Leronis

The plan was perfect, at least that's what I thought when I came up with it. How was I, Darryl Aillard, the keeper of Comyen tower, to know I would be betrayed by one in my circle? A spy who had a mental block placed upon him with laran. Of course it all made sense now. When I would ask about his past he would get migrains and pass out. Every time we would go into mental rapport to do work for the tower, castle, and city, there was always something I was not able to see in him, always a hidden side. I thought it was just amnesia, but it was more. Much more.

I was going to do it a fortnight from now, but that is all ruined thanks to him. He notified the mongrel Elhalyn King that I was planning to usurp his throne, and now there are guards and laroni on their way to take me. Me! The keeper of Comyen tower in Comyen castle. The most powerful and influential Keeper and laronis in the hundred kingdoms. No other keeper rivaled my power in the land.

I would not be taken!

I gathered together what remained of my circle and we began to activate the most powerful matrix we had created. A matrix made in secret to amplify our laran powers several times over and touch anybody's mind within a league, toy with their inner workings and make them do and remember anything we want.

The matrix also had a second function I secretly installed. The ability to cross space and time. To go anywhere and any era. I had not worked out the flaws yet but now was not the time to perfect a prototype.

I took hold of the psychic energies and focused them into the matrix, then turned the amplified laran onto me. The area began to distort, and created a sphere just large enough to encase me. The temperature rose. I could feel it, then nothing. All that power went...somewhere else, as if into a void.

I could hear banging on the door. I tried again, this time aiming for the past instead of the future, hoping it would work. Again I felt the distortion, the heat, and then nothing.

I didn't know where I went wrong. This obviously wasn't going to work.

The door banged open. The guards and laroni came in. I projected the psychic energy and set them aflame. I burned them. Draining my circle and myself, the matrix was taking our very life energy to power it and slowly we started to die. Another wave of guards came, with more laroni. Again we burned them. Again our lives wasted away.

Again they came...

I would not be taken alive!

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Three hundred years later:

I had been coming to this tower for the past five years, ever since I was accepted to train in the near lost matrix technology used by those gifted with laran. Now finally, at the age of seventeen, I would be raised to a laronis. Now I would be able to go out to help and heal those in need.

If only I had known then what I knew now, my loved ones might still be alive.

As I walked into the tower, my sword and scabbard at my waist, I was greeted by the tower's keeper.

"Hello Styven. You are finely dressed today. Has the coming of age ceremony arrived already?"

"Yes Master, It is to happen tonight, with the rising of the moons."

As the heir to the Elhalyn crown, I had been taught the use of the sword and self defense in concert with my training in the tower. Most royalty, when they find they have the gift of laran, will only learn enough to keep from hurting the ones around them, but I had a natural gift for it, so I persisted in my studies for the past five years in order to master everything available to me in the use of laran.

As I walked to the keeper's rooms, I noticed the place I sat every time we would form a circle.

I thought back to the rogue keeper of three hundred of years in the past, the one who had that dreadful matrix conceived. the device still sat in this tower somewhere, but had not seen any use since that horrific day it was first activated.

I thought back to the assassins who sneaked into the castle, with the help of laran powers, and slayed my parents and my sister.

I sometimes cursed the maid who had the forethought to hide me away during this attack that claimed my family.

I thought once again on everything I now knew, and wished I was stronger, so I could protect the people I loved.

If only I had somebody to love now. My uncle, who sets as regent until I come of age, is not included in that list, for I knew it was by his hand those assassins were sent. He used his own laran powers to shield the assassins, let them in, and looked the other way as my family screamed in terror while they breathed their last breath. He was no better then an untrained telepath. A danger to all around him.

I had no intention of taking the throne. I would be a keeper in my own right. I would leave this sad life of mine, and bring what joy I could to the people around me. Leave my pain filled memories behind.

But not before I deposed my uncle.

I sat down in the keeper's seat, tradition for those who are being risen to laronis. Soon after the rest of the circle entered and sat down too.

My uncle is among them, to observe, as I knew he would be. he sets uncomfortably close to me, within reach of my elbow, and whispers horse manure into my ear.

"Things will not go as you plan tonight nephew. I've made sure of that."

I did not give a damn what he thought, or what he had planned. Soon he would be an afterthought, in only a matter of moments. For I had learned when the fallen keeper, Darryl Aillard, had aimed his matrix on that fateful night, and my dear uncle was in just the perfect spot.

The moment passed and we began, and my uncle stayed right where he was.

Just as I had expected him to.

Then the air distorted, the temperature rose. I was on fire. I screamed in pain and for an eternity there was nothing, then I was back, behind a strange block like house. Contraptions around me with strange symbols.

And my uncle...well half of him was still in Comyen tower.

The other half was with me, split down the middle, as you would cut butter with a hot knife.

And where was I you ask? Or more like 'when' was I?

That I did not know, but I did recognize one of the symbols around me.

A unicorn.

As I explored my surroundings I came across a native. This is how our encounter went.

"Ahh! There is a person standing next to a dead person in our back yard Carl! Call the police!"

I of course was not able to understand a word she said, but being a telepathic, I was able to understand what she thought. I quickly took out my personal matrix, drew near her, and proceeded to make her forget I was ever there.

I hurriedly looked through the house for 'Carl' and found him in a bed...asleep.

End encounter.

Sometimes it was very convenient having laran.

I quickly cast a spell on the part of my uncle that had traveled with me so others would not 'see' him. Found a shovel nearby and proceeded to dig a grave for him, not that I cared if he had a grave, but I didn't want anybody else discovering him.

After disposing of my uncle, I wandered around the town to look for employment and a place of residence. The first I found as a bouncer at a club, the second was in some shady part of town that didn't ask many questions. These chores were made considerably easier with the use of my telepathic gift.

As the days wore on I learned the local language and found that this culture I found myself in was heavily influenced by technology.

So I, Styven Elhalyn, heir to the Elhalyn throne, trained leronis of Comyen tower, worked, studied, and learned a lot of interesting things about this world.

I learned of a dojo where I could continue my training in the sword. They were very nice, and did not even ask questions about my past or my origins.

I learned of this web of information called the 'internet' and steadily made progress in the use of it. An interesting occurrence happened tho when I used my laran on the 'computer' I was at.

I nearly lost my consciousness in it, it was a maze finding my way out. Something called a 'firewall' and 'antivirus' prevented me from escaping, until somebody turned off the computers at the library.

While I was trapped in the computer, I was able to absorb much from the internet, so when I came back to myself I knew much more then I did before entering.

The most interesting thing I learned was of something called a capsule, and the significance of the symbol I saw that day, the unicorn.

I learned of Royal Road, of an intelligence in the game that made the world to revolve around the user and their experiences in the real world. That through repetitive actions I could acquire 'skills' and 'stat bonuses.'

That you could make money simply by playing this game and selling items you came across. I found that most interesting.

I wondered if somebody else found himself 'inside' the program through the use of laran. Could that be the intelligence? The goddess Versailles?

As the days wore on to months, I made preparations to acquire one of these capsules and the program it was used for. During this time I also trained my body at the dojo.

After some time I had acquired the funds for the capsule, game, and the monthly fee. I saved enough to live on for six months. I quit my job as a bouncer and started on my new career path as a dark gamer.

The capsule came. I had it installed, then entered it and started it up.

Connect to Royal Road

Yes | No

When the message appeared I said yes.

- The scan on your iris and vein has determined that you are an unregistered user. Do you want to create a new account?

When I was connected to Royal Road, the first sound that I heard was a feminine voice. I looked around to see who was speaking to me, but there was nobody there. It was then I realized that this was the process to activate a new account.

“Yes.”

- Select the name of your avatar.

“Aldonis.”

- Select your gender from male, female, or neutral.

“Male.”

- Royal Road has fourty-nine races, you may select your race from the primary twenty-nine.

“Half human, Half high elf.”

- You may alter your appearance.

“Lengthen my hair to six centimeters below my shoulders, change hair color to a light blonde, change my eyes to green. Leave everything else the way I am.

If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.

- Your account has been activated. your stats and class shall be determined while you are playing Royal Road. Would you like take the tutorial?

“No.”

- Select a city and kingdom in which you want to start.

“The fortress of Serrais, Brent Kingdom.”

- Welcome to Royal Road.

With a flash of light I appeared in the center of the village. I noticed my surroundings and how everything seemed so lifelike.

‘It really is 99% realistic.’

As I walked around I checked my inventory, and found ten pieces of tasteless bread, and a canteen. I made my way over to the fountain and got some water. Looking at my choice of food I decided my first order of business was to find employment.

I went to a good sized inn and asked the mistress of the kitchen if she had an opening. My reasoning for this was to learn the handicraft skill while assisting in the kitchen and eventually learning the cooking skill once it got to level three.

In a normal situation I would have used my laran in order to direct her thoughts along the same lines as my own, but my last experience using laran on a computer left me less than optimistic about the outcome of it. I did however attempt to ‘hear’ her thoughts, which is a passive effect of laran, but my efforts were futile.

The lady in question at first did not seem at all intriqued in my proposal, but I was well aware of the attraction most women had to me, so I suggested a side job as well involving me, her, and whatever she had in mind. After that she promptly agreed.

With the terms of business out of the way, she sent me over to a cutting board had me chop up vegetables all day.

After six hours of this I got a popup message.

Agility increased by 1 point. (+1 AGI)

An hour later we closed the kitchen for the night, then proceeded to a room together.

Another six hours passed and I received a couple more stat increases, along with a new stat.

New stat: Endurance

Vitality rises by 1. (+1 VIT)

Stamina rises by 1. (+1 STA)

I learned from my time trapped in the web that if you put forth a lot of effort, you will see rewards in start increases associated with your activity. I seem to have found a very good, and pleasurable, training method, although I have not seen an increase in strength...Maybe I should chop some logs for the fire before I start work.

On the third day I obtained the Handicraft skill.

Passive skill: Handicraft is generated.

Handicraft (Lv. 1 0%): Has extra effects on various types of craft skills, and sword mastery.

I had also obtained two points in strength from chopping wood, and the stat fighting spirit the night before.

I continued this routine for twenty six days until my handicraft reached beginner level three, it was then I asked the mistress to teach me the cooking skill, but she refused, on grounds that I had not upheld my side of our bargain.

Oh gods how I wish I could use laran right now.

On my fourth week in game she finally agreed to teach me cooking, then told me to take the rest of the day off, and to come back to service her one last time.

While performing to the utmost of my ability, I was surprised by a few popup messages.

Endurance rises by 1. (+1 END)

Stamina rises by 1. (+1 STA)

Vatality rises by 1. (+1 AGI)

Fame rises by 20 points. (+20 FAME)

Health rises by 100 points. (+100 HP)

As soon as I received these messages, the mistress stopped and stood up.

“Good job, Aldonis.”

“Thank you, I always try to make sure I use all the skills I have when I am with you mistress.”

“No silly man, not that. I am talking about your completion of the basic training.”

“...”

“You did not know? With the wood chopping, and the preparations you have done in the kitchen, in conjunction with our nightly routine, you have just now filled all the stats necessary to complete the basic training program.”

Needless to say, I was speechless. This entire time I just thought she was lonely, but it turned out she was ‘training’ me.

“Usually when you complete the basic training course, you are giving a sword, but do to the unconventional method used, I can not do that.”

I was shocked to find out that not only could I get a good sword, but I was also being denied this same sword simply because I did not swing a weapon around...Wrong choice of words.

“I however do have a gift for you.”

Class Change! You can convert to a secret class Seducer of Hearts. If you accept it, you can learn exclusive skills for the class that are withheld from the primary classes.

Do you want to convert to 'Seducer of Hearts?'

Knowing this to actually be a good class for my talents, I readily accepted. I reasoned that if I did not like it I can always class change later on.

Skill: You learned Seduction Mastery.

Seduction Mastery(Lv. 1 0%): You are able to coerce others into doing your will with bodily suggestions. For each heart you have seduced, all physical stats will increase by 0.2%

(+0.2% per level at beginner)

Increases attack power with a blade.

(+10% per level at beginner)

Increases attack speed with a blade.

(+3% per level at beginner)

Percentage increases with mastery.

New technique: Seducer’s Dance

Seducer’s Dance(Lv. 1 0%): You weave between your enemies like a dance of death and inflict damage before being aware of your attack. Increase number of strikes and opponents struck with level.

Number of strikes per use: 4

Number of opponents per use: 2

MP Cost: 50/use

Passive skill: You learned empathy.

Skill: You learned telepathy.

Empathy(Lv. 1 0%): You are able to feel what another person is feeling, expertise in this skill increases every time you use seduction, or telepathy.

Telepathy(Lv. 1 0%): You are able to know what another person, or intelligence, is thinking.

MP Cost: 5/second

New stat: Attractiveness

New stat: Art

Avatar: Aldonis | Type: Neutral

Level: 1

Class: Seducer of Hearts

Title: None | Fame: 20

Life: 700 | Mana: 300

STR: 50+20 | AGI: 50+20 | VIT: 50+20

WIS: 10+20 | INT: 10+20 | SPR: 56+20

STA: 50+20 | ART: 0+20 | ATTR: 0+100

Leadership: 0+20 | Luck: 5+20

Offense: 14 | Defense: 0

Resistance to Magic: None

+ All stats are added 20 points.

+ Attractiveness stat is added extra 80 points.

+ When around a seduced companion, all stats are increased by 10% in addition. Increase by 5% for each additional seduced companion.

+ Enables you to equip certain items specialized for the class.

+ Enables you to learn Cooking, Tailoring, and Sculpting to the stage of a master.

+ Grants extra options to items that are produced or refined.

+ Increases Attack Power for the Seducer’s Dance technique.

+ Decreases Mana Consumption for the Seducer’s Dance technique.

+ Enables you to learn secret skills based on your level in Seduction Mastery.

+ Increases Fame by capturing the hearts of influential people or intelligence's.

I was so stunned when I saw the popup messages, I didn't even notice the mistress continuing our nightly ritual.

After receiving a windfall of new stats, skills, and abilities with my new class, I decided to take a day off to rest...but I would have to finish what I started here of course, so back to bed I went.

*****

I don't quite understand why these keep being center aligned.

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