Consciousness comes to Koll violently. A pair of ugly men kick him awake.

"Get up, acolyte."

Koll feels anger build up in him. But, submits to their command.

Soon, Koll is ushered into the room with the black chair.

Immediately upon seeing the chair, Koll freezes.

He's pushed forward and forced into it.

His resistance is futile. And, soon he's bonded once more.

He is left in the darkness of the room for some time.

As his body grows uncomfortable in its stationary position, Koll has time to contemplate his situation.

The Red Sect is deeply tied to demon worship and summoning.

By his expectation, they're trying to put a demon in his body.

As the thought comes over his mind, he wonders if this is how his future self got summoned here.

But, none of that makes any scientific sense. None of this makes sense.

As he gets lost in thought, he notices the glimmer of two eyes.

Koll's breath catches as the woman in the red dress approaches.

"Acolyte," she says. "What are you?"

Koll's mind is torn, the question is a trap. But, he can only grit his teeth and say what she wants to hear.

"I am an acolyte of the Red Sect."

Her eyes narrow.

"Yes. Yes, you are."

"Tell me," she commands. "What demon do you have inside you?"

"I... I don't know."

The beautiful woman, whose slender fingers bind like a vice grips Koll by the throat.

He tries to breathe but can't.

As the seconds tick by, Koll's lungs begin to burn and convulse.

The pain of suffocation builds. Causing tears to build in his eyes as he suffers.

The misery brings him to the doorway of death. But, as if bored, the woman releases him.

Koll gags and heaves as he takes air back into his lungs.

It takes some time for the noisy breathing to mellow.

The woman in the red dress looks over him with mild interest.

"How did you retain your mind, acolyte?"

Koll feels tears pour down from his eyes as he shakes his head.

"I don't know!"

She continues to question him on subjects he knows nothing of.

"Your demon is weak," she finally says.

"I doubt you will accomplish much. But, even so, the summoning was successful."

She seems to ponder something for a moment.

"We will begin your indoctrination tomorrow. Rest for now."

Her words should have been a relief. But, the word indoctrination disturbs him.

Indoctrination is a common practice for evil factions. It's not just a figurative indoctrination. It affects the mind attribute and can be impossible to break without the proper stats or stat buffs.

As Koll is led to his cell, he pulls up his stats list.

[Name: Koll Luna]

[Strength: 1]

[Agility: 1]

[Stamina: 1]

[Mind: 1]

[Potential Points: 0]

As he looks at his abysmal stats, he sees his Potential Points.

These could be earned through actions like crafting and combat among many other tasks.

With the indoctrination coming tomorrow, Koll would need at least 5 points in his mind stat. This means he needs to get 4 potential points before then.

But, there's nothing available to him. In this prison, there are no resources.

Only crumbling stone and a bucket.

As despair threatens to overwhelm him, Koll's eyes land on a loosened rock on the wall.

In Koll's long and varied career in Cosmos, he'd played many roles and studied many of the professions in the game.

The profession he liked the most was also the simplest, at least in the early stages.

Engraving.

To engrave is to carve a pattern into an object. All one needs is an engraving tool and a surface.

The thing that makes engraving difficult is the pattern one seeks to carve.

One needs blueprints to study and learn. Developing the skill into a meaningful profession takes much work.

For a new player, one would need to buy a blueprint. But, Koll always had a good memory for the professions of Cosmos.

He'd long studied beginner and master-level engraving.

With trembling hands, Koll begins to push and pull on the crumbling stone.

The stone is even looser than he thought and a chuck of jagged rock comes away to fit comfortably in his hand.

With a deep breath, Koll takes the stone tool to a corner of the room.

His hands still trembling, Koll begins to carve a magic circle into the stone wall. Then lines and cuniform-like notches.

With a breath, he cuts the final piece. And, a system alarm rings out.

"Succesful Engraving. NPC Koll Luna is awarded 500 Experience. NPC Koll Luna is awarded 1 Potential Point."

Koll clutches the stone till his fingers turn white.

In haste, he puts the point into Mind.

[Mind: 2]

Just by putting a single point into mind, Koll feels his consciousness grow sharper. His fear and weakness are less overwhelming.

But, not gone.

He is still a long way from feeling comfortable with the situation.

In earnest, he continues his work.

[XP +500]

[XP +500]

[XP +500]

He repeats the process over and over, gaining XP every time. But, the precious Potential Points only pop up infrequently.

Without knowing day from night in his prison, Koll feels his bones and muscles ache as he completes his latest engraving.

Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.

"Huff," he sighs. "Finally."

[Mind: 5]

He's managed to reach the necessary Mind stat to survive the indoctrination. Hopefully at least.

Additionally, his undefined class has been designated [Engraver].

The rock implement is little more than powder in his hands. But, he's managed to overcome this hurdle.

As if having waited for him to complete his task, the cell door opens.

Tired and sore, Koll drops the stone and follows the familiar men.

This time, they don't go to the room with the black chair.

Instead, he's led up a flight of stairs and into a great hall.

At the end of the hall is a grotesque statue shaped like a Baphomet. Terrible horns rise from the goat's head. A man's body and various beastial traits seem to express the Red Sect's aesthetic value.

[Psychological damage received. Checking resistances.]

The system analyzes the data.

[Resistance threshold exceeds damage. No damage received.]

Koll sighs in relief. But, thinks better than to let his guards see his comfort.

As his eyes scan the great hall of the Baphomet, he sees other figures, each entranced by the statue.

Many of the men and women look as miserable as him. Other acolytes he suspects.

Not wanting to stand out, Koll continues to stare at the statue.

The system continuously registers the psychological damage and his resistance.

As the hours wear on, Koll receives experience points and a few Potential Points for enduring the statue's mystical effect.

Rather than invest the points into Mind, he puts them into Stamina.

With the long night of work and the exhausting presence of the Baphomet, his feeble stats are in desperate need of diversity.

[Strength: 1]

[Agility: 1]

[Stamina: 4]

[Mind: 5]

The day mercifully ends, and Koll is returned to his gloomy tomb.

Much as he wants to continue his engraving, exhaustion overwhelms him.

"System," he says as he falls to the floor. "Wake me up in 4 hours."

"Understood," is the system's answer.

He awakens to an alarm only he can hear.

Fortunately, even as an NPC, he still has many of the functions of the system that players have.

Despite surviving the indoctrination, Koll's mood is low.

Checking the forums for new information, Koll can't help but feel jealous. The players are all on adventures of their own. Even those captured by a faction can't contain their excitement to see what will happen next.

The worst that can happen is a player dies and is respawned. But, NPCs don't come back to life when they're killed. And, Koll doesn't want to test what will happen to him if he dies.

Koll blows out a breath as he grabs a fresh stone shard and begins engraving into the wall.

Initially, Koll only wanted to engrave sigils that would boost his potential points. But, it didn't take much to adjust his strategy.

Koll begins carving sigils of power into the wall. With himself as the focal point of the arcane empowerment, each new engraving boosts his stamina and health recovery while he remains nearby.

The hours carry on with the steady sound of stone cutting stone.

His experience points kept rising at a steady pace.

Unlike most games where experience points boosted class level, Cosmos used XP to invest in training the players' techniques and abilities.

With his class [Engraver], Koll unlocked a few abilities.

[Sharpen: Improves cutting power of Engraver's implement.]

[Identify Weakness: A sharp eye can recognize fragility.]

[Steady Hand: Engraver is certain of where they cut.]

Koll dumps all his XP into [Sharpen] and brings it up to the third level.

The process of engraving grows easier with the new skills. And, with the sigils in the cell, Koll feels himself grow more comfortable.

Unfortunately, comfort in this place is fleeting.

The door opens once more and Koll is taken back to the great hall of the Baphomet.

The psychological indoctrination doesn't last the whole day this time. It is more a matter of reinforcement.

Afterward, Koll is taken to a room that looks like a lecture hall.

Other Acolytes sit in seats, their guards absent. Save 2 powerful-looking men at the entrance to the room.

The men and women seated throughout the room have various expressions on their faces. Some seemed blissful and delighted to be there. Others were more beastial and look ready to bite someone.

And, perhaps the scariest of all are the ones with cold and calculating expressions on their faces.

Every eye finds him on his entrance. And, Koll feels himself swallow the lump in his throat.

With a deep breath, Koll moves to a chair and sits down like the rest of the acolytes.

He makes an effort to not look at any of the people around him.

After some time, a man in a red robe enters the classroom. His eyes scan the men and women.

"Glory to the Crimson God!"

His words stir the acolytes.

"Glory to the Crimson God!"

Koll joins in for fear of being out of harmony in this dangerous place.

"I must congratulate you, acolytes," the man says. "You have survived the trials and become peers among us."

The lecturer looks over the gathering with indifferent eyes.

"That said, you are the weakest and lowest among our brethren. Barely worth the time it takes to train you.

"Most of you will be dead within a year. The worthy and the unworthy cannot share the same sky.

"So, do not waste my time. Learn what I teach you and practice it for the glory of the Red Sect and our God."

Koll looks around the room. A fanatical desire stirs in the acolytes. Even the cold and calculating students seemed tense with excitement.

"Now," the lecturer says. "Who can summon their demon?"

Koll feels his stomach turn. Was he supposed to summon a demon?

As far as he understood, he is his own demon.

As Koll is caught up in his uncertainty, an enthusiastic young woman with a crazy glint in her eye raises her hand in earnest.

The lecturer nods.

"Come forward."

The woman is bubbly with excitement.

"Go ahead," the red-robed lecturer says.

The woman extends a hand and summons a magic circle on the floor before her.

The circle glows with a twisting purple and red light.

From it, a small creature with ugly yellow skin and pointy ears rises.

Koll recognizes it as a warlock's first summoned demon. A low-level damage dealer with high mobility and the ability to throw fireballs.

The young woman stands proudly over her demon.

The lecturer sighs, "Acceptable. But, hardly impressive. Go back to your seat."

The woman's excitement is dampened under the critical response she receives.

"Anyone else?" the lecturer asks.

The calculating people don't volunteer, preferring not to show their level to those they view as competition.

But, the bestial fellows stand up. Fierce looks are exchanged as the alpha of the group is decided.

Finally, an angry guy several heads taller than Koll strides to the front of the room and summons a savage-looking magic circle.

A hellhound that would come up to Koll's shoulder bares its fangs at the acolytes.

The giant of a man pats the beast on the head. But, the beast does nothing to hide its aggression.

The lecturer nods. "Still conventional. But, certainly an impressive demon. Go back to your seat."

As the man returns with his beast, the hell-hound bares its fangs at the little imp who hides behind its mistress' leg.

The young woman frowns at the giant pair. But, says nothing.

When everyone is settled, the lecturer continues.

"The Red Sect finds its power in the demons of fel corruption. Our priests can summon hordes of these monsters. Do not feel proud of your singular summons.

"Another of our specializations is in blood magic. The heresy of the light considers blood magic a greater evil than even demonology. But, they do not understand the soul as we do. They would imprison the soul in the body. Whereas we use the medium of the soul, blood, to write our will into the world."

As the lecturer continues, Koll hears many things he'd already known from playing these paths over the years he'd been playing Cosmos.

The lecture carries on for some time before the red-robed man makes his closing remarks.

"Now that you've been instructed on the basics, you are free to explore the temple. I warn you that there are many places here that you are not permitted entry. You only get this warning once. Trespassing where you are not allowed will result in your death. Go."

With that, the man leaves the room.

Koll watches as the man with the hellhound gets up and exits the room, a violent look on his face as he gazes over his shoulder before continuing.

Others leave hastily.

Koll waits for a minute before also vacating the room.

The vanishing figures each go their own way.

The temple is a maze of corridors and Koll has difficulty finding his way back to his accursed tomb. But, he thinks it best to ground himself before exploring.

Even so, Koll feels his stomach tremble.

With all the fear and anxious labor, Koll realizes he hasn't eaten since he'd arrived in this temple.

With an effort to remember his starting point, Koll leaves the room in search of food.

The maze of the temple turns out to have a more simple layout than Koll had first assumed.

The great hall of the Baphomet is at the center with corridors leading out to a grand stairway leading down into a valley.

The valley is covered in rust-red soil that gives the region a red aura as the sun slips downward in the sky.

On the stairway, many men and women of differing status go about their business. Some moved in groups. But, most act independently.

At the base of the stairway, vendors set up shops varying from food to armor and weapons.

The aroma of roasted meat draws Koll to a man grilling unknown meat over a small fire.

The cook's mean eyes glare at Koll.

"12 silver per kabob."

Koll sighs and turns away.

He had to think.

If they use the standard copper, silver, and gold currency system, then he could earn money by performing quests.

In Cosmos, quests aren't something that advertise themselves. Most of the time, you have to investigate.

But, in starting zones like this, a primary quest-giver wouldn't be hard to identify.

After scanning the crowd, he sees a woman in a red robe like that of the instructor.

"Greetings, priestess," Koll says with feigned piety.

The woman looks him over.

"Acolyte," she says. "Do you seek a task?"

Koll nods, "I do, priestess."

She lets out a breath.

"The light is dying. As will you if you venture too far into the valley before nightfall."

She looked into the valley.

"The valley is plagued with gophers. They're mere pests. But, it would serve the temple to have their numbers culled. For every 10 you slay, you will be rewarded."

Koll blinks a few times.

For such a scary faction, this first task just doesn't seem to fit the image.

Shrugging, Koll moves out into the valley.

The best weapon he can manage is a sharp stone he found close to the base of the stairway.

Other members of the Red Sect come and go while Koll sneeks up on a communal gopher territory.

The critters pop out of their burrows from time to time.

After watching their movements for a while, Koll decides to act.

He rushes a burrow as a gopher jumps up.

The effort is wasted as the gopher simply dives into its hole and is gone.

Koll's eyes watch the varmints looking at him from the safety of their holes.

He's tempted to throw his rock at the gophers. But, knows it would be in vain.

Truth is, Koll's stats are too imbalanced to be physically capable. His strength and agility stats are both at the base 1.

But, Koll already has a plan.

He walks to one end of the gopher burrow and begins engraving a series of symbols into the ground.

Moving around the field, Koll carves the [Sigil of Fire] into various places.

When the final piece of his array is finished, Koll activates it and sets the field on fire. Both above and below.

A quest counter ticks the number of gophers that die at 53.

Koll looks over his work. Recovering the corpses would be impossible. But, the only thing he needed was for the quest to recognize his kills.

Wiping the sweat from his face, Koll returns to the red priestess.

The woman cocks her head to the side as she looks at Koll.

"I did not expect you to succeed so quickly or proficiently. You have my gratitude. Take your reward."

Silver and copper coins appear in Koll's ethereal wallet. He can easily see the money listed on his HUD.

Along with the money came a significant amount of XP that he uses to upgrade the [Steady Hand] skill to the third level.

Koll finishes his use of the menu and moves over to the unfriendly cook.

He exchanges the silver for a few kabobs.

In addition to the food, Koll finds his way to the well of the temple and buys a canteen from a vendor before filling the container.

With relief, Koll watches the sun fall beyond the horizon.

For the first time since this whole ordeal began, he thinks he might be able to survive.