《Divine Conquest》 The Chosen Few The alarm blares in my ear, dragging me out of a dreamless sleep. I groaned and slapped the clock off, rolling onto my back as the ceiling of my cramped Birmingham flat greeted me with all the warmth of a punch to the gut. Same routine, same shitty room, same cold air seeping through cracks in the window. Another day, another grind. I swung my legs over the edge of the bed and stretched. The place was hardly big enough to move around in, but it was mine, the sole thing in this world that''s all mine. Every square inch was paid for with money I scraped together working every hour I could since I was a kid. No charity from my foster family, much as I loved them. This was my independence, my proof that I didn¡¯t need to lean on anyone. The mirror doesn''t pull any punches either, always the same empty green eyes staring back at me, my dark hair messy from sleep. Handsome? Maybe. Not that it matters when you are living off supermarket-brand noodles and half-dead coffee. I went through the motions¡ªshower, quick brush of the teeth, throw on clothes that were clean enough. No time for breakfast; just the bitter taste of determination as I grab my bag and head out the door. The cold morning air hits me like a slap, but I like it. It kept me sharp and awake. I pulled my coat tighter and started walking toward the university, boots scraping against cracked pavement. The same streets stretch all around me, grey, dull, and lifeless, but they are familiar. At least I can count on that. A quick stop at my usual coffee shop. The barista knows me by now: black, no sugar, and hands it over without the need for small talk. Just the way I like it. Uni drags on. Chronometry isn¡¯t exactly a party starter, but it matters. Time matters. It always has. Every tick of the clock is another second I¡¯ll never get back. Maybe it¡¯s because I never knew why my mother left. Maybe it¡¯s just comforting to understand something that never stops moving. Lectures blur together; time, the very thing I''m studying, seems to slow as my lectures drag on. I pick up my notes, which are scattered across my workstation. Time equations, theories¡ªevery second slips through my fingers, making me feel like I''m wasting my time even when I do all I can. By the end of the day, I''m tired; I just want to shower and sleep, maybe play some games. However, I have no time to dwell; my shift is waiting. The restaurant isn¡¯t much to be honest; it¡¯s barely clean most days, but it pays the bills. I work until my muscles ache and the fake smile cramps my face. When I finally drag myself home, exhaustion claws at me. All I want is a shower and maybe five minutes to just... exist. But then I see it. A box. Sitting on the floor. Plain and unmarked except for one detail: DIVR Technologies My heart stumbles. I barely remember signing up for the Divine Conquest beta. It feels like a lifetime ago, a desperate grab for something more than this grind. My hands shake as I tear it open. I''ve been waiting months for this. The trailers for this game looked insane. When I saw an application for a free closed beta, I had to sign up immediately. Inside: a smooth, obsidian-black headset. An envelope rests on top. I open it, my eyes searching across the words. Congratulations, Ethan Watts. You are one of the chosen few. 1 out of 20,000 granted exclusive access to the Divine Conquest Beta. Please lie down on your bed and wear the headset. The device will begin a full-body scan and synchronise you with the game. I stare at the letter, unease curling in my gut. The words feel... wrong. Too cold. Too clinical. Synchronisation? That doesn¡¯t sound like any game I¡¯ve heard of. But this is Divine Conquest. The trailers were insane. Gods, quests, and power beyond imagination. Against my better judgement, the temptation claws at me. I have to try it. I lie down and adjust the headset. It fits perfectly. A soft hum fills my ears. "Just a body scan," I mutter. "No big deal." The moment the headset powers on. A chill sweeps through me, icy tendrils brushing my skin. The room twists, blurring at the edges. Pressure clamps down on my chest. And then Darkness. Not sleep. Not unconsciousness. Just... void. I¡¯m falling, weightless and endless. White. Infinite. Empty. I snap my eyes open. Blinding whiteness stretches forever. And then I hear it. "Synchronisation commencing. 2%."My breath catches. What the hell?" 7%. I start counting. Time is my only anchor. One... two... three... "23%."Seventy-four seconds." 48%."Two hundred ninety-three seconds. I keep going. I have to." 89%."Eight hundred sixty-five seconds." 100% synchronisation complete. "Nine hundred eighty-seven seconds. Just under seventeen minutes. The voice comes back, colder now. "Subject: Ethan Watts. Age: 19. Height: 6 feet, 3 inches. Weight: 190 pounds. Lineage: Mortal mother''s name classified. Divine Father¡ªChronos, Primordial God of Time." I freeze. Chronos?" Status elevation commencing: Mortal to Demi-God." Energy surges through me: hot, cold, electric, terrifying. My body feels like it¡¯s splitting apart and reforming. What kind of game is this? "You now possess access to a status window¡ªan interface reflecting your existence within this realm." I focus. This has to be a game mechanic. "Open status window!" My voice shakes. Nothing. "Skills! Open skills menu!" Still nothing. Just silence. Crushing, empty silence. "You will now be transported to where you belong." "Wait, belong? What does that mean?!" No response. The white void twists, collapsing inward. It pulls me under. This isn¡¯t a game mechanic. This is real. Too real. I fall. Swallowed by the void. And then Darkness. Again. I fall. Swallowed by the void. And then Darkness. Again. I don¡¯t know how long I drift, trapped in nothingness. Seconds? Minutes? Time means nothing here. And for someone like me, someone who¡¯s obsessed with every tick of the clock, that¡¯s the worst part. Then, suddenly, the void breaks. My eyes snap open. I suck in a sharp breath and sit up fast, heart hammering against my ribs like a jackhammer. I blink, trying to adjust to the harsh light. The darkness is gone. Now, I¡¯m in a plain, white, and sterile room. The air feels too still, too clean. "Welcome to Hellenika, home of the Greek Gods." The words hit me like a punch to the gut. They¡¯re not spoken aloud. No, it¡¯s a system message, clear and emotionless, burnt into my vision like a hologram. A sudden chill coils in my stomach. This isn¡¯t just a game. It feels too real. My hands tremble as I feel my face; amazingly, every single detail is perfect. Skin. Nails. Even the spots on my skin. Everything feels... real. I force myself to stand, my legs shaky under the weight of confusion and fear. This is far too realistic, more than any other game I''ve ever played. When I move my arms, it feels like I''m moving. When I feel my face, I can''t feel the headset, and possibly the scariest part is I can''t log out. That¡¯s when I notice I¡¯m not alone. Four others lie scattered around the room, motionless and asleep. Different heights, different builds, but just like me, they¡¯re stuck here. I should check on them, but the part of me that¡¯s wired for logic screams at me to understand what¡¯s happening first. One of them moves. A heavily muscled, tall man with sharp, authoritative features, his eyes opening, electric blue and sharp, nearly piercing. He looks me in the eye before he propels himself upright. "Where¡­?" His voice is rugged, bewildered. Another one stirs; this time, a woman. She has a finely slender, athletic physique, with cloudy grey eyes that explore the room. Her shiny black hair is pulled back utilitarian, as if she''s anticipating a fight to erupt at any second. A third of them groan lean, tanned, sea-green eyes shining with bewilderment. His messy, dark hair sticks to his forehead as if he''s emerged from the ocean. The last one rouses a woman whose skin is the color of milk, hair jet-black, eyes liquid silver. She scans the room with unnerving calm, as if she''s examining every shadow on the walls. We all stand there, looking at one another, the tension building. I break the silence first. "Uh. I''m Ethan. Ethan Watts." The tall one glances at me, face set. "Alexios Drakos."The keen-eyed woman nods. "Sophia Kastelli." The easy-going guy shoves a hand through his wet hair. "Niko Petros." The white girl''s voice is quiet, but it slices through the air like a blade. "Helena Kyriaki." "Yeah," I say deliberately, attempting to make sense of this. "You guys got invited into the Divine Conquest beta, huh?" The words hang in the air, thick with tension. I glance around at the four strangers I''m standing with. No, not strangers anymore. We''re all in this together now. Each of us was chosen, drawn into this so-called "game" with no visible way out. I''ve tried logging out a few times now to no avail. I know this is a beta, but something is certainly fishy. What kind of game even lets a beta not let you log out whenever you want? Alexios Drakos, tall and sculpted like somebody chiselled him from marble, crosses his arms. "Yeah. Signed up months ago; thought it was going to be some next-level VR thing." Sophia Kastelli nods. "Same. Didn''t expect. this." Her voice is calm¡ªtoo calm, as if she''s hiding the fear of the unknown. Niko Petros makes a small, embarrassed laugh. "Yeah, thought it''d be a fun way to kill time, not." He waves his hand vaguely at the empty white room we''re standing in. "Whatever this is." Helena Kyriaki doesn''t say a word, her silver eyes cold and watchful. She nods only once to acknowledge the question was heard. I swallow. "We all saw that. emptiness? With the voice telling us about our heritage?" Everyone goes quiet, and I assume it''s a yes. "And did it tell you what your divine parent was?" Alexios bristles. "Zeus." Sophia crosses her arms. "Athena." Niko runs his hand down the nape of his neck. "Poseidon." Helena''s voice is low, almost cold. "Hades." I inhale. "Chronos." The name still feels odd in my mouth, unfamiliar to my lips. We cannot absorb any more of it because the door opens in a soft, ominous manner. A woman walks in, statuesque and tall, dressed in flowing ancient Greek clothing. She looks as if she has stepped out of another time, her face serene but commanding. She says nothing but motions for us to follow. We exchange uneasy glances, but none of us protest. What choice do we have? She leads us down a narrow, sterile corridor, the silence pressing on us from all sides. Soon, the hallway opens up into a larger, stone-lined room. The air smells faintly of oil and earth. At the centre are basins filled with water, alongside containers of oil, ashes, and blocks of pumice. Some of the metal instruments lay alongside curved and strange. The woman faces us and begins to speak. It''s. nonsense. The words sound musical, but I cannot understand any of it. Beside me, Sophia is equally bewildered. Alexios is furrowing his brow, crouching in a little. "It sounds Greek, but. no. It''s too ancient. Ancient Greek, perhaps?" The woman points at the basins and then heads off, leaving us to decide for ourselves. I look around at the others. "I think. Are we supposed to wash ourselves?" Sophia''s face sets in a hard line. "You''re probably right." The next couple of minutes are. uncomfortable, to put it mildly. We move to the basins, each of us going through the motions of anointing our bodies with oil, rubbing ashes onto our skin, and using pumice to scrub ourselves clean. The air is thick with discomfort. We¡¯re five strangers, all adults, forced into this bizarre cleansing ritual together. The strigil cold, curved metal scrapes along my skin, pulling away the grime and oil. It is raw, intrusive, as if we''re peeling off not only dirt but something more. No one says a word. We simply concentrate on getting it done as fast as we can. When we''re done, we stand there uncomfortably, holding whatever shreds of dignity we have left. The door opens once more. The same woman comes back with neatly folded clothes, plain, old-fashioned tunics of light material. We scramble to cover ourselves as she strolls in, entirely unbothered by our lack of clothes. She places the clothes down and leaves just as silently. We dress quickly, grateful for any sense of normalcy. The tunics fit well, though they feel strange, like wearing ancient history itself for a time geek like me. This is incredible, but I can''t fully enjoy it because of this bizarre game that''s feeling less and less like a game. What kind of game allows five of its players to wash together? This just gets weirder. The woman returns and gestures for us to follow again. There''s no hesitation now. We''re led down another corridor, but this one''s different. We can hear the murmur of voices, distant, through the walls. A low, gathering roar of excitement. We step out into sunlight that dazzles. My breath catches. We''re in a coliseum. Thousands, at least 2,500, fill the stands, their voices surging in a deafening roar. Every eye in the arena is fixed on us. The woman leads us forward until we¡¯re standing at the front of the crowd. She begins to speak again. Still, the words are indecipherable¡ªmelodic and ancient, but utterly meaningless to me. Sophia shakes her head beside me, just as lost. The others, Alexios, Niko, and Helena, exchange uneasy glances. Alexios says under his breath, "I think it''s Ancient Greek." The woman holds her hands in prayer. She is surrounded by a warm golden light, which radiates outward. It envelops her first, then us, then the crowd behind us. System Message: The gods of Olympus have heard the priestess and have granted you the ability: Universal Translation. The unintelligible phrases begin to shift, reeling and reshaping in my mind. Slowly, the gibberish resolves. The woman''s voice is now clear and commanding. "Can you hear me now?" "Yes," I reply mechanically. A glance at Alexios, Niko, and Helena confirms the same realisation: they''re picking up her words just as clearly as I am now. Even Sophia nods in understanding. The woman speaks to the crowd again. "Before you stand brave otherworlders chosen by the gods themselves." The crowd erupts into applause that shakes the earth beneath our feet. She raises her voice again. "These thousands of persons before me have chosen to worship the gods of Olympus." A second peal of applause breaks over us like a wave. Her eyes land on us. "But these five. these five are not ordinary worshippers. They are demi-gods, offspring of gods and mortals both, born to be the heroes of Olympus!" The applause bursts into a cacophony of sound, the crowd''s energy almost suffocating. In my mind, my thoughts spin out of control. Log out. Log out. Log out. Nothing occurs. We''re taken away from the arena, the cheering of the crowd still ringing in my ears. We''re led into a plain hallway with wooden doors, each engraved with a name. The rooms are plain, with plain beds, wooden trunks, and not much else. Stark and inhospitable. Our rooms are next to each other. We''re instructed to rest more, that it''ll be explained tomorrow. We later have a meal. The food is simple but surprisingly fresh bread dipped in wine and olive oil, vegetables like cucumbers, beans, and garlic. There are figs, grapes, and even sweet desserts drizzled with honey. But none of us are hungry. We sit in silence, strangers bound by fear and the unknown. And in my head, the same thought screams over and over. Log out. Nothing. My bedroom door slowly creaks open as we all press in together: Alexios, Sophia, Niko, and Helena. We are quiet at first, the weight of our reality suffocating us like a heavy blanket. Fear, uncertainty, and the awful prospect that this may become our new reality hang in the air. I break the silence. "We need to talk." Alexios crosses his arms and leans against the wall. "You believe that this is a joke?" Sophia''s head shakes back and forth. "No joke, is this real? I believe we all know what this is." Niko takes a deep breath, combing his hands through his hair. "It feels like one of those Isekai tales. Like we''ve been sent to another world." I nod, the idea getting stuck in my stomach like a boulder. "Yeah. The headsets¡ªthey didn''t just simulate the game. They brought us here." "Which means," Helena whispers, her tone cold but even, "we can''t assume we''re safe." "Right," I nod. "If this world is real. Then death might be real too." The room falls silent once more as the implications of that sink in. None of us want to test that theory. After a moment, I glance around. "Does anyone want to go try opening the status window?" Nobody gets up. Alexios squirms, Sophia won''t look at me, and Niko clenches his jaw. Helena just ignores me. "Figures," I say. "I guess I''ll begin." I focus, thinking the words Status Window. A pop-up appears immediately, but before I can see anything else, another message interrupts: "Magic Power, Divinity, or Qi?" I blink, surprised. A choice? It feels like a preference system¡ªmaybe it¡¯s tied to abilities? Without hesitation, I go with the coolest-sounding option to me: Qi. Not that I¡¯d admit it out loud, but I¡¯ve always had a thing for Wuxia novels. The screen materializes before me: Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. Status Window Name: Ethan Watts Age: 19 Occupation: None Origin: Hellenika Class: Undetermined Fame: 0 Status: Mortal Title: None Stats: Strength: 11 Dexterity: 12 Endurance: 9 Vitality: 14 Qi: 0 Luck: B+ Charm: B+ Charisma: B I stare at the numbers. Not bad, I guess. Just as I''m about to explain to the others, the window closes on its own. A new message appears: "Applying synchronisation." Another window opens immediately: "Status changed: title given, stats changed, fame awarded." I frown. Without thinking, I blurt out, "Explain all that." The others look at me like I''m crazy¡ªuntil a complete pop-up appears before me: "Fame was earned by being publicised at the coliseum. Your title makes each stat gain permanently 6. Your status change has corrected your stats to their true value." Startled, I do it again. "Status Window." It shows up again only now; all is changed. Status Window Name: Ethan Watts Age: 19 Occupation: None Origin: Hellenika Class: Undetermined Fame: 10 Status: Demi-God Title: Son of the Primordial Chronos Stats: Strength: 42 Dexterity: 43 Endurance: 40 Vitality: 45 Qi: 31 Luck: A Charm: A Charisma: A- I blink in shock. Each stat has shot through the roof. "I could''ve sworn each stat would rise by six," I say. "This is far more than that." Another message comes in before I even get a chance to wrap my head around the numbers: "+25 for being the Demi-God of a Primordial and +4 bonus for the same reason." I take a breath and turn to the others. "Alright. You all have to do this." They''re apprehensive, but curiosity and perhaps fear of missing out prevail. They each open their status windows one by one. Their eyes expand in the same way mine did. No one speaks the numbers aloud. I don''t either. Helena finally speaks up. "We shouldn''t reveal our stats. Not yet." Alexios nods unsmiling. "Agreed. We don''t know what''s going to happen." I sit back, arms crossed. "For all we know, we could be enemies." Nobody argues it. The tension in the room grows as the realisation of what''s happening hits us. We''re not role-playing; we''re living it. And every statistic, every underlying fact, could be the difference between life and death. We sit there silently, each lost in our own thoughts. This isn¡¯t a game anymore. This is real life with real consequences. My Own Path The coldness of the morning air seeps into my bones even before I open my eyes. I just lie there for a while, staring blankly at the cold bare rock of the ceiling, uninspiring and unfriendly. The emptiness of the room is oppressive. There''s a bed, a wooden trunk in one corner, and four empty bare walls that coldly remind me: I''m not home. The crushing weight of the fact that death is likely permanent comes crashing down on me yet again as my heart beats almost out of my chest. No revives. No do-overs. I lean back. Everything that went down yesterday feels too real to have been a dream. Status Window. There is nothing. No glowing screen. Silence and the heavy weight of reality are all that remain. I clench my fists, struggling to overcome the terror. I want, no, I need answers. I have to see through what this is, where I''ve ended up, and I will survive no matter who or what I have to step over. I close my eyes and focus intensely, actually consider the system. Skills tab. It opens straight away. Skills: Universal Translation ¨C Allows understanding of all global spoken languages. - F Rank A little too general for a skills tab: And the fact that it talks about the world, and not about the game, makes me more believe that we are in a new world. "Titles." Titles: Son of the Primordial Chronos ¨C Permanently raises all stats by +6 I let the pop-up disappear and get out of the bed and drop to the floor and begin basic exercises. These help me figure out how much strength to use since I''m now having to hold back. After my status changed and my stats increased when I got out of bed in the middle of the night, my foot went through the floor. I finish up my exercises, I wipe the sweat off with a rag, and I hear a knock on the door, and before I can answer it, I hear "Downstairs." and the voice is gone just like that. I head downstairs into the main room and see the woman who guided when we first arrived standing at the end of the table where the other demi-gods are sitting. I take a seat, and she begins, "Now that you''re all in this world, you must assume roles." Cutting her off, Alexios says, "Before you demand we work for you, mind telling us your name?" She stops for a second and almost seems angry before ignoring him and continuing, "We have plenty of roles here in Hellenika for you to assume, and" she stops, scans the room with a scowl on her face before a creepy grin appears, and she says, "You can, of course, leave Hellenika and find your place elsewhere, but we wouldn''t recommend it." Her grin makes me uncomfortable, and as if responding to my thoughts, the system answers. Quest Received: True Path The Greek armies wish to utilize your potential and use your power for their own advancement. Forge your own path and conquer your destiny. Objectives: Do not become a part of any Greek army Go on any path you want outside of Hellenika and Olympus'' domain Rewards for being forging your own path: Become qualified for a Class Quest Get a random skill unlocked Penalties for becoming a Greek army profession: Miss the opportunity to get a class Miss the opportunity to inherit Chronos'' power Issued by Chronos I finish reading it, and I''m confused. Chronos, a Greek god, doesn''t want me to be a part of Greek forces. The pop-up disappears, and I look back up at the woman, who continues on, "Outside of Hellenika are a few jobs you could take up, but trust me, you''ll want to stay here." After getting the quest, I can now hear the underlying nervousness in her tone. Nervous, we''ll leave? Something''s not adding up, but whatever the case, I''ll be leaving. I can''t sacrifice getting a class, plus I get weird vibes here. I raise my hand immediately, and she says in a polite tone not matching her expression, "Ethan?" I say, "I''ll go elsewhere." She stares me down before saying, "Are you sure I really don''t¡ª" I stand up and say, "I''ll be going elsewhere, thanks." As I leave the room and head back upstairs, once I''m safely in my room, I sigh and sit down. Chronos believes I shouldn''t join Greek forces; specifically, his quest actually states that they seek to use me for my potential. Perhaps I should warn the other demi-gods... No, what''s the point? I don''t have the time to worry about others in this unpredictable world. Status Window Name: Ethan Watts Age: 19 Occupation: None Origin: Hellenika Class: Undetermined Fame: 10 Status: Demi-God Title: Son of the Primordial Chronos Stats: Strength: 42 Dexterity: 43 Endurance: 40 Vitality: 45 Qi: 31 Luck: A Charm: A Charisma: A- I wonder how I boost my stats. Don''t games like these usually have a levelling system? Or I suppose I can''t completely rely on my knowledge of games since it''s a game-like world. I know titles can give stats and maybe status, but that might be a onetime thing. I suppose I decide to head out and look around a bit. As I step outside, I''m greeted by the blazing sun; its heat is relentless on my skin at first, but as I walk around, it''s as if my body is adapting to the heat in the Greek domain, probably because I''m a Greek Demi-God. Cobblestone roads stretched out before me, shining white with the countless trampling feet. Whitewashed houses with terracotta roofs towered above the roads, walls cracked and heavy with the years but brimming with crawling ivy. The scent of olives and dust clung to me, mingled with the far-off taste of the ocean. Merchants stepped out of low wooden stalls, hawking bread, fruit, and shiny bronze trinkets. Marble temples reached high into the distance, columns standing far above an ever-present reminder that there were gods. Each step was as eternal as history itself. I arrive at the library, and as I get closer, the sign changes from unreadable ancient Greek to English "Library." Thanks to Universal Translation, I head inside and look through the books, and the text translates as I scan over them before finding "Foundations of the World. I grab it and sit at a table. I read all about this world and its countless gods and their pantheons, and while I''m reading, I notice it''s getting late and put the book back and walk through the streets, now calmer and emptier, once full of life, now void of it, as the night sky bathes the streets in moonlight. I''ll admit I may miss home, but I would''ve never seen anything like this there. The next day I''m getting dressed, finally free of the uncomfortable chiton himation and belt. I tried to get used to it, but I just can''t, so I put back on the clothes I arrived here in. I''m not sure how they cleaned them without technology, and I''m not sure I want to know. I slip on my navy polo shirt and black jeans, my black trainers, and my grey hoodie. When I first put these clothes on a few days ago, I did not have a clue I''d be here. I take one last look at the view out of my window since I''ll be leaving Hellenika today. I head downstairs and hear talking, and I go into the main room where the woman is speaking to the demi-gods. I walk in and glare at him before walking out, and I say, "So you''re all staying then?" They nod, and Alexios stands up, and we shake hands, and I say, "It was nice meeting you." I say my goodbyes to the others too and leave the room. I''d like to hope I''ll see them again. One day I get outside and head the way the attendants at the building I was staying at directed me; their instructions were literally just "Head towards the golden light." I walk towards it and get to a large golden gate, and as I open it and walk through it, I see ships with wings, some on the ground not moving, some in the fly. The wings are like a bird''s flapping to keep the ships afloat as if they''re alive, and as I carry on through, I see golden chariots and wooden chariots, all looking mythical and divine. Makes sense, I suppose, and I carry on walking until I find eight others waiting behind a golden cart with massive ox-like creatures tied to the front of it. A soldier says, "Ah, there''s the last one." and has us pile into the cart, and we''re off, soaring over a glowing golden bridge, the breeze blowing my hair around, and as I look out over the beautiful views behind us, I see Hellenika; it''s at the foot of a giant mountain, which I assume is Mount Olympus, and above the mountain I can just barely see a city of gold in the clouds; that must be Olympus. Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. My eyes open as they''re bathed in the first sunlight of the morning. I yawn, blinking as my eyes adjust to the light. As I sit up and look around, I see the eight others in the cart are still asleep. I look out of the window, and it''s so different from the sites near Hellenika. There the grass was green with a golden hue. Everything looked so elegant. Here the grass is blue, and there are floating structures and castles everywhere. It''s absolutely amazing, and at the middle of it, exactly where we''re approaching, is what looks almost like a modern city, but with a distinct archaic definition to all the structures and glowing blue pillars of light surging up and through the clouds, penetrating the sky like beacons. This is Arcadia. I''d read up on it in the book I read. It''s the newest nation in this world ruled by a single Goddess, a human who clawed her way up to the status of God, then made her own pantheon and became a Supreme God. When I was reading about her and Arcadia in "Foundations of the World," it felt like I was reading a fantasy novel, and she was the main character. To be honest, I thought about going to Arcadia and becoming a mage, but something drew me towards the job I have decided on to be an Adventurer. As our cart gets closer to Arcadia, I hear a voice behind me: "Beautiful, isn''t it?" I turn around and say, "Yeah," as I stand up and shake his hand. "I''m Ethan Watts." He takes my hand and says, "I''m Liam Thomas." We sit down next to each other, and he asks me, "What were you up to before this?" I sigh and say, "I had not long started my first year of university studying horology and chronometry." His face lights up, and he asks me, "What university?" "Birmingham," I reply, and he says, "I remember my first year at the University of London. I got my BA and MA, and I had just started my last year to get my PhD in history." "You''re a doctor? I ask, shocked, and he smiles and says, "I would''ve been if I had finished. I applied to this game to have a little fun between studying; I wish I hadn''t now. Years of my life studying to get that degree just to end up in another world." I notice he looks sad, almost defeated, before his face lights up again, and he takes a breath and says, "But that''s why I''m going there." He points out the window at Arcadia and says, "I read some books in Hellenika, and they said the foundation of magic is knowledge, and I''m quite good at studying, so I figured it''d be a good fit." I decide this is a good time to gain info. "You know when you were sucked into the game?" He nods, and I say, "What happened?" He puts his fingers on his chin and says, "I put the headset on and blacked out, then I was in a white void where a voice synchronised me and asked me to choose a god of worship. Once I did, everything went black, and I woke up in a room in Hellenika. From there, I was taken to the coliseum and given the skill Universal Translation."So all otherworlders experience the same thing, bar us demi-gods who didn''t get to choose a god of worship, and at the very least, all of us otherworlders have the system. He says, "What about you?" which breaks my focus, and I say, "Pretty much the exact same, except I didn''t get asked to choose a god to worship." He nods and says, "Thought so." The cart jerks to a stop, and I stand up and shake Liam''s hand. He, along with three others of our group of eight, is getting out here in Arcadia, where they''ll strive to become mages. "I hope to see you again soon, mate," he tells me, and I nod, watching as he walks away, and our cart begins going past Arcadia. I watch as we ride past the skylines. The capital city of Arcadia really does look like a modern city, but if it was in mediaeval times, the skyscrapers were made of stone, and it''s just unbelievable to look at. It almost makes me regret wanting to become an adventurer, to be honest, but I''ve chosen my path, and now I must walk it. I sit back down in the cart and await; by the time the cart reaches my stop, it''s only me getting off; the other three that were left with me had got off along the way; two left at Kemet, the Egyptian domain, and the last had got off at Zhongyuan, the Chinese domain, and finally I get off in front of the city Mercari, home of the Adventurers Guild, Warriors Guild, and Mercenaries Guild. I watch as the cart floats upwards, flipping around the other way as the ox-like creatures start pulling it back the way it came, and I head into Mercari. I walk through the city, and it''s fascinating: the only city in this world not part of a Pantheon, it''s an independent state where those who don''t want to worship the gods do their work. It has the highs and lows of society, from adventurers to mercenaries, normal markets to black markets. I walk past everything for now and head to the Adventurers Guild. The four guilds in the city stand out because they are the tallest buildings and have more buildings connected to them. I arrive at the Adventurers Guild and head in. The first room looks exactly like a lobby with a desk and a woman behind it. I walk up to it, and without looking up, she says, "Name?" "Ethan Watts," I reply, and she looks up and says, "Are you an otherworlder?" I nod, and she sighs and points out a black plate on the desk and says, "Place your hand there." I walk up to it and put my hand there, and it glows, and something is projected from the crystal on her desk, and she looks over whatever it is and says, "You meet the stat requirements." Before I can speak, she uses another crystal, which makes three things that she hands over to me: a license, a keycard, and a piece of paper, and as she hands them over, she says, "That''s your license, that''s your keycard, and that''s your instructions. I''ve given you everything you need." and with that she looks away, and I take my leave, and as I''m walking through the halls, I read through the paper: Short housing, food, and equipment are provided by the guild, but it is based on your rank. The higher rank you are, the better you get, I assume to provide motivation to work harder and rank up. I get to the room that has the same number as my keycard and go in. The room is tiny and cramped and freezing. The bed is tiny on a wooden frame. I sit on it, and it is so lumpy I''d believe it if it was made this lumpy on purpose, and I continue reading through the instructions. My license is how I borrow gear and get food. I''m allotted three meals a day, and I have to hand my license over, and I''ll be marked as having had one, and the same with my gear, which I have to give back after each quest I do, so the license is basically very important. Good to know. And finally, I have to take a quest after seven days of break, so I get a week in between quests. I say "Quests," and a pop-up appears: "Quest Completed: Say "Claim" to claim rewards." It disappears, and I say "Claim," and two pop-ups appear: "WARNING! You do not meet the minimum requirements to take your class quest; it will be postponed." "Random Skill: Appraisal" Appraisal, I was hoping for a combat skill "Skills" Skills: Universal Translation ¨C Allows understanding of all global spoken languages - F-Rank Appraisal - Scans and shows the information of any chosen target - F-Rank Another F-Rank? I wonder if all skills start at F-Rank and if they can get stronger. I mean, I''m sure it''ll be useful "Status Window" "Occupation: None --> F-Rank Adventurer" Status Window Name: Ethan Watts Age: 19 Occupation: F-Rank Adventurer Origin: Hellenika Class: Undetermined Fame: 10 Status: Demi-God Title: Son of the Primordial Chronos Stats: Strength: 43 Dexterity: 44 Endurance: 41 Vitality: 46 Qi: 31 Luck: A Charm: A Charisma: A- My physical stats have gone up by one too. The only thing that''s changed is my occupation, so does that mean that occupation affects stats too? I stand up to leave and check out the city. Goblin Subjugation The crisp hot air hit me like a freight train as I walked through the mesmerising streets of Mercari. It''s so cold in my room; the switch in temperature is so hard-hitting. The room is so shit I''m almost convinced that they did it on purpose. After a bit of walking, I arrive at the food market, the stalls clearly labelled to ensure that we low ranks don''t even approach the higher ranks stalls. It all feels a bit classist, but I understand it. The point is to motivate adventurers to train hard and rank up. I go to the F rank stall and grab my food¡­ stale bread and watery soup. yum I sit at a table labelled F-Rank and take a bite of the stale bread; it''s so hard I think I hear a tooth crack on it, and one of the people sitting at my table bursts into laughter. "HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA." I drop the bread, and I look at him. "Is this funny to you?" I ask, and he says, "It is, yes; you must be new." I nod, and he says, "The name''s Seti Rahotep from Heliopolis in Kemet." I''m what people round here call a veteran loser, which is how I know not to eat that bread." He laughs again before standing up and moving round to where I am. I stand up and meet him face to face. He holds out a hand and says, "Want me to show you the ropes?" I take his hand and shake it and say, "Sure." I let go of his hand, and he begins walking away before turning around and saying, "You coming, newbie?" I catch up to him, and he says, "You didn''t tell me your name." "Ethan Watts," I reply immediately, making him pause and turn around. "Are you an otherworlder?" I nod and say, "Will that be a problem for you?" He shakes his head. "Not at all. It''s just ever since a few days ago when you otherworlders appeared, they were quick to look down on us because they grow faster." Is he saying otherworlders get more powerful faster? "Well, I probably can''t even hand a candle to you currently," he laughs and says, "For now." I follow him over to the quest board, where he scans through the F rank quests before ripping one off and showing it to me, "Goblin Subjugation." He pins it back up and says, "This is what most newbie adventurers do as their first quest to get themselves started." I nod, and he writes his name, then mine, and then another name: Zhao Wei on the quest paper and says, "Go to the F rank armoury and pick some gear; I''ll go get us registered." I nod and head off towards the armoury. I walk into the armoury and to the front desk. "I''m here to get some gear." The man at the desk looks up and says, "Newbie, huh?" He sighs and says, "You don''t have to ask me; just go grab some and bring it here." I walk straight past him and into the armoury and look over the gear "Appraisal" Name: Leather Wanderer''s Set Type: Light Armour Pieces: Hood, Tunic, Gloves, Pants, Boots Effect: Silent Steps - Reduces noise footsteps make Useful, but there''s probably better in here. Name: Copper Set Type: Medium Armour Pieces: Helmet, Chest plate, Gauntlets, Greaves, Boots Effect: Dented Resilience - Slightly reduces blunt force damage Decent, but I can find better. Name: Twilight Raider Set Type: Light/Medium Hybrid Armour Pieces: Hood, Reinforced Leather Vest, Steel-Laced Bracers, Padded Leggings, Boots Effect: Twilight Reflexes - Slightly increases reaction speed in low-light conditions I like the look and effect of this one; now that I''m done with that, It''s time to have a look at weapons. Name: Cracked Shortsword Type: One-Handed Sword Effect: Bleed - Has a small chance to inflict a minor bleeding effect Next. Name: Rusty Spear Type: Polearm Effect: Desperate Reach - Slightly increases attack range Next. Name: Notched Scimitar Type: One-Handed Sword Effect: Wind Cutter - Slightly reduces wind resistance when swinging Next. Name: Iron Blade Type: One-Handed Sword Effect: Sharpened Edge - Increases cutting efficiency slightly I like this one; I pick it up, and I swing it a few times. The weight is nice; it''s good for my build, but my form is nonexistent. I grab the sheath and the sword belt for it and the armour, and I take it through to the reception. I hand it over to the receptionist, and he takes my licence, presses it against a crystal, and says, "You''re good to go; make sure that you bring it back as soon as you return from your quest." I grab my stuff and leave. A few minutes later I''m all geared up and ready to go. Seti said he''d be at the main reception, so I head through and see him. "Yo," I say, and he waves me closer and says, "I was just waiting on you. Hand her your license, and we can get going." I hand it over; she presses it against a crystal and says, "Come back here after your quest to receive your rewards and have the quest credited to you." I nod, take my license back, and head outside with Seti. As I''m walking towards our carriage, I get a pop-up. Quest Received: First Job You have picked your first quest and its and its time to prove your worth and identity as my son Objectives: Successfully subjugate the goblins running rampant in Otherios Village Rewards for completing your first Quest: +10 Fame Random F-Rank skill Penalties upon failing -5 Fame Issued by Chronos Another question is this: why did Seti say Otherworlders grow faster because of these quests, or are quests quite common? I dismiss the thoughts for now as we walk over to our carriage. I get in, Seti is behind me, and inside is another man. He holds his hand out, and I take it. "Zhao Wei from Tianjing in Wulin." "Ethan Watts from Hellenika." He lets go of my hand and says, "Are you an otherworlder?" I nod, and he laughs, smacking Seti on the back. "Only you would convince another worlder to party with us." We all sit down, and the party sets off. A few days later, our carriage jerks to a stop at the foot of a village. I wait for Seti and Zhao Wei to get out and follow them, and outside is a young-looking elf. "Welcome to our Otherios Village, esteemed adventurers. Thank you very much for coming to our aid." Zhao Wei looks angry to my surprise and begins to walk off. "You talk to him, Seti." Zhao Wei walks away, and the elf continues, "I am the leader of this village; my name is Aymer Xilran." Seti shakes his hand and says, "Just call me Seti. Now, down to business: where are the goblins coming from?" He points to a watchtower. "From the south, if you sit in that watchtower, you''ll be able to see them." Seti nods and begins walking off, and I follow him. "Do you and Zhao Wei not like that person?" He stops and turns to me. "Zhao and I have saved this village nineteen times, and not once has that man remembered us." I don''t say anything else; the reason is obvious enough: it''s because they''re F ranks. That''s why Aymer never remembered them. We climb the watchtower and find Zhao Wei sitting there. "We''ll take turns sleeping and keeping watch." I nod and sit down, and he says, "I''ll keep watch first; also, we should discuss our abilities. I''m a martial artist and will be fighting upfront." Seti immediately says after, "I''m a mage and will provide buffs and take the goblins out at range if they try to overwhelm you too." I say, "I don''t have a class yet, but I''ve brought a sword, so I''ll be taking them on in close combat." Zhao Wei nods and says, "Right, I''ll keep watch first. I''ll wake you up when it''s your turn." I lie down, close my eyes, and fall asleep. I feel a tap on my shoulders and open my eyes slowly. It''s Seti, and he whispers, "Your turn." He lies down, and I stand up and look out over the village. It''s so quiet, peaceful, and dark. A few hours pass before I begin hearing "Grrrr." I look out and see small green creatures beginning to walk out from the shadows of the tree, and I quickly wake up Seti and Zhao and descend from the watchtower. I walk out in front of the goblins and unsheathe my sword, ready to fight. I hear Seti and Zhao get down from the tower, and Zhao comes over to me. You take the left, Ethan, and I''ll take the right." I nod, and he walks off to the right of me. I take a deep breath, and a golden light envelops me. "Buff cast by Seti Rahotep: +5 to Strength, +5 to Dexterity. +5 to Endurance +5 to Vitality" i feel my grip tighten on the sword as my body gets stronger from the buff and i charge forward swinging my sword down towards the goblin in front of me but i miss and my sword hits the ground and i stumble down my shoulders hurting from the swing of the sword the goblins cleaver comes crashing down towards me and i just barely manage to block it with the sword and as the goblin is trying to cut through my sword with its cleaver i kick it in the gut causing it to tumble back and swing my sword towards its head cutting clean through its neck and severing it I sigh and stumble backwards green blood on my hands and sword i stand back up as a pop-up appears "Skill Acquired: Swordsmanship" "Bonus: +1 Strength +1 Dexterity" I feel it; I was holding the sword wrong. I adjust my stance, and the next goblin rushes me. I dodge the swing of its cleaver and swing my sword towards its head, cutting straight through and killing it instantly. Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. Panting, I take on a final swing with my sword, slicing straight through the midsection of a goblin, dropping my sword as soon as it leaves the goblin, and stumbling to the ground as the goblin''s two halves hit the floor. I sigh and breathe heavily, and I feel a punch on my arm. I look up and see Zhao smiling. "Twenty-seven minutes, not bad for a newbie." He holds his hand out and helps me up, and I pick up my sword and sheathe it, and we head back up the watchtower. Once I ascend the ladder and sit down, I decide to check my status window: Status Window Name: Ethan Watts Age: 19 Occupation: F-Rank Adventurer Origin: Hellenika Class: Undetermined Fame: 10 Status: Demi-God Title: Son of the Primordial Chronos Stats: Strength: 44+5 Dexterity: 45+5 Endurance: 41+5 Vitality: 46+5 Qi: 31 Luck: A Charm: A Charisma: A- I assume the +5 is the buff I received from Seti. I let my status window disappear and said, "Is it done or is there more?" Seti lies down and says, "Probably we''ll only know once the night is over. If they come back, we fight again; if not, we''re done." I mean, this seems to think we''re done." Quest Completed: Say "Claim" to claim rewards. I sigh and wait for Seti and Zhao to both be snoring, and I whisper "Claim" "Reward: +10 Fame | Random F-Rank skill" "Random Skill: Battle Intuition" Nice finally a combat skill and with Swordsmanship i have two now which means i should be fine in any upcoming quests "Skills" Skills: Universal Translation ¨C Allows understanding of all global spoken languages - F-Rank Appraisal - Scans and shows the information of any chosen target - F-Rank Swordsmanship - Basic knowledge of sword combat - F-Rank Battle Intuition - Allows a glimpse into the next move of an opponent - F-Rank I assume battle intuition will be a passive skill. I almost hope more goblins show up so I can test it, but I am also knackered. There''s also been something I''ve been wondering about Appraisal. It says I can choose any target. I look over at Seti and whisper, "Appraisal" Status Window Name: Seti Rahotep Age: 32 Occupation: F-Rank Adventurer Origin: Heliopolis Class: Mage Fame: 3 Status: Nephos Title: ??? Stats: Strength: 63 Dexterity: 61 Endurance: 54 Vitality: 67 Magic Power: 98 Luck: C Charm: B+ Charisma: B I must say I feel conflicted about a mage having higher physical stats than me, and what''s a Nephos? Seti isn''t human; he looks human enough, though. Anyway, his magic power is pretty high; the rank requirements sheet I saw said it was 100+ for a mage to be E rank, so he''s pretty close. Furthermore, his title is ??? Does that mean that my appraisal isn''t good enough to see? it? I let Seti''s status window disappear and look over at Zhao and whisper, "Appraisal" Status Window Name: Zhao Wei Age: 38 Occupation: F-Rank Adventurer Origin: Tianjing Class: Martial Artist Fame: 16 Status: Human Title: Failure of the Iron Fist Sect Stats: Strength: 94 Dexterity: 97 Endurance: 88 Vitality: 91 Qi:17 Luck: E Charm: C- Charisma: D Zhao Wei is far better than Seti physically, as you''d expect of a martial artist, but his Qi seems to be severely lacking, and his title, Failure of the Iron Fist Sect, is why his Qi is low. "Why are you staring at me?" The shock of hearing him makes me lose focus on the skill, and his status window disappears. "Sorry, Zhao," I say, and he sits up and asks, "So why were you staring at me?" Do I tell him about the appraisal or hopefully use this to gain more info? "You said you were a martial artist, right? 2. He nods, and I ask, "Do you know how to use Qi?" His face saddens, and he says, "I do. Why?" This could be rude, but it''s worth a try. "Could you tell me how to use it?" He sighs and says, "It can be used in three main ways." Just like how it asked me to choose one of three names for it, "Now that I''ve chosen Qi, am I locked out of the others?" He looks shocked I asked and says, "Not necessarily, though it''s rare for one to be talented in more than one, though I suppose it might be possible for otherworlders." That makes sense. "So can you teach me the martial artist way?" He stands up and stretches. "I can, but it''ll be painful and loud. Are you sure you want to?" I smirk and stand up. "Let''s go." I follow him down the ladder and out far enough into the woods that we''ll still notice goblins if they turn up but won''t disturb the village, and Zhao says, "Here will do; take your top off." I take my chest plate and under armour off and sit down. Zhao sits down behind me and says, "Take deep breaths and try not to scream." His cold hands touch my back, and I feel a warm sharpness penetrate, starting at my back and then spreading everywhere, making me feel like I can''t breathe, like I''m being torn to shreds from the inside out. What feels like hours pass, and I constantly feel like I''m dying, being torn apart inside out repeatedly, with no moment to rest until finally and immediately it stops, and I fall forward, panting and exhausted, feeling both fine and the worst I''ve ever felt all at once. I suddenly feel sick and crawl towards the tree, vomiting against it, and I feel Zhao''s hand on my shoulder. "Don''t worry, this is normal after your first cultivation; your body is expelling excess toxins." I finish vomiting and stand up; my body feels different, and I get a pop-up. "Skill Acquired: Iron Fist Sect Cultivation" "Bonus: +5 Qi" "How long was that?" I ask as I put back on my Under Armour and chest plate, "Seven minutes, give or take a couple." What "Are you sure that felt like it was hours?" he laughs. "Of course it did. I opened your Qi pathways. It would''ve hurt you more as well because your body isn''t built for it." He laughs and looks down and says, "In fact, it should''ve taken hours even for talented martial artists, but you only took minutes, just like prodigies unlike me." I can tell he looks sad, so I put my hand on his shoulder and say, "Genuinely, thank you." He smiles again and says, "I won''t help you any further with Qi; there''s not much for me to do anyway, but it''ll be better for you to find your own way." I nod, and we begin to head back for the watchtower. Once we''ve climbed the ladder and sat down, I decide to ask another question: "I spoke to Seti about it, but you don''t like Mr. Xilran." He looks up and says, "I''m sure he told you why." I nod, and he sighs, "These elves here are low elves. They''re the lowest of the low, cast out of Sylvanor due to being deemed unpure by the world tree." "The world tree?" I ask, and he points behind me. "See for yourself." I stand up and look out behind me and see a huge tree; it gives off a faint blue and gold glow, and I can see buildings on and under it. The buildings are Sylvastra; that''s where all the other elves are." I look past the tree and see giant, expansive, disklike islands. "What are the things being held up by its branches?" He stands up and looks with me. "Oh, the Norse realms! I''d love to visit them one day. They''re supposed to be beautiful and massive." He points to the highest of the four and says, "That''s Asgard, where the Norse gods live." Incredible, this world is just incredible. I sit back down and ask, "So how are elves deemed as unpure?" He yawns and says, "The elves worship Yggdrasil, the world tree, as their god, and elves whose blood has become diluted due to breeding with other races are cast out with nothing on their backs like these." He clenches his fists and says, "So you want to know why I hate him? It''s because he, one of the lowest of low among elves cast out of their home, still looks down on us because we''re F rank, despite the fact we saved this village. If a C rank came and spat on him, he''d show them more respect." With that, he lies down and turns away from me. clearly done talking, and I stay up to keep watch. I tap Zhao''s and Setis''s shoulders as I yawn. The sun is rising, and there have been no goblins, which means we''re done here. I descend down the tower and find Mr. Xilran waiting. "Oh, thank you, Mr. Adventurer, for your hard work." I shake his hand and walk past him, getting in our carriage and waiting for the other two. As I do, I say, "Status Window" Status Window Name: Ethan Watts Age: 19 Occupation: F-Rank Adventurer Origin: Hellenika Class: Undetermined Fame: 20 Status: Demi-God Title: Son of the Primordial Chronos Stats: Strength: 44 Dexterity: 45 Endurance: 41 Vitality: 46 Qi: 36 Luck: A Charm: A Charisma: A- +1 to my strength and dex, +5 to my Qi, +10 to my fame not that I know what that does, and two F rank skills is pretty decent for my first quest "Skills" Skills: Universal Translation ¨C Allows understanding of all global spoken languages - F-Rank Appraisal - Scans and shows the information of any chosen target - F-Rank Swordsmanship - Basic knowledge of sword combat - F-Rank Battle Intuition - Allows a glimpse into the next move of an opponent - F-Rank Iron Fist Sect Cultivation - Basic Qi cultivation technique of the Iron Fist Sect - F-Rank As my skills list disappears, Seti and Zhao get in the carriage. "Ready to go?" I ask them. They nod, and we head off back to Mercari. A Step Forward I feel a tap on my shoulder, and I open my eyes, the light burning them. "We''re back." Seti says before climbing out of the carriage, and I step out myself, and I can''t lie; being back in Mercari is nice, and I walk towards the Adventurers Guild. As I''m entering, Zhao and Seti are just leaving, and I head inside. "Here for payment?" The receptionist asks, and I reply, "Yes." She takes my license and taps it against a crystal. She then grabs a smaller crystal, taps it on the bigger one, then my license, then the bigger crystal again before handing me both my license and the crystal. "That crystal stores your money. If you take it into another territory and need to use it, visit a bank, and they''ll convert it to their currency." I take them and say, "Thank you very much," and leave the building to find Seti and Zhao waiting. "We''ll take on another quest in a week as a party, ok?" Zhao says, and Seti continues, "Rest up and enjoy your ten GM; you can get a nice sandwich and drink." The worst thing is I can actually tell he means that, which scares me. I know he said to rest, but I''d rather get to training. I do not plan to stay an F rank for any longer than half a year at the most, and I''ll be training as much as physically possible, and to that end, I go back into the guild meeting and ask, "Is there anywhere to train in the city?" The receptionist rustles through her drawers and hands me a map she pulled out. "All of Mercari''s businesses are listed on there." I nod and say, "Thank you again," and I walk outside and head for my room. I finish changing out of my armour and putting on the clothes the guild gave me. It feels just like a cheap tracksuit; the material is something I''m pretty used to, and I don''t really mind wearing it. I pick up my armour and head back out to the armoury, where I hand back over my armour and sword and ask, "Am I able to take out multiple different weapons throughout the week?" He doesn''t look up; he just says, "The only rule is equipment must be immediately brought back post a quest''s completion. In between quests, you can take out and return as much as you want." After he''s finished speaking, I walk into the room with all the weapons and begin using Appraisal to find a spear. Name: Gale-Tip Spear Type: Polearm Effect: Swift Thrust - It was enchanted with wind magic which slightly increases the thrusting speed I throw it around a bit, tossing it between my hands; it''s nice and heavy enough that it''s not difficult to control but light enough that I''m not dragging it around and could throw it if need be. It''ll do nicely. I grab the strap and take them through to the receptionist, who taps my license on his crystal and says, "All done." handing it back to me, and after taking my license and heading outside, I put the strap around my back and slip the spear under it and head out, and next is... food or training? I think I''ll go for training first to work up an appetite. I follow the map to the training centre and head inside to the receptionist: "I''d like to get a session here." "Crystal," he says without looking up, and I hand it over. He taps it against one on his desk and hands it back. "It''s two GM per session." I nod and head through to room 3-C and go inside; once inside, I pull my spear out from under the strap and wait for something to happen, but nothing does. "Hello?" I say confused, why is nothing happening? I assumed there''d be some practice dummies or something, and the giant crystal in the roof says "Choose an enemy" in an almost robotic tone. It was a type of speech I wasn''t thinking I''d see here. Crystal magic is fantastic "," I say, and the crystal says, "Enemy confirmed. Choose an amount." What''s a good starting amount? "Ten" seems like a good number to start with, and as ten enemies appear, I ready myself. I''d managed with the sword and gained a skill, so hopefully I can do the same with a spear. I take careful steps slowly to the left and right constantly wary of all the goblins waiting for my chance and it finally comes as one of the goblins is about to step forward which is notice early with Battle Intuition and i thrust my spear forward into the goblins path who doesn''t react in time and steps into my spear killing it and it disappears "Hooo" I take a breath and a step back yet again watching waiting i cant be too reckless until I''ve acquired the skill the next goblin i choose to go for is one attempting to move to the left of me seeing its movement slightly before it happens i thrust my spear into its trajectory piercing straight through its skull and killing it instantly "Skill Acquired: Spearmanship" "Bonus: +1 Strength +1 Dexterity" Nice, my grip changes on the spear, my feet shifting to a better stance, and I rush forward, still using Battle Intuition but not feeling the need to be as careful. I thrust my spear through one of the goblins, and as it disappears, another swings its cleaver at me. As I step back, carefully dodging it and thrusting my spear forward, killing it, "Sub-Skill Acquired: Spear Thrust" I can get sub-skills? I pretty swiftly kill the next five swiftly and with ease, and as I approach the last one, I decide to throw the spear, but I miss, and the goblin rushes at me, swinging its cleaver at me. I barely manage to dodge, but its cleaver clips my hand. "Fuck¡­" I hold it as blood drips from it, and I get "Skill Acquired: Pain Tolerance" "Bonus: +1 Endurance +1 Vitality" For some reason I don''t feel too good about getting that skill. I use Battle Intuition to dodge the goblin''s attack, slowly toward my spear, grabbing it and thrusting it towards its skull. Once it''s dead and gone, I sigh and walk over to the first aid kit, bandaging my hand. "Don''t get cocky," I whisper to myself. "This is life or death; remember, not a game." As i step outside the warm evening air is nice i breathe it in before walking over to the food stalls i collect my stale bread and watery soup i eat it quickly my theory is the quicker i eat it the less I''ll taste it probably isn''t working but i can hope i finish my food and return the tray and head back to my room once im inside sit down on the cold floor and pull my top over my head i take a deep breath as the cold air stings my skin and i focus first on my breathing forming a rhythm and then on my Qi and finally I begin to stretch my Qi among my pathways so far thats all I''ve been able to figure out what to do it stops I''ve reached the limit on how far i can spread it through all my pathways at once so i begin thinning it so it can spread further i manage to push my Qi through my pathways slightly further before i lose my focus opening my eyes i can barely breathe and my head hurts all of a sudden i feel like im choking and my lunch comes up back up i wipe the vomit from my mouth and stand up "I guess cultivating my Qi isn''t easy." "Cultivation Progress: +1 Qi" I head into the bathroom for a shower. Another example of how fascinating this world is; rather than technology like in my old world, they use crystal magic. With the shower as an example, it has two crystals, a water crystal and an ice crystal. The water crystal obviously produces the water flow, and the ice crystal allows you to adjust how cold it is. On my next quest, I think I''ll ask Seti to show me some magic and see if he knows anything about crystal magic too. I finish up my shower and get in my lumpy bed. "I seriously hate being F rank." My eyes open slowly, burning as the sunlight leaks into my room. I sit up, stretching and doing some normal exercises. Push-ups and sit-ups are just a warm-up. Once I''m done, I head out and straight to the armoury, where I give back the spear and use Appraisal to find a new weapon to test. Name: Stonepiercer Bow Type: Bow Effect: Steady Aim - Slightly decreases the shaking of the hands while aiming This one looks fun enough. I also grab a quiver of arrows and check them out. Strapping the quiver to my back, I head straight to the training centre, buy a session, and head in. "Twenty goblins," I say immediately, and they appear. I pull an arrow from the quiver and draw the bow, focusing, waiting for a goblin to make an ideal movement, and one does. My battle intuition shows me a goblin about to take a short step left, and I aim and shoot the arrow where it''ll step, hitting its neck and killing it. I pull another arrow from the quiver and draw the bow again. "This is fun." I step back again, keeping my distance, and begin picking off the goblins as they get closer: one, three, five, nine, and sixteen. I kill them swiftly and precisely. "Skill Acquired: Marksmanship" That''s seventeen dead, and I''ve finally got the skill, but my back''s against the wall. I let the goblins corner me by accident. I use Battle Intuition to dodge, but my leg is nicked by one of their cleavers. I stumble to the floor and drop my bow. I manage to dodge the goblins next strike and pull an arrow from my quiver and stab it in the eye. I use the opening to make space between me and the goblins and wall and grab the bow, pulling arrows from the quiver and firing them at the last two, killing them, and I head over to the first aid again, bandaging my left leg where it managed to scratch. That''s both training sessions now where I''ve been injured. I need to be more careful. I head out to the armoury and give the bow and quiver back. I stretch, and my hand and leg hurt. I need to make sure I don''t get injured again. I need to do a quest in five days. I go to the food stalls and eat my food quickly. Once I''m done, I head back to my room and sit on the floor, taking a deep breath and feeling the flow of my Qi, thinning it out from the beginning this time and stretching it as far as it''ll go. I push it further this time, but when it stops, I lose my focus, violently throwing up again. My body feels so fatigued from forcing my Qi to flow, "Cultivation Progress: None" so I''m not guaranteed to gain Qi every time I push it further along my pathways. The slop of mess that is my soup doesn''t get any easier to eat as time passes. I finish my food and head straight to the armoury to pick my next weapon. I scan through the weapons with Appraisal. There are many different types of weapons, but I''m only going to learn a few¡ªfour to be exact. The four I''ve decided will be most useful for now: a sword. The first I used was a spear, a bow, and finally: Name: Iron Fang Knuckles Type: Gauntlets Effect: Impact Force - Slightly increases knockback on unarmoured enemies Gauntlets since i plan to learn martial arts and the only ones I''ve seen so far from Zhao were hand to hand its worth acquiring these a skill also since i can box already from my world they should be the easiest to acquire the skill for me i check out the gauntlets and put them in these are the gauntlets Zhao had used on our quest which is partially why i picked them i couldn''t see or sense it but I''d gotten the feeling he was using Qi to enhance his stats somehow so i picked these just in case they maybe have a hidden effect that allows Qi use more easily its a long shot but its worth a try since these are the best f rank gauntlets they fit perfectly as well i assume they change to fit the person using them I head into the training centre and head into a training room. "Thirty goblins." I adjust the gauntlets and plant my feet, getting into an orthodox stance. I''ll rely on boxing to get through this, and since it''s what I''m most confident in, I can probably afford to be a bit more aggressive this time, but I''ll still use Battle Intuition just in case. Gauntlets, since I plan to learn martial arts, and the only ones I''ve seen so far from Zhao were hand-to-hand. It''s worth acquiring this skill also since I can box already from my world; they should be the easiest to acquire the skill for me. I check out the gauntlets and put them on. These are the gauntlets Zhao had on our quest, which is partially why I picked them. I couldn''t see or sense it, but I''d gotten the feeling he was using Qi to enhance his stats somehow, so I picked these just in case they maybe have a hidden effect that allows Qi use more easily. It''s a long shot, but it''s worth a try since these are the best F rank gauntlets. They fit perfectly as well; I assume they change to fit the person using them. I head into the training centre and head into a training room. "Thirty goblins." I adjust the gauntlets and plant my feet, getting into an orthodox stance. I''ll rely on boxing to get through this, and since it''s what I''m most confident in, I can probably afford to be a bit more aggressive this time, but I''ll still use Battle Intuition just in case. Stolen novel; please report. I take a deep breath and leap forward, seeing the goblin ahead of me about to move. With battle intuition, I throw a punch straight towards the projection of its movement, and my fist goes clean through its skull, killing it instantly. "Stat Increased: +2 Dexterity" Another tries to attack me, but it''s too slow, and I grab it by the face and slam it down. It would seem that as my dexterity improves, so does my perception because the goblin''s attacks definitely seem slower and easier to dodge now. I stretch and rush towards another, putting it on the defensive for the first time as it attempts to dodge, but I read its movements using battle intuition and deliver a devastating blow, shattering its skull. "Skill Acquired: Hand-to-Hand Combat" "Bonus: +4 Strength +1 Dexterity +1 Endurance" I feel my muscles tighten as my strength increases, and I clench my fists, my grip tighter than before, but I can''t dwell for too long, turning to my left and uppercutting a goblin as it attempts to take me by surprise "Sub-Skill Acquired: Uppercut" Now it''s time to maximise this skill. This, along with swordsmanship, will be my main fighting style; swordsmanship will be my main style, and if I lose my sword in combat, having these skills will be a good backup. I watch the goblins carefully, waiting for one of them to make an exploitable movement. I see a goblin left of me about to stumble, and I rush over, pushing another out of the way to get to it, catching it with a right hook as it stumbles, and then I elbow backward, catching the goblin I pushed as it tries to catch me off guard. "Sub-Skill Acquired: Footwork" "Bonus: +2 Dexterity" I feel lighter on my feet, faster, and more agile. I walk towards another goblin and pretty easily dodge a swing from its cleaver and right-hook it in the temple. "Sub-Skill Acquired: Right Hook" I finish off the rest of the goblins and sit down, panting slightly. I''m not getting as tired after fighting. I managed to gain one strength stat and three endurance and vitality stats from the sub-skills I gained. "Skills" Skills: Universal Translation ¨C Allows understanding of all global spoken languages - F-Rank Appraisal - Scans and shows the information of any chosen target - F-Rank Swordsmanship - Basic knowledge of sword combat - F-Rank Battle Intuition - Allows a glimpse into the next move of an opponent - F-Rank Iron Fist Sect Cultivation - Basic Qi cultivation technique of the Iron Fist Sect - F-Rank Spearmanship - Basic knowledge of spear combat - F-Rank - Spear Thrust - Applies slightly more power to spear thrusts - F-Rank Pain Tolerance - Slightly reduces pain - F-Rank Marksmanship - Basic knowledge of bow combat - F-Rank Hand-to-Hand Combat - Basic knowledge of Hand-to-Hand Combat - F-Rank - Jab - Applies slightly more power to a Jab punch - F-Rank - Straight - Applies slightly more power to a Straight punch - F-Rank - Right Hook - Applies slightly more power to a Right Hook - F-Rank - Left Hook - Applies slightly more power to a Left Hook - F-Rank - Right Overhand - Applies slightly more power to a Right Overhand - F-Rank - Left Overhand - Applies slightly more power to a Left Overhand - F-Rank - Uppercut - Applies slightly more power to a Uppercut - F-Rank - Elbow Strike - Applies slightly more power to a Elbow Strike - F-Rank - Footwork - Makes footwork slightly more nimble - F-Rank Pretty happy with that. I was never too great of a boxer on Earth, but I''ve definitely gotten better with these sub-skills. No matter how much I see it, I just can''t get used to this system of just repeating actions a few times. I can acquire a skill and instantly get better at it. I get up and stretch and head out. I take back the gauntlets, and I grab the sword I used last time. I think that''s enough of new skills for now since I''ll be using the sword on my next quest. I should attempt to gain sub-skills for it before I go on it. After checking out my sword, I head back to my room and take my seat on the floor. I take my shirt off and take deep breaths, forming a rhythm with my breathing. Once I''m in a smooth rhythm, I begin focusing in on my Qi and imagining it as waves crashing through my pathways. Once I''m locked in on it, I begin pushing it out as far as it''ll go, making it slightly further than last time, and when it stops, I spread it out as far as it''ll go, and right before the edge, I lose my focus and open my eyes, breathing heavily, but I manage to hold back the vomit this time at least. "Cultivation progress: +3 Qi +2 Strength +1 Dexterity" That must be the effect of the Iron Fist sect''s cultivation. I suppose I''ll have to ask Zhao about it when I next see him. I take a shower and head to bed. I take a drink from my cup of water as I finish exercising. It''s too easy now; I stopped at five hundred of each, but I could''ve done more. I need to figure out if there are any better ways to train. Obviously, there''s the training centre, but that costs money. I get dressed, grab my sword and its sheath, and head out. I think I''ll skip my food today; it''s hard to stomach that soup. I''ll just head straight to the training centre today. I pay my two GMs and head through. Getting into the room, I stretch and say, "Fifty goblins." I''m not playing around today; this is going to be my last session so I can rest before the next quest, so it needs to be fruitful. I pull my sword from its sheath." Sub-Skill Acquired: Quick Draw" I suppose I can get sub-skills for just about anything. I plant and shift my feet. It seems my footwork skill works with all footwork, and I step forward, gripping the sword''s hilt as hard as I can and swinging my sword towards one of the goblin''s necks, slashing straight through it, beheading the goblin." Sub-Skill Acquired: Horizontal Slash" "Bonus: +1 Strength +3 Vitality" I''m not actually sure what Vitality does. I extend my arm out, and I grab the goblin that''s lunging at me from my left. It happened almost instinctually. When I heard it, I tightened my grip and crushed its neck in my hand. "Wow." I''m glad these are made of magic, or that would''ve made a mess. I''m slightly worried I''m becoming too desensitised to killing, but they are just monsters. I shouldn''t have to feel too bad, especially since they''re made of magic. It''s kind of annoying that I can''t turn off battle intuition; it passively activates during combat, and I can''t turn it off. Well, at least it''s useful. I lift my sword up and parry the swing of a cleaver, deflecting it back, and I thrust my sword through the goblin''s heart. "Skill Acquired: Parry" "Skill Acquired: Riposte" "Bonus: +2 Dexterity" I carry on forward to keep momentum and thrust my sword through another goblin, skewering it. "Skill Acquired: Sword Thrust" "Bonus: +1 Strength" What else would be good to get? I step backward slightly, making a goblin''s cleaver narrowly miss my head, and I hold up my sword and swing it downwards, slicing straight through the goblin from its skull through to its groin, splitting it in half. "Sub-Skill Acquired: Downwards Slash" Battle intuition kind of makes me feel like I''m cheating; they can''t even hit me unless I get cocky. How many have I killed? Four? Five? All I can think of that''s left to get is upwards, so I parry an incoming strike and pull back my sword, thrusting it under the goblin and cleaving straight through the goblin from the groin to the skull. "Not enough, huh?" I wonder how fast I really am now. I take a deep breath and rush forward, reaching the closest goblin before it can even react, severing its head, and immediately move on to the next, who tries to dodge, but I simply swing my sword towards where it''ll move and kill it. "Skill Acquired: Upward Slash" No bonus here either, huh? "You''re the last," I say as I slowly approach the final goblin, and as it swings its cleaver, I step to the side and slice off its arm before swiftly repositioning and beheading it. "Skill Acquired: Blade Control" "Bonus: +2 Dexterity" Huh, I swing the sword through the air a few times, and the extra control is evident. This system really is impressive. I sheathe my sword and head out. It wasn''t too bad for my final training session. I''ve got three days left until I need to take a quest, so I should focus on cultivation. I have a feeling when I manage to completely spread my qi, something will happen. I walk past the food market and head in and buy myself a pretty basic sandwich. It costs my last two GMs, but it''s better than soup. It''s just a pretty basic cheese sandwich. The bread is stale but less than the free stuff. I eat it on the way to the armoury, and I check out the armour I used on the last quest. Might as well get it ready now and head back to cultivate. I place the armour on my bedside table, take my shirt off, and sit on the floor, swiftly getting my breathing into a rhythm and focusing on my Qi. I get in the zone far quicker this time and begin pushing it as hard as I can forcing it throughout my pathways. When it reaches its limit, I thin it out, pushing further as far as it''ll go and then further heat scorching my pathways as the waves of Qi flow through my pathways i almost lost focus but i stay in control thinning it further until finally my Qi crashes against the walls at the end of my pathways, and I take a deep, long breath and open my eyes. No hard breathing this time, no vomit, just control: "Cultivation Progress: +2 Qi +2 Strength" I stand up and stretch and get another pop-up: "Congratulations on reaching the next realm of Cultivation: the Integrate Phase" Integrate phase?" Sub-Skill Acquired: Body Enhancement" huh, that must''ve been what I noticed Zhao using "Reward for reaching the Integrate Phase: +5 Physical Stats +5 Qi." I suppose that''s this world''s version of a higher realm, like from murim novels. Body enhancement, huh? Shall I try it out? I focus on the Qi, and I feel the change "Status Window." Status Window Name: Ethan Watts Age: 19 Occupation: F-Rank Adventurer Origin: Hellenika Class: Undetermined Fame: 20 Status: Demi-God Title: Son of the Primordial Chronos Stats: Strength: 60+6 Dexterity: 59+5.9 Endurance: 48+4.8 Vitality: 55+5.5 Qi: 47 Luck: A Charm: A Charisma: A- The pluses next to my stats are just like Seti''s buff, so that must be the body enhancement; it looks like it''s a ten percent boost to my stats "Skills" Skills: Universal Translation ¨C Allows understanding of all global spoken languages - F-Rank Appraisal - Scans and shows the information of any chosen target - F-Rank Swordsmanship - Basic knowledge of sword combat - F-Rank - Horizontal Slash - Applies slightly more power to horizontal slashes - F-Rank - Upward Slash - Applies slightly more power to upward slashes - F-Rank - Downwards Slash - Applies slightly more power to downwards slashes - F-Rank - Sword Thrust - Applies slightly more power to Sword Thrusts - F-Rank - Quick Draw - Slightly speeds up the action of drawing the sword - F-Rank - Blade Control - Allows for slightly more control of the blade - F-Rank - Parry - Slightly increases the chance of a parry succeeding - F-Rank - Riposte - Slightly increases the chance of a counterattack succeeding - F-Rank Battle Intuition - Allows a glimpse into the next move of an opponent - F-Rank Iron Fist Sect Cultivation - Basic Qi cultivation technique of the Iron Fist Sect - F-Rank - Body Enhancement - Uses Qi to enhance body (10%) - F-Rank Spearmanship - Basic knowledge of spear combat - F-Rank - Spear Thrust - Applies slightly more power to spear thrusts - F-Rank Pain Tolerance - Slightly reduces pain - F-Rank Marksmanship - Basic knowledge of bow combat - F-Rank Hand-to-Hand Combat- Basic knowledge of Hand-to-Hand Combat - F-Rank - Jab - Applies slightly more power to a Jab punch - F-Rank - Straight - Applies slightly more power to a Straight punch - F-Rank - Right Hook - Applies slightly more power to a Right Hook - F-Rank - Left Hook - Applies slightly more power to a Left Hook - F-Rank - Right Overhand - Applies slightly more power to a Right Overhand - F-Rank - Left Overhand - Applies slightly more power to a Left Overhand - F-Rank - Uppercut - Applies slightly more power to a Uppercut - F-Rank - Elbow Strike - Applies slightly more power to a Elbow Strike - F-Rank - Footwork - Makes footwork slightly more nimble - F-Rank Cold Resistance - Slightly reduces effect of cold - F-Rank I clench the fist, savouring the raw power now in my grip. This strength no longer feels alien to me. I''m beginning to feel like I belong here, like this is where I need to be. I cannot wait for the next quest. I was clumsy in the first, but now I''m different. I''m better, and I''m beginning to have fun here. I miss my foster family for sure, but what can I do? I have to survive in this world, and I will, without a doubt. I will survive and thrive here. The Three Principles I adjust my bracers as I walk down the halls towards the main reception of the guild, and to my surprise, as I reach the reception, I see Zhao and Seti waiting as if they knew I was arriving now. "Hello, did you know I was coming?" Zhao chuckles and says, "How could we not with the amount of Qi you''re leaking?" Leaking Qi, me? I didn''t realise, "Don''t worry about it; I''ll tell you how to control it when we get outside." He says, and I nod and sign onto the quest and follow them outside, and Zhao says, "It''s really simple; just focus on keeping the Qi in every can. They just have to be told too." I do as he says, imagining the Qi seeping out of me at all times being sucked back in and "Sub-Skill Acquired: Qi Concealment" "Sub-Skill Upgraded: Body Enhancement = F --> E" I feel my Qi capacity and usage are slightly higher; I guess that''s because rather than the Qi seeping out, it''s now cycling properly. Also, "I did it, and my body enhancement reached E rank." Zhao nods and says, "That normal happens for everyone; usually it''s the first step for any aspiring martial artist, but you obviously don''t belong to a sect, so you wouldn''t know." I see; that makes sense, I guess. With that done, I follow Zhao and Seti to the carriages, and we see two have already left. Seti looks annoyed and says, "Fucking E ranks always rushing ahead." I take a moment before saying, "E Ranks?" Zhao nods. "We''re on an E rank quest; sometimes they require F-ranks, and it''s a chance for us to get E-rank pay. Nice, huh?" I nod, and we''re approached by a young woman and what looks to be a teenager behind her. "Yo, Seti, how have you been?" she says while flicking back her curly dark brown hair, and her piercing hazel-gold eyes scan over Seti, then Zhao, and finally me. When our eyes meet, she smirks and turns back to Seti and says, "Never thought I''d see the black sheep of the Rahotep family again." She pauses before chuckling and saying, "How old was I last time we met?" She strokes her chin while staring at Seti as if waiting for him to answer, but he doesn''t, so she does. "It was when I was nine years old; do you remember?" Again she probes him for a retaliation, but he doesn''t bite, and her gaze grows colder, going from gaze to glare as she says, "It was at the Nephos festival where you were disowned by your family publicly." Seti''s hands ball up into fists, and blood begins to drip from them, and she laughs, clearly happy with her work. She turns away from Seti, her gaze landing momentarily on Zhao. She simply makes a noise, "Ew", before walking directly up to me and holding her hand out. "Nice to meet you, Ethan. I''m Eudora Theodorakis, descendant of Apollo. It is an absolute pleasure to finally meet you, demigod." I take her hand and notice just how much I''ve changed. There aren''t really mirrors here, and I''ve been so busy training and stuff I hadn''t noticed my pale skin slowly changing, becoming more olive tinted like Eudora''s like a Greek''s reflecting my newly found Greek heritage from Chronos I suppose. "So you know me?" I ask her, shifting my focus. She nods and says, "I do. It caused an uproar when a demigod left to become an adventurer." She pauses and says, "You''re actually the reason I joined this quest; I heard you had partied with Seti and that Seti had taken this quest." "You joined this quest for me?" I ask, confused, and she nods, "Sure did." I pull my hand back away from hers, realising we were still holding them together, and I ask, "Why?" and she lets out a faint laugh and drags over the kid that was behind her. "Introduce yourself," she says to him, and he steps forward and looks down at our feet before saying, "H-Him- My n-name is J-J-J-Jason Carter, b-but most people c-call me Jay." Jason Carter, huh? Sounds like an Earth name to me. "Hi, Ethan Carter." I say back to him, causing him to look up, "I-I knew it. You are an o-o-otherworlder like me." I nod, and Eudora steps back in. "Jay agreed to be an attendant of mine." I nod and ask, "What exactly does that have to do with me?" I ask as politely as I can despite the fact I can already clearly tell what her intentions are I think she wants me to know what they are too her smile doesn''t fade in fact it grows and she says "It has everything to do with you since I also want you to be my attendant." I sigh and say, "And what makes you think I''d ever agree to that?" Eudora smirks and says, "I see nobody has properly explained the system to you yet, have they?" I shrug, and she says, "Don''t worry. This trip will take three days. We''ll stop off at a camp on the third night. I''ll explain the system to you then." Without even giving me a chance to say anything else, she walks off to speak to Seti and Zhao ¨C well, mainly Seti. She doesn''t seem to have any intention whatsoever of speaking or listening to Zhao. I watch her ¨C the way she speaks, the way she moves, the way she holds herself ¨C they all exude an aura of confidence and an aura of nobility. I whisper "Appraisal" Status Window Name: Jason Carter Age: 15 Occupation: F-Rank Adventurer Origin: Hellenika Class: Undetermined Fame: 0 Status: Mortal Title: None Stats: Strength: 27 Dexterity: 31 Endurance: 19 Vitality: 23 Magic Power: 5 Luck: D Charm: C- Charisma: E- He''s weak. His stats are even worse than mine. When I first started, I thought, Why on earth is Eudora keeping somebody like him? Is it because of what Seti told me before, that otherworlders grow stronger faster than natives to this world? I know it''s true; after all, I''ve experienced it myself. I allow Jay''s Status Window to disappear, and I look over at Eudora "Appraisal" Status Window Name: Eudora Theodorakis Age: 23 Occupation: F-Rank Adventurer Origin: Hellenika Class: Unassigned Fame: 79 Status: Nephos Title: ??? Stats: Strength: 103 Dexterity: 99 Endurance: 101 Vitality: 94 Divinity (1): 149 Magic Power: 8 Luck: S+ Charm: A+ Charisma: S Incredible ¨C almost an E rank at such a young age. Seti and Zhao are early and late thirties, respectively, and weaker than her. Is this what they call a genius in novels and manga? Her class is undetermined like mine, and she has more fame than me. Perhaps I could ask her what fame does, but at the same time, I don''t want to be indebted to her at all. She is a Nephos, like she mentioned earlier, and her title is blocked just like Seti''s so that must be a Nephos thing. I pause as my eyes gaze over two stats I had thought were one: Divinity and Magic Power. I had thought that when given the choice between the three, they were all the same and it was just choosing a preferential name, but perhaps... all three are separate forces, and whenever you choose one, it converts however much of the stat you have into the stat of your choice. That means theoretically I could use Qi, magic power and divinity, right? As much as I don''t wish to be indebted to Eudora, I need answers, and if Seti and Zhao can''t give them to me, I have a feeling she can. "Ethan!" Eudora''s status window disappears as Zhao''s shout makes me lose focus. "We''re heading off now." he says, and I nod, following behind him into our carriage. I take a seat opposite Seti and Zhao; it''s just us three in the carriage, thankfully, and once the door is closed, we set off. I crack my knuckles as our carriage bounces on the bumps in the road. Seti and Zhao have barely spoken to me since finding out I''m a demigod. This is exactly why I didn''t want them to know at all. Anyway, that Jay kid sounded American. I wonder what other people I''ll meet here. After all, apart from me, there''s meant to be 19,999 otherworlders, and I''ve only officially met, what, six? Seven? Also, there''s always the chance I might find people I knew on Earth. It''s unlikely but possible. I crack my neck and sigh... I took my foster family for granted. I... miss them. "So you''re a demigod?" I look up, and Seti and Zhao are staring at me. I don''t know what to say; I''ve never been in a situation like this. I don''t want to lose these two. I try to speak, but words just don''t come out, and I just nod... I wait for something, anything, any noise to break the silence, but nothing for minutes until finally I hear a deep breath, and then Seti says, "You could''ve just told us, dipshit." I look up, and Seti is smiling at Zhao too. "I-I..." I clutch my neck; the words just won''t leave. I''m too nervous. Are they sure this is fine? They don''t resent me for my advantages, despite the fact I''m always needing them... relying on them. It''s always take, take, take with me and never give. Not only have I lied to them, but I''ve been a terrible friend. I rub my fingers and wrists and hold my hand as it begins to shake. My lungs tighten and my breathing goes shallow. I try to calm down, but my body won''t listen. Then I feel a hand on my shoulder as Zhao says, "Don''t worry; we''re not mad or anything; we just had to process." I look up, and Seti says, "You can''t help who your parents are any more than we can." He flashes me a smile, and the tightening in my throat lets up. "I''m sorry I didn''t tell you two." I pause trying to think of the right way to explain, but there is no right way. I''ll simply just tell the truth: "I was worried you two were so kind; I was worried you would feel betrayed that I, despite my advantages, had relied on you two." Zhao laughs, shocking me, before wiping the tears from his laughing away, and he says, "What are friends for, mate?" We all laugh, and I sigh in relief, a weight lifted off of my chest. I no longer have to lie to my friends. It almost feels like a new beginning to our relationship, a true beginning. "So what''s your Qi stat at now, Ethan?" Zhao asks all of a sudden, surprising me. "I can tell you''re at least in the integration phase." He continues, and admittedly I hesitate. I don''t want to lie, but should I be telling people my stats? Then again, I can see theirs whenever because of appraisal. "Are you going to lie to us again?" Seti asks with a grin. I can tell it''s a joke by his tone, but it still stings. I wasn''t going to lie; I''ve just read way too many stories where main characters hide their stats, but he''s right; I shouldn''t lie, especially since I know their stats. I sigh and say, "It''s forty-seven." I watch as Zhao''s jaw drops, and I know why he has no talent in cultivation. He begins to recompose himself, but he can''t hide the disappointment on his face. The worst part is it''s not me he''s disappointed in; it''s himself. His eyes widen in surprise as if he caught himself moping and smiles as he looks up at me. "Wow, you''re seriously talented, huh?" I shrug. "Guess so." Shit, that sounded so cocky. Zhao strokes his chin and says, "Hey Ethan, at some point I should take you back to our sect to learn martial arts." Me? Join a sect? I cover my mouth so I don''t squeal. The countless dreams of me in a murim world after hours of bingeing a story flash before me, but what if I can hide my excitement? I drop my hand. "Can''t you just teach me?" I ask Zhao, and he sighs. "Afraid not, mate. It''s strictly forbidden to teach outsiders martial arts, and besides, even if it wasn''t, I only know the basic forms." "But you taught me your sect''s cultivation?" He strokes his gauntlets. "I taught you a weaker version that we''re allowed to teach anyone. If you were to go back to my sect with me, you''d be taught our martial arts and true cultivation technique." Sounds like a great deal, and for someone like me who used to obsess over any murim story I could get my hands on back on Earth. It''d be a literal dream come true, but... "Sure, I''ll go one day, but not right now." He nods and says, "That''s fine, but you can''t go any later than the empower phase, or martial artists may assume you''re a rogue and eliminate you." I nod. Every time I learn something new here, there''s another danger waiting behind it. New knowledge, new threat. That seems to be how this world works. It''s useful, but that doesn''t make it any less terrifying. I turn to Seti, "I hate to do this right after our earlier conversation, but is there any chance you could teach me magic?" I bow my head and wait for his answer, and to my surprise, he flicks my head and says, "Do you never learn? We''re friends; of course I''ll teach you." He flashes me a wide grin, and I can''t help but smile back, ready to learn. "Before we start, I need to know where you''re at understanding-wise, so let me ask: how does the choice between magic power, divinity and qi work?" He must mean the choice when you first use the status window, so I guess the best thing for me to do is to use the theory I came up with earlier: "At first I thought the three had been interchangeable, but I have recently changed my view on it." I pause before continuing, "I now believe the three exist as different energies, different sources of power." Seti nods. "Good. I won''t ask how you came to that decision, but at least I can skip that explanation." He stands up and holds his hand out of the window; he holds his palm out flat and swipes it to the right, and a blade of wind soars from his fingertips and flies away from the carriage. "That was a wind blade." He says, and then he picks up his staff and holds it out of the window and swipes his staff to the right, unleashing a larger wind blade that soars from his staff, and this time it doesn''t dissipate; it carries on forward and cleaves through a tree, slicing it clean in half. He turns back to me, looking smug, and says, "There are three fundamental principles to magic; if you fail to comprehend these, you''ll fail to produce magic." He holds three fingers up and then puts one down. "Knowledge without the prior knowledge ¨C you cannot perform a spell. For example, to use a wind blade, I must understand how a blade works, how the wind flows and therefore how a blade of wind would work." I nod, and he continues dropping a second finger. "Creativity ¨C to use a spell, for example, a wind blade ¨C you must have the creativity to change the property of your mana to wind and then to form a blade with the wind mana." He pauses before dropping the final finger and saying, "Talent, of course. Everything requires some form of talent. Magic is something even the untalented can do, at least at a basic level. For example, take me: to use useful spells, I need a staff. I''m not talented enough to hand cast powerful spells." He drops his entire hand and says, "Now that you know the three principles of magic, you just need to learn meditation and purification and form your mana core." I wait for him to continue, but he doesn''t, so I ask, "How exactly do I do that?" He sighs and says, "The three principles." Oh, I get it now. I sit on the floor and get into a meditative position. "Feel the mana. That''s all I can say; you have to feel the mana and then interpret it your own way. The first step as a mage is to find their interpretation and find their own creativity." Seti says before going silent, and I focus on trying to find my interpretation of ambient mana, which would be easy to find and draw in as I''m focused. I hear the dripping of rain; it''s incessant but just what I need ¨C raindrops. I focus on raindrops; they remind me of home, of rainy days in Birmingham, the rain tapping at the windows. I imagine the mana falling the same way around me as if it''s drops of rain falling from the sky, and I can feel them all around me. little droplets of mana, and I begin to draw them in." Once they''re in focus, then gather them and use them to build a core." I draw more in and begin combining them just under my dantian, which holds my Qi. I use the droplets of mana to build a core. It''s hollow, but it''s there. I open my eyes and take in a nice deep breath." Stat Created: Magic Power = 7" "Skill Acquired: Mana Core" "Sub-Skill Acquired: Meditation" "Bonus: +3 Magic Power" I can feel a new energy in my body, but..." It feels impure." I say as I look up at Zhao, who smiles, "Good, you''re definitely talented." He clears his throat and says, "Ambient mana picks up impurities as it travels, and when you absorb said mana, you also absorb the impurities into your core. Luckily, by cycling the mana in your core, you can purify your mana. Also, since you have a dantian, you''ll get a nice extra effect in the fact that the impurities will be pulled into your dantian and converted to qi." I nod and close my eyes again, focusing on my core, and I begin cycling the mana, slowly removing the impurities planted in it, and just like Seti said, as soon as the impurities are cast from my core, they''re pulled into my dantian. Once I feel my core is free of impurities, I open my eyes. Sub-Skill Acquired: Purification" "Purification Process: +2 Magic Power" "Cultivation Progress: +1 Qi" Seti and Zhao stare at me waiting, and I just grin, "Was that supposed to be so easy?" Seti can''t help but laugh as he says, "You are such a prick." I stand up, and he punches my arm and says, "How dare you form a core faster than your teacher?" Zhao just laughs and says, "You''re such a show-off. Was Qi not enough?" Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. I can feel the core, but something''s missing. As if hearing my thoughts, Seti speaks up, "I won''t tell you the next step; you need to use your imagination to figure out how your mana should travel from your core to where you need it to be." Think about how I would move my mana... Well, I should probably start with qi. When it came to qi, I had to forge pathways, which makes sense. Qi is a more aggressive, violent force. My dantian pulsates as if alive, while my mana core swirls with complete calm and control, which would lead me to believe that mana doesn''t require such a painful process, such as forging pathways... A way to move the mana around my body painlessly needs to be something versatile that reaches everywhere... Oh, I get it. I focus on my core, drawing little bits of mana and threading them into my veins. I feel the mana begin to flow, and it forms a clean loop. Mana reaches all the way to my fingertips and toes, making them tingle, but also remains in my core and makes it anywhere else I need it. I open my eyes and say, "I figured out it was the veins." Seti nods and says, "Yep now I could teach you magic, but I won''t, and that is because, as I said, creativity is incredibly important in magic, and if I were to teach you any further, I''d hinder your creativity and therefore your potential." I nod and bow my head. "Thank you very much, teacher!" Zhao laughs out loud, and Seti kicks my leg. "Dude cut it out; that''s creepy." I let out a chuckle at his disgusted face. I open my eyes as I finish my cultivation. "Cultivation Progress: +1 Qi +1 Strength" I''ve been feeling weird ever since I got here. I think my physiology has changed due to my becoming a demigod. I don''t get as tired anymore nor as hungry. It''s unsettling, to say the least. On earth, I felt tired even after eight or nine hours of sleep; now I can barely stay asleep for more than four hours, and I feel completely refreshed. It''s useful, of course, and allows me to train more, but I can''t help but be scared I''m becoming inhuman, and I''m not a fan. But regardless, I should try and use magic using what Seti told me about knowledge well. For now, I''m knowledgeable about normal mana, so I''ll try that creativity in RPG games. There is often a mana missile spell, so I''ll try that. I hold my hand out of the window and focus as much mana as I can, drawing it to the centre of my palm. The sensation is weird. It''s like I feel everything and nothing simultaneously, a faint tingling sensation just barely noticeable, yet I could describe in full detail now. I''ll have to let talent take its own course since I can''t influence that. I push the built-up mana out through my palm, and a surge of mana explodes from my hand as it shoots upwards and screams in pain from the recoil. The missile soars away and smashes straight through a tree. "Skill Acquired: Magic" "Sub-Skill Acquired: Pure Magic" "Sub-Skill Acquired: Mana Missile" My arm hurts from the recoil, and I can feel that my reserves of mana are exhausted already, but that was good. I''ve now experienced what it feels like to create magic, and I know that magic can cause recoil, so I should be careful of that. I sit back down clutching at my arm, and Zhao asks, "What are you doing up?" As he rubs and opens his eyes, the noise of my magic must''ve woken him up. "Couldn''t sleep." He nods, and I ask, "Is there anything else I can learn during the integration phase?" He yawns and strokes his chin. "Qi sense is the only thing left to learn in your phase, I believe." Qi sense, huh? The way martial artists detect another''s qi levels is to "channel qi into your eyes and brain and focus on picking up qi; it might take a while, though, even extremely talented martial artists can struggle with this because it overloads the brain and eyes." He says, while he readjusts himself and tries to fall back asleep, I take a deep breath and send Qi through my pathway. I don''t really use the pathway that leads up to my skull, and I channel Qi into my eyes and brain. It hurts; the back of my eyes feels like they are on fire, and I can''t see. I feel warmth under my nose and eyes and a migraine unlike any I''ve ever experienced. I try to hold it and focus on seeing others Qi, but I can''t hold it, and I relinquish the Qi, which falls back down to my dantian, and I rush to the window, heat rising up my throat as I do, and as I get my head over it, I throw up. That was even more painful than carving out my Qi pathways. "Failure." I mutter to myself a feeling I was far too used to in my world and a feeling I had hoped to avoid here. The carriage jerks to a stop, and I get out. "You." I hear, and to my left, I see a group of five; their armour is nicer than ours, weapons too. They must be the E ranks. Seti and Zhao already told me about rank discrimination, so I shouldn''t annoy them. I walk over, and one of them stays to talk to me, but weirdly enough, he doesn''t look me in the eyes like I''m undeserving of eye contact with him. "F rank, I need you to go get wood for our fires. Also wake up your fellow F ranks to set up the tents." I nod, ignoring the sting of being referred to as a rank, not a person, and he walks toward the four other E ranks to help set up their tents. I can''t help but be curious "Appraisal" Status Window Name: Ravi Ashokan Age: 33 Occupation: E-Rank Adventurer Origin: Bharata Class: Tank Fame: 24 Status: Mortal Title: None Stats: Strength: 219 Dexterity: 142 Endurance: 268 Vitality: 249 Divinity: 37 Luck: D Charm: E Charisma: B- He''s a tank, so he sacrifices speed to take attacks while his allies fight the beasts. No wonder he''s their captain. Bar dexterity, which is still high, he''s almost D rank. I let his window fade away and head over to the carriages. I first open the door of Eudora''s where she and Jay are asleep. I shake Jay''s shoulder and tell him, "Wake her up and set up the tents." He nods, and I step down, closing the door behind me and jumping into our carriage, and I shake Seti and Zhao awake. "Need to set up the tents." Zhao holds a thumb up, and Seti grumbles, "Mmmmm." I step out of the carriage and see Eudora and Jay out of theirs stretching. "If they don''t get out, will you wake them up?" I ask Eudora, and she nods, so I head out into the forest to collect dry wood to burn for our fires. While I''m exploring and collecting wood, I stumble upon a beautiful river, and I can feel the mana is denser here. I''ll have to come back when the others are asleep. I can feel the mana; it''s drawn to me and I to it. I shake my head, refocusing. It''ll do us no good to annoy the e-ranks before the quest starts. I carry on collecting dry wood and head back to camp. When I arrive, I see two sets of tents, five bigger tents, and then a bit further from them are two small tents. I head over to the E-ranks tents first and hand Ravi half of the firewood, and as I''m about to turn away, he says, "Don''t be greedy, little F-rank," and takes more of our half of the firewood before pushing me away and saying, "Don''t approach our tents again unless called for." Arsehole I walk over to our tents and place the firewood down, and Seti holds his staff against it, and a fireball forms at the end of the staff and lights the wood. I sit down and sigh, and Seti says, "That tent there is ours." He points at the left tent. "And I''ll be using the right." Eudora chimes in. I nod and shrug; it makes sense, and I can''t complain about her getting her own tent; she is a woman, after all. We sit around the fire and eat our jerky rations provided by the guild, and I only eat a bit before giving the rest to those four to share. I''m just not as hungry as I used to be. I wait for everyone else to fall asleep and sneak out of the tent. I walk out into the forest to attempt Qi sensing again. in. I summon the Qi, channelling it, moving it through my pathway until it''s imbued in my eyes again. I lose my vision, but this time I can''t hear either or smell. I feel nothing on my face but also warmth. My head pounds, beats like a heartbeat, and I think I''m beginning to understand how I can get through this. I think I need to balance focus, ensure I''m channelling an equal amount of Qi to both my eyes and brain whilst also ensuring that my Qi imbued sight doesn''t overtake my other senses, but I''m not there yet, so I let go for now. My sight returning, I feel the heat rise in my throat again and vomit on a tree. I get to the river and wash my face of the vomit and blood, and I take my leather vest off. The cold bites at my skin. "Skill Upgraded: Cold Resistance = F --> E" Never mind; I guess it doesn''t I sit on the hard ground and begin cultivating. It is almost weird how different cultivation and meditation are but also how imilar they are. Cultivation is a completely internal process; you use your qi to create more qi, whereas in meditation, you draw in ambient mana and then cycle it through your core to refine it and remove impurities. I focus on the way I''ve chosen to cultivate, which is creating a cycle in my dantian. I cycle the qi in an eight shape, allowing it to build upon itself and grow, and when I''m no longer gaining anything, I open my eyes." Cultivation Progress: +6 Qi +1 Strength +1 Dexterity" woah I think thats the best cultivation I''ve done so far right next up is Meditation and I want to harness the density of the mana in this river so i strip down and get in the river I would keep my clothes on but if they get wet it''ll just be uncomfortable even my e rank cold resistance cant fully negate the chill of this water and I breathe slowly but rhythmic and I begin drawing in the raindrops of mana surrounding me there is far more here than when I did this in the carriage I draw as much as I can take in and when I can no longer pull any in I begin cycling it immediately refining and purifying the mana of my core and casting the impurities into my dantian I feel the last of the impurities devoured by more core and I open my eyes "Meditation Process: +5 Magic Power" "Purification Process: +3 Magic Power" "Cultivation Process: +5 Qi" Incredible I knew the density of the mana here would help, but I didn''t realise it''d be this good. Now I want to create some magic; a fireball should be my next move. it''s something I''m fairly knowledgeable about it thanks to games the issue is changing the property of my mana... but if i go based on Seti''s explanation that you just have to understand it then surely if I just focus on my mana specifically the mana currently flowing down my right arm and I imagine the flames of the fire at camp the heat they gave off the sounds it made the way it moved in the wind I feel my right arm heat up and focus channeling the mana in my right arm to the centre of my palm and once its gathered in full I focus imagining a flaming ball of fire and responding to my imagination a ball of flames slowly grows in front of my palm "Sub-Skill Acquired: Fire Magic" "Sub-Skill Acquired: Fireball" "Bonus: +2 Magic Power" incredible I''m actually using a ball of fire like in the games and unlike the mana missile It doesn''t immediately shoot; however, my hand feels like it''s burning, but it''s not. I can feel the sensation of my skin burning, but it''s not. The pain is there, but nothing''s happening. I aim the fireball at the ground, and the moment I think of it shooting out, it does, crashing into the water and causing steam to rise. "Incredible," I mutter. I would rather not stop there. Surely there''s something I can make, a magic thing I can create that will be supported by my other skills. Think, think spearmanship. What if I... I once again convert all of the mana flowing down my right arm to fire mana, and I curl my fingers inward, mimicking the hold of my hand on a spear, ready and waiting. I channel the mana in my hand, ignoring the burning sensation as it pools, and once it''s completely gathered and spread throughout my whole hand, from the palm to the fingers and the fingertips, I push it out, creating a spear made of flames. "Sub-Skill Acquired: Fire Spear" "Skill Acquired: Heat Resistance" "Bonus: +2 Endurance +2 Vitality" It doesn''t burn anymore. I toss the spear between my hands, and it stays strong and doesn''t disappear, and then I pull it back and hurl it into the water and watch as steam hisses from the water as it evaporates in front of me." Sub-Skill Acquired: Spear Throw" Nice I''ve now got a proper backup for if I lose my sword; I can feel my mana reserves are growing close to zero. It feels like it costs more when creating magic than using it, which makes sense. Before I run out, I should create a form of defensive magic. What are the magics usually used as defence in games again? I stroke my chin and pace back and forth. "Fire and wind are mostly offensive, I believe." I mutter under my breath, and if they''re mostly offensive, I should probably use water and earth for defence. I don''t know much about Earth apart from soil, which won''t be of much use, but water I run my hand against the current of the river, feeling the flow of the water against my hand as I envision the mana in my arm flowing like the current of a river. I pull my hand out and hold it forward and push out a wall of water like a shield. "Sub-Skill Acquired: Water Magic" "Bonus: +1 Magical Power" "Sub-Skill Acquired: Water Wall" I don''t really have a way to test its capabilities, so I''ll have to test it in real combat. I dissipate it and feel my mana reserves have essentially zeroed out. I sigh and get dressed again. I''d forgotten since my cold resistance upgraded, but I''m naked. I put my armour back on, and I''m about to leave when Eudora emerges from the forest. "Hi." I rest my hand on the hilt of my sword, ready to unsheathe it if need be. "What are you doing here?" She chuckles and says, "Me? I was just enjoying the view." Oh shit. Eudora bursts into laughter, literally tearing up; she laughs so hard. "Don''t worry, I''m not here to blackmail you or anything. Remember, I promised I''d explain the system to you." She winks at me, and I gulp. Nothing good can come of this. The Cost of Evolution I shake my head and ask Eudora, "Are you sure you want to do this now?" She looks confused and says, "What do you mean?" Oh, she''s dense, huh? I sigh and sigh. "A young man and woman sneaking off to the forest alone? The e-ranks already hate us." It takes a second, but a blush grows on her face. "Ohhh..." I nod, and she says, "I didn''t think about that, but you''re right. Well, that''s fine; we can speak another time." "Sure," I say, "back in Mercari I''ll be happy to speak to you." She nods, then smiles, and then walks away, and I wash my face and say, "Skills" Skills: Universal Translation ¨C Allows understanding of all global spoken languages - F-Rank Appraisal - Scans and shows the information of any chosen target - F-Rank Swordsmanship - Basic knowledge of sword combat - F-Rank - Horizontal Slash - Applies slightly more power to horizontal slashes - F-Rank - Upward Slash - Applies slightly more power to upward slashes - F-Rank - Downwards Slash - Applies slightly more power to downwards slashes - F-Rank - Sword Thrust - Applies slightly more power to Sword Thrusts - F-Rank - Quick Draw - Slightly speeds up the action of drawing the sword - F-Rank - Blade Control - Allows for slightly more control of the blade - F-Rank - Parry - Slightly increases the chance of a parry succeeding - F-Rank - Riposte - Slightly increases the chance of a counterattack succeeding - F-Rank Battle Intuition - Allows a glimpse into the next move of an opponent - F-Rank Iron Fist Sect Cultivation - Basic Qi cultivation technique of the Iron Fist Sect - F-Rank - Body Enhancement - Uses Qi to enhance body (15%) - E-Rank - Qi Concealment - Conceals Qi - F-Rank Spearmanship - Basic knowledge of spear combat - F-Rank - Spear Thrust - Applies slightly more power to spear thrusts - F-Rank - Spear Throw - Applies slightly more power to spear throws - F-Rank Pain Tolerance - Slightly reduces pain - F-Rank Marksmanship - Basic knowledge of bow combat - F-Rank Hand-to-Hand Combat- Basic knowledge of Hand-to-Hand Combat - F-Rank - Jab - Applies slightly more power to a Jab punch - F-Rank - Straight - Applies slightly more power to a Straight punch - F-Rank - Right Hook - Applies slightly more power to a Right Hook - F-Rank - Left Hook - Applies slightly more power to a Left Hook - F-Rank - Right Overhand - Applies slightly more power to a Right Overhand - F-Rank - Left Overhand - Applies slightly more power to a Left Overhand - F-Rank - Uppercut - Applies slightly more power to a Uppercut - F-Rank - Elbow Strike - Applies slightly more power to a Elbow Strike - F-Rank - Footwork - Makes footwork slightly more nimble - F-Rank Cold Resistance - Slightly reduces effect of cold - E-Rank Heat Resistance - Slightly reduces effect of heat - F-Rank Mana Core - Houses Magical Power - F-Rank - Meditation - Meditate to draw in ambient mana and add it to the core - F-Rank - Purification - Cycle magical power to remove impurities - F-Rank Magic - F-Rank - Pure Magic -- Mana Missile - Shoots out a beam of concentrated mana - F-Rank - Fire Magic -- Fireball - Forms a fireball - F-Rank -- Fire Spear- Forms a flaming spear - F-Rank - Water Magic -- Water Wall - Forms a defensive wall of water - F-Rank With this array of skills, I should be able to do well on this quest. I walk back to the camp and settle in my tent, drifting off to sleep. I open my eyes as I''m shaken. I look up and see Seti. "Get up; we''re going." He kicks Zhao in the ass, making him squeal, and leaves the tent, and I follow, stretching. Once I''m outside of the tent and basking in the sunlight, Eudora spots me and gives me a wink as she steps into her carriage. I just ignore it and get into ours. Zhao finally gets in, looking pissed. "Who kicked me?" He asks as soon as he sits down, and Seti bursts into laughter as our carriage sets off while they argue in the background. I decide to try and use Qi Sense. I imbue Qi into my eyes and brain, and it drowns out my other senses, but I won''t let it. I imbue an exact split of Qi into all of my sense organs ¨C ears, tongue, nose and eyes ¨C maintaining a complete split and then slowly pulling Qi from the others and splitting it perfectly between my eyes and brain until finally I can feel it, sense it, the innate Qi in everything. I can sense the Qi in the flowers, in the trees, the air, Seti and Zhao, the others in the carriages ahead of us and even the animals pulling them. It''s extraordinary. I open my eyes, dismissing the built-up Qi. "Sub-Skill Acquired: Qi Detection" "Bonus: +2 Qi" "Sub-Skill Acquired: Qi Senses" "Bonus: +3 Qi" Zhao noticing my sudden change? I''m not sure, but he asks, "What happened?" I rub my eyes and say, "I figured out qi detection and senses." Zhao chuckles, "That was fast, so how did it feel?" I rub my cheek trying to recall the sensation. "Like I wa--" he cuts me off, "Connected to the qi?" I nod. "Yeah, it''s a funny but nice feeling, isn''t it?" He asks, and I say, "Yeah the more I grow with qi, the more excited I become to grow more." He looks down after I say that and says, "Be careful; remember my warning about joining a sect." "I do." I say, and he says, "No you don''t. Not completely. The powers of this world are cruel and selfish, and an unaffiliated like you rising too fast will catch their attention. You already have." What? I already have? "What do you mean?" He looks at Seti, who looks away and stays silent. Our carriage begins to slow down as we get close to our destination, and as it does, all of a sudden Seti says, "Hey, Ethan, I need to tell you something," catching me off guard. "What?" I ask slightly worried, and he rubs his hands as they shake and says, "When you first sat at our table, I received a quest from my ancestor Anubis to earn your trust." He pauses, looking down, and I can see the shame on his face. "Honestly... I had forgotten about the quest." He looks at me past my eyes into my soul. "Our friendship was real, I swear on my life, Ethan. I only remembered the quest during the carriage ride to camp when you finally put your trust in us, and I got the reward." I stare into his eyes with pure sorrow, regret and honesty. It hurts to be honest, but I believe him. "What was the reward?" I ask, and he says, "The chance to take my class quest again." I smile at him and say, "I''m just glad you got something out of it." I still trust him, and he''s still my friend. He might''ve approached me selfishly, but I believe in the Seti. I know the carriage jerks to a stop, and we step out, ready for the quest. My fingers twitch on the hilt of my sword, ready to unsheathe it whenever I need to. Once we get deep enough, Ravi stops, and we stand behind him while the rest of the E ranks carry on going forward. He turns to face us. "I hate F ranks," he says, his voice as sharp as a piercing blade, and it carries so much determination it almost makes me cringe. "I also hate that we need you for this quest. I think you''re a bunch of lazy, useless bums, but the truth of the matter is we do need you." He pauses and says, "We need you to do your job; the kobolds and trolls would be too many enemies for us. You will stay here, eliminate the kobolds and then wait for us to come and find you. Is that understood?" We nod, and he stomps his foot into the ground five times, and we start hearing screeches and growls, and he says, "Good luck, vermin," and walks away, leaving us to face the army he just called. I pull my sword from its sheath as the golden light of Setis''s buff bathes us. "Buff cast by Seti Rahotep: +5 to Strength, +5 to Dexterity. +5 to Endurance +5 to Vitality" I also activate my body enhancement. "Status Window" Status Window Name: Ethan Watts Age: 19 Occupation: F-Rank Adventurer Origin: Hellenika Class: Undetermined Fame: 20 Status: Demi-God Title: Son of the Primordial Chronos Stats: Strength: 62+14.3 Dexterity: 60+11 Endurance: 53+10.3 Vitality: 61+5 Qi: 64 Magic Power: 22 Luck: A Charm: A Charisma: A- With these stats, a Kobold army will be a piece of cake. Eudora shouts, "Let''s do this!" Her voice is strong, laced with conviction, and Zhao follows up with a "Fuck yeah!" I simply take a stance and wait for the Kobolds to draw closer, watching carefully with my battle intuition, waiting for a slip-up, a simple telegraphed movement, or something to exploit. I prefer this slower, more thought-out tactical combat style. The Kobold to my left slips on a bit of mud, and I don''t miss a beat, rushing in and slashing through its ankle, severing its foot from its leg, sending it stumbling to the floor clutching the nub and screaming. As it falls, two more try to get the jump on me, but I raise my leg and smash it down through the Kobold''s skull and pull back my sword, cleaving through the two trying to sneak up on me. The rest blur together ¨C blood, screams ¨C and my sword remains the only constant as I cull hundreds of Kobolds until finally I''m face to face with a slightly different one; it''s a little bit taller and muscular than the others, and I get a good chance to check if monsters have status windows too. "Appraisal" The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Status Window Name: Urzith Age: 67 Occupation: King of the Dark Forest tribe Origin: Dark Forest Class: Berserker Fame: 0 Status: Mortal Title: None Stats: Strength: 48+2 Dexterity: 51+2 Endurance: 53+2 Vitality: 44+2 Magic Power: 39 Luck: D Charm: F+ Charisma: C The additional stats must be its berserker state; that''s probably why it''s drooling too. Well, no matter those stats. It''ll be over in an instant. I rush towards it, using battle intuition to slip the swing of its dagger, and I pull back my sword and slash it once, twice, three times, four times, and then five and six times and watch as it literally falls apart, blood and guts everywhere. I probably could''ve handled that... better... cleaner. I coat my hand in water mana and wash the Kobold''s blood off of me... putrid. I sheathe my sword and use Qi Detection. I can feel the ranks fighting the trolls; one troll seems to be hiding, but apart from that, no Kobolds are in the vicinity. I sigh and say, "Anybody got a problem with me cultivating to replenish my Qi?" They all shake their heads, with Eudora adding "Nope" with a smile; she could''ve just shaken her head too. I go and sit up against a tree, positioning myself correctly. I take a deep breath and focus on getting in the zone, but it''s weird. I can feel and sense everything: the air biting at my skin, I can hear the rustle of the leaves in the wind, the conversations the others are having, and smell the flowers and grass. It makes it much harder to focus on the cultivation. It seems my Qi Senses are active passively during cultivation, which is annoying, but I''ll get used to it. For now I just need to focus on cultivation. My cultivation is almost done when a vile stench fills my nostrils ¨C putrid and vile, sickening even. It''s so horrid it knocks me out of my cultivation. "Cultivation Progress: +2 Qi +1 Strength" I stand up panicked "Somethings Co--" before the words can even fully leave my mouth it appears right behind Eudora "NOOOO!" I shout as I unsheathe my sword and rush forward but I''m just not fast enough and it swings its right arm into her side crushing her arm into her ribs and sending her flying through four trees before her momentum stops and shes left lying looking lifeless "Appraisal" Status Window Name: Grumgash Age: 14 Occupation: Soldier Origin: Dark Forest Class: Warrior Fame: 0 Status: Mortal Title: None Stats: Strength: 106 Dexterity: 89 Endurance: 97 Vitality: 99 Magic Power: 17 Luck: E Charm: F Charisma: F It''s young, and it shows it put too much force into the hit on Eudora and knocked itself over. We can use that naive youth to our advantage. "Seti, what magic can you do?" I ask, but his attention''s on the troll. I push his shoulder and say, "Seti!" and he realises I asked a question and says, "Fire, wind, holy and healing." Two offensive, two support: "Jay, when we attack, go and get Eudora; bring her back here for Seti to heal." Jay nods, and I turn to face Zhao and Seti. "Zhao and I will attack up close; Seti will provide cover fire and a buff. Is everyone clear on the plan? They all nod, and Jay slips behind the trees, lying in wait for the opening he needs. "Stat Increased: A- --> A Charisma" I don''t have time for that now. I rush forward as the golden light of Seti''s buff bathes me. "Buff cast by Seti Rahotep: +5 to Strength, +5 to Dexterity. +5 to Endurance +5 to Vitality" A wind blade soars over Zhao and I as we rush in crashing into the troll and just barely knocking it back but me and Zhao use that and close in Zhao punching its gut with all his might and I opt to attack its ankles trying to limit its mobility with the most powerful sword slashes I can muster with Seti''s buff and my body enhancement and I don''t stop until I see the troll about to crush me under its fist with battle intuition and I step back avoiding the direct blow but being blow back by the wind it produces and slammed into the ground as I get up I see it chasing Zhao who''s managing to evade since his stats are high and his dexterity is actually higher than the trolls I retrieve my sword and see a fireball slam into the troll''s chest. Set''s doing his job, and I need to do mine. I rush in, barely dodging a punch, and summon a fire spear in my left hand, stabbing it into the troll''s gut as hard as I can and then immediately summoning a fireball and shooting it at the same place, actually managing to burn through some skin and make the troll wince in pain. I see Zhao approaching and try to back away to let him get some hits in, but I mistime my dodge, and the troll manages to grab my arm, crushing it. "ARGHHHHH!" I scream, pain overriding my senses, my reason. I stumble back, dazed, as the troll punches me in the chest, knocking the wind out of me and sending me flying into a tree. I crash into the tree headfirst and feel my eyes rolling into the back of my head as I try to stay conscious. I take a breath. I''m breathing. That''s good. I think I''m alive. I look around; Seti is healing Eudora with his hand and casting long-range spells with his staff. I go to move my right arm but feel nothing. I look down at it and see a gross, deformed, twisted, mangled mess. I almost throw up the second I see it. That''s my arm; that''s really my arm. I almost pass out again when I hear Zhao scream. I look up and see the troll holding him by his leg and smashing him repeatedly into the ground. "NOOOO!" I grab the troll''s attention with that, and it draws towards me. I retrieve my sword and rush in, barely dodging attacks. The leeway on my dodges is getting shorter and shorter every time until my battle intuition tells me I''ll die no matter where or how I move. I can''t escape death. I bow my head. Is this really how I die? Is this... how it ends for me...? NO, I REFUSE TO LET IT GO LIKE THIS. I REFUSE TO DIE LIKE THIS. PUSH IT FURTHER AS FAR AS IT''LL GO AND FURTHER THAN THAT. Warmth spreads under my eyes as I push Battle Intuition to and beyond its limits and manage to dodge escaping death. "Skill Upgraded: Battle Intuition = F --> E" I wipe the warmth from my eyes, and my hand comes back red, but whatever. No time for that. I tighten my grip on the sword and lunge forward, using battle intuition to swiftly dodge all of the attacks the troll makes. I purposefully find a wet patch and slip through the mud, carving through the troll''s skin as I skid past it, and then quickly recover and dodge a strike. "Stat Increased: +2 Dexterity" I push forward again, stabbing my sword into its gut and letting go so my hands are free, and I can summon a fire spear in my hand and jam it into the troll''s lung with all my strength. It tries to recover, but I won''t let it, pulling my sword back out and thrusting it into the spear wound over and over and over again and again and again until it tries to punch me, and I duck the punch and rip my sword out, stepping back. "SET FIRE NOW!" A fireball surges past me, hitting and burning the troll''s face, and I begin hacking away at its knees and legs. It lets out a guttural scream, but to me that''s just a signal that I''m doing well, but I let myself get cocky for a moment, and the troll hits me. I get flung back and choke up blood. I hear my own ribs break as I hit the floor gasping for air. I have to get up and have to continue the fight. "Sub-Skill Upgraded: Pain Tolerance + F --> E" I get up. I have to get up. I have to fight, kill or be killed. I rush forward. I have to think of something, some new way to fight to be more efficient. I dodge a powerful strike and slash at its knee. "Stat Increased: +4 Strength" It manages to graze me as I try to dodge. "Stat Increased: +1 Endurance" Fuck, I need to be faster. I have to be faster. I move forward, slipping past a strike and slashing at the beast''s face, taking out its eye. It roars a guttural deep roar and throws a wild strike at me, but I slip under it and slash at its ankles again. "Stat Increased: +1 Dexterity" I''m almost there. His ankles are almost ¨C I lose focus and pay for it. The troll hits me hard; I just barely manage to cast a water wall through my sword. "Sub-Skill Acquired: Mana Injection" "Stat Increased: +4 Endurance" "Stat Increased: +2 Vitality" I compose myself, find my feet, and I look around for Seti. He has his hands full healing; I can''t rely on him; he needs to save Eudora and Zhao. I catch Jay''s eyes, and he readies his spear, but I shout, "Stay back; you''re too weak." and rush forward, dodging another attack. I channel mana into my sword and shoot a fireball at the troll''s right ankle, burning it enough that my final strike with my sword makes it lose its balance and stumble, crashing to the floor. I don''t miss a beat jumping on the beast and dropping my sword and summoning a fire spear I thrust into its heart, again and again and again; the troll coughs, spitting blood on me, but I don''t care; it has to die. Again and again, exhausting my mana as I continuously and without fail thrust the spear, summoning a new one as soon as the last leaves my hand, burning the beast''s heart from the inside out. The sound is awful as it gurgles, chokes on its own blood, the putrid smell of its insides burning as I stab it repeatedly without fail, not stopping until it takes its last breath, and I can finally... my eyes roll into the back of my head, and I fall. My eyes open slowly to a green light. "Am I dead?" The green light fades, and I see Seti standing above me. "Afraid you''re not that lucky, mate." He holds out a hand and helps me up, giving me his staff as a cane, and a surprising person approaches. "Hello." Ravi says, and he holds out his hand. "I''m Ravi Ashokan." I take his hand and shake it. "Ethan Watts." He lets go of my hand and says, "I''m sorry I got cocky and didn''t have my team thoroughly check for hiding trolls, and you f r¡ª" He pauses before continuing. "You guys suffered, and I''m sorry." I laugh. "Thanks, I needed that, Ravi. You''re a good guy at heart; don''t let a few mistakes get you down." I walk past him with the staff and Seti helping me to the other F ranks: "Hey, guys." Eudora jumps up with lightning speed and hugs me. "Ow." Seti pushes her away and says, "He has extremely bad bruising around his ribs; my healing isn''t omnipotent." Eudora looks distressed and says, "Sorry." I chuckle, "Don''t worry; I''m just glad you''re all safe." Eudora looks down and says, "Thank you. Jay told me what you did ¨C telling him to get me and stay out of the fight to keep him safe. I owe you both mine and my attendant''s lives." I''ve never felt like this. These people appreciate me; they appreciate what I''ve done for them. It''s nice. I try to move my right arm, but it won''t, so I let go of the staff, barely staying upright, and I place my hand on her shoulder. "You''re a part of my team; no way I''d let you die." I let go of her and pick back up the staff and see Zhao. "I¡ªI''m sorry I got distracted and got caught." I huff, surprising everyone, and say, "If I hear one more apology, I''m going to get mad. We all did our best; let''s celebrate the win." They all cheer, and after a while of celebrating, we get in our carriages and set off. "So, Seti, how hurt am I?" I ask, and he looks surprised. "Sure you want to know." I nod, and he says, "Multiple lacerations all over your body; every single rib was broken, and you have extremely bad bruising around them. Your one arm was mangled, the other was broken in three places, both of your legs were broken too, and you had a fracture in your skull. I don''t even know how you kept fighting." Wow, I knew I was hurt, but to hear it ¨C just wow. I look out of the window as trees pass on our way back to Mercari, the quest completed. Blessed by a God I step out of the carriage after it comes to a stop. I can walk on my own now, but it still hurts. It''s mainly just my ribs and right arm now, but that makes sense; they were damaged the most. After all, I stretch and crack my neck. We didn''t stop on the way back and just came straight here. I try and move my arm; I can move it to just under my shoulder now but no higher, and that''s only because of my vitality and Seti healing me whenever he could on the ride back. Seti and Zhao leave the carriage too, and we head inside and collect our pay: one hundred GM each. I don''t know if I''ll be able to go back to F rank pay after this. We head outside, and the E ranks immediately depart except Ravi, who stays behind and taps his communication crystal on mine and says, "I owe you a favour. If you hadn''t beaten that troll, my quest would''ve been called a failure, and my reputation would''ve been tarnished, so if you ever need help, I''ll be there for you." With that, he leaves following his team. My arm aches again. My fingers tremble from the pain, that troll really did a number on me, but when you think about it, the gains from that fight were worth it. Even though I got my ass kicked, I also got quite a bit stronger, and some of my skills forcefully evolved, and I learnt something: I''m not invincible; I can be hurt; I can be killed; I need to remember the lesson I thought I''d already learnt. This isn''t a game; the stakes are real anyway. I haven''t checked my stats in a while, and they went up quite a lot in that fight. "Status Window" Status Window Name: Ethan Watts Age: 19 Occupation: F-Rank Adventurer Origin: Hellenika Class: Undetermined Fame: 20 Status: Demi-God Title: Son of the Primordial Chronos Stats: Strength: 67 Dexterity: 63 Endurance: 58 Vitality: 63 Qi: 64 Magic Power: 22 Luck: A Charm: A Charisma: A "Hey," I hear, surprising me. My status window disappears, and I turn to face Eudora. "Want to come to Olympus with me?" She asks with a smirk, "Olympus?" I ask, raising an eyebrow at her sudden question, and she nods, "Yeah, home of the gods of the Greek domain." She pauses. "I contacted my father on our way back, and he wants an audience with my saviour." I blush a little in embarrassment. I never thought I''d be called somebody''s saviour. "You''ll likely be rewarded, you know." She teases, trying to convince me, but I''m not sure. It''s not like I saved her for a reward, but I have to admit I am interested in seeing Olympus. "I don''t know." I admit it, and Seti walks over. "I''d go if I were you; even if you turn down the reward, earning favour with a family like the Theodorakis'' will be a huge benefit." I nod, and he continues, "Plus, it''s not every day somebody gets to go to Olympus." Eudora nods, and I sigh, "You make a fair point." I pause and rub my chin, racking my brain. I really didn''t save her for a reward, and it feels kind of cheap going to receive one, but what Seti said makes sense too: "I''ll go." I finally decide, and Eudora flashes me a toothy grin. "I''ll let Dad know we''ll set off tomorrow, ok?" I nod, and she and Jay walk off, and I turn to Seti and Zhao, who''s just joining us. "Enough politics and negotiations; let''s go grab some food and booze." Zhao suggests, and I nod, "After the quest we just finished, we definitely deserve it." My eyes slowly open, and I lift myself from the hard floor. I must''ve drunk a lot last night because I barely remember it, but I''m feeling better than I thought I would. To be honest, I was expecting a hangover, but I''m fine, which is nice. I was never a big drinker back on Earth, and part of the reason was the hangovers. I was always too busy to deal with having a hangover, so I just didn''t drink. I get up and take a shower and get dressed. I take back my armour and sword, but I decide to check out my sword again just in case I need it for whatever reason, and then I head on over to the carriages where Eudora and Jay are waiting. "Hey, you''re early." Eudora says, and I rub my neck and say, "Yeah, haha, I wasn''t expecting you two here already." Eudora smiles, and so does Jay weakly. He''s definitely shy, but I think we can become friends with time. I hear a loud noise and smell smoke as if the air itself has lit ablaze, and slowly a flaming chariot lands, and the flames cease. "This is our Theodorakis Chariot; only our family can use it for travel; it was a gift from our great ancestor modelled after his own." Eudora says as she runs her hand along the side. This is modelled after Apollo''s chariot; it''s a sleek white and gold chariot with leather seats inside. Eudora jumps in, and Jay gets in at the side of her carefully, and I follow suit, sitting at the other side of her, and the old man who brought it here says, "Ready?" We all nod, and flames explode out from around the chariot and roar to life as they lift the chariot off of the ground, and we begin flying to our destination. I turn to Eudora, "Who''s that? I don''t want to be rude." She says, "That''s Dad''s personal butler, Orren Phokas." I nod, and he says from the front, "A pleasure to meet you, sir." Not knowing what to say, I just answer formally but bluntly, "Likewise." I stare down at the landscape beneath us. I never went on a plane on earth. My foster family were not very well off, so they only went on a few abroad trips, and I didn''t go with them, not wanting to be a burden. Looking back, I wish I''d gone more, spent more time with them, and appreciated them more... I should''ve done more. The chariot slowly descends, the flames simultaneously slowly dying out as they descend until finally the flames die out just before we land, and we all step out of the chariot. "Jay, the young mistress and master will be meeting the family head; you can come if you want, but..." Jay shakes his head. "I''m alright, thanks." Is he that bad also? "Please don''t call me young master; I''m certainly not deserving of that. Just Ethan will do." Orren nods and says, "Young mistress, Mr Watts, please follow me to have a meeting with the head of the family, Archon Theodorakis." Jay walks with us inside but heads elsewhere while we follow Orren through two huge golden doors which open as we walk towards them, and we step inside of a great hall lined with seats full of people. "Members of the branch family." Eudora whispers, "They don''t need to be here, but they''d never miss a chance to kiss my dad''s arse." I wasn''t expecting that manner of speaking from Eudora. It seems like she doesn''t like the branch families. We walk to the end of the hall, where there are about ten marble steps and then five seats; only two are taken. The biggest two are a man with golden slit eyes and long black hair with tints of grey; his face is so serious it''s almost terrifying, and next to him is a beautiful woman with hazel eyes and brown hair. She looks like an older Eudora but less captivating. I turn to Eudora and then realise I''m staring and look down before looking back up at Archon, whose gaze is piercing, and I kneel and bow my head. "Excuse my manners, sir; I do not know of formal greetings in this world, so I chose to greet you how we do on Earth." I hear whispers among the branch families about my lack of etiquette and my disrespect, but nothing from Archon until a deep, boomy voice almost growls the word. "Silence!" in such a calm yet threatening tone it''s chilling. "Stand up, boy." He continues, and I stand up, locking eyes with him, sweat dripping down my face as the pressure of his stare is stifling. This man is a descendant of a god. Not just that, he''s the strongest of a family of them. There''s no telling how powerful he is. If he wanted, he could probably kill me before I could even comprehend what happened to me. His mouth opens slowly and... "Everybody clap for my daughter''s hero!" The crowd erupts into cheers and clapping, which surprises me and feels weird; the claps and cheers seem hollow and empty. I look over at Eudora, who is seething with rage. I see why she hates them. They''re fake; they only do anything to gain favour with the main family. Archon raises his hand, and they go silent within moments, disgusting. The woman next to Archon catches my gaze. "You have our eternal thanks for saving our daughter, child." I nod, and before I can say anything, Archon is standing in front of me. When did he even move? I couldn''t even register his movement. It''s like space itself folded and moved to his will. He stares down at me from right in front of me; he''s only about an inch taller than me. But I feel as though I''m staring up at a mountain with a summit I could never hope to reach; his aura is suffocating. "Did you save my daughter to gain favour with my family?" He asks calmly, yet his words stab at my very soul. I feel death''s grip, and I can tell that one wrong move, one wrong word, means death; he will end my life without hesitation, without guilt. I can feel the bloodlust radiating from him. "No, she was my teammate." I said, forcing the words out despite every fibre of my being telling me, screaming at me, to not talk back to this man, but I push through: "I would''ve saved any single one of them even if it cost me my own life." Not a single word was a lie, and I think he can tell since he retracts his bloodlust and flashes me a smile ¨C not that it makes him any less terrifying ¨C and he disappears instantly, reappearing in his chair in an instant. "Breathe, boy," he says, and I realise I haven''t been breathing and take a deep breath and fall to my knees. "Are you ok?" Eudora says, her voice cracking with fear and worry as she drops to her knees beside me and tries to help me as I struggle, gasping for air. You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. Eudora helps me to my feet, and Archon gazes down at me. "Boy, name a reward." He says, and I simply say, "The only reward I need or ever needed was your daughter''s safety." I feel Eudora''s grip on me get tighter, and I look at her to find her blushing, and then I hear a haughty laugh. I look over at the cause of the laugh, Eudora''s mother, who stares back at me with a wide grin before nudging Archon''s shoulder. "Honey, don''t you think that boy would be a great husband for our youngest?" Archon''s eyes widen, and beside me I hear "Mother!" as Eudora lets go of me and protests, "You can''t just decide that for me on your own." Archon stays silent as Eudora protests against her mother, but she''s not the only one protesting. All around the hall, the members of the branch families have some things to say. "Preposterous," one says. "Ludicrous, this commoner marrying into the main house." Another chimes in, "That lowborn needs to know his place." I clench my knuckles so hard they turn white. I want to speak, but it''s not my place, so I have to just accept their words: "SILENCE!" Archon shouts, his booming voice making my knees tremble and almost give out, and he stands up, addressing the branch families, "How dare you lowly born Nephos talk down to a demigod of our great pantheon?" All of a sudden, all of the branch families are once again gazing upon me, but differently now. I can feel their greed: "He''s a demigod; well, of course, he''s worthy of our family, then." One says, "I wonder who his parent is; maybe we could gain favour with them." "He''ll certainly go far if he''s a demigod; it''ll be good to tie him down to us." Disgusting, pathetic, vile ¨C those are the only things I can think up when listening to these pigs. A second ago I was lowborn; now I''m worthy? Archon takes his seat again and holds his hand up, silencing the branch families. "Anyone who disrupts me from now until I allow you to speak again will die by my hand." All of a sudden silence ¨C I can''t even hear breathing. You could hear a pin drop in this deafening silence, and the Archon''s gaze is on one man ¨C me. "Choose, boy, will you take my daughter''s hand in marriage?" I look at Eudora, who looks flustered. "Can we discuss?" I point at Eudora, and Archon looks confused. "You don''t seem like you''re giving Eudora much of a choice here, so I''d like to hear her opinion about all of this." Archon and his wife both smile, and Archon says, "Orren." As soon as the word leaves his lips, Orren, who had disappeared at some point, appears next to Archon. "Yes, milord?" Archon, not missing a beat, says, "Take these two and let them eat while they discuss their marriage." Orren bows his head even lower and says, "Of course, milord." Disappearing and reappearing before us, "With me, please, young mistress and young master." He sets off toward the door, and we follow along, leaving the hall and heading through the corridors until we arrive at a huge room with a long table. We sit opposite each other and don''t speak as the maids bring out a feast. We wait until they''ve finished bringing out the food and struggle to keep eye contact. I''m only nineteen, and she''s only twenty-three. We''re both so young. I mean, she''s a beautiful, amazing woman, and I know I''d be extremely lucky to be able to marry her, but I don''t love her, and I always believed one day I''d marry for love. "What do you think?" I ask her, and she gasps as if she wasn''t expecting me to speak. "I was being genuine about it ¨C this is as much your choice as mine... Eudora, do you want this marriage?" She looks down and says, "I wouldn''t be opposed." I grab her hand, shocking her. "Eudora, be honest with me. Do you want this marriage, or do you just want to do what your mom and dad want?" She looks at me like I''ve seen through her, and she pulls her hand away. "I¡ª" "Eudora¡­" I say, and she looks me in the eyes. "Tell me you don''t want this marriage, and I''ll go in there and tell them I won''t do it, consequences be damned." Eudora looks at me, but differently this time. She''s never looked at me like that. "I''ll do it." She whispers and takes my hand. "Let''s do it if you want to." I do too. I think ever since I met her, something''s been drawing me towards her, and maybe this isn''t love, but I see no reason why it can''t become love. "I want to." We go back into the hall together, following after Orren, who guides us back before Archon and his wife. "Have you made your choice?" He gazes over at me and Eudora. "Both of you." Quest Received: Power Play You are in a position to gain standing and power Objectives: Get engaged to Eudora Theodorakis Gain the Blessing Of Apollo Rewards for completing this Quest: +60 Fame Two skill-upgrade tokens Five stat points Penalties upon failing Loss of right to Inherit Chronos'' power Issued by Chronos and Apollo Seriously, and not just from Chronos this time but Apollo too. This so-called father of mine seems to hate me making my own decisions, but it''s a good thing I''d already decided anyway. All of a sudden, Eudora takes my hand, and I smile at her before turning to Archon. "I''ll marry Eudora Theodorakis, but I ask one thing of you." I say proudly, and Archon gazes down on me and says, "Speak." I notice he didn''t call me boy this time. "I''d like to keep my last name if possible." The branch families begin making noise again, but Archon raises his hand, and they stop, and he says, "So be it. Members of the Theodorakis'' family do not marry until they are over the age of thirty anyway, so you have lots of time to make decisions." I bow my head, and he stands. "So it is official: Ethan Watts will marry Eudora Theodorakis, my youngest and member of the main house." He slowly walks down the stairs and past us. "For your reward, son-in-law, I will allow you to try and receive the Blessing of Apollo." The crowd once again roars into outrage, this time mostly about the fact that I, an outsider, will receive the blessing when they, the branch families, don''t. Archon visibly rages, and instantly he''s among the rows of people holding a fat old man by the throat. "Did I not warn you? The next time one of you interrupts me, I''ll kill you." The man he''s holding by the throat cries desperately, trying to kick his feet and reach the ground and trying to loosen Archon''s grip on his throat, "P-Please, sir." He barely squeaks out as Archon''s hold on his throat tightens, slowly squeezing the life out of him. "I''m feeling generous today since I''ve gained a new family member." Archon turns to me, "Son-in-law, you may choose if this man lives or dies." I see what he''s trying to do; I will be the one saving him, which will help me gain favour with them. "He''s pathetic; it''d be worthless to kill him." I say, and Archon smirks, appearing next to me before the man can even fall to his seat, the red marks on his throat obvious. "Let''s go." Archon says, and Eudora and I follow him out of the hall. We come to a stop in front of a huge statue of who I can only assume is Apollo himself. "I won''t tell you anything about the blessing, not from what it does to how to get it. I will not help you in any way because I see in you unrivalled potential, and I want to know if I saw correctly." Archon pauses. "Stand in front of the statue and look up at the sun; that''s all I''ll give you." Archon and Eudora stand back, and I do as he says. I stand in front of the statue and look directly up at the sun, and all of a sudden, I feel a crushing weight that pushes me to my knees and heat much hotter than anything else I''ve ever felt. It''s as if the sun itself has directed its fury unto me, but I won''t fall. I slowly lift myself up, resisting the weight on my back and shoulders, ignoring the stench of my burning skin. "Skill Upgraded: Heat Resistance = F --> E" I manage to get to my feet, and I stand in the pressure and heat, stubbornly refusing to fall, not allowing myself to collapse despite how badly I want to just give up. "Stat Increased: +1 Strength" "Stat Increased: +2 Endurance" "Stat Increased: +1 Vitality" I stare back up at the sun unrelenting, and it''s as if the sun smiles back at me as the heat and pressure abruptly stop. "You have received a Divine Blessing" I really did it. I take a deep breath. My skin isn''t actually burnt; the heat must''ve just tricked my brain into thinking my skin was being scorched. "Blessed by: Apollo" "Benefit Gained: Fire Affinity" "Sub-Skill Upgraded: Fireball = F --> E" "Sub-Skill Upgraded: Fire Spear = F --> E" "Skill Upgraded: Heat Resistance = E --> D" "Benefit Gained: Solar Rejuvenation" "Benefit Gained: +15 Magic Power" "Quest Completed: Say "Claim" to claim rewards" Claim "Distribute your five stat points" "Three in strength and two in dexterity" I feel my body strengthen immediately. I clench my fist, testing out the new strength. "Use your two skill tokens" Rank up swordsmanship and body enhancement. Skill Upgraded: Swordsmanship = F --> E" "Subsequently all Sub-Skills have been upgraded" "Sub-Skill Upgraded: Body Enhancement = E --> D" "Fame has been applied" "Congratulations, son-in-law. I knew my eyes weren''t deceiving me; within you is a potential so deep, so bottomless, even I cannot say how far you can go." He means it. In his eyes, I can see it in them. He''s proud of me. "Thank you, sir." He waves his hand and smiles. "Please call me Father." I nod, and he turns to Eudora, "Take Ethan too, Thaleia, please. Eudora, he should learn our swordsmanship before you two and Jay head back to Mercari." Eudora nods, and he pats her head and goes back in. I''ve seen so many sides of a single man in one day; he can be ruthless and then immediately switch to being a doting father. It''s incredible. I wonder if I''ll ever be that strong. "Come on." Eudora says, and I follow on behind her until we reach a detached house on the corner of the estate. Eudora knocks on the door, and out comes a tall woman almost as tall as me; her arms and face are scarred, and she looks me up and down. "Who''s this?" she asks. Eudora, who says, "Auntie, I''d like to introduce you to my fianc¨¦e, Ethan Watts." She looks me up and down yet again. "So this is the one who saved you from the troll." Eudora nods. "How did you know?" Thaelia goes inside and grabs a battleaxe and says, "Your dad told me." Before looking at me, "I assume you''re here to learn." I nod, and she says, "Fine, but I want to test something first. The report we received from Eudora had some interesting stuff I''d like to see, so give me your all." She says as her eyes glow red, and I unsheathe my sword and enhance my body, "Status Window" Status Window Name: Ethan Watts Age: 19 Occupation: F-Rank Adventurer Origin: Hellenika Class: Undetermined Fame: 80 Status: Demi-God Title: Son of the Primordial Chronos Stats: Strength: 71+14.2 Dexterity: 65+13 Endurance: 60+12 Vitality: 64 Qi: 64 Magic Power: 37 Luck: A Charm: A Charisma: A She begins to charge at me with her battleaxe, and I block the blow, ready to fight back.