Author's Note: I had accidentally switched two of the future arcs, so if you see anything weird, other than the usual weirdness, you have not gone crazy.
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Null asks the people surrounding them, “Can I help you?”
“You know exactly why we are here. You've been running from us for a long time. Will you accept our offer?”
“You have the wrong guy.”
One of the people looks closely at Null. Though he's wearing a mask and wearing a hood, he is a lot taller than the person they're looking for.
“Boss, I don't think this is him.”
“Yeah.” A thief tells his boss. “My Person Identify says that this person is a librarian and a foreigner. His name is Null, and he is level 289. Not bad, but not that good either. He's probably not the person we're looking for.”
“You think so? Well this is an awfully big coincidence that he ends up wearing the same thing as him.” The person that appears to be the leader then faces Null and says, “Would you mind coming with us?”
Null squints. “And if I refuse?”
The people there get into a formation that Null could not easily escape from, and take out their weapons and ready their spells.
“It would be in your best interest not to.” The leader says smiling darkly.
Null sighs. He pulls something out of his side.
“He has something!”
“Watch out!”
Null throws it towards the ground. Suddenly, white smoke fills the area. The people surrounding Null start to cough. When the smoke clears, they see that Null is gone. They look around, but Null is nowhere to be seen.
However, they are not flustered in the slightest. There's a powerful earth mage with them. They look at him to see what he will do. The earth mage closes his eyes and senses around him. Powerful earth mages have seismic sense like Toph from Avatar. They can sense the vibrations in the earth and tell where everything is as long as it's touching the ground.
*******
'What the hell was their problem?' Null thinks to himself. 'How do I keep getting involved in these situations? I'm sure that jackass Ptah has something to do with this. He's always trying to ruin my life! Well, time to leave this area.'
Null is running calmly when his face shows shock. His mana had just bounced off of multiple people following him.
'How did they find me? I made sure to escape through their blind spots! Dammit! They have a sensor with them!' Null thinks irritated.
He starts running away faster. It's very aggravating to Null that his stats are higher than the average librarian right now, but that doesn't really mean anything right now. His stats can't be raised quickly enough. Soon, a rumbling is heard. The people that were chasing after him had appeared from underground.
'Ugh. An earth mage.' Null thinks.
That earth mage had used a technique where he pulled himself and his allies underground. He then rapidly traveled underground until he could find Null. Null stops in his tracks and does a 180. He then starts running away again.
The earth mage starts gathering power in his hand.
“Terra, pulverize all that do not respect your might! Collapse!”
The earth mage places his hands on the ground. A deep rumbling is heard. The very foundation of earth Null is running on starts showing cracks. The earth gives way, and a huge sinkhole is formed. Null looks down at the very deep hole with a somber look.
'I knew I should've stayed in and watched Gintama. Maybe I should've watched Pokemon season 27. Mega Pikachu was just starting to grow on me. Ever since all Raichus everywhere died in that car accident, Pokemon has never been the same. I don't know what is happening. All I know is that it's all Ptah's fault.'
While Null was falling, a figure appeared and grabbed him in midair as he was sinking into the hole. He pulled Null away as he escaped from the people trying to capture him.
'Yaaay...' Null thought unenthusiastic.
A woosh was then heard. A wind mage came by flying at high speeds. When he arrived, he then picked up both Null and Null's mysterious rescuer and flew away.
The earth mage frowns and says, “I can't sense them in the air.”
“Once again he slips by us.” Another person says.
The earth mage's face then shows annoyance. “Maybe this is for the best, because others are on their way here.”
“They're here so soon?”
“We're lucky we didn't catch him then.”
They all disappear into the earth and start traveling underground due to that earth mage's techniue.
*******
Null and his rescuers flew through the air for a while until they made it into a cave. Wind mage carrying him brings down person who saved him and Null.
“Hahaha! That was a close one!” The person who rescued Null said.
He had taken off his mask. To Null's surprise, this person was a dwarf. He had a long beard and pointed ears. What was most visible about him was his short height.
'This is the person that was wearing the same thing as me, and had gotten me involved in yet another troublesome venture.' Null thinks in his mind.
“Why did you save me?” Null asks.
“Haaah?” The dwarf looks at Null with wide eyes. “To drag someone into your problems and then abandoning them!?”
The dwarf gets fire in his eyes. “That's is super unmanly! Manly men will correct their mistakes! They don't wimp out and abandon someone when things get impossible!”
“Oh... Thank you for saving me.” Null says.
He might blame them for his predicament, but at least they were honorable enough to come back and rescue him.
“Haha! No trouble! No trouble at all! It was my fault you got involved with them after all.” He says with a hearty laugh.
The wind mage then sits in a corner and starts to meditate. The dwarf goes into his pantry and pours himself a drink of alcohol.
“You don't look old enough to drink yet. Want some water?” The dwarf asks Null.
“No thanks.” Says Null.
The dwarf takes a big swig of his drink.
“Aaah.” He says in satisfaction.
“I don't envy your luck kid.” The dwarf says to Null. “That force you just encountered was one of the black op squads from the Qudao Empire. They probably won't leave you be if we let you go.”
Null frowns. Black ops? This is way worse than he thought. He cannot remove his mask now under any means necessary unless he wants to get known by troublesome forces.
“I know this isn't any of my business, but since I'm now involved with what's happening I would like to know. Why are they after you?”
The dwarf sighs. “This all started a few weeks ago. It's a long story. So tell me kid, what's your name?”
“Null.”
“Not a bad name. My name's Damina! I'm a miner! My motto is to solve all your problems by smashing through them one smash at a time!”
'Damn. He's one of those kinds of people.' Null thinks annoyed.
“Well since you're already involved and it's not exactly a secret anymore, I'll tell ya!” Damina takes a swig of alcohol. “Well like I said before, this all started a few weeks ago. I was busy teaching my men how to be men when it happened. I've managed to reach the advanced stage in mining!”
Null's eyes open wide in surprise. 'Advanced stage? Wow. That's even rarer than me being happy to see someone. This is my first time meeting an advanced mastery person.'
Actually, Null had met two people with advanced level mastery, though he didn't know that they were at the advanced level. Those two people are Winford and Emmanuel. If it wasn't for the fact that Null was a direct weakness of Winford's technology, and how he was helped by the Gnosia army and their defense system, Null would've lost terribly against Winford.
Null then squints. 'This... Is a little to convenient right? I had trouble getting the resources I needed, not even getting past beginner level 5 in mining, and yet someone comes by who has advanced level mastery in mining? Ptah, that dick. Is this his way of making amends? Sending black ops after me?'
Damina continues. “The Dwarven Kingdom I resided in were very excited. With me being advanced level, I could bring in even rarer minerals for the kingdom. I was given a huge mansion to stay in, and I was leading the life of luxury! I had all the alcohol I could drink! So nice, so nice.”
Null was just silently listening to his story with his eyes closed.
“Then, that event happened. One of the powerful empires had found out about my advanced mastery in mining. Word had then quickly spread to the other countries about my newfound ability. The Goldcrest Empire then took my wife and kids hostage, saying that they will release them if I join them. Then, the Raygly Empire threatened war if I went to join the Goldcrest Empire.
The Qudao Empire has become really brazen and is trying to capture me. Other countries also sent their intelligence to spy on me. Though they aren't forcibly trying to make me join them, they're trying to see what outcome this little struggle has.
Tch. Those other countries are supposed to have a non-agression pact with us, in exchange for letting them mine off our mountains. They are so blatant it isn't even funny! The only shining light has been that the most powerful country in the world had sent someone to help. See that wind mage in the corner?”
Null turns his head towards that wind mage. Even Null could see if they were to fight, that Null would be no match for him as he is now.
“He's one of the people from the most powerful nation in the world: The Ostana Republic! They sent him here just to protect me. He said as long as I don't join anyone else that he'll help me. Heh. I guess if I come out of this unscaved, I'll owe em' one.”
'The Ostana Republic?' Null thinks. 'I've read about them. Not only are they the most powerful nation in the world, but they're also the largest democracy. I've really got involved in something troublesome.'
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
He then takes another swig of his alcohol.
Null asks surprised, “Wait. All the powerful countries are after you just because of your advanced level mastery in mining?”
Damina takes another swig of alcohol and says, “Kid, you underestimate just how formidable an advanced level mastery is. Most people in the world have their masteries stop at beginner level 5. That's enough to let you live a decent life most of the time.
There are some who go above and beyond and go past beginner level 5. They get more and more respected. Once someone reaches the intermediate stage, their quality of life completely changes compared to even when they were beginner level 9! Locally, they will usually be revered. Intermediates can also advance a person's mastery faster if they teach a person of a lower level, so they are also teachers who people pay a lot of money for.
They can pretty much join any organization they want. However, for nations and empires, intermediate is not that big a deal. Those powerful organizations won't go out of their way to try and recruit you. That all changes once someone who is intermediate reaches the advanced stage. The gap between advanced mastery and intermediate mastery is far wider than the gap between beginner mastery and intermediate mastery.
Think of it this way. For the time it would take an average blacksmith of intermediate mastery to create a sword, an average blacksmith of advanced mastery could create over a hundred swords of the same quality.
Do you know what that sort of skill would do for a nation? It doesn't help that there are so few people with advanced mastery. Countries and organizations will be begging to invite you to their factions. However, other nations won't like it if you join enemy factions, so they will try any means necessary to deter the person of advanced mastery.”
He takes a swig of alcohol and sighs.
“Getting advanced mastery was both a blessing and a curse. Everyone wants you. The problem is that everyone wants you and not to join anyone else.”
“Huh.” Null says interested.
Null gets enlightened on the power dynamics of the nations in New Reality. They had just gotten out of a major war around 10-15 years ago, and the nations in the east had greatly expanded because of that, so they're all only focusing on increasing their strengths during this temporary time of peace.
'If it's like this with just advanced, I wonder what a person on the level of master has to go through. I have never even read nor heard of someone with the level of master.' Null thinks. 'Maybe they hide to not be discovered.' He reasons.
“So, what will you do from here on?” Null asks Damina.
“Hmph!” Damina makes a flexing pose.
“What else is there?” He then makes a Power Ranger pose. “I'll rescue my family, then I'll destroy that stupid squad that took him! That's the Damina way!”
“Is that the squad that tried to capture me?” Null asks.
“No, that's the Qudao empire. The squad that captured my family is much stronger.”
“Oh. Do you have some sort of plan to deal with them? I think this is an opportunity for both of us.”
“Oh? What do ya mean kid?” Damina asks Null.
“I'm currently trying to mine some very rare minerals. However, try as I may, my mining mastery has not gone beyond beginner level 5, even with my librarian class speeding up my skill proficiency. I've hit a wall, and I want you, an advanced level person in mining to teach me.”
“Psh.” Damina says in disdain towards Null. “You think a weak punk like you can help me? Look at you! You're not a manly man like me!” He yells while pointing at him. “You are so frail and polite! You'll only get in the way! And look at your class! A librarian? That's the least manly class possible! How is reading a book gonna save my wife and kids!?”
Null knew that this person would be difficult to deal with, so he was patient.
“Okay, how about this? You mine me the minerals I need, and I'll help you rescue your family.”
“Psh. As if! If you want minerals from me then you pay me like everyone else!”
“I actually prefer this arrangement.” Null says agreeing. He would rather have people do hard business with him than something platonic. To Null, he knows where the person stands in a business relationship. They do everything for profit.
“If I help rescue your family, will you teach me mining?”
“As if someone as none manly as you could do it, but fine. It doesn't hurt me one bit!”
[/size]
Quest: Rescue Damina's FamilyQuest Information: Because of Damina's mastery reaching advanced level in mining, his family got involved with some troublesome forces. Will you help rescue Damina's family?
Reward: Damina will teach you mining as far as it will reach.
Quest Rank: C
Penalty if refused: Decreased intimacy with Damina to the lowest possible. He will abandon you.
Failure if all of Damina's family dies.
Do you accept?
'Oh? A C rank! Oh thank god! How refreshing! I don't think I could've done a B or A rank.'
“I accept.”
You have accepted the quest.
“How much will things like blackiron, mithril, dolomite, dafernite, ignatia, and milaton cost me?”
Damina whistles impressed by the minerals Null is looking for.
“How much do you want of each?” Damina asks.
“Hmmm. How about 200 pounds of each?” Null asks.
Damina frowns. “Are you yankin' my chain? And here I thought you were serious! Something like that isn't something you can afford!”
“Maybe I started out too high. How about 50 pounds of each?”
“Still too much for your paygrade!” Damina yells out.
“Try me.”
“At 50 pounds? That black iron will cost you 40000 gold coins! That mithril is even worse at 90000 gold coins! The dafernite and milaton are a little better at 26000 and 21000 gold coins respectively. The ignatia will cost you 37000 gold coins! Well mister rich guy, what do you think?”
'Fuuuck...' Null thinks with a stupid look on his face.
Null has only 6154 gold coins on his person, and in New Reality for a player, that's considered decently rich.
'I need to find a way to make more money!' Null thinks.
It was then that Damina had a serious look on his face and turned his head towards the entrance. The mage that was meditating opened his eyes and also looked towards the entrance. Null looks at both of them.
'Wow. These people are the real deal. I can't even sense the people since they're so far away, but they were able to.'
Swoosh. Swoosh. Swoosh.
Multiple people come in. These people are also in black cloaks like what Null saw before, but these cloaks are a lot slimmer. There's a person in front with a smug smile.
“Damina, Damina, Damina.” The person in front says. “Why do you keep running from us? All you have to do is agree to join the Goldcrest Empire. Then you can have your family back and we can give you anything you desire. Why do you refuse?”
“Grrr.” Damina gets angry. “You think I will join some spineless wimps who sneak around taking people's families by surprise!? Dream on!”
“Now Damina, be reasonable.” The leader says to him. “Don't let us have to force our hand.”
“Good! I'm tired of running! I've been itchin' for a fight!” Damina says smiling darkly while cracking his knuckles.
The wind mage then steps in front of Damina.
He says, “We, the Ostana Republic, will not allow you to take Damina. Do you really want to risk war with our countries with your actions?”
“Psh.” The leader says. “I highly doubt that the Ostana Republic will go out of their way for just one person of advanced mastery.”
He then notices Null in the back. He has a hood and mask on.
“And you are?”
“Jeff.”
“Right...” That leader then ceases to care about Null. “Now Damina choose. I've been more than courteous. Even though your wife and kids are not allowed to leave, they are waited on, hand and foot. They are living in luxury. We have not harmed them.”
“Fine. We'll just drag you back!”
This person is also an earth mage. However, he has a different path from the earth mage that fought Null.
He places his hand on the ground.
“Arise, and break through any obstacles in your way! Golem summon!”
The earth changes. Golems of collosal size slowly grow out the ground.
One of the golems charge towards them. They have no choice but to dodge, but Null being the weakest person there, couldn't dodge in time. Luckily, he had been manipulating his stats towards strength and had stored it up before time. He charges towards the golem and does a punch.
Boom!
The golem is knocked back and slammed towards the wall. However, it's unharmed. Even though it's unharmed, Null's display of strength shocked everyone there.
“Now that's what I'm talking about!” Damina yells out with a smile. “Force your way through obstacles no matter how hard they may seem. Doing the impossible! That's the Damina way! Seems I underestimated you!”
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Author's Note: The next few chapters will have a whole bunch of stuff happening. I will probably mess up somewhere so please tell me if you see mistakes. Please and thank you.