Ron and Elinor sat at a wooden table, positioned just beside a window that revealed the tranquil night sky. The flickering candle, perched in the center of the table, cast shadows upon their faces as Elinor revealed to Ron who he was.
Elinor arched an eyebrow, perplexed by Ron's question. "Who am I?" he had asked. It was an odd query, but Ron deftly twisted his words, making her understand that the intention was in order to see how Elinor perceived him. It was a shrewd tactic, he thought, but it was better than just flatly lying to her.
And thus, Elinor told him.
“Brother, you are Sauron Greylock, the fourth child of the Lord of Foghaven…” Elinor continued her narration. She was like a storyteller from the olden days as her tone and pace were delightful to listen to.
Deep in the heart of the Highlands, nestled amidst the rugged peaks and misty valleys, lies the proud and noble house of Greylock. For centuries, they have stood steadfast in their fealty to the Great Lord of the Highlands, earning a reputation as fierce warriors and wise governors of the rugged lands they call home.
From their seat in Foghaven of Dalkan Highland, the Greylocks have kept a watchful eye over the lands and people entrusted to their care. Their loyalty to their liege knows no bounds, and in times of need, they have always been the first to answer the call to arms, standing firm against the invading hordes of Junglers or the howling blizzards that sweep across the mountains.
But it is not only their martial prowess that has earned the Greylocks the respect and admiration of the people they govern. Beneath their steely exterior lies a heart of gold, and time and again they have proved themselves to be the protectors and defenders of the downtrodden and vulnerable.
Whether it be a struggling village beset by bandits or a family facing ruin due to the harshness of winter, the Greylocks have always been there to lend a helping hand and ease the burden of those in need. Theirs is a legacy of compassion and courage, forged in the fires of adversity and tempered by the harsh realities of life in the Highlands.
Truly, the Greylocks were a shining example of all that is noble and good in the world, and their deeds and words will be remembered for generations to come.
Ron was left with a burning question that gnawed at his mind like a hungry wolf. If the Greylock family was renowned for their greatness, then how could one of their own, Sauron Greylock, turn out to be such a devil to his own half-sister? The answer came from an unexpected source - Elinor, who had been hesitant to speak, but upon seeing Ron's sympathetic smile and the promise to change for the better, found the courage to reveal the truth that had been hidden in her heart. It seemed that Sauron Greylock was the black sheep of the family, with no talent for sword or magic in a world where such skills were highly valued. His frustration at his own inadequacy grew over the years, and yet he kept it hidden from his siblings - except for Elinor.
Elinor had come into the family unexpectedly and had been hailed as a potential prodigy by a respected appraiser of the Kingdom's Court. Sauron, consumed by jealousy and a need to dominate, terrorized her at every turn, taking advantage of her naivety to assert his twisted dominance over her.
To others, Sauron was a kind and normal man, but to Elinor, he was a demon in human skin, unleashing a reign of terror upon her that she was powerless to resist.
Ron's head throbbed with a dull ache as he contemplated the depths of Sauron Greylock's depravity. He felt ashamed to share the same name with such an evil creature, who could inflict such cruelty upon his own kin. Glancing at Elinor, Ron wondered why she hadn't exposed Sauron's wickedness. With the backing of the Lord of Foghaven, she could have dealt a heavy blow to the vile Sauron.
"Elinor," Ron called to her, his voice low and intense.
She looked up at him, her face drawn with worry. "Yes, brother?"
"Why didn't you tell Father about what I did to you?" Ron asked, his voice heavy with emotion.
Elinor visibly trembled, as if a wild beast had cornered her. Ron wanted to comfort her, but he didn't know how. He reached for her hand, hoping to soothe her with a gentle touch.
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"It's okay, Elinor," Ron said softly. "I just want to understand."
Elinor took a deep breath and spoke haltingly as if each word caused her pain. "You said if I ever told Father, you would cast me out of the family and leave me at the mercy of the Junglers."
Ron felt his anger rise like a boiling cauldron. How could Sauron do such a thing to his own kin? He looked at her, his eyes blazing with fury. "Do you really think I would do that?" Ron asked.
Elinor's head drooped, and tears began to stream down her face. "Forgive me, brother," she sobbed. "I'm afraid of being alone again. I'm afraid of not having a place to sleep, of going hungry, of losing the love of a father that I've missed for so long. That's why I couldn't do it."
Ron felt a sharp pang in his chest as if someone had plunged a dagger into his heart. He had never imagined the depth of Elinor's fear, nor the extent of her pain. It made him sick to think of what Sauron had done to her, and he vowed to make things right.
Ron rose from his seat and approached Elinor, the platinum blonde hair cascaded down her shoulders like a waterfall. She was shaking with sobs, her delicate frame wracked with pain. Without a word, Ron wrapped his muscular arms around her, pulling her into his embrace. She didn't resist, melting into him like a snowflake on a hot summer's day.
"I'm sorry, Elinor," Ron murmured, his voice low and soothing. "I'm sorry for everything."
Elinor's cries only grew louder, as if all of her emotions were bursting like a dam. She clung to him tightly, burying her face in his chest, her tears wetting his shirt. For a moment, they were just two lost souls, seeking solace in each other's arms.
At that moment, the windows greeted Ron.
[Quest Completed!]
[Quest: Beginner’s Quest]
[Tier: 1/2 Star]
[The first step is the most important.]
[Objectives: Know oneself.]
[Congratulation. Here is your reward.]
[You have obtained 5 unallocated stat points]
[You have obtained access to status window.]
[You have obtained access to skill window.]
[You have obtained access to Inventory.]
The reward was great and he was happy about it. But now wasn’t the time. Right now, his whole existence was for the sake of Elinor.
[You have discovered a new quest!]
[Quest: Brighten the Life of Elinor]
[Tier: 1 Star]
[Sauron Greylock of the past has gone, now it is your responsibility of making things right.]
[Objectives: Make Elinor happy 0/5][Current progress: 1/5]
Ron let out a heavy sigh, his mind clouded with uncertainty. He couldn't shake off the feeling that there was more to this than just a game. His interaction with Elinor had felt too real to be generated by a computer program. He couldn't help but marvel at the incredible ingenuity of his best friend who had created this world. But as he stared at his own hand, he realized that it was nothing like the CGI he had experienced before. It was real - with the warmth of another's embrace, the smell of the air, and the cold of the night.
From his standpoint, Ron believed he wasn’t in a game as he was just in another world with a system to his aid.
Nonetheless, he had to be here. Whatever this world or this game was, this place was his chance of becoming a Hero back home.
Soon, he lay in bed beside Elinor, he gently stroked her hair as she slept soundly. She looked so innocent, barely sixteen years old, and yet she had already experienced so much hardship in this harsh world. Ron couldn't imagine what she had gone through before he arrived. His heart ached at the thought. Once again, he let out a heavy sigh.
He rested his head on the feather pillow, staring at the stone ceiling. Ron then said the words, “status.” The thing he sought came alive.
[Status]
[Name: Sauron Greylock(Sauron Williams)]
[Level: 1]
[Class: 1-Star Knight, Mage In-Training]
[Title: 1. Descendant of Greylock 2. Curse of the Envious Serpent 3. Blacksheep of Greylock.]
[Strength: 14]
[Agility: 12]
[Vitality: 9]
[Intelligence: 10]
[Spirit: 8]
[Charisma: 13]
[Mana: 5]
[Available points: 15]
It was your typical RPG status window and as Ron went down the whole thing, something caught his eye. Something he did not expect. ‘Curse of the Envious Serpent?’ he thought. The moment he thought of the accursed title, a new window opened.
[Title: Curse of the Envious Serpent; Decrease mana accumulation and absorption rate by 90%]
He frowned. No wonder Sauron Greylock was deemed talentless. This sole curse was the reason behind Sauron's underwhelming achievement that paled in comparison to his other siblings. And judging by how he treated Elinor badly, Ron assumed that the past him did not know of the existence of this curse.
‘I guess things are not going to be easy, huh,’ Ron thought. His intention of awakening his potential got a bit harder than he thought. Nonetheless, he changed his glance to his other titles and saw what were their effects.
[Title: Descendant of Greylock; All Stats excluding Mana +3, Increase Mastery Rate of Greylock’s Inheritance skill by 30%]
The title effect wasn’t bad at all, except the curse that was inflicted on him was a rather devious one.
[Title: Blacksheep of Greylock; All Stats excluding Mana -5, Decrease Mastery Rate of Greylock’s Inheritance skill by 50%]
Ron was taken aback. The moniker "Blacksheep of Greylock" only added to his distress, and he could feel the weight of despair that must have burdened his past self when confronted with such odds. He couldn't help but pity Sauron Greylock, who was cut off from the possibility of a bright future. Ron imagined the individual responsible for that misfortune was likely relishing in the difficulties Sauron had endured over the years, and perhaps still had their sights set on him.
Undoubtedly, this mission of his had never been a simple one.He took another glance at Elinor who was by his side, sleeping peacefully with a smile. Ron gave her one last stroke of her head before he took his leave. He left Elinor’s bedchamber and returned back to his own. He went to his window and stared at the night scene. He got the gist of his current situation, but there were still many unknowns in this world and the thing that concerned him the most was the danger outside of these walls.
‘I should be more prepared,’ he thought. His eagerness of awakening his potential to become a Hero made him come here without proper preparation. Something he had never done for the past four years as he learned that preparation was the key to everything. He had learned it the hard way after failing those tests in the first three years.
Thus, he needed to return back. He needed to make preparation for this new unknown world and the internet back home had all the answers to it.
‘Since this is a game, I guess log out would work, right?’ he thought. Hoping he was right.
“Log out,” Ron said. He waited for his return back to the lab.
But rather than his vision making a change, a new window emerged and it was dyed bloody red.
[Error]
[Log Out feature is inaccessible.]
[Please complete Main Quest 1 before eligible to log out.]
Ron's stomach dropped. It was bad. Now it was confirmed, at the moment, he was stuck here.