Got exams so by the time you read this I'll either be done with them or just about to do them. Surprised nobody asked what tiger pelt Vigil gave to Culus/Angustia. Do remember he used one of them as makeshift underwear.
P.S. also got sick and started a new writing style: using italics for thoughts and bold for talking. Rather than using ' and " to differentiate. Like it better than the old way? I already applied it to the prologue too but it's painfully boring so not yet for the other chapters.
Almost done with cover. Aiming to create the painting of Vigil's sword mentioned in the story.
http%3a%2f%2fi60.tinypic.com%2f2w4fgxk.jpg [http://i60.tinypic.com/2w4fgxk.jpg]
This link in case sh*t happens:
http://i60.tinypic.com/2w4fgxk.jpg
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Vigil: Aliquid? He never mentioned in his journals that he wrote a book. Perhaps he scattered around things in hopes of gathering them afterwards. Or gave them to close/rich friends in exchange for various services. He did spend a lot of time, money, and resources to create me. Maybe he has a key to read this back where I was created!
Vigil got up from the tree he was sitting against. He picked up all his stuff and checked the sun.
Vigil: The gate to the slums really does point outwards directly West. That's the direction I have to go.
A growl came from the woods, interrupting Vigil's thoughts. 16 red eyes pierced through the forest. Vigil simply smiled and drew his sword.
~1 month later~
Vigil was traveling the roads at a decent pace. He rarely slept and food seemed to find him easily.
The roads between Ardebit and Magianon were well managed yet rarely traveled. This was to allow fast military and supply transportation. But neither side had fought recently. A peace treaty between the nations didn't exist so merchants preferred to go to other countries or use "different routes".
But Vigil bumped into a rare sight eventually. A wagon slowly ambling towards Magianon. A dwarf was at its reigns while the mounts were similar to goats.
The goats were the size of tigers though and had 4 horns. The horns intersected into a pretzel shape. More focused on brunt non-lethal force. But on a mountain a little push is all you need.
Vigil walked up alongside the carriage curiously. Dwarves were a half race therefore unwelcome in Magianon. There was no nearby villages, just forts and military camps. Yet those banned merchants from coming along. Since there were situations in the past where merchants were used for ambushes.
Vigil: The only possible destination for this carriage is Magianon. A smuggler? An idiot? Or is he part of a mercenary corps, here to join in the fighting? Unlikely since there haven't been any battles in the past 5 years.
Dwarf: Traveler, it would be nice if you stopped eyeing me and my carriage. Hop up and give me some company or begone before I sick these Heracles Mountain Goats on you.
Vigil: You're speaking properly?!
Dwarf: Yes I'm one of the few dwarves that bother to learn the language fully. The name is Afigitís, I'm a traveling merchant.
Afigitís moved slightly to the side and patted the seat next to him. Vigil hopped onto the carriage and sat next to the odd dwarf.
Vigil: So why are you heading towards Magianon?
Afigitís: Got some ores that are in demand over the border. Worthless without my contact though.
Vigil: Ah so you're a smuggler.
Afigitís: Smuggler?! Don't mix me up with those idiots. I'm perfectly legitimate with a license and everything.
Vigil: But you're a dwarf.
Afigitís: What does that have to- oh. You haven't heard have you. Magianon opened its doors up to dwarves ten years ago, and recently let in elves too. As long as they don't use any magic while they're here.
Vigil: What?! Why? I thought they had horrible relations with half races.
Afigitís: Some legend about one of their gods living on a mountain came about. Other legends followed suit and now they accept half races that look close to human. Still reject things like orcs but my people have no love for orcs either.
Vigil: I think I'll travel with him for now. I might hear more about these legends.
Afigitís: So what's your name?
Vigil: Vigil
Vigil: Is Daedalus or Afigitís the abnormal dwarf? I'm not sure anymore.
Afigitís then remained silent for a little while so Vigil looked around. He noticed that the carriage had writing on it "Αφηγητής", but Vigil couldn't read it. So he looked at the rest of the carriage. At first glance it seemed to be wood but instead it was stone. Stone with grooves cut into it delicately to make a wood grain texture. In the back there was several bags piled up. One of the bags leaked out a strange greenish ore. It gave off a metallic shine though.
Vigil: Impurities? Or something else? Come to think of it my blade sometimes gives off a greenish hue. The sheathe itself is green in color.
He then turned to the side to see Afigitís sitting uncomfortably close. His face was right next to his glaring.
Afigitís: I said they're worthless without my contact! No touching and no staring at it for too long.
Vigil: No I just felt like I've seen that ore before, in its refined state.
Afigitís: Hah that's a good one. Humans cannot comprehend this ore. Too difficult for them, countless have tried.
Vigil: I never said that a human did it. I got it as a part of an exchange. A sword that might contain that ore.
Afigitís: Let me see it.
Vigil took the sword off his back and handed it to Afigitís. The dwarf drew it from its sheathe. He then held it up in the sun. A flash of green reverberated across the sword quickly. Simply a glint that could barely be spotted.
Afigitís: Impressive, it contains a high purity of prásino fos. No wonder even a human could spot the rare greenness in its refined state. The maker is Daedalus, hrmm haven't heard of him but quite skilled and good materials. This enchantment is strong too, must have been a skilled enchanter. Perhaps an elven enchantment.
Vigil and Afigitís continued their journey while chatting about the ore. Afigitís like all dwarves was paranoid at first but warmed up to him. Vigil forgot why he decided to stay with Afigitís in the first place. Once again he got hungry and wasn't able to fill himself up around another person. But he managed by taking "bathroom breaks" once in awhile to fill up his stomach. Back in Quatour Temporum he wasn't around Culus all the time so he could leave the gates or visit several restaurants.
Ironically Vigil rarely if ever had to actually go to the bathroom. His body had an extremely efficient and strong digestive system. He could even tolerate the poisonous byproducts from digestion so using the bathroom was only needed when he had a buildup of materials useless to him in the body. Which was very rare.
~1 month later~
Vigil and Afigitís reached the border of Magianon marked by a checkpoint. Guards immediately surrounded them. More glances of suspicion came upon Vigil than Afigitís. They seemed to know Afigitís while Vigil looked like a bandit.
Vigil's beard now reached his knees. He never bothered to fix his outfit up as he was in the slums. As a result it was torn from years of travel with more grime than clothe. Then there was the suspiciously clean and well adorned sword. Alongside an oversized backpack. Vigil got it since the rucksack was in bad condition.
Guard: Afigatits you can go ahead while we search this guy and your carriage.
Afigitís: Hell no I got wares in there. Not gonna risk any of it disappearing. Besides you still can't pronounce things for crap Custos.
Custos: Whatever but if my supervisor comes along then you'll be the one explaining not me.
Custos began searching through the carriage's baggage and checked for hidden compartments. While another unnamed guard searched Vigil's bag and set the sword on a table. The other guards left to another room.
The guard looked at the contents strangely as he put them on the table. 1 Xvi wolf pelt, 2 tiger pelts, 1 bear pelt, a bunch of brownish reptile scales, a spare dagger, a book full of gibberish, an an usually high amount of cash.
Vigil grabbed the guard's hand when he tried to slip a few coins up his sleeve. Both of them glared at each other for a few seconds. Then the guard relented and moved onto checking the empty bag for hidden pockets.
Vigil: There's no official trade between Ardebit and Magianon so in theory these coins should be useless here. But they contain gold so they're still valuable.
Eventually they found everything all good. They were about to pass them through when Custos suddenly grabbed and unsheathed the sword.
Custos: Sweet sword you got here.
Then the enchantment on the sword made it glow. Both guards immediately unsheathed their weapons. Custos dropped the sword in the process. He wasn't able to hold it for long anyways from its weight. Afigitís quickly ran over and picked up the sword while yelling. The guards knew the merchant so they were hesitant to cut him down.
Afigitís: It's made of Dwarven ores! It's not a magical item!
The guards seemed to calm down with these words. They weren't very knowledgeable with magical items or Dwarven works. So they decided to accept Afigitís's words.
Soon enough their possessions were given back and they passed through the checkpoint. After they were some distance away from the checkpoint Afigitís let out a sigh of relief.
Afigitís: Forgot about that enchantment, should've put it in the compartment with the other ones. I'll have to go through other checkpoints from now on with another identity.
Vigil: Haha I knew it, you were a smuggler. You called yourself an idiot.
Afigitís: D*mn your memory is good. Whatever now you're a smuggler too. By pointing that out you called yourself an idiot.
Vigil: Good point, let's talk of merrier things. tell me another legend.
Afigitís: Okay this time I'll go with the story The Foolish King and the God Mercury.
Afigitís had a wealth of stories that he told to Vigil. Some were human but most were Dwarven. He never went back to the story that made dwarves accepted in Magianon though.
~A few days later~
Afigitís's carriage reached a forked path. One lead in the direction of the capital. While the other went north, towards the mountains. Afigitís's carriage turned towards the northern path. Vigil reluctantly stepped out of the carriage because of this.
Afigitís: Oy Vigil, why are you getting off?
Vigil: My destination is near the capital so we must part ways.
Afigitís: A pity then, head towards Mar's Perch once you're done with your business. We can meet up again. We'll share our tales over a glass of Dwarven ale. The stuff is a little strong for a human but I have a feeling that you can handle it.
They parted ways on the forked path. As the area was currently plains they could see each other in the distance. Neither looked though as there was no need.
Vigil: Dwarven ale the only stuff strong enough to take away their paranoia. With this body I could easily handle it. It should be fun. But where is this Mar's Perch.
Vigil continued his journey along the path alone. Without Afigitís he had much more freedom to go off hunting. But the roads became much more traveled so he had to wash himself more frequently.
Eventually he came upon a strange scene. 2 carriages off the path on opposite sides. Both were well decorated and had thoroughbred beasts of burden. Obviously the owners were either rich merchants, nobles, or high ranking clergy.
The passengers alongside their bodyguards were glaring at each other. Some sort of incident happened recently.
Vigil didn't really care so he just tried to pass through. But he was stopped by one of the bodyguards.
Bodyguard: Halt traveler, for your own safety and our convenience please remain here. Our business should conclude soon. Any attempts to pass will be considered a threat and you'll be cut down.
Vigil: That's fine, I'm not in a big hurry anyways.
~2 hours later~
The passengers of both carriages continued to glare at each other. They even set up camps and the bodyguards started cooking food. Vigil was brought to the limits of his patience.
Vigil: What's going on here?! I've been waiting for hours now. I might as well go around at this point.
Bodyguard: If you do that you'll be seen as a danger. Right now there is a contest between 2 noble families over their carriages. First to stop glaring must admit the other noble's carriage is fancier. These contests never last more than 3 days, this one should end soon.
Vigil sighed and decided to wait a bit longer. Both nobles partook in eating with their bodyguards. The food was the same at both camps and it was a bird dish that makes the eater sleepy after eating.(Similar to turkey) Vigil assumed it would end soon due to this.
~6 hours later~
Vigil decided to sleep in order to pass the time. When he woke up he saw both nobles still awake and glaring. He felt some rage at this.
Vigil: I don't even care anymore. I'm going through.
Vigil got up and started walking along the path. A bodyguard came along and blocked his path. Vigil casually grabbed him and threw him behind him. Then started running down the path. The nobles and their bodyguards looked at him in shock. Vigil decided to leave some parting words.
Vigil: Nobody cares about your carriages. They both look like sh*t.
Vigil didn't even bother watching their reactions. Instead he looked ahead towards his destination. A forest swallowed up the path he was on.
~1 month later~
Vigil entered a town near the capital. He went to the market in order to sell a few things. But was interrupted by a group of mercenaries.
Mercenary: You're a wanted man, bearded insulter. Wanted for insulting nobles and assaulting their bodyguards. Reward 5 gold coins. Why don't we go somewhere more private to discuss your surrender to us.
Vigil: The currency here in Magianon seems to rely on coins made of various metals. No colours added, instead they use metals like copper and silver for separate colouring. Gold is one of the higher currencies so it's a surprisingly high bounty. Maybe I shouldn't have insulted those nobles while leaving.
Vigil: Sounds good to me.
Mercenary: You're a funny one. But you'll make for some good spare funds until our next job.
Vigil and the mercenaries headed for a nearby alley. Vigil was the only one to leave though. Vigil pulled out the bounty that the mercenaries had.
Bounty: Bearded Insulter
Description: A rough looking man with a very long telltale beard that extends to his knees. Looks to be around 50 years old. Has a sword on his back and carries a large backpack.
Crimes: Assaulting a hired bodyguard, insulting 2 nobles.
Reward: 5 gold coins and 2 silver coins.
Vigil shrugged after reading it. He lobbed off most of his beard with his knife then headed towards the market. At the market he bought some new clothes and sold a few monster pelts.
Vigil: That bounty wasn't very good and the description was easy to change. Cal always said I looked like I was around 20. Did my beard make me look older?
Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.
~A few days later~
Vigil arrived in the capital of Magianon. With his new clothes and more trimmed hair he was let through without much trouble. The name of the capital was Defectus in honour of the country's old name. The clergy was against the name but the commoners overwhelmingly supported it.
The capital was very different compared to Ardebit's capital. Back during Aliquid's time there was set districts and everything was planned out. But the clergy that was now in charge didn't care about city planning.
Defectus became a city of chaos. There was 3 separate markets and 12 separate slums in the city. Noblemen built fancy houses wherever they wanted to. There was even a fancy house built on the side of the city's walls.
Vigil was slightly disoriented from this chaos. But soon enough he managed to get to a decent market. There he bought a map of the surrounding area.
Vigil then left the capital. He had no reason to stay there. He headed towards the town he first encountered. It was on the way to his destination.
~1 day later~
The town appearance wise wasn't that different. But all the people looked different. He didn't recognise any of them nor did he care to. He spotted a dwarf in the town to his amusement. He himself didn't know why he was amused though.
Looking up he spotted the nearby mountain. The place of his creation, no his birth. He was a living thing that was made not created. Not many would care about the difference but Vigil did.
He bought a bunch of food supplies so he could dedicate his time to the book. Then left the town.
~1 hour later~
Vigil found himself in the spot where there was a battle in the past. He now knew it was a simple clash between bandits and guards. The bandits were hired by Ardebit to go raiding in Magianon.(Sorta like "Privateers" *cough* pirates)
No evidence of the battle remained except a small clearing. Saplings were already starting to grow, soon to swallow up this clearing.
~A few hours later~
Vigil arrived at the foot of the mountain. Eager to return he started climbing up. He knew this was the direction he originally came down so he only needed to ascend.
When Vigil reached the top of the mountain he became confused. He was sure he would've found it by now.
Vigil: Something is off here. I remember it being high up and in this direction so I should've at least passed it. I guess I'll go back down and see if it's easier to spot from above.
~A few days later~
Vigil had trekked up and down the mountain on all sides yet hadn't found the cave yet. He resorted to carefully inspecting each part of the mountain.
Vigil: It's an archmage's hideaway, should've expected it to be hard to find. Even though I already know its rough location.
~A few more days later~
While searching around a trap was sprung. A bunch of undead unearthed themselves and began to attack Vigil. They had no reasoning, just a brutal frenzy to kill everything nearby.
Vigil unsheathed his sword and chopped some of the undead in half. The undead continued their attack including the ones lobbed in half.
They bit him and tore at his skin. Vigil didn't panic, instead he observed them closely and slowly chopped them to pieces. Eventually they ceased all movement. Vigil felt a light amount of pain at this.
Vigil: Interesting this is what undead are like. The pain tells me they're related to Aliquid so I must be close.
Vigil searched the surrounding area more urgently. Soon the mountain swallowed him. He fell face first into the cavern where he was made.
Vigil silently cheered and stood up. He observed the place while his nose corrected itself.
Books and notes were scattered everywhere. Everything was untouched since Vigil was last there. A rancid smell filled the air. The corpse of Aliquid lied on the floor. Only the bones were left of him now. His robes were slightly torn from age.
Vigil went towards the books and rummaged around for anything related to decoding encryptions. He found several and started reading them.
He didn't find anything directly related to the encryption in the book. But he now had the tools and knowledge to decode it.
Vigil took out some paper and a pen. He started to decode the book little by little while reading several encryption and decryption guides. He often had to go back and fix mistakes. Sometimes he'd realise he made a small mistake and be forced to start from scratch or search for the mistake.
~1 week later~
Vigil: Finally finished the first paragraph. I guess I can sleep now.
Vigil collapsed to the ground in a heap. Papers scattered everywhere. Even with his inhuman body he couldn't endure a week of difficult calculations non-stop without sleep. He slept peacefully without dreams.
~In the morning~
Vigil woke up groggily and peeled a piece of paper off his face. He stretched then excitably read the finished product.
First off when it comes to magic, forget everything you've ever learned. Without doing so you're doomed to follow in others' footsteps. Magic isn't restricted by petty things like the ancient language nor does it even require a chant. It is all in the visualisation. Chanting simply makes it easier to visualise the spell. But to make a new spell one must rely upon themselves. No new spells have been officially created and spread since the fall of the ancients. This creates unnecessary bias. The ancients weren't better at magic than us, simply understood it better. Anything is possible if your magic is strong enough and your imagination even stronger. Stand proud, shamelessly create anything to suit your needs. Shout out a name for it if you feel like doing so. Never restrict yourself, nothing is set in stone.
Vigil was caught off guard by its contents. But soon the pieces of the puzzle fell together.
Vigil: No wonder Culus was able to use such strange magic. If I study more of this then I should become as skilled as him and eventually surpass him. But for now I can't help but test this new knowledge out.
Vigil went outside the cave. This time he kept track of the exact location. It looked like normal rock yet he could pass through it as though it was a liquid. The mysterious substance felt sticky to the touch. When Vigil started his journey he never bothered to notice this.
Outside the cave he concentrated his thoughts. Thinking of the flame balls that Ardebit used against the Magianon army. Rage clouded his thoughts and fire appeared. But it exploded burning off half his hair and clothes.
Vigil: Bad idea, maybe I should use magic with better memories related to it.
Vigil started thinking of the magic that Culus used against him. A small ball of flame appeared and shot out. Vigil was happy as it didn't explode. Then it curved, hit Vigil in the butt, then exploded. Burning the rest of his clothes and hair off.
Vigil: Too specific and later thoughts affected it. I gotta focus more. I think I'll decrypt more of the book. It may hold focusing techniques.
Vigil spent the rest of his time at Aliquid's hideaway decrypting the book, practising magic, and reading miscellaneous books in case he'd need their knowledge later.
~4 years later~
(Time skip is love, time skip is life)
Vigil finished reading the last part of the book and organised the decrypted version. He left behind the encrypted book and put the decryption in his bag.
He set off towards Mar's Perch, knowing only that it was north. He was wearing a set of robes that didn't seem to be related to magic. His hair was completely gone from several failed magic experiments and some successful ones.
Before leaving he sat down next to a grave. It was simple stone with the engraving Aliquid.
Vigil: I know I'm just a byproduct of your greatest failure. But thank you Aliquid, even after death you set a path for me. That ends now as I go my own path. You will be remembered even though I do not know you.
Vigil felt awkward talking to a grave even though he was alone. He got up and brushed off his robe. Then as always started moving forward.
~2 months later~
After getting lost a few times and asking for directions, Vigil arrived in Mar's Perch. But he gasped in surprise as he saw it. Not because of its sheer size nor its beauty.
Vigil: Cal's village...
This new city that he never seen before, Mar's Perch. Was where he once fought against Ardebit soldiers. More importantly it was where Cal lived and died after losing his arm.
Vigil gripped his hand tightly around his bag strap before entering the city. The city was full of clergy, dwarves, and elves. Fancy and elaborate buildings lined the city blocks. A slum was nowhere to be seen. A preacher nearby told of a story so Vigil listened out of curiosity.
Preacher: ...thus Jupiter allowed his fellow gods and goddesses to visit upon the mortal plains. Mars traveled everywhere, bringing war and glory to all. Vulcan burrowed inside the mountains creating great forges. Diana explored the forests to hunt the greatest beasts and enjoy nature in its fullness. Jupiter remained at the top of the greatest mountain, overlooking all. The dwarves witnessed glimpses of Vulcan and his creations. Humbled by these sights they became short in stature but seemed to imitate Vulcan's works. In the process they became greedy when they saw these glimpses, refusing to share these sightings. They became great in craftsmanship but crippled by paranoia. The elves witnessed Diana during her hunts. Impressed by her skill and gracefulness they seeked to imitate her. Becoming beautiful and graceful in the process. Even the males became feminine as a result. Their affinity to nature increased and their lives did grow long. But like Diana they became modest, reluctant to take on mates. All races witness Mars and gain ways to wage war and earn glory. The elves and dwarves less so since they already witnessed other gods. But all the gods and goddesses see Jupiter as their leader. Coming every once a while to climb this very mountain range to meet with Jupiter.
Vigil was very absorbed in this story. When the preacher all of a sudden up and walked away. Before Vigil could react he heard a familiar voice nearby.
Afigitís: I personally like the human's story of how we came to be.
Dwarf: It's full of insults for our race. Our legends are much better and more accurate.
Afigitís: I never said it was better. Besides the story is also full of jealousy of our race too, tis a matter of perspective.
The other dwarf walked away frustrated. Taking the opportunity Vigil walked over.
Vigil: Hello again Afigitís.
Afigitís: Who the hell are you?
Last time Vigil and Afigitís met Vigil's appearance was completely different. In the past Vigil had rough and torn clothes that were barely different from rags. Now he was wearing crisp and fairly clean robes that were surprisingly durable. In the past he also had a beard that extended to his knees and wild hair. Now he had short hair and some whiskers.
Vigil: Haha it's me Vigil, my appearance might be a little different now.
Afigitís: A little? Are you using illusion magic, or are you his son playing a prank on me?
Vigil: Neither, my hair simply grows abnormally fast. It has its advantages.
Afigitís: I guess so, but 4 years is a bit long. What was your business anyways?
Vigil: It's a long story.
Afigitís: I've told you plenty of those, time to return the favour. But first let me show you around. Let's first go to the Cliffhanger District
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Not exactly 5 years? None of them are exact, simply rounding. Most of them go over the years I give so this having less sorta evens it out.
Skipped the magic training/decrypting arc for good reason.
1. I can use mini flashbacks/thoughts to explain things without being repetitive.
2. I can throw in things I originally didn't think of.
3. Didn't feel like it.
A had a massive bout of diarrhoea while making this chapter. Just thought you'd like to know.
Heracles is the Greek version of Hercules. Most movies use the Roman name alongside the Greek versions of everything else since they're more recognisable. Ex: Disney Hercules
Thank goodness for spellcheck. Makes PRing needed a lot less. Thanks to Zeenu8skyfire and Beelzebuff for pointing out mistakes though. Spellcheck actually remembers things even if they're not correctly spelled, very useful for names especially when I barely remember them myself.
Oh yeah I'd appreciate if some people would give me reviews. I'll even put down a guide below.
Grammar:
1 star = Google translate
2 stars = Average American
3 stars = Non-native speaker with semi-good grasp of the language.
4 stars = Average non-American native speaker
5 stars = Skilled with language, advanced grammar, and no run on sentences.
(This thing ";" is useless, just proves you went to college and learned useless things. Use another sentence not this, it's not advanced grammar.)
As a born and raised American I can say this is factual. I strive to remove false stereotypes when I can but nothing can be done about the true ones.
Style:
1 star = Not even trying
2 stars = 12 year old with chuuni
3 stars = Rips off other writers too much
4 stars = Unique and flavourful, yet bland at times
5 stars = Uses advanced wording, describes things well, and has a unique tone that changes to match the situation
Story:
1 star = painful to read or rips off other stories
2 stars = bland but with some uniqueness, rips off other stories with some changes
3 stars = Arifureta(very good but ruins it later on)
4 stars = very interesting, continues being interesting but not as much. Sorta drags down after a while but still a good read.
5 stars = Amazing story that just keeps getting better. Nothing else to say, hard to describe.
Characters:
1 star = Mannequins
2 stars = Okay but too many characters feel similar. One of us. One of us.
3 stars = Tropes, sticks to stereotypes too much. Tries to keep characters in character to the point where none of them grow. Just static things that everyone has seen before.
4 stars = Unique characters or tropes with a twist. Each character is themselves, the author remembers them and lets them grow while staying the same more or less.
5 stars = Masterful characters, each one their own self. You get to know them and connect to them. Side characters feel more like support for the story rather than shackles on the main character (except in Don't Fear the Reaper).
Overall:
Take your ratings, combine, then divide by 4. Round up or down depending on how much you care about the respective 4 categories. Ex: Some people can read machine translations without any editing. They just don't care about grammar.
Written ratings:
Do it to support your favourite author or explain a bad rating. If the story simply doesn't suit you or you don't like the MC then don't vote below 3 stars. Bad ratings without explanations can be hurtful, bad ratings with them can inspire it to be improved. If you're going to vote less than 4 stars then explain why.
(Fun fact: Thinking about how to kill off characters rather than thinking how to make them a part of the story works wonders. They sorta merge with the story themselves. Ex: Culus was originally supposed to receive all of Vigil's money at the end of chapter 2. Since Vigil didn't really need it and pitied Culus. Then he'd get mugged in an alley by debt collectors and left to bleed out. I later decided to make him more of a comedic character and keep him alive.)
Feel free to quote this guide elsewhere or tweak it as long as you give me credit for it. I think I'll post it in the forum later if people approve of it.
P.S. I have a lot of people tell me that the prologue is too rushed and could be a standalone series. I could redo the prologue and make it longer, or I could include more parts of it via side stories or as a separate FF. I'm thinking of having Culus/Angustia's life as a side story eventually. Give me some feedback on these ideas.
Sorry for the long author's note. Is that a sincere sorry? Not at all.
Side Stories: http://www.royalroadl.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=8998
Next chapter: www.royalroadl.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=9723