as contents of the scroll was revealed ¡°By the will of Tamriel¡± The Nordic voice of courage was heard as the next scroll opened ¡°And by the will of the Dragons¡± the man in the center said, opening the last of the present 7 Elder ScrollsEnsure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. ¡°¡±¡±¡±¡±¡±¡±WE BANISH THEE FROM THIS PLACE, WE BANISH THEE FROM TIME, WE BANISH FROM SPACE, WE BANISH THEE FROM THIS WORLD, WE BANISH THEE AS ONE!!!¡±¡±¡±¡±¡±¡±¡± The scrolls power erupted, if just one scroll could fling the World Eater thousands of years in the future, the power of seven could easily obliterate a mortal from existence. The Dovahkiin looked into the sky as the spell powered up, there would be no escaping the 7 Scroll''s power. The sky was covered with dark clouds, summoned by the storm call shout. ¡°None of us wanted it to come to this Dragonborn, but you left us no choice.¡± The Man in the middle said. The Dovahkiin''s armored head looked towards the man, the helmet blocking the face from view ¡°Can you open the barrier towards the sky¡­¡± The Dovahkiin¡¯s voice was hoarse from all the shouting. The man hesitated, then nodded towards the others and said, "open it. she can not run...no does she have the will to." The Dovahkiin looked back towards the sky, took off the full head helmet, revealing the female face within. The face was like an otherworldly beauty, crimson red war paint covered both of her eyes, trailing off the sides down to her neck. Her skin was a healthy bronze and her one eye was a stunning green. Her left eye was a milky white, an old scar ran across the eye vertically. ¡°She¡¯s a Breton!?¡± The Nord exclaimed. ¡°She¡¯s younger than I thought.¡± the Kajit said, clearly stunned The Bretontook a breath and shouted towards the sky ¡°LOK VAH KOOR!¡± The Clear Skies shout raced towards the clouded sky for the final time as the spell entered it¡¯s final stages. The Breton¡¯s Emerald eyes gazed on the night sky for the final time, the Aurora lights shining above as the moon¡¯s glory shone down on the world. She took out the Aetherial crown and placed it on her head. With her arms resting loosely by her sides, she continued her gaze. It was at that moment, her quest was finally over. The spell started to whip up the snow and blood forming a transparent cylinder around her. The lead man sighed one more time. ¡°I am sorry¡­ my wife¡­ I failed you in your time of need.¡± the man¡¯s voice, although it was softly spoken, the words were heard clear as the current night sky. ¡°Do not apologize¡± the hoarse voice replied to him ¡°There was little left to keep me here. I would have tried to transcend in a couple years¡­ I would have failed.¡± The Breton held up her armored hand, the armor beaten and worn, was still in pristine condition showing the skill of the smith who made it. She looked down upon it like it was a child, and an enemy. Something valuable, yet hateful. ¡°This armor makes me near invincible, my swords render all opponents, my shield guards from sure-kills. But without them, I am still just an common Breton woman, who is a descendant of the dragons and awakened her power by chance.¡± The spell shined showing that it was seconds away from activating. It''s power creating a magic circle around the Breton, layer upon layer of circles appeared, lighting the surroundings in a white light. ¡°I Leave behind no regrets though. I lived my life the way I wanted to live it. When you tuck your children into bed, remember to tell my tale. The tale of the greatest warrior in existence, and the plight she faced. Tell them to be wary of power, because one day it might make the world turn upon you. I leave behind this world and this adventure for the next. Remember my name. Remember the tale of the Dragonborn!¡± The Bretons words echoed down the mountain side as the spell finally activated, banishing the mighty Dragonborn from the world. The story of the final fight of the dragonborn resounded through Tamriel. A painting of the Dragonborn''s moment of star gazing for the final time was painted. Her Bronze skin in the moonlight, the stars and the Aurora overhead. Her green eye''s reflected the lonelyness and longing to be with the stars. her black hair freely flowing down her armored back as the Aetherium crowm reflected the moonlight. Her sword and shield held by her sides in acceptance of defeat. although her armor was covered with the blood of her enemies, not a drop could be seen on her face. The skellitons of dragons and the corpses of men covered the mountain. A goddess of battle gazing, longing for the peace of the sky, and yet was stuck in the chaos of the mortal world. The Tale was told, creating a legend. The Legend faded, becoming a myth. From truth to legend to myth. From Era to Era. The Legend of the FInal Dragonborn was heard until the World Eater returned to fulfill his purpose. A perfect ending for one of the greatest warrior who ever lived. But the story doesn''t end there... Chapter one: On a New World It is often said that the ending of one tale is the beginning of the next one. As the Breton was flung from the world she knew and loved she found the void that she was traveling through as an other worldly beauty. Traveling at a speed where everything''s a blur, witnessing the countless timelines that could¡¯ve happened. Each one unique, each one had it¡¯s own special spark. She could feel her soul and body''s connection to the world being strained as she was flung further and further away. If it was any other mortal they would have passed out long ago, right when the spell was activated. Finally the connection snapped, causing the Breton to wince in pain. It felt like she had lost an important part of herself.The daedric weapons that she painstakingly gathered flew out of her inventory back to the worlds. The Ebony armor and blade. The Mace and razor. The Sword and Shield.The hide and staff. The mask and Hammer. All of them,one by one left her. The hated book was about to fly away when she grabbed it. She had never opened the book in all of her incarnations¡­ it was finally time to change that. Forcing open the book for the first time, The Lost Breton gazed and learned of it¡¯s contents. The book was like slime, oozing through her fingers as she read, trying to escape back to it''s master. When she finished, and knew of the Final Knowledge that she needed to know, she released the book, along with all of Hermaeus Mora¡¯s black books. Although the book could give forbidden knowledge that allowed a novice to rival a master.The Lost Breton already had mastered everything, hundreds of times. What she chose to learn was normally unavailable in Tamriel. Instead of learning all magical knowledge,she narrowed it down to conjuration, more specifically, summoning Daedra. If Daedra could be summoned, could mortal beings also be summoned; and could the reverse happen. Could a being use a summoning spell to cross dimensions? Although the book didn¡¯t reveal everything, only letting her taste the knowledge,as was it¡¯s purpose. The book didn¡¯t dash her hopes. The book crumbled apart as it flew back to Apocrypha,back to it¡¯s dreaded master ¡°So it is possible...but the cost is too great....¡± the Lost Breton muttered to herself as she sped through space and time. She looked back upon the place she had once called home, now just a tiny dot in the distance. She took out her trusty map. The map had been with her since the beginning of her travels in Skyrim. It was worn from overuse, filled with locations she had adventures in. As she looked at each location she recalled what it had looked like. The burned gates and towers of Helgen. The secret cultists at Rorikstead. The college,the companions, the dawnguard, the thieves, and the brotherhood. The horrors at Labyrinthian, and the wonder at the throat of the world. from the caves to the ruins. Finally, she remembered Soverenguard, the great warriors everlasting feast. She would never get to join in thier merryment. ¡°I¡¯ll miss you... my home.¡± she muttered with her hoarse voice. Time passed, and still she flew. The dot was no longer visible, and the effects that accelerated her were no longer present. She was now truly banished from the world. When she adventures she could count on a hand the amount of time she had actually laid down to sleep. There was always something to do, some new challenge to overcome. Now however, all she could do was wait. Wait until she reached a destination. She finally had the time to sleep. There is a world that is filled with wonders and techniques. There is an abundance of powers on this world. Hidden experts who let the world run it¡¯s course. A world where kingdoms are in a constant struggle for power. As fights between experts could change the landscape to an irreparable degree, an agreement was made between the powers of the world. The fights would no longer take place in the physical world, but in the technological world. As the world began to focus more and more into technology, they found a way to transport physical bodies into cyberspace. Of course at first there were misconceptions about the safety of the bodies, but it was put to rest as all that was transfered is physical stats and data. Soon two types of games became popular.aonethat used the player¡¯sactual physical bodies for the stats, and the other that let theplayerusea computer generated body. The compitionion between the two games was to the point that developers had to create the same game twiceto fit both sidedds preferances. Thats when one gaming company came up with the compatability solution. They created a game that allowed both sides to duke it out in the virtual world for the first time. The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. The game was a major hit, and both sides loved it. Ten years later and the two major factions were at eachother¡¯s throats for supremacy for the world¡¯s crown. They decided that the final battle would take place on the Plains of Endless Grass(developer who developed the area couldn¡¯t think of an interesting title for the largest plain in their world, so he named it with a relatively common name). Both sides were standing apart from each other. The Real Body faction in the North, and the Computer Generated Body faction in the south. Neither side was willing to strike the first blow. Now what does this information have to do with the Lost Breton? Well, the world''s technology had become so advanced that they accidentally connected to the Earth that we currently live on, although neither can actually contact or find the others existence. Through this contact, the world now had a connection to the world of Skyrim. Putting it plainly, because Their world is connected to our world, and our world is connected to the Elder Scrolls world, The lost Breton was flung out of her world and into their world. However in order to get there, she was transformed from a physical person into data, data which then sought out the biggest game on their planet. As the RB faction and the CGB faction slowly advanced towards each other, and event notification sounded. It normally would not be such a big deal as there were enough players on both sides to warrant it. However once they looked at it, they realized it was no normal event. *UNIQUE RARE HIDDEN EVENT- DESTROY THE INVADER Description: An Mighty warrior was banished from their world. Chance has brought this warrior to this world. Prepare yourself adventures, for the strongest of you are mere children in front of this god¡¯s might. Difficulty: YOU WILL DIE Reward for attempting: a pair of soiled pants Lose condition: You already did Objective: Survive Bonus objective: Kill the Invader Bonus objective reward: the Invader¡¯s body and items after a mega nerf. Time limit to running away: 10¡­9...8...7...6...5...4...3...2...1...0. Did you run? No? Well, you''re dead Both sides players were confused, thinking that it was a prank by the company, until one person looked towards the sky, and shouted out. A man-sized object was falling through the atmosphere, aiming to land in the exact center of the battle field. The impact was astounding, the shockwave knocked out the people who were the closest to the impact, while taking away three fourths of their health. (note these are tanks at the front, the ones with high defence and health) The Lost Breton opened her eyes, her body rapidly recovering from the fall, standing up she looked around, seeing the perfectly circular 200 meter crater that was made on impact. Looking at the top of the crater, she saw the armored heads of the two factions. Sighing she uttered to herself ¡°another war huh, so peace isn¡¯t here then.¡± She replaced her crown with her helm, completing the armor set. Taking out her sword and shield, she lightly stabbed her sword in the ground, and put the shield on her back. Facing the rising sun, she waited. Since there was most likely going to be a battle, she might as well stay. There was also the fact that the crater was too steep of a climb without a horse. The leads of the two factions decided that they would send in the strongest teams possible to defeat the Invader, who was identified to have a level well over the player¡¯s highest, which was 500. After a intense game of rock-paper-scissors, the CGB faction got to go first. Putting together a raid group of their strongest players, they sent them into the crater. Hearing the sound of armored feet impacting the ground, the Lost Breton saw a group of 30 come over the south ridge. Waiting for the 30 of them to prepare, she spoke to them ¡°Is this all? they sent novices to face me? I¡¯ve met bandits more qualified than you.¡± They all jerked back, clearly offended. The knight with bulky looking armor shouted back ¡°we are here to destroy you, invader. And finish what your people could not.¡± ¡°If this is all you are going to bring to the fight, leave. I have no time or patience for weaklings who can not stand up to a single blow of my sword.¡± The Lost Breton said, fully turning towards the group. ¡°In order to show you this vast gap between us, I will rid this world of you with a single swing.¡± Taking her sword out of the ground, she prepared to attack The player''s were caught slightly off guard, as the battle music that played during the game often reflected the boss''s emotions. It was a sad, powerful song. one that was filled with longing. ¡°Benny, what does the appraisal say?¡± ¡°Guys¡­ I think we¡¯re going to need an army for this.¡± ¡°Come on, it can¡¯t be that bad, right?¡± ¡°See for yourself.¡± *Title: Banished One (80 other hidden titles) Name: You are unqualified to know this. Come back later when the next expansion is out, if you are still alive. HP: 1,000,000,000,000,000,000/1,000,000,000,000,000,000 MP:1,000,000,000,000,000,000/1,000,000,000,000,000,000 SP:1,000,000,000,000,000,000/1,000,000,000,000,000,000 Abilities: oh so many Strength: you be dead by a breath from her Defences: it¡¯s useless to attack Special abilities: Shout(MAX) Weakness: A Perfect Warrior with no weaknesses. good luck Description: a descendant of dragons, a mighty warrior that was banished from her world by it¡¯s will. Has peered into the abyss and returned back unscathed. A master at everything she has ever done. Only has one wish left. ¡°Have you finished your battle preperation? Because it ends now.¡± Chapter two: So Let the Battle Begin With a swing from her sword the front line tanks were gone, killed before they could even register what happened. One of them had a specific item that prevented being one-shotted¡­ and got one shot. The group of 30 suddenly went down to 25 people. ¡°Raid group one to base, we need back up...send everyone.¡± ¡°Already?! But you guys just went in there.¡± ¡°And all of our tanks are dead in one hit. Bombard our position with AOE spells.¡± ¡°But friendly fire?¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter we¡¯re.., oh god¡± The 25 were cut down to 15, The DPS was gone. Then 10, the Healers and mages went down. then 3, Supports were gone, then 0. All 30 people had been wiped in seconds. There wasn¡¯t even enough time to use a revive spell. The Guildmaster of the CGB faction checked his friends list, only to find that the 30 people who were sent in to face the boss were annihilated, they lost ten levels instead of the usual one. The game up till now had a forgiving system, you die, you lose a level. However, while facing a boss it turns unforgiving. The highest amount of levels lost from a boss was five. Considering that one level takes about a day when nearing the 500 mark, it is obvious how much this boss had them out classed. Seeing the 30 bodies turn into particles was a surprise, but what really shocked the Lost Breton was the screen that popped up when she resumed her vigil at the center of the crater. *Notice: A Proposition Description: Although it is not unheard of to find an Outsider in our world, this is the first time one has appeared in this way. I apologize that your welcoming committee was...rude, but normally there are varied reactions for Outsiders. We do know that you were banished from your world,and we welcome you to this virtual world. As you might have noticed, this is not the real world. I have a proposition for you. You help me, I help you. That simple. No strings, no lies, no double crossing. If you can help resolve the conflict between the two factions, I can arrange for a physical body to be prepared. Or you could stay in this world and act as the ¡°final boss¡±, so to say. You see, the two factions have two conflicting points of view that don¡¯t actually matter. One believes that using physical body stats are better, the other believe Computer generated stats are better. Truth is, they both are the same. The only difference between a CGB and a RB is the immersion. CGB has less, while RB has more. CGB feels less pain, while RB feels more. CGB characters can be shared, while RB characters can¡¯t. CBG players require more EXP, while RB has slightly slower regen So, Outsider, will you help bring peace to this war torn world, or will you wallow in grief. Reward: A homestead in your pick of the location -OR- A physical body to explore the real world. The Lost Breton gazed at the sky in silence, thinking about what was written. Thanks to her travels, she had learned how to read and speak many languages. While not exactly the same, the basic form of the words were similar to the common written language of Tamriel. Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! She could understand the majority of what the message said. Bring peace between the two factions in order to get land, or a physical body. ¡°I accept your proposition, however I have one request for this battle. Lock down the entire field where the battle will play out.¡± *that¡¯s it... easy enough. In the distance a transparent wall appeared around the two factions. Puting her weapons away she started to sprint toward the north, where she could hear the advance of another party, most likely from the other faction. Upon reaching the slope she sprinted until it almost became too steep ¡°WULD NAH KEST¡± Like a released arrow, she flew out of the crater, hearing shouts of surprise from the raid group. ¡°SPREAD OUT! TANKS UP FRONT, DPS STAY CLOSE. HEALERS PREPARE YOUR SPELLS, WATCH YOUR COOLDOWNS. HOLD A DEFENSIVE STRATEGY BEFORE WE KNOW ALL THE STAGES!¡± A support mage in the back yelled, warning the team. They had gotten some information from the CGB faction¡¯s raid group, and it wasn¡¯t pretty. A single swing of the sword one shot everyone who didn¡¯t have a life saving item, however what followed that was disgusting. The sword had the effect of Ether fire, ice, or lightning damage, or stealing health, mana, or stamina. The Boss also had a disgusting amount of HP, SP, and MP. There was also the armor, which could possibly be defeated by an peircing effect, were it not for the presence of the shield ¡°ZUUN HAAL VIIK¡± ¡°Watch out!!¡± The DIsarm shout headed towards the DPS group, hitting them. They were all surprised that they didn''t lose any health, until they realised that their weapons were flung out of their hands. ¡°None of you qualify, FAAS RU MAAR¡± A Heavy fear status was afflicted on the majority of the raiding party, causing them to flee in terror. Only one tank stayed, having a high enough will power to block the harsh status effect. ¡°No way....¡± ¡°Hey Jerry, what is it? I know things already look bad, but we can still¡­¡± Jerry interrupted the fire mage ¡°The boss didn¡¯t use any mana.¡± ¡°So it¡¯s a skill, it most likely has a cool down¡­¡± ¡°Normally yes, but this is a humanoid target, so it probably has an item that reduces the cooldown.¡± ¡°So, one is qualified. So mr. knight, do you have what it takes to stop my blade?¡± ¡°With the amount of damage it does, it is unlikely. However that¡¯s not my job.¡± ¡°Then what is your job?¡± ¡°To distract you.¡± A rouge appeared behind The Lost Breton, aiming to steal the sword. If it¡¯s a humanoid target, then it is possible to steal items from it. As the rogues hand swiftly flew towards the sword, a gauntleted hand grabbed him by the neck The rogue''s eyes bulged, seeing the amount of health taken my such a simple move. ¡°For this excuse of a thief? Please, I found all the stones of Barenziah without being seen, and let me tell you. It was a bitch. Come back when you realise you can¡¯t steal from a master thief. FUS ROH DAH!¡± The knight watched as the Invader picked up their best thief, chided him, and blew his head off with a shout. ¡°Wha- what are you?!¡± The Harbinger''s armored head turned towards the knight. ¡°I¡¯m the Dovahkiin, MUL QAH DIIV! AND I DEMAND THAT YOU CEASE YOUR PETTY SQUABBLE TO FACE ME! STRUN BAH QO! The Dragon Aspect armor appeared on the Harbinger''s body while clouds started to appear overhead. Normally shouts need a varying amount of time to cool down, however with the stacking of Amulets of Talos she had found during her incarnation that was dedicated to the Way of the Voice, the cooldown was reduced to nothing. However, if she shouted too much at once, her voice goes hoarse. This was one of the reasons why the world wanted her gone. The world of Tamriel is a song, with notes and melodies and tunes. Magicka is used to create ¡°notes¡± on the scoresheet that is Tamriel. But Shouts do not require magicka. They directly insert notes into the song. Normally it¡¯s not a problem, as the cooldown allows the world to adapt to the new note. But when thousands of new notes are placed onto the sheet, the irregularity has to be removed. Both sides realised that this event would require them to work together. The boss had already moved onto its second phase, and by the looks of it the battle ahead would be rough. Thunder rumbled, and a lightning bolt smashed on the ground nearly hitting an archer who was about to fire on the Glowing Harbinger. Watching the two factions panic as the weather started to turn against them, the Glowing Harbinger looked towards the sky, sighed, and blinked the tears out of her eyes. Before there can be Order, Chaos must rule. Chapter three: Battles End This World was always a competitive one. But never before did so many organisations join together to defeat this threat. It had been 16 hours since the start of the fight, and they only managed to get 2% of the health down. It¡¯s armor nullified any wound, magic would dissipate into air when it hit, causing a magical shimmer to glow around the area. Arrows would deviate from their paths, only to be shot back at them with precision accuracy. A novice¡¯s arrow would turn against it¡¯s owner, becoming a line of death, punching through armor and shields. The glowing armor of Dragon Aspect had long faded away, and the shouts lost some strength, but they were still strong enough to toss scores of players into the air. Assassins failed to assassinate, stagger attacks were ineffective, CC was cut down as soon as they activated, traps were walked right through without activating. Lightning struck down those who were not careful. The rain pelted against the armor and ground, the mud sloshed as players charged to defeat the boss. Every so often the Harbinger would pull out a stone and crushed it, pouring the powder over the sword, which glowed with energy afterwards. Once in awhile she would change weapons, ax, mace, greatsword, dagger, war hammer, and great axe; thoroughly proving to be a master with weapons. The leaders of the two factions had started to talk around the two hour mark, putting aside their disagreements in order to defeat the Invader. They looked at the fighting style, and found no obvious pattern, though it was like flowing water, and expertly honed. They looked at the armor, and found it¡¯s glory, undented and unblemished. They looked at the magic,and found that it was ok, but definitely not something to scoff at. They could not find a way to defeat this event boss After 16 hours of fighting, the majority of the forces were cut down with little resistance. Though revive spells were timed as best as possible. The clouds would occasionally lift, only to be called back almost immediately. The Harbinger stopped the slaughter, using a new shout ¡°OH DA VIING¡± A shock wave ran through the crowd, the attacks ceased, apprehension ran through the crowd. The earlier shouts all had some effect, so this one should be no different. Silence ¡°So, it is too far for even a dragon to come to my call.¡± She said, pity and loneliness resonated with her Voice Murmurs ran through the crowd ¡°Dragon?! That was a call for a dragon?!¡± ¡°A high level creature can be summoned just by yelling?!¡± ¡° she said it¡¯s too far, so it must¡¯ve failed¡± ¡°We should count our lucky stars that it did fail, or we would be toast.¡± ¡°Plan B it is. It truly is a pity that none of you can face me one on one. However, congratulations on surviving, I am now bored. As a reward I will allow you to fight a dragon¡± The Lost Breton took out numerous dragon bones, scales, and heart scales. The amount was numerous enough to make two dragons. ¡°SLEN TIID VO! I command thee, fallen dragons, to rise and vanquish my foes! GOL HAH DOV!¡± A soul stream appeared, connecting the piles of dragon parts and the Lost Breton. The bones shook, then started to take the form of a dragon. When the form was complete, the tendons and muscles started to pour out of the bones, connecting them. The scales flew up and covered the resurrected dragon. This was the first time the Lost Breton tried Alduin¡¯s Reanimate Dragon shout, however the form was not what she was familiar with. Instead of the two strong back legs, four stood proudly, the front two uninhibited by the wings, which was securely on it¡¯s back. The tail was like a long whip and the dragon¡¯s maw was filled with razor sharp teeth. It¡¯s back spines rattled in the wind as it shook it¡¯s new body. It¡¯s four eyes opened, revealing the reptilian eyes, filled with wisdom and forethought. Lifting it¡¯s head, the dragon towered over the battlefield. Roaring ¡°I am Alive once more¡­¡±The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. It looked around until it saw the Lost Breton. ¡°Ah, The Dovahkiin, it has been a long time since we met face to face. You seem a little different from what I remember.¡± ¡°Well,I can¡¯t say I¡¯m not surprised to see you here. You do remember the Bend WIll shout.¡± ¡°Ah yes, the one made by Mirak. It is an annoying shout. What do you want?¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m tired of playing with these children, is it fine if I leave them to you?¡± ¡°It would be my pleasure, Dovahkiin Although the form was irregular to look at for the Dovahkiin, it was not the strangest. That goes to her 9th incarnation, where the dragons looked like giant metal boxes of doom. It seemed pretty regular to the earlier 8 until completely out of nowhere, what¡¯s supposed to be the World Eater is replaced by box with a scary face. Now that she thought about it there was always something different about her 8th incarnation. It was to the extreme on chaoticness. There were times when the entirety of Skyrim turned into a nightmare, and there were times when it turned into a playhouse. She once found a bow that caused the people hit by the arrow to fly towards her, with the bow saying ¡°GET OVER HERE¡± in a dramatic and amazing voice. She also found locations that weren¡¯t there during her other incarnations. ¡°I would be honored, Dovahkiin.¡± Lifting it¡¯s maw towards the air the Dragon used its Thu¡¯um ¡°VEN MUL RIIK, none shall escape¡± The Soul Fog rolled in. The players got a new notification *Congratulations, you survived the Invader¡¯s First assault. Rewards: x1 pair of soiled pants *NEW BOSS ON THE ENDLESS PLAINS AN ANCIENT EVIL HAS BEEN AWOKEN. Description: As the Invader slaughtered adventures, she stepped back in boredom. Using her unique skills, a ton of bones and scales, she created an Ancient Evil: Dragon of Death. Defeat this Dragon, or the world will be covered with an everlasting fog. Reward: Ten levels, new equipment, forging items, and a unique title Requirements: Level 450 Time: 7:00:00:00 Lose condition: 7 day timer falls to 0, everyone dies, or you run away Penalties for losing: - 20 levels, -30 if in the Soul Fog. Curse of Death will be branded on left hand. Total Durability on armor will decrease by 75%. The plains will permanently be covered with fog, monster spawn rates up by 25% and difficulty rating increased by 50%. WARNING YOU HAVE ENTERED SOUL FOG. Description: Dense fog that doubles as a soul snare Effects: vision reduced by 50%, accuracy reduced 25%, Sounds amplified by 10%. Death in the Soul Fog causes the loss of an extra level, and regenerates the boss¡¯s health. With what remained of the two armies, They had around 200 tanks, 340 DPSers, 290 Healers, 140 Supporters, 550 Assassins, and 230 cavalry units. Well over the normal required amount for a server boss...they had no chance. The Dragon of Death utterly decimated them. It¡¯s breath carved the fog. It¡¯s footsteps caused the earth to tremble. It also had access to sustained shouts. After about half of them had fallen, the dragon would summon the undead from the ¡®bodies¡¯ That night on the evening news ¡°Shock and fear today in the gaming world.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right Don, as we all know yesterday was supposed to be the server wide war of the two factions, when right before the start of the battle, an Invader appeared. Dressed in full plate armor, the Invader was declared the ¡®final boss¡¯ by the producers shortly after it¡¯s appearance.¡± ¡°And it fully lives up to that name Donna. Here we have footage of what happened shortly after the boss stopped it¡¯s fight, out of boredom apparently.¡± Showing the battle, which stopped when the Odahviing was called upon. It then showed the Boss waving her hand, which summoned a huge piles of bones. Another shout and the Ancient Evil: Dragon of Death was created. With the Dragon¡¯s roar, a fog rolled into the plains and the video cut back to the anchors. ¡°Apparently there is a seven day countdown until the largest continent in the game is covered with fog forever.¡± ¡°So everybody over the 450 level, go and face this challenging new boss.¡± Most of the forums speculated that the bosses weren¡¯t as difficult as people first claimed,but then the company released the stats of the ¡®final boss¡¯, and said the dragon is just a little under half of those stats. For the next 6 days the world watched, the tension rising. Finally, with 5 hours left in the counter. The Dragon was felled. While it was 6 days in IRL,it was 36 in the game. After fighting a near endless waves of players for over a month, the Dragon was thoroughly exhausted. ¡°It has been fun. Mortals, one day I will return, and the world will be shrouded with the dread fog. FIIK LO SAH!¡± A phantom image of the Dragon appeared, took off, and flew away. It¡¯s direction obscured by the fog. The beaten Dragon finally, fell over, and died. The players who survived for more than a day in the fight immediately logged off, in order to rest. Most of the higher level players lost a lot of their levels. Those who fought and somehow survived also gained a rare title. I Helped Kill a Dragon: congratulations on helping kill a dragon, though you didn¡¯t get the final blow, you did manage to take away some amount of health. The world now recognises you as a hero. +30 to all stats. If the person with the Dragonslayer is in your part/raid, gain 50% on all stats, 100% when facing a dragon, 200% when facing a higher leveled dragon than the party/raid¡¯s combined level. Many people argued who got the title, it¡¯s ability to increase the party¡¯s stats by 50% was too enticing, the increase of 100% and 200% were nice, but very unlikely as dragons are hard to come by. Some people posted about buying the player for raids. Others said that the next patch would nerf the title. However most remained focussed on the ¡®final boss¡¯ It¡¯s stats were astounding, it¡¯s moves devastating, and it¡¯s hitbox so tiny for a boss. Everything about the boss was abnormal. When the patch announcement finally came out, everybody was shocked at the change it brought. Chapter four: In a Small Little Shop On the games continent, there are two super power factions,the CGB and the RB faction. Having fought for ten straight years in all fields, they subconsciously gained a hatred for the other faction. If one side got a master smith, the other would rush to get two master smiths. If one side conquered a dungeon, setting a new time record, the other side would find a harder dungeon and set the new record. As the game company knew this, though they could not do anything about it. Tensions finally boiled to the point of both sides deciding to face off to determine what faction was better. There was supposed to be a grand war, where the two sides face off, destroying and setting up the next patch. However, that plan changed with the appearance of the Invader. Taller, stronger, and faster than an average person, this boss was unlike any other. It¡¯s abilities and weapons make mincemeat of attackers, it¡¯s defence completely stopped most attacks. Players weapons could be flung away by the unique ability, their stats could drop with another. Wolves and other creatures of the wild could be called upon, corpses could be summoned. A group suggested that they just use long range on the boss, only to find the boss can either charge them in an instant or grab the arrows out of the air or ground and fire them back with frightening accuracy. However, the artists and crafters of the world marveled at the beauty of the armor and weapons. Although it looked fairly demonic at first, when the dragon appeared it was clear where the smith who made it got inspiration from. When asking the developers about it, they dodged the question saying ¡°the answers in the game, just look for it. The game was unique at first because of it¡¯s compatibility, allowing both consoles to play together. However what really shone was the player-world interaction. Actions of a player party could potentially change a region. While this inevitably made some players more involved with the action than others, there was a way to redo those events. The Grand Library held many facilities and gadgets dedicated to the science of magic. After a pretty costly cost, a player or party would be allowed to fight in a past event. Although not many players knew of this function, it was crucial for higher level players. Normal recording of the game is from either first person, which is stable, but not a very wide viewing range, or third person, which has a wide view, but stupidly shaky. Past events that gave a ton of EXP could be replayed to get the EXP. Items that are no longer available, can be available, just slightly nerfed from the actual item. The Grand Library also holds over 75% of the games lore in its books. With a literal maze for its interior, it was actually required to hire a guide in order to navigate through it in under 5 minutes. Although this is the first place many people went to find the backstory of the boss, some decided to find where the boss actually went during the fight with the Dragon of Death. The release of a new patch was needed, as the dialogue and story of the world was dying down. The new patch implemented a better AI, a new level cap, tweeks on some titles and abilities, and information about the Dragon of Death was made. Participants each got some Dragon Bones or Scales as material items. However, no smith or tailor in the world new how to work them. The new patch fixed that, stating a Legendary Master Smith was traveling through the world, the smith could forge an item out of the bones and scales. Soon attention went away from the boss and on to this master smith. ___ In a small village north of the Endless planes, a smithy stood. The sound of the bellows could be heard from inside the shop. Iron and steel weapons and armor of different sizes were lined up perfectly on their racks. A large pile of lumber could be seen next to the house. Occasionally the sound of hammer striking metal was heard. Once in awhile a player would walk up to the store only to find a sign hanging out in front. [NO BARTERING, PRICES ARE FINAL, WE WILL NOT TAKE YOUR CRAP.] That sign usually made players go to the shop next door to sell their crap. So the little smithy was undisturbed. Small villages were normally not visited due to the accessibility, as there was no fast travel or portals . Inside of the smithy a tall woman stood over the forge, her eye glittering from the forge light. She had been working on this blade for over two ingame months, and she was approaching the end of the final heat treatment. While the system said it could make the blade done in an instant, she wanted to work the metal, take her mind off the battles and the carnage. While it wasn¡¯t the actual blade, it was fashioned to look like it. After spending her 5th incarnation just wielding the Ebony Blade, she knew the exact feel of it. How it felt when the blade cut through flesh and bone. How exhilarating it was to swing, feeling the shock run up her arms. The faces of those who trusted her ran through her mind as she dipped the blade in oil for cooling. The blade had always felt nice to wield, and though later on it coulding do the same amount of work it once did, it was still reliable. Letting the blade cool, the smith walked away from the forge and sat down behind the counter. Looking around the small shop, it was a wonder no one came to buy anything. While she didn¡¯t enjoy violence she understood that one can not walk unprotected. The Lost Breton knew that the world would recognise her war goddess armor, so she decided to try creating something a little more unique. The use of multiple metals to create something stronger is not something unknown. In fact it was very common, as steel swords were superior to iron ones. However as the rarity of the materials goes up, the less likely it is to see multiple metals used in the weapon or armor. Taking Stalhrim and Ebony out she prepared enough for a full suit of armor. While Ebony is metal based and Stalhrim is water based, they both handle nearly the same. Therefore, if she combines them correctly, she should be able to create an armor greater than the individuals. This was no easy task by any means. Although Ebony is scarce and one of the rarest materials around, it is abundant in certain locations, and available in most regions. Stalhrim on the other hand is rarer than Ebony, mainly because the only known location of it is on an island, and the mining of it requires a special pick. Before she could start, she needed an idea of what she was making. She knew it was armor, preferably one that get¡¯s it¡¯s set bonus without a helm. She stood up and walked back to the forge. She looked at the cooling blade, held vertically by clamps she specially made for it. Behind the sword was piles of ingots. Iron,Steel, Dwarven, Ebony, Malachite, ect. She sighed and was about to walk outside when her eye caught the sight of the aetherial crown. ¡°That¡¯s it!¡± Why try to make a helm when a crown would work. If she fashioned the armor to go with the aetherial crown, she could get a set bonus with it. She went to the workbench, grabbing parchment and charcoal. The base would be ebony, Stalhrim would cover the shoulders, back, and front. It would have Dwarven metal outlining the Stalhrim and connecting it to the ebony. Crushing dragon bone into powder, then mixed with a few heart scales, would be attached to the joint areas for strength. The bone powder would also be used as a bleach/paint on the ebony, turning it white. The gauntlets would have the stalhrim placed in four large strips covering top, bottom, and sides. Ebony would be most of the gauntlet, and Dwarven would outline the stalhrim. Boots would be the same. This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. A helm was not necessary, however she designed one anyways. Offering full head protection and had a plume on the back. Once the rough sketch for the armor was done, she moved onto the weapons. The Slaughter was good, however like the armor was well known. Dragon bone had the best damage, however it was heavy. Stalhrim was good for enchanting, and daedric required hearts. As she didn¡¯t know if there were replacements for them, she refrained from crafting with the hearts. She needed a unique weapon, one that was still light, but could do heavy damage. A weapon long enough to be used with two hands, but short enough to wield it with one. A long sword would fit. Using ebony for the central part, Stalhrim would cover the ebony, with dragon bone as the blade. With her new weapons and armor designed she was about to go and create them when a player walked in. ¡°Hey lady, is the sign out there true?¡± a young man with fair hair stood there, his thumb pointing in the direction of the sign. ¡°It is true, you are free to look around, but if you try to steal anything, I¡¯ll know.¡± _____ Henry was a cartographer during the day, and he was a streamer by night. After work he would enter the game and stream himself exploring. Of course some people tried to PK him for his items, but they never got the jump on him. He was planning on doing a speedrun of a solo dungeon when he noticed a new shop in the village. Since the new patch was out, he suspected that it might contain some secret. As he walked closer to the shop he saw that the forge was at rest, though it was still heated. He saw the sign and laughed, no wonder the shop was way out here, the owner didn¡¯t want other player¡¯s junk. He thought it was another player because NPCs will accept almost anything. He entered the weapons shop, and heard a newer melody. Henry kept the game¡¯s music playing all the time, helped with the mood. The song in the shop was a soft, but powerful melody, as if entering a palace of kings. It was filled with emotions of love and sorrow, yet there was a soft hope from it. It contained the emotions of chaos and war, and the hope of peace. He looked over at the counter to see a person walking out of the back room. While she wasn¡¯t the prettiest person, she had her own unique charm. Muscled arms that were covered with soot, a plain blacksmith¡¯s apron and her hair up in a neat pony tail. Her emerald eye shone with mild surprise and disinterest. Her other eye showed a white unseeing eye that stared into the beyond, a scar ran vertically across it. She was slightly higher than the average woman, and her chest was just slightly above average. On her left hand a golden band, clearly a wedding band, indicated that she was married. Her right hand, which wore a golden ring with multiple diamonds in it, was wiping what he assumed to be soot off on her apron. ¡°Hey lady, is the sign out there true?¡± normally he would talk nicer to the owner, however as there was a unique sign outside it most likely that the owner was a player. She replied with a blunt voice, one that seemed to be used to shout over the sound of the forge ¡°It is true, you are free to look around, but if you try to steal anything, I¡¯ll know.¡± At first glance the weapons seemed like any other weapons you would find in a shop. It wasn¡¯t until a red glint shone off of one did they catch his interest. ¡°Is it alright if I inspect this sword?¡± he asked, pointing towards the steel sword. ¡°Sure.¡± *Steel Sword (Legendary***) Description- a steel sword crafted by a master smith. Made by a special technique, durability disabled. Enchanted by a master enchanter, Charge can be filled with mana, requires an exchange of 100 mana = 1 charge Attack: 175-200 Attack speed: 2 per second Durability: NA/NA Weight: 12 Enchantment: Charge: 378/400 FIre Enchant: sword does fire damage of 50 for 10 seconds. Effect stacks for up to five times. Soul Trap: Enchantment recharges by 25% with every kill. Effect activates regardless of charge Requirements: Sword mastery Henry was shocked. With no durability, it¡¯s a monster of a weapon, though it can easily be out classed by some higher level boss drops. However the mana exchange function on it was sick. If a lower level player got their hands on it, most of the earlier enemies would be toast. The sword could possibly be used as a mana battery. With about 400,000 max mana in the sword it could be used to bolster the wielder''s mana, And it gained 25% of the charge with every kill. ¡°Hey shopkeep, is it alright to try out this sword?¡± Henry pointed at the steel sword. ¡°There¡¯s a target out behind the forge, I¡¯ll show you.¡± Indicating to follow her with her head, she walked to one of the side doors, where she proceeded to open it to reveal the training ground. Five target dummys stood, each one made for a different weapon. ¡°The one in the middle is meant for swords.¡± she pointed to the straw man holding a pathetic wooden shield and a bucket for a helmet. ¡°Can I try it out on something less static.¡± Henry was sceptical that the straw man could last a single blow from the fire damage. The woman laughed at his comment, her laugh was like a loving mother laughing at her kid¡¯s stupid comment. ¡°Are you suggesting a spar?¡± her voice contained the humor she was currently feeling ¡°Yes I am. Would you mind?¡± ¡°Wait here a moment.¡± The shopkeeper went back inside, only to come back out with two similar looking swords, but without an edge. ¡°It¡¯s better to use blunt swords for sparring, no worries though. They should be the exact same.¡± With that being said she tossed one sword over, and then took the other sword and waited for Henry to get ready. Henry inspected the Training steel sword *Training Steel Sword Description- a steel sword crafted by a master smith with the express purpose of training in mind. Heavier than a regular sword. Made by a special technique, durability disabled. Edge has been blunted for training purposes. Enchanted by a master enchanter, charge can be filled with mana, requires exchange of 100 mana = 1 charge Attack: 1 Attack speed: 2 attacks per second Durability: NA/NA Weight: 24 Enchantment: 100/100 Healing Aura: Heals owner for 100 health per 1 charge. Heals opponent by 1200% of attack Aura Steal: Steals opponent''s mana to charge enchant when enchant is <25 charge Special Effect: Pain increased by 50%. Bones are more likely to break. Requirements: None ¡°This shop is ridiculous.¡± ¡°So, are you ready?¡± The Shopkeeper said, waiting for Henry to get ready. ¡°Yes, but am I going to be sparing you?¡± The shopkeeper laughed again ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me, I¡¯ve face opponents who were stronger than you by a long shot. Come at me with all you got.¡± Henry got into a fighting stance he made himself, it was worked around the idea that balance is everything. The shopkeeper raised a brow. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± she asked ¡°What¡¯s what?¡± he answered ¡°The stace you just got into, who taught you that?¡± ¡°No one, I taught it to myself.¡± The shopkeeper held one hand to her head, muttering ¡°Kids today, making up stances for fun.¡± ¡°Is there something wrong?¡± The shopkeeper¡¯s eye looked up ¡°No, no. just remember to not hold anything back.¡± The shopkeeper¡¯s sword hung softly in her hand, her stance relaxed but firm. Her neck cracked as she streached it to either side. ¡°Then here I come!¡± Chapter five: A simple book The music changed to a single drum beating, like a heart. The anticipation grew as the seconds passed. Henry didn¡¯t charge at the shopkeeper like she thought, instead he advanced rather slowly. When he was within striking distance, he attacked. A slash from upper right to bottom left. The Shopkeeper deflected it with ease, only moving her sword arm in defence. Henry was ready for it, and used the momentum from the previous blow, he spun and did a horizontal slash. The Shopkeeper¡¯s foot landed squarely on his back, causing him to fall on his face. He was about to push himself back up when a sword stabbed the ground next to his head. ¡°You just died. Spars over¡± Henry got up. ¡°Again¡± he said The shopkeeper raised her good eye brow. ¡°Your form is contradictory to your actions, though you started out well, nice balanced steps. It started to fall apart when you attacked. You completely gave up control for power, and while that¡¯s good and all, you don¡¯t exactly have the build for it.¡± ¡°Well if you¡¯re so smart, train me to become better.¡± ¡°Ok then. But it will cost money.¡± ¡°How much?¡± ¡°How high is your sword mastery?¡± ¡°Advanced level 7.¡± ¡°With that stance and form? Wow.¡± her voice held surprise and sarcasm Crossing her arms she said ¡°Ok then kid, I¡¯ll teach you a proper stance and form, none of that home made stumbling around, waving a sword like a club. It will be an actual combat stance, useful in single combat, which you obviously lack in and in crowd combat. You never want to be the person blamed for a an ally¡¯s death. Bad for reputation and your health.¡± ¡°I asked for a training, not a ruthless instructor who gives out free insults.¡± The Shopkeeper smiled ¡°Suck it up kid, until you can get a legitimate hit on me, there¡¯s no way you can win. And even if you could hit me, you¡¯d be dead before you got the chance.¡± ¡°I¡¯m 23¡± Henry said ¡°What?¡± Henry looked up ¡°I said I¡¯m 23. I am not a kid.¡± ¡°Congratulations, you''re ¡®young¡¯, big deal. Do you know who else was 23?¡± ¡°Who?¡± ¡°Your dad when he finally got married.¡± Henry raised his eyebrow. ¡°Really. I was expecting it to be harsher¡± The shopkeeper rolled her eye ¡°The point is you have no real style, no foundation. Although you did start in the right place, as a person who can¡¯t control their sword swings ends up over swinging. However it is obvious that you forgot this, favoring for a more attack oriented style, which is counter intuitive to your foundation.¡± Henry sighed and said ¡°What do you want me to do about it. I¡¯m a cartographer, not a fighter. I¡¯m not one of those Fighting freaks who are already in the 520¡¯s. You do realise that leveling while this time takes about three days per level. I¡¯ve been playing casually for years and i¡¯m only at level 162¡± ¡°What you can do is train your basics. From the looks of it you forgot the basics and went right on to advanced techniques. Considering you level, I can help you train up to a certain point. At that point you have to follow your own path, no one can help you with it after that.¡± ¡°What''s the cost for the training?¡± ¡°About 1420 gold, nothing much.¡± Henry¡¯s jaw dropped. The basic training ground cost 1 gold to use, an instructor cost 9 more. Even the known highest level trainer didn¡¯t cost over a 1000 gold. And yet here in the boonies of a small village on the most remote region, a Shopkeeper was offering to train him, with a huge cost. It was either worth every gold or a total scam. It was still very likely that she was a player and not an NPC, and couldn¡¯t even train him.Stolen story; please report. ¡°Is it possible to get a discount?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you read the sign, no bartering, you¡¯ll lose more that way. And by the way that was the discount. However, since you really need help I¡¯ll lend you a book.¡± Henry looked dubious. ¡°What¡¯s a book got to do with anything?¡± The Shopkeeper smirked, ¡°You¡¯ll be surprised.¡± she said while walking back into the shop, picking up both practice swords on the way. Henry¡¯s had been flung out of his hand when he got kicked to the ground. Henry followed along, getting a better chance to look at the interior of the shop. It was cluttered with weapons. Two rows were full of swords, ranging from iron to what looked like bronze. Near the back was were mannequins covered in all types of armor. Leather, fur, iron, steel, and another one that looked like it was part of a military. Henry smiled, laughing at some of the poses the mannequins were in. the military one and a barbarian looking mannequin had their arms up in a ready boxing position, as if they were two sides in the heat of battle, facing each other. Another set looked even more ridiculous, with a scantily clad one holding a dagger in one hand, and a heart in the other; there was a weird briar inside of the chest of the mannequin. Bows were unstrung, and hanging up on the wall. There were some fancy ones, and one that Henry thought looked a lot like glass. Behind the counter there were cool claws, made out of all different materials. Though they all looked almost identical. ¡°Wait here.¡± She said as she opened the door to what Henry presumed to be the forge. As the door swung open he got a glance inside, and saw an unfinished sword, cooling in the center of the forge, it¡¯s blade upright to prevent warping while it finished cooling. It was unlike anything he had seen in the shop, it seemed foreign. It¡¯s form was pitch black, it¡¯s blade slightly curving back, like the moon on a cloudless night. It was too long to be a one handed weapon, yet it looked light enough to be swung like a short sword. Unfinished runes were etched in the blade. The smoke from the heat of the forge could still be seen, hiding the rest of the shop from view. The door closed and Henry was brought out of his daze. This was obviously the master smith the forums talked about, but it couldn¡¯t be possible, as the entity in question was too smart to be an AI. However all clues pointed to this person. She apparently liked solitude, yet helped apparently helped anyone who came through her door. The Shopkeeper returned with a book in hand, it¡¯s light brown cover devoid of any title or indication of the story contained inside. ¡°This should help you, while it¡¯s important to hit an enemy, if you happen to hit where they have a strong defence, it won¡¯t do anything .¡± Henry opened the cover, seeing the title of the story -Night Falls on Sentinel- By: Boali ¡°What do you want me to do with this?¡± ¡°Read it, what else do you use a book for, paper weight? Fire starter?¡± ¡°I honestly don¡¯t see how this will help.¡± A notification appeared before Henry *Quest: Read the Book Description: just read the book Reward: knowing the contents of the book, may be some exp if you finish it under 45 minutes Difficulty: it¡¯s just reading a book bro Limitations: you just have to be able to read Lose condition: Shopkeeper takes the book back ¡°Well? Are you going to read, or are you illiterate?¡± ¡°I can read just fine.¡± ------------------------ 30 minutes later ------------------------ *Congratulations, you have completed the quest: Read the Book Reward: Swordsmanship: up 2 levels. Critical points on a humanoid target found, 50% more likely to hit these points, causing a critical hit. 100 exp Although the book itself seemed like a normal book, it¡¯s contents were anything normal. Strange words and race names were in the book, locations he had never heard of listed off just like that. ¡°May I ask where you got this book?¡± Henry asked tentatively. ¡°I got it from my former home.¡± ¡°Former?¡± ¡°If you couldn¡¯t tell, I¡¯m not from around here.¡± ¡°Well then where are you from?¡± ¡°A long way aways. Even if you tried to travel there you would never make it.¡± ¡°How¡¯d you arrive.¡± ¡°I was forced to come here. Teleported by a spell of a kind¡± She said, turning back to the go to the forge. She opened the door, turning her head over her shoulder, looking at him with her Blazing Emerald eye. ¡°Now if you¡¯re done here, I suggest you be on your way.¡± ¡°I¡¯d like to buy the steel sword.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a toy kid, it¡¯s a weapon. Designed to maim, injure, and kill. In the right hands it can take hundreds of lives.¡± ¡°I said I¡¯m not a kid, I already¡­¡± He didn¡¯t get time to finish his sentence as the shopkeeper turned back to face him, yelling at him from behind the counter. ¡°That you already what? Killed a man? Seen the horror in their eyes as they realised their life was over? The blood oozing down your sword, dripping onto your hands that are clinging to the sword for dear life, because you know that¡¯s the only thing keeping you alive? The feeling of seeing your home go up in flames? No? Good. I hope you never have to experience that.¡± She ended her short outburst as quickly as it had started. Henry replied to her, his voice barely audible compared to the previous booming sound of the Shopkeeper¡¯s. His voice slowly building into a low shout. ¡°May be I want to use it to protect. Maybe that¡¯s why I chose balance at first. Maybe that person betrayed me, Maybe that''s why I chose to go more offencive in fighting. Maybe if Sarah hadn¡¯t sold me out, I would be the guild master. Maybe that¡¯s why I restarted my character. I may have not had a horrible childhood like yours, or whatever your life was llike. but I¡¯ll be damned sure that I won¡¯t allow it to happen to others.¡± The two of them looked at each other. Henry was huffing. Then the Shopkeeper smirked, standing up straight and said with a broad smile. ¡°You pass.¡± Chapter six: To the dungeon ¡°I pass what?¡± Henry asked as the Shopkeeper''s smile shone ¡°You have passed the requirements to shop at my store.¡± ¡°Then¡­¡± Henry almost couldn¡¯t believe what he was hearing. ¡°You can buy the sword.¡± ¡°Then the conversation we just had¡­¡± ¡°Was a test, yes. You see I can¡¯t give my weapons to anyone. If I did that people would complain about the price, and about how many weapons are in this shop, and why I¡¯m not interested in them,or why I have the urge to kill every kid I see, or why I avoid the guards. Too much of a hassle.¡± She spread her arms, indicating the shop ¡°Could you imagine the havoc I could create by selling all of these. Each one is individually crafted, sharpened, polished, and enchanted to the fullest extent. Each one can slay foes that are far stronger than their weilder. There are no second or third rate products here. in fact, here is the cheapest swords I have.¡± She pointed to a barrel filled with iron swords. ¡°Each one in that barrel is enchanted with a frost enchant. Each one is basically identical in mass and shape. Each one costs double your training.¡± ¡°Wait I thought you said I can buy the sword.¡± ¡°I said you can shop at my shop, but I¡¯m not giving you a weapon for free. You planning on heading to the cave up ahead?¡± The Dungeon that Henry was going to was an old mining cavern. The backstory was the mining crew accidentally mined too deep, hitting an ancient cavern filled with the undead. The mine was abandoned, leaving the undead to roam the mining area. It was a fairly simple instance. Clear the undead, enter the ancient cavern, pull a lever, defeat the boss, loot the treasure room, and the dungeons over. There were times however, when an npc would ask for mining materials from the mine. Though those normally were fairly easy, though infuriating due to them sometimes getting stuck on the walls for no reason. ¡°I am, why do you ask?¡± Henry asked ¡°I was wondering if you would let me tag along, I have a pickaxe, and I want to restock my ores. However considering I¡¯m helping you train, I¡¯ll allow you to accompany me.¡± ¡°Do you have equipment ready?¡± The Shopkeeper smiled ¡°Do I have equipment, boy you''re talking to a smith, enchanter, and alchemist. What do you think? ¡°So that¡¯s a yes¡± ¡°Of course it¡¯s a yes, I just have to¡­.¡± Her voice slowly faded into thought. ¡°Excuse me for a minute.¡± saying that she went to the forge. Normally she would use her war goddess armor, however she didn¡¯t know whether Henry would recognise it as ¡°the invader¡¯s¡± armor. She had just designed her armor, and hadn¡¯t the chance to build it. She had armor, but she couldn¡¯t use it. Opening the chest in the back of the forge area, a set of Ebony armor. It was a customised set based on what she took off of the Ebony Warrior. Although She smiled at that thought of the battle. The battle between her and him was epic. The two were both skilled in the same areas, both evenly matched. It had been her toughest challenge up to that point. His armor covered up all weaknesses to magic, and his weapons dealt major damage. The two warriors fought for an over an hour. It ended quite simply really. While the Ebony warrior was powerful, he lacked in the the area of his pitiful amount of shouts. He stood no chance once he was affected by Drain Vitality. Taking the set out and equipping it, she donned the helm and opened the door to the shop. Henry looked up from where he was inspecting one of the mannequins, who wore a skimpy pair of armor. He looked startled, not expecting her to be able to wear armor that looked so heavy. ¡°Come on, let''s go.¡± She said, walking to the door. ¡°FIrst names.¡± Henry demanded. ¡°What? Names?¡± She turned her head to face him ¡°It¡¯s not a good idea to go inside of a dungeon without knowing your partner¡¯s name.¡± ¡°I gave mine up.¡± ¡°So you don¡¯t have one.¡± ¡°I do, but I won¡¯t use it.¡± ¡°The can I call you a nickname, anything would be better than ¡®Hey Shopkeeper¡¯.¡±This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. The shopkeeper sighed, her shoulders lowering ¡°...rald¡± her voice was barely audible ¡°What?¡± Henry asked ¡°You can call me Emerald. Now go and wait for me, I have to close the shop.¡± Picking Henry up by the back of his shirt, She tossed him out the store, closing the door. ¡°Her eyes¡­she was named after her eyes.¡± Scars can be many things, badges of honor, proof of victory, a reminder of mortality. They are easily obtained, and they only fade. While Henry doubted that Emerald was her actual name, he wouldn¡¯t doubt that she had been called that before. Her good eye was a brilliant green, a deep emerald reflecting its wisdom, worth thousands. Even if she had no depth perception, she was an excellent fighter, from what Henry could tell. She wasn¡¯t afraid if people knew it, just by looking at her other eye, anyone could tell she lost it in a fight, and judging by the scar, it was a long time ago. She took the helm off and sat on the nearby chair, running her gauntleted hand through her hair. Although she did prevent the war, and asked to be taken out of the game, the screen told her that it would take awhile to make it, as they had to infer what genomes and enzymes and ribosomes to use. She understood most of it, and concluded that she might as well rest until then. The boy had potential, and although he wasn¡¯t the youngest, he mostly knew what he was doing. She could tell he lied about his age. 23 was a bit old for someone who walks and smell like that. He was probably around 17 or 18. The chair creaked as she leaned back, not used to the weight of a full plated body. It would hold though, She didn¡¯t make it to break this easily. She stared at the ceiling. ¡°What to do¡­¡± She stood up, and walked to the forge, grabbing the prepared handle from the counter. The Blade was almost done. Grabbing the blade, she fitted the pieces together. The guard, handle, and pin. The Ebony Blade was recreated in this world. A screen popped up in front of her *You have created - Ebony Blade (Rarity: Mythical) Description: a blade forged by a master smith, the blade is harder and sharper than a regular blade. While not the original artifact, the blade is a perfect replica, granting it some of the original¡¯s power. The Mistress knows Attack: 11-13 (after sharpening around 250-300) Attack speed: 2 attacks per second Durability: NA/NA Weight: 10 Enchant: No Charge Required Absorb Life: absorbs 30-40 health per hit Silent Strike: attacking will not be viewed as an assault. The Weight of Betrayal: Killing those who trust you increases the Absorb Life enchant and the Weight by 10 After sharpening and polishing the blade, she sheathed it on her back. After this little adventure she would move her shop. Due to the issue of two factions wanting to find the master smith, and the fact that she was the invader. She decided that after a few groups visit her shop, she moves. One of the reasons why she was going to explore the dungeon with Henry was because of his skill, or lack thereof. While he would have no problem against monsters or animals. Humanoid targets that could think were the problem. The main reason to take him along was to have him spread the news of a smith who can squash a person with her bare hands¡­ but also sells amazing products. According to what she heard about the dungeon, it was filled with humanoid targets. Of course it not only was for him, in fact she was running low on Iron products. It takes far more nails than one would think to build a house, and this wasn¡¯t the last one she was building. She had also heard that the monsters occasionally drop material that can be harder than some metals. Getting that chance to work with unknown materials burned in her craftswoman¡¯s heart. ¡°Time to have a little fun.¡± she said as she opened the door. Still sitting down, dazed, was Henry, his fair hair a mess. ¡°Get up you little tyke, it¡¯s time to go kill some corpses.¡± Henry snapped out of his daze, and checked his stream. He spluttered seeing over 100,000 people viewing his content. He normally had around 1,000 to 3,500 viewers, this blew him away. He could literally see the viewership count rising. The chat was talking about how beautiful Emerald was, or how cool her armor looked. Since Henry didn¡¯t reveal what village he was in at the beginning, nobody knew where to find him. However that never stopped them before. Henry knew that it was all because of Emerald. The regulars must have gone onto the forums and talked about it. Emerald started to walk in the direction of the dungeon, grabbing Henry by his collar and dragging him along. ¡°I can walk by myself.¡± ¡°Can you? I was under the impression that you suddenly contracted an illness that caused you to become paralyzed.¡± her voice held a teasing naivety to it. ¡°I¡¯m not that weak.¡± Henry grumbled ¡°Says the person who can get poisoned or sick¡± She dropped Henry onto his feet, then continued to walk ¡°Are you saying you''re resistant to poisons and disease.¡± Henry could swear that she was smiling under the her helmet as she turned back to look at him ¡°I¡¯m immune to far worse things than poisons and diseases.¡± ¡°Like what?¡± ¡°Fire, I¡¯m immune to fire, however enough of my secrets, it¡¯s time to go hunting.¡± Getting into a ready sprinting position, she continued. ¡°First thing we want to work on is your stamina, for this we are going to sprint all the way to the mine. Ready? 3...2...1...GO!¡± With the countdown gone, Henry sprinted as fast as he could. Yet he still couldn¡¯t catch up to Emerald, who in full plate armor, was sprinting as fast as any scout with light armor could, if not a bit faster. Fairly quickly the distance between the two was getting bigger and bigger. Until Henry lost sight of her. --------------- 10 minutes later --------------- Henry was out of breath. He had lost sight of Emerald in the first minute, and had to follow her non existent trail. When he finally arrived at the mine, she was standing there patiently, waiting for him with her helm off and her smile on. ¡°I won the race, I get the loot. Sound fair?¡± ¡°Not really, as¡­¡± henry tried to comment, when Emerald¡¯s arm was suddenly flung around his shoulder ¡°I won the race, I get the loot, Sound fair?¡± the top half of her face was covered in a shadow, and her eye gleamed an evil light. Henry shrunk back ¡°Sounds fair, sounds fair.¡± Emerald took her hand off his shoulder, which he swore was bruised by the impact, in his peripheral vision he could see the chat, commenting on how lucky he was to be side hugged by her. He couldn¡¯t even feel anything, as she was covered by hard cold metal armor. ¡°Ready to go crush corpses?¡± she asked as she replaced the helm on her head ¡°I...I think so¡± He wasn''t ready Chapter seven: The Dungeon One could ask why the game could last for over ten years, and still be just as popular as it was when it was at it¡¯s peak, the answer would be the ability to respawn. With this ability, the experts who spend years honing their techniques can fight to their hearts content, with no fear of killing someone. If a country had resources that another one wanted, they had a deathmatch to see who gets the resources. At first there was scepticism about how it could help in reality. How can physical conflicts be resolved digitally? Create a game so life like that no one can tell the difference and have the armies fight there. Why care about repairing the terrain when you can just fight on a near perfect battlefield. Of course no country got rid of it¡¯s military, however most of them downsized. Dungeons were made as a place to both increase monster spawn rates and ease up the exp grind just a little. While some were really simple and straightforward, others were complex to an insane degree. There wasn¡¯t really a good way to determine if a dungeon was difficult or not with no players adventuring in it. If Henry could describe the feelings he had while traversing the dungeon with Emerald, it would be useless. Emerald was a literal juggernaut. All threats were dealt with swiftly and accurately, Her Blade easily sliced through the undead¡¯s armor, cutting bone and soft flesh. While many experts could do this with enough practice, even fewer could do it one handed, while catching an arrow, while in mid-air, while in full plated armor. One would normally think that heavy armor impares some movement, sacrificing speed for defence. But Emerald was running around like she was wearing leather armor. At the beginning of the dungeon it was fine as Emerald and Henry worked together, but as they got deeper and deeper into the Dungeon, and as more enemies showed up, Henry became basically useless. Once when Emerald got surrounded by 5 Higher Death Knights, She put her sword perpendicular to the ground, blade facing outward by her side. She struck, and with a single spin all 5 were sliced in half. If Henry had a Spiritualist class he could have seen the Life Essence flowing out of the corpse¡¯s corpses into the Blade, which then flowed into Emerald. However, since he did not have such a class, he missed the Blade¡¯s terrifying ability. This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. As the two got deeper and deeper into the dungeon, and more and more monsters started to show up. Emerald took the full brunt of the attacks, leaving one or two of the undead to Henry. It was at this point Henry saw the terrifying might of the Blade. Slicing through enemies without the slightest hint of being stuck on armor or bone. Although she was being hit multiple times by arrows, most bounced off her armor, very few stuck. Even then they would pop out as the wounds regenerated from the blade¡¯s ability. It seemed little could stop her. Occasionally they would get to a puzzle room, even then it didn¡¯t stop her. They were quickly through the puzzle and in the next room. They finally reached the cross roads, one path was to the crypt the other to where the ore was. ¡°So boy, where¡¯s the ore?¡± Emerald asked, clearly enjoying the Blade once more. ¡°I believe that it would be the right tunnel.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know?¡± ¡°I do know, it¡¯s on the right¡­.probably.¡± ¡°Well it doesn¡¯t matter all too much anyways, let''s go down the right path.¡± The two traveled for about five minute when they finally encountered the first ore vein. ¡°Finally, wait for a while while I clean this vein.¡± Emerald said, pulling a pickaxe out of her invintory Henry stepped forward, asking ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t want help mining?¡± Emerald¡¯s helm moved to face him ¡°Are you sure you want to go deeper without me?¡± her sarcastic voice asked back. ¡°It takes time to mine, and it always goes faster when two help.¡± Henry stated back. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Emerald said thoughtfully¡±...NAH¡± With that the pickaxe dropped onto the rock. The rock shuddered under the sudden force, separating from the iron ore that was in the vein. Henry¡¯s mouth once again dropped at Emerald¡¯s might. While most high level mining skills could do a similar effect, it took precision timing, and multiple hits. Emerald picked the ore up ¡°This will last awhile. Now to the other path.¡± ¡°Wait, that¡¯s all you need?¡± ¡°I said my stock was low, I didn¡¯t say I needed the entire cavern¡¯s worth of iron.¡± ¡°I have no words to describe the shock I¡¯m getting today.¡± ¡°I do¡­ It¡¯s shocking.¡± Henry looked at the armored Emerald, who was doing a superhero pose, and sighed. ¡°What ever, lets go kill the boss.¡± Emerald laughed ¡°Kill the boss, boy you think too small. Let¡¯s go destroy the boss.¡± Chapter eight: Boss fight There are many types of bosses in the game, secret bosses, field bosses, dungeon bosses, etc. out of all the bosses, the world boss is the most difficult, entire servers have to band together in order to defeat the monstrosities. The Ancient Evil could be considered a ¡°stronger¡± world boss, though the power of that boss was only a fraction of the ¡°final¡± world boss¡¯s power. The boss of the dungeon was nowhere near the world level of bosses. It was a medium dungeon boss. Not too difficult, but tight timing is needed to defeat the boss. It was a Lich creature, capable of summoning minions every minute, attacking with spells and drain life. It was protected by five Death Paladins, who had tower shields and holy javelins. A normal party would draw the paladins away, getting close to the Lich. The Paladins are resistant to holy spells when the Lich is still alive, plus they regenerate health for about 10 hpps; this is one of the reasons why they draw the paladins away. The other reason is when a Paladin throws a javelin at the player going after the Lich, if they side stepped at the correct time. The javelin would pin the Lich to the wall for 30 seconds, cause a stun and weaken the Lich¡¯s defence. Once the Lich was gone, the Death Paladins would give up the tower shields for a personal, circular shield, using either a short sword or the javelins. Cutting them down with range would end the five, as they lost all regen and holy resistance. It was a challenging fight if one wanted to attack the paladins before the Lich. If a frontliner got too close to them, they would quickly be surrounded and smashed to dust¡­ unless you are Emerald. Striding into the room with her Blade unsheathed, she attacked headlong. The first Paladin engaged, the other four following close behind. The Lich cackled as it started to levitate. Emerald started to jog, slowly winding up to a sprint, the front paladin did the same, it¡¯s tower shield in front of it. As the two were getting into striking distance, they both prepared their moves. Emerald with her charging power attack, a simple jumping overhead strike, the Death Paladin prepared a block, followed by a thrust, aimed at the left armpit, where there was less armor. ¡°Emerald, watch out!¡± Henry cried out The Clash of metal on metal sounded. Emerald¡¯s stance low. The Death Paladin¡¯s movements stopped as it¡¯s tower shield split into two pieces, it¡¯s body following suit. ¡°Boy, you¡¯ve got to learn how to relax. It does no good to worry all the time in a fight, save that stuff for later.¡± Emerald said as she got back up into her ready stance in a relaxed manner. The four Death Paladins that were left howled, getting into a formation. Two in front with shields, the other two in the back, preparing javelins for throwing. 15 feet, that was the distance between Emerald and the Death Paladins. The Lich had already summoned undead minions once. ¡°WUL¡± The sound of a whip could be heard as Emerald snapped back into view in between the four Paladins. The four barely had time to prepare their shields when the Blade bisected them across their waists. Holding the Blade with one hand, Emerald used the flames spell to cremate the bodies. ¡°Well, that was simple.¡± ¡°Quick kill the Lich!¡± Henry shouted again, trying to warn Emerald about one of the boss¡¯s features The Lich screamed, inducing Henry with a fear effect and summoning Ten Death Paladins along with it. ¡°So, you neglected to tell me about this?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t think that you would immediately kill all of them within two minutes of each other.¡± ¡°Well, I guess who just popped up on my kill first radar.¡± Emerald put the Blade away, taking out a pure white bow. Nocking an white arrow, she aimed at the LIch. The Lich sensed the threat, casting a shield to block oncoming projectiles. Unfortunately for the Lich, Auriel¡¯s bow does triple damage to undead, and causes a miniature sun explosion to happen with sunhallowed arrows. In less than a second, the arrow was nocked, aimed, and fired. The arrow blew past the hasty barrier and into the Lich¡¯s head. The sun explosion that occurred caused Henry¡¯s stream to go from child friendly, to restricted in less time it took to nock the arrow. The Lich¡¯s head blew up from within, for the first part of the explosion it looked like the head was replaced by a sun. brain matter splattered on the ground, turning to dust as the spell keeping it alive was broken. Bits of it¡¯s skull dinged on the metal armor as it evacuated from it¡¯s previous position of being the Lich¡¯s skull. As the body got swallowed up by the fiery explosion, the summoned undead minions faded to dust. Within all technicalities, the bow wasn¡¯t a daedric artifact, just an ancient one. And though it was rumored to be used by the prince himself, the prince hadn¡¯t used it in centuries and it wasn¡¯t as powerful of a tool to the prince as some other means.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. The Death Paladins howled as black smoke rose out of the spaces in their armor, their mass began to shrink to just over the size of a Death Knight. With the enhancement of the Lich gone, the Death Knights had switched to a more brutal attack style. Ripping the middle of the tower shield out, each knight had a perfect circular shield. Some prepared their swords while the others threw their javelins at Emerald. Switching back to the Blade, Emerald planted her feet down in a stable stance, her Blade was ready to defend. While attacking was important, defending against heavy projectiles was just as important. Arrows and magic are basically useless against her armor, and while javelins might not do a ton of damage, it still hurt, and they were cumbersome. Their javelins were designed to inhibit enemy movement, thus causing a slowing or pinning effect if one is too close to a wall. 3 javelins were flying at her, Henry watched as Emerald deflected the first one with a swing, sending it flying towards the ceiling. Her next swing cut the second javelin in half. Her body followed the swing, ducking under the third javelin with a roll. When she came up the first two Death Knights were upon her. Her blade flashed in a silvery arch, slicing one of the knights that approached. The other slashed with it¡¯s sword, Emerald danced around the slash with a spin, her own Blade following through sending the knight¡¯s head upwards. Emerald grabbed the still standing body and threw it towards another javelin which was thrown. The javelin impacted the body with a thud, pinning the body to the ground as the force of the blow went straight through the corpse¡¯s corpse. The knight in the back caught the decapitated head of the other knight, and started to eat it. The crunching sound of bone and the squish of flesh and brain matter rattled Henry¡¯s ears, causing him to gag. Sometime the game was just a bit too realistic. When an undead ate the dead they would gain power depending on what they ate. A situation where a zombie eats another zombie¡¯s brain has happened and isn¡¯t that rare, but a Death Knight eating another Death Knights head. Very uncommon. Since the brain is where intelligence is for undead stat gaining, he knew this because a group did an experiment about it five years earlier, the Death knight¡¯s helm grew two devil like horns off the sides. The eyes on the decaying face within flashed in a crimson light, two cold dots of hatred stared at Emerald. Another knight charged in, shield first. Emerald, prepared the Blade, jumping up onto the knights shield, her Blade plunging into it¡¯s chest cavity from it¡¯s neck. She then jumped over the Knight¡¯s kneeling body and landed, Blade flashing in front of the knight who was charging in behind the other one. With a sudden lurch, the Death Knight stopped, the soft blue flames in it¡¯s eyes disappeared as it split from the land of the living once more. As the two pieces of corpse fell to the ground Emerald surveyed the damage. 4 out of the 10 Death Knights had fallen in seconds, two of the still standing Knights had javelins, including the Red Eyed Death Knight. A screech from the Red Eyed one and the other four got into a formation, Two of the Knights focused on defence while the other two focused on offence. Their armor shifted to fit the knights needs, the defencive gained more armor while the offensive lost some. Taking two circular shields each the defensive knights advanced together, Shields overlapping, their pace methodical and even. The fist of the two last javelins were thrown, screeching through the air towards Emerald, who leaned out of the way, grabbing the javelin as it was passing. ¡°Here, you can have this back.¡± Emerald said as she hurled the javelin back to the sender. The Red Eyed one picked up it¡¯s non transformed brethren and chucked it at the javelin, tearing it¡¯s spine out in the process. The spear crushed the Death Knight who thrown at it, barely missing the Red Eyed one. The Death Knight''s corpse was pitifully pinned to the wall, it¡¯s spine in the Red Eyed one¡¯s hand, it¡¯s chest caved in from the javelin that pinned it to the wall. The Red Eyed one stared at Emerald, tossing it¡¯s shield away. Holding out the spine in front of it with one hand, the Red Eyed one grabbed it and moved it¡¯s other hand toward the opposite end. The spine started to take the form of a blade, a sinister dark aura started to gather around it. ¡°This is new.¡± Emerald stated, slightly surprised at the variant in front of her. ¡°No way...:¡± Henry murmured as he supported himself against the wall, staring at the Red Eyed one. Spinning the Spine Blade around, the Red Eyed one looked from the it¡¯s blade to Emerald, it¡¯s cold inteligent eyes filled with the intent on studing. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s your game then, fine. Four¡± Emerald got in her ready stance. The Defender Knights knelt down, the Assault Knights jumped over, using two swords to attack. Emerald deflected the oncoming swords with experienced accuracy. As she prepared her counter, she felt movement, and ducked back just as the final javelin brushed past her helm. The Assault Knights gave no quarter, their attacks timed perfectly with each other. As the Blade deflected the attacks, Emerald felt a movement behind her. With a quick slash to send the twin attacking swords away, she spun her Blade, and stabbed behind herself. The sound of metal puncturing flesh was heard as the Defence Knight was stabbed cleanly through the chest, the extra armor not even giving resistance to the Blade¡¯s edge. ¡°Three.¡± Emerald said as she took her Blade out of the body, which fell to the ground with a thud. An Assault Knight swung in on her right, stabbing at her head. Emerald stepped back, dodging the sword, and grabbed the undead¡¯s arm, pulling it towards her. With it¡¯s balance broken, the Assault Knight fell onto Emerald¡¯s Blade, it¡¯s throat punctured. Jerking the Blade up was all it took to remove the head from the body. The head rolled towards the Red Eyed one. ¡°Two, and you can have that.¡± She said as she flicked the dead¡¯s juices off the Blade. The Red Eyed one picked the head up and began once again to eat it¡¯s brethren¡¯s head. The remaining Defencive and Assault Knights began to move together. ¡°Let¡¯s end this. TIID¡± With a flash, Emerald breezed past the Defencive Knight ¡°One.¡± As the Defencive Knight started to split into small pieces, Emerald flashed towards the Assault Knight, still in mid jump. With a quick slice, the Assault Knight fell to the ground, split into four pieces. Emerald looked towards the Red Eyed one, her armor gleamed in the magelight that lit the cavern. The Red Eyed one got into a battle stance, similar to Emerald¡¯s first stance that she started the fight with. ¡°Let¡¯s make this a fun fight.¡± With a swing from the blade, the air split as the Blad¡¯s pressure cut through it, destroying all of the magelight in the room. The only light in the room was the torch that Henry had dropped, spluttering out slowly. Henry got a notification *Rare Event: A Sightless Battle Description: As the FIre Fades, the Battle goes on. Witness the Dance in the Darkness. Chapter nine: Dancing in the Dark The two figures stood across from each other, illuminated only by the flickering torch light. Both held blades longer and sharper than longswords. The occasional drip of water from the cave ceiling could be heard. One of the figures held a curved silver black blade, with a single wicked edge. The other held a bone white blade with one edge being straight, and the other side serrated like a saw, the points heading towards the hilt. Both wore full plated armor, one in a silver black, which was slightly covered with a shadow fog like substance. The other wore night black armor, it¡¯s surface blending in with the shadows around it. One¡¯s helm was fashioned like a stoic warrior, ready to fight; the other had a higher class feel, radiating intimidation and experience. The gauntlets were gripping the blade¡¯s handles, both slightly relaxed enough to prevent clunky movement. Both figures had matching stances. Neither moved as the flickering torch light slowly burnt out. Two red orbs were slightly visible behind one helm, the other contained a brilliant green on the right side, the left was as dark as the moon less sky on a cloudy night. The fight started with the final flickers of light. A quick twist of the blade causing light to reflect towards the other¡¯s visor. A powerful dash brought the two within arms reach. Sparks and the sound of metal hitting metal. The thrust was warded off with expert ease. Another flash in the fading torchlight, and sparks ran off the armor along slash mark appeared where the shimmer went by. A leg kicked towards the other, who staggered back from the blow, a small dent appeared where the leg had hit. Blades shimmered and were swung at blinding speeds. The two weapons looked like lines of death. Armor was dented and cut, chips of bone and metal flew through the air in sparks. Two lines of red where blazing out of one of the helms as the two fought, the other had a similar phenomenon happening. All together, there were five lines of light. One bone white, another silver black, two red, and one green. As the battle continued on, very slowly after images started to appear. Each image was a different pose that had happeded in the fight. Soon the white and red lines seemingly started to gain the upper hand. A kick separated the two long enough for the after images to fade. Both armors were worn from the battle. The bone blade had chips and fractures in it, but the Blade had none. ¡°MID¡± a voice sounded out, and the two resumed their onslaught. The tide had turned and the speed had once again increased. It was faint at first, but slowly there was a pattern building in the sword swings and clashes. The footwork that the figures performed were the base and tempo, complementing and inhibiting the others. The clashes of blades was the melody, notes and beat. Clashes on the armors was the percussion, the whistle of the blades as they cut through the air began to sing two sad songs. Both songs were about warriors, one was a proud knight, the other an adventurer. The Knight¡¯s song told of his tales and deeds, his love and his duty. The pride he felt when protecting his city, and the sorrow of it when it fell. The anger at himself and his failures, and his regret for dealing with a necromancer. The blinding rage he felt during his undeath and the loss of all hope of freedom. The adventure¡¯s told of adventure and treasure, the unknown, and the risk to find it. The amazement of sights unseen, and the adrenaline of battle. It told of the hope for peace, and the chance to settle down. The sadness of losing friends, and the happiness of gaining new ones. It told the wonders that nature hold, and battles hard fought.Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. Both songs were nearing their climaxes, and they sped up to even higher speeds, increasing in intensity and strength. One sang of sorrow, the other for hope. Mirages of each of their songs started to appear in their sword patterns. The Knights showed a dazzling white city, overtaken and covered with crimson blood. Armies attacked the white city, yet it held under all attacks. The Adventurer¡¯s showed vast green plains, mountains covered with snow, and a night sky. Northern winds and sleet covered the plains. It ended suddenly, and without warning to those who could not understand the battle¡¯s song. The dazzling images of the blade swings clashed and dissapeared. One¡¯s blade was knocked up, the other turned and performed a quick thrust. The sound metal puncturing metal and flesh rang out. The Knights song had ended, while the Adventure¡¯s sang of a mighty, yet remorseful triumph. With the song¡¯s end, silence prevailed. A thump, and the sound of metal on rock could be heard. The clattering of a blade falling from the ground. The two figures were next to each other, one standing, the other kneeling. One had dropped their blade, being run through by the other¡¯s blade, pierced in the final moments of their fight. A raspy voice, one that seemingly had not spoken for eons, came from one of the helms. ¡°Thank...you...it was...probably...the...best...fight...yet.¡± The formerly Red orb eyes were now a human brown, filled with regret, sorrow, and wisdom. ¡°No soul deserves to live on when their time has come, I will remember this battle of ours.¡± The other responded. ¡°Heh¡­..you fight like a master¡­..but you have a heart of kindness¡­.keep it. Hold onto it. Or you will suffer¡­. the same fate as I did. Finally... I¡¯m coming home... Carol¡± With that said, the chuckling Red Eyed undead started to crumble into dust, his form fading as his soul passed on. The demonic armor burned and turned to ash. All that was left of him was his Bone Blade, which was laying on the ground, and a pile of ash and dust. The fractured and chipped bone blade had barely survived the dance. While it still had the white sheen, it no longer was straight and sharp. Henry and his stream were shellshocked. It was a battle that very few people could understand by watching it just once. The audio playback showed that there was actually no music playing, yet the sounds that were heard sounded like an epic song. It didn¡¯t take long for people to realise that the music was of blades and of armor. The battle was so quick and precise that every movement created a tune. Two sides telling their pasts, manifesting in the world around them. The video was quickly rendered and brightened for easier viewing, and what they say was astounding. The two figures, each armed with a similar weapon, using very similar styles, danced. From the kicks to the readjustment of limbs, all of it seemed like a deadly dance. Emerald picked up the bone blade, and put it away. ¡°Let¡¯s get out of this cave.¡± she said as she turned back to where they had come from. ¡°What about the treasure room?¡± Henry asked The helm turned towards Henry, her voice had a twinge of cold. ¡°They are defiled treasures. At one time i might have taken them, but not now.¡± She continued to walk towards the exit, her foe¡¯s blade in hand. Henry followed close behind, however when they were nearing the exit, the sight of Emerald¡¯s shadowy figure leaving the cave left an impression on him. It was stoic and alone, walking forward towards the light. If there were any person who deserved their peace in life, she would be one. Henry had to rush forward to catch up, only to smash into Emerald¡¯s arm, which was held out to stop him. Unfortunately, it clotheslined him. ¡°OUCH, what was that for?¡± Henry said, holding his hurt nose ¡°Do you know them?¡± Emerald said, pointing towards the bushes outside the cave. ¡°What are you talking about? There is nobod...Oh¡­ crap baskets.¡± Chapter ten: A New Buddy ¡°Do you happen to have a spell and/or curse on you that allows people to watch your movements?¡± Emerald calmly asked Henry in a very calm way. ¡°I do have a stream that is on¡­ does that count?¡± ¡°Does the stream allow people to watch you?¡± Emerald answered back in a calm manner ¡°...yes.¡± ¡°What was that? I couldn¡¯t hear you.¡± The super calm it was unsettling voice sounded from the helm ¡°I have¡­¡± Henry checked the stream viewers. ¡°Over a million people viewing¡­oh my...SHIT¡± Henry jumped back as the Blade crashed down upon where he was standing ¡°I didn¡¯t know so many people were watching, I swear.¡± A emerald glint was visible behind the visor as that calm maddening voice sounded out again. ¡°I said carry my Blade, why did you jump back? What if the Blade got chipped on a rock, how would you repay me?¡± Henry looked at where the blade hit the rock...there was only finely ground sand. Henry felt another premonition as Emerald appeared behind him, towering over him in her armor. ¡°Make sure you catch it now ok?¡± the calmer than a lake on a windless day voice made Henry shiver from fright. Henry dove towards the exit, and once again saw the huge fanclub that gathered outside. ¡°WE WANT EM. WE WANT EM. WE WANT EM¡± the crowd chanted, some had already fashioned armor like her¡¯s. He could swear that there was a couple cosplayers and roleplayers in the crowd. Henry yelled. ¡°RUN AWAY, SHE¡¯S PISSED!!¡± The crowd stopped their chant. Looked at Henry, then looked behind him as an armored juggernaut appeared, a giant, wicked looking warhammer in hand. ¡°Who ever said i¡¯m pissed, cause they¡¯d be wrong¡­ I¡¯M FURRIOUS oh is that an kitty? Can I pet him¡± the super calm voice that freezes bone turned into a fur loving child¡¯s as the armored juggernaut of death and destruction of all the land turned into a kitten lover 4 life(s), also known as KL4L(s), as she suddenly reappeared where the kitten was, at the back. The little girl who was holding her pet kitten was way way in the back was standing next to her older brother, who spends all of his time in his room doing ¡°important things¡±. Then when he leaves it smells weird, so she burns whatever was smelly, thinking it¡¯s rotten eggs, again. She was force fed one by her brother a year earlier, now she like burning eggs, rotten ones in particular. Then she smashes them on the ground, just to burn it again . Their parents decided that they needed to spend more time together, after the 5th house burned down. So they got her the mega hit game that the older brother had. While her brother was in the top 25% of players she was in the top 9000% percent¡­ she wasn¡¯t very high on the list. However, she was a decent smith. Though due to the lack of customers she slowly stopped playing the game. Until Muffins. If you asked her what is her favorite part of the game? Muffins the Ocelot would be the answer. A rare log in event that happens only once when a player is playing less and less, but continues just enough to have a login streak. It was a prize unlike any other. The choices were, a legendary dragon pet, a turtle with cannons, a dinosaur with lasers, or a wild cat. It was a spin game,and spin she did¡­ on the wild cat category, which then turned into another spinning game. Eventually the purrfect ocelot was won. Forever tormented by cat lovers everywhere. (I¡¯ll leave now.) (¡°OH NO YOU DON¡¯T¡±) (GAHH) Now Muffins the Ocelot, Karla (the little girl), and her brother Sam were standing in front of Sam¡¯s newest idol. Emerald, who was probably staring at Muffins under her helm. Karla nodded to Emeralds question, holding the Ocelot up. ¡°It¡¯s an ocelot.¡± Karla says in a small cute voice. ¡°Oh my gods it¡¯s so adorable, are you this girl¡¯s sister?¡± Emerald turned towards Sam, only to find him with his mouth open and his eyes staring. Sam was slowly nodding, his eyes frozen on what they were seeing. ¡°Great, I¡¯m taking her and the kitty.¡± Emerald said, hoisting Karla up onto her shoulder with one hand. ¡°Ocelot. And his name is Muffin¡± Karla said from her perchThe story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. ¡°Her and her ocelot Muffin, which is an adorable name for him.¡± Emerald said, moving back to the town. The fanclub was still staring at where she had appeared, then disappeared. Then one guy in the crowd yelled out. ¡°GUY, SHE¡¯S GONE WITH THE OCELOT¡± And with that they stampeded towards the town, in search of the kid/ocelot-napping Emerald, who was already back in her store, out of her armor, and petting Muffin. Karla was looking at all the equipment around the store. ¡°Um¡­ Ms. Emerald?¡± ¡°It¡¯s Mrs. actually, but whatever. What is it?¡± At that moment in time, all of the unmarried/not in a relationship/ married guys but were planning on cheating guys who were in the Emerald fanclub felt a terrible premonition. Half of the stampede fell over, resulting in a huge back up that would take hours to undo. ¡°Why do you have so much stuff?¡± Karla asked the person who has lived multiple lives as a hoarder. Emerald stopped petting Muffin. ¡°They all serve a purpose. Be it for good, or evil. It is safer here than in a novice¡¯s hands. Better with me, than a murderer. That and there¡¯s no body who wants to buy this stuff. Either because they don¡¯t have enough money, or they don¡¯t want it anyways. Someday though, after I sell all of these things, I wish I could settle down and live the rest of this life in peace.¡± Emerald resumed petting Karla looked like she was thinking about the previous answer, then asked ¡°If you want to live in peace, why own and make so many weapons?¡± Emerald sighed and stood up ¡°It is not in my nature to do nothing. It is not my destiny to have a peaceful end. I walk as an adventurer. A person who searches the unknown in pursuit of knowledge and treasure. At one point I thought I could avoid it¡­ but fate is like a magnet, drawing us towards it. come¡± Emerald gestured with her hand as she picked up what was left of the bone blade, which was cast aside hastily when she got back. Picking up the smithing gown while opening the forge door, Emerald pointed towards a cupboard to the side. ¡°Take out a smithing gown, in there.¡± Karla took out one, and put it on, only to find to it perfectly fit her. ¡°How?¡± Karla asked. ¡°Enchant, that or the way they were made to fit anybody. I don¡¯t know. Stand over here.¡± Emerald gestured in a spot near the forge and anvil, while she went back into the main shop. Karla looked around the forge. The walls were covered with soot and ingots. Mounds and mounds of ingots of different metals, each pile as tall as the room. A chimney was above the forge, to let smoke out, there were also several points where light shone, illuminating the anvil and one was on an empty clamp. Emerald returned with a few parchments in hand. Handing them to Karla ¡°Arrange these on the stump there, and make sure they don¡¯t move around, ok?¡± pointing towards a wooden stump next to the forge. Emerald walked over to the piles of ore, taking specific amounts of ore from each pile. She then walked over to a chest and pulled out ice. ¡°Woah, what¡¯s that?¡± ¡°Stalhrim ore. On par with Ebony ore, it¡¯s enchanted ice. Legends say that it is ice that will never melt.¡± ¡°What do you use it for?¡± Karla asked, interested in the new ore. ¡°Forging. Normally the use of Stalhrim requires special items. However, if you consider the fact that it is similar to forging Ebony, only ice based, then those items aren¡¯t really needed.¡± ¡°Are you going to be making these?¡± Karla pointed towards the schematics of armor Emerald made earlier. ¡°I was going to make that earlier. But then I decided to go explore a while. Worth it, as I now have the best weapon for the armor.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°This.¡± Emerald held up the Bone Blade. The brilliant white material was fractured and chipped all along the blade ¡°A little reforging, reinforcement, and a little enhancements, and it will be better than new.¡± ¡°Can I watch, I may not look like it, but I am a smith.¡± ¡°If you weren¡¯t you wouldn¡¯t be back here.¡± Emerald said, grabbing a piece of thread and tying her hair up in a ponytail. With a smile on her face, Emerald reforged the Bone Blade with Karla, adding a Stalhrim edge to it. The process took a while, long enough for the first parts of the fanclub to arrive in the town. Karla hadn¡¯t expected that a person could forge in the style Emerald was using. Normally you¡¯d put the ingot on the anvil, and whack it until it shined, another reason why she liked the game. Emerald did forging a different way. She first melted the entire blade down, added some black ore, then set it into ingots. She then took the ingots and started the actual forging process. Not to fast, but not too slow. The ingots were folded 18 times, blade was formed in 2 heats, 2 more for the bevels. Cooling it down, and resting the metal, Emerald taught Karlah. Telling her of forging techniques and ores. She also allowed her to watch her craft the armor. After the blade cooled down wholly, Karla asked. ¡°Why don¡¯t you make something like this?¡± pointing towards an ancient dwarven book, filled with schematics of aethrium armor. ¡°They use an ore that is considered lost. And even if I did have that ore, I wouldn¡¯t be able to forge it. Those require a specific forge to forge at, unless there¡¯s a giant mechanical steam powered forge by a pit of lava, I can¡¯t forge them.¡± ¡°That sounds oddly specific.¡± ¡°Because it is. And the materials needed to build the forge are not worth it, so even building one would cost a ton. So while it might be powerful, it¡¯s impractical.¡± ¡°Can I ask another question?¡± ¡°One more, then I have to heat treat the blade.¡± ¡°Why do you forge?¡± ¡°I forge because it takes my mind off of the rest of the world and it¡¯s problems. There really isn¡¯t anything better than staring into the forge¡¯s fire in order to get the best quality possible. I must have forged hundreds of daggers, thousands even, before I even began to make weapons and armor.¡± Emerald stood up, and stretched. some bones made a popping sound. ¡°well, time to finish the project, you sit over there.¡± Chapter eleven: Leaving the Village ¡°Come on Emerald, I said I was sorry.¡± ¡°Is the surveillance still on?¡± ¡°No...yes¡± ¡°Then your apology is not accepted. Back outside.¡± Henry slunk back as the door slammed shut, leaning against the sign outside of Emerald¡¯s shop ¡°I didn¡¯t know so many people would watch.¡± Henry murmured to himself It had been a week in game time, and Emerald still didn¡¯t let Henry into the store, the only one who was allowed to go inside was a little girl named Karla. Right after the stampede into the town, a high leveled player called XxX_R1pper_XxX was trying to bang down the door with his sword, yelling about how his sister was kidnapped. He soon stopped once Emerald picked him up by the scruff of his neck, and hurled him out of the town. He then calmed down after getting a message from his sister not to bother Mrs. Emerald. Of course it wasn¡¯t shocking to some, considering the ring she was wearing, but to others? Their fragile dreams were broken. There were some theories on who she really was, one was that she was an unknown expert who just started playing the game. It was a common theory on almost every rising star or some what important person who popped into their sights. After a while, and a whole lot of explaining, the crowd logged out, leaving only XxX_R1pper_XxX and Henry there. The two had much in common, though Henry¡¯s level was lower than R1pper, he was more knowledgeable. As the two were chatting outside, inside the two girls were just finishing the last piece of equipment. As the gauntlets and boots could be easily forged with Karla, the armor took more time. While they were waiting for the armor to cool down, the two worked on a dress for Emerald. The materials were some of Karla¡¯s, as a good game smith carries some materials with them everywhere. After some rough sketches and ideas, the two decided on an ball gown with custom accessories. A golden tiara, crown, mask, necklace, and choker were made. The tiara had a hexagonal sapphire in the center, with two diamond shaped emeralds flanking it. The choker had a onyx gem in the center. The crown was made of gold, and would sit slightly above the head, resting mostly on the temples and back of the tiara. A silver necklace with an amethyst attached to it was the last jewelry item. The mask would cover the lower face, which was the mouth, chin, and nose. The upper body of the dress was a light purple with a blue tint in places, with the navel being revealed. The hands were to be covered with silver gloves made of a metallic mesh. The skirt had two slits in it for the legs to move, the light blue color designed to shimmer like an aurora when moved.You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. The reason Emerald was making such a dress was because of Karla. When Karla saw the final design for the Frozen Ebony armor looked like something royalty would wear, she demanded that Emerald make a dress for formal parties. At first Emerald was opposed, but relented, after all armor may be fine for battle, but not for formal events such as ball, plus it would be a good way to pass the time while waiting for the armor. Karla did most of the tailoring, while Emerald worked on the forging and jewelry. Emerald doubted there would ever be a time when she wore it, but it¡¯s better to be prepared. ¡°Say Karla, do you want to go get some fresh air?¡± Emerald looked over to where Karla was busy sowing the last few threads on the skirt. ¡°Let me finish this up, then I will catch up to you.¡± Karla said without looking up from her work. ¡°Sure, sure.¡± Emerald stood up, opening the door to find the two guy, Henry and R1pper, leaning on the sign she made, talking about weapon stats. ¡°I¡¯m telling you, a Blade of Disheartenment is not good against tanks, the attack speed isn¡¯t fast enough to get past their regen, and it¡¯s damage is mediocre at best. It would be better as a one on one weapon.¡± R1pper stated, clearly not convinced by what Henry was talking about earlier. ¡°I¡¯m saying that it¡¯s effect would negate half of their regen, and while the attack speed isn¡¯t the best, it¡¯s better than an ax or sword. Also, it¡¯s effect, which can normally be stacked up to five times in one on one, can stack up to ten in group battles¡± Henry rebutted. ¡°If you boys are finished arguing, I have a job for you.¡± Emerald interrupted R1pper before he could start talking. ¡°What is it Emerald?¡± Henry said, standing up off the sign ¡°Where¡¯s the nearest city from here?¡± ¡°It¡¯s approximately 30 km south of here.¡± R1pper said ¡°I should know, it¡¯s where I came from¡± Henry put his hand on his head, sighing. ¡°That¡¯s where EVERYONE has to come from to get here, idiot.¡± ¡°Pfft, I knew that. So, what¡¯s the job Mrs. Emerald?¡± Emerald¡¯s smile once again reappeared, her white canines showing, it was actually quite terrifying. ¡°The job is helping me move my store there, I was planing on doing it myself. However, that would weigh me down just a bit too much, so who better to ask then the idiots who are loitering around my store, scaring away business.¡± Henry paled slightly while R1pper, who hasn¡¯t been in the shop yet, said ¡°sure, I think we would both love to help.¡± ¡°R1pper, can I talk to you for a bit, excuse us.¡± Henry said, pulling R1pper towards the street. ¡°What the Hell are you doing, do you know how much stuff there is in that shop?¡± Henry whispered furiously. ¡°What it can¡¯t be that bad.¡± ¡°Do you have any equipment that can lighten the load.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Wear all of it.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Wear it all, since you got us into this, you¡¯re carrying most of the stuff¡± The two guys turned back to Emerald, who was picking some debris in her back teeth. ¡°Ok, we¡¯ll help move your stuff to the nearest city.¡± ¡°Great, I hope you¡¯re ready for a long walk.¡± Emerald replied, stretching her back as she straightened out. ¡°¡±A walk?¡±¡±Henry and R1pper said together. Chapter twelve: The Clearing ¡°Oh...my...gods...why...did...we...agree...to..this¡± ¡°I...have...no...idea...but...this...ocelot...isn¡¯t...making...it...easier¡±¡± Henry and R1pper were both struggling over the weight of over 500 items each, ones that don¡¯t stack. As they both were ¡®volunteered¡¯ to help by Emerald and her new best buddy,the loli teen Karla, who was also R1pper¡¯s little sister out of the game. Muffin the ocelot was also there, occasionally sitting or peeing on either of the guys. ¡°Hurry up already, Mrs. Emerald is carrying quadruple the amount you are with ease.¡± Karla said, enjoying her perch on Emerald¡¯s shoulder ¡°So...what...you¡¯re...saying...is...that...you...weigh...four¡­.times....the...amount¡­.we¡­ individually .. are...carrying?¡± R1pper said, struggling under the pressure of the luggage Karla¡¯s face turned red with embarrassment. Turning her head, she said ¡°Muffin, attack him.¡± Muffin, who was currently sitting on top of R1pper¡¯s head, stood up and started scratching. ¡°OWOWOW, I¡¯M SORRY¡± R1pper shouted in pain. ¡°Good, Muffin down.¡± ¡°Meow¡± the ocelot replied with a deceptively kitten like meow as it ceased it¡¯s onslaught of doom to R1pper¡¯s hair. The small group was currently walking towards the city, well half of them were walking, the other half was riding on a horse. Henry and R1pper had identical backpacks that were 10 times the size they were. Emerald had a similar pack in one arm, though obviously larger than the other two¡¯s combined. Plus she was carrying Karla on her other shoulder. She was doing this while wearing heavy armor. To the two guys it was like their original understanding of Emerald¡¯s strength, which was already way above theirs, was shattered. She wasn¡¯t just strong, she was comparable to a demi-god in strength. As the four of them traveled through the mountainous forest, they saw a multitude of wildlife. Soon they came upon a small clearing. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s rest here, I think the guys have been torchered long enough for now.¡± ¡°OH MY GODS THAT WAS HEAVY¡± Henry said, slipping out of the death trap of a backpack. ¡°GAHH¡± R1pper yelled as his pack finally crushed him under it¡¯s weight ¡°PFFFTTT HAHAHAHA, IDIOT HAHAHA¡± Karla laughed , falling off Emerald¡¯s shoulder ¡°Get me out of here¡± R1pper¡¯s muffled voice shouted out from under the pack A loud thud sounded as Emerald put her pack down and moved over to R1pper¡¯s. Normally Emerald would¡¯ve prefered to travel with only Karla and carry everything herself, which she could¡¯ve easily done. However, there wasn¡¯t exactly a good steed around that could carry everything. So she decided to ask/force the helpers/victims ¡°Can someone please explain to me why we didn¡¯t just teleport over there?¡± Henry asked, hands on his knees as he caught his breath. As a planet full of experts, the game designers soon realised that their games had to include the player¡¯s actual stamina, in order to give the feeling of fatigue, however some people complained, so there were two settings available. Under a certain age, those with health problems, and those who toggled it, ¡®game¡¯ stamina was used, Everyone else used actual stamina. The difference could mostly barely be seen. ¡®Game¡¯ stamina was measured in numbers, and was linked to skills, if you were low on stamina you couldn¡¯t use certain skills. Actual stamina was more physically draining, causing muscle soreness and exhaustion, but skills were always available.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. Dumbed down the choice was either numbered stamina and no soreness, or as much power as you want. Long fights versus shorter fights. Or, as in the current case, extreme exhaustion when carrying too much. As Henry and R1pper rubbed their sore and tired muscles, Karla looked over towards Emerald, who was leaning against her pack on the ground. In front of her was an old looking journal. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Karla asked Emerald. ¡°A journal¡± Emerald replied, flipping the pages of the old book. ¡°Probably holds her fantasies like BL.¡± R1pper murmured to Henry ¡°Dude, no bad idea.¡± Henry whisped back ¡°she¡¯s going to eradicate you if she hears what you said.¡± ¡°True, but seriously, a journal?¡± ¡°If you two are done being a pair of pansies not brave enough to insult me openly, I think we can arrange a better means of travel. And by travel I mean carrying more stuff. And by carrying more stuff I mean carrying me.¡± Emerald sternly told the two guys who were doing the sun stretch on the ground. ¡°Nope, we¡¯re fine being pansies, right?¡± Henry spoke up, punching R1pper¡¯s arm. ¡°Yup, totally fine.¡± R1pper nodded vigorously. ¡°Ok then.¡± Emerald said, continuing to flip through her journal Karla sat down next to Emerald, unlike the two boys, she had numbered stamina, and she was carried by Emerald, so she wasn¡¯t as tired as the other two. ¡°What¡¯s the journal for?¡± Karla asked ¡°What a journal is used for, recording events.¡± Emerald replied, turning to a blank page, near the back. Taking a quill, she began to record the recent events. By the time she was done the sun was already setting. She looked around, not seeing her companions, she then saw the message drawn in the dirt. . ¡°let¡¯s see, it should take about five hours.¡± Saying that, Emerald stuck her sword in the ground, and waited As the world around her started to turn faster in her eyes, a group of pkers were hiding in the forest. ¡°What do you think guys? NPC or Player?¡± one in front of the group said peering past the trees into the opening ¡°It might be a new boss.¡± a woman said in the back, leaning against a tree ¡°I think it¡¯s a player.¡± the one hanging from the tree said ¡°If it was a player then it wouldn¡¯t be standing still like that, it would¡¯ve moved by now. You tell me who hasn¡¯t been logged out for falling asleep in game.¡± the man that was sitting on the rock said ¡°Me, because I don¡¯t fall asleep in game, that¡¯s just stupid.¡± the armored man said ¡°knock it off people, it doesn¡¯t matter if it¡¯s a player or NPC, we attack.¡± the Shrouded man said. Emerald was standing in her new Frozen Ebony armor, it¡¯s white brilliance reflecting the moonlight, her Blade in the ground in front of her. She opened her eye, and knew immediately something was wrong. Grabbing her Blade, she turned her body, dodging a crossbow bolt. She looked over to where the bolt came from, only to step to her left, avoiding a sword the flashed past where her neck was. As she was about to slash back in retaliation, she turned to block upward, deflecting the knife blow that came from overhead. She launched the attacker back into the air as she bashed the butt of her blade into their face. A fire blast roared towards her back, as she turned and slashed it in two. The separated magic attack flew past her into the trees, turning them a blaze. Emerald looked up and caught the crossbow bolt that was flying towards the right side of her head. Snapping the bolt she straightened up, finding that she was surrounded by six people. ¡°That¡¯s not a nice way to treat a lady¡± Emerald said to the hulking armored man standing in front of her. ¡°That¡¯s true, however we don¡¯t treat a stranger as a lady.¡± the man holding the crossbow said, as he loaded his weapon. ¡°I¡¯m going to go out on a limb and say that you¡¯re rather rich for a person way out here.¡± a woman with a staff said, following her comment by a magical power starting to swirl around her. ¡°So we¡¯re going to take it!¡± The armored man shouted as he charged at Emerald. Emerald dodged the charge and spun her blade to deflect the throwing knife that was thrown at her eye. ¡°If you want a fight, I¡¯ll give you one.¡± Chapter thirteen: A short fight The six figures surrounded another figure clad in white armor. Each one of the six was equipped in a manner that covered the other¡¯s weaknesses. As the six began to slowly rotate inwards, the figure clad in white stood in a battle sance, the blade horizontal in front of her eye. The moonlight and fire reflected off the blade, and the Emerald green of her eye glinted along with it. With a quick slash, the blade deflected the overhead strike from the swordsman that came from behind. Another slash and the oncoming bolt was deflected into the shield that one of the attackers carried. A quick dash to the right got Emerald out of the way of the overhead slash that came from behind. When she turned to slice him, her blade met the shield of the swordsman. Emerald spun around the swordsman, kicking him in the back towards the oncoming fire spell. Her eye widened in surprise as the fire spell went around him heading towards her. Using her blade, she swung upwards. Catching the spell on her blade, she spun it towards the direction the crossbow bolts were coming from. The spell impacted another bolt in mid air, causing the bolt and spell to explode. ¡°That¡¯s new.¡± Emerald commented. The female laughed ¡°friendly fires no fun, so we have it off. So team can¡¯t harm team.¡± ¡°Neat, but that does have limits.¡± Emerald retorted back, paring the Halberd swing from the armored man, deflecting the blade, causing the edge to cut into the shield of the swordsman. With the two falling down, Emerald spun swinging at the other swordsman. The swordsman¡¯s longsword blocked the blow, but caused his arms to go into the air. Another spin, and Emerald¡¯s blade plunged towards the swordsman¡¯s chest, when it was blocked by vines shooting out of the ground. The swordsman backed up, and the two who were on the ground were standing once again. ¡°Impressive teamwork.¡± Emerald commented, tearing the thorns off of her sword. The shrouded man lowered the hand he used to cast the vines spell ¡°naturally a group has to be coordinated before charging into a fight.¡± ¡°That is a given, however your plan is flawed.¡± Emerald said, turning towards the shouded man.If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. ¡°Oh?! In what way?¡± The man asked ¡°Simple, you can¡¯t harm me.¡± saying that Emerald spun and dodge the firebolt aimed at her back, then flipped over the crossbow bolt. Emerald landed and ducked under the sword, dancing around the overhead halberd swing. Emerald jumped onto the shield that was bashed towards her. Using the force from the bash, Emerald flew over the other swordsman, landing in front of the female. ¡°Ice Barrier!¡± the female shouted, an Ice wall appeared in between Emerald and the female mage. Emerald¡¯s blade cleaved through the barrier, revealing that the female had switched places with the shield bearer, whose shield was in place to block Emerald¡¯s attack ¡°Iron Fortress!¡± The shield bearer shouted, his shield glowed in an orange light. Emerald¡¯s blade cut into the barrier and the shield, the force of the blow knocked the bearer back. ¡°Surprising¡­¡± Emerald murmured to herself. Frost started to gather around Emerald¡¯s boots. Without a word the group resumed their attack. Emerald dodged, ducked, dived, and weaved around the flurries of attacks. The occasional spark from deflected weapons flew around the battlefield. The swordsman''s attacks were measured and sure, occasionally starting when the assassin finished his. Whenever Emerald started to go on the offencive, the knight and the shieldbearer stopped her. The seemingly random firing of fire and lightning magic from the female also helped in restricting Emerald¡¯s movements. Normally Emerald would have already finished the fight, as she could easily tank all of their combined strongest attacks and still come out unscathed. The reason why she didn¡¯t obliterate them with magic was because she was bored. Giving the other party the illusion that she could hold her own against six simultaneous attacks, but still showing openings for others. ¡°Retreat! Times up!¡± the shrouded man called out. Instantly the five others disengaged, sprinting over to the shrouded man. ¡°Escape? You want to escape, I thought we were having fun?¡± Emerald asked the shrouded man. He laughed, ¡°It may be fun for you, but we have a time limit on these missions of ours. Until next time.¡± Raising both hands up to his face, he yelled out ¡°Sun Flare!¡± A blinding flash of light was sent out, covering the dark forest with light. Emerald looked at the light, amused. Though she hadn¡¯t faced this move before, it could not compare to the sun when she was a blood-starved vampire lord. The Shrouded man pulled a crystal out from under his cloak and crushed it. The group was surrounded by a pillar of light, and the six disappeared into the sky. Emerald watched them fly, a small smile formed under her helm. It was fun and new to her. Years and years of boredom, caught in the same loop. Although there were variations, there was one point during this life that she grew bored. In fact, the only reason she did die in her previous lives was because she wanted to. Emerald looked over to the still burning trees and shook her head ¡°could¡¯ve at least put out the fire. FO KRAH DIIN¡± The Frost breath shout manifested, shooting towards the fire, extinguishing it. She then turned and walked back to where she was waiting, and closed her eye. chapter Interlude: control room 1 ¡°Sir, the subject is at rest. Would this be an appropriate time to warp her in?¡± A woman in a white jumpsuit said, looking away from her monitor towards the man in a black business suit. ¡°No, Her companions will soon return, that and the test body isn¡¯t 100% stable yet. Continue monitoring¡± The man said, folding his fingers together in front of his face. ¡°Yes, sir.¡± The man slowly sighed softly. It had been over ten years since the project had started. There were many times where he had feared that it would fail and the world would fall into disorder once again. Before the VR technology was developed into full immersion, the world order was slowly turning back to what it used to be. The Strong eating the weak, the weak and helpless suffering for no reason. The project was, is the final stand against global anarchy. With people strong enough to obliterate the planet, it was a breath of relief when it was agreed among the higher powered individuals that world ending plots and attacks are strictly forbidden. The man looked at the several monitors surrounding the room. Roughly 30% of the screens showed the Invader who named herself ¡°Emerald¡±. The rest either showed a newschannel or players of interest. Although he had asked Emerald to be the true final boss to the game, the dragon stunt she pulled was something that shocked him deeply. The ability to summon a dragon is rare by itself, but the ability to create a dragon...unthinkable. There are skeleton dragons, but they don¡¯t really count. The man knew that the Invader wasn¡¯t a code, but a person, a lost soul stuck in the game, though he had a feeling that she could break out of the game whenever she wanted, she needed a physical body, and something else¡­ ¡°Sir, your 9 o¡¯clock is waiting, also the test body will be stable in approximately two hours.¡± Another woman in a white jumpsuit walked through the door placed directly behind the man¡¯s chair. ¡°Well, I guess I should go entertain the guest while the final preparations are being made,¡± The man stood up from his chair. ¡°Warp the subject in after she reaches the city and finds a place. Make sure it¡¯s when she is resting, and when no one else is round.¡± ¡°YES SIR.¡± The room was filled with the militaristic voices, hundreds of voices at once. Men and women in white jumpsuits were looking at lines and lines of code on each of their screens, there were ten levels in the room, at the top was the Director''s chair, the bottom had the patcher, patching out bugs in the system.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. The man walked out, grabbing the note screen from the assistant who walked in. ¡°follow.¡± he said curtly, the woman briskly walked to his side, just slightly behind him ¡°Sir, the meeting is in your office.¡± she said as she walked in slightly quicker steps to keep up with the giant of a man simply known as The Director. The Director had a clean, close beard, a tall frame that was well muscled, and a height that towered over the other workers in the corporation. There were many rumors about him in all levels of the office and internet. Some said that he was a hidden expert, others said he is the rich heir to an influential family. Only a couple things were completely certain about the Director, he crushed competition, and kept his secrets well guarded. ¡°I¡¯ll take brunch after this meeting.¡± The Director said while walking into the elevator, still looking at the note screen. ¡°Of course sir, will it be the usual?¡± the secretary asked as she pressed the desired floor. ¡°Janet, you know what I want.¡± The Director stated, not looking away from the note screen ¡°Just making sure sir.¡± ¡°How is the situation on the outside?¡± ¡°While tensions were rising, it seems to have temporarily decreased. Also, sales have been up ever since the ¡°dragon event.¡± it seems your newest ¡°friend¡± has caught the attention of some experts.¡± Janet said while pushing up her glasses. ¡°Of course not that they can have a real impact on the causal server. Which brings up the question, why haven¡¯t you brought her over to the +500 lvl server?¡± ¡°Janet, do you know of the fish in the pond analogy?¡± The Director asked, glancing over towards her. ¡°Sir, if i hadn¡¯t I should just retire.¡± ¡°What would you think would happen if you put a battle hardened sea monster in the midst of hungry nieve piranhas? I¡¯ll give you a hint, Dead fish¡± The Elevator doors opened with a ding. ¡°So the players are the fish in the pond?¡± ¡°Think of it this way, I have created a pond, the game, and allow certain ¡®fish¡¯ in the pond. Now let''s stick with the sea monster, comes into the pond unknowingly. The pond itself cannot sustain the creature. Luckily it went into the ¡®shallows¡¯ where the lower class plays.¡± ¡°What would¡¯ve happened if the creature went into the ¡®deep end¡¯?¡± The director put his free hand on his office door, and looked back at Janet ¡°We would have been shut down.¡± And with that the Director opened his door, closing it before Janet could walk in. Chapter Fourteen: Its the small city ¡°Times up, move out.¡± Emerald said as soon as R1pper, Henry, and Karla logged back in. The three of them looked around in shock. Blast marks from lightning and fire spells, frozen earth and trees from ice spells, cuts and bolts littered the ground. There were several areas where chunks of a shield could be found on the ground; normally nearby two parallel grooves on the ground where an object was forced back. ¡°What happened here?¡± Henry asked to no one in particular. ¡°A fight obviously.¡± R1pper answered walking after Emerald. ¡°But what type of fight does this much damage to the surrounding area?¡± Karla asked, slightly tilting her head as she and Henry followed after R1pper ¡°There¡¯s only one answer.¡± R1pper said pointing to Emerald, her flawless white armor glinted in the sunlight. Not one mar could be found on its surface. The Blade strapped to her back by its sheath. After the reforging and special ore enhancements, the Bone Blade that had survived the Dance, had transformed into the White Blade. Its white surface covered in thin, blue, pulsing lines of Stalhrim. The Hamon line held a straight pattern, while the back retained the reverse-saw look. ¡°Muffins, what do you think?¡± Karla asked her pet ocelot, who was once again perched on her head. ¡°Mreow¡± Muffins replied with a lazy meow and a lazy flick of it¡¯s adorable tail. ¡°If you want to know what happened than ask me, otherwise shut it and walk.¡± Emerald said without looking back as she continued to walk. *two hours later (in game time of course)* ¡°So XxX_R1pper_XxX, you feel like giving up?¡± Henry said through quick breaths. ¡°No, I could still go another hour or so. You on the other hand should take a rest, you look exhausted.¡± R1pper retorted, his breathing also coming in as quick gasps of air. ¡°It¡¯s alright you two, I can handle it alone from here.¡± Emerald said while lifting the two enormous bags off their backs like lifting two eggs. ¡°Are you sure?¡± Karla asked as she took Muffin off the top of Emerald¡¯s helm.Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. ¡°I¡¯m sure, I already appreciate that you helped me get this close to the city.¡± Emerald said while placing the two mountain sized bags on the ground. ¡°And, as promised, here is your rewards.¡± Two swords stabbed into the ground in front of Henry and R1pper, both were the design that she had made back in the shop. It¡¯s bone white blade had streams of stalhrim in it, similar to the Blade that Emerald reforged; though in smaller increments. One of the swords pommels was made ebony, the other dragon bone. Both were carved to look like a bear ¡°I originally was going to use those as my new weapons, but then I got this.¡± Emerald said, tilting her head toward the hilt of the Blade on her back. ¡°They both have the Chaos enchantment on it and are nearly identical in weight and damage. Neither sword is superior to the other, though I do recommend that Henry takes the Black Bear. lighter weight after all.¡± Both Henry and R1pper grasped their respective swords, and pulled them free of the hard earth. Both swords came out with little resistance, R1pper stood staring at the sharp edge; while Henry admired the pommel, which looked life-like enough that he wouldn¡¯t be surprised if it came to life. ¡°And Karla, I think that you will need this more than I do.¡± Emerald took off the necklace that she was wearing, placing it around Karla¡¯s neck. ¡°It buffs crafting and enchanting by 29647930893870%, it also increases your health. So unless you decide to jump off a mountain, it¡¯s unlikely that you will be killed.¡± ¡°Thanks Mrs. Emerald! I love it!¡± Karla said admiring the golden pendant around her neck. Both R1pper and Henry looked at each other. ¡°Why do I feel that we got the worst part of the reward.¡± Henry said ¡°I agree, somehow overpowered swords just fall short of basic invincibility.¡± R1pper followed up Emerald¡¯s head turned towards the two depressed men, her eye gleaming. ¡°EHH?? What''s this, you don¡¯t want a reward? You want to hand me back my lovely swords?¡± Emerald said as she towered over the two. ¡°¡±NOPE, NO COMPLAINTS OVER HERE, WE LOVE THE SWORDS!!¡±¡± Henry and R1pper replied, quickly equipping the swords. ¡°Good, now if you¡¯ll excuse me, I have a shop to buy and set up.¡± Emerald said, hoisting the three giant bags into the air with a single arm. Emerald started to walk towards the city, leaving her three companions standing there in a daze as they checked the stats on the swords and necklace. With her Emerald eye trained on the walls and gate as she approached the city, Emerald observed it¡¯s defences. 20 meter high walls, with guard towers going up another 20 on the corners and middle sections; a patrol of soldiers constantly facing outward. The gate was 10x10 meters in size, its square wooden doors reinforced with strips of iron. It could stop a full speed carriage cold, and could be closed at a moment''s notice. The patrol and gate guards each held a short spear, while some were equipped with longbows. Emerald stopped near the bridge that lead to the gate, still observing the reactions of the guards. They had already seen her, due to the snow white armor and the giant bags that she was carrying. One of the guards at the gate had gone through the door into the gatehouse, soon coming out with a soldier who obviously had a higher rank. ¡°State your purpose for entry.¡± the guard said to Emerald when she got to the gate. ¡°Just a looking to temporarily set up a shop.¡± ¡°Merchant?¡± ¡°Traveling smith.¡± ¡°Alright , you may proceed.¡± the guard stepped aside, giving Emerald room to walk into the city