Chapter 1
January 21, 2054. 2:22 P.M.
Things progressed quickly as the month flew by in a heartbeat. After the Elven Queen was given back the cloak, things spiraled into repetitive activities of simple and dull quests, which Zero didn’t mind. Instead, he enjoyed the monotonous daily life.
Every level-up and new artifact that he had gained was helpful, but there weren’t many rare artifacts that he could use. He had to give it away to the people who needed them. Zero took care of any dungeons near Elven City until today.
Days pass quickly, becoming months as they do the small quest for the Elven Queen.
Zero was still stuck in his dragon form, but he didn't mind. He was getting used. His wings are rapidly growing, becoming larger and larger. Now, it was half the size of his body. If he flapped his wings a bit hard, he could lift himself to a certain point in the air for a few seconds before landing back on the ground. He expected his wings to be fully grown in a few more weeks.
To be able to fly thrilled him.
Zero was wrapped around the fountain. Players started and whispered, looking at him with interest. To see a dragon wasn’t often, bringing curiosity to the Players.
Sitting by the fountain underneath the setting sun, Zero, Agnis, Zeraph, and Jorge were silent, watching the players go by.
Zero brought up the Seed Quest.
Seed Quest: Sprout
Part I: Retrieve the Eternal Stone.
The Eternal Stone has been in slumber for a thousand years, and the darkness has found its location. Quickly find it before the enemy finds it, or else darkness falls on the world. ( Solo quest.)
Quest Level: C-
Requirement: solo
First Quest was completed.
Part II: Revive the Lost Library
The Eternal Stone speaks to you. It calls for your help reviving the slumbering library to be returned to its former glory. Search for the Library that sleeps hidden in plain sight(Solo quest).
Quest Level: C+
Requirement: solo
2nd Quest completed
Part III: Enter the Pyramid of Light
Search the Pyramid of Light, and activate the energy source with the Eternal Stone.
There aren’t many powerful sources of energy that can bring back ancient machines that can create powerful homes.
Quest Level: B
Requirement: Solo
3rd Quest
Part IV: Retrieve the Book of Death
Steal the book of Death from the Necromancer Zalim. Be careful of his undead army for they are powerful and many. Necromancer Zalim has been known for capturing its enemies and torturing them to the brink of death for months before turning them into mindless slaves.
Level: A-
Requirement: 5 people in total
Reward: Depends on the success
Failure: the destruction of a nation
Zero was pleased with how far he had come. He wondered how long before the end of this chain quest. He had questions about where this journey would lead, but he didn’t like the Failure of the 3rd Quest: Destruction of a Nation.
The question was….which nation?
“You guys ready?” Agnis asked. “The portal should be open for the Entrance to the Dark Continent.”
“Yes.” Jorge grinned. “I heard that the entrance to the Dark Continent is dangerous. Some of the players who went there first stated it's something to watch out for.”
“I heard the same thing,” Agnis replied.
“You guys ready?” Zero asked. He stood up, shaking his body.
“Yep.” Zeraph stood up. “The Portal to the Dark Continent is finally glowing. We won’t have another chance after this until tomorrow.”
Everyone got up, heading toward the glowing ring that was in the middle of the city. The new portal only appeared when the sun set and even then it would only last for thirty minutes before it would disappear again.
Quickly, other Players who were waiting for the portal entered, one after another.
Zero followed after. His body tightened and expanded, he felt his stomach turn until finally, he appeared at his location.
Stepping forward, he looked around.
The sky was dark, the area was dull. Barely any life was present as the plants and trees were twisted and deadlike. Even the ground was barely budding with life. Broken homes, fences, and terrible roads were present.
Turning his head to the left, Zero noticed that they were in a small run-down village compared to the vast beauty of the Elven city, this was a huge contrast.
“Did we come to the right place?” Jorge asked. “It doesn’t seem right.”
“Yes.” Zero noses opened and closed.
A few of the villagers were nearby pale when they saw Zero. They scattered, running toward their hut.
“A dragon!” One of the villagers screamed in fear.
Zero snapped his head, wondering who screamed.
“There is a dragon here! Run!” The villager stumbled and fell face-first.
“That’s quite a different reaction,” Agnis replied, as she walked toward the fallen Villager.
“That’s a normal reaction.” Jorge chuckled. “It's strange if people don’t have that reaction whenever they see a dragon.”
“Still….” Agnis leaned over toward the fallen villager. It was a young woman in ragged clothes and short hair. She was skinny to the bones and her face was sunken. “Are you okay?”
The woman hiccuped, her eyes becoming wide. She slapped Agnis's hand and got up. Rushing away and leaving them all behind.
“Well, that’s quite welcome.” Agnis sighed. “This is going to be a bit difficult.”
“True, we need to find any information about the Necromancer Zalim. Let’s split up and search the village,” Zero replied.
“Okay,” Jorge replied.
Zeraph nodded.
“Let’s meet back here in an hour.”
Everyone agreed, splitting ways.
Zero sat down for a moment, looking around. All the villagers who made eye contact with him squealed in fear or hid from his gaze, making this information gathering a lot more difficult than he liked. Usually, he wouldn’t have such trouble as he would be in his human form, merging with the population.
Now that he was not, it was going to be a bit more difficult than he liked. With a sigh, he snorted.
Where was he going to find any information about Zalim…..he thought as he continued to eye the village. There wasn’t much to see, a few huts here and there. The only active people were the Players that came over through the portal and even then the residents didn’t interact with the Players either.
Out of the corner of his eyes, he saw something move. Snapping his head to the right, he noticed that there was an odd tree, twisted into a knot. He didn’t first notice it until the shriveled-up tree for a moment glowed.
Getting up, Zero walked over.
Curious, he tilted his head, looking it over.
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The tree slightly glowed green once again, making him lean forward.
“It’s glowing?” Zero reached over, poking it a few times with his claws.
The tree wilted and became dust.
“What?!” Zero looked around, wondering if anyone saw what he did.
When nobody paid him any attention, he went back to investigate what he had noticed. His claws reached out, wiping away at the dust and the dirt.
In the middle, he found a white, carved-out skull. Picking it up, he wondered what it was.
Death Talisman.
You have found a Death Talisman. There are numerous Death Talismans around the village.
There are thirty death talismans around the village.
Quest updated.
3rd Quest
Part IV: Retrieve the Book of Death
Steal the book of Death from the Necromancer Zalim. Be careful of his undead army for they are powerful and many. Necromancer Zalim has been known for capturing its enemies and torturing them to the brink of death for months before turning them into mindless slaves.
Zalim’s Death Talismans is found throughout the village. It is sapping the strength of the villagers. Get rid of the rest of the Death Talisman.
1/30 found
Level: A-
Requirement: 5 people in total
Reward: Depends on the success
Failure: the destruction of a nation
Zero was surprised at the unexpected connection to the Death Talisman. Why was he the only one who was able to see this talisman?
Quickly, he gazed around, trying to find any other soft green glow. Not too far away, he found another.
Getting up, he walked over toward the next. This time, the talisman was hidden in the crevice of a brick house, where he had to use his sharp claws that were wedged quite tightly between two bricks.
Death Talisman 2/30
When he pulled out the second Death talisman gently glowed a bit brighter. Zero could feel the energy from the Death Talisman humming together.
It didn't take long for him to start searching for the next. Each Death Talisman is throughout the village, finding them in odd places.
Death Talisman 3/30
Death Talisman 10/ 30
Death Talisman 23/30
Each time, he gathered more and more Death Talismans. The stronger the energy around it became unbearably disgusting. It was as if the energy from the Death Talisman was trying to suck out his energy.
Death Talisman 30/30
The last Death Talisman was found inside the well, where Zero had to scoop it out from the bottom. He had to use his tail to bring it out. A bright green light erupted from his hand, momentarily blinding him. The Death Talisman glowed, merging into one.
Death Compass
It was a black compass. Deeply engraved in front were the words “Bring Forth the Dead”.
The energy in the Village of the Damn has lightened. You have brought back health to the village. The villagers are less weary of you.
New Quest: What’s the end of the line?
The death compass is a compass that leads to the owner of death. Find the owner of the Compass
Success: Gold ring
Failure: Broke Compass
The compass trembled the green light from the Compass shot forward like a thin line. It shoots forward, into the sky, casting out into the distance. Disappearing into nothingness. Every time he moved around, the line still pointed in the same direction.
“Zero!” Agnis called out, waving her hand over her head.
Zero glanced over his shoulder.
“I found something,” Agnis replied, her hair was a mess as if she went on a run. “You’re going to get a kick out of this.”
“What is it?” Zero asked.
“What do you have in your claws?” Agnis spoke, tipping toeing to look closer.
“Let’s hear what you have to say first, I’ll tell you about this after.”
“Fine.” Agnis pouted. “Well, Zalim was born in this village.”
“Who do you hear that from?”
“One of the old ladies that lived here remembered Zalim in his childhood days. The village was a flourishing city. It was not even fifty years since the decay of the village fields and the death of the animals that made it difficult to live here. The only thing that keeps them all here is the mining not two miles away.”
“What else did she say?”
“Well, the thing is that when he was young, he would kill animals. There have also been strange cases of dead people cropping up with illnesses. It wasn’t until he left the village that people died less.”
“So, this was his hunting ground.”
“Yea, they don’t bring up his name. It was difficult to pry it out without some persuasion that there won’t be any harm.”
“Was there anything else?”
“None, what about you?” Agnis asked. She placed her hand on her hips.
“This is a Death Compass.” Zero brought out the compass for her to see. There were green words that hummed with a pulse.
“A Death Compass?” Agnis leaned over, taking a good look at it. “Is this from Zalim as well?” She gazed up.
“I don’t know. All I know is that this talisman was placed everywhere in the village. This could be the cause of the many deaths that you were talking about.”
“Really…huh. It gives me an uncomfortable feeling.”
“I agree, but it also points to something.”
“What do you mean?” Agnis confusedly gazed up at Zero.
“You can’t see it?” Zero asked. He looked at her and then back at the distance where the compass was pointing to.
“See what?” Agnis tilted her head, placing her hand on her hips. “You’re playing with me, are you?”
“No,” Zero replied. “I got a notification. It must be for me only then.”
“Oh, okay. That makes more sense.”
“Where are the others?” Zero asked. “Do you think they have found anything about Zalim?”
Agnis shook her head. “Not that I know of.”
Just on cue, Zeraph and Jorge arrived a few moments later.
Zeraph walked over with his hand crossed. His expression was furrowed.
“Zeraph, are you alright?” Agnis asked, concerned.
“Huh?” Zeraph stopped, realizing that he had appeared before them. “Oh. Sorry, I wasn’t paying attention.”
“Did you find anything?” Agnis asked.
“No, nothing. This village has barely anything. Every single one of them seems on edge that it's barely possible to get any answers from them. What about you?”
“Nothing,” Agnis shook her head.
“I had some luck,” Jorge replied. “One of the old women I have met by the well said something strange.”
“That is?”
“The red moon on the sixth month of the sixth day begins the day of the end. The world is screaming for the end to arrive. Beware, the one with six eyes is waiting for the end. She then shriveled up and went into a daze. I couldn’t quite get anything else from her after that.”
“Wait, that old woman said that?” Agnis asked. “I was wondering why she seemed so clueless. I thought she was just ignoring me. Still, what does that mean?”
“I don’t know, but it was a bit odd. Hopefully, it's not much. It sounds very ominous.”
“Possibly, it's a game anyways. What more could a poem do.” Jorge shrugged his shoulders.
“Well, Zero found something.”
“He did?”
“Yea, a death compass and a quest,” Zero replied. “I think this compass is a clue to unlocking some problems that we have here in the village. Maybe it would help us be able to talk with the villagers when we solve it.”
“I don’t see anything.” Jorge scratched his head.
“I do,” Zeraph spoke. This time, squinting a bit.
“You can?” Zero asked, surprised. The other two couldn’t see what was in front of him.
“Yea, it's pointing toward the forest, isn’t it?”
“Yes.”
“Then let’s go. It's something.”
They started to walk in the direction the Death Compass pointed. Just when they passed the outer boundaries of the fences, a young girl with red hair appeared before them.
“Excuse me!” The girl waved her hand to stop them all in their tracks.
Zero stopped before her, looming over her as his shadows cast down.
The girl didn’t waver. She gazed up with intensity and awe.
“Yes?” Zero asked, watching her.
“I saw you picking up something through the village.”
“I did.”
“I was wondering if you could take me with you.”
“Why? You’re safer than her.”
The girl shook her head. I know where you are going and I want to go with you.``
“What do you mean?” Zero got closer. His head was the size of hers. With a sniff, her hair was blown to the side, making it messy.
“You’re looking for Zalim, aren’t you?”
Zero bared his teeth, snarling. “Who are you? Are you connected to him?!”
The girl shook her head. “I saw you meeting him.”
Zero opened and closed his teeth, unsure what she meant.
“She has the gift of foresight,” Zeraph spoke.
The girl gazed over toward Zeraph, “You aren’t who you say you are. I know you aren’t supposed to be here.”
“Kid, what do you know?”
The girl shrugged. “I just need help getting to where you guys need to go. Plus, I don’t have any family here looking for me if that is what you are concerned with.”
Zero stopped being unable to refute her anymore.
“Let’s just take her,” Agnis whispered, “She might be more useful than we think.”
With a heavy sigh, Zero gave in. “Fine. Keep close.”
“I will, and my name is Rose.” Rose walked over to Zero’s side and climbed on his back.
Zero gapped, surprised that she took the initiative to climb on.
Agnis reached over, touched his shoulder, and stared. Zero understood.
“Let’s move out.” Zero began walking.
They walked out of the village, heading directly into the dark forest. With every step, Zero took, his senses were ringing telling him that there was danger.
Light fog drifted through the forest floor, covering it to their ankles. The trees were twisted and their barks burnt black. The only green lives were the vines and mosses that ran across the tree branches from overhead.
Small green mushrooms littered the floor. Every time they accidentally stepped on them, a burst of spores exploded outwards, giving off a rotten smell.
Zero didn’t know how long they had followed through the unending pathway, where no animals or birds sang. He could hear his breathing in the silent forest, leaving all of them unnerved.
Every break of a branch or movement sounded ten times louder than normal. Jorge, Agnis, and Zeraph were silent, keeping their attention around them.
“It’s strange,” Zeraph spoke, breaking the silence. “There are no monsters.”
“Shhhhh. Don’t jinx us!” Agnis hissed, glaring at him.
“I’m not trying to, there should be life in the forest, but there isn’t here.”
“I agree. We have been walking for half a day and we haven’t even found anything.”
Suddenly, a message appeared before Zero’s eyes.
Countdown until the Demon Prince awakening.
Three years 109 days.
What is going on? Zero thought. He was sure that he didn’t pull up the Count timer for the Demon Prince's awakening.
When he walked a bit more, another message appeared.
Countdown until the Demon Prince awakening.
Three years and 108 days.
Zero continued, making sure that he wasn’t seeing things.
Countdown until the Demon Prince awakening.
Three years 107 days.
“Is it going down?” Zero mumbled. Were they close to the Demon Prince’s location? He gazed around, trying to find the source, but so far nothing.
Why was it going down? What was causing it?
Zero didn’t like how the closer he got to wherever he was going, the countdown was getting closer.
“Are you alright?” Agnis asked.
“Yea. It’s nothing.” Zero quickly spoke.
“Are you sure? You don’t look alright.”
“Let’s just get this quest over quickly.” Zero spoke, picking up the pace as they continued onward toward the direction of where the DEath Compass pointed. He couldn’t leave the quest.