《*A Fool's Errand*》 Chapter 1: Prologue ¡°Brian, your package just arrived. Pick it up from the porch when you¡¯re ready!¡± I rose from my studies, slowly and without the sense of hurry I had heard from my classmates when they faced the same situation. Why would I? After all, it may have been my own decision, but in a sense this not-so-inexpensive venture was just an experiment. Just that. ¡°Coming, mother.¡± Carefully stacking back to order my cared-for notes, I first took a few minutes to shower and change my clothes before coming down from my room. ¡°Did you pay for it? I didn¡¯t hear the delivery man call for his payment¡­¡± My mother, Alyssa, only gave me a fond smile. ¡°Brian, my boy. Surely you wouldn¡¯t let your mom do something for you, would you? It¡¯s only a few dollars ¨C a pittance, no more, no less.¡± I bent my head. ¡°Thank you for the help, mother.¡± A moment of silence went between us and a silent sigh left me. My hand was held in a grip ¨C what was it about talking to my parents that was so difficult? More so, why was I such a difficult person? Vexation filled me as I thought of myself as a person. With a hesitant look on her face, my mother softly placed a hand over my chin. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about spending too much time in this, Brian. I hardly think that a few hours a day would matter, really.¡± I turned away. ¡°The 5x acceleration inside the game would help in that matter, so worries aren¡¯t necessary in the first place. But thank you for your faith in me, mother.¡± Silently, I picked up the package with my hands before looking away from my mother as I left the room. I pretended that I didn¡¯t hear her sigh as well. This was the year of 20XX. Contrary to what was popular culture a few decades ago, the planet Earth didn¡¯t become a technological metropolis or meeting place for aliens of any sort. Time travel was still out of reach, cancer was still technically incurable, and there were still problems in humanity as a whole. No, in fact, contrary to the massive developments in technology in the beginning of the 20th century, technology in our time had started to stagnate. Fields of science from all directions one by one started to cease from creating and making new discoveries, and slowly more and more jobs lost popularity as the world as a whole failed to grow. But there was a silver lining to be seen in all this negativity. Computer Science. The field was a newborn babe when the century began, but it only continued to grow and grow and grow. All over the world, new technology under the domain of electronics started to develop, new AI, new computers, new data storage, and to the joy of most in all ages ¨C new games. Virtual Reality was no longer a dream. Suddenly, in the darkening world of humans, a new light was lit. If the planet Earth started to run out of interesting things, then there were new worlds out there ¨C just on the opposite side of a machine. Fantasy and magic was no longer out of reach; they were just a few thousand dollars away. And when the Mental Acceleration technology appeared in just another year, Mankind celebrated with glee. Finally! Time itself was no longer a burden to us all, or at least within those worlds of ours. Thanks to Acceleration, not only could we enjoy our VR longer, but also do our RL jobs faster! In the span of two years that followed, the VR and MA technology proliferated. As for myself? Well, in the longer part of those years, I was just a young boy who spent most of his time in his room, studying. My father was one of the lead developers of the VR system after all ¨C there was no way I was about to waste my time in games when I could slowly work on my way to make my father proud. Or at least, that was what I thought. It turned out to be that closing yourself off from the world wasn¡¯t really beneficial to your lifestyle and socialization as a whole. Ever since I was a child, I grew out to be that ¡®geek¡¯ or that ¡®nerd¡¯ within those around my age. I grew lonely, on my shameful pedestal of scholastic medals and grades. I could¡¯ve used my father¡¯s name on those my age, but that wasn¡¯t what I wanted. What I wanted were real friends. True friendship. But who ever said that ''making friends was easy'' was a liar that deserved to be repeatedly stabbed. How was it that a person like me, with a history of being standoff-ish, would ever be able to make friends? By the moment I realized my own folly, every smile I gave to those in my school was replied with an odd stare. Every attempt to socialize became awkward. Any attempt to make friends only had people warded off away from me, with them being told to not associate with the ''geek''. I felt terribly alone. As the years passed, I continued to feel even more closed-off. In return, I delved deeper into what was familiar to me ¨C my studies, my books, my course of programming in my college. If I was going to be lonely, then I would just have to become respected and gain friends that way. It was simple, right? Wrong. That only worsened my situation, as my name broke out in my field as an ¡®upcoming genius¡¯, especially with the mention of my father. I continued to feel even lonelier ¨C now, even those who didn¡¯t even know of my history thought they knew me before I even met them. It got to the point where inside my own home the unfeeling personality I had made to protect myself showed. I was lonely. I was alone. I was absurdly craving for companionship. And thus, after so many years of not touching the technology my own father helped develop, I finally caved in to the promise of a new world, a new life outside of my own. It wasn¡¯t for adventure, it wasn¡¯t for excitement, it wasn¡¯t for pleasure ¨C no, those weren¡¯t for me. All I wanted was friendship. You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. ¡°Link system, begin.¡± ¡°Mental connection would start up after countdown. 5, 4, 3, 2, 1-¡± I just hoped it would be a successful venture. ¡°Connection created. Link start-up!¡± And then it all went up to black. When I woke up, I was in a wide, empty, and white space. Above and in front of me was a single caption, in black letters. My brow furrowed at that. ¡°Of course. Please, show me all that is available to edit.¡± In a few seconds, a large window appeared in front of me, filled with multiple checkboxes and bars. Dozens of options were in view; from language to sound, from graphic to even subtitling. I took a moment to admire all the effort I knew the programmers placed in the game ¨C truly, my own field really had its gems. Within minutes, I was finished. I turned up most of the ¡®Realism¡¯ options, from sound to visuals to even the much-feared and hated ¡®Pain¡¯ option. While I knew that placing it at 60% was quite a foolish thing to do, in the end I had decided long ago to make my own gameplay as real as I could without possibly damaging my sense of reality. And if just pain alone was enough to scare me from my goal, then I wasn¡¯t even worthy to reach for it in the first place. There were far more things to be feared than faked physical pain. If anything, at least with these settings I could get used to to pain while it was harmless to me. The announcement came this time in a soft masculine voice ¨C my own. It was a rather strange thing for the programmers to allow this setting, which made me decide to turn it on. I already made this decision long ago. ¡°Yes. Please, load up the game ¡®Fate Online¡¯.¡± I couIdn''t help but smile as I closed my eyes. When I opened them again, the world was in light blue. Another caption was right in front of me; this time in gold. Soft music filtered through my ears, a slow serenade of classical instruments, filling me a sense of welcome. I licked my lips in anticipation. ¡°Yes.¡± Suddenly, the world around me was ripped away as several three-dimensional models appeared in my vision. Again, this made me more impressed ¨C if I didn¡¯t know I was in a virtual world, I would¡¯ve thought they were real. I interrupted the feminine voice before she finished listing. ¡°Human, please. And yes, I am sure of my decision.¡± I gave a look at my character ¨C the appearance I was going to hold for the rest of my time in this world. A few minutes of shuffling through options, I was done. Black, messy, straight but slightly spiky hair. A softly rounded face. Lightly colored skin. Brown eyes like both my parents had. His stature was lean, but far from muscular. I gave a nod. It was identical my own appearance in the real world. ¡°Is physical development available in the game?¡± ¡°Yes. But please disable scarring, if the option is available.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± That was something I forgot to think about before, so unlike everything else, I took a few moments to decide. A strange expression lifted my face when I finally answered. ¡°Rain.¡± Rain was a bit of a strange name, I knew. But at least it wasn¡¯t GrandHAXxMaster or something along those lines. And plus, Rain was both close and far from my real name ¨C I only took away a letter and shuffled two letters. That would be enough so I wouldn¡¯t find it difficult to answer to my new nickname. And lastly¡­ ''Rain'' sounded both sad and hopeful to me. I didn¡¯t know back then. Back then, it was all just an ¡®experiment¡¯. Just the final option I took after so many years of loneliness. I didn¡¯t know back then how important the world I entered would be to me. I didn¡¯t know how that world would change me so much, would make me so much better as a person. I didn¡¯t know just how many people I would meet, just how many lessons I would learn that I would¡¯ve never seen inside a book or through listening in class. Yes, I didn¡¯t know really anything before I entered the world of Fate Online. But, if anything, at least I remembered smiling when I started the game. After all, that expression would stay on my face for the most of the time after. Yes, and welcome, my new life. Chapter 2: A Helping Hand? Chapter 2: A Helping Hand? ¡°Hm-hm, yeah! This looks just alright!¡± In Fate Online, for beginners there was a starter point in the middle of all the cities. When they first started the game, the game randomly chose one city before summoning them there. I was no exception. Randomly, I was dropped into the starter point of Pratumira, wherein I faced what the location was primarily designed with. Mirrors. Dozens of them, almost obtrusively bursting out from every possible surface, all of them gleaming in the high sun of the world I was in. Perfectly reflective, they really served the purpose they had in mind for the location they were in. Self-Identification. It was only reasonable. After all, as much as the players created their own physical models, it was still a little stunning and a bit disorienting to be in a body that was not your own. This problem was not one of my own, as my own appearance in this world was the same as my real one. In time, it would change as my will to let it physically develop allowed, but at that point I would be familiar enough with the body that looking at mirrors would still be unnecessary. However, that didn¡¯t mean they were useless to me. ¡°I really look kind of idiotic with that kind of goofy grin.¡± I stated to myself, carefully studying my own appearance even as the expression dropped off. ¡°But¡­¡± It came back on my face ¨C very easily this time. ¡°It¡¯s just right!¡± I grinned at my own smiling reflection. It eased a bit as my expression eased to match my real emotions; I was happy, but not that happy. ¡°Really, maybe with this, people would really become friends with me...¡± I placed a hand on the mirror, almost trying to reach out to the other side. Wasn¡¯t it a usual metaphor that mirrors were used to symbolize people¡¯s inner selves? Maybe this mirror was showing my real self. No, maybe this world was the one mirroring my real self, my real personality inside me that I never managed to express in the world outside. Maybe my real personality was like this image in front of me; playful and cheery. I took a few steps back. I eyed a nearby rock before walking up to the object and picking it up.
You gained ¡°A Small Rock¡±!
A Small Rock (Durability: 5/5, Rarity: Inconsequential) A stone you picked off the street. Now, what are you going to do with it? (Really, what?)
I took a few moments to stare at the window, very much amused and thankful that I spotted the ¡®Interesting¡¯ option for my pop-up screens. ¡°Well, if you really want to know¡­¡± I answered back, knowing people would stare at me for doing so but nevertheless speaking back to my pop-up narrator, ¡°Here you go!¡± I threw the rock at my window, causing it to fade away at the very touch. But that wasn¡¯t what I aimed for; no, my admittedly-large rock flew quickly to its destination: one of the mirrors. CRASH! I ran up to the point of impact, eyes crinkling as soon as I arrived. True to my expectations, the mirror shattered into various shards and powder, the rock itself having cracked from the hit. Internally, I wondered at exactly how hard the one-inch thick mirror was for that to happen. Ah, oh well. Good thing I didn¡¯t choose to use my body to break it. I was only Level 1; maybe I would get a broken rib or something. Coyly sitting down to the remains of what once-was-a-mirror, I gave one of the shards a soft touch.
A Glass Shard (Durability: 3/3, Rarity: Inconsequential) A glass shard you ¡®crafted¡¯ through vandalism. People shudder at the thought of whatever you want this for.
I shook my head at that. This time, I pressed on the powder; softly, as to not damage my own finger.
Powdered Glass (Durability: Incalculable, Rarity: Inconsequential) Powdered glass. Snort at your own risk.
I raised my eyebrow at the caption, a smile coming to my lips at that. Experiments aside, this was an interesting object. Sitting back, I thought of what I just found out about this world. This world was simply put, amazing. It baffled me as to how the programmers managed it, but somehow it quantified everything and anything that existed as objects ¨C though, on second thought, maybe there were limits as to living and sentient beings. One simply didn¡¯t pocket people after all. It was extremely heavy on the system resources, no doubt. My mind boggled at the thought of simulating an entire world. How many Yottabytes were used in this world, just for the objects alone? Anyways, those thoughts aside, I immediately tore off a nearby poster from a wall and used it to pick up as much of the glass dust as I could, gingerly placing the shards into my inventory one-by-one as I did. I wasn¡¯t about to leave behind proof of my vandalism behind, no, not at all! And if they seemed to be interesting, potentially exploitable, then that was something very unrelated to my decision to bring them with me! ¡°Hey, look at this guy. Hey you, are you a newbie?¡± Immediately placing the now-package of glass dust into my inventory, I gave the new person a dose of the look I was going to use for the rest of my time in this world of Fate. I grinned. ¡°Yeah, I am. My name is Rain. Who are you?¡± Maybe, these people would be my friends¡­ ¡°Alright!¡± One of the new people I met, a blonde lightly armored man who called himself Caelum, pulled me up in front to meet his party members. ¡°This guy¡¯s name is Rain. He¡¯s a newbie at the game, so don¡¯t tease him too much if he trips over his feet every now and then!¡± ¡°Hey!¡± I jokingly yelled back, mockingly offended. ¡°I¡¯m not that much of a n00b!¡± One of the guys in front of us clapped. Very sarcastically. ¡°Wow, he knows how to use internet terms!¡± ¡°Come on, come on now Tonitrum. Don¡¯t be so mean to the newbie.¡± Caelum interrupted his friends before they got into a fist-fight. ¡°Hey, hey! You guys, you know what this means, right? As long-time players of this game-¡± a strange gleam entered his eyes, ¡°-we should help and teach Rain over here on how to play!¡± I snorted. ¡°Do I really look that inexperienced to you?¡± Tonitrum gave me his only reply to that. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Damn.¡± I need to get better at this banter thing. ¡°So,¡± Caelum appeared behind me again, placing a hand on my shoulder. ¡°Rain, want for us to help you train outside the city? The area nearby only has low-level monsters in it ¨C just a bit of EXP, and then you won¡¯t have to worry!¡± A bit surprised at his generous offer to help, I couldn¡¯t help but look away a bit shyly. ¡°But I don¡¯t have much in the way of weapons or armor. It¡¯s not like I could just punch monsters with my fists¡­¡± ¡°Here.¡± Saelum, one of the other players around me, threw me a knife ¨C which I caught not-too-gracefully. ¡°You can borrow this if you want. And here¡¯s some leather armor as well.¡± He then proceeded to pluck out various parts of armor out of his inventory towards me. I only stood there, shocked. ¡°¡­You¡¯re all doing this much for me? Someone you barely know?¡± Caelum and his friends traded looks before giving me identical smiles. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it! It¡¯s nothing really ¨C and sometimes, helping people in itself is a reward.¡± Nodding in thanks, I started to put on the armor, pressing them one by one as to see their effects.
Gloves of Leporine Leather (Durability: 50/50, Rarity: Low) These protect your hands! Not as soft as mittens, but no use in grumbling! Increases Armor by 5. Increases Attack Speed by 10%.
Pants of Leporine Leather (Durability: 100/100, Rarity: Low) These protect your lower portions! Feel the tightness and boast your legs to the world! Increases Armor by 10. Reduces Physical Damage over covered area by 10%.
Armor of Leporine Leather (Durability: 100/100, Rarity: Low) This goes on to your chest! Let¡¯s hope this armor protects you much better than what it did for the rabbits the leather came from! Increases Armor by 10. Reduces Physical Damage over covered area by 10%.
Shoes of Leporine Leather (Durability: 50/50, Rarity: Low) This is for your feet! Better wear some good socks! Increases Armor by 5. Increases Movement Speed by 10%.
I left the helmet alone. I preferred to have a full degree of vision. I then turned back to my knife, pressing it to check its stats as well.
Leporine Knife of The Rabbit¡¯s Foot (Durability: 100/100, Rarity: Medium) Weapon blessed by cutting off several dozen rabbit legs for a good luck charm! Damage: 15-25 Points per Hit. Enchantment: Increases LUK by 7.
The moment I closed the window, another one immediately popped up: this time, flooding me with even more thankfulness for these new people I¡¯ve met.
Set Bonus Activated! For equipping 5 Rabbit-related items, you get: +5 bonus to all Stats! Now, you can go out to the world and boast your skill in killing these harmless little creatures! (Rabbit Ears are not considered part of this Set.)
¡°T-this¡­ I can¡¯t possibly thank you all for this-¡± ¡°Ssshhh¡­¡± Caelum came by me again, shaking his head. ¡°Let¡¯s just hunt outside the city already, alright?¡± Giving them all a thankful grin, I shouted yes. This armor set and weapon practically boosted me up by more than eight effective levels. At this point, there was no need to worry about the low-level monsters outside the city of Pratumira! ¡°Status Window.¡± I hummed happily over the sidelines as Caelum and his party broke out in laughter beside me over something they were talking about. I didn¡¯t even attempt to eavesdrop on them ¨C it would¡¯ve been rude for me to do so, especially with all the help they gave me.
Status Window
Name:Rain
Level:5Class:None
Race:HumanGender:Male
Titles:Rabbit Hunter (Gain 5% EXP boost to all Beast kills)
-
Health:150/150Mana:200/200
Strength:3 + 5 (Set Bonus)Dexterity:4 + 5 (Set Bonus)
Intelligence:15 + 5 (Set Bonus)Endurance:5 + 5 (Set Bonus)
Wisdom:12 + 5 (Set Bonus)Luck:2 + 7 (Weapon Bonus) + 5 (Set Bonus)
Vitality5 + 5 (Set Bonus)Charisma:3 + 5 (Set Bonus)
Equipment Effects:Rabbit Set Bonus! : +5 to all Stats.
Stat Points Available: 25
This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.I was only in this game for just over an hour, and I was already well-off. Caelum and the group ¨C which consisted of a grand total of six people, all of them wearing the same light leather armor ¨C had just directed me to the meadow fields just outside the gates of Pratumira. Almost amusedly, they first directed me to hunt down rabbits. Saelum had even teased me that I was a ¡®rabbit growing fangs¡¯, especially with the armor I was wearing. I wasn¡¯t amused with the comparison. Anyways, the first hunt had gone very slowly. Like all newbies, as Caelum had told me priorly, I had found difficulty in even hitting the first little rabbit I found. Curiously, it wasn¡¯t because of the speed of the small creature as I had expected ¨C no, I was certainly fast enough, especially with all the boosts I had with armor. The reason was the little Pleine Rabbit was so damn adorable. How could someone dare to hurt such cute little critters, especially with those shiny, beady looks in their eyes whenever people came near? They weren¡¯t even running away! They actually hopped along to get close to whoever came by, rubbing their white fur over people¡¯s legs and generally being cuddly and adorable and- ¡°Hey, Rain! You have to kill the little guy!¡± The rabbit shivered in fright beside me as it heard the K-word. I gave it a calming hug. ¡°NO!¡± I cried out a little childishly, turning away from an amused Caelum. ¡°I won¡¯t harm little Fluffykins!¡± There was a moment of silence until Tonitrum gave out a loud snicker. Blood rose to my ears in embarrassment ¨C why was it so that I never had pets before? Now, I basically made myself out as a kid to all these kind people I just met! ¡°Rain¡­¡± Caelum gave me what was an attempt to be comforting. It was the twitch at the edge of his lips that made it a failure. ¡°You do realize this is what those rabbits are for, right? Think, Rain. Why would they place such monsters in low-level areas?¡± I froze at his words. Thinking about it, he was right. There was certainly a reason as to why little Fluffykins and the rest of his race existed, especially at such low levels and so close to the city. In fact, I was almost sure all of the initial monsters looked just as adorable as the shaking rabbit in my arms. It was for the very reason I was here. Desensitization. No use thinking about it, no amount of reasoning could change the fact that the world I entered was a world of death. People killed. People died. People killed monsters and fellow people alike, people broke all sorts of moral rules in this world of Fate Online. What more practice than to first kill something so pure and innocent? A few minutes later, I gave out a sigh. I turned back to the rabbit in my arms, his eyes begging for mercy from me. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Fluffykins.¡± There was no way I was going to manage to explore this world without breaking through that first mental wall. This world, this wonderful world of realism and fantasy ¨C it couldn¡¯t be survived without learning this first lesson. A single swing of my dagger ¨C which was no doubt had already tasted blood ¨C little Fluffykins let out one final squeak before he shattered into nothing but pixels.
You gained 15 EXP! You leveled up! You gained Rabbit Meat x1!
I didn¡¯t get a chance to rest and rationalize what I had done, as immediately right after, all the rabbits in the area had their eyes turn red and their teeth grow and sharpen. I drew their aggro without knowing it. A half an hour later, there I was, breathing heavily on the ground, dozens of rabbit kills in my history and just as many rabbit-related items in my inventory in the form of their remains: fur, claw, teeth, and meat. I took another half hour to finally calm down and give Caelum¡¯s group all the fur for the help they gave. "Hey, Rain, want to hunt Dirge Wolves this time?" I tilted my head back to meet Caelum''s ever-present charismatic smile. "Dirge Wolves? What are those?" Caelum grinned, only to holler for his friends. "Hey, you guys! I think we should tell Rain about the Dirge Wolves this time!" He turned back to me. "So, Dirge Wolves are the only other kind of monster around this area. Their levels are usually between six and nine, but the important thing about them is this: not only are they far more bloodthirsty than the Pleine Rabbits, they move in packs and work as a group." I nodded at his words. "So, that means it''s a way for the moderators to make people form groups? In order to properly hunt them?" Caelum beamed. "You catch on quickly as always, Rain! So, are you joining?" Wait. "Are you..." I couldn''t believe my ears, even with everything Caelum and the rest had done to help me. "Inviting me to your party?" Caelum''s reply was simple.
Caelum Sodalicium has invited you to a party! Yes / No
I pressed ''Yes'' like I never did before. The entire group gave out a large cheer at my action. I couldn''t help but give a wide grin at that - they looked so happy, even if essentially I was the weight they had to carry. Shaking my head at the antics of my new... friends, I played a little bit with my settings even as Caelum pulled me by one arm into another hunting spot. Party members... With me in the group, Caelum''s party was now at the number of seven. It seemed that Caleum turned off the equal EXP though - and for good reason. Myself aside, the entirety of the party averaged around the high-50s in the terms of levels, which made me wonder as to why they were in a starting city in the first place. Baratrum. Caelum. Caendium. Ormentum. Saelum. Tonitrum. All of their names sounded like Latin, and they also shared the second name Sodalicium. With all of that, the name ''Rain'' really felt out of place in the party. Too bad that I didn''t know Latin, or else I would''ve known what their names meant - if they meant anything at all. I was untimely snapped out of my thoughts when Caelum suddenly yelled out loud again in my ears. "Hey, Rain! We''re here!" "Here, what?" I asked, finally returning to the reality I was currently in. "Oh, the spawning spot for the Dirge Wolves?" "What else?" Ormentum, the usually silent one in the group asked. "Is there any other place for us to go?" "The question was rhetorical." I replied drolly to him and him alone. For some reason, I didn''t like the guy. "I figured you needed the reminding. After all, you were the one staring at midair for a while now, am I correct?" Maybe it was the similarity to my real-life persona. Figures. "Touche." Anyways, ignoring social interactions for the moment as to analyze the situation, I shifted my attention to look for any nearby monsters. It only took me a second to find one - the Dirge Wolf mob Caelum had told me about. After spotting it, I had to wonder how I had missed it in the first place. Contrary to the adorableness and cuteness of the Pleine Rabbits, Dirge Wolves were at the opposite spectrum of the monster scale. Thick, sharp, and red teeth still glistening with blood from its own bleeding gums were accompanied by a half-corroded, half rotten face. Muscle sinews were exposed to the air as the skin that should''ve covered them fell apart as these beasts walked. These wolves plainly gave off the feel of the undead. They were literally blood, rotten flesh, and bones! I suspected that they were for the opposite side of the desensitization procedure this time. After finally managing to kill the innocent looking creatures like the Rabbits, players still had to learn to stand up to the real monsters - the terrifying ones that had no fear in ripping people into pieces if you crossed them the wrong way. However, this time I was more prepared. "So, how do I do this?!" I directed my question with a grin to Caelum, the person I grew closest to in the short period of time I knew my party. "I''m so excited to finally kill real monsters!" (For some reason, one of my other teammates shivered as he murmured ''Caerbannog''.) "Great, great!" Caelum cheered me on. "Now, it''s easy. You just go out there, aggro it, and we will protect you from all the other wolves. You have to fight that one all by yourself though." I paused. "Really?" "Really, really." This is not optimal for my continued health. When Fate Online was released for the first time, one of the motto''s the advertisers had was: "It is a fully realistic, exciting world to be in!" Apparently, they had a sense of humor. This world was indeed realistic, in a sense of being as realistic a world filled with all sorts of monsters could ever reach. No matter the amount of quests you could find in it or the abnormal population count inside the game - no, the game was ''realistic''. Well, excuse me for initially disliking the realism. But in the end, I ended up exploiting the realism myself. The Dirge Wolf pounced as I came closer. I had to jump and roll to the side - a bit painfully, I might add - just to evade the sickly red claws of the animal. Immediately recovering my position, I jumped back to meet the Wolf, my dagger ready to pierce the animal''s throat.
Critical Hit! Knife Mastery''s level has increased by one! You caused 60 damage.
Ignoring the window for the meanwhile, I jumped back before the injured animal could strike a counter. Luckily, it seemed that the critical hit had stunned the Wolf, so the moment I was sure I could attack again, I did; this time, in combos. Lungs. Kidney. Eyes. Belly. More criticals. More hits. Strike at the weakness!
Through repetitive actions, you received the skill Critical Eye!
I was so overjoyed by the alert of a new skill that the wolf managed to recover. The moment I closed the window, a claw was already near my face, ready to strike back against me for all the pain I had caused the wolf attached to it. Widened eyes, I tried to jump back. Failure. In my attempt to evade, instead of fully dodging the attack, I had overextended myself and left my chest to be hit by the animal. The claw came down - bloody, sharp bones and rotten flesh hitting me with the force of a hammer directly over my sternum. I went flying over to the side, rolling over my side in pain. This... this was far more painful that I had ever imagined! I was a normal teenager after all, even with all of my achievements in my studies. I had no way of being able to endure something that hard without screaming out in pain - which I just did. Blood rushed over my veins and my heart started to beat fast as I tried but failed to take the pain. Maybe I should''ve reduced the Pain option. But the wolf wasn''t finished and was about to attack, so, steeling my nerves I tried to stand up even under what felt like the entire world over my shoulders. It didn''t come easy - my breathing hitched and my entire body went hot as the pain in my chest only rose, just a bit, just a bit more.... Honestly, it felt like torture. However, I managed to recover before it came close though. Finally managing to raise my dagger to my chest, I eyed the animal''s HP bar - just a sliver of red, just a single strike before it''s dead. And so, seeing that, I took out one of my secret weapons. Managing to manipulate my Inventory, I took out one Glass Shard. I flicked it to hit the Wolf''s eye. The animal growled as it dodged, but it wasn''t my aim in the first place. As it jumped to the left to evade the incoming glass projectile, it only landed back on the ground to meet my dagger coming for its throat. The wolf, after bleeding for so long, finally burst into pixels.
You gained 250 EXP! You leveled up! You gained Dirge Meat!
Good, I thought. Then I collapsed on the very ground I stood on.
Please leave reviews and replies~ I feel like nobody''s reading this... Chapter 3: Separation Chapter 3: Separation It was in much satisfaction did I wake up from my sudden slumber a few hours later. My failure from collapsing after just one mob aside, my new party had taken it to themselves to help me up and place me to safety before fighting off a few wolves of their own. Due to the EXP-sharing option in the Party Menu, all in all with their kills they uplifted me a few more levels until they were sure I could fight again. Safely this time. But first, I studied the list of everything I''ve gained so far through battling. First, the ones from the Pleine Rabbits.
Knife Mastery (Passive): Lvl 6
With every level, you are less likely to stab yourself with a knife! Effect: +18% damage to attacks using knives and daggers.
Title: Rabbit Hunter
You''ve shown yourself capable of killing adorable rabbits! +5% EXP from battling Beast mobs.
And the skill from battling the Dirge Wolf...
Critical Eye (Active): Lvl 1
You now can see weaknesses of your targets when this skill is active! Go, Critical Eye! Effects: +5% damage to critical hits. Costs 50 mp per minute. Percentile damage and useability increases with every level.
I felt amazing. Really, was this the reason as to why other people entered VR games? To feel strong, to feel powerful? Why was it that even though I just fainted earlier from that battle, I felt like I could take on the world? This [Critical Eye]... it was a bit costly for my level, but it was an amazing skill! Shaking my head as to keep check of my ego, I focused on the important details. I was far from strong at this point. Stat-wise, take away my weapon and armor I was still a level 3 even with the three levels Caelum and the rest had gained for me in my sleep. I still hadn''t spent all of the stat points I gained so far after all - so far, I was still undecided as to what I was going to focus on and still held on those 50 points just in case I ended up needing them. Plus, I also knew that stat increases through exercise was possible - just by my Pleine Rabbit hunt alone, I managed to gain a few points of dexterity that I didn''t have before. If so, then logically there would be a plateau upcoming in the future for the method. No doubt after a few more points, just increasing them via exercise would take weeks. But still, consumable stat points were a limited resource. I had to think about them carefully before I did anything with them. "Hey, Rain! You look deep in thought." A smile lit my face without heed as I turned to the person I owed all of my progress to. "Hey you too, Caelum." The charismatic leader of my party gave me his characteristic charismatic smile as he flipped his blond hair to the side. I had to note that he could actually go for a model''s job with those kind of looks. Nevertheless, I only shook my head at his not-so-empty bravado. "Caelum, I-" I was about to ask him on the matter when he interrupted me by placing a finger on my lips. "Want to hunt Dirge Wolves again?" Caelum asked me with that smile again. "You leveled up a few times, right? Maybe this time, you could last a bit longer against those mobs." "That''s the thing I was about to ask." I replied, brushing off the finger. "I was wondering if I really should spend up a few of my points on STR and END... Manual grinding of stats is possible, right? Then wouldn''t it be counterproductive if I spent 10 points now when I could simply gain them through other ways?" Caelum blinked at my words. I had to hide a flush of embarrassment at that reaction - in my deep thinking, I had forgotten my image as the ''happy-go-lucky-if-sometimes-sarcastic kid'' of the party. I really hated the fact I was who I was sometimes. Shaking his head, Caelum provided me a counterargument with a proud(?) look. "Look, Rain, it''s good you think on these things, but sometimes you just have to go with your instincts. Plus, those two stats are your lowest at the moment, right?" I nodded. Every other stat either started high (like my INT and WIS) or was raised by something else (like my low LUK). "Stats are strange things, Rain..." Caelum taught me with a wise look on his face. "Without points beforehand, how can you train them? Endurance is gained by enduring hits - which is a tad too difficult for you at the moment. So is strength, which needs a you to be suitably strong first before you could level it up by using weights." I took a moment to absorb that and realized, yes, Caelum was right. If stats were increased by repetitive successful usage of what they stood for, then how could I manage to train my STR when I couldn''t even lift a single dumbell? How could I even train my END when all it took for me to black out was a single hit? "So, I should place a bit of my points on them?" Caelum nodded. I opened my Status Window and increased both STR and END by five points before closing the screen. It was a strange feeling, using those points. It felt like I was unloading a weight behind my back with every point I spent, and that my body felt a bit better - more efficient, more hardy, and more importantly, much stronger than I was ever before. "So, are you done?" I gave him just one reply - a grin as I dramatically flexed my arm to expose new muscles: not so much like I became a sudden bodybuilder, but there was a bit more of flesh than what used to be there, a bit more of growth and masculinity. Strangely, Caelum''s response was an almost sullen look before he gave me another smile. "Alright, let''s hunt then." "Rain, remember to watch your enemy at all times this time, all right!" I held back a snort as I ignored Caelum''s redundant and counterproductive words. What if I listened to him and got hit again by another claw for my efforts? Instead, I kept my eyes on the aggravated mob in front of me, its life bar already in the yellow. It seemed that damage I was dealing was indeed partly affected by my increased STR, as now it only took me just one strike over the lungs for the Wolf''s health to decrease to half this time. Though... "Critical Eye." Like a switch was flipped, suddenly my world went mostly black and white. A few splashes of red color were placed directly over what I knew were weakpoints. The redder it seemed, the more critical the hit. It was the heart, the internal organs, the exposed veins and arteries that had it the reddest. I had to wonder though, would there be actual effects to striking what I knew were important to a body''s continued function? The Dirge Wolf, impatient and angered, took the initiative to attack this time. However, my experience over my previous fight with one of them saw me through as this time; I easily read ahead of the incoming attack and tilted to the side to evade the claw with minimal movements. There was a sound of a window opening, but I ignored it to move my dagger over the beast''s belly, slashing through flesh and aiming for my real target. The spine of the Dirge Wolf. CRACK! The shock of striking and cutting through bone sent shivers down my arm, but I ignored it in favor of evading the next pained claw sent for my face. Stepping easily into over a few feet away from the injured Wolf, I watched carefully as I patiently waited for the results of my experimentation and for the monster to stand up again. The Dirge Wolf sent me a glare with its red eyes, but failed to stand up as its rear legs didn''t move no matter what it did. When after more than fifteen seconds and the monster still failed to recover mobility, I took that as a chance to look what the System made of my action, and therefore, its result.
Through inflicting a debilitating blow on your enemy, you''ve gained the skill Disable!
Disable (Passive): Lvl 1
''Tis is not just a flesh wound! During critical hit, 30% chance to inflict the following: - Paralyze or Slow when certain nerves or nerve structures are struck. - Blind when eyes or other ocular structures are struck. - Poison when liver is struck. - Bleed when heart, arteries or veins are struck.
I stared at the window for what felt like a minute before a crazy smile almost came to my face. Almost being the operative word as I somehow managed to keep the expression down into just smug. I shifted my eyes back to the Wolf, which was still bleeding paralyzed over the ground. By then, it was plain easy to just walk over and kill it, which I summarily did before turning back to my new party with a smile on my face. A whole non-verbal conversation later through expressive nods and looks, Caelum and the rest of his friends walked away from the battlefield, leaving me alone this time with the respawning Dirge Wolves. I still had to learn how to fight a group on my own after all. Dozens of red eyes turned up from the ground, lit in utter bloodlust as they all gazed at me, their canine owners almost licking their own mouths at the thought of bloody, savory human. If I was the person I was just an hour before, who couldn''t even kill a single rabbit, I would''ve ran. But that time wasn''t now. And this time, I was the one with the smile as I jumped into the pack of wolves. "ORYAAAAAH!" I first stabbed the first wolf I came upon with a dagger through the left eye, going horizontal and cutting through the other eye and everything else in the way. The next one jumped in aid of its fellow monster, which I dodged via ducking before I pulled out the knife from the first wolf and inserted it this time into the other one''s belly. Two more wolves, a team made by Mother Nature herself, naturally took the moment to pounce back as my weapon was held stuck into lupine flesh. They failed as my left hand easily took out a few more glass shards to successfully embed them into their sensitive noses. The moment they yelped out in pain, I spun over my left foot as my right kicked out in a 360 to further deepen the shards until it pierced through the skull. The sounds of windows popping up filled my ears again, but I didn''t need to read them to know just what they contained. It seemed that Critical Eye''s damage boosting effect really made things easier over the long run, as both wolves quickly dipped into red and getting lower as both of them Bled slowly to their deaths. However, I didn''t have the time to just watch that happen as the sound of clenching teeth alarmed me to more incoming wolves. Three of them this time, as they circled all around me and their fallen brethren with hate in their eyes. I closed my eyes for a millisecond. They pounced over what they perceived as a moment of weakness, only to hit nothing but air as I vaulted over them, new windows popping up again ringing in my ears as I jumped up the same moment they attacked, landing with one foot over my dagger that was poised to stab. One of the Wolves had an entire blade inserted into its brain. Enraged by the sudden death of yet another comrade, the two surviving wolves attacked me in the same time only to fail again as I simply took another jump and flipped right out of their melee range. That didn''t stop their claws from goring through each other''s heads though. I watched, almost transfixed at the still-monochrome image of what little remained of no less than seven of the wolves that almost killed me just a few hours ago. It was almost too easy, doing that. Even considering my new boosts, even considering the new Acrobatics Skill I knew I just gained, it was still too easy for me to just walk into a battle with a mob of monsters... and walk away still uninjured. Where had did this sudden mobility come from? This sudden battle instinct? My thoughts were interrupted as yet the sounds of more wolves entered my ears again. Turning my eyes around, I counted five- no, eight- no, ten, twenty, thirty Dirge Wolves. I gave out a sigh as I jumped into the battle again. "Nice job, Rain!" Caelum greeted me the moment I finished, the remaining monster blood on me thankfully already flaking off in pixels. I gained no less than six more levels and yet another title from that battle. "Isn''t that right, you guys?" There was a resounding chorus of agreement. "Thanks." I said sincerely. I then quickly opened up my own Inventory. "Caelum, do you want the drops again this time? I''ve got Dirge Meat, Dirge Fur, Dirge Claw, Dirge-" "A-tut-tut-tut!" My party leader interrupted me, placing a hand on my shoulder again. "This time, that''s your own loot, Rain! Plus, look at our armor." Doing so, I didn''t notice anything too special. "I don''t see what you are talking about." Saelum gave our party leader a nudge. "Caelum, did you forget that Rain just started already? He still doesn''t have Identify!" "Oh." Caelum palmed his own face. "Rain, come here for a sec, alright? I''ll give you the skill."
Caelum is teaching you the Skill ''Identify''. Learn this skill? Yes/No
Immediately, I pressed the Yes message as I had done so far.
Identify (Active): Lvl 1
See information about what you observe.
Finally understanding what he meant for me to do, I quickly activated my new Skill over the armors of my new party. Windows popped all over the place. They were honestly what I expected: high level armor focused on offense than defense, which was appropriate for their level and battle style. It seemed that there were enchantments as well, but as my skill was still too low, I failed to Identify exactly what those enchantments were.
Identify has leveled up! Identify has leveled up! Identify has leveled up! Identify has leveled up! Identify has leveled up!
Ah, there it was. "Rain, I believe now you can see what kind of theme we have ongoing here?" I nodded at Caelum''s question. "You are all wearing Wolf-themed armor... am I right?" Caelum gave me a pleased smile. "That''s right! And by the time we arrive at our base, we would use that fur you just received and give you your very own Dirge Wolf Armor set!" I was swept away by a warm feeling at his words. This was... this was it, wasn''t it? An actual welcome, what I was striving for the moment I entered this game. This group... this team... I was just a newbie, and they were accepting me like an old friend without any problems! Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. I hid a blush as I looked away. "Alright. If you say so." "Only if for now you don''t mind being the rabbit in this pack of wolves!" Caelum teased. "Care not to be eaten!" There was much laughter. "Oh yeah," Ormentum interrupted the moment by throwing me a bag. "I picked this up for you like you said, Rain. I wonder though, what are you going to do with all these herbs in the first place?" I caught the bag with care. "Just another experiment. You though, are you really alright that I used you as a gopher?" Caelum gave out a snicker, but Ormentum only waved it off. "Don''t worry." He then traded glances with Caelum and the rest. "We''ve got our own stuff to take care of anyways..." It was after a few more hours later and a group hunt with Caelum and the rest did I log out with a smile on my face. My new friends waved me goodbye as I did, Caelum promising that they would log out when they finally arrived to their base. As the Party system made it so people always logged-in to the previous location of the last online member of the party, the moment I entered Fate Online again, I would finally see their so-acclaimed ''base''. "Don''t worry about us getting tired!" Caelum assured me. "In this world, Stamina is just a statistic after all." Thus, after my first day inside the world of Fate Online, I logged out. But as for the moment I put off the intricate piece of machinery over my head, all I could do was stare at the ceiling on my bed as I tried to blink away the beads of moisture in my eyes. ...Did it really happen, just like that? My own wish? It... was both was and was not I expected. I didn''t know what to think, really... Somehow, I felt like there had to be more things to do before I managed to make friends. Call me dramatic, but, somehow I almost thought that I had to prevent an uprising or save a princess or win a war before I managed to meet the people I could call friends. After a short introduction, several acts of good-will and well-intentioned bantering and several more hunts outside the starter city, I... I had made friends. But really, it was just like that. Just. Like. That. I knew it was a little over the top for me to react this way but... still. After years of trying and failing, trying and failing, trying and failing, somehow I managed to finally gain what I wanted. What now? ...I shook my head of all those thoughts before I rose back up to feet. I failed. The moment I stood back up, for some reason I had miscalculated the position of my foot and tripped over it in the process. My legs gave, and my eyes were wide and completely empty of tears as I watched the floor coming for my face- ...Ow. "What happened to me?" I asked myself, rubbing my sore nose. For some reason, the pain wasn''t as prominent as I had expected. It was ignorable, really. Knowing to do it carefully this time, I placed my hand back over the bed, pushing myself up and slowly placing my weight back on my feet. Taking care to take the steps slowly, I came down the stairs to our kitchen. With a sigh of relief as it seemed that it was just an abnormal occurrence, I took my focus off my feet to my hands as to cook some breakfast for my family- My feet suddenly hit one of the legs of the table. Ow. It looked like this was going to be a problem for a while... "Mr. Walter, would you care to tell me why you were late for today''s class? It is unbecoming of you." I gave a bow in apology to my teacher. "I''m sorry, Professor Brunnings. I just had a small incident over this morning." If tripping over your feet for eight times, almost cutting myself with a knife three times, and accidentally burning my hands six times in the process of making my breakfast was a small ''incident''. My mother had to sit me down back to the table as she cooked in my place instead of letting me continue. "I see..." His eyes came over me, no doubt seeing the small marks left by the ''incident''. "If there is anything you should tell us about your health, Mr. Walter, you should tell me now before we start writing this into your attendance." Inwardly, I didn''t want to tell. After all, I was a model student of my college. What would my professors say when they hear of me playing a virtual game and getting a bit of clumsiness in the process? They might decide to tell my parents to take me off Fate Online. I wasn''t about to let my new friends be separated from me before I actually interacted with them. ...But then again, the man in front of me was special. If there was anyone in my campus I could trust with the information, I would be him. "Sir." I gave him a loaded stare. "Would you promise to keep it to yourself if I tell you?" "It depends as to what you would tell." Professor Brunnings answered without a beat. "Would it harm anyone?" I shook my head. He nodded in return, "Then there is no problem with me keeping it silent." I took a deep breath. "Sir, have you heard of any incidents regarding Virtual Reality wherein people wake up being less physically coordinated or any problems of that sort?" A glint entered the Professor''s eyes. "I see..." That was it. I knew I did the right thing, then and there. After all, who else to trust about one of the problems with the VR technology than one of those who developed it in the first place? Professor Abraham Brunnings was a famous man of the age 42. With silver hair and eyes, he made for an impressing air, and it was only right for him to do so. He was, after all, one of the lead developers along with my father in the initial Artificial World Creation System project, or A.W.C.S for short, that started the first VR world that still existed today. Fate Online. It was only right for me to ask the developer of the A.I system of Fate Online, wasn''t it not? Plus, the man was honestly like an uncle to me when I grew up. "While it isn''t unheard of people gaining lesser physical coordination over time due to VR technology, it is still a very rare incident that happens only for less than ~0.0001% of the population that uses the technology." Prof. Brunnings cut me off my thinking as he explained, re-affixing his glasses as he did. "Why, my boy, are you telling me that you have used your father''s creation at last? And have become... clumsier in the process?" "Clumsy isn''t the word I would use for it." I answered back absentmindedly as I rubbed my sore legs. "It''s just like-" "-your body isn''t like what you thought it was, and because of that you are making mistakes?" He interrupted me with a smile. "That, my boy, is called clumsiness." I simply looked down back to my feet, internally simmering with shame. "Is there any way to fix this, Sir?" Professor Brunnings rubbed at his chin. "Mr. Walter, would you first care to tell me how you did your first stay inside a virtual world? What game did you enter in the first place?" "...Fate Online. And yes, I would be fine with telling you Sir. I trust you." He chuckle easily. "Like father like son. Now, tell me." And thus, I regaled the teacher I knew since childhood about my entry to the world they created and how I entered with my physical appearance, met a few people, gained a few friends, and on my way to enjoy the rest of their world. Honestly it felt... nice. Since when had it been that it felt like the man in front of me was the uncle figure I knew since childhood instead of the professor I knew in this college? Since when had it been that I could relax like this outside my own home? "So you''ve entered the world of Fate Online as yourself?" Asked my teacher the moment I finished. "Strange decision you have made there, my boy." A flush rose to my cheeks. "Uncl- I mean, Professor Brunnings, you won''t tell anybody about this if I told you as to why I did that?" He nodded, smiling wistfully at my almost-referral to him as my uncle. "I... I wanted to be myself, in that world." I started slowly, with my eyes lowered. "I had wanted to start over, but to not change my looks in the process. If I''m going to be me, I''m going have to show who I really was, right?" I didn''t choose Human as a race in Fate Online because of any in-game advantages or reasons. I chose it because that was the only way I could retain my appearance. Suddenly, I felt a hand over my hair. "My boy, you''ve grown well." Prof- no, Uncle Abraham gave me that twinkling smile again. "But it seems that you have uncovered a secret we would''ve wanted kept hidden for much longer." I raised my head in surprise. "Uncle?" "In Fate Online- no, in VR technology, there is a slight flaw in the works." He explained, rubbing at my hair for a minute before taking away his hand. "It is what we call the ''Synchronicity Factor''. Tell me, in the game, have you ever felt like you were too fast or too quick for your level?" I nodded quickly. That was what I felt when I fought off those wolves. "I knew it." Uncl- no, Professor Brunnings had this analytic look in his eye. "It is not actually a problem of speed or agility, instead, it is actually a problem of reaction time. It is all normal, I tell you. There is no problem in your mind or the VR tech itself." "Then where is the problem?" I asked, trying to understand his thought process. I tried to recount what I knew from my programming courses. "Reaction time... wait, don''t tell me-" My professor read through my mind again. "It isn''t that you are faster at reacting than everyone, but everyone is slower at reacting than you. That is the ''Synchronicity Factor''. Do you remember how your father once complained to you back then when you were still a kid and we haven''t accomplished our project?" I nodded. "Father once told me that the virtual models failed to work like your team had wanted." Professor Brunnings took out a cup of coffee. "It is because the human mind does not normally work with another body other than its own. Moving faerie wings isn''t possible with a human mind because as humans, we don''t have wings. Not only that, you also have to take into account differences in height, mass, arm length, leg length..." "Basically, unless you use your real image in VR, you won''t be able to move efficiently." I finished for him. "But you''ve all managed to fix that problem, right? After all, there are many other choices in race and in appearance inside Fate Online." "How we fixed it is another secret." He had this twinkle in his eye again. "However, the doesn''t change the mostly unnoticed, but still there, effect of having a body in VR that is different from your own. Which is just one thing:" I answered, "A slowdown in reaction speed." "Correct. That''s why all VR models have abnormal physical stats the moment they begin. In order to hide that problem, we''ve set everyone to move, talk, and basically do everything in the minimum speed that is twice of the normal." Professor Brunnings continued. "However, you don''t have that problem. You chose to be yourself, and in the process, you have unlocked the hidden potential of being a VR player." I gave out a sigh as everything clicked in my head. "The reason why I''m tripping all over the place is because now I have to get used to at least half the speed of what I''m now used to, huh." "Just go outside every once and a while and exercise your body, my boy." Professor Brunnings comforted me. "Do a bit of running - that would get your mind back into the ''Earth'' you. Plus, the higher your physical capabilities here in real life, the less discomfort there would be after you log out of your VR gear." So that means I''m going to have to improve my real body as well the same time I level up my stats... I don''t know what to feel about that. Well, at least this secret seemed to be safe, if a bit problematic. "Professor, are there any more of these ''secrets'' you aren''t telling me?" The twinkle in his eyes lit up again. "Why would I hide anything from you, my boy?" Damnable. There were other secrets. I sighed again. "I''m going to go now, Sir. Thank you for helping me in this problem and for telling me this information." It was telling of how much he trusted my father, and in extension, me to not release this information to the public. No doubt, this wasn''t the first time this happened, but by the fact that he explained it to me when no one on the internet even knew anything about the subject... There was no way I was about to break that trust. Little did I know that by the moment I left, my once-uncle and now-Professor took out his phone, dialed a few numbers, and made a few reports. User detected. Rain, welcome back to Fate Online! "I''m back..." I called out for my party the moment my vision returned from the loading screen. "Now, where are-" There was nothing in sight other than a ruined camp and the remains of a battlefield. Left and right of me were dozens of smoking craters, and all over the place were what I knew as the armors of my friends - ripped apart to pieces by a battle I had been too late to witness. Suddenly, a familiar voice entered my ears. "Rain, run!" "Caelum-!?" I turned my head to the direction I''ve heard my friend from, only to see a person. And I didn''t know the man I was looking at. Dressed in armor of pure black, wearing a red cloak flapping in the air behind him through the winds caused by the heat of the battle, a man of long brown hair and blue eyes turned to me. Almost as if annoyed by an insect, he took out his sword from what I knew of as a friend. Caelum, my new party leader, bled as a red sword left his chest. "Tch, didn''t need for you to see this." The unknown man hissed. He then walked to my direction, ignoring the bodies that were left of my friends. "Here, I''ll come to you." All I could do was stare as he came closer. I was too afraid to even breathe. He held my shoulder in a tight grip. "I''ll take you to the place where you need to be." That snapped me out of my trance. I tried to escape, taking out my dagger and made for a few stabs - no use, as his skin just caused my attacks to bounce off. Realizing it was to no avail, I just tried to shake off his hold. "Let me go!" He held me closer, meeting my eyes with his in a stare that paralyzed each and every fiber in my body. "This is for your sake." He took out a small, cubical crystal from his inventory and pointed it at the sky. Making a crushing gesture, the item shattered into pixels as everything around us swiveled in a swirl of colors, from red to black to blue to green to- I opened my eyes again, not knowing when I closed them, and once again saw the gate of Pratumira.
You are now more than 500 meters away from your party. PARTY DISCONNECTED.
Chapter 4: Rabbit and Wolf Chapter 4: Rabbit and Wolf Logically, as to keep their players, all games had their anti-frustration mechanics. Nobody wanted all of their drops to be completely random, so the developers included LUK as a factor. Nobody wanted to be killed so early on in the game, so all beginner monsters were laughably easy to defeat. Nobody wanted to revive inside a dungeon after a death, so everyone revived either with their party or inside the last city they visited. VR games, even with the fact that they boasted both realism and extreme difficulty, even had these. That was why there was no wonder that teleport crystals could exist. Nobody wanted to walk kilometers just to reach another city after all. Except for me. ¡°How long are you going to stare? Get inside the gates.¡± Forget how the man who said those words could kill me with one blow. Forget how he had paralyzed me with just a stare. All I did in reply was to take my knife out again and send him a glare. ¡°Why did you kill my friends?¡± I growled, activating Critical Eye as I did. ¡°Why did you take me back here?¡± The man didn¡¯t even deign my knife a smidgen of interest. ¡°Friends? You call those trash your friends?¡± I lashed out in anger, jumping to strike at his eyes. As much as this world was a game, it still held several factors of realism in play. One was of which I had exploited in my battles against the wolf mobs Caelum and the rest had aided me in. Eyes were soft, no matter what level or stat you had. And with the fact that you could only reduce the Pain option to the still frightening 40%, I knew that then and there than if I was going to die, I was going to die avenging for my friends. An eye for an eye. However, it was to no avail. Moving so fast that I couldn¡¯t even see him, the infuriating person who had ripped me from my friends quickly dodged to the side, took my weapon, and broke my left leg.
Weapon stolen! Set Bonus has been deactivated! -145 HP! You have a broken leg! -80% Movement Speed! Through enduring high damage, you have gained the skill Sturdy!
I yelled out in pain as he placed my weapon in his inventory. ¡°Calm down, will you?¡± Annoyance was in his voice. ¡°I had my reasons as to why I did all that. Listen to them.¡± Even as tears of pain and anger escaped my eyes, I held the man in front of me with a glare. How did he dare believe that I would just let this go the moment he explained? I tried to stand, but a sweep of his legs sent me back to the ground. He sighed. ¡°I didn¡¯t want to do this.¡± A blow landed to the back of my head and the world went black. In the world of Fate Online, while Stamina was a mechanic, Exhaustion was not. After all, how would you quantify such a factor? All people held varying degrees of capability before becoming exhausted, and the fact that the world was ultimately held through people¡¯s minds only added to that fact. Like Professor had said, people¡¯s minds were not made equal. Thus, it was only common in the virtual world to become tired even with perfect stats. It was still possible to faint due to over-exercise, possible to black-out due to pain or over-exhaustion. At that point, recovery was simple. Your virtual body would become catatonic and the machine would force you to a temporary sleep, allowing for your mind to recover. After a period of time varying from thirty minutes to a few hours, the machine would automatically log you in back into your body. This was simply as to ensure the mental health of all the players. It didn''t deter the frustration and sheer anger I felt when I woke up only to see myself in the world of Fate Online yet not see my new friends there. It had hurt when in my rush of emotions, I had slammed my empty fists over and over to the brick walls that surrounded me in the locked room I woke up in.
-15 HP! -15 HP! Sturdy has leveled up! -15 HP! Through taking repeated damage non-stop, END increased by one! -15 HP! -15 HP! -15 HP! Sturdy has leveled up!
I glared at my windows, far too enraged to even care.
-15 HP! -15 HP! Sturdy has leveled up! You now have a broken hand! -50% Attack Speed!
My hands bled, but I ignored the pain. Physical pain from this world was all but an illusion after all. But the sensation helped remind me that, yes, somewhere in between all of these hits to these accursed walls, the focus of my hate had redirected. No, I was no longer angry at the walls. Nor was I even angry about that man who kidnapped me, broke my leg, and locked me inside this room. I was angry because I had failed my friends, and in turn, myself. At that moment, I stopped punching. Nothing would change if I let my emotions control me. As if planned - though I expected it was - the closed door opposite my bed opened. Just behind it was the same man who had done the deed of PK-ing my friends and locking me in this damned place. "It seems that you have finally calmed down." Immediately, I felt my rage build up, but I let it simmer to nothing. With a still-broken leg and now-disabled hand of my own making, no matter how much it irked me that the man in front of me proved my expectations, I wouldn''t have been able to do anything. My emotions still lashed out through my words. "Who are you, bastard, and mind telling me why you did it? And I''m telling you, if your reasons are not enough to appease me, I would devote my entire time in this world trying to hunt you down and make your utter life hell." The man in front of me slowly undid his helmet, only to put in into his inventory and look at me with a be-damned smile. "Don''t worry, I would explain. Just calm down for a moment - rage has the tendency to cloud a mind, and you would need to be open-minded to understand." I sent him a glare, holding it for a few minutes before grudgingly doing as he did. As someone with many frustrations in my real life situation, I had no problem with clearing my mind when I needed to. I closed my eyes and mentally uttered a mantra. Objectivity over emotionality. Realize that nothing could be done as of this moment other than to listen, and if I was going to listen, I was going to do it well. I opened my eyes, and this time without the glaze of hate shadowing my vision, I studied the man in front of me. Having already noticed the more striking details in the middle of that battle, I focused more on the smaller but ultimately more important facts. His apparent age was around the lower 30s, but with the way the world of Fate Online worked, it could''ve been a lie. However, judging by the slight contortion on his face, slumping shoulders, and bowed head, I observed that he was... ashamed?
Through careful observation of a person''s body language, you have gained the skill Empathy!
I ignored the window for the moment. There was time later to be spent on all the skills I''ve gained - right now, what was more important was that I listened to the person in front of me. My thoughts quickly went back, trying to recall my past interactions with the man in front of me and trying to remove the bias my emotions had put on them. What used to seem to be annoyance became regret, what used to sound condescending became words of worry. "Are you alright now?" I nodded slowly, trying to hold back a moment of hysterical laughter. The person in front of me was not looking down on me - he really was just doing what he thought was right. Now how the hell could I become angry with him then? "I-I''m fine. For now, at least." I heaved a sigh, staring back at those blue eyes. "Now, would you mind telling me why you did what you did?" It was a sudden change. His eyes went dark, his jaw clenched, and his hands formed fists by his side. Almost disconnectedly, a corner of my mind immediately noted him to be really either a teenager around my age or an adult who really had something bad happen to him because of my friends. Nobody was that easy to read unless they were teenagers or really emotional after all. "Those... scum." Immediately, I determined it to be the latter or the mix of the two. The utter vehemence behind those words was palpable. "You really don''t know who they are and what they have done before in this world?" I froze for a second. I would''ve never thought... no, I still had to listen before I took him to be correct. Caelum and the rest wouldn''t do anything that bad. It was still possible that the person in front of me was telling the truth, but only while believing it was the truth. ...Right? I shook my head. "No. I just started the day before. And I haven''t looked up any specifics yet, nothing other than the basics of VRMMORPGs." He bit his lip as if I just verified what he had feared. I, in turn, feared of what he had concluded out of worry for my friends. "I see. And would you mind telling me how you met them? And what you did before you did so?" "I met them in the starter area. I really just had begun when I met them." His eyes widened. "Nothing? You really managed to do nothing before you met that group? Normally people met a guard and-" "And what?" I cut him off, feeling a little affronted at how he made me seem so... gullible. "Pardon me then for being so impressed of this world that I took more than fifteen minutes to leave the starter area. And what is this about meeting a guard?" And if it made him stop from telling me whatever he thought Caelum and the rest did, it was coincidental. He rubbed a hand over the back of his head. A nervous tic. "A year ago, the GMs had released a free skill for all the players to get. Everyone who had already started the game received it via PMs, and as for the new players ever since then, normally meeting any NPC would automatically have them teach the skill to you." Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. I didn''t know that, but then again I didn''t even talk to a single NPC before I left the town. Caelum... why didn''t he tell me about this? "What is this skill?" He replied by calling up his own skill list and sending me with the aforementioned skill.
BlkHnter is teaching you the Skill ''Discern''. Learn this skill? Yes/No
I raised a brow as I remembered the person in front of me still had not given me his name. However, I entered yes - as far as I knew, there were no Skills that induced problems for the players.
Discern (Passive): Lvl MAX
Separate the black sheep from the white.
The skill description didn''t tell any specifics. Though, it would''ve been considered a bit racist had it been said a few decades ago. Still, it was rather interesting that it was maxed-out already. "What is this for? And, by the way, what kind of nickname is BlkHnter?" He sighed. "It''s pronounced as ''Black Hunter'', but honestly I would like to be instead called Blake. And the skill is the foundation of a new mechanic that was introduced back then. Look above my head." I did as I was said, only to see something that wasn''t there before. A diamond shaped cursor was now above his head, colored whit- no, looking closely, it was actually a shade of slight ash grey. "That is what everyone calls the Alignment Cursor. After the multiple incidents that happened over the past year, the GMs of Fate Online released this in an update in an attempt to curb the situation." Blake recited dully, as if he repeated the words from a manual. He then turned his eyes back at me, a slight anger entering them and none of it directed at me. "But it''s not enough, as it seems..." "Alignment Cursor..." I repeated, abject horror starting to fill my tone. "Don''t tell me..." "Your ''friends'' are well-established rulebreakers, and of the particularly severe kind." He answered me, not unkindly. "I''m sorry that you have to hear this, but you must not meet them again. Had I not been in the area and been told by another player, the consequences would''ve been... terrible." I didn''t hear his last words, as I was too busy trying to absorb what I had just found out. Caelum and the rest were... PKers? And I was their next target? No. That couldn''t be. "Maybe you made a mistake?" I questioned, sounding a bit hysterical. "Caelum didn''t show any sign of that kind of behaviour - plus, he even gave me help on leveling up and by giving me these weapons and armor!" I pointed to my equipment, to which Blake narrowed his eyes. "Let me see those then." Without resistance from me, he easily took a glove from one of my hands, still sullied by the blood that covered them. Still feeling a bit shellshocked, I didn''t hear the skill he murmured under his breath, but judging from the expression he got from a pop-up, it wasn''t nice. "These have tracking enchantments on them." He growled under his breath. Promptly, he took out my knife from his inventory and did the same. Then to the rest of my armor. "All of these, they have tracking enchantments. For you to not escape, I suppose. By the moment you would''ve realized their goals had I not intervened, there would''ve been no chance for you to run." Blake gave out yet another sigh, his shoulders slumping. "And as for the levels... all players have a 500% EXP boost for the time they are beneath level 20. This was so that they wouldn''t have too much trouble early on, especially with the low-leveled monsters around the starting towns." "They weren''t helping you." He finished. "They were just tying you to themselves." ...I didn''t know what to feel. "What are they known as?" I asked, shattered. "Caelum and the rest?" "The Solidacium Family." Blake answered grimly. "It means ''Solidarity'' in Latin, which is rather an ironic name for them. They have a base over in between monster encampments, which disallow the use of the ''Log-Out'' button. Plus with how the Party System works as your spawning point... you would''ve been effectively trapped until somebody saved you." "The color of their cursors?" I pressed on, trying to search for any way to disprove him. "I mean, you do have a grey one - even if its particularly light..." Blake sighed again, no doubt reading my emotions. "The Alignment Cursor doesn''t check what you do - instead, it checks how you think. The darker your thoughts are or the more immoral they become, the closer to black your cursor turns." "And the Solidacium Family is famous for their pitch-black cursors." That was the straw that broke the camel''s back. At this point, it was either I accepted what he told me or rejected the evidence that was spread out before me. "Can I see them again?" I asked, a rush of emotions forming inside me. "Just one last time." He raised his head, his mouth opening to probably return a denial. But with a single look into my eyes, his mouth closed. "Alright." Blake finally said. "But you would have to do as I say." Day and night was a function in the worlds of VRMMORPGs. Being something that had users all over the world, effectively it meant that the game was perpetually online. Even debugging sessions had to be done while there were players active. Thus, it was no surprise that with the accelerated time inside the world of Fate Online, a player could witness the passage of five days and five nights before his day outside the game ended. The BlkHnter watched the bright yellow moon above him as he waited over the roof of an inn. It had been hours, but they were hours well spent. His meeting with the one he had saved from that Family had gone very well, even with the awful start-off. For now he was alone... but not for long. A group of six appeared over the empty streets as the slight cloud cover in the sky broke off just to let some moonlight reveal the people hiding in the darkness. Not that he needed to - even without the light, he could very well see in the dark after all. "Hey." The smooth dulcet tones of Caelum Solidacium broke the night silence as footsteps rang over the cobblestone paths of Pratumira. "Where did you take our rabbit to?" The reply was simple. "He has been sent to somewhere safe. You would not find him - not anymore." "Don''t kid me." The Solidacium leader mockingly countered, raising an arm to stop one of his friends from moving to attack. "We have placed multiple tracking enchantments on him, and they are returning the signal at this very location. Now, where is he?" Something was suddenly thrown at him, causing Caelum to dodge to the side. When nothing happened, he came closer to the object thrown - only to see in the moonlight one very identifiable helmet that was never used by their former party member. While the Helm of Leporine Leather was never worn, they had made sure to make Rain keep it in his inventory just in case. Now, it was in front of them, instead of with their target. "Is this what you were talking about?" BlkHnter commented dryly, irking more than few from the group opposite of him. "I have already discovered those enchantments of yours, fool. Rain has now been stripped of those equipment long ago. That is what''s left." The reaction to his words was instantaneous. Gone was the charming smile on Caelum''s face; only for a terrifying scowl to replace it. In return, the rest of the Solidacium family took out their weapons. Last battle was their loss, but they weren''t about to take this without returning the favor. "You... took our rabbit." Caelum was no longer a man - instead, a beast was in his place, but not as his race. "Our rabbit. Do you know how much effort it takes to find one foolish and attractive enough to be our prey?" BlkHnter gave them a look of disgust. "People like you... If it weren''t only for the fact you keep on returning with new accounts, I would''ve had reported you to get banned." He then turned to his side, where the roof kept naturally covered from view. "Now, Rain, isn''t this enough proof for you?" I ignored the gasps of surprise from my former... no, my enemies as I stepped out of my hiding spot. Inwardly, I was in pieces - even with expecting the words, even with knowing who Caelum and the rest were the moment I saw those black diamonds over their heads, tears managed to fill my eyes. Yet, in the same moment of betrayal, I felt relief in being the opposite side of the men I once had partied with. After all, the Solidacium Family wasn''t a group of PK-ers like I had thought before. They had never lied about anything to me actually - I was really the rabbit in their pack of wolves. It was just that this pack of wolves had no qualms when it came to rape. It was a subject I had only heard once, but never thought again after. Or at least until now. It was when people realized that they could have bodies they didn''t have in real life. Perfect bodies. Immaculate, sensual, and flawless bodies that could be used for sex. Thus, rape cases started to occur inside the various VR worlds, where people watched and recorded as men and women alike were tied and gagged in their virtual bodies, only for the cruel chasms of the Internet to keep the videos for the rest of their lives. And this time, I was the supposed victim. Had I been not saved, had I not been rescued, I would''ve been in the same situation. Without the ability to log-out nor the ability to even kill myself to escape. "Stamina is only a statistic." Five days. That was the minimum of the length I would''ve suffered under the hands of who I perceived as friends. "R-Rain?!" Tears refused to fall from my eyes as I threw a ball at them. As the ball exploded into smoke the moment it came near Caelum, I only studied the screen of my very first quest in this world of Fate Online.
Quest: Bounty Hunting
The player ''BlkHnter'' has handed to you the quest of killing the Solidacium Family. Time limit: 1 hr.
"I''m sorry, Caelum." Chapter 5: Birth of A Fool Chapter 5: Birth of A Fool The smoke-cloud that covered my new enemies seeped away as the night wind swept softly over the empty streets. Blake stood silently beside me, keeping himself passive as promised. If it got to the point where I was in huge danger, he would be instantly defeating Caelu- no, the Solidacium Family. That was the only restriction he imposed on my wish, which I was thankful that he allowed. Thus, I was free to try and kill those who I used to call my friends. Back then... "So, you really want to be the one to avenge yourself?" My hands shook with... rage, or shock, I didn''t know, but I knew I felt something. And that something could only be resolved by this decision. "It''s final." I nodded, though not looking into Blake''s eyes as I bit my lips. "This is the only way I would accept." The BlkHnter studied me from his seat, his arms crossed. He unfolded an arm to my direction, his hand gesturing at me. "But your level is only 16, effectively 20 even with your boosted stats." Blake said, not unkindly. I gave a grunt of agreement at his observation - I was just a newbie after all. "There is no way you could somehow defeat a group of 6 people, all of them effectively around the high-50s." "I have an idea as to how to do that alright?" I tried to hold back my rising temper, but Blake wasn''t helping. "Just... trust me on this." The person in front of me gave a thoughtful hum. Then he sighed, "Alright. I''ll hand you the quest later." "Why do people like them even still manage to play in this world?" I couldn''t help but mutter at the reminder that no, this wasn''t a limited thing - people have been victimized and raped already, and it still was happening. "If they could be marked, then why haven''t the GMs banned them?" Immediately after uttering those words, I closed my mouth. After all, just from the look Blake was making, it was something he had asked in the past as well, and he didn''t like the answer he received. I wouldn''t like the answer I would receive. "Tell me, is my cursor white?" I stared at his reply. "Excuse me?" "Just tell me," He pressed. "Nobody can see their own cursor after all." "It''s a bit of ash-grey." Blake paused momentarily at that, before shaking his head with an almost rueful smile. Then he opened his mouth, revealing to me a fact I rather would''ve not known. "Yours is now black." I froze at his words. "E-Excuse me? How can I be black?" How can this be? I knew myself: I knew I had morals, that I had believed in other people''s rights, that I still held value over other people''s lives. I was most certainly not like a PK-er or a psychopath. There was no way I was- Oh. "The Alignment Cursor doesn''t check what you do - rather, it checks what you think." I was thinking of killing someone, wasn''t I? Even if this world was just a game? Blake seemed to have read my thoughts, looking at me with saddened eyes. "You seem to have realized the flaw in your previous argument. No one, and by that I mean no one in this world haven''t reached a point in their time here that their Alignment Cursor goes black. Nor do any of the blacklisted players always stay black as well." He snapped his head back, looking at the ceiling tiredly. "It''s a fact of how people think. None of us are that pure of heart after all." "Then banning?" I pressed, still trying. "Caelu- I mean, the Solidacium Family are even infamous, right? Then why haven''t they been banned from this game? Or even put to jail?" His reaction was grim as he sat properly again to look at me. "Virtual Masks. Scramblers. There are ways to hide your identity even as you play. Apparently, the black-market sells that kind of technology in the real world. Plus, with the revenues they gain from selling their... videos, they have enough money for creating dummy accounts to log in and more." The fact that Blake could even answer my questions told me just how much he asked the authorities and just how much he had tried to stop my situation from happening to anyone. It was a plain and simple conclusion at this point. There was no stopping them. Beyond what little the GMs, Blake, and the rest of those who bounty-hunted managed to do, there was no way of preventing what had almost happened to me from happening to somebody else. Thus, I broke my other hand from punching the walls all over again. When the last of the smoke finally lifted away, slowly I walked off to the edge of the roof of the inn I was standing on. I jumped, making sure to manipulate my center of gravity as to land on my feet. Had I done the deed in real life, it would''ve been considered as an attempt for suicide and I would''ve at least broken my legs. But as this world was that of Fate Online, I landed without taking any damage. The moment I did, I heard the system make the sound of the creation of a new skill.
Through jumping a great height and landing on your feet, you have gained the skill Parkour!
I couldn''t hold down the beginnings of a rueful smile from forming on my face. Even now, I was still receiving these? Didn''t the system know a sense of drama, or at least, the knowledge of just when it was right to have these popping up? Strangely having my mood lifted out of the depths it was in because of the situation, I turned up my head to look at Caelum and the rest. It had been a few minutes since I first threw that smokebomb at them. They didn''t move. I wasn''t surprised. They were all poisoned, wounded, and paralyzed in the same time after all. "So, I''m right. Real world physics and biology still matter in this world..." I then laughed a bit madly at my almost lackadaisical observation as I walked towards those who could kill me if they could move. "Or to humans, at least." I took out another smokebomb out of my inventory, softly using Identify beneath my breath as I did.
Rain''s Gift (Durability: Inconsequential, Rarity: Unique) A smokebomb you created by a secret means. You don''t know what it does yet.
Then I watched as the screen morphed right before my eyes, the information changing to fit what I, and probably the system, had learned.
Rain''s Gift (Durability: Inconsequential, Rarity: Unique, High-Rare) A smokebomb you created by mixing glass shards, glass powder, and highly toxic and paralytic herbs. Strangely, the inclusion of beneficial herbs into the mix have also increased the toxicity levels. It is a very dangerous creation - be careful to never use it on allies. Glass fragments cause Bleeding (High) and medium lacerations. Also induces Poison (High) and Paralyze (High).
I stared at the ball in my hands with a strange sense of wonder, pride... and horror. Wonder in having proven my prior theory to be true, pride in succeeding on doing so, and horror upon a fact that I knew from the moment I had started creating the smokebombs. They weren''t supposed to be so strong. "Rain... you bastard..." I snapped out of my thoughts as a strangled voice entered my ears. It was Saelum, with his eyes slightly bloody and his face covered with rivulets of red liquid. "Saelum..." My voice was hollow - as if I wasn''t the one he was glaring daggers at. "Sorry for this." Taking out the knife they gave me, I slowly walked up to him, even as his eyes followed me all the way. "Critical Eye." I inserted the sharp edge into his throat. His HP bar immediately went red. However, I wasn''t over yet. With a mighty heave that made full use of my relatively pitiful STR stats, I dragged my newly bloody knife over to the other side of Saelum''s neck - and with a sick plop, his screaming head fell off. "One down." I murmured to myself amidst all the horrified looks my enemies were giving me. "Five more to go." It was terrifying when you thought of how much realism affected this world. While statistics like VIT and END prolonged your life, in the end they only mattered when the hits weren''t at critical locations. Why would the game that supported realism support survival without a heart? Why would it care that you have HP when you just lost a head? Thus, this world wasn''t just a game. It was another reality. "N-No. Rain, d-don''t you dare!" Baratrum was the one who uttered that. He was the one who received a blade into his heart next. Caendium followed next, dying as I cut his carotid artery and left him to bleed. Tonitrum choked as I punctured his lungs. Ormentum, on the other hand, died in pain as I shredded his internal organs. This, I continued, emptily and mechanically, my mind protecting me by disconnecting me from my own actions. Why would I care that these people that I were killing used to the ones I perceived as my friends? This was just a game after all. Hearts would break, ideals would perish, and trust would be betrayed, but this was just a game. Just a game... that I had given my last hopes into, my wish of gaining friends. "Rain. You don''t have to do this." It was Caelum, and he was the last man alive. His familiar smile was on his face as he looked at me - not in terror, but in sadness. Even as I was covered with blood, I couldn''t help but falter; he was the person who came closest to me, the person I trusted the most out of all them. Which made it hurt a lot worse when I found out about him. "Look, you are crying." His voice was soothing, a sickly sweet voice that still managed to stop my determination, managed to connect Rain to Brian all over again. "You don''t have to do this. I can just go away if that is what you want." At his words, I halted. I paused from my advance, lowered my knife, and let down my guard. That was enough for Caelum. Like a man reborn, he immediately pounced over my weakness, the status effects that were plaguing him finally gone as he endured through the moments I spent killing his allies. Caelum''s sword was quick and fast - the blade shone like another crescent moon under the moonlight. Too bad that I had expected that from him. Jumping to a long roll over to the side, I placed my hands over my mouth as Caelum''s sword met a ball that I had left for him to strike at midair. This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. A Gift. When I had thought of them first, it was simple. Create a gift in return for Caelum''s help, and do the best I could in the process. Deciding to use powdered glass as the base was simple - while I knew from my stock of knowledge that powdered glass was certainly not a poison, it was still a very powerful irritant, especially when airborne. Having powdered glass in your lungs was a very painful thing to endure after all. Not to mention, the glass shards that still remained in the mixture, flying directly into the faces of whoever was hit by the smokebomb. Thus, like before the massacre of his friends begun, Caelum was met with a burst of smoke that burned like lava through his throat and lungs, all the while his handsome face was peppered yet again by glass frag. Then, as blood slowly filled the lungs from the damage the glass caused to the capillaries, whatever chemical I placed into the mixture was immediately transferred through the rest of the body - from the poisons of the herbs they gave me, along with the paralytics they accidentally left in the package that was handed to me, to the healing herbs that only served to aggravate the rest of the body. The pain did not stop there as the sensation of a thousand volts racked through his body again, locking Caelum in yet another suffering stasis. He couldn''t even scream - his lungs failed to take in enough of the toxic gas to do so. When the Gift finally lifted, Caelum was down again on the ground, his HP already in the yellow. "P-Please..." He begged, the moment I came down to him with the knife that he gave. "F-Forgive me..." His expression was burned into my mind as I inserted the knife into his eye sockets. Thus, there was silence in the midnight: no coughing, no pained groans, no yelling - just the weak cries of a person who had just killed his first friends. Just my cries. And then the silence broke a few moments later as a happy tune then suddenly rose around me as dozens of windows suddenly opened. Announcements of acquired levels, acquired experience - they I ignored as I tried to grieve. I clasped my hands over my ears and closed my eyes to block it all out, but there was no use. The sound of trumpets refused to stop playing in my head, and unless I closed the windows, nothing would stop them. So, slowly, I lifted my eyelids and looked for the largest window.
Quest: Bounty Hunting - Complete! You have successfully killed the Solidacium Family! Bonuses: 50% - You have done the quest without enduring damage! Nice! 100% - The targets were higher by 30 levels! Amazing! 500% - You have done this quest while below level 20. Stupendous! Total Bonus: (150%) x (200%) x (600%) = 1800% You have gained 480,000 EXP! You are now Level 41!
"Really..." I sobbed, "This game has no sense of drama whatsoever..." The next day was frustratingly cheery. People passed, people went, not knowing that on the very streets they stood a single level 16 player managed to kill several other level 57s. They didn''t know the tears that I shed the previous night, didn''t know that over an inconspicuous part of the plaza I had spent hours looking at my hands even as no blood remained on them. The incident was just another Bounty Hunt after all. "Rain, are you alright?" I took a quick glance at the speaker, a shade of a former friend over my eyes - expecting him to ask that, expecting him to give that charismatic smile again - only to see Blake. "Oh, Blake, I thought you had left." "This hunt is over for me, but..." Blake studied me worriedly, "Are you sure you are alright?" I tried for a smile. For the ''BlkHnter'', Blake was a worrywart. "I''ll be fine, I''m sure." An awkward silence filled the air. For one, I was happy in it. No more talking after all. No more ways, no more chances to be betrayed, just... silence. Solitary, but safe. Or at least, that''s what it felt before a punch suddenly hit my face. I flew at least a few yards, landing my head painfully over the wall of the closest building.
-680 HP! Sturdy has leveled up!
"Areeeee yoooou alriiiight?" A vein was popping at the corner of the Blake''s head. "Tell me, are you alright?!" I was groggy with pain, but.. somehow I managed to stand, if a bit unevenly, on my feet, my hand in a salute. "I''m alright, Sir!" "Good. Now, listen up to me!" It was probably the strangest pep talk I would have received in my life, what with my forehead heavily bleeding and my HP bar in deep red, that ever since the day I''ve heard the words Blake was about to tell me, I would never forget them. "Shut up, sit still, empty your mind of all thoughts about what happened last night." Blake started, even if I wasn''t talking, nor standing - at least anymore, having collapsed to my feet - and my head was too foggy to even think. "Rain, I know that you were betrayed, but you don''t have to let it affect you, you know?" "W-What do you mean..." I managed. "I''m fine..." With a sad look on his face, Blake came closer. Still wincing at the punch I had received, I winced and closed my eyes at his approach - only to receive a single finger poke over my forehead. "Look at me, Rain." He said, his voice startlingly soft. "You haven''t looked at me in the eyes ever since last night." Slowly, I did, opening my eyelids to meet his look. It was warm, unlike the first stare-off we held that left me terrified. "You may have been betrayed by the first people you''ve met here, you may felt hurt, heartbroken, or depressed, but that doesn''t mean you should just stop moving on." I tried to evade his soul-searching eyes. "Don''t look away - I know you were planning to quit this world by the moment I left." I halted, feeling weak all over again. "Am I that easy to read...?" "No, I''m just that observant." Blake admitted before poking my head back so he could look at me in the eyes again. "But Rain, don''t you get it? You might have been betrayed, but this could be your next chance! Look at you - you''re already level 41, and you''ve just started. That''s how much potential you have to be in this world." He had to be kidding. I was just a loner who had several advantages because of a mix of how I was raised and sheer luck. And becoming a high-level player was never my wish. "I never aimed to be strong..." "But you''ve always aimed to gain friends, right?" He interrupted me before I could finish. "Then start your own party if you have to! If you have this talent, this ability to thrive in this world, then use it so you could find those people who would get along with you, to finally meet those who would be your friends." ...He was right. "So, will you stand up, raise your chin, and meet to the challenge?" I had thought at the beginning that meeting Caelum was too easy to be true, right? Well, apparently it was. I came to this world looking for friends. I wasn''t just about to give up now because I failed early on. I managed to rise up again on my feet. Blake met me there, his hand holding mine in a friendly hold. It spoke of a promise - my promise to never give up, to never let my determination be stopped just because of making mistakes. Come wars, come monsters, dragons, revolutions or evil bastards. Pain was nothing, being wounded was nothing, heck - being betrayed was nothing! I was Rain. And I was going to find my party for this world, even if it kills me repeatedly! I must''ve said that out loud, because Blake gave me a proud smile. "Good words, Rain." I gave him my grin. "Thanks for punching me out of it, Blake. Though..." "Though what?" Blake grinned back, tilting his head. "What is it?" "Catch me - I''m losing consciousness." And then, the world went to black. In the end, when I woke up later on, Blake had already left. It was no surprise though - he was still a bounty hunter, and if him doing his job meant less people would face the same situation as I did, then I was simply glad to see him go. Even if it hurt that that meant the only person I truly knew in this world of Fate Online had left me behind. I promised to myself then and there that when we met again, I would have already gained a party of my own. But for now, it seemed Rain had to be on a solo play for a while... Still, he was kind enough to leave me a note as to where the shops were. From the weapon shops, to the armory, to alchemist''s, even the bookstores - all of the information I could possibly need early on, he gave to me. Too bad I didn''t use all of it properly. "My lad, are you sure you would leave this village without weapons nor armor?" The elderly guard of Pratumira asked the moment I tried to exit the gate. "Only a fool would attempt to do so!" I had only used Blake''s information to sell everything on my inventory - except for one very important item I left in the bottom of my list, never to be used unless in a very important situation. Other than that, I bought books - and not even maps or skill books of any sort; just fairy tales and stories that caught my fancy. "This would be my new beginning." I shook my head with a smile. "The real one. What more than to start with my pockets empty of things that would make it easy for me?" The guard studied me before a knowing look entered his eyes. "So shall be it then. Do you have a place to go in mind?" "None!" I replied cheerfully. "May the winds take me to where I shall be!" The guard laughed. "Go on my boy then! Start your journey!" With a bright grin on my face, I took my first step out of Pratumira, the first step of the journey that would define me, grow me, and change me. My spirits were light, my heart was easy - nothing could ever stop me now-
For leaving your starter town with no weapons, no armor, no class and a level higher than 30, you have received a new title. Class assignment achieved! Class bonus: You may now wear two titles at the same time! Your class is now The Fool (0)! (Note, classes are irreversible unless upgraded.) Your new title, ''THE FOOL (0)'', has now been permanently equipped!
...Aha. Maybe I should''ve thought upon this better. PROLOGUE: END! Chapter 6: Grinding Chapter 6: Grinding "Ah, Mr. Walter. How nice of you to arrive. Now please, go to your seat." Flushed to my ears, I bowed my head as I entered Professor Brunnings'' class, very much late. I really hated the fact I was so clumsy nowadays - I got into so many incidents that my mother was even looking at me worriedly now. I really had to go out and exercise sometime like Professor said I should. "Alright, with Mr. Walter here, we now only have only one absent. Now, please open up your e-books at page 238..." What should I do then? After all, unlike in Fate Online, this was the real world. Simply carrying heavy things or running randomly won''t work - the human body was a complicated machine after all. I had to choose a specific way, maybe a sport, in order to be fit... "Now, as the AWCS had initially started, the VRT system activates by artificially sending the wearer into a catatonic rest before redirecting all of his or her senses into the appropriate VR worlds. This is so no one moves frantically real-life while in VR - in fact, there was once a case that..." Martial arts, maybe? No... As much as it pained me to admit, I had no natural talent for any kind of fighting. I was more of an analyst than a fighter when I was inside Fate Online - in fact, that was what made the heightened reaction rate so much better for me, as then I had enough time to think up strategies on my feet... And dodge when I needed to... "Now, would anyone care to tell me what natural state the AWCS had taken advantage of when they thought of this?" Professor Brunnings then asked out loud, only for no one to answer. He then turned to my direction. "Mr. Walter? If you could please tell us the answer?" "Sleep Paralysis." I easily recited, much to the annoyed murmurs of my classmates. "It is the state of sleep while awake - where the mind is active and capable of conscious thought while the body cannot make any conscious movements. Prior to the research that was done upon it, it was once thought as visitations from demons as sleep paralysis was often followed by hallucinations. It has been linked to several diseases like narcolepsy as well." "Thank you for the answer, Mr. Walter." Back to my thoughts... Presumably, I would need to keep up a series of exercises like curl-ups, bench presses, and running... wait, running? The memory of a skill rang again in my mind. Running. Free Running. "Now, that would mean that while the VRT is active, the user''s body is in a state of rest. It is a lucky benefit, as the AWCS had found out. It helps minimize the muscle degradation, especially when they found out that by sending minor electrical stimulus to the entire body, one can effectively reduce the degradation to just a small fraction of what it used to be." Parkour. That could work. Parkour was known for increasing reflexes and general body upkeep. It was a bit more dangerous to do it in the city, but it was a simple matter to find a route I could go all day without trouble. Running, pull-ups, jumping, foot work - it all made sense! "That is why VRT users slightly vibrate their muscles while the machine is active. Now would anyone tell me what the AWCS had taken advantage of this time? Anyone?" That meant I needed the protective wear though. Now, how can I convince my mother to let me buy equipment for a dangerous sport now that I trip at my own feet nowadays? Professor Brunnings turned to me again, his half-crescent glasses reflecting light. "How about you, Mr. Walter?" "The way a cat purrs." I answered, even as my mind ran off tangents on how to convince my mother of my slightly foolish plans. "Researchers from NASA had found out earlier this century that purring actually helps in the upkeep of muscles and bone mass, which was significantly important to astronauts as their bodies weakened from the lack of gravity..." And thus, my class continued, with my head in the clouds as my mouth rattled off answers for the entire class. User detected. Rain, welcome back to Fate Online! I slowly opened my eyes, letting them filter in light from the dark cave I was in. Brushing myself of dirt, I stood and stretched out my entire body. In Fate Online, sleeping wasn''t a way to log out, but one could set it as an option to do so. Otherwise, sleeping in Fate Online only fully recovered your HP and MP, as well as giving your mind a well-deserved rest after a day in the game. In fact, it was common sense to do so - at night, players would often sleep at inns and taverns just like how they would sleep in their beds in real life. Thus, three days could be spent over the course of one evening in the real world without much problem... Never before that I had done so though... especially because of what happened during my first night in this world. Rivulets of blood, streaming down his face. His eyes, begging for mercy, mercy I didn''t give, his mouth screaming stop it- stop it- stop it as I stabbed him repeatedly in the eyes- At least nightmares never happened in this world. "Alright! Time to grind!" Humming a tune beneath my breath, I called out my Status Window, manipulating it for a bit.
Status Window
Name:Rain
Level:41Class:The Fool (0)
Race:HumanGender:Male
Titles:The Fool (0) (Aids growth.)
-Wolf Hunter (Gain 15% EXP boost to all Beast kills)
Health:960/960Mana:800/800
Strength:10Dexterity:8
Intelligence:15Endurance:14
Wisdom:14Luck:5
Vitality8Charisma:6
Equipment Effects:None.
Stat Points Available: 195
"My stats are really not what my level implies, but that''s because I haven''t spent these points yet." I tapped my hefty 195 Stat Points with a smile. "Though, I really don''t get what my new title lets me do, but if it ''aids growth'' then I have no problem with it for now. But the ''Fool''... is the game insulting me, or what?" Walking over to the stream close to the cave I slept in, I drank in some water before looking at my reflection. Thankfully, my new title seemed to be a hidden one - it was a huge relief when I found out, as I had no wish of having a title that permanently placed a sign over my head, screaming ''This guy left his starter town without equipment!'', even if it was true. But so far, nothing came out of my new class, except for the practically useless title to me so far that told ''Aids growth''. At this point, all that came to my mind was that it was the standard Jack-of-All-Trades job - good at everything, but would never be amazing at anything. I didn''t mind if it was though. All I just wanted was to find myself some friends after all.
Title: The Fool (0)
"The Fool enters a journey in a world where all men and women are actors on a stage..." Effect: Aids growth.
I sighed at the description that was still frustratingly cryptic for me. "Oh well, I suppose I can''t argue. It was my fault that I received this class in the first place, so nobody could be blamed other than myself." I then slapped my hands over my cheeks, waking myself up entirely. "But time for grinding, grinding!" Strength, Dexterity, Vitality, and Endurance. These were the stats that were currently the most important factors in my fighting style, as I had no magic or spells to speak of. Ironic, given that my mental stats were the highest of what I had. Well, outside of Endurance that tied with my Wisdom for second place. "I remember this being one of the lowest though..." I tapped at my Endurance before a figurative lightbulb lit on my head. "Ah! That''s right, those boosts I received after punching those walls... I may not want to break my hand again, but at least that seems to be a possible exercise for Endurance." I picked up a stick, writing down what I knew. "Strength can be trained by carrying heavy objects... Dexterity is for, what, dodging and jumping? Maybe running as well... And Vitality is related to my stamina, so maybe just by doing exercise until exhaustion it would gain points. Lastly, Endurance is trained by letting myself be damaged." Finished, I looked at my work. If anyone was watching me then, they would''ve shook at the frightening smirk that entered my face.
You have thought of an efficient exercise to train yourself. Your WIS has raised by 5 points!
"Glad the game agrees. Now, it''s time for me to get to work." The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.I was wrong! This wasn''t wise at all - this was just plain stupid! "AHHHHHHHHHHHH!" I screamed as I ran, my voice somehow reaching pitches I never knew it could make. "NOOOOOO!" In the world of Fate Online, all monsters laid eggs. Yes - whatever creature it was, may it be a zombie or a ghost or an alien, for some reason the creators of the game decided that they should lay eggs. In time, I would find out that these eggs can be used in monster taming, but for now I settled for just picking them up. Yes. I just walked into a forest, found the nests of all the cute, passive little monsters, and picked up all of the eggs in front of the parents. I''ve never felt so guilty in my life, imagining mental conversations between all the cute parents, them crying for their children as the big, bad player stole their eggs... Still, that didn''t mean I didn''t run with my arms filled with eggs when all the low-leveled monsters chased me with red eyes. "AH, I CAN FEEL THEIR CUTE LITTLE BEAKS AND CLAWS PECKING THE BACK OF MY SKULL!" Melodramatic antics aside, I found out soon enough that the exercise was actually a very difficult thing to do. For one, while the eggs were by default small, they were a little heavy for their size, so with the dozens of dozens of eggs in my arms I carried what felt like a sack of rice. Next, running in a forest was difficult! Contrary to popular media, forest ground was far from flat. It was squishy, it was bumpy, it was mostly inclined and rocky. Roots popped up all over the place and I had to watch out for trees as well, even at the speed I was going. Many were the times I almost tripped and let go of the precious eggs, which I didn''t want to do, no matter what. Then, by running in random directions inside the forest, being followed by forest animals in a fairytale-princess-esque manner (if you somehow ignore the snapping beaks and the angered cries), I managed to exhaust myself pretty quickly. At that point, when I was at the verge of collapse, I returned the eggs. Thankfully, after doing so the monsters lost their aggro and left without a fight. I didn''t know what to do if I had to - not that I was going to have any trouble fighting them, just that the thought of killing them after kidnapping their children left a bad taste in my mouth. Still, the exercise proved its worth as just in the matter of hours, my physical stats all went up to the higher part of 20s, leaving my mental stats in the dust. Too bad that afterwards I got totally lost in the forest I was in... "It seems I''ve been picking up quite a list of skills here." I muttered as I chewed through a piece of roasted rabbit. "Though... to think that my real life experience in Cooking is just level 28..." In the world of Fate Online, or rather in VRMMORPGs in general, it was a natural fact that real life capabilities were translated into the game world. Thus, if one was had a history of martial arts, it was to be expected that by the moment he entered a VRMMORPG he would already have a high-level skill for the fighting style the moment he used it. This was also beneficial for the game, as the compiled information all the players carry through their real life skills would be then translated into actual Skills for other players, which all used a player-support program for ease of use. I, being the Fool that I was to forget to buy camping equipment, could only be thankful for it and the camping experience I had over RL. That meant that I could start a fire, make myself a knife out of rock, and kill a rabbit to cook it with skewers. "Ah, I should check the entire list now!" I slapped myself over the forehead for forgetting. "Skill List!!"
Skill List
Knife Mastery: Level 11 Critical Eye: Level 5 Acrobatics: Level 6 Disable: Level 15 Identify: Level 8 Sturdy: Level 10Empathy: Level 3 Discern: Level MAX Parkour: Level 4 Camping Basics: Level 11 Carving: Level 2 Cooking: Level 28
"Exactly twelve of them..." I murmured, but a bright grin was on my face. Then it turned into confusion. "But wait, since when did some of these level up? I don''t exactly know Acrobatics or Parkour in real life, but they gained levels. Hmmm, I think there was supposed to be a message log here..." Checking my log and looking for the appropriate popups was a slow process, but after a few minutes I managed to find when the levels were gained. "It was when I was running in the forest. And during all of my fights." I tapped thoughtfully over the system messages. "Did all of my dodges, jumps, and rolls cause this? After all, one could say that they were simple acts of Acrobatics."
You have realized part of the game mechanics by yourself. Your WIS has raised by 1 point!
"I suppose that''s the best possible proof. Then starting today, I should increase my dodging. Or practice them as well whenever I have time. The same for the rest like Sturdy I guess..." Analysis over my skill list finished, I stood up and stretched beside my campfire. Night had come again, but while monsters in general were aggressive at night, they didn''t come close because of the fire. Thus, I was free and safe to relax and possibly sleep. Though, sleep wasn''t what I was planning to do. Leaving another rabbit to roast for a while over my campfire, I manipulated my inventory to call out an item I was very excited to open the moment I saw it. Conquering The World Tree by Bathshilda Emmyrs. No matter how this world was amazing in itself, no matter how much I was learning on how to fight, no matter how much I was starting to enjoy a hunt inside Fate Online, it didn''t change the fact that I, from my very childhood, was first and foremost a reader of books. Stories. Tales. I loved them all, and the thought of reading a book written inside a fantasy world utterly charmed me. The moment I opened the book, two things happened. First, a variety of windows appeared. But I had no time to look through them as just as immediately, the second thing happened in a flash of light. The world around me was wiped away and replaced by another. Al''Gadrin was a proud elf of a young age of sixty-two years. Like all proud elves in the land of La''Cordia however, he was still not considered an adult in the eyes of many until his age reached seventy-seven - the number of luck in their religion. But Al''Gadrin didn''t like that. You may even call him a bit childish for it; after all, who else other than a child would be in such a hurry to grow up? So, in just six measly months after his 62th year, against his father''s wishes he took on armor and weapons and went on a quest. "I''ll show them." Al''Gadrin promised to himself as he flew from home to his journey. "The Al of the Gadrin is an adult, my age less than seventy-seven or no!" His sword, made of blessed elven steel, gleamed at his side under the moonlight as he flew over the land of La''Cordia. In his hurry, in his determination, he failed to notice the sword absorb part of the energy that protected the land of La''Cordia, leaving a small hole in the protection. It was the fatal consequence of his actions, for when the Draven race attacked, La''Cordia was left vulnerable to invaders. When he came back home with a monster head trophy in his hands, his lands, his family, his friends were gone and dead, all of them in a pile of ashes. I gasped as the world suddenly came back to normality and I was no longer Al''Gadrin and I was Rain and- I took a few more minutes to calm down. After that, I stared at the closed book in my hands with wonder, thinking of what just happened and what the hell caused it to happen. As far as I knew, books weren''t supposed to do that. Even in a world such as Fate Online. After all, one would think the shopkeeper would at least tell someone about it, right? Wait, wasn''t there a group of windows that opened?
You have gained the skill Reading. Previous experience and synchronicity with your class has raised the skill level to MAX! You can now memorize entire texts with just a single reading! A new skill has been created! You now have Story Immersion!
For being the first player to learn the ''Story Immersion'' passive skill, you now have the title ''Story Teller''!
Title: Story Teller
You can now immerse anyone into your stories. Telling about a memory now lets them see it.
"T-This..." I couldn''t help but stare at the windows that were practically any bookworm''s wish come true. "This!" I was interrupted from my moment when a loud noise came from my side. It was my cooking rabbit. As I was too focused on my book to notice, several shadows had converged near the flames, called in by the smell of food. Panicked, I jumped to prevent my food from being stolen. The shadows yelped as I caught them by the arms. "Wait..." I pulled one the ''shadows'' upwards. "How can this be?" "Let go of me, mister!" Since when did kids exist in the world of Fate Online? Chapter 7: A Grimm Orphanage Chapter 7: A Grimm Orphanage In Fate Online, the famed Character Creation system was perfectly adaptable, capable of giving any player whatever appearance they wanted to have in their gameplay. Thus, it was no surprise that the game was filled with good-looking players - nobody wished to look unappealing after all. However, it did have its limitations - rules that the creators of the system had enforced for a variety of reasons. The first one was the restriction on gender. All players, male and female alike, must use character profiles that matched their sex. This was initially a decision lambasted by critics, stating it was sexist against the ''other'' genders, but over time as the creators piled up proof all arguments against the restriction ceased. The reason? People were simply not meant to act in a body that were not of their own sex. It wasn''t an ethical problem - it was psychological. When test subjects tried to use such character models that opposed their physical gender, they all logged in and logged out very uncomfortably as their minds tried to make sense of the abrupt change in sexes. The next restriction though, was a much easier subject. While the Character Creation system allowed a player to age their looks to any extent, they weren''t allowed to de-age themselves below the appearance of a teenager. Why is this so? Because nobody wanted a player to look like a child. It was simple, really. Why would Fate Online, a game for those above the age of eighteen, allow its players to fight anything that looked like a kid? Exploitation of people''s aversion for hitting children aside, it was an acceptable worry for the developers, as they didn''t want to be blamed by human rights activists on the subject of child abuse. Thus, in the world of Fate Online, there were no such thing as children. ...Or so I originally thought. "Mister! Do you want to play with me?" Yawning a bit from my sleep, I shook my head at the kid in front of me. "Sorry, kid. I''m still too tired." The boy that I met the previous night pouted. "My name''s not ''kid''! I''m-!" "Konan, right." I interrupted him as I stood from the sofa I slept on to rub at his hair. "Now, why don''t you play with Tieza? Don''t you have a game that you invented with her?" Konan went red to the ears. I had a feeling he liked the feel of being petted, much to his embarrassment. "But now even that''s boring!" For a second, I wondered on how to convince the boy to leave me for a while. As a teenager, I really didn''t know how to handle kids, and for some reason from the moment I plucked Konan off of stealing away my meal the previous night the boy clung on me, much to my horror. Thankfully, for now I was helped out by someone else. "Konan, Mr. Rain here needs his rest. Leave him be." Konan hitched in place. "...eek." "Now, go on or you''ll be doing the chores for today." The boy left in a cloud of dust. Thankful, I turned to the person who helped me out of that problem. "Mr. Grimm, you really know how to handle kids, don''t you?" The man in front of me huffed quietly as he re-affixed his glasses. "Of course I would be, Mr. Rain. I am the caretaker of this orphanage after all. Even kids would become easy to manage if you have years of experience in it." Grimm Locke was a man of morals and of a strong backbone. With his grey hair, half-rimmed spectacles, and wizened appearance, he had made for a striking first impression when I had met him the day before. It was after I met Konan, Tieza, and another boy named Conrad - when they found out that I was lost in the forest, they led me here into this orphanage, which was aptly named the Grimm Orphanage after the man in front of me. Of course, he then proved that striking first impression right when he managed to not only send the kids to their beds, but me as well. "I don''t envy your situation," I teased. "Your hair must''ve been grey long before it should''ve been, am I right?" Contrary to my joking tone, Mr. Grimm nodded seriously. "Yes, you are right." ...A moment of silence other than the chirping of crickets. I gave out a sigh. Do NPCs not have a sense of humor, or was it just the man in front of me? My eyes then wandered over the visible, noisy group of kids from outside the nearest window, then to their collection light grey Alignment Cursors, then back to the man in front of me and his own ash-grey one. Nope, it was just Mr. Grimm. Fate Online was the very first VR world that existed. One would expect that over the past eight years it did, the player count would decrease, but contrary to that expectation, over the years the population that played Fate Online only expanded. Why? Only because of one very important reason. The NPCs. After all, everything else, including the realistic graphics, gameplay, and sheer amount of material in the world of Fate Online was replicable somewhere else. Machinery like the VRT system could be easily dismantled and studied, new worlds and plot-lines could easily be written if one knew how, and with just a few million dollars worth of money one could simply create a new VR world all by themselves. Except, that is, the Artificial Intelligence that worked everything inside Fate Online. That was why Professor Brunnings was a famous man in my college - he was the one who created such a revolutionary AI that actually simulated perfect human thought and emotion. He was the one who thought of creating sentient life out of ones and zeros - and actually manage to succeed. Laws were even created because of him. The AI Rights Protection Act, or ARPA for short, existed because when people realized that the AI that worked Fate Online could actually think and feel, rights activists fought to allow them rights of their own. Rights to prevent copying. Rights to allow love. Rights to protect artificial life. It was a hard start back then, but together, my father and his team managed to push and succeed. Thus, when I was young it came to exist the thought of ["NPCs are alive as well. Respect them as much as respect everyone else."]. Just years after Fate Online existed, populations playing VR expanded as people wanted to meet and talk to these NPCs, and over time even the NPCs themselves gained a right that used to only exist with players; the chance to become an Adventurer inside the world they existed. Even nowadays, there were talks of allowing AI-Human marriage. And while I, Rain, entered the world of Fate Online for a reason separate from those who wanted to meet these NPCs, I still wanted to meet these group of living, sentient beings that my father and his team managed to bring to existence. I just never thought it would be a kid that I met first though. Or an orphanage of kids and their very serious caretaker... "So, now that you''ve rested, is there any place you are planning to go to? This orphanage is far off from any public routes, but I could point you to the general direction if you''d like." I gave a sheepish shrug. "Honestly, I don''t have any. I just went off in a random direction without any plans from the moment I exited my starter town." Mr. Grimm raised a grey brow. "Really now? And I''ve heard Players like you tend to have determined goals wherever they go. Or a Quest perhaps?" I couldn''t resist a chuckle. "Sorry, I''m just a Fool here. I''m far from any normal player. I''m actually thinking of staying for a while around here until I pick something like a goal." "A Fool?" Now, Mr. Grimm really sounded surprised. "I''ve never heard of such a class, and I would''ve remembered one so... derogatory. Though, I suppose it could mean something..." He then shook his head, his eyes turning serious again. "But very well. If you wish to stay longer," at this point, his gaze visibly went up to look at what was no doubt my Alignment Cursor, "you must abide by my rules and agree to some of the work I would give to you. I would not have any freeloaders in my orphanage, Player or no." "Of course." I raised my hand in oath. "I promise." The change was instantaneous. A bright smile was suddenly on Mr. Grimm''s face, and his hands suddenly met each other with a loud clap. "Good!" He beamed. "Now, do your first job here as a temporary resident of this orphanage." I ended up taking a step back. His grin was cheerily malicious. "First up, entertain the children!" As if coordinated, all at once one of the sliding shoji doors that made the walls of the orphanage collapsed, revealing the more than a dozen of kids that were leaning their weight on it, apparently eavesdropping on the conversation we just had. My face paled as I tried to count and take into list the sheer variety of the kids. Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. From boys and girls, to human kids to half-demons - and was that an elf boy? - to obviously prankster-type devil folk to angels to dwarves to more and more and more... I heard Konan squeak something happily under the heap. How many kids does Mr. Grimm take care of in this orphanage!? "And also, fix that door for me as well." I was really a Fool, wasn''t I...? Thirty minutes and a new Building Skill later, there I was, sitting in the largest room of the Grimm Orphanage, with a circle of thirty-eight kids - I counted, though it was difficult considering the Vargas triplets - all around me. Outwardly, I was easily smiling and joking with them. Outwardly, they were satisfied with that. However, inwardly, it was not so. What should I do- what should I do- what should I do!? One could say that it was the calm before the storm. The kids were grinning, yes, but in the same time they were visibly vibrating in their seats, obviously expecting something spectacular from me. After all, I was a Player, a level 42 one in fact, so I should certainly had some flashy stuff I know, right? No. Even with my inflated level, it didn''t change the fact I was just a newly-started Player. I simply didn''t have anything to show them. Konan, being the kid that met me first, was the worst of them all. "This is boring~!" Yep, he just did it. Broke the peace, and thereby forcing me out of the safe ''just-talk-and-grin'' zone. "I want to see something! Like magic! Or fighting skills! Or cool treasures, and stuff like that!" Like a switch was flipped, every kid in the group then turned to me with stars in their eyes. I gulped. This was it. I was going to be gutted by a group of kids for being a boring, newbie player- Wait, wasn''t there something I could use? "Ahahaha, alright, alright," I gave them a sheepish look as I called out my Status Window. "Just give me some time here..." There it was, over my list of Titles. The Hunter titles aside, the Fool (0) shone at me almost cheekily as I read its description again. ''Actors on a stage,'' wasn''t it? Well, maybe I really was a Fool then. Fools were what people called their jesters back during the Dark Ages after all... Quickly, I replaced my other title with the Story Teller. "Alright! I''ve decided now." I clapped my hands, acting as if I had just made a decision instead of being forced to take a last option. "I''m going to tell you all a story!" Unsurprisingly, the kids'' reaction to my words was whining. "Ehhh~!" Konan, ever the vocal one, was the spokesperson of the bunch. "That''s going to be boring! Like I said, I want to see something cool!" There was much nods amongst the children. "Oh no, but this story I''m going to tell you all isn''t just a story." I didn''t know how I managed to say those words with a straight face. "It''s going to be filled with drama! Action! Romance! Magic, and treasures, adventures that had for years gone untold!" Untold, if you considered the story being from a book untold. It was never actually been told out loud, right? "And best of all," I finished, much to the now-interested eyes of the kids before me, "You are all going to see it all happen before your very eyes!" Or so, I hoped that was the effect of my title. Thus, I finished my starting piece, and the children were all quiet and waiting for a story. Then, quietly, very quietly, I took out the book from last night again, opening it at the very beginning. "It all started with the story of an elf who left his home in search for glory..." I began, my eyes only flicking through a page once before I memorized the words, enough to tell it to my spellbound audience. "His name was Al''Gadrin, and well you see, the people in his land had this strangest belief that you were not an adult until your age reached seventy-seven..." And then, the world around us changed. The orphanage was gone - now, I and the children were in a beautiful land of fairytales and magic, where people''s ages were counted by the decades and all had elfin ears and wings. The floor turned into a rolling sea of grass that could be actually felt. Even I found myself wonderstruck by the effects of my storytelling. "Now, Al''Gadrin wanted to prove them all wrong." My voice sounded far away, almost as if a narrator in the sky. "He took on his father''s sword without permission for many nights, and trained and trained until, finally, he was sure he could take on one of the savage beasts outside the land of La''Cordia..." Then, a man appeared over the rolling grass - not with us, but over a distance. With a gleaming sword of silver, he practiced and practiced wielding it, manipulating it like another limb back and fro, before walking away into a far-off city. Then and there, I knew he was the Al''Gadrin of story I was telling. "Wow..." One of the kids murmured in awe. Even Konan was vibrating on his seat as he watched as well. "That''s amazing..." I smiled at their expressions, feeling the sweet taste of success. Maybe, being a Fool wasn''t so bad after all. "Then one day, he went out without permission to go on a quest of his own making..." It was a few hours later that I finished the story. It was to my surprise then when windows popped up.
You have told the story of ''Conquering The World Tree'' by Bathsilda Emmyrs! All listeners now have increased stats! Your STR has increased by 2! Your END has increased by 2! Your VIT has increased by 3! Your INT has increased by 4! Your DEX has increased by 2! Your WIS has increased by 5!
As the bearer of the Story Teller title, you now have gained the skill Sword Mastery: Level 1! Your CHA has increased by 10!
If it were any other time than then, I would''ve jumped in joy. But honestly at that point, I and the kids were all crying - in tears of joy or sadness, I didn''t know, as the story of Al''Gadrin really turned out to be all that I said and more. After Al''Gadrin lost his family and home, in a fit of anger he looked for vengeance. Again, he went on a quest, but this time it was a far more serious matter - a quest to murder his family''s killers, the Draven race of lizardmen. Over time, he became stronger, and stronger, up to the point where no one could match him- Only to feel empty over the reptilian bodies of the Draven he killed. They were always more of them. But then, he heard of a tree named the World Tree, which people told that if one reached the top, he would be granted a wish for anything. Thus, he went on another adventure, conquering the World Tree, only for his wish of ''Killing all Dravens'' to turn into ''Bring back my family'' when he finally reached the peak. Time was rewound. Al''Gadrin, the legendary conqueror from the dead land of La''Cordia, once again became Al''Gadrin, the 62-year old ''child'' of the line of Gadrin. Fate changed, and Al''Gadrin the Young One became patient. The Draven race never attacked, and thus his family became safe. "Alright, note to self, next time buy myself some less emotional books." I murmured to myself as soon as I finished tucking the children back to their beds, as per the bemused Mr. Grimm had told me to do when he saw me and the kids coming together in a giant hug. I had never moved so quickly away from kids in my life as I had back then. "Big Brother Rain..." Wincing a bit over the affectionate nickname, I gave the girl below me a soothing smile. The elven girl perked up at my expression. "Yes, Elena? Is there something I could do for you?" The girl before me sat up from her bed, giving a silent nod. "Big Brother Rain... actually I have a story of my own to tell..." It was a good thing Elena was looking down on the ground as she spoke, for all I could do then was stare open-mouthed as a window appeared before me.
Quest: A Little Girl''s Request!
Little Elena of the Grimm Orphanage has a story to tell! Listen to her and go on a quest to find the monster preventing her from sleeping well at night! Quest Reward: ???
"Well, I''ll be damned." Chapter 8: Magician Chapter 8: Magician "So, from what you are telling me, a few days ago, you entered the other forest in this area - the one Mr. Grimm explicitly told you not to - only to run away after hearing a haunting noise?" Elena nodded her head shyly, before turning her gaze around in a subtle fit of paranoia. "Then," I continued to summarize, "After that incident, you started having nightmares - nightmares about this monster you can''t describe but utterly terrifies you - and you think it''s the cause of the dreams?" "...not think," she murmured a bit emptily before meeting her eyes with mine. They were filled with terror. "Know." I couldn''t help but gulp at the out-of-place look inside little Elena''s eyes. Children were simply not meant to look that... traumatized. Almost as if something went inside and controlled them, and leaving scars of the soul in the process. "Do..." Blink. The glaze behind Elena''s eyes faded away, bringing back the child beneath them. "Do... you not believe me, Big Brother Rain?" I acted quickly, shaking my arms wildly as if to perish the thought. The girl looked like she would cry! "No, no!" I almost-yelled, thankfully just remembering it was late night before I ended up waking everyone else. "It''s just... surprising, I guess. Who would''ve wondered such a little girl like you would dare go into a forest like that though!" The following moment, little Elena broke into a blush, staring back at her feet shyly. "Actually... it was because I had another secret. A secret I''m okay with telling you, Big Brother Rain..." I gave out a sigh. So, there were more? Elena was about to open her mouth again, no doubt to tell her other secret, when she found her lips closed by a finger. I smiled at her, my face close to hers as I knelt to meet her height. "It is late, Elena. There is time tomorrow for that." I murmured as soothingly as I could, giving the girl a short hug. "But for now, it''s time to sleep. Should I stay here, Elena? In case of nightmares?" Elena froze in my arms, before sagging to finally let herself rest. "Yes, Big Brother Rain..." I didn''t sleep. As a Player, sleep wasn''t as much as a necessity for me as it was for NPCs. I didn''t know what was the case for NPC-Adventurers, but at least I knew for certain that ultimately, sleeping wasn''t as much required as it was advised to do. After all, it wasn''t the first night in Fate Online that I stayed up awake with my mind filled with dark thoughts, right? "And here I was worried somebody broke in the orphanage while everyone else was asleep, Mr. Rain." Still deep in my solemn brooding, all I managed to give the bespectacled man was a fleeting smile. "Sorry about it if I woke you up, Mr. Grimm." I took the cup of tea that he handed me. "I was just busy thinking." "A dangerous pastime, I believe." Mr. Grimm gave a low chuckle, "And drop the honorific already - it was amusing in the beginning, but now it''s just a mouthful to hear." I managed a grin at his light teasing. "Only if you drop yours as well." Grimm gave an acquiescent nod. Thus, there was silence except for the rhythmic sounds of sipping, the crickets chirping, and the moon being so beautiful in the sky that I was almost in peace. Almost, being the operative word. "Is there something ailing you, Rain?" My mind, being snapped out of those thoughts again, only gave a short, "Huh?" "You look troubled, and as far as you are still barely a stranger to me, I must admit you have been fostering a bit of fondness in my person." The caretaker didn''t look at me - no, he was still staring at the moon, the light reflecting on his face, almost making him look timeless. "I normally hold a bit of contempt for Players, yet... somehow, you''ve managed to avert that directly from me." "You? Hate someone?" I couldn''t help but blurt out, ignoring the short blush on my face over the indirect praise. "Are you sure you are talking about yourself, Grimm? You''ve practically welcomed a stray like me inside your home!" "Now," Grimm turned to me directly this time. "Isn''t that the question?" Another moment of silence before I broke it. "...you said you held contempt for Players. Why?" The man in front of me settled down his own cup of tea. "Tell me, what do you think about my kind?" "Kind? You mean Race? I have no predilections against any of-" "By my kind, I mean us who you Players call the NPCs." Grimm interrupted me before I could finish. "Us, who your people have created; us, whose existences are all managed in what you all call ''programming''. Tell me, what do you think of us, the artificial beings that we are?" My voice turned low. So, Grimm had known and thought of his existence as an AI? "Like I said." I repeated, far more solemnly this time. "I have no predilections against any sentient, moralistic life. Whether it is human, or just an imitation of one." I would''ve thought my usage of the word ''imitation'' was wrong, but then Grimm gave me a smile. "So, I was really right about you, Rain. You really are a kind boy." "So," I coughed, trying to direct the subject away from me. And if it meant taking my eyes off that smile on his face, then it was sheer coincidence. "What about it then? How is it related to us Players?" "Now, that is a subject for another sleepless night." Grimm easily deflected, returning the focus back to me. "We were talking about you and your problems, if I remember correctly, Rain. Now, tell me. Why are you so troubled?" I murmured something beneath my breath, but he didn''t hear anything. "Come again?" A bit disgruntled, I looked away. "I''m just remembering bad experiences, I suppose." The expression on Grimm''s face was almost fatherly. "Remembering what?" "It doesn''t matter." Or to Grimm at least; he didn''t need to know what happened the last time I stayed with strangers. "As for the reason as to why I''m thinking of them again - now, that''s more important. Did you know one of your kids - the girl named Elena - has been having nightmares?" "Yes," the orphanage caretaker answered grimly. "I am very much aware." "She''s been dreaming of monsters. I''ve even gotten a quest out of it-" Grimm looked at me with widened eyes, "-but all I care about right now is that fear that she had in her eyes when she told me." Blood. Betrayal. Cold-blooded murder. "Children just aren''t supposed to ever look like that. Ever." Sleepless hours passed, and the morning came. The children woke up with smiles on their faces - even Elena, though she still looked a little pale. When they all came down their rooms to eat breakfast, they were met with pancakes, eggs and roasted ham, much unlike their usual meals of gruel. I had Grimm take the credit for the meal - the man was kind enough to let me hunt even in the middle of the night after all. Instead, I was outside the orphanage, making myself a new weapon. It took a long while finding the correct length of wood, but for someone with all night to spend, it was simple to do. All I had to do was carve it out of a branch with my stone knife after all.
You have crafted a new weapon! You now have an Intermediate Oak Staff! Carving has increased four levels! You have gained a new skill! You now have Crafting: Level 5!
"Big Brother Rain? Where are you going?" Rubbing out the rough spots of my new staff, I turned to her with a tired smile. "Elena, aren''t you supposed to be playing with the other kids now?" "They''re all busy taking lessons from Mr. Grimm..." Elena answered shyly, looking down on her feet. "I asked for permission to talk to you before you left." The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. My heart warmed. Raising a hand, I rubbed at her hair. "Don''t worry. I''ll surely come back; I''m a Player after all." "I... promised," She started softly, her voice and determination rising with every syllable. "I promised I would tell Big Brother Rain my other secret!" "You don''t have to-" Her reply was by raising her hands - causing a small light to burst out of them. It was a strange thing - shapeless in form, but the blue glow it gave off was warm. "This is c-called the Magelight," She looked back to her feet, as if expecting me to say something badly about her for it. "I-I inv-vented it... I went into the f-forest to practice - everywhere else, people would''ve been t-there to see... It''s nothing but a trick... not even real magic..." This girl... she was scared that the other kids would''ve teased her for it? And still, she showed it to me, a stranger? "It''s amazing..." I praised her, causing her to blush. "Do you know, even I can''t use magic? Yet, at least." Elena widened her eyes. "B-but, the storytelling-" "-is just a trick." I repeated, tapping the tip of my nose. "It''s no magic." The girl looked back at her feet, shuffling them. "I-I could t-teach it to you... I-If you''d like me to?"
Elena of the Grimm Orphanage is trying to teach you the ''Magelight''. Attempt to learn this skill? Yes/No
I gave a nod, knowing I didn''t need to even press an answer this time. "A-Alright." She stuttered first, before shaking her head at trying to say the rest calmly. "I m-mean, try imagining energy coming from the hands. Like... like a memory, or power, or just something, then imagine it going up, up, up brightly like a star..." Following her words, I tried to imagine what she said. Power through the hands. Rising, lighting up like a star. A ball came out of my hands, lighting up like a blue ball - only to explode into nothing. Elena yelped in fright, before looking back to the ground. "I-it failed... Must''ve been my fault, why would I even-" "No." I interrupted her again, putting my slightly burned hands on her shoulder. "It''s not your fault; it''s mine." After all, a window had appeared the moment I attempted the skill.
Magelight failed. You don''t have the prerequisite stats for this skill. You need: 85 Intelligence. 95 Wisdom.
Such a high requirement skill... Just who was this girl before me to manage to create this skill all by herself? "Big Brother Rain... You don''t have to try cheer me up..." I wanted to tell her, convince her that ''No, it''s not your fault, it''s mine'', but it was obvious that no amount of words would manage to do that for me. This little girl would think that she failed me, even if it was me who failed her... Actions speak louder than words. But to learn this skill, I needed to spend at least 120 skill points... plus, at this point, that much usage would keep me stuck with an INT-WIS build, even if I spent the rest on STR. I didn''t have any spells; it would simply be a stupid decision to just dump stats into something I couldn''t use yet, especially for a spell that wasn''t even offensive-based. Would I really leave a girl to cry? More physical training could help, but there was no time; I wasn''t in the mood to grind, not when I knew someone would suffer the more I wait. Story-telling was inefficient as well, plus I couldn''t be even sure I would get something good out of it. What if the previous stat increases were a one-time thing? But then, a thought flashed through my mind. Does power even matter to me? Why would I care for what is normal? My decision was made. I was a Fool, wasn''t I? Then why am I even asking all these unimportant questions? Silently, I called out for my Status Window. A minute of preparation later, I knelt down to meet Elena''s eyes again. "Sorry about that. Big Brother Rain just had to do something. Let''s try again." Elena met my eyes, before giving a nod. She repeated her words, and in return I opened my arms wide, my palms facing the blue sky. This time, dozens of lights appeared, bringing beauty to the area around us. Over Elena''s hair, within the grass, from beneath tree branches and among the leaves, they sprouted, almost like fireflies. This time, I didn''t fail. And I wasn''t surprised.
Secret requirement achieved! For raising your INT and WIS stats to over 100, you have unlocked the next stage of your class! You have gained a new title, The Magician (I)!
Title: The Magician (I)
"Releasing hidden talents, the Fool masters magic, the secrets of the world... Effect: Allows pure magic.
Status Window
Name:Rain
Level:41Class:The Fool (0)
Race:HumanGender:Male
Titles:The Fool (0) (Aids growth.)
-The Magician (I) (Allows pure magic.)
Health:1140/1140Mana:14880/15500
Strength:31Dexterity:36
Intelligence:116Endurance:32
Wisdom:132Luck:5
Vitality35Charisma:16
Equipment Effects:None.
Stat Points Available: 0
"This is-!" I smiled at Elena, who looked at everything around her with wonder.
You have successfully learned Magelight! Now, you can light your way through the darkness of the world!
"Thank you, Elena. Now, surely, I can be safe inside the Darkling Woods." Others may have said it to just comfort her, but I truly believed in my words. Elena, without knowing it, had just shown me the real power of my Class. Thus, there was no need to worry. The quest would surely succeed. Elena blinked away her tears and gave me the brightest smile I''ve ever seen. "You''re welcome, Big Brother Rain!" Chapter 9: Forest of Monsters Chapter 9: Forest of Monsters Embedding my well-worn staff down into the ground beside me, I collapsed into a heap - heaving and sweating heavily. Remembering to let out a few Magelights for company, I rolled myself to the side, resting my abused body on the thick mat of leaves that covered the forest floor. From the very hour I entered the gloomy, dark forests I was currently in, I quickly learned that the Darkling Woods was simply not a place to scoff at. It wasn''t the difficulty of the battles that almost did me in. It was the sheer nature of the location. Soon enough, the forest gave me an encore of the very thing I was dreading, as the very moment I managed to regain my breathing, it happened all over again. An eye - pink fleshy lump, eyelids, and wide red irises and all - suddenly appeared from the ground beside my face. The next second, it burst into blood as I reflexively inserted my staff into the corneas. However, as always, even fast reflexes proved to be too late as a loud wail resounded through the clearing I was in, calling in a fresh set of monsters ready to kill. "I really hate this forest..." I groaned to myself, picking up my body from the ground as the swarm came close - making that really unforgettable chewing noise as my new enemies came by the dozens. "Why did people even create these kind of monsters?" Seconds later, silence. I stared them down. They, having no eyes, just exposed all of their teeth. It was a field of flowers. Flowers of flesh and bone, of stems that were really arms that grew and jittered sporadically over the ground, of petals that were hands and fingers and teeth. Lots and lots of sharp teeth.
HAND: Lvl 28 x 32
The staff in my hands glowed blue as my new Mana Channeling skill strengthened the weapon to its utmost limits. "Let me hope that this time I won''t get hit." Taking a deep breath, I opened my mouth to let loose a warcry. I jumped, and they struck. Much blood continued to spill.
You have leveled up! You are now Level 43!
Sturdy (Passive): Lvl 32
Laugh at those with armor using this skill! Give those monsters a taste of your washboard abs! Effect: Reduces physical damage taken by 32%.
Critical Eye (Active): Lvl 19
You now can see weaknesses of your targets when this skill is active! Go, Critical Eye! Effects: +43% damage to critical hits. Costs 32 mp per minute. Percentile damage and useability increases with every level. Skill now detects hidden enemies.
Staff Mastery (Passive): Lvl 13
''Tis weapon is not just a stick! IT IS MY STICK! +39% damage to attacks using staves and poles. Mastery now allows basic staff manipulation.
"Well, at least the experience is high..." I tried for a laugh, but it came out short as my breaths hitched into coughs in the process. My hands covered my mouth as I expelled blood from my throat, the metallic taste still on my tongue as I did so. It wasn''t just the monsters who were losing in this quest. "I really hate all the monsters in this god-forsaken forest..." The Darkling Woods was a place right out of a horror story. Everything and anything, from the tree branches to the rocks beneath my feet to even the ground, pulsed in an unnatural rhythm, giving the term ''living forest'' a whole new meaning. The monsters were of the same token: from eyes that squirted toxic blood at you to hands made out of flesh and teeth to simple conglomerates of flesh that quite literally explode into acidic chunks in a few hits... To put it simply, they were enemies not to be fought by the faint of heart unless they wanted their hearts to be bitten right out of their chests. And I would''ve faced the same demise if it weren''t for my newest skills. The Magelight and the Mana Channeling. In this forest, light was a precious resource, to the point where it equaled out to delivering damage. Not only did the ability to see your enemies coming help, the monsters were all sensitive to light - enough to even take damage over time. A single cast of Magelight now lets out seven balls of light, one per skill level. Combine that with my newfound Mana Channeling skill...
Mana Channeling (Active): Lvl 8
Charge your blows with energy! Enemies be warned, power glows! Effect: Increases weapon''s damage in relation to skill level and INT. Uses 43 mp per minute. You can overcharge this skill for 116% efficiency at double the cost.
Well, there was no wonder then that I managed to take dozens on and live, right? "Now, let''s try that again..." Placing my still-bloody hands over my legs, I focused on the wounds over my flesh. The HANDs were little trouble to defeat really, as they were just two or three hits away from being turned to mush and pixels. It was just their avenue of attack, chewing, was really troublesome to face, especially when they kept targeting your thighs and ankles. One. Two. Three. Imagine flesh re-knitting back together, blood being recovered slowly but surely... Energy and mana pulsed in my hands over my wounds... only to explode again in the familiar sound of spell failure. A window once again popped up to warn me.
Spell creation failed! This skill is incompatible with your class! You have lost 248 MP! Minor effects still established! You now have gained 116 HP!
"Damn." I slammed my fists to the ground beside me. "Where am I going wrong with this? According to my expectations, that should''ve unlocked the next part of my class!" Seconds later, I realized my mistake. But by then, it was far too late. All at once, a dozen of eyes suddenly opened in the previously empty forest. From leaves, to the branches, to the rocks, to the trees - they popped up, once again proving their ability to appear on any surface of the forest.
EYE: Lvl 26 x 12
I had to jump to the side as a dozen streams of poisonous liquid suddenly flew in my way. Summoning several dozen Magelights as I rolled safely to my left - which concurrently merited another level for my Parkour Skill - I jumped for the nearest eye, which was practically vibrating as it attacked me from the tree branch it was on. Making use of my arms, I grabbed for a nearby branch, running my way upwards over the trunk of the tree, before swinging my glowing staff at the offending eyeball. The bludgeoned end hit it directly over the retinas, stopping for just a second before it continued to press into the soft flesh. Again, I was thankful for the natural censoring my Critical Eye gave me as the monster exploded into another burst of acidic blood. In another feat of body movement, I jumped off the tree I was on, only to see it melt into nothing as the other grotesque creatures in the area tried to avenge their kin by sending me more bursts of blood. I then landed back to the place I started from. I turned around to face the eyes. They all gave me their version of the bloodshot stare. I sighed again before rushing back into the battle. The Fool (0). At the beginning, I had thought it was one of the standard Jack-of-All-Trades classes, where it meant I could learn many skills at the expense of not being able to master any one of them well. However, over the course of my previous night inside the Grimm Orphanage, I realized the contradiction in such a class scheme. First, this world was different from any RPG. For one, skills in this world were all either taught or learned - people either created their skills or accessed to a new skill by the effects of an item or another player. Thus, by logic, any class could be considered a Jack-of-All-Trades class. Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. All it took was to just find whatever unlocked a skill to be able to use it after all. Second was the way as to how my Class was established: all it took was to just leave a starter town without a class nor equipment at over level 30. That was easy and simple enough, right? No. My abnormal case aside, the usual levels for a Player before leaving his starter town was around level 20. That much I knew after seeing the average levels around the gate when I left Pratumira. Plus, at that point, people already had their classes - as much as I knew little about how the other classes were established, everyone I saw then already had weapons in their hands from wands to swords. Thus, my case was an extremely rare occurrence. Even if someone managed to get their levels to 30 in their starter town and then had all of their equipment stolen, the common sense of either picking up a class or some new weapon would usually invalidate what happened to me from happening. And in a world such as Fate Online, rarity meant power. The Fool was a powerful class. All I had to was find out what it meant. And Elena, if accidentally, had shown me just what my Class was. The Tarot classifications, or rather, the Arcana. Fool. Magician. Priest/Priestess. Empress. Emperor. Hierophant. Lovers. Chariot. Strength. Hermit. Fortune. Justice. Hanged Man. Death. Temperance. Devil. Tower. Star. Moon. Sun. Judgement. World. I didn''t know their meanings, or what some of them implied - though the sound of Death scared me - but as a well-read person, I knew well enough of them to remember the standard Tarot Deck. Plus, it helped that the moment I had the epiphany a new quest window popped up.
Quest: Power of A Fool
You have realized the meaning of your class. Do you have the ability to release all of its power? Next Title: The Priest Titles left: 20.
The next title was obviously a healing-oriented one, but to much to my initial ire, no attempt of creating a healing skill worked. All that happened was frustration and repeated inefficient attempts of healing. "I guess it really doesn''t work that way, huh?" It was only after managing to fully heal myself - to an exorbitant cost to my mana stores no less - did I finally give up on easily gaining the next title. "Well, at least for now I have a way to heal myself, mana-costly or not." Not that mana usage was a problem for me in the first place. Having stat-dumped my build into INT and WIS, I had more mana than I could spend - even skill spamming didn''t even seem to change my MP bar. When I had first noticed it, I checked my status for any kind of bug: and there it was, the reason I practically had infinite usage in regards to my weak mana-oriented skills.
Current MP Recovery: 13.2% of total MP per minute = 2046 MP/min
Immediately after that, I left my Critical Eye permanently active inside the forest, as well as my Mana Channeling skill. Thus, their experience bars raised automatically by themselves since then - with no MP cost for me to boot. "Never mind!" I slapped my hands over the sides of my face to regain focus. "I should be finishing this quest as fast as I can. It''s been an entire night and day already since I came in - I simply don''t have time to play with the game mechanics!" At the last part, my voice came out louder than I meant to do, which automatically made me shift into a stance in case I attracted even more monsters. When nothing arrived, I let myself relax again. But then, the singing started. As always, the tune was hauntingly clear for a simple melody - somehow resounding through the entire Darkling Woods, through all the plants and trees. "?All alone in this forest of yore... We have lost our way...?" When I had first heard it, I had been frightened out of my mind. The singing was beautiful - exquisitely so, even - but the words it carried, the thoughts that it symbolized, and the utterly unforgettable amount of emotions the singer gave off... It was enchanting. Almost to the point it seemed so demonic. I knew then and there that it had to be related to what Elena was looking for. "?Monsters of the woods... Of flesh, blood, and bone...?" Following the source of the song, I deactivated all of my light-giving skills - leaving me in the darkness. But it was no matter to me; the Critical Eye skill was useful enough to warn my way away from any of the monsters in the forest in the form of splotches of red. I jumped, I treaded. The previous night, when I came to the song had already ended. This time, I was not about to let the monster inside little Elena''s dreams to get away. "?Grit our teeth and bear... Endure all as we wait for another day...?" That was the point where I found the source and perceived it with my very eyes. In a few words, he - it?- was a personification of terror. Skin as black as ebony, eyes so red that they lit sharply through the dark night. Curved horns over his head, with dark grey hair coming down in curls framing his face. His smile was terrifying, and the armor that covered his large body even more so. A large black sword, huge enough to through people''s torsos with no problem, hung over the right side of his waist. I gulped when I realized the lack of red in my vision as I gazed over his location. Red means monsters. Thus, there are no monsters around him. Did he kill them all? If then, I didn''t need a Magelight to know that the monster of a man before me was surrounded by pools of blood. The song stopped. The forest returned to silence. All I could hear then was the sound of my own body shaking. ..... However, for the sake of that little girl... ..... I didn''t know anything about the man before me. I didn''t know what his level was, or whether he was a monster or some sort of quest NPC to be defeated. All I just knew was that if my quest didn''t end, tonight would be another night filled with nightmares for Elena. ..... I won''t give in to fear! ..... In all happened quickly in the span of a few seconds. Jumping out of the bushes, I spun my staff behind me, it crackling as I overcharged my Mana Channeling skill over it. In the same time, my left hand extended in front of me - letting out a hundred of my Magelights in an effort to blind the monster before me. My eyes were closed to prevent me from being blinded as well, but I could effectively see through my eyelids as my Critical Eye guided me. Making sure to find the reddest spot in my vision, I judged it to be where the man''s head was supposed to be. I swung my staff, hard with all of my weight before it. ....That was when I heard the man before me scream in fright. "AHHHHHH! IS THIS AN AMBUSH? HELP, SOMEBODY, HELP!" My staff hit his face. Thus, defeating him very anticlimactically. "OOF!" All dramatic tension gone, I opened my eyes - only to see the same frightening figure I had just seen minutes before on the ground, with his health bar in the deep red and tears in his eyes. His face was bleeding, but what really took my attention was the sharp indent of his face on the surface of the tree he had flown to. Then, I looked over his head, and there it was - another light-grey Alignment Cursor. That was the point I realized I made a mistake. "Oh man, I think I just hit an innocent person..." That was how I, Rain the Fool, met Myrrdin the Swordsman. Chapter 10: Camaraderie Chapter 10: Camaraderie It was only a half hour after our huge failure of a first meeting did Myrddin calm down. It was really a character-establishing moment to me in regards to him, especially considering my observations on the new person I''ve met ever since I''ve apologized and healed his injuries. Myrddin was, to be frank, a scaredy-cat. He was frightening to look at, yes; his armor was awesome in its original meaning, yes; his level was just a few levels below mine, yes, but that didn''t change the fact he was a scaredy-cat. His eyes refused to meet mine, he shrieked whenever a new eye monster popped up - much to my chagrin, as it called more and more of them - his swordsmanship was completely terrible, and while his looks told otherwise, he was a really really weak combatant. It made me wonder about him, really... "Hey, Myrddin." It was a funny thing to see, an object of fear jumping up in surprise. Thankfully, Myrddin had learned to keep his voice down. "W-What?" He turned his red eyes at me, which at that point had lost their intimidation value. "You have a really nice singing voice." I commented offhandedly, leaning my head on my arms as we walked - making an image of being casual even as I carefully watched his reactions. "Why are you a Swordsman instead of being a Bard? I honestly thought you were some kind of singing monster or something." It took him a while, but Myrddin answered quietly. "I did want to be a Bard... Do you know of the Syren race?" "I''m a bit new to this world..." I replied truthfully while keeping a questioning lilt in my tone. "So, no. I don''t." Perhaps I imagined it, but I could''ve sworn Myrddin go red. "Well... the Syren are a rare kind of demonfolk, but to those who know of them they are famous for their s-seductive singing, and maybe, just a bit, maybe I kind of wanted to become likethatsomedaybut- eh, not that I wanted to become something like an Incubus or anything, onlywantedtosingsongsandpleasepeople-" I interrupted his mumbling. "But what?" Myrddin sighed, all his nervous energy escaping him. "It''s a long story... about a bunch of evil little gnomes, a sword, a bunch of bricks and me and... I may have accidentally learned the ten requisite skills for a Swordsman instead of the Bard''s. Now, I''m stuck with this forever for the rest of my life." That was... interesting. So that was how normal Classes were achieved? By learning ten requisite skills for the job? That really made my own Class special - I didn''t unlock it by learning skills, but by leaving my starter town. Then, maybe... I was looking at this wrong. Maybe my next title would be unlocked differently too... then again, I didn''t even know what kind of meaning ''The Priest'' held. As far as I knew, the Tarot held meanings that were vastly different from what their titles suggested. Maybe I was wrong to even think the next title was about healing... "How about you, Rain?" Snapped out of my thoughts, all I managed was a quick "What?" Apparently, that was enough to hit Myrddin''s sensibilities. "I-I-I''m sorry!" The swordsman stepped back quickly, as if stung. "Y-You don''t h-have to answer, really!" Sighing, I slung my staff off my shoulder. Myrddin looked at it, very much frightened and no doubt recalling the time it hit his face, but I cared for something else. My Critical Eye lit my vision in red again. Myrddin really should stop attracting all these monsters, really... "Myrddin, get over here, now!" The terrifying-but-easily-terrified-bard-wannabe-swordsman yelped, but thankfully followed as moments after he ran towards my back the ground around us burst in clumps of dirt and rock. Seconds later, after I summoned my customary Magelights, the resultant clouds of dirt revealed the enemies.
FLESH: Lvl 30 x 8
As their names suggested, these monsters were simple aggregates of red bleeding lumpy meat. With mouths. Dozens and dozens of mouths all over them that had gums but no teeth - though, I supposed teeth would''ve have been better instead of them spewing bloody acid and pieces of tongue. And when any FLESH died, it exploded into chunks of poisonous biological waste, leading any physical fighter to be greatly hurt whenever that happened. The HANDs were the melee infantry. The EYEs were the ranged attackers. The FLESH? They were the slow, heavy, self-destructing tanks that dealt poison and positioning to deal with their prey. And now, eight of them surrounded the two of us in all directions. "I really hate fighting these..." I groaned, but I held my position. My staff crackled again, this time in deep blue and with sparks coming off it. With a mighty swing, I hefted my weapon and hit the closest wall of flesh in front of me. Its HP bar dropped around a twentieth. I had to pull Myrddin away as all eight of them countered by slinging pools of red goo in our direction, also slowly getting closer as they did. I really had to find a way to fight these guys properly, huh? "Hey, Myrddin." I whispered to the large swordsman shaking beside me as they came close. "My answer to your question? I would''ve said Fool, but for now... call me the Magician." I charged my energy to my staff again. But this time, unlike the previous sprinkle of mana, I focused a large fraction of my mana pool into the bludgeoned tip, raising it over my head as I did. A window flashed before me. Reading it, I gave Myrddin a grin. "Now, close your eyes, because this would be a blast!"
Mana Explosion (Active): Level 1
A real magician has a dozen ways to make things explode! Note: good children at home aren''t supposed to do this. Effects: Set an area around you to be affected and a focal point for the explosion to originate. Converts mana to pure destructive force. Mana to energy conversion increases in relation to skill level and INT. Current conversion: 2.16 Kilo-Joule/MP.
The tip of my staff went white before the explosion happened. I may have mentioned this offhandedly before, but the world of Fate Online had three- no, four kinds of beings. The first of them was, in general, people like me. The Players. Players held the most rights, held the most capabilities and advantages. It was to no surprise - the world of Fate Online was after all crafted for Players who wanted to enjoy a life outside the world of ordinary. Thus, Players had the advantage of learning skills, managing stats, having quests, and enjoying the ability of respawn after death. The next two were the existences that came with the world. The NPCs and the monsters. NPCs were the people that lived in this world of Fate Online. They had lives, enjoyed emotions, and generally went on domestic existences inside this world my father and his team had created. And, as I said before, they also held their own rights to live and to love, rights that the generation before me had fought for. But ultimately, they were only the characters on the background, mostly ignored by Players in a laissez-faire manner. The monsters, on the other hand, were the opposite of NPCs in every way. They were simple bits of code given form, given shape just so the Players would have something to fight. From the cute Bunnies to the frightening monsters in the Darkling Woods, they were ultimately made to be killed, with some quest-important exceptions here and there. But nonetheless, they all held no emotion. The last kind of being were the strangest of them all, the one that straddled the lines that separated the world of Fate Online. The NPC-Adventurers, or to put it simply, the Adventurers. These beings weren''t meant to exist. They were simply given form by the revolution that happened in my childhood - beings that used to be NPCs before they chose to leave their domestic lives to become Players in the world of Fate Online after they gained their rights for freedom. Adventurers had emotions. They had lives. But most of all, they also had Skills. One would think it mattered little - after all, Adventurers were a population that only numbered in the thousands in a world lived by hundreds of hundreds of thousands. But to Players and people of the scientific mind like me... they were almost like puzzle pieces. Existences that were meant to be carefully watched over. To be observed. If they were only so easily to be found, though! Think of it! If the Adventurers acted, looked like and thought like Players, how would you find them amongst the countless Players that existed? It was rare too that Adventurers admitted to being one when asked - they were simply not inclined to tell anyone. Why? It was the thought of Death. Adventurers didn''t have the ability to respawn. That''s why, to me, it was no surprise that some of them went Black because of the knowledge of their existence... "Hey, are you alright now, Myrddin? Did I miss a burn?" The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. I held my hands out in front of him, energy already pooling at my palms for another healing session. My staff once again hung behind my back, looking much worse for wear but still usable. Myrddin shook, but managed to nod. "Y-Yeah... I''m alright." Thankfully, friendly fire was a reduced existence in the world of Fate Online. Sure, one could receive damage due to an ally''s misfire, but it was a fraction of what it would''ve been if Myrddin was my enemy. That, and the fact that the explosion had prevented the suicide-damage from reaching us, was the only fact the swordsman before me survived. It''s a good thing, as I suspect Myrddin to be an Adventurer. After all, why would a Player be so scared, not when a Player could revive after his death? However, I didn''t voice my suspicions. I didn''t need for the easily-frightened man before me to run away at this point. My reason for being inside this bloody forest shone in front of me, to my eyes alone. It had updated the moment I had entered the forest, and I suspected as well that Myrddin really had something to do with it, Adventurer or no.
Quest: Elena''s Request!
Elena has told you the story of the origin of the strange sounds in the Darkling Woods. Identify and tell Elena as to what this singer is, all so she could sleep at night! Quest Reward: ???
Scary looks? Check. Really good singing, up to the point of haunting your dreams? Double check. Maybe even, after this Myrddin would end up being the next caretaker/helper of the Grimm Orphanage. After all, as far as I could see, the man beside me really didn''t fit being a fighter or something along those lines. He liked to sing? Well, the kids needed to be amused... even if they would probably scream in fright the first time they meet the guy. "U-Ummm... so you''re a Mage?" A smile was on my face after imagining the kids'' reactions, so this time Myddin didn''t gulp when I turned to him. "I''m actually the Magician, not a Mage..." I rubbed the back of my head. "I don''t really know what it means, but I''m quite sure the class helps me manipulate my mana. Like this." I made a new Magelight to make a point. It was almost strange, how easy it was to make now... like a twist in the wrist or something, making these balls of light were stupefyingly easy the moment I equipped my Title. Wait... what would happen if I take it off then...? Myrddin interrupted my thoughts yet again. I blinked the moment I saw his face. He was... smiling? "It''s nice..." Myrddin looked at the ball of light with a childish sense of wonder, a bit of tired envy along with the tone. The Magelight looked like a fairy light as its colors changed from all the shades of the rainbow. "It''s good that you can do things like that. Things that aren''t just for fighting, skills that aren''t just to kill monsters. I wanted to be a Bard to make people smile, and now..." I''m stuck as a swordsman even though I don''t want to fight, went unspoken. I noticed him coming closer, the tension going away from his shoulders as the Magelight came close to his face, but I didn''t voice it out. It was almost brittle, the expression on his face. And with the fact that he was finally relaxing around me... well, I wasn''t about to ruin his peace. When I was sure it was safe to do so, I gave my own olive branch to the forming solidarity between myself and Myrddin. "You know, you could still sing." Myrddin thankfully didn''t jump up in fright this time. However, his eyes went down, a depressed tone reaching his voice. "But... I''m not a Bard. My singing won''t have any good effects; it''s all just a distraction on the field as it is." I huffed a bit beneath my breath, a smile reaching my lips. "To be honest, you are horrible at fighting." Myrddin went still at that, only to relax again as I continued to speak. "However, you are so good at singing that singing just for the sake of singing is enough. For me at least. Plus, you seem to not like battling monsters, right? Then why are you even in this forest, instead of singing somewhere outside of it?" A light entered Myrddin''s red frightening eyes, but this time I wasn''t scared to see it. "R-Really?" He asked, turning to me with hope. "E-Even if I''m supposed to be a Swordsman, it would be alright for me to act like a Bard?" This time, I couldn''t hold back a snort. After all, I was a Fool pretending to be a Magician... "Go for it!" It was without warning. As if a string suddenly snapped, a smile formed on Myrddin''s face before he stood and opened his mouth and sang. "?I have seen the light. I have met a friend, and he has told me what''s right!?" My face formed a grin as I thought of how as if-life-were-a-musical it was, but I enjoyed the beautiful tones that came from the person in front of me. Myrddin really was a good singer; of the demonic race or not, it didn''t change the pleasing sensations his singing brought to whoever heard him. "?Monsters of the woods... Of flesh, blood, and bone!?" But then I thought and thought again. How, if Myrddin was such a loud singer and weak fighter, did Myrddin manage to survive in this forest? "?We won''t wait another day! We would fight the good fight!?" Where were the monsters that came after hearing a loud noise? That was how I remembered a strange circumstance. The first time I met Myrddin, he was singing. Yet, he wasn''t surrounded by monsters. If Myrddin was supposedly just another Adventurer, then why was Myrddin not attacked by the Darkling Woods for making loud noises? Light is equal to damage over time here in the forest. Is it too much to think that sound could do the same? If sound induced damage, then it would be no surprise that it caused aggro to nearby monsters. But what if the sound was loud enough, expressive enough to kill whatever weak enemy that tried to come close? IT was a monstrous existence. IT lived in the dark forest. IT ate, IT overpowered, IT consumed everything. But IT hated both light and noise. Thus, IT came to EAT both of them. All Players, including myself, knew and understood the subject of mobs. Even I knew that killing a large group of weak mobs tended to attract the strongest ones. The Bosses. However, at that point before I met IT, I failed to realize the meaning of my rampant killing of monsters inside the Darkling Woods. Myrddin too, failed to realize his singing had caused the deaths of dozens and dozens of sound-sensitive monsters, moving us closer and closer to the breaking point. First came the many but easily defeatable, then came the few but difficult to fight. The last song was what pushed us to the next stage. It came with noise. Clicks, clacks of teeth, chattering loudly plus the gurgling sounds of blood being expelled and swallowed... holes - no, pores - popped out eyeballs and pus all over the skin. A strange beat, as if one enlarged a heart, filled the air as it came close. The HANDs were the melee infantry. The EYEs were the ranged attackers. The FLESH were the tanks. It? It was the mother of it all. It was the origin of all the monsters that lived in the forest of monsters, the parasite that took over the entire existence of the Darkling Forest. Myrddin shook beside me, and I had to steel my own nerves to not do the same. Like the FLESH, it was made of red meat. However, this meat wasn''t just lumps of muscle and sinew. This flesh was made of skulls and faces, of misshapen arms and legs, of open wounds and large boils that popped and formed all over its entirety. Eyes, mouths, teeth, hands, arms, feet - all of them, as if someone placed the corpses of a thousand men and women into a crazy blender and pressed MUTATE. It shadowed over us, rising way above the trees.
A Boss Monster has been encountered. ???: Lvl 65
That was when I realized maybe Myrddin really wasn''t the quest objective after all. Chapter 11: Last Song Chapter 11: Last Song I started the battle with an explosion. The moment I was sure Myrddin was safe behind me, I reached for a nearby stone, juggling it a bit with my right hand before throwing it into one of the eyes that made the monster before us. Now, while I had found that my new Mana Explosion skill best worked with my staff as my mastery over it provided synergy, by the fact it heavily damaged my only weapon meant that option was out. Thus, limited as I was, I only managed to cover the stone with a scrupulous amount of mana before it had vibrated dangerously in my hands. Still, it meant that now I had a way of making a ranged explosion.
625 Damage! Mana Explosion has leveled up!
I made sure to jump away from the incoming debris. Myrddin cried out fearfully behind me, "R-Rain!" I held back a curse. While summoning dozens and dozens of Magelights, I kept my eyes on the boss monster as I replied. "Myrddin, just look back and run!" Myrddin opened his mouth to say something, but I didn''t have time to talk as suddenly a large tentacle of flesh came from the smoke that still covered ???. I managed to parry it to the side with my staff, but my weapon visibly melted during the moments it touched the flesh. "Myrddin." My voice was cold. "Run, NOW!" I didn''t have to look to know that he left at that point. Instead, I placed the entirety of my focus on the monster before me. My staff, now once again crackling with blue energy, was the only thing before me and ???. Making sure to replenish the Magelights that were somehow being extinguished, I ran forward in attack. I swung my staff from my left, before pulling it back at hitting the monster before me with the butt. Like so and fro, I attacked, striking ??? with basic combos that barely did indents on its health bar, much to my frustration. At this rate, it would take forever to even halve the Boss monster''s health! Then, ??? gave out a bone-chilling roar. I could only shake and watch as the ground around me became fertile land for the presence of new monsters.
??? has created its minions! HAND: Lvl 28 x 24; EYE: Lvl 26 x 12
...I really am a Fool. There is no way I can win this! But then, Myrddin''s voice once again rang through the forest. This guy... maybe, he''s much more courageous than I thought? To actually come back...? "Y-You monsters!" I spared a moment in between dodging three tentacles and several glancing bites to see him over the top of a tree. "Leave Rain alone!" Instantly, most of the monsters that spawned aggro-ed on him. The eyes blinked, the arms curved - directly moving towards one shaking swordsman. I, though, became reminded of his ability as I noticed a minute decrease in the monsters'' health bars. That''s it! "Myrddin!" I yelled on the top of my voice, sending another explosive stone over ???''s way. "SING!" Myrddin quavered, but managed to calm down over his position. He opened his mouth, starting a song with a battlecry. "?Monsters of the Forest! Shake in fear! Hear your demise!? ?Face the ones that''ll be your end! Die beneath our feet!? ?Monsters of the Forest, we will end you!?" His voice was forceful, his tone was terrifying, but most importantly to me, all monsters around us visibly lost health. Including the damn boss. Invigorated, I turned back to ???, ignoring the dying minions around me. ??? sent in my way its tentacles, but I deftly dodged them. ??? expelled at me poisonous fluid and I deflected that back to its own flesh. ??? summoned more monsters, only for them to quickly die between me and Myrddin''s vigorous singing. Somehow, his song even affected me as well even without the game announcing any boosts. My strikes became stronger. My channeling became faster. I was learning on my feet to create bombs from every stone that I touched. They were weak, but they provided me ample enough distraction and cover from incoming projectiles. Magelights became quick flashbombs for the eyes, allowing me to interrupt their attacks. Together, somehow Myrddin and I reduced ???''s health by a quarter. We can win like this! Then, ???''s battle style suddenly changed. "ARGHHH!" Myrddin was struck. I yelled something unprintable as I watched the swordsman fall from his perch after a stream of acidic blood hit him. ??? had learned to ignore me in priority of attacking the Syren, and I didn''t even have the ability to help Myrddin as ??? had summoned FLESH instead of the weaker monsters. Effectively barricaded and surrounded, all I could do was watch as Myrddin tried and failed to evade attacks on his location.
FLESH: Lvl 30 x 6
"Leave him alone!" I growled at the meat walls surrounding me, only to be met by a large ring of acid that came from all directions. I tried to dodge, but my feet failed to move out of the way this time. Again, I screamed in pain as the sensation of being burned alive lit from my feet and climbed up my legs. Apparently as if attacking Myrddin wasn''t enough, the FLESH had learned to attack with sync with the EYEs that had somehow survived through the swordsman''s song. Instead of the previous sprays that I could easily dodge, the attack became omnidirectional - leaving me no choice but to try and take the path of least damage. However, the feeling of having my limbs turned into mush wasn''t enough to break me. "I SAID..." I pulled myself up with my staff - which by that point had turned into a twig of what it used to be. "LEAVE HIM ALONE!" My weapon was next to useless now? Fine. Have it your way! I swung it for the last time, dipping through more than half of my mana. All of that went through the wooden weapon like a river, leaving a glowing crescent that surrounded me from all directions like the monsters that had learned to strategize. A skill window popped up, but I ignored it as the crescent exploded, leaving my staff into ashes along with my enemies. I also ignored the blast front in favor of running towards Myrddin''s direction as fast as my feet could take me. When I reached the swordsman, his life was in red, but thankfully I had enough mana left to heal him to full. However, that left me on empty for the next minute, with no weapon. While in the presence of a Boss monster and its respawning minions no less. "Are we..." Myrddin spoke to me as the first HANDs came closer again. "Going to die like this?" Adventurers will die when they are killed. Bile rose to my throat at the thought of the man before me being erased for real. No matter how I just met him, it didn''t change the fact I had started to care for him just before ??? came. "No." I replied harshly, causing him to shiver but somehow calm him down in the same time. "We won''t. Now, give me your sword." The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. Myrddin stared at me, but nevertheless handed me his only weapon - showing me a degree of trust I didn''t know if I deserved or not. However, the determination in his eyes quickly answered that. "I''ll sing again, much louder this time." I couldn''t resist a smile. "I suppose I''ll really would have to work on my level one Sword Mastery in exchange for that." I offered my hand to help him up. He took it gratefully. A Fool acting like a Magician acting like a Swordsman, together with his friend Swordsman acting like a Bard. Sounds like a winning strategy for me. As Myrddin stood his ground with me, I stood guard in front of him as he prepared to sing. I had no mana, had no shield, had no armor, but I had Sturdy working for me - that was enough for me to act as a tank for a while. Plus, the large size of Myrddin''s sword and its surprisingly light weight would help me in that. Thus, the moment the first minions reached our position, Myrddin was singing and I was cutting down everything I could reach. Diagonal, from the left. Vertical from the right. Behind me is an eye - stab it through the pupil! We worked as a team, like two machines that had somehow clicked with each other perfectly. Myrddin would sing, I would defend. He would warn me of attacks from my blind spots, and I would block and endure the sprays of acid for Myrddin before deflecting tentacles with Myrddin''s sword. Soon, the minions around us died - leaving ??? alone once again. It seemed that as long as you didn''t directly attack ???, it wouldn''t summon monsters - which was just perfectly fine for the two of us. I viewed my MP bar at the corner of my eyes. It was back to half - all thanks to my high recovery rate. I exchanged looks with Myrddin; he understood, shaking his head as I gestured for his sword. It''s better for you to hold it for now. I''ll be singing, as always. I smiled at his trust, once again holding out my hand to him. We ran together towards the Boss monster. "The previous strategy wouldn''t work now!" Myrddin yelled as he ran with me, dodging a tentacle I couldn''t deflect in time. "This... boss monster would just attack me again instead of you, and maybe next time it would outright kill me!" I ducked, pulling Myrddin down with me as a spray of acid attempted to melt through our heads. In exchange, I kicked a rock towards ???, somehow managing to activate Mana Explosion on it as I did. The explosion was even weaker this time, but at least it gave us more time. "Then I''ll sing as well with you. It won''t be as good as you do it, but it would hopefully reduce the aggro off you." If it were any other time, I would''ve felt horrified about singing in front of somebody else. But somehow, the thought of Myrddin hearing me sing didn''t bother me anymore. "As for you, do you have a shield? A metal one, perhaps?" Myrddin didn''t blink or stutter this time. "I have one in my inventory, a steel kite shield that never felt right to me. Why, do you need it?" It was amazing, how much he trusted me with his inventory. A flash of another man, another friend, entered my mind before I shook my head of the thought. Myrddin wasn''t Caelum; far from it. "No, you use it this time." I replied quickly, watching as ??? once again gave out a roar that warned of new minions. "Use it to protect yourself, together with me as I attack it. You can probably use it as a bludgeon weapon as well, I think." The swordsman-acting-bard blinked, and then I fondly remembered our first meeting just hours ago as a horrifying grin lit up his eyes like rubies. He took out his kite shield - one so large it covered more than three-fourths of his massive height. "Then, let''s go!" I started the song as we ran the rest of the way to ???; words and lyrics were somehow writing themselves in my mind and escaping my mouth with tones I didn''t know before. A meaningful song, a ballad. A musical that had somehow forced itself in the battle, much to my inward amusement. "?I have once thought of being a solitary man. Now, I''m solitary no more.? ?Monsters of the forest, quake in fear. For I am not alone, not anymore.?" Myrddin was the one who attacked this time - bashing his shield over the closest EYE and squishing it into mush before planting the pointy bottom edge inside its accompanying HAND. It was a scary sight, watching as the monsters'' blood covered Myrddin. However, I smiled as Myrddin continued my song, deflecting acid back to the enemies with his shield as he sang. "?I have once thought he was a monster, a lone wolf in a forest of flesh. Now, I realize I am wrong.? ?Wolf he is not. Instead, he was a man looking for a friend - and a friend I shall be.?" The sword in my hands glowed brightly in blue as I channeled my mana into it. It was harder to wield than my staff, but unlike my staff it managed to completely pierce through ???''s leathery wet flesh. My mana then lanced through the steel, focusing at its tip and edge. I activated Mana Explosion. I could only try to hold back a laugh of success as I watched the massive health bar above us lose an entire tenth in one go. Myrddin''s sword, being a weapon far hardier than my handcrafted staff, easily went out of the wreck of red flesh it was in without looking worse for wear. "?We are not alone!?" The two of us sang in chorus, Myrddin blocking all the tentacles heading for my way with his shield as I expended all but a tenth of my mana in streams of Magelights. "?Nothing would stop us now!?" If anybody looked at the Darkling Woods then, they would''ve seen night turn into morning as thousands of Magelights coalesced into a miniaturized sun. Monsters sizzled into nothingness in seconds. "?Enemies shall fear us, for we are not alone!? This, we continued, singing and cutting and clobbering our way to victory. Swarms of minions, from the HANDs to EYEs to even the tanky FLESH, fell before us. ???''s health bar, we continued to whittle down with song and steel all in a matter of minutes that felt like hours. Then ???, having been left with less than a tenth of health, burst into a large mass of tentacles. Like a geyser of flesh from the earth, the tentacles rose up and grew to fill the sky above us. In a matter of seconds, the forest would become the landing point of more than a thousand tentacles falling in tandem. No words needed to be exchanged. I rushed towards Myrddin. Myrddin met me in between. He grabbed for his sword. I went for his shield. We attacked ??? together, our hands supporting each other. Both weapons went blue as I activated Mana Explosion with all of the energy I had. Everything exploded.
6,900 damage! Critical Hit! Your party has defeated the Boss Monster ''???''! Rain has gained ten levels! Rain is now level 59! Myrddin has gained thirteen levels! Myrddin is now level 56!
I only had the time to grin victoriously with Myrddin before ??? burst into acid and poison. It rained hell all over Darkling Woods. Chapter 12: Priest Chapter 12: Priest It was pure luck that I had survived the first splash of acidic blood and poison that had been the result of the boss monster''s death. After all, in the entire boss battle, I had used all of my mana in either attacking or healing Myrddin. There was no surprise that my health was in the red before even killing ???. However, the same could not be said for the person beside me. "MYRDDIN!" Out of shock, or pain, or - this I feared the most - death, Myrddin fell to the ground, horrifyingly silent as his suddenly inactive body reached the soil below us. I would''ve just stared at his - don''tbedeaddon''tbedead - body, but then I remembered the incoming rain of acid as all the tentacles above us exploded like the main body of ???. I grabbed Myrddin''s unconscious body with me before I ran in search for cover. "MYRDDIN, WAKE UP THIS INSTANT!" I cried, even as my breath became heavy and my lungs burned from the effort of searching for a nearby tree, a tree that still stood even under the onslaught of acidic blood rain. "WAKE UP!" I frantically turned to his HP bar - somehow still in the red instead of empty as I feared. Good, that meant Myrddin was just unconscious. However, at the rate the rain was damaging both of us, there was no way to survive for either me or Myrddin. I was fine with death. I was a Player; I could always revive. But Myrddin, he I suspected to be an Adventurer. If he would die, it very could be his last. I refuse to let that happen to my friend! Repeatedly, even as drops of acid burned through my flesh and went through my non-existent armor, even as the rain of blood around us warned of my impending death, mana surged from my still-recovering reserves as I repeatedly casted my inefficient healing on the both of us. Steam covered my flesh as my mana repelled aside acid, causing them to evaporate instantly. I healed Myrddin as I ran. And I ran even as my legs felt like they were being burned off. And I almost cried in joy when I finally found a large oak tree I could use for cover. As dilapidated and battered the tree above us was, I ignored the possible consequences of staying underneath something that could fall on the two of us in favor of assessing the situation and trying to not panic as I did. It wasn''t easy.
You have been poisoned with ???''s Necrotic Poison! For the next ten minutes, you would lose 20% of your health per minute!
I didn''t have any antidote. Thus the only hope of survival was to somehow endure through the poison - through a status effect that could kill me twice without trouble even if my life was full. However, there was no choice - all I could do was to try and attempt that avenue for survival. I barely managed to heal the both of us to yellow health when pain suddenly wracked my entire system, blood coming out of my mouth in coughs like the unconscious Myrddin beside me was doing in his sleep. Our health bars both went back in the deep red. But I didn''t stop - no, even as the burning pain of necrotic poison that made my skin feel that it was ripping apart, made the virtual blood inside my veins boil, I didn''t stop. I still pushed on, clinging on to what remained of my consciousness and mana to hope against hope that we would survive. At this rate, my mana would run out and we would die! I would''ve devoted all my efforts into healing Myrddin then and there, but I also needed to remember to heal myself. Self-sacrifice was one thing, but if I died, Myrddin would most assuredly die as no one would be able to heal him and monsters may attack him while he was unconscious. So, in spite of knowing the consequences, I continued to heal. What else could I do? Healing status ailments were different from the blatant knock-off kind of healing I did. Myrddin let out a pained groan. "No. I won''t let this happen." I... why were my eyes getting wet now? It was already long ago that the rain stopped. And why were the drops that fell from my eyes clear liquid? "I finally found a friend - I won''t let him die!" Twenty seconds. Thirty. Forty. Fifty. Sixty, and my body once again fell under the sensation of being pierced by a thousand needles. My life, and Myddin''s, fell even deeper than ever. My hands, my healing, stopped. Looking at the bars, I already knew the futility of my efforts. I was once acclaimed as a genius after all - it was easy for my mind to calculate and compare my healing capabilities against the damage the poison dealt out. As much as I hated the results, as much as I reattempted the calculation, there was no lying to myself of that fact. The next minute was the last. Myrddin was going to die. He, the one I started to call a friend, was going to die. Not only that, he was going to die in front of me, die because I failed him. All because I focused on getting power, on getting strength... if only I had made sure to pack up an antidote instead of making a damn staff, then maybe Myrddin would''ve survived. I was a Fool to believe that I was ever good enough... Then rage filled me. I WON''T ACCEPT THIS! I WON''T COWER TO THIS! My healing was inefficient? My usage of mana wasn''t enough? Then all I had to do was try harder. Once more, the now-silent Darkling Woods lit up in blue as one Fool called up all of his reserves to heal his Swordsman. Streams of mana swept over my body, flowing through my arms and encapsulating Myrddin in a shell of pure power. Once again, night turned into day as blue light filled the forest that was once filled with monsters. I was the Magician. Feats of power were in my palms the moment I gained the title. I ignored my own red health bar. My friend deserved all the chance he could get to survive. My MP emptied out as all of my energy went into Myrddin. This was my last attempt. Holding out my hands, I imagined it all. Myrddin - happy, fully healed and perfectly healthy. Maybe even a bit stronger, maybe a bit braver... holding that imagination into my grip, I closed my eyes and let my power do its job. Energy swirled around my fingertips, wild and powerful, streaming into my friend. The blue shell in my hands glowed, brighter than ever, even brighter than the sun- TING. -only to fail with the accursed sound of spell failure. My heart fell at the sound, at the sound of the death knell. I looked again at Myrddin, only to see his health not even change. The poison was also still there. My last attempt, all for nothing. No! My eyes filled with tears. I opened my mouth, to say something like a goodbye, but all that came out was my choking. Then and there, I realized the last reason as to why Adventurers were only looked from afar by other players - there was nothing worse than the pain of knowing someone close to you would die. Sorry, Myrddin... I closed my eyes to accept my death and Myrddin''s... *ping* My eyelids snapped open, joy filling my heart as I watched a window open by my very eyes.
Secret Requirement Achieved! Through the heartfelt wish to help others, the Magician''s raw potential and power can finally be shaped. Calling from the subconscious, you have reached the next stage of your class. You have gained a new title: The Priest (II)! Your second title has now switched to The Priest(II).
This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.
Title: The Priest (II)
"The Fool grows wiser as power fails him, allowing him to understand the need for the softer touch of the Priest..." Effect: Allows healing magic.
Suddenly, my hands glowed again with power, this time without my calling. Like a storm that was tamed, the energy I felt was... calmer and softer, streaming from my arms back down to Myrddin. Similarly, small balls of light came from the earth around us, from the trees and the rocks, coming together in one last symphony to heal my friend. With awe building into my heart, I looked at the balls and understood. I turned back to Myrddin, closing my eyes and trusting that what I would do would work. "Please, help my friend." Slowly, but surely, his health started to fill. From the corner of my eyes, my own health bar refilled, both of our status effects disappearing as the pure energy that came from the earth dispelled the toxins that flowed within our veins. New alerts appeared before me, but I didn''t need to see them now. I understood what I was now capable of after all. The loud beating in my head that was my heart slowly settled. The rain stopped. Thus, there was silence and I felt peace. It was while I trudged with Myrddin''s arm over my shoulder did they pop up. I had been walking in the darkness. As it seemed, my ability to use magic was limited to my Title. Now that The Magician (I) was replaced by The Priest (II), I couldn''t even make a single Magelight. Instead I followed the moonlight that filled the forest now that the acid rain had reduced the heavy foliage that used to hide the night sky. My silent time in relative darkness was short though, as they appeared. Wisps. And with their ghostly light, they revealed with them the new - or old? - inhabitants of the forest after the death of ???. Deer. Rabbits. Squirrels, foxes, silver wolves, badgers, chipmunks, hares, and hedgehogs. I froze at their initial appearance, but they didn''t attack. They surrounded me and Myrddin, yes, but kept themselves in a rather large circle - watching my every step, but keeping their distance. One could even say that there was a glint of respect in their eyes, like they knew the two of us were the ones that killed the usurper of their land. So, instead of attacking, I let them lead me. The crescent moon above glowed serenely as predator and prey alike walked alongside one another, walking and trudging together into a hidden portion of the woods. I had to catch my mouth when I saw our destination. It was a verdant deciduous pocket of paradise. Trees grew and flowers bloomed alongside a small river, rocks gleaming almost silver beneath the moon''s light. And at the very moment I stepped into it, a multitude more of small animals appeared - the young, the old, and the aged. This was their hiding spot... Still letting myself be led, I finally came upon the center of that very paradise: a very large, very thick tree. One so large as to somehow cover the entire area yet somehow allow the moonlight to seep through its branches. Its trunk was more that four meters wide, its roots so thick that they formed steps across the land. Underneath the moon, its bark glowed silver, making the entire tree look like it was touched by divinity. With surprise, I realized that all of the trees that surrounded us were actually offshoots of the same plant - the very same king of the land that was the giant tree before me. I felt awe at the sight. But it wasn''t over. Like a troop of trained soldiers, the animals around me went to work. Beavers and squirrels climbed up the wondrous tree while the wolves howled in nature''s symphony. The rest of the animals let their own cries then - as if a ritual was being commenced. The sound of their chorus was oddly compelling. I could''ve listened to it all night, as my legs finally collapsed, bringing Myrddin down with me to the ground. Then, like magic - or was it really magic? - my body started to feel better, my mind began to recover. I only realized that the song ended when the beavers came down, a large branch being carried by their tails. Similarly, a grey squirrel strode over the largest beaver, carrying in its small arms a single seed.
In return for saving their forest, the animals of the forest of the Darkling Woods have awarded you with a prize! You have now gained a Seed of Life and a Branch of the Tree of Life!
Your actions have now revealed the true colors of the Darkling Woods! A living forest filled with eternally living peaceful forest creatures, you now have discovered its previous name: the Forest of Life! You are now capable of bringing anybody into this hidden abode of paradise inside the Forest of Life! As a result, you have gained +10 to all stats and an additional +30 to Charisma!
The animals, having given me their gifts, looked at me with a sense of wonder. This time, I didn''t fail to notice the intelligence within their eyes, the message that asked, ''How do you like it?'' "Thank you for the gifts." I responded, knowing that they would understand. "I promise I''ll make the most of them." That made the animals visibly lose tension, and suddenly I found myself literally surrounded in a dogpile of fur. The wolves, which by before stood in their lonesome parts of the parade, let out a few yips before running around me and licking me in the face. I couldn''t hold back a laugh as they welcomed me into their proverbial pack, causing squirrels to chitter and the wisps to dance in their eerie splendor all around the forest. Then, as I turned to my right where I felt something else brush my arm, there I saw a small doe meekly toe towards the sleeping Myrddin, her curious nose poking on his face. I let her be, and soon enough the rest of the deer followed, contrastingly surrounding Myrddin as opposed to the wolves that joined me on the ground. I chuckled softly. What did that say about me and Myrddin? But, then as I looked to the animals in peace around me again, I couldn''t help but mutter: "The kids in the orphanage would love to know about this place. However..." I couldn''t forget the person that was with me. Myrddin needed- no, deserved to finally be out of the forest that had once tried to kill him. There was time to be spent in this place later, but for now... I had to go back to the orphanage. It was safe there, I knew, and while the kids might be scared of him at first, I was sure he would be accepted like they accepted me. It was time to rest. And for him, it was not this place. The swordsman grumbled something in his sleep beside me, and I laughed, knowing that he was about to wake up. One of the largest deer seemed to like that, turning to my direction with a curious gaze that told a million words. I smiled. Yes, there would be time spent in here again, someday. "Can you all lead me home?" It was a resounding proof of their intelligence that at once, with those words, all of the animals around me stood into attention. As I felt wolves pushing on my back, helping me back upright, I didn''t need to look to see that Myrddin was being carried by one of his deer friends. A squirrel chittered far ahead of us, our guide for the night. I smiled again, and followed without a sound. Thus, that was how I, Rain the Fool, together with Myrddin the Swordsman in tow, went back to the Grimm Orphanage with a dozen animals following me.
[b]AN: Alright, edited. Added a bit of description./b] Chapter 13: End of A Tale Chapter 13: End of A Tale "...And that''s how we defeated the mighty monster of the Darkling Woods and saved Elena''s dreams."
You have recalled the memory of your experiences inside the Forest of Life! All listeners now have increased stats! Your STR has increased by 4! Your END has increased by 5! Your VIT has increased by 5! Your INT has increased by 1! Your DEX has increased by 4! Your WIS has increased by 2!
As the bearer of the Story Teller title, you now have gained the skill Singing: Level 3! Your CHA has increased by 10!
With the end of my tale, our surroundings faded away into the orphanage as the effects of my Story Teller title ended. Giving myself a pat on the back, I only sat and watched as my captive audience went into a smattering of applause. "That was awesome!" "Elena, you never told us you can do that!" "OOOOOOHHH, NOW I REALLY WANT TO LEARN MAGIC!" Elena blushed as her friends and fellow orphans openly surrounded her, giving her all manner of compliments. I reckoned that by now, it would be impossible for her to be alone as they would refuse to ever leave her behind - especially by one besotted Konan. I gave a fond smile. Now, Elena wasn''t ever going to be lonely. A hand placed itself on my shoulder. It was no one other than the man who had made the success possible. Myrddin sent me his terrifying grin. "Hey, you never told me you had that kind of skill." I rolled my eyes. "Says the swordsman who managed to handle these kids with no problem. I can only tell tales and cook. You, on the other hand, somehow practically turned into their mother the moment you arrived. And hey, they also loved you singing them to sleep at night... even if you''re supposed to be a Swordsman." "Oh, did I hear you say something, Mr. Fool?" My eyebrow twitched. Sarcasm Mode, activate. "Oh, you just had to say that... Mr. Scaredy-Cat." A pair of hands landed between us, interrupting our rather childish but still good-natured bickering. "Now, now, children." One had to notice how Grimm was not looking at the excited kids when he said those words. However, both of us adults only smiled at the now-common situation. "Lunch has already been cooked, and now that Rain over here has finished his story it''s time to eat. Now, head off to the kitchen and dig in!" Like it was choreographed, the children turned as one. The next second, they were off in a cloud of dust. "And you, Rain." Grimm turned to me with a smile. "You have to tell me sometime as to why you have the famed title of the legendary Librarians, alright?" A blush rose to my cheeks at that. "Ah, no. It would be a really anticlimactic story, really." Myrddin interrupted the conversation by clasping an arm around my shoulder. "All right! Forget the kids, it''s time for us to eat as well!" I laughed, but went along with the swordsman. Again, it promised to be a nice day. It was night and when I knew the children and Myrddin the Mothering Horror fell asleep did I choose to finally go up and talk to Grimm again. "Hello, Rain, how is your sleep tonight?" My mood was grim, but I had already built up the will to finally tell the man before me the story of that night. "Mr. Grimm Locke," I started, "I have a story of my own to tell." There was no Story Teller at work, no magic, no bright lights or amazing tricks. No flashy skills, no awesome equipment or weaponry - just me, my voice that sometimes would threaten to break, and one Grimm who just went silent and listened as I poured my heart out into a story. It was a rather cliche story of a teen being betrayed by those who he thought his friends, of how he had once fought for those he trusted only to find out later that he was the one who was fed lies. I cried as I continued to tell the tale of how that same teen, after finding out the truth, chose to take revenge for himself alone underneath a moonlit night. I recalled their names - of the people that the teen had only met for a day at most, but nevertheless trusted with all of his heart as his foolish wish had demanded of him to do. He was truly a fool, I said as I described all of the warning signs he should have noticed, should have not needed another person to point out. After all, he should have noticed when he opened the poster that contained his glass dust and saw the warnings about the Solidacium Family. He really should have noticed when he took the herbs and found in them the paralytics that would have been used against him instead of the simple herbs that he had asked for. He really shouldn''t have trusted them. Really should''ve left by the moment they were about to leave Pratumira with him in tow and that old city guard panicking at the sight of Caelum. But he didn''t, because he wanted friends, right? At any cost, right? ...I then finished the tale by telling how the very same hunter who had saved the teen had also saved his spirit, guiding him here where he was now, telling a man had his own worries to bear the story of a Fool who had trusted too easily. And thus, the night inside the aptly-named Grimm Orphanage turned silent. It was its owner who broke the forgiving silence. "It''s not your fault, Rain." My breath hitched. "O-Of course it was my fault. I really should''ve noticed the signs earlier on-" "And what would''ve that have benefited you?" Grimm interrupted me by flicking my forehead. It was almost as if I was a child. "As far as you know, they could''ve just taken another way if you found out early on. At least this way, you have met that BlkHntr friend of yours." Friend? Blake? Well, one could maybe consider us friends but... Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. Grimm narrowed his eyes before me, as if he was reading my thoughts and not liking it one bit. "Do you regret helping Elena?" I mentally stumbled at that. "Wait, what? No, I-" The caretaker continued to interrupt. "Well then, do you regret befriending Myrddin?" "Of course not!" I blurted out, very much horrified at the thought. "He''s my only-" "Then why are you regretting the past?" Grimm finished, his voice suddenly scolding. "If it weren''t for that meeting of yours between those people, if it weren''t for you deciding to go randomly outside your starter city, then you wouldn''t have done any of the things you have succeeded now. So, I''m telling you - step up, accept it, and move on. You seem to have promised yourself to not give up, but it also seems that you''ve forgotten to move on." Move on. Move on from the betrayal, from my failures. My frantic movements and words stopped. There was nothing else I could say or do. Like Blake, Grimm was right. I needed to move on. There was another silence before Grimm broke it again. "Do you now feel better about it?" His voice was softer now, as if... no, it must be my imagination. "I don''t know about those of your age as I''m far more used to children, but I''ve always heard that talking your problems make them feel a bit easier." Easier? One could say that. "I suppose I do, Mr. Grimm..." Another forehead flick. "No more honorifics, remember?" A grin lit up my face at that. Good old Grimm. "That I do, Grimm." I repeated, much brighter this time. "That, I do." "Well then!" Grimm took a few steps back, heading back to his forgotten tea. "Now, I suppose I have to ask you my next question." I took a seat beside him. "When are you planning to leave? Because I''m forcibly kicking you out by the week after next week unless you leave before that." I immediately fell off my seat. "That Grimm Locke... he really is a demon of a caretaker. I mean, to actually promise to kick me out by next next week? Or by tomorrow, I guess, considering the time differences from here and that world..." "While I am pleased by the fact you haven''t arrived late today Mr. Walter," Professor Brunnings interrupted into my grumbling with an almost unnoticeable smile on his face. "It is simply not enough for me to allow any kind of noise in the classroom. Or are you willing to say it out loud for the rest of the class?" A wave of horror and embarrassment came over me. "A-Ah no, Professor." I vehemently tried to ignore my classmates'' snickers at my reaction. "Ignore me please." Professor Brunnings'' spectacles glinted brightly. "That I shall do then, Mr. Walter. That I shall do." I heaved a sigh. After that talk with Grimm, I had indeed started to feel better about myself - only until I logged out and remembered the fact that with how things went, there was still something that hadn''t changed. I still had no friends. In the real world at least. In Fate Online, I could argue differently, as I had Myrddin, the kids, perhaps Blake, or even Grimm himself. But in real life, it still remained that I was an effective loner - and the fact that I still found it hard to grin as Brian made it quite difficult to even try going about it like I did as Rain. Damn muscle memory. "Well, at least my mother allowed me to try out Parkour..." I ended up murmuring to myself. "Even if I still get scratched up here and there. Even if I''m still a beginner at it." "Should I ignore you or not, Mr. Walter?" Was that... a tinge of teasing in my Uncl- err, Professor''s tone? "Ignore me please." I mumbled, trying to hide. "I''m going to be quiet now." Folding my arms over my desk, I hid my face inside them. Thus, I wasn''t able to see as a student came in late in class, just like I did yesterday. Or was it five days ago? It was all starting to get confusing, what with the warped time inside Fate Online whenever I played. "Ah, Mr. Emrys. It''s good to see at last. Now, where have you been since yesterday?" "I-I-I was b-busy with s-something, P-Professor." "Well, that is an absent for your record then, Mr. Mark Emrys. And another tardy for coming late to class." "I-I''m sorry! I promise I won''t repeat it again!" "Just head to your seat, Mr. Emrys." Daring to take a peek outside my arms, I raised my head, looking at the latecomer. In one word, he looked like a scaredy-cat. Thin, scrawny features, combined with rather long black hair for a male and bangs that covered most of his face. His arms literally shook underneath the stares of the entire class, with the bag in his hold threatening to give up its contents as he quaked on his feet. After Professor Brunning''s dismissal, he bowed his head and turned to the rest of the class. Doing so, his eyes met mine. My ''Best Student'' facade immediately rose. His eyes suddenly widened as he studied my face. "R-Rain?" I blinked. Then blinked again. What. ARC 1: THE MAGICIAN, THE SWORDSMAN, AND THE ORPHANAGE - END! Author''s Note: Ah. Now that''s the end of this story''s first arc. Was it alright? Was it boring? Was it amazing? Well, I won''t know until you guys tell me what you think. It feels a bit lonely when nobody leaves ratings or replies with just ''Good chapter, send update faster.'' I mean, what is this, Twitter? ;) And when I found out about the apparent clicheness of my plot (as in I didn''t know there were so many betrayal beginnings around here, *facepalm* should''ve changed it while I could) all I could do was just stare. Outrageous! Me, using overused plot? My mentor (sorry, not Uni this time) must be rolling around in his sleep. This time, I promise next arc would be far more original, and I hope you people would like it! Next chapter would be a Map and Lore update, and would be up in a few hours! Fate Online Map And Lore Map of Terraria This is an excerpt from the History of Terraria, one of the books found in Fate Online. Under the orders of our royal highness, we loyal recordkeepers of the Trevignon Royal Library have compiled this record for the public access of those who call themselves ''Players''. As for those who call themselves ''Adventurers'', they may apply for access to this book only after booking it a week prior to use. It is the hope of the Trevignon Kingdom that this information would greatly aid them in their travels and adventures. Inside this book would be a detailed view in the workings of Terraria, but for those of the lightfooted spirit we shall also compile a simplified guide on its very first pages. Beware of dependency on this initial guide though, as those who refuse to study this book in depth may find themselves in danger that was brought upon them by their foolhardiness. Thus, the lesson begins with a simple division of the land of Terraria and its waters. As shown in the map above, Terraria is separated between four large Kingdoms, one of which is your very own country Trevignon. And at its center, the Basin of Crossings serves as Terraria''s largest source of freshwater and center of trade, as the Seas of Monsters have taught us to fear the smell of salt air. After all, it is only those courageous or mentally-addled that would ever dare sail in those forbidden waters. Now, we shall move on to the subject of the four Kingdoms. Separated into the cardinal directions, they serve as the homeland for certain races, their lands fit to match its people. Aurelia, Sere, Akkandia, and Trevignon. To each their own, every Kingdom has its specialties and abilities, its unique beings and races. Aurelia, the Northern land of the Mystics. From the elegant elves to the brusque dwarves to the powerful elementals, the people in this Kingdom live in the perpetual winter of Aurelia''s mountains, learning the strongest of magics and mining the deepest of caves. Silver, mythril, adamantium, and gold is aplenty. Thus, if one wishes to learn magic or craft the best weapons and accessories, it is best to head to the land of Aurelia. Prepare to wear clothing for the cold, and beware of mountain trolls and giants that you may meet on Aurelia''s mountains. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. Sere, on the other hand, is the Western land of the Demibeings. Anthropomorphism is common in this territory, as the furry Faunus, winged Birdmen, and the fiery Dragonkin can tell you. The land is as versatile as the people, but the real thing to remember is the amount of tamable monsters. Thus, if one wishes to become a Beastmaster or to just have leather armor, Sere is the place to go. However, as the Kingdom of Sere is located in a desert, plan to carry light and pack enough water. Monsters of all kinds exist in this land, so keep in mind to prepare long-lasting weapons as well. Now, let us move on to Akkandia, the Eastern land of Darkness. This Kingdom is the territory of the Dark races, like the frightening Demons to the sly Devils and Incubi, but keep in mind that in Terraria, dark is not necessarily evil. While Akkandia still holds the most amount of rulebreakers, as a whole Akkadia still remains to be as peaceful as the rest of the Kingdoms. Akkandia is a land where power is a must, so prepare to meet difficult monsters and hardly survivable terrain should you choose to head into its land of volcanoes. But as the strongest magical creatures live in its lands, so do the best magical items and ingredients. Try if you dare to face malboros and dragons - maybe you might just find an object of legend. Lastly, there is our land, the territory of the Humans, the Kingdom of Trevignon. In a way we are unique. In a way, we are not. Because we Humans are the most mundane of all races, we hold no advantage nor any specialization on them. Our land is ordinary, our monsters are simple forest creatures of little mysticism. But we of Trevignon work hard. As a singular race, from the hardy Vikings in our mountains to the Royal Knights of our castles, we have done our best to make the most of who we are. Thus, now while we have no specialties, we hold access to everything. Magic and ores we have bought from Aurelia, animals and leathers we shipped from Sere. Dragonscales and weaponry we took from Akkandia, and together we brought it home to our lands to make them ours. Thus, we of the Trevignon are proud. We are the symbol of the peace that had lasted through Terraria over this past thirty years, the homeland of the heroes that had quelled the violence with the first Adventurers of the entire land of Terraria. We are proud of their actions of forcing the four Royal Families of the time to fight with words instead of weapons. Terraria is now in peace. We hope to remind you too to keep it that way. Or else. *Excerpt end.* Chapter 14: Re-logue Chapter 14: Re-logue In a way I, Mark Emrys, loved earphones. Small, innocuous, they helped me whenever I felt surrounded. Music would follow me everywhere I went, blocking out everything in the world as I hid into my lone self. And to me, the act of untying my earphones became something ritual, something to help myself calm down. Like now, for instance. "Mr. Emrys, may I ask for some private time to talk with you?" The voice was the same. So was his face, his hair, his physique - everything was familiar to me. If I didn''t know better, I would''ve thought I was Myrddin and back early inside the world of Fate Online. However, this time it was not so. This was the real world, and what I was seeing was a real face, a face that I recognized from what I''ve experienced in the past few days. I recognized it all... except for that empty expression and the dead look in his eyes that contrasted the bright twinkle in my memories. Valiantly but failing, I tried to ignore the whispers that started inside our class as he came up to me during lunch. "O-Okay..." I stuttered, eyes immediately looking for my feet. "W-Where d-do you want to go?" His reply was toneless, unlike the cheery lilts that I was used to hearing. "Inside the cafeteria." He jerked his head to the side, pointing at one of the exits. "After you." I raised my head. Our eyes met again, and I felt a chill go down my spine. Rain''s brown irises met me without a hint of light in them. "Well," He raised a brow, so eerily reminiscent yet so different from who I knew. "Are you going to move?" I almost ran at how fast my feet brought me outside the door. My name is Mark Emrys, handle ''Myrddin'' inside the world of Fate Online. I love music and singing, and I hate the taste of eggplant on a Saturday morning. For the past few weeks, I had entered the famous VRMMORPG Fate Online as per what one of my cousins had suggested to me, only to end up as a failure of a Swordsman instead of the Bard I wanted to become. I also have Anthropophobia. In a strange sort of sense, the reason I even entered Fate Online was to help myself through my fear of conversing with people I didn''t know. Rain had even once asked me about my choice of avatar at one point - I mean, after all, why would I choose to have such a terrifying visage when I shook on my feet at almost everything? The answer was, "I had hoped that I could become brave." Right now, in the men''s bathroom instead of the cafeteria that was promised, I wanted that. I wanted to become Myrddin again, because after all, who other than Myrddin would be able to talk to this strange Rain lookalike? "So, this is..." The man who looked like my friend started, "You, right. You''re Myrddin?" My heart jumped into my throat at the mention of that name. "S-So... You r-really are R-Ra-" A strange redness went up against Rain''s cheeks. "A-Ah, yes. That''s right, I''m Rain, or Brian Walter in this world." Brian Walter... It felt strangely normal compared to ''Rain'', but then again my name was the same. However, ordinary name or not, the confirmation that this man... this strange impassive person was the person I knew, the person I had somehow befriended even with all the flaws I had, made the tension inside me break apart. Almost like a puppet with its strings cut, my legs felt weak beneath me and I had to lean over one of the sinks to prevent myself from falling down to the floor. "Are you alright?" Brian looked at me almost worriedly for a second before his face closed off again. "Do you have a sickness or condition? I can help you to the Nurse''s Office if you''d like." "No..." I caught myself before I stuttered again. Real world or not, this was Rain. He, of all people, Brian or not, wasn''t about to judge me. "I''m fine. I''m just in a bit of shock. I mean, who would''ve thought I would meet you in reality, Rain?" An expression that looked like a crude attempt to form a grin covered Brian''s face. "That''s supposed to be my line..." He murmured almost tiredly, suddenly leaning his back to one of the walls. "Myrddin, did you know I had thought of you to be an Adventurer? Now, to see you, the person I once feared of dying, in this world and that kind of appearance... it''s kind of jarring." Maybe Brian hadn''t noticed himself, but his hands shook as he said those words. So, that''s why he was so worried about me during that fight inside Darkling Woods... I shook my head, a smile almost forming on my face at the thought. If there was a need for irrefutable proof, this was it. Only Rain would be that worried for someone he barely knew. The last remaining bits of tension left me. Brian maybe far more stoic and awkward than the Rain I knew, but deep inside he was still the same person who introduced himself to me with a staff in my face. He was still the same Fool that saved me inside that battle and introduced me to the children of the Grimm Orphanage. "Is that why you never asked me to be part of your party?" I asked, my tone almost casual as if we were both inside the virtual world again. "Because you feared for my safety?" Brian opened his mouth to say something, only for the ring of the bell to interrupt him just in time. It was startling to watch, what happened afterwards. Almost as if a figurative mask was being set into his face, Brian''s eyes immediately lost the light inside them that I recognized as Rain''s. His jaw set into a stern figure, the grin that almost formed on his face suddenly cut down into an emotionless expression. I knew then and there that ''Rain'' was gone. "It''s time for us to head back into class, I think." Toneless. Like a musical instrument that suddenly lost its owner. "Let''s go, Mark." I took his reference of my first name to be a good sign and left without saying a word. The moment we arrived to class and stares once again focused on us both, I bowed my head to hide myself behind my bangs. Inside my pockets, I fiddled with my earphones as I walked, wearing them the moment I arrived to my seat in order to surround myself with the sounds of acoustic music. Now, I was never a good student, so instead of listening to my professor I directed my attention as subtly as I could towards Brian in class as he studiously jotted down notes from the blackboard. Of course, every now and then I had to feign giving attention to Professor Brunnings like the rest of my classmates, but that was little matter - Brian utterly failed to realize I was watching him. Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. Honestly, considering the image I had of Rain, it was all a bit confusing. If Rain was spontaneity, cheerfulness, and foolhardiness personified, Brian was the utter opposite - he was stern, calm, and stoic in one neat package. One could even sense the serious air he had around him - very much unlike the sunny feeling I received around Rain. People would really be surprised to find out that Brian literally acted like a Fool inside a virtual world... ...Doubt gripped at my heart like a low sonata. What if it was all really just an act? What if ''Rain'' was just a pretense? Were we even ''friends''? A poke behind my back broke me off my sordid thoughts. A bit annoyed, I almost snapped at the person behind me - only for to choke on the words that failed to leave my lips as I remembered that I didn''t know this person. She - for yes the person was a female, which only added to my apprehension - turned to me with a note of annoyance on her face. She opened her mouth, and I failed to hear anything. It was only a few seconds later did I remember I was wearing my earphones on. "-hey, are you listening?" "S-Sorry." I stuttered, remembering to keep my voice low. "I w-was distracted." She sent me a look as if she was questioning my intelligence. Immediately, I felt like a sack of rocks was dropped on me. "I was asking about what happened earlier." She murmured slowly, as if I was a child. "What was that about you and Mr. Perfect during lunch?" One had to notice the depth of her sarcasm as she said the word ''Perfect''. "P-Perfect?" I asked, even though I knew just what she meant. "W-Who?" She rolled her eyes. "Why of course, that Brian Walter you idiot." A slight bit of rage entered my mind at that. Whether it was because I was insulted or because Brian was insulted, I didn''t get to know as before I managed to open my mouth to send back a scathing remark Professor Brunnings practically teleported between us both. "Is there..." The Professor pronounced his words as if they were distasteful, "anything you would want to announce to the rest of the class, Ms. Sanchez?" Vilified, the girl behind me went red but kept quiet. Shaking her head, she pursed her lips before turning back to the blackboard. I quickly followed, my anger dissipating into nothing. From the corner of my eyes, I saw Brian look at me with the slightest degrees of worry. Giving him a short nod and a mouthed ''I''m alright'', I turned back to the blackboard, subtly turning up my music again in my ears as I did. Doubts or not, whether Rain considered me as his friend or not, it still didn''t change the fact that I still felt indebted to the guy. Not only had he talked me through into picking up singing again, he had also led me to leveling up faster than I ever managed to do alone, plus helping me out the forest I was trapped in for more than a week. That alone, was enough for me. For now, there was no use in overthinking things - the best thing I could do for now was to just listen to music as I always did. It was enough, really... Thus, the entire class period passed and I ran for the doors the moment we were dismissed. User detected. Myrddin, welcome back to Fate Online! Like always, the feeling of being a body different from mine felt strange for the first minutes as my mind reacquainted itself with the virtual body of a Syren. As per habit, I went through a series of stretches to make the transition easier, humming Ode to Joy as an exercise for my vocal chords. And if the exercise also meant delaying my upcoming talk with Rain, then so be it.
Status Window
Name:Myrddin
Level:56Class:Swordsman
Race:SyrenGender:Male
Title"Singer (Your songs have a 100% chance of catching a listener''s attention.)
-
Health:10959/10959Mana:3120/3120
Strength:68 + 15Dexterity:70 + 15
Intelligence:39 + 15Endurance:86 + 15
Wisdom:38 + 15Luck:152 + 15
Vitality84 + 15Charisma:61 + 15
Equipment Effects:Hellion Equipment Set. + 15 to all stats, + increased hostility from monsters.
Stat Points Available: 0
Early on, I had dumped all my status points into LUK, but recently ever since I''ve met Rain I had placed them properly into combat-viable stats instead of just being used as a gimmick to survive through occasional gambling here and there. Now, I was capable of fighting. Or whenever I got the courage to unsheathe my sword again at least. ...I just hoped I would get said courage. A familiar voice came up from behind me. "Hey, Myrddin!" Casual and friendly. Just as what one could expect from Rain. The serious words that came afterwards... not so much. "We need to talk." With a sigh, I gave in, turning to him. I suppose... this is the point as to I find out whether he is really my friend after all. Chapter 15: Talk, Games, and Preparations Chapter 15: Talk and Preparations I remember a time when I was younger, when I was far more confident inside my own skin. It was back then when I was around eight years old, back when my parents had allowed me to take my first music class with a private instructor. And while nowadays my father was happier with me taking my computer courses instead of practicing how to sing, I can''t deny the fact that it was my pride and joy that I was a wonderful singer. But me, back then when I was eight? To say I had a bad voice was like saying the sea was slightly wet or that cyanide was slightly toxic. Even now, I would easily admit that fact to whoever asked, as my singing back then was horrible. Horrible, utterly unpleasant, it was even easier to listen to someone scratch their nails on a blackboard than to listen to me sing back then. The situation now can be compared to that. It was the anxious tension that my parents had when I asked them what they thought after I sang for the first time in front of them, times ten. Nobody spoke up for what felt like an hour. Resigned, I opened my mouth to break the silence - only for no words to come out as the person in front of me did the same with equal results. Thus, both of us closed our mouths, the words stuck in our tongues. Again, nobody spoke. "Y-You go first." I finally managed, my eyes averting towards my left. "You asked, so you can go first." It took him a while, but Rain did get his mouth to speak. "I know you maybe thinking this is all an act." Rain started, ignoring the way I lightly jumped at his almost casual reading of my thoughts. "But I assure you Myrddin - if anything, the me in reality is the act, and that this one is closer to the real me. Or I suppose it is." "I suppose?" I raised a brow, my slightly cynical side being exposed without my will. "So do you mean to tell me that for your entire life outside this world, you act like some kind of emotionless, stuck-up, perfectionist student?" Immediately after they left my mouth, I winced at my own words. I had not meant to say that- "Yes." Rain answered simply, sounding so sullen that I forgot what I was thinking. "Yes, that''s me." All I could manage in response was a flat "Oh." Everything went silent. Nothing, not even the sound of crickets, made a noise to ease the unforgiving silence. I hated it. Not the awkwardness of it, no - at this point, the feeling was pretty much a childhood friend of sorts - I hated silence because I hated the empty emotion it brought. Plus, now I had another reason to hate silence. Brian was as silent as a mouse in person. There, one more reason to hate silence and love music more. I coughed into that silence, stepping forward to change the situation. "A-Alright then. Well, in the real world, I act as a stuttering, people-phobic music-obsessed loner. I''m as much as a weirdo as you are there, so don''t worry." Rain blinked. I had a feeling he had been expecting me to say something else. Then he smiled, with a grin so bright it threatened to compete with the sun. "Well, this is awkward!" He started with a laugh, stepping closer - and was that a slight choke I heard in there? "This was not what I expected when I met someone I knew from Fate Online in real life!" "Trust me," I muttered almost sarcastically. "I didn''t even think that was going to happen." But it happened, didn''t it? "So. Is this time for re-introductions?" Rain said with a smile. "Between the two of us? I promise there would be no staffs hitting people in their face this time." I rolled my eyes. "Did you even have to ask?" Rain held out a hand. The midday sun shone brightly behind him, almost like a halo. "Brian Walters, at your service. But you can call me Rain anytime if you''d like." I clasped it with my own, giving it a firm shake. "Well, Rain, my name is Mark Emrys. And Myrddin is fine by me as well." "So, you are telling me, you thought that I was an Adventurer?" A shrug. "What was I supposed to think? You were practically shaking on your legs inside that forest! I mean, what kind of Player would be scared of monsters?" "You try being in that forest, stuck and unable to logout for a long, long time. And excuse me if I was terrified - I was at the last dredges of my willpower and you just smashed the rest to pieces with that insufferable stick!" It was during the walk back towards the Grimm Orphanage that Rain and I talked things out. As it was, he was still going to call me Myrddin, and I, him as Rain. From an outsider''s perspective, nothing much changed... other than the fact it became even lighter to talk between just the two of us. "Hey, said insufferable stick saved our lives." Rain affected a hurt tone, but I knew he was just joking. "I tell you, that staff lasted for a day and a night bashing through acidic monsters with no problem!" "Which only makes me more disgusted, considering it landed in my face." I retorted back, duly ignoring his tone. "In fact, if it weren''t for the fact that we were fighting that boss monster, I would have been happy to see it go in a blast." Rain paused in his step, lips pursed. "Oh yeah, about that. Is that sword of yours still fine? I mean, I did put it in quite a lot in the matter of minutes." Made it explode more than a few times, blocked and deflected what felt like a gallon of acid with it, cutting to pieces some tentacles that were straight out of a horrific movie and stabbing it more than a few times with the monster of all monsters, but who''s keeping track? "Don''t think about it too much." I tapped at the sword hung to my waist unfeelingly. "I don''t really care for it anyway, and after seven days of straight out surviving inside that forest, I swear you can''t do anything to it that it hasn''t seen before." Rain blinked. "Seven days? I remember you saying you were trapped before, but not that long." Inwardly, I shook, remembering the long nights of stabbing bloody eyes and screeching mouths. It was only after the fifth night that I found out that singing abated the monsters - and it took Rain explaining to me his realization of sound damaging them before I realized how it worked. Honestly, I thought the reason Rain wanted me to sing during that battle was because he liked the song. Everything else got kind of fuzzy back then. That was when I remembered Rain was waiting for me to answer. "I got trapped in that forest two and a half days ago in real time." I shrugged, trying to appear not as affected by the experience as I felt. "That''s why I was absent in class yesterday - I was stuck inside Darkling Woods and unable to log out because of the game mechanics inside monster areas." Rain made a frown. "This is the second time I''ve heard of that rule being a problem..." He then murmured something I couldn''t hear beneath his breath, before shaking his head and stomping off a bit darkly the rest of the way. Feeling a bit put-out by the sudden change in the mood, I didn''t speak either until we arrived to our destination. ¡°Rain! Uncle Myrddin!¡± I futilely tried to ignore Rain¡¯s snort at the difference of treatment of the kids from me to him. Hey, it might have been my fault for choosing a visage that looked far different from my real age, but it was Rain who was the weird one here! I mean, actually choosing the same appearance in real life as in this world? Sure, it was what caused me to recognize him as Mark, but who does that? ¡°Welcome back you two.¡± Grimm said warmly as he opened the orphanage doors to let out a veritable swarm of children. ¡°How were both of your times back at home in your world?¡± I shot a look of surprise at Rain. He, on the other hand, didn¡¯t seem to be even ruffled by the caretaker¡¯s flippant knowledge of the real world, sending me a gaze that told: ¡®Keep it down, I¡¯ll explain later.¡¯ ¡°It was a shocking day,¡± Rain admitted almost shyly, rubbing at the back of his neck. ¡°The two of us actually met out there ¨C in the same class, in the same school even. I was practically shaking with surprise when Myrddin here called me out with just a look.¡± ¡®You didn¡¯t look like it,¡¯ I retorted dryly in my head, remembering Rain¡¯s stoic persona once again. ¡®I might have been talking to a statue for all the reaction you showed.¡¯ ¡°So Players like the both of you don¡¯t usually meet in your world?¡± Grimm placed his hand on his chin. ¡°Interesting¡­ but I¡¯m far more surprised that Myrddin actually recognized you. Isn¡¯t it the norm for Players to choose vastly different appearances?¡± ¡°Hey, Myrddin is over here.¡± I cut in, a bit annoyed they were talking over me. ¡°And it was Rain¡¯s fault ¨C he actually chose to look the same over here as over there in our world.¡± If anything, that only made Grimm look even more interested. ¡°Fascinating.¡± We were interrupted from our talk when I felt a sharp tug on one of my arms. Turning to look, I saw one young and very excitable limpet in a form of a child. Conrad, I remembered, as he gazed at me pleadingly with chocolate brown doe eyes that never failed to break any attempt to resist. "Uncle Myrddin! Could you play with us?" Of course, this situation wasn''t different from any other and I in turn had to turn pleading eyes towards Rain. The man had the gall to grin at me cheekily. I could''ve punched him there and then, if it weren''t for the fact my right arm was currently pinned under the hold of a kid. "Grimm~" Rain teased, sending a slight pat at the shoulder of the caretaker in question. "I believe Myrddin over here has volunteered himself as the kids'' playtoy for today!" "Oh, is that so?" I could have sworn Grimm''s eyes twinkled madly at that moment. However, somehow he managed to continue on in a flat tone, as if commenting on the weather. "I am overjoyed." I sent both of them scathing glares before finally resigning to the situation. With a sigh, I turned back to Conrad with a weary smile, still finding it strangely soothing to be seen wonderingly by those eyes. "Alright, Conrad." I said with a mix of resignation and warmth to the kid. Conrad practically beamed with excitement. "I would go with you for today." Tugged along by my arm, I pretended to not notice Rain and Grimm exchanging serious looks as I left to play with the children. "So, what are we going to play today?" I was a person who didn''t dislike kids. Which didn''t necessarily mean I liked them, or in real life anyways. Thus, I was always baffled whenever it came to be me to be the one the watch over the children inside Grimm Orphanage - as much as Rain teased and told me I took care of them wonderfully, I certainly never expected to ever find myself with a babysitting job. But nevertheless, once more I found myself sitting beside those nearly a decade younger than my age, acting like some kind of adoptive parent. "We can play Adventurers and Dragons!" Conrad clapped, ever the vocal one as he sat on my crossed legs. I expected them to be sore later. "We can be the Adventurers, and you can be the Dragon!" I wondered about it for a minute, then shrugged in agreement. If anything, in this game at least my appearance - which for some reason, was completely ignored by the kids from the moment I met them - would be helpful. So, in response to Conrad''s chirp of joy, I grabbed him with two arms before carrying him and stepping away from the rest of the kids. I couldn''t help it. I deadpanned, "Rawr." "Ah!" Elena squeaked by her seat, pointing at me dramatically as she stood. I had a feeling it was Rain''s influence on her. "Myrddin the Dragon has kidnapped Princess Conrad! We have to save him!" Immediately, all kids except for Conrad stepped away from us, grouping together behind Elena. "Go, Prince Elena! Go and save Princess Conrad!" They cheered, completely expectant of a good show. "Use your magic to defeat the Dragon and earn the heart of the Princess! The game had officially begun. "Hey! I''m no Princess, call me a Prince!" And it seems our Princess has a loud mouth. Ah, why did I even kidnap him? "Ha-ha-ha." I continued to ham it up, but still with no intonation of melodrama. "Is that so, Prince Elena? Would you dare to try to defeat me and gain the love of your dear little Princess?" "Of course I would!" Elena answered with a surprising amount of fervor for someone so small. I had to smile secretively as I remembered what Rain told me of how she used to be. "With this magic of mine, I shall save Princess Conrad and the Kingdom of Grimm!" Both of us continued to ignore Conrad''s complaints. After all, he was the one who wanted to start the game. "Ha!" I still went, voice still devoid of emotion. "Those parlor tricks of yours? Only a village idiot would try to defeat a Dragon like I am with such weak magic!" Elena blinked, before a bright smile lit on her face. Immediately, she raised a hand and summoned a Magelight. I had a feeling I walked into this one. "An idiot? No, I am not an idiot." She shook her head, completely in character for the person I knew she was emulating. Yep, I really walked into this one. With blazing eyes, she smiled at me from where she stood. "I am the Fool! And as the Fool, I shall defeat you where you stand!" She shot her Magelight at me. Of course it did no damage even as it rippled all over me as it hit, but who was I to mess with the kids'' fun? "Gah!" I gasped, with real drama this time as I clenched at my heart. Conrad, who at this point was basically pouting as he hung in my grip, began to smile. "My weakness! My darkness! How did you know that I was weak to the blessings of the Light!?" I fell to my knees, letting go of Conrad. Said kid practically hopped away as he ''escaped'', blushing in embarassment. Elena crossed her arms as she walked towards me. "You are dressed, clothed, armed, and colored in black." She said cheekily, really reminding me of Rain. "Who was I to not notice that?" Scratch that. At this point, she was Rain v2.0. "Yes!" The rest of the children cheered, waving their arms. "Prince Elena has defeated the Dragon and rescued Princess Conrad!" Unless... I laughed evilly, standing as I ''recovered'' from my ''wounds''. "You think this is over, my dear Prince and Princess? I still have my second form!" Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! Elena gasped dramatically, taking a step back as every kid watching became quiet once more. Conrad, on the other had, was basically pushed back beside her as the ''Princess''. "Don''t you mean your final form!?" I smirked. "No. Now, show me what you''ve got, Prince Elena!" ...Thus, we continued to play Adventurers and Dragons for the rest of the afternoon. "Children, I have an announcement to make." It was during that first night after we returned that Grimm came to the front of the dining table, hands clapped to take the attention of everyone. Mind you, it was all a bit difficult to do, as to hungry kids like the ones Grimm took care of, there was nothing more distracting than Rain''s handmade food. Speaking of Rain though, he sat quietly beside Grimm as he ate, not even turning to listen to the announcement. "Starting tomorrow, Rain would leave." Grimm dropped, and like throwing hot water to a hive of bees, the kids went noisy. Especially Elena, who practically went white. "He has promised to go on a quest for me, and would be gone for a while." "What is this quest?" I asked, knowing that even the loud Conrad wouldn''t be able to utter a full sentence at the rate his lips were flapping. "It''s a scouting quest of sorts." Grimm answered, calmly sitting back to his seat. "Rain over here has promised to go to the lower mountains of Trevignon - a week''s travel at most by foot - to meet a group of individuals there. I have heard of rumors about them having problems with peace." A silence as everyone digested that bit of information. Then Conrad stood up, sheer adventure filling his eyes. "So Rain is going to defeat them like he defeated that monster!?" That monster being ???, but who was asking? "No," Rain finally spoke himself, letting go of his cutlery. "Like Grimm had just announced, it''s just a scouting mission. I''m not going to fight anyone or anything - instead, all I''m going to do is talk to them and find out about their situation. Then, I''m going back here to report it to Grimm." There was much groaning from the kids at that confession. I, on the other hand, was deep in thought. Why would Grimm want to know about that kind of information, I didn''t know, but by the sound of ''report''... "Ah, you''re going to tell their story?" Rain nodded in answer. Bingo. By now, I knew of Rain''s very special title ''Story Teller''. For one, not only was it very flashy whenever it was in effect, it was also a very useful way of becoming stronger without spending hard-earned skill points. But while the Story Teller was an amazing title, there was a limit to its abilities - or so, I''ve been told by Rain after he tested it to the best of his efforts. One - the story had to be emotionally gripping. No jokes, no humor, no comedy; it had to be a heartfelt tale, one that was capable of taking the attention of dozens with no problem. The easiest way to do it was by retelling a particularly good novel, but one could simply use a tale from one''s memories and it would work as long as it was interesting enough. Two - a story could only give a listener its effects once. Rain had practiced that on me by telling me the story of the same book that he first used - needless to say, while my stats increased, Rain''s didn''t. I supposed this was to prevent any Story Teller from reaching crazy heights just by retelling the same story over and over. And lastly, three - other than the bearer of the Story Teller himself, if a listener knew of the tale before it''s told, the title would refuse to give stats to that listener. Again, I was the proof, as I didn''t earn any stat points after Rain retold our fateful night together inside that forest, outside of the minor boost in INT after Rain retold his experience inside that hidden abode of forest that he found. Thus, the best way of using the title was to actively go out in search of tales to tell. Books would work, but even for a world such as Fate Online, there was only so much time to pick out and read good books in the middle of all the other things to do, unless you were a Librarian or something similar. And what more to find a good story than to go on a quest? "So, children." Grimm continued from his seat, his eyes strangely weary as he met each one of the kids with a look - staying a few seconds for Elena in particular - that told ''be good''. "I expect all of you to act with proper manner tomorrow for when Rain leaves." ...Wait. "How about me?" I blurted, trying to meet Rain''s gaze but to no avail. "Am I going to be..." left behind? Grimm leaned his head to the side. I would say he was moderately surprised, if it weren''t for the fact his face remained as unreadable as ever. "Why, Rain hasn''t told me that he was bringing you along." Said person remained silent, looking back down to the table and causing everyone to keep quiet. "Rain." I said softly from my side of the table. "Rain, look at me." Rain finally raised his head. That was when I realized what he was feeling. Hopeful. Rain''s eyes were filled with a strange light, a sort of hope in them. In any other time, I wouldn''t have known why it was so, but now, especially now I knew Rain''s real life persona and problems, I understood. After all, I knew the feeling that he was no doubt thinking of that moment. Rain was thinking, even now, that I wouldn''t want to be part of his party. Self-doubt. That was what Rain looked like - like he was in the middle of doubting himself to be worthy of me as a party member. It was so incongruent with my own low esteem of myself, that I was, for a moment, shocked at the situation. "Are you sure...?" Rain sounded strangely weak at that moment, very unlike his usual cheery self. "I mean, it''s not like you would be gaining something from this... I''m the one who needs to do it for my title..." Everyone turned to me at that, but for once I didn''t care about the attention I was getting. "Rain." I made sure to keep my voice firm. "Of course I''m going to go with you." Rain blinked, then his face abruptly formed a bright smile. By that, I knew that I said the right thing. "Thank you." I opened my mouth to say more, but then I was interrupted by Grimm. "Good!" The caretaker of the Orphanage was standing again, this time with a far less grim look on his features. His hands, which were again separating from the loud clap that he made, settled down to lean over his table. "Well, children, as you have seen Myrddin has also promised to go on the quest with Rain tomorrow." This time, he was specifically looking at Conrad, who in turn was looking at me with a mix of sadness and joy. "Make sure that you all have said your goodbyes by then!" Needless to say, the rest of the night was a mix of sombre and the kids rushing for the chance to talk to the two of us. However, I didn''t fail to notice Elena running off after dinner to her room, tears in her eyes even as she said her own goodbye to Rain. "Are you still sure you''re going with me? I mean, don''t you like minding the children?" I scoffed, though a bit surprised that Rain was still asking the same question for the dozenth time. "Of course, Rain." I answered quickly, picking through the supplies Grimm had thankfully prepared for us in our week-long travel towards the Rocky Mountains. From medicines, to spare bandages, and even water, we had plenty to spare. "Who would watch over you otherwise?" I didn''t say anything about the way his body visibly relaxed again the moment I replied to his question with the same answer. Really, Rain. At what point are you going to realize that I''m here to stay with you? A smile rose over Rain''s features again, but this time he crossed his arms, tilting his head in a way that I knew warned of a snarky comeback. "Weren''t you the one I had to protect inside that forest?" A flush rose to my cheeks at that, but I ignored it in favor of countering Rain''s unreasonable reply. "Like I said, I was in shock!" Rain made a few nods, shaking his head with a winning smile. "Sure, sure. Let''s go with that." After that, slowly together we finished up checking the supplies, placing them one by one in our inventories. We weren''t leaving yet, but there was logic to preparing early and Rain wasn''t one to sleep at night anyways. This time, to fully get it into his head that I was coming along with him, I woke up early. At this point, I already received and gave my goodbyes to the kids, so there was really nothing else to do other than to prepare to leave. Rain, on the other hand, looked different. Or rather, he was finally wearing equipment outside the generic starter armor that practically gave no stat enhancements or protection. Designed to allow maximum movement and minimum physical restriction, Rain''s new clothes were made of lightly colored cloth that looked and possibly wore like smooth felt. The Fool now looked like one of the dignitaries I recognized from my time traveling alone before I met Rain - regal and commanding, but with a rustic feel, Rain now looked like he would easily fit in the theme that I knew the Elven Kingdom had. "I never knew Elena was so good at making clothes." Rain had a proud smile on his face, humming a happy tune. "I didn''t know either, but nevertheless Elena has certainly succeeded in making me the best equipment I ever had." "And the staff?" I asked, looking at the new weapon that was hung behind his back. Faintly, I also remembered the pain from the last one that I still had nightmares about. "Where did that come from?" "This one''s Grimm''s own work." I openly gaped like a fish. Now, why would I not when the new staff was practically a masterpiece? The handle was smooth, brown, and polished to the point it practically shined with a beautiful pattern of green-tinted leaf-shaped indents across the surface. There was a slight curve in the the wood there, I also could see, all to make it easy to hold as the top of the staff turned out to make the shape of a lightning bolt. And even that, with all its sharp curves and edges, looked like it was twisted into form, making it seem like the wood grew naturally in its current shape. "I know, right?" Rain laughed at my incredulous look. Then, he shook his head. "But that man is the one who looks after an entire orphanage after all - who''s to say he hasn''t picked up woodworking at some point in his life? I mean, who else would make the chairs and tables that the kids use and could possibly break?" I closed my jaw. What Rain said was reasonable - who was to say that Grimm didn''t have a veritable set of skills of his own? After all, the man looked like the kind of person to take responsibility for everything that needed to be done for the orphanage - or outside his penchant for abruptly delegating other people to be the caretakers for his wards at least. "I''m happy that you think so well of me, Rain. But I believe it is only because of the high-quality wood you gave me that that staff yours turned out so finely. Where did you find it, by the way?" I jumped up in surprise, as said caretaker suddenly appeared behind me. When I turned to look at Grimm, his face was as unreadable as usual, but his eyes betrayed his amusement. I couldn''t hold back a glare at him for that. "I-Inside the Forest of Life." Rain answered behind me, futilely trying not to laugh as he looked at Grimm. Et tu, Rain? "Remember the prize those animals gave me? It was that branch." "Ah." Grimm looked disappointed. "Then I suppose I won''t be getting more wood like that anytime soon." "Anyway!" I cut in, turning to Rain. "Are we done now? When are we going to leave?" Rain shook his head beside me with a grin. No doubt he was still amused. "Right now, actually." Grimm smiled at the two of us. "Good luck on your journey then, the both of you." Later on, we left, starting our new quest, together this time in hope of meeting the people Grimm wanted us to talk to. The quest would be difficult, the quest would be hard - that much, the both of us knew. Unlike the forests we were in or the river that we were supposed to follow, the Rocky Mountains were a far more treacherous place to travel to, even comparable to the Land of Demons that I came from. From steep roads, to cold weather, to far more aggressive monsters and even the threat of bandit attacks, it certainly promised to be dangerous. That was why minutes later after we left for the road, both of us turned back to look one final time to the orphanage behind us, savoring our last view of the place that had grown a place inside both of our minds. Then, we saw them. The children, the kids we had watched over on our short time of stay inside the Grimm Orphanage as temporary caretakers. Beside them, Grimm stood proudly as they held up a large sign for us to read. GOOD LUCK ON YOUR QUEST, RAIN AND MYRDDIN! "Rain!" Her voice was hard to hear from the distance we were in, which was a feat all on its own knowing who was the one yelling. Elena, the young elf girl I knew grew attached to Rain, had tears in her eyes as she waved her goodbyes for one last time. "Make sure to come back and tell us your next adventure, okay!?" Rain laughed. His cheer was infectious, and if beads of moisture also threatened to fall from his eyes, well I wasn''t about to be the one to point it out. Much. "Of course!" Then, Conrad''s voice was the next one that we heard. "Myrddin, Rain! Promise me you guys would teach me how to fight when you come back, alright!?" Like a signal, that made the rest of the kids shout their own wishes and requests, all of them practically begging us to be their teachers, tutors, etc. Some of them even started jumping at each other, already arguing over who would be the one to get their promises fulfilled. I laughed as well, even as Grimm visibly rolled his eyes even from the distance we were in. "Good luck on that!" Thus, came to start the beginning of yet another quest, of my first adventure with Rain. Chapter 16: Traveling Chapter 16: Traveling It burst out of the underbrush in a feat of speed. Behind it followed no less than three balls of light, making it and its coat of slightly singed fur impossible to miss. "Myrddin, it''s heading your way! Cut it down!" I had already unsheathed my sword early on, the large black blade in front of me protectively, but I didn''t move, not even as it rushed at me. If one watched carefully then, they would''ve seen why - my knees were shaking and threatening to collapse, my unbridled fear already handicapping me of basic fighting ability. Nevertheless, Rain continued to yell. "Myrddin, cut it down!" Snapped out of it, I found my voice. "With this sword of mine, I shall defeat my enemy!" I half-sang, half-yelled, "Vertical Cleave!" Following the basic Swordsman skill, my body went through the motions, partly-automated by the Player Assist system. My knees bent, giving me a better stance, before my arms swung my sword from the side, cutting from the bottom and reaching for the top - easily bisecting the large beast that was rushing at me.
Lucky Hit! 2.5x damage! You have defeated the Forest Boar: Lvl 39! You have gained 1300 EXP! You have now received Forest Boar Meat x 2!
With a heave, I collapsed on my feet. Rain met me there before I could completely fall to the ground. He had a slightly troubled look on his face. "You still alright, Myrddin?" I couldn''t hold back a sigh, shaking my head as I banished away the alert window. "No, no, I suppose I''m not." I said a bit self-deprecatingly, causing Rain to frown. "I''m really sorry about this, Rain - here I am, boasting that I would go along with you, only to be unable to fight properly without getting the urge to run. Look at me - that boar was more than a dozen levels lower than me, and I still found it difficult to attack." Suddenly, a finger flicked itself over my forehead. Ow. "Don''t say that." Rain scolded me, making a fair imitation of a displeased mother. And he said that I acted like one... "You still managed to defeat it in the end, right? That''s good enough for now - small steps make the entire journey. And at least, with this kind of training, we won''t run out of food anytime soon." My mind wandered back to the dozens of monsters, all of them leaving behind foodstuff and various ingredients. "I suppose so..." With a friendly smile, Rain held out his hand. "Now, pick yourself up. Those monsters aren''t going to kill themselves soon." I couldn''t help the fond expression that lifted my lips before I took the preoffered aid. "Did you really need to say those things, by the way?" Rain asked, the moment I recovered on my feet. "I mean, do all Swordsmen really have to say those kinds of arias just to attack? It sounds a bit problematic; what if you needed to ambush someone? Wouldn''t that ruin whatever attempt to be stealthy?" I shook my head, wincing at the thought of such a situation befalling on me. "No. It''s just me - it helps me focus and attack instead of just running away." "Like a battlecry?" My mind recalled a certain night inside the Darkling Woods. Singing while fighting... that was a memory I was certain that I wouldn''t forget anytime soon. Especially considering it was becoming my personal fighting style. "Yeah, you can say that. I actually picked up the idea from you at some point. Before that, I never really fought as a Swordsman outside of the event that turned me into one in the first place. All I just did was run away whenever I met monsters, squirreling away money to use inside casinos just to buy food." Rain only looked amused at the casual mentioning of my past days. "Well then, Myrddin." He walked to my side, his eyes already wandering in search for another monster. He then turned back to me, tapping at my shoulder. "Starting today, that previous Myrddin is Myrddin no more! When I''m through with you, you would be capable of beating down hundreds of monsters on your own!" I rolled my eyes. "Well, Rain, for now I think you would have to bear the weight of good ol'' me." Rain grinned at me, his voice affecting a wisened tone as he stroked an imaginary beard over his chin. "Don''t worry, for I''ll lead you all the way, my young padawan. I can endure the responsibility of helping you grow into yourself." Oh, you cheeky little... As I held back the urge to strangle that expression off his face, I turned to glare at another direction, muttering complaints beneath my breath about annoying Fools and their idiosyncrasies. Rain smirked at his victory over this bout of banter, before also turning to close his eyes in focus as he went to work. Subtly, I gazed at Rain from the corner of my eyes. What he was about to do was amazing to watch. Not that I was about to tell him that - I was far more inclined to fight ??? again, alone and naked, than to praise Rain in front of his face. It began with a soft film of blue light that covered his entire body. Then, the energy slowly spiralled off over his head, coalescing in his hand into what looked like a Magelight, only far more dangerous. The ball of energy glowed red for a moment, then swelled, getting far and far larger until a large vibrating polychromatic sphere of pure power was over Rain''s hand. The title above Rain glowed, The Magician (I) being proclaimed almost proudly. "Concussive Lights." He clenched his hand into a fist, and suddenly the sphere collapsed into itself, bursting into a large group of small colorful balls that flew all around us, heading for all of the trees and bushes. The next instant, the sounds of explosions filled my ears. I knew then and there that yet another group of small forest creatures died instantly as Rain''s hard work of fusing Mana Explosion and Magelight struck them from above, leaving them no chance to escape or dodge before they burst into pixels. And of course, there were those that survived the initial onslaught. "They''re incoming." Rain commented, his eyes closed but I knew that meant little considering his high-leveled Critical Eye. "Three of them, one from your right." Shaking my head off the awe that had befallen me as - really, at this point Rain didn''t even need my help - I unsheathed my sword again, placing it between me and what I knew was arriving. It was a large deer this time, with antlers so huge they might as well be tree branches. My legs began to feel heavy again at the sight, but Rain''s presence right beside me helped. Slowly, but surely, I knew I was getting better at helping my friend. Even if for now I was just a load behind his back. "I am Myrddin, and I shall cut you where you stand!" I sang again, feeling surer with every single note that left my lips. My arms went to position for an attack, and this time I wasn''t entirely sure it was just the Player Assist. "Diagonal Cutter!" In a flash, the deer burst into pixels as my skill instantly killed it with one hit. An alert window informed me of another lucky hit and some loot, but I ignored it for the time being as the very next second a bear clawed out from the forest, leaving me needing to hurry to cut it down before it reached Rain. "You shall be reduced to pieces! X-Slash!" It continued to be a fruitful day of our journey together. "So... at this point, where are we now again?" Being the one far more used in long-distance travel, I sighed at Rain. Though I had to admit to feeling the same kind of impatience when I was traveling alone, I never realized how annoying it was when it was somebody else asking the question. Many times. Many, many times, as if the world was going to shrink if he kept at it- I felt a headache coming on. How that happened while inside a virtual world, I didn''t know, but somehow Rain managed. "Rain, no matter how many times you ask, it doesn''t change the fact that we''re not even halfway there." Rain responded to my answer with a loud groan. Wasn''t Rain supposed to be the leader here? Then why am I feeling like his babysitter? He was looking at the copy of the map of Fate Online that Grimm gave us before we left. Sneaking in a glance of my own, making a small bit of calculations as I did, I winced as I remembered why I didn''t buy a map when I left my character''s homeland. Really, it was kind of disheartening to realize that all our walking so far only merited a few inches on the map of Terraria. "By the way," I asked, jumping across a fallen tree as I did. "Who are we going to meet again? You still haven''t told me." Rolling the map and placing it back to his inventory, Rain sighed before sending me an evil grin. "Oh, you''ll be surprised alright..." I rolled my eyes at his childishness. "Come on, Rain. Tell me now." "Nope!" Rain sang cheerily. "It''s a secret between me and Grimm. You''ll just have to know when we get there." I sent him a glare, before finally giving up. If there was something I was learning about my new friend over the course of the past few days, it was that he could get really stubborn if he wanted to. The skies would rain fire and brimstone, a great earthquake would rip apart the world, and a meteor would drop from the heavens, but Rain would still act stubborn. If I hadn''t confirmed it from his mouth, I would''ve never believed that Rain and Brian were the same person. The two were practically opposites. "Alas, but such is reality." I murmured to myself, not for Rain to hear. "I just had to befriend such a troublesome person..." Rain popped up closer to me. "What was that? Were you saying something?" I sent him a grin. "No. If you''re not going to tell me anything, I won''t tell you either." Big mistake. Rain''s face morphed into the much-feared ''Mischievious Mode''. Considering that the last time it happened, I ended up being kicked into a group of aggressive mobs... I did the only right thing to do in such a situation. I ran. It only took him a second to give chase. Then, it took him two minutes to capture me. Thirty minutes later, I somehow found myself in a group of - thankfully passive - monsters, with a bag in my hands. "I''m really not convinced this is a good idea..." Rain pushed me forward, his grin practically dripping with malice. "Go on, Anakin!" He cheerily shouted. "To be stronger have you!" "Where do you get all these references?" "I researched just for this kind of situation. Now, go!" A bit foolishly, I did as Rain told me. Stepping nearby one of the resting rabbits, I took one of the eggs from their nest. The rabbits immediately shifted their eyes at me, high alert ringing in my mind at their gazes. Heaving a gulp, I took the rest of the eggs. Suddenly, their eyes went red. The next moment, I was running away with rabid rabbit teeth marks around my throat. "AHHHH!" Rain smirked at his corner. "Egg Picking Exercise, begin." Fifth day of travel. At some point over the course of yesterday, the two of us logged out to continue on with our real life duties as students. For once, I didn''t feel overly surrounded the moment I entered the classroom as Brian met me at the door, looking unbelievably sweaty for a reason he didn''t expand on. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. I had been too busy teasing him on the subject to even notice the odd stares the two of us were receiving until the end of the day. Then, in Fate Online, we continued to walk our way through the path, following the river into the direction of the Rocky Mountains. More training, banter, and just generally wasted time as we walked the distance of miles with our untiring virtual bodies. And when Rain had at some point requested a song from me, I had only been too glad to even think of saying no. Immediately, even as we walked across the rocky trail that increasingly became steeper and steeper with every step, I burst out into song, a self-made orchestra ringing loud in my ears. I loved music, really. And with the way Rain fully supported my interest in it, I really enjoyed making up songs as I went, at points simply singing about whatever we saw as we walked. "The mountains, white with snow, how high are you? Tell me mountain, how is it when you look at me?" "Probably, you look like a dot to them." Rain commented seriously to the side, and I had to grin at his sass. "Or some kind of horrible fly, I suppose." I held back the urge to laugh, still continuing to sing. But I had to tease him back for it somehow, so... "Oh mountains, that is not true! Forgive him for his foolishness, for his head had once hit a tree!" An affronted look reached Rain''s face, and I couldn''t hold back the laughter anymore. Thus, I continued to sing, walking and enchanging entertaining quips with Rain as we walked. Rain was fond of dramatic retorts, apparently, and I had plenty of oppurtunities to send sarcasm in return. Sure, it meant that we both at points pretended to ''dislike'' each other, but where was the fun in acting buddy-buddy all the time? Too bad that it was all interrupted. It was Rain who noticed them first, possibly due to Critical Eye. Breaking off our banter, he jumped for my direction, tackling me down to the ground. Shocked at the sudden action, the moment I recovered I turned my eyes towards Rain, incidentally placing my gaze over my former location. Where my head should''ve been, was an ash-grey arrow. "Bandits!" I didn''t need to be told anymore. Immediately, I jumped off the ground to my feet, my sword already drawn in my right hand. Placing myself in a defensive stance, I took a look around - and saw them in the direction Rain was glaring at. Four, no, five men. Dressed in light leather armor, they all wore red bandannas over their heads. Two of them had bows in their hands, with the rest being obvious swordsmen. Their eyes were an unsettling shade of yellow, and I didn''t need to look over their heads to see that they didn''t have Alignment Cursors. Bandits. Unlike Grimm or the kids over the orphanage, they weren''t in any way NPCs. After all, while once upon a time Bandits were considered to be in the same group as NPCs, over the past few years the change in public perception on the subject of AI had them reclassified as ''humanoid monsters'' in the eyes of the system. After all, unlike Conrad or Elena, they didn''t have real intelligence and only had the same kind of programming as the common slime. This made them excempt from the law that otherwise protected artificial life. Or so I''ve been told by Professor Brunnings in class. Now, I just had to remember that, instead of shaking on my knees at the scarily realistic glare that was being sent my way. "Myddin, focus." Rain called out to me, his hand holding his staff protectively between us and the bandits. "Don''t be scared - you won''t be fighting alone this time. Just pretend that they''re the same boars we were fighting before, and sing if you really have to." I quavered, but I managed to nod. Tightening my grip over my sword''s pommel, I repositioned myself offensively. The bandits struck first, nonsensical growls and yells coming out of their throats. The two archers pulled upon their quivers and shot arrows in our direction, followed by the swordsmen charging at us. The attack was fast and smooth - no margin of human error and perfectly enacted like some kind of simulation. Had it been done in real life, it would''ve merited a true threat. But in this world? Laughable. Truly, there was nothing more predictable than a simple AI to those who had superhuman virtual bodies. "Split up!" My feet already took me to the side before Rain even opened his mouth. A passing glance at the corner of my eyes revealed that my friend had gone to the other direction, his staff moving like water across rock as he leaped for the incoming swordsmen. The blue glow that covered his weapon already told me that Rain was fine on his own - instead, I burst out into a run. Rain can handle the swordsmen - it''s my job to take out the archers! Seeing me run for their direction, the archers shouted something to each other before turning their bows on me. Less than a second later, arrows were already whistling in the air, all of them aiming for my head. However, none of them would reach their mark. "A swordsman is never stopped by arrows!" I proclaimed, setting my sword in front of me. "Arrow Interceptor!" Immediately, the sword in my hand glowed softly before my weapon arm moved all by its own - cutting down the arrows aiming for me as I ran without pause nor care for the liberal amount of projectiles that were flying towards my direction. The ground that stepped on were soon littered with broken wood and arrow points, the distance between me and my targets gradually decreasing.
Arrow Interceptor: Lvl 6 (Active)
One of the ten basic Swordsmen Skills. Now, with Swordsman Satoru''s teaching, you can now cut down arrows before they hit you. Higher levels allow use against other kinds of projectiles. Current number of arrows that you can block: 6 arrows/second. Costs 200 mp per use. Current level now allows you to deflect thrown minor weapons.
Good thing that Swordsmen were naturally built to counter ranged enemies. Otherwise I would''ve ran in the opposite direction. "Mana Explosion!" I didn''t have to turn to know that the pained cries that came from Rain''s direction were from his enemies. After all, with that new staff of his that had a frustrating ability to regenerate durability, there was no way Rain was going to hold back on opponents like Bandits. Shaking off the slight chill inside my spine at the memory of a certain staff, I focused again on my opponents. The first archer that I came upon struck out with his bow like a bat. Easily dodging the slow attack, it only took me a millisecond to bisect the offending weapon with my sword before I brought it down to his chest. It went through his armor like it was just paper, and soon he was down. I turned to the other archer. That was when I noticed him acting differently. As if learning that attacking me with arrows was useless, he focused on somebody else: Rain. Watching my friend from afar, it was plain to see that Rain was distracted by his own enemies - at this point, if an arrow was shot towards him, it would hit. And while I knew Rain could take it, I wasn''t so easy on the idea of letting my friend feel the sensation of an embedded arrow. So when the remaining archer pulled on his string to make the shot, I shouted. Loudly. "STOP THAT THIS INSTANT!" Without meaning to, my voice came out as a roar, easily overpowering every other sound in the area. From the sound of clinking swords to Rain''s explosions - all of it was replaced by my voice, ringing loudly and clearly through the mountain like the final sound of a gong. Everyone froze. Even Rain. The archer even shook to the point he simply let go of his bow. The sound of several windows popping up filled my ears, but I ignored them to take the oppurtunity of stabbing the archer in the chest. Then, like time was restarted, Rain moved to action. Swinging his staff into a blue crescent, he finished off his own stunned enemies. It took me a few seconds after that to realize that: yes, the battle was over. It went a lot better than I expected. We weren''t even injured. Because of me. Still feeling a bit stunned, I stared at the alert before my face.
Repeated use of your voice in battles has created a new skill, Intimidate!
Intimidate: Lvl 1 (Active)
Since times long past, people have used fear and respect in battles to discourage others from going against them. For one blessed with an overwhelming presence, there is nothing more easy than breaking the will of foes. With more experience comes more power to intimidate. Uses mana to enhance presence and voice. Inflicts fear and terror on enemies lower-leveled than the user, otherwise causing a short stun and disorientation. Currently costs 2500 mp per use, affects up to a ten meter radius, with higher effects to closer enemies. Area of effect and cost is affected by skill level. This skill is activated only during times of high tension for the user.
"Good job, Myrddin." Rain grinned as he ran up to me. "I knew you always had it in you." I banished the alert before closing my eyes. It''s true. I didn''t even feel the urge to run away this time. I helped Rain of my own volition. I smiled. "Of course," If there was a small bit of confidence, a bit more than what I usually felt in my voice, Rain didn''t mention it. "Who do you think you are talking to?" "So, here we are." Rain''s voice was void of emotion as he said those words, but his expression was dreadfully grim. This time, I shared the same feelings with him as the two of us gazed off the top of a cliff, seeing the goal of our week-long journey. Minutes ago, Rain had been cheerily smiling as always, but the moment we caught sight of the town... Fire and ashes. Over half the town was in fire and ashes. From our perch, black smoke threatened to go in our way as buildings and property burned, turning into dust before our very eyes. Thankfully, there was no sound of fighting to be heard, but the same could also be told about people. It was early afternoon, but no man nor woman could be seen outside. Several buildings were in flames, and no one was putting them out. What could be the reason as to why they weren''t saving the town? "Rain... tell me." I said lowly, feeling the heat of the flames even from where I was. "Who are we supposed to meet again? Why are they having problems with peace, especially after the War people had signed a world-wide armistice?" "Myrddin, it''s not war when it''s the town fighting within itself. And even Grimm didn''t know that it was this bad." Rain stared at the town, with pure rage in his eyes. "You know what fraction of the Human race lost the most when they ended the War? This one." The Fool laughed, the sound hollow as it resounded inside my ears. "Vikings, Myrddin. We''re dealing with Vikings." Chapter 17: Vikings Chapter 17: Vikings Our entrance into the town was the farthest thing from peaceful. It was reminiscent of one of those staple scenes in books really - an entrance filled with blades and weapons pointed on our way the moment we came into the view of the locals. And if anybody ever said Vikings never used bows and arrows, then they haven''t met these ones. With just a look, I knew that it would be impossible for me to block their numbers, even with my Skills. The second we came into their sights, there were only two choices: move on confidently or die. Thankfully, Rain was beside me then. He, unlike me, managed to act flippant and uncaring of the hundreds of bladed weapons and barbed arrows that were pointed to us instead of shaking at the knees like I was. "Don''t shoot!" Rain shouted, with a easy-going smile on his face. "We come in peace!" He then murmured something to me, softly as to not be heard by those in front of us. "Myrddin, if I were you, I would simply stare ahead and keep a straight face as possible. Act as if you''re looking at something behind their eyes, and imagine that they''re simply not there. I''ll be the one talking for you." Freezing up at the thought of pretending not to see all those pointy tips and edges, I managed to croak out a "Yes." Then I put my words into action. Pretend that you are a voiceless statue. Stare ahead like nobody''s there. I can do that. Rain could, and he did it practically everyday. Well, when he was being Brian at least. For some reason, the moment I did so, the Vikings in front of us took a step back. Slowly, the two of us waited in turn. The Vikings that we could see were talking amongst themselves, and who were we to argue against people who could kill us at any moment? Rain kept close to me, his arm hung over my shoulder almost lackadaisically, but I knew he was carefully watching ahead of us. And calming me down in the same time too, thank god for that. Finally, a spokesperson came forward. He was a rather tall, gruff sort of man, though I should''ve expected it, considering who he was. With a rich full beard in braids on his chin, and his red hair hidden underneath his helmet, he looked at us warily with a pair of sharp peregrine eyes that told ''mess with me if you dare!'' "We don''t get visitors ''ften in this area..." He started carefully, his rich heavily accented voice easily sounding through the open space we were in. I tried to keep face at the fact that while he spoke, his arm dangerously hovered over his waist, where a sword hung in its scabbard, ready to be unsheathed at any moment. "Who are you people?" "Friends." Rain replied easily with nary a shiver at the heavy look on us. "Friends of Grimm Locke of the Grimm Orphanage. Travelers too, but we are mostly friends and allies of Grimm." The man before us widened his eyes. The tense air around him dissipated into nothing as he visibly relaxed at the mention of the orphanage caretaker''s name. "Odin bless, Grimm? Grimm Locke? He''s still alive ''fter all these years?" Was that awe in his voice? And judging from Rain''s miniature jolt of surprise, he too didn''t know the reason for such a reaction from such a large man. "He has built an orphanage across the river from here." Rain said softly. I supposed it was to hide his own shock. "He told me to tell one Brandt Svenson of his continued existence, and he also wants to know the current state of this town." "Brandt Svenson has been dead for eleven years." A note of sorrow entered the man''s accent. "My brother would''ve celebrated in the name of Thor about this joyful news, had he not already died of disease." Rain''s face went blank. "My condolences." More warily, he then continued, "So, you are his brother?" "Brynjar Svenson, the Chief of this tribe, at your ''ervice." For a second, the man in front of us closed his eyes in a moment of solemnity, no doubt in the middle of remembering his dead brother. But then, he gave a short chuckle that soon turned into a guffaw, and sure enough, he was positively roaring with joy. I quickly mentally classified him as ''slightly bipolar at minimum''. "Enough with the small talk!" He guffawed, suddenly jovial as a proud smile ran across his face. With a large wave of his arm over his head, all the weapons pointed at us came down. "Friends of Grimm, you say? You shall be welcomed with food and mead! Welcome to our town of Thordinn!" At that point, one of the buildings that had finally been put out collapsed. Ashes went everywhere, and dozens of men went flying as their perch suddenly broke apart beneath their feet. Thankfully, they also seemed hardy enough to walk away their falls as soon as they landed. Brynjar''s smile became a little forced. "After ''eh bit of rebuilding." He amended. "We shall do the celebrations in due time." I exchanged looks with Rain. He gave me an affirmative nod. "We''ll help." If there was one thing I''ve learned about Vikings in the following hours, it was that they were amazing builders. Me and Rain? We were only slightly experienced at reconstruction, having learnt a bit of the trade during our short stay inside the Grimm Orphanage. You could only take so long with a large bunch of over-energetic kids without something breaking after all, and Grimm really loved making us do his work while we were around. But in the face of the Vikings, we were toddlers playing with toy hammers and putty cement. When they built their buildings, they did it quickly, professionally, and without problems. Nobody spoke, simple gestures and handwaves worked enough for them to understand that ''ah, you should replace the foundation here'' and ''has anybody chopped down the wood for the next supporting pillar yet''. I supposed they had to, after some thinking. With how casual they took the destruction of their homes, one could easily infer that it usually happened. And if your house gets frequently decimated, then wouldn''t it be logical that you would quickly learn to rebuild it? "Rain..." I ended up whispering to my friend, voicing my thoughts. "I''m not really sure that we are actually helping them here." "Helping them was never the aim, Myrddin." Rain answered back to me offhandedly, his focus seeming to be on something else other than the roof we were finishing up on. "Really... Did you really think four more hands could do much? No. All we''re doing right now is something else." "Like what?" Both of us jumped in surprise, as Brynjar suddenly appeared beside us. His brow was furrowed, and judging from the veritable stack of wood that he was carrying over his shoulder, even the Chief helped in the rebuilding efforts. "Young lads, what are ''alking about?" "About our mission from Grimm." Rain answered quickly, looking nonchalant to the eye of anyone who didn''t know him. Only I noticed the slight built of anger that remained in his eyes, or the lilt in his voice that was there whenever he became emotional. "Observing the situation." "Ah is ''hat so?" Brynjar made a small frown. "Meet me later then, inside one of the pubs that ''till stand. On ''econd thought, you may not know ''here it is, so..." He turned to a different direction, where a group of more Vikings were removing the ruins that used to be buildings from the road. It was going quickly, it seemed, as I recalled that the pile they were working on used to be much larger a few minutes ago. Truly, they were construction machinery in human form. "Svaltr!" Brynjar barked, and suddenly one of the men jumped up in attention. "Help the two visitors here with their work, instead of ''oitering over there! And act as their guide for their ''ime in Thordinn!" And so, minutes later, Rain and I had a guide in the form of a Viking. This one though, was a rather strange one compared to those I was starting to get used to seeing during our still-short stay inside Viking territory. Instead of the large build the other Vikings had, our new guide was rather thin and lanky. Almost like a weed, really. He had the same red hair as Brynjar, but not the same kind of awe-inducing presence. Not to say that he looked weak, per se... more like he was out of place between all the rough and gruff men that were his people. Then he slipped and fell as he tried to climb to the roof we were on and I realized that we were stuck with the runt of Vikingland. Brynjar looked like he wanted to be somewhere else. "Svaltr!" His face went red with anger. "Fix your manners, boy! Do you want to shame the ''eputation of Thordinn with your actions?" The Viking runt - Svaltr - shouted back a few apologies, and soon enough he was with us. Muttering a few more orders beneath his breath, Brynjar sent us a tired smile a few minutes later and left us alone with our new guide. Rain was the first to speak. "So. You are our guide for today?" The Viking gave us an apologetic look. "Yes, I suppose. My name is Svaltr, of the Thordinn Tribe." I blinked at his first words. They were... different. "Wait... why don''t you have an accent? Like the Chief?" "Accent?" Svaltr tilted his head at the question. "I don''t get what you mean." "He means that odd lilt in phrasing and pronunciation Brynjar uses." Rain answered for me to the side, his eyes wandering over the town contemplatively. I could practically hear the gears of his mind work. "I think it would be called Scandinavian from we are from, but I also think it''s strange that out of all people, we get a person like you as our guide." Svaltr looked a bit uncomfortable. "Oh... Is that so?" "Yes." Rain answered, his voice strangely sharp as he turned his gaze at our guide. "Is there any reason as to why you are so different?" Svaltr kept quiet, directly looking at the roof we were fixing. At such silence, Rain released a sigh but let the question drop. I felt a bit out of place, so I tried to change the subject that had apparently gone sore. "A-Alright." At my voice, both people with me turned at my direction. Rain''s look was unreadable, and Svaltr''s was... rejudging? I didn''t know what the Viking was thinking, but I had a feeling it wasn''t good. "I had a question. It''s about this place, really... I mean, what do Vikings do?" At what probably was a safe question, Svaltr immediately perked up. "Vikings are the naval fighters of the Human race." He started slowly and quietly, his voice becoming stronger with every word. "We are amazing at making weapons, ships, and a variety of tools, but we are primarily a warrior race. In the times of War, we Vikings held the frontlines for Trevignon, and we fought with fury and might!" A smile started to cover his face. "Truly, Vikings and Valkyries of those days were amazing. Nobody dared to fight us back then..." It then started to fade. "Or at least, until the War ended and we Vikings got banished into the mountains." I winced. I just stepped into another conversational landmine. "About that, yes." Rain pushed on, for the meantime ignoring social nuances. "I''ve heard about Valkyries... and that they are supposed to be in this town. Where are they now? Where are all the women of this town?" The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. I blinked. Now that Rain mentioned it, I didn''t recall seeing anybody that weren''t male. At his question, Svaltr''s eyes widened. "H-How did you notice-!" Rain cut him off. "I''ve been looking for them all this time." "In a town where the only possible cause of conflict is its people, this degree of destruction could only mean that a significant split happened in the past. Thus, it would only be logical that a group of people would likely have left this town sometime ago and become the very enemies that had attacked these buildings. Not only that, this group of people would have to bear some kind of similarity to banner over one goal." "That''s why I''m asking this now. Tell me, in this land of Vikings, where are the Valkyries?" At his last, nail-driving question, there I noticed it all. Silence. Sweet blissful silence... wherein people were supposed to be working and rebuilding, with hammers making loud clacks over wood and stone. People- no, Vikings, all around us, had stopped a long time ago in order to listen to Rain''s words. "So I see that Svaltr''s incompetence won''t keep you from noticing." Brynjar''s accented voice rumbled loudly as the three of us turned to see him there, standing over the center of the square and surrounded by his men. "I should''ve realized that ''othing would have stopped whoever that Grimm Locke sent from finding out our shameful secret." "From the moment I saw the town up close, I already knew." Rain calmly answered him back. "I was just waiting for you to tell it upfront, but it seemed that it would''ve gone nowhere that way." Brynjar said nothing at those words, instead turning on his feet. His people split apart like the Red Sea to let him pass. "Get ''own from there and follow me. I have a story to ''ell to you two." We were led into a large hall. Had it been any other time, I would''ve been in awe at the strange architecture that was far different from the modern one that I was used to. Sure, Grimm''s orphanage was made out of wood, but it was made with a slight medieval touch that wasn''t really that different from current Western ideals. The Viking Hall, on the other hand, was far more bestial in theme. All around us, working traps and sharp weapons were displayed, all of them ready for use at any time. Above us in turn was a large steel cage, where several large wooden figurines in shape of dragons and monsters were hung and displayed. For a moment, the sight of them made me recall my days inside Akkandia, and I shivered at the memories of way too many close calls as I tried to escape the veritable Land of Darkness. "So, ''ell me. What do you two specialize in?" Rain shared a look at me, telling me to ''keep quiet, I''ll handle this''. "I''m a storyteller." He then answered back to the chief, his voice unreadable as he half-lied, half-told the truth. "Myrddin over here is a swordsman, but he''s my partner in telling tales - acting as a singer sometimes, other times keeping things from getting rowdy when people get bored..." At that, Brynjar pointedly looked over our heads, where I knew our titles were. Rain had indeed changed his title into Storyteller a while ago, so there wasn''t any way that the Viking could see that he lied. On the other hand, he then turned to me in particular, as if he was measuring me and judging me. By now, my hand went automatically over my sword as I felt a slight surge of danger. Strange that, now that I think of it, that I had started to think of my weapon as some kind of comfort object... Rain slapped my hold away with his right hand. "Ah, sorry about that." He grinned at Brynjar, and if the expression was a bit evil I didn''t make a comment. "He''s also a bit twitchy." That was the point that I realized what Rain was doing. He was making me out to be a terrifying monster in battle, his bodyguard of sorts underneath his cover as a mere ''storyteller''. I almost paled at the thought, but just in time I managed to stay with what Rain told me to do: keep face, and stare ahead. I mentally wept as I realized it was Rain using me as intimidation to keep away attackers. "I see then." If Rain''s words had any effect, Brynjar didn''t make it obvious. On the other hand though, Svaltr, who had followed along his chief even as everyone else gave us privacy, turned to me with wary eyes. "So, you two aren''t warriors?" "We''ve picked up some skills here and there, but no, not really. Like I''ve said, we''re merely friends and travelers." At that, Brynjar heaved a sigh. "Is that so?" The chief muttered tiredly, even as he kept his face rigid and stiff in an effort to save his image in amongst three other people. "So there is ''othing to be even gained in keeping you here. But such is Odin''s wish, I suppose... who are we Vikings to ''rgue and ask for help even in ''ime of crisis?" "We never planned on helping in the first place." Rain answered coolly, but not unkindly. "We are just here to hear the state of this location and report it to Grimm. Nothing more, nothing less, as we want to keep things neutral." "Very ''ell." Brynjar acquiesced. "Here, sit ''ith me. Svaltr, bring us three mugs and ''er pool of malt." With a stiff nod, the other Viking in the room left the two of us alone with his chief. Rain took the moment to ask, "Pool of malt?" "Mead." Brynjar answered dryly, "We make it ''ith honey of course, but it''s Viking tradition to call things ''ith other names." With those words, Rain gave me a troubled look, and I understood. It wasn''t that we had to worry of getting drunk in real life - virtual alcohol remained virtual alcohol after all - but it didn''t change the fact that there was such thing as a ''Drunk'' mental debuff status. Who knows what our lips could spill under the influence? "I think we should not be drinking while talking." Rain tried for a way out. "We aren''t even that thirsty anyways..." "Not drinking mead while talking!" Brynjar bellowed, his eyes going wide. I had a feeling what Rain was saying sounded like child murder in his ears. "Nonsense! Real men drink ''hen telling tales, and you are ''oing to drink! In fact, ''e are going to drink lots!" That was the moment Svaltr returned, with a veritable tub filled with sweet-smelling alcohol. Dipped inside it were three dark, wooden mugs that were obviously not made with apple cider in mind. Rain and I exchanged one final glance of desperation before, finally, we settled down in acceptance for the situation. I didn''t mention anything about the fact I never drank alcohol before in my life, virtual or not. My memories of the following hours were murky at best, and inscrutable at worst. Rain wouldn''t ever tell me about what exactly happened while I was drunk, other than saying I didn''t spill anything, but he made sure to pass on to me later on the tale as to what exactly happened that put the Vikings that placed them in such dire straits with their distaff counterparts the Valkyries. I had a feeling Rain was purposely hiding away some details of the story, but I received the gist of it all. To put it simply, their current situation was because of a spat and several remarks of the sexist variety. It apparently started almost exactly ten years ago, after the death of Brynjar''s brother who used to be the chief at the time. His death was instrumental to how it occurred - without the presence of a stiff leader like Brandt Svenson, the population of the town was all kinds of restless. Fights occurred day in and day out, from the most minor of reasons to the birth of blood feuds. But since not of it was too major, there was no real hurry to push for a new chief - after all, who were Vikings if they weren''t used to fighting? But then, the trigger happened. One of the newest and best upcoming Valkyries of the time got into a fight with one of the Vikings. It would have been like any other minor conflict, if it weren''t for the fact that at some point the Viking in question sent his opponent a rather sexist slur. "Stay in the kitchen, meyla!" It didn''t end well. Soon, the argument ended up gaining more participants on both sides, the normally obscene curses turning more and more unforgivable, and in mere days the conflict ended up spreading all over the town. On one side was the Vikings. On the other was the Valkyries. Husbands turned against wives. Sisters turned against their brothers, lovers fought with their lovers. Both Vikings and Valkyries were stubborn folk - nobody wanted to admit they were in the wrong, and to both of them they were struck where it hurt the most. Their pride. Soon, the argument got worse, and what used to be minor conflicts here and there became full-blown grudge matches between groups of men and women. And when the Brynjar ended up becoming the chief, it all exploded into mayhem. The town split up in two - Vikings and Valkyries. The original name of the clan was lost, and the Valkyries left to start their own town somewhere else while the Vikings stayed in their houses and declared it Thordinn. The Valkyries, on the other hand, settled somewhere they named Freylin. Now, that was the state of the affairs. Thordinn, the town of the Vikings, remained constant while Freylin stayed hidden, its location only known to the Valkyries. Every other day, invasions happened, causing chaos and mass destruction - and the Vikings felt truly disadvantaged as they couldn''t even counterattack. But for the time, I didn''t care for the situation. For now, I wasn''t going to be scared, or terrified, or feeling the sudden urge to run far, far away from the entire mountainous region. Why?
You have gained 9 levels! You are now level 66! You have gained the title "Terror-monger!"
Because when you wake up, bruised and battered in the middle of the wilderness with your friend, and with new levels and a damn title to match, all you would feel is: "WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED!"
Alright, last Myrddin POV chapter! Finally done with this segment of the arc... It''s kind of troublesome, but I guess it''s all very much needed when you want to show other peoples'' sides of the story. Next chapter would be back to the usual Rain POV. As for the last-minute infodump of a plot background in this chapter... it would all be clarified soon enough. Rain''s POV would work on showing the actual action, as this chapter is more for planting seeds for future plot elements. Don''t worry about the themes being too vocal though - this is a story after all, not a philosophical essay! Chapter 18: Before It All Starts Chapter 18: Before It All Starts I peeked at Myrddin''s direction as he slowly woke up. He looked, well... like he was thrown into a washing machine, had it cranked up to max, and stayed in there for an hour. His black hair was in one hell of a mess, tufts of it here and there, and his red eyes looked redder than ever with the irritated blood vessels surrounding them. Yep, he looked like he was suffering the mother of all hangovers. "Ugggghhh..." Good. Myrddin deserved it for all the trouble he caused me. Feeling a bit evil, with a twist of my wrists a very small faction of my mana formed into several Magelights. Promptly, the balls of light floated away from me and towards the direction of my friend''s face, hovering just beside his eyes for maximum effect. I focused for a second. This was still new to me, so... BANG. "Argh!" Myrddin promptly jolted to full awareness as the lights that were previously irritating his eyes suddenly exploded on his face, leaving it all blackened and dirty - not exactly helping with his looks, but right now I didn''t feel like being nice anyway. "Good morning!" I shouted on the top of my lungs, as cheerily obnoxious as possible. "Was your rest wonderful, Sleeping Beauty?" "Stop shouting!" Myrddin raised his hands to his ears, whimpering loudly. "My head is killing me..." The grin that was inching towards my face formed fully. Call it Schadenfreude, but the sound of his suffering pleased me. Myrddin groaned like a zombie. "What the hell happened?" "I don''t know," I replied, fully aware but acting completely ignorant just to annoy him. "Do you?" He blinked, then stared at something only he could see at his face. I had a feeling it was some sort of alert or announcement, as his sore eyes widened hugely at what he read. With a surprisingly pale complexion, he turned to me with horror. "What did I do?" Myrddin started to babble. "D-Did I get drunk? Or go on a rampage? Or did I say something that I wasn''t supposed to say, or do something that I wasn''t supposed to do? I knew I shouldn''t have drank that mead - I never should''ve tried out alcohol or any-" Alright, now that''s a bit too much. "You didn''t spill anything." I snapped at him, causing him to stop. "We are still neutral with the Vikings, they don''t know I''m not just a storyteller, and surprisingly, even with the way you fought with them last night, they haven''t declared war on the two of us." "The way I fought?" Myrddin mouthed, shock still showing in his eyes. Oops, maybe I shouldn''t have mentioned that. "Nobody died, and you won a surprising amount of barfights." I shrugged, trying to act casual. "You apparently fight better intoxicated, who knew? Power levels directly proportional to blood alcohol levels and all that." ''Better'' was an understatement. But I wasn''t about to describe it all in its gory details anytime soon. The way his eyes glowed ruby red, evil laughter spilling out his lips as he fought with his fists- I shivered at the memory. Myrddin gulped visibly, before closing his eyes in attempt to calm down. Soon enough, he forced a chuckle. "Well..." He tried, "At least we have that don''t we?" He then groggily stood, rubbing out the sleep in his eyes. Miraculously, within minutes he was fully sober and awake. I supposed it was due to the fact we were in a virtual reality that recovery from intoxication was so much faster and easier. Damn. And I thought I had more time to squeeze out some more enjoyment out of his pain. "Where are we?" He asked, stretching his limbs with a loud yawn. "This doesn''t look anywhere close to the town..." Feeling a bit playful, I sniped, "Well, you managed to get us kicked out." His head snapped to my direction so fast I thought he might get whiplash. "Wait, what? I thought you said the situation was fine!" "Well, it''s fine." I nodded, closing my eyes with a smile all the while knowing he was going to panic at what I said. "In a ''Don''t you dare get back here in a week'' kind of fine, but still alright. Like I said, they haven''t declared war yet." I opened my eyes just in time to see the amusing expression on his face. "That''s not fine at all!" Myrddin shouted, his eyes going wide. "Are you mad!?" I said nothing, continuing to grin at him. "Wait..." His eyes narrowed at me, looking at me doubtfully. "You''re pulling my leg here, aren''t you?" I just laughed at his face. In response, his face formed into a pout - a very terrifying pout considering his Syren looks, but a pout nonetheless. It just made me laugh even louder, as at this point the contrast only made it more funny to me. Myrddin growled dangerously. "Rain..." "Sorry, sorry." I slowed down, recovering from my laughing fit as I raised my hands in apology. "I just saw the opening and I couldn''t resist." I took a deep breath, fully calming down. "Like I said before, our situation with the Vikings are still neutral. It''s just that last night, I had to drag you out of town to make you stop fighting all those people. You should thank that Svaltr for his help - he had helped me pull you out quietly in the middle of the riot you started." Myrddin looked like he could faint at my mentioning of his drunken escapades, but somehow he managed to say, even if a bit weakly, "Ah, is that so?" I nodded. "And by the moment we were at the forest, I decided to say goodbye for now to the Vikings. We have things to do after all." The swordsman closed his eyes, visibly trying to push away his thoughts. "Do what?" "What else, of course? Grimm sent us a mission to find everything about this situation, and it would be unfair to only listen to one side of the story." I smiled. "Myrddin, we''re going to find ourselves some Valkyries." When I entered this world I was in, I didn''t know anything - no, not really. And my very first day proved the follies of doing just that, with Blake even pointing the very mistake of entering this world of Fate Online without looking up everything I might need. And while I didn''t learn to buy the corresponding guides before I left Pratumira, I supposed that since it ended up with me gaining my class, I couldn''t really complain about it then. But at some point, I had to learn. That''s why before we left, I had Grimm explain to me the basics of what was there to know about Terraria, the world that was inside the ''game'' of Fate Online. In Terraria, there are four parts of the continent. These were landmasses separated not only by the cardinal directions, but also by the vast differences of their landscapes and the people that resided in them. In fact, your race even determined as to where you would start off as a Player. For now, Grimm told me to focus on my own homeland: Trevignon. It was the land of humans, he told me, with the most vibrant forests and lush wildlife. Rightly so that the makers of this world do their job, as the Human race physically lacked the capability to live in extreme conditions. Well, except for Vikings and their female folk, Valkyries. "Brrr..." I shivered as the chilling wind battered down on us as we continued to climb the steep path of the Rocky Mountains. "It''s getting a little too cold for me here." "Really?" Myrddin asked from in front of me, turning back only to see me lagging behind. "I didn''t even notice." "I think it''s your part demonic Race that''s doing that for you." I explained as I tugged my clothes tighter around myself. Now, I realized that if it weren''t for Elena''s help, I would''ve already frozen. "I''m a Human, so naturally I''m at a disadvantage at this kind of thing." "So there is a reason as to why people don''t like playing as Humans..." Myrddin said as he jogged closer to me. With a few flicks of his fingers, he took out a coat out of his inventory and held it out for me to use. "I just thought that it was because it would be boring to choose something so... mundane." I shook my head, not taking the coat. "No, I''ll be fine. But thanks." He raised a brow at me. "If you are just being stubborn, I''ll forcibly make you wear this." "No, really. I''ll be fine. I think I can do just something about it. Wait and see." With a practiced ease, I swapped my Story Teller title for my current go-to one, the Magician. Then, with a moment of calm breathing to focus, I closed my eyes and took control of my suddenly easy-to-wield mana pool. It was a strange feeling, the moment I learned how to notice it instead of just calling out my Skills to automatically use the fantastical energy for me. Normally, being inside Fate Online felt like I was in reality just as usual, even with the surprising amount of grace and fervor that my virtual body had. I supposed it was due to the same Synchronicity factor Professor Brunnings told me in what felt like a month ago. After all, as I planned the moment I bought the VRT machine, my virtual body was identical to my real one, if a bit faster to react than usual. If it felt different, then that meant that something was wrong or changed. But now, that change happened. After that really trying situation inside that Forest, I somehow learned on how to measure and sense the amount of mana available to me by just feeling it, instead of having to look at the MP bar. It honestly felt like I had blazing furnace inside my chest, like I had something over my heart that was keeping me warm and full of energy at anytime of the day. And from that center, it filled my entire body - like pipes full of hot chocolate running through my limbs and muscles, through my bones and tendons. And being the Magician helped. While wearing the title, all I had to do was grab what felt right and throw it out in order to use a skill. Saying their names was now unnecessary, and I only had to call out the skill when I wanted to add to my focus. And now, I was about to try something new. "I don''t see anything," I heard Myrddin say. "If you''re trying to-" "Shhh, ye of little faith." I retorted, still closing my eyes. "Let your leader Rain do his thing, alright?" He went quiet, and I went back to my focusing. My mana was a furnace. It was a small little hearth, a warm fireplace inside my body that was apparently not enough for my current needs. So, the solution was simple - add more fuel to the fire and hope that it would do the trick. With mental hands guiding the pipes in my mind, I pumped and pushed. I tightened and controlled the mana, feeling it grow and rush stronger and stronger all around my body with every second that I put my attention into it. Friction built and heat continued to rise inside me, and soon the cold that had started to permeate in my limbs disappeared like freshly fallen snow in the middle of summer. I opened my eyes and saw blue.
Manipulation of your mana has created a new skill! You now have Mana Reinforcement!
Mana Reinforcement (Active): Level 1
Unlock your body''s power like an action hero! Again, power glows! Effects: Strengthens your physical stats by a factor directly proportional to mana used. Input can be controlled, with a minimum of 1000 mp/minute. Higher efficiency at higher levels, use is currently available while wearing ''The Magician (I)" title.
For a minute, I just stood there, feeling a bit disappointed at the new skill I''ve made. It looked highly inefficient, and the fact that it was only usable while being the Magician - an obviously magic-oriented title - made it look useless compared to what I knew I could deal with pure magic attacks. But then, I noticed something yelling. Myrddin was yelling. "Rain! You... stop... can''t...!" That was the point I realized that everything was in bright blue. With a short bit of attention to my pool, I found out my current output of mana - twenty times more than what I needed to activate the skill. Twenty thousand mana points per minute. I was practically blazing in blue, and everything around me was smoldering as my mana shot out of my body with the force of a train and the heat of a desert sun. If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.With a slight moment of panic, I immediately clamped down on my quickly emptying mana pool, setting my output to the bare minimum the skill could reach before deactivating. Suddenly, everything calmed. Too bad though, that at that same moment Myrddin had seemed to decide to put his own efforts to stop me. With his entire body. I went flying as a large, black, Syren body tackled me with all of its might. Where were we? At a mountain. With cliffs. I only just managed to grab at something before the two of us fell down more than a thousand meters down to earth. And even as we hung there, with only my arm keeping us from falling, somehow I managed to give my friend a grin. "See, I told you." I pulsed the skill for a second just for emphasis, ignoring his pale face as we hung precariously. "Leave it to your leader." After we crept back up, Myrddin punched me once before stomping off ahead. I only smiled sheepishly as I followed. "Do we even have a plan as to how to meet these Valkyries? I mean, the Vikings have spent years, and they still haven''t found their town!" I ignored Myrddin. "Head up the mountain, look down, and if we see a village, head there as fast as we can. Simple." "And what if that fails?" The swordsman jumped in front of me, arms crossed. "Because I''ve got a feeling that these Valkyries would''ve placed their town beneath cover just so nobody would do just that." I sighed loudly. "Then, we go back to Thordinn and wait for them to invade. Didn''t I just tell you about all of this before?" "That was before I found out that we had to climb up half-kilometer up a rocky mountain." I would''ve retorted something along the lines of Myrddin''s laziness, but I didn''t get to as in the corner of my eyes I noticed yet another red flicker. So, I slung my staff off my back instead, letting it light up in blue once more. The swordsman in front of me looked at the weapon tiredly. "We have more enemies, do we?" I rolled my eyes at him. "Do I have to tell you about it every time, my padawan?" "Don''t call me that!" He hissed, but in the end he also took out his own sword. Myrddin still looked like he wanted to be anywhere else other than here, but the fact that he was actually preparing for an ambush spoke miles away from what he used to be. "I''m nobody''s padawan..." At least, he wasn''t shaking on his legs that visibly. "Then, Partner?" I offered. "If we''re going to go with the cover I made yesterday, it''s better we get used to that..." "Sure, Partner." That was the moment the monsters pounced on us. Coming from higher ground, they jumped in tandem with each other, loud growls coming out of their teeth as they took out their claws. The two of us split apart just in time to evade as five of them tried to rend us to pieces.
Andoan Lion: Lvl 55 x 5
"Myrddin! You know what to do!" I didn''t wait for him to shout back a reply. Instead, I went for attacking the nearest of the large felines, my staff moving in a graceful movement as I swung it overhead to bash the bludgeoned end over its skull. Then, automatically as by habit, I pulsed a lance of energy at its tip. The lion was suddenly slammed to the ground as a minor explosion ignited right over its eyes.
Mana Channeling (Active): Lvl 42
Charge your blows with energy! Enemies be warned, power glows! Effect: Increases weapon''s damage in relation to skill level and INT. Uses 9 mp per minute. You can overcharge this skill for 182% efficiency at double the cost. This skill is now limited for use while wearing ''The Magician (I)'' title.
Mana Explosion (Active): Level 11
A real magician has a dozen ways to make things explode! Note: good children at home aren''t supposed to do this. Effects: Set an area around you to be affected and a focal point for the explosion to originate. Converts mana to pure destructive force. Mana to energy conversion increases in relation to skill level and INT. Current conversion: 3.16 Kilo-Joule/MP. This skill is now limited for use while wearing ''The Magician (I)'' title.
Sometimes, I really loved my class for giving me such a destructive title. A loud roar came from beside me, and I had to hold back a groan as I was suddenly tackled by one of the Lions. But recovering quickly, I kept it away as I whacked my staff over its side in revenge, causing it to be also thrown away by yet another destructive burst of energy. That was when Myrddin finally did his job. I just had the time to clasp my hands over my ears as he opened his mouth and a loud bellow came out of it. Wind stopped and small bits of rock flew, but the more important thing was the reactions of the rest of the wild beasts.
Myrddin has inflicted fear to the enemies! Myrddin''s Intimidate has leveled up!
"Alright!" I exclaimed, taking the window of opportunity to prepare my strongest of skills. Closing my eyes, I raised my hand over my head, letting myself fall into a familiar meditative state. "Myrddin, protect me!" "Roger!" I had to make an effort to not open my eyes just to see how Myrddin was doing. I knew he was getting better at fighting - really, at this point he had higher physical stats that I had, with an obscene amount of Luck to boot. Counting criticals, Myrddin would''ve passed my damage output a long time ago if it weren''t for him still shivering up in fright from time to time. So, I focused on the skill that was forming in my hand. The newly created Concussive Lights. Five seconds, four, three, two, one... The new large ball of mana that had welled up over my head glowed red, and I finished it off by gripping my hand into a fist. Immediately, the skill went to work, causing the sphere that I had poured a quarter of my mana into to break off into hundreds of balls in a lightshow that would''ve put me in awe had I not known the weaknesses.
Concussive Lights (Active): Level 3
Swarm your enemies in a lightshow that would be the last they see! Light them up, and see them explode! Effects: Charge up a large ball of mana to create a multitude of magical missiles. Uses a minimum of 2000 MP. Damage and efficiency is dependent on INT. You can charge up to 10 seconds to allow stronger missiles. This skill is now limited for use while wearing ''The Magician (I)'' title.
As my skill defeated the remaining enemies that were still alive after Myrddin battered upon them, I only sat back and watched it proceed. The skill I had created was not enough. It was far from enough. I knew that for the moment, my abilities were prodigious for the level I was in. But considering the fact I could never really know when I would receive my next title - as if my whole time inside the Forest of Life hadn''t taught that lesson to me - as it was, I was rapidly reaching the plateau of my growth. An example was the now-repeated limit in my mana-related skills: "This skill is now limited for use while wearing X title." It meant that without wearing my title - like wearing ''The Priest (II)'' instead of ''The Magician (I)'', I was effectively a sitting duck if I was attacked by surprise. It also meant that whatever other useful titles I had became utterly useless in the middle of battle, because how could I wear them when I needed to wear ''The Magician'' just to attack? Another example was the unsaid rules about my titles that I was finding out only now. The Magician was stuck at ''pure magic''. The Priest was at ''healing''. I couldn''t switch them without sacrificing the other. And the Magician itself had a problem - what was ''pure'' magic? What did it mean? I realized the answer to that question after I repeatedly failed to create any elemental spells. ''Pure'' magic meant ''mana'' skills. Everything and anything the Magician could do, it was limited to using and manipulating mana in its basic form - in balls, in surges, in all shape and size as long as it remained to pure mana. Why was it important? Because it meant that I was racing against time to unlock the next title before a new enemy came along that made me useless. What if a monster came along that ate mana? What 9f 9t also disabled Myrddin? And even then, my current strongest was this: a long-charging skill more focused on dealing waves of small attacks than making any of them strong individually. I needed to get better, and quickly. ""Hey Rain, what are you thinking about?" I smiled at him, waving off my worries at the sight of my friend, I didn''t want to cause him to worry more than he usually did. "Oh nothing. Should we get on with the hike? The top isn''t getting any closer anytime soon." Myrddin groaned loudly, and I laughed at him. Soon enough, night broke in and we started up a camp after calling it a day. At this point, camping had become a sort of reprieve after a day of journeying - monsters rarely attacked in the presence of fire, and the night sky was always bright with stars and the twp moons Terraria had. Not only that, unlike real life camping, there was a happy lack of night insects - and with the sheer ease in carrying camp supplies, we were far more comfortable than possible under normal circumstances. It had also become a thing of habit to separate camping work between the two of us - namely, I managed the fire and the cooking meal while Myrddin went out to get supplies in the dark, dreary, cold forest all by himself. Needless to say, there was much teasing on the first night about that very subject. But tonight, I realized that was going to be a long-shot when I heard Myrddin scream. I shot up immediately, activating my Critical Eye as I ran towards the direction of the sound. "Rain! HELP!" Gritting my teeth, I ran as fast as I could, noticing that the direction I was heading to was in line with a small waterfall. As I got closer, the waterfall revealed to be inside a clearing, where it fell to empty out in a clear brook down the mountain. Had it been any other time, I would''ve enjoyed the sights, but for now I ran in search for my friend. That was how we met her for the first time. It was all rather cliche really, when you thought of it enough. I supposed with the way my life inside Fate Online had seemed to be going along the lines of a story, I should''ve noticed the signs. But I digress - in my panic, I ran directly to the part of the clearing where the waterfall met the brook, and saw two people there. One of them was Myrddin, and I heaved a sigh of relief to see him unharmed, if a bit terrified as he gazed upon a spear that was mere centimeters from the side of his head. But I didn''t have to time to digest that information as I saw the other person. She was had long black hair that swept down her body, her chestnut-brown eyes glaring at my friend underneath her long raven tresses. She was fair-skinned and rather curvaceous - a woman around the peak of growth, the middle of the twenthieth year. And did I mention that she was also naked? Her eyes fell on me with wide surprise on her face, before an unidentifiable emotion flitted across her features until it finally settled to one simple emotion. She pulled something from one of the nearby rocks, and I realized it was a rather large knife fit for killing wildlife. Her face said it all. She was angry, and for some reason she looked strangely familiar to me. "Tell me, scum." She growled as she glared at the two of us. "Who are you two to peek into one of Freya''s sacred maidens?" ....Well, at least we found our target. Guess Myrddin''s good Luck meant something outside fighting after all.
Sorry for the extremely delayed chapter! I was hit by writers block, and I didn''t have the time to do this chapter for the latter part of last week. Right now, I''m heading for school, so I''ll be hurrying with this AN. Net chapter would go as usual, and since this chapter has not been sent to Uni, tell me if I made a mistake. Bye! POST REVIEWS AND REPLIES PLEASE! Chapter 19: Valkyries Chapter 19: Valkyries "Are any of you going to answer, or do I have to cut open your throats to make you two react?" Inwardly balking for a second at the threat, I responded by immediately averting my eyes off the woman in front of us, directing it to Myrddin, who realized what I was doing and did the same. I took a deep, long breath, mentally switching gears. "I apologize for this - it''s all a huge accident." I stated as clearly as I could, visibly showing off my neck as I continued to stare away from her and her weapon. I hoped she took the action as an olive branch for trust, instead of being an insult for not looking at her in the eye. "It seems my partner Myrddin over here had walked to this place, not knowing you were taking a bath here." For a silent moment, I regretted my course of action as it meant I couldn''t visually verify her reaction. But soon enough, she finally spoke, and if her voice was slightly less angrier I didn''t speak of it. "Is that so? Tell me then - why in the name of Freya would he walk inside a dark forest in the middle of the night?" Heaving a sigh, I replied, still looking at Myrddin, "Myrddin here was supposed to be looking for wood and water." I tilted my head, evoking a question. "Now, isn''t that right, Myrddin?" Quickly, Myrddin picked up on the opening I gave him. With rushed hands, he almost threw in front of him the water flask he was supposed to be filling. "H-Here! It was all a huge accident, really! I only saw the waterfall, and I thought I could walk into it, see how it looked like, and then I-" I cut him off before he further aggravated the angry Valkyrie. "Right. He''s sorry for accidentally walking into you bathe." I heard the metallic ting as she lowered her knife, causing it to hit a rock. It was immediately followed by a splash of something coming out of the water, and I didn''t have to look to know that the sound of something pulling on cloth meant that the woman in front of us was finally putting on her clothes. Seeing that we were apparently easily forgiven, I walked up to my friend, pulling him up before giving him a loud smack over the head for the trouble he had quite almost pulled us into. Myrddin took the punishment without complaint, muttering beneath his breath something along the lines of ''good grief''. It seemed that we had successfully averted what could''ve started a war. "You people aren''t from here. Tell me, who are you two?" Judging that she was fully-clothed only by the fact the lack of the sound of rubbing cloth, I plastered a smile on my face as I flamboyantly spun on one foot to turn to our Valkyrie''s direction. She, quite honestly, looked like just any other female warrior in her armor. No wings, no overly flashy curves and armor plates - just a plain simple chestplate that looked like it was made in some variety of steel. Not surprising, as I realized, considering that even though she was a Valkyrie, in the end she was just another Human like me. Her knife was inside its sheath on her waist, but I didn''t want to find out if she could pull it out quickly soon. "We''re travelers, friends of Grimm Locke in a quest to find the state of the famed Vikings and Valkyries of Terraria." I announced, affecting the tone of an ambassador. She didn''t do anything overt, like pulling out her knife again, so I thought it safe to continue. "My name is Rain, a magician, and my partner over here is Myrddin, a singer who dabbles in swordsmanship from time to time. May I ask for your name?" Between the moment of her reply and I posed my question, I inwardly grimaced at the sudden change of cover I assigned for myself and Myrddin. After all, as Myrddin had quite easily showed that he was a non-combatant in heart, I couldn''t fake him of being my ''protector'' this time. Not to mention, in my hurry, I also still had my ''The Magician'' title on - there was no way she would believe me of being a storyteller this time. When I heard Myrddin heaved a sigh of relief behind me, I quite cheerfully stepped on his foot in return. So much for staying under our previous cover. "Men like you don''t deserve to know it, but very well." The Valkyrie in front of us walked towards her spear beside Myrddin, pulling it out in one go before letting it hang to a hook on the back of her armor. She then turned to us, her brown eyes gleaming with pride and prejudice as she openly studied us both. "My name is Allyse, one of Freya''s strongest maidens. Be grateful that you hear of it in peace, not in the middle of the battlefield." Ah. So she is that kind of person... Picking up on her personality, I did the course of action I perceived as the best for the situation. Taking yet another deep breath, a click went unheard inside my mind as I switched facades like masks again - this time, something far from what I usually acted like as either Rain or Brian. With a wide sweep of my left arm and my right arm pulling down Myrddin beside me using my staff, I flamboyantly knelt and gave a courtly bow. "Thank you for the grace you have given us, fair Valkyrie. May Odin and Freya bless you for your forgiveness." I took the moment to absorb the shock that appeared on her face before continuing on with my act. With an equally flashy twist of the wrist, colorful balls of light surrounded us, giving the situation a twist for the enchanted. A slight twinge of focus had them blink rhythmically, changing from reds to blues and greens and back in a lightshow I knew was a little surprising to see for the first time. I stared into her eyes. "Now, may I ask for you to bring us to your leader, Alysse?" Myrddin wedged his elbow into my ribs the moment he thought it safe to do so. It was painful. "What was that!?" He whispered loudly to my ears as he warily looked at Alysse who was walking in front of us as she led us to the Valkyries'' secret town. "That act with the bow and the Magelights and the flirting-" "It is not flirting." I interrupted him as soon as I could, stepping with all of my weight on his foot purposely for the sake of taking revenge for my poor ribs. As I watched him jump on one foot in pain, I continued. "It was a calculated course of action I was forced to take because of you. Plus, I don''t think she even took it as flirting." Myrddin turned shocked eyes at me, forgetting his swollen foot for the moment. "Really? Are you blind? Didn''t you see how she reacted after such a show? She was practically luminescent red in the face when you looked into her eyes!" "No, I don''t think it''s like what you think." I persisted, knowing that my observation was the fact and that Myrddin was wrong. "Besides, she''s a man-hating Valkyrie - perhaps it was rage that was on her face at the time. After all, I had been emulating one of the gods she knows..." "Are you two going to catch up?" Allyse interrupted us from the front. Judging from her lack of volatile reaction, she hadn''t heard what we were talking about. "I may just choose to leave you at the rate you two are going!" "Oh, sorry about that." I smiled at her, not so kindly pulling on a suddenly-stiff Myrddin''s arm as I ran to catch up on our guide. "Myrddin just saw something that interested him. My partner could be so easy to distract sometimes..." Alysse''s only reply to that was to huff at Myrddin, and quite interestingly, look at my face for quite a period of time before finally turning away to walk even faster ahead of us. Myrddin let out a sigh of relief the moment he thought it was safe again. He then turned back at me, giving glances at the Valkyrie''s direction for emphasis. "Tell me that you saw that and still say you think it to be nothing." "I still think it to be nothing." "It was rhetorical!" "It is nothing." I pressed, walking ahead and ignoring Myrddin''s sudden meep as he struggled to catch up to my fast walking pace. "Like I said just seconds ago - it''s definitely not anything romantic or sexual from the way I see it. In fact, I would even bet money that it''s something along the lines of curiosity." Finally realizing I was unmovable from my opinion, Myrddin sighed. "I still think that she likes you... better than me at least.." Sensing the opportunity in his words for some good-willed teasing to clear the suddenly serious air, I smirked at him. Oh, this was going to be amusing. "Are you sure it''s not you who has a crush on her? Because I''m feeling like you''re projecting something on me." Predictably, Myrddin''s reaction was to splutter uncontrollably at the accusation I sent at him. It took him minutes, but he did soon recover enough to reply out shakingly, "N-No way! Have you ever seen the way she acts, Rain!? I''m scared out of wits whenever she looks at me!" "Or is it fear, really?" I asked, nodding to myself and gesturing at his bright-red face. "I''m seeing something far, far different here..." "Oh, shut it!" Alysse''s voice came from the front of us again. "I''m leaving you two for real unless you get over here right now!" Cowed by her threat, both of us quieted down and ran as fast as we could. But even as we rushed to catch up to our not-so-patient guide who could impale us through with her spear at any moment, I sent a fond smile at Myrddin''s back as he practically sprinted in front of me. Myrddin didn''t know it, but the talk with him helped. The familiar banter was comforting at this stage. Now, all I had to do was just act the role I chose for myself. For all the Viking chief Brynjar had told me about the vileness of Valkyries, their town was eerily similar to that of the Vikings. Perhaps it was due to the fact that separated or no, Thordinn (or what it used to be called as before the Vikings and Valkyries split up) still used to be their previous home before the event that caused the split happened. Sure, they habitually ransacked that town now, but sentimentality still held their grip on the Valkyries, it seemed. Myrddin nudged at my side, pointing overhead at the tall cliff over the town. "See, told you their town would be under cover." I shushed him to silence before Alysse turned to us again. Our Valkyrie guide was, on the other hand, talking to one of the guards that were patrolling the town when we arrived. From the odd, deferential way they acted and talked to Alysse - to the point where it was even visible in the distance we were in - it seemed that when Alysse said that she was one of the best warriors they had, she wasn''t lying. Good thing we didn''t need to fight her then. I wasn''t about willing to find out my place in the power levels around here anytime soon. When she finally came back to us, it was with another person. This time, the importance of the new person in front us was glaringly obvious - if it wasn''t the winged, exquisitely crafted helmet that gave it away, it was either her gleaming gold armor or her well adorned weapon that proudly proclaimed that ''She is an important person! Tread carefully!'' At the edge of my senses, boosted by the highly capable mana manipulation abilities of the Magician, I noticed what felt like an odd energy coming from the spear in her hands. It felt quite strange really - just like the axe Brynjar back at the Vikings had, it exuded of something otherworldly. "So you are the Seidmadr our most honorable of Valkyries had brought into our town." I didn''t recognize the word she used, but I took it for granted in order to turn shocked eyes at Alysse, who apparently wasn''t just one of the best Valkyries, but the best Valkyrie we could''ve met. Seeing my reaction, the woman in front of us narrowed her eyes. "Tell me boy, what''s your name?" Snapping out of my shock, I gave yet another bow. "My name is Rain, and my partner over here is Myrddin. May I ask-" "My name is Brunhilda., and my last name is important." She snapped at me, not willing to wait for courtesies. "I''m the Chief of this town of Freylin, and you, who reeks of likeness to Loki, tell me what you are aiming for and I might just deign you the chance to walk out of this place alive." Suddenly things were tense. I could even feel Myrddin suddenly freeze up like a board beside me. I spoke out quickly, "The two of us are friends of Grimm Locke. He has sent us in search for the truth as to what has happened about this town and that of the Vikings. We come in peace and promise to stay neutral." There was a heavy silence, of a moment of panic over ''what if Grimm''s name won''t help here'', but it soon broke apart when Brunhilda opened her mouth and said, "Oh, is that so? Good for you then." I heaved a sigh of relief. She then continued, "But I don''t believe you." She waved an arm, gesturing at the suddenly-there troop of armored women behind her. "Girls, eliminate the-" "Wait, wait!" I interrupted her, catching her arm by the wrist before it came down in what I instinctively knew was a kill signal. Brunhilda glared at me, but I kept on my grip, not willing to just die. "I have proof. Those at Thordinn didn''t need to hear it, but Grimm left me a secret password just in case this happened." "Say it then," the female chief growled, trying to pull away her arm. "Before I cut off your hand by the wrist..." "There is no Stone!" I yelled, not knowing what I was saying but saying it nevertheless. "That''s it: there is no Stone. I don''t know what it means, but Grimm said it would convince those who would need to hear it." Brunhilda froze at my words like somebody slapped her in the face, and I slowly let her wrist go, knowing that she finally believed me. It took her a few minutes before she abruptly turned back to her town, gesturing the two of us to follow. "Alright, I believe you. You want a story? Here, I have a story for you to hear." Inwardly giddy at success, I shook Myrddin to sense beside me before we followed. The Valkyries around us, Alysse included, watched us carefully as we walked with their chief, but somehow I managed to ignore them. But as we walked, that was when I realized that I never heard either Alysse or Brunhilda speak anything like an accent. "Where are we going?" I asked as soon as I considered it safe to. "We''re not heading for what looks like the-" "Should I guess, the fighting arena or the tavern?" Brunhilda scoffed, picking out the words from my mind before I voiced them. "We are not Vikings - instead of going to such places where brutes will go to discuss things in secrecy, we have an official command hall in this town." Alysse, who had been silent up to this point, added her two cents. "It also doubles as the place for our wounded, where they would be safest." "You know what that means, right?" The chief warned the two of us not-so subtly. "If I see any of you two doing any kind of funny business..." Myrddin nodded so quickly I feared for his neck. I, on the other hand, said, "Yes, of course." The walk took quite a while, but we did finally reach our goal with our necks still intact. Said command hall didn''t look anything special really, especially compared to the heavily decorated fighting arena we were welcomed to in Thordinn. Instead, it looked just like any other building - except for the fact that it was practically covered with patrolling Valkyries. This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. We were soon allowed to enter with just a few glares sent our way by said Valkyries, and honestly after such a grueling walk I couldn''t say I could be happier. Their piercing looks had even me fearing for the off-chance that their glares could reduce my health bar. It certainly felt like it. We finally ended up alone with Brunhilda and Allyse inside one of the many rooms inside the large building. That was when the chief before us suddenly changed. It was quite alarming to see, really. The furious way her brow seemed to be permanently set in since we had met suddenly disappeared, leaving them creased in troubled folds. The anger that was visible in her face changed into tiredness, and there was a sudden slump inside the Chief''s posture the moment the doors closed. Brunhilda turned a pensive smile of appreciation at Alysse, who closed all the doors and windows without being told. "Thank you for this, Alysse." Alysse said nothing in return for the fond words, choosing to instead silently stand beside her suddenly tired-looking leader. That was when I realized we were finally seeing the true colors of the Valkyrie chief before us. For that, I sent Myrddin beside me a look. ''Keep quiet'', I delivered with my eyes alone, and with a nod from the swordsman, I knew he understood what I was aiming for. After all, he of all people should know all about the situation we were facing now. Nobody could understand facades and masks better than the two of us after all. "I apologize for the rude welcome earlier." The chief before us started, her tones startlingly somber compared to her previous harsh way of speech.. "But I''ve learned before to not welcome visitors so easily." I met Brunhilda in the eyes. Her gaze was strangely motherly as she studied me openly. "You''ve heard from the Vikings already haven''t you? Well, let me tell then our side of the story..." I''ll be honest; midway into the long tale Brunhilda started telling us, I had already been paying less attention than her words deserved. After all, as much as it was the Valkyrie''s side of the situation, in the end it was ultimately just a retelling of what I already knew. Sure, I spotted some minor differences here and there, details that helped me understand the big picture a bit more, but at this point I didn''t really need it. Instead, I chose to do something else more fruitful. I watched everyone else. I observed their reactions to her words, their behaviours, their personalities and all those details that made them who they are, made them think what they thought and do what they did. At this point, Myrddin was a no-brainer: while he was doing an admirable job of keeping a straight face underneath the heavy looks the Valkyries gave us two, there was a slight bit of movement below his waist that I didn''t fail to notice revealed his hidden fear and wish to get out of our location as soon as possible. Still, the Syren kept on listening to the Valkyrie Chief''s words, with even more attention than I was giving. It obliquely reminded me of the fact that this was the first time that Myrddin was hearing the situation with his own ears. Like how the Vikings and Valkyries were all Adventurers, like how they all repeatedly went to conflict with each other, clashing swords and axes, shooting spears and arrows, all the while knowing that if they strike true their enemy would cease to exist entirely. My hands formed into fists at the blatant reminder of that fact when we arrived at this town. "After separating from the Vikings and their patriarchal foolish beliefs, we Valkyries decided to start our own town over here at Freylin." I heard Brunhilda continue to speak at the corner of my attention, her face showing minute signs of pride and triumph, "It''s been ten years since those days, but now we could be proud that we are free from their tyrannous ''manly'' traditions!" It had to be praised, the way that she delivered her words with the capability to move the soul and garner respect from anyone who heard them. In fact, even under my busy thinking, my view of her had been raised a few notches - such was the charisma that Brunhilda held. Not that the same could not be told about her Viking counterpart, Brynjar the Chief of Thordinn. At my side, I saw Myrddin nod. With his eyes alone, I understood - at this point he had also come to the same conclusion as I did. History. What was it that differentiated Players from Adventurers other than Skills? It was their history. Myrddin and I were Players; new ones, but we were still the same as the veterans by the fact that we still had a life outside Terraria. True, I knew there were people who had thrown away that life to fully devote their time inside this virtual reality, but they were the most minority of all minorities, and they usually weren''t even the kind of people to form large communities in the first place. They wouldn''t spend decades emulating a battle that had no visible end. NPCs, on the other hand, know no such lives outside the world of Fate Online. They didn''t know a life that was entirely mundane and without the magic, monsters, and excitement that usually occurred for all their lives. Not only that, NPCs also don''t spontaneously pop up - they were born from parents as children, almost akin to reality if it weren''t for the fact that those children didn''t necessarily have to be human. So the conclusion was simple. If a sufficiently large community existed and had a history counted in decades - especially if said history was exists outside where Players usually go to - then it was a predominantly-NPC community. Extend that logic with the fact that said community is formed by warriors, then it could be concluded that the community is formed by Adventurers. All the Vikings and Valkyries we had met were Adventurers. All their actions that I had seen so far had only proved that fact more - all the accents, the differences in culture, the fact that every person we had seen so far acted like we were outsiders instead of travelers - all of these only pointed to the conclusion that we weren''t dealing with Players; instead, we were dealing with a community of Adventurers. Adventurers that pointedly had no qualms with ramming swords into each other''s chests and cutting off each other''s limbs. That meant that this conflict, this war between Valkyries and Vikings? It was taking lives. Virtual existences, true, but both Myrddin and I knew that meant little to the situation. Massacre, manslaughter, murder - call it whatever you want, a rose had thorns no matter how you named it. People were dying. It was that plain and simple. And for what? A decade-old argument nobody could even remember about all of the details. That was I was so angered when I found out about it. That was why when Grimm mentioned to me this location I practically interrogated out of him the way to get here. Sure, in the end the orphanage caretaker had acquiesced and allowed me a ''scouting quest'' to take, all so I had the excuse of seeing it all for myself, but in the end it was my wish, not his, to find out every detail about the barest scrap of rumors Grimm told me about. And when I did, I started to question what was going on in the heads of my father and his team when they created this world, made it so perfect a simulation of reality that it repeated Earth''s less than stellar history. Repeated all those flaws and crimes and things that men weren''t ever supposed to hold in their hands... Solidacium... But now wasn''t the time to think on those thoughts. Now was the time for action. The moment I finally finished thinking, Brunhilda was already attending the attention of a Valkyrie who had entered the room. Her mask, I noticed, was back in place - gone was the softer side that we had personally witnessed, and back was the totalitarian empress of a Chief as she held her spear by her side. Alysse was there also, a silent watcher as she stood in the corner of the room, not-so-subtly observing not only her Chief, but both Myrddin and I as well. "Is that true?" Almost detachedly, I observed a note of alarm inside the Chief''s voice as she asked her messenger. Sure, it was practically buried beneath all the layers of calmness and self-confidence Brunhilda affected, but it couldn''t quite veil her concern from my ears. The unnamed Valkyrie gave a stiff nod. "Yes. Alysse''s efforts in finding those herbs have helped greatly - as expected from one as exemplary as her - but there are still some of our warriors who are still on the brink. We worry that infection may set into their wounds, and we are still unsure whether we can stem that from happening." Brunhilda''s reaction to that was quick. With all the grace of a warrior, she stood. "Lead me to the worst of them then. I may not be the greatest of healers that we have, but we would take our chances, if to save more of our people." That was when a surprising voice entered the conversation. "If it''s healing you w-want, Rain here c-could help." I had to turn with wide eyes as I directed my attention back to my side, where Myrddin - my partner, my mind reminded almost like a whisper - opened his mouth and set loose the lock that possibly held shut the doors of hell. Or Ragnarok, I supposed, considering the culture we were currently embroiled in. The response was chilling. Almost as if reminded by the presence of pests that refused to leave them, all eyes that weren''t mine or Myrddin''s turned to us with a distrustful glare. Brunhilda spoke first. "And risk my disabled warriors under your Seidmadr''s hands? Excuse me if I don''t find the option appealing." Over her corner, Alysse added her own two cents. "Ignore him, my Chief. That man has already made himself an idiot in my midst - it is better to treat him as if just a bit of furniture that moves on its own." Wincing at the barrage of insults to my friend, I couldn''t hold back the surge of protectiveness as Myrddin practically wilted behind me as if physically stung by the cruel words sent on his way. So, I ended up opening my own mouth, if only to defend my party member. "Really? And I thought you people actually cared for your wounded. At least the Vikings were gracious enough to give us enough trust to let us give them our help. So much for taking all chances, Chief Brunhilda." I immediately regretted those words, as three separate spears were suddenly sent over my way. Thankfully, they weren''t actually aimed for me - instead, they were directed to be as close as possible to my throat, my thigh, and my groin respectively without actually hitting anything other than the wall behind me. Ironically, if I did as much as a twitch at their throws, they would''ve glanced a hit. Or hit Myrddin for that matter. I was really a Fool when it really mattered, huh? "Is that so?" To say that the females in front of us were angry was quite an understatement. In fact, if Fate Online was any less realistic, I would''ve expected clouds of steam escaping off the top of their heads. But as it was, instead Brunhilda just had the reddest face I had ever seen in my life. "Very well, I would allow you to the greatest of honors to aid us." Behind me, a heavily adorned spear returned itself to its rightful owner as invisible hands carried it slowly beside my face. As soon as she regained her weapon, Brunhilda slammed the pommel of her spear on the floor, the sound of it reminiscent of a judge''s hammer of verdict. "But I swear this on Freya," Her words continued, dripping with so much intent I almost shook in spite of myself, "If you ever dare to do anything untoward to my people, I would personally make sure you two would suffer before you die a bloody death." It was only mere minutes later that we were led to a well-secured room underneath the building we were in. No less than eight armored women guarded the doors, and Brunhilda herself had gained a following of aides and protectors in the flights of stairs that we climbed down into what was a hidden basement of sorts. Add into that Alysse who lagged behind all of us and watching us from our backs, it was made obvious to us that there were no ways to escape at this point. Somehow, I didn''t even feel the urge to step on Myrddin''s feet this time. After all, as much as he had started it, it was mainly my fault that we were in the situation we were in. I heaved a sigh instead. "Regretting your words now, Seidmadr?" "You keep saying that word as if I would understand it the more you use it around me." I couldn''t help but retort at Brunhilda, but thankfully she only huffed at my words instead of figuratively exploding. Or literally exploded for that matter. "We are here." When I turned my eyes around us, I didn''t expect what I saw. If you thought of hospitals in the real world, they were usually filled with all the manner of people, busy at all moments as men, women, and children alike were either entering or exiting the hospital with differing health statuses. One would think in a fantasy world such as Terraria, it wouldn''t be so. After all, there was healing magic, right? Instead, what I saw were rows upon rows of beds. White curtains were all that separated them as they didn''t have space for actual dividers, and more than six of the women that were injured were missing limbs or had brutal scars covering their fair faces. It had to be more than a third of the entire population of Freylin. It was an unsettling reminder that again, the people before me weren''t Players. They didn''t have the luck to revive after death or the option to simply learn healing magic over the course of weeks. Sure, there were healers that even I could see were hard at work on their patients, but a glance was all that was needed to know that they were terribly overworked. Did Adventurers even have the same stat-based system Players have? I grew to understand even more about the situation, as painful to see it was. "Go ahead. Do the best you can do to help us, Seidmadr." I closed my eyes for the moment. At that point, I had already decided - after this, I was going to end it. This war, this pointless conflict, I was going to stop it with my own two hands if I had to. That, at least, the people of this world deserved from the son of those who had created them. "Status Window," I murmured softly as I started to change my title to The Priest (II). It was time for the Fool to help...
The first steps of POV biases have finally been revealed... Like how Myrddin focuses much on what he sees as frightening and Rain, the main character himself has some things the audience does not know yet because of said POV changing. Isn''t it more interesting when there are things you do not know in a story? Kufufufu... Chapter 20: Healing and Conflict Chapter 20: Healing and Conflict The Priest was a strange title. Almost as if I took on the Hippocratic Oath as well every time I chose to bear the title, it lacked any outstanding offensive capabilities. It also didn''t have any good defensive abilities for that matter, or even the high mana recovery rates the Magician afforded. In fact, as of now with my increased stats, whenever I used the Magician my mana recovered at 18.2% per minute, or quite simply put around 90 units of mana per second. That was like, more than the sum of using Critical Eye and overloading Mana Channeling at the same time for one minute, in a sixtieth of the time. No wonder I could manage to overuse my Mana Explosion skill all the time now. But with the Priest? It was crippled down to a depressing 3%, leaving me with my hands tied over the usage of my mana. Not that it mattered much really, I supposed, considering that most of my mana-costly skills were only usable while wearing the Magician, but wasn''t it pleasing to know that whenever I bore the Priest I became a practical sitting duck for enemies to target? So quite effectively, whenever I wore the Priest, I became an overly-specialized cripple with healing hands. After all, outside of Critical Eye, I didn''t have any combat-viable Skills to use while wearing the Priest. Combine that with the fact that the Priest would hardly be useful outside of battle where people would be in need of quick healing, I felt terribly cheated of my newest title after the fountain of uses the Magician was. But I needed that specialization now, didn''t I? "Are you just going to stare at the air and do nothing, Seidmadr?" I sighed, not even attempting to point out again that I still didn''t know what Brunhilda was talking about. "Alright, alright. I''ll be doing my job now." Cautiously, I walked up to the nearest bed where one of the injured Valkyries were resting. Trying to ignore the heated stares and hands going over weapon handles, I chose to focus on the wounded warrior as I place one of her hands in between mine. I wasn''t one to diagnose that well, but even I could identify the second-degree burns that ran across the majority of her right arm, along with a large gash that was over her left eye, probably made by a sword or spear as axes simply didn''t leave curved cuts. And even with that, I knew that she got off lightly compared to some of the worst examples I could see from the corner of my vision. But that didn''t matter really. All I needed to see was the red bar that revealed itself to my eyes as soon as I got close. And by that point, I heaved a sigh of relief.
Dahlia Sturgenson: Lvl 43 HP: 9254/19000
I hadn''t been sure, really, if Adventurers even had health bars. After all, with all their subtle but important differences from Players, it was still a possibility, especially as I didn''t even know if they had stats just like I did. But this, this I could work with. She, Dahlia, may have had lost quite a large portion of her life - and already had me dreading for the time when I had to work on the worst cases - but HP bars were familiar to me and I could work on them. Or the Priest (II) could work on them, I supposed. After all, to the Priest it didn''t matter whether they cut up, burnt, poisoned, cursed, infested, or whatever affliction could affect a person. As long as it was by definition alive and had a health bar, I could heal it. And that, was the saving grace of my second title. "Alright, Dahlia isn''t it?" I murmured as I closed my eyes, leaving my senses for the moment to focus. "Let''s get you healed up." The sensation wasn''t unfamiliar. All I had to do was remember that time, that night inside that forest, when I had been panicking over my friend''s body, thinking that my actions could be the last thing he would feel before he disappeared forever. Funny now, knowing that Myrddin was a Player like I was, but the emotion was real. The urge to help people was real. "Heal." My hands lit up in blue, making the unconscious Valkyrie in my hands glow. I also didn''t have to look to know that all around me the floor and the walls started letting out balls of light that moved and coalesced to my fingertips and over the woman in my hands. I heard a gasp, and I opened my eyes to see skin re-knitting, burns disappearing into thin air and revealing unblemished fair skin in their wake. The paleness that was on her face started to be filled with a healthier hue, and when my hands finally finished glowing, the formerly invalid patient in my hands looked miraculously uninjured, as if her suffering from mere seconds ago was all but an illusion. I made sure to step away as several Valkyries ran up to their awakening fellow kin. I turned to look at Brunhilda, who gave me a respectful nod of thanks now that she wasn''t being focused upon by her people. A few meters away from her left, Myrddin sent me a thumbs up. Strangely, Alysse was nowhere to be seen. "Should I get on with healing more?" I asked, as soon as things started to calm down. Reminded by the fact of my presence, the gathering group of Valkyries broke apart, taking with them the now awake and confused Dahlia who surprisingly wasn''t sending me a glare, choosing to instead look at me with curious eyes. I knew it. There had to be something, something recent and very cruel, that happened to make them all so wary. Why else would there be so many injured, and it would explain why Dahlia, who presumably wasn''t awake or unconscious when it happened, isn''t sending me a glare. "Of course," Brunhilda nodded, looking less determined to pierce me through with her spear now that I proved I was actually going to help. "Could you start on the worst cases this time?" I nodded, instantly calling up the descriptions of my new skills.
Holy Heal (Active): Lvl 3
Heal with the power of light. The Holy Light shall save us! Effects: Heals a fixed percentage of a target''s health per fixed mana point used. Ignores status effects. Healing applicable to all in a three meter radius around user, however cost is calculated separately from each target. Usability, range, and efficiency increases per level. Only usable while wearing The Priest (II) title. Current rate is 1% : 48MP.
Earth Cure (Active): Lvl 3
Heal with the power of nature. The Earth Mother shall protect us all! Effects: Heals status effects. Fixed cost, applicable to almost all afflictions, enchantments and curses. Healing applicable to all in a three meter radius around user, however cost is counted separately from each target. Usability, range, and efficiency increases per level. Only usable while wearing The Priest (II) title. Current cost is: 980 MP per target.
"As long as I could get some time in between." Healing Dahlia wasn''t exactly cheap, but considering even with my lower recovery I could easily recover the dent in my mana in the matter of minutes there wasn''t much to worry. There was the more mental side of exhaustion, but I was willing to endure that. Thus, now that I was sure my healing would work, I quickly went to business. Fully reaching out with all of my ability, I went to the center of all the beds before sitting down into a meditative lotus position and focused on my healing abilities. I closed my eyes, and once again everything lit up all around me. It took a greater part of three hours, but soon I managed to mostly empty the beds of their patients. There were those who were actually on the brink of death when I started healing them, causing me to empty my mana stores too quickly to ever manage to do them all in one go. But still, like a weight removed brick by brick over their heads, slowly but surely the Valkyries that had been in the room glaring at me and Myrddin relaxed with every healed Valkyrie that stood up, looking no worse for wear as they recovered from their deathbeds. It was after the last fatally wounded Valkyrie regained her face from all the burns that covered it and lost the hole that was her shoulder that they finally jumped up in celebration, finally knowing that nobody was going to die. Even as mentally exhausted as I was from the effort that was still unfinished, I managed a smile at the almost childish glee that was on their faces as they jumped and hugged friends and comrades, throwing away appearances as they shed tears that used to show grief. "They weren''t angry," I managed as I heaved breaths as Myrddin ran up to me. "I understand now. They were mourning." After all, why wouldn''t you be wary of visitors during a war that had your friends and family in their deathbeds? "You can rest now." Brunhilda came up to us as she watched her people celebrate with a smile. "We can wait for tomorrow; at this point, there is no reason for you to continue forcing yourself to help, not when nobody is now at risk of getting worse. Rest now, honored Seidmadr, for you have fully gained our trust." "Glad to hear that," I grinned cheekily at her, even as sweat dripped across my face. "It took healing forty-eight people for you people to finally realize I''m not here as an enemy, didn''t you?" "Yes. Yes, we did." And with that permission, I immediately swapped my titles back to The Magician, so my recovery would be much faster. Mana-wise at least; there was nothing I could do about the mental exhaustion of focusing on one thing over the course of three hours. "Good job, Rain." Myrddin complimented me as soon as Brunhilda turned away to join her celebrating people. "I always knew you had it in you." "Great, now could you make it up to me later on? After all, this is all mostly your fault." I teased back at him, causing him to go a little red. I laughed at his suddenly guilty expression. "Nah, it''s alright. I would''ve raised this offer to them even if you hadn''t mentioned my healing skills to them, if only a bit... less confrontational that what had actually occurred." Almost sulking, he wedged his arm into my ribs. "Hey! That hurts." "You deserved it, Rain." Myrddin turned away from me, crossing his arms. "When would you stop teasing me at every chance you could get?" "We choose to place the gentlest of cruelties on our friends, for who else could we inflict them on?" I said loftily, as if I was a wise saint telling a child words of wisdom. "Listen to this Myrddin, for you shall learn how it is to be amazing." "Amazing, my ass..." A hand placed itself over my shoulder, and I turned back to see the face of the very first Valkyrie we''ve met. Alysse had a relaxed expression on her features, her spear nowhere to be seen for once as she bode for our attention. Once again, strangely, she reminded me of someone I knew but couldn''t place as to who. "Honored Seidmadr and Myrddin," The way she said our names was striking; my name accompanied with it respect and acceptance, and my partner... not so much. "We Valkyries have convened and decided to have a celebration in honor of this miracle you have done for us. Please, would you join us in our feast?" I shifted my eyes to the side, where Brunhilda was nodding in agreement. "Sure, why not?" I agreed, taking Myrddin''s offered hand as I stepped back up after hours of sitting in a single place. Then I added something. "But please, would anyone tell me what all of this Seidmadr means?" Seidmadr meant magician. I should''ve guessed it was that simple. Or not. Apparently, in Nordic culture (which I was now completely sure the two Viking and Valkyrie towns were based out of) magic was a strictly feminine art - men had bows, swords, axes, hammers, shields, and the occasional polearms, while the females battled with the arts, magic, and spears. Which easily meant that to them, I was a blasphemer. A warlock, in its ancient meaning ''Oath-Breaker''. No wonder the Valkyries were so wary of me when I entered the town and asked to help their sick. It was akin to letting a raving lunatic take care of their children for them. Quite simply put, I was even lucky to be allowed in their territory without a spear inside my chest. I guess I should be thankful that Grimm''s name held so much power in this place. Even if I didn''t know why. "Honored Seidmadr! Taste this: it''s our proud roasted boar that we had just hunted for hours ago!" Smiling a little bit of forced at the long, apparently oxymoronic title, I thankfully took a slab of the meat that was on the plate that was offered. After the Valkyrie who carried it to us left, I glibly placed the cut over to my partner''s mostly empty plate. Myrddin didn''t seem to ever get an offer while I had stopped counting after the eighteenth. This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. "Thanks, Rain." Myrddin had a long suffering look on his face. "Guess they still don''t like me, huh?" "Somehow, I''m not surprised." I commented, taking a sip at what was thankfully just apple cider instead of heavy mead. "Who knows if Alysse told them of what you did when you two first met. Plus, with those looks of yours, it would indeed be hard to relax around you unless someone knows you personally." "Which by the fact they''re wary of me," Myrddin sighed, "It isn''t likely to happen anytime soon." I hid an amused smile behind my mug. "So, what are we going to do after this? And don''t tell me that bunch of pretty lies about this being ''just scouting''. I know you, Rain, and you''re not the kind of person to ignore something like this continue." My smile fell at the reminder. "Guess you saw through me, Myrddin." I leaned back on the chair I was sitting, letting my frustration show for once. "God knows how much we have to do something to stop this war." Myrddin gave me a fond look. "Now, that''s the Rain I know." "It''s just that I have no idea what to do." I admitted softly so no one other than my sole partner in this mess would hear. "I have no idea as to how to stop a war, and I hardly know if I could even achieve anything in this large mess that is the conflict between these Vikings and Valkyries." "It''s easier when all you have to do is to defeat an overpowered monster, isn''t it, Rain?" Myrddin comforted, placing a hand across the table to pat me over the shoulder. "But don''t worry, the two of us will do this together." "Is there anything you two should be telling us?" Brunhilda came from our side, and by the looks of her face she hadn''t heard what we were talking about. Beside her was Alysse, strangely silent as she bowed her head quietly by her Chief. I managed to send her a cheeky grin. "Oh, it''s nothing, Chief Brunhilda. I was just teasing Myrddin about how your Valkyries still don''t seem to like him." Half-true, half-false. Perfect for lying. "Is that so?" The chief made an amused look at the exaggerated pout Myrddin made sure to put on his face as soon as he noticed Brunhilda coming. Who knew Myrddin could act when he wasn''t so scared? "I was here to invite you two to our sacred dance in honor for your aid in this war." I internally winced at that. Maybe we had stretched to boundaries of ''neutrality'' at this point... Myrddin spoke first. "I can''t dance. You have to be satisfied with Rain over here." I sent my partner a betrayed look, not noticing the smile that had formed on Brunhilda''s features. "Hey, I don''t know how to dance too! I have never set foot on a dance floor ever since I was six!" "Honored Seidmadr, I guess Alysse over here would have to teach you then!" Brunhilda steamrolled over my words, gesturing to her Valkyrie. Alysse, for one, had shock flutter across her features before settling on a glare on her Chief. "Now, wouldn''t that be nice, Alysse?" "Brunhilda, I can''t! Haven''t I told you that this boy is-!" The Chief talked over her as well. "She agrees." "But isn''t she denying-" I tried to add. "She agrees," Brunhilda repeated, and by the look of her eyes I was reminded of just who I was talking to and how she could still easily pierce me through with the spear hung across her back. There was a moment of silence, and I had to hold back from stepping on Myrddin''s foot again as he tried and failed to hide a snicker at my situation. I sighed, giving up the resistance and agreed. By the looks of it, Alysse was resigned for a ''dance'' as well. The dance was a slow one. In fact, the moment we came to the stage, the singers and the musicians curiously decided to change the song into a sweet serenade. And then all the other solo dancers left the stage to let us dance on our own. I think I have to say how doubtful I was about the whole ''sacred dance'' thing at this point. "I''m sorry." Alysse bowed her head as she led me to a strange series of steps that were unfamiliar to any of the few dances I knew. "It seems they have misunderstood something about what I told them about you." "Don''t worry," I couldn''t help but scratch my cheek at her apology. "At least this is a far throw from the unrestrained hatred they were emitting from earlier today." "You saved lives." She said quietly, her arm pulling me to and fro. "If there is anything that is similar between the Vikings and Valkyries, it''s their respect for honor. The moment you helped those who they thought were going to die by the end of the night, you have held them in debt of you and the Valkyries do not forget debts." "Really?" I couldn''t help but ask doubtfully. "Don''t you people have your own healers? I saw them working too." "They do not have the same capabilities as you. They can heal wounds, gashes, minor burns, as what anybody could expect from any healer." Alysse rose her eyes to meet mine, gratitude visible to see. "You on the other hand, banished away fatal wounds, incineration and debilitating gashes in seconds. You even gave back limbs when only the highest of the healing art could supposedly manage what you have succeeded." My eyes went wide. I knew the Priest was specialized in healing, but not so much as she was saying! Alysse looked at me in shock. "You... didn''t know?" I closed my eyes in an attempt to calm myself. "I suppose I did not. My turn to ask a question though." "Who are you?" Alysse stopped moving. I heard murmuring, but I ignored them for the meantime for the sake of watching her reaction. When quite a bit of time passed and she still didn''t speak, I continued, "See, sometimes you speak like you aren''t part of this town. Just now, you did not say ''us Valkyries'', only referring to them as ''the Valkyries''. Combine that to the fact that you are apparently the strongest of this town''s fighters, and the way you sometimes slip out of that archaic way of speech you used when we first met..." "Alysse, you''re a Player like me, aren''t you?" Alysse pushed me away, taking a few steps back. I followed her in step. "Somehow, I recognize you, if a little bit. Like I''ve met you years ago, like I know of you from childhood. But nothing comes up whenever I try to think of who you are." Alysse averted her eyes away from me. "Thank you for the dance, honored Seidmad-" "So tell me, Alysse, who are you?" That was when Brunhilda suddenly burst in between us two. The Chief''s face was stiff was she held out her arm almost protectively over Alysse. "Amazing dance," She said with a dangerous smile. "Now shall we continue with the rest of the celebrations?" After that, Alysse disappeared from the celebrations and I never managed to get a straight answer from her. The festivities continued well into the night. As more and more hours passed and the party-goers drank more and more, the celebration became livelier and rowdier. After a while, the Valkyries even forgot that they still didn''t like Myrddin and soon allowed him to join in with their thankfully unpaired dancing around the campfire. I made sure to never let him drink alcohol though. And through it all, even as the stars started to fade away from the night sky as the dawn promised its return, I never saw Alysse again. The same went for Brunhilda for that matter, but I supposed that as a leader she couldn''t really let herself go as much as her subjects did when it came for partying. So when the next morning came, it was once again filled with the groans of suffering as hangovers made their presence known among the Valkyries. I would''ve used the Priest''s healing abilities to help it pass faster, but Brunhilda''s shaking head told me to let them be. Instead, she led me back to the infirmary, where the two of us could be alone outside of the few unconscious patients that still remained in their beds. "Alright, speak. I know you have plans for this war. Mind telling me what those are?" I kept my face as unreadable as I could. "What makes you say that?" "Boy, I''ve met plenty of people in my life and I could easily recognize your kind after some thinking." Brunhilda deadpanned at me, her spear thankfully still hung across her back. Though, I didn''t have any illusions that she couldn''t sic it on me faster than I could react though. "You are not a person who could watch a war and let it be, Player." I heaved a sigh. "Was it that obvious? And does being a Player really count in this case?" "It counts a lot, but I believe even if you weren''t, an obviously idealistic person like you would still make some kind of action in this kind of situation." The chief replied, walking over to one of the beds and caressing over the head of the Valkyrie in it with so much motherly warmth my eyes softened without my meaning. "Helping my Valkyries isn''t the end of it, isn''t it?" "Yeah..."I admitted freely. "You want to stop this war?" She said it like a statement, instead of a question. "Even if you are a foreigner?" "Let''s just say I have my own reasons." Brunhilda eyed me. I stood there for a second, not knowing what she was thinking, until she... laughed. "Hahaha! You are as cryptic as they come, boy!" She then shook her head, her eyes going far away for a moment before focusing back on me. "Just like Grimm when he was young. Idealistic, smart, and apparently with enough wiles to make the Trickster God himself envious." Her voice then went soft. "I just hope you succeed in this, unlike him..." I didn''t know what to say. The direct reference to Grimm''s past and his comparison to me aside, I realized that her words were practically the most direct way she could possibly say: I agree. I also want to end this war, and I hope you could help. I didn''t have to do this alone with just Myrddin. It was actually starting to look up. I put my hand in my hair at that, rubbing at it with a soft smile on my lips. "Oh, thank god. Thank god." "It won''t be easy, boy." Brunhilda reminded me. "I may be willing to help you, but I can''t really say the same for all of my Valkyries. Otherwise, I would''ve ended it myself a long time ago." "Pride, how troublesome." I muttered, much to her barking laugh. "Oh well, since I''m already here, might as well as already heal up the rest of these Valkyries." "I would appreciate it." Brunhilda said warmly. With a smile, I called up my Status Screen, already thinking up plans in my mind as to how to end this meaningless war now that I had the backing of one of the leaders in it. Sure, it would still be difficult, but at least it all seemed reachable now instead of a something I could never attain with what I used to have. However, I had barely put on the Priest title when the alarm suddenly rang. An attack. Here at Freylin, the very place the Vikings supposedly didn''t know the location of. The look on Brunhilda''s face said it all. This was not something that happened before. "We didn''t lead them here." I stressed as quickly as I could the moment I realized the Valkyries could easily take us as the reason for this new unforgiving development. "I made sure of that." "I know." Brunhilda apparently agreed. "For one, Alysse would''ve noticed anyone following you." "Then who...?" I asked, before I remembered the situation we were in and shook my head. "Never mind that! I''ll ask questions later, after this is over. But for now, it''s the time for action and I shouldn''t be delaying you from your troops." I turned back to my Status Screen, already making the motions to change back to the Magician. "Will you help this time?" Brunhilda asked quietly. "Even if it would take your neutrality apart?" I kept still for a second. Thought about it for a moment. Then I laughed. "Lady, at this point there is no chance of me being neutral. I''ve already helped out the Valkyries a lot more than I helped the Vikings - why risk losing that gratitude over the minuscule chance of gaining this degree of respect from them as well?" I pressed title change. That moment, I realized one fact. In my frequent use of the Magician and rare usage of the Priest outside of long healing periods, I had never actually tested the title switch for any kind of limit. I always had left my titles on for long periods that I had never checked if something could go wrong. It was my folly.
Error. The ''The Priest (II)'' title cannot be switched out as of this moment. Title cooldown still in active. Time left before next switch: 0 hrs, 29 minutes, 34 seconds.
I was a Fool. An utterly reckless, stupid, little Fool.
What, did you guys think I would foreshadow a weakness and not use it? Seriously, who do you think I am? Chapter 21: Confrontation Chapter 21: Confrontation When we came out of the building we were in, it was pandemonium that waited to greet us. Arrows and spears were flying in the air. Men and women, Vikings and Valkyries alike, were pelted and disabled by projectiles left and right. Swords and knives clashed and clang against each other''s blades, and roars of fury sounded throughout the entirety of Freylin as several of the buildings went up in flames. "You do your job," Was all Brunhilda said to me before she ran off to the direction of the largest group of combatants. Offhandedly, I also recognized the Viking chief in the mass - and judging by the way our eyes met, so did he. But soon, he broke off the look to block an incoming spear, and thus, I was alone. Frantically, I swam my eyes through the fighting crowds and ignored the noises and distractions all around me as I looked for one single black figure. However, it was not so easy - I found where Alysse was clashing with a Viking whose name I didn''t care to remember for now, but I wasn''t looking for her. It felt like hours, just filtering through and through the people, until finally I found the person I was looking for. "Myrddin!" The swordsman heard the call for his name, turning to my direction. I only had the time to warn him to duck beneath the impending axe aiming for his neck before he retaliated with a diagonal slash that cut the weapon''s shaft in two. After he was sure he was safe, he ran up to me. "Oh, thank whatever is above up that you''re here Rain!" My partner said with obvious relief. "I was getting scared you were gone!" There was something to tease in those words about how scared he really was, considering the surprising lack of shaking on his legs, but I ignored it for now. Instead, I placed my hands over his shoulders, looking straight into his eyes. "Myrddin. I have no time to explain for now, but to put it quickly for the following thirty minutes I would be useless offensively. I''m still able to heal - or rather, I''m stuck at healing - which thankfully allows me to be some help in this, but you should know what this means, right?" As I said my words, Myrddin''s eyebrows went up, up, up, until it reached his hair. "...Rain, you can''t fight?" I nodded solemnly, though making sure to pull Myrddin down with me as a spear flew our way. "I''ll be depending on you to protect me. En garde, Myrddin!" And even though it still took him the greater part of a minute to recover, I managed a smile when he closed his widened mouth and nodded without a word, turning around and placing himself in a defensive position around me. I really didn''t know how I got so lucky to ever get the chance to meet Myrddin as a friend. We ran together in a spear formation towards the center of the town. Myrddin, with his large defensive sword and his rarely used kite shield, came in front, diverting any and everything that came in our way with amazing prowess. I, on the other hand, ran behind him, letting out healing and tactical support using Critical Eye to point out weakpoints and incoming Vikings and weapons. It would''ve been a quick run to our destination... if I didn''t have to do damage control every step of the way. "Rain, are you done!?" Myrddin yelled as he blocked a sword from one of the Vikings and countered back with a shield bash over the man''s head. "They''re starting to surround us!" "Wait a moment!" I called, my eyes still closed as I focused on my job. "I''m about finished, so stay put and protect me!" All around us, balls of light rose and swirled enchantingly as they did their work. It was no easy feat, but at this point I already had hours of practice on my ledger when it came to healing. Fallen Vikings and Valkyries alike, I focused on as I healed them - not so much as to completely repair their wounds, but enough to put them out of immediate danger. This was the job that Brunhilda had given me when she found out that I was stuck at healing. Heal the wounded, she said, as that would make stopping the war so much easier. "Like it''s so easy to do that!" I couldn''t help but growl as I finally finished, heaving breaths as Myrddin clashed with foes beside me. Once again, cloudiness filled up more of my mind as exhaustion seeped in regardless of my attempts to push it back. I didn''t have time to rest as I was forcefully pulled up by Myrddin who moved me just in time to dodge an arrow that slipped through his defenses. "Thanks, Myrddin." I managed as I pulled myself up. "We''re done here, so let''s go on ahead." Myrddin hazarded a short glance at the bodies of defeated people around us. "Are you really sure it would be safe to just leave them here after healing them?" "Both sides don''t attack the defeated." I said with a clipped tone. "It''s below them. However, the same cannot be said about medics." "Good enough for me!" And with that proclamation, we went back into a sprint. Mere minutes later, we were back to the pattern of stopping, defending, healing, and beating in faces if we had to. After all, while I was still unable to fight with magic, I still had a staff that doubled as a club. It was then that we heard the recognizable voice of Brynjar. "Aha! This ''all be the blow that ''ould defeat you once and for all, Brunhilda!" He was above us. Since when did he got over the town and on the cliff? "Strike him down! Strike him down!" I heard Brunhilda yell from somewhere with a panic I was shocked to find in her voice. "Don''t let him strike with that axe!" All around us, spears flew. Magic bolts of silver were shot towards Brynjar as well, but he was simply too far. Nothing reached him. Brunhilda also attempted something. "Strike them true, Gungn-" Brynjar lifted his axe. From the distance we were in, I barely saw the small dot of steel in his hands. But I would swear up and down anytime later that for an instant, the large axe changed into something else. For a millisecond, an image of a hammer shimmered over his axe. "Knock them down, Mjollnir!" The weapon came down on the cliff he was on. For a moment, there was nothing. Next, a shockwave suddenly hit us, centered from Brynjar''s position and radiating outwards with an ungodly amount of force and making small things fly up in the air. In the same time, the smell of ozone filled my nose, and the hairs on my neck stood end on end as the air filled with static. Then it happened. It was a simple impossibility, a break in logic and the laws of nature. But nevertheless, it happened; cracks suddenly formed and spread from where Brynjar stood, and like the shell of an egg, the cliff broke apart in pieces in front of our very eyes. What used to be a cliff was now a large group of rocks coming for the town. "Strike them true," I heard Brunhilda yell again, "Gungnir!" A large streak of light came from my left, flying up and splitting into several branches to intercept the large boulders that were falling towards Freylin. Each and every single rock was struck; not a single miss, not a single waste. Light met stone. Light won. Everything went up in dust. Like fireworks, all above Freylin the remains of the cliff became even more fragmented inside explosions of dirt, leaving only the smallest bits of rock to reach the town. That was when I realized how out of their league I was. And judging from Myrddin''s bewildered looks, so did he. "You broke the oath again, Brynjar!" Brunhilda shouted in outrage. "What happened to still keeping our people alive?!" Brynjar''s face was unreadable from where I am. I almost couldn''t hear his voice with how softly he said his reply. "Sacrifices would have to be made, Brunhilda." He said quietly, with no tone of accent. "If only to end this once and for all." And just like that, the momentary lull in battle disappeared, and Brunhilda''s own reply was lost again in the throng of steel clashing with steel, Valkyrie fighting with Viking. And when I ducked underneath an arrow as Myrddin failed to intercept it in his reverie, Brynjar was already gone from his perch. The clash of titans was over for now. It was back to the battle. Myrddin shone like a star among the fighting Valkyries and Vikings. Almost as if he had drunk more than a few pints of ''liquid courage'', he fought seemingly undefeated with his large sword in one hand and kite shield over the right. Vikings and the odd Valkyrie who didn''t seem to get the memo that Myrddin wasn''t an enemy fell alike under his quick blows and flawless counters. Or that was what it seemed to be at least, considering that I was siphoning quite a bit of my mana constantly over him just to heal all of the hits that he received when he made his ''flawless'' attacks. And judging from the way his ''aria'' was going louder and louder by the minute, he was also getting quite scared beneath the unfaltering mask he donned for the moment. But still, it didn''t change the fact that for once, Myrddin commanded attention on the battlefield. More and more Vikings turned to him warily as more people fell defeated all around us, the number of capable combatants dwindling in favor of the Valkyries. Myrddin stood unflinching beneath their stares. I felt a bit of pride at that - Myrddin had certainly grown quite a bit from his past self. "Is there anyone who would want a go?" Myrddin taunted, his sword poised to strike as he held it in front of him protectively. "This battle has only begun!" In response, a Viking went red in the face before running up towards me - Target the medic? Smart. - with a sword lifted over his shoulder preparing for a clean strike. Myrddin met him before he even came close. Raising the kite shield and deflecting the weapon before it managed full momentum, he yelled another aria as he slashed with his own sword diagonally from the man''s torso. "I''ll strike you where you stand! Slant!" Mere seconds later, the Viking was on the ground, bleeding and defeated. People stepped back as Myrddin flicked off pixelating bits of blood from his sword. Holding back the proud smile that tempted to reach my lips, I sighed dramatically, my hand held out at the defeated Viking as balls of light formed around him. "Myrddin, Myrddin. Next time, would you not be so harsh on them? It would be hard to heal that." Actually, at this point, Holy Heal had reached level fifteen with the heavy use it was taking. Now, I could heal everyone in the range of fifteen meters, no problem, but Myrddin didn''t need to know that now. Myrddin turned bewildered eyes at me. Success. "Rain," He said, almost tiredly, "Are you still teasing me? Even now, in the middle of a battle?" "Maybe in eighteen minutes I would stop." I replied cheekily. "But didn''t I say before my reason why I keep on teasing you?" The way the Syren nodded told that he understood my message: Eighteen minutes left, and I''ll be able to fight again. Hang in there, because soon you''ll be able to rest. "Something about cruelties and mercies, right? Yeah, I remember." Myrddin said back seemingly nonchalant. But the way his shoulders lost a bit of tension told quite a lot about what he was really feeling. "I still think that it''s not ''awesome'', no matter how you put it." Apparently angered by our blase conversation in the middle of a battle for honor, six Vikings jumped to attack us in fury. Tricked. I clasped my hands over my ears. "Myrddin, now!" "Gladly!" I eyed the title over Myrddin''s head with a smile: Fear-Monger. Just in time for them to get close, Myrddin opened his mouth - and a loud roar came out, bellowing for all to hear and fear. Myrddin''s Intimidate was affected by distance after all; when it gets to a higher level, it would be perfect for battles like this, but for now it was best to do it this way. Taunt them, make them come close before inflicting them the strongest fear they would ever feel in their lives. Once again, bodies hit the ground. The Vikings near us that remained conscious fell to their knees, shaking as their bodies froze at the sight of their comrades frothing in their mouths as they were scared to unconsciousness. And this way, we didn''t even have to spill blood. A single sweep with my staff down on their heads took care of the rest. "Alright." I eyed the center of the town. "We''re really close now." Myrddin heaved beside me for a moment, the breath taken out of him by the loud skill. When he was done, he pushed himself off his knees and turned to me. "You think the two Chiefs would be there?" "I''m pretty sure." I nodded. "While you were fighting, I saw Brunhilda rush towards there." What I didn''t say was what I felt about the situation. It felt... like something was wrong. Like there was something I was overlooking, something important that I was forgetting. Was it about the Vikings? Or the Valkyries? I shook my head of those thoughts. "Let''s go." It had only been a bit more than twenty minutes since the battle begun, and at this point it was almost over. When we arrived at the center, there were only three people there. Brynjar Sturgenson, the chief of Thordinn, was one of them. With his polished armor and the enormous axe he somehow wielded with only one hand, he made for a striking figure as the bearded man fought off two other people in the same time and managing to go evenly as he did. The other two were Brunhilda and Alysse. The two Valkyries worked as a team; gleaming bronze beside dull steel, their spears were almost mirages with how smoothly they wielded them against Brynjar. This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. It was an amazing match. Steel against steel, legendary weapon against legendary weapon. Streaks of metal were the only thing you could ever see, less moving more like flowing in their hands as all of them compared their mastery with one another. But then I saw it. It was a subtle thing - no doubt I had only caught it at first by sheer luck - but it was there. It was the way Brynjar stumbled slightly over his left foot, or how Brunhilda could extend her spear deeper into her enemy''s defense, or how Alysse seemed to strike a bit harder... but when I saw it, I realized one thing. As it was, while Brynjar was matching them now, it would be surely his loss. That was when he saw us coming. In quick accordance to our entry, Brynjar jumped back, pulling away from the stalemate he was in. "So, the Seidmadr is finally ''ere!" I couldn''t help but reply, very dryly, "Yes. Yes, I am. It''s very nice to meet you again, Brynjar." I had to hold back a twitch from the corner of my lips when I heard Myrddin smack his face with his palm. Brynjar''s smile slowly disappeared, leaving behind an unreadable facade in its place. "...You''re ''elping the Valkyries? You''re on ''heir side now? " This was the moment of truth. There was no taking back after this. I nodded, slowly. "I''m sorry, Brynjar." I said with real regret; the man before me wasn''t someone I could ever hate after all. He was simply that charismatic. "If there was any other way to end this war, I would''ve kept on my own side instead of theirs." I bowed my head. "Please. Brynjar, give up. You have no way to win here, right now." Brynjar''s face could have been a brick wall for all it showed. There was silence, and just when I thought he wouldn''t make a response, he opened his mouth, "...Is that so?" I didn''t fail to notice the lack of accent again. "It''s a pity. We could have made good friends and allies." "But I''m afraid you all are a bit mistaken." He continued, the continuous lack of any inflection increasingly unnerving with every word he spoke. "I''m not losing this battle; I''m winning it. There is simply too much at stake in this for us to retreat now. And now that you two are here, my trap has been sprung." To my left, the two Valkyries suddenly went into defensive stances. My own eyes went wide as suddenly, very suddenly, my vision went up in red as my Critical Eye warned me of more enemies. "COME, MY MEN!" The Vikings had to have some way of cloaking themselves, because somehow, almost impossibly, one by one they popped up. From behind buildings and alleys, from what remained of the sewers and the few houses that still stood, they appeared. Dozens and dozens of men, all armed with bows prepared to shoot, the cruelly hooked arrow tips gleaming dangerously. If any of them hit, it would be a painful and slow process taking them out of human flesh. This must be what my instinct was warning me about! Brynjar wasn''t losing - he was waiting for a chance to take us all out! Brynjar, who was now standing directly beside his men, turned away. "Fire at will." Arrows flew towards the four of us from all directions. "RAIN!" Myrddin immediately ran to me, shoving his shield in my hands before activating what I knew was his arrow-intercepting skill in front of me. Beside us, Brunhilda and Alysse covered my left and right flanks, using their own deflecting maneuvers with their spears. Immediately getting what they were up to, I turned around and set Myrddin''s shield there. Front. Back. Left. Right. With the four of us, we could cover the four cardinal directions. Easy peasy, right? Wrong. "Gah!" I heard Myrddin gasp out in pain from behind me as an arrow slipped through his defenses. Thankfully, he managed to carry on with his interception even with the arrow in his thigh. But that was no fluke - it was proof of what I feared. We can''t go on like this for long! Soon, Brunhilda too grunted beside me as a broken arrow below her foot made her lose her balance for a second, allowing an arrow to hit her in the arm. That distracted Alysse, causing her to take on a hit as well. I opened my eyes wide. Behind the shield Myrddin borrowed me, I was still unharmed - perfect, considering I needed focus for this. "Heal!" Instantly, my mana reached out to those beside me, causing their bleeding to stop. But even as useful as my healing was, it was only delaying the inevitable as there was no way for me to take out the arrowheads at any rate. So, instead, I looked for an alternative. "Myrddin! You think you can use Intimidate here?" Somehow, Myrddin managed to answer, even as another arrow embedded itself to his left shoulder. "No! They''re too far from here, and I''m afraid that would only affect you three!" I turned to Brunhilda, remembering to heal the three around me again. "How about you, Brunhilda?! Do you think you can do something here!?" Her response was only a sharp glance and a "No." before she focused again on blocking. I winced - I should not be distracting them, but there was no choice. Alysse then shook her head in the negative before I even asked. Panic filled my head only for a second before I ruthlessly stomped it down in favor of further deliberation. Alright, there was nothing Myrddin could do, the same went for our two Valkyries, so logically that meant it was all on me now right? But outside of healing, until I can swap titles to the Magician I couldn''t... The Magician! The last time I checked, it was around four minutes before I could swap! "Three minutes!" I hissed, going back into healing mode now I had a plan. "Endure this for three minutes, and I''ll bail us out of this situation! Until then, make sure to not die!" There were nods, and thus it was final. Three minutes of blocking, enduring, under a 360 degree rain of arrows. It was hell. Ever had a papercut that utterly refused to heal up because it was in a place that kept moving? Imagine slowly gaining up into a dozen of that, with the ''cuts'' being hooked arrowheads that eviscerated you from the inside and the movement being complex and frantic efforts to block out dozens of arrows that came from all directions. Being behind the large kite shield, I was safe. However that didn''t change the fact that the three around me weren''t. Watching friends - maybe acquaintances for Brunhilda and Alysse, but it didn''t amount to much at this point - suffer as they protected you, unable to do anything more than to force yourself into prolonging their suffering as you healed them of wounds that would inevitably come back... I was practically rejoicing inside when the timer hit zero and I could switch finally titles. Quickly, I swapped to The Magician (I). Then it all happened so fast. Seeing my halt in healing, Brynjar jumped. In the span of a millisecond, from his place beside his troops, he was suddenly behind Myrddin, his axe raised overhead in attack. Myrddin had already turned his face on me with a smile then. He was unaware of the Viking behind him. "Myrddi-!" The axe came down, the flat surface hitting my friend, my partner, over the temple and knocking him out instantly. For a second, I wondered why Brynjar hadn''t struck him down when he was fully capable of turning Myrddin''s HP to zero, up until the Viking chief pulled Myrddin''s suddenly unresponsive body over his shoulder and jumped away as quickly as he came. I only had the time to reach out with my hand before the two of them were gone. In the span of five seconds, Myrddin had gone from beside me to the behind the Vikings, kidnapped from my side before my very eyes. I snapped. When I was a child, I once heard of a really old movie of a man who was trapped in an island alone for so long that he had imprinted on a soccer ball, named it as his friend and companion, and promptly broke apart when he lost the ball that was his only support for so long. When my father told me that story, it was to tell me how people could be so deprived of basic human needs like food, water, and companionship that when the time came that they received these needs, they went on rampages when they lost it again. I never thought I would be the same as that man. But the warning signs were there - while I may have been living a life that some would consider blessed, it still didn''t change the fact that I was alone, so hopelessly alone for years up until I had met Grimm, Myrddin, and the rest of the orphanage outside of my immediate family who were often too busy to spend time with me. Thus, when I lost Myrddin, right before my very eyes... rage and anger filled me in an instant. It was no conscious action. Automatically, without my pushing, my mana pulsed around me, activating Mana Reinforcement with the same amount of power output I had when I first created the skill. I heard the two Valkyries beside me suddenly knocked back as my mana pushed them away with the force of a runaway train, but I was too enraged to care or apologize. Instead, I met Brynjar in the eyes as he turned to my direction after he heard the walking explosion that was my body. "You." I glared at him. "You dare take my friend from me?" Was that fear in his eyes? Good. Brynjar stepped back, almost letting go of Myrddin''s body as he did. However, after that second of hesitation, he held on and kept his cool. With a loud yell, he ordered his terrified men. "Vikings! Shoot him down!" I roared in defiance. It was no Intimidate, but it shook them for a moment before they started shooting again, all of their bows ignoring the Valkyries beside me in favor of taking me out. Their arrows were met by balls of mana that swarmed them in waves - weak alone, but quantity was a quality on its own. Leaving only a fraction of my focus in continuing the waves of Concussive Lights, I went down, pushed mana into my legs, and jumped . Straight into the frontlines of the Vikings. "Ahhh!" "Knock him down!" "Don''t let him come close - you have swords!" I ignored their yells, hefting my staff off my back and swinging it wildly. There was no grace or hint of holding back in my attacks - just sheer rage and continuous explosions happening from its tip, knocking out Viking after Viking as I ignored their swords and arrows in favor of reaching Brynjar as fast as possible. Normally, I would be more reticent about spending mana like this. At the rate I was going, I was going to run out of mana in the matter of seconds. "Argh!" "Odin help us!" But I didn''t care. They had my friend, and I was going to take him back. I roared out in anger. Above me, a large sphere of pure mana formed - powered directly by my rapidly depleting supply of mana that I was currently ignoring. Vikings cried out in fear at the obvious preparation for a big attack, and attempted to interrupt me. I ignored how their swords and arrows bounced off uselessly over my body and let go of the force I was building. Everything around me exploded with the force of several charges of TNT. More enemies fell before me, and pouncing on the opening, I lashed out again with my staff. "SEIDMADR! FACE ME, AND LEAVE MY MEN ALONE!" A growl left my lips as I saw Brynjar finally stop running from me, and with the force of a raging animal, I jumped- "Mjollnir!" Only to be met by an axe slashing downwards my chest. "Arghhh!" I yelled, finally feeling pain as the weapon that had destroyed a cliff in one hit went through my defenses. But that pain- that wound that stretched across my shoulder and down to my waist in the form of a gash I knew was immediately fatal in real life- I could ignore, because Myrddin was in front of me, he was in front of me-! I raised my head - since when was I on the ground, since when was there a pool of red beneath me - only to face an arrow rain. Debilitated by my wounds, my Mana Channelling skill failed to protect me this time. I took an arrow head into my left chest. Then to my right arm. Then to my leg, to my neck, to my stomach, to my face- I howled in pain. Still- still- I could still stand- still fight- my friend is in trouble- if he''s unconscious, he can''t escape-! I attempted to stand- pain rushed me, like fire burning across my nerves, like breaking, breaking, my mind was breaking- My body fell.
YOU HAVE NOW DIED. As penalty, you have lost three levels and lost twenty random status points. You will be forcibly logged out due to the circumstances of your death. Reason: Mental Health. You can log in again and appear in Freylin, Town of Valkyries after: 12 hours, 00 Minutes, 00 Seconds. HAVE A NICE DEATH!
I heard the sound of a retreat call before everything faded into a lonely black.
...A battle is lost, and now the second part of this arc finally starts. Myrddin is now taken by the Vikings, Rain is now with the Valkyries. The real story behind the war will finally be shown.
Next chapter is a cooldown one. ''Real Life'' chapter coming up. Chapter 22: Recovery Chapter 22: Recovery "No... Myrddin, no-!" My body shot up, my hands immediately going for my face and touching the place between my eyes. When it didn''t feel dented, like there should''ve been an arrowhead in there somewhere, I was initially surprised before I realized just what happened. I, or rather, the Rain character inside the virtual world called Terraria, had died. For the first time in my life inside Fate Online, my HP had hit zero and I was forcibly logged-out due to the pain I was in when I died. And I just felt lost. Anger, rage, all of this I expected to feel, but somehow all I felt was the sensation of loss. As I sat across my soft bed and placed the machinery that my father created beside me, I realized that my fists had clenched on their own. Shaking, I noticed, my body was shaking and drenched in sweat as my mind tried to recover from the intense sensations I had suffered inside the virtual world. I looked up and stared at the digital clock I had hung over my bed. It was early in the morning - just a few hours after midnight, and judging from the lack of light coming from my windows, the sun wasn''t out yet. It was only right, I found after some thought, as considering my usual hours of playing were cut early it was only logical I would be logged out while it was still dark. I opened my mouth, experimentally. I tried to speak, but nothing came out. My mouth was too dry, I realized. I needed a glass of cold water to recover after such an experience. After I was sure my body could take the stress of standing again, I stood, stretched out for a bit and carefully watched my step as I slowly strode to go down from my room, go to the kitchen, and get a glass of cold refreshing drink. Maybe cooking was still out of reach, but I was pretty sure we had snacks on hand in the pantry. I didn''t notice the tears coming down my cheeks until I saw the mirror in our waiting room and noticed my sore eyes. "Mother...?" I asked, my voice still a little weak as I finally prepared to leave for class. When nobody replied from inside our home, I shook my head and busied myself with what I was doing. "Where is she? Did she go somewhere last night after I went to my room early? No... yesterday was a holiday, so that mustn''t be it." Putting the subject of my mother on hold for the moment, I turned my full attention to the straps I was fixing. After all, they could be what would save my life in case of accidents, so it was only right to make sure they were put in place properly. After ten minutes and rigorous checking, I was finally finished. Snapping my fingers, I turned to a mirror to see what I was wearing. Safety equipment. A helmet, a pair of elbow pads, knee protectors, and shoulder armaments. Some padding here and there, protection in case of bad falls, check. I was finally ready to go on a parkour run again. "A few days ago, I couldn''t even get past the third obstacle. Now, I can get through the entire set. Is this the effect of practicing parkour in the virtual world?" I wondered to myself for a moment before shaking my head. "No, that''s unimportant. Instead I should be focusing on getting to my class this time, say hello to Professor Brunnings, meet Mark and ask-" I cut myself off, closing my mouth as I almost made myself think again of that situation. Not now. I told myself. I can worry about that later all I want after I''m in the classroom. I checked my equipment again for the last time, and walked to the door to leave. When I heard no goodbye as I left, out of habit, I turned back, saying. "Goodbye, Mother." When nobody replied, I felt a slight sadness in my chest but ignored it for the moment. It was not a new sensation, being left alone by my parents as they went on whatever they did, so I shouldn''t feel so bothered about it. Having said that, I still stayed there for a second, holding the doorknob for so long as if it would make my mother come before I finally let it go, giving up and turning to the outdoors that I felt I knew. I then started running. Parkour in real life was a strange sensation. Jumping over benches, climbing over ledges and swing along horizontal bars, it felt like I was in the virtual world again every time I went on parkour as I had planned. But in the same time, the equipment I had was a strong reminder that I wasn''t doing this in the virtual world, but in reality where a single accident couldn''t be healed by a magic spell. Somehow, that sensation of risk made my heart soar at times. Which was why I had forgone my daily route and decided to do something a bit... riskier for now. I looked across the street I was going to go through. Benches, ledges, chairs, cars, people - those things I was used to, as any amateur traceur could do. But then there was several flights of stairs in the middle, something seemingly so harmless until you realized that according to the rules of parkour I had to skip the flights entirely. Skip them and jump into a distance more than twenty feet high. Thankfully, there was a pole somewhere below the base of the stairs. With enough skill, just maybe, I could probably catch hold of the pole fast enough after jumping across two flights of stairs, swing around it and lose my momentum fast enough to land properly without breaking my ankles, if not my legs. Nodding once, I positioned myself for a sprint before bursting out into a run. Men and women squawked in shock as I traced past them, vaulted over minor obstacles and ran uncaring of the paved pathways. The stairs were coming close, and for a second I wondered why I was going to put myself in so much risk, following a line I knew was so dangerous for an amateur like me. My friend- I could save- No- no, please don''t take him away-! There were many ways for people to reduce themselves of stress. Some of them like reading books. I used to be like that. Nowadays, I simply ran and jumped into doing stunts. I vaulted across a park bench, apologizing without pause to the old man passing by before I stepped off the path again to walk through muddy ground. Stepping to the right, jumping across small pits, and leaping over stones, I continued until I finally came close to the final obstacle. This is probably time for fear, but I simply don''t care for now. Not after I died- The moment I reached the first step of the stairs, I stepped over the protective bars and jumped. Reaching out with two hands, I stretched as the long metal pole came nearer to my face, catching it just in time to prevent a painful meeting of face and steel. Now, this is the hard part-! Heaving my body backwards and forwards with a grace I didn''t know I could ever have until I started doing parkour, within a millisecond I changed the direction of my momentum and kept my grip on the pole I held before I swung - swinging around and around the pole. My hands started to hurt - I probably overdid it at this point and caused my skin to tear - but I held on and continued swinging until I was within jumping distance of the bottom. With a stretch, I placed my feet on the pole, causing me to stop rotating. When I started to fall, I pushed my feet with all my weight on the pole and jumped again for the last time- Safe. Or at least, after I land properly. - to a roll across the empty street beside the pole. For a moment, I thanked the gods I had enough sense to buy protective wear, as without it I would''ve heavily injured myself with just the roll across pavement alone. A stinging sensation made me turn my attention to my hands, and then suddenly I realized I would be wearing bandages for a while. But for now, that was unimportant. Because for once I had a smile on my face and- wait, since when did were there people watching? And were they clapping!? "Wow!" "Is this a public act?" "Who is that guy?" I turned once, saw their faces, before I turned away again and ran as fast as I could. -but, before I left, I noticed something peculiar: over one of the roofs of the buildings was a little boy, probably around the age of eight. He and his light blue eyes studied me, looking almost older by a decade for a minute, before he clapped his hands slowly. Clap, clap, clap, he went, and then I lost sight of him as I had to turn a corner. When I arrived to class, heaving breaths and terribly sweaty, my eyes immediately swept across the large lecture hall Professor Brunnings taught us in. When the person I was looking for didn''t pop up or welcome me for yet another exhausting class, my heart fell. "...So, he really wasn''t able to log out." I said to myself, my body suddenly losing the rush the adrenaline gave me, leaving me feeling terrible. "I knew it was likely, considering he was taken unconscious, but..." My hands clenched into fists by my sides. That was how I was reacquainted with an emotion I scarcely felt ever since I grew up from being a child. Anger. Rage. Bloodlust for a perceived ''enemy''. Hatred. It was all of these things. I was a emotional person when it mattered, I knew. Considering I had built up a defense mechanism of closing myself off from others after facing the loneliness my status as a prodigy gave me, I was terribly aware of that fact and sought to control it every time it happened. But considering how I lived my life inside the virtual reality called Fate Online, it was only reasonable that I would sometimes get emotional. But even then, I knew, I was more often than not sad instead of angry. After all, under rational analysis, even the harshest of intents against me seemed sympathetic when I easily understood their reasons. When I was betrayed by Caelum, I felt sad because I understood how flawed people were. Even before the time Blake explained to me in detail his actions, I already had the stirrings of regret instead of rage inside my heart for raising a hand against him. The same went for the monster that caused nightmares for Elena: I only felt pity for the creature, not disgust as I wondered how such a abomination came to life and how it continued to persist even with all of its malformations. This continued, even the Vikings and Valkyries with their pointless war, as I understood them and thus felt no hate for them. That was until this. Myrddin was taken from my side, forcefully and without warning. And even now, in real life, Mark still wasn''t there. Logically, it was only reasonable. Myrddin was, after all, my number one ally and moral support. Take him away, and I''ll be left crippled - that was the thought that went on Brynjar''s mind at the time, I knew. But even then, I still felt anger. And it was no ordinary hate - it was blood-boiling, bristling hatred that shook me at my core, almost terrifying me at the sheer volume of the emotion if I wasn''t so angry already. But of course, since I was still Brian and this was still in real life, my face made no obvious tell as to what I felt. Thus, like a swordsman hiding away his sword for the next battle, I pushed back the emotion for the moment as I entered the classroom and went straight for my seat. ...Still, the sight of Mark''s seat being empty caused me to feel an overwhelming sadness. I sighed. My mind wandered even when the class began. I tried to focus, but I couldn''t help but think worriedly. What if, after this, Myrddin chose to leave me behind? Well, it would be slightly out of character of what I knew of Myrddin and his loyalty, but still, rational didn''t always meet emotional and I was starting to feel fear now that Myrddin wasn''t there to banish it away. Myrddin liked to say I made him feel brave. He didn''t know I felt the same. It was rather ironic really - here I was, feeling fear? After so many talks with Myrddin about learning how to go past that fear, that dread of being alone all over again? Didn''t he make sure I knew that I wasn''t going to be left alone again? But then again, Myrddin got easily scared. He could get frightened, shocked out of his wits- who knew what the Vikings were doing to him at this moment while I was still logged out? What if they were torturing him for what I did to their men? Would he forgive me for letting him get kidnapped? Would he even accompany me after this, after I failed him so? Would I be alone again? And thus, even as I felt rage deep inside, even deeper I felt afraid. Afraid of what waited for me the moment I returned into that beautiful imperfect virtual world... "Mr. Walters." I snapped out of my thoughts. "Yes, Professor?" "My boy, if you are distracted, you can be quieter about it." Several people laughed, some of them not so kindly. That was when I noticed my own feet betraying my emotions - tapping, tapping, rapping on the wooden floor like the raven on the writing desk it loved so. I stared at it for a minute. Since when was I one to reveal what I was thinking so blatantly? That was when I remembered I was in the middle of a conversation. "I''m s-sorry Professor," Inwardly, I chided myself at the stutter. And I told Myrddin he should stop doing tha- no, no, not going to get distracted. "It won''t happen again." Professor Brunnings pinned me with his eyes, and I recognized him sigh softly before he put down the chalk he was holding. "Looks like it''s time for a break." He said. When I opened my mouth to speak, he raised a hand. "No, no. If you of all people in this class had the chance to get distracted, it means I''m not teaching this right. Better rest for a while than to waste my time with a class that''s not listening." Many, including me, had the grace to turn away at his incriminating words. My uncle just stood there for a minute, silent, before he turned to pace across the front of the class. "Hmm, what should we do, what should we do? If you children don''t want to listen to what this teacher is saying, then shouldn''t we discuss a subject of your own liking?" Professor Brunnings then smiled before calling out a student. "From the back, Evans! If you can manage to wake up, what do you want for the entire class to talk about for a while?" Evans, having caught in the middle of taking a nap, snapped up. "Uh- wha- what again? Err, Sir?" Professor Brunning''s smile became a tad vicious. "Subject. For the class. To talk about?" Some people had the gall to giggle. "H-H-How about the game, Sir, Fate Online?" Evans gulped at the sudden interest in the teacher''s eyes. "W-Weren''t you one of t-the people who made the game, Sir? Err, Professor?" "Interesting choice..." Brunnings commented before going silent. There was a moment of thinking ''Ah, maybe that''s a no,'' but that was refuted as the Professor sat down again at last and made himself comfortable. "But very well." "What then, Mr. Evans, would you want us all to discuss about?" At this point, I pitied the man as once again he was the focus of attention. Thankfully though, it seemed that he had finally regained emotional balance at this point. It was good, considering his stuttering was starting to make my thoughts wander off again to the subject of a missing person in the room... Then again, outside appearances sometimes hid suppressed panic. "Your character, Sir?" Many winced at the question. Evans himself slapped at his mouth like he couldn''t believe what he had just asked our Professor. Professor Brunnings froze for a second. "...You do realize that question is a terribly personal one, Mr. Evans? It''s comparable taking someone''s diary and parading it for all to hear." "I''m so sorry Sir, I should asked something else-" "-But then again, considering my status, I suppose I could allow this question." This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.People who had started whispering at each other at Evan''s social faux pas went quiet. Questions about Fate Online - that was common. Usually, it went along the lines of current politics, recent events and quests, but questions like this? And a person, especially someone like our Professor, actually agreeing to answer? Now, that was interesting. When Professor Brunnings opened his mouth, for once everyone was listening. "Now, as I believe all of you know already, when we created the VRMMORPG Fate Online, we developers of the game entered it together with the beta-test players." People nodded at that; it was common knowledge to any child. "We didn''t go inside as GMs - rather, we all decided to serve as examples by starting off with Level One like the rest." My uncle closed his eyes, and for a blink of an eye, he suddenly looked decades older. There was a reason as to why there was an age limit now to play inside Terraria. "It was a cruel war that we arrived in." Everyone looked grim. Some of my classmates, I knew, were among the first players and a few of them looked haunted for a second before shaking it all away. The others, like me, knew intellectually what they were feeling but ultimately couldn''t understand what they were feeling. After all, we weren''t people who suddenly became witnesses to a real war. Or is it still like that for me? After all, the Vikings and the Valkyries... "Fate Onli- no, Terraria is different from other Virtual Reality games..." Our professor''s voice was hypnotic, lulling us into a trance. "From the moment we created that world, that reality, control over it was out of our hands and into the Administrator AI we had assigned to take care of it." "This Administrator was perfect. It was top of the class AI, capable of thinking and learning like any rational being yet also bound to the concept of creating a ''Perfect World'' as we wanted. I''m terribly derailing off now, so I''ll make it quick: we wished for a perfect world, and we received one." Professor Brunnings grimaced. "A perfect mimicry. A world like ours, only with all the destructive and wonderful abilities of both magic and monsters." Thus there was war. He then shook his head. "But back on to the subject of my character now. When we entered that world, we tried to contact the Administrator but it kept silent outside of granting a few of our queries like the Morality System. Thus, as the people who created that world, we gathered our efforts to fix it - to end the war that should''ve never begun in the first place." "I took on the job of being a mage and fought my way up into the highest level within two in-game years. Together with my team, we attacked the main castles of every kingdom that existed, kidnapped their royals, and forced them to make peace with each other using words instead of making their people fight wars for them." He sighed. "Of course, there were many setbacks on that journey, but ultimately we succeeded. After that, along with a few of my team I decided to never use my character again outside of important occasions. Right now, my character is still the same as it was eight years ago; wearing the same armor, bearing the same level, and having the same class: Alchemist." "Right now, that world doesn''t need us. We would only wreck the peace we created if we-" Professor Brunnings was unceremoniously interrupted as the classroom door suddenly slammed open. My heart leapt to my throat when I saw who it was. Mark ''Myrddin'' Emrys. I stood up. "I''m so sorry Sir! I was delayed by-" Mark was saying something, but I ignored it for the moment. With both professor and late student distracted, it was the rest of the class that followed me with their eyes as I quietly walked down from my seat and to the teacher''s table, where both Mark and Professor resided. Thus, when Mark finally noticed me coming, I was already at his face. "Wait, Rai- err Brian, what are y- OWWWW!" He didn''t see the foot aiming for his leg in time. At the sudden soreness of his right leg, Mark hopped on the other leg. As his hands reached to hold the tender part where I had very suddenly kicked him at, my arms were already meeting him there, surrounding my friend. In mere seconds, Mark had gone from jumping in pain into freezing as my arms kept him in place with a hug. "Don''t. You. Ever. Dare. Do. That. Again." I squeezed out the words out of me with so much emotion into them that I could practically feel my friend fall into shock. My next words were softer, but no less sounding like begging in my own ears. "You got that, Myrddin?" I felt Mark nod once and I pulled away. Or at least, not before twisting the position of my arms to rub my knuckles into his head for good measure. "OWWW, OWWW, OWWW, RAIN, LET ME GO!" Peripherally, I was aware of people gaping at me in shock. But for the moment, I didn''t care - let them see me being emotional as much as they want, I had no wish to pander for anyone''s egos right now. "This is for worrying me for so much." Thank god you''re finally back. "How does it feel, making someone worry about you? You should''ve come to class earlier!" "I''m sorry! I''m sorry! Let me go!" Before I noticed it, a grin was already on my face, making me look like Rain all over again without the benefit of virtual gear. That was, I supposed, what caused my uncle to delay interrupting us in favor of watching like the rest of my classmates. But all things had to end as in few minutes, Professor Brunnings had finally decided to split the two of us apart. "Mr. Walter, Mr. Emrys. You two should not be disrupting class like this." He chastised, in his usual way that could make devils bow and weep. "Do you want to have detention for this?" However, now that it was finally on my face, the grin wasn''t going away. Seeing that, Mark made a smile of his own and seeing that, the Professor sighed, apparently realizing sooner or later we would make a mess of his classroom if we were left unattended. "Outside. Stand over there and regret what you have done." Knowing my uncle, at this point he was just allowing us to talk outside of class instead of inside where it would distract others. I had no regrets. It was strange that the moment the two of us had relative privacy, all the doubts that I had and were previously swept away by the sheer relief of my friend being back came back with a vengeance. Mark closed the door behind us. Automatically, like the two of us were back at Terraria and I was Rain and he was Myrddin, my eyes swept through the corridor we were in before deciding there was nobody nearby. Alright, now it was just me and Mark alone. It was awkward for a moment before I pushed my festering doubts aside and asked, "How was it in there?" ''There'' being the situation inside Fate Online. Judging by the amount of hours Mark was late, he was in there, what, a day longer than I was? Maybe even a night - which was quite boggling to think of now that I wasn''t in the game as well to notice such things going on. "Rain, what did you do when I was knocked out?" I winced at Mark''s tone. It wasn''t... comforting. Was that dread in his tone? "Who answers a question with a question?" I tried to deflect, before adding, "And call me Brian out here." "Rain- alright, Brian," Mark opened his mouth to say more before correcting himself as he saw me glare at him. "Don''t worry about me getting mad at you. I may not look like it, but I went through worse before this inside Terraria. So, if there are any thoughts going through that fast mind of yours about me abandoning you after this, you are terribly mistaken." My shoulders sagged in relief. That was more comforting than Mark probably realized. I won''t be alone... "It''s just..." Mark turned to rub the back of his head with his hand. Absentmindedly now that I was convinced of his sincerity, I thought to myself how people inside the classroom would gape at the sight of the man before me standing confidently. "When I woke up inside Thordinn alone and without you around, it wasn''t hostage treatment as much as it was... fear?" I blinked at that. Mark himself looked like he couldn''t pin down the right word himself. "No, not fear. There was respect in there, and some Vikings were even treating me like one of their own instead of a potential enemy. But outside of those few..." Mark shrugged, visibly remembering what he was talking about. "They were walking eggshells around me. Treating me like I was made of glass. And when Vikings start doing that around you, you understand that something has happened to make them like that." I thought at what he said. I only fought the Vikings, so why would they... oh. Oh. My mouth went dry. "Did they say about anyone dying?" I wasn''t holding back, so what would that make them think? "Nothing I''ve heard. But they now also have a clinic filled with wounded men. Why?" I heaved a sigh of relief at that. "Good. That''s one less worry off my mind." Mark studied me with his eyes. "Brian, what did you do?" My mind went back to that moment. Now that my friend was beside me, most of the rage was gone and without that rage, I started to wince at the actions I had done. Swarming them with explosions, batting them off with a bludgeoned staff, taking on their weapons with nary a scratch for it... "Imighthavesnappedatthem." Mark''s brows went up. "Come by me with that again?" "I might have snapped at them?" I answered, a bit sheepish and a bit regretful all in one. "Went into a berserk rage and started beating down Vikings left and right in an attempt to get you back? Acted like the way you do after drinking several tankards of mead, if not worse?" There was a moment of silence before it was broken by Mark palming his face with a loud slap. "And now they''re treating me like a delicate piece of china in fear of what you would do to them in retribution." Mark said dryly. "So that was why there even a few Vikings guarding me from the more enraged of the lot over there..." "What was that last thing you said?" "No, it''s nothing." Another silence. It seemed that it was going to become a habit by today. "Well, at least that means fixing this war we found will be easier, right?" I tried to sound cheerful about it, but the reminder of an entire town of warriors fearing me wasn''t really that comforting a thought. "You work on the Vikings, I work on the Valkyries, and we''ll try to fix this situation before it gets even worse." Mark''s face went paler. "You mean... I, alone, try to talk to those..." "It''s not like they''re going to dare hurt you!" I assured him, my mind already making plans of revenge for what-ifs. ''What if they really hurt Myrddin'' for one was starting to get a lot of creative plans. "Just try to get closer to Brynjar and convince him of advocating for peace. I''ve already done that with Brunhilda so-" "Wait," Mark interrupted me, eyes wide. "Since when did you do that? I thought you went offline right after the battle!" "Did it before the battle began, now don''t interrupt me." I chastised before continuing to speak. "I have to work on the rest of the Valkyries though, so my job is still not finished. After that, hopefully the Vikings would fear me enough to allow me make a demand from them, a demand that would surely be answered if their own Chief agreed." "So you work on the Valkyries in general and I work on Brynjar? And for how long do we have until the next conflict comes and restarts the resentment between the two towns? And even if we succeed, it''s still dependent on their fear for you. Aren''t you underestimating this?" "I can never claim to be perfect, but I''m trying." I snapped at him. "If it fails, we''ll try again. It''s that simple." Mark still looked pale, but soon enough he nodded. "Alright, Brian. I promise I would try my best with my part of this. Anyway, how hard could convincing one man to stop a war get?" Seeing the opening Mark had inadvertently created, I seized the chance to lift the mood again. "Mark, you do realize you just jinxed it, right?" Mark''s eyes went wide. "Wha-" He then saw the twitching of my lips. "Hey!" I laughed at him. Thinking back, I realized it was quite the first time I had laughed as Brian for years. Mark stared at me for a moment, before he laughed too. We were going to be busy the moment we entered Terraria again and there wasn''t even any assurance of success for what we going to do, but nevertheless we laughed together as if to drink in that joy before we had to split up again for our separate missions. The laughter continued for minutes, filling up the empty corridor we were in outside the classroom before it petered off into chuckles and then silence. Awkward silence again as we remembered that we had to stand for an entirety of an hour outside the classroom in exchange for the semi-private talk we just had. "So... now we wait?" "More like suffer." "Yep." User detected. Rain, welcome back to Fate Online! I slowly opened my eyes, and then there I was inside Freylin all over again. With one look, I realized that Valkyries were apparently as good as the Vikings when it came to fixing their buildings because there was no sign of the battle that previously went on inside Freylin. Instantly, a figurative mask went across my features. For a moment, I found morbid amusement at wearing the same facade I went on with as Brian while being Rain, but before I logged in I judged it was best to hide the fact that I wasn''t as enraged as I was before for the moment. The first person I met was the same first Valkyrie that we had ever seen. Alysse was kneeling on her knees, her spear positioned in front of her. "Welcome back, Son of Odin. We were waiting for your return." A window immediately popped up into my vision.
You have gained a new title! You are now the ''Son of Odin!''
Title: Son of Odin
Due to your actions that have gone into the realms of legend inside the Viking community, you have been unanimously granted by this title by all of its people. This title does not need to be worn to use its effects. Effects: Raises your fame and ability to influence on those who are believers of the Norse Legends. When fighting an enemy from the Human race, you gain an additional +5 to both INT and STR.
I barely managed to not gape at her.
Oh god, I hated writing this chapter. But it needed to be written - after all, without showing the weaknesses of character, how could you know of his flaws? PLEASE POST REPLIES AND REVIEWS. Really! It''s getting all heck of depressing to think that I''m already 20+ chapters in and my replies for every chapter hits its peak at eight replies, and that''s with me contributing to it! And at this point, I''m well aware there are more readers of this story than five of them, so really, be kind enough to be the slightest bit of vocal and cheer up this writer. Last chapter was faster updated than this one because one person was kind enough to give a constructive reply. And that was a fighting scene, which I''m not even talented at making! So please, REPLY AND REVIEW! Chapter 23: Return, Resume, Rewind Chapter 23: Return, Resume, Rewind Son of Odin. Well, that was interesting. From what little I knew of Norse Mythology - and had subsequently researched upon during that grueling one hour outside the classroom with Myrddin as we discussed plans - while Loki, the god I was previously emulating, was known as a brother of Thor, it was by adoption and not by blood. So why then did I get a title like this? Remembering to keep up my mask this time, I asked quietly, "Why do you call me that?" Alysse tried to hide her wince. "It''s what our people have started calling you in the past three days that you have been gone. When our Valkyries found out that you were sure to come back even after death, they had started telling more and more absurd versions of the last encounter with the Vikings." She bowed her head again. "This was the conclusion. To them now, you are a son of the gods, specifically Odin. For who other than Odin''s son uses both magic and close combat like you do? It''s not like the Trickster fights in any way other than his spells." That made sense, and was almost ironic considering I was indeed the son of one of the ''gods'' that created this world. Still, "You say ''them'' like you aren''t one of them again. So you admit to being a player?" Alysse kept quiet. When it took more than a few minutes and nothing remained said, I held back a sigh and decided to move on from the subject for the moment. Turning to the town that was now without its cliff overhanging over it again, I walked away without saying anymore to the Valkyrie behind me. Alysse stood, and followed without another word. There was time to talk about her status as either a Player or an Adventurer later. I had some... speculations as to who ''Alysse'' really was, but it was not my place to keep pressing her to admit it. Even if I was now completely sure that I had seen her face when I was younger. After all, if I was right, then Alysse had a good reason to keep her identity secret. When I walked through Freylin''s streets again for the third time in peace, it was a little distinctive how different the Valkyries were treating me this time around. If the first time they saw me all they had to give were glares and doubtful looks searching for deceit, and if the second time after healing their fellow Valkyries had them giving me thankful nods and appreciative smiles, then this third time had them acting very differently. It was all very subtle, but it was there. It was in the short glances they sent my way, the looks they turned to my face before breaking off as I tried to meet their eyes. It was in how whispers were sent, murmuring to themselves all around me as they tried to keep themselves unnoticed. It was reverence. It was high-handed respect, almost how one would look at the image of a messiah and would expect him to bring about miracles in their presence. It stifled me. After all, while it never reached to this point where it stopped short of actual worship, in programming circles back at the real world I was treated similarly. My mistake of working towards becoming a prodigy aside, my father''s name meant that people who knew who I was looked at me with expectations I was never sure I could achieve. Change the world. Isn''t that what you are expected to do, Brian? How the hell would I be able to meet what they expect of me, especially when I was just one person? "Alysse." I spoke quietly as we walked, making sure nobody else other than the Valkyrie behind could hear. "Tell me, is Brunhilda still at that building you last brought me to?" Alysse''s voice sounded far away as she answered. "Yes, Son of Odin. I believe our Chief would be willing to talk to you at any time of day, as long as you don''t intend to punish her for what she has allowed to happen in her town." I successfully held back a wince. What Alysse was saying meant that my plan was working - people still thought that I was angry even though I was actually not, or at least for now. Fear was a useful tool in negotiation, but that didn''t change the fact I hated being feared. I glanced around me. Suddenly it was quiet as Valkyries snapped their eyes away from me and kept their mouths shut. "Don''t worry," I replied, working on my voice to keep it both toneless and just loud enough to hear by those close by. "At the moment, I have no plans on doing such things. All I want is a private talk with your Chief." I had to be both deaf and blind to not notice the slight relief that was suddenly in the air. But it was still tinged with apprehension; after all, my wording made sure to make it obvious how things could still change. If it''s ''at the moment'', then could it be that it could still happen? was going through their minds. Alysse, for one, acted like she didn''t read behind the words even though I was pretty sure she could see beneath the underneath easily enough. "Is that so?" Alysse actually smiled. "Brunhilda would be pleased to know. Shall we head for her now?" I nodded in response. We were done here. This scene would surely made it spread: The Son of Odin is back. They would say, making it reach the ears of every Valkyrie in town. He is awaiting judgement, but so far it''s looking good for us Valkyries. If we do this right, we might win the war! Just as I planned. Thankfully, when I was alone with Brunhilda, the Chief of Freylin looked at me for only a second before she spoke: "Boy, get the stoic mask off your face. We are alone here, so there is no need for further pretense." I let go of the breath I didn''t know I was holding. My face defrosted back to the more relaxed features of Rain. My shoulders relaxed, my body slumped, and with a bit of stretching and popping a few joints, within seconds the mask that was ''Brian'' wore off, leaving behind the same Fool that I really was deep inside. It was almost saddening, how reality was starting to be less real than virtual life was for me. Even more so was the fact that keeping up the pretense of being ''Brian'' was becoming more and more difficult with every accelerated day that went past. Brunhilda woke me out of my thinking with a snap of her fingers. "So, ''Son of Odin'' Rain. What are you planning now after you''ve come back from your temporary death?" One had to laugh at how dryly she spoke of my new title. "It''s a work in progress..." I paused for a moment in thought. If there was anyone who was from this town who should know of my plan, it was the woman in front of me. "In fact, what would you think if I said it was like this?" I explained to Brunhilda my plan of using fear and respect to force peace between the two sides. It only took Brunhilda a second to shake her head. "No, that wouldn''t work." Immediately I felt weak. I had expected it - after all, it was a plan that heavily depended on several factors that was out of my control - but nevertheless, the very plain way of how Brunhilda had declared my plan as a failure made me feel useless deep inside. Was peacefully asking for peace really too much? Seeing the look on my face, Brunhilda tacked on, "See, while your plan may work on the short term, what does that mean for the two sides when you finally leave?" I opened my mouth to provide a counterargument... before closing it without a word. Brunhilda was right. Using the two towns'' fear of me wasn''t going to work for long - either they lose that fear over a period of time or somebody angers someone from the other side again, restarting the war until I remember to get back. Then it was just another waiting game before I had to come back and enforce that fear again. And if someone finally dies as a result, would there even be a chance for peace anymore? I was a Fool as always. How had I not seen this? "Make no mistake. I am not alone in wishing for peace - in fact, you could even say most of both sides are tired of war already. As I told you, if both sides weren''t too stubborn to show face, then this war would''ve ended years ago." Brunhilda spoke, unheeding of the thoughts that was going through my head. "Brynjar and Alysse are the same as me: looking for a path to peace while not compromising our beliefs." Brynjar... My eyes went wide. "So that''s why you were so angry when he knocked apart the cliff over the town. You two made a secret oath to keep casualties minimum, didn''t you?" Brunhilda nodded grimly. "It was ever since this war began and the both of us were no fools to wish for such a meaningless war to go on forever between our people. I was meant to lead the Valkyries and he, the Vikings, all in search for a way to fix this mistake that should''ve never even happened." "Luckily, I just had the skills to do so. You see my spear here?" Brunhilda gestured to her long, adorned weapon. "The Gungnir, along with Brynjar''s Mjollnir, was made with our kind''s best of all metals: the Sacred Steel. Blessed only with the consecration of both Viking and Valkyrie, these two weapons were the last of those that still exist after the War." "Isn''t Gungnir the-" "Weapon that never misses and always strikes true?" Brunhilda interrupted me with an almost amused smile. I had a feeling I wasn''t the first or would be the last one to ask that question to her. "It''s not the real spear of Odin himself, but it''s a pretty good imitation of it I might say. Never has it failed me." I remembered that wondrous scene in the last battle I was in. Thousands and tonnes of rock, shattered into nothing but dust as a grand streak of light crushed them into pieces like they were made out of glass. I couldn''t hold back the awe that left my lips as Brunhilda allowed me to hold her weapon in a sign of explicit trust. Then I remembered what it could be used for. "Sure-hit. Strikes true and hits many at once." It clicked in my mind. "You used this in your invasions of Thordinn didn''t you? You aimed for their ankles, snapped their tendons and disabled most of their men in one shot? And then declared the crippled men as ''weaklings'' that didn''t deserve having their lives cut down to your Valkyries, all so to keep possible deaths to minimum, or even zero?" "You got it in one." Brunhilda smiled again before taking her spear from me and placing it where it belonged across her back. "And we didn''t keep deaths minimum - with Brynjar''s Mjollnir temporarily paralyzing most of my Valkyries in one shot every time we attacked, over the past ten years not a single man or woman died." I smiled at that. It was loyalty in adversity indeed, even of different sides of a war. "Then suddenly it changed." I felt like I was physically hit with how her tone instantly changed from warm to cold. Was this what those close to me felt when I did it to them? "For reasons still unknown to me, Brynjar had changed the delicate balance that we had managed to keep. In our previous entry into Thordinn, he changed plans on me. After I did my part in disabling his men with minor injuries, he led the rest against my will into baiting my Valkyries into a trap. They were led into a location tightly enclosed by buildings before Brynjar paralyzed them with Mjollnir." Her last words had her holding for support as she obviously remembered a memory she never wanted to see. "I witnessed my women being trapped as buildings burned and broke apart all around them." Bile rose to my throat at such an image. To imagine being paralyzed, unable to do anything as fire roared all around you? Of how it would be hard to even breathe as acrid fumes and smoke burned like acid in your lungs and flames threatened to swallow you into nothing but ashes? To face death before your very eyes and have no hope of a second chance after you died? ...No wonder the Valkyries that we first met were so cautious. Even I would be if someone did that to those close to me. "D-Did," I swallowed heavily, "Did anyone die?" To that, Brunhilda managed a smile. "No one died. And it''s all thanks to you. We thought that we had saved our friends and family only to see them waste away and die slowly before our very eyes until you came and healed them." I let out a sigh of relief at that. "Thank whoever is above that I managed to come in time then." "Yes, yes, we should." It took me a few moments to respond again. "So... what now? Do you have any idea as to how to fix this situation with my help? And Myrddin''s too - over at the other side, I managed to meet him in person. I could chat him up at anytime you want." Brunhilda smiled at me. "Your previous plan gives me a slight hint of an idea. Just give me time to think about it for a while." I recognized a dismissal when I heard one, so I turned to leave. My hand was already on the door handle when Brunhilda called after me. "But for now, you should..." A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. You should learn how to fight as a warrior instead of a mage. Let Alysse help you - don''t worry, you can trust her with anything you have talked to me in privacy. That was the last thing Brunhilda said to me before I left. Which meant than within a few hours, once again I was alone with the first Valkyrie I had met, and ironically, even at the same clearing underneath the waterfall that Myrddin had first walked into as she bathed. "So, Brunhilda told me to let myself be taught by you." Once more, my stoic facade was on my face as I said the words to Alysse. Somehow, it felt right acting like ''Brian'' in front of the woman in front of me. "Please treat me well, Alysse." Thankfully Brunhilda had convinced her to start calling me by name instead of some title. Alysse herself looked stiff as she bowed in return. "The same as well, Rain." The air felt awkward, but that was alright - I could do with awkward. As long as it got me stronger in preparation for whatever plan I would end up doing, it was fine with me. I started first. Making sure I had ''The Priest (II) on, I stepped forward with a lunge before locking my wrist in preparation for a hook. Alysse responded by sidestepping my blow before locking her arm around my outstretched elbow, facing the same direction as me before her feet stepped on my foot and- snap My stoic facade broke as I screamed out in pain with how my elbow broke. Seizing the chance, Alysse did the same with my wrist with a twist her hands, before kicking my kneecap into pieces and finishing me off as she threw me overhead facefirst into the mossy ground. "Hand-to-hand Combat Crash Course Number One," I heard Alysse say, "Sparring." Remembering that I had healing abilities through the blinding pain, with a groan I placed a glowing hand over my wrist before placing it on my elbow where it snapped back in place with a sickening crack. The same went for my knee, but it was slower going. As soon as that finished I choked out, "Aren''t you supposed to start slow with this?" "Pain is the best motivator for learning, and from what Brunhilda told me we don''t have much time." Alysse replied without much regret in her tone. "Plus, you''re both a Player and a healer, right? It''s not like you won''t be gaining some experience in the fighting, endurance, and healing skills that you would get or use in this training." A grimace reached her face before she smoothed it back to normal. "You could only get stronger exponentially with this kind of training. Would you continue, even knowing what it would be like?" I glanced at my side where several announcements were already there like they had the right to be.
Your Holy Heal has gained a level! Holy Heal is now level 18! Your Sturdy has gained a level! Sturdy is now level 43! Your success in fighting without weapons has given you a skill! You now have Barehanded Mastery! Your Barehanded Mastery has gained two levels! Barehanded Mastery is now level 3!
Barehanded Mastery (Passive): Lvl 3
Real men don''t need any weapons! They use their fists! Hit them with your FALCON PUNCH! Effects: Increases barehanded damage by 18%. Additional damage increases with every level.
I had to admit, I was going to say no. After all, defeated or not, I had indeed managed to take on all the Vikings as a one-man army already. Sure, the mana expenditure of it was high, but given time I was sure I could make some leeway around that problem. But then I remembered the times I was halted by pain. Of how my health bar still declared me alive even as I broke down under the wounds I was carrying. Of how a battle could''ve been won had I not been weak enough to flinch over something like an arrow between my eyes. In the end, I stood up slowly. The blood that I had spilled were already flaking off into pixels in front of my eyes - leaving me looking like I haven''t just broken three of my vital joints over the past few minutes. It is training. Pain Tolerance training. I mentally repeated to myself like a mantra. This is something I need. As I closed my eyes, I didn''t notice the slight look on Alysse''s face at that moment as she watched me mentally preparing myself for a hell I was willing to go through. When I opened my eyelids, determination was coursing through my veins. Seeing that, Alysse said one last thing. "Your Skills will guide you how to fight. Just let them push you into actions before burning the movements into your mind so you can do it on your own." I nodded one last time before starting off with a low kick. It only took seconds for her to jump over my foot, land on it, run across my leg with it making a loud snap as she twisted her body to lash out with a kick across my face- No pain, no gain. "I''m so sorry." I was on the ground hours later. Efficiency wise, the training Alysse had just given me did as promised. In short time, I had gained eighteen more levels in Barehanded Mastery along with several levels in Sturdy and Holy Heal. I had even gained more END from it - enough to replace my lost points in that stat due to my death and more. But hell if I could ever say it wasn''t torture. Once again, I regretted my choice of keeping the pain meter so high - I always been meaning to lower it ever since that first time I was hurt by a Dirge Wolf, but all the things that happened to me recently meant that I kept forgetting it. Thus, that meant that even if my health bar was full, my body refused to move as my mind tried to recover from the continuous pain it was forced to endure. "Don''t worry." Somehow I managed to smile. It was a slow thing coming, but I supposed martial artists had been telling the truth about how two fighters could befriend each other through their fists. Or bone-breaking. "I asked for it." "You''re a monster when it comes to learning, you know that?" Alysse sat beside me, an almost tender smile clinging on her face. It made her look like she was made out of glass. "Halfway through, you were already managing to fight properly with me." I looked away at that. Alysse didn''t know it, but in that time I had learned a valuable lesson. In the past, when I got hurt and adrenaline just wasn''t enough to block out the pain, I always let myself grow weak and be stunned. But now after two hours of having my bones, my face, and my guts feeling like they went through the grinder, I had learned how to ignore pain. Pain doesn''t dull in fights, unlike what some people say. It''s just a trick of making yourself break through that pain and ignore it in order to continue fighting. "Yeah, two or three attacks before you sweep me off my feet again. ''Fight properly'', indeed." Alysse laughed, sounding like glass bells. It all seemed so familiar, and I had to hide tears as I remembered how long it was since I heard that sound... "Hey, I''m the Strongest Valkyrie in all of Freylin, outside of the Chief. Of course it would take more than a single afternoon for you to battle me equally with only your fists." I went quiet for a second. Right now, Alysse was the happiest as I had seen her. Through our continuous matches and my sheer force of will, somehow I managed to make her open up to me. In a few hours, I wasn''t so sure if it was going to stick, so... This was just the right moment. I sat up, turned to Alysse and met her in the eyes, placing my hand over hers and holding to it as tightly as I could. "...Alysse, how long have you been in this town?" Alysse could''ve attacked. At this point, I had no doubt that if the Valkyrie wanted, she could beat me up with her hands tied and her eyes blindfolded if it all went down to physical. Alysse could''ve also pulled away, which was actually what I was expecting. I didn''t expect her to hold on to my hands as well. "Ten years, Rain." Her face was so sad, so brittle, but I needed to hear it from her. "Tell me, Rain. What does that tell you?" I forged on. "Tell me, Alysse. Were you the one who started this war?" "He called me a trophy wife!" Tears were already falling down her face. Seeing that, I looked away from her, letting her save the pride I knew she cherished. "I was so angry, I was enraged! But I didn''t mean to, never meant to do this to this town..." "So you stayed and tried." I finished for her. "You stayed for all of those ten years here to make amends, to try and make peace for the town you had unwittingly pushed to oblivion." Her hands were tight around mine. I took a look at them, and saw the lack of the ring I knew was tightly worn around the ring finger of the real person behind the woman in front of me. "But that isn''t all, isn''t it? After all, why did you even trust us then when Myrddin and I first met you? Why is it that I recognize your face inside my memories, even though I know nobody close to me has that face now? Why is it that when I hear your laugh, I reminisce about my childhood?" Alysse was like me. She was someone who cared for the beings that existed in this world. I was strange, Myrddin was strange, and so was she because all three of us had connections that allowed us to empathize with all the Adventurers. To Myrddin, it was his knowledge and the fact that he was studying Virtual Reality like me. To me, it was the fact that my father and uncle was part of the team that created Adventurers in the first place. To her? It was because she was wed with a man who was part of that team. It was because she had a son who felt the same thing as she did. Alysse was like me, or rather, I was like her without even knowing it. Somebody must''ve made an avatar that was like their real body before me, or otherwise Professor wouldn''t have known about the effects of such a decision. And considering the fact that it didn''t really have to be the same age... Brian and Rain. Alyssa and Alysse. Bodies that were the same yet different. The apple doesn''t fall far from the tree. "Mom." I said the name I had not called Alyssa Walters for so long. "Is this you?" A few hours later, I sent Myrddin a message. "Myrddin, get yourself ready over there. Meet us just outside of Thordinn while it''s dark. If you trust anyone over there, bring them as well. You, me, Alysse, and whoever you are bringing are going to make a secret excursion tonight." "We have a war to end before the sun sets tomorrow."
Would you send this message to ''Myrddin''? Yes/No
I hit the affirmative. Beside me - my mother - Alysse placing her hand on my shoulder as she bit her lips. "Are you sure we aren''t going to tell Brunhilda about this?" I hefted my staff behind me, already preparing to leave. It was still a few hours of travel before we would be at Thordinn, so there was logic in starting early. "Plan has changed. It''s better if she doesn''t get word of this before the plan is already underway." Alysse looked back at the town that her guilt had bound her to for an entire decade. I reached out a hand for her to hold. She took it.
Alysse has joined your party! Your party now has three members! Secret Requirement has been achieved! Through being a leader of a group you can call your own, you have received the title ''The Emperor (III)''!
"Let''s do this."
AN: ALRIGHT, LET''S GET THIS PARTY STARTED! Or not, considering I have to show one last Myrddin ''Solo Interlude'' chapter before that... tehe~! And did anyone expect the twist about Alysse''s identity? I worked on it to be a really huge surprise... if you think it''s an asspull, think again. Just look back at the Prologue if you want to see how I prepared for this twist since then. Anyways, things for me as a writer haven''t changed it seems. My reply count is still at eight for every brand new chapter. Hope it does this time around. It''s really disheartening. REVIEW AND REPLY, PLEASE!