Days flew by while he tested the limits of his new equipment. Eventually he decided he was satisfied, but it was bitter sweet. At base level they were far stronger on paper than anything he had crafted so far, giving 50 attack and defense respectively whereas his previous best was 15. He was wondering if he had some sort of addiction to RPG's. Was it normal to enjoy grinding out stats as much as he did?
The only problem was, using only the side of the mountain as a reference it was hard to gauge his progress in terms of damage output and strength. With his stone shortsword he possessed before, he barely made a scratch in the thing. Now he was cutting out.. larger scratches. He fared about the same with the trees. Was everything here continuously hardened by the system? That was the conclusion he had come to.
He quickly discovered that he couldn't gain XP for his sword simply by swinging it at unmoving objects. He had to be using it to attack or defend against sentient beings. He was sure if he killed something he'd get alot more but the only training partner he had was his soul bound companion and he didn't want to lose him for some measly xp.
Similarly his shield only really gained xp when blocking attacks that would have done significant physical harm to him. Banging it against a rock wouldn't do much good.
His companion unfortunately did not get a copy of his equipment and thus had to use Inferior equipment, causing his XP gains to be a lot smaller than he would have liked.
Studying the energy of the sword and shield it appeared to him almost as if they were alive. They pulsed faintly and quivered with conceitedness anytime Vincent was in a battle even if it was only training.
Vincent watched as his soul bound companion ambled slowly over to the edge of the cavern one day and began slashing at the solid rock wall much like he had on the outside. He shook his head at the pitiful divots that resulted. They were about the same length as the scratches Vincent had made with his old equip…
"Oh, my, God…"Suddenly he had an epiphany. Even if his copy didn't get a set of its own weapons and armor it still had a piece of his soul just like his weapon and shield did and the thing possessed his skills so he should at least be able to use the equipment effectively, right?
After a little trial and error this was proven to more or less be the case. Vincent began giving his companion his Sword of Anguish and his Guardian's embrace when they trained. It also had the added benefit of giving him a better idea of how attack and defense worked in relation to one another. By and large the values seemed linear… a 200% increase in strength would literally make someone hit twice as hard.
Both attributes, attack and defense seemed to give the same percentage scaling bonus from strength and the overall formula meant spars were much more even now that his companion received a much larger boost of 50% to its 8 strength while Vincent received a smaller one of 15% to his 15 strength.
'That trial.. there's no way I would have been able to complete it without my companion helping and most people probably don't just have a spare health pool lying around. I wasn't able to use my potions this time around… are some of the trials designed to be incompletable?' He wondered. That wouldn't make much sense. How did the system expect them to grow if the greatest rewards were unobtainable?
Them again, he had done it.. so maybe that in and of itself was the point. The maximum rewards would only be given to truly exceptional beings. A way to keep then ahead of the curve so to speak.
He shrugged supposing it was just more questions for later. In any case he couldn't argue the rewards were worth it if you did somehow obtain them. He hoped to continue this trend with his next two trials. Speaking of which, it was just about that time…
Trial(s)
Banquet of kings (cooking lvl 25)
Courage and honor (sword and shield lvl 25)
Without further adieu he began the banquet of kings.
When his eyes finally cooperated with him enough to make out the details of his surroundings he noticed he was in a massive banquet room similar to a ball. Lavishing crystal chandeliers were suspended above. A sweet and savory aroma filled the air and there was laughing and chatter all about. There were two long tables with a wide variety of dishes and food spread all about. Expensive wine sat in buckets of ice every few chairs down.
A much larger, far more grand table ran perpendicular to the other two forming a U. Even though this table was the largest and arguably the most filled with food, it contained far less occupants than the other tables. There were only nine people on one side of the table facing everyone else. They looked to be some sort of nobility or perhaps even kings as the name of the trial would imply.
"Well!?" One of the noblemen bellowed. Vincent became keenly aware the large portly man who was currently speaking was addressing him. With a raised eyebrow he stammered out "I.. I'm sorry what?"
All of the kings present burst into overzealous laughter. Vincent's face flushed, feeling very real shame as if he had just embarrassed himself in the face of someone truly important even though he knew none of this was technically real. He had been blindsided by the question while trying to take in the sights around him.
The man in the middle, a fat greasy slob of a man wearing emerald jewelry stood wiping his chin. "Huhuhu.. a little slow on the uptake aren't you?" He asked obnoxiously.
This time Vincent bristled and flushed red with something that was not embarrassment. Kings or not he would not be treated like a child. He thought about expressing his views but decided to bite his tongue as he was aware the king was about to explain the nature of his question.
"So you think you can produce a banquet fit for we nine kings? You? A mere farm hand? Laughable." He finished with a dismissive wave of his hand, earning further chuckles from his present company.
Vincent tried not to let his confusion show through too much on his face. "Huh? I'm not a farm ha- What?" It was then that he looked down at his attire and noticed that he was, in fact, wearing some farming overalls and was covered in grime and filth.
It seemed for this trial he was meant to play the life of a poor farm boy seeking to make his way into the palace as some form of royal chef.. Or some crao like that.
Vincent sighed as he often did these days. Fine. He would play the part. If it got him out of these disgusting, rank clothes. He crossed his arms and fixed the kings with a stern look. The grandest king, the one in the middle raised his brow in amusement. "Oh? It seems the peasant wishes to speak?"
Vincent leveled a glare at the man in response. "I'll make your feast, great king. And then you will grant me residence within your palace and more land for my family." He demanded, puffing out his chest and really trying to get into character. The room fell deathly silent as he finished. The kings found themselves baffled and red faced, looking toward the high king for instruction on how to react to this new situation.
Finally the grandest king broke the silence chuckling. "Well.. You've certainly changed your tune. How bold of you to speak so casually and demanding of a king of kings?" The king leaned forward slightly and inspected the boy. With a huff he clicked his tongue and said, "Very well. I admire your courage, boy. I'll admit I had my doubts when you came before us as a sniveling and whimpering brat. But it seems you've found your heart. Or maybe it was all a ploy simply to get me to drop my guard, eh?"
The king took a few moments to take loud obnoxious gulps from a goblet containing some sort of dark wine. The substance spilled itself down his chest and beard. He finished with a gasp of breath wiping away the excess liquids. Vincent had no doubt the damn fool was so full of himself he'd sacrifice the entirety of his kingdom to save him from a needle prick.
"In any case now you'll be given a small test and you best not fail or else. You'll be given eight hours. I expect in that time you'll have no problem serving enough food for each and every one of my present guests, myself included. I expect at least 10 full course meals and several desserts and appetizers. Oh and find me a bottle of the best champagne in the whole kingdom. You can accomplish at least that much, can't you boy?" He asked in obvious contempt for the life before him.
15 minutes later Vincent found himself dressed in what he assumed passed as an extravagant chef's outfit. It was ridiculously poofy and itchy. It all seemed a bit extra honestly. The kitchen that would serve as his workspace was absolutely massive. If he were being honest with himself he probably could have fit the entirety of his old apartment in this one lavish area. It seemed no matter what time or reality, there was always a wide disparity between the rich and the poor.
He spent a few more minutes simply taking in the grandness of it all. There were various pots and pans lining the walls of the kitchen. Innumerable counters and sinks could be found with cupboards above them filled with various ingredients and tools. On the walls hung any number of utensils such as butcher's knives and tongs. Anything he could possibly need for his assignment he knew he would find here.
Deciding not to waste any more time than he already had, he gathered a wide variety of ingredients and tools. He wasn't sure how long it would take to create a banquet for 9 kings and all of their guests but he thought 8 hours seemed a bit excessive; nonetheless, he wanted to get this over with as quickly as possible so he could finish this trial and claim the reward.
Each and everyone of the ingredients was enhanced by the system. They all seem to pulse and glow with delicious flavor and smells. Of course he knew the faint glow wasn't actually real. It was his skill, Ecology and his perks transmutation and connoisseur, displaying the latent energies and smells that make up the ingredients' flavors.
This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
Simply by sensing elemental composition and seeing the flows of energies within each one of the ingredients his mind automatically began to mix and blend together the best possible combinations for the highest potential flavors. As he ran through all the possibilities in his head he deftly noticed that without the excess gravity of the prison he'd been calling home the last few months, his movements seemed unnaturally swift and graceful.
Each of his actions was fluid and purposeful, accomplishing on his own what would usually take a whole team of cooks. With his left hand he mixed together various ingredients while with his right hand he prepped all the different work stations and tools he would need to use. He flipped through several recipe books at once so as to discern the name and common uses of certain ingredients he knew nothing of.
Every few minutes he would stop and smell the aroma wafting off of the various blends of ingredients he had concocted. Within an hour there was a chorus of noise and flavors drifting from the kitchen. Many of the kitchen staff stopped and watched in curiosity and wonder. They had heard about the poor farm boy who wanted to try his hand at a life in the palace. Unfortunately they knew his efforts were likely for naught.
Few could appease the ridiculously high standards of the high king. The king would get an easy meal and the entertainment of degrading the man that had cooked it, all the while he would consume it greedily and send him on his way home disappointed and feeling like he had failed at his one true chance at a better life..
Still.. based on the smells and the bustling noise coming from the kitchen the young man was giving it his all.
Several hours later, a sweating, panting Vincent finally finished his task and with not a moment to spare. Who knew preparing a feast for kings was such a tedious and daunting mission? He wiped his brow as dozens of maids and butlers began taking the platters of food to the tables of awaiting kings and guests.
The main course was primarily composed of a type of meat similar to a mutton chop. A sweet and savory sauce was drizzled over the top with potatoesand some tiyoe of plant on the sides. There were numerous appetizers and various other dishes to go along with it but the high king seemed to waste no time digging into the piece-de-resistance.
For the first few minutes everyone waited with baited breath as the kings dug in. They sat with their hands folded meekly in their laps, preparing to hear the king make a great show of embarrassing the poor young boy who did his best but simply couldn't meet the unattainable standards of the king.
Finishing his 1st plate and making a grand show wiping away the remaining food particles, the grandest of the kings addressed the entirety of the hall. "How dare the lot of you insult my exalted guest?.. And after he went to such great lengths to prepare this delicious food? Shameful!" He yelled the last few words, spittle flying from his mouth.
All the guests sat stunned, disbelief written across their features. Truthfully, most of them had never even heard the king give praise to another living being before, let alone some no named peasant making his first ever banquet in the hall of kings. Of course the king's version of a compliment largely amounted to assaulting the other attendees of the feast while offhandedly speaking as if Vincent and he were lifelong friends. But for those who knew the man well, they took it for what it truly was. A scarcely given approval.
As the rest of the guests began to dig into the food, the king gestured for Vincent to make his way over which he gladly obliged. He too had eaten a plate of the food he made. While he had to admit it was pretty damn good he didn't think it was so grand as the king was making it out to be.
Then again if this was regular people from before the system, this particular food may have been divine compared to their standards just by sheer virtue of the quality of the ingredients. Meanwhile he had been enjoying the cooking of his companion who's skill was just as high as his and with the quality ingredients provided by the system enriched jungle… he supposed maybe he had become a bit spoiled.
The king leaned over the table, loudly chewing his third mutton. "What is your name, young man?" He asked in between loud obnoxious breaths. His stench was putrid and Vincent couldn't help but cringe a little as he leaned in.
Raising a brow, Vincent did his best not to barf when he smelled the man's breath. "Vincent." He answered plainly. The King, chewing something gritty, waved his mutton in a small circular motion. "Vinceeeent?" The king prompted, clearly expecting a last name to follow the young man's answer.
Vincent stared blankly for a few seconds before he internally sighed. "It's just..Vincent." He finished, offering no further explanation. The king leaned back, nodding. "Well, 'just' Vincent. Welcome to my court. You've done me a great service cooking this feast fit for the gods." He gestured to all the food on the table before him. "I was getting tired of the cardboard rubbish my 'esteemed' chef's serve me day in and day out."
Vincent nodded. "Thank you.. my lord. You are too kind. So I passed..?" He asked, both to the king but also mostly to the system. The king raised an eyebrow but then he began to laugh. It appeared as if the king were simply going to continue laughing rather than answer his question so Vincent made to leave when he heard a familiar 'pop' and the world dissolved away once more.
Congratulations! Trial banquet of kings completed! The trial was a smashing success!
Congratulations! Perk: Gourmet chef achieved!
Gourmet chef: negates negative effects from ingested substances such as poison. Unlocks further bonuses from any and all food or drink made by the user based on skill level. In addition, improve regenerative effects of all created and consumed items. +10 vitality
Higher bonuses to stats from food eh? And his lowest stat finally got a little bit of a boost. All in all, not a bad haul. Just to get a feel for exactly how potent this perk was he went ahead and crafted the most complex meal he could. It was meat smoked in a makeshift grill from some type of predator he had found a few days prior. shaking his head in disbelief, he read the effects.
Restores some health. Restores most stamina. Restores some mana. All regenerations doubled for 1 hour! Increases strength by 5 for the next hour
Strength was increased by 5 for an hour just for eating a half-assed meal he made? This didn't seem like it could possibly be broken or exploited.
"Alright. Let's get this show on the road." The dark haired man said, punching his open palm. He took a single step and paused. "Right after a nap." He yawned, realizing how tired he was. When was the last time he slept? It had been long before he started his trial.
He produced a bed from his inventory (imagine his joy the day a bed appeared in the merchants shop) and settled in for what would be some much needed, well deserved rest.
It was nearly 18 hours later when Vincent came to. He probably wouldn't have woken up at all but his companion insisted on cooking for him at least once that day. So with teary eyes and a groggy mind he arose like the dead from a crypt. He had to admit the meal wasn't bad, and it increased his Agility by 10 for an hour.
After his meal and a quick wash up from the stream he smacked his hands against his cheeks, cupping them into a fish face. "Let's finish this last stupid trial.. I don't even care if I die at this point." He opened his system menu with a roll of his eyes and began his final trial.
Courage and honor. It sounded like a terrible movie from the 90's honestly. When he appeared in the world newly generated by the trial, he had to stop himself from shaking his head and laughing. It even looked like something from a crappy 90's movie. It was a massive gladiator arena that was probably supposed to have been a marble white originally but it had grayed with age and begun to turn brown from exposure to the elements.
The arena battleground itself was probably close to the length of a football field, he figured, and equally as wide. On the opposite end of Vincent was a black knight kneeling, with his back turned. Vincent began walking toward the man when a system message appeared.
Diverging path! Make a choice; the enemy before you possesses double your stats and very high level skills. In order to get the maximum reward you must defeat him. If your Sneak level is high enough deal extra damage while his guard is lowered!
Vincent read the message several times over tapping his chin. It seemed simple enough. And he was sure he could do it.. but.. did he want to? Would he want to stab an enemy in the back in a trial called courage and honor? He definitely wanted that maximum reward though.. "Decisions, decisions.." he sighed. It wasn't like it really mattered did it?
He slid forward silently. The man was fog over the sea, not a sound nor sign of his presence. As he got closer to the black knight he couldn't help but wonder if it was sweltering under that armor. He figured it probably had to be. He reached slowly forward with one arm…
"Hey, buddy!" He called shaking the knight. "Heh!" The knight responded, leaping to his feet and feigning surprise. "Ah! My word.. Please excuse me. I must have fallen asleep. How noble of you not to attack me while my back was turned." The knight claimed in multiple exaggerated gestures.
Vincent sweat dropped. "Errm... right. Anyways.. I'm Vincent. And you are?" The human asked while raising a brow. The metallic knight seemed taken aback at the question. "Oh heavens.. where are my manners? Forgive me. I am sir Auric, of Erea. Pronounced 'area' but spelled E-R-E-A. Pleased to make your acquaintance. I am a noble and honorable knight from a long line of them!" He bowed. Vincent nodded slowly. "Hmm. Likewise. So.. we're going to fight?" The blue eyed man asked nonchalantly.
The knight nodded sagely. "Right you are! That is… if you wish to pass this trial.. and claim your reward." Though the figure had a helmet on it was easy to tell he was smirking at Vincent as he spoke the last line. It certainly had its intended effect.
Vincent's eyes widened. "How did you.." He began but was quickly cut off by the black knight as if he expected the man's question before he had even spoken it out loud. "Know this was a trial? Ha my dear boy. I am not some clueless tool at the system's disposal. I mean.. I am a tool of the system. But I am not clueless." He explained.
Vincent couldn't stem the flow of questions that came to his mind. "How? Does every being in a trial know that they're.. not real?" He asked. The knight laughed heartily, causing him to flush.
"Ahh but we are as real as you! As anything in the Nexus is." He shrugged. "We simply exist at a fixed point in time. Trials are lessons and challenges that are recreated from system memories. Anything that has ever happened within the Nexus is saved, like an enormous computer beyond comprehension."
Vincent's mind race. How hadn't he thought about that? Just because the earth was only recently inducted into the system.. didn't mean it was only just created. What if it existed since time immemorial? What about before that? Were there multiple universes, each one like a server with some operator or desk jockey controlling all the inputs? This information completely demolished the way he'd thought of the system before. What if it really was more like a video game than it seemed on the surface?
He supposed he could simply ask the black Knight but he had a strong feeling he couldn't stand around badgering the man with questions all day. He settled into a stance, pulling out his Soul bound sword and shield as he did so. "Very well. Let's dance."
The knight nodded. "I admire your courage. I can tell you are an honorable man much like myself. May the best fighter win." He finished with a bow of his head.
"Oh and in case you harbored any doubts.." The knight added as an afterthought as he slipped into a stance of his own pulling, out a long obsidian broadsword that covered almost the entirety of his 5'11 frame. "This will be to the death."
Vincent planned on taking the initiative as he usually did in the spars against his companion but he grossly underestimated the tenacity of his opponent. Before Vincent had even taken three steps, the knight leaned back slightly before exploding forward, thrusting his blade in front of him with both hands.
"Holy shit!" Vincent muttered under his breath while just barely managing to bring his shield up in a haphazard guard using both arms. He might as well have not wasted his time. The knight's greatsword made contact with the hero's shield and completely blew him off his feet.
His breath was driven from his body as he impacted the ground and rolled to a heaping stop. He gasped in pain, head ringing. His nose began to bleed.. He had easily lost a third of his health from that one blow. But he had earned something for his troubles..
Congratulations! Skill: Unwavering guard (epic) achieved!
Unwavering guard (epic) User expends stamina and mana to fortify defense by a multiplier of 5! Mana is only used if stamina consumption is too high. Stamina is only used when blocking attacks. Due to the 'Epic' rarity, gain a moderate reduction to cost of stamina and mana per level. Strength and endurance give a small bonus to this skill.
'Note to self: edit status menu so it shows my attack and defense stats.' Currently his defense was 75 with his full armor and shield. Based on the way the system worked his strength stat would then be increased +75% when factoring in damage received. With his new skill that rating was multiplied by 5 so it was his 15 strength + 375% which seemed like a lot but when he had lost a third of his health with a casual thrust of his opponent's sword before.. he shuddered wondering if it would be enough. The system also explained that damage could never be reduced below 99%, which was just as well. What business would he have fighting something 100 times stronger than himself?
"You can go ahead and heal if you want. I know my blows are mighty." The knight said, slowly walking up to the felled man. The knight shifted his sword from his right side to his left, holding it close to his body with both hands, tip pointed at the sky.
Vincent couldn't believe what he'd heard. This guy was willing to let him heal? He didn't expect that.. He checked and sure enough the system would allow him to pop potions now, whereas he couldn't in most trials before. He had at least 30 heals saved up but.. how honorable was that? He rose shakily to his knees and then his feet.
"Not yet. I've got more in me." He said, grasping his sword and shield and settling into a stance once more. The knight paused in his stride, cocking his head to the side.
"Commendable.. but is that how you choose to hold your blade? No wonder why you lost your footing so easily before. A sword is not some simple tool nor lump of sharp metal. It is an extension of your body and mind as well as your soul. And your shield is a partner you must trust with your life. You must believe that it can block any attack from any enemy. If you do not have faith in your sword and shield you forsake your very honor."
The knight pulled out a shield of its own that was absolutely monstrous. It covered him from nearly head to toe. And in a move that Vincent wouldn't have thought possible he hoisted his massive broadsword in one hand and his equally colossal shield in the other. The man's equipment was honestly larger than he was. If not for the ridiculous amount of strength surely required to wield such items, one would have thought he was over compensating.
"Come boy. I shall show you the true meaning of courage and honor and I shall school thee in the sacred art of sword and shield!" With that he took a thundering step and blasted forward once more.
End of chapter 10