Who am I? My name is Seirek Volotov. An S class warrior and leader of the Apex guild. Today.. today might be my last day. Why? Before me a ferocious dragon by the name of Diendall rages battle. Already I had lost one member just from the arrival and although we may be alive. It's a futile struggle.
My weapon barely grazes the diamond scales and my comrades are but a distraction. Surviving.. just barely. With our porter assumed dead.. out supplies are gone. The mages had to shift to healing magic to keep us going but in return out attack power decreased. Not ideal.
The fight began around 2 hours ago. My guild is a durable lot. The best of the best. But even at that.. i estimate we have only another hour or two in us. This is a losing battle and I see no path to victory.
Will I fall? No. Will i retreat? No. Will i succumb to this dragon? Never. I am a symbol for humanity. A hero of many accolades. This.. this isn't enough to make me crumble.
I was to the side Diendall, carrying out a solo flank while my comrades defend with their lives on the line. I took a step back after a relentless attack which seemed to do nothing but scratch the atrocity before me. I recollected my breath. Noticing a pattern. Dragon breath. Those hideous flames were about to be shot at my comrades. I needed to inform them.
"TANKERS GET READY FIRE BREATH INCOMING!" I shouted to best of my capabilities. Did they hear? I'm not sure, It was hard to see them. It's maw opened and it was ready to shoot.
But what. Nothing happend. Is it tired? No way it's a bloody dragon were talking about. So what just happend?
Then it's wings raised.
"ITS TRYING TO ESCAPE. DONT LET IT. IT MUST BE TIRED" I roared out another command.
But what. Nothing happend. It's wings flapped yet no wind was produced. What is happening? Is it panicking?
Is it hurt? But how. We certainly haven't done anything different. Unless one of the mages is using some form of taboo magic? But they wouldn't. My guild is compiled of good people, I'm certain of this.
Then as if to make me question if I truly am a good judge of character the diamond scales cracked. How? How was this happening. It shattered outwardly in different areas of the dragons body. Diendall was suffering but how and why now?
Did that matter though? No. We had to charge now, it was our only opportunity to win this war.
"EVERYONE CHARGE NOW!" I screamed out. Following my own command I sprinted towards Diendall.
[Swords Fury](lvl.8)
i used my strongest skill. It may not have done much prior but this was the moment. And as I suspected.. my sword fluidly went through the scales and flesh of Deindall. Wait. As I suspected? No this was too smooth, it was like my sword became enchanted.
From the crying roars of Diendall I could tell the same effects were imbued into my comrades. Why was this happening? What changed? All together we charged, the mages switched back to attack magic and we fought like a pack of rabid wolves.
The battle which seemed to lead to my death. The death of my guild. The end of my adventures turned around. It did more than that, it became significantly easier. We slashed and attacked and Diendall crumbled before us.
He yielded this fight. We had won.
///
I stared at the mystery but what was I supposed to do. What represents a dragon yielding? In my confusion something shook wildly behind me. I turned around.
The altar was reverting back to before. Huh. Was I just supposed to wait? Well, i wasn't going to complain. I watched as it reverted but I still pondered. Something must've happend. It makes no sense it just solved it by itself. I was fortunate for sure but I wanted to know what made the dragon yield.
As I watched the altar fall.. it did more than that. It kept going down.. and this time it went into the ground. A spiral staircase revealed itself before me and the walls which encased me disappeared. I was back in the endless realm of the 50th floor.
'Ah!' How do you make a dragon yield? You kill it. Apex won the fight. Incredible. How were they able to overcome such an adversity. It seemed unreal. But then what was the point of the trial? Was it simply to reveal the staircase down.. was it supposed to be challenged after killing Deindall? I wasn't sure.
All that i knew was that we won. It was our victory.
Walking over to the start of the staircase I decended carefully. After those trials I became alert to minor details around me. No more traps or riddles will be the end of me... especially now, there was no blue flames to keep me alive.
Thankfully, it didn't seem like there was any vicious traps before me. I reached the bottom where another door stood before me. I pushed against it.
'Huh.' Nothing happend. I used all the force in my body against it to no results. What. Had we not completed the trial of the 50th floor?
Annoyed I yanked at the handle of the door. And it opened much faster then it should've... maybe becsuse of the force I used.. i fell back and hurt my ass. Embarrassing. It was a pull to open door. Luckily no one was here to see that.
My thoughts quickly washed away at the sight before me. Stored in the most beautiful cases countless treasures were before me. I walked into the room. It was like a modern museum.. i think that's what they called it in my past life. Difficult to remember as my life as Ziron passed 15. But it was gorgeous. I walked through the halls and saw immeasurable artifacts.
[Mythical: Glass of time]
Pause time for everyone except you for a second.
Holy shit. What kind of overpowered tool is that? I kept going.
[Legendary: Levithan Slayer]
Forged with the scales of a dragon and the hide of a nemean lion, imbued with the durability of a hydra. The strongest blade in this realm which can slice through anything.
How do you even get those materials? What the hell. This is insane. Across all 50 floors this is the craziest treasure I have ever seen. Easily.
[Legendary: Staff of Power]
A mages dream. Capble of storing mana to immense levels and charging attacks to be 5x as potent.
Amazing. All useless to me but still mesmerising. I traveled through the museum looking at all the treasures before me. Then I came across something that peaked my curiosity.
[Mythical: Power up]
A drink made by a mad Alchemist with the help of a sympathetic god who tried his best to change the fate of his talentless son. Raises your talent in relation to its current level. The lower you are the higher you will rise.
This. This could be the change to my life. The lower your talent the higher it goes? I could... i could become an A rank talent. Holy shit. I.. can become strong. I can live my dreams how I visioned as a child.
The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.
Each artifact had a lock which required a hand print. Was this to make it so you could only take one per person? What a brilliant system.
How did i get sidetracked. I placed my hand on the unlock. It scanned for a few moments. Then before me the glass shield dropped. There it was. A mythical grade artifacts capable of changing my future!
===============================
Name: Ziron Kinsworth Age:20 Time: 18:42
Rank: E
Talent: E
Strength: E
Agility: E
Stamina: E
Intelligence: B
Mana: F
Luck: E
Charm: C
Aura: F
Profession: Porter
Skills:
[Efficient carrier] (lvl. 4)
Carry bags without any struggle. Holding the capability to move heavy bags at the lowest cost of energy. A passive skill.
[Void Holder] (lvl.5)
You can make a bag of your choice have the deepest pockets this world has seen. Able to hold countless treasures without increasing the weight.
Artifacts:
[Mythical: Power up]
A drink made by a mad Alchemist with the help of a sympathetic god who tried his best to change the fate of his talentless son. Raises your talent in relation to its current level. The lower you are the higher you will rise.
===============================
Excitedly, I summoned the artifact and there it wss incomplete my hand. A jewled golden cup which had a golden glow. The drink was a milky white and looked very alluring. My throat felt dry and I wss losing my rationale. I mean this was a life changing item.
I raised the cup to my lips and gulped down every last drop.
A bright light flashed before me and everything vanished.
A familiar sight was before me. A wooden ceiling. I recognised this sight. It was a heart warming view. This bed felt unbelievably comfortable even with its mediocre material.
Where was this? It was my room. Back when I lived with my parents. This must be a dream. It was comforting. I sat up and looked around, I had a single bed in the centre of the west wall from the door. To my left was a simple desk which I was gifted at 7 by my dad to study accompanied by a wooden chair. To my right was my cupboard filled with my clothes.
Just further down from my cupboard was the door to the hall and rest of the house. And on the eastern wall was a tall mirror to help me get dressed. A cozy room in my opinion.
I got up and the cold wooden floor felt amazingly real, I walked in front of the mirror and there I was. My royal blue hair which parted in the middle and my golden eyes. The hair came from my dad and my eyes from my mother. I was only 4'6 and had quite a healthy body. I didnt change much growing up.. just looked more mature. I mean that makes sense.
"Zi come down for breakfast!" That voice was a melody to my ears. It was my mother's angelic voice calling me down. Hurriedly I opened my door. Well I tried i pushed agaisnt it but nothing worked. Was i trapped in this room? Was this dream limited to only this?
'Ah.' How could I be so stupid. It was a damn pull door. Yanking it open I fell back.
'Ouch' wait. Why did that hurt. Isnt It known you can't feel pain in a dream. What was going on. Was this.. was this real? I pinched my arm in a hurried action. 'Ah' it hurt. What was happening? Why am I back?
I went downstairs into the all in one living room. There my mother sat by the table. Her black hair flowing past her waist and gorgeous golden eyes looking at me with care. With a gentle smile on her face she called me over.
"Sit down Zi today's a big day!"
Today? What day was it. What was happening. But before i could think anymore the smell of a hearty breakfast seduced my nose. 'Eggs, sausages and bread' wow. I was being treated today! Normally bread and water was breakfast with an egg if the business had a good week.
I remember this meal. It was the day I got accepted into taking the written assessment. I hastily walked over and sat on a wooden chair, my stomach growled and I gobbled up the food before me.
"Slow down.. your going to choke" my mother said with care. But.. i missed this simple food. It's been 6 years since I last tasted her homemade cooking. A tear ran down my cheek but I quickly wiped it away.
"Thanks mom! Breakfast was delicious as always." I replied lickikg my lips clean.
"Anyway! I'm off to get ready. I'll be sure to get accepted" I added before rushing back to my room to get dressed.
"Slow down or you'll trip and get hurt!" I heard my mother's concern from below. But I couldnt wait, there wss something I had to see. I needed to check something immediately.
I went into my room and closed the door.
'System Open'
And just as I suspected a screen with loads of information was presented before me. I guess the orb test only confirms if your capable or not.. it doesn't give you permission to check the system!
'System Significant' i thought to myself and just like the first time I saw all unnecessary information get cut off and a simpler presentable screen appear. My heart was beating like crazy, I was excited and scared. I needed to see my stats.
===============================
Name: Ziron Kinsworth Age:10 Time: 6:47
Rank: E
Talent: SS
Strength: F
Agility: F
Stamina: F
Intelligence: C
Mana: F
Luck: E
Charm: C
Aura: F
Profession: Porter
Skills: None
Artifacts: None
===============================
There it was before me. I was still a porter, my stats were still miserably low. But. Something did change. And Holy shit was it an insane difference. My mouth gaped open and my eyes have never opened wider before.
My talent. It was E before... 'the lower your talent the higher you will rise' bloody hell it's now SS! How insane is that! SS rank. Unfathomable talent. Never seen before.. I think. Wow. I stood stunned and mesmerised. I can.. i can become whatever i want to be!
Don't get me wrong. This is the best possible outcome. Your stats will rise only in relation your talent. This means i have capability to become SS rank in most my stats. It would place me in the strongest individuals of this world. The whole damn world! But. It also meant I'd have to work incredibly hard. More than others if anything.
Talent more so meant growth potential. It wasn't actually talent, if that makes sense. If i pick up a sword I won't become a grand master immediately. Nor would I after a week of using it. You have to also remember my profession is still a porter. If I want to be a fighter I won't have the backing of my profession.
If anything what your profession was is where your talent lies. So me becoming a swordsman was a very difficult thing to do. I couldnt raise my sword level. I could only rely on swordsmanship and my strength. I would receive skills eventually. But it would take a long time to get anything.
Longer than people who have a fighting profession. So if it came down to a skill fight, unless I train my swordsmanship which my talent would not help at all, I'd lose. My only backing would be my stats which I can rise through arduous training.
So, yes, my talent was now unbelievable but I'd have to train 10x harder than anyone else. Not that I'm complaining.
I was always ready to put the effort in. In fact i already did. It just didn't amount to anything. Now however. It will. I will get stronger after putting hours in!
"Zi what are you doing hurry otherwise you might miss it!" I heard my mother's call up to me. I didnt realise that another 20 minutes had passed just from me staring at my new talent. Hmm. I thought to myself. I didnt need
to attend the orb test. There's a new path open to me now. Skillsworth. The nobles academy, how? Well first I need to get the attention of a noble.
This wasn't an easy task. There was obviously the major nobility Bloodborne but it's near impossible for me as a commoner to get their attention. Even if I was to showcase my system, however, a minor nobility just might sponsor me. Now another issue presented itself. Who do I choose? Which noble house should I try appeal to. In Calistus, exulding Bloodborne, there was 4 minor noblities which had a name for themselves. House Forin, Rider, Winston and Dynus. There were more minor nobilites but these were commoners who earned enough money to buy a Title.
Each worthy nobility had their own benefits and negatives. House Forin had two heirs and focused on their ownership of some mines. I would have to compete agaisnt the heirs but not stand out too much, funding would be great but no bloodline skills could be learned. Winston was a mage family, nothing wrong with mages but i wanted to be a swordman so I'd lose out bloodline skills, however I could learn magic. Dynus is another merchant family who opened a bank which is majorly used in Calistus. Funding wouldn't be an issue at all but they had 3 heirs and were all in on business. House Rider was a knight family. Not just that but they had no heirs which is perfect. Funding would be decent and bloodline skills would surely exist.
House Rider seemed like the right path. Everything I needed was there. But how do I get their attention? Do I just beg outside their house untill I can finally show an important figure my system? Hmm. It would work but I don't really want to look pathetic even if it's just for a moment. I can't challenge anyone.. I'd lose almost instantly with these stats.
Well, it doesn't hurt to go and check out the Rider estate. Maybe I can observe them a little and find out how tk approach them successfully. I got dressed wearing a full black linen tunic which had a dark blue outline complimenting my hair. I went down passed my mother and to the front, putting my brown leather boots on.
"Byr Mom, I'm heading out now!" I informed her before leaving to the shop to also inform my father. A bell rang as I opened the shop door and stepped outside. Weirdly, only my father had a shop on this street. There was a bar a few houses down but mostly just homes here. I took a deep breath and found myself walking to the centre of Calistus. I wasn't rushed, taking my time to reach the Rider estate, I observed the world around me.
Even if it was a major city, Calistus had much wrong with it. My small peaks into the dark alleyways showing men missing limbs, orphans hunting for food in the bins and corpses of animals. Hidden away in the darkness. The Bloodborne put up a good image but never truly cared about their city. The roads were hastily made and no repairs ever came, hospitals were promised but never built.. the taxes however always paid perfectly on time. Taxes were higher in Calistus too, but moving to another city required so much effort and not everyone could do so. House Bloodbornes rule was very weird.
I arrived at the city centre and just like last time it was bustling with activity. A massive line of little humans waiting their turn to have a crack at the orb. But this time, I was not joining said line. Instead I was heading west, towards the domain of the minor nobilites of Calistus and more specifically house Rider. Weaving my way through the people I eventually got some personal space as I walked further west. But even without the test the centre was busy so it was still a little hectic untill I got far enough. It felt like the roads became wider but that was just an illusion as less and less building could be seen. Noble families owned land and the their homes were usually quite separated from one another. They were also distanced from pretty much anything.
Not that it was an issue, firstly they weren't miles away, just a considerable distance and secondly they had Butlers and Maids to fetch them whatever they needed. Lastly, these roads weren't built for walking. Looking at the quality was enough to suggest it was meant for carriages. But I found myself on a trek anyway. It took about 15-20mins from the centre to arrive near House Rider. A large black gate big enough to let carriages in and out was closed in the middle of a high wall. I approached the gates and they felt bigger, I mean it made sense I got closer. But through the bars I saw the Rider estate, in the middle was a beautiful fountain decorated with roses and flowers I knew not of the names. Trimmed grass and hedges all around adding s touch of life to the ice blue mansion.
It would take me around 30mins just to get around the mansion. The estate was around 5-10 acres big and well kept. I tried counting the windows to see how many rooms there was but it just didnt stop going. One day. One day I'll own a mansion even bigger than this. I'll have the world under my feet and be the most benevolent ruler. I'll go down in the books for eons to come. My thirst for power will learn no humility. Never again will I be so weak in front of Power. I truly hope I meet Deindall once more, to overpower him and make him cower in fear. For him to suffer like I did in the trial.
I won't rely on other people to fight for me. Not anymore. I'll work harder than anyone in this universe, I'll grind to an unfathomable level. Seeing this mansion before me confirmed my goals. My dedication. My commitment. Nothing will stop me from achieving my dreams, not anymore with my newfound talent.
I didn't know how much i spent standing outside the estate but eventually two guards arrived. They glanced at me then decided I wasn't worth talking too. 'Neither are the two of you weaklings!' I thought to myself knowing full well they could one shot me. They wore the attire of house rider, under their hauberk was the light blue of the Rider's. Along with their crest which was a galloping horse with two swords crossed behind. Sheathed swords on the waist of both them.
I stayed waiting. I would stand here all day if it allowed me to get a clue on how to approach the noble house. Then the clock hit midday. And from within the mansion a loud ringing could be heard to inform everyone within.
But for me.. it was a nightmare. The ringing submerged itself into the depths of my mind. It bellowed recklessly and summoned the mightest of headaches. I panicked remembering the stress i went through from the gong. My heart started beating faster and I could feel the pressure rise, my limbs started convulsing without command. I was fading away, tears found their way onto my face and my body went stiff. The last thing I heard and felt was my body thump into the ground outside the Rider Estate.
I lost consciousness.