Explosions of light shot all around him. James recalled a time when his real father was alive and his parents took him and his sister to a Fourth of July fireworks show. The lights shot up in the air and he almost said, “Ohh and Ahh!” But the floor he stood on swayed to the side making him almost fall.

“Hey you, young scalawag!”

James looked at the man talking to him; the person was the biggest man he ever saw. He was clearly over seven feet tall, highly muscled and held some type of axe in his hands.

The man said, “Hurry, we’re being boarded.” He turned to the other people around him. James stood on a wooden ship and the bright lights he saw before him was weapons exploding, magical weapons.

“Where am I,” James said.

“You’re on the Royal ship, Jasper. You’re one of the guards,” the man said.

Everybody stopped moving. A series of text messages came before him.

Name: James Rue

Level: 1

No Abilities assigned.

The message disappeared.

Please choose your class.

James was astonished everything from the explosions to the large man standing next to him were frozen as if they were paused on a computer game.

He realized he had to choose a class for himself. The first one was Fighter and he was tempted to choose that one. But he look at the other options. He placed his hand on the class Paladin. Another message appeared on the right.

Paladins are warriors of divine power who protect the world from evil with their special abilities.

Hit Roll: D10

Attack against dark creatures +3

James played many role playing games and he thought the Dominion creatures use RPG as a basis for this world mechanics. It was smart.

“Can you please hurry. They cannot keep the world in stasis forever,” an impatient voice said.

“What?”

A small woman in a blue short dress flew around him. She had gossamer wings beating in a rhythmic fashion. He felt cold air hitting him. Her raven black hair framed a pixie looking face.

“You heard me. You need to pick you class to begin this Trial.”

“Are you my guide?” James said.

“Yes, my name is Meryl. As you can see, I’m a fairy. The Dominion wanted you to have a magical creature from Earth to help you. But they don’t know we died out a long time ago,” she said. “So hurry. They’re watching you.”

“So, Meryl, you’re my guide?”

“Yes, I already said that.”

James felt this fairy should at least help him pick his class.

“So,” he said, “what is the best character class?”

Meryl shrugged her shoulders. “You can pick the Wizard class. Humans always want to mess with magic. That’s how you killed most of my kin.”

“I don’t know what your talking about. We don’t have fairies on earth,” he said.

“Ah, you don’t know but the magical races was there before humans,” she said.

“Look, I thought you were my guide,” he said. “I’m sorry about the past but I don’t know about that.”

James didn’t want to question this fairy. In his mind, he wondered how Meryl knew about earth’s history. But right now this information wouldn’t help him out.

Meryl said, “Okay, the sooner I help you with this tutorial the sooner I can leave.”

“Good. So what is the best class to pick?” He said.

“Well, it depends on the person,” she said.

Meryl stopped flying and sat on his shoulder. Her wings still fluttered a few times causing a torrent of air striking him but she didn’t weight anything.

“So,” he said, “it depends on my personality?”

“Yes in a sense you can say that,” she said. “But us fairies call it essence or aura.”

He said with his hands on his hips, “So, what does my Aura say about me?”

The fairy placed her small hand on his shoulder. He felt something hot like a scalding fire burn his arm. And he stifled an exclamation of pain. Before he could say anything, Meryl spoke.

She said, “Hmm, interesting, you want to help people but I see darkness. I thought at first when I saw you, you should be a Paladin. But now I think you should be a monk. What is a Bruce Lee?”

“Never mind,” he said.

James thought of the class Monk and it appeared before home.

Monks are warriors of the highest order using their energy, ki power, to fight. They are masters of martial art, mastering all types of weapons. Yet, they primarily fight with their hands.

Hit Roll: D8

Body is supernaturally enhanced.

James read this but didn’t click on the confirmation to change to this class. He thought the Monk would had a higher attack hit roll but he always wanted to be a martial artist like Bruce Lee.

Meryl said, “The monk category is at first a lower class but has potential to be a power house like a fighter. Also, you can recharge your health with you ki.”

The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

“I don’t know.”

“It’s up to you,” she said. “You can always change your class once you hit level 10. But you would have to start your class all over again.”

James pondered this. “Is there hybrid classes?”

“Yes,” the fairy said.

“Can you explain?”

“I cannot tell you until you reach a certain level,” she said.

“Okay,” James said.

He placed his hand over the Monk button and pressed it. Nothing happened. Meryl laughed.

She said, “You dolt. Just state to the AI that you want to be a Monk.”

“Hey, you little fly. I don’t know the controls yet,” He said. He was tempted to swat a the fairy but he knew it would just get her angry.

James said, “I choose to be a Monk.”

“You have chosen the Monk class. Is this correct?”

“Yes,” he said.

“Are you doubly sure?” the AI voice said. “I never expected you to choose such a robust and difficult class. I thought you would have chosen fighter or wizard like the other humans.”

Crap James thought. The AI is also gave him shit.

“Hey, I don’t tell you how to do your business,” he said.

Meryl started to laugh again. “He doesn’t understand.”

The AI was laughing too. “You’re right. He doesn’t have the balls to become a Monk.”

“I have the balls. Tell me,” James said.

Meryl said, “As a monk you cannot wear armor or cast spells. Later, you do have magic but you would have to level up. I think it would be too difficult for you. Also, you would be susceptible to magic until you reach level 3.”

James said, “I can do it. I wish to be a monk.”

Nothing happened for several seconds. Meryl snickered. “Stop it. Let him do it. The worst that can happen is that he gets himself killed.”

James said, “You guys are assholes. I can show you who has balls.”

The AI said, “Fine. It’s your death wish. Please confirm that you want to be a Monk. Yes or No?”

“Yes,” he said.

The dice is rolled. Your stats are being updated.

Meryl said, “Good luck.”

Everything around him started to move again. The wooden boards of the ship creaked. James turned to see several large people coming jumping over the railing of the boat. These men were six feet tall and had four arms each holding daggers.

James mouth hung open. The two pirates standing before him had light blue skin.

The closest pirate said, “So, where’s the gold?”

New Trial Quest: Save the Jasper ship from the clutches of the evil pirates. Who are you kidding? You need help. You’re only level one.

James shook his head. He had to have a funny AI.

“That’s hilarious,” Meryl said. She was flying around him.

“Shut up!” James said.

The pirate who spoke to him said, “So, you want to do this the hard way?”

Both of the pirates came closer to him.

“Will you help me either of you? Give me some information?” James said.

“Who are you talking to?” The pirate said. “Hey, Darth, we have a crazy royal guard. Maybe, we should skin him alive.”

The other pirate said in a dopey voice, “Yes, that sounds good.”

Another blast of light and magic shot at the boat making the ground shiver. He wanted to look up his stats but didn’t know how to do that. He needed first to survive this quest. The closest pirate jumped toward him with his daggers pointed at him. James moved to the side faster than he ever moved.

“Wow, what happened?” He said. The pirate threw a dagger at his head. He grabbed it in mid-air. James thrusted the weapon back at the blue skin pirate. The dagger hit one of the pirates arms causing the creature to drop on of the knives. James snatched the dagger and held it forward.

The pirate said, “Oh no, we have a fighter here. Get him.”

Both pirated attacked. James instantly moved as if he had fighting experience, dodging swings from the daggers barely missing him by inches. He kicked out and broke a knee cap of one of the pirates. The pirate fell to the ground.

He was about to yell for joy when the other pirate casted heal on its comrade.

Heal level 1 is casted on Blue Scourge Pirate.

The pirate on the ground smiled a toothy grin. He felt a stabbing pain.

“Ouch!”

-5 damage

A dagger from the other pirate struck and embedded itself in his arm. A woman’s scream was heard. James saw a woman on the foredeck. She was being attacked by several more blue skin pirates. He looked for some help.

The other royal guards of the ship were fighting against the pirates. The royal guards were large humanoids as tall as the man who called him scalawag, muscled. James stood trying to get his bearing. He dropped the dagger he was holding.

-3 damage

What the hell? The beginning battle was supposed to be easy. He was not going to survive this. Yet, he knew this was not a game. Grabbing the dagger in this arm, he yank it free.

Red pain shot in his sight. He almost fell but kept himself upright.

-2 damage

“Leave this guard. He’s nothing.”

The pirate next to him stood to his full height and kicked at him. The blow struck James on the stomach and he fell backwards and hit a large boat mast. His vision misted. Blood flood down his arm in rivulets. The two pirates laughed at him and trudged away.

James saw something he didn’t notice when he was fighting the pirates. He saw a red bar on top of the pirates and they where both full. It was a health bar. James scanned over his head and didn’t see anything.

“They are watching,” Meryl said.

“Help me. I need to know my stats,” James said.

The fairy appeared flying around him. “You don’t have time right now. If you survive this, then I’ll show you the rest. Remember, the quest goal.”

“Okay, can you at least tell me how can I see my health points as well as the creatures.”

“Oh, yes the creatures or mobs health can be either shown when you attack it or focus on the mob,” Meryl said.

What a newbie.

It was the AI.

“Hey, I don’t need you back talk.” James paused. “So, what if I die?”

Meryl sat on his shoulder. “Come on, James, I believe in you. You can do it. Remember why you’re here.”

Meryl didn’t sound enthusiastic. She flew upwards and then disappeared in a poof of white smoke. James shook his head. She was right. He had to show the Dominion that humans are worth it to save.

James grabbed the boat mast and pulled himself up. He thought he had to suck it up and fight. He look over and saw the pirate boat; it was large with two tall masts and black sails fluttering in the wind.

He saw pirates all over the upper deck. Moving forward, he came toward the blue beasts attacking the woman. She swung a large sword keeping the pirates at bay. He crept forward and look for a weapon and didn’t see anything.

He focused on his and the pain of his shoulder disappeared. His hands and arms started to feel different, stronger and powerful. It wasn’t just a feeling but he knew it. He crept to nearest pirate and kicked at the intruder.

The mob yelled as he flew toward the sea below.

He said, “Wow! He looked at his hands. “I can do this.”

The pirates looked at him as the new threat. They attacked. James moved fast and punched the mob. The creature exploded in blood and guts. James whirled attacking the pirates. He killed another.

James was elated. He needed to believe in himself. Then something happened. Another person showed up. It was not a pirate. The new interloper was a robed figure and the face was a black skull.

It was the boss James knew. He had to kill him before he could complete this quest. James focused and saw a health bar over the black skull boss. The pirates moved away from them.

James rushed forward and punched the boss. The creatures chuckled. His fist didn’t touch the robed figure. James thought oh no. He kicked out. His attack smacked on a bluish field. The boss was shielded.

James couldn’t tell if the boss was grinning or just staring at him. He understood the explosions of light were actual magic. And he knew he had to do something fast.

Meryl said, “Use your power Strong Fist.”

“How do I do it?” James said in desperation.

“Focus on your fists. You only have a limited amount.”

James did and his hands and then he saw the Monk spell. It was in his mind. And for a brief second he saw a menu before him. A heads up display or HUD appeared and then disappeared.

“What the hell is it?” He said.

Trying to bring the display back, he focus before him. Nothing happened. It doesn’t matter. He knew how to use his monk power, Strong Fists. He held his fist up and used it on the boss. He punched forward.

The shield spell over the boss showed a health bar and it went down a few bars. James nodded and was ready for another round of Strong Fists but something stopped him. There was a cool down for a monk power.

“Damn,” He said.

Jumping away, he sensed the boss attacking. A fireball erupted from the boss’s skeletal hand and it hit him. Pain shot forth on his chest. Ouch! Red was shown on his vision

This was not good. His health bar floated before him and it didn’t show any health. He was going to die and he needed to do something fast. Without thinking he rushed toward a large ship mast. His monk power was ready. He wasn’t sure how he knew this but he did.

He concentrated on his fists. He shot his palm outward with his power Strong Fists at the large mast. His hand struck the wood causing it to break with a large blast. The mast didn’t moved for a second. James rushed to the other side and pushed it toward the boss.

He heard the boss scream. Then everybody exploded in light and sound.

“What the hell?” James said.

A rushing noise was heard almost like the sound of tornado. James was flung off the ship and the last think he saw before darkness descended on him was the front part of the ship detonating in a shower of yellow luminescence and then grey darkness.