Every seal can be broken?
I wonder what kind of quest this is, the reward seems ridiculously strong. But I do have some trust issues with him. I’m not sure if he’s going to trick me, but I doubt it. It just a game anyway, I don’t think that they have thought so far ahead.
What kind of a test will he give me though?
“Sure, I’m ready. What kind of a test will it be?”
The skeleton’s gaze remained the same the whole time, even while I was speaking. The look in his eyes, or well, eye sockets, gave off a feeling of disdain mixed with indifference.
The skeleton remained silent for a while, and just when I was about to rephrase my question, the skeleton spoke while raising his chin:
“You’re not the one who will ask the questions, you shall listen, and even more importantly, obey!”
Damn arrogant skeleton.
He has been making these comments the whole time, I would really like to retort, but I never seem to be able to find my words to convey what I want exactly.
The skeleton slammed his scythe into the ground, making it stand upright.
“Whatever you say. So, what kind of a test is it going to be?”
The undead doesn’t really look happy with me questioning him again, even so much that he raised his hand towards his face.
Wait… Is he going to face palm?
While the skeleton was raising his hand, darkness was filling the room.
A wave of power was unleashed, his hand filling with some kind of dark energy. A sphere emanating a black aura was slowly being created in his hand and whilst he was doing all this, he spoke up:
“Feeble human, stop testing my patience.”
I guess I’ve been pushing him a little…
I looked a bit more carefully at the skeleton’s hand and it almost looked like the light was being sucked out of the room, towards the sphere the skeleton was creating. It looked like a standard orb, right out of a game.
Which makes sense, seeing as I’m in a game…
The orb was slowly growing bigger and started emitting black strands of power; they were coiling around the skeleton and were giving off a really evil vibe. The skeleton somehow made me feel as if he was laughing, even while it it’s physically impossible. The stone walls around me had all started to become warped and even the rocks that made up the seal for the scythe were deforming. Not only were the physical materials warping, even the light and sounds around the orb were slowly deforming and reforming. It was almost as if everything was on the brink of disappearing.
Right at the moment I thought that the sphere was at its epitome of power and growth, a most unexpected thing happened.
I heard the wailing of a baby.
I was shocked out of the trance I got in when I looked at the growing sphere; I looked around me, but didn’t manage to spot the source of the wailing.
When I looked back at the skeleton, he had already raised his other hand, seemingly supporting something in his other hand.
The black orb had already disappeared, but something had replaced it: A bundle of clothing, wrapped closely together.
The moment the orb disappeared, the sounds that originated from the orb disappeared too, which made it possible for me to spot the source of the baby cries I had heard.
Which was, of course, the bundle of clothing.
The skeleton snickered, and suddenly threw the bundle at me.
I hurriedly tried to catch it, slipped up, but I still managed to catch the baby. The crying continued to break the silence, because the skeleton and I weren’t speaking at all. I started staring at the skeleton, waiting for him to explain himself.
Why would he throw a baby at me…
The undead raised his right hand towards his left shoulder, and made a direct movement towards his left hip. While moving his hand a flash of dark energy was once again emitted, forcing me to cover my eyes with a hand. When the flash disappeared, and I was able to look at the skeleton once more, I noticed a certain dagger in the skeleton’s hand.
It looked like a sacrificial dagger; the blade was slightly curved, while the hilt had two small wing-like decorations attached to it. It was emanating the same sort of aura the skeleton had shown before.
I think I know what he’s going to ask me.
The undead snickered, and threw the dagger with a slight arc at me. I managed to catch it with my left hand, keeping hold of the baby wrapped in clothes with my right hand.
The skeleton, who didn’t even throw a look at me, waved his hand again, this time forming an altar from the rocks that were scattered on the ground.
“Kill it. Kill it and show your devotion.”
I guess he really means it.
That’s one of the flaws in this game, although it’s an advantage for me.
This world is reality for its inhabitants, so the skeleton will really think that I’m evil if I’m able to kill that baby, but it’s only virtual reality for me.
I should be able to get this over with and start to become a powerful character.
I carefully put down the baby on the altar; the baby finally stopped crying after it was resting on the cold rocks. The undead had folded his arms, and was indifferently watching me.
I grabbed the dagger with both my hands, and raised it slowly above my head.
Looking at the target of my upcoming thrust, I couldn’t help but hesitate.
The baby had a round face, with little hair. The blue innocent eyes almost felt like arrows piercing through me.
If I don’t finish this test now, then I certainly won’t be able to cut through my own hesitation later.
Clenching my teeth hard together, I closed my eyes.
And thrust the dagger towards the baby.
I heard the screeching of metal against rock, and the feedback of the stone numbed my hands. I didn’t hear any cries from the baby nor sounds of impact from its body.
When I opened my eyes, the only thing I could see was the dagger and the stone altar, which now had part chipped off. This dagger must be made from really good materials to just almost stab through rock.
The baby had just disappeared.
*Ting!*
Your alignment has changed to Evil
“I’m not sure if you’re evil, smart, or just really stupid. Did you really think I’d be able to teleport a babe out of nowhere mortal? I’m an immortal specialized in illusions, and as you may know, you won’t be able to cut through illusions. They disappear on contact. But whatever you are, you passed this test. I have some use for an evil smart or stupid mortal.”
Oh, I passed.
I wonder what kind of power he’ll grant me.
The skeleton raised both his hands in front of himself, and touched his fingers together. In the middle of his hands power was once again gathering, it was almost like he was channeling the power from his body to the point between his hands.
He made a small step forward, and threw the bundle of energy at me.
For a few seconds I couldn’t register anything, and I was slightly swaying, feeling dazed.
My surroundings blurred with a small black glow, the moment that ended, I felt some sort of energy moving towards the center of my chest, bundling there, and immediately after it slowly dispersed through my whole body.
*Ting!*
You have gained a hidden class: Divine Blackguard!
+100 fame
Whoa, a hidden class!
All the conversing with that stupid undead might be worth it!
“Alright, I have finished here. Mortal, do your best to grow stronger, because that will increase my power too, and in return, increase your own power as you will gain more of my abilities. Don’t let me down, or I shall let you down in the ground, never to rise again!”
Arrogant bastard.
The undead walked towards his scythe, and upon reaching it, he touched the scythe with his hands and disappeared without a trace.
Wait a second, I still have the dagger!
Well, first things first!
“Weapon status!”
Sacrificial DaggerWeapon Type:DaggerDurability:15 / 20Attack Damage:10~12Weight:5Restriction:Blackguard, level 5Quality:Relic
Damn.
So I can’t use it yet.
Hmm, what kind of things did I gain with this class gain?
“Status window!”
Name:HeliusRace:ElfAlignment:EvilProfession:Divine BlackguardTitle:N/ALevel:1Fame:100__________________________________________________________________________Health:400Mana:200Strength:19(+5)Agility:10(+5)Vitality:17(+5)Wisdom:11(+5)Intelligence:14(+5)Charisma:5(+5)Luck:10(+5)Offense:0(+5)Defense:0(+5)__________________________________________________________________________Magic Resistance:Darkness:30%Light:10%Fire:10%__________________________________________________________________________+5 to all stats
+300 Health +100 Mana
+Magic resistances increased
+Increased debuffing
+Increased intimacy with evil aligned NPC
+Hidden skills
+Increased Scythe damage
-Unable to follow deities excluding Nerull
-Unable to interact with churches
All my stats actually received a bonus!
That’s a nice start, which should give me an advantage over other starting players.
I just hope that the evil alignment won’t stab me in the back later. I received some pop ups about new skills too, I wonder what they all do.
“Open skill window.”
Skill Window:
Combat related skills:
Passive skills:
• Draining Aura (Lv. 1 - 0%) (Beginner) (Passive)
Decreases mana regeneration of enemies in proximity
Effect: -2% of total magic regeneration enemies are recovering
• Death’s welcome (Lv. 1 - 0%) (Beginner) (Passive)
Grants health upon the death of enemies in proximity
Effect: Regenerate +2% of a dying enemy’s maximum Hp in the surroundings
• Immortal wrath (Lv. 1 - 0%) (Beginner) (Passive)
Upon death, precious seconds are gained to bestow final wrath upon enemies.
Effect: After death, 20 seconds of immortality +All stats temporary raised by 10%
Active skills:
• Life drain (Lv. 1 - 0%) (Beginner) (Active) (Channel)
Drain the health force of your opponents while empowering yourself
Effect: Drain 2 Hp/s
Mana consumption: 10/s
• Decay (Lv. 1 - 0%) (Beginner) (Active)
This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.
Weaken the enemy’s life force, slowing them for a certain amount of time
Effect: Reduce movement speed of enemy by 5% for 10 seconds
Mana consumption: 20
Non-Combat related skills:
Active skills:
• Entropy (Lv. 1 - 0%) (Beginner) (Active) (Channel)
Age a non-living object with a specific amount of time (can cause: erosion, rotting, stagnating, etc.)
Effect: Age increases with +87,6 hours for every second channeled
Mana consumption: 10/s
That’s a lot of skills I just gained in one breath.
I’ll put some time apart later to figure out how to use all of them, for now I should escape from here and check up with Glinc.
I would’ve sent a pm a while ago, but I have been unable to send messages since I entered the room. I wonder if it’s a special location for that to happen.
After picking up the pick axe I used to destroy the seal, I turn around, and leave the altar and room behind me.
I backtrack the route I followed to the secret room, and just when I was about to enter the passage leading to the room Glinc had taken, I chance upon the individual I was looking for, Glinc!
Wait… what happened to his avatar, is that fur?!
***
After being rammed away by that monkey, the pop up asking me to change my class suddenly appeared.
And of course, there can only be one answer.
I accept!
*Ting!*
You have gained a hidden class: Heir of the Monkey King!
+100 fame
So I really did it.
I was really able to become the heir of that stupid monkey. I know they can be mischievous, but I hope he didn’t trick me into taking a useless class.
While I was zoning out, looking at my stats and skills, the monkey snickered and spoke up.
“Don’t start dancing around yet, you’ve not yet become a full Monkey King, stupid human. The souls of the heirs exist out of two parts. One is our body, the other is the staff, Ruyi Bang. But I can’t just gift you the staff. In a bit, the staff will disappear, and reappear in a hidden location. It’s up to you whether you’ll find it or not. If you find it, you’ll become a true Monkey King, otherwise, if you can’t find it, you’ll become useless!”
Wait, what?!
I still have to find the staff again before I can realize the true potential of this class? And otherwise I’ll be useless?
Damn this monkey, always playing around.
“So, where can I find th-”
Before I could even finish my sentence, the damned monkey dashed out of the room, leaving behind his laughter.
And the sound of a pop up.
*Ting!*
Quest: Ruyi Bang
A true Monkey King is true to his weapon. The weapon that has been used by every Monkey King for ages is a magical staff called Ruyi Bang. Every new Monkey King has to look for the staff by himself to realize his real potential and to gain the acceptance of the staff. Find the staff and acquire your true weapon and class!
Difficulty level: ???
Quest requirements:
-Heir of the Monkey King Class
Reward: The true potential of the class and the staff Ruyi Bang
This sounds like a pain.
I don’t have any indication on where the staff will be exactly, except for a small area indicated green on the map. That’s really a long distance from here, damn. That monkey already took off too.
After throwing a last look at all the paintings in the room, I turn around and leave the room. My chin had started to become a little itchy a while ago, but I don’t mind it.
After I enter the hallway I suddenly understand why there were so many paintings with monkeys on them. Must be some sort of warning.
Heh.
I wonder where that monkey went; I would’ve liked to see the surprised look of the monks. Two adventurers go in to clean up rooms, and a monkey comes out. I should meet up with Helius and discuss what happened. I feel a little bit down, because he probably didn’t get a good class like me. Isn’t it a little unfair?
While leaving the paintings of the monkeys behind me, I scratch at my chin once more and march on.
I never would’ve thought that I’d be able to get a class like this, I’ve had tremendous luck. It looks like a fun class, something agility and strength based. I might be able to appear all over a battle field, wreaking havoc all over the place. Among the skills I saw something concerning creating clones too, which will be really fun to use.
I just hope I’ll be able to find that staff, because until that happens, I’m only allowed to use unarmed combat.
While I was still busy figuring out how my class would play out, I heard a familiar voice.
“Yo, Glinc, what happened to your face?”
Oh, it’s Helius!
Damn, I must’ve kept him waiting. I hope he didn’t have to wait for a long time.
“Hey Helius, sorry to keep you waiting…”
Helius’s face looked a bit funny when he questioned me, but what is he talking about? I don’t get why he’s smirking like that. But before I could ask him what he meant, he spoke up:
“Don’t worry, I just arrived here myself, a lot happened in the room I was supposed to clean.”
A lot, huh.
“Well, same goes for me, I met a Monkey with a mental illness, but he gave me a hidden class! I’m sorry you didn’t get my room.”
Helius started frowning while he opened his mouth:
“Stop apologizing already, I actually got a secret class too! It’s a long story though, but I just became some sort of evil priest.”
An evil priest?
Him?
I wonder how he’ll go about preaching for his god, that would look really funny.
After checking the quest status, which showed that all 15 rooms were cleared, Helius and I started walking back through the maze of corridors to the main hall. While walking we discussed what happened, and told each other what we had to do to acquire our classes.
It’s kind of weird how both of us got a hidden class that easily though, almost like the game is full of them if you just search long enough. Maybe doing such tiresome work like cleaning rooms played a part.
While we were just discussing the merits and demerits of having an evil or good alignment, we already reached the main hall.
We spotted Torvus and the child, who bossed him around the whole time, in a corner of the main hall, just behind the fountain. They were having an argument it seems, as Torvus was starting to raise his voice. The child with the large white hat was still smiling creepily, without showing any anger. Because he kept his voice low, I was only able to hear Torvus speaking, or maybe even shouting, while I was walking closer.
“No, listen to me damnit! Your father gave me very clear instructions on what you’re allowed to do, and where you aren’t allowed to go. I won’t permit you stepping a single foot in that area! I won’t even allow you to come near tha-”
The boy’s eyes started shining the moment he saw us walking towards him. Torvus noticed that the boy wasn’t paying attention anymore to his rant, so he stopped mid-sentence, turning around to face us.
Torvus’s face was always grim already, but I didn’t expect his facial expressions to grow even grimmer when he faced us.
For some reason his right hand went to the hilt of his sheathed sword, while he raised his left hand, pointing a finger at me.
“You! Are you connected to the guy next to you?!”
What is he talking about?
I started frowning and looked at Helius.
Helius must’ve been just as surprised as I was, because he was blankly staring at Torvus.
I can’t let this awkward mood continue, I have to say something.
“Connected not only by fate, but also by blood. He’s my true brother!”
I can’t believe I just said that…
Torvus’s eyes narrowed and he was slowly bending his knees, assuming a fighting stance. While I was waiting for him to speak up, he was just cautiously staring at us, but specifically at Helius.
I have no idea what to say right now, so I just stared at the floor, waiting for something to happen.
Helius must have been unable to bear the silence, because he raised his voice, although a little shaky.
“We just finished clearing the rooms and are here for our reward.”
Torvus snickered and drew his sword in a long arc. He was resting his sword right in front of him in a relaxed stance, aiming the tip at us. Only when he assumed this stance, did he speak up.
“Hmph, you think you can play the fool? I have already seen through you, you evil scum. There shall be no rewards for either of you. Leave now, and consider yourself lucky that I don’t want to fight right in front of him.”
*Ting!*
Quest Complete!
Unbury The Church
The task of cleaning and clearing all the lower floors has been successfully cleared! But due to the evil alignment no reward can be claimed.
Rewards: None, due to affiliation with someone of an evil alignment.
Damn, no reward.
Although, if you think carefully about it, then we probably would’ve received a useless award from Torvus anyway. We have already been extremely lucky with the secret classes we found, those are the real awards.
Now we just have to leave here as quickly as possible. Torvus looks way too strong for us to handle right now. I don’t like him though; after I find my staff I won’t let him bully me around anymore.
I step in front of Helius and push him to the exit of the church while apologizing.
“Sorry, sorry, we’re already leaving; we don’t want to fight you either.”
From the corner of my eye, I can see Torvus only relaxing and sheathing his swords as we reach the exit. He must’ve thought that we had become the priests’ problem from that moment on.
As we step outside the church, the sounds of adventurers bartering and selling things fill our ears immediately. It’s been a while since we’ve stepped outside, so the explosion of sounds surprised us for a moment. It’s also been a while since we’ve fully seen the sun; the lower floors had very little sunlight.
The priests all avoided us for some reason, they just glared at us. It’s almost like they’re all able to sense the alignment of Helius.
“Helius, you could’ve told me that churches would hate you with that class of yours. Now we can’t ask for more quests from Torvus, we might’ve been able to get closer to the important looking youth that way.”
Helius didn’t like me berating him, so he immediately shot into a defensive posture and counter attacked:
“Dude, it’s not like I’ll remember those small details, how was I supposed to know that they would be able to sense my alignment?!”
“Ah, sorry, I didn’t mean it that way. I thought that you would have a notification or pop up reminding you or something.”
That’s a lie of course, but it’s an easy way out of the argument.
I don’t feel like arguing right now, a far more important thing at the moment is to figure out what we shall do.
“I really want to see what my class can accomplish in combat, how about we ask Enza to join us and start exploring the surroundings of the town? We can start killing random monsters and start leveling.”
Helius looked at me like I was crazy:
“Good luck hunting monsters outside the town; I wonder how you’ll be able to leave the town. Remember we have to spend 4 weeks inside the town before we can leave. We’ve only been playing the game for 4 days.”
He tilted his head slightly, and looked at the upper right –which is something he does when he’s thinking about something or calculating.
“Which means that we’ve spent 16 days in-game time right now. Another 12 days in-game before we can leave.”
Hmph, so you can remember something like that, but you forgot about your evil alignment.
Sure.
“Then, what do you propose we do?”
Helius looked at me and smirked:
“How about we ask the priests for another quest?”
***