Quote:All hail the Chicken Overlord! Credits to Nobody8 and blueshadows13 for proofreading this prologue. If there is still some mistake, then it''s my fault. Flame me if you want, chickens are delicious when roasted. Also thanks to the people in chat, for giving opinion and feed backs. May the Chicken Goddess blessings guide you true.Battle Maiden: Book 1 Chapter 1 Battle Maiden Book 1 : Into the Gates of Hell Chapter 1 : The Boy Blue ***** Sarah made her way to her table as soon as she left the capsule. Before she sat down, she stretched her stiff body, stretching her arms and arching her back as if she had just woken up from a long sleep. She sits down and grabs her note book. ¡®Prolonged usage would pose health problems. Since VR is no substitute for sleep, the brain will still get tired. They tried to solve this by making time goes 4 times faster in the game. This does not help at all. Not in a VR games.¡¯ She jotted down random thought and observation in her note book. She intends to use Virtual Reality as the topic for her final year project. Virtual reality was made possible a couple of decades ago. Since then it has come a long way. No longer do you need a computer the size of a house to run it, it is now possible to create a terminal no bigger than your standard personal computer. With the advancement of technology and mass production, almost every home can afford such a machine. Unicorn corporation jumped at this opportunity, creating the world first ever VRMMORPG, Royal Road. Their gamble and investment paid off as the game soon becomes the world most successful game in history. ''Making time flow four times faster, could it be the brain has to process information four times from normal?'' She checks her computer for statistics that she compiled about Royal Road. ¡®Average play time 8-10 hours per day. Amazing numbers. Considering work and school, eating and resting, the rest was spent on Royal Road.¡¯ She begins to write down complicated calculations on her note book, trying to figure out the workload imposed on the brain. But before she could get the answers, she lets out a huge sigh. She realized her pen has run out of ink. ¡°Damn it!¡± She does not have a spare pen. Pens are rare these days, so are books. Almost everything is computerized. Schools and offices have long since adopted the paperless approach. Not that it¡¯s a bad thing, but Sarah is the type that works best with pen and paper. In her university, she is the only one that has text books. In a way, it fits nicely with her image. Clearly frustrated, she grabs a stuffed bear from her bed. Holding it in one hand, she raised her other hand in a fist. She proceeds to pummel the poor teddy bear with all her strength. After a couple of punches she stopped. ¡°Mr. Fluffy, you¡¯re too soft!¡± ¡°Back to the scarecrow then.¡± She lies down inside the capsule and logged on to Royal Road. ***** The training hall did not have many visitors. Because of that, Graham usually spends his time drinking tea instead of actually training people. There are occasional visitors who wanted to try out the place, but not many returns. Why do boring drills when you can make money and do fun stuff at other place. *WHACK!* ¡°Stupid store ran out of stock on pen!¡± *WHACK!* But lately there is this girl who came by often hitting the straw dummy. Instructor Graham was quite surprised to see her the first time, even more surprised to see her return a couple more times. After the 17th day in a row seeing her return to hit the straw dummy, he is no longer surprised. He is now afraid of her. *WHACK!* ¡°What kind of book store runs out of pen??!!!¡± *WHACK!!* ¡°I¡¯m not wasting paper!! Those gossip magazines are the waste of paper!¡± *WHAAACCCKKKK!!!* While at first Instructor Graham was thrilled to have a prospective student, he is having a second thought. It¡¯s nice that she comes often and does not give up easily, but her attitude was rather violent. ¡®I suppose she is suited for the berserker class.¡¯ Graham thought. She always leaves when other people enter the training hall. After the fifth day, she no longer minds the instructor presence and started cursing even when he is around. It¡¯s not that she ignored him completely, she just does so when she is hitting the dummy. During other time, she was quite polite, especially when eating together with the instructor. ¡®Gah, she¡¯s heading this way. My food, my precious food..¡¯ Graham shouts in his head. Sera, knowing that the instructor was an ¡®honorable knight¡¯, uses this fact to get free meal. No chivalrous knight would eat while a hungry lady is around. ¡®I¡¯m eating this guy''s food, I could at least be polite.¡¯ was written in Sera''s smile, a smile as bright as the sun. It was a parasitic relationship. ***** ¡°Where does this go?¡± ¡°You connect this one there, the red port. It¡¯s colour-coded damn it!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be mad at me. If I know how to do this myself I won¡¯t call you here. Plus, you¡¯re the one bugging me to start playing this game.¡± They were twins, yet their personality was very different. Identical twins, it¡¯s hard to differentiate the both of them if you do not know them. Those that do know them can tell the difference by their demeanors. The older, by four minute, is Scott. The younger is Steve. Steve is way more outgoing than his older brother. He started playing Royal Road the day it was released with his friends. Scott said he¡¯s not interested, as he prefers single player games, to go on his own pace. It was a lie. He wanted to play, but he did not want to burden his parent. Growing up as twin, their parent always bought them the same stuff. They did not want one of the twins to feel left out. It is good parenting, but it has its downside. Some things you can share, but not a VR capsule. You can take turn, but it is not as fun. Scott knows that their parents would not be able to afford to buy two capsules, plus the monthly fees. Since he knows Steve is very excited about the game, he felt bad that he won¡¯t be able to play due to him. He managed to convince his parent that two people can play the game using one capsule and subscription. Since they were not up to date with technology, they believed him. Unlike Steve, Scott never lied to them before, so his word held huge credibility to them. This was his first lie Scott told his parents. His second lie to his family was to his brother, Steve. He told him that their parents agreed to buy the capsule for him on the condition that he improves his grades. For the first time in his life, Steve studied as hard as he can. Even though Scott knows it was a lie, he still joins his brother studying. He was kind in his own way. Of course this lie was soon uncovered by his parent. Royal Road became so famous that even farmers at countryside knew what it was. After four month they bought the capsule for them, they learned the truth. However, they were not angry. They were proud even, that Scott managed to make Steve grades increases. They soon came to a compromise, his father offers to buy another capsule, however their allowances is to be reduced. As for the amount reduced, it depends on Steve¡¯s grades on the next test. ¡°Why does it have to be my grade and not yours?¡± Steve complains as he connects the power to his brother¡¯s brand new capsule. ¡°Because my grades are near perfect.¡± Scott responds in a matter of fact way. ¡°Well, you¡¯re on your own starting the game. I need to salvage as much allowance as I can.¡± ¡°This is connected right? All I have to do now is go in and log on?¡± ¡°Yes noob. Send me a PM in game so I can find you later.¡± Steve move towards the door before turning around. ¡°Drink a lot of water, stay hydrated. Don¡¯t drink too much though. Good luck, have fun.¡± ¡°Have fun studying.¡± Scott smirked. After Steve left, Scott enters the Capsule. A message appears in front of him.
| Connect to Royal Road? Yes||No |
| Hard Iron Sword |
| Durability: 54/54 Damage: 10-14 Awarded to those who completed the Basic Training Program. This widely-used sword is better than basic type weapons that are available in a blacksmith¡¯s workshop. +10 STR Limits: STR 40+ VIT 35+ |
Wrote: Credits goes to Nobody8 and blueshadows13 for pointing out I have mad grammar skillz (not the good kind), some grammar mistakes might still be present. Also thanks to others in the chatango, for giving feedback on all the chapters I throw out in the chat. This includes Vereliosi, Nobody8 and HikaruMichi, which I forgot to credit for their quote in my summary. I know there are others who read the chapters and gave me feedback, but I just can''t remember your names. Go to nearby KFC and say my name, you''ll get free fried chickens.Battle Maiden: Book 1 Chapter 2 Battle Maiden Book 1 : Into the Gates of Hell Chapter 2 : Into the Frying Pan ***** ¡°How¡¯s your study?¡± A middle aged man asked while reading out of his tablet. His eyes never went toward the person he was talking to. It might have been unnecessary, as there was only one other person with him. Still it was bad manners. ¡°It¡¯s progressing nicely¡± was the reply. They were having breakfast. It was the only time of day they were together. Because of this, Sarah associates her uncle with the smell of morning coffee. ¡°Good. Let me know if you need anything.¡± Still not looking at her, he took a sip of the extra strong coffee Sarah made. He was drowned with his work. He leaves home much earlier than Sarah and returns much later than her. Sometimes, he was not home for a week. Breakfast is the only time he has to spend together with his niece. He is doing a bad job on it. Still, Sarah did not mind. She understood the nature of his work. She was grateful toward her uncle for taking care of her. He¡¯s the only family she has left. ¡°Have a safe trip.¡± Sarah went as far as the front door with him before sending him off. ¡°Still have two hours till class, might as well go read something.¡± ***** ¡°So how¡¯s Royal Road?¡± Steve asked his twin brother who is tutoring him. He wanted a distraction. ¡°It¡¯s grueling. This ¡®basic combat training¡¯ thing.¡± ¡°Huh? What¡¯s that?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know? Whack a scarecrow millions of time and you get a free sword.¡± That is the current understanding of Scott towards the basic training. He thought everybody knew but just decide that it¡¯s not worth it. ¡°Is the sword any good?¡± Steve was curious. It¡¯s the first time he heard about this. ¡°It is said to be better than the one NPC¡¯s sell. With a bonus to strength.¡± ¡°Well, good luck then. You might die of boredom before getting it.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll die trying if I must. A girl managed to do it, my pride as a man is at stake here.¡± The real reason was not his pride. Scott simply believes that by completing the same training he might meet her again. This time, he is going to ask her name. Plus, she might come back to the training hall while he is doing the training. ¡°A girl huh? This reminds me of a rumor. I heard that the town you started in had a good looking librarian NPC.¡± ¡°Not interested in an NPC.¡± ¡°Just looking won¡¯t hurt. This is why you are still single.¡± ¡°Just looking is why you have 2 exes and currently ALSO single.¡± BURN! They laughed it off. Steve went back to his studying as their allowance depended on his grade. Scott went back to his room and logged on to Royal Road. ***** For newbies who just entered Royal Road, it is important for them to get a job for the first month. They were unable to go outside because they are too weak. Most do quests, some opted for a part time job in an NPC store. Whatever it is, they need to earn money for food. Sera was no exception. She applied for a job in the town¡¯s library. Not many chose to do so as the pay is low compared to the equipment and item store. The thought of being surrounded by dusty books also deterred potential employee. For Sera, this is heaven. She loves books, which are rare in real life as they are slowly replaced by e-books and iBook (don¡¯t sue me). She loves the smell of books, the feeling of flipping pages, the sound they make as you turn the pages. ¡®I can read books while working, get free food from the training hall, this is going great.¡¯ She went to the training hall when no one else is around and worked (read books) in the library the rest of her time online. Most women eats heartily in VR to satisfy what they can¡¯t do in RL, Sera read books instead. Over the course of four month, she has read almost all books in the town library. ¡®The game maker put great effort in shaping the world lore. History, ecosystem, culture, everything is very detailed and well thought out.¡¯ ¡®This might be their central system AI¡¯s doing. How much processing power does it have to achieve all this? A world that changes based on the players, AI who adapt with changes quickly, truly it¡¯s an amazing game.¡¯ ¡®If one were to build a world similar to ours in VR, will the line between real and virtual be diminished? RR purposely made the graphic distinguishable from real life, but a powerful enough computer might achieve this. Imagine not knowing whether you are in virtual reality, or in real life. I need to make note of this for my project.¡¯ She was lost in thought as she finished reading the last book in the library. It¡¯s titled ¡®Beasts of Versailles Continent¡¯. It contains interesting information on the common monsters found in the continent. Did you know that Kobolds are more closely related to dragons compared to Lizardman? ¡°Sera.¡± The head librarian spoke in a soft voice calling out. Sera return the book back to the shelf and walked toward her. ¡°How may I help you today?¡± Sera asked with a smile. The head librarian always meant business. She is not the one to engage in idle chat. ¡°You have read all the books in the library. It is a feat which will be rewarded.¡± *Tring* -You can now learn the skill Identify -You can now learn the skill (???) -Do you wish to learn the skill?- Yes|No Sera know what Identify was, but the second skill offered was simply marked with question marks. A secret skill. Sera did not hesitate and just nodded. ¡°Yes¡± *Ttring* -You have learned the skill ¡®Identify¡¯.-
| Identify (Active Skill) |
| Through studying different kind of books you have gain the ability to better study the properties of an object. -Affected by wisdom stat -Skill can be raised with usage |
| Judge a book by its cover (Active Skill) |
| Never judge a book by its cover, unless you have read many, Many books. The skill allows you to size up your opponent and find their weakness by simply observing them. However it is very risky as it may not be accurate. -Affected by Wis and Int Stat of you and your opponent. -Skill level can be raised through reading books. |
| Focused Strike (Active) |
| Focus your energies for a single devastating blow. Great power but may reduce the durability of equipped weapon. -Efficiency increase by level -Power increase by level. -Level of skill can only be increased through usage of skill. |
| Quest Notification |
| Retrieve Mrs. Graham¡¯s Wedding Ring. (Grade D) |
| Requirement -Can fit through the chute (Highly important) -Deemed credible by the owner Reward -Unknown If refused or failed, the restaurant will not serve any food to you. Ever. Expired in 2 days. |
Wrote: Tables are tricky in this forum. Credits as always goes to Nobody8 again for pointing out grammar mistakes (he did up to chapter 3) and others who gave feedback in chat. Hopefully there are not many mistakes, thanks for reading. Credits for the secret skill goes to my 8 year old niece, who said to me people who read lots of book should be able to judge a book by its cover. Credits for bad naming sense all goes to meBattle Maiden: Book 1 Chapter 3 Battle Maiden Book 1 : Into the Gates of Hell Chapter 3 : Into the Gates of Hell ***** ¡°I did it.¡± ¡°What did you do?¡± ¡°I finished the training and got the sword.¡± ¡°That¡¯s all you did?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not as easy as it sound. What sauce should we get for the pasta?¡± Scott tries to change the topic. It¡¯s a weekly routine for Scott and Steve to go out every weekend to do grocery. It was their mother¡¯s idea of teaching them responsibility, how to handle money and how to manage it. They were given a fixed amount of money every month to spend on the family¡¯s grocery. As long as the food is satisfactory, they get to keep the balance. They soon become experts on shopping for cheap stuff. ¡°During my first week, I was already level 5. By the second week, I discovered new dungeons.¡± Steve wanted to brag to his twin. Other than his physical ability, he is always behind his brother. His brother did well in his studies, while he fared better in sports. Some people say they are the different sides of a coin. One is more reserved, the other outgoing. ¡°I learned an attack skill before getting any class¡± Scott responded. While it may not be wrong to say that they¡¯re a different side of a coin, one should never forget, it is still one same coin. ¡°I¡¯ll give you credit for that. I heard that it is possible, but never really did meet someone who did.¡± ¡°Now that I passed, I¡¯m not sure what to do.¡± ¡°Get a class and go adventuring, what else to do? Once you reach lvl 50, I¡¯ll get you in my guild.¡± ¡°Might take some time though. I guess I¡¯ll take the warrior class. Don¡¯t want to waste the sword training.¡± ¡°It¡¯s our guild¡¯s rule to only take minimum lvl 50. You can go knight or paladin. But your actions will be limited. Knights must have honor point, and paladins require faith.¡± ¡°First thing I¡¯ll do later is eat something other than rye bread. Class can wait.¡± Ever since Scott started playing Royal Road, their house no longer stocked bread. He now knows the reason why his brother was against on buying bread before. He would not be surprised if Unicorn Corporation gets sued by bread shops. They went home directly after shopping. Scott waste no time and logged on Royal Road. ***** Spoon logged on and appears just outside the training hall. He remembered that he logged off in frustration when the instructor refused to talk about the girl he met before. ¡®Why won¡¯t he tell me? For her privacy? My friendship level did drop when I mention her.'' The way an NPC interact with the player changes based on their relationship point. From his experience with the instructor, Spoon notices the way he responds differs immediately after he passed the training. Passing the training gives a huge boost to their friendship point. While it did drop a bit when the girl (who shall not be named) is mentioned, they¡¯re still considered in a good relationship. ¡®Anyway, food is priority. From today on, I hereby vow, will never eat rye bread again. Even at the cost of my life.¡¯ He asked around for a good and cheap, most importantly cheap, restaurant. There are not many restaurants in the city, even if you include inns and small establishment. He was immediately directed to go to the restaurant named Salty Rose, the oldest restaurant in town. It caters mostly low leveled player, mainly because of the cheap price. Since the ingredients used are of low quality, the stat boost is minimal. The taste is good enough that some high leveled player still returns there despite being able to afford the better alternatives. ¡®Salty Rose, what a weird name for an eatery. Can¡¯t be choosy, it¡¯s not like I have the money.¡¯ It¡¯s a short walk for Spoon to reach the Salty Rose. It is not hard to find, the building is packed with people. The only place you can see such crowd in the city is in the market place and eatery. A good restaurant in Royal Road is always crowded, as in virtual reality one can truly eat to their heart¡¯s content. Stomach content will not be filled though. ¡®Who really cares, live to eat and eat to live is the same thing in here. Good food gives better reward.¡¯ As Spoon fantasizes about the food that he is going to eat, he felt a tug on his shirt from behind. Even the mild mannered Spoon can lose his temper when interrupted from his day dreaming. But Spoon kept his calm. Being angry will spoil his appetite. He calmed himself first before slowly turning around to see what is interrupting him. All manner of muscles on his face went stiff. His limbs fail to responds to his brain. Not that the brain sent any signals, Spoon¡¯s brain is currently in shock as if looking at a ghost. Like a person having a stage fright, his mind went blank, not knowing what to do. As Spoon gave no response, the other party started to talk instead. ¡°Will you go through the very gate of hell with me?¡± Spoon¡¯s jaw dropped. ***** A few moments before, Sera was tasked with a quest to retrieve a ring. It involves going down a waste chute, grabbing the ring, and going back up to return it. Simple enough. If you ignore the fact that down below is infested with mutant rats. Still considering the fact that the ring is visible from the top means it is just straight down below. It is possible to avoid any encounter with the rats if done quickly enough. Sera begin rigging a rope for her to descend the chute. This will also be her only way out, so she took extra care. The end of the rope was fastened to solid and sturdy pillar nearby. She gives the rope a couple of tugs to tests it¡¯s strength. Once satisfied, she lowers the rest of the rope down the chute. A real life skill will give you advantage in a virtual reality game. Knowledge, such as to how to tie a rope properly, might help you as well. While Sera do have the knowledge to tie a bowline, and enough strength to support her own weight in descent, she does not know how to do so. Her descent was awkward as she struggle lowering herself using a rope in the tight chute. It took longer time and much more stamina to reach the bottom, where the ring is supposed to be. The ring is not there. She hurriedly equipped her sword. She took out the torch, still not lighted, on the other hand. She wanted to light the torch much earlier, but it would mean she had to lower herself down with the rope with only one hand. She laid the torch to light a match. The small flame then transferred to the bigger torch, illuminating the area around her. With proper light, she was finally able to see clearly. The ring was nowhere to be found. The ground of was littered with bones. Not human bones, but bones from food like rabbits and fishes. The stench was awful, but Sera ignore them. She knows that the nose will stop registering the smell after a while, provided that the game works like real life. Sera have yet to take a single step. She took her time looking around to assess the situation. The place she is in is directly below the chute. It¡¯s a cavern about 2.5 meter in height, around the size of a tennis court. There are a few openings on the wall, possibly connecting to the other part of the caves. There is no sign of any rats besides the food littered around the floor. ¡®According to Mrs Graham, this was once used as a storage place. It could mean that it is a series of chambers connected to each other by those tunnels.¡¯ ¡®It looks safe for now, the only problem is the ring was no longer here.¡¯ Sera stepped forward to inspect the openings. It might lead to other chambers, where the ring might be. The ground is hard to walk on, the bones and rotten food made her footing unsteady. At one place, her foot sinks into a rotten pile of food. As she arrives at the opening, she found out that it leads to a tunnel. This confirms her assumption before. *ttring* It¡¯s the noise that comes out every time system notices were given. Only the person it was intended for is able to hear them.
Wrote: You are the first to discover the Rat Cavern Double experience and Drops for 7 day duration. The first monster you fell will give the best possible drop. Fame + 50.A bonus is always given to people who discover a new place. It gives motivation to players to risk themselves and venture out into the land unknown. In this case, Sera are the first one to walk this place ever since it turns from simple pest infested underground food storage to a fully fledged rat dungeon. ¡®First monster drops the best loot. But there is nothing around. Maybe they¡¯re deeper inside.¡¯ ¡®Best loot from rats, what would a rat drop anyway?¡¯ Sera always ponder about things in her head. She asks herself questions, and tries to work out the best answers. ¡®None of the books in the library ever mention about mutant rat.¡¯ ¡®None that I remember anyways.¡¯ Most people think Sera, or Sarah the Genius, have photographic memory. She does not. She understood things, and remembers thing that she understood. She does have good memory, but not photographic memory. Sera walked through the tunnel slowly, wary of any sign of hostility. Soon she finds herself in another chamber similar to the one before. Except this one is smaller, about three quarter the size. The room too, seems empty. There is another tunnel on the opposite site. She took her time scanning the ground, she did not want to miss the ring. While searching, her attention is diverted by a squeak. *Squeek!* ¡®A rat! Just one. Been wondering where they are.¡¯ It¡¯s a rat, around 2 feet tall. Not as big as she imagine. Sera do have the habit of over thinking and exaggerating things. They are 5 meter apart. A safe distance, she thought. Sera try to size up the rat which is staring at her. As she focused her gaze towards the rat, she was surprised that numbers are popping out of no where. -The skill Judge a Book by its Cover is activated- The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. The numbers that popped up was the stats of the rat. There are also texts, noting some information about the enemy.
Wrote: Mutant Rat (Lvl 6) About as strong as a common fox Made dangerous due to poisonous bite thanks to its diet Cutting the tail will greatly impair its mobility.¡®So that¡¯s how the skill works. Nothing particularly useful though. Cutting the tail seems more troublesome then bashing its head. With a sword. Sharp side first.¡¯ ¡®The skill description did say that the information may not be accurate.¡¯ ¡®The skill name is tacky. Maybe I¡¯ll rename it as Scouter.¡¯ Sera were absorbed in her thought that she was late in realizing that the rat is wearing something. The rat is standing on its hind leg. It is also holding a big fork in one hand(?). Probably the kind that you use to skewer big piece of meat. What is more surprising, the rat is wearing a ring on its head like a crown! ¡®The Ring!¡¯ ¡®This is going to be easy.¡¯ She readies her sword and lunges forward with the blade extended. Her quick stab was evaded easily by the rat. Sera, having only hit a scarecrow in the game, were not familiar with hitting moving, living things. Sera however are quick to adapt. A stab might be quick, but more easily evaded. Now that the distance between her and the rat was reduced, she changes her attack pattern to slashes. A wide horizontal slash will reduce the probability of being evaded. The sword made noise as it cuts through air. The sound reverberates throughout the chamber. Slashes after slashes, it was the only noise made besides the squeak of a rat and the sound of her gasping for air. The sound of a sword hitting its mark was yet to be heard. The rat simply jumped back to evade her attack, making no effort attacking her. ¡®This rat is mocking me!¡¯ Sera stopped her attack. She needs a breather, and observes the rat. The rat did not attack her, just squeaking while standing in one place. Sera kept her eye focused on the rat while thinking of a strategy to beat the rat. That was until she comes to a realization. ¡®It¡¯s buying time!¡¯ If the rat wanted to run away, it¡¯s clearly fast enough to do so. If it wanted to attack her, it would do so already. Sera lack of fighting experience leaves her full of opening. The rat never did took advantage of all the openings. Instead it just squeaks. Her eyes darted toward the two tunnels the chamber is connected with. She could see the reflection of many pairs of eyes. The glimmers, red, reflecting light from her torch, keep on increasing on both sides. She was surrounded. ¡°Squeeeeeeeeeeeeeeek?¡± The rat squeak gave a hint as if asking a question. Sera does not speak rat. But her overactive imagination is translating the squeak into few possible translations. None of them is good for her. She needs to escape. ¡®If I waited longer, they will only increase in number.¡¯ With wild abandon, she ran as fast as she could toward the exit. Both the sword and the torch in each of her hands swung wildly in front of her. The rats behind her swarms after her, while the rats in front scatters trying to avoid the blade and the flame. Hundreds of rats squeaking, a high pitched scream of a girl and their echoes filled the caves. It was so loud that the people above surface could hear the faint cry of the girl in distress. It was this very night, that rumors spread saying the city of Greyhold is hounted. Sera did manage to escape. Not before getting poisoned by rat bites. She lost a considerable amount of life too. It¡¯s a good thing that just above is a restaurant, allowing her to restore some life by eating food. They do not have a cure for poison, so she had to look outside for help. She tries to get help, but people seemed to be avoiding her. She did not realize the fact that she reeks of rotten food, her nose already stopped functioning properly. She was at death door before a female cleric sympathizes with her and cured her of poison. She did not stay long enough for Sera to thank her, she ran away as fast as she could after healing her. ¡®I greatly underestimate this quest.¡¯ ¡®I can¡¯t do this alone, but who can I ask? The quest will expire in two days in game. There is no time.¡¯ Sera know what she is capable off. This quest is not one of them. Not alone. She know she was lucky to escape, being surrounded in such place alone means death even to those of a much higher level. She also recognize he weakness in real combat. She sucked. Still, Sera is not the type that gives up mid way. She did not become the smartest person in her school by giving up. She studied hard to get perfect scores. Yet people assume that she is inherently smart. No one is born a genius. Yes, there are talented people. However talent is just a stronger foundation. It will never amount to anything without effort. Another thing that people often misunderstood about her is her ego. She never asks questions in class. She never spoke to people unless talked to first. But it¡¯s not ego, she is just shy. Very shy. People might notice her shyness, but due to her reputation as a genius, she was thought to be arrogant. The fact that a lot of people was jealous of her does not help her reputation. But why do people hate a person who never speaks to them? Never insults people, just minding her own business. It is mostly due to the fact that she is way out of their reach. A person who seems to be able to achieve what they want easily. It makes the people around her feel small. They lost their confidence. In order for them to feel normal and regain their confidence, people around her start to see her as a different entity. It¡¯s her, it is to be expected that she can do that. She was born a genius. It¡¯s in her blood. She can do that because she is special. She is different from us. She is not normal. We are normal. Slowly, she was alienated and removed entirely from their world. Through Royal Road, Sera did try to control her shyness. She started to practice smiling. Start talking to others. However, it was only towards NPC. She felt less tense interacting with AI. This time she needed to ask help, to players. Human being. An NPC can¡¯t get a quest. ¡®I need to get help.¡¯ ¡®There is always a first time to everything.¡¯ She re-convinced herself. ***** Sera scans around to find adventurers who look strong enough to aid her. There is never a shortage of strong players in the city, but all of them look very imposing. To put it simply, she was afraid to even ask. There are some that was intrigue by her behavior and try to approach her, but they turned around as soon as they can smell her. Minutes soon turn into hours, her effort to get help was to no avail. She considered going down alone, but she dismissed the thought. It¡¯s a last resort, though foolish. She then spotted a familiar shade of blue. ¡®It¡¯s the blue haired weird guy from the training hall.¡¯ She used her skill, which she renamed scout (the skill window will still show original name), to scan him. He seems to be reliable, not really ¡®over nine thousand¡¯ level, but good enough. She was convinced that he should be strong, as he is carrying the same sword she was given when passing the basic training. ¡®If it¡¯s him, maybe I can do it. I already talked to him before. It would be a good place to start.¡¯ With quick steps, she went after the blue haired man. He was walking absent mindedly. As Sera reached him, she quickly grabs his shirt from behind. ¡®If it¡¯s like this, he won¡¯t run away because of my smell.¡¯ The man in questions reaction was slow. Moments pass he still did not turn around. ¡®Oh god, it¡¯s my smell isn¡¯t it? He refused to even look at me.¡¯ When the man finally turns around, he has a weird expression on his face. His movement was stiff and awkward. There is no words or any sign of response coming from him. ¡®Do I smell that bad? Did I do something wrong? This is awkward.¡¯ The man lies still as a statue. ¡®Why won¡¯t he give any response?¡¯ ¡®I am not sure what to do now.¡¯ ¡®I need to speak up.¡¯ ¡®Something short, easy to understand, straight to the point.¡¯ ¡®It must have a good impact.¡¯ ''Something that will convince him to go into that stinking hell.'' ¡®Sink or Swim.¡¯ ¡°Will you go through the very gate of hell with me?¡± ¡®Oh my god, what did I just said? That is just stupid!!¡¯ ¡®Can I just go and die now?¡¯ ***** < >
Wrote: First, credits to Nobody8 again for this spending time finding grammar mistakes for this chapter. Also, I''m thinking of using quote instead of tables, just because it''s waay easier. And next chapter (tomorrow) I might (most likely will) post the side stories before proceeding to chapter 4 (which will come after another day) provided I can find a someone to correct all my grammar mistakes. I might just post it as is though (meaning, grammar nazis will suffer).Chapter Bonus Battle Maiden: Book 1 Chapter 4 Battle Maiden Book 1 : Into the Gates of Hell Chapter 4 : Lion''s Dance *****
Quote:¡°Tomorrow will be the examination which will determine the fate of our allowance. Hopefully all the hard work and sacrifices will pay off. It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve logged on to Royal Road. Once the test is over, I¡¯ll play to my heart¡¯s contents. But for now, I hope the goddess of good grades is smiling on me.¡± ¡°The goddess must be playing tricks with me. Just as I was feeling motivated for a last push of studying, my brother barges in my room and asks me for a favor! He is actually lowering his head!! He¡¯s asked for favors before, but NEVER lowers his head! How can I say no to that? Now, I have to log on Royal Road instead of studying! Goddess of good grades, are you rewarding my hard work with a brief moment of recreation? Or did you forsake me and force me away from studying?¡± -Excerpt of Steve Journal-***** ¡°So, what is it that you need?¡± It was Steve¡¯s avatar, or better known as Lightning in Royal Road. Lightning is a bit taller than Spoon. Sporting leather armor lined with small mithril plates, which was designed to optimize speed while not forsaking defense. On his back hung two scimitars forming an X. On his head, a pair of clear goggles of high workmanship. Other than height, he resembled himself in real life. ¡°I need antidotes, lots of them. I need them quickly!¡± Spoon begged from his twin. ¡°Antidotes? I have a few left over from my last quest. Let me check.¡± Lightning rummaged through his knapsack, and took out 5 bottles of antidotes, and 2 health potions. Potion and antidotes, however expensive, were good to have in case of an emergency. Due to their price, they were kept only for emergency, and not for grinding. Grinding while downing bottles of potions was counterproductive in Royal Road. Resting and meditating was more effective in the long run. ¡°Why the hell does a level 1 like you need antidotes?¡± Lightning was curious of what made his brother lower his head to him. ¡°It¡¯s a quest, expires in about a day. It involves lots of poisonous rats.¡± Spoon was pressed for time; he tries to keep his explanation short. ¡°Then take the potions too. I won¡¯t need them till next week. I¡¯ll give you some gears, but I have nothing a level 1 can equip.¡± Lightning handed over all antidotes and health potions to Spoon. He already reached level 86, which is not bad as the highest leveled player at that time was level 137. Higher leveled player seldom keep low leveled equipment around. But Lightning still searched his bag for anything useable for his brother. ¡°So, are you doing this quest alone?¡± Lightning asked while rummaging his inventory. ¡°There is this one other person. It seems like the quest have a certain requirement in order to be given. I think in this case it''s people who passed the basic training, I''m not sure.¡± Spoon answered, diverting his gaze. Realization struck Lightning, his hand stopped rummaging through his inventory. ¡°It¡¯s the girl!¡± Lightning exclaimed, grinning wide. ¡°Now that, answers everything. My brother is in love!!¡± He continued, all the while holding his laughter in. Spoon hadn¡¯t responded to his brother¡¯s antic. He did not know how to respond to it. He was very embarrassed, even just standing there felt awkward. ¡°I don¡¯t even know if it¡¯s love. It¡¯s just that, she felt different..¡± Spoon scratches his head, ruffling his blue hair, making a mess of it. ¡°That there, my brother, is a very good sign of love.¡± Lightning regained his composure, trying not to make fun of his brother. ¡°Well, this calls for a celebration. I¡¯ll treat you on something!¡± Lightning grabs Spoon¡¯s leather tunic and dragged him down to the local blacksmith. The difference in their strength made any resistance futile. Spoon had no choice but to give in to his brother¡¯s wish. ¡°You have no idea how many times I tried to hook you up but to no avail. Now that you¡¯ve found someone, there is no way I¡¯ll let you go unprepared.¡± Lightning was in a very good mood, he started to talk nonstop as he dragged his twin along the streets. He did not even give him time to reply to his rambling. ¡°By tomorrow, you will be a man!¡± ¡°...¡± That escalated way too quickly. ***** ¡®Will he come back?¡¯ Sera pondered as she sat in the back alley of Salty Rose; the restaurant she was employed at. She got a quest that was way over her head. It forced her to ask for help from others. She was lucky that the guy she found was good friends with the husband of Mrs. Graham, the owner of the Salty Rose. Otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t have allowed him to also participate in the quest, as she did not trust others with the dark secret of the restaurant. There was a rat infested dungeon right under the restaurant! ¡®If he doesn¡¯t come back, my chances of completing this task is zero.¡¯ ¡®Failing means losing my job.¡¯ ¡®Losing my job, I won¡¯t be able to survive in this city.¡¯ She began to think of an alternative place she could work at. It was not an easy thing, as NPC react to a person based on their reputation. With her low relationship points with the instructor and being fired from the library for not doing her job, she already have a bad reputation. Failing the quest will result in getting fired and reduced friendship with the owner of the restaurant. Adding them all up, she won¡¯t recover from that. Not in this city. ***** ¡°Sorry, I made you wait.¡± Spoon¡¯s voice shook Sera from her deep thought. Spoon arrived with a knapsack filled with potions and antidotes. He was briefed by Sera of the general situation; he knew that without preparation they were bound to fail. He had to convinced Sera to wait for him as he ¡®prepares¡¯. By asking favors from his high leveled brother, but he did not want to tell her that. ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± Sera responded, her eyes on the cold stone pavement. She felt bad that she doubted him earlier. ¡®Why is she avoiding eye contact? Did I take too long? I rushed as fast as I could!¡¯ Spoon really did rush, as the time he went offline is 4 times the time lost in the game. He even bowed to his brother instead of explaining things to save time. ¡°Here, take this. It¡¯ll come handy.¡± Spoon handed over 3 antidotes and a health potion to Sera on round wooden tray. Sera took the potions and the wood tray along with them. As she held the tray, she found out that it was not a tray at all but rather a buckler, a wooden buckler lined with metal around its edge. The face of the shield was carved with the face of a lion, roaring and baring its fangs. A golden lion with silver mane, ember eyes that would intimidate small beast who looked at it. She shot a look at Spoon, who just smiled back at her. ¡°You said that you¡¯re not that good at fighting. Perhaps the shield will help you protect yourself.¡± Spoon had recovered from his earlier shock, having the girl of his dreams asking him for help. While still unsure how to approach her, he is still the gentle Scott inside. ¡°I can¡¯t take this..¡± Sera, by nature, always earns the thing she has. She did not like the idea of getting something for free, getting favors she can¡¯t repay. It reminds her of people who accuses her of having everything without working for it. She refuses to be the person people accuse her to be. ¡°I don¡¯t have the money for this. I can¡¯t accept it.¡± Sera tried to hand the buckler back to Spoon. ¡°I got the buckler for free from someone I know. It is not my style to fight with a shield. Since I had them, you can use it. Simply keeping it in my bag is not very smart don¡¯t you think? You can return it to me after we complete this quest.¡± Spoon insisted that she take the buckler. At the blacksmith, all the swords usable by their level on sale were not up to par with their current sword. Since his brother offered to buy any one equipment he wanted, the next best thing for him is a shield. The buckler was the best shield the blacksmith had for those levels are under ten. Sera reluctantly agreed and equipped the buckler.
Wrote: Wooden Buckler of Lion¡¯s Might Defense rating: 10 + 6 Str +80 Hp The buckler is made by a highly skilled blacksmith using high quality materials. While small in size, it is very easy to handle.¡°Shall we go then?¡± Spoon was glad he was able to convince her to accept it. ¡°Sure.¡± Sera answered. Both of them proceed into the kitchen through the back door. They formed a party with Sera as the leader. She hesitated, but gave in to Spoon¡¯s reasoning that she was the one who discovered the quest. Spoon offered to take the lead, and rappel down the chute using the rope. He had done this before in real life with his brother. They went to a survival camp which taught them the basic survival skills including rappelling from a height. ¡°Clear!¡± Spoon signaled to Sera that it is safe to go down. Sera was already halfway down the chute when Spoon gave her the signal. She was still struggling with handling the rope, but fared much better than her first descent. As she slowly made her way down, Spoon lit two torches and kept watch for any rats. ¡°So what is the plan now?¡± Spoon asked. ¡°The rats are smart; they will try to surround us using their numbers.¡± Sera explained. ¡°They will come to us, including the rat that has the ring.¡± She continued. ¡°Basically, we kill all rats we see until we find the ring?¡± Spoon was not convinced with her plan. Trying to find the ring-wearing rat in that place is going to be harder than anyone would imagine. It also posed a huge risk, since they are not accustomed to the layout of the place. Even Sera only managed to reach the second chamber before being surrounded. Venturing about may force them into a dead end, cornered by thousands of rats with no hope of escape. Sere planned to make their stand here, near the exit. They will lure them with food, and hoped that the one with the ring will take the bait. With the plan explained, Sera set down the bait; an assortment of fruits. It was the food she swiped from the kitchen. She crushed the fruits to release the sweet aroma, hoping the rat¡¯s keen sense of smell will pick it up. Sure enough, the sound of rats¡¯ squeak started to echo in the caverns, increasing in volume with time. They readied their weapons, while carefully eyeing the openings that lead to the chamber. This would be their first real battle, a proper battle. An opponent that can move, attack, evade and kill them. Their heightened stats from the training can only help them to an extent. ¡°Here they come!¡± ***** ¡®I hope I don¡¯t make a fool of myself.¡¯ Scott tried to remain calm, hiding the fact that he was shaking in his boots. It was a combination of excitement, nervousness, fear, and also the fact that Sera were watching him. ¡®Evade their attack and hit them back. Every beast has their attack pattern.¡¯ That was his brother¡¯s only advice, since even Steve has yet to encounter a rat mob. ¡®Easier said than done.¡¯ Sweats ran down Steve¡¯s face, down to his chin where it dropped off his face without a sound. He gritted his teeth as his eye spotted glimmers of reds in the darkness. The number kept on increasing, showing no sign of slowing down. Pairs of eyes waited at the edge of darkness, as if amassing their ranks before rushing in a wave of black death. ¡°Don¡¯t die.¡± A voice, so sweet to his ears, coming from behind him. All hesitation left his body, he no longer can afford to fall. He will prevail. ¡°You too.¡± Two syllables, it is all that he can muster; but his feelings are true. A sea of black now begins their true march. Their squeak is deafening, but the two intruders can¡¯t afford to shield their ears. The battle has begun. ***** Sera swung her sword low, trying to hit the small targets. The rats were huge if compared to a normal rat; they were bigger than cats. When compared to a normal human, however, they are still considered small, even for Sera¡¯s small frame. The rats are agile, they quickly jumped out of the path of Sera¡¯s sword. Sera hoped that with their huge numbers, they wouldn¡¯t have the room to evade her attack. ¡®This is just a repeat of before! I can¡¯t hit them!¡¯ ¡°Hyahh!!¡± Leaving a dull silvery trail behind his sword, Spoon¡¯s attack caught the rats that evaded Sera¡¯s attack in mid air. A single strike, the rat¡¯s number dwindled by three. Not much, but it was a start. ¡®That¡¯s it! They can¡¯t evade mid air!¡¯ Spoon¡¯s attack did not stop there. Having experimented with many sword styles in the training hall, he quickly connects his first slash with another. This time, his sword did not meet its mark, the rats it was aimed at jumped aside at the last minute. Only to be skewered by Sera¡¯s sword and reduced to grey flame. The two exchange look, understanding quickly of how to proceed. One of them would create an opening for the other. Two torches were planted into the pile of bones and rotten food as their source of light. The two figures worked together, striking one after the other, like a perfectly choreographed dance. Instead of cheering, the sound of shrieking rats is heard. Instead of flowers, loots and coppers dropped all around. A dance of two, in a dark cave lit by open flame. If you ignore the deaths, its beauty was almost divine. Still, it is not a smooth sailing for them. It is a battle of endurance. For each rat they fell, another quickly replaced it. Even though they were gaining levels in record speed, they did not even have time to allocate their stats. If they could, the battle might be getting progressively easier. Almost an hour come to past. Sera felt the strength had left her arms; she couldn¡¯t swing her sword anymore. Spoon, still going strong, had slowed down, sensing his partner¡¯s fatigue. Both of them had passed the basic training, but Sera took her time; almost over the duration of three months before finally passing. As such, her stamina is far less than Spoon¡¯s; who rushed through the training and completed it in less than half her time. Sera now only could focus on blocking the relentless attack of the rats with her shield. They showed no intention of letting the invaders rest. ¡°Focused Strike!!¡± Focused strike, a skill that is gained by Spoon during his training is a simple yet devastating skill. In the hands of an expert, a well time focused strike on a weak spot is very deadly. The skill works by chanelling stamina and mana to focus on one mighty blow. This apply on almost all physical strike from any weapons. In a sense, a simple skill which is very versatile can outshine a strong complicated flashy skill when used right. With higher skill level, one can infuse more stamina and mana into a strike, making them a possible nuke skill by power user. Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Sharp bones that littered the ground flew as Spoon¡¯s attack struck down. The bones buried themselves into the flesh of nearby rats. The sound of the impact, amplified by the surrounding echoes even stunned the rats. ¡°Come!¡± Spoon shouted, grabbing Sera by her waist, lifting her over his shoulder. Spoon carried her, in a not so gentlemanly manner, to the entrance during the confusion. As he put her down gently, he took her sword from her tired hand. He responded to Sera¡¯s puzzled look with a simple smile. ¡°Get some rest, I can handle this.¡± Spoon said, showing his strong back to Sera. ¡°None shall pass by me.¡± He continued, while equipping Sera¡¯s sword in his left hand. ***** ¡®She seemed tired. If we continued like this, we will lose our life.¡¯ Spoon remembered the skill that he learned in the training hall, capable of destroying a training dummy. He formed a rough plan in his head, and hope that it will work. ¡°Focused Strike!¡± *Boooom!!* ¡®That worked better than I thought!¡¯ He quickly turned and grabs the tired Sera, lifting her over his shoulder and made haste for the entrance. ¡®Shit, I should at least do a princess carry. I look like a kidnapper carrying her like this!¡¯ When he reached his destination, which is not that far away, he set her down gently. It was the least he could do, after his rude treatment. ¡®I can do this! I¡¯ve been planning for this day during my training in the training hall. Be cool.¡¯ He grabbed her sword with a smile on his face. As he slowly turned around to face the oncoming rats¡¯ assault, he said his line. ¡°Get some rest, I can handle this.¡± ¡°None shall pass by me.¡± ¡®Damn, I¡¯m so cool!¡¯ ***** ¡®He took my sword..¡¯ ¡°Get some rest, I can handle this.¡± ¡®Oh god no.¡¯ ¡°None shall pass by me.¡± ¡®That is so cheesy.¡¯ Sera was not convinced at all. ¡®Maybe I can still bash the rats with the shield..¡¯ Always have a backup plan and a contingency plan. ***** ¡®Alright, same shit. Disrupt them with one hand, finishing blow with the other.¡¯ Spoon swung his swords one at a time. With the first strike easily evaded by the agile enemies, the second home into the openings created by the first. While the power of his attack is reduced, the speed of his strike is increased. It was thanks to his experimenting in the training hall, he did not feel awkward using two swords. ¡®That on is going for my face.¡¯ Non-stop fighting allowed Spoon to memorise the attack pattern of the rats. During the first 30 minutes, he¡¯d gone through all his potion and antidotes. Now he was able to predict and evade the rat¡¯s attack from instinct alone. He simply pointed one of his swords in the path of the rat¡¯s lunge. The rat¡¯s momentum from its lunge is used against it as the sword easily pierces through its body. *Shrrrreeeeek* The sword went into the rat¡¯s mouth and exited through its stomach. Barely alive, it¡¯s soon reduced to a gray flame when Spoon swings his sword toward another attacking rat, killing both rats in the process. ¡®Hit, and not get hit.¡¯ Waves after waves of rats keep on coming in; gray flames constantly burning in front of Spoon as the pair of swords is never short on rats to kill. While some rats did manage to get near him, they were soon sent flying back by his kick. In VR, everything goes! ¡®There is no end to this!¡¯ Something shined which caught his eye, a rat was watching from a distance on top of a rock. It only looked at them, as if mocking them. On its head is a ring, it¡¯s the rat Sera had mentioned to him. He broke eye contact to stomp down a rat that is trying to bite his shin, reducing it to mush. As much as he wanted to break the neck of that arrogant rat, he couldn¡¯t afford to do so. ¡®Once she¡¯s rested, we¡¯ll have to make a run for it.¡¯ ¡®For now, I need to focus on what¡¯s in front of me.¡¯ ***** Spoon was so absorbed in the battle; concentrating hard for survival, he failed to see a couple of rats going past him. They are trying to go after Sera, who seem less menacing. *Squeaaaakkk!* *Thump!* The first rat¡¯s skull is smashed in as Sera swipe it away using her equipped shield. The second rat did not slow down and jumps toward Sera. She had fully expected this. The rats have a habit of going after people¡¯s face. A fact that Sera has found out, and used it against them. Sera moved her head out of the way, causing the rat to miss its attack. She then grabbed its tail just as she evaded the attack, and flung the rat hard on the wall. ¡°Ewwwww¡¡± Holding the rat¡¯s tail was not a pleasant experience for Sera. She prefers handling rotten food more than handling slimy rats. Sadly, she was in no position to complain. With the two rats taken care of, she pointed the lion¡¯s face on her shield forward, hoping that it would deter any incoming rats. Sera knew even Spoon couldn¡¯t last forever, she had to do something. All she had with her now is her shield. The first thing to do is allocate the stats she had gained. She had gained an astonishing fourteen levels in the past hour, thanks to the free flow of experience giving rats and double experience bonus. It was absurd how fast they''re gaining levels. With great teamwork; one making a distraction and the other giving the finishing blow, they are killing rats in a very fast rate. At one time, they even manage to kill 5 rats in one swing thanks to the densely packed area. They are killing between forty to sixty rats a minute. A heaven for grinding, if not for the fact that they can''t even spare any moment to rest. Not even enough time to allocate stat points earned. I exchange for a record breaking leveling rate, they are slowly drained of their stamina and life. Potions do help, but normally rookies can''t afford any at all. She put 20 point in strength and vitality respectively. 30 points is poured into agility. By the time she was done, there is only 5 points unallocated. ¡®I can increase intelligence and wisdom by reading books anyway. Agility is harder to increase.¡¯ The sudden increase in stats was very noticeable. She could feel her movements becoming more limber. It¡¯s way better than her real life body. She was not very athletic in real life, unless you consider running on a treadmill as athletic. ¡®This feels good!¡¯ Happy with her increased capabilities, she decided to test it out. Not having any weapon, she were being resourceful and picked up a small bone from the ground. ¡®It is all in the wrist..¡¯ Still maintaining her shield facing forward, her right hand flicked like a whip, sending the bone flying towards a rat. The sharp edge of the broken bone dug deep into the rat¡¯s eye, killing it with a critical hit. ¡®The game is amazing! There is no way I can do that in real life!¡¯ Surprised at what she did, she began throwing everything around her to support Spoon from behind. It gave Spoon more room to breathe as rats stumbled being hit by sharp bones. Sera¡¯s attack did not kill each time, only those that hit critical spots. Even then, it creates enough opening for Spoon to finish them off. *Ttring!*
Wrote: -You have learned a new skill : Throw-A system notification rang, informing Sera that she had learned a new skill. She ignored it, thinking that she can read it later. It¡¯s about throwing, what is there to read? Although she did feel her throw get stronger and more accurate after gaining the skill. ¡®I guess it¡¯s about time I switch in with him.¡¯ ¡°Sword!¡± Sera shouted. Spoon skillfully lobbed the sword, hilt first toward Sera. She caught the sword and rushed forward to join Spoon. ¡°Switch. Get back and rest. Allocate your skill point.¡± Sera instructed Spoon. Spoon refused, but soon changed his mind as he saw a group of rats were sent flying as Sera sweeps the area in front of her with her shield. Some of them even ended up dead! ¡°That¡¯s what 20 point in strength can do. I¡¯ll buy you time.¡± Today, Sera broke her record of the amount of words spoken in a day. It felt weird, but somehow satisfying. If only it was not due to the fact that they¡¯re fighting for their life against a legion of disgusting, disease ridden pest. Sera fighting style is more passive when compared to Spoon. She forces the rats to back away with the threatening swing of her swords, and sending those that come to close flying with her shield. The rats, who had never seen a lion before in their life soon learned the terror of such beast. Her shield, adorned with lion carvings, brought death with each strike. It was not long before Spoon joined her. His face full of worry and guilt for hiding behind Sera¡¯s back. As soon as he allocated all the stat points, he quickly joined back in. ¡°2 o¡¯clock! The one with the ring!¡± Spoon shouted, trying to ensure that the message gets through all the rats¡¯ squeaking. Sera nodded, she already saw the rat before. They needed to act now, before their stamina fails them. Sera thought up a plan. ¡°Can you do the focused strike again?¡± ¡°Twice more with my current stamina.¡± Spoon answered. ¡°That¡¯s enough. As soon as you get my sword, execute it.¡± ¡°Your sword? What do -¡± Spoon was cut off as he saw Sera¡¯s sword flying toward his face ¡°Woah!!!¡± Spoon barely managed to catch the sword a few inches away from his face. He saw Sera ducking down low on the ground with her shield up. She looked so tiny in that position. ¡°Now!¡± Sera shouted, bringing Spoon back to his senses. ¡°Focused Strike!!¡± Spoon struck the ground as he did before, but this time with two swords. It created a shockwave which killed nearby rats and stunned the others. The effect is greater than before, as his strength is now almost doubled after he allocates his skill point. ¡°Follow after me!¡± Sera explodes forward from her position from a crouching start. The reason Sera put herself down low before was two-fold. The first is to easily shield herself from any flying debris resulting from Spoon¡¯s skill, the second is to easily sprint forward as soon as the skill is executed. Her shield firmly set in front of her, leaning forward and keeping her center low; Sera plowed through the group of stunned rats making way towards the rat with the ring. Spoon, who quickly under stood her intentions, followed closely behind. He slashed left and right killing any rats that stray to close. ¡°We¡¯ll end this now!¡± ***** The rat, noticing their advance, tried to flee. It jumped down the rock it was on, but before its feet could hit solid ground, a piece of bone pierced its stomach. Instead of a smooth landing, it crashed down rolling in a pile of rotten food. Still alive, it tried to crawl into the safety of the dark caves. Despair comes as it spies a sword heading its way. ¡°Squeaakkk!!!!¡± The rat said its last word as the sword dug through its body. Where it lay limp and lifeless, a ring was seen. It¡¯s a golden ring, with emerald stone. The ring the two were supposed to find and return. ¡°Grab it quick!¡± A female voice rang out, urgency in her voice. ¡°I got it!¡± A male voice responded. ¡°Now we need to fight our way out.¡± ¡°No problem, use the same strategy we used to get here. Focused Striaaaaaaaaaaagahkah!!!!!!!¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong??¡± ¡°One bit me!!¡± ¡°Where?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t want to know¡¡± ***** Steve logged off from Royal Road. He was tired, having to deal with so many things at once. ¡®So it¡¯s tomorrow, the first day of the examination.¡¯ ¡®I should go to bed; I¡¯ve done all I can.¡¯ ¡®When this is over, I can continue playing normally again.¡¯ Before retiring to his bed, he updated his journal entry for the day. A smile and a sigh later, his room went dark as he silently fell asleep. *****
Quote:¡°¡.with a brief moment of recreation? Or did you forsake me and forces me away from studying? It seems like the goddess¡¯ smile was not meant for me after all. It was for my brother, he is in love! Finally! I was worried that people thought that he had a twin brother complex. Hopefully this will work out. He is very clueless about girls. No worry though, he have me. I shall be the cupid! Although this cupid will be busy for his mid terms starting tomorrow. Why did Scott get all the smart genes!¡± -Excerpt of Steve Journal-***** < >
Author Wrote: Credits to HikaruMichi for correcting grammars and spelling mistakes. Also to all the kind and magnificent people in chat for giving feedback for this chapter, especially the battle scene. Tomorrow chapter will be the side story, which I planned to post today. I changed it to tomorrow because a certain soul in the chat said I should at least finish the rat thing first. Thanks for reading, feedback is highly appreciated. It is my first fanfic, but no need to go gentle on me.Battle Maiden: Book 1 Chapter 4.5 SS Battle Maiden Book 1 : Into the Gates of Hell Chapter 4.5 : Side Stories ***** The followings took place prior to Salty Rose incident. ***** Tale one: Scruffy Royal Road was a very in-depth game. The environment was very detailed. Every blade of grass swayed with the winds,and rivers flowed seamlessly. This aspect of Royal Road brought in a new group of consumers. The people who just wanted to relax and enjoy the view. Even players, from time to time, take a break from slaughtering innocent fauna to bask in the beauty of the Versailles continent. On that particular day, a girl decided to go out to enjoy the view. This is the first time the girl ventured out of the city. New players are constrained in the city for one in-game month before they are allowed to leave. The reason for this is because they are deemed too weak to venture out. They have to prepare themselves for one month within the safety of the city walls. Keep in mind, a newly-created player can easily be killed by a harmless looking rabbit. The girl, Sera, thought that some greenery would be a nice change from the grayness of the city. She had passed the required time and was free to venture in or out anytime she wanted to. ¡®My eyes could use a break from reading.¡¯ ¡®And this is also a good way to reduce stress.¡¯ A change of pace was what she wanted. That¡¯s the reason why she went out that day. However, as she stepped out, it was not what she imagined. Instead of a serene and relaxing view, she saw groups of players running around chasing rabbits. It was a massacre. Working as a group, they forced the rabbits into a corner before mercilessly ending its¡¯ life. The vicinity of the city was full with such groups. ¡®Rabbits¡¯ fur is always in high on demand, even if they are cheap.¡¯ ¡®I won¡¯t get any peace in a place like this. Maybe I should go farther where there are less people.¡¯ She decided to move away from there, in order to look for a quieter place.A lot of players along the way tried to recruit her in their party, but she refused all of them. She was not here to hunt, she did not even have a weapon. Even though she was facing a hard time rejecting all the offers given to her, she finally did managed to reach a quiet spot without people around. She sat down on the grass, while feasting her eyes on the beautiful view. Even though there were no other players around, she did not find peace. It did not take long for a fox to find her. The fox snarled at her, fixing its gaze at the girl who enter its territory. ¡°GRRR¡.¡± The fox growled. The muscles on its front and hind legs tensed, the hairs on its back raised slightly. Sera stared back at the fox. She was not afraid, but was curious about the fox¡¯s behavior. Rabbits, raccoons and foxes are low-levelled mobs in Royal Road. Like many other MMORPG, low-levelled mobs are passive creatures. They only attack when threatened. ¡®Did I provoke it? All I did is sit here silently.¡¯ She inspected her surroundings and found no other foxes around. She dismissed the possibility of the fox trying to protect its young or others of its species. Not that she¡¯s sure whether a fox could even have young in this game. ¡®If it¡¯s not me, and it¡¯s not about other foxes, the only possibility is¡¡¯ The only possibility was that there was something wrong with the fox itself. She sharpened her gaze at the fox, trying to find a clue on its erratic behavior. The fox flinched watching Sera focusing her gaze on it. But it did not make any moves. ¡®So that¡¯s why!¡¯ Since the fox was facing Sera, she did not see the reason immediately. Upon closer inspection, the fox¡¯s hind leg was bleeding. It was injured, and an injured beast was highly aggressive. ¡®It must have stumbled on me when running away from whatever thing that caused the wound.¡¯ Another system included in the game, was the ability of monsters to level up. Small game like rabbits, raccoons and even foxes were always under threat. Not only by players, even fellow monsters. ¡®Even if it¡¯s not really alive, it¡¯s a harsh life.¡¯ ¡®I should help it.¡¯ Sera had a soft spot for cute,cuddly,small animals. Even towards the desperate injured fox that tried to look menacing. On the contrary, she felt sorry for the poor thing. She ripped off a piece of her skirt, hoping to use it as a bandage. ¡®Now, to approach it carefully.¡¯ She inched closer and closer towards the fox. It was a very slow process,because she did not want the fox to dart off in fear. If she had any food on her, she would have already used it as bait. The fox was growling lowly. It was breathing loudly. It was clear now that it was heavily injured and in pain. The distance between them was now reduced to a couple of meters. Sera decided to quickly dash for the last stretch. Any closer,and the fox would either attack, or flee. She will make the first move. ¡®Lunge, grab the fox, don¡¯t get bitten.¡¯ She visualized her next action and did a mental simulation. She kicked the ground as hard as she can. As her body lifted off the ground, she extended her hands to grab the fox while she was in mid air. Before the fox could react, it was already in the arms of the girl. The sudden actions of the girl startled it such that its body froze in place long enough for her to grab it. Sera held the fox firmly while trying not to injure it further. She rolled on her back as she landed after the acrobatic feat. With the fox safely in her embrace, she released a sigh of relief. With one hand, she firmly pinned the fox to the ground to immobilize it. Her strength was rather high for her level, since she did ¡®train¡¯ in the training hall. With the other hand, she took out her canteen of water to wash the fox¡¯s wound. ¡®It¡¯s a bite mark. Not the doing of a human. Wolf maybe?¡¯ She then bandaged the wound with the piece of cloth that she had torn from her own skirt. She had no attachment to her beginner outfits. It was free, and not that cute. Most beginner outfits were immediately thrown away after replacement equipment was obtained, as there was no market for the free starter outfit. Even NPC shops refuses to buy them. At least this way, the cloth would serve a higher purpose. The fox felt afraid when it was pinned down. It started to relax a bit when it realized that this girl was trying to treat its hind leg. It did not let its guard down, though it wouldn¡¯t make much of a difference since it was currently under the mercy of the girl. Sera, after finishing the treatment, lifted the fox and put it in her lap as she sat down on the grass. Her neat bandaging, even when using crude material, awarded her with the Bandage skill. With the fox in her lap, she began to pet the fox tenderly. Once the fox felt that the girl had let her guard down, it tried to jump up and run away. The attempt failed, as it immediately stumbled, having had all its energy drained during the standoff. The girl picked the exhausted fox up and put it in her lap again, and stroked the soft fur of the fox gently. The fox persisted in three more escape attempts before finally giving in and falling asleep in her lap. ¡®It won¡¯t be able to survive out here. With that injury, it¡¯s easy prey.¡¯ ¡®I should take it with me, at least until it recovers.¡¯ Sera gently held the sleeping fox in her hand, carrying it like a mother would carry a newborn. The sun was starting to set, and the dangerous wolf attacks were high during the night. She hurriedly walked back towards the city gate. Using her body, she hides the fox from the view of other players. A sleeping fox was easy experience points. She also did not want to be labelled weird for carrying a sleeping fox around. Some players did manage to see her carrying the fox, but she lied that her class was tamer and the fox was her pet. It went smoothly for Sera. She managed to reach the city gate safely. Her concern right now was to find a place for the fox to rest in the city. ¡®The library is out of question. Maybe the training hall, there¡¯s not many people there.¡¯ ¡®The bigger problem is, when I log off. If left alone, it might wander around.¡¯ She walked to the gate while her head was occupied with formulating a master plan to blackmail convince Instructor Graham to take care of the fox for her. It was a brilliant plan, with a 100% success rate, and involved a pink piece of leather, three pairs of chopsticks and the fur of a pregnant street cat. It was a complicated plan which was hard to explain, and required careful planning. So complicated was the plan, that while thinking of the details and the proper timing, she overlooked a simple flaw in her plan. *Slash! A flash of gray light was seen in her arms, where the fox once lay sleeping. In its place was now a small fox¡¯s fang and 3 coppers. This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. ¡°Fear not traveler, I have gotten rid of the monster trying to sneak into the city.¡± It was an NPC guard, whose job included getting rid of monsters venturing too near the city gate. She may have been able to fool players, saying that the fox was her pet, but not an NPC guard. -You have leveled up- A message popped out. Even though she did not kill the fox, she did inflict a portion of the damage when she pinned the fox down earlier. Even with the reduced experience gain, a fox was still a level 5 mob, while she was still level 1. Enough to bring her level up. ¡°Scruffy¡¡± Sera spoke for the first time that day. She then headed toward the training hall, one of the two places where she could find comfort in the city. It wasn¡¯t like she could blame the NPC programming. This is the story of how Sera reached level 2 while never hunting or doing quests. ***** Tale two : The Twin¡¯s Day Out It was a rare sight. Scott was actually hanging out with friends. Well, not his friends, they were his brother¡¯s. To others, it seemed like they were having a double date, as their company were two pretty girls from the same university. ¡®He set me up. Should¡¯ve known.¡¯ They were eating lunch together, in a famous fast food restaurant. Nothing fancy, but delicious and healthy. Fast food restaurant standards had grown better these days. Their table was filled with Steve¡¯s laughter, and occasional giggles from the girls. They were having a good time, except for Scott that is. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with your brother?¡± One of the girls asked. ¡°He¡¯s a bit shy. You know him,¡± Steve explained. Scott, the elder twin of Steve, was a bit of an introvert. It¡¯s not that he was antisocial, he just did not know how to carry himself in a crowd. He often just shied away from any invitation to hang out or any other social activities. Nobody took offense at his rejection, as he was always been polite and genteel. If not for Steve, he would have spent all his spare time at home. ¡°Forgive me if my manner offends you, girls. I am not used to this.¡± The girls quickly apologized to Scott, his apology made them feel guilty. ¡°Please, it¡¯s not your fault. We were just wondering. Your brother is always so lively, and since you are twins, we unconsciously compare the both of you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that we are offended, we are just afraid that we bore you.¡± The mood at the table turned a little sour. Now Scott was the one who felt guilty. Before he could try to mend the mood, the girl sitting directly in front of him, Lucy, shot a question towards him. ¡°We know that you usually don¡¯t do this type of thing. What made you agree to hang out today?¡± Lucy gave a puzzled look. ¡°Well, my brother told me that he gave you girls his word that he would drag me out and hang out with you girls.¡± ¡°That I did. And I am always true to my word. Especially towards lovely girls.¡± Steve cut in. ¡°Well yeah, I just don¡¯t want to make my brother a liar.¡± Scott continued while rubbing his forehead. ¡°Ain¡¯t he a good brother?¡± Steve put his arm around Scott¡¯s shoulder, pulling him closer. The girls smiled. The twins were very famous among the girls in their university. Not because of their looks, which were not bad actually, but because of their relationship. The twins may not have noticed it, but the way that they treated each other was not something you see that often among siblings. Steve was always lively, full of confidence and very expressive. Scott was a man of few words. When you listened to Steve talk, you could feel the energy in his voice. Scott talked in a very calm manner, no one had ever heard him raise his voice. They had many similarities, but their opposite characteristics were what made them unique. Whatever they did together always looked sweet in the eyes of other people. The way they argued, the way they joked, the way they laughed together. The way Steve dragged his brother around so he could make friends. The way Scott taught his brother calculus, so they could pass the test together. The way they defended each other when people badmouthed one of them. They caught the attention of the girls on campus. It may also have had something to do with those BL doujin and fan fictions that were getting popular with the girls lately. Scott¡¯s face redden as his brother began ruffling his hair, while saying he was the best twin in the world. The girls¡¯ faces were also getting a reddish tint while looking at this scene. ¡°He started playing Royal Road lately.¡± Steve changed the topic to liven things up ¡°Really? What level are you?¡± The other girl, Rose, wasted no time asking him. ¡°I just started. Still in the city, doing training.¡± Scott answered as he pushed Steve away. ¡°That¡¯s too bad. It would be nice if we could hang out in the game too.¡± Lucy was also interested. ¡°He¡¯s doing a stupid training hitting scarecrows all day. I had to come and bring him food supplies, because he has no money and did not do any quest.¡± Steve smirked, making fun of his brother. ¡°Why would you do stuff like that? There are many other things you could do.¡± Rose, having played together with Steve since the first day, thought that Scott would do better since he had his brother to guide him. Scott then began explaining how he saw a girl manage to get a free sword from completing the training. He also said that you can raise some stats doing the training. He never went in-depth, just a quick explanation to end the topic. ¡°If that girl can pass the test, I would be ashamed not being able to!¡± Steve mimicked his brother¡¯s words. ¡°A girl? Are you sure it¡¯s a girl?¡± Lisa asked. ¡°It¡¯s a girl. I¡¯m very sure of it,¡± Scott nonchalantly replied. ¡°Do you remember the account creation process?¡± Lisa pressed on. Scott was puzzled by the way she insisted on the gender topic. He recalled his account creation process, and then it hit him. ¡®NO.¡¯ ¡®No, No, No, No, No, ¡¡. NO!¡¯ A series of Nos kept on repeating in his head. He remembered the feminine voice during the avatar creation stage. ''-Please choose your gender from male, female, or neutral-'' ¡®It can¡¯t be!¡¯ While the conflict was happening in his head, it began to show on his face. Lines showed up where there were none before, as his expression turned into one like a man in great pain. ¡°But why would anyone choose a different gender in the games??¡± Scott was now in the denial stage. The girl who, for the first time in his life, mesmerized him on the day he laid his eyes on her. ¡°Perverts.¡± Rose and Lucy explained in unison. ¡°It¡¯s common in online games. Being a woman has its advantages.¡± His brother added. Scott realized that his dilemma was noticed by the girls and quickly composed himself. ¡®Well, I¡¯ll believe that she is a girl with all my heart.¡¯ ¡®Wait, why does her real gender even matter?¡¯ ¡®Or his gender.. mppfhh.¡¯ ¡®Stay calm. Not here, not in front of them.¡¯ ¡°Well I think that changing the way you look is stupid.¡± Scott tried to veer away from the topic. ¡°Says the guy who made his avatar have an eight pack with blue hair.¡± Steve was the only one who knew this fact. Was. ¡°What was that for? I do have an eight pack. Wanna see them?¡± ¡°Please Brother, I¡¯ve seen you naked many times. You¡¯re not even close to having a six pack.¡± ¡°I noticed your avatar is two inches taller, does the fact that I¡¯m a bit taller bother you that much?¡± ¡°You¡¯re only five millimeters taller. It¡¯s not worth bragging about!¡± ¡°Says the guy who increased his avatar height by two inches.¡± The girls kept silent as they listened to the brothers arguing. ¡°You want to talk inches? Let¡¯s compare then!¡± The argument was heating up a bit here. The twin seemed to be forgetting where they were. While Steve¡¯s voice increased in volume, Scott maintained his. ¡°Tissue?¡± Rose asked Lucy as she offered a pack of tissues to Lucy. ¡°Yes please,¡± Lucy accepted her offer. Blood was flowing out from the girls¡¯ noses. ***** < >
Wrote: The PR credit is edited, since the PR wished for anonymity. Said person gave me permission to credit IT as a Lazy PR. Hence this; Credit for PR goes to : Chapter 5 might not be out tomorrow, I have greatly underestimated how much kids can distract me from writing. The second story was born due to chat shenanigans, a joke that have nothing to do with the story so far, but touching the topic of gender ambiguity in RR. As always, thanks for reading.Battle Maiden: Book 1 Chapter 5 Battle Maiden Book 1 : Into the Gates of Hell Chapter 5 : An End is Another Beginning ***** ¡°Oh, it¡¯s my ring! You guys actually did it!¡± A genuinely happy expression was seen on Mrs. Graham¡¯s Face, donning her wedding ring on her left ring finger. The whole kitchen was astonished at this sight, as the owner was famous for her strictness and constantly irritated face. ¡°How can I ever repay you?¡± She was so happy, that she did not mind the putrid smell coming from the ¡®saviors¡¯. ¡®Money would be good. I won¡¯t be worried about going hungry.¡¯ ¡®Or three free meals a day, for life. That¡¯s much better.Money will run out. She seems happy enough to agree to this.¡¯ ¡®I guess I need to say something right now.¡¯ Sera¡¯s only concern right now was the quest would at least allow her to continue her peaceful way of life for a longer time. She did not care for experience or fame in the game. This world was but an escape. All she wanted was a place to vent; the training hall where she could release her stress and the library to read books. She found Royal Road rich and deep lore fascinating. However, right now she was having a hard time trying to formulate the best response to get the reward she wanted. She knew the AI dynamics; the reward could be affected by the way an adventurer interacted with them. ¡°It was our pleasure to help. Your happy face made it worth our effort.¡± It was not Sera who answered, but the man with a similar stench beside her. She took too much time thinking that the guy, Spoon, answered in her stead. ¡°Really? What a kind pair, the two of you. I was wrong thinking that you youngsters have no manners. But I can¡¯t just let you leave without any reward. You went through such trouble.¡± ¡°Please, we insist.¡± Spoon was now taking the lead, conversing with Mrs. Graham. ¡°The least I could do is to offer you free meals at this establishment, anytime you want.¡± ¡®YEEEEEEESSSSS!¡¯ ¡®Good job Spoon! Even if your name is weird, I¡¯m very grateful to you.¡¯ Sera managed to hide her excitement; it was the reward that she wanted. She would no longer have to worry about not having anything to eat in the city. ¡°That is a very kind offer, but we¡¯re adventurers. We travel the vast land of the continent in search for adventure,¡± Spoon declined her offer. ¡®NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!¡¯ ¡®What have you done?!¡¯ ¡°We won¡¯t be staying in the city for long. This place is just a starting point. There are others out there who might need our help,¡± He continued. ¡®What nonsense is he spouting about?!¡¯ ¡°But of course! Nice young people like you should go out and expand your horizons. Help out more people in need!¡± Mrs. Graham was very touched by Spoon¡¯s answer. ¡®Who is this ¡°we¡± he is talking about? I just want my food free..¡¯ ¡°In that case, I have the perfect reward for both of you aspiring adventurers. A travelling kit which includes field cooking equipments, blankets, and an extra large backpack. I¡¯ll fill the pack with some dried food and bandages. Also, take some pocket money.¡± ¡°This is too much, we can¡¯t possibly accept this.¡± Spoon was surprised when he saw all the stuff Mrs. Graham handed over to them. ¡®Yes we can! T-T¡¯ Sera was crying inside, but was unable to express it.. ¡°I insist! You do not know how much the ring meant to me. This barely repays my favor to you.¡± ¡°If that is the case, then we will gratefully accept this gift.¡± *Ttring*
| You have completed a quest. |
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Author Wrote: The PR credit is edited, since the PR wished for anonymity. Said person gave me permission to credit IT as a Lazy PR. Hence this; Credit for PR goes to : This chapter is a bit shorter, as I need to wrap up book 1. Chapter 5 will mark the end of book 1, and the next chapter will mark the beginning of book 2. Again, thanks for reading, any feed backs, comments, critique or anything is highly appreciated.A chicken at the Stake (Q&A, Critique, feedbacks) Battle Maiden Q&A, Feedback, Random Stuff corner Drawn on Nov 28th 2013. Rough sketch of Sera and Spoon I really think I should made this thread much sooner. Better late than never I guess. This is where you can post suggestions, critique etc as you see fit. I know there is much room for improvements (especially grammars, my PRs always pointed that out), having the readers opinion will definitely help me out. The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. If you see me in the chat, you can also give some feedback there. Thanks for reading. Begin here. Prologue. For Chicken madness Battle Maiden: Book 2 Chapter 1 Battle Maiden Book 2 : Two Paths Chapter 1 : To Fix a Shield (plot chapter) ***** ¡°Alice came to a fork in the road. ''Which road do I take?'' she asked. ''Where do you want to go?'' responded the Cheshire Cat. ''I don''t know,'' Alice answered. ''Then,'' said the Cat, ''it doesn''t matter.¡± - Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland - ***** ¡°Gahhh!!!¡± ¡°It¡¯s finally over!!¡± ¡°Royal Road, here I come!!¡± Earlier that day, Steve had the complexion of a dying man, but now, one could almost see sparkles emanating from his face. The last of the examinations had been conquered, for now. He had regained his vigor, and looked forward to once more, fully immersing himself in Royal Road. ¡°It¡¯s about time I show you the difference between a veteran like me and a newb like you,¡± Steve lightly jabbed the shoulder of the guy beside him. Almost identical in terms of looks, besides sporting different hairstyles; the man Steve was talking to was his best friend and twin brother, Scott. ¡°Sure, brag to someone that¡¯s of a lower level than you. My, how powerful. How strong,¡± Scott mocked his twin. ¡°Wait till my level catches up to yours, then we¡¯ll talk,¡± He continued. ¡°Speaking of levels, what level are you now?¡± Steve asked his brother. ¡°Level 24. And I don¡¯t even need to leave the city.¡± ¡°The rat dungeon? I thought you said there is were only low-leveled rats in there. 24 is a bit high.¡± ¡°Turns out, we only went through the first chamber. Things get harder the deeper I go.¡± Scott returned to the underground caverns in his spare time, trying to train himself. He had received another quest from Mrs. Graham to fully clear the rat infestation. This time, all alone, he ventured deeper, as the normal rats no longer posed any threat to him. The further he went, the rats became bigger and stronger, some were even capable of using crude weaponry. Since he was also occupied with the examination, his progress was slow. The quest information window informed him that he was only 58% through the quest. ¡°I¡¯m going to have an all-nighter tonight and finish the quest.¡± ¡°So you¡¯re trying to drown your sorrows with endless grinding?¡± ¡°No.. It¡¯s my best bet. Only she and I know of the place, so maybe we will meet again there..¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think any lady would return to a stinking place like that.¡± ¡°Ugh..¡± ¡°So, you still don¡¯t have a class?¡± ¡°No, not yet.¡± ¡°You should get one soon.¡± ¡°I guess I should.¡± ¡®I wonder what class she¡¯ll pick.¡¯ ***** ¡®Haven¡¯t been on in over a week.¡¯ ¡®Would be nice if I can go visit the training hall..¡¯ It was dawn in Royal Road when she logged in. The square she had connected to was less crowded compared to the previous time she was there. Last time, she had logged off due to feeling uncomfortable with the stares and whispers directed at her. ¡®I should get this shield fixed.¡¯ She continued her walk from a week ago, and headed to the local blacksmith. It took her a while, but she managed to find it, despite never having been there before. It was thanks to the current lord who come up with the town design, making it intuitive and easy to navigate through. All shops and production buildings were placed in one district, with clear signs and marking. Truly, only an idiot could get lost in this city. The blacksmith doubled as a weapons and equipment store, as well as the blacksmith guild of Greyhold city, so it was usually crowded with people. Strangely, today it was quiet; devoid of the usual hustle and bustle of trades, not even the sound of clashing metal of a forge. For Sera, the emptiness was a good thing. Instead of being wary of it, she took it as an opportunity to get her business done. She walked into the establishment and immediately looked for an employee. There was no one behind the counter. The only person there was an old woman sleeping in a rocking chair in the middle of the store. When mentioning an old woman, most would immediately imagine a wrinkly, weak and fragile old lady of a small stature. Perhaps some will even throw in a knitting set in, or cookies, or other possible stereotypes concerning an old woman. But this woman she saw, was not the usual old woman people were accustomed to. The only thing that made Sera deduce that the woman was old were the wrinkles lining her well-defined face, and her grey hair which was tied neatly, allowing no stray strand of hair loose. The rest of her however, was not something you could relate to an old woman. Tall, and a strong muscular body, encased in metal armour. Sera estimated her height to be more than two meters. If she wore a full faced helm, none would even think of the possibility that she was an old lady. ¡®There is no one else around. She might be the owner, or at least work in this place.¡¯ Since she did not want to waste any time, she decided to wake the old lady. She had not known how to properly wake someone up, so she rang the bell at the counter. *Ting!* Since it was very quiet in the first place, the single chime of the bell sounded loud in comparison, breaking the placid atmosphere. Sure enough, the old lady woke up and looked at Sera, who was staring at her with a blank expression. They both exchanged a small bow, followed by simple greetings of good morning. Having done the customary greeting, Sera retrieved the shield from her back,¡°I need to get this restored.¡± The old lady smiled, and responded to Sera¡¯s request,¡°I think we are skipping some steps here. I don¡¯t even know your name.¡± ¡°Ah! I- I¡¯m sorry. My name is Sera,¡± She was genuinely surprised, she thought NPSs did not care for such things when dealing in such transactions. Then again, she was not sure whether this woman was an NPC, or a human player. She bowed her head repeatedly, thinking of how rude she had been. Looking at her startled reaction, the old woman let out a hearty laughter, unfeminine without a care. Instead of making her look unladylike, however, her smiling face convinced Sera that this woman had been a very beautiful girl when she was young. Even now, she was quite a looker for her age. Not that Sera knew her age, of course. She just assumed things, a bad habit of hers. ¡°Don¡¯t make a big deal about it. My name is Vanessa. You can call me Van, I don¡¯t really mind,¡± She wiped her tears that had come out when she was laughing. Still smiling, she continued the conversation,¡°So, you need a shield to be repaired?¡± ¡°Yes please.¡± Simple manners could go a long way. Sera handed over her shield to Vanessa for her to inspect. Vanessa took it with both hands, mirroring Sera. She studied the face of the round wooden buckler, showing interest in the decoration and the condition of the shield. She spun the shield around to get a closer look at its rim, and turned it upside down, checking the straps. During all this, the smithy was once more filled with silence. ¡°Interesting,¡± Vanessa said, as she put her left arm into the straps of the shield. ¡°Very interesting,¡± Vanessa began swinging her left arm around with the shield equipped. ¡°This shield is battered. But not by weapons, or the claws and fangs of wild beast. Yet blood is all over it. How did you manage to get this shield¡¯s durability so low?¡± Sera was a bit hesitant to answer. To tell her that she had swatted rats left and right using the shield due to feeling disgusted by those creatures. More rats had fallen victim to her shield, as compared to her sword. Using a sword would get rat body parts flying around, a blunt force trauma from her shield was much more preferable, she thought. She had even gained the shield mastery skill during the melee. ¡°I sort of hit the enemies with it,¡± Sera meekly answered. ¡°How many enemies did you whack?¡± Vanessa was truly amused that a small girl like Sera actually did so,and a shy one to boot. ¡°Most of them..?¡± Looking a bit distressed, Sera answered Vanessa. Not even the genius Sarah could keep count of such thing. Vanessa broke into a fit of laughter again, chasing away the still atmosphere. She unequipped the shield and walked towards the counter. Still laughing, Vanessa set the shield down on top of the counter, and again wiped the tears that escaped from her eyes. Sera was lost; not knowing what had warranted such a fit of laughter, or the humor behind it. ¡®Maybe it¡¯s because I used the shield wrongly.¡¯ ¡°May I ask what is so funny about this?¡± After witnessing Vanessa response, no one could blame Sera for being curious. ¡°Nothing. There is nothing wrong or funny about it.¡± Vanessa said with a smile. She had already stopped laughing, but talking while smiling still gave a tone of amusement to her words. ¡°It¡¯s just that....¡± Vanessa continued, only to interrupt herself with a long pause. Her expression turned serious as she tried to finish her sentence. ¡°What do you know about ¡®Shieldmaiden¡¯?¡± Her statement turned into question. ¡°Shieldmaiden?¡± Surely, Sera did know about the Shieldmaiden. Shieldmaidens, unlike what the name implied, were not necessarily maidens with shields. They were women who had taken up arms and fought alongside men. In an age where war was dominated by men, these women were able to gain the respect of their male counterparts. While historically accurate, what had made them famous were folklores and mythologies. Royal Road had its lores, derived from a multitude of mythologies, including Norse mythology. Freya, the goddess with the largest number worshippers, were based of the Norse¡¯s Freyja. There was also some Greek and Irish lore influence. However, despite being heavily influenced by Nordic mythology, there was little information about the Shieldmaiden in the history books in the library that Sera worked at. They were only depicted as chosen women warriors, with no further details. Not even one had mentioned who chose these chosens, or what they fought for. After careful thought, Sera decided to answer Vanessa, based only on the information provided in-game. There was no guarantee that Royal Road conformed to some Scandinavian folklore that depicted the Shieldmaiden in real life. ¡°I have read of them, but I do not know much, other than that they are a group of female warriors.¡± ¡°Do you think they are real?¡± Vanessa asked another question. ¡°Yes,¡± Sera¡¯s knowledge of the continent¡¯s history affirmed her answer. They existed. That much she was sure of. Vanessa watched as Sera gave her answer, firm and sure, a huge contrast compared to her trepid demeanor just moments before. Vanessa, again, broke out into another fit of laughter,¡°You really never cease to amuse me.¡± Vanessa was still laughing when she said that. It took quite a while for her to regain poise, after which she stood straight up facing Sera. She was truly a towering woman; around three heads taller than Sera. ¡°Allow me to reintroduce myself. I am Vanessa En Visna, a knight of the Kingdom of Haven,¡± her mannerism turned formal, as if adapting to her claim as a Knight. ¡°Like my mother and her mother before her, I am a Shieldmaiden.¡± ¡°And as a Shieldmaiden blessed by the goddess, I have the authority to bestow the title to others I deem worthy.¡± The air around Vanessa suddenly felt different. Sera couldn¡¯t help but to stand in awe as Vanessa unveiled her real identity. A very faint, white light enveloped Vanessa¡¯s body; hardly visible, but it did not escape Sera¡¯s eye, making her at a loss for words. Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. ¡°With the goddess Freya as witness, will you accept the weight of the title Shieldmaiden?¡± *ttring* A window appeared in front of Sera, showing a simple yes or no question.
| You are given the opportunity to change your class Will you change your class to Shieldmaiden? Yes || No |
| Status Window | |||
| Character Name | Sera | Alignment | Neutral |
| Level | 18 | Profession | Shieldmaiden |
| Title | None | Attack | 24 |
| Fame | 50 | Defense | 5 |
| Health | 780 + 250 | Mana | 315 + 125 |
| Strength | 74 + 25 | Agility | 73 + 15 |
| Vitality | 58 + 15 | - | |
| Wisdom | 44 + 15 | Intellect | 51 + 15 |
| Stamina | 30 + 15 | Fighting Spirit | 11 + 15 |
| Luck | 5 + 15 | Leadership | 12 + 15 |
| Magic Resistance | |||
| Fire | 10% | Water | 10% |
| Earth | 10% | Black Magic | 10% |
| Unused point(s) | 5 | ||
|
| You have received a quest! |
| The Origin (Difficulty Level A) |
| As a Shieldmaiden, one must embark on a journey to find their own purpose, hopefully getting closer to unfolding the mystery of the first Shieldmaiden. Requirement: Must be a Shieldmaiden. Reward: Unknown Cannot be cancelled, cannot refuse. |
Chickenmancer Wrote: For some magical reason, there seems to be a void just above the stat table. Because I cannot find the reason, I shall blame this on aliens. Credits to Hikarumichi, for the book title. Also to the PR like usual, the one who prefer anonymity and Hikaru. Feedbacks, comments etc is highly appreciated.Battle Maiden: Book 2 Chapter 2 Battle Maiden Book 2 : Two Paths Chapter 2 : White Collar, Swindles ***** A huge cavern filled with filth, and had a rotten smell. The darkness in it was chased away by a crackling fire, that was feasting on the carcasses littered around the floor. The elite guards of the dungeon¡¯s boss, turned into a source of light by the invader. The lone invader had to improvise, as his torch would soon be extinguished. The invader dressed in a jet black fur coat, looted from one of the higher-ranking minions. By his side, there was an iron sword, cracked, and stained with blood, clearly showing that it had been through many battles, and survived. Sweat and blood sullied his pretty face, but his gaze was as sharp as ever. Amongst all his features, his blue hair seemed out of place. Not knowing whether the boss was capable of understanding him, Spoon just had to put out a cool line (as he proclaimed). ¡°So.. It¡¯s just you and me now..¡± The dungeon boss, a bipedal rat twice his height, wore a makeshift scale mail made from scrap metals and bones. In its hand was a huge club, with spikes protruding around the head. It was the biggest opponent Spoon had ever faced. Yet fear did not came to him. He was too tired to even feel fear. It had been more than a week of him going in and out of the dungeon. trying to kill every single rat inside. His only break time was when he had to go to the blacksmith to fix his equipment, and even then, he had to undergo an hour of walking. He intended to finish this, here and now. Sword readied, he walked towards the huge rat. The beast, watched him getting closer. Then suddenly charged at Spoon with the club raised. For its size, its speed was incredibly high, catching Spoon by surprise. The club swung down on Spoon, barely deflected by his sword. Spoon lost almost half his life, and the durability of his sword fell drastically. Kicking the ground with all his might, Spoon managed to gain some distance between them. However, there was no room for comfort, as the feral beast immediately started charging at him again. This time, it swung its club horizontally, sweeping everything in its path. Spoon managed to jump in time to evade the attack completely, striking back with a strong, solid attack to its hand. Spoon¡¯s counterattack was strong enough to disarm the giant rat¡¯s spiky club. Now, Spoon could stop worrying about the crushing blow of the club. Instead, he now had to worry about two sharp sets of claws. ¡®I should have gone for the legs.¡¯ ¡®Disable its speed first.¡¯ Waiting for an opening, Spoon could only evade the relentless attack of his foe. Ever since it was wounded, its attacks became much fiercer. Spoon chose to only evade and not block, since his sword looked very brittle at this point. Some time passed, and Spoon was still unable to find the right opening to strike the the legs he was hoping to disable. ¡®It was much easier when Sera was here.¡¯ ¡®But I¡¯m much stronger now. Why can¡¯t I find any openings?¡¯ ¡®What¡¯s the difference between then and now?¡¯ ¡®We made an opening for each other.. That¡¯s it!¡¯ ¡°You don¡¯t simply find an opening, you make one!¡± Spoon jumped backwards again, trying to gain some distance. As expected, the rat soon charged at him. Enemy AI had a certain pattern in fighting, and once you learnt it, fighting them would be easier. Spoon was waiting for the rat¡¯s forward lunge. He kicked the dirt on the ground, towards at the beast¡¯s eyes. Startled at the sudden lost in vision, the huge rat tumbled and rolled on the ground. ¡®From the way it held the club, it¡¯s right-handed.. Left leg it is.¡¯ The opening Spoon had created wouldn¡¯t last long, so he immediately went straight towards the beast with his sword held in both hands. Sending his sword diagonally downwards with all his strength, he aimed at the rat¡¯s hind leg. ¡°Focused Strike!!¡± The sword strikes cleanly sliced through the thick leg, scattering blood, dirt and debris along the way. He had leveled up the skill quite significantly, as it was the only offensive skill he knew. However, abusing the skill had caused the sword durability to drop very fast quickly. He had to limit the usage to only when he was sure the attack would connect. A long,crack line appeared on the sword. Spoon was getting worried. But the opportunity presented in front of him was very tempting. He had a clear shot for a second attack on the rat¡¯s tail. Remembering Sera telling him that the tail was a weak spot, he decided to go for a second focused strike. ¡°Focused Strike!!¡± Connecting the first strike to the second focused strike, the sword slashed upwards, severing the tail. Feeling greedy, Spoon decided to push for a third attack, only to be knocked away mid swing by the rat''s desperate retaliation. His greed caused his health to drop to in the red zone, below 20%. ''It seems like it''s anyone''s game now.'' Spoon and the huge rat struggled to stand up, as both had received a sizeable amount of damage. As Spoon tried using his sword as support to help him get up, he fell face first, eating dirt. He had realised something. His sword had broken in half. The good news was, the broken half was embedded in the giant rat''s back. Must have sunk in during the attempt on the third attack. Still, to lose your sword here in this situation was never a good thing. ''Well, I still have one third of a sword in my hand..'' ¡®A game won¡¯t be fun without challenges after all.¡¯ ¡°Let¡¯s end this now!¡± Spoon charged forward, betting his life on a full on melee. The rat, unable to stand on its hind legs, was now in a crouching position. It mirrored Spoon¡¯s charge, hoping its size advantage would secure its victory in a frontal clash. Which would definitely have been the case, if it still had all its appendages intact. The beast swayed from side to side as it charged, unstable due to the fact it had an injured arm, a missing hind leg and tail. Still, the force of it¡¯s charge was not to be underestimated, as the ground shook every time the beast propelled itself forward. Spoon took advantage of this weakness, changing the course of his charge at the last moment. The huge rat was unable to go against its own momentum, and slid past on Spoon¡¯s his right. As it desperately tried to stop its huge body, Spoon ran towards its exposed back. His eyes were fixed on the piece of his blade which was still stuck on the rat¡¯s back. ¡®Let¡¯s find out if my skill can apply to any attack¡¯ Spoon leapt as high as he could and as fast as he could, clearly intending to take a shot at the rat¡¯s exposed back. But instead of his sword, he had a different thing in mind. ¡°Rider Kick!!¡± Well, it¡¯s a focused strike using a kick attack. He was already at the level where he no longer needed to shout out the skill name to activate it. Regardless, it did what Spoon intended it to do. Aimed at the blade protruding out of the rat¡¯s body, he hammered it deeper into the rat¡¯s body. Deep enough that you could no longer see the blade on the beast¡¯s back, and for the tip of the blade to pierce its chest. The kick however, damaged himself, as Spoon only wore beginner shoes for protection. His mobility was greatly reduced. He took some damage, leaving himself with a meager fifty health. Spoon was sure that his last attack did some significant damage to his opponent too. But the rat just refused to die. Both of them, mere inches from each other, could no longer move from where they stood. Spoon did not have enough stamina for another focused strike, so he slashed with whatever was left of his sword. Not even as long as a dagger, Spoon brought down slash upon slash on the grounded rat. The master of the dungeon was at his mercy, as he expended the last of his strength, slowly finishing it off. Slowly burning off in a gray flame as if vaporizing into smoke, the huge rat dissipated. The invader had triumphed. Spoon had won. *Ttring* A system message rang out. A feminine voice followed right after. -You have leveled up- -You have leveled up- -You have leveled up- ¡®Three levels for this fight alone.¡¯ *Ttring* Another rang before he could do anything. -Quest objective met, report the result to receive reward- This was followed by many more rings, informing all the stats and skills increased from the fight. The deadly fight bore its fruit, and the rewards reaped were sweet. Still, Spoon¡¯s face showed no happiness, for his sword had broken. He rummaged through the place where the huge rat died, and collected all the blade pieces. His prized sword was broken into three separate pieces. The loot he gained from the mob boss totaled to 1 gold piece and 46 silvers, plus two other items.
| Rattenk?nig Charm (Necklace, Accessory) |
| A necklace made from intertwining rat tails. Mysteriously give it¡¯s owner a high resistance towards poison and plague. Durability : 28/30 Equip + 10 Wisdom - 25 Beauty (Wearing this will temporarily gives the owner the beauty stats if (s)he does not have it, and set it to -30) Bonus effect + Increases poison resistance. + Immunity from hygiene related disease. Limitation Level 25 + |
| Rat King Hood (Hood, Head) |
| The hood provides decent defense and gives its wearer some resistance to poisoning. Made from sable black fur, the wearer is less visible under the cover of darkness. Durability : 54/65 Equip + 200 health + 20 defense rating + 20 Vitality + 200 Stamina Bonus effect + Increases poison resistance. + Rodent-type creatures will not engage you in battle when worn Limitation You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.Level 32 + Vitality 60 + |
Author Wrote: It''s a late update. So I apologize for that. Credits for PR goes to someone who wished not to be named. The person preferred to hide in the shadow, stealthily. Comment or advice is highly appreciated, especially the battle scenes. I always struggle with battle scenes.Battle Maiden: Book 2 Chapter 2.5 SS Battle Maiden Book 2: Two Path Chapter 2.5 SS: Ratbane and Priest of Blood ***** It is known that Spoon had completed the quest to exterminate every single rat beneath the Salty Rose. What happened in between and after, was not. As such, the tale is about spoon during the period of time, outside of the dungeon. ***** A figure climbed out of the chute in the kitchen of Salty Rose, a famous restaurant in Greyhold city. It was a figure of a man, cloaked in jet black fur. Without a word, he walked at a tired pace, heading outside through the back door. The man¡¯s name was Spoon. Blue-haired boy, hired to clear out an infestation of poisonous rats by the owner of the Salty Rose. He had a destination in mind, the local blacksmith, to tend to his worn down equipment. Once outside, he changed his garments, except for his sword. He would not want to chase people away with their smell. He never really cared much for his starter outfit, but his sword, he treasured it very much. It was the sword that need repairing. The city of Greyhold, was not really popular as a starting city, but still it was filled with people passing to and fro the capital. A pit stop in a way, business was booming, with great demands for adventuring supplies. The current lord did a very good job maintaining the city, from infrastructure to taxation. The streets of cobblestone pavement was filled with people as usual. People moving about on their own business, making the market district lively. Spoon walked through the myriad of NPCs and adventurers, avoiding any contact, as he did not wish to waste time on his errand. He soon arrived at the blacksmith, the same place his brother had brought him before. It was here that he obtained the shield, a gift from his brother. Inhaling a large amount of air, he looked at the two storied building from top to bottom and side to side. This time, he was here for business using his own money. Independence was a bittersweet thing. There was no door at the ground floor, in fact, there were almost no walls at all. A smithy needed a good ventilation. After all, the heat and flame from the forge could be suffocating, in an enclosed space. *Clang!* *Crackle* *Ting!* Flames roared, metal clashed against metal, and water boiled, quenching red hot steel. It sounded almost melodious, a rough music that Spoon found to be quite catchy. He knew that he was in the right place. He went inside, removed his sword, still in its scabbard and put it on the counter. A clerk, possibly a player character, was tending to the counter. Most likely new, as he wore the same cheap clothing as Spoon. Plus, menial tasks such as standing behind the counter was almost always handled by the newbie, while the more veteran player managed the forge. ¡°I want to get this repaired.¡± ¡°Certainly, please wait while I inspect the item. Item Info!¡± Boring tasks had made the clerk almost machine-like. All his job entailed him to do was to inspect the item brought in for repair and assign it to a blacksmith of a corresponding level and skill. High-leveled items, rare items and expensive items would be assigned to a blacksmith of high skill level, and vice versa. He was sure that the weapon he was presented with was a low leveled item, since the one bringing it in had the same shabby clothes as him. To his surprise, the weapon was exceptionally good, despite having some stats requirement. He began to check the list of available blacksmiths of medium to high skill. It¡¯s not a sword to be handled by greenhorns. The clerk shook his head. Seeing the clerk¡¯s reaction, Spoon asked him what was wrong. The clerk informed him that they currently did not have the manpower to repair the sword at that moment, and he had to wait for some time. Spoon looked a bit distressed. He opened the quest status window, looking at his current progress in clearing his current quest. ¡®65% and it can only get harder as time goes by. I can¡¯t waste time here..¡¯ ¡°What about that guy there? He seems like he¡¯s free,¡± Scott pointed towards another obviously new player who was holding a smith hammer. ¡°Oh, he¡¯s new. Just got the repair skill, so the quality of the repair will not be that good. It would be fine for a normal beginner weapon, but your sword¡¯s grade is quite high,¡± The clerk explained. ¡°He will do. Make it cheap then.¡± ¡°Are you sure sir?¡± The clerk had to ask. He could assign a higher-grade sword to a newbie if he had the owner¡¯s consent. ¡°I don¡¯t mind. Everyone has to start somewhere.¡± ¡°Very well. Please wait for a few moments,¡± The clerk took Spoon¡¯s sword and handed it over to the newbie blacksmith. Spoon leaned on the counter, watching the process from afar. He thought that he would maybe be able to learn how to repair by observing the blacksmith at work. Of course, things were not that simple. Spoon nicknamed the beginner blacksmith Twig, simply because he had skinny arms. Spoon moved closer to Twig to watch him work. While his intention was to get a grasp of the repairing process, he was now worried about his sword. Twig was reading a book, titled ¡°How to repair things, for dummies.¡± His hand was clearly trembling. Maybe the pressure of having the first real job, and the fact that the client was watching was too much for him to handle. A few awkward seconds later, he finally did the logical first step. Removing the sword from its scabbard, and inspect the degree of damage. The sword¡¯s blade was stained with dark crimson, dried blood. The strong stench and the smell of blood almost made Twig puke. But the bigger problem was not the stains of blood, it was the sword¡¯s condition. There were cracks running down the blade, easily visible thanks to the dried blood running through it, highlighting the cracks. ¡°Durability 1/54??!¡± Twig was genuinely surprised, one more swing and the sword may break. Spoon started to think that this might be too much for Twig after all. Still, Twig followed the manual and removed the blade from the guard, hilt and pommel. The damage was beyond what simple hammering could repair. He had to heat the sword¡¯s blade first, before trying to fix the cracks and dents on the sword. Twig put the bloodied blade into the forge, watching it carefully until it reached the right colour. Somewhere between red and orange, the book was not that specific. He had to go with his gut, and pulled out the blade when it reached the right temperature (based on his assumptions), and quickly put it on an anvil. Twig hammered along the blade, doing his best to even out the blade¡¯s surface. The process was repeated three more times, before he finally quenched the blade. After reassembling the blade, Twig handed the sword to the clerk for final inspection. Spoon was there too, so he could see the results first hand. ¡°Durability 43/52. The maximum durability has reduced a bit, and it is not fully fixed. According to our store¡¯s policy, we will give you a discount for sub par work. We apologise for our staff¡¯s incompetence.¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright, the rest of it seems fine.¡± Spoon made the payment, which was quite cheap compared to normal. He headed back to the Salty Rose again to continue his quest. Going in alone made the quest take longer to complete, but he was gaining levels quite quickly. As he fought and fought in the dungeon alone, his sword¡¯s durability wore down again and again. ***** He made repeated trips to the blacksmith, requesting for Twig every single time to save on cost. Japtems from rats was not worth much. The second time he went to the blacksmith, he went through the same process. ¡°Durability 45/50. Strength bonus had reduced by 1.¡± The third time. ¡°Durability 39/46. Attack rating dropped slightly.¡± Spoon had no choice, as he did not have much money. He had to rely on Twig¡¯s cheap service. For three straight days he had fought endlessly, taking breaks only to repair his worn down sword. At the dawn of the fourth day, he finally completed the quest, but his prized sword was broken into three parts. Not losing hope, he gathered every single piece of the broken sword and brought it to the blacksmith, hoping to get it reforged. This time, reaching the counter, the normal clerk was not there. In his place was a burly, middle-aged man with a balding head. Before Spoon could talk, the man behind the counter initiated the conversation. ¡°Why, if it isn¡¯t our regular customer, the blue-haired boy. How can I help you?¡± ¡°I was wondering if I could get this sword reforged?¡± Spoon brought out the swords, all the parts of it. ¡°Is this not the sword you keep on bringing here to fix?¡± The man rubbed his chin as he inspected the swords. ¡°Yes. Three times this week, this will make the fourth I guess..¡± ¡°What?! In a week you had to bring it in for repair 3 times, and it¡¯s now broken?!¡± His loud voice startled all the workers in the place. It seemed like this man held high authority over the others. He opened a window showing the details of the week¡¯s transaction, finding the records of the sword¡¯s repair. His eyes widened as he studied the details written. ¡°What the hell is that good for nothing clerk of mine thinking? Assigning this grade of equipment to a total noob, three times!!¡± He roared. Hearing him, relief came to the faces of the blacksmiths at the forge. They knew at least that they are not at fault. Spoon believed that this man might be the owner, to make all the workers shake in their boots. ¡°Firing him yesterday was the right choice after all! That lazy bum!¡± ¡®Well, it seems like the usual clerk got fired. Save me the trouble of explaining that I¡¯m the one requesting lil Twig to do the job. Too bad for him though..¡¯ Spoon kept his thoughts to himself and remained quiet. This created a bit of an awkward atmosphere in the place. Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. ¡°I¡¯m sorry dear customer, I lost my temper a bit. The reputation of my establishment is at risk here.¡± ¡°Ah, no worries. I understand. I would too if I was in your place,¡± Spoon¡¯s guess was spot on, this man is the owner. ¡°It¡¯s not like I can leave this be either. I will personally reforge your sword, free of charge this time. With my skill level, your sword should be as good as new.¡± The owner, who introduced himself as Luke Ainsworth, led Spoon towards his personal workplace. Few had the chance to see a master blacksmith at work personally, and Spoon was given that chance. Disassembling came first, before putting the blade pieces together so he could make a cast. The cast was made from clay-like materials, pressed down on the blade pieces so the sword¡¯s shape and size could be replicated. As the blade shape was embedded into the material, it was sent into the furnace for it to harden. While waiting for the cast to harden in the flame, the blade pieces were melted. Strange fumes came out during this process. Spoon thought nothing of it, as this is not his field of expertise. However, Luke was bewildered. It was the first time he saw such fumes coming out during melting process. Luke decide to maintain his cool, pretending nothing is wrong. He thought he had messed up somewhere, but wouldn¡¯t admit it as he had his reputation to protect. He proceed to pour the molten blade into the completed cast. It was left alone for the melted iron to set in and take the shape of the mold. Fumes continued to escape even when the the blade was left to sit, getting thicker and thicker in the air. Luke feigned ignorance, acting like this was a normal thing that happened all the time. He managed to convince Spoon at the very least, as he shown no suspicions towards the fume. While waiting, Luke Ainsworth tried to find out why fumes were coming out. ¡®It¡¯s an iron blade, made of iron. Iron does not produce such fumes.¡¯ After enough time passed, Luke hammered the mold, chipping away bit by bit, exposing the formed blade inside. The blade then underwent a few rounds of tempering; heating the metal and quenching it in ice cold water over and over, to improve strength. Every time the blade came out of the furnace, more fumes were released. Now, every person in the place noticed the fumes coming from Luke¡¯s furnace. Still, he decided to pay no heed. Sometimes pride can blind a person. After tempering, he did a final round of smoothing out the rough edges and surfaces. At this point, the sword already looked like new. Luke noticed his fingers getting a bit numb. But he still persisted on finishing up the sword. A blacksmith¡¯s reputation lay in the quality of each of their works, even a simple iron sword like this. Only sharpening and polishing was left. He took a deep breath as he skillfully sharpened the sword using a whetstone. He believed that using a whetstone instead of a grinding wheel for sharpening would put the blacksmith¡¯s personal touch into the weapon. He took his time, as he sharpened the blade¡¯s edge and tip to perfection. By the time he was done sharpening the blade, he felt... lighter. Perhaps it was the relief that this job was soon to be completed. Polishing the blade and adding some final touches, he then reassembled the sword. Luke Ainsworth was not a man who did things half heartedly. He put the sword back into its scabbard and gave it to Spoon. As soon as Spoon received the sword, he unsheathed it and began inspecting the sword. It had the same design, and the exact shape and weight distribution as before. The blade, however, had a slightly different tinge, previously the sword was dull grey, but now it had a slight brownish coloration. ¡°Item Info¡± A window appeared on top of the sword, showing its details. Spoon were surprised, the sword¡¯s stats had changed.
| The Iron Sword ¡®Ratbane¡¯ | |
| Stats | Class: Weapon, Sword (Unique) Durability: 90/90 Damage: 19-26 |
| Description | A sword tempered repeatedly with the blood of poisonous rats. Reforged by a master blacksmith, it was given life anew as the Ratbane, a poisonous sword which is especially deadly against rodents. |
| Bonus | On Equip: +15 Str +15 Agi Special: + Chance to inflict poison + Extra 33% damage against rodents +Glows blue when an orc a rat is near |
| Requirements | Minimum Stats: Level 30 STR 60 |
Wrote: Many thanks to my PR, a genderless entity who is kind and humble and wished not to be named. Apologies to readers, for the lack of updates. But seeing the boom in fanfics recently, surely you guys is not short of reading materials. The side stories is to explain a bit on why the blacksmith were empty. Also, I found that the way blacksmithing work in RR quite fascinating, therefore I wrote this and added some things of my own. With all the rat related gear Spoon have, who knows, he might be Ratman; the hero Versailles need, not the one they deserved. Also a sneak peak of a character that will appear some time later, quite possibly much later. Credit to HikaruM for that part. As always, thank you for reading. I plan to post another chapter later. Or two, depending on my super busy PR. {rant} The coding of tables in the forum can be so buggy sometimes. Leaving imaginary spaces around. PR note : Death is too much. Maybe disabled? Author reply : People die when they are killed - Emiya Shirou {/rant} EDIT 1 : Strikethrough bbcode is bugged here. Changed font colors instead.Battle Maiden: Book 2 Chapter 3 Battle Maiden Book 2: Two Path Chapter 3 : Lessons and Enlistment ***** ¡°Come!¡± ¡°It¡¯ll take those boys a while. In the meantime, I have some things in mind.¡± Vanessa En Visna had been given the title of ¡®knight¡¯ for her contributions to the kingdom. Ranked as a captain in the Royal Army, she had a platoon of her own and commanded great respect from her peers. It was said that the only reason she was not ranked higher was due to her personality. She walked with such poise, with her back straight and proud shoulders, that it made her dull armor seem to shine with brilliance. Even though she had aged, there were many who still admired her, men and women alike. Low ranking soldiers ceased whatever they were doing as she passed, giving the most spirited salute they can muster. Even those of the same rank and even higher would spare some time to show respect. Only this time, the saluting soldiers¡¯ eyes was not on her. They were leering at a girl following closely behind. You couldn¡¯t really blame them, a girl was a rare sight in that part of town. Some foreigner women did pass by, but none exuded the air she did. Their captain, Vanessa, had an aura that was gallant in nature. The girl however, was different. It¡¯s like watching a single beautiful flower, or a painting on an empty wall. You couldn¡¯t help but steal a glance. ¡°Beyond veiling..¡± Vanessa mumbled to herself, unconsciously smiling. ***** Sera followed Vanessa as ordered. Along the way, she felt something familiar, pairs of eyes directed toward her. Instinctively, she put up her own barrier, as she did in real life. To show no emotion on her face, to step forward in an undisturbed face. Hiding herself from the judging eyes of the strangers. ¡®Even NPCs do it.¡¯ As they arrived to what looked like an outdoor training ground, Vanessa finally turned around and faced Sera. The place was almost empty, due to the fact that they were preparing for an expedition. ¡°I assume you use both sword and shield? Then, grab a training sword and shield from that rack,¡± Vanessa pointed towards a rack filled with a variety of weapons. ¡®A fighting practice? She did say she¡¯ll guide me.¡¯ Unlike the training center, the weapons here were not wooden. The swords had steel blades, although blunt it was capable of inflicting serious injury. Sera quickly picked a sword and a shield, similar to the ones she was used to, before returning to face Vanessa. ¡®Wait what?¡¯ Sera was surprised, looking at what she returned to. What she saw was the greying knight woman carrying a log twice her height on her shoulder. ¡°Well, shall we begin then?¡± Vanessa raised the timber straight upwards. ¡°Wait!¡± Sera shouted. However, it was in vain, as the timber had already gained momentum. She jumped clumsily to the side,and barely managed to evade the attack. ¡°Now is not the time to worry about getting dirt on your dress. Come at me with all you¡¯ve got!¡± ¡°You always do things your own way!¡± Sera exploded. It was the first time she had ever let her temper get the best of her. Having a log smashing towards her without warning might have contributed to that. ¡°And have you not? You too do things your own way,¡± Vanessa raised the log again, readying another attack. Sera used this time to step out of her reach. The log was not that big, just a bit bigger than her head. But the damage was devastating, evidenced by the hole in the ground where the log had landed earlier. ¡°You keep yourself out of reach. Afraid to get hurt?¡± ¡°Who in their right mind would keep themselves in the range of that big piece of wood?!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not talking about this log.¡± As if seeing the knight wield a piece of log was not surprising enough, Sera now witnessed another event that one could only see in a virtual reality game. The knight leapt through the air with the heavy log in her hands, instantly propelling her into striking distance. Crash! The log split into two as it slammed down. Dust filled the arena,as a result of the impact. On the ground, Sera lay among the debris. She had managed to avoid a direct blow, but not enough to come out unharmed. Discarding whatever was left of her weapon, Vanessa stood over the defeated Sera. With one hand, she picked her up, forcing Sera to stand on her two feet. ¡°It didn¡¯t even hit you. Don¡¯t play dead with me,¡± Vanessa said as she patted away dust from Sera¡¯s dress. ¡°That sort of strength is not human,¡± Sera complained. She had even lost some of her health points from Vanessa¡¯s patting. ¡°You do get what I¡¯m trying to tell you, don¡¯t you? Running away or hiding will not solve anything.¡± Sera understood perfectly, that all she had done was hide and run away. The more people alienated her, she alienated herself even further. It was true that people avoided her in real life, but it was not wrong to say that she avoided them first. ¡®I can¡¯t be hurt by strangers,¡¯ she used to convinced herself. ¡®So she did this on purpose just to make me realise it? The tough love type character. Maybe she¡¯s not so bad after all.¡¯ ¡°I lost,¡± Sera gave a small bow, admitting her defeat. She did start this game hoping to change, and people often say that admitting your fault is the first step to overcome it. She raised her head from the bow, hoping to get some reaction from Vanessa. ¡®Oh shhhi--¡¯ ¡°That last wood must be a driftwood or something. To break after only two strikes,¡± Vanessa stood there, now holding another piece of wood, larger than the last, ¡°Well, now that we got that bit covered, I say we get serious for round two.¡± Vanessa laughed as she charged at Sera. It was at this point that Sera started having nightmares of that loud laughter of her mentor¡¯s. ***** ¡°Say, where do I find a class?¡± Spoon was asking a random traveller. He was now level 32, clad in black-colored equipment. Half of it were quest rewards, the rest, he had bought from stores to match the others. He did not equip the hat he got however, as he thought that it would ruin his ¡®all black coolness¡¯. ¡°What class do you want? I¡¯m sure all you need to do is go to their guild to get the class change quest.¡± Everyone he questioned gave a similar reply. It¡¯s not that he did not know, he was being picky. To him, most of the classes offered had limitations. He wanted something more flexible. He did try out for a knight and paladin class, but decided not to be either of them, since he didn¡¯t feel like flattering some goddess or sugarcoating all his words at all times. ¡°One does not need to praise some goddess to be good. Faking chivalry to gain honor is ironic,¡±Spoon spoke out, saying what he thought should be obvious. Then he realised that he was speaking in front of a statue of Freya,¡°Um, no offense. I¡¯m a firm believer of action speaks louder than words.¡± + 5 relationship point with Lugh ¡°Lugh? Not Freya?¡± Spoon took a closer inspection of the statue. He realised that he had mistaken it for Freya. It was Lugh, another god worshipped in Versailles. He had made a mistake as both were portrayed with long hair. Holding a spear, the Statue of the god Lugh was very rare, as the Church of Lugh¡¯s influence was low compared to Freya. ¡°Ahah! Sorry there, I mistook you for Freya since you look a bit feminine here.¡± - 5 relationship point with Lugh ¡°I did not mean that as an insult. It¡¯s mostly the sculptor fault here. Plus, who cares about looks when you have all that strength?¡± + 5 relationship point with Lugh ¡®This is quite fun actually.¡¯ ¡®Since there is no one around, might just as well play around a bit.¡¯ Spoon began to back and forth flatter and piss off the god in front of him. Something he wouldn¡¯t even consider with Freya, who had many supporters and high influence. Little did he know, he was being watched. ***** *CracK!!* The wooden shield shattered, together with the timber that crashed down onto Sera. It was the second shield rendered useless by the might of Vanessa that day. ¡®She¡¯s seriously trying to kill me!¡¯ ¡®My left arm hurts so much, but I need to strike now while she¡¯s unarmed!¡¯ Sera dashed forward, taking advantage of the flying dust from the impact, hoping it would be enough to hamper Vanessa¡¯s visibility. With every step, she could feel throbbing pain coming from her left arm; she did her best to ignore it. She know that this chance wouldn¡¯t come often. ¡°Charging at an enemy who lost her weapon, not bad.¡± Vanessa knew Sera was coming for her, ¡°I¡¯ll give you praise for quick thinking.¡± ¡®Three steps.¡¯ Sera calculated the distance till Vanessa was in range. ¡®Two.¡¯ Her left foot planted on the ground, her grip on the sword tightened. The sword laid low on on her left side, waiting to burst. ¡®Now!¡¯ Immediately after her right foot kicked the ground, a slash from the sword followed. The rotation from her hip amplified the speed of the strike, so fast was the strike that she literally heard the air itself being torn asunder. By literally, it meant she had missed the attack. *WHAcK!* Sera was sent flying from a solid kick on her stomach. The steel toed boot hurt so badly that she regurgitated her lunch out before she could even land. The landing wasn¡¯t so smooth either, as she rolled for a good three meters before stopping. At least she rolled instead of skidding. Things went dark for a while. As she opened her eyes, she saw the familiar figure of a halfling. It was Reghas, the priest. ¡°Good afternoon. How are you feeling?¡± Reghas asked. ¡°How many fingers do you see?¡± He held up a few fingers uncomfortably, close to Sera¡¯s face. ¡°What happened?¡± Sera was in a muddled state. ¡°You passed out. I applied some healing magic. Did you know that you had a chunk of wood embedded in your left arm?¡± Sera looked at her left arm, bandaged clumsily. It was dyed red with blood, the source of the throbbing pain she felt earlier. Luckily this was a virtual reality game, where a some healing magic and a bit of bandaging could fix a wound which would disable a person for life. ¡°Thank you,¡± Sera said, ¡°For taking care of my injury.¡± ¡°All I did is sprinkle some healing magic on you. Kind of my job description you see,¡± Reghas waved his hands around, wiggling his stubby little fingers, imitating a magician casting a spell. ¡°Uhh, where is Vanessa?¡± Sera looked around, she was in a room which looked like a crude hospital room, filled with the smell of herbs. The one who put her in her current state was nowhere in sight. ¡°After bandaging you up, she went outside to send off the scouting group. She¡¯ll be back soon.¡± ¡°Scouting group? For the expedition?¡± Sera looked towards Reghas with a curious look, she was certain that Vanessa said that she was suppose to be in that expedition. ¡°Yes. A small group of mobile scouts, to survey the path ahead. Since the south is not really mapped properly, having scouts ahead will warn us the dangers and terrain conditions ahead. Makes it easier for the main group which consists of a lot of supply caravans.¡± The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. Reghas paused, rubbing his chin; fully expecting questions from Sera, who looked curious. His expectations were betrayed, as it resulted into an awkward silence. He then decided to continue with his explanation,¡°You¡¯ll be in the main group, as the vanguard alongside Van and me. The main aim of this expedition will be exploration, specifically a ruin which was discovered by foreigners.¡± By foreigners, he meant players. Many players set out by themselves trying to earn fame, and some did found a dungeon or ruin and ended up getting killed by mobs too powerful for them to handle. In such cases, most would try to cut their losses by selling information to other parties. Offering this information to a kingdom or church was a good way to improve your relationship quickly with them. ¡°This case is a bit unique, as the informant told us that statues of Freya are spread around the ruin¡¯s compound,¡± Reghas continued, briefing Sera of what was to come, ¡°Usually monster do not stray close to Freya¡¯s statue, but the foreigners reported sightings of high-leveled monsters roaming the area. As such, the church decided to cooperate with the royal army to search the area.¡± ¡°You mentioned monsters, I don¡¯t think this will be just an exploration mission,¡± Sera finally spoke after listening attentively to Reghas. ¡°More so with Vanessa in charge. I think she¡¯ll charge through the monsters by herself,¡±she added. ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m here. As soon as I heard that she will lead the royal army side, I had to volunteer. She can be a bit of a handful.¡± ¡°I think she wanted to kill me,¡± Sera shuddered as she remembered her fight. ¡°Not really. If she wanted to, you¡¯d be dead right now. Plus, I heard you managed three rounds. That shows she took a liking to you.¡± ¡°She kicked the light out of me. It still hurt!¡± Sera rubbed her stomach, where the kick had landed. The damage was healed, but the pain still lingered. ¡°She is a bit.. unique in her ways,¡± Reghas¡¯ expression changed, as he tried to find the right words, ¡°If she¡¯s uninterested in you, she wouldn¡¯t even bother fighting.Even if she did, it wouldn¡¯t last long.¡± ¡°Torturing people slowly is not much better,¡± Sera complained. ¡°She can get carried away, yes. But you need to understand, the only reason she knocked you out is because you¡¯re bleeding profusely and needed medical attention.¡± ¡°She could have told me to stop.¡± ¡°If it will make you feel better, she did bandage you,¡± Reghas shrugged, in which Sera responded with a pout. Since Sera was no longer in the mood to talk about her new master¡¯s tough love lesson, Reghas switched the topic back to the expedition. She was informed that the main group would depart in two days¡¯ time, after the scouting group had established a safe route for them. Usually by means of messenger pigeons, since private messaging was not available among NPCs. The main group would be divided into several divisions, such as vanguard and rearguard, which would protect the supply caravans in the center. Since Sera was now officially Vanessa¡¯s aide, she would be in the same group as her, the vanguard. Reghas would be in the center, overseeing the whole operation. Reghas mentioned that Vanessa had suggested so, since she said she couldn¡¯t be bothered with such a thing as management. The sound of metal boots interrupted them, as a soldier arrived and requested ¡®Miss Sera¡¯ to follow him. ¡°Captain Vanessa wishes for your presence. I¡¯m here to escort you,¡± The soldier was uptight and a bit stiff,¡°Right this way.¡± Since Reghas had other matters to attend to, he bid Sera farewell and they parted ways. Sera followed the soldier quietly down the halls. ¡°Hey, you¡¯re a player right?¡± The soldier asked in a low voice, almost whispering. ¡°Yes..¡± Sera answered, realising that this soldier was also a player like her. ¡°Really? That¡¯s a relief. You don¡¯t mind me being informal do you? All this soldier talk is tiring me out,¡± The soldier sighed, all the tension from before left his body as he began to relax. ¡°I¡¯m Biggs by the way. The lackey Captain Vanessa called in front of you this morning.¡± ¡°I¡¯m Sera, but I guess that you know me already,¡± Sera gave a small bow, as she always did when introducing herself. ¡°I did call you by name before, did I not? My friend and I were not sure if you¡¯re human, that¡¯s all. The AI in this game are just a bit too realistic,¡± He chuckled, before continuing, ¡°I just won a bet with him, he said that you¡¯re NPC too.¡± Biggs was being very friendly, as there were not many players in the royal army. Most just stayed a while for a mission or two. Being tied to an organisation was not very attractive to most players. He informed Sera that in Captain Vanessa¡¯s platoon there were only two human players, him and his friend Wedge. ¡°We¡¯re here,¡± Biggs tensioned up again. Vanessa was a scary person indeed. He knocked on the door three times, before introducing himself. After a reply from beyond the door, giving him permission, he opened the door and held it for Sera. It was Vanessa¡¯s office. A messy room with stacks of paper strewn all over it. ¡°Biggs,¡± Vanessa said from her seat. A rocking chair, to be more precise,¡°The shield, give it to her. Also bring out the stuff I told you to prepare before.¡± Biggs complied and took out a shield from a chest which he and Wedge had brought in before. A lion decorated the shield¡¯s face, it was Sera¡¯s shield. He then took out few more items, a pair of gauntlets, metal greaves, a pair of battle boots and a chestplate. ¡°Since I just appointed you my aide, you¡¯re automatically part of the army. All recruits are entitled to basic gear,¡± Vanessa explained the reason for the equipment, ¡°Aren¡¯t you glad I¡¯m such a nice person?¡± Sera could only sigh.
| Soldier¡¯s Gauntlets | |
| Stats | Class: Medium Armor, Gloves (Common) Durability: 45/45 Armor rating: 10 |
| Description | Basic steel gauntlets given to recruits. While dull-looking, it is highly practical and easy to move in. Sturdy yet flexible leather lined with protective plates, with extended cuffs made from steel. It is a must for any aspiring warrior. |
| Bonus | On Equip: +5 Str Special: Reduce chance of disarmament |
| Requirements | Minimum Stats: Level 15 STR 25 |
| Soldier¡¯s Greaves | |
| Stats | Class: Medium Armor, Leg Armor (Common) Durability: 45/45 Armor rating: 12 |
| Description | Basic steel greaves given to recruits. A soldier¡¯s mobility is of high priority, as such, the greaves are made from light steel, without compromising much of its defensive capabilities. |
| Bonus | On Equip: +10 Vit |
| Requirements | Minimum Stats: Level 15 STR 25 |
| Soldier¡¯s Boots | |
| Stats | Class: Medium Armor, Shoes (Common) Durability: 45/45 Armor rating: 5 |
| Description | Steel-toed marching boots designed for long distance marches. Improves mobility on most terrain. |
| Bonus | On Equip: +5 Agi Special: Walking and running speed increased by 5% Reduce stamina consumption from walking and running by 7.5% |
| Requirements | Minimum Stats: Level 15 STR 25 |
| Soldier¡¯s Chestplate | |
| Stats | Class: Medium Armor, Torso (Common) Durability: 55/55 Armor rating: 15 |
| Description | Steel chestplate given to recruits. Worn by the proud soldiers of the empire, provides great protection in battle. |
| Bonus | On Equip: +15 Vit +150 HP |
| Requirements | Minimum Stats: Level 15 STR 25 VIT 25 |
Wrote: EDIT: Spacing problem was fixed, thanks to caffeine powered thinking. Alien guy is fired gais Credits: Same old PR, who lay lurking in the darkness not wishing its name to be revealed. Thanks for reading, feedbacks and suggestions is highly appreciated.Battle Maiden: Book 2 Chapter 4 Battle Maiden Book 2: Two Path Chapter 4 : A Band of Fools ***** *Yawn* Sarah cupped her hand and covered her mouth, she barely had any rest last night. The fighting was getting much more intense.She was so fixated on getting revenge against Vanessa, that she forget to keep track of time. ¡®I finally managed to get away.. and now I still need to deal with classes.¡¯ She sat at the back today, unlike the usual front seat. This raised a lot of questions, no doubt about that. It was plain as day on the other students¡¯ face. Even the lecturers were surprised, but none even dared or bothered to ask. ¡°She yawned,¡± a voice whispered. ¡®I can¡¯t even yawn? What sort of image of me do you have in your mind?¡¯ ¡°Are you alright Sarah?¡± The lecturer took notice of her yawning. From fifteen meters away, even when Sarah tried to hide it. She must be some sort of endangered species. ¡°I¡¯m alright sir, just a bit tired,¡± Sarah politely answered. ¡°The lecture must be boring to the genius,¡± another voice whispered. In the quiet hall, it¡¯s not that hard to overhear all the gossips. Most was about her after all. ¡®Maybe I should just skip the class.¡¯ Which she did, and that day another rumor spread, that the genius girl had turned rebellious. ***** Sarah walked out of the campus, hoping to catch the 10 AM bus home. Though the infrastructure of public transportation had improved significantly, Sarah still avoided using them during peak hours. Since it¡¯s way past morning rush hours, she decide to take the bus. There was still 5 minutes till 10, Sarah arrived at the bus stop with time to spare. She was not alone, another person was there sitting lazily. ¡®He looks familiar.. Could it be?¡¯ ¡®He definitely looks like him. It must be him.¡¯ The boy caught her attention, he looked uncannily similar to a boy she met in Royal Road. The only difference was his hair colour. The boy sitting on the same bench as her had brown hair, while the one she met in RR had blue. ¡®Well, it¡¯s normal for people to change their hair colour in game. Even I did.¡¯ The boy, oblivious to the fact he was being studied by a girl, casually turned his head towards Sarah. For a moment, their eyes met, but only for a moment, as Sarah quickly averted her gaze. If only she stayed her eyes a moment longer, she would see that he, too, was quite surprised at his company. *cue awkward silence.* ¡®Running away or hiding will not solve anything,¡¯ Vanessa¡¯s voice resounded in Sarah¡¯s head. ¡®You haunt me even in my thoughts..¡¯ ¡®She is right though.¡¯ Sarah nodded to herself. ¡®I always said I need to change, if it¡¯s him then it won¡¯t be that awkward. We already talked in-game before.¡¯ Fists clenched, she reassured herself,¡®NPCs, humans, what¡¯s the difference.¡¯ ¡°The bus is here,¡± the boy said. All the courage she built up was shattered that very moment. ¡®How do you start a conversation from that?¡¯ She resigned any thought of conversing and gathered her stuff. ¡®Maybe it¡¯s better this way. Who knows if he even remembers me,¡¯ she stood up from the bench. ¡®You keep yourself out of reach. Afraid to get hurt?¡¯ Vanessa¡¯s voice rang again. Perhaps fear therapy was effective after all. Sarah took a deep breath slowly, before exhaling it as fast as she could. ¡®I keep on making excuses.¡¯ She turned around just before she boarded the bus, with a shaky voice, she called out to the boy. ¡°My name is Sarah. What¡¯s yours?¡± ***** Her vision filled with white, a space of emptiness. A voice confirmed her ID through her Iris and Vein pattern, logging her into a virtual reality space. The emptiness was replaced, her surroundings rapidly turned into a room, the room where she had logged off. Sera was once again in Royal Road. ¡°I did get his name, that is a progress right?¡± Since she skipped class today, she was able to log in before the expedition group departed, with time to spare. She sneaked out to find a store to stock up on supplies. She knew the trip would be a long one, judging by the size of the supply caravans. She did have some supplies from the quest rewards given by Mrs. Graham, but having a few extra bandages wouldn¡¯t hurt. She procured some spices and herbs; she knew food would be supplied by the expedition, but army food had a reputation for being tasteless. ¡°You¡¯re late!¡± Vanessa shouted, she seemed restless, watching her aide walking idly. ¡°We are supposed to be the vanguard, we take the point forward. What sort of vanguards lag behind the main group?¡± ¡°Coming,¡± Sera quickened her steps, knowing that arguing with Vanessa was futile. There was also the possibility that Vanessa was pissed that she ran off from the ¡°duel¡± last time. ¡°Can you ride a horse?¡± Vanessa asked, holding a horse by its reins. ¡°No. But I¡¯m a quick learner,¡± Sera was beaming. Having a horse meant that she didn¡¯t need to walk all the way. ¡°Quick learner, that is good,¡± Vanessa nodded. She climbed onto the horse and signaled the vanguard group to march. ¡°I¡¯ll personally teach you once the expedition is over. For now, you¡¯ll march together with the rest of my men.¡± ¡®Then what¡¯s the point of you even asking me that?¡¯ ***** The vanguard group, led by the Royal Knight Vanessa, embarked from the southern gate of the great fort city. A hundred men strong, consisting of veterans and seasoned fighters, they would lead the way of the expedition. The main group, almost twice the size, followed after. The group led by Reghas would be the center of command for the expedition. The supply caravans, pulled by mules and horses, were at the center of the formation, kept safe on all sides. The church¡¯s group made up the majority of the main group, from the battle-hardened paladins, to the faithful clerics. The rear guards, a bit smaller in size compared to the vanguard guards,protect the rear of the group from any dangers. Even if they were barely above 50 men strong, they were highly trained and proud soldiers of the kingdom. The combined group of the Kingdom of Haven¡¯s Royal Army and the Order of Freya marched in formation. From an onlooker standpoint, it would seem as if they were going to war. Perhaps that was the case. They were venturing into the unknown territory, vigilance was of utmost importance. ***** The scouting group consisted of a few brave men, the best in horsemanship the Kingdom could offer. Agile, and able to spot dangers from a great distance, it¡¯s no wonder that the group consisted of rangers and rogues. Among their ranks, a man stood out like a sore thumb. Most of the scouts preferred to travel light, but this guy carried a huge amount of scrolls with him, weighing down his horse. He was the cartographer, the person responsible for drawing maps, and marking hazards along the way. The map would be sent to the main group, approximately 2-3 days behind them. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for slowing the group down,¡± said the man. His horse moved half the speed of the others at best, ¡°Riding on a horse is not my thing.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. None of us have the skill to draw a map, a legible map, that is,¡± said a rogue. The others nodded in agreement. The drawing skill required for drawing an accurate map was not something one could achieve in a short amount of time. This made maps an expensive object of value for adventurers. ¡°All these supplies, I needed them to work, but it ended up slowing the group down. My skill with horses is nowhere near you guys.¡± ¡°Well, there¡¯s an easy fix for that Johann,¡± the rogue was the only player character in the group. A handful of players were hired for the expedition, but only one was qualified to join the scouting group. ¡°We just do this, and problem solved,¡± he took the heavy scrolls from the cartographer¡¯s horse and distributed it evenly with all other members of the group. ¡°But those supplies, the scrolls, they are my job,¡± Johann, the cartographer, cried out. Now he felt like a deadweight for the group. ¡°No it¡¯s not. It¡¯s our job, as a group,¡± the rogue gestured to the whole group of men on horseback. ¡°Your load is our load, we watch for each other¡¯s back. We are a team.¡± The whole squad agreed with the rogue, some with admiration. At that moment, a system notification indicating his relationship points with the squad had increased, popped up. Only he could see it, being the only player character in the group. ¡°I guess I should trust in you guys more. I¡¯m the weakest here after all,¡± Johann let out a small laugh as the scouting group, 15 men strong, proceed on their way. ¡®Day 3, It has been three days since we left Greyhold, we have now reached the limit of where the conventional map can guide us. Now, we¡¯re on our own. The main group however, will proceed with the help of our intel, the scouting group. And that, will be my main job as the cartographer. Traveling in a small group in uncharted lands built strong bonds between the men. I, myself, had particularly been in good terms with a rogue, a foreigner. Being the weakest in the group will make you feel that you¡¯re dragging the group down, it¡¯s an unavoidable feeling. But he always reassured me and supported me. As a mapmaker, I feel both thrilled and nervous of the road ahead. It is the unknown, a place where I can make my mark, together with my comrades, my new family. Scouting Group Members; Ser Johann Borsworth, Cartographer Walaver Arroway, ranger Ricros Silverkin, swordsman Fhalyassa Silverkin, swordswoman Mita Dryadson, messenger Arastine, paladin Wolfswift, rogue Gavin Milner, rogue Searos Hawklight, rogue Larryl the Overlander, assassin Elebrian Farjourney, ranger Eterian Overhill, cleric Durewn Ravenwood, ranger Eldor Brookford, paladin Lightning, rogue Freya guide us.¡¯ ***** *grumble* Sera grumbled as she marched with the rest of the troops. She never had walked for a long period of time before, in VR or real life. To make matters worse, she was the only woman in the whole vanguard! She was the center of attention at all times, and past experience made her loath the feeling. The only reason she was not swarmed by men was because their captain, Vanessa was there. But it did not stop their eyes from stealing a look anyway, which was an understatement. Sera generated the beauty stat just by being catching all the men¡¯s attention. ¡®So, tired..¡¯ Sera thought, not saying it, fearing Vanessa¡¯s wrath. Sera agreed on joining the expedition, an opportunity most players would be willing to die for. Free food, a good source of experience, great rewards, but most of all, gaining fame, and reputation with the church and the kingdom. Traveling in huge groups meant safety. All they had to do was survive until the expedition ended. Sera was hoping for a nice outdoor trip. Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. Vanessa, at the forefront of the group, glanced upwards at the sky, judging time from the sun¡¯s position. As the sun was almost at its peak, she gave a signal to halt the marching troops. She delegated a few men on horseback to scout the perimeter, before approaching Sera, who was now laying on the ground inelegantly. ¡°Tired already? It¡¯s only noon.¡± ¡°I¡¯m just catching a breather, I¡¯ll be fine,¡± Sera responded. Stats wise, the long march shouldn¡¯t pose much trouble to Sera. It was more of a mental fatigue, suddenly doing something you have never done before in an uncomfortable situation. In this case, its a long and boring walk, plus being the center of attention. ¡°You better be, lunch is not going to make itself you know.¡± ¡°Lunch? Did you mean me...¡± ¡°All members with cooking skills are automatically the cooks of the group,¡± Vanessa explained. ¡°In the vanguard¡¯s case, it seems like you¡¯re the only one here with the cooking skill. I¡¯ll send some men to help you, of course.¡± ¡°But.. I.. ¡° Sera couldn¡¯t even form a proper retort to that. It was logical to think that the one with the cooking skill would cook. But she only had cooking beginner 1, and as a trainee, she only made rice in the restaurant she worked in. Now she had to cook a full meal for a hundred people, within a limited amount of time. Sera know that there was nothing she could do to change Vanessa¡¯s mind. Instead, she relied on her memory, of books she had read about field cooking, nutrition, and its effect in Royal Road. In the game, the effect of food was almost immediate. She had studied it before, and through that, she learned the cooking skill much faster than the other workers in Salty Rose. Checking the supplies of the available food, Sera was a bit disappointed, but at the same time, relieved. There was only rice and the meat of an unknown animal, not much choice, but at least she could blame the people in charge of getting the supplies. To be clear, the vanguard groups only carried enough food for lunch, and resupplied when they made camp at night, from the main group¡¯s caravans. Carrying too much was not efficient for a group in charge of protection. ¡®I can make porridge, with meat and herbs in it. That should be easy, and be cooked much faster, as compared to making rice.¡¯ Sera was deep in thought, thinking of the best herbs and spices to use for the situation. While not short of meat or rice, there was basically no herbs and spices. Luckily, she had bought some earlier that day. While struggling with the sack of meat, which she hoped to be beef, a soldier called out to her. ¡°Miss, I was sent here to help you out on Captain Vanessa¡¯s order.¡± ¡°Perfect, start the fire and prepare the utensils.¡± It was too much work for a single person, any assistance would be very helpful. ¡°Just asking, what¡¯s for lunch?¡± The footman needed to know, if he was to prepare the utensils. ¡°Porridge,¡± Sera said, and quickly after, she went off on her own. The soldier was left alone to set things up, clearly disappointed with the menu. Sera had other things in mind, and wandered off away from the group. She was looking for herbs. Or, in her context, anything that was not poisonous and could alter the taste of the food. Plain porridge was terribly tasteless, and after a long walk, it¡¯s not something you look forward to. With herbology skills, she could easily identify common herbs. She knew what they looked like and their effects, since she had spent many hours in the library before. Quickly gathering a bunch of them, she ran back to start cooking. First, the meat was roasted, since simply putting them in the porridge would not cook them that well. At the same time, she started cooking the porridge in two huge pots. She instructed her assistant to watch over the meat. ¡°Just make sure it isn¡¯t burnt.¡± She had no expectations, since food made by people with no cooking skills always ended up bad. In the meantime, she tended to the porridge. She added the herbs she collected into the pots and stirred it well. She added some salt, to replenish electrolytes after the long walk under the sun. Though she was not sure if the concept applied in the game, but some salt wouldn¡¯t hurt. Since her herbology skill was still level one, a few blades of grass did made its way into the porridge. She had noticed it too late, but resigned any thought of taking it out. ¡®These people are supposed to be the kingdom¡¯s finest. Some grass won¡¯t hurt them.¡¯ As the porridge were almost cooked, she turned to the meat that was roasted by her incompetent assistant. Thankfully, just less than a third was burnt. She chopped the meat into small bite-sized pieces and put it into the porridge. ¡°There. Should be done soon,¡± Sera clapped her hands once, satisfied that she had made it in time. Turning to her assistant next to her, she smiled and said, ¡°Thanks for your hard work.¡± The man¡¯s face turned red instantaneously, getting caught off guard by Sera. Sure, he might be an NPC, but 99% realism was not an exaggeration. Stiffening up, he stood straight, saluted, and said at the top of his voice, ¡°It¡¯s my pleasure to serve with you, Miss Sera!¡± ¡®I know I¡¯m practicing my smiles, but his reaction is a bit over the top. Did my smile come out wrongly?¡¯ Sera, thinking that she messed up the smile somewhere, tried to fix things up. Name, she thought, would be a good place to start. ¡°Please, be at ease. I¡¯m not in the military, I¡¯m just here as Captain¡¯s Vanessa¡¯s temporary aide,¡± She hoped that was the case, ¡°Now that you mention it, I didn¡¯t quite get your name.¡± ¡°It¡¯s Derek. It¡¯s an honor to be of help, especially the one the Captain¡¯s acknowledged.¡± ***** *Ttring!*
| -Cooking Skill has increased- -Cooking Skill is now at Beginner 2 (78%)- |
| The group is inspired by their meal. Their morale is boosted and they will perform better in combats. +5% to all stats in combats. -5% in stamina consumption. Effect lasts 5 hours, or until famished. |
| You have eaten a healthy balanced meal. The porridge, despite the taste, is packed with carbohydrates and protein from the meat, has restored your stamina. The herbs added also provide good health benefits. + 100 Max HP + 100 Max Stamina + 5 str and vit Effect lasts 5 hours, or until famished. |
Wrote: I have been procrastinating. I was unsure whether to post or not to post the chapters I had. After my PR ordered me to post the chapter last night, I have no choice but to post it. All credits go to this mysterious PR, all HAIL PR!! I also planned to put the previous chapter, and next chapter thingie.. I''ll slowly update it, as by the time I post this chapter, I''ll need to be on my way to work. UPDATE: It is done! I''ll try to increase update rate in the coming week. As always, thanks for reading. Suggestions, questions, feed backs, comments, critique, money, and other worldly possession is highly appreciated.Battle Rooster Battle Rooster Collectors Edition : Omake Bawk!!
Wrote: Been a while since update, and here I am doing something else entirely. Minor spoiler, which is not to be worried about if you read up to what was translated. Anyways, this is the side thing (3rd version of the original idea), enjoy. Whether or not I''ll keep this running is still unknown.Legendary heroes are but decorated heroes, whose deeds were sung in songs and told in tales by the bards in the inns. But the true heroes, lie in the shadows, unknown, unsung, yet persevere in doing what they believe is right. This may or may not be the tale of one. It is the time at last... VR CAPSULE - Prototype Alpha build 2.46 An early product made for the testing of Royal Road, discontinued after the commercial version of the current VR capsule was made. To say that it is obsolete, however,is not entirely accurate. It was too pricy for normal homes. Hence, the simplified, mass produced version, took over. The difference? Other than being bulky and hard to move around? There are plenty of differences in terms of specs, but most importantly, this unit does not have the usual vein and retinal scan. Identification and logging in is made directly from brain wave patterns. Something not quite suitable for mass producing, or as secure as the commercial capsules. So why is this feature so important? Because it is possible for even me to get into that world. My name is Half Sauce Half Fried. Half Sauce, Half Fried, Full masculinity. Seriously, no other rooster has such a gorgeous red comb as mine, the wattles that would sweep the feet of any hen,or the proud and strong chest of the truest of roosters. The epitome of Cockness. Or is it Roosterness? The equivalent of manliness for the human kind. Fun Fact: We roosters are so manly, humans named their manhood after us. Yeah. But really, I¡¯m getting off the point here. This should be the part where I explain what I¡¯m doing in front of this contraption. To begin, we shall do a quick flashback, I heard humans love flashbacks. Lady Seo Yoon. The story began when my saviour, the goddess in human form, Seo Yoon, rescued me from the grasp of my former evil master. A master so evil, he tried to fatten me with leftover food so that he could eat me once I¡¯m all grown up. That was until Lady Seo Yoon stepped in and rescued me from his grasp. For that, I am eternally grateful. After the incident, I was in her tender loving care. Despite the weird food she tried to feed me, and the other human females that occasionally tried to pet me, life was good. Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. I thought this was heaven, I thought it would last. Until that day..... I saw in the magic screen humans used, something quite dreadful. It was my former master, feeding my goddess while she was defenseless. His evil knows no bounds! First he tried to feed me, trying to plump me up so that he could eat me. Failing that, now he seeks revenge on my saviour who thwarted his plan. What does feeding her have anything to do with revenge, you ask? Everything!! Me overthinking stuff? Exaggerating? Fool, this former master of mine feeding others food is a marvel by itself! His greediness is beyond what your imagination can grasp! He has an ulterior motive! He intends to eat my master!! It is quite obvious. He wanted to fatten up my master first because she¡¯s too scrawny to eat. He did the same to me too. (He failed due to my current master¡¯s intervention. That¡¯s the motive!) It was at that moment that I realised that I need to take action. I realised that it was impossible to try communicate with her, since chicken tongue is an ancient powerful language reserved for only the mightiest of creatures. Did not stop me from trying, though. Since my goddess can¡¯t understand chickenspeak, the only option is for me to go there and rescue her! I started researching the magical screen, studied its properties, and managed to trace it back to its source. It was a world different from ours, filled with more magical stuff. And to get there, one needed to go through some magical teleporting contraptions, aptly named capsule by the humans. Thus, I began to push my research further. A world that was said to have a magic that would automatically translate everything you say, a united world where language is not a barrier. A place I can finally speak to my goddess and warn her of the evil that is Lee Hyun. Which brings me to this day,and hence my journey begins. ¡°Would you like to log on to Royal Road?¡± ¡°BAWK¡± Continue this madness
CREDITS Wrote: Credits to random peeps who gave early reviews. And to one particular PR who 1. PR''ed this stuff 2. drew a panel. (although I was not allowed to use the original. It was redrawn.) 3. for the hugs. Also, I need drawing slaves.. recruits.. collabs. I prefer the first one, no question asked.