The first thing Vlad heard after being engulfed in particles of light was the sound of crickets chirping in the distance. Rubbing his eyes, he slowly lifted himself off the soft grassy ground, sitting upright. As he opened his eyes, his vision blurred briefly before clearing up right away, allowing Vlad to see where he was now.
That is when he noticed that he was now in the middle of a dark, dense forest. There were trees packed together and towering around him. All of their leaves and branches were bunched together, blocking a good majority of the stars and moon. Vlad could only see small beams of light peeking through the leaves as they hit the grassy ground he sat on. Looking up, he saw bits of the white moon through the branches, high in the sky over his head.
While looking at his surroundings, a small breeze blew past him caressing his skin with a nice chill touch. As Vlad took a deep breath, he smelled the refreshing crisp air before sighing with relief. For a brief moment, Vlad felt relaxed and at peace. All of his troubles and anxieties were gone like the wind as he basked in the tranquility of the forest.
However, this relaxation didn’t last long when a new panel appeared.
[First Fable: The Divine Hunter. “Main Quest”: [Prove your Faith to the Hunt]: You are in the domain of the Hunting Goddess. Your task is to defeat her five Hunting Maidens and prove your faith to the Hunt. Upon Completion, Player will receive a Blessing from the Goddess as well as an item to take with them to the next Trial. Good Luck!]
[Hunting Maidens Defeated: 0/5]
“The hell?” Vlad furrowed his brow, suspicious of what this trial entailed.
He had to fight Maidens? But why? And where exactly were they?
Irritably scratching his head, Vlad scanned his surroundings to locate the “hunting maidens” he was supposed to be fighting. His eyes trailed over to the luscious bushes, the towering trees, and also glistening river to his left, flowing down a stream. Sadly, no matter where he looked, he couldn’t find them. Was he supposed to go to a specific area to deal with them or are they just late to the party?
Before Vlad could move about to continue his supposed hunt, another blue panel manifested before his eyes.
[Please Choose your weapon.]
[Basic Sword (Common-Rank) – +4 Damage]
[Basic Spear (Common-Rank) – +4 Damage]
[Basic Bow and Arrow (Common-Rank) – +4 Damage]
[Basic Dagger (Common-Rank) – +4 Damage]
[Basic Whip (Common-Rank) – +4 Damage]
He had to choose a weapon? Then again, he was supposed to be fighting people, so that made sense. But what about his class? Wasn’t he supposed to pick one? Or could he only do it after completing the Fables? This was all so confusing.
Vlad pondered over his choices while examining each one. He had a total of five options, which made him wonder if that had anything to do with the five maidens he had to face off against. Maybe each weapon shown is a weapon that one of the maidens wields. It was a long shot, but Vlad felt that it would be useful information regardless and kept that tip in the back of his mind.
After a few minutes of pondering his choices, he quickly made a decision.
[Basic Spear has been selected!]
Vlad went for the spear. The reason why was more or less plain and simple.
After choosing the Basic Spear, a rather long wooden spear with a metal spearhead materialized out of thin air before landing in Vlad’s hands. The moment he got a hold of the weapon, he felt the subtle weight before grasping at the handle with two hands, getting a good feel out of the weapon. He then practiced with the spear by spinning it around along with making thrust and jab moves with it.
While doing this, he felt that the weapon was more or less to his liking. Not too heavy, not too light, and able to allow him to perform several consecutive moves without delay.
“Hmm…not bad,” He grinned while admiring the spear.
The reason why Vlad seemed too familiar with the weapon is because he was trained to use one by Chloe’s father. Chloe’s family comes from a long line of fighters who participated in a lot of competitions. When Vlad and Chloe had known each other for a little while, he was introduced to her family, to which her father took a liking to him and decided then and there that he was going to teach him how to fight.
And during that time, he learned how to use the spear and was very skilled with it as well. Almost to the point where Chloe’s father was surprised by his talent with it. Which only fueled the man’s drive to teach Vlad the way of the spear even further.
Needless to say, Vlad made the right choice. Tightly gripping his spear, Vlad bore a determined expression before he prepared himself for his hunt. Weapon in hand, he soon traversed through the forest to find his enemies.
His shoes crunched on sticks and stiff leaves as he scanned the forest. Despite the sound of his steps, everything else was quiet. Even the sound of the wind went silent the moment Vlad began his mission as if to not distract him with its whistling breeze. In the back of his mind, Vlad was a little relieved that this Fable story was nothing more than a simulation. That meant that it likely wasn't going to be difficult and he'd be able to pass it without dying. Compared to nearly dying to those goblins, he felt that this Fable was going to be very simple for here.
Glancing to his left, he spotted some bushes and wondered for a moment if they were hiding there. However, before he could test that assumption, he quickly heard rustling in the trees above him. Quickly lifting his head, he glared up at the trees and frantically looked for his prey. Just then, he saw something zip toward him at a frightening speed. Vlad noticed it in time and narrowly dodged whatever came his way. Sadly, he didn’t avoid the attack unscathed as the object cut his cheek before flying past him and hitting a nearby tree, making a loud thump in the process.
Vlad looked behind him and saw the object in question. It was an arrow. But something was different about it. Why…was it glowing?
Stuck to the tree was a silver-white arrow, giving off a bright glow that illuminated a bit around the area, like a glowstick. If it were daytime, Vlad likely wouldn’t have noticed it so well, but under the dark sky and moonlight, it was perfectly displayed before him like a work of art. However, instead of being mesmerized by it, he reminded himself that it was still an arrow, even if it was glowing.
That much was evident from his cheek wound. Vlad raised his hand before placing it on his cheek where the arrow gashed him. It stung a little as blood slowly leaked down his face.
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"This simulation...isn't going to be easy, is it?" He wiped his cheek to clean up the blood trailing down his face before turning his attention back to the arrow that just hit him.
Despite this whole thing being a simulation, it was obvious that the system wasn't going to make things easy for him. The arrow and wound he just received alone showed him the true nature of this simulation. If anyone else had to experience nearly getting killed by an arrow like he did, they would grow fearful and run away. However, Vlad felt a different emotion. What he was currently feeling right now…was anger.
“So that’s how you want to play, huh?” Gritting his teeth, Vlad moved over to where the arrow was planted in the tree before pulling it out forcefully.
Once it was in his hands, he examined the item once more. It felt light to the touch, but also firm and sturdy, which explained how it was able to pierce the tree without breaking. The thing was covered from head to toe in the white light. Whether it was the arrowhead or the feathers, or maybe light feathers, was the appropriate term for it. Still, this was the very weapon that couldn’t easily pierce through his head. And he needed to find the owner of it.
Tossing the arrow away, he glared in the direction where the arrow came from. As he did, he noticed that the branches and leaves rustled unnaturally, informing him that the attacker was still there. Not only that but much like the arrow, there was something behind them that was glowing as well, easily revealing its position. Knowing this, a slight smile formed on Vlad’s face before he rushed over to the enemy.
Sprinting toward them, Vlad watched as more arrows were fired at him. This time, three of them made a beeline for his body. Intensely focusing on the trajectory of the arrows, he moved accordingly and swiftly dodged the arrows. The first arrow, he moved to the right as it whizzed past his arm. The second arrow, he shifted his head to the left. And for the last arrow, he brought out his spear and aggressively swatted it away, making it strike the dirt ground instead.
All three arrows shot also gave off the same glow, making it easy for Vlad to spot and deal with them accordingly. Still, he wasn’t out of the clear yet. Not until he managed to take down the damn hunter.
Vlad kept his eyes trained on the glowing figure still held up in the trees, determined to take them down. Judging from how high they were up there; Vlad couldn’t make it there fast enough before getting hit with more arrows. So, he made a risky move but was determined to make it work.
While sprinting, he bent down and picked up a rather large rock that was around the size of his palm or bigger. He then aimed it right at the so-called “hunting maiden” that was after him. And with a single throw, he launched the rock directly at them. He managed to make a perfect toss as it shot toward its target and disappeared in the branches and leaves. For a brief moment, he could hear the rock hitting something. It didn’t sound like it struck a tree or anything like that, which meant Vlad was able to hit his target. Just then, the figure fell from the trees and landed on the ground. And what Vlad witnessed only bewildered him more.
He saw a figure coated in an Ethereal white light, as if they were made of it, much like the arrow. They almost looked like a spirit but gave off a more divine aura. In its right hand was another glowing object, which was the bow it used to shoot those Ethereal arrows at him. The light figure had a feminine build as it clutched onto its right arm. That must’ve been where Vlad hit it.
“The hell…?” The young man couldn’t comprehend what he was looking at.
How was this person covered in that light? Was it actually composed of the light? Just what in the world was Vlad going up against?
As Vlad continued to look at it, a panel soon manifested before him, suddenly showing him some vital information.
[Hunting Maiden - Level ???]
"Oh, so that's how you can see people's status...wait how come its level is question marks?! Doesn't that mean it's incredibly strong?!"
Usually, in RPG games, when your opponent only showed question marks on its status, that meant it was a lot stronger than you. Like at least thirty to fifty levels stronger than you. Considering that Vlad was still level one, he didn't like his odds against the Maiden.
Distracted by the Glowing Maiden’s abnormal appearance, the figure blurred toward Vlad, leaving a trail of white particles in its wake. He barely managed to notice the Maiden as it swung its bow at his head. He narrowly dodged it, ducking while thrusting his spear forward, attempting to pierce its torso and end the fight quickly. This plan failed as the Maiden adjusted the position of its bow and easily blocked his spear, bringing it down and making the spearhead dig deep into the dirt ground.
With his weapon pinned, the Ethereal Maiden brought its bow up and attempted to swing it down on his head once more. Vlad responded by leaping backward, letting the bow continue its course as it descended mere inches in front of him while moving away. The moment the bow smashed against the dirt ground, he used the opportunity to lung forward and raise his foot, instantly kicking the Maiden square in the chest. It fell backward from the force, landing on its back while Vlad rushed to retrieve his spear back.
He held onto the handle of his weapon and pulled it out from the ground, using all of his strength before his momentum got the better of him, making him fall on his back much like the Hunter he kicked away. He rolled across the dirt for a moment and attempted to get on his feet. Just then, his eyes rose to see the white figure with its bow raised and string pulled back.
Vlad’s eyes widened, realizing that the maiden was about to shoot. And it did, releasing another arrow of light as it whistled over to him like a speeding bullet. Out of desperation, he brought up his spear to either block or deflect the arrow. And with a swift yet hasty swing, the spear repelled the arrow, redirecting its path into the ground next to him.
And just when the maiden attempted to pull another arrow to shoot, Vlad rushed forward, thrusting his weapon with all of his might into the white ethereal body, His spear managed to make contact, easily piercing its body like butter. Taking a couple of breaths, he shifted his eyes toward the face of the Maiden in question, curious as to what it looked like from up close.
Despite being covered in a white light, he noticed that it had short hair, that slightly moved as the wind breezed across it. And even without a face, he could somehow tell that the figure was surprised and in pain…yet it looked satisfied as well. Like it was happy that it died in battle.
The white figure soon slumped over before dispersing into particles of light, much like what happened to Vlad when he was teleported from his home. He watched as the particles floated in the air and then disappeared in an instant. As he witnessed this, a blue panel appeared, practically ruining the experience.
[Hunting Maiden has been defeated! Error! Due to Player being within a Fable Trial, no EXP can be obtained.]
[Maidens Defeated: 1/5]
Vlad frowned as he read the panels. "Seriously? I can't level up because I'm in a Trial? That's a load of bull."
Despite the Maiden's level showing up as question marks, he managed to win against it rather easily. Maybe it's because it's a Trial and Simulation? It would also explain why he couldn't gain any Experience Points since the enemies were part of the Trials. Still, Vlad was a little upset that he couldn't gain any XP from this. By the time he was done with the trials, he would've likely been the strongest player once he got back to Earth.
Vlad slowly lifted himself by using the butt of his spear. The moment he did, his skin started to crawl as he suddenly felt a sudden sense of danger. Frantically turning to the source, he felt something pierce his side, causing him to wince in response. Vlad keeled over in pain while reaching for the weapon that hit him.
When he looked down, he saw a hunting dagger, with its blade nearly halfway plunged into his body. Just as Vlad grabbed the dagger to pull it out, a searing pain coursed over the spot, forcing him to release the handle. Before he could try again, a whipping sound could be heard as some rope-like cord sharply wrapped around his wrist. The cord then pulled his arm away as it was restrained in an instant.
“A-agh…!” Vlad grunted as his eyes shifted to whoever was using the whip on him.
As he did, he watched as another white feminine figure emerged from the bushes and trees, revealing itself to Vlad. It wasn’t just one either. Over to his left, he saw another white figure appear, this one carrying two daggers, much like the one currently stuck in his side.
To make matters even worse, the remaining two hunters showed up as well. One wielding a sword, and the other, a spear. Vlad was then reminded that he wasn't just fighting against one Hunting Maiden. He had to deal with five of them. And right now, he still had four left before his trial was over.
Vlad took a quick glance at their status windows, curious yet expectant of what was in store for him.
[Hunting Maiden - Level ???]
[Hunting Maiden - Level ???]
[Hunting Maiden - Level ???]
[Hunting Maiden - Level ???]
He grimaced. Although he expected it, he was still surprised to see all of them have the same question marks for their levels. As the four remaining hunting maidens made their presence known to Vlad, all he could do was nervously smile before uttering these words.
“Ah, shit…”