Time passed and, after four in-game days, Nayir reappeared in the city of Dessera.
He was still bitter about being killed by a cat, on top of being denied the ultimate skills of death-bringing that he had so desired since first viewing the commercial for Royal Road.
“I will get revenge on that cat one day, just wait!”
Walking over to a wall, he sat down and watched the residents of the city go about their daily lives as he pondered on what his next course of action would be.
There were groups chatting, erupting into raucous laughter every so often; children were playing, darting in and out of the many people around; couples strolling along, hand in hand, smiling softly.
Nayir viewed it all with dour eyes.
“Stats and Skills windows.”
Status WindowNameNayirAlignmentNeutralLevel1ClassMageTitleNoneFame0Health60Mana110Strength9Agility9Stamina10Wisdom11Intellect11Luck0Leadership0Attack3Defence0Magic ResistanceFire6%Water6%Earth6%Black Magic0%Unallocated Stat Points10Race increases amount of mana gained by stat points.
Race increases amount of mana gained by level increase.
Race grants a slight increase in movement speed. (+2%)
Race grants affinity with nature. (+20 affinity with nature)
Able to equip certain items that are specific to your class.
Unable to equip armours and weapons containing iron.
Magic Arrow (Lv. 1 0%): A basic projectile of pure mana is launched towards the target in a straight line.
Tier 0 Spell
Damage: 2
Casting Time: Instant
Mana Consumption: 5
Meditation (Lv. 1): Recover mana at a doubled rate.
Skill does not level.
Memorise (Lv. 1): Allows you to remember and recall spells.
Current spells memorised: 1/10
At Level 100: +10 spells available
Sullenly, Nayir looked over his stats and skills.
“This is pathetic. They made me so weak.”
Nayir sighed.
“Hm? Unallocated stat points? When did I…?”
Thinking hard, he was unable to place where he got them.
“Well, I’ve got them now…”
Nayir contemplated how he would spend his points and, in the end, he decided that if he was going to be an all-powerful mage then he would have to have strong spells. Therefore, he invested them all into Intellect.
He stared at the two windows pitifully for a while.
The people who were passing by whispered to each other.
“What do you think happened to him?”
“Don’t make eye contact! He might harass us for money! You know what those beggar types are like! Don’t you remember what happened in Rhodium?”
Eventually, Nayir came to a decision.
“First things first! Time to get some new spells! How am I supposed to bring annihilation to everything with only one measly attack spell?!”
The foremost task Nayir needed to do was find the location of the shop that sold spells.
Not wanting to take his chances with the violence of the merchants and other players, and not seeing anyone in the street, he walked up to the nearest door and entered it.
Stepping through the door, he noticed that he was now in a scarcely decorated parlour that had all the signs of being well looked after.
He walked through the building, searching the rooms, until he found what he was searching for: a couple standing in their bedroom, holding each other in each other's embrace.
“Ah, perfect.”
The couple jumped visibly as he spoke, after being brought out of their intimate world and moved to face him as he approached.
“Which one of you can tell me where I can buy spell books?”
The couple looked at each other, in shock and confusion.
“The shop that sells spell books. Where is it?”
They looked back at Nayir and the man began to speak,
“It’s… next to the mage’s guild, if you…”
“Great, I know where that is.”
Nayir exited the house and headed towards the guild, leaving behind a bewildered couple who were staring at the door he left through.
Relationship with Viem and Seral Gallen has decreased.
Nayir’s footsteps were the lightest they had been since he step foot into the game. He was not being chased, he was not injured and he was eagerly trying to decide on what spell he was going to get first.
In what seemed to be no time at all, he arrived at the front of the Mage’s guild.
“That helpful man said it was next to the guild…”
Looking both to the left and right, he could not decide which building it was and so he decided to walk up for a closer inspection. Nayir walked up to the building on the left and peered through the window and noticed that the décor was rather homely.
“It must not be this one. Which means…”
He sauntered over to the other side of the guild and peered through the window, only this time he saw a large quantity of books on display.
“I was right!”
Nayir entered the shop, glossed over the books near the front and advanced towards the man behind the counter.
“Welcome. My, my, my. It’s not very often we get elves…”
“Where are your best spell books.”
The shopkeeper was slightly taken aback with his abruptness.
“My best spell books? They’re kept in this display behind the counter.”
“I want them.”
The shopkeeper inspected Nayir, who still wore the clothes he first started in.
“You haven’t been here very long, have you foreigner? I…”
“Your best spell books.”
“I’m afraid that I can’t let someone unskilled in the usage of magic see them. You will have to make do with what I have on display.”
“I want your best spell books.”
“I’m telling you that you can’t have them.”
“Fine! If you want to be uncooperative…”
Nayir looked around him.
“I’ll just have this one!”
He picked up the nearest spell book and shouted, “Learn spell!”
You do not meet the requirements for this spell.
You have attempted to steal the knowledge of a spell from Gourd’s Spell Shop and have been banned from making purchases in this store.
Your relationship with the store owner of Gourd’s Spell Shop and anyone affiliated with the store has decreased dramatically.
Infamy increased by 50.
You are now wanted by the guards of Dessera for attempted theft. If caught, you face imprisonment of up to two weeks.
Nayir read the system messages as they appeared.
“What?! Why?! Why does this game refuse to let me do what I’ve wanted to do for so long!”
“You...! You…! Get out of my store! Go on, get out you thieving elf! Out!”
Gourd, the store owner, dashed around the counter, grabbed Nayir’s top and forcefully dragged him towards the door of the store. With his free hand, Gourd wrested the spell book from Nayir’s grip and threw it aside.
At the open door, Gourd used both arms and flung Nayir out into the street, stormed back into his store and slammed the door shut behind him.
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Nayir stumbled, trying to maintain his balance, a feat which he somehow accomplished.
He ran back to the door to the store and pounded his fists on it, pleading to be allowed to learn the spells that he longed to use.
“There he is!”
“Thief!”
“Get him!”
“Don’t let him get away!
Nayir was too busy banging the door and shouting to notice the four guards dashing down the street towards him. He was halfway through another desperate plea before his vision went black and he fell unconscious.
***
When Nayir came to, he felt cold. He felt cold, stiff and there was a throbbing pain in his head. Whilst his eyes remained closed, he managed to voice his thoughts,
“What…happened?”
“You broke the law, kid. You got what you deserved.”
“Who….”
“Me? Well, I did something a lot worse. I’ve been shut in here. It's dark in here. There's only dark in here. You can call me Dark.”
“Dark…?”
Dark laughed hoarsely and Nayir managed to open his eyes. At least he thought he had but he could see nothing but darkness, not even his own hands.
“It really is dark in here.”
“Dark is really here!” Dark laughed again.
“Crazy fool.” Nayir muttered under his breath.
After struggling for a couple of minutes, Nayir managed to sit himself up and he began to ease the stiffness out of his body. When he could move more freely, without too much pain, Nayir reached out and explored his environment with his hands.
From what he could tell, all four of the walls were made of stone, but in the centre of one of the walls were thick bars, most likely the entrance to the room. Dark was probably in a similar room not too far away.
After satisfying his urge to explore, Nayir sat down and pondered what he was going to do when he heard the clanging of metal, from a distance not too far away. He sat up straight, felt his way over to where he figured the door was, and tried to peer through gaps of the bars.
He spotted a flame approaching and, as it gradually drew nearer, he was able to see that it was a torch being held by, what he suspected to be, a guard who was carrying a sack.
“Here you go, filth! Food!” The guard emptied the contents of the bag onto the floor and Nayir could just make out pieces of barley bread, like those he had seen in his inventory previously. He noted that a couple of items made sounds that sounded like metal striking stone when they fell; he peered closer and realised that there were a couple of canteens amongst the barley bread.
Nayir faced the guard.
“Let me out.”
The guard laughed.
“Let me out now.”
“You’re not getting out of here for at least ten days, no matter what you say.” The guard spat in Nayir’s direction and went back the way he had come in, laughing.
“What an uncivil man…”
Nayir returned to the issue of the food dropped onto the floor, he welcomed receiving free goods. He stretched out his arms between the bars to where he thought the food had been only for his hand to meet with the cold stone.
Confused, he searched the nearby area thoroughly and all that he found was the same, nothing.
“Now, where…” Nayir began to wonder before he realised that there was a new sound in the darkness. It sounded similar to a feasting wild animal.
Nayir listened closer…
“…feast…a feast…it’s been… a long time… since… Dark had… a feast…”
Nayir became angry.
“You stole my food, you thief!”
“Dark’s food now… it’s a feast…”
Nayir screamed a wordless cry towards the source of the voice. No one should take what is his. It is, after all, his.
Moving deeper back into the cell, away from the door and the sounds of Dark gorging, Nayir contemplated.
Ten days? That’s two and a half days in reality. I guess I’ll just log out until it’s time to come out.
With that thought, Nayir logged out.
***
Nayir logged back in to Royal Road after waiting for the time that he was imprisoned for to pass and appeared in the darkness of the prison once again.
“Still dark as ever,” Nayir commented, looking around, “Actually, over there seems a little lighter…”
“Ah, it was good of you to return.” A vaguely familiar voice spoke and it was a few moments before Nayir could match the voice to the person.
“The impolite guard. You’ve come to let me out, I take it. Come on, then. Hurry up.”
“No. We know all about you foreigners. You will not be let out until you remain in here physically for the ten days.”
“What?!” Nayir raged towards the voice and the small source of light.
Nayir forgot that he was surrounded on all sides by walls and a metal door and slammed, head first, into the door. He fell backwards and his head swarmed with pain.
“Why?! Let me out now! I can’t spend ten days in here! I’ll be bored!”
“You shouldn’t have been a thief then, foreigner.”
Nayir could make out the guard dropping something on the floor in front of the door.
“Your food.” Remembering what had happened the last time, Nayir rushed to pick it up.
“Oh, the old man managed to get out so we’ll be watching you extra closely. Don’t think about trying anything or you’ll regret it!” The guard left, picking up the torch he had placed in a holder further down the corridor and exited the prison with the loud, metallic clang of the door.
“You can’t do this to me! I’m going to be a great mage! I won’t be locked up here! Let me out! Let me out!”
Nayir persisted to shout into the darkness until his voice became hoarse and croaky. Sitting down and taking several mouthfuls of water from the canteen that was left with the food, he began to think.
I have to be in this prison for ten days and any time I spend outside of the game is added on as extra so I have to stay in here for the whole period of ten days?! This is lunacy! Sheer lunacy! They can’t do this! What am I going to do in here? There’s nothing to do!
After sitting in silence for a few minutes, Nayir got irritated.
“There must be something that I can do in here! Ten days! I’ll die of boredom!”
Nayir thought back, over all of his experiences in Royal Road for something to keep him occupied in the ten days he had to wait to get out. He remembered the tutorial and its explanation of the gameplay.
Skills can be levelled through practise.
Toying with the idea, Nayir convinced himself that it was better than doing nothing and it would help him, at least until he got his hands on more powerful spells.
Nayir pointed to the space in front of him.
“Magic Arrow.”
…
Nothing happened.
“That’s strange…”
Nayir was puzzled.
“Magic Arrow.”
Still nothing happened.
“Magic Arrow!”
…
“Why?! Why won’t it work?! Magic Arrow! Magic Arrow! Magic Arrow! Magic Arrow! Magic Arrow! Magic… Damn this place!”
Annyoed, he started raving.
“All I wanted was something to do! I can’t even have that! Why not?! Why must you do this to me?! This is unfair!”
Nayir was upset.
“So… unfair.”
His magic would not work, he could not get new opportunities to learn new spells and he could not leave this place for close to two weeks whilst doing absolutely nothing for the entire time.
“What…can I do…?” Nayir choked up with tears of frustration, curled himself up into a ball and simply sat there, in the cold and dark prison, waiting for time to pass by.
-END CHAPTER-
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Here is the second chapter. It's probably not as detailed as it should be... but future chapters will likely make up for that.
I figured I'd alter the stats slightly due to his race so I will be using my own calculation for them. That way I can make things up.
It's going to be a little while before he gets out of the city where the real story will begin so I'll thank you for being patient whilst I build up a foundation.
I am happy to see that I have gotten some comments on my previous chapter and it seems the type of person that the main character is proving to be interesting. I hope that as time continues on, more people will feel compelled to give their own thoughts on the story, they are always welcome.
A slight side note, if you haven't noticed by now, I use British English so don't complain about the spelling unless you're certain I'm an idiot.
If you have any general comments or suggestions then feel free to post them on the relevant topic I've created: here.
I will lock the first chapter soon and will continue to do the same with each chapter after I release the next one.
~Emeki