Axel stood right outside the barrier that separated Pavhorn and the rest of the world. The shimmering purple barrier extended upwards beyond the skies and far across the world, effectively imprisoning the kingdom and its many inhabitants. The barrier stopped or maybe started right in front of the gates that led into the kingdom of Pavhorn. On the other side of the barrier, two guards, armed with halberds, kept watch as people passed through, entering the kingdom beyond.
This was it. This was the start of a journey to kinghood. This was the place where dreams would turn into reality. This was the chance of a lifetime, to inherit the whole kingdom of Pavhorn, and its surrounding lands if they could just free the damn place from the barrier that encased it.
People of all shapes and sizes crossed through the barrier, their eager anticipation practically palpable, eyes alight with the promise of new adventures and opportunities. On the flip side, there were those with shoulders slumped and heads held low, their faces clouded with disappointment, as they crossed through the barrier. Not to head to the kingdom like everyone else, but to leave it. Something that Axel had thought impossible, given the rumors surrounding the place.
With a single step, he crossed through the barrier.
This was it. This was the start of Axel’s journey.
“I’m gonna find you, big sis,” Axel said, staring at the towering castle walls of Pavhorn. The stones weathered with scars from endless battles with the elements.
"Hey, you! Stop blocking the road and get a move on," one of the guards yelled at him.
"Sorry," Axel apologized and hurriedly followed the crowds and walked through the gates, officially entering into the town of Pavhorn.
"Don't push and keep moving!" One of the guards from the edge of the crowd yelled.
Guards were stationed along the perimeter of the road, all clad in suits of armor and armed with halberds, the shiny metal glistening in the sunlight. The crowd was being corralled together and directed towards a row of identical buildings, the only buildings in sight. To his left and right, other than the head and shoulders of those embarking on the same journey, cobblestone walls obscured any glimpse of the world beyond the straight path. Sometimes he wished he was a little bit taller, but sometimes being average height was not that bad.
Axel entered one of the two-story stone brick buildings, ascending a flight of stairs along with the others. On the second floor, he found himself in a spacious room furnished with rows of chairs arranged in a stadium-style layout, all facing toward the center. The center of the room gave way to an opening revealing the first floor below, where instead of the wooden flooring of the upper level, there lay a sandy arena, along with two metal gates installed on either side of the room.
"Sit down and wait for further instructions!" another guard yelled out.
Taking a seat in the front row, Axel settled in and glanced around the room, only to find a sea of equally puzzled faces. Eyes darted about in search of some form of answer. Nobody knew what was going on or what was supposed to happen, except for the guards stationed about. They were, unfortunately, disinterested in answering any questions, the only words being uttered by their mouths were “sit down and wait for further instructions.”. Murmurs filled the stadium-like room as each person discussed with those nearest about what awaited them.
The sounds of one of the metal gates sliding open caused some heads to turn, but most were oblivious, engrossed in their own conversations.
Axel watched as a guard appeared from the entrance and made his way to the center of the room. Like the other guards, he was dressed in a suit of armor with his head exposed, but rather than a halberd in his hand, a large broadsword was strapped to his back. He scanned the room and shook his head in apparent disappointment.
"Shut up, you lot!" he roared.
Axel jumped in his seat while everyone else stopped their conversation to gaze at the man who was causing a ruckus.
"My name is Dave and I'll be in charge of you lot for the time being. Now it's no surprise why all of you have gathered here. You've heard about the King's promise of turning over his kingdom if you manage to bring down those blasted walls that's got us all trapped like a bunch of caged animals!"
"You’re gosh darn right, and I’m gonna be the king of Pavhorn!" a random man stood up and proclaimed.
"Shut up and sit down! If bringing down the walls was so easy that even a nobody like you could do it, we'd all be free ages ago."
Seething with anger, the man took his seat, his being radiating fury as a few snide chuckles accompanied his mockery.
"This is your last chance to say no. Once you accept the system there's no going back and you'll be a bunch of caged birdies like the rest of us. I'm sure you've all heard the rumors floating about on the other side, those who end up trapped inside the barrier gain abilities beyond comprehension. And now you might be thinking that with all those fancy powers everything is going to be easy, but you couldn't be more wrong. We humans weren't the only ones to change."
A deafening roar erupted from below causing the ground to tremble. The clang of flesh meeting metal echoed throughout the room. Axel could barely make out the creature that was pounding on the gates, but he didn't need to see it to fear it. With each thunderous blow, the room quaked. Panic swept through the crowd as they frantically attempted to flee to safety down the stairs, only to find their escape route sealed off, trapping them within. Those brave enough drew their weapons hoping for one last stand, while others cowered and pathetically hid behind the chairs in the furthest corners of the room.
Axel had his sword drawn, eyes fixed at the metal gate, waiting for whatever creature would rear its ugly head.
"Everyone sit down!" Dave yelled out once more.
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"Always the same with these newcomers," he grumbled.
Despite hearing Dave’s instructions, Axel stubbornly refused to sheathe his sword, it was practically suicide if he went without a weapon. His heart pounded in his chest, breathing coming in ragged bursts, like the beast bashing against the gate.
Dave shook his head, noting the lack of compliance from those around him.
"You lot can continue to panic but you all better listen to what I'm about to tell you," his voice roared out once more, "Once you accept the system, that’s it—no going back. You'll get a rank and a class. Everyone starts out at [Novice] rank and are [Classless]. Once you rank up to [Recruit] you will be eligible for a proper class."
The pounding on the gate grew even louder as Axel's grip on his blade grew tighter.
Who has time to listen to your lecture right now? Axel screamed inside his mind.
"Now you might be wondering what a class is, but to put it simply for you less than-stellar folks, it gives you access to abilities you could only dream of. You can change your class or even upgrade them, but only if certain conditions are met. If you're lucky you might find someone willing to tell you the conditions to their class," Dave chuckled.
"For context and to avoid any extra questions, my class is [Flame Knight]."
A loud crash reverberated throughout the building as the metal gate was sent flying from one side of the room to the other. Axel’s eyes widened in shock as a giant cobra slithered its way toward Dave, who greeted it with a smile. The serpent's scales gleamed under the light, resembling glistening ice crystals. As it approached Dave revealing the remainder of its way too large body, what drew Axel's attention was the protrusion at the tip of the snake's tail, a large ice crystal shard twice as thick as the snake's body.
"What the," Axel muttered out in disbelief.
"IS THAT A SNAKE? SINCE WHEN DO SNAKES GET SO BIG!" a man from the crowd shouted out.
More panic ensued as those who originally had their weapons drawn ran in panic towards the walls. They hacked, slashed, and bashed away at them in a desperate attempt to escape this soon-to-be death box, but it was to no avail. They hardly put a scratch on it.
"This right here is a Frost Cobra and it bursting out of the gate is perfect timing for explaining skills," Dave explained as he drew his broadsword.
The Frost Cobra stood tall, towering over Dave, with its hood spread. Its forked tongue darted in and out of its mouth as if it was salivating, while its sapphire eyes narrowed fixed on Dave. Its sharpened tail hung by its side like a man with his blade drawn. The snake stared down Dave, waiting for his next move.
"Getting a class means you get skills. Gaining skills means gaining power and gaining power is what's needed if you want to survive in this world. This Frost Cobra here is our little test dummy for showing off some skills."
As if on cue, the monster lunged toward Dave, who gripped the broadsword with two hands.
"This skill right here is called [Fire Slash]." His sword ignited with a crimson flame. He swung the flaming sword at the charging monster, connecting squarely with its head. A momentary standoff unfolded as the clash ensued—Dave stood steadfast against the oncoming charge of the cobra.
Suddenly, the Frost Cobra recoiled, emitting a hiss of pain as it arched its head backward. A searing wound now marred its once pristine crystal-like scales, a sizable gash scorching its way along the length of its head. As Dave's skill ended, the fire that had engulfed his sword was extinguished, yet the blade remained completely undamaged despite the intense heat of the flames.
The monster hissed once more, unhinged its jaw, and bared its fangs. A stream of icicle shards burst forth from within the snake's mouth, rocketing straight towards Dave. Completely unfazed by the snake's actions, his sword burst into flames once again, as he stood unmoving, parrying every incoming icicle, shattering them into a million fragments.
The barrage of attacks ended and the flame on his blade was extinguished once again, leaving Dave and the Frost Cobra locked in a staring contest awaiting each other's next moves.
"Skills can be trained and upgraded, sometimes if you meet certain conditions you might get a new skill too. Generally, if you want to upgrade your class you’ve got to upgrade your skills first.," Dave added, eyes never leaving the monster.
"This skill here is an upgraded version of [Fire Slash], it's called [Flame Slash]."
Losing the staring contest, Dave dashed forward towards the snake, his sword consumed by flames once again, but this time even hotter, brighter, and stronger. The Frost Cobra took aim with its tail, its ice crystal jutting forward like a spear. It thrusted its spear-like tail at Dave, the crystal dwarfing the not-so-tiny knight. Dave was completely unfazed, he swung his blade up in a momentary clash between weapons. The Frost Cobra howled in pain, as the fiery blade cut through its icy spear, the crystal shard sliced clean off and sent flying towards the roof, the flames of the blade cauterizing the wound instantly.
The crowd was frozen in shock, all they could do was cover their ears as the snake hissed in agony, its piercing soundwaves overwhelming them. Yet, Dave stood by unaffected, simply staring down the snake with a flaming hot blade by his side.
With a final attempt at Dave's life, it lunged forward again. It opened its jaw ready to send the man into the pits of its stomach. Dave deftly jumped above the snake at the last possible moment, letting it crash into the wall, before bringing his sword down one final time. The strike was swift, cleanly severing the head of the Frost Cobra from its neck.
Axel stood there in shock, with his mouth fully agape. He had just watched a man kill a giant snake monster without even breaking a sweat. And that was with such an intense flame burning right next to him. Was this what it was like within the barrier? Was this the future he wanted? Was this worth risking his life?
"Being strong is the only way to survive here and just having skills and classes doesn't mean you'll be strong. So last chance to get out and live a normal peaceful life. Once you accept the system there's no going back," Dave said, sheathing his sword.
Should I leave? Should I stay? Is big sis ok? Axel pondered, his grip on the sword still tight.
The stairs that were previously sealed had been opened, and some had already begun to leave the room with their heads hung low in disappointment.
Axel sheathed his sword and turned to look at the stairs leading out, watching people leave, their dreams already crushed before even reaching the starting point. Surveying the remainder of the group, he noticed that most had concern and doubt painted over their faces. He could understand why. On his journey to Pavhorn, his most perilous encounter was a pack of wolves when out camping in the forest, a sentiment most people probably shared on their journey here.
However, now they realized how different the world inside the barrier was. Sure, he had heard the rumors, but like most people, they attributed it to rumors getting grossly exaggerated as they traveled down the grapevine.
"Now for those of you who haven't left yet, call out to the system. After that, it's really the last time you'll ever have a sense of normalcy."
Axel looked back down at Dave, who had his arms crossed, tapping his foot impatiently as he waited for them. Axel turned back once more to look at the remaining group. Most of the people who had already given up were back downstairs. Now those who remained were either individuals still undecided or those who had steeled their resolve.
Axel took a deep breath and exhaled, trying to blow away all his worries.
I’m staying. I’m doing this. For big sis, he thought.