God I slept for a long time today, anyways here is the next and promised Chapter.
Just so you know this is a pretty long one (more than 5k words) and also includes insane amount of tables so I hope you enjoy as we give a little more time and twists to Real Life in this chapter!
IMPORTANT NOTICE!
I have decided that earlier Chapters will be marked with a (v.2.0) after the Chapter title so when I am satisfied with a Chapter it will have it, that way I can let you guys know which ones have been somewhat rewritten and are up to the standard I desire!
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Chapter 66: The Return
Makoto was currently on his way back to Elisante together with his Squad and party, it was also at this time that the two Quests he had received in the Capital concerning the 'War' finally appeared again.
'For Asuria!' Quest has been completed.
Fame and Honor of your house have both increased in and outside of the Capital as word of your deeds during the Siege have reached even the furthest of ears.
Your house has been compensated with 759 Gold for the successful defense.
The Title 'Veteran of War' has been unlocked.
Veteran of War:All people of Asuria will hold you in a new light and even Merchants treat you as their dearest friend.Effects:-5% on all buying and or paying in Asuria.Additional Effects:Attacking a player in Asuria will not change your Alignment and guards will turn the other way for personal grudges or brawls. Killing another player if you are the one to initiate the attack first will instead turn your Alignment from 'Chaotic' to 'Evil' (only counts if said enemy player has 'neutral' or above Alignment).
'Journey to War!' Quest has been completed.
Even though not all 80 Mages of the Institute will be able to make it back to the capital their participation in the Siege was without question an essential necessity and for protecting them to the Stronghold your house has been awarded with the Title of 'Righteous'
Information on House/Guild Titles:There is an abundance of Titles available even for your respective House or Guild and it will benefit or harm you in different ways depending on the title. House/Guild Titles can be earned through quests or actions just in the same way as individual titles.
Honor:A man with Honor will never truly kneel before any King but just the same way will he never yield before evil.
Increases damage against 'Chaotic' or 'Evil' Individuals by 0.5% for every point.Current Honor:5 points (+ 50)= 27.5% increased damage against 'Chaotic' or 'Evil' Individuals.
Shocked by this storm of messages he read through each and every one of them slowly as his eyes started to grow wide.
Not only did he receive two different titles but also the ridiculous sum of nearly 760 Gold.
It took him a moment to realize as to why it was such a large amount as each enemy Soldier killed would yield 1 Gold for this Quest which meant that he... that he single handedly wiped out 3/4 of a thousand men strong Platoon...
It was quite shocking to know the actual numbers but it made sense considering that he had been fighting on the frontlines the entire time and had tried his best to keep his men alive, sometimes by diving headfirst into dangerous situations to spare others the effort or pain.
Still, the knowledge that the King of Asuria was behind all of these deaths just because he wanted an excuse for the public to invade Sarachec once again filled him with unbearable rage that he quickly tried to suppress.
Farabello's face couldn't help but float before his mind's eye as he clenched his hands into fists, cursing the King to hell.
All the men that died under his command were his fault but it was the King that had started it all and he really would like a personal word with a man like that...
Without wasting any more time Makoto did something that he had wanted to do for a while now and opened his Status Window as well as Skill page to see the changes that had transpired since the last time he checked.
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Status WindowName:Makoto ForrowfellLevel:31Alignment:Good, House ForrowfellClass:Blood SavageRace:HumanGender:MaleTitlesSlayer of All, Righteous Demon, First of a Kind, Champion of Blood, Murderer, Noble of Asuria, Veteran of WarHouse TitlesRighteousHealth:2020/2020Mana:800/800Strength:172Agility:207 (+5)Vitality:122 (+28)Wisdom:60Intelligence:61Fame:26Evasiveness:58Willpower:55Authority:55Honor:55Special Effects:Attacking other Players in Asuria will not change your Alignment.
Killing a Player you initiated an attack on will instantly change your Alignment to 'Evil' (only counts if said Player has 'Neutral' or above Alignment).
5.8% Chance to evade all Damage taken from a blow.
+27.5% stat increase for 5.5 seconds if Willpower is activated.
+5% Damage against all living beings.
+42.5% Damage against 'Chaotic' or 'Evil' Individuals.
+10% Chance to inflict the 'fear' status on your opponents when entering combat.
+10% Chance to inflict the 'fear' status on your first attack in battle.
+15% easier to intimidate Merchants or other people.
Aura of the Beast:Your presence alone shakes the hearts of many, with an air of savagery and cruelty around you even guards do not want to take actions against you, fear is your most powerful tool and the use of it comes naturally to you.Skill Type:active/passiveSkill LevelLvl 5 (67%)Skill Effects:Everyone around you (10 feet at current level) will have their stats reduced by 5% and accuracy drops by 17%.Additional Effects:Your eyes have permanently changed color.Uses:5 Mana per second.
Blood Rejuvenation:Bathing in the blood of others you are able to find new Strength even during extended skirmish and battle.Skill Type:passiveSkill LevelLvl 9 (41%)Skill Effects:0.5% max health restored every second for every 2% missing health.
Blood Rush:The liquor of life and death, the crimson flow that keeps us all alive, no matter the race, we are all sons of Blood.Skill Type:activeSkill LevelLvl 3 (62%)Skill Effects:Sacrifice a constant 50 health per second to receive +7% movement and attack speed.Additional Effects:Effect doubles every 10 seconds.
Movement and attack speed gains will be halved every time.
Curse Blade:Enchanting your blade with a secret curse your every strike will lacerate the enemies flesh bringing unbearable pain and misery to your opponent.Skill Type:activeSkill LevelLvl 11 (15%)Skill Effects:+65% more Chance to inflict the 'Bleed' status effect.Additional Effects:+11% Chance to inflict a random status effect.
+60% more Damage and longer Duration when inflicting the 'Bleed' status effect.Uses:25 Mana per Attack.
Devil's Greed:Money makes the world go round so why not take more than you give?Skill Type:passiveSkill LevelLvl 3 (87%)Skill Effects:+1.5% increased deals in your favor for both buying and selling.Additional Effects:Able to Bargain more effectively.
NPC Merchants and Shop owners will feel an instinctive fear towards you.
Memories of Carnage:Fleeting are those bound to the battlefield, vain are those who survive it but all share the same memories.
Allies and bonds forged in the heat of battle and despair.Skill Type:active (Buff)Skill LevelLvl 3 (81%)Skill Effects:Will apply the 'Memories of Carnage' Buff to all Allies in a 50 feet radius.
Caster will receive +2% more overall Damage until duration is over.
Caster and all Allies will do +4.5% more overall Damage until duration is over.Duration:3 Minutes.Uses:100 Mana.
Penetration:Even the strongest of defenses can be broken through with effort and tenacity.Skill Type:passiveSkill LevelLvl 10 (12%)Skill Effects:+30% armor penetration.Additional Effects:0.3% max durability from enemy equipment is additionally lost with every hit you land.
Able to break Items.
Realm of Madness:True terror is not the predictable evil but the unpredictable that will haunt you forever. Madness is a murderer's best tool.Skill Type:passiveSkill LevelLvl 3 (26%)Skill Effects:All projectile based attacks aimed at you will be slowed by 11%.Additional Effects:+11% Resistance to 'Fear' and 'Illusion' status effects.
He had gained 2 titles, 2 new stats, an absolutely ludicrous amount of money, 6 levels and even more Skill levels in these past few Ingame days.
At least in that regard this little 'War' had paid off greatly.
Still it was interesting to see his 'Penetration' Skill gaining new effects instead of even more armor penetration and one could argue that these effects were even better as he was now able to break enemy equipment or break items in general which was nearly impossible before.
Even if an armor piece had no durability it would just lose its effects that it gave to the wearer but still exist, being able to permanently destroy equipment was... something else for sure but it had also taken a long time for Makoto to level the Skill to 11 and it got more difficult with each gain and not easier.
His 'Curse Blade' Skill worked in the same way as it no longer increased the Bleed chance or duration but instead increased the chance to give other, random status effects which could, as far as he knew, even include a few instant death status effects.
Makoto naturally told his Party about his gains and at the same time discovered that both Sanja and Lilliana were Level 30 now and even Sharon had surprisingly enough gained a level even though all the enemies had been far below her which put her now on Level 39.
She was no longer miles away but it would still take a while to catch up to her especially because party exp was mostly shared.
On their way back they talked a good while longer about other possible hunting grounds besides the City Dungeon and Sharon seemed to know of a place but told them it was a 'secret' and they would find out soon enough.
After the Platoon came to a stop and the NPCs decided to rest for the evening and would continue their journey to the Capital the following day, Makoto decided that it was also enough and turned around to his party with a small smile.
"Alright guys, I think I'm going to log out for a while now and take a rest, feels like we have been playing for ages now anyways and I have a few things I need to take care of like actually sustaining my body and visiting the toilet. Let's meet up back here at 8 this evening."
Both Sharon and Lilliana seemed to be a little dispirited at his words as for them, Ingame was one of the only ways to interact with him, they couldn't help but agree though that it was time for a longer break.
Makoto put his hand on his girlfriend's left cheek and exchanged a long and deep kiss with her before slowly and unwillingly parting from her.
Hidden by a veil of curly red hair was a pair of blue gems that seemed to practically scream with desire as she stepped back with a small pout, obviously not satisfied.
Staring into those sapphire like eyes of hers was really a view that could bewitch a man's heart and it pained him a little not being able to see it all the time.
After this rather intimate goodbye for his girlfriend, Makoto felt a sudden tug on his right sleeve and only now remembered that there was someone else, or rather, now there was still someone else.
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Glancing to his right he was able to see a blushing Lilliana with half of her face hidden by her black hair as her eyes darted towards his direction and her lips seemingly formed the words 'Me too' while at the same time being too embarrassed to voice them, especially before Sharon.
Makoto too naturally knew deep down inside how he felt about the little Mage and had suppressed it for a while now so that didn't really make it easier to just follow his instincts.
Unsure what to do in this situation as this was still rather new and unexplored territory he just stood there for a few seconds before a soothing voice broke the stalemate.
"Really guys, do I have to personally grind your bodies together by force or are you just gonna get it over with? I feel like I am watching a bunch of toddlers who don't even know what a simple goodbye kiss is."
Sanja said with a fox like smile as she watched both Makoto and Lilliana flinch.
After once again looking at Sharon who gave her a slight nod that it really was ok, Lilly took a deep breath as she moved forward, putting her arms behind his head she did not just leave it with a simple 'kiss' as her tongue invaded his mouth like a tiger being released back into the wild with joy.
His mind started to go blank for a few seconds before he returned the playful way her tongue explored his mouth and he could hear a small squeak escape her throat as she quickly once again stepped back with a flushed face, unable to face Sharon she logged out first in a hurry, leaving the other 3 a little dumbstruck.
"That was both cute and sexy so I will give it a 9 out of 10 but next time try grabbing for her ass while you kiss her Makoto, she likes that."
Sanja commented with a knowing smile before also logging out in a flash of light.
Feeling an instinctive fear crawling through him he turned to his left only to find a now deeply pouting Sharon waiting.
"So... was it enjoyable?"
She asked with a cold voice as she moved closer.
"Well... I think no matter what I say it will just blow up in my face so can I keep my vote as neutral?"
"Well that wouldn't really be fair now would it? I mean you get to kiss two different girls."
She once again stepped closer and with one hand forced him to look into her eyes.
"So I will get at least more than a single kiss to make it even."
Before the whisper had time to fully dissipate in the air and while not getting any chance to react she threw herself in his arms and dragged him to the ground.
Unbeknownst to the NPC Soldiers all around them a fellow man was currently being devoured by a starving woman.
Not even a single scream could escape his lips as she sat on top of him and started riding him like he was only hers and hers alone, not that he really minded of course...
…..
Opening his eyes for first time in a while everything was still a bit blurry as Makoto exited the capsule.
It was 11 AM and Sunday on top of that so he would have to go back to College the following day but at least for now he had more pressing matters as he quickly made his way to the bathroom and emptied his bladder and intestines for the first time in nearly 15 hours.
After that was done he changed his old clothes and was now wearing a black shirt with the words 'Eat, sleep, game, repeat' on them together with a pair of washed out jeans.
Checking his phone he noticed that there was a missed call from an unknown number and with a mental shrug decided to call back.
It only took a few seconds for the person on the other end to answer.
"Hello?"
It was the deep voice of a man so he was naturally a bit confused as he was sure to never have heard it before.
"Hi, I saw that I was called by this number 2 hours ago so I wanted to make sure it wasn't anything important."
Makoto replied, somewhat unsure if this person maybe just called the wrong number.
"Ah so you are Makoto, wait a minute I will get her quickly so you can talk to her yourself."
Confused what this was about he decided to wait as footsteps and voices were distantly audible on the other end of the line.
"Finally, I wasn't able to reach you before with Dale's phone so I was a bit worried and my own phone ran out of charge so I couldn't call you with it.
I just wanted to tell you that I will be back from my holiday soon dear."
Finally realizing what the purpose of the missed call was a wry smile started to form on his face.
"Hi Mum, how was the vacation?"
Hearing a small giggle at his question she quickly explained their flight and stay at a six star hotel in Dubai. As far as Makoto understood it just from these two facts, 'Dale', the boyfriend he only knew a very small amount about, was definitely rich beyond belief and probably young too.
Makoto was someone who had inherited his unremarkable features mostly from his father as his own mother was by the standards of others incredibly pretty, even now after crossing 40 she still looked like she was in her 20s.
He had a shallow smile on his face as he listened to her chit chat, wondering if she would ever stop.
"Oh and lastly dear, I think it is time I give you a visit again and make sure you haven't burned down the flat yet. We will talk more about this when I am in the area."
There was a slight pause at the other end before his mother continued.
"Dale just told me that the movie he booked is going to start soon so I have to go, see you soon and take care!"
Even after she had already ended the call Makoto still held the phone to his ear for a few seconds before putting it down.
He had always seen his mother as a nuisance and pushed her away for the simple reason that he just couldn't forget the way she sometimes looked at him when she thought he didn't see it.
She played the role of a loving mother quite well but Makoto had long since noticed the fear that was still present in the corner of her eye.
It showed that she was always wary of him since the incident with his father and who could really blame her?
Which 7 or 8 year old kid could hospitalize a grown man in a matter of only seconds?
Not to mention that he was unstable he also had an abnormal strength while the other took over so he didn't really hate her but at the same time he couldn't help but somewhat detest her.
Wasn't he still her son in the end so why did she look at him like he was a monster when she thought he wouldn't see her expression?
Sighing deeply Makoto shook his head to rid himself of these dark thoughts and a sudden vibration from his phone was right on time to bring his attention to something else.
It was a message from Sharon and just seeing it brought a smile to his face.
They texted for a while and chatted about Real Life as well as Ingame before the topic fell to Lilliana and the rather awkward goodbye.
-I know that you two agreed on something Sharon and I don't want to lie and say that I don't feel anything for her but it is just...-
Unable to put it into words his girlfriend quickly helped him out.
-Weird? Trust me you are not the only one who has to get used to this and even though I agreed to it... it just isn't easy.
I don't regret my choice though because I would rather be out of my comfort zone instead of making all of us unhappy, we will get through this together Makoto. As long as you always keep me in your heart and still have feelings for me I am ok with how things are right now.-
Just looking at the message he could see that Sharon was indeed not having it easy and his heart started beating faster as a warm feeling of love and care rushed through him.
Just how the hell did he deserve someone like her?
Wiping away the tears of happiness that had started to form in the corner of his eyes he quickly wrote an entire paragraph of how much his girlfriend meant to him and clicked send.
This back and forth of sweet talk between lovers continued for a while before they both said their goodbyes, Makoto was in dire need of groceries and Sharon also had to take care of something as she was going out for lunch with her parents soon so there was that too.
Before she left she sent one last sentence that filled Makoto with a jumble of emotions as well as excitement.
-I am coming over tomorrow so leave me some space this time on the bed please.-
Unable to hide the grin that bloomed on his face he sent a quick 'awesome' and put down his phone.
Unsurprisingly his current mood had skyrocketed, accompanied by the whistle of a long forgotten 80s song he took a plastic bag, some cash and his keys and left his apartment to buy some dearly needed food.
…..
On his way back from the store he started to contemplate about a few things that had been on his mind recently.
What kind of Affinity would he get?
Was there a max level for Skills or would they just infinitely grow and gain different effects?
How could he create his own Skills or learn some dearly needed Martial Arts Ingame so his movements wouldn't be as random and more effective than they were now?
Those were the kind of questions that had been on his mind for a while now, all things he could really only speculate but still something he just couldn't stop thinking about.
He needed more strength Ingame otherwise he would only be able to watch NPCs and players close to him die a miserable death, that was the sad truth.
Remembering the old Narkas he couldn't help but wonder how he was currently doing and if his pet spider Acerbus was alive and well.
Before going to the Stronghold he had decided to leave the little critter at the Mansion he now lived in for the simple reason that he would have one less thing to worry about.
The little Spider didn't even have a health bar and in a battle like a siege he just didn't really seem useful, bringing him along would have probably only killed him.
Makoto made a mental note to spend some time with his pet after returning to the capital and also inform his Uncle about what really was behind this sudden attack from Sarachec.
Deep in thought he crossed a street as the light turned green while holding a heavy grocery bag and noticed something that piqued his interest after arriving on the other side of the road.
In a display window, sitting on top of the appropriate stand a dark sword made out of wood was resting, apparently on sale.
Seeing something so familiar but at the same time so unique in today's day and age made him stop dead in his tracks as he looked at this sword for a few seconds before a thought crossed his mind.
What would happen if he started to train in Real Life with a sword to his Ingame performance?
Couldn't he just start training Martial arts here or get better acquainted with a sword and then use what he learned Ingame just like how others had done so before?
It was a rather interesting plan that was worth a try in his mind so he quickly entered the shop and bought the wooden sword, not even caring about the price.
Feeling somewhat excited and unsure if this really was a good idea he hurried home and unpacked the weapon.
As he held the hilt he could feel a strange sense of familiarity from his fingers, similar to how he felt when he wielded his sword Ingame and a grin started to appear on his face.
Swinging the surprisingly heavy weapon left and right he instantly felt the difference which broke the illusion that everything was the same as Ingame.
Just because he could cut or slice with lightning speed in Azalon didn't mean that his actual body in Real Life could keep up with those movements, the reason behind it was simply that he hadn't trained with an actual weapon and didn't know the hardships of slowly advancing through pain and practice as well as his body being completely out of shape.
That was probably one of the bad aspects of Virtual Reality, you would never be able to master a weapon Ingame simply because the game itself made it too easy with increasing your stats and you would automatically start relying more on speed or power instead of technique.
Unsure if what he was doing was a smart idea he started his first ever workout with a weapon and practiced his swings until he felt somewhat confident that the wooden sword wouldn't just simply fly out of his hands when he tried a new move.
After about 30 minutes he was drenched in sweat, his body and hands hurt but it was the good kind of hurting that showed that he was slowly improving.
Taking a little break and wiping his forehead with a towel he couldn't help but crave a target to test his swordsmanship and a rather bold idea crossed his mind.
Thinking that it wasn't actually so bad he organized an old backpack and filled it with towels, bottles of water and a little snack before putting on a jacket and storming out of the apartment, sword fixed to his back and partially hidden by his supplies that he had with him.
After about 10 minutes of walking he arrived at a nearby park where he could see kids running around playing and families sitting down and having picknicks, it was after all a beautiful Sunday even though it was still somewhat cold but with the heatwave that was currently passing through most people used that to their advantage.
Makoto was currently looking for a good spot, possibly a little further away from prying eyes as he walked through the surrounding green.
After about 5 minutes he found an acceptable spot and tree as a target, even though other people would still be able to see what he was doing there was no real helping it if he wanted to practice properly.
Ignoring the looks he was getting he put down his backpack and held the wooden sword in both hands while staring at the tree before him.
Kicking off from the ground beneath him he performed a horizontal slash and for the first time felt a real response from his hands as he grazed the bark of the tree with force.
He started going through a set amount of simple moves and focused on the ones he had trouble with first, slowly but surely improving his understanding of how to properly hold and use a sword.
It was all trial and error and not really learning martial arts but it felt like a start and the right thing to do.
There were a few spectators that stopped to watch him for a while but they soon enough lost interest and continued on their way while Makoto did his best to ignore them.
The sight of a young man swinging a wooden sword against a tree did attract quite a bit of attention at first but as soon as people started to realize that he had no hidden agenda and was only training they lost interest and slowly left.
When the air started to grow colder and twilight filled the sky the exhausted Makoto decided to drink a mouthful of water and took a break.
All the muscles in his body hurt, not a single one seemed to have been spared as even his facial muscles felt tired.
Leaning on his sword he looked at the tree before him and was somewhat depressed.
No matter how fast or hard he attacked even while getting a better understanding of the sword in his hands he ever left a single mark on the bark of this rather old tree.
Letting out a sigh he pulled the wooden sword out from the ground and decided to try once more to at least do some damage to it.
Taking in a deep breath he focused his gaze on the tree and gripped the handle in his hands tight.
With an already practiced manner he pushed off the ground but something was different this time as a feeling of weightlessness filled his limbs.
Unbeknownst to him a crimson light suddenly flashed in his eyes as his body moved both fast and gentle, similar to how he carried himself Ingame.
Turning his ankles, hip, shoulders and wrists, a slash like he had never done before crashed against the tree and a loud bang echoed out, together with the sound of breaking wood.
The shock of the collision broke the trance that his body and mind had entered abruptly as he lost all feeling in his fingers.
Completely dumbfounded he stared at the wooden sword in his numbed hands that had snapped into two.
He wasn't really sad that the sword he recently bought was broken but more stunned as he noticed the deep dent his strike had left in the tree, the other half of his blunt weapon still being stuck inside the bark.
Unable to comprehend what happened, Makoto calmed down his haggard breathing as a wave of fatigue washed over him, he even had to sit down for a moment as everything around him started to go blurry.
After nearly a minute his body recovered far enough that he could stand up again.
Looking at his hands he couldn't help but remember that he had felt something similar to what just happened once before but not as strong.
Was this not the same thing as what had happened 2 weeks or so ago with that thief that tried to steal a girl's purse?
Didn't he kick that guy with the same feeling of power and speed that he just experienced?
Stunned by this discovery he couldn't help but think that it might just be the beast rearing its head but in his mind it just didn't fit.
If it really was the beast everything surrounding him would have gone hazy and he wouldn't have felt as tranquil as he did during that strike.
He also would not have experienced this ridiculous drain of power as he had clearly gone beyond of what his body was capable of when he was already tired.
A crazy idea crossed his mind and Makoto couldn't help but gulp.
Could... could it be that what I learned Ingame and practiced is also applicable in Real Life?
I mean it somewhat makes sense considering that it is proven that Real Life ability translates into Ingame ability but that it was possible for it to go the other way too is just... inconceivable.
Lost in thought he stared at the broken sword in his hands as a surge of newfound determination flowed through him.
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Finally done [th_084_.gif] took me ages to make these tables right...
Anyways, hope you enjoyed the chapter and if you got any questions just put them below!
Abbadon out!