《Revolution's Path》 Prologue: Bittersweet End; New Game Start 25 years have passed since the release of Royal Road. And for 25 years, nothing has topped it. Sure there were other games that became popular, but their popularity was short-lived. Royal Road, even though it was around for a quarter of a century, was still enjoyable. Most continents were discovered, true, but it did not mean ALL were. If you''re not into adventuring, their are quests one can do. These quests are inexhaustible. Although there are several that remain unchanged, like quests for a job change, most quests have details that change depending on different circumstances that affect it. Also, the NPCs that give the quests change. Since they grow, age, and die in-game, that means the old generation of NPCs are replaced by the newer ones, meaning new quests to tackle. But if you''re not into quests or adventuring, there are other things, like fishing, farming, playing music, reading books, or maybe just stare at the scenery. Whichever path you choose, one will not grow bored staying in Royal Road. Truly, a game that can be considered the King of all games. However, all good things come to an end. "After 25 years, Unicorn has decided to stop the servers of Royal Road. The operation will start on 22:00. It is advised that players log out earlier. Any players still logged in the game after 22:00 will be forcibly logged out, with their accounts banned. Thank you very much for everyone who had been with us this past 2 and a half decades." Song Cheol''s mouth dropped when he heard the news. *** News of Royal Road''s closing has spread like wildfire. Every news station, in Korea or elsewhere, were guessing as to why Unicorn decided to do it. The topic even generated firestorms in the Internet! This shows how influential Royal Road has become to the world for the past 25 years. Of course, high school students are not exempted from it. "Damn, how I wish I was born at least 40 years earlier," a teenage young man said to his friend. "I agree," the friend, Song Cheol, responded. "We would be in time for the Emperor''s coronation, as well as the Golden Age of Royal Road." "Mhm," Park Hyun, the teenage young man concurred. "That would have been a fantastic time to live in." The two teenagers sighed. It was lunch break, the perfect time for chatting. The usual banter between the friends would be their adventures in Royal Road, or stats they increased when they leveled up, or japtem they picked up after a raid, or...well, you get it, things that they did in Royal Road. There was the occasional RL matters, like which girl they like, or who they think is the top most beautiful girl in their class, or maybe in the whole campus, or which girl they think likes them, or...you see the picture, typical puberty shenanigans. There was also talk about...M and H stuff, but they were once scolded by Eun-byul, Hyun''s childhood friend and their classmate, so they deigned not to talk of that stuff. Publicly, of course. But today, the topic was quite heavy and depressing. It isn''t limited to the area where Cheol and Hyun were talking, the whole classroom, nay, the whole school felt like each and everyone had a close relative who died. Even the teachers were lethargic. Some didn''t even bother teaching, telling the class that the period''s free time. No student shouted for joy though. Everyone was depressed. "...Hey," Hyun called to Cheol. "Hm?" "Why don''t we have one last dungeon raid?" Then Hyun''s face brightened. "In fact, why don''t we do that as a whole class? We''ll be graduating after a few weeks anyway, so we can think of it as a final class outing or something." "That''s a great idea!" Cheol said, his eyes smiling. "Hey, you guys heard that? Why don''t we go raid some dungeon later? As a class activity or something?" Hearing Cheol declare those words, the people in the class started regaining some light in their eyes. "Oh, what a great idea!" "Sounds good. Count me in." "Royal Road''s closing anyway, might as well enjoy it while we can." "Woot woot! One last plunge before closing time!" "And exams..." "Ugh! Who said that! What a killjoy." """Ahahahaha!""" ***
Wujin has logged in.
[Grass] Hm? Quite early. What''re gonna do? [Wujin] You know, the usual [Grass] Going hunting? [Wujin] Nah, this time, I''ll go to the Colosseum [Grass] Hm? I thought since RR''s closing, you''d choose the bigger fishes [Wujin] Do you want your last day PK''d? [Grass] Wahahaha! [Grass] Well, you still have an hour before the class raid. Make it quick [Wujin] Yeah, got it [Grass] Ah, by the way, your blood diamond''s still with you? [Wujin] I''m not stupid. Not going to the raid with that on my head. A Church bought it already [Grass] Wow, you''re loaded. So, for how much? [Wujin] 20 million G [Grass] Wha!? [Grass] ...Ah, but considering the fact that you''ve been searching for matches since 3 years back, and witho [Wujin] Huh? [Grass] Woops, reached char limit. Anyways, 3 years of PK without getting caught [Grass] No wonder the 20 m [Wujin] Haha, I suppose I can consider it as a trophy of sorts. Besides, RR''s closing anyway [Grass] Uh-huh. Well, I''m logging out for a while. Snacks. [Wujin] Yeah, sure
Grass logged out.
*** "Hm? Where''s Cheol?" "Dunno, go ask his boyfriend Hyun." "Huh? You guys wanna get PK''d on your last day?" "Wah, wait! We''re just kidding!" "Heeeeey, Hyun, what are they talking about?" "Not you too Eun-byul! And what''s with your eyes, it''s scary!" When Cheol reached the meeting spot, he was greeted by an amusing scene, a Blood Berserker choked to submission by a Dimension Mage. Truthfully, he wanted to watch the scene a bit longer, but he was running late and didn''t want to delay the raid any longer, so he went closer to the party and revealed himself. "Hello, Cheol here, although in-game I''m called Quartz." Hyun, pinned to the ground, flashed him a mixture that was half anger (Damn you for being late!) and half gratitude (Thank goodness, you''ve arrived before my health reached zero!). "Ach, really!? You didn''t even try modifying your avatar''s features! Boring." one of the guys said. "Ahaha, well, it''s a pain editing your features. Besides, I wasn''t planning on choosing a class that needed good looks." "Hmph, whatever! If plain and boring''s what you like, fine." Cheol just smiled. He then faced the others. "So shall we get going? Or is there someone who hasn''t arrive yet?" "Woo-jin, Joon-ki and Iseul are not here." someone shouted. "Anyone can contact them?" Hyun, freed from Eun-byul''s hold, asked. "I can call Iseul," a girl responded. "Um, I think Woo-jin''s on my friend list...yep, he''s here. Lucky, he''s logged in. Let me send him a message," another boy said. "Ah, right, I forgot! Joon-ki said he''ll be late for about 15 minutes." a girl uttered, her face apologetic. Hyun smiled at the girl, his face saying, It''s okay, don''t mind it, whereas Cheol started doing a few calculations. "Hm, well the time''s a little past 7 pm, so if he comes by 7:15, that should give us only 2 hours and 45 minutes for the final preparations, the traveling and the raid itself." Cheol paused. He then shrugged. "It''s ample time, I suppose." A girl reacted to that. "Are you sure? The dungeon you two chose to raid is pretty close, but it''s been deemed by others as having high difficulty. It might take us more than an hour reach the boss, and who knows how long it''ll take us to beat it. Besides, there''s the cooking, the sharpening, the repairs, and let''s not forget about the pots we''ll be using." "True, if the goal was the boss." Cheol countered, a knowing smile dancing on his face. The girl widened her eyes. Then she also smiled. "Ah, now that I think about it, there is a hidden path in that dungeon that leads to that place." She winked at Hyun. "You guys can be pretty romantic, huh." "Well, this is the last time we''ll be playing this game, so why not log out in the most beautiful place of Royal Road? And stop pinching my arm, Eun-byul!" "Hmph!" Ah ah, the idiot couple''s at it again, everyone present was thinking. Then a person interrupted. "Oh, Woo-jin said he''s coming. He had some business to attend to, so he didn''t notice the time." "Tell him to come quickly then," Cheol said. "Okay, will do." Cheol then turned to the Iseul''s acquaintance. "Will she be coming?" "Although she said no, she sounded unsure. Can we wait for a few more minutes? Let me try persuading her." Cheol nodded. "It would be nice if she were to come. This is a class activity after all, although it isn''t really official." A few minutes later, Woo-jin arrived panting. "Sorry! I was engrossed in a quest, I didn''t notice the time!" Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.A lot of eyebrows were raised. "A quest? When RR''s closing?" Hyun asked the question the everyone had in their minds. "It was only an E! Besides, the back-story was quite touching, so I just let myself go with the flow. Before I knew it, the meeting time has passed. It''s a good thing Ando whispered." "Well, as long as you''re here..." Hyun looked skeptical. "Whatever, at least you''re here," Cheol said to Woo-jin. He then turned to the boy who knew Joon-ki. "So, where is he?" The boy nodded. "He''s online, somewhere in the Plains of Morata." "Ah, must be to get the Tower''s blessings. We won''t be needing it though," Hyun mused. A minute later, a Paladin arrived. "Sorry guys. Went site seeing. Had to, since I''ll be missing this place a lot." Everyone did not say anything. The mood turned somber. Then a girl gasped. "Iseul changed her mind! She''s coming she says!" Everyone''s somber mood turned a bit lighter. Cheol then instructed the girl to hurry Iseul. When the clock turned 7:21, Iseul arrived. With everyone present, the whole class moved toward the dungeon. ***
9:23 PM
"...Beautiful as always." "It''s a sight you can''t get tired of." "Ah, screenshot, screenshot, there...Ugh, it''s not as gorgeous as the real one." "Aw, the Empress is really lucky. For this to be her wedding present." "Can''t believe a simple class can do something like this." The sight was truly beautiful. Hills filled with green trees, surrounding a vast lake that was very blue from afar, but was crystal clear when seen upfront. The lake''s bed were round pebbles of all colors, and inscribed in each and everyone of the stones were inscribed the words "I cherish you." On the middle of the lake stands a statue of the Empress, her face emotionless but benevolent, her stance emanating the air of majesty, but at the same time that of kindness. It was a statue that showed fierceness, strength, and an aura of command, but at the same time, you can feel a sense of comfort and peace, a feeling of belonging. A feeling of being home. A feeling of being loved. Since it was night time, the place''s beauty should have been diminished due to the darkness. However, each pebble in the lake bed gave of a strong light, lighting the whole place. And the amazing part is that although each pebble gave of different light, the eyes admiring the view would not feel any eye strain due to too many colors. For some reason, the cacophony of lights actually relaxes the eyes, and if one isn''t careful, you might fall asleep! The statue also gave a soft light, but it wasn''t drowned by the strong light from the lake bed. Instead, the light from the pebbles emphasized the soft light from the statue, making it look more prominent and imposing as compared when the sun is on its zenith! And all these, done by one sculptor! And since it was a sculpture done by a famous and well known sculptor, each player that saw it would receive additional buffs. Ting! If this was in the past, all of them would have excitedly opened their statuses to check the buffs they received. But this was the day when Royal Road will close. Why bother checking for bonuses you''ll never use? And so, muting the System alerts, everyone just looked at the scenery. "...Thanks, Pres and Vice Pres, for letting our last memories of Royal Road be this piece of art." Hyun and Cheol smiled. "No problem." Cheol said. "We''ve already said this before, but please stop calling us by those titles. The student body has already changed," Hyun supplemented. "Haha, sure Veep," continued the guy. "Stubborn," grumbled Hyun. The rest smiled and shared a small laugh.
9:53 PM
"...I suppose it''s time to log out." Cheol declared after looking at the time. "Aw, won''t you stay a bit longer?" asked Eun-byul. "Can''t, have a project to finish." Hyun snorted. "Hmph, just cause you''re aiming for that famous university, doesn''t mean you have the right to abandon friends." "Yeah!" "That''s right!" "Stay with us a little longer, Pres! Ah, I mean, Cheol!" "Uh-huh." Cheol smiled. "Fine, but only for 3 minutes. I really need to start doing it." Then his smile turned into a smirk. "Besides, I wouldn''t want my Unicorn account banned all because I forgot to look at the time." Hyun looked at him with raised eyebrows. Says the man who was late for one minute. Cheol ignored it. Meanwhile, the other three who were tardy looked down uncomfortably. Seeing their apologetic looks, Cheol decided to stop his teasing. "Hey, why don''t we have a class picture!" """Ooooh!""" "Great idea!" "As expected of Cheol!" "Okay, our background should be the Sculpture of Endearment!" "Duh! That''s obvious, isn''t it." "Sh-shut up. I was only confirming it, okay!" "Whatever." After laughing, the students arranged themselves, their backs facing the statue. When the system told them the shot has been taken, everyone had a smile on their face.
9:55 PM, 5 minutes till servers are closed. Please log out.
When they heard that message, some of the girls started sobbing. A few of the guys also had tears on their eyes, one of which is Hyun. "D-damn! Too fast! Can''t they slow down the time acceleration to 1:1? Damn it, at least give us another hour, no 30 minutes is enough!" Cheol smiled bitterly. "Can''t help it, the management had already decided." Hyun wiped his tears with his sleeves. Eun-byul beside him also started sobbing. "...I suggest we log out now. Before we start losing ourselves in our emotions." Cheol''s words silenced the class. One by one, people started logging out.
9:58 PM, anyone still not logged out by 10:00 PM will be logged out forcibly and their accounts suspended indefinitely. Please log out.
3 people still remained. "...You go first, Eun-byul, I''ll follow soon," Hyun said. "...Ok. Log out before 10, alright?" Eun-byul responded. Hyun nodded his assent. Satisfied, Eun-byul logged out. "...I''ll never see her Fokko again, huh," muttered Hyun. "...So, it''s just you and me," he turned to Cheol. "Uh-huh," sounded Cheol. A few moments of silence. Hyun broke it first. "So, Cheol, I have a question." "Right now? Ask me by phone later." "No, I want things in Royal Road to stay in Royal Road." "Ho ho? Good words. Ripped it off from some slogan, didn''t you." "Shut up! A-anyways, how did you change your name from Wujin to Quartz?" "I didn''t." "...Huh? But you just said you''re Quartz..." Hyun checked his friend list. "...F*ck, really?" "Yup, I lied." "I''m gonna have to rethink about our friendship." "Do whatever you want." "U-ugh, no hesitation whatsoever. But, really? Lying?" "Do I have to repeat myself?" "...Damn, but I''m surprised you weren''t caught." "Well, I didn''t have to show my status to them, so of course I won''t get caught. Some asked to be friends, but I replied, ''What''s the point? RR''s going down anyway.'' Then they stopped." "You''re one evil bastard, you know." "PKing isn''t exactly what a good person does." "Yeah, yeah, whatever mister two-faced."
9:59 PM. Last warning. If-
""Mute!"" Hyun and Cheol then looked at each other and chuckled. "So, this is it. I''ll be going first then, Wujin" "Sure. Good night, Grass...lol." "What''s with the lol! Ugh, I''m gonna punch you tomorrow!" Hyun then opened the Menu and pressed Log Out. When the light faded, Cheol made one last look at his surroundings. "It was a great 3 years, I suppose." He then opened the Menu and logged out. *** 12:00 AM Unicorn''s Website, News page: "A new game, a sequel to Royal Road! Introducing, Revolution''s Path! New story, familiar land. BUT! More classes, more races, more continents to explore and discover, more quests to undertake!" (Author''s Note: I once wrote something about the implementation of dual classes here. Decided to remove it; it would clash with game mechanics in future chapters. I also wrote something about pvp. Removed, it''s unnecessary.) "Coming out next spring." "You can start pre-ordering today." "Note: International release on fall of next year." NEXT Chapter 1 Three people were sitting on a table made for 4, placed outside of the cafe. Two of them, both guys, ordered regular brewed coffee, while the other one, a woman, ordered a frappe. One of the guys then faced the man beside him. "Hey, grats on passing that university''s entrance exam. And on your first try to boot. What a genius!" The man who was complimented smiled and shrugged. "Got lucky." The woman then giggled. "Cheol, no need to be so humble. Everyone in class knows how smart you are!" The first guy who spoke, Hyun, also agreed. "Uh-huh. I mean, you need only to skim your notes to get a high grade. I''m sure if you studied for real, you would''ve aced all tests and quizzes! Pity you''re lazy." Hyun and the girl, Eun-byul, chuckled. Cheol just smiled. They chatted some more, became quiet when their orders were delivered, then continued their stories. Coffee on one hand, Hyun then made a face that says, Shocks, almost forgot. "It should be coming next week, right? RR 2." "It''s Revolution''s Path, to be exact," corrected Eun-byul. "Whatever. Anyways, you preordered that game, am I right?" continued Hyun, ignoring Eun-byul. Eun-byul then flashed him a look of irritation followed by one with a sulking look. Hyun ignored it. Quite amused by the interaction, Cheol kept silent a little while longer. When Hyun faced him with a look that says, Well, say your piece, Cheol started to speak. "Yeah. I was still awake when I''ve read that news in Unicorn''s site. When I read it, I immediately preordered." Eun-byul then looked at him. "What were you doing, browsing Unicorn''s site at that time? I thought you were suppose to do your project, if I recall." Cheol nodded. "I did, but after about an hour and a half, I wanted to take a little break, so I decided to surf the Net. Before I knew it, I was looking at Unicorn''s site. Out of habit, I suppose. For a few minutes, I just stared at the News page, hoping that Royal Road''s closing isn''t true." He then breathed out and made a small smile, not a sarcastic nor a bitter one, but one of fond recollection. "Who would have thought they were going to announce the release of a new game." *** Revolution''s Path. When Royal Road''s shutdown was decided, a lot of theories and speculations circulated as to why. One speculation is that "Unicorn will release a new game, thus the need to close Royal Road, so that they can invest more on the new game." It sounded reasonable, and adds a tinge of hope to the otherwise depressing news. Of course, not everyone subscribed to that theory, but it does not also mean that no one accepted it. So it was a pleasant surprise to them when Unicorn actually did plan to release a new game. "Told you guys, RR''s closed to make way for RevPath." "Haha! Called it, new game coming out next spring!" "Hmph, you guys were just lucky! But I don''t care, as long as something''s there to fill the hole left by RR." "[DELETED]: Flagged by mod as inappropriate. Please refrain from posting statements that contain sexual innuendo." "Wahahaha! What an idiot! That statement''s gonna get deleted later. Anyways, I''m logging out now. Time to join the preorder rush!" "Awawawa! I forgot about that! I''m also logging out now! Before the slots are all taken!" *** One week after the cafe scene, in Cheol''s apartment. "..." "You look disappointed," Cheol said to Hyun. Hyun, holding a small chip the size of an SD card, just sighed. "The shipping company has a weird sense of humor. All those stuffing just to make the package look bigger." Cheol just shrugged. "Must be their SOP or something." Hyun breathed another sigh, and returned the chip to Cheol. Then, glaring at Cheol, "You should have called me as soon as you saw that news! Then I wouldn''t have to wait another day to get mine!" Cheol raised his eyebrows. "I did call. You just weren''t answering. Besides, at least you were able to preorder the next morning. Thank me that I sent you an email after I gave up calling you." "You shouldn''t have given up! Besides, you only called once!" "It''s a waste of time trying to wake you up." "What did you say?" "It''s a waste of time trying to wake you up." "You should''ve had denied that! And you even stressed some syllables!" Cheol ignored Hyun. Not deterred by that, Hyun continued his complaint. "Ugh! If you only tried harder, then I would''ve been at home mounting my own drive unto my own capsule, instead of helping you mount yours!" Starting to get exasperated with all this whining, Cheol decided to tease Hyun a little. "A crybaby as always, huh." "I''M NOT A CRYBABY!" Cheol shrugged. "If you say so. But you b*tch and whine a lot though." "You wanna piece of me?" "No thanks. I heard you''re not delicious, much less edible. Still, are you sure you aren''t a crybaby? If I recall, when we had that class outing in RR, you cried before Eun-byul did." "Eun-byul''s got nothing to do with this! Besides, I wasn''t crying that time, my eyes were just teary because dust entered them!" "Uh-huh, sure, whatever you say." "Damn it! I swear, if I see you in-game, I''m gonna kill you!" "Amusing threat, coming from a man with teary eyes and snot coming from his nose." "There''s no snot coming from my nose! And I''m not teary eyed either! F*ck you Cheol, I swear, I''m going to kill you in-game! Someday!" Then Hyun grabbed his bag, put on his shoes, and left. After that, Cheol grabbed a wallet that was lying on the sofa. He then went to the shoe rack and waited. A few moments later, Hyun returned, red-faced and panting. Cheol handed him the wallet, which he took and left quickly without saying thanks. As an afterthought, Cheol went to the corridor. "CRYBABY!" "SHUT UP CHEOL!" *** 25 years have passed since Royal Road was introduced, and along with it, the capsule system. Of course, nowadays, VR gaming is no longer limited to that piece of technology. We now have VR headgears, helmet-like VR consoles, and VR headphones, VR consoles that look like the bygone headphones of the past century. All three, the capsule, headgear, and headphones, operate on the same system of VR immersion: the disconnection of consciousness. But how they do it is a different story. The headphones work by lulling the user into REM sleep. At the same, a hypnotizing sound is played along with the sleep-inducing signal, which allows the asleep user to see the VR game''s UI. And since it has a battery, one can play VR games anywhere he wants. The downside to it is that the your consciousness isn''t fully disconnected, and so sleep talking is unavoidable. How will you answer the queries of the AI if you can''t speak? And if the game is too action-oriented, then don''t be surprised find yourself a laughingstock after playing the game. That''s why most people who prefer VR headphones only use them when they are alone. The headgear works similar to the headphones, although this time, the user doesn''t have to sleep. The headgear directly sends the game information to the eyes, at the same time, it sends a signal to the ears that allows full disconnection with reality. It also has a battery, so portable gaming is possible. However, this method produces too much eye strain, and in severe cases, can cause blindness. Also, who would want to play in public with such a huge instrument on his head? And let''s not forget the dangers of being disconnected from reality when surrounded with a lot of people. Seeing these problems in both technologies, the masses just decided to stick with capsules. Of course, some changes also happened to the capsule. But most notable of all is the concept of the microdrive. Although Royal Road dominated the VR scene, a few VR games also became popular. Unicorn wasn''t selfish, so they decided to implement the microdrive port in order to allow other VR games be played in the capsule. This spurred a lot of positive comments from other companies and from the gaming community. However, these VR games were only popular for a short while. Royal Road continued to be the undisputed number 1 when one talks about VRMMORPGs, in part due to a certain sculptor. Because of this, other companies that develop VR games started getting swallowed up by Unicorn. The strange thing was, the former heads of these companies bear no grudge against Unicorn! One of them was asked as to why he was''ot angry. He replied, "Why should I? They [Unicorn] saved my company. True, I''m no longer the CEO, but I''m still the one deciding what to do in my company. Unicorn just oversees us, making sure that what we do doesn''t collide with their agendas, but other than that, they practically leave us alone to do what we want. It''s like the situation in Royal Road, where the Emperor rules the continents, but leaves the conquered kings to rule as they once did." This implementation of a microdrive not only benefited major companies (only for a short while, though), the microdrive port also allowed small-time game creators to test their games in the capsule. Of course, being amateurs, their capsules broke most of the time, often to the point that it was irreparable. So, they have to go to Unicorn-affiliated shops in order to fix them, or order a new capsule from Unicorn. Another way to generate additional income for Unicorn! So, other companies were happy, small-time game creators were happy, the gaming community was happy, and Unicorn''s CEO became the happiest of them all! *** After Hyun left, Cheol ate his lunch, did his business in the toilet and approached the capsule, microdrive in hand. Making sure that he was comfortable, Cheol then closed the capsule''s lid. "Capsule Start. Go to System Settings, Driver Management, Install New Data."
Scanning user for any microdrives at hand.
New microdrive detected. Is this the microdrive you want to install?
YesNo
"Yes."
Microdrive Selected. Contains: Revolution''s Path. Install?
YesNo
"Yes."
Starting installation.
Initializing values.
Patching files into dedicated folder.
...
Installation complete. Connecting to the Internet for updates.
...
Update complete.
Capsule has added Revolution''s Path.
Connect to Revolution''s Path?
YesNo
"Yes."
Please enter necessary information.
...
Account authenticated.
If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
Game start.
...
Welcome to Revolution''s Path. It has been detected that you were a player of Royal Road. Would you like to continue playing your previous character?
YesNo
Cheol was impressed that Unicorn decided to give players the option to continue their old character from Royal Road. However, he has other plans. "I would like to make a new character."
Please be warned, this action is irrevocable! Creating a new character means deleting your previous one. Stats, items, class, titles, contribution points, and skills will not carry over to the new one. Are you still going to make a new character?
YesNo
"Yes."
Wujin has been deleted.
Avatar Creation
Set a name for your avatar.
"Quartz."
Please set your gender.
"Male."
Revolution''s Path has Royal Road''s 49 races, and an additional 11 more, 6 of which are undiscovered, making a total of 60 playable races. You may select from the original 29 races and 5 additional races, giving you 34 initial choices. You can also change your race in-game via special quests.
"New races, huh. Preview." After viewing the five additional starter races, Cheol made his decision. "They look interesting, but I already made plans. I choose Human."
You may alter your appearance in-game.
"I decline."
Name:Quartz
Gender:Male
Race:Human
Create this avatar?
YesNo
"Yes"
New character created.
Your starting city will now be randomized. If you wish to start in a different city, you have the option of randomizing again.
So, can''t choose the starting city now, huh, Cheol thought. "Understood. Randomize."
Randomizing complete.
Randomized city: Romn Capital, Itale Empire, Neuilly Continent.
This time, a look of bewilderment was on Cheol''s expression. "Did such a city exist in Royal Road?" he muttered in a voice the AI will not consider a response.
Randomize again?
YesNo
"I''d like to see if there are other cities that I''m unfamiliar with. Yes." For the next 2 tries, Cheol randomized two cities he has no knowledge of. On the third retry, Cheol randomized a familiar name.
Randomized city: Barsamagle City, Britten Kingdom, Versailles Continent.
When did Britten become a kingdom? Cheol felt mild surprise. Is this game, perhaps, set... Putting that thought on hold, Cheol randomized again. After retrying for the 7th time, Cheol found the city he was looking for.
Randomize again?
YesNo
"No. This city is fine."
You will then be sent to the Builes Oasis, Desert of Tranquility, Versailles Continent.
Welcome to Revolution''s Path.
*** After Unicorn revealed Revolution''s Path, no new information regarding it was posted in the news page. (Author''s Note: Removed some sentences that clashes with what I did in prologue.) Will there be a new continent? How about new classes? Will there be new races too? New weapons? New equipment? New dungeons perhaps? Or maybe a new backstory? A new goal? Perhaps, a chance to become the new Emperor? A lot of unanswered questions between the time it was announced to its release date. Even so, Unicorn was silent. "We would like to let the players answer those questions themselves," were the words their PR man said in a press conference. *** There was no cutscene.
Welcome to the Builes Oasis. Although you are a new character, it has been determined that you played Royal Road. Thus, instead of four weeks, the time for the confinement will be reduced to two weeks.
Quartz was once again impressed. Nice. After closing the message, he then looked at his status.
Character Name:Quartz
Title:none
Class:noneClass:none
Alignment:Neutral
Level:1
Fame:0
Infamy:0
Health:100/100
Mana:100/100
Stamina:100/100
Satiety:100/100
Strength:10
Agility:10
Vitality:10
Wisdom:10
Intelligence:10
Charisma:5
Luck:5
Attack:5
Defense:5
Magic Resistances
Other than a UI revamp and the addition of one more extra class slot, Quartz saw nothing out of the ordinary in his status, thus he started walking, enjoying the scenery around him. Royal Road''s time in-game is about four times faster than in real life. Since this a sequel, it''s logical to assume that the same rule also applies in this game. This would mean that about 24 months, or 2 years, have supposedly passed in-game after the shutdown of Royal Road. But after that incident in the character creation, Cheol started having suspicions. Cheol wanted to ask another player to confirm if his suspicions were correct, but he hasn''t seen any other users yet. Having no choice, he went and asked an NPC, a middle-aged man sitting by a bench. "Mister, what year is it?" "Huh? It''s year 378. Why did you ask?" 378! Royal Road''s calendar passed that a long time ago! Were my suspicions wrong? Does that mean Revolution''s Path is set in the past? Wanting to confirm his thoughts, Quartz once again asked the man. "Mister, when did the calendar start?" The man raised his eyebrows. "You''re kidding, right?" Quartz shook his head. "I''m a Freedman. One of the goddess''s children." The man looked at him skeptically. "Freedman? You?" Then the man laughed. "You do know that it''s been a long time since Freedmen walked in this world. After all, they suddenly disappeared 400 years ago!" PREVIOUS NEXT Chapter 2 We didn''t know it at first of course. Master always disappears. Sometimes for a few hours, sometimes for a few days. However, he always comes back. That''s why when he disappeared for the last time, we expected that he would return. So we paid it no heed. *** Sitting on his desk, Cheol tried getting some shut-eye before morning period starts. Should have paced myself better. Got into RevPath too much, he thought. There were other also students who came early to school. And with nothing better to do, most people started talking. There were a variety of topics, but what was most prevalent was talk regarding Revolution''s Path. ... "Hey, heard about that new class?" "You mean Rifleman? Yeah, heard of it." "Man, a class that uses guns. Although some did try reproducing guns in RR, this time guns have become a recognized weapon in RevPath." "Well, to be exact, they''re arquebuses." ... "Wahaha, there''s actually a slime race. A slime race!" "The hell!? They playable?" "Yeah, but one has to unlock their starting city first." "Slimes have cities?!" "Surprising, right? If it ever does get unlocked, I''d like to create one, just for gags." "Wahaha, then which class would you choose? Swordsman? Or maybe become a slime mage?" "I like the sound of that. The Slime Mage." "Wahahaha! ''You have been killed by the Slime Mage''. Lame way to die!" ""Ahahahahaha!"" ... "Is it true that NPCs are now hostile to players?" "Yeah. When I said that I was a Freedman, some were skeptical at first. But when I convinced them, they started cursing me! Some even threw stones! The guards did not even bother helping me. In fact, they just laughed!" "Woah, what on earth happened in 400 years for that to happen?" "Apparently, due to our disappearing act, the Empire crumbled so bad, that they seem to have entered a Dark Ages of some sort. Morale was at an all time low, and everyone was cursing the gods for suddenly taking the Freedmen." "Huh? I''m surprised the gods didn''t retaliate." "Well, you do remember that a god''s power comes from the Faith stat. NPCs have Faith, but it seems us users generate more Faith than NPCs do. With us out of the picture, the gods have to rely on NPCs, but since the NPCs blamed the gods, the gods started to become powerless." "And thus the world did not end. But, huh? When I viewed screenshots of RevPath, it doesn''t look like it''s set in the Dark Ages." "According to the NPC I heard from, seems a man established a new religion. This religion pretty much replaced the old ones, becoming the sole religion in both continents." "Okay? So, how does that relate to why NPCs hate us?" "Isn''t it obvious? Since the new religion considers the old gods as ''pagan'' and ''barbaric'', then the Freedmen, children of these gods, are also the same." "Tch, damn, then it would be harder to do quests now." ""Sigh."" (Author''s Note: Once wrote something here regarding dual classes and skill restrictions. Removed, same reason as what I wrote in prologue.) Ring! With the sound of the morning bell, everyone stopped whatever they were doing and prepared for the day''s class. *** Lunch break. Just like before, everyone was talking about Revolution''s Path. But this time, Cheol wasn''t exempted. "Wha! You chose to create a new character? Why?" "Isn''t it common sense to start a new game from level 1?" "I suppose...but the advantages!" Cheol shrugged. "It doesn''t seem worth it, now that NPCs are hostile. Besides, the NPCs that had high affinity with my old char would be long dead by now. So whatever points I have accumulated would be useless anyway." Hyun conceded. "I suppose you have a point...Sigh, I guess I should create a new character too." Cheol once again shrugged. "Up to you." "Well, that''s that. So, where did you start? I heard that the starting city is now randomized," asked Hyun. "The starting city''s randomized, true. But you have the option of randomizing again if the city''s not your cup of tea," replied Cheol. "Oh, nice! If you have patience, you can keep randomizing till you found your desired city! Wew, and I thought I won''t be able to start in Morata." Overhearing this, one of their classmates replied in the negative. "Hyun, don''t go to Morata! It''s the headquarters of that new religion! I heard people who started there were immediately killed." "Oh god, how horrible!" another classmate chimed in. "To think the Imperial Capital became like that," said another. "But it isn''t that surprising, I suppose. After the Disappearing, as the NPCs called it, happened, Morata was the one hit the hardest," replied Cheol. "Oh damn. Then where is the best place to start?" Hyun moaned. "You can start anywhere. Just don''t tell NPCs you''re a user. Or show to them that you are one," advised one classmate. "With the exception of Morata, of course. For some reason, those guys know whether you''re a user or not. Must be some kind of magic," he amended. "Hm, you have a point. Then I''ll stick to starting in Morata," Hyun decided. "Um, Hyun? Didn''t you just hear what they said a while ago? It''s dangerous in Morata," a worried Eun-byul said to Hyun. "Hmph! As long as I''m careful, those guys won''t even know that I exist!" he replied with confidence. Good luck with that, Cheol thought. The bell then rang, telling the students that lunch break has ended. As they returned to their respective seats, Cheol heard Hyun mutter something. "Hm, I feel like I''m forgetting something..." *** Ring! With classes now over, Cheol organized his belongings. Hyun already left a while ago, jumping out the window. Walking out of the room, he met the student council president. "P-president Song," the student council president, a girl, stammered. "I''m no longer the President, President. I''m just Senior Song," Cheol said with a smile. Flustered, the president offered her apologies. After she regained her composure, she then said her piece. "Um, Senior Song, to be honest, I was on my way to your room to ask for help regarding student council business. Ah, but only if you have time, of course." "Hm? Why? Where are your officers?" Then he paused. "Ah, RevPath?" The president nodded, tears forming on her eyes. "They''re unfair, you know! Even I want to play RevPath too! The release of a new game isn''t a reason to skip council duties! Sniff!" "There, there." Cheol started consoling the depressed president. "Okay, I''ll help you, since you are my successor and all. As for your officers, hm, when they come back..." Cheol then whispered his scheme to the president. Along the way, they saw Hyun being scolded in the teachers'' lounge for jumping out the window. *** After helping with council duties, Cheol made his way home. He then ate supper, freshened himself up, and entered the capsule. *** The moment Quartz entered the shop, a huge man came, carrying a stack of books on his hands. "Here are the log books. You know the drill, finish it before the day ends."
Quest: Finish the Log Books (4) Merchant Drummond gave you more log books to account. Seeing how efficient you were the last time, he decided to increase the number of log books to 40! A textbook example of worker exploitation! Quest condition: Finish accounting the books before night falls. (Current time remaining: 7 hrs, 59 mins) Quest difficulty: F Quest requirements: none Quest rewards: 60 exp, 1 sil (Tranquil Desert), increase in familiarity with Drummond Quest failure: decrease in familiarity with Drummond, possibility of being fired from the job Additional note: Due to your current level of familiarity with Drummond, rewards may change depending on your actions.
Quest has been automatically accepted. You have no choice in this matter.
Quartz took the log books off the man, Drummond. Now empty handed, Drummond went back to his seat, sorting and counting cash. Books on hand, Quartz walked to the second floor, where his office was located. Well, although it''s called an "office", it would be better to just call it an attic. Quartz then stacked the books on his table. He prepared his writing tools (a quill and ink), made himself comfortable, then started accounting the books. After an hour has passed in-game, he decided to take a break. Taking some of the rye bread from his inventory, Quartz started filling his satiety bar. While doing so, he thought back to the situation that happened yesterday, or 5 game days ago. *** After hearing that Revolution''s Path is set 400 years in the future, Quartz started thinking about many things. "...Seeing you''re surprised, I suppose you must be telling the truth." Quartz nodded. The man became quiet. Then he looked at Quartz. "Young man, you are fortunate to start your journey here in the desert." That snapped Quartz back to reality. "Fortunate? What do you mean by that, mister?" The man then told him about what happened 400 years ago, what happened during the 400 years, and about what is happening in the current time. Quartz listened to all of this, not daring to even ask questions. "...that''s why in most countries, Freedmen are accursed." The man paused. "But it is different here in the desert! Man, woman, adult, child, free man, slave, Freedman, native, regardless of your race, circumstances, gender, the desert embraces all. The desert does not discriminate. The desert does not choose." The man looked at Quartz and smiled. "And that is why you are fortunate." The man continued telling Quartz regarding the current situation. About the political climate, the discovery of new monsters, the changes in geography, all these he said without asking for anything. Taking advantage of this, Quartz also started asking. About new races, about new classes, what is the fastest method of earning money, means of traveling to other countries. The man answered them to the best of his abilities. This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. They did not stop until the man noticed that dusk is arriving. "Young man, it seems that it is becoming dark. Do you have any places to lodge in?" "None, mister, but it really isn''t a huge deal. We Freedmen have a different body clock." "Hm, so the stories are true. Still, this is the desert, so the change in temperature would be drastic. I insist you come to my house to stay the night. Or at least eat supper. My family would be delighted to host a Freedman. Consider it as your payment to me for telling you those things." Quartz chuckled. "Since you put it that way, I suppose I have no choice but to accept the offer." The man smiled, pleased with his response. They both rose up from the bench and, lead by the man, walked to the direction of the man''s home. "Ah, yeah, now that I remember, we didn''t introduce ourselves, did we." "Oh, forgive my manners! My name is Quartz, a Freedman, an adventurer." "I''m Hess Tiger V, current Head Chief of the Desert Tribes." *** "And then when I said my name, his mouth just dropped! Like, gah! Wahahahaha!" "Yes dear, very amusing. Now, please keep your voice down. The young ones are sleeping." The woman who rebuked the man who called himself Hess Tiger V then looked at Quartz. "I apologize for our husband''s behavior. He just cannot hold his liquor," the woman apologized. "It''s okay, Madam Lila," replied Quartz. "This isn''t the first time I''ve dined with a drunk man." "Oh, so Freedmen can get drunk too?" asked a different woman. "We''re human too, Madam Fely," he answered. "Huh? But I thought you people are immortal?" asked a young man. "We aren''t. We can die a lot of times here, but we only have one life in our world," Quartz replied. "Wahahahaha! Like, gah! It was so funny! Wahahahahaha!" Oblivious to the discussion, Hess Tiger V continued laughing. *** There were 6 people on Hess Tiger''s round dinner table. Seated on Hess Tiger V''s right is his first wife, Lila of the Quiet Waters. On his left was his second wife, Fely of the Cool Mountains. Beside Lila is their son and future Head Chief, Freisand, Sand for short. Beside Fely is Sand''s half-sister, Theia. And across Hess Tiger V is Quartz himself. There were 4 more unoccupied seats, but those who were seated there a while ago were all children, so they were asleep. "..." "Hm? Is there something you want to say, Theia?" asked Fely. "...Why did you disappear 400 years ago?" Everybody froze. Even Hess Tiger was smacked sober by the question. "THEIA! That''s not something you should ask without thought!" "Dear sister, that''s quite impolite, you know." "Theia, we''ll talk later." When they regained their composure, Fely shouted at her, Sand rebuked his sister, and Hess Tiger spoke with a stern tone. But Theia ignored all those. "...Why did you disappear 400 years ago?" There was no blame, no grudging tone, no signs of anger or rage. It was a tone of pure curiosity. Quartz smiled at her. "So that this era will come to be. That''s all I can say." Theia''s eyes widened. Everybody''s eyes were widened. After a few moments, Theia regained her composure. Her eyes showed understanding. "...A-anyways, I apologize for my daughter''s behavior," stammered Fely. Even Hess Tiger looked apologetic. "It wasn''t that much of a huge deal," answered Quartz. They continued talking after that, but the initial awkwardness did not dissipate. Although for the whole time, Theia was looking at Quartz. *** Quartz was outside of the house, enjoying the cold breeze. It''s surprising, for the desert to be so cold at night and so hot during the day, he mused. "Don''t you feel cold?" asked Hess Tiger as he walked out the door. On each hand of his was a steaming mug. "I brought a thick blanket." Quartz pointed to the folded blanket hung on the porch. "Hm, I suppose that also works," agreed Hess Tiger while giving Quartz the mug on his left. Quartz looked at the hot beverage. "It''s Norton Tea," anticipated Hess Tiger. Quartz nodded. They then shared a comfortable silence, enjoying the cool wind caressing their faces. Hess Tiger broke the silence first. "I''m really sorry for my daughter''s behavior a while ago. She has an unhealthy drive of curiosity." "It''s okay, it''s okay. She wasn''t rude anyway." Satisfied with that answer, Hess Tiger became silent. After a few moments, this time Quartz broke the silence. "I have a favor to ask." "As long as it isn''t impossible or heavy, then go ahead, ask" Quartz nodded. "Can you refer me to someone in need of workers? I want a job." *** After finishing the log books, Quartz checked the remaining time.
Remaining Time: 4 hrs, 56 mins
Wew, finished it with time to spare! He then double checked the logs, and when he saw no error, he went to Drummond to deliver the books. "Here are the log books, sir. I had to divide a column into two, since its contents were quite vague. I hope I didn''t over step my boundaries." The man, Drummond, then scanned the log books. When he noticed the two new columns, he frowned a bit. But other than that, he made no comment. After scanning the last of the log books, Drummond looked at Quartz. "I have no complaints about your work. The new columns also helped clarify a lot of things." Then Drummond smiled. "Excellent job, Quartz. And you even finished it earlier than the deadline. As expected of a man the Chief recommended. Or maybe it''s because you''re a Freedman? Besides, I like the new columns you added. And as I said before, it helps clarify a lot of items in the inventory. So for the early submission and the columns, I''ll add an additional 30 coppers to the reward." Quartz was delighted with the bonus. "Thank you sir Drummond!"
Quest Completed: Finish the Log Books (4) Incredible! You finished all 40 books in under 8 hours! You even had the spare time to check for errors! And most astounding of all is your guts to add another column to Drummond''s log books! Received 60 exp Received 1 sil 30 co (Tranquil Desert) Familiarity with Drummond has increased Received 20 Fame
For 4 in-game days, Quartz did nothing but account books, correct ledgers, and balance checks. It was boring work, not as much as hitting scarecrows, but enough to make one feel sleepy. However, for this he was rewarded a level up, an additional 5 points to his Wisdom and 8 additional points to Intelligence. He also garnered some Fame. "Show status."
Character Name:Quartz
Title:none
Class:none
Alignment:Neutral
Level:2
Fame:55
Infamy:0
Health:110/110
Mana:190/190
Stamina:94/100
Satiety:57/100
Strength:11
Agility:11
Vitality:11
Wisdom:16
Intelligence:19
Charisma:5
Luck:5 + 7
Attack:7
Defense:7
Magic Resistances
Unused Stat Points:6
(Author''s Note: Table revamped. Added Satiety, Stamina columns. Removed extra class slot, for consistency) "Hm, it''s good progress, I suppose," Quartz muttered. PREVIOUS NEXT Chapter 3 When we heard news that across Morata, all Freedmen disappeared, we started having second thoughts. But after much deliberation, we concluded that they must have been coerced invited by Master into doing something. Just like what happened many years ago in Serabourg. So we said to the citizens that Master must have been on a quest that needed many sacrifices companions. *** "So, how was Morata?" "..." "You didn''t even have time to blink, huh." "..." "You should have listened to what the others were saying." "...shut up, Cheol." "So, what are you going to do now?" "...I suppose I''ll have to make a new character..." The class gave a bitter smile at Hyun. Eun-byul caressed Hyun''s hair as a way of consoling him. *** His two weeks of confinement was almost up. Quartz, happy at this fact, finished the last of the log books given to him by Drummond. No longer bothering to check for any mistakes, he gave the log books to an open-mouthed Drummond.
Quest Complete: Finish the Log Books (13) Monster! What a monster! Isn''t 124 log books in only 5 hours too much?! Received 80 exp Received 2 sil 45 co (Tranquil Desert) Familiarity with Drummond has increased Received 100 Fame
You have leveled up!
You have earned a new title: Monster Accountant
You have learned a new skill: Quick Write
Oh, nice. A new title and a new skill. The skill''s pretty self-explanatory. But the title... "Show earned titles"
Lucky Description: You have found a four-leaf clover! On equip: +7 to Luck. Passive effect: None. Good Accountant Description: Given by Drummond due to completing his first three accounting quests with flying colors. On equip: +1 to Intelligence and Wisdom. Passive effect: None. Genius Accountant Description: By adding new concepts to accounting and removing inefficient ones, your name has become well known in the Desert of Tranquility as the Freedman who revolutionized accounting! On equip: +3 to Intelligence and Wisdom. Passive effect: 5% chance of +1 added permanently to Intelligence every level up. Monster Accountant Description: You''re inhuman! With a speed beyond human recognition, you have finished more than a hundred log books in less than 6 hours! On equip: +5 to Intelligence and Wisdom. +50 Infamy Passive effect: 7% chance of +1 added permanently to Intelligence every level up (overrides passive effect of Genius Accountant).
Hm, the new title seems good. "Equip Monster Accountant"
Monster Accountant equipped.
*** While Quartz was admiring his titles, Drummond, having already snapped from his shock, decided to convince Quartz to stay. I know he said he''ll only work for two weeks, but he might''ve changed his mind, he thought. "Hey, young man, you sure you don''t want to continue being my accountant?" Drummond asked Quartz.
You have been offered a permanent position in Drummond''s office.
With the quest window popping in front of him, Quartz shifted gears. "I''m sorry, but I don''t think being an accountant is the right path for me," he replied after collecting himself.
You declined the job offer.
"Ugh, are you really, truly sure? I don''t give offers this good to anyone." Quartz just smiled. "Thank you sir, I appreciate the offer. However, I must leave this place. I need to go to a place as soon as possible." "It has been a good two weeks with you, sir. If fate permits, let us meet again." With that, Quartz started to walk toward the door. Drummond started to panic. Ugh! At this rate, he really would be gone for good! Tch, no choice but to use that then. "Wait! How about becoming a merchant? You can apprentice under me! Besides, I''ve heard that there were Freedman merchants before. Why don''t you become one too?"
You have been given the chance to apprentice under Drummond. After the apprenticeship has been completed, you will become eligible for the Merchant class.
After reading the system message, Quartz made the motions of deliberation, to show to Drummond that he was at least considering the offer. But he already made up his mind. A few moments after the message, Quartz shook his head. "I appreciate the offer, but I don''t think being a merchant is the class for me."
You declined the apprenticeship.
Your familiarity with Drummond decreased.
"I-is that so? W-well, I suppose it can''t be helped then." Sighing, Drummond gave up trying to persuade Quartz to stay. "Since that''s the case, all I can say then is, good luck and take care." Quartz smiled. "Thank you, sir." He left via the front door. "Sigh, I hope can I find an accountant as good as that man," muttered Drummond. *** After leaving Drummond''s place, Quartz went to Hess Tiger''s house. Opening the door after his knocking was Lila. "Oh my, it''s you, Quartz! Good afternoon! It''s been a long time since I''ve seen your face." "Good afternoon, Ma''am Lila. I apologize for not visiting this past week." "It''s okay. I heard you were quite busy handling Drummond''s log books. In fact, I''ve heard rumors saying you did most of the work this days." Quartz just smiled. "Um, is Mister Hess around?" Lila shook her head. "He and Sand are on a job. They''re leading some of the Desert Warriors in thinning the monsters on the outskirts of the Oasis." "Oh, is that so. Well, I''ll just come back later then." "Dear, no need to be polite. You can wait inside. I''m sure Theia would be ve~ry delighted to talk with you." After which, Lila made a light chuckle. Quartz just made a bitter smile. *** It was already dusk. For 4 hours, Quartz was recounting the events that happened in Royal Road to Theia. Theia, being the curious young woman that she is, asked another question. "Hoh, and? Was the Assassin able to kill the Great Emperor?" Fortunately for him, Hess Tiger and Sand have returned from the monster subjugation. "Let''s continue another time, shall we?" Quartz evaded. "I''d like to ask your father something." "...Fine." Saying those words with a sulking face, Theia left the room and went to the kitchen to help her mothers in cooking. "Hahaha, if it isn''t my future son-in-law! What brings you here? Finally willing to marry my beautiful daughter."
Quest: Marry My Daughter (4) Hess Tiger V is once again offering you his daughter as your wife! And the best part of all, no one in the family is against the union! If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.Even the woman in question is okay with it! Even so you have refused the offer 3 times! But still, Hess Tiger V is determined to make you become part of his family! Quest Difficulty: ??? Quest Requirements: Very High Familiarity with the Hess Tiger Household. Quest Rewards: "Husband" Title, "Son-in-Law" Title, "Brother-in-Law" Title, "Third-in-Command" Title, "Desert Warrior" Class, huge increase in familiarity with the Hess Tiger household, max familiarity with Theia, and Theia''s inheritance. Quest Failure: (Failure, in this case, would be a ruined marriage) Household becomes hostile to you and familiarity becomes negative, a bounty will be placed on your head, Reputation among tribes in Desert of Tranquility will be 0, Class received when you accepted the marriage will be revoked, Titles will be revoked, Theia''s inheritance will be confiscated from you.
"...I appreciate the offer, but I must decline."
Quest Declined
Your familiarity with Hess Tiger had a slight decrease.
"Sigh. Oh well, I''ll try again next time." "..." "So, what''s your reason for coming here then," continued Hess. "Do you know a mage who I can apprentice under?" "..."
Your familiarity with Hess Tiger decreased.
*** Apprenticeship. In the 400 years since the Freedmen disappeared, the method for getting classes has evolved. The concept of a professions guild was good, however, it had a severe flaw. Anyone can choose his/her profession. And in a new world without the Freedmen, this is fatal. Since anyone can choose, then that means even the those who don''t have talent for that class can choose it. Since anyone can choose, then that means everyone will choose those classes that don''t require manual labor. Since anyone can choose, students will outnumber the mentors. Since anyone can choose, one guild will prosper while others will fall. But the what is most headache inducing with the guild system is: Since anyone can choose, there will be inexperienced people that, having chosen the class, think they are good enough already, which leads to them doing reckless actions. Because of this, the guilds decided to disband themselves. But how will the people gain a class then? Apprenticeship! By undergoing apprenticeship under a master, people without that talent for the class will be pruned off! This means that people will have to choose other masters to complete their apprenticeships. This way, the student population under each master would be manageable. And if that fails, then they really have to choose another class! Also, by undergoing apprenticeship under a master, people will at least gain some form of experience before setting off in the real world! This way, the student learns prudence and does not rush to his death. But this system also has flaws, the most prominent being: the need to find a master! So if you can''t find a master, you can''t have a class. Of course, with the exception of hidden classes! (Author''s Note: added this line, so as to complement a plot point later in the story.) *** "..." "..." Quartz remained silent, looking only at the figure in front of him, an old, pale man, who was reading a letter. After the letter was read, the old man raised his head and looked at Quartz. "...Why did you not choose to become a Desert Warrior? If you would have asked, Hess Tiger would have taken you under his wing with gladness." Quartz decided on what his reply would be. After a few moments, he chose his answer. "...I don''t have the necessary fundamentals to become a warrior." After which, he showed the old man his status and skills. "Show status and skills"
Character Name:Quartz
Title:Monster Accountant
Class:none
Alignment:Neutral
Level:4
Fame:335
Infamy:50
Health:130/130
Mana:310/310
Stamina:91/100
Satiety:48/100
Strength:13
Agility:13
Vitality:13
Wisdom:20 + 5
Intelligence:26 + 5
Charisma:6
Luck:5
Attack:7
Defense:7
Magic Resistances
Fire:2%Wind:2%
Unused Stat Points:19
Quick Read (Passive) (Beginner 4. 67%) Description: Allows one to read a book in a short time. Levelheaded (Passive) (Beginner 8. 12%) Description: Confusion, Fear, and Panic does not affect you. Quick Write (Passive) (Beginner 0. 0%) Description: Allows one to write in a short time.
"Hoh, so you''re that accountant in Builes," muttered the old man. Not waiting for Quartz reply, the old man continued. "Your base Intelligence and Wisdom are quite high too. Hm, I see, so that''s why you decided to become a mage?" Quartz nodded. "Hm, fine, I accept you as an apprentice."
State Magician Aleksander accepts your apprenticeship.
Aleksander is now your Master!
You are now eligible for the Mage Class.
PREVIOUS NEXT Side Story: Matchmaking Side Story: Matchmaking
Hess "Hey, why don''t you marry my daughter?" "Um, excuse me?" "Why don''t you marry my daughter?" "...uh...mmm...uh...Is this a joke?" "Nope, I''m serious." "Um, in most situations, it''s usually the other way around, right?" "Most situations? Do explain." "Um, it would be me asking for your daughter''s hand instead of you offering it to me." "Oh ho! So you''re willing to marry my daughter!" "Um, not really..." "Huh?! Is there something wrong with my daughter?" "Um...uh..." "Young man, even though you can die many times, I have my ways to inflict a lot of pain. So think about what you''re going to say before blurting it out." "...I have to be at Mister Drummond''s place before lunch. Bye Mister Hess!" "Oy, wait! We''re not done yet!" Fely "Theia''s a beautiful girl, isn''t she?" "Uh?" "Yes, she''s beautiful! A gem! A star in the heavens!" "Oh kay..." "She''s also good at household chores! Cooking, cleaning, laundry, you name it, she can do it." "Uh huh." "She''s proficient with the sword, too. As expected from my and Hess'' daughter! Such a natural born talent for swordsmanship." "Mmm" "And you know what, she has a nice body!" "Pft!!!" "Yes! A beautiful, sexy body you men love!" "Cough, cough, ach!" "And she''s a fast learner too! I''m sure she won''t disappoint you in her nightly duties!" "Ahahaha, yes, yes, she''s a one of a kind woman. Well, if you would excuse me Ma''am, I have log books to finish." "Oh yes, of course dear! Go on ahead. Just remember what I said today, okay!" Lila "Fely''s girl is very pretty, am I right?" "Oh no, not again." "Hahaha, so the others have said something already?" "Just Ma''am Fely and Mister Hess. Although Mister Hess was quite blunt about the motives. Don''t tell me even you..." "Haha, well, after seeing your interactions with her this past few days, most of us have come to that conclusion." "Most? Then someone is against it?" "Oh, it''s cause we didn''t invite Theia to the family meeting. So when we decided, she wasn''t part of the decision." "..." "Haha, well, just accept your fate, Quartz! Or should I say, my future son-in-law?" "...Aren''t you quite confident that I''ll accept the offer?" "Aren''t you quite confident that you won''t accept the offer?" "...I have to go to work." "Ahahaha, go ahead. Sorry for taking much of your time. But don''t think you can run away from this topic forever. Theia''s a capable woman, you know." Sand "Future Brother! Ah, no, I mean, Quartz! About Theia..." "Haha, sorry Sand, but I have to go Drummond''s place." The four children """FUTURE BIG BROTHER!!!""" "...The kids too?" Theia "Um, I''m sorry about my family." "Ha, it''s okay. You did nothing wrong." "Even so, they are my family, so I also hold some responsibility for whatever things they did." "You''re kind, aren''t you?" "Mmm, thanks. Ah, why don''t you continue your story about what happened when the Haven Empire invaded the Ahreupen Empire?" Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. "You really like stories about Royal Road, huh." "Royal Road?" "Ah, I mean, stories from 400 years ago." "Oh, so you call the period 400 years ago Royal Road?" "Mmm, something like that..." "Oh, Royal Road. Sounds nice. I learn something new each day when I''m with you, Quartz." "..." "As for your question, yes, I enjoy stories about 400...Royal Road. Especially stories about the adventures of Freedmen. You know, due to the current situation, any records about Freedmen have been erased. So it really is a blessing for me that you have come." "Am I just a curiosity-quencher for you?" "Ahahaha, of course not! And I''m sure you know too, right?" "...Anyways, you''ve wanted to hear about what happened during the Haven-Ahreupen war, right? Well- " "No longer interested about that." "Eh?" "Well, see, you''ve told me a lot of stories about other people, but you told nothing me about YOUR story in Royal Road. Why?" "Haha, well, my adventures were quite boring- " "Lies." "Huh?" "Tsk, tsk, I''m not an easy woman to fool, Quartz. You should have known that by now." "..." "So, let me ask again. Why are you not telling me stories about yourself? I was under the assumption that men like to talk about themselves." "Hoh, that''s quite a narrow assumption about men." "Haha, yeah, even I admit it''s a narrow perspective. But that''s besides the point. Don''t try to change the subject, okay?" "..." "So, tell me about yourself?" "...Why do you want to know?" "You''re a sharp man. You should know why a woman is asking a man to tell her about himself." "...So what was the apology a while ago about?" "I was apologizing about the way they did it, not why they were doing it." "..." "I won''t let you run away any longer, Quartz." "...ha" "Finally given up?" "It''s hard to argue against you." "Thank you for that compliment. You''re making me blush." "..." "So, tell me something about yourself." "Well, I''m Quartz, 19 years old and- " "Very funny. Right now, I''m laughing so hard I just might stab a person. Accidentally, of course." "I met face-to-face with the Emperor." "...Come again?" "I met face-to-face with the Emperor." "...Were you a part of his companions." "No." "Did you do something meritorious that gave you the privilege of- " "No, I''m not such an honorable person." "So you did something so evil that the Emperor had to punish you personally?" "Well, I did quite a lot of evil acts, but I was never caught." "..." "Starting to regret falling in love with an evil person?" "Did you rape other people?" "I''m evil, but not that evil." "Then it''s okay. That means I can still have your first time." "That''s what you''re worried about? And what gave you the idea that I''m still a virgin?" "You''re not?" "...I am." "See? Then I get the chance to have your first time! Ah, don''t worry, I''m a virgin too." "I didn''t ask." "It''s free service!" "..." "So, what did you do? How were you able to see the Emperor upfront?" "...I tried to kill him." PREVIOUS NEXT Chapter 4 But when Master and the others did not come back after one month, we finally admitted to ourselves that something was wrong. We then had a meeting what to do in this situation. The Ice Dragon suggested we go our separate ways, but one of the younger, more loyal ones argued that we should look for places where Master would be. I suggested we stay and take care of the Empire until Master comes back. Thus, we became divided. Just like how the Empire will come to be. *** ". . . Are you sure about this class? With your talent and skill, you could have chosen a better one. Heck, you could have made a new one yourself!" "Thank you Master, but I choose this class." ". . . Sigh, since you''ve already decided, there''s no point in trying to change your mind." Aleksander then did the required ceremony, after which he bestowed unto Quartz his desired class.
Class acquired.
Congratulations, you are now a Mage! Earned a new stat: Concentration Intelligence increases by 10 All Magic Resistances increased by 5%
"Well then, Mage Quartz, as someone who finished my apprenticeship in the least amount of time, I give you a new title."
You have earned a new title: Magic Prodigy
"Check acquired title."
Magic Prodigy Description: You have impressed the State Magician for completing his apprenticeship in one week. As an acknowledgement of your genius, he has deigned to confer this title to you. On equip: all Infamy set to 0 temporarily +250 Fame +200 Mana +15 to Intelligence +15 to Concentration +5 to Charisma 2% increase to all Magic Resistances
". . . Equip Magic Prodigy."
Prodigy Equipped.
"I''m also giving these equipment to you."
Received: High Quality Magic Staff High Quality Cloak High Quality Shirt High Quality Gloves High Quality Pants High Quality Boots
"Check equipment."
Plain Knife Just a normal pocket knife. It''s something. Attack increases by 2 when equipped.
Good Turban An old yet durable turban given to you as a gift. Protects your head from the sun. Fire Resistance increases by 2 when equipped.
Good Cloak An old yet durable cloak given to you as a gift. Provides decent protection against the elements. Wind Resistance increases by 2 when equipped.
Plain Shirt Just a shirt. But it''s better than being half-naked. Defense increases by 1 when equipped.
Plain Pants Just some pants. But it''s better than being in your underwear. Defense increases by 1 when equipped.
Cloth Shoes They feel more like socks than shoes, but it''s better than walking barefoot.
"Equip High Quality Magic Staff, High Quality Cloak, High Quality Shirt, High Quality Gloves, High Quality Pants and High Quality Boots."
High Quality Magic Staff, High Quality Cloak, High Quality Shirt, High Quality Gloves, High Quality Pants and High Quality Boots Equipped.
"Check equipment."
High Quality Magic Staff Made by a skilled Woodcrafter. Gives better damage than ordinary magic staves. Attack increases by 5 when equipped.
Good Turban An old yet durable turban given to you as a gift. Protects your head from the sun. Fire Resistance increases by 2 when equipped.
High Quality Cloak Sewn by a skilled Tailor. Grants good protection against the elements. Water and Wind Resistance increases by 2 when equipped. Defense increases by 1 when equipped.
High Quality Shirt Sewn by a skilled Tailor. Light and comfortable, but doesn''t grant much in the defense department. Defense increases by 2 when equipped.
High Quality Gloves Sewn by a skilled Tailor. Prevents your hand from getting too cold, and at the same time, from getting sunburned! Wind and Fire Resistance increases by 1 when equipped.
High Quality Pants Sewn by a skilled Tailor. Easy to move in. Doesn''t grant that much protection, however. Defense increases by 2 when equipped. Agility +1 when equipped.
High Quality Boots Sewn by a skilled Tailor. Equipping this gives you the feeling that you can run faster! Agility +3 when equipped.
Due to your equipment being of the same quality, set bonuses have been added. +100 to Health +100 to Mana +5 to Strength +5 to Agility +5 to Vitality +5 to Wisdom +5 to Intelligence +5 to Concentration Attack increased by 3 Defense increased by 3 Fire, Water and Wind Resistances increased by 2%
". . . Show status."
Character Name:Quartz
Title:Magic Prodigy
Class:Mage
Alignment:Neutral
Level:10
Fame:600
Infamy:0
Health:340/340
Mana:1010/1010
Stamina:97/100
Satiety:89/100
Strength:19 + 5
Agility:19 + 5
Vitality:19 + 5
Wisdom:29 + 5
Intelligence:46 + 25
Concentration:10 + 20
Charisma:7 + 5
Luck:5
Attack:13
Defense:13
Magic Resistances
Fire:12%Wind:12%
Water:11%Earth:7%
Light:7%Dark:7%
Unused Stat Points:74
The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. "Thank you sir for all these generous gifts," Quartz said while making a deep bow to Aleksander. "They''re not gifts, my young student. You''ve earned these," Aleksander replied with a smile. "Well then, where do you plan on going young man? If you like, you can stay and help me in my research. There are a lot of knowledge we lost during the Book Burnings, so asking information from you regarding 400 years ago would aid my work in a huge way. Besides, by helping my research, you are also helping your fellow Freedmen from being discriminated." (Author''s Note: Year of Burning Books is grammatically correct. But it sounds stupid.)
Quest: Help the State Magician State Magician Aleksander is asking aid in gathering and compiling information about the lost age of 400 years ago. By helping his work, you will also be lessening the hostility of this world''s citizens against your fellows! Quest Difficulty: C Quest requirements: finished Aleksander''s apprenticeship, high familiarity with Aleksander, high familiarity with 7 or more locals Quest rewards: +500 exp, +1000 fame, increase in familiarity with Aleksander Quest failure: none (Quitting midway: decrease in familiarity with Aleksander, +100 infamy)
"...I''m sorry Master, but there is a place I have to be ASAP."
Quest declined.
Familiarity with Aleksander has decreased.
"I-is that so? Well, since you had prior engagements, I suppose it can''t be helped. But if you have time, please do come and help me. Or at least say hi and drink some tea." "With pleasure." *** When Quartz left, Aleksander sighed in disappointment. "So much talent, so much genius. If he was only a bit more amibitious, or maybe more greedy, then we might have seen the birth of another great figure after 400 years of mediocrity." There were 3 books on Aleksander''s desk. One, The Mage Class, was taken by Quartz. The other two, Aleksander took and stored them, for the hope that someone else with at least a tenth of Quartz''s talent would choose them. One book was titled, The Elemental Wizard. The other book was named, The Time Sorcerer. (Author''s Note: I''ll stop trying hard to make the books sound cool. Edited to make them sound natural.) *** After leaving Aleksander''s humble home, Quartz headed for the bazaar, situated near Builes''s southern entrance. Along the way, he found someone he was avoiding for the past 2 weeks. Fortunately, the man was talking with another person, so Quartz was able to slip by him without visible effort. Since Aleksander''s quarters were somewhere in the northwest, it took Quartz considerable time to reach the bazaar. At the same time, he saw and avoided 3 more people he didn''t wish to encounter. I''ve met the father, the 2 mother''s, and the brother. Let''s hope my luck holds and I don''t meet the- "Hello Quartz. How''s it been?" Two people were sitting on the same park bench where Quartz met Hess Tiger. ". . ." "Ahahaha, geez, it was a harmless prank! No need to glower at me." ". . ." "Ahahahaha." ". . ." "Ahaha . . . ha . . . ha." ". . ." "I''m sorry, I won''t do it again!" And while saying so, the person kowtowed. At the same time, another person approached them, a cup on each hand. After seeing the tragic(?) scene of her boyfriend kowtowing in front of another man, she chuckled. "Hihi, you two are funny as always, Cheol. Ah, you go by Quartz in-game, right?" At those words, the man still sitting on the park bench, Quartz, looked at her. "So, why are you here with this...thing?" "Mmm, we were going to invite you for a quest." "Hoh. What quest? How did you get it?" "Well, during Weed''s two wee- " "Wait, Weed?" "Oh, that''s Hyun''s in-game name." After hearing those words, Quartz looked at the kneeling man. ". . . PFT!!! AHAHAHA, AHAHAHAHA, AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Oh man, oh man, this just made my day! Ahahaha, Weed. Weed! Ahahahaha!" "You don''t have to laugh at it so much!" complained Cheol a.k.a weed. "Hihihi." "Fokko, not you too!" After they have calmed down (and after the woman, Eun-byul a.k.a. Fokko, consoled the sulking weed), the two continued their discussion. weed, however, ignored the two of them. "So, as I was saying a while back, during weed''s two week stay in Serabourg, he found a book. While reading- " "Excuse me. weed-lol read a book?" "What''s with the lol?" "Uh-huh. Surprising, isn''t it. Even I, his childhood friend and girlfriend, was shocked when I heard it from him." "Um, Fokko? What do you mean by that statement?" "Hm, the world works in mysterious ways. Anyways, please continue." "I''m sorry, I''ll stop ignoring you guys. So please respond . . ." The two then looked at weed. "Oh Hyun, we were not ignoring you. We were only whispering our thoughts." "Yeah, weed-lol. It just so happened that our thoughts complemented each other." "Ugh, such blatant lies. And stop adding lol every time you say my name!" "Huh, what are you talking about? ''lol'' is an old suffix we add to names to denote high respect. It''s similar to -ssi and -ajumma. Right, Fokko?" "Um, maybe?" "Quartz, that is not convincing. And why did you group it with -ajumma? I mean, an old woman?" "I have pictures of Hyun during our freshman year." "Wait, Quartz?" "What pictures?" "Um, uh, Fokko?" "When he was being scolded by Sir Chae for sleeping in class." "Huh!? When did you- no, how did you even- " "Deal!" "Wha! Fokko!" "Yes, Hyun dear?" "Um, about those pictures . . ." "Pictures? What pictures?" "Don''t play dumb! You know, those pictures that that man was going to give to you." ". . . You act weird sometimes, Hyun. Anyways, as Quartz was saying, ''lol'' is a fairly recent suffix added to the Korean dictionary to denote a certain form of familiarity with the other person." "No no no, don''t act like nothing happened! And besides, what Quartz said was that ''lol'' was an old suffix that denotes high respect to someone!" ". . . Oh, weed-lol, you should clean your ears. I didn''t say that. What Fokko said were the exact words I said a while back." ". . . I HATE YOU GUYS! UWAAAAA!!!" And with that, weed ran away. ". . . Well, we went too far I, guess? Shouldn''t you go with him? Console him again, maybe?" ". . . Aw, a frustrated Hyun is just so cute!!!" . . . A woman in love can be so scary sometimes, thought Quartz. "Ah, yes, let me continue. Well, after reading that book, he received this quest about knowing what happened to the Emperor''s Sculptures of Life. Obviously, since it was something pertaining to the Emperor, the difficulty was quite high too. So he called me IRL and asked me help him." "Hoh, it must have been quite the journey for you. The distance from Rosenheim and the Thebe Principality is quite something." "It was long, but I found a secret class that made my journey easier." "Oh, a secret class already? You''re quite lucky." "Haha, maybe. Still, it''s not like I''m the only one who found a secret class. Seems the quests for secret and unique classes remain somewhat unchanged in RevPath, with a few tweaks here and there, so everyone can choose a secret class if they want to. That''s why I don''t think me having a secret class is that surprising." "True, true. Still, it doesn''t change the fact that having a secret class means additional perks." Fokko smiled in agreement. However, after a few moments of thinking, she frowned in consternation. "But isn''t your class quite the rare find, too? A Desert Warrior has a lot of pluses, if I recall." Quartz shook his head in denial. "My class isn''t the Desert Warrior. I''m just your average, run-of-the-mill mage." ". . . Huh? I thought the reason why you chose this place was for the Desert Warrior class?" "Nope. I chose this city because there''s a place I want to check." ". . . But still, since you''re already in this city, why did you not choose to become a Desert Warrior?" "Exactly my question too." At this statement, Fokko directed her gaze to the new speaker. She was surprised to see that the speaker was a beautiful woman. But her demeanor changed when she saw weed behind the woman. On the other hand, Quartz started thinking of different avenues for escape. PREVIOUS Chapter 5 "So, weed, who is the woman beside you?" asked Fokko. Hearing this, weed started sweating. "U-um, she''s Theia. I met her outside the park . . ." he stammered. "Hoh? Really now," Fokko replied, at the same time, giving Theia a cold look. Theia returned it with a smile. "What Mister weed said was true. We only just met outside of the park," reassured Theia, all the while sneaking casual glances at Quartz, who continues to refuse facing them, or in particular, her. From these hints, Fokko saw that she misunderstood the situation. "Oh, um, sorry," she said, all the while blushing. Theia only chuckled. Sensing that the hostile atmosphere from Fokko disappeared, weed started to speak. "Ah, yeah! That should be the man you are looking for, Quartz. And beside her is my girlfriend, Fokko." Fokko stood up and bowed. "I''d like to apologize again for my behavior a while back. My name is Fokko, Hyun . . . weed''s girlfriend." Theia once again smiled. "Ah, girlfriend. Is that how you Freedmen call your lovers perhaps?" Fokko chuckled. "Hihihi, I suppose? Although for men we call them boyfriends." Theia nodded in understanding. And then she made another sweet smile. At seeing that smile weed''s jaw dropped. Even Fokko herself was stunned stiff. Beautiful, both of them thought. At seeing Fokko''s expression, Quartz knew that something big is going to happen. And judging from the conversation so far . . . Oh no, oh no! Alarmed, Quartz turned to look at Theia. "Wait, Theia- !" "I suppose I can call Quartz my boyfriend then." . . . Ah, it''s over. ". . . The guys in class just have to hear this!" Hyun said after he recovered. *** We voted on which path we shall take. My suggestion won. However, some of the wyverns objected, saying that an empire is worthless without its emperor. Something you wouldn''t hear from them years before. But we''ve all grown. We''ve all matured. We''ve all changed. *** "Oh yeah, Hyun, buy me a can of coffee," Cheol said after finishing his lunch. "Huh, why? I''m not your gopher," replied Hyun, still chewing. Cheol gave a cold look at Hyun. "Did you not notice that thanks to what you said this morning, half of our class, most of which are men, skipped morning period and never came back?" "Um, I don''t see how that implies I have to buy you coffee . . ." "Did you know that what you said this morning was also heard by someone from another class and spread it around the school?" "Um . . ." "Did you know that right now, a lot of students skipped classes? You were a student council officer, you know how pain-in-the-a** this situation is." ". . ." "Did you know that some of the teachers even heard it and started making bullsh*t excuses to cancel their classes, just so they can go home earlier?" ". . . Urg . . ." "But what makes me mad most of all is that now, everyone knows my situation in RevPath. Everyone." "LET ME BUY YOU COFFEE!!!" And with that, Hyun rushed out. Eun-byul, who sat beside Hyun just made a wry smile, while the other three girls who sat with them just glanced at Cheol, then resumed their talk. Since Hyun and Eun-byul started going out 3 months ago, Eun-byul and her friends Yeon-mi, Nari and Min-woo started eating lunch together with Cheol and Hyun. Within 3 months, all four saw the power play involved between the two men. Besides, they''ve been classmate for a few months now, so one way or the other, they''re pretty much familiar with how Cheol handles Hyun. A few moment after Hyun left, Nari asked Cheol a question. "Oh yeah, Cheol, how come you''re refusing that woman''s, um, what''s her name?" "Theia," Min-woo answered. Nari nodded her thanks. "Yes, Theia. How come you''re refusing her advances?" "Uh-huh. I mean, she seems to be a smart woman. And she''s very beautiful too," Eun-byul backed them. "Qualities you men always wanted in women. So why the cold treatment?" Min-woo continued. Yeon-mi also nodded, her eyes asking the same questions. Cheol looked at the 4 women, his eyebrows raised. "Isn''t it obvious? She''s an NPC, an AI, a program. She''s not alive; she isn''t even real. Why should I accept her advances?" ". . ." The four of them became silent. Then they talked among themselves. "Oooh, harsh words," Nari said. "Just listening to it pains me too," agreed Min-woo. "Mhm, even when we met her in-game, Cheol was quite distant too," Eun-byul supplemented. ". . . He''s giving her the cold shoulder," Yeon-mi concluded. All of them nodded "So he''s taken a fancy to her huh," Nari uttered. "Who wouldn''t under those intense onslaughts," Min-woo mused. "And it seems they''ve lived under the same roof for one week. That proximity can''t be ignored," Eun-byul added. ". . . It seems no matter how much he denies it, the feeling is mutual," Yeon-mi declared. They once again nodded. Amidst these, Cheol was silent, acting as if nothing out of the ordinary is happening in front of him. He was saved from this awkward exchanges when someone called for him. "Hey Cheol, the stuco pres is here!" Cheol knitted his eyebrows, then rose from his seat and approached the waiting girl beside the classroom entrance. After a few words, the two went somewhere. ". . . Hoh, I suppose with that piece of news, she has no choice but make her move," Nari began. "Well, can''t blame her. After all, an NPC beat her to the punch. And if Hyun did not foolishly announce it, that NPC might have even slammed a KO," Min-woo continued. "Ah, speaking of Hyun," Nari interrupted, "what will you do? Cheol seems hellbent on making Hyun suffer." Knowing that it was directed to her, Eun-byul just made a wry smile. ". . . Hyun is too thoughtless," agreed Yeon-mi. "Well, I don''t think Cheol would be that ruthless with Hyun. Maybe he''ll stop when Hyun''s at half-health," Min-woo said. "No no, we''re talking about Cheol here. He''s going to verbally harass Hyun till he goes crying to Eun-byul," Nari objected. ". . . That sound wonderful," Eun-byul muttered, her eyes sparkling, her tone dreamy. If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ". . . A tiger in front, and a fox behind," Yeon-mi said. Then Hyun entered the class, his breath panting. Seeing that Cheol''s nowhere to be found, he asked Eun-byul and her friends. "Hah, hah, um, where''s Cheol?" "He had to go somewhere," Eun-byul replied, a smile plastered on her face. The other three, however, sent him pitiful gazes. *** Meanwhile, on the side of Cheol. When Cheol asked her what she wanted, the stuco president that they should talk in a place devoid of people. So Cheol suggested talking by the stairs. But the stuco president shook her head. "How about in the Council room?" she suggested. Cheol raised his eyebrows. Seeing this, the stuco president supplemented her words. "Um, well, we''ve finished most of council work yesterday, so my officers are not there today. So, so . . ." ". . . Okay, I suppose it would be fine." Cheol resigned to his fate. At his response, the stuco president brightened up. "Le-let''s go then!" When they reached the room, Cheol entered first. The stuco president followed afterwards. He then sat on one of the chairs scattered here and there. "Hm, messy as always," muttered Cheol. The stuco president didn''t reply. She then slowly closed the door. Seeing her weird behavior, Cheol remained silent. Oh, Hyun, at this very moment, I really, really want to strangle you. After taking deep breaths, the stuco president then looked at Cheol. "Um, President," the stuco president directed to Cheol. "Didn''t I tell you to just call me Senior Cheol, Sun-mi?" With those words, he took the thunder from the stuco president. "U-um, sorry!" Student Council President Sun-mi bowed deeply, her tone filled with remorse. Seeing that his tone was a bit harsh, Cheol felt apologetic. "Oh, please don''t bow down. I should be the one apologizing. I spoke badly." "N-no, Senior did nothing wrong. It''s my fault for stubbornly calling you by something you don''t want to be called by," a flustered Sun-mi replied to Cheol''s apology. Cheol made a wry smile. "Then let me apologize once again and call it quits. Okay?" Sun-mi brightened and nodded her agreement. "So, what was the thing you wanted to talk about?" Cheol steered the topic back. Hearing those words, Sun-mi began to fidget. Hyun, Hyun, the thought of roasting you sounds very appealing. After having gathered her courage, she faced Cheol. "Um, Senior Cheol, about the rumor . . ." Cheol feigned ignorance. "What rumor?" At those words, Sun-mi almost wanted to say "Never mind." But she once again gathered her determination. "Um, about you hooking it up with an NPC . . ." This time, Cheol knew he won''t be able to brush the topic off. He sighed. "No, I''m not in a relationship with an NPC." "E-eh? Then you''re in a relationship with a person then?" Tears were welling up on Sun-mi''s eyes. How did it go to that direction? "Um, no, I''m not dating anyone, real or otherwise." "Th-then, you''re free? Single? Available?" "Well, I''m the former two. As for the last one, I''m not really looking for a romantic partner at the moment . . ." "Th-then you have someone you like!?" At that, Cheol became silent. When Cheol did not speak, Sun-mi''s face became crestfallen. "E-eh? You really have one?" Noticing his blunder, Cheol cursed to himself. "N-no, I was only surprised because- " Cheol then sighed. ". . . Yes, I suppose there is someone I like." With that, Sun-mi started crying. Cheol remained seated, not saying any words of apology, nor is he doing anything to comfort her. When Sun-mi''s sobbing slowed down, Cheol opened his mouth to speak. "Why don''t you take a seat?" Sun-mi complied. The bell signifying that lunch break was over rang. Still, the two remained inside the Council room. After a while, Sun-mi calmed down. ". . . That person you like, was she that NPC in the rumors?" Sun-mi spoke first. Cheol formulated his response. ". . . Yes." Then he made a wry smile. "Weird, isn''t it?" Sun-mi did not react to that. "Why her?" She then asked. Cheol also chuckled. "I don''t know." Sun-mi puffed her cheeks. "Mmm, that isn''t an answer. Was it her looks? Her brains? Her personality? I won''t be satisfied till you tell a definite answer." Cheol made a wry expression. "I really meant it when I said I don''t know. On the looks department, you and her are pretty much equal. In terms of intellect, it would be better to describe her as cunning rather than smart. And if I compare your personality to hers, you obviously have a more pleasing one." Sun-mi, while blushing at the praises, said, "She''s pretty, has a good head on her shoulders, but has a nasty personality. So that is Senior''s taste in women. Sigh, to think the kindness I''ve been showing would backfire on me." "As I said a while back, I don''t know why I fell for her. So please stop jumping to conclusions." "Oh Senior Cheol, I was only teasing you!" Then she chuckled. "I suppose it is true that people who love teasing others hate being teased themselves!" Cheol then muttered, "Hmph, I retract my statement. Both of you have foul personalities." Sun-mi stuck her tongue out. "Since you''ve chosen her over me, then I have nothing to lose by being mischievous!" At that, Sun-mi laughed. Seeing this, even Cheol had no choice but to smile. When Sun-mi calmed down, "Anyways, that''s just the man Song Cheol is. A weirdo who is more into AI systems over real, breathing human women. Disillusioned?" Cheol said to Sun-mi. Sun-mi shook her head. "Mmm, not really. The whole school knows about Senior Cheol''s weirdness." Cheol made another wry smile. A pleasant silence filled the room. "Well, time to go back to class," Cheol said. "Mmm," agreed Sun-mi. She stood up first. Since she was nearer to the door, she opened it. "Thanks," he muttered in passing. Once outside, he waited for Sun-mi to lock the door. "See you then," Cheol directed to Sun-mi. "Mhm," Sun-mi nodded. "Please introduce me to her in RevPath, Senior Cheol." "Sure. If you ever visit Builes and I''m there, then I can introduce you to Theia." "Okay. I''ll be going then." And with this, Sun-mi walked toward her classroom. Cheol walked on the opposite direction.