《The Alternate Earth》 Prologue: Cadet Lieutenant Ao, Aeron (Author: Hello. I found a story in my USB I wrote that sounded cool. The only science fiction and fantasy story I wrote...that I actually like. There are a few chapters written. Gonna take some time to edit as the date on Microsoft Word says it was written during my graduation class year. Yikes. Well, enjoy. I wonder if I can add machines into this story.....Hopefully you like it. It is my current side project. My main story, Chronicles of the Tiger Immortal, will start the third book tomorrow. Enjoy.) -------------Prologue: Cadet Lieutenant Ao, Aeron--------------------- "Sir, why am I even here? I thought the Navy Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps. does not recruit until spirit week, like all the other clubs," a boy sighed. "I''m wearing my cadet officer uniform on the first day of school." "You know the CO, Cadet Commander Morales, Timmy. He always wanted to reach the cadet captain rank, Cadet Ensign Cruz. Unfortunately for you, Alpha Company was chosen as none of your battalions were the best of the month last year," another boy sighed. "Still, he ordered all the students at the officer ranks to wear our uniforms, hoping to inspire the new freshmen and transfer students to join. Don''t complain man. At least we get to wear rapiers at our hips. Even if they have blunt edges, it is better than the students who are not officers. They have to carry all the rifles and make an honor guard with the flag team." "We should have been gathering for early morning practice for Air Rifle. I''ve been waiting all summer for it. Unlike you, I''ve never been to the Junior Olympics for it," Eddy Cruz sighed. "Since NJROTC took one of your free senior classes, since magnet students only need three years of foreign language classes; what is your free class?" "Guitar," Aeron Ao, the Cadet Lieutenant of Bravo Company answered. "I need one more visual performing arts class to graduate. Unfortunately, magnet students need four years of science, history, math, and science instead of just four years of science and math. I wanted to join a sports team this year so NJROTC is my seventh period. I got in the basketball club this year so I have NJROTC afterschool instead of during school." "First Sergeant is not going to be happy. He probably wanted you to join the physical training team. You are our fastest runner," Eddy laughed. "It kind of sucks how the NJROTC program switched out Chief Park, an actual Navy retiree, for a Marine retiree. Man, he changed so many rules." "Just keep at attention at the front gate and endure until homeroom. You''re a junior now, little brother. I''ll see you at nutrition," Aeron said. "Come on, step brother. Save me," Eddy begged as he was forced to watch him leave and head to the gate. "Looking sharp, Aeron," Jorge laughed as Aeron appeared in his homeroom class. "You''re not at the front gate?" "I''m the CO, commanding officer, of Bravo Company. I''m not being punished as my company outshined Alpha Company last year," Aeron grinned, holding his white navy officer cap as he was indoors. "No one touched my guitar, right?" "Nah, man. I kept others clear of it," a student named Oscar laughed. "I tuned it a little as I played it. Jorge was busy checking out the hot girls in the halls outside." "What happened to that other girl you were dating from that other high school? I thought you don''t date girls from Franklin High School as you don''t want to date girls from our school?" Aeron asked. "Senior year is different. Now that the girls are comfortable with me, all I need to do is collect and select," Jorge said. "It''s a pity the girl I selected was into girls." This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. "A girl that pretty, it''s no wonder she is not satisfied with guys," Oscar nodded as they looked at Samantha flirting with Janet. "Didn''t you and her have sex?" Aeron asked Oscar. "Yeah. She''s a free spirit," Oscar laughed. "I think the drinks were mixed with beer during that summer party two months. It''s a damn shame I only remember from the middle of it to the end. Still, as her belly ain''t round, I ain''t a dad. Fuck. You know, Steven''s a dad now." "That jock was always flirting with the cheerleaders," Jorge shrugged. "Most of us are surprised he didn''t get a girl pregnant already." "Finally, the five minute bell," Aeron sighed. "I hope our senior year gets a Grad Night. Last year, they voted to go to California Adventure." "Oh yeah. That was lame. We better go to Six Flags. Most high schools send their senior students there anyway," Oscar agreed as the class began to fill with other students. "Whoa. Did you feel that?" Gary asked, appearing in the room before the final bell rang. "What? Something happen?" Aeron asked. "I felt the ground shake a little downstairs. I thought maybe...." Gary began as the whole school began to tremor violently. "Earthquake! Everyone get below your desks!" Aeron roared and all the students in his homeroom class hid under their desk, holding their backpacks as the floors and walls cracked. "Help me!" a student cracked as the floor broke, revealing the first floor below as a student desperately held onto the leg of his desk that was unable to fall through the hole. "Grab the guitar case," Oscar shouted as he held onto the handle of the metal case while the girl grabbed the straps on the side. "Thank you," the girl sobbed as he pulled her to him before the desk fell. "Don''t get up yet! With an earthquake this violent, the after shocks are sure to be like regular earthquakes," Aeron warned. Some of the students covered their ears as they heard the screams on their floor and the floor below. They could hear bones break and cement cracked as three after shocks appeared in quick succession. "I think it''s over," Oscar said after twenty mintues passed without another after shock. "Everyone alright? We all here?" Jorge asked. "Fuck. We only have us, the girl I think is our transfer student, Samantha, and Janet," Oscar answered, the girl he held nodding when Oscar thought she was a transfer student as he didn''t know her. "Let''s get outside first. Stick to the walls. The floor has to be unstable due to the many cracks," Aeron warned. "The armory and supply room is on the way. We''ll get some first aid kits and try to find the First Sergeant. He''s usually in there and the rooms are on the way to the soccer field where we are supposed to go after an earthquake." "I''ll carry your guitar," Jorge said as Oscar had to help the girl who had sprained her ankle. It seemed the desk banged into her ankle as it fell while Oscar pulled her to safety. "Is it the end of the world?" Jorge asked, unable to see anything from the window due to clouds of dust. "Don''t jinx it," Samantha said as she helped Janet, the girl having hit her had on the desk as she hid under it. "I''m Melissa. Thank you for saving me," the girl said. "Yeah. No problem," Oscar said. "Something''s wrong. Why are people screaming and cursing downstairs?" Aeron frowned as they all headed to the stairs. Suddenly, they heard a ping and saw a blue box appear in front of each of them. Chapter 1: No Zombie Heaven (Author: Hello! Finally edited the first chapter a bit. It took a while because I had to remember how to make tables again and improve some of the writing. I hope you enjoy it as it might be my only science fiction-ish story as I know I can''t write one without a bit of the fantasy genre element. By the way, I was actually a Cadet Lieutenant of the Bravo Company in my high school''s NJROTC program. The chain of command should have changed a lot. Why did this story have zombies? Resident Evil 5 was all the rage among my PlayStation 3 buddies. Never actually played it but I did play the free demo. Releases will be random, but I will write chapters for Chronicles of the Tiger Immortal and this story (after editing the chapters already written). Enjoy.) ----------Chapter 1: No Zombie Heaven---------------
System Announcement
Warning You and your entire school have arrived in an alternate dimension as a result of a Cosmic Quake. Previous areas of the brain have been accessible to allow humans from their own Earth to survive in the Alternate Earth. Unlocked: Status Screen.
"What the hell?" Aeron and Oscar cried. "Are we in a fucking game?" Jorge cursed. "No. We can''t be. It was only a powerful earthquake. The San Andreas Fault must have finally shifted," Samantha said. "How''d you know that?" Janet asked. "Don''t you remember? My name is Samantha Burns. In the middle school nearby, the geography teacher, Garret Burns, is my uncle," Samantha said. "It''s like Runescape! Maybe there really is a status screen. Let''s check it out," Jorge said, no longer angry and eager to see his stats. "Open status screen?" Aeron hesitated.
NameAeron Ao
TitleNone
Level 0No Class
Personal StatsStat Numbers
Strength9 (9)
Vitality10 (10)
Agility11 (11)
Stamina8 (8)
Spirit14 (14)
Resilience10 (10)
"This is a status screen? It does not display mana, health, or stamina points. Could it be that it goes down and rises up to the max number? It has to be. otherwise, why would there be two numbers for each stat," Aeron nodded, evaluating the status screen. "How do we increase our stats and level?" Jorge asked. As if answering him, another ping sounded in their ears and each of them saw another system announcement.
System Announcement
Warning The necessary people have all viewed their status screens. Increasing levels and status points require killing the enemy. Each Earth Human will receive a choice of three kinds of training weapons: sword, axe, and staff. Kills will drop items and is advisable to use them. Choices are irreversible. Each increase in level rewards 3 stat points. Every five levels results in one skill upgrade point. Strength: determines attack damage and physical strength. Also includes small percentage of damage ignoring armor. Vitality: determines health. If vitality is zero, the Earth Human dies. Also determines adds minimal increase to physical defense. Agility: determines speed and reflexes. Also increases chances of random dodge success rate. Stamina: determines energy and recovery rate of all stats but spirit. Spirit: determines magic attack and defense. Also determines mana capacity, effectiveness, and recovery rate. Resilience: determines physical defense. Also increases the effectiveness and durability of armor. Slight increase to magic defense.
System Announcement
Warning Aeron Ao must choose training weapon. Be advised only training weapons and dropped loot will not have damage decreased by half. Choices available Sword, Axe, and Staff
System Announcement
Warning Be advised that only 5 active, loot-drop abilities can be gained before level 40. Only 3 passive, loot-drop abilities can be gained before level 40. No more loot-drop abilities can be added or dropped as loot upon reaching level 40. Armor, weapons, and items are not applicable to this restriction. Class skills, both active and passive, are not applicable to this restriction. Skill points are used to increase the level of abilities.
"...I choose the axe," Aeron answered.
System Announcement
Choice is Made Aeron Ao has chosen Training Axe. Damage range: 0-5. Only training weapons can be upgraded without use of items. Only training items, and evolutions, never need to be maintained and will never break. Weapon level increases with owner. Restriction: Aeron Ao
A bright light shined and a steel axe with a smooth wooden handle floated before Aeron. Aeron grabbed it and stared at it. He waved it around and found that it felt unnaturally smooth in his hand. He noticed he was the only one that picked the axe. The rapier at his side could only do half damage. He drew it and held it in his left hand, his new axe in his dominant hand. "What do we do? I don''t see any of the adults," Janet cried. "We heard screams and we all heard the announcement. We have to get the fuck out of here before those enemies do show up," Jorge said. Although he was a little mean, Samantha liked Janet. He couldn''t help being a little jealous. "I found the teachers," Aeron said darkly, all his classmates covering their mouths in horror as a student was flung outside another room. Slowly, a decayed corpse came out. It looked like the Spanish teacher, Mrs. Dave; but she was dead! "Oh shit. She''s a zombie. A real life zombie," Jorge gasped. "Run," Oscar shouted, dragging Melissa behind him as he carried a steel sword with a simple black cross guard. "Go ahead," Aeron said. "We''ll see each other again. I have to save my step brother." "Good luck. Be sure to give her head a few extra whacks. Never did like her Spanish class," Jorge said. "She made me join the advanced placement class, AP Spanish, because I was a native speaker." Aeron did not follow them as he proceeded to zombie. He had to get to his NJROTC locker at the end of the hall, a special bonus for being a student at the officer rank at school. The school promoted the NJROTC and Police Academy program and always gave the higher ranks a permanent locker as they reached the rank. Even though others might have a new locker every year, they don''t. Inside his locker was two very important objects. One: the Ao Clan medallion his father had before he died when Aeron was seven. The other: the keys to his motorcycle. He tossed aside his guitar case and emptied his backpack except for food. He had to kill her before grabbing his guitar and find his brother. "Sorry, Mrs. Dave. I have to kill you now," Aeron growled as the zombie chomped on the student before looking at him. The student already had bite and claw marks. Aeron guessed that you only became a zombie if you were killed by one. This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.The zombie shrieked as it ran at him. Aeron though of her as a sparring partner in one of his fencing classes. He pointed his rapier at her and flicked his wrist as he lunged forward. His eyes widened as the sword seemed to do no damage as the point of the blunt sword pierced her chest two inches deep. Snarling, he pulled his sword and stabbed her in the thigh area above the knee. He jumped back as she still flailed her arms at him, not even feeling the pain in her leg. He saw that she was a level 3 zombie and cried out as he blocked a swing, his body slammed against the lockers. He grunted as he felt his left arm numb a little. His legs wobbled as his feet touched the floor and jumped back as she lunged at him. He watched as he hands made an inch deep dent on two different lockers. He looked to his right and saw the dead student rise to his feet, as if an invisible hand pulled his chest off the ground and made him upright. The zombie teacher howled as it turned to him. Gritting his teeth, he slashed his axe onto her shoulder. She made no noise as a squelching sound resounded and red brown blood sprayed onto him. He stabbed his sword through her arm and pushed it with both hands as he let go of his axe. He watched as the arm attached to the locker. The zombie shrieked at him, but Aeron retrieved his axe and hacked at her head. Her body trembled, but she still lived. It was only until he hacked at her twice that she died. Quickly, he pulled his rapier and saw only half the blade as the blade broke after so much damage from the zombie as it blocked the strike and prevented its arm from moving. Shouting, Aeron threw the broken rapier at the student zombie, the zombie much slower and weaker as it was only level 1. As its body drew back from the force, Aeron leaped high and hacked at its head, the blade sinking halfway into the head.
System Announcement
Aeron Ao has been promoted to level 1. 3 stat points are awarded. Stats cannot be added during battle.
System Announcement
Congratulations You are the first Earth Human to kill a zombie, and live. As the first person to kill a zombie, you are awarded a storage ring. Capacity is 4 foot length, 4 foot wide, and 4 foot high square storage space. Time does not move for items in ring. Item tier: 5 Restriction: Aeron Ao.
Aeron saw a white ring made of wood, with the image of a training axe on the ring, appear on his right index finger. He was ecstatic as he tested it on his guitar, seeing it disappear. He saw no items near the student zombie and walked over to the zombie Spanish teacher, his eyes widening as he saw a white cube, a small button a little deep beneath the surface. He picked up the cube and pressed the button. Three black coins, with the head of a dragon on one side, dropped into his hand. He guessed it was the currency of the Alternate Earth, due to the first system announcement saying he had to survive on Alternate Earth, and stored it in his storage ring. He noticed that items of the same kind did not take up more space than a single unit. He grinned as he knew he could store all the coins and not worry about them being stolen. He stared at the black books that dropped and touched it.
System Announcement
You have found a Skill Book. Skill tier 4: Healing. Uses mana to heal wounds and restore vitality. Consumption is 15MP. Each spirit increases MP by 5. Current maximum cast possible: 4.
System Announcement
Congratulations As the first person to kill a zombie teacher, you have shown that not even zombies of people you know will make you waver. Skill book awarded for being coldhearted and successful. Unfortunately, you have not shown enough to be awarded a title. Only 3 title can be equipped and can be only replaced with new titles by discarding one of the equipped titles. Skill tier 5: Summon: Blood Golem. A golem that becomes stronger by consuming the blood of its victims. Testament of its victories is evident through the blood diamonds that grows on its back, wrists and ankles. Level is the same as the owner. Can be re-summoned if destroyed. Consumption is all current spirit per summoning. Kills by the blood golem do not increase Aeron''s experience. This skill cannot be upgraded.
System Announcement
Aeron Ao has opened the skill book(s). Do you wish to learn Healing? Yes/No Do you wish to learn Summon: Blood Golem? Yes/No
"I want to learn both," Aeron grinned. Healing was a major skill for his arsenal. He would be able to solo areas, like in a video game, as he could heal himself. As he was obviously in a dangerous area, he accepted the blood golem as it would be able to tank. As two orbs of black light entered his body, the skill books disappeared. He immediately cast Summon: Blood Golem and felt his body grow weaker as a five foot high golem appeared. Its body was completely made of a strange rock, almost like it was made of meteorites. Currently, no blood diamonds were on its body. It silently followed him as he wore his backpack and ran to his locker. He retrieved his medallion and put it on his neck before placing a helmet on his head, putting the visor down to conceal his face. He took off his heavy black jacket and the shirt straighteners, letting his long-sleeved, white polo fall over his belt. He looked over some of the dead bodies and found a pair of shoes that fit. Whatever snacks he could find, he put them in his backpack. He found that he was unable to touch the training weapons, his hand going through them as if it didn''t exist. He tried to store all the water bottles he found, but discovered he could only stack water bottles of the same size and from the same company. He collected the water bottles and was able to stack ten of the same kind, only keeping two others in the outside pockets of his backpack. He checked his cellphone and found no signal. he could not even access the internet. He tossed it aside as he killed another zombie. As he was about to leave down the stairs, he saw a student bleeding to death. He had multiple bite wounds and a dead zombie lay beside him, a sword sticking from the chest. The boy smiled, coughing blood as Aeron walked to him. "Turns out you only turn into a zombie freak if you get killed by one. Lucky me right," the boy laughed. "Heard what you did back there. Good stuff. Shrieking zombies either meant they were killing someone or someone killed them. I don''t want to die, but I don''t want to die a zombie. Kill me man. Please. I don''t zombies go to heaven." "I can''t kill you," Aeron said, shaking his head. "For fuck''s sake, you killed a zombie! You killed someone, even if that person was already dead! You''re already a killer. I''m not asking you to be a murderer. I''m actually asking you to do it. If not you, then tell that cool golem to kill me. You''re pretty lucky, you know that. Magic and golems were the dream," the boy laughed, spitting more blood. "Do it! Do it now! I can feel the blood in me turn! It hurts so much!" Aeron closed his eyes and turned away as he said two words, "Kill him." "Thank you," the boy said as the blood golem walked down the stairs. Aeron could hear bones break and blood splash as the blood golem slammed his fist onto the boy''s skull. Aeron looked back and saw a headless boy, his bones caved inward as his empty neck spewed blood like a fountain. Aeron tossed the rapier''s scabbard, cleaned the axe, and fit the axe on his hip as he made a small loop hole for it. "I have to find my brother," Aeron said, doing the sign of the cross before heading down the stairs and exiting the building. He didn''t even notice some zombies, at the end of the hall, that did not even look human as some had horns growing from the head, dull grey skin, crimson eyes, and a great white shark-shaped teeth. Chapter 2: The Grey Zombies (Author: Hello! The random release is here. How many chapters? Well, there is sure to be the next chapter. Aeron kills two zombie students, a powerful Spanish teacher zombie, and a boy bleeding to death while he was still human. He could have saved the boy if he did not summon the blood golem. Remember the MP cost? Whenever he uses Summon: Blood Golem, he has to pay all his current spirit. In other words, all his mana if his golem is destroyed and he needs to summon it again. Thus, he could not cast Healing and save the boy. Still, his goal is to save his brother. Well, Eddy Cruz is actually his stepbrother when Eddy''s dad and Aeron''s mom married. Enjoy.) -------Chapter 2: The Grey Zombies-------------- "I''ll put 2 stat points into stamina and 1 stat into resilience," Aeron said, a black light appearing from his eyes as he felt his body re-energize. Now, only his strength stat was below ten. The training axe was great. As he leveled up, the damage output changed from (0-5) to (1-5). The reason he increased resilience was because he was afraid he would encounter another strong zombie. As for stamina, he needed stamina in case he needed to run or fight linger battles. When it came to zombies, he needed to increase his resilience and strength. He used an axe so he had to get in close range. He also planned on increasing his agility, when the zombies became too fast or moved in too large a group. He cocked his head to one side as he saw his blood golem ram through one zombie to tackle another, taking them both through the wall as they approached the honors student building. Taking his axe out, he ran inside the building. He frowned as he saw four zombies together, feeding on the corpse of a girl. He took advantage and ran at them, leaping high and beheading one zombie and leaned back to push kick another zombie. One looked up, but Aeron quickly hacked his axe into the skull of the zombie. He whistled and his blood golem appeared, tackling the zombie he kicked as he did a spin kick on the fourth zombie. "So glad I went to the mixed martial arts gym instead of a fitness gym," Aeron grinned and finished the zombie off as he hacked at the heart. He looked back and cringed as the blood golem stood up from the tackle, crushing the balls of the zombie. Of course, the zombie tried to get up and did not seem to feel any pain as it shrieked and tried to grab the golem. The golem merely spread out its arms and slammed open palms on the head, crushing the skull into paste. Just to be safe, Aeron cut off the head of the dead girl the zombies fed on. As he cut off her head, he heard a familiar ping.
System Announcement
Aeron Ao is promoted to level 2. 3 stat points are awarded.
"Add 1 point to resilience, 1 point to agility, and 1 point to stamina," Aeron said, feeling his body recovery and his muscles relax afterwards. "His homeroom is on the second floor. Blood golem, you head up the stairs first." The blood golem started for the stairs as Aeron picked up a few black coins. Coins dropped but loot items were incredibly rare. If he got a skill book, he would give it to his brother. He already possessed two skills, both of them at the fourth and fifth tier. He could only add 3 more active, loot-drop skills. He needed to choose them wisely and ensure that they were high tier skills. "How high do item and skill tiers go?" Aeron asked, as he had seen the system announcement occur when Jorge had a question.
System Announcement
Tier Evaluations Weapons, armor, and tiers all come in their own tier division. Each division has the same criteria: one as the lowest and ten as the highest. However, some items have level restrictions. Aeron Ao can only equip weapons and other loot from level 1 to 9 from Division 1. Division 2 items range from level 11 to level 19. If items are at this level or above, Aeron Ao cannot equip them. Training weapons are not restricted to level tier evaluations. Skills are evaluated only through tiers 1 to 10. No level tier divisions exist for skills. Skills can be learned at any level but will not be dropped from level 40 onward. Division 1: Levels 1-9 Division 2: 10-29 Unable to calculate level cap. Skill tiers are not categorized by Divisions.
"So this ring counts as a Division 1 item?" Aeron mused as he stared at the white wood ring and noticed the bodies on the floor. "Some of them died by parts of the roof or falling to the first floor. Luckily, this building did not have much zombies. My brother has to be okay. R-23. R-23. Here it is. Eddy! Eddy, are you in there?" "Big brother?" a boy cried. "Is that you? What about the four zombies?" "They''re dead. Open up," Aeron cried as he could not push the door open when he turned the door knob. "Hurry and unlock it. We also gotta remove the desk barricade," Eddy cried, murmurs heard from inside as Aeron could finally open the door. He stared around and saw a zombie dead and a girl and boy with his step brother. "Eddy? You alright?" Aeron asked, looking over him. "Yeah. That zombie was our homeroom teacher. Most of the students died from the earthquake or from panic attacks. it was horrible. I think the four zombies were the victim of our teacher. I think all the staff are zombies. I saw no dead adults on this floor as we scavenged for food and supplies," Eddy answered. "I picked a sword, like my other friends here. This girl is Jean. She''s my girlfriend." "Girlfriend?" Aeron frowned as the other boy stepped forward. "Hi. I''m Robert, Eddy''s best friend. Of course, you already know that," the blonde boy grinned as Aeron remembered seeing him at Eddy''s birthday party two months ago. "Where''d you get that golem? Are those diamonds? They look so cool, almost as if they were made of blood." "They are," Aeron said, stunning the three juniors. "We need to go. I would give you a skill, Eddy, but I found no more than the ones I used. The system announcement didn''t lie. We do find skills, from loot drops, in the form of skill books. If you want to learn it, or find out its description, open one. You can choose whether or not to learn it." "Right. Are we going to your motorcycle?" Eddy asked. "I can only carry me and another. I didn''t expect you to have....company when the end of the world came," Aeron said. "It''s not the end of the world. We were just taken from our own," Robert said. "There must be a way back. However, I would like to escape from the school first. Those horned zombies scare me. Them, with their crimson eyes and dull grey skin. Just seeing their shark teeth-shaped skin terrified me." "I saw none of those," Aeron said. "You must have been lucky. The weakest we saw, from looking out the window, was level 5. Most of them were level 7 and they usually travel in groups of three. They looked more intelligent than human zombies, but ate them. I think feeding on anything allows those zombies to level," Eddy said. "What about mom and dad?" "We only have each other now," Aeron said, looking at his brother in the eye. "Mom and dad are not stuck in this god forsaken place. We need to move. I don''t even want to see those zombies you described." "Right. Let''s go guys," Eddy said as he followed his brother, one hand holding Jean''s hand as he held his sword with the other. All three of them had heavy backpacks and they followed Aeron and his blood golem downstairs. Aeron held up a hand as he saw two grey, horned zombies. They looked like walking gargoyles, and their flesh seemed tougher on the skin not affected by decay. "System, what are those?" Aeron asked, the three eleventh graders looking at him. Their eyes widened as they heard a ping and saw the system box appear.
System Announcement
Zombie Appraisal You have encountered zombies that devoured enough regular zombies, living students, and fresh corpses. Upon reaching level five, the zombies evolve into horned imp zombies. Their grey skin hardens and their flesh decays slower, allowing this kind of zombie to survive without feeding longer than the previous form. Also possess higher strength and intelligence of a child.
If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. "So they are smarter. Like children, they flock together and explore if they are alone. Where is the third one?" Aeron asked. "It''s behind us, blocking the other exit," Robert whispered. The closer exit was covered by two zombies while the farther one was blocked by one. "You three need to level up anyway. Stick together and do flanking attacks. If I fall, just run past them," Aeron whispered, tightening his grip on the axe as he noticed one of the two was at the sixth level, triple his own level. He stared at the fire alarm at the bottom of the stairs. Children were scared by foreign sounds. He would have to rely on that. "I can''t leave without you," Eddy said, shaking his head as he held onto Aeron''s arm. "We can''t be weak-willed on this planet," Aeron snapped silently. "You need to prioritize yourselves to survive. We can''t always be together. You know this. I''m sure one of the dead bodies, upstairs, is a senior with a key for the student parking. Go up the stairs, find the key, go to the other stairway at the end of the hall, and ambush that zombie. You have two people depending on you. If I don''t appear at the parking lot in half an hour, leave without me. Until then, secure the area, level up, and secure any food. Break into the armory and get the oxygen tanks, air rifles, and pellets. Even if the damage is halved, they can still damage the zombies. Of course, prioritize breaking into the supply room." "B, but," Eddy started and felt comfort with Jean''s hand holding his a little tighter. "Okay. You have to survive, brother. I''m going on ahead." "Stay alive and good luck. I can''t watch your back anymore. I''ll pull the fire alarm when I see you at the stairs on the other side of the hall. Hopefully, it will provide you with enough of a distraction to kill it.," Aeron said sadly, hugging his brother. "I''ll go scout ahead. I have agility close to ten already," Robert said and was followed by Eddy and Jean shortly after. "We''ll meet up at soon. You have to be there!" Eddy whispered before he disappeared up the stairs. "I''ll try," Aeron said silently and waited until he could see his brother on the other side of the hall. "Golem, tackle them," Aeron cried as he ran to the fire alarm, pulling it just as he ducked a lunge from the weaker zombie. The zombies covered their ears at the foreign ringing sound. Higher intelligence means more attention to the body. Thus, of course they would be able to feel pain. He saw the blood golem tackle the level 6 zombie as he tried hacking at the level 5 zombie. He stared up at the lights and tossed his backpack aside, taking out one of the water bottles and spraying the zombie with water. "Golem! Throw this one at the lights," Aeron roared as he and the golem switched foes. The golem grabbed the zombie and tossed it up. The wet zombie broke through the light bulb and was electrocuted. As it fell, the golem did a right upper cut, lengthening the neck of the zombie as the neck broke and almost tore off. However, Aeron was not so lucky. The zombie''s skin was too hard, his axe only creating a scratch as he hacked at the shoulder. Aeron''s right arm was grabbed, and it threw him through the wooden door to the classroom across from him. He spat out blood and saw his vitality fall by two. The zombie just threw him and he suffered so much damage! Scared, he used his healing and recovered as the golem charged at the zombie. This time, it was prepared and was only pushed back a foot before it lifted the golem and smashed it on the floor. Aeron got up and rushed at the zombie. Just as the zombie raised its arm to block a hack, Aeron slowed into a spin and sliced at the zombie''s waist. The zombie stepped back and Aeron did a high kick to its face. As his blood golem stood up, Aeron grabbed one arm of the zombie and slammed it on the ground, using the zombie''s own weight against it as he lifted it over him using his arm and one foot to push it up. "Stomp on the head!" Aeron roared and the golem stomped with its left foot as the zombie was dazed. The zombie shrieked, spitting out teeth and pushed the golem''s foot away as the golem attempted another. "Stay down!" Aeron roared as he slashed at the head over and over until he felt no energy in his arm and slumped to his knees.
System Announcement
Aeron Ao is promoted to level 3. 3 stat points are awarded.
"2 stats in strength and 1 in vitality," Aeron panted, his body feeling better after a black light shined from his eyes.
System Announcement
Aeron Ao is promoted to level 4. 3 stat points are awarded.
"1 stat in strength and 2 stats in agility," Aeron said. Agility was a must and he had enough strength to make the risk of close quarters worth it. His training axe also increased from (1-5) to (3-8). He picked up over two dozen coins and stared as he saw two white boxes. He opened the first box to reveal crimson and black fingerless gloves.
System Announcement
Acquired Black Ember Glove You have killed a zombie triple your level and awarded accordingly. Gloves increase spirit+2 and vitality+3 when worn. Adds +3 fire damage to all attacks. +10% fire resistance. Item can be upgraded.
Aeron eagerly put on the fingerless glove on his right hand, admiring the black glove with the crimson ember on the back of the glove. What a great find. He had never found a loot drop that gave him armor until now. He picked up a dozen black coins and rubbed his hands before opening the second box to see a black skill book.
System Announcement
Aeron Ao found a Skill Book. Tier 3 skill: Frost Enchantment. This skill book is the first sustained skill ability dropped. Able to enchant the caster''s own weapons and a single piece of armor or clothing at a time +2 resilience on wearing the enchanted armor. +3 frost damage. +10% frost resistance MP Cost: permanent loss of three spirit points until ability is deactivated. User cannot enchant other people''s weapons or armor. This skill can be upgraded.
"Holy shit! It''s even better than my gloves! Especially upon reaching level 5 and gaining a skill upgrade point, the skill can easily be upgraded! I better give this to Eddy. I need an offensive skill," Aeron nodded and stored the skill book in his storage ring. "I wonder how items are upgraded. There''s also the empty class section in my status screen. I don''t have to find a trainer, like in the video games, do I?" He slumped against the wall and rested as the golem slowly repaired itself as its body absorbed the blood of the zombies. Both wrists had blood diamonds now. Once his stamina reached 10 (11) on his status screen, Aeron finally left and headed for the parking lot. He only recovered some of his stats, but his stamina should be fine to escape weaker zombies. If only he fully recovered upon leveling.
NameAeron Ao
Level 4No Class
TitleNone
Personal StatsStat Number (max)
Strength12 (12)
Vitality10 (11+3)
Agility14(14)
Stamina10 (11)
Spirit14 (14+2)
Resilience12 (12)
Chapter 3: Event Complete (Author: Hello! This chapter took a long time to edit. Thanks to his blood golem, Aeron is able to reach his brother safely. He reunites with his brother only to be separated due to three zombies that evolved upon reaching level 5. Using his wits and mixed martial arts training, he succeeds against a level 5 and level 6 grey zombie with his blood golem. He also finds his first loot armor and a sustained, support ability for his brother, Eddy. Nearly recovering vitality and spirit when wearing the ring, Aeron rests to recover some stamina before heading to the parking lot. Note: 1 spirit equals 5 MP, 1 vitality equals 10 HP, and 1 stamina equals 5 SP.Enjoy.) ---------Chapter 3: Event Complete----------------- "Leveling really is convenient. The student zombies are much easier to kill now," Elgar smiled as he hacked at one zombie''s neck while doing a low kick on another and beheading it as it crashes on the ground. "Will Eddy be okay? Yes, he should be. He goes to the boxing gym on the weekends. Even if he doesn''t know how to use a complex weapon, like the sword, he should be confident with his punches, jabs, and footwork." "Huh? Who is that?" a boy asked as he and another student were on top of the bars of the obstacle course''s rope climb. "That''s Cadet Lieutenant Ao!" another boy cried. "Quick, let''s go!" the first boy shouted and ran, holding his staff as the second boy held onto a sword. "Sir! Sir!" the second boy cried, Aeron turning his head back as he saw two cadets, one of them wearing a khaki uniform that suggested he was part of Alpha Company as only the cadets below the officer rank had to wear the uniform and participate in the honor guard if they were in Alpha Company. Alpha Company comprised of periods one, two, and three. Bravo Company comprised of four, five, six, and the seventh period class. Each period was a platoon named after the military alphabet. First period was Alpha Platoon, second period was Beta Platoon, and so on. "Cadet Myers?" Aeron frowned, recognizing the second boy as he was a part of Bravo Company. As he was a cadet lieutenant, he was Bravo Company Commander and was in charge of overseeing the progress of the cadets and ensure the ribbons, medals, and rank promotions were awarded on time, the promotion in rank only if they passed their test. Cadet Myers failed the Cadet Petty Officer Second Class promotion test twice and finally succeeded just before the end of last year. "Sir!" Cadet Myers panted as the other boy, Han, J. on the other boy''s nametag, fought off a zombie and smashed his staff on the head multiple times before rushing over. "Finally, a person who isn''t dead or undead." "You were atop of the rope climb?" Aeron asked as the other boy arrived. "Sir, Cadet Hans, James," the boy saluted, seeing the long sleeve shirt and knew he was an officer as regular cadets just wore a khaki shirt with e plain white T-shirt inside. "Sir, where''s your officer jacket and black, shined shoes?" "We''re not on Earth anymore. Class is over, indefinitely, and the jacket weighs me down and makes me sweat more. Sweat is a definitive sign of loss in stamina. What level are you two?" Aeron asked. "I''m level 1 and Frankie just reached level 1 but is uncomfortable with killing zombies," James said. "I can''t kill zombies that used to be my friends. Others, I can kill fine," Frankie sighed. "It''s just too much. People always said the second and senior years are the best. Cool golem by the way. If only I had a skill too." "No time for complaints. We need to head to the cafeteria and secure some food. Have you seen any other students?" Aeron asked. "I saw Cadet Cruz, your brother, exit from the armory and supply with weapons. However, there was a horde of ten zombies between them and us so I didn''t dare call out and risk us all getting killed," Frankie nodded as Aeron unbuttoned his long sleeve and let his sleeveless shirt fall over the belt. The weather was getting warmer as morning was turning to noon. They first ran into the NJROTC classroom to see if anyone was there. They only saw a single zombie that was quickly killed by the blood golem. For sentimental reasons, Aeron put a cadet lieutenant rank on his right lapel while he put a gold NJROTC bar on his left lapel of the long sleeve. He worked hard to reach the rank and preferred to keep it. As Frankie and James broke into the student store to pack some snacks, Aeron went to the connected second room where the officers gather and contained the offices of First Sergeant and Commander. Aeron had the golem break into Commander and First Sergeant''s offices and grabbed a large, wheeled suitcase from within. Inside was the air rifle he had personally won as an award from last year''s Junior Olympics. Inside was the rifle, five full oxygen cylinders used to fire the air rifle, a miniature oxygen tank, sharp and flat pellets, and a cleaning and maintenance kit. He quickly put it in his storage ring and joined the others. "Frozen pizza with everything on it. I think it''s best we ate them as we packed the foods and snacks that didn''t spoil," James said, handing a cooked pizza to Aeron. "Good idea," Aeron nodded as he put some granola bars and some packaged cookies into his backpack. As they ate, Aeron also put some frozen cheeseburgers and instant noodles into his storage ring and made sure they were all the same flavor and made by the same company. "Did any of you find a skill?" Aeron asked as they left the classroom and headed to the parking lot. "I was lucky enough to get a tier 2 skill: Fire Ball. It consumes 50 MP but the damage is huge. I can literally blast a hole in the wall from it exploding, with extra fire damage afterwards. However, I only have 11 Spirit so I can only cast it once . I need to wait for my spirit to recover the 10 spirit, 50 MP, before casting it again. Hopefully, zombies cluster so it is worth the cast," James said. "Frankie did not find a loot ability. I learned you can give skill books away, but you can''t grab loot that isn''t yours. I experimented as I gave my skill book to Frankie, but he had 8 spirit and gave it back. Frankie couldn''t help me pick up my loot either. I have a few black coins. Think its the currency of this game?" "It''s not a game. If it was, I would have saved, logged out, and never come back," Frankie muttered as they approached the south gym. Past it would be the student parking lot. "How''d you recognize me anyway?" Aeron asked as they slowed near the south gym. "It''s pretty rare to see a Chinese American in the valley. Also, you have dark brown hair and blue eyes with a Chinese face. You are the only one in NJROTC who went to the Junior Olympics for Air Rifle since the start of the program. Naturally, a lot of people know of you and I am a cadet of Bravo Company. I have to know your name and rank as part of my knowledge during my inspection," Frankie answered. "We can grow our hair out now," James grinned. "I missed having curly hair." "We''re close to the south gym now. We have to stay quiet. The south gym would be where most people escaped to as it is the largest, open-spaced building," Aeron warned, putting a finger in front of his mouth to quiet them. The other two nodded as Aeron peeked inside the building. "How many are there?" James asked. "Fifteen, all of them members of the cheer leading squad. I see two girls on top of the basket ball board and a fallen ladder next to it as the supply room door is open. I''m guessing they got up there when they saw the zombies," Aeron answered. "As there are too many zombies, most of them are at level 1. However, there is a grey zombie at level 5." "We can take them," Frankie said, looking at the golem which became a pillar of support and comfort. "We have your badass golem with those diamonds." "It would be best to kill them. If the two girls died, they might head to the parking lot," Aeron thought and nodded. "I''ll cover the flanks and Frankie can guard my back as you kill the grey zombie. Fighting that thing is suicide for us," James said. "I''ll shout at the girls to drop down and fight so we can do a pincer attack." "It''s like you''re playing that game of yours," Frankie sighed as Aeron moved in. "Blood golem, charge at the grey zombie, ram any other zombie on your path," Aeron ordered and followed the blood golem. Any zombie it crashed into lost an arm as it was slammed to paste. The grey zombie shrieked and all the zombie ignored the girl as they charged at the golem. James yelled at them and one girl went down, a sword in her hand, and attacked the closest zombie to her as the other girl violently shook her head and stayed atop the board. Aeron did a left hook on one weak zombie on his path, blasting a part of its head off as it flew two feet and died on the ground. Aeron''s eyes widened as he saw four more zombies come out the supply room. Three of them were at level 3 while one was at level 5! The black haired girl looked back and immediately ran to where Aeron was as the four zombies charged. Upon a closer look, the girl was Selene, a rather smart girl who was also a member of the girl''s volleyball and tennis varsity team. Although a bit weird, she used her sword like a tennis racket'' slashing with the edge instead of a flat racket. "You''re Aeron Ao!" the girl said, seeing him fight the grey zombie as he approached it. She watched as threw the axe first, doing a low kick as the axe hit the zombie and forced it to fall on the ground. Quickly, Aeron ran over and jumped up, extending his foot as he fell and crushed one of the zombies arm. Running to the limp arm''s side, he pulled the axe and kicked the back of the knee of the zombie as it tried to rise. As it fell on one knee, Aeron put his right arm across his head and beheaded the zombie as he slashed horizontally. He quickly killed the nearby zombies and nodded at Selene, pointing his thumb behind him to tell her to help James and Frankie. She nodded as he ran to the three level three zombies, the blood golem taking two down with a flying tackle as Aeron beheaded the last weaker golem before coming face-to-face with the level 7 zombie.
System Announcement
Aeron Ao is promoted to level 5 3 stat points award. Stat points cannot be distributed in combat. 1 skill upgrade point awarded. Golem has gained a new ability. Ability cannot be added during combat.
"Use skill upgrade point on Healing," Aeron roared as he rushed at the zombie, the zombie shrieking and punching at the axe as it cam down.
System Announcement
Skill has been upgraded. Healing has now become Healing Level 2. Due to devotion to healing, you have increased the effectiveness of the skill. You have improved a noble skill that would cause others to revere you. Dislocations, cuts, sickness, and scars can now be healed with one cast. Fractures and broken bones still require multiple casts. Diseases cannot be healed. Cost: 15 MP
"Golem, help me!" Aeron roared as zombie did a soccer kick at him, Aeron flying and doing a back flip to land on his feet as he blocked the kick with his axe. His right arm numb, he switched the axe to his left hand. The grey zombie patted its fist that blocked the axe, seeing a small burn on the skin. The ground shook and cracked as the golem ran and slammed into the zombie with all three hundred pounds of its body. The zombie shrieked and threw the golem back, sending it to the wall, a small dent apparent due to the strength of the throw and the golem''s weight. "Whoa! It tossed the golem like a potato sack," Frankie said as he, James, and Selene finished the rest of the zombies. Frankie reached the second level while James and Selene reached the third level. James was surprised and guessed Selene must have killed a few zombies before hiding on the board above the basketball court. "We have to help," Selene said but was stopped by James and Frankie. "The level difference is too much," James said. "We are out of combat now. Loot the zombies and pick a skill. I saw two white boxes drop from the ones I killed. I''ll just keep the black coins. We have to go around them and save that other girl." Aeron grunted as he blocked another kick, his vitality going down by two now. As the grey zombie rushed at him, he picked up a zombie head and threw it at it. The zombie slowed as it flailed its arms and got hit on the chest near the neck. Aeron stepped to the side and hacked his axe down, cutting off a piece of the zombie''s right arm. He threw his motorcycle helmet like a football, the helmet hitting the zombie''s eyes. The zombie shook its head as it unconsciously closed its eyes before it got hit. Aeron ran and pushed the zombie''s head to the side with his left hand and hacked at the back of the neck with the right. He cut twice but the zombie flailed its arm, knocking Aeron to the ground. The blood golem had recovered most of its broken body and tackled the zombie with its shoulder as it rose and started for Aeron. Aeron cast healing, recovering some bruises as he rand five steps and threw the axe with all his might, his shoulder cracking as he pulled a muscle and crashed on the ground. The axe spun and hit the zombie at the ribs, a small ember appearing from the wound. As it was on the same side as the unbroken arm, the zombie had a tough time reaching to its back to grab the handle and continued to burn. Suddenly, its eyes seemed to dull and it fell to the side before the golem reached it. As Aeron healed himself with Healing again, he saw a white box appear next to the zombie''s head as he heard another ping.
System Announcement
Aeron Ao is promoted to level 6. 3 stat points awarded. Current unused stat points: 6
"I want +1 stat for vitality, +2 stamina, and +3 resilience," Aeron said, feeling his body get better as a black light shined in his eyes. His breathing became steady and he stood up and looked at the white box, finding only two dozen coins and small revolver.
System Announcement
Congratulations Aeron Ao has found Bone Dragon Pistol. You have proven that sticks and stones really do break bones. Using a training weapon most people didn''t use, you killed the mini boss. For having the greatest courage, your gun has the knockback of a shotgun blast that fired at point blank range upon hit or penetration. Pistol is given as reward drop for killing the strongest mini boss of an area. Pistol fully reloads after 5 minutes. Max bullets in chambers: 6. Restriction: Aeron Ao.
Aeron stared at the side of the silver metal gun and saw a skeleton dragon on both sides, its serpentine body flying as if chasing the bullet out the gun. He put the revolver in his storage ring, making sure the safety was on first. He would have tried it, but he didn''t want to waste it. Even if it was six bullets, he never had training with a pistol before. The golem supported him as the others ran to him as he put his axe on his hip. He put the helmet back on and sighed as he could finally breathe calmly. "Holy shit! You killed it. Damn. It looked pretty nasty out there," Frankie said. "What level are you? I reached level 2 while James and Selene reached level 3." If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. "Level 6," Aeron answered, the rest of the gaping their mouths as the other girl joined them. "Thank you for saving me," the girl smiled, James and Frankie narrowing their eyes in disappointment as she cowered up there during the fight. "Let''s go," Aeron said, not even paying attention to the girl as she offered no help and looked at the girl. "You''re on your own. I can''t have people dragging me back. You clearly refuse to fight, even if someone tries to save you. You''re a liability. You can go to the NJROTC office for some snacks and refrigerated food. We didn''t get them all. If you try to follow us, my golem will crush you. I''ve seen the zombie shows. I don''t need a potential traitor and backstabber in my group." The girl cried and begged for help, even clinging on Selene. Selene sighed and pushed her away. Selene didn''t even know the girl as she must have been a recruit. She knew Aeron was right, even if the assessment was harsh. You could depend on others, but the best person to rely on was yourself. With them, Selene could level and she trusted Aeron. They weren''t close friends but they hung out when Aeron had basketball practice while the cheerleaders would cheer for them in games. She couldn''t trust a stranger as Selene could not predict what the girl could do. "The others won''t be as strong as that, right?" Frankie asked as Aeron cast Healing on himself. "I just got my new skill." "Oh? You found a skill book?" Aeron asked. "What are the skill?" "It''s a tier 1 skill called Rocket Punch. Costs 10 SP, or 2 stamina, with a thirty second cool down. Does twice the normal damage. I have to be within two feet of the enemy. The skill launches me forward, covering my fist in gold light as I bash the target. I have to look at the target while doing it. No other action can made while activating the skill. It will be better once I reach level 5," Frankie grinned. "I found the first weapon skill: Triple Strike," Selene said. "The attack ignores enemy armor and does normal damage for each strike. I also create a bleeding effect that takes 5 HP every ten seconds for ten seconds. Pretty much 1 vitality. Of course, the damage is decreased on enemies at my level and above, but the 5 HP remains. It is a tier 4 skill." "I forgot to tell you but my skill is also a tier 6 skill: Fortress Body. I can ignore all pain for three seconds and nullifies all abnormal stats. Cool down is one hour. It costs 15 SP though so I can''t use it sparingly. If you run out of stamina, your body feels sluggish and heavy," James said, shocking Selene and Aeron. As James experimented with giving the skill book to others with Frankie, Frankie was not surprised and nodded his head. "You had two skill books?" Aeron frowned. "I didn''t believe it was real and I cast my Fire Ball earlier. Fortress Body requires a fifth of my total MP. Even if the skill upgrades, I don''t think the cost will change as it is way too good," James sighed. "I''m focusing on being a mage and this skill will save my life. I''ll probably increase my resilience, agility, and stamina. Don''t expect me to carry stuff or melee." "I want to be a mage too. It''s too bad there are no mage skills," Frankie sighed. "Two mages will be a good addition to the group," Aeron brooded as he led the others to the parking lot. "Big brother!" Eddy cried, running and hugging his brother as Aeron appeared. "You guys made it okay?" Aeron asked and frowned. "Where''s Robert?" "The grey zombie got him as it chased us," Jean answered. "Eddy managed to kill it but we had no way to save James as he was bleeding to death as the zombie bit his neck. Robert killed himself to not die a zombie." "It''s okay Eddy. He knew the risk," Aeron soothed and Eddy stopped crying after a few seconds. "We need to go. Where''s the ride?" "There!" Eddy said, pointing at a pickup truck. It looked a year old and had some bird crap on the hood as it was parked under the tree. "It belonged to a senior whose died own a moving company. It''s big and should be able to ram through zombies with ease. I reached level 3 and Jean is also level 3." "Good. Here is a tier 3 skill book: Frost Enchantment. Quickly learn it and apply it on your training sword and a piece of clothing you wear," Aeron said, giving the skill book to Eddy. "Thanks big brother," Eddy said, learning the skill. Soon, snowflakes fell from his sword as his pants seemed to cover themselves in runic symbols. "Argh!" Selene cried, as zombie burst from the football area, grabbing her. Everyone turned to look but she was already dragged onto the ground, being bitten by over ten zombies as dozens more appeared. "Get to the truck!" Aeron shouted, James shooting a fireball at the zombies. As he slumped over, Frankie put his arm on his shoulder and they rushed to the pick up truck. As they ran, Aeron watched the fireball burn through five zombies before exploding. A ten foot diameter crater was left where the zombies and Selene was. "Wait for me!" the girl from earlier cried as she appeared. "What are you waiting for?" Aeron roared as he, the golem, and James were at the back of the truck as Eddy buckled up and started the truck while Jean and Frankie sat inside. "There''s a person!" Eddy said as the girl got closer. "Please wait!" the girl cried, flailing her arms as if she wished she could grab them and hold them in place. Jean took out a air rifle, put the oxygen cylinder in, loaded a flat pellet and fired the rifle. Aeron looked back at her as she managed to clip the shoulder of one of the zombies that managed to grab the girl''s shoulder. The zombie lost its grip and fell onto the ground, its body and head crushed as other zombies continued the chase. "Damn. Even I''m not that good a shot," Frankie whistled. "I used to hunt back in Canada," Jean said as the girl reached the truck and got in the back. Holding her legs as she sat away from Aeron. "I''ll fight. I swear. Please don''t leave me," she sobbed. "Just drive," Aeron said, Eddy nodding as he hit the reverse and then drove forward and out the gate.
System Announcement
Congratulations. You completed event: School''s Out Forever. Due to your unshakable will to survive, you all escaped from the school using any means possible. Suddenly appearing in a world not your own, zombies have attacked and you learned about magic. Only five exits were available in the school. Aeron Ao and co. escaped through the south west exit. Your group of 6 are the 22nd to 27th people to escape. You will now venture into a world that is both similar and vastly different than your own. You must reach the outskirts of the city to truly escape the zombies and other dangers. No one will help you. No one will save you. The only person who can is you. Awards +1 level up +1 random loot drop containing either a skill, item, armor, or weapon.
"+1 spirit and +2 agility," Aeron said as he heard another ping.
System Announcement
Quest Update You are all people who came to Alternate Earth through the Cosmic Quake. You must reach level 10 and escape the city within ten days. Find residents of this world and find a place of refuge. Residents found in the outer areas of cities. Do note that some residents are hostile and most are not human. Awards +1 level up +1 Division 2 armor. +1 free item upgrade Unlock the next quest Failure Death Torturous pain until escape from Unknown City Undeath as Zombie
"What the fuck!" Frankie cried as they all read the system announcement. "Escaping from the zombie infested school, with our very lives on the line, was an event? Too fucked up. How you holding up James?" "A little better as I added on stat to spirit as usual," James grinned weakly as they looked at each other from the back window. "Can you tell Eddy to drive faster? The sooner we get out, the better." "I will fight. I will fight," the girl cried as she crawled back as Aeron looked at her. "It''s as if she is seeing a rapist," Frankie said and got hit by an elbow from Jean. "Ow! That hurt! Fine. I admit I said something stupid." "What level are you now?" Aeron asked. "Level 5," she said, everyone looking at her in shock as Eddy nearly pressed the brake. "What? How did you reach level 5?" Frankie asked. "I was level 4 before the system announcement just now. I was the one who did the fighting before, back in the south gym. However, Selene attacked me from behind and forced me to give her the skill book I got. When she saw you guys, she hissed at me to stay at the board," the girl said. "It''s not like I didn''t want to fight. I was--" "Afraid to be betrayed again. I''m sorry. I misjudged you," Aeron said, casting Healing on her. "Whoa! You know healing magic?" Frankie said. "I saw the light but I thought it was a buff!" "Thank you," the girl said, no longer afraid of Aeron kicking her out the truck. "My name is Cindy Fan. I''m a transfer senior student. I used to be home schooled in my home in China Town. I know a tier 5 skill: Golden Needle. It costs 20 MP and has a ten minute cool down. I can create a golden needle which pierces and paralyzes my target for fifteen seconds. It has a range of three meters and is ineffective on those above my level." "That''s really good," Aeron nodded. "Sorry about before. My brother and I are my priority and I needed strong individuals who can help us survive together." "I can understand. I lost my first friend in school. It''s only a shame I had to kill her when she tried to eat Selene," Cindy nodded as Eddy made a left turn and kept heading south east. Aeron looked her over and she was not bad. Although her face as a little round, her body was quite fit. It was no wonder she was able to run from all the zombies and kill so many. She was the second strongest as James, Jean, and Eddy were at level 4 and Frankie was at level 3.
System Announcement
Loot Drop Decided For completing the quest: School''s Out Forever, you were awarded a random loot. After going through the randomizer, a Division 1 shield was decided.
System Announcement
You have received Energy Shield. As the escapee who killed the strongest zombies, you have proven your training with the axe. Your shield makes you a tank and aggravates your foes. Your shield is a black steel gauntlet that creates a rectangular shield made of energy when held during activation. If broken, has a twenty four hour cool down before repair. If you had a real shield, the stat bonuses would be tripled with half the hostility. As you already have a right-handed glove, the item has been remodeled to fit the left hand. Shield special ability: self-repair. +1 to all stats. +2 to resilience. +10 Hostility from zombies. +2 Hostility from all other enemies. Restriction: Aeron Ao
"So awesome!" Frankie cried, holding a white belt as Aeron saw the gauntlet appear on his hand. "It restores my vitality by 10 every two hours. Sweet!" "This necklace is pretty," Jean said as she wore a diamond necklace. "My vitality went up by 10. What did you get Eddy?" "I got a pair of boots that increases by agility by 4 and my stamina by 3," Eddy said pointing at the purple shoes next to him as he kept his eyes on the road. "I got a hair pin that increases my resilience by 2, my stamina by 3, and my vitality by 5. Aeron, does it look okay?" Cindy asked as she put it on. "It''s nice," Aeron nodded as he stared at the white pin with a black cat with jade eyes on top. "I got a tier 3 skill: Ice Shard," James said. "I''m definitely a mage now. The MP cost is also low." "What? I''ll trade! Wait, my belt says its restricted to me! Some items are restricted?" Frankie pouted and banged his fist as he laid back in the truck. "Why can''t I learn magic? Why?" "I am trying to drive here! Keep your eyes around and make sure we don''t get surrounded!" Eddy shouted, silencing them all. "My golem gained an ability before," Aeron thought as everyone was excited from their drops. "Diamond Barrage. Able to shoot the blood diamonds out its body. Does damage based on half of owner''s damage. Able to transfer 5% of damage dealt to owner as HP." "Inspect Golem," Aeron whispered and a status screen of the golem appeared. [tdr]
Summoned CreatureBlood Golem
OwnerAeron Ao
Level7
Personal StatsStat Numbers
Strength30
Vitality14
Agility15
StaminaNot applicable
Spirit23
Resilience28
Special AbilityDiamond Barrage
"......seriously?" Aeron gasped, stunned. Personal golems were nice. Real nice. He made a mental note to beware enemy golems. Their vitalities would be higher as his was more of a mage''s golem than a warrior''s golem. "Wait a minute. My motorcycle....fuck. I guess I don''t need the helmets and keys. I''m gonna miss that Ducati." "We can try to sneak back," James said, as he saw Aeron toss his two motorcycle helmets, rubbing his head to get rid of the helmet hair. He had hair below an inch long so it didn''t look any different save for being a little spiky on the top. He kept the keys in the hope that one day, he would return and retrieve it. "It''s too late," Aeron sighed, leaning against his golem and closed his eyes. "I am gonna take a nap. I''ve been fighting for so long and I feel drained. Eddy, avoid the alleys but don''t drive on the wider roads. We need to avoid the more populated areas as they will have less zombies." "Slight problem. We only have a about half a tank left," Eddy answered, everyone staring at him in disbelief. Chapter 4: Ambush in China Town (Author: Hello! That last chapter took way too long to edit. This is also the last chapter I wrote in high school and the last of the spam release. The chapters also seem long because of the tables. Anyway, Aeron leaves the school and finds out it was all an event. It was as if he was part of a cruel game by whoever or whatever made the system announcement system. Escaping from the zombies, Aeron and company now face new terrors and learn that the terror doesn''t end with zombies. The terror starts after them. Enjoy.) -----------Chapter 4: Ambush in China Town------------------- "And we''re out of gas," Eddy said as the truck slowed to a stop. "Ramming zombies and the extra weight took a toll on the truck." "Least we''re thirty miles out," James said as they all got of the truck. "Up ahead is China Town. We entered the most populated area in the south western part of the city," Aeron sighed. "It''s better than going north or east. The buildings go on for miles and west is the neighborhoods full of packed houses. In zombie movies, those areas scream of death. At least one major character dies there," James said. "East would be worse. It''s downtown. If we proceed, through China Town, we can use the Metro to get out of Los Angeles." "We can also go to Olvera Street. They have a bunch of cool souvenirs and---" Eddy started. "We''re trying to escape the city, not tour it," Jean said. "I just want a magic skill. Let me at them," Frankie said, his mood bitter as he still did not have one. Now that his spirit was above ten, he had more than fifty MP. If it was a powerful spell, like James''s Fire Ball, he could cast it once as well. They all saw a large suitcase appear out of nowhere. Aeron took out an air rifle, loaded the oxygen tank, and put a flat pellet in it and gave it to Eddy. Eddy frowned as his brother gave him the air rifle he worked so hard to get. Then, his brother gave him a sausage can full of flat pellets and tossed the suitcase away as he gave his brother two more oxygen tanks and looked at him. "Use the Frost Enchantment ability on that rifle and use it. We need long range fighters and you don''t really know how to fight with a weapon besides an air rifle," Aeron said. "We need to move. I''m pretty sure the more days that pass, the stronger the zombies and whatever else is here will be." "Right. Jean, Frankie and I will use the air rifles. We got enough air rifles and pellets for it. We''ll fight if the numbers are too great. I''m sure certain areas that are hit will have suffer more damage. Kind of like a weak point for a critical hit," Eddy nodded, holding the gold rifle while the others carried a black one. "I can also practice using Ice Shard. It only costs 5MP per use," James grinned. "That is totally unfair. That''s only 1 spirit per cast," Frankie sighed. "We should check up on our status screens. Try to see if we can see a mini map or something," James said, everyone nodding as they checked their own status screens.
NameAeron Ao
Level 7No Class
TitleNone
Personal StatsStat Numbers
Strength12 (12+1)
Vitality12 (12+4)
Agility16 (16+1)
Stamina13 (13+1)
Spirit15 (15+3)
Resilience15 (15+3)
"Strength and stamina. Those are the stats I have to focus on," Aeron nodded, seeing his agility, spirit, resilience, and vitality was good. He could upgrade the gloves and energy shield. Those two items were the cause those other stats were high. He didn''t need to waste any stats to improve those. "I say we let Aeron and the huge golem take point," James suggested, everyone nodding as Aeron had the highest level. Cindy would be their rogue as she specialized in agility and stamina stats. She also had the Golden Needle skill which would be perfect for targeting the strongest of enemies. James would be fighting behind them and attack from mid-range, taking advantage of his Ice Shard magic and his experience with using a staff. "Crap, it''s full of zombies. It''s strange though. They don''t look Chinese," Frankie said as they were on the roof of a building over the main strip of China Town. They could see the golden dragon sign that signified the beginning of the China Town street where all the vendors set up stalls and shops to attract tourists. "We''re not on Earth. I imagine this is the only city like it. Once we leave, we don''t know where we''ll go. The good thing is, the electricity seems to be running. I''m guessing those will stop once the ten days of the quest are over," Aeron said. "Let''s go. Most of them are at level 3. Cindy and I might not get much experience, but the rest of you will." "Now that''s cool," Frankie said as a rectangular shield made of permeable crimson energy appeared in Aeron''s left hand. "Watch it!" Aeron shouted as Frankie fired at the energy shield, the pellet ricocheting off the shield. "Even magic is blocked," James said, seeing the ice shards create a cloud of ice as they hit the shield. "Let''s go!" Cindy said, the first to head down the stairs. Aeron grinned and jumped from the roof, cracking the floor as he landed on his feet from the roof of the two-story building. The golem followed its master, creating a small crater and drawing the attention of the zombies in the process. James sighed and also left the building to get in range to use his ice magic. "I know I said I wanted to be a mage, but that is awesome," Frankie said, seeing Aeron and the golem charge into the zombie horde. Aeron would bash and hack while the golem would shoulder tackle or slam the zombies into the ground. "Quick your hero-worshipping and start shooting!" Jean said, shooting the gun, pulling the bolt, put another pellet in, and putting the bolt back in place to shoot once more. "We have to go up close. We''re not getting much experience if more than one person attacks the same zombie to kill it," Eddy said. "We need storage rings, like your brother," Jean said as they took out the oxygen tanks, put the cylinder tanks and rifles in their cases, and ran down stairs. They left the cases up there as they could afford to lose it as their backpacks were more important. As they left, they didn''t see green goblins narrow their eyes as they sat on giant boars. One goblin pointed at the cases and four goblins snuck onto the roof and crushed them. "Tru gak hul jafa," one goblin said in its native tongue. The English interpretation being: "We destroyed the weird bows." "Marut yak jiso," a giant goblin said, laughing as it watched the humans fight the zombies. In English: "Kill the archers first." Not knowing the danger that watched them, the three friends joined the golem and the fighters in killing the zombies. Aeron and the golem killed the higher leveled zombies, letting the weaker ones through as Aeron saw Eddy, Frankie, and Jean enter the battlefield. James was laughing hysterically, using his Ice Shard magic as he bashed on the zombies with his staff. He was only one level higher, but his ice magic had a freezing effect. Thus, the zombies moved slow enough for him to leisurely use his staff to finish them off. "Where''s the rifle I gave you?" Aeron asked as he saw Eddy kill a zombie, ice appearing on every scratch and stab. "Back on the roof," Eddy shouted, doing a left uppercut on a zombie and finishing it off with a stab to the chest. Aeron looked back and his eyes widened as he saw giant, dark brown boars with strange green creatures on top. As Frankie killed the last zombie and reached level 4, one goblin blew a curved horn and a cavalry of goblins appeared from the sides of the building, one directing the boar as the other wielded a bow with flames on the arrowheads. "Goblin ambush!" Aeron said, recognizing the appearance of the goblins from many video games. Most were four feet high with bandanas covering their faces below the eyes. "Goblins?" Frankie asked, screaming as an arrow scratched his left arm as he turned. "James, target the riders!" Aeron shouted as they ran down the road. "Blood Golem, throw heavy objects at them!" "Fucking goblins," Frankie cursed as he and Eddy ran into a restaurant, closing and locking the door after Jean entered. Aeron, James, and Cindy were fighting on the road as the golem threw whatever it could grab in sight. Aeron grunted as one boar ran into his shield. He roared and jumped on the boar''s head as it was dazed from the recoil. He soccer kicked the first goblin and hacked his axe into the skull of the archer behind it. Then he jumped up and put all his strength into his arms, beheading the boar with the bottom edge of the energy shield. He retrieved his axe and saw fire condense in front of James, casting his Fire Ball spell to destroy the rest of the raiding goblins. "I''m out of MP," James cried as Eddy, Frankie, and Jean exited. "Finish off the ones on the ground!" Aeron roared and they all charged. The goblins were level 5, but they were dazed and burned from James''s spell. It was easy for Aeron to cut through their skin, but the others had to cut twice to kill the downed goblins. Aeron looked up and saw an even bigger boar with an eight feet tall goblin staring down. "Turis ras vare. Trulok pika wala mijo sasa. Ruka lama powa nula," the goblin chief laughed and disappeared from sight. In English: "So these humans can fight. Better wait for them to enter our territory. We will kill them there.." "What the fuck just happened?" Frankie yelled, stomping on a dead goblin and scattering its brains on the road. "Zombies and now goblin bacon riders?" "They''ll be back," Aeron said. "Everyone alright?" "Yeah. I think they destroyed the rifles. Sorry," Eddy said. "At least you didn''t leave your backpacks there," Aeron said. "What level was that giant one? Was it a goblin chief?" Cindy asked. "It was level 9. I think it is the boss. We probably need to enter the Metro. I think it counts as an exit if we escape through the tunnels," Eddy said. "We encountered it way too soon. I think it''s because we drove here instead of walking." "We have to go through Olvera Street. There, the goblins would not be able to ride the boars if they follow us. We can also use the stalls as cover in case they shoot from above the buildings," Aeron nodded. "We''ll stay here until we all reach level 8 and higher. That way, the injuries from the goblins will do less damage. As for me, I''ll try to hunt any goblin scouts in the area. The zombies here are too weak for me to level. I''ll leave the golem to guard the store you guys hid in. It is a restaurant and bound to have food." Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. "Foo Chow Restaurant?" James asked, seeing the sign. "Ah, the food there was great. A movie was even filmed there, but I like the food better." "Wait! Since this is like a game, there might not be a map but there should be a friend''s list!" Frankie said, asking the system about it. "There is! Quick, let''s add each other." "Testing," James said, aloud and nothing happened and a small box appeared next to Frankie with a volume button and his name there. "I can hear you. Well, I''m next to you but I can hear you in my head," Frankie laughed. "Use the friend list to send a telepathic message if something comes up," Aeron said after they all added each other to the friend lists. "Good luck," Cindy said, Aeron nodding as he left toward Olvera Street as the blood golem stood beside the door to the restaurant. "Those bastards were actually testing us. Let''s see how they like being killed," Aeron growled as he just bashed the zombies out of his way, taking his anger out on them as he finished them off. He collected hundreds of black coins, but his level didn''t reach level 8. Level 3 zombies didn''t give much experience. However, he gained battle experience with using his axe and shield together. He also used his Bone Dragon Pistol, switching to the training axe once he used all six bullets. After an hour of killing, he could now aim with his pistol and got used to the recoil. He noticed he didn''t even need to go to the zombies, his shield drawing them to him with the hostility effect when used. He shot many zombies in the head, seeing their heads explode due to the special effect of the bullets. If he blew off an arm, he could see a small ember appear before disappearing. The pistol did damage depending on where the bullets landed. He assumed it was the same as all metal projectiles as Frankie screamed but didn''t seem to be hurt much when the arrow only scratched him. The training axe now had damage of (12-17). The damage dealt depended on the axe, his strength, and the enemy''s resilience. Vitality also slightly increased defense and increased the health of the enemy. As he killed the final zombies in front of Olvera Street, he had come to realize that he and the rest of the students had higher stats than the residents of the planet. Even the goblins seemed easy to kill. It was just like how NPCs, non-player characters, were easier to kill than other online players. As he reached Olvera Street, he deactivated his energy shield. In such a closed space, it would be difficult to use his shield and his mobility would be impaired. He snuck through the street, going into the restaurants to grab some food before going back into the street. He moved incredibly slow, sweating as the pressure got to him. He learned goblin scouts always moved in pairs, whether on a boar or patrolling the alleys or inspecting the buildings. Due to increased exposure, he was beginning to understand how they acted. He throw his axe at one goblin''s back, doing a jump kick as the other turned back. He would finish it off by strangling it to death. At first, it disturbed him to see it rasp for breath. He would punch it in the neck with his gauntlet and succeeding in choking the goblin as it coughed for breath. After strangling twelve goblins, he became numbed to the feeling of guilt and mercy to the goblins.
System Announcment
Aeron Ao is promoted to level 8. 3 stat points awarded.
"+2 to strength and +1 to stamina," Aeron said and felt his body grow more powerful as he exited Olivera Street.
System Announcement
Congratulations Aeron Ao has killed multiple goblins. You have studied them and strangled them, cruelly, until they choked death. Due to understanding your enemy, you have learned their language.
System Announcement
Unlocked Quest: Kill the False God Every race has a god they worship. Some live among them, some were mortals that died and became legend, and some have been told but believed, never seen by a soul. Even goblins have gods. One of their living gods sleeps in the city. Kill the false god and take his treasures. Who hasn''t dreamed of killing a godlike being? Awards +10,000 black dragon coins. +1 level up +1 item upgrade +1 storage ring. Free storage ring upgrade if 1 owned. +1 title. Meet a Legendary Being. Restriction: Aeron Ao must fight alone.
"A fake god?" Aeron frowned, staring at the dead goblin in front of him. "If the coins are being awarded in such a high amount, it must be incredibly difficult. First, I have to find out where the fake god is. A hidden boss should not be easy to find. If I needed to learn the language, I should interrogate the goblins." Aeron brandished his axe as he snuck toward Union Station. He stared silently at the goblins as they patrolled the perimeter. Seeing no boars, he grinned and took out his pistol. *Bang. Bang. Bang*. Aeron fired his pistol at the three farthest goblins, killing them as he cut off the arm of the closest goblin before kicking behind the knee and finishing it off with a hack at the head. Ten goblins rushed at him and he shot three more times. *Bang. Bang. Bang*. He missed one shot, blasted the arm off another, and killed a third with a hole in its chest formed as it was sent flying. The other goblins shouting, the veins on their heads bulging as they rushed at him. Aeron put his Bone Dragon Pistol in his storage ring and took out his training axe. He grinned as an energy shield appeared in his left and ran forward. A goblin spat blood and crashed onto the floor, its bones broken as if it got hit by a truck. The goblin that lost on arm howled as its blood sprayed on the floor, its green face and pointy ears turning a lighter shade as it lost too much blood. It could feel its arm burn, as if it was branded and shouted. "The human has some kind of fire enchantment!" the goblin warned in its language. "Like that will help you. You will still die. Tralaja moksa luwa. Marut gosa cox," Aeron mocked, the goblins shocked as the human spoke their language. "No hero human can kill us. Our god protects us!" a goblin laughed, a huge fire ball flying from its right hand toward Aeron. Aeron deactivated his shield and ran to his left, narrowly dodging the fire ball with his superior agility. He watched as it hit a car by the front gate, a large explosion that knocked everyone off their feet. Aeron shook his head and got up, bashing the nearest goblin near him. He yelled as he hacked at it as it leaned back from the impact. Blood sprayed and bones cracked as his axe broke through its ribs and sliced the heart in half. He activated his shield and blocked two clubs from the other goblins. He swung his axe low, cutting off the feet of one goblin. He also struck the chest of the other goblin ,with his elbow, as he rose to his feet. he quickly finished off the goblins by jumping high and landing on their heads with his feet after the fell onto the ground. He threw his axe, cutting the hand of the goblin that used magic. He deactivated his shield, tackling two and snapping their necks after they crashed. The last goblin tried to run but Aeron was faster and he grabbed the goblin''s shoulder, digging his fingers into it. The goblin fell to the ground and Aeron put one hand on its head as another held its chin. With a malicious smile, he snapped the neck of the goblin and let it fall to the ground. He got his axe from the ground and shook his head at the pale-faced goblin as he beheaded it. "Who was going to kill who now?" Aeron mocked as the mage goblin glared at him as it tried to stop the blood from leaving its right wrist. "What do you want, human?" the goblin growled. "You can speak my language now?" Aeron frowned. "I ate enough of your kind," it spat and smiled. "That right?" Aeron said and push kicked the goblin onto the ground, a massive bruise appearing on its chest. "Where is this god of yours? You said he would protect you? Where was he when your nine friends died? Where was he when I killed dozens of your kind past this area?" "You---!" the goblin started until Aeron slapped it with his shield, the goblin spitting blood and teeth onto the ground. "Where?" Aeron snarled, his axe drawing blood on its neck as the goblin was about to scream. It grit what teeth it had as it felt the wound burn. "Why did you come here? Answer me or I will kill you slowly. Very slowly. "....it''s to the south, past Union Station. It''s in what you human''s called, The Japanese American National Museum. After my world fused with this Alternate Earth, this human city is one of the few that did not disappear," the goblin spouted, fearing the look in Aeron''s eyes. "I don''t know why my world and this planet merged, but we sensed a disturbance in the mana and found ourselves here. We killed the humans that hid here, eating their flesh to learn your language. We didn''t expect survivors from our purge. We assumed the zombies, beings not from my own world, killed you all off." "I see," Aeron said coldly, giving the golem a quick death by beheading it. "Eddy, tell the others I am going to the Japanese American National Museum. I have business in Little Tokyo. Once you guys reach level 7, kill the goblins around Olvera Street like I did. I never saw any of the boars, so they must be in the tunnels with the goblin chief. They probably made their village there. If you can, kill them. I''ll catch up," Aeron said using telepathy. Friend lists were convenient for communication. He closed his eyes and ordered the golem to come to him. He could feel some sort of mysterious connection to it as its creator and master. "What are you going to do? We can kill the boss, but we thought you would kill it with us?" Eddy asked. "Where is your golem going anyway? Is it going to you?" "Yes it is.," Aeron answered, as his test to control the golem from afar worked. "Just wipe out the village of goblins and boars. As for me, I''m going to kill their god." Chapter 5: The False God (Author: Hello! The chapter mega release is here! As I got in the zone, I wrote a total of 4 chapters for you guys! In most games, it is easy to level the first few until level 20. Aeron discovers a hidden quest to kill the god of a new race trying to kill him and his classmates: goblins. According to the quest description, the god is a false one and he has the option to kill it for the great rewards a hidden quest usually gives. After learning of the false god hiding in the Japanese American National Museum, Aeron heads there to complete the quest. Enjoy.) -----------Chapter 5: The False God--------------- "Where is the blood golem going?" Frankie asked as he and James returned from zombie grinding. "My brother sent word. He is going to Little Tokyo," Eddy said. "Why there? What about the goblin chief in Union Station?" Cindy asked. "I think he got near the place and he unlocked a hidden quest. He is going to Little Tokyo to kill the god of the goblins. Once we reach level 7, we are to kill the goblins in Olvera Street. At level 8, we attack the goblins in Union Station and kill the chief," Eddy answered. "Hidden quest? Lucky," Jean said. "Not so fast. If he sent ordered the golem to return to him, it must be quite dangerous," James frowned. "Hidden quests give great rewards and there are two kinds. One is found through doing abnormal activities and making choices, in the game, that is unorthodox and not done by most players. The other is incredibly dangerous and most people fail to kill a certain amount of monsters or one very powerful, hidden boss. The goblin chief was level 8. I''m pretty sure their god must be higher." "That makes it a Division 2 enemy, an enemy from level 10 to 19," Frankie gasped. "It''s also getting dark soon. We should rest." "Yeah. If Aeron killed goblins nearby, their security might have increased. We''ll kill zombies for the next two days and proceed to kill the goblins," Cindy nodded. "Huh? Isn''t that too long?" Jean asked, tilting her head in confusion. "We are not facing more powerful zombies. The higher our level, the harder it is to increase it with low level zombies," James agreed. "We rest for now. Even if we don''t get much experience, loots still appear from them. We might even get a storage ring to put all our black coins in. We may have found some empty bags in the various stores and houses, but we can''t carry them around," Eddy said. "Do you think he''ll be okay?" Cindy asked. "Against the goblins, sure. I only hope he can fight the god and win. Hell, I thought we were supposed to gain classes in video games. This may be reality, but it is similar to virtual reality from light novels and stuff," Frankie sighed. "Let''s eat. I found some refrigerated food and carried the microwave into the restaurant," Jean said, everyone following her as they hoped Aeron would return safely.
System Announcement
Aeron Ao is promoted to level 9 3 stat points awarded. Upon reaching level 10, Division 2 items will have a chance to drop. Division 2 items can be equipped starting from level 10. From level 10 to level 19, six stats will be awarded. Note: Classes will be unlocked upon reaching level 10. Classes will be given from a race outside the city. Warning: Not all races will give the same class options.
"After two days of killing goblins, I''m finally level 9. Geez. +2 stats to strength and +1 stat to stamina," Aeron sighed as he ate a Pocky stick, a Japanese snack with chocolate. "I also get a skill upgrade and my golem should get a new skill." "Are you okay?" a Korean American student, named Junghwa Ye, asked. "Yeah. It''s just draining to kill so many goblins," Aeron grinned as he gave her a stick of the chocolate snack. He had found her as she was attacked by a group of goblins. She and nine others had escaped the school, using their numbers, but didn''t level so fast as they always attacked the same zombie with more than one person. She was one of the nine escapees, from numbers 84 to 92, from his school. The nine escapees took the school bus as their means of escape. They separated when the bus ran out of gas and were captured. She was already level 5 before the bus ran out of gas and killed countless goblins before getting captured and rescued by Aeron. "Let''s go back to the Buddhist temple. Tomorrow, I''ll escort you past Union Station so you can be with the others," Aeron said but she grabbed his arm, Aeron stopping as he felt a nice softness touch his arm. He stared into her beautiful eyes and shook his head as she touched her long brown hair that were slightly wavy nearing the bottom. "I am level 9 also. I''m an even better fighter than you. That''s why I was able to kill faster and catch up to you. That, and your golem does not give you experience when it kills," she smiled. "You need someone to fight the guards so they don''t interfere. Most of them are level 8. Probably not as strong as the goblin chief you talked about, but false god might kill you when you are distracted by his guards." "You are pretty strong," Aeron admitted. "I studied kendo and taekwondo since I was four. That''s why my body is so fit," Junghwa grinned, smiling as Aeron tried not to look at her so much. "I also have the upgraded sustained tier 4 skill: Shadow Steps. My movements are increased by ten percent, losing 2 SP every five seconds. That means about twelve and a half seconds per stamina. I also have the tier 4 skill: Quake Stomp, using 20 MP to cause the ground to quake and pull enemies to me or push them back." "Alright, alright," Aeron laughed as she finally let go as he shrugged. "Thanks." "Just be sure you can kill the god. Hidden quests are optional right? If you can''t kill it alone, the golem not counting as it is your summon; then let''s escape to where you said your brother and other students are. I also need to add them to my friend''s list," Junghwa said, looting the dead zombies and putting them in her blue and orange storage ring. "What will you give me?" "Huh?" Aeron asked as they arrived in the Buddhist Temple and ate the burgers he got from the NJROTC student store. Other survivors used to live in there and one of the offices had electricity. No doubt, it would have been where the temple monks did their accounting to buy food and other transactions. Temples and churches got subsidies from the government, but they still had to pay something. "For helping you with the guards," Junghwa said. "I saved your life two days ago. You would have been cooked and eaten, like the others who weren''t shot to death on capture," Aeron laughed. "You said it was nothing," she smiled. "I''ll find you something in the god''s treasures afterwards," Aeron shook his head, chuckling as they went to sleep on sleeping mats that were laid all over the floor. "How go the others?" Aeron asked as he looked out the window to see two full moons. "Jean, Frankie, and I are level 7 while Cindy and James are level 8. Frankie got bit by a zombie, but he''s fine. I think the vitality stat also includes a regenerative ability. Makes sense though. Some video games have the vitality stat like that also," Eddy answered. "We also checked out the goblin chief as we ran out of Olvera Street when we saw him. We asked the system for an appraisal and he is still level 8 but we could see a title under it now. It said: Tulaga''s Champion. I think I couldn''t see anything more than his level as I was too weak. It even says the chief''s name is Gorganta. System also said its rank was Boss. I''m guessing that''s how monsters are classified." "Tulaga?" Aeron thought as Eddy continued. "We asked the system about it and Tulaga is actually a griffon. You know, the body of a lion, head and wings of an eagle, and talons as large as a lion''s paw. The system also said its highest stats were vitality and strength," Eddy warned. "So long as Tulaga is alive, the chieftain''s stats are increased fivefold. It seems system appraisal only tells us of others'' names, levels, and titles. Based on the titles, we can learn the stat distribution. When will you kill it?" "I''ll kill it tomorrow. Don''t worry. Also, I don''t think I''ll be able to help you clear Union Station as Junghwa will take me back to the Buddhist Temple to recover after my fight," Aeron said. "I understand. I''ll tell the others. Good luck big bro," Eddy said. "Thanks," Aeron smiled and fell asleep. "Good morning," Junghwa smiled, the sun basking her with light and stunning Aeron for a good two seconds when morning came. "Good morning," Aeron said and they left to a nearby house where they cooked the instant noodles. "Did you talk to the others? Find anything out?" she asked. "I found out about the false god. It''s name is Tulaga and it is a griffon," he answered, shocking Junghwa. "Will you be okay? I remember seeing one in a movie. It had amazing strength and often attacked from the sky, using gravity to attack swiftly," Junghwa said. "I know. I''m going to save my bullets for when it begins to fly. I can trust you to keep the goblin guards away?" Aeron inquired, a grin on his face. "Of course. Otherwise, I''d say my beauty comes from plastic surgery," Junghwa laughed. Most girls and even guys did plastic surgery if they were unsatisfied with their face or body. Another reason would be that they wanted to go to major companies and many covertly denied people with ugly appearances, even if they denied doing so. They walked to the Japanese American National Museum and admired the building as it did not seem that damaged from the outside, save for a large hole over the glass roof. There was no doubt that something big flew in. Junghwa squeezed his hand and ran forward, drawing her training sword as the golem appeared behind Aeron while he slowly walked through the entrance.
System Announcement
Warning Aeron Ao and Junghwa Ye have entered a God''s Domain. While the god (false or not) lives, stats will be decreased as survivors are not worshippers of Tulaga the God of Goblins. Tulaga is a false god preying on the souls of the people it eats. its goblins servants have sacrificed many of their own, zombies, and even Earth survivors to help the griffon attain true godhood. Temporary Stat Decreases -3 to all stats
"Status impairment? Fuck," Aeron cursed as he read the box, drawing his axe. He watched as Junghwa attacked the guards, drawing them away from the entrance. Taking advantage, he ran through the entrance and finally activated his energy shield after the golem entered and closed the door behind itself. He easily killed two goblins as his golem pulverized through five, using Diamond Barrage to kill six more that clustered together to fire their flaming arrows. The golem had a semi-sentient mind as far as fighting was concerned. As he had increased two levels, he noticed the golem add all its stats to vitality, as if knowing Aeron wanted it to be more of a tank. No matter what skill he would get, this blood golem was, no doubt, the best. Aeron hacked another goblin as they headed to the largest room in the museum. There, Aeron knew he would find the nest of the false god. He saw a large next and a white wing over it. He asked the system to appraise it.
System Announcement
Tulaga the Soul Eater A bird of the sky as majestic as it looks. One wonders why this griffon is alone. Due to its pursuit of power, it not only devours the flesh but also the soul of its prey. Probably an effect due to a mutation. It loves to prey on the weak and became a god due to the worship of the goblins due to fear of being its next meal. It is advisable for those in Division 1 levels (1-9) to flee on sight. Rank: Fledgling God Level: 13 Title evaluation: High strength and vitality. High resistance to magic due to mutation ability.
"It is a Division 2 boss. Fuck," Aeron said as he approached the griffon, taking out his Bone Dragon Pistol. "Thanks for exposing your wing. Fighting you, while you can fly, would have been made you a bitch to kill." Aeron aimed his pistol and fired. The wing shuddered slightly and blood appeared. Aeron kept firing until he saw the griffon rise, a goblin arm falling from its beak as it angrily opened its blue sky eyes. Aeron didn''t care and even managed to shoot its tongue as it opened its beak to shriek at him. The ground cracked as a strong wave of wind appeared, knocking Aeron of his feet. He quickly stored his pistol, having to wait five minutes for it to reload, and brandished his axe as he rose to his feet. "Seriously?" Aeron sighed, seeing the wounds on its wings heal. However, the tongue did not. It seemed injuries on the softer flesh and organs healed more slowly. It flapped its wings and a storm of feathers surged at him, as straight as spears while it flew toward him. The golem stood in front of him, blocking most of the feathers. Aeron''s eyes widened as it took massive damage, several holes prominent in its rock body, even the blood diamonds had a few cracks. "Diamond Barrage!" Aeron cried, as the griffon started charging at him. The griffon stopped and covered its head and body with its wings. Several feathers were cut and some diamonds now became spikes on its chest. The diamonds appeared to enlarge, as if sucking the blood from the bird. It shrieked and turned its body, using its wings as a massive sword. The blood golem made no sounds as its left arm was cut from a little below the shoulder, down. "Fuck. I know I can re-summon the golem instantly, but it requires all my current spirit per summoning. I should wait until I don''t have enough MP to summon it again," Aeron cursed as the griffon looked down on him, as if mocking him. He and the golem entered a doorway into a small hall, but the griffon didn''t care and broke through the door and wall. It wanted to kill the human as it slept after eating its morning sacrifices. A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. It constantly rolled its tongue, the wound taking longer to heal as if what penetrated into it could not come out. Not only that, its tongue burned a little as the metal pierced it. The bullets fell from out of its wings and the griffon extended the left wing, seeing that it was good as new. Now it glared at the human that had run into the small human hallway. Run? keep running! It was going to take its time killing the human after crushing its little rock pet. How it wanted to crush that thing first. As it had no hands, it could not reach some of the diamonds that pierced its chest near its belly. Aeron lost his footing as he ran into another hallway, the griffon slipping as it followed him and could not turn its body as it broke through another door and wall too small for its body. Aeron broke through a glass casing, throwing the ancient Japanese vase at the griffon. The vase hit the side of its face, as if it had gotten slapped. Its eyes bulged as it felt insulted. Its talons made one foot holes as it charged at him. It anticipated he would turn left as turning right would lead to a dead end in the next hall. It dipped its beak and thrust it upwards as it broke through two walls and rammed Aeron. Aeron cried with pain as his left arm fractured while his energy shield shattered. He broke through the wall and roof at an angle, crashing onto the roof. He was dazed and gasped for breath as he nursed his left arm. He rolled around in agony until he used Healing three times to heal his arm. Small bruises remained, but the bones were fixed. He ran and picked up his axe as the griffon burst onto the roof, missing a left eye as it snapped the golem in two. Hitting his energy shield came at a cost and the griffon was beyond enraged. It had never felt such humiliation and pain. Burns were on its head and beak as it crushed the golem''s two halves as it walked to him. Aeron took out his pistol, knowing it should have recharged by now. The griffon flapped its wings as it took to the sky. It ignored the pain as it shot down at him from four hundred feet, its body as a missile. Two bullets were deflected by its beak while a third struck the wing where it touched its back. Due to the involuntary reaction to twist its body as it got hit on its pressure point, missed Aeron but the blast still sent him flying. He crashed against a door that led to the roof and groaned as he fell down some stairs. As it was unable to stop, the griffon had bent its beak and its left wing was broken It hung, like a strung doll, at its side as it shook its head. It had meant to grab him with its claws but the filthy human shot at it again! Just one reflex caused it to harm itself more than the human and his rock did! "Ah, shit," Aeron said, casting Healing to heal his body to full strength. "Dumb bird. Just like a human that missed a flying kick, missing and hurting yourself is the price. it should be hurt enough." Aeron closed his eyes and summoned his golem. The golem appeared as it was before the accident. It had blood diamonds on its wrists and ankles, but none on its back yet. He ordered the golem to carry two spears in the museum and to hide on the roof. The golem nodded and grabbed the spears and ran up the stairs to await further orders. Aeron checked the chamber and saw three pistols. Two or three minutes should have passed when he first fired. "That bird brain has caused me enough suffering!" Aeron said and ran into the area where the next of the griffon was. The griffon looked up as he shot two bullets into the broken wing. It cried out as the bone broke and caused the wing to fall from its body as if it was cut off. By now, the diamonds were about the size of a fist and were slowly breaking through its ribs. It shrieked as Aeron charged at it. He slid as the griffon tried to slice him with its right wing, using the momentum of the turn against the griffon to grab its leg. "Now!" he screamed and the golem appeared from the hole in the glass roof Its arms drew back and slammed forward, thrusting the spears into the griffon''s back with the power of its arms and weight. It fell on its stomach, the diamonds digging deeper and breaking bones as a loud thud resounded in the room. It rolled in agony as Aeron hacked at its remaining right eye as he let go of the leg while climbing to the head. He held onto the head as he grabbed the feathers, hacking into its skull as it stood up and tried to shake him off. However, the spears made the griffon cry out in pain and if finally died as Aeron''s axe pierced its skull and destroyed its brain. With very little stamina and no spirit left, Aeron laid back on the griffon''s back and panted heavily. The golem merely walked to the bottom of the griffon, draining the blood. Huge spikes of diamonds appeared on its back. Now, it was complete and an axe, with a strange shape, appeared on its forehead.
System Announcement
Aeron Ao is promoted to level 11 Aeron Ao now receives Division 2 awards. +12 stat points awarded. +1 skill point awarded. Class option unlocked. Blood Golem has learned skill: Lava Breath.
System Announcement
Completed Hidden Quest: Kill the False God Aeron Ao has suffered fractures and bruises. Still, you came out on top and slayed the god of the goblins. Their chief no longer has the blessing of his god and you have saved many lives, even if you don''t know how. Rewards 10,000 black dragon coins +1 level up +1 item upgrade: Crimson Black Gloves upgraded. Glove effect: +10 fire damage, +8 Spirit, +9 Vitality, +20% Fire Resistance. Glove is now classified Black Flame Lord''s Hand. Storage ring upgraded to 16 feet square ring. Ring is now classified Ring of the Axe King.
System Announcement
Aeron Ao is promoted to level 12 +6 stat points received. Total unused stats: 18 Total unused skill upgrades: 1
"+3 to agility and stamina. +6 to strength and resilience," Aeron gasped, unable to believe his eyes as he appeared in the cosmos. He looked around, seeing countless stars in the sky. "So you killed a fledgling god. Good. Griffons are not creatures worthy to become true gods," a voice rasped in his mind. "Who are you? What are you?" Aeron asked, looking around and finding no one. "I am an ancient dragon, my years uncountable by your Earth human classifications. Once that is a true god. You have sparked my interest. Of your round of survivors, only sixty others have aroused the interest of other gods as they reached level 10. However, they did not kill a fledgling god! You will be my champion and I will see the world through your eyes. Your training axe will be upgraded to suite my image. One of my descendants will live in your storage ring, as an egg. When it will hatch, who can say?" the voice laughed. "Know this, it is not suited to water like your golem. Once they are strong enough, water will not affect them. When that is, you will know. Escape the city and choose refuge among two races. Your life, and that of the other survivors, is but a game for us. Do not make me lose by dying too early." Aeron opened his eyes and leaned up from the griffon''s back. In his right hand was an axe that also appeared as the crest on his upgraded Ring of the Axe King. It was about four feet long and had a smooth, manta ray leather grip with a black spike as a pommel. Holding the axe in place where steel chains connected to single-edge, curved axe head. The axe head was a little under feet where it connected to the grip with the chains, the curved edge being a little over three feet wide. The sides of the axe seemed to be made from purple, grey, and black scales mixed together as they were smelted and made into the blade. [table]System AnnouncementUnlocked title: Phantom Champion For killing the false god, Aeron Ao met the legendary being known as one of three primordial dragons. You have spiked his interest and was selected to be his champion in this mysterious game. His true goal for you lies in mystery as he upgraded your axe with his own scales. You have been named the executioner on his behalf and the souls of those you kill are devoured by the axe. Non-elemental magic is destruction as no magic can resist it. It gives a clue on the true god that watches you. Received: Fiend Ghost Axe. Axe Details: 40-47 damage. Does +10 non-elemental damage. Grants owner ability to use non-elemental magic. Title Awards +20 to all stats. Mark of Destruction. Egg of the Dragon. Title stats are doubled upon reaching the next tiers. Titles: 1 Title spaces available: 2 Restriction: Cannot remove from storage ring until hatching. This title cannot be replaced.[table] "Holy crap. What a powerful axe," Aeron said, his body growing in power as he frowned. "Level 10 makes you a champion? Maybe my brother and my friends will also get titles like mine, if they survive in the future. Hmm? What''s that? The boxes are green now?" Aeron walked to the head of the corpse and saw a box in its mouth. He opened it and found 1,000 black dragon coins. In it, he found a ring that said: Shadow Killer. The effects was that he was able to camouflage in the darkness and shadows. Only creatures with higher levels, or those who possess night vision, can see you. Item cannot be upgraded. Aeron decided to test it and equipped it on his left hand, the ring appearing over the chain mail over his left index finger. His left hand did not feel any different, but he could not put more rings on his left hand as a system announcement appeared and told him he couldn''t. As he stepped into the shadows, his body began to wrap in darkness and he seemed to be invisible. He deactivated the effect and the shadows disappeared as he stood in the shadows. "What treasures do you have," Aeron grinned, rubbing his hands in anticipation. He first found a few dozen black dragon coins and a pearl necklace. He would give the necklace to Junghwa as he did not want to wear it and told her he would give her something. To his delight, he found boots called: Griffon''s Wings. The effect of the boots was that his movements were increased by 5%! He could also levitate a foot off the ground and move around, if he wanted. The rest of the loot was goblin, zombie, and human body parts. "Use Lava Breath," Aeron ordered and watched as lava appeared from the golem''s mouth and melted the dead body parts and griffon body. Satisfied, he left the museum and saw Junghwa waiting, her level now 10. "You seem stronger," Aeron grinned. "You survived. I told you so," she smiled as she hugged him and held his arm. "Did you get me something?" "This," Aeron said and put the necklace on her. "It''s pretty. It also increases my vitality by 10 and my stamina by 15! Wow. Division 2 items are amazing," she said as they walked back to the temple to rest. "What level are you now? I''m level 10 and got my first title: Fairy Guardian. All my stats increased by 15. However, I don''t know when my training sword will be upgraded. What about you?" "Level 12 and I got a little something for killing the false god," Aeron grinned as dark purple, tribal tattoos appeared from his neck and onto the bottom sides of his face before disappearing. "They appear whenever I fight." "They look good. How far down do they go?" she asked, mischievously. "You want to find out? We''ll have spend the night in the temple first anyway," Aeron grinned. "You''ll have to be my boyfriend first. Oh and this will be the only time we have sex, for now. I don''t want a relationship based on that," she smiled as they kissed. "I could live with that," he said and they held hands while walking back to the temple. "Eddy, the god''s dead. It was insanely hard. Seeing as how you get 6 stats every level from level 10 on, it''s no wonder it was strong. The chief should be weaker, as it is a boss that depended on a title''s effect. Work together with Frankie as he has that Rocket Punch skill. Let Jean and James protect you guys and hold off the guards," Aeron said through his friend list. "I''ll see you guys at Union Station tomorrow." "Got it bro. Damn, you''re too awesome. See you then," Eddy answered as Aeron was pushed onto the mat while Junghwa sat atop him as they entered the Buddhist Temple.. "Aren''t we eager? It''s not even the afternoon yet," he grinned as he unbuttoned her shirt as after she took off his. "It''s the one time. Got to make it count. I am a virgin too," Junghwa said as they kissed. "Well, for today." "What''s the news?" James asked as he and the others stared at Union Station from the entrance to Olverva Street. "He did it. He killed the god. We make our move now," Eddy said. "Is he coming to help us?" Jean asked. "No. He said he needs to rest. He''ll be back with that new girl tomorrow," Eddy said as he and Jean rushed to attack the goblins. "Rest. Right," Frankie grinned as he and James attacked the goblins with Cindy racing past all four of them. Chapter 6: Two Choices and Resolution (Author: Hello! Aeron has successfully killed the griffon, Tulaga. He and Junghwa rest and join the others in Union Station. What will happen now? What are the two races the Destruction Dragon talked about? Enjoy.) ----------Chapter 6: Two Choices and Resolution----------------- "Good morning," Aeron smiled as Junghwa opened her eyes as they lay naked on the mat. "Yeah," she said, snuggling against him. After a moment, they washed off and changed in the nearby houses. She wore a simple, coffee brown sleeveless and white pants as Aeron found some dark grey slim jeans and a white V-neck shirt. After finding new clothes, they equipped their armor and items and left Little Tokyo. "What?" Aeron asked as they leisurely walked toward Union Station as the blood golem killed all the goblins on their path. "They don''t give me any experience. Being at Division 2, I can tell when I gain experience. Aeron and Junghwa knew he was not lying as they could now see balls of black light enter their bodies when they killed. However, the system said that any kills below the Division they were at would only send white balls into their bodies that did not give any experience. The monsters still dropped items, but they were useless as Division 2 players could earn 6 stats per level and the Division 2 items gave more stats and better effects. "What do you think happens when we leave the city? Will there be more ruined cities and zombies?" she asked. "Ah. Well, I interrogated a goblin before rescuing you and obtaining the hidden quest to kill the griffon. The goblin told me that there are very few cities like this one. Most likely, we will enter land and terrain similar to the world that fused with this Alternate Earth," Aeron answered as he admired her chest and held her hand. "What did that fairy tell you? The dragon I met said there would be two races on the outskirts of the city. Probably scouts at the end of the tunnel." "I was told that there was a portal leading out the city a few yards in the tunnel toward Hollywood Station from Union Station. She said this city was isolated from the world and powerful races until the ten day deadline was up," Junghwa answered as she leaned her head on his shoulder. "More powerful races....," Aeron brooded as they saw a parking lot full of dead goblins, more than the ones he left behind a few days prior. Tiny black flames danced on his fingertips as he had the golem lead the way. "It''s about time," James said as he saw Aeron and Junghwa come down the escalator. "Damn, she''s hot," Frankie said as he saw Junghwa and noticed her head on Aeron''s shoulder. "Yup, resting. I called it." "This is Eddy, my brother," Aeron said as he introduced Junghwa to everyone and they all added each other to their friend list as Aeron trusted her. Eddy was like their leader and Aeron was the backbone they could rely on if things got from bad to worse. Their situation would always be bad as they were stuck in Alternate Earth. "Where''s the chief?" Aeron asked. "Right here," Frankie said, patting a two foot head with his foot as he leaned back on the bench. "Goblins look real nice when you cut off the head." "He got shot with many arrows when we trained in Olvera Street," Eddy explained. "He found a cool skill, but it wasn''t magic." "He''s still going on about that?" Aeron sighed. "What was it?" "It was a tier 3 skill: Lightning Lariat. Costs 10 SP and 5 MP, or 2 stamina and 1 spirit. Your speed increases by ten for three seconds as you stretch out your arm and bash the biceps into the neck of the enemy. If they still have their head on their shoulders, they are paralyzed for three seconds. I got it as I needed a skill to use in a pinch," Jean answered. "He doesn''t want to be a warrior mage," James said. "He''s still my best bud, but there is no doubt he is jealous of me. You didn''t find a skill did you?" "On the way here, a zombie my golem killed dropped one," Aeron shrugged, taking out a black book. "Tier 3 skill: Sonic Wind. Costs 10 MP per crescent blade created with no cast time. Maximum of five. It''s more suited for close to medium range, but Frankie has Rocket Punch. Not really a pure mage''s spell..." "I''ll take it!" Frankie said, running to Aeron with a huge grin on his face. "I''m gonna pick a pure mage class anyway. This will be a huge one as there is no cast time." ''HAHAHA. Take it," Aeron said, giving ownership of the skill book to him. "I would give you something, but only black dragon coins and skill books can be given. Even in death, it''s still only that," Frankie said, feeling troubled as he took it. "It''s okay. I have enough coins," Aeron laughed as Eddy, Jean and Junghwa rolled their eyes, knowing he had more than enough coins. "My level is 12 and I want a cool melee skill. I''ll take a tier 7 or above enchantment and magic spell though. However, no one''s seen a tier 7 skill." "12?" everyone cried as they were all level 9. For some reason, they struggled to break to the next Division. "I''m level 10," Junghwa said, all of them staring at her in shock as well. "I think you all have to be chosen by a god in this world, not a false god. I''m only guessing as Junghwa and I are at Division 2 and are champions of different gods. Most likely, you escape the city and become level 10 anyway. It said to reach level ten and escape the city. It didn''t say as you escape the city or that you have to reach it before," Aeron said, the faces of the others relieved. "Let''s go then. I''m done with zombies and goblins," Jean said, holding Eddy''s hand as she was the first to go into the train tunnel. "I can''t wait to pick my class," Frankie said, excited as he bolted after them. "You have it tough," Cindy said and James could only shrug as the others followed the trio down the tunnel. A white light appeared and zoomed toward them, engulfing them in its light faster than they could react. "Don''t go into the light at the end of the tunnel. Ha! I ain''t dead today!" Frankie roared as they appeared in a grass plain with a mountain range to their left and a immeasurable forest to their right.
System Announcement
Completed: Goblin Control. You have escaped the city within ten days and figured out the loophole that escaping at level 9 was permissible. Other exits had been discovered but you all killed the guardians and their false god! You must now choose which race to live amongst. Choose wisely as choices are irreversible. Awards +1 level +1 Division 2 armor (given by the race selected.) +1 free item upgrade Aeron Ao''s Energy Shield is upgraded. Shield Effect:+ 3 to all stats. +5 Resilience. +10 Hostility now optional. +10% Lightning Resistance.
System Announcement
Aeron Ao is promoted to level 13 +6 stats are awarded.
"+2 to agility, stamina, and spirit," Aeron said and noticed a dazed look on everyone''s face but Junghwa. "Huh? What''s going on?" "They''re being chosen," Junghwa answered as she joined him and looked around. "We have company. The system says some of their levels are too high to evaluate. I also think we are different than them as we came from another dimension, not the same one. Still, those high level ones ,that can''t be calculated, can''t be underestimated." "Yeah. Best to act cautious. They should be friendly but we should mind our manners if they are so strong," Aeron agreed. As the others returned and celebrated, they stopped as they saw two forces waiting on them, Aeron and Junghwa telling them to be silent. One was a cavalry of orcs. They were dark grey and black skinned humanoids at ten feet in height. Each of them had muscular physiques and rode on giant hyenas. Each orc wore black armor and carried two-handed weapons of all kinds. Goblins were also among them, many of them staring at the other forces. The other side was a small army of elves and dwarves. The elves wore shining gold armor, their bows in their hands, as they glared at the orcs and goblins. The dwarves were only four and a half feet tall at most with large black, brown, or red beards. Many of them held two-handed war hammers or a mace and shield combination. ''So the dwarves managed to escape and live with the elves. How does it feel to lose your ancestral homelands?" the orc chief, a black crown on his head, laughed. "Your women scream as we fucked and killed them. The good ones still believe you''ll save them. "Bastards!" one of the dwarves cried, many of them stomping their feet in outrage. "What''s the matter, dwarf? You need to know their children will either be born as an orc or goblin. No matter what species we fuck, the results is the same. One of your wives'' kids may be among us now. You never know. After all, I''m the son of the elf empress," One elf aimed his arrow and said, "Jukalso erewa guola." "You''re no uncle of mine? Oh, it seems we have an amazing guest with us, boys. A grandson of the former empress. What a touching reunion. My heart feels so moved. I almost thought I had a heart for those weak shits. Almost," the orc chief mocked. "I may not look like you, but I am faster and stronger than any orc because I am half of what you are. Those humans belong to us. Leave and we will let you leave with your tails between your legs. Ask the dwarves. We could have wiped them out but their ancestors gave up their shitty pride and crawled beneath our legs to live. I hear they got a nice whiff of orc ass as our ancestors farted as they crawled." "I did hear that story chief," one of the orcs said, the orcs and goblins roaring with laughter as the faces of the dwarves grew dark. "How about that pretty one there," one of the goblins said, pointing at Jean and Junghwa. "I like them. Especially that red head. She''s got a cute face. That busty one too. Ah, to get between those legs or chest is fine." "HAHAHA! I''ll give that to after I''m done with---" the orc chief said as a bang was heard. The orcs, goblins, elves, and dwarves were silent as they saw the head of the orc explode as its body got sent back. They looked at the humans and saw a cold look in Aeron''s eyes as he pointed the Bone Dragon Pistol at them. "Like hell you will," Aeron growled. "I think we made our choice." Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings."Damn fucking good choice," a dwarf wearing black metal armor roared as he brandished his war hammer. "Let''s kill the orc bastards and feed their heads to our pigs! We got three cities under the mountain left. Let them taste dwarven steel up their asses! Let''s give then a good hammering and mace to the face!" "Open fire and cover the dwarves while the human heroes retreat," the elven prince ordered, his waist long, blonde hair flying as multiple arrows were shot beside him. "Run for it!" Eddy cried as Aeron shot three goblins and an orc. He fired at the chief but the chief unexpectedly caught the bullet, incinerating it with red lightning in his hand. "Now that''s too scary! He fucking caught a bullet!" Frankie said as he and James quickly followed Eddy and Jean. "We need to go," Junghwa said, pulling Aeron as he glared at the orc chief. "Alright," Aeron said, activating his energy shield as he blocked some arrows while putting his pistol away. "What do we do? Do we just let them get away?" a goblin asked. "It doesn''t matter. We captured a two heroes already and have already given them to one of the nine kings. There are other exits from that isolated city and we can capture the cowards in hiding when it appears. Some of them are sure to not turn into those undead. Let the dwarves and elves keep them. We have better things to do," the chief orc spat and his men retreated. "Do not give chase, friends. We have taken enough lives today," the elf prince said and turned to Aeron and the others. "On behalf of my people and that of the dwarves, thank you for coming with us. Those orcs value only power, lust, and wealth. They are a blight on this land that only became more dangerous when our world and the human world merged." "Do you know what happened to the original humans of that other world?" James asked. "Most were killed. A few have survived and made dome cities to protect themselves. However, they have become a scattered and divided race. You are heroes from another version of what they call Earth. Some of this alternate Earth still remains but most of the planet is similar to my own with many parts unaffected by the fusion of worlds," the prince said. "I''m afraid the gods of this world, the true ones, cannot permit you to freely align yourselves with us both. My people, the elves of the forest, desire peace and will shed as much blood to defend our land. The dwarves fight the orcs, goblins, and other creatures to reclaim that which had been lost to their ancestors. The gods said we are to give you a specific armor they gave us and said you would receive something they called a passive ability. I''m sure you know what that means. My name is Prince Malacene. You are most welcome among my people." "The name''s Legion Commander Duba of Royal House of Augor," the black armored dwarf said. "I''m the grandson of the dwarf king, Duren of Augor. You''re welcome to join us and kill our enemies. We are a violent race to our enemies and will not stop at nothing to take back our cities and lands. Take your time and decide among your own. You have made the first choice: choosing a side. Now you must choose which race and what kind of life you want to live. Let us know your decision. Remember, this is your life. Your choice." "What do you want to do?" Eddy asked as the dwarves and elves gave them some space. "I''m going to join the elves. I''m sure the classes they give us will contain some higher skilled mages," Frankie said. "I''ll be going with him," James said. "I want to learn more about magic and don''t want to wait for a skill book to appear." "I''ll be going with them," Cindy said. "I...I don''t want to fight anymore than I have to." "I''ll go where Aeron goes," Junghwa said, Aeron nodding as they locked hands. "And where will you go, big bro?" Eddy asked him. "I''ll be going with the dwarves. To survive, we need power and more experience fighting the enemy. Go with the elves. You can train there without worry," Aeron said, Jean silently thanking him with a nod and a smile. "But we''ll be apart," Eddy said. "We are on each other''s friend list. Go with the others. We will see each other again. The two races are allies," Aeron assured him as he patted his shoulder. "I...I.....al..alright," Eddy said as he stared at Jean, knowing she didn''t want to kill in the first place. "I''ll go with the elves. Please be careful, Aeron. More careful than usual." "Alright. Don''t cry," Aeron said as he hugged his brother. Even though they weren''t related by blood. They were as close as real brothers could be. "Take care of him, Jean." "I will," she nodded quickly, hugging him quickly and pushed Eddy to join the others as they had already started walking with tears going down their faces as they couldn''t bear to say goodbye. "It was a tough choice for you all," the dwarf commander said as he saw Aeron and Junghwa approach him and his men. "It doesn''t get any easier. Some people you meet might very well die in their next battle. Are you prepared for that mental strife?" "My brother will live and I am not alone," Aeron said, Junghwa nodding as the golem stood behind them. Aeron didn''t notice it but it was seven feet tall now, not including the blood diamond spikes on its back. "Welcome to the dwarven kingdom. We will take you to see my father, one of the three city lords. He will tell you the options of what the true gods called: classes. The armor will also be bestowed then. Something to do with the magic of the gods and making it appear. I don''t know," the Duba laughed. "Let''s be off men! We succeeded our mission." "Yes, commander!" the dwarves said and they marched toward one of three mountains covered in snow, the right half mountains of the mountain range. "The other half of the mountains and the numerous underground cities past the mountain range will be ours. With dwarven steel and hearts as strong as a dragon, we will. I''m glad you decided to help us. The fighting is tough and you heroes are incredibly more powerful than the humans of this world. With you, we will have a few less casualties," the dwarf sighed as they marched.
System Announcement
You have Chosen to Ally with the Dwarves. Received passive skill: Warrior of Stone By choosing the dwarves, you obtain a part of the race''s capabilities. You have chosen a race active against the cruelties of this world. Your future will be violent, with more blood, death, and sacrifice than you can imagine. You will see the world as it is and shudder before it. Stamina skills require half the cost. Immunity to earth magic. Able to see using vibrations. 5% of enemy damage is returned.
"Wow. Our first passive skills and they''re the same," Junghwa said as they rode on ponies, leaning her head on his back as she sat behind him. "We have two active skills and one passive skill now. Not bad before level 40 and not too fast in obtaining them," Aeron agreed. "We could have gone with your brother, but I knew you wouldn''t want to be with the elves," Junghwa said. "You''ve fought and killed too much now. Like me, we know we are weak and don''t know much about the enemy." "Girls always pay more attention to detail," Aeron smirked. "Learning magic is nice, but my class might include it anyway and there are no restrictions for class skills. I don''t even remember how many days passed since we first started school and came here. It feels so long ago. The dwarves and Junghwa remained silent as they heard Aeron continue, "Our lives were more peaceful. No one tried to eat us and our teachers were actually there and not missing. You know, I only saw one of our teachers and it was the first zombie I killed. No, maybe she was the second? I had to put down a boy as he bled to death. Could I have saved him? Only if I didn''t summon my golem and use all my MP before hand." "It wasn''t your fault," Junghwa said silently. "I also had to out down some of my friends as they did not want to be captured and eaten by the goblins." "But we didn''t have to make those choices. We weren''t adults, at least not yet. We were students learning about history, science, math, and other things," Aeron said as he brought out his guitar from his Ring of the Axe King. "I was supposed to enjoy senior year as I already knew how to play the guitar. I managed to save three people from NJROTC, one of them my own brother. I killed and misunderstood a girl as I befriended a backstabber. I...changed. I was also not as daring as I was or we would not have spent the night together." "You didn''t want to..?" she teased, making him laugh. "Not so soon, no. Otherwise, I would not have been a virgin. It''s just, this Alternate Earth took a lot and changed a lot," Aeron said as he played some notes as the pony was being led by the dwarf who rode a little ahead to their right. "I learned to see the real friends from false ones and met you. It wasn''t bad, but I never killed before. I even enjoy it sometimes or become indifferent to the weak zombies and goblins. Goblins and zombies outside school aside, the zombies could have been students I knew at school. My chest feels heavy." "Then you are accepting the fact," Duba said, staring up at the human in sympathy. "I never killed a zombie, but I have killed more than my fair share of zombies and dwarves that betrayed my people for lust, money, and power. It doesn''t get easier, but you get used to it. Is it a bad thing? No, because you still feel something. You know it''s wrong to enjoy it. That makes you better than most." "He''s right. You''re also not alone. You have me and your golem," Junghwa said, tightening her arms around his waist as he stopped playing some chords. "We''re still here. That''s all that matters. Even when the world seemed to end, you put your brother''s safety first on your mind and saved him. You did good by him. You''ll also save others when you kill the enemy. We kill because we have to, in order to survive. You never did, but cry now. I won''t think any less of you. I love you." "Thank you," Aeron said as tears fell down while he gazed at the sky. "It''ll get better. No matter what happens, I''ll protect us both. I''ll kill anyone who tries to take what happiness I have left, even if its the entire orc and goblin race." "What a powerful axe!" the dwarves muttered as Aeron stored his guitar as his Fiend Ghost Axe appeared in his hand. An unknown magic seemed to be contained within the axe. None of them could sense it, but Aeron did and he knew it was the non-elemental magic known as destruction. He rubbed his tears and stared ahead, oblivious to the stares of Junghwa and the dwarves as they stared at the axe. Chapter 7: Choosing a Class (Author: Hello! Aeron and Junghwa have escaped Los Angeles and had to make two choices. The first choice was easy, but the second choice made Aeron remember what he had to go through to get this far. How much had happened and how much he had changed. Choosing to fight with the dwarves, he accepts Duba''s proposal and joins the dwarven kingdom. He rides with them, Junghwa and his blood golem taking along. He had succeeded in escaping. Now he must choose his class and meet the king who would decide his path. Enjoy.) ---------Chapter 7: Choosing a Class------------- "Ah, good Old Reliable," Duba said as he and the others approached two large, stone doors about two hundred feet high and eighty feet wide. "Old Reliable?" Aeron asked. "Let''s just saw three dragons tried to attack my father''s city over the course of the city''s history and none were able to break it. The snow mountain is made out of very special rock that cannot be broken, even by a dragon''s might. Of the three dwarven cities, this city is the most secure as Old Reliable is the only way. There are secret escape routes, but that is going out. You can''t enter the city from that way. It''s been tested by all our ancestors," Duba said with pride. "Even the underground rocks are made of the weird rock. Needless to say, the discovery of this place brought great honor to House Augor. Of course, we couldn''t move the capital as it is close to the surface and most dwarves love to live underground. My father, and the dwarves of the city, are responsible for interacting with the species that live topside." "Impressive," Aeron nodded as they got off their ponies and walked through the large doors. "So this is White Hammer City." Junghwa and Aeron couldn''t help but sigh in admiration, the dwarves grinning as they were proud to see the heroes react that way. The city was way different than they suspected. Several houses surrounded a beautiful lake about two miles wide. At the center of the lake was a huge, two-sided hammer about one thousand feet above the lake''s surface. It was made out of ice that never seemed to melt. Even the lake gave out a slight mist around the hammer. A large palace made of black and silver stone lay behind the lake. It was like Junghwa and Aeron had entered a city straight out of a fantasy book. "It''s so beautiful," Junghwa said as Aeron held her from behind, her arms resting on his as he wrapped them around her waist. "Aye, she is a beauty," Duba said. "Other cities are mostly stone and metal, but ours has a small luxury you can only see topside. Only the House of Augor stays here. The nine other dwarven houses prefer living in the other two cities. Most dwarves don''t like the surface as they believe the trouble of those topside is not worth diverting their attention from our troubles beneath the mountains. Most dwarves here are warriors who aim to take back the lost mountain cities while the other cities focus on the ones lost even deeper. Many dwarven merchants also live here so we have many delicacies and antiques from all over the land." "Do you buy them with this?" Aeron asked, holding out a black dragon coin. "That''s right. It is the currency," the dwarf nodded. "They are very difficult to make and are the universal currency of most nations. We usually find them in the pockets and bags of the enemy as they also use the currency. However, most don''t carry more than a few coins." "Different than our loot drops," Junghwa said silently as Aeron let go of her as they followed the dwarf around the lake, his men leaving for their homes. "I only came with a few of my men to get you," Duba said as if he could read Aeron''s mind as they walked. "Whenever there''s a battle, we only bring about three hundred dwarves for private matters. Most of us are in charge of storming the enemy strongholds or escorting merchant caravans. We knew there would be elves so three hundred would suffice as a small army. "You called us heroes. Is it because we came from another dimension?" Aeron asked. "Precisely. Smart lad ye are," the dwarf laughed as he stroke his tongue. "Most humans never reached our exit area. They appear in one hundred and eight known locations all over the world. About a fourth of those locations mean certain death while another fourth is in enemy territory. Heroes, like you two, are abnormally strong and classify us with levels. I don''t know how that works but you guys level very quickly while we spend years of training and research. The humans that do appear where you did usually side with the elves. There should be a bunch living over there now." "How long are the intervals between the appearance of cities? What of the age range?" Aeron asked. "Hmmm. It should be about every two years? Yes, that''s sounds about right. As far as age, sometimes there is a small age difference while other times it is completely random," Duba frowned. "I don''t know why that happens but many heroes die before the two years are up. It''s like the gods play a game and their pawn died or something. That''s what one of my ancestors, who married a female hero, wrote in his journal. Of course, the hero''s weapon, armor, and items are all destroyed when they die. Don''t know why, but I believe it is so we do not become as powerful as them. Otherwise, the world would be thrown into chaos. Some capture and experiment on heroes, but to no avail. It is just something we can''t understand." "Thank you," Aeron said as they approached the steps of the palace. Junghwa held Aeron''s hand as they walked into the palace. Guards streamed the always, two on either side of the wall every twenty feet. Security was extremely tight as they could see merchants walking about as well as some dwarven nobles who had come to visit from the other two cities. They entered a throne room fit to host giants more than eight hundred feet high. It was abnormally gigantic. Dwarf guards all wore shining gold armor as a middle-aged dwarf with long red hair and a long beard stared at them. He wore shining white silver armor that seemed incomparably more luxurious than the golden armor of the royal guards. "May I present my father, Prince Dugar of House Augor and City Lord of White hammer City," Duba bowed, his father grinning as he saw his son. "Father, may I present these two heroes. The lad is Aeron and the lass is his girlfriend, Junghwa. These are the two heroes, out of six, who chose to side with us. None of the six heroes, the first to appear in six years, chose to side with the orcs and goblins." "Good. Very good. Well done, my son," the city lord nodded. "I am Prince Dugar. You must have many questions. First, allow me to answer some that you might have contemplated beforehand. I know much about heroes and their classes. You might have met a creature far more powerful than others, wondering how it could destroy the environment so easily. Allow me to tell you that gravity in that city is ten times weaker than the gravity of the real Alternate Earth, the outside world you just escaped to. I know of four false gods that guard the four most obvious escape routes. The races are always a griffon, a dragon, a hydra, and a chimera. The dragon is impossible to kill and the chimera is the easiest." "I killed the griffon. So you''re saying that it should not normally have such power?" Aeron frowned. "Precisely. Besides the dragon, none of them should have the level of a god as it is far too difficult. Once you choose the race you fight with, and your class; you''re body will adjust to the change. It has always been this way. For choosing the more violent of the two races of the side you chose, you get +50 for all your stats and an increase of 1000HP. I believe that amounts to 100 vitality as each vitality point increases HP by +10. If you picked the elves, you would get +30 for all stats and 500MP and 500SP. I believe that is 100 spirit and 100 stamina as each point increases stamina and spirit by +5. Even if all the stats are less than yours, there is no doubt they have a better reward as MP and SP is very important for heroes," the city lord said. "He''s right. Stamina increases recovery rate and the amount of SP needed for physical skills while spirit dictates mana recovery rate, how much spells you can cast, and magic offense and defense," Aeron brooded. "+50 is good and vitality also increases our physical defense a little, but the reward is less valuable." "Indeed. Also, the class you pick increases two stats. The most important stat increases by 20, and when you level, 2 of your awarded 6 stats automatically go into it. The next important stat increases by 10 and 1 of your stat points automatically goes into it. If you have an unused skill point, which you both should as you reached 10 and would be a fool to use it before picking a class; then you can increase the skill level of one of your class skills," Prince Dugar nodded. "Classes are decided by the god who chose you and the race you chose to live among and fight with. As we are a warrior race first and a rogue race second, we can offer no mage class for you. However, the gods allow you to learn a magic but it will be of a closer range than most magic. As you can guess, the difference between Divisions is like heaven and earth. Heroes who can kill enemies above their Division are nothing short of monsters. As for us, we don''t know those things as we cannot see the world as you do." "Once the class is chosen, we give you the armor the gods told us to give you and the stats are awarded. From there, you go into the north wing of the palace, forbidden to all but heroes, where you walk through a barrier. Inside are places called item shops, weapon shops, and other shops normally found in what you heroes called, video games," Duba continued. "You pay for those with black dragon coins. Heroes are naturally richer so expect the price to be equally as expensive. Getting a class is free but you must find your trainer and pay for the skills. I also understand there is something called class advancements. Those happen as you reach level 40." "By then you will no longer be able to accept loot-drop abilities. Heroes in the past resented not adding them before reaching level 40. Once you pick your class, I suggest choosing loot-drop abilities that your class does not teach, but would benefit you regardless. Hero named Junghwa. You will be first. As is tradition, Aeron will wait outside until it is his turn to choose. You will see her in the north wing once you have chosen your own class. When you are both done, return here so that we may see your stats and allow you your stats and proceed with our discussion. Aeron, please wait outside the throne room. My son will fetch you shortly." "I''ll see you soon," Aeron said, kissing her lightly. "Okay. Try not to pick an evil class. I do like bad boys but not evil ones," Junghwa teased as she put her hand on his cheek before he left. Twenty minutes later, Aeron was called into the room as Duba opened the golden doors. Duba nodded at Aeron and they stood twenty feet before the city lord who sat on his white stone throne. Aeron''s eyes narrowed as ten priests appeared from the door to the right of the throne, each of them carrying a box. As they opened them, each one contained chest armor and a single item. "Based on the message we received from the true gods, one of them has stepped forth to claim you as his champion. We do not know who it is, as they never reveal themselves to all but the champion. However, ten classes have been proposed and the ten boxes containing a single Division 2 armor and an item essential for the class have been given for you to select. Upon choosing one, the other nine vanish and the stats will be awarded," the prince said as the priests laid the armor and items on ten, white stone pedestals. In front of the item and armor was a gold plaque which described the class. "The ten classes are, from left to right, all warrior classes. Some have magic and others have some degree of rogue class references. Choose wisely, Aeron, as all choices are final. The choice of a side was final. The choice to stick with us was final. This choice, and many more, are final. Even in battle, the choices you make decide who lives and who dies," Duba warned. "Very rarely is there a way for you to make a third choice. However, those who can are those with power. If you want the choice to make your own options, you must become more powerful than your enemies. Choose wisely." "Did Junghwa have ten choices as well?" Aeron asked. "To answer that is permissible. Yes, she and all others have ten class selections. However, sometimes the race you chose force you to choose among fewer classes or force you to pick the one they want. That would have been your future if you picked the murderous and lustful race, known as the orcs. Either them or the lustful and greedy race, known as goblins. Thank you priests. You may return to pay heed to the messages of the true gods," the city lord said, the ten priests bowing as they left. Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. "Dwarves believe in gods?" Aeron asked. "No, we believe them to be a race beyond or power and understanding. We call them gods but most dwarves only honor our ancestors who rest in the stone. We call the true gods, gods, as that is what we must call them," Duba answered. "Oh, and you gain two skills that come for free. The rest, as stated before, must be bought from the class trainer. As for the item, they are used by the class and for class specific quests." Aeron browsed over the ten statues as he read the names of the classes and their descriptions. The names of the ten classes were Dark Knight, Blight Tyrant, Tremor Fiend, Dragon Warrior, Demon Hunter, Dread Scourge, Sun Breaker, Astral Guardian, Tremor Fiend, Beast Tamer. All ten classes had combinations of all three types of fighting classes, but were mostly warriors as Aeron sided with the dwarves. Of all the ten classes, three of them were warriors with magic support and two of them are warriors with rogue aspects. In video games, he had seen about four of the classes and thought other heroes would pick them. He did not want a class others would choose as they will know his strengths and weaknesses. Thus, he did not consider Dark Knight, Demon Hunter, Dragon Warrior, and Beast Tamer. He had no interest in defense as his axe had major offensive capabilities. Thus, he did not consider Astral Guardian. Now, he was left with four classes. Those classes were Blight Tyrant, Tremor Fiend, Dread Scourge, and Sun Conqueror.
Class: Blight Tyrant
Class Details For centuries, knights have followed the orders of kings and used holy magic to bring justice to their foes. Unsatisfied with following the incompetent, knights have taken their rightful place as rulers of nations. Churches? Kings? Why did the knights have to limit themselves to the light? Ruling with an iron fist, Blight Tyrants wield the powers of angels and demons to crush their enemies? Devils? Gods? He will kill them both and let the sky rain with their blood. Light is in his grasp. Darkness embraces him. Light and dark are two sides of the same existence. There cannot be one without the other. Good? Evil? They are the same and he will rule with both. Class Awards +20 Stamina +10 Spirit Division 2 Armor: Armor of the Tyrant Class Specific Item: Leech Scepter Gained Skill: Night Vision and Fear Field.
Aeron looked over the skill details. Night Vision was a passive skill that allowed one to see in darkness and detect live forms hiding in it. No stealth of any kind could deceive the skill. Fear Field was an active skill that paralyzed all foes within fifty feet with fear for ten seconds. An added effect of skill canceling was added that lasted five seconds after the target recovered from fear. Truly a cheat skill worthy of a class with tyrant included in its name.
Class: Tremor Fiend
Class Details In ages long past, fiends used to roam the land and challenged the gods and devils. No matter what their enemies threw at them, the Tremor Fiend laughed and retaliated with power the shook the earth beneath them. Cities were leveled and not those who lived in the oceans escape their wrath. Fiends are both powerful and mysterious. When it comes to hunting on land, there is no better assassin. The very earth is their weapon and even the darkness of the earth bends to their will. Even the fastest of creatures cannot escape them. With speed, overwhelming strength, and magic; Tremor Fiends cannot be escaped or defeated. Class Awards +20 strength +10 spirit Division 2 Armor: Fiend''s Raiment Class Specific Item: Shadow Diamond Gained Skills: Fiend Slash and Rock Burst
Fiend Slash was an active skill that required a weapon with an edge. With non-elemental magic bonus damage, the user slashes the opponent and ignores all magical defense. Rock Burst was a short range teleportation ability that allowed the user to teleport within fifteen yards. Skill required a hard surface to appear to and from. Truly a class that dominates on land. Perhaps appearing on the bottom of the ocean was how the skill could be used. However, he would have to learn how to breathe underwater for that. "We can resurrect?" Aeron frowned. "That''s right. Since you allied yourself with us, your spawn point is beneath the White Hammer of the Lake. You guys are really lucky. The rest of us have only one life and raising the dead is taboo," Duba said. "Quiet! He is making his decision. Sorry, Aeron. He will not interrupt again," Dugar said while eyeing his son while Aeron nodded and kept browsing.
Class: Dread Scourge
Class Details Death only marks the beginning of a new life. However, souls are the most powerful energy force in existence. Thus, why not harness the power of souls? Knowing it''s sacrilegious does not make them waver. Dread Scourges kill others and ensnare their souls. What greater evil is there than to control the dead and make them serve you for eternity? The answer is none and the Dread Scourge does just that. Do you think death spares you his wrath? It is only the beginning! Like a plague, he raises his army of souls and raids the land. Night is his might and day, his bane. Heroes are an existence that can revive. However, the Dread Scourges can ensnare their souls. Even if he cannot use them, the hero can only expect eternal imprisonment until the Dread Scourge is killed. There is no greater power, to kill a god, than to use souls against them. Class Awards +20 Vitality +10 Spirit Division 2 Armor: Armor of the Damned. Class Specific Item: Orb of Souls. Gained Skills: Soul Capture. Soul Puppet.
Soul Capture was a passive skill that captured the soul of all the kills of the Dread Scourge and stores their souls in the Orb of Souls. Souls could be used for certain class abilities or to replenish lost HP, MP, and SP. Soul Puppet was an active skill that uses a quarter of Dread Scourge''s max MP in order to create a puppet using a captured soul. Puppets are counted as equipment and have no emotions. Heroes cannot be made into puppets. Souls used to make puppets cannot be retrieved and used to resurrect the dead.
Class: Sun Conqueror
Class Details The galaxy starts with the creation of the sun. Light sustains life and life thrives and is vibrant beneath it. It is the strongest element and the most destructive element. What better power, for a warrior, than absorbing the very power of the sun and use it to slay his enemies? A Sun Conqueror is a warrior of the sun. It heals and empowers him. Under it, he is nearly invincible. Magic cannot bind him. Darkness cannot affect him. Fire and light are his weapons. They wrap around his limbs and blades as he slays all in his path. The world is his, as a Child of the Sun. No foe can hide where there is light. No ocean can stop him, his fire hotter than the very magma that rolls beneath the ocean floor. All will burn and bow down to his light, his radiance undying and undeniable. He is the sun. He is the ruler of all that bask in it. Class Awards +20 strength +10 stamina Division 2 Armor: Sun Stone Armor. Class Specific Item: Radiant Medallion. Gained Skills: Solar Chains and Flare Barrier.
Solar Chains was an active skill that chained enemies to the ground, immobilizing and canceling all skills for twenty seconds. No matter the level, the effect''s duration of skill cancelation cannot be decreased. Skill cannot be blocked but can be broken. Flare Barrier is a counter skill that automatically effects if Sun Conqueror''s life is endangered. Absolute immunity to damage and effects for ten seconds. Only activates on skills that take over 25% of Sun Conqueror''s max HP. "These classes are too overpowered!" Aeron shouted. "I can kind of understand why Tulaga was so strong." "Tulaga? He killed the false god, Tulaga? I thought he just escaped and did not fight the hidden guardian. Wait, those are marks of a god slayer. He really killed the mutant variant griffon!" Dugar thought as Aeron pondered his choices. ".....I pick the class: Tremor Fiend," Aeron said after ten minutes. He weighed the pros and cons and decided it was the class for him.
System Announcement
Aeron Ao gained Class: Tremor Fiend After escaping the city and choosing to fight with dwarves, you finally obtained your class. Class advancement is at level 40. Loot-drop abilities cannot be added from level 40 onward. 2 stats to strength and 1 stat to spirit will automatically be awarded per level. 3 other stats are up to Aeron''s discretion. Stat numbers and distribution will not change upon reaching higher levels. +2 skill points every five levels from level 15. +50 to all stats. +100 vitality. +2 strength and +1 spirit due to class. Gained all class awards specified in description. Access to Hero Market unlocked. Unused skill points: 1 Status Display will now change.
------------------- (Author: And so the MC gets his class. Tables will not appear for status display as they are too tedious and I can never get them to display as I envision in my head. Well, hope you enjoyed the chapter.) Chapter 8: Fiends and Shopping (Author: Hello! Last chapter of mega release! Aeron finally got his class! Now he goes to the Hero Market and finally buys items instead of hoping for a drop. While visiting his trainer, he learns his class is more than he realized. Chapter seems long as it has some big tables and the added segment for your convenience. Until next mega chapter release, enjoy.) -----------Chapter 8: Fiends and Shopping------------------- "I can''t believe he picked that class," Dugar gasped. "Tremor Fiend? The fiend race have either gone extinct or went into hiding. Perhaps he will become one?" Duba pondered aloud. "At least he''ll still be human. Mostly. I think he''ll only be a half," Dugar shook his head as they watched Aeron change. System Announcement: Recalibrating physique for Alternate Earth. System Announcement: Calibration complete. System Announcement: Implementing class data. System Announcement: Class data complete. Download successful. Bone Dragon Pistol cannot be equipped due to class change. System Announcement: Revival spawn designation: White Hammer Lake. System Announcement: Levels are not absolutes. Energy Shield converted into Dark Engergy Shield Gauntlet. System Announcement: Combat upgraded. Stats will not lower. HP, MP, and SP bar added to Status Display Table. System Announcement: 15% humanity lost. [tr] [tr]
Race TranscendenceRace: Demi-Fiend Few classes change the race of the hero. The Tremor Fiend class is one of thirty, out of one hundred total classes, that takes away part of your humanity. Rejoice as you transcend past your human limitations. As you are a Tremor Fiend, your elements are limited to the elements of fire, earth, darkness, and the non-element: destruction. Due to race Aeron Ao gains stats a small piece of a fiend''s advantage. Autocorrect: stamina +90. Due to fiend race: Shadow Diamond fuses with Aeron''s heart. Heart is now a heart-shaped shadow diamond. Shadow diamond is a rare gem that houses ancient power beyond understanding. Armor stats will now be displayed. Racial Ability: NineDiamond Dragons +30 resilience +10 agility
Hero: Aeron Ao Title: Phantom Champion Class: Tremor Fiend Level: 13 HP: 1,940/1,940 (1,880+60) MP: 495/495 (440+55) SP: 915/915 (900+15) Stats Strength: 97 (94+3) Vitality: 194 (182+12) Agility: 104 (101+3) Stamina: 183 (180+3) Spirit: 99 (88+11) Resilience: 129 (121+8) "All things considered, his stats are not bad. Higher than most as many avoid picking classes like the Tremor Fiend," Dugar commented. "He has a shadow diamond heart now. Could be worse. If he chose the Sun Conqueror class, he would have a halo above his head with blonde hair and blue eyes." "He still has dark brown hair and blue eyes. Wait, no. It seems to be a mix between black, dark blue, and purple. The diamond might be the cause. I see no other changes. Well, he seems to have leaner muscles and slightly taller," Duba nodded. "His hair is past his shoulders too. Well, he did get a lot of that vitality stat." "Ugh," Aeron grunted as he held his head while his heart felt as if it would explode with an ancient power. "Too abrupt. I underwent a change? What about Junghwa? Did it happen to her? Will it happen to my little brother too?" "Her? She became even more beautiful with a nice ass and bust," Duba laughed until Dugar glared at him. "Well, most female heroes lose a lot of weight, and get sexier, when gaining a class. The true gods want their champion to be in the best condition and not look too ugly or they would lose face. Most people say female heroes are the ones who benefit most as they always become fit. As for the male heroes, they only lose a little fat as they gain some muscle. Best part is that you stop aging when you turn twenty seven. Even heroes past that age, age backwards. I think true gods believe heroes should be beautiful people. Well, their own twisted views. Your heart fused with the shadow diamond right? Just be glad its an internal change. Some bizarre physical changes were made to some heroes. I even saw a six-armed hero once." Aeron recovered from his shock and the dwarves looked at him. Armor, made of black and silver dragon scales covered his chest, arms, and legs. The chest plate had an image of a dark blue, purple, and black scaled dragon the coiled its serpentine body on the chest plate of the armor. The only thing missing was the helmet, face guard, hand guards, and the armor for legs from the knees to the feet. It was because he already had armor for that. A martial artists robe covered his armor, only revealing the chest plate armor and leg guards. It was made of black silk and made Aeron appear like a general from the demon lands. He only needed horns to authenticate the description. Aeron watched as nine serpentine dragons appeared from his body as they coiled around him. As he looked at them, he noticed they were made of darkness and were the same color as the shadow diamond that fused and became his heart. When he made them disappear, the nine shadow diamond dragons appeared on the bottom of his robes. It seemed they had to be displayed somehow, like how limbs could not be concealed.
Nine Diamond Dragons
Racial Ability Due to fusing with the shadow diamond, you have fused with the nine dragons that were contained by the diamond. They are a part of you and you will lose HP if they die. They are counted as extra limbs of fiends. Other fiends have similar abilities and will acknowledge you as one of them despite being a Halfling.
"Not bad," Aeron nodded, happy with his armor. He stared at the Black Flame Lord''s Hand that he wore on his right hand, black flames flickering around his fingers. Then, he saw the black flames flickering on his gauntlet. His griffon boots were covered by the robes, so it didn''t really stand out. However, wearing the glove and gauntlet did. "And so a demi-fiend is born. It seems your elements are fire, earth, darkness, and destruction," Dugar noted. "Is it magic?" Duba asked. "No, it is just his enchanted item''s effect. Only mage classes are able to manipulate the elements freely, without being limited to spells. However, their MP usage is more costly as the magic would obviously be superior. As for those dragons, I hear people say fiends could control creatures that seemed to be an extension of their bodies, like extra limbs. FIends would also be hurt if they died but would be able to create more to replace them," Dugar answered. "Warriors are also limited in which elements they can use, as they do not have as deeper a connection to mana as mages. The elements would depend on the true god and the class." "As I have MP, I''ll use it sparingly as I am a warrior," Aeron nodded. "Where do I go to head to the Hero Market?" "My son will lead you up to the room where the portal is. The north wing looks small as it is really just a large hall with a small room at the end which contains the portal. Once you head inside, you will meet other heroes. However, the true gods prevent you from telling national secrets of the side you chose. I hope you do not have a friend who belongs to the enemy. No doubt he would have gone through horrible experiences and be a changed man," Dugar said. "Thank you for giving me my class," Aeron bowed his head and followed Duba to the north wing. "Before you head in," Duba started as Aeron pushed two golden doors and saw a swirling white portal. "It is best not to mention what class you are to those you don''t trust. Also, I''ve seen a few heroes who died as they depended too much on magical items and skills you heroes use. Glad to have you with us. The both of you. Most of the heroes, who chose to side with the dwarves, all stay at the capital. If you wish, we can set the portal to the capital for you both." "I can''t live a sheltered life. It''s why I chose to fight the dwarves. I want to fight the enemy and learn more about them. On the battlefield, I can only depend on myself," Aeron answered. "Good. My father and I will be making plans for an assault on a goblin city. Remember, choices must not be made idly. No one can truly see all the consequences of their actions, directly or otherwise," Duba said, shaking hands with Aeron before he watched the hero walk through the portal with his blood golem behind him. "May the Stones protect you."
System Announcement
Welcome to Hero Market Aeron Ao has entered a pocket between dimensions. Here, heroes can buy items, skills, armor, and weapons. This is also the only place to buy or sell said items, nullifying the restriction on items. Items still cannot be traded among other heroes. Suggested item of sale: Bone Dragon Pistol.
"Hey, Aeron," Junghwa smiled, hugging him. "What took you so long? Your brother and the others already went into the market." "So they came here," Aeron said, as they stood in front of one of many item shops. No doubt, his brother would be trying to find health, stamina, or mana potions. "Big bro!....Whoa! You got taller and your eyes...," Eddy said as he and the others saw Aeron appear. "That''s your armor? HAHAHA! Just like those wuxia and xianxia novels you read a lot." "Why is everyone else not wearing their armor?" Aeron asked. "Some heroes have the option to hide their armor if it is too cumbersome. You are wearing a martial artists cloak over dragon plate armor," Eddy guessed as he saw the nine dragons. However, your armor has a high defense but is not bulky as it is like another layer of skin as it fits beneath the robe. Thus, I don''t think your armor came with the feature." "I see," Aeron said as he felt Junghwa''s chest against his right arm as she hugged it. "Yo! Aeron! Good to see you. If you got stuff to sell, you can do it here. Item shops buy all the goods from heroes. They convert it into black dragon coins," Frankie said, grinning as he saw him. "Aeron!" Oscar cried, Aeron shocked to see his best friend as they had separated when he tried to find his brother. "Oscar! That girl you saved...Melissa, right?" Aeron asked, the girl nodding as she appeared from behind Oscar. "Where''s Jorge, Janet, and Samantha?" "Janet and Jorge were killed by the grey zombies. As for Samantha, she was killed by the barbarians. They''re a savage group at an average height of ten feet. We were saved by the humans of the city oasis nearby. We are allied with them against the barbarians," Oscar said, Aeron nodding silently as they mourned their lost friend. "The Four Musketeers of Varsity Basketball are now three. Like some sick ass joke," Eddy snarled. Eddy was close to Oscar and Jorge as those two always played basketball at their house before high school. When they entered high school, they all joined the basketball team at school, Eddy joining a year later when he became a freshman. "You guys dating?" Oscar asked, pointing between Junghwa and Aeron. "Same as you two," Aeron grinned, Melissa blushing as she nodded. "What''s with the eight foot golem? Are those diamonds made of blood?" Oscar asked. "Yeah. It was my second skill, I think. It''s called Summon: Blood Golem. Can''t be upgraded though," Aeron nodded. "A summoning skill? Makes sense then. Some shop keepers told me those can''t be upgraded because they are like class skills: they improve and gain new aspects like we do. The skills here are of lower quality but highly expensive. It is because they are not as powerful as loot drop abilities. Those are one-of-a-kind skills. Especially healing magic, most people can''t understand why they''re not sold," Melissa answered as she greeted Junghwa. "You have one?" Junghwa asked. "I can summon three foxes. Right now, they''re only cubs. However, they are able to use magic and weapons once I reach higher levels," Melissa nodded. "Summoning skills are overpowered, I say. Oh, be wary of what skills you buy here. They count under the loot-drop restrictions of 5 active and 3 passive, non-class skills," Oscar warned. "Me and Melissa are heading back. The barbarians always attack the oasis city. We''ll catch up later." "Good to see you again," Melissa waved as they exchanged friend lists before she and Oscar left. "Save the princess and get the girl," Aeron said. "You got me," Junghwa grinned. "I know," Aeron grinned. "But you can fight." "Can you use your Bone Dragon Pistol?" Eddy asked. "No. My class does not allow it and a system announcement suggested I sell it," Aeron sighed. "Dear customer, you may sell your item here or have it transmuted into a suitable weapon from one of the weapon shops of your class," a clerk suggested as Aeron approached the desk. You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. "Do you sell health potions and other potions?" Aeron asked. "Yes, we do. Please take a look at the list and tell me when you are ready to make your purchase. Please be aware prices are arranged per class to maximize mutual benefit," the clerk nodded.
Item Shop: Potion List
All Sales are Final Health Potion= 250 black dragon coins. Heals 35-45% max HP. Mana Potion= 200 black dragon coins. Recovers full MP. Stamina Potion= 150 black dragon coins. Recovers quarter max stamina. Greater Strength Potion= 80 black dragon coins. Lasts 3 hours. Revival Potion= 1,000 black dragon coins. Used upon death if user does not wish to revive in designated revival point. Haste Potion= 60 black dragon coins. Lasts five minutes. Speed increased by 30%. Poison Potion=40 black dragon coins. Can be applied on weapons or consumed directly. Takes 10% of target''s max HP. Paralysis Potion= 50 black dragon coins. Can be consumed or thrown. Paralyzes target for 20 seconds. Disables skills for 10 seconds. Petrification potion= 120 black dragon coins. Turns target to stone for 10 minutes. Target cannot move or sustain damage during effect. Cure Potion=1,000 black dragon coins. Removes abnormal stats: 3. Prevents abnormal status for thirty seconds after consumption.
"I''ll buy one revival potion," Aeron said, the clerk smiling as he waved his hands. Aeron''s Ring of the Axe King shined and he knew the coins were replaced with the potion. Closing his eyes, he saw into his storage ring and saw a vial with black liquid inside. "As per regulation, sales are switched automatically. No one heard our conversation or saw the transfer," the clerk bowed his head. "No doubt, such potions could be bought outside Hero Market, but the effects are only 10% of the ones sold here and there is no revival potion sold elsewhere. Thank you for your patronage." "What''d you buy?" Eddy asked they left to find a weapon shop. "Just a revival potion," Aeron said, using the telepathy provided by the friend list as they stepped outside. "So rich...well. let''s go with the others. For me, I just want to buy skills. The more expensive ones cost a lot so I am saving for them," Eddy said. "Let''s enter the weapon shop," Frankie grinned as they stopped in front of a shop with a staff and great sword crossing each other. Some clerks did not respond when the others asked to make a sale. It seemed that clerks only responded if they sold merchandise which can be used by the hero. Everyone spoke to a different clerk and Eddy and Aeron had to go to the second floor to make a transaction. "A class with fiend with it? Have not met one in eight years. That last hero should be a year younger than you as he came rather young," a red-haired clerk smiled as Aeron approached him. "Would you like to make a transaction?" "Yes. I came here to transmute my Bone Dragon Pistol as my class cannot use it. I also wish to know where I can find my class trainer," Aeron asked. "No problem. What would you like it to turn into? Your class does not allow the usage of guns of any kind," the clerk asked. "Flying daggers?" Aeron asked as he handed the pistol/ "Daggers which could levitate and be manipulated. The size can also extend to that of a short sword. Note: only one can extend to a great sword at a time. Flying daggers will count as class weapons and unable to upgrade as they become more powerful as the owner. The cost to make 4 Dragon Heart Seekers is 1,000 black dragon coins," the clerk said as he inspected the gun. "I accept," Aeron said. "Here are your daggers," the clerk said, giving him four daggers with dragon bone grips after the gun turned into four balls of light as his storage ring shined once more. "Please note you have to see the daggers to manipulate them. As for your class trainer, I can teach you. All fiends come to me and the clerks would have referred to me. As flying daggers are hidden weapons, they can appear as tattoos or designs on the surface of your skin or other items you wear." "Oh. Great. I''d like to purchase some class skills," Aeron asked the image of four tiny daggers appeared on the palm of his Shadow Shield gauntlet. "Tremor Fiend class. Quite the rare fiend class. Out of nine fiend classes, this is the only one that wasn''t chosen as some liked their other hero class choices. Please select the skill you wish to purchase. These skills are available for purchase below the first class advancement. Choose wisely and please tell me when you are ready," the clerk asked.
Tremor Fiend Class Skills
Skills and Prices Summon: Earth Golem 800 black dragon coins. Active magic skill. Ghost Steps: 1,000 black dragon coins. Active sustained skill. Earth Dragon Claw: 1,000 black dragon coins. Active skill. Quake Fist: 1,000 black dragon coins. Active skill. Boulder Charge: 1,200 black dragon coins. Active skill. Sand Aura: 1,200 black dragon coins. Passive skill. Eclipse Spear: 1,200 black dragon coins. Active magic skill. Mountain Fortress: 1,300 black dragon coins. Active buff skill.. Rock Skewer: 1,400 black dragon coins. Active weapon skill. Sand Wave: 1,500 black dragon coins. Active magic skill. Fiend Destroyer: 1,800 black dragon coins. Active weapon skill. Dead Respite: 2,000 black dragon coins. Passive skill. Evil Eye: 2,000 black dragon coins. Active skill.
"Can I see the description of Quake Claw, Evil Eye, Sand Clone, and Eclipse Spear?" Aeron asked. "Certainly. Should you choose to buy them all, the total is 5,400 black dragon coins," the clerk said. "Does the customer have enough?" "Of course. I would not ask to see the description if I didn''t," Aeron said. "Ah, you were the newcomer that killed the false god, Tulaga. I had received the report that a newcomer killed one. It is normal for them to die, but not by a newcomer. Please, decide if you wish to purchase the skills after reading the details of the skills," the clerk smiled, four small boxes appeared in front of him. Naturally, he was always the only one who could see the boxes and he could not see the boxes that appeared in front of others during system announcements and other alerts.
Tremor Fiend: Skill List
Skill Details Quake Fist: 35 SP per use. Fist is imbued with the power of earth. Attack sends dozens of vibrations into the target, attacking the target from within. If the target is too weak, it shatters into countless pieces of rock. Evil Eye: 45 HP and SP. +5 HP and SP cost per second after activation. The caster''s own soul is empowers the skill. Able to manipulate gravity to push, crush, or pull targets. Skill cannot be blocked, evaded, or resisted. Restriction: At least one eye must be open during skill use. Sand Aura: passive skill. User''s body becomes like sand, looking complete normal on the outside. Bleeding wounds automatically turn into sand and appears to regenerate. So long as the fiend''s heart exists, any part of the body can regenerate. Skill does not restore HP. Only a skill that returns body back to perfect state excluding MP, HP, and SP. Does not have any defensive properties. Eclipse Spear: 100 MP per use. Creates a spear of non-element attribute. Does immense damage. Cannot be blocked by magic.
"Did I pick an evil class?" Aeron sighed. "Well, could be more of a chaotic class as controlling earth is not really evil. Did I not have darkness and fire for my class?" "You do, but it is not part of this class as it is in the primary stage. When you advance in class, skills using those attributes will be available. You already have black flames and those shadow diamond dragons. I know as a trainer knows the powers, stats, and effects of all the heroes which are under his or her jurisdiction. We only learn that. Who you are, as a person; and your feats are unknown," the clerk inclined his head. "If you wish to use those elements, and those outside of your class; you still have three active and two passive, non-class abilities you can learn. You are only level 13. There is still 26 levels left to level 39. It is 26 levels as you cannot learn non-class skills from level 40 onwards. Do you wish to purchase the skills?" "Yes. I''ll learn them all," Aeron grinned, his body illuminated by a black light which faded as a similar reaction happened on his storage ring. "You are indeed full of surprises. Most heroes have 3,000 black dragon coins, at the most. How many do you have left?" the clerk asked, surprised. "I spent about 7,400. So maybe a little above 5,700? I killed a lot of zombies and goblins due to my golem and my own efforts. There was also a few hundred coins from stronger zombies and the loot from the griffon. Almost all the coins were for completing the hidden quest to kill Tulaga," Aeron answered, checking his storage ring. "As you have a storage ring, you can safely hide your black dragon coins from any thieves. Still, never tell anyone how rich you are," the clerk warned. "You have already lost 15% of your humanity. Your body has not attuned to it yet. You can be considered the most powerful among the heroes of this round. However, the difference between Division 2 and 3....I trust I don''t need to tell you. Even though they are not as powerful as the griffon, as you are no longer fighting in that special place; it does not mean they will have to try hard to kill you. I''m sure you noticed, Tulaga was rather prideful. That is why it lost so easily. It could not remain calm after someone actually attacked it and wounded it." "I understand. Thank you for the advice," Aeron nodded as he rejoined the others at the exit. "You all ready? Now that we got some stuff, let''s go to the auction house. Might be some cool stuff there," Frankie grinned. "Still not satisfied?" James sighed and they all followed Frankie out of the shop. ----------------------- Non-Class Skills Active (2/5): Healing (restorative magic); Summon: Blood Golem (summoning magic). Passive (1/3): Warrior of Stone (defensive utility). Class Skills Active: Fiend Slash (weapon required); Rock Burst (spatial magic); Quake Fist (physical martial art); Evil Eye (forbidden art); Eclipse Spear (destruction magic). Passive: Sand Aura (body manipulation utility). Equipment Head: N/A Face: N/A Neck: N/A Body: Fiend''s Raiment Rings (5/8 possible due to gauntlet interference. Rings cannot be worn on thumbs): Ring of the Axe King; Shadow Killer Left Hand: Dark Energy Shield Gauntlet Right Hand: Black Flame Lord''s Hand. Feet: Griffon''s Wings. Back: N/A Weapons Main: Fiend Ghost Axe Hidden: Dragon Heart Seeker (4) Golem Only Skills: Diamond Barrage; Lava Breath. Chapter 9: The Carnage Ball (Author: Hello! Another random release. Will there be another one? I don''t know. My main goal is my main story and making every chapter as long and rich as possible. Enjoy.) -----------Chapter 9: The Carnage Ball---------------------- Eddy''s POV Big brother changed. He used to smile a lot and joke around. Of course, he was also in charge of leading the other cadets so he was strict when doing his duty as cadet lieutenant, but looked over the cadets behind the scenes. Even the rebellious students hesitated to get on his bad side. He used to say, "An officer only punishes you because you did something wrong. If we say you have to run a mile, you run a mile while we run behind you. If we say do fifty pushups, you can bet that you will see us do it at the same time as you when we say ''Push Up'' and ''Down!'' We don''t make you do something we can''t." He was always stronger. When my dad married his mom two years after his dad died, he did not say a word against it and accepted my dad while he also loved his dead dad. He probably accepted it as my dad consoled his mom when his best friend died. He treated me like a real brother while I treated him as a stranger for the first five months, while I was 8 and he was nine. When the end of the world came, he actually killed zombies to save me. He killed undead that used to be people we saw everyday at school. I barricaded the doors with Jean and....my best friend who was killed by a third grey zombie when we tried to escape the building as my brother acted as bait to stop the other two grey zombies. He has a girlfriend now, but he changed. It was as if he accepted this fucked up version of Earth as he had lost hope to go back. I want to go back. Back to the time my girlfriend and I just sat on the benches and enjoyed the weather. Back when my brother and I shot hoops or practiced shooting air rifles. I had still had hope, even when killing the goblins and zombies. When I fought the goblin chief, it didn''t seem real. I felt pain but I was able to endure it and kill. It was as if the pain we felt was lessened. It seemed like a virtual reality, but it''s not. This is real. When my brother and I were given a choice between choosing the peaceful life among elves or the violent life of dwarves, the brother I used to know would have picked the elves. My brother learned how to fight as he went to a mixed martial arts gym, but he did not like fighting. While I hesitate to kill, he only sees the enemy as experience to level up. My brother and I share everything, even the things he doesn''t share with Junghwa like how I don''t share them with Jean. We are not married to our girlfriends. Thus, family first and foremost. I know the skills my brother chose and it scares me. I somehow knew he would drawn to the darkness. That''s why I chose the Sun Conqueror class. I could not allow the world to change me, so I will conquer it instead. Demons love the light and may tempt my Jean and my big brother, so I must enslave or eradicate them. He''s accepted our tragic fate. I can''t. I won''t. I can''t change because the world changed my brother. We have to go back before I, too, change. Before I get numbed to killing and become a cold-blood machine. Is it too late for my brother? He has a girlfriend. No, even she cannot stop his change. If my brother becomes evil and loses all his humanity.......can I bring him down? Can I kill my own brother? I don''t know. The fact that this might be reality......scares me. ------------------------------- "Something wrong?" Aeron asked Eddy as the two brothers walked at the back as they all headed to the auction house. "Huh? Oh, big brother......It''s nothing," Eddy said. "You''re strong, right?" "For a hero in Division 2, yeah. Why?" Aeron asked and saw Eddy''s expression. "Relax. I won''t die anytime soon." "A part of you already did," Eddy thought as he faked a smile as they all arrived in front of white, marble building. "What''s going on?'' Frankie asked a nearby hero as they all gathered in front of the building, a large crowd packed in front of the large courtyard. "New hero?" a red-haired young man asked as Frankie nodded. "Ah, you were dragged in here too. Every two years, groups of heroes gather to try to find a way back home. Some fanatics believe killing the demon king will bring us home. Lately, some of the higher level heroes have been getting assassinated by unknown forces working for the other side. Probably traitor heroes who were captured, tortured, or enslaved by enemy races." "So they gather here to recruit people?" James asked. "Another one, huh?" a blonde kid laughed. "Yeah, it''s like this every year. I have been here since I was six years old. I believe I am sixteen now, based on the ten groups of heroes that arrived after my own. It never changes." "Has anyone got past level 100? Is there a level cap?" James asked. "So far, most people believe there isn''t. See, we have not even explored the entire planet. It''s like this Alternate Earth is the size of Jupiter. At least, that''s what the elder heroes told me. I was only six and I only new it took more than twenty Earths to fill Jupiter," the blonde sighed. "The people who care to go back are those who came here as teens or young adults. The people past their thirties believe they''ll age back, from their eternal youth at 27, and turn to dust. We''re stuck here. That''s a fact." "We haven''t explored the world?" Aeron frowned. "Nah, kid. I''ve been searching for a good twenty years," the red-haired man said. "I''m about eighty five now? Does the U.S. have a female president?" "No. There is a candidate but she''s embroiled in all sorts of controversies. We did have an African American president," Aeron answered. "So why hasn''t the world been explored?" "It''s like a virtual reality game you read in novels, comics, and dreams," a girl said as she stood next to the blonde kid. "We have to do some quest to unlock the land. People even get titles for finding it first. After coming here, the system announcement gets personalized." "In what way? Is it bad?" Eddy asked. "Your god is the one who talks to you. He or she might add some remarks but the important system box messages cannot be altered. "They''re like GMs, game masters, that oversee the progress of players. So far as I know, there are gods for each of the thirteen elements." "Thirteen? So many?" Frankie grinned. "Oh, how I want to be the mage that can cast spells using them all." "That''s impossible, even for mages. The elements are categorized into four different categories," the red-haired man said. "Name''s Grey Shanks by the way. I fight with the dark elves against the wyverns. The blonde kid is my great grand son and the girl is my great grand daughter, both separated by two years. His name''s Gary and her name is Carly." "As my mysteriously young, twice grandpa said, the elements are divided into four categories. They are basic, rare, ancient, and forbidden. One element is outside of those four as it is the non-element known as destruction. It''s not really an element but it is the unofficial thirteenth. Dragons, demons, fiends, and giants use the destruction element but to have affinity for it is rare. Some heroes get to use destruction, but that is through their class or a loot drop ability," Carly said. "The basic elements are fire, water, earth, and wind. The advanced elements are ice, lava, lightning, and wood. The ancient elements are light, darkness, life, and gold. The forbidden elements are life, death, blood, and poison. Those who use forbidden elemental magic are feared and respected," Gary answered. "There are countless types of magic. Some famous ones are healing, summoning, necromancy, and blood magic. "My Healing level 3 skill," Aeron said as he added a skill point to it. He thought he could upgrade class skills, but they could only change as the hero got stronger. He could heal major wounds, fractures, illness, and magical afflictions. He couldn''t heal diseases or broken bones with a single cast, yet. "That still doesn''t explain why a lot of people are gathered outside the building," Junghwa said. "That is because the auction is selling magical beasts for contract summons as well as slaves for all kinds of purposes," Grey said, all them moving and seeing a large platform with caged monsters and chained humanoids of all races. "Slaves?" Jean frowned. "Yeah. Some people buy them for all kinds of purpose, most of them either to serve or for pleasure," Grey nodded. "Even in Hero Market, there is a red light district where men and women find prostitutes to relieve their sexual frustrations. Most people like the female beast kin, every man''s fantasy. The cleaner ones are usually the most expensive, from what I hear at the bars around here. However, the ones with a good time and ultimate protection enchantments are the most expensive, usually costing four digits at the least. The saying is that ''1,000 black dragon coins is for the best fuck of your life. Add more to break that fantasy.'' Of course, they have an age restriction there. Beer is okay though. Guess the gods don''t care if a kid drinks alcohol." "I''m going," Frankie said, everyone staring at him. "What? I want the monsters for the contracted summoning. Owning a magical beast is essential for any mage." "True. I might take my chances at the shops if I don''t see a useful one in my pricing range," James nodded and followed Frankie through the crowd. "Are you coming?" Eddy asked as Jean and Cindy went ahead. "No thanks. I already got enough of a boost. I also have my blood golem. For now, I need to gain combat experience. My blood golem will guard you in case some thieves might want to steal your black dragon coins. Tell the others to buy a storage item first. Any would be fine as it will prevent others from stealing from you," Aeron shook his head. "Then why don''t we go to the gladiator arena? Heroes fight against monsters all the time there. There are also blood coins you can earn to buy rare goods in their prize list. Every hero fights at level 20, wearing a special mask that reverts the levels back or advances them forward. You will have the same stat differences. For example, you would still have higher agility than vitality if you had higher agility before wearing the equipment," Grey grinned as the golem followed Eddy to the auction house. "The masks also gives you a costume you envision, making the illusion over your body real for as long as you wear the mask. This is to protect the hero''s identity in case the loser bears a grudge." "If you tell the coliseum guards that you came with others, they will be able to know who you are as even spectators wear masks and costumes. The only difference between you and your enemy is the weapon you use, the skills you know, and your combat experience. If you evolved your training weapon, you naturally have an advantage over people who use other weapons. Most people who did are at Division 3, levels 20-29. I''m at level 45, so I revert back my levels once I wear the mask," Gary said. "You can fight in unranked combats: group fights with five-on-five battles to the death. Ranked battles are one-on-one. Even if you die, you are not sent to your revival point outside Hero Market. If you win, you get blood coins and increase in rank if you did a ranked battle. Some prizes require a certain rank to be eligible for purchase." "Most people are rankles and have to defeat one hundred heroes to qualify to fight the weakest of the top one hundred heroes. Ranks 100 to 90 change all the time. However, you get a chance to challenge someone from rank 95 below if it is your first fight. Most don''t as they test themselves in the unranked fights," Carly said. "Oh and you technically don''t die as the arena stops the fight once you die in that other state, leaving 5%HP of your original level left as you are kicked out of the coliseum. So you die, but not really. You''re just disgraced." "Then I''ll challenge someone from those ranks," Aeron grinned. "If they change all the time, they must not be strong." "HAHAHAHA! Good. Someone with a backbone. I support you kid," Grey laughed. "Take your lover and let''s go." "I don''t like him," Junghwa said. "It was just once, to get it over with." "Let''s not argue about great sex," Aeron whispered as they followed the three veteran heroes to a Roman gladiator arena. Outside, there were several statues of heroes in strange costumes with their weapons in their hands as they perform some technique or pose. "Those are the heroes who ranked first in the arena at least once. They received the title of Paragon of the Arena and ascended to demi-godhood. It is a very difficult method to get that much closer to the power of a true god, but the most successful one," Grey said, looking at them with fear and awe. "Where are they now?" Aeron asked. "The arena master said they all gained access to another area of the planet where demi-gods were allowed. Everyone dreams of going there as there is a proven fact that you can return home with all your powers. You can also bring four people with you, if you ascend to godhood. Each dimension travel takes a few hundred people from all over the planet and causes the Cosmic Quake. You have all your belongings, but there is no such thing as levels anymore when you return to Earth. You head back to Earth and the next batch of heroes is selected from that Earth and comes here. You said there was an African American president, but who can say the Earth you came from is the one me and my descendants came from?" Grey sighed. "But we do go back and it''s a whole new ball game. Fuck. I really miss baseball." "Also, there is no telling what kind of Earth you will go to or how people will receive you," Carly said. "In other words, we were taken here because of demi-gods and god heroes who returned?" Aeron snarled. "It''s their fault my school was randomly selected?" "Yeah," Grey nodded. "Who knows what they are doing on your Earth. All we know is that the same Earth is never picked twice, heroes leave and enter every two years, and the cycle never ends. It never ends. We''re just pawns of amusement for the Game of the Gods. What it is, we have to become a demi-god or god to find out." "Now I really want to go to the coliseum," Aeron said as they arrived at the back of the line.. "You can''t get to the first rank that easily," Carly sighed. "Don''t be arrogant." "I''m not. I just really feel like killing someone right now," Aeron said darkly. "If you win, let''s add each other to our friend lists. You younger generations sure bring excitement wherever you go, whether its chaos or serenity," Grey laughed. "Halt! You stand before the Hero Coliseum. Admittance costs 10 black dragon coins for spectators. For gladiators, admittance is free," a guard said as they arrived at the front of the line. "How many is in your party?" "We haven''t added each other into a party yet," Gary said. "Be quick about it," the guard said and waited for them to add each other to their parties. Aeron narrowed his eyes as he could see all their names, levels, red HP bars, blue MP bars, and green stamina bars. He was level 13, Junghwa was level 11, Gary was level 45, Carly was level 46, and Grey Shanks was level 74! They also added each other to their friend lists as they could trust each other now that they knew the others'' identities and levels. Grey, Gary, and Carly were surprised that Aeron was already level 13. "Okay, who''s competing?" the guard asked as an orb of light surrounded the six of them and the other guard beside him. They teleported inside a room inside the coliseum as another pair of guards appeared in their place. In this way, their privacy would be protected and no one would know if they were competing or spectating. "I am. I wish to challenge the gladiator ranked 97," Aeron said. "So that is a total of 40 black dragon coins. Here are your masks. Please envision a costume before going inside. Welcome to the Masquerade Blood Ball, the name of our humble establishment," the guard said, passing Junghwa and the others silver masks as they gave him the fees. "Very well," the guard said as he gave Aeron a gold mask. "Okay kid, what weapons do you wish to use?" "I''ll use my Fiend Ghost Axe and my Dragon Heart Seekers," Aeron said, one of them appearing as a short sword as three others floated around him. "I aim to use the other three as hidden weapons." "You''re not going to fight with your blood golem.?" Junghwa asked. "No. People will recognize loot-drop summoning skills as they are unique. Most skills have similar effect so I don''t mind using those. It''s kind of a good thing that I did not bring my golem," Aeron answered. "As is your right to challenge anyone below the 95th rank, your challenge to the 97th rank is accepted as the gladiator is also in the coliseum. Please pick and alias and envision a costume for your match. The mask will also change. This decision is final so please choose carefully," the guard warned. "Trying picking a name using a skill you use for reference. It''s what I did," Grey suggested. "Yeah, don''t pick a dumb name like I did. Ugh, never going into the arena with that name and costume," Gary sighed, deep regret in his voice. If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Thinking if his most powerful magic attack and his shadow diamond dragons, Aeron said, "The Nightmare Harbinger. As for the armor, make my appearance with black medium armor with dark green cloths and a dark green hood. The hood should cover my head and never fall off. Also, my mask will be the color of steels, only showing my eyes as completely black. Protrusions should appear shaped as my nose and mouth, gold metal where my cheeks would be going down to the bottom of my chin in a similar, but not exact, V-shape." "That''s seriously a nice name and a cool outfit. You look like an assassin with a mask from the medieval times," Grey laughed as they saw the mask shine a white light and saw his appearance change. "Good luck kid. We''ll be watching from the stands. Spectators can change their costume''s image at any time. We''ll look like you, but with gold armor and white cloth and white hoods. We''ll look like a cult. It should match the name well. As people see you rise in rank, more and more people will dress as us. We''ll call it the Nightmare Cult. HAHAHAHAHA! Why didn''t I think of this?" "Seriously, eerily cool," Gary shivered as their appearance changed. "Good luck. We don''t really fight much and mostly just watch if we have the extra time. You need to stand out. Make it flashy. The more terrifying, the better." "I have just the thing," Aeron said as he knew the image of the nine shadow diamond dragons were tattoos on his body. Otherwise, it would look vaguely similar to when he wore his Fiend''s Raiment. "It seems the match will be the afternoon''s main event as some of the higher ranks will increase or defend their rankings at night," the guard said as another appeared in the room. "You have five minutes to prepare. The Nightmare Harbinger will fight Red Death. Furthermore, the 97th ranker wishes to fight with the winner getting all the black dragon, and blood coins. Do you accept the conditions?" "Yes," Aeron nodded as he already made his purchases. "You have no choice but to win now," Junghwa said as she kissed him on the cheek. "Good luck. Your opponent obviously robbed a lot of greedy gladiators of their money." "Don''t worry. I''ll ensure it''ll never happen again," Aeron smiled ominously as the others disappeared. In a flash of light, he appeared in the center of the arena with a man in blood red armor to his right. All round them was sand with several white pillars at the edges of the arena. Many people filled the seats, going wild as they heard the details of the fight. Red Death, a well renown gladiator, made another bet with a newbie gladiator. Most spectators made bets against the new Nightmare Harbinger. They noticed only three four people bet over a thousand black dragon coins on the Eclipse Harbinger, one even betting forty thousand. It was definitely a powerful hero as one could only make a bet after turning in the money first. Even three thousand blood coins were bet for the Eclipse Harbinger to win. "Isn''t that a lot of money?" Junghwa asked as the four party members sat together. "Money? Who cares at my level. I already started a hidden quest to become a demi-god. I''m only interested in the third type of currency for heroes," Grey laughed. "I bet a fifth of mine, a little over ten thousand black dragon coins. However, I only had 200 blood coins," Gary said. "I bet against him with the same amount," Carly said. "No offense but I don''t see how he will win." "If he was human, maybe not," Grey said, all three of them staring at him. "Ah, right. You''re weaklings. HAHAHAHAHA! Let''s just say he lost a bit of his humanity. Should prove entertaining." "Ladies and gentlemen, it is now time for our main event. As you know, there is six hours until the high ranking arena games. Thus, this is the last fight until the sun sets and the blood flows!" a clown wearing white makeup and a gold suit bowed. "Welcome to the Masquerade Blood Ball, where hearts are broken and dreams are made through carnage and slaughter. The ultimate gamble of life or death!" "Hell yeah!" a man cried. "Kill!" "Kill!" "Kill!" "Fuck him up!" "To my left, the challenger. A mysterious assassin who wields a short sword made of dragon bones and an axe made of dragon scales: The Nightmare Harbinger!" the arena master cried as he gestured onto the sands, most of the crowd booing Aeron. "And to my right, a man who must have been born when a devil raped succubus. A man who makes killing into an art and traumatizes his victims for life: Red Death!" "Red Death" "Red Death" "Fuck me!" "Forget that whore! Take me!" "Kill that assassin!" "I don''t care which limb you tear off, just make it slow and bloody!" "HAHAHA! Fights such as these are truly what makes this crowd so amazing," the game master smiled, many heroes approving. "Heroes? This is a place for gladiators, a place where even dirty tactics are allowed for the sake of victory. You want to be a hero? Go somewhere else because the carnage ball will now....BEGIN!" "Stupid runt. I just hope you have enough black dragon coins," Red Death laughed. "Try to scream a little loud. Most of my fans love it when my opponents scream." "Are you gonna fight or exhibit yourself?" Aeron sighed as he brandished his axe on his right hand and his Dragon Heart Seeker on his left, the dagger the size of a short sword. "Then allow me to make the first move: Blood Cannon!" Red Death roared, beams of blood energy blasting at Aeron. Aeron dodged the beams that shot in a singular direction. Red Death laughed as Aeron''s left foot was destroyed by the blast. He licked his lips, going for the kill. He cried out as sand, not blood, seeped from the ankle and became a foot. It was as if he had never been injured. It had to be said that Blood Cannon was his most powerful magic. He shook his head as it was sure to have taken a lot of HP. "Sand Aura. Not bad," Aeron nodded as he stared back at Red Death. He charged, his axe high as it slashed downward. Red Death snarled as he blocked it with his great sword, the sword crimson red. "Don''t underestimate me!" Red Death roared and a wave of blood was sent from his great sword. The crowd watched as the wave became a crescent moon of blood as it neared Aeron. Blood? Blood was a liquid. You can''t pierce it but even small ripples can disturb a puddle. "Quake Fist!" Aeron cried, his left fist punching at the blood wave as he tossed his short sword into the air. The blood wave trembled and exploded as it made contact. Red Death laughed as tossed a giant fireball at Aeron. However, Aeron was uninjured by the blood wave and cut the fireball with his axe, a strange energy cutting through it as if it could cut through magic. "Fuck! Fireball, fireball, fireball, fireball, fireball, fireball, fireball!" Red Death cried as his left hand tossed fireball after fireball. "That the best you can do?" Aeron mocked as he cut the fireballs with his axe while catching his short sword. "Allow me to return the favor!" Everyone cried out as Aeron disappeared in an explosion of rock, appearing in front of Red Death like a ghost. Aeron laughed as he hacked into Red Death''s shoulder and stabbed the other shoulder with his short sword. "Flame Explosion Barrier!" Red Death cried, blasting Aeron back with a circular barrier of fire. Red Death grimaced as he pulled out the short sword and tossed it aside. "Double Blood Wave!" Red Death cried, his great sword using the forbidden element to send back-to-back waves of blood. "You''re not the only one with forbidden magic! Take this: Eclipse Spear!" Aeron cried, creating a jet black spear with strange purple streaks shining all across the spear. The blood waves were destroyed, as if the never existed, as the spear soared and struck through Red Death as fast as lightning. "What?" Red Death groaned as he stared at a four inch hole in his chest. "Welcome to the nightmare! Now, my dragons, feed!" Aeron roared as nine dragons made of shadow diamonds burst from his body. Red Death could only watch, terror in his eyes, as the dragons flew like snakes slithering on sand. They seemed almost alive and most people had never seen such a diamond before. The dragons bit off his hands and feet, progressing to the arms and legs. Two bit into his sides as the last two dug into his heart through the opening of his chest. "No, that''s.....that''s the soul!" the game master cried, inwardly grinning, knowing the fight got out of hand but found an interesting prospect. "Soul? He wrenched out the soul?" "What kind of skill is that?" another whimpered as the nine dragons abandoned the body as two held a sphere with burning white flames with a slight blue hue inside the sphere. Many felt shivers down their spine as they heard an horrible scream as the dragons ripped it apart with their teeth and swallowed it, the scream resounding in their minds as if the soul were under endless torment. The crowd looked around and saw the dead body as it was. The body should have left, the gladiator with 5% of his HP left outside. Their hearts thumped as Aeron slowly walked over to Red Death''s corpse, removing the mask and revealing a brown haired youth of English decent. Aeron took on look at the face of the man he killed and beheaded him, the dragons relishing as they fed on the corpse. The dragons were a part of him, Aeron enjoying seeing them feed on the body. It was scary, as if he and the dragons were of one mind. "W, winner: Eclipse Harbinger!" the game master shouted, the crowd undergoing silence for five seconds before going wild. Heroes that attacked the soul were incredibly rare and dangerous. Many of them wondered why they hadn''t known such a person. Some of them saw Junghwa and the others wearing costumes nearly identical to the Nightmare Harbinger. Soon, several also wore the costume, etching the scene into there hearts as they chanted his alias. "You see. I told you it would be exciting," Grey laughed. "Junghwa, you got quite the boyfriend. Make sure he kills every so often. It seems those dragons are a part of him and might drive him mad if they are hungry. Quite the fearsome racial ability with an equally terrifying price. Feeding on souls....at least I made quite the hefty sum. I can bribe some people now. HAHAHAHAHA!" "He won! All that money will be mine," Gary laughed as Carly''s face darkened. She was at a higher level than her brother but spent way too many coins on equipment than skills. "The Nightmare Cult is invincible!" Grey roared. "The Nightmare Cult is invincible!" spectators nearby cried, the words carrying through the entire coliseum as the adrenaline and excitement took over. As Aeron was awarded his prize, an elderly man watched from the VIP box overlooking the arena. It is known that all heroes would revert back to age 27 or slowly age normally if they were below the age. The fact that an elderly man was there meant he was no hero! "Your Holiness, it seems another soul devourer is here. I don''t think he even cast soul magic or used a physical skill that targeted the soul," the game master bowed as he knelt on one knees. "He has to defend his rank once a month. Be sure to watch his progress. I have a feeling he just experimented his spear magic skill and that fist technique. He is a new hero from this two year round of hero recruits," the elder said. "Could he be the one that killed Tulaga?" the game master inquired. "Yes, my demi-god servant. He has a Damned Soul, as his heart must be made of that mysterious diamond. To think a new member of the fiend race was born albeit a Halfling. Be sure to coax him into killing his future gladiators opponents by destroying their souls. If his soul is destroyed, he will have outlived his usefulness. Retrieve his heart and bring it to me for my.......... collection. Fiends make quite the relics," the elder ordered. "Yes, God of the Masquerade. Thy will be done," the game master grinned as he held a marble containing a small ember of Red Death''s soul. It was supposed to be the 5% of HP Red Death had left. The game master gave it to the elder before he left. "Another marble added. I so love soul devourers. People always assume the entire soul is destroyed. They''ve no idea the mask prevents that and grants me a piece of their soul when they are destroyed after the mask is returned. It''s a pity very few gladiators could destroy souls. I would have had more souls to play with," the elder smirked maliciously as he placed the marble in a gold lacquered white box. Many souls screamed as Red Death''s own screams joined them, the sound barely a whisper before the box was shut. Now, the god had another hero''s soul to play with. "Mortals. What fun creatures they were before and after death." "That was my champion," a voice said, the elder smiling as a shadow loomed in the darkness. "He played in the gladiator games. His soul is mine to take and play with. You can wait another two years for the next hero batch if you don''t have another champion," the elder chuckled. "What do you intend to do with so many hero souls?" the voice asked. "My dear friend, you must set your visions higher. There is always a bigger masquerade out there. That Alternate Earth.....do you remember when we used to be like these mortals? I remember you. Ah, such a energetic little scamp. I almost thought you were high on drugs, always challenging and killing stronger foes. Good times," the elder said as he drank some wine. "Would you like some? They come with a mix of thousand year dragon blood. Quite the exotic taste to it." "I don''t know how to appreciate wine," the voice said. "You became the God of the Masquerade and started these games centuries ago. You, who were once a gladiator back in Rome." "Ah, Rome. How I miss it. The gladiators fought to the death and the slaves just begged to be fucked. Did you know, I even had sex with the emperor''s wife. His wife! Heh. The woman just wasn''t satisfied with the man," the elder laughed and turned to look at the shadow. "For now, my box still has some space. That''s all you need to know. Best to hurry off now. You don''t want to keep your followers waiting." "I want Red Death''s soul," the voice said. "You bring me the soul of a unique monster and I''ll return your hero''s soul. Why do you still care? Don''t you remember what heroes are and why we chose them?" the elder frowned as he tapped his box with the wine glass. "After all, there is a reason we never choose the same Earth twice. You also know why zombies exist in every city that arrives here before it is destroyed and remade if the city is chosen to host more heroes." "Have you forgotten you were once like them?" the voice asked. "It''s been over two millennia. Maybe even three," the elder said, watching the wine move as he rotated his wine glass. "It is best to remember what heroes are and leave them be if they are gone. You''d be wise to remember that, Theseus." "You better control yourself, Remus. You are not the only god here. I''ll have a champion of a friend of mine harvest that soul. Don''t damage it," the voice warned before it disappeared. "No, I am not the only god. However, I''m the only one that truly feels alive," the elder said, savoring the wine before incinerating it with green fire. "You heard it all. Does that answer some of the questions you had, game master? Like I said, it does not matter if demi-gods learn some parts of the truth. Otherwise, dear Theseus would have killed you first." "Yes, Holiness," the clown smiled as he poured more wine. "Was it wise, to anger another god?" "Him? He took over a millennia to become a god and we became demi-gods within the same year. It only took me one century. Don''t tell me, you believe him to be a match for me? I''ve killed a few gods in my time. Some bits of their soul are in this very box," the elder laughed and took out a similar box. "Give this to Aeron Ao. He is the Eclipse Harbinger, the little demi-fiend. Tell him he can store small embers of the creatures he kills. Like all my soul devourer gladiators, as you had once been, give him the box with the price that he gives me the souls of heroes he kills back on Alternate Earth. The number of souls each box can hold is unknown. Either way, I have three boxes of god souls, nine boxes of demi-god souls, and twenty six box full of ordinary hero souls. This last box must be full for me to complete my plan. The number of soul devourers is too few." "This one understands," the clown bowed and accepted the box. "And what title will he receive?" "Soul Reaper, like all the others. Just remind him not to kill heroes with his axe or shadow diamond dragons as they devour the soul. Tell him he needs it for his class advancement and to be a full-blooded fiend. Even if he investigates, he''ll learn all kinds of fiends have similar conditions. Just tell him what I told you. No more, no less. Unnecessary information always ruins the mastermind''s grand plans," the elder said as he laughed maniacally.