《The Man Who Will Become God》 1. Prologue: A Proposal Interrupted His wordless howls rang across the vast uncaring cosmos as he was pulled beyond time, space and reality. An unseen, unstoppable force dragged him far, far away from the place he called home. He was young, diligent, and still hopelessly in love with his girlfriend of 3 years. The fire burned even those thoughts away. Fire. White fire consumed him. The pain lasted forever as he hurtled between universes. Wonders flashed across his eyes in the space of milliseconds. The darkness of outer space became the brilliance of a supernova exploding across a distance spanning several million light-years and once again switched to a view of a thousand galactic superclusters, all within the blink of an eye. ¡°Don¡¯t forget about it, ¡®kay?¡± said a sweet, familiar voice in his head. He struggled to hold his sanity even as his body thrashed uncontrollably within the fire consuming him. Eyes shut tight, he recalled the morning. Pain. He was frying sausage and eggs in the pan, the rice was almost cooked as well. The smell of coffee swirled enchantingly inside the kitchen. He was cooking breakfast for HER. Crackle. He gasped in pain as he opened his eyes again. Solar flares flew across the vastness of space in a whirl of chaos as he saw a star, a red giant, slowly being eaten as it danced between the event horizons of two massive black holes. It was as if a bored colossal entity decided to finger-paint the galaxy using the light of a dying star. His eyes rolled to the back of his head as he fainted from the excruciating pain. Burn. They walked together hand in hand, the sound of their footsteps echoing on the sidewalk. It was the happiest moment in of his life, as he looked upon the blushing, angelic beauty beside him. She had, with a gentle nod of her head, agreed to become his girlfriend. Stars formed and died as he suffered mercilessly. The fire burned inside him now as white flames danced across his vision. Lightning bolts the size of galaxies scattered and danced everywhere he looked, their blaze tracing a jagged trail across the stars. One last time he tried to hold himself together, to be man instead of embodied torment.Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. Calm. They were drinking beer outside. In the distance the lights and music of the company party continued, the people inside flushed, laughing as they danced the night away. Here they were, the two of them, shy smiles cloaked by the darkness as they sipped in quiet happiness. He didn¡¯t know what to say, and she was there looking at him expectantly, brown eyes wide and eyebrows half-raised. They spent a couple of more minutes in awkward silence, until, with the desperation of soldier charging headlong into enemy gunfire, he decided to talk to her about the stars. He has always been a fan of science fiction, inspired in his childhood by watching a certain space opera trilogy. He talked to her about his belief in alien worlds and civilizations and the Many Worlds Theory. ¡°Just imagine,¡± he told her excitedly. ¡°An uncountable number of stars, reaching into infinity. And on those stars, dozens upon dozens of worlds. And on those worlds, people and cultures that rival or even surpass our own.¡± She listened to him in patience, once in a while discreetly asking a few questions that he would then answer in detailed enthusiasm. He would later realize that he had not given her a chance to talk about herself, and blushing in embarrassment, he began knowing her a little better. The process would of course be conducted within a series of dates. As they spent more time together, he wondered if he had already fallen in love with her during that fateful night beneath the stars. It was close, he can feel the end now. He can feel his consciousness unravelling as his body, mind, and soul was fed to the white flame. He hurtled across the ends of space towards a single destination. Darkness in shades of reds, blues and violet swam along the edges of his vision. And in front of him, a single point of light growing swiftly in size. He closed his eyes and before oblivion fully swallowed him, one final thought rose in the vanishing depths of his subconscious: ¡°I miss you too. You know that, right?¡± said a gentle, loving voice. He opened his eyes to a raging blue sky. His body lay in a soft patch of grass, whole and free of pain. He lay there for a while unmoving, feeling the cool breeze along his skin. No excruciating pain, no fire that burned his very soul. His eyes mindlessly tracked the clouds racing across the sky. It was a long while before he felt the gentle pressure on the palm of his hand. He sat up and stared at it in tears and silence, much at the object itself as with the strange text floating right above it.
Engagement Ring.3 grams. A ring used for proposals of marriage. Common. No bonuses. Restrictions: female only.
2. A Brave New World 01 ¡°This is impossible,¡± the young man muttered in disbelief. He stood and found himself on a grassy hilltop, breathing in a gentle breeze tinged with the scent of various evergreen trees. The wind flowed steadily from the snow tipped mountain range that heaved like jagged teeth towards the heavens and descended into a rugged arc to his left. In front of him, planted along the slope and spreading out almost to the horizon, was a sea of trees and shrubbery. His eyes drank in the scenery. His nose breathed in the smell of the ground, the trees, and the wind. His ears listened to various insect sounds and birdsong around him. His skin felt the chill from the breeze and the warmth from the sun. ¡°Toto I think we¡¯re not in Kansas anymore,¡± he nervously said to himself. He¡¯s no longer in his own world. Even the clothes he¡¯s currently wearing is evidence of that. He was wearing a brown, nondescript coat over a simple white shirt. The pants were the same color and material as the coat, while the ankle-high moccasins on his feet were made of sturdy but comfortable leather. He has no recollection of ever wearing these garments before. As he tried to recall his previous attire he was assaulted by a sudden, piercing headache that brought him to his knees. The ring fell from his fingers as he instinctively clutched both hands to his head. ¡°No!¡± he shouted in panic as he realized his mistake. Groping around the grass, his heart pounded loudly in his ears as his headache slowly dwindled to a low buzzing pain. He can¡¯t lose that ring, he thought to himself, feeling somehow that the ring was his most important possession, far surpassing its material worth to him. A brief flash of silver near his eyes caught his attention, and again he saw the strange text floating above a half-hidden piece of jewelry.
Engagement Ring.3 grams. A ring used for proposals of marriage. Common. No bonuses. Restrictions: female only.
¡°I was about to propose to her,¡± the man on the ground mumbled. He collapsed to the ground in shock. He stared numbly at the strange world in front of him. He shivered uncontrollably, teeth chattering as deep sobs shook him. Tears fell uncontrollably from his face as curled into a fetal position on the grass, clutching his knees tightly to his chest as he rocked back and forth. A waterfall of emotions cascaded through him, filling him to overflowing and then some. He was terrifiedof the unknown and surely dangerous world that he found himself in. He cried in grief and sorrow, from being parted suddenly and with no explanation, from his world and the person he loved with all his heart. He howledin rageat whatever cruel existence that subjected his soul to this extreme torture and punishment. He bobbed back and forth in despair that he may never see his loved ones again. He cried for what seemed like a very long time. Finallythe tears stopped falling. The sobbing ceased. The shuddering faded as young man took a fewdeep, long breaths. He got up slowly and opened his eyes, as if seeing the world for the very first time.Under the pain, the fear and the bitterness, he discovered another emotion hidden beneath all his negative feelings: excitement. Memories of his younger years flashed through his mind. In a blaze of remembrance he saw all thecountless stories, comics, TV shows, and movies from the world he left behind. It told the same tale, the culmination of his childhood dreams: the hero, against all odds, defeating the evil that threatened the world, and riding towards the sunset with the love of his life in his arms. He stood up, staring with renewed determination at the world in front of him. Two absolute truths now governed his life, his new purpose: the love of his life is waiting for him back in their world, and he will stop at nothing until he is in front of her again, asking for her hand in marriage. He swore this on the ring clutched tightly in his hand. ¡°Wait for me. I¡¯ll be there no matter what it takes,¡± he announced, raising his fist towards the heavens, declaring his personal war against whatever existence will try to prevent him from going back home. He placed the ring in his coat pocket, patting it as it lay across his chest as if to safeguard not only the ring but his heart as well. First of all he tried to think about his strange circumstance, pondering over what to do. From memories countless role-playing games he understood what the strange floating text on top of the ring meant: it was an item description screen. Steeling himself against the pain in his head, he struggled to grasp a coherent recollection from his hazy memory. Images flew in a jumbled cacophony. In the end he discovered something strange about his recollections. He can remember random pieces of his old reality, from pop culture to movies, books and conventional education. But any attempts to recall details specific to himself and his personal life instantly shatters his thoughts into an inconsistent mess, like some sort of neo-modern surrealist painting; a memory Frankenstein of incomprehensible nonsense. He knew with certainty that he loved **** and wanted to marry her, but trying to remember anything other than that leads to jarring pain and chaotic thought-streams, as if that part of his mind was a scratched, heavily dented CD that played with difficulty, if it didn¡¯t corrupt the machine it was playing on. It hurt his heart not to be able to think of her. Instead, he decided to use what he can from his memories to help him survive and succeed in this new world. The item description screen is the key, he thought to himself. He needed to know just how much of this world is influenced by RPG elements, and how he can use that to his advantage. He decided to test this theory out. ¡°Status screen!¡± he shouted. *ting!* He jolted back as his vision was suddenly filled with a familiar yet eerie information screen.
Basic Information Attributes Status information Class
Name **** STR 11 HP 350/350(+.0043/sec) none n/a
Level 4 AGI 10 MP 140/140(+.0033/sec)
Class none VIT 13 SP 39/41(-.0002/sec)
Age 22 INT 18 PHY ATK 16-18
Sex Male DEX 10 PHY DEF 11
Race Human INS 16 MAG ATK 24-26
Experience 400/3000 MAG DEF 14
Condition? normal Weight Limit 2/41 kg
Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. It showed everything. Instinctively he understood all the details of his Basic Information, Attributes, and Status Information bars. He understood that race affects the average longevity of a person, rate of experience accumulation, speed of acquiring classes and skills as well as thegrowth rate of attributes per level up. He knew as well that his attributes have complex effects on his status. Strength or STR directly impacts his physical attack, or PHY ATK, but he also knew that it almost impacts his Weight Limit or the amount of weight that he can safely carry. He knew that going beyond 50% of his weight limit increases the rate of his stamina degeneration as well as slowing his overall movement and attack speed. In the few moments that it took to absord and grasp the information in front of him, the young man was already able to form a conclusion regarding his overall status. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ prettyweak.¡± he mumbled. He nervously read through the description, more information appearing as his eyes focused on each detail. However, even with the discovery of his status screen, one thing was evident: he has neither a job class nor skill that would help him survive this world. He is, no mistake about it, just a regular human in a world that had RPG elements. At level 4, with no weapon or combat abilities, he would probably be killed in an encounter with hostile creatures more powerful than a single goblin. If the little goblin didn¡¯t kill him first. Despair wrapped its icy tendrils on his heart as the gravity of his situation sunk in. He looked wildly at his surroundings, paranoia settling in as his mind created monsters out of shadows,creeping slowly towards him from every direction. His body shook in anger and desperation. He has to survive this forest. He has to go to civilization. He needs to acquire power to protect himself. And above all, he needs power to go back home. ¡°I can¡¯t die here,¡± he swore angrily. He stomped the ground angrily, grass crushed into the earth with each kick. "Fuck! FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! Damn it!¡± He roared in frustration. There must be something I can do,The young man thought desperately.Some secret to this place. A hidden cheat. An OP skill. A guardian angel. A game master. Anyone, anything that can help me survive in this place, or better yet allow me to go back to my world. I need POWER. I will give anything for it. DO YOU DESIRE POWER? A voice rumbled inside his head, driving all thoughts and emotion away by sheer force. The young man shivered as the voice boomed ominously. IT CAN BE DONE. POWER UNIMAGINABLE IN YOUR POSSESSION. ALL YOUR HEART''S DESIRE WITHIN YOUR GRASP. FOR YOUR NAME AND FOR YOUR SERVICE, I CAN GIVE IT TO YOU. ¡°Y-you,¡± he stuttered. ¡°You will give me power and I can go back home to her? What do you need my name for?¡± he asked, fearful and hesitant. NAMES GIVE POWER. YOU WILL HAVE POWER, BUT I WILL HAVE POWER OVER YOU. YOU NEED BUT SERVE ME AND YOU CAN GO HOME AGAIN TO YOU LOVED ONE.IF YOU PAY MY PRICE. It thundered. The young man waited in the deafening silence that followed. ¡°My name for power,¡± he said quietly. He made up his mind. ¡°Whoever or whatever you are, as long as you fulfill your end of the bargain, I will do anything and everything you ask,¡± he answered to the voice. DONE. The voice exploded in his mind. Darkness swallowed his consciousness as white flames consumed him once again. He woke up a couple of hours later in waning light of the afternoon. His headache was gone, and for the first time in what seemed like forever his mind was lucid, his thoughts clear and wiped of distraction. ¡°Status,¡± he said, certain of what he would see.
Basic Information Attributes Status Information Class
Name Zero STR 11 HP 350/350(+.0043/sec) Name Level
Level 4 AGI 10 MP 140/140(+.0033/sec) none n/a
Age 22 VIT 13 SP 36/41(-.0002/sec) Zero Variable* 1*
Sex Male INT 18 PHY ATK 16-18
Race Human DEX 10 PHY DEF 11
Condition normal INS 16 MAG ATK 24-26
Experience 400/3000 MAG DEF 14
Weight Limit 2/41 kg
Skills
Name Level Description MP Cost
n/a n/a n/a n/a
Return to Zero* max Allows user to consume souls of sentient beings. User is able to access the class, skills, and memories of consumed souls. Consumed soul adds its total HP, MP, Stamina and attribute points to user n/a
IT IS BUT A SEED. The voice echoed in his mind, the thoughts slowly fading slowly away. CHERISH IT, GUIDE IT, AND LET IT GROW. KILL ALL THE GODS AND TAKE THIS WORLD. YOUR NAME IS ZERO, AND YOU SHALL BE MY CHAMPION. The voice vanished with its final instructions, and all that was left was a young man sitting on a small hill, a hint of a smile present on his face. ¡°Excellent,¡± the man reborn as Zero said in grim satisfaction. 3. A Brave New World 02 Zero trudged a slow path downhill as he viewed his surroundings. He had spotted a break in the treeline a fair distance to his right, meandering at a right angle from the mountains behind him. A river, perhaps? He thought to himself. From all appearances so far, one can be fooled into thinking that this was just another hilly country countryside on Earth, were it not for the presence of a strange object hovering near the upper left side of his vision:
HP 350/350(+.0043/sec)
MP 140/140(+.0033/sec)
SP 34/41(-.0002/sec)
Condition normal
34stamina points remaining huh? He thought to himself. According to the information on his Status screen, his Stamina, or SP, decreases by 1 point per hour in this world as his body burns calories due to physical exertion. The rate of decrease is proportional to the intensity of the physical activity. Based on Zero''s analysis of his SP, running increases SP reduction by 2 times the rate, and combat further increases that by ten times. He reasoned, based on his remaining SP and if he continues his pace, that he can survive less than two more days in this world before succumbing to thirst and hunger. 2 days to learn how to survive in the wild, and how many more days before I can reach civilization, or what passes for one in this world. The sun was past its midway point, almost touching the highest peaks of the mountain behind, and from its trajectory Zero roughly calculated his position. The mountain range stretches from to west and curves to a series of jagged protrusions to the north, while the boundless plains stretches towards the horizon on the east. In front of me, the forest stretches a couple of miles south, as does the mysterious break in the treeline. He was fairly sure it was a river. Not only would it be a source of fresh water, but food, if he can manage to catch any fish. More importantly, most villages and towns are situated near rivers for the same reason. If he travelled downstream along the river his chances of finding civilization increases. Not only that, but he may also get the attention of any boat travelling it as well. As he reached the forest floor he headed in that general direction. As he hiked through the trees Zero studied the information available on his status screen. The class and skill the mysterious voice gave him baffled him, and he struggled to make sense of the power he traded for what seemed to be indentured service.
Class
Title Level
none n/a
Zero Variable 1
The strange [none] and [n/a] text above the Zero Variable class and the black background suggests that the class and its associated skills may be hidden from regular appraisals or inspection magic. However... this class doesn''t make sense at all.Zero thought as he stepped over a root.What is a Zero Variable?I need a useful class not a fucking math problem.He gruntedin frustration. The class skill, while having the potential to be a guaranteed cheat in this world, provides no detail into how Zero can use the skill properly.And i''m not even sure if I want to use this skill at all. It was a moral quandary: Zero doesn''t know whether or not he can bring himself to kill another sentient being, if the effects of this skill is to be believed. Killing is difficult enough already, but consuming another being''s soul? The thought sent chills to his spine.If I need to use this skill I need to use this as a LAST resort only.That mysterious being could have taught me how to use the skill before giving it to first though, right?RIGHT!?However, even though a hidden class has been given to Zero, it still struck him as strange that his displayed class is still registered as none. It''s quite possible that Zero can still acquire another class besides the hidden [Zero Variable] class. All the more reason for him to reach civilization, he decided. He needed to learnhow this world''s class and levelling system works, as well as information that will allow him the means to return to his world.Perhaps a way to reverse engineer a Hero Transmigration Spell?Zero mused.[Mage] class it is then, if I need power to cast those spells.He ducked under an overhanging tree branch, and after struggling through a particulary thick bush he suddenly found staring at an open chasm, with the nearest tree in front of him a good stone''s throw away. It was not a river. It was a deep ravine. Zero stared for a moment, before chuckling to himself. All my well-thought plans, in vain. Rage flared in him briefly before he suppressed the emotion before it clouded his judgment. Now, more than ever, clear thinking is required, he thought to himself.He sat down and rested while he studied the ravine. Upon closer inspection it appeared to be a dry riverbed. The stones at the bottom were worn smooth, while the ground beneath seemed to be dark earth. He decided to follow the path upstream, in the direction of the mountains. Something must have cut off the direction of the water from there. I can still locate the river. He thought with determination. It was not an easy path. The trail was rougher, the rocky trail provided no sure footing. To make it worse, the path went steadily uphill as well. After an hour¡¯s march he was sweating. Dusk had set in as well. An increasing sense of disquiet settled on Zero as the light steadily fell. Soon it would be too dark to travel. He needed to find a safe place to stay the night. Zero continued trekking, at the same time looking around for a possible shelter for the night. At first he thought it was just the leaves rustling from the wind. The sound grew to a gurgle, steadily increasing, until at last the churning waters of the river filled the air as Zero found himself staring at a dam. It was unmistakably man-made; a sturdy construction of timber and iron, reinforced below by huge boulders stacked together. If they had to place a dam here to change the course of the river itself, then there has to be people somewhere downriver! He thought to himself excitedly. He climbed the rocks to reach the top of the dam, scraping his hands in the process. The waters rushed by in a white mist and froth. It looked huge to Zero, who was born and raised in the city and whose only experience with nature was through movies, games and the occasional nature documentary. He didn¡¯t have enough time to appreciate the view however, as a loud howl suddenly filled the air. Zero felt his blood run cold. It was followed by another howl, this time nearer. More howls reverberated throughout the forest, and as fear paralyzed him, a creature stepped out from a nearby tree. It was a small humanoid being, like an upright wolfstanding on its hind legs. It was covered in blueish-white fur and a dressed in a simple leather belt and thong, but its yellow eyesglowed with a fierce and savage intelligence. It brandished a rusty knife in one hand like a sword, and its free hand held a crude wooden buckler. Its bared its fangs in aggression, and as Zero stepped away from it more of its kind revealed themselves, a motley pack carrying various weapons in various states of disrepair. He was surrounded, and the only path of escape was the dark, rushing waters of the river behind him. He regretted, bitterly, not paying more attention in swimming class. ¡°H-hey guys,¡± Zero said nervously, raising his heads in the universal gesture for surrender. ¡°I mean you no harm. Let''s be calm and try to talk this out okay?¡± He gave them his best smile, hoping to win them over. It only enraged the creatures in front of him, as their bared teeth escalated into angry growls and guttural barks. One of them threw a small spear at Zero. Zero clumsily dodged the projectile. He turned and bolted downriver, away from the howling mob. However, running in the dark on a wet stony path was not a good idea, something he acknowledged before he slipped backwards and hit head on a rocky outcropping. Time seemed to slow as he fell with a muted splash in the river. Zero barely registered the angry yelps of the creatures as the dark waters swallowed him. A string of notifications rang in his head moments beforehe succumbed to the watery abyss.
Critical Hit! -50 HP.
Injured: Head. Casting speed reduced by 20%, slowed by 15%, max HP reduced by 20%, -.002 HP/sec, receives 50% more damage from head injuries.
You have Fainted
You are Drowning. -1 HP/sec
In the darkness, Zero dreamed. He was 16, and the smash MMORPG, Agna Rock, had just been released. He was instantly hooked, spending countless hours each day slaying cute low-levelled monster just outside the capital city of Front-Terra and just exploring the massive world of Midguard. He learned, via repeated deaths, which monsters can be killed easily, and which ones take too much effort to kill, if they didn''t kill him first. He remembered agonizing over which of the 9 job classes to take, finding each one as exciting and as atrractive as the other. He recalled taking the Acolyte job class, due to it being the most mobile job class due to its [teleport] and [warp] skills. He also thought its 2nd job class advancement into Priest is one of the most badass looking characters in the game. And last but not the least, it is the only support class in the game, making it the most popular and in-demand party member due to the Acolyte''s healing ability and numerous buff abilities as well. He recalled travelling far and wide across the scattered maps of the continent, observing the different locations and the varied monster populations. He walked across forests, ran through mazes populated by various giant insects and man-eating plants, through giant ant colonies, zombie infested caves, pyramids protected by various undead, through an orc village and the orc zombies in its underground graveyard, an abandoned ship populated by ghosts, and an underwater dungeon. He remembered going to the highest-levelled dungeon in the game, an abandoned capital filled with high-level dullahans, clown demons, undead lich lords, death knights, and one massive demon with a scythe. He avoided certain 1-hit death by doing hit-and-runs, casting holy magic on enemies then teleporting away to safety. He wasn''t one of the best players in the game, not by a longshot. But he enjoyed every single moment playing it. From the frustrated rants with equally displeased players about the excrutiatingly long server maintenance, to the massive lag when the servers are unable to keep up with huge influx of players logging in and out. He enjoyed joining parties in levelling hunts through dungeons, as well as relaxing in one of the many cities and providing free healing and buff services to those in need. It was another life to him, a far cry from his dull and uninspiring reality. It was a sweet and comforting dream. And then he woke up. Zero opened his eyes and stared at the thatch-roofed ceiling, dry bundles of straw laid evenly into the wood frame below it. He sat up and found himself inside a small hut, lying on a cot set in the corner. The lumpy bedding was serviceable but stilluncomfortable; Zero rolled his neck and shoulders as his back groaned from the sustained abuse while he slept. In a sudden panic he touched his chest pocket and sighed in relief as he felt the familiar hardness of the ring inside. As he relaxed he accidentally hithis head on the wall and instantly recoiled at the sharp pain that followed. He clutched his head and felt it wrapped in several layers of cloth, centered around the bump where the back of his head smashed into the rocks on the river. "Status," Zero whispered, grimacing in pain.
HP 275/280(+.0043/sec)
MP 140/140(+.0033/sec)
SP 34/41(-.0002/sec)
Condition Injured: Head, First Aid: low healing(+.001 HP/sec)
He touched the cloth bandaged on his head,looking around at his surroundings. The hut was circular, low-ceilinged and cozy, a firepit nestled in the middle of the room provided steady light and warmth, while a pot bubbled above the flames, giving off a delicious scent that caused Zero''s stomach to rumble loudly. Several pieces of dried meat hang on the rafters, enough to soak in the smoke rising from the fire. On the opposite wall set on wooden spikes were various tools and knives, a wood axe, a bow and arrow, and a sword sheated in hide leather. Zero found the door a couple of feet to the left, rough wood planks placed over a small circular opening. Anyone entering would need to crouch low to the ground. As if on cue, a gray-haired figure dressed in fur and brown leather entered, holding a small stack of firewood on under his arm. Orbs of cold blue steel peaked out from an unkempt face and beard as a an old man''s beaten and weathered face gazed silently into Zero''s eyes. It was not a hostile stare, but it was not a friendly look either.Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. "Ilvas, kamsi va cao?" The old man grunted at him. "H-huh?" Zero asked in confusion. The man was talking in an alien language. Zero worried about the difficulties in communication when something... shifted in his mind, and a small announcement echoed inside his head.
Leviantho Language learned!
Leviantho Language Allows oral and written comprehension of the Leviantine Language
Are you feeling well, boy? Zero''s mind translated the old man''s words. He knew instinctively that he can speak the same language now. "Mealas va ku, selamtas," Zero answered back in slight wonder.Much better now, thank you,was what he said. The old man scowled at him in suspicion, before standing to his full height as he tossed the firewood in a small stack near the pit. The old man was, in Zero''s mind, intimidating. From his face, Zero judged the man to be in his 60''s, well into retirement in his world. But the old man had the physique of a man 30 years younger. His back was straight and his lean body radiated a confident power and presence of that reminded Zero of a certain geriatric character in a fighting game he played a while back.He''s like Kenpachi Mishiba from Tekhen Tournament, Zero thought. He snapped from his reverie as the man sat down on the dirt floor and stirred the pot with a large wooden spoon, adding a few herbs from a small pouch attached to his belt. He gestured for Zero to come close and pointed to a spot near the firepit to sit on. "I rarely get visitors this side of the Alekhandres," the old man spoke, peering sideways at Zero as he tasted the stew for flavor. Apparently satisfied with the taste, he reached behind him and grabbed bowls and spoons from the wall and handed Zero a full bowl of stew with his spoon. "Eat first, and then we will talk." The stew was hot, filling and delicious. The wild meat added to it was smoked and salted perfectly, and various root crops gave a wondrousdepth and flavor to the dish. Zero barely tasted any of it. He ate mechanically as he avoided the old man''s piercing gaze. He didn''t need to look at the man to feel the suspicion radiating from him in waves. After eating the last spoonful of stew, he carefully put the empty bowl at his side and opened his mouth to tell his ''story'', a concocted tale of abduction and escape. Before Zero uttered one word the man raised a hand to stop him. "I''m just an old [Hunter] in these parts," The old man said. "But you are a tricksome boy are you not? I can see it in your eyes." His blue eyes, shining with keenintelligence in stark contrast tohis wild appearance, stared coldly at Zero. Crap,Zero thought to himself.This isn''t just some old coot hidden in the mountains. I better be careful. "You are not from here, that much I can tell," the old man continued. "So tell me your story, but don''t lie to me," he warned. "I...," Zero began slowly. "I have no idea how I got here. I was..." Pain gripped his heart. "...doing something else before I lost consciousness. I woke up on a hill near the mountains, and fell into the river after some strange creatures attacked me. I am grateful for your assistance; you saved my life. I apologize if I offended you, I only meant to protect myself." Zero tried to hold the old man''s gaze as the uncomfortable silence stretched. "If you meant to protect yourself," the old man spokeslowly."You''d better start with your information bar, right there," he said, pointing a spoon above Zero''s head. "You can see it?" Zero instinctively looked up before he caught himself. "What can you see?" he asked. "Everything," the old man answered, helpinghimself to another servingof stew. "You''ve set everything in your status screen to public. A Feather-dancing Sesuani [Courtesan] would blush to look at you." "Is that strange?" Zero asked. "I didn''t know you can set the privacy settings of your profile." "Typical country farm boy," the old man spat. "You''re an easy target, the way you are right now. Most likely thereason why you find yourself teleported to a place like the Alekhandres mountains. Faeries do that to unsuspecting idiots all the time." Zero then realized the thing that has been bothering him since he saw the old man. He looked at the spoon in his hand and saw the familiar screen popping up in his view.
Wooden Spoon. 10 grams. Implement used for eating. Common. No bonuses. No restrictions
He looked at the tools and displays on the wall and saw the same screen atop each item.
Wood Axe. 3kg. Used to chop wood. Common. +5 physical damage. Durability 26/30. No restrictions
Ash Longbow. 1 kg. lightweight but strong bow. Uncommon. +30 physical damage, +2 DEX. Durability 44/50. Archer class and above only
???Sword.???. ???. ???. ???. ???. ???. ???. ???. Appraisal skill needed.
His looked at the old man calmly eating soup in front of him, and his eyes widened at what he saw.
Name ???
Class Hunter
Announcements rang in Zero''s head.
Appraisal skill unlocked!
Appraisal lvl 1 Allows inspection of target''s status information. More information unlocked and strength of Appraisal increased at higher levels
Appraisal failed. Appraisal level too low. Target Prevent Appraisallevel too high
"Is it really unusual," Zero asked, perplexed. "Having your Status information open to public?" This was something he had never encountered before, in real life or in his gaming experience. The old man stopped eating as he stared at Zero, as if seeing him for the first time. "Bloody hellboy," the old man grimaced. "Even a low-levelled fool should know the importance of hiding your class and levels. Even a level 50 [Paladin] would never openly display all his information like you do. Gods damn it," the old man scratched his head in frustration. "This should something that a [Cleric] of Pollonus should be teaching you, not some old [Hunter] in the mountains." "We don''t have uhh... a [Cleric], where I come from," Zero answered carefully. "We never had to protect our status information before." "Gods have mercy..." the old man murmured, staring at Zero in fascination. "Look, I don''t like long explanations, so here''s what you need to do for now: Focus your mind on your Status screen, and think aboutsetting your information from public to private. Do it," he instructed. Zero closed his eyes and concentrated.Set info to private, set info to private, set info to private, set info to pr-- there!
Status information set from Public to Private. Information available upon Appraisalis:
Name
Class
Would you like to set an alias? (Y/N)
Whoa. "Mister... uhhh...," Zero hesitated. He had forgottento ask the old man''s name. "I''m sorry I never asked for your name." He said apologetically. "Call me Dorin," the old man replied brusquely. "You no longer stick out like a sore thumb so I assume you were able to fix your privacy settings. So what''s the problem?" "Well," Zero answered sheepishly. "It''s asking me if I wanted to select an alias. Should I?" Dorinsnorted. "The last thing a noob like you needs would be a name-change. Just reserve that one for when you become too famous for your own good. Just selectNOfor now." Asshole.Zero''s head injury flared briefly before receding.Ok fine, thank you for saving my life you old coot.He closed his eyes again and focused on answering the screen prompt.No alias for now please,he thought to himself.Maybe for when I''m famous or infamous?He added sheepishly.
Alias selection cancelled. Alias selection postponed untilFameis either 150 or -150
Zero whistledat the system''s response.Pretty intuitive stuff,he marvelled. He opened his eyes and looked at the old man, who had just finished his second bowl of stew. Dorin stood up and ducked outside, returning with a pitcher of water and a couple of cups, one of which he filled and passed to Zero. Zero emptied his cup quickly. He had forgotten his thirst in his fascination with this world''s RPG system.Dorin may be downright annoying but he''s quite a softie on the inside. Wait a minute... "Dorin is your real name right?" Zero asked. "Dorin is my real name as far as you''re concerned boy," the old man snapped. "Hand me your bowl; you need to eat more than that if you''re gonna get back in top shape. Well," he added snidely, glancing at his flabby arms and soft hands. "relatively speaking." Zero snatched his bowl from the Dorin''s hands.As if your old ass is in any better shape. Actually, he was. Zero had forgotten in the middle of their conversation just how unnaturally fit the old man really is. As Dorin started his third bowl of stew with the all the appetite of a man thirty years his junior, Zero took the opportunity to observe the old man. Wrapped in his leathers and furs, the old man looked quite like a hermit. If old hermits followed Bruce Lee''s training regimen. Even whilesitting Zero sensed the power emanating from the old man. FinallyDorin set his empty bowl aside and lit a carved wood pipe that he produced from inside his furs, puffing contentedly in front of the fire. "Dorin," Zero quietly said to the old man. He touched his chest, feeling the weight of the ring in his pocket. "Do you know of anyone who might know something about teleportation spells? I need to go back home." "[Mages] or [Wizard]s versed in teleportation magic can help you, or an acolyte of Sagina. In Lunayyed you will find the best of them, if you have gold. But the capital is a long ways off, andeven were you in a condition to travel, you would not survive the trip, weak as you are." "Could," Zero swallowed." Could you take me there?"Pretty please? The old man scoffed. "All the gold in the empire can''t make me leave this mountain for you, boy." Please give me strength my love.Aknife twisteditself inside his heart. Zero clutched at his chest, struggling to hold back his tears.Oh God I miss you so much.He took out the ring and showed it to the grizzled old man. "I... I was going to ask her to marry me," He mumbled. "Even if I left today I won''t know when I''ll beback, or if she''ll still be waiting for me. But I have to try." The ring shook in his trembling hands. The old man did not respond. His blue eyes locked gazes with Zero''s, as if trying to peer into his very soul. Zero stared back, trying and failing to hold his gaze. After a while the Dorinnodded. "I understand," he said finally. " I can help you prepare for the trip, maybe teach you a few things too, help with your chances of survival." Zero bowed his head before the old man, hoping that the old man didn''t see the tears in his eyes. "Thank you," Zero mumbled. "I will never forget your help Dorin." The old man snorted and said, with no small amount of sarcasm. "Boy, I don''t know if your worth it, but mischievous faeries are the least of your worries on the road to Lunayyed. Hopefully I can teach you enough to not let you be easy prey to even more dangerous things." 4. A Brave New World 03 Zero inspected his status baras he collapsed into hisbed.
Name Zero HP 290/290(+.0043/sec)
Level 4 MP 140/140(+.0033/sec)
Condition Fatigue: medium, Weakened: head, First Aid: low healing SP 8/41(-.0003/sec)
10 Stamina points remaining, huh?he thought as his body succumbed to sheer exhaustion, sinking into unconsciousness mere moments later. Dorin wasted no time in putting Zero to work after their talk by the fire last night. Themorning started with the old man shaking him awake. After handing two wooden buckets to Zero the old man motioned for him to follow. They crawled out of the hut and into the light of dawn as the old man led Zero on a rough trail following a rockydownward slope. Fifteen minutes later they arrived at the riverbank, near the spot where Dorin recalled he found Zero''s unconscious form after floating downstream. The old man filled thetwo buckets withwater and handed both to Zero as they walked back to the hut. Zero was sweatingheavily by the time they got back. The old grunted dismissively at him before pointing toseveral wooden barrels near the side of the hut. "Don''t stop fetching water until those barrels are full, boy," hewarned. By the time all three barrels were filled, Zero was panting heavilyand clutching at his side. His arms burned fromthe effort of carrying the buckets of water, and his knees ached from climbing upslope with 2 full buckets in each hand. Needless to say, a life spent mostly sitting in front of the computer does not lead to a fit and healthy body. Dorin justlooked at him impassively, smoking his pipe as he sat on a stool outside the hut, waiting for Zero to finish. As Zero set the empty buckets aside and replaced the barrel covers, the old man extinguished his pipe and ducked inside the hut, reappearing moments later with bowls filled the leftover stew from last night. Handing one to Zero, they both broke their fast in silence, as birdsong fluttered over the trees. After eating, the old man handed his dish to Zero and had him wash them while he vanished inside the hut again, coming out with a bow and quiver as well asa curved dagger tucked under his belt. Zero again followed the old man as they trekked through the woods, the man setting an easy pace with a graceful lope belying his age, while Zero ran awkwardly in a stumbling gaitacross the uneven terrain. After a while the man stopped and pointed zero towards a rabbitcaught in a snare. The old man retrieved the rabbit and tied it to his belt. He taught Zero how to reset the snare and instructed him on how identify optimum locations to plant snares. "Animals always follow the path of least resistance," Dorin saidas Zero piled several stones to create a funnel straight into the snare. "We don''t differ much from them on that score," he added cryptically. They went through all of the old man''s snares, with Zero fumbling awkwardly each time as he tried and failed to reset the old man''s traps. It was noon when they finished with all the snares, as Zero held 4 rabbits and a fat hare tied together with string. Zero sorely underestimated how heavy rabbits were. By the time they returned to the hut, it was midday and he was sweating profusely. His arms burned and his shoulders ached for rest as he dropped the rabbits in a small pile on the ground.
You are Fatigued: low. SP cost increased by 50% for all actions. Slowed by 25% for all actions. 600 second duration. Resting speeds up duration by 50%.
"Dorin," Zero gasped in between labored breaths."My SP is dropping fast. I need to rest for a bit." Dorin raised an eyebrow at him. "Already?" he asked wonderingly. "What happened to all the boys who had the boundless stamina of youth?" Dorin asked sardonically. Zero didn''t need to look at him to see the smug grin on his face. Zero slumped on the ground, to tired to come up with a witty comeback to the old man''s words.Stupid old men and their stupid active lifestyle. Dorin allowed him a few minutes to rest and recover. After that he grabbed a rabbit and demonstrated to Zero how to skin and clean a rabbit carcass. After separating the skin and head from the body and cleaning up the entrails, Dorin handed the knife to Zero. "Well, what are you waiting for? Those rabbits ain''t gonna jump out of their own skin and guts, that''s for sure!" Zero balked at the instructions but gritted his teeth and untied the nearest rabbit.How hard can this possibly be? His hands shook at little but he was able to make an incision between the rabbit''s shoulders and succeeded in pulling the hide away from the meat. The smell of blood made him a bit queasy but he thought he was doing well for a first-timer. Until he cut open the belly and gagged at the stench. Zero turned away in disgustand emptied the remains of his breakfast on the ground. Dorin laughed as Zero continued vomiting. "By the Gods that was hilarious!" the old man chuckled as he wiped his tears as the retching ceased. "I''ve seen young lads bring down and skin a buck all on their own, but you...," he chortled. "If you were a bit more full of yourself I''d have taken you for an escaped noble boy," he chuckled. Zero stared daggers at the old man while he wiped his mouth on his sleeve. "It''s my first time okay? Stop being such an asshole about it," he grumbled in annoyance. It took several more tries and two more "accidents", but Zero finally skinned and gutted all of the rabbit carcasses and presented his handiwork to an unimpressed Dorin. He briskly washed his hands in the a bucket to remove all the blood and stink from his fingers while Dorin made a small cookfire in front of the hut. 3 rabbits were spit on sticks around the fire, while the rest of the catch were smoked above the firepit inside the house. Dorin beckoned Zero to sit across him by the fire while he sprinkled several herbs on the rabbit. The fat from the meat sizzled and blended with the aromatic herbs into a delicious scent that made Zero''s mouth water. They both sat in silenceas they waited for the meat to cook. The old man made no effort to talk, and Zero was too focused on the roasting meat to say anything as well. The flames crackled and hissed steadily as the hour passed. Eventually the fire died down to a few coals and Dorin handed one of the sticks of roasted rabbit to Zero as he took one for himself, sitting down to eat. Zero took a bite of the still hot meat and burned his tongue. He didn''t stop eating though; he was too hungry for that. The meat was sinewy and tough, and the skin was burnt in some places as well. Ittasted like heaven.This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. "That hit the spot!" Zero smiled contentedly after spitting out the last of the bones into a small pile beside him. He managed to devour the second rabbit as well, to the old man''s startledexpression. Zero smiled as he checked his status bar.
You have eaten. SP regeneration of 5 SP/hour for 3 hours.
SP 19/41(+.0011/sec)
"Well would you look at that," remarked the old man, his voice tinged with amusement. "You''re holding up well for a weak, pampered boy. Maybe there is hope for you yet." "I am trying my best old man," Zeroreplied dourly, his tone becoming serious. "You were right though;the chances of me surviving on my journey is almost next to none. I want to thank you again for everything, I''ll try not to let you down," he said, clenching his fist in determination. Dorin covered his mouth and cleared his throat. If Zero was any judge, he would say that the old man looked strangely pleased and embarassed at the situation. "Just listen to me and follow my instructions," the old man said gruffly."I can''t let my own disciple keep his girl waiting now, can I?" "Of course you can''t, ''master''." Zero smiled at the old man.I done and got myself a sensei,he thought as he shook his head in amusement.Let''s just hope he''s also a secret martial arts master as well, teach me some of his kung-fu. Happy thoughts and feelings didn''t last long, of course. Grunting about wasting daylight, Dorin had Zero cleaning the skins and rubbing them with the rabbit''s own brain matter. The old man left Zero working on the rest of the skins while he took his bow and stalked alone into the forest to hunt. It was grueling work. The congealed brain gunk stuck to his hands and the smell persisted even after several washings. Stretching the hides from thin wooden poles was a labour in itself as well. Zero had copied the old man''s example from several deer hides stretched along the vicinity of the hut, but what seemed easy at first glance frustrated Zero to no end. After multiple failures Zero was able to cobble together a stable configuration, but it still took the better part of an hour before all the rabbit hides were finally stretched on the poles. It was late afternoon when he finished brain-tanning the hides, which also coincided with Dorin returning from his hunt, a full-grown deer slung across his shoulders.Zero assisted in skinning and gutting the rather heftyanimal. It took them almost an hour to drain the blood, which the old man poured into a small garden behind his hut to fertilize the soil. Dorin proceeded in butchering the carcass, resulting in several piles of raw meat on top of the still-bloody deer hide. The old man was relentless in his orders as Zero ran back and forth to carry them out. "Wash everything properly you hear!" "Salt this haunch and hang it in the smoker!" "Bring some water to boil in the pot and throw in some herbs on bowl near the firepit. Make sure this loin cooksproperly you hear?" "Don''t lose the hooves and horns lad! Those are worth a few coppers!" "Hang this shoulder next and make sure you salt it properly this time too!" "Of course you have to tan the hide boy! Get to work on it now!" "Don''t throw away the bones you idiot we need that!" Evening found Zero gathering a pile of dried leaves and straw inside the hut, building a makeshift bed for himself. Dorin grumbled at the indecency of making an old man sleep a second night on the ground when a ''visitor'' can easily prepare a bed on his own. Which led to Zero gathering enough dry material to cover the cold earth. He left Dorin alone to cook their dinner, as the old man muttered about ''flaming ignorant boys not knowing how to cook a proper stew''. Zero was too tired to respond to the old man''s provocations, consoling himself to a few comeback phrases in his head, none of which were flattering to the old man. Dorin allowed him to use some of the furry deer pelts to use as bedding and blanket, which alleviated Zero''s concerns of sleeping in the cold. They ate deer stew again that night. Zero didn''t know if the stew was properly flavoured or if he was that famished, but he ate with undisguised gusto. Dorin nodded in appreciation as Zero finished his fifth bowl of stew, a satisfied smile painted on his face. After cleaning up, the old man unwrapped Zero''s bandages as he studied his head injury. "This should heal fast enough in a few days boy," Dorin said as he washed the wound. Zero winced as the old man applied a foul-smelling poultice on the wound. "Just avoid aggravating the injury for now and it should be fine." "Thanks for all the help again, Dorin," Zero mumbled awkwardly, still not used to the old man''s gruff but kind demeanor. "Think nothing of it boy," Dorin huffed dismissively. "I just don''t want to see helpless stupid boys throw away their lives for similarly stupid reasons. I''ve seen too much of that already." Sure, sure. Dorin finished re-wrapping the bandages and hauled off to his own bed. "Get some rest boy we still have a lot of things to get done tomorrow." And so it was that Zero found himself lying helplessly on his makeshift bed, snug in the warmth of the fire and the softness of the fur blanket he made.It''s a bit smelly, sure, but better that than shivering in the cold. The next morning found Zero barely recovered from the strenous ordeal of the previous day. He was bundled out from his bed by the old man and told to fetch more water from the river. Zero managed to walk the rough path from the hut and locate the river, dreading another day of physical labor.He groaned at the mere thought of tanning hides again as he trudged the slow, punishing uphill trip back to the hut. As the hut came into view, something flashed towards Zero. He stumbled as the thrown rock hit one of the buckets and ruined his center of gravity. He instinctively flailed his arms in an effort to correct his balance, which resulted in both buckets spilling their contents into the ground. Zero heard sniggers as he found Dorin sitting on an outcropping outside the hut, lightly tossing and catching another rock with his hand. Zero scowled as the old man spoke. "You''re gonna have to go back and refill the buckets boy. You won''t be eating anything until you refill the water barrels," the old man grinned mischievously. "And what would stop you from throwin stones at me again?" Zero challenged.Stupid, stupid old man. "Well that''s easy," Dorin''s smile grew wider. "You''re just gonna have to dodge them." This is gonna be a long, looong day,Zero thought to himself. 5. A Brave New World 04 Zero unwrapped the bandage on his head after waking up. His injury has healed completely in the last ten days, leaving only a small tender scar on the back of his head. He closed his eyes briefly, and as he opened them, his Status Profile filled his vision. He didn''t have to say the words out loud now.
Basic Information Attributes Status Information Class
Name Zero STR 11 HP 360/360(+.0044/sec) Name Level
Level 4 AGI 10 MP 140/140(+.0033/sec) none n/a
Age 22 VIT 13(+1) SP 21/42(-.0002/sec) Zero Variable* 1*
Sex Male INT 18 PHY ATK 16-18
Race Human DEX 10 PHY DEF 11
Condition Fatigued INS 16 MAG ATK 24-26
Experience 423/3000 MAG DEF 14
Weight Limit 2/41 kg
10 days of mind-numbing labor and suffering,he sighed inwardly.All for a single point of Vitality? WORST. SYSTEM. EVER. --9 days prior -- Dorin took a certain gleeful delight in tormenting, or in his words, ''training'' the young man. With the old man throwing rocks at him as he climbed towards an uneven, uphill terrain carrying two full buckets of water, it was all but guaranteed that he would spill more than half of what he fetched. Zero opted to leave each bucket half-full on his trips, thus reducing the weight and allowing him a certain flexibility to dodge the old man''s projectiles. It also helped lessen the spillage whenever Dorin scored a direct hit on the buckets themselves. However, this method more than tripled number of return trips needed for him to refill the water barrels. By the time Zero finished filling the last barrel, he had already collapsed to ground in a panting heap, the mid-morning sun peering through a gap in the trees. The effort had cost him most of the morning. Dorin had already finished reheating the leftover stew from last night and was well into his second bowl by the time Zero recovered enough strength to crawl to the cookpot. There was barely enough food for one bowl. Zero scowled at the old man, to which Dorin responded with a toothy grin. "Eat up boy, time''s a-wasting," he said impishly. Zero didn''t bother replying as he bent over his lukewarm breakfast. -- Dorin spent the rest of the morning inspecting the pelts Zero tanned the day before. He tested the tautness of the hide, the style that Zero used to stretch the pelts between the wooden poles, as well as the cleaning and tanning of the hides themselves. "Trash. Even more trash. Belongs to the dump heap. Waste of a good hide. Barely passable on closer inspection," the old man grunted dismissively as he criticized Zero''s handiwork. Zero glowered silently as the old man stripped the poles down and bundled the pelts on top of the flat rock they use as a worktable. Dorin snatched a glance at Zero and snorted at the expression on his face. "What are you so mad about when I''m the one salvaging the hash you made of things? Here," the old man tossed his belt knife together with its sheath to Zero. "You go check the snares and make sure you reset them, otherwise you''ll be sleeping on an empty stomach for the next two days. Now stop pouting like a pretty maid and go get our lunch," he ordered, waving Zero away with one hand. Zero stomped towards the location of the nearest snare, muttering obscenities under his breath. -- Zero tightened his belt strap as he exited the nearby thicket. He felt much better after taking a dump in the woods.Could''ve used moist towelettes thought,he thought to himself.Dry leaves do not make for a smooth wipe. He quickly located the animal trail where they retrieved one of the rabbits yesterday, and he quickened his steps to find out if the snare caught anything of note. To his luck there was a catch, however...Holy fuck,Zero thought as he stared in horror at scene in front of him. A bleeding rabbit was wrapped in the tightly woven string of the snare. Zero must have knotted it incorrectly the day before. Instead of a clean catch, the rabbit instead lay in a dirty patch a few feet from the wooden anchor of the snare. Its fur was matted with blood from where the string bit deeply into its skin, and one of its legs was hanging at an awkward angle. The rabbit must have broken the leg some time during its struggle. The creature was breathing raggedly, and as Zero stared in numbly at the rabbit, it wrestledweakly against its bindings, only causing the string to bite even deeper, dripping more blood onto the stained earth. It broke Zero''s trance and he hurried to the wounded creature, cradling it in his hands. "I''m sorry, I''m sorry, I''m sorry," Zero mumbled to the rabbit.This is my fault, he admitted to himself. His carelessness caused an innocent creature prolonged and undue suffering. His shaking hand softly patted the rabbit''s head, and almost tenderly, he snapped its neck. His tears fell on the rabbit''s unmoving body as his head rang with several notifications.
You have dealt 18 damage
Forest rabbit killed!
1 experience gained
Zero wiped his face and tied the rabbit to his his belt. He repaired the broken snare and reset it further down the trail. He didn''t know if the smell of blood would drive away other game from the area. He couldn''t make himself care one way or the other. One rabbit clutched in his hand, he moved towards the location of the other traps.Kill or be killed,he thought to himself.God is this hard. The old man had set several snares in a wide perimeter around the hut, while the hut itself sat atop a small, sparsely wooded hill. Zero already recognized the way the terrain sloped and was easily able to point towards the general direction of the hut itself, relative to his position. The impossibly high Alekhandres mountain range looming above the trees helped him map his movement as he circledtowards his destination. A few minutes later he found the second snare. It was empty, untouched. The third and fourth snares were empty as well even though they caught rabbits there yesterday. The fifth snare yielded a scrawny squirrel while he finally lucked out and found another rabbit, this one properly caught, on the sixth snare. Thank you for the food,he prayed to the rabbit in gratitude.He snapped its neck quickly and with no fuss as he walked towards the seventh snare. He climbed over a slight dip in the ground and felt himself grow cold at the sight. The place was completely devastated. The grass was ripped from its roots and lay strewn about, together with the dark soil that covered everything. Dried bloodstains splotched on the ground and a few pieces of splintered wood and snapped string were all that remained of his snare. A boar? A wolf? A lion?Zero thought, trying to supress his panic. The place was so ravaged I wondernone of us heard the racket.He looked towards the location of the hut.This place is only a mere fifteen-minute walk away from the hut. I have to report this to the old man.Zero''s heart pounded in his eardrums as fear gave his feet wings. His sore muscles cramped and bright spots of pain stabbed into his leg and lungs, but he didn''t stop running until he climbed the small hill and stumbled in front of the cookfire.
You are fatigued. SP cost increased by 50% for all actions. Slowed by 25% for all actions. 600 second duration. Resting speeds up duration by 50%.
"What''s gotten into you now boy?" Dorin accosted him. The old man frowned at Zero as he straightened from his inspection of the rabbit and deer pelts, now reaffixed onto the wood poles. "One of the snares...,"Zero gasped. "Broken... ground tossed about... wild animal... maybe dangerous... thought you should know." The old man''s blue eyes narrowed. He handed Zero a filled bucket and the young mangreatfullyguzzled the cool, fresh water. He choked and coughed as he inhaled some of the water but he didn''t stop drinking, finishing the remainder of the bucket by splashing it over himself. Zero sat on the log bench and let the water soak into his clothes. His body cooled from the exertion, and he shivered, either from the sudden chill or the memory of the bloody ground from the ruined game trail.It''s just a wild animal, right?He thought to himself, remembering the creatures he encountered from the dam.A boar is dangerous enough, but who''s to say that even more lethal creatures can''t exist in this fucking fantasy world?His teeth chattered but steeled himself with stubborn resolve.I CANT'' DIE HERE,he repeated to himself.His gaze fell atthe bundle of fur at his feet, at the still-bloody carcass of the rabbit he caught that morning.I will use THAT skill if I need to. I have to survive. I am no easy prey.His body still shivered, but Zero discovered that his irrationalpanic has faded into a lesser, more manageable fear. Zero snapped out of his reverie at the sight of the old man emerging from the hut with his bow, and strangely enough, a sword strapped at his side. "I''m going to check the site, see if I can find out what manner of creature we''re dealing with," Dorin announced. "The seventh snare you said? that''s just a few feet near the mud flats." His hand shot out and pointedto the day''s catch.Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. "If you weren''t such an easily scared boy you could''ve checked the rest of the snares to add more to our lunch," the old man scolded. "As it is make sure to skin, gutand cook this catch properly; foodbetter be ready when I get back." "You''re leaving me alone here?" Zero uttered in disbelief. "What if that creature goes here instead? How am I supposed to protect myself? Or the hut and the hides?" he added as an afterthought. "Tsk," Dorin grunted. He opened his belt pouch and tossed several short fragments of clear crystal to Zero, who caught them awkwardly. "Boomblind crystals. Snap them in two, then throw at whatever scary beast catches your fancy and run in the other direction. It makes a loud bang and a blinding flash; it should be enough of a distraction to let you escape." "Huh," Zero played with one of the crystals. It felt brittle to the touch. "Sort of like a flashbang." "What''s that?" the old man inquired. "Nothing." Zero answered quickly. "I''ll try to keep myself safe here, and I still have your dagger so I should be able to protect myself," he spoke nonchalantly as he patted the dagger in its sheath. Dorin snorted. "I doubt you can protect yourself from a pack of tame rabbits boy." He adjusted the straps of his sword and quiver and did a few stretching exercises to loosen up his body. "Keep your head down and don''tuse those crystals on anything less than a mountain drake you hear?" The old man warned. Without waiting for a response the old mandashed downhill, his long strides easing into a graceful lope as he covered ground with uncanny speed. Soon he was only a quickly dwindling speck vanishing into a particulary thick copse of trees. Zero continued staring at the treeline several hundred meters away, flabbergasted at the way the old man reached it insuch a short time. "How the fuck can you run like that you old git!?" He shouted into the distance, half expecting to hear the old man''s snarky reply in return.
You have recovered from Fatigue. Movement, attackand recovery speeds set to normal
--- Zero kept himself busy, if only to distract from his increasingly macabrethoughts. He mechanically separated the captured game into four piles: heads, skin, guts, and meat. Heads and skin were set aside for subsequent washing, tanning and stretching. The meat was quickly cleaned and rubbed down with salt and herbs from Dorin''s garden, and was soon crackling on a spits by the open fire. Zero also took some onions and bell pepper from Dorin''s larder and roasted them by the fire as well. The guts were thrown from a steep drop some distance from hut, to be scavenged by the more enterprisingwildlife. "Wendy, Wendy, for your hand, a thousand castles in the sand," Zero hummed.Melancholy Kinghuh? It was one of his favorite songs. He was a terrible singer, but mouthing the tune helped calm him down.And besides,he thought sardonically to himself.Who cares if I sing badly? I don''t. "Kick it over as you stride, kick it, watch it falling down." He grabbed one of the skulls and smashed it with a rock, scooping the brain matter to use as a tanning agent. "Love is when you leave with me, let''s rot together you and me," he sang as he grabbed another skull and repeated the process. "Wendy, wendy, for your hand,I''ll burn all the castles in... the land." He finished gathering all the brain gunk and proceeded to scrape the excess fat from the skin, repeating the simple tune over and over as he bent down on his work, mesmerized by the simple yet soothing process. --- New skins stood stretched on poles together with the other pelts from yesterday as Zero admired his work. The old hunter did good solid work on cleaning and tanning the skins properly, but Zero felt that he didn''t fall behind in the quality of his work bycomparison.Grumpy old bastard,he muttered angrily.MY work''s not half-bad, you fucker. Zero stoked the coals of the fire outside the hut and added a few logs from the stack of firewood piled beside the hut''s walls.Dusk painted the sky in an orange light as the sun slowly set in the far horizon, its rays coating the peaks of the Alekhandres with bright yellow. Zero paced worriedly in front of the fire. He had already eaten one of the rabbits and a roasted onion a while back, hoping that the hot meal would help calm his nerves. It didn''t.Damn it, you old fool. What is taking you so long? He refused to give in to his worst fears. He fretted on how much time it would take to investigate the site of the incident and hoped that the old man was just unnecessarily delayed. A part of him prayed that the Dorin was just playing a prank on him in an attempt to drive him into a panicked state just for a few laughs. Surprisingly enough, the livid reaction he had at that thought helped calm him down a little. Knowing that stressing about the situation would just be a waste of time and energy, Zero took more logs from the woodpile and added them to the fire. He also lit the firepit inside the hut and put in enough logs to last the night. He crawled into his beddings and wrapped himself in his furs to sleep. Or so he thought. Instead he lay in a fetal position and stared grimly at the doorway. In one hand he clutched Dorin''s dagger, the curved blade wrapped loosely in its sheath. His left hand held the boomblind crystals the old man handed him, in what seemed like a lifetime ago. He lay there unmoving for a long time, not daring to close his eyes. --- There were over a hundred applicants like him in that room, talking loudly, sitting nervously, fiddling on their phones. And she sat there quietly, enjoying herself as she read one of Tolquin''sThe Sword of The Kingtitles, her brows furrowed as she concentrated on the book, oblivious to her surroundings. The receptionist walked towards them, and reading off a list, called out the names of the next batch of applicants. He stood up, and so did she. She replaced her bookmark and folded the book shut as she placed it in her bag. In a light dulcet voice she answered the receptionist as she walked calmly towards her. As she passed by him, their eyes met, and he suddenly found sucked in by her gaze. He lost himself, looking deeply into swirling pools of liquid midnight, unable to move or speak. A brief flutter in his vision as delicately carved eyebrows raised themselves quizzically at him. A hint of a respectful nod and then she turned her head away from him, but not before he saw a smile form on those beautifully formed lips. --- Zero awoke to the sound of birdsong. He opened his eyes and saw sunlight peering between the wooden slats of the door. The fire has long since died to ashes, and Dorin''s bed lay untouched. Zero stumbled out of bed, still lost in the dregs of last night''s dream.Or was it a memory?he asked himself. He found himself still holding the dagger and crystals from last night. He returned the dagger to its sheath and placed the crystals in his belt pouch. He felt... strangely calm. His body felt light, as if he was filled with a boundless energy. Smiling to himself, he crawled out of the hut and into the morning sun. Light bathed him and his surroundings as he stretched his arms wide and filled his lungs with fresh air flowing down the mountaintops. Half-burnt logs and white ash where all that remained of the large fire he built last night, and the pelts and hides planted on wood poles glistened with morning dew. He drank from one of the water barrels and just sat there for a while, and for the first time, let himself appreciate the beauty of nature. And Zero sat there in quiet contemplation. Until Dorin''s muttered curses reached his ears and he found himself looking towards the west as a figure in furs and leathers shouted obscenities at him, a wild mop of silver hair gleaming in the sun as the old man shouted for his breakfast. Dorin had spent the whole night tracking an Obsidian bear to its nest as it rampaged a circuitous path of destruction across the forest. Obsidian bears were lethal enough to most people, even experienced [Hunter]s, but it seems even a berserk Obsidian bear was not even a challenge to the mighty [Hunter] Dorin, to hear him tell the tale. Zero humoured the old man as the latter regaled the young man with his fearsome encounter with the dreaded beast, telling the tale with unbridled enthusiasm as he bit into his rabbit. They spent the rest of the day walking back to the cave to retrieve the bear''s corpse, and Zero once again found himself marvelling at the old man''s strength and abilities after he used his [Appraisal] on the bear.
Basic Information Attributes Status Information Class
Name Obsidian Bear STR 122 HP 0/3590(+.0121/sec) Name Level
Level 28 AGI 60 MP 0/162(+.0021/sec) none n/a
Age 8 VIT 91 SP 0/365(-.002/sec)
Sex Male INT 6 PHY ATK 175 - 179
Race Beast DEX 44 PHY DEF 93
Condition Dead INS 0 MAG ATK 11-13
Experience na/na MAG DEF 19
Weight Limit 0/224 kg
"Impressive," Zero praised the old man."You really are something you old coot." "Shut yer trap and help me load this carcass to the sled," Dorin snapped. "Obsidian bear hide makes for great magical robes, and I know old Herman from the village inn can make an amazing honeyed roast meat; he''d spring at the chance to cook all this lovely bear meat. This things is gonna fetch us a lot of coin," he said excitedly. "Wait," Zero froze. "There''s a village nearby?" He had assumed based on his observations and the old man''s attire that they were very far from civilization. "Of course you numbskull," snapped the old man."What did you think was the reason we were gathering all this hide and meat for?" "Well..." he had nothing to say to that. "Young idiots with fluff for brains, the lot of you," Dorin commented sourly. "Listen up boy: in eight days an old farmer will drive his cart upriver to meet us. In exchange for carting all the fur and smoked meat we can sell to the village, old Ned just needs to celebrate a nice day off with his favorite drinking buddy. And since I have you to get rid of as well, all the more reason for us to earn more coin. You hear me?" -- present time -- Zero shook his head at the memory. Eight days of trapping, skinning, tanning, curing, and smoking all sorts of wild game. Not to mention the effort it took to dismember the 900-pound bear they hauled back all the way to hut. It was a very informative experience for Zero, yet he was frustrated at the lack of visible experience and rewards to his attributes. Still,he thought to himself, as he ducked outside the hut and shouldered three heavy sacks the old man handed him.I can''t say I came out of it entirely empty-handed now, can I? "Inventory," he whispered.
Name Amount Weight
Obsidian Bear pelt 1 8kg
Obsidian Bear meat (smoked) 5 2.5 kg
Obsidian Bear meat (cured) 5 2.5 kg
Forest Deer pelt 12 3.6 kg
Forest Deer meat (smoked) 48 9.6 kg
Forest Rabbit pelt 39 3.9 kg
Forest Rabbit meat (smoked) 27 5.4 kg
"Fuck," Zero knees buckled at the weight as the sudden notification rang in his head.
89% of Weight Limit reached
You are Overburdened. Natural HP/MP recovery halted. All actions slowed by 70%. SP reduction increased by -.005 SP/sec
6. A Brave New World 05 Head propped up on a bundle of rabbit fur, Zero gazed idly at the clouds streaking across the morning sky ashe lay sprawledon the back of the cart. Old Ned set an easy pace as they travelled from the forest and onto the rough country road, the rolling landscape passing by sedatelyas they set outtowards direction of the village. Dorin sat in the front of the cart beside the gruff-natured farmer, the wild tangle of his hair and his mix-and-match ensemble of animal fur and hunting leathers a stark contrast to the bald, bent oldman in brown overalls. Zero had no intention of spending a bumpy, uncomfortable ride sitting beside thetwo geriatrics as they argued back and forth over a myriad of mundane topics, choosing instead to rest his tired, sore body bundled up in the back together with the pelts and smoked venison they would be selling in the village. Zero''s brow knotted in irritation as another argument flared up between the two men, this time between which tavern can best satisfy their taste for brewed beverages.Ugh, just cut it already you two,Zero thought.Acting like kids at kindergarten, you should be ashamed.No that he would actually get in between the two cantankerous old drunkards. "A full tankard of ale at The Flying Rooster costs but half a copper," pleaded Old Ned. "Betsy''s grown sweet on me due ter my steady patronage. She''d let us have a cask fer ourselves fer only 5 coppers easy. That''''ll get us sloshed fer the whole night Dorin!" "Bah," the other manscoffed. "I''ve no patience for watered-down swill. Alvere''s apple brandy is what we''re drinking and nothing else, you hear? "Kuh! I never figured ye for a wine ''con-o-sure'' ye stinky old fart. Alvere doesn''t sell cheap; he''ll bleed us a full silver just fer a few measly cups, the sly bastard." "What did you say you dead-tongued cheapskate?" "The Nothing take ye, ye getting deaf as well as daft yeslimy old codger?"Old Ned shouted. "Why you-?!" Zero ignored the rest of the argument as he tugged a rabbitpelt over his eyes.Idiots, the both of you.He spent the time cloud watching, eyes starting to get heavy as the rhythm of the cart lulled him to slowly to sleep. He yawned loudly as he stretched among the bags of musky fur and smoked meat, the smells doing nothing to alleviate his drowsiness. The morning sun warmed his body as a gentle summer breeze sighed in a soporific whisper all around him, pulling him into acozy embrace. Even the loud squabbling of the two old men overhead wasreduced to a muted buzz, almost unheard in the background as he sank into a sweet, semi-conscious state. This is almost nice in a way, reminds me of the time we went to a beach and just dozed off on the reclining beach chairs. Learned how to make a fire and cook my first outdoor barbecue that day too. My old man always told me those will be useful skills to learn for the future. Come to think of it, I''ve been here ten days and I''ve yet to pick up any game skills apart from Appraisal and the Leviantho language skill. Don''t I get like Advanced Butchering or Basic Trapping or something? I thought crafting materials granted XP too. I should have like at least gained two or three levels from trapping and tanning animal pelts. Seriously this system is crap, give me easy OP main characters any time of the-His thoughts cut off as sleeptook him. -- "It''s basic ''rithmetic ye puffed-up musclehead!" Old Ned shouted. "Cheaper drinks means more drinks to buy! I ain''t wasting me hard-earned coinjust fer a few sips of fancy wine. Just because ye worked fer them nobles once don''t mean ye get ter learn them snobby ways too, ye numbskull." "You''re fatter than me you hardheaded fool!" Dorin pointed out. "And what''s it to you how much it costs anyway? I''ll be paying for our drinks you idiot!" "Ha! You''d need a lot more than tattered rabbit and deer pelts ter get drunk on Alvere''s apply brandy," retorted the other man. "Even [Merchants] from Hon Jin come there to buy whole wagonloads of it from him! If Alvere had any ambition he won''t just settle fer a village mayor; He''d be a fuckin''town provost," He boasted. "Well, well, look at you," the old [Hunter] answered. "I never would have guessed you''d have a head for politics Ned; I figured the alcohol''d already toast whatever brain you''d have inside there. Now," Dorin said quickly, forestalling Ned''s reply. "I recently hunted and butchered an Obsidian Bear, so if you wanted to know where''d I''d get the money to pay for our drinks, well there you have it." He said, reaching over and opening a sack near the side of Zero''s head. "Woo hoo hoo," Ned cackled in delight as he ran his hand over the dark, furry pelt. "Thiswouldfetch fer a pretty penny, it would. Beg yer forgiveness my friend, I should''na doubted ye,"he flashed a gap-toothed grin at the wild-haired man. Dorin laughed. He patted the other man''s shoulders as they shared excited grins. "Ned my friend I swear to you: We''ll dine on Herman''s honey-roasted bear steak and Alvere''s world famous apple brandy tonight. The Nothing take my eyes if we don''t." A sudden loud sob broke their laughter. Two sets of eyes looked at the sleeping figure lying on the back of the cart. The young man curled into a fetal position as his body was rocked by loud, heaving sobs, tears flowing freely from his shut eyes. Mirth evaporated into somber, awkward gazes as the boy cried with all the bitternessof a shattered soul. Ned glanced at the old [Hunter], eyebrows raised at the sad, unsurprised expression on Dorin''s face. "How long have ye known?" The old farmer asked quietly. None of them were strangers to grief. Both have known the sorrow of burying friends and loved ones, and they have had their share oftearful partings as well. The young man''s strangled cries tugged at their heartstrings as they remembered the times they found themselves in similarsituations. Which all the more piqued Ned''s curiosity. How much pain and sorrow has this young man suffered, for him to cry out so? "Since the first night I fished him out of the river," Dorin answered solemnly. "Every single night afterwards he does this in his sleep. The strangest thing though," he continued as he looked at Ned, who listened to every wordwith bated breath. "He wakes up with no knowledge of having cried at all. It''s unnerving how he wakes up and with nary a care in the world. He doesn''t even notice his wet face and tear-stained pillow." "A peculiar thing, that." Ned agreed. "Ye reckon the kid may be bonkers? Maybe let an Imperial Magus take a gander at him, check for Domination curses or some such. He could be a spy," he suggested helpfully. Dorin shook his head slightly. "Wouldn''t be possible. His Profile was all set to Public; he''s as inconspicuous as a brick thrown into a glass window. No, he''s just another sad idiot that just wants to go back home," he finished with a glum expression. Ned started to reply but cut himself short at the unhappy look in the other man''s eyes. "Yes," he agreed morosely. "I reckon yer right." A gloomy hush descended and put an end to their conversation. After what seemed like agesthe young mans shuddering ceased and the sobbing stopped as his loud snores filled the air. In both men''s eyes were looks full of kindness and pity. As if in quiet agreementboth men turned theirs eyes back to the road, sharing an uncomfortable silence as they lost themselves in their own thoughts and sorrows. The old farmer was the one to break the silence. Staring into the far off distance, Ned asked Dorin in apprehension, taking care not to glance sideways at the old man. "Why are ye helping the lad?" "It''s none of your business you nosey piss-artist." Ned ignored the other man''s abrasiveness. "The lad has a lover waiting fer him back home, dun''t he?" Dorin hesitated, taking a few long seconds before answering. "That he does." Ned sneaked a glance at the other man''s tight-jawed, thin-lipped expression. "It do make sense now, why yer so set on helping the kid this much," he said, shaking his head in wonder. "It''s been forty years and yer still beating yerself over that thing?" "Don''t say it, you old fool." Dorin warned, eyes flashing in anger. "I''ll say it however many times it takes ye gormless twat," snapped the other man. "Lillian never blamed you fer everything that''s happened. Loved ye with all her heart, she did, even after yeleft ter fightin the war. The Blood Emperor owes his throne ter ye, and Lillian was proud as lioness everytime she heard of yer victories. First Ascended Human ter come from this shitty backwoods village; ye shoulda let them build a statue fer ye." "No," Dorin growled. "If.. If I''d known, I''d have left everything behind and come back here as fast as I could." He bowed his head, clenched fists trembling on his knees. "Nothing is worth it to leave your wife to die alone." He locked gazes with Ned, naked pain showing in his steel-blue eyes . To his credit, Ned didn''t back downfrom that stare, answering with a challenging stare of his own. "Ye damned fool," he scoffed. "After all this time ye still can''t forgive yerself? Too much pride and not muchsense, is what Lillian''d say. Sometimes she''d tell that she may have hit ye too many times on the head with a pan, thought she turned yer brain into mush." "As if she''d stopped doing that even if I begged on my knees," Dorin replied, finally cracking into a smile. "She was a tough, no-nonsense woman." "Aye, that she is," Ned agreed. "Had ter be tough as nails, what with ye being her husband and all. So," he began. "Haven''tchanged yer mind about helping the young lad?" "No," Dorin said, shaking his head, continuing in a more serious tone. "I''ve been observing him the past few days. Even if I trained him for 3 years straight he''d still be liable to die alone out there. I mean to take him with me on a ferry downriver to Three Bridges, the temple of Sagina there should have a [Mage] capable of long-distance Teleportation. If not we''d probably travel all the way to Lunayyed and request for a Transfer via one of the Blue Gates." Ned whistled through his teeth. "Would take a lot of gold ter fund that trip. Sagina''s [Mage]s are a prickly and arrogant bunch; their service won''t come cheap. Andit takes a royal command ter use the Blue Gates." His eyes narrowed at Dorin. "D''ye mean ter come out of retirement? Will Hamarodorin, the Blue-eyed Steel Griffin, come back ter life once again? Well color me excited." "None of that now," Dorin snapped. "That man is dead. I am Dorin, just an old [Hunter] from the high plains. If anything," he said, touching the sword at his side. "This old antique may just be enough to fund our trip altogether, if someone at Three Bridges is willing to buy this useless relic. I also have a few debts owed me that I can...collect along the way." He admitted reluctantly. Ned snorted. "That ''sword'' costs more than the whole of Three Bridges and ye know that. Let''s hope some rich fool takes that thing off yer hands before they discover its real worth or ye''deither have an angry mob stringing ye up fer stealing from the ''Reaper of Esta Clavo'' or worse: a pile of worshippers throwing themselves on the feet of the Steel Griffin, Savior of the Empire." He snickered. "They can try," laughed the wild-haired man in return. "I''m old, not decrepit. Let''s not talk about that for now. I''m more concerned aboutthe different ways old Herman can cook this tasty bastard." he said, patting the bulging sack on the back of the cart. "The sooner we can get ter Edegarten village the sooner we can get ourselves properly bashed and plastered." Ned concurred with glee. He whipped his reigns and the dappled nag trotted faster along the beaten road. "Forward ye lazy horse! Daylight''s wasting for dear Ned and Dorin here!" -- Zero opened his eyesand stretched lazily on top of the scattered bags with a happy expression on his face.What a power nap,he thought in sweet satisfaction. He sat up and discovered the reason for his waking up. The cart had stopped in front of a large wooden gate surrounded by a palisade made of matchinglogs of wood. The sweet scent of apples filled the air, and Zero saw that apples trees dotted the landscape from both sides of the road. The river now meandered in the distance and had grown into a montrosity almost eighty meters across at its widest point. Opposite the river on the other side of the road stretched orchards and various huts and houses on wide fields of grain. Looking at the road, Zero saw the diminished yet still-imposing peaks of the Alekhandres in the distance.He quickly made his calculations.A three-hour journey by cart, possibly five to six hours on foot. Let''s hope it doesn''t come to that.Already he had formed an attachment to the secluded and dangerous mountain and its surroundings.NO! What the fuck stop wimping out on me. Don''t be a pussy, you can do this! Zero thought determinedly. Noticing his movement, Ned greeted him from the front of the cart. "Good morning lad! Did ye sleep well on the trip?" Zero narrowed his eyes at the old man in suspiciously.Something''s up, this Ned isunusually too cheerful for comfort.The sideways glances Ned was making at Dorin made him more leery of the man. "Good morning to you too Ned," he replied politely. "What can I do for you?" "Oh, nothing much," the old mananswerely sheepishly. "Just making sure yer up and about is all." "Stop playing with him Ned," barked Dorin suddenly, taking a quick look at Zero. "We''re here. Welcome to Edegarten." Zero ignored the two old men as a string of notifications rang in his head.
You have arrived at Edegarten Village safe zone. SP regen +.001 SP/sec
Exploration bonus: +100 xp
You have recovered from Fatigue:low
Well,Zero thought.That was unexpected. Stillthat''s one hundred less rabbits to kill so yay for me, wooo.He mentally closed the notifications and focused on the sight in front of him. The wooden palisade stretched and curved almost three hundred meters from both sides of the open gate, standing up tofifteen meters to its sharpened peaks. I may be wrong but that wall is around one-and-a half basketball rings high, and based on the dimensions, may cover enough ground as the RMS Titanic. So around ten to eleven city blocks big huh?The gate itself was no different from the walls except that it was bound by two thick sheets of iron on each side. Six guards clad in leather jerkins, bracers and studded caps protected the entrance, carrying various polearms from the simple pike to the more complex glaive or guisarme, standing in front of a line of carts, wagons, horses, and disheveled travellers walking on foot, barring them entrance into the gates. Two of them accompanied ascowling man wearing a green cape and feathered hat, possibly a bureaucrat, evident by the haughty stare and impatient expression on his face as he accosted the persons on the line and waving them in as he wrote their details in a ledger tucked underhis arm, tearing a piece of paper from it and handing it to the people as they passed by. The line progressed quickly and with no incident, despite green cape''s overbearing demeanor.This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. "The Nothing take my eyes it''s Pyotir," grumbled old Ned as they moved forward. "Piling up them lines again. Ye''d think he was guarding the inner sanctum terEyoma''s temple, the way he fuzzes about ''background checks'' and Profile Appraisals. "Just a little bit of zeal," replied Dorin patiently. "You can''t fault the lad for taking his job seriously. As for you," he turned and glowered at Zero. "You keep your head down, keep your answers short, and don''t ask too manyquestions. Understood?" "I''m all for keeping my head down," Zero replied tersely. "But you need to cut me some slack here.There''s so many things I need to understand about this place and you barely give me any answers at all. How am I to get back home if I don''t bother to learn anything?" "The kid has a point," agreed Ned. Dorin huffed irritably. "I''ll give you a chance to cut loose later; I know someone who''d be happy to answer all your questions. For now just leave the talking to us andif anyone talks to you keep your answers short and simple." "Understood." Zero acquiesced.Not like I have any choice in the matter. They waited for a tense few minutesfor their turn as green cape obsessively inspected each and every person, cart, and horseon the line. "Boy," Dorin called out. "He''s gonna use Appraisal on us. Set your Profile from Private to Social. Do it fast." "Fine."Profile set to Social, profile set to Social, profile set to Social.
Profile set from Private to Social.Information available uponAppraisalis:
Name
Level
Class
Age
Sex
Race
Ned pushed the cart forward. Green cape aka Pyotir, turned a baleful eye on all of them, sniffing in distaste. "Yo Pyotir me boy," Ned greeted. "Come say hello ter yer uncles Ned and Dorin." Pyotir''s back stiffened and his pointed chin rose. In a haughty voice he reprimanded them. "You will address me as Sir Deputy Imperial Magistrate Pyotir al Rabban, and you will be silent while I perform my imperial functions or prepare to be punished to the full extent of the law!" He finished shrilly, face redin fury. Zero struggled to keep a straight face.Oh God this is precious!He thought, trying hard to stifle his laughter. Between Pyotir''s rail thin body, short stature, his large beak of a nose, the feathered cap and green cape, Zero was reminded very much of an angry, squeaking... parrot. The imagery pushed him into further convulsions as he tried to restrain his mirth. "You there!" the angry bureaucrat visited his ire on Zero.Uh oh.He suddenly found himself staring closely at the man''s furious grey eyes. "Do you find this funny, boy? You dare insult an Imperial functionary? I should have you whipped and put in stocks as a warning to those who spit on the Blood Emperor''s God-given authority!" He hissed so hard bits of spittle hit Zero''s face, as the two guards behind him shifted their grip on their weapons. The hooked guisarmes gleamed viciously in the sun. Okay, this is getting out of hand.Before Zero was able to utter a singleword two sets of strong hands grabbed him and covered his mouth. "My nephew did not mean any disrespect, magistrate," Dorin said placatingly, holding Zero in a tight headlock. "A bit slow in the head, and ignorant in the ways of the world. My younger sister sent him to me so I could teach him my craft. If you could but Appraise him you would know the weakness in him, a poor bout with sickness in his earlier years. You are the first Imperial Officer that my nephew has met; what better way to show him the mercy and magnanimity of his Majesty''s anointed officials." He finished with a sincere and respectful bow, followed shortly by Ned and Zero on his signal. "Well, it is true that his majesty''s officers are selected from among the empire''s finest, most upstanding individuals," Pyotir agreed, mollified by Dorin''s flattery. He looked again at Zero, and manage a lecture that only came off as slightly less arrogant. "Young man, would do well to learn your uncle''s manners. Boorish brute he might appear to be, but I''ve known him for quite some time and I pride myself on being able to identify his majesty''s most loyal and law-abiding citizens regardless of their appearance. Do not waste this second opportunity to develop yourself into a productive member of the empire." I think I''m going to puke,Zero thought.I should be more careful of accidentally insulting another bureaucrat again. Bears are safer in comparison to these prickly bastards.The guards, sensing an end to hostilities, relaxed again into their usual bored expressions. "My gracious thanks, magistrate." Dorin said in undisguised relief. "All is forgiven, my kind sir," Pyotir replied, fully engrossed in acting the part of the merciful lord. "Let''s proceed with the inspection. Please sit straight and do not resist my Appraisal." A crawling sensation came over Zero, as if his body was being slowly dipped into a pool of wriggling worms. He stiffened and instinctively tried to fight the revolting feeling, until he felt a painful rap on his head. "Don''t fight it," came Dorin''s angry whisper. "It will be over quickly if you let it do its work." It took a great deal of effort on his part to relax and accept the invasive feeling. In the blink of an eye the sensation vanished, leaving him bug-eyed and gasping for breath. Oh Gods, I think I really am going to puke. The magistrate wrote quickly in his ledger, reciting the details of the inspection without paying the slightest heed to Zero''sexpression. "One level 4Human named Zero," he began, shaking his head in distaste. "No job class. You''re not wrong old man you''re nephew is weak and useless; Let''s pray that Aa Nuld smile on your endeavor and give you a strong, well-trained nephew." He said with a smug look at Zero. Without skipping a beat he continued his recitation. "Nedson Tark, level 32 Human with 17 levels in [Soldier] and 9 levels in [Farmer]. Uncle Ned you could have gone far in his majesty''s royal military, but you decided to retire and become a drunk farmer instead. A tragic waste, that," He grimaced in disappointment. Zero and Ned shared a look. Ned just shrugged and put his palms up.What can I do?He seemed to say. They looked again atthe magistrate, who was now staring at Dorin, eyebrows knitted in concentration while the old man kept a blank expression, facing straight forward in his seat. After a while the magistrate sighed and gave up, hand slowly writing his third entry. "That''s odd," he began, frowning in confusion. "I could have sworn that..." He shook himself and resumed writing again. "Dorin, level 64 Human... 53 levels in [Hunter]..." He stared at the last line for a few more minutes before making a decision. He looked up from his ledger and scowled at Dorin in suspicion. "I''d have thought that by raising my Appraisal to level 5 I would have a bit more luck in reading your profile, old man Dorin. It would seem I was wrong." "I''m an old man hunting small game and eating wild herbs on amountainside Pyotir," Dorin answered nonchalantly. "I''d like to think the empire need not fear any danger from me." "The empire has bigger things to worry about than a dying old man in the woods," The deputy magistrate answered in a pompous tone. He tore the piece of paper from his ledger and handed it to Ned. "You can all pass; your information has been linked to the save point inthe village hall. That piece of paper is attuned to your mana signatures so don''t lose it or you''d pay a hefty fine as well confinement while we investigate any crimes committed in the village. If proven guilty forthose crimes their punishments will be added to the fine as well. Please present that to the mayor or his assistant in order to get your exit passes. Losing that will earn you twenty lashes, and the same penalties as losing your entry pass. Next!" He ignored their moving cart as he turned his attention to the next group, a family of seven huddled closely in a rickety wagon. They all breathed a collective sigh of relief as they passed by the remaining guards and entered the village proper. Zero had no time to appreciate the view however, as Dorin''s angry face loomed into his vision. "What were you thinking you stupid boy, laughing at him like that?" He growled, cold blue eyes boring into him like spears of ice. "You trying to get us all killed?" "I''m sorry he just looked really funny to me is all," Zero explained nervously. "I didn''t know he''d react like that. I mean it''s not like trashtalked him to his face right?" The two older men just looked at each other in disbelief. "Listen lad," Ned explained patiently. "Sometimes, the lower yer position is, the more ye take pride in it. Pyotir''s head is too big fer his britches, true, but even a deputy magistrate can have ye flogged fer insubordination. And a direct assault on any of his majesty''s appointed officials is just grounds fer a quick beheading if yer lucky. If not it''s... err usually something slower and more painful." Ned didn''t bother with more details. "Well that''s just horrible policy!" Zero burst out. "It''s the law, and you will follow it," Dorin said sternly. "Survival of the fittest: the strong rule over the weak. If you have a problem with that then all you need to do is become strong. And if you''re lucky, you can be strong enough to challenge the Blood Emperor for his throne, make your own stupid laws yourself." Zero just glowered silently at the old man. Dorin ignored him and signalled Ned to move the cart forward. "Remember boy: head down, don''t even look at anyone, keep your mouth shut and just follow my lead." I''m not an idiot, and I''m not a dog you can keep on a leash you stupid old man, Zero thought angrily. Zero''s mood didn''t improve as they trudged along the muddy main road. He stared at the packed assortment of dirty huts, dusty hovels, and poorly built houses tottering on the verge of collapsing. The air reeked of unwashed human, animal, rotting things, sour piss and excrement.It''s so...banal.Zero thought.What happened to the quiet peaceful village settlement, where the smell of pies, stews, and meat roast permeate every corner, where plump housewifes and pretty maidens hang white sheets along the street, where children laugh as they chase and play with each other all day long?This is simply depressing.He stopped looking altogether and just huddled in the back of the cart, hiding under a deer pelt. -- "Ye were a wee bit rough on the boy," Ned spoke as he glanced at the silent young man, hugging his knees to his chest. "It weren''tall his fault ye know. I''ve known Pyotir since he were a tyke and I admit, it rankled te have him treat me like that." "The sooner he can learn from his mistakes, the better. I''m not about to wrap him in swaddling clothes andcoddle him like a mewling babe." Dorin responded gruffly. "I reckon we could have handled that situation a little better," Ned said finally. The other snorted in answer, ending the conversation. -- The Blooming Orchard inn has had animpressive andwell-knownhistory in the twenty years since it was built. Established by an ageing mercenary who, upon saving the kidnapped heir of the al Zarani house from assassins, found himself rewarded handsomely for his troubles. It stood at an impressive three-stories high, its foundation, posts, and beams made from polished Iron Cedar, known for its toughness and structural stability. An enterprising [Mage] enchanted the wine cellar and basement with complex fire and water spells to maintain a cool and dry temperature all year long, to ensure that food and other materials placed within are properly preserved. A rodent-repelling ward made it all the more secure from vermin infestations. A stable that can house fifty horses and other assorted mounts promised supreme comfort for the travel companions of the inn''s clients and an outdoor kitchen with an oven lined with Salamander scales promisedoptimum heat conductivity at all times. It was an architectural masterpiece, stamped with the Imperial Seal of Approval mere days after its opening. In a stroke of bad luck, the inn burned down in its first year, killing all but the owner and his family. Villagers gossiped endlessly about the cause of the disastrous fire which turned everything to ash, except for the original Iron Cedar foundation and posts. The dumbstruck innkeeper managed to recover some of his gold, which melted into a pile of slag on the inn''s floor. With the help of a huge loans from various banks, the owner managed to rebuild the Blooming Orchard to its former glory, swearing to recover his fortune and reclaim his honor. However, even after countless pleadings, the village mayor adamantly refusedto rebrand the inn with the Imperial Seal, stating indignantly that the inn burning down was an insult to the empire itself. The owner, his wife, and his sons toiled for ten long years in order to pay off their massive debts, barely even managing to pay the increasingly compounding interest of the crippling loans. In the twelfth year of its operation, the inn met with another tragedy: the sudden death of its owner. His two sons fought viciously over the ownership of the inn, for their father neglected to write a last will and testament for his heirs. Loud arguments came to blows, culminatingin a very public duel which resulted in the elder son brutally murdering the younger, trading sword blows then proceeding to grab his brother by the hair and stabbing him over and over with his blade until the streets literally flowed with blood. However, the younger brother was sly rather than brawny, and knowing full well that his older, more stronger brother would eventually overwhelm him, opted to use more insidious solutions. And so mere moments after declaring himself the winner of the bloody duel, the elder son collapsed on the ground as he clawed at his face, turning purple as he foamed at the mouth, dying of a fast-acting, incurable poison. The mother, in her grief, hanged herself from the inn rafters the following day. No one wanted to buy the inn, even at the grossly deflated price that the village mayor offered. For two years it lay in disrepair, a den where only the truly godless or the truly desperate dared seek shelter, for rumors spread among the villagers of the curse attached to its very walls. Some claimed that the Iron Cedar used in its construction was actually the stolen doors from a temple of Ruk, the God of Invention and Industry, and that his curse lay thick on its walls. Which did not bother one Herman Kastel, who bought the inn one late spring, paying no heed to the anxious warnings from the villagers, instead completely rebuilding and renovating the inn, starting with its foundations. The Iron Cedar was later consecrated and offered to a temple of Ruk together with various other offerings, and a hefty bag of gold coins to the temple priest, in return for his pious prayers in behalf of the new innkeeper. Herman made a name for himself with his incredible and mouth-watering cooking technique, possessing an impossible 46 levels in the [Chef] class, the Salamander scale ovens churning out one deletacble cuisine after another. Hungry customers came from far and wide, packs laden with various exotic ingredients to be granted Herman''s expert attention. After six years the Blooming Orchard''s owner toiled in relative peace and comfort as he cooked with no reservations, to the delight of his neighbors and repeat patrons. It was at the front of its door that a tired nag stopped pulling an old wooden cart. An old man in a tangled mane of silver hair, wrapped in animal furand hunting leathers stepped down from the cart, followed closely by another old man, red-cheeked and bald as an egg, clad in dirty overalls. They carried two bulging sacks of strangely fragrant meat as they walked towards the carved doors of the Blooming Orchard, the greybeard barking a few short orders to the huddled figure wrapped in animals furs at the back of the cart. In the darkness of the alley, a shadowstepped out and padded silently towards the cart, clambering up into the driver''s seat, staring at the young man muttering incomprehensible words from his hiding place. -- "Hey! Hey mister!" called out a young, high-pitched voice. Zero looked up from under his furs and saw a young girl, with deep-red hair and a freckled face grinning widely at him. Without warning his Appraisal skill suddenly kicked in.
Basic Information
Name Rina
Level 3
Class none
Age 7
Sex Female
Race Human
"Kiyaa!" the girl cried out in surprise, arms flailing as she tried to regain her balance, the horse snorting as it stamped its hooves in near panic. Zero''s arm shot out and grab the girl''s hands before she fell, pulling her into his arms as they fell into the back of the cart. "Are you okay?" He asked, heart throbbing wildy from the adrenaline rush. "I''m just fine mister," the little girl - Rina, answered happily, as she lay with eyes closed in Zero''s arms. The little girl opened her eyes, and Zero found himself staring into eyes of emerald green, flecked with gold around the irises. Zero shivered as he felt like being dipped into a pool of cold water, the feeling strange yet slightly familiar.Did she justAppraiseme?He thought in wonder as he stared at the girl. "Tee hee," the girl giggled. "I like your name Mister Zero." Something hard hit the back of Zero''s head before he can answer, the deja vu continuing as notifications rang in his head.
Clean Hit! -30 HP. Sneak Attack bonus! -10 HP
You have been Stunned. 20 second duration
Not this again,were Zero''s last thoughts before darkness took him.