《The Adamant Overlord》 Chapter 1: New Earth Writer''s Note: It got approved at last. Editing the thing now. Oh and I will try to make it like a fantasy book so expect more fantasy than xianxia stuff. Yeah. Enjoy. Chapter 1: The New Earth "Okay kid, I''m going to close the capsule now. Your mind will enter the game as your physical body slumbers. Pick a race, pick a class, and you will be playing as a level 70 player character. Based on your achievements, you can keep the class and some skills and items you had. The world is watching through you, the other thirty, and the ten thousand beta players. Congratulations and enjoy the Battle of New Earth," a man smiled as he closed the game capsule. *...Scanning.....Scanning Complete....* *Brain Waves are within expected parameters. Heart rate is steady.* *Entering Human Consciousness into the Game.* The young man''s eyes closed against his will as a deep sleep took hold of his body. The last thing he saw was the dark, cold metal of the inside metal of the capsule lid. All he saw was darkness until he appeared in a white room. All around him was nothing but a girl with twin pig tails with a visor over her face. "Hello, young man. Welcome to the Battle of New Earth. To make things more realistic, you are only allowed one character in the game. First, please select the race you would like to be in the new game," the girl smiled as humanoid figures suddenly appeared all around him. "The races are basically divided into humans, elves, dwarves, goblins, celestials, and beasts. All humans are high humans, and goblins have no variation. Celestials can be divided into angels, fallen angels, and nephilim. Elves can be divided into dark elf, moon elf, blood elf, wood elf, and high elf. Dwarves can also be divided into mountain dwarf, sea dwarf, and dark dwarf. Each race and variation have their own unique advantages," the girl explained. "All choices are final." "What''s a blood elf?" the young man asked. *Ping*
Blood Elf Elves that are considered half breed, blood elves are those who are only part elf. They have the power and magic of elves and that of their other race. Choosing to be this race grants you the ability to learn dragon magic. Formerly persecuted for their impurity, they are tolerated because of the war against the Fifth Demon King. They look no different than High Elves and Wood Elves. However, they keep their true identities a secret for when their alliance is over.
"I choose the blood elf," the young man grinned. He always imagined himself as an elf and blood elves could use the magic of other races. "Very well. The race is selected. Altering appearance now," the girl said and the young man became a fair-skinned, six foot tall elf with pointy ears and blonde hair. His eyes had become grey and his body had a six pack and was stream-lined. "Whoa. I got taller," the blood elf noted. "Yes. Now, it is time to select your class. There are nine professions available from level 1. You are entering as a level 70 player, but you are not allowed access to the level 30 second profession and level 70 third profession. There are only seven choices available for the first profession. They are guardian, assassin, hunter, elementalist, knight, summoner, and grenadier. Choose wisely," the girl warned. "Please note that basic attacks in the game are usually performed as they are in real life. Thus, it is best to choose a warrior class if you had any formal training with the sword. Such examples are fencing or kendo." "Seven choices. Fighting style is usually how it is in real life. I go to a mixed martial arts gym and have done archery since I was seven. That means it is best to be an assassin or thief," the blood elf said. "Um, is it possible to learn other skills outside my class?" "Of course. They are obtained via skill books. Note that only eight active skills can be used at any time. If you possess more, you must go into the skill interface and replace one of your current eight skills with the one you would like," the girl nodded. "I''ll choose the hunter class. Never heard of it before and they usually come with a pet, if it''s like a ranger class," the blood elf said. "Very well. You are given twin daggers and a longbow. If you survive, the pet will remain yours when you become level 1 and start the official game," the girl said. "Please select between a Green Falcon, Silver Wolf, Red Drake, or Purple Tiger." "Green Falcon. It is best to have a flying magical beast and falcons are the fastest birds, the peregrine falcon being the fastest creature in the entire animal kingdom," the blood elf answered. "Very well. You are now a member of the High Elf Army, no one knowing the truth of your origins as a blood elf. As a member of the vanguard battalions, your chance of death is the highest while your chance at achievements is the highest. Good luck and may the gods guide you," the girl said as gold armor appeared on his body, the boy vanishing as he saw a giant, green-feathered falcon appear beside him. *....Character has been made. Please select a name. Do note that numbers and characters are not applicable.* "Jin. I''ll use my real name. Jin will be my name," the blood elf said. *Ping*
Beta Quest: Kill a Demon Lord You have entered the final battle against the Demon King, the Thirteen Demon Lords, and their armies. The battle has already begun. While the beta testers take the battle to the Demon King''s palace, some of the Demon Lords led their armies to slay the Alliance. They have already broken through the walls and taken the outer city. You, as a member of the vanguard, are not accustomed to defending against sieges. You separated from the others to kill the Demon Lord. You must slay him to complete personal achievement.
He heard his green falcon shriek beside him and stared at a group of fifty orcs and a high demon clad in black armor. He saw the NPC dwarves and elves, all of them at level 50. He breathed deeply and took out his gold longbow. He grinned as he took aim and fired, his falcon soaring to claw and peck the orcs. "Kill the elf!" the Demon Lord screamed, the NPCs desperately fighting the orcs as the orcs tried to rush at Jin. Jin took advantage of the high ground and shot them all in the chest. With the NPCs, he slayed the orcs and tried to shoot the demon. His eyes widened as the Demon Lord caught his arrow. "Arrows cannot hurt me, elf," the demon spat as it snapped the arrow in two. Jin drew the bow at a full draw, green energy swirling at the arrowhead. He released the arrow and watched as the demon caught it. The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. "I said arrows cannot harm me," the Demon Lord spat. "No, but poison can," Jin grinned, the Demon Lord crying in alarm as it got damaged due to the poison. Jin put his longbow away and took out his twin daggers. The Demon Lord howled as it took out its sword and flail, smashing the chained, spike ball of his flail at Jin. With the short weapons on hand, Jin''s agility was not affected and he easily dodged the flail and stabbed multiple times at the Demon Lord. He did a push kick as the Demon Lord attempted to slash him with his sword. As it was pushed back, Jin decided to use his dragon magic. His daggers shined with black and red as it formed a blade of magic to increase the length of the daggers to swords. Jin roared as he rushed forward. He had poisoned the Demon Lord with his <> skill. Now, he would finish it with <> with both daggers. His arms were across his chest and he performed a cross slash on the Demon Lord. A large X appeared on the Demon Lord''s black armor as blood and metal sprayed into the air. Jin tossed one dagger aside as he twisted his body and pierced the dagger into the center of the X mark, his other hand on the pommel of the dagger to reinforce the blow and pierce deeper into the demon''s flesh. "AUGH!" the Demon Lord screamed as it was stabbed, the final blow performed by the green falcon as it appeared and slashed its exposed neck with its talons as it flew past at high speed. Jin panted as he walked over to a nearby NPC and used <> on it, healing the elf of its wounds. "Thank you, Lord Jin. You came right on time. The northern gate is secured. We can only hope the Alliance Army succeeds in slaying the Demon King," the elf gasped as it clutched its chest.
Congratulations You have completed your personal objective. The Demon Lord attacking the North Gate is defeated. As you may have guessed the thirty of you are tasked to kill the thirty Demon Lords attacking the Alliance. Thirteen Demon Lords will survive the Alliance''s offensive while the Demon King dies. You earned the right to keep some items and skills. Survive in the New Earth and endure the Sixth Great Demon War.
Items and Skills Awarded Royal Adamant Dagger: Legend Rank dagger. Cannot dull, break, or lose shine. Adds lightning damage on hit. Small chance to stun. Restricted to Jin. Black Heart Ring: Rank 7 item. One hundred inventory space and grants 35% darkness affinity. Toughness+5. Speed+1. Vitality+ 3. Stealth: Basic hunter skill. Turn invisible. Skill breaks upon entering combat. Toxic Shot: Basic hunter skill. Adds poison damage over five seconds to the next arrow damage. Healing: Rank 3 Skill. Awarded for being an elf. Heals 100-150 health. Demise King Slash: Legendary skill. Retained for killing Demon Lord. Extends weapon slash and deals darkness and death damage. Destroys soul on kill. Endless Quiver: Unique Rank item. Unlimited arrows. Awarded to all Beta Phase Hunters. Green Falcon: Awarded for being a Hunter class during the Beta Phase. Red Wyvern Bracelet: Legend Rank Item. Awarded for being a Blood Elf. It is your inheritance.
"Wow," Jin said as his vision turned dark, opening his eyes. His eyes widened in shock as he felt a quiver on his back, a ragged shirt and pants on his body and saw a huge beach before him. At his right hip was his Royal Adamant Dagger and he had his Black Heart Ring on his left index finger. He scratched his head as he held a six inch green egg as he saw it on the sands beside him. *Ping*
Welcome to New Earth You are one of the lucky 10,030 who were able to choose your race and class. All other humans are given a randomly assigned class. The high humans, elves, dwarves, celestials, goblins, and beast race have come from New Earth as your Earth and New Earth fused due to the unholy ritual of the Thirteen Demon Lords. They and their allies have also come. In three years, a new Demon King will emerge and the Sixth Great Demon War will commence. Train hard and survive in this new world. Magic meets technology as the virtual reality becomes true reality. Your whole life has become a game. Survive or its game over. Furthermore, Jin Portman is alright. Your original body is where you slept. Your family will have believed the clone made of your memories is the their real son. Jin the Blood Elf is who you are now. There can be no denying it.
Cultivation Level Progression There are now new requirements in order to level. Without completing the requirement, you are stuck at the current level. Each realm is divided into three stages known as lower middle and late. Each stage is ten levels. Applies only to the 10,030. Naturally, you are all more powerful than other life forms at the same level. Spirit Knight: Levels 1-30. Spirit King: Levels 31-60. Spirit Sage: Levels 61-99. Spirit God: Level 100.
"......What the fuck?" Jin cried as he saw the blue table before him. He had a black metal bracelet with three red wyverns seen all around it worn on his right wrist. He did not know it yet, but his Red Wyvern Bracelet was a new item of the system. It was an actual spiritual tool. However, he was stunned because he realized his parents would never believe he was their son. He was replaced. He could never go back and did not know where he was. He saw the worn down bow and assumed it was his starter weapon. As expected, it was a Rank 1 item, the lowest tier item. He just laid back on the sands, covered his eyes with one arm, and wept. Chapter 2: The Lost Elf Writer''s Note: Hello! Jin meets new people and finds a place to train and stay. Enjoy the new chapter! Chapter 2: The Lost Elf "My life as Jin Bowen is over. I don''t even look like a mix between Japanese and American. I think my father''s great grandfather was from Spain? Either way, I don''t look like Jin Bowen anymore," a blood elf sighed. He had stayed on the beach, miserable, for two hours. He shook his head and clapped his face to calm down. He had to survive first before anything else. He only had a dagger, bow, three skills, and a bracelet. Items were classified from Rank 1-9 and legend. Unique Rank meant the item was either unique to him, his race, or his class. Legend rank meant it was one of a kind. He was lucky to be one of the 10,030, in a way. He would not have the items he had now, and he would have been a random class or race. "It should be like a game since it is based on Battle of the New Earth. Status table open," Jin said. *Ping* Name: Jin Level 1 Race: Blood Elf 1st Profession: Hunter Stats Strength: 2 Vitality: 4 (1+3) Agility: 1 Spirit: 3 Stamina: 5 Speed: 2 (1+1) Toughness: 6 (1+5) Affinity: 35% Darkness, 1% Chaos "The chaos affinity? Maybe it is the <>. I suppose I must have the affinity to use certain skills now. So death changed into chaos? Is it because I am not dead? What about <>? I don''t get it. Perhaps the system will explain later. So this is my stats. Hmm. Now I can figure out how they are distributed so I can plan for later," Jin said and inspected the status table further using the system interface. *Ping*
Stats Information Strength: Determines physical attack and piercing power. Vitality: Determines how much physical defense and health one has. Dies when vitality hits zero. Agility: Determines dodging success, reflexes, and ease of fluid movements at high speeds. Spirit: Determines magical attack and offense. Stamina: Determines physical endurance of performing physical movements. Speed: Determines how fast one moves. This stat cannot be altered by normal leveling. Toughness: Slightly determines physical and magical defense. Determines effectiveness of negative ailments. Cannot be altered by normal leveling.
Leveling Information Toughness and speed cannot be altered by normal leveling. Leveling is different for the 10,030 Beta Players. Cultivation must reach the necessary requirement to proceed to the next stage. Example: level 1-10 is a Lower Spirit Knight. Cannot reach level 11 unless player''s cultivation is at the Middle Spirit Knight (levels 11-20). There are four options upon leveling. Option 1: Receive 5 stats which are randomly distributed. Option 2: Add 1 stat to the basic five stats (strength, vitality, agility, spirit, and stamina). Option 3: Receive 4 stats which can be distributed among your choices. Special Option: Receive 2 stats and increase either speed or toughness by 1.
"Oh wow. Option 1 and 2 give the most stats, but are either all around growth or pure risk. Option 3 is the best choice, but the special option allows me to increase speed or toughness. Seeing this, my Black Heart Ring is too awesome! I got 5 toughness and 1 speed from it. There''s also the 3 vitality. Because of my ring, I think it''s best to have the special option to raise my speed to 5 with the ring. I should also prioritize armor and accessory with toughness and speed. Being so fast, it will definitely be OP at higher levels and there is less risk during lower levels," Jin grinned. "If I have 2 speed at level 1, I need to use the special option from levels 2 through 4. At level 5, I''ll increase my toughness to 7. According to the forums, all my stats should be 1, but my stats are already high without the ring. It must be because of me being one of the 10,030. Yes, the special option won''t be a loss to me." Jin failed to notice a little girl arrive on the beach, a basket full of shells in her hands. She noticed Jin and was curious. She thought he might be one of those people who were adrift at sea. She called out to him and Jin turned his head to the left, seeing her. "Hi there!" the girl smiled, Jin recognizing her to be a wood elf. Most wood elves had blonde hair and green eyes, moon elves had silver hair and gold eyes, dark elves had light brown skin, and high elves had blonde hair and blue eyes. Blood elves were different as they could be a half-breed of either race. Elves could have all kinds of colors, but the most dominant were the ones he saw in the elven race selection before he chose the blood elf. An elf with blonde hair and grey eyes could not be a moon or dark elf, but he could be a high or wood elf. Only an elf could tell he had the bloodline of a wood elf. Jin also knew he had to be. Before playing the game, the forums said the only blood elves with dragon blood are those with wood elf blood. Mating between a dragon and high elf would result in no baby as the body would contain too much spirit. In the game, there was no such thing as health, mana, or stamina bars. Everything was determined by the stats. If one could interpret it, they would learn the importance of the vitality, spirit, and stamina stats. With each point in each, it was equivalent to 10 health points, 10 mana points, and 10 stamina points. This was how the game was played and revealed the importance of raising those stats early on. The game developers probably wanted people to experience combat game play before experiencing the story line of the game. "What did happen to those game developers," Jin thought as the girl slowly walked over to him. "Hello. Are you alright?" the elf girl smiled. "Isn''t it kind of dangerous to be here by yourself?" Jin asked. "Not really. This is elven territory. Humans and other races are not allowed to be here. Why are your clothes like that?" the girl asked. "...is it due to human slavery? I heard my parents say that some human countries still practice slavery, even enslaving other humans. Or maybe it was the Cataclysm? The Grand Elder said our world fused with another nearly a few centuries ago? The village elder said many people disappeared because of the Forbidden Ritual of the Thirteen." "No. I don''t remember much of what happened. I just woke up on this beach," Jin said, which was a half truth. "Is there a village nearby?" "Un. You are also a wood elf. Come, let''s see the Grand Elder. She should be able to help you," the girl smiled and helped him to his feet. "My name is Maybelle. What''s yours?" "Jin," he answered, patting her head and followed her. Centuries? Was it centuries for the New Earth of the virtual reality game? He guessed it was to somehow make it easier for the virtual beings to assimilate. He knew there must be chaos back on the real Earth part of the planet. They would have gained random classes and discovered that the world fused with another. How could there not be chaos? "Welcome to Sea Wood City," she smiled as Jin appeared before several giant trees. Many houses and stairs were built along the trunks of the trees and they all lead to a mountain sized tree in the center of the city, a small river and a waterfall located at its side. He was only twenty miles from the ocean. He was impressed such a little girl had so much stamina. Now, it made sense he had 5 stamina instead of 1. After all, wood elves were mostly of the warrior or rogue classes with very few mages. Several wood elves came out to stare at Jin as the little elf girl led him to the largest house in the city. However, Jin could not consider it a house at all. It was like a giant palace of wood and shining white metal. Upon closer look, the metal almost looked alive. "The rails and all the metal objects of the village are made of Snow Coral Metal. These metals are made by the albino corals deep in the ocean. They are found in trenches where the light does not shine and where the water is below freezing. That''s what the Grand Elder said," the girl explained as they walked up the winding stairs to the top of the giant tree in the center of the city. "The energy seems to be dense here. This is no ordinary city," Jin said, the girl nodding as she smiled. "Yup. Our city has the Green Wind Lotus. If exposed long enough, we can gain affinity to the wind element. Most adults learn archery and the wind element is great for escaping from dangerous animals in the forest," the girl laughed as they reached the top of the stairs. "Wind attribute?" Jin grinned as he stared at a giant pond at the center of the top of the trunk of the tree. Large branches, thick enough to rival several tree trunks of the trees below, spread outward from the edges of the treetop. At the center of the giant pond was a ten foot tall green lotus. Ripples spread over the pond''s surface, the source being the green lotus. At the other end of the pond was a grand white coral metal and ancient wooden house. A beautiful elven woman in a white dress came out, the sun shining on her white silver circlet around her head. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. Several guards in gold armor, gold spears and shields at hand, surround the treetop and also appeared behind Jin. Maybelle did not care and rushed to the person Jin assumed to be the Grand Elder. The Grand Elder smiled and tenderly pat the girl on her head as she got the basket of seashells from here. "Maybelle, who is your friend?" the Grand Elder asked. "His name''s Jin. I found him on the beach and led him here," Maybelle answered. "Good child. Now, go back down to the city and go to your studies with the elders and other children," the Grand Elder said, the girl smiling as she nodded. "Bye Jin," Maybelle said as waved goodbye as she went back down the stairs. "Stranger, how did you end up here?" the Grand Elder asked, the guards brandishing their spears at him. *Ping*
Character Origins You have met the Grand Elder of Sea Wood City. She is also one of the nine elf kings and queens. Questioned about your origins, you must now select your character''s background. Remember, Jin Bowen is dead so you will have relatives created based on your choice options. Do note that they will be created and will exist in reality. Option 1: You were an elf slave whose slaver ship got caught in a storm. You survived the ordeal and the slavers also survived, the only ones who have any knowledge of your parents. You will receive a slave brand on your chest, 1 mithril coin, 10 gold coins, 30 silver coins, 70 copper coins, and a teleportation talisman as you stole them before you jumped ship. The talisman lets you teleport anywhere within fifty miles, a treasure the slaver desperately wants back. You are quite the rich escapee as 1 mithril coin is equivalent to 1,000 gold. Option 2: You escaped while your dragon father was killed in his humanoid form. You explored the world in an attempt to find your wood elf mother. However, pirates attacked your merchant vessel ship and you were captured with the crew and passengers. You stole 7 gold, 85 silver, and a Gold Flame Crystal. You also kept hidden the cultivation manual of your dragon father. Option 3: You tell the truth and die. Elves do like like humans and would kill you if they discovered you were a blood elf.
"Option 2," Jin said. Money was one thing, but he needed a cultivation manual. It was a nasty trick to test a player''s greed. The fact that it only mentioned the value of 1 mithril coin was proof.
Altering Memory and Creating Necessary Data Your background story is updated and the Grand Elder is told of the details. You currently lack the skill to break the metal and make it into a dagger. Your mother has been created. The 7 gold, 85 silver, and the Gold Flame Crystal are stored in the Black Heart Ring. A cultivation manual is also deposited into your ring. You can now cultivate. Remember that you cannot surpass certain levels without reaching the cultivation requirement. The wood elves will only know your fate as being captured by the pirates.
"Oh, so you were captured by pirates. You poor thing. You can stay at our fair city. We always welcome another wood elf. All elves of our city meditate and absorb the spirit energy of this Green Wind Lotus. If you wish, you can also train under some of the elves to learn their craft for when you choose to explore the world to find your mother once more," the Grand Elder bowed her head. Jin grinned as he would gain the wind affinity If he was lucky, the Gold Flame Crystal might also give him fire affinity. "Thank your for your hospitality. My name is Jin. Thank you," Jin bowed and watched as the guards and the Grand Elder returned to the palace behind the giant pond. He sighed with relief as he took out the cultivation manual from the ring. He opened the manual and read the first page, shocked at what he read about the cultivation manual.
Wyvern Tyrant Manual Jin, my son, you now walk the path of cultivation. You own my Red Wyvern Bracelet, worn by the first of our ancestors before he evolved into a dragon. The bracelet has many uses. It is called a totem by the moon elves. This manual will open seventeen channels for your spirit energy, leading to your dantian in your pubic region right below the belly button. Just like the three wyverns on the bracelet, you will form three wyverns within your dantian. Within the dantian lies your spirit realm. I know that you used to be a human from the real Earth. The system told me so. However, I was created as your father. I hope that you see me as I was meant to be. The seventeen channels will represent your stamina, health, and mana recovery rate. Everything in the world is made by spirit energy. Your status displays it as vitality, spirit, and stamina. You will also learn a skill with each cultivation stage and your strength will increase by 3 while your toughness will increase by 1. Magic and cultivation, you are the essence of both. Do not be defeated by the other players of the 10,030. Good luck.
"Wow. This development really touches the heart," Jin said as he sat down. He closed his eyes, picturing the seventeen channels within his body from the picture in the manual. He put the Gold Flame Crystal on his lap and set aside the Green Falcon egg. If he wanted to survive, he must embrace the new changes. Slowly but surely, the wind and fire attributes formed within his body as he cultivated. Before he could form the three wyverns, he had to create the channels. Spirit energy started to condense into his body and he rose to level 2 as he became a Lower Spirit Knight. Black impurities seeped from his body as he continued to meditate. He gained 2 strength and 1 vitality because of the manual and chose the special option to distribute his stats into 2 agility and 1 speed. However, he became surprised as he saw something he did not expect. Name: Jin Level 2 Race: Blood Elf (Wood Elf alias) 1st Profession: Hunter Stats Strength: 4 Vitality: 5 (2+3) Agility: 3 Spirit: 3 Stamina: 5 Speed: 3 (2+1) Toughness: 6 (1+5) Affinities: 47% Fire, 35% Darkness, 20% Wind, 14% Thunder, 7% Water, 1% Chaos. "Water and thunder affinity? How did I get that? Could it be cause of the Green Wind Lotus? Could the ancient lotus have enriched the water in the pond? It has to be. It''s the only sound conclusion. Still, that Gold Flame Crystal really gave me such high affinity! There must be something special about gold flames," Jin gasped, shocked and thrilled at his increase in power. *Ping*
Current Status You are the 184th person to begin cultivation. What took you so long? Your level is currently the weakest of the 10,030. Reminder: you cannot be level 11-20 unless you become a Middle Spirit Knight. Due to attributes, skills have changed and the Royal Adamant Dagger has given you the thunder attribute due to it being a legendary rank dagger. Due to ownership of the skill, Demise King Slash, the system has given you the minimum requirement of affinity to continue using the skill. Death attribute changed to chaos due to not being a demon, undead, or human. Stealth: Basic hunter skill now with the darkness attribute. Can be detected with those with magic sensitivity. Toxic Shot: Speed of poisoned arrow doubles due to wind attribute. Healing: Rank 4 skill due to the water attribute. Healing magic is rare and sacred to many races. Demise King Slash: Legend Rank skill and now contains the darkness, chaos, thunder, wind, and fire attributes.
"That explains my question on the chaos attribute earlier. What is the chaos attribute? How am I am the weakest? My stats should not necessarily be so. It must be deciphering strength based on levels as most games do. Also, only 183 people started cultivation before me so they should reach level 11 before me, not necessarily all the 10,029 others. First things first, how do I get new skills?" Jin frowned as he closed the system table before him. He looked at his chest and took off the dirty shirt. He could not change his pants as he had no extra clothes. His eyes narrowed as he saw the a rune tattoo of the Gold Flame Crystal in the center of his chest, gold flames crackling within the red crystal. The gold flames of the rune tattoo actually moved, causing Jin to shiver the longer he stared at it. He noticed one of the guards appear and frown. "Uh, do you have any idea where I can stay in the village and get some clothes?" Jin asked nervously, the guard sighing as he reported to the Grand Elder. Chapter 3: Training with Wood Elves Writer''s Note: Here''s the next chapter. I try to make it like a game and introduce components found in most games with my own take on progression and new ones. Happy Thanksgiving! Enjoy. Chapter 3: Training with Wood Elves Four days had passed since Jin first arrived in Sea Wood City. He learned that, while the elves were superior to the human race, their reproduction rate was very small. Thus, their populations were also very minimal. Each child was treated like a treasure and a single king or queen ruled over nine cities and considered it a kingdom. Sea Wood City was actually the capital of the Grand Elder''s kingdom. Elves did not care for land but the environment. Thus, the land was always plentiful of spirit energy. Jin was given an entire house, the rare few wood mages in the city actually making him a tree house. Blacksmiths also came to make railings and stairs made with the white coral metal and Jin was given hundreds of clothes his size. He also learned that the elves were responsible for protecting the hundred mile diameter Sea Wood Forest. The elves would often hunt any other race that strayed into their forest. The main threat was the demons and orcs of the mountains to the north and west. "Hello Jin!" Maybelle said as she and four other elven children entered his house, staring at him with wonder. "Are you cultivating?" "No. I see you invited yourself in, and brought friends," Jin said as he saw one girl and three boys standing behind her. "Yup. Are you going to train with the other adults again?" Maybelle asked. "Yeah. I know how to hunt and use my longbow. I need to train with my dagger to integrate it with my martial arts," Jin nodded. "Aren''t you five supposed to be studying?" "We''re all stronger than you," Maybelle smiled, Jin sighing as it was true. Even the weakest elf child was level 6, and it was Maybelle. Her four friends were either level 7 or 8. Even if his stats were high for his level, they could easily kill him. All the ones who hunted in the forest were level 30, at the least. He could not see anyone''s level past level 32. He guessed that he could only see another person''s level if the level difference was up to 30 above his own. "Don''t feel bad," the other elf girl said, patting his arm as she and the three boys felt it was okay to come closer. "You are strange. You have more than two affinities and you become strong really fast. We saw you when you first came with Maybelle. We were shocked to detect more element affinities and that you actually got stronger when you came down from the Grand Elder''s palace." "I can''t identify one. Not even my parents can," one of the boys mumbled as he stared at Jin. "Let''s go to the training grounds," Jin said as he wore his Rank 1 Novice Sea Wood medium armor. He also got a Rank 1 Novice White Coral Hunting Bow. During the four days, he learned blacksmith, carpentry, leather work, rune enchanting, kicking, and the rare apothecary job skill. These were all jobs one could learn in the game and they also applied to the New Earth.
Current Jobs Level 2: Carpentry: able to make Rank 1 and 2 items, armor, and weapons requiring wood. Level 2: Blacksmith: able to make Rank 1 and 2 weapons. Also able to repair them. Level 2 Leather Work: able to make Rank 1 and 2 medium armor. Also able to repair them. Level 1 Rune Enchanting: able to enchant various items with Rank 1 runes. Level 3 Kicking: able to use legs to perform a variety of lower body activities quicker and more proficiently. Level 2 Apothecary: able to make Rank 2 potions and elixirs.
He learned carpentry in order to make a hunting bow of his own. He learned blacksmith to make arrowheads and various weapons. He could make also swords and throwing knives. He was a rogue class and he could not wear the heavy or light armor the elven hunters offered him, resulting in him wearing the Rank 1 Novice Sea Wood medium armor. Rune enchanting was his biggest payoff. No doubt, it would give him an edge in the future over other players. Learning kicking was great as he could shoot his longbow at different angles or perform kicking techniques more quickly. Apothecary was one skill every player needed to have but should have been the hardest to achieve. Most of all, it really added on to the perks of the agility and speed stats. He felt like a true hunter class player. All he needed was to see how others made traps so he could make some of his own. With apothecary, he could make his own potions and elixirs and sell them for high prices. How? It was because of the system announcement he saw just a day after he arrived.
System Announcement
Forums and Auctions Unlocked Two players have reached Middle Spirit Knight and became the first two to reach level 11. As such, the forums and auctions are now available. Forum chats are not restricted, but only the currency of New Earth could be used as the main medium of exchange. Trading and exchanging items is allowed, but one of the players must be level 11. The Item Shop, Weapon Shop, Accessory Shop, Pet Shop, Class Skill Shop, and Armor Shop will be open upon 7,000 players of the 10,019 beta players reaching level 11. Remember, the world ends if the 10,030 are dead. They will not age upon reaching the prime of their race. Offspring of beta players does not increase the beta player count. Current non-beta players level 11 and up: 0 Current beta players level 11 and up: 2 Total players level 11 and up: 2 Beta players dead: 11 Current beta players alive: 10,019
"Let''s go! Let''s go!" Maybelle said as she interrupted Jin''s thoughts and dragged him out of the house by the hand. They walked by several houses before arriving in a clearing by the top of the waterfall. An elf was waiting for him, two short swords in his hands. "Hello Jin. Back to train again?" the elf laughed. "Hello Lajakel," Jin bowed his head as he set aside his quiver and hunting bow in his Black Heart Ring, drawing his Rank 1 Novice White Corral Dagger. He could not use his Royal Adamant Dagger as it was a legend rank dagger and best kept a secret.
Combat Skill Level Skills in the game also have levels of mastery. The higher the combat mastery level, the more damage is done with the weapon and the more natural it feels when using it. Upon reaching level 50, combat mastery evolves and you gain a new skill. Dagger Novice: Level 4. Basic Archery: Level 12. Magic Lore: Level 1. Sword Novice: Level 7
"Remember Jin," Lajakel grinned as he paced around him. "Throwing knives require strong wrist strength. Let your arm flow naturally and flick with the wrist right as you throw it. Take advantage of the size of the dagger. It does not increase your range, but it does not affect your agility." "Noted," Jin said and threw two knives from his Black Heart Ring before swinging with his dagger. Lajakel laughed and easily deflected the daggers with a flick of his wrist, blocking the dagger slash of Jin. He was inwardly shocked. Such a wood elf was so fast! Lajakel was level 37 but Jin had incredible speed. He could not see levels, as he was not from the Real Earth, but he could sense someone''s power. Jin should not be able to be so fast. Jin learned kendo, karate, tae kwon do, and learned Shaolin kung fu as he copied moves of Shaolin monks he saw in YouTube. He had his Rank 1 Novice White Coral Sword on his left hip and a torch in his Black Heart Ring. He knew how to use a sword, training under his father since he was five. He first trained under Lajakel with a torch than a dagger. He wanted to learn how to fight with a dagger in the event someone got too close while he was shooting. With the dagger at his right hip, it would be faster to block a sudden strike with it upside down than to draw his sword. "You''re fast, but you lack power," Lajakel said as he easily blocked another dagger slash while leaning to the right to avoid a back kick. "Your legs strike faster than your dagger. Daggers must be quick. Put your power into your hips!" Jin did an upward slash with his dagger but howled in pain as Lajakel deflected it, grabbing his arm and spinning him sideways as he flung his arm and kicked his leg to increase the power of the spin. Jin landed hard on the ground and looked up to see two short swords'' tips a few inches from both his eyes. "Against a beast, your tactics work. Against an elf, not so much. You could give some of the weaker orcs a scare with your speed and your body''s defenses," Lajakel grinned, helping Jin to his feet. "How is beating me up training? Aren''t I supposed to learn forms and stances?" Jin asked. "That trash? Please. In real battle, you only need to learn how to survive. You can''t stay still, unless you specialize in heavy armor and a great warrior of physical prowess to endure hits. Your fighting style is not similar at all. First and foremost: you are a hunter. Your true terror is your hunting bow, resorting to your dagger in close range. It is best not to fight head on and wait for the enemy, if you have a choice. Mobility is the key to your victory and daggers do not affect your ability," Lajakel said as Jin returned his dagger to the sheath on his right hip. "I suppose you are going hunting again?" "Yes. It will help me become a faster, stronger hunter," Jin nodded as his quiver and hunting bow was retrieved from his storage ring. "Good. I can believe you now when you said you learned how to use a bow when you were five or seven. Your talent for the boy surpasses your talent for the sword. Perhaps you trained with the bow first. You do not need to master the dagger. You already have the bow and sword. This is why you do not need to learn a stance. The dagger is to protect your life, not to fight to take life," Lajakel said. "I understand. It would be best to just focus on those two. Magic comes naturally to me and I only ever need to use the dagger in case of an ambush or a rush attack," Jin nodded, bowing his head for the advice." "Good. I''m glad you understand this. Learning more means to master less of them all. The more you learn, the better. However, the more you focus on, the less you master. Take the two boys with you. The other boy and the two girls are behind in their studies," Lajakel said, two boys cheering while three looked down the ground with sadness. "How come Jahalas and Rokua get to go?" Maybelle pouted as Jin heard a familiar ping. *Ping*
Dagger Novice is now level 5
This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. *Ping*
Jin is now level 3
Jin quickly added 1 spirit, 1 agility, and 1 speed stat. Lajakel and the elves stared at him in shock. He now seemed as strong as the elven children. Of course, his stats surpassed theirs but they did not feel it. Only Lajakel knew how strong Jin truly was. They noticed a lot of mana appear in Jin, caused by an increase in spirit. "He got stronger again," Jahalas gasped. "I suppose you are strong enough to learn wind combat magic. You need an offensive magic and lack a medium range capability. Hunting bows have a balanced range, from short to long, but is best used for long range fighting. This is a book to learn <>. With it, you can create a tornado from one hand, watching the tornado expand from your hand as if your hand were the ground and the enemy was the sky engulfed by the top of the tornado. The more powerful you are, the stronger the spell," Lajakel said as he handed a green book to Jin. "Hmph. He learns magic now, but he can''t possibly use it so...." Maybelle said and gasped, eyes widening as the book disappeared and saw several green runes enter Jin''s mind.
Jin learned Green Wind Shredder
Jin''s body began to change, the dantian disappearing from his body. Jin was alarmed at first until he could see a special space within his mind. All the spirit energy in his body came from his brain, the organ which housed the special space and converted spirit energy into mana and stamina based on his spirit and stamina stats. The green runes formed a unique, green rune circle inside his mind to represent <>. Next to it was a blue rune circles which represented his <>, and a green rune circle to represent <>. Jin guessed the color had to due with the element affinity. Seeing a black rune circle represent <>, he knew it must be true. What really grabbed his attention was the giant red rune circle. It represented the <> and guessed the color was due to his affinity for fire being the highest. The three wyverns appeared inside the special space and the seventeen spirit energy channels shifted and directed themselves to the brain and special space.
Jin is now level 4
Jin did not notice their shock as he was elated. The skill book disappeared just as it would in the game. He did not have to spend time reading and practicing what was in the book. He instantly learned it! He added 2 strength and 1 speed. At the next level, he would add 1 toughness and no longer use the Special Option. "How did you do that?" Jahalas asked. "Hmm. It would be good to have a dagger which can become a spear. Maybe making a slightly long dagger with a long handle that can extend itself? Would be a good twist," Jin pondered aloud, ignoring Jahalas. "You''ll need to find crystals suitable to make such a rune," Lajakel said, used to Jin''s surprises. "Good luck hunting. I''ll be watching you guys, only intervening if your life is in danger. Can''t let anything happen to you guys." "Right," Jin said, knowing the elven children were cherished like one-of-a-kind treasures and expected someone to watch over them as soon as Lajakel told him two of the boys would follow him. "Yay! Hunting!" Rokua cried. "I''m going to get my gear from home." "I..." Jahalas began but gave up. "Wait for me! I need to get my gear too!" "What are you three standing here for? Want to go hunting next time? Catch up in your studies!" Lajakel said to Maybelle and the others. "Look at Jin. He is barely here for a week and already surpassed you and even learned the <> spell. We are wood elves, and guardians of the Green Wind Lotus. You three better shape up. If you knew healing magic, you would be coming with us." "He doesn''t know healing magic," Maybelle pouted as she pointed at Jin. "I know <>," Jin grinned and healed his ankle which was bruised when Lajakel flipped him onto the ground. "WHAT!" all four elves cried, the shock too great. "You really healed yourself," Lajakel said with awe as he saw the bruise heal. "An elf that knows <>.....one hasn''t been able to learn healing magic since the Cataclysm, making healers really rare and apothecary a lucrative trade. Quick! Let''s go to the ruins to the south! Only those who cast healing magic in the barrier may pass. It appeared after the Cataclysm." "What about Jahalas and Rokua?" Jin said as Lajakel sheathed his two short swords and took out his longbow. "No, too dangerous. We don''t know what''s in there. You and I will suffice. Maybelle, tell them they cannot come and for you five to report the news to the Grand Elder," Lajakel ordered. "Okay," Maybelle said, knowing this was a serious situation. "Is it just us?" Jin asked. "Don''t worry, I am plenty strong. The others are either hunting or patrolling. We''ll pass by some teens who should be slightly stronger than you. The area to the south has many deer and wolves. You got a storage ring with a bunch of potions, right? Use them if you get injured," Lajakel said and proceeded to give the three elf children instructions while Jin had an idea of his own. He opened the system option and opened a thread on the forums under the auction category. It advertised three different items. He pulled out three small bottles, each of them containing a different colored liquid. They contained red, blue, and green liquid inside. He had to make an alias and chose Demise King. The potions vanished as Jin posted the forum. Since 7,000 beta players had to reach level 11 before the Item Shop could open, he decided to set a high price to leech as many coins as he could.
Selling Minor Health Potion
Seller: Demise King Selling one Rank 1 healing potion which restores 7 vitality or 70 health points upon use. Minimum cost: 2 gold.
[tableSelling Minor Mana PotionSeller: Demise King Selling one Rank 1 mana potion which restores 4 vitality or 40 mana points upon use. Minimum cost: 1 gold.[/table] [tr]
Selling Minor Stamina Potion
Seller: Demise King Selling one Rank 1 stamina potion which restores 4 stamina or 40 stamina points upon use. Minimum cost: 1 gold.
"Oh, I just know the forums are going to go all crazy when I open the threads later," Jin grinned, rubbing his hands together. He did have 7 gold and 85 silver from picking the second background story option, but he really envied whoever had picked a similar first option. Each of the 10,030 beta players were sure to have benefits, one way or another. "You ready to go?" Lajakel asked, frowning as he saw the look of glee on Jin''s face. "Ah, yeah. I''m good to go," Jin nodded, eager to go to the ruins. His egg still did not hatch and he kept it in his Black Heart Ring. He learned the egg would not hatch while in the ring, and kept it in there because he wanted to somehow mutate it into a stronger breed. He hoped to find rare treasures in the ruin and also evolve the egg. Going dungeon exploring was every boy''s dream. This was even real life, much better than virtual reality. In the three threads he unlocked, he didn''t realize how right he was. *Under the forum thread of Demise King* Wrecked 142: What the fuck? Someone''s selling potions? Must be fake. Paolo Rocks: It can''t be. The system does not accept fake items with advertisements. He even went so far as to indicate it was a Rank 1 potion! It is the real deal! Why so Mad?: Hot damn! How did he learn apothecary? It says we can''t learn them. He''s a Beta! Varsity Sucks: I am definitely buying that health potion! I don''t even have 7 vitality. Do you guys realize how big an issue this is? Home Boy: I''m a Beta and the system says that only Beta Players who know healing magic can learn apothecary. I''m getting that health potion. Wrecked 142: Get the fuck out Home Boy. I''m getting that potion. Paolo Rocks: I''m a summoner so I definitely need them mana potions. All skills only cost 1 stamina or 1 spirit so far. That means we''re learning all the weak skills right now, save for any legendary or unique skills. Home Boy: You''re a Beta too? Paolo Rocks: Of course Home Boy. How else do I know so much? I''m one of the two Beta Players who reached level 11. I chose the second option for my background story to get a cultivation manual. Home Boy: I chose the first option.....I should have known it was a trap. All I saw was the mithril coin and that it equaled 1,000 gold. Why so Mad?: Cultivation? Options? Whatever. I just want to survive people. Demise King is sure to make more potions. As a warrior, I need haste potions. He definitely has to make those. I can''t even raise my speed or toughness. Home Boy: Really? Ah, the Special Option must be a Beta only feature. Good to be a Beta. Paolo Rocks: That''s for damn sure. Otherwise, my name would not be Paolo Rocks. Best dark elf in the world. HAHAHAHA. Chapter 4: The Ancient Ruins Writer''s Note: Trouble comes at last and new changes come. Changed the title as the 10,030 (minus those who died) get a second, more powerful, profession at level 30. Also, the highest affinity for all Beta Players determines their path and sets them apart. Four chapter random release today. Enjoy the chapter(s). Chapter 4: The Ancient Ruins "Keep up! Not much father to the barrier!" Lajakel said as three elves followed behind him. One was Jin and the other two were twins at level 9. Their names were Aerolas and Aerogan. Both were warriors, using two shorts swords like Lajakel. Lajakel and Jin only ran into those two on the way to the ruins. For some reason, Jin had been feeling a vibe since the party headed further south. Suddenly, his fears were confirmed. *Ping*
First Quest Unlocked
Rank E: Heart Flame You have finally exited your starting area. For some reason, the Gold Flame Crystal fused into your body, forming a rune tattoo. You have been discovered to use <> and are being led to an ancient ruin. Within is an ancient secret reserved for the Beta Player: Jin. You are the 3,812th person to begin your first quest. This is a quest with no chance to return. Better hope you learned all the crafts you needed. You will make sacrifices and gain rewards. Just what exactly they are will depend on your choices.
*Ping*
Quest Data Updated Quests are given only when unlocked after certain actions or lack thereof. Quests are ranked from E, D, C, B, A, S, and SS. Quest rank only represents difficulties, not level requirements. Some quests Rank SS quests can be completed by a level 1 player, and some Rank E quests are too difficult for level 70 players if it involved enemies above level 80. never assume the level requirement is around your level or lower.
"That''s some scary info," Jin muttered as Lajakel motioned everyone to stop. "This place looks ancient, old," Aerogan shivered as they followed a river down to the bottom of a waterfall, a barrier shining over an opening behind it was they followed the ledge around the waterfall. "This writing is elvish! Uzako loran mizaca. Cast your healing and enter," Aerolas read. "No wonder! The Grand Elder has to stay at the city to maintain the health of the Green Wind Lotus, but no one else has learned any healing magic since the Cataclysm. Now, Jin has come and you brought him here because of this!" "Precisely. Jin, get ready to cast your magic and be sure to keep that sword of yours ready. You got a torch, right? We might need it for light. No need to use your hunting bow indoors either. You twins, get your swords at the ready. We don''t know what''s in there," Lajakel said, the twins drawing their swords as Jin put his hunting bow in the ring and held a torch in his left hand. Jin raised his right hand, blue light particles appearing as he said, "<>." The gold barrier with a rune circle in the center shined as it glowed blue. Cracks formed on the barrier made of light and it shattered, air gushing inside as if the very air was also sealed from entering the cave. The four elves coughed as they felt the air sucked all around them, sighing with relief as nothing happened yet. "Okay, I''ll take point. We might need light so Jin will stay in the middle. Aerolas and Aerogan, you two take the rear behind his left and right. I''ll need you to be able to rush forward in case their is too many and some slip through. We might need Jin''s healing magic later on, or even to exit," Lajakel said. "Wait!" a girl said and Lajakel''s eyes nearly burst from their sockets as he saw Maybelle. "I told you to go inform the Grand Elder!" he roared as she hid behind Aerolas. "The others will. I wanna go in too!" Maybelle said and the barrier formed behind them. "So fast!" Lajakel said as not even he was fast enough to react. The barrier somehow extended and they were now within it. "It''s too late now. Aerolas, you''re in charge of Maybelle now. Jin, you''ll take the right flank as your sword is in your right hand. When we get back, I''m grounding you inside your room for a year! Not even your parents or the Grand Elder would dispute this! We''re not here to explore ruins and play games! We''re here to verify whether the ruin is a threat to our village or not. This ruin could be very dangerous. We might not escape with our lives!" "So scary?" Maybelle paled and shivered behind Aerolas. "It''s okay. I''ll protect you. Just be sure to not touch anything. It could be a trap, no matter how pretty or harmless it looks," Aerolas said, Maybelle nodding many times as she knew she had done something very wrong. Lajakel sighed and turned to Jin and Aerogan. "Let''s move. Stay alert and let nothing past you." "Here''s another inscription," Aerolas said as he pointed above the cave opening of the ruin. Two broken statues were sprawled over the ground as he read the elvish inscription above. "Koilawa quora fosa xena. Jentos raka mula ira. The healer makes the choices. All will enter the illusion to face each door''s test." "I read about those. Moon elves are those especially able to use illusion magic. Moon elves were the first of our kind, but the high elves always claimed they were the first. The knowledge and magic of the moon elves were closely guarded. Not even the nine elf kings and queens know where the moon elves live," Lajakel said. "Moon elves were one of the choices of the character creation," Jin thought as they entered the cave. "There''s three paths here!" Aerogan said as they arrived inside the cave to see an empty clearing, three tunnels in the distance. They paused as they a ghost of an elf rise from the center of the clearing. He was almost transparent, but they recognized the silver hair and gold eyes of a moon elf. The elf ghost wore lavish white silver armor and held a spear in his hand. "Mithril," Lajakel gasped as the elf ghost turned its head towards Jin. "Blood elf come forth," the ghost rasped. "Blood elf?" the four said, seeing Jin smile awkwardly. "My mother is a wood elf. My father was a dragon, but was killed," Jin said and approached the ghost. The ghost snapped its fingers and Jin''s hair turned pale blue, extending to the center of his back. His irises also changed color, turning into the color of sand. The ghost nodded as it approved Jin''s new colors. "What did you do to me?" Jin asked. *Ping*
Jin Learned Hunter Skill: Tamer
Tamer Skill A skill used to tame magical beasts. Costs 1 spirit and stamina, or 10 mana and 10 stamina points. Allows the Hunter to possess an additional pet besides the one he starts with. When pet dies, respawns after twenty four hours after death for 4 spirit and stamina or 40 mana and 40 stamina points.
Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. "It''s the first skill I have that costs both stamina and spirit! <> costs 1 spirit and <> costs 2 spirit. <> costs nothing, <> costs 1 stamina, and <> costs 2 stamina. The respawn price is ridiculous and the cool down too," Jin thought. "There are three battles you must fight. One is a fight against saber tooth tigers. The second is a battle against hydras. The third is a battle against the saurian. Choose a path and tame one of the young magical beasts," the ghost said and vanished, a smile on its face and looked upon Jin with gratitude. Jin knew he really was meant to come here. He learned a Hunter class skill! "No wonder you never spoke of your father. He was a dragon and you feared persecution. Give us a little credit. Only the high elves dislike blood elves," Lajakel said, punching Jin''s shoulder. "Learn any dragon magic?" Aerolas said, obviously excited. "No. Not yet, I think," Jin said. "I have to make the choice, but I don''t know what." "Not hydra. Eww!" Maybelle said and Lajakel agreed. "Hydra start out weak. We need something strong, offense of defense, for the trials ahead. You must also consider your own trials in the future. I never heard about the first and second choices," Lajakel said. "Saurian........dinosaurs!" Jin cried. "I''ll pick the third option." As Jin said the words, the left and center passages vanished as if they never existed. The four wood elves wondered what a saurian was and nervously tightened their grips on their weapons. The light from the right passage shined upon them. They appeared in the midst of a great jungle. That was they saw the saurian. It had four legs and had dark brown scales all over its body and limbs. It had a tail with three spikes sticking out the color of bones. It had a head similar to a lizard, but its head and face seemed to be covered in red carapace. Its mouth actually had a beak, but did not look like a bird. It had dragon teeth and its eyes were slit and the color of gold. The carapace also extended to the back of its neck leading to the body. This was a real life protoceratops. Several glared at the elves, as if seeing new cattle for the first time. "Dinosaurs. Armored and cool dinosaurs," Jin said in a low voice, awe in his voice. "Ready yourselves! They''re charging! Aim for the legs! We don''t know how hard that carapace on their head is," Lajakel ordered, The saurian charged, wary of Jin as he held a torch. Like all animals, they were afraid of fire until they discovered the threat level. Aerogan shouted as he pointed to a saurian at the back. It was over seven feet tall and actually had magic runes on its carapace. "That must be the leader! I''ll kill it. You three fight the others and keep Maybelle safe. Jin, you must find one of the young ones and bind it. Try to pick one with a least one rune on it. If the parent has runes on its carapace, I believe the child will too," Lajakel roared, the others nodding as he rushed into the charge. Saurian flew left and right as Lajakel slashed and kicked his way to the boss. "Their carapaces are hard!" Aerogan grunted as he had to strike the same place multiple times to cut their heads. Jin was busy using his torch as a ward, burning any saurian that tread too close and stabbing his sword through the roof inside their mouths. When people or creatures are scared, their mouths usually open and they take a step back. That was when they had openings and was the perfect chance to strike. Only the leader was seven feet tall while the others were six feet tall. They were about to charge, but Jin and Aerogan nodded and used <>, slashing and blasting away the saurian at the front of the incoming stampede. As the stampede was forced to halt, those who were now at the front were trampled by those in the back. Aerogan and Jin took advantage of the chaos to slash at the exposed bodies and limbs of the saurian. "Jin!" Aerogan cried as Jin was smashed by one of the saurian, his body going destroying some bark of a tree he crashed into. Jin coughed blood as he fell to the ground. -12HP "That''s about 1 vitality," Jin said, dazed as he reached for his sword. Maybelle ran forward, grabbing the torch. "Hold the torch for now! Aerolas, let''s switch!" Jin said as he sheathed his sword and took out his bow. "I''ll aim for their feet. Strike them on their flanks as they fall!" "Right!" Aerolas said and rushed forward. With the twins together, their teamwork was much more efficient. At the rear, Jin was more calm and shot arrow after arrow. He was immensely happy that he had an endless amount of arrows. It only looked like one arrow as he had an endless amount of that arrow. If he had a new arrow, two arrows would appear in the quiver. The saurian decided they had enough when they saw Lajakel throw a head into the sky, recognizing the rune carapace on the head''s face. "I need that carapace!" Jin cried and took out his dagger, carving out the carapace over the head and placing it in his Black Heart Ring. He now had runes to study and further increase his rune enchanting. Lajakel returned with three baby saurian and placed them before Jin. All three had runes on their carapace. "Which one should I pick," Jin muttered as he stared at the three tiny reptilian dinosaurs. He noticed one only had three talons on each foot, instead of five. However, the middle talon was larger and shaped like a sickle. Its carapace also seemed harder but did not restrict the neck as much as the other saurian. More importantly, the rune circles on its carapace were orange and seemed as vibrant as fire. With his high affinity to fire, it would be best to have a pet with affinity to fire as well. "I choose you," Jin said as he picked up a sleeping saurian. He used the <> skill and noticed a pale blue flame appear on above its eyes on the carapace. The runes on the carapace become a darker blue than the flame and the saurian grew a little and became a foot tall and two and a half feet long. "It''s cute!" Maybelle said and hugged the saurian, the wood elves sighing with relief as it was over. The system sent a message, saying the saurian''s name was Proto, out of its dinosaur name. Its tail ended with a bone spike and had two smaller spikes facing left and right a little before the end of the tail.
Jin tamed Proto You have acquired a new pet which resembles a protoceratops. Unlike its ancestors, it is a magical beast and is omnivorous. You will be taken back to the temple ruins shortly. Congratulations. You lived....this round.
"Temple ruins?" Jin said as Proto slept in Maybelle''s arms. The scene around them turned black and the wood elves cried out as they appeared in another clearing identical to where they had been previously. The right passage was directly in front of them. This time, they could go through. "It was real," Aerolas said silently as he stared at Proto. "Uh, master, you taught us how to fight against magic as well as the sword. Were we in an illusion?" "i...don''t know. This is beyond my experience," Lajakel said. "We can''t go back. We can only move forward. Stay close. Stay close." Chapter 5: Samurai versus Knights Writer''s Note: And the trials continue! I try to make it like a game and so some things can be made or done that would be considered impossible in real life. Chapter 5: Samurai versus Knights *Ping*
Jin is now Level 5
"Sweet!" Jin said as the others decided to rest before entering the tunnel. Jin quickly added 1 stat to spirit, stamina, and toughness. Skills were the ultimate trump card and some skills cost more than 1 spirit or stamina. Toughness also added some physical and magical defense. He grinned as he finally received the system message he hoped for.
First Trial Complete
You survived the Jurassic Trial You have proven you are a better fighter than dinosaurs. Now, you must face men. Two sides will be available to you. Choose one and ensure they achieve victory. Should they fall, you and the wood elves will die. Your mission is only to aid the gate or seize it. As you reached level 5, your actions are reviewed by the system and you are awarded based on your class. Skill unlocked: Bear Trap Skill unlocked: Heart Seeker Basic Archery: Level 17 Sword Novice: Level 21 Magic Lore: Level 5 Passive skill unlocked: Jurassic Survivor. Plus 1 strength and stamina.
"Uh, I know what happens in the next trial," Jin said, drawing the attention of the three warriors. "We will have to choose between two sides. We won''t know which is in the right or wrong. If the side we choose loses, we die." "Then we must rest and recover. When this candle wick is gone, we move," Lajakel said as he took out a candle from his storage ring, lighting it as he placed in on the ground. Jin moved away from the others as he made his own preparations. He looked upon his auction and grinned ear to ear. The stamina potion bid was currently 7 gold, 31 silvers, and 2 coppers. His mana potion was 11 gold, 73 silver, and 15 coppers. His stamina potion was the highest, being 34 gold, 12 silver, and 61 copper. He immediately accepted them all.
Auction Accepted Jin receives 53 gold, 16 silver, and 78 copper. Current currency: 7 gold, 85 silver. Total currency: 61 gold, 1 silver, 78 copper.
"Sweet!" Jin grinned. He would have sold another batch, but he read some of the forums. He also noticed other people starting to sell potions. He had gotten the passive skill to wield two swords. He would have bought one, but low rank items were easy to find and he was currently in a place similar to a dungeon instance. It would be better to keep his money. Jin closed his eyes and began to cultivate. A red aura permeated from his body, as if they were made of flames. As he cultivated, his spirit, stamina, and vitality were regenerating much faster. When Lajakel called for them, Jin breathed deeply and followed the four wood elves into the right passage, Proto walking beside him. Maybelle held the torch and was flanked by the two elf twins. After a mile, they appeared in a new clearing. Just like before, a ghost of a moon elf appeared. This time, it was a maiden in white clothing. She looked at Jin and smiled. Before each of the wood elves was two sets of armor. One was a silver armor worn by knights and the other was red samurai armor with a face mask and helmet included. Proto walked up to her and sat next to her left leg. "Welcome, Jin, to the second trial. Your mother is a wood elf, but her father is a moon elf. She is currently back among her clan. You are one step closer with reuniting with her. Now, this trial is to test you on the field of battle. Two sides are currently fighting over a foreign princess. The prince of the knights was betrothed to her, but she loves the son of the head samurai. Now, she is to be married. You must choose to either siege or defend the city of the knights," the elf rasped. "So I have to choose a side after all," Jin said. "Before you go, you must make a choice. This will decide your future path as a hunter. There are three paths. You will choose one path to walk, the power of a second path to be yours in the future. However, you must discard one path. You will no longer receive skills based on that path unless learned from a skill book," the elf continued. "The path of the sword, a weapon of beauty and destruction. The path of the archer, a weapon of glory and slaughter. The path of the mystic, the power to create life and corrupt it." "The path of the sword is the one I choose to specialize. I even got high sword mastery. Arrows only go so far. I already train with the bow and have to awesome bow skills: <> and <>. Even Legolas, from Lord of the Rings, used swords despite his awesome archery skills. Well, they were short swords but still. His skills were the best. I give up the path of the archer. Archery is not the only way to hunt. I''ve played Monster Hunter after all," Jin grinned. "I choose the samurai. They are awesome archers and even better swordsmen." "The choice is made," the elf said, a change stirring in Jin''s body. The rune tattoo on his chest were now silver, the flame in the center becoming a pale blue flame. For some reason, a black pearl was in the center of those flames. The red samurai armor also appeared on the bodies of four of the five elves and they stared at each other in wonder, unable to see their faces. Maybelle was the only elf not wearing armor. "This is definitely beyond my understanding," Lajakel said as he felt the armor. It was even more impressive than the armor they previously wore. "Proto and Maybelle will await you for when you return. Both are too young and cannot possibly disguise their identities. This trial will test your resolves. Can you truly take a life? Can you protect each other? As you may have guessed, you are appearing in an alternate timeline, traveling space time. Good luck. I hope you succeed," the elf smiled and vanished with a smile just like the other, gratitude also in her eyes.
Siege the City
You are now Samurai You must follow your lord into battle to save the young lord''s beloved from a forced marriage. Either the lord dies, or the king dies. The lives of their sons and the princess do not matter. The marriage is an excuse to call forth the final battle. Seize the gate or die.
"Could this ruin lead us to the home of the moon elves? It must be true! The ghost spoke of Jin''s mother. It seems even his mother is a blood elf, a mixed wood elf with moon elf lineage! Blood elves are not really a separate race of elves, just mixed blood," Aerolas gasped. "We are going to see the moon elves!" "This is so awesome. Perhaps with their aid, we can stop the high elves from taking over the High Council. The High Council contains twelve members, four monarchs chosen from the high elves, dark elves, and wood elves. We all know the high elves believe they should be the lords of us all because they believe themselves as the equals of the moon elves," Aerogan nodded. "Enough! We must think of the present! We must not draw attention to ourselves. Just follow the orders of the samurai lord, whatever a samurai is," Lajakel said as he drew his katana and wakizashi, the two Japanese swords appearing at his side as a longbow and quiver appeared on his back. "It also seems we cannot use our own equipment." "No way! That means no health potions!" Jin cried, the other two elves looking at each other. All three looked identical to Lajakel, save their build and stature, and had the same equipment. This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. "Do not lose sight of each other. A battlefield is chaos and a siege, even more so," Lajakel said and the four ensured Maybelle and Proto they would return as a silver light appeared and they vanished from the temple ruin once again. "What you three doing! Get off your damn asses! Lord Matsumoto is about to lead the charge!" a samurai roared as the four elves appeared inside a large tent, bed rolls on the ground. "You are with the vanguard. Ready your bows and swords!" "Yes," Lajakel said as the samurai left, turning to the others. "As soon as they take the walls, we go our own way. Kill any knight in silver armor. We are not in the temple. This is just an illusion spell made real." "Right," the twins said as Jin kept his bow in his hand. They got out the tent and saw dozens of samurai. Those who got on horses did not have quivers on their backs. Jin quickly realized the vanguard''s mission was to sneak to the top of the walls of the city, open the gate, and let the drawbridge down so the cavalry could storm the city. Jin and the three saw a grand city in the distance. It seemed to be built on the side of a mountain, white marble buildings shining as the sun rose. "For Lord Matsumoto! Vanguard, march!" a samurai yelled, the archer unit quickly descending the hill to the city walls. Three groups of samurai combined to form a three-layered shield wall with numerous archers among them. Jin and the three wood elves were between the second and third shield wall. Their hearts beat loudly as the samurai rushed to the gate. Bells rung up ahead, volleys of arrows raining upon the shield wall soon after. "Hold!" a samurai yelled, the shield walls stopping to endure the volley of arrows. "Forward!" Jin took aim and shot, killing an archer over sixty yards away. The samurai around him were surprised and shocked to see someone shoot so accurately from a distance. Jin was only capable of such accuracy as he had the necessary strength to pull it off. His longbow was 150 pounds, meaning that the weight of the bowstring fully drawn was also 150 pounds. The heavier the bow, the stronger it was, and the farther the arrow would fly true. His usual recurve bow was 80 pounds. He was also shocked and elated that his archery had new bounds. He also wished to own a hunting bow of the same rank. The samurai actually wore rank 3 armor and weapons! He kept shooting the archers on the wall. It was clear they were not experienced, shooting as a unit without any individual taking out any important samurai. In warfare, it was more effective to shoot down those in charge to sow chaos on the field. The archers at the gate panicked as more of them were getting shot by Jin''s arrows. When Jin got close enough to see more of the details of their armors, he changed tactics and shot whoever gave orders or wore fancier armor. When the shield wall reached the foot of the wall, the archers between the first and second shield wall then shot at the top of the wall, thicker arrows penetrating the walls with ropes tied to the arrows. The samurai forming the third shield wall tossed aside their shields and began to climb the ropes. Jin, with his speed, scaled the wall quickly and shot the knights ringing the bells for reinforcements. When Lajakel and the twins arrived, the four took out their katana and headed to two small towers above either side of the gate. "I''ll get the farther tower!" Lajakel said, drawing the wakizashi as well and killing the knights before him with his skills. He laughed as he deflected arrows. Aerogan and Aerolas took advantage and quickly got to the closer tower. Jin jumped out of the tower, using his quick reflexes and speed to scale down the wall and land at the ground. The knights cried out as the entrance to the stairs to the towers were right next to the bottom of the gate. Jin chose to fight there to prevent reinforcements. "Kill that samurai! We cannot lose the gate!" a knight roared, but Jin easily dodged his sword slash by just stepping aside. Jin did a high kick to the man''s chin, the knight crying out before his throat was stabbed. Jin kept his cool by pretending he was in a kendo competition match. As the knights decided to ram at him, he lifted his left hand and tried to use <>. He found he could not and cursed, forced to lay against the gate behind him. "The gates are opening! Keep at it!" a samurai cried as the gate behind Jin started to rise, the drawbridge already on the ground. "Keep pushing forward!" Jin''s eyes only saw red, ignoring the bruises and cuts on his body as he focused on deflecting and slashing when the knights exposed an opening in their guard. The knights then nodded and those with square shields formed a shield wall, slowly enclosing around Jin. As knights pierced with their lances between the gaps of the shield, Jin grabbed the gate behind him. When it stopped, he pushed off the gate, landing behind the shield wall. He spun around low, his katana slicing the back of the knights'' knees where the armor was just chain mail between steel plates. They cried out and fell to the ground, Jin quickly stabbing them in the neck. All the samurai and knights paused as one samurai sounded a horn. The ground shook beneath their feet as the cavalry received the signal and charged into the city. "We have taken the gate! Onward, to victory!" Lord Matsumoto cried, everyone seeing a giant samurai in red and gold armor lead the charge on his white horse, Jin and the other elves not following as the scene before them vanished. When they appeared back in the cave, they were back in their armor, but had a katana.
You Passed the Second Trial
Jin receives Caliburn Jin receives the rank 7 sword wielded by the defeated king of the knights. The sword, Excalibur, is given to the first to pass their personal quest after a certain point. Caliburn is one of nine other weapons given to the rest of the first ten to pass a certain point. You are the seventh to receive a gift. Your power is great, now the next trial will take some of it away. In this trial, you lose more than you gain. One important choice must also be made: which elf will you choose to be left behind? What affinities will you surrender? The next trial is sacrifice. You''ve been warned. Basic Archery: Level 23. Sword Novice: Level 27. Halfway to level 50 and first combat skill upgrade. Kicking: Evolved and now a combat skill instead of a job. Skill readjusted. Kicking level is 19. Title Earned: Samurai Vanguard: +1 vitality, +3 strength.
]/table] [table]
Jin is now Level 6
Jin is now Level 7
Jin chose the first and second options. Jin got strength, vitality, agility, stamina, and spirit increased by 1 first. With the random option, he got +1 vitality, +3 spirit, +1 agility. Jin quickly inspected his status to see the overall changes. Name: Jin Race: Blood Elf 1st Profession: Hunter Titles: Jurassic Survivor, Samurai Vanguard Stats Strength: 11 Vitality: 8 (5+3) Agility: 6 Spirit: 10 Stamina: 9 Speed: 5 (4+1) Toughness: 7 (2+5) Affinities: 47% Fire, 35% Darkness (Ring effect +35%), 20% Wind, 14% Thunder, 7% Water, 1% Chaos. "We got to keep the long sword," Aerolas said, wonder in his voice as he admired the blade. "What are the details of the third trial?" Lajakel asked. "I have to make some sacrifices. I...also have to choose who to leave behind," Jin said, the others crying out in alarm. "A sacrificial trial. I should have known. One is to test our teamwork. The second was to test our skills against other warriors and our mettle on the battlefield. This trial is one in which we cannot come out on top," Lajakel said through gritted teeth. "Jin has to sacrifice more than us overall. I should not have brought us here." "Let''s go the the third clearing then. We will hear the particulars of the sacrifices Jin must make before we choose who to leave behind," Aerogan said, leading the way into a passage as it appeared. Maybelle and Proto looked at them, confused as they followed the others in silence. Chapter 6: The Sacrificial Trial Writer''s Note: And so, bad things come regardless of how great things are. You learn to appreciate the good things after the bad. Chapter 6: The Sacrificial Trial "It''s okay to be scared," Jin said as Maybelle held his hand, the only light in the passage being the torch in her hand. "Aren''t you afraid, Jin?" Maybelle asked. "I am. I always am. Sometimes, I wake up and scream as I look at myself. Sometimes, I live a nightmare. Sometimes, I live a pleasant dream. Being scared is okay. You must be strong and embrace the fear before fighting back. You cannot run, you must not deny, fear. You and I are afraid, but we not alone. Everyone is afraid of something. It is how we choose to deal with that fear that makes us stronger," Jin said, patting her head with his free hand. "Okay. I have my torch. I''m not afraid too," Mei said, the twins and Lajakel smiling as the elf girl tried to act brave. None of them talked much after as they arrived in another clearing. This time, broken pillars and runes were scattered throughout the area. "So you''ve come. Good. I have waited eons for this," a voice rasped, the elves crying out in shock and fear as a ghost of a black dragon appeared before them. "So dragons are still feared. Good. That makes me happy, at least." "A black dragon? Those are the most powerful in the world, besides a white dragon," Aerolas gasped. "Jin, come forth," the dragon rasped and saw Jin. "Ah, Caliburn is at your side. It seems I am not the first of my brethren to be released of the curse. "Curse? Were you and the moon elves cursed?" Lajakel asked. "Yes. We were cursed by an omniscient being. The dragons are few in number now, but blessed with immense physical and magical power and defenses. The moon elves are isolated, but they can continue to grow stronger. They have gotten stronger. Now, Jin, you must make a series of choices. They will test you in various ways. By the power of the omniscient being, you will alter your fate. I am but the narrator," the dragon rasped. "The system is a being?" Jin asked. "Perhaps. I do not know what a system is, but a voice speaks that is neither male nor female. It just sounds....like a human child whose voice is too high pitched to notice the gender difference. Now, the first scenario," the dragon said, an image of wind, lightning, and water appear before him. "Fire is your main affinity, That cannot be taken. Chaos was gifted by the omniscient being and darkness was granted to you by your ring. Those three cannot....be taken but the others can. Now, here are your choices."
Sacrifice 1: Affinities Option 1: Sacrifice wind to retain lightning. Water is also sacrificed to learn <>. Able to make exploding flask of ice essence to freeze and crystallize target. 1 flask bomb replacement equals 1 flask of ice essence. Max hold: 9. <> is gone, and you gain immunity to fire and burning damage. Option 2: Sacrifice lightning and water to retain wind affinity. Sacrifice <> for rank 4 armor with 10 stats of your choice, including speed and toughness. Permanent +3 to all stats.
"Option 1 seems ideal. I don''t know any water skills, <> will gain a different element attribute for sure. Wind and <> is awesome, but lightning seems more useful and I gain fire and burning immunity," Jin nodded and stared the dragon ghost in the eyes. "I choose Option 1." "It is done," the dragon said, changes occurring in Jin''s body.Jin got a notice saying 5 flasks of ice essence were in his Black Heart Ring already. "The omniscient being says your <> magic is now of the fire attribute. Now, the second choice must be made. Are you ready?" "Yes," Jin said. "This one, only you and I can hear. This involves your true identity as Jin Portman. This choice, you lose regardless of what you choose," the dragon said, grinning a mouth full of long, barbed dragon teeth.
Sacrifice 2: Identity Option 1: You retain all memories of being Jin Portman. However, all your family members and relatives will die, the clone of you chasing you for revenge as he believes you killed them. You become level 10 and receive 1 silver for every dead relative, 1 gold for each family member including your clone. Option 2: You sacrifice all your memories as Jin Portman, allowing all your family members and relatives to live. Your cultivation is boosted to Middle Spirit Knight and you gain a new identity.
"Bastard!" Jin cried out, the elves confused as Jin screamed at the dragon ghost. :How do you expect me to make such a choice!" "Technically, you wouldn''t care about them if you choose Option 2, but you would become even stronger and richer if you chose Option 1. You have many relatives from cousins, aunts, and uncles. You''d be very rich indeed," the dragon said, a smug smile on its face. "How could I live myself if I chose Option 1.....I choose Option 2," Jin said weakly, falling to his knees in despair and grief. "Good. I suppose you should have a new name. Zamiel will be your name. It was the name of a one of the ancient gods of the first of the moon elves, long forgotten by time. Zamiel was a dragon, and you are the son of one. It is fitting," the dragon rasped, a ball of strange, white energy appearing from the dragon and entering Jin''s body.
Jin is now Zamiel Memories of life as Jin Portman is gone, as are the memories of all who knew him. Only you remember you were once Jin, your elven companions memories altered as well. Zamiel receives +2 strength and + 1 vitality for reaching Middle Spirit Knight. Access to Levels 11 through 20 is unlocked.
"Are you alright Zamiel?" Lajakel asked, Zamiel nodding silently. He knew he should feel sad, but had no memories being Jin. "What was the trial?" Aerolas asked, the others staring at him. "It''s nothing," Zamiel said and stared at the ghost dragon, not knowing whether to be said or grateful that the past is gone and buried. "The third trial is one which will sacrifice your class. As you are one of the Beta Players, according to the omniscient being, you will sacrifice your class for a hidden class instead of one of the other starter classes. According to the omniscient being, there is no total loss to you and you already know hunter class skills such as <>, <>, and <>. This will be your permanent first class. You gain the second class at level 30," the dragon said, no emotions in its voice as it did not know the meaning of the words it said.
Sacrifice: Class
Zamiel gets magic and hybrid classes due to race. Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.Note, rank 3 armor onward has five sets: head, shoulders, hand, feet, and body. Option 1: Paladin. A hidden hybrid class of warrior and mage. With a shield and weapon, your display your dominance on the battlefield while nullifying enemy magic. Gain rank 6 shield and complete rank 3 armor. Must have a shield in battle. Shield Bastion replaces Basic Archery, level retained. Permanent +5 toughness. Option 2: White Wizard. A hidden mage class boasting of the highest levels of light and healing magic. Darkness cannot withstand your presence. Gain 100% light affinity and rank 3 staff. Can only use maces, scepters, shields, and staffs. Staff Novice and Mace Novice replaces Basic Archery, level retained. Magic Lore plus 15 current mastery level. Option 3: Black Wizard. A hidden mage class capable of using elemental magic of higher rank. They can cast more magic with a quarter the cost and sow destruction on the battlefield. Also able to summon elementals. Gain rank 5 staff. Can only use daggers, scepters, and staffs. Scepter Novice or Staff Novice replaces Basic Archery, level retained. Magic Lore plus 5 current mastery level. Gain rank 4 circlet. Gain +10% to all element affinities. Option 4: Chaos Knight. A hidden hybrid class of warrior and mage. Wielding a sword, They are warriors who succumbed to the temptations of magic and black magic, forbidden magic. Cannot use hunting bow. Sword Novice replaces Basic Archery, level retained. Due to current Sword Novice, mastery levels of both combine into Sword Novice level 50. Evolves to Mystic Sword level 1. Learn <> with chaos attribute. Magic Lore +5 current mastery. Option 5: Dragon Slayer. A hidden rogue, warrior, and mage class. A class meant to learn whatever is necessary to kill a dragon. Able to steal dragon abilities upon kill. Gain rank 8 great sword. Able to still use hunting bow. Plus 10 levels for all current weapon mastery. No limitations on what you can learn. Able to wear any class armor and and with any combination. Gain rank 5 body armor.
Zamiel was stunned. All five classes were extremely good, but had their limitations. Only dragon slayer had no limitations, but he had to master more combat skills with each weapon he wanted to learn. He had no interest in being a White Wizard as he got Caliburn. It had to be important somehow. Black Wizard was also not an option as he had his dagger and sword. In the end, he would have to give up the bow. Besides, he kept his mastery level so he did not have to start all over to get weapon mastery to level 50 to advance. This left him with two options. They were Paladin and Chaos Knight. He spent a lot of time deciding. He decided on choosing to be a Chaos Knight. His sword skill would evolve as it absorbs the level mastery of the bow. He would also learn black magic, a magic always assumed to be powerful and does not necessarily mean darkness attribute abilities. He would also learn <>. Magic Lore would also become 10. Even though he was a Chaos Knight, he had a free hand. Which meant he could use his dagger and ice flasks. with ease. "Goodbye hunting bow," Zamiel said, storing it in his Black Heart Ring as he breathed deeply and spoke to the dragon ghost. "I choose Option 4. I will become a Chaos Knight." "I would have thought someone would pick dragon slayer. Oh well. The choice is made," the dragon ghost said, Zamiel''s body making sounds of glass breaking as the changes were made.
Zamiel is now level 8
Level 8 Achieved Learned class skill: <>. Use 1 spirit to cast a fireball with lightning within to increase speed. Learned class skill: <>. Use 3 spirit to create a spear of darkness that cannot be blocked. Learned class skill: <>. Use 1 stamina and spirit to create a sword wave of chaos at an enemy.
"I''ll add 1 stat to stamina and 3 to spirit," Zamiel said, the selection option to distribute stats only giving him 4 stats to distribute as he wished. Spirit was more important now. "Good. Now, it is time for the last choice. After this, it all ends with one last trial. Now, which wood elf will be left behind?" the dragon asked, the other four silent. "Well, I''ll knock off the elf brat. Too young to mean anything."
Sacrifice 4: Wood Elf Option 1: Lajakel. Leader. Dual swordsman. Master at combat. Option 2: Aerolas. Scholar. Mage. Master swordsman. Older twin. Option 3: Aerogan. Warrior. Courageous. Expert swordsman. Younger twin.
"Leave me behind," Aerogan said, stunning his brother. "No! I''m the elder twin. It has to be me, not him," Aerolas said. "Silence! I follow the path of the warrior. I don''t feel fear being left behind. You, you want to see ancient ruins and meet the moon elves. Me? I just want to fight. It was all I did back home: train. Following Lajakel and Zamiel gave me what I always wanted. I am satisfied," Aerogan said. "Are you sure you want this?" Lajakel asked. "Yes. So, what will happen to me?" Aerogan asked the dragon ghost. "You will not be welcomed by the moon elves. You must fight a thousand orcs and survive. Should you do, you will be returned to the entrance from whence you came. Fail and there won''t be a body to bury as you''ll be eaten alive," the dragon answered. "Pick me, Zamiel. I get to fight orcs, like the adults who patrol the forest. My parents died fighting. Just look out for my brother. He gets too obsessed with magic research. Might cause trouble for the moon elves," Aerogan said, touching his heart before touching Aerolas''s heart. "I''ll return and tell the Grand Elder what happened here." "May the wind guide your sword," Aerolas said. "May the wind protect your heart," Aerogan said, the two nodding before turning to Zamiel. "Alright," Zamiel said and turned to the dragon. I choose Option....th...2" "What did you do?" Aerogan shouted after he saw Aerolas ram his elbow into Zamiel''s stomach. Because of the hit, Zamiel coughed and it sounded like ''ooo''. "I''m the master swordsman. I am better than you. I have the higher chance to survive," Aerolas said as Aerogan grabbed his collar. "You will die. We both know it. That''s why I did it. I am the older brother." "By eight minutes!" Aerogan screamed as his hair, Lajakel''s and Maybelle''s hair had some strands of silver. "The choice is made. You will be let into the passage to the sky continent where the moon elves reside. There is no reversal. Proceed into the right passage for the final trial. Aerolas, proceed into the left passage. Good luck to you all. Now, I am at peace," the dragon smiled, fading into oblivion as it its whole body were shredded into pieces. "Aerolas!" Aerogan roared as Lajakel and Zamiel nodded and dragged him toward the right passage by his arms, Maybelle crying as Aerolas pat her on the head before heading to the left. "Brother! Brother!" "Goodbye. We''ll meet again. The moon elves must return and stop the high elves from taking over the High Council," Aerolas smiled and both he and the passage disappeared as he entered it. Aerogan screamed until the four elves and Proto disappeared into the right passage. Chapter 7: The Sky Continent Writer''s Note: Here''s the last of the four chapter release. Until next time. Enjoy. Chapter 7: The Sky Continent "Aerolas..." Aerogan said sadly as they entered the dark tunnel. "It should have been me. Should have been me." "Am I a moon elf now?" Maybelle asked, feeling her the strands of silver hair among her blonde hair. "I don''t think so. Perhaps having this silver hair will allow us to pass into the sky continent," Lajakel answered. "What worries me now is the final trial." "Well, we''re about to find out," Zamiel said as they appeared in an open field, seeing an ancient, damaged ruin behind them. "I think we''re outside. There''s an inscription above the cave passage opening." "Hozul kirol nusa dahaj, Aerolas. Wisa cuja kirolu halasafo. The final trial is for the one left behind, Aerolas. You already passed the trials and are free to go," Aerogan said, stunned. "So the fourth trial is for Aerolas? That damned dragon," Lajakel spat. *Ping*
Congratulations You survived the trials and made much sacrifices. You are the 7th to finish your first quest and leave the starter area. You have arrived in the Sky Continent, a fusion of North America and another continent from New Earth. Canada has fallen to the orcs and Mexico has closed itself off from the world. America is currently attempting to maintain order while fighting the invading orcs. Normal weapons do not kill, only injure, the creatures from New Earth below level 10. Normal weapons do not have any affect on monsters level 10 and above save for knock backs. Regular players have ten times the experience requirement to level but do not have to cultivate. However, Beta Players are also applicable to the normal weaponry restrictions. Only ranked weapons and skills can harm Beta Players level 10 and above. For reasons science cannot explain, certain parts of the land broke off into the sky, floating in the sky by some invisible force. Your mother is on one of those floating islands, lands surrounded by the open skies. Mysterious vines have grown all over the land, some thicker than corporate building connecting the land to the floating islands like a bridge. Find the moon elves. Convince them to stop the high elves from taking over the High Council.
*Ping*
Zamiel is now level 9
*Ping*
Zamiel is now level 10
*Ping*
Unlocked Talisman Abilities Due to reaching level ten, the Red Wyvern Bracelet grants the first and second ability. Qi Blade: Able to create a red, flying qi sword from the bracelet to pierce the enemy. Costs 1 spirit per use. Qi Barrier: Make an absolute barrier of qi that will block all damage and attacks for three seconds. Restriction: 3 times every midnight.
"That''s so awesome!" Zamiel cried as he chose to randomly add the stats for both level ups, resulting in ten random stats. They were +1 strength, +2 agility, and +2 spirit for the first level up to 9. The level up for 10 gave him +4 agility and 1 stamina. His stats were pretty balanced over all. Name: Zamiel Level: 10 Race: Blood Elf (Demigod variant) Class: Chaos Knight Cultivation: Middle Spirit Knight Titles: Jurassic Survivor; Samurai Vanguard Stats Strength: 15 Vitality: 9 Agility: 12 Spirit: 15 Stamina: 11 Speed: 5 (1+4) Toughness: 7 (2+5) Attributes: 47% Fire; 35% Darkness (item); 14% Thunder; 8% Chaos Equipment Weapons: Rank 7 sword (Caliburn); Legend Rank dagger (Royal Adamant Dagger) Armor: Rank 1 Sea Wood Guard (heavy armor) Pets: Magical beast dinosaur (Proto) Items: Legend rank ring (Black Heart Ring); Unique rank bracelet (Red Wyvern Bracelet) "Demigod? It must have been that weird orb from the dragon when it named me," Zamiel realized, eyes widening. He closed his eyes to visit the special space in his mind. It was as if he appeared standing atop clouds as if it were the ground, a blue sky above him with more clouds overhead. Before him, he saw three red wyverns in deep slumber around a black pearl with pale blue flames burning all over it. Then he saw it, the white sphere of energy. It had become a white sun in the special space. There was something inside, but the white sun was too bright. Green lightning crackled as it traversed the sky above, traveling through the clouds. Zamiel surmised that the pale blue flames around the black pearl and the green lightning were two of his three affinities. Darkness was not really his, given to him by the Black Heart Ring. The chaos affinity had to have increased because he was a Chaos Knight. However, he left the special space in his mind as he did not know what to look for to represent chaos. As he opened his eyes, he heard a familiar ping. *Ping*
Global System Announcement
Balancing the Ranked Items Due to many complaints to the system, items are now unable to be worn above their rank. Those who are levels 1-10 can only use rank 1 items. Levels 11-20 only use rank 2 items. Levels 90-99 use legend rank items. Level 100 use God rank items. Items obtained via main quest or quests during the Beta Phase are exempt from this restriction. Items that are not exempt have been modified to weight and class.
"So that explains why my armor became so heavy," Zamiel said as his leather armor became plate armor. He decided to auction off his regular dagger, sword, and hunting bow as he did not need them. Armor, besides potions, were bound to be very expensive. He had level 2 blacksmith so he could make his own armor and weapons. Carpentry was still useful to make the leather grips for swords and daggers as well as some parts necessary for the heavy armor. Using a sword and heavy armor, Chaos Knights really were great. Heavy armor looked cooler, in his opinion, and he loved swords. If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. "This is the Sky Continent?" Aerogan frowned, seeing floating islands in the distance. Around them, there were several vines and vegetation growing all over modern apartments. Zamiel may not remember being Jin Portman, but the knowledge was still there. When he saw a street sigh with Chatsworth and another with Tampa, he knew he was in southern California. More specifically, he was a few blocks away from a mall. "There''s movement up ahead," Lajakel said, drawing an arrow from his bow. "Aerogan, you have higher sensitivity to mana. What do you see?" "....humans. They carry weird weapons. They are fighting...orcs! There are orcs!" Aerogan cried out. "Are you certain? You''ve never fought on the patrols," Lajakel asked. "I''m sure. Their skin is mostly black or pure black. They wear jagged, black and dark grey armor and have yellow eyes. The weapons the humans are using are strange. They fire projectiles at massive speed, but do no damage to the orcs, not even breaking the skin. I sense no magical properties in the weapons or projectiles. "Those are guns," Zamiel said, the others turning to him. "Most humans depend on those to kill each other. However, more of them are without magic. They could shoot you at point blank range and it would not harm you, probably only knocking you back due to the momentum of the projectiles. Those are called bullets. Think of it as a bow with automatic reloading to a certain extent." "Do we help them?" Maybelle asked. "If we do, we might be taken to their camp for questioning. They''ll have many questions for us," Zamiel said. "We''re without allies here." Zamiel decided to inspect the three wood elves. Lajakel leveled up once, to level 38. Aerogan was now level 12. Maybelle also leveled up, now level 7. He knew Lajakel would be lucky to level up once, with his high level. However, Maybelle did not fight at all. Aerogan did, but reached level 12. He suspected Maybelle and Aerogan leveled up due to surviving the dungeon ruins. It would also explain how such a high level NPC, non-player character, leveled up once to 38. In video games, completing dungeons gave more experience than a boss fight. Lajakel must have been nearing level 38 as the level difference was too high. Having Lajakel around was great as Lajakel was a great swordsman. Although Lajakel used two swords, he had tremendous fighting experience. "I always wanted to kill an orc. I doubt the humans will harm us if they see us save them," Aergoan said. "Okay, but I know humans. You all must follow exactly what I say. We cannot trust them completely and may eventually be betrayed," Zamiel said, the other three nodding as Maybelle sat beside Proto. "Lajakel, Aerogan, and I have storage rings. These are too rare and will invite trouble. We will need to carry items physically, storing our important items away. Lajakel is beyond powerful to them, so he does not need to hide his armor and weapons. We cannot speak about Sea Wood City, at all. We are just stranded wood elves, searching for more wood elves as we were separated from our wood elf tribe. Speak nothing of moon elves." "Right. If they know information, they could use us as pawns and delay giving us information. If they don''t know anything, they can still pretend that they do and make sound arguments that would make us believe them," Lajakel nodded. "What about your hair color?" "I will call myself a Beta Player. Simple version: let''s just say that I was once human and got reborn," Zamiel said. "And the real version?" Aerogan asked. "You''re not going to like it. You might even assume I am lying as it is too shocking," Zamiel answered. "With those two words, they will not harm us. Furthermore, most of them are much weaker than us. Look at yourselves. Because of going with me into the ruins, you got stronger much faster." "It is true," Aerogan said. "I feel like I got years worth of training in such a small time frame. Maybelle still looks like a child, but she is much stronger than I was at her age." "It has to do with being a Beta Player?" Lajakel asked. "Yes. I don''t remember being my human self, as it was one of the sacrifices Jin Portman made. However, I have knowledge of what he learned, saw, and experienced. I just don''t remember doing it. I am Zamiel, truly," Zamiel answered. "Yeah. You are Zamiel," Maybelle smiled, giggling as Zamiel patted her head. "They cannot kill us. However, they can harm only Maybelle. The omniscient being the dragon ghost referred to is known as a game system to most of the humans. It gauges our strengths in levels. For example, I am level 10 and Aerogan is level 12. Lajakel, you are level 38," Zamiel continued. "I knew he was a monster," Aerogan said. "He was the best warrior." "So we are judged by levels. Hmm. You say they cannot kill us, but they can harm Maybelle. Why is that? This real truth you speak of, does that mean we weren''t real?" Lajakel asked, stunning Maybelle and Aerogan as Zamiel nodded. "Impossible. That can''t be true!" Aerogan said. "We are here, together." "You were not real before. You are real now. Your world and Jin Portman''s world fused together. I do not know how, or why. As for the earlier question, it is because Maybelle is below level 10. Anyone can be hurt by non-magical weapons, weapons from Jin Portman''s world, below level 10. If you hurt someone enough, they can die without you finishing them off personally," Zamiel answered. "Lajakel will protect me," Maybelle said, moving behind Lajakel. "So, do you wish to help them? Then, remember my words," Zamiel said. "How are our world''s items ranked?" Lajakel asked. "I am assuming it has to do with sharpness, durability, and magical effects. Aerogan''s short swords are rank 1. My Caliburn is a rank 7 sword. If my sword has magical effects, they might be locked. However, my sword cannot be broken by Aerogan''s short swords at his level. Whether or not I can break his depends on my own strength. The rank of the item does not mean that my sword cannot cut through his with ease. That is my assumption based on my observations," Zamiel answered. "Like most warriors say, "The weapon is only as strong as the warrior who wields it."" "I see. These rankings are based off real life, to them," Lajakel said, Zamiel nodding in agreement. "If it breaks, can you repair it?" "Not yet. My blacksmith is only level 2. If I reach level 7, I can create and repair rank 7 armor and weapons," Zamiel sighed. "Oh! So that''s how you learned them so fast!" Maybelle cried. "That''s cheating." "I agree. We spend so much effort and he learns it naturally," Aerogan nodded. " What about skills? Can they learn it instantaneously too?" "I don''t think so. As far as I know, only Beta Players can learn a skill from a skill book. Also, players cannot learn apothecary unless they know healing magic and are Beta Players. I assume this is how the game system regulates the world and prevents it from being too chaotic," Zamiel replied. "Then let''s help the humans. If they are trouble, we got Lajakel," Aerogan declared. "Yeah. We got Lajakel!" Maybelle giggled. "I cannot be negligent to my training, you two. Look at Zamiel. If all Beta Players are like him, then we might meet really strong people in the future that I may not be able to defeat," Lajakel said, the two wood elves staring at him. "Oh, and don''t speak of apothecary at all. Humans value potions very highly. They cannot know I can make them." Zamiel said, the wood elves nodding as they turned their attention ahead. "Let''s go kill some orcs," Aerogan said, charging ahead while brandishing his short swords. Chapter 8: The Changed World Writer''s Note: Hello! Been busy due to coming finals and multiple papers, some of the longer ones I already did. Whatever the ratings, I''m still writing. Zamiel and company decide to fight the orcs attacking the humans up ahead. It is there that Zamiel learns just how much the world has changed. Two chapter release this time. The Snake Immortal chapter is to be released tomorrow. Chapter 8: The Changed World "I''ll stay with Maybelle, making sure she fights safely," Lajakel said as he, Maybelle, Proto, and Zamiel chased after Aerogan. "I have to fight?" Maybelle asked, seeing Lajakel nod. "I...I will try, uncle." "Uncle?" Zamiel frowned. "Yeah, I am her uncle. She just never calls me that as I am always lecturing her," Lajakel laughed as she stuck her tongue at him. "I''ll help her deal with the psychological trauma of her first kill. You go on ahead and help out Aerogan." "Right," Zamiel said and sped up, leaving the two in the dust as he appeared beside Aerogan. "You go kill the ones near the humans. I''ll attack the archers first," Aerogan said as he saw Zamiel appear beside him. "A pincer attack," Zamiel nodded. "Just be wary of possible reinforcements." *Ping*
System Notice
You have begun D Rank quest: To the Rescue The humans have made the Northridge Fashion Center into a fortress. They are currently under attack by orcs and the three Beta Players in the area are at the opposite side of the mall, fighting the main force. Rescue the humans being assaulted by the surprise attack at the rear by killing the orc invaders. Your actions will determine a change in the status of the mall-turned-fortress. The boss has a hidden, evil power. Rewards +20 silver Rank 2 Black Wolf Plate Armor Rank 2 Heavy Orc Boots Increased hostility from orcs
"Be careful of a leader. He might be more powerful than us," Zamiel warned as Proto appeared beside him. It cried out and jumped behind him. Zamiel''s speed was fast enough to turn and see a black sphere of mana pierce Proto in the heart, killing it instantly and stepped back in horror as its corpse deteriorated before his eyes. *Ping*
Proto is Dead Due to an attack that targets the soul, Proto is dead as it lost all its health with the single blow. <> is now free to use once more. Current pets: Green Falcon variant (egg form).
"Death magic!" Aerogan cried. "Get to cover!" "What the hell?" Zamiel cursed as he and Aerogan ran inside the nearest house, an explosion occurring behind them. "What was that?" Zamiel asked. "It was a spell bolt fired from a staff. However, staffs with the death affinity are forbidden due to its soul-targeting capabilities," Aerogan said. "I''m afraid Proto is dead. What do we do? We can''t help the humans now." "We can," Zamiel said, handing him a flask of ice essence. "We''ll use the houses as cover and make our way to the enemy leader. Cut off the head of the snake, and the rest will follow." "The staff is too dangerous," Aerogan nodded. "Lajakel is protecting Maybelle, so they''ll be fine. What do I do with this?" "It contains frost essence. Throw it and the enemies will be covered in frost, instead of flames. It will help us breakthrough the enemy forces to the leader," Zamiel said. "Staffs are too over-powered. We need to get in close. If you can make him still for three seconds, I can use my <> skill to cripple one of his legs. Then, I can finish him off with <>. The skill cannot be blocked, but it can be dodged." "Which is why you need him stalled for three seconds. Got it," Aerogan nodded and paused as he started toward the next house. "You''re not thinking of using its staff, are you?" "If it drops as loot, maybe. Unlike you, I can''t just loot a body and get everything I want. However, I can get some things you can never get as well. It''s a kind of balance," Zamiel shrugged. "Magic is cool and all, but I have lived learning the sword in both my lives, memories of training still in my head. Like my <> magic skill: it is just a tool." "A tool that permanently killed Proto," Aerogan sighed. "Death magic. Damn. I''m sure you Beta Players could resurrect your pets, but we can''t. In front of Death, I suppose even your pets cannot be resurrected if their souls are destroyed. As Proto was too young, it did not have much strength. It''s too bad." "It didn''t do much. I''m just glad my Green Falcon variant still sleeps in its egg," Zamiel sighed as they ran into another house, a familiar hiss and explosion occurring behind them. "Might become a phoenix. I can see them now," Aerogan said, the two looking out the window. "They''re at a giant building with strange carriages without horses." "Must be where the cars are repaired," Zamiel said. "Not good. It''s a wide open area. Try to block the orc mages sights by running in front of the orc archers. We can use their bodies as meat shields." "Barbaric, but it is the only option," Aerogan nodded as the two rushed out the house. Zamiel could see an image of a black skull within the spell bolt as a tall orc waved a black staff at them, streaks of black flames exploding like grenades as they missed and hit the ground. "Lavetika! Lavetika!" the orc mage howled, pointing its left hand at Zamiel and Aerogan as it shot another spell bolt from its staff. "<>," Zamiel said, a crescent moon wave of red mana slashing through the air and cutting an orc archer in half. Zamiel just rammed through the orc, blood spraying everywhere as the two halves separated like two doors kicked open. "Ah, I''m jealous he can learn skills so fast," Aerogan sighed as he beheaded two orc archers with his twin short swords. His eyes widened as the orc mage blocked <> by forming a sphere of black flames around its body. "If it was just the fire element, I would just walk up to it and kill it," Zamiel cursed as he leaped over a car behind him. After all, Zamiel was immune to fire and burning damage. "What do we do?" Aerogan asked as they joined up behind another car. "I can use <> three times every twenty four hours between midnight. I can block an attack for three seconds, nine at most. Can you get close enough in nine seconds?" Zamiel asked. "Leave it to me," Aerogan nodded. Zamiel breathed deeply and ran out from cover, Caliburn back in its sheath as he ran to the orc mage. "Lavetala! Lavetala!" the orc mage roared, sending a giant spell bolt at him. "Go!" Zamiel roared as he waited until the last second before using <>. Aerogan then sprint around Zamiel, using the cars to hide from sight as the orc mage''s eyes widened with shock. Zamiel was alright! Zamiel needed to attract its attention and threw two ice flasks. The orc mage snorted as it easily blocked both ice flasks. However, the contact between ice and fire created a slight mist before it. Taking advantage, Zamiel lifted his right hand toward the bottom of the orc mage''s left leg. As the orc mage blasted Aerogan back with a shock wave from its staff, A metal steel bear trap appeared below its foot, closing shut and piercing inches inside the orc''s left leg. As Zamiel used his <>, the orc mage made one last ditch effort and fired another spell bolt at Zamiel. The spear of darkness split the spell bolt in two, running through the spine of the orc mage. "<>," Zamiel yelled, drawing Caliburn upside down and slashing the ribs and waist of the orc mage as he sped past it. The orc mage fell to the ground, shocked as it choked on its own blood. Who knew that today was the day it would die? With regret, the orc mage fell on the ground and died. Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. "You cut it at the waist, where there was only cartilage and not bones. Truly terrifying skill," Aerogan praised. "When it comes to horizontal cuts or downward cuts, speed is essential. An upside sword is fastest for horizontal cuts, and a sword using pure raw power makes a fast downward cut more horrifying," Zamiel said. "I learned this while using my sword and training with the dagger."
System Notice
You completed To the Rescue Using teamwork, you slayed the orc mage leader of the sneak attack. With the deaths of the orcs, the mall is secured from dangers to the rear. The orcs will not forget what you have done here today. Rewards +20 silver Rank 2 Black Wolf Plate Armor Rank 2 Heavy Orc Boots Increased hostility from orcs Boss Drops: 3 silver; mana gem
"Ooh!" Zamiel cried out, taking out the mana gem. These were incredibly rare items used for rune enchanting. One could inscribe runes onto the gems and watch it fuse and transform the item, armor, or weapon it was inserted into. Zamiel took out the dinosaur leader''s head while Aerogan looted the other bodies. He then copied the runes onto the mana gem and inserted it into Caliburn. *Ping*
Rune Enchanting now level 2
Zamiel is now level 11 Access to Rank 2 items is now granted Due to mana gem insertion, Caliburn is now Unique Rank sword Divine Dragon Sword
As Zamiel chose option 2 to increase his five basic stats by one each, he looked at the new sword. The sword had a black manta ray leather grip, the sword with a wing-shaped cross guard. At the center of the cross guard was a white gem with pale blue runes over its surface. The runes created a linear labyrinth design on the center of both sides of the blade. What seemed like veins on the gem also spread onto the winged sword guards. It was a long sword of beauty, the sword emitting embers of snow white and purple flames along the blade. "Divine Dragon Sword. Not a bad sword," Zamiel grinned as he admired the sword. His eyes were still sand-colored, but his hair returned to its blonde color, a streak of snow white and purple hair appearing on the side of his head. Like the flames on the sword, the flames around the black pearl and the flames on the rune tattoo on his chest also became snow white and purple flames. It could be said that the pale blue flames was waiting to awaken its true form all this time. "Now you look like a wood elf," Aerogan nodded as he appeared. "Got stronger too. Let''s head back to the others." "Yeah," Zamiel nodded as he made more ice flask to reach the max holding of nine. Then, he put up two for auction. Unlike potions, ice flasks could be made more easily and he did not need to find herbs, collect blood, and vials to make the potions. Afterwards, he inspected the sword while Aerogan desired to kill the fleeing orcs.
Divine Dragon Sword Fueled by runes of ancient times, this sword is one which does justice to the dragon scales used to make Caliburn. It is a sword of ancient power. As a unique sword, it is as strong as its wielder and has the potential to rival legendary swords. As a unique rank item, it cannot break, dull, or lose its shine. Effects Burning damage +5 Strength
"Man that felt good, killing all those orcs," Aerogan said as he returned to Zamiel. "You good to go. Time to talk with humans." "I''m ready. Let''s get Maybelle and Lajakel," Zamiel nodded. "You killed the mage?" Lajakel asked as he saw Zamiel in his knew steel and black fur armor, black metal boots on his feet with a spike protruding above his toes on each metal boot. "Where''s Proto?" Maybelle asked, Zamiel sighing. "He died. Don''t cry though. I have another pet. It just hasn''t hatched yet. It''s a falcon now, but it is a variant and sure to become a phoenix in the future," Zamiel said, patting her head. "Un," Maybelle nodded. She seemed to have matured after fighting the orcs. She was level 10 now. No doubt, Lajakel injured all the orcs that Zamiel and Aerogan avoided and had Maybelle finish the orcs off. However, it scared Zamiel as there were a lot of orcs. "The humans are approaching," Aerogan said, the four looking to their left to see humans with machine guns. As Zamiel suspected, the humans did not have magical weapons. With no ranked weapons, all their bullets did was push back the orcs. "It''s elves! Elves!" one of the men cried as people appeared out from behind the cars that formed several layers of defense from the street to the mall. "They don''t seem to be our enemies," another said. "Of course not. Those are wood elves! One of those three Beta Players said they were our allies. However, we never managed to find them, the angelic race, or the dwarves. "Two of the elves have different armor. The adult is wearing the same armor as one of the young elves, but his armor and weapons are definitely superior. The elf wearing black armor and that cool sword must be a Beta Player!" a teen said, pointing to Lajakel and then Zamiel. "You made the mall into a fortress?" Zamiel asked, the others gasping as it seemed the teen''s guess was true. "You''re a Beta?" a woman asked. "Yes. Now, what happened?" Zamiel asked. "It''s only been about a week or two, I think. How could the city be so....desolate. How did the orcs advance this far inland?" "Ah, you''re one of those Beta," the teen said, everyone staring at him. "What? My big brother is one of the three Beta and he was also shocked. On the forums, certain Beta awakened only a few days after what we called the Cataclysm." "The day our world fused and hell on earth came," an elder noted, the others nodding in agreement. People were robbing others, raping others, and doing whatever they wanted as they gave up. After all, they needed to kill so many orcs and monsters to increase just one level and too many were afraid to take the risk. "Only a few days...." Zamiel muttered and looked at the boy. "What is the date? What year is it?" "Whoa! Not even a year passed. However, it is October 17, 2109," the teen said. "You said it''s only been about two weeks for you, right? Then you must have been sleeping for four months. Summer is long gone." "Four months...." Zamiel said, stunned. It was true though. The virtual reality game released in June 3, 2109. Jin Portman''s life was like a movie in third person. He did not know what Jin thought or felt throughout his eighteen years of life. He had no memories of being Jin. Part of him already felt detached but seeing the world changed after four months was a lot to take in. "So this whole place is a fortress?" Lajakel asked. "Yes, Sir Elf," a man nodded. "It was where we could host the most refugees and hoard enough clothes, food, and supplies at a given notice. Some of us reached level 3 and had enough coppers to buy rank 1 weapons. Most of us chose guns as they required less training than melee weapons. Killing from afar is much easier than killing up close, physically and mentally. Most of them went to fight the main orc forces down by Nordhoff and Shirley. We did not expect an attack from the north east. Luckily, you four came. When we discovered that orc mage, we thought we were done for." "It is dead...right?" a man asked, nervous. "Yeah. I killed it," Zamiel said. "Whatever orcs were near the mage, Aerogan finished them off." "I hate mages. If it wasn''t for the fact that staffs are made of wood, they would be even more lethal as they could break bones with their staff," Aerogan spat. "Let''s get inside. The others will be relieved the surprise attack failed so miserably," a man in a security guard uniform said, the others nodding as they left before the four elves. "May I ask your names?" "I am Lajakel. These two are Aerogan and Maybelle. The Beta is Zamiel," Lajakel answered. "It seems having just 1 gold or a few silvers makes you rich. Well, it is like that early on in games. Still, rank 1 weapons are only a few copper. I suppose I should have bought a few. No matter. I use rank 2 items now," Zamiel thought as followed the security guard into what was once the Northridge Fashion Center, also known as Northridge Mall. Chapter 9: The City States Writer''s Note: Final chapter due to college and stuff. WIll start a new side project that is easier to write and one in which I am familiar with. Thanks for reading. Enjoy. Chapter 9: The City States "So much...broken glass," Zamiel noted as they entered the mall by first proceeding further down Plummer before entering through the movie theater. It was because the rich Beta Players bought rank 1 land mines and littered the area with them. With the orcs dead before they could break through, the humans did not need to buy more to replace the lost land mines. "Yes," the security guard nodded. "When the end of the world, or Cataclysm, came; we realized our military weapons were incapable of hurting the enemy. Chaos broke out throughout the world. Homes were broken into, men and women were raped, and the government''s law enforcement and military were too busy fighting back against the monsters." "Things got even worse as the worlds began fusing," the teen from before said. "Name''s Lucas. Anyway, some parts of the land began breaking off from the ground and just floated about ten miles up in the air. Some Beta Players returned after a few days, changed. Like you, their races were changed. My big brother is a Nephilim, half angel and half human. He can make his wings appear at will and is a guardian." "Do you guys have classes?" Zamiel asked, Lucas shaking his head. "We are considered regular players to the Game System. We don''t get classes or but we can learn skills by studying skill books for a long time. Those are rare drops though. Has anything dropped for you?" Lucas asked. "Only twenty silver from the orc mage," Zamiel answered, not mentioning the mana gem. "Right. The game said that only bosses can drop items for now. Once you reach level 11, there is a chance that boxes containing more items and money will drop. Big brother hopes to buy a cultivation manual so he can cultivate and continue to level," Lucas said. "He chose Option 1, for the mithril coin?" Zamiel asked, Lucas''s eyes widening as he nodded. "Right, the background story!" Lucas said. "What level are you? Big brother says only Beta Players can see the levels, names, one of three basic classes, and health. Try it on me." "Inspect," Zamiel said, a table appearing above Lucas. *Ping*
Lucas Bradley Level 3 Warrior Player HP 45/45
"You people really are players," Zamiel frowned. "How is 45 health possible. Can it be that your vitality grants 15 HP instead of 10?" "Yup. I''m lucky. The system automatically gives regular players five more heath, mana, and stamina points per stat increase. However, leveling is ten times harder for us and we cannot learn class skills or any ranked skill past 6. Our max level is 60. Big brother says that level 60 is the highest level for late Spirit Kings before becoming an initial Spirit Lord at level 61. I can use any weapon and use any armor, but only learn warrior skills. However, you require cultivation, but have no limits in regards to levels and what skills you can learn. That is the difference between us and you. It is no small wonder why you are more powerful than players," Lucas sighed. "Big brother will be here soon. Please wait here." Lucas pointed to benches outside the mall''s electronic doors. The three elves sat and began resting as the humans left. Zamiel stared silently as he took out his Endless Quiver. It seemed the Game System forgot to modify the quiver as it did his previous armor. *Ping*
System Notice
Unfinished Updates Due to negligence of the system administrators, your Endless Quivers was not modified according to your current class. Due to this, the system is awarding 1 gold coin in compensation and a modification option of two choices. Option 1: Plus 2 to all stats, including toughness and speed. One step closer to being invincible among your cultivation. Option 2: <>. Legendary skill. Unable to be learned by others. Element affinities determined by Beta Player. Channel the qi in the body to blast the enemy with fire with your hands or feet.
"Option 2. Option 1 is never good," Zamiel said and learned <>. He already had stats upgraded due to his sword, ring, and increased strength and vitality with every cultivation breakthrough. He had magic and weapon skills, but not bare-handed skills. If he was disarmed, he would use the <> as a last resort as no one would expect it. It was also a skill no one else could use, and it was even a legendary skill. For him, <> used 5 stamina and 5 spirit to release a strike of fire and chaos spirit energy. It cost a whopping 50 mana and 50 stamina points! His two strongest skills, <> used 3 spirit, and <> used 3 stamina or 30 stamina points! It was the ultimate trump card. As he finally got eight skills, the game system made changes and displayed a new table. *Ping*
Stamina Skills Updated
Current Stamina Skills <>: Rank 1 skill. Costs 1 stamina or 10 stamina points <>: Unique Rank skill. Costs 1 stamina to use. No cost for sustained use. <>: Legendary skill. Costs 3 stamina or 30 stamina points.
*Ping*
Spirit Skills Updated
Current Spirit Skills <>: Rank 3 skill. Costs 2 spirit or 20 mana. <>: Class skill. Costs 1 spirit or 10 mana. <>: Class skill. Costs 3 spirit or 30 mana.
*Ping*
Special Skills Updated
Current Hybrid and Item Skills <>: Class skill. Costs 1 stamina and 1 spirit. <>: Legendary skill. Costs 5 stamina and 5 spirit. <>: Item bestowed skill. Costs 1 spirit per use. <>: Item bestowed skill. Limited to 3 casts between every midnight. <>: System restricted skill. Does not count against queue due to its high restriction
*Ping*
System Notice
You are the first to learn 8 skills Despite being among the lower top 200 Beta Players in the world, you are the first to learn 8 skills and one of the top 10 to complete your first dungeon. Skills used through items do not count among 8 skill restriction. If more than 8 skills are learned, player must manually replace skill with another out of combat. Passive skills do not apply. You will be granted the first passive skill and your forum name will be announced on the coming Global System Announcement. Title is awarded due to recent accomplishments since awakening. Zamiel earned title: Bloodstained Swordsman. Plus 1 to vitality, stamina, and plus 3 toughness. Able to dual wield blades. Zamiel learned Rank 9 passive skill: <> Zamiel has ingested the soul essence of a rank 9 magical beast Evil Eye Mammoth Tyrant. Magical beasts are rare in this world and needed in order to transcend being a Late Spirit Knight (level 30) and become an Initial Spirit King (level 31). When you become a Late Spirit Knight (level 21), you will have access to the effects of the passive skill and the Beta only skills granted as you follow your cultivation path.
*Ping*
Global System Announcement
Alias codename Demise King learned a Passive Skill Passive skills are only learned by Beta Players when ingesting the soul essence of a magical beast. Passive skill was learned by Demise King for being the first to learn 8 skills, excluding item bestowed skills. Note, only 10 magical beasts exist with soul essences of the 9th rank, only one magical beast having a legendary rank soul. Due to the slow leveling progress, only 500 Beta Players are required to reach level 11 to open access to the Item Shop, Weapon Shop, Armor Shop, and Accessory Shop. Please note that no potions of any kind will be sold in the Item Shop in consequence of the early access: from the 7,000 level 11 Beta requirement to 500. Warning This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. Over 1,000 Beta Players have died and not even half a year has passed. Your chances of survival decreased by 10% already. Do not hesitate to fight or humanity will fall. Current Beta Players at level 11: 341 Current Beta Players Alive: 8, 981
*Ping*
Zamiel is now level 12
"Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!" Zamiel cried, not even having finished reading one table as they all appeared at once. The rest of the players and Beta would see the last notice and now he would be even more popular on the forums. Now he really shouldn''t use <> in public. Still, a tenth of the 10,000 Beta Players were already dead before half a year passed. Things were not looking good and the system even opened the shops early, affirming his guess. What''s worse, people could not buy potions from the Item Shop. This would mean that Beta Players who knew apothecary become more important. Only they could make health, mana, stamina, and other potions and elixirs. Because a thousand Beta died, the world became worse off. People would think buying weapons and armor early was good, but the shops were sure to be more expensive than auctions. Potions saved lives. With the Item Shop not selling any potions in the future, many more people are sure to die. Zamiel decided to see his stats to first review his current standing. He first chose to distribute 2 stats into vitality and stamina before opening his status table. Name: Zamiel Level: 12 Race: Blood Elf (Demigod variant) Class: Chaos Knight Cultivation: Middle Spirit Knight Titles: Bloodstained Swordsman; Jurassic Survivor; Samurai Vanguard Cultivation Spirit: Rank 9 Evil Eye Mammoth Tyrant Stats STR: 21 (16+5) VIT: 13 (10+3) AGI: 13 SPR: 16 STA: 15 SPEED: 5 (4+1) TOUGH: 10 (5+5) Attributes Fire: 47% Darkness: 35% (granted by item) Thunder: 14% Chaos: 8% Seeing his stats, Zamiel could only imagine how much higher the basic five stats of others were as he first leveled toughness and speed early on. He had +5 strength because of his Divine Dragon Sword and his Black Heart Ring gave him +5 toughness, +1 speed, and +3 vitality. The reason the stats were higher were also because of the titles permanently granting him stats and his cultivation technique giving him +2 STR and +1 VIT per cultivation breakthrough. It was good for him to go to the dungeon and complete it. Lucas Bradley returned and said, "My brother and the two other Beta are back. They await you at the Food Court." "......this is madness," Aerogan muttered as they entered the mall, seeing refugees in small tents outside some stores while others lived inside some of them. Some of the younger generation were training with their melee weapons while others practiced their shooting. However, most of them only had regular weapons. "They don''t have magical weapons?" Zamiel frowned. "They are not in the Fighter Force. We cannot spare the money for them," Lucas said as many curious and scared eyes gazed on the four elves as they walked past them, Lucas at the lead. "They still believe in the ways of the past, before the Cataclysm. They are too afraid to fight, or too inexperienced. Those who fight are given better food and living conditions. People sold food in the auction forums so we were able to buy them. Say, did you see the Global System Announcement?" "Yeah. The Item Shop won''t sell potions. I think you can buy food though," Zamiel nodded. "Hopefully. Not even 400 Beta reached level 11. Either they chose the mithril coin over a cultivation method, or they are too scared to fight," Lucas sighed. "The three Beta chose the mithril coin. My bro tried to buy a cultivation method, but those are restricted to the Beta as it is a personal quest reward. Also, the only cultivation method found was one and th dude is selling it for 3 mithril. 3! Too greedy." "He got a cultivation manual as a loot drop? He is lucky. Also, a mithril is 1,000 gold so any sane Beta would sell cultivation manuals for mithril if anyone can use it. I don''t think you can copy it either, like skill books, so it justifies the price," Zamiel shrugged. "What level are they?" "All ten. As they can''t cultivate, they are not even initial Spirit Knights. That means, besides their personal quest reward items; they cannot even use rank 1 items which are for levels 1-10. Seeing you wear such cool armor, you definitely chose the cultivation manual over the single mithril," Lucas said. "Option 1 is always a trap, based on what I''ve seen so far," Zamiel shrugged. "Each one is insanely good, but you don''t need it as of the moment. It is better to get something you can use for a long time, not one that is expendable." "And that''s what we fell for," a man said, the elves seeing three people ahead in regular clothes, high ranked weapons on their person. "This is my brother, Luke Bradley," Lucas said, pointing to the man. "He''s ten years older than me. My dad still had it in him. HAHAHA. The teenage boy beside him is my buddy, Max. The other teen is his girlfriend, Sarah." "Hello," the three inclined their heads and inspected Zamiel. Zamiel felt a shudder in his mind as a status table appeared above his head.
Zamiel Level 12 Chaos Knight Middle Spirit Knight Stage 130/130 HP
"A high ranker!" Luke cried, shocked by the stats. "130 HP? Geez. Such high vitality." "One of the 341 Beta who reached level 11," Max agreed. "A hidden class too." "How did you get that class?" Sarah asked and looked at Aerogan and Lajakel, shocked. "Level 38 and level 14?" "WHAT?" everyone in the area cried as Sarah''s voice had risen two octaves. "Now I know why you think I am too strong," Lajakel muttered, Aerogan grinning as well. They couldn''t believe it, but most humans really were weak, not at all like the high humans from their New Earth. "We''re only passing through," Zamiel said, the others sighing with disappointment. Naturally, people only gathered together if they were too weak alone. "It''s too dangerous to leave Northridge. No. It''s more like you can''t leave," Luke shook his head. "Since the two worlds fused, the streets and neighborhoods no longer lay next to each other on the map. Some neighborhoods float in the sky while others were pushed miles away by deserts, plains, or ruined cities not from our Earth. To proceed to Downtown LA, where it is rumored to be safe due to so many other people, you must travel through a ruined city. The city is full of monsters and some prowl the street." "What about the internet? How does the mall have power?" Zamiel frowned. "The system simply stated that it provided it to us for free to make it more like our old Earth," Max answered. "Even the plumbing functions as it always had. Utilities are free and inexhaustible. That is the only good news. People have been talking on the forums, and on the internet, about how so much has changed. Me and my girl, we both chose to be high humans. As such, enemies drop currency more frequently and we start with 2 in each of the five basic stats, 4 in vitality." "Some countries have gone mad. Men and women are being sold in prostitution rings and people kill each other to take what they want. Some countries were even destroyed. The highest level Beta we know, according to the forums, is Michael Wang and George Ventus. George Ventus is the highest level Beta, already level 17 and wields Excalibur. Michael Wang is level 16 and took over Shanghai. The government can do nothing and many Beta rally under them. Michael Wang opened a forum, inviting all Chinese Beta to rally under him as he conquers the world. George Ventus opened his own forum, declaring to find justice by questioning the mysterious company who made the game hiding in some city in Maryland. It''s chaos out there," Sarah continued. "Government? Law enforcement? For now, it''s not possible in Europe, Australia, and Africa. The Middle East never had a chance due to division in politics and religion and South Asia is cut off from the world by the Himalayas. Unless the general population reaches at least thirty, there''s no such thing as countries." "The best would be a city state. America endures, but even the police and military are level 7 at best. At this point in time, the big countries endure for now," Luke concluded. "It is only because civilians are too scared to fight that most of them are below level 3. As far as the forum chats are concerned, only the capital cities and most populated cities have not fallen to the monsters. Los Angeles being the second largest city in the United States, it is why Northridge still stands. For now, Downtown is secured and everyone is migrating there. However, various monsters prowl the streets, like the orcs. The Metro Rail System is not an option. Believe me, people tried and cried out in the forums." "What do we do?" Aerogan whispered. "We go to this Downtown. The moon elves might be on a floating island near there, or hiding among them," Lajakel replied silently. "My friends and I must go. We were separated by the wood elves and they wanted to make camp to the south east, the direction where Downtown is," Zamiel said. "You can come with us." "We can''t. We have to protect the people here and the monsters along the way are above level 10. No one will survive," Lucas sighed. "We also hope to see our families come here. It is a slim hope, but people still believe in it." "I see. Good luck," Zamiel said and the three wood elves bowed and left the mall after purchasing some food. "I like chocolate," Maybelle said as she ate a chocolate covered waffle stick. "It seems the world is more in disarray as the Grand Elder believed. Even the other world''s situation is as tragic as ours," Lajakel noted as they exited the parking lot and headed to the car dealership at Nordhoff and Shirley. Zamiel hoped to find a car. Any car really. "Yes it has. We can only endure, adapt, and survive," Zamiel said as he entered the building and searched for keys. "It''s the only thing we can do."