《Revelations Online》 Chapter 01 - Part 1 Few passed the Beta Test Program. Out of twenty thousand entries in just a month, only five people were selected to be a Beta tester for the upcoming game -- Revelations Online. Aaron Roosevelt was lucky enough to get selected as one. Thank god, it was finally time to leave his boring school life! Just after high school graduation, he intended to apply for a college degree but quickly changed his mind at the last minute when LINK offered a test just ten blocks away from his house. He never actually had any friends, let alone an actual one for the past three years. Though he had social anxiety, the company said that they will be tested individually so there was no actual worry for his only weakness. Never expecting to be part of the Beta Testers, he literally cried at the top of his lungs while covered fully under the blanket in his one-room apartment. That''s right! He was broke and his parents could only give him a total allowance that could only last six months. After that, he was all alone in the world with no other relative or friends to run to.If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Not that he would want that anyway. Living independently was his motto! But could he really say that for the past 17 years of his life depending on his parents'' money without going through an effort to work in a real job or pursue a dream? Of course, he can! Aaron was a master of grinding and patience, his ability to stare at the computer for ten hours straight, only to realize he just grinded over 1200 worth of monsters and leveled up tremendously. Gaming was his life, his dedication to play games and have fun--wait, no, to play competitively and prove the world that he was one of the best, if not the best. (That didn''t work out for 17 years though.) LINK was the only company he trusted. Their games have been revolutionary, experimenting with different genres and expanding their player base, be it competitive or casual gamers. But little did Aaron know that Revelations Online was a Capsule Virtual Reality Program--CVR Project--for short. Which means that he''ll be spending about five years of his life sleeping inside a capsule. Wait, sleeping? Fuck. Yeah. Chapter 01 - Part 2 His heart thumped. Once, twice. Then like a beat, it had gotten faster. And when an attendant escorted him to his room, his eyes were in a panic. Public places, public officers, public toilets--err, not that one. It felt like time passed for so long even though it still hasn''t been a minute yet. Weird, it was supposed to be his room, the attendant said, but there were three beds and in the other room, two. Was this like bed space where people rent the whole house along with different strangers? Well, no matter. It might be his teammates so why not? He''ll get to know them anyway. Aaron peered around the huge, spacious room, all modernized. Two bathrooms, a glass door separating the two-bed rooms, a single living room connecting the two and a kitchen, all high class. Plus, he was currently in a skyscraper thirty stories high with the whole city in his view. This has to be a royal suite! There was no way being a Beta Tester was this well treated. But since he was here anyway, thinking about it would be useless. He had free food, exempt from various bills, high-speed internet with a gaming computer and four more strangers he didnt know. He wanted to leave. Living with strangers...fuck.Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. "Hey," someone opened the door. Is it a roommate? A woman chewing on a lollipop? And why is she dressed so casually? She wore a T-Shirt with controller sign carved on it while also wearing shorts. "You a beta tester?"? "I-I am, yeah. I guess I am."? She stepped closer. He can see her cleavage, for god''s sake. Wear something decent! "Answer me. Are. You. A. Beta. Tester?"? Her voice seemed cold for some reason. No, maybe because he didn''t answer with confidence? Aaron broke out a cold sweat. "Y-yes, ma''am. Aaron Roosevelt, a pleasure to meet you." "Me too,"? she said pulling back. Now that he took a closer look, she doesn''t seem that tall. In fact, he was a neck taller than her. This is bad. He wasn''t at all good with having a conversation with other people let alone girls. Even though her stare was pretty much-piercing cold, her brunette ponytail hair was enough to allure him. "Excuse me," Aaron paused. "Are you a--" "Beta Tester. Lina Miles,"? She said as she offered him a lollipop out of her mouth. "Want some?"? "You," he grimaced. "You''re a slut, aren''t you?"? Her eyes twitched. "You fucker! I was just teasing you!"? Yep. He deserved a slap on his face. Even Aaron himself couldn''t agree more. Chapter 01 - Part 3 After taking a bath, Aaron made his way to the Capsule room. Lina said that the other three was already here earlier and Aaron was the last one to arrive. Somehow or another, he finally arrived at the destination after ten minutes of walking and asking questions where to go. It seemed like Lina was planning to come with him, but he''d done what he shouldn''t have, so there really was no option after it. "Is he the one?" Some guy in a black suit said after seeing Aaron enter the front door. "I guess he is,"? blonde hair replied. "You sure he''s useful?"? "Well,"? the guy paused. "He wouldn''t be chosen if he wasn''t."? "Wanna bet?"? blonde hair retaliated. "Erm,"? Aaron butted in. "Are you perhaps, talking about me?"? Blonde hair shifted his eyes to him, grinning. "Sorry, we''re just kidding." The guy in a black suit sighed. "I''m Roderick, your advisor. Nice to meet you Aaron, we''ve heard about you."? A girl, sitting next to Lina spoke. She looked quite serious -- rim glasses, elegant sitting pose and a coffee on her hand. "Aaron Roosevelt -- scored 89/100 points in the test. Though you have the intellect, your physical capabilities aren''t that..."? she cocked her head. "good."?This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. "Umm," and you are?"? "Oh, forgive me. I''m Lisa Smith. I scored 92 points." Blonde hair stepped in. "Laurence Clover, third son of Martin Clover, the CEO of LINK Company. It''s a pleasure."? Aaron''s eyes ran wild. "Ah, yeah, me too." He wasn''t used to this kind of conversation. Plus, Laurence Clover? Even the son of CEO was here. Peering his eyes around, Aaron realized there were only four of them around, excluding Roderick. That was until he tilted his head and saw a hooded guy in the farthest back. "Eric!"? Roderick shouted. "Come over here and introduce yourself," He received no response. That Eric guy was too absorbed in his PSP and doesn''t seem to plan to take it off his hands anytime soon. "Eric Ford. He''s usually like that, so don''t mind him. Once he opens up, it''ll go smooth sail from there,"? he scratched his beard. "You and Lina must''ve--" "Yeah,"? Lina interrupted. "We''ve met. Quite a rude guy, I must say. He called me a slut on our first meeting." "What?"? Aaron arched his eyebrows. "Don''t take it out of context!"? He caught Lisa pulling herself back with a disgusted look on her face. "Bleeeh!" Lisa gave him a smug exp''ression and stuck out her tongue. "Look, I''m sorry,"? Aaron muttered. "bitch."? The atmosphere suddenly became a blizzard. "What the fuck did you just call me?" "Nothing, my lady. It was rude of me to call you a slut or a bitch. Why don''t you stop doing things that could cause misunderstandings in the first place? My. Lady."? "Fine," she said coldly. "Chicken."? "Ahem,"? Roderick interrupted. This cold atmosphere could cause a spark in the team later on, which would be troublesome. "Shall I explain the situation now?"? Chapter 01 - Part 4 VR Capsule System v.1.0. First of its kind. After hundreds of prototype and testing, they have mastered the use of Virtual Reality. LINK, of course, was the lead in such project, along with what the community had been using today -- Artificial Intelligence. AI still wasn''t enough to get people out of job, at least, not yet. Now, what would you do if you were to dive in a game where politics and complicated objectives are the same as it was in real world? That''s what Aaron asked himself when Roderick started giving them out instructions. Where to start in the game, how to proceed from there, while also teaching them a vague history of multiple factions. "There''s no map?"? Eric, the short guy with a hoodie said. Roderick sighed. "It''s procedurally generated since an AI created it from scratch. That''s why we need you to explore different areas to fully know the current situation of the empires. But there''s a map in-game, just not... useful enough to navigate around.?" It must be a pain for the developers if even they don''t know what''s inside the game. Or maybe that''s a good thing? After all, tasting your own food wouldn''t feel that satisfying. Roderick also informed them that instructions will be given once inside the game. A staff will guide players on what to do on the first few days, but traveling the land? They''re on their own. "Now, there''s only one rule you need to obey,"? Roderick said, swiping his pen on the board. "Suffer much less pain as possible, since it only restricts 25% of the pain you receive. Which means, you''ll be risking your lives from now--"Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. "Wait!"? Aaron said, his mind confused. "Risking our lives? Isn''t this supposed to be a game?"? "It is. Our objective is to implement the suicide system and painless death so that it can be available in the market."? "So the reason why there''s only five of us was--" "To limit casualties by giving out an impossible test."? Aaron looked around, the first one who popped into his mind was Lisa, the serious looking girl. "You knew about this?"? "Apparently, yes. Roderick more or less explained the risks we''re going to take while you were gone."? "Scared?"? Lina grinned. Aaron leaned back on the chair, ignored Lina and turned his head to Roderick instead. "Tell me why I''m going to risk my life."? Roderick let out a faint smile. "Because it''s a second world, and I''ve seen what''s in it. If possible, I''d risk my future to live inside the game. In other words, it''s like Valhalla for Vikings--heaven for gamers."? "Can''t you implement restrictions inside the game?" "No, not yet at least. Everything is procedurally generated. Taste, sound, smell, touch, and everything you see is the same as the real world medieval era--the only thing is that Revelations Online have dragons and real myths. So, are you in or not?"? He doesn''t seem like he''s lying. If what he said is true, then Aaron might give it a shot. Was there even a future for him outside the games anyway? Isn''t he already risking his future by playing games for like, twelve years? This might also be his only salvation. Perhaps a gift, or it can also be a curse. But still, the words second world was stuck in his mind. "Fine, Im in,"? Aaron already lost his future. If he were to lose what''s on his hand right now and leave this place, then there would be nowhere for him to go. "I''ll play your game." Chapter 02 - Part 1 "Is everyone ready?"? Roderick asked in a distance. Aaron and his four teammates were transferred in a different capsule room, as well as making them wear some kind of special fabric. "I don''t like this,"? Lina said. "It''s tight."? Well, they might not like it, but it was still pleasant to look at. This greyish white cloth felt different, and although tight, he doesn''t feel anything wrong with it. In fact, running around in this thing might be better than normal clothing. "We''re good,"? Laurence said, his eyes already fixed on the capsule. "Are you sure we''re gonna spawn in a safe spot?"? "Yeah,"? Roderick grinned. "Just remember to pick human race and--" "We know, we know,"? Lina interrupted with a sigh. "Human race, Rebean Cemetery."? As Aaron entered the human-sized capsule, the others followed. He was excited, his heart beating faster than he ever was before. But it also contained a drop of anxiety, towards the unknown, where his life will be at risk. Before, he was obliged to sign a contract that, in short, if anything happens during the beta test, the company wouldn''t be at fault. It also meant that, in the game, there won''t be anyone to help him. However, being a Beta Tester allowed Aaron to get twice the normal salary from being an employee. Of course, Aaron knew that, hence the reason why he signed the contract in the first place. Even Laurence didn''t wait for the game to come out and just straight up signed himself the hard way. If someone like him was willing to risk his glorious future for the game, then Aaron, who has none, should feel ashamed of thinking of backing out at the last minute. As Aaron lay down, he reached for the inhaler beside him. It covered the entirety of his mouth and nose, following it with a small stream of pure, white liquid with small streaks of electricity flowing in them. It wasn''t enough to kill Aaron, but his fingers reacted when it was linked with the liquid. Thankfully, his consciousness was drifting away, slowly but surely. Please select a race_ There was only one race available, with others locked out. Human, he thought. Please select a weapon_ Interestingly, there are various types of weapons. A longsword, a shortsword, two daggers, an additional shield, halberd, axe, great axe, spear, pole, a staff, even a vine whip and chakram. But he doesn''t have any specialty around these things, so he picked an axe instead. It seemed like picking a sword would be better, but it felt easier to move around with an axe, slightly lighter too. It didn''t take long before finishing all the requirements. There was something missing though, since this game wasn''t an ordinary RPG. Thinking back, Roderick said that inventory and character management system does not exist, leaving Aaron the only option of the Status screen and Skill screen, on which cannot be changed in anyway, automatically. Learning how to use a sword skill? Find a teacher. Increasing stats? Grind. Moving on, Aaron saw the invisible space spread in, leaving nothing but his consciousness. Though, it didn''t take him long enough to feel the wind. First sense -- touch. Aaron felt the wind caressed his skin, softly. Then he heard something. Branches, cracking; crows, cawing.Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. Aaron was expecting a bright field of grass in a clear forest, but that wouldn''t do in his case. He smelled something unpleasant, like some murky swamp and dead, rotting corpses. He opened his eyes. In his sight was a cemetery -- the Rebean Cemetery, to be precise. The sun was up and high, shining brightly, but it couldn''t break the creepy atmosphere surrounding the area. Aaron tried to get up but his back rose as if he just woke up and his movements sluggish to the point where he had to stretch for five minutes. But this was a fresh feeling, different from the place he lived in, different from the rest of the world. It seemed more... pure and mysterious. Glancing down to his shirt, Aaron realized he only wore an old tunic and cheap shorts, making him look like a beggar. But there was something in his pocket. Shuffling his hand in, he felt five cold objects. Five silvers, he thought, since it was shining like a silver. Would this even be enough? "Guys,"? Someone said. Aaron jumped in surprise. It was Laurence. "I think we should plan things out before we move on. Everybody present?"? "I''m here!"? Lina said. Aaron muttered, "Present."? Following it with Lisa''s "What''s next?"? and Eric''s "Can we hurry it up and get to Roderick at the city, ASAP?"? "Believe me Eric, I want that too, but,"? Laurence chuckled. "Let''s make sure of some things at first. Check your starting items." "I''ve five silvers and an axe,"? Aaron said. "I got a map along with a pencil and a longsword,"? Laurence pondered. "What about you Lisa? That''s a cool weapon." "Five silvers and a war scythe." Lisa said. Eric was about to speak up when Lina quickly pouted, "I''ve only got a bow and quiver and three silvers."? She sighed. "Mine''s two daggers and a pouch of coppers. Don''t know how many though, probably a hundred."? Eric said, counting the number of coins he received. "Okay," Laurence clapped his hands. "Gather up!"? Everyone already grouped up together and are going to discuss what they should do, when a sudden voice erupted at the top of their head. Hello! It said. Eric was the first one to react. "Who are you?"? I''m Amy, just another staff who can guide you for the next couple of days. "Great, tell us where to go." Woah, there! In a hurry? Why don''t you sit back and listen to my st--" "Shh!" Eric whispered abruptly. "Do you hear that?"? "Hear what?" Aaron said, though quickly changing his mind. His eyes squinted. "Footsteps?"? Everyone quickly peered about. They were encircled creepily by a murky swamp and dead trees, mostly, but one stood out. A small church beside them, crows hanging on the rooftop with an old, destroyed bell and mossy roof tiles with sunlight passing through its holes. The church was screaming abandoned for itself, even with destroyed pew benches inside were being eaten by nature. "Indoors, quick!"? Lisa commanded. Aaron scurried off indoors, hid behind windows and peeked outside. Footsteps were getting closer and closer, but there were no signs of someone having a conversation. Unaware of a sudden meeting with strangers, his eyes panicked, but calmed down shortly after. This is a game, he thought. It''s not real. "What''s that?"? Laurence whispered, giving everyone the attention to the old, rusty cemetery gate. "Eeew!" Lina covered her mouth. There was a rotting corpse, stench blew by the wind, reaching Aaron''s nose. It was a dead man, unrecognizable by its ghastly appearance. It wore a damaged armor while holding a shortsword tightly. The crows flocked against the corpse, probably planning to eat his body. However, it retaliated only with a gurgling sound coming out from its mouth, making the crows caw and fly away unknowingly. "Amy," Eric said. "What the hell is happening? Isn''t this supposed to be a safe area?"? I-I uhh... just stay put and don''t panic, I''m contacting Roderick right now. Eric''s voice wasn''t enough to reach the corpse, so they were still clear. Even though Aaron was confident they could take that thing alone, he can''t be sure since it might have reinforcements, so no one has the courage to move. Not that they have to, anyway. But, well, you can''t escape bad luck. And the corpse looked to his right, its eyes glistened red. "Aaargh..."? Aaron laughed dryly. "We''re fucked, aren''t we?"? Lisa broke a cold sweat. "Oh, tell me about it." Chapter 02 - Part 2 ¡°He saw us!¡± Eric whispered, unsheathing two daggers around his waist. ¡°Let¡¯s take him out¡ª¡° ¡°Eric, wait,¡± Aaron said. The corpse didn¡¯t howl, thankfully. Maybe he only caught a glimpse and not entirely sure? He had to bet on this one. ¡°There might be reinforcements. How about we wait for the corpse to get closer and take him out behind cover?¡± Eric pondered for a moment. ¡°Then, let¡¯s do that. Aaron, you and I jump across the window,¡± he turned to Laurence. ¡°Laurence, you take him head on. Lisa, you stay mid-range to provide support and Lina¡­ ready your bow.¡± Everyone nodded. ¡°And,¡± he added. ¡°If it doesn¡¯t work out, Laurence will fall back and have Lisa take the aggro instead. If it has reinforcements, then¡ª¡° ¡°It¡¯s coming!¡± Aaron whispered. Five meters, so close. The corpse was seven-foot-tall, bulky but little of his muscles were left. Aaron breathed in, exhaled all the pressure being stomped atop him. Whether or not the corpse goes down, he¡¯ll still hurry on scouting the area around to make sure it¡¯s safe. Hope it doesn¡¯t get worse than it is now, though. Their lives are on the line after all. ¡°Aaargh¡­¡± The corpse growled, slowly stepping in. Three meters¡­ They were ready¡­ two¡­ nodding, Aaron gripped the axe tightly, his fingers ready to jump across the window. He breathed in. Eric widened his eyes. ¡°Now!¡± Aaron made the jump, and so did Eric. He saw the corpse¡¯s spine, sticking out, with maggots eating away at its flesh. ¡°Aaargh!¡± The corpse slashed his sword with full strength. Laurence parried, though barely, it made him step back. ¡°Kill it!¡± Aaron swiftly ran at the back of the corpse, slid as he took a kneeling position, using his axe to strike the corpse''s knee. Eric did so too but aimed at the back of his head. The dagger dug dip on the bulky corpse''s neck, and the other in its eyes. He gasped. It didn¡¯t cut through its meat. The daggers did little effect and only caused the corpse to stumble back. Laurence somehow fell back on his own, trembling, eyes on a blank stare. His sword cracked. ¡°Switch!¡± Lisa advanced. ¡°Graaah!¡± The corpse roared, used his hands to block Lisa¡¯s scythe, used its force and threw her against the aged, wooden walls. ¡°Gah!¡± She exclaimed. No way, in just a couple of seconds? Fuck, fuck, fuck¡­ my axe got stuck! ¡°Lina!¡± Aaron panicked, his voice stuttered. ¡°Shoot it in the head!¡± Lina took a step back. ¡°I know! Don¡¯t order me!¡± Laurence managed to get up, his feet dragged behind as the impenetrable corpse advanced, his red, glowing eyes shifted to Laurence. The corpse raised its hand, the bloodied sword ready to strike down another. Aaron had no time to make complicated decisions. He grabbed the stuck axe firmly, pulled it out of its knee. The corpse growled, turned his head and changed his attention to Aaron. He pulled back, and so did Eric who just jumped across the window again. Another backstab? Will that even work on this fucker? No, it might be worth a shot. ¡°Lina!¡± Aaron bawled. "I can''t draw the bow!" ¡°What do you mean you can¡¯t?!¡± His patience was running low. It seemed that Lina can¡¯t pull the string of the bow. No choice, he had to improvise. ¡°Forget the damn bow, tend to Lisa and grab that fucking scythe!¡± She nodded and dashed for Lisa. ¡°I¡¯ll aggro this pile of shit meat!¡± He thundered. Aaron exchanged glances with Eric and Laurence. There was no choice but to force a coordination, even though they have different plans in their head. If he doesn¡¯t move now, the corpse might turn his head to his teammates. ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± he muttered to himself. ¡°I¡¯m not planning to die just yet!¡± Aaron charged at the corpse at full speed, his objective: to disarm the corpse by cutting off its fingers. But that would require him to move swiftly. Plus, the corpse reacted to his axe last time, so it might have a sense of pain, which means that it might get desperate if his life was being drained away. The sword slashed down. Aaron stepped behind, stumbling. Shit, the corpse was too fast. Maybe humans really do have a limiter? If so, then possibly, just in theory, it might be stronger than before. Aaron jumped back, gripped the hilt of the bloodied axe firmly. He breathed in and advanced. A sword slashed diagonally. Aaron dodged, but it didn¡¯t stop there. The corpse was glancing back and forth, changing his positions left and right, as if he knew two people that can and will backstab him. It can think. Not good, not good at all. Each parry drained his energy, each block destroyed his momentum. Aaron clicked his tongue. But he had to endure as long as he can. Five seconds was too long, yet ten seconds had passed. The clashed of thinking of where and how to proceed had gone past his mind. Aaron was on the defensive. He stepped back once, the corpse paced, slashing another, changing his position and the way he handled his sword.Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. Twenty seconds... Aaron started to gasp, his fingers couldn¡¯t keep up with his stamina Then thirty¡­ It was when Lina held the scythe in her hands, probably trembling. He didn¡¯t care, not when his life was at stake. He wouldn¡¯t be able to hold out for the next thirty seconds or so. Laurence ran back. God, is he going to run? No, he won¡¯t. Or he might. Shit, shit, shit, shit! The corpse slashed his sword upwards. It threw the chipped axe away. It was too far. Aaron knelt unconsciously. The invisible weight was placed upon him this fast and heavy. He couldn¡¯t move. He was paralyzed. His feet refused to stand up, arms can¡¯t lend a hand either. Amy couldn¡¯t help. He still didn¡¯t know if she can see this live slaughter, but that¡¯s not the problem. ¡°Log-out,¡± Aaron muttered as he looked up. It reeks of the dead, and in his sight, was a giant, its sword ready to slash him in half. ¡°Log-out for god¡¯s sake! Log-ou¡ª¡° An arrow pierced the corpse¡¯s head, eyes bulging out. Aaron quickly rolled behind to dodge the monster¡¯s monstrous weight fall. He saw Laurence. ¡°You alright, Aaron?¡± He asked. ¡°Y-yeah," Aaron let out a dry smile. "Of course, not! I could''ve died back there! Why did I forget to ask about emergency procedures? Fucking hell, is there even one?!" "Calm down," Eric said, tapping him on the back. "It''s over. You aren''t just a weak, typical shy idiot, are you? GGWP." Aaron laughed. ¡°Getting complimented by Eric? Wow, don¡¯t take it back now.¡± He lied down, consciousness drifting away. Weird, why did he feel like he wanted to sleep? Wasn¡¯t this a game? Never mind that. Just for a minute¡­ ¡°Wake up,¡± someone said, shaking his head. ¡°Aaron, this isn¡¯t the time and place to be sleeping!¡± So it was Eric. Aaron sighed. ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± ¡°Stand up,¡± Eric said as he pulled Aaron¡¯s hand and helped him stand up. ¡°Look around.¡± He did so and saw Lina carrying the war scythe, she looked as pale as the dead. Laurence on the other hand, carried Lisa behind his back, hers still unconscious. But peering around, this might also be the end of them. ¡°I tried contacting Amy, but,¡± Eric repeatedly tapped the ground. ¡°No luck. She isn¡¯t answering. The status tab also has no log-out button so I guess this is the end for us.¡± That¡¯s right, Aaron thought, sighing as he gazed up the moon, its light warmed his body for some reason. It was¡­ relaxing. In his sight was almost a hundred corpses ¨C mostly average surrounded the entire graveyard. Be it women, men, children, elderly, and even babies. They were all rotting. ¡°Do we go down without a fight?¡± Aaron asked. ¡°I won¡¯t,¡± Eric replied with a smile. ¡°Would you?¡± ¡°Fuck no, I¡¯m not. How about you Laurence?¡± Laurence slowly released Lisa from his arms and handed her to Lina. ¡°I¡¯ll fight,¡± he said as he picked up his chipped sword from the ground. ¡°I don¡¯t wanna die a coward, much less beg my life for these creeps.¡± ¡°Ha!¡± Arno laughed. ¡°I guess we aren¡¯t chosen blindly after all? If it was just someone, then I guess someone would¡¯ve died already.¡± ¡°You got a point,¡± It wasn¡¯t Eric nor Laurence. It was Lina. ¡°But you¡¯ll still die today.¡± "Don''t be a bummer, Lina. I''m not gonna die until we settle things between us, and you won''t too." ¡°Great job raising a death flag.¡± "I''ll take that as a compliment since right now, we''re going to avoid it." Eric squinted his eyes. ¡°How?¡± Aaron looked around, realized they were getting closer and closer. But none were running, at least. If he can bet on this once chance, then he and the rest might survive. "The church," he ran. "Let''s go!" ¡°Hey, explain¡ª¡° ¡°There might be a cellar. It¡¯s medieval and all, so a cellar would be good for storing food stocks and goods, right?¡± Time is a necessity. Aaron quickly ran towards the church altar and searched for a cellar. He knocked, stomped, but nothing reacted. He tried moving benches, checking corners but no luck. The rest of the team were pushed to the edge already. "Is there a drink?" Aaron muttered but realized he just said it out loud. ¡°No,¡± Laurence sat beside him. ¡°But it would be nice to have one, don¡¯t you think?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Lina said as she crouched beside Aaron, with Lisa on her lap. ¡°At least we tried.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t go out of character now, Lina,¡± Aaron chuckled, but he received a light punch instead. ¡°Ow, I¡¯ve still haven¡¯t recovered yet you know?¡± ¡°Fuck. You.¡± She gave him the middle finger, then laughed shortly after. A moment of silence slowly filled the atmosphere. Although Aaron could still hear those zombies growl, his mind was on a different plane right now. It was as if something was drifting away¡­ yet he still heard something. He glanced behind and saw Eric closed his eyes, hand clasped against each other. He was thinking. And he heard it too. Someone was galloping. One¡ªno, two, maybe three? A dozen, perhaps? ¡°I hear it,¡± Laurence said as he got up, grabbed the sword and stretched his back. ¡°Help¡¯s coming. Wouldn¡¯t want them catching us in pieces, right?¡± ¡°I got your back.¡± Aaron said, swinging his axe twice. ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Lina grinned. ¡°I¡¯ll be the first one to kill you three before you get eaten alive. Eric took on a smug face. "Say that when you can at least draw a bow." "Wha¡ªfuck you shorty! I bet you can''t too!" ¡°And you too flat-chested¡­ wait, you¡¯re not?¡± ¡°Blind, are we? Want to take a closer look?¡± ¡°Now I understand,¡± Eric tapped Aaron¡¯s shoulder, giving him a camaraderie stare. ¡°Your pain.¡± Almost half an hour had passed since their near-death experience. Aaron stood at the corpses, his nose used to the stench cloaking the entire graveyard. The others were the same too. But Lisa, she, seemed in pain. She shrieked once or twice, but still unconscious. He peered around, saw the horses, the men who helped them. They were only a dozen, but they were in full armor along with holding a long sword, probably twice as heavy but thinner than Laurence¡¯s. ¡°You alright kid?¡± A woman with tanned skin and short, red hair asked in a cold, yet sharp voice. Along with her were a dozen men, scars took their faces, and some doesn¡¯t even have a finger or a limb. All he could think was that they were¡­ veterans in the battlefield. "We''re alright, but one of us got thrown away," he looked behind, nodding. Laurence seemed to get it what he was saying, so he carried Lisa with him. "Can you save her?" ¡°Doro,¡± she raised a finger. ¡°Take the young lady back to the fort and have someone tend to her wounds.¡± ¡°Yes, my lady.¡± The man Doro was huge, probably the same as the first corpse Aaron fought. He might be stronger than the corpse Aaron and the team fought, but not less any weaker. ¡°Just so you know,¡± Laurence sharpened his eyes. ¡°I¡¯m going with her ¨C make sure you don¡¯t do anything filthy.¡± "Do you have any choice, to begin with?" The woman smirked. Laurence snorted, but refusing to let go of Lisa. She permitted him to go with her. ¡°Your name, kids?¡± Aaron exhaled. ¡°I¡¯d like to know the name of our benefactor first.¡± She laughed. Almost to the point where it gave Aaron a chill down his spine. ¡°I¡¯m a hunter,¡± she said, grinning. ¡°A Witch Hunter.¡± Chapter 03 - Part 1 [V.2.0] The horse galloped as fast as it can in this foggy road of Swamp Rebean. A puddle splashed and crows caw atop the dead trees surrounding them. It had been an hour since they began to depart from the graveyard, yet this murky swamp barely changed. ¡°Swamp¡¯s three hours long,¡± Said a witch hunter as he held the reins. His chainmail was visible around his armpits, cloaked by leather armor down to his boots. He had brown hair, an eye with an old scar and a sword dripping blood out on the corner of its sheathe. Aaron was sitting on his back, his attention caught him. ¡°They say here at Rebean Swamp lies the story of a forbidden love between a witch and a prince.¡± Interesting, Aaron thought. His day was over and was now taking a rest behind the hunter¡¯s back. A short story wouldn¡¯t hurt that much. ¡°Forbidden love, huh?¡± "Aye. The witch saw the prince outside her house, wounded. Out of pity, she dragged him inside, helped him. The prince fell in love at first sight, decided to give her a proper payment for tending to his wounds.¡± ¡°Is it gold?¡± ¡°Much more than gold. A decent house in a keep with immeasurable rum and vast springs of jewelry. But the witch didn¡¯t accept his offer, said she don¡¯t need that much money and was content with her shack. But he insisted and wanted to repay her, so he gave her foods and golds in secret, letters too.¡± ¡°Let me guess ¨C the witch fell in love with the prince in the end?¡± The hunter laughed hysterically. ¡°Close enough. An attack from foreigners raided the keep, but the prince survived the siege with a strand of luck. He¡¯s anxious after arriving at the witch¡¯s house, said he didn¡¯t have any pearl to give her, no necklace to wear around her neck. The witch didn¡¯t mind though ¨C loved him dearly despite having nothing at all.¡± Aaron sighed. ¡°Your typical romance.¡± ¡°But that¡¯s not all,¡± Another hunter laughed beside Aaron as he continued the story. He was much thinner and his eyes looked like it was about to bulge out in a single push. "Real story is that she had a perfume for charming men, sole reason for the prince to fall in love with her. ¡°The thing is, lad,¡± he whispered. ¡°That witch snipped her prince¡¯s limbs and cooked it piece by piece before eating him and leaving his heart for dessert. Couple of days later, witch hunters came and fed her alive to the dogs instead.¡± Aaron chuckled, his eyes half-dead, tired. ¡°Tragic.¡± "Ain''t it?" The Hunter laughed. ¡°We¡¯ve full collection of tales like it in the keep we sieged two hundred years past, feel free to scour the library.¡± ¡°Wait, you mean¡ª¡° ¡°Aye.¡± Aaron still hasn''t had the chance to ask questions. "Can we talk now? Why are¡ª"Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. ¡°¡ªWe''re close," The woman shouted behind her shoulders, waking up Aaron and the rest of the team. ¡°Wake up, wake up!¡± An eerie sight unfolded in Aaron¡¯s eyes. Huge stone walls blocked their way, with a thick, wooden door crushing the pebble road. Torches were lit up and crows eased themselves on the roof tiles. The whole keep was attached to the mountain and it still doesn¡¯t seem like a landslide could destroy it. A man whistled lazily about on these walls and beamed as soon as he saw a group of men in horses. ¡°Open the gates!¡± He looked back hurriedly. A robust steel resonated throughout, pulling two heavy doors to its own side. Aaron glanced left and right slowly, his heart beating so fast again. It felt so different before diving in the game. Now, he was much more¡­ mature. He acted like he wanted to act, talked and conversed as if it was normal. Was he that desperate for his life? If so then, it just cured him of his anxiety. Don''t know how long this''ll last though. ¡°We¡¯re here,¡± said a Hunter. ¡°Look around lads, what do you see?¡± What do we see? There were skinned wolves, hanging them as the butchers were tending to it. A dozen men were drinking at his farthest left where torches were alit and bards sang livelily. It was muddy, but the pebble floor occupied most of the area, as if it stood out on its own to avoid getting this place mistaken for being haunted. And swords¡­ there were several dozens of them in racks, people in light armor sparring each other while others merely watched, their eyes glued to the match and not the new arrivals. ¡°What is this place?¡± Eric asked. ¡°Hm?¡± The woman answered. ¡°Berean Keep. They call it the witch hunters¡¯ keep, Cursed Garden.¡± Aaron butted in, tried to find the words. ¡°I understand the cursed and all, but why a garden?¡± ¡°Because a dead man blooms a lotus flower once killed by a witch hunter. But enough about that ¨C come, you must be hungry. We¡¯ll talk inside.¡± The woman guided the silent group personally towards the keep. Upon ascending the stone stairs, Aaron could feel a different atmosphere than before. He passed by the wooden hallway while the loud stomps kept him awake. Turning right, everyone stepped inside the door. ¡°You there!¡± The woman said, pointing at a woman holding a casket. ¡°Get them a decent set of clothes. And guide her¡­¡± she looked behind her to Aaron¡¯s female companion. ¡°I haven¡¯t gotten your name, dear.¡± ¡°Lina. Just Lina.¡± She was quiet this whole time. What a way to change attitudes. ¡°I see,¡± The woman didn¡¯t react. ¡°Guide Lina to the sauna and have her wear decent clothes,¡± she turned around again, but to Aaron and Eric. ¡°And to you as well.¡± There were two saunas for men and women while both were in the caves of the mountain. Aaron had no choice but to listen and wait, so he agreed and took a bath first. Finally, after a long, exhausting day, Aaron skipped the sauna and dived straight into a cold spring next to it, naked of course. The whole place was still steaming, so even if the water was crystal clear, there would be no problem. Unfortunately, there were no holes to see behind these wooden walls. ¡°Got any plans?¡± Eric asked, dipping himself in water. "I was about to ask you that," Aaron shrugged. "I mean, witch hunters? What''re they gonna do, recruit us?" ¡°Maybe. I¡¯ve tried contacting Amy but no luck. What a useless guide.¡± Aaron shrugged. ¡°We wouldn¡¯t be here if LINK knows how to operate inside the game anyways.¡± ¡°Maybe because it¡¯s an AI that created the game.¡± ¡°An AI?¡± Aaron snorted. ¡°But if it¡¯s true, then it explains the limitations. Know anything about this AI?¡± ¡°I only know that it¡¯s extremely smart. We need to ask Laurence about these details later. But I don¡¯t know where he is, never seen Lisa either since we arrived here. Maybe something¡ª¡° ¡°Don¡¯t even think about it. Nothing could possibly happen.¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Eric slumped down, scratching his head. ¡°Let¡¯s hope so.¡± Chapter 03 - Part 2 It was quiet and still. Candlesticks burned brightly as it lit up the long table, filled with wine goblets and platters, the whole room overwhelmed by the anxiety in the air. Aaron, Eric, Lisa, Laurence, and Lina sat on the table with the woman they have yet to know. She was the only one unaffected by this atmosphere, as she seized the goblet before her and drank the wine, coughing and laughing. She breathed out merrily. ¡°Wine tastes good after a long day, don¡¯t hold back now!¡± ¡°Enough!¡± Eric slammed the table shut, forcing everyone, even the maids to be caught by his attention. ¡°I know you saved us and all,¡± he sighed, trying to calm himself down. ¡°But could you please explain the situation now that we¡¯re all here.¡± The woman pointed the goblet to Eric. ¡°That¡¯s not how you talk to a lady,¡± she saw him sat down, tapping the wooden table impatiently. ¡°But you¡¯re right, I¡¯ve held you too much. Those questions inside your head must be anxious.¡± ¡°So?¡± ¡°I¡¯m Venna, fifth generation of the pureblood Roveau witch hunters. Feel free to ask me anything. Oh, and don¡¯t bother introducing yourselves, I¡¯ve heard everything I need to know from your friend Lisa, I assure you ¨C everything.¡± Eric was about to raise his mouth when Aaron interrupted. ¡°Why did you help us?¡± ¡°Perfect question,¡± she beamed. ¡°Two reasons ¨C We got a contract to take care of you for a year. I got to say, that woman paid a fair amount of gold!¡± Aaron arched an eyebrow. ¡°Any idea who she is?¡± ¡°Never got the chance to ask her. She was masked and secretive but paid half in advance so I decided to accept the offer. But that''s a story for another time. Lastly, the reason was you,¡± she pointed at Aaron, then Eric all the way to Lisa at the farthest back. ¡°all of you, were to become witch hunters ¨C which is part of the contract as well.¡± Aaron didn¡¯t want to end the conversation just here. ¡°But aren¡¯t witch hunters supposed to hunt witches? Not be some caretaker for random¡­ kids?¡± ¡°Oh no, you¡¯ve got us wrong,¡± she chuckled. ¡°We¡¯re still mercenaries, but more on killing monstrosities instead of humans. If there¡¯s gold, we¡¯re more likely to accept it if it¡¯s in our favor. Though unlike mercenaries, we don¡¯t participate in genocide and war between kingdoms. In other words, we¡¯re pretty much neutral.¡± Eric snorted. ¡°You can break the contract by killing us now, after all, you¡¯ve got your gold. How am I supposed to believe you?¡± ¡°We¡¯re safe here ¨C with her,¡± Lisa said at the farthest corner. Her voice was like a mutter but echoed enough throughout the room. Her expression seemed to match the murky swamp ¨C glooming. "I told her we''re from another dimension, that five of us were transported here by a spell.Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. "Yes, exactly," Venna nodded. "But a little more detailed. Plus, I don''t need you to believe. Just need to train you to become a witch hunter and survive for a year, as per the contract." Aaron leaned back. ¡°And you believe Lisa?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t take me for a fool! There¡¯s proof ¨C show your back to me.¡± Aaron flinched. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Oh, just do it!¡± Venna waved her hand as she drank another cup of wine. ¡°There¡¯s no harm.¡± Aaron did what she said and took off his shirt. ¡°Yeah,¡± she muttered. ¡°I¡¯m gonna have to mold your muscles before taking on the real thing.¡± ¡°Mind if we hurry up?¡± Aaron smiled. ¡°It¡¯s kinda embarrassing.¡± If he has muscles and abs, then Aaron would feel proud. But that wasn¡¯t the case since his appearance matched his real physique. He doesn¡¯t go to gym nor exercise every morning, so his physique isn¡¯t that good. ¡°Oh, there it is,¡± Venna touched Aaron¡¯s back, just below his nape. ¡°These lines, so it¡¯s true.¡± ¡°What do you see?¡± Eric glanced, his eyes widened. ¡°It¡¯s a barcode.¡± Venna shifted her attention at Eric. ¡°Barcode?¡± "In the other world," Eric paused. "We use the barcode to identify objects." ¡°I have it too!¡± Lisa interrupted. ¡°Some girls in the bathroom saw it and told me about it. So, it really is a barcode¡­¡± ¡°Really?¡± Aaron looked at Eric. ¡°I thought for sure it was a tattoo I saw on your back.¡± Venna grinned. ¡°Well, that explains why my ring,¡± she flashed her silver ring, coiled around her fingers. Carved on it were something like glyphs connected to each other. ¡°¡­reacts. You see, witch hunter rings only flicker when certain spells are active. The brighter it glows¡­¡± She elevated her finger to Aaron¡¯s barcode. ¡°¡­the stronger the spell is.¡± The ring released a crimson light so vivid, shadows around the hall quickly hid behind their goblets and platters. Laurence, who had been quiet this whole time, spoke up. ¡°Sorry to interrupt the epic moment guys, but Amy just called me.¡± Lisa¡¯s impatience made her lean towards Laurence, her eyes glassy and her voice¡­ weak. ¡°What¡¯s the news?¡± ¡°She said she was sorry and that¡­ she¡¯ll explain everything once we get back.¡± ¡°Get back?¡± she said stiffly. ¡°You mean log-out? When?¡± "Ehem!" Venna made a fake cough. "Get some sleep now, we''ll talk all about it tomorrow. Maid, guide them to their room." Everyone quickly stood up, as if they wanted a rest. Aaron too, was exhausted after this amount of confusion swirling around his head. But there was one thing he still wanted to ask Venna, so right at the footstep on the door, he stopped. ¡°I¡¯ve one more question before I go back.¡± ¡°Go on.¡± ¡°Do you trust us?¡± Venna burst out into laughter. ¡°No, dear, no I don¡¯t,¡± she said firmly. ¡°It¡¯s gold I trust.¡± Chapter 03 - Part 3 The room inside one of the Keep¡¯s tower was damn impressive. Though circular, it can definitely fit up to ten persons while leaving enough space for a long table. But being six floors high from the Witch Hunter¡¯s Keep made it exhausting even though the stone stairs were spiral. Inside the room were three double-deck beds, none of which were comfortable enough to sleep. It might look pleasing at first since there¡¯s a clean cloth covering everything, but underneath it was wheat hays, which made it feel like sleeping in a barn. Lina¡¯s face was completely transparent, her eye twitching as she took a step back the moment she saw the room. Lisa seemed like she didn¡¯t mind, as she walked up to an arched window felt the wind drag her hair. The wind must¡¯ve been refreshing. ¡°Ugh,¡± Lina rolled her eyes to the side. ¡°This is a bit¡­ compared to¡­¡± ¡°This¡¯ll do,¡± Laurence said, his disgusted face disagreeing. ¡°I mean, unlike our Villa¡­¡± Eric sighed. ¡°Don¡¯t complain. So? Where¡¯s Amy?¡± I¡¯m here, a familiar voice said. She seemed dejected, but relieved somehow. Sorry about earlier, I¡¯ll try to be as brief as possible. ¡°Where have you been?¡± Lisa asked impatiently. Basically, I¡¯m the masked woman who made a deal with the witch hunters, she paused. I thought it would be great if I could somehow help you and provide shelter. But as you all know, rules are rules; I can¡¯t help you directly even if I wanted to. Her voice livened up as she continued. But promise, I''ll tell you everything I know once you sleep. You''ll automatically log-out and your body will be replaced by a self-defense AI, to avoid getting raped or assaulted, of course. Aaron couldn''t help but feel the same way as Lisa. He also wanted to know how everyone felt and hear their first impressions after entering the game. In the end, Amy didn''t answer their questions afterward, only reassured them that everything will be fine. Eric, naturally, repeatedly tapped his foot and bit his nails out of boiling annoyance, but he knew that he had to wait too. Half an hour had passed and things calmed down. Lina was the first one to sleep as her body left an afterglow. Laurence and Lisa then came next, leaving only Eric and Aaron. ¡°Can¡¯t sleep?¡± Aaron asked Eric right above him. They were in a double-deck after all. ¡°Check your stats before we leave. Might find something useful so we can ask her about its details tomorrow.¡± If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. Everything was planned as always. Aaron nodded, checking his Status Tab. Strange, a white transparent screen popping out of nowhere could suddenly change the atmosphere. Everything that happened till now might be a game, but it was realistic. Too realistic that he can feel leg cramps and aching muscles. If the LINK Company¡¯s aim was to limit the realism to reduce the pain, then they still have a long way to go. The status tab demonstrated Aaron''s stature in a 3d hologram while pointing out where his muscles ache and strands were ripped apart. He checked his skills and was given a even though he wasn''t using a sword at all. An axe might count as a weapon, but it wasn¡¯t something that can be considered a sword as well. Maybe it was because of how he swings it? Thinking about it, Aaron had been swinging his axe like a sword. That theory aside, he checked his current health. Right beside his avatar was a red health bar and stamina bar, as well as buff and debuff effects and various other effect, lists too. It had gone from something as simple as to . His level on the other hand, was nothing special. It was at level 01 with 52 out of 200 exp. before leveling up, but thinking about it from a game developer¡¯s perspective, then the exp. or experience literally meant experience, as in a number of times he had battle encounters or even conversations, then it would mean that real life hobbies might apply in-game. Theorizing the level system, it could only mean that if a master swordsman were to dive into the game, then he would naturally be level 01. But if he continues to prove his skill, then the level difference would be vast since he had gotten used to using a sword in real life. Overall, there were no problems, but he had theories Amy might able to prove right or wrong. Whether his strength, agility, intelligence and other stats are based on real life interactions. After all, there was nothing that said he could upgrade his stats and even if it was possible, it would break the system. Even imagining a guy that increased his intelligence to the max would be downright easier than it should be. Aaron shut his eyes while thinking more about the level experience and abilities. In the first minutes, his headache and he could feel it, so he changed it to something more positive instead. Being a witch hunter, living a life different than the real world and even meeting new people. If this game were to go online, he might even meet a woman and get married, eventually living a normal life. It didn''t take long before a blinding light struck Aaron''s body like lightning, making him gasp for breath the moment he opened his eyes. His body was all wet as if being underwater for too long. It was dark and all he could hear was water splashing and feel his body wearing a tight suit. The water was decreasing and sparks that electrified his body was dissipating. After breathing several times, the capsule lid unfolded by itself, blinding Aaron once again. He shielded the light with his hand, and realized that after a short while, a ceiling emerged. It was always there ¨C white, bright and full of lights that couldn¡¯t make a man sleep even if they were to shut off the lights. Aaron slowly got off from the capsule and a girl, wearing something like a nurse clothes, helped him get up. She casually aided him to a seat on the wheelchair. He doesn''t feel the need for it, but he felt his leg cramp. He felt his muscles ache and strands of it ripped itself apart. ¡°Please don¡¯t move too much.¡± said the nurse, wearing a pure white uniform and a hat with LINK¡¯s logo engraved on it. She had a ponytail and polite steps as her fragile body carefully helped Aaron sit on the wheelchair. ¡°Why do I¡­¡± Aaron stopped. His voice was ragged; his throat was dry. ¡°It was a side effect from using the capsule,¡± she said calmly. ¡°It was also the reason why it couldn¡¯t be made public because of too many conflicts between codes and interactions with the brain.¡± ¡°That makes¡­ sense,¡± Aaron tried to find the words. ¡°If I can¡¯t tell reality from illusion¡­ then it would only be natural to feel¡­ this way, right?¡± Her smile widened even more. ¡°Exactly, since the brain was tricked into thinking that the virtual world is real, the pain too, was transmitted. I heard that this capsule lessens reality and gathers intel, but to think it would be this drastic after only a couple of hours¡­¡± ¡°Then I guess we still¡­ have a long way to go.¡± The nurse chuckled. ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right.¡± Chapter 04 - Part 1 [V.2.0] Nurses. In white uniforms. Everywhere. Not all were women, about half of them do. But they did treat the Beta Testers like kings. Everyone remained silent. Aaron did too, since his attention was too busy to the nurse shocking his legs (literally) with some kind of device while he was only wearing a robe. Not exactly the right time for his libido to rise up, especially when the team was right beside him just over the curtain. Aaron talked to Eric, then to the rest. Lisa seemed too frozen to go back and wanted to resign. But she knew there was no going back. Lina tried to calm her down, soothe her and all that, while these three guys were all calm, fine and dandy and their attention elsewhere. Except for Eric though. That guy was cool, he had to admit. ¡°Where¡¯s Amy?¡± Aaron asked, pretending to act normal when the nurse shifted a damped cloth to his thigh. ¡°Don¡¯t know. Might wait for us next door. You guys find anything interesting?¡± The whole team heard his loud voice and Lisa was the one to answer first. Quite shocked at that. Literally and metaphorically. ¡°Last thing I saw was a huge corpse. Next ¨C I woke up in some kind of castle. But the pain and I don¡¯t wanna go through that again. I¡¯ll ask Amy if I can leave.¡± Aaron could¡¯ve said, but you can¡¯t, can you? It¡¯s part of the contract. But part of him wanted to just stay quiet and let the situation unfold for itself. The guy beside him seemed unsatisfied by the answer though. Eric snorted, and he could already feel that useless atmosphere floating above Lisa. Before, she was lively, quite arrogant at that. Now scared shitless. The corpse popping out might be the most favorable situation out of them all. Feed out the weak and bring in the strong. Laurence was the first one to get up but needed help. A few minutes later, Lina and Eric did too. They wanted to leave now, it seemed. Or is it the other way around? Lisa quickly dashed behind Lina, her head sunk down, clutching ahold of her shirt. Finally, Aaron followed behind. Well, how about that? They did arrive next room. Amy was there, sitting at the desk shuffling through her laptop. She stopped when the glass door slid open, though. Even the wall was made of glass. The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. The atmosphere was alive and well. Lovely enough for Amy to receive a good glare from the rest of the team ¨C if she was an M that is. Lisa was the first one to speak. ¡°I want to resign.¡± ¡°No.¡± That was quick. Lisa definitely tried to be intimidating, but none of it passed Amy. She was like a different person back when she was helping us die. How did they know she was Amy? Her nameplate was lying on her desk, of course. Amy looked like the happy-go-lucky type of girl. But no, she was mature but her stature was small so was her voice. Which was quite cute if you only listen to her without looking straight into her eyes that strikes authority. Turning her head to the side, Amy took a good look at Laurence. ¡°You alright my baby boy?¡± ¡°Yes, aunt.¡± Now she was his Aunt. What a surprise. So, a boss was the one helping us? And a relative of the company at that. ¡°You¡¯ll go back in two hours,¡± said Amy. ¡°Until then, ask anything and everything you want to know.¡± First, Eric stepped in. He asked why she didn¡¯t tell them everything at the beginning but she only shrugged. There was no more response after that, so they tried another question. About being the masked woman who helped them though, she answered everything honestly. Might be lying through her teeth, but he still needed reassurance. He was paid to do his job, not ask questions. At least not until his life was on the line. Few minutes had passed and now Lina was trying to calm Lisa at a corner. Eric seemed to be in deep thought and Laurence was the same. He didn¡¯t know what to do now. Go back in the game and try his best not to die? What an amazing advice. She said it was required for them to survive as much as possible in the other world, but couldn¡¯t she at least¡­ no, take that back. She reminded Aaron how interfering was against the rules, that she only took a detour to avoid the cops and possibly, execution from breaking the contract. Not literally execution, but more like killing her future, which was the same, after all? Aaron didn''t contest anymore and neither did the others. It turns out they had to play the game as much as possible once the Intel was sufficient enough to be gathered in one place for the company to take control. How was this all possible? The one who made the game wasn''t a human. It was an intelligent being, probably new species, first of its kind. An Artificial Intelligence, not surprisingly. The room was filled with deep thoughts and whatnot, but a shout came from the banging door. It was a man, gasping for breath as he tried to pick up his glasses and put it on. "You need to go back," Everyone doesn''t sound pleased. He looked like a man who wanted to save his son from getting run over by a car. ¡°Now.¡± Chapter 04 - Part 2 Aaron gasped and wheezed as soon as he opened his eyes. Weird, the double-deck was supposed to be the first one he spotted. Not standing; his were eyes tired and his arms in a defensive stance. Everyone was the same. Each his teammates, emotionless, their eyes dyed silver. In his sight were three men in leather armor, backing down like they just saw something they shouldn¡¯t have. Aaron heard a groan. He looked back and forth to wherever it might be, then he saw a guy on the ground hanging to his crotch, half naked. There was also a sword next to him ¨C sharp and nice. Aaron stepped over the man swiftly and seized the sword. His mind was storming with questions, but he also felt a tinge of numbness when he read the situation. Everyone in the room was stuck to the ground, unmoving. It was only then when the team woke up, standing in a weird, defensive pose. Definitely not a good way to wake up. ¡°Morning,¡± said Aaron as he kicked the man¡¯s crotch again. And again. And again. No rules here, so look away if you want. He looked at Lina then Lisa. ¡°Someone wanted to rape you two. I guess the defensive countermeasures worked, huh?¡± Eric took a step forward. ¡°What¡¯s the situation?¡± The three men, unarmed, had their widened expressions calmed down. Then it turned to a smirk. ¡°We were surprised. We¡¯re just gonna have a little bit of fun with your cute friends when that,¡± he looked at his companion. His smile was gone. ¡°Happened.¡± Aaron stood still for a second. ¡°How about we do this? Drop your weapons and kick them to us. You leave. We stay. No one says a thing.¡± The man snorted. ¡°If you want the other way around that¡¯s fine. We¡¯ll tell bad words to your mama, and what I mean by bad words are¡­ bad. Words? Probably enough to get you kicked out of this place.¡± ¡°And what would that be?¡± The man didn¡¯t back down. Damn, if only he can bluff more. Out of cards, game over. Next thing was to jump over the window or dash past them. Fighting a bunch of Witch Hunters weren¡¯t in his favor. But the hero came in. And it was Eric. As always. ¡°Miss Venna won¡¯t take things too lightly when she hears her gold clacking away from her hands. The masked man ¨C or woman, won¡¯t take it kindly either. I¡¯ll see your heads in a spike soon enough to tell the others what they should and shouldn¡¯t do.¡± The men faltered back. Or at least, that''s what Aaron thought he saw. The man who was kicked in the crotch slowly got up without looking back at the team. "Fuck it," he said. "Fucking whores, I''ll make sure to rape you women and have my horse take my place." Lina and Lisa stepped back with a glare. The men, on the other hand, kicked the swords away. Enough for the girls to hold it firmly in their hands, swords raised. No one had gotten a good night¡¯s sleep. Well, if you ignored Eric¡¯s snoring then you¡¯ll get a deep, anxious silence. Aaron didn¡¯t know what he could do, but he tried to help anyways. ¡°How about this? We stay a couple of weeks, learn the basics and leave. On our own.¡± ¡°You seriously think we can?¡± Lina clicked her tongue. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. ¡°If you want to go get raped, you can stay here. We¡¯ve no choice but to face these kinds of threats in the future regardless of where we are. Better be prepared than run with your tails between your legs.¡± ¡°Hmm,¡± that reply irked something inside Lina. It was more like a sarcasm than a thought. ¡°You sound different before playing the game.¡± Aaron didn¡¯t even have to think to come up with an answer. ¡°That¡¯s because our lives are on the line. And without all of you, I¡¯ll have less chance of survival. Same goes for the rest of us.¡± ¡°True,¡± Laurence joined in. ¡°I¡¯ll speak with Venna tomorrow. Maybe she could help us how to survive.¡± A quarter of a day had gone by with everyone sleeping. Well, not everyone. Laurence suggested they switch posts until daylight. Thankfully, nothing happened and they strolled up to the keep or castle or whatever it was fine and dandy. Just ignore a few stares and glares and you¡¯re all good. "Have a seat," said Venna with a smile. Everyone nodded. They had a few bits of chatter Aaron chose to listen, and when the topic about attempted rape came out, her jaw loosed. At first, it was just a surprise, but then she dropped the wooden spoon to the ground and stomped outside. "Come with me." Of course, everyone followed, clueless. Aaron walked with the group, saw Venna climbed the stone stairs with a few guards whispering in her ear and stopped atop the middle of the gate. With a flick of her finger, two guards dashed away and from what it looked like, they stared down. Hard, pale, weak. With a few shouts of ¡®get out¡¯ and ¡®slow fucktards¡¯ every man was dragged outside. Naked or not, there were no excuses. Everyone was gathered outside. And by everyone, even the bards and merchants, probably a few outsiders looking at the red-dressed woman atop the wall. ¡°I won¡¯t go into these bloody introductions and get on with it,¡± she looked like a ticking time bomb. ¡°Who were the scums who snuck into my guests last night?¡± Aaron chuckled silently. Visitors were meant inside the keep with good sleep required ¨C technically. They stayed in a tower connected to the keep, but the place could hardly be called a room at all. The crowd turned to each other with a few chatters here and there. One of the armed men stood out from the rest. "It was Robero, my lady!" He kicked the guy backwards it made him drop to his face. ¡°You bastard,¡± The man tried to get up, but no one tried to help. ¡°My lady,¡± his voice wheezed and plead, arms clasped. ¡°I wasn¡¯t the only one, we was five!¡± (note: dialect. Intentional.) There were a few who stepped back, but it didn''t pass a minute for five of them to be surrounded by guards less-equipped, but more weapons on hand. Crossbows, matching swords, light armor but mostly leather and chainmail. Black shade and silver chainmail. They all looked veterans. It would be better to call them real Witch Hunters than the rest of the crowd. ¡°Are they the one?¡± The team nodded. Five of them were being pushed towards Venna. The men were teary-eyed, teeth gritted and widened eyes locked on Aaron. No, it was Eric, behind him. ¡°You little fucker! We made a deal!¡± He didn¡¯t answer. None of us did. The man made an even more ruse ¨C It was the one who attempted to rape Lina or Lisa and the one who got his crotch bullied. There was a few suspicion too, plus a quiet whisper even Aaron can hear. Congratulations, that was how you make a star for yourself. It all turned quiet when Venna mentioned something about breaking the code and attacking another mate¡¯s contract though, which made a few snorts and rocks thrown at the men. ¡°You bastards lot!¡± ¡°And you call yourself Witch Hunters?!¡± As if you look like one, Aaron snickered. The thing was, the men were being tied to a rope already. They were forced to step at the iron railings, too. Aaron took a step back. And by back, he meant at the far corner. Lina followed beside him. ¡°Are they going to hang him?¡± She said, her eyes had a glint of pity. ¡°Do you know what would happen if they live? We¡¯d have swords pointed at us every day with or without them. Eric made the right choice, and so did we.¡± They were NPCs. Add history and memory. Add sugar spice and everything nice; they were still ¨C in the end ¨C human experiments. Men hanged with no last words ¨C squirmed about. Roars cheered. Lisa threw up at a corner and Laurence ran for water. Eric, on the other hand, stayed at the front. Now if this didn¡¯t get them diplomatic protection, then Aaron thought nothing would. Except swords, weapons, or probably Venna herself. And then something caught Aaron¡¯s eyes, in which he squinted. His eyes weren¡¯t telling him lies. Not now, at least. A chill ran down his spine. Eric was grinning. And it wasn¡¯t very pleasant to look at. Chapter 05 - Part 1 Everyone got back to their room that day. Lisa didn¡¯t say a word and Lina consoled her as usual. Laurence was in deep thought and so was Aaron. Eric was peering out the window though, not his usual plan-things-out-now attitude. ¡°You alright, Lisa?¡± Aaron asked genuinely. ¡°Of course, I¡¯m not alright!¡± Aaron just noticed it now, but she didn¡¯t wear any glasses. She continued. ¡°Aren¡¯t you upset? Fuck it. I didn¡¯t expect it to be like this. It¡¯s too real.¡± Aaron didn¡¯t see a man getting his head cut off and stuck into a spike, so no, there was no gore. Nothing to feel about but a bit of bitterness in his tongue. He barely knew them, in fact, he despised people like them. Eat, drink, shit, fuck, sleep, rinse and repeat. He was the same too, without the fucking and raping. The silence went on for half an hour and a man clad in light armor banged the door open. He was a veteran like one of those Aaron saw back outside. He looked someone who just killed countless monsters and all it took was three slashes on his face and an intimidating tiger¡¯s eye (literally). ¡°Pick up your swords and meet me outside.¡± He left. The veteran was standing in a small space alone. There were several tables but and people drinking and a couple veterans with other guards waiting. This is bad. He still had social anxiety no matter how he coats it. And now with other people watching, getting laughed at was the worst thing to happen. The first one to go was Eric. No, to be more accurate, he was the first one to strike the veteran behind. Two swords clashed one after another. A surprise attack can¡¯t call the instructor? After a dozen seconds, the veteran found an opening and punched Eric in his solar plexus. Fast and easy. No one laughed, surprisingly. A few snickers here and there, but harmless. Even one of the veterans said Get up which wasn¡¯t that motivating. At least for Aaron, it wasn¡¯t. ¡°You know how to hold a sword, I didn¡¯t expect that. But your stance is laughable; your strikes are too weak. You know how to be aggressive but you have too many openings,¡± he crouched to see Eric squirmed and held onto his stomach. ¡°Stand up. And fight.¡± The two had gone on for an hour. It was hell. Eric¡¯s face got smashed left and right; his feet wobbled and his sword gone. No one mind. And the team didn¡¯t talk either. Aaron looked back and saw Lina and Lisa gone. He walked closer to the castle though and their he saw Venna teaching them how to use a bow. Useful. Now time to leave. ¡°You there!¡± Not good. Did the veteran just call him out? Aaron turned to the voice. Damn, he did. It didn¡¯t take long for Aaron to go down on a limp. Just thirty minutes and he couldn''t even take a step up. A tooth was gone and his finger was bent the wrong way. The veteran fixed it for him though. He cursed. This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. ¡°Much worse than the first one. You can¡¯t hold the sword right, can¡¯t even stand up straight for five minutes and how the hell did you drop to the ground that fast?¡± Bar, their instructor, scurried him off, which he was glad for. Two men dragged him back to his room and everything was vague after that. Last thing he saw? Laurence stepping in with a lion in his eyes. Must be an imagination. He was beat-up tired, after all. They trained, no, beat-up for next few days. Aaron got the hold of the basics while Laurence and Eric were a step further. He was even seeing Lina and Lisa less. Sometimes they go out and come back with bruises, most of the time fainted. He couldn¡¯t even imagine just how brutal Venna¡¯s teaching was. The veteran that beat him up wasn¡¯t the kind of guy who was hard to get along, which was surprising. He didn¡¯t smile that much, but a grin would come out every time Aaron comes back up. He acted more like a father than a teacher, too. It was a different lesson when it comes to Laurence, though. He was clashing swords over and over but fell on his tenth minute. Aaron can¡¯t even last a minute without dying. ¡°That was fucking exhausting,¡± Aaron growled. Everyone was on the bed as usual. He turned to Lina. For some reason, talking to Lisa wouldn¡¯t be a wise choice. ¡°What happened out there?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t even ask,¡± she muttered. ¡°Don¡¯t talk about it. Don¡¯t ask about it.¡± ¡°She,¡± Lisa spoke. ¡°She left us alone in the swamps for two days straight. Said we need to survive in the woods. Alone. Build a fire out of a fucking water.¡± ¡°Did you?¡± Lina interrupted. ¡°Don¡¯t ask about it.¡± ¡°Fine. Wanna go out for a drink?¡± Laurence sat up. ¡°I¡¯ll go. What about you guys?¡± Everyone snarled except Eric who was snoring. "Let''s go, Laurence." The tavern was lively as always. People were loud and bustling while the floors were stomped on and bard played the violin as best as he can. Sadly, his fingers were bleeding. Keep it up! Aaron and Eric sat at a corner, behind the window and the stairs leading upstairs. They ordered two rums but the owner gave them four and charged more than they ordered. What a fucking cheat. But Venna did gave them a pouch of silvers for these kinds of situations. Weapons were handled by her so other than drinking yourself to death, nothing else mattered. Behind these walls, at least. Laurence gulped his third. ¡°Nothing beats a light beer!¡± ¡°You say light but others are already drunk.¡± ¡°Not as strong as alcohol though. Shame,¡± he glanced behind. ¡°Do you want to know what¡¯s upstairs?¡± ¡°What?¡± He leaned closer and whispered, ¡°It¡¯s a brothel. Just pay in a couple of silvers and your stress is gone.¡± His ears twitched. Does having sex in-game can even be considered losing your virginity? He didn¡¯t think so. In fact, the company might be monitoring them right now. ¡°Go ahead. I won¡¯t stop you.¡± ¡°No, having sex with a prosti is different. Personal experience.¡± Sixth. It was Laurence¡¯s sixth rum. He was drunk. Give him a few minutes and he¡¯ll pass out. Aaron got up from his chair. ¡°Come on, get up. Let¡¯s go home.¡± ¡°You fucker!¡± He stammered left and right. ¡°You just drank your tenth share! How are you not drunk yet?¡± This is a pain. He tried to drag Laurence outdoors but a man stopped them, smirking. ¡°How about you leave your purse and I¡¯ll let you go?¡± He doesn¡¯t seem to be around here. In fact, he wasn¡¯t even a Witch Hunter. But he was huge. Probably two necks taller than him. Aaron looked back to see a few Witch Hunters they know grab hold of the hilt of their swords. Some turned quiet too, even their instructor ¨C Bar. Not strange at all. Laurence was well respected. Laurence pushed Aaron behind and faced the man by the door. Everyone¡¯s attention was on the drunk man and ogre-man. ¡°Don¡¯t get in my way!¡± Laurence took out his dick and pissed at the huge guy. Oh my fucking god. I feel sorry for Ogre-man. Chapter 05 - Part 2 Pissing at someone was the worst thing you could ever possibly do. Especially when that guy was Ogre-man, a 7-foot-tall musclehead with a bastard sword. ¡°Laurence,¡± Aaron stepped away. ¡°What the fuck dude?¡± ¡°Mm?¡± He was drunk. There was a moment of silence around the tavern. It was like a cold chill just passed and nobody could move. They were awestruck, eyes widened in surprise. Then came a hysterical laugh throughout the tavern that could reach the keep. ¡°You¡¯ve done it lass!¡± ¡°Give him a whore!¡± ¡°Hey, your wife¡¯s calling for you.¡± ¡°Drunken bastard¡¯s braver than me!¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°She¡¯s mad. Like really mad.¡± ¡°Fuck.¡± Observe the drunken bastard in action, taking out his sword as he reached his arms wide and turned around to the crowd. There were a lot of cheers and laughs, but it all fell silent when Ogre-man took out his bastard sword and held it in one hand. ¡°You¡¯re gonna regret this.¡± Sorry Ogre-man, but Laurence won''t, not this time at least. Dozens of witch hunters stood up, their swords are drawn along with their piercing glares locked on Ogre-man. Laurence looked back to Ogre-man, stumbling. ¡°I am?¡± He just made the situation worse. Ogre-man swung his sword. Laurence dodged, but by hair-breadth. It destroyed the floor causing it to erect up. One hit from that sword and Aaron could already imagine him being sliced into two. The owner roared. ¡°Look at what you¡¯ve done!¡± ¡°Oh look,¡± said Laurence. ¡°He¡¯s mad. What¡¯re you gonna do now, baldy?¡± The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. Ogre-man growled. He dashed and attacked once again. Left and right didn''t matter, he''s destroying the property. Five seconds was long, but it took Laurence ten seconds to fall back to the door. Though unscathed, he was gasping. None of the witch hunters helped, they must¡¯ve known Laurence could handle it. But he stumbled back. Ogre-man smirked. He raised his sword and struck down. Something gruesome happened. Laurence sat down, bewildered. Ogre-man was struck on his knee by a sword thrown by a witch hunter. He fell on his knee. Then another sword came through flying. It struck through his heart. Ogre-man coughed blood all over Laurence. This time, Aaron walked closer with a sword in his hands. If he had to kill someone, better doing it early and get used to it. He slashed horizontally. Ogre-man¡¯s head came rolling down and his headless neck squirted blood. Aaron walked closer and seized the pouch from the man, his eyes rolled away. If he were to look at it now, it would be a disgrace since he might puke. He checked the pouch and threw it onto the owner. It was full of silvers. ¡°Is that enough?¡± The owner grinned. ¡°More than enough, Aaron. More than enough.¡± Loud cheers roared and a few witch hunters looted the dead body. Aaron dragged Laurence by his feet and threw him back to his bed. The others were sleeping loudly, but Lina jolted at the sound. ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°Nothing,¡± said Aaron. He tried to forget what happened but running away from it was no good. He had to swallow it. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you log-out yet?¡± She sighed. ¡°I don¡¯t know, just¡ª¡° ¡°Are you scared it might happen again?¡± She glared back. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m fucking scared, so what?¡± He raised his hands. ¡°Chill, no need to get mad.¡± ¡°Fine,¡± she sighed. ¡°How long have you been at the tavern?¡± ¡°Couple of hours. Laurence got drank and we got into a fight.¡± She sniffed, her face crumpled. ¡°Ugh, you reek of blood.¡± Aaron jumped back to his bed. ¡°Nothing I can do about it.¡± Morning came fast and Laurence got up with a hangover. No one helped him though, not even Aaron. He had enough taking care of a drunk man and doesn¡¯t want to experience it again. With a plan of getting beaten up again by his instructor, Aaron steeled himself. It wasn¡¯t a pleasant experience, but surviving every day like this before going out makes it worth it. Nothing was better than being paid to stay alive. Unluckily, in his case, getting himself beaten up can be the future result of his death. Aaron could already imagine the newspaper headlines: Aaron Roosevelt ¨C Beaten to death by no one. However, it won¡¯t happen this time. The gates opened and men clad in shining armor and white horses charged inside. They were like knights, with a flag of a headless dragon. One man stood out. On his waist were two swords. Just imagine him using both swords at the same time. Hope it¡¯s not all flashy display. ¡°I demand to see Venna of Berean Keep.¡± The voice was grumpy and impatient. ¡°Do you seek something lord Durris?¡± Venna came out with a leather armor this time. Behind her were Lina and Lisa with the same outfit as her. ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure meeting you, my lady. However, introductions must come for later. Seize her!¡± More men came from behind. Aaron glanced outside as he hurried upstairs and saw more than a thousand soldiers in strict formation. This is bad. They had to log-out, doing so required him to sleep. What a fucking useless ability. He could already sense danger approaching. And he was right. It happened in less than a second. Venna drew her bow and two arrows from her quiver, nocking them and piercing two men through their eye sockets before they could react. Announcement: Read this first! I''m going to be blunt. I''ll PAUSE here. Wait! Wait! Wait! Doesn''t mean I''ll stop, but sure I''ll admit, I''ve lost interest. Lower your weapons, I''m not finish yet. Writing this, I learned several things, including NOT taking inspirations from other works. I wrote this because I was inspired by the Witcher series. If you don''t know that, it''s about a Witcher who dispels curses. Different from Witch Hunters, but more or less the same. Sellsword, if you know what I mean. Next thing is, I won''t stop here. The next time I continue this would be the time I rewrite it whole, but the plot and characters stay the same. I didn''t receive that much of a good rating but it''s fine. People learn from mistakes. Some overcome them by writing and making more mistakes, while most give up.The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. I''m on the latter. But not quite. I''ll still write and practice, but won''t upload them. Not yet at least. When I''m confident I could reach around top 100, I''ll upload them. (But hey, at least I''m honest) "I''m sorry I tortured your daughter and made my dogs eat her. Please forgive me." Fuck no. But still... *sighs. This isn''t popular to begin with so I guess you lot won''t mind. *sighing intensifies. Thanks for reading and once again, I APOLOGIZE.