《Ascension VR》 Prologue: A Petty Beginning ¡°What do you mean I am fired?!? We started this company together and struggled together for the last five years and you are telling me this?¡± ¡°Look James, I told you already this is all out of my hands¡­ After we got acquired by Apex Corporation, they carefully tied our hands with multiple layers of contracts that we thought were just protection for the corporate secrets surrounding their VR tech.¡± ¡°Ha. You mean that you thought Kelvin. I TOLD you it can¡¯t be that simple, I read the contracts thoroughly and found several loopholes and warned you but you ignored it anyway.¡± ¡°Yes, you are right alright. But you must admit it is still lucrative for us at the end of the day, I mean at the price they are buying you out, you earned about twelve million.¡± ¡°Tch, the money is great but I won¡¯t stand for the reason for firing me¡­ Just because some idiot manager think I¡¯m not necessary because I don¡¯t have a technical degree? That¡¯s bullshit, I was the one who came up with most of intrusion measures and counters for them¡­¡± ¡°Look man, at least you can relax while I still need to slog away here under the damn corporate structure and dozens of useless rules they implemented. Besides, they are giving you one of the premium early access capsules for Ascension, so go and enjoy life bro¡­ Don¡¯t do anything stupid just because of one idiot.¡± ¡®Grr... I can¡¯t believe this bullshit. Kelvin won¡¯t budge on telling me which idiot manager was responsible for the decision and immediately cut my employee access so I can¡¯t even find out damn it. Tch, if I found out who that asshat is, I¡¯m going to make his life difficult¡­ If only I still had access, I can at least mess around in the systems to screw with his work, wipe all his damn emails, reroute, set in some automated codes to randomly change words in his outgoing mail to curse-words¡­¡¯ Stalking out of the office preoccupied with his thoughts of exacting vengeance, James absentmindedly shoved the heavy main door open with his hand. *CRASH* ¡°HOLY SHIT.¡± The pretty receptionist jumped up from her workstation only to sweat-drop at the sight of an embarrassed James scratching his head and apologising awkwardly. ¡°Oh crap, oops¡­ Sorry Belinda. Didn¡¯t mean to scare you.¡± ¡°Ugh boss¡­ Kelvin is bad enough with his absurd brute strength. Please refrain from breaking the office as well.¡± ¡°Heh roger, although you won¡¯t have to worry about me anymore¡­ Anyway see you!¡± Glancing back at the receptionist, James¡¯ eyes widened slightly as he noticed the state of the door and he quickly hurried off. ¡®Huh. Wonder what James meant by that parting statement¡­ Anyway, I better inspect the damage this time. Luckily it can¡¯t be as bad as the other time our gym-rat boss Kelvin broke the handle accidentally with his ridiculous muscles.¡¯ Walking over, Belinda took a look at the damage and gasped. ¡°Good Lord.¡± ¡®He didn¡¯t just break the handle¡­ the marble tiles behind got cracked.¡¯ < On a bus> ¡°Did you hear? The new game released, Ascension is a complete virtual reality! They say you have full control and can do anything in-game, not only that all the NPCs and even the monsters are supposedly intelligent AIs!¡± ¡°Yeah, I even heard that you aren¡¯t restricted by classes and can learn any skills be it combat, crafting or whatever. They even said new skills can be created! I can¡¯t wait to play it!¡± ¡°Guys, guys, you all are totally missing the most important part. Apex Corp said to incentivise players, they are giving out 10% of their shares to the first person who manages to ascend! That¡¯s a huge amount of cash we are talking about! It is probably at least one billion dollars and they are definitely going to be worth much more after the launch of this game!¡± Standing quietly in the crowded bus, James¡¯ attention was dragged away from his schemes by last bit of gossip from the teens discussing Ascension with great fervour. ¡®10%... Wait, that will be the ultimate way to get back at that asshat manager, that¡¯ll be more than enough to get me on the board of directors and easily screw with that guy. Muhahaha-¡® ¡°Oof.¡± ¡°Hey move it chink, I need more space for my bag.¡± James¡¯ thoughts was broken by a burly student with a group of fellow jocks had been shuffling other kids around and knocked into him as well. Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. Glaring at him for the unwarranted insult, James controlled himself as he felt a surge of irritation rise especially with all the earlier anger he still had. ¡®He¡¯s just a stupid kid, there¡¯s no need to waste my time. Just ignore him...¡¯ ¡°Heh, what you got a problem?¡± The kid looked James up and down derisively, deciding that he was an easy target to push around with James being a young half-Asian wearing a simple black t-shirt and jeans hanging somewhat loose on his slender, almost girlish figure. Looking like a geeky university student with his young looks, plain spectacles and an extremely pale complexion probably led the kid to decide he was just another student to push around despite being in his late twenties. ¡°Hey be careful man, he¡¯s an Asian. Maybe he is some martial arts master! Heh, computer kungfu maybe!¡± Another of the jocks spoke up, mocking James and inciting the others to join in laughing. ¡®Those damn kids. Too many witnesses to teach them a proper lesson¡­ But maybe¡­ Well it¡¯s my stop next anyway.¡¯ *DING* Pressing the alight button, James quietly shifted himself as though moving towards the exit and fleeing the students, allowing them to get in a last laugh as they jeered at him for running away. Waiting for the bus to come to a jerking stop, James ¡°stumbled¡± and fell hard onto the loudmouth jock who shoved him¡­ elbow first and with so much force the student went crashing back into his group. ¡°Ah sorry!¡± With a quick insincere apology, James darted off the bus and strolled home. ¡®Well, that should have bruised his kidney, kid will probably be pissing blood or vomiting later¡­ too bad I couldn¡¯t get the other guy. Ah well, looking at the way the kid fell into them, they¡¯ll probably all be somewhat bruised.¡¯ ¡®Time to get to work and gather concrete information about this game before the capsule arrives, considering the prize at stake, professional gamers will be gunning for it as well. I¡¯ll need a good plan to quickly advance in the game and secure a head-start.¡¯ Sitting down at his workstation with three different monitors lit up and displaying immense amount of information, James quickly worked his way through data from official releases, teaser videos, conference releases, play-testers¡¯ reviews and even papers written about the VR technology and company reports about Apex Corporation. ¡®Looks like the actual game details are sparse, from what I gathered all the usual MMORPG elements are used such as basic stats, races, classes, skills and levels. What is novel is the lack of a strict class system; any player can learn any skills without penalty but classes gives bonuses for class-related skills. Excellent, that means there are more likely to be exploitable cheese combinations! There isn¡¯t enough data on the skills itself so I¡¯ll have to wait till in-game to decide on my build but I did learn something very interesting about stats¡­¡¯ Looking at the research paper in front of him, James focused on the segment about real-life skills being ported over into VR simulations and the postulations about VR skills being able to be ported back into real-life which will be invaluable for military or even medical skills. This was followed up by related topic on in-game balance for VR games requiring real life skills to be re-practised in VR but inevitably a faster acquisition rate will be guaranteed. ¡®So I¡¯ll definitely have a head-start in close combat, but I can¡¯t rely on that especially in a fantasy setting, I¡¯ll get screwed by some mobs with physical resistance or immunity. Given the lack of skill restrictions, I should at least get some basics for different types of elemental and magical damage, sharp and blunt physical damage as well as different ranges of attack¡­ Can¡¯t forget healing and regen either. Too bad, I can¡¯t play my usual alpha strike glass canon build with the open-ness of the world not giving me enough info to min-max some cheese build. Oh well, I¡¯ll just go with acquiring passives from skills to start with, hopefully I find some good stackable multipliers¡­¡¯ --- Did some formatting edits as I realized all the spacings in my word doc disappeared when ported over. Thanks for the follows and comments! The next few chapters are already planned out and so hope you guys are looking forward to them :) Chapter 1: Game Start! ¡°The set-up is all done, mate. Hope you have a good time with Ascension, you must have some incredible luck to get on the early access list!¡± Waving good-bye as he left, the Apex employee left without much conversation as he realized James¡¯ mono-word replies and anxious eyes wandering towards the newly-installed capsule. ¡®Can¡¯t blame the dude, if not for the stupid company policy, I would love to get my hands on an early access set-up too¡­ Those managers are such bloody tossers.¡¯ Realizing the man was finally gone; James rushed over to insert himself into the capsule while making sure to follow all the safety precautions, having been reading the instructions manual for more information while the man was setting things up. ¡®Time to get things started, there¡¯s no time to waste!¡¯ Closing his eyes as he settled into the capsule and flicked the start button, he listened to the hissing of the hydraulics as the lid slowly shut over him and soft cushioning enveloped his body¡­ Blinking his eyes open at the harsh glare of white light against his eyelids, James marveled at the almost-instantaneous transition. ¡®Damn, that was smooth. Well this must be the character creation room¡­¡¯ ¡°Welcome to Ascension.¡± Startled by a feminine voice coming from behind him, James jumped backwards and settled into a fighting crouch facing the unexpected voice. ¡°Please be at ease, I¡¯m Sapphire. I am here to assist you through the character creation process.¡± Staring at the beautiful woman in front of him, James tilted his head questioningly pondering the woman¡¯s utter lack of reaction to his sudden movements before narrowing his eyes in realization. ¡°You¡­ you are an AI, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Indeed, I am here to assist you through the character creation process and answer your queries.¡± The revealed AI answered with a bright smile completely belying the fact she is a digital existence with the happy emotions shown through her voice and facial expression. ¡°Excellent. Shall we proceed then? I¡¯m assuming your first questions will be regarding my race selection since gender is precluded from change according to the manual.¡± ¡°Indeed, there are currently eight races and their corresponding sub-races unlocked for your selection. They are humans, elves, dwarves, beastmen, halflings, orcs, demons and undead.¡± ¡°You are supposed to answer my questions right? In that case, give me a quick breakdown of the statistical differences between the races and if there are any racial bonuses or skills.¡± ¡®Hopefully I can get some info and create some Pun-pun level cheese with the racials¡­¡¯ ¡°The exact differences and numerical data is classed as administrator privilege only, I am however able to tell you about them. Humans are faster learners with the ability to master any skill or class but have no other bonuses or penalties. Elves are inclined towards magic and archery but are known to be weaker in close combat, it is also said they have a closer connection to nature. Dwarves are well-known for their advanced crafting skills and fortitude, they are said to ¡­¡± Patiently waiting out the explanation which seemed to only cover what is traditionally associated with the fantasy races, James decided some further probing was necessary given that the AI obviously holds data but is locked from sharing it. ¡°¡­ so the undead are known to be susceptible to holy magic but excellent with dark magic.¡± *DING*
Codex: Basics of Major Races of ***** You have heard about the basics of all eight major races in *****, may this knowledge help you in future endeavours. (Click here to revisit the information) +2 to Intelligence +1 to Wisdom
¡®Holy crap, I get stat bonuses simply by learning stuff? I better milk the AI for all her knowledge, most other players won¡¯t bother with listening to these basics and won¡¯t realize the gold-mine of stat boosts they are missing out on¡­ Especially if I can winnow out hard-to-find information, since she is authorized to answer about the races¡­¡¯ ¡°Thank you very much Sapphire, it was very interesting to learn about the races, however could I trouble you for more details on each race? I would like to know more about where they dwell, what are their living habits, appearance, apparel, history, their king or queen or political system, what specialties they might have, their reproductive cycle, any cultural habits I should be aware of¡­¡± *50 minutes later* ¡°¡­ and so undead have hardly any culture to speak off, except revolving around some highly distinguished necromancers. They also hardly construct buildings but instead occupy ruined buildings or dungeons, with their major capital city being the Necropolis in Deadwind Duchy.¡± Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. As Sapphire finally wound down her long lecture which was interspersed with additional probing questions, James was thankfully for the fact that there was a record function in the codex as he definitely isn¡¯t going to remember every single detail¡­ maybe 70% if he was lucky. *DING*
Codex: Major Races of ***** (Complete) You have heard all about the eight major races in *****, from their geographical location to political system to their culture and even their eating habits. Knowing the major races as much as a seasoned traveler to all their lands, this should let you fit in almost anywhere you go¡­ maybe. (Click here to revisit the information) +20 to Intelligence +10 to Wisdom
¡®Finally... That was boring as hell but well worth it! According to the level up details from play-testers, each level is 5 stat points, meaning I¡¯m 6 levels ahead before my character is even created¡­ Better get moving though, I wasted nearly an hour here already.¡¯ ¡°I would like to choose human please, and keep my appearance as it is.¡± Speaking out his decision, which he already made even before he entered the game due to the research he read about VR simulations mimicking the user¡¯s body being the most effective due to minimal cognitive dissonance allowing for them to skip the process of getting used to the body, different reach and so on. Nodding as she chirped a happy reply, ¡°Of course, and your name?¡± ¡°Feng.¡± (Wind in chinese) ¡°Understood. Where would you like to be placed?¡± ¡®Great, geographical location, that means I can grind some more answers and stat bonuses out of her!¡¯ An evil grin spread over James'' face as he rubbed his hands in anticipation. ¡°First of all, could you tell me more about the world and the different areas?¡± ¡°Well this world is called Athal and it is divided into four major continents and some minor ones. The continent where all new human players are starting on will be Frasilia and is largely dominated by ¨C Error. Administrator Override.¡± Surprised by the sudden announcement, James grimaced as he anticipated some bad news or even nerfing for exploiting the AI. ¡°You magnificent bugger, I was wondering what took a player so long in character creation. If not for the fact there are only five thousand early access users and you are amongst the first five hundred in the system, I would totally have missed out you exploiting the AI.¡± An amused female voice sounded out from above, clearly an administrator of the system. James tensed and decided to try his luck at reducing any negative backlash. ¡°Well, there wasn¡¯t anything mentioned in the rules about this. I¡¯m not hacking or anything so I assumed it is fine.¡± ¡°Hahahaha! Well you are right, there isn¡¯t anything against the rules. In fact, if anything we encourage you players to explore as much of the system as you can, after all that¡¯s the only way we can fix things up better. So you know what for your clever decision-making, I¡¯ll give you the BASIC geographical knowledge for free but all further questioning will be locked¡­ And we¡¯ll be keeping an eye on you. So keep amusing us!¡± *DING*
Codex: Athal¡¯s Geography (Basic) You have learnt about the basics of Athal¡¯s Geography, the Major Races Codex has been updated with the knowledge. (Click here to revisit the information) +2 to Intelligence +1 to Wisdom
¡°Also, to keep you from unbalancing things too much¡­ Bye!¡± The female administrator''s voice rang out with obvious amusement startling James with the abruptness... As Sapphire¡¯s frozen countenance suddenly came to life again as she spoke and waved cheerfully. ¡°Administrator override noted. Random location has been chosen for Feng. We hope you enjoy yourself in Ascension!¡± ¡®Wait, what? NO! My plans!¡¯ ¡°You can¡¯t do th-¡° A swirling portal appeared beneath James or rather Feng¡¯s feet and rapidly sucked him in as he protested the unfair call of the administrator¡­ Completely missing the one last notification which popped up as he fell through. *DING*
Due to your clever decisions and a series of (un)fortunate of events, you have earned the attention of the Administrators. Please continue to amuse them! +1 Wisdom +3 Luck
Chapter 2: Plans Gone Awry AN: Thanks for your support guys! Here''s a quick chapter, enjoy! --- ¡°-is to me!¡± Landing with a muffled thump on his arse, Feng growled as he realized that the Administrator has likely stopped paying attention to him¡­ or worse is being amused by his futile objections. ¡°Sigh¡­ Women.¡± ¡°Ohohoho, having troubles with ladies traveller? A strapping young man like you should hardly have such problems at this age!¡± An old man sitting on a bench next to his landing spot laughed and spoke amusedly. ¡°Feh, can¡¯t live without them but they should bring a lot of headaches¡­ Anyway, I am Feng, respected elder. Why do you call me a traveller?¡± Responding politely to the old man, Feng decided to plumb the NPC for more information and given the intelligence of AIs involved, he decided that being polite will likely earn him more points and answers¡­ Plus he has always been brought up to respect his elders anyway. ¡°Ohoho, the Gods has ordained that travellers like you will be appearing soon and there has been dozens before you dropping off in this exact spot. I have been amusing myself watching all the clueless travellers bumbling around and trying to rush off shouting about finding ¡®monsters to kill¡¯ or ¡®quests¡¯.¡± Cursing in his mind about the appearance of dozens of players in this area already, Feng quickly processed the rest of the old man¡¯s words and formulated a reply. ¡°I see¡­ Well in that case, could I trouble you respected elder for some advice to prevent myself from ¡®bumbling around¡¯ as you said about the others?¡± ¡°Hohoho¡­ I see you are a smarter breed than the rest, well then I guess it does me no harm to give you some directions. I suggest you head down to the adventurers¡¯ guild following the west street and the basic training centre attached to it if you wish to venture forth into the unknown like most of the other travellers. Or if you are inclined towards more mystical arts, perhaps you should check out the library on the north street. While I doubt you¡¯ll be interested, go down south to find the crafters¡¯ lane and learn some crafts or even trade skills at the merchant guild.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ Thank you for your wisdom, elder. Could I be so bold as to trouble you and inquire if one wishes to learn the more¡­ shadowy arts, where could one find an instructor?¡± ¡°Hooh¡­ Such things should hardly be bandied about in broad daylight and an upstanding citizen like me would hardly be aware of what you are referring to but¡­ perhaps you could check out the tavern down to the east near to where the slums are for more clues. Be on your way now young man, come back to visit me when you have trained yourself some and perhaps we can chat once more.¡± Winking at Feng, the old man got up sprightly and vanished into the crowd within a few quick steps. *Ding*
New Quest Gained: A Mysterious Old Man¡¯s Advice ¨C First Steps You caught the attention of a mysterious old man and received some directions for your first steps in the world of Athal. Objectives: 1) Visit the Adventurers¡¯ Guild & Training Centre OR Visit the Mages¡¯ Guild OR Visit the Crafters¡¯ Lane OR Visit the Merchants¡¯ Guild OR Visit the Slums¡¯ Tavern *Hidden Objective* 2) Learn Basic Skills 3) Find the mysterious old man again. Sub-objectives: Hidden Rewards: Hidden
¡®Well¡­ that was helpful and odd. Looks like there¡¯s more to that old man, especially with the speed he vanished. Damn and I didn¡¯t get his name, how am I supposed to find him again? Ah well, better get started on training¡­ judging by the codex stat gains, going to these places to train should net me some stat gains anyway.¡¯ This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. Feng decided to hurry and take advantage of the time when most of the other players are possibly still milling around lost and started an easy jog westwards towards the adventurers¡¯ guild. Barely thirty seconds in, he was distracted by a notification in face and loud *DING* causing him to stumble and fall onto the street.
New Skill Obtained: Running Congratulations, you have gained an essential locomotion skill. Tired of the snail pace you are moving at? Simply pick up your feet and run! Be warned running drains your stamina but like in real life the more you run, the more you are able to endure! (Passive) +1% increase to running speed +1 Endurance
Reading the notification in front of his face as he sprawled awkwardly on the ground, Feng swore under his breath. ¡°Damn you Admin, you probably set the damn notifs to go off at the worst possible moments on purpose.¡± *DING*
New Skill Obtained: Balance Congratulations, you have gained an essential life skill. Slipping and tripping all over the place, you clumsy clown? Fret not! We have generously implemented the balance skill to stop you from sprawling your arse on the floor every few steps! Admin Message: Nope, that was just your own misfortune, you could have changed the game settings¡­ But this? This is us laughing our collective behinds off at you :D We even customized the skill description for you! ^^ (Passive) +1% chance to avoid losing your balance +1 Dexterity
¡®Grrr, that #$@%ing troll!¡¯ Scowling at the message, Feng swiped the notifications away and quickly checked the game settings to change the notifications to only alert instead of a pop-up. Deciding that it was best not to allow the admin to get any more amusement out of this matter, he quickly got up and continued jogging towards his target. Upon reaching the guild which was obvious from the large polished stone exterior two full floors higher than its surrounding buildings and hanging sign with a sword and the words ¡°Adventurers¡¯ Guild¡± scrawled over it, Feng walked towards the door and pushed it carefully with a finger¡­ only for it to not budge at all. ¡®Dang, I forgot that this body is completely untrained.¡¯ Pressing his whole hand against the door, he tried to push it open again only to hear a slight creak¡­ and absolutely no movement. Growling, Feng put all his weight against the solid oaken door and shoved with all his might¡­ only for it to inch open a crack. ¡®What the hell¡­ Screw this, if I don¡¯t have enough strength in this body¡­ I¡¯ll substitute technique. No damn door is going to stop me.¡¯ Crouching lower into the ground, Feng grounded his feet and pressed a single palm against the door and in one fluid motion¡­ took a step and twisted sharply in a single corkscrew movement rising up from his feet to waist and finally channeling the force with a quickrotation of his wrist into the door. *CREAKKK* The door groaned and moved barely a quarter open but sufficient for him to slip through. ¡°Well. Well. Not a bad showing for a young traveller. That door should require at least twice as much as strength as you have in your body to open¡­¡± Jumping in shock, Feng spun around only to come face to belly of a figure towering over him¡­ *DING* Chapter 3: Basic Training? Ignoring the alert, Feng tilted his head upwards to see a smirk adorning the big green guy¡¯s face. Standing at nearly three meters compared to Feng¡¯s own average height of 1.7 meters, the man loomed over him and the amazing amounts of muscles on his figure further added to his intimidating look. ¡®He must weigh at least thrice my weight and all of it being pure muscle¡­ He must be some instructor or high-up in this guild¡­ Better be polite.¡¯ ¡°Ah. Greetings, mighty sir. This insignificant one is glad to have provided you with some amusement great sir. I am Feng, a traveler seeking to improve himself and was recommended to seek the Adventurers¡¯ Guild for the best training. I will be extremely thankful if you would advise me where do I sign up for training?¡± Bowing deeply to waist height, Feng respectfully greeted the large man and waited for his response only to be shocked by the growl emitting from him. ¡°Pah and I thought it would be someone worthwhile teaching, looks like it was just a fluke. Come back when you grow a spine, little one or just go join the merchant guild if all you have is fancy words.¡± Snapping upwards from his bowing position, Feng glared at the large man. ¡°I was merely being polite to a senior who is clearly more accomplished than me. That does not mean I will allow you to dishonor my training or my master¡¯s teachings. Take those words back.¡± The large man raised an eyebrow and spoke intrigued by Feng¡¯s sudden impassioned words. ¡°Ooh? Looks like that little one has some fighting spirit after all¡­ But what can you do with that tiny bit of strength? Come then, prove me wrong. I¡¯ll let you hit me. As long as you damage this thick hide of mine, I¡¯ll apologize and teach you some tricks.¡± ¡°Very well. I accept your challenge.¡± Feng snapped out an acceptance and took up a fighting stance, shuffling his feet into a familiar position with all the weight of his body firmly planted on his back leg and raising his hand in front of him. Narrowing his eyes as he focused on the large man¡¯s body, Feng took a quick step forward and smoothly lifted his front leg and snapped it out into the side of the man¡¯s knee, causing it to fold just enough to bring his solar plexus into range of Feng¡¯s fists as he rained a continuous chain of blows into that single spot. ¡°Oof. Oof.¡± Feeling his breath running out due to the untrained condition of his body and the big man hardly seeming to feel his blows, Feng quickly ended his combination with a quick step forward stomping the man¡¯s instep while flowing his arms into a sharp downwards elbow strike into the solar plexus he was hammering on. ¡°Ooof.¡± Feeling that all he did was merely driving a tiny amount of air out of the man¡¯s lungs, Feng decided that desperate times calls for desperate measures and settled on a single decisive blow to end this confrontation which barely lasted ten seconds¡­ ¡®Damn this useless body¡¯ Gathering his weight and twisting his body which was still facing downwards from the elbow strike, he rotated upwards and brought his knee crashing into the only vulnerable spot within reach¡­ *DING: CRITICAL HIT!* ¡°UGH.¡± Settling back into a neutral ready stance, Feng cheekily mocked the large man who went momentarily cross-eyed. ¡°I do believe that blow seems to have gotten through your thick hide?¡± Recovering from the surprise knee to his groin, the large man glowered at Feng and muttered a low reply. ¡°¡­ That¡¯s just not right man. You don¡¯t go for groin strikes in brawls. That¡¯s just against the bro code. But yes, I must admit you have good technique and you did win that little challenge although you cheated with that last strike of yours¡­ Anyway, follow me, you qualify for training. Oh and I¡¯m Roth, just Roth, we trolls don¡¯t really give a Tergun poop about titles and all.¡± ¡°Sure thing, Roth. It is a pain to keep up that nonsense anyway, so we are using this training hall?¡± Feng cheerfully followed Roth through the side-door and entered into a large training hall filled with straw dummies and racks of wooden weapons stacked against the walls, noticing a few people are diligently chopping away at the dummies with their wooden swords. ¡°Nope. You passed the Adventurers¡¯ Basic Test, that means you qualify for our guild¡¯s private training, come with me to the back.¡± ¡°Wait what? Then how about the rest of the travelers here? You mean they failed the test?¡± ¡°Nope. Didn¡¯t you read the notice pasted outside the guild? It said all new travelers can go around the back to enter the training hall directly for BASIC training and only those who are testing for the Adventurers¡¯ Guild should enter through the front door.¡± ¡°¡­ Uh. No. I didn¡¯t see the notice.¡± Crossing into the backroom as Feng muttered a sullen reply upon his realization that his over-focus and stubbornness have caused him to not check around properly¡­ Roth shut the door behind Feng as he guffawed and said jovially. ¡°Hahahaha! Seems like you are a good fit in this guild after all; charging in head-first without thinking too much is a mark of a young adventurer¡­ Not an old one though, you might want to keep that in mind. Anyway, here we are in the private training hall.¡± Looking around him, Feng realized that the hall was a significant upgrade over the one outside despite being only being two-thirds of the other¡¯s size. With racks of blunted bronze weapons containing a much wider variety, sturdier looking dummies as well as targets around the walls for ranged weaponry and even a long hanging bag that is for unarmed training, this is definitely a much better training area¡­ Plus the privacy will ensure his planned training methods will not be copied. ¡°Well, go ahead and pick a weapon and start training! I¡¯ll give you some advice and teach you something good when I think you are good enough.¡± ¡°Can I choose more than one weapon to train with?¡± ¡°Ha, surprising lad aren''t you? Go ahead, be warned that I won¡¯t go easy on you and expect all your chosen weapons to be up to a certain standard before I will teach you anything at all. So what are you intending to choose anyway?¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine, Roth. I¡¯m going with unarmed, sword and dagger.¡± ¡°Interesting choices, I can¡¯t wait to see what you¡¯ll surprise me with next¡­ well get to work then!¡± *DING* Nodding at Roth, Feng decided to first open his notifications to check out the likely quest he has received and older alerts before starting on his training.
Test Completed: Opening The Doors You have opened the Adventurers¡¯ Guild Door¡­ even though you clearly lacked the strength to do so. Weakling. +3 Strength +1 Constitution
Test Completed: Test of Strength You have passed Roth¡¯s test, which required you to simply do your best and put all your strength into your blows. Instead you decided to cheat and executed an admittedly excellent series of unarmed techniques culminating in a low blow¡­ Congratulations for substituting technique for brute strength¡­ perhaps that¡¯s how you compensate for lacking size in the bedroom as well? +2 Strength +3 Dexterity +2 Agility +1 Endurance +3 Wisdom
New Skill Obtained: Unarmed Mastery Congratulations, you have learnt to fight with your body. The true sign of a knucklehead, after all who else will be dumb enough to use fists against blades, fireballs, monster claws and other assorted weapons in the world. (Passive) +10% Unarmed Damage +5% Recoil Damage Reduction +1 Strength +1 Constitution +1 Dexterity +1 Agility +1 Endurance
Quest completed: Entry Trial [Adventurers¡¯ Guild] Congratulations, you have somehow passed a test you had no clue about, did not intend to do or even needed to do, simply because you didn¡¯t read a notice¡­ a REALLY BIG notice written in big bold letters. We aren¡¯t sure if you are really dumb or very special¡­ Congratulations anyway, try not to become even more special by hitting your head too many times during your training. PS. In case you didn¡¯t realize, this message was lovingly customized for you! Toodles! Objectives Completed: 1) Enter the Adventurers¡¯ Guild 2) Pass Roth¡¯s Test Bonus Objective Cleared: Impress Roth [+10 Relationship with Roth] Rewards: Access to the Adventurers¡¯ Guild Basic Training (Private)
Quest triggered: Combat Training for Dummies¡­ Advanced [Adventurers¡¯ Guild] Trying to not suck at one weapon not good enough for you? You have now taken on a harder quest to be less of a noob at multiple weapons¡­ Good luck! Objective: Learn [Sword Mastery], [Dagger Mastery], [Unarmed Mastery] Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.Bonus Objective: Impress the instructor by gaining more skills. Rewards: Learn [Skills] from Instructor depending on your success Failure: No Rewards (Even in case of partial completion)
¡®Grr... Those damn admins! Che, but those stats should help me accelerate my training a little and I can¡¯t wait for this body to get up to at least my real body¡¯s standards. Anyway let¡¯s start off simple.¡¯ Grabbing a sword and dagger from the racks, Feng equipped the sword in his right and the dagger in left before turning towards the nearest dummy and commenced swinging away at it. Not putting any strength into his blows, he simply focused on sharp and crisp movements to familiarize himself with the weapons in his arms and setting up a rhythm that he could flow from slashing with the longer sword to stabbing with the shorter dagger. *DING* After hitting the dummy with both weapons ten times in less than half a minute, Feng checked the alert which popped up.
Congratulations! Your training has earned you: +2 Dexterity +1 Agility
New Skill Obtained: Sword Mastery Congratulations, you have learnt to fight with a sword. It is long enough to keep you from dying too easily when trying to kill something unless you are up against a bow or magic¡­ On the bright side, it is also a phallic symbol; hopefully it will help you get some action. One can always hope¡­ Doesn¡¯t mean it will come true though. (Passive) +6% Sword Damage +1 Strength +1 Dexterity +1 Agility
New Skill Obtained: Dagger Mastery Congratulations, you have learnt to fight with a dagger. Short but deadly, it is like a cute miniature version of the sword. Can also be used to poke people more stealthily¡­ is that the only way you can get some? (Passive) +8% Dagger Damage +1 Dexterity +2 Agility
New Skill Obtained: Dual-wielding Mastery Congratulations, you have learnt how to flail around with two weapons. Try not to accidentally kill yourself. (Passive) +10% Accuracy with off-hand weapons +1% Chance to block with off-hand weapons +3 Dexterity
¡®... No, I must focus¡­ no strength increases from the training, probably due to the fact I¡¯m not using much strength but focusing on speed and technique. I¡¯ll have to work on that later but time to test out my theory¡¯ Whacking the dummies a few more times with both weapons again before checking his skills list, Feng broke out into a victorious smirk. ¡®I was right, how fast you gain skill EXP is a factor of number of blows and likely how good the technique is¡­ In other words, focusing on speed to increase the number of blows will maximize skill gains efficiency but this is still too slow¡­ I should train my unarmed combat as well...¡¯ Feng immediately shifted his weight fully backwards to settle into a familiar stance before continuing his striking of the dummy only¡­ with the addition of his feet lashing out in a straight thrusting kick into the dummy alternating randomly but yet synchronizing perfectly with his blades. ¡®Hmm.. my mouth is free, too bad I don¡¯t know any magic chants and such¡­ Unless.. Santor*u from that pirate anime? I could wield a sword in my mouth but¡­ that will look retarded and restrict my spell-casting in the future¡­ oh well this will have to do for now¡¯ *10 minutes later*
Congratulations! Your training has earned you: +5 Dexterity +5 Agility +2 Endurance Sword & Dagger Mastery have leveled up to Novice 5 Unarmed Combat Mastery has leveled up to Novice 4 Dual Wielding has leveled up to Novice 2
¡°Huff... Huff...¡± Feng panted as sweated dripped off his entire body and his muscles quivered with the effort to even hold up the copper weapons. Leaning at the side of the hall, Roth shook his head in disbelief at the sight of Feng''s method of training. ¡®Looks like this body is still unable to keep up with this pace. Better take a quick break, hmm I wonder if breathing methods will work equally well here¡­¡¯ Settling into a full lotus sitting position, Feng let out a long breath and became still as a statue with only the slightest movements of his abdomen showing that he was still breathing. After a minute, he uncurled himself and stood up while maintaining his meditative state. With his eyes closed, Feng suddenly exploded into a flurry of punches, palm-strikes and kicks at the dummy, constantly moving around with all his blows precisely targeting vulnerable spots. After nearly a minute of frantic blows, he planted his feet firmly and launched an unceasing chain of fists at the dummy¡¯s head for a full ten seconds and advanced with his entire body weight behind the last blow causing the straw head to fly off cleanly, unable to withstand the abuse. *DING* *pant pant* Dropping to the ground after his intense session with the dummy, Feng sprawled ungainly on the floor to regain his breath. ¡®Da-damn this useless body. Need time to recover some stamina before I can train again, might as well take this time to check my gains.¡¯ Groaning as he moved his aching hand to pull up the notifications, Feng completely missed the thunderstruck look on Roth¡¯s face.
Congratulations! Your training has earned you: +3 Strength +5 Endurance +3 Dexterity +5 Agility Unarmed Combat Mastery has leveled up to Novice 6
New Skill Obtained: Meditation Congratulations, you learnt how to sit down and stone. You sure you aren¡¯t on any drugs dude? (Sustained) +10% Recovery rate when meditating +1% Effectiveness for any focus-related skills
New Skill Obtained: Breathing Technique Congratulations, you can breathe! Not sure how you survived so long without knowing how to before¡­ but have a nifty skill for learning how to breathe properly like cool monks. (Sustained) +1% Recovery rate while maintaining technique +5% Bonus Unarmed Damage +5% Recoil Damage Reduction -10% Stamina usage while maintaining technique Duration: 10 seconds 10 Stamina Drain/s after 10 seconds
New Skill Obtained: Chain Punching So you think you know Chinese Kung Fu? ¡­ Well you clearly actually do. So, have a free skill you unrepentant balance breaker¡­ Go ahead and knock the stuffing out of all your foes¡­ your straw dummies foes, we¡¯ll see how well your knuckles will fare against weapons. (Active) +10% Attack Speed +5% Unarmed Damage +5% Critical Hit Rate +5% Critical Damage 10 Stamina Drain/s
For demonstration of advanced understanding, skills have been automatically ranked up: Meditation & Breathing Technique have leveled up to Novice 3 Chain Punching has leveled up to Novice 5 For learning an advanced Monk class skill, you have been awarded: +5 Strength +5 Agility +5 Constitution +5 Endurance +5 Luck
¡®YES! Score! Martial art techniques DO carry over. The extra bonus is just icing on the cake¡­ I wonder what other techniques I might be able to recreate for an extra boost. Hmm¡­¡¯ Sitting down to meditate and regain his breath again, Feng continued the cycle several more times alternating between weapons and unarmed combat before finally coming to a rest after a full three hours of training. *DING*
Congratulations! Your training has earned you: +5 Strength +10 Endurance +6 Constitution +8 Dexterity +3 Agility Unarmed Combat Mastery has leveled up to Basic 4 Sword & Dagger Mastery have leveled up to Basic 3 Chain Punching has leveled up to Basic 2 Dual Wielding has leveled up to Basic 1 Meditation has leveled up to Novice 8 Breathing Technique has leveled up to Novice 7
Chapter 4: More Training? Author¡¯s Message: For any readers who are confused by the extremely fast stat growth, don¡¯t worry this won¡¯t be a case of an extremely OP Gary Stu character. Stat gains will gradually decrease following the law of diminishing returns and there are some other factors involved which will be revealed later in the story (and has been foreshadowed already). Also, I would greatly appreciate any feedback! Thank you everyone for your comments and support, it really helps motivate me to write more ? Special thanks goes to Donthebest22 for feeding the troll in me, more cliff-hangers will be coming your way! --- While congratulating himself on the gains from the training, Feng suddenly fell over on to the floor clutching his stomach in pain. ¡°Aahhh¡­ it hurts¡­¡± Roth who was sitting quietly at the side watching Feng¡¯s progress simply couldn¡¯t help but roar with laughter. ¡°HA HA HA! Feng. Only you lad can impress me with your training one moment and cause me to laugh at your idiocy the next. You spent the last four hours concentrating so deeply and clearly pushing your untrained body to its limits what did you expect coming from not eating or drinking at all to replenish your body¡¯s reserves!¡± Strolling over to a somewhat concealed barrel at the corner, Roth fished something out and tossed it at Feng. *Bonk* ¡°OW! Ma nowse!¡± Feng rolled around comically, grabbing his nose in pain, surprised by the sudden assault in his weakened state. ¡°Eat that bread lad. It¡¯ll get you perked up, we keep a supply here for fools like you.¡± Devouring the bread as though it was manna from heaven, Feng sighed as he felt his protesting stomach and body relax and even start to properly recover from the stress he forced his body to endure. ¡°Well lad, you definitely exceeded my expectations. So tell me when you are ready and I¡¯ll get started on teaching you some nifty tricks.¡± Roth chuckled at the satisfied face Feng had from eating the cheap hard-bread and offered to continue Feng¡¯s training. ¡°Actually Roth, could you wait for a bit more? I still have some skills I would like to try training.¡± ¡°Oh? Go ahead lad; I¡¯m learning quite a bit from your interesting training methods too. Plus I got Brock to cover the testing and training of other young ones anyway.¡± Roth moved to a corner and sat down again to begin his observation of Feng¡¯s training as Feng shook out his shoulders and raised himself from his resting position. ¡®Alright then... time to work on some ranged skills.¡¯ Moving over to the rack full of daggers, Feng took a bunch and stuffed into in random slots in his clothes for easy drawing. ¡®Damn it, I forgot something, it¡¯ll be easier to grab more and keep them in my inventory then running back and forth. Open Inventory¡¯ A blue box filled with nine slots appeared in the corner of his eyes and Feng sighed¡­ ¡®Only nine slots, I¡¯m guessing we¡¯ll need some bags or magic equipment to expand the inventory slots¡­ Well better than nothing. Here we go.¡¯ Grabbing a couple of the copper daggers and dumping into his inventory, Feng found out that they stacked as sets of five and he currently has nine slots in his inventory¡­ so he maximized the number of daggers with forty-five stowed in his inventory and another six stashed in his clothing and holding two in his hands. Moving over to the target range, Feng let loose with a barrage of daggers thrown with fast and fluid motions, quickly drawing the stashed daggers and tossing them too. Roth watched him with an expectant look¡­ only to sweat-drop as only two out of the eight daggers thrown in swift succession hit the target at a ten meter range. ¡®Wow. This sure is a lot harder than it looks in films given what I experienced with skill EXP gain with melee skills, it shouldn¡¯t matter much.¡¯ Drawing out another set of blades from his inventory as he prepared to stash his clothing with daggers before throwing again, Feng suddenly face-palmed in realization¡­ ¡®There is nearly no lag time to draw items from my inventory, meaning¡­ I CAN JUST THROW THEM STRAIGHT FROM MY INVENTORY! WHOOHOO! Time to fake an Unlimited Blade Wor**¡¯ Throwing his blades as quickly as they materialize; the target or more accurately the area around the target was soon littered with copper daggers¡­ *DING* Ignoring the notification he expects to be Throwing Weapons Mastery, Feng headed down the target range to retrieve all the daggers before repeating his insane practice method as Roth was once again left gaping at this ridiculous practice. ¡®Hmm¡­ But only training my throwing skill is extremely inefficient, since my accuracy has improved with the skill, I should train movement skills and throwing while moving.¡¯ Beginning with simple sprints up and down the unoccupied target range while hurling his daggers at the various targets, Feng soon progressed to jumping around, diving and rolling to scoop up daggers with even some somersaults tossed into the mix as he trained ignoring all the alerts intent on his task at hand. Staring open-mouthed at Feng¡¯s action, Roth shook his head as he thought. ¡®Monster. The lad is a monster in training, we¡¯ll definitely hear about his exploits in the future¡­ Hey, since I¡¯m his first teacher here, I¡¯ll probably gain lots of fame¡­ Maybe I should teach him something special.¡± Finally winding to a stop due to his loss in stamina, Feng took a seat to regain stamina and idly threw daggers, which apparently hardly cost any stamina as compared to resting recovery rate, and thought of his next steps. He has already spent approximately five plus hours in-game training up his fighting skills and stats which equates to roughly two and a half hour in real life given the 2x time compression rate. While he could simply continue at it, he realized there was an exponential drop in training speed after the skills evolved to Basic Tier and with each level it was more evident. Checking the progress of his throwing mastery, Feng found an anomaly and cackled evilly as he read the skills he had picked up unknowingly due to him ignoring the alerts.
New Skill Obtained: Throwing Mastery Congratulations! You have learnt how to toss stuff around. Keep at it and you might even hit something one day. Preferably before that something hits you. (Passive) +10% Throwing Accuracy +5% Throwing Damage +3 Dexterity
New Skill Obtained: Quick Draw Congratulations! You have learnt how to quickly whip out your stuff, let¡¯s hope you aren¡¯t equally as quick a shot in the bedroom¡­ Sub-skill: You discovered your inventory can act as a container from which you draw weapons from. (Passive) +10% Draw Speed +2 Dexterity
New Skill Obtained: Acrobatics Congratulations! You have learnt how to jump around, roll and in general act like a monkey. (Passive) +10% Success rate with acrobatic movements +5% Reduction in fall damage +2 Agility
New Skill Obtained: Evade Congratulations! By jumping around a lot, you have learnt the invaluable skills of getting out of the way of dangerous things. Hopefully this will prolong your life. If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. PS. The betting pool disagrees with the hope, the odds we are currently running on you surviving past the first three days is approximate ten to one odds AGAINST your favor. Have a nice day! (Passive) +1% Dodge Rate +2 Agility
Congratulations! Your training has earned you: +6 Dexterity +8 Agility Throwing Mastery have leveled up to Basic 1 Quick Draw has leveled up to Novice 7 Running has leveled up to Novice 5 Balance has leveled up to Novice 4 Acrobatics has leveled up to Novice 3 Evade has leveled up to Novice 2
¡®Hmm¡­ this should be enough for now; my gains are clearly slowing down anyway. It seems that the higher the stats are, the harder it is to gain them from training. Makes sense to prevent everyone from spamming training and becoming insanely overpowered compared to their levels¡­ Well¡­ Unless they learn to game the system that is.. Heh.¡¯ Smirking evilly as he thought of all the game-breaking possibilities, Feng snapped out of it when he noticed Roth looking at him oddly and backing away slightly. ¡°Hey Roth, I think I¡¯m done for today. Think you can teach me some of those tricks you promised?¡± ¡°Right¡­ well first of all, my evaluation of your training is that you are clearly¡­ insane and that¡¯s considering the idiots that pass through our doors regularly. Your little training stunt here probably ranks amongst the top ten dumbest thing I seen so far in this guild¡­ But the results clearly speak for themselves and you exceeded my expectations so¡­¡± Roth paused dramatically and looked at Feng, expecting him to be hanging on his every word only to see Feng calmly picking his nose and flicking something green on the floor. ¡®Aaahh¡­ that felt good. Darn thing been blocking my breathing for the last hour now. Wait I thought Roth was busy with his grand speech¡­ Damn it I think he saw me¡­ Can¡¯t be helped, I¡¯ll just act innocent.¡¯ Wiping his hand on the nearby straw dummy casually, Feng looked at Roth with big glowing eyes and replied with great enthusiasm... which was clearly faked. ¡°Yes? You have some special training for me?¡± His eyes twitching at the sight of Feng¡¯s nonchalance, Roth smiled viciously and replied with great joy in his voice. ¡°Why yes indeed. I have some very special training catered JUST for students like you. Here take this cloth and put it over your eyes. The first skill is a special sensory skill¡­ Hmm but since you like to combine trainings and make things more efficient, I suppose I can teach you the other two skills at the same time¡­¡± Genuinely excited this time, Feng grabbed the cloth and wrapped it around his eyes hurriedly, anticipating a great training session ahead¡­ and completely missed out on the dangerous under-tones in Roth¡¯s voice. ¡°Indeed, the very first skill is to sense hostile intent¡­ the second is to learn to anticipate and evade based on that sensing¡­ As for the last skill...¡± ¡°OOMMPPHH!!¡± Doubled over in pain having been hit straight in the stomach, Feng took a moment to recover before shouting out. ¡°Hey what¡¯s the big id- OWWW!¡° Roth grinned happily as he wields a padded staff with great proficiency swinging and jabbing at Feng. ¡°Well. This is a special tor- I mean training session to toughen you up, since you are used to hitting the dummies now. You got to learn how to respond to hostile attacks and even take some blows. I¡¯m just helping you out now! So hang in there and better get started on learning to dodge!¡± ¡°AUUGGHHH! THIS IS JUST OUCH! PLAIN ABU- OWWW! -USSSEEE!¡± *DING* As if to mock him, the absurdly happy-sounding ding sounded terribly like laughter¡­ *1 Hour of Whack-The-Feng Later* ¡°Haha you did well kid, you managed to learn all three skills in record time! Too bad it was over so soon, it was fun screwing with you¡­ training you.¡± Desperately wolfing down the hard-breads to regenerate his lost health and stamina, Feng took the time to screech an angry retort before returning to his life-saving breads. ¡°I NEARLY DIED ROTH!¡± ¡°Oh come on, it wasn¡¯t that bad. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll have been fine. Anyway kid, come find me back at the main building when you are done resting. I got something for you for doing so well.¡± After Roth left, Feng finally got some peace to check his notification and literally hard-earned skills¡­
New Skill Obtained: Sense Hostile Intent Congratulations! Through Roth¡¯s special training, you have learnt how to detect when people want to hit you. (Passive Sensory Skill) +5% Detection Chance of Hostile Intent +3 Wisdom
New Skill Obtained: Combat Instinct Congratulations! Through Roth¡¯s special training, you have developed an instinct to predict enemies¡¯ attacks based on sixth sense. (Passive) +10% Dodge Rate +10% Block Rate +3 Agility
New Skill Obtained: Toughness Congratulations! Through Roth¡¯s special training, you have learnt how to take a blow, you masochist. (Passive) +1% Physical Damage Reduction +3 Constitution
Congratulations! Your training has earned you: +9 Constitution +3 Agility +3 Endurance Sense Hostile Intent has leveled up to Novice 5 Evade has leveled up to Novice 4 Toughness has leveled up to Novice 3 Combat Instinct has leveled up to Novice 2
Quest completed: Combat Training for Dummies¡­ Advanced [Adventurers¡¯ Guild] Trying to not suck at one weapon not good enough for you? You have now taken on a harder quest to be less of a noob at multiple weapons¡­ Good luck! Objective Cleared: Learn [Sword Mastery], [Dagger Mastery] & [Unarmed Mastery] Bonus Objective Cleared: Impress the instructor by gaining more skills. (+10 Relationship) Rewards: Roth¡¯s Special Training
Training Completed: Roth¡¯s Special Training [Adventurers¡¯ Guild] Congratulations, you have managed to enroll yourself into Roth¡¯s *EXTRA* Special Training and survived the torture disguised as training. Requirements: 1) Complete Quest: Combat Training for Dummies¡­ Advanced [Adventurers¡¯ Guild] 2) Gain Roth¡¯s Respect (More than 10 Relationship) 3) *Optional* Annoy Roth (Unlocked *EXTRA* Special Training) Objective Cleared: Survive and Learn [Sense Hostile Intent], [Combat Instinct] & [Toughness] Rewards: Follow Roth to find out more
Chapter 5: First Rewards Taking a good look around him as he previously left the main building shortly after confronting Roth, Feng noticed the rather bleak layout of the Adventurers¡¯ Guild. While there were some decorative weapons adorning the stone walls and a few tables and benches scattered around the area, the only note-worthy feature was a heavy stone counter where Roth was seated. There were a set of stairs and large doors directly behind Roth, which Feng guessed probably led to more private and important rooms. ¡°Well, if you are done gawking lad. Come over here and try these out.¡± Roth¡¯s words snapped Feng out of his thoughts and he looked over to see Roth retrieving a set of bronze weaponry from beneath the counter and dumping it on top. ¡°Woah! You are giving these to me?¡± Feng ran over in a blink of the eye and was inspecting the set of bronze sword and daggers with great loving care. ¡°Er.. Yes but stop that now lad. It looks really wrong.¡± Roth spoke sharply as he stared at Feng rubbing his cheeks tenderly against the blades with an ecstatic face. ¡°Anyway, here are some leather gloves for you too, since you like to fight with your fists.¡± Greedily inspecting his spoils, Feng¡¯s face lit up like a kid who just received his Christmas presents¡­ A very disturbing-looking kid who was laughing evilly and muttering sinisterly to himself.
Hardy Bronze Training Sword Type: Sword Damage: 10 - 12 Durability: 50 Requirements: 10 Strength 10 Dexterity Description: A basic bronze training sword made to last, it is more durable in return for lowered damage, comes with a belt sheath for convenience.
Hardy Bronze Training Daggers (x5) Type: Dagger Damage: 6 - 12 Durability: 40 Requirements: 15 Dexterity Description: A basic bronze training dagger made to last, it is more durable in return for lowered damage.
Fingerless Leather Training Gloves Type: Gloves Unarmed Damage: + 1 - 2 Unarmed Recoil Damage Reduction: +10% Defense: 2 Durability: 30 Description: A basic pair of leather training gloves.
¡°¡­ strong equipment¡­ free¡­ save gold for¡­ Ho ho ho¡­ Yes¡­ Headstart¡­ -nquer the world!¡± Sweat-dropping at Feng¡¯s maniacal behavior, Roth cleared his throat loudly to get Feng¡¯s attention. ¡°Ehem. If you are done admiring your rewards, I still have the last and most important reward left.¡± ¡°Yes? Is it another piece of equipment?¡± Eyes shining, Feng immediately appeared next to Roth as he eagerly questioned him. ¡°No, it¡¯s better than that! You get to join the Adventurers¡¯ Guild!¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Ticked off by Feng¡¯s lackluster reply, Roth slapped the table and lectured him passionately. ¡°HOY! What¡¯s with that disappointed reply? I¡¯ll let you know that it is a very prestigious thing to be accepted into the adventurers¡¯ guild! There are many missions exclusive to our guild besides the ones open to the non-member adventurers, plus you get access to our member training areas and secret regimes! There¡¯s no better guild to join!¡± Shrugging apologetically as he replied, Feng explained himself to Roth. ¡°Eh. But I don¡¯t intend to just be a fighter¡­ I¡¯m intending to learn from all the other guilds as well! While this sounds great, I¡¯m afraid I have to pass if I want to go learn more before I decide.¡± ¡°¡­ HA HA HA! Ambitious brat, aren¡¯t you? Well, just to let you know there¡¯s nothing stopping you from joining us even if that¡¯s your plan. We are a neutral guild catering to all adventurers even though we specialize in warrior training; many mages, priests, rogues, rangers and other guild members sign up with us as well. Furthermore, only certain guilds will not allow you entry if you are a member of an opposing guild such as Druids and Necromancers, otherwise you are free to join as many guilds as you manage to gain entry in.¡± Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. Ending his small speech about how guilds work, Roth was faced with an overly-excited Feng bouncing on the feet. ¡°Holy crap, that¡¯s awesome. This is great for my plans, thanks Roth! Where do I sign up?¡± Pulling a quill and a large black book emblazoned with a pair of crossed sword and axe from under the counter, Roth opened up to the middle section and indicated the empty space under a long list of names. ¡°Just sign here on the membership tome.¡± Taking the quill eagerly, Feng scribbled his name onto the book and experienced a sharp pain in his hand as his name glowed crimson before fading back to dull black. ¡°Yowch! What was that?¡± ¡°That was the contract quill taking some of your blood to verify your identify and create a binding bond in the Adventurers¡¯ Guild Membership Rolls. All Adventurers¡¯ Guild across the land will now recognize you as part of us¡­ Well the lowliest part of us anyway. Welcome to the crazy family of the Adventurers¡¯ Guild, Greenhorn Feng!¡± *DING*
Title Obtained: Greenhorn Adventurer You are now recognized as an official member of the Adventurers¡¯ Guild, albeit the lowest of the low. Common folk will respect you more and are more likely to favor you with tasks and quests. +10 Fame +5% Quest Trigger Chance Privileges Access to Adventurers¡¯ Guild Mission Board, Commons, Dormitory & Training Hall
¡°¡­ Thanks Roth, though that comment about being the lowliest was rather unnecessary, it brings up a good point. How do I improve my rank in the guild?¡± ¡°It¡¯s as simple as whacking monsters¡­ Literally, just do some jobs from the board or requests from guild rankers and you¡¯ll be on your way to earning a recommendation for the rank-up exam which will open up some new trainings for you.¡± Feng tapped his foot thoughtfully as he took a moment to consider his actions given the new information he learnt . ¡®So ranking up basically gives me access to higher-level class-specific skills, so should I specialize first since I probably have a head-start in the Adventurers¡¯ Guild or should I branch out¡­ Hmm¡­ given the probable actions of the other players¡­ My intended build¡­ Relative speed of the options¡­ Survivability¡­ Especially given the amount of pain I felt from Roth¡¯s special training¡­ Alright, I¡¯ll go with this unless something radical pops up.¡¯ ¡°Right¡­ Well, thanks for all your help Roth. Could I get directions from you to the nearest church or someplace where I can learn some healing magic?¡± ¡°Sure, the church is actually just slightly north of the town square next to the library.¡± ¡°Thanks Roth, I¡¯ll see you around!¡± With a quick thanks and farewell, Feng left immediately eager to begin on his next stage of training¡­ and hopefully get around to actually beating around something soon. --- Author''s Notes: This chapter is shorter as I broke it up here in order for the story to flow coherently, to make up for that, I will putting up an interesting scene within the next few hours. Also, I would like your opinions on whether shorter but more frequent chapters or longer but less frequent chapters are preferred? Interlude: Behind The Shadows Lies… + World of Athal - Explanations ¡°Sir as requested, the progress report on the Ascension project.¡± Receiving a thick manila folder with TOP SECRET written in big bold red words across the cover, an average-looking man dressed in a black turtleneck and jeans quickly and quietly flipped through it before tossing it onto his desk. ¡°Excellent, 80% of the first 5,000 users have already logged on to Ascension within the first twelve hours of launch and zero incidents thus far. Have we pin-pointed any outstanding users?¡± ¡°There have been approximately eighty users thus far who have breached level 30¡­ There are a few other anomalies but the team has deemed it too early to decide their worthiness. Almost all of our 2,000 handpicked candidates are performing beyond standard levels though some are hindered due to the lack of gaming experience at this stage.¡± ¡°Excellent, how about Project Omega?¡± ¡°All subjects but two have been successfully convinced and inserted on schedule. All records and trails relating to the remaining forty-eight subjects have been erased and all surviving relations and connections have been informed of their deceased status. Project Omega launch was completed three hours ago, all subjects have been scattered in throughout Athal¡¯s final continent.¡± ¡°And their progress?¡± ¡°All subjects are beyond level 50 and progressing at an incredible pace¡­ We have seen nothing comparable, furthermore their brain activity levels are rapidly increasing and gradually exhibiting unknown patterns. Our neurological team warns that possible breakdowns can occur and we might lose subjects rapidly. They recommend re-instituting the neural dampeners as per Project Ascension.¡± Drumming his fingers on the desk, the man considered the recommendations for a few seconds before issuing his commands in a cold emotionless voice. ¡°No. Prepare additional subjects, if necessary.¡± This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. ¡°Understood sir.¡± ---------- World of Athal - Explanations Stats Strength: The amount of physical force the body is capable of exerting, influencing physical attacks, carrying capability. Dexterity: The fine motor skills of the body which affects skills reliant on technique or accuracy. Agility: The nimbleness of the body which is primarily related to movements of the body and speed. Constitution: The condition of the body which enables it to endure greater damage, physical conditions and directly affects the amount of health possessed. Endurance: The combined ability of body and mind to persevere through challenging conditions, and directly affects the amount of stamina possessed. Wisdom: The experience and understanding of the mind which enables better judgments and insights. Intelligence: The learning ability and knowledge of the mind, which affects memory and learning. Luck: An unknown factor which governs chance. (Luck cannot be increased by stat points obtained from leveling up.) More stats are yet to be revealed and will be added as they are revealed in the story. Stats (Real Life Relative Comparison) 0 ¨C 10: Child (0-12 years old) 11 ¨C 20: Teenager (12-20 years old) 21 ¨C 30: Adult (21+) 31 ¨C 40: Enthusiast 41 ¨C 50: State-level Competitors 51 ¨C 60: National-level Competitors 61 ¨C 70: Global-level Competitors 71 ¨C 80: World Champions 81 ¨C 90: World Record Holders 91 ¨C 100: Superhuman 100+: ??? Skill Tiers 1. Novice 2. Basic 3. *To be revealed later in the story* Chapter 6: Religions & Confrontations Author Warning: Religious mentions in the story are not meant to be representative of any religion or offend anyone. If anyone is uncomfortable with these mentions, please message me and I¡¯ll endeavor to correct it. Jogging towards his next target, Feng grumbled as he realized the length of the sword caused it to frequently bump against his legs as he ran, not to mention the discomfort of the sheathed daggers strapped against various parts of his body. ¡®At least the gloves are fine once they have been worn long enough to get rid of the stiffness.¡¯ Blinking at the late afternoon sun as he made his way through the somewhat crowded central town area, Feng did not have to jog long before spotting his destination. A large white marble cathedral with tall bell-towers soaring above it dominated the northern part of the town, and the extravagance even extended to a great number of statues and murals adorning the road leading up to it. A long procession streamed into and out of the large entrance guarded by quite a number of elite soldiers fully armored with chain-mail and wielding long halberds. Noting the queue to enter the cathedral and a number of smaller booths and shrines set up nearby, Feng decided to question a passer-by before wasting his time withthe queue. Picking a jolly-looking townswoman passing by, Feng smoothly inserted himself into her path and greeted her. ¡°Excuse me, my lady? Could I impose on you for a few moments of your precious time?¡± The rotund woman jumped slightly as she realized that Feng was talking to her and tittered for a moment before replying. ¡°Oh you, I¡¯m certainly no fine lady, young man! So, what do you need of a simple baker?¡± Bowing smoothly as he responded, Feng shook his head as he replied flatteringly. ¡°Oh no, my lady, your beautiful smile makes you shine more than those ladies dressed up in pretty dresses and without fine bakers like yourself, I would have starved to death long ago! As for why I stopped you, I have just arrived in this fine town and would like to understand what¡¯s going on with the large crowd and set-up outside this building.¡± Giggling like a schoolgirl, which made Feng shiver internally as no middle-age woman should be making that sort of expression, the woman answered happily. ¡°I see! Well, this is the great Cathedral of Light, where we worship Ralos, the God of Light. It is the largest church in the entire region and well known for its blessings and healing. Many families also bring their children to be tested to join the priesthood here as it is well-known to be one of the best priestly training grounds¡­ Unfortunately, just entering requires a donation of ten silvers which most of us commoners can¡¯t afford. That¡¯s also why there are some priests from other Gods setting up shrines outside the cathedral where we can go to.¡± ¡°I see¡­ Thank you very much for your detailed explanation my lady! Farewell and have a good day ahead!¡± Carefully absorbing all of the woman¡¯s words, Feng thanked her cheerily and prepared to depart towards the shrines only to be stopped by a hand on his shoulder. ¡°Oh, wait up young lad! You said you are new to our town? Perhaps I can guide you around and show you places you¡¯ll never see otherwise, it will be my pleasure¡­¡± The portly middle-aged woman winked at Feng as she shoved her full bosom nearly into Feng¡¯s face, clearly implying something more than an innocent tour. ¡°Eep! I mean er- no that¡¯s perfectly fine, I need to hurry off to attend to urgent matters! Bye!¡± Letting out an unmanly squeak, Feng backpedaled rapidly and dashed off into the crowds, hoping desperately to lose the woman. ¡®Holy crap! That woman is nearly as old as my mom and propositioned me¡­ Ugh¡­ Maybe excessive flattery is dangerous in this world¡­¡¯ *DING*
New Title Obtained: Cougar Bait Congratulations, your boyish looks and over-the-top old-fashioned manners have successfully charmed the ladies¡­ the older ones anyway. +10% Charm against ladies older than forty +5% Positive Reaction from older ladies
¡®¡­ Why¡­ why does this unfortunate events always happen to me¡­ ugh let¡¯s just get back to what is important¡¯ Finding a booth with a sign indicating healing available, Feng strode up to the middle-aged priest who was tending mostly to adventurers judging by their equipment¡­ A few of whom looked like players still using the basic gear given to cover their modesty. ¡®Wait¡­ I¡¯m also wearing the same white tunic, black pants and boots so I guess that an easy way to identify players for now¡­¡¯ Patiently waiting for his turn as a few more people lined up behind him as well, Feng soon got his chance to approach the priest and decided to speak directly given the impatient look on the man¡¯s face. ¡°Greetings, good sir! I would like to ask if it is possible to become a student under you and learn some healing magic to aid others on my journeys.¡± Scrutinizing Feng and noting the decent quality of his sword as compared to the other adventurers still clad fully in beginner gear, the priest decided that it would probably be worth his time to answer and replied after a few moments. ¡°Hmm¡­ You are a traveler? You¡¯ll need to first visit the altar of the God of Light and bow down at his altar in order to receive his blessing to use holy magic. Come back to me after that and I¡¯ll teach you some simple healing chants for a few silvers.¡± ¡®Damn. I forgot about all the holy magic being related to worshiping of game gods¡­ it is in a game but considering the realism¡­ I¡¯m not comfortable with this¡­¡¯ Feng pondered over the matter before asking for alternatives with an uncertain tone. ¡°Is there no other option? I¡¯m a firm believer of our traveler god, who I have accepted as my personal Lord and Savior and it will be wrong to bow my head to worship false idols¡­¡± Looking at the incensed face of the priest, Feng took a small step back and looked around only to receive angry looks. ¡®Oh shit. Shouldn¡¯t have said the last part.¡¯ *DING* *DING*
New Title Obtained: Blasphemer You have denounced the Gods of Athal as false gods. No beneficial holy magic will work on you. You may not use holy magic granted by Gods of Athal. Relations with all Churches and related factions are now at -50 (Disliked). All Churches and related factions will refuse you entry and their services.
New Title Obtained: Faithful Child of God You have rejected worshipping other gods despite the benefits. New Stat Unlocked: Faith +500 Faith +10 Luck
¡®Wait what? All this over one simple statement? This kind of huge penalty is ridiculous¡­ The admins must have had a hand in this¡­¡¯
Administrator Message: Please be informed that the admin team have had no part in any game mechanics beyond editing flavor text, all other mechanics are wholly handled by the in-game AI. Apex Corporation does not support or discriminate against any player, religion or race. Good bye.
If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°Oh get out of here you religious nut job! We don¡¯t need you preaching the Bible around here!¡± A rude and loud voice interrupted Feng¡¯s thoughts combined with a shove which sent him stumbling a few steps. The origin of the voice soon revealed himself as another player; a big tall blonde human with a classically sculpted jawline and handsome features¡­ features too handsome to be normal, clearly pointing towards appearance modification during character creation. Getting rather annoyed with the unwarranted insult and shove, Feng narrowed his eyes at the player and unconsciously clenched his fists. ¡°Ooh? You pissed little man? Want to hit me? Too bad your religion advocates peace and turning the other cheek and all!¡± The player gleefully mocked Feng, confident in the support of the crowd as the other NPCs were all clearly upset with Feng¡¯s remark. Thinking furiously as he glared at the player silently, Feng suddenly exhaled deeply and smiled serenely as though releasing all his anger and calmly spoke. ¡°Yes. You are right, our Lord is the Lord of Peace and he does say to ¡°turn the other cheek¡±. I¡¯m not sure what grievances you have, but as you said, I¡¯m willing to turn the other cheek and allow you to hit me on the cheek to help you slake any anger you may possess and hopefully the peace of our Heavenly Father will be upon you.¡± Grinning at this unexpected opportunity, the large blonde looked around to see only support from the crowd and eagerly prepared himself to strike Feng while he gloated. ¡°Heh, crazy religious nuts¡­ I won¡¯t pass up a free chance to hit idiots like you!¡± Dashing at Feng with his right fist cocked back, the player unleashed a wild roundhouse punch directly into Feng¡¯s face mercilessly¡­ while Feng oddly enough visibly relaxed as he saw the blow coming, instead of tensing to tank the hit¡­ The large fist collided with Feng¡¯s left cheek with an oddly loud but hollow smack as Feng¡¯s entire face turned to the side followed by the rest of his body as he was spun around from the force¡­ which incredibly even lifted Feng¡¯s feet off the ground¡­ and directly into the face of the large man sending him flying off into a nearby statue. Landing on the ground rolling, Feng exclaimed loudly. ¡°Ouch! That was really painful¡­¡± Getting up after a few moments, Feng rubbed his face which looked perfectly untouched and looked around as though confused where the man went and reacted with greatly exaggerated surprise at the current position of the other player. Walking over to him, Feng inspected the large man noting the dazed look and blood spat out all over his face and the corners of his mouth curled up slightly for a brief moment before Feng rushed over, pulling him up ¡°gently¡± and apologizing loudly. ¡°OH MY! I AM SO SORRY! I CAN¡¯T BELIEVE MY FEET FLEW UP DUE TO YOUR IMMENSE STRENGTH AND HIT YOU INSTEAD! ARE YOU OK?¡± Ignoring the player¡¯s slight attempts to struggle away at his approach, Feng brought him over to the priest who was looking at Feng in shock. ¡°You must be highly favored by your God indeed! For him to shield you so and bring down swift retribution for following his peaceful tenets! Could you tell me more about this God of yours?¡± The priest suddenly burst out in admiration and questioned Feng eagerly to his great surprise. A few other townsfolk standing in the crowd chimed in as well with approving comments and their own questions. ¡°Yea, tell us more!¡± ¡°Why do you call Him Father? Isn¡¯t it disrespectful?¡± Feng looked shocked at this unexpected outcome and the nearby players were even more surprised and before he could answer, another player snorted loudly in disdain and walked up to them. A petite young brunette girl dressed in a simple starting gear with delicate features and blazing blue eyes stared at Feng disapprovingly as she spoke passionately. ¡°That was a perfect butterfly kick, wasn¡¯t it? You clearly are only following the letter of Matthew 5:39 and no-¡° ¡®Oh shit, better stop her before the crowd turns ugly on me.¡¯ ¡°Peace sister and brothers, let us not speak of such matters while our fellow man is injured. Brother, would you kindly tend to this man? For as our sins have been forgiven by our loving Father through His sacrifice despite our transgressions, how can I, a lowly man judge or deny mercy for our fellow man.¡± Putting his hand up to stop the girl, Feng launched into an impromptu speech and handed the blonde player off to the priest before carefully backing away and leaving a few partings words before swiftly fleeing into the milling crowds. ¡°And I beseech you brothers, to look upon our sister here who is clearly well-versed in the Word of our Lord to gain understanding of our Savior; I must go now to the paths set forth by our Heavenly Father. Farewell!¡± *DING* Moving some distance out into the crowd before sitting himself inconspicuously on a stone bench in front of a run-down looking stone building further away from the plaza square in front of the cathedral, Feng heaved a sigh of relief and decided to check the notifications¡­ ¡®Please let it not be something bad! The heretic one really screwed me over¡­ No healing magic or buffs ever cuts out the easiest way to ensure my survival¡­¡¯
New Skill Obtained: Oratory Your honeyed words contain parts of the truth conveniently twisted to your advantage and your theatrical actions clouds the crowds¡¯ perceptions. New Stat Unlocked: Charisma +5% chance to convince others +1 Intelligence +1 Charisma
Grand Feat Achieved: Plant the seeds of Christianity You have successfully introduced Christianity into Athal, though your actions might have influenced people¡¯s perception of it for better or worse. Additional quests or actions may be taken by or against you in the future depending on and affecting the status of Christianity in Athal. +1000 Faith +100 Fame +10 Luck +10 Charisma
Staring at the last notification, Feng was unsure whether to be proud of his accidental evangelism or cry at his attempt to get out trouble somehow leading to somehow introducing his religion into the game world¡­ ¡®Ugh¡­ Better not think too much about this, after all what¡¯s the worst that could happen considering I am already cut off from holy magic and other churches in-game¡­ No point weeping over spilt milk, maybe studying magic might give me some solutions to overcome this new-found limitation. Yosh, time to get back to work!¡¯ Patting his cheeks to snap himself out of his stupor, Feng set off on a light jog further north looking for the library Roth mentioned. *5 minutes later* Puffing lightly as he jogged down the increasingly opulent area containing what looks like the residences of merchants and nobles, Feng got stares and disdainful looks from the few fancily dressed folks on the street. ¡®Damn it, it can¡¯t be that far, it looks like houses all the way down! I better double back and check around, I probably missed it¡­¡¯ Doubling back, Feng soon reached the same bench he was seated on earlier and stood there breathing deeply for a moment to catch his breath before straightening and cursing out loud. ¡°Where¡¯s that damn library¡­ It can¡¯t be that hard to find!¡± ¡°Ehem. You are looking for the library?¡± Startled by the musical voice coming from behind, Feng whirled around and... stared. Chapter 7: The Library Author Notes: Hey everyone! Thanks for your interest in reading my fiction, I would like to ask everyone for a favor and kindly leave an honest review for this story! Constructive criticisms will be much appreciated as I am trying to hone my writing skills and it is very hard to do so without feedback. Things like saying you hate how unrealistic a particular scene is, you don¡¯t like the lack of descriptions or perhaps you like a certain element of the story that you hope will be more prominent, bad grammar, etc. All these will be invaluable advice for me, so once again I humbly request for you to spend a few minutes to provide me with your valuable feedback! Thank you! --- A tiny figure stood in front of him, Feng¡¯s eyes slowly took in the sight before him. Her large sapphire blue eyes stared back and her brows rose inquiringly as moments ticked by with Feng staring fixatedly at her long ebony tresses that cascaded down to her mid-back¡­ or more accurately the two furry white-tipped cat ears peeking out of her hair. Seeing the petite girl tilt her head questioningly to one side and her ears flicking, Feng couldn¡¯t help himself anyway and the last pieces of his self-restraint broken. Walking up slowly to the girl who looked adorably confused, Feng stretched out his hand and¡­ laid it on the tiny girl¡¯s head and started patting her ears. ¡°Cute kitty!¡± ¡°Wai- whaaaaa- mistahhh staapppaahhhh daatt¡­ Mrrreeewww¡­¡± *A few minutes later* Feng finally lifted his hand from off the tiny cat-girl¡¯s head and snapped out of his cute-kitty induced petting frenzy. Realizing he just basically started patting a random little girl on the streets out of nowhere, Feng started to apologize profusely. ¡°Oh Lord, I¡¯m so sorry! I didn¡¯t mean to¡­ I mean I just got caught up in your cuteness and¡­¡± Adorably large eyes looked at him with tears in the corners of her eyes, as the little cat-girl snapped out of the pleasure-induced haze of Feng¡¯s expert cat-ear scratching hands and her lips quivered¡­ before her leg shot out with unexpected force crashing right into Feng¡¯s left shin. ¡°Mouu.. MEANIE MISTER! You can¡¯t just randomly pat a lady¡¯s sensitive parts like that¡­ Though it felt soooo good¡­ BUT NO BAD MISTER. You can¡¯t just do that! And here I was being trying to welcome you to the library you were looking for¡­¡± Rolling around on the floor and clutching his shin in pain which he feared was broken by the absurd strength hidden within the cat-girl¡¯s petite body; Feng could hardly appreciate the scolding he was receiving and simply frantically nodded in hopes of avoiding another blow. Winding down from her tirade, the little girl looked at Feng for a moment and blushed as she muttered under her breath. ¡°¡­ good deed. Not because¡­ felt good or anything.¡± Suddenly bending, the little girl grabbed on to Feng and lifted his entire body up in her arms despite him being at least twice her size and moved towards the building behind them before Feng who was utterly surprised could even protest. Entering the run-down building, the little girl dropped Feng off at a nearby chair as he took in the surroundings¡­ Rows and rows of shelves lined the inside of what is clearly his target ¨C the library; but those same shelves were only partially filled with tomes while piles and stacks of books were strewn around the floor and haphazardly placed on the few tables and chairs contained within the central area. Looking up, Feng idly noted the illumination coming from some odd glowing balls which revealed a second floor in similar condition or perhaps even worse off. ¡°Not a pretty sight, isn¡¯t it mister? This library used to be one of the most important buildings in town, holding an incredible archive of knowledge and histories¡­ But that was a few years ago before my father passed away. So what did you want to visit this place for anyway? As you can see there is nothing much here for anyone anymore¡­¡± The little girl spoke morosely as she watched Feng gawk at the sad stage of the once incredible library. ¡°How did it become like this? Considering the number of books and their condition here, it doesn¡¯t look like there were burglars or anything so the library should still be operating fine, shouldn¡¯t it?" Feng asked in surprise as he tried to process the odd scenario presented to him. ¡°So what if it is the books are fine¡­ No one wants to visit after the Church of Light opened their own holy archive and declared this library contains heretical knowledge and¡­ is run by me¡­ a half-catkin.¡± See the little cat-girl sniffling by the end of her explanation, Feng unconsciously reached out to comfort her, impulsively speaking as he patted her head lightly. ¡°Hey, hey, why would anyone not want to come to this library because of you? If anything, I would love to come to here just to see your cute visage and this incredible amount of books will definitely have more useful knowledge than the typical ¡°holy books¡± in the Church¡¯s library!¡± His actions seem to have unleashed the flood-gates and he was surprised with a sudden heavy weight landing in his lap as the petite cat-girl buried her face into his torso bawling away. Taken off-guard, Feng was stunned for a moment before awkwardly patting the little girl¡¯s head and back to attempt to comfort her. Slowly as her sobbing died down, the girl sat up in Feng¡¯s lap still sniffling slightly as she looked up to him with an adorable teary-eyed face with her furry ears folded to the front. ¡°Thank you mister! ¡­ Wait I don¡¯t even know what your name is¡­ or introduced myself. I¡¯m Rania, the current owner of this library.¡± ¡°Hi Rania¡­ I¡¯m Feng. Um, do you mind you know getting off my lap? You are kind of hea-¡° Feng greeted Rania awkwardly as she perched cutely on his legs which were screaming in protest at the heavy weight despite Rania¡¯s seemingly petite build, only for his request to be cut off by a terrible feeling of danger from his recently acquired skill except that the instinct was screaming of danger a hundred times more deadly than any of Roth¡¯s attacks¡­ Wisely shutting up immediately, Feng laughed awkwardly to cover up for his near-brush with death as Rania¡¯s sudden death-glare abated and she agilely leaped off to sit on top of a nearby table. ¡°Anyway, you mentioned that the library is not getting any more visitors? How come it is in such a messy state then?¡± Feng quickly try to divert Rania¡¯s attention off to safer grounds once she settled down. ¡°Ehehe¡­ Because, I can¡¯t really read that well¡­ So I couldn¡¯t organize the library properly after my father passed away¡­ Plus, I¡¯m really sensitive to dust so I have to periodically take the books off to clean the shelves but I always forget where to place them back on to¡­¡± Sweat-dropping at her inability to read and wondering if the decline of the library is due more to her mismanagement than other outside factors, Feng still couldn¡¯t find any heart to blame such a cute little child for not managing this large library alone¡­ ¡°You must find me pathetic right¡­ Thirty summers old and still poorly educated and not able to manage the heritage my father left for me¡­¡± Her ears drooping sadly once more, Feng couldn¡¯t help himself but to reach over to give her a quick pat and words to cheer her up. ¡°Hey cheer up, it¡¯s not that ba- Wait what, you are THIRTY YEARS OLD?¡± Freezing completely in shock as he struggled to reconcile the barely 1.5 meters tall chibi-looking cat-girl to be thirty years old, Feng¡¯s brains fried in that instant. ¡®¡­ Impossible. SHE¡¯S OLDER THAN ME??? With that appearance?¡¯ ¡°HEY, what¡¯s with the surprise? I¡¯ll have you know I¡¯m one of the strongest warriors in the Adventurers¡¯ Guild before I came back to take over the library from my dad!¡± His mind still struggling to cope with the information, Feng merely blinked woodenly and replied automatically. ¡°That¡¯s nice; I trained under Roth just a few hours ago and was inducted into the guild too.¡± ¡°Wow! So you are a greenhorn? I wouldn¡¯t have pegged you as an adventurer, you seem so¡­ weak. You seem more like a mage or maybe a crafter¡­ Hmm, in that case!¡± Leaping off the table with a dramatic flourish, Rania landed on a stack of book and posed imperiously as she spoke. ¡°Greenhorn Feng, I, Warden Rania request that you aid me in order to restore this library and in exchange I¡¯ll provide you free access to this library forever.¡± Shaking his head fiercely to clear his thoughts, Feng narrowed his eyes as he processed Rania¡¯s words and abruptly changed his attitude as though a switch was flicked in his head. ¡°Now, that¡¯s hardly fair isn¡¯t it, Warden Rania? While I will be pleased to aid you on this task, the rewards seems miniscule compared to the size of the task, after all in its current condition, free access to this library is not worth very much is it? ¡­ Not only that, it seems like you don¡¯t have any other solutions to fix the situation, given your poor reading ability and discrimination against your race. Furthermore, with the Church spreading rumors against the library, if I associate myself by helping you I run the risk of offending a very powerful faction!¡± Listening to Feng¡¯s words, Rania¡¯s fa?ade dropped as her lips trembled and her eyes flopped down sadly again and she immediately started to sniffle. ¡°So.. so¡­ You won¡¯t help me after all? Uwwaaah, I¡¯ll nev-¡° ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant! I¡¯ll help you but only for better rewards!¡± Quickly stopping Rania before she could launch into a full-fledged outburst, Feng hurriedly reassured her of his intentions is merely to negotiate. ¡°But I don¡¯t have much else to offer you¡­ I have spent most of my treasures from adventuring on maintaining the library and paying for expenses¡­ uwwah¡± If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. ¡°Relax Rania, that¡¯s fine. What I propose is that we become partners! In exchange for a share¡­ say half of the library; I¡¯ll help you with the management and business part of things and turn this library into a blooming place with full of people. So how about it? Partners?¡± Striking to the core of the matter, Feng proposed an ¡°attractive deal¡± to the desperate cat-girl with a smug grin on his face like a spider watching pretty enter its webs. Shuffling her feet cutely, Rania ducked her head and blushed after hearing Feng¡¯s words with a completely different understanding and replied shyly. ¡°Uwaa? ¡­ Propose? ¡­ Partners? ¡­isn¡¯t this too fast? ¡­ but if it is you¡­ I guess it¡¯s fine.¡± Astounded by the easy acceptance, having started with a higher bargain with an intention of bringing it down after negotiation, Feng decided to push his luck a bit further¡­ ¡°One more thing¡­¡± ¡°Mm?¡± ¡°¡­ I want to be allowed to pet your ears¡­¡± ¡°Uwaawaaaa¡­ You can¡¯t just say something like that to a lady¡­ and¡­ you should know¡­ it is fine since you proposed¡­¡± Turning a bright red, Rania hid her face behind her hands as she peeked out at Feng stuttering her answer. ¡®Excellent, I¡¯m glad she has accepted my business proposal, huhuhu.. I¡¯m the first player who will be able to get a business and a place with knowledge like this can definitely be leveraged to increase my growth¡­ Plus Rania is really fun to pet, reminds me of the cats Mom never allowed me to bring home due to her allergies¡­¡¯ Completely missing out on Rania¡¯s odd reaction as he mentally congratulated himself, Feng was lost in his thoughts like Rania who was similarly lost in her own fantasies¡­ in a completely different direction. *DING*
New Quest Obtained: Reviving The Library You have undertaken the great task of reviving the library and gaining Rania¡¯s favor. Be warned, the Church of Light seem to have some sort of agenda against the library¡¯s revival. Grade: C Objectives: 1) Re-open the library 2) Get at least fifty people to use the library within the first week of re-opening Bonus Objectives: 1) Get more people to use the library within the first week 2) - Hidden - 3) - Hidden - Rewards: 1) 50% ownership of the Library 2) Increased Relationship with Rania (+50) 3) Decreased Relationship with Church of Light (-20) 4) Gain Enemies: - Hidden - Failure: 1) Decreased Relationship with Rania (-20) 2) Decreased Relationship with Adventurers¡¯ Guild (-10) 3) Gain Enemies: - Hidden ¨C
Staring at the quest window, Feng mentally swore. ¡®Grade C? That¡¯s higher than even the Grade D quest the play-testers talked about and that required a large group of them to clear a raid boss and most of them died¡­ Not only that I will be gaining hidden enemies no matter what I do, plus antagonizing the Church even more¡­ Damn it, should I continue with the quest? But the rewards¡­ and I need the library for my magic training anyway. Ah screw it, it just means I need to outmaneuver all of them¡­ I need to plan multiple layers of contingencies and attack plans then.¡¯ Not wasting any time, Feng quickly scanned the library and checked out some books titles as he cooked up schemes in his mind¡­ First of all, define the core competencies and resources, next define the target market and segments within it, then identify the key competitors and stakeholders, lastly determine strengths and weaknesses in relation to the competitors. Next, analyze the current situation, trends, future changes and determine the opportunities and threats. Running through all the factors in his mind, Feng quickly picked out a few key factors based on what he currently know and have observed and started to refine a plan mentally. ¡®The first step to get this library back on its feet is to clean it up and get it operational, the next step is to increase traffic flow, alongside traffic flow, revenue streams must be obtained. It will take too long to get it operational with just the two of us¡­ Luckily we have some resources to leverage on¡­ Excellent.¡¯ ¡°Rania, let us begin operations. Firstly, I presume there are some storage areas in the library? I would like to you first empty all the shelves in the first third of the first floor and move the shelves into storage, then please rearrange the remaining shelves like so. I will be sorting out the books into piles while you do so and after you are done with that, kindly empty all the shelves and bring all the books to the second floor where I will sort them. I intend to create a new sorting system and you just need to move the piles I have sorted to the respective shelves I will be labelling... There is writing material here somewhere right?¡± ¡°Of course! We keep a large amount of paper and ink here, considering the large amount of scholars who needed to take notes and it is also used for records.¡± ¡°Excellent, bring me some writing materials and let¡¯s get started!¡± *8 hours later* ¡°Feng¡­ is a slave-master! We have been working for HOURS since the moon rose up and haven¡¯t eaten a bite since afternoon¡­ Can we please stop now? I am so hungry and tired¡­¡± A dispirited Rania pooled on top of a desk grabbing her tummy and moaning to Feng who was rapidly looking at titles and occasionally flipping through the first few pages and scanning the text before sorting the books into six distinct stacks. ¡°Oh yes, we should grab something to eat to ensure we remain productive! Here, do you want some hard bread? I took some from the guild training room!¡± Looking up briefly, Feng nodded in agreement and pulled out two breads from his inventory and tossed one over at Rania before returning to his work while gnawing on the other. ¡°EHHH! ¡­ But but¡­ can¡¯t we go get better food and rest soon? ¡­ I can cook for you and¡­ you could come and¡­ sleep at my place?¡± ¡°Mm.. You go ahead then, I¡¯ll need to do a lot more sorting work since shelving is a lot faster to do.¡± *Many hours later* Stretching his arms to get rid of all the kinks and knots he gotten from poring over the books for hours and hours, Feng yawned and rubbed his eyes blearily as he finally paid attention to his surroundings. The first thing he noticed was the gentle light of dawn shining into the library¡­ onto a Rania curled up into a little ball napping on the table beside him. Glancing at his work, he realized that he created six large piles which could populate perhaps one fifth of the first floor shelves with ten times the amount left to be sorted¡­ Not to mention the sorting he has done was rough at best. ¡®Oh well, I already expected this result, time to execute part two of the plan... Hmm, I seem to have gotten some notifications while I was sorting out the books. Must have blocked them out due to my hyper-focused state.¡¯
New Stat Unlocked: Willpower Through long hours of repeated labor and staving off fatigue and hunger through sheer mental fortitude, you have unlocked Willpower. Willpower enables you to push past your limits and accomplish feats you are normally unable to achieve¡­ This may come at a severe price if you push too far beyond your limitations.
New Skill Obtained: Concentration Through long hours of dedicating yourself to a particular task, you have learned how to concentrate fully and enter a deeper state of complete focus. It helps you in all skills requiring mental focus. (Passive Skill) +2 Wisdom +2% Effectiveness for any focus-related skills
Congratulations! Your toil has earned you: +2 Wisdom +6 Endurance +10 Willpower
¡®These should come in handy, especially for once I learn some magic! Better get things rolling first if I want to get my magic training soon though¡­¡¯ Poking Rania gently to try to rouse her from her slumber, Feng soon got annoyed as Rania proved to be absolutely impossible to awaken. Grinning evilly, Feng started gently scratching Rania¡¯s ears which elicited gentle purring from her tightly curled up body¡­ before abruptly sticking his finger right into her ear. ¡°NYAAAAAAHHH!¡± Leaping up so high she nearly crashed into the ceiling, Rania landed on the table with all her hair and ears sharply raised and looking absolutely shocked. Feng merely grinned innocently and carried on casually. ¡°Glad you are awake Rania, I laid out some instructions telling you where to put the piles I sorted and also some special instructions if you manage to complete the shelving before I am back.¡± ¡®Approximately twelve hours should have passed out in real life given that it has been a day since I entered, it is probably time to take a quick refresher break especially after that long monotonous task.¡¯ Laying down his head to rest on the table, Feng then pressed the log-out button leaving his avatar behind to rest. Chapter 8: Fake It Till You Make It Author Notes: I have decided to include a full status screen into the story and would like to credit Mickr4 (Cheating Monster: The Mightiest Tadpole - which is a great story) as I modelled it after his story¡¯s status window. Thanks goes out to Donthebest22 and Aelem for reviewing and I hope to improve my skills using your feedback to give everyone a better read! Quickly exiting from the pod, James got up and immediately went into the kitchen and set the kettle to boil. Rushing next to the toilet, he heaved a sigh of relief as he took a tinkle and then washed up. Returning back to the kitchen, with practiced motions he went about swiftly making himself dinner¡­ which consisted of him pouring the boiling water into a bowl of instant noodles. Browsing the net and reading up on all sort of articles, none which are related to Ascension, James scribbled down notes as he read through dozens in the time it took for the noodles to cook. Opening his noodles as a familiar aroma, he briefly reminisced. ¡®This certainly brings back memories of those days as a start-up surviving on cup noodles and working late nights! Grr... Still can¡¯t believe I got kicked out by some asshat manager!¡¯ As he prepared to take his first bite, a sudden groan from his stomach alerted him to a need to clear his bowels¡­ ¡®Damn¡­ That¡¯ll be another ten or fifteen minutes wasted. Better be more efficient.¡¯ Making his way to the loo, James quickly sat down and took a dump¡­ with the bowl of noodles in his hands and calmly eating from them¡­ Finishing up his business, James prepared to enter back into the pod after less than thirty minutes. However, as the pod closed around him, he had a sudden premonition of something bad befalling him. ¡®I have a terrible feeling that I forgot to do something important¡­ but oh well.¡¯ Opening his eyes up and blinking at the abrupt change in his environment, Feng suddenly realized that he had not actually checked his status at all due to him rushing around. ¡®Status¡¯
Status
NameFengGenderMale
Level1RaceHuman
Progress0%
Health360Stamina675
Mana655
Strength32Intelligence33
Constitution36Wisdom32
Endurance45Willpower10
Dexterity60Charisma11
Agility57Luck38
Fame110Faith1500
Titles
Greenhorn Adventurer
Cougar Bait
Blasphemer
Physical Skills
RunningNovice5Passive
BalanceNovice4Passive
AcrobaticsNovice3Passive
EvadeNovice4Passive
Unarmed MasteryBasic4Passive
Sword MasteryBasic3Passive
Dagger MasteryBasic3Passive
Dual-wielding MasteryBasic1Passive
Throwing MasteryBasic1Passive
Quick DrawNovice7Passive
Combat InstinctNovice2Passive
ToughnessNovice3Passive
Breathing TechniqueNovice7Sustained
Chain PunchingBasic2Active
Mental Skills
Sense Hostile IntentNovice5Passive
ConcentrationNovice1Passive
MeditationNovice8Sustained
Social Skills
OratoryNovice1Passive
¡®Woah... I''m pretty sure that my stats are extremely abnormal for a level 1¡­ Though I¡¯m sure after one day everyone else has advanced way past level 1¡­ Damn it, I need to finish training and catch up quickly. Hmm¡­ it looks like skills only upgrade the stat bonuses when they reach the next tier, pity¡­ it would have been an exceedingly fast way to rack up bonuses otherwise. Also, my physical stats seem like an eerily accurate reflection of my real-life body though¡­ Ah well, it¡¯s probably just me training in the same fashion.¡¯ Done checking his status, Feng got up and approached Rania who was still hard at work shelving the piles and spoke to her. ¡°Hey Rania, that¡¯s enough. It¡¯s time to get started on the next part of our plan. I¡¯ll need some things from you first though then you can follow the instructions I give you earlier.¡± ¡°Feng! Sure, what do you need?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll need a robe or something nice to wear over my current outfit and I¡¯ll need you to answer some of my questions.¡± ¡°Sure, I think we have some robes in the storage. Why do you need it thought?¡± ¡°It¡¯ll be important for the next stage of the plan. Let¡¯s go to the storage rooms then.¡± Following Rania to the storage rooms while quizzing her on very specific questions about the town, Feng learnt that the town is called Tyward and certain very interesting tidbits and crucial information he needed to execute his plan. Finally finding the robe, which was decently made and a simple grey color, Feng nodded approvingly and quickly appraised it.
Librarian¡¯s Robes Type: Body Defense: 1 Durability: 18/20 Description: Simple grey working robes used by librarians, it gives minimal protection.
¡®Hmm.. The robes are kind of useless but one extra point of defense is better than nothing I suppose, especially since I need it for a different purpose anyway.¡¯ Quickly wearing the robes over his current clothing, Feng then stashed his sword into his inventory though he kept his daggers in the hidden locations under his clothing. Inspecting himself, Feng nodded approvingly at the image he portrayed and missed a blushing Rania admiring him in his new outfit. ¡°Alright, this will work. Rania, please follow the instructions I left you while I leave to put the plan in motion.¡± Striding out confidently, Feng was abruptly stopped by a sudden blow to his back. Gasping as he skidded a few paces away, Feng looked back to see an embarrassed Rania poking her fingers together in a picture of cute shyness¡­ marred only by the fact, Feng felt like he nearly broke his back. ¡°Mou.. Stupid Feng¡­ I don¡¯t really understand the instructions you wrote¡­ Feng is meanie¡­ Even though I told you I can¡¯t read well¡­¡± Palming his face in realization, Feng quickly moved over to Rania and petted her ears while soothing her. ¡°Hey, hey, it¡¯s my mistake! I¡¯m sorry, I forgot about that. Tell you what, I¡¯ll read out the instructions to you and I¡¯ll teach you how to read properly when we get the library running alright?¡± ¡°Really? Yay! You are the best Feng!¡± Seeing Rania cheer up abruptly, Feng can¡¯t help but sigh in both relief and exasperation. ¡®Women and their mood swings¡­ Seems like it¡¯s the misfortunate of violent women around me is fated even in this world¡­ Got to keep them happy¡­ I better find a chocolate equivalent in Athal to keep Rania from mauling me in the future.¡¯ Strolling at a leisurely pace instead of his usual hurried jog, Feng was carefully observing his surroundings as he left the more affluent yet highly crowded North Street¡­ well with the crowds concentrated around the Church of Light anyway. Crossing the town center and progressing into the south street, he was surprised by the relatively less quiet surroundings despite being obviously full of shops and tradesmen, instead of bustling crowds, he saw scattered townsfolk and mainly many carts carrying goods towards the other parts of the town... particularly the northern part. In short order, Feng reached the Merchant Guild and took a moment to appreciate the building which resembled more of a sprawling complex with a large warehouse attached, a trading area and even stables for the beasts of burden. ¡®Excellent layout and built very efficiently to facilitate business, seems like the merchants here are no slouches.¡¯ While there were no guards on the outside, Feng entering the guild hall, quickly noticed the gazes of more than a few guards upon him. Confidently and quietly walking inside, Feng discreetly looked around observing that throughout the guild hall a few traders and merchants had quiet discussions in small groups or pairs in the trading area with a nice reception desk and a few other counters set nearby with appraisers, moneylenders and other services used by merchants. Confidently walking up to the receptionist, Feng said ¡°Hey, I am here for a meeting with Kuron. Bring me to his office.¡± Taken aback by Feng¡¯s abruptness, the man answered ¡°Uh, let me check if you are scheduled-¡° ¡°Don¡¯t bother. It isn¡¯t inside. Now hurry up and tell me where he is.¡± Gaping at Feng¡¯s temerity, the man gathered his wits and replied a cold tone ¡°If you do not have a meeting scheduled, I¡¯m afraid Head Trader Steele does not simply randomly meet with strangers! If you do not cease, I will get the guards to esco-¡± ¡°Who said I was a stranger? And that I don¡¯t have a meeting scheduled? I said it isn¡¯t in YOUR records. You are a smart man, you must know that secrecy and moving without competitors¡¯ knowing about it is important. While I¡¯m sure you are an upright man, public records are easily broken into¡­ Now do you really want to incur Kuron¡¯s wrath for exposing and losing him a deal easily worth hundreds of thousands?¡± Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. Stunned by Feng¡¯s words, the receptionist stuttered for a moment before replying hesitantly ¡°My apologies sir, allow me to call a guard to escort you to Head Trader Steele¡¯s Office.¡± ¡°Hmph. Good man, what¡¯s your name? I¡¯ll mention you to Kuron¡­ or maybe arrange to borrow your services.¡± ¡°Palin Tollin and thank you for your kindness sir!¡± Nodding at the receptionist before sweeping away confidently, Feng follows the guard up the central stairway past lavishly decorated rooms to a simply furnished wing and dropping him off at the door. ¡°We are here sir. Do you require me to wait for you?¡± ¡°No, it is fine. Our discussion will probably take some time.¡± Dismissing the guard with a casual wave of his hand, Feng knocked at the door once before opening it and heading right in, quickly closing the door behind him. A tall and thin middle-aged with thinning grey hair man looked up from his papers and begun to speak ¡°Wha-¡° ¡°Greetings Kuron. I¡¯m Feng, I have a deal for you.¡± ¡°Who are you and how did you get in here! I¡¯m not interested in whatever you have to offer, get out before I call the guards!¡± ¡°Well if you are not interested in taking control of the town away the Church of Light, I guess I¡¯ll take my deal somewhere else. I¡¯m sure there are many others who will be interested in what I have to offer¡­¡± ¡®Hook¡¯ Shrugging and turning and reaching for the door, Feng opened it slightly before Kuron cracked and called out. ¡°Wait... Sit down and tell me more.¡± ¡®Line¡¯ Closing the door before turning back and sauntering over to sit down in front of Kuron, Feng shrugged and went straight into his pitch. ¡°I can break the monopoly the Church of Light holds over the north side, you know as well as I do the amount of money flowing into their coffers daily from their control. The plan is already underway¡­ We merely need a merchant partner now to speed up the process; in return the merchant can get a share of the territory. My partner has indicated you due to your reputation of your fair dealings, but I am not convinced. Tell me why I should let you join us?¡± Tossing a surprise question at Kuron who was listening intently, the trader looked surprised before he steepled his hand and thought over Feng¡¯s words for a few moments. ¡°Because I have influence over the local merchants especially related to luxury goods and high-quality items in demand by the market frequenting that area, and I have the resources and backing to ensure the operation go smoothly without interference from the Church¡­ ¡® ¡®Sinker! I got him!¡¯ A confident smile stretching over his face, Feng prepared to continue the negotiation before Kuron threw a curveball with his next words. ¡°¡­most of all, because you simply are not in a position to execute your plan without me¡­ young Traveler.¡± Thinking furiously with only the slight widening of his eyes but no other outwardly change of his facial expression, Feng tried to rescue his chances of persuading Kuron which was rapidly looking dimmer. ¡°Excellent. It makes things easier to explain if you know. I presume your spies have been keeping an eye over any interesting Travelers? However, are you aware that I have a controlling interest in the Library now? And more importantly, do you know that in approximately nine days¡¯ time, there will be a new flood of Travelers entering this town and throughout the land? You are a smart man¡­ I¡¯m sure you can see where the opportunity lies and what I¡¯m holding on to is the linchpin for this plan to work.¡± ¡°¡­ I see. What do you need from me then?¡± ¡°Firstly, five percent of the profits earned from the merchants and secondly, a partnership to set up an exclusive book business with the library.¡± Pausing to look at Kuron to gauge his reaction thus far, the man merely nodded his head and gestured at Feng to continue, his face showing that he was thinking deeply upon the matter. ¡°¡­ The final request is a personal one, I would like to learn merchant skills from you and join the merchants¡¯ guild.¡± Raising his eyebrows, Kuron stared at Feng in silence for a long while, the silence growing thick with tension as they both held each other¡¯s gaze unblinkingly¡­ Until Kuron nodded in satisfaction and a small smile etched over his face and he responded with a trace of admiration in his voice. ¡°To make your way into my office, offer me an incredible deal that can potentially swing the entire power balance of the town in my favor and negotiate for such terms despite having less than a fraction of my resources and power¡­ and all these without having joined our guild and within a day of your arrival? I¡¯ll be a fool to deny you entry to the guild¡­ Before we even continue speaking about the deal, take this as a reward for your sheer acumen. Go ahead and use it.¡± Unlocking a drawer in his desk, Kuron withdrew a book and slid it over the table to Feng who nodded in thanks. Reaching out for the book and opening it, Feng was prepared to read it only to be interrupted by a familiar sound. *DING*
Skillbook Obtained: Magical Contracts This book describes how true binding contracts are formed, creating a bond between the contracted parties using the magic inherent in each individual. Breaking the terms of such contracts will invoke a severe price as the individual¡¯s magic will rebel against their body. Do you wish to learn this skill? Y / N
Immediately selecting yes, the skillbook vanished in a puff of smoke and Feng saw the corresponding skill notification appear as he felt the knowledge of how to execute such binding agreements through verbal or written means by willing his energy into the agreement. ¡°I presume you intend for us to enter into such a binding contract for our deal?¡± ¡°Indeed. Now then, let me question you on your plans further¡­¡± *Twenty Minutes Later* After divulging the second stage of his plan relating to the merchants and answering all the queries Kuron had, Feng leant back and confidently awaited Kuron¡¯s reply. ¡°I see¡­ So you intend to use the library to regain the crowds through providing free entrance for a selection of books as well as free lessons to attract the crowds over from the Church¡­ and by getting my merchants to collaborate with you, we can sell other goods to these crowds and break the hold the Church has over the north section¡­ It will likely work, but how would you have sufficient manpower to do all these without money and how do you intend to safe-guard yourself and property from the Church¡¯s retaliation?¡± Hearing Kuron succinctly summarizing the plan as well as questioning the possible failure points, Feng¡¯s respect for Kuron rose a notch and he decided that he made the right choice in picking the trader to work with. Nodding to acknowledge the validity of the questions, Feng launched into his answer showing that he has already previously considered and computed them into his plan. ¡°Well¡­ to answer your second question, Rania can obviously protect herself and her being a ranker in the Adventurers¡¯ Guild is also probably why the Church has never overtly moved against her to avoid starting a conflict¡­ Similarly, I¡¯m also in the Adventurers¡¯ Guild and by joining the Merchants¡¯ Guild and with your support, the Church will be unwilling to enter into a conflict where they are outnumbered. Lastly but most importantly, by providing free admission and lessons, we gain the people¡¯s goodwill and any attempt by the Church to shut us down will be deemed as them forcing people to get education only through the exorbitant prices of their own priest school¡­ Which as you can probably imagine will not sit well with them¡­ and is also why I would like you to spread rumors of the Church trying to do so one week into the plan. By striking preemptively, we will weaken the Church¡¯s position and they will fear the people¡¯s reactions if they try to do such¡­¡± Listening to Feng¡¯s cunning manipulation of the factions and intentions to defame the Church being spoken so nonchalantly, Kuron can¡¯t help but shudder slightly at the thought of the plans Feng might have in place if he decided to turn against Feng¡­ ¡°As for your first question, the Travelers will provide us with free labor for access to the library¡­ not to mention if we told them that it is also a form of training for them¡­¡± Widening his eyes at the ingenuity and absolute dastardliness of Feng¡¯s plan, by seemingly offering hand-outs to be viewed as benevolent but in actuality reaping much greater profits from their labor¡­ Kuron decided then and there that it was in his and their guild¡¯s best interest to ally with Feng rather than to risk going against him¡­ ¡°Very well, let us form the contract then.¡± A quick draft and some haggling over the specifics of the terms later, Feng shook hands with Kuron and carefully kept the copy of the freshly signed contract into his inventory. ¡°Thank you for your time. I look forward to a most productive partnership with you. Speaking of which, to facilitate the plan, could you direct me to where I can find someone to teach me alchemy. Oh, and it will be great if I can get in touch with the ones who assist you in¡­ eliminating problems if you know what I mean¡­¡± ¡°You can find Alicia the alchemist down the road along the crafter¡¯s portion of the lane; with your skills you should hardly have any trouble getting her to teach you. As for the last part of your request, I don¡¯t know what you are talking about but you might find some clues if you head down to the basement of the building¡­¡± Nodding with a knowing smirk at each other, Feng cheerfully left the trader¡¯s office and headed towards the basement, checking his notifications along the way.
New Skill Obtained: Negotiate By getting your way in business deals through cunning and sheer bullshit, you have learnt how to better convince others to give you better deals. (Passive Skill) +1 Charisma +5% Discount when purchasing goods +1% Success Rate to influence terms in your favor
Congratulations! Your successful acting and deal-making has earned you: Negotiate levels up to Novice 3 Oratory levels up to Novice 5 Magical Contracts levels up to Novice 2 +6 Charisma +2 Wisdom
¡®Very nice¡­¡¯ Feng thought cheerfully as he nodded to the two men guarding the entrance to the basement and took the steps leading down into a dimly-lit basement¡­ Chapter 9: Join The Dark Side AN: If you enjoy this story, dropping a quick comment, rating or review will be greatly appreciated! Walking into the dimly lit basement, Feng found long shadowy passageway lying ahead of him with barrels and crates stacked about the place, indicating its usage as a storage place. Moving deeper into the basement and carefully peering around, straining his eyes and senses in the eerily desolate and silent basement, Feng couldn¡¯t help but wonder. ¡®Shouldn¡¯t they have guards here besides at the entrance, given the amount of goods they have stored here. Unless¡­ Of course, it¡¯s not that there are no watchers, but merely my inability to sense them.¡¯ Continuing his walk for a few minutes, Feng finally came to the end of the passageway only to be faced with a blank wall and no signs of further passages. ¡®Of course, it couldn¡¯t be that easy, if they are so easily found¡­ They won¡¯t be called an Assassins Guild.¡¯ Carefully examining the area for signs of an entrance, Feng finally noticed a spot on the wall that appeared to be less dusty and somehow more worn than the rest. Pressing on it gingerly, Feng readied himself for any surprises only for absolutely nothing to happen¡­. ¡°Over here.¡± Spinning around to face the voice, Feng saw a robed figure standing by an entrance in the right wall which had opened up so quietly and smoothly he did not notice it at all. ¡°Greetings young merchant, are you here to place a contract?¡± A deep male voice issued from the shadowy figure whose face was fully shrouded by the cowl of his dark brown robes which easily blended in with the shadows. ¡°No. I¡¯m here to learn the ways of the assassin.¡± A long silence ensued after Feng¡¯s words, and Feng felt the gaze of the figure scrutinize him accompanied by a complete lack of motion on the other¡¯s part¡­ In fact, the lack of motion often made Feng have to purposely refocus his eyes on the man as Feng¡¯s gaze seem to be constantly slip by and somehow interpret his silhouette as part of the shadows. ¡°Very well, state your name.¡± ¡°I¡¯m Feng. May I know who I am speaking with?¡± ¡°¡­ You may address me as Shadow for now. As for your request, our Order is an unforgiving one, only the worthy may enter. You will need to get a single strike on me in order to pass the entrance trial¡­ Come back when you are ready.¡± Falling silent, the figure simply stood there watching Feng who took a moment to take a measure of the shadowy figure and his surroundings before bursting into motion. Rushing in, Feng threw three daggers in quick succession at Shadow and dual-wielded his remaining daggers closing in with one slashing for Shadow¡¯s neck and the other stabbing straight at his torso¡­ Watching the daggers flew within handspans of Shadow with absolute no movement from him, Feng thought for an instant he caught the man off-guard with his sudden attack. ¡­ Instead the figure dodged between his daggers with a small side-step and tilt of his head, allowing the daggers to fly past him with bare centimeters to spare and clank harmless against the wall. Effortless parrying Feng¡¯s strikes with a single dagger, Feng¡¯s arms were hopeless overextended and off to the sides due to Shadow¡¯s deflections. However, instead of jumping back and recovering, Feng surprised him by tossing his daggers with little strength behind the tosses but forcing Shadow to ward off the incoming daggers with his blade¡­ While Feng continued his risky gamble and rushed in as close as he could get¡­ and sidestepped to Shadow¡¯s side to avoid going head on with Shadow¡¯s blade. Unleashing a barrage of fists at Shadow who effortlessly dodged every single blow, Feng sneakily added his feet into the mix with a low thrust kick to the knee which unexpectedly contacted¡­ Before Shadow¡¯s figure abruptly burst into smoke which left Feng coughing and stumbling. Still stunned by the sudden disappearance of the shadowy figure he was fighting, Feng completely failed to notice the presence behind him till he felt the point of the cold steel blade resting at the back of his neck¡­ ¡°You managed a hit but you still failed. You did not even clarify the mission parameters or seek additional intelligence but rushed in like a fool warrior. Even though you got a hit in, if you listened to the mission parameters you would have learnt that it needed to be a lethal strike¡­ and on the right target. You are far too impatient be to an assassin.¡± The cold deep voice sounding from his back admonished Feng as he gulped, literally held as a captive audience by the blade at the back of his neck. Heaving a sigh of relief as the blade was soundlessly withdrawn, Feng turned around on and stared into the impenetrable depths of Shadow¡¯s cowl, from which issued words shaking him to the core as that hated feeling of failure revisited him like an old familiar enemy Feng thought he had saw the last of since long ago¡­ ¡°A good assassin is patient, waiting for the perfect opportunity and finishes his mission in a single strike without leaving a trace of his presence behind. You have demonstrated none of these traits. Leave and continue in your fighter ways¡­¡± *DING*
Quest Failed: The Order¡¯s Entrance Trial An Order known to few, you have somehow got wind of it and was considered worthy to be tested. However, it seems your abilities are lacking, you have been deemed unworthy.
Stunned by the failure, Feng sat down on the cold hard stone floor as he saw the words ¡°Failed¡± flash before his eyes over and over again. Unconsciously curling up into a lotus position, Feng begun to meditate on his failure... ¡®Damn it, I can¡¯t believe I failed¡­ I thought I had everything planned out and I did succeed in what was required, didn¡¯t I? ¡­ It¡¯s like a damn trick question¡­ Is this it? I¡¯ll have to give up on my plans and rethink on my next steps? I could proceed to the alchemist now and come back again later or attempt to gain the skills I need through some other fashion¡­ But I need the skills urgently to mitigate the risk of hostile interference from the Church of Light¡­ Damn it.¡¯ Unconsciously clenching his fist and gritting his teeth, Feng¡¯s thoughts ran in a constant loop trying to find alternatives to this unexpected obstacle only to fail again and again. The feeling of frustration finally triggered a sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu which caused him to remember¡­ ¡®¡­ No. I can¡¯t give up so easily. Being wrong is something I should be familiar with, after all our missteps during our early start-up days and all the rejection and scoffing we received¡­ Damn, I changed a lot since then¡­ Since when did I get so sure of myself¡­ It was only by receiving advice and constantly changing and trying new angles that we made our business successful¡­¡¯ ¡®Damn it. Shadow is right. I haven¡¯t thought things through properly and rushed in half-assed believing my abilities will solve everything¡­ Heck, even Shifu spoke the very same words to me before I discontinued my martial arts training because I thought I had plateaued and thus deemed the training no longer worthwhile¡­ ¡® ¡®But I can¡¯t afford to stand still now, there is too much at stake for me to take my time. As much as it shows impatience, I do need these skills to safeguard the plan. There¡¯s no way I can change something as fundamental as patience in a snap, so I can only prove my worth through my strengths¡­¡¯ ¡®Hmm.. Shadow¡¯s last words about assassins remind me of my time with the whitehat hacker team¡­ With little resources and strict mission parameters set by our clients against expensive security systems, we succeeded through ingenuity and not playing by conventional rules¡­ Heh, I understand how to proceed now.¡¯ Standing up, Feng glanced around before shrugging and called out loudly. ¡°Hey Shadow, I know you are still here. I acknowledge your words and fully agree that this is a weakness of mine. However, I wish to prove to you that I can be a great assassin despite my current shortcoming.¡± Suddenly dropping down directly in front of him, Feng had to struggle to stop himself from flinching as the quietly menacing Shadow¡¯s sudden entrance and waited for his response. ¡°¡­ Very well. For detecting me, I will allow you a second chance¡­ But be warned, should you fail this time; you will never be allowed to take the trial to join us again. Let us proceed to-¡± ¡®Who could detect you¡­ I was just guessing since it doesn¡¯t make sense to leave a random person in front of your base without monitoring him¡­ Anyway, I better get my plan going¡¯ Thinking to himself, Feng hurriedly interrupted Shadow¡¯s words and interjected his prepared counter-argument to attempt to engineer a situation more favorable for himself. ¡°No, in the shadows there are no rules, only the objective. I show you my ability to be part of this guild through my own ways¡­ For how can the ways of the shadow be tested through scripted trials, the ones in the shadows do not abide by the rules but instead create their own. Therefore, I challenge you to assign me a target and I¡¯ll prove my worth.¡± Several long moments passed as Shadow stood silent before him, heightening the tension as he evaluated Feng¡¯s words before finally responding. ¡°¡­ We cannot trust a contract to one inexperienced like you, despite your advanced understanding¡­ Instead, as you requested, your trial shall be a mock assassination. Follow me.¡± Smoothly walking into the small hidden entrance, Feng had to struggle to follow Shadow as they went down into a twisting passageway full of intersections and turns¡­ The dimly lit surroundings and Shadow¡¯s tendency to effortlessly flow from shadow to shadow without breaking a stride only worsened the difficulty of keeping up and Feng almost ran into him as they abruptly stopped in front of a dull metal door. Entering it after Shadow fiddled with some kind of mechanism hidden away from Feng¡¯s sight, the open doorway revealed a small square room completely void of anything but an orb nestled on a pedestal in the middle. Staring at the tiny room and trying to imagine what sort of trial they could run on a mock assassination, Feng can¡¯t help but question Shadow. ¡°How is the trial supposed to run in this cramped space?¡± ¡°¡­ Patience. Place your hand on this orb.¡± Receiving an admonishment, Feng sighed and decided to quietly follow the instructions and decided that speaking out less will help his case here¡­ and touched the orb only to feel a sudden jerk on his body. The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. The world warped around him and Feng felt a sense of vertigo before it cleared up into a familiar scene of himself landing in the town square bringing a sense of deja vu¡­ Except this was clearly not Tyward any longer with completely different architecture and even the folk moving around looks different as they appeared to be predominantly beast men instead. ¡°Your mission is to locate a tiger-man by the name of Vakero and slay him.¡± Shadow¡¯s voice coming from seemingly nowhere disrupted Feng¡¯s gawking and got him to refocus on the issue at hand as he thought things through and moved to a less crowded area so as to not draw any unwanted attention before quietly speaking out loud. ¡°¡­ Do I have more mission parameters and information about his whereabouts, lifestyle, schedule, possible weaknesses or anything else relevant?¡± ¡°Good. You learnt. He is the one manning the stall to your right. Red hair and red stripes on his skin, he is a trader who supposedly trades in rare delicacies and foodstuffs but in reality it is a cover for his trading of pleasure slaves. His house is heavily secured and impossible to penetrate at your level; however during his public appearances he is relatively more vulnerable due to his cover as a simple merchant.¡± ¡°¡­ Are there any resources I can make use of?¡± ¡°¡­ Good. Go to the alley off of the east side and look in the barrel at the end, you¡¯ll find some basic supplies.¡± Following their short conversation, Feng quickly made his way to the cache and opened it. Pulling out his findings to inspect, Feng found a total of five items consisting of a vial of poison, three knives and a hooded cloak. Thinking things over and trying to inspect the items but failing to get any information window, Feng wrinkled his brow and got a sudden epiphany but decided to clarify matters with Shadow to properly ensure the plan will work. ¡°How strong is the poison?¡± ¡°As long as it gets into the blood-stream and he does not get an antidote within thirty seconds, Vakero should die.¡± ¡°Excellent.¡± Feng responded positively upon hearing Shadow¡¯s confirmation and heads off to ask a villager for directions to a blacksmith and tailor shop. After getting his direction, Feng headed to the blacksmith and sold the knives before moving on to the tailor shop and surprisingly requested to buy some needles and thread saying he wishes to repair some of his clothes. After finishing his transactions, Feng proceeded back to the square and carefully Watched Vakero¡¯s actions for a full hour as he prepared his next moves. Once done with his preparations, Feng coolly walked up to the beastman and engaged into small talk with Vakero while inspecting his goods, touching and examining the things on the merchant¡¯s stall. Shortly after, Feng walked away and hid himself in the crowd, stealthily examining the merchant¡¯s movements¡­ A few minutes passed before the tiger-man suddenly gurgled and fell to the ground convulsing. A huge commotion was soon raised and Feng carefully stayed at the outer edges of the crowd while keeping a view of Vakero who swiftly expired within a few seconds of the crowd gathering around him¡­ Carefully standing within the crowd till it slowly dispersed once the town guards came, Feng blended into the masses and pretended to be a passerby attracted to the scene¡­ only for a familiar sense of vertigo to hit him and opened his eyes to see himself back in the small dark room. ¡°Congratulations, you have passed the Assassin graduation trial. Welcome to the Order Apprentice.¡± Still dizzy from the sudden transition, Feng took several long moments before processing Shadow¡¯s words and realized something off about them. ¡°¡­ Wait a minute; shouldn¡¯t it be an entry trial instead?¡± ¡°The trial you requested was for apprentices to graduate and I allowed it due to your understanding of the ways of those who dwell in the shadows. It tests the apprentice¡¯s ability as well as stomach for the kill¡­ However, this is the first time I have seen such a well-planned assassination and nonchalance in such trials, although most will go for a direct kill instead of planting poison-tipped needles and would be disturbed by the kill. However, you show zero remorse, have you killed before?¡± ¡°No¡­ but it was obvious that the trial was merely an illusion. Despite the sense of vertigo, the fact you were able to supply with me so easily combined with the mechanical movements of the townspeople, the lack of noise and bustle beyond my immediate surroundings plus their reactions to me especially when I questioned one told me that you were controlling the illusion somehow.¡± ¡°I see. Regardless, you have passed the trial. Come with me to the training room and I will teach you the basics.¡± ¡°Wait if I passed the graduation trial, shouldn¡¯t I be a full member instead of an apprentice?¡± ¡°¡­ And that is why you are not ready yet. You still lack patience, be grateful you are given a chance to hone your talent.¡±
Trial Completed: Order¡¯s First Trial You have finished the Order¡¯s First Trial for apprentices¡­ and became an apprentice. Moving past the failure of your Entrance Trial to unorthodoxly pass the First Trial, you have relied on your wisdom and intellect to carry you through¡­ which was probably why you failed in the first place given how *special* your brain must be. +2 Intelligence +2 Willpower +4 Wisdom
Quest Completed: Joining The Order of Shadows Congratulations, you have joined the Order through extremely unorthodox methods despite failing the entry trial. By convincing Shadow and passing the graduation trial instead, you have been made an apprentice of the Order. However, your failure is still remembered and your rewards lessened. Objectives Completed: 1) Find the Order 2) Pass the Entry Trial (Failed) Secret Objective Completed: Pass the First Trial [Quest Success] Rewards: 1) Title: Apprentice of the Order 2) Order Skills (partial)
Title Obtained: Apprentice of the Order Making your first steps into the shadows, you have succeeded in entering the Order. Now those who watch from the dark will recognize you as part of the Order¡­ For good or for ill. +5% Guild-Specific Quest Trigger Chance Privileges Access to the Order Hideout
Clearing his notifications as he followed Shadow to the training room, Feng scowled at the reminder of his failure and the obviously diminished rewards despite him actually passing a harder trial. Entering into yet another dull unmarked door, the duo found themselves in a larger room which was cluttered with random mannequins, pillars, barrels, crates and other smaller objects strewn around the place. However, Feng notices an odd discrepancy at the corner of his eyes; away from the clutter of the room, there was a tidy corner table right next to the entrance stocked with several large jars of¡­ cookies. Noticing the curious gaze of Feng¡¯s eyes, Shadow shrugged as he replied though the movement was barely visible under his voluminous robes. ¡°Oh we keep those for our guys who get hungry after training and need some snacks, it¡¯s more expensive than keeping bread and dried goods but our Mistress insisted on them...¡± Hearing his response and remembering an old internet saying, Feng stifled his laughter before asking if he could take some with him and received a shrug and nod. ¡®Come to the dark side¡­ we have cookies indeed!¡¯ Quickly stashing the cookies in his inventory before returning to Shadow, Feng mentally reminded himself to stay humble and focus on learning whatever Shadow has to offer¡­ Only to burst out incredulously after Shadow finishes his short lecture. ¡°Huh? That¡¯s all? You are only teaching me how to move stealthily and how to observe people and things?¡± ¡°Foolish apprentice, these skills are the basis of an assassin. Understand and master them and you will have grasped the essence of our way.¡± Suppressing his instinctive sigh of displeasure at the words, Feng shrugged and decided that it shouldn¡¯t take too much time to gain the abilities by practicing here in the training room... Only to be halted by Shadow¡¯s surprisingly small hand on his shoulder impeding his movement into the room. ¡°You are not ready to use these facilities yet¡­ Go out and hone your abilities¡­ and learn patience first.¡± ¡°¡­ Fine. When can I progress to the next stage?¡± ¡°When you understand¡­ and we will be in contact when you are ready.¡± Without any warning, Feng¡¯s world was covered in darkness for several long seconds and he felt as though he was drowning and compressed at the same time¡­ ¡°Puaahh.¡± Heaving in air as the world brightened around him revealing the dimly lit entrance of the Merchant¡¯s Guild basement, Feng felt Shadow¡¯s hand leave his shoulder before he melted back into the shadows with only a single word. ¡°Farewell.¡± ¡®¡­ Damn it. Are these skills enough to match up the troubles that will come? I had expected much more from the usual assassin¡¯s skills¡­¡¯ Thinking bitterly as he departed from the Merchant¡¯s Guild, Feng headed towards to crafters¡¯ street in hopes that he will have better luck with the alchemist¡­ and hopefully get rid of that niggling feeling of someone watching him¡­ *Ding*
Secret Quest Unlocked: Eyes On You Feeling like you are constantly watched? Well perhaps you are, try to find out more if you dare¡­ Prerequisites: *Hidden* Conditions Difficulty: *Hidden* Objectives: 1) Discover more about the watchers and their objectives 2) *Hidden* Rewards: *Hidden* Failure: *Hidden* Quest cannot be declined.
Chapter 10: What Man Proposes... Anxiety and a tinge of fear crept into Feng¡¯s mind as he stared dumbly at the quest notification. ¡°Damn it.¡± Swearing out loudly, Feng¡¯s mind calmed down after his abrupt venting and begun to quickly process the possibilities and risks of the quest before he took a quick scan around, turning his head and staring at buildings as though he was lost and trying to orientate himself. In actuality, Feng¡¯s eyes were checking for the possible spying points among the buildings as well as the street around him. Walking back and forth as though he was trying to locate a particular place fruitlessly, Feng carefully triangulated the tingling feeling on the back of his neck as he mentally crossed off possibilities in his mind and narrowed in on a particular window in a nondescript house across the street as well as a couple of workers moving goods about. *DING*
New Skill Obtained: Observe Congratulations, you learnt how to look at things and people around you. Not sure how you survived so long without learning to look around you, some people just are more *special* and need more time I guess. (Passive/Active Skill) Grants additional information about observed target. New Stat Unlocked: Perception +1 Perception
Congratulations! Your observations have earned: +5 Perception Observe has leveled up to Novice 3 Sense Hostile Intent has leveled up to Novice 7
Dismissing the windows quickly, Feng looked up surreptitiously at the targets he identified¡­ Only to realize the tingling feeling was gone and all the workers have seemingly disappeared on their jobs. ¡®Damn. No quest update either¡­ maybe this is just a precursor to the actual quest and there is a trigger to it down the road. Oh well, I wanted to get on with my training and plan anyway.¡¯ Shrugging off the odd encounter, Feng resumed searching for the apothecary to find his next teacher, an alchemist. ¡® Wonder what the alchemist is like, Kuron did mention it¡¯s a she, maybe she¡¯s something like a witch? Hmm.. She¡¯s probably an old crone or something given the usual in-game archetypes surrounding potion-brewers.¡¯ As he searched around the apothecary, Feng noticed the glare of the noon sun has greatly reduced the people on the street, especially with it nearing lunch and food places such as bakeries and small eateries begun to see a steady stream of customers. Realizing that he should consume something before his hunger levels affect his stamina again, Feng absentmindedly drew out a cookie from his inventory and munched on it as he searched. Finally spotting the place, which was not directly on the main south street but rather near the mouth of one of its offshoots, Feng walked up to the shop made of worn but solid-looking stone blocks. The front was completely devoid of color and decorations except for a single wooden sign hanging out with a charcoal-drawn image of potions on it. Eyeing the apothecary dubiously, Feng wondered if this alchemist would be a proper teacher or not given the lack of traffic and poor location¡­ At the very least she definitely needs a lot more business sense¡­ Shrugging off his wandering thoughts, Feng entered the shop and tripped a small bell chime as the door swung open. ¡°Be right out! Don¡¯t touch anything.¡± The inside of the store stood out in stark contrast to its plain storefront with racks of vials and flasks full of multi-colored liquids stacked almost precariously around the shop and other containers of varying shapes and sizes bearing all forms of compounds scattered about. Beyond the visual mess which immediately hit Feng, a mix of sharp acrid smells were then processed by his brain and sent him into a short coughing fit as his nose struggled with the pungent odors. A series of banging noises and swearing issued forth from the backdoor behind the counter which was similarly covered with various potions and compounds, before the door opened to reveal a feminine figure in a set of discolored blue robes with her face completely obscured by ridiculously large and clunky goggles. ¡°What are you looking for? We sell a large collection of glues, dyes, distilling compounds, metal polishers, inks and cleaning solutions.¡± The woman said as she took off her glasses revealing a moderately pretty face with large blue eyes framed by short blond bangs. ¡®Huh, not healing potions and a young woman? Guess stereotypes are disproved again¡­ Unless it¡¯s a case of youth potions or some sort of appearance disguising potions? Given how much girls can do with just make-up¡­ Yeah.¡¯ Realizing that he was staring and the alchemist was looking at him oddly, Feng thoughtlessly blurted out the questions on his mind. ¡°Wait, aren¡¯t you an alchemist? Shouldn¡¯t you be selling healing potions and such? ¡­ And are you actually as young as you look or actually really old and hiding it with some kind of youth potions or something?¡± His brain catching up with his run-away mouth moments later, Feng bit his lips in dismay as he realized how offensive his words probably sounded¡­ especially the last part to a female¡­ Damn, she¡¯s turning red and opening her mouth¡­ ¡°HOW RUDE! HOW CAN YOU SAY SOMETHING LIKE THAT TO AN ELIGIBLE YOUNG LADY LIKE MYSELF! I¡¯m only just turning twenty-two this year so you better take back those words¡­¡± Instinctively ducking for cover out of habit, Feng hid behind one of the racks and called out an apology urgently. ¡°Uh. I¡¯m really sorry. I wasn¡¯t thinking and Kuron made it sound like you are an old accomplished alchemist when he recommended me to visit you, so I was really confused when I saw a pretty young lady like yourself appear.¡± ¡®Step 1: Apologize, Step 2: Divert the attention and blame, Step 3: Throw in some compliments¡­¡¯ Feng peeked around the racks at the blonde and noticed her deflating and sufficiently confused. Deeming it safe and that the trusted formula has saved him from female fury once again, Feng walked over to the girl as he spoke. ¡°Sorry about the misunderstanding. Kuron told me to find you if I wish to learnt alchemy. Although, it seems like you do a lot more work for the crafters instead of selling the general populace given the range of products you mentioned?¡± ¡°Yeah, unfortunately there¡¯s little demand for potions and such since the Church of Light came to the town¡­ Healing spells are less costly and able to handle all sort of different aliments, though with the way they have been increasing prices¡­ Wait you want to learn alchemy? And who is this Kuron?¡± ¡®Step 4: Change topic successfully. Now to persuade her to teach me.¡¯ Feng shrugged as he replied nonchalantly. ¡°Oh you probably know him as Head Trader Steele, and yes I would like to learn alchemy as I have¡­ some personal issues with healing spells. Also, I have a business deal I would like to speak to you about¡­ But first perhaps I could get your name, unless you prefer me to refer to you as pretty lady? I¡¯m Feng by the way.¡± The blonde gaped at Feng as his casual name-dropping netted the desired effects and his follow-up compliment elicited a small blush on her cheeks as she replied. ¡°I¡¯m Alicia, owner of this shop and certified Advanced level alchemist¡­ Wow. I can¡¯t believe Head Trader Steele actually knows me and recommended me. However, I can¡¯t just randomly take in an apprentice simply because you were recommended. I¡¯m not sure about the business deal you wish to talk about but first follow me to the back. I¡¯ll teach you some basics and see if you are capable enough before we talk about more.¡± Feng simply nodded and followed her into the back, glad that he managed to get a free pass so easily this time round instead of some convoluted trial¡­ Following closely behind, Feng¡¯s senses were assaulted by the absolute mess the backroom was in, making the previous room seem like orderly in comparison¡­ Complex equipment were strewn across the room, reminding Feng of long-forgotten chemistry lab sessions, with the recognizable shapes of measuring tubes, distilling flasks, mixing bowls, funnels mixed with completely unfamiliar objects and equipment. The equipment and brewing potions were randomly glowing or belched colored smoke which swirled around the room stinging Feng¡¯s eyes¡­ and the smell was even worse. Only the open windows helped with diffusing the odor and smoke in the room, though Feng can¡¯t help but pity the neighbors¡­ Preoccupied with gawking at the chaotic state of the backroom, Feng failed to notice Alicia slipping on a wet spot on the floor, only realizing as she fell backwards into him sending them both crashing to the floor. ¡°Ow¡­¡± Feng said as he took the brunt of the fall being on the bottom and tried to sit up, his hands trying to lever himself up only to touch soft and firm flesh¡­ ¡°EEPPP! Watch where your hands are going!¡± Alicia squeaked as she shot up from her position lying across Feng¡¯s body after the fall. ¡°Eh? Um.. Right, sorry. Maybe we can get on with things now?¡± ¡°¡­ Yes, of course.¡± Alicia looked vaguely displeased despite Feng¡¯s contrite answer and stalked off, stumbling into various tables and nearly knocking off some equipment on her way. Pulling out a set of simple mixing flasks and vials as well as a mortar and pestle, she passed it to Feng and indicated a free table at one corner. ¡°There are two types of herbs on the table there used in basic healing compounds, the simple recipe is a simple mixture of both herbs powdered and mixed in water to create an extremely weak healing potion. Show me the results when you are done and I¡¯ll judge the quality.¡± Sitting down at the workstation, Feng used his newly obtained skill to inspect both types of herbs as he handled them carefully.
Blood Leaf Type: Ingredient Effects: Healing (Blood Replenishing Effects), *Hidden*, *Hidden* Description: A blood-red leaf from an unknown herb, it is supposed to assist the body in replenishing blood loss.
Willow Bark Type: Ingredient Effects: Healing (Wound-Closing), *Hidden*, *Hidden* Description: Long strips of willow tree bark, this ingredient is supposed to assist in the closing of wounds.
¡®Hmm¡­ so components of a typical healing potion, I suppose it¡¯s considered a minor healing potion due to its ability to heal only superficial wounds. Though the blood-replenishing effects will probably help to some extent in the case of more serious wounds¡­ Alright, now I could get started using Alicia¡¯s recipe or¡­ Yeah let¡¯s go with that, scientific method for the win.¡¯ Feng glanced over at Alicia who was off in her own corner working and decided that it will be fine to ¡®borrow¡¯ some other equipment and grab simple equipment like a cutting board, empty racks, a distilling flask and heating equipment which composed of an odd engraved-stone underneath a flask¡­ Powdering some of both herbs in Alicia¡¯s prescribed method with the mortar and pestle, Feng proceeded to slice bits of them with his dagger, gently heat up other samples of the herbs and even dunked whole pieces into flasks of water. With the ingredients prepared in various different forms, Feng quickly started a whole bunch of combinations of the different ingredients using different methods with the first sample following Alicia¡¯s recipe precisely while the others deviated from it with one differently prepared ingredient or mixing method¡­ and on the extreme end, completely differently prepared and mixed ingredients such as diced bark and the water from some boiled leaves being mixed together, heated and distilled and some samples resulting in other forms such as powders or jellies¡­ You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. After a full hour or so, Feng was finally done with the last of the samples and he begun observing each sample as they were left in their individual racks of vials.
Beginner Healing Potion Type: Potion Quality: Poor (50% reduction in effects or stats) Effects: + 20 HP Healing (10 seconds to take effect) Description: A beginner healing potion with barely any healing abilities, made even crappier by the poor skills of a newbie alchemist.
Beginner Healing Potion (Modified) x2 Type: Potion Quality: Poor (50% reduction in effects or stats) Effects: + 16 HP Healing (10 seconds to take effect) Description: A beginner healing potion with barely any healing abilities with modification to the recipe making it even crappier.
Beginner Healing Potion (Modified) Type: Potion Quality: Poor (50% reduction in effects or stats) Effects: + 12 HP Healing (5 seconds to take effect) Description: A beginner healing potion with barely any healing abilities with modification to the recipe making it faster to take effect but with much less healing effects.
Potion Gunk Type: Compound Quality: - Effects: Toxic (2 Poison Damage every second, lasting for 30 seconds) Description: A beginner healing potion turned poisonous by the really terrible skills of a newbie alchemist.
After observing more than two dozen samples, Feng mentally noted the different effects caused by the differing preparation methods leading to increased quantity produced, increase in healing effects and increase in speed of effects or even toxic effects¡­ *DING*
New Skill Obtained: Alchemy Want to mixing stuff together and cackle like a mad scientist? Alchemy is the perfect skill for you to create any form of compound you wish by throwing stuff together and hoping it doesn¡¯t explode in your face! (Passive) +10% Effectiveness of alchemy products +1 Dexterity +2 Intelligence
Congratulations! Your efforts have earned you: +2 Perception +3 Intelligence Alchemy has leveled up to Novice 6 Observe has leveled up to Novice 5
Nodding approvingly at his skill gains, Feng started his work in earnest and begun to reproduce a large amount of the healing potion which gave the most value for money¡­ Boiling the bark and using the water which greatly increased the production amount while having minimal reduction of healing effects and powdering the leaf and mixing it water first for reduction in time to take effect before mixing the two together while leaving it on low heat for approximately a minute, which increases the healing effects again¡­ While letting his healing potions boil, Feng started on a side project of mixing the toxic effects together with healing potions into another vial¡­
Beginner Healing Potion (Heavily Modified) x30 Type: Potion Quality: Average Effects: + 24 HP Healing (6 seconds to take effect) Description: A heavily modified beginner healing potion with slightly increased healing effects and quicker time to effects.
Potion Gunk (Modified) x10 Type: Compound Quality: - Effects: Toxic (6 Poison Damage every second, lasting for 30 seconds) Description: Toxic potion gunk made even more toxic¡­
¡°¡­ Feng. Are you sure this is the first time you are learning alchemy? This potion is miles better than the recipe I gave you and you created ten times the amount that should have been possible from the ingredients I gave you.¡± Alicia said while inspecting a vial of Feng¡¯s healing potion he passed to her. ¡°Well¡­ I have learnt another discipline before in my own world that uses methods that can more easily experiment and come up with effective ways to increase output and effectiveness. Also, can I keep some of these potions since I made more than should be possible? In exchange for that and your teachings, I would like to offer you the recipe¡­ and a partnership to sell healing potions and other useful potions at the library. I¡¯m sure if we work together, we can make potions at prices below that of the priests¡¯ healing spells¡­¡± ¡°Alright, you can keep them but I¡¯ll take five of them to run my own tests on. As for being partners¡­ I accept! It was my father¡¯s dream to create potions that can help our fellow men and he entrusted me with it¡­ But with my skills, I simply could not manage to make any headway especially with the Church blocking me and even spreading rumors about witchcraft¡­¡± Feng happily stashed his creations less five healing potions into his inventory before continuing to speak. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I have a plan-¡° Only to be interrupted by a sudden tingling and feeling of danger on the back of his neck which Feng responded to quickly by diving forward and pulling Alicia to the ground. ¡°HE-¡° Alicia¡¯s indigent shout was cut off by knives streaking into the room over their head through the open windows and crashing into the equipment around the room. Four figures fully cloaked in crimson quickly followed the initial ranged assault as they leapt in through the windows with blinding speed¡­ Adrenaline shot through Feng¡¯s veins as he hurriedly drew his sword and dagger to fend off the ambush, swearing mentally as the speed of the assault clearly shows that the men are way beyond his current abilities¡­ only to sweat-drop at the sight that followed their quick entry. The cloaked figures had rushed in¡­ and spectacularly crashed into various equipment littered about the place or slipped on puddles leaking from the broken flasks from their thrown knives¡­ Not wasting the opportunity, Feng left Alicia behind cover and quickly leaped onto and across the tables to the nearest enemy and stabbed his sword through the hood mercilessly, pushing the sickening feeling of the blade sliding through flesh and out with an accompanying spray of blood and squelching sound to the back of his mind as he noticed the other figures recovering. Tossing his four of daggers at the two furthest away, Feng charged at the remaining enemy who readied long knives in his hands to defend himself¡­ But was instead surprised by Feng throwing his last dagger at his face and quickly blocked with his weapons. *SCHLING* Looking down dumbly at the sword impaling his chest, the enemy realized far too late as blood bubbled up in his mouth, that in the split second his eyes were blocked by his own weapons deflecting the dagger, Feng had thrown his sword at the man¡­ Seeing the two remaining assassins charge towards him with only one having a long gash across his arm from his thrown daggers, Feng mentally calculated his chances against fighting them head-on and gritted his teeth as it was impossible. ¡®Two down. The rest will be far more prepared for my attack though¡­ and I¡¯m out of weapons¡­ Or maybe not.¡¯ A wicked grin spread across Feng¡¯s face as he grabbed random vials from a nearby table and tossed them at his attackers and kept up a barrage of vials aiming not only at them but at the floor in front of them causing them to halt their advance and block the vials only to have random liquids splashing their body¡­ One of which caused sizzling sounds to ensue from under the man¡¯s hood causing a muffled scream of pain as he backpedaled only to step into a puddle¡­ which turns out to be strong glue causing him to fall backwards and hit his head hard on the stone floor, abruptly cutting off his scream. The remaining assassin who managed to avoid the bulk of the thrown vials stopped warily as he glanced at the chaotic scene with all his compatriots taken out in disturbing ways¡­ and wisely decided to retreat. Pulling out a glowing stone, the assassin started to chant only to be interrupted by Feng throwing another vial and rushing at him shouting. ¡°LIKE I WILL LET YOU ESCAPE!¡± The vial shattered over the stone as Feng reached the man with a flying kick¡­ and bright light enveloped the room¡­ and faded leaving the chaotic battle-scene untouched except for the conspicuous lack of two figures¡­ ¡°Feng?¡± Alicia called out as she looked about her wrecked workroom¡­ only to receive no response¡­ ¡­ ¡­ ¡­ A bright light flashed and two figures fell onto the hard ground. Struggling with each other briefly, one soon overpowered the other and rapidly smashed the other¡¯s head against the ground till his movement ceased. *DING*
Congratulations! For defeating enemies way above your level, you have leveled up twelve times and earned: +1 Strength +2 Dexterity +1 Agility +2 Perception +3 Luck
Congratulations! For being the first to discover this dungeon, you will get twice the experience gains for a period of one week while exploring this dungeon.
Ignoring the notification, Feng stared dumbly at the man he just slain with his bare hands¡­ and the blood staining his hands. The sickening crunch as the man¡¯s skull broke, the squelching sound as he stabbed his sword through another¡¯s face, the spray of blood, the screams of agony¡­ All these swirled around his mind and he had to forcibly drive down his urge to vomit at the realism of the violence and death. Minutes passed before Feng regained a grip over himself by repeating a constant refrain in his mind. ¡®It¡¯s just a realistic game and they are all AIs, just AIs not real people or anything¡­ It¡¯s just a game.¡¯ With that thought in mind, Feng finally looked around himself and found himself in an underground room surrounded by stone walls¡­ The room was thankfully empty and a wooden door hopefully kept the noise of their struggle from alerting anyone. Finally paying attention to the notification windows, Feng double checked the amount of level-ups he obtained with astonishment¡­ and was even more shocked by the dungeon notification. ¡®Well, at least I have time to train before I head back to complete my training and quests.¡± Feng consoled himself mentally as he realized that he was trapped in a completely new and unknown dungeon¡­ *DING*
Quest Update: Time Limit to Library Quest Failure ¨C 6 more days
AN: Made some edits to stat gains, since luck factored more in Feng''s victory than anything else. Chapter 11: Dungeon Delving AN: If you enjoy this story, dropping a quick comment, rating or review will be greatly appreciated and does wonders for my motivation! ¡®You must be shitting me. Six more days to return from an unknown dungeon when I could be on another continent for all I know? ¡­This is just plain unfair! Ugh.¡¯ Itching to get back to complete his quest and training, Feng was all ready to rush off only for the memory of Shadow¡¯s words to resurface in his mind¡­ ¡®¡­ failed¡­ far too impatient¡­ learn patience¡­¡¯ Thinking back on how he landed in this place, Feng can¡¯t help but acknowledge that if he did not rush in at the last assassin, he would not find himself in this unfortunate circumstance¡­ Although¡­ remembering that odd flash as the potion touched the stone, Feng doubted that they were at the original location the assassins meant to go. That thought sparked off Feng¡¯s memory of the stone which teleported them here and so he approached the corpse and gingerly searched for the stone in hopes that it would be able to send him back somehow. Finding the stone some distance away, Feng carefully grabbed hold of it and examined it.
Teleport Stone (Unknown) - Cracked Type: Runestone Effects: Single Teleport (Unknown location) Description: After being tainted by unknown alchemical concoctions and cracked from improper usage, this teleport stone is no longer functional.
¡°Damn it.¡± With no easy route out of the mess he landed himself in, Feng decided to take Shadow¡¯s advice to heart and patiently begun observing everything in the room around him, including the dead man and his equipment before taking any actions.
Stone Wall Type: Wall Description: A stone wall of the room... What were you expecting? Some kind of secret door? You can always try hitting your head on it for a one-way trip to La La Land.
Stone Floor Type: Floor Description: The floor... it is made of stone. You might trip and kill yourself on it.
Heavy Wooden Door Type: Door Description: It¡¯s a door. It¡¯s closed. It is also made of wood.
Unknown Assassin Type: Human Level: ~25 Faction: Unknown Description: Dead. With his skull shattered. In case you forgot.
Feng¡¯s face twitched with annoyance as he read the obviously altered description texts and mentally swore at the admins but decided to keep his cool and continued observing the equipment and items he rummaged from the corpse.
Bloodied Red Hooded Cloak Type: Body Defense: 2 Durability: 24/30 Description: A thick red hooded cloak stained with the blood of its previous owner.
Hardened Leather Armor Type: Body Defense: 12 Durability: 48/50 Requirements: 30 Strength Description: A set of hard leather armor without any identifying marks.
Sharpened Iron Knives (x2) Type: Daggers Damage: 15 ¨C 23 Durability: 40 Requirements: 50 Dexterity Description: Iron knives which are longer than standard daggers and sharpened for extra damage.
¡®Damn, no orders, no identifying marks or any possible clues¡­ At least the equipment is much better what I curren- Crap. All my weapons are still back in the workroom¡­ and all the loot from the other three assassins I missed out on!¡± Pounding his fist on the floor as he made that realization, Feng growled in frustration and sat fuming for some time before regaining his composure. Feng equipped the new items, swapping out the robes for the cloak¡­ though he left the hood off as the bloodstains from the enemy¡¯s crushed skull greatly disturbed him¡­ Deciding to be cautious and slowly scout outside the room, Feng begun to employ all the principles of stealth Shadow taught him and crept up to the door. Stopping beside the door, he listened intently for a few minutes to check for any nearby presences before easing the door open slowly and wincing as the slight creaks echoed through the place. Peeking his head out from the partially open door, Feng saw a long stone passageway running parallel to the door with the left path extending off slightly angled upwards with the old stone walls being replaced by the packed dirt of a tunnel, while the right path sloped downwards towards an intersection with older and cracked stone walls. ¡®Well. This is a no-brainer. Upwards towards the surface or downwards towards dungeon ruins¡­¡¯ Sneaking cautiously leftwards and hopefully towards the surface, Feng travelled for a few minutes without encountering anything only noticing the tunnel widening and seeing more roots and such dangling through the now dirt tunnel roof. Unfortunately, unlike the previous passageway and rooms which had glowing blocks on its roof, these natural tunnels has no natural light source except that of some dimly glowing moss scattered very sparsely. While Feng appreciated the cover of darkness to hide in, he was also extremely wary of possible surprise attacks by monsters given the lack of visibility¡­ Hearing a noise ahead of him, Feng quickly pressed himself against the wall and into the shadows. His heart pounding furiously as the subconscious fear of the unknown surged up into him spiking his adrenaline levels. Creeping forward slowly, Feng found himself at the mouth of a moderately-sized cavern¡­ occupied by a huge brown lizard monster covered with green stripes curled up resting in a bowl-shaped hollow on the ground. ¡®Observe¡¯
Giant Comodon Lizard Type: Lizard Monster (Elite) Level: ~60 Attacks/Weapons: *Skill Level Too Low* Traits: *Skill Level Too Low* Stats: *Skill Level Too Low* Weak Spots: *Skill Level Too Low* Description: A monstrous lizard with striped patterns on its back, the scales on its body looks extremely tough and the claws on its thick limbs can easily shred flesh.
¡®Holy shit!¡¯ Cursing in his mind as he read the information window on the monster, Feng unconsciously took a step back¡­ and his foot scuffed the dirt lightly. The monster reacted immediately as its head rose slowly from its resting position between its forelimbs and glanced around with its forked tongue flickering in and out. Staying completely still and taking only extremely light breaths, Feng forced himself to calm down by attempting to meditate in his currently frozen position. After a few long moments, the giant lizard put his head back down and resumed its rest much to Feng¡¯s relief. *DING*
New Skill Obtained: Stealth You have learnt how to hide and sneak around, avoiding enemies. Coward. +10% chance to remain undetected +5% increased damage when attacking enemies who are unaware +2 Agility +1 Perception
¡®Whew. That monster looks way too strong for me¡­ It looks slow but considering the claws and size, it looks like a strong and tough type. I might not even be able to damage it¡­¡¯ Slowly sneaking backwards, Feng fled once he was far away enough back to the room for some respite and safety to plan his next steps. Only letting his guard down once he checked that the room was clear, Feng breathed out a sigh of relief and slumped to the ground taking a much needed break. ¡®Well. Shit. An elite monster that¡¯s way above my level and looks like it will snap me in half with a single blow¡­¡¯ Noting the passage of time and the needs of his body in VR, Feng munched on a piece of hard bread as he contemplated the obstacle before him and his options. ¡®I can try to fight and kill that lizard elite, but at the moment there¡¯s an extremely high likelihood I¡¯ll die and besides the publicly released one day respawn period, there was absolutely no information on respawn¡­ Too risky, I could end up losing all my items and skills. I COULD try to sneak past the monster but given how it reacted and the size of the cavern with the lack of cover, I honestly doubt I¡¯ll make it through either¡­ Plus, I don¡¯t even know where that tunnel leads¡­¡¯ After some time going around in circles, thinking about possibilities, Feng made up his mind to explore the right passageway before coming to a decision given that it might be possible that direction leads to weaker monsters and the real exit out of the dungeon¡­ Feng dusted the bread crumbs off his hands and stood up, mentally preparing himself for the unknown dangers ahead by running through the stealth lesson he learnt to ensure he is properly executing the techniques. It is amazing how life-threatening danger causes one to adapt and quickly try to pick up new and unfamiliar habits such as patience and caution¡­ Silently padding out and heading down the right passageway, Feng carefully stuck to the shadows at a slow pace due to his preoccupation with ensuring he rolls his feet correctly as he moves in order to minimize noise plus coordinating his body to ensure his equipment does not contact each other. Taking his time to observe the walls and unknown glowing blocks, Feng skimmed through the information windows only to find unhelpful descriptions and the blocks being typed as ¡®light source¡¯. As minutes passed into an hour, Feng felt the air around him gradually get warmer and slight air currents touch his skin as he continued on his downward journey. Given the absolute lack of signs of life, Feng was tempted to drop his stealth and move faster as minutes ticked by and his bored gaze wandered around the plain stone passageway¡­ only to narrow as he noticed slight discolorations on a random stone block near the foot of the wall. Examining it more closely, Feng cautiously tapped it with his knife in case it is trapped¡­ only to jump away as a low grinding noise sounded¡­ and a segment of the wall opened up to reveal a small circular room. *DING*
Congratulations, you have discovered a secret area: + 20 Perception Observe has leveled up to Basic 1
¡®NICE! Maybe there are some treasures I can use¡­¡¯ Elated by the discovery, Feng rushed into the room only to stop suddenly as he realized his emotions has led him to throw caution to the winds again. Luckily, no traps triggered on him though looking around him only showed faded murals on the walls without any signs of chests or items¡­ Feng sighed at his hopes being let down and trudged over to examine the murals more closely. ¡®Hopefully, they unlock some secret skill or something like those Chinese martial arts movies where old hermits inscribe amazing techniques into the caves they train in¡­¡¯
A faded mural (Dragon) Type: Painting (Wall) Description: A faded mural painted on stone walls, you can vaguely make a large red dragon in the scene and some men(?) on horses(?) fighting it.
A faded mural (Sword) Type: Painting (Wall) Description: A faded mural painted on stone walls, you can vaguely make a man holding up a sword(?) and a large stone and people(?) surrounding him.
A faded mural (Pyramids) Type: Painting (Wall) Description: A faded mural painted on stone walls, you can vaguely make out pyramids in the scene as well as a¡­ sphinx?
A faded mural (Flood) Type: Painting (Wall) Description: A faded mural painted on stone walls, you can vaguely make out the scene of a great flood... and a ship(?) on the waters.
Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.
A faded mural (Monsters) Type: Painting (Wall) Description: A faded mural painted on stone walls, you can vaguely make out the creatures fleeing across... something which is too faded to make up.
*DING*
Congratulations, for viewing ancient murals you have earned: + 3 Wisdom + 2 Intelligence
¡®That¡¯s it? No secret skill? No item? No magic? Just some historical murals which totally looks like they were stolen from old myths and legends from real life? Really developers? Isn¡¯t this just too lazy¡­¡¯ Stalking out of the secret room annoyed and disappointed, Feng still maintained his composure and maintained his stealthy approach as he proceeded onwards, disgusted with the let-down of the secret room. Finally as he felt the air turning warm and a gentle current breezing around him, the passage way opened up to a huge cavern¡­ Feng gaped at the sheer scale of it as the ceiling was so high that he could not see anything but darkness and points of light and more importantly it could literally fit an entire city in it¡­ and in fact contains what looks like the ruined remains of an entire city as the area around him was littered with broken walls and partially roofed buildings with a ruined castle with an odd red glow much further ahead¡­ The warm air of the cavern stuck to him which puzzled Feng as he doubted that he had progressed so deep that it would result in a significant temperature change like this. Hearing some skittering sounds, Feng realized belatedly that he was exposed in the open and quickly ducked behind some ruined walls and peeked around to observe in the direction of the approaching sounds.
Red Salamander Type: Lizard Monster (Uncommon) Level: ~40 Attacks/Weapons: Bite, Claws, Tail, *Skill Level Too Low* Traits: Fire Resistance, Fast, *Skill Level Too Low* Stats: *Skill Level Too Low* Weak Spots: Head, *Skill Level Too Low* Description: A crawling red salamander about the size of a large dog with black and red striped skin.
¡®Huh. My observe has levelled up enough to give me some additional information¡­ Although, it seems mostly stuff I can see for myself¡­ besides level and the fire resistance trait.¡¯ Contemplating the lone salamander skittering closer and closer to his location, Feng thought to himself if this was an opportunity to gain some experience and level up quickly. ¡®¡­ If I can take on an ambush of four level 25 Assassins. One level 40 Salamander with surprise on my side should be easy. Right?¡¯ Calculating his odds, Feng tried to mentally reassure himself despite knowing that this way of thinking is definitely flawed¡­ Positioning himself carefully behind the chest-height broken wall, Feng readied himself as the salamander slowly drew nearer. Mentally preparing himself, Feng took a deep breath and leaped over the wall¡­ landing directly on top of the salamander with both his knives plunging deep into the salamanders head with a wet schling. *Critical Hit* Feeling the monster rearing in surprise and still alive, Feng ripped his blades out and quickly stabbed down on the exact same spot, driving it deeper through its head and jaws and felt the tip of blades contact with the stony ground with a dull cling. Thrashing weakly for a few more seconds, the salamander attempted to turn around to snap at Feng or claw at him but was trapped by Feng¡¯s body resting on top of its long body which prevented even the thick tail from being able to contact Feng despite its wildly lashing about. Upon its death, Feng hurriedly dragged the lizard corpse behind the ruined wall and anxiously kept an eye out for any attention he might have attracted. After a few tense minutes with no other signs of monsters, Feng cast his eyes on the corpse and wondered how he was supposed to loot it¡­ or if there was even any loot.
Red Salamander Corpse Type: Corpse (Lizard Monster)Level: ~40 Extractable Components: Claws, Skin, *Undiscovered* Description: A dead red salamander messily impaled through the head.
¡®Damn. So we are expected to manually skin and butcher creatures for loot? ¡­ It will take time and I can¡¯t do much with the claws and skin now although it may be useful down the road¡­ Screw it, I¡¯ll just give a go and chop up this corpse¡­ maybe it contains gold or items inside.¡¯ Steeling his stomach, Feng flipped the corpse around and roughly stabbed into the underbelly of the lizard with his knife and dragged downwards, sawing away at the corpse to reveal its innards¡­ Grimacing as a sickening stench hit him, Feng realized he must have cut into the intestines and so reversed his direction and cut upwards only to flinch as a spray of blood squirted out and covered his hands when he severed main arteries. Slowly but surely, Feng opened up the lizard and managed to pull away a roughly stripped skin and hewn-off claws but found absolutely nothing but a sickening mess of innards and organs within the salamander corpse. *DING*
New Skill Obtained: Anatomy You have learnt the basic working structure of creatures by brutally cutting them up. Creature Types - Lizards (25% Knowledge) +1% Critical Hit Chance versus known creature types +5% Critical Hit Damage versus known creature types Bonus is doubled when knowledge of creature type reaches 100% +1 Intelligence +2 Perception
New Skill Obtained: Skinning You have learnt the basics of skinning corpses for fun and profit. +1% Success rate when skinning +2 Dexterity +1 Strength
Despite the usual heady rush of accomplishment from obtaining new skills, Feng can only grimly appreciate the two new skills, as he can¡¯t help but feel disgusted at himself and the mess he made of the corpse¡­ Wiping himself off as best as he can, Feng placed the claws and skin in the last two slots of his inventory without even observing them as he could barely withstand the urge of vomiting when he thinks back to the bloody skinning process¡­ especially that dark sense of enjoyment of all the blood and violence¡­ Feng stalked off in search of other prey, mentally convincing himself that this was a game despite the realism and all this is just for the sake of surviving and getting back to his city, quest and plans¡­ After successfully hunting down and skinning six more salamanders with the same tactic, Feng came across a pair of salamanders moving together down the street. ¡®It¡¯s getting tougher to find solitary salamanders to pick off¡­ If I can handle one without any issues, two should be fine too.¡¯ His confidence bolstered by his successful kill streak and lack of damage from the monsters, Feng prepared himself to ambush the two lizard monsters. Executing the exact same tactic, Feng got the drop on the rear salamander as the distance between the two drew apart slightly and viciously assaulted the monster. Within moments, his target was rendered dead but the trashing and noise had alerted the other salamander that made some kind of trilling noise before it lunged at Feng with its claws outstretched. Evading the oncoming claws, Feng managed to slip past the monster¡¯s claws but was nicked on his left arm as the claws swiped by. *-20 Damage*
New Status Effect: Poisoned (Slight) Duration: 30 seconds Effects: 5 damage/second
Feng¡¯s eyes widened at the ridiculous amount of poison damage, he only had 480 health in total¡­ if a slight nick caused so much physical damage and poison effect equating to more than a quarter of his health, he could not afford to get hit¡­ Noticing the second salamander returning for another attack, Feng focused intently on any tell-tale signs of its attack and his legs tensed slightly. The lizard barreled towards Feng abruptly with its jaws snapping at Feng only to close on empty air as Feng jumped high and flipped to land neatly on top of the salamander and plunged his knives deeply into it. With both salamanders laid to rest, Feng was about to drag off the corpses to skin only to feel a tingling sense of danger¡­ Recalling the odd cry of the second salamander and the amount of damage dealt by a glancing blow, Feng¡¯s confidence of standing against an assault of more than one salamander was greatly dented. Quickly fleeing the scene back towards the entrance, Feng ducked into one of the partially standing ruined buildings to spy on the pursuing forces¡­ and regretted his action as he saw swarms consisting of at least ten salamanders each milling around and converging on the previous battleground¡­ Even worse, there was a horse-sized red winged lizard leading one of the first groups to arrive on the scene and judging by the way it was sniffing the air and making a beeline towards his current location¡­ It is currently tracking Feng by his scent.
Red Dragon Whelp Type: Dragon (Young) Level: ~150 Attacks/Weapons: *Skill Level Too Low* Traits: *Skill Level Too Low* Stats: *Skill Level Too Low* Weak Spots: *Skill Level Too Low* Description: A red dragon whelp with magnificent crimson scales and a set of draconic wings folded across its back, it is an apex predator intent on chasing down its prey...
¡®DRAGONS? Even a whelp is level 150? I¡¯m so screwed if it catches me¡­ But wait a minute; judging by the monster ranks¡­ don¡¯t tell me the boss of this dungeon is a FRIGGING RED DRAGON???¡¯ Stunned by his realization, Feng stared dumbfounded at the red dragon whelp as it drew nearer to his location with a soft and somewhat familiar glow off its scales¡­ Turning to face the ruined castle and a glint of red coming from the area, Feng activated his observe skill¡­
Ancient Red Dragon Type: Dragon (Unique Boss) Level: ~900 Attacks/Weapons: *Skill Level Too Low* Traits: *Skill Level Too Low* Stats: *Skill Level Too Low* Weak Spots: *Skill Level Too Low* Description: *Hidden*
Gaping at the information window revealing the presence of an unbelievable monster, Feng turned tail and ran, finally snapping out of his dazed state as the red dragon whelp closed in. Running amongst the ruined buildings in circles towards the cavern entrance, desperately hoping that it would confuse the scent trails, Feng turned back only to find two more red dragon whelps appearing in pursuit¡­ The dragon whelps each leading swarms of salamanders quickly cornered him and begun to converge on his location as they sniffed around and¡­ shot massive fireballs into random buildings and alcoves knocking down the ruined walls and shaking the ground nearby. ¡®Damn it. I¡¯ll definitely die if I get hit by one of those¡­ Tch, if I¡¯m going to die, I might as well log out so I won¡¯t have to feel any pain¡­ Even if it is dampened to 25%, being roasted alive would hurt like crap¡­¡¯ Hitting the log-out button desperately as the groups closed in on his position, Feng stared at the slowly ticking log out timer. 10¡­ 9¡­ *FSHOOOSH* A fireball seared past his cover and exploded against a nearby wall. 8¡­ 7¡­ 6¡­ ¡®Shit, one of them must have caught my scent. It¡¯s looking over here¡­¡¯ 5¡­ 4¡­ ¡®It¡¯s closing in!!!¡¯ 3¡­ A massive fireball shot out direct at Feng¡¯s location and he quickly dived away to a neighboring wall. 2¡­ All the red dragon whelps and salamanders caught sight of him and a trio of fireballs was launched at him. 1¡­ Feeling the scorching heat of the approaching fireballs as he desperately ran, Feng prayed desperately that the log-out will- *DING* Chapter 12: What Doesn’t Kill You… James¡¯ body jerked as the adrenaline coursing through his body caused him to tense as though he was still fleeing, only to be caught by the soft but firm cushioning of the capsule holding him in place. Coming to his senses, James slowly calmed down as the capsule¡¯s padding withdrew and the hatch slowly opened up, releasing him. ¡°Damn it, there was a notification just before the log-out¡­ I must have died in-game that means a 24-hour wait¡­ grr¡­ I need a break anyway.¡± Gingerly getting out of the capsule, James flexed and stretched his muscles which felt oddly sore as though all the exertion he made in-game has been transferred over. James went about his business sullenly as his mind fixated on his current in-game situation, his annoyance evident from the forcefulness of his actions. James checked the clock and was shocked to realize that it was already 9.42pm, more than 30 hours after he first entered Athal, meaning he had gone without rest for more than a full day. Whipping up yet another meal of instant noodles and finishing it within moments, James went to bed and was out of it the moment his head hit the pillow. *RING* *RING* ¡°Nngghh¡­ I don¡¯t have to work anymore. Screw waking up in the mornings.¡± James blindly groped around for his ringing smartphone and swiped away the call and dropped back to sleep immediately. *RING RING RING* ¡°GAH.¡± James opened his eyes blearily and shut off his phone entirely without even checking the caller and happily continued snoozing. *BANG BANG BANG* ¡°¡­ What the heck. Can¡¯t a man get some peaceful sleep.¡± James woke up sluggishly, yawning and stretching and slowly trudged over to get a change of clothes, yelling out as he went about dressing himself. *BANG BANG* ¡°COMING! STOP BANGING ON MY DOOR!¡± ¡®Oh shit. I knew I forgot something important.¡¯ Staring at the quietly fuming beautiful girl standing in front of his front door, James briefly wondered if he would be better off closing the door and pretending to not have seen her¡­ Nah, that¡¯ll only worsen his punishment¡­ She politely sidestepped past him as she entered his house, though James could clearly sense her anger as she petulantly jerked her face away from him, her long straight raven hair whipping into his face as she did so. Spitting out the stray strands that got stuck in his mouth, James sighed and silently closed the door, preparing himself to pay the piper. ¡°Explain.¡± The girl seated herself in the living room sofa, her long slender legs crossed¡­ Oh those nicely shaped calves never fail to catch his eyes¡­ ¡°Ahem.¡± His eyes snapped up to meet her unamused eyes staring at him imperiously, clearly waiting for his response. Deciding that survival was paramount to his pride, James unabashedly groveled before her feet as blurted out his excuses. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for the lack of the contact over the past few days, Leena dearest! I was kicked out of the company for a few million and they gave me the pre-release Ascension as well and I have been playing it to¡­¡± James¡¯ words trailed off as he beheld the erupting volcano before him as his girlfriend hauled him up and threw herself into his arms hammering away at his back¡­ Only instead of being cute and girlish, each blow literally drove the wind out of him and stopped him from even speaking as she launched into her rant. ¡°DO YOU KNOW HOW WORRIED I WAS? ABSOLUTELY NO CONTACT FOR NEARLY A WEEK? I WAS AFRAID YOU HAD AN ACCIDENT OR SOMETHING! IF IT WASN¡¯T FOR ME CONTACTING KELVIN I WOULDN''T EVEN HAVE HAD A CLUE WHAT WAS GOING ON!¡± Seeing her tear up as the words spilled out of her mouth, James croaked out an apology as best as he could¡­ only to be interrupted by the flood of tears and an emotional hug from her. A bone-crushing hug which nearly snapped his back especially with her shaking him around, luckily it was stopped when she realized what James said earlier. ¡°Such an important thing happened to you and you didn¡¯t tell me? How could you! You got the early release and didn''t tell me!! You knew I really wanted to get my hands on it!¡± ¡­ Or perhaps not so fortunate after all, though Leena¡¯s mood took a complete three hundred and sixty degree turnaround, she went on to rapidly fire questions at James with her eyes shining in excitement and shook him excitedly¡­ ¡°What level are you? What class or type are you playing? Knowing you, you must have chosen some broken OP crap¡­ Have you gotten a pet? Do they have cool weapons? Cool monsters?¡± *CRACK* Hearing an unnerving crack from James¡¯ body and his completely pale face, Leena worriedly checked on him. ¡°James! Are you alright?¡± ¡°Just give me a moment¡­ you got over-excited again. Please control yourself dear...¡± James extracted himself from her grasp and sat down gingerly on the couch before stretching his back gently, sighing in relief as the kinks in his back were loosened with soft pops. "Oh my God! I lost control again and hurt you, didn''t I? I''m so sorry..." Leena apologized contritely and sat down next to James with her face in her palms. Seeing dampness and some tears dripping from her eyes, James put a hand on Leena''s face and kissed her gently before reassuring her. "I''m alright dear, it''s fine. Didn''t we talk about it before already, we''ll deal with your issue together slowly, one step at a time ok? Don''t worry your pretty head about it ok? Now don''t you want to hear about the game?" James felt Leena pull him into a gentle hug as she planted her face in his neck, the dampness from her tears seeping into his shirt. "T-thanks dear, you are the best..." *A few hours later* ¡°Can I start a look at the game? I really really want to see what it looks like.¡± Leena vibrated with excitement after hearing James¡¯ progress in Ascension, a complete turnabout from her previous state. ¡°I can¡¯t, I just died. I got killed by the fire dragon whelps, remember¡­ Plus how do you watch when it¡¯s a single capsule?¡± James looked down at floor angrily at the thought of losing, only to feel Leena''s soft hand on his hand squeezing gently. "Cheer up, I''m sure the penalties wouldn''t be that bad. Besides, you''ll definitely be far ahead of other people anyway!" Perking up slightly at her encouragement, James broke out of his frustration and kissed her hand affectionately. "Thanks dear! What would I do without you..." Leena grinned cheekily as she replied. "Probably be wanking over your magazines still... and eating cup noodles... Speaking of which, I bet you haven''t been eating properly.... ''Fess up now." James glanced off to the side and played innocent as he tried to quickly change the topic. "So anyway you still haven''t told me how you intend to watch when its a single capsule..." ¡°As usual, you ignored all the multiplayer functionalities¡­ The capsule allows you to plug in a normal screen to play what the player is seeing¡­ Wait! No trying to distract me... Hmpf, I bet you haven''t had anything proper to eat in a while. Let me whip up something for you... but could I first get a quick look at the game?¡± Faced with Leena¡¯s large puppy-dog eyes and pleading expression, James quickly capitulated despite the fact he could probably only log in to the waiting room and they head over to the capsule. ¡®What¡¯s the point of looking at it if we can¡¯t do anything yet¡­ Oh well, at least I''ll get some really good food after we have a quick look!¡¯ James entered the capsule, feeling the familiar padding slowly expand and engulf his body as the lid slowly came down. His last sight before the lid hissed shut was that of Leena hooking up a laptop to the machine via a hidden port he had previously completely overlooked. In the next instant as he opened his eyes, Feng was back in Athal¡­ in the exact same spot before he logged out. ¡°Wha? I¡¯m not dead? Oh shit.¡± Looking around him, he noticed the area was completely devastated by fireballs, the ground blackened and previously ruined walls were blasted away with the shattered bricks scattered all around¡­ Leaving Feng completely out in the open and a jolt of adrenaline shot through his veins as he noticed a few salamanders roaming the area, though thankfully no dragon whelps in visible sight. Jogging away from the blast zone to quickly duck behind some cover, Feng hid himself and carefully scanned the area for any salamanders who might have detected his presence. After a few minutes of tense observation, Feng concluded that the monsters must have thought that he had died in their assault as the normal movement patterns of the monsters seem to have resumed. With immediate danger out of the way, Feng checked the last notification he got before his log out, curious what it had been if it wasn¡¯t indicating his death.
Warning: Logging Out In Combat You have lost a level due to logging out in combat, while not prohibited players are to note that such actions will result in an indeterminate amount of experience loss. Additionally, should players die within the ten seconds countdown period prior to log-out, their experience loss due to death will be doubled.
This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. ¡®Holy-¡® ¡°Wow. That sounds really bad. Seems like you got off lucky James! Ooohh.. The environment looks so cool, the rendering is so realistic¡­¡± Feng¡¯s thoughts were disrupted by a familiar melodious voice sounding in his head and he looked around wildly, wondering how on earth Leena managed to enter the game. ¡°Silly, I¡¯m speaking through a microphone. You really didn¡¯t pay attention to any of the multiplayer functionalities¡­ Ooo look at that castle over there! Oh. Sorry, I must be distracting you. I''ll promise to keep quiet from now on! Jia you!¡± (Encouraging Words in Chinese) ¡®Sometimes it''s great to have a gamer girlfriend who understand things!'' Feng grinned as Leena went quiet and focused on getting out of the dangerous area and back to the safe room. Successfully avoiding all the salamanders, Feng soon reached the entrance only to find a lone salamander guarding the passageway¡­ Seeing no way to sneak around it considering the narrow entrance, Feng checked around to ensure the other wandering salamanders were a distance away before initiating his sneak attack. Leaping onto it, he quickly slaughtered the salamander and dragged the corpse much further down before proceeding to skin it¡­ ¡°Ew. That¡¯s disgusting¡­ But I guess it makes sense to loot them... This is kind of gross though, I''ll go start cooking first, call you when I''m done.¡± Feng simply nodded gratefully as he concentrated on carefully skinned and declawed the salamander corpse though he greatly appreciated the silence after her gushing over every single detail of the game. Jogging back to the room he initially appeared in, Feng did not bother sneaking this time given the utter lack of monster encounters previously and soon returned to the room where he sat down to rest and take stock of the situation. ¡°Alright, I prepared most of the ingredients and set the rice to cook. Hey, safe zone, yay! Ooh, can you show me your status now? I''m really curious about your build!" Feng silently complied as he pulled up the list of notifications to clear before opening his status only to be bombarded by a huge list of notifications and quickly shut them all only looking at the summary window.
Through your efforts and killing Salamanders, you have leveled up sixteen times and gained: +5 Strength +1 Dexterity +3 Perception Stealth has leveled up to Novice 6 Skinning has leveled up to Novice 3 Anatomy has leveled up to Novice 2 Combat Instinct has leveled up to Novice 4 Sense Hostile Intent has leveled up to Novice 8 Acrobatics has leveled up to Novice 4 Dagger Mastery has leveled up to Basic 4
¡°Wow, your stats look way overpowered for your level¡­ but why do you have so much un-allocated stats?¡± Feng looked flummoxed for a moment before he face-palmed at the realization he had a bunch of un-allocated stat points from his level-ups which he completely forgot about as he got used to earning his stat points from his efforts¡­ Feng¡¯s finger hovered over the different stats as he contemplated what he should increase in order to take out the lizard elite yet keep up with his long term goals. He really wants to save stat points for the most-OP stats likely intelligence/wisdom related for magical combos but needs to survive and get past the lizard and most of his skills are physical¡­ ¡°Eh. Why are you so weak, your strength is like your lowest stat¡­ It''s probably even lower than your real-world strength, maybe I can finally beat you!¡± Feng¡¯s eyebrows twitched at the perceived slight at his manliness and held down the plus button on increasing strength¡­ only to stop after his rational side woke up and screamed at him that he needed agility to dodge and survive and definitely extra constitution to ensure he survives. After allocating mainly to those three stats, Feng contemplated and decided to allocate a few more points to round out some of the other stats to nice round numbers and saved the remaining point before surveying the final results.
Status
NameFengGenderMale
Level28RaceHuman
Progress34%
Health870Stamina1020
Mana1130
Strength80Intelligence44
Constitution60Wisdom40
Endurance50Willpower14
Dexterity70Charisma18
Agility70Luck50
Fame110Faith1500
Titles
Greenhorn Adventurer
Cougar Bait
Blasphemer
Physical Skills
RunningNovice5Passive
BalanceNovice4Passive
AcrobaticsNovice4Passive
EvadeNovice4Passive
Unarmed MasteryBasic4Passive
Sword MasteryBasic3Passive
Dagger MasteryBasic4Passive
Dual-wielding MasteryBasic1Passive
Throwing MasteryBasic1Passive
Quick DrawNovice7Passive
Combat InstinctNovice4Passive
ToughnessNovice3Passive
StealthNovice6Passive
Breathing TechniqueNovice7Sustained
Chain PunchingBasic2Active
Mental Skills
Sense Hostile IntentNovice8Passive
ConcentrationNovice1Passive
AnatomyNovice2Passive
ObserveBasic1Passive/Active
MeditationNovice8Sustained
Social Skills
OratoryNovice5Passive
NegotiateNovice3Passive
Magical ContractsNovice2Passive
Crafting Skills
AlchemyNovice6Passive
SkinningNovice3Passive
Grinning as he realized his effective level from all his stat increases should place him on an equal level to the giant lizard monster, Feng quickly returned to the lizard cavern. Egged on by Leena cheering him on for an epic fight, Feng almost rushed into combat¡­ but remembered where his lack of caution had landed him and decided that overkill is better than dying from overconfidence. Retrieving two vials of potion gunk from his inventory, Feng carefully slathered both his knives with the gunk and left the empty vials on the ground. Observing the cavern for hiding spots, noting the few rocky outcrops in the circular cave, Feng planned out his approach before observing the slumber giant lizard again.
Giant Comodon Lizard Type: Lizard Monster (Elite) Level: ~60 Attacks/Weapons: Claws, Bite, Tail Traits: Tough Scales, *Hidden* Stats: *Skill Level Too Low* Weak Spots: Underbelly, *Hidden* Description: A monstrous lizard with striped patterns on its back, the scales on its body looks extremely tough and the claws on its thick limbs can easily shred flesh. The scales appear to grow thinner towards its underside.
¡®Damn it, fat lot of good that weak spot does for me.¡¯ Seeing the lizard lying flat on the ground with its underbelly entirely covered, Feng seriously doubted he had any chance at that weak spot. Hoping that the giant lizard shares a similar anatomy to the salamanders, he sneaked up close by and leapt at the large lizard monster from the shadows with both daggers out and plunging towards the monster¡­ Chapter 13: David VS Goliath? AN: Short chapter, but I hope you guys enjoy the first long fight scene! Reviews and feedback will be greatly appreciated :) Feng stabbed down on the monster¡¯s head with all his force combined with the impact of his body mass landing neatly on the Comodon Lizard¡¯s back. A simple feat considering its huge size and how he had managed that same move against the smaller Salamanders¡­ However, that was where the similarity ended as to his surprise, both of his daggers scraped off the elite monster¡¯s head scales leaving behind thin lines as it barely broke through to its flesh despite the sneak attack and his improved strength¡­ The massive reptile instantly roused from its slumber and rose up, the sudden motion nearly dislodging Feng from his mounted position. Imbalanced by its movement as he lashed out with his daggers, only one of his daggers found its mark and deepened the line etched on the lizard¡¯s head allowing some of the slathered on gunk to drip into the small wound. The lizard reacted instantly and rolled onto its side, throwing Feng off and clipped his body causing him to fly off a few meters before landing on the soft dirt ground. ¡°Ooff¡­¡± Feng was dazed by that glancing blow which easily knocked off a hundred plus health points. Quickly snapping out of it as his danger senses tingled, Feng¡¯s eyes widened at the sight of the enraged giant lizard was charging directly at him with its claws outstretched¡­ Throwing himself to the side, Feng barely dodged the oncoming claws and hit the dirt ground, tucking his body in to roll away¡­ only to be hit by the heavy tail lashing out at him and threw him across the cavern. Feng stood up shakily as he felt pain course through his entire body from that one direct hit he received and checked his health status. ¡®Shit. That last hit took away FOUR HUNDRED PLUS HP!¡¯ ¡°DODGE NOW!¡± Hearing Leena¡¯s sudden shout, Feng jumped to the side dodging the lizard¡¯s onslaught, this time ensuring he landed on his feet and quickly leapt over the follow-up tail swipe. Landing on the other side of the reptile, Feng slashes with his blades but only lightly scratches the even tougher scales on its body¡­ Ducking out of the range of its tail¡¯s return swipe, Feng backed away as he quickly pulled out and downed a health potion while thinking furiously in his mind. ¡®I¡¯m doing way too little damage¡­ Judging by its looks, I doubt I have even scratched five percent of its health. Damn it, wasn¡¯t it just a level 60 monster? ¡­ I can¡¯t afford to slowly whittle its health down considering the risk of taking a single blow is way too dangerous¡­¡¯ The lizard having regained its balance after its chain of attacks soon lunged at him with its mouth open and snapping causing Feng to hurriedly leap aside. ¡®¡­ That¡¯s it. I can use range attacks on it, even though I can¡¯t throw my daggers¡­¡¯ Feng continued jumping around and dodging the lizard, only this time scooping up clods of dirt and tossing at it, taunting it till it lunged again at Feng opening its jaws to bite at his leg¡­ only to receive a vial of potion gunk right in its wide open mouth as Feng danced away from the straightforward attack. The Comodon Lizard''s jaws instinctively clamp down on the foreign object causing the vial to shatter in its mouth and it roared in pain. Its jaws stretching open to reveal the shards impaling its fleshy gums mixed with black sticky potion gunk and Feng quickly took advantage of the opportunity by tossing another vial. This vial made it further INTO the monster¡¯s throat and the giant lizard choked on it for a moment before its powerful neck muscles constricted¡­ shattering the vial right inside its throat. The huge reptile started to convulse and roll around in pain on the ground this time keeping its jaws firmly clamped shut but exposing its fleshy underbelly as it writhed in pain¡­ His eyes widened as an unexpected opportunity revealed itself, Feng darted in quickly and stabbed his knives deeply with a sense of relief as he felt the blades sink in before sharply twisting his blades and ripping them out sideways as he jumped back and away from the wildly slashing claws. This deadly dance continued for several long minutes and Feng¡¯s speed begun to dwindle as his stamina drew lower and he instead backed away, fearing that he would be easily killed by a single misstep and counter-attack by the lizard. The lizard was by now bleeding from multiple stab wounds from its underside while the brief glimpses when it snapped its jaws at Feng revealed glass shards impaling its mouth and throat with the toxic gunk spread all around¡­ While its movements have slowed in ferocity, its strength is clearly unaffected as its swipes dug large swathes in the ground as it missed Feng. Moving out of its reach, Feng struggled to catch his breath as he was forced to continually dodge the lizard which caught up to him after a few brief moments not allowing him any space to recover¡­ Feng was forced to resort to tossing his remaining potion gunk vials at the lizard¡¯s wounded underbelly to slow it down and gain some space. Knowing that this was unsustainable, Feng glanced at his inventory and the last potion gunk left¡­ He can¡¯t waste that throw to just slow down the lizard¡­ but there really isn¡¯t anything else he can throw¡­ Wait. Grabbing something from his inventory, Feng once again backed away and tossed several objects in rapid succession at the lizard snout *Bonk* The pieces of hard bread smacked against the lizard¡¯s snout and glanced off, but the impact of the following pieces on the same location clearly jostled its head and it roared in pain as the glass shards worked their way deeper due to the impact¡­ Only for the roar to be cut off by the last potion gunk vial tossed down its gullet. Seeing that blunt impact appears to more effective on the lizard¡¯s head, Feng ran in and shot his leg out to kick at its snout¡­ and instantly kicked off with his other foot to jump up and stomped down with his full body weight down on its head. Slamming the lizard¡¯s head down on to the ground, Feng quickly jumped off, wary of its reprisal only to be surprised by its lack of motion after a second. If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.Realizing it was dazed by the blow to its head, Feng quickly repeated his assault as the lizard begun to react again. Only this time, he planted his feet in front of it, stored his knives and unleashed a flurry of fists on to the giant lizard¡¯s head, slamming the large head into the ground through the continuous impacts. While the gloves shielded his fist from directly scraping on the lizard¡¯s hard scales, the continuous impact of hammering the hard scales and head of the lizard soon took its toll on Feng¡¯s knuckles which was soon scraped raw after twenty seconds of pummeling the lizard¡­ as he exploited the one second of the daze inflicted by the blunt trauma to launch not one strike but four consecutive punches¡­ which then retriggers its daze status. Panting as his stamina dwindled, Feng snapped off a last kick at the creature¡¯s snout before backing away and quickly hiding back into the passageway hoping to get a quick breather before having to engage it again. The battered lizard snapped out of its dazed status and moved its head around slowly, its tongue flickering as it scanned the chamber¡­ and slowly trudged back towards its resting spot, seemingly severely injured by the last flurry of fists in addition to all the poison and bleeding wounds inflicted. ¡®Damn. It is resting now, given its absurdly high toughness, its regeneration rate is higher than mine¡­¡¯ Deciding that it was better not to risk it being able to heal fully from the damage he has already inflicted, Feng silently drank a health potion before he took up a meditation position for a full minute and quickly stabilized his breathing. Unfolding from his lotus position, Feng crept back to a rocky outcrop near the Giant Comodon Lizard¡¯s sleeping position and saw it resting with its underbelly exposed, probably due to the large amount of open wounds Feng had inflicted. Feng grinned viciously at the opportunity and charged in with his knives this time stabbing them deeply into the underbelly and left them impaled before kicking hard at them, driving them even deeper before dancing out of the way of the lizard¡¯s counter-swipe. Lashing out with his foot at its head and stunning it again, Feng went in for the kill with his fists healed from the effects of the potion and rained punches onto the creature¡¯s head¡­ Feeling his stamina drain again after nearly a full minute of chain punching, Feng decided to end the extended fight seeing the lizard weaken in its movements. Stiffening his thumbs, he plunged them right into the giant reptile¡¯s eyes and ruthlessly gouged them out with a loud popping sound as he twisted his hands displacing the orbs¡­ *CRITICAL HIT* Diving away as the final attack snapped the elite monster out of its stunned status, Feng saw it rear up into the air almost balancing on its hind legs¡­ before coming crashing down on his position¡­ as he desperately attempted to roll away. *THOOOOMFF* A giant dust cloud was thrown up by the impact and slowly cleared to show the giant lizard¡¯s body landed on the ground¡­ and twitched once¡­ twice¡­ and finally laid still. Thrown to the side, Feng slowly got up as he coughed from the dust that gotten into his nose and eyes and prepared to dodge any following attacks only to be met with silence. Rubbing his eyes free of dust, Feng was greeted with the sight of the monster finally lying still. ¡°Aww, it died by falling on your knives? What an anti-climactic end¡­ Cop-out¡­ You should have fought it like a man!¡± Panting from the exertion and feeling his body sag with exhaustion he previously ignored due to the large amounts of adrenaline running through his body, Feng simply flopped on to the ground and ignored his annoyingly chirpy spectator¡­ ¡®Tch. So much commentary from the peanut gallery, I¡¯ll see how well you do when you get your own character¡­¡¯ *DING*
For solo killing Giant Comodon Lizard (Elite), an elite monster way above your level, you have earned: Level up (x16) Achievement: Slayer of Giant Comodon Lizard Achievement: Defying The Way Of The World Acrobatics has leveled up to Novice 5 Toughness has leveled up to Novice 6 Combat Instinct has leveled up to Novice 8 Breathing Technique has leveled up to Basic 1 Evade has leveled up to Basic 1 Meditation has leveled up to Basic 1 Observe has leveled up to Basic 2 Throwing Mastery has leveled up to Basic 2 Chain Punching has leveled up to Basic 3 Dagger Mastery has leveled up to Basic 5 Unarmed Mastery has leveled up to Basic 6
Achievement: Slayer of Giant Comodon Lizard You have successfully slain the Giant Comodon Lizard guarding the [??? Dungeon]. +50 Fame +10 Strength +10 Constitution
Achievement: Defying The Way Of The World You have slain an elite monster more than double your level, doing what will normally require a full group of ten fighters equaling the monster¡¯s level¡­ alone. Not just punching beyond your weight class, you have accomplished what none have been dumb enough to even attempt and succeeded with a combination of ingenuity, cunning, skill and a healthy dose of luck Warning: Due to previous title obtained [Blasphemer], resulting title [Lone Hunter of Elites] has been modified by the Gods with negative modifiers. New Title Obtained: He Who Defies The Heavens [Permanent] +1000 Fame +20 to all unlocked stats -75% Experience gain from those under or equal to your level. -25% Experience gain from group/shared kills. +25% Experience gain from any creatures greater than your level. +50% Damage against any creatures greater than your level. -50% Relationship gains with Athal Gods¡¯ worshippers.
¡°You must be shitting me...¡± Chapter 14: I See The Light? AN: Once again, experimenting with different ways to move the story forward. Your reviews and feedback especially constructive criticisms will be greatly appreciated! :) Thanks rosidbeken2, deuszurich and KalebR for your reviews! ¡°The stat and experience boosts are great but what the hell is with the penalties!¡± Feng raged aloud about his latest title and its resulting ¡°benefits¡±. ¡°I¡¯m effectively blocked from grinding or even effective party hunting¡­ not to mention that added interaction penalty with the worshippers of Athal Gods.¡± Leena¡¯s bright and cheery voice rang out in his head though somewhat subdued by his obvious anger. ¡°Look on the bright side James! You hate playing in groups anyway and grinding on low level mobs bore you, I mean you always create ridiculously overpowered characters to avoid that when we game¡­ Remember our last D&D game when the GM banned your level 1 human ranger dual-wielding throwable bastard swords?¡± ¡°Tch. It was a perfectly legit concept which obeys every written rule¡­ Anyway, it¡¯s the principle of things, you never know when it might be profitable to grind on certain low-level mobs to quickly level up or gain materials!¡± ¡°Well¡­ Trust the Lord to provide for all your needs?¡± ¡°That was how I landed in this situation¡­ But, yeah. I suppose you are right. After all, it isn¡¯t as though I have been doing badly or anything. I managed to scrape my way through somehow despite the ridiculous situations so far¡­¡± ¡°Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for Thou art with me.¡± ¡°Amen.¡± Feng responded without thinking to Leena¡¯s quotation of the bible and thought wryly. ¡®¡­ Considering Leena is way more devout than me, she¡¯s probably going to be flagged as a blasphemer of the Athal religions too¡­ At least I won¡¯t be alone, I guess?¡¯ After a quick rest combined with a meal of bread and cookies, Feng returned to the corpse of the giant lizard and rolled the heavy corpse over before digging around in its insides to retrieve his knives. Preparing himself to extract whatever loot he can from the corpse, Feng examined the corpse closely and activated the Observe skill.
Giant Comodon Lizard Corpse Type: Corpse (Lizard Monster) Level: ~60 Extractable Components: Claws, Hide, Eyes (Destroyed), Meat, *Unknown* Description: A corpse of a monstrous lizard with striped patterns on its back, the scales on its body looks extremely tough and the claws on its thick limbs can easily shred flesh. Its eyes have been gouged out leaving bloody holes and its mouth is a gory mess of glass shards and poison.
Wielding his knives with greater finesse than before, after his experiments with the salamander corpses, Feng managed to skin the large reptilian corpse although his final work was ruined by some holes and jagged edges due to the toughness of its hide.
Giant Comodon Lizard Hide Type: Crafting Material Quality: Below Average Effects: *Hidden* Description: The tough but flexible hide of a Giant Comodon Lizard, it could prove useful in crafting.
Slowly dissecting the rest of the corpse, Feng first de-clawed the lizard taking some time to saw off the large claws before proceeding to extracting its innards which he suspected could be used for alchemy but at the moment was simply too unskilled to extract without damaging them. However, while he was extracting the heart, Feng bumped into an unexpectedly hard object and groped around in the bloody and mangled corpse¡­ to find an oddly smooth black rock.
Giant Comodon Lizard Monster Core Type: *Hidden* Quality: *Hidden* Effects: *Hidden* Description: A mysterious fist-sized stone found within the Giant Comodon Lizard.
¡°Ooo! Cool, is that some sort of magical monster stone? Maybe it can be used to enhance equipment? Summon monsters?¡± Leena¡¯s voice broke Feng¡¯s train of thoughts as he examined the odd stone and he couldn¡¯t help but sigh at the reminder of his unwelcome spectator¡­ Deciding there was little he could do now, he decided to set it aside for appraisal and research when he returns to town and started butchering the lizard corpse for chunks of meat. *DING* After finishing his bloody work, Feng read and closed the notification windows informing him of the increase to his anatomy skill and knowledge of lizards. He then took stock of his current equipment and the loot laid out before him. ¡®Hm¡­ the knives are down to less than 50% durability though the rest of my equipment is still fine. I really need to find a way to repair equipment on the go¡­ Blacksmithing maybe? For now, I¡¯ll save my knives for skinning purposes and fight with my fists instead¡¯ Preparing to toss out some of his inventory items to make space for the loot he just obtained, Feng was pleasantly surprised to be greeted with a notification when he inspected his inventory. *DING*
By reaching level 30, your maximum inventory slots have been increased to 4x4.
Noting that his inventory has eight free slots at the moment, Feng decided to optimize his inventory space given that items such as [Magical Contract], [Librarian¡¯s Robes] and [Teleport Stone - Cracked] are taking up a slot each. Taking the robes out, he carefully wrapped the magical contract, teleport stone as well as monster core within it before replacing it into a slot¡­ *DING*
Librarian¡¯s Robes (Container) Type: Container Description: Simple grey working robes used by librarians, it has been repurposed to contain small items.
Packing all the loot into his inventory, Feng examined the giant lizard¡¯s den carefully one last time as he prepared to leave. With nothing but some gnawed on bones and the bloody corpse in sight, Feng left via the other tunnel continuing upwards. The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. The long winding dirt tunnel snaked upwards for nearly fifteen minutes of walking before opening up to a small cavern which was in a four-way intersection... and was occupied by a few large lizards. Observing them, Feng noted that these [Large Gila Monsters] were poisonous but only level 42. Nonetheless, he decided caution was the way to go and stealthily lured one of the monsters towards him by throwing clods of dirt at it. Dropping onto its back and raining blows onto its head, Feng dispatched the monster almost instantly. Sweat-dropping at the ease of slaying the monster, Feng was reminded of his recent stat boosts¡­ and the unpleasant fact that killing these lower level monsters would not be grant him much experience.
Large Gila Monster Corpse Type: Corpse (Lizard Monster) Level: 42 Extractable Components: Poison Sacs, Fangs, Hide, Claws, *Unknown* Description: A corpse of a large colorful lizard with streaks of yellow, red and blue running through its black hide serving as a warning that it is highly venomous¡­ Or at least that is the purpose for its smaller lizard cousins, but this monstrous example of the Gila Monster is more than capable of driving predators back with its sheer bulk and even more lethal poisons.
After taking time to observe and dissect it, Feng decided to only extract its poison sacs given that its poisons are likely the most valuable loot from it and also relatively fast and simple to extract as compared to skins. Given the relative weakness of the mobs and his uncertainty of the time required to travel back to the city, Feng decided to throw caution to the winds and plunged into battle with the Large Gila Monsters, quickly slaying the remaining group of four in the room without taking any hits and proceeded to explore down a randomly chosen tunnel. However, that tunnel only led him through dozens of encounters with the Large Gila Monsters before ending in a dead-end. It took him hours to find the right combination of tunnels to reach the next level of tunnels where he was faced with a surprisingly weak but annoying lizard monster.
Venomous Chimera Type: Lizard (Uncommon) Level: ~40 Attacks/Weapons: Bite (Poisoned), Claws Traits: Poisonous, Camouflage, *Skill Level Too Low* Stats: *Skill Level Too Low* Weak Spots: Head, *Skill Level Too Low* Description: A small lizard measuring less than an average man¡¯s arm, it boasts a poison bite made deadlier by its ability to blend in with its surroundings.
Feng¡¯s first encounter with these annoying critters was when he accidentally stepped into a nest of them, causing the group of four to collectively sink their poisonous fangs into his legs and rapidly decreasing his health due to the high poison damage taking away nearly a third of his health within seconds, only mitigated by him hurriedly downing health potions while stomping down on the deadly lizards. Such encounters were repeated through yet another maze-like network of tunnels as Feng searched for the exit to the rapidly growing monotonous dungeon. It took so many hours to explore that he was forced to exit and rest in real life multiple times by Leena before continuing onwards. Besides the loot of poison sacs and chimera hides he extracted offsetting his quickly dwindling health potion supply, Feng was ultimately pleased with the annoying chameleons due to the massive gains he was getting to his Observe skills as well as gaining a new skill through his encounters with them.
New Skill Obtained: Poison Resistance Congratulations! Through frequently exposing your body to toxins and poisons, you have developed a resistance for them. (Passive) -10% Poison Damage +3 Constitution
*Many Hours Later* After more than fifty in-game hours, which was only interrupted by enforced rest periods from Leena who visited him as often as she could after work (unfortunately), Feng finally reached the exit of the cave dungeon and saw daylight after more than three days of endless tunnels filled with various reptile monsters, progressively growing weaker and insignificant after the Venomous Chimera. He had made short work of the Rock Lizards, which was only annoying due to their rock-hard skin not to mention the headaches he got trying to skin them; followed by common Brown Lizards which were completely insignificant except for their speed but that was hardly comparable to Feng¡¯s. By the time Feng has reached the exit, he had gained 100% understanding of [Lizards] in his [Anatomy] skill and unlocked a 5% understanding of [Reptiles] of which lizards belong under, and leveled it to Basic 2, granting him increased intelligence and perception stat bonuses. His [Skinning] skill had similarly leveled up to Basic 3 and granted him increased success as well as greater stat bonuses. Unfortunately, the rest of his skills made little notable progress¡­ except for [Sense Hostile Intent] teetering on the upper brink of Novice 9 due to the annoying surprise ambushes by large groups of the lizard creatures. Making his way out of the cave, Feng took a few moments to enjoy the refreshing feel of the cool breeze and warmth of the sun on his skin after his long subterranean journey before looking around¡­ and saw only dense forest surrounding him in all directions. *DING*
Quest Update: Remaining Time till Library Quest Failure ¨C 3 days
Chapter 15: Two Roads Diverge In The Woods… AN: If you enjoy this story, dropping a quick comment, rating or review will be greatly appreciated and does wonders for my motivation! Feng sighed as the unpleasant reminder of his impending quest deadline disrupted his enjoyment of his newfound freedom in Athal. ¡®Time to focus on getting back to Tyward again¡­ How to navigate back though, there¡¯s no convenient world map with player location or anything similar¡­¡¯ Wandering around aimlessly, Feng eventually circled back and found his way back to the cave entrance only because he marked some trees else he would have been hopelessly lost as the dense vegetation looked similar in all directions. After striking out a few more times and wasting an hour or two, Feng finally decided this was way too inefficient and took note of any landmarks he could find. Unfortunately, the tall trees blocked his view of any sort of mountains or significant landmark and there was only a small pond within the radius Feng explored. Forced to improvise, he instead looked out for the different types of trees and shrubs, taking advantage of the [Observe] skills ability to discover their names such as [Black Oak], [Creeping Ivy], [Apple Tree] among many others. Next, Feng carefully examined the area for signs of animals, and found the tracks of [Black Wolf], [Grey Squirrel], [Black Boar] and a bevy of other small animals, though most of the smaller creatures fled at his approach and he only managed to observe a [Black Boar] directly.
Black Boar Type: Porcine Level: 32 Attacks/Weapons: Tusks, Body Blow Traits: Poisonous, Camouflage, *Skill Level Too Low* Stats: Constitution-Focused Weak Spots: Legs, Underside, Eyes Description: A large black boar found only in the [??? Forest], its impressive tusks and girth make a good deterrence for any hunters seeking easy meat.
¡®Tsk, not much chance for experience gains here if this is representative of the levels of the creatures here. Hopefully it also means I¡¯m not too far away from civilization.¡¯ Returning back to the cave entrance, Feng logs out and trawls through the Ascension forums hoping to find relevant information on his current location.
Topic: Amazing Outdoor Environments! You won¡¯t believe the detail of the environments in Ascension! It is comparable to real life in every way! I left the town I was in and immediately went exploring and saw amazingly realistic and majestic scenes. While I haven¡¯t managed to get far from the town, so far I have walked through rolling plains and dense oak forests. ~ Walker
Topic: Looking for party members for quest hunting Black Wolves! Looking for a healer and a tank for quest killing Black Wolves, only those above level 30 will be considered. Meeting spot at Tyward¡¯s Town Square, no need for camping equipment, quest grounds within a day¡¯s journey. ~ Elestrin
Topic: Buying Creeping Ivy Extracts Will pay one silver for every five extracts. ~ Grass Dealer
After an hour of trawling through threads containing any of the plants or animals he found in the locale on the forums, James managed to discover that he is actually in the Black Forest, based on the very limited user descriptions so far¡­ and thankfully it was only a day¡¯s travel away from Tyward which was the only reason why he managed to find the sparse amount of information as sufficient players had quests or hunted in the woods considering the creatures are fairly low leveled and easy experience for nearby players. Unfortunately, that doesn¡¯t help him at the moment as Feng is stuck in the depths of it without direction and a fast approaching deadline about two and a half days left till he fails his quest. Based on the limited information on the forums, Feng decided to head eastwards as it was mentioned in one of the threads that heading west was going deeper into the woods where more powerful creatures roamed. Feng ran almost without stopping and avoids the creatures who surprisingly also veered away from him, probably sensing he was more dangerous than the [Black Wolves], the highest leveled creatures he caught a glimpse of while loping through the forest was only level 34 though they ran in packs and seemed well-coordinated. However, even the pack of these top predators also avoided Feng sensing that he was probably more trouble than it was worth and moved on to seek out easier prey. Finally after a few hours of running or more accurately jogging due to the uneven forested ground, Feng slowed down as his keen eyes noted some unnatural marks in the dirt ground. The ground was oddly tossed up as though there was some combat in the area, however there was no signs of claw or hoof marks around the region and even the tossed up ground seemed to be oddly smoothened. ¡®Looks like someone passed by here¡­ but why would they go to the trouble of hiding their tracks? Odd, but this is likely my only chance of getting some directions back to Tyward, I can¡¯t afford to miss it.¡¯ Breaking into a smooth loping run enabled by his recent [Running] skill rank up, Feng quickly moved in the direction of the oddly smoothened ground and soon encountered small signs of people moving through the area. Buoyed by the hope of making his way back to town soon, Feng increased his pace, crunching dead leaves and twigs beneath his feet with quick strides. *TWANG* The abrupt sound in the previously quiet woods and the tingling sense on the back of his neck was Feng¡¯s only warning as an arrow brushed past his face, drawing a thin line of blood in its wake¡­ Hissing in pain, Feng completed his dive to the right which saved him from being impaled through the head and quickly rolled again as another arrow buried itself in the ground next to him. ¡°YAAAHHHHHH!¡± Two fighters dressed in a haphazard complement of leather armor charged out from the bushes screaming as they ran towards Feng to compound his troubles as he was still struggling to dodge the oncoming arrows. The closer man had stringy black hair and held a slim sword in his arms and ran graciously as compared to the the other who was built like a block and brandishing a large axe. Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.Lacking the time to check out their information windows, Feng made a snap decision that that his chances are better in melee combat than dodging arrows and surprised the two charging men by charging at them himself despite the obvious numerical disadvantage¡­ As they closed in on each other, with the archer still peppering the ground around Feng as he zig-zagged to avoid the projectiles, Feng surprised them all by leaping sideways towards a tree as they heaved their respective weapons to take a swing at him. The large axe crashed into the ground as its wielder failed to abort his swing in time and the excess force drove the heavy weapon deep in the dirt¡­ and quickly dropped from the burly man¡¯s hands as Feng¡¯s flying kick crashed into his temple with the extra force from Feng rebounding off the thick tree trunk. Unfortunately, Feng¡¯s plan did not work as perfectly as he intended as the large man only staggered and collapsed under Feng¡¯s feet instead of flying into his slimmer companion as he anticipated. This gave the other man opportunity to retaliate as Feng was recovering his footing from the exaggerated flying kick. *SWOOSHHH* The slim man¡¯s sword slashed at Feng and sliced his robes and dug into his leather armor which thankfully stopped the sharp edge from slicing Feng but did little to prevent the brunt of the force driving him backwards. Not giving him a chance to recover, the man continued with a flurry of sword swipes at Feng which he barely avoided, his heart pumping double-time as the blade once narrowly missed his eyes and cut off some strands of his hair. Deciding that he cannot afford to go easy and engage the swift blade of the man barehanded with his current skill level, Feng quickly pulled out his knives and parried the downward slash of the enemy¡¯s blade with both his knives crossed upwards catching the blow¡­ and immediately snapped out a straight thrusting kick with all his strength into the man¡¯s groin. *DING* *CRITICAL HIT* His assailant¡¯s eyes crossed almost comically and he toppled over curling up into a fetal position, and did not budge after¡­ apparently fainting from the intense pain and shock. *TWANG* Unfortunately, this meant that the archer was free to fire on Feng once more without having to fear hitting his allies and this arrow skimmed past his knee, slicing his leg open to bleed profusely. Enraged by the attack, Feng tossed one of his knives at the man and got a yelp of pain. Gulping down a quick healing potion and pouring another directly onto the wound; an application Feng discovered while exploring the tunnels, the wound soon closed as Feng approached the position of the archer only to glimpse his fleeing form between the trees. ¡®¡­ I almost took an arrow to the knee. That might have ruined my mobility and my chances of accomplishing the quest and establishing me as a failed adventurers¡­ Like one of those guards¡­ '' ''Like hell I would let you run away after trying something like that!¡¯ Simultaneously horrified and furious at that realization, Feng started to run towards the fleeing man only to suddenly remember what the lack of caution did to him¡­ and decided that it was better to grab the weapons from the fallen enemies before rushing blindly after the archer. Returning to two unconscious men, Feng quickly observed and frisked them for loot, grabbing their money pouches (amounting to about thirty-two silvers) and the weapons but abandoned the low quality armor as they were poorer quality than his current armor.
Black Forest Bandit Type: Human Level: 39 Attacks/Weapons: Axe Traits: Strong Stats: *Skill Level Too Low* Weak Spots: Head, * Skill Level Too Low * Description: A large burly bandit who used to wield a big axe.
Black Forest Bandit Type: Human Level: 42 Attacks/Weapons: Sword Traits: Fast Stats: *Skill Level Too Low* Weak Spots: Head, * Skill Level Too Low * Description: A slender bandit who is a skilled swordsman.
Steel Sword Type: Sword Damage: 20 - 25 Durability: 83/100 Requirements: 60 Dexterity 40 Strength Description: An unremarkable steel sword, it is of decent make and looks decently cared for.
Heavy Iron Axe Type: Two-Handed Axe Damage: 20 - 30 Durability: 53/80 Requirements: 85 Strength Description: A heavy iron axe with a solid oak shaft, it is somewhat battered from usage.
Hefting the heavy axe in his hand to test it out, Feng looked at the two unconscious bandits and wondered what he should do with them with no way to secure them. Feng grimaced as he realized he cannot afford to allow the possibility of them awakening and attacking him while he is chasing down the archer¡­ *THUNK* *THUNK* With two heavy blows, Feng parted the heads of the bandits, quickly turning away and swallowing down his urge to throw up as blood spurted freely and the heads fell free and rolled on the mossy ground. ¡®They are bandits. They probably attacked and killed lots of innocents. It¡¯s for the good of everyone¡­¡¯ *DING*
New Title Obtained: Cold-Blooded Executioner You mercilessly killed helpless enemies by beheading them¡­ +100 Infamy +10% Chance to inspire fear in enemies if an enemy is decapitated
New Skill Obtained: Decapitating Blow Congratulations! You have learnt how to behead your foes, all you need to do is to mount them up on pointy sticks and you will be a complete savage. (Passive) +1% of decapitation (instant kill) when attacking enemies¡¯ neck +3 Strength
Feng¡¯s face tensed as he read the notifications and simply could not find it in him to appreciate the obvious benefits of title and skill and grimly turned away to sprint after the offending archer only stopping to retrieve his thrown knife and noting the splatter of blood trailing away. Running after the archer by following the blood trail, Feng realized he might have made a mistake as the dense forest suddenly cleared up and revealed a wooden stake wall surrounding what looks to be a full bandit camp¡­ and a large group of more than twenty bandits bristling with weapons and bearing vicious grins as they advanced towards him. Chapter 16: Out Of The Frying Pan… ¡®Well¡­ Shit.¡¯ Gulping slightly at the obvious disadvantage he was at, Feng decided to try his luck and called out to the bandits. ¡°Uhh.. I come in peace? I¡¯m just looking for some directions back to Tyward!¡± ¡°Heh, sure thing kid. We¡¯ll send you back to Tyward¡­ in a casket that is!¡± One of the lead bandits stopped and guffawed for a moment at Feng¡¯s ridiculous attempt at diplomacy and his reply drew the raucous laughter of the others as they sped up their approach. Seeing no way around it, Feng shrugged and breathed out deeply, his mind racing as he eyed the approaching crowd and carefully backed up towards the tree line, pulling out the large axe from his inventory as he did so. Grabbing the axe with both hands and holding it near to the ground, Feng spun two full circles to the amusement of the approaching bandits who jeered at him. ¡°Too heavy for you brat? Can¡¯t even hold an axe without losing your balance?¡± Only for their laughter to abruptly cease as Feng loosened his grip on the axe sending it whirling into the midst of the bandit group causing them to dive aside in fear getting sliced in the process and crashing into the rest¡­ The spinning axe finally stopped its advance as its iron head buried itself deeply into the neck of an unfortunate bandit near the middle of the pack who was unable to see it coming due to the other bandits in front, sending the body flying backwards due to the force of the axe¡­ *Critical Hit - Decapitation Triggered* With a belated pop, the unnamed bandit¡¯s head flew off and a geyser of blood soaked his fellow bandits as the body fell limply to the ground. The standing bandits looked to Feng in fear and backed away cautiously, none of them wanting to be the first to engage him, while the remainder recovered themselves from the mess of tangled limbs as they crashed into each other dodging the flying axe. Feng utilized the opportunity to retreat into the forest to prevent them from surrounding him easily before taunting the bandits. ¡°Seems like you guys are the ones who will be needing a casket! Who wants to be the second to claim their casket?¡± Arousing the anger of the more hotheaded amongst them, four men of whom one was injured by the axe attack charged towards Feng while the rest advanced behind more cautiously with some of the older bandits surreptitiously backing away towards the rear of the group. Doing a quick scan over the four charging bandits, Feng noted the lowest leveled wielding a simple iron blade at 37 as well as the injured bandit with a large club and positioned himself nearer to the lowest leveled man¡­ and keeping that bandit between him and the others and readied himself. Feng watched impassively as the bandits got closer and closer with each passing second, with the targeted bandit almost within striking distance and the young bandit¡¯s blade rose in a two-handed chopping position closing in on his head¡­ *SWISSHHH* Dodging the wild chop with ease, Feng burst into a flurry of motion as his hands snapped out only this time armed with the two knives with one burying itself deeply in the bandit¡¯s throat while the other flew diagonally and sunk deep into the torso of another bandit approaching from the side. His now empty hands flowed smoothly with the throwing hand snapping forward with a palm strike to the now dead bandit, sending the corpse flying into the other two approaching from behind while his other grabbed the iron blade the man was wielding. Twisting to avoid the hatchet of the bandit hit by his thrown knife, Feng shifted his weight to his other foot and lashed out strongly with his leg, driving the knife embedded in the man¡¯s armor through with a disgusting squelch. Seeing the other two approaching as they sidestepped the corpse, Feng ripped the axe of the dying bandit¡¯s grip and send it whirling at the two¡­ Only to sweat-drop as the hatchet flew WAY above their heads due to his pumped up state. ¡°BWAAHHAHAHA! What were you trying to do kid? Kill us by making us die from lau-?¡± *THUMP* One of the bandits broke from their grim approach and paused to laugh at Feng¡¯s epic failure¡­ only to be suddenly cut off by a large branch falling off and braining him, sending him sprawling to the ground. The other bandit stopped incredulously and looked upwards to see the hatchet had severed one of the tree limbs which had concussed his last remaining companion and cautiously backed away in fear, deciding to wait for the rest of the bandits to catch up for some numerical advantage. ¡®¡­ That would have been a lot cooler if it wasn¡¯t due to sheer dumb luck¡­¡¯ Feng¡¯s face twitched as he affected confidence to cement the fear the bandits were feeling as their advance towards him slowed considerably. Seeing an opportunity, Feng took advantage of the situation and¡­ turned around to flee into the woods. ¡°HE IS RUNNING AWAY! GET HIM!¡± Stumped for a moment by the abrupt switch in Feng¡¯s actions, the bandits collectively hesitated before one of the braver bandits yelled out and charged, seemingly forgetting the deaths of his fellows and falling back to a comfortable routine of chasing down weaker prey. Feng grinned victoriously as he looked back and noted the bandits were following him but falling just out of sight. Ducking behind some trees, Feng jumped up and clambered up one of the oak trees while ensuring his body was fully hidden by its large trunk. Stealthily moving through the adjacent limbs of other trees, Feng doubled back and carefully observed from a distance as his confused pursuers reached his last location and saw no tracks or signs of him. This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. Watching as them split up to hunt for him, Feng smirked and initiated the second part of his plan *Approximately forty minutes later* *Tsssh* *Ding*
New Skill Obtained: Assassination (Passive Skill) +10% Critical hit rate when attacking from stealth +50% Critical hit damage when attacking from stealth +3 Perception +2 Dexterity
Quietly dropping the dead bandit on the floor, Feng removed his hand covering the victim¡¯s mouth and wiped off the bloody knife as blood continued to stream out from the man¡¯s slit neck and pool around his corpse. Feng paused only to quickly filch the bandit¡¯s money pouch and weapon, a long machete before vanishing back into the canopy leaving behind his sixth stealth kill for the searching bandits to discover. ¡®They really don¡¯t learn to look up, do they? Stealth skills are definitely not my forte, but exploiting human psychology and unconscious habits is an old familiar game¡­¡¯ Feng slowly and systematically picked off the bandits even as they wised up and started to group together by literally dropping in on them and tossing the dead bandits¡¯ weapons he had appropriated to quickly silence the pairs or trios, managing to slay another ten more bandits as they begun to retreat back to their camp. By the time they exited the forest, only six bandits remained and was outright fleeing, sprinting with all they have back to the camp. Emboldened by his success, Feng decided to throw caution to the winds and chase them seeing that they were running away in fear and managed to down three more with a flurry of weapons retrieved from the dead bandits. However, the group and Feng slowed to an abrupt stop as the camp¡¯s wooden gates burst open and revealed a massive form surrounded by another group of bandits. The massive figure struck an intimidating figure with his giant wolf skull helmet baring its fangs revealing a scarred and ugly face, connected to a hulking bare chest. His ripped sinewy arms were covered only by some scraps of wolf fur and easily held up a massive claymore and large tower shield that most would struggle to lift with both hands. Thick black wolf fur covered his groin and legs ending in massive black furred boots.
Black Forest Bandit Chief Type: Human (Elite) Level: ~50 Attacks/Weapons: Heavy Steel Claymore, Sturdy Tower Shield Traits: Strong, *Skill Level Too Low* Stats: *Skill Level Too Low* Weak Spots: Eyes, Groin, Heart, Neck, *Skill Level Too Low* Description: A hulking brute which can barely be classified as human towering above average men at 2.4 meters; this is the leader of Black Forest Bandits. You do not want to cross him¡­
In the time Feng took to observe and read the information on the now-identified Bandit Chief, the giant man has already crossed the remaining distance to the three remaining bandits with two steps¡­ and swung his giant claymore once, chopping through the three men¡¯s leather-armored torsos with ease, leaving their severed bodies to fall limply on the ground. ¡°Useless fools! If you don¡¯t want to end up like them, kill him.¡± The large man scoffed and ordered as he turned back and gestured at his remaining men to eliminate Feng only for them to hesitate as they were unsure if going after Feng was a death sentence¡­ ¡®There¡¯s no way I can afford to take on a whole group of bandits with the boss lurking around like that¡­ I need to find a way to take out the boss first without interference; he should be easily defeated as compared to the [Giant Comodon Lizard] considering his lower level and my better equipment and stats now.¡¯ Capitalizing on the fear written on the bandits¡¯ faces, Feng knew he could not sustain a long-drawn out fight with another group of bandits especially with the chief ready to step in to finish him off and so issued a challenge instead. ¡°HA! Too weak to fight me yourself? Maybe your large size is just for show and all that is underneath is a quivering pile of blubber!¡± Seeing the giant man turn around sharply at Feng¡¯s taunt, a confident smirk widened across Feng¡¯s face as he saw the incensed expression on the bandit chief¡¯s face as he roared. ¡°YOU DARE? I¡¯LL SMASH YOU INTO PULP! ALL OF YOU STAY BACK, HE¡¯S MINE!¡± However, Feng¡¯s smirk was quickly wiped away as the bandit chief raised up his claymore and slammed it into the ground¡­ sending a rippling wave distorting the air and SPLITTING the ground apart as it raced towards Feng. ¡®No way¡­ that¡¯s not possible.¡¯ Feng¡¯s mind blanked for a second, seeing the unbelievable oncoming attack and only his combat instincts tingling set his muscles tensing and throwing him out of the path of the dangerous attack¡­ *CRUNCH* Only to be faced with the sight of the massive bulk of the man bull-rushing him with the tower shield catching Feng bodily with a bone-crushing blow and tossing him back meters across the empty ground¡­ ¡°HA HA HA! Little man talk big but so weak!¡± Rolling to a stop, Feng was thoroughly disabused of any notions of any easy fight as he used the reprieve of the giant laughing at him to recover himself and gulp down the last of health potions, thanking God for the lack of any broken bones. Though his entire body felt like one giant bruise and his health took a huge hit of more than four hundred health points nearly a full third of his health¡­ Chapter 17: ... And Into The Fire Feng¡¯s face grew grim as his mind whirled furiously to create a plan to take down the bandit chief he previously underestimated¡­ Taking stock of his environment and the target, Feng quickly took advantage of the giant¡¯s lax attitude and tossed a mace and axe embedded on the ground nearby at his head. The bandit chief scoffed contemptuously at that projectiles and easily caught them by raising up his tower shield to block¡­ only to wince as he felt a sharp jolt of pain flare in his leg. Unnoticed by the bandit chief, Feng had stealthily drew his knife and tossed it in the wake of the other two projectiles, relying on the tower shield blocking the man¡¯s sight to allow the knife to slip past his guard and impale itself fully into the man¡¯s left thigh. Growling at the sneak attack, the large man ripped out Feng¡¯s knife with an angry roar and let it drop to the ground uncaring of the blood spilling down his thigh. ¡°SNEAKY COWARD! I WILL CRUSH YOUR BONES AND MAKE SURE YOU DIE IN AGONY!¡± Determined to bring this fight to its conclusion swiftly, Feng paid no heed to the bandit chief¡¯s words and was instead gathering up the scattered bandit weapons he previously used against the fleeing bandits. Knowing it is foolhardy to challenge the hulking man head-on, Feng decided to take reference from the Bible, seeing the similarities between this match-up and that of David versus Goliath¡­ ¡®Step one, reduce his mobility ¨C successfully. Next step, evasive maneuvers and projectile attacks to wear him down¡­ but first to taunt him and ensure his attacks are uncontrolled and easier to dodge...¡¯ Letting a serene smile spread across his countenance, Feng responded calmly to the giant man¡¯s threat with a biblical quote... with some modifications. ¡°Persist and this day the Lord will deliver you into my hands, and I¡¯ll strike you down and cut off your head¡­ But my Lord is a loving God, repent your sins, let the blood sacrifice of Christ wash your sins away and you shall be forgiven.¡± ¡°YOU INSOLENT WORM! TO DARE PREACH AT ME? I WILL STAKE YOU UP AND LET YOU DIE A SLOW PAINFUL D-!¡± Not bothering to reply, Feng commenced his barrage of thrown weaponry, throwing every weapon he collected from the bandits¡­ interspersed with random bread and cookies to distract and draw the man¡¯s attention away from the real threats as well as to conserve his limited ammunition. The bandit chief¡¯s angry roar was cut off as he was forced to duck an axe spinning overhead, allowing a piece of hard bread to thump against his helmet as his shield and blade were pre-occupied with deflecting most of the flying weaponry with only a few nicks and bruises resulting from the attack. Not waiting to see the results, Feng had hurriedly circled around to gather more fallen weapons and almost missed the brute¡¯s sending another massive blade of air rending the ground as it sped towards him. His heart pumping double-time, Feng jumped aside dropping the weapons he was trying to retrieve in its path and felt a sharp pain in his side¡­ Feng held in a pained moan as he extracted the dagger which was blown away by the gales of the passing attack stabbed into his side. Fortunately, the wound was not deep due to his armor but it drained another hundred or so health points leaving Feng in a dangerous position as a single hit from the bandit chief would easily wipe out his remaining health¡­ ¡®Damn. Looks like step two is a failure with his superior ranged attacks... No choice except to move straight to step three then.¡¯ Feng hurled all his remaining weaponry as he desperately charged towards his large foe and keeping only the steel blade in his right hand while his left kept up a stream of thrown weaponry. Unfortunately, Feng could hardly sustain the barrage with the few weapons he managed to pick up before he was interrupted and only closed half of the distance between them as his ammunition ran dry¡­ Seeing the hulking bandit prepare to launch another blade of air at him, Feng panicked knowing that he could not dodge in time with his current momentum and made a snap decision to pepper the enemy with his remaining bread, launching them at the bandit chief in an unending stream. ¡°HA HA HA! OUT OF WEAPONS PESKY INS- GGAAKK¡° His enemy guffawed at the stream of bread and did not even bother dodging them as he continued to raise his claymore¡­ only to be cut off by a piece of bread precisely shooting into his mouth as he laughed¡­ causing him to cough and choke as the hard bread lodged itself firmly in his throat. With the choking bandit chief¡¯s guard wide open, Feng barreled into him with his steel sword fully extended¡­ driving fully into his bare torso. *SHRRINNNGKKK* Feng¡¯s blade scraped the bandit¡¯s ribs with a piercing shriek and which only ended as its tip protruded slightly out from the back of his large torso¡­ Feng stared wide-eyed at the dimming gaze of the huge man, shocked at his unexpected success as blood leaked out of his foe¡¯s mouth and fell onto Feng¡¯s face... *Drip* *Drip* The world seemed to pause for a moment except for the falling droplets of blood as the two combatants remained suspended in that position with Feng¡¯s sword buried deep in the bandit chief towering over him, his large sword and shield still held up. *THUMP* *CLLUNNNGGG* The silence was broken by the huge tower shield falling onto the ground out of the dying giant¡¯s grip, followed shortly after by the claymore as the hulking man¡¯s knees buckled and he collapsed on his knees. Pulling his sword out with an accompanying spray of blood, Feng grimly swung his blade as blood splattered all over him¡­ and the large head of the bandit chief dyed the grassy ground red as it rolled away. Feng stood triumphant over the dead bandit chief, cutting a terrifying figure with his body covered with the enemy¡¯s blood¡­ The remaining bandits looked around in confusion and disbelief at the death of their leader, and their thoughts can be clearly seen in their eyes as they wondered if Feng will come after them next¡­ As Feng took a single step forward, the bandits tensed collectively and readied their weapons only for Feng to surprise them with his words. ¡°Tis only through the grace of our Lord Jesus, the bread of life that I have triumphed this day and by that same grace, I offer all of you the chance to return to your families and repent your sins. Go.¡± Watching as the confused bandits slowly broke off from the group one by one and ran away, Feng sheathed his blade with a sigh of relief. ¡®... Come to think of it. Jesus¡­ Bread of life¡­ is literally so in this case, as that piece of bread probably saved my life.¡¯ Sweat-dropping at the realization, Feng shot off a quick prayer of thanks and decided against looting while the remaining bandits was in sight and instead checked the massive deluge of notifications he had ignored in the past few hour or so of battle with the bandits and the chief.
Congratulations! For defeating an elite [Bandit Chief] above your level and his followers, you have leveled up seven times and earned: Quick Draw has leveled up to Basic 1 Throwing Mastery has leveled up to Basic 3 Toughness has leveled up to Basic 1 Combat Instinct has leveled up to Basic 2 Stealth has leveled up to Basic 2 Decapitating Blow has leveled up to Novice 4 Assassinate has leveled up to Novice 4 Oratory has leveled up to Novice 7
Achievement Unlocked: Destroyed Black Forest Bandit Clan You have slain the Black Forest Bandit Leader and his followers, stopping the bandits¡¯ reign of terror against merchants and travelers. +500 Fame +10 Strength +5 Endurance +5 Willpower
By reaching level 50, your maximum inventory slots have been increased to 5x5.
New Title Obtained: Holy Warrior You have triumphed against a superior foe, claiming victory in the name of your God. ERROR 404 -Admin Note: No Holy Magic or Skills has been granted due to Chosen Deity being not of Athal origin. The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. Faith now increases effectiveness of Holy Magic in combat +250 Faith +10 Luck
New Skill Obtained: Preaching You have learnt how to preach to a crowd¡­ and how to piss off others with your preaching. (Passive) +1% chance of converting others to your religion +3 Charisma Sub-skill: Battle Preaching (Active) 10% chance to cause [Berserk] status on anyone not of the same religion 25% chance to buff allies with [Religious Fervor]
Feng twitched with annoyance as he realized his new title and faith stat was basically ineffective without any Holy Magic¡­ and looked up to see all the bandits have fled and decided to start looting only to stop in his tracks as a thought struck him. ¡®Wait. OH SHIT! If the bandits are all gone¡­ Who am I supposed to ask for directions back to town!¡¯ ¡°Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.¡± Slamming his palm into his head repeatedly, Feng berated himself for losing track of his actual goal in the midst of all the excitement and combat. ¡®Well at least, I can tell that most of them went eastwards, probably towards a road. Hopefully, I can find a map of something in the camp else I would have to follow them and hope for the best¡­¡¯ Feng quickly stripped down the corpse of the bandit chief and tossed the loot obtained into his inventory, not bothering to evaluate the items due to the lack of time and boss loots usually being the most valuable. Heading into the camp, a ramshackle affair with tents set up haphazardly around the place within the wooden palisade, Feng noted only a few common areas such as the large central campfire with some log stools scattered about and a roughly-hewn table serving as their dining area judging by the food stains, a corner of the camp with a large pile of stolen commodities and an outhouse area¡­ Feng made a beeline for the largest tent right in front of the central campfire, presumably belonging to the bandit chief and entered it hoping to find some maps of the area and treasures¡­ Only to find something out of his expectations or more accurately someone; a completely nude girl chained to a stake who cowered at his entrance. Stunned for a moment, Feng blushed at the sight of the beautiful naked female form before him before snapping himself out of it and immediately removed his cloak and wrapped the naked girl with it. However, the girl¡¯s trembling only increased and she cried out piteously. ¡°Please don¡¯t kill! I¡¯ll do anything you want. Just spare me please¡­¡± Taken aback by the girl¡¯s reaction, Feng hesitated and looked around bewildered only to realize why when he caught a glimpse of his blood-soaked form in an ornate glass mirror¡­ Kneeling down next to the girl, Feng gently patted her back and reassured her. ¡°Be at peace, lady. I¡¯m here to free you, the bandits are already gone.¡± Soft honey brown eyes peered up at him from beneath long indigo tresses and held his gaze for a long moment, before a look of wonder crossed her face and the girl repeated his words with a tone of incredulous disbelief. ¡°¡­ I¡¯m free?¡± She dissolved into a sobbing mess at the sudden realization of her freedom and Feng looked at her awkwardly before deciding to spend his time productively till the girl recovers by freeing her with the ring of keys he found on the bandit chief¡¯s corpse and ransacking the tent. Feng managed to open a chest using the keys and beamed as the dazing yellow light reflected across his face, but beyond that chest of gold, he did not manage to find anything else of use in the tent. ¡°There¡¯s a hidden lock-box beneath the chest¡­¡± Feng jumped at the sudden words from the female who seemed to have recovered and nodded appreciatively before pushing aside the heavy chest to reveal a small lock-box buried in the ground. Opening it revealed a small fortune worth of gemstones and caused a massive grin to spread across Feng¡¯s cheeks. ¡°Here, catch.¡± Taking some of the clothes he found belonging the woman, Feng gestured for her to get dressed as he turned his back. ¡°¡­ I don¡¯t suppose you also happen to know how to get to Tyward do you?¡± Tossing out the main problem he was facing, Feng hoped that he would finally be provided with an easy solution especially with the clock ticking and him having about a day and half left¡­ ¡°I do¡­ He often discussed about heading over to sell the stolen goods to some contact in Tyward, it should be directly south-east out of the forest and then south following the road¡­ about half a day¡¯s journey away. Could you, um¡­ bring me with you too?¡± Nodding reassuringly at the dressed girl, Feng smiled and passed her a small pouch as he replied. ¡°Of course, but I must warn you that I am in a hurry. Here take this too, the gold won¡¯t be able to wipe away your sufferings¡­ but at least you will have some funds to make a new start.¡± Not waiting for her reply, Feng scooped her up onto his back and made his way back out of the bandit camp to the bloody battleground and retrieved the few quality weapons he spotted before turning towards Tyward and bursting into a long loping run, ignoring the weak protests of the girl insisting she can walk. After a few hours of running, Feng sustaining his current pace easily with his high endurance, they soon neared the forest exit with the trees getting visibly thinner allowing them a glimpse of the road through grassy plains. ¡°Thank you¡­¡± The girl murmured softly as the notion of freedom strengthened as they put the Black Forest behind them. Feng stiffened suddenly as he felt the girl leaning into his back as she said that¡­ with the soft feeling of her impressive ¡°assets¡± flushed against him. Feng only got more flustered as he felt soft lips touching the back of his neck¡­ and stumbled in his stride, catching his foot on a tangle of roots sending the pair lurching forward uncontrollably. Twisting in mid-air, Feng secured the girl and tried to control his body to prepare for the impact only to freeze up as his wounded side protested the sudden movement¡­ and caused Feng to land head first with their combined weight. *THUD* Feng slammed his temple into a knot of hardwood roots with a loud thud¡­ and his vision dimmed as he felt faintly the girl shaking him and inaudible sounds as her mouth moved¡­ *DING*
You have died. Congratulations on your first death in Athal, we honor you who managed to fight through unbelievable odds against monsters and humans alike only to die a most embarrassing death from tripping due to womanly charms. Admin Note: In case you didn¡¯t catch the sarcasm, we are all laughing our asses off at you! Time till re-spawn: 23:59:42 Levels Lost: 3 Items Dropped: Heavy Claymore, Salamander Claws (x17), Comodon Lizard Meat (x14), Large Tower Shield, Black Wolf Fur Pants Money Dropped: 171 Gold 23 Silvers 6 Coppers
Feng blinked at the sudden blackness around him, broken only by the bright blue notification box before him and swore loudly after reading it. ¡°F***¡± --- AN: To clear up any confusion you may have, Feng dies because of the "simple fall" despite his advanced stats because of several factors. First of all, he was caught off-guard and it slammed his head, which is both deadly in real life as well as a critical hit in-game. As the game is meant to be realistic and demonstrated over the course of many enemy deaths, a fatal blow in real life will always be a fatal blow in-game as well. Toughness might mitigate some damage but only to the extent as allowed by physics and physiology. Secondly, he was already wounded which was also the reason why he was unable to react in time and landed badly. This also means in terms of in-game terminology, he was low on hp and hence susceptible to death through a single critical hit. Chapter 18: … And It All Comes Together ¡°DAMN IT! I LOST SO MANY LEVELS AND STUFF BECAUSE OF SOMETHING SO DUMB?¡± James continued swearing out loud, uncaring of the fact he was already back in real life as the pod eased its hold on his body. ¡°Grrrr¡­ not only did I lose a shit-ton of loot and levels, I¡¯m also probably not going to be able to complete the quest anymore.¡± He continued stomping around the house raging about the ridiculousness of his death for a long while before flopping on his coach. ¡®¡­ One full day before I can get back into the game, what should I do to fill up time till then¡­¡¯ *RING RING* *RINGGG* ¡°Hey James, just to remind you we are saving a seat for you in church this week as well! Try not to come late this time, see you in a bit!¡± James picked up the phone only to be delivered marching orders¡­ by Leena¡¯s mom who didn¡¯t even give him a chance to respond before she hung up. ¡®¡­ Well I guess there¡¯s that. Might as well head over and catch up on some sleep.¡¯ Booking a cab with a few taps on his smartphone, James headed off to wash up and prepared to leave. ¡°Zzz¡­ Oompf?¡± James blinked his eyes blearily and looked around to find what disturbed his rest only to see his girlfriend ¡°subtly¡± nudging him in the ribs and gesturing over at her mom. ¡®Oh shit. I think she caught my napping¡­ Better just act innocent and attentive.¡¯ ¡°¡­ rely not on your efforts, let go and let God. Sometimes all you have to do is rest in His finished work¡­¡± Wiping off the drool rolling down the side of his face subtly, James showed a face of intense concentration¡­ for about five minutes before his head begun to droop onto Leena¡¯s shoulder. ¡­ ¡°Psst, pastor is ending his sermon already. Dude. Ew did you just drool all over my hair.¡± Leena complained and borrowed James¡¯ shirt sleeve to wipe her hair off. ¡°Huh? Wha? Oh. Oops? So¡­ what do you want to do after this?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s grab a meal and go to your place to chill out! I want to watch you play! Can¡¯t wait till my pod arrives, the company salesperson said it should be arriving within the next three days!¡± ¡°Can¡¯t. I died remember?¡± James answered with a disgruntled face which was quickly noticed by Leena. ¡°Oh yea¡­ How about let¡¯s just snuggle and play some mindless mob smashing game like Dynamic Warriors or something then?¡± Leena nuzzled up to him affectionately, an action which brought a tiny smile onto James¡¯ face as he was reminded why Leena is such a great girlfriend and his best friend at the same time. It really rocks to have a gamer girlfriend! ¡°Ngghh.. Where are you going?¡± James mumbled incoherently as he rolled over to blink blearily at Leena¡¯s silhouette dressing up. ¡°It¡¯s Monday silly, I have to go to work unlike you lucky bum! ¡­ Didn¡¯t you say you needed to get up to rush off to see if you can still complete your quest though?¡± Shooting upright at her response, James checked his phone time and saw the re-spawn countdown timer he set was already ticking down to thirteen minutes. Hurriedly getting ready and dropping Leena a quick farewell kiss as she left, James quickly jumped back into pod and let it close over him. James blinked and was greeted with darkness again as he entered the game, with only a blue window visible.
Re-spawn Countdown Time Left: 00:00:07
Impatiently waiting as the seconds ticked away, James blocked out the rather disturbing sensation of having no physical body and feelings at all. ¡®Wonder if this is how sensory deprivation feels lik-¡® A sudden blinking light filled his vision and he felt an immense pulling sensation and the world twisted around him¡­ *Thump* ¡°Ow.¡± Landing face-first with a soft thump on the grassy ground, Feng pulled himself up to look around himself expecting to see the grassy plains bordering the Black Forest¡­ Only to notice something odd as he heard and saw people passing by and buildings surrounding his location. ¡­ ¡°I¡¯m back in Tyward¡¯s Town Square?¡± Feng said disbelievingly as the overwhelming evidence stared him in the face. ¡°¡­ YOU MEAN ALL I HAD TO DO WAS TO DIE?¡± A heartbeat later, Feng exclaimed aloud in frustration, causing the folk nearby to look at him funnily and shy away muttering about crazy Travelers. Feng sighed and decided to get a move on having less than two hours left, taking off at a swift lope, he quickly bypassed the church and made his way to the library, noting the signs of work completed on the exterior as well as the small square outside. Opening the doors to the library, Feng slipped in and saw a dozen gazes fix on his entrance belonging largely to players from his quick scan before a blur rammed into him and knocked him onto the ground. ¡°FENG! I was so worried!¡± A teary-eyed Rania looked up at him with her cat ears folded down cutely and clutched on to him tightly sobbing only to calm after much reassuring (petting). ¡°It¡¯s alright. I¡¯m back and fine.¡± Leaping off Feng¡¯s body after she came to her senses and realized their position, Rania blushed brightly and avoided his eyes and quickly pulling him to the private rooms in the back away from the curious players. After fully updating Rania on what happened and the reason for his delay¡­ with the exception of his accidental death, Feng watched as Rania examined the teleport stone carefully before speaking up. ¡°Well. It¡¯s a teleport stone. Looks like a one-use. Other than that, I have no clue but an enchanter might be able to interpret the runes and tell you more.¡± Nodding at her words, Feng retrieved the teleport stone and handed over the monster core for her to examine only for Rania to take a single glance and reply instantly. ¡°It¡¯s a monster core¡­ You know stuff that grows inside strong monsters? Dad said something about mana crystals or some such before but to me they are just useful for cultivation and equipment enchanting.¡± ¡°Alright, thanks Rania. Can I check on the progress of the plan and if we are ready to open the library by tomorrow?¡± ¡°OH! Your plan was a great success, so many Travelers agreed to help out and we got the library cleaned up two days ago and have been working with the merchants sent by Steele to set up what you discussed with the merchants. We are ready at any time and the Travelers are only doing the final refinements for the merchants.¡± Hearing that his plan has mostly come together, Feng rubbed his hands together gleefully as a shark-like grin spread across his face and decided to initiate the final part of his plan. ¡°Rania, we¡¯ll be opening the library tomorrow, can you contact Steele and tell him to get his men to spread the word about it and hire some ringers to come early on the morn. If possible, ask the merchants to launch with an opening discount and get the Travelers to help them set it up like a small festival. I¡¯ll be going to set up the final piece for tomorrow¡¯s launch.¡± Rania nodded enthusiastically only to grow worried when she heard that Feng was leaving alone and clutched on to his cloak tightly questioning him frantically. ¡°Where are you heading to? What if you get ambushed again? It¡¯s not safe, why don¡¯t you just get one of the Travelers to do it for you instead?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. The enemy probably doesn¡¯t know I¡¯m back and I¡¯ll be careful. This work can only be done by myself so I¡¯ll have to go. I¡¯ll see you tomorrow!¡± Scratching behind Rania¡¯s ears lightly as he replied, Feng felt her grip slacken slightly and quickly made his escape. The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°¡­ Wait!¡± Rania made a grab at Feng only him to deftly slip past and out of the door and stealthily vanishing into the crowd. Curious townsfolk passing by the square outside the library noticed that the previously quiet and empty square was mysteriously filled with odd-looking merchant stalls overnight¡­ on closer examination; it is revealed that they were previously bookshelves! Some has been sawn into small racks; others have been flipped horizontally and sawn apart to make smaller bins and containers. Unseen to Tyward citizens, the merchants came previously to claim their preferred display types and the group of Travelers directed by Rania had moved them out from the storage rooms to the outside square while the merchants brought their goods and put them on display. A few townsfolk was standing around seemingly looking around and talking to all the merchants displaying their goods and gradually more people gathered to check out what these people are interested in¡­ The crowd gradually grew through the day aided by the word spread and people slowly streaming in from the nearby crowded cathedral square. Time soon drew closer to the appointed opening time of noon, but Feng was still nowhere in sight. Steele had also arrived to attend the proceedings and was pleasantly surprised by the success of the merchants who were doing a booming trade as the normal crowds gathered around the church slowly drifted towards the growing hubbub in the library square. Rania stood outside the library, peering around anxiously looking for signs of Feng as she had no clue how to start the opening and there was supposed to be a speech that everyone was eagerly anticipating after the sly words spread by the merchants at the square to all their customers. Luckily, Rania soon spotted Feng walking in¡­ only with a blonde girl in tow and pulling a small covered cart behind him while the girl was also toting a medium-sized pack. She made a beeline to Feng, but to her surprise, he avoided her and quickly waved over some of Travelers nearby and passed them the cart and pack with some instructions and watching them enter the library to carry out his instructions before finally turning her attention to her. Feng was accosted by a pouting and teary-eyed Rania, cutting an impossibly cute figure with her twitching ears as she expressed worry about Feng that he might have gotten kidnapped or something again with his delay. Feng simply patted her head reassuringly and told her that it was time and walked up to the front of the library where a large crowd had been slowly gathering. Waving at the Travelers to help gather the crowd, Feng stood silently on top of the small makeshift ¡°stage¡± which was simply a table dragged out of the library placed next to the its entrance. ¡®¡­ Damn. I just realized I forgot to prepare the speech¡­ Oh well, time to wing it.¡¯ Feng noted the gathered crowd with at least a hundred of NPCs and players combined all staring at him with expectant gazes before waving at them simply and projecting his voice hoping it will be loud enough to reach the entire gathering. ¡°Thank you for gathering here today, ladies and gentlemen! As many of you may know by now, today we are gathered to re-open our beautiful city¡¯s library which has sadly fell into disuse over the years. However, thanks to the Travelers¡¯ assistance and support from the Merchant Guild and all the merchants here, we are happy to announce that the Library will be officially re-opening from this day forth for all.¡± Pausing for a moment for a few scattered cheers and to maximize the impact of his words, Feng smiled as he saw people wondering if that was all, building up their curiosity before continuing his speech. ¡°However, that¡¯s not all¡­ we are happy to announce that the first floor of the library will now be free and open to all¡­ For adventurers and travelers, you will be pleased to know that books offering basics skills are also in the very same first floor!¡± Feng waited for a few moments for the resounding whoops and cheers from the players accompanied by polite claps from the general population to die away before spreading his hands wide and springing his next surprise on the NPCs who looked somewhat disappointed thus far. ¡°Of course, most of you might be wondering how does the library have anything to do with you, after all, we common folk hardly get the chance to learn to write and read¡­ Unless we manage to save up the exorbitant fees to pay the priests or through great fortune scrape together some learning for ourselves.¡± With another small pause to allow mutterings of agreement between the townspeople, Feng shook his head, sighing as though empathizing with them before he continued speaking. ¡°As one of the fortunate few, I believe that basic reading and writing skill should not be limited to only the nobles or the wealthy! So together with Rania, we have decided to offer free writing and reading classes for all!¡± Putting his hands quickly in a stop motion as loud cheers erupted from the common folk excited by this opportunity especially those with children, Feng gestured at them to quieten down and said. ¡°Not just that, but we believe knowledge is not limited to only books and as a library promoting the exchange of knowledge, we intend to host classes across a wide spectrum of skills. Anybody will welcome to teach at the library and of course, as teachers should be compensated for their time and hard-earned skilled, students will be required to pay a small fee. However, we understand that many Travelers have only just arrived and have little in the way of money, hence we have decided that Travelers can waive this fee by contributing their time to help in classes teaching basic reading and writing skills as long as they are qualified or through other tasks.¡± Towards the tail end of his speech, Feng was almost completely drowned out by the loud cheering and applause by all the gathered people as they excitedly chattered with each other about the unexpected opportunities available. After nearly a minute of their excited cheering, Feng took a step forward and waved at them all to calm down and regained their attention as the excited shouts of volunteers for teaching jobs as well as those interested in signing up for reading and writing classes for themselves or their children slowly died down, eagerly anticipating further good news from him. ¡°I¡¯m also pleased to announce that besides the re-opening of the library, with the help of Alicia, resident Alchemist and forgotten knowledge from the library archives, we have managed to develop a new line of healing potions effective on simple illnesses and injuries that costs merely thirty coppers! We hope that this new product will enable you to no longer worry about having to save up your silvers to get healing spells for your family or you and enable everyone to be as healthy and happy! And¡­ to celebrate the occasion just for today we will be selling these potions at twenty coppers only while stocks last so tell your friends and family to come quickly!¡± As he spoke, Feng gestured widely and finished off by jumping off the stage and opens the library door with a flourish and gestured towards the just set-up booth within the library manned by Alicia with filled with vials and vials of the mentioned healing potion. The entire crowd stood still for a moment to digest his words before a mad rush as everyone hurried over to purchase a health potion at the ridiculously affordable price, with the players interested in the easy health regeneration to aid their hunting and the NPCs interested in the cheap replacement to the increasingly expensive healing spells even for common sicknesses and small injuries. AN: Finally, the grand reveal of Feng''s plans after so many chapters! Hope you guys enjoy the story thus far, once again reviews and feedback (particularly if I made any mistakes) will be greatly appreciated! Thanks christon for your review! Chapter 19: Knowledge Seeing that everyone was distracted by the health potions, Feng quietly slipped away in the commotion and made his way over to Kuron (Head Trader Steele) to talk about the plan¡¯s progress. ¡°That was a smart way to draw them inside the library!¡± Kuron was in high spirits and greeted Feng with a friendly wave and a compliment. ¡°It was just a tactic that wouldn¡¯t have worked if you hadn¡¯t co-operated with us, the crowds would have dispersed long ago if not for the merchants.¡± Feng waved off Kuron¡¯s compliment with a smile and redirected the praise to the merchant¡¯s efforts instead and the two men looked at each other for an instant before breaking out into grins. ¡°I see you know how to play the game well despite your age. All things considered, this is good business for all of us. As for your share, one of my men will be dropping off today¡¯s take by tomorrow which judging by the size of the crowd and the rate at which more people are coming should be quite siz-¡± ¡°No need for that. It would be simpler to keep a running account with you, I¡¯ll withdraw extra funds as necessary but I would much rather utilize those funds to more mutually beneficial ventures¡­¡± To Kuron¡¯s surprise, Feng interrupted him and rejected his offer of a daily revenue split. ¡°So you not only flatter me and trust me with your money to work with but in the process gain my expertise in managing investments in further ventures for free? Masterful stroke Feng, as with most of the deals you propose despite the massive gains for you, the upside for me is considerable as well and I see no reason to turn you down.¡± Kuron laughed merrily and accepted Feng¡¯s offer and clasped his hand for a firm handshake, bringing Feng closer and enthusiastically patting his shoulder. ¡°Keep an eye out. Crimson cloaks like the ones we had to clean up at Alicia¡¯s have been spotted. My men have yet to find any leads but they are definitely a large group so watch your back¡­¡± *DING* Feng smiled and pumped Kuron¡¯s hands up and down vigorously with only a quick squeeze of Kuron¡¯s hand to acknowledge the ominous whisper and said cheerfully. ¡°Good working with you, if you hear of any more possible opportunities you wish to explore together, please do send a messenger to the library. I will be keeping an eye out as well for such. Thanks for your help; I¡¯ll catch up with you later? I still need to oversee the proceedings at the library.¡± Feng headed back into the library to help out with the extremely crowded potions stand set up inside, but also surreptitiously read the notification.
Secret Quest Update: Eyes On You Feeling like you are constantly watched? Well perhaps you are, try to find out more if you dare¡­ Prerequisites: *Hidden* Conditions Difficulty: *Hidden* Objectives: 1) Discover more about the watchers and their objectives 2) Investigate the Red Cloaks *Unknown Faction* 3) *Hidden* Rewards: *Hidden* Failure: 1) Death *Hidden* Quest cannot be declined.
¡®¡­ This does not bode well.¡¯ The table was heavily laden with a variety of food given to them by some of the happy food vendors due to the massive deluge of customers they enjoyed due to the library¡¯s opening. However, the two females were eating sluggishly despite the delicious aroma while the only male was happily devouring everything in sight. Rania sipped on a glass of milk and perked up slightly with a smile on her face as she thought back to the success of the library¡¯s opening. ¡°Thank you Feng! I think the whole TOWN came to the library at some point today; there must have been at least a thousand people who came here! We got huge number of sign-ups for classes and a long list of willing teachers. We even had about forty people, mostly craftsmen paying the one silver entry fee to enter the second floor to check out the trade-skills section¡­ All this wouldn¡¯t have been possible without your brilliant plans!¡± Rania blushed lightly and added shyly. ¡°I¡¯m glad you are my partner¡­¡± *DING*
Quest Completed: Reviving The Library You have undertaken the great task of reviving the library and gaining Rania¡¯s favor. Be warned, the Church of Light seem to have some sort of agenda against the library¡¯s revival. Grade: C Objectives: 1) Re-open the library 2) Get at least fifty people to use the library within the first week of re-opening Bonus Objectives: 1) Get more than a hundred people to use the library within the first week (Completed) 2) Complete first bonus objective within three days of re-opening (Completed) 3) Restore the library¡¯s reputation to at least 20 (Completed) Rewards: 1) 50% ownership of the Library 2) Increased Relationship with Rania (+50) 3) Decreased Relationship with Church of Light (-20) 4) Gain Enemies: Red Cloaks *Unknown Faction* Bonus Rewards: Tyward Library gains 25 Reputation Title: Keeper of Knowledge
New Title Obtained: Tyward Library Co-owner Congratulations! You have been officially recognized as the co-owner of Tyward Library. Free access to all library materials and rooms +250 Fame (Gain 10 Fame for every Reputation point of Tyward Library)
New Title Obtained: Keeper of Knowledge Congratulations! For saving and reviving the library to its former glory, you have preserved priceless knowledge passed down through the ages. Trait: Accelerated Understanding (Passive) +10% Increase to learning speed +20% Increase to reading speed
Warning: Relationship Change with Church of Light Your relationship with Church of Light is now at -100 (Despised) All [Church of Light] faction members will refuse to associate with you and will be extremely hostile to you.
Feng stared at the notifications he received for a long moment before he gulped down the roast chicken drumstick he stuffed in his mouth and replied Rania along with a quick pet of her fluffy ears. ¡°I¡¯m happy to work with you too Rania! I¡¯m glad we managed to get the library up and running, plus you can get to learn reading and writing from the classes once they are set up too!¡± The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. Turning his gaze over to the blonde slumped on the table slowly nibbling on some buns, Feng prodded her gently and said. ¡°Hey Alicia, are you feeling alright?¡± ¡°I¡¯m bushed¡­ There were so many people who were clamoring for the potions; we sold out the first batch within two hours. It was a good thing you took over early and sent some players back with me to create a larger batch¡­ and even then all the potions were cleared out despite being nearly thrice the amount¡­ I think we sold more than 3000 vials today.¡± Alicia shook her head in disbelief and said. ¡°I still think I¡¯m dreaming, you managed to modify the basic healing potion recipe to be twice as potent, require less than a tenth of its original ingredients and figure out a way to create batches of hundreds so quickly¡­ Although we literally worked through the night and day.¡± ¡°So that was the errand you ran?¡± Rania interjected as she looked between the two curiously. ¡°Yup, it was a pain getting Alicia to believe that I¡¯m actually alive and well at first though. After that, it was a getting down to work¡­¡± *Flashback* ¡°FENG? You are alive!¡± Alicia shrieked and dropped the vials she were holding at the sight of Feng entering the backroom, only his improved speed saved them from the possible alchemical disaster which might have occurred as he dived to rescue the vials before they shattered against the floor and mixed. ¡°Yup. I¡¯m fine and back to fulfill my end of the partnership. We need to rush though. The library is opening tomorrow and there¡¯s no better time to market a new line of potions for the people.¡± ¡°Wha-¡° Alicia stood gaping like a fish for a moment as Feng placed the vials carefully on to a table while he spoke and begun moving around gathering tools and clearing a workspace. ¡°Can you bring all the ingredients which are ideal for healing potions? And tell me the different methods of preparing them? Then, the different ways of mixing them and what is the current recipe to heal illnesses and diseases with potions?¡± Feng began arranging the tools across the workbench with purpose as he barraged Alicia with questions. With the help of Alicia, the duo set up many differing samples of ingredients in each preparation method, combined them in different permutations and observed the results to select the best performing ones before creating another run combining the ingredients and methods which produced the best performing potions¡­ After nearly fifteen hours of work into the early morning with only barely four hour left before noon, they finally created an excellent grade healing potion which could be easily mass-produced with minimal ingredients. Through hours of trial and error, they have discovered that powdering blood leaf and mixing it into water boiled with willow bark strips created a large quantity of weak healing potion base which can then be further enhanced with the addition of extracted lotus root essence. Thereafter, a mana-stone is placed into the mixture and left to stand for an hour before it is separated into small corked vials. Feng even created an assembly line approach to mass produce the potion, greatly enhancing their efficiency enabling them to churn out nearly eight hundred vials in the few hours with only the two of them. By the end of it, Feng gained several notifications which pleased him greatly.
Congratulations! Your efforts have earned you: Achievement: Potion Refiner +6 Intelligence +3 Dexterity Alchemy has leveled up to Intermediate 2 Observe has leveled up to Basic 4 Concentration has leveled up to Basic 1
Achievement: Potion Refiner You have successfully refined a potion recipe to previously unheard of levels. +50 Fame +10 Intelligence +5 Dexterity
*Flashback Ends* ¡°So¡­ what are your plans next?¡± Feng snapped out of his thoughts at Rania¡¯s question and wrinkled his brow for a moment as he considered the question seriously. ¡°Hmm¡­ I¡¯m thinking of continuing my training before trying to find out more about the Red Cloaks. I have a bad feeling about them so I would rather be more prepared before I investigated further. As for my training, I took some books about magic to read¡­ Unless you two know of anyone who can train me?¡± ¡°Nope.¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid not¡­¡± Both girls responded with a helpless shrug and negative answer which garnered a sigh from Feng. ¡°Ah well, I¡¯ll just go find a quiet room to read in while you two go ahead and rest then. Both of you look really tired.¡± ¡°Umm.. shouldn¡¯t you rest first too? There¡¯s enough space in my room¡­¡± Rania looked down, hiding her blushing face as she shyly invited Feng. ¡°Well in that case, Alicia can just rest here then! Don¡¯t worry about me, I¡¯m still feeling fine.¡± Completely missing Rania¡¯s hint, Feng cheerfully invited Alicia to stay over instead and trotted off to find a quiet room to delve into the magic of Athal. Alicia looked at Rania with eyes filled with sympathy and said. ¡°He can be really dense at times¡­¡± The petite cat-girl with her ears drooping sadly, puffed up and pouted at the other¡¯s words. ¡°YEAH! ¡­ But Feng is wonderful and understanding, if not for his help, all this would have never happened and there is no way the library will be like it was today.¡± ¡°Mm.. Yeah. I know, he did that for me too¡­¡± Hearing her agreement, Rania glanced over at the blonde and narrowed her eyes slightly. ¡°He¡¯s mine. You can¡¯t have him.¡± Alicia spluttered and blushed as she replied. ¡°Wha- I don¡¯t feel anything for him¡­¡± Rania narrowed her eyes further and stared at her unblinkingly and nearly a minute passed before Alicia finally ducked her head away and responded in a small voice. ¡°Okay.. fine, maybe just a bit.¡± The awkward tension in the room thickened as the two grappled with their budding feelings for the dense male before Alicia finally broke the silence. ¡°Um. I¡¯m tired, maybe we can go to rest? After some washing up, the two girls headed to bed and shared the large double bed with a lingering awkward tension between them but after the excitement and bustle of the long day, they soon fell asleep. *BANG* Rania and Alicia sprang awake as the loud noise interrupted their rest, with equally shocked expressions which soon melted into looks of worry as they realized it originated from Feng¡¯s direction. Chapter 20: …Is Power AN: This chapter took some time as populating the codexes took some time... and I had to spend quite a bit of time refining and finalizing the mechanics for magic. Sorry about the delay! Hope everyone enjoys the chapter and as usual feedback will be much appreciated! Ducking into a secluded room, Feng drew out the three books he grabbed from the library shelves earlier, the first two from the first floor titled [Introduction to Magic] and [Theories of Mana] while the last was a slim nondescript notebook simply titled [Understanding Mana] with no author name. Feng flipped open the first book, curiously feeling the soft vellum page with its neat hand-written script before delving into reading the book.
Codex: Introduction to Magic (Hermetic Tradition) You have read about the basics of magic under the hermetic tradition. Spoiler : Magic is the effects derived from harnessing and manipulation of mana which can be accomplished through a variety of methods. This can be separated into two main schools under the hermetic tradition, passive magical manipulation loosely classified under Enchanting and active manipulation classified under Invocation. Invocation as most mages are known for is channeling mana through spells to create an effect. Spells are constructs which aid mages in manipulating their mana into a pre-determined mana type and shaping the results through the usage of gestures, incantations and/or tools. This enables mages of the hermetic tradition to learn and master a much wider repertoire of magical spells as compared to other traditions, as each spell can be passed down more easily than say an illogical ¡°close connection and understanding of nature¡± which druidic tradition requires. Of course, powerful spells are closely guarded by wise archmages to prevent idiot apprentices from wildly flinging apocalyptic spells out of their ability to control or even power. Similarly, Enchanting is a discipline which studies various formulas of magic through the usage of runes, script, application of various mana-stones and their interactions with various materials and mana types. Although most apprentices may scoff at Enchanting due to the large amount of hard work and time needed and lack of visible flashy results, mages specializing in Enchanting can often overpower and outlast their counter-parts when well-prepared since most of their tools, scrolls or even constructs are self-powered and only require minimal mana to control or trigger. Besides the two main schools, there are several smaller sub-schools studying more specific lines of enquiries such as Elemental Magic; or some which mixes both Invocation and Enchanting such as Rituals and the heavily restricted school of Necromancy. +2 to Intelligence +1 to Wisdom
Feng looked up in what felt like bare moments after cracking open the book, his mind somehow speeding through the words at a pace unfamiliar to him. It seemed that the title did in fact increase his reading speed but not by simply increasing his reading pace but rather enabled him to pick out the essentials and speed through the rest. Picking up the next book, Feng continued his reading hoping that the next book will offer some more practical advice in harnessing magic instead of mere descriptions and theory¡­ though the title itself hints that his hopes are likely in vain.
Codex: Theories of Mana (Hermetic Tradition) You have read about the nature of mana in the world of Athal. Spoiler : Mana is conjectured to originate from the depths of Athal, given that dungeons and monsters grow more powerful alongside stronger mana saturation the deeper one ventures. Archmage Jiazal, the strongest recorded earth mage has proposed that the core of Athal is actually formed of pure mana crystals given the increasing density of rocks and purer mana-stones with increasing depth. Pure mana exists in all life to some extent, but is found to be greatly influenced by environmental factors but also greatly influencing the environment. For example, the growth of a forest will eventually convert the area¡¯s natural pure mana into nature mana; this then increases the sizes and growth of flora and fauna within the area in a continual cycle that makes ancient forests and wood harvested therein highly magical. Interestingly, it has also been observed that sufficiently powerful monsters may also warp the natural mana when they take up residence, however such research have been inconclusive as monsters tend to gravitate towards areas naturally high in the mana type closely related to them. This process is believed to be due to how creatures absorb mana from their surroundings and this then slowly influences their tendencies towards that mana type. However, mana cannot be held indefinitely within one¡¯s body and is constantly being released from the body. This rate of mana loss increases with the amount of mana within one¡¯s body and hence creates a maximum capacity on an individual¡¯s mana reserves once the rate of mana leakage is equal to the rate they absorb mana from the surroundings. This is the dynamic theory of mana equilibrium as opposed to the traditional notion of static mana reserves which thinks of people as large bottles containing mana which the Churches still ascribe to. Factors such as age, mental training, natural ability and even physical strength have been attributed to increasing the maximum amount of mana one can hold by either increasing mana absorption rate or decreasing mana leakage. +2 to Intelligence +1 to Wisdom
¡®Wow, mana appears to be an entire field of study for mages, I wonder if studying it as a form of energy under physics might yield more insights¡­¡¯ Feng took a moment to gather his thoughts after reading the surprisingly informative but dense book, before concluding that while most of it may aid him in understanding more of the world¡­ Only the fact that mana regeneration and reserves can be trained was useful but there wasn¡¯t any mention of how it could be trained or any methods to use his mana rendering it a moot point for now. Setting the second book aside, Feng picked up the last book and odd one out being a slim black journal with only a title scrawled across it with no author name or any other markings on the cover. Feng had only picked it out due to it being so out of place in the shelf, likely having been stuffed there by a player who simply noted the word mana and dumped it into the magic skills section. Cracking open the book, Feng sneezed as a puff of fine dust rose from the journal pages and revealed extremely untidy and small scribbling across the page. Feng scowled at the thought of reading the untidy script and was tempted to look for a different book but only the thought of some possible special spell or magic kept him reading on.
Codex: Understanding Mana (Unknown) ¨C Partial You have read about an unknown person¡¯s thoughts on understanding mana, but only an incomplete version. Spoiler : There are no fancy spells or amazing feats to be learnt from this book, only the ramblings of a simple man fascinated by mana in our world. Mana is deeply linked to both body and mind. Warriors believe that mana is only used to strengthen the body while mages believe that the mind controls mana and learning about it effects enables one to create more powerful spells. Both are wrong. Mana, aura, chi, energy or my personal favorite ¨C that glowing stuff, whatever name you wish to use does not matter. It is integral in all walks of life, even a simple baker may be unknowingly using fire-typed mana to better control the heating of his oven or utilizing ingredients and their natural mana in specific combinations resulting in deeper flavors. In my journeys, I have met many who believe that their varying methods of harnessing mana is superior and that only dedication to a single path will allow a person to reach their full potential. However, I note that natural inclination or talent often lead to a few excelling while the rest struggle. It is hence my belief that similar to the well-studied Hermetic research of pre-disposition to molding certain types of mana such as a fire mage¡¯s children picking up fire-related spells more easily, everyone has a natural inclination towards different traditions and systems of utilizing mana. This may seem ridiculously obvious to all, but extending from this line of thought I set forth to discover if it is possible to actively manipulate this natural inclination of the body and mind. My work while unfinished led me to believe that this is possible through a deep understanding of body and mind as espoused by the monks can allow for some form of such but to an extent limited by their system enabling the internalized manipulation of mana only. Continuation of my work meshing the monks¡¯ philosophy with the hermetic tradition has shown that mana externalized can be manipulated in a similar form to achieve differing effects of different systems. This requires understanding and control that first step from feeling the flow of mana in your body, the next step is to manipulate the flow, followed by externalizing it. This can then be used t- +2 to Intelligence +1 to Wisdom
Feng rubbed his eyes to get rid of the fatigue of squinting to understand the chicken scratching the journal owner passes off as writing as he struggled to make sense of the jumbled thoughts of the writer. ¡®Well at least I have some ideas on where to start with mana, feeling the flow of energy within my body and then manipulating it somehow.¡¯ Settling into a full-lotus meditation position, Feng closed his eyes and slowed down his breathing, taking deeper and longer breaths as he turned his focus inwards. At first, Feng felt nothing but the feeling of air entering and leaving his body in the quiet and peaceful darkness of his meditative state. Slowly, he began to feel an energy entering his body and slowly circulating around it as he breathed, a stream of warm energy circulating throughout starting from his lower abdomen. Feng was fascinated by the feeling of the energy as it entered and left his body, revitalizing him with every breath and spent an unknown amount of time simply meditating and focusing on the energy flowing within him. Only after some time, Feng snapped out of it and initiated his plan to experiment with the mana, beginning by imagining the energy gathering into his hands¡­ The process was slow and arduous but he gradually felt mana collecting within his hands and a light tingly sensation before he blinked open his eyes and saw a gentle blue glow radiating from his hands. Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. *DING*
New Skill Obtained: Mana Control Congratulations, you have learnt how to directly control mana. (Passive Skill) +1% Success in manipulating mana +3 Wisdom +2 Willpower
¡°YES!¡± Feng exclaimed upon realizing he succeeded in gaining a basic magical skill to tap on his mana. Staring at the glow emitting from his hands, Feng gingerly poked the floor followed by one of the books and himself only to realize that what he managed to accomplish so far was nothing more than a simple light show¡­ ¡®Well, the books did mention pure mana is inert and does not do anything. Perhaps I simply need to make it do something¡­ but I don¡¯t know any spells to channel the mana through¡­ Maybe if I combine manipulation with physics? If I pump mana into vibrating molecules, it should technically create heat energy and thus fire.¡± Focusing once again on his glowing hands, Feng visualized the mana creating vibration of molecules and generating thermal energy, and in fact gradually felt his hands heating up. His face looked strained as he struggled to control the mana to move more vigorously as he felt it working and the heat growing¡­ ¡°YES!¡± Feng cheered as he finally succeeded with a gentle blue flame surrounding his hands. Elated by his success, he pumped his fists in triumph¡­ ¡°AHHH SHIT!¡± Only to set his hair on fire as the flames surrounding his hands brushed by his hair and rapidly spread across his head. Still shrieking like a little girl, Feng beat away at his head trying to get rid of the flames as the previously gentle heat increased in intensity with the added fuel of his hair and merrily blazed away on his head¡­ Only to realize that he was making it worse as his hands were still flaming away. ¡®Ahhhh¡­ Ok. Stay calm. It¡¯s my mana, I can make it go away, just need to draw it back into me¡­¡¯ After a few long moments with Feng actively denying the presence of the flames licking away at his face as he imagined the energies being drawn back into his body as it grew cooler, the flames finally disappeared leaving his hair and eyebrows still somewhat singed. *DING*
Congratulations! For your brilliant ideas and sheer idiocy, you gain: +2 Intelligence -1 Wisdom Mana Control has leveled up to Novice 3
New Spell Created: Flaming Hands Congratulations, you have learnt how to set your hands (and your head) on fire. (Sustained Skill) +2 Fire Damage /hit Mana Cost: 400 Cast Time: 10 Seconds Duration: 30 Seconds (-100MP/10 seconds)
¡®¡­ Stupid admins. Maybe I should try to perform my experiments at a distance though to minimize any chance of repeat accidents¡­¡¯ Feng groused in his heads as he waved off the light smoke coming from his head and settled back into a meditative position to try and externalize his mana. Directing the mana to his hands once again was much easier and smoother, but trying to gather it into a ball within his palms was an extremely tedious task as the pure mana quickly dissipated upon leaving his body. Deciding to try something new after many failed attempts, Feng slowly condensed the mana within his hands before pushing it out of his hands to gather into a ball within his palms¡­ and it worked! Grinning at the sight of the small glowing ball of mana within his hands, Feng imagined it leaving his hands and shooting out at the wall¡­ only to see it disconnect from his palm and flying a few inches away, growing smaller as it flew before sputtering out in a few blue sparks. Feng growled at the failure of his experiment and gathered a huge amount of mana into his hands, growing and condensing the ball, hyper compacting it in a process that took him more than a minute before opening his eyes to see a ball of mana approximately the same size but glowing much brighter. Gathering mana to propel the ball while pulling his hands back to physically throw the ball, Feng launched the ball at a great speed and it flew across the room nearly reaching the wall¡­ but in a parabolic arc resulting in the ball of condensed mana hitting the stone floor¡­ and bouncing up to smack into the wall before rebounding back at Feng. Stunned by the unexpected bouncing motion of the mana-ball, Feng failed to dodge his rebounding attack which crashed straight into his abdomen and sent him sprawling to the ground along with the mana-ball which simply rolled on to the floor next to him. ¡°OWWW! What the f***!¡± Nursing the large bruise on his stomach, Feng swore at the ridiculous behaviour of mana defying the usual spells archetypes like a simple bolt¡­ *DING*
New Spell Created: Mana Ball Congratulations, you have learnt how to create a dense ball of mana¡­ (Active Skill) 50 Damage Mana Cost: 1600 Cast Time: 1 Minute Duration: 1 Minute
Prodding the ball of mana, Feng sighed as his finger sank slightly into the surface before being sprang away¡­ ¡®Well¡­ This is kind of useless¡­ Maybe I should wait till I find a proper magic tutor or look for actual spells to learn from the library¡­¡¯ Staring at the mana-ball in his hands, Feng looked disappointed as his grand visions of powerful fireballs and game-breaking spells faded away¡­ ¡®Wait¡­ Fire! I¡¯ll try one more time before giving up.¡¯ Covering the mana-ball with both his hands, Feng concentrated on it directing his mana into the ball¡­ and vibrating the ball. Slowly but surely he felt the heat growing between his hands and after a last push of his remaining mana, Feng tossed the results at the wall. *WHOOOSHH* The dense mana-ball was flickering with flames surrounding its edge as it arced towards the wall and splattered against it with a large surge of flames! The flames covered nearly a two metre radius on the wall and flickered on the wall lasting for a whole ten seconds before dying out. *DING*
New Spell Created: Fire Ball Congratulations, you have learnt how to create a fire ball. (Active Skill) 500 Damage + 10/s for 10s (Burn Damage) Area of Effect: 2 Metres Mana Cost: 2000 Cast Time: 1.5 Minute (30 seconds from Mana Ball)
Unfortunately, Feng had no energy to celebrate the success of his spell and was slumped to the ground panting though he had a victorious grin on his face. It appears that depleting the body¡¯s mana reserves completely exhausts the body leaving it vulnerable¡­ Pulling himself together after a while, Feng still felt completely drained and decided to rest and meditate to increase the rate of his mana regeneration. Feng quickly fell into a trance as he felt the flow of mana from his surroundings enter into his body mainly through his breathing and seven points in his body but slowly seeping through his skin as well. With his focus on the streams of mana flowing around him, Feng attempted to accelerate the natural process of mana recovery by increasing the rate at which mana enters his body through his skin, imagining the pores of his skins widening and allowing a greater flow of energy into his body. It worked excellently as the rate at which mana entered his body literally doubled till he felt his reserves hit about half of what he is used to and then realized that there was now a corresponding larger flow of mana OUT of his body through the pores. ¡®It¡¯s like osmosis¡­ Damn it, there must be a better way to do this¡­¡¯ Feng thought as he slowly closed off the ¡®magical pores¡¯ to restrict the loss of mana and instead focused on actively pulling in the mana into his body which increased his mana regeneration slightly but nowhere near the other method¡¯s speed. Feng let his mind wander to the mana surrounding him as his mana naturally pulled in more mana to replenish his reserves as it appears that once he manipulated the mana to ¡®actively transport¡¯ more mana into his reserves it became a completely passive process not requiring his focus. As he focused on the mana surrounding him, he began to slowly discern some differences in the mana around him though it seemed blurry. The mana in the air around him appeared to be largely blue with a tinge of white and somewhat dispersed while the reverse is true for the mana in the ground which seemed¡­ heavy with a much heavier dash of brown running through it. What interested him was however a heavy concentration of brown and green mana¡­ that seemed to be originating within him¡­ However, it did not feel as though it was part of his body but rather seemingly disembodied within a space devoid of mana¡­ ¡®¡­ Wait. How could I forget¡­¡¯ Feng opened his eyes as he realized the source of the heavy brown and green mana and withdrew an item from his inventory ¨C the Giant Comodon Lizard Core and noticed a notification window which popped up while he was meditating.
New Skill Obtained: Mana Absorption Congratulations through experimentation, you have discovered how to increase the rate of your mana absorption. (Passive Skill) +5% Mana Regeneration +3 Wisdom
Dismissing the window, Feng shrugged off the new skill despite its handy benefits and focused the dense source of mana he could feel trapped within the monster core¡­ He concentrated deeply as he fell into a meditative state with the stone within his hands¡­ and tried to draw out the mana trapped within the stone into his body. Sweat trickled down his furrowed brow as Feng devoted more and more of his mana into his hands attempting to pull the dense brown and green mana out of the stone, but despite the large amount of mana he was using it refused to budge. Changing tactics, Feng shaped his mana like a tube with a sharper end and pierced it into the dense mana core and tried to pull the heavy brown and green mana through it. By now, sweat was pouring out of Feng¡¯s body and he could feel the mental strain as the dense mana sluggishly flowed up through the tubes and approached his body¡­ *BANG* Chapter 21: .... But Not Wisdom ¡°AAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!¡± The stone violently shattered with a loud bang and Feng felt the remaining mana flood into his system, the foreign mana rampaging through his entire body and slowly making its way throughout as he screamed in agony.
Warning *ERROR*Abnormal mana intake detected. Administrators alerted.
His body spasming uncontrollably on the ground, Feng barely noticed the window popup followed by the bright light and sudden appearance of the familiar-looking female administrator. She took a single look at Feng¡¯s convulsing body and scanned the area, noticing the remnants of the stone before speaking. ¡°Goddamnit. Did you just try to cultivate a pure monster mana core without appropriate rituals and protections¡­ The feedback systems are unable to deal with this kind of sudden injection of mana. Trigger system override ¨C increase system drain and emergency manual ejection in three.¡± Feng felt a sudden weakness as mana poured out of his body uncontrollably, the foreign mana leaving alongside it and the pain gradually decreased but continued for the three long seconds. Blinking open his eyes, James still felt the aftershock of the pain continuing in his body only to slowly fade to occasional sharp jolts as the pod released its hold on him¡­ But a dull throbbing ache in his head overpowered that feeling and his muscles still trembled as he shakily moved over to the kitchen to grab a glass of water. *CRACK* *CRRWWNNNGGG* To his shock, the glass shattered into tiny splinters as he gripped it¡­ James stared at the glass shards with an uncomprehending look and more precisely at his hands and the almost pristine condition of it with only a few faint red lines marking it. ¡®What on earth.¡¯ Shaking it off as an adrenaline surge and luck that he was unharmed, James carefully swept up the mess before retrieving a hard plastic cup to drink from instead. Deciding that he really needed to sleep off the dull throbbing pain in his skull and the phantom pains still wrecking his body, James collapsed into his bed. ¡°James? You alright?¡± ¡°Nggh¡­¡± James opened his eyes a crack and squinted to make out the blurry outline of Leena before wearily rubbing his eyes. ¡°Leena? Shouldn¡¯t you be at work? I thought you can only come over in two days¡¯ time?¡± James yawned as he questioned her with his mind still foggy from sleep. ¡°It HAS been two days! I came over to check on you after work and you were sleeping soundly and refused to budge¡­ that was nearly five hours ago.¡± He started slightly as the usually calm Leena raised her voice ad exclaimed in response to his question. ¡°Huh? But¡­ when I went to sleep it was only 3am? ¡­ I slept for more than twenty hours?¡± James leaped up and stared at his clock only to see it blink 11.42pm back at him, before wincing as his sudden movement sent light jolts of pain through his body again which was caught by a worried-looking Leena. ¡°What happened? You never sleep that long! Did you fall sick or injure yourself somehow?¡± James looked at her for a moment as he recollected the memory of immense pain and shuddered involuntarily. ¡°I¡­ was experimenting in Ascension and I screwed up. It was terrible¡­ The pain was like every single bone in my body was being crushed and my whole body was being twisted and grinded. Worst of all, somehow all the pain bypassed the neural limiters and pain threshold cap set in the system. I could feel everything¡­ Then- an admin came? I¡¯m not sure at that point but somehow she ejected me from the system and the pain was lessened but still continued to a much smaller degree even when I was back¡­¡± James paused and stammered as he slowly explained what happened to Leena, and she could clearly tell that James was far from his usual collected and confident self. Sensing his vulnerability, Leena gently folded him into a hug in response without a word and slowly rubbed his back, providing whatever support she could. It took some time for James to regain his composure and went about cleaning himself up. After a refreshing shower, he stepped out of the bathroom to the enticing aroma of Leena¡¯s home-cooking and his stomach rumbled reminding him that he has yet to eat in more than a day¡­ Quickly grabbing a plate, James grimaced as his hand overshot the plate and grazed the table instead. His movements has all been oddly off since he woke up and he had to devote extra attention and care to perform even simple motions as though his muscles are oddly... more responsive as his small actions often become overly large or strong. As the pair settled down to eat their late supper, Leena finally broached the topic on her mind and spoke. ¡°Dear¡­ do you want to visit the doctor to get a check-up? Maybe we should also call the company and ensure that your pod is not malfunctioning.¡± James wolfing down his food, quickly shook his head out of pure habit of avoiding doctors and merely said. ¡°I¡¯m fine now¡­ It¡¯s probably just a bug that wasn¡¯t found before, but I¡¯ll check in with the company to be safe.¡± Leena reached over and placed her dainty hand over James¡¯ arm and looked at him intensely, ¡°If you are sure¡­ But please, please make sure you are safe alright?¡± Feeling the care and love written all over her expression, James¡¯ visage softened and he gave her a gentle smile. ¡°Don¡¯t worry dear, I will do a check with Apex to make sure everything is working fine alright? After all, I want to make sure it¡¯s perfectly safe for you as well! Your own Ascension system should be arriving by tomorrow right?¡± Leena nodded eagerly though her enthusiasm was dampened by her worry for James. ¡°Yeah! I took leave for till weekend for the launch and to play with you!¡± ¡°So do you have any plans for what sort of character build you want in game? Warrior as usual? Or maybe a spell-caster this time?¡± James drew his girlfriend into a conversation about Ascension and distracted her from his problem successfully with Leena soon animatedly discussing the possibilities with James. James awoke to some banging noises and sounds of heavy objects being moved around in his house as well as the familiar warmth of Leena being absent from beside him. Quickly throwing on a t-shirt, he walked out of the room to check on what was happening ¡°Huh?¡± James looked confused as he saw Leena watching over an Apex representative setting up another capsule next to his current system. Alerted to his presence, Leena turned around and looked sheepish for a moment before sliding up to James and kissing him before she spoke. ¡°Good morning sleepyhead! Uh¡­ This is well, I thought it would be nice to play together and you said I can come over anytime anyway didn¡¯t you? ¡­ and well my rented place doesn¡¯t really have enough space for the pod¡­ Please say it¡¯s ok?¡± Quirking an eyebrow at her, James looked hard at her for a moment before melting under her puppy-dog eyes. ¡°Sure, I¡¯m fine with it. A little heads-up will be nice next time though?¡± If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. Leena smiled sweetly and replied, ¡°You mean like when you forgot to inform me about you getting on the priority list and getting bought out of your job?¡± James winced and hastily placated her. ¡°I mean it¡¯s completely fine. Don¡¯t worry about it!¡± He hurriedly changed the topic and added. ¡°Anyway, Apex replied and apparently I found an untested bug in the system, they mentioned they will be adding in safeguards to prevent any such repeat incidents so everything should be fine. Though they did mention that there might be some damage done to my character due to the bug which they tried their best to mitigate.¡± Leena looked worried for a moment before responding. ¡°Well, I guess if they say it¡¯s safe¡­ Why don¡¯t you go in first and check up on your character before coming over to meet me at the town square? I¡¯ll probably take a while more since I have to wait for the installation to finish and go through character creation as well.¡± James nodded and slipped away to enter the pod though his heart started beating faster with trepidation as the lid slowly closed over him¡­ Within a single blink, Feng opened his eyes to the same room he was in earlier and gingerly checked his body for any injuries or pains. After assuring himself that he is fine, Feng looked around and noticed Alicia resting on the table with books scattered around her. Deciding not to awaken her yet, Feng clicked on the flashing notifications and triggered them to unleash a long list of windows.
Congratulations! Your efforts manipulating mana has earned you: +2 Intelligence +1 Wisdom +6 Willpower Mana Control has leveled up to Novice 7 Mana Absorption has leveled up to Intermediate 1
Mana Core Absorption Ritual: Partial Success Administrator Special Note: Due to your insufficient skill level and innovative but crude methods, your attempt at absorbing mana from the monster core has backfired despite your success as your body is not ready for the influx of mana. Administrative override to purge the excess mana from your system to prevent backlash to your real body has resulted in loss of your stats and levels. You have lost: -24 Levels & all stat points from these levels -10 Intelligence -10 Wisdom -10 Dexterity -10 Agility -10 Endurance -10 Strength -10 Constitution You have gained: [Tough Skin] Trait [???] Trait +20 Strength +20 Constitution
Trait Obtained: Tough Skin (Passive) +10 Constitution +25% Resistance to physical damage
Trait Obtained: ??? (Passive) +2000 Mana Unknown Effects
Looking at the screens, Feng¡¯s expression darkened and he swore loudly. ¡°WHAT THE F***! I LOST HOW MANY LEVELS?!?¡± ¡°Huh? Wha? ¡­ FENG! YOU ARE OKAY! What happened? We heard an explosion sound and rushed over but you disappeared¡­ How come you were gone so suddenly and for nearly two days?¡± Alicia awakened by Feng¡¯s loud swearing, after a moment of disorientation quickly jumped up and sprang at him and grabbed hold of him in a hug while launching a barrage of questions. ¡°Uh¡­ Yea, maybe you can let me go and I can tell you what happened? Where is Rania? ¡± Feng looked around with his arms raised awkwardly around the girl as the rather pretty girl pressed herself against him as he replied. ¡°Huh? OH!¡± Alicia blushed as she realized the position she was in and hurriedly backed away. Ducking her head and letting her fringe cover her face, she spoke in a much more subdued fashion. ¡°Um, Rania thought you got kidnapped again and left the city to try to hunt down the kidnappers¡­ I think she met up with Head Trader Steele and heard something about tracking down the Red Cloaks before she left.¡± Feng swore again as he realized the misunderstanding that must have ensued and his inability to catch up with Rania as he had to meet up with Leena. ¡°Damn. Could you take a message to Kuron and let him know that it wasn¡¯t a kidnapping but a mana experiment gone wrong and see if he can inform Rania? I was basically sent back to my world due to the experiment screwing up and took some time to recover before I came back.¡± Alicia nodded and departed immediately, aware of the urgency of the matter and the possible trouble Rania might be getting into due to the misunderstanding. After her departure, Feng scanned the room to see if he could recover anything else from the incident. His eyes quickly moved past the large burn mark and came to rest upon the bits of the monster core that were carefully gathered by someone and placed in a pile on the table. Moving over to the monster core fragments, Feng carefully inspected them with his senses and could feel no sign of mana within the fragments, with them being as inert as a common pebble. ¡®Damn it. Man¡­ Seems like I wasted a valuable resource, if the partial success got me all these traits along with so many penalties, a complete success would probably have given me a lot more without the downsides to boot¡­¡¯ Sighing at the experiment gone bad, Feng was once again reminded of Shadow¡¯s advice and how things went south due to him jumping in too quickly without forethought¡­ Feng shrugged away the thoughts and decided to continue moving ahead, after the experiment wasn¡¯t a complete failure, the physical resistance is a significant boon for sure. Gathering his things and checking through his equipment, Feng then left the library and headed towards the town square to wait for Leena¡¯s character to appear. Feng reached the square in no time and looked around for any signs of her in vain before smacking his head in realization. ¡®Time moves twice as quickly in Athal, meaning the installation probably took longer than I estimated and she is probably still in character creation at the moment.¡¯ Sitting himself down in a patch of grass at the corner the square, Feng decided to not waste time waiting and fell into a meditative state trying to examine the damage done to his mana and improve his skills manipulating it. The mana contained within his body was definitely lessened by a large amount but besides the mana streams flowing through his body, there was a very slight brown mist of mana pervading throughout his body. Following the brown mana with his sense, Feng was eventually led to a tiny core of dense green and brown mana around his stomach area. Concentrating further, Feng tried to nudge the core to circulate mana only for it to refuse to budge even the slightest bit¡­ ¡°Woahhh¡­¡± ¡°Dang!¡± Feng was snapped out of his meditative state as the usually quiet town square increased in noise. Feng opened his eyes to check out what the commotion was about and gasped as he saw the reason. ¡°Good Lord!¡± Chapter 22: Weakness of Man Within the growing circle of the crowd, Feng saw a familiar figure who had also spotted him and ran over, waving excitedly. ¡°Ja-¡° Seeing his girlfriend about to call out his real-life, Feng snapped out of his stupor and closed the distance within an instant before embracing her, stifling her words in his torso as he muttered into her ears. ¡°It¡¯s Feng here. I rather not risk our real names being leaked.¡± Feng released her only after feeling her nod in response and murmured in response. ¡°Alright, I chose Cythe as my name here.¡± She then backed away slightly to check out Feng, looking him up and down before sighing. ¡°Boring¡­ You didn¡¯t even bother customizing anything about your looks¡­¡± Feng merely shrugged apathetically at that inciting another sigh from Cythe before she struck a seductive pose and asked coyly. ¡°So¡­ How do I look?¡± Feng stared at his girlfriend who looked almost exactly the same yet inexplicably more beautiful, only extremely close inspection revealed the slight adjustments with her skin becoming more radiant and blemish-free, her facial features somehow becoming somewhat more shaped and elegant, while her typically untidy shoulder-long black mane became a smooth wave of iridescent teal locks flowing down to her mid-back. His eyes were inevitably drawn downwards and lingered for some time on Cythe¡¯s cleavage which seemed so much more eye-catching despite seeming exactly the same size¡­ Bypassing her assets, Feng¡¯s eyes wandered further downwards past her pert bottom and glued on to those long smooth legs with flawless porcelain skin¡­ ¡°Ehem¡­ You are drooling dear. I¡¯m guessing you like my new appearance then?¡± Feng hurriedly shut his mouth and swiped his hand across to rid any of the incriminating evidence and simply nodded in response not daring to test his capability to vocalize properly at the moment. The corners of Cythe¡¯s lips twitched upwards, amused by Feng¡¯s response and her smile turned mischievous as she followed up with another question. ¡°Really? So how do I look compared to my normal looks then?¡± His attention split between Cythe¡¯s sexy pose and her question, Feng spilled his thoughts on her new appearance without thinking through. "Ohh¡­ your legs are even more flawless and sculpted, and your skin looks much more radiant, and you look shapelier and your face looks more elegant... You look like a much prettier version of yourself¡­¡± Looking up at Cythe¡¯s face as he answered, Feng noticed her face was darkening as he spoke, and belatedly realized the disguised bomb in her question. He hurriedly cut off his words and switched tracks, desperately hoping to redeem the situation. "BUT I love you not because of your beauty, even though you are amazing here and in real life. I love you for your personality, that cute smile and really I would say I prefer your normal self. All of you including with the cute little blemish on your face which I love to kiss... Even the rashes scars on your sensitive skin, they are part of you... because I love you for who you are not what you look like." ¡°Awwww¡­ You are the best boyfriend!¡± ¡°Aww, how sweet.¡± ¡°Wow¡­¡± ¡°Aww¡­ If only my husband thinks like that too.¡± Feng mentally wiped his brow of sweat as Cythe gushed about his mini-speech alongside on-looking females in the town square¡­ and realized Cythe was excitedly coming nearer. *CRACKK* ¡®GURRGGHH¡­ MY RIBS!! ¡­ I might have been better off getting her annoyed than happy and overly affectionate¡­¡¯ *DING*
Status Effect Inflicted: Crushed Lungs Duration: 1 hour Effects: -50% Stamina while in effect
Cythe abruptly released Feng at the same time the notification sounded and looked startled, allowing him some breathing room to recover and read the notification. ¡°How rude! I just got a notification saying I got a new skill called Hug of Doom!¡± Cythe looked extremely offended as she turned her attention back to Feng and asked. ¡°You are perfectly fine aren¡¯t you dear? ¡° Hiding his wince as he nursed his side, Feng croaked out a somewhat forced reply. ¡°Uhh.. Yes. That must have been a glitch¡­.¡± ¡°Hmpf. Well, at least I got an extra 20 strength bonus from it.¡± Feng stiffened upon hearing that, on one hand happy for Cythe¡¯s fast advancement but a much larger portion of his mind was weeping in fear and horrified realization at what her increasing strength and the skill implied for him in the future¡­ ¡®Shit. Shit. Shit.¡¯ While his mind was still frozen in shock and horror over the idea of Cythe¡¯s hug getting stronger, Feng was dragged about by an excited Cythe who peered around checking out the town square before abruptly letting loose a squeal of joy and pulling him along. Before he knew it, Feng was standing inside a blacksmith¡¯s shop with weapons racks containing a huge variety of weapons as well as stands of armor displaying anything from leather vambraces to a set of full plate-mail armor. Cythe was flitting from rack to rack, staring at all the different types of weapons on display starry-eyed before coming to a quick stop as she spotted something. ¡°Oooohhh that''s so cool... I want that kusarigama! It looks so awesome with it being modeled like a dragon. Look at the sleek body! The scaley details on the handle, even the chain¡­ and the tail oh my¡­¡± Feng sighed and inspected the chain-sickle and thought it looked fairly cool with its dragon shape and exotic weapon design but thought it was extremely impractical though... the quality of the blade itself was excellent and looks extremely sturdy and keen. However, no matter how good the weapon was, it simply was not an optimal choice. ¡°Uh, don''t think you can afford it dear since you don¡¯t have any money now..." Feng spoke with a well-trained voice of reason, recognizing the sense of an upcoming impulse purchase after many years of trailing after his girlfriend on shopping trips. "Oh.. But it looks so wonderful, maybe¡­ You could get it for me first and I¡¯ll pay you back later?" Sadly, his attempt fell on deaf ears and instead backfired by directly implicating his wallet¡­ Wincing, Feng attempted to dissuade Cythe again. ¡°But you don¡¯t even know how to use it..." "Pleaseeee? I¡¯ll work really hard to learn to use it!" ¡°Why not use a sabre or a blade? You were one of the top state fencers after all¡­¡± ¡°Bleh¡­ That¡¯s so boring, I rather pick up a new weapon¡­ plus it looks so much cooler!¡± "But it might not even be a strong weapon?" ¡°That¡¯s fine! It looks cool!¡± Feng face-palmed at Cythe¡¯s answer and took a moment to think before speaking. ''Well, at least the weapon enables medium range combat which should keep her safer... Plus it might mesh well when we party up. Hmm..'' ¡°Alright¡­ Let me go check the price for you.¡± "YAY! YOU ARE THE BEST HONEY!" The brilliant smile which lit up Cythe¡¯s face made his heart skip a beat and reminded him that her happiness was more important than money. ¡®I got quite a bit of money from the bandit camp anyhow¡­¡¯ Feng strode over to the blacksmith with a lighter heart and was fully prepared to purchase the kusarigama and motioned at the weapon in question. ¡°How much is that?¡± The blacksmith looked over in the direction before he raised an eyebrow and silently lifted a hand with his fingers spread. ¡°Five silvers? That¡¯s not too bad!¡± Feng ventured a guess at the price but the blacksmith simply shook his hood in response. ¡®Damn it. Is he trying to drive up the price by making me set the price?¡¯ Feng sighed and attempted to name the figure again. ¡°Five gold? That¡¯s a tad pricey¡­¡± All he got in return was a shake of the blacksmith¡¯s bald head. ¡°Fifty gold? That¡¯s daylight robbery!¡± ¡®That¡¯s almost a tenth of what I got from the bandit camp!¡¯ Feng lamented the loss of a significant part of his wealth only for the sound of blacksmith¡¯s deep gravelly voice to cut through his thoughts. ¡°Five hundred gold.¡± ¡°Excuse me? I must have heard you wrongly.¡± ¡°Five hundred gold.¡± Feng looked stunned as the blacksmith calmly confirmed the price of the weapon before he raised his hands and said. ¡°Alright, that¡¯s it. I¡¯m not interested in buying this anymore. That¡¯s way too expensive, you are asking for almost all I have.¡± The brawny blacksmith merely shrugged in response and turned away. Turning back to Cythe who had walked over to listen in to the negotiation, Feng tried once again to dissuade her more vehemently this time. ¡°Hey it¡¯s way too expensive and you¡¯ll probably attract the attention of those too powerful for you who will try to steal the weapon!¡± Cythe¡¯s beaming face fell at his words and her downcast expression made Feng feel like a heel for getting her hopes up but disappointing her. ¡°Oh¡­ I guess you are probably right.¡± ¡°Well, maybe we can get you someth-¡° Feng¡¯s attempt to console Cythe was interrupted by the blacksmith who was quietly standing at the side. ¡°Soulbound. Can¡¯t be stolen.¡± The burly man¡¯s short statement turned the situation around as Cythe perked up at his words and looked at Feng with pleading eyes. ¡°Pleaseeee?¡± Feng quickly looked away, knowing that how easily he¡¯ll waver under those eyes only to be transfixed as Cythe changed her strategy, purred into his ear as she pointed at a set of skimpy chainmail bikini with tiny chainmail leggings. This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. ¡°How about if I wear that for you¡­ and give you a special reward?¡± Feng stared at the set for a moment before returning his gaze to Cythe and imagined it on her¡­ With a determined expression, Feng marched over to the blacksmith and pulled him away to a corner and started negotiating with the man softly but intensely and only a few words was barely audible. ¡°¡­ important¡­ Kuron¡­ ¡± ¡°-block¡­ Bro code. Come on¡­ toss it in?¡± ¡°¡­ Alright, deal.¡± After much discussion and application of every negotiation tactic he knew, Feng finally managed to persuade the taciturn man to sell both the weapon and the outfit in question for a total of four hundred and fifty gold pieces which he most reluctantly retrieved from his inventory and passed to the blacksmith. Feng rubbed his hands eagerly in anticipation as the blacksmith led Cythe to the backroom to customize the fit of the armor outfit to her figure, but seeing as he had little to do till they were done, Feng decided to scrutinize the weapon he had to pay so much for to ensure they were not being ripped off. Feng¡¯s eyes bulged in shock as he read the information window provided by his Observe Skill.
*Unknown* - Dragon-shaped Chain Sickle Type: Kusarigama (Unique) Quality: Master Damage: 90 ¨C 120(Sickle), 60 ¨C 75 (Weight) Durability: Unbreakable (Enchanted) Additional Effects: Soulbound: Will return to player¡¯s inventory if stolen or lost. Will not be dropped on death. *Hidden* Requirements: *Hidden* Description: A chain-sickle shaped like a long golden Oriental dragon, this unique weapon is composed of three segments with the bladed sickle on one end molded to resemble a dragon head with tiny sapphire glinting mounted as ¡®eyes¡¯ ending in a sharp deadly point molded like the tip of snout. The handle of the sickle was similarly shaped like the dragon¡¯s neck with finely detail scales covering the entire sickle and continuing onto the attached chain which is actually made out three braided fine chains and detailed to resemble the long serpentine body ending in a fan-shaped tail which is actually a weighted end of the chain.
¡°I¡¯m done Feng, come and take a look!¡± Snapping out of his amazement at the unexpectedly powerful weapon, Feng quickly moved over to the backroom, anticipating the marvelous sight awaiting him. ¡­ Only to see Cythe wearing a full set of scale mail covering the entirety of her body only leaving parts of her arms and thighs exposed with sheer mail covering them. Feng¡¯s eager face fell abruptly and he turned to look accusingly at the blacksmith standing quietly at the side. ¡°This looks completely different!¡± The man shrugged and surprisingly deigned to supply an actual explanation instead of the few short words he had been using on them. ¡°Those parts were just the under-set; anyone with half a brain will tell you that¡¯s insufficient protection.¡± Cythe struggled to keep a straight face at the sad look on Feng¡¯s face and grabbed his hand, clasping it to her bosom¡­ which was so armored Feng could barely feel anything and winked at him. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I''ll model the set for you privately¡­ now shall we go to the adventurer''s guild so I can learn how to use the weapon?¡± Feng nodded eagerly at the returned hope of his anticipated eye-candy and happily followed Cythe¡¯s lead, staring at her finely-shaped behind as she sashay¡¯ed out of the shop. *DING*
New Title Obtained: Well Trained (Whipped) Congratulations! For being so compliant to your partner, you have gained the jealousy of other women and the pity of other men. +10% Attention from females -10% Resistance against feminine charms -1 Willpower +1 Luck
Spoiler :
Status
NameFengGenderMale
Level24RaceHuman
Progress56%Unspent Points20
Health1360Stamina1340
Mana4045
Strength133Intelligence93
Constitution113Wisdom84
Endurance74Willpower49
Dexterity98Charisma41
Agility89Luck80
Perception66
Fame110Faith1500
Titles
Greenhorn AdventurerBlasphemer
Cougar BaitFaithful Child of God
Cold-Blooded ExecutionerHe Who Defies The Heavens
Tyward Library Co-OwnerHoly Warrior
Keeper of Knowledge
Traits
Accelerated UnderstandingTough Skin
???
Physical Skills
RunningBasic2Passive
BalanceNovice6Passive
AcrobaticsNovice7Passive
EvadeBasic2Passive
Unarmed MasteryBasic7Passive
Sword MasteryBasic3Passive
Dagger MasteryBasic5Passive
Dual-wielding MasteryBasic2Passive
Throwing MasteryBasic3Passive
Quick DrawBasic1Passive
Combat InstinctBasic2Passive
ToughnessNovice8Passive
StealthBasic2Passive
Poison ResistanceNovice6Passive
Decapitating BlowNovice4Passive
AssassinateNovice4Passive
Breathing TechniqueBasic2Sustained
Chain PunchingBasic3Active
Mental Skills
Sense Hostile IntentNovice9Passive
ConcentrationBasic1Passive
AnatomyBasic2Passive
ObserveBasic4Passive/Active
Mana ControlNovice7Passive
Mana AbsorptionIntermediate1Passive
MeditationBasic1Sustained
Social Skills
OratoryNovice5Passive
NegotiateNovice3Passive
PreachingNovice1Passive
Magical ContractsNovice2Passive
Crafting Skills
AlchemyIntermediate7Passive
SkinningNovice8Passive
Spells
Flaming HandsNovice1Sustained
Mana BallNovice1Active
Fire BallNovice1Active
AN: Made a mistake of calling a kusarigama a chain-scythe instead of a chain-sickle, this has been corrected. Also updates are likely slower for the upcoming few weeks due to impending tests and final project submissions, alongside a sudden surge in number of clients... Chapter 23: Training Never Stops Seeing Cythe decked out in new armor and a stronger weapon than even what he has, Feng can¡¯t help but feel a surge of jealousy and annoyance especially since it was HIS gold that was spent on them¡­ Snapping his fingers as he remembered something, Feng quickly called out to Cythe to wait and ran back into the blacksmith for a few minutes before returning again with a grin on his face. ¡°What was that about?¡± ¡°Oh nothing much, just refitting some of the armor I picked up to fit. It will take a while so let¡¯s just continue on to the guild first.¡± As the duo walked up towards the main door, Feng decided to pull a prank on Cythe and slowed down his footsteps allowing her to reach the door first. Cythe unsuspectingly put her hand on the heavy door and pushed only for the door to open a few inches. ¡®¡­Damn, she did better than I did. Then again she does have more strength stats than I did.¡¯ ¡°Here, I¡¯ll open-¡° Having caught up, Feng tried to offer his assistance but Cythe turned him down with a sharp gesture of her hand before planting both hands firmly against the wooden door. *BANG* With an extremely unladylike growl, Cythe launched her entire bodyweight against the door and flung it wide open. ¡°Hey. I thought I told you guys to save your strength for the inner do- Wait, you don¡¯t look familiar¡­ Are you a newcomer?¡± Roth said with some shock as he looked up from the massive tower shield he was polishing. ¡°Hey Roth! This is Cythe, my girlfriend, she¡¯s new here and I thought it would be best for her to start training here.¡± Feng quickly caught up behind Cythe and took the chance to greet Roth while Cythe was still recovering her breath from her exertion. ¡°Oh Feng! I see. Feel free to use the public training grounds though why did you come by this way then?¡± Feng felt a heavy and suspicious stare emitting from Cythe and cold sweat rolled down his brow as he picked his next words carefully. ¡°Oh¡­ You know, I was hoping you¡¯ll be around and maybe you could help give some pointers for my girlfriend since she got a rather unusual weapon ¨C a chain sickle to be exact.¡± Feng gestured as he spoke at Cythe who proudly brandished her new shiny weapon and thankfully seems to have forgotten about her suspicions of Feng¡¯s prank¡­ or more likely saved as ammunition for a later date. ¡°Hmm¡­ Can¡¯t help you there. Holfen over at the public training hall can get you a practice sickle and instruct you in some basics but I¡¯m afraid you are on your own otherwise. And Feng I got to ask you about something.¡± Stashing the massive shield underneath the counter, Roth stood up and moved over to them. ¡°That¡¯s an interesting weapon you have chosen¡­ while it has some range capabilities, are you sure about fighting up close? I¡¯m sure a lady like you will be more comfortable with magic or maybe a bow?¡± Roth said as he reached out to shake her hand, only to widen his eyes slightly as she gripped down on his hand and answered in a slightly peeved tone. ¡°Yes. I¡¯m pretty sure I can handle myself. I¡¯ll see you guys later then.¡± Cythe marched off to the direction they indicated with a huff, leaving the two men behind. Roth raised a questioning eyebrow only to receive a helpless shrug from Feng as he silently mouthed ¡®Women¡¯. ¡°Hahaha, you got a fine lady there. She¡¯ll definitely fit in with us here. Anyway, I got to check with you about a report I received from some guild members who picked up a girl outside the Black Forest. They reported that you cleared out the Black Forest Bandit Clan and rescued the girl. Is this true and if so, how come you didn¡¯t escort her all the way back?¡± Roth laughed heartily and slapped Feng on the back lightly before he grew somewhat more serious and questioned Feng. ¡°Yeah, put simply I was lost and looking for directions when I got attacked by the bandits. Somehow I ended up fighting them all before rescuing the girl. As for escorting her back¡­ I sort of tripped and was sent back to my world because my body was too damaged.¡± ¡°BWHAHAHAHAHA! Only you Feng! If it was anyone else, I would have to get the witness¡¯ confirmation before I can issue out the job rewards for clearing the bandits¡­ But after hearing what you said, I have no doubts you actually did it. Let me go update the job board and guild ledger to dispense your reward.¡± Feng got over his embarrassment at the mention of reward, though he was puzzled by what Roth mentioned. ¡°Huh? Why do you need to update the guild ledger?¡± ¡°¡­ Oh right, it¡¯s your first time completing a job. Every job grants a number of guild points which will contribute to your rank. Well basically for your case, this job actually belongs several ranks higher than your current and thus the amount of guild points you receive greatly exceed your promotion requirement¡­ in fact, I do believe you are due for a double promotion.¡± Feng took a moment to process the explanation before grinning as he waited for Roth to complete the paperwork and pull out a bag from beneath the counter which magically seemed to be able to hold an incredible amount of items¡­
Job Completed: Eliminate Black Forest Bandits [Adventurers¡¯ Guild] The Merchant Guild has posted a contract for the elimination of Black Forest Bandits who have been greatly disrupting trade coming from the north. Objectives: 1) Kill or drive off at least thirty Black Forest Bandits (Completed) 2) Defeat the Black Forest Bandit Chief (Completed) Rewards: 100 Gold, 80 Guild Points
Title Obtained: Hardscale Adventurer You have been double promoted to the rank of Hardscale Adventurer, awarded to adventurers who have survived and been toughened up through their adventures. +50 Fame +10% Quest Trigger Chance Privileges Access to Adventurers¡¯ Guild Mission Board, Commons, Dormitory & Training Hall
Closing the notification windows, Feng gleefully accepted the bag of gold but asked Roth with some confusion. ¡°Huh¡­ Didn¡¯t you mention something about rank up exams and being able to learn new skills as well?¡± Roth shrugged his massive shoulders and said. ¡°Oh, most people join our guild to gain access to the jobs so we have way too many members at our lower ranks. Testing them all will be a pain. So we only test at the fifth rank for the lower ranks and start testing every rank from tenth and above.¡± Roth stood up and gestured at Feng to follow him as he continued speaking. ¡°As for your questions about learning more, well just follow me and we¡¯ll sort that out right now, since your girlfriend will probably take a while to complete her training anyway.¡± Feng looked at him suspiciously, noticing the grin Roth was sporting¡­ ¡°You aren¡¯t going to repeat that torture you call training again, are you?¡± Roth laughed and shook his head ¡°Nah, that¡¯s just hazing the rookies and toughening you kids up to make sure you make it back alive¡­ Although yours was extra special with the blindfold and all. But anyway I¡¯ll be teaching you some actual fighting moves this time.¡± As they moved towards the private training hall, Roth suddenly perked up and snapped his fingers before he said. ¡°Oh yeah, I almost forgot the girl you saved was also very interested in looking for you.¡± Feng noted the snippet of information but quickly dismissed it as irrelevant¡­ Not realizing the amount of trouble that would bring him in the future¡­ As the pair walked into the private training hall, Feng idly observed the increase of players in the public training hall and automatically searched out Cythe who was talking to the instructor before moving on. To Feng¡¯s surprise, Roth continued moving through the private training hall and brought him to one of the smaller side rooms he didn¡¯t notice previously. It was occupied by a single training dummy which looks much more reinforced, with a thick steel red securing it to the ground with the dummy itself basically a steel mannequin covered with some cloth and padding. Roth picked up a pair of dark-colored wooden training swords from the side racks and experimented with some swings before he suddenly dropped both weapons at the side with a look of disgust crossing his face. ¡°Damn, I just realized¡­ I got to teach you the boring part as well. Hmm¡­ you are pretty smart so let¡¯s cut this short. We use Aura for our skills, almost all fighters uses it though in different ways. Basically, we channel aura from our body into weapons and armor to increase our fighting capabilities. Got that?¡± Feng simply nodded to indicate understanding as he paid close attention. ¡°Great. So the most basic move is to channel your aura to your blade as you attack your target. Like so.¡± Roth casually picked up one of the wooden swords and swung it lightly at the dummy, with a dull glow emitting a moment before the blade contacted its target. *BANG* Despite the obviously weak slash, Feng was amazed to see the heavy steel dummy tilt from the explosive force of Roth¡¯s strike. ¡°As you can see, it greatly empowers your attacks. Go ahead and try.¡± Feng looked bemused at the extremely short lesson and tried to clarify further. ¡°Uh¡­ How do I channel aura?¡± ¡°Oh just pick up the sword, concentrate on pouring your energy into the sword and it will come naturally.¡± Sweat-dropping at the rather unhelpful advice, Feng shrugged and picked up the training sword before concentrating and swinging. *Thonk* Feng frowned as he felt his concentration moving mana towards his weapon but stopping right outside his skin and dispersing soon after. Furrowing his brows, Feng stared at his weapon for a good minute, pushing mana to coat the weapon in a gentle blue glow and sweating tremendously as he did so¡­ Feng¡¯s victorious smirk rapidly turned into a grimace as his moment of distraction caused the blue glow to flicker and almost extinguish, only his quick re-focusing strengthened the glow before he slashed at the dummy again¡­ *Plonk* ¡°HA HA HA HA! That¡¯s the funniest expression I have seen so far training newbies!¡± Roth roared with laughter, his hands clutching his sides as he took in Feng¡¯s comical betrayed look as his training sword literally BOUNCED off the dummy. His eyes twitching as Roth¡¯s laughter continued, Feng irately said. ¡°Some REAL advice will be nice about now Roth.¡± Roth slowly regained control of himself as Feng looked on with irritation, and wiped away tears of laughter before he finally spoke. ¡°You are doing two things wrong. Firstly, that is mana you are using, concentrate harder and feel your mana become heavier and thicker before you focus on your blade. Secondly, you are coating your weapon with your energy, instead send your aura into the blade and release it when you strike.¡± Feng sighed and looked at Roth with exasperation. ¡°You could have told me that from the start.¡± ¡°Heh. But where¡¯s the fun in that?¡± Feng grumbled under his breath before turning back to concentrated fully on his blade, shutting his eyes to feel the flow of mana and condensing the flow at his hands. He felt the thin threads of mana slowly twine together and thicken¡­ before his concentration was abruptly broken by a hard poke at his forehead. ¡°Eyes wide open. That¡¯s a terrible habit to form and will get you killed.¡± This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. Roth stood in front of him with a serious expression with his training sword lightly resting on Feng¡¯s forehead. Grimacing as he acknowledged Roth¡¯s warning Feng repeated his actions only this time with both his eyes open and focused on his mana and sword... Only feel the tip of Roth¡¯s practice blade jabbing at his torso. ¡°Eyes on the target.¡± Feng sighed at the interruption and resigned himself to constantly repeating his actions as Roth corrected him with light pokes and jabs. *DING*
New Skill Obtained: Aura Mastery Congratulations! Through Roth¡¯s private training, you have learnt how to call forth your Aura. (Passive Skill) +1% Decrease in Aura cost for Aura-based skills +1% Effectiveness of Aura-based skills +3 Wisdom New Stat Unlocked: Aura +50 Aura -500 Mana Note: Aura can be converted from Mana at a 1:10 ratio, this can be improved through higher levels of Aura Mastery.
New Skill Obtained: Aura Strike Congratulations! Through Roth¡¯s private training, you have learnt how to infuse your weapon attacks with Aura. (Active Skill) +25% Weapon damage Aura Cost: 5
After many repetitions and nearly forty minutes, Feng finally grasped the trick to condensing aura to Roth¡¯s satisfaction and felt a portion of his mana convert into aura which gathered in a pool within his core. Pushing aura into his blade and mastering the timing to infuse and release Aura into his attacks was a simple thing in comparison. ¡°You didn¡¯t catch it as quickly as I thought you would be but you are faster than average I guess. Anyway, the next skill I¡¯m going to teach is one of the most commonly used skills for us adventurers. By now, you probably ran into at least one annoying creature which fights at a distance, as you probably experienced it is a pain to get in close. is our go-to skill in these circumstances.¡± Standing in the furthest corner away from the dummy, Roth swung at the dummy with his dully glowing practice blade, releasing a familiar-looking almost-transparent wave of energy rippling towards the dummy. *BANG* ¡°It works exactly like , except we project our attacks out of the weapon to attack at a distance with pure aura.¡± Feng shuddered slightly at the memory of dodging the bandit chief¡¯s and promised himself that he will fully master the skill, having seen the effectiveness of it first-hand and up close¡­ *DING*
New Skill Obtained: Far Strike Congratulations! Through Roth¡¯s private training, you have learnt how to project your weapon attack through Aura to strike at far away targets¡­ or at your level, not so far away targets. (Active Skill) 25% of weapon damage Maximum Range: 8 meters Aura Cost: 15
¡°Excellent, you got it much quicker this time. Well that¡¯s all I have for you for now.¡± After another twenty plus minutes of trial and error, Feng nailed the basics of projecting his aura through the blade though a stray thought occurred to him midway and he voiced it out as Roth congratulated him ¡°Hmm... Roth, why do we strike at a distance instead of moving faster to reach melee distance instead? Won¡¯t that be more useful?¡± The half-troll snorted and answered his question. ¡°Sure, it would be. But we are warriors not monks, who learn how to enhance their bodies up in mountains and deep caves. They employ their own brand of energy called chi to achieve crazy feats. Many have tried to replicate their feats with aura before and have failed badly. I won¡¯t recommend trying to find them though; they have ridiculous entry requirements and all sort of weird rules.¡± ¡®Sounds like joining the monks is more trouble than it¡¯s worth but¡­ those skills will be so worth it¡­ Chi¡­ Maybe it is similar to qigong I learnt in Wing Chun¡­ It¡¯s worth a shot.¡¯ Feng pondered about the possibilities and came to a quick decision before he called out to Roth who was already preparing to leave the training room. ¡°Roth, could I get you to stay and observe for a bit? I want to try to see if I can replicate some sort of Chi movement skill.¡± Stopping in his tracks, the large man turned around with an intrigued look and thought for a moment before shrugging and waved at him to continue. ¡®Alright, now that Roth is here in case of anything going wrong¡­ Where do I start? Qi¡­ begins from the breath in Chinese martial arts and he mentioned that warriors using aura could not accomplish the same feats.¡¯ Feng breathed in deeply and felt the slender strands of mana enter his body and circulate throughout his body and decided to simply attempt to focus mana into his leg muscles before kicking off. *Whish* Feng¡¯s hair trailed behind him as he took a quick step but it was almost completely the same except for it being seemingly slightly quicker than usual¡­ ¡®Maybe I need more mana?¡¯ Concentrating once again, Feng gathered a large quantity of mana before focusing within his legs before he took a step¡­ only to feel the large amount of mana almost seem to have slowed him down instead¡­ Feng closed his eyes and was determined to get back the fleeting feeling and focused back on his breathing, deciding to simply observe his body and mentally willed himself to take a faster step¡­ *WHISH* Feng¡¯s eyes snapped open as the sudden feeling of speed and found Roth¡¯s similarly shocked gaze as he looked back only to realize that he had traveled nearly two footsteps distance in a single quick step. ¡°But that¡¯s impossible!¡± Feng could only shrug in response to Roth¡¯s bewildered exclamation and mentally ran through his observations. ¡®What was different about¡­ WAIT! The brown mist, I could feel it vibrating for an instant when I took the step¡­ That¡¯s it! If warriors had such a hard time with it and qi is about breathing, then chi is basically the lighter gaseous form of mana!¡¯ Delving deep into a meditative state, Feng began unraveling the thin strands of mana flowing through his body and mentally dissolving them. Slowly, he felt his legs fill up with the ¡°mana mist¡± or what he believes to be chi and decided to take the next step. Feng vibrated the chi in his legs fiercely before taking a single quick step¡­ *WHOOSH* *BAM* ¡°Ow.¡± ¡°HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!¡± Roth started laughing uncontrollably as Feng completed his step¡­ which took him all the way into the wall of the room- face first. *DING*
New Skill Obtained: Chi Cultivation Congratulations! Through trial and error, you have learnt the art of cultivating chi. (Passive Skill) +1% Decrease in Chi cost for Chi-based skills +1% Effectiveness of Chi-based skills +3 Wisdom New Stat Unlocked: Chi +1000 Chi -100 Mana Note: Chi can be converted from Mana at a 10:1 ratio, this can be improved through higher levels of Chi Mastery.
New Skill Obtained: Qing Gong Congratulations! Through trial and error, you have learnt the art of Qing Gong (Light Body Art), allowing you to greatly increase your speed¡­ and crash into walls. (Passive/Active Skill) +200% Movement speed (Active) Chi Cost: 100/s (Increased chi usage increases speed proportionately.) +10% Movement Speed (Passive) + 5 Agility
After Roth recovered from his bout of laughter, he questioned Feng who was both jubilant and annoyed at the fact he succeeded but overshot so badly. ¡°Damn¡­ You never fail to surprise me¡­ How did you do that without chi?¡± ¡°I did generate chi. It is just the opposite of aura, being lighter instead of denser than mana. Afterwards, I simply channeled it into my legs.¡± ¡°¡­ Woah. Can it be that simple?¡± Roth concentrated for a moment and¡­ *BANG* Roth was sprawled on the ground with his feet sinking into the cracked floor. ¡°¡­ Damn it. It seems that my body is too used to generating aura which is not suitable for such use.¡± ¡°Pft¡­ Hahaha. You look ridiculous.¡± Feng gleefully took the opportunity to laugh at Roth as payback. Unfortunately, Roth took offense to it and smiled darkly as he stood up and walked over to a training chest to retrieve some objects. ¡°¡­ Since you completed the training session so early, and I doubt your girlfriend is done yet¡­ Why don¡¯t we continue with our training session?¡± Feng looked suspicious, but before he could react, Roth appeared next to him with four items he retrieved from the chest. He quickly slipped two over Feng¡¯s wrists and slapped the remaining two onto his ankles and stuffed one of the training swords into his hand before backing away again. Within an instant, Feng felt crippling weights in his limbs and staggered. ¡°Surprised? These training weights are enchanted to draw upon the wearer¡¯s power to increase the weight and weigh up to a ton. Time to increase your defense skills, next up learning how to parry and dodge more efficiently¡­¡± Roth had a victorious smirk as he spoke, walking towards Feng with his own training blade lazily tracing patterns in the air. *Another Whack-A-Feng Session Later*
New Skill Obtained: Parry Congratulations! By deflecting some of Roth¡¯s blows, you have managed to learn how to parry attacks. (Passive) +1% Parry Chance +2 Dexterity
Congratulations! Your training has earned you: +2 Strength +1 Endurance +2 Constitution +2 Dexterity +1 Perception Sword Mastery have leveled up to Basic 7 Observe has leveled up to Basic 5 Combat Instinct has leveled up to Basic 4 Evade has leveled up to Basic 3 Toughness has leveled up to Basic 1 Parry has leveled up to Novice 6
¡°Well, I guess we are done for today. Why don¡¯t we go out and check out your girlfriend¡¯s progress?¡± Feng mumbled unspeakable words at Roth¡¯s chirpy tone and delighted expression from his slumped position on the ground before slowly and painfully levering himself to stand up with the aid of the training sword. Hobbling over to replace the sword back on the rack, Feng winced feeling the bruises all over his body. He slowly trailed behind Roth going out to the main training hall only to see him stop abruptly in his tracks, blocking the doorway. Curious at what made Roth dumbstruck; Feng peered around his large frame and spotted a horrific scene¡­ with Cythe at the middle of it¡­ Chapter 24: Hunters The one quarter of the previously pristine training hall looked like an elephant rampaged through it, Feng¡¯s eyes scanned across it seeing holes riddling the wooden floor, destroyed training dummies and even some cracks running across the stone walls¡­ Cythe stood whirling the weighted chain end of her new weapon in what looked like the eye of the storm. With a perfectly normal-looking section surrounding her as well as an upright dummy in good condition in front of her. Yet, the cowering instructor standing well away from her and the few braver players left training on the furthest opposite end of the hall told Feng all he needed to know. ¡°Damn it. Not again¡­ I forgot about her violent tendencies¡­ and poor aim.¡± Prodding the stunned half-troll, Feng shrugged as he got no response and squeezed past Roth into the training hall. He approached Cythe and called out, ignoring the frantic warnings the instructor yelled out. ¡°Please stop training dear¡­¡± Feng stopped a safe distance away directly in front of her where Cythe was aiming¡­ the place he knew from experience tended to be the safest due to her incredible sense of aim¡­ ¡°Huh?¡± The heavy and dark aura drifting off Cythe abruptly dissipated as she was roused from her focused state by Feng¡¯s familiar voice. Cythe looked up at Feng with sad puppy dog eyes as she ran over to him, whining cutely. ¡°Fennngggg!!! I just can¡¯t seem to get it right¡­ No matter what I do, it seems I can¡¯t do any damage the dummy at all with this chain-sickle...¡± Cythe attempted to dive straight at Feng to embrace him only to be silently side-stepped, causing her to trip and fall on the ground. ¡°Owwwieee¡­ That was meannnn! Why did you do that dear!¡± Sitting up and rubbing her nose delicately, all the nearby on-lookers were dazzled by her innocent-looking actions and beautiful looks¡­ only to sweat-drop and shiver as they looked beyond her at the scene of destruction. Feng sighed as he deftly grabbed the kusarigama out of Cythe¡¯s hands only to quickly wince and drop it on the floor as he felt it heating up in his hands. Helping Cythe up and embracing her gently, Feng patted her head and said with a long-suffering tone. ¡°You were running at me with your sickle in hand dear¡­ That would have been a really painful hug.¡± ¡°Oops! Teehee~¡± Cythe¡¯s adorable reaction as she stuck out her tongue almost made the on-lookers crush on her and envy Feng¡­ until they thought of the implications and shuddered as one and pitied and respected Feng at the same time. Feng released Cythe from his embrace and palmed his face at Cythe¡¯s puzzled expression and question as she finally took in the torn up training hall. ¡°Whoa! What happened here? Why did the place get so messed up!¡± The previously fearful instructor and students here face-faulted in that instance with the same thought running through their minds. ¡®IT WAS YOUR FAULT! HOW COULD YOU NOT REALIZE THAT!¡¯ Feng sighed and patted the confused looking Cythe, knowing her absolute focus caused her to lose track of her surroundings. ¡°Your weapon was too strong and damaged the place...." ¡°Oh no... I''m so sorry! I''m so sorry everyone! I really didn''t notice! Is anyone injured? Oh no, how can I make up for this..." Seeing Cythe panicking over her mistake, Feng retrieved a cookie from his inventory to distract, a sight which instantly made Cythe¡¯s mouth water and caused her to jump at him like a starving hound. Feng hurriedly tossed the cookie at Cythe and got out of her way as she dived at it with eerie precision, snapping it up in her mouth and happily gnawing away at it. Despite how fun it was to tempt her with it while keeping out of her reach, Feng shuddered at the pain she had inflicted upon him for such a previous attempt¡­ ¡®Never get into the way of Cythe and her sugar¡­¡¯ With Cythe suitably distracted, Feng headed over to the instructor, Holfen to find out what exactly took place. ¡°So¡­ What exactly happened here?¡± ¡°That girl is a menace¡­ We didn¡¯t have a suitable practice weapon for her so we allowed her to use her weapon as long as she sheathed it in padding¡­ BUT SHE MANAGED TO LEARN HOW TO USE AURA STRIKES WITHIN A FEW MINUTES AND THE PADDING WAS SHREDDED WITHIN A STRIKE AND SHE TORE UP THE REST OF THE HALL!¡± The instructor started off with a relatively calm voice but his voice progressively grew louder and more incensed. Luckily, Cythe was completely off in her own sugar-induced dreamland though Feng still hurriedly attempted to placate him. ¡°Relax Holfen, just take a deep breath and relax¡­ I mean it can¡¯t be the first time this has happened right?¡± Roth spoke up as he came over to join them, having snapped out of his stunned state. ¡°He¡¯s right Holften. It¡¯s nowhere near as bad as the time Ylisa tried to create a new skill or Avyne or that time Rania¡­¡± The two senior members shuddered as Roth¡¯s words trailed off, remembering the devastation caused by various other guild members¡­ who coincidentally all seemed to be female as well¡­ ¡®Wait¡­ Rania? They can¡¯t be talking about the same chibi Rania right?¡¯ Feng¡¯s mind suddenly processed the names Roth mentioned but discarded the possibility as his mind failed to reconcile the image of a destructive Rania with the same cute small cat-girl he knew. Deciding to break the awkward silence as the other two men reminisced about their destructive fellow guild members, Feng said. ¡°Well¡­ I guess if there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll just grab Cythe and go out to hunt some monsters or something for real combat experience.¡± Turning away and heading back to Cythe, Feng quickly walked away only to be halted by Roth¡¯s hand on his shoulder. ¡°Not so fast Feng, we still have to induct Cythe as a member of the guild. After all, I think she more than proved herself¡­ Plus, you didn¡¯t think we¡¯ll forget about the repair costs did you?¡± Feng winced as he felt the upcoming squeeze on his ever shrinking moneybag and tried to laugh off his escape attempt. ¡°Ahahaha, of course not¡­ How could I forget that? I was just thinking you know since Cythe don¡¯t really have any funds at the moment, we could go hunting and do some jobs for money to repay the guild!¡± Roth bared a toothy smile and replied cheerily. ¡°Sure, you guys can do that¡­ After you pay first for the repairs, after all I know you have enough money to do so, right Feng?¡± Mentally crying tears of despair, Feng¡¯s situation was hardly helped by a curious Cythe joining them before Roth swept them away into the main guildhall to induct Cythe and extort Feng¡­ Job Request: Drive Away Monster Wolf Our sheep flocks have been getting raided by a Monster Wolf coming from the Black Forest! It is much stronger than the usual wolves and our arrows simply bounce off its pelt. Please help to drive it away; we don¡¯t care how you do it as long as our sheep are safe! Location: Northern Plains Lornie Sheep Ranch Objective: Kill or drive off the Monster Wolf Rewards: 25 Gold, 40 Guild Points ¡°I¡¯m not sure this is the best idea for your first job? It sounds rather strong¡­¡± Feng tried to logically dissuade Cythe, as he mentally calculated that such a monster will likely be at least 40 if not much higher given the average levels of the beasts within the Black Forest. ¡°It¡¯ll be fine! Besides we only need to drive it off and you¡¯ll be there too!¡± Cythe excitedly took the pinned job offer and ran over to Roth with it before Feng could reply, leaving him with a foreboding feeling that she was up to something¡­ < Northern Plains ¨C 4 hours later> ¡°Are we there yet?¡± Trudging through a dirt lane winding through the plains, Feng sighed as Cythe asked the same question yet again. He opened his mouth to answer only to stop as he caught sight of something as they crested the small hillock they were climbing. ¡°I think we are! Look at those flocks of sheep and there¡¯s a farmhouse over there.¡± They picked up their pace but was halted by a group of sheepherders before they reached the farmhouse. ¡°Halt! What are you doing here?¡± The group of five was extremely agitated and bristling with weapons, with two arrows nocked and pointing towards them causing Feng to raise his hands up as a peaceful gesture as he answered. ¡°We are from the Adventurers¡¯ Guild here to take on the Monster Wolf job.¡± Upon hearing that, the herders relaxed and they lowered their weapons and the one who spoke previously came closer with a hopeful expression. ¡°Thank the Gods! That monster just struck recently and even brought a pack of smaller wolves along this time. Them beasties took out nearly a dozen sheep before we could react! We have assigned a guard over our flocks this time¡­ but the monster just mowed over poor Tom. Not only that, Tom and the sheep¡¯s bodies started dissolving into black motes. There was nothing we could do!¡± The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. Feng nodded at the herder and carefully phrased his words to empathize with them in hopes of getting this job done quickly and bartering for a larger reward later¡­ ¡°Where were the wolves headed? If the tracks are fresh, we should have no problems quickly finding their lair and getting some payback for Tom.¡± After receiving directions, Feng decided that their previous pace was much too slow as Cythe still had minimal training in [Endurance] and [Running]. ¡°Eep! What are you doing Feng! Let me-¡± Sweeping Cythe off her feet, Feng held her in a princess carry and decided that it was an opportune time to train his [Qing Gong] with the wide expanse of plains and activated the skill before dashing off. ¡°Wheeee¡­ Go faster Feng!¡± Cythe the adrenaline junkie quickly stopped protesting and enjoyed her ride as Feng burst off leaving the shocked sheepherders stunned in his wake. Feng slowed down as he reached the outskirts of the Black Forest, not trusting his current Qing Gong skills in an obstacle-filled environment. He released a whining Cythe as he dismissed a notification window, before trying to use his [Observe] skill to clarify the heading of the wolf tracks.
Congratulations! Through usage, you have earned: +1 Agility +1 Endurance Qing Gong has leveled up to Novice 5 Chi Cultivation have leveled up to Novice 2
Large Paw-print Type: Tracks Description: A large paw-print somewhat masked by the mossy forest ground... You can tell it belongs to a canine but the size of it marks it as some form of monstrous beast. Beware.
The description of the beast¡¯s tracks both reassured Feng that they were on the right path as well as worried him especially as he glanced over at the overly excited Cythe. ¡°Ooohh! Look Feng, squirrel! Point!¡± ¡®¡­ I¡¯m so glad I didn¡¯t let her come alone.¡¯ Feng sweat-dropped watching Cythe flit around checking out the forest and particularly cute animals though they fled quickly at her noisy approach. ¡°Cythe? Let¡¯s get going? We don¡¯t want to lose the trail of the wolves, do we?¡± ¡°Huh? Oh yeah, let¡¯s go!¡± Cythe started charging off only for Feng to pick her up by her armor while her feet pumped frantically in the air. ¡°It¡¯s that way dear.¡± Feng deadpanned as he spun her around before setting her down. He quickly followed behind Cythe who completely didn¡¯t even notice and simply continued charging when her feet touched the ground. With Cythe simply running through the woods and making a racket, it was hardly a surprise to Feng when they attracted enemy attention. Though what they attracted definitely shocked him and he hurriedly observed the hulking shadowy figures surrounding them.
Black Boar (Corrupted) Type: Porcine Monster - *ERROR* Level: 44 Attacks/Weapons: Tusks, Body Blow, *ERROR* Traits: Tough, Heavy, *ERROR* Stats: Constitution-Focused, *ERROR* Weak Spots: L*ERROR* Description: A large black boar found only in the [Black Forest], its impressive tusks and girth make a good deterrence for any hunters seeking easy meat¡­ At least before it was corrupted, now the boar barely looked recognizable with glowing red eyes and its body seemingly made of rippling inky black shadows.
Feng¡¯s eyes widened as he scanned through multiple errors running through the information window. He turned serious in an instant, yelling out a warning as he drew his sabre and dagger and fell into a ready stance. ¡°BE CAREFUL CYTHE! THESE MONSTERS AREN¡¯T NORMAL!¡± Feng who stood back to back with Cythe, upon realizing that Cythe was likely to be crushed in a single blow by any of the boars¡¯ attacks, quickly gave her instructions before jumping ahead. ¡°Stay back and hit them from a distance!¡± Not taking any chances, Feng lashed out with a [Far Strike] as he closed the distance, throwing a boar into the other two. The pigs squealed loudly in protest but seemed hardly affected. However, Feng grinned as his plan worked and the passage of the attack blew scattered leaves up into the air, obscuring visibility for an instant. In that moment, Feng leaped up into the trees, activating [Qing Gong] to boost him up easily and activated [Stealth]. As the leaves settled, the pig monsters were left confused as their attacker vanished¡­ But they quickly recovered and reorienting their sights on the only remaining human ¨C Cythe only to see a weighted chain flying towards them and tore straight through¡­ a black oak nearly two full meters away in an explosion of splinters. The large monsters¡¯ hooves pawed at the ground as they prepared themselves to charge, wickedly sharp tusks glinting dangerously. Feng hurriedly maneuvered himself into position above them as he prepared to assassinate them in a single blow¡­ only to barely stop himself in time from jumping into the killing zone as Cythe¡¯s true fighting style was revealed. ¡°EWWW YOU GUYS ARE SO DAMN UGLY!¡± Cythe complained loudly as her body tensed and she yanked sharply on her chain¡­ sideways, causing it to RIP through the poor tree and sweep right into the midst of the boars. *CRUNCH* Two of the giant boars were sent tumbling to the side with bone-crunching noises while the third was safely distanced away from the deadly arc of her chain-sickle. Making sure that Cythe was wildly flailing away at the other two boars with huge swinging motions¡­ and more importantly that he was safely out of range, Feng silently leapt onto the back of the remaining boar. As he fell, Feng brought both weapons to bear on its neck and powering them with [Aura Strikes], intending to finish it in a single blow. Only to feel his blades to be stuck in the inky black skin of the boar, his blades managing to penetrate halfway only due to the great impact from his momentum before being halted. Feng¡¯s eyes widened and he swore, realizing that the boar skin must provide excellent resistance against edged weapons... The boar reared up in response to the sudden attack and weight, still kicking and Feng was thrown off entirely having had presumed that it will succumb to his surprise attack. Feng rolled off the impact of landing and quickly got up only for his eyes to widen in shock and fear as he found himself in a much more dangerous situation¡­ ¡®HOLY SHI-.¡¯ Diving out of the way, Feng barely dodged Cythe¡¯s oncoming chain, shrieking mentally as he felt it ruffle his hair as he dropped to the ground. Unfortunately the boar with his blades still stuck in its neck had recovered by this time and Feng found himself in the prone right across its charging path¡­ ¡®Just die already stupid boar.¡¯ Annoyed by the tenacity of the monsters, Feng surged to his feet weaponless and took up a firm stance as though taking the charge head-on¡­ Mentally calculating its distance and trajectory, Feng exhaled deeply as it neared¡­ and somersaulted forward over its head, grabbing on to his impaled weapons in that split second he was suspended upside down over its head as it charged past. *CRAAAAKKKK* An instant later, Feng tensed himself and FLIPPED the boar sideways using his momentum and strength to redirect the beast¡¯s own forward momentum sending it crashing into the trees with a bone-crushing sound. Completing his somersault neatly on the ground, Feng checked that his target was truly down before preparing to head over to finish off the other two boars¡­ only to sweat-drop at the sight before him. Trees were shattered and laid haphazardly around within one of the two boars pinned beneath a heavy fallen trunk while huge holes riddled the landscape. The last boar was completely pulverized by the direct impact of Cythe¡¯s weighted chain, its body twisted on the ground. ''That is one unlucky boar to actually be hit full-on by Cythe...'' Gesturing at Cythe to finish off the last boar, Feng retrieved his blades and attempted to dissect the boars but the corpses burst into black motes which vanished into the air¡­
Your party has killed a group of Black Boars (Corrupted) which are all higher than your level, for that you have earned: Level up (x4) ¨C Note: Shared experience is reduced by 25% due to [He Who Defies The Heavens] title. Achievement: Corrupted Killer Acrobatics has leveled up to Novice 9 Aura Strike has leveled up to Novice 3 Far Strike has leveled up to Novice 2
Achievement: Corrupted Killer You have encountered and killed corrupted beasts. +5 Fame +5% Damage against the Corrupted
Secret Quest Unlocked: That Which Ails The World You have discovered corrupted versions of beasts, which behaves completely unlike their normal counterparts in both life as well as death¡­ Prerequisites: Encountered the Corrupted Difficulty: *Unknown* Objectives: 1) Discover more about the Corrupted 2) *Unknown* Rewards: *Unknown* Failure: *Unknown* Quest cannot be declined.
Chapter 25: … Or The Hunted? ¡°Damn it. Not another secret quest.¡± Feng¡¯s eyes twitched as he read the quest notification only to be interrupted by Cythe¡¯s exuberant exclamation. ¡°Yay! I leveled multiple times, got a title AND a secret quest! This is awesome Feng! Hmm¡­ How should I allocate my stats¡­¡± Feng stared at Cythe as she allocated her stats, realizing for the first time how it looks like when a large amount of stats are increased all at once. Cythe¡¯s muscles literally toned under Feng¡¯s gaze and she visibly looked healthier and tougher. Feng¡¯s brows twitched as he observed the changes and deadpanned. ¡°Did you just dump all your stat points into strength and constitution¡­¡± ¡°Umm, I used all of my ninety points but I did put a few into endurance as well!¡± Feng palmed his face upon hearing her reply and sighed. ¡°You should have put some into dexterity to gain better control over your weapon¡­ Never mind, too late for that now. Let¡¯s just get moving before we lose the trail. ¡± Cythe and Feng quickly set off leaving the forest ¡°clearing¡± they created behind, though it took quite a bit of effort on Feng¡¯s part to observe the area to pick up the trail again due to the widespread damage¡­ < Black Forest ¨C Twisted Depths> The forest grew abruptly darker around them within a few minutes of walking, the many huge black oak trees creating a canopy so dense that they felt as though they were walking underground under dim lighting. The undergrowth became twisted and knotty, only a few hardy ferns surviving in this dark environment alongside copious amounts of mushrooms and fungi. ¡°Dear¡­ This is kind of creepy and it makes me feel a bit claustrophobic.¡± Cythe scooted nearer to Feng and said in a small voice. The oppressive silence of the dark woods only grew as the soft echoes of her words faded away with only the slight cracking sounds as they continued ahead with Feng holding Cythe¡¯s hand reassuringly. ¡°Huh?¡± Cythe reacted with confusion to Feng¡¯s sudden squeezing of her hand and turned towards him only to see a wary look on his face as he mouthed a word¡­ ¡®Observe¡¯?
Black Wolf (Corrupted) Type: Canine Monster - *ERROR* Level: 47 Attacks/Weapons: Claws, Bite, *ERROR* Traits: Pack-mentality, *ERROR* Stats: *ERROR* Weak Spots: *ERROR* Description: A black wolf found only in the [Black Forest], its stealth, speed and cunning lets it stands at the top of the food chain in the [Black Forest] and that¡¯s as a solitary predator. These apex predators move and hunt in the packs that even the most experienced hunters are wary of. Though they rarely attack humans for the fear of reprisal, the gleam of madness within their blood red eyes now fail to reassure you that the same applies for these corrupted wolves¡­
Feng grimaced as he read the information window, knowing that these enemies are a much greater threat to them. He barely managed to spot the slinking silhouette of one, having detected the bloodlust surrounding them as they entered this portion of the woods. ¡°Careful. They have surrounded us. The boss might be around as well. Keep your guard up.¡± Feng whispered urgently to Cythe as he let go of her hand and loosened up his muscles preparing for the impending fight. His eyes darted around wildly, trying to spot any signs of the hidden wolves but only to widen as he realized they were upon them! With two springing directly baring their fangs at Cythe¡¯s neck and leg respectively, taking advantage of her relative weakness and unprepared state, Feng had little time to react and no way of blocking both. *CLANNGGG* ¡°FENG!¡± The twin black blurs leaped at Feng and he nimbly dodged one but the other¡¯s pounce sent him flying a distance away as he shoved Cythe out of harm¡¯s way. The large wolf covered Feng¡¯s body as they landed heavily on the ground and Cythe stared at the sight dumbly for a moment while a huge wolf stepped out of the shadows accompanied by four other smaller wolves... The wolf lying on top of Feng moved as though it was about to raise itself off the ground and Feng¡­ only for a heavy killing intent to spring forth. The previously gloomy and creepy atmosphere was completely blown away by this new surge of raw anger and deadly intent emitting from¡­ Cythe. ¡°No. No¡­ Not again. Never again. No. NO. NO ONE TOUCHES MY LOVED ONES! ¡° All the monsters even the hulking wolf paused at the loud scream of Cythe and took a step back as her eyes flashed red and her weighted chain swung out and SLAMMED into the side of wolf on top of Feng¡­ *BOOOMMMM* The force released was so huge that the wolf was ripped away from Feng and smashed into black motes against a huge oak tree¡­ which entire midsection exploded into splinters as the chain weight crashed into it before the remaining trunk slammed down into the ground. The enraged Cythe then turned her gaze on the remaining five wolves and charged straight into their midst swinging her weapon in wide arcs around her, ripping apart the unfortunate trees around her and descending the entire scene into chaos. The wolf pack scattered at Cythe¡¯s unexpected head-on attack and more accurately they fled from the heavy falling trees caught in the storm of Cythe¡¯s indiscriminate anger. Regaining their equilibrium as they spread apart, only one wolf having been caught up in the initial attack and perished, the wolf pack circled around Cythe as she charged in wantonly, none of her attacks connecting with the agile creatures. Circling around Cythe as she charged in straight lines whenever she catches sight of the wolves, the beasts tried to spring an assault from her flanks only for the attacking wolf to be obliterated by the chain being swung around in completely random patterns. The intelligent monsters did not attempt any further aggressive moves after but only watched and dodged her wild strikes as they constantly circled around her. Clearly waiting for her tire, the corruption evidently failed to wipe away their cunning hunting tactics and it looked like their opportunity will come soon as the effort of swinging the heavy chain and smashing through the trees took a visible toll on Cythe. Her breathing came in heavier and heavier pants¡­ *AAWWWOOOO-* A howl which was abruptly cut short caught the remaining wolves¡¯ attention, revealing a dirtied Feng standing over the sliced throat of¡­ the third remaining wolf, the other having already been silently disposed during the chaos created by Cythe. Unbeknownst to Cythe and the wolves, Feng had managed to draw his blade in time and the monster springing at his neck was treated to his saber''s point. The sabre drove straight into its open jaws and reverberated as it penetrated all the way through to smash against the beast¡¯s skull. While mostly unharmed, Feng was sent to the ground by the momentum of the large beast and dazed for a moment. His attempt at rolling away the dying wolf was misinterpreted by Cythe as a motion from the wolf and thereafter the oak log actually fell on him and pinned him down. After freeing himself from the fallen tree, Feng evaluated the situation and decided to take advantage of the fact the wolves were afraid to engage Cythe directly in order to thin the pack and quietly stalked his prey. ¡°FENG! YOU ARE ALRIGHT!¡± Cythe¡¯s rage dissipated as she caught sight of Feng and was about to rush over to him only to stop as he gestured at her to stand back, seeing that she was tired from her frenzied rampage. Eyeing the large wolf monster and the remaining accompanying wolf, Feng took the chance of their confusion to observe the ¡®boss¡¯ monster.
Black Wolf Alpha (Corrupted) Type: Canine Monster (Elite) - *ERROR* Level: 54 Attacks/Weapons: Claws, Bite, *ERROR* Traits: Pack Leader, *ERROR* Stats: *ERROR* Weak Spots: *ERROR* This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.Description: The Alpha of the Black Wolf Pack has grown to the size of the bear but moves with the alacrity of a cheetah. The honed survival instinct allowing it to survive and thrive over the years have created a fearsome predator said to be the true lord of the Black Forest¡­
Feng¡¯s pupils dilated as his heartbeat sped up, his grip tightened around the sabre and dagger in his hands as his body tensed up for the challenge¡­ ¡®This is going to be¡­ fun.¡¯ The corners of Feng¡¯s mouth twitched upwards into a small grin as he spoke¡­ and vanished. ¡°And then there was one.¡± *SCHHLLLINNGG* Crossing the thirty plus meters in an instant, Feng blurred in next to the last wolf standing and unleashed powerful aura strike which sliced cleanly through the beast in a flash. A heart beat later, a faint line appeared through its neck and the wolf head slid off cleanly and hit the ground before it burst into black motes. Facing off with the Alpha, Feng stared deeply into its glowing red eyes as he searched for any openings to make his attack¡­ *BOOOMMM* ¡°Get on with it already!¡± The two combatants burst into motion as the Wolf Alpha was forced to leap aside to dodge Cythe¡¯s sudden flying chain attack. Feng happily took advantage of its distraction, using [Qing Gong] to enhance his speed and dashed past the beast leaving a cut across its flank. Skidding to a halt, Feng turned back to face the elite monster just in time to see the gash he left spill black inky motes before it closed up within seconds. *GRRRRRR* The angry growling of the Alpha sent involuntary shivers down Feng¡¯s spine and he snarled back at it in response trying to keep it distracted while he complet- Swearing at being caught in his preparation, Feng threw both of his weapons at the Alpha approaching at the speed of a bullet, lunging at him with fangs bared. Buying himself a precious few seconds as the monster was forced to slow down to dodge the incoming weapons, Feng grinned as the beast resumed its charge with greater confidence with Feng now unarmed. ¡®Finally. Done!¡¯ Standing his ground as he tightened his stance, flames burst into being around Feng¡¯s hands as the mana he was manipulated finally ignited not a moment too soon. Turning as his outstretched hand brushed the wolf¡¯s crest with its fangs only inches away, Feng redirected the rushing beast with his contacting hand guiding it to the side¡­ and lashed out with his other fist in the same instant. ¡®Jun Ma Taan Da¡¯ (Turning Stance, Dispersing Hand And Punch) The blow utilizing the wolf¡¯s forward momentum against itself severely jarred it, stopping the alpha in its tracks¡­ and more importantly its inky black skin appeared to shrivel under the flaming fist. A glimpse of fur was revealed for a microsecond but the inky blackness surrounding that patch of fur swarmed in and covered it up. Not letting up on the monster, Feng lashed out with a side kick connecting with its front leg and mercilessly stepped down, scraping away at its leg and grinding his foot down on its paw. Stepping in immediately after the kick, Feng launched his signature barrage¡­ only with flaming fists this time at the Alpha¡¯s large head which stood at his neck level. ¡®Shiong Ma Tse Kuen¡¯ (Advancing Stance Chain Punch) While each individual blow did little but jar the monster¡¯s head slightly, the large canine would have been slowly driven backwards by the continual stream of blows if not for the paw pinned under Feng¡¯s foot. Feng unashamedly exploited the inevitable dazed status effect inflicted by the rain of fists, as per real life, the stream of blows jarring the head jostles the brain leading to it being stunned¡­ An effect which could not be withstood even by the toughest and thickest skull as concussive force bypasses the defenses entirely. The inky darkness retreated under Feng¡¯s blows and as the Alpha¡¯s furry head was revealed, Feng saw the glowing red eyes similarly dim into a dark steel gray before it whimpered under his fists. ¡°WAIT! Feng, stop!¡± Cythe who crept closer while Feng was pummeling it called out suddenly. She had been quietly looping her chain sickle around the large wolf¡¯s paws. Yanking hard, the chain tightened around the paws and the canine monster toppled over on its side. To Feng¡¯s surprise, even as the monster fell sideways out of his reach, it never struggled against the chains but instead whimpered¡­ The reddening of its eyes as the inky shadows crept back up its neck to its head quickly clued Feng in that the beast was an unwilling victim of the corruption. Grimacing as he raised his fists once more, Feng felt disgust taint his prior enjoyment of the fight. Killing a previously proud creature in such a fashion when it probably did not seek this fight¡­ ¡°Wait! Feng use your flames, the shadows look a lot fainter, I think if you can just burn it away without killing it!¡± Cythe called out and stopped Feng again. ¡°Why? We need to complete the quest anyway, even if it is no longer corrupted, there¡¯s still no guarantee it will not raid the sheep flocks.¡± Seeing Feng¡¯s insistence, Cythe yanked the chained wolf further out of his reach towards herself before he could attempt a killing blow. ¡°But¡­ it¡¯s so furry and cute¡­ Please Feng? I¡¯ll take care of it, I promise!¡± Seeing that the corruption is creeping up the Wolf Alpha¡¯s head once more, Feng decided against arguing with Cythe and instead slowly ran his hands through the corrupted portions. Black motes flaked off as the flames licked away the corruption, the beast¡¯s steel gray eyes grew a glint of intelligence as the last of the corruption was burnt away and it suddenly lowered its head towards Cythe. Fearing an attack, Feng clenched his fist. As he was about to send the wolf flying with a hard blow, he stopped cold, stunned as it had gently licked her cheek instead. ¡°¡­ I guess you are right but¡­ it won¡¯t follow you¡­ Are you even listening¡­¡± Feng¡¯s words trailed off as he stared incredulously at Cythe who was crooning to the previously hostile large wolf and scratching behind its ears. ¡°Aren¡¯t you a cute doggie! Did we hurt you just now? You aren¡¯t? Such a big strong boy!¡± The wolf had a slightly annoyed expression as though he understood Cythe¡¯s words but still couldn¡¯t help but relax into Cythe¡¯s hand and enjoy the head scratching. His tongue lolled out and tail started wagging slightly. *SQUEEEE* Cythe let out an excited squeal at the wolf¡¯s dog-like expression and rushed at it. Hugging the large canine, Cythe could barely wrap her hands around half of its neck and it simply looked confused at the sudden close contact. ¡®Poor bugger.¡¯ Feng shook his head and eyed the canine in pity as the wolf¡¯s eyes bulged as Cythe went into full-on hug mode and SQUEEZED. ¡®At least it¡¯s no longer me¡­¡¯ ¡°Let¡¯s get you out of these chains now boy! You will be a good doggie wouldn¡¯t you?¡± Watching as Cythe happily skipped around the large beast as she removed the chain; Feng eyed the alpha wolf and instantly understood its intention to flee. Casually walking over to it, he looked it in the eyes and spoke softly out of Cythe¡¯s hearing. ¡°I won¡¯t do that if I were you. Else it will be MUCH stronger when she finds you¡­ Trust me.¡± Both males shared an understanding look surpassing species and shivered¡­ The wolf¡¯s ears drooped and its muzzle dropped with the understanding of its fate and looked completely dismayed. ¡°I¡¯ll call you Shaggy! You are a big shaggy cute doggie after all! Cool! It says here I tamed Shaggy and I got a new skill called taming!¡±¡± Feng could barely restrain his laughter at the clear mortified expression on the large wolf¡¯s face as Cythe returned and enthusiastically announced her new pet¡¯s name and skill. ¡®Heh, at least it¡¯s not me.¡¯ *DING*
New Title Gained: Cythe¡¯s Bonded Congratulations! Due to your close ties and loyalty to Tamer Cythe you have gained a new bond with her. +10% Stats when defending Cythe +10% effectiveness to buffs from Cythe No experience penalties apply when partying with Cythe
¡°Ooohh tamed list¡­ wait why are you on it Feng?¡± Chapter 26: Prey of A Different Kind ¡°WHAT!¡± Feng looked thunderstruck at the title notification and Cythe¡¯s words, his brain slowly trying to process what had just taken place. ¡®¡­ SCREW YOU ADMINS!¡¯ Ticked off by the implications of the message, Feng glared at the bright blue window mocking him and closed it angrily. Turning his angry stare at Cythe, his eyes softened slightly at her confused look but the slight to his pride was simply too offensive for him to swallow it down easily. ¡°Let¡¯s go back to turn in the quest.¡± Feng barked out with simmering anger in his eyes as he stomped off, leaving the somewhat confused Cythe behind. ¡°What¡¯s wrong Feng? Are you alri- Hey, wait for me!¡± Cythe scrambled to follow after Feng who was completely oblivious to her words, stumbling to keep up with his quick long strides. Feeling a wet sensation on her hand, Cythe stopped panting from her efforts to keep up only to see Shaggy nudging her while bending his forepaw. ¡°Thanks Shaggy!¡± Giving the large wolf a quick pet, she hopped on to its back and quickly caught up to Feng with the large wolf¡¯s long loping stride though she pulled the beast back as they neared him. ¡°It¡¯s probably best to let him calm down first¡­¡± ¡®¡­ Watch out all of you. When I get my hands on the shares of Apex, you are all going down with that asshat manager. EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU!!!¡¯ Grinding his teeth in quiet fury as he mentally cursed the admins, a cold murderous aura emitted from Feng, sending droves of birds and other wildlife fleeing as they sensed him¡­ *DING* ¡®F*** YOU ADMINS! I¡¯m not going to read whatever troll shit you have up your sleeves this time.¡¯ The cheery notification bell only fanned the flames of Feng¡¯s rage as he clenched his fists to the point of all his veins straining visibly. Taking a quick glance backwards to ensure Cythe was not lost, he saw her resting on the wolf monster¡¯s back and narrowed his eyes. ¡®Tch. And I was worried about you¡­ Whatever. Let¡¯s just get this crap over and do with.¡¯ Not wanting to waste a moment any longer, Feng channeled Chi towards his feet and activated his [Qing Gong], flying through the forest at immense speed¡­ Though with his still amateurish grasp of the skill, more often than not his straight line movements ended with him smacking into a tree¡­ and felling it with a full-body blow. < Northern Plains > With Feng¡¯s brute speed and making a literal bee-line back towards the farmhouse, they reached in record time though even Shaggy with his long strides lagged far behind Feng. ¡°Done.¡± Feng stared at the men quivering before him as they indignantly pointed at the large wolf sitting behind Feng panting with its tongue hanging out after the long run. ¡°But the monster is still clearly alive and behind you!¡± ¡°Not. Your. Problem. Done.¡± Still seething with anger, Feng had absolutely no inclination to mince words with the cowardly men and ground out each word slowly and deliberately as he glared at them. ¡°Ahh.. Y-y-yes, I can see i-it will n-n-no longer trouble o-our flocks. I will send word to the guild about your success and to dispense your reward.¡± Staring at the trembling spokesman for any signs of duplicity, Feng finally nodded before turning away and beckoned for Cythe to follow wordlessly. The duo and pet prepared to depart only to be suddenly halted by a familiar voice. ¡°HOLD! FENG! It¡¯s good that you are still here!¡± Roth¡¯s familiar voice rang out but the figure which was running at them with great speed was an unfamiliar one¡­ Clad fully in dull black armor with a long spear shaft protruding above his head, Roth cut an intimidating figure as he came to a stop and towered over them. ¡°Feng, I just got an urgent report from Kuron. The party Rania was leading to investigate if you were kidnapped by Redcloaks had vanished! I¡¯m glad I caught you before you left to¡­ complete your quest?¡± Roth turned to stare at the ludicrous sight of Cythe happily waving at him on top of Shaggy who lolled his tongue out lazily¡­ and blinked. Rubbing his eyes, he took a second look and sighed. ¡°¡­ Right never mind that. Anyway, anything that can detain a Warden is probably at least a B-ranked threat¡­ With all the other members out in the field, you are probably the next strongest combatant available, though you may not be in rank. We need to get to the area now, are you with me?¡± Feng¡¯s head swirled with the implications of Rania, the cute little cat-girl getting into trouble because of his mistake¡­ and all the pent-up anger in him made him growl furiously at the thought of HIS friend being threatened and completely ignored Roth¡¯s later words. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Feng¡¯s head paused mid-nod and turned towards Cythe who exuberantly declared her participation and glared. ¡°No. Too dangerous. Go back to the city first.¡± ¡°Meep! Okay¡­¡± Cythe looked as though she wanted to protest but hearing Feng¡¯s icy calm tone, she quietly acceded. ¡°Good luck dear! Stay safe!¡± Giving him a quick embrace and a kiss on his cheek, Cythe¡¯s loving smile couldn¡¯t help but soften Feng¡¯s harsh expression slightly and he quietly returned the peck and waved goodbye. Turning away as the wolf loped away, Feng gestured at Roth to lead the way as his face turned grim, reflecting his understanding of the seriousness of the situation only after Cythe¡¯s departure. ¡°Lead the way Roth. Tell me more while we move.¡± ¡°It¡¯s further north from here, we should be able to get there within six hours of travel if you can keep up, otherwise a full day o-¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go then.¡± Cutting Roth off, Feng kicked off the ground with his [Qing Gong]. Roth swore as he belatedly remembered Feng¡¯s new ability with Chi and hurried to catch up. *DING*
Secret Quest Update: Eyes On You The first blows have been struck, a missing companion¡­ Will you be in time to make a difference? Prerequisites: *Hidden* Conditions Difficulty: *Hidden* Objectives: 1) Discover more about the watchers and their objectives 2) Investigate the Red Cloaks *Unknown Faction* 3) Rescue Rania 4) *Unknown* Rewards: *Hidden* Failure: 1) Death You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.*Hidden* Quest cannot be declined.
The sudden notification caught Feng¡¯s eye and only one phrase stood out and filled his mind. ¡®In time¡­¡¯ Glancing at Roth who was easily keeping pace after catching up, Feng caught his eye and arched an eyebrow questioningly. Roth nodded simply in response and the duo abruptly sped up in sync. ¡°Feng, stop! We are nearing the area they were investigating. The report mentioned this shrine marked the area.¡± The duo came to a halt after a few hours of travelling north on the road and then several miles through unmarked grassy hills. The landmark which signified their arrival was a small but surprisingly well-kept shrine of Ralos. It was a simple statue of Ralos with a small offering bowl placed before it. Roth had paid no attention to the shrine after their arrival and simply looked around the grassy area, hoping to find signs of the missing party. Yet that innocuous shrine set off all the alarm bells in Feng¡¯s head, especially since all his troubles started with him accidentally pissing off Ralos and the Church of Light¡­ Walking over to the shrine, Feng felt the sense of wrongness increase but could not pinpoint it¡­ Until his feet crunched on the broken and scuffed grassy ground in front of the shrine. ¡®¡­ Why are there so many footprints in front of the shrine? This isn¡¯t supposed to be a well-traveled area¡­¡¯ His suspicions raised, Feng observed the shrine more thoroughly.
Statue of Ralos Type: Statue Description: A shining white marble statue of Ralos, the God of Light. Holding a scepter with a sunburst symbol at its tip and a falcon on his shoulder, Ralos looks like a human¡­ except his face. Blank smooth marble was all that represented his face, yet you cannot help but feel an eerie sense of being watched¡­
Offering Bowl of Ralos Type: Altar Description: A small bowl sculpted from marble, it rests at the feet of the statue of Ralos. Light reflects off the polished marble, giving a sense of cleanliness and purity out of place in this nondescript place.
¡°Damn. The text mirrors my thoughts but there¡¯s nothing new here I can use¡­¡± Feng muttered to himself as he slowly circled the shrine, hoping to find some clues. *Thud* Feng came to an abrupt stop and tapped his heels on the ground. *Thud* ¡®¡­ That sound. There is hollow space under here! A secret entrance!¡¯ ¡°Roth! Over here.¡± Calling Roth back, Feng explained his findings and suggested they look for the opening mechanism only to receive an incredulous look from the half-troll. Roth drew his long spear and smashed the butt end on the ground in one fluid action, causing the ground before them to throw up a huge cloud of dirt and crack¡­ *BOOM* And give way beneath their feet! Feng was caught off-guard and stumbled into Roth as the two fell¡­ a few meters and crashed into the dirt ground. ¡°Ahem. Maybe you can stop clinging on to me now?¡± Left mentally off-balance by the sudden fall, Feng looked up at a grinning Roth who managed to remain standing and abruptly realized that he was clutching on to Roth¡¯s arm as he stumbled. ¡°¡­¡± His face completely blank, Feng calmly released his grip and recollected himself before scowling and glaring at Roth. ¡°¡­ Never speak of this.¡± Stalking off ahead into the dimly-lit passageway before them as he strived to ignore Roth¡¯s chuckles, Feng re-focused on the issue at hand and grimaced. ¡®That would probably have alerted the Red Cloaks¡­ ¡® Yet there was no sign of guards or noise signaling that their arrival has alerted the foes¡­ Instead, there was only silence as they proceeded through a long downward sloping passageway with small mana crystals embedded in the dirt walls lighting the way. Only upon reaching the first room or rather the remnants of what was likely a guardroom revealed the possible reason, the investigating team has created some massive damage¡­ The heavy oaken door was completely split in half and blown inwards into the stone room with corpses of Redcloaks and mercenaries strewn about the room. The large square room was filled with corpses with more than two dozen scattered around and eight mercenaries¡¯ bodies. Doors led off in all the cardinal directions, and it was obvious that reinforcements had streamed in for the fight, but one particular door was wrecked with more bodies lining the passage way down that way. ¡°Shit, that¡¯s the entire team of mercenaries according to the reports. One of them must have been holding on to the communications mana stone. Only Rania survived and seems like she was forced to escape down that way¡­¡± Roth pointed at the obvious signs of fighting through the eastern door which was chopped into splinters revealing the passageway beyond. Crouching down to inspect the bodies, Feng touched the head and limbs of the corpses before speaking with urgency. ¡°The fight happened between four to eight hours ago! That¡¯s probably why no one reacted to our entrance; they are probably still recovering if they haven¡¯t even managed to clean up the bodies. We should hurry!¡± Setting off at a sprint, they rushed through the winding passageway which traveled deeper and had countless of open doors revealing simple living quarters¡­ Redcloak corpses littered the ground with many a dismembered limb, head or severed torso painting the entire way red and slippery as the blood they encountered got fresher¡­ and they heard distant sounds of battering and many feet rushing about. Feng and Roth glanced at each other and increased their pace while readying their weapons and was not an instant too soon as they burst out of the long passageway into a large cavern that could easily fit a mansion¡­ which was also full of milling Redcloaks. AN: Sorry for the delayed post, last week''s chapter was delayed as I was sorting out long-term plot which took longer than I expected. Hope you all enjoy this chapter and look forward to an increased post rate. Reviews and comments will be greatly appreciated and increase my motivation to write! Chapter 27: Seeing Red (Part 1) Taking advantage of the general lack of awareness of their arrival, Feng homed in on the two Redcloaks who happened to be facing their way and noticed them. *Swish* *Thud* *Swish* *Thud* Two knives flew through the space and slammed into the heads of Feng¡¯s targets with unerringly accuracy and the dead corpses slumped and hit the floor with soft thuds. At the same time, Roth made his entrance as he charged through the distance and jumped¡­ *BOOOOMMMMM* The glow of an oppressive aura coated Roth¡¯s entire body as he reached the apex of his leap¡­ and CRASHED into the midst of the main group of at least eighty Redcloaks, crushing at least eight dead and injuring dozens. The Redcloaks though thrown into disarray by the surprise attack quite recollected themselves and swiftly surrounded Roth only to be faced with a sudden decimation of their ranks as a horde of flying knives was sent at their backs. All this was courtesy of Feng who had been collecting the standardized iron knives of the Redcloak and filling up his inventory, and he now kindly ¡®returned¡¯ his looted weapons to their owners¡¯ friends¡­ and fought off an urge to scream ¡°UNLIMITED BL**EW*RKS¡± as he rained down knives on his foes. The wall of red-cloaked enemies before Feng evaporated under the deluge of knives as he rained nearly sixty knives into their backs in quick succession. The deaths of nearly thirty plus enemies revealed Roth standing firm within the circle of Redcloaks, spinning his long spear and sweeping away large swathes of the killers with occasional aura-powered thrusts blowing through entire lines of enemies. Watching as a whole group of Redcloaks splintered off and sped toward him after his attack, Feng simply grinned as a diabolical idea struck him. Feng¡¯s savage grin vanished under cowl of his red cloak and he vanished with a single step into the enemy ranks surrounding Roth. ¡®Are these guys even real assassins¡­¡¯ Flickering in and out of the edges of the fight centered on Roth, Feng thought derisively as he silently sunk his knife through the back of yet another Redcloak. Vanishing with a quick step as the others begun to notice, Feng watched as confused Redcloaks turned on each other thinking that it was him. Feng¡¯s hit-and-run tactics worked admirably in creating confusion but in terms of kill-count, he lagged far behind Roth¡¯s wide-area attacks taking out multiple Redcloaks with each attack. Grimacing as his blood-soaked knives got stuck in the spine of a Redcloak; Feng grabbed the dying man¡¯s knives from his weakened grasp and casually deflected a stab and threw a side-kick to toss the aggressor into the main fray. Slinging his newly-looted knives at another two nearby Redcloaks, Feng rolled to the side as yet another pair of knives slashed at him. Grabbing hold of the latest aggressor¡¯s arm and straightening it as he rolled, Feng felt the twisted arm wrenching out of the man¡¯s shoulder socket with a sickening pop. Feng spun around and manipulated the now loosely hanging arm to thrust the knife deeply into a charging Redcloak¡¯s torso before speeding away with a [Qing Gong] step as he begun to draw too many attackers. Within approximately ten minutes of hard fighting, Feng and Roth had thinned the Redcloak ranks dramatically and the original horde numbering more than a hundred strong was reduced to barely thirty plus. However the fight only got tougher as the reduced numbers allowed the Redcloaks to fight to their full potential instead of being hindered by lack of space. Not only that, with the Redcloak corpses littering the ground and blood running in rivers, footing was hard to find and Feng was forced to stop using [Qing Gong] to flitter around after he stumbled over a corpse and was slashed deeply across his left shoulder. Even worse were the injured or dying foes, the fanatical Redcloaks would simply run straight at their weapons and grab on to allow others a chance to strike at them. Feng was tiring quickly as he was forced to dodge every single attacker closing in to avoid being tied down unlike Roth who simply allowed himself to be dog-piled with his aura-enhanced and superior armor¡­ But even Roth was tiring being the focus of the hordes of Redcloaks who was throwing themselves at him as the sheer weight of their numbers and continual usage of aura took a toll on him. With three Redcloaks surrounding Feng and more moving closer, Feng was forced to quickly dispatch the foes. He parried yet another knife thrust and deflected the charging man into another attack coming from the side, allowing them to collide bloodily with their knives outstretched¡­ As Feng prepared to finish off the remaining Redcloak and relocate for better footing¡­ His instincts suddenly screamed at him and Feng jumped to the left, narrowing avoiding a¡­ khopesh? The curved sword whistled through the air dangerously close to Feng and his desperate dodge turned into an uncontrolled stumble as he slipped on the fresh blood coating the floor. Feng landed with a bloody splash as he fell next to the un-hooded face of a dead Redcloak and was freaked out by the dead man¡¯s glassy-eyed stare and the warm blood he fell into. ¡®OH MY GOD!¡¯ Blood splattering across his face, Feng was frozen for a moment despite the large amount of Redcloaks he slain¡­ This was too up-close and gory especially as he fell out of the adrenaline-induced haze of combat. ¡°AAGGHHHH!¡± Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. That moment of hesitation cost Feng dearly and he screamed in pain as he felt the heavy bite of the khopesh dig through his robes and leather armor. Rolling away as the pain hit, Feng held in a moan of pain as the moment aggravated the long gash across his back. Distancing himself with a quick [Qi Gong]-fueled leap, Feng turned back to [Observe] the owner of the khopesh who was quickly and silently closing the distance.
Redcloak Elite Killers Type: Human (Elite) Level: ~60 Attacks/Weapons: Red Steel Khopesh (x2) Traits: *Skill Level Too Low* Stats: *Skill Level Too Low* Weak Spots: Eyes, *Skill Level Too Low* Description: These Redcloaks are clearly superior to the rank and file in both training and equipment. With finely crafted steel chainmail peeking through their dark red cloaks alongside gleaming red steel khopeshes, these trained killers are made even more menacing with a full demon-faced helmet covering all but their eyes.
Feng cursed as he read the information window and ran away as he scanned the battlefield hoping that the situation is better with Roth. Instead, he spotted fiver other [Redcloak Elite Killers] engaging Roth and¡­ they even had even gotten several hits on him, the dark armor showing long cuts seeping out green blood. ¡®Damn it, can things get even worse¡­¡¯ Tempting Murphy¡¯s Law, Feng grimaced as he realized that with the elites came another squad of Redcloaks and a peculiar Redcloak wielding a long scepter with a sun-burst symbol mounted on top. Seeing that the additional reinforcements seemed to be standing guard around the scepter-wielding Redcloak, Feng decided instantly that this was a high-priority target. However, his attempts to whittle down the twenty plus Redcloaks guarding the target was quickly rebuffed as two of the elites redirected their attention to him instantly. ¡°OH F*CK!¡± The speedy elites gave Feng little chance to think as he was forced to use [Qi Gong] to stay ahead of them and all his attempts at throwing knives or [Far Strike] failed miserably in penetrating their chain-mail armor. Thankfully, Roth seemed to be handling his three much better with one down and another injured though Roth himself have taken many cuts himself¡­ *BANG* Another set of doors slammed open and the duo despaired at the thought of additional enemy reinforcements¡­ Only for a small figure to rush through and smash into the back of the Redcloak guards, sending limbs and body parts flying as it spun through them. The three elites on Feng¡¯s tail immediately diverted towards the newcomer and clashed with the unknown figure. ¡°FENG! You came for me!¡± Rania¡¯s familiar voice rang out as the spinning white blur came to a temporary stop, trapping a pair of khopeshes between two large battle-axes. Feng came to a complete stop as he stared at the small cat-girl wielding two large double-headed battle-axes the size of her entire body¡­ and spinning them around her deflecting weapons and hacking through limbs and armor alike with ease. ¡°¡­ Oi. What am I then Rania? Chopped liver?¡± Roth called out grumpily as he finished off the distracted elites he was facing off with and backed up Rania, deflecting the third killer¡¯s khopesh from Rania¡¯s back. ¡°Oops.. Hi Little Ro!¡± ¡°Stop calling me that! Old hag.¡± ¡°MOOOUUU!! BAD RO! I am only two years older!¡± ¡°AGH! WATCH IT RANIA, YOU ALMOST TOOK MY HEAD OFF!¡± Roth and Rania stood against the remaining elites and Redcloaks with contemptuous ease with casual bantering. As Roth took out the elites with swift deadly thrusts of his spear and Rania darted around a whirlwind of axes maiming or simply bashing them down and setting them up for Roth to finish off. Sweat-dropping as the two adventurer veterans mopped up the remaining foes, Feng felt almost unnecessary as he simply scooped up knives and tossed them into the fray, picking out soft targets. However, all his attempts to take out the chanting staff-wielder failed as the fanatics dove in the way of the projectiles to cover for him. ¡°¡­ RALOS!¡± The Redcloak completed his chant ending with a shout of Ralos and abruptly¡­ stabbed himself in the heart with his staff¡­ At his shout, the remaining Redcloaks similarly threw themselves on their blades at the same instant leaving the trio completely confused until they looked at the chanting Redcloak. All the blood from the dead Redcloaks were gathering into small rivulets and then snaking into a large pool beneath that one peculiar Redcloak¡¯s feet¡­ A cold sense of foreboding grew in Feng¡¯s gut as the blood begun to snake its way up the Redcloak¡¯s body and a deep crimson glow shone from the blood as it coated man. Hurriedly throwing all the knives he could gather at the man, only to watch it sink deeply into his flesh but yet not a single sign of the glow and gathered blood stopping, Feng called out urgently to Rania and Roth who looked bemused. ¡°QUICK CUT HIM DOWN!¡± However, it was far too late by then as the glow grew blinding and flashed forcing them to look away as the blood completely coated the Redcloak¡¯s body. ¡°Hmpf. Useless fools. Calling on me to deal with scum like you.¡± Chapter 28: Seeing Red (Part 2) The light faded revealing the owner of the condescending voice who was¡­ an angel? No¡­ a fallen angel holding a crimson spear of light with a set of equally stained wings flaring out around him. Everyone was caught flat-footed by the sudden appearance of the angelic being and simply stared in disbelief. ¡°Ha! That¡¯s right, behold my glory and despair!¡± Feng snapped out of his stupor as his thoughts ran amok trying to decipher the meaning of this being and connection with Ralos with the Redcloaks. Deciding to stall for time, he asked with a timid voice hoping to pander to the being¡¯s arrogance. ¡°W-who are you O mighty one? Are you perhaps ¡± ¡°Oh? I see that you mortals have forg-¡° Tuning out the enemy¡¯s speech, Feng quickly used [Observe] on him at this chance.
Fallen Angel (Redcloak Faction?) Type: Angel (Fallen) Level: ~160 Attacks/Weapons: Crimson Spear of Light, *Unknown* Traits: *Unknown* Stats: *Unknown* Weak Spots: Wings, *Unknown* Description: The corrupted majesty of this being marks it as of heavenly descent, undoubtedly a fallen angel.
¡°-ow that your killer is the great Rahab!¡± ¡°Never heard of you before.¡± ¡°Yeah. Are you some sort of bird-man hybrid?¡± The two inane comments coming from Roth and Rania respectively caused the proud fallen angel to gape at their nonchalance especially Rania who was calmly wiping her battleaxes down with fabric from a random red cloak. ¡°HOW DARE YOU! I WILL SCATTER YOUR ASHES THROUGHOUT THE LAND! THE LANDS WILL KNOW OF YOUR HORRIBLE DEATHS AND FEAR THE NAME OF RAHAB!¡± Feng¡¯s eyes widened as the fallen angel¡¯s aura flared and couldn¡¯t help but tremble at his unearthly power and both Roth and Rania also put on grim faces as they prepared for combat. Knowing that they had only a slim chance of success against this creature, Feng decided to attempt at exploiting the vulnerability he caught in the prideful fallen angel. ¡°WAIT!¡± ¡°PLEAD ALL YOU WANT FOR MERCY WORMS BUT YOUR DEATHS ARE WRITTEN IN THE STARS!¡± ¡°But if you kill us all, how would any know your name O Rahab? Won¡¯t your name be better glorified if you allowed us to go free and proclaim your power to others?¡± ¡°Hmmm¡­ the worm speaks truly. But there is no need for three mouths to proclaim my greatness. Very well, you worm may depart unmolested from this place.¡± Inching closer as he spoke, Feng hid his grimace of distaste with a bowed head¡­ only to sigh at the fallen creature¡¯s words and immediately sprang into action as Rahab turned towards Roth and Rania instead. ¡°Now¡­ time for you two worms t- UGH!¡± Feng¡¯s heavy axe slammed down powered by an [Aura Strike] into left wing joint of the fallen angel¡¯s outstretched wings with a sickening crunch and corresponding grunt of pain from Rahab. Leaving the axe sunken in the wing, Feng followed up his blow with twin slashes from looted khopeshes to the fallen¡¯s neck. ¡°Screw you, the only one I would proclaim the greatness of is our Lord Jesus Christ!¡± *Clang* A huge shock travelled up his arms through the blades as he felt the blades intersect with Rahab¡¯s neck¡­ and bounced off with only small scratches left behind as a sign of his attack. ¡®Oh shit.¡¯ Backpedaling furiously as the incensed fallen angel turned his attention back to him, a deep red aura bursting forth from his skin. ¡°Christ. You worship Him? You who worship Him dares to enter our realm? The Lord may have cast us from our place in heaven for you miserable humans but here on Athal¡­ HERE WE GRIGORI REIGN SUPREME!¡± The fallen angel¡¯s angry words were accompanied by a flaring of his already powerful aura¡­ which caused Feng¡¯s irises to dilate and his heartbeat to increase uncontrollably at the sight of such power his knees buckled under the pressure of Rahab¡¯s power¡­ *Splat* ¡°Stop bullying my Feng!¡± ¡°AAAAUGGGHHHHH!!¡± Rahab¡¯s pained scream rang out as his aura was abruptly halved as Rania crashed into him with axes whirling and causing an entire half of his left wing to drop on the ground with a bloody splat. An accompanying [Far Strike] from Roth blew the fallen creature back several yards preventing him from enacting reprisal on Rania. Letting out a deep breath as the overwhelming pressure dissipated, Feng clenched his fist and gathered up his courage and yelled out at the foul angel. ¡°I SPIT ON YOUR WORDS FALLEN! For I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress, my God; in him will I trust.¡± Knowing that his previous attacks are insufficiently powerful to penetrate the fallen¡¯s skin, Feng decided to draw upon the most vicious moves in his martial arts arsenal. Clearing the distance between them with a quick [Qing Gong] step, Feng maintained his momentum and crashed into the fallen with his thumbs outstretched. ¡°UGH!¡± Feng rammed both his thumbs directly up the corrupted being¡¯s nostrils and strained his hands apart, while not even causing the slightest bleeding it was clear that attack pained the being greatly as it strained delicate tissues. Without losing a single beat, Feng spat into the fallen angel¡¯s eyes to gain a precious second as he brought his hands around in a clapping motion against both of Rahab¡¯s ears. The fallen¡¯s mouth opened wide as his eardrums shattered causing him to stagger as his sense of balance was completely disrupted. Yet no voice could emit from his open mouth as Feng unleashed a quick barrage of horizontal open palmed strikes directly on his Adam¡¯s apple, while there was nearly no outwardly sign, it was clear that Rahab¡¯s windpipe was severely traumatized by the blows. ¡®Use soft to curb hard. Your skin may be impervious to weapons or force¡­ but it is physically impossible to have tough tendons or internal tissues.¡¯ Stepping forward and to the side of the fallen angel as it attempted to bring its deadly spear to bear, Feng turned back and lashed out with a kick at the back of the fallen¡¯s knee causing it to instantly fold and send the prideful being down on one knee. ¡®Nor can you fight against natural body mechanisms.¡¯ ¡°RANIA! The other wing now!¡± Feng called out for Rania only to realize that she was already chopping down on the other wing with her battle-axes. *Splat* The red light spear in the fallen¡¯s hand flickered out the very instant Rania sliced off its wing¡­ and the last remnants of its oppressive aura vanished. This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. Sensing the opportunity, Feng gathered his [Aura] and lashed out with twin khopeshes. *Schling* His blades scissored around the fallen¡¯s neck and sliced through¡­ a heartbeat passed before Rahab¡¯s head rolled off onto the ground sending a geyser of blood into the air. The trio kept their guard up for a few more moments before the adrenaline slowly worked its way out of their bodies and they lowered their weapons slowly. Rania dropped her weapons on the ground and ran to Feng. ¡°Feng you are okay! I was so worried for you! We thought you were captured!¡± Storing his weapons, Feng patted Rania¡¯s head lightly as the cute cat-girl said teary-eyed as she hugged his midriff. ¡°I¡¯m alright. It was just an accident which forced me to go back to my world for some time¡­ ¡± Roth stared at Rania¡¯s affectionate action for a moment before sighing and decided to change the topic instead. ¡°What took you so long to clean up this bunch, Rania? Aside from that bird-man, the rest are C-ranks at best¡­ Getting rusty in your old age?¡± ¡°MOU! RO YOU BIG MEANIE! I just needed some time to rest up before I took care of the rest of them! ¡­ It¡¯s just been some years since I took a break from adventuring¡­¡± Rania shouted at Roth angrily in response before trailing off in a soft voice as she seemed almost embarrassed about needing help. Staring incredulously at the two bantered with each other familiarly; Feng finally connected the image of the cute petite cat-girl to the extremely strong warrior who took out large numbers of Redcloaks with ease¡­ *DING* Feng robotically called up the notifications to check on the rewards of this hard-fought battle, his mind still struggling with the concept of Rania¡¯s strength¡­ and nearly choked on his spit as he read the notification and felt a huge surge of power running through his body.
Congratulations! For defeating elite [Fallen Angel] far above your level and large numbers of Redcloaks higher leveled than you and including your previous combats, you have leveled up forty-four times and earned: Dagger Mastery has leveled up to Basic 9 Sword Mastery has leveled up to Basic 8 Unarmed Mastery has leveled up to Basic 8 Combat Instinct has leveled up to Basic 6 Dual-wielding Mastery has leveled up to Basic 4 Throwing Mastery has leveled up to Basic 4 Running has leveled up to Basic 4 Stealth has leveled up to Basic 3 Toughness has leveled up to Basic 3 Quick Draw has leveled up to Basic 2 Qing Gong has leveled up to Basic 2 Assassinate has leveled up to Basic 1 Parry has leveled up to Basic 1 Chi Cultivation has leveled up to Novice 9 Decapitating Blow has leveled up to Novice 8 Balance has leveled up to Novice 8 Aura Strike has leveled up to Novice 7 Aura Mastery has leveled up to Novice 5 Flaming Hands has leveled up to Novice 4 Preaching has leveled up to Novice 3 Killing Intent has leveled up to Novice 2 Axe Mastery has leveled up to Novice 3
Achievement: Casting Down The Heavens You have slain a fallen angel more than quadruple your level, in doing so you have challenged the God of Light, Ralos. May your God protect you, for none of the Gods of Athal will¡­ Warning: Due to previous title obtained [Blasphemer], resulting title evolution of [He Who Defies The Heavens] has been modified by the Gods with negative modifiers. Note: All modifiers are an increase from your previous title and not stacked with prior bonuses or penalties. Title Evolved: He Who Wars Against The Heavens (Ex: He Who Defies The Heavens) [Permanent] +5000 Fame (Ex: 1000) +1000 Infamy +50 to all unlocked stats (Ex: 20) -99% Experience gain from those under or equal to your level. (Ex: -75%) -50% Experience gain from group/shared kills. (Ex: -25%) +50% Experience gain from any creatures greater than your level. (Ex: 25%) +100% Damage against any creatures greater than your level. (Ex: 50%) -99% Relationship gains with Athal Gods and their worshippers. (Ex: -50%) Relationship with [Church of Light]: Hidden War Relationship with [Redcloaks]: War
By reaching level 75, your maximum inventory slots have been increased to 7x7.
Title Evolved: Holy Cleanser (Ex: Holy Warrior) You have triumphed against one of God¡¯s Fallen Angels, and trusted the Lord for His divine protection and triumphed against all odds. ERROR 404 -Admin Note: No Holy Magic or Skills has been granted due to Chosen Deity being not of Athal origin. Faith increases effectiveness of Holy Magic in combat +2500 Faith (Ex: 250) +50 Luck(Ex: 10) +25% Resistance against Holy Magic
Secret Quest Update: Cast Your Eyes Onto The Heavens (Ex: Eyes On You) You have declared war upon Ralos, the God of Light. Prerequisites: 1) Gain the attention of Ralos 2) *Hidden* Difficulty: SSS+++ Objectives: 1) Defeat the [Red Cloaks] and the [Church of Light] 2) Defeat Ralos Rewards: Ascension Failure: 1) Eternal Imprisonment by Ralos 2) The [Church of Light] will hunt down every single one of your known family, friends and associates. Quest cannot be declined.
Feng stared at the quest update which blotted out even the ridiculous title evolutions and couldn¡¯t decide whether to laugh maniacally for having found the way to ascend and get his vengeance¡­ or cry pathetically at the impossible objectives and difficulty. ¡®F*ck my life.¡¯ Chapter 29: Treasure Time Feng just stared dumbly at his quest update window for several minutes¡­ ¡°Hey Feng? You alright?¡± ¡°Huh? Wha? ¡­ Yeah. Peachy. I¡¯m good¡­ You know what screw thinking about this. It¡¯s time to reap the rewards for our hard-fought battle. Let¡¯s loot everything not nailed down!¡± Roth looked taken aback by Feng¡¯s answer but shrugged and rolled with it. ¡°Sounds good to me. So how are we doing this?¡± Feng looked puzzled as the two looked to him for instructions despite being the most junior of the trio. ¡°Wait, shouldn¡¯t I be taking instructions for you two?¡± Roth tilted his head questioningly and jerked a thumb back at Rania as he spoke. ¡°Yeah, who are you kidding Feng. We are veterans. We know by now to defer to the smart one in the team and trust me this loli granny is not it for sure.¡± ¡°HEY! I¡¯m not a granny!¡± Watching the two start squabbling like kids again, Feng couldn¡¯t help but agree with Roth¡¯s wise decision¡­ ¡°Right¡­ So if you two are done, I was thinking that it¡¯ll be most efficient for you guys to look for any helpful documents and treasure or valuables since Rania have already explored around and you two can easily clean up any left-over opposition as a team. I¡¯ll start cleaning up here and looting the bodies and collecting the most valuable items to bring back.¡± ¡°Got it!¡± ¡°Ehh¡­ Can¡¯t I work with you instead Feng?¡± ¡°Ahaha¡­ That¡¯ll be nice but I¡¯m afraid Roth needs your help more.¡± Rania¡¯s white cat ears drooped noticeably as she turned around sadly and Feng felt a surge of pity and was nearly overwhelmed with the need to cheer the adorable cat-girl up but steeled himself. ¡®Can¡¯t give in... Need them to be away to¡­ do what is necessary.¡¯ Keeping an eye on Roth and Rania as they searched the nearby rooms, Feng simply went around the room picking up all the equipment from the Redcloaks and sorting them by item types. Looting the six Bloodcloak Elites first, he gathered up a pile of their khopeshes, helmets, chainmail armors and even their cloaks which were of a higher quality. Unfortunately, the corpse of the scepter-wielding Redcloak completely vanished along with his scepter after his summoning of Rahab¡­ ¡®Too bad¡­ That could have been some high-quality loot and that cheapskate angel was wearing only simple cloth tunic and pants¡­ Maybe I should observe them just in case they are magical¡­¡¯
Bloody White Tunic Type: Body Defense: 1 Durability: 49/50 Description: A simple white tunic previously worn by the fallen angel Rahab. It seems exceedingly durable but is otherwise unremarkable.
Leather Sandals Type: Feet Defense: 1 Durability: 49/50 Description: A pair of leather sandals previously worn by the fallen angel Rahab. It seems exceedingly durable but is otherwise unremarkable.
¡®¡­ What the hell. What kind of boss drops such shitty loot¡­¡¯ Annoyed with the lousy loot from Rahab, Feng moved on to retrieving and cleaning all the knives scattered throughout the room and covered less than a quarter of the massive room before he noticed that the others have moved further away to investigate other rooms. ¡®¡­ Better get started then. This is necessary. He¡¯s not human anyway. I need to know more about them especially with this war shoved upon me¡­¡¯ --- Letting the fallen angel¡¯s legs drop on the ground, Feng closed the door to the small side-room which the others had checked through. The room was devoid of furnishing besides some simple mats and appeared to be a rest room of sorts. Closing the door, Feng turned back to the headless corpse and grimaced at what he intended to do next. ¡®Lord. Forgive me¡­ Wait, this is just a game anyway. Just a game.¡¯ With most of the blood drained from the neck, dissecting the corpse was less messy than Feng had expected but each stab and cut he made opening up the corpse turned his stomach. ¡®First check for mana stones and if the skeletal structure and internal organs are similar¡­¡¯ Feng looked away from the corpse and closed his eyes as he gingerly pressed his hands in and rummaged about, feeling out for any aberrant mana stones or divergence from the human body. ¡®Just imagine this is a lizard corpse. Just feel for the presence of¡­ wait. That feeling?¡¯ Having his eyes closed and focused on his senses, Feng felt the usual mix of mana, chi and aura flowing through his body but also faint traces of red aura at his fingertips¡­ and a huge amount of energy emitting from¡­ three different sources? One was very near him¡­ The fallen¡¯s heart! As for the other two¡­ Of course! They have to be its wings. Carefully opening a flap and gently retrieving the fallen¡¯s organ, Feng¡¯s excitement overpowered the disgust of holding on to the bloody slimy-feeling organ. Grasping the heart with one hand and touching the pair of shorn off wings with the other, Feng closed his eyes and cast his senses over them. The wings were immediately registered as HUGE sources of pure red Aura, with each individual feather storing a dense amount of Aura that outshone the lizard monster core he absorbed before. But¡­ it was the heart which made a lone tear roll down the side of Feng¡¯s cheeks. ¡®This is¡­ no¡­ How can it be...¡¯ Feng grabbed on to the fallen being¡¯s heart with both his hands and struggled to calm his mind to properly feel out the energies within it. Opening his eyes after long minutes, Feng blinked away the tears clouding up his vision and sniffled. Trapped beneath the dense light red mana shell formed within the angel¡¯s heart... was the reason for his current state. A tiny bead of flawless pure white mana laid within the being¡¯s heart and reaching out with his senses to that miniscule yet perfect mana, Feng felt an unbelievable sense of peace and warmth engulfing his entire body and spirit. ¡°This warmth¡­ I have only ever felt it in His presence¡­ But why? And how?¡± Feng muttered as he stared down at the bloody organ within his hands. *DING*
New Skill Obtained: Mana Sensing Congratulations through your continual observation, you have learnt to perceive mana in its three different states of Aura, Mana and Chi respectively. (Passive Skill) Range: 5 metres +3 Wisdom +2 Perception
Skill Update: Anatomy Level: Basic 3 You have learnt the basic working structure of creatures by brutally cutting them up and demonstrating understanding of their physiology. Creature Types Reptiles (5%) - Lizards (100%) Humanoids (8%) - Humans (18%) - Angelic (34%) +2.5% Critical Hit Chance versus known creature types +10% Critical Hit Damage versus known creature types Bonuses are doubled when knowledge of creature type reaches 100% +2 Intelligence +4 Perception
The sudden sound and notification window shook Feng out of his muddled thoughts and he stored the heart and wings away in his inventory, mentally shelving away this confusing matter for a proper time. Staring at the second notification window, Feng was assaulted with yet another complicated feeling. ¡®Clearly dissecting the fallen angel gave me bonuses towards understanding human anatomy¡­ does that mean if I dissect more human corpses¡­ The fallen is clearly a monster but¡­ the others. But I could also improve my skill a lot¡­¡¯ Feng walked back to the large cavern room and stared at the Redcloak corpses littering the area indecisively. ¡®¡­ So many. So much skill experience. But they are humans¡­ ¡® Feng stood there for several moments before his face hardened and turned grim as he made up his mind. ¡®No, they are just VR programs. Yes just spawned enemies and their whole stupid faction declared war on me. I need all the advantages I can get.¡¯ The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Dragging more corpses into that room, Feng begun his bloody work and dissected the bodies slowly. Puking more than once as he did so as unexpected blood splatters or the slimy feeling of entrails and organs got to him. After the first five corpses, his humanoid understanding gains dropped off dramatically and lingered at sixty-eight percent even after cutting up a seventh body. Realizing that this is inefficient and also struggling to continue with the bloody work, Feng decided there has to be a better way¡­ Idly stretching out his body as he wiped off the blood from his hands, Feng felt pops coming from his spine and joints as he worked out the kinks from crouching over the corpses. ¡®Ahhh¡­ That feels good. Wait, the skill description mentioned physiology? I got it!¡¯ Moving on to an eighth corpse, Feng worked his way down from the head to the toes of the body¡­ manipulating and breaking every single joint he could find. After that exercise in remembering all his various locks and weak points of the joints, he moved on to applying increasing amounts of pressure on critical spots of the body. *Swelchh* Feng held back a wince as the sternum of his sixteenth Redcloak finally gave way under the force exerted by his palm and shattered, its ribs piercing into the corpse¡¯s lungs with a wet sound. *DING*
Skill Update: Anatomy Level: Intermediate 1 You have gained moderate understanding of creatures by brutally cutting them up and experimenting with their physiology. Creature Types Reptiles (5%) - Lizards (100%) Humanoids (29%) - Humans (100%) - Angelic (34%) +5% Critical Hit Chance versus known creature types +25% Critical Hit Damage versus known creature types Bonuses are doubled when knowledge of creature type reaches 100% +6 Intelligence +12 Perception
New Achievement Obtained: RIP? Rest In Pieces! Sending your foes to eternal rest is not sufficient for you; instead you brutally carved up and destroyed their corpses not granting them any peace even in death. +1000 Infamy +25% Chance to inspire fear in enemies when killing enemies in gory ways Admin Note: Infamy is not affected by whether people find out your actions or not as it is tracked by the system and used solely for system purposes. Note that, should other entities find out about your actions, it is possible that negative or positive influences due to this stat will occur.
For once, Feng viewed the notification with thankfulness as it signaled the end of his gruesome deeds and he carefully threw mats over the mutilated cadavers before returning to the large central cavern. ¡®The warning about being found out is ominous¡­ Perhaps it¡¯s better for me to cover up my tracks.¡¯ Instead of retrieving weaponry and armor from corpses, Feng instead stripped the corpses and begun moving them into the side-room, covering up the dissected and broken corpses beneath the ¡°normal¡± corpses. *Thud* As the last corpse he heaved on to the pile slid off and out of the door from the overflowing room, Feng decided it was time to clean up the corpses more thoroughly. Sitting and meditating for several minutes, slivers of flames begun to peek through his enclosed hands and he took care to stand a distance away before lobbing the flaming ball of mana into the room. *WHOOSHH* Leaving the fire to burn itself out, confined as it is to that single room, Feng returned to his work of sorting out the weaponry and armor and was soon greeted by the return of Rania and Roth. ¡°The place is clear of Redcloaks. We only found two places of interest, an armory and what looks like the room of the Redcloak leader here, the staff-guy judging by the fancier robes and books within that room.¡± ¡°Great finds, but aren¡¯t there places such as kitchens, store-rooms or a treasury?¡± ¡°There definitely isn¡¯t any treasury, that was the first thing we looked for, but there is a large kitchen and some food storage areas attached to it.¡± Roth looked confused by Feng¡¯s question though he took it in stride. Leaving Rania to move all the weapons found so far up to the entrance area, the two men headed off towards the leader¡¯s room first. --- The room was a large one split into a bedroom and a study. A large wooden bed occupied the bedroom with a single cabinet. In the equally sparsely furnished study, a heavy oaken desk stood alongside some bookshelves. Riffling through the papers stacked on the table, Feng expected to read reports linking the Church of Light and Redcloaks for incriminating evidence¡­ Unfortunately, it seems like the Redcloaks weren¡¯t fools as commonly depicted in games or shows. The documents were written in either an unknown language or heavily encrypted. The only usable find was a map indicating various supply points for Redcloaks as well as bases of operations. It also revealed that this was only the Tyward branch of Redcloaks and while it was a moderately-sized base, judging by the markings on the map there were much large operations in other cities and all across the continent¡­ There were also several books arranged upon the book shelves but they were mostly religious texts on Ralos except for a single red-bound book which had what looked like spells within them. Feng pocketed everything and after a final check for any hidden compartments, they headed over to the armory. Feng¡¯s eyes lit up at the sight before him and he cackled gleefully as he saw the stocks of weaponry and armor before him. ¡®Going by the normal rates of weaponry¡­ SO MUCH GOLD! And all those knives! I¡¯ll never run out of projectiles again!¡¯ While the weaponry was mostly made up of standard Redcloak equipment, there were also a small stash of higher grade weaponry and armor worn by their elite. Feng immediately swept up all the knives and stashed as many as he could within his inventory alongside the higher grade equipment he had collected already. Unfortunately, there was simply too many to fit within his inventory but Feng was undeterred and simply piled the weaponry into barrels and crates. Roth sweat-dropped at the sight of Feng packing everything within the armory and helped Feng moved the crates out. ¡°So we are done here? Maybe we should rest before we head out, it¡¯s night already.¡± Roth wiped the sweat off his brow as moving all these containers of equipment out of the stuffy tunnels was actually more tiring than fighting¡­ ¡°Sure you two go ahead and rest first, I still need to do some more packing and looting.¡± Feng muttered distractedly in response to Roth who was starting to question his decision to allow Feng to call the shots as Feng started looting and packing ridiculous things¡­ ¡°By the way who is the Lord you speak of Feng?¡± Rania saw her opportunity to spent time alone with Feng as Roth prepared to leave and asked a question, hoping to engage him in conversation. ¡°Hmm.. that¡¯s a complicated topic and I think it¡¯s best we save it for the journey back.¡± Only for Feng to wave the question off, pre-occupied as he was with maximizing the amount of loot he can bring back. The disappointed cat-girl was dragged off reluctantly to rest by Roth who noticed how tired she was having been embroiled in combat hours before they even got to the scene. Blinking as they returned to the surface, Roth and Rania stopped and rubbed their eyes. The two veterans pinched themselves in unison only to stare as the impossible amount of unexpected items stacked together into a huge pile with a makeshift sled was not a dream¡­ ¡°Great, you two are up! I think this is the maximum amount of the most valuable items I can bring back, the most valuable things I have already stored away so we only need to move this back. We can take turns pulling this and the others just need to carry the barrels over there.¡± --- AN: Well, the majority voted for me to continue updating while rewriting so that''s what I''ll be doing. I''ll also be periodically dropping announcements of revised chapters. As usual your reviews, ratings and feedback will be greatly appreciated and help drive my motivation to write more! Chapter 30: Gathering The Pieces AN: Merry Christmas everyone! This chapter took longer due to some rework of older chapters as well as the week I had to spend in re-service and resulting multiple blisters from digging shell-scrape which greatly slowed down my progress. Anyhow I still managed to somehow finish this chapter in time for Christmas as a gift for everyone! Hope all of you have a great holidays and enjoy time with family and loved ones!
¡°Ro, why is everyone staring at us?¡± ¡°No¡­ They are staring at Feng. Why don¡¯t we walk a little faster ahead of him.¡± ¡°Muu.. Sorry Feng¡­¡± Rania and Roth picked up their pace and distanced themselves slightly from Feng who was being stared at by every single passerby, ever since they got back on the road. The group took a much longer time to reach back to the town and was forced to camp out for the night as they were slowed down by Feng¡¯s excessive looting culminating in him dragging behind him¡­ a huge stack of interlocking furniture ranging from beds to tables and stools and barrels full of food as well. Although that was probably the most comfortable camping experience ever after they set up the beds¡­ Feng himself was happily oblivious to the odd looks he was getting as he muttered numbers under his breath and cackled sinisterly whenever he glanced back at the loot pile. ¡®Ahahaha! After all those damn enemies not dropping any loot, I¡¯ll be damned if I let a single copper worth of loot slip out of my hands! Plus all these will work perfectly with my plans to build up a force of my own. Heh.¡¯ Within short order, they were soon nearing the library. Roth bid farewell to them and continued ahead back to the Adventurers¡¯ Guild. Dragging the massive stack of loot towards the library entrance, Feng suddenly noticed movement out of the corner of his eyes in a nearby alley. ¡®Spies?¡¯ With a quick [Qing Gong] step, Feng reappeared in front of the culprits¡­ only to startle two street kids scavenging through the trash for discarded food. ¡°EEP!¡± ¡°S-sir! W-we are sorry! Please don¡¯t hurt us!¡± The smaller of the duo, a little girl ducked behind the other with a loud squeak as the older boy hurriedly bowed, stammering in fear as he plead for mercy. His eyes softened at the sight of the two pitiful children and his hand reached for some coins only to stop short. ¡®No. They are just AIs. No matter how pitiful they look, I have to focus on my goals. Every bit matters and I can¡¯t afford to waste my resources like this.¡¯ Just then, the little girl peeks out from behind the boy and Feng was startled by a sudden recall of a long-forgotten childhood memory. How long has it been since he thought of those dark days which drove him forward to become more¡­ As a small Asian kid from a poor background, if it wasn¡¯t for her¡­ ¡®¡­ It¡¯s not charity, I can turn this to my advantage.¡¯ Beckoning at the two kids as he turned towards the library, Feng spoke simply. ¡°Follow me.¡± The children¡¯s eyes widened in fear and they visibly paled before the boy pled harder with Feng. ¡°Please sir! We were just looking for food!¡± Feng glanced back and winced as he realized how threatening his words sounded in hindsight. He turned back to face the two fully before speaking in much gentler tones. ¡°Hush child. I know, come with me. We have more than enough food.¡± Unfortunately, instead of setting them at ease, the boy¡¯s expression became even more guarded and he shuffled the little girl behind him. Stammering a respectful reply, he looked ready to bolt at the drop of a hat. ¡°S-sir, t-thank you for your kindness but we a-¡° A small grimy hand reached around tugging at the boy¡¯s rags and interrupted his rejection. ¡°Brother, I¡¯m hungry¡­¡± Feng quietly stretched out a hand with two cookies which were grabbed swiftly by the little girl though the boy tried to hold her back. A faint smile appeared on Feng¡¯s face as he saw her hand one over to the boy before wolfing down the other. ¡°¡­Follow me and I can get you some more food.¡± A table retrieved from his massive stack was placed on the grass outside the library. Bread, dried meat and other foodstuffs he looted from the Redcloaks alongside some cookies covered the table. The two street kids stared and rubbed their eyes, unable to comprehend the feast which appeared before them. The boy looked distrustful of Feng¡¯s intention but appears to be mollified by the fact they were in full view of the library square with many merchants and passerbys. ¡°Eat up.¡± Heading into the library after seeing the two children start on their meal, Feng spoke to a few players and sent some out while others were asked to bring the rest of the loot supplies into the library storage. He saw Alicia who was busy instructing the other players as well as organizing some of the on-going classes and decided against greeting her. Rania had no such qualms and bounced up to her, before being swept into a hug by the blonde who then looked around wildly for Feng. Greeting Alicia with a simple wave, Feng busied himself with the administration of the library and spoke to some of Kuron¡¯s men posted at the library to update his backer and get reports on the progress of their plans. After sorting through everything which took nearly an hour, Feng then returned outside to the grounds which now looked like a campsite with tables and mats all over and filled with food. Scores of poor and homeless children were filling up their bellies and some shot him grateful looks. Though by now, there were quite a number of curious bystanders gathered and some were not as welcoming at the sight of the lower class in this district. Feng however ignored them and simply estimated the numbers with a calculating eye. ¡®Hmm.. A fair number of commoners, Kuron¡¯s merchants and a few upper class with one or two Travelers and some priests. This should suffice.¡¯ Clapping his hands to gain everyone¡¯s attention, Feng faced the gathered poor and homeless, directing his words at them. ¡°Don¡¯t worry; you can get back to your meal soon. I just wanted to say that, the Church of Christ will be giving out food to those who need it at the library daily and you may take shelter here if you need a place to sleep. Additionally, we are currently hiring extra help for errands though if you wish to learn more and receive Christ, we are happy to take everyone in as well.¡± There was a silence as everyone stared at Feng with confused expressions before muttering broke out. Faced with a less than positive reaction, Feng simply shrugged and waved at them. ¡°That¡¯s all I have to say. Please carry on with your meal!¡± ¡°Thank you all for gathering. All of you have in one way or another suffered persecution when you identified yourself as Christian in Athal. While most would bend and worship false gods or simply stay silent, all of you have done what was right and not what was easy. Hence I have gathered everyone to ask for your assistance to set up the Church of Christ here. While this may be a game, it does not mean we can¡¯t spread the Gospel here and reach out to our fellow players. ¡± ¡°Personally, I can contribute by providing funds and the library as a base for church operations and intelligence for other players in terms of hunting and such. Furthermore, we have begun getting copies of the Bible written out by other players. What we really need now are people to spread the good news.¡± ¡°However, with that said we are still here to have fun and thus I would like to set up the Church to support all of us in having fun as well. Everyone should do what they enjoy while contributing what they wish to. After all, He has freely given us all things and we are called to first receive before giving.¡± The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. With that said, the meeting proceeded apace with fruitful results though it was disrupted by the girl who Feng had previously left to answer the crowd when she recognized him and called him out on it. Feng stepped out of the library doors with a spring in his step as he made a beeline towards the crafters¡¯ lane. ¡®The Church will pull away worshipers of Ralos and eventually form a large enough organization hopefully gaining legitimacy which will stop the Church of Light from taking direct action. But I''ll need to get stronger myself¡­¡¯ Rotating his shoulders and lifting his knees, Feng tested out his full range of motion in the finely-crafted armor. ¡°Nice! It¡¯s far more comfortable than the old leather armor and feels a lot sturdier as well.¡± ¡°Yes. The [Giant Comodon Lizard Hide] provided the flexibility and base toughness while the harder but unbending [Rock Lizard Hides] were used to reinforce the armor exterior like armor plating. The [Black Wolf Boots], [Bracers] and [Loincloth] have been reduced to fit your size and match appropriately with the [Reinforced Lizard Armor] and [Reinforced Lizard Leggings]. However, there is no way to shrink the [Wolf Skull Helm]. Using the [Chimera Hides], I have created a [Chimera Hooded Cloak], however the magical properties that enable its camouflage has faded in the process. The rest of the weapons you commissioned are still being prepared.¡± Feng stared at the previously taciturn blacksmith for a few long moments after he elaborated on the work done till the man felt somewhat uncomfortable and fell back to his previous speech pattern. ¡°¡­ Need to know. Work done right.¡± ¡°Heh. Alright, how much do I owe you for this lot and when can I collect the weapons?¡± ¡°Nothing. Excess materials worth more than cost. Come back in two weeks.¡± ¡°Great, I¡¯ll be back then. Oh, would you happen to know where I can identify magical items as well? ¡° The large bald man thought for a while before responding. ¡°Ozhodian. Magic academy there. East. Three weeks'' journey by horse.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± Feng¡¯s face twisted into a thoughtful frown upon the blacksmith¡¯s answer. ¡®¡­ They have a magical academy there, that¡¯ll be a great chance to improve my skills. But damn that¡¯s way too far. Tch, maybe I should ask Kuron if he has any connections who can teach me, we need to plan our next steps regarding the Redcloaks anyway.¡¯ ¡°Damn, we cannot openly support you against the Church of Light. The Merchant Guild is required to be an independent association¡­ But as a personal ally, I can devote some of my resources to helping you. However, rest assured we can and will continue to work against the Redcloaks especially as more evidence has surfaced about their doings against some of our merchants. Do you have anything you require?¡± Feng simply nodded, understanding Kuron¡¯s position after his reveal of their findings at the Redcloak base. ¡°First off, we¡¯ll need to decipher the contents of these documents to incriminate the Church. Secondly, I have obtained a map of the Redcloaks operations, with this we should have an easier time investigating them. Third, I would like to set a mercenary group, and the weaponry repossessed from the Redcloaks can go towards outfitting them as well as sold for the monies required. Finally, I would need the services of a mage to tutor me for a week. The last two requests are personal requests and would of course be negotiated separately and paid for appropriately.¡± ¡°Hahaha, good man. You know when to keep business and personal separate, the going rate for the mercenary mages we have is one gold a day for escort missions¡­ But since this is a non-combat job, I can spare a mage for five golds for the full week. I¡¯ll simply take the coins required for the mercenary groups out of your share you have left with me. As for the rest, they are easily done. Though what do you wish to name the group?¡± ¡°Heh, in honor of a good friend. The Blood Hawk Brigade.¡± ¡°So you are the one?¡± Feng opened his eyes from his current meditating position and looked up at the voice. A blue robed middle-age man with balding grey hair stared down at him with an upturned curl of his lip. Getting up and extending a hand to the man, Feng replied him coolly. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m Feng. You are the mage assigned to teach me then? Might I have your name?¡± However, the man scoffed and ignored Feng¡¯s outstretched hand and rudely spoke down to him. ¡°Kain. I don¡¯t know what relationship you have with Head Trader Steele for him to request for me to teach you but there is simply no way you can learn anything in one week. Mages have to be trained for long periods of time not like you simple warriors and I personally took eight years to complete my training to become a high-ranking mage!¡± Feng stared at him and mentally rolled his eyes at the arrogance of the man as Kuron mentioned that they only had middle-ranked mages on their payroll. However, knowing that the man was his only hope at getting a decent magical education fast, Feng decided to push through and not expose the braggart. ¡°Hm. We¡¯ll see. So do you know about enchantments?¡± ¡°Pah, that school is for the weaklings. I¡¯m an Invoker and have demonstrated my combat abilities through multiple missions that no weak Enchanter would have been able to accomplish!¡± The mage puffed out his chest as he boasted only to receive a small disappointed sigh from Feng, causing Kain¡¯s face to visibly twitch at the slight. Shrugging Feng decided to make the best of things and continued, tossing a bit of flattery in to soothe the man¡¯s ego. ¡°So what can you teach me? I¡¯m sure an accomplished magus like yourself must have learnt a great deal over your training.¡± Watching the short bald man puff himself up like a peacock, Feng knew he got the man to spill about all the spells he knew. ¡°Well, it¡¯s good at least you can recognize the abilities of your superiors. I guess I can enlighten you on some of the spells I have picked up. My most powerful spell is the [Fire Lance], a spell which generates a long line of fire that pierces through enemy lines and armor alike. That¡¯s impossible for you to learn and I can¡¯t teach you as losing control of the spell will be disastrous. Then there are spells like [Earth Spike], [Magic Bolts], [Armor], [Sleep], [Mirror Image] and so on but those are rather complex and require weeks to learn. Maybe I can teach you some of the basic spells we teach apprentices, there¡¯s the variants of the [Bolt] spell. I took two weeks to learn it at first but the other variants took only a few days so that should be easy enough you might be able to grasp something and practice afterwards.¡± ¡°Hm.. Do you have anything more basic and more to do with the basic elements?¡± ¡°Hahaha, admitting defeat already? Sure, we all learn the four basic elemental cantrips. They aren¡¯t useful for battle but can be used for small conveniences. Like the breeze cantrip which allows you to call a constant breeze to keep yourself cool. Or the water gathering cantrip, which allows you to draw small amounts of water from the surroundings which is very useful if you are travelling through a desert or cave. There¡¯s mold earth which allows you to make small objects from the ground, but it only lasts for a few hours at most so we just use to train control. The last one is just a simple warming cantrip that allows you to heat up yourself or something slightly and is one of the most commonly used.¡± ¡°Alright, these sound good. Let¡¯s get started then.¡± ¡°Wait, don¡¯t you want to try learning any of the higher-tier spells? These are known to be useless in combat!¡± ¡°¡­ No. These four will do.¡± Chapter 31: Bits & Pieces AN: Hey guys, I''m trying a new style of writing in this chapter so do give me your thoughts on how it goes! Happy New Year everyone!
¡°¡­ T-that¡¯s impossible. There¡¯s no way you could have learnt everything in just two days! A-and you did it with no incantation! Show me again! You must be cheating somehow!¡± ¡°No. Thanks for your help. I¡¯m going to practice elsewhere now.¡±
Wow. Brother and I are now staying in the library! There are sooooo many books in here and they have pretty balls of light floating around so it¡¯s always bright inside! Like tiny stars! It is as amazing as I thought, at first I thought we will be able to get some more cookies if we joined the Church the nice man talked about¡­ but we got a nice bed and food every day now! And all we have to do is follow what the big sisters and brothers say! At first, we mostly sat around and listen to them argue but big sis Alicia saw us and got us to help her out. She¡¯s nice! She gave me a pretty dress and a stuffed puppy! She said he¡¯s called Leo and will protect me from harm¡­ Silly big sis, Leo is just a toy. ¡®Sides, I got Brother to protect me. Even when Mama taken to the big red house with a lot of big sisters and we were chased out of our hut, Brother always found me the best corners to sleep where it¡¯s not as cold when its winter¡­ and saved me from the bad men who always talk funny when they sometimes came to our alley¡­ Mmm, I just wish Brother would relax and enjoy this place more. He is always muttering about being careful, that they must want to sell us or something. He even keep some of the bread away under his bed and say that is for if we need to run away! Silly Brother. Big sis Alicia will never do anything bad to us, her eyes says so! All the bad people always have a scary look in their eyes¡­ But big sis has a warm and bright look, even though she can be REALLYYY scary when she caught me trying to taste some of the funny grass stuff we were helping her move to the basement. She said it was a ha-loo-see-notion and can¡¯t be eaten. She didn¡¯t allow me to go near the grass stuff and got me to move the small wooden racks for the little glass bottles instead¡­ I wanted to help with the cool-looking bottles with all those funny shapes and sizes but big sis said I was too little and might drop them. Brother helped her with it instead and they put them up on tables and other big brothers and sisters helped big sis to make pootions. I asked a big brother why they are called poo-tions when they aren¡¯t made from poo and he just laughed and said it¡¯s because they taste as bad as poo¡­ Big sis scolded him a lot for some reason. Oh, we also get to help out in the kitchen, there are SOOOOO many barrels of food in there! Although, Nia says it is not really a proper kitchen and can¡¯t feed so many people so they are gonna make it even bigger. YAY! Maybe then I¡¯ll be able to find the barrel of cookies, the nicest thing so far is only this really hard to chew meat which tastes nice. We eat a lot of that meat and bread especially when Nia tries to cook! Nia is really bad at it¡­ Big sis Alicia will sometimes make tasty food like stew but she¡¯s mostly too busy. Nia tries to follow her but always fails. She always says she¡¯s an adult and must learn to cook but she shouldn¡¯t try so hard after all she¡¯s a kid like us too! She got really upset when Brother said that though. She says we should call her big sis Rania but Nia should stop trying so hard to pretend to be an grown-up! After all she joins us when we are with all the other kids and stare at the squiggly stuff in the books, while big brother Arggy speaks a lot and says what the squiggly stuff is supposed to be¡­ Big brother Arggy says his name is supposed to be Ar-ah-goon or something but was not allowed because of something called coffee-right law. But what¡¯s really fun after what the big brother Arggy calls a reading lesson are the cool stories he tell us! He says it¡¯s from a book called the Bible. It¡¯s mostly about this really nice man who does amazing stuff to everyone. But big brother Arggy also sometimes tells us about stories of boys fighting and defeating big men and becoming kings and so on¡­ Brother really likes those stories but they sound mean and scary. But the nice man and God who is big brother says is supposed to be our loving Father always shows up to save everyone! *sniff* I miss papa... but big brother said Daddy God won''t leave us and there was this warm tingly feeling like getting a big hug... Big brother Arggy also tells us the nice man is called Jesus and had many mean things done to him and died even though he was so nice so that we don¡¯t have to suffer the same mean things! Brother asked what we need to do because all the other Gods and priests always want stuff if people want their help, but big brother said we only need to believe that the nice man rose again to watch over us in the sky and we will be safe forever and no one who believes in him will die¡­ Brother says it¡¯s too good to be true. But we are safe now¡­ Maybe¡­ you can save Mama too?
If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. ¡°Hmm¡­ You aren¡¯t the first person who tried to employ magic in assassination but¡­ this. Even while watching you, I can see no signs that can possibly trace it back to you. Incredible.¡± Feng withheld his impulse to jump as the voice drifted right over his shoulder and replied with a controlled toned. ¡°¡­ Shadow. When did you enter?¡± ¡°Hours ago¡­ Come apprentice, your patience and skills may have improved much but there are still many tricks of the trade you have yet to learn. I will teach you the ways of the shadow. Oh and Mistress says that you are only allowed to take up to a hundred cookies a week, else she won¡¯t have en- OW! I mean else everyone else won¡¯t have enough. ¡± Staring at Shadow who suddenly doubled over and clutched his side in pain, Feng looked around wildly for the aggressor only to find no traces of anyone else in the training room. ¡°Errr¡­ sure. So training?¡± His mind quickly made the connection given the timing and incomplete statement and Feng could not help but sweat drop at the eccentricity of the Mistress. Idly wondering if he can reach those same heights, he quickly brought the focus back to the subject at hand. ¡°Ahem. Yes. Training.¡±
Grrr! I can¡¯t believe Feng didn¡¯t come to see me! He just vanished into the basement with that cunning witch who didn¡¯t even tell me about his arrival until he left! I can¡¯t believe she did that¡­ to think I trusted her¡­ And she said it was only fair since Feng rode off to rescue me. Ugh, if only I had been stronger¡­ And I was looking forward to telling him how much I learnt in classes and how I managed the library and talk to him about our future while he scratches my ears¡­ I mean about the future of the library and- Sigh, why am I even denying it¡­ His scratches are heavenly¡­ Ahhhh¡­ Mreowww, no no no. I need to focus and get stronger so that I can support Feng! Feng said he needs to get stronger to overcome the enemies, so I¡¯ll need to regain my former strength to protect him as well! These weights¡­ are too weak. I won¡¯t be able to get back to form at this rate. Four sets should do it! HHHHHHNNNRRRRGGGGGGGGG!
Woof Woof Woof. Arrrrrooooooooooouuuuu! ¡°Awwww, you look so cute with that red neckscarf! You must really like it with all the howling you are doing, aren¡¯t we lucky to have the nice lady give us that as a quest reward?¡± Cythe happily patted Shaggy¡¯s sides as the giant wolf shook his head furiously, only to be completely ignored by both Cythe and a group of girls patting him.
¡°Rise fledgling, you are nearly a full member of the Church of Light now. You only have the final trial left. The trial of Purging. Go forth and cleanse the miscreant Feng, let the light of Ralos illuminate the darkness shrouding Tyward.¡± ¡°Huh? Shouldn¡¯t the purging trial be something like purging my own impurities and cleansing my person to be worthy? This is a really odd quest, I mean I signed up to be a priest so why are you assigning me some paladin¡¯s quest¡­ Besides, clerics are supposed to heal and stuff right?¡± ¡°¡­ Just go help the men hunting down the criminal and don¡¯t come back till you succeed.¡± ¡°Um? Alright?¡±
¡°My fellow gents, the merchants and commoners have been getting uppity and there are even rumors of a revolt against their rightful rulers, us! With everything we have done for them, providing them their homes and farms, they now protest our rightful taxes and the prices of our businesses. All because of the library suddenly opening up their services for the poor and educating them for free! Pah, now I have serfs complaining about unfair contractual terms and saying they should be free of their bonds! I say we should make an example of the lib- ACK!¡± The pudgy man dressed in gaudy robes on the stage suddenly stopped speaking and started clutching at his neck and fell over convulsing for long moments before abruptly seizing up. The gathered nobles looked around bewildered and confused with their body guards instantly closing ranks on them, only to see no signs of any hostile movements. ¡°O Ralos, let your healing light wash over this man...¡± An equally fat bishop waddled over to the fallen noble and begun to chant healing spells over the man only for nothing to work¡­ ¡°No. It can¡¯t be, I tried everything from curing poisons to my highest ranked healing spell but nothing worked¡­ It seems that he died of natural causes¡­¡± The servants were called in to clean up the mess and the surviving nobles looked worried and flustered and quickly broke up the meeting to hole themselves up in their mansions. No one noticed two dark shadow in the clinging to the rafters blend into the surrounding shadows and abruptly vanish. ¡°Puaahhh, I hate shadow travel.¡± ¡°Good work Feng, your assassination spell is pretty amazing for even a bishop to be unable to cure it.¡± ¡°Heh. Water in the man¡¯s lungs isn¡¯t something that you can cure away and since it¡¯s gathered from the environment it can¡¯t even be dispelled.¡± ¡°Too bad, none of us have the magical training necessary to wield this spell¡­ Regardless. Congratulations Feng for passing your graduation trial. You are now a full member of The Order. May the shadows always cover your presence and your enemies fall silently. We will be in contact with new missions.¡± Poll for Rewrite or Continuation Hey guys, apologies for the super long hiatus! A whole bunch of events and drama has happened in real life from working on my start-up business to personal troubles and spending a long time recovering and in fact still recovering from it. That said, I''m keen to start writing again and would like to ask for your support and opinion onhow should I continue this story, to rewrite or even scrap it and completely start a new one (of a similar style).If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ... Although given the amount of time that has passed, I''ll understand if no one repliesand it has been a great ride and I''ll like to thank everyone who supported me thus far! Chapter 32: Blue Potion? Red Potion? ¡®This is¡­ Earth?¡¯ James looked around himself incredulously at the high-rise buildings¡­ which are mostly ruined beyond recognition. ¡®Wait. That¡¯s my home¡­ or at least where it used to be.¡¯ ¡°Sir Feng, we have thoroughly searched and cleansed the area, all the Corrupted have been cleared and we have retrieved the remnants of the capsule devices as you commanded but there is still no traces of humans anywhere.¡± Feeling his body move out of his control, Feng replied coldly. ¡°Understood, lead two squads to transport it back across the Bridge to be studied by the mages. The rest will follow me and continue the search.¡± ¡®How¡­ ARRGHHH-¡¯ A tearing pain surged through James as he felt himself separating from his(?) body and rising above himself, he noticed his body looked¡­ older before he felt himself been forcibly sucked through what felt like a tiny straw. < Tyward Library Basement ¨C One Month After> ¡°UUGGGHHHH!¡± ¡°FENG!¡± The intense soul-wrenching pain abruptly ceased and Feng heaved a deep breath as he shot up amidst concerned cries. ¡°L-let me¡­ catch my breath, I¡¯m ok.¡± Lifting his hand and rassuring Rania and Alicia who were pressing up against him in deep concern, Feng shakily sat up and gazed at the innocent-looking bottle in his hand which was the root of this. ¡®Maybe it wasn¡¯t such a great idea to make a try to modify an unknown legendary potion recipe¡­ oh well. Time to get the annoying windows out of the way then.¡¯
Potion of Foresight (Unknown Modified Recipe) Type: Potion Quality: Legendary Effects: While normally meant to grant the drinker with the gift of combat sixth sense, heavy modification has created unknown effects but the results should be beneficial. Description: An ominiously glowing red potion modified from a deciphered Redcloak recipe which clearly states the product is meant to be blue. The original fallen angel feather core ingredient was replaced with multiple fallen angel feathers and brewed with its heart as a catalyst.Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.
New Legendary Skill Obtained: Foresight *ERROR* Skill exceeds current system parameters, unable to measure impact *ERROR* (Passive) *ERROR*
*Unknown* *Error* Quest Unlocked: Glimpse of the Future *ERROR ¨C Unknown author detected* The last hour is nigh. The snatching away is soon, the seals are breaking, the tribulation is coming. Will you stay and bear witness to all who are left behind? Prerequisites: *ERROR* Difficulty: *ERROR* Objectives: 1) Remain. 2) *Hidden* Rewards: *ERROR_TOO_MANY_ROWS* Eternal Life *ERROR_TOO_MANY_ROWS* Failure: *ERROR_TOO_MANY_ROWS* Eternal Life *ERROR_TOO_MANY_ROWS*
System Warning *ERROR* You have overloaded the system with an unknown energy. Lockdown activating. *ERROR* Tampering of a foreign nature has been detected, lockdown mode activation denied. Alerting system administrators¡­ *ERROR* System command confirmed. Syncing in process. All systems notifications and windows are locked till syncing is completed
¡°What the hell!¡± ¡°Feng! Are you hurt?¡± Staring at the long list of notification windows full of error messages, Feng looked at the previously annoying notification window as it slowly and ominously faded from view and desperately tried triggering his status window, inventory and spamming observes only to see nothing at all. Feng felt his heart rate rise as a horrible thought crept into his mind. ¡®What about the log out function?!?¡¯ Frantically calling the log out function while the girls stared at him confused and worriedly, Feng finally relaxed as the familiar count begun. 10¡­ 9¡­ ¡°Girls, I¡¯m alright. That just took a lot out of me and I just need to return to my world to rest. I¡¯ll be back as soon as I¡¯m recovered so please go back to what you were working on and don¡¯t worry!¡± Stretching his hands out to pat the heads of the two girls he grew so close to over the past few weeks, Feng struggled to keep a calm smile on his face even as his mind internally struggled. ¡®Could this be the last time I see them if this system screw-up is unfixable? No¡­ there¡¯s no need to worry about these things, Apex Corp won¡¯t launch a faulty product¡­ But what the vision¡­ and the quest¡­ what if¡­ no that¡¯s impossible¡­ This is just a game, nothing at all to do with real life¡­ Right?¡¯ 1¡­ *DING* < James¡¯ House ¨C Two Days Later> ¡°What do you mean there¡¯s no problem with my capsule or account? There were clearly error messages printed all over the notifications I received.¡± ¡°What do you mean you don¡¯t know about hidden quest and it¡¯s all generated by the AI for fairness?! Ugh. Forget it. This is going nowhere. Bye.¡± Clicking off his phone and tossing it to the side, James felt his raising temper cool slightly as the pair of slender arms encircling him tightened and she soothed him. ¡°Calm down James, maybe it was just a temporary error that was fixed by the AI so they don¡¯t have any trace of it on record. Why not try logging in again and maybe everything will be working fine!¡± Shaking his head slightly, James grimaced and hesitated before he finally stated the reason why he kept away from Ascension for the past two days. ¡°That¡¯s not it, the vision was so real¡­ and¡­ I been feeling different¡­ stronger¡­ and after that incident I could swear that I can feel mana flowing inside me like in the game.¡± Feeling her gentle hands touching his face, he looked up and stared into her eyes as she spoke. ¡°Hey, it was probably some system illusion which your brain then filled in the details ok. And you probably been playing too much, and the feedback caused you to feel phantoms of mana and strength like in the game. Look I have been playing and everything¡¯s been perfectly fine!¡± Nuzzling his neck lightly, Leena lightly giggled and teased him. ¡°Maybe if you stop cheating so much, everything will go back to normal!¡± ¡°HEY! I don¡¯t cheat¡­ I just take advantage of weaknesses like THIS!¡± Pretending to look offended, James shook off his worry as he playfully tickled his squirming girlfriend and promptly tossed aside all his concerns with a final decision made on the matter. ¡®I¡¯ll try and log in tomorrow¡­¡¯