For 5 years he had rotted in his cell waiting for the courts to decide when was his time to die.

Until finally, that day came.

5 minutes to the system's advent...

Henry laid strapped to the chair in which he would soon take his final breaths.

"Henry Thomson, is to be executed by lethal injection for the murders of Susan and Dixie Thomson. Your wife and daughter. Have you any last words before we proceed with your execution?"

He turned his head to look at his executioner, only for a balding pudgy man to stand in the way, the warden.

That fucker loved to see the prisoners suffer. If the warden had his way, he would be dying by the electric chair.

"I didn't kill my Susan or Dixie. I can only hope that I've earned a place in paradise besides them." He said laying his head back down.

"No, you won't. You're going to burn because you killed them." The smug warden said, not bothering to contain his glee.

Henry ignored the man as he looked toward the one way glass window in front of him.

Undoubtedly Susan's parents would be here.

"I didn't kill them." he said before closing his eyes.

"Beginning the injection," said the executioner.

The minutes passed and life slipped from him, but in his final moments he heard a voice in his mind.

Welcome to the...

Error!...

Severe poisoning detected!...

You are dying!...

Calculating response!...

'Just let me see my family again.' He thought, unable to speak any longer.

Error!...

The system cannot allow...

Error suppressed...

As you wish, Henry...

You have died.

-----------------------

The darkness took Henry, his soul lost to the void.

Henry hadn't been the best man, but he had done all a man could do for his wife and daughter.

His only regret...

Was that he didn't manage to kill the man who took his family.

The man who framed him!

All there was, was him, the darkness and his hate...

Then he felt a warm hand upon his shoulder, that gripped him tight.

"Come now Henry. They're waiting for you..." spoke a gentle voice that he couldn't place. One that shook him from his thoughts.

He felt the world change around him. He opened his eyes to find the cold execution chamber replaced by hills of rolling grass.

He stood in the shade of a tree, upon its branches hung large apples.

"Henry?" a familiar voice asked, derailing his already lost train of thought.

He turned around to find...

"Susan...Dixie?" He asked in disbelief.

Before him he saw his wife holding their daughter in her arms.

"Daddy!" exclaimed the little girl.

The family rushed to embrace one another, laughing and crying.

Joyful at their reunion.

"I'm sorry to interupt your reunion Henry, but I must speak with you." spoke that voice again.

Henry stopped kissing his wife and daughter, turning to see a man before him.

The man wore white robes. Upon his chin was a white beard, but even as he looked up at the man's face, his mind couldn't hold onto its details.

He fell to his knees and clasped his hands together but before he could give worship, the lord raised up a hand to stop him.

"That's not necessary Henry. I have a task for you, one that will be most difficult for you." The lord spoke, and though Henry feared he knew what that task would be he still asked.

"What do you require of me Lord?" He asked despite his unease.

"The world you have just left is changing as we speak. I need many soldiers to fight what is to come. I know you have only just arrived, only just reunited with your family. But I must ask you to go back." The lord spoke calmly but with compassion.

"...."Henry was shocked to silence. He had no words for his lord one way or another. He was torn between the faith that had gotten him through his years in prison, and the desire to stay with his family.

"I know what I ask of you is hard so I will make it easier for you..." Spoke the lord as he raised up his hand to grasp Henries shoulder.

He was paralzed by his own fear, horrified by the thoughts of what could be about to happen.

He shut his eyes.

He was hopeful for the best, but his life told him to expect the worst.

The lord placed a hand upon Henry's shoulder and he felt a door in the back of his mind open.

He didn't understand what was happening, and then he did.

His fear melted away as he smiled, his "body" relaxing.

Opening his eyes to look upon the lord's face he couldn't help but laugh.

The lord smiled and spoke as he retracted his hand.

"I have given you something great, I have informed you of all you need to know for now. You know the words, now speak them..." spoke the lord.

Henry smiled and chuckled as he felt everything clicking into place.

He remembered the song for which his daughter was named.

Dixieland Delight...

But his daughter had taken to calling it something else.

"Dixie's Land of Light."

The world shivered as the all of paradise faded around him, save for a small area.

All that was left was him, his wife and child, and the tree they stood beneath. Even the Lord had left.

A NEW Legendary, semi-active skill, has been granted to you!

Dixie's Land of Light Lvl. 1!...

Dixie's Land of Light- Bring down a piece of paradise. Area of effect increases with skill level. Mana cost decreases by one point per second per level of the skill.

Mana cost: 100 mp/s

You must find what else this can do on your own...

+50 spirit...

Henry smiled as he kissed his wife and daughter one more time.

"I'll see you both every day that I can." He said before even this small piece of paradise faded.

"Good luck dear."Said Susan as they held each other close, touching forheads together.

Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.

"Bye bye daddy!" Said Dixie as she gave her father a hug.

Divine intervention...

You have been granted respawn privileges to my churches...

Respawning...

-------------

The lord watched Henry go with a smile before he turned to Uriel who knelt before him.

"It's time Uriel..." spoke the lord.

Uriel rose to stand equal with the father, before his form began to expand to its true, 10 story building size.

The lord raised his hand and built a door between paradise and earth.

Uriel needed no further instruction. He had long been trained for this day.

He stepped through the gate out upon the earth.

------------------

The warden's corpse laid out upon the floor of the execution chamber.

His smug smile still plastered across his face.

-------------

Daniel sat with his friends in the Inn having breakfast.

They were discussing what they're going to do today, that was before the notice arrived.

They received a notice about the raid against a dungeon, "The Halls of the Dead."

As they looked around the saw everyone else around them seemed to have received the same quest notice.

"So do you guys want to participate? Bobby just got to level 50 yesterday. That makes the 8 of us all level 50 and above."

"I think we should level up more."

"I say we go for it. Heather is a paladin she can heal us."

"We need a real healer, a Cleric! I only have so much mana and so much my lay on hands. They only regenerates so fast!"

"Come on Heather you're a paladin, "Halls of the Dead" sounds like there will be lots of undead to smite! Crank some of those points your hoarding into Wisdom or Spirit to get your mana regen up!"

"Yeah lots of undead that will overwhelm us when this goes tits up! I'm saving them for a reason, besides, they are my points! So, you have no say in how I use them!"

"Enough arguing! Let's take it to a vote then. All in favor of joining the raid, raise your hand."

Five hands went up.

"Then it's decided. We will participate in the raid."

------------------

A figure clade in a fine black suit sat upon his obsidian throne. For three days he had slain the other shadows.

He had nearly been slain more times than he cared to keep track of.

With each shadow slain by his hands he grew just a little stronger.

He had slain many.

Slain them until none was left who could challenge him.

He had laid claim to the heart of this dungeon.

Then it was that he heard that black voice congratulating him.

It was joyed at his deeds, and so it granted him a title.

King of Shadows...

He looked at those souls still fighting one another.

There had been many thousands of others here in the beginning.

Tens of thousands.

Yet their numbers had been reduced by more than 80% in his estimate.

He would have lost track of how many he had slain many hours ago if he had been bothering to keep track in the first place.

The voice in his head said he was Rank 3 level 64, he didn't know much of what that meant. He did know however that the number 64 pleased him.

He didn't quite remember why though. He did remember dying, but what was before that. He couldn't remember.

What he knew for certain was that he was trapped in this damned place, and he must kill to be free.

So he would.

-------------------------

"Ah it's good to see you again Dante. What have you been up to? You look more grey than yesterday." The Headmaster said extending out a hand for him to shake, which he did.

"I appreciate the welcome, don't worry about it. It's a skill I'm trying to power level, Iron skin. Were you guys just waiting for me to show back up?" Dante asked.

Iron Skin has leveled up! Lvl. 5...

Resistance to Mundane Exhaustion has leveled up! Lvl. 4...

You have leveled up!...

You have gained a level in Warrior!

'Time to cut that skill...' He thought deactivating the skill, not wishing to experince stamina exhaustion while doing his wizard training.

"It was highly likely that you would show up again today to continue your Arcane training. We had some of the guards keep an eye out incase you were heading this way." Said the headmaster.

He nodded in acceptance of the information.

'Not hard to guess that's what I was going to do.' He thought before he spoke.

"Have you had time to play that game I suggested?" Spoke Dante.

"Yes I have! I've already gained 20 points in Intellect and 12 in Wisdom. Small for someone of my level but it's quite a bit for many of our students! I've had my system assistant help draw up plans to use these games to boost the metal stats of the lower level students. All that aside I shall be taking you under my wing and personally teaching you. We'll make an Archmage of you yet Dante!" exclaimed the headmaster.

"Califa can attend these lessons as well right?" He asked for her sake.

The Headmaster's smile faltered as he turned back to Dante. His expression becoming one of discerning.

His gaze shifted over to Califa.

"You're a friend of Dante's yes miss?" He said in a calm but powerful voice.

"I..I..I would..like to think so. Though acquaintances might be a more accurate word."

The headmaster stood up straight and stroked his beard.

"Fine she may sit in and observe your lesson's Dante. I will even wave the fees. If she wants more than that she will have to pay for them herself." spoke the headmaster.

A look of relief and joy crossed Califa's face.

"I thought the basics wouldn't cost anything thanks to the system." Said Dante.

"A common misconception. Don't worry though, your beginner lesson's will be free so we can more freely teach you some of the fundamentals. After that you will have to pay like everyone else, but at a discount since you're my pupil." Said the headmaster with a wide grin.

Dante looked past the headmaster for a moment only to see many eyes watching him.

Some filled with envy, other's filled with awe, but all looked at him with eyes of burning intensity.

He wouldn't fall just because some people looked at him intently.

+1 Cha...

He smiled a little as the headmaster lead them towards a large room just off the main hall.

------------------------

The room they came to was well lit. The floor was richly colored brown wooden floorboards.

Equally spaced around the room were white marble pillars to hold up the roof.

On the left side of the room from the door and directly across from it were large clear glass windows that he hadn't seen from the outside.

Throughout the room there were a dozen older mages around the room. All of whom turned to watch him as he entered.

"Dante, can you please show these gentlemen the spells you've made before we begin your training in earnest?"

"Certainly headmaster." He replied.

"Is this another of those prodigies in the rough you are so fond of Headmaster. You pulled many of us away from our own projects to attend this little...demonstration." Replied a younger wizard.

'No, wait. He's an elf.' He thought as he took a better look at the man.

His long ears, somewhat hidden behind his back length blond hair.

His eyes were as blue as the sky.

Exactly what one might think of when they envision an elven man.

Dante looked to the men who mostly looked upon him with disregard, his own smile dropped then.

'I'll show you!' He thought as he beckoned for them to follow.

"My most impressive spell won't fit in this room. I assume we can take these demonstrations outside, headmaster?" Asked Dante.

"So long as the spell won't cause any damage or panic, I'm sure it will be fine. It won't cause any damage to anyone here right Dante?" The headmaster asked in a somewhat pointed tone. His face stretched into a forced smile.

"These spell's are unable to do damage to any living creature as far as I know. Though there would be outlying situations, but I don't think those will come up." Said Dante, the last bit flowing out of him absentmindedly.

"Let's humor the boy, headmaster. I doubt he could even hurt us if he wanted to. The faster we get through this, the faster I can return to my work." said the elven man.

They all followed him outside, the headmaster holding up his hand to Dante for him to wait.

Dante saw the headmaster standing still, his eyes moving back and forth with a distant look to them.

He flicked on true sight for a moment catching the tail end of what appeared to be several tendrils of variously colored mana fading into the background mana.

After that the headmaster nodded for him to start.

He disabled true sight and began with the cantrips he had managed to reproduce.

Starting with light.

"Let's start with the Light cantrip. As normal, Light can be imbued onto objects." he said as he touched his robe causing it to glow with vibrant color.

The assembled mages looked on with mild interest but were otherwise unmoved.

"This version of the Light spell also has a more unique property." He said as he made a fist around the forming light only for it to flow like water out of his grasp. The light on his robe fading as he cast the spell again.

"Can the liquid light produced, still imbue objects with light?" Asked the elven mage, surprising Dante.

"I actually wanted to test that. Does anyone have something I can imbue?" The elven mage stepped forth, a tome appearing in his hand.

Holding it forth to him Dante needed no instruction to proceed. He held out his hand and made a fist before casting light once more.

Again the liquid light flowed between his fingers down onto the tome.

At the first drop nothing happened, but after a few drops they seemed to soak into the cover of the tome before it began to shine brightly.

Student of Magic has leveled up! Lvl. 5...

Dante smiled at the apparent success of the experiment.

"How long does the spell last, is there a range limit?" Asked the elven man calmly but pointedly.

"Time limit is 1 hour, no range limit. I can cancel the spell at will, and before you ask, yes the spell will probably cease if the item it's on is damaged too much." He said, trying to head off future questions.

The elven man nodded and began to step away.

"May I have your name sir?" He asked.

The elf didn't stop but called back to him.

"You may have my name if you can impress me." He said plainly as he took his place among his fellow wizards.

Next up was Dancing lights.

With a snap of his fingers he summoned four tennis ball sized orbs of light.

"Not much to this spell at first glance. This is Dancing lights." He said as the orbs began to race around him in a circle.

"You can change their color, and even their shape." He said changing them from yellow to green, to red, to blue.

Then he brought the orbs together to form a vaguely humanoid figure mage from blue light. Though it only stood about 4 and a half feet, 2.5 m, tall.

"The lights can move with a fair bit of swiftness, about 10 feet, (3.3 m), per second. But watch this..." He said as the glowing blue figure broke apart back into the four orbs that had made it.

Then the orbs reshaped into crude "fairies".

There were whispers from the crowd but no one spoke up.

The spell dropped as its duration ran out.

"Only lasts a minute though. But it's at will, and requires none of your mana to cast so it's essentially free."

The mages nodded, recognizing the use of the spell.

"Is that all?" Asked the Headmaster.

"No, there is one more I have made. It's actually a new spell.” he spoke, pausing to listen to the words of the archmages.

“New? I wonder what he made? Not often do we hear of new spells.” questioned the collected mages.

“While it falls woefully short of the arcane might of archmages, I believe you will be impressed. So please excuse the audacious display. This is a 3rd level spell." He said stopping intentionally as the collected archmages were in an uproar just as he had been hoping.

He looked around to see a small crowd had been drawn by his display and the commotion from the mages.

"A boy with barely 2 levels in any caster classes can cast a 3rd level spell!?"

"I had heard one could cast 2 beyond their normal max but I've never seen it before to confirm such rumors."

Dante smiled as he spoke, "Aurora's Light!"

He selected a point about a foot off the top of his head as the beginning of the spell.

1000 mana flowed out of him. It made sense to him that the spell would take more out of him since he wouldn't normally be able to cast it. But 4 times the supposed mana cost, sheesh!

He looked up to see a small orb of multi-colored light form above his head.

Then, light of every color of the rainbow poured forth from it into the sky like a reverse waterfall.

The gathered mages shut up. Looking onward in awe of the display.

The waterfall of colored light branched outwater in several directions forming bands of light that swayed and danced. Each branch was well over 100 feet, 33.3 M, in length. Certainly much closer to 200 feet.

"It's bigger than last time. I guess that 100 feet per caster level isn't for nothing." He said with a somewhat smug expression.