AZ-RAEL
Level 4:
[0/500]
Race:
War-Angel
Faction:
Zion
Titles:
Resurrection:
7
Health:
4/28
Essence:
15/37
Stat Points:
4
Strength:
13
Dexterity:
9
Agility:
9
Vitality:
14
Wisdom:
9
Intelligence:
9
Charisma:
9
Faith:
14
Path Points:
14
Paths:
Zion II
0/20
Heaven
0/100
Skills:
Actives:
Divine Strike
LVL 1
(2/5)
Skills:
(Masteries)
It wasn’t as if there was much of a difference from what it looked like before to what it looked like now, except of course I was down to four HP, which means I might have missed a prompt or two. Never the less 4 HP was a scary sight, I had no idea that I had gotten that close to death during the course of my fight with the imps. I needed to be a bit more careful from now on, there was no such thing as huds within this game so tracking my resources was something that was completely up to me.
And speaking of resources, I’d probably need a lot to make this place a home for Leon within this game, it wouldn’t be easy, especially when you consider how dilapidated the entire manor currently is. There was a lot to be done, but that wasn’t a problem, honestly I wasn’t playing this game to be the number 1 or chase after glory or anything of that sort. This was to be a viable income stream for me and my son, and honestly I’d say some part of me still hoped that Leon’s mother and I could reconcile and this too would be a way for me to provide for her.
Regardless of how messed up our relationship was, this was the woman who had loved me enough at some point to give me a son. She tried, I just wasn’t the kind of person able or capable of speaking or expressing emotions in much the same way others could. She wasn’t a terrible person, if anything our relationship was the way it was because of me, and I couldn’t fault her for that.
I shook my head, there was no need to be going on about such depressing topics, I needed to get a move on and see what was around me. The bodies of the demons could be harvested, but I had neither the skills, or the tools for it, so in the end I will have to dispose of them. But that would be for later, I had to see what I was dealing with here.
The room that I was in was large, I didn’t know much about houses to be able to accurately determine the measurements, but all four corners seemed perfectly symmetrical. At least 8 to 10 meters on each side. There was an open door that led to an equally large closet, though it was just the size of a room with clothes hanging off that were half rotten, covered in dust or had been chewed to the point only shoulders were hanging of the hangers. The shoes were in an even worse state, and it smelled as if something or multiple somethings had died in there.
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There was another door leading into a bathroom with a Jacuzzi…. Or better yet a pool. It wasn’t large but the radius was about 15 meters. The water within was very low with some parts of the pool showing, yet what was left of the water was green and had the freakiest of green things growing out of it. I know a breeding ground for Mosquitoes when I see one, I’d really have to get that damn place cleaned out as soon as possible.
There was a set of ruined doors leading out to a balcony, but the entrance had been boarded up, so only tiny pinpricks of sunlight sifted through. That was all there was to this room, perhaps there was more secrets to be unfolded but I couldn’t be bothered to deal with that right now. I needed to get Leon here as soon as possible, any second longer was me asking to give myself a heart attack. I left the room, finding myself at the end of a long hallway.
On both sides of the hallway were ruined paintings, with only one of it being intact. It was a painting of a set of massive gates, gilded and masterfully made and inlaid with all sorts of jewels. If I remember the lessons from my Sunday school clearly, or just the history lessons from back in high school about the high days of religion, that had to be a painting of the pearly gates. And while I most definitely am not an art enthusiast, my amateur eyes could still tell that the damn painting was a work of exquisite art.
[Exquisite Grade Art: The Gates Of Heaven! -40% To All Lightbringer Faction Members Within Territory]
This was shocking and totally unexpected and annoying on a whole other level. This meant that the imps I had faced of against were a whole lot stronger than I thought. I had nearly lost my life fighting against them and they were handicapped! The more I thought about it the more I felt that this wasn’t fair, how were members of the Zion faction supposed to put up any sort of a fight, if even the weakest, and I’m assuming the imps are the weakest members of the Lightbringer Faction. Could push me, with all of my bonuses and even my Level ups to the brink, while being 40% weaker.
The level of difficulty just went up a notch, however this painting is still an advantage. It’s bonus stretches to my territory as a whole and not just the manor, which means on my home turf, with sufficient strength to my name, against the Lightbringer faction I could be nigh unbeatable. I have to take proper advantage of this, and if possible find something else that could make the buff a lot more stronger than it already is.
I was suddenly brought out of my thoughts by the sound of a door being open, it creaked so loudly that it echoed across the entire manor. My heart skipped a beat in worry, but seeing as I still had my short sword with me, I was not entirely defenseless. But then again if there was some other demon within the manor I had to figure out how I would deal with it. Do I have to take the fight to it or do I wait for it to come up and try and set up an Ambush for it.
I’m not sure which was the best course of action, my experience with the imps more than told me that I might be in way over my head. There’s no guarantee that waiting was the best course of action or going ahead to find out just what sort of demon I had to deal with was the way to go. I felt as if I was over thinking this, was I over thinking this? Probably, but what else can I do, for a start this has to be the worst in video or VR game in history-
“Hello?”
I paused as my heart involuntarily skipped a beat. Of all the things I was expecting hearing a person’s voice was the last of it. And I could tell that this was a person, the low scratchy pitch of the imps were completely absent and I could hear the voice a male, perhaps a bit older calling out. But then again these were demons I was dealing with, this could just be a trick to lure me out to my death.
“Hello is anyone home? My name is Isaiah Thomas, I’m the village head of New Ire. I don’t mean to intrude but I received a message that the Lord of our territory has arrived….. if it’s not too much to ask I would like an audience with him…. Hello?”
I did not say anything, not that I didn’t want to, I just couldn’t seem to bring myself to do so. So I let my body move, moving down the hallway I had found myself in as quickly as possible. It opened up into a foyer with a balcony overlooking the entrance to the manor. This part of the manor too was also very messy, with a massive chandelier crashed to the ground, bits and pieces of it hanging off the ruined statue of what was most definitely Jesus Christ. But none of that drew my attention as standing in front of a set of really terrible looking doors was a man that pretty much looked like he had one foot in the grave.
“My Lord! I bid you a warm welcome sir! I can’t tell you how happy I am that we can finally be graced by your guidance.” I didn’t say anything, I observed rather, taking note of his worn out clothes, and of the young man with an Axe standing behind him, and looking as if he had come here with the intention to hunt something down. I raised an eyebrow at that, “for people bidding me a warm welcome you sure know how to show it by coming up to my doorstep with an Axe in hand and malevolence in heart.”
I blinked, I had spoken out loud again and without my sentences being broken down in pieces. Every coherent thought I had was laid out easily, it worried me as I furrowed my eyebrows again and hummed softly to myself. The village head, Isaiah turned to the young man and admonished him, giving a quick wallop to the back of his head as a small [-1 HP] flew over his head and he cried out in indignation.
“Pa!”
But the old man did not seem as if he was ready to listen as he ignored the boy and bowed once again, this time taking a few steps more into the manor. My eyes seemed to have something in them as his steps seemed to stumble and he stuttered a bit before gaining the courage to speak up once more.
“Please my Lord I ask that you forgive my Grandson, the Manor has been abandoned for the better part of 38 years and occasionally we have had to deal with small incursions of demons hoping to get into it or being spawned from within it’s grounds. We had no idea what to expect My Lord, but I am happy to see that ultimately the Prophecy that the Prophet of the lord had given to us some 25 years have come to pass.”
“What prophecy?”
My voice seemed to be far deeper than I wanted it to be, I know I sounded normal, but almost every word spoken seemed to shake the old man something fierce and his grandson looked ready to leap at me with that axe and get to work. But never the less I did not feel as if I was in danger with these people and frankly speaking their presence was an advantage as it would at least mean I get more information about my current location and probably know what are my next steps to take.
“Umm…. Pardon me My Lord, but it goes like this”
[In a Year Of Cold, Strife And Loss. Under The Yoke Of Hell’s Horror Come Through, The Angel Arrives. Deliverance He Brings, Hope He Embodies, As Father He May Be, The Son Shall Blessings Ensure. As 7 Trials He Must Face, To Command A Host He Must Lead. On The Sounds Of War He Would Ride, The Angel With A Twisted Mind Must Ascend, As Lord And Shepherd Of The Lost, A New Kingdom To Be Born, His Name Is One From The Stars.]
It was a catchy rhyme, and paying a closer attention to it and the eloquent words more than proved that “Yes I am the one being talked about.” I bowed my head, another full sentence, out of my mouth before I even have the chance to control my own thoughts. VR was never like this for me, the experience within the Paths Of Divinity was different and at the same time it was leaving me a little worried if not just a bit scared, there was nothing familiar for me here, nothing at all.
“Praise be to the Most High God! Please my Lord, anything that you need, anything at all to ensure a smooth transition ask of us, and if it is within my power I will make sure to see it done.” The village head said as he bowed even lower this time, I raised a hand in his direction asking him to calm down, I did need help. As it stands I would not be able to focus on anything else unless I Had Leon with me, that has to be my first priority.
“I’m in need of some helpers to help me run this Manor. But most importantly I need a Nanny that can serve as teacher for my son and a guard of sufficient strength to protect him from the dangers. I believe I should be able to hire one from your Village’s Embassy, can I trouble you to lead me to it.”
I almost drew in a large breath of air, that was more than just one word answers to string coherent thoughts, it was more than a full sentence and every word spoken had made it seem as if I would burst. But I did it, I was okay here, I was fine, I could speak. However instead of a look of positivity from the village head, he turned to look back at his Grandson with a somewhat mortified look on his face, he obviously wanted to say something but he could not.
“Speak!”
The authority that came with that word seemed to flow out of me, it demanded that nature and everything under the sun listen to my words and my intent and see that it all comes to fruition. I felt a shock from deep within me as a prompt popped up in front of me.
[You Have Met The Requirements To Unlock The Path Of Leadership! +10 Path Points]
“The Village has not just been under siege from demons Sire, we’ve been under siege from members of the Lightbringer Faction. Raiders from inland and pirates from the seas. They have all ensured that the embassy remains nothing more than a ruin, as such we can not invite new settlers to the village or hire professionals to help with it’s infrastructure. But the biggest obstacle would have to be Fiends that have taken control over all of the Village’s important resource nodes.
Nothing can be done if the fiends are not vanquished, that way we have access to the materials needed to rebuild the embassy. And if by the Grace of God we have enough time, we can rebuild the embassy and hire a small militia of the righteous that would help us stand against the raiders and the pirates the next time they come. It is only through this way you would be able to hire a teacher and a guard for the young lord.
It pains me my Lord that I and the village can not offer more help in regards to this. We can barely afford to feed ourselves much less teach or protect our young. The only thing we know how to do is to fish the seas and scavenge it’s depths to find the occasional treasure or resource that can be sold to the occasional wandering merchant ships. We’re isolated from the rest of the world and lack the strength to fight back, I ask mercy for our inadequacy.”
“You do not need mercy for anything! These are situations beyond your power, and while it is disappointing there is nothing that can be done about it now other than to take the fight to the fiends that have settled over the nodes. Which is exactly what I am going to do, so at the very least point me to an able blacksmith within your village then point me in the direction of the first Node….I will rid my land of the infernal vermin that now infests it.”
“As you wish my Lord?”
“Az Rael…. My name is Az Rael.”
[Quest! Recapture The Resource Nodes Of Glory Vault (1): The Resource Nodes of your territory has been taken over by fiend demons from the depths of hell. Each fiend represents a different challenge and would equally give different rewards if you are able to vanquish them. Slay them all and claim what is yours for the Glory and Honor Of the Father Above./ Rewards: +20 Path Points, +5000 Exp, +5 Stat Points Per Node Captured.]