The Queen’s first egg was to be presented in ten turns of the seasons as a new bride. Such was the desperation of the alliance with the fate of the world on their shoulders. The Dragons in their great pride would never forget what the ‘lesser races’ had forced upon them, and their resentment would only grow with the passage of time.

- On the Cataclysm by an unknown Quassian Scholar circa 103 AC.

Calm. I sought calm amidst the battlefield of my thoughts. A thousand times, I replayed my exchange with Jongshoi and Navigator Olai. Was there anything I could have done to steer the conversation in a different direction? To find a different path, a different strand of fate to cling to? Trapped in endless contemplation, I circled my cell, ruminating ceaselessly, as the dawn's rosy glow kindled the horizon. Soon after, the hush of the night was replaced by the clamor of industry and commerce.

My breakfast was a death row inmate’s last meal without the flavor. Despite all my efforts, my last training session only resulted in a single point increase in Strength. This led to a small boost in Health, and from that, I deduced that Strength's threshold for increasing Health was likely every four points. Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution all played a role in determining my endurance and stamina, though I had not yet calculated to what degree.

I smiled wryly, thinking that if I were back home, I would have sifted through the message boards, forums, and wikis to confirm my theory. Here, I had only myself to rely on. I checked my character sheet as I prepared to face the rest of the day. It appeared that I had also gained an additional ten experience points, and my character sheet had been updated with the name I had chosen. Once again, I marveled at the game-like nature of this world, far removed from my old one.

STATUS

Calling: Gilgamesh Level 3 Acolyte of Avaria

Strength: 12

Dexterity: 11

Constitution: 18

Intelligence: 15

Wisdom: 11

Charisma: 8

Luck: 11

SKILLS & PROFICIENCIES

Pain Nullification (lvl.1)

Power Strike (lvl.1)

Endure (lvl.1)

Stealth (lvl.1)

Rest (lvl.1)

Backstab (lvl.1)

Dodge (lvl.1)

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Polearms (lvl.1)

SPELLS & MAGIC

Heal (lvl.2)

Rust (lvl.1)

Identify (lvl.2)

Silent Casting (lvl.1)

GIFTS

Curse of Entropy: -20% all starting attributes.

Experience to next level 250/364

Health: 36/36

Stamina: 29/29

Mana: 10/10

There would be no point in training now; I needed to face my trial with a fresh mind and body. I had little doubt I would be pushed to the limit with the odds stacked against me. As my time approached, however, I refused to give in to fear. I overruled the thoughts that hung over me like the sword of Damocles.

I tried to formulate a strategy for my upcoming combat by analyzing my abilities. Between my Mana and my level two Heal spell, I had forty-one points of effective Health, provided I wasn't instantly killed by a single attack. It was actually a respectable forty-six points if I was willing to brave the pain and disorientation of bottoming out my Mana, although I conceded that this might not be feasible in a combat situation. Perhaps I could use it with my Pain Nullification skill to some sort of advantage?

Power Strike was a skill I could use three times before I started taking potentially serious damage to my Health, but I worried whether I would be strong enough to inflict significant harm against my enemies. How tough exactly was the average human in this world? Bogurchu seemed like the sort who was hard as nails, with his tremendous one hundred and forty-four points of Health. Dread filled me at the thought of having to face someone like that.

On the bright side, Navigator Olai mentioned that the "Winnowing" was some sort of test for their younger members, which could mean that my opponents would not be as tough as Bogurchu. However, they would almost certainly be of a higher level than me. For all intents and purposes, I was like a newborn in this world.

Yet, if I managed to survive, I would no doubt gain a significant amount of experience. My hands began to shake as I realized that I might have to take another human life to stay alive. Was it in me, I wondered. I resolved that if it came down to a choice between my life and someone else's, I would not play the role of a martyr.

After about an hour or so, two armored men wearing wolf-masked face helms and outfitted in overlapping plates that resembled the chitin of beetles entered my cell. Each of them carried a long two-pronged man-catcher-like device, which exuded an aura of tightly coiled menace.

I weighed my options, considering that this might be the prime moment to make a break for freedom. However, indecision took over, and I missed my chance as one of them caught me by the neck and began dragging me out of the cell.

I raised my hands in the universal sign of surrender and exclaimed in their language that I would walk willingly. However, they just grunted in the way of busy men and tugged harder on my leash.

Once I was out of the cell, the other guard attached his man-catcher around my neck, and they began pushing me with the length of their polearms, directing me towards the outside street. As we passed by my sullen-looking guards, there were no more jeers or mocking laughter. When we reached the main entrance, the bright morning sun greeted me, causing me to squint and slow down a fraction against its light.

Two guards standing post at the door stifled their chuckles as my bare feet touched the hard-packed earth of the street. My escort suddenly stopped behind me, pushing me slightly down and indicating a space on my left by my feet.

"Put them on," one of them growled in a surly voice as I noticed a rough pair of well-worn leather sandals on the floor by the entrance, perhaps a size too big for me.

I knelt down and slowly put them on, my fingers unsure with the buckles and intricate straps. I was tempted to use Identify on my new footwear but thought better of it. I would need every scrap of mana for my upcoming challenge.