Where am I?
I feel like I'm drifting.
I can't feel my arms or legs.
Am I still alive?
Ah yes I remember now.
I died..
'Has the situation changed? Have the goblins been doing anything weird lately?'
"Please stop."
'I thought it would be raised if the situation became a bit more dire.'
"I don't want to hear it."
'So if we defeat the monsters that will attack the village then we get to have your reward?'
"Is.."
'Alright then we accept. I have high confidence that the goblins will be defeated tonight.'
"..this.."
'Now then we shall leave for now. Expect to see us tonight. We have business to take care of.'
'I apologize. Dawn has already come. I wasn't able to finish the monsters during the night.'
'My name is Erdrick and thank you for everything.'
"..Hell?"
The last moments of his life was still fresh in his mind. The gruesome death of the villagers.
The lie of those monsters. The evil grin embedded in his mind.
The pain of the dagger isn't present but he can't forget the feeling.
Again and again those words rang while he listened.
It's as if the voices were looped to make him crazy.
He wanted to close his ears, but he felt no hands.
He has no body. He knew he exists.
He was helpless, pathetic, weak and dead.
"Kill them. All of them. All the scums."
He repeated those words as if he was praying to the unknown.
He knew this was hell, but no regrets about him being here can be seen.
In his mind, it was right for the man who killed the village to be in eternal anguish.
While the voices kept repeating, his only prayers was that of vengeance.
After what seemed like an eternity in his mind, the endless room suddenly lit up.
The area became smaller, he can't see but he can sense that it wasn't the same place he was in a second ago.
This room has a lighter atmosphere than the last one. The voices stopped and another can be heard.
"Halloooo!"
"..."
"Hey why aren't cha talking?"
"Who the fuck are you?"
"Oooh! A scary voice. No need to worry, I'm not one of those otherworlders."
"Then answer me, who are you?"
"Man! If you're that stupid then I can guess why your village died because of you."
"..."
"Oh I'm sorry that was mighty insensitive of me. I'm Raguel, the one who summoned you."
"Summoned me?"
"Yes! Cool, huh? I got all kinds of powers. This and that! But anyways let's talk about why I summoned you here."
"I don't understand."
"Ugh! Stop saying you don't and understand the situation.
Grow up kid! Your whole village died because of your stupidity. Remember? People died?"
"I.."
"Listen, I saw what those guys did to you and now I want you to ask you a simple question."
"What is it?"
"Do you want to live again?"
"..Yes."
He ignored common sense and accepted right away.
Even if there's a chance that he was being deceived, any form of help even if it's with the devil will be accepted.
He wants to make the people who wronged the village pay dearly.
"Then let me ask you another question. Why would you want to go back?"
"The answer is obvious."
"Hohoho! You're starting to learn kid! I like that keep it up."
"I want to kill them personally. I'll drag them with me to the depths of hell if need be."
"Do you know why they're here or why they're stronger than the people of Erelest?"
"No."
"Because they're the ones we called awakened. It's pretty rare for a normal human in your world to achieve such state.
The ones who do get awakened end up becoming famous heroes or even kings! It's quite a secret. Yep! Indeed!
They have the power to alter their strength similar to what me and my colleagues can do. Neat huh?
Of course we're stronger by a long shot! Haha!"
"Then why are you just sitting here doing nothing while those monsters are around?"
"We don't intervene with human squabbles too much. Even talking to you is let's just say irregular."
"Then why did you?"
"Can't say. Maybe I just wanted to help? Maybe it's for a greater purpose? Or maybe I'm just bored."
"I don't know what your plans are but if you could help me have my revenge then I'll do whatever you want after."
"Kay! I only have one request after you beat them. I'll tell you if you survive."
"Survive?"
"Well yeah. Those guys are no joke for people like you."
"Then can you give me the power to beat them?"
"Nah! Won't it be more interesting if you beat them with your own power?"
"You just told me that they're strong. As I was before I might not stand a chance."
"The only thing I could grant you is the same thing they already have."
"Awakening?"
"Ooh! Using your head now! You learn quick! I like that! Yep! Indeed! Well I'm gonna send you back now.
Oh and don't forget to say 'hud' when you wake up kay? See you soon!"
"Thank you for this opportunity."
He felt his consciousness wavering but with it came warmth.
Reeve opened his eyes and felt the rays of the sun pass through his skin.
If it weren't for the stink of the rotting corpse, he would've rested a bit more.
He touched the part where he was stabbed but there was only a scar left of the wound.
He stood and saw the bodies of those dear to him.
"Albert.. Anna.. Shiela.. Old Lewis.. Carter.. Roland.. Cath.. Tilly..
Rolphe.. Anton.. Edgar.. Clay.. Granny Ely.. Mary.. Little Mara..
Benjie.. Jun.. Randy.. Edwin.. Karl.. Paulo.. Gio.."
He said their names as he buried each of their corpses.
Dusk had already come when he finished. He sat and ate the food left from the slaughter.
It tasted different than normal. It seems like a few days have passed since the massacre.
After eating he took only the essentials and left burning all the houses that stood for decades.
The only thing left will be the palisades. With one last look, he left the remains of Erdale.
Vowing to kill those who wronged them, he followed the dirt road through the forest.
After a few minutes of walking he remembered what Raguel had told him.
He then uttered the words 'hud' and much to his surprise, there in front of him are numbers and words that should only be seen in paper.
"So this is what those fuckers saw."
Name: Reeve of Erdale
Level: 13
Class: None[Assessment necessary]
Subclass: None Strength: 4
Constitution: 2
Dexterity: 4
Magic: 0
Charisma: 1
Attribute points available: 13[Add to attributes? Y/N] Active Skills (0/10)
Passive Skills(0/10)
Skill points available: 13[Use skill points? Y/N][Learn a skill? Y/N]
Pending Skills are available[Review? Y/N]
The hud was fairly straightforward, he could guess that the attributes are his basic capabilities.
What intrigued him the most was the pending skills.
He tapped the 'Y' assuming it stood for 'Yes' and it was a success. It showed a list of skills that he could learn.
Basic Sword Mastery [Learn? Y/N]
Basic Shield Mastery [Learn? Y/N]
Basic Hunting [Learn? Y/N]
Detection [Learn? Y/N]
Sprinting [Learn? Y/N]
Unlock Battle Aura [Learn? Y/N]
Unlock Magic Force [Learn? Y/N]
"I.. can learn all of these?"
Reeve was surprised that there were a lot of skills he could learn from the get go.
It's crazy but he couldn't help but smile because of the situation.
Maybe due to the possibility of him becoming a lot stronger, his feeling of helplessness was reduced.
"If I can learn all of these, why not learn them all right?"
He eagerly touched the hud to click the yes button but he accidentally touched the question mark instead of the 'Y' and it showed something easily missable.
"Clicking the words shows the information of the skill? Then I'll try clicking on other things as well."
With this newly found information, he started clicking on the skills.
The basic skills only said generic information like 'Teaches the basic sword handling motions.'
But other stuff like the Detection, Sprinting, Battle aura and Magic force made him stop for a second.
Detection(Passive) - Once learned, it makes you alert of the surroundings preventing ambush by hostile enemies.
Sprinting(Active) - Once used, it makes your running faster for a moment.
Unlock Battle Aura(Active:Unlisted) - Once learned, the character will realize the existence of battle aura. Greatly improves battle power.
Unlock Magic Force(Passive: Unlisted) - Once learned, the character will realize the existence of magic force. Greatly improves magical aptitude.
After knowing the basic descriptions of the skills. Reeve learned all of the free skills given to him.
One by one it seemed that something had changed within him even though he was still the same as before.
The most prominent change is that he can see a faint glow surrounding his body and the environment if he took a closer look.
"Are these the battle aura and magic force?"
After a few moments, a message showed up in front of him that said.
Magic Force unlocked! Adding 1 point to Magic. Magic skill prices are now reduced.
Another one showed up when he dismissed the first one but the message was different from the first.
Battle Aura unlocked! Adding 1 point to Strength, Constitution and Dexterity.
Character can now advance a tier of a passive skill. You may now choose 1:
Basic Sword Mastery -> Intermediate Sword Mastery [Select? Y/N]
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Basic Shield Mastery -> Intermediate Shield Mastery [Select? Y/N]
With the options shown to him, it would be dumb to not pick the sword handling because it's his primary offensive means to battle at the moment.
So after advancing from Basic to Intermediate, he immediately realized new motions that can be applied in battle.
"Amazing! So this is what it feels like."
Advancing the tier of the sword handling skill made him feel like he always knew how to handle swords that way.
Of course this wasn't truly the case. The villagers knew not of this way of handling the sword.
If it weren't for that he couldn't have distinguished fact from fiction.
He wanted to start practicing with a sword he picked up from the village before leaving but he knew that there are more things in the hud he needs to inspect.
He checked the hud once more and now he's looking at the place where he can use his points to learn skills.
"So this is called the 'Skill Shop' I didn't know there were this much skills to be learned."
He was looking at the general tab of the skill shop. It was overwhelming to see that many skills shown.
Some are just basic stuff like Cooking, Sewing, Swimming and Gardening. While others are more combat oriented.
"But these are all basic tiers. Let me check the intermediate."
When he browsed higher tiers, it seemed that in order to check the higher tier class you'll need to at least know the tier below it.
Reeve saw that he can learn Advanced Sword Handling by using 30 points which is something too pricey.
Assuming that each level can earn you a skill point then he'll need 17 more levels and then use it all just to advance a tier.
He was counting on the premise that he can advance the tier without expending that much points on a single skill.
He sat down for a few hours checking and strategising about ways to make use of the points he had right now.
Reeve narrowed the list of the skils he wanted to purchase to just a few.
Gauger(Active: Unlisted|Ungrindable) - [5 Point(s)](Purchase? Y/N)
Enhanced Reflex(Passive) [3 Point(s)](Purchase? Y/N)
Affinity Roll(Passive: Unlisted) [2 Point(s)](Purchase? Y/N)
Sword Skill - Cross Cut(Active) [1 Point(s)](Purchase? Y/N)
Battle Skill - Quick Counter(Active) [2 Point(s)](Purchase? Y/N) Gauger - Gives the basic information of a monster.
Enhanced Reflex - Grants you greater ability to perceive incoming attacks.
Affinity Roll - Grants you a random basic mastery of an element.
Cross Cut - A skill that creates a cross shaped slash to the enemy.
Quick Counter - Gives you the opportunity to attack sometimes if you dodge or defended well in battle.
Reeve knew these skills are the most important to have right now if he wants to survive the journey to the settlements.
He used all his skil points in one go without any regret.
The affinity roll gave him a passive skill called 'Earth Mastery' and a new skill called 'Earth Bullet'.
While looking at the hud he also noticed that he can distribute points to his attributes.
He added 5 points to Strength, 1 point to Constitution, 2 points to Dexterity and 5 points to Magic.
The reason he put so much into magic is that he wanted to use magic while fighting.
Magic although common in other races was rare for humans. They gain high social standing not only in local villages but also in the kingdom.
Being able to use magic proficiently will turn the tide of battle if things aren't going your way while using a sword.
After finally spending all the points that he had, a message popped up.
Points are now distributed. Assessment of possible classes is finished.
Would you like to select your class? (Y/N)
"Now that you mention it. It says none on the hud. Would it only show up after I finish using all the spare points?"
He clicked yes and the list was shown.
Swordsman [Y/N]
Vanguard [Y/N]
Swordmage [Y/N]
Mage[Y/N]
Hunter [Y/N]
Swordsman: Has great affinity to swords. Growth Rate(Str: C+|Con: C-|Dex: C|Mag: F|Cha: D)
Vanguard: Has great affinity when wielding both sword and shield. Growth Rate(Str: C+|Con: C|Dex: C-|Mag: F|Cha: D)
Swordmage: Has great blend of magic and sword. Growth Rate(Str: C|Con: D-|Dex: D+|Mag: C|Cha: D)
Mage: Has great control of the elements and can do well even in close range. Growth Rate(Str: F+|Con: F+|Dex: D+|Mag: C+|Cha: D+)
Hunter: Has excellent hunting and tracking skills. Proficient with the bow. Growth Rate(Str: D+|Con: D-|Dex: C+|Mag: F|Cha: D)
As much as he wanted to take the Hunter class, he knew his best choice would be to take the Swordmage class.
Being able to use both sword and magic could aid him well in battle.
Reeve tried tapping the growth rate to see if there's any information.
Growth Rate: Determines the distribution of attributes when characters level up.
And with that his mind was settled, he tapped the 'Y' button near the name of the class he chose.
A message popped up after picking.
Swordmage has been chosen as the primary class.
Magic Force has increased by 2 levels.
Battle Aura has increased by 2 levels.
"I guess this is how those monsters keep getting stronger.
They can distribute the free attribute points that the unawakened can't while also being able to learn skills easily."
Reeve thought that this is quite unfair to be honest.
A lot of people in this world needed to work hard to use a skill but the otherworlders with just a tap in the hud can learn many things.
He now realized why Raguel warned him of their strength. The otherworlders cannot be underestimated.
Each and everyone of them can get stronger if they wanted to. This was a wake up call for him.
He can't just look for Erdrick and his companions blindly without properly training.
The otherworlders came to this world approximately three months ago meaning they had a head start of three months.
He needed to find a way to increase his power fast while gathering information about the otherworlders.
The dirt road heading to the nearest village is mostly safe but he knew that being wary of bandits and monsters is the right choice.
He wanted to look at the hud more but he would need to wake up early tomorrow so that he could take advantage of daylight.
He started a fire and slept near it. Weaker monsters instinctively avoid lit up places if they don't have the numbers to back it up.
Just to be on the safe side, he activated detection to sense enemies that might come to harm him.
Reeve had hoped that there won't be a group of monsters that attack him while sleeping.
It was still dark, the fire has burnt out, the tree leaves swayed, whispers were heard but it's only the wind.
Reeve woke up with the sound of alarm ringing in his mind. Still groggy he didn't know the severity of the situation.
More than a dozen goblins are closing in on his area. Reeve knew that these monsters already located him.
He wielded his sword while sharpening his senses. The detection skill only said that the enemy was close but it didn't say the distance.
After a few moments, goblins jumped out of the bushes screaming monstrously. They wielded a shoddy stone knives and crazily ran towards Reeve.
It was a great opportunity to try out his skills. First he raised his hands and said Earth Bullet in his mind.
Surprisingly, after saying that on top of his hand is a piece of rock that formed after some dust collected.
He pushed the hovering pieces of rocks in the direction of the goblins. The rock's speed was impressive.
In just a second, it hit the goblin's head and killed them before even coming close.
He rejoiced in his success. He felt invincible. With magic he knew that battles will be easily taken care of.
One by one, the goblins were killed. Some even ran away but the earth bullet hit them before they can even do so.
After he finished the last remaining goblin, he let out a huge laugh and relaxed. Eleven goblin corpses lay there motionless while he remained standing.
He was happy for a moment then he realized a shooting pain through his back and when he touched it he saw blood dripping from his fingers.
"I'm.. bleeding?"
His heart started beating fast, as he panicked but when he looked in his back, he saw the two other goblins.
It seemed that they circled back while the others distracted him. He was a fool. The goblins laughed as he staggered.
"This can't be.. I'll.. die if I don't do anything!"
He quickly distanced himself from the enemies by using his sprinting skill.
The first one rushed to end his life once and for all, it screamed as it closed the distance.
He had the same weapon the ones he killed had.
Reeve prepared his sword and when the range between him and the goblin was close enough. He used his only sword skill.
'Cross Cut!' He yelled in his mind.
Gritting his teeth while feeling the pain in his back. His body moved and slashed the enemy in a crosslike fashion.
Blood splashed onto him mixing with his own. Even though the battle just started his consciousness was wavering.
'My life can't be over like this! I need to end this battle before I collapse.'
He said to himself as the desperation showed in his face.
While feeling feverish, the last goblin soon came to his narrowed vision.
It tried slashing Reeve recklessly but it was for naught. The goblin had missed.
After successfully dodging the attack, it seemed for a moment, the world slowed down.
He can clearly see the goblin's movement as it finished the attack.
'Quick Counter?' He thought.
This situation is his only chance left to land the killing blow.
Reeve placed his hand near the face of the goblin and yelled "EARTH BULLET!"
It hit the enemy successfully! But Reeve didn't notice.
With all his strength, he casted the spell again and again until the enemy's face was beyond recognition.
It was then that everything went black.