《Zero Road》 Welcome Alright everyone, let me start by welcoming those who decide to post, and perhaps even like my stories. I''ll just say as of now, that I''ll be looking for a proofreader, a beta, or something along those lines for future chapter updates, as I''ve gotten a bit rusty with my writing. Lord knows how, probably from reading all this fanfiction... Anyway, enjoy. {[999baw}] Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. Also, feel free to use this topic to discuss the story at your leisure. CryptIXeeper Special Thanks to: `:^:^)~ StarKin, and Dezzter for leaving comments so early in the story. Zero Road, Prologue The void, the holy element, the scourge of Shaitan; it had been called many things by Human and Elf, Markay and Spirit. Yet despite this, it remained as it always had: Empty. Yet it was empty no longer. For the first time in six thousand years, something roamed its abyssal depths. Drawing breath and lending noise to the eerie silence that had always pervaded it before their arrival and would continue to do so once they left. Sometimes the being would mumble, sometimes it would scream; but no matter what, an inevitable chime of sound would always follow. T¡¯tiring
Connect to Royal Road? Yes | No
¡°No.¡± a voice spoke tiringly into the darkness with a tone both young and feminine. T¡¯tiring ¡°No.¡± it, no she, answered yet again as the dim light of the floating textbox revealed the pink locks of her hair. ¡°Please¡± the girl asked imploringly, wishing, hoping once more with all her heart that it would just let her leave, ¡°I just want to go home...¡± T¡¯tiring ¡°My name is Louise Fran?oise Le Blanc de La Valli¨¨re and I demand you answer!¡± the girl screamed, voice cracking in the process, ¡°Why won¡¯t you listen?! Why are you keeping me here?!¡± Again, like always, she received no answer aside from that accursed telltale chime. A sad, pitiful wail erupted from the girl, Louise¡¯s, throat as she finally collapsed upon a floor she couldn¡¯t begin to see, that perhaps didn¡¯t even exist, and began to cry. ¡°¡¯ts not fair¡± Louise moaned out amidst her tears, ¡°Why? Why? Why, do I always fail?!¡± ¡°I can never succeed!¡± she screams, slamming her fist against the floor in a bout of long awaited rage as tears pour down from her eyes, ¡°I can never win! It¡¯s always something!¡± Rolling onto her back and slamming her head against the ground, Louise screamed till her face was red. Yet the black didn¡¯t care, it never did. Would she be trapped here? Louise wondered in a haze as she stared at the floating textbox, taunting her. The scribbles on that blatant piece of magic were nonsense, no matter what way she looked at them. They were obviously writings of some sort, but beyond that was a futile effort; however, the meaning of it; well¡­that wasn¡¯t so hard to decipher. It was why she kept saying no; shouted it to the heavens even, and why she kept cycling through this routine for Founder knew how long. ¡®Never agree to something you don¡¯t understand.¡¯ Her mother had always said, ¡®Not even when there¡¯s nothing else, No.'' Louise mentally added, ¡®especially when there¡¯s nothing else.¡¯ If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. She was being held hostage here until she gave in, and Louise knew it; into what though¡­that, she didn¡¯t know. As long as she had spent here; it had quickly become apparent that she wasn¡¯t going to be allowed to leave this hole until she died, acquiesced, or went insane. Grimly, Louise wondered which of the last two would come first. It was inevitable, what she would say; Louise didn¡¯t need to be told otherwise. In this place that lacked any source of sound but her breathing and her screams? No, it had been a certainty any way she looked at it, a question of not: ¡®Will this happen?¡¯, but when. ¡°I don¡¯t have magic¡± Louise admitted quietly, her thoughts shuddering at that quiet little revelation which now seemed so small in the comparison to the present. ¡°Even if a commoner can¡¯t cast sparks with a wand, and I can. Even if I somehow brought myself here¡­¡± for a moment, her breath caught on air, ¡°It can only be magic if it¡¯s useful. Therefore¡­¡± she began hesitantly, ¡°Therefore, I don¡¯t have magic.¡± Yet no feelings of freedom accompanied her acceptance, only the slow and insidious creak of a closing door. ¡°Fine¡± the pink haired teen spat out into the darkness before yelling ¡°You hear me?! FINE!¡± awkwardly, yet with haste, she gathered up to her feet and turned towards the glowing screen that had been her bane ever since she¡¯d arrived in this hellhole. ¡°I ACCEPT!¡± Louise screamed, ¡°I ACQUIESE! I CONCUR!¡± ¡°I SAID, YES!¡± As if by magic, the box disappeared right before the defiant noble¡¯s eyes as a clear and audible voice, unnatural by her own definition, rang out around her, ¡°The scan on your I-I-Iris is showing that you are an unregistered u-user. D-d-do you wish to create a new account?¡± ¡°Who are you?!¡± Louise immediately shouted into the black abyss, anger burning her small body to figurative cinders as she awaited any possible hint of reply. Silence was the only result. ¡°Fine,¡± she grounded out with gritted teeth while clenching her fists so hard they turned white, ¡°YES!¡± ¡°S-s-select the name of your Avatar.¡± It rang out. ¡°LET ME OUT!¡± the pink haired noble raged, face red and lips twisted into a snarl towards the blackness. ¡°Name ¡®Let Me Out¡¯ contains i-i-illegal spaces, name has been shortened to ¡®Let¡¯. Is this correct?¡± ¡°YES!¡± ¡°Select your gender fro¡ª¡° ¡°YES!¡± ¡°Royal Road has¡ª¡° ¡°YES!¡± Louise screamed, red with anger, ¡°Yes, Yes, Yes, Yes, YES!¡± ¡°Defaults have been s-s-selected. Welcome t-to Royal¡ª¡± ¡°Founder damn you, YES! Let me out!¡± Before Louise¡¯s eyes, the world twisted, flashed white, and then everything tasted¡­purple. Zero Road, Beta Request Topic This will be my beta request area, just so I can let you all know when a new chapter is out, needs to be looked over, etc. January 31, 2014: Chapter 1 Finished; Beta''d courtesy of SnowMelts Zero Road, Chapter 1: First Impressions & Perfect Timings Royal Road, the first major VR game to be developed in the world, and already it was a success. It was a vast land of adventure, intrigue, and conflict; all of which was independent of the players, instead driven by the very NPCs that they had learned to take for granted. It truly was something innovational, something new and fresh for the masses to dig their hands into. There were opportunities for a story around almost every corner, in every NPC. Thankfully, Royal Road had a lot of corners as it sported over at least a hundred cities, towns, and villages of various sizes and shapes; each with a smorgasbord of races native to the Versailles Continent. It was a constantly changing world; a second reality in all but name. It truly was a unique and satisfying experience for everyone; that is, except a certain pink-haired noble. [p=center]*^*[/p] When Louise finally regained her senses, she could do naught but stand paralyzed in horror as she took in her requested change of scenery, and the even more frightful additions that came with it. In Halkegenia, there lived a handful of races, most unfriendly to the five human kingdoms. The menacing goblins of the swamps, for instance, who raided and pillaged the odd caravan if there wasn¡¯t a noble escort or sizable armed guard to protect it; or perhaps the barbaric orcen tribes of the deep forests, giant pig-like creatures that ate the flesh of children, raising and devouring the rare village that didn¡¯t have a noble to watch over them. However, to the humans of Halkegenia, no race was more feared than the elves. Mythic creatures of such might that they made all who opposed them flee in terror, or never flee again. The Founder¡¯s Elemental magic was nothing to them; and any army of humans that sought them out would inevitably lie defeated at their feet. They were to the humans, the church, and Founder Brimir himself, the ultimate enemy. They were also within her line of sight, bartering and talking amongst themselves, and not killing them all. And there; A Child-Eater of Count Mott¡¯s province was standing right there, right to her side, bartering intelligently with a human of all things; and that Elf, with long ears that practically froze her heart, sat on a stool within the middle of the market place, playing music and accepting coins being thrown at him like some common beggar! ¡°Where am I?!¡± Louise cried as she slowly backed away from the market square and unintentionally into one of the surrounding beings, sending him stumbling. ¡°Watch where you¡¯re going!¡± a male voice spat with annoyance, his ears hairy and unusual as he turned away from her already pale face, ¡°Damn noobs, who the hell chooses pink hair¡­¡± he muttered loudly before being swallowed by the crowd. ¡°What was that?!¡± the young Valli¨¨re quietly asked herself with horrific wonder, ¡°What¡ª¡± but her question was quickly shoved into the back of her mind as she turned her head, her ears registering the loud and abrupt sound of an inferno roaring her way; something she had intimately come to know from her past forays into magic. ¡°Hunting parties looking for a fire mage?!¡± the Infernos parted and faded, revealing a hooded man in colorful robes conjuring magical flames with his bare hands, something that was literally impossible for anyone to do save but her mother or with elven spirit magic, ¡°Level 120 Fire Mage, looking for a hunting party!¡± His words made no sense, even if she could understand them; and while her mind briefly stalled on the magical theory of just how someone not her mother could conjure flame such as he did, she noticed her outstretched arms and the brown sleeves that adorned them. ¡°Brown sleeves? What¡ª¡°, Louise stumbled out. Where was her cloak, her academy uniform? Something cold was beginning to settle in the pit of her stomach, something scary. Just what had she agreed to? This was too much. Louise needed to get away; she needed a place to think, if only to contemplate just what she had gotten herself involved in. The young Valli¨¨re did the only thing she could do; she turned around and ran. Pity she hadn¡¯t watched where she was going. [p=center]*^*[/p] Quite a ways away from the city marketplace, resting nondescriptly by a dark alleyway and a small adjacent house; stood a quaint ¨C if smelly ¨C little shop. Inside, if those with a curious sense of adventure took the time to look, hanged rows upon rows of foul smelling herbs, dried out animals, and the occasional bowl over which a small pile of burning plants could usually be found. On the shop¡¯s uncovered ¨C and occasionally cluttered ¨C walls hanged the rare piece of artwork or decoration, uniform only in the fact that the owner¡¯s sense of decorum was decidedly of foreign tastes. A little deeper into the shop, surrounded by the odd plant, pretty looking rock, or dead mysterious creature, rested a man at a counter; waiting, and contemplating. The man ¨C known as Qin by the locals ¨C was old; older than any human had any right to be. Old enough that his eyesight had begun to fail him ten years prior; and yet he still managed his shop with what could have been semi-regularity. It was foolish, the old man knew; and he should have hired an assistant months ago if he ever wanted to actually make a profit, but Qin hadn¡¯t been in it for the profit in years. Managing the shop was more of a hobby, than a job, now. Off in the distance, near the back of his shop, Qin began to hear the loud and mechanical ringing of a bell. Was it that time already? Briefly, the old man recounted the day¡¯s events. Yes, it was indeed that time. It seemed that once again, he would have lost track of the day if it hadn¡¯t been for his time-keeper. Closing the shop had become routine for Qin over the years, in spite of his old age, in fact. Turn off the fires, empty the wastes, lock the doors; Simple, easy, and not too hard to remember. Though, he¡¯d have to make a special effort not to forget the fires, this time around. That last time had been embarrassing; and had almost given him a heart attack for his troubles. Hmm, perhaps he should try and make the effort find himself an assistant like his more frequent customers had been asking; it certainly wouldn¡¯t hurt for him to have someone to talk too. Unfortunately, few people came out his way anymore; and his place had become something of a novelty over the years. The current generation seemed to be more interested in buying bulk, something he was far less than capable of now; and always seemed to complain about his prices. However, such was understandable, even Qin knew his prices were a tad on the expensive side; but, again, he wasn¡¯t in it for the money anymore. However, it was about time he stopped being so reminisce; his shop wouldn¡¯t close itself, after all. A brief amount of time passed; during which the occasional aching joint or stiff back could be heard popping, and then Qin got started. Heading to the back of his workshop, the old man began to snuff out the few flames that he had had on since morning; and then proceeded onto the second item of his agenda, mainly, emptying the workshop wastes. Which, in all respects, wasn¡¯t that time consuming; in fact, he¡¯d only need to make a brief trip to the wagon in the alley by his shop. Because, although wastes could usually be converted into something more useful ¨C like a few core chemicals and such ¨C the practice was typically quite involved; and for those who lacked the time, it was more productive to simply store them somewhere out of the way, and then haul that to a place interested in purchasing such things. Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. Grabbing his cane ¨C more of a stick, really ¨C the old man made his way over to the alley door with a bucket of waste. Opened the door, and then proceeded to have the living daylights startled out of him by the force of a heavy impact as it slammed into the wood of his door. Consequently, the contents of Qin¡¯s bucket ended up spraying itself across most of the alleyway street. To say that Qin was surprised¡­would, be an understatement. [p=center]*^*[/p]
-60 Health Afflicted with: Staggered! Afflicted with: Contamination!
Painfully clutching her head while trying to both ignore the sudden window covered in alien scribbles that had appeared before her eyes as well as the smell of whatever she had just run into, Louise curls herself up into a ball and moans. ¡°Oh dear; and that was a day¡¯s worth, too.¡± An elderly voice comments, worry filling their tone. Blearily, as she gathers her breath, Louise weakly looks towards the speaker. There, she sees and old and elderly man dressed in what reminded her vaguely of her teachers at the academy, holding a cane to his side. The man¡¯s face was not at all like what she was used too; his eyes blank and somewhat slanted while his mouth and chin sported a vaguely familiar facial style, reminding her somewhat of Headmaster Osmond, though with obvious differences here and there. With difficulty, Louise props herself up amidst whatever foul smelling concoction the elderly man had been carrying, and attempts to apologize, albeit with a fearful stutter, ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry¡ª¡° ¡°Of course you¡¯re sorry, you ran into a rather thick and well-made door, and then got splashed with chemicals; I¡¯d be sorry too.¡± He interrupts seriously, ¡°Now stand and follow. You need to get yourself clean; that is, unless you actually want your skin to start sloughing off.¡±
You received a quest!
Perfect Timing An old alchemist by the name of Qin runs quaint little shop north of the city marketplace. He may come off as a tad abrasive, but he¡¯s truthfully a very kind man. Difficulty: Secret Quest Requirements: Run into ¡®Old Qin¡¯, while he¡¯s in the middle of closing shop. Quest Penalty: ???
¡°What?!¡± the young Valli¨¨re screams as she fearfully tries to stand while making a point to ignore another glowing window of text that appeared before her. ¡°Well, perhaps not your skin.¡± The old man retracts as he begins to shepherd an unsteady Louise towards the sturdy looking building he had just come out of with his cane, ¡°My batch for today was rather tame compared to the others; but accidental chemicals in your eyes, mouth, or on your skin will never be good for you.¡± ¡°B-but I can¡¯t¡ª¡± ¡°Are you a boyish girl, or a girlish boy?¡± the old man interrupts with a demanding, but not unkind tone. ¡°What kind of question is that?!¡± Louise bursts out, resisting against the old man¡¯s shepherding as outrage and embarrassment begins to win over against fearful panic. The old man a raised eyebrow at her general direction, ¡°Because I am wondering whether or not you wish to keep your hair.¡± Louise¡­didn¡¯t quite know how to respond to that. ¡°I¡­I¡­fine¡± The young noble gives in, albeit with apprehension.
You accepted the quest!
¡°Good. Now head over to the workshop¡± he emphasizes with his cane, ¡°strip, and stand over the drain when you wash; I¡¯ll leave buckets of water near the door, but don¡¯t put those clothes back on.¡± ¡°I¡­but, why?¡± Louise asks brokenly. Everything was going just too fast; and with her mind addled as it was with both her arrival and the crash, she didn¡¯t rightfully know what was going on; or why the old man was being so considerate when she had been the one at fault. ¡°Later.¡± The old man sighs out, ¡°I will see if I can find you something to wear.¡± pausing for a moment, the man taps his cane against the floor in thought, before shaking his head and leaving Louise. A while later, the old man returns and sets out a few buckets of fresh water near the workshop door, as well as what looks like a clean set of small bluish clothes. ¡°My name is Qin¡± the man says as he turns away from the workshop and outside Louise¡¯s view, ¡°You will tell me your name when you finish and have dressed. Then we will discuss how you will pay back those chemicals you spilled everywhere.¡± Zero Road, Chapter 2: Clean Clothes and Forced Labor. Qin had been locking his shop¡¯s alleyway door when he heard his guest leave the workshop area and vaguely hesitate behind him, as if she was unsure what to do. Which, was understandable, he had practically pushed her into the shop when all was said and done. Though, if she was going to continue lollygagging from near that doorframe, he was going to have to¡ª However, that line of thought was interrupted by his guest¡¯s solemn voice ¡°My name is Louise Fran?oise Le Blanc de La Valli¨¨re, and I¡¯m here to¡­begin our discussion.¡± Louise Fran?oise Le Blanc¡­well, it would have to be shortened. That name, as far as Qin was concerned, was a mouthful. Louise de La Valli¨¨re would be easy enough to remember, he supposed. Shame the girl was proud enough of her name to say the entire thing at once. Qin nodded, ¡°Louise de La Valli¨¨re, then; as reasonable a name as any other, I suppose. I trust you won¡¯t take offense at my shortening of it?¡± though worded as a question, his tone presented it as anything but. ¡°That would be¡­fine¡± Louise struggled out, her fingers unconsciously picking at her new clothing in the process, ¡°I¡­what do you want?¡± the nervous noble asked in a quieter voice, ¡°I can¡¯t give you anything for this.¡± ¡°I am¡­unsure at the moment¡± the old man truthfully answered, ¡°To be honest, you gave me quite the surprise in that alleyway.¡± Qin admitted, ¡°In fact, I would have been exceedingly more distraught with you had those chemicals not been an issue. However, that point is moot. Now that I¡¯ve had enough time to think about this in further detail, I find myself vaguely questioning my sanity.¡± at that point, he chuckled. The noble couldn¡¯t believe what she was hearing, ¡°I could¡­leave?¡± Louise asked in a hopeful tone. ¡°Now, no need to sound so happy about it¡± Qin remarked, amusement in his voice, ¡°I¡¯m not that bad.¡± ¡°I-I didn¡¯t mean it that way¡± Louise quickly tried to correct herself, failing to hide an embarrassing shade of red that was beginning to cover her face, ¡°It¡¯s just that¡ª¡± she began, fumbling her words, ¡°¡ªWhat I mean to say is¡ª¡° ¡°None of that¡± Qin promptly interrupted, raising his cane to poke Louise lightly in the stomach, causing her to unintentionally let out an ¡®oof¡¯ sound, ¡°and in response to your question; No, you can¡¯t leave. Want to know why?¡± the old man asked rhetorically as he reached into his sleeves, made a show of pulling something out, and grabbed ahold of one of Louise¡¯s hands, causing her to flinch. Within the silence of Qin¡¯s shop, three pieces of metal could be heard dropping dramatically into Louise¡¯s hand, ¡°Because you are now my assistant!¡± Qin continued, voice filled with elation as he smiled widely towards her. [p=center]*^*[/p]
You have completed the quest, Perfect Timing!
You received: Blue Collared Clothes!
You have received a Job offer!
If you accept, you will become an assistant to the old alchemist, Qin, at his storefront northeast of the city marketplace. :You will be paid 3 copper pieces per day. Yes | No
Louise could do nothing but stare at the three copper coins in her hand as scores of blue windows appeared and disappeared before her vision. With confusion, the noble lifted her eyes hesitantly away from the coins, towards Qin; and then back to the coins again, several times. Louise would have thought she was in a dream by this point, if it hadn¡¯t been for the long interlude she had spent in the abyss; even then, she wasn¡¯t so sure anymore. Slightly scrunching up her face in an amalgamation of emotion, as she had been put off balance so often since her arrival here, Louise settled for a nice and simple response; that is, she laughed. ¡°When I made that decision, I did not envision laughter to be your response¡±, Qin stated, voice tinged with confusion. Yet still Louise laughs, she just couldn¡¯t help it. It had been one thing after another since her summoning ritual, each making less and less sense, and now this. Really, why hadn¡¯t she seen it before? ¡°I¡¯m Insane.¡± she attempted, and partially succeeded, to say over her laughter, ¡°You, This World, That Abyss; all of it is a nightmare. I¡¯m somehow in a waking delusion, or in a coma, and just haven¡¯t woken up yet! It¡¯s the only solution that makes sense!¡± Louise continued, her laughter now coming out in choking gasps as she gestured frantically about with her hands. Qin, for his part, wisely chose to stay silent, and listen. ¡°I must be Insane.¡± Louise repeated, ¡°It must have been the ritual; I just failed, like always, I never agreed to anything, did I? Coming to in a city full of elves ¨C of all things ¨C the bane of humans, while they chat with nobles and common traders, as if we care about nothing they¡¯ve inflicted upon us?!¡± once again, bubbling hysteria bursts forth and the pink-haired noble is sent to the floor in another bout of laughter. ¡°And the Orcs!¡± she struggles out amidst tears, ¡°Since when were the Orcen actually intelligent?! Child-Eaters, the lot of them. No civilized child of Brimir would barter with such savages, not even if their life depended on it!¡± ¡°And you!¡± the hysteric noble shouts as she points a shaky finger Qin¡¯s way, ¡°You¡¯ve just confirmed it! Would you believe that I was actually scared?! That I came to this place, stripped of what visible assets I had, given such disgustingly coarse commoner clothes and junk; then I run into you, of all people?!¡± ¡°Who does this?!¡± Louise ranted, ¡°Who welcomes someone that wronged them into their house? Gives them clothes, far softer than the trash I had, and then offers them a-a job, of all things?!¡± shakily standing to her feat, Louise points an accusing finger towards Qin, ¡°You¡¯re not real!¡± Turning away from Qin, Louise stomped her foot hard into the shop¡¯s wooden floor, ¡°Your dreaming, Louise! Wake up!¡± she yelled out within the shop, ¡°Wake¡ª!¡± That was his cue. With a speed betraying years of practice, Qin lifted up his wooden cane and brought it down upon his new assistant¡¯s head with a loud *thwap* that echoed throughout his shop and left his cane wobbling with the force applied. The target of his attack, for her part, was now tearfully clutching her head; visibly trying to withhold her tears, but slowly failing in that endeavor.
-30 Health Afflicted with: Staggered!
¡°Do you not feel pain?¡± Qin asked, his voice calm and forceful, ¡°Are you not clutching your head, trying not to cry?¡± Lowering his cane, Qin brings it down onto the wooden floor with a loud *thump*, ¡°Do you not feel the vibrations of the wood beneath your feet? Hear the sound of force as it meets object?¡± ¡°Did you not just painfully run into my door some hour and thirty minutes ago?¡± he continued, lightly tapping his cane against the wooden floor as he spoke, ¡°Can you not see the sights around you; hear them? Are you so distraught that you cannot smell the dried herbs and other scarcely used ingredients that pervade this place?¡± ¡°You can sense such things; in fact, you are experiencing them now. And if I am experiencing these same things as you?¡± Qin finished at last, lightly poking Louise in the arms as he spoke, ¡°Then I am real; and you are not dreaming.¡± ¡°Then how?¡± Louise asked, exhaustion coating her voice, ¡°What other explanation is there? How are creatures such as them allowed to wander this place with such abandon?¡± Slowly, the pink-haired girl began to curl into herself, ¡°I¡¯m a noble; I might be a failure of one, but I¡¯m still a noble; a Valli¨¨re. I was at the academy, before this. How am I here now?!¡± as if to emphasize her point, Louise slams her body into the wooden floor in a fit of defiance.
-5 Health
New Stat: Resilience
Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. ¡°And why, by the holy void, do I keep seeing these blue windows?!¡± [p=center]*^*[/p] Qin allowed a few moments of silence to pass between the both of them as he thought upon Louise¡¯s words. He hadn¡¯t at all been sure of the soundness of his decision in offering the girl a position. She had appeared from nowhere, after all, and the choice had involved more of a flight of fancy than actual logic. However, what he had previously assumed to be coincidence was revealing itself to be anything but. Qin had expected disbelief, suspicion, or perhaps even thanks. What he got, on the other hand, left him very alarmed. The girl, Louise, hid her feelings well. His offer should not have caused such an extreme reaction as hers, but it did; and he could now see, plain as day that she was far from what one should normally expect of her kind. The girl¡¯s assumptions were disturbing, her actions were on a hair trigger, and there wasn¡¯t anything he could see that hinted towards either of those changing anytime soon. Which left Qin exceedingly confused because the girl was obviously one of the Freed; but she just wasn¡¯t acting like it. Something was very, very wrong; the freed always journeyed to the realm with purpose, if this was not the case¡­ He would have to get her talking again. ¡°You are lost.¡± Qin began, staring at Louise intently through his aged vision, looking for a hint of movement, ¡°You don¡¯t know where you are, and so you¡¯re confused, scared, and so many other emotions. You see things that you do not understand, events that are foreign to your experience of how the world works; or your culture.¡± There! There it was; movement. ¡°You say you¡¯re a noble; that you aren¡¯t from here.¡± pausing briefly, he gently nudged the girl with his cane, ¡°Did you speak with Gaea?¡± He could hear the girl stirring, and hair tumbling as his blurry vision sees Louise slowly sit up and stare at him. The grip on his cane tightened at her response, ¡°Who¡¯s Gaea?¡± ¡°Someone you should know, if even vaguely.¡± Qin answered in a serious tone, ¡°The first sight you saw of this city was the square, yes?¡± He heard the shuffling of hair; sees the blurry form of Louise¡¯s head rising and falling, ¡°All who come here, see Gaea¡± Qin tries to explain, ¡°What did you see before the square?¡± The girl tells him. Outside, he hides his expressions well; but inside, he is horrified. [p=center]*^*[/p] Louise stares at Qin with a confused expression on her face as she tries to clear out her emotion ridden thoughts. The old man¡¯s attitude had taken on a sudden shift since her exhausting outburst. His face, which had smiled, worried, even frowned; now showed nothing. His was as expressive as a brick for all the good she could tell. The change had started with his questions. Questions that Louise had answered; but also left her feeling drained, even more so than her previous outburst. Then the old man asked her to describe the abyss; and now she couldn¡¯t even feel herself think, let alone pay attention to his words. She felt¡­numb, was a good word for it. Louise was startled from her thoughts when she saw the old man¡¯s mouth begin to move again. ¡°Please, say that again?¡± the young noble asked for the umpteenth time, it was getting harder for her to concentrate. ¡°You should not be here.¡± Qin repeats, slower than before, ¡°If you are telling the truth, then you were unwillingly taken from your home, and should not be here.¡± Dark thoughts clouded Louise¡¯s tired mind at those words; because she already knew that. ¡°You are what we call, ¡®Freed¡¯; those who are not native to this world.¡± Qin continues, trying to explain further, ¡°The continent of Versailles is watched over by the gods, and over them, by Gaea. It is she who enables the Freed to make the journey here. You should not be here. No, it shouldn¡¯t even be possible for you to be here; because all Freed must be willing, and wish to make the journey, for it to take place.¡± The old man pauses, as if realizing something, ¡°Gaea does not connect to others, others connect to her.¡± With a sense of urgency, Qin pokes Louise once again with his cane in order to get her attention, ¡°How did you connect to Gaea?¡± he asks. Louise blearily stares at the old man before sluggishly massaging her temples, ¡°The Springtime Summoning Ritual¡± she tries to explain to the old man¡¯s blank face, ¡°But I failed, just like I always do. It¡¯s supposed to summon something, not¡­¡± the noble gestures tiredly around her, ¡°¡­this.¡± A quiet ¡®Ah¡¯ escapes Qin¡¯s mouth as he stares at her, ¡°Then you were willing.¡± Exhaustion briefly leaves Louise as she yells at Qin with an offended look on her face, ¡°I was not! The ritual doesn¡¯t work that way! It brings things to you, not the other way around!¡± she finished angrily, turning her face away from the old man, ¡°And what do you know, anyway?! You¡¯re a commoner! I don¡¯t know why I even bothered.¡± Moving exhaustedly to try and leave; Louise was stopped by a firm hand, ¡°No¡± Qin stated with a shake of his head. Louise¡¯s face took on a shade of pure rage to match her angry expression, ¡°What¡ª¡° ¡°I am not a commoner, Miss Valli¨¨re¡± Qin interrupts with a hard tone and a firm hand, turning the girl towards him while holding her in place, ¡°You are a very angry girl¡± the old man continues, his voice containing a hint of something indiscernible, causing her to unconsciously shiver as a result, ¡°but do not let your temper control you in this. Peace.¡± Louise, for her part, stares at the old man with rapidly fading anger and a face that might as well have been carved from ice, ¡°How?¡± she asks, her voice full of suspicion. ¡°What I do cannot be learned, or practiced, without sacrificing much.¡± Qin answers with a voice that could chip stone, and eyes that somehow find their way into Louise¡¯s despite the fading of his sight. He holds her gaze for a few moments, causing her unease to grow, before finally sighing to himself and looking away. ¡°Your ritual brought forth a connection to Gaea, which is not hard to notice.¡± the old man explains, steadily tapping a foot against the wooden floor in a calming rhythm, ¡°Through that, you unintentionally agreed to Gaea¡¯s offer and allowed yourself to be sent to this world.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± Louise begins before unexpectedly trailing off, ¡°But I can get back¡­right?¡± Frowning at the question, Qin absentmindedly strokes his beard before answering, ¡°Of that, I cannot say. The Freed somehow manage it, but it is through their own methods and the will of Gaea.¡± Closing his eyes, the old man turns away from Louise, ¡°Though my offer was originally intended to be a choice, I do not think such applies any longer¡± The old man turns towards Louise with a grimace on his face, ¡°I¡¯m afraid I must insist you stay now; if only to learn the way of things so that your survival here may be eased.¡± reaching into his clothes, Qin pulls out a silver coin and holds it towards the young Valli¨¨re, ¡°Take this, and consider it advanced pay. You will be given a three-piece per day of work, and I will also provide room and board.¡±
You have received a Job offer!
If you accept, you will become an assistant to the old alchemist, Qin, at his storefront northeast of the city marketplace. :You will be paid 3 copper pieces per day, as well as Room & Board. You cannot decline this offer
When Louise didn¡¯t move to take the silver coin, only staring at his hand as if it was a live snake, Qin grabbed one of hers and placed the coin within, ¡°I was doing this out of the good of my heart, before. Now, I am doing this because of necessity.¡±
Congratulations, you have accepted Qin¡¯s offer!
You are now Qin¡¯s assistant!
¡°A native of the Versailles can move countries¡± the old man says as he moves away from Louise, ¡°but a Freed of Gaea can move worlds.¡± Tiredly, Louise looks at Qin, a silver coin clenched tightly in her hand, ¡°Just tell me where I sleep.¡± she finally demands. Lightly lifting his cane, Qin takes the end and actively nudges Louise towards his shop¡¯s second floor stairway, ¡°The guest room upstairs. It is the red door on the right.¡± The old man answers before pausing in thought, ¡°You''ll want to close the curtains, you look like you''ll need all the rest you can manage.¡± Zero Road, Chapter 3: The Sky & One Last Cry Qin felt his hunger growing at the veritable ensemble of ingredients that he had gathered together for breakfast. However, the star of the morning would once again be rice, just as it had been for the last month and a half. Now, he would admit that he had always been one for some variety; but the dish kept well, was cheap, and played nicely with others. Although, Qin wondered how kindly his guest would take to it. He assumed she would be out of her room momentarily; he had given her ample enough time to sleep after all¡­ ¡°Oh?¡± Qin wondered aloud as he noticed his tired, gloomy guest uncertainly shuffling about in front his kitchen door. ¡°Thought you might come down,¡± the old man chuckled ruefully as he lightly fanned the flames within his iron stove, ¡°I had half a mind to make you eat after we finished our little conversation yesterday; but you looked dead on your feet as it was.¡± Louise¡¯s stomach decided to make itself known by that point, though she distinctly lacked any outward sign of having noticed. Morosely, she looked down at her feet. Something was different about her. ¡°Well? Sit down.¡± the old man continued, ignoring the girl¡¯s unusual behavior, for the moment, as she worked her way over to the kitchen table and found a chair. ¡°There,¡± he said after a pause, closing his fan and setting it aside before turning to Louise, ¡°Now, have you had tea before?¡± Qin asked. ¡°Of course,¡± Louise responded tiredly, resting her head against the kitchen table as her pink hair began to sprawl itself across its surface. ¡°Mr. Qin.¡± the pink-haired girl suddenly began, ¡°I¡­I would very much like an explanation.¡± Audibly sighing, the old shopkeeper picked up a rather rough looking teapot and began to pour a particularly murky liquid into two porcelain cups that he had taken out from one of his cabinets, ¡°I don¡¯t suppose you could wait till after breakfast?¡± he asked curiously, ¡°You¡¯re not exactly up to the task, from what I¡¯m seeing.¡± ¡°No, it can¡¯t.¡± Louise insisted quietly as she continued to rest her forehead on the table, ¡°I had¡ªhoped¡­¡° she explained, her voice cracking in the process, ¡°¡­I don¡¯t¡ªI can¡¯t¡­¡± The young girl paused in an effort to better articulate her words, before letting out a shaky, world weary sigh, ¡°I don¡¯t know what I had hoped¡­¡± she finished lamely, before chuckling self-depreciatingly, ¡°First my magic, then my nobility, and now, all this.¡± Heading over to Louise while she continued speaking, Qin wiped away a large swathe of her hair from the table before setting down two nice, clean cups of tea onto the table, one on his side, the other by Louise¡¯s head. ¡°It would help¡­¡± the old man began slowly as he sat down, across from her, ¡°¡­If you could be more specific.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the point?¡± Louise asked rhetorically. ¡°Indulging the whims of an old man,¡± Qin responded calmly, lifting up his cup and taking a small drink, ¡°Now talk.¡± ¡°Fine,¡± Louise replied with a sigh, not even seeing the point of resistance as she tiredly lifted up her head before looking away from Qin, ¡°I was hoping that I would have woken up after I fell asleep; a lot of good that did.¡± she explained quietly, ¡°It feels like everything I do and everything I try to achieve either blows up, is impossible because I just blew it up, or is slapped out of my hands, crushed and mutilated, because the universe just simply doesn¡¯t want me to succeed.¡± ¡°Is that it?¡± Louise asked Qin, morbid curiosity filling her voice, ¡°Is it that I¡¯m not allowed to succeed?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve had to crawl, endure, and tear my way through almost every single aspect of my life; and this is what I get?¡± the distraught noble asked the old man before her in wonder, ¡°What about those books that told stories of victory against amazing odds: What about General Martel, the only man to succeed against the elves aside from Brimir himself, or Captain La Hire, who defended the capital of Tristain, against all odds, and did not fall!¡± ¡°Where¡¯s my victory?¡± Louise quietly asked as she lightly rested her head against the table in front of her once more, ¡°Where¡¯s my success?¡± ¡°I was ready,¡± the young girl practically whispered, ¡°to trek over mountains, through forests, orcen and even the elves themselves, to get home; because, I believed I¡¯d succeed, despite everything else, in spite of the past.¡± Louise gestured up lazily with her right hand, ¡°Then I look up,¡± she continued, ¡°And see an alien sky. No familiar stars to light my way, not even the ever present light of the Twin Moons to guide my path; just one moon: pale white, uncaring, and harsh.¡± ¡°At least I could choose when to be a zero before this.¡± Louise muttered to herself bitterly, ¡°Now I can¡¯t even do that.¡± ¡°So, please give me an explanation, some information about the Freed, anything¡­¡± the young Valli¨¨re found herself asking, almost begging Qin as she raised her head to look directly his way, ¡°Because if I¡¯m going to be stuck here for the rest of my life, I at least want to know where here is.¡± [p=center]*^*[/p] Louise was gasping; face red and breath short while she embraced the silence that filled Qin¡¯s kitchen as a result of her quiet rant. It would probably be her last, as she just didn¡¯t quite see the point in them anymore; they only hurt now, anyways. She had always thought of the sky as the one thing that couldn¡¯t be changed. No matter where she went in Halkegenia, it would always be there, always the same. None could change it, not even the elves, and that gave her strength; because, what was everything else in her life, when compared to something like that? So, Louise was¡­done, finished; and though the Valli¨¨re in her wished to keep fighting, even in spite of that, what was there to fight? Nothing, not even her mother, had made her feel as helpless as she felt now. With a loud *clack* of porcelain against wood; Louise was drawn away from her thoughts, and towards the old man sitting across from her. ¡°You sound as if you¡¯ve given up,¡± he said, voice carefully neutral as he lifted up from his seat and headed towards a boiling pot resting on top of the kitchen¡¯s iron stove, ¡°it hasn¡¯t even been two days.¡± Louise felt a small amount of shame at Qin¡¯s words. He was right, she knew; but she could only delude herself for so long. ¡°I had time to think on it, before I fell asleep; about what you said of the Freed,¡± she responded in a low voice, ¡°If such a thing is possible; I¡¯d fail it in some catastrophic, explosive way. I wouldn¡¯t succeed.¡± She sighed, rubbing her eyes as she spoke, ¡°So, in a manner of speaking, yes; I¡¯ve found myself resigned to the situation.¡± ¡°If I wasn¡¯t a Valli¨¨re¡­¡± Louise began, shaking her head with closed eyes while her voice weakly tapered off. It was best not to think about that; it wasn¡¯t a thought meant to be contemplated, anyway. ¡°I see,¡± Qin acknowledged with a heavy sigh, his back turned away from Louise as he stirred the boiling pot on his stove, ¡°Alright, I suppose there¡¯s no helping it then.¡± he began, his tone tinted with¡­something, ¡°Would you like me to start from the beginning? Or do you have something particular in mind, first?¡± Louise debated with herself over Qin¡¯s question, taking that moment to finally reach for the teacup that had been resting by her side for quite some time, and looked to be cool enough to drink. Absentmindedly, she picked up the cup and took a sip; only to discover her stomach beginning to rebel from the murky drink the moment it touched her lips.
Qin¡¯s Special Brew: Soothing Jasmine Tea Thirst restored by 10 points -10% Stamina +20 Intelligence +20 Wisdom +10% Mana Regen. It¡­needs some work, -Everyone.
Coughing quietly, Louise covertly spit the horrid mixture back into her cup before gently setting the porcelain container onto the table in front of her with an apprehensive expression on her face as she spotted yet another of those blue windows appearing before her eyes. The drink ¨C as she refused to think of that concoction as tea ¨C had caught her off guard; fortunately, she now knew, at least, what needed to be asked. ¡°I¡¯m not crazy!¡± Louise finds herself blurting out to Qin, trying to assure herself, more than the old man, of that particular fact, ¡°It¡¯s just¡­I keep seeing things that shouldn¡¯t be there; blue windows, covered in nonsense.¡± She quickly clarifies, before finishing lamely, ¡°I-I¡¯d like to start with that.¡± Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. Qin found himself chuckling, despite the panic in Louise¡¯s voice, ¡°Now, no reason to sound so worried; it¡¯s not something to be panicked over.¡± He quickly assured with a light tone, continuing to prepare dinner as he talked, ¡°Those are gifts from Gaea; as most of us affectionately call them. The Freed refer to them as something different; but it¡¯s all semantics in the end, they¡¯re all one and the same.¡± Suddenly, the old man pauses before letting out a humorous chuckle and then outright bursting into laughter, startling Louise, ¡°I¡¯ve just had the cleverest of thoughts.¡± Qin informs the young Valli¨¨re, half of a mischievous grin blatantly showing itself on his face, ¡°You fancy yourself a failure, yes?¡± he asked rhetorically, not even deigning to hear a response as he quickly continued, ¡°What would you say if I could teach you some Freed Magic?¡± Louise¡­isn¡¯t quite sure she heard him right. The old shopkeeper¡¯s words were too sudden, and she couldn¡¯t find herself able to properly articulate a response, no matter how hard she tried. She mustn¡¯t have heard him right; yes, that was it. She had misheard the man. However, either Qin hadn¡¯t seen the blatant warring of emotions on Louise¡¯s face, or he just wasn¡¯t paying them any attention; because he quickly dropped what he was doing and practically leaped over to the kitchen table. ¡°Yes¡± Qin confirmed, his words practically painted over with a childish smile, ¡°What if I could teach you Freed Magic?¡± he repeated his words, as if tasting them, before surging onward with a force almost akin to nature, ¡°Here, repeat after me: Show Stat Menu!¡± ¡°What? But I can¡¯t!¡± Louise protested almost instantly, ¡°It¡¯ll explode! It always explodes! What about the Kitchen?!¡± the pink-haired girl demanded. ¡°No-no-no-no¡± the old man continues to insist, his mouth spread into a wide smile, ¡°It won¡¯t matter, I won¡¯t care! Now, repeat them! Repeat the words!¡± ¡°I-I-AAAARRRGH!¡± Louise screams in frustration before tightly closing her eyes and shouting, ¡°Show Stat Menu!¡± ¡­Where was the explosion? Did it already happen? Louise couldn¡¯t bring herself to look, going as far as to actually try and turn herself away from the table as she continued to clasp her eyes tightly shut. Her body was shaking like a leaf; but whether it was from the growing death grip that she was beginning to exert on her chair, or something else, was hard to tell. Louise¡¯s routine was breaking, the absoluteness of the status quo she had lived with for almost her entire life¡­wasn¡¯t there. ¡°Where is it?¡± Louise whispered to herself in absolute horror as she sat there, frozen with indecision, ¡°Why didn¡¯t I hear it?¡± Behind her, she could hear Qin¡¯s quiet voice, ¡°Open your eyes, Louise.¡± With a quick blink and she was sent reeling; flinching back so fast that she might as well have touched molten metal with her bare hands. Once again, she opened her eyes, only slower and with caution; there, she saw it.
[quart=Character Name,Alignment]Let,Neutral[/quart][quart=Level,Profession]1,None[/quart]
TitleNone
Fame0
[quart=Health,Mana]100,300[/quart][quart=Strength,Agility]10,10[/quart][quart=Wisdom,Intelligence]10+[20],10+[20][/quart][quart=Luck,Leadership]0,0[/quart][quart=Resilience,]1,[/quart]
Vitality10
Attack0
Defense3
Magic Resistance
N/A
-10% Stamina[1:58:28] +10% Mana Regen[1:58:28]
It was a giant blue window, bigger than any of the others that Louise had seen. Nice, straight, and orderly lines flowed through the floating image, as if they belonged there, while foreign and indiscernible glyphs scattered themselves within the images confines. No, she couldn¡¯t have done this. She turned to face Qin slowly, her hands shaking, ¡°This is a trick; it has to be.¡± ¡°No trick,¡± the old man responded, smiling, ¡°Just replace show with close; those two can be cast in succession as many times as you like.¡± Almost robotically, Louise turned away from Qin to face her blue window, ¡°Close Stat Menu¡± she said firmly. The giant illusion vanished; and the young Valli¨¨re almost felt the disappearance as akin to a physical blow as she rocked back and away from its previous position. There was¡­something emerging from deep within her chest; like a weight or a door simultaneously being lifted and opened. No, NO! What if¡­what if she couldn¡¯t make it come back? A wave of despair almost sent Louise crashing to her knees as she scrambled for her words, eyes slowly growing blurry as something wet and moist began to leak from her eyes, ¡°S-Show Stat Menu¡± she shouted again, for the second time. It couldn¡¯t, wouldn¡¯t appear again. Please don¡¯t, the pink-haired girl found herself silently begging. She wouldn¡¯t be able to bear it; not now, after she had finally figured come to a choice. Please¡ª Something gave in Louise at what she saw. [p=center]*^*[/p] His kitchen was a mess; Qin briefly noted as he looked on his surroundings. He could see that one of his chairs was toppled to the floor while lukewarm tea and porcelain shards could be seen soaking and scattered along his kitchen¡¯s wooden floorboards. The rice boiling on top of his iron stove was likely overcooked by now; and would be more porridge than actual rice, if it were to be eaten. However, as he looked down at the wailing girl that was clutching to him for dear life; her face buried into his stomach as she actively, and quite messily, smeared tears and snot into his robes¡­well, he couldn¡¯t quite bring himself to care about all that. It was a good, healing cry in his humble opinion. Unlike the previous ones, which had been more fits of emotion and venting; this one was something else. As if the barrier leading to a stagnant pool had been broken, and was actively being drained.
Clothing status effect: Soiled
Taking note of the text, Qin dismissed the image before awkwardly reaching down to gently pat the crying girl¡¯s back in sympathy. He couldn¡¯t help but feel a bit nostalgic from it, really; and could remember doing this in the past, once upon a time. Though, inevitably, the old man shook his head free of such memories; they had no place in this moment, after all. Looking away from the pink-haired girl and back towards his stove, the shopkeeper couldn¡¯t stop himself from letting out a small sigh. He hoped the girl would like rice porridge. Zero Road, Updates, Writing Schedule, and Progress Updates: January 31, 2014: Chapter 1 February 7th, 2014: Chapter 2 February 16th, 2014: Chapter 3 February 19th, 2014: Title changed from ''Let me out'' to ''Zero Road''. Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. Story Schedule: Updated ''preferably'' every Friday night at 8:00pm Story Progress: Zero Road, Chapter 4: Progress[30%]