Thirteen years before, David awoke in a claustrophobic cave of destroyed concrete and naked rebar. He was scheduled to fight in a middle-weight boxing match the next day, so he had retired to his hotel room in the upper floors of the Cagliostro. Late in the afternoon, just as David York was about to go to bed, the ground started shaking and the roof collapsed on his head.
David took his phone out of his pocket and used the flashlight function to perceive his surroundings. The isolated cavern he was trapped inside was barely large enough for him to fit. It was honestly a miracle that he had survived the collapse at all. David ruffled his auburn hair, and his hand came away slick with blood.
“Great, just great,” David said sarcastically. “I was supposed to get my big break tomorrow, and now I’m going to suffocate to death here in the hotel room.”
David sighed. There was no use complaining. He always knew he was going to die young; he had just hoped that he wouldn’t die that young. David was nineteen years old and at peak fitness. He knew he had five more golden years before age started slowing him down. Now, those years would be wasted.
System Initialized
The blow to his head must have caused him to hallucinate. Two words appeared at the top of his vision like the HUD of a video game. A moment later, these two words disappeared and were replaced by three more lines of text.
Talent Acquired: [Observe]
Talent Acquired: [Lucky]
Trait Acquired: [Strong]
It was just like a video game. David had played a few video games as a boy, but he hadn’t touched them for a few years. He had been too busy training his body and learning various martial arts. David remembered the stories of people’s lives flashing before their eyes in their final moments, and he closed his eyes in acceptance.
Summer, 615 CA
When David opened his eyes, the scene around him had completely changed. Suddenly, he was in the center of a natural cave measuring about twenty meters on each side. Light filtered in through a small entrance just large enough for a full-sized man to squeeze through. In the center of the cave was a sword with a black blade that had been stabbed into the ground.
David slowly climbed to his feet and pressed his hands to his body in disbelief. He was still alive, and his body was still in one piece. The only evidence of the Cagliostro was the thrumming pain that persisted in his head. He flipped the flashlight function of his smartphone off and walked toward the sword embedded in the stone floor.
“Sword in the stone? I guess I’m supposed to pull you out,” David said casually. “Let’s hope I’m worthy,” he said as he rubbed his hands together.
David braced his legs, grasped the hilt of the blade with both hands, and pulled with all of his strength. The sword came out of the stone with minimal resistance, and David fell backwards a few steps from the force of his pull. He was just barely able to keep his footing as he came away with the sword held firmly in his hand.
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Item Acquired: Bloodcrest
Another message appeared in David’s vision as he turned the black, curved blade around in his hands.
“Cool name,” David said, admiring the sword.
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Hours later, David arrived at the nearest settlement. The town he had arrived in was a coastal settlement that couldn’t have held more than two hundred people. Once he arrived in town, he walked up to a local merchant’s stall and tried to communicate.
“Hey, buddy,” David said in English. “Where are we?”
The merchant responded in a language that David did not understand. David had no idea what the merchant was saying, but he knew that the man was annoyed. Based on the type of language the man was speaking, David could only guess that he was in continental Europe.
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Spring, 620 CA
David sat with his back firmly planted on a haybale. Low-level armor sat at his side, and Bloodcrest was leaning against a nearby wall. Years of working as a semi-employed journeyman had taught him the basic use of the System and how to speak Common at a rudimentary level.
David had sold all of his possessions by that point, save for one. In one hand, he held his smartphone, which had run out of battery long ago. He looked at himself in the mirror and activated his Talent.
[Observe, Lvl. 5]
Name: David York
Class: Fighter
Level: 12
HP: 124
MP: 45
Fortitude: 18
Strength: 17
Agility: 16
Intelligence: 12
Willpower: 14
Charisma: 15
The numbers in his character sheet had been going up nicely ever since he had arrived. Monster hunting had proven to be an excellent way to gain Experience. It wasn’t, however, a good way to gain money. The townsfolk of the Lowlands had no reason to fear the monsters traveling the lands between their settlements since all of that could easily be handled by the King’s knights.
Every few weeks, a level 50 knight would come through and kill all the nearby monsters without asking for any payment. It was basically impossible for an independent mercenary in need of money to make it under such circumstances. As David stared up at the barn ceiling and tried not to think of the pervasive smell of farm animals surrounding him, he imagined a future where he could live like royalty.
Perhaps, one day, he would be one of those knights. He could live in a castle and spend every day being waited on hand and foot by hundreds of loyal servants.
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Spring, 625 CA
After ten years of living as an impoverished traveling mercenary with no marketable skills, David’s luck changed. The Count of Northwind was on a warpath, and he needed every able-bodied soldier in the Kingdom to join him in his campaign to wipe out the orc tribes.
As soon as he heard the news, David packed up and walked the two hundred miles from Fulvang to Etron. He spent most of the journey traveling with caravans, promising protection in return for food and drink. David proved his worth to the caravans when he slew an attacking wyvern in three expertly-placed attacks. If there was anything David could do at that point, it was hunt monsters.
[Observe, Lvl. 5]
Name: David York
Class: Spellblade
Level: 30
HP: 334
MP: 71
Fortitude: 20
Strength: 22
Agility: 17
Intelligence: 12
Willpower: 14
Charisma: 15
David arrived in Etron clad in cheap clothing that had been completely destroyed during the journey. All metal armor he had once owned had fallen apart with disuse. The only two items of value that David had on him were Bloodcrest and his inert smartphone.
Soon after he arrived, David heard the Count speak. He was severe and obviously angry with the world. After suffering ten years of poverty, David felt a kinship with the man. As he heard the Count speak, David could sense that his impoverished life was at an end. The Count created a place for men like David who knew nothing but violence, and David would be eternally grateful.
The Count ended his speech and raised one fist into the air. David and the other dregs of society in the crowd cried out in joy. The Band of Bastards had formed.