The first thing Richard felt waking up was a blinding pain.
“You know… we couldn’t just leave him there… around the forest there’s…!” a young girl’s muffled voice cried out.
Urrrgh, that sucked, somehow I think I completely fucked up. Argh fuck, that bitch was pretty fucking misleading. He thought as his head pounded like a drum, slowly rousing him from his unconscious state. Hopefully, whoever found me is more civilized than that sadist whore of a butcher who chopped me up, He swore in attempt to distract him from debilitating migraine.
“You don’t know anything…! What if he’s with…! We can’t exactly take chances right now your highness, your brothers are still aiming for the throne while your father is on his deathbed. What lengths do you think they’ll go to trade you off for political support?” A valiant feminine voice condoned. “If you’re insistent that we don’t leave him in the wilderness then we should just drop him off at the city we’re about to pass through, that way we don’t tempt calamity again.”
“I… alright Fiona, I… apologize for being impulsive. I shall follow your advice this time.”
Well at least one of them is cautious by the sound of it… Richard thought as he opened his eyes to scan the room. A wave of dizziness assaulted him just as he managed to see enough of the room to tell it wasn’t what he was accustomed to. The furniture in the room was laced with frills and dominated by a mellow pink.
Sitting up while trying to combat the spinning of the room that seemed to synchronise with his migraine, he planted his feet on the floor while he hung his head.
“Ugh… probably… the worst… hangover I’ve… ever had… if you can… call this… a hangover,” he grunted as he closed his eyes in pain.
BANG!
The door opened violently causing him to immediately cringe. As he was trying to stave off another vicious bout of dizziness a woman in armour strode in, behind her a timid teenage girl followed.
“You look like someone who’s had better days, even after attempting to pull themselves out of the drink. What in the gods’ names were you thinking, striding on a dangerous forest road without your drinking partners to convince you that it is generally ill advised to court death?” The woman who looked like a knight asked him loudly.
“I gather… you take great … amusement in… this poor fools… suffering… ma’am,” He replied through gritted teeth in annoyance while still attempting to be polite. Great, another bitch who wants me to go through a painful experience. This one no doubt believes I deserve every bit of it for fuck sakes. He complained inwardly in frustration.
“It is nonetheless a deserved sufferance. Due to your unrepentance I should no doubt take greater liberties,” the woman frowned at him while glancing at the teenage girl who had moved up beside her.
“Yes, yes… I heard… I’m… a security risk… yes? Your name… should… be Fiona then?” Richard asked haltingly as he tried not to puke for the umpteenth time.
“How did you know my name?” Fiona asked coldly as the atmosphere around her started to drop in temperature. “You shouldn’t have heard a thing from outside this carriage. You either knew it beforehand or you’re able to bypass the wards we placed. Which is it?” She Interrogated as she stepped forward, slightly lowering her posture while gripping the sword at her side.
“Listen… lady… I really don’t know… ugh… what happened… to me… isn’t a hang… over…” He tried to explain before what sounded like a gigantic gong exploded in his head while a string of words appeared in his mind.
Ding!
Soul Resistance LV1 acquired.
Intelligence increased by 5. Experience +20.
Thoroughly dazed he held his head in his hands while trying his best to remain conscious. After what seemed like ages, but was just a few seconds, the pain become significantly more tolerable. That notification, is worrying… he thought to himself. Sighing in confusion and relief, he let his hands drop to his legs.
“Speak! Who are you and what are your intentions!?”
Awaking from a daze, cold sweat formed on as his back as he came to acknowledge the sword tip less than a centimetre away from his throat.
“Whoa whoa, I’ll tell you everything, just calm down… I understand you’re doing your job, but it doesn’t have to involve killing anyone today, please…” He said in a hurry while trying to calm her down. Unfortunately this had the opposite result.
“So your hangover from before was an act then, to get her alone is it?” She said as she narrowed her eyes while tightening the grip on her sword. “Your highness, I’m going to take him outside. Please remain here while I converse with him.”
“Yes… Fiona,” The timid girl now showing regret and concern as she looked at him.
Fuck, does no one care about what I want to say?! He screamed internally while trying to come up with a response to the bloodlust of the now vicious one of the two women in the room.
Taking the sword away from his throat she reached down and roughly grasped his arm and started dragging him towards the door of the carriage. Deciding not to resist he didn’t put in any strength toward fighting her movements.
“I really don’t mind being taken outside, or anywhere… but please let me say somethi-“ he tried to say before getting cut off.
“You’ve said enough to be executed,” she replied coldly as he was pulled roughly out of the carriage onto the ground.
Losing the last of his rationality at her intensity he started swearing vehemently.
“You whores are fucking hopeless! Not only are you paranoid you’re also both conceited to the point you’re as dumb as a brick! I’ve had enough of being thrown around and chopped up, just get over yourselves already. Fuck!” Richard exclaimed in rage. Shot in my sleep is it!? Why couldn’t I have just died peacefully instead of getting tossed in shit!?
All of a sudden he found himself weightless before crashing into something hard resulting in another explosive bout of pain. Coughing out blood he up looked out of his blurry vision at the Minotaur-like figure who threw him at a tree. All of a sudden the pain he felt numbed by a large portion as another notification popped up.
Ding!
Pain Resistance LV1 acquired.
Vitality increased by 5. Experience +20.
Blunt Force Resistance LV1 acquired.
Endurance increased by 5. Experience +20.
“I’d probably forgive the insult to myself, but shouting out that the princess of this kingdom is a whore…? You won’t die painlessly…” Fiona growled softly while looking down at him.
If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
Really?! He screamed internally as he coughed out another mouthful of blood.
“You heard him men! He called our princess a whore! How about we teach him a lesson before we send him to the afterlife!?” Before he could respond Fiona cast her head to the side shouted out.
It was then that Richard noticed that there were more people around. Roughly twenty men covered in leather and scale mail armour carrying swords, shields and spears surrounded the area. Nodding in tacit agreement two of the closest withdrew sharp daggers while they approached him with dark looks on their faces.
How the hell did this happen!? She also said princess… and I didn’t call that girl a whore, I called you and that goddess whores you stuck up shit for brains! But will you let me get in a word or two edgeways?!
Ding!
Mental Resistance LV1 acquired.
Intelligence increased by 5. Experience +20.
Fuck am I really having a mental breakdown?! Piss off! Ah shit, they’re really going to carve me up aren’t they? He watched them come closer in fear as blood leaked out of the side of his mouth. Kneeling down on either side with dark grins on their faces they started cutting his pants and shirt off.
“Wouldn’t want any of these to get in the way now would we, boy?”
“Wouldn’t be able to tell how deep we’d be cutting either. You’ll get to see up close how we peel your skin off…”
Ding!
Mental Resistance now LV2.
Intelligence increased by 10. Experience +40.
Level up! Please allocate points in status.
A small wave of calm keeping him from screaming incoherently like a little girl gave him the smallest hope to get out of the situation he was in.
Right! Level system! Uh, Character Sheet…! STATUS!! A blue screen, clearer than his vision appeared in his mind.
STATUS Name Richard Solus Level 1 Age 18 Experience 20/200 Class Hero Title Divine's Agent Stat Points 20 Skill Points 5 Talent Points 5 HP 4/80 (Bleeding) HP Regen 0.15/min - 1/min MP 42 MP Regen 0.07/s Strength 10 Active Skills 0 Endurance 15 Passive Skills 4 Vitality 15 Talents 3 Dexterity 9 Unique Skills +1 Pending Agility 9 Rare stats unlocked 0 Intelligence 35 Wisdom 7 Charisma 15 Luck 20
Uh, shit, shit… they’re probably higher level and way stronger, there’s nothing to add stats to that’ll help immediately… um maybe… talents? His thoughts prompting another window to appear.
TALENTS Reasoning (LV1) Adds a 10% chance to convince others when conversing logically Induce Anger (LV1) Adds a 2% probability of increasing agro towards user during interactions Dumb Luck (LV1) Adds +10 to luck, 10% increase in lucky encounters and +5% crit chance
What bullshit is that second one?! Is that why this happened?! Uh fuck, let’s hope I can talk my way out of this then. Add all talent points to Reasoning.
Ding!
Reasoning LV2 acquired.
Reasoning LV3 acquired.
Warning. Insufficient points to level talent. 2 Points left.
Doubles every time I level it is it? Well in that case add talent point to… Dumb Luck… what rubbish luck…?
Ding!
Dumb Luck LV2 acquired.
Swearing internally at how ridiculous the skill name was considering the circumstances he was in, he noticed they were about to finish cutting his outer clothes off.
Fuck, no time, let’s go for broke…
Deciding he could only hope to increase his chances to talk his way out of it he desperately dumped all his free stat points into charisma.
“Can… cough… I… say a… few… last… words… by any… chance?” Richard managed to grunt while still coughing up a small amount of blood.
Fiona narrowed her eyes as she looked at his near death state. Hesitating, she looked towards the carriage and then back at him.
“I could heal you depending on what you say but I can also make the fun last longer… so, what possibly could you say that will change my mind I wonder?” Fiona said with a near feral grin noticing his attempt to save himself as she looked down at him in disdain. The men on his sides removed the cut rags before looking at Fiona, awaiting her decision.
“Hmmm, maybe I’ll try listen… I’ll have you know that you’ll still be punished for insulting royalty. Still wanting to say your piece?” She said grimly as she wondered why she suddenly became calmer the longer her eyes rested on him.
“I’ll… give… answers… first… for you… to make a… cough… informed… cough… decision,” He said weakly as he started to feel dizzy. “Is there… a … way… to show… you my… cough… status?”
“Oh ho… So you’re still attempting to get to the princess huh?! Only royalty, priests and mages have that ability is it not?! You’re in luck as I’m a spell sword who has been trained to do so, I’d like to see how you weasel your way out of this with another round of excuses!” Her expression darkened in rage before picking him up by his neck.
“That’s… good… wheeze…to hear… how… do… I… wheeze… show it… to you… cough…” He managed to get out as stars started to appear in his darkening vision. Fucking paranoid bitch. Last shot, here I go, hope she wasn’t lying about the healing.
She frowned in confusion. Should that not be simple? Did the priests not inform him on his name day?
“You visualize the person you want to show your status to, provided they have the ability to perceive it and that there’s skin contact. How can you not know this?” She questioned after answering with a deepening frown on her face. Something is off, why does he know not this and why am I behaving absurdly? What is going on?
“Heh… show… status… to… wheeze… Fiona…” He said with the last of his breath feeling weakness claiming his limbs.
“You don’t need to say it aloud you…! Level… Hero? D-Div-! Yo- Your Highness, I need your help right now!” She turned pale halfway through her speech as she saw his level and class before screaming over her shoulder to the carriage hysterically.
Putting him down her hands enveloped in a light green glow as she pressed them to his chest.
“Recovery,” She whispered as she grit her teeth in regret and fear. Tears forming at her eyes as she looked down on his bloody, broken and half naked figure. What have I done? I-I didn’t know! He’ll forgive me r-right? I was only trying to protect her, so why didn’t he say something sooner?! Another wave of anger swept over her, making her almost stop her magic in shock. She shook her head to clear her thoughts. No no, he tried to but I didn’t let him, it must be something to do with this absurd anger that surges for no reason.
Noticing his worsening condition despite her recovery spell anxiety started to rage across her heart.
“Your Highness! Princess! Abigail!!” She screamed as sweat started to accumulate on her forehead. She grew frantic as she saw Richard start to close his eyes. “No no no! Don’t close your eyes! Get the princess you oafs!” She turned to yell at the dumbfounded escorts beside her.
So that’s the… princess’ name huh? Abigail, Abby… Richard’s mind wandering as exhaustion threatened to put him to sleep. Although, Fiona… seems nice enough now… I was… out of line when I… threw my… man-child… tantrum… need to apologize… and put a filter… on my… words…for that… shitty talent…
Ding!
Wisdom increased by 3 due to an epiphany.
Fuck… you… too…!
His final thoughts gave voice to the pent up resentment and frustration that filled him. Coughing up another mouthful of blood, he lost track of his surroundings. The hurried noises around him turned distant as he began to lose lucidity for the second time that day.
“Fiona… do… him!?”
“…time… dying!”
“…!!”
Feeling a wave of warmth pass through his body he drifted into a deep sleep.