The gods really liked the MMORPG setup. There was even a Dragon’s Dogma 2-like OST in the background. The game worked like this: everyone on Earth was transported to the class selection section of the game until every human, elf, dwarf, and beast men chose a class. The day and cycle stayed the same as before. Through the interface, he was quickly transported into a techno-rainbow tunnel until a drakaina appeared at a gold-filled temple.
He wasn’t surprised; he was of the dragon race, and dragons were worse than Trump when it came to money.
“Greetings, Adventurer! Welcome to Dragons, Monsters, and Adventurers. I’m the Demigoddess of Beginning, Recork! Pick from the base classes:
Swordsman: Role: Frontline melee combatant. Primary Attribute: Strength. Specializes in close-range combat with swords, focusing on physical attack.
Mage: Role: Offensive spellcaster. Primary Attribute: Intelligence. Uses elemental magic to deal damage from a distance, with a variety of spells for different situations.
Thief: Role: Stealth and agility. Primary Attribute: Dexterity. Excels in quick, precise attacks and evasion, often using daggers and stealth techniques.
Acolyte: Role: Healer and support. Primary Attribute: Wisdom. Focuses on healing, buffing allies, and providing spiritual support through holy magic.
Archer: Role: Long-range combat. Primary Attribute: Dexterity. Skilled with bows and crossbows, capable of dealing consistent damage from a distance.
Fighter: Role: Martial arts and unarmed combat. Primary Attribute: Strength. Utilizes hand-to-hand combat techniques, with a focus on quick strikes and combos.
Gunner: Role: Ranged physical combat. Primary Attribute: Dexterity. Uses firearms and ranged weapons, focusing on rapid-fire attacks and precision shooting.
Knight: Role: Tank and heavy melee combatant. Primary Attribute: Strength. Wears heavy armor and wields large weapons, specializing in taking and dealing significant damage.”
They really liked the MMORPG setup, mostly taking inspiration from Korea and other genres as well. In normal games, there were just the Warrior, Mage, Thief, Priest, and Gunner. Still, it was best to play the class he was most familiar with.
Looking at the class selection, Gazei saw the illustration of each subclass. Each one had four subclasses:
For the Swordsman, the subclasses included the Berserker, specializing in high-risk, high-reward combat with powerful, rage-fueled attacks; the Blade master, an expert in wielding dual swords with precision and speed, focusing on critical hits; the Samurai, who combined traditional sword techniques with spiritual abilities, enhancing combat prowess; and the Spell blade, who infused sword strikes with elemental magic, dealing both physical and magical damage.
The Mage offered the Elementalist, specializing in controlling elemental forces such as fire, water, earth, and air; the Witch Doctor, who used dark magic, curses, and summoned undead minions, blending necromancy, sorcery, and enchantments; the Summoner, a master in calling forth powerful creatures and spirits to aid in battle; and the Battle Mage, who combined physical combat with magical abilities, wearing light armor and wielding enchanted weapons.
For the Thief, the subclasses included the Assassin, specializing in stealth and delivering lethal, single-target attacks; the Shadow Dancer, who utilized agility and shadow magic to evade attacks and confuse enemies; the Trickster, who used deception, traps, and gadgets to outsmart opponents; and the Scout, an expert in reconnaissance with enhanced vision and tracking abilities.
The Acolyte had the Crusader, who combined heavy armor with offensive holy magic, focusing on protection and smiting enemies; the Monk, who combined martial arts with spiritual abilities, providing a balance of offense and healing; the Oracle, specializing in divination and foresight, providing strategic advantages and buffs; and the Inquisitor, who wielded holy magic for both offense and defense, capable of smiting enemies with divine power.
The Archer offered the Sharpshooter, specializing in long-range precision attacks with bows and crossbows; the Beastmaster, who forged bonds with animals, commanding them in battle alongside ranged attacks; the Ranger, an expert in survival skills, traps, and guerrilla tactics; and the Sniper, who utilized stealth and extreme long-range attacks to eliminate targets from afar.
For the Fighter, the subclasses included the Martial Artist, specializing in unarmed combat techniques, focusing on speed and combos; the Brawler, who excelled in close-quarters combat, using brute strength and powerful punches; the Chi Master, who harnessed inner energy (chi) to enhance physical abilities and perform supernatural feats; and the Grappler, an expert in grappling techniques, controlling enemies with throws and holds.
The Gunner had the Gunslinger, who utilized dual pistols and rapid-fire techniques for close to mid-range combat; the Heavy Gunner, who wielded powerful, large firearms such as cannons and rocket launchers; the Mechanic, who combined firearms with mechanical gadgets and turrets for versatile combat options; and the Rifleman, who focused on versatile firearms skills, using rifles and traps to control the battlefield.
Lastly, the Knight offered the Guardian, focusing on defense and crowd control, using heavy armor and shields to protect allies and maintain battlefield order; the Warlord, who combined heavy melee combat with battlefield leadership, boosting ally morale and coordinating attacks; the Dragoon, who specialized in polearm weapons and jumping attacks, delivering high-impact strikes from above; and the Champion, an expert in one-on-one combat, excelling in duels and overpowering single targets with superior strength and technique.
Already bored, Gazei knew what class he was going to pick. He always loved the dark classes or straight-up brute force gameplay. In his previous life, he always had berserker-like characters that dealt high amounts of damage while laughing like a madman. But that was fun and on a computer.
Gazei pressed the Knight class.
“Knight class: Warlord has been chosen! Excellent work, young Drakon! Now say your name so your enemies may fear you!”
“Gazei Bakal Hunter,” he answered with a yawn. “13 years old by human standards, I like big weapons, and I will spill the blood of anyone, anything, and any monster that comes in my way.”
He stared at the dragon angel. Dragons don’t mince words or play politics. They say what they mean and do what they want.
“Now that’s how a dragon should act! Look at that aura of yours, making me want to wait another 7 millennia and take you myself.”
Dragons have standards when it comes to dating. Until he was 18 by dragon standards, all Rin and Lianna could do was kiss and hug him.
“Where would you like to go, young Drakon? Terra Sancta has many good places for beginners like yourself to start in!”
A map soon appeared, displaying a very different world from the one he saw a month ago. But the names of the places hadn’t changed one bit. The new world was much, much bigger than he realized. The map sizes were vast, so vast that his father at his full size couldn’t even cover the smallest map halfway.
“The City of Arboris Silva.”
The dragon angel grinned, clearly happy with his choice for reasons he wouldn’t ask. “Choices confirmed! Weird how five other females of our kind chose the same place. Viridis Grove is the starting point for you, young Drakon. May the dragon gods grant you many battles and gold to hoard.”
After her little speech, Gazei Bakal was teleported to Viridis Grove.
The theme of the Earth kingdom didn’t change a bit; it was now populated by actual people and NPCs. It was hard to tell them apart at times, though. NPCs were created by the gods through magic to help and safeguard the world. They could breed with regular mortals and experience the same emotions. This unusual dynamic often drove the drama tenfold, but who was he to question the gods' sense of fun?
As he walked toward a house, he caught his reflection in the window mirror. He was dressed like a shabby shogun warrior, his armor mismatched and worn-looking despite never having been in a battle. A once-proud emblem on his chest plate was faded, barely recognizable. He couldn’t help but chuckle at the sight. A crappy shogun warrior or whatever? The thought made him smile wryly.
Shaking his head, he adjusted the ill-fitting helmet, pushing a stray lock of hair back into place. Catching movement with his eyes, Gazei saw many adventurers—or was it players? —running around like crazy. He could hear words like "Quest" and "It's already been taken."
Just great, he was in one of those kinds of games?! A game where the quests are only open at certain parts of the day, by certain people, and set by the rules of real life. Once a quest is completed, taken, or failed, it may never appear again for a player who took the same quest.
The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.
Yeah, the gods took a lot from Korea in making this world.
Rolling his eyes, Gazei waved his hand to pull up his status screen.
Character: Gazei Bakal
Race: Drakyn (Dragonborn)
Age: 13
Class: Knight
Subclass: Warlord
Citizenship: Holy Terra Sancta
Level: 0
HP: 100
Physical Attack: 10
Attack Speed: 5
Movement Speed: 5
Casting Speed: 5
Attributes:
* Strength: 5
* Intelligence: 5
* Dexterity: 5
* Wisdom: 5
* Vitality: 5
Attribute Points: 5
Weapon Proficiency:
* Polearm Mastery: Increased damage of polearms by 5% (5/25)
* Heavy Weapons Mastery: Increased damage of heavy weapons by 5% (5/25)
* One-handed Weapon Mastery: Increased damage of one-handed weapons by 5% (5/25)
* Two-handed Weapon Mastery: Increased damage of two-handed weapons by 5% (5/25)
* Gun Mastery: Increased damage of guns by 5% (5/25)
Proficiencies:
* Martial Arts of War: Basic hand-to-hand and weapon combat skills. (5/25)
* Leadership: Ability to inspire and lead small groups. (5/25)
* Survival: Basic survival skills in the wild. (5/25)
* Tactics: Basic understanding of battle strategies. (5/25)
Skills:
* Hard Striker (Long Weapon Required):
* Damage: 15
* Cooldown: 30 seconds
* Level: 1
* Proficiency Points: 0/100
Equipment:
* Novice Warlord Gear Set (Common): +5 Strength
* Helmet of the Novice Warlord: (Common)
* Level Requirement: 0
* Bonus: +1 HP
* Durability: 10/10
* Chestplate of the Novice Warlord: (Common)
* Level Requirement: 0
* Bonus: +2 HP
* Durability: 15/15
* Leggings of the Novice Warlord: (Common)
* Level Requirement: 0
* Bonus: +1 HP
* Durability: 12/12**
* Boots of the Novice Warlord: (Common)
* Level Requirement: 0
* Bonus: +1 HP
* Durability: 8/8
* Novice Warlord Polearm: (Common)
* Level Requirement: 0
* Bonus: +2 Physical Attack
* Durability: 20/20**
“Not only Korea gaming bullshit, but also DND, which is very dumb to notice because they copy the goddamned name for this world, and since I only have attribute points meaning I have to work on those skills instead of raising them up.”
There was more bad news. Not only was his equipment very crappy, but the starting items he got were not good. All he had was a basic meal prep with 10 ounces of water. Just like in games he knows, eating food will recover HP and fluids for MP, which he doesn’t have. One meal kit recovers 100 HP for every second up to 10 seconds. Unless he levels up, eating the food would be a complete waste of a good item.
Having been through this song and dance before, he already knew how to build his Warlord character. Well, he had an idea on how to build it.
He put all points into dexterity, increasing it to 10; attack and movement speed went to eight right away. Well, that proves his theory on attributes and how they affect classes.
All the strength in the world matters little when you can’t hit your target or even move fast enough to dodge attacks or chase them down. Right now, he could already feel the difference in his depth perception and his muscle nervous system.
Smoke on the dragon air! Love is the rock! Smoke on the dragon laaaaaaiiirr!
Gazei's God Slate voice communication rang, and it even showed a caller ID: Rin Pendragon. The tech level of this world is both weird and familiar. It also takes heavily from the last two Zelda games, and for the life of him, he can’t explain why there is rock music and why Rin somehow set up a ringtone. He picked up the call.
“My love. I love being a mage~ Elementalist is so awesome! I can shoot fire, water, earth, and air elements! But I don’t want those elements, my love. Those belong to you, but I will try to find four new elements to master! But can I still use your four, my love?” Rin asked hopefully.
“Again… I don’t have a monopoly on elements, Rin. You can use whatever you want.” He said, not wanting to have this conversation again. “Where are you and the others?”
“We are in Moonlight Village, my love. What is your location? Shiva, Ranga, Rim, and Belza are here. I also have to tell you about their classes. Shiva is a Guardian with a long sword and medium size shield fighting style. Rim chose to be a Trickster and is ready to resume the role of a housekeeper. Natsumi also chose the same class as Rim but more of the ninjutsu path of things. Ranga is a crusader. Katsumi is a martial artist. Lei-Lei is a Chi master and…”
The boy tuned out the rest of the conversation. Rin, while one of the smartest girls he knows—and he knows a lot of women—tends to ramble whenever she makes a report.
“I’m in Viridis Grove town,” Gazei cut her off. “Get here quick. Something tells me we might need everyone here. But have Rim set up an HQ in the various towns. We need to build our reputation in Terra.”
He really hoped there was a reputation system in this gamer world.
“We will come right away. I will have Rim start in Viridis Grove first, then go to the other towns and villages. In the meantime, we should raise our levels. The monsters not only look delicious, but they also drop money. Won, Yen, and even Gourde. The temple of the Merchant Gods said so. I should gift Smaug something nice for that information from the head priest.”
It’s weird that the currency of the world never changes or why bronze, silver, and gold are replaced by bronze won, silver yen, and gold gourde. It rolls off the tongue pretty well.
“Ok, I will check out the town for any group quests.”
“Good hunting, my love~” Rin blew a kiss and hung up.
“I’m not going to be ready when I turn eighteen,” Gazei muttered, heading to the slum part of town. If the world follows the rules of his past life games, then the best quests are from the people of the slums. They always have hidden quests and loot found in those areas.
Gazei read the pamphlet that was given to everyone at the start of the game—or was it game?—it seems that his theory on the game mechanics was on point. Millions upon millions of NPCs roam the world, but only 10% give out quests, and rarer few give out Hidden Quests. Then there is the Legend Quest, a quest that is only given to one player/adventurer—he is going to have to set a name on that—once and only once. The Legend would no longer be available once the quest was completed.
Too bad he has no idea how to even earn a Normal Quest, let alone a Legend Quest. Walking through the dark alleys filled to the brim with beggars and criminals looking for their next meal.
“I recommend y’all get lost before I take your lives,” Gazei yelled, releasing a wave of pressuring mana. The best part of watching anime and playing video games while growing up? Using their methods in your next life makes you extremely powerful.
Like dominos, the pack of beggars and thugs fell to the ground unconscious, and the horrible stench became even worse than before.
“Oh yeah, very weak people piss themselves when I do that.” Gazei recalled many times when he used the mana technique to scare the living daylights out of anything weaker than him. It was called Mana Pressure: a technique in which powerful individuals instill fear into their opponents by releasing their mana, knocking out very weak creatures on contact or creating realistic, frightening illusions in the form of a semi-physical manifestation of their strength and will, which can instill fear into any weaker being.
If they don’t pass out from the pressure, then they faint or run away from the manifestation of his aura—a three-eyed dragon with rows of sharp teeth.
“To think there was something interesting in this world after all,” a voice said, belonging to a man with a blindfold around his face.
Did he accidentally trigger a quest?
“Hey yo!” Gazei greeted the man pleasantly. The thirteen-year-old tilted his head left, lazily dodging the sword strike aimed at his neck. “May I help you, Jack the Scourge?”
Ding!
[System Notification: Legend Quest—The Test of the Streets unlocked.
Quest Details: Meet the unspoken king of the backstreet and impress him. Adventurer must not exceed level 10.
Hidden Details (Rare): Dodge or survive an attack from the king of the backstreet.
Hidden Details (Rare): Learn the name of Jack before the first meeting.]
Thank God for dragon hearing. I kept hearing the name Jack more than once when I came to the alley.
The king of the backstreet dropped his sword and hollered in laughter. “I can’t believe that someone would actually impress me. Even though you’re a Dragonborn, it’s not easy to dodge my attacks at your current level.”
As soon as he finished that statement, Gazei received a notification from the gods of his race.
[System Notification: Legend Quest—The Test of the Streets completed. Rewarding 5,000 EXP, 5 free unassigned mastery points, 1 Legendary Weapon Chest.
Hidden (Rare) Reward: 5 Attribute Points.
Hidden (Rare) Reward: 5 Free Weapon Mastery Points.]
Blinking and hearing a sound that he heard all too often in RPG games, he saw his exp bar was only halfway full to level 1.
It takes 10,000 exp just to level up from zero? Damn, the gods really did take a lot from Korea. The mastery system still needs to be explained, but it looks like I can put points into them. Maybe it gives a choice on which path I want to take? I will leave the 10 Mastery Points alone for now.
“Meet me again when you’re stronger,” Jack said before walking off.
[System Notification: Rare Quest—Challenge the King of the Backstreet unlocked.
Quest Details: Defeat Jack and become King of the Backstreet.]
“I have no idea if that is good or not,” he questioned, shrugging off the little details. The quest had no time limit or even requirement, so he would come back to it. Plus, he doubted he would be able to land a hit on the backstreet king.
“Well, might as well open the box.” Gazei held a box no bigger than a small dog, adorned with gems on the outside. Why would a beggar-looking street fighter have such a rare box? The rarity of chests follows the item rarity. The bright red hue was unmistakable.
From Common (White), Uncommon (Blue), Rare (Purple), Epic (Orange), Mythical (Gold), Legendary (Red). The reward for this quest was too much.
“I died and lived for over 10,000 years and still have to face the damn RNG…”