Writer's Note: Hello! Jin meets new people and finds a place to train and stay. Enjoy the new chapter!
Chapter 2: The Lost Elf
"My life as Jin Bowen is over. I don't even look like a mix between Japanese and American. I think my father's great grandfather was from Spain? Either way, I don't look like Jin Bowen anymore," a blood elf sighed. He had stayed on the beach, miserable, for two hours.
He shook his head and clapped his face to calm down. He had to survive first before anything else. He only had a dagger, bow, three skills, and a bracelet. Items were classified from Rank 1-9 and legend. Unique Rank meant the item was either unique to him, his race, or his class. Legend rank meant it was one of a kind. He was lucky to be one of the 10,030, in a way. He would not have the items he had now, and he would have been a random class or race.
"It should be like a game since it is based on Battle of the New Earth. Status table open," Jin said.
*Ping*
Name: Jin
Level 1
Race: Blood Elf
1st Profession: Hunter
Stats
Strength: 2
Vitality: 4 (1+3)
Agility: 1
Spirit: 3
Stamina: 5
Speed: 2 (1+1)
Toughness: 6 (1+5)
Affinity: 35% Darkness, 1% Chaos
"The chaos affinity? Maybe it is the <
*Ping*
Stats Information
Strength: Determines physical attack and piercing power.
Vitality: Determines how much physical defense and health one has. Dies when vitality hits zero.
Agility: Determines dodging success, reflexes, and ease of fluid movements at high speeds.
Spirit: Determines magical attack and offense.
Stamina: Determines physical endurance of performing physical movements.
Speed: Determines how fast one moves. This stat cannot be altered by normal leveling.
Toughness: Slightly determines physical and magical defense. Determines effectiveness of negative ailments. Cannot be altered by normal leveling.
Leveling Information
Toughness and speed cannot be altered by normal leveling. Leveling is different for the 10,030 Beta Players. Cultivation must reach the necessary requirement to proceed to the next stage. Example: level 1-10 is a Lower Spirit Knight. Cannot reach level 11 unless player's cultivation is at the Middle Spirit Knight (levels 11-20). There are four options upon leveling.
Option 1: Receive 5 stats which are randomly distributed.
Option 2: Add 1 stat to the basic five stats (strength, vitality, agility, spirit, and stamina).
Option 3: Receive 4 stats which can be distributed among your choices.
Special Option: Receive 2 stats and increase either speed or toughness by 1.
"Oh wow. Option 1 and 2 give the most stats, but are either all around growth or pure risk. Option 3 is the best choice, but the special option allows me to increase speed or toughness. Seeing this, my Black Heart Ring is too awesome! I got 5 toughness and 1 speed from it. There's also the 3 vitality. Because of my ring, I think it's best to have the special option to raise my speed to 5 with the ring. I should also prioritize armor and accessory with toughness and speed. Being so fast, it will definitely be OP at higher levels and there is less risk during lower levels," Jin grinned. "If I have 2 speed at level 1, I need to use the special option from levels 2 through 4. At level 5, I'll increase my toughness to 7. According to the forums, all my stats should be 1, but my stats are already high without the ring. It must be because of me being one of the 10,030. Yes, the special option won't be a loss to me."
Jin failed to notice a little girl arrive on the beach, a basket full of shells in her hands. She noticed Jin and was curious. She thought he might be one of those people who were adrift at sea. She called out to him and Jin turned his head to the left, seeing her.
"Hi there!" the girl smiled, Jin recognizing her to be a wood elf. Most wood elves had blonde hair and green eyes, moon elves had silver hair and gold eyes, dark elves had light brown skin, and high elves had blonde hair and blue eyes. Blood elves were different as they could be a half-breed of either race. Elves could have all kinds of colors, but the most dominant were the ones he saw in the elven race selection before he chose the blood elf.
An elf with blonde hair and grey eyes could not be a moon or dark elf, but he could be a high or wood elf. Only an elf could tell he had the bloodline of a wood elf. Jin also knew he had to be. Before playing the game, the forums said the only blood elves with dragon blood are those with wood elf blood. Mating between a dragon and high elf would result in no baby as the body would contain too much spirit.
In the game, there was no such thing as health, mana, or stamina bars. Everything was determined by the stats. If one could interpret it, they would learn the importance of the vitality, spirit, and stamina stats. With each point in each, it was equivalent to 10 health points, 10 mana points, and 10 stamina points. This was how the game was played and revealed the importance of raising those stats early on. The game developers probably wanted people to experience combat game play before experiencing the story line of the game.
"What did happen to those game developers," Jin thought as the girl slowly walked over to him.
"Hello. Are you alright?" the elf girl smiled.
"Isn't it kind of dangerous to be here by yourself?" Jin asked.
"Not really. This is elven territory. Humans and other races are not allowed to be here. Why are your clothes like that?" the girl asked. "...is it due to human slavery? I heard my parents say that some human countries still practice slavery, even enslaving other humans. Or maybe it was the Cataclysm? The Grand Elder said our world fused with another nearly a few centuries ago? The village elder said many people disappeared because of the Forbidden Ritual of the Thirteen."
"No. I don't remember much of what happened. I just woke up on this beach," Jin said, which was a half truth. "Is there a village nearby?"
"Un. You are also a wood elf. Come, let's see the Grand Elder. She should be able to help you," the girl smiled and helped him to his feet. "My name is Maybelle. What's yours?"
"Jin," he answered, patting her head and followed her. Centuries? Was it centuries for the New Earth of the virtual reality game? He guessed it was to somehow make it easier for the virtual beings to assimilate. He knew there must be chaos back on the real Earth part of the planet. They would have gained random classes and discovered that the world fused with another. How could there not be chaos?
"Welcome to Sea Wood City," she smiled as Jin appeared before several giant trees. Many houses and stairs were built along the trunks of the trees and they all lead to a mountain sized tree in the center of the city, a small river and a waterfall located at its side.
He was only twenty miles from the ocean. He was impressed such a little girl had so much stamina. Now, it made sense he had 5 stamina instead of 1. After all, wood elves were mostly of the warrior or rogue classes with very few mages. Several wood elves came out to stare at Jin as the little elf girl led him to the largest house in the city. However, Jin could not consider it a house at all. It was like a giant palace of wood and shining white metal. Upon closer look, the metal almost looked alive.
"The rails and all the metal objects of the village are made of Snow Coral Metal. These metals are made by the albino corals deep in the ocean. They are found in trenches where the light does not shine and where the water is below freezing. That's what the Grand Elder said," the girl explained as they walked up the winding stairs to the top of the giant tree in the center of the city.
"The energy seems to be dense here. This is no ordinary city," Jin said, the girl nodding as she smiled.
"Yup. Our city has the Green Wind Lotus. If exposed long enough, we can gain affinity to the wind element. Most adults learn archery and the wind element is great for escaping from dangerous animals in the forest," the girl laughed as they reached the top of the stairs.
"Wind attribute?" Jin grinned as he stared at a giant pond at the center of the top of the trunk of the tree. Large branches, thick enough to rival several tree trunks of the trees below, spread outward from the edges of the treetop. At the center of the giant pond was a ten foot tall green lotus. Ripples spread over the pond's surface, the source being the green lotus. At the other end of the pond was a grand white coral metal and ancient wooden house. A beautiful elven woman in a white dress came out, the sun shining on her white silver circlet around her head.
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Several guards in gold armor, gold spears and shields at hand, surround the treetop and also appeared behind Jin. Maybelle did not care and rushed to the person Jin assumed to be the Grand Elder. The Grand Elder smiled and tenderly pat the girl on her head as she got the basket of seashells from here.
"Maybelle, who is your friend?" the Grand Elder asked.
"His name's Jin. I found him on the beach and led him here," Maybelle answered.
"Good child. Now, go back down to the city and go to your studies with the elders and other children," the Grand Elder said, the girl smiling as she nodded.
"Bye Jin," Maybelle said as waved goodbye as she went back down the stairs.
"Stranger, how did you end up here?" the Grand Elder asked, the guards brandishing their spears at him.
*Ping*
Character Origins
You have met the Grand Elder of Sea Wood City. She is also one of the nine elf kings and queens. Questioned about your origins, you must now select your character's background. Remember, Jin Bowen is dead so you will have relatives created based on your choice options. Do note that they will be created and will exist in reality.
Option 1: You were an elf slave whose slaver ship got caught in a storm. You survived the ordeal and the slavers also survived, the only ones who have any knowledge of your parents. You will receive a slave brand on your chest, 1 mithril coin, 10 gold coins, 30 silver coins, 70 copper coins, and a teleportation talisman as you stole them before you jumped ship. The talisman lets you teleport anywhere within fifty miles, a treasure the slaver desperately wants back. You are quite the rich escapee as 1 mithril coin is equivalent to 1,000 gold.
Option 2: You escaped while your dragon father was killed in his humanoid form. You explored the world in an attempt to find your wood elf mother. However, pirates attacked your merchant vessel ship and you were captured with the crew and passengers. You stole 7 gold, 85 silver, and a Gold Flame Crystal. You also kept hidden the cultivation manual of your dragon father.
Option 3: You tell the truth and die. Elves do like like humans and would kill you if they discovered you were a blood elf.
"Option 2," Jin said. Money was one thing, but he needed a cultivation manual. It was a nasty trick to test a player's greed. The fact that it only mentioned the value of 1 mithril coin was proof.
Altering Memory and Creating Necessary Data
Your background story is updated and the Grand Elder is told of the details. You currently lack the skill to break the metal and make it into a dagger. Your mother has been created. The 7 gold, 85 silver, and the Gold Flame Crystal are stored in the Black Heart Ring. A cultivation manual is also deposited into your ring. You can now cultivate. Remember that you cannot surpass certain levels without reaching the cultivation requirement. The wood elves will only know your fate as being captured by the pirates.
"Oh, so you were captured by pirates. You poor thing. You can stay at our fair city. We always welcome another wood elf. All elves of our city meditate and absorb the spirit energy of this Green Wind Lotus. If you wish, you can also train under some of the elves to learn their craft for when you choose to explore the world to find your mother once more," the Grand Elder bowed her head. Jin grinned as he would gain the wind affinity If he was lucky, the Gold Flame Crystal might also give him fire affinity.
"Thank your for your hospitality. My name is Jin. Thank you," Jin bowed and watched as the guards and the Grand Elder returned to the palace behind the giant pond. He sighed with relief as he took out the cultivation manual from the ring. He opened the manual and read the first page, shocked at what he read about the cultivation manual.
Wyvern Tyrant Manual
Jin, my son, you now walk the path of cultivation. You own my Red Wyvern Bracelet, worn by the first of our ancestors before he evolved into a dragon. The bracelet has many uses. It is called a totem by the moon elves. This manual will open seventeen channels for your spirit energy, leading to your dantian in your pubic region right below the belly button. Just like the three wyverns on the bracelet, you will form three wyverns within your dantian. Within the dantian lies your spirit realm.
I know that you used to be a human from the real Earth. The system told me so. However, I was created as your father. I hope that you see me as I was meant to be. The seventeen channels will represent your stamina, health, and mana recovery rate. Everything in the world is made by spirit energy. Your status displays it as vitality, spirit, and stamina.
You will also learn a skill with each cultivation stage and your strength will increase by 3 while your toughness will increase by 1. Magic and cultivation, you are the essence of both. Do not be defeated by the other players of the 10,030. Good luck.
"Wow. This development really touches the heart," Jin said as he sat down. He closed his eyes, picturing the seventeen channels within his body from the picture in the manual. He put the Gold Flame Crystal on his lap and set aside the Green Falcon egg. If he wanted to survive, he must embrace the new changes. Slowly but surely, the wind and fire attributes formed within his body as he cultivated.
Before he could form the three wyverns, he had to create the channels. Spirit energy started to condense into his body and he rose to level 2 as he became a Lower Spirit Knight. Black impurities seeped from his body as he continued to meditate. He gained 2 strength and 1 vitality because of the manual and chose the special option to distribute his stats into 2 agility and 1 speed. However, he became surprised as he saw something he did not expect.
Name: Jin
Level 2
Race: Blood Elf (Wood Elf alias)
1st Profession: Hunter
Stats
Strength: 4
Vitality: 5 (2+3)
Agility: 3
Spirit: 3
Stamina: 5
Speed: 3 (2+1)
Toughness: 6 (1+5)
Affinities: 47% Fire, 35% Darkness, 20% Wind, 14% Thunder, 7% Water, 1% Chaos.
"Water and thunder affinity? How did I get that? Could it be cause of the Green Wind Lotus? Could the ancient lotus have enriched the water in the pond? It has to be. It's the only sound conclusion. Still, that Gold Flame Crystal really gave me such high affinity! There must be something special about gold flames," Jin gasped, shocked and thrilled at his increase in power.
*Ping*
Current Status
You are the 184th person to begin cultivation. What took you so long? Your level is currently the weakest of the 10,030. Reminder: you cannot be level 11-20 unless you become a Middle Spirit Knight. Due to attributes, skills have changed and the Royal Adamant Dagger has given you the thunder attribute due to it being a legendary rank dagger. Due to ownership of the skill, Demise King Slash, the system has given you the minimum requirement of affinity to continue using the skill. Death attribute changed to chaos due to not being a demon, undead, or human.
Stealth: Basic hunter skill now with the darkness attribute. Can be detected with those with magic sensitivity.
Toxic Shot: Speed of poisoned arrow doubles due to wind attribute.
Healing: Rank 4 skill due to the water attribute. Healing magic is rare and sacred to many races.
Demise King Slash: Legend Rank skill and now contains the darkness, chaos, thunder, wind, and fire attributes.
"That explains my question on the chaos attribute earlier. What is the chaos attribute? How am I am the weakest? My stats should not necessarily be so. It must be deciphering strength based on levels as most games do. Also, only 183 people started cultivation before me so they should reach level 11 before me, not necessarily all the 10,029 others. First things first, how do I get new skills?" Jin frowned as he closed the system table before him.
He looked at his chest and took off the dirty shirt. He could not change his pants as he had no extra clothes. His eyes narrowed as he saw the a rune tattoo of the Gold Flame Crystal in the center of his chest, gold flames crackling within the red crystal. The gold flames of the rune tattoo actually moved, causing Jin to shiver the longer he stared at it. He noticed one of the guards appear and frown.
"Uh, do you have any idea where I can stay in the village and get some clothes?" Jin asked nervously, the guard sighing as he reported to the Grand Elder.