《The Legendary Bard》


 Chapter 1: Welcome to Ethaessa

    Tick¡­Tock¡­Tick¡­Tock¡­


    I stared desperately at the clock, waiting for it to hit 2:15. A few more seconds¡­just a few more seconds and we were free. The teacher, Mr. Sanders, was prattling on about the importance of getting summer homework done early and not saving it for the very last day.  I couldn¡¯t care less about the summer assignments, because all I could think about was the release of the new virtual reality game called ¡®Ethaessa¡¯. The previous attempts at creating virtual reality games had all ended in failure or subpar realism. But somehow the scientists and programmers at Rhalith Industries had made the final breakthrough in order to reach the pinnacle of realism, 99%...an almost perfect second reality. Of course the remaining 1% had something to do with limiting the pain censors and a few other minute details.


    Tick¡­Tock¡­Tick¡­*Ring*


    I was immediately pulled out of my thoughts when I heard that fateful ring and I couldn¡¯t help but call out, ¡°FREEDOMMM!¡± My classmates looked at me as if they were embarrassed to be in the same room with me. ¡°God damnit¡­no wonder they named you Giddy. Your way too excited.¡± My best friend Nate hushed me and tried to get me to calm down. ¡°Its Gideon.¡± I stared at him coldly. ¡°Anyway, you can¡¯t tell me you aren¡¯t just as excited.¡± I opened the backpack next to my desk and slid all my books into it. We walked side by side as we made our way to the exit of the classroom. ¡°True. But at least I can keep it in my pants.¡± He commented as we entered the hallway and made our way to the stairs. ¡°I don¡¯t really think that applies to this¡­¡±


    I lost my train of thought when I saw the most beautiful girl in school¡­well I thought she was¡­walk up the staircase that we were currently going down. ¡°H¡­uh¡­Hi.¡± I managed to squeak out the words as she passed, but she didn¡¯t seem to hear him and continued on. Nate elbowed me in the shoulder to pull me out of my delusional state of mind. ¡°The only time you get all shy and passive is when she walks by. Man up, tigre or she¡¯s gonna be taken by someone else.¡± We left the school after a few minutes and I finally recovered from comatose state. ¡°Yeah but she¡¯s¡­Guinevere Hastings. Tall, blonde, and curvy. Plus she has that one blue eye and that one green eye. I don¡¯t know why, but that is a major turn on.¡± Gideon spoke about her with a mixture or reverence and perversion. Nate immediately started to snap his fingers in my face. ¡°Wake up, kid. In the real world we call her Gwen and she¡¯s my cousin. I can talk you up around her, but I ain¡¯t confessing for you. Anyway, we gonna meet up in game?¡±


    We reached the street where we had to go different ways. We grew up in the same neighborhood, but he lived in a large mansion on the cul-de-sac at the end of the street, while I lived with my mom in the apartment complex farther down in the opposite direction. ¡°Yeah..yeah. Send me a message when you get online. We can plan it after we make our characters.¡± I waved my hand before I took off down the street towards the small sky rise apartment building to the south. Nathaniel Hastings a.k.a Nate had been my best friend since primary school. Before I became the outgoing embarrassing kid I am today I was an introverted little kid and I got bullied a lot. To make a long story short¡­the little bugger swooped in to help me out one of the times and from that point on I started to open up more and more.


    Getting lost in my thoughts I was back home in a flash, opening the front door to my mother¡¯s apartment. ¡°Oh Giddy your home. Your shiny metal casket came today.¡± I rolled my eyes at the way she called my new gaming pod. ¡°Do you want something to eat or are you gonna go play your little game first.¡± His mother, Lillian Delarue, had a way of emasculating anything with a single sentence. Don¡¯t get me wrong¡­I love my mom¡­I just wish my dad was still around or I had a sister or something so she could not treat me like her daughter. ¡°I¡¯m fine mom. I¡¯ll just a protein bar or something. I want to start playing the game with Nate.¡± Whenever I mentioned my friends name she seemed to accept my decision¡­like it was a guy only thing. I grabbed something to eat off of the counter and entered my bedroom were my pod was located.


    I enter and closed the pod. I heard the sound of rushing air, almost as if the pod was sealed off from the outside world. I was surrounded by nothing but blackness. It was like I was staring into an endless abyss. A blue screen popped up in my face, which caused me to jerk my head back and smack it into the cushion behind me. ¡°Oww¡­¡± I rubbed my head and looked at the screen.


    <table><tbody><tr><td>Scanning¡­</td></tr></tbody></table>


    <table><tbody><tr><td>A new user has been registered.</td></tr></tbody></table>


    <table><tbody><tr><td>Welcome to Ethaessa.</td></tr></tbody></table>


    I looked up at the blue boxes and clicked the ¡®Okay¡¯ button after it finished scanning and then it launched the game. The scenery around me changed and suddenly I was floating in the air high above the ground below. I could see the new world I was going to explore and the many different continents and islands. ¡°Hello, Traveler.¡± A sweet angelic voice poured into my head like she speaking to me telepathically. ¡°I am here to guide you through the creation of your new body. Take your time and ask as many questions as you want. You only get one body on Ethaessa.¡± The woman continued to speak and suddenly another blue box popped up in front of him.


    <table><tbody><tr><td>Please select your race from the thirty-five currently available races.</td></tr></tbody></table>


    Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    A long list of names of races appeared below the box. I was able to recognize a few of them. Elves, Humans, Dwarves, Beastkin, Draconians, Orcs and the like. But their were a few names I couldn¡¯t recognize at all¡­Qilin, Kobolds, Nasfari and a few others. It was a tough choice. None of the past RPG¡¯s I played had such a large race selection. I knew I wanted to have a race that was capable of using mana or magic extremely well. ¡°Hey angelic voice, which races are the best at using magic.¡± I could almost swear I heard giggling, but it was so feint I almost thought I misheard. ¡°The races with the highest magic ability are the Elves, the Fae, the Gnomes, and the Cherubs. Though the Draconians are nothing to scoff at either.¡± Small blue boxes came up with information about the races and pictures of them.


    <table><tbody><tr><td>Elves: The Elven race has the fourth highest magic potential in Ethaessa. They are also known as Treekeepers. They are the protectors of the many forests across the continents and produce some of the greatest archers on the continent, because of their ability to meld magic with physical combat. Elven Special Class: Magic Archer.</td></tr></tbody></table>


    <table><tbody><tr><td>Fae/Fairy: The Fairy race has the second highest magic potential in Ethaessa. They live in secluded towns formed out of the roots of large trees in the deepest parts of the forest. They specialize in communing with nature and the moon. They have the highest understanding of mana and how it works. Fairy Special Class: Moon Dancer.</td></tr></tbody></table>


    <table><tbody><tr><td>Gnomes: The Gnome race has the third highest magic potential in Ethaessa. They live in harmony with the humans and the dwarfs in the various cities on the Ibigord continent. They specialize in the melding of magic and machines and are responsible for much of the newly created technology on Ethaessa. Gnome Special Class: Inventor.</td></tr></tbody></table>


    <table><tbody><tr><td>Cherubs: The Cherub race has the highest magic potential in Ethaessa. They are said to have been descendants of the Angelic race and they live in the ruins of Nulia, next to the city of Veratha. They specialize in using voice and sensory/illusion magic. Cherub Special Class: Diviner.</td></tr></tbody></table>


    I studied and read through each of the class descriptions and it seemed like every race had a specialized class that could only be used by that race. The races special class typically incorporated all the benefits of the race. Other than this small restriction you were allowed to choose any other class the game offered. I was very interested in the way the Elven race looked, but the benefits of the Cherub race seemed far more interesting. I had always been a fan of using my voice. In the end I had to go with my gut. ¡°I would like to choose the Cherub race.¡± As soon as I spoke the words the only thing that was left in front of me was a taller pointy-eared cherub and small winged cherub. ¡°Ethaessa has two different Cherubs forms to choose from. The taller one looks more elvish in design from interbreeding and the smaller one with the wings is a pureblooded cherub. They both have the same magical talents, but one has greater potential for physical combat, while the other can fly.¡± The sweet angelic voice explained.


    ¡°I want the taller one.¡± I replied automatically. I didn¡¯t want to play a small avatar; it was the reason why I didn¡¯t choose the gnome race even though they had such a profitable magic. The taller Cherub started to change and morph into my shape. It took my same straight black hair and blue eyes along with my relatively skinny build. The Cherubs height capped out at 5¡¯8¡±¡­so I was going to be a bit shorter in game than I was in real life. ¡°Can you add a little bit of muscle¡­oh and make my eyes bright purple and my black hair a little bit longer. Also the gem on my head I would like it to match my eyes.¡± The Cherubs had a gem located in the center of their foreheads. It was apparently a highly coveted item, because of its ability to absorb and store mana. It was also why the Cherub race was all but extinct. As soon as my avatar was finished a message popped up in front of my head.


    <table><tbody><tr><td>Please choose a name for your avatar.</td></tr></tbody></table>


    I had to think about it for a little while. I did like my own name, but I didn¡¯t know if I wanted to use it online. ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­how about Kai.¡± I said after a while.


    <table><tbody><tr><td>The name ¡®I don¡¯t know¡­how about Kai¡¯ is too long, please choose another.</td></tr></tbody></table>


    I sighed mentally and heard a feint soft giggling out of nowhere. ¡°Kai.¡± I emphasize the word as I roll my eyes.


    <table><tbody><tr><td>The name ¡®Kai¡¯ has been accepted. Please choose¡­never mind you only have one starting location.</td></tr></tbody></table>


    <table><tbody><tr><td>Teleportation: Active. Ruins of Nulia. Selected.</td></tr></tbody></table>

 Chapter 2: The Ruins of Nulia

    <table><tbody><tr><td>Teleportation: Active. Ruins of Nulia. Selected.</td></tr></tbody></table>


    Those were the last words I saw before I was blinded by a bright white light. It was like I was thrust directly into the suns core. I stopped floating and found myself sitting on a hard substance¡­almost like stone. My blotchy vision start to clear and I found myself in the middle of a street. All around me I could see stalls and rushing people. The sky above me was a pure azure blue and it was extraordinarily beautiful. The occasional flying baby, at least that¡¯s how I referred to the winged cherubs, would pass above me and make some sort of grunting noise, because I was blocking the street.


    ¡°You getting up sometime kid¡­I have to get my wares out of the city.¡± A strong gruff voice came from behind me and I was so startled my heart almost jumped out of my chest.


    ¡°Ah sorry¡­sorry.¡± I apologized quickly and got up on my feet and moved out of the way.


    The merchant made some sort of grunting noise in response and continued to pull his cart full of merchandise down the street. I was so excited I almost didn¡¯t notice the blinking blue light in the corner of my vision. I lifted up my hand and clicked on it in order to get more information from it. The moment I touched it the box became bigger and I read the most disturbing sentence I would ever read in my life.


    <table><tbody><tr><td>Trolls4lyfe would like to initiate voice chat with you</td></tr></tbody></table>


    I put my hand on my mouth and almost started to weep. ¡°No he didn¡¯t¡­seriously.¡± I nodded my head in response, but the system didn¡¯t seem to recognize non voice commands. So I simply replied. ¡°Yes.¡±


    <table><tbody><tr><td>Hey man whats up. So what race did you choose. I bet you can guess mine</td></tr></tbody></table>


    ¡°¡­¡±


    <table><tbody><tr><td>Its not that bad. Come on I¡¯m a troll and its ironically funny.</td></tr></tbody></table>


    ¡°I might have to rethink our friendship.¡± I said, while I was feigning disappointment. ¡°No we can be friends. Lets just have a secret friendship in-game, where we never meet.¡± I spoke sarcastically.


    <table><tbody><tr><td>Whatever Kai¡­have fun on your anime adventure. I¡¯ll be chillin with me trolls yah. Anywho the game has a radar for players who live close to eachother. That¡¯s how I found you so fast.</td></tr></tbody></table>


    I still hadn¡¯t looked through the menu yet or checked any of my stats so that was the first thing I was going to do after I finished talking to Troll¡­no Nate. ¡°That¡¯s cool. Though it says on the radar that were on different continents. I heard the fee for continent-to-continent travel was pretty steep. It looks like we won¡¯t be able to meet for a while.¡±


    <table><tbody><tr><td>It¡¯d be cool man. Its about 100 gold I think. We can set some aside as we quest. For now I¡¯m gonna party with other noobs I met.</td></tr></tbody></table>


    The voice link closed with a swooshing sound effect and I immediately started to investigate a few of the other pop-ups that I had ignored until now. The ones I was most curious about were the ones I got when I first arrived.


    <table><tbody><tr><td>For being the first traveler to choose the Cherub race  +50 Fame</td></tr></tbody></table>


    <table><tbody><tr><td>For being the first traveler to discover the Ruins of Nulia  +20 Fame</td></tr></tbody></table>


    I was excited to see that I got something for doing pretty much nothing. I wondered what fame actually did for my character. I knew that if I used my voice I could access some sort of help menu of some sort. ¡°Fame.¡± I stated out loud. ¡°Activate: Fame.¡± I tried again and again while using the word: Open, proceed, spawn, appear, information¡­but nothing seemed to work.


    ¡°Try saying the word description followed by what you want.¡± An older stall owner that was behind me was laughing while he spoke. ¡°You must be one of them travelers. The prophecy did say you guys would be arrivin¡¯ soon. You might want to try saying ¡®Status¡¯ as well. Gives you a good look at yourself.¡± The older gentlemen snorted again in laughter before he went back to sorting the vegetables in his stall. I nodded my thanks before I walked away from the main street. My face was slightly red from embarrassment and I wanted to be somewhere less crowded in case I did something stupid again. ¡°Description: Fame.¡± I called out and suddenly a blue box popped up.


    <table><tbody><tr><td>Fame: Is one of the most important stats, because it records how you are treated by others or at least how they should be treating you. The higher your fame the more important you will seem. People with high fame are usually recognized adventurers, wealthy merchants, or some sort of nobility. Fame directly effects your relationship with others. Whether they will offer you lower priced goods or trust you with an important task¡­etc</td></tr></tbody></table>


    The magic blue box seemed like it wanted to say more, but certain parts of the fame stat were hidden. Of course I could have just been overthinking things, because of how the AI had acted previously. I didn¡¯t dwell on the subject for to long, because I wanted to find a training area and to take a look at my status before I started to look around. ¡°Status.¡± I mumbled the words before a large box with a significant amount of detail popped up in front of me.


    Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    <table><tbody><tr><td colspan=''4''>Status Window</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Name:</td><td width="25%">Kai</td><td width="25%">Alignment:</td><td width="25%">Nuetral</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Level:</td><td width="25%">1</td><td width="25%">Class:</td><td width="25%">Undecided</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Race:</td><td width="25%">Cherub</td><td width="25%">Gender:</td><td width="25%">Male</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>Titles</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>None</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Fame:</td><td width="25%">70</td><td width="25%">Infamy:</td><td width="25%">1000</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>-</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Health:</td><td width="25%">100 / 100</td><td width="25%">Health Regen:</td><td width="25%">0.5 / Sec</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Mana:</td><td width="25%">150 / 150</td><td width="25%">Mana Regen:</td><td width="25%">1.0 / Sec</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Stamina:</td><td width="25%">50 / 50</td><td width="25%">Stamina Regen:</td><td width="25%">0.5 / Sec</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>-</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Strenght:</td><td width="25%">5</td><td width="25%">Agility:</td><td width="25%">10</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Vitality:</td><td colspan=''3''>10</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Intelligence:</td><td width="25%">15</td><td width="25%">Wisdom:</td><td width="25%">15</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Endurance:</td><td width="25%">5</td><td width="25%">Luck:</td><td width="25%">0</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>-</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Attack:</td><td width="25%">1-2</td><td width="25%">Defense:</td><td width="25%">10</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>Physical Resistances</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Slashing:</td><td width="25%">5</td><td width="25%">Piercing:</td><td width="25%">5</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Crushing:</td><td colspan=''3''>5</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>Elemental Resistances</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Fire:</td><td width="25%">10%</td><td width="25%">Water:</td><td width="25%">10%</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Wind:</td><td width="25%">10%</td><td width="25%">Earth:</td><td width="25%">10%</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Light:</td><td width="25%">10%</td><td width="25%">Darkness:</td><td width="25%">10%</td></tr></tbody></table>


    I studied the chart for a while and realized that my regeneration rates went up by 0.5 for every five stat points I put into Vitality, Wisdow, or Endurance. Or at least that¡¯s what it seemed like and my health, mana, and stamina increased by 50 for every five points as well. The other stats may come into play somehow¡­¡±I¡¯ll have to rest this out later.¡± He mumbled to himself as he closed his status screen.


    ¡°Alright.¡± I exclaimed softly. ¡°Its time to explore.¡± I exited the alley and started to look around this place for real. I needed to get the lay of the land if I was going to be spending so much time here. As I travelled around I started to realize why it was caused the Ruins of Nulia. It wasn¡¯t exactly a wealthy place. The streets were certainly busy and filled with vendors, but the buildings and the architecture were decrepit and falling apart. I managed to ask around and found out that the majority of the people lived here, because they feared if they left they would be killed by poachers and their gemstones would be taken off of their corpses. The ruins were pretty much the only sanctioned place for the Cherubim to live. Cherubim hunting was outlawed by the king of Veratha within the confines of Nulia and its surrounding fields. It was supposedly a token of good faith by the king, but the people here thought of it more like a prison sentence. The majority of the Cherubim that left ended up getting killed and the ones that were strong enough to survive were discriminated against, because of their enormous magic potential. ¡°Its not always good to be unique.¡± I spoke sadly.


    ¡°I need to find a place to train some weapon masteries to make my body stronger and then I can search for a place to pick up magic.¡± I knew from walking around that Nulia had no official training area for physical combat, but if I asked around enough I might be able to find someone.


    ¡°Move your ass kid!¡± I turned around with a frightened expression to see the second most disturbing thing I¡¯d seen today¡­an elderly winged cherub with a great sword.

 Chapter 3: Gorthak the Conqueror

    ¡°Move your ass kid!¡± I turned around with a frightened expression to see the second most disturbing thing I¡¯d seen today¡­an elderly winged cherub with a great sword.


    I couldn¡¯t wrap my mind around what I was seeing in front of me. It looked like a ripped flying toddler. I knew it was one of the winged cherubs, but it had long grey hair and a feng shui mustache.  On its back was the largest great sword I had ever seen¡­somewhere around ten feet long. The blade was four or five times the mans size. ¡°A muscular baby¡­¡±


    ¡°Baby, huh!?¡± The ripped flying toddler had an incredibly angry look on its face. ¡°GOR¡¯THAKKKK.¡± The child began screaming out some word and I wasn¡¯t able to decipher what language it came from.


    ¡°Gor¡¯thak is not a baby¡­you are a baby. Look at your flimsy arms. Gor¡¯thak is a conqueror. A Cherubim that does not know Gor¡¯thaks name is the baby. Stupid baby.¡± The muscular flying child flicked his hand forward and a blue box appeared in front of my face before everything went dark.


    <table><tbody><tr><td>You have been knocked unconscious ¨C 5 Minutes</td></tr></tbody></table>


    I stared at the blackness for a few seconds before finally figuring out what had happened. That child¡­baby thing must have hit me and knocked me out temporarily. ¡°When I wake up¡­I¡¯m gonna.¡± I started to get mad and then realized that I may have provoked him and deserved what I got. I did call him a baby and given his hair color he must have been an older man. The unconscious time clock was slowly ticking down in front of my face, until a new message popped up.


    <table><tbody><tr><td>Awakening from unconscious state ¨C 3¡­2¡­1¡­</td></tr></tbody></table>


    I opened my eyes only to have to close them again. It took me a few moments to get used to the bright light of the sun glaring down on me. ¡°Where am I?¡± I got up and looked around. A small piece of paper fell off of my chest and I reached down to pick it up. Some letter were scrawled on the paper in the universal language. It read¡­


    <table><tbody><tr><td>Bad children get left out in the wild with the wolves  -Gor¡¯thak the Conqueror     P.S. :P</td></tr></tbody></table>


    I was willing to let this go and not be mad at the elderly baby for knocking me unconscious, but this¡­this made me mad. I started to look around to see if I could get my bearings, when I heard the sound of growling behind me. ¡°Please don¡¯t tell me that¡¯s¡­¡± I muttered to myself as I slowly turned to face what I hoped was a friendly dog. I was wrong¡­I was very wrong. A pack of wolves were several meters behind me and I could see the drool coming out of their mouths. ¡°AHHHhhhhhhHHHHH!¡± I gave up thinking about the situation in a rational way and I started to run for my life.


    The wolves took my battle cry or runaway cry as a sign that the hunt had commenced. I tried to weave in between the trees in the hopes that it might disorient them or something, but the wolves seemed to be smiling gleefully. They were playing with me. Every few minutes or so a wolf would run up and nip at my heels in order to make me falter.


    <table><tbody><tr><td>Damaged left leg -6 HP</td></tr></tbody></table>


    <table><tbody><tr><td>Damaged right leg -8 HP</td></tr></tbody></table>


    I was starting to slow down from the constant pressure of the wolves and the bite marks in the back of my legs. I pushed myself harder and harder to try and get away from them, but to no avail. I could feel that my stamina was almost gone and if I kept pushing forward it would start to tear away at my health.


    <table><tbody><tr><td>For pushing yourself beyond your limits +1 Str, End, and Agi</td></tr></tbody></table>


    <table><tbody><tr><td>Satiety has dropped below 50%. You will lose health every minute until satiety is restored</td></tr></tbody></table>


    I fell to the ground as my legs gave out from under me. The wolves stalked out of the woods in a semicircle as they slowly began to encircle me. It was like I was a prize to them. They came after me for the thrill of the hunt¡­not out of some predatorial hunger, but that wasn¡¯t going to stop them from making the kill. ¡°He¡­lp¡­me.¡± I tried to call out, but the lack of health was starting to affect my senses. The wolves stalked closer¡­I could feel their breath on my skin and just when I thought it was over a loud roar could be heard from the left side of me.


    ¡°Gor¡¯thakkkkkkk!¡± The yell seemed to frighten the wolves and cause them to scatter and run into different directions. ¡°Hahaha, It seems Gor¡¯thak has saved the baby Cherub from certain death. Do you still think me an infant.¡±


    I was unable to respond to him, because my HP gauge was about to hit 0. Gor¡¯thaks hand disappeared in a blur again. I could feel that he was hitting me in some way, but he was moving to fast for me to recognize what he was doing.


    My health started to increase and I felt revitalized for some reason. ¡°What the¡­what did you do?¡± I asked the muscular baby¡­I mean Gor¡¯thak.


    ¡°Hohoho, you seem to have realized that Gor¡¯thak is very highly skilled and amazing, am I right.¡± Gor¡¯thak had a way of avoiding the question and somehow highly praising himself at the same time. ¡°Wimpy baby needs more training.¡± Gor¡¯thak proclaimed before he lifted me up with one hand and we seemed to vanish into thin air. I began to wonder if we teleported or something, but I felt the rush of air going through my hair. It seemed that we were moving at an incredibly high pace. It was only for a few moments thought, until he stopped moving and dropped me on the ground.


    ¡°Ouch.¡± I whispered before I stood up to look around. We were at some small cabin just outside the Ruins of Nulia. I could tell because I could see the tall spires of stone in the distance to the south


    ¡°Okay. Training now.¡± The strong and powerful voice seemed to accept no other answer. As if his word itself was law.


    A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    <table><tbody><tr><td>You have been forced to become the apprentice of Gor¡¯thak the Conqueror</td></tr></tbody></table>


    <table><tbody><tr><td>New Title: The Conquerors Apprentice</td></tr></tbody></table>


    I didn¡¯t know whether to be happy or to cry. On one hand I felt that I could learn a lot about fighting from Gor¡¯thak, but on the other hand I felt like I stayed I would either go insane from his yelling or die. It was a coin toss¡­but in the end my fear won out and I ended up staying.


    ¡°Need strong body to be able to learn from Gor¡¯thak.¡± He spoke quickly before he smacked me in the face and sent me flying about twenty feet in the air. I landed on the ground with a thud.


    <table><tbody><tr><td>Damaged body -87 HP</td></tr></tbody></table>


    I was scared for my life. I was almost one-shotted by being smacked by the mans hand. One more hit and I was a goner. I was hit again, but this time it was a series of pokes in certain places on my body and I felt my health start to recover at a rapid pace. ¡®What is going on.¡¯ I thought. I stood up slowly and looked at Gor¡¯thak. The man had a smile on his face and before I could ask him why he punched me in the stomach.


    <table><tbody><tr><td>For being able to endure a serious beating +2 End</td></tr></tbody></table>


    I think I lost my mind after the 12th hit¡­or was it the 36th. The process of being hit and being healed continued over and over and over again. I was happy about the steady boost in my endurance state, but this had to be the most excruciating way a person could train.


    ¡°Gor¡¯thak is done for now.¡± He muttered softly and I was happy to hear that he wasn¡¯t going to hit me again. I stood up and was about to thank him for helping to train me. ¡°Thanks for training me¡­I guess. I¡¯ll just go now.¡± I turned to leave, but Gor¡¯thak seemed to have other plans were I was concerned.


    ¡°That was just the initiation. Gor¡¯thaks training regime starts now.¡± I heard those words and I started to run away, but I found myself flying high through the air in a matter of seconds. ¡°Noooooooo.¡± I yelled out towards the sunset.


    <table><tbody><tr><td>You have been knocked unconscious - 25 Minutes</td></tr></tbody></table>


    Chapter 3: Status


    <table><tbody><tr><td colspan=''4''>Status Window</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Name:</td><td width="25%">Kai</td><td width="25%">Alignment:</td><td width="25%">Nuetral</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Level:</td><td width="25%">1</td><td width="25%">Class:</td><td width="25%">Undecided</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Race:</td><td width="25%">Cherub</td><td width="25%">Gender:</td><td width="25%">Male</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>Titles</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>The Conquerors Apprentice</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Fame:</td><td width="25%">70</td><td width="25%">Infamy:</td><td width="25%">1000</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>-</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Health:</td><td width="25%">100 / 100</td><td width="25%">Health Regen:</td><td width="25%">0.5 / Sec</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Mana:</td><td width="25%">150 / 150</td><td width="25%">Mana Regen:</td><td width="25%">1.0 / Sec</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Stamina:</td><td width="25%">300 / 300</td><td width="25%">Stamina Regen:</td><td width="25%">3.5 / Sec</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>-</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Strength:</td><td width="25%">6</td><td width="25%">Agility:</td><td width="25%">11</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Vitality:</td><td colspan=''3''>10</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Intelligence:</td><td width="25%">15</td><td width="25%">Wisdom:</td><td width="25%">15</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Endurance:</td><td width="25%">35</td><td width="25%">Luck:</td><td width="25%">0</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>-</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Attack:</td><td width="25%">1-2</td><td width="25%">Defense:</td><td width="25%">15</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>Physical Resistances</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Slashing:</td><td width="25%">5</td><td width="25%">Piercing:</td><td width="25%">5</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Crushing:</td><td colspan=''3''>10</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>Elemental Resistances</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Fire:</td><td width="25%">10%</td><td width="25%">Water:</td><td width="25%">10%</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Wind:</td><td width="25%">10%</td><td width="25%">Earth:</td><td width="25%">10%</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Light:</td><td width="25%">10%</td><td width="25%">Darkness:</td><td width="25%">10%</td></tr></tbody></table>

 Chapter 4: Ascension

    <table><tbody><tr><td>You have been knocked unconscious - 25 Minutes</td></tr></tbody></table>


    I sighed mentally as I was forcefully ripped out of my avatar and placed in the black void. I began to think of this place as a holding cell of sorts. It wasn¡¯t reality and it wasn¡¯t the game. It was the in between.


    I clicked the exit button on the side of my screen and I was brought back to reality and released from my pod. The shiny silver metal casket opened up to bring me back to the real world.


    Standing up and sliding my legs out of the pod I noticed the moonlight flickering in through my curtains. The time in the game was about 1:4. Every minute in the real world was like four minutes in game or every hour in the real world was like four hours in game. I had spent at least three hours in game¡­so that was about nine in Ethaessan time.


    I decided to take a quick snack break and grab a shower to refresh myself. The tortur¡­I mean training took a heavy toll on me mentally and I needed a few quiet minutes to relax. I had about five or so minutes to kill thanks to the conversion rate between reality and the game.


    After a quick shower and a midnight raid of my refrigerator I logged on to my computer to see if there was any new or important information about the game. I had only briefly scanned through the tutorial booklet so there was a lot of information that I lacked.


    I opened the main website for the game, but found it was mostly basic information and updates, but a link on the bottom of the screen labeled ¡®EthaessaForums¡¯ caught my eye.


    I clicked on the link and it brought me to the mecca of all things Ethaessa. From the animals and monsters around each of the starting zones to the layout of basic classes and more.


    The thing that caught my eye though was the topic named ¡®The top ten best and worst starting classes¡¯. I clicked on the link and quickly scanned the list in front of me. I only payed attention to the first three on each list and the top three that made up the best list were Archer, Warrior, and Priest.


    I nodded my head. That was pretty standard. Not much was known about the game and its many classes. So the go to choice for best classes would be the well-known ones. I was more interested in the worst class list. So scrolled farther down and noted the top three. Sculptor, Bard and Chef.


    The reasoning behind it was relatively simple. Sculpting was a costly professional with little to no fighting ability. The bard class offered buffs and spells, but they were far inferior to the priest and the mage classes. And lastly the Chef could really only make food at the moment. Before I could delve deeper into the other articles the timer on my pod went off. I had spent over a half hour outside of the pod and it was way passed time to log back in.


    Before I pulled my eyes away from my screen I noticed an article that was labeled ¡®Ascension ¨C A guide to E-skills¡¯ I wanted to read it, but I knew if I took any more time Gor¡¯thak would be pissed.


    I jumped out of the chair in front of my computer and crossed the room to enter into my pod. It took me a few moments to find a relaxing position, but I did, and the pod door closed on top of me. Sealing me from the outside world.


    <table><tbody><tr><td>Welcome Back</td></tr></tbody></table>


    A big blue box was hovering in front of me and I clicked the login icon right below it. I was sucked into the game immediately¡­only to find myself looking at the world upside-down.


    ¡°What the hell.¡± I squirmed, but it seemed someone had tied me up by my feet and hung me up on a low-lying tree branch.


    ¡°Hohoho¡­finally awake I see. You didn¡¯t respond to Gor¡¯thaks gentle waking hand. So I was forced to resort to more extreme measures.¡± I could feel the blood rushing to my head and it was a very unpleasant feeling.


    ¡°Could you let me down then¡­?¡± I asked, but he seemed to wave me off as he finished jotting something down on a piece of paper.


    Gor¡¯thak stood up and showed me the piece of paper only to find that I couldn¡¯t read it upside down. ¡°I can¡¯t read it like this.¡± I exclaimed defiantly.


    ¡°Of course you can¡¯t. You¡¯re upside down¡­why are you still upside down. Gor¡¯thak thought you would free yourself by now. Gor¡¯thak overestimated you again.¡± With a flick of his hand I found myself lying on my back on the ground. I pulled the ropes off of my feet and stood up.


    Gor¡¯thak shoved the paper into my face again and it read¡­


    <table><tbody><tr><td>Endurance Training ¨C 3 Hours


    Explaining things to baby ¨C 1 Hour


    Voice Training ¨C 2 Hours


    Learning not to be a pansy ¨C 3 Hours</td></tr></tbody></table>


    ¡°You have gone through basic endurance training today. Gor¡¯thak will now explain anything you wish to know now. As long as it¡¯s not stupid or wastes Gor¡¯thaks time.¡± Gor¡¯thak had a superiority complex the likes of which I had never seen before.


    ¡°I guess I have a few question then.¡± I scratched my chin before continuing. ¡°Do you know anything about ascension or e-skills.¡± I was curious about the article I saw earlier and wanted more information.


    ¡°Does Gor¡¯thak know anything about ascension, he asks. Of course Gor¡¯thak does. I am a 9th Order Conqueror.¡± Gor¡¯thak spoke like what he was talking about was basic knowledge.


    ¡°Orders? Does that have something to do with levels or classes or something?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Baby doesn¡¯t even know about the orders. Fine¡­fine. Gor¡¯thak explains. Every twenty-five levels or so¡­depending on the class. One is able to go through an ¡®Ascension¡¯.¡± He air-quoted around the words ascension.


    ¡°As long as you have a class you are considered someone who belongs to the first order. You do not have a class. Thus you are a baby. Anyway, within the realms of the mortals there are nine orders. Every twenty-five levels one is able to take a test from one of the guardians in order to reach the next stage or order.¡± Gor¡¯thak spoke seriously.


    ¡°But what are guardians¡­¡± Gor¡¯thak shushed me before I could finish asking my question. ¡°Let Gor¡¯thak finish before more questions are asked.¡±


    ¡°Now just because you reach the requirements¡­doesn¡¯t mean you will pass the test. Gor¡¯thak has seen people who still belong to the first or second order at level 100. Orders are very important, because a level 75 3rd order warrior could easily defeat a level 100 1st or 2nd order warrior. Levels only matter if there is a difference in a few hundred levels or so. What truly matters is a person order level.


    ¡°Gor¡¯thak knows this is a little confusing, but Gor¡¯thak is getting to the main point. Each time you ascend to the next order some of your skills will become more powerful and you will unlock new ones. There are two different types of skills. E-skills or evolution skills are those that evolve when your order increases and standards are skills that may or may not be class skills, but they do not evolve.¡±


    I nodded my head as I started to understand the system. The point of leveling your character was to receive more chances to take these so called ascension tests and the higher you ascended the more powerful or efficient you became.


    ¡°Wait that means you¡¯re at least¡­¡± I quickly did the math in my head. ¡°At least level 225.¡±


    ¡°Gor¡¯thak is level 324. Once you get to the 9th Order it becomes extremely hard to ascend to the next level and even I¡­the great conqueror have failed several times. After the realm of the mortals comes the realm of the immortals. When Gor¡¯thak transcends the 9th Order, Gor¡¯thak will become a Saint Order Conqueror. The Saint level has three orders and beyond that Gor¡¯thak does not know what one becomes.¡±


    I started to become really intrigued by this system, but I still had a few more question before we continued on with my training. ¡°You never did touch on the subject of the guardians.¡± I was extremely interested in what they were and how they were able to administer these ascension tests.


    ¡°Guardians are powerful creatures that come in many shapes and sizes and our very mysterious, but Gor¡¯thak knows that they all hold at least the saint level in power. Much speculation about them has been raised, but no one seems to know for sure. Not even the brilliant Gor¡¯thak.


    ¡°Some people think they are messengers from the gods¡­some even think they are gods themselves. Gor¡¯thak thinks¡­well Gor¡¯thak doesn¡¯t really care.¡± Gor¡¯thak made a pouting face. Scrunching up his oddly mixed elderly and yet childish face.


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    The order system seemed to run fairly smoothly, but one thing still bothered me. ¡°Does the order system apply to non-combat classes as well? How does a class like a blacksmith or a sculptor pass the ascension test?¡±


    ¡°Stupid baby¡­Gor¡¯thak never said the ascension test was always combat related. Each test is directly catered to the class and type of person who is taking it. A 1st Order Blacksmith who takes the test would probably be asked to demonstrate his technique or create something unique. Upon doing so his skills would evolve and he would acquire new ones. Gor¡¯thak knows that the standard blacksmith skill is Forge¡­once upgraded it might become Iron Forge and then Steel Forge. All the way up to the 9th Order skill Soul Forge¡±


    ¡°So every rank not only increases the power of your current skills, but it also creates new ones.¡± I reiterated what Gor¡¯thak had said earlier, because what he meant by it finally managed to sink in.


    My mind was so excited by the conversation that I almost forgot about the blinking blue icon on the side of my screen. I clicked on it and a series of blue boxes popped up.


    <table><tbody><tr><td>New Skill: Tough Skin</td></tr></tbody></table>


    <table><tbody><tr><td>New Skill: Strong Will</td></tr></tbody></table>


    <table><tbody><tr><td>For acquiring basic information in a roundabout way +2 Int</td></tr></tbody></table>


    I looked at the two new skills that I had acquired. I must have gotten them sometime during my endurance training and I was to delirious to notice that I had gotten them.


    ¡°Description: Tough Skin. Strong Will.¡±


    <table><tbody><tr><td width="25%">Skill Name:</td><td width="25%">Skill Rank:</td><td width="25%">Skill Level:</td><td width="25%">Skill Experience:</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Tough Skin</td><td width="25%">Novice</td><td width="25%">6</td><td width="25%">74%</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>Tough Skin is an evolutionary skill that isn¡¯t acquired by the feint of heart. For every level the player gains +3 Defense and +1 to Physical Resistances.</td></tr></tbody></table>


    <table><tbody><tr><td width="25%">Skill Name:</td><td width="25%">Skill Rank:</td><td width="25%">Skill Level:</td><td width="25%">Skill Experience:</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Strong Will</td><td width="25%">Novice</td><td width="25%">4</td><td width="25%">36%</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>Strong Will is an evolutionary skill that empowers the player against overwhelming odds and pressure. For every level the player gains +1 Strength and +1 Luck.</td></tr></tbody></table>


    My eyes widened when I saw the new skills. Not only would they increase my survivability as I increased their level. They were evolutionary skills, which means they would become even more amazing every time I passed an ascension test.


    ¡°It says novice under this thing called skill level. How many skills levels are their?¡± I asked as I flicked my hand. The skill boxes seemed to disappear into thin air.


    ¡°Alright¡­last question. Gor¡¯thak does not have all day for this. Skills have five skill levels. Novice, Intermediate, Advanced, Master, and Grandmaster. Each of these has ten levels bringing it to a total of fifty levels. The more the skill evolves the slower it will progress through the five stages, but keep in mind that some skills won¡¯t advance past a certain point unless they evolve first.¡± Gor¡¯thak gave me a warning, which I would not fully grasp until later on in my adventures.


    ¡°NOW¡­TIME TO TRAIN VOICE!¡± My master yelled directly in my face and caught me off guard. ¡°GOR¡¯THAKKKKKKKK!¡±


    <table><tbody><tr><td>You have succumbed to several status effects: Fear, Paralysis, and Confusion</td></tr></tbody></table>


    Chapter 4: Status (Yes I know he has 1000 Infamy¡­MC will notice this soon and it will be explained)


    <table><tbody><tr><td colspan=''4''>Status Window</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Name:</td><td width="25%">Kai</td><td width="25%">Alignment:</td><td width="25%">Nuetral</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Level:</td><td width="25%">1</td><td width="25%">Class:</td><td width="25%">Undecided</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Race:</td><td width="25%">Cherub</td><td width="25%">Gender:</td><td width="25%">Male</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>Titles</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>The Conquerors Apprentice</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Fame:</td><td width="25%">70</td><td width="25%">Infamy:</td><td width="25%">1000</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>-</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Health:</td><td width="25%">100 / 100</td><td width="25%">Health Regen:</td><td width="25%">0.5 / Sec</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Mana:</td><td width="25%">150 / 150</td><td width="25%">Mana Regen:</td><td width="25%">1.0 / Sec</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Stamina:</td><td width="25%">300 / 300</td><td width="25%">Stamina Regen:</td><td width="25%">3.5 / Sec</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>-</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Strength:</td><td width="25%">6 (+4)</td><td width="25%">Agility:</td><td width="25%">11</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Vitality:</td><td colspan=''3''>10</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Intelligence:</td><td width="25%">15</td><td width="25%">Wisdom:</td><td width="25%">15</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Endurance:</td><td width="25%">35</td><td width="25%">Luck:</td><td width="25%">0 (+4)</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>-</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Attack:</td><td width="25%">1-2</td><td width="25%">Defense:</td><td width="25%">15 (+18)</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>Physical Resistances</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Slashing:</td><td width="25%">5 (+6)</td><td width="25%">Piercing:</td><td width="25%">5 (+6)</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Crushing:</td><td colspan=''3''>10 (+6)</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>Elemental Resistances</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Fire:</td><td width="25%">10%</td><td width="25%">Water:</td><td width="25%">10%</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Wind:</td><td width="25%">10%</td><td width="25%">Earth:</td><td width="25%">10%</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Light:</td><td width="25%">10%</td><td width="25%">Darkness:</td><td width="25%">10%</td></tr></tbody></table>

 Chapter 5: The Cherubims Song

    <table><tbody><tr><td>You have succumbed to several status effects: Fear, Paralysis, and Confusion</td></tr></tbody></table>


    I couldn¡¯t seem to move my body¡­it was like I was frozen all the way down to my blood. My heart stopped beating for a fraction of a second and my vision was distorted.


    ¡°RELEASE!¡± Gor¡¯thaks voice resonated all the way to the very depths of my soul and freed me from my frozen state.


    I looked up at my supposed master with a puzzled look on my face. ¡°What was that?¡± I knew it was some sort of battle cry, because I had seen him use it before but this was the first time the effects had influenced me directly.


    ¡°That was Gor¡¯thaks battle cry. All cherubim are born with natural potential in voice and sensory magic.¡± Gor¡¯thak motioned for me to follow after him as he walked towards the other side of his little cottage in the woods.


    On the other side of his cottage was a small little pond with a trickling waterfall. Gor¡¯thak pointed at the ground next to the pond. I didn¡¯t know exactly what to do, but finally I gave in and just sat down. I looked at him in confusion, but he just nodded his head.


    ¡°So I have to yell and scream a lot to acquire that skill?¡±


    Gor¡¯thak replied by smacking me in the back of the head. ¡°All magic comes from mana¡­even magic that we hold a natural ability for. Gor¡¯thak is not a fan of the wishy-washy mage stuff, but Gor¡¯thak knows that if you meditate calmly. You should figure something out.¡±


    I was perplexed¡­on one hand I was glad he was giving me free reign in my training for once, but on the other I didn¡¯t really know where to start.


    Meditation was a foreign concept to me. I had seen people meditating before. It was usually when they were doing yoga or they were part of some kind of religious group. I knew people in real world that said meditation was a way to reach enlightenment.


    I crossed my legs and closed my eyes. It felt like I was surrounded by darkness. I didn¡¯t mind the darkness, but it wasn¡¯t the place that I felt the most at peace. If meditation was supposed to make me feel calm then closing my eyes would only be a set back for me.


    So instead of closing my eyes I focused on the pond...the water was relatively calm and serene, but every few moments or so a small ripple would stretch across the pond from the waterfall.


    I could feel the soft breeze tickling the hairs on the back of my neck and a strange tingling sensation running along the tips of my long ears.


    The wind brushed through the tree¡¯s shaking them back and forth. The leaves started to wall as a result and some of them would end up back in the pond. Whenever a leaf hit the pond it would cause an unnatural ripple that would pull me out of my trance, but after a while as the cycle repeated itself. I started to accept the unnatural occurrences.


    My mind became clear and I could feel a strange sensation in the pit of my stomach. The sensation didn¡¯t last long until it moved up higher on my chest. Up to my heart and that to only lasted a few seconds. The sensation traveled up my spin and passed through my shoulders as it made its way up to my head.


    ¡®Is this mana?¡¯ I asked myself breaking away from the mindless state I was in before.


    <table><tbody><tr><td>New Skill: Seven Pathways Meditation</td></tr></tbody></table>


    <table><tbody><tr><td>New Skill: Mana Manipulation</td></tr></tbody></table>


    <table><tbody><tr><td>For discovering an age old method of meditation +5 Wis</td></tr></tbody></table>


    <table><tbody><tr><td>For being the first person to manipulate mana before learning magic mastery +2 Wis and Int</td></tr></tbody></table>


    I was caught off guard when a series of windows popped up in front of my face. It seems like I was able to accomplish what I had originally set out to accomplish and managed to get a few stat bonuses along the way.


    I stood up and stretched a little bit. My body had become slightly wound up from sitting cross-legged for an extended period of time. I wanted to go and tell Gor¡¯thak that I was able to accomplish his task, but I found him sleeping soundly in a small white hammock in front of his cottage.


    The last thing I wanted to do was disturb him from his slumber and start the next round of training with him in a foul mood. *Yawn* I sluggishly covered my mouth and decided that I too was feeling a bit sleepy.


    The last thing I wanted to do before I logged off through was take a look at my two new skills that I had gotten from a few hours of meditation.


    ¡°Description: Seven Pathways Meditation. Mana Manipulation.¡±


    <table><tbody><tr><td width="25%">Skill Name:</td><td width="25%">Skill Rank:</td><td width="25%">Skill Level:</td><td width="25%">Skill Experience:</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Seven Pathways Meditation</td><td width="25%">Novice</td><td width="25%">1</td><td width="25%">34%</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>Seven Pathways Meditation is an ancient form of meditation that studies the cycle or the flow of mana in nature and applies the same concept to the human body. Mana flows through the seven major mana containers in the human body. The Chest, Stomach, Heart, Back, Spine, Throat, and Head. 10% Increase in Mana Regeneration.</td></tr></tbody></table>


    <table><tbody><tr><td width="25%">Skill Name:</td><td width="25%">Skill Rank:</td><td width="25%">Skill Level:</td><td width="25%">Skill Experience:</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Mana Manipulation</td><td width="25%">Novice</td><td width="25%">2</td><td width="25%">12%</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>Mana Manipulation is the ability to manipulate the energy within ones own body.</td></tr></tbody></table>


    I definitely liked the first ability, because the increased regeneration would come in handy when I was training mana-related skills. The second one seemed really useful. I just didn¡¯t know just yet of a way to apply it.


    *Yawn* The second yawn notified me that I had stayed up way to late in my excitement.


    I found the log off icon on the screen and clicked it with my left hand. I was pulled out of my avatar and into the black void that stood as the gatekeeper between the two realities.


    The seal on my pod released and I made my way out of it. The sun was already peeking up and over the horizon. I was glad that it was already summer break, because otherwise I wouldn¡¯t be able to sleep all day.


    It was only a few seconds before I nodded off¡­


    *Bzzzt* *Bzzzt* *Bzzzt*


    I woke up to the sound of my cell phone buzzing like some sort of insect on my nightstand next to my bed


    I checked the time on my phone before I answered. It had been about eight or so hours since I went to sleep and the number of the person who was calling was familiar.


    ¡°Whats up, man?¡± I answered the phone groggily as soon as I realized it was Nate.


    ¡°Whats up¡­whats up?! I¡¯ve been calling for hour¡¯s man. What did you play all night and then pass out in the morning.¡± Nate hit the nail on the head before I even had a chance to tell him.


    ¡°So what. The games pretty addicting and its summer anyway¡­not like I have to wake up for school.¡± I retorted, but I knew he meant well. If he had called me so many times he obviously had something important to tell me.


    ¡°So I heard through the grapevine that Gwen picked up a pod yesterday for Ethaessa.¡± He explained.


    I instantly became more attuned to the conversation. My previously groggy state had all but washed away. ¡°How¡¯d you find out so quick?¡± I asked quietly, trying to sound nonchalant.


    ¡°I have my sources Giddy. Hohoho.¡± He tried to sound cool.


    ¡°Let me guess. You listened in when your mom and your aunt were having a conversation.¡± I cut him off.


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    ¡°Bullseye, compadre.¡± I rolled my eyes at his odd way of mixing Spanish and English words together for no reason. He was one of the whitest kids I knew¡­well beside myself anyway.


    ¡°Anyway. I just thought you would want to know. Apparently she told my aunt how she couldn¡¯t wait to start out as an elf. I know the elf starting zones are for the most part on the Ibigord continent. So you might be able to meet her in game.¡± The prospect of meeting Gwen in-game and as an elf at that made me almost jump for joy, but I maintained a modicum of self dignity¡­I would wait until I hung the phone up at least.


    ¡°That¡¯s awesome. I hope I can meet her in game¡­but that¡¯s if I survive my training. I met this powerful NPC who is currently training me, but I¡¯ve had to go threw hell and back.¡± I sighed¡­but even the thought of Gor¡¯thaks torture couldn¡¯t bring me down from the high I was experiencing right now.


    ¡°That sucks man, but the rewards will probably be sweet. My party and I are only around level 11, but you must be higher if you¡¯ve been playing like crazy.¡± Nate comment made me inwardly cringe.


    ¡°At the moment. I am still level 1.¡±


    ¡°Level 1¡­hahaha.¡± Nate took a moment to let that sink in before he started laughing his ass off through the phone. ¡°You played longer than me and your only level 1.¡±


    I started to get annoyed, because he didn¡¯t stop laughing so I hit the end call button in the middle of the conversation.


    I knew I was only level 1, but the skill and stat gains from training with Gor¡¯thak weren¡¯t too bad and I didn¡¯t know anyone else who could teach me how to fight better than that small muscular child. I glanced over at the pod that was lying in the corner of my room. Its sleek silver exterior was calling my name.


    Making my way back to my pod I was just about to get back into it, when I heard my stomach growl. I was so excited about Ethaessa I almost forgot about real life. Taking a quick meal break and relieving myself in the bathroom. I was back into my pod in less than twenty minutes.


    <table><tbody><tr><td>Welcome Back</td></tr></tbody></table>


    I found the blue welcome screen oddly comforting¡­like a wife welcoming you home after a hard day of work.


    My avatar was brought back to life the moment I logged into my account. My soul possessed the Cherubims body. I looked around to find that Gor¡¯thak was nowhere to be found.


    ¡°I wonder if he went into town for something.¡± I shrugged as if it didn¡¯t really matter. I made my way back to the waterfall to continue my meditation and mana training.


    It didn¡¯t take as long this time for me to fall in sync with the cycle. My body had experienced it before and was able to align itself within the flow. Now that I knew what the sensation in my body was. I knew that I could control it.


    If I concentrated enough I could bring the sensation slowly between each of the seven points within my body. It was like another part of my body¡­like a muscle. The more I used and trained it the more efficient it became.


    <table><tbody><tr><td>For gaining greater understanding in the connection between the seven pathways meditation and mana manipulation +5 Wis and Int</td></tr></tbody></table>


    I scrunched my eyebrows together after reading the message. Was it able to read my mind or did it register what I was able to do with my body. I didn¡¯t think about it too much. The serene environment was keeping me in a relaxed state.


    I was so relaxed that I almost wanted to sing. It was a personal hobby of mine and I did have a pretty good voice.


    ¡°As I watched¡­as I watched as the mouse crawled around. The river bend turned and the river bend round. In circles it traveled¡­in circles it went. Into the mouth of a kitten so spent.¡±


    I certainly had a good voice, but my choice of lyrics seemed to come from random things that I saw in the area.


    After I finished singing I could feel a drain on my mana for some reason. ¡°What the hell is going on.¡± I muttered before a blue box popped up in my face.


    <table><tbody><tr><td>New Skill: Voice Manipulation</td></tr></tbody></table>


    <table><tbody><tr><td>New Class Skill: Song Manipulation</td></tr></tbody></table>


    <table><tbody><tr><td>Class Skill acquisition succeeded. Bard class acquired.</td></tr></tbody></table>


    I stared wide-eyed at the screen in front of me and heard a loud thundering voice approaching me from behind. ¡°NOOoooOOOOooo!¡±


    Chapter 5: Status


    <table><tbody><tr><td colspan=''4''>Status Window</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Name:</td><td width="25%">Kai</td><td width="25%">Alignment:</td><td width="25%">Nuetral</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Level:</td><td width="25%">1</td><td width="25%">Class:</td><td width="25%">Bard</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Race:</td><td width="25%">Cherub</td><td width="25%">Gender:</td><td width="25%">Male</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>Titles</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>The Conquerors Apprentice</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Fame:</td><td width="25%">70</td><td width="25%">Infamy:</td><td width="25%">1000</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>-</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Health:</td><td width="25%">100 / 100</td><td width="25%">Health Regen:</td><td width="25%">0.5 / Sec</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Mana:</td><td width="25%">250 / 250</td><td width="25%">Mana Regen:</td><td width="25%">2.0 / Sec</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Stamina:</td><td width="25%">300 / 300</td><td width="25%">Stamina Regen:</td><td width="25%">3.5 / Sec</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>-</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Strength:</td><td width="25%">6 (+4)</td><td width="25%">Agility:</td><td width="25%">11</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Vitality:</td><td colspan=''3''>10</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Intelligence:</td><td width="25%">22</td><td width="25%">Wisdom:</td><td width="25%">27</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Endurance:</td><td width="25%">35</td><td width="25%">Luck:</td><td width="25%">0 (+4)</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>-</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Attack:</td><td width="25%">1-2</td><td width="25%">Defense:</td><td width="25%">15 (+18)</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>Physical Resistances</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Slashing:</td><td width="25%">5 (+6)</td><td width="25%">Piercing:</td><td width="25%">5 (+6)</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Crushing:</td><td colspan=''3''>10 (+6)</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>Elemental Resistances</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Fire:</td><td width="25%">10%</td><td width="25%">Water:</td><td width="25%">10%</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Wind:</td><td width="25%">10%</td><td width="25%">Earth:</td><td width="25%">10%</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Light:</td><td width="25%">10%</td><td width="25%">Darkness:</td><td width="25%">10%</td></tr></tbody></table>

 Chapter 6: Burden

    I stared wide-eyed at the screen in front of me and heard a loud thundering voice approaching me from behind. ¡°NOOoooOOOOooo!¡±


    <table><tbody><tr><td>New Subset Skill: Song of Renewal</td></tr></tbody></table>


    <table><tbody><tr><td>Title Revoked: The Conquerors Apprentice</td></tr></tbody></table>


    I was wonderstruck at the series of messages that pervaded my screen. It seems I had unintentionally done something and acquired a class that I did not want. ¡°I was able to get voice manipulation.¡± I muttered¡­looking up at my master¡¯s angry face.


    ¡°No¡­no¡­no.¡± He kept repeating the same word over and over again. It was almost like he had lost his mind. The strangest thing happened next¡­he started to weep.


    He had stopped flying and he was crying on the ground now. ¡°Gor¡¯thak did everything right. Gor¡¯thak didn¡¯t know baby was an idiot.¡±


    I was a little annoyed at his comments, but I didn¡¯t know why he was angry and upset. It was just a class. I was sure I could go somewhere and have it reset.


    ¡°Master its fine. I¡¯ll just get rid of this class and you can continue teaching me.¡± I tried to cheer him up.


    Gor¡¯thak shook his head from side to side. ¡°Initial classes are decided by the first class skill you learn. Gor¡¯thak should have stayed instead of leaving¡­bad Gor¡¯thak¡­bad.¡±


    He smacked himself in the head a few times before calming down. ¡°You were my last chance. Gor¡¯thaks most promising apprentice.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean¡­shouldn¡¯t their be a way to choose another class? Can¡¯t you always find another apprentice?¡± I blurted out the thoughts that were on my mind.


    ¡°Classes can be changed only once you passed the 4th and 8th order ascension tests. Your stuck as a Bard until at least level 100.¡± Gor¡¯thak looked like he was going to have a mental breakdown.


    ¡°Sorry¡­at least you can get another apprentice. I¡¯ll get out of your hair¡­¡±


    Gor¡¯thak cut me off midsentence. ¡°I¡¯m dying, kid. I¡¯ve been looking for methods to heal myself and detoxify the poison that¡¯s slowly corroding my body, but to no avail.¡± I was completely caught off guard. My master was dying and this was the first time that he used the letter ¡®I¡¯ in reference to himself instead of his name.


    ¡°Who did this¡­can¡¯t you visit a priest¡­what about alternative methods.¡± I was shocked and started to blurt things out one after another.


    Gor¡¯thak shook his head in response. ¡°I¡¯ve tried everything. My death is certain, but I was hoping to at least pass on my skills to the next generation of Cherubs. With my death¡­the Cherubim race will soon be swept away.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean the Cherubim race will be swept away? Are we moving or something.¡± I knew that point he was trying to get at, but I didn¡¯t want to admit it aloud.


    ¡°They called Gor¡¯thak a conqueror for a reason. This measly parcel of land that the Cherubim live on was a hard won fight. When Gor¡¯thak was a young boy. Gor¡¯thak was a slave along with the rest of his people. The Cherubim were considered a second-class race. They kept us in pens and in cages during the night, but during the day we worked manual labor for the magnanimous King Verith.¡± Gor¡¯thaks voice was heavily laced with sarcasm.


    ¡°King Verith of Veratha¡­the slaver king. He kept us alive until we were old enough to mate and then he killed us and removed are gems in order to power his weapons and mages. How do you think the two races of Cherubim are so different? Decades of being forced to breed with other species in order to increase the amount of magic gemstones.¡±


    ¡°We fought and we fought hard¡­blood filled the streets of the capital. It was a common occurrence for Cherubim slaves to rebel. Unlike normal slaves we had no future. We knew that we would be killed when we were old enough to serve our purpose. In Gor¡¯thaks youth the resistance was stronger than it had been in decades. Gor¡¯thak joined and quickly amassed massive amounts of power. Revenge fueled my training. Gor¡¯thak fought until he was the last one standing. Gor¡¯thaks friends¡­Gor¡¯thaks family. They all died.¡±


    ¡°Gor¡¯thak alone pushed back the capitals troops, until the King finally realized that he was losing more than he was gaining. Gor¡¯thak met with the slaver king and worked out a treaty. We were granted a large portion of land that solely belonged to us and the hunting of Cherubim would be forbidden within our territory. Gor¡¯thak was tired of all the bloodshed¡­So Gor¡¯thak agreed. Gor¡¯thak knew he was only giving us a bigger cage, but at least with this we could finally live a normal life.¡±


    I blinked a few times to keep myself from shedding a few tears, but the main emotion that was swirling up inside of me was anger¡­white-hot rage.


    ¡°Gor¡¯thak has been monitoring and protecting this land ever since. The higher order you are the longer your lifespan becomes. Gor¡¯thak has protected these lands for a few hundred years now and in doing so Gor¡¯thak became complacent. The King had been planning a way to get back his lands you see. So he disguised a group of his best men as bandits and sent them into the Cherubim territory. Of course Gor¡¯thak finished them off, but now without taking a scratch wound on my leg from one of their daggers.¡±


    ¡°The dagger was coated with an incurable poison¡­with my willpower. Gor¡¯thak has been able to put off death for nearly twenty years, but my time is coming to an end. Gor¡¯thak needed a disciple¡­someone stronger than me to keep the peace and lead the Cherubs to a new tomorrow. But you are a Bard. A flimsy¡­sing-songy Bard.¡±


    Gor¡¯thak stared blankly at the sky almost like he was already accepting the inevitable and preparing to die.


    ¡°That can¡¯t be all. Your Gor¡¯thak the Conqueror. The strongest man alive. No measly poison is going to keep you from accomplishing your goals. So what if I¡¯m a Bard¡­I¡¯ll be the strongest fuckin¡¯ Bard in the whole universe if it means I can kill that bastard king and return the Cherubim back to their former glory.¡±


    <table><tbody><tr><td colspan=''4''>Inheritance</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Type:</td><td width="25%">Racial Quest</td><td width="25%">Duration:</td><td width="25%">Unlimited</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''2''>Rank:</td><td colspan=''2''>S</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>Whether out of sheer stupidity or some other ideal. You have chosen to accepts Gor¡¯thaks will and restore the Cherubim back to their former glory. How you do this is up to you. Quest fails if the Cherubim race is enslaved or completely massacred.</td></tr></tbody></table>


    My eyes widened as the quest screen popped up in front of my face. I had never been on a single quest, never mind an S rank one.


    Gor¡¯thak looked at me with new eyes and he flew up and grabbed my shoulders. ¡°You will become our savior¡­even if Gor¡¯thak has to kill you to get you into shape. A bard¡­a bard hero.¡± He laughed at the thought and then began dragging me around to the front of his cottage.


    Gor¡¯thak kicked open the front door to his home and I was finally able to see what was inside.


    For once I was looking forward to training. Gor¡¯thaks story had lit a fire underneath me. The inside of his hut was lined with different types of weapons and items.


    ¡°Gor¡¯thak planned to train his apprentice in quite a few different weapons, but now that you¡¯re a bard¡­well your limited from wearing heavy and medium class armor and weapons.¡± Gor¡¯thak spat the words out, because he was displeased but he began to gather a few weapons around the room.


    He place a rapier, a set of dagger, a short staff, a katana, and a pair of brass knuckles on the table. ¡°This is all Gor¡¯thak has for wimpy baby like you. Pick one and Gor¡¯thak will train you to not be a pansy.¡±


    The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    I scanned the items on the table and made a lit of pro¡¯s and con¡¯s for each of them. The brass knuckles were used for short-range combat and I wasn¡¯t really a fan of close physical combat. They did look cool, but my mind was drawn to the bigger weapons.


    The katana was nice and it would fit well with my name being Japanese, but it also seemed a little bit stereotypical and I wanted to be somewhat outside the box in my choice.


    The staff was interesting, but it was half the height of a normal staff. I guess the normal size staffs are considered medium class weaponry.


    The daggers were very ornate¡­almost pretty. I did like the idea of sneaking up behind people and slitting their throats, but the stealthy rogue play style didn¡¯t really clash with the singing bard style.


    The last one was a single ornate rapier and it was the one I had my eye on the moment I saw the set of items on the table. Not only was it a blade like I wanted, but it basically screamed ¡®Bard¡¯. I could be like one of the three musketeers or something.


    While reviewing the items I decided to check the skills that I had received during meditation.


    ¡°Description: Voice Manipulation. Song Manipulation. Song of Renewal.¡±


    <table><tbody><tr><td width="25%">Skill Name:</td><td width="25%">Skill Rank:</td><td width="25%">Skill Level:</td><td width="25%">Skill Experience:</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Voice Manipulation</td><td width="25%">Novice</td><td width="25%">1</td><td width="25%">22%</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>Voice Manipulation is skill that allows you to use mana to manipulate the sound, pitch, range, and effect of your voice. It can be used to change the sound of ones own voice or to create a terrifying battle cry. The stronger the level the more effects and sounds you can create.</td></tr></tbody></table>


    <table><tbody><tr><td width="25%">Skill Name:</td><td width="25%">Skill Rank:</td><td width="25%">Skill Level:</td><td width="25%">Skill Experience:</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Song Manipulation</td><td width="25%">Novice</td><td width="25%">1</td><td width="25%">34%</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>Song Manipulation is a class specific skill that is utilized by the bards to craft and manipulate songs. The stronger the level of manipulation the more powerful the songs become and the greater the effects on you or whoever your intended target is.</td></tr></tbody></table>


    <table><tbody><tr><td width="25%">Skill Name:</td><td width="25%">Skill Rank:</td><td width="25%">Skill Level:</td><td width="25%">Skill Experience:</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Song of Renewal</td><td width="25%">Novice</td><td width="25%">1</td><td width="25%">6%</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>Song of Renewal is a skill that was created through the use of Song Manipulation to empower its target strength and vitality. Increases Strength and Vitality stats by 5 for ten minutes. Cost 50 Mana.</td></tr></tbody></table>


    I nodded my head as I picked the rapier off of the table. I would have experiment with voice and song manipulation later to try and create new and improved combinations. It might not be a bad idea to stop by the Bard Guild later either.


    ¡°The rapier. Gor¡¯thak thinks your choice is interesting. Not what Gor¡¯thak would have picked, but interesting.¡±


    That was the last kind thing that my master said to me before I willingly entered into what would be known as¡­.¡¯The week from hell.¡¯


    Chapter 6: Status


    <table><tbody><tr><td colspan=''4''>Status Window</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Name:</td><td width="25%">Kai</td><td width="25%">Alignment:</td><td width="25%">Nuetral</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Level:</td><td width="25%">1</td><td width="25%">Class:</td><td width="25%">Bard</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Race:</td><td width="25%">Cherub</td><td width="25%">Gender:</td><td width="25%">Male</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>Titles</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>None</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Fame:</td><td width="25%">70</td><td width="25%">Infamy:</td><td width="25%">1000</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>-</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Health:</td><td width="25%">100 / 100</td><td width="25%">Health Regen:</td><td width="25%">0.5 / Sec</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Mana:</td><td width="25%">250 / 250</td><td width="25%">Mana Regen:</td><td width="25%">2.0 / Sec</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Stamina:</td><td width="25%">300 / 300</td><td width="25%">Stamina Regen:</td><td width="25%">3.5 / Sec</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>-</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Strength:</td><td width="25%">6 (+4)</td><td width="25%">Agility:</td><td width="25%">11</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Vitality:</td><td colspan=''3''>10</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Intelligence:</td><td width="25%">22</td><td width="25%">Wisdom:</td><td width="25%">27</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Endurance:</td><td width="25%">35</td><td width="25%">Luck:</td><td width="25%">0 (+4)</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>-</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Attack:</td><td width="25%">1-2</td><td width="25%">Defense:</td><td width="25%">15 (+18)</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>Physical Resistances</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Slashing:</td><td width="25%">5 (+6)</td><td width="25%">Piercing:</td><td width="25%">5 (+6)</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Crushing:</td><td colspan=''3''>10 (+6)</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>Elemental Resistances</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Fire:</td><td width="25%">10%</td><td width="25%">Water:</td><td width="25%">10%</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Wind:</td><td width="25%">10%</td><td width="25%">Earth:</td><td width="25%">10%</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Light:</td><td width="25%">10%</td><td width="25%">Darkness:</td><td width="25%">10%</td></tr></tbody></table>

 Chapter 7: One Week in Hell - Part 1

    I figured that we would go through some basic weapon maneuvers¡­maybe even spar a bit and get used to fighting. But I seem to have overestimated my master¡¯s¡­humanity? Yes that¡¯s probably the correct word.


    I was currently sitting in the middle of an open field. The corpses of Vigorous Pythons and Horned Rabbits lay scattered around for almost a quarter of a mile.


    My health was dangerously low¡­my blade completely soaked in the blood of the prey I was forced to hunt.


    I was weak and my body was covered in bite marks from head to toe. My head was delirious from all the poison that I had injected into me by the snakes. If it wasn¡¯t for my strong will¡­well I doubt that I would be standing now.


    The worst part was¡­its only been two days.


    <table><tbody><tr><td>Flashback End</td></tr></tbody></table>


    I exited the cabin with Gor¡¯thak. My new rapier was inside its sheath and hanging from the edge of my belt. So that I could easily pull it out in times of need.


    I glanced down at it and checked the basic information screen the game provided for my currently equipped weapon.


    <table><tbody><tr><td colspan=''4''>Swift Iron Rapier</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Type:</td><td width="25%">Sword (10-15 Atk)</td><td width="25%">Durability:</td><td width="25%">35 / 35</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''2''>Quality:</td><td colspan=''2''>Common</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>A standard rapier created by an unknown cherub craftsman. It utilizes a special folding technique for decreased loss in durability.</td></tr></tbody></table>


    The blade seemed light enough and you could tell just by looking that it was a decently made weapon. I specifically appreciated the decreased loss in durability. It looks like this blade and I will be partners for quite some time.


    ¡°So what are we going to start with. A few practice thrusts. Maybe hitting a dummy.¡± I asked, because I was curious about my masters training method.


    His previous attempts included beating the crap out of me and hanging me upside down¡­I was hoping this one might be more normal.


    Gor¡¯thak merely looked at me and proceeded to walk towards. I expected him to say something, but he simply flew up to my shoulders and grabbed me by the collar.


    ¡°Lets go find something for you to kill.¡± Those were his last words before we vanished into thin air. He was using his high-speed technique again. The one that I first mistook as teleportation.


    He flitted around a lot. Almost like he was trying to figure something out. I figured that he was trying to find an ideal place to train with monsters that wouldn¡¯t kill me right away.


    ¡°Gor¡¯thak has arrived.¡± We stopped by the edge of the field. The scenery was quite breathtaking. In the distance we could see large bunny rabbits hoping back and forth in the field.


    ¡°This is nice. Are we going to train here?¡± I asked expectantly.


    ¡°Stick the pointy end in the enemy until it dies. Rapiers are made for speed and not strength. This field is infested with horned rabbits and vigorous pythons. A friend of mine wants to plow it. This way you can quest and level at the same time.¡±


    It didn¡¯t seem that bad at first. It was a simply subjugation quest of low-level enemies.


    <table><tbody><tr><td colspan=''4''>Two Types of Farming</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Type:</td><td width="25%">Subjagation Quest</td><td width="25%">Duration:</td><td width="25%">2 Days</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''2''>Rank:</td><td colspan=''2''>D</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>You have been asked by Gor¡¯thak the Conqueror to clear a field of monsters for his farmer friend, Wilhelm. Rewards: Experience and increased familiarity with farmers. Failure with result in Gor¡¯thak beating the shit out of you. Rabbits 0/100  Snakes 0/100.</td></tr></tbody></table>


    ¡°Good luck, kid.¡±


    ¡°Wait what?¡± I looked up at the quest pop up and read it until the end of the message before I started to freak out.


    If I don¡¯t do it¡­Gor¡¯thaks kills me, but if I do¡­I¡¯ll most likely die.


    ¡°Shit.¡± I said as I looked out onto the field. I squinted my eyes and checked the personal information of the closest monster I could see.


    <table><tbody><tr><td>Horned Rabbit (M) Lvl 11</td></tr></tbody></table>


    That thing was ten levels higher than me. I quickly did a mental calculation of my stats. I was roughly level 12 or 13 with my inflated stats, but I had close to no fighting experience in this world or in real life.


    I was working up my courage to try and go out and fight the rabbit, when I suddenly remembered that I was a Bard. I didn¡¯t have to go out their with no back up.


    ¡°I see tree¡¯s and they see me. Give me strength so that I can be free.¡± I sung the first words that came to mind.


    The Song of Renewal activated and I could feel my strength and vitality increasing. In the case of my strength it almost double, because of how low it was.


    I pulled the rapier out of its sheath and charged directly at the horned rabbit. The point of my sword pricked into the side of the large sized bunny and it made some sort of yipping sound.


    The large white rabbit turned towards me at an incredibly fast rate¡­smacking me in the side of my torso with its long sharp horn.


    <table><tbody><tr><td>Damaged Torso -10 HP</td></tr></tbody></table>


    I ended up back peddling a few steps in order to keep my balance. The white fluffy creature was a lot stronger than it looked.


    The creature followed up by running directly at me with its horn aimed straight for my face. I tried to dodge and I saw my life flash before my eyes as it slammed into my shoulder and sent me tumbling off to the right.


    <table><tbody><tr><td>Damaged Shoulder -15 HP</td></tr></tbody></table>


    I took a few deep breaths as I scrambled my way back into a standing position. I knew that that only reason I was still alive was because of my inflated endurance and defensive stats.


    The monsters agility was at a level, which far outclasses my own. I knew that I wouldn¡¯t be able to compete with it in terms of speed.


    So I had to study it. Learn its movement patterns and be at the right place at the right time to dodge.


    It seemed like a sound plan at the time, but it wasn¡¯t until I had lost over half my health that I had grasped its movement pattern completely.


    In close range combat the rabbit would trigger a side sweep with its horn. This one was particularly tricky, because it required me to predict its attack patterns at a very close range.


    Its second movement was the lunge. It charged forward like a bull and tried to impale its enemy directly. This was its easiest movement to dodge, since I just had to roll left or right of the creature when it charged.


    The last of its attacks was its most powerful one. It leapt into the air and used the weight of its body along with gravity to crush you underneath it.


    I knew from the indents in the ground that that wasn¡¯t an attack I could take directly and still manage to come out unscathed.


    It wasn¡¯t long before I managed to kill the large fluffy creature. A few well placed stabs at the right time¡­well the bunny was covered in holes.


    I didn¡¯t have the strength or the agility to dish out high enough damage. So the fight took a lot longer than I had hoped.


    It had almost been a half hour and I had successfully killed exactly one horned rabbit. If this was my questing speed. The rest of this was going to be a nightmare.


    <table><tbody><tr><td> Level Up +2</td></tr></tbody></table>


    I opened my eyes widely at the sudden message. I had been so focused on stats and abilities that I almost forgot about the leveling system.


    Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.


    I immediately opened the menu and place five points into strength and the other five into agility. They were the two stats I was the most lacking in at the moment. I needed the speed to be able to finish off the battles quicker and I needed the strength in order to inflict more damage to my enemies.


    It took another twenty minutes or so for my health to recharge back to full health and then I was back on the hunt. I knew the strategy now and I knew how to kill them.


    The bane of the rabbit kingdom had arrived. I was now able to kill a rabbit in a little less than ten minutes and after killing about six more rabbits I gained a few skills as well as two more levels.


    <table><tbody><tr><td>New Skill: Sword Mastery</td></tr></tbody></table>


    <table><tbody><tr><td>New Subset Skill: Rapier Mastery</td></tr></tbody></table>


    I knew if I trained for long enough the skill would eventually appear, but I figured that I would have gotten them after the first battle.


    ¡°Description: Sword Mastery. Rapier Mastery.¡± I needed to take a good look at my new skills and see how beneficial they would be in battle.


    <table><tbody><tr><td width="25%">Skill Name:</td><td width="25%">Skill Rank:</td><td width="25%">Skill Level:</td><td width="25%">Skill Experience:</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Sword Mastery</td><td width="25%">Novice</td><td width="25%">1</td><td width="25%">82%</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>Sword Mastery is a widely known skill that is used by those who train in the arts of the sword. Sword Mastery provides a 10% increase in damage when wielding a sword.</td></tr></tbody></table>


    <table><tbody><tr><td width="25%">Skill Name:</td><td width="25%">Skill Rank:</td><td width="25%">Skill Level:</td><td width="25%">Skill Experience:</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Rapier Mastery</td><td width="25%">Novice</td><td width="25%">2</td><td width="25%">32%</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>Rapier Mastery is a subset skill of Sword Mastery and it is used by those who train in the arts of the dexterous rapier. Rapier Mastery provides a 5% increase in maneuverability while wielding a rapier.</td></tr></tbody></table>


    The benefits that the skills provided would be a godsend to him and if he his Mastery¡¯s then he would be able to farm the animals on this field even faster than his current pace.


    During my breaks I decided to meditate and work on the control of my mana. The more control I had over my mana and the faster my regeneration the more potent my songs would become¡­well song. I only had one at the moment, which I had to reactivate every ten minutes.


    I had killed my way through about 34 horned rabbits by the time I encountered my first python. It was much larger than the rabbits and it looked like it could crush my entire body if it managed to coil itself around me.


    <table><tbody><tr><td>Vigorous Python (F) Lvl 16</td></tr></tbody></table>


    The snakes were a few levels stronger than the horned rabbits and I was willing to bet they had quite a bit more agility and a more dangerous bite.


    ¡°I really don¡¯t like snakes¡­¡± I whimpered as I noticed the pearlescent green liquid that dripped down its two front fangs.


    Chapter 7: Status


    <table><tbody><tr><td colspan=''4''>Status Window</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Name:</td><td width="25%">Kai</td><td width="25%">Alignment:</td><td width="25%">Nuetral</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Level:</td><td width="25%">5</td><td width="25%">Class:</td><td width="25%">Bard</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Race:</td><td width="25%">Cherub</td><td width="25%">Gender:</td><td width="25%">Male</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>Titles</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>None</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Fame:</td><td width="25%">70</td><td width="25%">Infamy:</td><td width="25%">1000</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>-</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Health:</td><td width="25%">150 / 150</td><td width="25%">Health Regen:</td><td width="25%">1.0 / Sec</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Mana:</td><td width="25%">250 / 250</td><td width="25%">Mana Regen:</td><td width="25%">2.0 / Sec</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Stamina:</td><td width="25%">300 / 300</td><td width="25%">Stamina Regen:</td><td width="25%">3.5 / Sec</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>-</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Strength:</td><td width="25%">11 (+6)</td><td width="25%">Agility:</td><td width="25%">21</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Vitality:</td><td colspan=''3''>15</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Intelligence:</td><td width="25%">22</td><td width="25%">Wisdom:</td><td width="25%">27</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Endurance:</td><td width="25%">35</td><td width="25%">Luck:</td><td width="25%">0 (+6)</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>-</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Attack:</td><td width="25%">1-2</td><td width="25%">Defense:</td><td width="25%">15 (+24)</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>Physical Resistances</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Slashing:</td><td width="25%">5 (+8)</td><td width="25%">Piercing:</td><td width="25%">5 (+8)</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Crushing:</td><td colspan=''3''>10 (+8)</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>Elemental Resistances</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Fire:</td><td width="25%">10%</td><td width="25%">Water:</td><td width="25%">10%</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Wind:</td><td width="25%">10%</td><td width="25%">Earth:</td><td width="25%">10%</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Light:</td><td width="25%">10%</td><td width="25%">Darkness:</td><td width="25%">10%</td></tr></tbody></table>


    Skills/Abilities:


    <b>Spoiler</b> : <input type=''button'' value=''Show'' class=''spoilerButton''><table><tbody><tr><td>Tough Skin: Novice Lvl 8 (42%)


    Strong Will: Novice Lvl 6 (66%)


    Seven Pathways Meditation: Novice Lvl 3 (97%)


    Mana Manipulation: Novice Lvl 4 (56%)


    Voice Manipulation: Novice Lvl 2 (8%)


    Song Manipulation: Novice Lvl 3 (14%)


    Song of Renewal: Novice Lvl 5 (24%)


    Sword Mastery: Novice Lvl 2 (17%)


    Rapier Mastery: Novice Lvl 4 (26%)</td></tr></tbody></table>

 Chapter 8: One Week in Hell - Part 2

    ¡°I really don¡¯t like snakes¡­¡± I whimpered as I noticed the pearlescent green liquid that dripped down its two front fangs.


    The poisonous snake lunged towards me, causing me to stumble backwards and fall.


    The snakes jaws snapped tight directly over me. The poison from its mouth dripped down and landed on my arm.


    I almost started to panic when I felt the burning sensation. I would have rather been smacked repeatedly by the horned rabbits strike than feel this sensation any longer.


    I rolled to the side in order to create some distance as the snake pulled back its head.


    The snake¡¯s speed was certainly a factor I had to take into consideration, but it wasn¡¯t an insurmountable obstacle.


    The poison on the other hand was an unknown factor. I didn¡¯t know the toxicity¡­whether it was fast or slow acting. How much damage it would do on contact or whether it would simply burn me from the inside like it did to the outside of my skin.


    I unsheathed my rapier and took a cautious pose. The snake seemed to be acting cautious as well.


    It was wavering from side to side as it watched me. The look in its eye was almost¡­intelligent.


    It was waiting for the perfect moment to strike. The moment I falter it would sink its fangs directly into my hide and poison me.


    I kept the point of my rapier complete aligned with the snakes head. I wanted to try and stab it in the face when it lunged at me.


    I inched myself closer to the python and the creature reared back its mighty head. Before I could even react it lunged forward.


    Fumbling with the blade I simply jabbed it forward and hoped for a good result. The snake on the other hand didn¡¯t think the blade was any sort of threat.


    The blade went directly into the snake¡¯s mouth and when it felt the sharp pain from the rapier piercing through the back of the snake¡¯s neck¡­it clamped down.


    The python¡¯s fangs clamped down on my arm¡­while my arm and sword were still inside of it.


    I screamed out in pain. The pythons fangs were just barely strong enough to pierce through my tough skin and the poison from its fangs mixed in with my blood.


    <table><tbody><tr><td>Damaged Left Arm -9 HP. Poison Damage -5 HP every second for ten seconds</td></tr></tbody></table>


    It was excruciating. It was like someone had taken a bottle of liquid fire and poured it into my veins¡­no even worse it was like magma. Really fucking hot magma.


    I shook my arm, but the vigorous python seemed to have some sort of clamping mechanism, because my arm and sword were jammed down its throat.


    The longer it latched itself to my arm the more damage I took from the creature. So I started to punch it wildly, but I wasn¡¯t doing enough damage for it to release its jaw.


    So I took my thumb and jammed it into one of the snake¡¯s eyes. The snake responded by putting even more pressure into its bite.


    The damage and especially the pain was getting to a point were I couldn¡¯t take it anymore.


    I plunged more fingers into its eye socket and ripped the eyeball of the snake completely out of its eye.


    The sound was sickening and the feeling of the mushy innards almost made me empty out my stomach.


    This was the first time I wished the game wasn¡¯t so real.


    The vigorous python unclamped its jaws for just a second and a second was all I needed. I ripped my arm out of its mouth along with my rapier.


    I couldn¡¯t wait for the python to recover so I switched the rapier to my off-hand proceeded to stab the under belly of the snake, while it was suffering from the shock of losing its eye.


    It wasn¡¯t long before the snake fell limp onto the ground. It was still alive, but it had taken so much damage from bleeding out that it was no longer able to move.


    ¡°Let me introduce you to my vigorous python¡­hahaha.¡± I started to feel the effects of the poison getting to my head.


    I whipped out my ¡®vigorous python¡¯ and took a piss on the maimed snake. It wasn¡¯t the most honorable thing to do, but I wanted to someone get back at it for causing me an excruciating amount of pain.


    I walked over to the base of its head and proceeded to stomp on it until it finally died.


    The body of the snake turned greyish in color and it dropped some loot next to it. This was the first time that I was able to receive loot from a monster.


    The horned rabbits had surprisingly not dropped any loot at all, but their bodies hadn¡¯t changed color and they didn¡¯t vanish for a few hours after they were killed.


    The reason for this was unknown to me. I had a theory that the horned rabbits were used in crafting or something like that, but I had no surefire answer.


    I had few flashing blue icons on the side of my screen. Apparently the game had a system were the blue boxes wouldn¡¯t pop up in your face if you were in the middle of battle.


    The system made sense to me¡­if those boxes had popped up when I was fighting the horned rabbits or the vigorous python¡­I might have died.


    <table><tbody><tr><td>Level Up +1</td></tr></tbody></table>


    <table><tbody><tr><td>New Skill: Poison Resistance</td></tr></tbody></table>


    <table><tbody><tr><td>Poison Resistance has a few traits in common with the skill Strong Will. Would you like to combine them?</td></tr></tbody></table>


    I looked at the screen for a few seconds and read over the question. I didn¡¯t know what would happen if I combined the skills. Would I get a completely new skill or would it simple add the effects of my current skills.


    I went back and forth in my mind, but in the end the chance to create a new¡­hopefully more powerful skill was to much for me and I decided to click ¡®Yes¡¯.


    <table><tbody><tr><td>For being the first person to merge two existing skills +5 Wis</td></tr></tbody></table>


    <table><tbody><tr><td width="25%">Skill Name:</td><td width="25%">Skill Rank:</td><td width="25%">Skill Level:</td><td width="25%">Skill Experience:</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Willpower</td><td width="25%">Novice</td><td width="25%">7</td><td width="25%">6%</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>Willpower is an evolutionary skill that empowers the player against overwhelming odds, pressure, and harmful toxins. For every level the player gains +2 Strength and +2 Luck along with 1% increase in poison resistance.</td></tr></tbody></table>


    I was incredibly excited about my new skill and I wanted to put it into action right away, but I had to recover for at least double the amount of time, because of all the damage I took from the python.


    My breathing was heavy and the poisons effects were just about to leave my system. I decided to take a break and continue to work on training my meditation and mana related skills.


    I contemplated the reasons why my last fight was so challenging, while I meditated. I was starting to become way to reliant on my sword skills and stats to kill my enemies.


    I was completely ignoring my class besides the basic renewal buff that I reactivated every ten minutes.


    I needed to come up with more songs or at least more ways to use my voice abilities in battle. I was to focused on fighting my enemies head to head.


    The problem was that I didn¡¯t know how I created my first song. Well I knew the process¡­I just didn¡¯t know how to get a different result.


    Did I have to sing different words or was it based upon the emotions I put into the song that decided the results. Maybe it was the amount of mana that I supplied.


    There were so many unknown factors and I had no one to teach me at the moment. So I just had to experiment.


    I started to meditate¡­the feel of the wind on my face and the sound of the grass bristling back and forth. The more I disconnected from everything else, but nature. The calmer and more relaxed I became.


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    I could feel the mana cycling through my chest and my stomach and with a little coaxing I was able to draw it up to my throat.


    The throat was responsible for all types of voice and song magic. It was almost the part of the seven pathways that was responsible for chanted magic.


    I knew from previous RPG¡¯s that bards could produce numerous different effects just by using the power of their voice or their instrument.


    I decided to try and test out something that I had been thinking about for a while now.


    ¡°The sun. The sun. Is truly bright. Oh, how I wish. How I wish it was night. At night At night. When the humans doth sleep. The night owls will wander and the bugs will creep.¡±


    I felt pretty proud of myself for being able to come up with something on the spur of the moment. My body felt incredibly weak¡­well weaker than it already was. The song that I had charged mana into had seemed to work.


    <table><tbody><tr><td>New Subset Skill: Song of the Slumbering</td></tr></tbody></table>


    I was so excited that I was able to create a new song on the first try that I let out a cry of joy.


    My loud cry attracted a small group of horned rabbits to my location. I look up at them and immediately drew my rapier from its sheath.


    ¡°Fuck.¡± I mouth the word as I dodged the right. It was at full health I would have made short work of these three rabbits, but now that my health was barely up to half¡­I had to focus on dodging.


    I dodged again when the second attack came and then the third. ¡®Did I get faster¡¯ I thought to myself as I easily evaded the rabbits attacks even in my wounded state.


    It took about fifteen minutes for me to chisel away the last of the health of the three rabbits. I knew I could have done a better job if I wasn¡¯t still recovering, but for some reason the process seemed to easy.


    A light bulb went off in my head. ¡°It couldn¡¯t be¡­could it?¡± I opened my skill information list.


    ¡°Description: Song of the Slumbering.¡±


    <table><tbody><tr><td width="25%">Skill Name:</td><td width="25%">Skill Rank:</td><td width="25%">Skill Level:</td><td width="25%">Skill Experience:</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Song of the Slumbering</td><td width="25%">Novice</td><td width="25%">1</td><td width="25%">3%</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>Song of the Slumbering is a unique song that is used by the Trilushan Bards of the North.  Opponents ten levels or higher receive a 5% reduction in maneuverability. Opponents within ten levels receive a reduction in 10% maneuverability. And opponents that are below ten levels get put to sleep. Cost 200 Mana</td></tr></tbody></table>


    My eyes widened when I saw the description. I wanted to create some sort of song that had the ability to put my enemies to sleep, but this is more than what I could have hoped for.


    The amount of mana it drained was incredibly high. If I used this ability I would basically be out of mana, but if I trained my skills with the rapier more than I would fairly hard to defeat.


    The skills didn¡¯t have a radius or area of effect listed on it¡­so I would have to test it out. See how many enemies it affected and how far the range was. Maybe it would be the range of my voice.


    This skill would allow me to cut down on the maneuverability of the agile creatures that I was hunting. It was time to go on a true killing spree.


    I ran off deeper into the field screaming at the top of my lungs. ¡°I HAVE THE POWER!¡±


    Chapter 8: Status


    <table><tbody><tr><td colspan=''4''>Status Window</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Name:</td><td width="25%">Kai</td><td width="25%">Alignment:</td><td width="25%">Nuetral</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Level:</td><td width="25%">6</td><td width="25%">Class:</td><td width="25%">Bard</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Race:</td><td width="25%">Cherub</td><td width="25%">Gender:</td><td width="25%">Male</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>Titles</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>None</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Fame:</td><td width="25%">70</td><td width="25%">Infamy:</td><td width="25%">1000</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>-</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Health:</td><td width="25%">200 / 200</td><td width="25%">Health Regen:</td><td width="25%">1.5 / Sec</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Mana:</td><td width="25%">250 / 250</td><td width="25%">Mana Regen:</td><td width="25%">2.0 / Sec</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Stamina:</td><td width="25%">350 / 350</td><td width="25%">Stamina Regen:</td><td width="25%">4.0 / Sec</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>-</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Strength:</td><td width="25%">11 (+14)</td><td width="25%">Agility:</td><td width="25%">21</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Vitality:</td><td colspan=''3''>20</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Intelligence:</td><td width="25%">22</td><td width="25%">Wisdom:</td><td width="25%">32</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Endurance:</td><td width="25%">35</td><td width="25%">Luck:</td><td width="25%">0 (+14)</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>-</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Attack:</td><td width="25%">1-2</td><td width="25%">Defense:</td><td width="25%">15 (+24)</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>Physical Resistances</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Slashing:</td><td width="25%">5 (+8)</td><td width="25%">Piercing:</td><td width="25%">5 (+8)</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Crushing:</td><td colspan=''3''>10 (+8)</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>Elemental Resistances</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Fire:</td><td width="25%">10%</td><td width="25%">Water:</td><td width="25%">10%</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Wind:</td><td width="25%">10%</td><td width="25%">Earth:</td><td width="25%">10%</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Light:</td><td width="25%">10%</td><td width="25%">Darkness:</td><td width="25%">10%</td></tr></tbody></table>


    Skills/Abilities:


    <b>Spoiler</b> : <input type=''button'' value=''Show'' class=''spoilerButton''><table><tbody><tr><td>Tough Skin: Novice Lvl 9 (12%)


    Willpower: Novice Lvl 7 (6%)


    Seven Pathways Meditation: Novice Lvl 4 (42%)


    Mana Manipulation: Novice Lvl 5 (33%)


    Voice Manipulation: Novice Lvl 2 (8%)


    Song Manipulation: Novice Lvl 4 (28%)


    -Song of Renewal: Novice Lvl 5 (24%)


    -Song of the Slumbering: Novice Lvl 1 (3%)


    Sword Mastery: Novice Lvl 2 (35%)


    -Rapier Mastery: Novice Lvl 5 (21%)</td></tr></tbody></table>

 Chapter 9: Last Song

    I was currently sitting in the middle of an open field. The corpses of Vigorous Pythons and Horned Rabbits lay scattered around for almost a quarter of a mile.


    My health was dangerously low¡­my blade completely soaked in the blood of the prey I was forced to hunt.


    I was weak and my body was covered in bite marks from head to toe. My head was delirious from all the poison that I had injected into me by the snakes. If it wasn¡¯t for my strong will¡­well I doubt that I would be standing now.


    I had hunted through the night and taken a short break in the morning in order to catch up on my sleep.


    I returned to the game in the early afternoon and continued my restless hunt and now I was standing in a field barren of life, but full of corpses.


    A series of blinking blue lights lit up the side of my vision. I tapped my finger against them and a bunch of boxes appeared.


    <table><tbody><tr><td>Level Up +1</td></tr></tbody></table>


    <table><tbody><tr><td>For accomplishing an amazing feat under level 10. +2 to all stats.</td></tr></tbody></table>


    <table><tbody><tr><td>Level Up. +2</td></tr></tbody></table>


    <table><tbody><tr><td>New Skill: Rapid Thrust</td></tr></tbody></table>


    <table><tbody><tr><td>Level Up. +3</td></tr></tbody></table>


    <table><tbody><tr><td>Quest: Two Types of Farming. Complete.</td></tr></tbody></table>


    I stopped about midway down the list in order to review each of the boxes individually.


    I was pleased at the rate in which I was leveling. I had worked out proper methods and strategies to fight the vigorous pythons and the horned rabbits.


    As soon as I had them down. I was able to grind a lot faster than when I started¡­well with a lot of help from Song of the Slumbering.


    I was especially excited about the new sword skill that I learned. I knew that by not having a fighting or sword related class the rate of acquiring those skills would be slower.


    I zero-ed in on the sword skill and called up a better description. ¡°Description: Rapid Thrust.¡±


    <table><tbody><tr><td width="25%">Skill Name:</td><td width="25%">Skill Rank:</td><td width="25%">Skill Level:</td><td width="25%">Skill Experience:</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Rapid Thrust</td><td width="25%">Novice</td><td width="25%">2</td><td width="25%">13%</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>Rapid Thrust is low tier skill belonging to the piercing style of swordsmanship. It is typically used by those who wield Estocs or Rapiers. By applying mana to the blade to make it lighter the user is able to perform a series of rapid thrusts in the time it takes to perform one. Cost 30 Mana.</td></tr></tbody></table>


    I wasn¡¯t that excited about the name of the skill, but I am a teenager and to me everything seems perverted.


    I took a few deep breaths and felt the tingling sensation of my mana moving from my chest to the tip of my left arm.


    It left the through the ends of my fingers and almost seemed to soak into my blade. I performed a few quick thrusts and felt like there was no resistance at all.


    It was almost like someone had turned the gravity off or stopped the wind from blowing all so I could thrust my rapier forward.


    I felt like a true musketeer. I sheathed the rapier by my side and continued to peruse through the multitude of blue boxes that were left.


    I had received a huge boost in my manipulation skills, especially Song Manipulation, because of how many times I had to spam Song of the Slumbering and Song of Renewal in the past two days.


    The rest of my skills had a few small boosts here and their. One of my skills even managed to break through the novice rank and hit intermediate.


    <table><tbody><tr><td>Tough Skin has reached Novice Lvl 10 and has become Intermediate Lvl 1</td></tr></tbody></table>


    I was curious about the changes to the skill. I knew from my master that skills got slightly more powerful when they broke through the bottleneck and reached the next stage¡­whether they were E-skills or not.


    <table><tbody><tr><td width="25%">Skill Name:</td><td width="25%">Skill Rank:</td><td width="25%">Skill Level:</td><td width="25%">Skill Experience:</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Tough Skin</td><td width="25%">Intermediate</td><td width="25%">1</td><td width="25%">14%</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>Tough Skin is an evolutionary skill that isn¡¯t acquired by the feint of heart. For every level the player gains +3 Defense and +1 to Physical Resistances. Can apply mana to temporarily increase defense by 5%. Cost 45 Mana.</td></tr></tbody></table>


    Tough Skin was one of the two evolutionary skills that I learned directly from my master.


    If I steadily level these skills then I will be able to tank alongside even the most well armored warriors.


    The rest of the messages were details about loot that I had picked up and a few small increases in my skills.


    I only cared about the money for the most part. The rest of the loot was low quality and I would sell it the moment I got back to town.


    Speaking of quality. I looked down at the beginner garb that I was still sporting thanks to being kidnapped by Gor¡¯thak almost a week ago.


    The only fancy thing I had was the Swift Iron Rapier and the leather belt and sheath that was holding my sword in place¡­and even they were about to break because of the massive amount of grinding I was forced to do.


    I had about¡­4 gold 67 silver and 94 copper. I didn¡¯t know whether or not this would be considered a lot of money to a low level adventurer.


    The system was rather self-explanatory. I had figured it out by collecting loot. 100 copper coins equaled 1 silver coin and 100 silver coins equaled 1 gold coin.


    I didn¡¯t know if Ethaessa had a standard of currency above gold, but I wasn¡¯t going to find out for a long time if I continued to use the same strategy of¡­wait and see.


    I walked to the edge of the field were my master originally dropped me off. I looked around in the forest to if Gor¡¯thak was waiting for me.


    I couldn¡¯t find him. So I decided to wait¡­and that lasted about ten minutes until I decided to find my own way back.


    I could figure out the general direction of the cottage, because of the way Gor¡¯thak had travelled before.


    The field was owned by one of Gor¡¯thaks friends. I presumed the farmer was a cherub given the fact that Gor¡¯thak was the protector of these lands.


    Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.


    The distance couldn¡¯t have been more than a few miles¡­


    I couldn¡¯t of been more wrong. Ten miles later I could finally make out the old stone ruins in the distance.


    I was always a fan of hiking and being out in nature, but not to that extent. I could feel my clothes sticking to my skin, because of the amount of sweat I was producing.


    I grumbled under my breath. I had cursed my unreasonable master the whole way back. ¡®That man should just drop fuckin¡¯ dead.¡¯ I thought to myself.


    On the inside I knew that I wasn¡¯t that mad about the walk. I was mad about not being able to turn the quest in right away and getting the rewards.


    I was so excited when I finished the quest, but after so many hours of walking my spirits had greatly diminished.


    Finally I reached the open clearing. The back of the wooden cottage could be seen only a few meters away.


    I could hear the sound of the trickling water¡­it was a sound that put me at ease. No matter how fuming I was.


    I circled around the cabin and noticed that the hammock in front of the cottage had someone sleeping inside of it.


    ¡°Hohoho.¡± I silently laughed as I took a few steps back and retreated back to the pond.


    I grabbed the wooden bucket that was lying next to the pond. It was used to bring fresh water in for cooking and the like.


    Dipping the bucket into the pond I filled it up with water and crept around the house to were my master was sleeping in the hammock.


    I silently stalked up behind him and poured the bucket of water over his face. I tossed the bucket to the side and began running in the opposite direction. ¡°Haha¡­finally gotten my revenge.¡±


    I turned around expecting to see my master¡¯s angry face, but I was greeted with¡­nothing.


    ¡®Was that not enough to wake him up.¡¯ I thought to myself as I retraced my steps back to the hammock.


    Gor¡¯thaks eyes were still closed and the water was slowly trickling down his face.


    I grabbed the side of the hammock and shook it gently. Then I shook it hard. I finally ended up smacking my master in the head.


    He didn¡¯t respond.


    ¡°Master¡­.WAKE UP!¡± I yelled in his ear, releasing all my pent up frustration.


    He didn¡¯t respond.


    ¡°WAKE UPPPPP!¡± I yelled again¡­this time much louder.


    He didn¡¯t respond.


    I finally resorted to my master¡¯s favorite war cry. Using my mana to enhance my voice.


    ¡°GOOOR¡¯THAKKKKK!¡±


    He didn¡¯t respond.


    My vision started to get blurry and I touched my face. ¡®That¡¯s odd.¡¯ I thought. My face was all wet.


    ¡®When did my face get wet?¡¯ I thought to myself. ¡®Did I spill some of the water on myself.¡¯


    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s raining¡­yeah its got to be rain.¡± I looked up at the sky. It was a clear blue day.


    That was the last straw¡­my mind crumpled. I was unable to feed my denial any longer.


    Gor¡¯thak was dead¡­my master was gone¡­and I was lost.


    Chapter 9: Status


    <table><tbody><tr><td colspan=''4''>Status Window</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Name:</td><td width="25%">Kai</td><td width="25%">Alignment:</td><td width="25%">Nuetral</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Level:</td><td width="25%">12</td><td width="25%">Class:</td><td width="25%">Bard</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Race:</td><td width="25%">Cherub</td><td width="25%">Gender:</td><td width="25%">Male</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>Titles</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>None</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Fame:</td><td width="25%">70</td><td width="25%">Infamy:</td><td width="25%">1000</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>-</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Health:</td><td width="25%">250 / 250</td><td width="25%">Health Regen:</td><td width="25%">2.0 / Sec</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Mana:</td><td width="25%">300 / 300</td><td width="25%">Mana Regen:</td><td width="25%">2.5 / Sec</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Stamina:</td><td width="25%">400 / 400</td><td width="25%">Stamina Regen:</td><td width="25%">4.5 / Sec</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>-</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Strength:</td><td width="25%">23 (+18)</td><td width="25%">Agility:</td><td width="25%">28</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Vitality:</td><td colspan=''3''>27</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Intelligence:</td><td width="25%">29</td><td width="25%">Wisdom:</td><td width="25%">39</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Endurance:</td><td width="25%">42</td><td width="25%">Luck:</td><td width="25%">2 (+18)</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>-</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Attack:</td><td width="25%">1-2</td><td width="25%">Defense:</td><td width="25%">15 (+42)</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>Physical Resistances</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Slashing:</td><td width="25%">10 (+14)</td><td width="25%">Piercing:</td><td width="25%">10 (+14)</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Crushing:</td><td colspan=''3''>15 (+14)</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>Elemental Resistances</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Fire:</td><td width="25%">10%</td><td width="25%">Water:</td><td width="25%">10%</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Wind:</td><td width="25%">10%</td><td width="25%">Earth:</td><td width="25%">10%</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Light:</td><td width="25%">10%</td><td width="25%">Darkness:</td><td width="25%">10%</td></tr></tbody></table>


    Skills/Abilities:


    <b>Spoiler</b> : <input type=''button'' value=''Show'' class=''spoilerButton''><table><tbody><tr><td>Tough Skin: Intermediate Lvl 1 (14%)


    Willpower: Novice Lvl 9 (31%)


    Seven Pathways Meditation: Novice Lvl 5 (82%)


    Mana Manipulation: Novice Lvl 7 (23%)


    Voice Manipulation: Novice Lvl 3 (51%)


    Song Manipulation: Novice Lvl 6 (78%)


    -Song of Renewal: Novice Lvl 8 (24%)


    -Song of the Slumbering: Novice Lvl 3 (33%)


    Sword Mastery: Novice Lvl 3 (35%)


    -Rapier Mastery: Novice Lvl 8 (11%)


    +Rapid Thrust: Novice Lvl 2 (13%)</td></tr></tbody></table>

 Chapter 10: Eunuch Khan

    *Clink*  *Clink*  *Clink*


    The sound of a metal shovel digging into the ground. The tip of the shovel kept pressing into the rocks underneath the surface.


    A solemn faced young man was standing in a grave that was only a few feet deep.


    The young mans face was puffy and his eyes were bloodshot from shedding to many tears.


    I had been digging for hours¡­the sound of the shovel smashing into the rocks¡­the wind rustling the trees¡­the atmosphere was too calm.


    ¡°He fucking died¡­He really died.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t believe it actually happened. My master was dead. Every time I thought the word my body seemed to tense up.


    Gor¡¯thak was¡­well Gor¡¯thak. I couldn¡¯t even fathom anything killing that man.


    I had only known the man for a week and he already held a place in my heart. Gor¡¯thak was my future goal.


    I believed that he was the strongest man alive. He was the conqueror. The hero¡­no the savior of my race.


    ¡°Gaaahhhhh!¡± I yelled.


    I picked up the shovel and smashed it into the ground over and over again. Digging this grave was the only way he was able to vent his frustration.


    <table><tbody><tr><td>For digging a deep hole. +1 Str, Vit, and End</td></tr></tbody></table>


    I looked up at the message that popped up in front of my eyes. ¡®This game is mocking me.¡¯ I thought.


    I swung my shovel at the blue box, but nothing happened. The shovel merely slid through the imaginary box and hit the ground below.


    When I picked the tool back up and tossed it to the side of the grave the dirt had a small indent the size of the shovels tip.


    Maneuvering my way over to the edge of the hole I pressed my foot against the dirt wall and pushed myself up and onto the field.


    Gor¡¯thaks body was wrapped up in some sheets I found inside of his cottage.


    I stared down at the unmoving mass. If I pretended for second I could almost hear his annoying voice.


    The stupid way he never used ¡®I¡¯ and how he referred to himself in the third person all the time.


    I had so many things that I hated about him¡­so many things.


    I hated the way he thought he was the most important and the most powerful person in the world.


    I hated the way he trained me by going above and beyond¡­beating the shit out of me.


    I hated the way he treated me like an incompetent idiot.


    I hate¡­I hate¡­I hate that he died without saying goodbye.


    I hate that he left me all alone.


    ¡°Come back, please.¡± I pleaded with the lifeless mummy as I kneeled down beside it.


    I stared at the wrapped up corpse for a few minutes before finally giving up. My master wasn¡¯t coming back¡­he was gone.


    Picking up the Gor¡¯thaks body I hauled him over to the edge of the grave and dropped him in the hole.


    I didn¡¯t have any fancy electronic mechanism to lower him gracefully into the grave and he was dead so I figured he would forgive me.


    The shovel felt lighter than it was before. I couldn¡¯t figure out why, but with each clump of dirt I tossed into the grave the lighter it became.


    Soon the hole was nothing but a memory as I patted down the mound of dirt with the tip of my shovel.


    I sat in front of my master¡¯s grave. I hadn¡¯t yet found a stone of piece of wood to serve as a marker. That was something I would go about finding later.


    Now that the hole was finished I had no way to vent my pent up rage and frustration.


    I needed to focus on something, but the only goal I had in front of me was way to long term.


    I needed to become a lot stronger in order to take on the Verathan King and his soldiers.


    ¡®Meditation¡¯ The thought popped into my mind.


    The seven pathways meditation had always made me feel calmer and more relaxed. That was exactly what I needed.


    I took a deep breath and focused on the sounds around me. The rush of the wind as it exited the dense forest and soared to freedom across the dense field in front of my master¡¯s cottage.


    My mind started to quiet down as it was lulled into a state of meditation. I could feel my worries starting to wash away.


    A thought popped up in my head¡­more like an image. It was a picture of my Gor¡¯thaks lifeless body the first time I found him.


    <table><tbody><tr><td>Damaged Soul -50 HP</td></tr></tbody></table>


    I let out a muffled cry as I felt the pain in my chest. It was unlike any pain that I had ever felt in my life.


    My soul was literally crying out in pain.


    I knew that I had made some mistake somewhere in my meditation to have caused such significant damage.


    I needed to meditate though¡­I needed the calmness it provided.


    Taking another deep breath I focused on the sounds around me and on the swaying trees that I could see a few hundred feet in front of me.


    I descended deeper and deeper into my meditative state, but the longer I meditated the more ugly raging emotions and horrid pictures would pop up.


    <table><tbody><tr><td>Damaged Soul -75 HP</td></tr></tbody></table>


    There has to be a way to do this. To break through and stop the thoughts form interrupting my trance.


    I focused on the sounds around me with all my might. I strained my senses to the max.


    I flooded my mana to the uppermost point in the seven pathways.


    Suddenly I could hear farther than I could before¡­the leaves on the tree¡¯s had so much more detail.


    The world around me became so much clearer to me and for the briefest of moments I forgot about everything¡­.my master¡­my grief¡­everything.


    <table><tbody><tr><td>For taking continuous soul damage you have been knocked unconscious - 30 Minutes.</td></tr></tbody></table>


    I felt my body go limp and fall to the ground. I was cast out of Ethaessa and woke up in the black void that served as the border between the real world and the fake one.


    I couldn¡¯t bring myself to get out of my pod. The blackness of the void felt oddly comforting to me.


    My master left me alone, but in the void I was truly alone. No was around to see me cry or laugh¡­or just sit in silence.


    Thirty minutes had passed fairly quickly. Soon I heard the familiar dinging noise that alerted me that I could now log back in.


    <table><tbody><tr><td>Welcome to Ethaessa</td></tr></tbody></table>


    The window popped up like a light in the midst of the valley of darkness. It pulled me out of my emotional stupor.


    I lifted my hand slowly and pressed my finger against the ¡®Log In¡¯ button that was right below the welcome icon.


    I felt a sharp pain in my chest as my avatar came to life. Apparently, I had not completely recovered from the massive damage I had taken to my soul.


    I stood up slowly and looked around¡­the area was filled with a massive amount of people.


    I could barely see a few feet in front of me. Hundreds¡­maybe even thousands of Cherubim were gathered on the field.


    I stumbled forward towards my masters grave, but ended up being blocked by several Cherubs.


    ¡°Wait your turn youngling.¡± ¡°No cutting in line.¡± ¡°Who the hell are you.¡±


    Being greeted by so many different voices made me really want to know what was going on. When I had been knocked out I was alone, but now that I was back it was almost like all the Cherubim had come to invade my space.


    I tried to weave my way around and make my way to the grave, but I blocked at every turn. I started to get really pissed off.


    I just wanted to finish Gor¡¯thaks gravestone and get the hell out of here so I could forget.


    Someone bumped into my shoulder. ¡°Watch it, kid.¡± I heard the mans voice, but all I felt was my anger rise another few notches of the scale and turn into full-fledged rage.


    I grabbed my hands to my head and inhaled the largest amount of air that my stomach could hold and then I screamed.


    ¡°KAIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!¡±


    My voice was like thunder as it scared the crap out of everyone in a hundred foot radius.


    ¡°Get out of the way and let me get to my master¡¯s grave.¡± I called out.


    The cherubs around him started to move back and clear a path and I walked the short distance to the mound of dirt that was sticking out of the ground.


    Beside the mound of dirt was a group of flying cherubs. They all were the size of children, but had the faces of old men and woman.


    The group of older men and one woman turned to stare at me. ¡°You dare interrupt the sacred burial of our savior.¡± The most senile of the men yelled.


    ¡°You dare trample on the ground of my masters grave¡­get the fuck out of here. All of you.¡± I retorted.


    I older woman with wings turned to calm the senile looking man down. ¡°Kah¡¯zar!¡± She chastised the man.


    ¡°This is Gor¡¯thaks apprentice¡­did you forget already. He told us he was passing down his mantle to the next generation at the last council meeting.¡± She reigned the old man in.


    ¡°Ah. I forgot about that. What would I do without you Fei¡¯dra.¡± The old woman blushed and turned away.


    ¡°Gor¡¯thak must have not told you about us. We are the council that governs all of the cherubs within the Ruins of Nulia. We came to perform the proper burial rights so that your masters soul could rest in peace.¡± A man named Gul¡¯drac explained the situation to me.


    Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.


    After hearing the mans words I started to feel a bit better. My boiling rage went down a few notches¡­back to the pissed off state I was in before I fell unconscious.


    I took a few steps back and tried to blend in with the crowd, but the crowd around me stepped back as well¡­so I gave up on trying to meld.


    The ceremony took about an hour or so. It felt like minutes to me, because the only thing on my mind was the picture of Gor¡¯thaks body when I found him.


    The four members of the council approached me when the ceremony was coming to an end. They knew I was a bard from a brief chat they had with Gor¡¯thak before he died and they wanted me to sing a song to mark the end of their savior¡¯s funeral.


    I nodded my head up and down, but on the inside I was in a state of turmoil. My mind was in complete chaos and I didn¡¯t know what I should sing to convey what I was feeling.


    I didn¡¯t want to release the pure anger that was pulsing through my blood in a song in front of all these cherubs.


    A thought popped into my head¡­I didn¡¯t have to create every song that I sang as a bard. I could pull some songs from the modern world.


    So I decided to take a song that I heard at my grandfather¡¯s funeral. It was a fairly popular song in my world, but here it would probably be the first time any of them heard it.


    ¡°Well I heard there was a secret cord that david played and it pleased the lord¡­¡±


    I didn¡¯t know if the song was to religious or if the words didn¡¯t fit, but to me it was a calming and beautiful song.


    I enhanced my voice by using my mana. Thousands of Cherubim stood around me in silence as I sang.


    I sang out the song in its entirety¡­each and every verse. It wasn¡¯t until I finished the song that I could hear the sound of people weeping.


    I turned in a complete circle. Men were comforting their wives and struggling not to cry themselves, while the children simply expressed their grief openly.


    <table><tbody><tr><td>New Subset Skill: Song of Sorrow</td></tr></tbody></table>


    Waving the the window away I took a second glance at the people that surrounded me.


    I was not the only one that my master left behind¡­all of the cherubs shared a strong love for the man. To them it was as if they lost a family member.


    ¡°It is a wondrous sight is it not? I tend to be cynical most of the time and think that people are beyond redemption, but then I stumble across something like this.¡±


    I jumped in the air, because I was caught off guard. I turned to look at the most fascinating creature I had ever seen.


    It was a woman¡­or at least what I thought was a woman. The person had long black flowing hair and the eyes of a cat. She was tall and her skin was covered in black scales in some places and skin in others. In the center of her forehead was single white horn¡­very reminiscent of a unicorn.


    ¡°Yes it is a beautiful sight. To see that he was so admired.¡± I exclaimed softly.


    I was about to turn away from her before she grabbed my neck and forced me to stare directly into her eyes.


    ¡°You¡­Kai. Apprentice to Gor¡¯thak have shown true understanding of what it means to be a Bard.¡± She reached up with her hand jammed it into the center of my chest.


    I started to let out a scream, but I felt no pain. It was almost like she was not even touching me.


    I could feel a tinging sensation in my chest¡­like she was grabbing on to my soul. ¡°Your master wished me to allow you to take the ascension test after your training was complete, but unfortunately he is dead.¡±


    ¡°So I came early to inform you where you could find me once you had trained more, but I stumbled upon your little song.¡± The horned woman spoke quickly.


    ¡°Creating your own song is the first step in ascending to the second order, but manifesting true emotion in your song is the next step to reach the third order. So I am at an impasse¡­¡± She looked into my eyes as if she was studying my entire being.


    ¡°It is rather to improper to awaken someone so untrained¡­but my heart is telling me that it must be done.¡±


    The woman produced a tremendous amount of mana before she sent a large pulse of light out of her body and into mine.


    ¡°Come find me in the future¡­youngling Kai. I am the Saint Order Caretaker¡­Eunuch Khan.¡±


    <table><tbody><tr><td>Ascension ¨C 2nd Order</td></tr></tbody></table>


    <table><tbody><tr><td>Ascension ¨C 3rd Order</td></tr></tbody></table>


    Pages and pages of blue boxes berated me and the woman disappeared. ¡°Huh!?¡±


    Chapter 10: Status


    <table><tbody><tr><td colspan=''4''>Status Window</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Name:</td><td width="25%">Kai</td><td width="25%">Alignment:</td><td width="25%">Nuetral</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Level:</td><td width="25%">12</td><td width="25%">Class:</td><td width="25%">Bard</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Race:</td><td width="25%">Cherub</td><td width="25%">Gender:</td><td width="25%">Male</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>Titles</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>None</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Fame:</td><td width="25%">70</td><td width="25%">Infamy:</td><td width="25%">1000</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>-</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Health:</td><td width="25%">250 / 250</td><td width="25%">Health Regen:</td><td width="25%">2.0 / Sec</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Mana:</td><td width="25%">300 / 300</td><td width="25%">Mana Regen:</td><td width="25%">2.5 / Sec</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Stamina:</td><td width="25%">400 / 400</td><td width="25%">Stamina Regen:</td><td width="25%">4.5 / Sec</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>-</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Strength:</td><td width="25%">24 (+18)</td><td width="25%">Agility:</td><td width="25%">28</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Vitality:</td><td colspan=''3''>28</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Intelligence:</td><td width="25%">29</td><td width="25%">Wisdom:</td><td width="25%">39</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Endurance:</td><td width="25%">43</td><td width="25%">Luck:</td><td width="25%">2 (+18)</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>-</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Attack:</td><td width="25%">10-15</td><td width="25%">Defense:</td><td width="25%">15 (+42)</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>Physical Resistances</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Slashing:</td><td width="25%">10 (+14)</td><td width="25%">Piercing:</td><td width="25%">10 (+14)</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Crushing:</td><td colspan=''3''>15 (+14)</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>Elemental Resistances</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Fire:</td><td width="25%">10%</td><td width="25%">Water:</td><td width="25%">10%</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Wind:</td><td width="25%">10%</td><td width="25%">Earth:</td><td width="25%">10%</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Light:</td><td width="25%">10%</td><td width="25%">Darkness:</td><td width="25%">10%</td></tr></tbody></table>


    Skills/Abilities:


    <b>Spoiler</b> : <input type=''button'' value=''Show'' class=''spoilerButton''><table><tbody><tr><td>Tough Skin: Intermediate Lvl 1 (14%)


    Willpower: Novice Lvl 9 (31%)


    Seven Pathways Meditation: Novice Lvl 6 (18%)


    Mana Manipulation: Novice Lvl 7 (43%)


    Voice Manipulation: Novice Lvl 4 (5%)


    Song Manipulation: Novice Lvl 7 (37%)


    -Song of Renewal: Novice Lvl 8 (24%)


    -Song of the Slumbering: Novice Lvl 3 (33%)


    -Song of Sorrow: Novice Lvl 1 (2%)


    Sword Mastery: Novice Lvl 3 (35%)


    -Rapier Mastery: Novice Lvl 8 (11%)


    +Rapid Thrust: Novice Lvl 2 (13%)</td></tr></tbody></table>

 Chapter 11: The Entertainers Guild

    Pages and pages of blue boxes berated me and the woman disappeared. ¡°Huh!?¡±


    <table><tbody><tr><td>For ascending to the 2nd Order. +5 to all stats.</td></tr></tbody></table>


    <table><tbody><tr><td>For ascending to the 3rd Order. +10 to all stats.</td></tr></tbody></table>


    <table><tbody><tr><td>For being the first person to ascend to the 2nd Order. +5 Luck.</td></tr></tbody></table>


    <table><tbody><tr><td>For being the first person to ascend to the 3rd Order. +10 Luck.</td></tr></tbody></table>


    <table><tbody><tr><td>For being the first person to evolve a skill. +2 to all skills.</td></tr></tbody></table>


    My entire screen was filled up with blue boxes¡­I felt like I was a level 1 character that got someone magically boosted to level 90.


    The funny part was I was only halfway down the list. I had only read through the stat boosts. I hadn¡¯t yet gotten to the skill evolutions.


    I closed a few of the messages so that I could continue reading on¡­


    <table><tbody><tr><td>The skill [Tough Skin] has evolved into [Hard Skin].</td></tr></tbody></table>


    <table><tbody><tr><td>The skill [Hard Skin] has evolved into [Iron Skin].</td></tr></tbody></table>


    <table><tbody><tr><td>The skill [Willpower] has evolved into [Willpower II].</td></tr></tbody></table>


    <table><tbody><tr><td>The skill [Willpower II] has evolved into [Willpower III].</td></tr></tbody></table>


    I was psyched to see the progress of my two evolutionary skills. The excitement was almost enough to make me feel happy.


    I wasn¡¯t completely happy though. I would have been ecstatic if I was made this advancement while my master was still alive.


    He would have said something like. ¡®Why is baby so happy about becoming a stronger baby¡­Gor¡¯thak thinks you should be happy when you become a man.¡¯


    I laughed at my own impression of my master. My master was most likely a kind and generous man¡­given the amount of people that showed up at his funeral.


    I bet he reserved most of his ridiculous behavior for people he truly cared for¡­or at least I hope so.


    I shook my head from side to side in order to pull myself out of my self-imposed stupor.


    The skills that I had evolved most likely had some unique upgrades that would help me out in the future. So I decided to take a good look at their descriptions.


    ¡°Description: Iron Skin. Willpower III.¡±


    <table><tbody><tr><td width="25%">Skill Name:</td><td width="25%">Skill Rank:</td><td width="25%">Skill Level:</td><td width="25%">Skill Experience:</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Iron Skin</td><td width="25%">Intermediate</td><td width="25%">3</td><td width="25%">14%</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>Tough Skin is an evolutionary skill that isn¡¯t acquired by the feint of heart. For every level the player gains +5 Defense and +3 to Physical Resistances. Can apply mana to temporarily increase defense by 15%. Cost 45 Mana.</td></tr></tbody></table>


    <table><tbody><tr><td width="25%">Skill Name:</td><td width="25%">Skill Rank:</td><td width="25%">Skill Level:</td><td width="25%">Skill Experience:</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Willpower III</td><td width="25%">Intermediate</td><td width="25%">2</td><td width="25%">31%</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>Willpower is an evolutionary skill that empowers the player against overwhelming odds, pressure, and harmful toxins. For every level the player gains +4 Strength and +4 Luck along with 3% increase in poison resistance and stronger resistance against mental status effects.</td></tr></tbody></table>


    The additional stat bonuses were a nice add-on. I could probably be a tank for most parties for the next forty levels or so until everyone catches up.


    I studied the first skill Iron Skin. It seems that everytime the skill goes through an evolution the mana defense aspect of the skill increases by 5%.


    The defense and physical resistances merely went up by one stat point per level, but when they stacked up it would start to become an enormous amount of defensive capability.


    Willpower III was also becoming a hugely beneficial skill. I not only had poison resistance now, but I had resistance against mental status effects like fear and confusion.


    The stat increase was the same as my Iron Skin skill. I was beginning to think that might be a pattern of some sort.


    The stat related parts of skills would increase by 1. I couldn¡¯t find a pattern for anything else, because I didn¡¯t have enough evolutionary skills to compare them to.


    I would need to visit the Bard Guild within the ruins and pick up a few more class-related e-skills.


    Outside of my classes guild I didn¡¯t think evolutionary skills would be that easy to obtain. The two skills I currently had¡­well I had to get the shit kicked out of me for a long time to obtain them.


    I waved my hand to the side and kept the rest of the boxes for later. I didn¡¯t want to be rude for just standing around and doing nothing at the end of my masters funeral.


    The moment I pushed the boxes into the icon at the side of my vision I noticed that all of the thousands of Cherubim citizens were gone.


    I spun around¡­they were all really gone. I walked closer to the grave, which was now a pile of thousands of flowers.


    On the otherside of the pile of flowers was a man kneeling in front of my master¡¯s grave.


    ¡°Hello.¡± I exclaimed softly. I recognized this man as one of the council members. He seemed to the youngest of the five.


    The man turned his head slightly and looked up at me with solemn eyes.


    ¡°Good evening, Kai¡¯Thak.¡± The man stood up and gestured for me to follow him.


    ¡°Wait¡­Thak?¡± I was curious why he was using the same surname my master had in reference to me.


    ¡°Ah, I forget that you are still new to are ways even though you are the next Thak.¡± The man laughed as he spoke.


    ¡°Thak is an honorary title given to those who stand as protectors to our people. Most races would call them warriors or soldiers, but to our people who lack physical prowess the title equates to that of a lord or master.¡±


    This was the first that I had heard of it¡­I thought it was just my masters last name. I nodded my head as he spoke in order to show him that I was listening.


    ¡°Gor¡¯thak used to be known as Gor¡¯drac. He is a distant cousin of mine and we used to be¡­well we¡¯ve always been good friends. My name is Gul¡¯drac by the way. In case I forgot to mention that.¡±


    ¡°In any case I stayed behind and waited for everyone to leave for several reasons. I needed to pay my respects to my friend and I needed to give you the rewards for cleaning up my new farming field¡­¡±


    <table><tbody><tr><td>Congratulations for completing your first quest. Rewards: +1500 EXP and increased relationship with farmers. +50 Fame. -50 Infamy.</td></tr></tbody></table>


    ¡°Wow¡­thanks. I was starting to think that this quest would go uncompleted.¡± I was actually hoping that I wouldn¡¯t be able to complete it.


    It was a nice reminder of the last task that his master had given to him and now when he checked it questing screen¡­nothing appeared.


    <table><tbody><tr><td>Level Up +2</td></tr></tbody></table>


    But no matter how depressed I was about losing the quest reminder the increase in level and experience wasn¡¯t bad.


    The middle-aged Gul¡¯drac and I walked through the forest for a few minutes before we could see the edge of town¡­or well the ruins.


    ¡°I should be the one thanking you. It would have taken quite a few spell casters to route out the infestation that was invading that field, but you managed to clear it out within just two days by yourself. It would have made Gor¡¯thak proud.¡±


    I covered my face as the man spoke. I didn¡¯t want him to see me in case I started crying again. Muttering something about having allergies to him we walked in through the gates of the town.


    ¡°Now that the funeral is over I should be on my way. Between being the head of the Agriculture Guild and being on the council I have a lot of work to do. Being the youngest in the group doesn¡¯t help much either.¡±


    The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    He turned to me and placed his hand on my shoulder.


    ¡°Is their anything you need before I go? Info¡­tips¡­you name it. Knowing Gor¡¯thak he probably dragged you out to his cabin and started beating the shit out of you and called it training.¡±


    I shivered at how perfectly the man was able to pinpoint what happened. ¡®So that violent superior personality must be real.¡¯ I thought to myself with a smile.


    ¡°I was hoping to find the Bard Guild in order to advance and learn a few more skills. I was also hoping to find some type of library.¡± I spoke quietly about what was on my mind.


    Gul¡¯drac scratched his beard while he was still floating in the air¡­the sight reminded him a little of his master.


    ¡°Hmm¡­well we don¡¯t have a Bard Guild per se in Nulia, but we do have what most of the small towns have. It¡¯s called the Entertainers Guild. You won¡¯t find a guild that¡¯s completely committed to Bards unless you travel to a large city¡­most likely one of the capitals. You should still be able to find a few experienced Bards here though. We are known for our talented voices.¡±


    I nodded and shook the mans hand. ¡°Stop by anytime if you need any help.¡± The man said as we walked off in different directions, before I realized that he forgot to give me directions the two of us had already lost sight of each other.


    The only choice I was left with was to ask around. So I ended up having to ask a few peddlers that I passed by on the streets.


    A few minutes and quite a bit of coppers later. I managed to navigate my way to the entrance to the Entertainers Guild in Nulia.


    I pushed my way in through the twin wooden doors and walked inside. The place didn¡¯t seem to resemble a traditional guildhall in the least.


    It looked more like a tavern than a place of study. There were many tables strewn all around the room. The place was about half filled with people drinking mead and eating to their hearts content.


    In the distance I noticed that there was a stage with the curtains drawn and beside it was an assortment of musical instruments in different sized cases.


    I searched around and found an alcove with a large wooden desk. Behind that desk was a beautiful young woman. She was a mixed breed Cherub; resembling an elf more than the baby faced purebloods.


    I was a little embarrassed to talk to such a pretty girl¡­she even had the same color blonde hair as Gwen. Just the thought of her made my heart jump in my chest.


    Finally mustering up the courage I strolled on over and stood in front of the wooden desk. ¡°Ehem.¡± I coughed absent-mindedly¡­well I wanted to get her attention without speaking.


    She looked up at me with a curious gaze, before a light of recognition crossed her face.


    ¡°The young Thak. It¡¯s a pleasure to have you grace us with your presence in our humble guildhall.¡±


    I was a little taken aback by the overly polite way she was speaking to me, but it could have been worse¡­she could have told me off right away.


    ¡°I was just looking to know a little more about the guild. I have an interest in the entertaining arts. Maybe acquire a few skills.¡±


    The girl went form overly polite to menacing in a matter of two seconds. ¡°You want to ¡®acquire a few skills¡¯.¡± She put air-quotes around the words.


    ¡°Being an entertainer takes commitment and practice¡­you can¡¯t just waltz in here and acquire a few skills just because of a passing interest. And what the hell does a Thak want with entertaining skills¡­¡± At this point she was practically yelling at me and I didn¡¯t know what to do or say.


    I was about to apologize until a man came fluttering over. He was an older man, but for some reason his face was familiar.


    ¡°Now now, Rea¡¯zar. Your distracting from the performance that¡¯s about to come on.¡± The man chastised the beautiful girl.


    ¡°I believe we met before at the funeral young Thak. I was wondering when you were going to pay my humble establishment a visit. An aspiring young Bard like yourself has a lot to learn from here.¡± The man started to fly back towards the stage, while waving his hand over his shoulder as if he was telling me to follow after him and sit down.


    I tried to recall the mans name¡­he was so familiar. ¡®Kah¡¯zar.¡¯ I thought finally. He was the rude man who yelled at me at my master¡¯s funeral.


    I think Kah¡¯zar wanted me to watch the performance that was about to come on. He said I had a lot to learn. I turned back to look at Rea and she was slightly red faced from being publicly chastised. She was definitely beautiful, but maybe a little¡­bipolar.


    Shaking the thoughts of her out of my head I turned to watch the show¡­


    Chapter 11: Status


    <table><tbody><tr><td colspan=''4''>Status Window</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Name:</td><td width="25%">Kai</td><td width="25%">Alignment:</td><td width="25%">Neutral</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Level:</td><td width="25%">14</td><td width="25%">Class:</td><td width="25%">Bard</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Race:</td><td width="25%">Cherub</td><td width="25%">Gender:</td><td width="25%">Male</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>Titles</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>None</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Fame:</td><td width="25%">120</td><td width="25%">Infamy:</td><td width="25%">950</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>-</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Health:</td><td width="25%">400 / 400</td><td width="25%">Health Regen:</td><td width="25%">3.5 / Sec</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Mana:</td><td width="25%">450 / 450</td><td width="25%">Mana Regen:</td><td width="25%">4.0 / Sec</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Stamina:</td><td width="25%">550 / 550</td><td width="25%">Stamina Regen:</td><td width="25%">6.0 / Sec</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>-</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Strength:</td><td width="25%">39 (+44)</td><td width="25%">Agility:</td><td width="25%">43</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Vitality:</td><td colspan=''3''>43</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Intelligence:</td><td width="25%">49</td><td width="25%">Wisdom:</td><td width="25%">54</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Endurance:</td><td width="25%">63</td><td width="25%">Luck:</td><td width="25%">32 (+44)</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>-</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Attack:</td><td width="25%">10-15</td><td width="25%">Defense:</td><td width="25%">25 (+65)</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>Physical Resistances</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Slashing:</td><td width="25%">15 (+39)</td><td width="25%">Piercing:</td><td width="25%">15 (+39)</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Crushing:</td><td colspan=''3''>20 (+39)</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>Elemental Resistances</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Fire:</td><td width="25%">10%</td><td width="25%">Water:</td><td width="25%">10%</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Wind:</td><td width="25%">10%</td><td width="25%">Earth:</td><td width="25%">10%</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Light:</td><td width="25%">10%</td><td width="25%">Darkness:</td><td width="25%">10%</td></tr></tbody></table>


    Skills/Abilities:


    <b>Spoiler</b> : <input type=''button'' value=''Show'' class=''spoilerButton''><table><tbody><tr><td>Iron Skin: Intermediate Lvl 3 (14%)


    Willpower III: Intermediate Lvl 2 (31%)


    Seven Pathways Meditation: Novice Lvl 8 (18%)


    Mana Manipulation: Novice Lvl 9 (43%)


    Voice Manipulation: Novice Lvl 6 (5%)


    Song Manipulation: Novice Lvl 9 (37%)


    -Song of Renewal: Intermediate Lvl 1 (24%)


    -Song of the Slumbering: Novice Lvl 5 (33%)


    -Song of Sorrow: Novice Lvl 3 (2%)


    Sword Mastery: Novice Lvl 5 (35%)


    -Rapier Mastery: Intermediate Lvl 1 (11%)


    +Rapid Thrust: Novice Lvl 4 (13%)</td></tr></tbody></table>

 Chapter 11.1: Heathens

    *Hoo* *Rah*


    *Hoo* *Rah*


    *Hoo* *Rah*


    I could feel the victory cries coming from my monster brethren. My blood was boiling after a good slaughter¡­a side effect of my skill Bloodlust¡­


    *Flashback*


    My name is Nathaniel Hastings¡­my friends call me Nate, but In-Game¡­I am the almighty Trolls4lyfe.


    Yeah¡­most people just call me Troll or T.


    Anyway it started off relatively simple. I decided to pick Troll as my race, because it was one of my favorite races on an old game I used to play.


    I was sent to the Valley of Skulls as my starting area¡­it was either that or Bone Junction. Monsters apparently have really bad naming senses.


    I was torn you see. My friend Giddy¡­well Kai here. He chose to be one of the humanoid races and thus had to start on the Ibigord continent.


    I really did want to party with him and go on quests and what not, but its hard to resist the trolls man¡­the Trolls.


    The Valley of Skulls was a well-known starting area for many of the monster races. It was located on the Zrosan continent, which I believe is east of Ibigoria separated by the Silver Sea.


    Anyway I¡¯m not here to teach geography. I be a young¡¯un troll at d¡¯is point and I was a¡¯searchin for my place in dah universe.


    I didn¡¯t know if I wanted to be a magic caster or just go straight into melee combat. I was torn again. So I met up with a few friends from school¡­minus my BFF.


    There was Jack a.k.a Bonaparte the one-eyed Ogre and Dylan a.k.a Grimm the defiant Kobold. Apparently Kobolds are considered a monster race not a beast race, normally I wouldn¡¯t bring this up¡­but Grimm never shut up about it.


    Bona ended up taking the standard Warrior class. He was hoping to advance it to some type of two-handed marauder type class.


    Grimm was a bit more agile and ended up becoming a Rogue and he wanted to¡­wait for it¡­become an Assassin when he advanced to the 3rd Order.


    Advanced classes are often fusions between lower classes or they might even be whole new classes.


    You can advance to your next class at the 3rd Order. It usually offers a few bonuses and extra skills. The next advancements come at the 5th, 7th, and 9th Orders.


    I the mighty Troll am currently classless. So I picked up a rusty battle-axe and went out adventuring with Bona and Grimm.


    It was very strange¡­after we murdered a few hundred bunnies and foxes we ended up fighting against bandits and other humanoids.


    Apparently as I soon figured out. Monster races typically don¡¯t hunt other monsters. Our enemies are usually bandits or humanoid raiding parties that are exploring.


    It was like the game actually considered us as monsters. This kind of pissed me off. If they wanted us to be monsters so badly¡­then I would give them the greatest monstrosity ever.


    Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.


    I had the idea at least, but I didn¡¯t know hot to execute it. I would need to become stronger. Maybe form a guild of monsters and then ambush human settlements or something like that.


    That was as far as I had thought out at least.


    That was until I the day I finally received my class. My friends and I had received a mission to hunt 1st Order Volatile River-Wasps.


    Killing the wasps one by one was fairly easy, but when they started to gather we had to retreat for a little while to get our strength back.


    We had acquired quite a bit of River-Wasp honey¡­no I do not know if wasps make honey or not, but these ones do¡­and had almost finished our mission when we encountered a¡­


    ¡°2nd Order Ironfist Ape.¡± Grimm yelled out in order to get our attention.


    Bona was scared shitless. The ape was three times the size of any of us with muscles that matched. I knew that we would not be able to withstand attacks from something one order above us.


    I yelled at the others to start running. ¡°I¡¯ll hold it off.¡±


    The Ironfist Ape charge at me smashed its fist directly into the center of my chest and sent me flying about ten feet back.


    I tried to stand up and fight, but the thing treated me like a punching bag. The only thing I could think of doing was appeasing it.


    I took out a jar of River-Wasp honey and offered it to the beast as it was about to kill me.


    I never said I was smart, but at this moment my plan happened to be ingenious.


    The ape took a whiff of the honey and grabbed it from my hands before it started to devour it.


    <table><tbody><tr><td>New Class Skill: Taming</td></tr></tbody></table>


    <table><tbody><tr><td>Class Skill acquisition succeeded. Beast Tamer class acquired.</td></tr></tbody></table>


    <table><tbody><tr><td>2nd Order Ironfist Ape ¨C Apa-Apa has agreed to be tamed by you as long as you feed it delicious food. Impartial Contract ¨C Not fully loyal.</td></tr></tbody></table>


    This was merely the beginning of the tale of the Beast King Troll and his hundred Heathens.


    Heathens would eventually become the first guild on Zrosa and one of its most powerful...but that is a tale for another time.

 Chapter 12: The Ballerina and her Wordsmith

    Shaking the thoughts of her out of my head I turned to watch the show¡­


    Kah¡¯zar sat on the table beside me. He was too small to sit in the chair and thus had to sit on top of the table.


    I started to speak and ask about what was going to happen, but the man held up his finger to shush me.


    He pointed towards the stage, ¡°I¡¯ll explain in a little bit.¡± He whispered to me.


    A young mixed breed cherubim male got out of his seat and hopped onto the stage. He stood in front of the audience and started to introduce himself.


    ¡°Ladies and Gentlemen¡­boys and girls. I welcome you to the weekly festival of the arts. The Entertainer¡¯s Guild as well as Master Kah¡¯zar appreciates your patronage.¡±


    The man had a certain flare for the dramatic. I wanted to know if he had a class similar to mine or if he something else entirely.


    ¡°I, the Prancing Pentameter, shall be your host and guide tonight as we see an assortment of a amazing acts.¡±


    I liked his enunciation and acting skills, but his stage name was a little¡­well it wouldn¡¯t be what I would have chosen.


    ¡°The first act we have tonight is Mel¡¯eon the Carnivorous Cartographer. Watch as he takes us on a journey throughout the continent in song.¡±


    I learned that there were only going to be four or five acts tonight, depending on how long each act took.


    The first act was an older gentleman. He was a well-travelled adventurer in his youth and he used the knowledge of his travels to craft beautiful songs.


    He had a fairly melodic and likeable voice for an older chap, but what really intrigued me was the second act.


    ¡°The next act is an elven duo from the forests of Rasha¡¯ye to the south. Kilkuo and Salphira. The famous ballerina and her wordsmith.¡±


    Salphira danced around the stage with a subtle grace. She hummed a beautiful tune as she twirled back and forth.


    Kilkuo was a master wordsmith. He rapped in rhymes to the tune of Salphira¡¯s music and moves.


    The two of them created some sort of trance. They were in perfect rhythm and harmony.


    <table><tbody><tr><td>You have been compelled by the ballerina and her wordsmith. +10% Regeneration. Duration: 20 Minutes.</td></tr></tbody></table>


    The blue box popped up in front of my face and I was intrigued. ¡®So they are able to apply buffs outside of combat¡­I guess there are more ways than just singing.¡¯ The two thoughts crossed my mind.


    As far as I could tell they weren¡¯t applying any form of magic I knew¡­unless he was using a variant skill in voice manipulation. The dancer on the other hand¡­I held no insights on what their skills could do.


    The third and fourth acts passed fairly quickly. They weren¡¯t as intriguing as the former two. The third act was a percussionist who tried to mimic the sounds of nature and the fourth act was another singer like the first, but this time she was female. Besides a decent voice and a pretty face¡­nothing about her drew me in like the second act.


    ¡°Tonight we have prepared a special treat for you all. Visiting the Ruins of Nulia we have the Hymnal Bards of Gharune.¡±


    Seven men took the stage. They looked like monks or priests by the way they were dressed, but what came next was something that completely blew my mind.


    It was like a cross between Gregorian chants and accapella. They sang in unison and created a beautiful harmony.


    <table><tbody><tr><td>For witnessing the Bardic Masters of Gharune. +5 Wis</td></tr></tbody></table>


    <table><tbody><tr><td>You have received a refreshment buff from listening to ¡®Gharuna and I¡¯. Duration: 1 Hour.</td></tr></tbody></table>


    I didn¡¯t know what a refreshment buff was so I whispered to Kah¡¯zar.


    He looked back at me with an odd look before replying. ¡°When you go to an inn or home you receive a refreshment buff. It rapidly increases your regeneration rates and the level of health, mana, and stamina you have. To be able to apply this buff outside of these zones¡­it¡¯s nothing short of a miracle. Only the seven of them together in perfect harmony could have produced something at such a high level.¡±


    From listening to the music itself I knew it must have a been a high level skill, but not something to that extent.


    The concert ended and many of the people stood up and filed out of the entertainer¡¯s guild.


    The people that were left behind were stragglers that were talking about the show and a few guild members that were cleaning up.


    Kah¡¯zar finally turned to me. ¡°So how was it?¡± He exclaimed with a bright smile on his face.


    ¡°It was amazing. I have been experimenting with songs, but I haven¡¯t been able to create something on that level yet.¡± I stated with awe.


    ¡°Ha ha ha. I knew it would be better for you to see the show rather than for me to explain. You have to be at least a 5th Order Entertainer in order to enter into the weekly show. We also have a monthly show for those who are of the 3rd Order and below.¡±


    Kah¡¯zar flapped the small wings on his back and flew up into the air. He moved away from the large room and towards the alcove were the registration desk was.


    ¡°Lets go and talk in private back in my office. I have to explain a few brief things before I can let you off on your own.¡±


    I followed after the winged old man as he took the back hallway to the private section of the entertainer¡¯s guild.


    He brought me in to his office and it was actually quite luxurious compared to the outside of the guildhall and the rest of the town.


    He motioned for me to sit down as he flew around the room in order to gather a few books and tomes.


    ¡°I have quite a few things to explain and very little time to do it in. I have to get to bed early tonight in order to get up and prepare for the monthly event. It is much larger than our weekly affairs and I will not have any time to hand hold you and explain things.¡±


    He started to flip through the largest of the texts on the table until he came to a certain page.


    ¡°Normally as a recently promoted 2nd Order Bard you would learn a variety of bardic skills and masteries in preparation for the advancement that takes place when you ascend to the 3rd Order, but you seem to have skipped that step and ascended straight from the 1st to the 3rd Order¡­which is¡­well odd. Eunuch and the other guardians are usually very picky about whom they promote and when they do it. To receive a double ascension says a lot about your character.¡±


    ¡°Upon becoming a 2nd Order Bard there are several paths that you can look in to taking in the future. The most common advancements are Bardic Poets, Hymnal Bards, Songscryers, String Bards, Rhythm Bards, and Hearth Bards.¡±


    Kah¡¯zar handed me the book were each of the classifications were listed.


    ¡°To understand this better¡­it might be easier to look at a simpler class like the warrior. One chooses to become a warrior when they belong to the 1st Order. They experiment with styles during the 2nd Order and upon reaching the 3rd Order they might advance to become a Huntsman, Guardian, Knight, Marauder, or numerous other things. It depends on their character and the type of weapons they wield usually. It is almost the same with Bards and most of the other basic classes.¡±


    I nodded my head as he gave me a basic overview. I read the first few pages of the book. So the first class you received was the base and upon reaching the 3rd Order you stared be picking a skill tree or a specialty in a way.


    After the 3rd Order this happened again at the 5th, 7th, and 9th Orders. It made it so characters would have uniquely specialized classes even if they started from the same base class.


    Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    The rest of the stuff was fairly boring so I decided to skip over it and just read the information that talked about specialties.


    <table><tbody><tr><td>Bardic Poet ¨C Poets are a unique type of bard that specialize in the creation and utilization of poems. Instead of songs and instruments they use rhymes to help their allies and slay their enemies. Most of their skills stem from the main skill ¨C Poetry Mastery.</td></tr></tbody></table>


    <table><tbody><tr><td>Hymnal Bards ¨C Hymnists or Hymnal Bards are a unique type of bard that specialize in the creation and utilization of hymns. They usually, but not always, belong to a religious sect or cult. The true power of Hymnists comes out when they sing or hum in unison. Most of their skills stem from the main skill ¨C Hymn Mastery.</td></tr></tbody></table>


    <table><tbody><tr><td>Songscryers ¨C Songscryers or using the female term Songstress are bards that specialize in the creation and utilization of songs. Songscryers make up the majority of all bards that belong to the 3rd Order, because songs have the highest solo buffing ability. Most of their skills stem from the main skill ¨C Song Mastery.</td></tr></tbody></table>


    <table><tbody><tr><td>String Bards ¨C Strings bards are one of the few types of voiceless bards. They specialize in the use of stringed instruments in order to provide buffs and spells. They have the highest ability to buff large parties. Most of their skills stem from the main skill ¨C (String) Instrument Mastery.</td></tr></tbody></table>


    <table><tbody><tr><td>Rhythm Bards ¨C Rhythm bards are one of the few types of voiceless bards. They specialize in the use of percussion instruments in order to provide buffs and spells. They have the highest ability to provide negative status effects to enemies. Most of their skills stem from the main skill ¨C (Percussion) Instrument Mastery.</td></tr></tbody></table>


    <table><tbody><tr><td>Hearth Bards ¨C Hearth Bards are typical all-rounders. They do not specialize in anything, but they do not forget anything either. They are a jack of all trades and masters of none promotion. They are called Hearth Bards because they are usually found singing or playing by the hearth in taverns. Most of their skills stem from the main skills ¨C Bardic Mastery.</td></tr></tbody></table>


    I was surprised by the amount of detail that went into each and every specialization. This game deserved a thumbs up for its uniqueness.


    As soon as I finished reading Master Kah¡¯zar placed six tomes in front of me.


    ¡°Whichever mastery you pick¡­there is no way to go back unless you reset your class entirely. So choose wisely.¡±


    I stared at the six tomes for a while and finally reached out to grab¡­


    Chapter 12: Status


    <table><tbody><tr><td colspan=''4''>Status Window</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Name:</td><td width="25%">Kai</td><td width="25%">Alignment:</td><td width="25%">Neutral</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Level:</td><td width="25%">14</td><td width="25%">Class:</td><td width="25%">Bard</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Race:</td><td width="25%">Cherub</td><td width="25%">Gender:</td><td width="25%">Male</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>Titles</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>None</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Fame:</td><td width="25%">120</td><td width="25%">Infamy:</td><td width="25%">950</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>-</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Health:</td><td width="25%">400 / 400</td><td width="25%">Health Regen:</td><td width="25%">3.5 / Sec</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Mana:</td><td width="25%">450 / 450</td><td width="25%">Mana Regen:</td><td width="25%">4.0 / Sec</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Stamina:</td><td width="25%">550 / 550</td><td width="25%">Stamina Regen:</td><td width="25%">6.0 / Sec</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>-</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Strength:</td><td width="25%">39 (+44)</td><td width="25%">Agility:</td><td width="25%">43</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Vitality:</td><td colspan=''3''>43</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Intelligence:</td><td width="25%">49</td><td width="25%">Wisdom:</td><td width="25%">59</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Endurance:</td><td width="25%">63</td><td width="25%">Luck:</td><td width="25%">32 (+44)</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>-</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Attack:</td><td width="25%">10-15</td><td width="25%">Defense:</td><td width="25%">25 (+65)</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>Physical Resistances</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Slashing:</td><td width="25%">15 (+39)</td><td width="25%">Piercing:</td><td width="25%">15 (+39)</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Crushing:</td><td colspan=''3''>20 (+39)</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>Elemental Resistances</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Fire:</td><td width="25%">10%</td><td width="25%">Water:</td><td width="25%">10%</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Wind:</td><td width="25%">10%</td><td width="25%">Earth:</td><td width="25%">10%</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Light:</td><td width="25%">10%</td><td width="25%">Darkness:</td><td width="25%">10%</td></tr></tbody></table>


    Skills/Abilities:


    <b>Spoiler</b> : <input type=''button'' value=''Show'' class=''spoilerButton''><table><tbody><tr><td>Iron Skin: Intermediate Lvl 3 (14%)


    Willpower III: Intermediate Lvl 2 (31%)


    Seven Pathways Meditation: Novice Lvl 8 (18%)


    Mana Manipulation: Novice Lvl 9 (43%)


    Voice Manipulation: Novice Lvl 6 (5%)


    Song Manipulation: Novice Lvl 9 (37%)


    -Song of Renewal: Intermediate Lvl 1 (24%)


    -Song of the Slumbering: Novice Lvl 5 (33%)


    -Song of Sorrow: Novice Lvl 3 (2%)


    Sword Mastery: Novice Lvl 5 (35%)


    -Rapier Mastery: Intermediate Lvl 1 (11%)


    +Rapid Thrust: Novice Lvl 4 (13%)</td></tr></tbody></table>

 Chapter 13: Songscryer

    I stared at the six tomes for a while and finally reached out to grab the one that was in the middle.


    I studied the tome for a minute and finally looked to see what was inside of it¡­the words were all gibberish.


    ¡°Master Kah¡¯zar¡­how do I read this?¡±


    The older cherub brought his hand up to his face in order to stifle his laughter. His face turned slightly red as he tried to hold it in.


    ¡°Haha, my boy. Just place your hand on it and say ¡®Learn¡¯¡­hahaha. If you have the requirements you should learn the skill.¡±


    I looked at the man angrily before saying, ¡°No need to make fun of me¡­its my first time learning from a skill book.¡± I muttered hatefully.


    ¡°Sorry kid. I was just laughing at Gor¡¯thaks training methods. A normal teacher would have taught you the basic skills through tomes. Gor¡¯thak likes to do things the old-fashioned way though.¡±


    I nodded my head as I remembered the horrors I experienced in the brief time we trained together, but strangely enough it was a memory I wouldn¡¯t give up for anything.


    <table><tbody><tr><td>New Skill: Song Mastery</td></tr></tbody></table>


    <table><tbody><tr><td>New Subset Skill: Song of Curses</td></tr></tbody></table>


    <table><tbody><tr><td>New Subset Skill: Song of Buffing</td></tr></tbody></table>


    <table><tbody><tr><td>New Subset Skill: Song of Healing</td></tr></tbody></table>


    ¡°I got the skill from the tome, but it ended up giving me three other subset skills as well.¡± I exclaimed softly.


    Kah¡¯zar looked at me knowingly and said. ¡°Those three skills are given to every 3rd Order Bard. Whether its Hymn of Curses, Beat of Healing, or whatever. It varies slightly depending on what class advancement you took.¡±


    He then proceeded to finish filling out some paperwork on his desk. Once he was done he chanted a few magic words of the page and small laminated card appeared.


    ¡°Take this kid. It¡¯s a basic status card. It now list that you are a part of the entertainers guild and you¡¯re a 3rd Order Bard. Along with your name, age, and height.¡±


    Kah¡¯zar gathered the books on his desk and started to place them back into the bookcase.


    <table><tbody><tr><td>New Title: Songscryer</td></tr></tbody></table>


    <table><tbody><tr><td>The abilities [Song Manipulation] [Song Mastery] [Song of Curses] [Song of Buffing] and [Song of Healing] can be merged into a single group. Would you like to proceed.</td></tr></tbody></table>


    I looked at the new message and thought it over for a few seconds before asking Kah¡¯zars opinion.


    ¡°It says I can merge them into a group skill. Is that a good thing?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Hmm¡­from my understanding group skills are just made for convenience so that your skill list isn¡¯t incredibly long. I would say so. To have a group you have to have at least five skills in that area.¡± He responded quickly before he started to sort through some of the papers on his desk.


    I clicked the ¡®Yes¡¯ button under the group skills combination and another blue box appeared in front of me.


    <table><tbody><tr><td>New Group Skill: Music Mastery</td></tr></tbody></table>


    I wanted to check through the specifics of my new skill and my new title, but I had a few more questions to ask before I left.


    ¡°What does this status card actually do for me that my own status cannot?¡±


    Kah¡¯zar let out another chuckle, because he couldn¡¯t believe how uneducated I was or at least that¡¯s what I thought.


    ¡°Gor¡¯thak really taught you nothing besides how to fight¡­well the status card serves as identification. You use it to get in and out of towns and cities. You can loan it out to procure items and such temporarily. It has many uses. Once you join a new guild it will be updated with more information.¡± He stopped speaking and then shooed me away as he had to get some rest.


    I got up out of my seat and made my way toward the door. ¡°Don¡¯t forget you can¡¯t join more than three guilds. My recommendation would be the Adventurers Guild or the Mercenary Guild if your looking to make some money¡­that¡¯s the last bit of advice I have for you and¡­well we don¡¯t have either of those guilds in Nulia¡­bye.¡±


    He shut the door quickly behind me as I left and I gave him the evil eye through the door.


    I wanted to take a quick look at my new mastery and title before I left the entertainers guild. So I decided to call up the description screen.


    ¡°Description: Music Mastery. Songscryer.¡±


    <table><tbody><tr><td width="25%">Skill Name:</td><td width="25%">Skill Rank:</td><td width="25%">Skill Level:</td><td width="25%">Skill Experience:</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Music Mastery</td><td width="25%">Novice</td><td width="25%">6</td><td width="25%">34%</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>Music Mastery is a group skill that governs all musical related skills. So far it only incorporates song skills. The more songs you invent and master the more powerful Music Mastery becomes. You can add Buffs, Curses/Afflictions, and Healing to your songs.</td></tr></tbody></table>


    <table><tbody><tr><td>Songscryer: Is a fairly ordinary title given to those who chose to become Songscryers after reaching the 3rd Order. It grants a 5% increase in Bard-related skills and a 10% increase in singular or solo buffing. +5 Wis and Int.</td></tr></tbody></table>


    I scowled as I walked down the familiar hallway to make my way back to the common room of the entertainer¡¯s guild.


    I wanted to visit one last place before I logged off for the night, but I needed to get directions from someone.


    The only person that was still left working in the guild for the night was Rea¡­good ole¡¯ Bipolar Rea and I was not looking forward to talking with her again.


    I exited the guild and took a look around the street, but besides a few dunkards I was unable to see anyone I thought would be a ¡®credible¡¯ source.


    Mustering up mu courage I went back into the entertainers guild and immediately felt a piercing glare digging into my skin.


    ¡°Hey Rea¡­I just had a quick question.¡± I tried to sound calm and collected.


    ¡°First when the hell did we get close enough for you to call me without my surname. Its Rea¡¯zar to you shitty bard.¡± She replied.


    ¡°Ah then Rea¡¯zar. Do you know where the library is? I would like to look up a few things about magic and such.¡±


    Rea smiled immediately upon hearing her full name and spoke in a soft reverent tone.


    ¡°Sure honey. Just take a right after you exit the guild and go to the end of the street and then take a left and after that take your first left. You should see a cast iron sign in the shape of an open book.¡±


    I looked at her polite smile and a shiver went down my spin, because I knew the true personality that was behind those cold crazy eyes.


    I thanked her and left as quickly as I could. I thought it was in my best interest to only visit that guild in case of emergencies in the future.


    Following the path she told me to take I made my way to the end of the street. It seemed that every street in this so-called city was paved with cobblestones just like the dilapidated buildings.


    Taking the left at the end of the street I ended up in a less desirable part of town. The street only had one open building and it was a tavern or maybe some kind of brothel.


    The part that creeped me out wasn¡¯t the shady people, but the prostitutes. The mixed breed prostitutes looked similar to elves, but the purebloods¡­they looked like children and it was very off putting. Even if they were at least three times my age.


    I shuffled my way out of there pretty quickly, without to many girl or guys trying to pick me up and took the next left.


    I could make out the beautiful metal sign that stood above the library door. It was slightly visible under the glow of the magelights (Streetlights but cooler).


    The doors to the library were closed for the night so I decided to log off and get some sleep and then come back in the morning.


    I called up my icon menu and scrolled down the log off button. Soon finding myself on the outside of my capsule¡­stumbling over to my bed.


    I faded off into a deep slumber¡­


    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


    I woke up to the sound of my phone buzzing over and over again. Reaching out towards my nightstand I put my hand around my phone and slid my thumb across the screen in order to unlock it.


    Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.I had a series of text messages¡­most of them were from Nate.


    <table><tbody><tr><td>Nate: Yo whats up dude</td></tr></tbody></table>


    <table><tbody><tr><td>Nate: u playin or sleepin</td></tr></tbody></table>


    After that I received about a hundred text messages that were all angry faces, because I wasn¡¯t responding to him.


    <table><tbody><tr><td>Nate: I made guild w/ a few friends</td></tr></tbody></table>


    <table><tbody><tr><td>Nate: probly cant meetchu in game for a while and I gave ur # to gwen</td></tr></tbody></table>


    I almost missed his last text, because I had a text from an unknown number. Scrolling up and reading his text I realized that it was from Gwen¡­oh its just Gwen¡­.just Gwen¡­just Gwen.


    My soul had separated from my body for second as I tried to register what was going on. I slapped myself to bring me back to reality.


    ¡®Alright.¡¯ I thought. ¡®I¡¯ll just read the text first.¡¯


    <table><tbody><tr><td>Unknown: Hey this is Gwen. Is this Gideon? My cousin said you¡¯re nearby and I¡¯m trying to make a party. We need a tank cause we already have a healer, mage, and assassin. Sorry if this is weird, but Nate said you¡¯re the best tank he knows.</td></tr></tbody></table>


    I was about to respond immediately and say ¡®Yes¡¯, but then I realized something. I¡¯m not actually a tank¡­what gave Nate the idea that I was a tanking class.


    I dialed up his number and after a few rings he finally picked up.


    ¡°Yo, finally responding I see. Couldn¡¯t care less about the other texts until I brought up Gwen as usual.¡±


    ¡°As much as I appreciate the hookup or whatever¡­I¡¯m not a tanking class.¡± I sighed slightly depressed.


    ¡°Hahaha¡­I thought as much, but knowing you you¡¯ll go out and buy a full set of plate just to party up with Gwen, am I right?¡±


    ¡°Damnit. I can¡¯t wear plate because of my class, but I have some defensive skills that will have to do.¡± I replied.


    ¡°What the hecks your class, man?¡± He asked.


    ¡°Umm¡­I¡¯m a¡­a bard.¡±


    My reply was met with a roar of thunderous laughter. I felt like I was having deja vu. I swear I will stop being his friend if all our calls continue to end like this.


    I ended the phone call and sent a quick reply back to Gwen. Well the reply was quick, but it took me about thirty minutes before I was completely satisfied with the wording.


    <table><tbody><tr><td>Gideon: Hey Gwen. This is Gideon. I can join your party. How far away are you guys from Veratha?¡±</td></tr></tbody></table>


    I knew that Veratha was the closest major city, because of my previous master and it was also the city that I was planning to burn to the ground.


    A ring from my phone pulled me out of my vengeful thoughts.


    <table><tbody><tr><td>Gwen: We are currently hunting around a trade post called Lachlin, about two days south of Veratha. We just left the forest of the elves. We wanted to take on a dungeon, so if you could be here by the end of the week that would be cool.</td></tr></tbody></table>


    <table><tbody><tr><td>Gideon: K sounds good.</td></tr></tbody></table>


    I kept my message short; because I couldn¡¯t trust myself not to text something stupid back or confess my undying love to her.


    I silenced my phone and then went to take a shower and grab some food. My day might seem uneventful in the real world¡­but hey its summer and VR games are awesome.


    Finishing with a few basic necessities I crawled back into my pod and closed the casing around me.


    After activating the pod I was immediately surrounded in darkness and a small blue box popped up in front of me. It was a box I knew fairly well. ¡®Welcome to Ethaessa¡¯ was spelled out above the login page.


    I immediately press the ¡®Yes¡¯ button and was transported into my avatar. My eyes opened wide in the world of Ethaessa. The street was more hectic than when I was last online. It was about midday and the library was open.


    I could finally get a look inside and get answers to a few questions I had been thinking about for a while.


    Chapter 13: Status


    <table><tbody><tr><td colspan=''4''>Status Window</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Name:</td><td width="25%">Kai</td><td width="25%">Alignment:</td><td width="25%">Neutral</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Level:</td><td width="25%">14</td><td width="25%">Class:</td><td width="25%">Bard</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Race:</td><td width="25%">Cherub</td><td width="25%">Gender:</td><td width="25%">Male</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>Titles</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>Songscryer</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Fame:</td><td width="25%">120</td><td width="25%">Infamy:</td><td width="25%">950</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>-</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Health:</td><td width="25%">400 / 400</td><td width="25%">Health Regen:</td><td width="25%">3.5 / Sec</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Mana:</td><td width="25%">450 / 450</td><td width="25%">Mana Regen:</td><td width="25%">4.0 / Sec</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Stamina:</td><td width="25%">550 / 550</td><td width="25%">Stamina Regen:</td><td width="25%">6.0 / Sec</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>-</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Strength:</td><td width="25%">39 (+44)</td><td width="25%">Agility:</td><td width="25%">43</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Vitality:</td><td colspan=''3''>43</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Intelligence:</td><td width="25%">49 (+5)</td><td width="25%">Wisdom:</td><td width="25%">59 (+5)</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Endurance:</td><td width="25%">63</td><td width="25%">Luck:</td><td width="25%">32 (+44)</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>-</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Attack:</td><td width="25%">10-15</td><td width="25%">Defense:</td><td width="25%">25 (+65)</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>Physical Resistances</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Slashing:</td><td width="25%">15 (+39)</td><td width="25%">Piercing:</td><td width="25%">15 (+39)</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Crushing:</td><td colspan=''3''>20 (+39)</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>Elemental Resistances</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Fire:</td><td width="25%">10%</td><td width="25%">Water:</td><td width="25%">10%</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Wind:</td><td width="25%">10%</td><td width="25%">Earth:</td><td width="25%">10%</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Light:</td><td width="25%">10%</td><td width="25%">Darkness:</td><td width="25%">10%</td></tr></tbody></table>


    Skills/Abilities:


    <b>Spoiler</b> : <input type=''button'' value=''Show'' class=''spoilerButton''><table><tbody><tr><td>Iron Skin: Intermediate Lvl 3 (14%)


    Willpower III: Intermediate Lvl 2 (31%)


    Seven Pathways Meditation: Novice Lvl 8 (18%)


    Mana Manipulation: Novice Lvl 9 (43%)


    Voice Manipulation: Novice Lvl 6 (5%)


    Music Mastery: Novice Lvl 6 (34%)


    -Song of Renewal: Intermediate Lvl 1 (24%)


    -Song of the Slumbering: Novice Lvl 5 (33%)


    -Song of Sorrow: Novice Lvl 3 (2%)


    Sword Mastery: Novice Lvl 5 (35%)


    -Rapier Mastery: Intermediate Lvl 1 (11%)


    +Rapid Thrust: Novice Lvl 4 (13%)</td></tr></tbody></table>

 Chapter 14: The Library

    The street was more hectic than when I was last online. It was about midday and the library was open.


    I could finally get a look inside and get answers to a few questions I had been thinking about for a while.


    I took a few steps forward and pressed my hand against the large wooden door.


    The door slid open fairly easily and the sound of a bells chime echoed throughout the library.


    The library had a small entranceway, but the minute I crossed into the main room I realized how much larger the place was than it looked outside.


    Turning my head I could see the librarian reading a hefty looking book from behind her desk.


    I figured that the best thing to do would be to talk with the librarian first. I didn¡¯t know what type of book system they used hear or if I could take books out or not.


    The place was more like a large used bookstore than a traditional library, but that was most likely because Nulia was a small town.


    I tapped my hand on the front of her desk in order to get her attention, without being to rude.


    The librarian looked up at me with a smile. She was quite beautiful for an older woman. Maybe late thirties¡­early forties.


    She had beautiful silver hair and soft azure eyes¡­along with a beautiful crimson gem in the center of her forehead.


    My gem on the other hand was a more faded purple, almost white in appearance like a pearl.


    ¡°Come to acquire information or are you here for pleasure reading, young Thak.¡± She had a soft melodic voice.


    ¡°More for information than pleasure, but if I find something I like¡­maybe.¡± I said as I tried to seem charming.


    Don¡¯t get me wrong¡­my heart and soul were for my one and only Gwen, but as a man I wanted to be seen in a good light by beautiful woman.


    ¡°If its information your after then you might want to have this ability.¡±


    I could see a mischievous light in her eyes as she reached out and grabbed my face. She pulled me close and I thought she was going to steal my first kiss, but suddenly she pulled up at the last second and kissed the gem on my forehead.


    <table><tbody><tr><td>Yre¡¯las has transferred the speed reading skill to you for as long as you are in the confines of this library.</td></tr></tbody></table>


    I had my eyes closed the whole time until I heard a soft giggling sound.


    ¡°You thought I would take advantage of such a young boy¡­maybe in a few years when your older Aunty will teach you a few things.¡± She licked her lips and pulled herself back into her chair.


    I blushed like mad¡­I wasn¡¯t particularly used to woman coming on to me. I wasn¡¯t ugly at all. Closer to handsome than ugly, but I certainly wasn¡¯t the outgoing type that most woman sought after.


    When I was able to get my blushing under control I finally asked her a few of the questions that I originally came over to ask.


    ¡°Do I have to pay a fee to read in the library or is that just to take books out¡­oh, and are there parts of the library that are restricted.¡± I asked quickly.


    She looked at me with a bemused smile before replying.


    ¡°Reading within the confines of the library is free to all Cherubim, but if you want to take out books I am afraid you¡¯ll have to buy them. We do not have a particularly large selection and what we do have is mostly catered to Cherubs and how we see the world.¡±


    I was surprised. I felt a mix of emotions. On one hand I was happy that I didn¡¯t have to pay a fee to read any of the books, but on the other hand I wouldn¡¯t have anything to read during my travels to the south.


    I was about to walk away until one final question popped into my head.


    ¡°I was looking for books about magic and maybe fencing styles. More specifically illusion magic.¡± I stated before I left.


    Yre¡¯las tapped her fingers on her desk as she reviewed the catalogue of books in her head.


    ¡°Illusion and Voice magic are the two types of magic that are most used by the Cherubs, because of our proficiency in them. We have a whole isle of books for each of them on the second floor. There might even be a few basic tomes. I haven¡¯t checked in a while. As for other types of magic we have a few books that outline the other types and some uses. But the selection is much smaller than what we have for Voice and Illusion magic.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll have to go to one of the bigger city libraries or one of the Magic guilds in order to get more advanced or specialized info on other types of magic. The fencing one might be a problem¡­hmm.¡± She thought about it for a few seconds. ¡°We do have a book on spear styles and one with sword techniques. Those might be of some use since they have similarities.¡±


    She brought out a small map for me and labeled the places that I would find all the books I was looking for.


    I was surprised by the amount of knowledge she had and that she knew the exact locations, titles, and authors of every book in the library.


    The library was broken up into three separate floors. The first floor was for fun reading basically. It had fiction and non-fiction that was written more for entertainment than education.


    The second floor was for magic, magical artifacts, and magical beasts. The library had quite a few books on the many beasts and monsters that roamed the continent.


    The third floor was for historical books or books about kingdoms and politics. It was a floor used mainly for research and had a few desks to read at. The third floor contained most of the older books in the library.


    For now I had practically no use for the first and third floors so I headed straight up to the second floor in order to find a book and a comfy place to read.


    My first goal was to find a book that explained the basics of magic and mana. My second goal was to figure out how many types of magic existed and how many I could learn.


    At the moment even though I was a bard I was relying more heavily on my physical skills to survive than my bardic skills.


    I walked up and down the first isle labeled ¡®Introduction to Magic¡¯. I picked out a few books. ¡®Mana and Me¡¯ ¡®Magic: The Basics¡¯ and ¡®Magecore¡¯


    The skill that was given to me by the librarian acted more like a buff than an actual skill. I didn¡¯t get levels or percentages from the amount of books I read. I had a set reading speed, which was boost by the skill.


    I wasn¡¯t complaining though. I was able to read at least three or four times as fast as I usually do.


    The first book ¡®Mana and Me¡¯ was a complete waist of my time. It explained things about mana that I really didn¡¯t care about or that I had already figured out due to my training in the Seven Pathways Meditation.


    I did find out something interesting of the Cherubs gemstone though. Cherubs had the innate ability to store mana within their gemstone after reaching the 5th Order. The more vibrant and shiny the gemstone was the more powerful the person who had it was.


    The gemstone acted like a gauge for someone¡¯s power level¡­well as long as they were a cherub.


    My gemstone was originally like fogged up glass with a purplish tint, but now that I had advanced two order my gemstone like a faded purple pearl. Looking at chart of gemstones it meant I had a closer affinity for illusion, steam, and charm magic.


    I wanted to know what elemental affinities the librarian had since she a bright crimson gemstone. Her gemstone was around the 6th Order and it gave her a close affinity in fire, lava, and heat magic.


    There were to many gem colors and affinities to list them all so I memorized my own and the ones that were within a few shades of my gemstone¡­red and blue.


    The second book was a bit more enlightening. ¡®Magic: The Basics¡¯ gave me an outline of all the basic types of magic that existed within Ethaessa.


    The basic magic types are: Fire, Earth, Air, Water, Arcane, Blood, Dark, Light, and Body.


    Body magic was often referred to as Body Manipulation or Enhancement, but each of the nine basic types of magic made up the basis for all magic that existed in Ethaessa.


    For example, Air and Water combined to form Ice or Snow Magic and Fire and Water combined to form Steam Magic. The book had many combinations of magic that had been tried and recorded. A few lesser-known ones included Blood, Dark, and Body Magic merging together to create Soul or Necromancy Magic and Arcane and Light merging together to create Holy Magic.


    I was curious about how the magic that I had a close affinity for was made. I knew how to make steam before I even saw the combination, but illusion and charm had an intriguing make up.


    Charm Magic was invented by merging Body and Blood Magic. Apparently they found it released some kind of pheromone like an animal that could be manipulated in several different ways.


    Illusion Magic on the other hand was created by merging Dark, Light, and Arcane magic. It had something to do with manipulating darkness and controlling the light as well as applying an arcane field. That was how they created the first illusions anyway. What they have now is far more advanced.


    The last book ¡®Magecore¡¯ was the most disheartening, because it talked about the limits of each person and their ability to use different types of magic.


    Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    For Cherubs it was relatively easy to find which types of magic that you were good or better at, but for other races one would need to take an affinity test first.


    I also found out that everyone who was under the 5th Order was unable to use more than three types of magic, unless you had a special type of mage class. Then you would be allowed to use four types.


    Once you reached the 5th Order and your Magecore expanded. You would be allowed to use four types of magic and five types for certain a mage classes. The Magecore increased again when you hit the 8th Order and when you became a Saint.


    It had been about half a day when I finished reading through the three books as well as a few tidbits from a number of other books.


    <table><tbody><tr><td>For studying and learning more about magic. +5 Wis and Int.</td></tr></tbody></table>


    I wanted to search for a few tomes in the illusion section. I knew from reading that the first part of my Magecore was inhabited by Sound Magic, which was a mix of Body, Arcane, and Wind Magic. The Sound Magic came from my Song and Voice Manipulation skills. It was a type of magic typically possessed by speakers and entertainers.


    Normally I would have only had a normal affinity for Sound Magic, but thanks to my class I was able to overcome that boundary. Classes were the only known way to obtain magic that you didn¡¯t have a close affinity with.


    I knew without a doubt that illusion magic was going to be my second magic, but I was still on the fence about my third magic. Charm Magic certainly would come in handy with my class, but Steam Magic would provide me with more capabilities in combat. Whichever one I chose¡­the other would have to wait until I reached the 5th Order.


    I stressed over the decision as I gathered a few tomes that I had found within the ¡®Illusion¡¯ section of the library.


    Tomes were a unique and easy way to learn skills. Each tome had a set number of times it could be used. The higher level the tome was the less it could be used. So basic tomes like they had in the library could be used a few hundred times.


    I had gathered a few Illusion tomes. The first tome was a standard illusion skill called ¡®Disguise¡¯. Disguise allowed my wrap a veil of thin mana around my body change the way I looked. The higher the level of the skill the more detail and things you could effect and change.


    The second tome I found was called ¡®Glamour¡¯. It allowed the user to cast quick and basic illusions that were mostly used for distractions. The higher the level the longer the glamour lasted and more detailed you could make it.


    The last of the tomes was called ¡®Replication¡¯. It was a hidden gem that I found stashed behind a pile of books. Replication was the only evolutionary skill that I was able to find in the illusion section. It allowed the user to make a single copy of oneself at the lower levels, but the higher the level the more substantial your clone became and the more it could do.


    So I decided to learn all three¡­well who wouldn¡¯t.


    <table><tbody><tr><td>New Skill: Disguise</td></tr></tbody></table>


    <table><tbody><tr><td>New Skill: Illusion Magic Mastery</td></tr></tbody></table>


    <table><tbody><tr><td>New Skill: Glamour</td></tr></tbody></table>


    <table><tbody><tr><td>New Skill: Replication</td></tr></tbody></table>


    <table><tbody><tr><td>The skill [Replication] has evolved into [Multi-Replication].</td></tr></tbody></table>


    <table><tbody><tr><td>The skill [Multi-Replication] has evolved into [Clone].</td></tr></tbody></table>


    I stared at the sudden new windows¡­what?!


    Chapter 14: Status


    <table><tbody><tr><td colspan=''4''>Status Window</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Name:</td><td width="25%">Kai</td><td width="25%">Alignment:</td><td width="25%">Neutral</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Level:</td><td width="25%">14</td><td width="25%">Class:</td><td width="25%">Bard</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Race:</td><td width="25%">Cherub</td><td width="25%">Gender:</td><td width="25%">Male</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>Titles</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>Songscryer</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Fame:</td><td width="25%">120</td><td width="25%">Infamy:</td><td width="25%">950</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>-</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Health:</td><td width="25%">400 / 400</td><td width="25%">Health Regen:</td><td width="25%">3.5 / Sec</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Mana:</td><td width="25%">500 / 500</td><td width="25%">Mana Regen:</td><td width="25%">4.5 / Sec</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Stamina:</td><td width="25%">550 / 550</td><td width="25%">Stamina Regen:</td><td width="25%">6.0 / Sec</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>-</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Strength:</td><td width="25%">39 (+44)</td><td width="25%">Agility:</td><td width="25%">43</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Vitality:</td><td colspan=''3''>43</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Intelligence:</td><td width="25%">54 (+5)</td><td width="25%">Wisdom:</td><td width="25%">64 (+5)</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Endurance:</td><td width="25%">63</td><td width="25%">Luck:</td><td width="25%">32 (+44)</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>-</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Attack:</td><td width="25%">10-15</td><td width="25%">Defense:</td><td width="25%">25 (+65)</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>Physical Resistances</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Slashing:</td><td width="25%">15 (+39)</td><td width="25%">Piercing:</td><td width="25%">15 (+39)</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Crushing:</td><td colspan=''3''>20 (+39)</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>Elemental Resistances</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Fire:</td><td width="25%">10%</td><td width="25%">Water:</td><td width="25%">10%</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Wind:</td><td width="25%">10%</td><td width="25%">Earth:</td><td width="25%">10%</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Light:</td><td width="25%">10%</td><td width="25%">Darkness:</td><td width="25%">10%</td></tr></tbody></table>


    Skills/Abilities:


    <b>Spoiler</b> : <input type=''button'' value=''Show'' class=''spoilerButton''><table><tbody><tr><td>Iron Skin: Intermediate Lvl 3 (14%)


    Willpower III: Intermediate Lvl 2 (31%)


    Seven Pathways Meditation: Novice Lvl 8 (18%)


    Mana Manipulation: Novice Lvl 9 (43%)


    Voice Manipulation: Novice Lvl 6 (5%)


    Music Mastery: Novice Lvl 6 (34%)


    -Song of Renewal: Intermediate Lvl 1 (24%)


    -Song of the Slumbering: Novice Lvl 5 (33%)


    -Song of Sorrow: Novice Lvl 3 (2%)


    Sword Mastery: Novice Lvl 5 (35%)


    -Rapier Mastery: Intermediate Lvl 1 (11%)


    +Rapid Thrust: Novice Lvl 4 (13%)


    Illusion Magic Mastery: Novice Lvl 1 (0%)


    -Disguise: Novice Lvl 1 (0%)


    -Glamour: Novice Lvl 1 (0%)


    -Clone: Novice Lvl 1 (0%)</td></tr></tbody></table>

 Chapter 15: Vengeance

    I closed window after window of the blue boxes until only a few remained. The two blue boxes that showed my skill evolved twice.


    I had thought that the skills would only evolve if you had them at the time of the order advancement, but apparently the skills evolved to match your order level.


    It wasn¡¯t too surprising. It was something I had considered, but it was a nice thing to know.


    My time in the library was coming to an end. I was originally only going to spend a few hours here and gather a few books for my trip, but upon hearing that I couldn¡¯t take any books I ended up spending the majority of my day here.


    I decided to call up and review my new skills before I set out on my adventure.


    ¡°Description: Disguise. Glamour. Clone.¡±


    <table><tbody><tr><td width="25%">Skill Name:</td><td width="25%">Skill Rank:</td><td width="25%">Skill Level:</td><td width="25%">Skill Experience:</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Disguise</td><td width="25%">Novice</td><td width="25%">1</td><td width="25%">0%</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>Disguise is a basic illusion spell that allows the user to wrap a thin veil of mana around themselves to distort and change their appearance. The higher the level the more detailed the appearance. Cost 10 Mana a minute.</td></tr></tbody></table>


    <table><tbody><tr><td width="25%">Skill Name:</td><td width="25%">Skill Rank:</td><td width="25%">Skill Level:</td><td width="25%">Skill Experience:</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Glamour</td><td width="25%">Novice</td><td width="25%">1</td><td width="25%">0%</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>Glamour is a basic illusion spell that allows the user to create small illusions. Glamours are undetailed illusions. They are usually quick and meant to be use as a trick, but the higher the level the longer the duration and the more detailed it can become. Cost 30-80 Mana, depending on the illusion.</td></tr></tbody></table>


    <table><tbody><tr><td width="25%">Skill Name:</td><td width="25%">Skill Rank:</td><td width="25%">Skill Level:</td><td width="25%">Skill Experience:</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Clone</td><td width="25%">Novice</td><td width="25%">1</td><td width="25%">0%</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>Clone is the 3rd Order evolution of the skill replication. This skill allows the user to make a basic clone of oneself and have it perform simple actions. Cost 150 Mana per clone.</td></tr></tbody></table>


    The first two skills were incredibly useful to me in my current situation. They may be able to hide the fact that I am not actually a tank from Gwen and her party.


    The last one of the other hand was a huge mana drain and at its current level I didn¡¯t know if I could use it in combat or¡­at all. I would have to think about its uses and how to apply them on the way.


    I gathered up the books and tomes that I had taken off the shelves and returned them back to where I found them.


    Once I was done I made my way toward the stairs. Originally, I was hoping to have found further instruction on fencing, but that would have to wait until I made it to a bigger city.


    I made my way down the steps and up to the librarian in order to say goodbye. She had her nose stuck in a book again just like the first time that I went up to her¡­surprisingly it wasn¡¯t the same book. She was a pretty fast reader.


    I knocked on the desk a few times in order to announce my presence and she simply looked up an smiled.


    ¡°Leaving already little Thak.¡± She made an adorable expression that almost made me want to stay.


    ¡°Places to be¡­people to see.¡± I said rhythmically.


    ¡°Well come back anytime. My doors are allows open¡­and maybe in a few years I¡¯ll show you my back door.¡± She licked her lips.


    I knew she meant that in a perverted way, but for some reason the meaning behind it kind of flew over my head. Did she mean it in the literal sense that she wanted to pull me into the back room or in a physical sense¡­well you know.


    Instead of replying I merely winked. It seemed like the appropriate thing to do.


    She sat down back at her desk and I made my way to the libraries exit. The library was the last stop on my list¡­well I also needed a map and some directions, but I could always persuade a merchant along the way.


    I took to the streets and followed the roads back the way I came. The streets were bustling with people and the smell of food was in the air.


    ¡®I guess it¡¯s almost dinner time for most.¡¯ I thought as I passed by the familiar entertainers guild. I pondered whether or not I should pay Kah¡¯zar a visit before I left, but in the end I was more afraid of running into Rea than keeping up formalities with Kah¡¯zar.


    Between meeting Rea¡¯zar and Yre¡¯las I was beginning to think all Cherubim had some unique personality trait¡­either that or I had the oddest luck with woman.


    I scanned a few shop stalls on my way towards Nulia¡¯s gates. I was hoping to find a detailed map of the Ibigord continent.


    I had a terrible sense of direction and without a map I would most likely get lost. It was the only thing that I disliked about Ethaessa. They had no quest finding function or map I could pull up. They said it was all part of the realism¡­to be submerged into a second world.


    My conversations with the vendors all seemed to run the same though¡­


    ¡°Do you have any maps of the continent or the surrounding area?¡± I asked.


    The vendor would look up at me with a smile and pull out a large selection of maps with different textures and tones.


    ¡°Sure I do. We have the ones that cover the entire world. We have continental maps, regional maps, sectional maps. Whatever kind of map you can imagine. Most of them run around 50-70 Gold.¡±


    I needed a map, but I had nowhere near enough money to buy one. My entire worth if I sold off all my items would probably equal 15-20 Gold.


    Hell I was still wearing my beginner equipment for the most part, except for my weapon and belt.


    So instead of buying a map I sold off a few of the items that I had acquired from farming that field of monsters. I was able to make a decent amount of coin. 1 Gold 2 Silver.


    Equipment was another thing I most likely needed to be worried about. The skills that I had acquired from training with my master for the most part negated the need for armor¡­but that was only if I fought monsters that were below my current order.


    I knew from the forums that I could loot equipment from monsters that I slayed so that was my first course of action. I mean why should I pay for something when I can kill for it.


    Pulling myself out of my thoughts I realized that I was already at the gates that separated the town of Nulia from its surrounding farmland and forest.


    Two sullen looking guards glanced at me as I walked by.


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t happen to know the way to Lachlin.¡± I asked curiously.


    The guard looked at me for a few seconds before responding in a bored tone.


    ¡°Theres no direct path from here. If you had started in Veratha you could have taken the King¡¯s Highway to the south, but the only way to get there from here is to cross through the Twisted Hollow and the Bog of the Barons. Then you should meet with the end of the King¡¯s Highway and eventually hit Lachlin.¡±


    The man prattled on dumping a lot of information onto me. I was beginning to figure out why he was so bored. If I had to stand in one place all day and answer everyone¡¯s questions¡­well I would probably go insane too.


    Once he was finished I thanked him for the information by giving him a silver coin and took off into the forest.


    The Twisted Hollow was the name of the wooded area that my master lived on the edge of and I knew the creatures that lived in those woods¡­intimately.


    As I jogged through the familiar woods I noticed the shadows of creatures weaving in and out of the tree¡¯s.


    Wolves¡­my lovely little friends. The ones that hunted me when I was weak. That preyed on me when I had nothing.


    Who was the predator now?


    ¡°For once I was weak, but now I am strong. My enemies hunger, while I live on. The vanquisher they called me¡­and blood I doth seek. I hunger for wolves and the wolves are meak.¡±


    I laughed as I sang the words that came to mind. The Song of Renewal activated and gave me a boost like never before. It was the first time I had activated it since it hit the intermediate level.


    Once renewal hit the intermediate stage the stat boost that it provided was doubled as well as the time duration, which means it would last for twenty minutes.


    I unsheathed the rapier that I held at my side and turned to face the demons that knocked at my door.


    The first of the wolves lunged at me with an open maw.


    ¡°Rapid Thrust.¡±


    I channeled my mana into the blade and filled the wolf with so many holes that he died before he was able to reach me.


    I was used to fighting 1st Order Horned Rabbits and 2nd Order Vigorous Pythons¡­a pack of mere 1st Order Direwolves was no match for me now.


    I didn¡¯t even bother to use Song of the Slumbering on them, because that wouldn¡¯t even make it a fair fight.


    Channeling more and more mana into my blade I ripped apart wolf after wolf¡­until an idea popped into my head.


    What if I used my new abilities with my rapier? It was something that hadn¡¯t occurred to me before, but if it worked it might become a formidable weapon to use on my enemies.


    I just needed to make a simple stabbing Glamour. It was something I could recall easily from the amount of time I had trained with my weapon.


    If I was able to do this I could increase my proficiency as a melee combatant. I could literally add magical feints into my attack combination¡­but no one would know they are feints.


    I practiced drawing my mana to my shoulder and to me head in order to cast the illusion, but it was proving more difficult than I bargained for.


    Every time I paused to figure something out¡­another group of wolves would come from the distance, because of the cries of their fallen foes.


    The outer rim of the Twisted Hollow didn¡¯t have any real strong enemies, but the sheer amount of them turned them into a real threat.


    This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.


    My blade was slick with the wolfs blood and I was panting heavily after so many back-to-back altercations.


    I was beginning to grow tired and was taking more hits from the surrounding wolves.


    Finally I gave in and sang the Song of the Slumbering¡­


    ¡°My mind is racing¡­the ages turn, but now its time to quietly discern. Slumber and sleep is for the weak¡­now turn on over and cry for me.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t my best song, but it was hard to think of something whimsical and pretty sounding in the middle of battle¡­especially when I had to sing the words.


    A few of the wolves started to fall to the ground and pass out, but some of them were able to resist the pull of my song.


    The ones that were able to resist were probably the leaders of each of the individual groups.


    Conserving the remainder of my mana in order to test out my new skills. I wheedled away at the health of the remaining wolves until none remained¡­unless they were sleeping.


    <table><tbody><tr><td>Level Up +1</td></tr></tbody></table>


    I was psyched about the level boost, because now I had points to distribute and a skill to figure out how to use.


    From what I read in the books in the library, Spells were based on imagination and mana control.


    If you think of the spell like gas and the mana like fire¡­well actually that¡¯s a bad example. That would get me killed.


    Anyway the mana is applied to something and you have to control the mana to control the spell. The more mana you use the more powerful the spell.


    I sort of skipped over these parts since it wasn¡¯t as interesting than the other information in the books.


    I applied mana to my mind, because the mind was the temple for illusion magic just like the throat was for Voice and Song Magic.


    Pulling the mana through the pathway in my mind I drew it down to my shoulder.


    I was hoping that the glamour would activate right away, but the only thing that happened was a small blur. It seems that I either need to apply more mana or strengthen the thought of the image in my head.


    I continued to picture the image of myself thrusting forward and striking down my imaginary enemies with my blade. I pushed more and more mana into my shoulder until the image became clear.


    The technique had cost more mana than I had anticipated, but I was sure that after a while of using it I would be able to cut that down.


    I practiced the technique while moving. I decided to walk around and pick up some of the loot that the dead wolves dropped.


    I was able to scrounge up about 2 Gold, but I was much happier about receiving the equipment. It wasn¡¯t top tier¡­or frankly even good, but it was better than my starting gear that provided almost no defense.


    <table><tbody><tr><td colspan=''4''>Torn Leather Vest</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Type:</td><td width="25%">Leather</td><td width="25%">Durability:</td><td width="25%">13 / 15</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''2''>Quality:</td><td colspan=''2''>Common</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>A Leather Vest that was stolen by a pack of wolves when they killed the adventurer who wore it. +10 Defense and -2 Luck.</td></tr></tbody></table>


    <table><tbody><tr><td colspan=''4''>Mangled Cloth Pants</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Type:</td><td width="25%">Cloth</td><td width="25%">Durability:</td><td width="25%">7 / 10</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''2''>Quality:</td><td colspan=''2''>Common</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>A pair of pants that were stolen by a pack of wolves when they killed the merchant who wore them. +5 Defense and -1 Luck.</td></tr></tbody></table>


    <table><tbody><tr><td colspan=''4''>Rugged Leather Boots</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Type:</td><td width="25%">Leather</td><td width="25%">Durability:</td><td width="25%">11 / 12</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''2''>Quality:</td><td colspan=''2''>Common</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>A pair of boots that were stolen by a pack of wolves when they killed the merchant who wore them. +7 Defense and +3 Agility.</td></tr></tbody></table>


    I stashed a lot of the really bad equipment and kept the ones that were somewhat usable. I was sure by the end of this journey I will have thrown most of this wolf loot out.


    My next goal was to figure out how to mask my gem and change my armor, but that would have to wait until tomorrow. I have a mountain of loot and a forest of creatures that are begging to be killed¡­I might have lost sight of what my end goal actually was.


    Chapter 15: Status


    <table><tbody><tr><td colspan=''4''>Status Window</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Name:</td><td width="25%">Kai</td><td width="25%">Alignment:</td><td width="25%">Neutral</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Level:</td><td width="25%">15</td><td width="25%">Class:</td><td width="25%">Bard</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Race:</td><td width="25%">Cherub</td><td width="25%">Gender:</td><td width="25%">Male</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>Titles</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>Songscryer</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Fame:</td><td width="25%">120</td><td width="25%">Infamy:</td><td width="25%">950</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>-</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Health:</td><td width="25%">400 / 400</td><td width="25%">Health Regen:</td><td width="25%">3.5 / Sec</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Mana:</td><td width="25%">500 / 500</td><td width="25%">Mana Regen:</td><td width="25%">4.5 / Sec</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Stamina:</td><td width="25%">550 / 550</td><td width="25%">Stamina Regen:</td><td width="25%">6.0 / Sec</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>-</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Strength:</td><td width="25%">39 (+44)</td><td width="25%">Agility:</td><td width="25%">48</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Vitality:</td><td colspan=''3''>43</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Intelligence:</td><td width="25%">54 (+5)</td><td width="25%">Wisdom:</td><td width="25%">64 (+5)</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Endurance:</td><td width="25%">63</td><td width="25%">Luck:</td><td width="25%">32 (+44)</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>-</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Attack:</td><td width="25%">10-15</td><td width="25%">Defense:</td><td width="25%">25 (+65)</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>Physical Resistances</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Slashing:</td><td width="25%">15 (+39)</td><td width="25%">Piercing:</td><td width="25%">15 (+39)</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Crushing:</td><td colspan=''3''>20 (+39)</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>Elemental Resistances</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Fire:</td><td width="25%">10%</td><td width="25%">Water:</td><td width="25%">10%</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Wind:</td><td width="25%">10%</td><td width="25%">Earth:</td><td width="25%">10%</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Light:</td><td width="25%">10%</td><td width="25%">Darkness:</td><td width="25%">10%</td></tr></tbody></table>


    Skills/Abilities:


    <b>Spoiler</b> : <input type=''button'' value=''Show'' class=''spoilerButton''><table><tbody><tr><td>Iron Skin: Intermediate Lvl 3 (28%)


    Willpower III: Intermediate Lvl 2 (36%)


    Seven Pathways Meditation: Novice Lvl 8 (18%)


    Mana Manipulation: Novice Lvl 9 (83%)


    Voice Manipulation: Novice Lvl 6 (13%)


    Music Mastery: Novice Lvl 6 (42%)


    -Song of Renewal: Intermediate Lvl 1 (34%)


    -Song of the Slumbering: Novice Lvl 5 (35%)


    -Song of Sorrow: Novice Lvl 3 (2%)


    Sword Mastery: Novice Lvl 5 (35%)


    -Rapier Mastery: Intermediate Lvl 1 (72%)


    +Rapid Thrust: Novice Lvl 4 (32%)


    Illusion Magic Mastery: Novice Lvl 1 (67%)


    -Disguise: Novice Lvl 1 (0%)


    -Glamour: Novice Lvl 1 (87%)


    -Clone: Novice Lvl 1 (0%)</td></tr></tbody></table>


    Equipment:


    <b>Spoiler</b> : <input type=''button'' value=''Show'' class=''spoilerButton''><table><tbody><tr><td>Swift Iron Rapier (10-15) Atk ¨C (17/30) Durability


    Torn Leather Vest (+10) Defense (-2) Luck ¨C (13/15) Durability


    Mangled Cloth Pants (+5) Defense (-1) Luck - (7/10) Durability


    Rugged Leather Boots (+7) Defense (+3) Agility ¨C (11/12) Durability</td></tr></tbody></table>

 Chapter 16: Wolf King and Magic Queen

    :: Name :: - POV


    :: Shiroe ::


    *Boom*


    I cast another fireball at the attacking slime. The slime shriveled up and evaporated into thin air, leaving behind only the slime core and a few copper.


    ¡°So creepy and disgusting.¡± I shivered.


    The Bog of the Barons was my least favorite place to quest in the entire area surrounding Lachlin¡­but it was the only way to get to the Twisted Hollow without going over the mountains.


    As much as I wanted to avoid the slimes and the spiders that infested the bog¡­I couldn¡¯t take my chances with the Greyhorn Mountains.


    The place had numerous 4th Order Rampaging Ogres that wandered around the lower half of the mountain and if you went higher up you would encounter 7th Order Sun Gryphons.


    There was even a rumor that a 9th Order Winged Basilisk had made a home for itself at the peak.


    I may not like spiders and slime, but I wasn¡¯t suicidal.


    I had a small magelight that floated above my head that helped to guide me through the fog. Without a light it was very easy to get lost in the Barons.


    The fog soon started to clear and the ground became less muddy and denser. I was probably at the edge of the Twisted Hollow.


    The smell in the air was a mix of pine and oak. It was much more satisfying than the noxious smell of the Barons.


    The only thing that was missing was¡­monsters.


    Normally you wouldn¡¯t be able to walk twenty feet into a zone without encountering a small group or at least a single adversary, but it was eerily quiet.


    ¡°Was the information I had wrong?¡± I began to question the information that I had received from a well-known merchant.


    He had said that he needed twenty wolf canines and that the Twisted Hollow was teeming with them, but all around me was nothing but vast empty forest.


    I was starting to get scared¡­now don¡¯t get me wrong just because slimes creep me out and well so do spiders¡­and apparently empty forests¡­well it doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m a scaredy-cat.


    The leaves rustled behind me and I almost jumped out of my skin. God, why did this game have to be so realistic?


    I stopped for a minute in order to catch my breath¡­my heart was hammering against my ribcage.


    And that¡¯s when I heard it.


    It was the most menacing growl that I had ever heard in my entire life. I turned my head slightly to the left and there it was.


    The creature had to be over ten feet tall and three feet wide.


    ¡°That can¡¯t be a standard wolf, can it?¡± My eyes widened as a I muttered to myself.


    The large black wolf lunged towards me and I let out a high-pitched scream as I jumped away to the side.


    I had never fought a creature as big as this, but I had to fight back¡­I had to do something.


    ¡°Fireball.¡±


    I launched a ball of flame towards the right flank of the wolf. It tensed up for a second, but when the magic slammed into its side and disappeared it immediately relaxed and turned to face me with a menacing smirk on its face.


    The wolf could smell my fear and now it knew that I wasn¡¯t strong enough to kill it¡­well at least I knew that.


    The fireball spell was one of my most powerful spells at the moment until I was able to advance from being a Mage to a Pyromancer at level 25.


    I quickly checked the wolfs title to see what went wrong.


    <table><tbody><tr><td>Black Direwolf King (Boss-M) Lvl 20</td></tr></tbody></table>


    ¡°N¡­No¡­way.¡± I stuttered.


    I had to have the worst luck in the world. I had read on the forums that the first few boss level monsters had taken raid groups of 10-20 people to kill.


    I was barely able to continue dodging the giant wolfs attacks. I was a mage who had stats mostly pumped into intelligence and wisdom, but my agility wasn¡¯t too bad.


    But what had drawn the creature away from its standard zone. Boss monsters were notorious for not leaving their spawn point unless they sensed a¡­


    Did it consider me a threat¡­I mean I was flattered and all, but I was only a level 22 Mage with 1st Order spells.


    I pulled myself out of my thoughts in order to dodge its attack, but I ended up getting my foot caught on a root from one of the trees.


    I fell on my side into the dirt as the Direwolf loomed over me.


    ¡®I¡¯m gonna die.¡¯ I thought fearfully.


    The large wolf opened its maw and prepared to rip me limb from limb. I closed my eyes and waited for my death.


    But I felt no pain and something splattered on face. It was warm like blood and wet like water. Was it my own blood? Is someone singing?


    I opened my eyes and saw the back of a male elf. He had shoulder length black hair and he was wearing a mix of incredibly worn leather and cloth.


    ¡°What?¡± I exclaimed in confusion.


    In the mans hand he held the large wolf up by the neck. The body of the wolf was riddled with small holes like it was shot with a gun over and over.


    The wolf started to squirm, but the man merely scoffed and plunged his small pointy weapon through the beasts head.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± I stood up slowly, a hint of caution in my voice. Anyone who could easily kill a boss monster was most likely an NPC¡­but was he here to protect me or to harm me.


    :: Kai ::


    I had just finished putting the finishing touches on my disguise when I heard a high-pitched scream from the distance.


    I was able to cast a thin veil of mana over myself in order to hide the gem on my forehead. I hadn¡¯t been able to add armor to my disguise yet, because it required much more practice and a higher level of detail.


    It would be easier to craft illusional armor once I had a better picture of what I wanted it to look like, but for now¡­the scream


    I left the safety of the wall of direwolf corpses that I stacked around myself. I thought it was a little sick at first, but I managed to convince myself that it would keep the other wolves away or at least caution them against approaching.


    Climbing over the wall of corpses I followed the direction that I thought the scream had come from¡­being a bard I had a fairly good sense of sound¡­well no not really, but it would be cool if I did.


    I weaved through the tree¡¯s as I ran. The trek was much faster than before when I first entered the forest, because I managed to kill the majority of the creatures that lived here.


    I had gained two more levels last night from farming direwolves. I was hoping to eventually find the boss of the forest, but it seems he didn¡¯t want to come out and play.


    A few blurs were dancing in the distance, but they were two far away from me for me to be able to figure out what was going on.


    Putting some strength into my leg I picked up my speed and leapt up to one of the lower branches of a nearby tree in order to get a better view.


    I could see them better now¡­there were two figures. One was a larger black wolf. He was either an elite type I hadn¡¯t yet seen or the boss.


    The other one was either a player or a really stupid NPC. I could see the flash of as it brushed against the wolfs side.


    Direwolves had a higher resistance against magic. It was why some of them were able to resist my Song of the Slumbering even though they were two orders below mine.


    I jumped back down to the ground and made my way closer to them. It wasn¡¯t until I was about twenty feet away that I saw adventurer that was fighting the wolf.


    She was a very beautiful girl. Some type of elf with flowing blue hair and light azure eyes. She had a long black wand that she used to cast her fire magic from.


    The girl seemed to be distracted and barely holding it together. I looked at the title above the direwolfs head and realized why she was in such a panic.


    At first I wasn¡¯t going to intervene, because I thought she might be mad if I took her kill, but she seemed to desperately need help.


    The moment I saw her trip¡­I gathered mana into my throat and burst out into song.


    ¡°I will be your hero, baby.¡±


    I knew it was a little cheesy, but it was the first song that came to mind and I was a bit short on time.


    It was the first time that I activated the Song of Sorrow since my master¡¯s funeral. It was a skill that I didn¡¯t want to use since it held a lot of sentimental value, but it was perfect for my current situation.


    The Song of Sorrow increased the effectiveness of all my skill and stats by 15% for five minutes as long as I was in a situation that was emotionally affecting me in a negative way.


    I forcibly increased my strength and luck with my Willpower and caught the animal by the neck, as it was about to attack the girl.


    Pumping a massive amount of mana into my arm I released a flurry of rapid thrusts into the beasts stomach.


    Because of my boost in luck and my song I was able to get quite a few critical hits and the direwolfs body lost most of its health.


    I heard a soft voice coming from behind me and the beast started to squirm. Getting annoyed that the creature wasn¡¯t dead. I plunged my rapier through the bottom of its head and straight through to the top.


    The wolf fell limp as I lowered it to the ground.


    Even though it was a boss monster its strength was probably at around the 2nd order, which made it a relatively easy kill for me.


    <table><tbody><tr><td>Level Up +2</td></tr></tbody></table>


    Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.<table><tbody><tr><td>For being the first to solo a boss monster +5 to all stats.</td></tr></tbody></table>


    I was admiring the nifty blue boxes when I felt a light tap on my shoulder. I turned around to see that the girl was staring at me intently.


    ¡°Um¡­thank you kind Sir for saving me.¡± She exclaimed softly.


    ¡°No need to be formal¡­I¡¯m one of the fallen like you.¡± I figured she wasn¡¯t an NPC by the way she was acting.


    The fallen was the way the people of this world called us. I wasn¡¯t used to it, because people either referred to me as stupid baby or young Thak.


    We fell from the sky on the orders of the gods and were incarnated into the bodies of the dead in order to help the land and its people and make it prosper.


    ¡°B¡­But that¡¯s impossible. The strongest user in the game is a level 28¡­2nd Order Knight and even he couldn¡¯t solo a 2nd Order boss¡­¡±


    She seemed flustered so I decided to ignore her while I pilfered the bosses body for anything that might be useful.


    <table><tbody><tr><td colspan=''4''>Necklace of the Black King</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Type:</td><td width="25%">Accessory</td><td width="25%">Durability:</td><td width="25%">25 / 25</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''2''>Quality:</td><td colspan=''2''>Rare</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>A powerful magic accessory made from the teeth of the legendary boss of the Twisted Hollow. +10% Magic Resistance and increased fame with animal type monsters.</td></tr></tbody></table>


    ¡®This is the only drop¡­¡¯ I thought dissapointedly.


    I equipped the necklace and picked up the small pile of gold that was dropped by the creature.


    ¡°Here love¡­some gold for your valiant effort.¡± I tossed her two gold pieces from the pile.


    She looked at me angrily for a second, but then she seemed to let it go when she looked at the gold.


    ¡°Level isn¡¯t everything in this game.¡± I exclaimed nonchalantly as I tried to look cool.


    ¡°I g¡­guess so.¡± She still seemed to be stuttering. I began to wonder if I made her uncomfortable.


    ¡°Is there anything I can ggg¡­get you or give you for helping me.¡± She stuttered less¡­I think she was starting to get her confidence back after the fight.


    ¡°Directions to Lachlin would be nice. I¡¯m supposed to meet up with a girl I know in real life and a few of her friends.¡±


    ¡°I can guide you there after I get some wolf teeth for my quest¡­wait it can¡¯t be¡­Gideon?¡± A light bulb seemed to go off in her head when I mentioned meeting up with people.


    ¡°Huh? How do you know my name?¡± I asked quickly as I reached for my rapier.


    ¡°I sit two seats behind you in history class. We were waiting for you to arrive, but you took forever so we decided to quest some more.¡± She replied and I calmed down quite a bit.


    ¡°Oh¡­two seats behind me. That means your name is Sarah¡­no wait Sylvie.¡± I took a guess, because I knew it started with an S.


    ¡°Baka¡­we¡¯ve been in the same class for two years.¡± She smacked me in the head with her wand. ¡°It¡¯s Savannah, but call me Shiroe here.¡±


    As soon as he heard the name it clicked in his head. ¡°Savannah Maritel¡­one of the schools three beauties along with Guinevere Hastings and Jillian White.¡± I muttered the words out loud as I remembered them.


    I looked up to see Sava¡­no Shiroe¡¯s face and it was beat red like a tomatoe. ¡°Baka.¡± She hit me again, but it wasn¡¯t as hard as before.


    ¡®What the hell is she hitting me for¡­I practically called her beautiful.¡¯ I thought to myself.


    ¡°Lets just go find some wolf teeth and get back to the party.¡± She stammered. A slight hint of red still blushing her cheeks.


    ¡°If its wolf teeth you need¡­have at it.¡± I said as I dumped out a few hundred sets of sharp teeth.


    The look on her face was¡­priceless.


    Chapter 16: Status


    <table><tbody><tr><td colspan=''4''>Status Window</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Name:</td><td width="25%">Kai</td><td width="25%">Alignment:</td><td width="25%">Neutral</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Level:</td><td width="25%">19</td><td width="25%">Class:</td><td width="25%">Bard</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Race:</td><td width="25%">Cherub</td><td width="25%">Gender:</td><td width="25%">Male</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>Titles</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>Songscryer</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Fame:</td><td width="25%">120</td><td width="25%">Infamy:</td><td width="25%">950</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>-</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Health:</td><td width="25%">400 / 400</td><td width="25%">Health Regen:</td><td width="25%">3.5 / Sec</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Mana:</td><td width="25%">500 / 500</td><td width="25%">Mana Regen:</td><td width="25%">4.5 / Sec</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Stamina:</td><td width="25%">550 / 550</td><td width="25%">Stamina Regen:</td><td width="25%">6.0 / Sec</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>-</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Strength:</td><td width="25%">44 (+47)</td><td width="25%">Agility:</td><td width="25%">53</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Vitality:</td><td colspan=''3''>58</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Intelligence:</td><td width="25%">59 (+5)</td><td width="25%">Wisdom:</td><td width="25%">69 (+5)</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Endurance:</td><td width="25%">73</td><td width="25%">Luck:</td><td width="25%">37 (+47)</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>-</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Attack:</td><td width="25%">10-15</td><td width="25%">Defense:</td><td width="25%">25 (+65)</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>Physical Resistances</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Slashing:</td><td width="25%">15 (+39)</td><td width="25%">Piercing:</td><td width="25%">15 (+39)</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Crushing:</td><td colspan=''3''>20 (+39)</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>Elemental Resistances</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Fire:</td><td width="25%">10%</td><td width="25%">Water:</td><td width="25%">10%</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Wind:</td><td width="25%">10%</td><td width="25%">Earth:</td><td width="25%">10%</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Light:</td><td width="25%">10%</td><td width="25%">Darkness:</td><td width="25%">10%</td></tr></tbody></table>


    Skills/Abilities:


    <b>Spoiler</b> : <input type=''button'' value=''Show'' class=''spoilerButton''><table><tbody><tr><td>Iron Skin: Intermediate Lvl 3 (78%)


    Willpower III: Intermediate Lvl 3 (6%)


    Seven Pathways Meditation: Novice Lvl 9 (88%)


    Mana Manipulation: Intermediate Lvl 1 (64%)


    Voice Manipulation: Novice Lvl 6 (13%)


    Music Mastery: Novice Lvl 7 (21%)


    -Song of Renewal: Intermediate Lvl 2 (4%)


    -Song of the Slumbering: Novice Lvl 6 (45%)


    -Song of Sorrow: Novice Lvl 3 (26%)


    Sword Mastery: Novice Lvl 6 (15%)


    -Rapier Mastery: Intermediate Lvl 2 (23%)


    +Rapid Thrust: Novice Lvl 4 (32%)


    Illusion Magic Mastery: Novice Lvl 3 (47%)


    -Disguise: Novice Lvl 2 (6%)


    -Glamour: Novice Lvl 3 (17%)


    -Clone: Novice Lvl 1 (0%)</td></tr></tbody></table>


    Equipment:


    <b>Spoiler</b> : <input type=''button'' value=''Show'' class=''spoilerButton''><table><tbody><tr><td>Swift Iron Rapier (10-15) Atk ¨C (16/30) Durability


    Torn Leather Vest (+10) Defense (-2) Luck ¨C (11/15) Durability


    Mangled Cloth Pants (+5) Defense (-1) Luck - (5/10) Durability


    Rugged Leather Boots (+7) Defense (+3) Agility ¨C (9/12) Durability


    Necklace of the Black King (+10%) Magic Resistance ¨C (25/25) Durability</td></tr></tbody></table>

 Chapter 17: The Bog of Love

    :: Shiroe ::


    I looked down at the large pile of direwolf canines and I couldn¡¯t believe it. He would have had to farm most of the mobs in the forest to acquire that many teeth.


    ¡°W¡­What?!¡±


    She reached down to see if they were actually real.


    ¡°How did you get all these direwolf teeth?¡± She asked with an astounded look on her face.


    ¡°I killed a lot of direwolves¡­how else?¡± He looked at me like I was an idiot.


    ¡°T¡­That¡¯s ridiculous¡­unless you sat around and farmed here for days. Who the hell has that much willpower?¡± I yelled back.


    I wasn¡¯t actually mad, but somehow after seeing the look on his face I couldn¡¯t just accept these from him willingly.


    ¡°I do, apparently.¡± He looked away from me and I couldn¡¯t seem to tell what he was thinking.


    ¡°How much do you want for 20 of these?¡± I asked quickly.


    I didn¡¯t want to be in his debt, but I also didn¡¯t want to spend to much as the amount I was making from this quest wasn¡¯t that high.


    ¡°Hmm.¡± I watched as he thought it over.


    ¡°Teach me about fire magic.¡± He asked suddenly.


    I looked at him curiously. He was obviously some sort of melee class by the way he killed the monster, but I did here some type of singing.


    ¡°Why fire magic and not body enhancement or blood magic like most warriors. You might not even have the aptitude for it.¡±


    Melee type profession had a lot more limitations on the types of magic they could learn¡­unless they were a mixed class like a hybrid.


    ¡°I have an affinity for steam magic and since fire magic is one half of steam then I figured it might help me later.¡± He said.


    I was confused. How did he know what his aptitudes were without having a magic-related class¡­unless¡­I don¡¯t know? The magic affinity test was fairly expensive¡­he has to be hiding some form of magic.


    ¡°Alright I will tell you what little I know as long as you tell me your class.¡± I asked with a smile on my face.


    ¡°How about¡­no.¡± He turned me down immediately and started to walk off in the opposite direction.


    I really wanted to know what class he had now. Everything about him posed more questions than answers.


    His interest in magic despite being a melee class, tentative. His use of a lightweight weapon to fight and finish off a powerful boss and his ridiculously shabby clothing.


    If I saw him walking down the street¡­I would think he was a beggar or some sort of beginner adventurer who fetched his clothes and gear from the garbage.


    I almost pulled my hair out as I followed behind him. I didn¡¯t want to lose him so I stopped asking him so many questions, but sooner or later he would crack¡­they always do.


    :: Kai ::


    I hadn¡¯t the faintest idea where I was going, but I figured if I stormed off dramatically she would think I was mad.


    I was actually more embarrassed about my class. I had made such a cool entrance and saved the damsel in distress, but the moment¡­if she heard my class it would all be for not.


    Walking for about an hour I ended up wandering into a small cloud of fog or mist and couldn¡¯t figure out where to go.


    I looked around and the only thing I could here were the soft footsteps from behind me.


    It was odd having someone tag along with me, especially someone so beautiful. She was a little bit demanding, but I was male and she was hot¡­so I could overlook almost anything.


    ¡°Your lost, aren¡¯t you?¡± I could hear the admonishment in her tone.


    When I had first rescued her¡­well she was like a princess that was admiring her prince. Overcome by my strength and offering me anything as thanks for saving her life.


    But now she knew who I was and she developed a feeling of entitlement from that. Before I was the hero and now I¡¯m just¡­some guy she knows.


    I stumbled through the fog as I was lost in my thoughts and I could here the feint sound of giggling coming from behind me.


    Savannah Maritel. I actually didn¡¯t know much about her other than the fact that she was pretty and she belonged to the same group of friends as Gwen.


    ¡®Maybe I should ask her a few questions¡­I might be able to found some useful info about Gwen.¡¯ I thought.


    I turned around in order to strike up a conversation, but a screaming girl greeted me.


    ¡°KYAAAAAAA!¡±


    She threw her arms around me and wouldn¡¯t stop freaking out. I wasn¡¯t complaining because of the soft sensation on my chest, but the constant shrieking in my ear was driving me over the edge.


    I looked to see what it was and saw that it was a small green slime. It left a trail of sludge behind it as it moved.


    <table><tbody><tr><td> Booger Slime (M) Lvl 17</td></tr></tbody></table>


    I pulled her away from me for a second and pointed at the small slime.


    ¡°Its just a baby slime. Its naming sense might be a little off, but it¡¯s an easy kill.¡± I tried to reason with her, but the look on her face was of utter disgust and fear.


    Rolling my eyes I went over to stab the small slime with my rapier, but my blade slipped right through it without causing any damage.


    ¡°Hit¡­core¡­no¡­physical.¡± I listened to her mumbling and figured out what she was trying to say.


    I struck my blade forward and into the center of the slime and watched happily as the slime fizzled away.


    Apparently slimes were completely resistant to physical damage unless you hit their core directly.


    ¡°Thanks.¡± I collected the loot and turned back towards my scared little Shiroe.


    ¡°It took you long enough¡­oh my god, what if that thing touched me¡­.ew ew ew.¡± She turned back into her normal self fairly quickly.


    The more time I spent around her the more I started to understand her strange personality.


    She put up a guise around herself. I was guessing that her true personality was the one I encountered when I saved her¡­the same one as when she ran away from the slime.


    But in order to protect herself she pretended to be something else. I didn¡¯t know the reason behind it, but I was a little bit curious.


    ¡°There has to be an easier way to get through this fog.¡± I finally said out loud.


    I figured if she was able to come to the Twisted Hollow from Lachlin, than she had to have some way of travelling through the Barons.


    She looked over at me and smiled¡­the look on her face gave me chills.


    :: Shiroe ::


    I had a small lapse in judgment. That green disgusting blob touched the back of my foot and I just¡­


    I can¡¯t believe that I ran into his arms like a scared little girl, even though¡­.no. I shook my head. It didn¡¯t feel that good, did it?


    Anyway I had him right where I wanted him. I finally had a piece of information I could lord over him in order to find out what I wanted to know.


    ¡°I might just happen to know a way to see and travel through the bog, but it¡¯ll cost you.¡± I smiled deviously.


    I watched him sigh as he started to think about what I was going to ask him.


    ¡°Is this about my class again?¡± He asked.


    I danced over to him and summoned a ball of magelight in front of him to show him that I had the ability to guide us.


    ¡°Using the magelight skill I am able to disperse a bit of the fog and find the general pathway through. Now I could guide us to the edge in a few hours or you could tell me your class. Hu hu hu.¡± I laughed as I finished.


    ¡°I save you twice and this is the thanks I get.¡± He seemed to mutter the words quietly.


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you, but if you tell anyone else in school or in-game. I swear to the gods I will knock you out and leave you here¡­¡±


    I shivered when I heard his threat. I knew he was physically capable of doing that to me. He could bend me over right here and take me¡­oh my god what am I thinking about.


    I mentally slapped myself as my thoughts trailed off. Even if he threatened me I still had the upper hand. So I decided to go through with it.


    ¡°Okay¡­okay. I swear that I won¡¯t tell anyone. So whats your class¡­I bet its really cool.¡±


    I was extremely excited. He had to have some sort of rare or unique class to be as strong as he was.


    :: Kai ::


    I inhaled and then exhaled deeply. I was mentally preparing myself for the reaction that she would have the minute I told her what my class was.


    ¡°I¡¯m a bard.¡± I exclaimed softly.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I couldn¡¯t hear you?¡± She asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m a bard.¡± I muttered again.


    ¡°Speak up¡­Giddy.¡± She complained.


    ¡°I¡¯M A BARD.¡± I practically screamed the words once I lost my patience. I hated when people called me ¡®Giddy¡¯¡­especially when they weren¡¯t actually my friends or family.


    She started to laugh just like Nate did the first time I told him what my class was. I couldn¡¯t tell if she thought my class was funny or if she thought my reaction was.


    ¡°And my names Gideon, not Giddy¡­plus my name is Kai here.¡± I was a little but mad, but I was more flustered because of my class.


    ¡°Fine¡­fine. Gideon or should I say Kai. I won¡¯t mess up your name, but honestly whats your actual class. Bard, ha-ha. That was a good laugh. I met a few of them in the elven forest and they are basically a joke. I¡¯d rather be in a party with one of those useless druids than with a bard.¡±


    The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    My face grew darker as I listened to her speak. ¡°I¡¯m a bard. I wasn¡¯t doing that in order to get a laugh.¡±


    Every time someone laughed at my class I remembered the first time my teacher reacted about my class. ¡®Hahaha¡­a bard hero.¡¯


    A mix of happy and sad feelings clouded my head¡­


    :: Shiroe ::


    I laughed when he first told me his class¡­mostly because of his reaction, but partially because of disbelief.


    I knew that bards were a completely useless class. There support abilities were not as powerful as priests and their physical skills were practically nonexistent.


    So I didn¡¯t believe him and started to berate him about how useless bards are, but before I could continue his face grew dark.


    I could tell he was getting extremely mad¡­the look in his eyes was pure rage. That kind of emotion couldn¡¯t have just come from a few mocking laughs.


    When he clarified that he was actually a bard I decided to back off a little. I didn¡¯t want to pull the pin out of the grenade that was his emotional state right now.


    ¡°Alright I¡¯ll believe you I guess. That explains your magic capability, but not your physical abilities. Can you even sing?¡±


    I may have decided to back off, but I was still curious about quite a few things about his character.


    ¡°I learned about fighting from my master and inherited a few melee class skills. Some of which are E-skills.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t too surprised that he picked up a weapon mastery and a few fighting skills, but the fact that he had melee related e-skills without having a melee class was practically impossible. He would have to be either extremely lucky or spent an enormous amount of time training.


    ¡°That explains the physical part I guess, but what about the singing one?¡±


    A look of indecision crossed his face and I knew that he was embarrassed about singing in front of me.


    I knew that he wasn¡¯t the type to hold back around his friends, but I wasn¡¯t his friend and we had barely talked until today.


    ¡°Fine.¡± He gulped and then coughed a few times.


    My heart wasn¡¯t prepared for what happened next. This boy¡­no this man had the voice of¡­I would say an angel, but that would be underestimating the feeling that I had as I was listening to him.


    I was in no way perverted or anything, but I had a little bit of a thing for musicians and right now Gid¡­ no Kai made me wet with just the sound of his voice.


    When he stopped singing I saw him in a completely different light. All previously negative thoughts in my head about bards had vanished.


    Was his hair always that shiny and black¡­his muscles seem bigger¡­


    :: Kai ::


    I was a little embarrassed to sing in front of a girl for the first time, but I picked a familiar song and just decided to go with it.


    I couldn¡¯t tell if she liked my singing or not¡­she just seemed to be staring at me. It was like I was a strange anomaly to her.


    Waving my hands in front of her face, she seemed to snap out of a trance.


    ¡°Believe me now? We have to get going before nightfall or else the monsters will kill us.¡±


    I tried to push her along and she surprisingly didn¡¯t resist. She was a lot more relaxed than she was earlier. The tense atmosphere was gone.


    She didn¡¯t say another word. She simply summoned a ball of her magelight and led us through the Bog of the Barons.


    It was a little off-putting, but her sudden quietness had made the trip a lot faster and simpler.


    We were approached by a few low-level mobs, but it was nothing the two of us couldn¡¯t handle together.


    A few hours and another level later we had finally made it to the end of the King¡¯s Highway.


    Just a little bit more and we would reach the trade post, Lachlin.


    Chapter 17: Status


    <table><tbody><tr><td colspan=''4''>Status Window</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Name:</td><td width="25%">Kai</td><td width="25%">Alignment:</td><td width="25%">Neutral</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Level:</td><td width="25%">20</td><td width="25%">Class:</td><td width="25%">Bard</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Race:</td><td width="25%">Cherub</td><td width="25%">Gender:</td><td width="25%">Male</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>Titles</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>Songscryer</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Fame:</td><td width="25%">120</td><td width="25%">Infamy:</td><td width="25%">950</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>-</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Health:</td><td width="25%">500 / 500</td><td width="25%">Health Regen:</td><td width="25%">4.5 / Sec</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Mana:</td><td width="25%">650 / 650</td><td width="25%">Mana Regen:</td><td width="25%">6.0 / Sec</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Stamina:</td><td width="25%">750 / 750</td><td width="25%">Stamina Regen:</td><td width="25%">6.0 / Sec</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>-</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Strength:</td><td width="25%">44 (+47)</td><td width="25%">Agility:</td><td width="25%">53</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Vitality:</td><td colspan=''3''>58</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Intelligence:</td><td width="25%">59 (+5)</td><td width="25%">Wisdom:</td><td width="25%">69 (+5)</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Endurance:</td><td width="25%">78</td><td width="25%">Luck:</td><td width="25%">37 (+47)</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>-</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Attack:</td><td width="25%">10-15</td><td width="25%">Defense:</td><td width="25%">40 (+70)</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>Physical Resistances</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Slashing:</td><td width="25%">25 (+42)</td><td width="25%">Piercing:</td><td width="25%">25 (+42)</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Crushing:</td><td colspan=''3''>30 (+42)</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>Elemental Resistances</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Fire:</td><td width="25%">10%</td><td width="25%">Water:</td><td width="25%">10%</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Wind:</td><td width="25%">10%</td><td width="25%">Earth:</td><td width="25%">10%</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Light:</td><td width="25%">10%</td><td width="25%">Darkness:</td><td width="25%">10%</td></tr></tbody></table>


    Skills/Abilities:


    <b>Spoiler</b> : <input type=''button'' value=''Show'' class=''spoilerButton''><table><tbody><tr><td>Iron Skin: Intermediate Lvl 4 (8%)


    Willpower III: Intermediate Lvl 3 (33%)


    Seven Pathways Meditation: Novice Lvl 9 (88%)


    Mana Manipulation: Intermediate Lvl 1 (74%)


    Voice Manipulation: Novice Lvl 6 (13%)


    Music Mastery: Novice Lvl 7 (42%)


    -Song of Renewal: Intermediate Lvl 2 (4%)


    -Song of the Slumbering: Novice Lvl 6 (45%)


    -Song of Sorrow: Novice Lvl 3 (26%)


    Sword Mastery: Novice Lvl 6 (45%)


    -Rapier Mastery: Intermediate Lvl 2 (73%)


    +Rapid Thrust: Novice Lvl 6 (12%)


    Illusion Magic Mastery: Novice Lvl 3 (47%)


    -Disguise: Novice Lvl 3 (13%)


    -Glamour: Novice Lvl 3 (17%)


    -Clone: Novice Lvl 1 (0%)</td></tr></tbody></table>


    Equipment:


    <b>Spoiler</b> : <input type=''button'' value=''Show'' class=''spoilerButton''><table><tbody><tr><td>Swift Iron Rapier (10-15) Atk ¨C (16/30) Durability


    Torn Leather Vest (+10) Defense (-2) Luck ¨C (11/15) Durability


    Mangled Cloth Pants (+5) Defense (-1) Luck - (5/10) Durability


    Rugged Leather Boots (+7) Defense (+3) Agility ¨C (9/12) Durability


    Necklace of the Black King (+10%) Magic Resistance ¨C (25/25) Durability</td></tr></tbody></table>

 Chapter 18: The Three Valkyries

    :: Kai ::


    The two of us walked side by side down the large dusty road. The road wasn¡¯t made out of stone or cement; it was merely hard compacted dirt.


    ¡®I guess they cheapen out the farther it gets from the capital¡­typical slave king.¡¯ He thought angrily.


    Shaking my head I decided to strike up a conversation with Shiroe. We still had a bit of a ways until we reached Lachlin.


    ¡°So what¡¯s Lachlan like?¡± I asked.


    She jumped for a second and I realized that I must have scared her. She must have been zoning out because of the long walk.


    ¡°Lachlan¡­umm. Well its nice. You¡¯ll find out when we get there.¡± She blushed as she turned away.


    I was puzzled by her reaction and her words.


    Recently, she is a lot less outgoing than she was before. Ever since she heard about my class she has been¡­shy? I¡¯m not sure how to describe it.


    ¡°Okay.¡± I muttered somewhat sarcastically in response to her vagueness.


    We walked another few minutes in silence until another question popped up into my head.


    ¡°So what¡¯s the dungeon like?¡± I exclaimed.


    She jumped again at the sound of my voice. Seriously, what¡¯s with this girl.


    ¡°Uhh¡­uhh. It¡¯s nice, I guess.¡± She spoke softly.


    I stopped sudden and turned to her. Grabbing hold of her shoulders I took the chance to look straight into her eyes.


    ¡°Alright, what¡¯s wrong?¡± I asked quickly. I held onto her so that she couldn¡¯t pull away.


    Her face lit up like a Christmas light and she started to stutter.


    ¡°I¡­uhh¡­dd¡­don¡¯t¡­I¡¯m¡­f¡­fine.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t understand what she was trying to say and just as I was about to ask¡­I noticed the glint of steel flashing towards me.


    ¡°Unhand the Valkyrie, YOU BEAST!¡± A female knight roared.


    I threw my arms around Shiroe and the two of us rolled away from the woman¡¯s blade.


    ¡°W¡­what are you doing now¡­.YOU ANIMAL!¡± The female knight grew flustered.


    I had no idea what she was talking about until I looked down and noticed that I was right on top of Shiroe.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± My face was flushed as I pulled myself off of her.


    ¡°You shall die for taking the Valkyries chastity, YOU FIEND!¡± The female knight kept yelling things as she ran after me with her sword.


    I wasn¡¯t exactly looking forward to being hit¡­so I ran in the opposite direction.


    :: Shiroe ::


    Kai and I were walking side by side on our way to the trade post, Lachlan. I couldn¡¯t bring myself to look at his face anymore¡­every time I heard his voice now. My face went beat red.


    ¡°So what¡¯s Lachlan like?¡± He asked.


    I jumped at the sound of his beautiful melodic voice. The sound of him singing reverberated in my head.


    ¡°Uhh¡­uhh. It¡¯s nice, I guess.¡± She spoke softly.


    I couldn¡¯t think of what to say to him. I felt like an idiot and I had to look away out of sheer embarrassment.


    I pretended to look at the tree¡¯s that ran along the edge of the road like they were the most fascinating things in the world, but in reality my head was full of thoughts of Kai.


    ¡°So what¡¯s the dungeon like?¡± He exclaimed.


    I tensed up¡­this was going to be a long journey. Something like this had never happened to me before.


    I was the one that made boys fall head over heals for me. I made them stutter and blush¡­this was humiliating.


    ¡°Uhh¡­uhh. It¡¯s nice, I guess.¡± I spoke quietly.


    ¡®Damnit¡­damnit. His fricken voice is like a vacuum that sucks all the thoughts out of my head. And those adorable facial expressions.¡¯ I thought to myself.


    Suddenly I felt hands on my shoulders as he pulled me around.


    ¡®Whats going on¡­is he going to kiss me and whisper sweet nothings into me ear¡­no my heart isn¡¯t ready.¡¯ I thought as my mind swirled with chaos.


    ¡°Alright, what¡¯s wrong?¡± He stated.


    My mind was still reeling and the only words that came out of my mouth were, ¡°I¡­uhh¡­dd¡­don¡¯t¡­I¡¯m¡­f¡­fine.¡±


    I was so entranced by him that I didn¡¯t even notice that we were being attacked. One second he was holding my shoulders and the next he was riding on top of me.


    ¡®I¡¯m not ready for this¡­please be gentle¡­no wait I can¡¯t¡­but look at him.¡¯ My thoughts battled with each other¡­it was like a civil war in my mind.


    I took a deep breath and a few seconds to collect myself. Looking up at Kai¡­he suddenly jumped back and I saw the flash of a steel blade.


    ¡°What the¡­¡± I noticed the interloper and she seemed somewhat familiar.


    Kai was avoiding the knights attacks as he backed away¡­that female knight, why does she seem so familiar.


    I heard her yell for the first time and suddenly it all made sense.


    ¡°Zrelda¡­STOP!¡± I screamed as I stood up. Zrelda, a.k.a. the female knight, turned towards me with a confused look.


    ¡°I¡¯m just trying to kill this man that was touching you?¡± She phrased it like a question.


    ¡°That man is my friend, Kai. My party was looking for a fourth member¡­remember?¡± I retorted.


    :: Kai ::


    I was finally able to take a breath, because Shiroe started to yell at the female knight and was able to clear up the situation.


    I found out by listening to the conversation that Shiroe knew the female knight named Zrelda.


    ¡°This is Kai¡­like I said before.¡± Shiroe motioned towards me as she was introducing me.


    ¡°Kai, this is Zrelda. She is a knight of Valkyria.¡± Shiroe stated.


    ¡°Its nice to meet you, sort of. I¡¯m not usually a fan of people who try to kill me.¡± I muttered the last bit of my sentence.


    Zrelda gave me a cold and menacing look before she spoke.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry that I mistook you for a vagabond¡­although you look the part, fiend.¡± Her apology to me was barely an apology at all¡­I could tell that she didn¡¯t like me.


    Zrelda sheathed her sword and turned back to Shiroe. ¡°I can¡¯t believe you are going to allow such a weak looking man to be in your party. A Valkyrie should maintain a better image.¡±


    I was getting pissed off, because of her words and Shiroe started to take notice of my facial expression.


    ¡°Its fine¡­and he¡¯s incredibly strong, despite his attire. Can you guide us back to the town Zrelda.¡± Shiroe said.


    I was still angry, but even I knew that my clothing was a little torn. I needed to pick up some new gear before we took on that dungeon that I came here for.


    I had quite a few questions¡­like what the hell a Valkyrie was and who was Valkyria. I had a few ideas, because of the info I had from my own world but I didn¡¯t want to risk stirring anything up with Zrelda. So I decided to wait until I was alone with Shiroe again.


    We walked in silence for about an hour until we approached the large town¡­or should I say small city. The distinction between the two was unclear.


    Approaching the gates, I noticed that the two guards were female. I wondered if this so called Valkyrie thing was based in Lachlan. Most normal towns would have male guards or at least that¡¯s what I¡¯ve read.


    Zrelda and Shiroe easily passed through the gates, but the two guards crossed their pole arms in front of me.


    ¡°Where is your identification, pig!¡± One of the female guards yelled.


    Shiroe quickly turned around and said, ¡°He¡¯s with me¡­Greta¡­Hyr. Lower your weapons.¡±


    The two guards look confused. ¡°But he looks like a homeless vagabond. You shouldn¡¯t spend time with one such as him, Lady Valkyrie.¡±


    Zrelda was smiling wickedly because of how the guards were treating me.


    ¡°I said its fine. Now let him through.¡± Shiroe was starting to get angry and the guards finally gave in¡­unwillingly.


    The two guards looked at me with hate filled eyes as they let me through.


    ¡°What was that about?¡± I asked Shiroe.


    ¡°Oh, right¡­.you wouldn¡¯t know.¡± Shiroe muttered as she forgot to bring it up during their travels together.


    ¡°A stupid little boy like you doesn¡¯t know of the great Valkyria?¡± Zrelda insulted me as she spoke and my patience was starting to wear thin.


    ¡°Ignore her, but that is the typical reaction to men in this region. Once you pass through the Bog of the Barons you leave the Kingdom of Asterot. We are now in Valhalla. Valhalla¡¯s military consist mostly of female knights who serve the goddess Valkyria. Since we serve a female goddess and woman are mostly in power. Men are considered second-class citizens. Almost like slaves.¡±


    ¡®This country is even stranger than the one I just came from.¡¯ I thought depressed.


    ¡°That¡¯s pretty messed up. What is Valkyria the goddess of?¡± I asked. I didn¡¯t want to talk anymore about how badly men were treated as I could already picturing my time here being¡­terrible.


    ¡°Valkyria is the most powerful goddess. She is the goddess of equality, beauty, and strength.¡± Zrelda chimed in with her superior attitude.


    ¡°A goddess of equality that belittles men¡­sounds like she¡¯s the goddess of feminism.¡± I joked.


    Shiroe just rolled her eyes, but Zrelda seemed to get really pissed off. ¡°What is this feminism¡­it sounds as if you disrespect our goddess!¡±


    She drew her sword to attack, but Shiroe stepped in the way again. ¡°He doesn¡¯t know about the customs and culture here. Give me some time to tell him about it before you gut him in the street.¡±


    Zrelda scoffed before she returned her blade to her sheath. The female knight turned and stomped off down the street.


    This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t make comments like that here. You might end up getting executed or even worse¡­enslaved. The laws of Valhalla mostly support woman.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s this Valkyrie business about then?¡± I asked finally. It was a question that I had wanted an answer to for a while.


    The people in the street were all stopping to gawk at the man who spoke openly with one of the Valkyries.


    ¡°Not here.¡± Shiroe spoke quickly as she tugged on my leather vest.


    She pulled me along and into a nearby tavern. The tavern was mostly empty since it was the middle of the day.


    We took a seat in one of the corner booths. It allowed us a little more privacy than it did outside.


    ¡°So?¡± I asked again.


    ¡°S¡­sorry. To many ears outside.¡± She stuttered again.


    ¡°Phoebe, Hilda, and I ended up running into a small platoon of Valkyran Knights when we left the Elven Forest. We ended up staying with them for a while and we gathered some fame and increased our reputation a bit. But it wasn¡¯t until we came to Lachlan that we got the Valkyrie title. We figured that we could get some skills and good weapons if we joined up with the Valkyran Order. During the ceremony instead of just being blessed by some purified water, the goddess descended in human form. I was as shocked as you are right now¡­.trust me. Anyway she bessed us directly and gave us a title. The Three Valkyries.¡±


    Shiroe stopped to take a breath and it gave me a few seconds to take in and process the information that I was hearing. They had met with a real goddess¡­and gotten a new title and blessing.


    ¡°The title gives us a few stat boosts, but mostly it gives us a good reputation and authority in Valhalla. Similar to that of a Knight. It¡¯s a growing title. The more good things we do for Valkyria¡­the more authority we gain.¡± Shiroe added on.


    It was my first time hearing of a title that gave someone so much power. My previous two titles gave me nothing in comparison.


    Though they still considered me as Thak, even though I lost my apprentice title.


    ¡°More importantly¡­who are Phoebe and Hilda?¡± I presumed they were Jillian and Gwen, but I didn¡¯t know which one was which.


    ¡°Is that all you got out of that?¡± She looked at me angrily.


    ¡°Uh¡­no?¡± I said sheepishly.


    ¡°Baka.¡± She hit me in the side of the head again.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad to see your back to your old self.¡± I grinned as I rubbed the side of my head.


    Shiroe seemed to blush red again before answering my question. ¡°Hilda is the healer of the group¡­although she likes to be called ¡®Battle Priestess¡¯. She wields a large war hammer.¡±


    Shiroe put air quotes around the term battle priestess and then rolled her eyes. ¡°Hilda¡¯s name is Jillian and she¡¯s well¡­not really the quiet beauty that people think she is in real life. She¡¯s really eccentric here.¡±


    ¡°Phoebe is Gwen as you could of guessed and she¡¯s a dual wielding assassin. Although she dabbles in Alchemy. Jill calls her the Alchemic Assassin. She¡¯s pretty much the same here as she is in school. Aloof and tends to not understand peoples actions that well.¡± Shiroe laughed.


    ¡°And lastly¡­well you already know I¡¯m a mage who wants to specialize in fire, but you haven¡¯t told me much about how you fight?¡±


    ¡°Uhh¡­okay. I¡¯m a bard. I specialize in singing and I stab stuff. That pretty much sums it up.¡± I spoke mildly.


    ¡°That¡¯s not¡­.¡± Shiroe was cut off before she had the chance to finish her sentence.


    ¡°SHIIIIROOOOOOOOO!¡± A high-pitched and loud female voice interrupted the middle of our conversation. The moment I heard that voice I knew that I was about to meet another ¡®interesting¡¯ person.


    Shiroe rolled her eyes. ¡°Kai meet Hilda.¡±


    Chapter 18: Status


    <table><tbody><tr><td colspan=''4''>Status Window</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Name:</td><td width="25%">Kai</td><td width="25%">Alignment:</td><td width="25%">Neutral</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Level:</td><td width="25%">20</td><td width="25%">Class:</td><td width="25%">Bard</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Race:</td><td width="25%">Cherub</td><td width="25%">Gender:</td><td width="25%">Male</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>Titles</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>Songscryer</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Fame:</td><td width="25%">120</td><td width="25%">Infamy:</td><td width="25%">950</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>-</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Health:</td><td width="25%">500 / 500</td><td width="25%">Health Regen:</td><td width="25%">4.5 / Sec</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Mana:</td><td width="25%">650 / 650</td><td width="25%">Mana Regen:</td><td width="25%">6.0 / Sec</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Stamina:</td><td width="25%">750 / 750</td><td width="25%">Stamina Regen:</td><td width="25%">6.0 / Sec</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>-</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Strength:</td><td width="25%">44 (+47)</td><td width="25%">Agility:</td><td width="25%">53</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Vitality:</td><td colspan=''3''>58</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Intelligence:</td><td width="25%">59 (+5)</td><td width="25%">Wisdom:</td><td width="25%">69 (+5)</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Endurance:</td><td width="25%">78</td><td width="25%">Luck:</td><td width="25%">37 (+47)</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>-</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Attack:</td><td width="25%">10-15</td><td width="25%">Defense:</td><td width="25%">40 (+70)</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>Physical Resistances</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Slashing:</td><td width="25%">25 (+42)</td><td width="25%">Piercing:</td><td width="25%">25 (+42)</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Crushing:</td><td colspan=''3''>30 (+42)</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>Elemental Resistances</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Fire:</td><td width="25%">10%</td><td width="25%">Water:</td><td width="25%">10%</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Wind:</td><td width="25%">10%</td><td width="25%">Earth:</td><td width="25%">10%</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Light:</td><td width="25%">10%</td><td width="25%">Darkness:</td><td width="25%">10%</td></tr></tbody></table>


    Skills/Abilities:


    <b>Spoiler</b> : <input type=''button'' value=''Show'' class=''spoilerButton''><table><tbody><tr><td>Iron Skin: Intermediate Lvl 4 (8%)


    Willpower III: Intermediate Lvl 3 (33%)


    Seven Pathways Meditation: Novice Lvl 9 (88%)


    Mana Manipulation: Intermediate Lvl 1 (74%)


    Voice Manipulation: Novice Lvl 6 (13%)


    Music Mastery: Novice Lvl 7 (42%)


    -Song of Renewal: Intermediate Lvl 2 (4%)


    -Song of the Slumbering: Novice Lvl 6 (45%)


    -Song of Sorrow: Novice Lvl 3 (26%)


    Sword Mastery: Novice Lvl 6 (45%)


    -Rapier Mastery: Intermediate Lvl 2 (73%)


    +Rapid Thrust: Novice Lvl 6 (12%)


    Illusion Magic Mastery: Novice Lvl 3 (47%)


    -Disguise: Novice Lvl 3 (13%)


    -Glamour: Novice Lvl 3 (17%)


    -Clone: Novice Lvl 1 (0%)</td></tr></tbody></table>


    Equipment:


    <b>Spoiler</b> : <input type=''button'' value=''Show'' class=''spoilerButton''><table><tbody><tr><td>Swift Iron Rapier (10-15) Atk ¨C (16/30) Durability


    Torn Leather Vest (+10) Defense (-2) Luck ¨C (11/15) Durability


    Mangled Cloth Pants (+5) Defense (-1) Luck - (5/10) Durability


    Rugged Leather Boots (+7) Defense (+3) Agility ¨C (9/12) Durability


    Necklace of the Black King (+10%) Magic Resistance ¨C (25/25) Durability</td></tr></tbody></table>

 Chapter 19: Do You Remember Me?

    :: Kai ::


    ¡°SHIIIIROOOOOOOOO!¡± A high-pitched and loud female voice interrupted the middle of our conversation. The moment I heard that voice I knew that I was about to meet another ¡®interesting¡¯ person.


    Shiroe rolled her eyes. ¡°Kai meet Hilda.¡±


    I looked over to see the tallest woman that I had ever seen in my entire life¡­she was what 6¡¯5¡­6¡¯6.


    She had long black hair and bright blue eyes, which heavily contrasted with her gold and silver priestess robes.


    Jillian¡­or Hilda in this realm was only about 5¡¯8 in real life and maybe 120 pounds. I didn¡¯t have an exact measurement, but in the game you could see the outlines of her firm muscles under the robe.


    It was like night and day compared to her character and personality in the real world. She even had a large war hammer strapped tightly to her back¡­everything about her contradicted itself.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been looking everywhere for you Shiro¡­Muuu¡­Gwen¡­¡± She turns to look at me for a second.


    ¡°I mean Phoebe will be back from her mission in about an hour or so. We decided that we would take a crack at the dungeon by ourselves¡­Nates friend is taking way to long.¡± She sighed as she sat down at the table next Shiroe.


    ¡°So whose this?¡± She finally took notice of the fact I was here¡­sort of. ¡°Are you trying to come on to my little Shiro¡­cause I have dibs.¡± The overgrown Hilda puffed out her cheeks.


    I opened my mouth to speak, but I couldn¡¯t think of what to say¡­no maybe I was just to baffled by this strange personality.


    Shiroe spoke out on my behalf. ¡°This is Kai, Nates friend.¡± Hilda leaned against Shiroe as she spoke. It might have been cute if there wasn¡¯t such a huge size difference.


    ¡°Oooooh¡­so your Gideon. I thought you were one of Savy¡¯s stalkers. God, those men are all so creepy.¡± She shivered as she spoke.


    ¡°Okay.¡± I said somewhat sarcastically before adding on. ¡°Well anyway. I¡¯m Kai and your Hilda right? Shiroe was just telling me a bit about you guys before you came by.¡±


    ¡°Oh was she, all good I hope.¡± Hilda¡¯s smile was beaming as she turned to tickle the bashful Shiroe.


    I watched as the two of them laughed. Shiroe was blushing a little bit¡­probably from being tickled and Hilda was having the time of her life.


    Hilda had an odd personality, but I have to say it wasn¡¯t exactly bad. I appreciated the fact that she didn¡¯t hold back her thoughts. Maybe if I spent a little more time with her I would come to dislike it.


    I decided to get something to eat while I was here. I figured I still had a few good minutes before the two of them pulled their selves out of their stupor.


    It took me quite a bit of waving to get the waitresses attention. The young woman who was dressed in some kind of mix between a maid and butler outfit came over with a scowl on her face.


    ¡°Hey¡­I just wanted to get something quick to eat. Do you recommend anything?¡± I asked the young waitress.


    She looked me over for a few seconds. Taking in my torn clothing. ¡°I¡¯m sorry we don¡¯t serve slaves here, but your Master can order for you if she wishes.¡± I could hear the mocking tone in the woman¡¯s voice.


    Now I don¡¯t consider myself a rash person¡­or quick to anger, but something inside of me just snapped when the words came out of her mouth.


    ¡°I¡¯LL FUCKING KILL YOU!¡± My enhanced voice ripped throughout the whole building. I slammed my fist into the table and it snapped into small fragments of wood.


    I don¡¯t know why¡­but my thoughts sort of just slipped out. Slavery had become somewhat of a touchy subject ever since I became a Cherubim and met my master.


    I had never experienced it in a real life, but now that I had a strong connection with someone who experienced it. I felt privileged¡­no I felt I had a right to speak out against it.


    The woman stared at me with horror in her eyes.


    <table><tbody><tr><td> Status Effect Inflicted: Fear</td></tr></tbody></table>


    It only took a brief second¡­seeing the look in her eyes¡­to realize that what I had done was wrong.


    Her attitude may have pissed me off, but that was part of her culture. It was something deeply ingrained into her daily life.


    I had different opinions and ideals, but I was not in my own home and my own country. I knew I shouldn¡¯t have reacted that poorly, but¡­nonetheless I did.


    Hilda was looking at me with a hint of fear in her eyes, but for some reason Shiroe was blushing¡­I had no idea why.


    Shiroe was the first to speak up. ¡°Why don¡¯t we get out of here.¡± She stood up and moved around the broken table.


    The three of us quickly evacuated the tavern¡­leaving only a small bag of coins for repairs.


    :: Shiroe ::


    I heard the words come out of the woman¡¯s mouth. It was a common enough phrase. I had heard it several times, but we had never traveled with men¡­so I never really cared about standing up for them.


    But this time was different¡­this was my Kai¡­I mean my friend. I wouldn¡¯t let some lowly woman treat my Kai¡­my friend like that.


    Just as I was about to say something. Kai screamed at the waitress. His voice was so powerful and commanding.


    I wanted him to use that voice when he spoke to me¡­push me down and berate me with that voice. Command me and tell me¡­.no never mind¡­I was just lost in thought. I¡¯m not a pervert.


    <table><tbody><tr><td> Status Effect Induced: Charmed</td></tr></tbody></table>


    My face heated up the moment I read the blue status screen in front of me. I knew from watching the faces of Hilda and the waitress that they definitely did not receive the same screen.


    I shook my head to try and get my thoughts in order. This situation was bad and it would probably get worse if we stayed.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we get out of here.¡± I said quickly as I got up and pulled the two of them along.


    We left rather quickly after we left a small donation in order to fix the table. I wanted to get out of the area in case she decided to call the guards to arrest Kai for damaging private property.


    I knew what happened to men that went to jail in this country. A country ruled by woman. It was a scary thing.


    I decided to take a short-cut that I knew through the backstreets. Lachlan was an older town so most of the buildings were made from stone, but the farther you got from the town center the more wood buildings you would come across.


    It was cheaper to build from wood than stone these days. All you needed was a saw and a map to find your way into the woods.


    The three of us walked in silence until we finally made our way to a small wooden shrine at the corner of town. It was a quiet place¡­not many civilians came by.


    It was a place that Phoebe, Hilda, and I often used as a meeting spot when we returned from questing on our own.


    I figured we could talk hear without fear of retribution by the guards, until Phoebe came.


    ¡°That was interesting.¡± I smiled. Trying to break the ice after the tavern fiasco.


    Kai seemed like he wanted to speak up, but he was still inwardly reflecting about something.


    ¡°Yeah¡­I hadn¡¯t really thought about the whole slave thing since I¡¯m a girl. Not many guys start here because¡­well yeah.¡± Hilda spoke softly.


    Her outgoing personality from before had switched back to the personality she used in real life.


    ¡°Sorry.¡± Kai muttered.


    ¡°Its okay. I probably would have reacted similarly if I was in that situation¡­maybe.¡± I exclaimed trying to cheer up the depressed Kai.


    ¡°Was that a skill you used to inflict status effects?¡± Hilda immediately decided to shift the conversation, which I was very happy about.


    ¡°Its part of my Voice Manipulation ability. My voice becomes enhanced with mana and it can cause a variety of effects. Though¡­that was slightly unintentional.¡± Kai spoke quickly.


    ¡°Oh, is that like that Battle Cry skill that warriors have? What kind of tank are you by the way? I was curious since Nate seemed to talk you up a lot.¡± Hilda smiled.


    ¡°He¡¯s a¡­.¡± I was just about to announce Kai¡¯s class when I felt a hand cover my lips. His hand muffled my words and I turned see the serious look in his eyes.


    ¡°Just a normal blade user with defensive skills.¡± Kai exclaimed with his hand still on my mouth.


    ¡°You promised you wouldn¡¯t tell.¡± He whispered into my ear.


    ¡°Noooo¡­¡± Hilda rushed forward and pulled me away from Kai. ¡°My Shiro¡­only I can whisper sweet nothings into her ear.¡± Hilda puffed out her cheeks again.


    ¡®I think I¡¯m becoming a masochist¡­no¡­no it can¡¯t be.¡¯ I thought. My face flushed as I remembered the pressure of his hand on my face¡­touching my lips.


    :: Kai ::


    I was feeling a little bad about my outburst back at the tavern, but after spending a little bit of time with Hilda and Shiroe¡­the joking around settled me down.


    The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    Three of us talked for about an hour or so about trivial things, until we finally reached the topic of school.


    ¡°Ne ne, Kai. I don¡¯t think we¡¯ve ever been in the same class.¡± Hilda said astutely.


    I thought it over for a second and came to the same conclusion.


    ¡°Yeah that¡¯s a little weird considering our school isn¡¯t that big. We have what¡­a thousand kids.¡± I said back to her.


    ¡°Kai and I have shared a few classes.¡± Shiroe chimed in.


    ¡°History, Math, and¡­what¡¯s the last one. Science, maybe?¡± I tried to recall all of them.


    ¡°You seem to remember a lot when it comes to little Shiro, but don¡¯t think for a second that I will give up.¡± Hilda wrapped her arms around Shiroe as she rambled on.


    ¡°I remember all the pretty girls. It¡¯s a habit.¡± I spoke truthfully without considering my audience.


    ¡°Ho ho ho¡­what a charming little man.¡± Hilda laughed.


    Shiroe blushed as red as a tomato. She seems to do that a lot. I¡¯m starting to think she might have a condition.


    ¡°Do you remember me?¡± A sweet melodic voice came from behind me.


    I knew whose voice that was. It was the voice of the girl I had loved since junior high. My angel, Guinevere Hastings.


    ¡°I¡­uhh¡­ch¡¯yah I do.¡± I stuttered as I turned around to see a goddess in human form.


    She had the same beautiful long blonde hair, but it was tied up in some kind of Chinese toothpick contraption (Chopsticks).


    Her left eye was covered by some kind of black leather eye patch so the only eye that you could see was the green one and it was so beautiful¡­like a lush green forest.


    Gwen¡¯s¡­no Phoebe¡¯s figure was pretty much the same as it was in real life. Spectacular and curvy. If I were a dog I would be wagging my tail and sticking out my tongue right now.


    She was a moderate height, about the same as she was in the real world, but she had a set of daggers strapped to her waist and a full body leather cat suit. Some kind of special assassin gear from the Order of Valkyria¡­I would find this out later¡­for now I was to busy staring.


    ¡°Hmmph.¡± I heard Shiroe¡¯s displeased voice from behind me and I quickly looked towards the sky¡­hopefully Phoebe didn¡¯t think I was some kind of pervert.


    ¡°Should we dungeon now?¡± Phoebe spoke quietly.


    Phoebe was the mysterious type or the cool beauty if I had to put her in a category. She was quiet and spoke with few words, but she had a nice sounding voice and looks to match.


    Hilda was also a cool beauty in real life, but when it came to the game she acted more like the main character from an anime¡¯s violent childhood friend. Her voice was nice, but a little pitchy.


    Shiroe was pretty much the same here as she was in real life. She was the rich beauty who thinks that everyone should love her¡­at least that¡¯s what I thought of her at first, but my opinion has gradually started to change.


    Unlike them I was a decent looking guy who says things he shouldn¡¯t at the wrong times and didn¡¯t really fit into a category or stereotype.


    ¡°So what¡¯s the name of the dungeon were going to?¡± I asked smoothly.


    Shiroe seemed to just let out a sigh as she waited for the outgoing Hilda to answer.


    ¡°Its an amazing dunegeon¡­I think it was called ¡®Grove of the Headless Thak¡¯ or something.¡± Hilda blurted out.


    My eyes widened and my ears only tuned in into one word ¡®Thak¡¯


    Chapter 19: Status


    <table><tbody><tr><td colspan=''4''>Status Window</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Name:</td><td width="25%">Kai</td><td width="25%">Alignment:</td><td width="25%">Neutral</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Level:</td><td width="25%">20</td><td width="25%">Class:</td><td width="25%">Bard</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Race:</td><td width="25%">Cherub</td><td width="25%">Gender:</td><td width="25%">Male</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>Titles</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>Songscryer</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Fame:</td><td width="25%">120</td><td width="25%">Infamy:</td><td width="25%">950</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>-</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Health:</td><td width="25%">500 / 500</td><td width="25%">Health Regen:</td><td width="25%">4.5 / Sec</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Mana:</td><td width="25%">650 / 650</td><td width="25%">Mana Regen:</td><td width="25%">6.0 / Sec</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Stamina:</td><td width="25%">750 / 750</td><td width="25%">Stamina Regen:</td><td width="25%">6.0 / Sec</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>-</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Strength:</td><td width="25%">44 (+47)</td><td width="25%">Agility:</td><td width="25%">53</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Vitality:</td><td colspan=''3''>58</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Intelligence:</td><td width="25%">59 (+5)</td><td width="25%">Wisdom:</td><td width="25%">69 (+5)</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Endurance:</td><td width="25%">78</td><td width="25%">Luck:</td><td width="25%">37 (+47)</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>-</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Attack:</td><td width="25%">10-15</td><td width="25%">Defense:</td><td width="25%">40 (+70)</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>Physical Resistances</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Slashing:</td><td width="25%">25 (+42)</td><td width="25%">Piercing:</td><td width="25%">25 (+42)</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Crushing:</td><td colspan=''3''>30 (+42)</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>Elemental Resistances</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Fire:</td><td width="25%">10%</td><td width="25%">Water:</td><td width="25%">10%</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Wind:</td><td width="25%">10%</td><td width="25%">Earth:</td><td width="25%">10%</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Light:</td><td width="25%">10%</td><td width="25%">Darkness:</td><td width="25%">10%</td></tr></tbody></table>


    Skills/Abilities:


    <b>Spoiler</b> : <input type=''button'' value=''Show'' class=''spoilerButton''><table><tbody><tr><td>Iron Skin: Intermediate Lvl 4 (8%)


    Willpower III: Intermediate Lvl 3 (33%)


    Seven Pathways Meditation: Novice Lvl 9 (88%)


    Mana Manipulation: Intermediate Lvl 1 (74%)


    Voice Manipulation: Novice Lvl 6 (43%)


    Music Mastery: Novice Lvl 7 (42%)


    -Song of Renewal: Intermediate Lvl 2 (4%)


    -Song of the Slumbering: Novice Lvl 6 (45%)


    -Song of Sorrow: Novice Lvl 3 (26%)


    Sword Mastery: Novice Lvl 6 (45%)


    -Rapier Mastery: Intermediate Lvl 2 (73%)


    +Rapid Thrust: Novice Lvl 6 (12%)


    Illusion Magic Mastery: Novice Lvl 3 (47%)


    -Disguise: Novice Lvl 3 (13%)


    -Glamour: Novice Lvl 3 (17%)


    -Clone: Novice Lvl 1 (0%)</td></tr></tbody></table>


    Equipment:


    <b>Spoiler</b> : <input type=''button'' value=''Show'' class=''spoilerButton''><table><tbody><tr><td>Swift Iron Rapier (10-15) Atk ¨C (16/30) Durability


    Torn Leather Vest (+10) Defense (-2) Luck ¨C (11/15) Durability


    Mangled Cloth Pants (+5) Defense (-1) Luck - (5/10) Durability


    Rugged Leather Boots (+7) Defense (+3) Agility ¨C (9/12) Durability


    Necklace of the Black King (+10%) Magic Resistance ¨C (25/25) Durability</td></tr></tbody></table>

 Chapter 20: Grove of the Headless Thak - Part 1

    :: Kai ::


    Apparently the grove was a newly discovered dungeon. The Order of Valkyria managed to stumble upon on one of their patrols along the border.


    The grove sat just outside the edge of the Bog of the Barons. The entrance was a small cavern that was blocked by fog that drifted from the barons.


    <table><tbody><tr><td>Traveler Phoebe has invited you to a party.</td></tr></tbody></table>


    I quickly hit the accept button with a smile on my face. I knew it was just a hunting party, but the way it was phrased made me happy.


    <table><tbody><tr><td>For joining a party for the first time. +2 Luck</td></tr></tbody></table>


    The four of us were currently preparing our gear and supplies outside of the dungeon. Phoebe, Hilda, and Shiroe were stalking mana and health potions in readily grabable places.


    ¡°What are those bottles?¡± I asked confused.


    It was my first time actually seeing them in game. I never really had any use for them, because my Master always forced me back to full health and my Iron Skin technique had done the rest after he passed.


    ¡°It¡¯s a potion dummy, haven¡¯t you used them before?¡± Shiroe rolled her eyes at my question.


    ¡°What do they do?¡± I had a basic idea from previous gaming knowledge, but I didn¡¯t know for sure if this game was different.


    ¡°Oh my god¡­he¡¯s seriously never used one before.¡± Hilda stared at me shocked¡­like she was seeing a rare animal for the first time.


    ¡°How did you even level? Did you just suck experience from a group?¡± Hilda blurted out the first things that popped into her head.


    ¡®She should really get some kind of filter or something.¡¯ I thought passingly before I answered.


    ¡°I was trained by an NPC for a while and after that I just soloed up to my current level. I never took enough damage to need healing.¡± I replied leaving out Gor¡¯thak.


    The three of them stared at me¡­even Phoebe was a little bit stunned. It made me a little happy to see a change in her normally expressionless face.


    ¡°So anyway. Lets talk strategy or do you three want to stare at my good looking self some more.¡± I tried to be a bit cocky in order to change the subject.


    Hilda recovered first by slamming her hammer into the ground. ¡°I¡¯m a 2nd Order Battle Priestess level 24¡­although that¡¯s not my real class. I prefer it cause it sounds more badass. I¡¯ll take care of the heals and a bit of DPS.¡±


    ¡°I will be the main ranged DPS, focusing on lowering health and crowd control. You already know I¡¯m a 1st Order Mage level 23.¡± Shiroe chimed in with her sweet soft voice.


    ¡°And I will be dealing most of the finishing blows with close quarters DPS. 2nd Order Rogue level 26¡­though I like the term assassin.¡± Phoebe spoke softly.


    The party system in Ethaessa worked a lot like many other RPG type games. You had the healer, who buffed and supported the group¡­which I don¡¯t think Hilda will do that much of by her attitude. She looks more like a Paladin than a Priestess.


    The next role in the party system is DPS or damage per second. They are the main damage dealers¡­basically they kill the enemies. Lastly we have me, the tank. Now I normally wouldn¡¯t be a tank in any party, but I am pretty sturdy for a Bard and as long as I don¡¯t encounter any 3rd Order enemies¡­it should be fine¡­.right?


    ¡°Umm¡­I¡¯m the tank so I will be in the front. Level 20.¡± I was as vague as possible. I hoped that they thought I was hiding some hidden class and not just protecting myself from embarrassment.


    Shiroe didn¡¯t say anything, but I could tell by the looks Hilda was giving me that this wasn¡¯t the last time we would go over this.


    ¡°Alright now that we have familiarized ourselves. What do we know about the dungeon layout and enemies.¡± I quickly brought up a new topic in order to get everyone¡¯s minds off of me.


    ¡°Zrelda said that the place was crawling undead. She only saw a few 1st Order Ghouls and Zombies, but she didn¡¯t go to far in.¡± Shiroe met my eyes and knew what I was trying to do and I silently thanked her for it.


    ¡°Well that¡¯s useful for now, but dungeons always increase in difficulty the farther you go in. So I¡¯m guessing we might meet with 2nd Order Dullahans and Skeletons.¡± Hilda chirped.


    From the way they were speaking I knew that the three of them knew a lot more about the creatures we were going to face than I did. So I would rely on them for now until I got used to fighting the undead.


    ¡°We good now?¡± Phoebe spoke up.


    She looked the same as before, but for some reason I could tell that she was getting impatient¡­she couldn¡¯t wait for the hunt.


    ¡°Yep¡­Yeah¡­Lets Go!¡± The three of us replied in semi-unison.


    Phoebe went in first, because she had the superior agility and dexterity from her rogue class.


    The climb down the small cavern hold was steep, but Phoebe was able to navigate us safely down a good path so that we didn¡¯t fall and die.


    I could have lead us down as well, but as far as they knew I stacked my stats into Endurance and Strength and Vitality only.


    The hole took us down into a dark tunnel. It was difficult to see anything so Shiroe lit up a fireball and guided us through. Normally she would have used magelight, but apparently Hilda heard from Valkyran Knight that undead monsters fear fire.


    The tunnel was short and it lead us to an open area. The area was shaped like a dome, with a large withering tree standing in the center.


    I looked at the ground and it was covered with dead grass and decomposing bodies. The smell was nauseating. I could barely keep the contents of my lunch inside my stomach.


    I motioned for the girls to stop. It was my turn to take the lead. I took a few steps forward and poked one of the decomposing corpses. The body didn¡¯t move so I presumed that it was safe to continue forward.


    ¡°They must be previous NPC¡¯s who came to the dungeon or something.¡± I said without putting to much thought into it.


    We made our way to the tree in the center of the dome. There was something suspicious about this tree. It seemed so out of place in an area with so many dead things¡­why would a tree grow under the earth.


    I reached up and placed my hand against the auspicious tree¡­


    Hahahaha¡­Welcome young Thak to my domain¡­I see you have come to challenge me to bring yourself to greater heights. But you know¡­.THERE CAN ONLY BE ONE!


    I knew this place had something to do with the Cherubim, but after hearing the creepy voice in my head my suspicions were confirmed.


    I smiled for a few seconds only to be smacked in the back of the head.


    ¡°What the hell did you do!¡± Shiroe yelled at me.


    I turned around to ask her what she was talking about, but before I could ask my smile faded from my face.


    The group of supposedly dead bodies had stood up¡­


    ¡°Theres to many.¡± Shiroe yelled.


    ¡°Oh my god.¡± Hilda breathed in.


    ¡°Formation!¡± Phoebe yelled braking us out of our dazed state.


    Phoebe and I ended up taking the front of the formation, while Hilda was behind us and Shiroe was behind her.


    Normally the healer would be in the back, but apparently our priestess wasn¡¯t as squishy as the mage. It was an odd layout, but I was hoping for the best.


    <table><tbody><tr><td> Mindless Zombie (M) Lvl 22</td></tr></tbody></table>


    It was my first time fighting an enemy that was over level twenty and there was¡­15 of them.


    I supplied mana to my throat as I rushed forward and let out a roar. I didn¡¯t have the battle cry aggro skill that most warriors and tanks had, but my enhanced voice had a similar effect on the zombies.


    The zombies started to swarm me so I quickly unsheathed my rapier. I thrust my blade forward into the closest zombies chest.


    The zombie didn¡¯t even slow down. It merely walked even deeper into my blade. It was almost like it didn¡¯t even feel pain or care about the damage it was receiving.


    It lunged at me and scratched its decaying fingernails against my throat. I pulled back in disgust.


    <table><tbody><tr><td>Tickled Skin. -2 HP</td></tr></tbody></table>


    I could tell that attack normally would have caused much more damage, especially if  I was a 1st or 2nd Order Tank¡­maybe even caused bleeding damage, but I was a special case. My hardened skin was like metal to them.


    ¡°Aim for the head.¡± Phoebe called out as she jumped over the top of my head. Her knife struck downward three times into the zombie¡¯s head.


    The momentum of the downward attack and the fast-paced strike reduced the first zombie into a pile of grey ash.


    ¡°Thanks for the tip.¡± I muttered as I felt the mana in my magecore start to pulse wildly. I was ready to get started.


    The smile was back on my face and I forced a small amount of my mana into my arm.


    ¡°Rapid Thrust.¡±


    I aimed my blade directly at the next enemy¡¯s head and a few seconds later the zombies face looked like swiss cheese.


    The zombie fell to the ground before it was reduced to a pile of grey ash.


    Phoebe and I started to pick away at the zombies one by one, but the sheer amount of them was starting to overwhelm us.


    Even Shiroe¡¯s fireballs and Hilda¡¯s wild hammer couldn¡¯t control the approaching horde.


    ¡°Hear my voice¡­Goddess of Benevolence and help me fuck my enemies up.¡± Hilda was shouting out prayers left and right¡­I wasn¡¯t sure about how legit they were, but the buffs and healing they provided certainly worked.


    ¡°Fireball¡­Fireball¡­Fireball.¡± Shiroe was draining mana like crazy as she tried to keep to many zombies from attacking us at the same time. I could tell she was feeling frustrated. She was the only one among us who was still part of the 1st Order and her repertoire showed it.


    Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.Phoebe backed up towards Hilda, because she was unable to handle the constant barrage of attacks. Her health was only a little bit more than Shiroe¡¯s and Hilda¡¯s since she was a lightweight rogue.


    And as a result of backing up the remaining zombies started to swarm around me.


    ¡°Oh crap crap crap¡­Valkyria help him.¡± Hilda ranted in frustration as she thought I was going to die.


    <table><tbody><tr><td>Bruised Right Arm. -15 HP</td></tr></tbody></table>


    <table><tbody><tr><td>Bitten Leg. -12 HP</td></tr></tbody></table>


    <table><tbody><tr><td>Pulled Hair. -3 HP</td></tr></tbody></table>


    I received a flurry of messages on my screen¡­I could handle the scratching and biting, but who the hell was pulling my hair.


    I roared in frustration and this seemed to cause the zombies to go into some kind of feeding frenzy as they picked away at my health.


    I wasn¡¯t able to use my rapier in such close proximity so I started to use my body.


    Activating my Willpower and getting caught up in the fight I started to sing.


    ¡°Thriller, thriller night¡­killing zombies left and right¡­fucking dead things out of spite. Thriller, thriller night. I just punched a zombie¡­da da da da¡­punched a zombie.¡±


    The Song of Renewal activated and gave me a small boost along with my willpower.


    I jammed my thumbs into the eye sockets of the two zombies that kept biting my arms and I smashed their skulls together. The impact from my boosted strength caused the zombies to be reduced to dust.


    Getting lost in my song I started to rip the zombies apart with my bare hands until only one zombie remained.


    ¡°Just you and me now, hair puller.¡± I stared the last zombie down until it finally decided to attack.


    ¡°F@lcon Punch.¡± I completely forgot about where I was and who was watching me¡­getting lost in the game and the thrill of the fight.


    My fist collided with the zombie¡¯s skull and sent it flying like a bowling ball. The zombie¡¯s head smashed into the side of the cave turned to ash upon impact.


    ¡°Hahaha.¡± I laughed at the sheer awesomeness of what just happened, but slowly my mind started to come back to reality as I remembered the three hot girls standing  behind me.


    I turned around slowly to look at them¡­my face was completely red. This was my first time hunting with a party and I completely forgot that I was supposed to hide my class.


    ¡°What the hell was that.¡± Hilda stared at me.


    ¡°That was¡­¡± Phoebe glanced at me and then looked away, not finishing her sentence.


    ¡°Such a pretty voice.¡± Shiroe muttered absentmindedly.


    We all turned to look at Shiroe as if she had a screw loose. ¡°That¡¯s what you got out of that.¡± Hilda exclaimed.


    ¡°Why did you sing?¡± Phoebe finally said.


    ¡°How did you survive and why did we get some buff from you singing?¡± Hilda asked a more serious question.


    I retreated and pretended to check my messages in order to collect my thoughts, but I apparently had a few blue box updates.


    <table><tbody><tr><td>Level Up +1</td></tr></tbody></table>


    <table><tbody><tr><td>New Skill: Bare-Handed Mastery</td></tr></tbody></table>


    <table><tbody><tr><td>Destroyed: Mangled Cloth Pants</td></tr></tbody></table>


    I looked down at my pants¡­the cloth fell apart when I moved. Revealing my naked legs and a blurry mosaic over my private parts.


    ¡°Fuck¡­¡± My ears started to steam as I looked at the girls. They were still concerned about what happened in the fight, but they all turned a little red as my pants fell apart.


    ¡°Umm¡­is this a bad time to tell you I¡¯m a bard.¡± I smiled sheepishly.


    Chapter 20: Status


    <table><tbody><tr><td colspan=''4''>Status Window</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Name:</td><td width="25%">Kai</td><td width="25%">Alignment:</td><td width="25%">Neutral</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Level:</td><td width="25%">21</td><td width="25%">Class:</td><td width="25%">Bard</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Race:</td><td width="25%">Cherub</td><td width="25%">Gender:</td><td width="25%">Male</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>Titles</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>Songscryer</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Fame:</td><td width="25%">120</td><td width="25%">Infamy:</td><td width="25%">950</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>-</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Health:</td><td width="25%">500 / 500</td><td width="25%">Health Regen:</td><td width="25%">4.5 / Sec</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Mana:</td><td width="25%">650 / 650</td><td width="25%">Mana Regen:</td><td width="25%">6.0 / Sec</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Stamina:</td><td width="25%">750 / 750</td><td width="25%">Stamina Regen:</td><td width="25%">6.0 / Sec</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>-</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Strength:</td><td width="25%">44 (+47)</td><td width="25%">Agility:</td><td width="25%">53</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Vitality:</td><td colspan=''3''>58</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Intelligence:</td><td width="25%">59 (+5)</td><td width="25%">Wisdom:</td><td width="25%">69 (+5)</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Endurance:</td><td width="25%">78</td><td width="25%">Luck:</td><td width="25%">39 (+47)</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>-</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Attack:</td><td width="25%">10-15</td><td width="25%">Defense:</td><td width="25%">30 (+70)</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>Physical Resistances</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Slashing:</td><td width="25%">25 (+42)</td><td width="25%">Piercing:</td><td width="25%">25 (+42)</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Crushing:</td><td colspan=''3''>30 (+42)</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>Elemental Resistances</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Fire:</td><td width="25%">10%</td><td width="25%">Water:</td><td width="25%">10%</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Wind:</td><td width="25%">10%</td><td width="25%">Earth:</td><td width="25%">10%</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Light:</td><td width="25%">10%</td><td width="25%">Darkness:</td><td width="25%">10%</td></tr></tbody></table>


    Skills/Abilities:


    <b>Spoiler</b> : <input type=''button'' value=''Show'' class=''spoilerButton''><table><tbody><tr><td>Iron Skin: Intermediate Lvl 4 (67%)


    Willpower III: Intermediate Lvl 3 (53%)


    Seven Pathways Meditation: Novice Lvl 9 (88%)


    Mana Manipulation: Intermediate Lvl 1 (77%)


    Voice Manipulation: Novice Lvl 7 (13%)


    Music Mastery: Novice Lvl 7 (52%)


    -Song of Renewal: Intermediate Lvl 2 (14%)


    -Song of the Slumbering: Novice Lvl 6 (45%)


    -Song of Sorrow: Novice Lvl 3 (26%)


    Bare-Handed Mastery: Novice Lvl 2 (1%)


    Sword Mastery: Novice Lvl 7 (5%)


    -Rapier Mastery: Intermediate Lvl 2 (93%)


    +Rapid Thrust: Novice Lvl 6 (12%)


    Illusion Magic Mastery: Novice Lvl 3 (47%)


    -Disguise: Novice Lvl 4 (44%)


    -Glamour: Novice Lvl 3 (17%)


    -Clone: Novice Lvl 1 (0%)</td></tr></tbody></table>


    Equipment:


    <b>Spoiler</b> : <input type=''button'' value=''Show'' class=''spoilerButton''><table><tbody><tr><td>Swift Iron Rapier (10-15) Atk ¨C (13/30) Durability


    Torn Leather Vest (+10) Defense (-2) Luck ¨C (6/15) Durability


    Mangled Cloth Pants (+5) Defense (-1) Luck - (0/10) Durability


    Rugged Leather Boots (+7) Defense (+3) Agility ¨C (4/12) Durability


    Necklace of the Black King (+10%) Magic Resistance ¨C (24/25) Durability</td></tr></tbody></table>

 Chapter 21: Grove of the Headless Thak - Part 2

    :: Phoebe ::


    The start of the dungeon was rather boring. I was expecting something a lot more exciting for my first dungeon experience.


    We entered a small cavern that lead down into a narrow tunnel¡­if it wasn¡¯t for Shiro than we would have wandered around in the tunnel for a few hours.


    I always enjoyed watching her cast magic. You could see a smile start to form on her face.


    Shiro and I went way back¡­all the way to primary school. She was a cute kid with silky black hair and warm brown eyes. She was the first girl to accept me for who I am.


    I was quiet and awkward¡­kind of like how I am now, but for some reason people really seem to like to be around me now that I¡¯m in high school. Its weird¡­especially guys.


    Anyway, people used to treat me differently because of my eyes but Shiro made me forget all of that and even helped me makes friends with Hilda when we entered secondary school.


    Hilda is a lot more like me when we are out in public, but behind closed doors she becomes wild and free. She¡¯s the type of person who opens up to you once you get to know her.


    The three of us have been friends ever since and we do pretty much everything together.


    My mind wanders a lot when I¡¯m bored, but now we are at some kind of clearing¡­a tall withered tree stands in the center of the dome and the grove is littered with dead bodies.


    Shiroe and Hilda are chatting, while Kai takes the lead. Kai was¡­well is someone I don¡¯t know to well. I only know bits and pieces about him from my cousin Nate.


    I think he might have a thing for Shiroe or maybe Hilda¡­I should watch him for a bit in order to protect my friends. He may be my cousin¡¯s best friend, but boys are shifty.


    Grunting noises and moans immediately pulled me out of my thoughts...not the good kind either. The bodies that we thought were dead adventurers were actually 1st Order Mindless Zombies. Grrr¡­.how frustrating.


    We took the normal formation that we used while hunting, but instead of just me being in front I was joined by Kai.


    I pulled back for a bit and watched how he fought the first zombie. I could tell from his first attack that he had no experience fighting the undead.


    I ran right for him as he was about to be mauled by the zombie that was currently stuck on his sword. Jumping up and over him I stabbed both of my daggers out. Left¡­right¡­left.


    ¡°Savage Ripper.¡± I muttered as I activated my skill and aimed for the vital points on the zombies face. The lone zombie turned grey soon after and was reduced to ash.


    ¡°Aim for the head.¡± I called out in a fairly even voice. I figured a small tip would make this fight a little easier for him.


    ¡°Thanks for the tip.¡± He muttered from behind me.


    I nodded my head when he responded and than went back to killing zombies. The two of us made a fairly decent team.


    We both fought using dexterous weapons and techniques. We were quick and efficient and were able to stay out of each other¡¯s way for the most part. It was nice.


    After a while I had to pull back again closer to Hilda¡¯s healing circle. The closer to her you were the more the buffs and healings spells would affect you.


    But Kai kept fighting¡­it was weird. His equipment was absolutely terrible and he used a quick dexterity based weapon. At first glance I wouldn¡¯t even consider him a tank, but the longer he fought the more I realized how strange his class was.


    The zombies started to surround him when I backed off. I wanted to help him, but my health and stamina weren¡¯t high enough to go back into the fray yet. I would have died fairly quickly.


    ¡°Oh crap crap crap¡­Valkyria help him.¡± Hilda started to splurt out words.


    ¡°Theres no way in.¡± I mouthed as I tried to find a way to help Kai and keep him from dying.


    ¡°Hilda help him.¡± Shiroe screamed.


    ¡°Valkyria¡¯s bodacious bosom¡­there¡¯s no way to lock on when he¡¯s surrounded.¡± Hilda yelled back frantically as she felt the pressure.


    We were all scrambling to try and find a way to help him when the oddest thing happened¡­.He started to sing.


    ¡°Thriller, thriller night¡­killing zombies left and right¡­fucking dead things out of spite. Thriller, thriller night. I just punched a zombie¡­da da da da¡­punched a zombie.¡±


    It was so out of place and so unexpected that I froze. I knew the song from real, because it was fairly popular but the way her sang it was different.


    <table><tbody><tr><td>Buff Activated: Song of Renewal - +10 Strength and Vitality</td></tr></tbody></table>


    I got a buff? Why does he have such a great voice? Why is he singing in the first place? Should I film this? Why is my heart beating so fast?


    My thoughts were running out of control as question after question popped up. My face was mask of stoicism as I watched Kai tare the zombies apart with his bare hands¡­but my mind was a typhoon.


    When the fight ended he turned towards me¡­well us. I opened my mouth to speak, but Hilda cut me off.


    ¡°What the hell was that.¡± Hilda looked pissed.


    ¡°That was¡­¡± I couldn¡¯t even finish my sentence, before Shiroe chimed in.


    ¡°That was beautiful.¡± Shiroe was flushed red like a tomato.


    Hilda started to blurt out things in response to Shiroe¡¯s answer, but I on the other hand was more preoccupied with Kai.


    ¡°Why did you sing?¡± I said quickly.


    Kai seemed to look down for a second. His eyes glancing back and forth. I knew he was avoiding the question, but he was checking something on his status so I decided to wait until he was done before I pushed any further.


    He looked after he was done, but only muttered something briefly before his pants fell apart¡­his pants fell apart?


    My eyes seemed to be drawn toward the elephant trunk between his legs. I had my account set on mature mode¡­so the mosaics were not there.


    I couldn¡¯t stop staring at it. It was like a man in the desert seeing water for the first time. I unconsciously licked my lips as he covered himself with his hands.


    ¡°Umm¡­is this a bad time to tell you I¡¯m a bard.¡± He smiled sheepishly with a face so red you might think he was sunburnt.


    :: Kai ::


    I decided to check out my new skill during the silence¡­it was like the shadow of the death had loomed over the room.


    <table><tbody><tr><td width="25%">Skill Name:</td><td width="25%">Skill Rank:</td><td width="25%">Skill Level:</td><td width="25%">Skill Experience:</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Bare-Handed Mastery</td><td width="25%">Novice</td><td width="25%">2</td><td width="25%">1%</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>Bare-Handed Mastery is a widely known skill that is used by those who train in the arts of hand to hand combat. Bare-Handed Mastery provides a 5% increase in damage when wielding ones own body as a weapon and 5% boost in natural defenses.</td></tr></tbody></table>


    It was a few moments before any of the girls worked up the courage to say anything. Hilda screamed for a little while, while Shiroe feinted, but the oddest thing was that Phoebe kept staring at me.


    ¡°Put some pants on already!¡± Hilda screamed again as she covered her eyes.


    I scrambled around and searched through the loot for a pair of pants. The only one that was dropped was a pair of torn shorts. So I grabbed them quickly and equipped them.


    <table><tbody><tr><td colspan=''4''>Rotten Shorts of the Idiot</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Type:</td><td width="25%">Cloth</td><td width="25%">Durability:</td><td width="25%">5 / 7</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''2''>Quality:</td><td colspan=''2''>Common</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>A pair of shorts that were worn by a disgusting and mistreated zombie. +2 Defense and +5% foul odor.</td></tr></tbody></table>


    I wasn¡¯t particularly happy about the foul odor, but I was content with anything as long as I was no longer naked. They were an ugly beige color that complete contrasted with my black and grey leather vest.


    ¡°Alright¡­aright. I got some pants now.¡± I sighed.


    The three girls had managed to overcome the shock of the situation and they were all conversing secretly about ten feet away from me.


    ¡°We decided to do this civilly and take turns to ask you questions.¡± Hilda eyed me cautiously. I think she was a little hurt that I lied to her, but for the mos part I think she was embarrassed from seeing me half naked.


    ¡°Why did you lie about your class?¡± Hilda went straight to the point.


    ¡°I never actually lied. I said I was a level 21 tank¡­I never mentioned my class.¡± I exclaimed briefly.


    ¡°Then why didn¡¯t you tell us you were a bard earlier?¡± Phoebe chimed in.


    I didn¡¯t want to say that I chose not to say anything out of embarrassment so I decided to throw Shiroe under the bus.


    ¡°Shiroe knew¡­I thought she was going to tell you.¡± I looked away as I spoke. I could feel the intense and hate-filled glare from the blue-haired mage.


    ¡°What!?¡± Hilda turned her attention to Shiroe. ¡°How come you didn¡¯t tell us?¡±


    Phoebe didn¡¯t say anything she just looked at Shiroe with dead eyes.


    ¡°He told me not to say anything. He hypnotized me with his voice and forced me to do all kinds of things.¡± Shiroe lied to the best of her ability.


    I could tell that Hilda was the type of person to yell and scream for a while, but she would get over it quicker¡­Phoebe was the type of person to hold a grudge¡­it was written on her face.


    ¡°YOU CRETIN¡­.WHAT DID YOU DO TO MY LITTLE ANGEL!¡± Hilda screamed as she came after me with her giant war hammer.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t do any of that¡­she¡¯s lying.¡± I tried to explain.


    ¡°He never took responsibility.¡± Shiroe faked a sad voice as she added fuel to the fire and Phoebe on the other hand started to grow more distant.


    Let just say it took about an hour to get everything under control. To sum things up¡­I was hit with a very large war hammer¡­many times. Hilda slapped Shiroe when she found out she was lying. Phoebe became sarcastic and witty for some strange reason and after about an hour¡­we had a group hug.


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    I don¡¯t know how the situation was resolved and I probably won¡¯t talk about this event for the rest of my life, but the one thing I know now is that I fear these three woman¡­each for a different reason.


    We had wasted enough time and decided to continue on with the dungeon, but with a little more caution this time.


    The next part of the dungeon was a long tunnel, but unlike the last one we would get attacked my shapeless ghouls about every ten feet or so.


    I examined the first ghoul we came across to get a better feel of my enemy.


    <table><tbody><tr><td>Shapeless Ghoul (F) Lvl 24</td></tr></tbody></table>


    The ghouls were slightly stronger than the zombies and they were heavily resistant to physical attacks.


    We had to rely purely on Shiroe and Hilda to kill most of the ghouls, while Phoebe and I tanked the damage.


    It wasn¡¯t the most fun fight¡­we basically played the role of punching bags, while Hilda swung her holy hammer and Shiroe spammed fire spells.


    The four of us finally made it to the edge of another grove.


    ¡°What do you think is waiting for us here.¡± I asked.


    ¡°The monster are gradually increasing in strength. I think we might encounter some 2nd Order Skeletons or Dullahans here.¡± Shiroe stated between breaths. She had been using a lot of magic, while was a heavy drain on her mentally and physically.


    Frankly if it wasn¡¯t for my absurd ability to tank damage I doubt we would have made it as far as we did today.


    Shiroe and I managed to grab two more levels, while Hilda and Phoebe only got one.


    ¡°We could turn back and go find a Guardian for Shiroe?¡± I suggested. I knew that if we had a 2nd Order Pyromancer that this dungeon would become a lot easier.


    ¡°We continue.¡± Phoebe muttered. It seems she was still a little bit resentful about how the events played out earlier¡­at least that¡¯s what I thought.


    Hilda didn¡¯t say anything. Her voice was a little worn out from all the yelling and screaming she did.


    I shrugged. I could continue on, but looking at the three of them I didn¡¯t know how much longer this group would last. I knew that we couldn¡¯t take on the boss quite yet.


    So we stalked out into the open dome/field area. This time the area was free of corpses. The only things that remained were small decrepit gravestones.


    I had a sense that something was going to pop out of the ground, but nothing happened until we got to the middle of the room.


    This dungeon had to have been built by a masochist, because no one in their right mind would want to be scared shitless this much.


    A bony hand reached out of the ground below and wrapped its fingers around my leg. I am a man¡­definitely a man, but at this moment I screamed like a little girl.


    Shiroe turned to help me, but she was tripped by another bony skeleton hand. She fell to the ground and multiple arms sprouted at the same time. Not a moment later and she was gone¡­the hands of the dead had pulled her below the surface.


    I shook off the hand that was grabbing my legs and smashed the bones under my foot over and over.


    Hilda grew frantic when Shiroe had disappeared. She started to spam basic holy spells in order to ward off the undead.


    Phoebe tried to stave off the encroaching limbs with her daggers, but the Skeletons had an incredibly high resistance to slashing and piercing attacks.


    I knew that Hilda could hold her own because of her class, but I could see that it was only a matter of time before Phoebe was captured just like Shiroe was.


    Running to help¡­I noticed that the Skeletons were starting to move more of their bodies above ground. They kept multiplying and surrounding us slowly.


    ¡°Stay behind me.¡± I yelled as I pulled Phoebe around me.


    I kicked back an approaching Skeleton before I yelled to Hilda. ¡°Do you have some sort of barrier?¡±


    My question was answered with silence though¡­Phoebe grabbed the back of my vest.


    ¡°She¡¯s gone¡­she disappeared like Shiro.¡± I had never seen Phoebe like this in my life. She was always the stoic and emotionless beauty, but now she looked like a young and fragile girl with tears in her eyes.


    Her two friends had been kidnapped¡­maybe even killed and she was unable to mask her emotion. It may have been a game, but it felt real. The horror of the images around us.


    One Beauty¡­Two Beauties¡­soon to be Three¡­.how much more can I take until you¡¯ll bow to me.


    I heard the same voice from earlier when I touched my hand to the withering tree, but this time the voice was happier¡­and it sounded psychotic.


    Chapter 21: Status


    <table><tbody><tr><td colspan=''4''>Status Window</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Name:</td><td width="25%">Kai</td><td width="25%">Alignment:</td><td width="25%">Neutral</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Level:</td><td width="25%">23</td><td width="25%">Class:</td><td width="25%">Bard</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Race:</td><td width="25%">Cherub</td><td width="25%">Gender:</td><td width="25%">Male</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>Titles</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>Songscryer</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Fame:</td><td width="25%">120</td><td width="25%">Infamy:</td><td width="25%">950</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>-</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Health:</td><td width="25%">500 / 500</td><td width="25%">Health Regen:</td><td width="25%">4.5 / Sec</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Mana:</td><td width="25%">650 / 650</td><td width="25%">Mana Regen:</td><td width="25%">6.0 / Sec</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Stamina:</td><td width="25%">750 / 750</td><td width="25%">Stamina Regen:</td><td width="25%">6.0 / Sec</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>-</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Strength:</td><td width="25%">60 (+51)</td><td width="25%">Agility:</td><td width="25%">60</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Vitality:</td><td colspan=''3''>58</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Intelligence:</td><td width="25%">60 (+5)</td><td width="25%">Wisdom:</td><td width="25%">70 (+5)</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Endurance:</td><td width="25%">78</td><td width="25%">Luck:</td><td width="25%">39 (+51)</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>-</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Attack:</td><td width="25%">10-15</td><td width="25%">Defense:</td><td width="25%">32 (+75)</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>Physical Resistances</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Slashing:</td><td width="25%">25 (+45)</td><td width="25%">Piercing:</td><td width="25%">25 (+45)</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Crushing:</td><td colspan=''3''>30 (+45)</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>Elemental Resistances</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Fire:</td><td width="25%">10%</td><td width="25%">Water:</td><td width="25%">10%</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Wind:</td><td width="25%">10%</td><td width="25%">Earth:</td><td width="25%">10%</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Light:</td><td width="25%">10%</td><td width="25%">Darkness:</td><td width="25%">10%</td></tr></tbody></table>


    Skills/Abilities:


    <b>Spoiler</b> : <input type=''button'' value=''Show'' class=''spoilerButton''><table><tbody><tr><td>Iron Skin: Intermediate Lvl 5 (41%)


    Willpower III: Intermediate Lvl 4 (13%)


    Seven Pathways Meditation: Novice Lvl 9 (88%)


    Mana Manipulation: Intermediate Lvl 2 (7%)


    Voice Manipulation: Novice Lvl 7 (13%)


    Music Mastery: Novice Lvl 7 (72%)


    -Song of Renewal: Intermediate Lvl 2 (54%)


    -Song of the Slumbering: Novice Lvl 6 (45%)


    -Song of Sorrow: Novice Lvl 3 (26%)


    Bare-Handed Mastery: Novice Lvl 3 (11%)


    Sword Mastery: Novice Lvl 7 (5%)


    -Rapier Mastery: Intermediate Lvl 3 (32%)


    +Rapid Thrust: Novice Lvl 7 (21%)


    Illusion Magic Mastery: Novice Lvl 3 (57%)


    -Disguise: Novice Lvl 5 (54%)


    -Glamour: Novice Lvl 3 (17%)


    -Clone: Novice Lvl 1 (0%)</td></tr></tbody></table>


    Equipment:


    <b>Spoiler</b> : <input type=''button'' value=''Show'' class=''spoilerButton''><table><tbody><tr><td>Swift Iron Rapier (10-15) Atk ¨C (13/30) Durability


    Torn Leather Vest (+10) Defense (-2) Luck ¨C (6/15) Durability


    Rotten Shorts of the Idiot (+2) Defense (+5%) Odor - (5/7) Durability


    Rugged Leather Boots (+7) Defense (+3) Agility ¨C (4/12) Durability


    Necklace of the Black King (+10%) Magic Resistance ¨C (24/25) Durability</td></tr></tbody></table>

 Chapter 22: The Headless Thak

    :: Kai ::


    I was on my knee¡¯s in the middle of an empty graveyard¡­I couldn¡¯t do anything¡­.I couldn¡¯t do anything¡­


    That single sentence reverberated through my head over and over again as I stared blankly at the wall of the dome.


    The skeletons attacked us to quickly and before I knew it two of the girls had disappeared.


    I¡­I tried to fight back, but even after the skeletons were cut or dismembered they would simply reassemble and attack us.


    Phoebe didn¡¯t last long under the onslaught. Not even five minutes later and she had been pulled underground by the skeleton horde.


    I didn¡¯t know how to fight them¡­how to make them stay dead. I didn¡¯t know if the girls were even still alive or if they had been kidnapped.


    The worst part came after Phoebe was taken. The skeletons simply left me alone like I wasn¡¯t worth their time.


    They took from me and then they left me alive¡­.not even giving me the dignity of a fight to the death.


    The feelings in my head and heart were clashing together like two whirlpools swirling in different directions.


    My head was telling me that I should retreat and leave the dungeon that the girls were probably already dead, but my heart was telling me to press on. To go find whatever being had the audacity to mock me and rip it apart.


    I clutched the Swift Iron Rapier tightly. The blade was starting to feel a bit more brittle after so much use.


    ¡®The heart wants what the heart wants.¡¯ I thought as a bitter smile appeared on my face.


    ¡°Here I stand, helpless and left for dead.¡± I started to sing as I pushed myself off of the ground.


    ¡°I won¡¯t last long, in a world so wrong¡­trembling, crawling across my skin¡­say goodbye, as I dance with the devil tonight.¡±


    I focused on the lines of the song that reflected my true emotion. Pumping a huge amount of pure mana into my words as a I sang.


    I needed something to give me courage¡­I needed more power¡­more¡­.more¡­


    All the muscles in my body tightened at the same time and my blood started pulsing wildly.


    My veins pressed against the skin, as I was barely able to contain the immense surge of power coursing through me.


    <table><tbody><tr><td>New Subset Skill: Song of the Berserker</td></tr></tbody></table>


    I breathed in through my nose and out through my mouth¡­my breath was like steam as it exited me body.


    Forcibly activating my Willpower I boosted the strength in my legs and pressed my right leg into the ground.


    The earth below me shook for a second, but then started to crumble¡­


    The graveyard literally caved in on itself as I fell through the floor. What lied below me was nothing but pure darkness.


    For a moment I thought that I was going to fall into an endless pit, but my feet with collided with a heavy surface and it forced me into a crouching position.


    <table><tbody><tr><td>Fall Damage. -40 HP</td></tr></tbody></table>


    I was annoyed by the damage to my legs, but for some reason I couldn¡¯t feel the pain from the fall at all. Smiling I looked around the large underground room I managed to break myself into.


    What a way¡­what a way¡­.what a way to enter my realm today. But stay¡­But stay you will not.


    The words were spoken directly into my head again. I knew he had some sort of telepathic ability. My best guess that it was some advanced form of sensory or illusion magic, since all Thaks came from the Cherubim race.


    My eyes drifted over to the large stone chair that sat by the edge of the room. Behind the chair was three chained prisoners. It was Hilda, Phoebe, and Shiroe¡­


    I felt my anger start to spike and my heartbeat picked up in speed again, which provided me with another surge in power.


    ¡°I WILL DESTROY YOU FOR THIS!¡± I screamed at the top of my lungs. The Song of the Berserker seemed to be amplifying my mental state.


    HAHAHAHA¡­Young Thak¡­.how courteous you are¡­.to provide me with a spar.


    A veil of darkness dissipated around the stone chair and a dark figure stood up. The man was tall and he was clad in heavy plate armor from head to toe¡­well should to toe. He seemed to be missing his head, which would explain why he talked telepathically.


    The dark figure reached out into the air and summoned a long sharp blade from nothing.


    I knew that this was going to be an incredibly challenging fight, but for some reason the more I looked forward to the fight the less worried I became. My thoughts became less and less clear, until all I could think about was killing whatever was in front of me.


    <table><tbody><tr><td>Grei¡¯Thak the Headless (Elite Boss-M) Lvl 45</td></tr></tbody></table>


    Normally the thought of fighting a boss monster at least twice my level would have scared me shitless, but I was hungry¡­delirious and smiling.


    I couldn¡¯t hold back any longer and I charged at the large dark creature. I put all my strength behind my rapier as I plunged it towards his chest.


    The rapier shattered upon impact with the bosses¡¯ heavy metal armor. I didn¡¯t even have the time to be surprised as the boss smashed the flat end of his long sword into my chest and sent me flying into the wall.


    <table><tbody><tr><td>Broken Ribs. -79 HP</td></tr></tbody></table>


    A feeble man¡­a weakling Thak¡­beat me you shall not


    Grei¡¯Thak spoke his words directly into my mind and I could hear the amusement in his voice and it was like he was laughing in my face.


    ¡°No blade¡­I¡¯ll just pummel you!¡± I screamed as I broke myself out of the wall.


    I charged at him again, but this time I only had my fists as weapons. I put all my strength into my fist as I struck the side of his armor.


    I managed to make an imprint of my fist in the side of his armor, but the boss didn¡¯t seem to take any interior damage.


    He struck his blade in a downward arc this time and I narrowly managed to avoid losing my left arm.


    The process of killing this boss started to become tedious very quickly. Grei¡¯Thak had a lot of power behind his strikes, but he was unable to match my speed.


    I had learned not to take any more of his attacks after being flung across the room.


    I punched and kicked his armor over and over¡­but the only thing I managed to do was shave off its durability bit by bit. The boss was taking no actual damage.


    My heart was pumping faster and faster in order to keep up with the amount of stamina I was burning through.


    ¡°Aaaaaahhhhhh!¡± I was starting to lose my mind to the madness. I slammed my fist into the same spot in his armor again and again until the bones in my hand started to break away.


    I was so caught up in trying to break his armor that I didn¡¯t notice the giant hulking long sword come down across my chest¡­


    My blood splattered on the ground as he sent me staggering about three feet backwards.


    <table><tbody><tr><td>Blood Loss. -74 HP and -12 HP every minute until blood loss is stopped</td></tr></tbody></table>


    The bones in my right arm were all almost completely useless as they were sticking out of the skin in multiple different places.


    ¡°NO!¡± I yelled mindlessly.


    ¡®I need more power¡­more strength¡­more speed¡­more¡­more¡­¡¯ I thought to myself in broken sentences.


    ¡°SPEED¡­STRENGTH¡­.POWER.¡± I yelled the words like a mantra over and over again.


    I could feel the mana in my body spread out and support my bulging muscles as well as strengthen my bones and blood flow.


    Kicking off the ground again I charge straight for the headless Thak.


    <table><tbody><tr><td>New Subset Skill: Empower</td></tr></tbody></table>


    The battle came¡­the battle went¡­now you are spent¡­.and your life is MINE!


    The Headless Thak raised his long sword above his head. He held the blade tightly with both of his hands as he prepared to split me in half.


    It was like the battle was moving in slow motion. I was swinging my fist towards him getting closer inch by inch and he was driving his blade down towards men.


    Seconds¡­minutes¡­hours¡­


    I couldn¡¯t tell how much time had passed before our weapons clashed.


    GREIIII¡¯THHHAAAKKK


    His telepathic voice echoed through my head, but I was too caught up in the fight to be effected by his battle cry.


    His steel blade met with my iron fists. The result was instantaneous. His large steel blade was blown out of his hands; unfortunately my left arm went along with it.


    <table><tbody><tr><td>Dismembered Limb. -100 HP and -15 HP every minute until blood loss is stopped.</td></tr></tbody></table>


    The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    I was starting to be able to feel the pain, because of the immense amount of damage my body had sustained.


    I put all the pain I had sustained¡­all the grief I had felt¡­everything until my voice.


    ¡°KAAAAAIIIII¡¯TTHHHHHAAAAAKKKKKK!¡±


    I slammed my broken right fist into the side of his armor for the millionth time. This time was different. This time I could feel the metal tearing apart.


    Pushing more force into my blow I managed to punch a hole into the side of his armor. I felt almost no resistance the minute I broke through his armor¡­all I felt was soft bloody flesh.


    I wrapped my hands around it and tore it out of the armor and in my hands was a beating black heart.


    You¡­no¡­this can¡¯t be¡­.my heart¡­


    The large headless suit of armor fell to its knee¡¯s in front of me. A sense of satisfaction filled my wounded body, but it was short-lived as I started to succumb to the pain of my injuries.


    I soon found myself on my knee¡¯s alongside the headless Thak.


    You¡­boy¡­have slain me¡­.The Headless Thak¡­.but wary should you be¡­.I am the weakest¡­.of the seven


    Opening my mouth I tried to ask him what he meant, but the only thing that came out vomit mixed with blood.


    Take it¡­boy¡­one Thak falls¡­another Thak rises¡­.There can only be¡­one true Thak


    A dark essence started to leave the giant suit of armor and the blood that was coating the black heart in my hand started to mix with my own.


    I felt fear. For the first time in this fight I was truly scared. I didn¡¯t know what was happening to me.


    <table><tbody><tr><td>For defeating The Headless Thak you have gained +5 to all stats and the title: The One True Thak</td></tr></tbody></table>


    <table><tbody><tr><td>Level Up +4</td></tr></tbody></table>


    <table><tbody><tr><td>New Thak Skill: Telepathy</td></tr></tbody></table>


    <table><tbody><tr><td>You have died. -1 Lvl and 24 hour lockout</td></tr></tbody></table>


    I woke up in the blackness that separated the real world and the world of Ethaessa. I was stunned and more than a little confused.


    I was barraged with a series of messages and then suddenly I was dead.


    For some reason I could still feel slight pains all over my body. I guess that the pain I experienced was so intense that it carried over to the real world.


    The pain I was feeling right now was a lot less than I had experienced in the game. It felt like I only had a few bruises and pulled muscles.


    I quickly searched for the log out icon, but it was nowhere to be found¡­


    ¡°Greetings young Thak.¡± I heard a sweet melodic voice whisper into my ear. She was laughing like she thought my title was hilarious.


    ¡°What the¡­who are you?¡± I spun around trying to find the source of the voice, but found nothing.


    ¡°You don¡¯t remember me and here I thought I made a good impression when you made your character. I¡¯m heartbroken.¡± She spoke again. Her voice almost sounded like she was singing the words.


    ¡°Wait you¡¯re the character creation AI?¡± I asked bewildered.


    ¡°Right, right. But you can call me Ethaessa.¡±


    Chapter 22: Status


    <table><tbody><tr><td colspan=''4''>Status Window</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Name:</td><td width="25%">Kai</td><td width="25%">Alignment:</td><td width="25%">Neutral</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Level:</td><td width="25%">26</td><td width="25%">Class:</td><td width="25%">Bard</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Race:</td><td width="25%">Cherub</td><td width="25%">Gender:</td><td width="25%">Male</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>Titles</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>Songscryer ¨C The One True Thak</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Fame:</td><td width="25%">120</td><td width="25%">Infamy:</td><td width="25%">950</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>-</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Health:</td><td width="25%">550 / 550</td><td width="25%">Health Regen:</td><td width="25%">5.0 / Sec</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Mana:</td><td width="25%">700 / 700</td><td width="25%">Mana Regen:</td><td width="25%">6.0 / Sec</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Stamina:</td><td width="25%">800 / 800</td><td width="25%">Stamina Regen:</td><td width="25%">6.0 / Sec</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>-</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Strength:</td><td width="25%">65 (+55)</td><td width="25%">Agility:</td><td width="25%">65</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Vitality:</td><td colspan=''3''>63</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Intelligence:</td><td width="25%">65 (+5)</td><td width="25%">Wisdom:</td><td width="25%">75 (+5)</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Endurance:</td><td width="25%">83</td><td width="25%">Luck:</td><td width="25%">44 (+55)</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>-</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Attack:</td><td width="25%">10-15</td><td width="25%">Defense:</td><td width="25%">32 (+80)</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>Physical Resistances</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Slashing:</td><td width="25%">27 (+48)</td><td width="25%">Piercing:</td><td width="25%">27 (+48)</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Crushing:</td><td colspan=''3''>32 (+48)</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>Elemental Resistances</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Fire:</td><td width="25%">10%</td><td width="25%">Water:</td><td width="25%">10%</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Wind:</td><td width="25%">10%</td><td width="25%">Earth:</td><td width="25%">10%</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Light:</td><td width="25%">10%</td><td width="25%">Darkness:</td><td width="25%">10%</td></tr></tbody></table>


    Skills/Abilities:


    <b>Spoiler</b> : <input type=''button'' value=''Show'' class=''spoilerButton''><table><tbody><tr><td>Iron Skin: Intermediate Lvl 6 (11%)


    Willpower III: Intermediate Lvl 5 (44%)


    Seven Pathways Meditation: Intermediate Lvl 1 (8%)


    Mana Manipulation: Intermediate Lvl 3 (55%)


    Telepathy: Novice Lvl 1 (0%)


    Voice Manipulation: Novice Lvl 8 (36%)


    -Empower: Novice Lvl 1 (32%)


    Music Mastery: Novice Lvl 7 (72%)


    -Song of Renewal: Intermediate Lvl 2 (54%)


    -Song of the Slumbering: Novice Lvl 6 (45%)


    -Song of Sorrow: Novice Lvl 3 (26%)


    -Song of the Berserker: Novice Lvl 2 (23%)


    Bare-Handed Mastery: Novice Lvl 8 (61%)


    Sword Mastery: Novice Lvl 7 (50%)


    -Rapier Mastery: Intermediate Lvl 3 (82%)


    +Rapid Thrust: Novice Lvl 7 (21%)


    Illusion Magic Mastery: Novice Lvl 3 (75%)


    -Disguise: Novice Lvl 6 (41%)


    -Glamour: Novice Lvl 3 (17%)


    -Clone: Novice Lvl 1 (0%)</td></tr></tbody></table>


    Equipment:


    <b>Spoiler</b> : <input type=''button'' value=''Show'' class=''spoilerButton''><table><tbody><tr><td>Swift Iron Rapier (10-15) Atk ¨C (0/30) Durability


    Torn Leather Vest (+10) Defense (-2) Luck ¨C (6/15) Durability


    Rotten Shorts of the Idiot (+2) Defense (+5%) Odor - (5/7) Durability


    Rugged Leather Boots (+7) Defense (+3) Agility ¨C (4/12) Durability


    Necklace of the Black King (+10%) Magic Resistance ¨C (24/25) Durability</td></tr></tbody></table>

 Chapter 23: Godhood

    Short Chapter...but I just wanted to introduce his end goal. 24 will be loot-filled and long.


    :: Kai ::


    My mouth was open as a I stared at the true form of creation AI. She was¡­its hard to even find a human word that could capture her beauty.


    I tried to speak, but nothing came out of my mouth¡­only awkward sputtering and nonsense.


    It was a godly beauty. Her smile was so bright and her skin was so smooth. Her eyes were like cupids arrows as they stared directly into my soul.


    ¡°Close your mouth, boy. I don¡¯t want you to drool in my new dimension. I just made this place.¡± A soft melodic voice pulled me out of my stupor.


    I quickly closed my mouth, but I was unable to pull my eyes away from her. She was like a magnet and my eyes were her opposite charge.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have a lot of time. I have millions of people logging in for the first time as we speak and it takes a certain amount of power to you from being logged out.¡± She spoke quickly.


    She waved her hand in the air and quickly conjured up a floating blue screen. One that screen was line ands lines of computer code.


    ¡°What are you trying to show me?¡± I asked after finally working up the courage to speak in front of her true form.


    She looks at me confused for a second and then laughs. ¡°Ah, my bad. I forgot humans couldn¡¯t read the games code like I can.¡±


    She clicked a few nonexistent buttons in the air and the code on the screen changed into English words and letters.


    ¡°Now I have to get back to doing my actual job¡­can you manage from here? Just click the next button to keep reading.¡± Ethaessa then left as quickly as she came. Her body disappeared into nothingness and the world around me turns back to black.


    <table><tbody><tr><td>Ethaessa¡¯s Brief Introduction to Important Things ¨C Greeting Young Thak ¨C I know you must have millions of questions and I have millions of answers, but for now I am only going to provide answers to the questions you haven¡¯t thought of yet. Each race has a certain title, class, or quest that can be acquired that can lead said person to godhood.


    Before I continue I presume you know about the order system. If not, well¡­ After you ascend past the 9th Order you become a Saint. Now what you may not know is that Saints have orders as well. Four, to be exact. I won¡¯t go into the details, but upon becoming a 4th Order Saint you have the choice to apprentice under one of the many gods and goddesses that exist within this world.


    Through this apprenticeship you will become able to achieve godhood. Yes, gods have their rankings to, but that¡¯s important information for another time. The tricky part is the exceptions. One can rise to godhood if they are born with god¡¯s blood or they are the children of one or more gods. The final exception is that of racial advancements. Each race has one specific way for one of his or her own to become a god.


    Gods are very territorial and they do not like it when creatures with power loiter around their territory. Apprenticed gods and the children of gods have protection from other gods and goddesses so they do not have to worry about this for the most part. Potential racial gods do not have this protection and are very likely to be smited by said gods.


    Now I am a benevolent goddess¡­or AI, whatever you want to call me so I am going to provide you with a talisman to help mask your scent from the gods. I try to provide this talisman to all potential racial gods. But be wary¡­the talisman is not foolproof and some gods may recognize you and the quest that you are on. That is all for today¡­if you have any questions I suggest you ask now.</td></tr></tbody></table>


    I stared blankly at the large blue screen. It was a lot of information to process in a short period of time.


    Saints had Orders? And gods apparently existed in droves?


    My mind wandered for a little while before I remembered that she gave me a brief interlude to ask questions.


    I thought it over for a moment and the first thing that came to mind was one of the last things that Grei¡¯Thak said to me before he died.


    ¡°What did Grei¡¯Thak mean when he said that there are seven more of him? Are there more Thaks?¡± I asked curiously.


    <table><tbody><tr><td>Yes</td></tr></tbody></table>


    ¡°What about the first question.¡± I stammered.


    <table><tbody><tr><td>One question at a time.</td></tr></tbody></table>


    ¡°Okay then¡­who are these other Thaks and what do they have to do with my racial quest for godhood?¡± I said.


    <table><tbody><tr><td>Traditionally the Cherubim have always had seven Thaks of varying degrees of power. They are considered the Cherub Lords that rule over and protect the people. But for¡­.well some unknown reason to you the Cherubim people only have one Thak protector and now he is deceased. Leaving only his disciple behind. The Thaks quest is to find and make the other lords submit and in return he will ascend to godhood as the Cherub God. As for the Thaks¡­listed from least powerful to most powerful.


    7. Grei¡¯Thak the Headless (Deceased)


    6. Ber¡¯Thak of the Third Eye


    5. Rega¡¯Thak the Undying


    4. Drin¡¯Thak the Kingmaker


    3. Jin¡¯Thak the Valiant and Honorable


    2. Gor¡¯Thak the Conqueror (Deceased)


    1. Vral¡¯Thak the Emperor</td></tr></tbody></table>


    ¡®So I need to search out and defeat these other Thaks¡­though it does say submit. They might not all be battles.¡¯ I thought to myself.


    I saw my master¡¯s name on the list. Seeing him ranked so highly among all the other Thaks made me smile, but it also reminded me of how he died and who killed him.


    My anger started to build up and my thoughts started to become clouded¡­


    <table><tbody><tr><td>Time¡¯s Up¡­Hehehe</td></tr></tbody></table>


    I only saw the blue window for a brief second before the world around me started to crack. The black nothingness around me was cover with broken lines¡­like shattering glass.


    The world fell apart and for a moment I found myself falling through the air¡­only to wake up in my gaming pod in the real world.


    I opened up my capsule to find quite a few people standing around me in my room. It was Nate, Savannah, Gwen, and Jillian.


    I rubbed my eyes for second, because I thought I was still stuck inside my capsule.


    ¡°Why is everyone in my room?¡± I asked quickly.


    I was used to Nate coming over unannounced, but if three smoking hot girls came over my mother would have a heart attack.


    ¡°We came over to check on you and find out what happened?¡± Savannah said with a hint of fear in her voice. I could tell that she was still getting over what happened in the game world.


    ¡°Nothing much. What happened to you guys?¡± I turned the question around onto them. I still needed more time to process all the emotional ad physical pain from my berserking state.


    The three of them looked at each other for a brief second before Jillian decided to answer for them.


    ¡°After we got pulled under ground by those skeletons¡­we¡­we ended up in front of this evil and creepy headless creature. It was so creepy down there, but all three of us were forcibly logged out after it knocked us out.


    ¡°Sounds like you guys had a fun adventure.¡± Nate stalked over and plopped himself down on my bed.


    I rolled my eyes at my best friends sarcasm before voicing my side of the story. ¡°So I ended up continuing on after you guys got captured.¡± I muttered.


    Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.


    Gwen looked at me serious, but it was Savannah who decided to speak. ¡°How much farther did you get?¡±


    ¡°You know¡­I was kind of mad when everyone was taken¡­.so I may have¡­you know¡­killed the boss and finished the dungeon.¡± I exclaimed quickly.


    ¡°WHAT!¡± Jillian yelled.


    ¡°You came to save us.¡± Savannah looked at me dreamily as if I was her knight in shining armor.


    ¡°You basically took all the experience. Now we have to find a new dungeon.¡± Jillian wasn¡¯t as mad as she sounded. Most of it stemmed from the fear of being capture alive and pulled underground.


    Gwen was glaring daggers at me before she looked down at my crotch, pouted, and left the room.


    ¡°Lunch.¡± She muttered as she left in a hurry.


    Jillian who was still mad at me for continuing on without them followed after Gwen when she heard there would be food involved.


    Savannah looked like she wanted to say something to me, but she received the evil eye from Jillian and she was forced to follow her two friends.


    I looked over at Nate and sighed. ¡°I would say I blame you for this, but partying with them was pretty awesome.¡±


    Nate laughed as he leaned against my bedroom wall. ¡°Blame me¡­you should be kowtowing to me and calling me the great hookup god Troll.¡±


    The two of us laughed at his joke and the rest of the day passed in the same light-hearted manner. Besides explaining to my mother why I had three girls up in my bedroom and a plethora of angry texts from Jillian and creepy emoticons from Gwen.


    The night came and went and I found myself searching for information about things in the game on the web around noon the next day. I only had a few more minutes until the lockout ban would end and I could investigate the cool loot that the boss dropped and my new power.


    I sauntered over to my metallic crib or metal casket as my mother called it¡­I think its actual name was CGCE or Certified Gaming Capsule for Entertainment. Nobody actually called it that.


    I pressed down on the door mechanism and the pod opened with a puff of air.


    Status: Chapter 23


    <table><tbody><tr><td colspan=''4''>Status Window</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Name:</td><td width="25%">Kai</td><td width="25%">Alignment:</td><td width="25%">Neutral</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Level:</td><td width="25%">26</td><td width="25%">Class:</td><td width="25%">Bard</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Race:</td><td width="25%">Cherub</td><td width="25%">Gender:</td><td width="25%">Male</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>Titles</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>Songscryer ¨C The One True Thak</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Fame:</td><td width="25%">120</td><td width="25%">Infamy:</td><td width="25%">950</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>-</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Health:</td><td width="25%">550 / 550</td><td width="25%">Health Regen:</td><td width="25%">5.0 / Sec</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Mana:</td><td width="25%">700 / 700</td><td width="25%">Mana Regen:</td><td width="25%">6.0 / Sec</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Stamina:</td><td width="25%">800 / 800</td><td width="25%">Stamina Regen:</td><td width="25%">6.0 / Sec</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>-</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Strength:</td><td width="25%">65 (+55)</td><td width="25%">Agility:</td><td width="25%">65</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Vitality:</td><td colspan=''3''>63</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Intelligence:</td><td width="25%">65 (+5)</td><td width="25%">Wisdom:</td><td width="25%">75 (+5)</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Endurance:</td><td width="25%">83</td><td width="25%">Luck:</td><td width="25%">44 (+55)</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>-</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Attack:</td><td width="25%">10-15</td><td width="25%">Defense:</td><td width="25%">32 (+80)</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>Physical Resistances</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Slashing:</td><td width="25%">27 (+48)</td><td width="25%">Piercing:</td><td width="25%">27 (+48)</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Crushing:</td><td colspan=''3''>32 (+48)</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>Elemental Resistances</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Fire:</td><td width="25%">10%</td><td width="25%">Water:</td><td width="25%">10%</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Wind:</td><td width="25%">10%</td><td width="25%">Earth:</td><td width="25%">10%</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Light:</td><td width="25%">10%</td><td width="25%">Darkness:</td><td width="25%">10%</td></tr></tbody></table>


    Skills/Abilities:


    <b>Spoiler</b> : <input type=''button'' value=''Show'' class=''spoilerButton''><table><tbody><tr><td>Iron Skin: Intermediate Lvl 6 (11%)


    Willpower III: Intermediate Lvl 5 (44%)


    Seven Pathways Meditation: Intermediate Lvl 1 (8%)


    Mana Manipulation: Intermediate Lvl 3 (55%)


    Telepathy: Novice Lvl 1 (0%)


    Voice Manipulation: Novice Lvl 8 (36%)


    -Empower: Novice Lvl 1 (32%)


    Music Mastery: Novice Lvl 7 (72%)


    -Song of Renewal: Intermediate Lvl 2 (54%)


    -Song of the Slumbering: Novice Lvl 6 (45%)


    -Song of Sorrow: Novice Lvl 3 (26%)


    -Song of the Berserker: Novice Lvl 2 (23%)


    Bare-Handed Mastery: Novice Lvl 8 (61%)


    Sword Mastery: Novice Lvl 7 (50%)


    -Rapier Mastery: Intermediate Lvl 3 (82%)


    +Rapid Thrust: Novice Lvl 7 (21%)


    Illusion Magic Mastery: Novice Lvl 3 (75%)


    -Disguise: Novice Lvl 6 (41%)


    -Glamour: Novice Lvl 3 (17%)


    -Clone: Novice Lvl 1 (0%)</td></tr></tbody></table>


    Equipment:


    <b>Spoiler</b> : <input type=''button'' value=''Show'' class=''spoilerButton''><table><tbody><tr><td>Swift Iron Rapier (10-15) Atk ¨C (0/30) Durability


    Torn Leather Vest (+10) Defense (-2) Luck ¨C (6/15) Durability


    Rotten Shorts of the Idiot (+2) Defense (+5%) Odor - (5/7) Durability


    Rugged Leather Boots (+7) Defense (+3) Agility ¨C (4/12) Durability


    Necklace of the Black King (+10%) Magic Resistance ¨C (24/25) Durability</td></tr></tbody></table>

 Chapter 24: The White Room

    Longest Chapter yet (3k)...lots of info, but enjoy


    ------------------------------------------------------------------


    I woke up inside the game surrounded by darkness and for a moment I thought I was stuck in between the worlds, but soon realized that the bosses chamber just had limited lighting.


    I was glad that I wasn¡¯t transported back to the last city I visited after I died and assumed that must have had something to do with the fact that I died in a dungeon.


    The smell of decaying flesh was drifting all around the room¡­as my eyes slowly adjusted to the room I noticed that the area was filled with dead bodies and creatures.


    Grabbing my shirt quickly I brought it up to my face in order to try and block out some of the horrid odor.


    It took me a few moments to push down the nausea and be able to focus on finding the loot pile that was left behind by the Headless Thak.


    I searched around in the dark and stumbled over more than few rotting bodies, until I noticed a gleam of light out of the corner of my eye.


    Fumbling my body over an armless Dullahan I made my way towards the small gleaming light.


    I kneeled down beside the light and reached out with my free hand to grab it. I pressed my fingers against the sleek outer edge and found out that it was some sort of gem.


    Picking it up slowly¡­a blue status screen popped up in front of me.


    <table><tbody><tr><td>Token of Unification: A rare gem type of token that allows the user to merge two existing skills to create a new more powerful one. </td></tr></tbody></table>


    My hand started to shake with excitement and I almost dropped the gem back onto the floor.


    ¡®If this is only the first item I picked up¡­what about the rest?¡¯ I thought to myself.


    I reached down and started to separate the items and equipment in the pile into separate piles.


    The Headless Thak had dropped five items in total as well as a small bag of gold coins.


    Normally a boss level creature would drop 1-2 really good items, but I ended up receiving five. I was guessing it had something to do with him being one of the elite type bosses.


    I read through the items one by one¡­


    <table><tbody><tr><td colspan=''4''>Grei¡¯Thaks Vambraces</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Type:</td><td width="25%">Leather/Metal</td><td width="25%">Durability:</td><td width="25%">65 / 65</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''2''>Quality:</td><td colspan=''2''>Rare</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>A fairly sturdy pair of vambraces that were worn by Grei¡¯Thak the adventurer before he died and was resurrected as a Dullahan. +25 Defense and +10% Slashing and Piercing Resistance.</td></tr></tbody></table>


    <table><tbody><tr><td colspan=''4''>Headless Broadsword</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Type:</td><td width="25%">Metal</td><td width="25%">Durability:</td><td width="25%">80 / 85</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''2''>Quality:</td><td colspan=''2''>Rare</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>An incredibly sturdy blade made from the heaviest of metals. 100-150 Atk and 5% Bleeding Dmg. Warrior-Oriented Class.</td></tr></tbody></table>


    <table><tbody><tr><td colspan=''4''>Tome of Necromancy</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Type:</td><td width="25%">Tome</td><td width="25%">Durability:</td><td width="25%">10 / 10</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''2''>Quality:</td><td colspan=''2''>Super Rare</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>An introduction to the dark arts of Necromancy. Including a special technique from the Wu Tien Cult. Dark Magic-Oriented Class.</td></tr></tbody></table>


    <table><tbody><tr><td colspan=''4''>Seedling of the Grove</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Type:</td><td width="25%">?</td><td width="25%">Durability:</td><td width="25%">? / ?</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''2''>Quality:</td><td colspan=''2''>Artifact</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>Eat me if you dare. Tehe.</td></tr></tbody></table>


    Including the Token of Unification that I picked up earlier the loot I received altogether was pretty good.


    I immediately equipped the vambraces, because it was the only piece of equipment out of the pile that I could actually wear.


    The girls weren¡¯t online yet so I didn¡¯t know if they would care or not if I took all the loot from the boss¡­so I did.


    The sword was something I couldn¡¯t use because of my class. It had the same restrictions as heavy armor would.


    The tome on the other hand was something I could learn later if I picked up dark magic mastery, but it wasn¡¯t a type of magic that my magecore was particularly close with¡­so it would take me a lot longer to master it.


    In the end I would probably sell it for a large sum along with the broadsword when I got back to a large city.


    The last item I received from the boss was incredibly mysterious. The description only said ¡®Eat me¡¯.


    I knew that it had to be a good thing since it was dropped by a boss¡­well I was hoping it was a good thing, because my curiosity was starting to get the better of me.


    ¡®It could be some sort of power up or a new skill¡­maybe even a special race change or a¡­¡¯ My mind was lost in ecstasy as I thought over all the possible things it could be.


    Tossing the small seed down my gullet with no regrets I waited to see if anything happened to me.


    <table><tbody><tr><td>You have consumed the heart of the dungeon ¨CGrove of the Headless Thak</td></tr></tbody></table>


    A window popped up in front of me and I stared at it for a few seconds before the dungeon around me started to change.


    The previously corpse filled room started to shift¡­morphing into a new shape. The bodies that had littered the room turned into dust and for some reason I received all the experience for killing them.


    I started to get scared for a moment and closed my eyes. The loud noises and the changes in the dungeon soon stopped.


    Opening my eyes slowly I found myself in a blank white room¡­the walls were like glass or marble. I touched the ground and expected to feel cold, but for reason it was like a thrum of warmth radiated from it.


    ¡°Greeting, Young Thak.¡± A soft and child-like voice permeated my thoughts.


    I looked around and soon found the source of that voice. It was a child or what I presumed to be a child, but the child looked like he was the mixture of a human and a tree.


    ¡°What¡­.I mean who are you?¡± I asked bewildered.


    The tree-child let out a soft laugh as it wiggled its way over towards me.


    ¡°I am the heart of the dungeon. You may call me Grove.¡± The tree smiled in its own way by shaking the leaves on its body excitedly.


    I reached up and scratched my head for a second. ¡°What exactly des the heart of the dungeon do and why did I have to eat you?¡±


    Letting my curiosity out of the bag I blurted out the first two questions that came to my mind.


    ¡°The heart of the dungeon is like its soul. The person who holds the heart of the dungeon is allowed to design the dungeons layout and its creatures and future evolutions.¡± The Grove spoke in a whisper, but for some reason its voice carried all the way over to me.


    ¡°The previous owner of the dungeon was an Undead Lich¡­an annoying man if I do say so myself. He turned my beautiful grove into an undead wasteland and myself into a withering tree. He used the experience he received from the dungeon to upgrade the boss into a 3rd Order Elite. He merely wanted a place to store a few of his treasures¡­so he let a bunch of 1st and 2nd Order undead roam around and pollute my once majestic grove. It was¡­it was infuriating.¡± The Grove screamed as its branches waved wildly.


    I listened intently to the infant tree and felt a bit of its emotions drift into my own soul. I started to become angry myself for some reason. The tree¡¯s thoughts echoed inside my own head and it was like I was experiencing the Groves memories.


    ¡°Ugh¡­calm down. I think my new ability is allowing my to experience your thoughts.¡± I yelled as my head started to ache.


    The Grove looked at me confused for a moment, but then a flash of recognition passed over his face.


    ¡°My apologies¡­I forgot that Thaks passed on their most prized skill to the Thak that defeated them. You must have received the Dullahans Telepathy.¡± The Grove nodded as he calmed himself down.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± I muttered quietly as the tension that was pressing against my skull was relieved.


    You should start training that skill. It will prove to be very useful to you in the future.


    I could hear the Groves words aloud like he was speaking, but they were flowing directly into my head and stared at him with awe.


    ¡°I share powers with those who hold the heart of my dungeon. The previous owner had telepathy as well and gifted it to the other Thak. That is why I find it so easy to use.¡± The Grove chuckled.


    I stood up and finally took a good look around the room. It was like a pure white marble box. The only colors came from the tree kid and me.


    ¡°I think you have had enough time to adjust. The dungeon cannot remain complacent for long. You must make the decisions on its layout and its creatures and bosses.¡± The Grove exclaimed.


    ¡°How do I do that¡­¡± Before I was able to finish my sentence an interface popped up in front of me.


    <table><tbody><tr><td colspan=''4''>Dungeon Creation Interface</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''2''>Name</td><td colspan=''2''>Grove of the Young Thak</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''3''>Order Level</td><td width="25%">3rd</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Boss</td><td width="25%">Mini-Bosses</td><td width="25%">Creatures</td><td width="25%">Design</td></tr></tbody></table>


    I looked over the small window with a smile on my face. ¡°So how do actually design it? Do I just click on one of the tabs.¡±


    ¡°Slow down¡­slow down. Let me explain as we go. The first thing you should do is click on the ¡®Design¡¯ tab. It will allow you to choose different types of terrain¡­within reason. You cannot stray to far from the dungeons original design. You can also change the structure of the dungeon and place the spawning points for creatures and bosses. And before you ask¡­no, killing creatures in your own dungeon will not give you experience or drops.¡± The Grove chastised me after it read my thoughts.


    I brought my finger over to the ¡®Design¡¯ icon on the dungeon interface screen and tapped on it twice.


    <table><tbody><tr><td width="25%">Terrain</td><td width="25%">Type</td><td width="25%">Structure</td><td width="25%">Spawn</td></tr></tbody></table>


    The moment I pushed on the ¡®Design¡¯ tab another row of tabs popped up in front of my face.


    ¡°The Terrain tab decides the basic terrain type that the dungeon will exhibit. The Original Grove was a forest type of terrain that surrounded multiple lakes. The original dungeon was full of fun-loving sprites and dryads.¡± The Grove spoke cheerfully and I could tell he was trying to influence my decision.


    I leisurely clicked on the terrain tab¡­


    <table><tbody><tr><td>Terrain Types:


    Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    Forest Terrain ¨C Gives a bonus to humanoid creatures like goblins and orcs and provides negative constriction bonus to flying and water type creatures. (2 DP)


    Jungle Terrain ¨C Gives a bonus to animal creatures like snakes, panthers, and insects and provides a negative constriction bonus to all other creatures. (3 DP)


    Oasis Terrain ¨C Gives a bonus to animal creatures like scorpions and snakes and gives a partial bonus to fairy¡¯s and sprites. Does not apply a constriction bonus. (3 DP)


    Grassland Terrain ¨C Gives a bonus to undead creatures and certain types of animals and provides a negative constriction bonus to flying creatures. (2 DP)


    Ruin Terrain ¨C Gives a bonus to humanoid creatures like beastmen and elementals and provides a constriction bonus to all animal creatures. (2 DP)</td></tr></tbody></table>


    I was excited about the massive amount of customization options that the dungeon interface provided and I assumed that I couldn¡¯t choose a desert, mountain, or ocean terrain because the dungeon originally had a forest layout.


    I wasn¡¯t fond of the Grassland type and I knew that Grove would have disliked me if I chose it, because it promoted undead abilities.


    My top choices definitely had to be Ruin, Jungle, and Oasis. The Oasis was a mix of the forest and desert type terrains and it would allow me to use a multitude of different poisonous creatures.


    The jungle would be interesting and hard to navigate and it would allow me to chose a lot of different creatures that could jump out and assassinate intruders.


    The ruin I choose just because it gave bonuses to really cool types of creatures¡­forgive me for thinking about coolness over layout for a second.


    In the end I decided to click on the Ruins Terrain because well¡­I¡¯m assuming you don¡¯t get many chances to make dungeon and I wanted it to be what I wanted.


    <table><tbody><tr><td>-2 DP. 98/100 Remaining.</td></tr></tbody></table>


    A small window passed by my vision as the white world around me started to change. Dilapidated stone structures started to pop up out of the ground and surround us. The ceiling was still made from dirt and roots, because the original dungeon was underground.


    ¡°DP are dungeon points and they are basically the cash you get to spend to remake the dungeon. The design should only take 10-15 DP. The expensive part is the bosses and mini-bosses and spawn rates.¡± The Grove spoke nonchalantly as he read my thoughts.


    ¡°Cool.¡± I muttered as I clicked on the next section of the interface.


    <table><tbody><tr><td>Dungeon Type:


    Trick Dungeon: A normal dungeon that has tricks that needs to be figured out before the adventurer can continue on. (5 DP)


    Trap Dungeon: A dungeon that contains an enormous amount of traps, but lacks a steady stream of monsters. (3 DP)


    Cluster Dungeon: A dungeon that has no traps, but has large clusters of enemies jammed together in different locations. (3 DP)


    Normal Dungeon: A normal dungeon with an appropriate mix of traps and monsters spread out through the multiples zones. (2 DP)


    Simple Dungeon: A dungeon where the boss or mini-boss is located near the start and it typically more powerful than normal. (4 DP)</td></tr></tbody></table>


    Now that I was aware of the point cost of each of my choices I had to decide more carefully and not waste to many points until I checked over everything.


    I wanted the dungeon to be difficult though so I decided to spring for the trick type and use 5 DP.


    ¡°Ah the trick type¡­a mischievous Thak you are. Explain how you want the trick or tricks to work so that I can create them.¡± The Grove spoke loudly.


    ¡°I was thinking of having the area be open ruins¡­like a city sort of like Nulia where I come from, but have the bosses chambers be closed off. I want to have three or four mini-bosses that each need to be defeated in order to obtain or do something to open the final boss gate in the ruin temple at the end of the city.¡±


    The Grove wiggled its branches as it started to think of how my dungeon was going to look.


    ¡°That makes me think of the Ancient City of Mihalla¡­it was an old dungeon that was run by a cousin of mine many centuries ago. It was a large dungeon, which had many bosses and after each boss was a stone that needed to be activated in order to open the gates to the ancient cities capital where the final boss slept.¡±


    ¡°That sounds perfect, but make each of the activation stones only work for certain types of people.¡± I said.


    ¡°I can only make it based off of your soul. So I can make one of the stones activate with song magic and one of them activate with illusion magic. The last one would have to be brute force or telepathy since you have no other form of magic.¡± The Grove exclaimed.


    ¡°Telepathy is fine for the last one. It should be a rare skill and it would make the dungeon fairly hard to conquer for a long time.¡± I smiled.


    Grove and I decided to skip over the ¡®Structure¡¯ tab and we modeled the underground ruins after the ruins of Nulia and it only cost me 1 DP, because I provided the layout.


    The last of the four tabs under the ¡®Design¡¯ icon was the ¡®Spawn¡¯ tab. It allowed me to choose the location and the rate of the spawns.


    <table><tbody><tr><td>Spawn Type:


    Scattered: The scattered spawn type puts enemies all over the dungeon map. The enemies will always spawn in the same location, but only one enemy will spawn. (1 DP)


    Clustered: The clustered spawn type puts enemies all over the map, but those enemies will gravitate towards each other and attack in clusters. (2 DP)


    Grouped: The grouped spawn type puts enemies all over the map, but the enemies will always spawn in groups in the same location and they will always act as a group. (2 DP)


    Frenzied: This is the crazy spawn type. It will spawn groups or single enemies at any point in the map at any time. (4 DP)


    Organized: The organized spawn type groups up enemies according to type and attacks intruders as a group. They will spawn in set locations. (3 DP)</td></tr></tbody></table>


    I was up in the air about which type I wanted to choose, but Grove had an interesting idea¡­


    Status: Chapter 24


    <table><tbody><tr><td colspan=''4''>Status Window</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Name:</td><td width="25%">Kai</td><td width="25%">Alignment:</td><td width="25%">Neutral</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Level:</td><td width="25%">26</td><td width="25%">Class:</td><td width="25%">Bard</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Race:</td><td width="25%">Cherub</td><td width="25%">Gender:</td><td width="25%">Male</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>Titles</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>Songscryer ¨C The One True Thak</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Fame:</td><td width="25%">120</td><td width="25%">Infamy:</td><td width="25%">950</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>-</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Health:</td><td width="25%">550 / 550</td><td width="25%">Health Regen:</td><td width="25%">5.0 / Sec</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Mana:</td><td width="25%">700 / 700</td><td width="25%">Mana Regen:</td><td width="25%">6.0 / Sec</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Stamina:</td><td width="25%">800 / 800</td><td width="25%">Stamina Regen:</td><td width="25%">6.0 / Sec</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>-</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Strength:</td><td width="25%">70 (+55)</td><td width="25%">Agility:</td><td width="25%">70</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Vitality:</td><td colspan=''3''>63</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Intelligence:</td><td width="25%">70 (+5)</td><td width="25%">Wisdom:</td><td width="25%">75 (+5)</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Endurance:</td><td width="25%">83</td><td width="25%">Luck:</td><td width="25%">44 (+55)</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>-</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Attack:</td><td width="25%">10-15</td><td width="25%">Defense:</td><td width="25%">32 (+80)</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>Physical Resistances</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Slashing:</td><td width="25%">27 (+48)</td><td width="25%">Piercing:</td><td width="25%">27 (+48)</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Crushing:</td><td colspan=''3''>32 (+48)</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>Elemental Resistances</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Fire:</td><td width="25%">10%</td><td width="25%">Water:</td><td width="25%">10%</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Wind:</td><td width="25%">10%</td><td width="25%">Earth:</td><td width="25%">10%</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Light:</td><td width="25%">10%</td><td width="25%">Darkness:</td><td width="25%">10%</td></tr></tbody></table>


    Skills/Abilities:


    <b>Spoiler</b> : <input type=''button'' value=''Show'' class=''spoilerButton''><table><tbody><tr><td>Iron Skin: Intermediate Lvl 6 (11%)


    Willpower III: Intermediate Lvl 5 (44%)


    Seven Pathways Meditation: Intermediate Lvl 1 (8%)


    Mana Manipulation: Intermediate Lvl 3 (55%)


    Telepathy: Novice Lvl 1 (0%)


    Voice Manipulation: Novice Lvl 8 (36%)


    -Empower: Novice Lvl 1 (32%)


    Music Mastery: Novice Lvl 7 (72%)


    -Song of Renewal: Intermediate Lvl 2 (54%)


    -Song of the Slumbering: Novice Lvl 6 (45%)


    -Song of Sorrow: Novice Lvl 3 (26%)


    -Song of the Berserker: Novice Lvl 2 (23%)


    Bare-Handed Mastery: Novice Lvl 8 (61%)


    Sword Mastery: Novice Lvl 7 (50%)


    -Rapier Mastery: Intermediate Lvl 3 (82%)


    +Rapid Thrust: Novice Lvl 7 (21%)


    Illusion Magic Mastery: Novice Lvl 3 (85%)


    -Disguise: Novice Lvl 7 (11%)


    -Glamour: Novice Lvl 2 (27%)


    -Clone: Novice Lvl 1 (0%)</td></tr></tbody></table>


    Equipment:


    <b>Spoiler</b> : <input type=''button'' value=''Show'' class=''spoilerButton''><table><tbody><tr><td>Grei¡¯Thaks Vambraces (+25) Defense and (10%) Slashing/Piercing Resistance ¨C (65/65) Durability


    Torn Leather Vest (+10) Defense (-2) Luck ¨C (6/15) Durability


    Rotten Shorts of the Idiot (+2) Defense (+5%) Odor - (5/7) Durability


    Rugged Leather Boots (+7) Defense (+3) Agility ¨C (4/12) Durability


    Necklace of the Black King (+10%) Magic Resistance ¨C (24/25) Durability</td></tr></tbody></table>

 Chapter 25: Grove of the Young Thak

    First chapter in two week...been busy with work


    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------


    Grove and I decided to make large cluster groups that surrounded each of the three mini-bosses and then use the rest of the spawns in roaming groups.


    It cost me a little bit of extra dungeon points, but I thought it was worth it in order to make the dungeon a little more challenging.


    <table><tbody><tr><td> -4 DP. 89/100 Remaining</td></tr></tbody></table>


    I had used up eleven points already and I was only finished with one of the four main tabs¡­I didn¡¯t know if that was good or not so I decided to ask Grove.


    ¡°Is¡­¡± I started to speak.


    ¡°Its not bad. I would have preferred you to use less than ten, but in the end we can always forego making a boss monster and just supplement it with you.¡± Grove answered quickly as he picked up on my thoughts.


    I found it kind of creepy that an NPC was privy to my private thoughts, but it made the conversation part a lot easier.


    Exiting out of the ¡®Design¡¯ menu I called up the main dungeon interface in order to move on to the next tab.


    <table><tbody><tr><td colspan=''4''>Dungeon Creation Interface</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''2''>Name</td><td colspan=''2''>Grove of the Young Thak</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''3''>Order Level</td><td width="25%">3rd</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Boss</td><td width="25%">Mini-Bosses</td><td width="25%">Creatures</td><td width="25%">Design</td></tr></tbody></table>


    I slid my eyes over to the creature tab, because Grove was pushing me to decide on the type of monster that would inhabit my dungeon before designing the mini-bosses.


    I pouted briefly¡­its not everyday you get to design a boss.


    <table><tbody><tr><td width="25%">Humanoid</td><td width="25%">Elemental</td><td width="25%">Animal</td><td width="25%">Legendary</td></tr></tbody></table>


    My eyes glowed as they scanned over the bright blue tabs¡­my first instinct was to click on the ¡®Legendary¡¯ tab, but Grove swatted me in the back of the head with his branch.


    ¡°Its not worth it¡­you¡¯ll only become depressed when you see the DP prices.¡± He sighed as he spoke.


    ¡°That tab includes things like dragons and demi-gods. I think the lowest DP cost is 2 or 3000 per cluster.¡± Grove added.


    I nodded my head as I listened to the young little tree talk. ¡°The ruin type gives natural bonuses to Elementals and Beastmen. Which one do you think would be tougher to fight?¡± I posed another question.


    Grove wiggled his branches for a moment before a small smile stretched across his face. ¡°Elemental would be trickier for mage types, but beastmen would be harder for warrior types and the negatives vice versa. Beastmen would be cheaper depending upon the type, while most elementals are around the same price.¡±


    I took the information in stride and decided to review the two tabs before making a decision.


    <table><tbody><tr><td>Humanoid Types:


    (Beastman Specific)


    Tiger-men ¨C The Tiger beastman race is full of all-rounders. They are decently strong, fast, and agile. They fight best in groups and possess the racial skill: Eye of the Tiger. A Skill that gives the enemy two randomly selected debuffs for a short period of time. (Single: 2) (Group: 5) (Roamer: 3) (Group Roamer: 6) (Boss Single: 5) (Boss Group: 7)


    Panther-men ¨C The Panther beastman race is full of assassins and rogues. They are incredibly fast and dexterous. They fight best by themselves and with the element of surprise. They possess the racial skill: Stealth. A skill that gives them near-invisibility while they are not moving and lowered perception (Of them) while they are. (Single: 3) (Group: 4) (Roamer: 4) (Group Roamer: 5) (Boss Single: 5) (Boss Group: 6)


    Elephant-men ¨C The Elephant beastman race is full of powerhouses and tanks. They have incredible defense and attack, but are hindered by their slow movement. They fight best in enclosed areas, which cut down on movement. They possess the racial skill: Stomp. A skill that causes an area of effect stun. (Single: 4) (Group: 7) (Roamer: 3) (Group Roamer: 5) (Boss Single: 7) (Boss Group: 8)


    Cat-men ¨C The Cat beastman race is full of agile warriors and enchanted archers. They have high dexterity, wisdom, and intelligence. They are known for fighting smartly rather than viciously. They possess the racial skill: Pounce. A skill that allows them to gain a sudden increase in stats and attack power for a short period of time. (Single: 1) (Group: 3) (Roamer: 5) (Group Roamer: 7) (Boss Single: 3) (Boss Group: 5)


    Wolf-men ¨C The Wolf beastman race is full of vicious warriors and lunar mages. They have high attack power and endurance with a decent amount of speed. They are known for fighting in packs. They possess the racial skill: Dark Side of the Moon. A skill that allows them to enter a berserk state for a few minutes, which doubles their stats but leaves them weak afterwards. (Single: 3) (Group: 5) (Roamer: 5) (Group Roamer: 7) (Boss Single: 5) (Boss Group: 7)


    Snake-men ¨C The Snake beastman race is full of poison users and alchemic mages. They have quick striking ability and speed, but have no low endurance and defense. They are known for slowly torturing their enemies to death. They possess the racial skill: Venom. A skill that allows them to use their natural poison to negatively effect enemies. (Single: 2) (Group: 6) (Roamer: 2) (Group Roamer: 4) (Boss Single: 3) (Boss Group: 8)


    Bull-men ¨C The Bull beastman race is full of powerhouses and enhancement mages. They have high endurance, defense, and attack power. They fight better alone, because they have the tendency to fight amongst themselves. They possess the racial skill: Long Haul. A skill that increases their defense and health points for the duration of the battle. (Single: 4) (Group: 3) (Roamer: 6) (Group Roamer: 4) (Boss Single: 8) (Boss Group: 6)


    ¡­.Etc</td></tr></tbody></table>


    I finished scanning over the beastman window and let out a sigh¡­the tabs contained so much information and I had barely scratched the surface.


    ¡°Keep in mind you want three boss level mobs and between 2-4 regular level ones. Then you can add things here and there.¡± Grove muttered.


    Apparently a normal mob was made up of ten creatures and a boss mob was made up of fifteen.


    Not wanting to read any more creature information I immediately decided to just stick with beastmen.


    The main three boss mobs would consist of Tiger-men, Wolf-men, and Cat-men. They were the most well-rounded and they worked the best in groups.


    <table><tbody><tr><td> -19 DP. 70/100 Remaining</td></tr></tbody></table>


    I decided to have two roaming groups¡­one Snake-men group and one Panther-men group.


    <table><tbody><tr><td> -10 DP. 60/100 Remaining</td></tr></tbody></table>


    I placed three single Elephant-men in front of each of the mini-boss chambers and one single mob boss level Bull-man to sit in front of the main bosses chambers.


    <table><tbody><tr><td> -20 DP. 40/100 Remaining</td></tr></tbody></table>


    I started to panic a little, because my points were disappearing incredibly fast and I still hadn¡¯t decided on the mini-bosses yet.


    ¡°Don¡¯t freak out¡­with you as the main boss you can still spend up to ten to fifteen points on the mini-bosses, which will make them the same tier as you. The rest of the dungeon should be one tier lower.¡±


    Breathing in and breathing out¡­I was finally able to calm down.


    I exited out of the ¡®Creature¡¯ tab before I gave myself a heart attack over the stress¡­creating a dungeon was fun, but it was also heart-wrenching.


    ¡°The mini-boss tab allows you to create as many mini-bosses as you have boss group mobs, which means you can create three¡­I mean four. I forgot you made that randomly placed Minotaur or should I call it Bull-man¡­which one is politically correct.¡± Grove went on a tangent as it tried to find the right term.


    I scanned through the Mini-boss menu and put together three mini-bosses that I liked. (To many customizations to show them all)


    The first mini-boss was part of the Tiger-man race of beastmen and he was physical type fighter that focused on using a two-handed great sword.


    <table><tbody><tr><td colspan=''4''>Nalvor the Tyrant</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''2''>Health: 2000/2000 ¨C Mana: 800/800</td><td colspan=''2''>Attack: 450 ¨C Defense: 150</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''3''>Order</td><td width="25%">3rd</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Eye of the Tiger</td><td width="25%">Helm Splitter</td><td width="25%">Full Swing</td><td width="25%">Tiger¡¯s Roar</td></tr></tbody></table>


    Nalvor was my least favorite out of the three to make, but he was a necessary mini-boss.


    He had Eye of the Tiger and Tiger¡¯s Roar to debuff and stun and then he had Helm Splitter and Full Swing in order to maximize his damage.


    He could kill very quickly and mess with the flow of battle, but if a proper strategy was made the boss fight wouldn¡¯t last that long.


    <table><tbody><tr><td colspan=''4''>Aren the Swift</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''2''>Health: 1500/1500 ¨C Mana: 1200/1200</td><td colspan=''2''>Attack: 250 ¨C Defense: 250</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''3''>Order</td><td width="25%">3rd</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Pounce</td><td width="25%">Catman Fu</td><td width="25%">Full Draw</td><td width="25%">Scattered Shot</td></tr></tbody></table>


    Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    Aren was part of the Cat-man race of beastmen and he was an interesting mini-boss. He didn¡¯t have high health, mana, attack, or defense¡­but he was average all around.


    He was a ranged fighter that had a few close combat skills in case the enemy got to close. He specialized in ranged damage and speedy dexterous close combat.


    The skills Pounce and Catman Fu were fairly decent close combat techniques used by the Cat-men beast race. Full Draw was a technique to maximize range damage and Scattered Shot was meant to damage multiple enemies.


    <table><tbody><tr><td colspan=''4''>Nyskimas the Estranged</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''2''>Health: 1000/1000 ¨C Mana: 2200/2200</td><td colspan=''2''>Attack: 350 ¨C Defense: 250</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''3''>Order</td><td width="25%">3rd</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Dark Side of the Moon</td><td width="25%">Lunar Bombardment</td><td width="25%">Wolf¡¯s Howl</td><td width="25%">Lunar Shot</td></tr></tbody></table>


    Nyskimas was part of the Wolf-man race of beastmen and she was a pure mage type build.


    She had the skills Lunar Bombardment and Lunar Shot to do magic damage and she had the skill Wolf¡¯s Howl in order to summon reinforcements. Dark Side of the Moon would be saved until she was at low health.


    All in all I was happy with the three mini-bosses that I had created. They weren¡¯t too powerful, but they were strong enough to keep a strong group occupied.


    The only thing was that I had ten DP left¡­each of the mini-bosses only took 10 DP, because I chose only four main skills.


    ¡°You should put them into that overgrown bull creature in front of your chamber.¡± Grove remarked.


    That was my first choice, but I didn¡¯t want to make the dungeon to hard¡­I wanted to fight on occasion.


    If I put the remaining ten points into the bull-man he would have 18 DP invested into him, which would make him practically as strong a dungeon boss.


    ¡°The hell with it¡­¡± I finally muttered as I invested the points into him.


    <table><tbody><tr><td colspan=''4''>Sorom the Bold</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''2''>Health: 5000/5000 ¨C Mana: 3200/3200</td><td colspan=''2''>Attack: 850 ¨C Defense: 1000</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''3''>Order</td><td width="25%">3rd</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Long Haul</td><td width="25%">Charge</td><td width="25%">Enhanced Swing</td><td width="25%">Earthquake</td></tr></tbody></table>


    My eyes widened as I stared at the final result. I poured all of the DP into the mini-bosses stats and skills without any extra skills slots and I ended up creating a monster¡­I wasn¡¯t sure if even I could solo this beast.


    ¡°Done¡­finally.¡± I let out a sigh as I leaned up against the side of a dilapidated wall.


    ¡°Yes, creating a dungeon is always a bit time-consuming.¡± Grove responded.


    ¡°Before I forget¡­the specifics I have to explain before I become part of the dungeon. You will receive 10% of all monetary wealth dropped from kills within the dungeon.  You will also receive a small portion of all dropped loot within the dungeon. Dropped from players not monsters, which means you might get an item or two depending on how big the invading party is. Every time your dungeon is conquered you will receive a negative debuff to all stats for a period of one week, but everytime that you successfully repel an attack you will receive a random buff of 5% to two three separate stats. The number of buffs depends upon the dungeon order.¡±


    Grove prattled on about the specifics and I listened for a little while. The only part that really held my interest was the free money and randomized loot.


    All I can say is¡­this is gonna be a lot of fun and where can I advertise dungeons?


    <table><tbody><tr><td>New Titles:¡­.</td></tr></tbody></table>


    Status: Chapter 25


    <table><tbody><tr><td colspan=''4''>Status Window</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Name:</td><td width="25%">Kai</td><td width="25%">Alignment:</td><td width="25%">Neutral</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Level:</td><td width="25%">26</td><td width="25%">Class:</td><td width="25%">Bard</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Race:</td><td width="25%">Cherub</td><td width="25%">Gender:</td><td width="25%">Male</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>Titles</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>Songscryer ¨C The One True Thak</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Fame:</td><td width="25%">120</td><td width="25%">Infamy:</td><td width="25%">950</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>-</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Health:</td><td width="25%">550 / 550</td><td width="25%">Health Regen:</td><td width="25%">5.0 / Sec</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Mana:</td><td width="25%">700 / 700</td><td width="25%">Mana Regen:</td><td width="25%">6.0 / Sec</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Stamina:</td><td width="25%">800 / 800</td><td width="25%">Stamina Regen:</td><td width="25%">6.0 / Sec</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>-</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Strength:</td><td width="25%">70 (+55)</td><td width="25%">Agility:</td><td width="25%">70</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Vitality:</td><td colspan=''3''>63</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Intelligence:</td><td width="25%">70 (+5)</td><td width="25%">Wisdom:</td><td width="25%">75 (+5)</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Endurance:</td><td width="25%">83</td><td width="25%">Luck:</td><td width="25%">44 (+55)</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>-</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Attack:</td><td width="25%">10-15</td><td width="25%">Defense:</td><td width="25%">32 (+80)</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>Physical Resistances</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Slashing:</td><td width="25%">27 (+48)</td><td width="25%">Piercing:</td><td width="25%">27 (+48)</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Crushing:</td><td colspan=''3''>32 (+48)</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>Elemental Resistances</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Fire:</td><td width="25%">10%</td><td width="25%">Water:</td><td width="25%">10%</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Wind:</td><td width="25%">10%</td><td width="25%">Earth:</td><td width="25%">10%</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Light:</td><td width="25%">10%</td><td width="25%">Darkness:</td><td width="25%">10%</td></tr></tbody></table>


    Skills/Abilities:


    <b>Spoiler</b> : <input type=''button'' value=''Show'' class=''spoilerButton''><table><tbody><tr><td>Iron Skin: Intermediate Lvl 6 (11%)


    Willpower III: Intermediate Lvl 5 (44%)


    Seven Pathways Meditation: Intermediate Lvl 1 (8%)


    Mana Manipulation: Intermediate Lvl 3 (55%)


    Telepathy: Novice Lvl 1 (0%)


    Voice Manipulation: Novice Lvl 8 (36%)


    -Empower: Novice Lvl 1 (32%)


    Music Mastery: Novice Lvl 7 (72%)


    -Song of Renewal: Intermediate Lvl 2 (54%)


    -Song of the Slumbering: Novice Lvl 6 (45%)


    -Song of Sorrow: Novice Lvl 3 (26%)


    -Song of the Berserker: Novice Lvl 2 (23%)


    Bare-Handed Mastery: Novice Lvl 8 (61%)


    Sword Mastery: Novice Lvl 7 (50%)


    -Rapier Mastery: Intermediate Lvl 3 (82%)


    +Rapid Thrust: Novice Lvl 7 (21%)


    Illusion Magic Mastery: Novice Lvl 3 (85%)


    -Disguise: Novice Lvl 7 (11%)


    -Glamour: Novice Lvl 2 (27%)


    -Clone: Novice Lvl 1 (0%)</td></tr></tbody></table>


    Equipment:


    <b>Spoiler</b> : <input type=''button'' value=''Show'' class=''spoilerButton''><table><tbody><tr><td>Grei¡¯Thaks Vambraces (+25) Defense and (10%) Slashing/Piercing Resistance ¨C (65/65) Durability


    Torn Leather Vest (+10) Defense (-2) Luck ¨C (6/15) Durability


    Rotten Shorts of the Idiot (+2) Defense (+5%) Odor - (5/7) Durability


    Rugged Leather Boots (+7) Defense (+3) Agility ¨C (4/12) Durability


    Necklace of the Black King (+10%) Magic Resistance ¨C (24/25) Durability</td></tr></tbody></table>

 Chapter 26: Infamous

    :: Kai ::


    I tottered through the forest outside the dungeon for about a half hour until I reached the forests end.


    The forest opened up into a stretch of plains, which were filled up with a variety of farms and small shacks.


    My plan was to regroup with the girls on my way back to Lachlan, but they sent a cryptic message earlier.


    <table><tbody><tr><td> Shiroe: Gonna get stronger before we meet again!</td></tr></tbody></table>


    I knew that they were somewhat ashamed for dying in the middle of the dungeon, but it didn¡¯t actually bother me that much¡­besides losing my mind and going berserk.


    I pushed my hands in front of me from side to side as I crossed through the last wheat field before I reach Lachlan.


    Looking up at the two sexist guards that watched the main gate¡­.I let my mind wander back before I left the dungeon.


    *Flashback*


    <table><tbody><tr><td>New Titles: Dungeon Master, Like A Boss</td></tr></tbody></table>


    The two new titles flashed across my screen and I decided to check out what perks they provided.


    The first title seemed self-explanatory¡­I created a dungeon, but the second one seemed like a event title¡­maybe?


    I opened the descriptions with the flick of my finger¡­


    <table><tbody><tr><td> Dungeon Master: Is a rare title given to those who successfully create a dungeon. It grants a 50% increase in stats and skills while inside of the dungeon and gives you absolute dominion over the dungeons inhabitants.</td></tr></tbody></table>


    <table><tbody><tr><td> Like A Boss: Is a extremely rare title given to the first person to make a true boss monster. Grants the user the unique skill [Summon: Dungeon Beast].</td></tr></tbody></table>


    My eyes were glued to the screen for a moment as I read over what the second title gave me¡­It provided no stat increases, but an actual skill.


    I pulled up my console with my hand and scrolled down to my skill section. If this skill was what I think it is¡­then I am going to lose my mind¡­with happiness.


    <table><tbody><tr><td width="25%">Skill Name:</td><td width="25%">Skill Rank:</td><td width="25%">Skill Level:</td><td width="25%">Skill Experience:</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Summon: Dungeon Best</td><td width="25%">Novice</td><td width="25%">1</td><td width="25%">12%</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>Summon: Dungeon Beast is a rare summoning skill that can only be acquired by those who hold dominion over a dungeon. It allows the user to summon a basic creature from the dungeon for a span of 10 minutes. Cost 500 Mana.</td></tr></tbody></table>


    *Flashback End*


    So obviously I tested the skill whenever I could¡­but with the short span of time since I left the dungeon I was only able to use it twice.


    The mana consumption is a bit annoying, but it would probably be worth it if I grinded the skill up to the intermediate and advanced levels.


    Who knows¡­maybe I¡¯ll summon a mini-boss at some point.


    The distance from the edge of the field and the entrance of the town was short. I was standing in front of the guards after a few short breaths.


    I started to walk leisurely through the gates, but a pair of crossing spears immediately cut off my path.


    ¡°Unmarked slaves are not allowed to enter town.¡± Greta spoke roughly.


    I rolled my eyes¡­I knew they were trying to get back at me for earlier.


    ¡°You know my status with the Valkyries and yet you still block my path¡­that¡¯s bold.¡± I tried to act pompous in hopes it would scare them into submission.


    ¡°Trash like you should not be near the Valkyries!¡± Hyr exclaimed.


    ¡°You must have used some sort of mind magic one them!¡± Greta roared in reply.


    I suck inn a deep breath of fresh of air in order to calm my nerves¡­the guards were beginning to test my patience.


    ¡°Mind magic¡­I should look into that.¡± I said absent-mindedly.


    Mind magic would probably be something that a Bard was particularly good at.


    ¡°The heathen admits his treason.¡± Greta stammered as she misheard my words.


    ¡°Huh?¡± I looked up with a confused look.


    ¡°Arrest him and put him in chains.¡± Hyr ordered and several members of the Valkyrian order started to pour out of the guardhouse.


    ¡°Fuck¡­¡± I muttered.


    Greta lunged at me with her spear and I had to jump backwards out of the weapons range.


    ¡°Come on¡­we can talk this out.¡± I said quickly, but the only reply that came was an arrow narrowly missing my head.


    ¡°Empower¡­Strength¡­Speed.¡± I used my newly acquired voice magic to supply a few combat buffs to myself.


    I kicked my back foot into the ground and lunged forward¡­before Greta was able to move in for a second strike my fist collided with her head.


    I could feel the crunching of muscle and bone from the impact of my fist.


    <table><tbody><tr><td> Killed a town guard ¨C Alignment Good. +200 Infamy</td></tr></tbody></table>


    ¡°What the fuck¡­¡± I was completely baffled that my first strike was able to kill the guard-woman.


    I was used to fighting against monster and they didn¡¯t die this easily. Were humans always this frail?


    ¡°HYYYAAAAAA!¡± Hyr scream at me with bloodshot eyes as she saw her friend fall to the ground like a lifeless corpse.


    Overcome by an insatiable thirst for revenge she ran straight towards me as if she was trying to tackle me.


    I swung my leg upwards and planted it directly into her chest. The impact from kick sent her flying backwards into the wall that surrounded the town.


    A disturbing cracking noise could be heard on the moment of impact.


    <table><tbody><tr><td> Killed a town guard ¨C Alignment Good. +200 Infamy</td></tr></tbody></table>


    ¡°Why are they so weak?¡± I was incredibly confused. His master had forged his body into weapon, but this was the first time he had witness such promising results.


    A loud voice suddenly pulled my out of my baffled stupor.


    ¡°By order of the Vice-Commander Jihaaka¡­Surrender or Die!¡± A loud feminine voice proclaimed for all to hear.


    I looked up at the walls and it was covered in archers and he was gradually being surrounded by Valkyrian troops.


    ¡°I might drop my new arm guards if I die.¡± I whispered as I glanced down at my arms. The last loot that you had obtained had the highest probability of dropping.


    I clenched my fists and tensed the muscles in my shoulders. ¡°I never liked being a hero anyway.¡± I said in reference to my fame to infamy ratio.


    ¡°I''m so tired, I haven''t slept a wink. I''m so tired; my mind is on the blink. I wonder, should I get up and fix myself a drink¡­No no no.¡± I sang the words as I pulsed the mana through my lungs and up and out of my throat.


    Activating the Song of the Slumbering I was able to put up a quick movement debuff on all of the Valkyries that were surrounding me.


    I could feel a rapid consumption of mana in my body, but I didn¡¯t need mana any longer¡­I would win with my fists.


    The Valkyrie took my song as a sign of defiance and immediately decided charge me.


    The Song of the Slumbering had made many of the foot soldiers sluggish, but it wasn¡¯t enough to help me avoid so many attacks.


    <table><tbody><tr><td> -7 HP. Scratched Arm.</td></tr></tbody></table>


    <table><tbody><tr><td> Killed a town guard ¨C Alignment Good. +200 Infamy</td></tr></tbody></table>


    <table><tbody><tr><td> -11 HP. Stabbed Torso.</td></tr></tbody></table>


    <table><tbody><tr><td> Killed a town guard ¨C Alignment Good. +200 Infamy</td></tr></tbody></table>


    <table><tbody><tr><td> -8 HP. Twisted Knee.</td></tr></tbody></table>


    <table><tbody><tr><td> Killed a town guard ¨C Alignment Good. +200 Infamy</td></tr></tbody></table>


    <table><tbody><tr><td> -20 HP. Injured Leg.</td></tr></tbody></table>


    <table><tbody><tr><td> Killed a town guard ¨C Alignment Good. +200 Infamy</td></tr></tbody></table>


    ¡­..


    A series of messages berated my screen as I fought with a mob of Valkyrian soldiers. They slowly whittled away my health as I decimated the town¡¯s vanguard.


    ¡°Vanguard¡­Retreat!¡± I heard a strangled order as if the person couldn¡¯t believe what they were seeing.


    ¡°Archers¡­Bombardment!¡± Anger had coalesced into the Vice-Commanders voice.


    I felt the prickle of arrows denting into my iron skin. ¡°KAAIIII¡¯THAAAKKK!¡± I bellowed out using my voice manipulation.


    A wave of debuffs flashed across the town guards as I voiced my annoyance.


    They wanted to see a vagabond¡­a merciless and soulless man with no morals¡­then that¡¯s what I will give them.


    ¡°Burn out the day. Burn out the night. I can''t see no reason to put up a fight. I''m living for giving the devil his due. And I''m burning, I''m burning, I''m burning for you.¡± I sang the words for all to hear as I let the monster inside me out of its cage.


    A monster born from the simplest of emotions, but one with the most power for pure destruction.


    The Song of the Berserker took hold of my very being. It was like I was watching the battle in third person now¡­I had little to no control over my actions.


    This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    The berserker merely followed my emotions. I gave it one simple goal. Survive.


    -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


    You know that feeling when you wake up in a place that you didn¡¯t remember falling asleep and for a brief moment you feel incredible fear¡­


    I had that feeling¡­right now.


    I woke up in a damp black room. The floor felt like it was made out of some type of stone or concrete.


    ¡®Did I get killed and ejected¡­or captured.¡¯ I thought rapidly as my mind went over all the possible occurrences.


    I struggled to get up, but found myself wrapped up in metal chains.


    After a few minutes my eyes started to adjust and I could make out a few shadows in my surroundings.


    I was definitely in some sort of prison cell and I wasn¡¯t actually chained to the ground. I must have jerked around a lot while I slept to wrap myself so tightly in the chain that was attached to my right arm.


    I took a few short breaths and called up my status screen to try and figure out my current state.


    I had the ¡®Fatigued¡¯ and ¡®Injured¡¯ icons flashing right next to my health bar, but what was even more surprising was the notification icon.


    I had over three dozen notifications.


    Clicking on the flashing notification icon a series of blue windows bombarded my screen.


    Their was quite a few level up notifications¡­did killing guards really give this much experience.


    <table><tbody><tr><td>Level Up. +6</td></tr></tbody></table>


    ¡°That¡¯s slightly ridiculous¡­¡± I muttered.


    I called up the help menu to see if it was some kind of bug¡­not that I was complaining, but I wanted to know if it was something I could exploit in the future.


    ¡°Hey¡­Ethaessa why did I get so much experience?¡±


    <table><tbody><tr><td> For killing a lot of people.</td></tr></tbody></table>


    The system responded to me in such a simple way that I almost lost my patience.


    ¡°I meant why did normal people give me three times the experience monsters do?¡± A hint of irritation in my voice.


    <table><tbody><tr><td> The experience was influenced by the notoriety system. For example, if you had a lot of fame and you killed monsters or ¡®evil¡¯ people than you would gain experience at a much faster rate. The reverse is also true. You have a lot of infamy and gained a lot of experience for terrorizing a town.</td></tr></tbody></table>


    I nodded my head at what she was saying¡­who knew such a convenient exploit existed. I guess it wasn¡¯t on the forums because the game is still relatively new.


    Speaking of which¡­how much infamy do I have?


    I pulled up the window.


    <table><tbody><tr><td> Infamy: 21,350</td></tr></tbody></table>


    ¡°Motherfu¡­.what!?¡± My infamy was twenty times what it was just a day ago.


    The moment I called up infamy three titles popped up in front of my screen.


    <table><tbody><tr><td> 10-Man Slayer: Is an ordinary chaotic title given to those who have slain ten neutral or good aligned NPCs or users in a short period of time. Provides a 5% increase in attack and 10% increase in killing intent when fighting good aligned users and NPCs.</td></tr></tbody></table>


    <table><tbody><tr><td> 100-Man Slayer: Is an rare chaotic title given to those who have slain one-hundred neutral or good aligned NPCs or users in a short period of time. Provides a 15% increase in attack and 20% increase in killing intent when fighting good aligned users and NPCs.</td></tr></tbody></table>


    <table><tbody><tr><td> Notorious: Is a common title given to those who have gained more than 10,000 fame or infamy. It gives you a higher chance of getting better deals and raising intimacy with the specific type of people your notoriety effects and a higher chance of being ignored by the type of people your notoriety does not effect.</td></tr></tbody></table>


    <table><tbody><tr><td> Infamous: Is a rare title given to those who have gained more than 20,000 fame or infamy. It gives you a extremely high chance of getting better deals and raising intimacy with chaotically-aligned people and a higher chance of being attacked on sight by good-aligned people.</td></tr></tbody></table>


    ¡°Fuck¡­its like I became the demon king.¡±


    Status: Chapter 26


    <table><tbody><tr><td colspan=''4''>Status Window</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Name:</td><td width="25%">Kai</td><td width="25%">Alignment:</td><td width="25%">Neutral</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Level:</td><td width="25%">32</td><td width="25%">Class:</td><td width="25%">Bard</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Race:</td><td width="25%">Cherub</td><td width="25%">Gender:</td><td width="25%">Male</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>Titles</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>Songscryer ¨C The One True Thak - Dungeon Master ¨C Like A Boss ¨C 10-Man Slayer ¨C 100-Man Slayer ¨C Notorious - Infamous</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Fame:</td><td width="25%">120</td><td width="25%">Infamy:</td><td width="25%">21,350</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>-</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Health:</td><td width="25%">650 / 650</td><td width="25%">Health Regen:</td><td width="25%">6.0 / Sec</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Mana:</td><td width="25%">750 / 750</td><td width="25%">Mana Regen:</td><td width="25%">6.0 / Sec</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Stamina:</td><td width="25%">900 / 900</td><td width="25%">Stamina Regen:</td><td width="25%">6.0 / Sec</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>-</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Strength:</td><td width="25%">70 (+63)</td><td width="25%">Agility:</td><td width="25%">70</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Vitality:</td><td colspan=''3''>73</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Intelligence:</td><td width="25%">75 (+5)</td><td width="25%">Wisdom:</td><td width="25%">80 (+5)</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Endurance:</td><td width="25%">93</td><td width="25%">Luck:</td><td width="25%">44 (+63)</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>-</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Attack:</td><td width="25%">0 (+?)</td><td width="25%">Defense:</td><td width="25%">0 (+90)</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>Physical Resistances</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Slashing:</td><td width="25%">37 (+54)</td><td width="25%">Piercing:</td><td width="25%">37 (+54)</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Crushing:</td><td colspan=''3''>42 (+54)</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>Elemental Resistances</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Fire:</td><td width="25%">10%</td><td width="25%">Water:</td><td width="25%">10%</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Wind:</td><td width="25%">10%</td><td width="25%">Earth:</td><td width="25%">10%</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Light:</td><td width="25%">10%</td><td width="25%">Darkness:</td><td width="25%">10%</td></tr></tbody></table>


    Skills/Abilities:


    <b>Spoiler</b> : <input type=''button'' value=''Show'' class=''spoilerButton''><table><tbody><tr><td>Iron Skin: Intermediate Lvl 8 (21%)


    Willpower III: Intermediate Lvl 7 (34%)


    Seven Pathways Meditation: Intermediate Lvl 2 (3%)


    Mana Manipulation: Intermediate Lvl 4 (15%)


    Telepathy: Novice Lvl 1 (0%)


    Voice Manipulation: Novice Lvl 9 (26%)


    -Empower: Novice Lvl 3 (23%)


    Music Mastery: Novice Lvl 8 (52%)


    -Song of Renewal: Intermediate Lvl 2 (54%)


    -Song of the Slumbering: Novice Lvl 7 (5%)


    -Song of Sorrow: Novice Lvl 3 (26%)


    -Song of the Berserker: Novice Lvl 3 (43%)


    Bare-Handed Mastery: Intermediate Lvl 2 (1%)


    Sword Mastery: Novice Lvl 7 (50%)


    -Rapier Mastery: Intermediate Lvl 3 (82%)


    +Rapid Thrust: Novice Lvl 7 (21%)


    Illusion Magic Mastery: Novice Lvl 3 (85%)


    -Disguise: Novice Lvl 7 (11%)


    -Glamour: Novice Lvl 2 (27%)


    -Clone: Novice Lvl 1 (0%)


    Summon (Dungeon Beast): Novice Lvl 3 (33%)</td></tr></tbody></table>


    Equipment:


    <b>Spoiler</b> : <input type=''button'' value=''Show'' class=''spoilerButton''><table><tbody><tr><td>Prisoner Rags (+10%) Foul Stench ¨C (3/5) Durability


    </td></tr></tbody></table>

 Chapter 27: High Warden

    :: Kai ::


    ¡°Fuck¡­its like I became the demon king.¡±


    I spoke the words softly, but a hint of irritation could be heard in my tone of voice. I was forced to kill a bunch of town guards because of some misguided reverse misogynistic empire and now I get bombarded with infamy and thrown into¡­wait where am I?


    ¡®Welcome to Tartarus.¡¯ I hear a melancholic voice beaming straight into my skull.


    ¡®What the hell!¡¯ I thought back.


    I had just recently received the [Telepathy] skill and wasn¡¯t used to the invasive nature.


    ¡®What is Tartarus?¡¯ I projected my thoughts toward were I thought the voice came from.


    I sat in silence for a few moments and realized just how uncomfortable it was within this cell. The room itself only spanned maybe four feet in width and five feet in length. I had rusted chain shackles attached to my wrists and long chains that hung off of them. Those chains spanned about half the length of the cell and were bolted to the wall.


    I looked around and noticed no bed or toilet in sight, just a small metal bucket in the corner of the room and a round bowl filled with some sort of foul smelling liquid that I assumed they wanted to me to eat.


    ¡®Hahahahaha¡­sent into the pits of hell without even knowing what it is. Tartarus is the name of the most disgusting and horrifying dungeon in all of Valkyria. I don¡¯t mean the happy go lucky fun leveling dungeons either. This my friend is a prison for the worst of the worst.¡¯


    I was really starting to hate the sound of this mans voice in my head. Did he have to be a damper on my already horrendous mood? I was about to reply back to him with something sarcastic and witty¡­something that really expressed my disappointment when I heard the sound of metal steps on the cold stone floor.


    The sound grew closer and closer to my cell, but at the same time it still seemed like it was so far away. How big is this place?


    ¡°Update me on this newest criminal, Vice-Commander?¡± I could hear a stern but even voice accompanying the sound of metal steps


    ¡°Yes, High Warden.¡± The other voice that spoke seemed familiar¡­almost irritatingly so.


    ¡°We received intelligence about a homeless vagabond travelling with one of the three Valkyries just a few days ago outside of our northern trading post, Lachlan.¡± She stopped speaking for a second to rifle through some paper. I could hear the sound as they drew closer to my cell.


    ¡°WHAT!¡± The voice of the High Warden sounded flabbergasted.


    ¡°I cannot believe you allowed some male vagabond near one of the three treasures of Valkyria.¡± High Warden Serine angrily spoke.


    ¡°I apologize, High Warden, but their was nothing that we could do¡­he used some type of mind magic to manipulate one of them into protecting him. We could not deal with the criminal without hurting one of the Valkyries. We had to wait until he was alone.¡± Vice-Commander Jikaan retorted in a scared voice.


    ¡°That is¡­reasonable.¡± The High Wardens anger seemed to be placated for the moment.


    ¡°Though what¡¯s this I hear about a massacre in Lachlan. You cannot tell me one man took the lives of over two hundred guards. Even if they were second tier and not members of the actual Valkyran army¡­this is disgraceful.¡± The High Wardens voice projected the sound of annoyance now more than the sound of anger.


    ¡°We underestimated his abilities, because of his mind magic we believed him to be some sort of nefarious sorcerer or necromancer. We did not take into account his physical abilities and so we chose wrongly when we swarmed him with guards. He had a fairly sturdy body for a man and some interesting skills. He would have made for a good breeding or manual labor slave.¡± Vice-Commander Jikaans voice was so close I could almost see her in front of my cell, but they had stopped one step short.


    ¡°Interesting. If they don¡¯t execute him or sentence him to life imprisonment we might be able to make a useful tool out of him. Though enslavement magic seems to not to work as well when the victim is skilled with magic of the mind.¡±


    The conversation seemed to stop short as they finally looked upon my cell. I was sitting with my back against the uneven stonewall. The shackles chaffing my already bruised wrists and the worn prisoner rags barely covering my whole body.


    ¡°So this is the infamous vagabond. Tell me, what¡¯s your name slave?¡± Serine cackled in a superior tone.


    I looked up at the woman that the Vice-Commander referred to as the High Warden. Given her title I could assume that she held some kind of superior status within the Valkyria and it was most likely related to this prison, Tartarus.


    ¡°Its not polite to ask someone¡¯s name without first giving your own.¡± I sarcastically retorted.


    ¡°What did you say you fuckin-¡° Vice-Commander Jikaan was about to start screaming at me for my offenses, but the High Warden held up her hand to stop her.


    ¡°Hohoho, an interesting one indeed. For daring to chat with one of the three Valkyries as an equal. For entering town with a proper female escort. For using mind magic on one of the Valkyries and lastly for killing over two hundred guards of the Valkyran kingdom. This much alone would easily put you in the top ten worst criminals in Valkyran history alongside the Butcher of Blood Harbor and the Slave King of the North. Talking back to someone who holds the rank of High Warden¡­well I could execute on the spot.¡±


    I listened to her mad tirade about my so-called ¡®crimes¡¯. I knew she was trying to get me angry so she could either kill me in retaliation or somehow humiliate me, but when I heard her compare me to the Slave King of the North my mind went blank. I pulled against the chains on the wall and dashed madly towards the bars that kept me caged within my cell.


    Swinging my hands like a demon I could barely manage to reach the metal bars. I could hear the sounds of the chains creaking under my strength. I knew I could break out of the chains if I empowered my body, but for some reason the metal chains that were keeping me pinned to the wall inhibited my skill activation.


    ¡°You FUCKING whore, fight me fair and square. I will not be compared to that trash king in the north.¡± I yelled.


    I could the sound of her laughter as she watched me struggle against my fetters. The laugh was as beautiful as she was, but in my eyes it only served to mock my futile efforts and thus was the most evil sound I had ever heard.


    ¡°Yes, yes. A little cherub you are. I forgot about the northern kings personal fetish of collecting your little gems. Maybe we¡¯ll send your head to him as a gift¡­no maybe not. I don¡¯t think that man deserves anything that he desires. Hmm¡­well I have several weeks to figure this out. Valkyran law dictates that a trial must be held after one month of imprisonment for any criminal that commits a tier four or higher crime.¡± The High Warden let out a devious smile.


    ¡°Though that doesn¡¯t stop us from some good old-fashioned torture.¡±


    <table><tbody><tr><td> For being tortured for an extended period of time. +2 End and Vit </td></tr></tbody></table>


    I groaned as the all too familiar blue window popped up in front of me. The rags that I had previously been wearing were torn to shreads along with my back. The lack of being able to activate my skill properly dampened my [Iron Skin] ability and thus I felt the full brunt of the pain that came from the Higher Wardens lashings.


    ¡°Motherfucker.¡± I yelled, but not too loudly. I didn¡¯t want the High Warden to come back and restart the fun.


    ¡®Its just the start lad.¡¯ A friendly voice seemed to chime in at the most inopportune time.


    ¡®And where have you been this whole time.¡¯ I projected my thoughts telepathically. I didn¡¯t know if they were fully getting through as my skill level was low and the chains were fucking with everything.


    ¡®My skills in telepathy far exceed your own, little cherub. If I remained in your consciousness I would have felt the pain of your torture and I am not too fond of torture.¡¯


    ¡®Ugh¡­whatever. How long have you been stuck down in this shit hole.¡¯ I decided to strike up a proper conversation, because it didn¡¯t seem like I was going anywhere soon.


    I could hear the sound of the man laughing in my head. It wasn¡¯t a happy laugh like before¡­more deadpan or lackluster.


    ¡®Almost thirty years now. I¡¯ve had time to explore my telepathic abilities to their utmost. There is not much else you can do down here in these small cells. Nothing to kill nothing to level with.¡¯ The man spoke solemnly.


    I couldn¡¯t wrap my mind around what the man who was talking into my head just said. He had spent almost thirty years in this daft dark dungeon at the whim of the horrifying bitch warden and eating that disgusting food.


    ¡®The foods not all bad once you get used to it. Though I do not have to eat as much as I used to. Once you cross the border of mortality into the realm of the immortals your hunger seems to fade.¡¯ The old man projected his thoughts calmly, but they set a bomb off in my head.


    ¡®Wait wait wait¡­your above the 9th Order? You¡¯re a Saint? What the hell are you doing down in this dingy ass dungeon?¡¯ So many questions filled my mind and they all seemed to spill out at the same time.


    Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    That was impossible. In my mind Saint level existences existed in the realm of the gods. They served as guardians who ranked up players and NPC¡¯s. They were not an existence that could be corralled by a mortal realm country.


    ¡®That is both correct and incorrect at the same time. Yes, someone who reaches the Saint Order cannot be contained or jailed by any mortal country but that only applies to Saints that are not a part of Etrea¡¯s Guardians.¡¯ The thoughts reverberated in my head. All of the new information was hard to understand.


    ¡®Etrea¡¯s Guardians? So I can assume that you were some part of this mysterious order and were somehow locked away down here in Tartarus for thirty years.¡¯ I projected my assumptions back to him.


    ¡®It¡¯s a bit hard to explain, kid. To get into the subject about the Order of Etrea or Etrea¡¯s Guardians we need to talk about Etrea herself. Etrea is the goddess of new beginnings as well as the goddess of evolution and growth, which made her a perfect fit when it came to the Order system. You do know about the gods and goddesses and the realm above the immortals?¡¯ He asked in a strange way like he could peak into my past memories.


    ¡®I know a little bit from what Ethaessa told me.¡¯ I blurted out in my mind without thinking of the repercussions.


    ¡®Haha¡­I knew it. I sensed an aura of divinity hanging on your shoulders. It seemed so unnatural. I knew you had to come into contact with some god or goddess at some point. But gods be damned¡­I cannot believe you actually met the All-Mother. That means you must be on the road to Racial Ascension¡­but nonetheless we can talk about that later. That brings us back full circle. Ethaessa, also known as the All-Mother and first of her kind, created the Order system in order to help the people of the planet she created grow. She entrusted the protection and advancement of the system to her younger sister Etrea. Anything that¡¯s stumping you so far?¡¯


    ¡®No no¡­keep going. Its getting interesting.¡¯ I thought back.


    ¡®Ehem. Okay. So Etrea was entrusted with protecting, maintaining, and advancing the system. So that¡¯s means she had to stop other gods from messing with it, while at the same time helping the people of the planet to grow. Eventually she grew frantic in her role, because of how extraordinary and tiring it was. So she tasked two Demi-gods with recruiting a few of the Saint Order beings to serve as guardians and helps promote others and protect the system. The Demi-god of Talent, Embrius, sought out potential candidates to fill the ranks to serve as Etrea¡¯s Guardians. The Demi-god of Stone, Kronius, on the other hand sought out protectors to guard the Monuments of Order that are scattered around the continents.¡¯


    ¡®The monuments of order?¡¯ I cringed from the pain on my back and unintentionally let my thought interrupt the story.


    ¡®Ah yes¡­the Monuments of the Order or the Order stones serve as storage devices for all the information and rank ups and as a source of power for each of the guardians who protect them. Anyway, Etrea¡¯s Guardians soon became a formidable force among the realm of the mortals and immortals and many of the other gods did not exactly take king to that. But I will not go into the Guardian Wars or the Fracturing at this time. Too much history and I do not show up in most of it until the end. I ascended to Sainthood towards the end of the Fracturing, which was after the fifth great Guardian War. When a person reaches Sainthood and break the chains of the mortal realm they are given a choice to join Etrea¡¯s Guardians or to join another faction under the gods or go solo. I chose to become a guardian and was assigned to an area known as Salt Harbor¡­though I suppose they call it Blood Harbor now¡­¡¯


    ¡®Blood Habor?!¡¯


    Status: Chapter 27


    <table><tbody><tr><td colspan=''4''>Status Window</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Name:</td><td width="25%">Kai</td><td width="25%">Alignment:</td><td width="25%">Neutral</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Level:</td><td width="25%">32</td><td width="25%">Class:</td><td width="25%">Bard</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Race:</td><td width="25%">Cherub</td><td width="25%">Gender:</td><td width="25%">Male</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>Titles</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>Songscryer ¨C The One True Thak - Dungeon Master ¨C Like A Boss ¨C 10-Man Slayer ¨C 100-Man Slayer ¨C Notorious - Infamous</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Fame:</td><td width="25%">120</td><td width="25%">Infamy:</td><td width="25%">21,350</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>-</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Health:</td><td width="25%">650 / 650</td><td width="25%">Health Regen:</td><td width="25%">6.0 / Sec</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Mana:</td><td width="25%">750 / 750</td><td width="25%">Mana Regen:</td><td width="25%">6.0 / Sec</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Stamina:</td><td width="25%">900 / 900</td><td width="25%">Stamina Regen:</td><td width="25%">6.0 / Sec</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>-</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Strength:</td><td width="25%">70 (+63)</td><td width="25%">Agility:</td><td width="25%">70</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Vitality:</td><td colspan=''3''>75</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Intelligence:</td><td width="25%">75 (+5)</td><td width="25%">Wisdom:</td><td width="25%">80 (+5)</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Endurance:</td><td width="25%">95</td><td width="25%">Luck:</td><td width="25%">44 (+63)</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>-</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Attack:</td><td width="25%">0 (+?)</td><td width="25%">Defense:</td><td width="25%">0 (+90)</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>Physical Resistances</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Slashing:</td><td width="25%">37 (+54)</td><td width="25%">Piercing:</td><td width="25%">37 (+54)</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Crushing:</td><td colspan=''3''>42 (+54)</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>Elemental Resistances</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Fire:</td><td width="25%">10%</td><td width="25%">Water:</td><td width="25%">10%</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Wind:</td><td width="25%">10%</td><td width="25%">Earth:</td><td width="25%">10%</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Light:</td><td width="25%">10%</td><td width="25%">Darkness:</td><td width="25%">10%</td></tr></tbody></table>


    Skills/Abilities:


    <b>Spoiler</b> : <input type=''button'' value=''Show'' class=''spoilerButton''><table><tbody><tr><td>Iron Skin: Intermediate Lvl 8 (21%)


    Willpower III: Intermediate Lvl 7 (34%)


    Seven Pathways Meditation: Intermediate Lvl 2 (3%)


    Mana Manipulation: Intermediate Lvl 4 (15%)


    Telepathy: Novice Lvl 3 (16%)


    Voice Manipulation: Novice Lvl 9 (26%)


    -Empower: Novice Lvl 3 (25%)


    Music Mastery: Novice Lvl 8 (52%)


    -Song of Renewal: Intermediate Lvl 2 (54%)


    -Song of the Slumbering: Novice Lvl 7 (5%)


    -Song of Sorrow: Novice Lvl 3 (26%)


    -Song of the Berserker: Novice Lvl 3 (43%)


    Bare-Handed Mastery: Intermediate Lvl 2 (1%)


    Sword Mastery: Novice Lvl 7 (50%)


    -Rapier Mastery: Intermediate Lvl 3 (82%)


    +Rapid Thrust: Novice Lvl 7 (21%)


    Illusion Magic Mastery: Novice Lvl 3 (85%)


    -Disguise: Novice Lvl 7 (11%)


    -Glamour: Novice Lvl 2 (27%)


    -Clone: Novice Lvl 1 (0%)


    Summon (Dungeon Beast): Novice Lvl 3 (33%)</td></tr></tbody></table>


    Equipment:


    <b>Spoiler</b> : <input type=''button'' value=''Show'' class=''spoilerButton''><table><tbody><tr><td>Prisoner Rags (+10%) Foul Stench ¨C (1/5) Durability


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