《The Dark Side》


 The Dark Side - Prologue

    Prologue


    "Ladies and gentlemen" a short, gray haired announcer screamed into the microphone. "It is my great pleasure to introduce to you tonight''s players!" he roared with enthusiasm, his oily hair reflecting the light of the projectors.


    A dozen men stood on the edge of a large pit in the middle of the place, all of them were looking at the ground blinded by the strong light projected at them. The men saw nothing, yet could clearly hear the sound of excited talking and the clapping of hands around them.


    "You can view their personal data on your displays whenever you wish during the event." The announcer nodded into the darkness and the projectors turned off. "The waiters will arrive with your food shortly, in the meantime while you are waiting for the main matches we hope you will enjoy some of the most beautiful animals alive" he paused as the light in the pit slowly lighted up, reviling rows of cages full of wild and exotic animals, "tearing each other to pieces!".


    He grinned lifting his hands as if he wanted to hug the whole pit.


    Food was brought in, the murmur of anticipation was almost deafening, and when the last plate was placed in front of its respective client, two tigers were unleashed on each other and the murmur became a roar of cheers. All the attention was on the arena as the tigers locked teeth and claws with each other.  The man running to the doors was ignored completely and would have gone out the doors unnoticed if not for the guard waiting beside them. "I''m sorry sir, but you need to return to your seat."


    "Quiet, I need to talk to the ringleader!" he said with such authority the guard almost let him through.


    "Again, sir, I am sorry, but none can leave the room until the event is done." the guard told the man, and crossed his arms.


    "You listen to me now, and listen well! Tell who ever that is on the other side of your headphone that if they want to see any of my money today they better listen to what I have to say. Tell them it is well worth their time."


    The guard just stood there surprised at the man''s actions. "Well? How much more time are you going to waste, start talking!" the man ordered.


    A short moment after the doors were opened from the other side and another guard motioned the man to follow him. The man was taken to a large room and sat in front of the announcer. "I am told you wanted to speak to me, how can I help you Mr... Hmm" he glanced at the screen where the man''s file was opened "Rainold?"


    "I wish to buy one of your fighters."


    "Oh, really? You don''t say... well if so I am afraid I cannot help you. I hope you will return to your table now." He smiled at the Rainold.


    "I will not! I shall stay here until we have negotiated a price."


    "Mr.Rainold I''m afraid you do not understand, this is not a matter of money. Our fighters today, as you are very well aware, are the winners of their respective regions. You have witnessed their ability first hand in the event you attended in London. I have promised you and the rest of the audience a chance to see a champion and I must keep my word." The smile never left his face.


    Mr. Rainold took out a checkbook from his pocket filled it out and sled it in front of the announcer. "What is this?" he said, smiling more than ever. "I do not care for your acting, write down a number and it shall be paid to you in full." A sweat drop slid down Rainold''s face and disappeared under his suit.


    Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon."I forgot to ask Mr.Rainold, which fighter is that you wish to acquire?" looking slightly interested now.


    "The Black Dragon."


    The announcers smile turned into a grin." And what is it you would like to do with him if I may ask?"


    "That is not your concern. Write down your sum and have him sent to my car." He stood up and was already out of the door when the announcer said, ¡°I do hope you will stay to see the other matches. You should try to get some of your money back."


    "I will leave once I have finished eating. Thank you for your concern."


    "Where did you go, dear?" asked M¡¯s.Rainold once her husband sat back at his plate. "Nothing to worry about honey, I''m just taking care of my future in the company."


    He was happy; it has been a long time since he felt so happy. It was this unhappiness that led him to these underground fighting matches. He had more money than he could ever spend yet he was bored. In his wildest dreams he would have never believed his search for thrills would bring to such a discovery.


    The food was good and the first match was as bloody as he liked it. His was in a great mood and wished he could stay, but he needed to get himself back to Europe as fast as possible.


    Done eating he stood up only to sit back down again. The announcer walked to the edge of the pit speaking to the audience with glee. Rainold tried to listen but nothing registered in his mind, all he could comprehend was the figure the announcer kept pointing at. The man he just bought, the one who was supposed to be waiting for him in his car, was standing at the bottom of the pit looking bored. Rainold couldn''t make himself curse the announcer or try to argue, he knew it was too late. He would get what he bought, it will be delivered to his car, or at least what remained of him would.


    He breathed out with relief when he saw cages rolled into the pit. ''If the opponent isn''t human then he won''t even be harmed.'' He pressed the button that summoned the waiter.


    "Dear, quick bet on the wolves, quick. I have a feeling the gray one with the brown back will get the kill." M¡¯s.Rainold mugged her husband to no avail.


    "No..."


    "Not him? Who then? The other wolves look so much smaller than him, I''m betting on the gray one."


    "No."


    "Dear?"


    "Bet on the boy."


    "Sweetie, please. Be serious he has no chance, look; the odds are 30 to 1 against him. He has no cha..."


    "It''s okay." Color was starting to come back to Rainold''s face. "Don''t worry; he would win regardless of the opponent, I just feel sorry for the pups."


    His wife gave him a strange look. She trusted her husband, He may like to take risks, but he never took unnecessary risks, he wouldn''t have made his fortune otherwise.


    "How much should I put?" she sighed, putting her faith in her husband.


    "All of it." Rainold said calmly as he ordered desserts.


    "I said all of it honey, you better hurry before they close the bids."


    Looking at her husband¡¯s smile she put her bid on the "Black Dragon", looked at her husband again only to see him relaxed in his chair. So she took a few breaths, rechecked their bid and pushed back against the seats back, turning her head to watch the next match.

 The Dark Side - Chapter 1

    Chapter One - Not Completely Back Home Yet


    "Dear, why did you leave the money?" M¡¯s.Rainold was on the verge of hysteria.


    "I bought something with it, honey."


    "With all of it?¡± She looked at her husband nodding calmly as they were walking back to their car.


    She bet 10 million dollars and won. With the odds as they were, their winning totaled 300 million.


    "What in god''s name could cost 300 million?" She was almost running after her husband now.


    "Stop rushing and answer me, what did you spend the money on?"


    "On him." He pointed at their car that came into view.


    M¡¯s.Rainold stopped looking at her husband and followed his finger. Her hands shot up to her mouth to hold back a scream.


    "Jon, I missed you so much." Mr.Rainold hugged the man covered in wolf blood.


    "What are you doing? Get away from him." She would have pulled her husband back but she was too terrified of the same gray wolf she wanted to bet on.


    "It''s nice to see you again, Joshua."


    Joshua Rainold looked shocked; the boy he remembered was gone, replaced by this emotionless man.


    "Bring him something to wipe himself with!" he yelled to the driver.


    "Don''t worry. Used to this.  Put something on your seat, it will get dirty." The dead look in his eyes never wavered.


    Mr.Rainold motioned his wife to get in the car; he decided there will be enough time to think about all of this later.


    "Don''t worry about it, just get in, let''s go home." His hand on Jon''s shoulder he gently nudged him into the car, but Jon refused to move.


    "What about him?"


    "Who?"


    He looked at his feet and Joshua followed the stare, reacting the same way his wife did.


    "What is that?" he backed into the car.


    "A wolf."


    "I can see that! But why is it with you?"


    "He wanted to come."


    "We can''t take him, send him away."


    "Are you sure?"


    "Yes I''m sure! We can''t fly a wolf into Greece."


    "..."


    Joshua wavered for a moment seeing for the first time, Jon¡¯s expressionless face show a hint of emotion. As he got on one knee and took the wolf¡¯s head in his hands he looked sad. But with a quick twist, the wolf fell to the floor motionless and Jon''s face was again unreadable.


    He stared at Jon with disbelief, he expected him to have changed after participating in the underground fights, but for him to kill an animal as if he were opening a bottle shocked him more than anything he had ever seen. The boy he had known would never harm an animal; he refused to swat a mosquito, let alone break a wolf''s spine.


    "It''s better this way."


    "Wha...Why¡­ehh how is it better?"


    "They would have taken him back and made him fight again, at least I killed him painlessly."


    He got in the car and asked where they were going.


    "Home." Mr.Rainold said nothing until they got there.


    "This isn''t my home."


    "No, it is not. I talked to Gorge and we decided it would be best if you lived here until we know more. No one will bother you here."


    "Gorge? Will he be there?"


    "Yes. He will take care of you just like when you were a kid."


    A little smile appeared on Jon''s face as he remembered his childhood.


    "I wish dad were here too."


    "We all do."


    They were heading to an island not far from Greece. It was used as a vacation house for the heads of their company. However since Richard¡¯s death it was always empty.


    The island was covered with wild plants and was left as it had been, except for a small house not far from the beach. A boat was tied at the dock and Joshua maneuvered his yacht next to it.


    "This must be Gorge''s. Follow the path; I need to gather some things before I follow you."


    Jon jumped off the deck and started walking up a dirt path.


    Joshua was looking at him till he disappeared into the bush. He couldn''t help but remember the old days, which put tears in his eyes.


    Five years passed with them not hearing a word about Jon. He believed Jon was dead and seeing him alive and well, at least physically, was just too confusing. He didn''t leave Jon''s side from the moment they got in the car, and only now that he was alone did he finally come to terms with the fact.


    -''Gorge knows what to do''- he thought to himself and sighed ''no need to hurry now''. He sat down on the ledge and looked at the horizon losing himself in his thoughts.


    Jon didn''t walk long when the house came into view. It was a three story cottage, made entirely out of wood. Trees surrounded it hiding it almost entirely out of view. Only the windows and the front porch protruding out of the foiledge were visible.


    He walked lazily up the two steps that led onto the porch and looked at the front door blast open, hitting the wall with a load thump.


    An old man ran out of the house and right at him. He was ready to fight back the moment the door opened but he lowered his defenses when he saw the old man was weeping.


    The old man collided into Jon and hugged him with all his strength. He was crying now into Jon''s chest yet Jon''s hands stayed firm at his side.


    "I can''t believe it''s you." It was hard to understand him with all the weeping. "I''ve missed you so much young master, oh so much." The tears kept on falling.


    Jon kept quiet. He recognized Gorge now, but simply didn''t know what to say. So he said nothing, as there was nothing better to say.


    Gorge was still crying. There seemed to be no end to the tears, so they stood there until Jon finally decided to speak.


    "Don''t cry." was all that came out. He wanted to say more, but nothing came out. To Gorge it was more than enough, it was the same voice he heard so long ago.


    "Let us go inside, I''ve prepared some food." The tears stopped and a smile covered his face now, making him look thirty years younger.


    They sat at the dining table, Jon stuffing himself not even chewing the food, Gorge wiping away a tear every other minute when Mr.Rainold came in. He nodded at Gorge a stood next to him keeping silent as well.


    "I''m tired." He said it so suddenly the two other men in the room looked around to see if there was someone else with them.


    "Yes, I''m sure you are¡­ go up and choose yourself a room you like, I need to speak to Joshua. I will wake you up for breakfast tomorrow."


    Jon stood up, but not before stuffing his mouth with some more food, and walked up the stairs.


    "Good night," said Mr.Rainold.


    "Sleep tight," said Gorge.


    They waited until they heard the sound of the door upstairs shut close.


    "Gorge, I¡­" He was interrupted by Gorge who hugged him.


    "I do not care Joshua, not today. You have already told me the important parts over the phone, the rest can wait. I will not judge you and I ''m not going to ask what it was that you were doing there." He looked at Mr.Rainold sympathetically.


    "I am forever grateful to you. You have proven yourself a true friend and a trusted man. Lord knows there aren''t many like you among the other board directors."


    Mr.Rainold sat put two glasses on the table and poured in whisky from the bottle he brought with him.


    "I can use a drink, Gorge, the past couple of days were very long."


    Gorge sat down and downed the glass in one go. A drink was something he needed as well.


    He extended his glass to Mr.Rainold for a refill.


    "Hits the spot doesn''t it?" He laughed. They both did.


    "Sit down Joshua; we have a long night ahead of us."


    "You are right, I have to return tomorrow, with you here my workload will triple." He sat down and sipped his drink.


    "Do not worry about the work; I can take care of it from here," he sighed. "The problem is not in that¡­ what do we do now? He''s not himself¡­ It''s like he doesn''t even remember me at all."


    "He does. Gorge. He smiled when I told him that it''s you who will be taking care of him."


    "He did." Tears appeared at the edges of his eyes again. "That''s good. I was afraid he lost his feelings completely. He just looked bored. Bored when he met me, bored while he ate and bored when he finished eating. Like he wasn''t even there¡­"


    "Give him time, Gorge, that¡¯s all he needs now. Time with someone he knows and who loves him."


    "We have to keep him a secret," he suddenly looked afraid, "who knows what they will do if they find out he is alive. They might kill him; we have to keep him hidden."


    "It''s okay, Gorge, leave it to me, I''ll make sure they¡¯ll never find out about him, not until we want them to, at least, I''m quite good at these things." He smiled and poured himself another drink.


    "As long as we are careful around Yo, we have nothing to worry about. He''s the only one who''s still aggressively trying to take the control over the company, the rest seem to have already accepted you."


    "I know that, I''m just afraid they''ll try to get rid of him. Even if he doesn''t decide to lead the company, he still owns the majority of the shares¡­ He can overrule their every decision. They aren''t going to stand by and let him be."


    "Don''t worry, I''m on your side, and while it seems otherwise, there are still many who remember and respect his father. They will stand by us, I''m certain of that."


    "Oh, Joshua, what will we do with him, we need to get him help."


    "It''s fine, listen; he''s not as far gone as you seem to think. I kept my eyes on him closely while we traveled, he''s just distant. Who knows what he went through these five years. We don''t need to hurry. All we need to do is¡­"


    The first rays of sunshine hit the dew gathered in the night. If someone looked out of the window at that time he would see an already beautiful island turn into a paradise. The whole island shone as if covered by thousands of gems.


    A scene lost, with none to look at. Out of the only three men on the island, one was asleep and the other two were too occupied, to take the time to look outside.


    "I should get back." Said one of them,


    "Stay for breakfast, at least." The other man stood up slowly.


    "Can''t. I have a plane to catch."


    "I see. Well, it''s goodbye then."


    "It is. Gorge¡­ good luck." He extended his hand forward.


    "Thank you, the same to you." He shook his hand and ended it with a fatherly embrace.


    "Don''t forget to make him bathe. He won''t do it unless you tell him to."


    "I''ll make sure to tell him."


    Both man sighed out loud and smiled at each other.


    "See ya."


    "Good bye."


    Mr.Rainold left and Gorge entered the kitchen to prepare breakfast. He heard the sound of the yachts engine start up right as the water in the pot started to boil. He turned off the gas and headed upstairs to wake up Jon.


    There was no trouble finding the room he chose, with dirty foot marks leading to it. He opened the door slowly and froze in place. He swallowed hard, trying to swallow a sudden fear that hit up him. The pair of eyes looking at him from the corner of the dark room seemed more beast than man¡¯s.


    He reminded himself that it was only Jon, yet the goose bumps refused to disappear from his skin. "It''s me, Jon." He said with a chocked voice.


    "Why are sitting in the corner like that? Didn''t you like the bed?" He tried to smile.


    Jon continued to stare silently.


    -''Just continue talking to him, Joshua said it will make a difference eventually."-


    "Come on, Jon, on your feet now."


    Jon stood up obediently, still staring from his corner.


    "Did you sleep well?"


    "¡­"


    "You look rested."


    "¡­"


    "I''ve made breakfast." Jon''s eyes relaxed at the sound of this, "Let''s go eat it together." He smiled and motioned to the door.


    Jon moved cautiously towards the door, passing Gorge carefully. Gorge followed him closely downstairs.


    "Go, wash up while I set the table. The bathroom is to the left."


    "¡­"


    Gorge smiled to himself, reminding himself it will all be fine in the end.


    They ate together, although Gorge talked more than he ate. He spoke to Jon about everything and anything, trying to vary the topics as much as he could. He wanted to get some response out of Jon but it was no use. Jon listened, but didn''t say anything back.


    For more than an hour they sat at the table and Jon only uttered one word.


    "More".


    Gorge made more food and Jon said no more.


    He was cleaning the table when the phone rang.


    "Yes."


    "I see¡­" he looked at Jon, who sat and stared at the space.


    "Forward it to me, I''ll take care of it."


    "Ok."


    "Jon¡­" He closed he phone, "I need to take care of some work will you be okay."


    "¡­" Jon looked at him or more like through him.


    "Do you have anything you want to do?"


    "¡­"


    "There''s always the T.V if you don''t feel like doing anything." He felt like he was speaking to the air. But Jon stood up, and walked to the living room where he sat and turned on the T.V.


    A Greek news show was airing and Jon didn''t bother to change the channel. He just sat there staring at the T.V, Gorge doubted he even saw it.


    -''Well at least I don''t need to worry about him going anywhere.''- Gorge relaxed and left to the workroom hoping to finish as fast as possible.


    It was the usual work, approving this, changing that. His secretary had already taken care of most of it, he just had to give his final approval on the matter.


    It was going smooth, he finished most of the work after two hours, and he decided to go down and check on Jon.


    He could hear the sound of the T.V, it was still on the same news channel. He entered the living room and freaked out when he couldn''t see Jon.


    He ran to the middle of the room almost stepping on Jon who was lying on the floor.


    "What are you doing?" he yelled, "Why are you on the floor?" he was slowly regaining his calm.


    "Training," he said, and began doing push-ups.


    Only now did Gorge notice that Jon was covered in sweat.


    "Why?" he sat down on the sofa.


    "¡­"


    "Jon! Listen to me, what are you training for?"


    "¡­"


    "Jon, you don''t need to do this anymore, you will never need to fight again. It is fine you are safe now."


    Jon continued to lift himself up and down from the floor.


    "Jon¡­" Gorge felt desperate, he pulled Jon up from the floor and tried to sit him down on the sofa, but Jon resisted.


    "Jon, stop it!" He was yelling again, however, Jon looked unaffected. "You will never have to fight again."


    "I know." Jon was looking him in the eyes.


    Stolen novel; please report."Then why are you doing this?"


    "¡­"


    Gorge released Jon and backed away from the living room. Before he even exited the room Jon was already on the floor again, pushing himself up from it repeatedly. Gorge felt helpless and powerless. He stood there, watching over Jon, contemplating on how to deal with him.


    He made up his mind and decided to start immediately. Jon seemed to do what he was told even if he kept silent, so he will use that to his advantage.


    "Jon!"


    "¡­"


    "Jon are you listening?"


    "¡­"


    "Jon, answer me!" He said with a commanding tone, "Are you listening?"


    "Yes."


    "Good." It worked, "From now on whenever I ask you something you will answer me. Do you understand?"


    Jon stood up and looked him in the eyes. For a second Gorge regretted speaking this way, but he steeled his will and continued.


    "Do you understand Jon?"


    "I do."


    "Very good. Now answer me, why are exercising?"


    Jon didn''t answer immediately this time, he looked as if he were searching for the right words.


    "I¡­"


    "I¡­eh¡­ I"


    "It''s okay Jon. You can tell me." Gorge felt the muscles of his face relaxing as his heart went out to the poor boy.


    "I''m bored."


    Gorge couldn''t stop himself from laughing. That was all, boredom? He imagined such horrible things and all it was, was boredom.


    "It''s no wonder you''re bored, you''ve been watching the news for the past two hours and you can''t even understand a word."


    Jon looked at the television screen and then fixed his eyes back at Gorge. He looked as if he were waiting for something.


    "Jon, tell me, why didn''t you change the channel?"


    "You said watch T.V."


    "Yes, I did. But why didn''t you change the channel if you wanted to?"


    "¡­"


    Jon looked confused; he kept throwing his gaze from Gorge to the television screen. He looked like he was sweating more than a minute ago. Gorge was about to ask him the same question again when it finally hit him.


    -''He does exactly what I tell him! He''s waiting for permission! I didn''t state he was allowed to change the channel and so he didn''t.''-


    "Jon, look at me."


    "You can watch whichever channel you want, do you understand? Change it as much as you want until you find something you like. Ok?"


    "Ok."


    Jon sat down on the sofa, the bored expression back on his face again.


    Gorge felt better, he felt like he understood what the real problem was now, or at least the first problem he needed to solve.


    -''It will take some time.''- Gorge decided. He turned to head back to his work when he remembered Mr.Rainold''s words right before he left.


    "Jon, go take a shower before you start channel surfing."


    Jon stood up and went towards the bathroom.


    "Jon, I can''t know if you heard me if you don''t say anything."


    Jon stopped in his tracks.


    "Where are you going?"


    "Shower."


    "Good. I put some spare clothes in your room. Put some on when you''re done showering and throw what you''re wearing in the trash. Once you''re done you can go back to watching television."


    "Oh, and you can change the channel how many times you want. You got all that?"


    "Yes."


    Gorge sat down at his desk feeling much relieved and continued his work. It was late in the afternoon when he finally finished. He checked the time and saw that they should''ve already eaten. He checked on Jon to see if everything was ok, and assured that it was he went into the kitchen to prepare lunch.


    "Jon, food¡¯s ready, come join me at the table." Gorge was finishing setting the table when Jon came and sat down. Jon immediately started to pile food on his plate.


    "Say, thank you, Jon."


    "Thank you."


    "Bonapetit" Gorge sat down and started eating as well.


    "So Jon, did you find anything you liked?" he asked when Jon was busy taking seconds.


    "Yes."


    "Really? Will you tell me about it?"


    "¡­" he seemed to be too preoccupied with stuffing food in his mouth to bother with answering.


    "I thought we had an agreement, Jon. Please, answer me when I''m asking you something. What did you watch?" He finished eating and was now watching Jon trying to swallow large chunks of meat without chewing.


    "Aphagme"


    "Chew you food properly, it''s not going to run away from you."


    "A game." He said again once he swallowed.


    "What game?"


    "Video game."


    "A video game? And they were showing it on television?"


    "Yes."


    "Must be one hell of a game then. What is it called?"


    "Royal Road."


    "What is it about?" he was trying to make Jon continue talking and the game was as good as a topic as any.


    "¡­"


    -''I need to be more specific with him.''- He took a moment to think and rephrased his question.


    "What did you like about the game?"


    "Not boring."


    "Hah" he laughed, "Would you like to play Royal Road as well, Jon?"


    Jon stopped eating and looked up at Gorge. He swallowed slowly and said with a begging voice, "Yes!"


    "Very well then. I will give my secretary a call and ask her to send you a copy."


    "Have you finished eating?"


    "Yes."


    "Ok. You can do whatever you want until dinner."


    Jon stood up and walked back to the living room.


    "Jon," Gorge followed, "if you feel hungry you can take what you like from the refrigerator, ok?"


    "Ok." His eyes were already glued to the screen.


    "Ok." Gorge smiled and left him alone.


    "Silia." He phoned his secretary from the office.


    "Yes, I''m fine."


    "I need you to get me something."


    "A game."


    "Don''t worry, I''ll find the time."


    "No, keep forwarding the work here."


    "Royal Road."


    "Make sure it gets here by tomorrow, understood?"


    "Very well."


    "Yes."


    "Goodbye."


    He hung up.


    -''Might as well call Jushua too.''- He said Mr.Rainold''s name to the phone and waited.


    "How are you doing, Gorge?"


    "Better than expected, Joshua. Much better in fact."


    "That''s good to hear."


    "Yes, he doesn''t talk much, but he answers when I ask him something. However, the answer must be simple or else he keeps his mouth shut."


    "I see."


    "Listen, I''m calling to say, that I''ll be trying something with him."


    "Already?"


    "Nothing dangerous, do not worry. He saw a game called Royal Road on the television and said he liked it. I told him he could play it."


    "I don''t think that was wise Gorge. I know the game, he''s already out of touch with the real world, I think the game will make it even worse."


    "I don''t care about that at the moment Joshua. He refuses to talk in full sentences. We can''t begin to understand what he has been through unless he tells us about it, and we can not force him too.


    "So you want him to play the game so he has something to talk about?"


    "Exactly. A common interest so to say. I¡¯d like him to want to talk to me and the game might be just what we needed."


    "I still think it''s a bad idea, Gorge."


    "It''ll be fine. If worst comes worst, all we have to do is take the game away."


    "Gorge, do you know what the game¡¯s about?"


    "I do not."


    "I thought as much, learn about it a little and call me after if you change your mind."


    "Agreed."


    "Later then."


    "Goodbye."


    Gorge did just that. He read all he could find about Royal Road up to the point where he fell asleep by the computer screen. The ringing of the phone woke him up.


    "¡­"


    It was his secretary. He looked at the clock and saw that it was almost noon already. He straightened up and shook his head to wake up.


    "Yes, Silia, I am listening."


    "Very good."


    "I know, I know, don''t worry. I''ll let them in."


    "Already here? Why didn''t you call earlier."


    "Damn it, you should''ve tried harder."


    He hung up in a hurry, he had to find Jon. They can''t be allowed to see him. Even his secretary was clueless about his existence.


    There were no sounds from down stairs so he ran to Jon''s room, blasting the door open and stumbling into the room. Jon was there alright. But not where Gorge expected to find him.


    Gorge was lying on the floor and Jon was sitting on top off him with a hand around his neck.


    "It me."


    Jon let go him and stood up. Gorge lay there shaking.


    "People are coming to set up the game we talked about yesterday. I need you to stay in your room and be quiet. Do you understand Jon?"


    "Yes." He was sitting in the corner of the room again.


    Gorge got up, his whole body sore. He kept thinking how badly it could''ve all ended.


    "You can sleep on the bed if like, Jon, you will get sick if you keep sleeping on the floor like that."


    Jon just looked at him as if nothing had happened.


    "I''ll call you when they are gone." He left Jon and went to meet Silia and the workers on the beach.


    "You don''t look well," said Silia as they entered the house.


    "I did not sleep very well."


    "Sir, are you sure you want to play this game?"


    "I do. I want to feel young again." He smiled to her casually.


    "Sir, I''m worried about you. You decide to go on a vacation out of the blue like that and you don''t even say when you''ll be back. The board directors are worried, I''m worried. Did anything happen?"


    "Nothing dear, things are better than ever. All I need is a good night''s sleep."


    "Are you doing okay? Are you sure you don''t want me to hire a maid?"


    "Dear, you are forgetting I myself have more experience as a maid. I''ve served the Doe family for 50 years. Whether as a butler or as the C.E.O is of little importance to me. I will continue to serve them until I am dead and no sooner."


    "Sir¡­"


    "That is enough, I have made my decision and it is your job to accommodate it."


    "Very well sir." She straightened up and assumed a business attitude.


    "Let me explain how to operate the capsule." She walked up to what looked like a large silver refrigerator and began talking.


    "Jon, you can come down now." Gorge was sitting at the dining table waiting for Jon to join him for launch.


    While Jon was eating, Gorge told him the games basics. He explained about leveling, skills stats, quests and professions. He intentionally didn''t go into details. He wanted Jon to inquire for more information on his own in the hope hat Jon will come to him for help.


    He showed Jon the capsule and repeated what Silia had told him earlier about operating it.


    "Do you have anything you don''t understand?" He asked, hoping for a reaction.


    "No."


    Jon got into the capsule and got comfortable. Before closing the lid Gorge decided to give Jon one last advice.


    "When you level up, make sure you put all your stat points into Dexterity at first, it will make you faster. Your combat experience and fighting prowess will mean nothing if you can''t hit your opponent. You can overcome the difference in strength with your knowledge of fighting and speed."


    A small smile appeared on Jon''s face and just as Gorge closed the lid he heard Jon¡¯s murmur: "Thank you".


    He backed away from the capsule as that began to tilt backwards until it was horizontal to the floor. The sound of processors spinning filled the room and Gorge was left with nothing to do but wait.


    "Might as well get some work done." He said to himself and left to the office.


    "He''s not here yet?" Said Si as he joined Vi at the town square.


    "You''re surprised? It''s Ron we¡¯re talking about¡­" he stood up and greeted his friend.


    "Ready?"


    "Hah, I''ve been waiting a month for this day."


    "I leveled up yesterday."


    "Congratz, man."


    "Yeah. I finished a quest for some merchant and my level rose to four."


    "Nice, I''m still stuck at three. We mages waste too much time reading books in the mages guild; I hardly had any time for anything but that."


    "You know, I was talking to Ron on the phone yesterday and he said he''s already level six."


    "Lucky bustard. How the fuck did he land a job at the blacksmith stand?"


    "Here he comes, you can ask him yourself."


    Ron was running towards them while waving something over his head.


    "Look what I got."


    "Wow," Si and Vi said at the same time.


    Ron was holding a brand new Iron mace and he looked ecstatic.


    "The blacksmith I worked for gave this to me as a present when I told him today I was going hunting outside the city walls for the first time."


    "Damn, that¡¯s nice. Do you think he will give us something too?"


    "Maybe, man, I''ll ask him later."


    "Let''s go, guys; I can''t wait to finally fight some monsters." Vi was shaking with excitement.


    "Relax, man! Were too weak to fight anything cool, we''ll probably be killing rabbits until were at least level ten!."


    "Yeah! The best we can manage is a fox if we gang up on him, even that if we¡¯re lucky."


    "Hey Ron I''m not like you, one spell and I can take down a wolf! You probably can''t even swing that huge metal ball of yours."


    "A wolf? In your dreams! You''ll be lucky to kill a rabbit with how weak your noob spells. With this mace I can kill both you guys with one hit."


    "Oh yeah? You wanna try swinging that thing at me, ah? Ah?."


    "Relax guys, relax. None of us ever fought before, lets see how we deal with a rabbit and we''ll see where we go from there." Si Spoke with the voice of reason.


    "Ok, men, yeah, let¡¯s get going."


    "Wait!" Ron suddenly spoke quietly," You wanna know if I can swing, I''ll show you. You see that newbie over there?"


    They turned to the direction Ron was looking at.


    "Yeah what about him?"


    "I''m going to scare him a little."


    "Don''t, man, what if he fights back?"


    "Don''t worry, man, I''m not gonna kill him or anything, I''m just gonna scare him a little. You know, give him a friendly welcome into the game. And if he fights, what of it? I''m level six and the guy just logged in for the first time." A smirk appeared on Ron''s face.


    "I don''t like it, Ron, we better just go hunting like we planned." Si tried to calm things down again.


    "Relax, Si, look at the way he''s moving. We did the same on our first time, remember Ron? Man, that weird feeling of not knowing if what you¡¯re seeing and feeling is real or fake. Do it Ron, he won''t touch you even if he tried."


    "Yeah." He started walking slowly, trying to get as close as possible without his target noticing.


    "We''ve got your back worry."


    "This is going to end badly, I just know it."

 The Dark Side - Chapter 2

    Chapter Two ¨C A Helpful Merchant


    "Hello," a pleasant female voice said.


    Jon was staring into total darkness. He tried to move and discovered he was floating. Even though his body was immobilized in the capsule, he could move freely in the encircling darkness.


    "Hello." The voice said again. It seemed to come from all directions at once.


    "Hello," he answered.


    "Welcome to Royal Road. Your body is being scanned at the moment; in the meantime, please, choose a nickname."


    "Jon."


    "Very good. Jon, what race do you want to play as?"


    "Me."


    "Very good. Jon, human. Do you want to make changes to you appearance?"


    "No."


    "Very good. Please choose a place to start playing." A list of names appeared, floating in the darkness.


    -''Gorge said to start in Rosenheim.''-


    He found the name Rosenheim Citadel near the bottom of the list and picked it.


    "Very good. The scan will be finished in a moment. Please wait."


    Jon floated for a while in the darkness. He felt at home in it.


    "Scan complete. The game will start now. I hope you will enjoy playing, good luck."


    The darkness faded into a blinding light.


    Jon closed his eyes against the bright light. Sounds of people talking surrounded him. Opening his eyes he saw a market, busy with people walking about. He couldn''t believe it. In his mind he was still in the capsule but his eyes were telling him otherwise.


    He lifted his arms and shook his legs.


    -''Just like my real body''- he thought


    He tried making a step. It went okay, so he tried to jump. That worked fine as well.


    -''It even smells real.''-


    He looked around, Gorge explained to him about Npcs (Non-Player-Characters) but it was impossible to tell the difference. Everyone he looked at looked like a real person. They all went about their business around him, trading and talking.


    -''That guy might be an Npc.''-


    In the whole crowd only one person stood out. He was walking strangely slowly, looking at the opposite direction of which he was going.


    Jon ignored him. He was busy trying out the interface commands. One by one he checked different menus. From his inventory that contained only a handful of rye bread to his skill menu which was empty, he checked them all. To him the menus looked like floating, transparent pages. The menus were only visible to Jon, so from the side he looked like a crazy person, pressing and flipping the air.


    A man who walked by him gave him a disgusted look and when Jon turned around to look at him, his eyes met the eyes of the person who he thought was an Npc.


    Only this Npc raised an iron club over his head and was preparing to swing it down at Jon.


    Without a second thought Jon moved forward closing the small distance between him and the attacker in one step. His foot stepped on the attacker''s foot and he pressed down hard while simultaneously pushing him backwards.


    The weight of the iron club raised high in the air together with a small push made him lose his balance and he fell on his back, letting go of the club to cushion the fall with his hands. Jon caught the club in the air and dropped it hard on the man. The heavy club connected with the throat of the man who was now lying on his back and crushed it completely.


    Critical Hit


    A window popped up in front of Jon''s eyes and disappeared after a second. The man under his feet turned grey and disappeared as well, only his club was left, held firmly by Jon.


    Level Up


    Level Up


    You have killed a player!


    Fame is decreased by 20 points. (-20 Fame)


    A red mark has appeared on your forehead, it will disappear in 6 hours.


    It was over in a flash.


    "He killed him" A voice screamed close by. Jon ignored it.


    He raised a hand to touch his forehead and sure enough there was something that felt like a small gem stuck right in the middle.


    -''Stats menu''- He spoke the command in his mind and the menu materialized in front of him.


    "Fucker killed Ron!" a different voice this time.


    -''What did Gorge say I should raise when I level up?''-


    "Si, let''s get him!." The first voice said.


    -''Right, raise the dexterity.''- Jon put the ten status points he got from reaching level three into the Dexterity status.


    "Si, distract him while I cast a spell." "Now! Go! What are you waiting for?"


    Jon looked at the direction the voice was coming from. His dexterity stat was now at twenty, ten points higher than the stat of the man running at him with a drawn sword. Not a lot but more than enough.


    Jon spun on one foot to avoid the sword that passed near his right shoulder. Not waiting for the spin to finish, he used the spin momentum to raise the iron club fast towards the opponent¡¯s chin.


    The club hit dead center.


    It broke the chin and kept going upwards; squishing the head out of the openings in the helmet replacing with an iron ball what was once a face.


    Critical Hit


    Level Up


    You have killed a  player!


    Fame is decreased by 20 points. (-20 Fame)


    The red mark will disappear in 12 hours.


    Jon ignored the screens that pooped up in his field of vision and sprinted to the one casting the spell. He let go of the club and was in front of the caster while it was still falling through the air , the helmet still attached to the ball at the end.


    By the time the club hit the ground with a metallic tinge, Jon''s fingers were resting comfortably inside the caster''s eye sockets.


    Critical Hit


    -''I wonder why he didn''t count as a kill?''-


    Both men turned grey and disappeared. A book fell on the ground beside Jon''s legs. He picked up the book forgetting about the club and the helmet still lying a couple of steps away.


    "You! Stop right there." A guard wearing full body metal armor arrived at the scene yelling..


    "Put your hands out so I can tie them, come on."


    "Wait." A man moved Jon''s hands out of the way, "I saw everything. They attacked him first."


    "Did they?"


    "Ask anyone you want!" He waved his hands at the crowd that gathered around them.


    It took some more persuading, but in the end the guard backed of but didn''t go away. He kept eyeing Jon, giving him bad stares.


    Jon''s fame was negative sixty. While that meant nothing to human players, Npc''s like the guard would think Jon was a criminal.


    "Get out of here both of you, I don''t need any more trouble from him."


    "Yes, sir. We shall run along now." The man bowed to the guard and pushed Jon to go away.


    "Are you crazy? Killing people in the middle of the street? Do you want to spend your first month playing in jail?" he kept looking behind him to see if there was anyone following them.


    "You''re lucky my speech-craft skill is level 3, or else you''d be behind bars now."


    They turned into a side street leaving the crowd behind them.


    "Name''s Mapan. Merchant Mapan!" He extended his hand forward.


    "¡­" Jon just looked at it.


    "Ahh, you got me." He laughed after a few seconds of silence. "I''m no merchant. Not yet anyway. But you wait and see I''ll become the greatest merchant in Royal Road."


    "¡­"


    "I just need to finish the profession change quest. They want me to get three hundred rabbit skins. Three hundred!" He started getting angry. "Do you have any idea how hard that is? And the fuckers tell me to do it in three days!!!"


    He tried to calm himself down.


    "So¡­" his demeanor suddenly changed, "did those guys happen to drop any rabbit skins after being slain by the mighty, you?" a fake smile covered his face.


    -''So that¡¯s why he helped me.''-


    Jon lifted the book he picked from the ground.


    "Oh, what''s this?" Mapan snatched the book and started flipping through it.


    "Hmm, "Fundamentals of magic", not bad not bad, might be worth a gold coin or two to the right person. Great condition, almost new¡­ wait, what''s this? Worthless" He threw the book back to Jon.


    "That''s a library book, he must have stolen it. I was wondering why a newbie dropped a book like that."


    "So no rabbit skins?"


    "No."


    "Damn." He said suddenly. "Freaking waste of time. That''s what I get for helping others."


    "At least I got some Exp for my speech-craft skill." He murmured as he joined the mass of people in the main street.


    Jon was looking at him until he disappeared from his sight. He stood there waiting, not knowing what to do.


    The sound of someone''s yelling reached his ears, something about buying rabbit skins for 30 coppers each. Jon was still standing at the same place Mapan left him. He didn''t know what to do now. After putting the five stat points he got from reaching level four into the dexterity stat he thought about what to do next but nothing came to mind.


    -''I want to fight monsters, but Gorge said I can''t go out of the city for my first month in game time.''-


    He was bored, and with nothing better to do, he simply sat down in the ally with his back to the wall and started reading the book he picked up.


    As the sun got closer to the horizon, the light that reached him between the building walls slowly grew smaller. Jon kept moving closer and closer to the ally''s entrance, following the disappearing light. It was no small book, filled with pages of difficult magic formulas and hard to pronounce spells Jon understood he would have to find a place with enough light if he wanted to keep reading at night.


    But he was in no hurry, although hard the book interested him and there were still a couple of hours before the sun disappeared completely. So he kept reading.


    "Hello" a kid approached Jon.


    "Is there anything we can help you with?"  A girl said, and approached him as well.


    Jon ignored them both.


    "Honorable sir, I and my friend are adventurers and we will gladly help you with anything you need."


    The two of them waited for a response.


    "Come on, he''s not gonna give us any quests." The girl whispered to the boy.


    "Wait a sec. I''m telling you he must be an Npc related to some secret quest."


    "Sir," he cleared his throat and stepped closer to Jon "I also enjoy reading. May I ask what book it is you¡¯re reading?"


    -''They don''t intend to leave me do they they?''- He flipped a page. ¨C''Need to find someplace quiet''-


    He stood up and closed the book.


    "See, I told you he wan an Npc!" the boy smiled.


    "Library." Jon said.


    "What?"


    "Library." Jon turned pointing at the book.


    Terror grasped the kid¡¯s face. The boy gave one look at the red gem on Jon''s forehead and ran away screaming "Player killer!!!!" at the top of his lungs.


    Jon moved to the girl still pointing at the book.


    "Library?"


    The little girl started crying. A guard passing by heard it and interfered.


    "What''s going on here?"


    Jon turned to the guard, the girl kept crying behind him.


    "You, what have you done to the girl?" the guard reached for his sword.


    "Where is the library?" he said and pointed at the book he was holding.


    The guard eyed Jon suspiciously, his hand still holding a handle of his sword.


    With directions and a warning from the guard, Jon found a  library not far from the town square where he first logged into the game. The sun was starting to set, covering everything with a dim orange light. A large old library building, illuminated by the setting sun, appeared magical. Jon entered through a huge wooden double door. The air was cooler inside.


    The parts visible in the candle light were rows and rows of bookshelves. The sound of his steps in a huge room, echoed in the silence.


    He approached a bookkeeper''s desk. An old man, with a long, flowing, gray beard sat beside a book as big as Jon¡¯s.


    "What do you want?" he asked with a sharp voice when he noticed Jon. "This is not a place for trouble makers like yourself!" Jon''s negative fame changed the attitude of the usually pleasant Npc.


    Jon took out his book and handed it to the bookkeeper.


    "What''s this?" he put the glasses hanging from his neck on his nose. "This book was stolen! Where did you get this?" he eyed Jon curiously.


    "Found it."


    "Yes, but where did you find it?"


    "¡­"


    "Not saying, fine. Are you returning it then?"


    "¡­"


    The bookkeeper stared at Jon intensively, waiting for him to speak.


    "¡­"


    "You¡¯re a man of few words; I like that in a man."  The bookkeeper''s eyes softened. "You don''t have to tell me where you found it, but thank you for returning it nonetheless."


    Fame Rises By 5 (+5 Fame)


    Relationship With Library Bookkeeper Increased


    "Is there something you''d like in return?"


    Jon looked at the book in the mans hand. The bookkeeper noticed a bookmark stuck in it and smiled.


    "You want this book back?"


    "Yes."


    "Can''t do that. Books are not allowed to leave the library."


    "¡­"


    "If you still wish to read it, follow me." The bookkeeper took something out of a drawer and walked into the sea of bookshelves. The sun had set and the darkness took over the library. Jon followed closely.


    They stopped in an open space. A dozen or so candles were lit, near every candle a person reading a book was visible.


    "Here," the bookkeeper handed a lit cantle to Jon which he took.


    "Sit wherever you like, there''s more than enough room."


    Jon took the book and two spare candles and sat down at one of the far tables, hidden from the rest of the people in the room by a large stack of books.


    He placed the candle into a candle holder, opened the book where he last stopped and continued reading.


    When the last candle was almost burnt out Jon looked up from the book for the first time. The first rays of sunshine were starting to come through the large glass windows near a high ceiling.


    He was hungry and even though he had almost finished the book it was becoming hard to concentrate. He took out rye bread from his inventory and filled a glass with water from a jug in the middle of the table.


    -''I want to do magic.''-


    He thought about what he had read, then picked and tried to chant the simplest spell in the book. Nothing happened. He tried a few more times. No result.


    -''Too bad''-


    He finished eating, there was enough light now to read the letters even without a candle. He wondered how come he wasn''t tired even though he had just spent the whole night awake.


    -That''s right. Gorge said time moved faster in the game. I''ve been playing for about twelve hours, so that''s¡­ hmm¡­ three hours in real life. Need to log out for dinner soon.''-


    -''I''ll finish the book first''- he thought and went back to reading.


    New Skill Acquired: Magic Mastery


    The basis of all magic, Magic Mastery gives a player control over his Magic Power.


    The higher your mastery of control is, the stronger the magic that you perform is.


    The higher the skill level is the faster you can cast spells.


    Warning: Casting high level magic with a low level of Magic Mastery is dangerous and may result in death.


    You Have Completed The Book: "Fundamentals Of Magic"


    Intelligence Rises By 2 (+2 Int)


    He opened the skill menu, and sure enough there it was; Basic Magic Mastery: Level 1/ 0%.


    Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!-''Maybe now.''-


    He chose a spell the book said was perfect for beginners, opened his palm as if holding a ball, and began chanting. As soon as he began the chant a weak bluish glow appeared around his hand and his Mp (Mana points) started dropping. When twenty out of his one hundred magic points disappeared, the light enveloping his palm collected itself into the shape of a ball.


    The ball was the size of a large marble, glowing in a bright blue color and floating around his palm, almost grazing the skin but never touching it.


    -''Whoah¡­''- he was awestruck. His mind went blank as he stared at a small wonder in his hand.


    It didn''t last long though, soon the blue ball of light started shaking violently. This snapped Jon back from his trance.


    He concentrated hard trying to steady the ball again, afraid to lose it. He managed somewhat, it was still moving around more than at first but not so violently. His concentration wavered and the ball fell apart, falling on his palm like sand and disappearing into nothingness.


    -''If only I had this in the cage.''-


    The skill window he forgot to close, now showed Basic Magic Mastery: Level 1/ 6%. He closed it so it wouldn''t distract him and cast the spell again.


    Like the first time, the spell started shaking and when he got it under control again he decided to try another thing the book mentioned. He chanted one more line and saw his Mp start to go down again. The less Mp he had left the bigger the ball became. As it reached the size of a tennis ball he hardly had any mana left to spare.


    He kept infusing the spell with his magic, mesmerized by the dancing light. The blue Mp bar in his peripheral vision started blinking red and soon disappeared completely. Jon thought it was over however he was not satisfied!


    He wanted the light to shine brighter, he wanted it to cover him in its blue glow.


    -''Brighter''-


    The ball floated in his hand, barely even moving.


    -''Brighter''-


    The glow became brighter.


    -''BRIGHTER!''- He felt a sudden pull forward, it was small and hardly noticeable yet he felt as if the ball were sucking him in.


    Something was moving inside the ball, it looked like smoke but it was red. It swirled inside the ball, growing bigger, slowly giving the blue color a purple hue. The light it gave off became stronger and Jon liked it.


    He concentrated, trying to make the color change completely to purple. He was so engrossed in the light, he didn''t notice how pale the skin of his arm became. The stronger the purple hue became the whiter Jon grew. Commanded by Jon to grow brighter and with no more Mp to use, the spell tapped into Jon''s life for nourishment.


    The red health bar was vanishing fast. A little longer and Jon would die.


    The spell broke suddenly. The ball fell apart like sand, leaving an afterimage of itself still floating in the air. Jon was still alive; his Hp bar was barely visible and saw that now.


    His survival instinct kicked in, it had saved his life dozens of time in the death matches and Jon learned to rely on it unconditionally.


    -''Thank you.''- it saved him again.


    He sat down, dizzy and sick. The Hp and Mp bar filled out slowly as time passed.


    -''Again.''- he wanted to see the purple light again.


    He got used to being on the verge of death in the years he had spent in the "pit". Many did the same thing that almost killed him. Most of them didn''t stop in time killing themselves and vowing not to do something so stupid again, and amongst those who stopped in time none tried it again.


    Players who played as mages were usually weak and cowardly by nature. They chose the Mage profession to avoid direct combat, staying on the sidelines casting their spells for a safe distance, afraid of getting hurt, more often than not, protected by warriors.


    Contrary to them, Jon felt alive only on the verge of death. The purple light called to him and he intended to follow it.


    Thinking things through, he stood up and began searching for the bookkeeper. He found him and returned the book to him.


    "More."


    The bookkeeper looked at Jon knowingly.


    "You''ve discovered your magic power, haven¡¯t you?"


    "¡­"


    "I can see it in you, like in so many others before you." He smiled, yet his eyes looked sad. "I''ll tell you what I have told the rest of them. There aren''t any spell books here, if you want to learn how to cast spell go to the Mages guild! I won''t tolerate people playing with magic in my library!" he said and pointed at the huge book Jon saw when he first came in.


    "Once was more than enough!


    Jon noticed the burn marks on it now.


    "No spells." He repeated after the bookkeeper.


    "Then what is it that you want?"


    "Magic books."


    "Like I said, all magic books are kept in the Mage guild. You should go there it''s not far away. I''ll even draw you a map. I''ve gotten good at it with all aspiring mages leaving there once I tell you there are no spells to be learnt here." He took out a piece of paper and began searching for ink, digging through the mass on his desk.


    "No." Jon stopped the bookkeeper. "Mage books."


    "Mage books? You mean books about magicians?"


    "I''ve got the perfect thing for you!" he looked excited. "Follow me."


    "This is such a rare moment. It''s been years since someone read them." He was racing through the bookshelves, the end of his robe stretching behind him like a tail. Jon had to walk carefully so as not to step on it.


    "Here they are." He pointed at the shelf covered with a thick layer of dust. "There are a lot of them, but they are just what you need if you want to learn about mages."


    Jon looked at the books. There were twenty of them and they all looked identical.


    "Volumes one through twenty. The only place you can find the complete set is here. You can''t find them all even if you search the whole Royal library. And the Mages guild only has the last one, what a joke!" He was full of energy, waving his hands at the volume he mentioned.


    "How do you like them?" He spoke to Jon, not taking his eyes of the books.


    Jon took out the first volume. It wasn''t big but it was much heavier than it looked. Embrowned on the leather cover with golden thread was the title "Mages through the Ages", under it in smaller, silver letters was written "Volume One."


    "No author." The bookkeeper said.


    "No one knows who wrote the books. Every hundred years or so a book was discovered, there is no record of them, ever. They simply appear out of nowhere. No merchant ever remembers where he got it; they all say it simply appeared in their shop one day. And adventurers who find them never remember picking them up." He was smiling happily. "Historians consider it as great mystery, and many have dedicated their lives to find out the author."


    Jon returned to his sitting place. The old bookkeeper stayed back to remove the dust that piled up on the rest of the volumes.


    -''Purple magic.''- he was looking for a mention of a mage who used it, and this was a good place to start¡­


    "Here you go." The bookkeeper handed Jon a steaming cup.


    "¡­"


    "Drink it. It''s my own recipe, it will help you concentrate."


    Jon took the small cup carefully. It was filled to the brim with black, tar like liquid. The cup was so small, that there was hardly enough for a mouth full. He downed it in one sip.


    It took him by surprise. Even though there was steam coming from the liquid and the cup was hot to the touch, as the liquid made its way to his stomach he felt cold spreading through his body. Goosebumps appeared on his skin and the hair on his arms stood up.


    The cold disappeared as suddenly as it arrived.


    You drank "Scholars Brew"


    You feel reenergized.


    Your reading speed is doubled.


    Affect last for 5 hours.


    "Refreshing isn''t it?" The bookkeeper laughed, "You, get used to it."


    "If you want more, there''s always a jug at my table. Take as much as you want, there''s no need to ask," he said and went to the next person, already with a full cup in his hand.


    -''I''m surprised he doesn''t spill it,''- he thought and continued reading.


    He was getting close to the half-way point of the book when a big red letters flashed in his face.


    REAL LIFE INTERFERENCE! PLEASE LOG OUT IMMIDIATELY!


    -''Must be Gorge.''-


    He uttered the command in his mind and darkness filled his vision.


    Once the sound of the spinning processors stopped the capsule moved into a standing position and the lid opened.


    "Did you forget about dinner?" Gorge asked, not even waiting for the lid to open completely.


    "Come on, the food is getting cold." He turned around and left.


    Jon followed him and sat at the table.


    "Enjoy." Gorge was smiling again.


    He waited for Jon to finish eating before satisfying his curiosity.


    "Did you like it?" No use for roundabout questions Gorge figured, better ask him straight.


    Jon swallowed the last bite and looked up at Gorge.


    "Yes."


    "Anything specific?"


    "Purple light."


    "Purple? Where did it come from?"


    "Magic."


    Gorge laughed, "Magic you say? And you got to use it?"


    "Yes."


    "So you''re going to be a magician then?"


    "No." he said after a moment of thought.


    "That is good. I do not think being a magician would suit you."


    "A berserker suits you better from what Joshua tells me." He took the risk, trying to make a joke.


    "¡­" Jon just looked at Gorge without as much as blinking.


    "Never mind that, just kidding."


    -''Too soon.''- Gorge thought.


    "You know, Jon, I have been reading up on Royal Road, I can help you. All you need to do is ask."


    -''He might know.''- He wanted to see the purple light again, maybe Gorge can help.


    "Purple magic."


    "Yes, I heard."


    "Purple magic!"


    "You want me to find out about purple magic?" he looked hopefully at Jon.


    "Yes."


    "That is great. I''ll make sure I find something by breakfast. I will go start while you take a shower." He stood up, "You do not want the capsule to smell of sweat, do you?"


    "Used to it."


    This caught Gorge off guard.


    "Listen to me, Jon, I do not know what you have been through," he leaned close to Jon''s face, "and I pray one day you will tell me about it. But until you do I will treat you no different than when you were a boy and I was your nanny. So you better listen and behave or just like then I will punish you."


    Jon didn''t show the slightest bit of response.


    "I may not be able to spank you now, but if you do not start to act like the grown up that you are I will have the capsule sent back. Understood?"


    "¡­"


    "The only reason I asked for it was because I believe it will make you want to talk to me. Joshua said it was a bad idea so if I see that instead of opening you up to me it does the opposite, I will get rid of it." He was breathing heavily.


    "Are we clear?"


    "Yes."


    "And you better start talking in complete sentences, boy, or it will be sooner rather than later."


    "I understand."


    "That''s better. Now go clean up."


    Jon stood up and left the room.


    "Come see me when you are done," he yelled after him, "and make sure to use the scrub."


    -''At least his mind isn''t gone.''- He thought as he booted up a holographic display.


    -''If he can think like a normal person all I need to do is make him talk until he''s so used to it that he does it on his own.''-


    -''I''d hate to do it, but I can always threaten him with the game. Just need to make sure he wants to keep playing it.''-


    "Call Silia." he said to the screen.


    "Yes, sir." Her face appeared on it.


    "I need you to find out about purple magic."


    "I understand Sir wasted no time with the game." She looked annoyed. "I''ll update you as soon as I find something. Anything else I can do for you?"


    "Relax." Gorge smiled tenderly. Silia has been his secretary for the past five years, and worked for Jon''s father for many years before that. He cared for her as if she were his own daughter.


    "The moment you come back to your senses." And Silia treated Gorge as if he actually were her father. "Sir."


    "There is nothing to worry about, dear; it will all make sense to you soon."


    She smiled, but her eyes still showed how worried she really was.


    "Connect me to Joshua, please. I will have more time than I thought I would these upcoming days and I wish to tell him that personally."


    Silia looked like she wanted to ask something but did what she was told instead.


    "How are you doing, Gorge?" Mr.Rainold''s face replaced Silia''s.


    "Better than I could imagine. Much better in fact."


    "I take it your plan worked then?"


    "Indeed it did, my dear friend. I told him that if he wanted to keep playing he needed to start talking."


    Joshua looked confused.


    "There is nothing wrong with him, Joshua, not with his mind, at least. I believe he thinks just like you and me, even better and faster then both of us if there is anything left of the boy I had known in him." He sighed. "I think that all he need is to get used to talking again. Wherever he spent these five years at, it is clear talking was not very important there."


    "Continue."


    "He understands everything I tell him but he just does not deem it necessary to respond with words. He expresses himself with actions and only when he can¡¯t, does he use words. What I hope to achieve with the game is make it hard for him not to talk."


    "You said so yesterday, Gorge."


    "Yes, but what I didn''t say was that it already works. He asked me to find out about purple magic."


    "He asked you to do what?"


    "Not exactly asked, but he seems interested in purple magic and agreed to accept my help."


    "¡­"


    "It is a start, Joshua. I believe this can work!"


    "Have it your way, Gorge, you know him better than anyone." A phone ring came from Mr.Rainold''s side. "Just in case I have a professional ready to take a look at him. I need to go Gorge, be sure to keep me posted."


    "Good night, Joshua."


    "Good, you are done and I can tell by the smell you were thorough."


    "¡­"


    "Do you want to talk about something?" He tried just in case.


    "Maybe watch T.V? We can watch the show you liked, the one about Royal Road."


    "No." He seemed to struggle with something.


    "I want to play."


    Gorge laughed.


    "I imagined you would. I don''t suppose you intend to sleep, do you?"


    "No"


    "Well, you can sleep inside the game today. It is your first day after all."


    "Let¡¯s go, I will help you get in."


    The capsule, gel like interior hugged Jon''s body, it felt like it was trying to swallow him.


    "Listen, I haven¡¯t found anything about purple magic so far, I will need some time for that. However from what I have read, even the most basic of spells requires the second level of basic Magic Mastery. Make sure you get that. Purple magic will come later."


    "Thank you," Jon said as the lid began to close, just like last time.


    "My pleasure." Gorge was smiling, "Have fun."


    The lid closed and moved to a horizontal position to the floor.


    The sound of spinning processors filled the room once again.

 The Dark Side - Chapter 3

    Chapter 3 - New Players With New Rumors


    Magic Mastery levels up to 3


    Focus Stat Added


    This stops a player from being distracted with whatever an action he is performing.


    The higher the stat the more effectively an action can be performed, even allowing more than one action to be performed at the same time successfully.


    High focus lowers chances of spells backfiring and casting failure.


    The stat will increase by itself when an action is completed well under difficult conditions or when a player performs actions demanding high concentration.


    You Have Completed the Book: "Mages through the Ages, vol 16"


    Wisdom Rises By 1 (+1 Wis)


    It was morning, the third day since he began playing. Twelve days passed in game time.


    Thanks to the "Scholar''s Brew" that Unknownadd, the library bookkeeper, gave Jon, he was able to go through the books at an incredibly fast pace.


    And since all Jon did during the past eleven days was reading and practicing his magic he was now one step closer to the purple magic he so longed for.


    Gorge found what he was looking for and Jon now knew what that magic was and the requirement for it. The information came with a warning though.


    Gorge urged him to stay as far away as possible from those who use it.


    Apparently purple magic was a taboo in Royal Road and mage guilds banned it completely.


    Jon didn¡¯t care for it, but to reassure Gorge, he agreed to run away if he ever saw someone use purple magic.


    That didn''t mean Jon wasn''t going to use purple magic himself though. Now that he knew what he needed to do, he wasted no time.


    In the sixteen volumes he had already read through, purple magic had been mentioned only once and only in passing.


    In the third volume an evil mage by the name of Bar-Khan was said to have used purple magic. All it said was that the heroic mage and his brave knights defeated Bar-Khan and the horrible purple colored magic, thus saving the kingdom from destruction.


    Jon doubted he would find any other mention of it in the books, but that was no longer why he read the books.


    He needed to practice his magic and he needed something to do while he waited for his mana to return.


    He could now keep the ball of mana safe for almost a minute. He was also able to float it around his hand, weaving patters of blue light through his fingers.


    Volume seventeen was opened before him but this time he wasn''t waiting for the mana bar to replenish. He was waiting for one of the other players to go into the sea of bookshelves. Thanks to his newly leveled up Magic Mastery skill, a small blue marble of light was floating over the pages. The black ink of the letters reflected the light, covering Jon''s face with a pattern of blue colored dots.


    A chair scraped the floor as the player who sat on it got up.


    Jon''s eyes followed him immediately and he saw him disappear behind the bookshelves heading into the deep of the library.


    He broke off the magic he had been maintaining for the past ten minutes, closed the book and stood up.


    He followed the player. There weren¡¯t many people in the library and those who were there, kept to themselves.


    The one he was looking for was busy searching for a book; he was short and very thin.


    -''Most likely an aspiring mage earning easy int stats.''-


    Jon walked up to the boy from behind, silently.


    You have killed a player!


    Fame is decreased by 20 points. (-20 Fame)


    A red mark has appeared on your forehead, it will disappear in 6 hours.


    Jon was back in his seat reading, as if he had never even left.


    The ball of light was the only thing that suggested something had happened. It was in the air once again but not over the books pages.


    It now floated close to Jon''s forehead, behind it was hidden the red mark he had just earned.


    -''Twenty three more to go.''- he thought and waited for another player to get up.


    Jon''s fame was now at negative fifty five. He needed negative five-hundred, which meant he either burnt Serabourg Citadel or something crazy as that, or simply killed twenty-three more players.


    Jon stood up and followed another player to the shadows of the books, a minute later he was back in his seat reading.


    -''Twenty two.''- Jon was enjoying himself for the first time, in a very long time. No longer was he bored.


    -''Twenty one.''-


    -''Twenty.''-


    -''Nineteen.''-


    All of them silent kills. Fast and precise, the victim had never even seen his face.


    The fifth person to die in the library never knew what happened as well. One moment he was looking for a book, and the next he was staring at the interior of his own capsule. It was so sudden he thought the game disconnected, so he tried to log back in again, only the game wouldn''t allow him.


    A pleasant female voice said: "You have died. You can log back into the game in 24 four hours."


    You have killed a player!


    Fame is decreased by 20 points. (-20 Fame)


    A red mark has appeared on your forehead, it will disappear in 21 hours.


    Level Up


    Class Change Notice


    You can change you profession to an Assassin.


    Yes?                No?


    -''Yes.''- Jon didn''t care what his profession was.


    You have changed you profession to an Assassin.


    The killer of the night, the assassin feels at home in the shadows.


    He moves swiftly and silently, killing his target unseen and undetected.


    The assassin specializes in the element of surprise and will avoid open battle.


    The assassin profession grants a bonus to dexterity and luck.


    +30 Dexterity


    +15 Luck


    Sneak Mastery acquired


    Helps a player hide his presence and blend into the surroundings.


    The grandmaster sneak is even able to hide himself in plain sight.


    Level 1 effect: You are 5% harder to detect.


    Surprise Attack Skill learned.


    This skill can only be used if the target is unaware of your presence.


    The skill works with weapons, magic and hand to hand combat.


    Level 1: Deal 10% more damage.


    Cost: 50 Mp


    Not interested, Jon skipped through the windows pooping up in front of him reading only the headlines.


    -''Surprise attack?''- He opened his skill menu. ¨C''Useful.''-.


    He picked up a silver coin that fell from his kill, distributed the stat points to dexterity and went back to reading.


    Stat Window


    Avatar: Jon                                Type: Evil


    Level: 5                             Class: Assassin


    Title: None                                Fame: -135


    Life: 280                                              Mana: 150


    Strength: 10      Dexterity: 50     Vitality: 10


    Wisdom: 28      Intelligence: 10    Focus: 4


    Leadership: 0                          Luck: 15


    Offence: 3                                 Defense: 0


    Resistance to magic: None


    The sun went down and the only three people stayed in it.


    Unknowadd was busy taking care of an old book at his table so Jon was alone with the third person.


    He was sitting at his usual spot. Hidden behind a slowly growing pile of books Jon could see the whole reading area without being noticed.


    He no longer used a candle but a magic orb instead. The other person could only see a faint blue radiance shining through the wall of books surrounding Jon.


    The woman lit by candle light was reading a book thick enough to be mistaken for a small stool.


    Jon had been waiting for this moment. The last person left a while ago and it was unlikely he would come back. The two of them were alone and Jon wasted no more time.


    He slipped into the darkness and made his way through the maze of bookshelves. He used the light of her candle as a landmark and was soon standing behind her. He kept himself out of the candle light, waiting to see if she would notice.


    She didn''t.


    The blue ball of light was still floating where he left it.


    He walked up to her. Looking over her shoulder he read the first couple of sentences. It was in a different language so he understood nothing.


    He lifted the seventeenth volume he was reading during the whole day and got into position.


    -''Surprise Attack''- He invoked the skill for the first time. Fifty Mp points disappeared.


    The moment the skill was triggered, the blue light disappeared.


    The woman looked up, noticing a sudden change.


    This worked to Jon''s advantage, distracting her from the sound of the book slashing the air.


    The edge of the book connected with the back of her neck, breaking it with a loud snap.


    Critical Hit


    Focus Rises by 1 (+1 Fos)


    He waited for her to turn gray and disappear just like the others, but she didn''t.


    Instead of disappearing, her body slowly slid of the chair to the floor. It fell with a thud.


    -''Npc¡­''- Jon was unfazed. It mattered not to him who she was.


    He summoned the blue ball and made his way back to his seat.


    The woman''s body left to lie there, nothing more than a waste of time to him.


    You Have Completed A Book: "Mages through the Ages, vol 17"


    Wisdom Rises By 1 (+1 Wis)


    Morning arrived people started to appear again. There were half a dozen of them at the moment the body was discovered.


    Jon was watching through the cracks in his wall of books. He knew it had been discovered much earlier.


    The second person to arrive noticed her on the floor. He said nothing and after looking around to see if anyone was watching him he stripped her of her possessions. Taking even the dress she was wearing.


    He was clearly a player. Jon saw how he put the things inside his inventory. The only thing he left outside was the ring she was wearing; now resting comfortably on his finger.


    He left the library immediately after. Whatever it was he came for, was no longer important.


    Word of the body traveled and soon the library was full of curious players and Npcs alike.


    Jon left the crowd inside to join the one outside.


    You have stolen three books!


    Fame decreased by 3. (-3 Fame)


    He was almost out of rye-bread and he needed to stock up on some food.


    He was walking to the market and he noticed people were staring at him. Not just Npcs but players as well.


    The red mark on his forehead was attracting attention, while his negative fame put Npcs on their guard.


    Thankfully the guard left him alone for now, however their gaze never left him.


    He entered a grocery store and was kicked out by the merchant.


    "I need no PKer¡¯s money!" he yelled.


    He went to the market stalls this time, searching for an Npc to buy from.


    This too was fruitless. His negative fame made Npc merchants raise their prices so high he could hardly buy even a load of bread.


    Jon opened the map menu and looked at the citadels layout.


    After a short walk his was at his destination, no one bothered to look at him here.


    He was walking around in the slums of the city. This place wasn''t clean and shiny like the areas around the market square.


    Players avoided these parts of the citadel unless a quest took them here.


    The houses were run down, the streets covered with filth and the people dirty. The majority were crippled old men and the few kids that were running about had a at least one hand missing. Punishment for getting caught stealing.


    Women were nowhere to be seen.


    Jon grabbed a passing kid and jingled some coins before him.


    The sound of coins made the whole street freeze up.


    This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere."Food." he said.


    Jealous gazes penetrated Jon from all direction. Tiny cracks appeared in doors and windows, the residents eyed Jon from inside.


    "After me, sir." The kid spoke quickly, grabbing and pulling him after him.


    The boy took him, following the border of the slums.


    They stopped suddenly and the boy extended his good hand.


    Jon put a copper coin in it.


    "These after." He held up two more coppers.


    The boy went on.


    As they got to where the main street, the one that cut through the Citadel in half, passed into the slums Jon saw a crowd of people.


    More an more people were flooding, coming out of numerous alleys. They walked up and joined what turned out to be a line of people.


    "You better hurry, before it runs out." The boy said and locked his way.


    Jon gave him the coins and the boy ran away.


    Jon took his place in the line and waited for his turn.


    "The hell man? Why didn''t you bring him here?" a big tanned kid said as the boy who escorted Jon a moment ago came close.


    "That guy''s crazy." He looked back at Jon.


    "Wha?" three more kids spoke at the same time.


    "Yeah, I thought he was easy pray at first too. But not anymore¡­"


    "What did he do man?" the tanned kid asked.


    "Remember the black clothed man we tried to jump?"


    "Don¡¯t you dare bring him up!" the one who acted like the leader got up and grabbed him by the throat.


    "Let go! Let go man!"


    "Sorry¡­"


    "Don''t be. He killed my brother as well. Or did you forget that the other ten we buried were my friends as well?"


    The five boys looked at the floor in silence.


    "You see him?" He pointed at Jon. "This guy felt even more dangerous than the one we swore to kill."


    The other four stared wide eyed at Jon.


    "That''s crazy man!"


    "Hey maybe Yarel will get him?"


    "That bitch? No chance."


    "Yeah all she ever does is look down at us."


    "Fucking slut. Thinks coz she has all that money she''s better than us."


    "I''d kill her in a second if she wasn''t useful. Brings us food, trying to be all saint and shit."


    "I heard she''s only doing this to look good in front of the church."


    "We should get her too one day, her armor must be worth a fortune."


    "Whatever, guys. Let¡¯s get something to eat" He lifted the coins he got."


    "You bastard. Give me those."


    "Take it if you can," he said already sprinting away."


    "Get him." They chased after him laughing.


    Jon stood in line waited to get a share of food.


    While waiting he summoned the ball of light again. In the strong afternoon sun, the faint blue light it radiated was unnoticeable. He was spinning it around his finger and moving it from one hand to the other.


    This has already become second nature to him. With his magic mastery almost at level four, controlling this spell, intended for aspiring mages as a means of learning to control their MP has become nothing more than a habit. Nonetheless, even though it wasn''t his intention the use of magic still trained his magic mastery skill.


    Intelligence Rises by 1 (+1 Int)


    More than that, the constant use of magic also raised his Int stat.


    Although it was getting harder to raise it like that. This time it took twenty four hours for it to increase. Last time it was eighteen and only fifteen the time before that.


    He was getting closer. He finally saw who was giving the food away.


    He knew she was female from the voice he heard but now he could see she was wearing the most outrageously exaggerated armor possible.


    Things dangled from it, stuff poked out of it and all of the pointless additions made to it made it twice as big as it needed to be.


    The fleshy sword at her him seemed pale in comparison to the decorative shield she had slung on her back.


    A huge helm covered her head, holding her blond hair in place.


    She looked out of place in the gray slum with all her shiny gear.


    "Here, take this. It was very expensive." She said with a condescending tone and a fake smile plastered on her face.


    The line moved and it was Jon''s turn.


    "Here, for you si¡­" her eyes wandered to Jon''s face noticing the red mark stuck in the middle of it.


    "A player?" She smiled for real now. "How can you be so worthless that you need to bag for food when you¡¯re a player?" The smile was now a smirk.


    "A PKer begging for food. You''re luck I''m such a good person."


    "¡­"


    "Take this." She handed him an expensive looking pastry which Jon took quietly.


    "I would never it something so simple, but for a player who kills others it should be enough." She said to his back.


    "Hypocrite." Jon uttered.


    "What did you say?!" her voice rose. "Say that again to my face, coward."


    "Hypocrite." Jon said without a moments delay.


    "Me? A hypocrite? Does PKing make one stupid?"


    "I, who is so busy with quests from the church of Freya, take the time to feed the Citadel beggars and you dare call me a hypocrite! Prepare for battle!" She held up her shield and took out her sword.


    You have been invited to dual.


    Do you accept?


    Yes?          No?


    Jon didn''t want this. She reminded him of the way his former feeders talked to him. A dual against someone like her was pointless.


    "What are you waiting for, scum?" she yelled. "Be honored you get to fight the me. Yarel, the holy knight will one day be a name spoken by all. Later you can brag to your friends how you were lucky enough to be slain by my hand." She banged on her shield once she finished talking.


    "¡­"


    "Accept."


    "Are you afraid of me?" She laughed. "It''s understandable. Don''t be fooled by my incredible equipment. I''m still only level twenty. More than enough, however, to defeat you without using my awesome skills." She extended her sword with a shaking hand.


    Jon was hungry and she was distracting him.


    -''It''ll end faster if I accept.''-


    The second he accepted the dual Yarel sprang to action. She wanted to lay the first hit and was slowly moving closer to Jon while talking.


    With a quick step she reached Jon with ease, dropping her sword at Jon''s head.


    Jon just stood there looking at the blade go down.


    -''Pathetic.''- Her armor was so heavy it looked like she was moving in slow motion.


    All Jon did, was simply take a small step sideways and let the sword passed right next.


    She did all the rest for him.


    The sword dropped, missing her mark and pulling Yarel after it. The various additions on the armor jingled as she fell face first to the ground.


    -''At least she didn''t let go of her sword.''-


    "Fight fairly you, Pker." she yelled from the ground.


    She couldn''t even get up. The armor weighed to much for her to lift herself with the strength of her arms and turning to her back was impossible due to the useless decorations.


    Jon sat down on her back and began eating his pastry.


    "I have lost. Kill me! You may have used trickery, but I have lost nonetheless."


    He ignored her.


    "Do it already, earn your honor."


    This was why he didn''t want to dual from the start. Winning duals earned you fame and this was exactly what he didn''t need.


    "No."


    "You bastard! I demand you finish this. I refuse to have my honor stained this way." She struggled to get up.


    Jon finished eating, ignoring her screams and protests.


    Once she started crying, he kicked away her shield and sword.


    The crowd immediately carried them away.


    "What are you doing? Leave that alone!" she screamed at the Npc''s.


    "Is this how you repay my charity?" She was sobbing.


    A rock flew from the crowd and hit her helm.


    "That¡¯s what I think of your charity, you spoiled slut!." Another rock came flying.


    The crowd was moving closer and closer.


    Jon took her belt knife as it was the only the useful thing she had. Unlike the jewel incrusted sword and the shiny shield which meant nothing more than decoration, the knife was simple.


    Simple yet well made.


    "I''ll get my revenge. Daddy will by me the strongest equipment there is and I''ll hunt you down to level one!" She was hysteric.


    Jon stood up, wiped his hands on her clothes, tied the belt-knife around his waist and walked away.


    The crowed lynched her as soon as he was out of sight.


    She screamed as she was stripped and beaten.


    "This will feed us for months."


    "That''s for looking down on us."


    "Who''s pitiful now ah?!"


    She commanded the game to log her out, however, the system wasn''t instantaneous.


    Unless you were dead the game waited for ten seconds before bringing you back to the real world.


    These ten seconds felt to Yarel like infinity as she was brutally beaten by the mob. Although one couldn''t die playing, the pain felt in the game was real. And when she was finally safe inside her capsule she kept screaming her lungs out.


    She swore to get her revenge as she exited the capsule, falling to the floor from exhaustion.


    Your relationship with the beggars of Serabourd Citadel has increased.


    They now respect and admire you.


    He was still hungry.


    -''I should''ve taken some of her food.''-


    He was back at the market again. The pastry he had left him with an urge for more.


    He go three silver coins from his kills in the library so he though he had enough, but the price raisin caused by his negative fame, was more than he had expected.


    -''I''ll need to start earning some money.''-


    He went into the shop he was walking by and asked for a job.


    Chased away from it and all the rest of the places he tried he was becoming hungrier by the minute.


    The sun had already set, and when he passed by the library earlier it was still swarming with guards.


    He entered the only restaurant he could find that was still open. It was a rich place but Jon didn''t care. He had spent the past years in cages; jail would be a step up from it.


    The head waiter did his job without asking questions. Jon was seated at one of the smaller tables close to the wall.


    He ordered large quantities of meat and vegetables, and when that was finished he asked for more. When he was done, he got up and walked out the door.


    A hand grabbed his shoulder the moment his stepped outside. Jon wasn''t surprised.


    "May I ask where sir is going?"


    "¡­" Jon knew this would happen and was ready for it.


    "Sir seems to have forgotten to pay for his food, nothing wrong with that. That¡¯s why I''m here, to remind you of it."


    "¡­"


    "Where''s the gold?" his tone changes.


    "What''s happening here?" another man came out.


    "Dragon, sir. This man refuses to pay for his food."


    "Does he now? Well, that''s what I pay you for. Persuade him share his gold with us."


    "With pleasure, sir." The brute made a fist with his free hand.


    "No gold."


    "We shall see about that."


    He started to push Jon into his small booth. Jon tried to resist but felt powerless. The brute¡¯s level was much higher than his. Even worse, his speed was useless as he was already captured.


    "Just pay, it will be much faster." The man named Dragon said.


    "Can''t. No gold."


    "No use in telling lies. It won''t help you."


    "¡­"


    "Last chance."


    "¡­" Jon gave in and stopped resisting. He walked slowly to the booth on his own.


    "Wait."


    "Sir?"


    "I believe him."


    "What?"


    "Knock him out instead."


    Bam! A giant fist connected with Jon''s temple and everything went dark.


    Jon was aware of the passing time and it seemed like he could still log out, but his screen stayed dark.


    So he waited, the darkness was comforting to him.

 The Dark Side - Chapter 4

    Chapter 4 ¨C Monsters in the kitchen


    He was cold but could open his eyes now.


    "Good, you''re awake."


    Jon opened his eyes and looked at the man the brute called Dragon. He straightened up.


    "I was afraid for a moment. Can''t have you dying on me, not before you''re done paying for the meat you had eaten."


    "¡­"


    "How did you even manage to eat so much? When I heard the amount you owed I thought for sure there were at least three people."


    Jon looked around. He was in some sort of freezer. An iron ball was chained to his legs.


    "You''d be surprised how handy that thing has become lately. So many people trying to run off without paying."


    "¡­"


    "No response, kid? That''s a first. I like hearing guys like you complain and beg."


    "¡­"


    "Ok¡­ you''ll stay here until you''ve paid back the gold you owe. Here''s your knife you will need it." He stepped out of the room.


    "That''s better, can''t stand the cold in there," he spoke to himself, "This here is our fridge. A mage comes by once a month to keep it cold. You, boy, will stay here and peel vegetables with that knife of yours."


    A child came inside and put a crate of potatoes in front of Jon and an empty one beside him.


    "He will bring them to you," Dragon pointed at the kid, "and take them away once you''re done. There is soup on the stove there, take as much as you want. You''re no use to me sick."


    "¡­"


    "Well? Start working!" he commanded and shut the door.


    The blue ball of mana materialized at Jon''s command. He stared at the potatoes before him.


    He picked up a potato and began working.


    Quest Notice


    You have begun a quest. This quest cannot be denied and you cannot accept any more quests while this one is in progress.


    Frozen Vegetables


    You have refused to pay for your food and as punishment you will have to work for five days.


    Difficulty: E


    Reward: Debt is cleared.


    Relationship with Dragon becomes neutral.


    He was working on his second crate when the door opened.


    A huge man squeezed through it and rushed towards him.


    "What in Freya''s name is this?" he screamed in his face.


    "¡­"


    "How am I to work with this?" he was holding a potato peeled by Jon.


    ''"¡­"


    Jon''s lack of response angered him even more. He smashed the potato with his hand and threw it at Jon.


    Jon ignored it and simply went back to peeling.


    The man stood there watching him, his hurried breath slowly going back to normal.


    "Here, let me." He took Jon''s knife and picked up a potato and peeled it in two swift motions.


    "This is how you do it." He threw the peeled potato at Jon.


    Jon picked another potato and gave it to the man.


    "Again," he said.


    Two swift motions and the potato was peeled.


    "You try."


    He did. It was a simple motion and Jon was always a quick learner and good with his hands.


    "I''ll come back when the carrots and onions come." He left as suddenly as he arrived.


    Jon went back to peeling.


    Focus Rises by 1(+1 Foc)


    He liked peeling vegetables. It kept him busy and allowed him to forget about the rest of the world. The cold was bearable and the vegetables were never-ending.


    The cook came twice more to show him how he wanted the carrots and onions peeled.


    No one bothered him about his floating ball of light and he was getting stronger as a player, which was something he started to enjoy.


    "You''re a hard working young man aren''t ya?" Dragon passed by, sharing a comment or two.


    "You''re the first one who didn''t try to escape, you know that?"


    It was the morning of the third day already. Jon who worked nonstop both day and night was in a trance like state.


    Dragon''s words snapped him out of it and he was left disoriented.


    "What?"


    "I''m saying you''re the first one to accept his punishment. The ones before you always tried to escape." He smiled, "They never manage to do it, but they all tried to run nonetheless."


    "¡­"


    "I and the boys always place money on how long they will last. You have two more days left, keep this up and we will all lose for the first time."


    "¡­"


    "Still keeping quiet?" he started closing the door. "Can''t complain as long as you keep working, I guess."


    Focus Rises by 1(+1 Foc)


    Focus Rises by 1(+1 Foc)


    Knife/Dagger Mastery Acquired


    Increases efficiency of handling knives and daggers.


    When using a knife or a dagger, depending on your level of mastery, the following bonuses will be applied:


    Attack Speed: +5%


    Attack Power: +5%


    Cold Resistance Increases by 5% (+5%)


    And just like that, two more days passed. Jon felt kind of disappointed when Dragon came and told him he was free to go.


    "You''re done!" he said, "get out of here before I make you pay for all the money I lost on you."


    Quest "Frozen Vegetables" Completed


    Debt is cleared.


    Relationship with Dragon becomes neutral.


    He didn''t want the quest to end. He liked doing this kind of monotonous work, it kept him busy while letting his mind wander at the same time.


    Jon was looking for a job and he decided he wanted this one and applied to Dragon for it from inside the refrigerator.


    "Are you serious?"


    "Yes."


    "Hmm¡­ I can use a hard worker like you¡­"


    "¡­"


    Dragon began to smile.


    "I have the perfect thing for you. You''ve met our cook right?" he motioned Jon to follow him. "The big guy who''s always angry and yells a lot. Well, if you really want to work here, than your job will be to help him out. Agreed?"


    Job Notice


    You have been offered work as a kitchen hand.


    Work schedule: 9 hours a day.


    Pay: 20 silvers a day.


    Do you accept?


    Yes?                  No?


    "Agreed."


    "Good. You can start tomorrow. Be here at seven. We open up at eight and things need to be ready for when the morning customers start coming."


    He walked Jon outside and stood at the door looking after him as Jon walked away.


    "Five silvers, he quits the next day." The brute said at the door to Dragon.


    "Ha. Ten, he stays longer than a week."


    "I accept."


    "I''ll write it down then. Better go ask the rest of the guys." He went inside. "Not a word to Burka! Or the lad might end up dead."


    Jon went back to the library to see if it turned back to the quiet place it had been. As he got closer to it he saw there were no longer people standing outside trying to get a glimpse at the body.


    He entered through the large wooden doors and listened. The silence was deafening.


    "You''re back." Unknownadd, the book keeper, greeted him.


    "I was afraid the rumor scared you away?"


    "Rumor?"


    "People seem to think there''s some kind of monster hiding in here. They say it killed six people already." He sighed. "It brings more people, but only the wrong kinds of people come."


    "¡­"


    "Go look for yourself. I''ve saved your spot for you." He handed Jon a glass of Scholars Brew.


    "Thank you."


    He made his way through the bookshelves to the reading area.


    Just like Unknowadd said, there were a lot of people there. However, none of them were reading.


    These were players, and no longer the usual newbies who wanted to become mages. Although not high leveled, not even one wore the beginners clothes Jon had on him and was used to seeing in the library.


    He sat down at his place. The wall of books was left in place and he scanned the room hidden from sight.


    He counted twenty seven players. More seemed to be walking around between the bookshelves.


    Jon broke off the spell he was constantly using and the blue ball of light disappeared.


    -''I''ll need it.''-


    He took out the eighteenth volume of "Mages through the Ages" from his inventory and began reading, waiting for night to bring with it the darkness.


    More people came as the sun went down. The reading area was hot from all the lit candles the players lighted. They seemed to think the candle light would protect them.


    Jon knew better. As soon as it was dark enough he went into the sea of bookshelves and roamed it in complete darkness.


    He could see the people who were searching for the monster amongst the bookshelves, clearly. They all held candles and the candle light shone through the gaps in the books.


    He stepped further inside, until he could no longer see the bright light of the reading area. The sound of them talking was muffled by the books. He summoned the blue mana ball and floated it far from him.


    Quietly he waited. There were so many people that it didn''t take long for someone to take the bait.


    Amongst the players, there were some who formed groups and pairs to search together. Luckily for Jon this player was alone.


    He guided the blue light slowly towards where he was hiding, keeping it out of reach of the player.


    He waited for the player to pass him and quietly followed him.


    The player saw nothing outside the light of his candle. His gaze concentrated on Jon''s beginners spell.


    -''Silent Strike''-


    Critical Hit


    You have killed a player!


    Fame is decreased by 20 points. (-20 Fame)


    A red mark has appeared on your forehead, it will disappear in 6 hours.


    Jon didn''t need a higher critical hit rate or the higher damage the skill gave him, but he never took chances when it came to taking a persons life.


    The knife had taken from Yarel, that same knife that he used to peel all those vegetables was lounged deep in the players brain. The hilt of the knife was poking out of his ear, and Jon held it as the player turned grey and disappeared.


    A belt dropped to the ground, where just a moment ago the player¡¯s feet were.


    He picked up the belt and looked at its stats.


    Level Up


    Sneak Skill Levels Up


    Level 2 effect: You are 5% harder to see.


    You make 5% less sound when sneaking.


    Silent Strike Levels Up


    Level 2: Deal 15% more damage.


    Chance of a critical hit increases by 40%.


    Cost: 50 Mp


    Dexterity increases by 1 (+1Dex)


    He put it on.


    It wasn''t much but it was better than the simple rope he had for holding his pants up.


    Hard Cloth Belt


    Defense: 1                    Durability: 9/10


    A simple belt made out of sturdy cloth.


    As the sun began to rise, Jon left the library and headed towards his new workplace.


    He looked nothing like the man who came inside just yesterday.


    New boots, pants, hood and simple leather breast armor now covered his body. His knife was strapped safely to his belt. In his inventory lay two swords and a magic staff.


    The rumor changed during the night. People no longer suspected there was a monster in the library but seemed to be certain of it. Eight people were confirmed dead by their friends who were online. Jon didn''t bother telling them there were more than that.


    He was lucky for the rumor as it brought almost a hundred players to the library. His magic bait worked perfectly every time even on the mages.


    The rumor now seemed to say, that Unknownadd would give a quest to defeat the monster. So as Jon walked by him he could see a bunch of players swarming around him.


    They were all trying to get on his good side so he would give them a quest.


    Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    He headed for his new job.


    The brute at the door greeted him with a grin. He went inside and entered the kitchen. It was already like a war zone. Half a dozen men were moving about hurriedly, preparing everything for opening time.


    Jon located the head cook easily, as his massive size stood out in the small kitchen.


    "Dragon tells me you''re here to help me." He was already angry.


    "You''re late!"


    Jon wasn''t.


    "Burka, show him around the place." Dragon poked his head out of his office.


    This seemed to make Burka even angrier, but he gave Jon a tour nonetheless. Once the tour was over the orders started coming. Burka never spoke, he always yelled. And as Jon was now his right hand he got the most of the yelling.


    Bring this, take that. Wash those, clean here. For nine hours he had to do what Burka yelled at him to do.


    Jon didn''t mind. He was used to being screamed at, so it didn''t bother him. And as for obeying Burka, that too was fine with him as it kept him busy. Even during his break Burka made him work and Jon was fine with it.


    Done with work, Jon headed back to the library. He sat at his usual place, opened his book and waited.


    It wasn''t a good night. The rumor spread even more and the library was full to the brink. Players no longer wandered alone and everywhere parties could be seen being formed.


    He read through the night, leaving his seat only to get some of Unknownadd''s special brew.


    There were too many people; he decided not to risk it. He had a job now and he didn''t want to lose it.


    He left the library in the morning and went to work.


    As soon as work was done he went back to the library.


    Intelligence increases by 1 (+1 Int)


    You Have Completed A Book: "Mages through the Ages, vol 18"


    Wisdom Rises By 1 (+1 Wis)


    You Have Completed A Book: "Mages through the Ages, vol 19"


    Wisdom Rises By 1 (+1 Wis)


    Four days passed this way with only his intelligence stat growing from sustaining the magic ball afloat while reading books. He kept his routine, and while things at work were progressing smoothly he couldn''t get the last five kills he needed. The library was still swarming with players.


    .


    A strange thing happened thanks to the crowded library. It made Jon''s relationship with the bookkeeper greatly increase. As Jon was the only person in the library who was still reading books and not searching for the rumored monster, the bookkeeper talked to Jon more with each passing day.


    Today when Jon returned to the library from work, the crowd that surrounded Unknownadd was gone.


    "Welcome back Jon," he greeted him kindly.


    Jon smiled back.


    "How are you coming along with the books I showed to you?"


    "Last volume."


    "That''s great. I hope my brew helped with that."


    "A lot."


    "I was hoping you would say that." He took out a leather flask. "This here is a concentrated doze. I''ve prepared it especially for you."


    Jon took the flask from him and put it in his inventory.


    "There were so many people doing everything but reading lately, that the herb I use for my brew is all gone." He sighed. "I''m afraid there isn''t going to be any more of it for quite some time now."


    "Why?"


    "The alchemist I buy it from said the person who supplies it to him hasn''t gotten in touch with him for a while. And until he does, I can''t make any more brew."


    "I used the last of the herbs to make enough for you and me. Be careful though it''s much stronger than usual."


    "¡­"


    "I know. I''ll have a lot of trouble without it as well. My work will become twice as long." He sat down and stroked his long white beard.


    "Help?"


    "What? You want to help, Jon?" he said, cheered up, "I''m not sure you can though. No hurt in trying, however."


    Unknowadd scribbled down a quick map and handed it to Jon.


    "Tell him I sent you to help with the herb problem."


    New Quest Added


    Helping the Bookkeeper


    Unknowadd, the library bookkeeper has asked you for help with obtaining an herb he desperately needs.


    The Scholar''s Brew he makes is something he can''t do his work without, and the herb he uses for it is out of stock.


    Get it for him as soon as possible.


    Difficulty: E


    Rewards: 10 gold.


    Secret recipe for Scholar''s Brew.


    With the bookkeeper''s map, finding the small shop was no problem. He understood why the map was needed once he found the shop.


    It was located in an alley inside of an alley, far from the main street and inside a cellar of a house. There were no signs and no implications that there was a shop there. Jon wasn''t even sure he was in the right place until he entered it.


    Inside was dark and smoky. Dozens of smells filled his nostrils.


    Everywhere he looked lay thousands of small glass bottles. Hanging from the ceiling were plants that dwindled down to the floor.


    From the gaps in the shelves, poked out different flowers in all shapes, sizes and colors.


    The only light in the room came from two small windows behind on the wall behind him. The little light that shone through them was dispersed by the hanging plants.


    He stepped deeper, looking for a merchant. A sound came from the far side of the room and that¡¯s where he headed, or tried to at least.


    He had to maneuver through the maze of shelves and plants and when he got to the merchant, the merchant told him to go away.


    "I told your boss a dozen times already, the poisons aren''t ready yet! Sending you to threaten me won''t make it happen any faster." He was measuring a plant to be cut and only spared Jon one fast glance.


    Jon''s high negative fame was working against him again.


    "Not poison."


    "Yes, like I said. No poison until I get my next shipment from the supplier." He spoke with his head down.


    "A tribe of lizard men decided to change habitats and merchants had to by-pass their usual routes. All of the shipments this week are late in coming."


    "Come back next week. I''m sure whoever it is you are planning on poisoning will still be alive to get poisoned."


    "Scholar''s Brew"


    "Hmm?" he looked up at Jon, eyeing him through his small spectacles.


    "Unknownadd sent me to help."


    "The bookkeeper sent you?" he stopped working completely now.


    "To get the Monk''s-Tongue he so desperately needs?"


    "Yes."


    "Well, too bad for him. Like I told him already, there will be no Monk''s-Tongue for the foreseeable future." He pushed his glasses back up his nose.


    "It''s a rare herb and the man who I used to buy it from seemed to have disappeared. I wouldn''t be surprised if he died with where he decided to make his home." He went back to trimming the herd on his table.


    "I''ll get it."


    He stopped working again. This time he looked at Jon with annoyance.


    "You said Unknowadd sent you? Do you have any proof?"


    Jon passed him a piece of paper that had the map drawn on it.


    "And you say you want to help obtaining it?" He pushed his glasses up the nose again out of habit.


    "I don''t mind you doing it, but why are you? I''ll tell you now, it''s not easy to get. I was the only store in the citadel to sell it, and that''s only because I don''t mind doing business with shady people."


    "¡­"


    "The man I used to buy it from was probably crazy. Living where he lived to get his hands on it, he had to be."


    "¡­"


    "Not much of a talker, are you?" he smiled, "That¡¯s'' good. Better at keeping secrets, you silent types, are."


    "It''s good you want to help, but do you even know how the plant looks like?"


    "No."


    "Thought as much." He stood up and got a thick book from the back room.


    "Here it is," he opened the book, "But before I show it to you we need to make a deal."


    "¡­"


    "If you''re going there to find some Monk''s Tongue, you might as well get me some other stuff I need on the way. Agreed?"


    "Agreed."


    "Good." He flipped through the book. "Let me teach you some basic alchemy. I need quite a bit of herbs so it should help with identifying them.


    Alchemy Skill Learned


    Alchemy gives you the ability to combine different ingredients into various potions.


    It also helps with identifying what an ingredient is and what are its various effects.


    From health potions to growth elixirs and poisons, a higher alchemy skill will allow for better potency results to be created.


    The bonuses granted by the alchemy skill also apply to cooked food.


    Note: Ingesting various ingredients will increase the skill and help with identifying the ingredients effect.


    The alchemist lit a candle as the little light from the windows was starting to disappear.


    "Are you sure you remember them all?"


    "Yes."


    "Remember, the more of them you bring the more I will pay you. Even if it''s only one kind, bring me a bunch of it and it¡¯s fine too. Understood?"


    Quest Update


    The alchemist asked you to gather him other plants while searching for the Monk''s Tongue.


    He asked for seventeen different kinds and said to bring as many of each as possible.


    To gather the herbs you must enter the sewers of Serabourg Citadel. However there are iron bars blocking the way, so that monsters do not enter the city. In order for you to get to the area where the Monk Tongue grows, you will need to enter the sewers from outside the citadel walls. Use the northern entrance and head west through the tunnels.


    Difficulty: E


    Reward: Depends on amount of herbs gathered.


    "Understood."


    "Great. I hope you return alive." He went back to his work and didn''t spare Jon another look.


    Jon left the shop and headed back to his usual seat at the library. He couldn''t continue the quest until he was allowed to leave the citadel. And seeing as how four weeks have yet to pass inside the game, there was nothing he could do for now.


    So he went back to the library in hopes of killing a player or two before he needed to go to work.


    Unfortunately the library was still packed with groups of players looking for the monster. He went to work without scoring even one kill.


    "Eat this!" Burka said in his usual angered voice.


    The day was over and Jon got his twenty silvers from Dragon. He was about to leave when Burka offered him a bowl of broth. Jon wasn''t particularly hungry but Burka kept staring at him until he began eating.


    -''It''s good''-


    "You have to speak up when you''re in the kitchen. You haven''t said one word the whole day!" his voice was loud even when he was talking normally.


    "¡­"


    "Tomorrow, come before the sun rises. I will show you how to help with the ingredients." Burka said looking at his own feet.


    "Ok."


    He went back to work, Jon finished eating and left. Burka may look like a fearsome warrior but his cooking skill was the real deal.


    You energy has been completely restored.


    You no longer feel tired.


    HP increases by 300


    Mp increases by 100


    Stamina increases by 50


    Effect lasts for 4 hours.


    Although it meant coming more than three hours earlier, Jon didn''t mind. With the library crowded as it was, until he found a different place for hunting he had nothing better to do.

 The Dark Side - Chapter 5

    Chapter Five ¨C Slayers, Dragons and Animal Cruelty


    Cooking Skill Learned


    "That''s the basis of it." He was angry from explaining to Jon cooking basics.


    "You want to get better, you need to start cooking."


    They haven''t opened yet, but Jon was already sweating from the kitchen heat. He arrived early like Burka told him and


    was taken through a cooking boot course.


    He used to help Gorge with preparing meals when he was a kid, so cooking wasn''t new to him.


    However what he thought he knew wasn''t good enough for Burka.


    Jon was yelled at for not holding the knife right, for not moving fast enough, for cutting things too big or too small. Whether he used too much herbs or not enough of them he was yelled at.


    Even praise was yelled at him.


    "Finally!", "That¡¯s right!" or, "Good!" was always said with an angry tone, and loud enough for the whole kitchen to hear.


    He might have been taught the Cooking skill, but it would be long until he would get a chance to actually prepare a dish.


    For now, his cooking consisted of following Burka''s orders and trying to anticipate what ingredient or seasoning he will need next.


    Jon worked the whole day and when the time came for him to finish, instead of heading to the library he stayed and continued to help Burka, leaving only when the kitchen was closed for the night.


    Cooking Skill Levels Up


    "You''ve made it through a week with Burka, I''m genuinely amazed." Dragon stopped Jon as he logged back online.


    "I''ve hired many adventurers like you, they all quit!" he smiled, "Most didn''t even last a day with him. Couldn''t handle his screaming and bossing around." He laughed.


    "¡­"


    "Still keeping to yourself? Your choice. As long as you keep helping Burka you can be a serial killer for all I care."


    A corner of Jon''s lips curved up just a tiny bit.


    "Here, fifty silvers. Your cut of my winnings."


    -''No wonder he¡¯s in such a good mood.''-


    They bet on him again. It seems this time Dragon was wiser.


    "Listen, I respect you not talking and all, but if you''re going to continue working here I need to know your name at least."


    "Jon."


    "Nice to meet you Jon." He extended his hand, "Dragon. Dragon the Mighty."


    They shook.


    "Good. Now, I understand Burka is showing you how to cook." He crossed his hands. "In that case I can''t keep you as a kitchen hand anymore¡­"


    "How about you become an apprentice cook? I¡¯ve always wanted to have one in our kitchen but Burka always scares them away. How about it? You up for it?


    Job Notice


    You have been offered work as an apprentice cook.


    Work schedule: 12 hours a day.


    Time it takes for opening and closing the kitchen is not paid for.


    Pay: 80 silvers a day.


    Do you accept?


    Yes?                  No?


    "I am."


    -''I like Burka.''-


    Burka may seem angry all the time, but Jon understood that that was just who he was. He wasn''t angry at all, that was just the way he talked.


    Jon tried using the cooking skill to cook. All he had to do was invoke the skill and the system moved his body for him. Unfortunately his skill level was so low that all it got him were more angry screams from Burka.


    As a result, he ended up cooking by himself, trying hard to keep up with Burka.


    The cooking skill would kick in from time to time to adjust his hands position or show to him where and how to prepare an ingredient.


    Cooking Skill Levels Up


    As the skill rose there were even times it would show him a message suggesting what seasoning to use.


    One day Burka told Jon to go through the whole seasoning rack, smelling and tasting each of them.


    "You need to know their taste and how to recognize them. You waste time reading each label and it''s slowing you down!"


    Jon did as he was told.


    He started from the usual ones like salt, sugar and pepper but soon got to the things found only in Royal Road. From different ground monster parts to things like fairy dust, elemental essence and things that looked, smelled and tasted more like something a witch would use than a seasoning for cooking.


    Alchemy Skill Levels Up


    Tasting unusual ingredients slowly increased his alchemy skill. For some ingredients there was even a popup window, showing its effects.


    Blood Tree Sap


    Sap collected from a Blood Tree. Incredibly sweet and with the beautiful color of red rubies. A blood tree sucks the blood of its victims and uses the blood to grow. A fully grown tree will be as hard as iron and with dark red leaves. The sap is high in calories and iron but getting it requires a lot of force.


    Effects: Vitality +5


    Unknown


    Unknown


    Unknown


    Unknown


    The alchemy skill seemed to supplement the cooking skill.


    After he, in a way, identified the ingredients and seasoning with the alchemy skill the things he prepared for Burka became higher quality.


    Understanding what he was working with made it easier to work with Gorge.


    Cooking took over Jon''s life, both in the game and outside of it.


    He worked all day long with Burka, and at night when the kitchen closed down instead of heading to the library to read he logged out and cooked together with Jon.


    "It is hard to believe that a week has not even passed yet since you started playing." Gorge spoke to Jon as they were making dinner together.


    "¡­"


    Jon still kept to himself most of the time, but while cooking he did talk to Gorge when he needed something passed or done.


    "And Joshua tried to convince me that this was a bad idea." He was enjoying himself, lost in the nostalgia of the moment.


    To Gorge, this was just like the time before Jon''s father died. Less than a week ago he believed it was all gone forever, and now he was standing in the kitchen again, working together with Jon.


    "Have you decided what to do once you can leave the citadel, Jon?"


    "No."


    "You should travel the land. I have read about so many interesting places in Royal Road... Maybe I will join you there one day." He was smiling to himself as he added the meat Jon cut into a frying pan.


    They ate together as usual with Gorge explaining Jon as much of the game mechanics as he could. Once done eating, Jon jumped back into the capsule to get back to work.


    "Give me your knife!" Burka snatched Jon''s knife away from him.


    "No wonder your work took a step backwards, this knife is dull!" He brought a grinding stone and attached it to the table.


    "Look here."


    Burka showed him how he attached it to the table. He began turning the handle and the round stone began to spin. Carefully he connected the knife with the stone.


    Sparks flew out as the stone ground the metal of the knife''s edge.


    "Never work with a dull knife!" He spat, "It will ruin the ingredients!"


    "You try!"


    Sharpening Skill Learned


    By the use of a grinding stone, wet stone, sharpening belt and a variety of other tools, you can return the edge of a weapon back to its original sharpness.


    With good knowledge of sharpening, a weapon can even exceed its original attack power.


    WARNING: Sharpening may result in durability loss.


    A few minutes later he went back to work. It surprised him how easily the knife cut now.


    -''I should sharpen my knife daily from now on.''-


    He asked for a small break and visited the blacksmith shop. There he acquired a sharpening kit for a gold coin. An inflated price thanks to his high negative fame, but he decided it was something worth having.


    "Listen up, listen up." Dragon came in the kitchen in a happy mood. "I have good news! A dragon was slain!"


    The whole kitchen roared.


    Jon didn''t understand what was happening.


    "An old friend of mine was part of the party that slew it." He shushed them.


    "As thanks for having taught him how to hunt, he is sending me some dragon meat."


    The kitchen staff roared again.


    "You all know what that means, so start getting ready. It will arrive in two weeks." He went back to the dining hall leaving the kitchen in an uproar.


    "Lucky."


    "It''s been so long!"


    "I can''t wait."


    "Dragon meat?" Jon asked Burka.


    "I know, I''m already drooling." It was the first time Jon didn''t hear anger in his voice.


    "¡­"


    "You don''t know about dragon meat?"


    "No."


    "Well, lucky you then." He sat down and closed his eyes for a moment. A rare smile appeared on his face.


    "You see, Jon. Me and Dragon¡­ well, they didn''t call him Dragon at that time. Me and Dragon were dragon slayers, still are in fact, we just didn''t kill any dragons lately."


    "As in fifteen years, lately." One of the kitchen staff laughed, silenced by a knife thrown by Burka.


    "Interrupt me again and you''ll be cooking the meat with one hand."


    The man went back to work still laughing.


    Like I said, we were dragon slayers, the two of us. The best out there! And Dragon, he used to teach the young ones how to hunt them down. So every now and then we get dragon meat sent to us from them."


    "¡­"


    "Not impressed, are you?" he was surprised, "Do you even know how hard of an ingredient it is to get?"


    "No."


    "Ha. In all of Rozenheim kingdom, we''re probably the only place to ever sell it. The only other place you''ll find it, is on the tables of royalty." He was exited, talking loudly and waving his hands around.


    "Not only is it the best quality meat out there, eating it makes you stronger."


    "¡­" Jon was starting to get interested.


    "The catch is, no matter how much of it you eat, as long as the meat came from the same dragon, it will affect you only once. Every dragon gives different bonuses and only once."


    "That''s one of the reasons there are hardly any dragons left now. Dragon slayers hunted them down almost to extinction, all in the pursuit of power." He sighed. "And money!"


    "One bite from dragon meat can cost from a hundred and up to a thousand gold and more. Depending on the dragon the meat came from. Of course when prepared by someone like me the price gets even higher."


    "Dragon meat is my specialty. I''ve cooked more dragon meat than anyone alive. People come from all over the land to get a taste of it. Don''t be surprised if you see royalty in two weeks."


    Jon looked around the kitchen. Everyone was excited.


    "You''re wondering what it has to do with you?"


    "Yes."


    "Dragon gives each of the staff a piece of meat. They can do whatever they want with it. Last time I sold most of mine, got me a small fortune. Most cook it for themselves. You''ll get some as well, but you better get better at cooking if you want to get a better effect out of it."


    "¡­"


    "Didn''t you hear me? Start cooking!" the angry Burka returned again.


    And so Jon did, now with even more zeal than before.


    Fame rises by 20 (+20 Fame)


    Health points rise by 100 (+100 Hp)


    His four weeks were over. To his annoyance that came with a small fame bonus.


    Although he didn''t care much for it right now, what attracted him to the game in the first place was seeing the players on the T.V fight monsters. From goblins to wyverns, the fights he saw on that program mesmerized and intrigued him.


    Whenever he fought in the underground battles, in his mind he could do things that when he tried to do in reality, the laws of physics wouldn''t allow him.


    When he saw things like blocking a tree trunk swung by a troll with a small round shield and man defeat a giant by slashing his way inside the giant¡¯s leg and hacking his way through the body only to come out from the mouth, he knew he could finally fight the way he imagined he could.


    So, presented with the chance of monster fighting at last, as soon as he finished work he took it.


    There were two gates to the citadel, an eastern and a western one. Jon exited through the west gate.


    The guards standing on each side of the gate kept their eyes on him as he walked by them. As he stood on the other side of the gate, a pastoral scene came in to view.


    Lit by the dim light of the moon, Jon gazed upon a big stretch of grass, stretching far and disappearing between smaller trees of the forest. From what he could see the forest looked like it had encircled the whole citadel.


    While the environment was beautiful, what he saw happening in front of his eyes was horrendous. It froze him in place and he just stood there looking at the massacre happening next to him. Dozens of players were running around, some alone others in parties, and killing everything they were fast enough to catch.


    If not for the cover of the night, what Jon knew was supposed to be a green grassland would have surly been colored red.


    Wherever he looked cute and fluffy bunnies were butchered. Raccoons and foxes were ganged up on and killed ruthlessly. Jon thought he would be fighting monsters but instead the game wanted him to kill innocent animals to level up.


    A wolf ran out of the forest. It was chasing a group of players who kept hitting him and running away. Once it was out of the forest the five of them surrounded it and began beating him ruthlessly. It tried to fight back but against five, it was a lost battle. Jon could hear its whines as is breathed its last breath.


    -Disgusting!-


    He went back into the citadel with a new goal.


    A sign hung over the wooden door, on it were carved an arrow and a knife with their tips touching. The entrance to the rogue''s guild looked simple and unimpressive.


    On the other side of the street was the entrance to the warriors'' guild. Unlike the first one, this entrance was spectacular. Clean and freshly painted, it had marvel steps and even an outrageous fountain with a statue of a barbarian in the middle.


    There was a good reason for the difference. Guild depended on funds from its members for money. And in Royal Road, the vast majority of players preferred warriors to rogues. Not because warriors were better but only because they were easier to play.


    Unlike rogues who had to rely on their own prowess, warriors could rely completely on the game''s skill system.


    While all a warrior had to do to kill a monster was swing the sword and the system took care of the rest, a rogue, especially one who relies on bows had to aim by himself.


    Since most people didn''t have good aim, and didn''t want to train hard until their skills were high enough to compensate for it, they would simply denounce the idea and become a warrior instead. And so the warrior''s guild flourished.


    However for what Jon wanted to do he needed the rogues'' guild, no matter how run down it looked.


    A man exited the guild. He was wearing mages robes and was incredibly tall.


    "You''re in luck," he spoke to Jon.


    "I just finished recasting the lights in the shooting range, they''ve been out for a week. You came in the right time."


    He didn''t wait for a response and went on his way. Jon entered the building and was surprised at how empty it was.


    "Hello," a man said to him. "You''re here to join us?"


    Jon could tell he was an Npc by the way he was looking at him. His fame was working against him again.


    "Yes."


    "Bows or knives?"


    "Bow."


    "Do you have the bow mastery skill?"


    "No."


    "You can''t join until you have one. But for five gold we will supply you with a practice bow and an unlimited amount of arrows for you to use in our shooting range. Once you acquire the skill come to me and I''ll change your class to a bowman."


    "Four gold."


    "This is not up for negotiation. Five gold is the fee. Come back when you have it." The Npc started walked away.


    "I''ll cover the price."


    "Kino, why waste money on this guy?" the Npc sounded annoyed.


    "We hardly get new people and when one finally comes, you refuse to accept him?"


    The Npc brought Jon a short bow and a quiver of dull arrows and left for a different room.


    "Sorry for him."


    "Name''s Kino," he extended his hand. "It''s good to see a new player take up the bow."


    Jon put four gold coins in his hand.


    "Wha? It''s fine, don''t worry about the money. Five gold is nothing at my level." He returned the money to Jon.


    "Here, see," He showed Jon a paper with a quest notice on it. "Reward: One hundred and fifty gold coins."


    "A couple of harpies attacked a small village in the north and unfortunately a party of idiot warriors decided to take up the quest. All the harpies had to do was fly over their heads and drop rocks. Now the warriors are hiding together with the villagers and I need to come and save the day."


    "All of them are the same. Put a sword in their hands and they think they¡¯re invincible." He was smiling. "So much gold for shooting down a few harpies, aren''t I lucky?"


    He hit Jon over the shoulder laughing.


    "Anyway I got to get going. I''ve got a three day walk ahead of me. I hope I''ll see ya again here."


    He left waving goodbye to the few people who were there.


    "The shooting range is that way." He popped his head back through the door.


    Jon looked in the direction he was pointing and saw a thick metal door.


    "Thank you." He said but Kino was already gone.


    Jon looked around for the first time. The room looked like a bar, more than a guild. The only indication of it being a rogues guild was the numerous bows, knives and arrows everywhere. Hung on the walls were the better quality bows and in display cases lay special arrows. Some of those arrows even had a colored glow emitted by them.


    No one paid any more attention to him so he went through an iron door and entered a shooting range.


    It was big. Very big.


    Lit by magic to simulate day light, Jon couldn''t even see the farthest target. Three more players were there. One of them stood out thanks to his bow, if you can call it a bow.


    This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.-''It''s as big as him.''-


    He was using arrows the size of rockets, and he was shooting at a target so far away that to Jon, it looked no bigger than a tennis ball.


    "You''re a newbie too?" A teenage boy asked Jon.


    "¡­"


    "I can tell by your bow." He showed his and it was the same as Jon''s. "You know what to do?"


    "No."


    The boy jumped at the opportunity to show off his knowledge.


    "You see the closest target to us." He pointed at the fifteen meter target. "All you have to do to get the bow mastery skill is hit that one and the two after it, dead center."


    The next two targets were positioned at the thirty and fifty meter marks.


    "Sounds easy, right?" a sad laugh escaped him.


    "It''s not, believe me, I''ve been stuck on the last target since morning." He strung an arrow and let it fly.


    "See? This bow can''t shoot that far! And when I complained about it to the others they just laughed at me and said I need to practice until I become stronger." He shot another arrow. Like the other one it landed a couple of meters shy of the target. A bunch of arrows were stuck in the ground around it already.


    Jon took out an arrow as well. It was a simple wooden arrow with a metal tip. The edge was completely dull though.


    His lack of response made the boy give up the conversation and concentrate on the shooting. Jon sat at one of the benches sticking out of the wall behind him. He took out his sharpening kit. In it was a small device for sharpening arrow tips. He picked the one that fit the arrow he was using out of five different arrow designs and went through the whole quiver.


    One of the arrows broke, as it''s durability reached zero but the rest were now shiny and sharp.


    Sharpening Skill Levels Up


    He chose an empty place and stood in front of his first target. The target was a straw scarecrow with red circles marked on the head and torso areas. It was approximately human sized and hard to miss at such a close range.


    He checked his bow and like he thought it was a simple short bow, about eighty centimeters long and with a 33 kilo maximum draw strength.


    He trained with long bows when he was younger, where to draw a string to its optimal shooting position, a force of 71 kilograms was needed.


    This was the reason the kid couldn''t hit his last target. When Jon logged in for his first time, a part of the scan the capsule took of him was a measurement of his strength and speed. By measuring the electrical pulses from his muscles the capsule calculated his physical parameters and transferred them into the game. Thanks to that, when Jon entered the game his body felt like his real body. The same scan was done on the kid, and since he wouldn''t be able to shoot a bow that far in real life, inside the game it wasn''t different.


    If he wanted to succeed in hitting the last target he needed to raise his strength stat. Ten points were simply the games way of showing each player¡¯s real life power. If a player could bench-press one hundred kilo weights his starting out strength stat would be ten, same as a player who can only bench-press twenty kilo weights.


    When these two players raise their strength stat the stronger player will have a much higher effect then the weaker one even if they both add the same amount of stats.


    That is why players needed to choose the class that suited them best. While a very weak player could become a strong warrior, he would need to put a lot more stat points in strength than a strong player who can already easily wield a heavy weapon even without putting any points into strength.


    For the scrawny kid who was trying to shoot a bow next to Jon, the mage class would have been better, or maybe a knife wielding class that relied on speed. That is not to say he couldn''t play as whatever class he wanted, it just meant he would have a harder time playing it.


    Jon fitted an arrow, lifted the bow over his head with a straightened arm. Slowly he lowered his arm in an arc, pulling back the string as it lowered. When he got into firing position the bow was strung back as far at it could go and the targets head was where he was aiming. He let go of the back of the arrow, letting the bow straighten and sending the arrow flying straight into the colored mark in the center of the straw circle. It hit with enough force to penetrate the straw and poke out on the other side, almost falling completely.


    His next arrow hit the thirty meter target and after a few more tries the third target had an arrow stuck in the red colored mark.


    Archery Mastery Acquired


    Archery mastery affects the ability to use short bows, long bows and crossbows with efficiency.


    The higher the mastery the better the accuracy of the shoots are.


    The archery mastery also affects shooting speed and attack power.


    Level 1 Bonus:


    Accuracy increased by 5%


    Attack speed increased by 5


    "How did you do that?" The boy yelled.


    "Practice." He said and left to find the Npc from before.


    Jon left the boy dumbfounded at the shooting range and entered the tavern looking room.


    He quickly located the Npc and came up to him.


    "What do you want?" he said, annoyed.


    "Done."


    "You''re what?"


    "¡­"


    The Npc''s eyes opened wide and he struggled for words.


    "Well¡­ hmm¡­ that was pretty fast." He looked puzzled. "This isn''t your first time shooting is it?"


    "No."


    "I thought as much." He crossed his arms over his chest. "Show me you''ve learned the archery skill and you''ll be officially part of our guild."


    Jon spoke out the command in his mind and the skill window opened, he turned it and faced it towards the Npc.


    "Let¡¯s see now." A smile appeared on his face at last as he finished reading.


    Magic Mastery level 3


    Archery Mastery level 1


    Knife/Dagger Mastery level 2


    Cooking Mastery level 4


    Alchemy Mastery level 2


    Sneak Mastery level 2


    Sharpening level 2


    Silent Strike level 2


    "You''re really stupid," he laughed. "You could''ve joined using your dagger mastery, and then the bow and arrows would''ve been free¡­"


    "¡­"


    "No wonder you and Kino got along." He took out a paper page, a quill and an ink well.


    "Sign here and you part of us."


    You Have Joined the Rogue''s Guild


    The guild is a place for forming friendship and hunting parties.


    Some guilds have their own blacksmiths and merchants where guild members can trade for cheap.


    The message board in each guild has many quests and jobs to choose from.


    As a member of the guild you can get free food and lodging in every city that has a branch of it.


    Notice: All rogue guild related Npcs now like you.


    As soon as the paper was signed, the Npc''s demeanor changed.


    Moving the things away, he put his hand on Jon''s shoulder and motioned him to follow.


    "I''m the caretaker of this guild building, if you ever need help with anything come to me." The y walked into a different room.


    "If you''re interested in bows, first thing you should do is visit an artillator."


    "Artillator?"


    "Yeah, he''s specializes in bows, crossbows and everything related to archery in general. From arrows to finger guards, he''ll have everything you need." He slapped Jon''s back a couple of times as he said that.


    "And since you¡¯re an official member he''ll give you a special price."


    "Here he is."


    They stopped next to a bald man with squinting eyes. He was short but the muscles on his arms stood out sharply compared to his thin legs.


    "I''ve brought you a new guy to equip." He moved Jon forward, and even though he was shorter than him he kept both of his hands on his shoulders.


    "Promising young fellow, this one." He pushed Jon forward. "Haven''t seen anyone get archer mastery this fast in quite some time now."


    The bald man stepped forward. He was holding a large crossbow that he had just finished winding.


    "Ballard''s the name," he said in a very low voice. The voice didn''t match his looks. Small and unimpressive, his voice sounded like something a giant would speak with.


    "Jon."


    "So, Jon, what''s your weapon of choice?" He spread his hands to indicate the many bows and crossbows around him.


    Jon looked around from where he was standing.


    "You''re very tall¡­ long arms..." he mumbled to himself, "getting archery fast means you either have an inborn talent or, and this is more likely, you have experience with sharp shooting!"


    "¡­"


    "So what weapon are you experienced with?"


    "Longbow."


    "Yes¡­ I guessed correctly." He put a crossbow down and took two bows of their hooks.


    "Shorter or longer?" He held a bow in each hand.


    While both were generic longbows, thin and made out of sturdy yet flexible wood, the left one was shorter than the other.


    At six feet long (180cm) the left bow was the shortest possible length for a bow to be considered a longbow. The right bow, a standard longbow, was seven feet long (210cm) when not strung.


    "Longer."


    Ballard was silent for a moment. He looked at Jon from head to toe and put both bows back to where he had taken them from.


    "Correct me if I''m wrong, but you¡¯re not looking for a strong attack bow, are you?"


    He was correct.


    "Need distance." Jon acknowledged that Ballard was a professional in his trade.


    "Ahah! Very well." He began taking off bows one by one, trying to get to something far in the back. He was excited.


    "I''ve made this one a long time ago." He took out a simple looking longbow. "If it is distance you need, nothing will compare to this! I just hope it''s not rotten inside." He took a string from a pile and started bending the bow.


    "I made it from wood of a floating tree. That¡¯s the reason for the color." He gave the strung bow to Jon. Although the same size as the other seven foot bow, its color was teal in the middle turning cyan towards the endings with the tips of the bow an almost transparent with a faint sky blue tint.


    But it wasn''t the color that surprised Jon, it was the weight. It was as light as a feather and just like one, when he let go of the bow, it didn''t fall. It floated down and he just lazily picked it up right before it hit the ground.


    "One of my favorite works." Ballard said, his eyes becoming wet and shiny, "Too bad it''s as good as useless."


    Jon looked at him questioningly.


    "No attack power," he stated.


    "It will kill a rabbit or a fox, but anything bigger and unless you hit a vital spot you''ll need to wait for it to bleed to death." He sighed. "You''re better off just running up to the monster and hitting it with the bow."


    "Why?" Jon asked.


    "Why am I showing it to you? If you want to hit far away targets, nothing I have here can compare to it. A good long bow can shoot an arrow at a target more than two hundred meters away¡­ this beauty can send an arrow flying three hundred meters without you even breaking out a sweat."


    Jon looked at the bow in his hands. He had to look at it or else he didn''t even feel it was there.


    "Come on now, give it here, I was just bragging a little. It is a useless bow and it''s been left to rot for it."


    "I''ll take it."


    "You''re serious?" he grabbed Jon''s arm with incredible strength. "You better not be kidding. A novice like you won''t even have the skill to shoot the far, no point of you taking it just to make me feel better."


    "¡­"


    They looked each other in the eyes, Jon with his perfect poker face and Ballard with his half closed eyes.


    "I think the caretaker was right, you really are a promising one." He let go of Jon''s arm.


    "Okay, let''s get you fitted for shooting." He began throwing things at Jon for him to try on.


    He didn''t need much but Ballard insisted on equipping him from head to toe.  Jon put on a matching set of leather armor.


    Thick and sturdy, it may now stop a sword but a knife or an arrow won''t pass through easily, while teeth and talons would only get stuck.


    The only thing he kept from his original attire was the simple brown hood he got from one of the killed players in the library. It didn''t offer any protection like the leather helmet Ballard insisted on, but it could hide a red PKer mark if there was ever a need for it.


    "Come on; let''s go give my beauty at test run." He hurried Jon towards the shooting range.


    "Where are you taking him?" yelled the caretaker from behind the bars counter.


    "To shoot of course!" He kept hurrying.


    "Take him to the instructor first."


    It was clear Ballard was eager to see his bow in action. He debated with himself and decided the instructor came first.


    "He will help you shoot better. After me."


    The instructor offered to change Jon''s class to a Longbow Man.


    Class Change Notice


    You have been offered to switch to a Longbow Man from an Assassin.


    Skills gained by becoming an assassin will be deleted, unless you have reached level two or higher in them.


    Both the sneak and the silent strike skills were level two, so he will keep them. And even if he didn''t Jon wouldn''t have hesitated, he wanted to use bows and the Longbow Man class suited him at the moment.


    He accepted without a second thought.


    You have changed your profession to a Longbow Man.


    With a longbow being considered a commoners weapon, this class is one of the most played classes.


    This is the class to choose if you want to kill your opponent from afar. Precise and deadly, an arrow fired from a longbow will come down whistling from the sky, penetrating both armor and flesh.


    +20 Dexterity


    +5 Strength


    A longbow man can choose between an Archer and Hunter class when he reaches level 30. To initiate the class change quest you will need to visit an instructor specific to your class.


    Perception Stat Added


    A stat that affects a player''s power of vision.


    As the stat rises so will a player''s ability to perceive moving objects and notice details in his surroundings.


    The higher the stat the farther a player can see.


    It is said that a player with very high perception can even count the number of locusts in a moving swarm.


    Power Shot Skill Learned.


    By temporarily surrounding the bow with mana, the longbow man can draw the arrow farther than the bows maximum breaking point.


    This allows the longbow man to fire an arrow that deals more damage and has a higher chance of penetrating the target.


    Level 1: Maximum firing distance 30m


    Attack power increased by 10%


    Cost: 20 MP


    Owl''s Instincts Skill Learned


    An owl, the shadow of the night. It hunt''s under the moonlight managing to catch and kill pray with ease even in the darkest of nights.


    With instincts so honed he manages to REPLACE his talons into his targets vital spots at amazing speed and with incredible precision even under the most difficult conditions.


    Users of bows have strive to achieve their astounding feats throughout the ages.


    Level 1: Critical Hit Chance +5%


    They entered the shooting range. The boy was still there trying hard.


    He looked at Jon when he came in and jealousy overwhelmed him. Here he was, on his third day of shooting and still without the archery mastery, looking at a guy dressed like a real rogue. A guy that only an hour ago entered the guilds shooting range for the first time.


    "You ready?" Ballard was having trouble hiding his excitement.


    "Shot it as far as you can, don''t worry about the place, it''s a magical room. The ceiling is as high as the sky and it will take you days of walking to reach the other side."


    "¡­" Jon took out an arrow from the quiver safely attached to his waist.


    Ballard bit his lip as he looked at Jon fit the arrow between his finger-guards and placed the shaft between his finger and the wood of the bow. It fell comfortably into a small cervix in the center of the bow.


    He drew it back hard.


    He had to use more strength than he was used too, to make it bend, but he managed to draw the arrow back until he felt the feathers on the back tickle his ear.


    Raising the bow to a forty-five degree angle, took aim at nothing in particular and let go of the arrow.


    The arrow disappeared from sight, leaving behind it a whistling sound. After a few moments it appeared as a small dot falling down to earth in the far distance. Where it landed was too far for Jon to see, but Ballard next to him whistled while up to the point it hit the ground.


    "Five hundred meters, easy." He clapped his hands a couple of times.


    "Didn''t I tell you? Nothing can compare to it!"


    Jon was amazed, so much in fact it almost showed on his face. Almost.


    -''Weapon stat''- he spoke in his mind.


    Star Piercer


    Attack: 1  Durability: 50/50  Multiple Shot Speed: 9


    A bow made out vines of a floating tree. These trees spin their vines at incredible speed, which allows them to ride wind currents from one place to the other in the search of nutrients.


    The vine is very strong, light and elastic making it fine building material but poor basis for weapons. The vines characteristics make it incredibly weak and most of the time you are better of using a stone.


    Just like the description said, the bow had the same attack power as a stone. Normal arrows had one attack power and buying stronger arrows was out of the question.


    However the shooting distance it allowed for was extraordinary, and this was more important to Jon than attack power.


    -''This is perfect.''-


    He felt good.

 The Dark Side - Chapter 6

    Chapter Six ¨C A Fighting Chance


    Jon felt the night was wasted away.


    Every time he tried to leave, Ballard stopped him and urged him to keep shooting.


    He shot far, he shot near, he shot at standing targets and at moving ones, he shot at sky and at the ground.


    He told Jon to try shooting multiple arrows at once for a while, but when Jon failed to hit even the closest target Ballard gave up.


    "We''ll try that again when your mastery is higher," he said.


    Ballard made him fire arrows nonstop for half an hour, so he could measure the firing speed. Even though a few years had passed since he last used bows, he fared well.


    A good longbow''s man can fire twelve to fifteen arrows a minute. Jon managed eight to nine per minute.


    The artificial light inside tempered with one''s feeling of time. If the boy shooting next to Jon didn''t mention he had to log out as it was morning soon Jon would''ve just stood there the whole day, firing the way Ballard told him.


    Archery Mastery Levels Up


    Dexterity Rises By 1 (+1 Dex)


    Perception Rises By 1 (+1 Per)


    Perception Rises By 1 (+1 Per)


    Five hours of shooting left their mark on Jon. The skill and stat rising weren''t so important as him getting used to the bow again.


    The archery mastery skill worked by subconsciously correcting Jon''s hands into the right position. The higher the skill level the more accurate was the correction.


    However, Jon''s precision was pretty good to begin with, and amplified by his low level mastery he succeeded in satisfying Ballard''s expectations of him.


    He didn''t need to come back tonight, he had other plans, so before leaving he stocked his inventory with ten bundles of arrows. They were all simple, training arrows but they were free.


    Work passed smoothly. He had already got used to the kitchen''s fast pace and even managed to predict Burka''s needs from time to time, which lowered the amount of times he got screamed at.


    During his break, he mounted the grinding wheel on one of the tables and slowly went through the arrows in his inventory.


    They were so dull, that when he checked their attack power it was at zero. Grinding the metal tips until they were sharp again returned the attack power to one.


    Compared to the twelve attack power knife, Yarel was kind enough to donate to him, it was nothing. But Jon didn''t care as the monotone act of sharpening appealed to him.


    Sharpening Skill Levels Up


    There were thirty arrows in each bundle. It took him ten seconds to sharpen an arrow and before his work was finished all ten bundles had been finished.


    "Good hunting." Burka wished him as Jon ran off the second his work was done.


    The sun had already set and the only light came from the moon and the star filled night sky.


    Jon was standing at the edge of the forest, only a few bushes and a tree separated him from the grassland where numerous players were busy chasing helpless animals.


    The citadel gate was about two kilometers away, only the burning fire and torches were visible in the night. He couldn''t see the guards and that meant they couldn''t see him.


    Equipped with his bow and fitting an arrow, he waited.


    There was a party of four moving close to the edge of the forest towards the place he stood, hidden in the dark between the trees.


    The party consisted of a warrior, two mages and a bowman. The warrior was stepping on the bushes, making noise on purpose, while the other three walked some distance from him.


    When the warrior was less than fifty meters away from Jon, he suddenly began sprinting towards the citadel.


    A wolf jumped out of the thicket chasing him.


    He heard the murmur of the casting mages and saw the bowman draw his bow.


    Jon drew his bow and let go of the arrow. He was faster than the bowman and as he released the arrow he didn''t look at it to see if he hit his target. Instead he quickly materialized the floating ball of mana before the bowman''s face.


    He heard a scream of pain that meant his arrow hit its target and saw the bowman drop his arrow to cover his eyes from the sudden bright blue light.


    Looking back at the warrior he saw him standing with one knee on the ground clutching his hip where an arrow was sticking out.


    The arrow dropped very little of the warrior¡¯s Hp but it made him stagger and fall. The running wolf did the rest. It jumped to the air and flew at the warrior, snapping its jaws on the warrior''s neck, breaking his Adam¡¯s apple and cutting through the main jugular vane.


    Once the warrior turned grey and disappeared the wolf changed its target to the bowman, who was struggling to fire because of the moving ball of light.


    Three quick jumps and the wolf was under the bowman''s feet slashing the torso with its talons. The bowman turned grey after two slashes.


    As the bowman disappeared and the blue light covered the wolf, Jon thought he saw the wolf get bigger.


    The two mages, now defenseless, forgot about their incantations and started running, with the wolf following after them. He strung another arrow and took aim at the farther mage of the two.


    The wolf reached the first mage while Jon''s arrow was still in the air.


    One swing of the wolf''s paw was enough to get rid of the little Hp the mage had.


    Critical Hit


    The arrow went through the mage''s throat, a part of it poking out on each side. The mage tried to complete his incantation but blood filled his mouth and he started to choke. The wolf slashed his stomach open a second later.


    Lit by an incomplete fireball in the mage''s hand, Jon could see clearly this time. As the mage died the wolf suddenly grew in size. He dispelled his magic and looked at the wolf.


    From what he had seen earlier, when a player managed to escape from a wolf or when a wolf managed to get the kill, it would immediately go back to the forest. This wolf didn''t.


    It walked up and sniffed the arrows that fell to the ground once the bodies disappeared. Finished with the arrows it lifted its head and began sniffing the air. Done, it looked at where Jon was hiding.


    Even though he couldn''t see them, he could feel the wolf''s eyes staring at him and he gazed back unblinking. After a minute or two, the wolf slowly trotted aside and sat down on its hind legs. Getting comfortable it again looked at Jon.


    Ten minutes passed like that. Both Jon and the wolf seemed frozen in place. Even the sound of another party not far away didn''t make the wolf flinch.


    Jon was trying to remember something Gorge mentioned to him. It took a while but he finally remembered.


    "Monsters in Royal Road can level up and become stronger the same way players do." Was what Gorge said to him during dinner.


    He stepped out into the grassland and headed to where the warrior died. In his place were lying a fox pelt and an arrow, which he picked up before continuing to the place the rest of the party died.


    Three fox pelts and rabbit meat were his reward for helping the wolf. He threw the meat to the wolf, which was following him with his stare all the while. The meat fell next to him but he didn''t move, he just kept staring at Jon.


    Making sure he picked everything up, Jon dispelled the ball of light and returned to his spot in the forest. Once safely hidden from sight, he watched the wolf devour the rabbit meat and lay down to wait.


    "Are you sure it was there?"


    "I''m telling you I saw something bright floating around here!"


    "Maybe it was a fairy?"


    "Are fairies considered monsters? I wonder how much exp they give¡­"


    "Who the fuck cares, man. It''s a freaking fairy! I''m tired of fighting animals; I want to kill something cool."


    A party of three was heading to where Jon had picked up the loot. Attracted by the mana ball he used to light the ground, they risked getting close to the forest edge.


    Jon glanced at where the wolf was and only managed to notice him because he knew where it was. Crouching flat against the ground, the wolf looked ready to attack.


    He wasted time no more. Summoning the ball of bright blue light again, he drew an arrow and took aim at the same time.


    "There it is! I told you I wasn''t seeing things!"


    A player wielding a sword ran away from the group to where the ball materialized.


    Getting closer he suddenly said:


    "Guys, I don''t think it''s a fairy¡­ I''m pretty sure this is some kind of maAAUUGHHHHHHH"


    Critical Hit


    Focus Rises by 1 (+1 Foc)


    The scream of pain was heard all the way back inside the citadel.


    The player fell to the ground clutching at an arrow lodged inside his eye socket. No blood was flowing as the arrow was stopped by his skull. Nonetheless his face was wet. The fluids of his eye dripped down his face, reflecting the light of the floating ball, allowing Jon to see the expression of pain that covered it.


    To Jon''s disappointment, the bow was so weak that even a critical hit wasn''t enough to kill a player.


    "What happened?" The other two yelled in a worry.


    The mana ball floated towards them and one of them tried to cut it with an axe but missed. Both of them now had their weapons in their hands but the ball rose high, out of their reach.


    It served its purpose, by distracting them from the sprinting wolf who had already disposed of the screaming friend.


    Another arrow pierced the hand of the axe wielder, making him drop his weapon to the ground.


    "It''s an ambush!" He started to scream, but was silenced by the wolf''s claws reaping out his throat.


    He fell to the ground choking with his own blood as he slowly bled to death. He lived long enough to see the wolf gnaw his friend''s head off his shoulders.


    All three players were gone and under the bluish magic light the wolf became bigger again.Jon canceled his magic and was looking around to make sure there was no one to see him when he noticed the wolf walking towards him.


    It stopped before Jon. With only a couple of bushes and a tree separating them, he could smell the animal odor that came from it


    It was holding something in his mouth, and when it let go, Jon saw it was the loot.


    Three pelts and two arrows lay between him and the wolf.


    He picked them up and tried to pat the wolf, but as his hand rose so did the lips of the wolf and it began to snarl. It stopped only when Jon went back into the darkness. The wolf sat there, as if waiting for Jon to do something.


    Jon didn''t take Star Piercer for nothing. His main goal was to help animals defend themselves. The wolf distracted him from it, but now it was time he began.


    What Jon wanted to do was the same he did with the wolf, distract and hinder the players'' movements to give the animals a chance to run away or retaliate. He couldn''t do it in the day time and it had to be from afar, so that the players wouldn''t turn on him.


    Shooting from inside the forest hidden by the darkness of the night made him feel good. He felt like he was handing out justice. Lusting after the higher exp reward that monsters gave during the night, the grassland was full of players. This worked to Jon''s advantage in two ways.


    First of all, it meant he had a lot of targets to choose from. Second, monsters were stronger and more ferocious during the night.


    Jon picked a player who was fighting something small around three-hundred meters from him.


    He took aim at him and fired four arrows in a row. The fourth arrow left his hands right as the first fell down.


    He looked to see if he had hit his target and saw that the first arrow didn''t even come close. In the time it took the arrow to fall the player had already moved away. The other three arrows glittered through the sky, reflecting the moonlight of the sharpened tips, and buried themselves into the ground around the first one.


    -Can''t fire in an arc¡­''-


    The way he fired didn¡¯t work. He shot them high into the sky and let them fall down in a high arc to the ground. It took longer for the arrow to fall but it was the only way he knew of  that allowed to shot at these distances.


    But who was he kidding?


    This wasn''t real life, this was a game, and games followed their own rules!


    He was holding a bow in his hands that could throw an arrow half a kilometer with ease. He needed to forget about real life limitations soon, as those were what made him want to play in the first place.


    He picked a different target, a bit closer this time, took aim, and instead of lifting the bow at a higher angle, he simply drew it back harder.


    The arrow flew out at an incredible speed. Slicing the air it whizzed by his target, making him turn around in surprise. There was no chance he could see him from almost two hundred meters away, so while the player looked around to see what startled him Jon was already taking aim again.


    It took some time getting used to, but when the whole bundle of arrows in his quiver was gone he felt confident he could make it work.


    He refilled the quiver and chose a target a little bit closer this time.


    The first arrow missed but only by a small margin. The second arrow missed as well.


    On the third try it struck true.


    It struck the player¡¯s left shoulder with a metallic sound and made him stagger. Unfortunately it didn''t have much affect as the shoulder plate stooped the arrow from going deep. Although only a flesh wound, it managed to stun and distract, giving the fox the player was fighting a chance to counter attack.


    The fox jumped and bit the player''s hand. He thrashed around and flung his arm from side to side, but the fox hung on.


    The surprise passed and he managed to regain his calm. He stopped flailing around and took out his belt knife. He lifted the knife over his head and was ready to part the fox''s body away from its head when he noticed the white teeth that came flying at him from out of nowhere.


    The wolf''s body struck him full force. Its claws ripped the flesh of his arms and the teeth dug deep under his clavicle bone.


    This caught Jon by surprise. Not only did the wolf sprung into action as soon as his arrow connected with the player but he also brought the arrow back together with a silver coin.


    The fox ran off somewhere when it saw the wolf.


    -''It''s like playing catch.''- Memories of playing with the mansion guard dogs resurfaced.


    -''Only this is better!''-


    Dexterity Rises by 1 (+1 Dex)


    Focus Rises by 1 (+1 Foc)


    Dexterity Rises by 1 (+1 Dex)


    Strength Rises by 1 (+1 Str)


    Perception Rises  1 (+1 Per)


    By the time the sun began to rise, more than four hundred arrows had been fired. And even if about ninety percent of them were misses, as the first rays of sunshine illuminated the vast grassland, Jon could swear there were more animals running around than the day before.


    It was time for him to go back to the kitchen.


    He was waiting for the wolf to come back with the loot. It was running up the field, an arrow held between its teeth with a pelt jumping up and down with the rhythm of the wolf''s movements,


    Jon had the items dropped into his hands.


    "Thank you."


    The wolf still refused to be touched but it would now drop the stuff into Jon''s hands¡­


    "I''m glad you''re fine." Burka said with an unusually quiet voice. "I heard there was a wolf that strayed from the forest and attacked people last night."


    Jon stopped working and looked at him in wonder.


    "I think you shouldn''t go hunting tonight. If our idiotic doorman can overpower you, a wolf might kill you."


    "Don''t worry." He went back to working.


    "I''m not worried about you, you fool!" His angry voice returned. "If you go and get mauled by a wolf my workload will grow!"


    "So you better be careful out there!"


    "Nine days left before the dragon meat arrives, you shouldn''t even waste your time hunting!"


    Burka started tendering the meat with a hammer, with more strength than he needed to.


    Compliments from the customers that night, praised the meat for its tenderness.


    Before going back to the forest, he stopped by the guild and restocked his arrows. Ballard tried to question him on how his bow worked but Jon managed to sneak away.


    He walked to the spot he used yesterday and  observed the grasslands before him.


    It was a cloudy night and visibility was low.


    He couldn''t tell clearly, who was standing where after fifty meters, so he targeted mages.


    When a mage began to cast his magic, a glow emanated from the part of body the magic would be focused on. At night, that glow could be seen from afar.


    It was good for Jon that more than half of the players started out as mages. However most of the players were school or university students. So the majority of beginner mages changed their classes to a fighting class once they realized how much studying and reading, getting stronger as a mage involved.


    Wherever he looked there were small puddles of light of different color. The red color dominated as the fireball was the most common beginner spell.


    He drew an arrow and took aim when he suddenly thought of something.


    -''Silent Strike''- he initiated the skill and his arrow began giving off a faint bluish glow from the forty five Mp that went into it.


    Critical Hit


    -''Cool.''-


    He took aim was was about to release another arrow when he saw the red light go out suddenly.


    There was no kill massage and the fireball disappeared too suddenly for it to be canceled.


    A few moments later he got his answer in the form of a wolf. It brought back his arrow together with a few silver coins.


    He wiped the coins on his pants and put them in his inventory. Out of the inventory he took out a large chunk of cooked meat and gave it to the wolf.


    It hesitated at first, smelling cooked meat for the first time, but devoured it with pleasure after he risked a bite.


    -''I wonder if the bonuses of the meat will affect him?''-


    It was meat prepared by him, and it gave a bonus to the dexterity and strength stats. Small bonuses as his cooking skill was still low, but bonuses nonetheless.


    Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!Joined by the wolf, Jon began playing catch.


    Silent Strike Levels Up


    Level 3: Deal 15% more damage.


    Chance of a critical hit increases by 40%.


    Cost: 45 Mp


    Dexterity Rises By 1 (+1 Dex)


    Morning came and he returned to work.


    The same as yesterday, after work he stopped in the guild and restocked his supply of arrows before going to his spot in the forest.


    It was another dark night, with the moon hidden behind the clouds. Tonight the wolf was waiting for Jon at his spot and as he greeted it, he also gave him another chunk of cooked meat.


    The strategy of the third night was a little different, as last night''s mage hunting was rather effective; there were hardly any mages left.


    He would summon the ball of light and float it over the field. When the light revealed a player or a party of them, only then would he shoot.


    The wolf no longer waited for the arrow to designate a target, but would begin running as soon as Jon began pulling back the bow.


    Magic Mastery Levels Up


    Level 4 effects: Can cast beginner level spells.


    Casting speed increased by 8%


    Focus Rises By 1 (+1 Foc)


    Intelligence Rises By 1 (+1 Int)


    Intelligence Rises By 1 (+1 Int)


    Nothing changed until the sixth day.


    The first players who had been killed by the wolf logged back in on the fifth night, and they were looking for revenge. They called their friends who called their own friends. The news spread like wild fire, and starting from noon players began to gather outside the citadel gates.


    Looking at their gear it was clear they were all beginners, most didn''t even have a weapon, and among those who did, wood was what they were made of.


    The more experienced players seemed to distance themselves from the mob.


    Seraborg citadel, being a starting city, was populated mostly by beginners and high level players.


    Players leveled ten to sixty were usually adventuring the countryside in search of dungeons or were busy doing quests.


    The players in the mob were attracted by word of a demonic wolf that could use magic and was as big as a horse. For many of them it was their first time hunting and the chance to partake in what they considered a boss hunt was too alluring to ignore.


    As the sun hid behind the horizon they stepped on to the grassland in search of the enormous wolf.


    When Jon arrived there were enough people to be considered a small army. More than a quarter of a thousand players moved about. The brave ones walked by the forests edge, trying to lure out the beast.


    The search was concentrated around the place where he used to hide and shoot from. Not wanting to attract attention he entered the forest from a place the mob ignored.


    He took out a piece of cooked meat and after a couple of minutes the bushes began to rustle and the wolf appeared.


    It approached Jon and began licking his hand. He petted him and they shared the meat.


    "I don''t think we can play tonight." He spoke, scratching behind the wolf''s ear.


    "You''ve become big and strong, but there''s just too many of them." The wolf licked his face in answer.


    Even with Jon standing straight, all the wolf had to do to reach his face was lift its nose. The nights spent playing catch have transformed him.


    "I want to play too. But even you can''t take care of all of them by yourself¡­" he said, patting its fur.


    The wolf backed away and walked out of the forests¡¯ cover.


    "Come back here, we can play tomorrow!"


    The wolf didn''t listen. Instead it got into a crouching stance to show its readiness.


    Low level players usually ignored wolves and if they ever encountered one, they would run away.


    If a party did decide to challenge a wolf, they would need an average party level of nine and at least four players. However, even then they would have a hard time and there was a big risk of someone dying.


    That was what fighting a wolf in Royal Road meant. Wolves were the strongest beginner monsters and had a lot of Hp.


    The wolf, so eager to play, was much stronger than a normal wolf. It had leveled up during the past five nights and had become considerably stronger, faster and smarter. If it wanted to play Jon wasn''t about to say no.


    He took out the bundles of arrows from his inventory and set them in the ground. This way he wouldn''t run out of arrows no matter how many he let loose.


    "Cerb, you ready?"


    Cerberus lowered his tail, raised his head and howled at moon. The howl traveled far and got the attention of all of the players in the vicinity.


    Wolf''s Blood Lust  Buff Added


    For the duration of the next battle, the following bonuses are applied:


    Attack speed increased by 30%


    Movement speed increased by 15%


    +30 Dexterity


    +30 Strength


    +100 Hp


    Behind them the forest came alive. Something was moving through it fast and it wasn''t trying to hide.


    Out of the forest came twenty nine wolves who formed a line with Cerberus.


    Snarling, barking and howling they got ready to face an oncoming army.


    The sight of the ferocious wolves was more than enough to send chills down the players bodies; they would be fools not to run away.


    However the mob effect kicked in, making them confuse stupidity for courage. Screaming and yelling the wave of people began running towards the wolves.


    Jon laughed and got into firing position.


    -''By the time they get here they''ll be completely out of breath.''- The wolves waited for them to get closer.


    He didn''t need to aim. He simply went by the motions as fast as he could, letting the arrows fall like rain on the enemies heads.


    Once he got used to the bow his arrow per minute rate became twelve to fourteen. Amplified by the Cerebrus''s wolf pack buff he managed to fire seventeen to twenty arrows in a minute.


    The arrows fell, crippling, stunning and maiming.


    The faster players who got closer first were killed by the wolves with ease.


    A moment of silence passed the scene.


    The players were running almost silently, the wolves froze in a crouching position and Jon had finished his second bundle of arrows.


    Suddenly it all exploded.


    The wolves sprung into the oncoming army with grace and coordination. Magic and arrows came flying at them. Jon was sweating, with an incredible rush of excitement building up inside of him.


    <<<<<<<<<<<<WAR>>>>>>>>>>>>


    The system detected the start of a major battle.


    You will not be able to disconnect until the fight is finished.


    Death and kill penalties will not be applied.


    Warning: Only the winning side will be rewarded. Staying alive is not a must and dead players will be rewarded when they reconnect.


    The wolves killed player after player with swiftness none could match. Arrows bounced off of their fur, fire balls singed it, ice darts froze it and lightning bolts simply gave them a little shock.


    The hits kept coming, hardly leaving their marks on the wolves Hp bar.


    Jon located Cerberus with ease. He was twice as big as the other wolves.


    He ran through the middle of the field, a line of bodies left behind him.


    Jon couldn''t stay on the sides any more. This was why he joined. He wanted to fight in ways real life just didn''t allow.


    He stashed his bow and took out one of the swords he got in the library. In his other hand he was holding Yarel''s knife. He walked out of the forest slowly. The sound of his heartbeat overshadowed everything else. He felt calm and couldn''t stop himself from smiling.


    -''Silent Strike-'' His knife went in and out of a warrior¡¯s neck, cutting the jugular and sending a spray of blood into the air.


    Critical Hit


    Continuing the motion he twisted the knife in his hand and stabbed the player next to him in the neck as well. He spun, slicing a third player¡¯s head almost completely off and pushing the knife in a fourth player¡¯s armpit.


    Critical Hit


    Critical Hit


    Critical Hit


    Level Up


    He did it fluently, not even slowing down. A fountain of blood covered him in red.


    He kept walking forward while he distributed the stat points.


    -''I want to decapitate someone.''- was the reason he put all the stat points into strength.


    Level Up


    Level Up


    Owl''s Instincts Levels Up


    Level 2: Critical Hit Chance +8%


    Twelve more died, all of them critical hits. An arrow struck his chest. The metal tip got stuck in the leather armor while the wooden shaft broke off and fell to the ground.


    Two more warriors fell and another arrow struck him.


    He looked at the battlefield and analyzed the situation. Cerberus was making minced meat out of the long range players standing on the sides of the battle. The close ranged players ganged up on the wolves and Jon could see two wolves lying on the ground beaten to death.


    -''Cerb will manage alone.''-


    Helping the wolves was more important, as the arrows did little damage and magic could be avoided.


    But that wasn''t what drove him to a run. It was the sight of a huge amount of players gathered around the wolves that appealed to Jon. The wolves got surrounded by the players, with some fighting while others trying to get close enough to land a hit.


    He sprinted towards them, putting ten points into strength. He reached the first player who, like the rest of them, was looking away from Jon, fighting to get closer to the center. The knife struck him in the nape of the neck and he fell down to the ground. Next to him players were dropping like flies.


    "Traitor!" someone bellowed.


    Those around him turned to stare at Jon. He was covered in blood, standing on a pile of dead bodies. They froze when they saw his smile but recovered when someone shouted:


    "Get him!"


    A dozen players went after him. Jon dashed at the closest one and REPLACEed the knife into his shoulder, climbed him and jumped using him as a spring board.


    He flew through the air, the head of the players lifted to look at him pass into the center where the wolves were.


    -''Silent Strike''-


    He fell on top of a player, forcing his sword down the player''s surprised mouth. With his flat side of the knife he managed to deflect an oncoming club. Following the wooden shaft of the club he sliced the fingers that were holding it. Drawing the sword out he was saved from a hit to the head by a bleeding wolf.


    Jon was having the time of his life. He just wished his opponents had a bit more fighting experience. But he wasn''t about to waste the moment away.


    Like a whirlwind he began making his way outside the collar of players. The wolves followed, adding more bodies to the path. Pop-up massages telling him he made a critical hit flashed in his eyes.


    Knife/Dagger Mastery Levels Up


    Level 3: Attack Speed +10%


    Attack Power +5%


    Jon dodged a wooden training sword by crouching fast and sticking his knife into the swinging players boot. The player jumped in pain and a wolf trapped his neck between its teeth.


    A path cleared before him and Jon dashed forward. Jumping high, he twisted in the air.


    His legs pointing into the night sky, he turned around himself as if screwing into the ground. With the sword and knife horizontal to the ground he cut the knees of three players. Finishing his spin he fell on his feet in time to block a fist with the sharp side of his knife.


    The players with the cut knee fell on their good knee and had their faces slashed at by the wolves.


    Level Up


    Speed Stab Skill Learned


    The skill allows you to perform a stabbing motion with your weapon of choice, with a speed that far accedes your normal abilities.


    The motion is so fast it allows you to perform multiple stabs in the time it would have taken you to make one.


    Level 1: Number of stabs = 2


    Mp cost: 20


    They continued moving straight, receiving blows from all sides. The hits were weak and Jon''s leather armor protected him from any serious injury, but the accumulated blows were starting to affect him.


    Thoughts of losing passed through his mind and his moves began to slow down. He was starting to tire. A sound of a howl enveloped the battlefield and a moment later body parts began flying through the air. Cerberus was cutting his way to Jon and the wolves.


    Cerberus was even bigger now. Jon could see the top of his head over the rows of players separating them. He was using his claws more than his teeth now. His front legs became longer and his torso looked wider. From time to time he even raised himself on his hind legs, swinging both his paws at the enemy. Each slash cut a player to pieces. A human head could fit in his jaws with enough room to move around.


    Weapons broke off his body and magic couldn''t even capture his attention. He looked feral, resembling a demon more than a wolf.


    The sight of Cerberus invigorated Jon and fueled his hurting body.


    -''Speed Stab!''- The player he aimed his skill at had both of his lounges punctured at the same time.


    -''Speed Stab.''- -''Speed Stab.''- -''Speed Stab.''- -''Speed Stab.''-


    By the time he joined Cerberus his mana was depleted and his level rose again.


    Level Up


    Jon and Cerberus fought back to back, with the wolves circling and killing random players on all sides. In the nick of time Jon noticed a strong light coming from afar.


    A mage used all of his mana to create a huge ball of fire and it was almost ready.


    Jon stepped in hard and put all of his weight forward. Without giving it a second thought he threw his sword at the mage.


    The focus stat and the owl''s instinct skill kicked in and the system made Jon let go of the sword at just the right moment.


    It flew through the air, reflecting the red light of the fireball and looking like a sword made of ambers. It impaled the mage¡¯s stomach and forced him to break off the casting.


    The huge ball of flames exploded with enough force to blow away all the leaves from the trees behind it.


    Mages and bowmen around it were burned to death as it exploded and some unfortunate warriors became stunned. A wolf that was in the radius of the explosion was running around with his fur on fire. In its frenzy it ran into players, setting them on fire as it did.


    The explosion became the turning point of the battle.


    While Jon and the wolves were much stronger than the rest of the players, the number of players would have overwhelmed them eventually. Fortunately, the explosion together with the sight of Cerberus¡¯ flinging cut up bodies into the air with every swing of its claws, caused some players¡¯ nerves to break down.


    Most of the range attackers fled back to the citadel, and with every death, more and more players deserted the fight.


    Level Up


    Level Up


    Speed Stab Levels Up


    Level 2: Number of stabs: 2


    Attack power +5%


    Mp Cost: 20


    As the sun rays began to show over the horizon the last players fell to the ground. It happened at the nick of time, a bit longer and the wolves'' night time power bonus would have been canceled.


    The sun rose over the field of battle bringing to light just how many have died. Jon and the wolves stood in the middle of piles of dead bodies.


    He was bleeding hard but he didn''t care as he felt better than ever. The way he fought would have never been possible in real life. The acrobatics and kill moves he used never worked when he tried them in the pit, but in this battle they not only worked but they worked well.


    The wolves were howling at the pale remnants of the moon.  Some members of their pack had died and the rest of them survived the battle with bad wounds.


    The wolves began the battle the same size, but now out of the thirty who began only ten survived, each of them was a different size now.


    They surrounded Jon and nuzzled him from all sides, licking his and each others wounds. Some wolves whimpered as the bigger wounds were licked clean.


    <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<End of the War>>>>>>>>>>>>>>


    The battle is over.


    You have become stronger and will of today be known as the winner of the battle named "The fleeing of the newbies".


    Level Rises


    Fame Rises By 300 (+300 Fame)


    Title granted: "Leader of the pack"


    Title bonus: Charisma +10


    Taming animals becomes 20% easier and faster.


    Wolf''s Blood Lust Buff Has Been Canceled


    The bodies covering the grassland all turned grey at the same time and disappeared. No evidence that anything had happened at all was left. Only the dead wolves were left to lie in their own blood.


    Jon began digging a grave and the surviving wolves joined in. They put the dead wolves inside and covered it back over with dirt. He gathered a few stones and put them in a circle on top of the middle of the grave. Inside the circle he drove his sword into the ground. He stood in silence, giving his respect to those who fought alongside him. The surviving wolves did the same by howling a sad howl.


    Memorial of the Beasts Created


    To remember those who have fallen to the human madness, the sword of a true friend to the animals will be engraved with the names of those who died fighting the humans.


    A yellow glow enveloped the sword, and when it dissipated, runes were engraved into the blade.


    The wolves went back to the forest and Jon went back to the citadel.


    He passed remnants of the battle as he entered the gates. Players who had run away looked at Jon with fear and respect as he passed them. Some tried to attack him, but were saved from Jon¡¯s wrath by the Npc guards.


    He didn''t go back to work like he was supposed to. He simply couldn''t. The remaining wolves were left weak and hurt and any player brave enough could easily kill them all. Worry filled him and wandering the citadel streets, thinking of a way to help them, he saw the answer before him.

 The Dark Side - Chapter 7

    Chapter Seven ¨C Black Robes and Whispered Words


    Too many wolves died.


    If he were stronger more could have been saved.


    He didn''t beat an eyelid at the hundreds of dead players but with the wolves he felt responsible. Not even bothering to tell Burka he wasn''t coming, he entered the tall tower of the mages guild. It was the


    third tallest building in the citadel.


    The mages¡¯ guild was the only guild that offered personal rooms to its members. Hundreds of mages stayed in it at any given moment.


    Jon didn''t have time for sightseeing and didn''t bother sparing a glance to the magical contraptions displayed everywhere inside.


    He headed straight to the man sitting behind a huge book, like the one the bookkeeper had. He slammed five gold coins on the desk, startling the old Npc and attracting the attention of players around him.


    His demeanor was intimidating and the fact that he was the only person there who was wearing armor and not robes didn''t help the image he was giving off.


    "You need to know magic mastery to join¡­" said the Npc very slowly as if he was trying to remember each and every word he used.


    Showing the skill menu to him, Jon waited for the Npc who seemed to do everything slowly.


    "Welcome¡­" he said at last.


    You Have Joined the Mages Guild


    The guild is a place for forming friendship and gaining knowledge.


    Some guilds have their own teachers and libraries, where guild members can learn the arcane arts.


    The message board in each guild has many quests and jobs to choose from.


    As a member of the guild you can get free food and lodging in every city that has a branch of it.


    Notice: All mage guild related Npcs now like you.


    "Would you like to register your name for the room list? Where are you going?"


    Jon left in the middle of the sentence. He needed only one thing and he knew where he would find it.


    He ran up the stairs and entered the arcane library.


    "Healing magic," he demanded from the bookkeeper.


    "I''m sorry sir, but all the books on the subject are currently in use."


    Jon stared at the Npc.


    "She took the last book I had. You can join her." He pointed at a girl sitting at one of the many tables. "She joined yesterday, so she shouldn''t be too far ahead. She can help you if you don''t understand something."


    "¡­"


    "It''s better to study the arcane together. It''s safer this way."


    Looking at the library he could see it was true, everyone was sitting in groups. Even the girl was a part of a pair.


    He walked up and stood behind her. Looking down he read the titles of the books on the table. They were what he was looking for.


    "Can I help you?"


    He lifted an empty seat and moved it closer to the girls¡¯ table. Sitting down he picked up one of the books from the table.


    "We''re sharing," he stated.


    "He''s hot."


    "I know," they whispered to each other.


    "Hi. I''m Romune. Are you planning to become a cleric?"


    "¡­" He ignored her and skimmed through the book.


    "This is Irene. She''s a little shy."


    "No, I''m not!" She blurted out with her cheeks turning red fast.


    "See." She laughed.


    "Romune!"


    "Relax, relax. Irene wants to become a priestess so, you guys, should work together. I''ll go back to my book."


    Everyone became silent.


    "Go on," she kicked Irene in the leg, "explain to him the basics."


    "Will you stop it already? I was just thinking how to better explain it¡­"


    "Hi." She turned to Jon.


    "Is this your first time learning spells?"


    "Yes."


    "Ok." She straightened her back. "Just so you know, I''m not shy or anything. Rumone is just too friendly sometimes." She glanced at her and Romune winked back.


    Jon didn''t care. He didn''t come here to make friends. He needed to learn some healing spells and go back to the wolves.


    "I''m just a beginner myself and I still don''t know everything but I''ll tell you what I know, okay?"


    "¡­"


    "Just explain it already¡­"


    "Be quiet, you!"


    "Anyways¡­" she was blushing again. ¡±A mages¡¯ main attributes are wisdom and intelligence. Wisdom affects the power of your spells while intelligence affects the amount of mana you have and what spells you can use."


    "To learn a spell all you need to do is have the affinity related to the spell."


    "I''m gonna be a fire mage so I''m reading about fire affinity at the moment," Romune held up her book.


    "Do you want to do it yourself?"


    "No, no. I''m sorry, please, continue."


    "Once you have the affinity, you can use every spell you want from that affinity. But if you try a spell that requires a high level magic mastery or more Mp than you have, the casting is likely to fail and explode in your face.


    "That''s what happened to the guy with the bandages." She pointed at an overweight player sitting near the window.


    "He tried a levitation spell. And just when he thought it worked and he began to rise, all around him be¡­" Irene gave her a stare that was worth a thousand words. She stopped talking and went back to reading.


    "All you need for casting a spell is the incantation. However, simply memorizing the words and repeating them will cast the weakest version of the spell possible." She relaxed a little and the tension in her voice started to disappear. "That''s where the wisdom stat comes in."


    "If you want the spell to be more powerful you need to understand what you are casting and how the spell works."


    "For example, the book I''m reading now teaches me the healing spell. I can skip to the end and memorize the incantation, but that way, the spell will only heal twenty HP. If I want to make it more powerful, I need to read all these books about how the healing magic works and how it affects the human body. If I learn the human anatomy and learn about diagnosing wounds and how they need to be mended I can even heal a player completely, with one spell, no matter how much Hp he has." She sighed. "But that is impossible. If only I were a med student¡­"


    Jon was listening attentively. Most of the things he was hearing were a surprise to him.


    "Say, what level are you?" She interrupted again.


    This time, Irene didn''t get angry as she was interested in the answer as well.


    "Thirteen." He answered a bit annoyed.


    "Woah." Both of their levels were one as they haven''t been playing the game for more than a couple of game days.


    "What class do you play as? I like your armor."


    "Assasin."


    "Good one." The girls laughed. "Seriously though, what class are you?"


    Jon said no more.


    The girls stopped laughing and went silent. The mysterious aura Jon seemed to emanate no longer seemed attractive.


    "Irene, let''s go sit somewhere else." They were getting scared.


    Jon''s penetrating stare frightened them more and more.


    "But what about the books?"


    "Leave them and let¡¯s go."


    They left the library in a hurry.


    -''Finally.''-


    He took out the flask Unknownadd gave him and took a small sip.


    You drank "Scholars¡¯ Brew"


    You feel reenergized.


    Your reading speed is quadrupled.


    Affect lasts for 12 hours.


    The concentrated doze had a strong kick to it.


    He didn''t know if he was feeling pleasure or was in pain. The only certain thing was that he could no longer keep his eyes closed.


    The book he had to start with was the one that taught him how to use holy power. He opened it and began reading.


    You Have Completed the Book "Channeling the Holy Power"


    Wisdom Rises By 1(+1Wis)


    Holy affinity


    You have learned to channel holy power through your body and to your spells.


    Increasing your affinity with the element will raise the efficiency and power of holy spells.


    Affinity: 1%


    You Have Completed the Book: "Basic Healing Spells"


    Wisdom Rises By 1 (+1 Wis)


    You Have Completed the Book: "Healing Both Friend and Foe"


    Wisdom Rises By 1 (+1 Wis)


    You drank "Scholars Brew"


    You feel reenergized.


    Your reading speed is quadrupled.


    Affect lasts for 12 hours.


    You Have Completed the Book: "Closing Wounds and Vanishing Bruises"


    Wisdom Rises By 1 (+1 Wis)


    You Have Completed the Book: "Mana & Animal Anatomy"


    Wisdom Rises By 1 (+1 Wis)


    He took out his knife and cut his arm open.


    Chanting the words of the healing spell he weaved the magic through the wound. As he chanted, he concentrated on what he read and applied what he needed for that specific wound.


    As his mana began to disappear, the blood stopped, after which the nerves and muscle fiber began to reattach themselves and in the end a new layer of skin grew over the closed wound. All that was left was an area on his arm that was hairless and red.


    His Hp bar was healed completely.


    Heal Spell Learned


    By channeling the holy element through your magic you can apply your mana to heal yourself and others.


    For the spell to take affect you must touch the target directly.


    He cut himself again in the same spot, and used the healing spell again. This time he let the spell work on its own power and only twenty five HP out of the thirty he had lost, were healed back.


    What Irene said was true. Simply knowing how to cast the spell was not the same as knowing how to use the spell.


    He had enough time for one more book and as he couldn¡¯t find an animal anatomy book, he decided to go with a small book, that explained how healing magic worked on the human body and taught the male and female anatomy.


    You Have Completed the Book: "Healing the Human Machine"


    Wisdom Rises By 1 (+1 Wis)


    He came to work early that morning.


    He knew he''d get yelled at, but not for the reason Burka screamed at him..


    "What in Frey''s name are you doing?" Spit flew out of Burka''s open mouth.


    "We have dragon meat coming in a couple of days and you¡¯re busy running with wolves?"


    Word of last night¡¯s battle had already spread.


    "Have you completely lost it?" He was waving his chef''s knife around and it was getting dangerously close to Jon''s face.


    If Dragon hadn¡¯t interfered, Burka would have gone on yelling forever, or at least until the vain on his neck exploded.


    He came to get meat for the wolves but under the watchful eye of Burka, he couldn''t find a good time to run away. Since Burka''s mood worsened as the day progressed, Jon accepted the fact that the soonest he could see the wolves was nighttime.


    The day wasn¡¯t wasted though.


    Time and time again he cut himself open and healed himself to full. By evening he didn''t even feel the pain that came with every slice.


    Heal Spell Levels Up


    Level 2: Amount of health points healed becomes higher.


    Vitality Rises By 1 (+1Vit)


    Cerberus was waiting for him.


    He was almost as big as Jon now. A truly fearsome sight.


    The other wolves soon joined as well. There were nine of them, one must have died from its wounds during the night. The nine that were left, including Cerberus, looked like they were about to pass away from their wounds at any moment.


    Jon put meat in front of them and backed away not a second too soon.


    They were starved. Luckily he brought more than enough meat for all of them.


    Not wasting another moment he began working on them.


    He started from bigger wounds, making sure they closed properly and later switched his attention to broken bones and bruises. The wolves snarled at him at first soon but understood his actions and even tried to bring to his attention the places that hurt more.


    -''They''re not only becoming stronger but smarter as well.''-


    It took hours to heal them all back from critical health. He hadn¡¯t finished  completely yet but he had to wait for his MP to recharge again.


    The wolves were done eating long ago and were now cuddled around Jon. Each of them tried to get as close as possible to him, some even lay in a way that some part of their bodies was touching Jon. Only Cerberus boldly lay down behind Jon and growled until Jon rested his back against him.


    Looking at the starry sky, he felt at peace for the first time in years.


    The night sky was covered with countless stars. There was no place in real life that you could see so many stars. Nowadays, even in the most remote places, humanities artificial lights blocked the stars.


    The air was pleasantly cold, the wolves were pleasantly warm and the night view would soon cause Jon to doze off.


    It wasn''t meant to last.


    The grassland was empty of players, who were too afraid of the wolf pack. Except for the night noises of the forest everything was silent.


    So when people began gathering near the citadel gates their voices carried all the way to Jon. He rose to see what it was and saw hurried movement of torches in the dark.


    Watching for some time he didn''t like what he was seeing.


    A company of twenty guards were heading their way.


    -''A hunting party.''- He didn''t know for sure but he assumed the worst.


    Burka mentioned that the losers of yesterday battle, cried to the city guards that hunting on the western side of the grassland was impossible. The guards told them they would take care of it.


    He wanted to send the wolves to hide in the forest but stopped before the words had a chance to come out..


    -''It¡¯s pointless,''- he thought.


    The guards will search the forest until they find and kill them.


    He waited for too long. The guards¡¯ smell, carried by the night breeze, reached the wolves and they began to rise and ready for battle.


    He watched, speechless, as the wolves ran on a suicide attack at the guards.


    These were no low level players. The average level of a city guard was fifteen and a captain could even be at twenty-five. The "Wolf''s Blood Thirst" buff, Cerberus used last time hasn''t even finished recharging.


    The wolves were stronger than any other wolf in the vicinity of Seraborg citadel, but it wasn''t enough to overcome the combat experience of the guards.


    "STOPPP!" He shouted in desperation.


    To his surprise the wolves slowed down and turned around to look at him.


    "Come back!" He yelled.


    The wolves did.


    "Fight inside the forest." He talked and they appeared to listen.


    "Separate into two groups. Cerb with the three weakest are one group and the other five are the second." He was facing Cerberus but his words were aimed at the whole pack.


    "Wait for them to scatter in the dark and pick them off one by one. Each group takes a side while I attack from behind. Go! Hide!"


    He took out his bow and equipped a quiver of arrows. Next to him Cerberus growled and barked out his commands to the other wolves as they disappeared in the darkness of the forest.


    He took aim at the platoon of guards and fired, in a high arc, a volley of arrows.


    Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.The wind died off and the arrows fell exactly where he aimed.


    Falling from the sky the arrows broke over the guards¡¯ metal armor.


    He expected that would happen, and the purpose of the arrows was not to harm, but put the guards on the defensive.


    A voice reached Jon and soon after the platoon spread out, distancing one from another to minimize the risk of being hit.


    -''Just as planned.''-


    He kept shooting, waiting for them to get closer. There must have been a captain with them as the guards didn''t run at Jon like the foolish players did. Instead, all of them walked calmly forward, with their shields raised over their heads.


    He started shooting at them when they were more than six-hundred meters away and when they reached the three hundred meter mark; he lowered his angle and aimed at vitals.


    The multitude of stars in the sky gave more than enough light for his special bow to be able to hit a vital point even at such a distance.


    Only a few of the arrows scored a critical hit, leaving their recipient to cripple after his mates. The rest of the arrows shattered on the armor. They didn''t get a direct hit, but the constant strikes left the whole platoon bruised and hurting.


    Once they got close enough, he fell back and hid inside a bush. His sneak mastery did the rest of the job and the guards passed by him without noticing anything.


    The guards knew who he was. They saw him yesterday and they would hunt him down. He couldn''t allow any of the guards to return alive. Two guards staggered behind the rest.


    Injured by Jon''s arrows they slowly crippled passed him.


    He took out his sword and drew his knife. Silently, he closed the distance between them.


    From left and right sounds of fighting could be heard. The wolves have begun their coordinated attack.


    -''Silent Strike''-


    The first guard fell as the knife sliced his throat wide open.


    -''Speed Stab''-


    Critical Hit


    Two quick stabs went through the gaps in the second guard''s armor, sinking deep into his armpits. The short sword he held fell from his hand as his hand went limp.


    Fighting for his life the guard bashed his shield at Jon, who took the blow head on and slipped his knife behind the shield and cut off the fingers that held it in place.


    A yell of pain slipped through his lips but was silenced by Jon''s sword before it had the chance to reach full volume.


    He moved deeper into the forest, following the sound of fighting. He stepped over three dead guards and lost his balance as he tripped on the fourth in the darkness.


    "Demon!" a guard crashed his way through some bushes. He was hurt badly and was missing his shield and helm. His sword arm stood away from his body in a weird angle.


    Even in the darkness Jon could see the fear that covered his face.


    Jon ended his misery and followed his tracks through the bushes.


    He stepped out into a small clearing in the trees. There was just enough starlight shining through gaps in the trees to differentiate the shadows before him.


    Four guards stood back to back while the wolves circled them. Three were missing, but the surviving ones didn''t seem hurt.


    One of the guards must have been the captain as it managed to shield Cerberuses¡¯ attacks time after time. The rest of the remaining guards focused on protecting him from the other wolves.


    Jon equipped his bow and let lose an arrow at the captain.


    -''Power Shot.''-


    Critical Hit


    Power Shot Levels Up


    Archery Mastery Levels Up


    Even with the skill, his attack power was weak and it hardly left its mark on the captain¡¯s HP.


    He continued fighting with the arrow protruding from his mouth.


    The game system didn''t count an arrow going in, through the mouth and exiting from the other side, as a kill. It all came down to attack power, and "Star Piercer" just didn''t have enough attack power to fight high leveled opponents.


    However frustrating it was it mattered little at the moment. The guards couldn''t do anything to him as long as the wolves surrounded them and it left Jon free to turn them into pin cushions.


    They didn''t last long and once all of them fell, the wolves ran off to deal with the rest of the guards.


    Five wolves survived the night. Four wolves lay around Jon waiting for their turn at the healing magic. Cerberus walked in circles around them.


    He was enjoying the new sensation of walking on two legs.


    Standing on his hind legs he was taller than Jon and he liked showing it. The sun was shining when he finally stopped.


    "Listen." Jon stopped him and looked up into his eyes. "Please try to understand."


    "They won''t stop hunting you. And next time there will be more of them."


    "And if you survive the next time they''ll send even more the time after that. How many will you kill before they manage to kill you?" He looked back at the wolves.


    They lay on the ground, their heads raised to look at Jon.


    "A hundred? A thousand?"


    "You need to leave!" He pointed at the mountains in the distance.


    "Leave this forest and find another place to hunt. You''re strong and smart, I know you''ll survive."


    The wolves whimpered and walked up to Jon and Cerberus. They touched their noses to him with their tails tucked between their legs.


    "Go."


    Cerberus straightened to his full height. It made Jon crane his neck even higher to see him shake his head in denial.


    "Go, and never return." He walked away but was stopped by Cerberus who circled and stood before him.


    He was surprised when the huge beast, turned werewolf, spread its arms and embraced him.


    The wolves howled in a voice that sounded like crying and Cerberus tightened his hold.


    Jon''s face turned hard as stone. He didn''t even return the wolf''s hug. All he did was walk away, not even looking back. It was out of his hands now. He hoped they understood his words but there was nothing more he could do.


    He stepped out into the grasslands when the howls reached him. They came from far away and although weak, they carried with them a goodbye to Jon.


    "Goodbye."


    The fields were empty. Players still refused to return to this hunting area. He walked slowly, pulling behind him a body of a guard.


    Reaching the memorial for the wolves, he leaned the body on the sword stuck in the ground and walked away.


    -''Good luck, Cerb.-


    His face was facing the other way and he refused to turn around no matter what. So when the sword started giving off light he was already on his way back to the citadel.


    He didn''t see the ghostly apparitions of wolves materialize and devour the flesh off the corpse disappearing, when only a clean skeleton was left.


    He also didn''t see Cerberus and his pack reach the Boar Mountains after months of travel and wouldn''t know Cerberus took the werewolves of the area under his control.


    Only later would he hear rumors of a new area boss that appeared in those mountains. Alas, he would never associate this news with Cerberus and they would never see each other again.


    However, they never forgot each other and it would be that memory that would eventually lead to Cerberus''s death.


    With a whole quest line surrounding him, Cerberus fought countless adventurers but was finally slain, when he dropped his guard and walked into an ambush only because one of the players smelled like Jon.


    He will later be revived again, but that is a completely different story.


    "Good to see you here on time for once!" Burka''s angry voice washed over Jon.


    His mood was spoiled ever since parting with the wolves. The few days that passed felt like a daydream and he would log in for work and log out when he was done.


    A messenger arrived yesterday with word of the dragon meat nearing the citadel. It was supposed to arrive today.


    Jon couldn''t care less.


    It came at noon. A huge caravan arrived, with dozens of people following it on horseback. Dragon went out to great them and embraced a man with a gigantic sword.


    "That was his best student." Burka said. His voice was quiet and calm.


    "He was the leader of the hunting party that took the dragon down."


    "Burka!" the man shouted after he let go of Dragon.


    Burka closed the distance and greeted him warmly.


    "How went the hunt?"


    "Come, I''ll tell you all about it."


    "We''re done for today!" he shouted to the staff. "Tomorrow we''ll distribute the meat."


    "Jon, accompany us."


    They walked through the street shouting and laughing. Jon trailed them from a couple of steps away, feeling bored.


    They shared stories of adventures of previous dragon hunts. Each shared and commented on the other.


    "So it turns out we''ve set camp on top of his head." They roared with laughter. "In the morning the thing wakens and raises its head, making me shit my pants and lose the breakfast I still didn''t have! The blasted thing was as tall as a mountain!"


    He wondered where they were going as the air was getting warmer and warmer.


    "You brought it?"


    "Could I ever forget?"


    "Good, good. Hand it over to Burka." Dragon had a smile plastered on his face. "Orr, I''d like you to meat Jon, the only man alive that can learn under Burka."


    "Watch it!"


    "Relax, you old coot. Go get the fires blowing."


    "Hi." Orr extended his hand to Jon. "You''re lucky. I tried to have him teach me but we ended fighting more than cooking."


    "Jon, you''re going to learn the secret to cooking dragon meat, so it brings out its full potential."


    Dragon put a hand over his shoulder and lowered his voice. "I don''t know what has got you down lately but it''s time to forget and move on."


    "Go inside and help Burka, we''ll join you after we buy some drinks in that tavern there."


    Both of them walked away, the sound of them talking was heard even after they disappeared from sight.


    He walked inside the building and saw it was a blacksmith workshop.


    It was like a sauna inside and when he noticed Burka through the steam he was shirtless and was putting on a leather apron.


    "Start pumping the bellows." Burka pointed at a contraption near the furnace.


    Jon did as he was told and began blowing air into the fire. The temperature in the room began to rise quickly.


    "Not many people know this except for dragon slayers, but to cook dragon meat you need to treat it more like metal than meat." He lifted a beautiful slice of meat and slapped it on a huge anvil.


    "A dragon''s body temperature is many times higher than human¡¯s, and cooking it over a normal fire won''t even singe it." He was picking a hammer from the set of tools on the wall.


    "Keep pumping," he said to Jon. "There are as many ways of dealing with dragon meat as there are dragons but there is one way that works on them all. And for that, blacksmiths are needed."


    "Cook the meat as if you''re forging a sword and you''ll bring out the best it has to offer."


    He lifted the meat with tongs and put it in the fire. When it glowed completely red he took it out and dumped it into a tub of water, releasing a wave of steam.


    He put it back on the anvil and began to hammer it with intense concentration.


    "Just like with iron, the heating and cooling followed by the hammering purifies the meat and gets rid of toxins and unneeded extras."


    He put it inside the fire turning the meat red and cooling it before hammering every inch of it, over and over again.


    "A blacksmith can do what I''m doing now, but a cook is needed to make the finishing touches. Luckily I''m both." He smiled at Jon and kept on hammering.


    Strength Rises by 1(+1Str)


    Pumping the bellows was hard work, and in the intense heat, Jon was getting woozy.


    "We''ve brought beers!"


    In Royal Road players eighteen and older could get drunk and even though Jon didn''t want to, he was so hot he would''ve drunk piss as long as it was cold.


    The threesome became gradually louder as the wooden barrel got emptier.


    Burka left the meat in the fire and yelled at Jon to come over.


    "Look here, I''m going to teach you how to repair your equipment." He seemed pleasantly buzzed and in a good mood. It was weird seeing him this happy.


    "Orr, give me some broken gear."


    Orr stumbled to Burka and put a cracked breast plate in his hands.


    "You take this!" he pushed the breast plate in Jon''s face. "And this?" he held up his mug and looked at it intently.


    "That¡¯s not right¡­" he looked around, "Quick! Call the dogs! My hammer ran away." He slammed through the doors waving around the breast plate and his mug.


    Dragon splashed him with a bucket of water and watched him come back to his senses with a hysterical laugh.


    After an hour, Burka resumed his presentation of the repair skill.


    "WRONG!" he bellowed.


    "Damn you, Burka. You''ve made me spill my mug!"


    "Silence, or I''ll spill your brains next." He yelled at Dragon before continuing to scream at Jon. "There''s no crack there! Mend this place here!"


    Repair Skill Learned


    Applying this skill on a piece of equipment will return it to its maximum durability.


    Low level skill will need more than one time to restore all durability while a high level of this skill can increase the durability over the maximum amount, thus strengthening the equipment.


    Notice: Can only be applied to metal.


    "If you ever learn the blacksmith skill, I''ll take you along on one of my hunting expeditions." Orr spoke to Jon. "I could use a good cook and a blacksmith on months long dragon hunts."


    The prospect of fighting a dragon blew any thought of the wolves out of his mind. He looked at the hammer in his hand and took out a sword from his inventory. He repaired it and his knife as well, and then proceeded to break and repair the sword until Burka ordered him to man the bellows once again.


    In the dead of the night they sent him back to the restaurant to get ingredients and spices from the kitchen. The meat was almost done and only the seasoning was left.


    Jon hurried, almost running. The smell of the meat was stuck to his clothes and he could smell it with every breath.


    "Help¡­" through the empty streets a voice reached him.


    He stopped to listen and heard it again.


    It was coming from the direction he was heading so he doubled his steps.


    There it was again. This time he could tell it was a female voice. As he got closer he no longer heard the voice, but the sound of running footsteps echoed through the alleys.


    A woman fell out into the main street. Following her were two figures dressed in black.


    Whatever she was holding spilled and scattered all around her.


    "Help me!" she shouted to Jon.


    The hooded figures turned around to face him.

 The Dark Side - Chapter 8

    Chapter Eight ¨C Begging For Meat


    The woman sobbed, afraid to move from the spot where she fell.


    The hooded figures straightened and waited for Jon to do something.


    When he didn''t, one of them stretched out his hand, chanted a few words, and lightning began to crackle around it.


    It was a beginner¡¯s spell and Jon had seen and received lightning bolts like the one now aimed at him during his experience with war.


    The dark figure was either a really high level player, confident enough he could finish Jon off with a beginner''s spell or a real beginner foolish enough to disclose his magic. Whoever he was, Jon took out his knife and was chanting the healing spell quickly.


    The second figure whispered something and both of them disappeared back into the alley they came from.


    With his curiosity satisfied he was ready to leave, and since the men left by their own will he didn''t feel compelled to follow them.


    The woman stood up shaking and blocked his path.


    "Thank you." She said in a weak voice. "Thank you."


    There was nothing to be thankful for, and Jon was puzzled at her words.


    -''I don''t have time for this.''- He tried to move on but the woman motioned to grab his arm to stop him.


    He turned suddenly and grabbed her arm in the air.


    Maybe she took it as a sign of empathy or caring, because it made her cry even harder but with tears of relief instead of fear.


    "I thought I was dead for sure. They would have killed me like the others if not for you."


    She moved in to embrace Jon but he managed to stop her.


    "Damn those guards! Instead of patrolling the streets they go of to chase dogs in the forest¡­" She wasn''t a young woman and the stress finally got to her and caused her knees to buckle under her. She fell on something squishy and when she looked at what it was she wailed all over again.


    The sound of her crying brought up unpleasant memories for him and while her eyes were closed he sneaked away.


    "The food! They stepped all over it!" Another wail interrupted her angry yelling. "We''ll starve to death!"


    She was in the middle of the shopping district and in the middle of the night, there was no one to pay attention to her.


    While he was getting what Burka asked for from the kitchen the sound of her voice quieted down.


    She was picking things up into a torn sack off the ground.


    He could see tears flowing down her face as they reflected the light of the moon. She must have smelled the spices he was carrying because she turned to look at him before the sound of his footsteps reached her.


    As he passed by her he dropped two large sacks to the ground.


    "It''s you, isn''t it?" she didn''t even look at the sacks.


    "You''re the one who humiliated Yarel? I was there, your clothes are different but it''s you, I can tell."


    She got up and dusted herself a little.


    "From the whole slums district, thank you," she said with a bow.


    "Her sword and shield have been feeding us for the past weeks. My son would have probably lost one of his hands to the guards if not for you help." She paused to swallow down a new wave of tears. "But the money is slowly ending and I had to take more and more risks lately. We struck a deal with a merchant that sells us his leftovers for cheap prices. They are mostly rotten but we make do." She showed him a piece of moldy bread on the ground. "He agreed to do business with us only in these hours so that no customers see him selling to us beggars, and those volchers you saw, have been picking us off one by one."


    She approached him and tried to grab hold of his hand but Jon was faster than her.


    "Please help us!" She continued undiscouraged. "The guards won''t do anything and we have no money to pay a guild."


    "We''re desperate! Children are afraid to play outside in the day and at night everyone locks himself inside, not that has ever stopped them¡­"


    "If this goes on for longer we will all starve to death! You must help us like you did with that awful woman!"


    He pointed at the sacks making her finally notice them. She jumped to them and marveled at their insides. One sack of rice and one of flour lay before her as she began to sob again.


    "Thank you¡­" She said to Jon but he was no longer there.


    He left as soon as she turned around, glad to get away from her.


    "Finally! I thought you''d never come!" Burka snatched a sack from Jon''s hands.


    He ran to the meat, which was shining bright red with steam coming out from it.


    "Sit down, kiddo. There''s nothing you can help with now." Jon was twenty three years old, yet to Dragon whose hair was completely grey he was nothing more than some brat. The wrinkles on his face deepened as he smiled and moved a stool next to a makeshift table.


    "Wipe your mouth!" He snapped at Orr.


    "Sowwy." He tried to speak but puddles of saliva made it difficult for him. He had to spit to the side before talking again.


    "Its been more than a year since I''ve eaten Burka''s cooking. My body can''t help it."


    -''So he''s been playing the game for more than three months¡­" He lost himself in calculations.


    "Snap out of it." Dragon waved his hand before Jon''s face.


    He focused on his face and tried to figure what happened. A slice of meat was put under his nose and the other three men were ready to pounce on theirs.


    -''I''ll need to get strong fast. Three months is too long.''- He concluded. ¨C''I want to fight mega-beasts soon¡­''-


    He was late to take a bite so he ended up looking at the three dragon-slayers appreciate their first bite. Each of them paused after it and rolled his yes in delight. Orr looked to his side, probably reading the pop-up window that came out.


    "Not bad¡­ not bad at all¡­ you didn''t mention he was a magma dragon."


    "He was my first of its type, I never thought it would show in the bonuses."


    "They are a bit stronger than your typical fire breather, but the fire bonus they give is worth it," Burka stated.


    "Hunt down a few magmas and your next fire type will be that much easier." Dragon savored the taste.


    His interest was picked. He was never one turn down free food and when it came to meat, Jon''s appetite was never ending.


    He took a deep breath of the aroma and took a big bite.


    It was amazing!


    He didn''t even bother looking at the system massage that jumped before him. He ripped piece after piece, devouring it all with hardly a breath taken.


    It was all gone too soon. He stared in disbelief at his empty plate.


    His eyes jumped from plate to plate looking for more.


    "Don''t worry, kid. It happens to everyone their first time." Dragon tried to get his attention in vain.


    "Jon, look at me." He snapped his fingers and when that didn''t work he struck the crate they were eating on with his hand.


    "The taste can be addictive, but don''t do something stupid, you hear me?"


    "I''ve seen people go crazy after trying high quality dragon meat. In some cases they go up to a dragon and try to eat it alive¡­"


    -''I don''t need a dragon! I''ll just kill them and take it all to myself!''-


    "Don''t!" Burka commanded as if he read his thoughts. "I''d hate to hurt you."


    "Eat it slowly this time." He gave a bit of his slice to Jon, and continued eating patiently.


    It was the hardest thing he did since he started playing but he forced himself to chew slowly.


    When he was done the empty plate put tears in his eyes. He wanted more. He needed more!


    -I have to kill it alone! More meat for me!''-


    He knew he had to get stronger and it was time to make good on Gorge''s offer to help.


    -''Time to take this game seriously.''-


    He turned his attention to the messages the system notified him about.


    You have finished eating dragon meat.


    HP increases by 1000


    Mp increases by 1000


    All stats increase by 100


    Temporarily Fire Immunity


    Effect lasts for 10 hours.


    Alchemy Levels Up


    You have consumed the meat of Grilmir the magma dragon.


    The magic infused meat has given you the following bonuses permanently:


    Vitality 50


    Strength 50


    Dexterity 50


    Intelligence 50


    Fire resistance 2%


    "I see you¡¯ve finally paid attention to the bonuses that come with the taste."


    "Don''t start thinking you can hunt dragon for the rest of your life though," Orr said. "At most there are three dragon kills a year. Most of the time it''s killing monsters to level up and looking for better gear. The rest of the time we practice ways to fight the damn thing."


    "Ferocious beasts," Dragon sighed. "Did I tell you about the time I saw one decimate an entire army?"


    "Yes!" Burka snapped. "If you want to tell stories, tell him what happens after the meat is pealed off." He pointed at Jon.


    "Not much to say about that really¡­"he turned to Jon enthusiastically nonetheless.


    It was a long story with many personal stories mixed with in.


    The main point of it was though, that to kill a dragon it is not enough to take away the meat of his bones, you need to spread and hide the bones as well.


    Long ago, the bones were left in the place a dragon was killed and years later the dragon would come back as a bone dragon, a furious, raging, mad and vengeful skeletal dragon bent on destroying and killing. Even though it lacks strength and magic power without his flesh, it is a scary sight and can easily turn entire citadels into rubble.


    Apparently some of the bones of the one they finished eating will be used for weapon and goods craft here in the citadel.


    It was at this point that Orr, drunk as he was, took out a huge bone from out of his inventory and offered it to Jon.


    "Take it!" He insisted. "I was planning of having it turned into a new mullet, but the dragon turned out to be weaker the dragon whose bones my current weapon had been made out of."


    He than started crying and yelling at the night sky how unfair the world was.


    It was morning already and the stories were still coming. Burka was the one who put an end to them in the end. He spoke out how it was time to sleep as he needed to start preparing for tomorrow later in the evening.


    "For how much are you selling the meat?" Orr asked Dragon.


    "Well, an average strength one like him¡­ between fifteen hundred gold to two thousand depending on the size of the meal, I guess."


    "Whoa! So what my cut?"


    "The usual twenty percent."


    "With a piece of that size we can easily make half a million gold. You''ll be able to upgrade your equipment again." They both smiled and embraced, saying their farewells and leaving in different direction.


    Jon was left alone with nothing to do until evening.


    Still possessed by his earlier frame of mind he asked himself what he could do to get stronger. Killing the same monster over and over didn''t appeal to him; he knew that would bore him too fast.


    He concluded that he just didn''t know enough about the game to make that decision and after looking at the real world clock he decided not to wake up Gorge and simply headed to the mages¡¯ guild.


    He had the option of changing his class into a mage, and the idea of fighting a dragon with magic appealed to him.


    He found an instructor and was offered a choice between mage and cleric classes thanks to his heal spell.


    Class Change Notice


    You have been offered to switch to Longbow Man from an Assassin.


    Skills gained by becoming an assassin will be deleted, unless you have reached level two or higher in them.


    You have changed your profession to a Mage.


    The mage is the most versatile class in the game and is suited best for patient and creative people. By controlling and channeling arcane power with his mind the mage can do things most people don¡¯t even dream of.


    From controlling the elements to materializing matter out of thin air, the power of the mage is only limited by his ingenuity and dedication.


    +150 Mp


    +20 Wisdom


    The mage can change to a stronger class when he reaches level 30. To initiate the class change quest you will need to visit an instructor specific to your class who will offer you class options after looking at your skills and spells.


    Magic Capacity Passive Skill Acquired


    This skill lowers the backlash of misfiring spells and reduces the damage taken when casting spells that require higher magic mastery than you have.


    Magic capacity also guards from the damage taken when casting spells that need more Mp than you currently have.


    Control Magic Passive Skill Acquired


    A passive skill that heightens your control over the spells you cast. Good magic control can prevent area of effect spells (AoE) from hitting your allies while buff and de-buff spells can be applied on many targets at once.


    Even the most basic of magic can be used in a variety of ways when you have enough control over it.


    Meditation Skill Acquired


    By maintaining correct breathing and mental focus for long periods the mage can force his body to become more compatible with the arcane powers.


    During this state of awareness the mage''s mana points return at an accelerated rate.


    One of the many side effects of this passive state is increased mana.


    Level 1: +5 Mp every level up.


    Jon read the skill descriptions and decided on his next move.


    Up the stairs he went and into the guilds library he entered. Just like last time, near every table groups of players were gathered. The bookkeeper was collecting finished books that were left around the library.


    The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement."Ice magic."


    "Oh, hello again." He was in a cheery attitude again. "How is the healing magic? Do you like it? Was it useful?" He put down the books he was holding but one.


    "Do you want to try this one? I was told it is a must read for clerics!"


    It was easier to just take the book and stop him from talking.


    "Ice magic?"


    "Sit down; I''ll bring it to you." He went to the bookshelves. "Beginner level right?"


    Jon nodded.


    He picked an empty chair near a window and read the book title, "Healing Spells for Army Use", it said. He skimmed through it and deemed it useful. He needed to level up his three new skills as fast as he could and the last spell of the book was perfect for that.


    "Healing Rain", needed an intermediate level magic mastery and fifteen hundred Mp. It was an area of effect spell that summons arcane rain that heals everything it touches.


    -''Stat Window''- He wanted to be sure.


    Stat Window


    Avatar: Jon            Type: Chaotic


    Level: 14                           Class: Mage


    Title: Leader of the Pack


    +10 Charisma


    Taming animals is 20% easier and faster.


    Life: 1030 (+1640)         Fame: -82          Mana: 625 (+1500)


    Strength: 98 (+100)     Dexterity: 94 (+100)      Vitality: 61 (+100)


    Wisdom: 38 (+100)    Intelligence: 67 (+100)   Focus: 12 (+100)


    Leadership: 0 (+100)    Perception: 3 (+100)       Luck: 0 (+100)


    Offence: 9                                 Defense: 10


    Resistance to Magic:


    Cold: 5%


    Fire: 2%


    Holy: 1%


    Affinity to Elements:


    Holy: 1%


    With the temporary bonus from the dragon meat he had more than enough Mp and casting the spell would train all three of his new passive skills.


    A few drops of Scholar''s Brew were enough to finish the book quickly. The bookkeeper put a pile of books next to him but Jon ignored them for the time being.


    You Have Completed the Book: "Healing Spells for Army Use"


    Wisdom Rises by 1 (+1 Wis)


    He made a mental note to reread the book in the future but at the moment he asked the Npc for a book that soon lay open before him. A few more drops of the brew and that book was done with as well.


    You Have Completed the Book: "Limiting Area Spells"


    Wisdom Rises By 1 (+1 Wis)


    Done with that, he read the spell. It was long and hard.


    Even though there was a chapter dedicated specifically to the correct pronunciation of the words reading the spell in full was difficult. It took forty three minutes to read it all, but the moment he was done his Mp began to drop.


    With magic mastery of only level four, fifteen hundred mana points were not enough to cast the spell, and soon all of his Mp was gone and his Hp began to disappear as well.


    He was thankful to the dragon meat or else he would have surely been dead. His whole body sucked into powering up the spell.


    Shining clouds began to gather under the ceiling. Thunder cracked inside the room and all the eyes in the library shot up.


    With the second thunder came the rain. Drops of golden light fell to the floor and were absorbed into the wood. Both people and books were soon covered in bright golden light.


    Nothing got wet. As soon as a rain drop fell on something it evaporated into golden mist which soon hung low and became a golden fog that hid the floor from sight.


    The sight was captivating and hypnotizing.


    The golden light moved as if alive, twisting and swirling around the players¡¯ legs. Those with good imagination looked at it and saw faces looking back at them. Jon could see them too and it was these faces that almost killed him.


    The spell sucked away all of his Mp to activate and with no Mp left it began to eat away at his Hp to sustain itself. Since the spell was something he activated by himself the system didn''t give him any warning, and if it wasn''t for his instincts telling him something was not right the spell would have sucked all his life away.


    -''Thank you,''- they saved him again and he was grateful.


    He made a mental note, to always glance at his Hp bar when using a new spell or experimenting with an old one.


    Breaking off the spell the rain stopped and with a quite, almost cat like hiss, the clouds and mist disappeared.


    The library was left sparkling even in the absence of the golden light. As there was nothing to heal the rain cleaned instead. A surprising result but true nonetheless.


    Everyone and everything looked new. People felt like they ad just come out of the shower, clothes and books were cleaned of stains and dust, while everything wooden inside the library was rejuvenated. Cracked floor boards were mended and desks that used to have burn marks or broken legs grew back to their original state.


    "Healing Rain" Spell Learnt


    An area of effect spell that conjures rain clouds out of thin air.


    The clouds then condense holy power into liquid form that drops to the ground as rain.


    Anyone touched by the drops will have its Hp restored.


    While each drop by itself has very little healing power, sustaining the clouds for even a small period of time can heal hundreds of targets completely.


    Level 1: AoE size ¨C 15m radius.


    Restore rate: 1Hp per drop.


    Magic Capacity Levels Up


    Magic Mastery Levels Up


    Level 5 effects: Can cast beginner level spells.


    Casting speed increased by 10%


    Intelligence Rises by 1 (+1 Int)


    He was a bit disappointed that the magic control skill didn''t rise as well but he would deal with it later.


    With his Mp bar completely empty he checked the meditation skill and read about what it required him to do. Surprised at how simple it was he breathed in, slowly, through his nose and breathed out even slower through his mouth. He looked at his Mp bar and saw it begin to fill up quickly.


    It took a couple of minutes but his Mp was restored completely.


    Looking at the skill he saw it was at 83%.


    -''Good. Now what will I do about the third skill.''- Control Magic was at 0%.


    He summoned his trusty ball of magic. He missed it. The bluish light was a familiar sight now and gave off a comforting feeling.


    Weaving it through his fingers and around his hand like he was used to he looked at the skill and saw its experience rising.


    One percent, two percent, three percent, it was too slow.


    Jon decided to try something he didn''t understand why he hadn¡¯t tried earlier.


    Concentrating on the floating ball he focused and summoned another ball, and when both balls looked stable he summoned another one, and another one.


    He began spinning them around his torso, adding more balls whenever he was convinced the others looked stable and felt secure.


    Blue light danced around him, dim in the bright sunlight, but strong enough to color him light blue.


    The seventh ball was the limit, when he added it the others began to shake violently and spun out of control, disappearing into dust.


    Focus Rises by 1(+1 Foc)


    He started slower the second time.


    First he began meditating. While doing the breathing exercise he slowly brought out the balls.


    Again the seventh ball was his downfall, however this time he maintained all seven for longer.


    Meditation Skill Levels Up


    Level 2: +10 Mp every level up.


    Affect while active: 2Mp every second.


    It was time to get back to the kitchen.


    He left the guild building with two small spheres of light spinning behind him.


    The kitchen was a hectic mess. Everyone was running around and yelling. No one even noticed Jon enter.


    He put on an apron and jumped into the fray, blue light spinning over his head.


    Control Magic Skill levels Up


    It was the dead of the night when Dragon screamed for Jon to come to him.


    The effects of the dragon meat were long gone and they were all tired from the evening preparation.


    "Do you know her?" Dragon said in a deep tone.


    "Jon looked at the woman and recognized her from the other night.


    "¡­" he nodded.


    "I see¡­" Dragon seemed to be busy thinking. "Then you better take care of this before the guests start arriving!" He stormed out of the room and left the two alone.


    The woman dropped to her knees.


    "I''m sorry!" she cried. "I didn''t know where else to go!"


    Jon felt annoyed at the sound of her crying voice.


    "The guards wouldn''t listen and adventurers refused to help without a reward!" Her voice broke at the end of the sentence. "Please! When I saw the sign over the front door I remembered the bags you gave me and I knew I would find you here. You are my last chance!" She pleaded.


    "Please save my daughter!" She wailed.


    "They broke inside our house and forced their way to her room. We tried to fight but it was useless. My son was bruised and bleeding but he''s followed them, I beg you, please help us¡­"


    She was in her night gown, and in the candle light of the room Jon understood that the dark stains on it were blood. Her face was starting to swell up and her weight favored the left side, in an attempt to lessen the pain of the right.


    He knew she was desperate and that Dragon was right. She wouldn''t leave any time soon and letting the customers see her in the morning would be a big problem. They were all highborn or wealthy, and seeing a begger outside the restaurant would surely spoil the taste of the dragon meat for them.


    "I don''t have anything to give you in return but I''ll do anything you want in return. Save her! You''re the only left for me to ask¡­"


    The words he chanted were ignored by her. Either she didn''t hear it over the sound of her own sobbing.


    Family Matters Quest Accepted


    A woman from the citadel slums has come begging you for help.


    She claims her daughter was taken against her will and you are the only one who can save her.


    Follow the woman to the building her son identified and bring the daughter back to the mother''s arms.


    Difficulty: D


    Reward: None.


    He touched her shoulder and the golden light spread around her body. It engulfed her completely and as it disappeared an expression of relief appeared on her face.


    "Thank you," she managed to say before the healing spell finished. Her consciousness escaped her grasp and she began falling to the floor, only to be caught by Jon.


    "Here, drink this." Dragon stood over her and offered a glass of water.


    It didn''t take long for her to regain her consciousness and the moment she did she jumped up. Standing up too fast made her world spin around and make the room go dark. Dragon helped to steady her.


    "Jon, told me what happened¡­" he helped her to a chair, "It''s hard to get details from him but I got the gist of it."


    "¡­"


    "Can you walk? You need to show him where to go."


    "My son is outside¡­" she said in a weak voice, "Novick..."


    Dragon looked Jon in the eyes and motioned him to leave.


    "Don''t worry Ms. everything will be alright." He lifted the glass of water to her mouth again.


    The boy was pacing back and forth outside while the brute eyed him with annoyance.


    "His with you?" he said to Jon when he saw him.


    Jon ignored him like usual, but the boy turned at the sound of the words and ran up to him.


    "Let''s run."


    Blood flowed out of the boy''s nose and his cheek was swollen. He was young, around nine or ten and very skinny. Jon touched him with a glowing palm and the blood flow stopped.


    The boy didn''t even notice he was healed; he simply turned around and ran off, stopping only to make sure Jon was following.


    Soon the light from the market was lost in the maze of alleys and the darkness took over. The boy was breathing heavily but he refused to slow down.


    "There it is!" he pointed at one of the many doors on the street they were. There was nothing distinguishable about it but the kid seemed certain.


    He was looking around all the time, searching for the hooded figures. They were almost at the door when I opened and light spilled out to the street.


    Jon grabbed the kid by his collar, shut his mouth with the other hand and hid in a small space between two houses.


    "Are you sure?" Even without the silence that comes during early hours of the morning, Jon was close enough to hear the conversation.


    "I''d love to show you my work. You are men who can appreciate my art."


    "We need to go, there are other clients waiting."


    "Too bad. I enjoy showing this to people." He sighed, "The expressions they make are just¡­"


    "Sorry sir, but I rather not lose my dinner. We really need to go. I hope you will make use of our services in the future, goodbye and have a good time."


    "What about you? I saw how you stared. Don''t you want to see me work?"


    The second hooded figure must have shaken its head in denial because the conversation was over and the men left.


    "A shame¡­" the door closed and the darkness engulfed the street once again.


    They walked past them silently and the boy began to trash violently when he saw them. He would have surely ran out and got himself killed.


    Jon refused to take the risk of being noticed as well, so he moved his arm to the child''s neck and squeezed hard, waiting for the small body to stop struggling.

 The Dark Side - Chapter 9

    Chapter Nine ¨C Learning From Experience


    Held in a sleeper hold, the boy soon passed out and Jon let him fall gently to the ground. The hooded figures passed them calmly and Jon was grateful for that.


    He weighed his options and saw that there was no point forcing his way inside the house and it was unlikely he would be given an invitation.


    He could climb the window and make his way down but another way appealed to him more.


    Looking back at the figures he took his knife in his hand and began to slowly sneak after them.


    The only light on the street came from the night sky and the men seemed calm and didn''t even bother looking back.


    The leather boots he wore were made for stalking pray through woods so walking on a brick road, Jon made no noise. His sneak mastery kicked in and took care of loose pebbles and shaky bricks by getting rid of them completely or silencing any sounds they made.


    A smile appeared on Jon''s face as he began stalking his pray. It grew bigger as he got closer and when he was right behind them, ready to strike the smile became a grin.


    One of them dared to threaten Jon the night before and even though at the time he let him go, being offered a chance to get payback he was ecstatic.


    Jon knew for sure one of them was a mage so he was free to concentrate on the other.


    They were both of the same build and height and with their hoods and dark clocks it was impossible to differentiate between them.


    To increase his chances he pulled out three arrows from his inventory and held them firmly in his free hand. He synchronized his steps with theirs and stepped in with his left leg between them.


    -''''Silent Strike!''-


    Sneak Mastery Levels Up


    Critical Hit


    At the same moment his leg hit the ground the knife penetrated the neck of the right man. Not wasting time on reading the popup massage, as soon as he felt the hilt of the blade touch the skin he turned his attention to the other target.


    Pulling out the knife in a downward motion he aimed for where the spleen should be under the cloak.


    -''Speed Stab!''-


    The blade entered the flesh twice in repetition, however before losing the momentum of his swing he spun fast to the right, using his left leg as a pivot.


    With his right leg he tripped the right man and as his spin continued he REPLACEed the three arrows into the hip of the left man. Lowering himself closer to the ground as he spun he completed a full spin and dropped his knife arm fast at the right man who fell to the ground.


    -''Speed Stab!''-


    He struck the chest twice, aiming for the heart but only puncturing a lung. The moment this was done he pushed back hard against the ground and rolled back. The left man was screaming in pain while the right man lay on his back making choking sounds.


    Jon rose into a crouching stance and observed the situation while out of reach. He got lucky.


    He guessed the mage was on the right and when he saw the daggers tied to the left man''s legs he knew he guessed correctly.


    He was clutching at the arrows sticking out of his leg and even in the weak starlight the numerous knives were visible through the gap in the hood.


    -''Seven,''-


    There were probably more than that but seven were all he saw.


    Jon rushed forward before the man could regain his composure and stabbed him again.


    He swung for another stab but he noticed movement in his peripheral vision and leaned back instinctively.


    One of the arrows, held firmly in the man''s hand, cut the air next to his head, missing only barely his nose. Continuing the motion Jon dropped, leaned back and jumped up while lowering his free hand to the ground, he managed to twist his body into a hand stand and kick the man in the chin with his heel.


    He let go of the arrow and before it hit the ground Jon dashed next to him and cut open his shin. He didn''t fall down though. Instead he grabbed two of his daggers and jumped at Jon with one leg.


    The dagger aimed at his face was diverted using the flat of Jon''s small knife, but the second dagger made a diagonal slash, that began on Jon''s shoulder and ended at his elbow.


    Jon jumped back and with two good legs he managed to easily keep his distance from the limping man.


    Chanting fast he healed the bleeding gash and getting the heal spell ready for another use he slowly moved towards the man again.


    He knew he had an advantage and there was no need to rush. Taking out a sword from his inventory he used the longer reach to slowly cut away at the man while dodging the double daggers.


    The man saw he was overpowered and decided on a desperate attack. He grabbed the sword under his armpit and pushed forward aiming a dagger at Jon''s eye. Jon was expecting an attack of the sorts and simple let go of the swords hilt and grabbed the man''s extended arm.


    With little force he leveraged the elbow against its natural angle, creating a loud cracking sound and a fresh cry of pain.


    A quick slash of his knife ended the fight and the man fell to the ground next to the now motionless body of his friend.


    He disappeared after a moment, turning grey and leaving a dagger behind.


    Putting on the cloak and hood of the dead Npc, Jon used the clasp at the top to cover his face, leaving only a small gap for him to see through.


    Before continuing he undressed the Npc, putting everything in his inventory.


    The door opened, spilling light into the dark street once again. There were a few windows that had candles light shining through them, most likely people were woken up by the fight, however none dared to look outside.


    A man around Jon''s age stood inside the lit room. He wore an apron and had a very dirty towel in his hands.


    "I hoped you''d come back," he said while cleaning his hands on the towel.


    Jon didn''t answer or move but the man didn''t seem bothered by it.


    "Where''s the other one? I''d have liked to see his reactions¡­" His eyes looked over Jon''s shoulder.


    When he was certain there was no one else but Jon, he stepped back inside.


    "Close the door behind you."


    "You came at the right time. I''ve just finished the preparation and I''ll be starting the main act in a moment."


    They walked into another room hidden behind curtains. Unlike the other room, this one was dim and only two candles lit it from the middle of the room. A small corridor separated the rooms and blocked Jon''s view of the room.


    "Stand at the corner, it will take a while. Today I''m planning to go deep."


    The entire room came into view finally and it made Jon stop in his tracks. He was used to blood before and had experienced brutality of all kinds and in different places but never this methodical.


    "Try not to bump into anything."


    The floor was covered with blood that was slowly dripping down holes along the walls, while dangled from the ceiling were hundreds of strings.


    Leaning against the walls were five wooden tables and to each was strapped a person. Both female and male, they all had open stomachs and all of their or inner organs were tied to the wires. With an almost unnoticeable movement, they swung back and forth. Covering the whole span of the room it looked as if the room itself was alive. The rest of the bodies had parts of their body stripped naked from flesh, right down to the bone. The skin, muscle and blood vessels were still connected to the corresponding body part of each body; they were simply spread out neatly, nailed to the wood.


    "Beautiful, isn''t it?"


    He was standing next to another wooden table at hip height. On it lay another body, female: Jon guessed it was the woman''s daughter. They both had the same light brown hair.


    The man was looking around as well, marveling his own work. In his hand was a metal scalp and spread on a floating fabric next to him were dozens of different metal instruments.


    Jon looked at the dead bodies again and saw now that the stripping of the flesh was done with a surgical precision.


    One of the bodies had all off its skin peeled of and hung next to it like a suit of meat.


    There was a strong smell of iron in the room.


    "Are you an adventurer?" he asked and Jon answered with a nod.


    "I thought so; they don''t program things like this into Npc''s. That''s why the other one bailed." He was hovering his hand over the naked woman.


    "You see," he licked his lips when he touched her stomach, "I''ve always been fascinated by the human body. It''s truly a marvelous achievement of nature." He was massaging her body, touching her as if she were a fruit and he wasn''t sure if it was ripe enough.


    "But when I tried to satisfy my curiosity I ended up in a juvenile prison camp. From there it was impossible to peruse my interests so I studied hard and became a med student."


    His eyes began to shine when he came upon a scar on her forearm.


    "I think I''ll start from here," he said in a whisper to her. It was then that Jon noticed she was conscious. She was immobilized and gagged but wide awake and aware of everything around her.


    "Unfortunately they don''t let you do any real surgery until your fifth year and that is just moronic."


    Unfortunately for him, Jon had his knife drawn under the cloak and was slowly moving closer.


    "Luckily I heard my classmates discuss about how they had butchered some bandits not long ago and it piqued my curiosity. After asking around I learnt about this game and how realistic it is." His eyes rolled up and an expression of extreme pleasure appeared on his face as his scalpel made the first cut into the girl''s hand.


    "I was surprised when the game rewarded me for successful surgery." He was looking at the blood that slowly began to drop down her arm onto the table. He dipped his finger in it and after eyeing it put the tip in his mouth and sighed in pleasure.


    "It gave me the anatomy skill and when I got annoyed from their continuous struggling I was presented with the immobilization skill." He turned to Jon, not even bothered at how close he was to him.


    "You see¡­ the way I see it¡­hmm¡­" he smeared blood on his lips as if it were lipstick, "the game doesn''t care how you play the game. It knows the difference between right and wrong, but it doesn''t really understand it. Its main purpose is help players enjoy their game. If I want to explore the limits and possibilities of the human anatomy it will create situations it analyzed and decided I would enjoy. I''ve met people who even I think are sickening but the game''s A.I. doesn''t discriminate."


    "I''d like to see your heart beating," he whispered in her ear, "and hear you scream as I fondle it¡­"


    He closed his eyes and his brow wrinkled in concentration.


    The girl screamed with force.


    "No one can hear you dear. I had them soundproof the room with magic." Her screams continued, and when she started to beg him to stop and let her go his mood just seemed to improve.


    She still couldn''t move but hearing her suffer gave him pleasure.


    Gently he touched the edge of a razor to her skin and pushed little by little until it penetrated. The blade started to move downwards and made a three centimeter gash when it stopped suddenly.


    Screams of pain mixed together and turned into a roar. The man was grasping the stump of his arm. His palm was left behind holding the scalpel and blood spurted around the room.


    "You¡­you... how dare you? I''ve paid good money for her! She is mine! I''ll make sure they fire you for this! This isn''t ov¡­" Jon''s knife cut his throat and only gasping sounds escaped it.


    He kicked him back and made him stumble to a wooden board. Thrusting hard he penetrated his palm and impaled the knife in the wood, pinning the man to one place. The man struggled to get free but with only a stump for a hand he couldn''t free the knife.


    Jon watched him bleed to death as he squirmed and pulled to no avail. It was eerily quiet when he turned grey and disappeared.


    The immobilization on the girl went away together with him but she wasn''t moving. After healing her arm, Jon dressed her in the black cloak he wore and slung her over his shoulder.


    Before leaving the room he kicked the two candles next to the table and waited for the wood to catch fire. Satisfied that the fire would spread he left the house.


    When he lifted the little boy under his armpit tongues of fire could be seen through the windows and the door of the house. The street became brighter and brighter as the whole house caught fire.


    He walked back to the restaurant, the fire dancing behind him while his elongated shadow danced before him.


    Quest Update Notice


    You have saved the woman''s daughter.


    Return her to the mother to finish the quest.


    It''s weird how only these small scattering clouds, that looked more like cotton than clouds, reached so high. Big, beautiful clouds, ones you can lie on the grass and look at for hours, sailed slowly under the edge of the plateau.


    The sun began to rise a couple of hours ago but the streets of Dragon Town were still in twilight. It would take a few more hours before the rays of the sun reached this high.


    Even though it was called Dragon Town, it was more of an impenetrable citadel than a town.


    High in the mountains, on a flat plateau with a steep downward fall on all sides, the only way to enter was through a draw bridge, or by air if you were one of the lucky ones. Armies could camp outside for years and not even step one foot inside.


    And with a dozen dragons at their disposal, the town would never run out of food and water so a siege was pointless.


    With endless free space on all sides but the north, the plateau which started as a couple of big halls in the ground and a shack was now a thriving town on the verge of becoming a city.


    During the thousand year war of the new gods against the old, only dragons were able to tip the scales and bring an end to the fighting. Since then the dragons'' might in battle was something lusted for by any warlord or king.


    A few madmen managed to steal a couple of eggs and raise the hatchlings into fearsome dragons who dominated the battleground. Impressed by their deeds, the king gave them a small piece of land high in the mountains and told them to breed him an army of these beasts.


    More than a hundred years later, people had gathered and families settled around the dragon pits, thus Dragon Town was formed. However, the promise had been forgotten and the dragon riders were forced to rely on donations from wealthy men. Now, every time a female laid eggs they were culled, and only the strongest of the litter was kept alive.


    When he grew up a little, the small dragon had a metal stake thrust through the back of his skull. This metal pike allowed a rider to control his dragon with small pulls and pushes, as if the dragon were nothing more than a horse.


    It sounds cruel, but in the days of the first domesticated dragons, three metal stakes were used instead of one.


    That was the only option they could find, they had to have a guarantee that no dragon went on a rampage and ate everyone. They were not pets, they were considered nothing more than work beasts.


    An enormous man exited his house. With a body like a trunk of a hundred year old tree, he was covered with muscles and steel. A simple round helmet on his hands that served a simple purpose of protecting and not decoration and a chain mail that dropped down to his hips, he straightened and stretched under the morning sun.


    "Ratsha is awake!"


    "Is it true he once pulled back a dragon by its tail?"


    The kids who were role-playing as warriors and mages ran up to Ratsha and began to storm him as if he were a castle. After playing with them for a while Ratsha clasped a sword to his belt and put his hand through the rings of his shield.


    The sword was simple looking, but having been made by dwarves, it had proved its worth in countless encounters and after years of fighting it still hadn''t lost its edge. The shield had a wooden base but was covered with metal sheets.


    Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.On his legs were plate leggings and on his feet were simple yet sturdy thick leather boots. The boots wouldn''t stop an arrow or a sword, but Ratsha felt that protecting your heels was going over the top.


    Ratsha climbed on his huge war horse and looked at the sky. He thought he had made peace with his decision yesterday but now doubts crept into him. The door to his house was open but he didn''t mind, everything of his possessions he considered important was tied safely to the horse. He moved his eyes to the peak of the mountain; up there, was Iggeld''s Valley which only a year ago was still called Wind Valley. It was the only habitable place higher than Dragon Town, but seven years ago there were only boars, deer, mountain goats and fierce almost hurricane like winds up there.


    Even though Iggeld was an outsider and came with his uncle when he was still a kid, he quickly became obsessed with dragons. He would draw them, talk about them and while the rest of the children played together he would spend his time near dragon pits looking at the huge beasts underneath.


    Iggeld''s parents were killed in a raid. Thankfully he and his sister Yaska were fishing in the canopy at the time, and as they were still small children the raiders didn''t notice them between tall canopies.


    They returned with fish in their hands only to see their village in flames. Their uncle picked them up and they traveled as far north as they could to escape. He wasn''t really their uncle, just a neighbor who had lost his family in the raid as well. Yaska was left with some family during their travels, and Iggeld, together with the uncle walked until they reached Dragon Town and learnt there was no place further or higher to hide in.


    The uncle remarried soon after their arrival to a widow with a boy of her own. After the birth of the first baby Iggeld was ignored and by the time of the second baby he was completely forgotten.


    Left to his own he spent his days around dragons. On the day twelve eggs hatched, like all the kids in town, he lay upon the edge of the pit and looked into the darkness beneath, trying to see the hatchlings. While all the kids soon got bored and went back to playing, Iggeld came back day after day until he could not only tell apart the dragons but find a favorite and even name it.


    Ratsha liked the boy even then. The boy had a good personality and a solid temper. They both shared love for dragons and when he heard Iggeld went down into the pit to help a hatchling reach the teats of the mother, he was worried for him like a father.


    Laying on the edge as usual, he saw his favorite one stay behind the rest of the litter, all weak and powerless. And while the rest of the hatchlings were busy sucking out the milk for the mothers teats he jumped into the basket and spun the handle fast until he reached the bottom. He then caught the little dragon in his hands and pushing the rest aside , moved the little dragon face against the back nipple where there was more milk. The little dragon felt the warm drops of milk on its bloodless lips and began to suck with all its might.


    The mother raised its head in protest but still exhausted from going through birth, she ignored it and went back to sleep.


    No one dared to go into a pit of a mother and her hatchlings, even the food was put into the basket and at a pull of a lever the meat dropped right in front of the mother''s jaws.


    But there was Iggeld, a ten year old boy, who fearlessly went down and as if it were the most common thing in the world grabbed a hatchling and forced him to eat.


    Aponitza, the lead keeper hired him on the spot, glad to learn that with the use of children it was possible to begin training dragons at a much younger age. The fact that the boy worked for nothing more than bread and water was a bonus.


    It backfired on him less than a year later.


    When the time of the picking came, Chernish, the small dragon Iggeld saved at the time was deemed weak, and that meant he would be killed.


    Iggeld, who treated Chernish as his family couldn''t handle the news and stole the little dragon and they both escaped.


    Having hunted boars in Wind Valley, Iggeld remembered all the caves in the rock walls that surrounded the valley. With great difficulty both of them reached the peak of the mountain in the dead of the night. Cold, tired and helpless the little boy stumbled into a cave and had survived ever since.


    Left with an option of death or survival, both Iggeld and Chernish not only survived but grew up to become big and strong.


    Chernish, not limited by the small pits would run all day long and fly daily unlike the town dragons that flew once a week. All the exercise and the increasing weight Iggeld forced on him made him grow up as big as the dragons of the wild. At the age of five he was already twice as big and strong as the town dragons.


    At first Iggeld was considered crazy. Everyone was sure, that without a metal stake the dragon would soon devour him. But instead, Iggeld and Chernish transcended the slave-master relationship of dragon riders and became true friends. Chernish would crawl out of his skin if that would have pleased Iggeld. He regarded him as a parent and a true friend and would have torn apart an army to save Iggeld. It was a scary and funny sight, seeing a huge monster walk after Iggeld like a loyal dog.


    Last month Whitehair and Yakun, young but accomplished dragon keepers, each chose themselves a small hatchling and went up the mountain to join Iggeld and raise their dragons in his way. People laughed about how stupidity was contagious and were sure that when Iggeld became interested in women he would surely come down. In the seven years he was absent the town had plenty of girls who grew up to become very warm women, they boasted.


    They kept on laughing up until the point where another breeder left to join Iggeld.


    And while Whitehair and Yakun were young and single, Shvarn left together with his wife and kids.


    When Ratsha saw that, his mind was finally made up. He prepared everything he needed and said goodbye to the town.


    "Ahoy! Iggeld! Come greet your friend." The giant warrior slowly moved forward on his big war horse. Even with Ratsha''s massive size the horse had no trouble walking.


    A vast and lush valley opened before him. He came through the only entrance and was assailed by the wind. It tried to blow him off the horse and roll him over the ledge but Ratsha just tightened his legs and straightened. Proud and fearless he didn''t even blink as a small black hill fell from the sky, denting the ground and sending dust flying everywhere. His horse moved its head from side to side but stood still unlike most horses that usually ran away in panic.


    There was a sound of buckles being opened, and a man slid down the black metal wall to the ground.


    Ratsha jumped off his horse and grasped Iggeld in a warm embrace. They let go and looked at each other with big smiles.


    "What are you doing here? And in battle gear¡­" Iggeld asked as he took of a thick wool cape he used to protect himself against the wind and cold of the sky.


    Ratsha surprised him by going down on one knee and offering his sword to him.


    "I''ve come to ask you permission to join your valley. I swear to help protect everyone who already lives here and all who will come. I promise to fight to my last breath to save you and the dragons. Accept me Iggeld! Don''t let me go back in shame!"


    Iggeld was speechless. Since he was a kid he looked up to Ratsha. He had heard stories of the warriors feats in battle and seeing him on his knee was incomprehensible to him.


    "Stand up. You know very well that this is not my valley, and who the hell in his right mind would attack this godforsaken place?" He was waving his hands around and shifting from leg to leg uncomfortably. "And even if there was someone crazy enough, they would have to go through Dragon Town first and that place is built better than most forts! Trust me! Together with Chernish we traveled to the farthest edges of the kingdom and had never seen anything more protected. Right?" He lifted his hand to the monstrosity that was casting its shadow on them.


    Chernish''s huge head dropped over Ratsha and its hot breath hit him in the back.


    Used as he was to dragons, it still sent a shiver down his spine.


    "You''re still young," he said in a slow and low voice, "But I have lived for enough time to learn that there is no such thing as an impenetrable fortress. Times may be peaceful now but things change, and when that change comes you better be prepared!" He lifted his sword even higher. "Now except my damn blade and let me rise already, before that beast of yours swallows me whole."


    Iggeld took the sword reluctantly and hugged his friend again. Chernish feeling ignored licked them both with his large tongue.


    "Let''s say hello to the rest, they will be glad to have you with us."


    They walked to the other side of the valley, where the wind was weaker and smoke was rising from a crack in the rock wall. Chernish followed behind, his massive head hanging over the two men. His tail moved from side to side showing his happiness at being allowed to walk with his great father and his friend as equal. He raised his head and puffed out his chest wishing for the others to see him.


    Three small dragons ran up to them with their butts jumping up and down in a funny way. The two bigger ones were the size of large cats, while the third one, Shvarn''s hatchling, followed behind them, half crawling half falling. His eyes had only recently opened and his legs were still weak. Shvarn''s two kids ran next to them to greet Chernish.


    "Go, play," said Iggeld to the huge dragon.


    A moving mountain of black jumped forward, shortening the distance in one motion. His tongue flashed, as fast as lightning, and licked the boys from head to toe. They tried to avoid it but to no avail. Leaving them red and moist Chernish fell on his back carefully so as not to crush his little friends. They climbed on to his stomach, lifting the dragons on their hands, and began to jump up and down, kicking the scales on the stomach as hard as they could.


    Chernish closed his eyes in pleasure. His scales were harder than steel and small vibrations from the jumps were like a massage.


    "Keep an eye on them. We don''t want them to fall from up there."


    "We are, Iggled." The boys answered unanimously as they picked up a hatchling that strayed too far to the side.


    "You do know more will arrive?"


    "Let them come. This is not my valley; I''m in no position to send them away."


    "Iggeld, you really are still a boy¡­ you''re the only one who still calls this place Wind Valley. Man up, and accept your role! They will come and this place will become a village." Ratsha paused, finishing his mug of beer.


    "You and Chernish have earned a small fortune in the past years, and it is time you''ve started putting it to use" he said, licking off the drops stuck in his beard.


    "I''ve been thinking about it, actually. You''ve felt the wind outside, well believe it or not, but that is just a fraction of its original strength. I''ve managed to block its path, somewhat, but if we want to live here comfortably we need to build a wall against it."


    Ratsha looked at Iggeld in amazement.


    "Sure¡­ let us build a wall¡­ but make sure you add a gate and some watchtowers. That way you''ll completely seal the valley from the outside world and from any attackers."


    "That again? I don''t want to hear about that again¡­"


    "Oh, Iggeld, trust in me. I may not be very wise, but I''ve learnt enough to know that it is better to be prepared than be sorry."


    Both of them refilled their mugs and sat in silence, looking at the children and dragons playing.


    "That''s the last of it, boys." Dragon entered the kitchen looking exhausted. The past couple of days were tiring, and the whole staff except for Jon felt on the verge of collapsing.


    Hundreds of high born and big name customers came, and the average price of a dragon meal was two thousand and seven hundred gold coins.


    Even in his exhausted state the thought of his newly acquired fortune brought a smile to Dragon''s face.


    "Come get your money!"


    Each of them got one hundred gold coins. It may look very little but you need to take into account that they all received a large piece of dragon meat as well.


    Everyone left but Jon. He walked up to Dragon and opened his mouth to speak but was interrupted.


    "It''s okay, Jon, you can go. I understand. I knew it was coming from the moment I saw your reaction to the meats'' bonuses. You''re not the first one of my staff to leave for that reason and probably not the last." He hugged Jon warmly.


    "However you are the best out of them all, so it hurts me to see you leave. I won''t stop you, and I''ve spoken with Burka, he will gladly accept you if you ever decide to come back."


    Jon didn''t show it but he was actually feeling a bit sad to leave.


    They walked to the entrance where the brute joined them.


    "One piece of advice though¡­ there are countless of ways to defeat a dragon, but in all my years as a dragon slayer I''ve never heard of someone slaying one with a knife or a dagger. You better think of getting yourself a real weapon." He grasped Jon''s hand and shook it in goodbye. "Also, if you ever want to become a dragon slayer, kill one thousand dragon type monsters and come to me. If you manage to do that I''ll share with you the next step to become a mighty dragon slayer. Drakes are the weakest of the kind¡­"


    The brute interrupted them with a cough at that point.


    He extended his hand forward silently and looked Jon in the eyes. They never shared any words except for their first meeting, but Jon never felt any animosity towards him for his actions at the time. He took the hand and they shook intensely.


    No more words were spoken between them and Jon turned to leave on his way.


    A girl with light brown hair stood in his way.


    She was staring at the ground and fidgeting slightly. He didn''t recognize her with clothes on and hair covering her face at first, but when he saw her mother and little brother standing not far he figured out who she was.


    Dragon and the brute whispered to each other behind him.


    The little boy ran up to his sister when he saw she was taking her time. Grabbing her by her palm he tried to encourage her but she kept looking at the ground.


    "She wanted to thank you for saving her," the boy said in a cheerful voice "but she''s embarrassed that you''ve seen her naked." He jumped to the side to dodge his sister''s hands. He hid behind Jon and her face lifted to look at him. As if catching fire, her face turned bright red and dropped back down as soon as their eyes met.


    "Thank you," she said quietly to her feet.


    Jon looked back at Dragon as if asking for help and Dragon stepped down the stairs.


    "He was glad he could help. He''s just a little shy so he doesn''t speak much." He waved to the mother to come closer.


    "You see, he''s leaving today and I''ll be missing a worker. How would you like to take his place?" He seemed to be speaking to the girl but was looking at the mother.


    "Of course she will," said the mother in a commanding tone. "Tell the nice man you will, honey."


    The young lady glanced at Jon for a moment, and turning an even deeper red color, she nodded in agreement.


    "Great, great. Let us go meet the man you''re going to be helping. He''s a little scary¡­ but deep inside he is just a small pussycat."


    Dragon led the family inside and as he passed Jon who was standing silently he said to him.


    "I guess now you have something worth returning for, eh? Let''s just hope no one takes this beauty away before you do." He winked at him without even stopping.


    The brute was laughing to himself as he raised his hand in farewell to Jon.

 The Dark Side - Chapter 10

    Ch. 10: Floating The Worries Away


    Just like Gorge hoped, Jon came to him, asking for advice.


    He wanted to know what class to choose and what skills he needed to acquire.


    Gorge asked what Jon''s goals were in Royal Road and was just a little surprised to hear about the dragons.


    Calling Silia, he told her his need, and his trusty secretary sent an email with all the information an hour later.


    It turned out that dragon slayers came in all shapes and sizes. Every class could choose to upgrade and gain the skills of dragon slayers. Since the average level of players finishing the dragon-slayer class quest was around one-hundred and ten, Jon was in no hurry.


    "Just do whatever you want for now. Enjoy the game and try out different things. Meet people, find friends and make enemies¡­ look at all these things you can learn in the game. Choose something you like and tackle it. If you ever get stuck I''ll be here to help you." He looked at Jon''s unsmiling face, and warmth spread through his body. In the two weeks that passed the boy began to change. He was far from the cheerful kid he once knew but, Gorge could now recognize from time to time the child he remembered and loved in the man who was standing before him.


    Jon logged back in, still not sure of what direction to develop. As he didn''t really have any preferences he decided to learn skills as they came. His goal was now to raise his level and Gorge advised him to do quests to reach his goal faster.


    He opened his menus one by one. Ignoring the stares around him, he read through the floating windows in front of his face.


    Stat Window


    Avatar: Jon            Type: Chaotic


    Level: 14                           Class: Mage


    Title: Leader of the Pack


    +10 Charisma


    Taming animals is 20% easier and faster.


    Life: 1030           Fame: -82          Mana: 625


    Strength: 98       Dexterity: 94        Vitality: 61


    Wisdom: 40     Intelligence: 68       Focus: 13


    Leadership: 0          Perception: 3            Luck: 0


    Offence: 9                                 Defense: 10


    Resistance to Magic:


    Cold: 5%


    Fire: 2%


    Holy: 1%


    Affinity to Elements:


    Holy: 1%


    Skill Window


    Masteries:


    Alchemy Mastery Level 3


    Archery Mastery Level 3


    Cooking Mastery Level 5


    Knife Mastery Level 3


    Magic Mastery Level 5


    Sneak Mastery Level 3


    Passive Skills:


    Control Magic Level 2


    Magic Capacity Level 2


    Meditation Level 2


    Owl''s Instinct Level 2


    Active Skills:


    Power Shot Level 2


    Repair Level 1


    Sharpening Level 3


    Silent Strike Level 3


    Speed Stab Level 3


    Spell Window


    Heal Level 2


    Healing Rain Level 1


    Quest Window


    In Progress:


    Helping the Bookkeeper


    Completed:


    Family Matters


    Frozen Vegetables


    He read his only ongoing quest in detail, and finding it interesting enough, he made up his mind to complete it. But first, he had a few things he had to do. The first was learn ice magic like he wanted to. Thanks to Unknowadd''s special brew it didn''t take too long.


    You Have Completed the Book: "The Basics of Ice Magic"


    Wisdom Rises By 1 (+1 Wis)


    Ice Affinity Acquired


    You have learned to channel the ice element through your body and to your spells.


    Increasing your affinity with the element will raise the efficiency and power of ice spells.


    Affinity: 1%


    You Have Completed the Book: "Controlling Water and Lowering the Tempreture"


    Wisdom Rises By 1 (+1 Wis)


    You Have Completed the Book: "Beginner Spells For the Aspiring Ice Mage "


    Wisdom Rises By 1 (+1 Wis)


    "Ice Dart" Spell Learnt


    Controlling the ice element with your mana, you are able to freeze the water in the air.


    By shaping the ice into the form of a large dart you are then able to propel the projectile forward using your magic power.


    The dart flies in a straight line and upon impact causes freeze damage and turns the area of impact to ice.


    Cost: 30 MP


    Casting the spell, a small icicle the size of his hand slowly formed. Floating over his palm, Jon extended his arm and let the dart fly.


    It impaled itself into the stone wall. Breaking apart, it left a small round area of the wall frozen. The frozen circle was the size of a basketball and soon melted away together with the broken pieces of the dart that fell to the floor, turning into a small puddle of water.


    "Cone of Frost" Spell Learnt


    By channeling the ice element through your body, you are able to quickly collect the surrounding moisture surrounding you, and expel in a chosen direction as frozen mist.


    Projected in the shape of a cone, the mist slows down your opponents and pushes them away from you.


    The small, sharp ice particles damage your opponents'' health and have a small chance of completely freezing the target.


    Level 1: Freeze Chance - 2%


    Cone angle ¨C 15 degrees.


    Cost: 5 MP every second


    You Have Completed the Book: "Freezing Your Enemies"


    Wisdom Rises By 1 (+1 Wis)


    Left with a few hours of the Scholars Brew effect, and having finished what he came to do, he read a few more books just in case he would ever need their knowledge.


    You Have Completed the Book: "Conjuring Fire"


    Wisdom Rises By 1 (+1 Wis)


    Fire Affinity Acquired


    Manipulating your magic power you can now forcefully create friction between atoms to create a small spark.


    Feeding the spark your mana, you are able to start a flame anywhere and everywhere.


    Better affinity with fire elements allows you to create bigger and hotter flames with less mana consumption.


    Affinity: 1%


    Dipping the tip of his tongue in the magic potion he was able to finish the last book just before the effect wore off.


    You Have Completed the Book: "Wielding  Pure Energy"


    Wisdom Rises By 1 (+1 Wis)


    Lighting Affinity Acquired


    Tapping into the natural reserves of electricity in the atmosphere you can use your magic to channel it through your body.


    Lightening spells deal the most damage and cost almost nothing to cast.


    However, the lighting element is amongst the hardest elements to control, and is highly unstable.


    Affinity: 1%


    -''I''ll need to ask Gorge how to raise my affinity¡­''- Jon wondered as he closed the book and left the library.


    -''One down and two to go.''-


    He stretched his limbs, feeling his spine crack a little, and looked around remembering where to go.


    The bronze barbarian could be seen from a far.


    It attracted players to the marvel steps around it, announcing with great pride that behind him stands the great and powerful warriors guild.


    Both players and Npcs flooded the building, in contrast to the small rogue''s guild next to it.


    The large building left no doubt in any one''s mind that the warriors'' guild was rich. Statues of warriors, both male and female, stood on every step. The gates were guarded by two huge, marble lions, and although the decorated doors of the gate were open wide a small giant of a man, stood and watched the people who walked in and out of the guild.


    As Jon passed him, he felt that even with the enormous and heavy armor the man was covered in, the long two handed sword he leaned on, could slice anything with precision and speed.


    -''It could be fun, decapitating a dragon in one swing¡­''-


    A small line stood before the reception desk. He used the repair skill on his equipment while he was waiting.


    Fighting alongside wolves had left his armor torn and broken. Most of the items had almost zero durability and restoring them back to full hardly even raised the experience on the skill.


    -''It seems it will take longer than I thought¡­ I''ll need to find a way to level up the skill fast¡­-''


    When Jon''s turn came the Npc asked him for his name and five gold coins. In return he gave him a participant''s number. A massage board stood next to the desk and on it was the explanation.


    "The warriors guild is sorry for the inconvenience, but at the moment we don''t have enough free room to accept anyone. As such, the warriors guild is organizing a small fighting tournament the winners of which will join the guild," it said.


    The date of the tournament was in three game days. At the end of the massage were the rules, which basically said that every participant accepted the risk of death and injury and that range weapons were banned.


    Sizing up his competition, Jon saw mostly newbies and low level players, only two or three caught his eye as people to look out for.


    With three days on his hands, he went to the citadels training ground to stretch his muscles and work out a sweat. A month of reading books and working in the kitchen made him feel a little sluggish.


    A small crowd gathered around one of the training dummies and in the middle was a man in beginner clothes swinging a wooden sword with incredible determination.


    The few glances he managed to get through the crowd, made Jon hope he wouldn''t have to meet the man in the tournament. He was clearly experienced with the sword and unlike all the other beginners he had seen on the grasslands, this man had fire burning in his eyes.


    "He''s still at it?" a player asked him as he got close. He didn''t seem to want an answer in return so Jon ignored him, but another player, a girl, spoke out.


    "Thirteen days in a row now. I swear he''s crazy¡­"


    "You don''t say¡­"


    "Some guys tried to copy him but they quit on the second day. What he''s doing is exhausting¡­"


    "Maybe he''s an Npc."


    "He must be," another player joined the conversation, "no player ever got on good terms with the training instructor."


    "Didn''t anyone try to ask him for a quest?"


    "Pointless! He simply ignores you and keeps on whacking the poor scarecrow."


    "I heard some guys saying you can gain status points by doing what he''s doing¡­"


    "Ooohh¡­" they all said in the same time.


    "I still don''t think it''s worth it. I rather go kill some monsters."


    "Yep," said the girl.


    -''Pathetic¡­''- Jon looked at them with an expression almost bordering on disgust.


    He wasn''t surprised stat points could be gained from that. He also had numerous stat rise from simply repeating the same action.


    -''But¡­''- he looked at the guy, who was still swinging the wooden sword. The sound of it cutting though the air was heard over the murmur of players surrounding him.


    Jon understood why he was doing what he was doing, however he felt that was to extreme. He wondered at what motivated him.


    -''Hmm¡­ but then again, I also came here for the same reason¡­''- Jon stood there for some time, not looking at anything in particular. He then turned around and left as quietly as he came.


    -''I''ve spent twenty years getting stronger... Sure it saved my life but now what?''- He looked back at the man again and remembered his long and perilous daily training regimes.


    -''FUCK NO!''-


    For the first time in, Jon knew not how long, he felt lost.


    There were so many things to do but for some reason none of them appealed to him. He looked around and suddenly felt surrounded and although in a completely open space, he felt claustrophobic. Paranoia kicked in and he was sure he was being watched.


    He ran on impulse.


    People and buildings turned into a blur around him as he sprinted. His high dexterity stat amplified his movement speed and at first he stumbled a bit. He would raise one leg into the air before the other one had the chance to come back down. This caused him to fall down hard and tear the skin of his palms.


    He got up without delay and with fear slowly spreading through his mind, he started running even faster.


    Falling down a few more times he simply rolled back to his feet and continued running.


    He felt that he was perused but was too afraid to look back. The wide street looked incredibly small and cramped and as he bumped into players and Npcs he refused to drop his speed.


    When the city gates came into view, Jon was already used to his new speed and when a merchant''s cart blocked his passage he sped up and jumped over it.


    With his body twisting through the air he missed the top of the cart by mere centimeters. He dropped badly and almost twisted his ankle but managed to continue running nonetheless.


    Guards stood up and moved to look at him run towards them. This sight flashed him a memory of a time guards tried to force him back into his cage. The place his arm got broken at that time inflamed in pain as if the bone cracked apart all over again.


    As the pain spread throughout his body, Jon''s awareness slipped away and a primal state of being took over him. It was in this state that he kept on running until his body simply gave up on him.


    The knees were the first to give out.


    They buckled under him and he crashed to the ground hitting his chin and breaking his nose on a tree root in the soft ground.


    His lungs were on fire and each breath felt like a lump of coal that burned the insides of his mouth, singing his lips as it finally came outside. Jon was sure that he was breathing out flames, but in the short moments he managed to keep his eyes open he saw white vapor spread out as his breath came out in small clouds.


    His heart pounded on his chest like a hammer and all of his muscles threatened to cramp and never loosen up again. He pained all over, yet as the cold, night time air settled on his still body he started feeling better.


    Realizing how foolish he just acted he drifted off into sleep. Not shallow restless sleep, but deep almost childlike sleep which lasted long, healing and mending both his tired body and his restless mind.


    The rays of the sun warmed his stiff body as he awoke. His clothes were still damp from the morning dew and his undershirt stuck to his chest from the dried blood, but he didn''t mind.


    He didn''t open his eyes yet, he wanted to go back to sleep again. As soon as he awoke, memories of yesterday surfaced up and he became afraid again.


    He had trouble understanding what was happening to him. He felt as if the floor had disappeared under him and everything he was used to wasn''t reliable anymore.


    Every bad experience he had ever had came to mind. It started from simple shameful memories and eventually arrived as close upon home as possible.


    The memory of his bedridden mother filled his head and as much as he tried to ignore it, it remained, as vivid as the day it had happened. His nose was filled with the smell of antiseptics while his father, on his knees, cried over his mother''s dead body.


    Jon was five then, and as young as he was he understood what happened.


    His mother got sick a year before and for the past six months she hadn''t even left her bed. He recalled now, how the sight of his great, strong, almighty father, crying before him shocked him so much that his own tears got stuck inside and refused to come out.


    He loved his mother and was always close to her but when she died he didn''t feel sad for long. He never forgot her; he simply accepted her death and moved on. People around him thought it was an unusual behavior for such a young child but no one said anything.


    Unlike Jon, the father took his wife''s passing away in a bad way.


    He blamed himself for her death. He believed that if only he spent more time with her she wouldn''t have gotten sick. The blame corrupted his soul and as if to repent, he began to pay less and less attention to his company and more and more time to Jon.


    The more time he spent with his son, the more responsibilities were dropped on Gorge.


    In his mourning, Gorge dedicated his whole life to the success of Jon and his father, and by keeping the company safe he satisfied that need of his.


    Jon''s father, a veteran of the third world war, was a firm believer that a strong, healthy mind could only inhabit a strong and healthy body.


    As an officer in WWIII, he was taught how to fight unarmed and fell in love with it. When the war ended and the world began rebuilding itself from the ground up, he made a fortune from a large gold deposit he discovered during his battle companies.


    He used this fortune to create a small company that trafficked in electronics. With the connections he made during the war and the wealthy family he came from, this small company soon became one of the leading hi-tech firms in the post-war world.


    However, leading a peaceful life didn''t make him forget his passion for martial arts, and as the years passed and his company stabilized in the competitive market, he turned this passion into a hobby. Masters from all over the world instructed him in various arts of fighting and weapon masteries.


    Before the death of his mother, Jon took very little interest in his father''s hobby; instead his entire day was occupied by private tutors. In the fourth year of his life he had already started learning high school level topics. He was raised as an heir to the company and everything in his life was centered around it.


    After the mother''s death, Jon''s father took over the instruction responsibilities from Gorge, and added martial arts training to Jon''s daily regime.


    The father and son quickly bonded through the harsh training and even when Jon grew up and there wasn''t much more he could learn from his father, they still sparred regularly.


    The father never remarried. No matter how many women Gorge tried to pick for him, the father seemed to treasure his wife regardless of how many years passed.


    It was on Jon''s eighteenth birthday that the second tragedy struck him.


    His father died.


    It was an accident but Jon blamed himself for it. He washed his hands numberless times, but the warm feeling of his father''s blood remained.


    He could live with that feeling; it was the cracking sound of his father''s bones, being replayed over and over in his head that made him run away.


    A whisper of that sound began to appear in his mind as he remembered his past. Luckily though, a real sound demanded his attention sending the soul wrenching whisper back into his subconsciousness.


    Jon opened his eyes and looked around him, seeing only green wherever he looked, he stood up in wonder.


    -''How far did I run?''-


    The answer came as he read the systems massages that blocked his field of vision.


    Dexterity Rises by 1(+1 Dex)


    Dexterity Rises by 1(+1 Dex)


    Dexterity Rises by 1(+1 Dex)


    Swift Buff Learned


    While the buff is active unnecessary movement are reduced and every action you perform becomes cleaner and more optimal.


    Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.Cost: 50 Mp


    Effect: Speed Increases by 5%


    Duration: 2 Minutes


    The heart of the forest had a magical ambiance to it.


    Trees, with trunks wider than a building, encircled a clearing that was shaded by very high leaves that blocked the sunlight.


    The little sunlight that did come through bounced off everything, giving a mystical glow to the vegetation. The clearing itself was covered with deep pools of clear, calm water and enormous dragonflies floated over the water surface.


    Jon''s feet left prints in the tall, bright green grass. Plants of all shapes and sizes spread their fragrance, which mixed together turning into a sweet yet gentle aroma.


    He looked at where the sound came from, and on the other side of the clearing, where a large pool of water disappeared amongst thick tree roots, stepped out a deer the size of a horse.


    As he looked closer, Jon''s fear came back in full force and his paranoia got worse. The deer had a humanlike face that was colored bright red. Its numerous antlers looked like a peacock''s tail.


    For some reason the sight scared Jon stiff.


    The monster stepped leisurely towards the water. With each step, flowers bloomed and died around its hoofs. The closer it got the faster Jon''s heart began to pound.


    When it was at the edge of the water it didn''t stop but simply kept on walking. The hoofs sunk into the water for a moment but on the next step the deer continued straight, walking on the top of the water surface as if it were solid ground.


    It moved forward until it reached a small island where it had to cramp its hoofs together to stand up. Lowering its big ugly head it sniffed a small puddle the size of a soup bowl which collected in the middle of the tiny island.


    Jon saw how the puddle began to shine, illuminating the monster''s human face from below and making it even uglier.


    Through clear water he could see fish swim away in a hurry.


    A rustling in the bushes behind him caught his attention and a gigantic white wolf stepped out into the clearing. Bigger than an elephant, the wolf moved gracefully towards Jon.


    At this point, even though Jon knew he was inside the game the fear in him threatened to stop his beating heart.


    The wolf, which at a close distance looked more gray than white, sniffed Jon in a slow inhale and stared at the monster deer when it was done. Something must have passed between them, because the wolf lowered its head and bent his front feet in a bow, after which it walked back into the cover of large trees, disappearing in the thicket.


    As though he could feel it, Jon knew that the monstrous deer lowered its head again.


    This time it puckered its cracked lips and as if it was kissing a loved one, it carefully touched the puddle of glowing water.


    A shockwave spread through the clearing hitting Jon in the back and propelling him head first into one of the pools.


    As strange as it was, the moment the shockwave hit him, as if blown away by its force, all of his fear was blasted out of him. Completely under water he rose to the surface and gently lifted his head to the cool air.


    Waiting for the water to drip down his head he opened his eyes and looked at the clearing with an out of place calmness.


    Ripples covered the water pools, and the leaves shook back into stillness.


    The deer was gone and with it the puddle.


    Soon, the clearing went back to its quiet self.


    Jon didn''t leave the water. The feeling of it against his skin was to his liking and he simply floated in one place with closed eyes.


    In his sudden calmness, he analyzed the events that transpired and sorted out the extreme emotions he felt.


    ''That must be what a panic attack feels like..''- -


    Hours passed but Jon still floated. Fish came out of their hiding and nibbled on the dead skin from his hands. Bugs landed on him and sucked salt off of him.


    He dozed off a couple of times but it didn''t matter to him.


    Piece by piece he put together the reason for what he knew now was an emotional breakdown. It was that man, the one that struck the scarecrow relentlessly in the training ground, that was the cause. Seeing him work hard, made Jon remember how he himself worked hard.


    This memory triggered another memory which triggered another, and eventually, everything he had repressed for the past five years suddenly flooded him and sent him running in fear.


    But now it was okay. It seemed weird to him but although he still blamed himself for his father''s death, he now accepted the fact that it wasn''t his fault.


    Once he made peace with that, everything else seemed to settle into place and when he opened his eyes, he felt like a new man.


    -''It''s been long over due.''-


    He opened his main menu and logged out of the game, not even bothering to step out of the water.


    Jon opened the door to Gorge''s office room and stepped in.


    "Jon?" Surprised, Gorge looked at his watch.


    There was still time before dinner and he had never seen Jon come out before he needed to.


    "Has anything happened?" He stood up and walked to Jon.


    -''I''ve missed you!''- Jon thought as he hugged his old friend.


    Gorge froze and didn''t know what to do, but he hugged Jon back nonetheless. There was no need to say anything more. Gorge seemed to understand after a while Jon''s intentions and without noticing, tears started running down his cheeks.


    "Welcome back, Jon." He said for the second time this month, feeling that this time, the man he considered as his own son even if they weren¡¯t related by blood, truly came back.


    "What did I miss?" Jon asked as they parted.


    This simple question sent a new wave of tears down Gorge''s cheeks.


    For two days they talked.


    Although Gorge did most of the talking, it was no longer a one sided conversation.


    Gorge saw how much it pained Jon when he explained how his father''s death affected the company, but Jon wanted to know.


    "I don''t want to."


    "Why not?"


    "You''re doing a good job and I don''t feel like it."


    "You do not feel like it? It is your destiny to lead. You have been born and raised for the role!"


    "That¡¯s when my father was still alive."


    "You¡­ what are you¡­ how can you¡­" In a loss for words, Gorge went quiet for a while and Jon waited patiently.


    "Jon, this is your company," he said in a calm and controlled tone. "The majority of the shares and money are held under your name. My role was to protect it until you take over, and now that you are here, my work is done!"


    "No."


    "You can not refuse!"


    "Gorge," he took a deep breath, "I never wanted to be a C.E.O, and I only accepted the role because of my father. I wanted to work with animals when I was a kid but now I don''t know what I want to do, all I know is that taking your position is not something I want to do. Keep it, and keep doing what you were doing."


    "Jon... you need to understand that the situation is not that simple. The board of directors will see you as a threat. They will not ignore you! Especially Yo! The man will do anything to take over your father''s company and will stop at nothing to either get rid of you or get you over to his side."


    "If what you say is true, I have more than enough wealth to live comfortably till the day I die, you can have all my shares, I don''t want them. This Yo won''t have anything to fear if you''re the official C.E.O"


    They argued like that for some time, slowly Gorge realized Jon wouldn''t budge, so he gave up, in a way.


    "When did you become so stubborn?" Gorge sighed. "Have it your way! We shall keep everything as it is. I hope that eventually you will change your mind but until then I will hold the fort for you, so to speak."


    Jon didn''t respond.


    "What are you planning on doing instead then?"


    "In the near future¡­ nothing. I thought about seeing the world but in the past five years I''ve traveled the whole globe and seen more than I ever wanted to."


    "What di..."


    "Gorge, please¡­" Jon looked at his friend''s eyes, "Honestly, I don''t want to do anything, just act lazy. I''ve never tried that."


    "Hmm¡­ You do not have to do it here, do you?"


    "Not really."


    "Very well. We will go back home in the end of the month, ok?"


    "Sure."


    "I am glad to have you back, Jon."


    "I''m glad to be back, Gorge."


    "I wonder how long you will laze around¡­ you never could stay still for long," Gorge said to the empty room. Jon left some time ago but he stayed, sitting on an armchair and staring at the electric fireplace. He was smiling and humming to himself pleasantly.


    Gorge was in a celebratory mood and so he took out his antic wooden pipe and poured himself a glass of the finest scotch.


    "Pour yourself a glass dear, I am going back next month."


    "Great news, sir." Silla''s voice came out of the speakers as her head appeared to float before Gorge''s armchair.


    "I do not see you pouring."


    "You know very well I don''t drink, sir."


    "Such a shame¡­ at least drop the formalities. You never listen to me, but tonight I am not your boss. I am in a good mood and I would like to share it with you."


    "Good news?" a small pause in which she seemed to struggle a bit but then added "Gorge?"


    Gorge''s mood got even better.


    "Yes, I will be flying commercial home. And make sure the tickets are not business class."


    "What?" Gorge enjoyed her flustered sight.


    "And I will need two tickets."


    Silia rolled her eyes and gave up on trying to understand. She knew there was logic behind everything he did, and she loved working under him, but sometimes he acted like her senile grandfather. She learnt to just go with him at those times.


    "There''s something you need to know before you start drinking¡­ Gorge."


    "What is it dear?" He lowered the glass from his lips.


    "She called again¡­"


    Gorge''s hair seemed to stand up as anger flared in him but it disappeared as quickly as it appeared.


    "Is it something important?"


    "No, sir."


    "Silia, no honorifics, please." He said with a fatherly smile and downed his glass in one go.


    A bird sang outside the window.


    During the day hundreds of birds crocked and chirped, believing the sounds coming out of their beaks were beautiful songs while in reality all they did was make noise.


    But during the night, the birds that kept silent during the day, unwilling to compete with others, burst out with their beautiful melodies. They did not care if there was anyone out there to hear them; they did it because they would die if they didn''t. Luckily, tonight there was someone listening and these birds much rather have one person who listened than a whole crowd pretending to.


    Jon lay on his bed, listening to the sweet melody.


    He went to sleep early, and used to sleeping for three to four hours a night, he woke up early as well. As a kid he suffered from insomnia, and even after it passed he never managed to go back to a normal sleeping schedule.


    Jon tried to laze around and do nothing, but he got bored. Things bored him pretty fast in general, and laying on his back the birds melody didn''t hold his interest for long.


    -''Is this what it''s going to be like from now on?''-


    He rolled around for another hour forcing himself to stay in bed. The moon was still up in the sky and the day hadn''t even begun.


    Making a grunting sound he got up and went down stairs. Preparing a quick snack, he was surprised at how easily he could handle himself in the kitchen.


    Sitting down in the living room he searched the internet for ways to spend one''s free time. He wasn''t ready for what jumped at him on the screen.


    Advertisements for "Royal Road" dominated his view; everything seemed to relate itself to the game.


    Shows, sports, vacations, tourism, Royal Road took over every aspect of entertainment there was. It didn''t matter what Jon searched for, in the end it still came back to Royal Road. There were even schools that took place entirely inside the game.


    With every search word, eventually leading to the same thing he gave up and decided to go for an early morning swim. For two weeks he had been living on a gorgeous island yet he never took time to enjoy it.


    As he walked down to the beach his mood slowly worsened and while he floated in the sea, the waves gently rocking him back and forth, his mood turned foul. Even the breathtaking sunrise before him couldn''t lift the black cloud that seemed to surround him.


    The cause of it was the fact that he found it all dull.


    Sure, the scenery was beautiful, but so was the scenery in Royal Road. At some places it was even better than real life. The "Heart of the Forest" area looked much better than anything he had ever seen.


    But what was more important than looks was the content.


    Real life couldn''t surprise him anymore. As he floated in the seemingly endless sea he knew that that was all there was to it. In Royal Road he always had to be on his guard since there was no way of knowing what would happen next.


    He swam around, feeling his muscles clench in the sudden effort and enjoy the exercise. The water was just the right temperature and the little wind that was blowing a few moments ago was gone, now that the sun rose higher in the sky.


    Every thought he had eventually boiled down to one conclusion; he needed to play the Royal Road.


    Jon didn''t know what it was he wanted to do but he knew that playing the game would give him four times as much time to decide. More so, everything he had learnt in the game could be applied to real life.


    -''Maybe I''ll learn to play an instrument¡­''- From this moment his mind began to race.


    He stepped out onto the beach and lost in his thoughts he walked back and forth.


    So many possibilities opened up before him, he didn''t understand why he hadn''t seen it before. Every hobby he had ever wanted to have he could have inside the game and he would have four times as much time to enjoy them.


    ''-And I don''t have to stick to hobbies¡­''-


    The game allowed complete freedom, the psychopath he had killed taught him that, so why not play around with the system.


    There was one thing he got really good at in the past five years and in the skirmish he fought in, he proved to himself that in the game he could do everything he imagined.


    -''I fought together with wolves! And the aerial moves I pulled off never worked in real life¡­ maybe I can make my other fantasies work as well?''-


    Feats of superhuman strength, speed and agility flashed in his mind. By switching super powers with magic, the ways in which he imagined himself defeating opponents and fighting in wars seemed innumerable.


    Imagining the things he might be able to do made his blood boil. It was the same feeling he had right before he faced an oncoming army with his wolves. It was a feeling he got addicted to in the first years of his underground fighting, but forgot about when the thrill of fighting disappeared. Now that he remembered this feeling he wasn''t able to relax.


    Jon started sweating. A fire lit inside him and it was burning him from the inside.


    He walked fast, almost running, back to the wooden house and nearly slammed through the door when it refused to open.


    Gorge offered him breakfast but Jon refused politely and headed straight to the capsule in the living room. He turned back in his tracks and headed into the kitchen while the capsule powered up.


    "So you are hungry?" Gorge said with a laugh, the sound of processors from the capsule mixed with it.


    "No." Jon spoke from outside the kitchen, not bothering to enter as he wasn''t planning to stay for long. "Gorge, I haven''t decided what I''ll do with my life yet, but that doesn''t meant I''ll stop playing Royal Road." He paused to see if Gorge would say anything but when no response came he continued.


    "Royal Road is a game! I don''t need a special reason to play it. As long as I enjoy it I won''t stop. Whatever else comes along let it come; I''ll tackle it when it comes. For now, I want to spend my free time playing the game I enjoy the way I enjoy playing."


    The looked at each other until a beeping sound from the capsule announced that it was ready for use. Once the silence was broken Gorge breathed out a small sigh and rolled his eyes.


    "Have fun," he said to Jon sincerely and resumed eating.


    Jon went back into the living room and entered the capsule. The darkness enveloped him as the lid closed, but a few seconds later he closed his eyes and let his consciousness enter the game.


    Frightened fish hurried to get away from him.


    His body materialized underwater and he was gasping for air. Kicking the soft sand on the bottom he jumped out of the pool breathing deep, enjoying the sweet, moldy air of the forest.


    He climbed onto the bank and shook some of the water off. Looking around himself he felt at peace that he had made the right decision.


    The heart of the forest felt like a magical place, and it probably was.


    Jon wanted to return to the citadel but he had no idea where he was. After some looking around he chose what looked to him like the largest tree trunk. The first branches started far up and there was no other foot hold on the ancient tree so holding an arrow in each hand he used them to climb it.


    It took him more than half an hour, but eventually the thick blanket of leaves was penetrated and direct rays of sunlight blinded him and made his eyes water. He didn''t realize how dim the clearing actually was.


    He almost fell down when he tried to wipe away the tears but managed to grab hold and keep climbing. Passing the tree tops around him he knew he chose correctly. The tree he was climbing was taller than the rest and the closer he got to its highest point the farther he could see.


    The green forest spread out to the horizon, blocking anything that could have been hiding amongst it from sight.


    New Achievement


    Going Up


    You''ve earned this achievement for climbing a 100 meter tree.


    Bonus: +5 Strength


    Achievements Earned: 1/76847


    He thought the mountains to his north were familiar and when he looked to the south he saw, what he hoped was the tallest tower of Seraborg citadel. He wasn''t sure but there was nothing else to do but go in that direction and check.


    Jon started to climb down but stopped when he saw the time. The sun would soon begin to set and that appealed to him. Sliding down to a sturdy branch he found a comfortable position, leaned his head back on the tree trunk, and basking in the warm evening sun, he waited.


    -''What a way to start a new page in my life.''-


    Jon smiled, set an alarm clock through the main menu and dozed off.

 The Dark Side - Chapter 11

    Chapter Eleven ¨C Branching Out


    A faint afterglow covered the horizon in crimson, coloring the clouds in red, making the sky blush as the sun slowly hid behind the horizon..


    The first stars appeared in the sky and soon after them the moon became clearly visible in the darkening skies. Looking down, Jon saw an impenetrable blackness which reached all the way down to the bottom. He would need to descend the tree almost blind, but the prospect didn''t discourage him in the least, on the contrary, he welcomed the challenge. He took another long glance at the crimson sunset trying to memorize the beautiful sight that marked a new beginning for him. The sun had already disappeared behind the horizon but a bright line of orange and red still separated the world from the black sky.


    Grabbing the handle of his knife he jumped and began to slide down the tree trunk. He drove the knife into the wood to slow his descent, and although the palms of his hands became white from the strain and his shoulders threatened to pop out of their sockets, except for a scratch or two he managed to get back down safely.


    He thought his eyes were playing tricks on him when he noticed that the closer he got to the ground the brighter everything became. However, when his boots felt the comfortable hardness of the ground he saw that the entire clearing was illuminated in a multicolored glow.


    The weird flowers he saw during the day were now shining softly and since there seemed to be thousands of them, it was almost as if the sun hadn''t disappeared behind the horizon but instead, had fallen down here into the clearing.


    A smile spread on Jon''s face as he touched a flower, glowing pink, next to him. In response to his touch it spit out pollens that floated randomly to the grass, shining all the way down.


    He was laughing inside. This was the reason he came back to Royal Road, this feeling of wonder and surprise. He never expected this and the beautiful sight before him made him thank the creators of the game for implementing a camera option.


    Jon pushed a bunch of flowers, sending spores to the air. The spores looked like fireflies as they slowly fell down on the water. There, they floated in one place, turning the water into pools of multicolored light. As the colors mixed together and more and more spores were added it looked to Jon like rainbows.


    He set up a camera menu, stood before the rainbow pools, spread his arms apart, and took a picture of himself.


    -''I''ll show this to Gorge later.''-


    The tower he saw was in the south and that was the way he went.


    The glow from the clearing disappeared after a few minutes, hidden amongst tall trees and wide bushes. The second the darkness became complete, buzzing sounds surrounded him.


    He felt things land on him but couldn''t see what.


    A few muttered words summoned a mana ball that shone a circle of light around him. Clear blue light fell on hundreds of insects in all shapes and sizes.


    From very small bugs that traveled together in a buzzing cloud, to insects as big as Jon''s fist whose wings flapped at incredible speed to keep them in the air.


    He lifted his knife to defend himself but saw the futility of it. He wished he had learned a fire spell but remembered he had something else that could work.


    Leaving the ball of blue light to hover over his head, he chanted a spell and spread his palm which started to radiate a faint light. A large, ugly bug was heading his way so Jon moved his hand to greet it and activated the spell.


    Snow began to form between his fingers and was sent flying forward in the shape of a large cone. The cold air struck the bug and slowed it down. The bug''s wings froze and it fell to the ground together with a multitude of other, angrily buzzing, insects..


    Jon continued on his way, the cone of frost moving from side to side. Most of the insects fell to the ground while the smaller ones died from the spell. He looked at his Mp bar and calculated that he could keep the spell active for about twenty five minutes but then the bugs will tear him to pieces.


    Imagining his body being sucked dry and eaten by thousands of those critters fastened his heartbeat. Taking deep breaths, he slowly calmed himself down, and when the sound of his own heartbeat didn¡¯t echo in his ears anymore, a small icon appeared in his peripheral vision. A small square positioned itself over his MP bar, and was a sign that the meditation skill was active and his MP would now regenerate faster. It gave him a little more room for breath, but in an hour all of his Mp would be gone.


    The annoying buzzing was getting louder. It looked as if every bug he got rid of was replaced three more.


    -''They have to end at some point¡­''- Jon was waving around a sword with his free hand, trying to squash as many insects as he could with the flat sides of the blade. Drops of sticky green liquid flew around with every swing. The blade became covered with so much insect shells he had had to stop and wipe it off on a tree. More than once.


    He didn''t know how far it was to the tower he saw, but at the speed he was going, he doubted he would reach it  before morning. Hastening his steps didn''t help much, since he had to battle his way through walls of bugs.


    Jon was getting dangerously close to running out of mana but the amount of bugs refused to decrease.


    -''Where are they all coming from?''- He was starting to get desperate,


    He refused to die on the day he opened a new page in his life, it would be a bad omen and mean bad luck from now on. His whole soul cried out and a miracle happened. A large cloud spread in front of him, blocking the light from the mana ball the swarm of small, mosquito resembling insects, looked like a pitch black beast that was awoken from its slumber and being famished it was now after Jon.


    His spell froze them but there were just too many. He saw them land on his skin and block it from his eyes. To save himself, he lifted his arm over his head and let the freezing engulf his whole body.


    The insects didn''t give up and resumed their assault on him, only to freeze to death.


    Level Up


    Each bug gave an almost unnoticeable amount of experience points as it died, however hundreds of them froze to death from his spell and hundreds more were smashed to pieces on his sword. Together they managed to raise a small amount of experience he needed to level up.


    Jon breathed out loudly once he knew he was out of danger for now.


    When leveling up, Hp and Mp are fully restored, and negative effects are removed.


    Jon was tired and sweating heavily.  The uncomfortable way he was forced to walk in and constant sword swinging were tiring him fast. He wasn''t hungry but his throat was parched. Looking around as he was moving he didn''t see any water, only sticky, shiny ooze that dripped from his sword.


    -''I wonder¡­''-


    He was using already magic , so another one would make little difference.


    Jon sheathed his sword and after chanting a few lines an icicle formed in his palm. It floated patiently, waiting for the one who conjured it to choose a target and send it flying.


    Control Magic Levels Up


    Intelligence Rises by 1(+1 Int)


    Instead of shooting it at the annoying buzzers around him, he grabbed hold of it and put the tip in his mouth. He feared it would freeze his face but with the spell canceled, all of the magic left it and it remained a simple, although sharp, piece of ice. Sucking on it, the scratching in the back of his throat began to fade.


    He took out the sword again and returned to insect massacre.


    Jon would have died in the forest that night if not for four things that happened.


    "Cone of Frost" Spell Levels Up


    Meditation Skill Levels Up


    Sword Mastery Learnt


    Sword mastery affects your ability to use swords efficiently.


    The higher the skill level, the easier it will become to perform powerful and elaborate techniques.


    Level 1: Attack Power +5%


    Attack Speed +5%


    And the fourth thing, which was the one that really saved him from the onslaught of bugs, was finding out the reason they were following him.


    Some of the pollens, from the shining flowers in the clearing, were stuck to him and they attracted them to him. His mana was just about to run out when he saw the light from the mana ball over his head being reflected at him.


    The light came upon a small pond and spread on the peaceful water, coloring the water and making it look like a glass floor. Without a second thought he jumped inside and rinsed himself from the pollens. A few insects still circled around him when he came out, but these were just normal mosquitoes that were looking for a chance to suck his blood.


    Now he had some time to think and as he increased his pace, Jon couldn''t help but wonder why he hadn''t encountered any animals except the bugs yet. The sun was beginning to show its presence, coloring the sky above him an orange tint that seemed to be fighting the black of the night, yet still he didn''t see any animals.


    He heard them but when he looked at the direction the sound came from, the noise died off and the creature that made it was gone.


    It became easier to move around so he walked faster.


    With no need to protect his life he cast the Swift buff on himself and sped up even more. The distance between trees was growing smaller and the leaves above him were lowering. The bushes and wandering roots that blocked his path a while ago were becoming rarer and from time to time, he thought he heard city sounds.


    The sun was high in the sky, scorching Jon''s skin even through dense cover of the foliage above him. Animals started to appear all around him. The first he noticed were the birds, whose wing flap he could hear as they passed from one tree to the next. Small sets of eyes looked at him from everywhere as he made his way through the forest. He heard fighting noises and began to run.


    The trees opened, letting a view of the citadel walls penetrate their natural, green curtain. He stepped onto the wide grassland that circled Serabourg and felt his strength return to him. It was a long night and he was tired and dirty. His entire body was sticky from the bug''s insides that splattered on him and he was wondering where he could wash it off. The mages'' guild dormitory came to mind and that¡¯s where he went, ignoring the shocked players around him.


    The way he popped out of the forest surprised some of the low level players enough to make them drop their weapons.


    In Royal Road, all a player had to do to clean himself up was re-log into the game. When a player logged into the game, his avatar was cleaned up and ready to battle. However, there was a timer that prevented logging back in immediately. The average waiting time was ten minutes, but sometimes it was as long as an hour.


    As he walked through the street stalls near the gate he looked at them as if seeing for the first time. He never noticed how many people were actually playing Royal Road at any given moment, but now he noticed the crowd he had to push through stretched to the citadel center square, where a large fountain with a statue of Freya was placed.


    Suddenly, a flashback of his first moments of the game flashed before him when he saw the spot where those three players attacked him.


    -''I wonder what''s happened to them?''-


    He didn''t know that those three players took part in the war, and that they were among the first players to die.


    Jon stepped into the shadow cast by the mages'' tower. He looked up at its twenty-one floors and saw a man flying out of a window. He followed him until the man disappeared over the citadel wall and wondered if that was the guild leader. It was hard to tell what the man was wearing since he was moving so fast, but Jon thought he saw a chainmail on him which stroke Jon as weird. Mages rarely wore anything but robes. However, looking down at his hard leather armor he smiled as he understood there were always exceptions.


    The mages guild was bustling with activity.


    There were at least a hundred mage trainees at any given moment inside, learning and practicing magic. Together with dozens of Npcs and about a hundred of other players, there was hardly a place where one could be alone in the building.


    As a member of the guild Jon could use all the facilities it had to offer and was entitled to a bed and a chest where he could store his things. Showers were open to him as well and as each dormitory floor had a few, he climbed the stairs to the fifth floor where the rooms started.


    As he passed the showers he heard voices inside and ignored the room, heading to the next floor where the beginner mages were stronger but fewer.


    Each floor he passed seemed to be arranged in the same way. Eighteen rooms were spread in the middle, surrounding the staircase. Narrow corridors passed between every pair of rooms with a window at the end. The showers and toilets were placed on both sides of each floor, at the far ends of the largest corridor that seemed to split the floor in half.


    The lower floors had three or four beds in each room, with the fifth floor having six beds in every room but starting from the tenth floor each room seemed to be reserved fortwo players.


    On the fifteenth floor the sounds of the street could no longer be heard and silence was deafening. The few people he passed glanced at him in wonder but didn''t bother with him.


    Each step he made echoed in the stone corridors and when he opened the door to the showers of the sixteenth floor its hinges squeaked loudly, startling him and sending his hand to search for the hilt of his knife.


    He looked behind to see if there was anyone to discern him but the brick corridor was empty. Only a few spiders moved on their spider webs that hung from the ceiling and a flick of a rat tail that disappeared from view in one of the rooms.


    There were six shower stalls, separated from the rest of the bathroom by a wall. Sinks and toilets were on the other side of the room and that was where hooks and benches were laid out. Most of what Jon wore was made out of leather and he washed it first in one of the sinks. The water turned green and yellow as the leather became cleaner. He gave his sword a quick rinse and left everything to dry on the hooks.


    He found what looked like a bottle of soap that had an unfamiliar smell on the bench in the shower room and used it plenty. Soon steam filled the room and the fragrance of the soap hung in the air. There must have been some magic system involved, because there were no visible pipes and the shower head simply hovered in the air. Two crystals were embedded into the wall, one red and one blue. Touching them changed the temperature of the water according to the crystal color.


    He lost the track of time while he was standing under the stream of hot water, his mind raced imagining different scenarios and how he could fight in them. Motivation and determination filled him but he knew that with his current skill levels it was impossible. He needed something like the mana ball to raise his magic mastery and be useful at the same time. He remembered reading about something suitable in the cleric book but couldn''t remember the specifics.


    He turned off the water and stepped out to the other room.


    Fresh and Clean Bonus


    Your mind and body are rested and you feel good.


    Stamina, Mp and Hp fully restored.


    For the next three hours the chance of spells failing is reduced by half.


    He didn''t have a towel so he opened one of the windows and let the wind dry him while he enjoyed a view of the citadel spread beneath him.


    A loud squeak from the door announced to Jon that someone joined him and he turned around to look who.


    By his robes it was clear that he was a mage, and like most mages he was on the short side. He seemed about twelve and was pretty chubby. Acne and barely visible whiskers covered his face. A rat sat comfortably on his shoulder but after one look at Jon''s nude body the rat jumped under the boy''s robe and started shaking.


    Jon was taller than most people and would usually stand out in a crowd.


    Years of hard physical hardships had left their mark on him and turned his body into a mountain of muscle with no visible fat. His lean and muscular body type didn''t show much strength when he wore clothes but standing naked next to the window, his wide shoulders and large chest plates looked huge to a small flabby kid.


    The light of the window lit Jon from the side and weak shadows cross his flat stomach , making the squares of muscle that ran along it stand out.


    With his long arms and legs and his straight posture that used all of his height to look down on the boy, he could have been mistaken for an angel, lit by the sun that made small drops of water on his body shine like jewels. However his long dark hair and scars that covered his entire body made him resemble a demon and when he smiled, the boy interpreted it as an evil grin. Without a word said the boy jumped out of the room and hurried down the stairs.


    The glare from Jon''s eyes, which were hidden behind his brow line, lodged itself in the boys mind and made him forget to breathe. The boy had never left the citadel before and for the past few months had dedicated his entire time to mastering magic. The leather armor and a sword that hung from the hooks put him on guard and the sight of Jon caught him by surprise making him imagine monsters where there were none..


    He ran to the first Npc he saw and explained to her about a monster that sneaked into the guild.


    While Jon was putting on his armor he noticed that it had a few large tears on it which started breaking apart in few places. The repair skill didn''t work and he wondered where he could fave it fixed, or better yet learn to fix it himself.


    Jon liked kids, and usually they liked him back. He didn''t intend to scare the boy and was looking around to see if he could spot him while on his way to the library on the lower floors. There was only one staircase so they couldn''t miss each other, and like he hoped, Jon met the kid on the flight of stairs that separated the sixth and seventh floors.


    The boy was hiding behind the skirt of a stern looking woman, a mature woman, with a wrinkled face and an all knowing look in her eyes.


    "You see?" she spoke to the boy. "There was nothing to be scared of. The man is your fellow guild member; apologize to him for acting rude."


    She had to push the kid forward Jon, but eventually the boy looked at Jon''s face and lowered his head in an apologizing gesture. Jon gave him a piece of cheese from his inventory to give to the rat. No words were said since none were needed. The boy took the cheese, bowed again and ran off with his pet rat up the stairs.


    "I''m very sorry, sir." she turned to Jon when the boy disappeared behind a corner. "He''s a sweet boy. Came to my dormitory a few months ago and hasn''t left the building ever since." She straightened with her hands the place on her skirt that the boy crumpled when he was grabbing her.


    "You see¡­ he can''t speak and somehow that has made him scared of anything that is unfamiliar to him. He''s very bright for his age and has been learning spells mages much older than him are struggling with, but unless he goes out he will never get a chance to use them."


    They were walking down the stairs and Jon had a suspicious feeling that someone was looking at him. He turned his head quickly and managed to see the boy hide himself behind the wall. With a smile he took out another piece of cheese, he had stocked his inventory with ingredients before quitting his position as kitchen hand, and nibbled on it for the boy to see. He left another piece on the floor and made a shape of whiskers next to his nose with his fingers, trying to tell the boy it was for his pet. The boy popped his head out for a second to look and hid again, waiting for Jon to continue down the stairs.


    Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author."He conveyed to me on paper," the woman talked about the boy as if he were her own child, "that he wanted to learn telepathy magic so he could speak to others. It''s a great goal but there are a few master wizards that can manage that spell."


    They separated on the fifth floor and Jon heard her voice a few moments later yelling at someone about some mess.


    The library was filled with people as usual.


    Unlike the citadel library, where Unknownadd kept silence as close to a crypt as possible, here groups of players were chatting leisurely and comparing notes with each other. Jon had never gone to school but that was what he imagined it might look like.


    The librarian greeted him with a friendly hello and asked what book he could get him. Jon sat down in an empty armchair and looked around while he waited. They didn''t notice him but the two girls that had taught him about magic, Irene and Romune if he remembered correctly, were busy reading next to a growing pile of books on their table. A large group of players were weaving a spell together, trying to hold open a portal of some sorts. The librarian blocked Jon''s view as he passed him five books and by the time he left the portal was gone and the group looked disappointed.


    He looked at the book titles and picked one at random. With a gulp of "Scholars Brew" and some help from the swift buff that to Jon''s surprise worked on reading as well, the first book was finished in three hours.


    You Have Completed the Book: "Air Is Everywhere"


    Wisdom Rises By 1 (+1 Wis)


    Air Affinity Acquired


    Knowing that air is not an empty vacuum but is made out of countless atoms, particles and even living beings, the mage can use his mana to manipulate the air around him to his needs.


    Magic of this affinity is the hardest to control as air changes depending on where you are standing. However spells of this affinity are consume the least amount of Mp put of all spells.


    Affinity: 1%


    He wondered how strong he needed to be to fly in the air and was relieved to know it only required an intermediate level of magic mastery.


    "Back Wind" Buff Learnt


    By manipulating the air around you force it to turn into a gust of wind that continuously hits you in the back and pushes you forward.


    Affects: Movement Speed Rises By 5%


    Duration: 10 Minutes


    Cost: 150 Mp


    The incident with the bugs made him understand that learning an affinity was pointless if he didn''t learn any spells of that nature. If he had had a fire spell at that time he could have lit a branch on fire and would''ve had a much easier time. You learn from your mistakes and Jon was back in the mages'' library to learn.


    The next three books were ones he had already read but they still had many spells in them that were left to learn. He chose one from each.


    "Burning Touch" Spell Learnt


    With the use of mana you can create a small flame and spread it around your palm. While the spell is active the mana channels the fire affinity and protects your skin from harm while at the same time raising the temperature of the fire until the palm of your hand glows in an almost white light from the intense heat.


    Cost: 5 Mp every second.


    Jon cast the spell to see if it was what he hoped it to be and in his carelessness his leather glove combusted into sudden flames and was burnt into ashes in less than a second. He could feel a sudden warmness all over his body which felt nice and comforting. He touched a finger to a  wooden table and smoke started to lift from it immediately. He applied a little force and his finger began to slide into the table as if it were butter, small flames licked his palm like orange tongues. He lifted his hand and canceled the spell.


    The smell of burnt wood spread through the library and a black hole in the table looked like an eye, staring at Jon angrily.


    ''This will do!''- The spell worked just like he hoped it would and this meant the other two spells would be the same.


    "Chilling Grasp" Spell Learnt


    While the spell is active the temperature around your hand lowers drastically, creating liquid dioxide which is then spread around your hand like a glove.


    Your skin is protected from the freezing cold but anything touched by the liquid will freeze.


    Cost: 5 Mp every second.


    His hand was slowly surrounded by swirling mist. A chill ran through his body and his skin covered in goosebumps. He canceled the spell after looking at the hypnotizing movement of the mist. There was no need to test the spell on anything as he had already read what the effect would be like.


    Done with the book he put it away and stretched his muscles. A few knacks escaped from his joints when he stood up to do that. Jon dropped back into the armchair and was surprised to see how fast the time went by.


    Outside the window it was already dark. The moon was visible and the first stars were appearing in the night sky. He looked up at the ceiling and saw magic lanterns that mimicked daylight.


    -''Maybe I should learn how to cast that¡­''- an image of a man appeared in his mind and he leaned back into the pillow of the armchair, nibbling on a Grezgler''s tail he took out of his inventory. It reminded him a little of cinnamon as it slowly melted in his mouth. The short black tail was halfway gone when he recalled where he had seen the man. He was the one that he  had met right before he entered the Rogues guild for the first time. He said something about recasting the magic in the shooting range.


    -''I wonder how much he got paid?''- The tail was almost gone. ¨C''If it''s a low level spell I could help them with that¡­ they hardly have any funds as it is.''-


    He took out the flask Unknowadd had given him and took another gulp. The brew inside made noises as it moved. Some of the players were looking at him enviously, moving their eyes from his face to the flask he was holding.


    Most of the library funds came from profits of selling the special brew. Jon even saw a player trying to bargain for the brews recipe but after offering ten thousand gold pieces and still getting no for an answer he gave up and left in anger.


    Jon would be more cautious with the flask if these weren¡¯t docile trainee mages. The shortage of brew has made the life of mages twice as hard and made the price of mandrake roots skyrocket.


    The roots gave the same affect as the brew but were rare and pricy to begin with. Now with Unknoadd no longer selling the "Scholars Brew" only the richest mages could allow themselves the luxury of a bonus to reading speed.


    -''Not much left¡­ I better hurry.''- He secured the cork and put the flask back into his inventory.


    "Static Hand" Spell Learnt


    The spell amplifies the electric signals in your body and directs their energy to your hand.


    The mana stores the extra electricity around your hand and releases it upon touch.


    Affects: 3% chance to stun your opponent.


    Cost: 5 Mp every second.


    Strands of electricity were jumping between his stretched fingers. The hairs on his arm stood up and a weak crackling sound came from his hand. He knew he couldn''t get electrified by his own spell so there was no hesitation when he reached to his knife.


    Before his hand even grasped the hilt, the electricity visibly jumped to the metal knife. He held the knife up and saw the electricity arc from his hand to the tip of the blade. He looked around to see if there was anything to try it on but the only things that were suitable were other players in the library. He thought about it for a moment, even found a target, but in the end decided not to hurry.


    -''Now that I''m a mage I need to drop my fame¡­ hmm¡­''- He knew a quick way, but he needed to wait for night time.


    Good thing he still had a book to read, the timing was perfect. He ignored the group of players trying to hold a portal open again, took a gulp of scholars brew and opened the book.


    You Have Completed the Book: "Earth, Dirt, Stone, Mana!"


    Wisdom Rises By 1 (+1 Wis)


    Earth Affinity Acquired


    Specializing in large scale spells, practitioners of earth magic can summon a force of nature itself and transform the face of the planets surface.


    By sending mana down into the ground and using the earth itself as a conductor, earth spells do not suffer a distance penalty like other spells.


    Affinity: 1%


    He didn''t have any particular interest in this field of magic, but since it was the last affinity available for him until his magic mastery reached intermediate he took the time to acquire it. Luckily it came with a reward.


    New Achievement


    Five Out Of Five


    You''ve earned this achievement for acquiring all five element affinities available to beginner mages.


    This had to be completed before magic mastery skill rises to level six for the achievement to count.


    Bonus: +100 Mana


    He also gained knowledge of a spell that would be very useful if he ever wanted to raise his alchemy level. However it was a spell that required level seven magic mastery and ice affinity. The latter wasn''t a problem but he almost died while trying to cast a high level spell and he was a bit hesitant of trying again. This time he wouldn''t have the dragon meat bonus to protect him if anything failed.


    -''My stats are much higher than those of my level¡­ should I try?''- Jon knew already he would try to cast the spell but he still tried to convince himself otherwise, even as his hands were turning the pages to that of the spell.


    To lessen the risk as much as he could he took out an apple from his inventory. Food didn''t rot while it was inside the inventory and could be held fresh indefinitely. Jon peeled the apple and cut it to pieces with great care.


    His level five cooking skill and his level three alchemy skill were applied to the fruit so when he ate it the bonus was amplified.


    Apple Consumed


    A simple red apple one can find in any grocery store or food stall.


    Considered the fruit of wisdom after its important role in the biblical story of Adam and Eve.


    Effects: Wisdom +10


    Intelligence +10


    Unknown


    Unknown


    Unknown


    It wasn''t much but fifty more Mp could mean the difference between life and death. He hoped the effects would last long enough for him to complete the spell. If it was as long as the healing rain chant the apple would have served as nothing more than a tasty snack.


    Breathing deep, Jon blocked out the sounds of the room and concentrated all of his attention on the correct pronunciation of the spell. He read page after page ignoring the sweat that began to form on his brow.


    Wrinkles appeared and deepened on his forehead as he progressed with the spell. It turned out shorter that the healing rain spell but much more complicated.


    Maybe it was because he hadn''t read any books on the subject like he did on healing magic, but it felt to him that he just couldn''t understand how the spell worked at all. Why and how did the spell wield his mana to get the desired effect were lost on Jon and because of that the end result was disappointing. It took seventeen minutes with the help of the scholars brew to finish casting the spell and as soon as the last word was uttered his Mp bar began to shorten.


    Sprout Spell Learnt


    With the use of mana, an earth mage who has knowledge of ice or water magic can force a plant or seed to grow at an accelerated rate.


    Unless the mage knows everything there is about the plant, the adult plant will not be able to compete with an original one both in size and offered effect.


    Cost: 500 Mp


    Jon aimed the spell at one of the apple seeds on the table and as his Mp was consumed a glow appeared around the seed. When half of the mana required for the spell to work was invested the seed began to glow. All was going smoothly when suddenly, without any sign or notice, the mana that was used up was expelled from the seed and thrown back to Jon. He wasn''t given a chance to react when all of the mana entered him with such force that he felt like he was being torn apart. As the sudden pain dissipated an uncomfortable feeling of prickling needles was left in his body. His arms felt bloated and the tips of his fingers, toes, ears and nose felt as if they were burnt.


    He was sitting half way down the armchair, with his legs and arms extended forward while his head was stretched back almost to the point of breaking the neck.


    The mind slowly recovered and began to work again although with some delay, making his thoughts stutter. The body however was unresponsive and stunned.


    This was a problem as his Mp bar was empty, while his Hp bar had only eighty three points left. If a spell backfired like this on a battlefield he would have died for sure.


    It made no sound when it happened so other inhabitants of the library didn''t notice and kept to their own business. Jon couldn''t move and had nothing to do but sit and watch the others while feeling was slowly returning into his numb body. The system notice refused to disappear on its own and was blocking some of his field of vision.


    Magic Capacity Levels Up


    One guy looked back at him and smiled knowingly. He came to Jon and offered a glass of water at which Jon looked suspiciously.


    "Drink. It will help," he said cheerfully.


    Carefully Jon held the glass with both of his hands. His fingers refused to close and remained extended making the glass shake slightly. The first mouthful sent a wave of relief through him. His stiff body relaxed and he managed to sit back into the armchair comfortably. The man looked at him and left, giggling quietly to himself.


    As he downed the last drops from the glass he was feeling like his body belonged to him again.    Only a burning sensation at the tips of his ears refused to leave. He touched them gently to see if they were okay and since they felt fine to the touch he ignored them and concentrated on regulating his breath.The icon showing the meditation skill was active appeared at its usual place over the Mp bar. He waited until he had enough to heal himself.


    -''I''ll need to take some time to train the magic capacity skill¡­ it probably saved my life this time.''-


    He thought about trying the spell again but saw that the sun had already set and didn''t really want to miss his opportunity because he was stunned in his chair.


    It was still a bit early so to while away the time he browsed through bookshelves, reading book titles without any particular agenda. He wondered if it was possible to finish them all.


    -''Maybe if I had an extremely concentrated dose of scholars brew¡­''-


    One of the books, a really dirty and torn one, piqued his interest. A soft book with no hardcover, this book had clearly gone through a lot. Fingerprints covered every page and some of the pages were ripped and crumpled. The title said "Miscellaneous Spells for Adventurers", it didn''t have a description on its back, so Jon skimmed through it.


    It was a useful book but not for mages. It had spells that didn''t require magic mastery to cast. These spells were useful for other classes, a warrior or a rough. It had spells for lighting fire, condensing water out of air, making a light orb, conjuring a magical rope and many other daily use spells.


    Jon wondered though what player could use this unless he was a mage. Even the simplest spells required an absurd amount of Mp. The lowest number he saw was on the "Fresh Air" spell, a spell that got rid of bad smells, and it needed four hundred and fifty Mp to cast. A spell with the same affect and name from the wind affinity book cost only ten Mp.


    Flipping through the pages the book opened on a spell called "Guiding Light". The book explained that the spell taps into the divine power of the gods to show an adventurer a general direction of where the goal of his quest was. This was an unbelievably useful spell, but needed five thousand Mp to cast.


    -''I saw some of these spells in other books¡­ maybe this one has an equivalent as well?''-


    There was a different librarian during night time but he managed to find the book just as fast as the other one.


    "This is the one with the spell you wanted," he handed Jon a medium sized book called "Searching and Exploring With the Help Of Magic".


    "But you''ll need these to learn it." He held up two more books.


    "It''s fine." Jon took the first book and looked for the spell. It was there and here it required only eight hundred Mp. A little bit more than he had but he could still cast it without too much risk as the magic mastery needed was of level five.


    "Ohh¡­ I guess you already have an affinity with the holy element."


    Jon looked at the time in his main menu and saw it was the middle of the night. It explained why the library was so much quieter now. It was what he was waiting for but he wanted that spell.


    "I''m borrowing the book." Jon stated to the librarian.


    "No problem." He picked a thick book from his desk and handed a quill to Jon. "Just sign here."


    "Good. You can have it for one month but I rather you return it sooner. We only have two copies of this one." He filled out the rest of the details like the title, author and condition by himself.


    "If you don''t return it after a month we will find you and take it from you. There will be a very high fee to pay then."


    The librarian glanced over Jon from head to feet and added a simple warning.


    "Don''t think you can hide from us. Even the best rogues don''t stand a chance against our seekers."


    The librarian was trying to scare Jon and was a little annoyed when he was ignored. He closed the log book with more force that was needed, making dust fly out of it, and put it back in its place. Jon left the library while he was doing that.


    Jon opened his stats menu and put the book in his inventory for later.


    Stat Window


    Avatar: Jon            Type: Chaotic


    Level: 15                           Class: Mage


    Title: Leader of the Pack


    +10 Charisma


    Taming animals is 20% easier and faster.


    Life: 1066           Fame: -82          Mana: 530(+250)


    Strength: 98(+5)       Dexterity: 97        Vitality: 61


    Wisdom: 48     Intelligence: 74       Focus: 13


    Leadership: 0          Perception: 3            Luck: 0


    Offence: 9                                 Defense: 10


    Resistance to Magic:


    Air: 1%


    Cold: 6%


    Earth: 1%


    Fire: 3%


    Holy: 1%


    Lightning: 1%


    Affinity to Elements:


    Air: 1%


    Ice: 6%


    Earth: 1%


    Fire: 3%


    Holy: 1%


    Lightning: 1%


    -''It''s time.''-


    He was stretching his body and loosening his joints as he walked. Purple colored magic mesmerized him when he started playing and tonight he would fulfil the condition for its use.


    All he needed was to kill twenty one people. A simple task when they arrange themselves like sheep for the slaughter.

 The Dark Side - Chapter 12

    Chapter Twelve - Taboo


    The sun was high in the sky making the shadows creep closer to their casters.


    One would expect that high in the mountains it would be hotter than in the plateau, with it being closer to the sun and all, but the reality was different.


    It was pleasant during the day but in the morning water buckets and puddles were covered with a fresh layer of ice.


    Black smoke was rising from a high mountain valley surrounded by all sides with dangerous mountain tops as sharp as needles. So sharp that even in the fiercest of winters, Iggeld had never seen snow land on them. They were always bare, sticking out like fangs pointed at the sky.


    Smoke originated from the only visible opening in a tight ring of stone that surrounded the valley. It rose straight up until it passed a high wall next to it. At that point a ferocious wind struck it and dispersed it, turning it into a cover of grey that covered the valley.


    The inhabitants of the place didn''t notice it from the ground but dragon riders, returning to their homes after long flights told their families about a dark cloud that seemed to hover over the roofs.


    But no one complained.


    The smoke was rising from heated tar, used to fill gaps in the stone wall, the wall they had been building in a joint effort to ensure a comfortable life for their families. It was probably the only wall in existence that wasn''t built to protect from an enemy or from wild beasts. The reason the wall was being built thick enough for four people to walk comfortably next to each other at the top was so that it would extend as high into the sky as possible. The higher it was the more wind it stopped- an annoying wind that sneaked under your clothes, freezing you to the bone and at the same time pushing you to the ground and making you stumble and fall. This never ending wind, more like a hurricane than wind, was the reason people used to call the place "Wind Valley".


    When the wall was half way up, the wind became almost non-existent, and only on the far side of the valley, where the dragon lairs were deep inside a stone mountain wall, could the wind still be felt. Now that the wall towered high over their heads, more and more people began to refer to the valley as "Iggeld''s Valley".


    Work on the wall progressed fast. There was no need to carry stone from afar. Stone smiths, brought from Dragon Town carved stone from the mountains around them and a bundle of workers worked with pleasure.


    Good food and great pay kept their enthusiasm high.


    "It''ll be finished soon." Said Ratsha to the man next to him. One could tell he was no ordinary man from afar. Tall, muscular and with a straight confident posture, even without a sword at his hip the man was without doubt a great warrior.


    "What?" Iggeld wasn''t paying attention. His eyes were looking at where the dragons, the love of his life and the only reason he crawled out of his bed in the morning, were at.


    Like Ratsha, he too was nothing but ordinary. The hardships he went through forced him to become strong or perish. Like his dragon, who grew up to be the strongest tamed dragon alive, he too matured into a powerful man. He was the only one who still considered himself a dragon  farmer, others started to respect him as the founder and leader of their small settlement. But Ratsha also knew that if you put a sword in his hands instead of a brush for cleaning dragon scales, Iggeld could cut through a dozen men with ease.


    "What is with you today?" Ratsha tapped Iggeld on the back. Iggeld hardly budged, although Ratsha could break a table in half with such a tap.


    "Nothing¡­ I''m just a bit nervous."


    "Not about that kid? I swear to the gods, Iggeld! A rabbit could tear you to pieces with that nature of yours. Be firm! The same way you are with that winged toad of yours. If you don''t want an outsider raising one of your precious lizards just say so, there is no one here who will dispute your word."


    "I don''t know¡­ he has the right qualities for the part. He''s patient, kind, calm and most importantly hard working."


    "Then what''s the problem?"


    "You know very well what it is! He''s an outsider! Who knows where he came from? What if he takes a dragon back with him to whatever land he came from? Huh?"


    "You surprise me. Usually you''re too trusting for your own good. You''ll give a man the shirt of your back if he says he needs it and you''ll add your pants and shoes just in case. But when the matter concerns oversized lizards you become an overprotective parent¡­"


    Ratsha was almost twice the age of his friend, and although Iggeld had grown taller that him and also just a bit wider in the shoulders, he understood Iggeld was hoping for advice that Ratsha didn''t know to give.


    "Listen," Ratsha said after a deep sigh, "I saw the boy, even talked with him on several occasions and he left a good impression. Don''t worry about the outsider part. You''ve seen yourself how many of them there are lately. Every time Chernish flies us to one of the big cities there are always hundreds of them everywhere. I don''t know how this one got so far but he clearly has a passion for dragons. You and the rest of the breeders have worked him to death the last month. If he hasn''t left after that I don''t think you have anything to worry about."


    "You''re right, we both see how many outsiders have come lately. There seems to be more and more of them with each passing day. What scares me about them is that all of them seem to focus on fighting and getting stronger. What if his dragon grows up to become some bloodthirsty beast like many of their wild brothers?"


    "So that''s the root of your worries? Look at Chernish! He''ll tear a man to shreds if you command him but will come crawling to you with his tail between his legs begging for forgiveness if he accidentally breaks something."


    "But¡­"


    "And I for one think that a battle dragon would be a good addition to the valley. Your pup is good and all but during a few times the three of us fought together, he looked like he was playing rather than fighting. I''d love to see a dragon trained for war. Wouldn''t that be a fearsome sight?"


    "I''ll show him! There will be no battle dragons under my watch! If he tries something like that he''ll see what happens when my dragon starts to battle!" Iggeld was waving his hands around almost hitting himself with anger.


    "Ahah! Did you notice there? You already decided. So when are you telling the brat?"


    "You¡­" he showed Ratsha his fist, "I told him I''d decide by the end of the week. Might as well get it finished now." He began walking towards the large caves on the other side of the valley, where the dragons slept and the dragon keepers worked around the clock. Ratsha stayed behind and helped carry stones up the wall, taking by himself the load of three men.


    In the silence of the night, with no market sounds or street noises, every footstep echoed through the stone corridors. The weak chatter from the library floor was gone on the fourth floor and now that he stepped onto the fifth floor Jon could hear his heart beating in his chest.


    It was a slow and steady heartbeat. His breath came out in a measured pace, breathing in through his nose and exhaling through his mouth. The night was cold and the heat from the day had already left the stone building so his breath came out as small white clouds. Other than a small icon at the side of his peripheral vision everything else was dark. The icon indicated the meditation state was active. Jon found it perfect for trying to keep hidden and silent. It kept him calm and concentrated.


    He moved slowly, relying on the wall beside him as everything else was pitch black. The only window, at the end of the corridor, hardly let any moonlight through. Only a small place near it was lit with a pale glow.


    Jon remembered the layout of the floor as all of the dormitory floors were built in the same way. He reached a wooden door and opened it slowly, making sure to lift it up a little so the hinges didn''t make a sound. His sneak skill silenced the action even more without him knowing about it.


    The sounds of breathing filled the room and a weak smell of feet hung in the air. He waited to see if anyone would wake but the three of them didn''t stir. The room was brighter than the corridor but not because of the large window. Jars, flasks and different glowing objects were scattered around the room, making the room seem larger than it was from the weird way the shadows in it fell.


    Jon was glad to find out players, especially mage trainees, sleep inside the game instead of sleeping in real life. A player could play for three game days nonstop without sleep before he logged out to sleep, however most beginners practiced another method. They would sleep inside the game like the rest of the Npcs. Eight hours of sleep counted as two hours of sleep in real life. As each real day was four days of game time that meant four times of two hour sleep outside the game. In total eight hours of sleep a day, more than enough to keep the body going. Food and feces were taken care of by the capsule, allowing a person to play for up to a week at a time without ever logging out and stepping out of the capsule. Electric stimulation made sure to keep the muscles from deteriorating, which resulted in a large number of beginners playing the first month in the game time without ever leaving Royal Road.


    The reason for this phenomenon was more common amongst mages was the "Well Rested" bonus. It was explained in the "Fundamentals of Magic" book all mages had to read to get the magic mastery skill. If a player slept inside the game, once he woke, in addition to his stamina, Hp and Mp being fully restored, he would also get an increased chance of spells and skills working properly. A bonus to the Mp and Hp regeneration was also added for the next twelve hours.


    Jon wasn''t about to miss this chance, so when he entered the room his knife was already drawn. There were three two-floor beds in the room, and each of them had a player sleeping in the lower bunk. Slowly he walked to the closest bed, careful not to step on the clutter that covered the floor.


    The player was sleeping on his back. One of his hands fell of the bed and his legs were spread wide apart under the covers. It was a young boy around eight.


    The game didn''t have an age limit, but a young one such as him was a rare sight and would usually be accompanied by one of his parents.


    Jon ignored the boy and passed to the next bed.


    The man slept soundly. Just like the boy he too was on his back, his hand lay on his stomach and he was breathing through a wide open mouth. A two or three days worth of beard wasn''t enough to mask the resemblance he had with the small boy.


    -''I guess this is the father¡­''- He thought to himself as he stood over him and positioned the tip of the knife to the man''s eyeball.


    -''Silent Strike!''-


    The blade slid through the eye socket and reached the brain with a weak downward push. A liquid spilled from the hole, dark, darker than anything in the room. It slid down the man''s cheeks but didn''t make it to the bedcover; the body disappeared before it could.


    You have killed a player!


    Fame is decreased by 20 points. (-20 Fame)


    A red mark has appeared on your forehead, it will disappear in 6 hours.


    Jon didn''t check to see if any loot was left under the blanket, he just froze, listening for sounds and looking into the darkness for unusual movement. Satisfied that everything was alright he stepped over to the next bed and slipped the knife behind the ear of the teenager sleeping on his side in it.


    You have killed a player!


    Fame is decreased by 20 points. (-20 Fame)


    A red mark has appeared on your forehead, it will disappear in 12 hours.


    Before leaving the room he passed next to the young boy''s bed and covered the child''s feet with a blanket.


    -''Eighteen to go¡­''-


    Jon continued to sneak into one room after another, leaving the rooms he passed with messy but empty beds. His palm was sticky and wet but he didn''t bother to wipe it, not until he was done.


    You have killed a player!


    Fame is decreased by 20 points. (-20 Fame)


    A red mark has appeared on your forehead, it will disappear in 84 hours.


    Sneak Mastery Levels Up


    He rejoiced when he read the skill level up massage.


    As he decided to play the game seriously, becoming stronger appealed to him and seeing the system notices that informed him of it was something he started lusting for. He didn''t have a certain path he wanted to concentrate on, yet, so he tried to use as much skills and do as many things as he could simultaneously in hopes of seeing that small white massage appear before his eyes.


    Jon moved slowly and carefully but since rooms were close together and each had at least three players, after half an hour he was standing over his last kill, a beautiful woman that slept in her mage robes.


    Even though he hardly moved, he was hot and sweating heavily. Sneaking required him to use all of his muscles to control his steps and the soles of his feet were about to cramp. He wiped the sweat from his brows, careful not to wake her. He had already killed two players in this room but besides the woman there were two more. Although she was the last one, he didn''t bother with any ceremonies. The knife slipped in and out of her the same way it did with the other twenty. Fast, steady and without hesitation.


    You have killed a player!


    Fame is decreased by 20 points. (-20 Fame)


    A red mark has appeared on your forehead, it will disappear in 126 hours.


    Silent Strike Levels Up


    Level 4: Deal 15% more damage.


    Chance of a critical hit increases by 40%.


    Critical damage increased by 5%.


    Cost: 45 Mp


    You Have Become "Dark"


    For acquiring negative 500 fame your type has been changed to dark.


    Quest lines, events and areas that were inaccessible to you before are now open.


    "Hell''s Kitchen" tavern has been marked on your map.


    Daily Password: Mimaks


    "Blood" Class Acquired


    +500 Hp


    You have become a "Blood Mage"


    There are many ways to earn this title but the easiest is gaining negative fame.


    Those who have earned themselves the blood title as their class can choose to use Hp instead of Mp for skills and spells.


    While using your own life to power up class skills is frowned upon there are even holy knights who use this method. However for a mage to use life force to cast spells is considered a taboo.  The law forbids it in all but the most distant places. One of the unofficial roles of the mages'' guild is to hunt down users of blood magic.


    Blood magic is treated as a gateway to magic much more sinister and foul, and for a magic practitioner who deals with forces, many of which are beyond his control, it is very easy to go down the path of evil.


    Blood Magic Mastery Acquired


    This skill governs your control over magic cast with vitality instead of magic.


    Blood magic is stronger than simple magic but using it comes with many risks.


    Higher mastery will reduce the pain that comes with the use of one''s health. It will also increase the power of your blood magic and help you with controlling your spells.


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.Level 1: Blood magic is 20% more powerful.


    Drain Life Skill Acquired


    Just like a mage can increase his mana flow and learn how to gather mana from his surroundings, the blood mage can collect life force from living beings.


    As long as the blood mage has living things around him he can toy with the aspect of immortality. Taking the life force of others into himself, the blood mage will be healed from even the most grave of injuries and illnesses.


    Level 1: Heal 1 Hp for every 50Hp drained.


    Drain 25 Hp a second.


    If there was anyone awake in the room he would have seen Jon''s eyes sparkle from excitement.


    While the skills were to his liking what he was most pleased with was the five hundred points bonus to his health. It was half of his current Hp points and it was a permanent bonus.


    A warm feeling spread through his body as he re-read the system messages. It was a good feeling, almost intoxicating. Jon realized that if he weren''t careful he could get addicted to it. He wanted to wallow in it longer but a scraping sound from the window brought him back to the dark room he was in and made him crouch behind the bed, listening and searching. The meditation icon disappeared while he hid there silently.


    After a few minutes of silence the icon returned and Jon was standing next to another player''s bed.


    Done with what he came to do Jon was in no hurry to leave. He decided to try out his newly acquired skills.


    Cutting his forearm, the same way he did when he trained his heal skill, he felt a fresh wave of adrenaline spread through his body together with an accompanying pain. His heart became a few beats faster but not enough to cancel the meditation state.


    -''Drain Life!''-


    He waited but nothing happened. There were no tentacles of life energy entering him, there was no magic light and his Hp was down forty points and it wasn''t returning.


    He tried again but this time either nothing happened.


    -''Hmm¡­''-


    It hit him after a moment. The skill needed a target and Jon didn''t designate one.


    -''It probably works by touch.''- He touched the shoulder of a player he was standing next to. Gently, careful not to wake him up, he put the tip his index finger to the bare skin of the sleeping player. Waiting a moment to see if he would stir he held the knife an inch from the boy''s throat, just in case he had to silence him fast.


    -''Drain Life!''-


    A faint red glow appeared on his finger and seemed to move up his hand, creeping slowly under his sleeve. The veins and arteries on the player''s shoulder, next to where Jon''s finger was touching, became visible as a weak orange glow lit them from underneath the skin.


    His Hp bar returned to full in less then two seconds but Jon didn''t even notice. He was looking intensely at the visible veins. He could see them tremor slightly as blood moved through them. A feeling of freshness spread through his body. The muscles that were threatening to cramp a few seconds ago felt rested and relaxed and he no longer sweated.


    -''Useful.''- Was all that passed through his mind in the few seconds he stood over the player.


    The player neither wake nor even move a hand. If he were awake at that moment he would''ve seen his screen flashing red, warning him that his health was critical.


    Jon waited too long to cancel the skill. He was killing the player and it didn''t seem like he was about to stop. As the seventh second passed the red glow changed suddenly into a bright white light. It no longer moved up his hand but simply shone at the tip of his finger. Surprised, Jon canceled the skill but the light didn''t disappear.


    The player''s body turned grey and disappeared, which meant that he was dead.


    All of his Hp was drained by Jon and only a small bright ball of light was left in his place. It floated from side to side over Jon''s spread palm. Moving in small circles around itself, the light it gave off was much stronger than one would expect from something as small as a sand grain.


    Soul Trap Skill Learned


    A dangerous consequence of using the "Drain Life" skill without care is this evil result.


    When the player uses this skill with full Hp the drained life force doesn''t have anywhere to go so it just lingers around the player.


    If such a user continues to drain the target''s life until the target dies, the lingering life force that doesn''t know where to go will keep the soul of the dead target behind so that it has a place to stay. The soul of the dead player can then be used by the player for powering up his own skills and spells.


    The soul can be placed in an appropriate container for future use. There are many such containers but precious gemstones are the most common, with a higher grade of gem stone being able to hold more than one soul.


    When the soul is used for such an action it will be consumed and will no longer be part of the circle of life, never able to reincarnate.


    Warning: Excessive soul trapping can anger the gods for messing with the circle of life.


    Level 1: Can trap souls of level five and lower.


    Jon''s lips parted in a smile that kept growing until it turned into a grin.


    -''With this skill I can cast almost any magic I want! I can become invincible!''- A deep chuckle escaped from his throat.


    He looked around himself but there was no chance of finding a gem stone in the messy room. Refusing to let the soul go he tried to push it into the red gem stuck in the middle of his forehead.


    The gemstone is already full.


    -''Damn!''-


    Left with no other choice he dropped his hand, letting go of the small grain of soul in it. The source of the bright light began to slowly rise until it passed through the stone ceiling and left the room in complete darkness.


    Weird floating shapes covered Jon''s vision. Blinded from the strong light his eyes were no longer used to the darkness and he couldn''t see his hand even if he put it in front of his face. He dropped to the floor, laying still and holding his breath. There was another player sleeping in the room and the light could''ve woken him up. Until his eyes got used to the night again he was helpless. He lay motionless, listening to the steady breathing coming from behind him to the left. Jon was in a risky situation but the smile on his face still hung there, showing two rows of white teeth and two fangs larger and sharper than most people had. Jon was secretly proud of his large fangs. He considered himself a big meat eater and he always enjoyed ripping large chunks of meat with his fangs.


    Slowly his eyes got used to the dark room and he began to differentiate shapes. He waited a while longer and when the moonlight from the window was enough for him to see where he was stepping he left the room as silently as he had entered it.


    His first desire from when he just started playing was fulfilled and although he was satisfied he was still hungry for more. As he went down the stairs this bothered him, he thought he''d be happier once he gained control over the alluring purple magic. He didn''t notice the crowd and almost collided with a wall of people that was blocking the main hall on the first floor.


    Jon listened to them, circling to the building exit.


    "I hope it works."


    "Well¡­ thirds time the charm, as they say."


    "I never saw someone fly before. I hope he succeeds!"


    "How much wisdom does the equipment give?"


    "Shh! He''s starting."


    Jon was taller then most of the crowd and by standing on his toes he could see a mage in the center. He was wearing a glowing robe and hood. The fingers that held a weirdly shaped book each had a large ring. Three necklaces surrounded his neck, one of which dropped to the level of his naval. Six earrings were visible on his left ear.


    The player was chanting slowly as he read from the book. A weak hum came from two other mages that stood on his sides with their arms pointing at him.


    Jon didn''t stay to see if it would work. All he wanted was to get as far away as possible from the mages'' building before someone happened to discover what had happened during the night. A mage trying to absorb a high level spell was the least of his interest.


    Unlike most spells that only had to be read and understood to be used, very high level spells were a gamble to learn. First you had to find a spell book, which was rare and very pricy. Once you put your hands on such a book just like a normal spell book all you had to do was to read it. However, unlike those books, a high level spell book would teach you only one spell and learning that spell wouldn''t always succeed. If you didn''t manage to learn it the first time you wouldn''t get another chance. The magic would escape from the book pages and you would be left with an empty book.


    The wisdom stat affected your chance of learning the spell and for that reason mage guilds kept wisdom gear that it would rent to mages trying to learn a high level spell.


    It was all written in the first book all mages read, "Fundamentals of Magic", and Jon wasn''t interested in seeing that in person.


    He stepped out into the cold night air with slight relief. He regretted that his impatience got the better of him now that the killing was done with. He still had plans that required him to be in the citadel for them to be completed.


    But now that the deed was done guards would chase him ad try to capture him if they was him. He can sneak around them but most Npcs would refuse to trade or even talk to him. Still, Jon has decided to let go of the past and intended to do the same for this as well. What was done is now gone so he looked at the compass in his menu, checked what direction was north and began walking to the gate.


    It was morning but the sun has yet to come up. Npcs were already out and about on the street. Windows and doors were opened wide to change the stale air of the room with fresh morning air. Women made the majority of the crowd, on their way to try and be the first customers of the just opening shops and stalls.


    There were hardly any players around. They could easily be differentiated by the way they talk ed and what they wore. They were probably still hunting while the night time exp bonus was active.


    Jon could feel stares on himself as he walked. Once or twice he even caught people whispering and pointing at him.


    -''So it''s like this¡­''- His negative fame was attracting attention and if he didn''t do something about it feared the guards would be called to arrest him. He looked around himself and stepped into a side alley just as two guards turned round the corner to the main street Jon had left.


    Jon hurried his steps. He wanted to get to the gate before the sun rose.


    Like always there were two guards standing at the sides of the gate. A whole platoon, twelve soldiers, were stationed at the gate at any given moment.


    During the day there were four guards on active duty, two looking outside at incoming people and two looking inside to protect the peace of the citadel. At night however, there weren''t many people who would leave the safety of the citadel so only two guards were stationed, the rest were sleeping in a small building next to the wall.


    There was no way of leaving the citadel but the gate. Jon didn''t feel like climbing over the high walls and unfortunately he wouldn''t learn how to fly anytime soon. He didn''t want to be pursued by the guards so he did what he got pretty good at doing ever since he entered the game.


    He began to sneak up to the gate, chanting spells silently, making them ready for when he strikes.


    The torches at the gate were still burning when he arrived. The sun wasn''t up but it was beginning to show its presence over the far reaches of the forest.


    -''Swift! Back Wind!''- He had to sneak but he was in a hurry for time. Any moment now two more guards could come.


    His right palm was a faint blue color and his left, the one holding the knife, made small crackling sounds weaker than the burning torches, from electricity that ran along the blade.


    He decided to try out the "Chilling Grasp" and "Static Hand" skills to ensure a kill. If he got unlucky and one of the guards was a captain he would be in a problem.


    Jon summoned a magic ball of mana. His control magic passive skill paid off and the blue ball of light didn''t even shake.


    He moved the orb outside the gate and moved it around to taunt the guards. They took the bait and moved closer to check what it was.


    "Ever seen somtin like that?"


    "Nah¡­ You?"


    "Not sure¡­"


    Both of them stood under the orb looking up at its blinding light. Jon was only a few steps from them, moving as silent as a spider.


    When he was behind the left guard he moved the blue orb quickly to the right. His plan worked and their stares followed. The right guard didn''t see his friend being killed next to him.


    Jon stepped up to the left guard placing his right hand over the man''s mouth and freezing his face to prevent any sounds.


    -''Silent strike!''- His left hand cut his throat confidently in one swift motion, sending a shock of electricity that stunned as well as damaged.


    "I remembered! I saw somtin like this at the magic vendor. He was selling those things as toys for kids. You could choose from a bunch of colors."


    "You should get one for your kid." He rubbed his eyes as he said that, trying to clear floating lights from his vision. Jon waited for the hand to come down so he had room to grab and slice his throat the same way he did with the other.


    Jon''s level may only be fifteen but his stats and skill were already far higher. The bonus from the dragon meat was like leveling forty levels. Add to that the "Silent Strike" skill of level four, a level usually seen by level seventy rogues, and a combination of magic spells to go with his attacks Jon had become a formidable opponent.


    Also working for him were his proficiency in different martial arts and the experience of many combat situations. The poor guards didn''t stand a chance even if they fought him fair and square.


    Jon left the bodies for the other guards to find.


    He did search them first, hoping to find a ring or a necklace with an embedded gemstone but they had nothing of the sort. The equipment appealed to Jon, as it was high quality armor and weapons but he decided not to take them as they all had the Rozenheim emblem on them. After he finished the quest and got the fame to walk around the citadel freely again, using any of these gear would bring up too many questions. And carrying the heavy armor in his inventory would overburden him.


    Walking along the citadel wall he heard sounds of fighting and saw, in the weak early morning sun, players running around hunting animals. He took out his bow and equipped a quiver of arrows. Taking his time, he slowly headed north, sending arrows flying every few steps. He had no intention of killing the players, he was simply having fun training his skills and getting stronger.


    And he was planning to get stronger fast, no matter what it took.

 The Dark Side - Character Stat after Chapter 12

    Stat Window


    Avatar: Jon            Type: Dark


    Level: 15                           Class: Blood Mage


    Title: Leader of the Pack


    +10 Charisma


    Taming animals is 20% easier and faster.


    Life: 1066 (+500)         Fame: -522          Mana: 530(+250)


    Strength: 98(+5)       Dexterity: 97        Vitality: 61


    Wisdom: 48     Intelligence: 74       Focus: 13


    Leadership: 0          Perception: 3            Luck: 0


    Offence: 9                                 Defense: 10


    Resistance to Magic:


    Air: 1%


    Cold: 6%


    Earth: 1%


    Fire: 3%


    Holy: 1%


    Lightning: 1%


    Affinity to Elements:


    Air: 1%


    Ice: 6%


    Earth: 1%


    Fire: 3%


    Holy: 1%


    Lightning: 1%


    Skill Window


    Masteries:


    Alchemy Mastery Level 3


    Archery Mastery Level 3


    Cooking Mastery Level 5


    Knife Mastery Level 3


    Magic Mastery Level 5


    Sneak Mastery Level 3


    Sword Mastery Level 1


    Passive Skills:


    Control Magic Level 3


    Magic Capacity Level 3


    Meditation Level 3


    Owl''s Instinct Level 2


    Active Skills:Power Shot Level 2


    Repair Level 1


    Sharpening Level 3


    Silent Strike Level 4


    Speed Stab Level 3


    Spell Window:


    Burning Touch Level 1


    Chilling Grasp Level 1


    Cone of Frost Level 1


    Heal Level 2


    Healing Rain Level 1


    Ice Dart Level 1


    Sprout Level 1


    Static Hand Level 1


    Mastery


    Archery Mastery


    Archery mastery affect the ability to use short bows, long bows and crossbow with efficiency.


    The higher the mastery the better the accuracy of the shoots are.


    The archery mastery also affects shooting speed and attack power.


    Level 1 Bonus:


    Accuracy increased by 5%


    Attack speed increased by 5%


    Level 2 Bonus:


    Accuracy increased by 10%


    Attack speed increased by 5%


    Level 3 Bonus:


    Accuracy increased by 10%


    Attack speed increased by 10%


    Blood Magic Mastery


    This skill governs your control over magic cast with vitality instead of magic.


    Blood magic is stronger than simple magic but using it comes with many risks.


    Higher mastery will reduce the pain that comes with the use of ones health. It will also increase the power of your blood magic and help you with controlling your spells.


    Level 1: Blood magic is 20% more powerful.


    Knife/Dagger Mastery


    Increases efficiency of handling knives and daggers.


    When using a knife or a dagger, depending on your level of mastery, the following bonuses will be applied:


    Attack Speed: +5%


    Attack Power: +5%


    Level 2: Attack Speed +8%


    Attack Power +5%


    Level 3: Attack Speed 10%


    Attack Power +5%


    Magic Mastery


    The basis of all magic, Magic Mastery gives a player control over his Magic Power.


    The higher your mastery of control is, the stronger the magic that you perform is.


    The higher the skill level is the faster you can cast spells.


    Warning: Casting high level magic with a low level of Magic Mastery is dangerous and may result in death.


    Level 5 effects: Can cast beginner level spells.


    Casting speed increased by 10%


    Sneak Mastery


    Helps the player hide his presence and blend into the surroundings.


    The grandmaster sneak is even able to hide himself in plain sight.


    Level 3 effect: You are 10% harder to see.


    You make 5% less noise when moving.


    Sword Mastery


    Sword master affect your ability to use swords efficiently.


    The higher the skill level, the easier it will become to perform powerful and elaborate techniques.


    Level 1: Attack Power +5%


    Attack Speed +5%


    Skills


    Control Magic Passive Skill


    A passive skill that heightens your control over the spells you cast. Good magic control can prevent area of effect spells (AoE) from hitting your allies while buff and de-buff spells can be applied on many targets at once.


    Even the most basic of magic can be used in a verity of ways when you have enough control over it.


    Lvl: 3


    Drain Life Skill


    Just like a mage can increase his mana flow and learn how to gather mana from his surroundings, the blood mage can collect life force from living beings.


    As long as the blood mage has living things around him he can toy with the aspect of immortality. Taking the life force of others into himself, the blood mage will be healed from even the most grave of injuries and illnesses.


    Level 1: Heal 1 Hp for every 50Hp drained


    Drain 25 Hp a second.


    Magic Capacity Passive Skill


    This skill lowers the backlash of misfiring spells and reduces the damage taken when casting spells that require higher magic mastery than you have.


    Magic capacity also guards from the damage taken when casting spells that need more Mp than you currently have.


    Lvl: 3


    Meditation Skill


    By maintaining correct breathing and mental focus for long periods the mage can force his body to become more compatible with the arcane powers.


    During this state of awareness the mage''s mana points return at an accelerated rate.


    One of the many side effects of this passive state is increased mana.


    Level 1: +5 Mp every level up.


    Affect while active: 1Mp every second.


    Level 2: +10 Mp every level up.


    Affect while active: 2Mp every second.


    Level 3: +15 Mp every level up.


    Affect while active: 3Mp every second.


    Owl''s Instincts Skill


    The owl, the shadow of the night. It hunt''s under the moonlight managing to catch and kill pray with easy even in the darkest of nights.


    With instincts so honed he manages to REPLACE his talons into his targets vital spots at amazing speed and with incredible precision even under the most difficult conditions.


    Users of bows have strived to achieve their astounding feats throughout the ages.


    Level 1: Critical Hit Chance +5%


    Power Shot Skill


    By temporarily surrounding the bow with mana, the longbow man can draw the arrow farther than the bows maximum breaking point.


    This allows the longbow man to fire an arrow that deals more damage and has a higher chance of penetrating the target.


    Level 1: Maximum firing distance 30m


    Attack power increased by 10%


    Cost: 20 MP


    Repair Skill Applying this skill on a piece of equipment will return it to its maximum durability.


    Low level skill will need more than one time to restore all durability while a high level of this skill can increase the durability over the maximum amount, thus strengthening the equipment.


    Notice: Can only be applied on metal.


    Sharpening Skill


    By the use of a grinding stone, wet stone, sharpening belt and a variety of other tools, you can return the edge of a weapon back to its original sharpness.


    With good knowledge of sharpening, a weapon can even exceed its original attack power.


    WARNING: Sharpening may result in durability loss.


    Silent Strike Skill


    This skill can only be used if the target is unaware of you presence.


    It will deliver a fast and silent blow to your target.


    The skill works with weapons, magic and hand to hand combat.


    Level 1: Deal 10% more damage.


    Chance of a critical hit increases by 40%.


    Cost: 50 Mp


    Level 2: Deal 13% more damage.


    Chance of a critical hit increases by 40%.


    Cost: 45 Mp


    Level 3: Deal 15% more damage.


    Chance of a critical hit increases by 40%.


    Cost: 45 Mp


    Level 4: Deal 15% more damage.


    Chance of a critical hit increases by 40%.


    Critical damage increased by 5%.


    Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.Cost: 45 Mp


    Soul Trap Skill


    A dangerous consequence of using the "Drain Life" skill without care is this evil result.


    When the player uses this skill with full Hp the drained life force doesn''t have anywhere to go so it just lingers around the player.


    If such a user continues to drain the target''s life until the target dies, the lingering life force that doesn''t know where to go will keep the soul of the dead target behind so that it has a place to stay. The soul of the dead player can then be used by the player for powering up his own skills and spells.


    The soul can be placed in an appropriate container for future use. There are many such containers but precious gemstones are the most common, with a higher grade of gem stone being able to hold more than one soul.


    When the soul is used for such an action it will be consumed and will no longer be part of the circle of life, never able to reincarnate.


    Warning: Excessive soul trapping can anger the gods for messing with the circle of life.


    Level 1: Can trap souls of level five and lower.


    Speed Stab Skill


    The skill allows you to perform a stabbing motion with your weapon of choice, with a speed that far accedes your normal abilities.


    The motion is so fast; it allows you to perform multiple stabs in the time it would have taken you to make one.


    Level 1: Number of stabs: 2


    Mp cost: 20


    Level 2: Number of stabs: 2


    Attack power +5%


    Mp Cost: 20


    Affinity


    Air Affinity


    Knowing that air is not an empty vacuum but is made out of countless atoms, particles and even living beings, the mage can use his mana to manipulate the air around him to his needs.


    Magic of this affinity is the hardest to control as air depending on where you are standing  however spells of this affinity are consume the least amount of Mp put of all spells.


    Affinity: 1%


    Earth Affinity


    Specializing in large scale spells, the practitioners of earth magic can summon the force of nature itself and transform the face of the planets surface.


    By sending mana down into the ground and using the earth itself as a conductor, earth spells do not suffer a distance penalty like other spells.


    Affinity: 1%


    Fire Affinity


    Manipulating your magic power you can now forcefully create friction between atoms to create a small spark.


    Feeding the spark your mana, you are able to start a flame anywhere and everywhere.


    Better affinity with the fire elements allows you to create bigger and hotter flames with less mana consumption.


    Affinity: 1%


    Holy Affinity


    You have learned to channel holy power through your body and to your spells.


    Increasing your affinity with the element will raise the efficiency and power of holy spells.


    Affinity: 1%


    Ice Affinity


    You have learned to channel the ice element through your body and to your spells.


    Increasing your affinity with the element will raise the efficiency and power of ice spells.


    Affinity: 1%


    Lighting Affinity


    Tapping into the natural reserves of electricity in the atmosphere you can use your magic to channel it through your body.


    Lightening spells deal the most damage and cost almost nothing to cast.


    However, the lighting element is amongst the hardest elements to control, and is highly unstable.


    Affinity: 1%


    Spells


    "Burning Touch" Spell


    With the use of mana you can create a small flame and spread it around your palm. While the spell is active the mana channels the fire affinity and protects your skin from harm while at the same time raising the temperature of the fire until the palm of your hand glows in an almost white light from the intense heat.


    Cost: 5 Mp every second.


    "Cone of Frost" Spell


    By channeling the ice element through your body, you are able to quickly collect the surrounding moisture surrounding you, and expel in a chosen direction as frozen mist.


    Projected in the shape of a cone, the mist slows down your opponents and pushes them away from you.


    The small, sharp ice particles damage your opponent''s health and have a small chance of completely freezing the target.


    Level 1: Freeze Chance - 2%


    Cone Angle: 15 degrees


    Cost: 5 MP every second


    Lecel 2: Freeze Chance - 4%


    Cone Angle: 20 degrees


    Cost: 5 MP every second


    "Chilling Grasp" Spell


    While the spell is active the temperature around your hand lowers drastically, creating liquid dioxide which is then spread around your hand like a glove.


    Your skin is protected from the freezing cold but anything touched by the liquid will freeze.


    Cost: 5 Mp every second.


    "Healing Rain" Spell


    An area of effect spell that conjures rain clouds out of thin air.


    The clouds than condense holy power into liquid form that drops to the ground as rain.


    Anyone touched by the drops will have its Hp restored.


    While each drop by itself has very little healing power, sustaining the clouds for even a small period of time can completely heal hundreds of targets completely.


    Level 1: AoE size ¨C 15m radius.


    Restore rate: 1Hp per drop.


    "Heal" Spell


    By channeling the holy element through your magic you can apply your mana to heal yourself and others.


    For the spell to take affect you must touch the target directly.


    Level 2: Amount of health points healed becomes higher.


    .


    "Ice Dart" Spell


    Controlling the ice element with your mana, you are able to freeze the water in the air.


    By shaping the ice into the form of a large dart you are then able to propel the projectile forward using you magic power.


    The dart flies in a straight line and upon impact causes freeze damage and turns the area of impact to ice.


    "Sprout" Spell


    With the use of mana, an earth mage who has knowledge of ice or water magic can force a plant or seed to grow at an accelerated rate.


    Unless the mage knows everything there is about the plant, the adult plant will not be able to complete with an original both in size and offered effect.


    Cost: 500 Mp


    "Static Hand" Spell


    The spell amplifies the electric signals in your body and directs their energy to your hand.


    The mana stores the extra electricity around your hand and releases it upon touch.


    Affects: 3% chance to stun your opponent.


    Cost: 5 Mp every second.


    Buffs


    "Back Wind"


    By manipulating the air around you force it to turn into a gust of wind that continuously hits you in the back and pushes you forward.


    Affects: Movement Speed Rises By 5%


    Duration: 10 Minutes


    Cost: 150 Mp


    "Swift"


    While the buff is active unnecessary movement are reduced and every action you perform becomes cleaner and more optimal.


    Cost: 50 Mp


    Effect: Speed Increases by 5%


    Duration: 2 Minutes


    Achievments


    Going Up


    You''ve earned this achievement for climbing a 100 meter tree.


    Bonus: +5 Strength


    Five Out Of Five


    You''ve earned this achievement for acquiring all five element affinities available to beginner mages.


    This had to be completed before magic mastery skill rose to level six for the achievement to count.


    Bonus: +100 Mana


    Achievements Earned: 2/76847


    Quest Window


    In Progress:


    Helping the Bookkeeper


    Completed:


    Family Matters


    Frozen Vegetables