《Rebirth: Lord》 1 Chapter 1: Lu Tong! (A/N: () ¨C Usually denotes further explanation from myself. [] ¨C Denotes characters'' inner thoughts "" ¨C Speech. <>- will be used for System interface) ________________________________________________ RIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIING!!! I woke suddenly with great difficulty, my every thought in high definition. My eyes take in every ray of light and without a doubt I knew I wasn''t in the Alleyway anymore judging from the lake and surrounding trees. Though my eyes are open I can''t think of why; my heart is pounding, mind empty. It''s as if a hypodermic of adrenaline has been emptied into my carotid. I strain to sit up as my breathing rate was beginning to steady. A Notification message kept blaring on the lower left of my view like I was in Arcania. Even My vision slowly got Blurry but what I saw next almost Scared me to death. Although I can say I had never been good with gore, I can''t say I wasn''t Bothered either. All around me was littered with corpses and there was an untold number of people all with life threatening injuries. Every face was marked with red splatter and limbs lay at unnatural angles in the soft morning light. As soon as my eyes became more focused, a piercing pain that cut across my mind over and over like a reverbating drum, causing me a splitting headache. I remember heading home after signing a 9 million dollar contract with Corani business group to act as there representative in the EA sports tournament. and I was supposed to be in game with my friends later in the evening to complete the deal by giving them an exclusive video of us Seiging the Thoran Orc in the Xolkan region. Unfortunately, I was attacked on my way back by My best friend no less!...I even thought I was Dead... But what kind of situation is this... The morning skies looked like it was Bleeding and an eerie wind circled the air, series of mourning and grunting were filled the air. From the way their bodies are littered, they seemed to have been protecting something or someone. Scanning the surrounding, I soon found that within the sparse grass, a corpse laid there with a red looking vial in his hand. "ugh... A health potion?" I managed to say as I was surprised but none the less struggled to get to it. I left a bloody trail while making my way to the potion, My body Hurts like hell. As soon as I picked up the vial, a new notification popped up. [As I thought, I seem to be logged into the game] I thought as I drank the potion in a haste. Bleugh!!! Fighting the feeling of throwing up proved rather unsuccessful as I coughed up black blood. But after that I could pretty much move normally again with the potion still in effect. +20 +20 +20 [As I thought, it worked...but if I''m in the game, how can I taste this?. well for now lets see if there are any clues or survivors, perhaps I can understand what is going on] while going by this thought, I looked through my fellow victims but soon saw the surrounding in a much more clearer view. It looked like An Army Camp, with several war tents lying about. wooden fences and sentry posts just before the small river bank. "You!... Y... " A voice sounded from behind startling me a bit but I quickly ran to him and helped him sit up. It was a middle aged man with long Brown hair,he had his right hand completely cut off, regardless of his Armor. There was an insignia of a deer on his plate Armor!. [House of L¨²!] The picture came to my mind immediately. This was a strong Noble House in the game that was described as virtuous in the game lore but was seen as vicious among the player circle. Although in decline, they still Had a say in the running of the Empire. They always portrayed themselves in the side of the righteous, twisting truths for lies and lies for truth. And the reason for the decline was the death of the Most talented son during a skirmish, As the Role of the patriarch fell on the other Son, Lu Yao. Although the game had started with Lu Yao already in sit, There was a Quest about finding Lu Tong, the illegitimate Child of the old patriarch who seemed to have survived the same skirmish and reporting it to the House. While I was processing the now gotten information a voice broke through my thoughts "L... Lu... Lu Tong...Check if the Young master is Alive..." "....." The middle aged man just said something that got me confused, [Did he just call me Lu Tong?! ] "Lu Tong... quickly...take this, feed it to the young Master...There''s no hope for me anymore" He urged while handing me a potion. after nodding my head, I took it from him in a daze as I scanned the surrounding before Noticing a Body that seemed to be in a much farther location than the rest,It had a much fancier silver armor on it. [this person must have had a grudge!!! ] This was the only thought that came to mind after seeing this. An Arrow was lodged in his Throat and his head was smashed in by something Blunt. Making my way back to the middle aged man, I found out that he was already dead. "haa...Kukuku" I sighed, Only to end up in a coughing fit. After some deliberation, I took the second potion while succeeding in stopping the urge to throw up. I found my way to the river edge to satisfy my Thirst Bar. I walked to the part that wasn''t tainted by Gore and blood, The water was cold and refreshing, so I filled the water sac that had been hanging on my waist. Looking into water, I finally saw my reflection. Long Black hair, Sickly pale skin which I probably got from being mistreated in the family House,I could be considered handsome if the former Owner of this Body had been able to take care of himself. But even so, the straight Brows and thin lips made it seem like I was always focused. [What is the meaning of this?... I was shot on my way home by Roger,then I cursed him when I said I will get vengeance even if I became a ghost. then in despair I wished I had another chance, only to wake up here] Thinking this made me Frown before I looked at my hands once more, [Now I''m in the game,not as my character but in an NPC that supposedly went missing before the game even Launched?!...I need to find a way to tell what day and time this is, I can''t possibly have gone back in time! ] [I wonder what happened to my Body or My sister...]While I thought of this,I decided to check if I could still use the game functions for information, Just to be sure if I could even level up. "hmm... No log out button, No GM contact center, No Cash shop feature, oh?!!... Status is active ..." Noticing this, I quickly opened my status page. Name: Lu Tong Gender: Male Blood line: Lu / ???? Bloodline grade: Silver Level: 3 Class: None Age: 18 and a half years Skills: None Profession: None Title: Bastard(equipped) Hp: 90/125 Mp: 300/300 Hunger: 53% Thirst: 95% STR:6 WIL:10 AGI:8 SPI:120 BR:5 STA:8 COM: 7 LUCK: 5 "uhm Nope...as I feared, No skills...does that mean he was pulled out to join this fight without class or skill?and why is the spirit so high at level 3, his Luck sure is good" I mumbled with a hint of dry sarcasm. "huff... How badly you must have been treated, this Lu tong guy must have been a push over! He c... " I continued to complain till I heard Voices from the other side of the river. --------------------- "What is wrong with the Captain, leaving all this good equipment for dead bodies...tsk tsk tsk" A skinny looking Man in leather armor spoke loudly without any care to his companions who in turn, laughed in agreement. The enemy forces were hidden by the bushes, while I was out in the open so of course I was spotted first!. "WHAT???... a Survivor?!...come on Boys get him,this is a Chance to make Captain look bad! Hahaha" The skinny Man yelled out. It''s not like I''ll wait to be Surrounded on all fronts, luckily they need to first cross the river with the Boat on their. [Sh!t... This Bastards are from ''The Chu Palace''.] This Group were known for their ruthlessness and their ways of doing anything for a gold coin, so of course my first reaction was to curse in my mind. It was a delightful surprise to find that I did not die,But why did I do I have to need this people. with creased brows, I ran into the woods. Even though I''m not a pro-gamer, I could be called an experienced veteran, So I understand that I''m in a serious mess. Making my way through the forest, I followed the direction with denser vegetation. [Come to think of it, According to the Lore... This happened a year in game time before the official release date. Which was the launch of the Civil Wars, where several Noble houses and officials, tore out of the Empire to build up their own kingdoms. That was used in Explaining why Lord Class players could start their kingdoms etc] I continued to go through the information I remember but was once again cut off by the distant shouts of my pursuers. "DON''T YOU DARE LOSE HIM!" "F*CK!...SECOND BROTHER!!THIS LU FAMILY TRASH IS GOOD!, DO YOU THINK IT''S THE YOUNG MASTER?" "LOOK!, OVER THERE!! " [sh!t! why is this body so weak!,ah! I miss my character already!...if I didn''t have to rest every few seconds...]I thought as I urged on. [I''ll have to end them somehow, at least that way I''ll confirm if I can even level up at all. Once I thought to this point, I could not help but feel waves of depression. [If only I was on my character, This fools are nothing more than ants!.] [There shouldn''t be any problems finding something like that in the battlefield. Why is this place so dark...?] I soon spotted a Tree and subconsciously prepared to climb up, but I noticed a thick branch on the floor in the shape of a Club. [I could use this. ]I began making different calculations in my mind as I grabbed it before struggling to climb the tree. That''s what you get when you have 6 strength. Not long after climbing the tree, I could hear footsteps approaching from the direction I came. judging from the body size, I could tell he was young but the big kind of young, he looked Like a high school athlete if Only he wasn''t in leather armor or holding a Sharp looking machete. Looking at the machete, A cold dread immediately washed over my spine. I held my breath as I began to think that as an NPC, I can really Die. To me, this wasn''t a game anymore, This was now my reality. My breaths were slowly becoming rapid gasps and the youth soon spotted me as his pupils widened in shock. My forehead was full of perspiration as I gathered courage with a shout and jumped off the tree while swinging downward. "Haaa!." "Y.. yo" He suddenly tried to call for help, instead of defending himself. Plack!!! the event happened in a matter of seconds. The Youth''s Neck got twisted in an odd angle. <+320exp> After that A mild light swept over me and I was now level 4. In the game, you''re supposed to be level 5 to choose from the main Classes. that''s why someone was probably suppressing Lu Tong within the House. With this thought, memories were poured into my mind, It was like a leak in a Dam. scenes of Lu Yao bullying or knocking me down, trying to show me my place. It seems like his mother, who was the First wife in the Lu family household had told him that Lu Tong was born with a maid. My mind was a mess. [I understand that I was reincarnated to another world!but could you all spare me from the drama?!] My soul crossed over to this game world, onto a dead person called Lu Tong!. I held onto the club tightly till my knuckles were a little numb and continued to tremble. I looked at my own hands. it was pale, not knowing if it was from the bloodless or from the fact that I had just killed a living person, I could only laugh bitterly. In the end, he gave a long sigh and calmed down after a respite. [Forget it, I just have to build up my character again since there''s no way I can change things.] 2 Chapter 2: On to the Nex When his mind had ceased it''s unproductive buzz, he was able to start thinking of a way out of this mess. If he ran the Chu men will catch him in a matter of minutes because of how weak his body was, if he stayed he was as good as dead, so he had only two options; up or down. Down means burial in leaf litterbut he didn''t have time to dig a depression to conceal his bulk, so up is faster. So his dilated pupils scanned for the best tree, it has to be tall, lots of branches to climb and enough leaves left from this encroaching autumn to give me some cover. My options are fairly limited but I pick a mature Beech. The rough bark scuffs at his skin but these crude pursuers don''t have science or dogs. All they have are blackish blood red uniforms and clumsy feet that announced how little time he had left. They were closing in from all angles now. His heart thuds more loudly than he wished it would, but he kept reminding himself that this drum is only beating in his own ears. Those Chu Scouts below are clueless of his location. When their net closes and the woods are empty about them they howled and gnashed when they noticed their brother''s twisted neck... "Ah!...Fourth Brother Was killed!!" A short Man yelled in indignation. "He dares!... " another one chimed while gritting his teeth. Counting the Number of pursuers, They were Six including the Dead one. "He even took fourth Brother''s Machete!... spread out and find this Bastard!" The skinny Man ordered and the rest went into action. [tch... Common level 15 Npcs are giving me problems!, Only one who should be a problem is the Lvl 20 elite. ] Lu Tong thought. as they moved out The Elite remained behind for some reason as his Black pupils scanned the scene once More and He raised his boney right hand with flaming embers forming at the tips of his fingers. "I Don''t mind smoking you out!" The flaming fireball left the wizards hand and Struck the beech tree. BOOM!!! The explosion had most likely incurred the attention of the others. this fool doesn''t mind causing a Forest fire. Lu Tong Quickly jumped off the falling tree and landed unto the next available branch. kruukruukukuku! BANG! "Ah!" Lu Tong unconsciously shrieked as he almost lost balance. The Mage immediately turned back and aimed another fire ball at him while muttering low chants,"Found you... eat this Bastard!" swoosh! Bang! Lu Tong refused to stand still as he struggled from one tree to another. The sounds of swords flourishingly echoed out from behind as the Chu men drew out their swords and gave chase together. Lu Tong had already dashed towards the hill in the distance as he planned to use that location to get some advantage. flames flickered in the distance behind them as the forest began burning fast and this made him feel goosebumps crawling all over his skin. [I could have been killed...just like that ] He thought. He was not a veteran Character with hundreds of levels any longer, and he presently had little to nothing to survive with. He could only braced himself as to what would come next. Once this guy''s caught up with him, he would most likely become dead meat. [Fuck! They''re fast! How in heavens name did the original Lu Tong even survive?] Lu Tong continued to complain about his predicament. what he didn''t know was that the original had peacefully allowed himself to be taken and was eventually sold out as a slave. His lungs felt like they were burning, but he still managed to reach the base of the Hill before the Chu Scouts caught up. Before he could even relax, multiple fireballs came flying his way. Fortunately he was able to dodge in time until one came to close for comfort as it struck the floor next to him and sent him flying by over a two meter distance. BOOM!!! "Ah!" an embarrassing scream left his mouth as he unintentionally rolled after his fall,The machete he held in a tight grip had grazed the side of his face, causing it to bleed. <-21 hp> "This is just too much!" Lu Tong heart raced as his body felt heavy. Although he knew that at the top of the hill was an even much thicker vegetation, he was sure that he would have a good chance to beat this careless Mage or at least the only solution he could think of. [Won''t be long now?...based on his level, His mana would soon be out but then I can only hope that he doesn''t have MP Potions] Lu Tong Thought as he finally got to the top. "Dammit! " The mage panted heavily with his waist bent. he could not help but raise his head to look at Lu Tong with a Hateful glare. He had greatly surprised him with his decisiveness. "you guys go ahead, Give me a minute, I''ll follow behind !" The mage quickly said as he Pulled out a sword. He needed to kill this guy or he would get a heart demon. The rest Quickly followed up with low grunts,they too were getting exhausted. [luckily my gambling paid off, and it is even better...the mage stayed behind.]Lu Tong breath a sigh of relief as he watched them approach. [Regardless, I need to try to think of a way to pull this off . if I can get 2 of them First and get the basic Warrior class, I''d get a boost in strength and stamina.] The Chu Scouts had arrived up and once again chose to split up and search for clues on the direction he ran in. They would never have thought that he was going to lay ambush. [Be calm, Be calm... it''s just one of those missions you have done, yes,yes it''s just one of them... No need to worry] As Lu Tong spotted one of them,he began brain washing himself. He breathed in deeply to regain his composure. He held the machete so tightly that his knuckles turned white. soon enough The Sturdy Chu scout violently smash a top a shrub while grumbling about how hungry he was, causing the edges of Lu Tong''s mouth to twitch. Unfortunately, Lu tong hid behind a tree so wide that it''d take 4 able men to hold hands in order to go around it. Lu Tong calmly watched the scout get closer as he quietly went around the tree till he was now watching the scouts back. He performed this series of actions beautifully as he was rather used to playing a thief. [If I can get a clean hit on his head,level wouldn''t matter!] He thought as he approached the scout, Then he swung the machete while activating the attached skill . SWOOOSH!!! Dust flew sharply and hovered everywhere from the impact as the Scout''s head went flying and the body spewed Blood everywhere. <+320exp> "Ugh! !" Lu Tong almost threw up his non existent breakfast but swallowed it back, [This was why I turned off the gore back then,too bad I can''t now.] He approached the body and the only thing worth anything were 3 silver coins and a metal chain. . He then read the instructions, Choke: Inflicts Silence on opponent for 1.5 secs cooldown: 2 minutes Pull: Hook latches onto opponent and pulls them toward user. Success is dependent on the opponents will.Cooldown: 30 seconds if Cancelled by opponents will stay,Cooldown: 5 minutes. [This are both amazing weapons for now] Thought Lu Tong as he moved over in different direction, towards another scout. Soon he found another, and this one had it''s guard up as he scanned his surrounding. [Sh!t this idiot, just making things hard for me, fine I''ll use that caution against you.] Lu Tong cussed inwardly as he picked up a stone and tossed it at the other end of the Scout''s view. In response, the scout placed all his focus on the point he heard the sound and approached cautiously while trying not to make a sound. But he soon witnessed a dark object becoming bigger and bigger in its field of vision, and before he could react, a Machete was buried into his skull. <+320exp> when he first started the game he had played the Thief path before he continued to advance the class to become a shadow Assassin. Although the path was amazing and all, It didn''t help much when things got deeper in the future. You could only handle small scaled situations, which was one of his long regrets. After all,he was a very ambitious person so how could he settle for small scale and even this time he also has plans to make things difficult for his "friends". So because of the ''Heroic'' stats as a player he had to do everything possible to be strong, Strong to the point he could do anything and go anywhere in this world unhindered. "Fuck!" He cussed as he picked the Warrior path. Name: Lu Tong Gender: Male Blood line: Lu / ???? Bloodline grade: Silver Level: 5 Class: Warrior(Basic) Age: 18 and a half years Skills: Basic Slash(0/100)+ Basic Thrust(0/100)+ Basic Jab(0/100)+ Profession: None Title: Bastard(equipped) Hp: 201/201 Mp: 400/400 Hunger: 42% Thirst: 78% STR:12 WIL:10 AGI:8 SPI:120 BR:5 STA:10 COM: 7 LUCK: 5 Unassigned stat points: 10 Experience Points(0) Lu Tong looked at his Status while leaning backwards onto a tree. From now on, he would have to decide what to do with the Experience points but Sadly He didn''t have any extra experience to put into the basic skills, once again he was struck by the brutal realization that he was really starting over and this time with his life really on the line without any room for mistakes. He solemnly pulled out machete and wiped the blood on the dead Scout''s clothes. He surveyed his surroundings but there was simply nothing more that could be used here. Should I Just give up and Run? Lu Tong shook his head. He could only gamble on to survive! He moved forward with gritted teeth, Not too long after, he spotted another victim. He Charged at the enemy and used the choke skill from the chains to silence him before using Cleaver to Behead another victim. <+320exp> [I guess all this beheading finally got me something.]He mused as a bitter smile hung on his lips. As he was mentally musing with himself, he heard a voice behind him. "What!?...How cou..." Before the Scout could finish his sentence, he used to drag the scout towards him but the skill canceled half way but it was enough. grabbing the Scout''s sword arm and Waist belt, and lifted the him upwards with an almost practiced maneuver before he smacking him towards the ground but it turned out to be a bad idea. although this sneak attack allowed him to use every ounce of his strength and The scout was unable to resist when it lost its balance, it still took a toll on his stamina as he could not perform a follow up attack for a second. Although surprised, he took a step back instead and successfully avoided the Scout''s dagger. He then used a at the scout who immediately rolled away and tried to stand before attempting to retreat. Lu Tong sent a kick to his knee to disable for a second and then attacked with which resulted in a Critical hit and beheading. <+320exp> "haa... haa... Haa..." The who series of actions left him panting as he tried to catch his breath. But that didn''t seem to be heaven''s will as Flames flared up quickly behind him. "You won''t die an easy death!" It was the Scout leader!. as he heard that, Lu Tong didn''t even bother to look behind and dived into a Roll. Hisssss! Boom! Narrowly dodging the fireball, he looked at the pale mage''s face as he glared daggers at him. Without wasting time he charged towards the Mage and Quickly closed the distance between them. Running wasn''t an option anymore as he didn''t have the stamina to do that at the moment. As soon as he got to the Mage, He began to make full use of his basic skills and a few punches and kicks in between. But the not so surprising thing was that the elite mage calmly dodged them while waiting to get Mana and countering. "With this little skill,you think you can beat me? Humph!! " <-34> <-41> <26> He kept getting hit from time to time, Lucky for him this is a Tired mage. One of the beauty of this game was that as long as you know a bit of fighting skills, a mage could fight in the front lines. As the fight went on,He Noticed The Mage was looking down on him [It''s finally off cool down... ] A sly smile showed up his face and the finally noticed something was off as he quickly yelled but the flames were put off as quickly as it came!. He was placed on a silent status when Lu Tong immediately used . <+8400exp> <+Black Leather Armor> <+Basic Fireball Skill book> He had never felt so tense in his life. <53/201HP> [This feeling is sooo strange¡ªThis sense of accomplishment, But I shouldn''t let it get to my head as this ones are just small fries.] His mind thought about this things as he began wondering what to do next. He searched the scout leader''s body and found 2 gold coins and 31 silver. Then he also found a Map which he used to update his Ui Map, Now he knew where he headed. "Brittle City" 3 Chapter 3: Brittle City Brittle City¡ªone of the Seven Great Merchant Cities of the Cloud Dragon Empire. The majority of it''spopulation was comprised mostly of Humans, Beast men, Elves, and its national symbol was a celestial dragon. It was one of the few Neutral zones in the Empire, So people of different Status were Allowed into it.Guards constantly patrolling the streets in case of any disputes among the Merchants. Although the main reason was because of the Players, If There is bad blood between two parties, They could be settled legally in the Arena. All of Cloud dragon''s cities were barricaded by great Walls of massive proportions, and the only way to enter any city was through a main gate. And besides the Neutral cities and towns, one needs identification of some sort to enter. Players are to have an affiliated city or town registered as there home town. The entrance of the city had an area that looked like a military base ¨C there were Tents and watchtowers guarded by the army. Troops were stationed in every corner. It''s Been a week Since the incident with the Chu palace Scouts and Lu Tong Had gone through baptism of Blood and Fire to escape the Forest. Now he wasn''t too afraid like before, His Status now looked a bit presentable. Name: Lu Tong Gender: Male Blood line: Lu / ???? Bloodline grade: Silver Level: 19(Next LV: 21000) Class: Warrior(Basic) Age: 18 and a half years Skills: Basic Slash(548/1000)LV5 Basic Thrust(893/1000)LV5 Basic Jab(1000/1000)Max Level(Evolve) Charge(206/1000) LV 5 Cleaver(1000/1000)Max Level(Evolve) Sneak(285/500)LV3 Hide(487/800)LV4 Skinning(12/300)LV2 Profession: None Title: Bastard(Unequipped), Barbarian(Equipped),Executioner 1(Equipped), Wolf exterminator (equipped) Hunter 1(Equipped). Hp: 920/920 Mp: 1150/1150 Hunger: 73% Thirst: 23% STR:40 WIL:20 AGI:50 SPI:201 BR:20 STA:35 COM: 12 LUCK: 5 Unassigned stat points: 0 Experience Points(20457) He was stronger than a Normal Citizen Npc by twice their level, Just a few points away from the Lvl of an ordinary soldier.An average male Npc was LVL 10 or 9, while a soldier begins at 20 and climbs up according to their level of importance. Over a thousand wanderers were coming and going out of brittle city. those going in began to queue up forinspection of their goods. Only those confirmed not to possess illegal weaponry or goods were permitted to enter. The Empire welcomed wanderers. The war 10 years ago with the kingdom of LoBud had caused a lack of manpower and talent in this parts. Lu Tong quietly Approached the queue with his torn clothing and gear,looking more like a beggar than wanderer.Some people looked at him with pity. As he waited, he noticed something Shocking!. It was a wanted poster of him, Apparently he was worth a thousand gold coins as the Lu family Branded him a traitor. they Claimed that anyone with an information on him would be given 50 gold coins and if he''s killed,they''d be rewarded a thousand gold coins. Courtesy of his half Brother Lu Yao!! "Great" Lu Tong said through gritted teeth as he stealthily left the queue. He needed to find a way to evade inspection. now that his family had offered a bounty for him, so things would definitely go awry if he were to be spotted. While he was brainstorming ideas on how to get into the City,He suddenly thought of something. Back in the game, it was almost impossible to get a complete disguise without a timer or limitations. But Now he became an NPC, he felt it would act like how disguises were meant to work. Lu Tong headed to the Military Garrison and Suddenly,noticed a frail-looking man going up to a corner of the Camp with a Bucket. He had a Bored expression as he whistled a local tune,He was wearing the casual military top and Black worn out pants. "Haa I can finally take my Bath" he sighed. Lu Tong looked up at the soldier with a sly smile on his face. It was a face he had recently started making a lot. Soon the soldier took of the Top and pants and began his business, not noticing Lu tong stealing his stuff. Lu tong was now wearing the grey colored shirt and pants while he wrapped his upper body with a sheet,making an improvised Cloak.When he was satisfied with his work, he was now ready as most of his face was now covered so he headed up to the gate. "Halt!... where are you going to soldier!?" A guard quickly confronted him. "I...I need to rush to the local physician, To find out what is wrong with me Sir!" Lu tong explained to the Guard with a Hoarse voice while pretending to be shivering. He Noticed the Guard was at the Rank of a squad Captain so Lu tong spoke politely. "Brother, this why I said you should take care of yourself more... well you have to get well soon, with you Ill now,I''m stuck with this muscle brains. By the way did you tell the commander?" he curiously asked. "yes I did,He demanded that I return before the afternoon sun becomes a sunset or else... ." Lu tong continued to lie through his teeth. He already noticed that he had made a blunder as he spotted a Name tag on the side of the pants but coincidentally, this person seems to fall I''ll a lot. "tch... The commander tends to be a worrywart this days, what stops him from giving you a week off humph! " The Guard rolled his eyes as he watched the inspection with the corner of his eyes,sensing a commotion. "Aright...See you upon my return Sir" The guard laughed in response as he waved at Him before running to the commotion''s scene. When he arrived within the city gates, he became the center of attention for the first seconds before they returned to whatever they were doing. Lu Tong went to the Armor store to get rid of the materials he had on him and get New ones,He walked down the quietly as he headed to his desired Location based on his old memories as a player. A Burly young man was standing at the edge of an Alley spottedLu Tong and wore a Bored expression,seeing that Lu Tong didn''t seem like he had spotted him, the young man spoke to him. "Yo! Soldier , your first time in Brittle?" Lu Tong glanced at him and replied, "indeed, it is" "and your supervisor didn''t warn you?" The Burly Youth said while scratching the unkempt beards beneath his jaws. "About? ." Lu Tong asked skeptically while he read through the Youth information. Age: 21 Level:LV 23 Class: Grappler Profession: Gangster(Grunt) HP: 1050 MP: 500 His Answer made the Youth smile as he felt he could perform a little intimidation on this Teenager "since it''s your first time in Brittle I''ll let you off,this eastern parts are off limits to you Soldier as it is under our protection. The City is divided into Nine districts. the Central District is the seat of the government and that''swhere the Nobles or officials reside. No one is allowed to enter there without a recommendation. The other Eight districts each have their own attractions, but they are all secretly controlled by big shots in the underworld. The South East and this east is Ours!. If you Need anything go to your Side of town!! " Lu Tong laughed inwardly. He already knew all this information, in fact, as a player, you need to know all this as it would help get quests early on. "One question though" Lu Tong said as he acted like he was hesitating. "Yes? " Lui Xin "Who said anything about being in the army?" asked Lu Tong "..." Lui Xin "You... later," Lu tong continued heading out as he left the stunned fellow. . ... A while later, Lu Tong stopped in front of what seemed to be an Armor shop, it was made of wood just like 50% of the shops in this district. He went through The short gate and entered thecompound. When he finally stepped out of the sun, he was greeted by a line of Shelves and wooden dolls wearing different sets of armor or clothes in the Shop. He quickly sold out all the skins he had, even though it was for half the price. He Bought a Black leather Pant, Boots and a Black Cloak. He could have bought something better but he presently had plans for the money so he had to save it. His Next agenda was to return the Machete,as it was the only quest he had for now and he very much needs the reward. As He walked on the streets, he noticed that he was no longer gaining a lot of attention. he had to look for The most popular tavern first though. Of course, it wasn''t just to drink Rum. ... Half an hour later he was in the Twirling Rose, He was by the window drinking, seemingly lost in thought. _____________________ You have unlocked a new ability: Lv. 1 [Eavesdropping]! [Eavesdrop]: Allows you to hear everything around 5 meters of you clearly. ¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥ In his previous life, many real life skills had practical use in the game. For example, someone who had a military background would have an easier time grasping fight -related abilities in the game. As the saying goes, one can never learn too many skills. 4 Chapter 4: The Docks (A/N: Warning ? Info dump ahead... tread carefully...just at the beginning though) Twirling Rose, 17th May 1804 Lu Tong Sat there for close to 4 hours, he repeatedly used the Eavesdropping skill till he got the information he sort after. The Location of Domo the Rat. Domo was an NPC known as an informant,He was an elusive Neutral Character in Brittle city that virtually every faction had tried to capture or recruit. If you have a enough gold to spare,You can find anything in This city. Apparently, He was last seen at the Docks located on the North side of the City.There was a small lake there which players used in leveling up their fishing profession. Domo''s Character is one of the reasons he was a bit hesitant about meeting him but if he was going to find out who this Master Wilbur is, He had to contact him. [Should be Okay as long as I use the Cloak... ] He thought as he stood up from his Chair. If Domo Finds out his identity, News might spread fast because that Rat worships Gold and Nothing More. Upon stepping out of the Twirling Rose he headed straight for the Docks with his face hidden in his cloak. The Main reason he came to Brittle was mainly because the machete quest showed it''s location on it''s Map. So he wanted to finish it quick and go search for a Spirit Animal that would help in his growth. In Arcania, There are many ways to get stronger and earn your place,to be known by both players and NPC. But they can be classified into two Branches Such as personal and External strength. So Focus on building their personal strength while some work on the external. The really powerful people work on Both, Which is what I intend doing. When it comes to personal strength, The basic way to judge was Level of Character, Stats and skill. Other waysto set your self apart was to upgrade your Class Variation, Bloodline grade, Gear and lastly Spirit animals which tend to be Rare to find not to mention tame. Meanwhile, External way was Guardians or minions, Army or even personal kingdom, Reputation in NPC cities etc. Some Players Focus on Gathering Guardian NPC''s that would serve them while they could decide to act to support them behind. This feature turned out to help a lot of life players, To get the other external methods you need to have a certain level of strength to upgrade your bloodline from a commoner to at least a low Class Noble. The Npc had a way of feeling one''s bloodline and respond accordingly. Every Player starts with a silver coloured bloodline which made them only a step below low class Noble blood,Hence they can''t be ignored. Finding at least a Silver grade spirit animal would improve your bloodline hence why Lu Tong chose to find one as soon as he gets to level 20. Level 20 could be seen as leaving the limit of being a mortal. "Luckily I remember the Location of the Divine Beasts spirit Animals...along with the requirements to contract them" Lu Tong said with a chuckle "It''s just unfortunate that one can Only have one Spirit Animal, if not I would have snatched them all" The Divine Beasts were the Azure Dragon, Phoenix, White Tiger, Turtle Dragon. Each had a specialty and Boosted stats, Azure Dragon and Phoenix are only compatible with Mage type classes while the Turtle Dragon was the golden dream for every Tank. Although The white Tiger was leaning towards Physical type, it also could be said to deal with Magic. Number One on the player Ranking was a "Pryomancer" Mage Variant . He had gotten the Phoenix as his spirit beast and could take down an Army in a few spells.The only Time he had suffered a set back was when his guild, "Lost Heaven" attacked the Kagarette Empire and the Empire''s Marshall was forced to head into the Battle. decimated the Army like no man''s business until Marshall, a player who had hidden from the Ranking Board finally made his debut. His unparalleled agility along with sword skills destroyed the most of the opposing Army. With such a situation, was then forced to fight in a death Match,The war somehow stopped to watch the glorious battle which both parties suffered greatly even though the "Pryomancer" lost . After investigating Crag, He turned out to be a "Hex Blade" which was also a variant of the Warrior path and with the help of the White Tiger spirit Beast in that battle, he was acknowledged as Number two on the Ranking. Later on , Crag arrogantly exposed that the Beast was a bit of an all rounder as it gave a slight Boost to defense as well as Speed. it also balances out the Physical and Magical Damage. He also stated how he contracted the White Tiger, Obviously comfortable that it was impossible to steal a contracted beast. [Too bad he didn''t imagine someone going back in time to steal it] Lu Tong said as laughed at his own joke. One of the player attraction of Arcania is the excitement of meeting another player in battle with an entirely different skillet and class you don''t understand. You could get an inspiration from this battle and strive to make your class better or help you get the most beautiful or Epic fight you have ever had in your life. Lu Tong soon sighed under the cloak as he arrived at the Dock Entrance. . . . . . . At the North Eastern dock, One could already call it a mini Village, Several Canoes and boats sailed into the lake while some were returning, The wooden houses and Huts were lively. Everything was a buzz as different cargoes were being loaded and unloaded but only one person sat at a corner with a blade of grass in his mouth. If you weren''t looking, you wouldn''t know he was there. He calmy observed the whole situation with a bored expression on his face. His Dirty blonde hair were all ruffled up due to the light wind and his unkempt beards gave him a manly vibe. This man was known as Jule, He was the middle man that one speaks to before meeting Domo. Jule sat there and sighed once again, "What am I evendoing here... I should go fetch me a Wh!re" he mumbled but soon stared wide eyed as he noticed a cloaked figure leaning on a wooden platform and tossing or flipping a gold coin.This was a gesture of someone who wanted to do business with them, But tobe sure of this person''s Identity Jule chose to continue observing. . . . .. .Lu tong calmly smiled as he had already spotted Jule, and he knew that Jule was only sizing him up so he calmly waited.After about 12 seconds, Jule approached Lu Tong with a professional smile. "Hello... May I help you?" Jule says while looking at Lu Tong from head to toe. Looking through Jule''s status as they exchanged pleasantries. "Good Day,I''m looking for a Rat" He said with a chuckle, This made Jule''s eyes go wide for a split second before changing to a frown. Age: 34 Level:LV 28 Class: Warrior(Intermediate) Profession: Assassin HP: 1500 MP: 645 "I thought you came here for business but I see you are anything but normal,well what else can one expect from a ch.." Jule quickly acted annoyed but was interrupted by Lu Tong''s next words. "Jun lie,let''s not stand in ceremony...i don''t have all day.I just need information from the Rat. " The cloaked figure said as he stretched out both arms. [Sh!t! Not my lucky day!...He called me by my Real name, Could he be someone from the family?...No seems unlikely, fine... I''ll have Domo decide what to do with him but Mac''s gonna be a problem as I''m sure he''s lurking around there in search of Some,well I might as make the most out of this deal.] Jule thought while sweating bullets. "Fine...A gold coin to cross the lake,another two to talk to Rat.The information you seek would decide your Final payment." As he spoke he caught the gold coins that was tossed at him. "Let''s go" He said after confirming that it was 3 gold and headed towards a Boat hidden in the Corner. . . . . . Mac''s POV [Amongst the maze of boats and small wooden Ships, I Mac,a glorified Bounty hunter from the Aroduin Kingdom is now reduced to Hunting Rats!] I yelled in my mind before spitting on the floor "Pui! ". [ Domo!, That B!tch! He just had to steal Nasty information about Duke Sterling River and blackmail him for God knows what. Now I have to kill him off, But the Roach just won''t die. although he had been wounded in our last bout which led to Someone coming to save him. On the bright side I heard he was last seen in this location.] I kept complaining in my head while angrily stomping the floor in frustration. When I finally calmed down I sighed while saying "Haa... if only I could find the one who saved him" and like Magic I heard footsteps. When I saw who it was I began laughing with Joy. "HAHAHAHAHA.... Oh! The Goddess Kala really has eyes!! ." . . . . "You...!" Jule said, a bit shocked at his on bad luck "I''ve been looking for you" Mac said menacingly while approaching the duo.His 6ft4 height with silver battle armor and a Black long coat over it gave a kind of intimidation as he took every step in a sturdy manner like he wasn''t wearing armor. (A/N : I tried!God knows I tried lol) Age: 26 Level:LV 40 Class: Warrior(Intermediate) Profession: Bounty Hunter HP: 4080 MP: 1200 Seeing the Man''s status made Lu tong Frown. [this just got Complicated, If I run Jule dies... Jule dies, no Domo... F!cK! If I stay the chances of dying is over 70%. The only saving grace is that he hasn''t done his advanced class quest one needs to do at level 30!...shouldn''t have much skills. ]Lu tong kept making plans in his mind as the situation before him slowly went south. "Who''s the kid?" Mac nods toward the youth, a stringy boy, yet to gain bulk for his bones stood behind jule. "None of your business... if you know what''s good for you." Every muscle on Jule''s face tightens, eyes narrowed, chin jutted outward. He reaches up to adjust his Short sword, placing it at a jaunty angle on the back of his head. [it seems NPC can''t see status...tsk but they should have a way to gauge strength] Lu tong made an observation. "I make it my business. This ain''t no place for kids." Mac slumps his weight onto one hip, bending the other knee just slightly, lighting up a smoke before turning his head to the docks. "Send him home or I''ll make your Death much more painful than originally planned." Wide-eyed, the youth turns his head from Jule to Mac, taking a step backward and flinching as The Boss like NPC pulls out a great axe. [His really going to fight?!This Boss... well he''s a Boss to me presently... he''s definitely going in the beserker path!] Lu Tong screamed in his head as he tried to warn Jules. "I wouldn''t do that if I were you, Jules." The moonlight plays only upon the wind rippled water and the steel Bladed part. Dong! The sound of the axe touching the floor echoedthrough the maze of shipping crates and accelerating into the horizon. A dull flash of recognition washes over jules facebefore he slumps in a weird manner as he barely managed to dodge, a "red carnation" growing on the arm ofhis dress shirt. He winced in pain as he steadied himself, looking at Mac who seemed as though he never moved formedcold sweat on his back. [He''s a little bit faster and Stronger than Domo, it''s over for me now... Haa... ] "Get out of here, kid. Scram." He quickly warned Lu Tong unconsciously calling him kid like Mac but no one cared at the moment. Ding! 5 Chapter 5: Battle at the Docks You''ve been given a chance to leave what you do? *Leave Reward :???? *Fight: Reward :???? P. S overall contribution would determine what you receive. . . . . "You''re so weak..." Mac Sneered, The giant Axe he was carrying was now stained with blood, But slowly the blood rolls of the blade and soon resumed it''s previous Silver shine. "You''re an Eye, aren''t you? I seem to remember your face. Where is Domo?"He Asks while tightening his grip on the axe''s iron Handle. "B-, beats me..." Jules grunted "So you don''t intend to tell me." Mac had a sly grin on his face now, meanwhile Lu tong was more concerned about the fact that Jules was an Eye. There''s a mysterious organisation known as sanguis rotam meaning Blood Wheel.High intelligence network and indept history, they also performed assassinations over time and various other actions,no one Knows what they hope to achieve or what their plans are. high ranking officials are referred to as Body parts and meeting someone referred to as an eye came as a surprise to him. [Why is he so weak,why is he here?...] such questions ran through Lu Tong''s mind. "There''s¡­ no need¡­ to tell you..." Jules forced a smile but the pale face and seriously bleeding arm showed clearly that he was in pain. [The bleeding status from that axe must be severe.]Lu Tong weighed the situation. However, The instant Jules gave him such a reply, a red mist like Aura escaped from Mac''s body. It is An Aura skill that only those with high Berserk skill can use. "Oh? that explains where the Exp is going" Lu Tong muttered. Jules hand is now holding his short sword in a reverse grip , while Mac''s red mist gathers Around him in an even denser form but he''s eyes still held clarity as silence filled the surrounding. The calm before the Storm... Lu tong made way for them while thinking [Perhaps I can see what skills he has that got him to the rank of an Eye] Jules soon used the skill and materializes from behind Mac, his short sword quickly closing in on the Berserker. [Rookie move] Lu Tong comments. However, the Berserker did not even look backwards. "Naive..." The man simply swings his giant Axe casually. The incredible wind pressure reaches even the Lu Tong in the distance, causing the latter hurriedly pulls out The Machete and stabs it into the ground to gain balance. But the sound of impact never came, at this time Lu tong''s eyes were opened wide as his pupils dilated [Double Blink?!!] This time he appeared in Mac''s blind spot as he went in for a stab, But they saw Mac''s eyes turns in that direction with a sneer forming on his face. He Changes trajectory of the great axe like he was holding a stick. SWOOSH! once again there was No impact! [triple Blink? ] "What is with that guy?" Lu Tong couldn''t help but speak out. Going by Common sense, This was not meant to be possible even for a Variant speed type Class. However, He just succeeded in performing it not just twice but thrice.. "That was Your third...interesting!" The contrast between them was so overwhelming but if he can use Blink more than once continuously then he might have a Chance. [his Chances would increase if I join in] Lu Tong thought enthusiastically. BOOM! "!?" Immediately Debris flew everywhere . In his moment of distraction he was almost pulverised by their fight. A gigantic Axe suddenly appears from the Dust in a horizontal mowing attack. Lu Tong narrowly dropped to the ground in evasion. Above his head, the sound of violence roared past. "Two , huh." Beyond the Dust, the Berserker looked at the two of them. "This is the worst. He must have perception!...I guess he noticed my blood lust" Lu Tong protested. "Guess we have no choice but to fight together." Jules frowned as he knew he wouldn''t be able to continue alone. The two of them with their weapons went into a fighting stance, as which the berserker just sneers. "You two aren''t much, but... you''re going to die here regardless. WHERE''S DOMO!!!" Then his giant Axe is swung down. BOOOOOOOM! The two leap to either side of the giant Axe in evasion. The giant Axe slams into the ground, sending pieces of rubble flying all around. From within the cloud of rubble, Mac glares at his two targets with sharp eyes, then settles on the one closer to him ¡ª¡ª Lu Tong. He brazenly steps in, swinging his giant Axe with both thick arms. However, Lu Tong had been closely watching Mac''s movements. The beserker has both power and speed. However, his characteristics of his weapon forces him to make big motions. No matter how fast he may be, as long as Lu Tong stays focused, he would be able to follow the Axe with his eyes. The hooks of his chains held onto a Big boat and he immediately used the skill but due to the weight, he was sent to the boat instead. Sure enough, He manages to evade the attack from Mac with this spider man move with the chains. Boom! Klink! However, the weight of the attack turns out to be far beyond what he had expected as the Air Force from the attack tossed him head on against the Boat. Luckily he had learnt this earlier. "All you fvckers are all fvcking the same!" Mac beratedthem with a glare. Before Lu Tong Could recover, Mac switched to a one-handed grip while His free arm pushes his Aura to perform a physical attack. "tsk!!" Jule blinked forward in support, but Mac tosses his axe with the other Hand . Lu Tong is sent flying and rolls on the ground. But immediately afterwards, he gets right back up like it was nothing while grabbing onto his machete. <-2 05> [this Damage from Aura alone... I guess he''s been working on his skill] Lu Tong thought while spitting out some blood. "Oww~ All that movement had shaken my orgams..." Lu Tong said as he wiped the blood on his lips. Mac seemed shocked at first but soon laughs. He stretches his hand and picked up his great axe. "Most people go down with just that one shot, but . You kid, you must be a masochist." Although he still called him a kid,his tone seemed more respectful. "....." When receiving that Aura punch just now, he had offset the impact with the same Chain, skillfully rolled around his forearm. Lu Tong cracks up some his bones while forcefully resetting his dislocated left shoulder, then spits out some saliva stained with blood.[ That whole Scrabble just now cost me about 500 HP...I can''t afford to lose focus here.From the look of things Jules must have died here in my past life.] his head is still slightly reeling from the shock of the punch just now. The amount of damage from one attack is just too unreasonable. Mac''s strength comes from his naturally high physical prowess, his large MP that let''s him leave his berserk aura on, and his overwhelming battle sense. In the face of his brute force swing, Lu Tong once again attempts a parry with the chains as shield. He then deflects the axe, shifting the force to the side in other not to be sent flying and there by creating an opening. Ding!!! [An opening!] Lu tong yells in his head and used Cleaver...SWOOSH! which manages to leave a deep gash that forced Mac to recoil a bit. Jules was not going to let this chance slip by as lightning bolt came out from his swinged sword. zzzrrrrrrr!!! Mac''s footing became unsteady. The damage of the lightning to his brain has yet to dissipate. "¡ª¡ª!!" Lu Tong is not one who would overlook such an opening. He used the personal skill which he learnt from repeated use. He raises his Machete high...and swings down. "I said, you''re still too weak..." Mac Abruptly grips his Axe tightly. And swings it powerfully. SWOOOSH!! Although the attack missed Lu Tong by a large margin, roaring past him with incredible speed, send Him Back by a few steps. <-59> he looks over at Mac once more and sees, him struggling to breathe. Haa Haa Haa... "Pests!! That one was waiting the entire time for the instant I let down my guard. Naive!."Mac said with a frown. "Kid... how long can you last? ..." Jules finally spoke. Lu Tongs organs were still unstable as the attack from the Aura punch was fatal after all. He looks at Jules skeptically, wondering what he meant.. However, He repeated the Question once more. "How long can you last." Lu Tong stared fixedly at Jules, until he finally got a flash of enlightenment. "How long do you need? ...!" "1 minute!" Jules pleaded. Lu Tong eyes fly wide open in shock. Jules has requested you hold back Mac for one minute!. would you accept Y or N? Rewards: skill book "we''ll see?!" Lu Tong said while accepting the mission. [I''ve never heard of such a skill,perhaps because he died it wasn''t very popular.] Lu Tong walked between Jules and Mac with steady steps as his brain was working on full drive. all he could see was Mac as this was his biggest challenge Yet, he couldn''t kill the Berserker but fortunately he wasnt meant to do so. He just needs to hold aggro for one minute. "oh?!you think you can hold me for one minute?"Mac asked with disdain but was met with silence. <0:59secs> "Tsk!?!" Annoyed by Lu tong''s silence he charged in with his axe. Swoosh! Klink!! Lu Tong focused on shifting the force of Attacks and giving him a small cut at different places. A notification pops up but Lu Tong dare not lose guard at this moment. Klink!! Klink!! Klink!! Lu Tong was beginning to lose the sensation of his hands as they went numb but The scene kept repeating itself for a few seconds before Mac went full berserk, leaving reign to his bestial nature. BOOM! The Red beast like aura exploded out like a hurricane as Mac''s eyes got stained pure red as he let out a Roar. ROOOAAARRR!!! <0:25Secs> Immediately the rhythm Lu Tong found was shattered as he was sent flying while coughing up blood just because he was hit by the air from the attack. A red like arc followed after Lu Tong forcing him to roll out of the way as soon as he touched the floor. Mac chased after him like a Hound as he continued to growl. With a Jump he lifted the great axe into the air, ready to swing down so Lu tong once again had to dive out of reflex but the force still tossed him further away which made him curse at him. <0:13secs> Meanwhile, As the other two were fighting Jules sat down in a lotus position as though debris and rocks were flying around him... . . . 4 seconds to go and Lu Tong slipped up, after all he was only human. Mac sent out another energy slash but this time it was Darker but fortunately Lu tong manage to use the trick to escape death once again. Once he got a sense of balance, he charged at the Berserker as the latter performed the same action. <0:4secs> a second before impact, Lu tong used choke on Mac,thereby silencing him for 2 secs and gaining enough distance between them but that proved to be wrong as Mac appeared abruptly before him with wide red colored eyes. Zzzzzrrrrrrr!!! The sounds of lightning attracted the attention of both parties, What they saw made them wear different reaction. Mac frowned while Lu Tong had wide open eyes that depicts how much shock he was experiencing. ROOOOOAAAAAR! Jules was floating mid-air. His eyes were shining Pale blue and A Thunder ape spirit beast roared behind before hugging him and vanishes , sharp fangs were now protruding from his lips. The wound on his Arm has completely closed up. [So that''s why he''s an eye...Spirit Beast!! He got boosted 10 levels now this is interesting! ] Lu Tong was relieved and excited at the same time. The Berserker had a toothy grin, while Jules was surrounded by dancing blue lightning. Age: 34 Level:LV 38 Class: Warrior(Intermediate) Profession: Assassin HP: 2980 MP: 1246 Great Axe and Jule''s sword collide. The two''s strength prove ¡ª¡ª equal. In fact, Mac is still slightly on top. "Not bad...!"He growled "GROWL" a bestial growl sounded out within Jule''s chest. Both of them glare at each other amidst a shower of sparks. Klink!! Klink!! Klink!! However, the next instant ¡ª¡ª a Chain breaks the equilibrium. "You!"Mac cussed out in his mind as he dodged by instinct but left an opening at his Side Jule''s sword stabbed straight between Mac''s ribs and punctured his Lungs, causing him to ROAR!! . The sudden movement breaks his balance. No longer able to properly receive Jule''s follow up attack, which sent him crashing into a far wall. Unfortunately for him, waiting on that side of that wall... was Lu Tong who followed up with a Choke that silenced him and all that was left before his eyes was the lightning filled sword attack of Jule''s. [NOOOOOOOoooooooooooooo...] Mac screamed in his mind. His head goes flying in the Air and silence embraced both of them. immediately after Series of system notifications went into a frenzy but Lu Tong kept on observing Jule''s and sizing him up. 6 Chapter 6: Clue Lu Tong silently laid sprawled on the Floor as he watched the Sky. Jules on the other hand Struggled to sit up as he stared intently at Lu Tong. "Thank you...that was dangerous " He said, This made Lu Tong look at him silently for a few seconds before replying with a laugh while shaking his head "This are the thrills of life". Juleshis eyes Widened before also joining in on the laughter. Ding! . Ding! You''ve been given a chance to leave what you do? *Fight: Reward :Lion Heart(uncommon). Lion Heart(Passive): This skill is a symbol of Bravery,Very few in the world are able to stand up to dangerous situations. It reduces the timer for Skill induced status effect and increases all stats by 5% when in battle mode. Evolution occurs at each tier. [Ooh! oh! Amazing! a Growth passive, That''s my first Passive Hahaha.] Lu Tong thought as he read through the description, And what he saw got him excited [ From the look of it...although it''s uncommon rank at the moment, by the time I advance further it would be Overpowered!] He Then looked at the last quest he got... Received Flash step skill Book. Flash step(Rare): This is a minor teleportation skill that ranges from 1m to 8m,it also gives 0.5sec immune toattacks except Blindness. Can be performed up to 6 times before going into a cool down period of 5 minutes. [This is just Godly! if used strategically I could be... ] As he was mentally making plans another few notifications popped up. Ding! . The One who surpasses the limit(locked): grants 0.5% stats boost... Defeat 2 Elites to unlock completely(1/2). Ding! Overjoyed couldn''t describe how he was feeling,He never thought that they would succeed. In fact, thoughts of running away had crossed through his mind but he had chosen to gamble on Jules. With excitement came worry as well, he doesn''t know what happened here in his old life as this incident occurred before players joined the game. Lu Tong couldn''t tell if Jules had survived then or died but he was sure of one thing, And it was that his actions today had changed something. Now The question is, is it for better or for the worst. After Series of contemplating, he decided to ignore the subject for now and focus on becoming strong beyond belief. [Speaking of strong, I have Enough Experience to advance to the next tier.] He suddenly remembered the notification and quickly opened his status. Name: Lu Tong Gender: Male Blood line: Lu / ???? Bloodline grade: Silver Level: 19(Next LV: 21000) Class: Warrior(Basic) Age: 18 and a half years Skills: Basic Slash(548/1000)LV5 Basic Thrust(893/1000)LV5 Basic Jab(1000/1000)Max Level(Evolve) Charge(206/1000) LV 5 Cleaver(1000/1000)Max Level(Evolve) Sneak(285/500)LV3 Hide(487/800)LV4 Skinning(12/300)LV2 Profession: None Title: Bastard(Unequipped), Barbarian(Equipped),Executioner 1(Equipped), Wolf exterminator (equipped) Hunter 1(Equipped). Hp: 920/920 Mp: 1150/1150 Hunger: 73% Thirst: 23% STR:40 WIL:20 AGI:50 SPI:201 BR:20 STA:35 COM: 12 LUCK: 5 Unassigned stat points: 0 Experience Points(91957) With a Smile on his face, he used 21000 exp to upgrade his level to 20 and a golden light gently burst forth from his body and lingered for a few seconds before returning back into his body. "What??! ...You are only now able to breakthrough from the Mortal rank??" Jules asked hesitantly like he was scared to know the truth. Lu Tong''s eyebrow lifted up as he was confused about what Jules said only for a memory to play in his head. So he thought [the game developers had once said that the basic way players gauged their strength through levels wasn''t the same as the NPC''s. In a real sense, This game could be considered a cultivation world and the Npc grow by absorbing essence or should I say mana for the mages and Qi for the warriors. with this thought, Am I a player or not? ]. While he was thinking, His outward appearance was as though he was in daze and he would tilt his head from time to time while rubbing his chin. A notification also kept blinking at the side of his view, so he clicked on it. Ding! Rewards: Class advancement Quest and Basic Class weapon. ___________________________________________________ "he... h... HEY!!... Are you okay? ... " Jule''s voice finally broke through to Lu Tong as the latter finally looked away from the interface while berating himself [F''ck! I really need to stop doing that, I''m not a player anymore so me staring blankly at empty air might affect their impression of me.] "I am fine..." Lu Tong answered hurriedly before focusing his attention on Jules. "You only Broke through from the Mortal rank a minute?...I c... hais...You''re pretty good,lasting that Long against a peak Expert of the spirit Realm, you even gained enlightenment." Jules was utterly speechless right now and could only sigh. Lu Tong on the other hand shrugged while lamenting about the fact that Jules already belonged to an organization and he doesn''t have anything to offer to tempt jules for the fellow to come under him. [such a shame... ] With a serious expression on Jule''s face he asked Lu Tong, "why are you looking for Domo?" Lu Tong narrowed his eyes as he watched the Man''s serious expression before deciding to tell him anyway, After all, It''s not like it was a huge secret, so he brought out the Machete. Contrary to his initial thought, Jules was utterly shocked and abruptly uttered "Wilbur!" while his pupils dilated. "Where did you get this?..." After Repeatedly checking on the machete, he was sure of his initial thought. Lu Tong was at loss as he did not expect such a huge reaction but he answered anyways, explaining how He was attacked by Chu palace''s scout Team while trying as much as possible to stay clear of the topic related to his House or family. "oooh... so that''s how it is... you are Lu Tong yes? " Jules said immediately after hearing the story, Earlier he had been looking at the strange movements of the Chu palace and found out about the missing party.so he investigated and found out about the Skirmish with The Lu family household. Apparently, Chu palace had returned to the scene and found the bodies of their comrades. Somehow they found out about Lu Tong and was enraged, So they placed a Bounty on Lu Tong within the Underworld. What was surprising was that instead of the family to help or something, they placed a generous bounty on Lu Tong. [It''s a wonder How he survived till now but his luck is Good as he seems to have some fate with Wilbur!] Jules thought as he gave Lu Tong a glance from the corner of his eyes. Lu Tong had brought the hood down and calmly waited for Jules to arrange his thoughts since he didn''t need to hide his face anymore. [ Wilbur had use this Machete to test fate. I can''t believe his gamble somehow paid off. well he had said something like....] "Do you know where Wilbur is and who is he? " Lu Tong quickly enquired and disrupted Jule''s thoughts. After a short Sigh, Jules answered "Wilbur is Mysterious Hermit, A retired Expert who wishes to move once he Fulfilled his dream and also an Acquaintance of mine. Although I wish to give you more information, I''d prefer you speak with him yourself to understand" Lu Tong looked at Jules skeptically but still wished to continue on hisQuest, "So where can I find him?" Jules answered lightly as he struggled to stand up, "Leave Brittle from the western gate,and then enter the Forest on the Right...The Strings would lead you to him" Lu Tong stared at Jules blankly, That location was a death trap from back in the game. A player Who enjoys exploring once wandered in there and triggered a quest for a hidden class when he found a random journal lying around. But that''s where the Night mare began,Puppet looking men in Black Ninja suits would ambush you repeatedly as you try to leave with the journal. The quest was to escape the forest alive because if you die you drop the journal and you can''t teleport with the item. The player who found the place was frustrated and opted to sell the information to the big guilds.but the Ninja puppets were just Evil,over and over people constantly died even as the players were in level 100s. But if his guess is right then,This must be the easy way out as the owner was still alive. Just thinking about the class that could hold such difficulty makes him feel giddy with excitement. By the time he came to his senses Jules already left while leaving a note. _______________________________________________ ________________________________________________ Lu Tong read the letter with a wry smile as he was called a kid again but he couldn''t blame them. He then laid on his back while looking at stars for a few minutes [I need to get a class to invest my Exp on it along with my class skills. Haaa... I need to be stronger and ready before the Houses Rebel and the empire is destroyed by civil war.]. putting the Hood back on, he thought of something while laughing lightly... [Let''s journey to the west!]. 7 Chapter 7: Master Wilbur After spending my night at an Inn, I travelled half a day by carriage before getting to this place. [So Much for the Best Horse in Brittle...Che... 5 gold coins...ah!] I couldn''t help but frown as I looked at the bald driver in anger. His wheel got damaged twice already and I can already feel the carriage wobbling again. Since I set out from that isolated city. By the way, I didn''t get to meet with the tailor again for more clothes and I don''t even have camping gear, since I left town as soon as I could. [All this because I didn''t want the man dying before I get there... haa] with a sigh I held onto the carriage walls to find some balance. [Whatever, it''s better than having to traveling on foot.] I listened to the middle-aged coachman who I had paid 5 gold coins to drive his crappy carriage, speak nonsense. "apologies My Lord... I think I would need to fix the carriage wheels, one more time..." The coachman said while wiping cold sweat off his face. "You... Haai... Just do what you want!" Once again another sigh escaped my mouth as I suddenly felt tired. As I waited,I began to watch the terrain, this was something I''d never do as a player but now this is my reality so I couldn''t help but appreciate it all. I then Noticed that The further you were from the Brittle while heading west, the sparser things became. In other words, the Farther you go from Brittle in this direction, the harder it was for people to live. It''s mostly because of the monster waves from the Forest. The situation only got worse since the Soldiers who''re responsible to hold them off were absent. I heard they were called to patrol the borders, which was another sign that war was coming. The monsters overflowed into areas not far away from Brittle City. This certainly had a serious impact on the kingdom''s Economy, Since merchants from the west had reduced in numbers. One shocking thing was that this waves were caused artificially. [Perhaps... George I can use that stuff later for my own benefit.] While I was deep in thought, the carriage made a stop with a loud noise. "Achaa©`, this is no good. Looks like...the left wheel is broken completely" The man said with a troubled face as he got down off the carriage. He said that it would take at least a day plus to repair it. "F*cking wasted my money!! tch..." This was even worse that I couldn''t help but cuss. "Fooking? ???" The coachman tilted his head strangely while having a "did he just cuss at me"look.l On the Bright side I could see the edge of the forest from here, So I decided to go There by foot. Not more than 30 minutes, I arrived in the Forest without too much Trouble and since I couldn''t even feel a shred of presence of any monster that I had encountered since I came to this world, not to mention Human. This was such a weird place that I would have confused it as "Tibet", Land of the wood elves that was located on the far side of the continent instead. This was abnormal in a sense. I tilted my head as my sight fell upon some Thin silver strings attached to the trees like webs. Then I simply placed a finger on a string, only to receive a Cut. As I stared at my bleeding finger, cold sweat fell down my back...[If I hadn''t been cautious, I would have been sliced to pieces without knowing the reason.] While I walked around slowly while calmly avoiding the strings, I took notice of an old man sitting cross legged on a big tree stump. His long gray hair was bundled behind his neck and his eyes were closed. [An expert...Look at the amount of essence entering his body!.] I couldn''t help but exclaim in my heart. Could he be the one who planted those strings. As I approached, the other party had spoken to me first. "You have strong presence, showing that you have broken through the Mortal rank but you are also like a blank slate that has no intent...?" The old man smiled as he opened his eyes, They were glowing blue eyes that seemed as cold as ice. He wore a black Hanfu shirt and white pants. " Welcome, young warrior...I must say you have good eyes, Most don''t make it without loosing a limb...Tell me Who are you??" [Could He be Wilbur?ah I have to introduce myself? Let me see... what kind of character is he.] I opened his status while introducing myself. ¡¸My name is Lu Tong. I came looking for Lord Wilbur!! ?¡¹ Age: 323 Level:LV 286(weakened) Class: Puppet Master(Legendary) Profession: Assassin, Blade Master, Alchemist... HP: ?????? MP: ?????? [!!!] Seeing his stats what''s utterly ridiculous to me. [His weakened state is in the upper strength of the 3rd update!...then how strong was he originally!!] My thoughts were all over the place and my eyes must have lost focus as The old man finally spoke with a raised eyebrow and a look of curiosity "Oh I don''t mind being admired but I must tell you that I have always not been interested in Men. What are you thinking?" "Sorry, It''s just that I was wondering if you were Lord Wilbur as I have a delivery for him" I said while bringing out the Machete, Immediately his eyes Flashed. "Hahahahaha, the heavens have eyes... Good good Good... Boy!, I go by many names but one that is known across the world is Wilbur the twisted!..." He said as he stretched out his hand and an invisible force pulled the machete out of my hands. Once Wilbur took The Machete from me, The weapon flashed a Blood red light before it''s shape changed from a Machete to a Saber, Then to a Dagger before it became a Sword. Wilbur silently weighed the sword in his right hand with a hint of Nostalgia in his face, slashing it delicately at the air with an Expert-like Aura, and as he did so, the reflection of the Sun danced warmly on the cold steel. The handle of the sword was bound with black leather, the hilt decorated yet understated, and the blade was Curved and had saw-like teeth at its base, just before the Hilt. I knew little about swords, but I was certain that Wilbur was beyond extraordinarywith just the simple but graceful swings he just took. A gentle Breeze flowed with each swing and a light riiiiiing! kept playing in my ears causing my hairs to stand erect,like a silent song to send you on your way. In other words, this old man was not a vegetarian. And he''s been waiting here for me to bring his weapon. "Boy...I see you have not trained an intent... you are beyond qualified to receive my legacy...would you want to be my disciple?? [By intent, He means class right?... hmm... That Machete had such functions???...] ____________________ Do you wish to be a Puppet master? Yes or No. _______________________ [Yes] I answered with my thought, and my body played out an animation. "This Disciple greets Master!!! " I said while kowtowingthree times. _________________________ Joruk(0/300): Add an extra Heart to your body, This increases your resource by 10% at level 1 and increases by 5% at every level increase. Doubles Your Health points x 2 +30 Focus (Unlock at LVL 3) (Unlock at LVL 5) (Unlock at LVL 7) (Unlock) etc. Nifty Fingers(¦µ): Adds 10% Accuracy in performance. +20 Agility (permanent) Weapon Mastery(¦µ) : You have a 30% growth rate for all weapon arts. 10% Damage increase when fighting with a weapon. _____________________ My Answer made Wilbur release a sigh of relief before he began to laugh. "Hahahah, no need for lies. you have a lot of work to do" And so My training began.... ____________________________________ Another week Passed just like that but so far I have made Progress. For real¡­. [Status] Name: Lu Tong Gender: Male Blood line: Lu / ???? Bloodline grade: Silver Level: 22(Next LV: 132000) Class: Apprentice Puppeteer Age: 18 and a half years Skills: Basic Slash(906/1000)LV5 Basic Thrust(1208/1500)LV6 Pierce(0/2000)LV1 Charge(807/1500) LV 6 Lightning Slash(200/2000)Max Level(Evolve) Sneak(831/1000)LV5 Hide(900/3000)LV6 Skinning(2562/3000)LV5 Joruk(431/1000)LV3 Nifty Finger(-) Weapon Mastery(-) Basic Sword art (4530/5000)LV 8 Unarmed Combat(2870/3000)LV6 Profession: None Title: Bastard(Unequipped), Barbarian(Equipped),Executioner 1(Equipped), Wolf exterminator (equipped) Hunter 1(Equipped). Hp: 2220/2220 Mp/Energy: 4080/4080 Hunger: 93% Thirst: 64% STR:60 WIL:40 AGI:70 SPI:201 BR:30 STA:65 COM: 32 LUCK: 5 Unassigned stat points: 0 Experience Points(109957) All this was done with pure practice, My stats built up slowly and occasional practice with Magic beasts in the Forest helped improve myself. I was skeptical at first when I saw the name, Thinking it was a Mage type of class but it turns out to be both. Apparently, This class requires me to be aware of my entire body before I can start it''s proper training. And I just reached that threshold today,Master Wilbursays that I am a once in a million years genius because of how fast I was improving but I know that it''s because I have a User interface like a player. Master Wilbur seems to be getting weak by the day as I can feel essence, continuously leak off his body. "Let me see how far you have come with your sword, well? what do you say?" Master Wilbur interrupted my thoughts with his words. By sword,he means the heavy wooden sword I am carrying about. I slowly unsheathed it from my waist. But Wilbur stuck out his left hand in front of me. ¡¸I''ve said it before learn to battle without a stance. it makes you unpredictable, yes it is hard but it''s worth it. The old man, while waiting for my confirmation, showing that I understood. Then he unsheathed his Own wooden sword as He seemed pretty motivated but he didn''t attack me. Then, I''ll just have to do it. I Charged toward Wilbur. [ A wild stance....good good¡¹He Thencurved his wooden sword in an odd angle which in turn messed up the trajectory of my sword. ¡¸Then, what about this¡¹ Before I knew it, Wilbur''s sword tip is already an inch away from my nose. Fast!...Cold Sweat rolled down my face and my Palm Began to sweat profusely. This may prove to be an opportunity. Having this oldteach me how to fight, it''s like dream come true. . ¡¸Very well. Just for a while, I''ll be in your care.¡¹ I lowered my sword , and slightly bowed my head to Master Wilbur. He in turn brought down the wooden sword, and stroked his beard.. ¡¸ Ah Fate .Rather than die of age, I wished that I can teach you everything I know Who would''ve known, the perfect chance actually came knocking on my door. and I still am useless Haas... luckily I had written all my experience and insight within this journal.¡¹ Master Wilbur said as he passed me a thick backed journal "Err...is there a way I can help you in the remaining 4 days left you promised "I asked, Master Wilbur had said that he only needs to weeks to shape me up, so I want to find a to repay him before the time is over. "That won''t do...no need!we only have four days left?? . Then let''s start the training now" He yelled out in surprise. Leaving his Wooden sword behind, the old man attacked me bare-handedly. I managed to catch the fist, but it was so heavy that it knocked me back several steps . This old man was too good, we are talking about 4 times my stats. What a waste that he is dying. "Ho?,how about this?" He attacked me again, this time employing acrobatic moves. That wasn''t a move that a normal aging old man could do! Afterward, I ended up "training" till sunset. I noticed something about this joruk skill, apparently it increases recovery speed. that''s how I was able to keep up for so long. I wonder what he''ll train me in tomorrow¡­ While I was thinking about that, Master Wilbur seemed to be surprised while inspecting me , although it''s only temporarily. "Could it be..." Then he began laughing "I see you have already developed your Joruk! , interesting... Hahaha good Good good... hahaha" He said. "yes? " "Tomorrow! you train twice as hard, hahahah" "Master!... That''s not a laughing matter, you know" While the two of us began bickering... I began gathering materials to prepare dinner... 8 Chapter 8: Wilburs Story As Master Wilbur guided us to his plain cottage made of bricks. I couldn''t help feel a bit awkward as I had imagined crazy theories on what it would look like. "Hmm? , Why do you always have that look when you look at my house?."Wilbur asks as he noticed my face. "It''s just that I always had been wondering what you were doing here?" I asked in a cautious manner but to my surprise, His next reply took me unaware. He stopped his steps and stared at me with a serious expression "to be honest, I Came here to die". It was now my turn to have a serious expression, I couldn''t Rap my mind around this even though my gamer mind was telling me that I was about to receive a Quest, I just didn''t have it in me to be happy. "Hoho? it seems My words have put you in a bad mood" He then continues his steps while stroking his grey beards, "Don''t let that bother you. I have come to terms with it...after all, I''m already over 2 centuries old" "I... I see..." I absentmindedly stuttered a reply. After regaining myself, I chased after him in a hurry while saying "I don''t Understand, Master Wilbur...". In which he paused and slowly turned around to face me. "Hmm?... What don''t you understand?, Oh! I see! Come!" He said calmly as he opened the door with a slightly downcast look on his face before it was quickly hidden once more. "It was a long time ago When I was still travelling, I had searched far and wide for a disciple until I met a Talented boy, He had broken off from his mortal self at the age of 10. His Name was Cao Li . Like me, he gave off the aura of a solitary warrior who only believe in his own strength. He protected his village with that strength, against a Bandit group. He decimated them without mercy, so I took interest in him." Master Wilbur said while laughing. " After seeing him slay The Bandit again and again, My interest only continued to increase" Wilbur said " And then I took him as my disciple, Although it seemed troublesome, I guess it wasn''t that bad . It was a good way to spend time, rather than just waiting there for my plans to fall into place." Wilbur Spoke as he slowly began to brew some tea. "I had trained him from the very onset out of curiosity, Thought the way of cultivating the Joruk... It boosted his Qi reserves and some other benefits but before I could get any deeper,he was already blinded by greed and plotted against me." Wilbur said with a bit of melancholy before taking a sip of his now complete herbal tea. "The Chu palace..."Wilbur literally spat out the Name with venom, which shocked me out of my daze as began thinking [This Name again... it seems this faction has a hand in many shady activities...I need to be careful with them] "Cao Li was promised something in exchange for my Journal and the cultivation method of the Joruk Heart, to which he readily gave but had to find a way to get my journal. I became suspicious of him the more he asked about it until one faithful night where I was ambushed on all sides after being poisoned by Cao Li and in the end I was injured by the Dragon Icy palm Technique of the Chu palace Patriarch" Wilbur''s face became slightly pale in anger as he thought of that day . [Then How did you manage to escape?]I thought about it for while but came up with nothing. As though he could read my mind he said with a Laugh "This Old man had to be shameless and bring in a few friends Hahaha" "Oh?... so you agree that you can be shameless... So what happened to those ''friends''?". I asked after teasing him a bit, trying to ease up the atmosphere but for some reason this only seemed to have made him look like he had aged by decades. [Could it be that they are dead or something?] I began to mentally berate myself for messing up. But Master Wilbur simply sighed softly before answering my question "I lost them that day...and the Chu patriarch, That old monster''s ice poison has affected my life essence." after hearing that backstory, Though contradictory I can see why he was in a hurry to find his successor. Once your life essence is damaged in this game. You keep on losing your health till your regeneration can''t keep up...The only cure available work only on Players,the Priest class in the mage path reaches above the advance realm and learns the spell. Wilbur then looked at me with a serious face. "It is but a selfish wish of mine. I just wanted to leave behind my legacy through you. Can you at least fulfill this old man''s wish?" [A legacy...That''s right the class I am training for Is a hidden class, A legacy!!] As I contemplated on his words, A quest window popped up and I once again feel my now Npc blood boil in Excitement. Ding! : Complete your training with Master Wilbur and become a Puppet master.(Your performance would decide the Quality of you class type). (78% to completion) Rewards: Master Wilbur''s Book of insights(Journal). Blue Grade Silver Threads(Rare). Additional rewards would be added depending on your final results... (3 days left.)> "You don''t have to worry about me, I will cultivate well to make you feel proud." I solemnly said as I looked at Master Wilbur''s Serious expression while feeling a bit guilty about feeling good about his situation in a way. . ===== The next day, Master Wilbur was yawning relaxingly under the shade of a tree as He fanned himself slowly with a Black Hand Fan. That I couldn''t help but Envy him Because there are only two days left and Master Wilbur had been training me since early in the morning. Guhaa!!... I got hit several times Before being sent flying out of the puppet formation...Again!. Master Wilbur had used his Silver strings to control close to 4 wooden puppets in combat. Apparently the strings have a weaker attack power then the so called threads. "You cannot afford to look away...ok?,Here''s a hint Feel the flow of the strings...in fact feel the air.! Humph! I''ve not even used the silver threads yet. if I did you would not even be able to see anything at all... what would you do then?!." Master Wilbur yells as he waved his black fan . "This... , why can''t you make it a little slower? We are going way too fast, I won''t be able to grasp anything unless you go a little slower." I protested!...[I''m not some masochist, what kind of Stuff is this! Sh!t!!] "humph! , you are doing just fine...after all you even had the opportunity to space out in battle...Tch lazy youth! Besides, It''s not like there is an enemy out there that would ask you what level of speed you want before the beginning of a Fight is there? ." He quickly spoke as his left fingers started moving once more, as well as the wooden puppets. [Although fighting bare-handed had been proven the best way to control ones stats, The debuff that comes along with stacked up injuries on an Npc are a bit ridiculous... Haa Players really have it good.] Mr Wilbur had said simulating a tense situation would improve the training quality, That''s why he used the practical method rather than teaching me orally and in turn he made the Puppet hit so hard that I felt I''d die. But I suppose it really worked in a way. Since my body was forced to react without giving me a chance to think, it autonomously controlled the stats usage accordingly to meet the demands. +3 Agility... +2 Strength ... +3 Stamina... The training went on till the sun was above our head.. "your form has improved a little. you are getting better and better, so the next phase of training would be much earlier than I expected. You are doing good." He says as he stroked his his beard. " your movement has gotten a bit better" "It''s all thanks to Master''s teachings..." I quickly flattered, Hoping that he''d have mercy on me and end today''s training. "Humph... Nonsense... Oh!... Nice one Ooo...you got me there". I blocked a Puppet''s fist, dashed in, and striked with my right Elbow, Totally knocking it off balance when I sent another punch at another puppet while hitting each acupoint in it''s body...there by the strings attached to it dissolved. This took me by surprise! Wooden Puppet Lv 11 Durability: ??? Strength: ? Magic: ? Spirit: ? Agility: ? Ability:? "interesting!...But know this, whatever you just did won''t work on Human veterans. you need to work on it,I see it has potential."Master spoke as he nodded his head in a knowing manner. "Alright, That''s enough for now,rest for a bit and I''ll add one more wooden puppet." Master Wilbur suddenly declares. "haaaa... yeeees" To which I gave a weak reply. But I learned various things. This kind of things really pumped up my stats Especially... And now I completely understand the importance of This training. and I''m sure this would someday prove useful in the right situation. And Then On the last day, Master Wilbur decided to teach me Silver string techniques. However, it was only the basics since time was limited as he seemed to be rushing for some reason. Stance, Control, defending, he taught me the style that had been passed down to him. "Your stance is too wide. your body movements have to be fluid like water and...haa... what do you think you are doing??!!..lower your posture.]He continued to Breathe on my neck as I continue to fail!. "like this?"I cautiously adjusted my posture while asking. "Haa?...what are y.... Not like that!!" It seems his patience finally ran thin As he smacked the back of my head. PAAAA!! He then showed me the actual stance in front of me. I thought that it''s the same¡­..Disallowing even a slightest difference, He uncompromisingly taught me the finer details of the stance while saying that after I mastered it, I could change it to what ever I wanted. 9 Chapter 9 &10 Following Wilbur''s example, I tried to adjust myself to the stance once more. "What about now?" I said while stroking his white beards he said with squinted eyes "Hmm, much better. Try lowering your center of gravity a little, The Idea is to be aware of your balance in whatever position you find yourself in." This is a bit hard to control. I slightly lowered my Hip "There. Let your body memorize this posture, till you are able to do it even when you are in other postures." Hearing his reprimand, I could only Sigh "Haa..." Amusement could be seen in Master Wilbur''s eyes after feeling satisfied with my progress. "it has only been a short few days, but you take everything like a sponge. I''m glad I was able to give you guidance hahaha. You may not be qualified as a Puppet Master yet, but I already taught you the basics. It''s up to you to train it everyday after this. If you aim for the top, you''ll find this experience to be useful in the future." Master Wilbur said as circled around me. "Master, to be Honest I still see how all this is connected to being a puppet master...!please forgive my ignorance" I quickly stated. Master Wilbur smirked at me and laughed before saying "Hahahahaha... Forgive my poor naming sense as well,I only felt it is more fitting than what my predecessors called it." "And what was it called before?" " An ''Onalphyss''...It''s to exert Dominance over anything and everything, To Control with your Will!!.The One who started this path was a Demon called "Mangral", He jotted down all his insights and so did the one after him. Until it got to my turn, now it is yours." He says while passing me his Journal. : Complete your training with Master Wilbur and become a Puppet master.(Your performance would decide the Quality of you class type). (99% to completion) Rewards: Master Wilbur''s Book of insights(Journal). Blue Grade Silver Threads(Rare). Additional rewards would be added depending on your final results... (40 minutes left.)> Ding! <#1 A strong body isn''t enough¡Ì(Hidden chain quest) : You have Completed the first Basic steps of being a Puppet Master.> +6000exp +40 Will power <#2 My Will is your Bond?¡Ì : You have completed the basic control of your body, Now you are to build the foundation for your soul. (completed) Spirit stat is over 200. +9200exp +40 Spirit . <+2 to all stats after every level up > The series of notifications shocked me a bit and also made me understand something.To recieve the class in full, there were "hidden quests". Which means without completing them, I might as well be going about with trash. [Evil!...is this how people got there hidden classes?... no wonder they became monsters in the end.] as this thought crossed my mind, the second notification popped up and rendered me speechless. I had always wondered why my spirit was already in three digits but now that I think about it, it''s highly likely that it has something to do with my reincarnation. On the bright side, with this I completed another quest with ease. [Status] Name: Lu Tong Gender: Male Blood line: Lu / ???? Bloodline grade: Silver Level: 22(Next LV: 132000) Class: Apprentice Puppeteer(Onalphyss) Age: 18 and a half years Skills: Basic Slash(906/1000)LV5 Basic Thrust(1208/1500)LV6 Pierce(0/2000)LV1 Charge(807/1500) LV 6 Lightning Slash(200/2000)Max Level(Evolve) Sneak(831/1000)LV5 Hide(900/3000)LV6 Skinning(2562/3000)LV5 Joruk(431/1000)LV3 Nifty Finger(-) Weapon Mastery(-) Heart strings Lv 1(0/5000): Connects Strings from your joruk to an item of your respective skill tree (0/2). Number of items increases as the skill level increases. Domain Lv1(0/5000): Gives the user minor control over what happens within 5x5m of him or her. insidious whisper Lv1(0/5000): affect the mindset of any one with a lower will and spirit for 20secs. (cooldown: 40secs). It''s effect depends on opponents spirit and will. Basic Sword art (4530/5000)LV 8 Unarmed Combat(2870/3000)LV6 Qi blocking fist technique(800/2000)Lv 1 Profession: None Title: Bastard(Unequipped), Barbarian(Equipped),Executioner 1(Equipped), Wolf exterminator (equipped) Hunter 1(Equipped). Hp: 2220/2220 Mp/Energy: 5000/5000 Hunger: 43% Thirst: 84% STR:95 WIL:80 AGI:70 SPI:280 FOC:60 BR:60 STA:85 COM: 44 LUCK: 6 Unassigned stat points: 0 Experience Points(178957) Anyways just that, I learned the basic of a puppet master. I was exhausted because other than the period needed for sleep and eat, I poured every little time I had these past few days for training. Master Wilbur who had taught me should''ve also felt tired. But he didn''t show it when I looked at him¡­. instead he was quietly looking around with caution. "Well well, you will leave tomorrow morning, yes? too bad it seems we are not alone anymore" He said calmly. [Hmm??? some kind of story progression?] I thought. "Is the Chu palace is even more terrible now that you don''t even have little courtesy?. oh well I suppose it''s not so surprising if you think about it. "Master Wilbur suddenly spoke to no one in particular. Wilbur silently walked toward his tree stump and sat down before using his fan to fan himself. with the silence, his back looked somewhat lonely. in fact I suddenly had a bad feeling as I got into a fighting stance. Although it''s only for a fewdays, he did make me his disciple. Also, at the end of the day, it''s the disciple duty to follow the path of their Teacher and protect them if possible. [Teacher for a day, Teacher for life.]The proverb Ran through my head as I scanned the surrounding. ===== "at this old age, to think I would visitors trooping in from left to right makes wonder...My apologies, to interrupt your sneak attack..how rude of me!. Now Come, Attack to your heart contend. Feel free to get extra People, hahahaha" Wilbur thundered, clearly getting annoyed with whatever or whoever he was talking to. Still there was nothing but eerie silence that enveloped us. ButThen, Wilbur turned toward Lu Tong and stared straight at him. [Fate bringing him here might be a sign . This is my last chance to correct the past. Cao er] _______________ __________________ In that moment the quiet had become like icy drips onto already cold skin. Cao Li stopped his steps, ears straining as he inspected everything incase there was a trap. He was never like this, like some scared Child. he turned around, eyes taking in every detail, seeing things he''d never had the call to notice before. His last encounter with his Master was now a Heart demon to him and he intended to Kill him today, in other to free him self.The moment he found this location, He brought several elites under him just to slay this Monster of a Man. As he looked at the anxious faces of those who had fought him before,he was sure they were like him. Afraid! Cao Li then spotted the Youth who has been receiving training from the Monster. He looked to be 19 years old, Black flowing hair and smooth fair skin, Obviously from a Noble House but that didn''t matter. The youth''s sword like brows were furrowed as his sharp eyes darted all over the place. "Hehehe. Wanna play?" Wilbur said as he stepped out from behind a Wide Olive tree, Just next to Cao Li. [F*ck! when did he move?!] Cao Li quickly placed a barrier around himself before jumping in different direction. Chaos ensued as his group scattered temporarily while cussing. Cao Li inspected himself and found a crack on his barrier, his face immediately lost all color. The Scar on his Back and lower jaw seemed to be throbbing. Wilbur''s hands were empty but given the sudden Appearance and aura that seemed to be coming from all around, Cao Li knew this was it, this time Master was going all out and he too would have to give his All. "Little Tong, Even if I lost my Joruk...Let this useless Master show you how an Onalphyss fights." Wilbur Bellowed as an otherworldly Aura escaped from his body like a Tsunami and his White hair flew around wildly. Lu Tong quickly looked through their Status Age: 323 Level:LV 286(weakened) Class: Puppet Master(Legendary) Profession: Assassin, Blade Master, Alchemist... HP: ?????? MP: ?????? Danger rating: Unfathomable . Age: 46 Level:LV 135 Class: Taoist Master(Rare) Profession: Alchemist, Con Artist... HP: ?????? MP: ?????? Danger rating: Extremely Lethal Age: 33 Level:LV 116 Class: Monk(Evil) Profession: Poison Maker... HP: ?????? MP: ?????? Danger rating: Extremely dangerous. "Below us!" Cao Li yelled abruptly,pulling Lu tong''s eyes from the User interface. [All the Enemies are supposed to be seen in the second update...this] Everyone reacted to the sound and jumped. However, only few made it in time. "AAAARGH!!!!" "UuORGH!!!" Many screamed as they fell over and Their legs were gone When the others landed, they took defensive postures, but some of their feet were already entangled by something that appeared to be thin strings. "Are these¡­..The Strings?" Someone asked with a stutter. "they are just steel threads diffused with magical power..." a newbie said as he cut the threads with his sword and prepared for the enemy attack. "Don''t..." Cao Li tried to warn but ended up too late. The string sucked the qi within the sword like a starving wolf before forcefully drilling itself into the poor lads body. not long after the body turned into what looked like an electrocuted corpse while everyone else sucked in cold breath. "don''t use mana or Qi when cutting them, Use the talisman I had given to you all and get into formation" Cao Li who seemed to have calmed down quickly gave orders. Turning his gaze to where Master Wilbur stood watching them with an Amused smile , they had already taken their swords and cut off the string before stared at the Monster they were needed to subjugate. There was no indication of a presence now. However, they could see the Old man standing alone not too far from them. While his feet were making dull thuds while tapping his feet on the ground, he appeared to be watching a play and nothing here was of his concern. The man looked unarmed and He carried not a single weapon. However, if one looked closely around him, you can see the threads that reflect the sunlight. The threads were drifting freely in the air as if it were alive. "Be careful, He is manipulating those steel threads." the one named You Xi called out, as they confronted Wilbur. Looking at the scene, Cao Li was hit by a feel of nostalgia. He remembered how they had first me till this day. "Master changed¨CYou grew old while the Patriarch still remains the same." He muttered. And as though Wilbur heard his words, he frowned and his steel threads spread out with the speed of light. The steel threads were glowing in the sunlight. Relying on that glow, The Group tried to avoid the entangling strings. key word being ''Avoid''. What was troublesome wasn''t its speed but the low visibility, unpredictability and the number of strings itself. Despite using just five fingers, Master Wilbur manipulated the threads many times the number of his fingers. And those threads were attacking them from all sides. Their angle and attack timings were nasty. He predicted their movements and blocked their escape paths. Moreover, as the directions from which they could evade were limited due to their numbers. Lu tong stared on with wide eyes and a skill name popped up in his head [Domain?... is this the true ability of Domain?.] The strings had longer reach than swords, so the enemies pulled out talismans that formed barriers around them. this temporarily stopped the threads as they charged towards Wilbur. The strings have longer reach than a sword. They can''t attack unless they can close the distance, which they did. after all since the beginning of the fight, they couldn''t even move one step closer to him. Now as they got closer to him, Wilbur''s fingers moved in an odd manner so all the strings seemed to merge with several others and struck the barriers. And Instead of them to be repelled, The barriers shattered and they were sent flying backwards. Within the space of a few seconds, the man has already completely dominated this area once again. He still hasn''t moved a single step. Just by manipulating the strings using his fingers, he has them running about trying to escape its range. They looked like puppets being manipulated by his threads. "Everyone, retreat." Cao Li roared. In response to the instruction, the others reacted immediately and went outside what they thought was the range of the threads. If they stay inside, they would only exhaust themselves. If they don''t have a method to attack him, the situation won''t change. Cao Li and You Zi looked at each other and nod their heads. It seems to be true. Lu Tong Noticed this and quickly checked on Master Wilbur''s status. Age: 323 Level:LV 198(weakened) Class: Puppet Master(Legendary) Profession: Assassin, Blade Master, Alchemist... HP: ?????? MP: ?????? Danger rating: Extremely Lethal. His stats are reducing!, Could this be the Backlash of one losing his Joruk? his essence are escaping fast!. Naturally, this was what the Duo were waiting for as they quickly put a red colored pill into their mouths. To manipulate dozens of threads and precisely predict and guide people''s movements. That is something that can''t be done unless you possessed a certain amount of skill but it was taking a toll on him as he didn''t have his second heart to support him. Cao Li knows many that are stronger than Master Wilbur presently but at the same time, he knew his Master''s strength at his prime. Suddenly the Duo started glowing red as smoke discharged from their pores. Age: 46 Level:LV 200(Temporary) Class: Taoist Master(Rare) Profession: Alchemist, Con Artist... HP: ?????? MP: ?????? Danger rating: Extremely Lethal Debuff: Unstable Age: 33 Level:LV 200(Temporary) Class: Monk(Evil) Profession: Poison Maker... HP: ?????? MP: ?????? Danger rating: Extremely dangerous. Debuff: Unstable. You Xi was the same. Only now did Wilbur''s face change,as he Noticed the Aura coming from the Duo. Right now he knew he was in danger, He looked at Lu Tong and smiled before placing his right hand behind his back and continued to deter the rest with his left before attacking the Duo. "Come!" He said not moving a step. With his eyes cold as ice and his heart filled with determination, he just looked down on the Duo from his spot. [This was my last battle anyway...better not look bad infront of my new disciple.] He didn''t have the confidence that he could deal with this two Now, plus Cao Li still had his Joruk. But Withdrawing is not an option. in the next moment¡­Wilbur slightly moved his finger. At the same time, a thread wrapped around You xi''s neck While Cao Li charged at him like a wild bull. "ARRRGH!!!" Several Paper talisman flew out from his sleeves and glowed before charging at Master Wilbur, To which the Latter had his strings Roll up in form of a shield to block it. BOOM!!! BOOM!!! ... For the first time Wilbur was pushed back by a step and Lu Tong could see blood almost flowing from his mouth before swallowing it back. In an attempt to help,Lu tong noticed that he was unable to move at all, Looking closely at the thread wrapped around him, he noticed that it was extremely thin and very hard to see. The strings they have seen up until now were the only ones that people were allowed to see. [Don''t tell me, from the beginning...¡­he knew he would lose? ]Realization donned on him as he stared at his Master''s back. "Yes...from the beginning." Wilbur said with a laugh as though he could read his mind. his expression distorted due to the sadness and also anger, he kept telling himself that they were just pixels and digits but it still didn''t change the way he was feeling. He had always had the problem of easily getting attached to people. [Aah it Hurts!... I hate this] he glared at The figures fighting. You xi was now free and joined Cao Li in attacking. Strength At that moment, Wilbur moved... the right hand that had been unused moved but it wasn''t for attacking. he pointed the finger in Lu Tong''s direction. SWOOSH!!! Something rushed at him from the front. so Lu Tong gritted his teeth and closed his eyes. "Haaaaaaaa!!" Wilbur roared as his Mana became Wilder. his stance didn''t waver,he blocked again with his left as He pulled a finger on his right hand lightly. something then wrapped around Lu Tong''s body and his mind went dark. Naturally the Duo were stunned before Cao Li roared with a Grunt, "Kuh¡­STOP HIM!! The Journal!!!" However, Wilbur seemed to have tightened the strings and everyone couldn''t move for a few seconds, his laughter filled the air "HAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHA!!! ." He then expressionlessly said. "You Lose!!." With those words, his hold on them was released and he began to cough up blood."*Cough*,* Cough*" Despite his cough, He continued to as Cao Li glared at His men who chased in the direction Lu Tong was pulled to. "Tie him up." You xi said as he pointed to the coughing old Man. "¡ª¡ª¡ª!" 10 Chapter 11: Upgrade!!! Good day guys and Sorry for the really late Chapter. This Chapter is kind of am info Dump in order to give you more of Idea of what to expect. Thank you! Chapter Starts now.... _______________________________________ Two hours after the attack, Lu Tong suddenly woke up as if there was an emergency, as if sleeping had become a dangerous thing. His heart beat ran fast along with a buzzing in his brain. Only now his brain felt like it was running on a flat battery, He now felt like he was hungover, but not from drinking, but from the nightmares that demand solutions. As he rouse from his heavy slumber, he''s first took note of the coolness of the air and it''s loamy fragrance. But the moment he tried adjusting himself,He found himself falling. Thud! <-60HP from fractured Rib and Ankle bones... -20% Movement Speed> "Ugh!...ow!! ...Fuck!" He cussed. The ground felt lumpy as if he was on a bed of earth and rocks. his clothes felt as damp as a flower in the dew of the dawn, so he looked all Messy with leaves and dirt sticking out in odd places. Now He couldn''t help but half wonder if he wasdreaming as he sat up with much difficulty, to take in the shafts of light that burst through the gaps in the leaf canopy above. Buk!!!... "Ouch!!...What now?!!" Lu Tong couldn''t help but yell as something that felt like a thick Book fell over his head. Now he was awake, perhaps more fully awake than he had ever been. There are no paths around him and no sign of any other person, so He turned to his assaulter and examined it. No Further information on it and from the look of things,he couldn''t open it for some reason. This made him frown slightly as he remembered what had happened Earlier but decided to put it at the back of his mind and chose to figure out where he was for now. As far as he could tell he was alone with the birds who make their carefree song around him, and in that sweet melody he began to even feel more unease. The bare branches spiked into the sky - no sign of life to be found anywhere besides this strange birds. There were also small sounds of rustling bushes and the howl of the wind. From the Entire description of the surrounding he knew that it wasn''t going to be a peaceful journey. "The Forest of Setaroth!!" His raspy voice finally squeezed out as his pupils dilated. He was leagues away from Brittle City! and he was on a Level 50 Map no less. <+40Hp...Medium Fractures Healed> He Quickly picked up a HP potion along side a Status effect clearing potion from my inventory, He drank both without hesitation while ignoring the bitter Herbal taste. Unsurprisingly, he felt he was gradually getting used to the taste of potions this days. Fully healed, He began to recollect what The Map "Forest of Setaroth" was like as he investigated his surrounding. This was the first "Resource Zones" to be unlocked in the Game as well as where Most of the gaming would be after the ''Descent'' that begun version two, It was a Huge Map That held several Kinds of Beasts and resources. Mines filled with Ores and Mana Nodes, It also holds Numerous Mystical Stone Tablets that belonged to an Ancient civilization used in setting upAn ''Enclave''. Of course with all this resources, This Place became anything but peaceful. Unfortunately, They would be unaware of what is to come in V2. As player levels increased and their various factions began to grow, They would need resources to maintain Power to even grow stronger and not suppressed by the NPC lords. At level 20, Players are said to have broken through the Mortal rank. From LV21-LV25 is Called Bridge of Essence, To the NpC, this realm is mostly strengthening the Body and connecting oneself to the World''s Qi. From then On, LV 26 to 40, what one levels up is actually ones class till you are mentally Balanced (LV40) which is called Minds Realm. (A/N: For Example, when a pugilist gets to Lv 25...They would now be able to invest exp into their classes instead of how it had been in the beginning.) Then from LV 40 up one would need spirit stones to level Up further until the Max Level in Version one (LV50) by merging everything into one, once more. Now Where do you get Spirit stones?, Mana Nodes!, and where do you get Mana Nodes in version one?. "Forest of Setaroth!" This forest was also the real spark that pushed forward the Civil War or rather it had been a Small Clan in the North of the Empire, that is the ''Ye Clan''. According to the Lore, The patriarch of this House Was a Greedy Man and was a part of the Rebel Faction. The Clan had found a Meteorite at the center of Setaroth and On getting there, They noticed it gave off a powerful Energy signal that was different from Natural Qi. The patriach''s greed set in as he Felt that he was able to absorb and cultivate this Qi. Quickly ordering his men to move it, They found something else. Deep within The crater made by the meteorite, Laid a Hole that looked like something had drilled into the Ground. This Patriarch''s eyes shined as he once more ordered his men to dig, At the end they found the First Aegis which he used in building himself a City fortress within this Forest. More importantly, The Forest had Mana Nodes and would become one of the most fought after Resource in the future but that''s a Story for another day. There was another thing about this place that made it extremely dangerous. Being in the forest at night robbed you of one sense and heightened the others. It was disorientating to be almost blinded but given the ears of a wolf. Even the soft susurration of the branches felt heavy in the ears. The sense of smell was sensitized, the loam in the earth and the decomposing leaves made the atmosphere close and thick. The Darkness could nurture a sense of claustrophobia inside you even though the woodland stretched unbroken for miles, If you are not careful. narrow paths, which were made uneven by the knotted roots that crossed it, branched at intervals. There was no map to follow, unless you had explored the Area, bought a map from someone who has one or own the territory, aside from that, the map on User interface would be useless. In all,The place was too undeveloped presently and extremely dangerous. The Beasts isn''t your worst nightmare in this Forest. [I have a lot to do before Night fall...I don''t even know where in Setaroth I woke up, so troublesome!] Lu Tong finally came to a Conclusion while grumbling before opening the Task page with his interface. * Food * Investigate present Location * Grind for Exp * Shelter * Study Journal As he was done inputting what he felt he needed to do first He Noticed a Strange Humanoid hanging oddly on the same tree he just fell from. [I''m guessing that''s what was used to bring me here... ] He couldn''t help but mumble as a huge wave of melancholy hit him once again. Ding! : Complete your training with Master Wilbur and become a Puppet master.(Your performance would decide the Quality of you class type). (100%) Rewards: Master Wilbur''s Book of insights(Journal-Legacy Item). Blue Grade Silver Threads(Rare). Completion Grade A+ Additional rewards : Wilbur''s Mask(Epic)> _________________________________ "Purple Equipment!!!" Lu Tong said with a voice containing both shock and excitement. "HAHAHAHA!!" he laughed hysterically, While slapping his Thigh but soon felt gloomy as he thought of his Master''s predicament. He quickly wiped the tears that threatened to fall while muttering "Shameful". With a sigh he looked at the item. It looked like it was only covered the face, smooth on it''s surface with only two holes made for the eyes while being completely white. Name: Lu Tong Gender: Male Blood line: Lu / ???? Bloodline grade: Silver Level: 22(Next LV: 132000) Class: Apprentice Puppeteer(Onalphyss) Age: 18 and a half years Skills: Basic Slash(906/1000)LV5 Basic Thrust(1208/1500)LV6 Pierce(0/2000)LV1 Charge(807/1500) LV 6 Lightning Slash(200/2000)Max Level(Evolve) Sneak(831/1000)LV5 Hide(900/3000)LV6 Skinning(2562/3000)LV5 Joruk(431/1000)LV3 Nifty Finger(-) Weapon Mastery(-) Heart strings Lv 1(0/5000): Connects Strings from your joruk to an item of your respective skill tree (0/2). Number of items increases as the skill level increases. Domain Lv1(0/5000): Gives the user minor control over what happens within 5x5m of him or her. insidious whisper Lv1(0/5000): affect the mindset of any one with a lower will and spirit for 20secs. (cooldown: 40secs). It''s effect depends on opponents spirit and will. Basic Sword art (4530/5000)LV 8 Unarmed Combat(2870/3000)LV6 Qi blocking fist technique(800/2000)Lv 1 Profession: None Title: Bastard(Unequipped), Barbarian(Equipped),Executioner 1(Equipped), Wolf exterminator (equipped) Hunter 1(Equipped). Hp: 2220/2220 Mp/Energy: 5000/9500 (5000+4500) Hunger: 32% Thirst: 54% STR:95 WIL:80 AGI:70 SPI:280 FOC:60(+50) BR:60 STA:85 COM: 44 LUCK: 6 Unassigned stat points: 0 Experience Points(216918) _________________________________________ After confirming his status He decided that since he didn''t have enough Exp to push himself to level 25 in one go while stuck here, he would rather level up his skills for now. First thing he did was to level all the skills he got from Wilbur. Joruk(101/11500)LV 10 Heart strings Lv2 (0/10000): Connects Strings from your joruk to an item of your respective skill tree (0/3). Number of items increases as the skill level increases. Domain Lv5(0/30000): Gives the user minor control over what happens within 25x25m of him or her. insidious whisper Lv5(0/30000): affect the mindset of any one with a lower will and spirit for 30secs. (cooldown: 8 secs). It''s effect depends on opponents spirit and will. *Basic Sword art (¦µ)LV 10 Max(Evolve): This allows the User to get basic Understanding of the Sword. +40% Damage when fighting with a Sword. *Unarmed Combat(¦µ)LV10 Max(Evolve): + 40% damage when fighting Unarmed. (That doesn''t mean you are made of steel) *Qi blocking fist technique(¦µ)Lv 10 Max: This technique is used to Block the opponents Acupoints in order to disrupt Qi flow.Rate of blockage depends on Opponents level. +5% chance to stun opponent(Stackable x5). When the stun stacks up to 5 times, there''s an 80% to paralyze opponent. Duration depends on Overall battle power. +20% chance to slow opponent (Stackable x2) Now he only had 91918 Exp points, He decided to stop there for now and began to Equip all the Equipment he had received from his Quests. 11 Chapter 12: Movement part 1 Lu tong skillfully went through the forest, moving nimbly through the gap between the trees towards the unknown. He moved immediately after Retrieving the Puppet from the Tree even though it seemed broken. He sort through the things he could get a hold of, and now he had to find shelter. After all, Setaroth was filled with danger everywhere, like Soldiers of any family probably mining and patrolling in the area ormonsters, anything alive here is way too powerful for him at the moment so It would be quite stupid to take pointless risks. He went passed a small valley all the way to the northwest of where he had been standing, while avoiding several hidden monsters. He soon spotted an abandoned Cave in the distance not too far away and walked towards it with hurried steps. . "Oh!... Nezex, Nice!... I''m not to far from that fate stone!" On getting to the Cave, He found a two sets of bones that looked like a couple hugging each other. It''s just that the one beneath the two seemed to have been beheaded, so he looked around and sure enough he was right as a skull laid not too far on the ground. He looked around once more and decided to bury them immediately. He began to dig out a hole that would contain the two bodies, He quickly returned to the cave as soon as he was done. Inspecting the cave once more and checking his inventory, He found out that the only thing that counted as food for now was dried bread and little water. Sadly, it would have to do for now as he really wanted to see what was up with the journal. He calmly retrieved the Journal from his inventory along with the Puppet he found earlier and set them down in front of him while sitting in a lotus position. Firstly, He picked up the journal and began inspecting it. He tried flipping the pages but it didn''t budge, so he brought it closer to his eyes to inspect it. It''s back and pages seemed to have been made of Brownish red leather Skin, it had an intricate design of an eye at the center of a Moon. Within the iris of the eye was a tiny pin like object. To his surprise, when he tried to pull out the pin,it didn''t budge. Instead, in the process of pulling he ended up pricking his finger. "Ouch!" Hum!... Suddenly, the Journal began to vibrate making Lu tong to look at it further. It was then he noticed a small drop of blood at the tip of the Pin. Immediately, he figured that this was one of those items that usually need your blood(HP) in order to activate. It meant that he could make use of a little blood andobtain control!, he was beginning to worry that it was an item that made you gather materials to slowly unlock. While sitting, he checked his logs once more: There was no doubt that Lu tong needed more than 5hp to unlock. when He looked at the new Bar by his quest log, he noticed that it had just gone up to 0.1%. He wasn''t sure how much (HP) he would need to put in this for it to unlock as such, he quickly pulled out all his HP potions and got in a position where he could easily gulp them down should anything happen. Keeping this journal for a long time without use could only lead him to a disaster as that would just be stupid. he prepared his mind and Decisively pushed his finger onto the pin. "umph...!" immediately, the journal began to suck on his blood like a hungry ghost. His notifications kept popping up like crazy but he wastoo focused on his pain. -12 -12 -12 -21 When his screen started flashing red,He began to drink his Health potions with urgency. ... At about 2 minutes later, the Journal stopped taking his Blood but even then Lu tong was utterly speechless due to the ridiculous amount of his HP it took. After summing it up from the log, He found out it had take a little over 5000hp points to complete the Blood contract and he had exhausted his HP pots except for the last superior Health potion. _______________________________________ *Superior Health Potion: Restores 1000 HP point instantly and heals you with 300 HP point over time (15 secs) x 1 _______________________________________ HUM!!!! With one last Shake that seemed to Rock the cave a little while the journal gave off a bright red light that lit up the entire cave. after the light faded, He got the long awaited notification... The so called ''essence'' Must have been stored here by Master Wilbur, Lu tong couldn''t stop himself from smiling like a Cheshire cat before his face warped into a sad smile. [Ah idiot...!] After berating himself, he proceeded to admire his gains. The stored up essence took him straight passed the whole bridge of essence realm (level 25)tothe point his mind Realm(Class Tab) was beginning to flash.(Author''s Note: Like I mentioned in the previousChapter, At this point, one begins to level up their class (Mind)after leveling his body to the peak.) When He Tapped the flashing point, The essence kept pushing forward This continued till it finally stopped at level 30!. [Don''t tell me that this Old man was pushing the essence leaking from his body into the journal... I don''t understand!! He could have at least left a note or something] Immediately, the pages of the journal flipped dramatically until a picture of an odd looking Tree appeared before his eyes as he nodded Calmly with a low sigh. The tree was short but it had massive roots that went deep into the ground. "Hmm" Indeed, Every class had a talent tree, This was one other major thing that increased the diversity between people. and it seems that the NPCs have a a different way of looking at theirs. As mentioned before, There are different paths for each class and even player avatar. As he studied the talent tree, he noticed that the tree started from the trunk which was him before moving down to one major root before breaking up to three directions. "Haai... another place to spend Exp... hehe" Lu tong couldn''t help but mutter as I remembered why the game was said to not allow rest for too long as you are always in need of EXP. There are two ways to get Exp,it was either through meditation or monster hunting, ofcourse players preferred the latter. By carefully reading through the skill tree he found out that the name of The first root of the tree was . Just like its name suggested, It helps control of the strings by increasing the accuracy, flexibility and power by 15¡ë at Max level before you can get access to the next roots. Since he had extra Exp he decided to start investing in his talent tree. he maxed string control and almost immediately, the three other roots lit up. it could now be leveled. * Automaton master *Weapon specialist * ????? Just this point alone made Lu tong Confused. * Automaton Master : A branch of the Onalphyss that improves control over Automatons. *Weapon Specialist: Death from a distance, A branch of the Onalphyss which allows strings to be turned into a weapon based on the level. *?????: ...Tomortals, destruction...in C?l?mity...". [Great...this part seems bugged] He thought while staring at the Journal intently, [But from the little I can gather from the instruction...it seems to be the path the founder had created and remains the most powerful.] After some thought, He couldn''t help but smile... [If my leveling style was exactly like that of the NPC''s instead of that of player... Iwould have been scared of testing it. But it seems to have become a mesh of the both of them] "I''ll Try it out now " He spoke out loudly before pushing Exp to the others. ___________________________ Forest of Setaroth ______________________ South of the central plains, Wu Clan,Wu Juxing''s battalion. Wu juxing, second Son of the Wu family patriarch Wu Lao, He was stationed in Setaroth along with his Third brother. He had Raven Black hair tied up neatly into aponytail with a Crimson Band but had become messy due to the wind. Earlier this morning, It was reported that they had found Mythril ore within one of the Clan''s hidden mines. Immediately, he set out with his men at the break of dawn. he Followed a worn out path through the Ocean of grass for about six hours, infact Wu Juxing and his NPC army were slowly getting tired but this news wasn''t something he could postpone right now. After all, He had to confirm and send a corresponding report to his father in the capital if necessary. Besides, if it was left unchecked ,news would spread quickly because of those mongrels. Luckily, they had finally spotted the mining base "Vegalux" and increased their speed. The crimson banner with a black eagle in flight at its center waving in the wind, Junxing smiled as he hurried through the gates accompanied by his fifty riders. one of His retainers with the remaining 150 were divided into two groups and proceeded to scout the surrounding. Junxing was utterly impressed by the way the guards in the fort carried themselves, it was utterly different from two months ago when he was here. Infact, The way the place was guarded and built spoke volumes of it''s importance to the Wu family . Conveniently,there seemed to be no problem of communication in chain of command in this place. Immediately, Although with rough breaths, The Captain appeared before Jumping. Temporarily putting his thoughts aside and Finding no inconvenience in the Mining Fort beyond the visible Weariness caused to the miner by the presence of Their Young master, Junxing requested exactly what brought him here. "How long has it been been since it was found? and how much does this newly discoveredportion have" Wu Junxing quickly questioned. "thirteen hours, Young Master, Enough to equip the entire Wu clan twice, if not more. the downside is that with the amount of miners here, it would take about a year and a half to do that ." The Captain replied without missing a heart beat. "In other words, if I wish to make it happen in half that time, I need more people?!" Wu Junxing said calmly as he stroked his rough looking goatee and staring at the Captain. "Yes s... Young Master!!" a New voice suddenly replied. The one who impetuously replied instead of the captain was a young man with Black hair, emerald green eyes and a sword like gaze, If Lu tong was here to see this youth, he would have been shocked. When Wu Junxing saw the Captain glare in the young man''s direction, he followed his gaze and finally noticed that the youth was wearing a Sack like attire which signified that he was a miner. Junxing couldn''t help but Scowl. The other guards including the Captain were extremely worried when they saw Junxing''s Reaction. "I would Retire to my prepared chambers, Bring me the report for the last two months" He finally spoke, totally treating the young man as Air as he calmly walked away. Unlike the rest, who had their heads bowed, The Youth whom although bowed silently watched Junxing leave. "Such a Fool,You were asked to stand outside!! How did you get in here without alerti...Tch... perhaps your a spy,this efficiency can turn against us..." The Captain Yelled in an enraged manner, disrupting the youths thoughts. "I-I ...I" "Silence!!!!.... seize Him!!" He ordered not giving him a chance to speak. The youth was taken by surprise, it was the first time he had been placed in such a situation!. A big ''Yes sir!'' was shouted by the several Guards as the youth was Grabbed and taken away. _________________________________________ After five hours of hard work, Junxing was now relaxing on a black wooden chair as he tried to rest his eyes for a bit. "Now that you''ve finished Young Master, it''s time to get back to our main objective, Ye clan is moving." After those cold words that showed no emotion and didn''t seem to be directed to anyone in particular, A shadowy figure slowly showed itself close to the Lamp. "It''s only natural , especially now when the struggle for which family is to lead the rebellion. What are they up-to." Wu Junxing who was supposed to be asleep suddenly spoke as well. Among the little over a thousand NPCs in the Wu clan, there were eight that stood out notoriously above the others. Three of them were the sons the patriarch who were well known among the players and the one who possessed a remarkable efficiency in all aspects was Wu Junxing. Each of them were quite capable of managing even the slightest aspect of the army, no doubt this must be something inherent in them because of their status as Commander class NPCs. As for the other five individuals, these were the Elders and patriarch of the clan, whose existence only increased the mysteriousness of the Wu Clan and it was only at the end of Version one, people confirmed their existence. "Several troops marched out of their fort Gate and headed in different directions." The shadow spoke calmly. "Wait a moment , why would they do that?...hmm,did you have someone follow at least one group?" Junxing could not understand. [Why make such big moves now.] he could not understand the idea, "If they come here, they will get information about us which they could then hand over to others or use, so Why?! . And the slightest amount of information might tip the scales in their favor, we are undoubtedly the most disadvantaged in the eyes of the Men... or could he have seen through our plans?" "that''s impossible to say, let my men look into it first!" "Well, I guess your right, stay alert in the camp and keep the soldiers ready for any sudden change of plans. If there are no problems, we will depart in two to three days." "Understood, Young Master!" 12 Chapter 13: Movement 2 A Young man who looked to be 27 years old walked with quick steps along with an escort of eight soldiers and two who seemed to be adept in magic. They got close to a village surrounded by an open plain and a few farms around the entrance, Standing there was an old Elderly man. As they approached, The elder performed a gesture for them to keep silent before taking them to a large wooden building, which probably served as some sort of temple for the village, The youth and his group were arranged in what seemed to be the best chairs in the place. Though with some discomfort, the elder, two more men and a red-haired boy not older than seventeen, took a seat in front of the group. Both the soldiers, as well as the mages who served as escorts, refused to take a seat and in their place, they limited themselves to mount guard on the doors and windows of the place. "A-as I mentioned before Master Ye, I don''t think it can be possible." The Elder said exasperatedly, partly due to the insensate request from the Ye clan recently. The Youth''s name is Ye Feng, right hand man to the Young Master Ye Rong from the Ye clan. Right now, The Young Master was trying to assimilate the surrounding Unaffiliated villages close to the clan in preparation for the Rebellion. Only 3 villages have left them hanging with their response. He could imagine that prior to this meeting, the villagers had had their own meeting with Ye clan as a central theme. However, he could only guess at what was said at that meeting. The reality though was that He was overestimating the intelligence of the villagers. They had not held a meeting, they simply left everything in the hands of this elder. It was impossible to blame him for such a mistake, despite his vast knowledge of the happenings of Setaroth thanks to his fondness for Information handling, he was unconsciously unable to accept that what he read from his report was absolutely true. The villagers were that and only that, simple men and women whose main concern was to survive the day to day, any problem too complex, they preferred to leave it in the hands of another, that is how primitive feudalism was born. "All right, as you can see, we are not gonna force you but when the chips are down and you lack the protection at the time, don''t come running to us then." The old man, like his companions, smiled uncomfortably at Ye feng''s words. Far from the intimidation caused by the escorts, the villagers seemed mostly concerned about the unusual Threat. The only thing that prevented the elder and others from convincing themselves that the idea in their minds was a reality was Raven''s gaze. A cold look that seemed to see through their souls. A firm voice devoid of the faintest trace of empathy, and the irrational sensation that it projected. Although it was difficult for him to understand the intentions of the Young Man in front of him, the old man, determined to offer him everything in his hands, replied in as much detail as the nervousness allowed. "I understand." "To the south, about two days'' walk is the walled city of Caard belonging to the Wu clan, to the west, about four days'' journey is the Fort Zoc under the Wang Clan. To the east, about four days walk from here you will find Fort Geki which belong to the Shi clan... you are the closest to Each of this forces and the first to be raided in this vicinity". The list kept piling up one after the other making the villagers complexions to pale. "And the north? is the Ye clan...hence we intend fortifying our boundaries while taken in those who are willing" Ye feng Continued. "M... Master Ye, May I ask what is in store for us if we were to accept the offer...we already know our part is to offer men as soldiers and we are to pay tributes as well but what do we expect from you?" After a short while the Elder responded. Although the old man''s nervousness did not diminish in the least. "What aside from protection would you expect...?" The Youth stated in disdain. For a couple of seconds, the old man lost his breath to what he just Heard. Although disappointed, He chose to say nothing Because this protection was in the best interest of the whole village. He deliberated for a few seconds before responding hesitantly "Fine, we''ll agree to your terms" Hearing this Ye Feng simply smiled before stating "It''s good that you understand, We''ll be sending down some men to take care of your defense. Meanwhile, I expect that you gather the young men like it was requested by Young Master Ye and send them to the Household." The Elder watch him leave with his group, there''s nothing he could do at this point, A disaster had already started brewing and no one could avoid it. Ye feng took one last look at the village as one of his Guards brought their Horses,"Quickly!, lets return before Nightfall...you don''t want to be outside by then and so do I. Haaa!!" He finally said as they all left at full speed. "Yes Sir!!" ... Same time, Northwest of Nezex. [You found the Deathly hollows] [Knowledge ¨C Geography +1] [Knowledge ¨C Geography (Deathly hollows)]: Somber and desolate. It''s a rather complex terrain. There will often be some terrifying creatures roaming about in this kind of environment. Lu tong stopped at the entrance of the area, silently comparing the path with the one in his own memories to see if he went off-trail and also viewing his now updated map that showed the way back to the cave. He needed to return back there by nightfall, no one likes to experience nightfall in Setaroth. Best not be out in the open, they always said. Besides, there is something that he needs to do in the Area called Nezex. He was quite lucky on the way here. Apart from a few ignorant and easy to slaughter goblins, he didn''t meet any notable monsters. This was due to the fact that Hall Mountain Range was relatively safe. However, the Deathly hollows were different. That place not only had all kinds of nomadic races living inside, but also quite a few criminals and monsters. This place was very suited to hiding and as a result there were some strongholds here, gatherings of numerous fugitives from the surrounding cities and Forts. Regardless of where they are from, all rogues would find their way to this region in Setaroth. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. There were also man-eating plants that could eat a person whole without leaving a trace of blood, unknown venomous snakes able to kill you in a flash, unusual insects, and other things. But Lu tong didn''t plan on going into those deep areas, his target was the outer region. after making up his mind, he quickly brought up his status; [Status] Name: Lu Tong Gender: Male Blood line: Lu / ???? Bloodline grade: Silver Level: 30(Next LV: 422000) Class: Apprentice Puppeteer(Onalphyss) Age: 18 and a half years Power Rating: 4400(2400+2000) Skills: Basic Slash(906/1000)LV5 Basic Thrust(1208/1500)LV6 Pierce(0/2000)LV1 Charge(807/1500) LV 6 Lightning Slash(200/2000)Max Level(Evolve) Sneak(831/1000)LV5 Hide(900/3000)LV6 Skinning(2562/3000)LV5 Nifty Finger(-) Weapon Mastery(-) Joruk(101/11500)LV 10 Heart strings Lv2 (0/10000): Connects Strings from your joruk to an item of your respective skill tree (0/3). Number of items increases as the skill level increases. Lion Heart(Passive): This skill is a symbol of Bravery, Very few in the world are able to stand up to dangerous situations. It reduces the timer for Skill induced status effect and increases all stats by 5% when in battle mode. Flash step{Rare}Lv 1(0/10000): This is a minor teleportation skill that ranges from 1m to 8m, it also gives 0.5sec immune to attacks except Blindness. Can be performed up to 6 times before going into a cool down period of 5 minutes. Domain Lv5(0/30000): Gives the user minor control over what happens within 25x25m of him or her. insidious whisper Lv5(0/30000): affect the mindset of any one with a lower will and spirit for 30secs. (cooldown: 8 secs). It''s effect depends on opponents spirit and will. *Basic Sword art (¦µ)LV 10 Max(Evolve): This allows the User to get basic Understanding of the Sword. +40% Damage when fighting with a Sword. *Unarmed Combat(¦µ)LV10 Max(Evolve): + 40% damage when fighting Unarmed. (That doesn''t mean you are made of steel) *Qi blocking fist technique(¦µ)Lv 10 Max: This technique is used to Block the opponents Acupoints in order to disrupt Qi flow. Rate of blockage depends on Opponents level. +5% chance to stun opponent(Stackable x5). When the stun stacks up to 5 times, there''s an 80% to paralyze opponent. Duration depends on Overall battle power. +20% chance to slow opponent (Stackable x2) Profession: None Title: Bastard(Unequipped), Barbarian(Equipped),Executioner 1(Equipped), Wolf exterminator (equipped) Hunter 1(Equipped). The One who surpasses the limit{Special} (locked): grants 0.5% stats boost... Defeat 2 Elites to unlock completely(1/2). Hp: 3450/3450 Mp/Energy: 10000/10000 (5500+4500) Hunger: 78% Thirst: 64% STR:105 WIL:80 AGI:70 SPI:280 FOC:80(+50) BR:60 STA:85 COM: 44 LUCK: 6 Unassigned stat points: 0 Experience Points(0) ... He had just closed his status window, when suddenly an enraged grey scaled Bear roared at him while knocking down trees. The bear angrily roared, stood in full length attempting to intimidate this human that was standing before him. But it was ineffective. ''Troublesome¡­'' Lu tong shook his head and stared at the creature. This creature was one of the most commonly used as a spirit beast for warrior classed players. It boosts both strength and stamina there by giving more health, The Thundering roar skill that comes with it is a good debuff skill that causes few seconds of disorientation for the Target. Warrior players tended to abuse this skill despite its long cool down of 5 minutes. Imagine getting Ganked*by 2 or more warriors with this skill, if your not able to dodge its trajectory which was in front of the user or guard against sound attacks, then you''re finished. Lv32 Grey scaled Bear Hp: 10000 Mp: 600 Skills: Thundering Roar: Disorientates the target for 3 seconds while delivering 700 dmg points. Charge: Dashes in a straight line of 7m while knocking up it''s target. Invunerable: turns user into stone for 8 seconds, making the user immune to all damage but is also unable to attack. With an amused Expression, Lu tong said calmly "Yep, same thing, those pesky skills...well Since you''ve chosen to be my first sparing partner, who am I to refuse" . *(A/N: it''s a term used to refer to when multiple players join hands to attack a single target) 13 Chapter 13: Testing... The Grey Bear Roared as it charge at Lu tong , while the Latter calmly prepared his steel Threads. The hearts within him continued to beat in a serene manner as he spread out him arms. The Lion heart passive kicked in, boosting his stats by 5%. as the Bear got closer, The two glared hatefully at each other as the world seemed to slow down. then ¡ª¡ª¡ª. "ROOOOOOAAAR!!!!!" The Bear crashed Into Lu tong violently, making it''s eyes show disbelief, Lu tong only move back by half a step, just with his stats alone. He wished to test how stats worked for Npc''s and with the overall power boost from his Mask and Lion heart passive, He could say he was not far from being an Elite Npc himself. The Bear swiped down once more with it''s claws But Lu tong again didn''t try to avoid it, He instead made The strings wrap around his fore arms as he set a form of Guard against the Blow. Dum!!! ''Not much of an impact huh'' Lu tong thought silently as the Bear successfully retreat in caution. The Domain skill is rather interesting, it slows down my target but increases my strings attack speed by 0.75% every successful blow till the maximum of 8 stacks. This had proven useful in the previous clash. Immediately, The Bear continued its attack on Lu tong, clearly enraged that it couldn''t hurt him Earlier. Lu tong continued to dodge easily with the Domain skill still active when The Bear suddenly stopped. [¡ª¨CWhat!?]The Bears expression seemed to say. Surprised that his movement has been stopped mid stride, it struggled to move it''s limb but couldn''t . Only the sound of something rubbing against each other could be heard. krr! crrr! krrr! String were restricting its movement, like a spider web, The Bear followed the direction of the Threads with its eyes, all the way to Lu tong''s finger tips. Lu tong click his tongue in amusement. "who knew bears could be so expressive". The Bear''s magic power suddenly gathered as it reflectively used its immune ability out of fear. "I see that the reactions of creatures are still life-like as always. clearly this bear doesn''t have much battle experience, so it made a rookie mistake." Lu tong''s expression distorted behind the mask as he smiled in a sinister manner. [I can clearly see everything! within this domain! it''s like adding eyes to the back of my head but there''s still a strain on my focus.] Lu tong once again started attacking the Bear as it retreated. the Bear was clearly upset that it''s immunity skill didn''t remove the restrain of the strings, so it tried to seize the wires with it mouth , but it never seemed to touch. [It''s useless!! everything you try to do is visible to me.] The Bear retreated, and Lu tong chased after him. the Bear''s breath has become rough , it stared at Lu tong viciously. ''I can''t say I''m disappointed...got to test most of my skills but I don''t have much time... its almost night fall'' the Bear''s body was covered with innumerable small wounds. Certainly, it was able to see all of the strings. However, being able to see doesn''t mean it can dodge it all. Lu tong''s wires were like a spider web, once you are caught you won''t be able to escape. It was a formation that lead his prey around and seal its movement, even Lu tong was a bit surprised by its efficiency. He was initially going with the flow but as time went on, he continued to make adjustments. Lu tong composedly walk toward the now trapped Bear. His strings already sealed its escape route and movement before it knew it. At the next moment, Blood burst from Bears''s flesh as Lu tong clenched his fist. The steel wire wrapped around the Bear and bit into it''s flesh. the Bear howled in pain but it still stared at him. Lu tong''s finger moved and the steel wires cut through the air, releasing the Bear from his hold. At that moment the Bear''s opened it''s eyes wide in surprise, but instead of running away it charged straight at Him. It felt like it was looked down upon and got enraged, its earlier tiredness was nowhere to be seen. ROOOOAAAAR!!!!.... Lu tong side stepped out of the way and his elbow already made its way to the Bear''s Jaw the moment it turned around. [Graaaaa!!.] [Like I said...inexperienced] He mercilessly continue his assault on the staggered Bear. His fist penetrates the Bear''s stomach when he added Qi to his Punch, what follow was a drop down hammer kick on it''s head. The stomach of this Creature was its stomach, same rule applied even when warrior players used it as their spirit animal. Lu tong''s continuous strikes didn''t stop there. Using his fist, elbow and knee to attack, each time it received those attack Damage numbers kept appearing on his User interface, allowing him to review what does what and its effects. the Bear tries to retreat desperately and escape the storm like attacks but its most trusted skill was still on cool down. Due to the bears resilience and thick skin, the unarmed combat effect did little damage, it''s body recovers quite quickly once the damage has been done to his body. It was only the 0.2 sec stun effects that stopped it from breaking away, so it was waiting for the storm to stop and retreat ¡ª¡ª. Unfortunately Lu tong just kept on trying different combos. Each step he took sealed It''s escape, the blow he unleashed rendered where ever it hits powerless. everything was already calculated, as he kept recalling each of his master''s teachings and his body moved. Doing so,He continued his one-sided assault. That scene is already like an endless torture but he soon put his index and middle finger together, before proceeding with practicing his chi blocking skills. blood splattered from the Bear''s mouth and made a stain on floor while it groaned. little by little the strength and speed of Lu tong''s attacks became more consistent. While he was having Fun, a notification soon popped up in his view Thud!! Surprised, he could only stare blankly as the Bears body dropped on the floor with a loud thud. [Eh...I overdid it]Lu tong muttered as he stared at the loot at his feet before picking one item that caught his attention. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. -Gray Scaled Bear Battle spirit(Common) Holding a fist sized Orb in his hand, He smirked before tossing it into his inventory. He then looked at the time below his mini map. {16:34 pm} ''I need to head back before I start losing my senses.'' He thought as he turned back towards the cave he came from. 13 Chapter 14: Testing... The Grey Bear Roared as it charge at Lu tong , while the Latter calmly prepared his steel Threads. The hearts within him continued to beat in a serene manner as he spread out him arms. The Lion heart passive kicked in, boosting his stats by 5%. as the Bear got closer, The two glared hatefully at each other as the world seemed to slow down. then ¡ª¡ª¡ª. "ROOOOOOAAAR!!!!!" The Bear crashed Into Lu tong violently, making it''s eyes show disbelief, Lu tong only move back by half a step, just with his stats alone. He wished to test how stats worked for Npc''s and with the overall power boost from his Mask and Lion heart passive, He could say he was not far from being an Elite Npc himself. The Bear swiped down once more with it''s claws But Lu tong again didn''t try to avoid it, He instead made The strings wrap around his fore arms as he set a form of Guard against the Blow. Dum!!! ''Not much of an impact huh'' Lu tong thought silently as the Bear successfully retreat in caution. The Domain skill is rather interesting, it slows down my target but increases my strings attack speed by 0.75% every successful blow till the maximum of 8 stacks. This had proven useful in the previous clash. Immediately, The Bear continued its attack on Lu tong, clearly enraged that it couldn''t hurt him Earlier. Lu tong continued to dodge easily with the Domain skill still active when The Bear suddenly stopped. [¡ª¨CWhat!?]The Bears expression seemed to say. Surprised that his movement has been stopped mid stride, it struggled to move it''s limb but couldn''t . Only the sound of something rubbing against each other could be heard. krr! crrr! krrr! String were restricting its movement, like a spider web, The Bear followed the direction of the Threads with its eyes, all the way to Lu tong''s finger tips. Lu tong click his tongue in amusement. "who knew bears could be so expressive". The Bear''s magic power suddenly gathered as it reflectively used its immune ability out of fear. "I see that the reactions of creatures are still life-like as always. clearly this bear doesn''t have much battle experience, so it made a rookie mistake." Lu tong''s expression distorted behind the mask as he smiled in a sinister manner. [I can clearly see everything! within this domain! it''s like adding eyes to the back of my head but there''s still a strain on my focus.] Lu tong once again started attacking the Bear as it retreated. the Bear was clearly upset that it''s immunity skill didn''t remove the restrain of the strings, so it tried to seize the wires with it mouth , but it never seemed to touch. [It''s useless!! everything you try to do is visible to me.] The Bear retreated, and Lu tong chased after him. the Bear''s breath has become rough , it stared at Lu tong viciously. ''I can''t say I''m disappointed...got to test most of my skills but I don''t have much time... its almost night fall'' the Bear''s body was covered with innumerable small wounds. Certainly, it was able to see all of the strings. However, being able to see doesn''t mean it can dodge it all. Lu tong''s wires were like a spider web, once you are caught you won''t be able to escape. It was a formation that lead his prey around and seal its movement, even Lu tong was a bit surprised by its efficiency. He was initially going with the flow but as time went on, he continued to make adjustments. Lu tong composedly walk toward the now trapped Bear. His strings already sealed its escape route and movement before it knew it. At the next moment, Blood burst from Bears''s flesh as Lu tong clenched his fist. The steel wire wrapped around the Bear and bit into it''s flesh. the Bear howled in pain but it still stared at him. Lu tong''s finger moved and the steel wires cut through the air, releasing the Bear from his hold. At that moment the Bear''s opened it''s eyes wide in surprise, but instead of running away it charged straight at Him. It felt like it was looked down upon and got enraged, its earlier tiredness was nowhere to be seen. ROOOOAAAAR!!!!.... Lu tong side stepped out of the way and his elbow already made its way to the Bear''s Jaw the moment it turned around. [Graaaaa!!.] [Like I said...inexperienced] He mercilessly continue his assault on the staggered Bear. His fist penetrates the Bear''s stomach when he added Qi to his Punch, what follow was a drop down hammer kick on it''s head. The stomach of this Creature was its stomach, same rule applied even when warrior players used it as their spirit animal. Lu tong''s continuous strikes didn''t stop there. Using his fist, elbow and knee to attack, each time it received those attack Damage numbers kept appearing on his User interface, allowing him to review what does what and its effects. the Bear tries to retreat desperately and escape the storm like attacks but its most trusted skill was still on cool down. Due to the bears resilience and thick skin, the unarmed combat effect did little damage, it''s body recovers quite quickly once the damage has been done to his body. It was only the 0.2 sec stun effects that stopped it from breaking away, so it was waiting for the storm to stop and retreat ¡ª¡ª. Unfortunately Lu tong just kept on trying different combos. Each step he took sealed It''s escape, the blow he unleashed rendered where ever it hits powerless. everything was already calculated, as he kept recalling each of his master''s teachings and his body moved. Doing so,He continued his one-sided assault. That scene is already like an endless torture but he soon put his index and middle finger together, before proceeding with practicing his chi blocking skills. blood splattered from the Bear''s mouth and made a stain on floor while it groaned. little by little the strength and speed of Lu tong''s attacks became more consistent. While he was having Fun, a notification soon popped up in his view Thud!! Surprised, he could only stare blankly as the Bears body dropped on the floor with a loud thud. [Eh...I overdid it]Lu tong muttered as he stared at the loot at his feet before picking one item that caught his attention. -Gray Scaled Bear Battle spirit(Common) Holding a fist sized Orb in his hand, He smirked before tossing it into his inventory. He then looked at the time below his mini map. ''I need to head back before I start losing my senses.'' He thought as he turned back towards the cave he came from. 14 Chapter 15: 1st Persona Nezex(Cave) 17:20 Pm Within the Cave, Lu tong silently gazed at his talent tree. Pugilists focused on strength and combat, and they practiced the art of Qi. Some of their skills included [Qi Burst], which is self-explanatory, and [Dash], which allowed instantaneous dodging of attacks. Although Pugilists practiced and employed different kinds of teachings and techniques, all of them were centered around the use of qi. Mages and Taoist Masters were far more unique, including several other classes with different resource pool, Each of them possessed different kinds of supernatural powers respectively. Through leveling up their talent tree, their control over their powers would increase: power, speed, control, etc. Of course, two people with the same superpower might not necessarily use them in the same ways. For example, not all Pryomancer would be able to emulate each other''s feats and applications of flame Magic. _____________________ * Automaton master *Weapon specialist * ????? ¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥ Lu tong looked at the talent tree once more and quickly selected the third option which quickly expanded before him. Each skill depicted different Humanoid creatures, this were all talking about different kinds of humanoid puppets and its characteristics, like the maximum distance you can control it from. ''But first I have to know how to craft them first'' I thought as I opened the journal once again. Immediately, columns of texts and complex diagrams flashed across on his face. _____________________ Advanced knowledge detected. [Advanced Material Composition] Use 200 experience points to learn. Y/N ¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥ "Yes!" He began to grow dizzy as all the knowledge on the screen started to transmit into his brain. _____________________ Learning in progress, do not cancel. 1%... 12%... 37%... ¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥ Although the entire process only took a few seconds, it felt much longer to him. Suddenly, He flung his head back. The ''upload'' had been completed successfully. _____________________ Success! You have learnt [Advanced Material Composition], unlocking advanced Puppet talents! You may now choose one of the following three advanced Puppets: Taoist, Pulgist, or Monk, or you can spend 12,000 experience points to merge them all into one. ¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥ These were the first three puppets available in the third skill tree, and choosing one was an irreversible decision for your first puppet as it would be the base for all your future works. Taoist specialized in long-ranged bombardment with spells and Charms. Pulgist, on the other hand, allows you to employ advanced combat techniques with your puppet to fight at close range. the Monk, simply has a little of both while allowing to be much more tank-like. "I can only imagine what this hidden class would have been like, if someone succeeded in getting it in last life." Lu tong said out loud as he flipped to the next page. each skill were exclusive to each base puppet type, so choosing either path would mean forfeiting the ability to create many higher-level puppet unless you merge them all into one. "haa!...I''ll have to grind for the exp tomorrow while searching for materials" He sighed while gently resting his back. _____________________ Suddenly, the interface lit up, reminding him that he had yet to create a persona on his mask. Only then did he remember he was wear a plane White mask, looking like a slimmer ''Jason''. Without hesitation, he chose to create a persona and he was pulled into the character creation page of the game but without the limit placed at the beginning, so he could edit till his heart content. For his First slot, He chose to create an old man with pure white hair and beards, tired looking eyes with a stern expression on his face. this made it look to be around his 70s-80s. he then Adjusted his bones and skin tone before viewing it with different lightning and attire before pressing complete. _____________________________________ Now there was an Old man standing in place of him, dressed in a Dark Blue Hanfu. "Now I look like stern Grand pa next door"Lu tong couldn''t help laughing at the thought. Although it looked like he was just wearing an ordinary Hanfu, He''s gear and accessories were simply hidden. all this were bonuses from the Mask. ¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥ \u003cWilbur''s Mask(Epic): A Master piece made with the Ballistic Spider Queen''s silk. It was made by Master Wilbur at the peak of his assassin Career. (upgradeable) Effects: +13% critical Hit rate +50 Focus +2000 to Overall Power +4% intimidation +2% Charisma Skills: *Master of disguise: This skill allows the User change his or her looks to an already created persona within the Number of Slots. (1/4) Curse: Upon Death of the Spider Queen, She had placed a curse on the Silk or any material pulled out of her. Effect: Unable to pull off until the Unique grade. Materials: *Superior spirit stones x50 * Griffin Feathers x10 *Golden Blood essence Bound to Lu Tong. ____________________________________ He quickly looked at his status immediately as the effects activated. [Status] Name: Lu Tong Gender: Male Blood line: Lu / ???? Bloodline grade: Silver Level: 30(Next LV: 422000) Model: NPC ( Countdown to Beta: 98 days, 8 hours \u0026 23 minutes)(NEW) Class: Apprentice Puppeteer(Onalphyss) Age: 18 and a half years Power Rating: 4400(2400+2000) Skills: Basic Slash(906/1000)LV5 Basic Thrust(1208/1500)LV6 Pierce(0/2000)LV1 Charge(807/1500) LV 6 Lightning Slash(200/2000)Max Level(Evolve) Sneak(831/1000)LV5 Hide(900/3000)LV6 Skinning(2562/3000)LV5 Nifty Finger(-) Weapon Mastery(-) Joruk(101/11500)LV 10 Heart strings Lv2 (0/10000): Connects Strings from your joruk to an item of your respective skill tree (0/3). Number of items increases as the skill level increases. Lion Heart(Passive): This skill is a symbol of Bravery, Very few in the world are able to stand up to dangerous situations. It reduces the timer for Skill induced status effect and increases all stats by 5% when in battle mode. Domain Lv5(0/30000): Gives the user minor control over what happens within 25x25m of him or her. insidious whisper Lv5(0/30000): affect the mindset of any one with a lower will and spirit for 30secs. (cooldown: 8 secs). It''s effect depends on opponents spirit and will. *Basic Sword art (¦µ)LV 10 Max(Evolve): This allows the User to get basic Understanding of the Sword. +40% Damage when fighting with a Sword. *Unarmed Combat(¦µ)LV10 Max(Evolve): + 40% damage when fighting Unarmed. (That doesn''t mean you are made of steel) *Qi blocking fist technique(¦µ)Lv 10 Max: This technique is used to Block the opponents Acupoints in order to disrupt Qi flow. Rate of blockage depends on Opponents level. +5% chance to stun opponent(Stackable x5). When the stun stacks up to 5 times, there''s an 80% to paralyze opponent. Duration depends on Overall battle power. +20% chance to slow opponent (Stackable x2) Profession: None Title: Bastard(Unequipped), Barbarian(Equipped),Executioner 1(Equipped), Wolf exterminator (equipped) Hunter 1(Equipped). Defeat 2 Elites to unlock completely(1/2). Hp: 3450/3450 Mp/Energy: 10000/10000 (5500+4500) Hunger: 58% Thirst: 44% STR:105 WIL:80 AGI:70 SPI:280 FOC:80(+50) BR:60 STA:85 COM: 44 LUCK: 6 Unassigned stat points: 0 Experience Points(5103) _________________________________________ When the process ended, Lu tong felt as though his body had been entirely remodeled. He could now see with stunning clarity the tiny specks of dust in the Cave, and even the Darkness outside seemed clear. "so that''s how it really works!" He said as though he just figured out something. ____________________ 15 Chapter 16: Bluff A veteran Thief, 35 year old Zhao jin looked at the blue sky while lying flat on the ground. ''Damn. To have suffered a complete defeat from those Chu Palace.'' He touched his hard chin and frowned. A long and terrible blade scar below his left eye. ''If that blade was any closer, I would have died, alas all I have as a memory is this scar.'' He grits his teeth while thinking. ''Bastards from the Chu palace....Why did they have to join the dealing of our Veil city''s underworld.'' His brows scrunched together in anger. ''I will certainly take my revenge, you dare destroy Eagle gang.'' Zhao jin, who came from Veil city''s territories located within the south of Setaroth. Forced into an absolute defeat at the battle against Chu palace last night. And because of that, he and his fellow gang members could only flee to the south of the city. When he thought of all that was lost, he became angry. . ''Huh?'' He heard a strange sound. Sweeee. The sound of something sharp splitting through the sky. Zhao raised his head while still lying on the ground. "Ugh!" At that precise moment, his eyes widen in disbelief as if it were about to pop out. The black arrows covered the blue sky. "Damn!"He grabbed his shield to cover his body while he crouched behind it. "It''s the enemy! Bloody Chu!!! I''ll f*ck your ancestors!" He roared in frustration. Sounds of abrupt rousing was heard everywhere. However, the actions of Him men who just woke up from their dreams were sluggish. choot, choot, choot, choot! The rain of arrows drenches the ground. "ugh!!!!" "Arrgh." several screams rolled across the valley. The rain of arrows continued once more. And after that, Footsteps could be heard """""Haaaaa!!!!""""As he glanced his head over his shield, he glimpsed the incoming charge of the Chu clansmen. "Prepare for battle! Prepare for battle!"Zhao jin yelled with all of his strength, but the bandits couldn''t think straight. ''Damn! For us to suffer from a surprise attack instead!'' Zhao jin could only clench his teeth, and unsheathed his well polished war sword. "Bring it! You filthy Bastards! I will show you the true strength of my Eagle gang!" "Ugh!" Zhao jin slashed his war sword towards a Chu clansman who was passing next to him. Swish. His sword slices him, cleaving it into two parts. Heeng! The Man whose fierce charge was ended shortly and as he tumbled to the ground. Dead! Zhao jin leapt through the scattered dust cloud, charging towards the other dazed chu man in front. "Die!" The tip of his war sword slashed down through the air. "Kugh." Then, a spear appeared ¨C passing through the dust. Kang! A clear sound of jarred metal against metal. The war sword bounces off; after it is deflected by a spear. "Kugh." Zhao jin clenched his teeth, and turned his head towards the owner of that spear. A childish face and a mildly short physique. At least, for Zhao jin, he seemed to be but only a novice. "A fucking child dares to interfere!" He spun his war sword and slashed it down fiercely. At that moment, the spear which was placed firmly bends like a stream of water and pivots horizontally. "Hup!" astonished, Zhao jin gulped air at the unexpected movements while quickly raising his shield to block. Tang! The spear collides with the shield, and a heavy throbbing noise is heard. The spear bounced off the shield as the teenager spins and diverts his attack to Zhao jin''s back. "Damn." He crouched down to evade the spear. However, the movements of the spear still continued to flow like a stream of water. ''His face is that of a young novice, but his skills are truly that of a veteran!'' Zhao jin hurriedly took a breath of air, and then charged through. ''I just have to get inside his range!'' Spat! The spear slides through after slicing Zhao jin''s waist. ''Kugh.'' He felt a sharp pain, but he clenched his teeth determined to endured it. ''I just have to close the distance!'' A bold charge. Because of that, he could close the distance but the kid was also charging forward towards him. "Huh?" suddenly appearing in front of him. Zhao jin became perplexed at the distance, which made it even harder to swing his war sword. At that time, a sharp tingling feeling was felt within his chest. He slightly glanced down to look at his left chest. Embedded there was a short sword the size of his palm; stabbed through to the hilt. "Fu, fuck. Impossible." Curses coughed out. Zhao jin raised his head in disbelief, and looked into the eyes of the spearman.That young face smiled brightly, and then turned his short sword twisting it. Kugugu. The sound of his rib bones grinding as his heart was torn to pieces. "Kuaaaaaa!" A bellow escapes out from Zhao''s mouth. The other members of the Eagle gang looked in shock. The spearman kicks Zhao jin''s abdomen with his right leg. And the short sword which was stabbed in his chest slides out as blood splatters out. Thud!. Zhao jin fell to the ground. Light disappears from his eyes, and the clear blue sky slowly fades darker. ''Am I going to die?'' Then, a sharp spear flies towards his eyes. ''Fuck.'' The curse he couldn''t spit out, rolls in his mouth. Stab. The spear missed Zhao jin''s face and struck the ground. The owner of the spear, mumbled in confusion. "To think you can still dodge." Zhao jin was also confused as his body seemed to move on his own, a warm feeling slowly surrounded his heart as his mind became clear. ______________ Not far away, Lu tong could be spotted, sighing in relief, "Luckily I was able to get him just as his heart was dying out... just made my work easier, now I just have to refine him later." All through the night, he had been gathering materials to refine his first puppet. Once he was done, he decided to approach Veil city, the city of thieves. He caught one yesterday and killed him to refine, but he found out that the process works like the pet system. The victim had to be near death, then he''ll have to Create a Joruk as a form of a false heart. This also established a control over the victim and to top it off, it allows him to decide if the puppets keeps it''s awareness. Understanding all this, He could only get disappointed. but during that same night he spotted Chu palace who were engaged in battle with the Eagle gang, over territory. The city security not only acted blind to this activity but also went out of their way to keep ''fishermen'' away. Seeing as the Chu clan seemed to place some importance to this branch while going out of their way to bribe Officials, He decided to cause trouble for them. He assassinated a few Chu clansmen and made an opening for the Eagle gang to escape. He was sure that, Chu palace would chase after them and decided to follow behind, Watching the whole thing play out, Lu tong came up with a scheme. He would first take control of the Eagle Gang by refining their Boss ''Zhao jin'' , this was what led to this situation right now. __________ After helping Zhao jin up, Lu tong came out of hiding with his dark blue hanfu, He approached with an amiable smile that made him look like a friendly old man. Analyzing the spearman, his information came out. ___________ \u003cName: Chu Qing\u003e Age: 19 Level: LV 28 Model: Elite NPC Class: Spearman(Intermediate) Profession: Assassin HP: 3500 MP: 645 __________ As Lu tong inspected the spearman, the latter was doing the same. due to them both being Elite NPCs, obviously because they had Silver Grade bloodlines, He felt that this old man wasn''t simple. The difference between both parties was that the Spearman couldn''t see Lu Tong''s status or tell his skills. that''s the way the NPCs were programmed, this allowed players to be able to bluff their way out of situations sometimes. Lu tong was a bit surprised, the Spearman was a few months older than his present body and was already a warrior variant at the intermediate level. The difference in treatment was a bit too much and he couldn''t help cursing at the Lu clan in his heart. ''going by this youths name, he must be a direct ''Descendant.'' As Lu Tong thought of this, a cold look flashed passed his eyes. Chu Qing ignored Zhao jin and decided to greet Lu tong, "Chu Qing greets esteemed Senior." Lu Tong''s Amicable expression didn''t change as he said, "Chu Qing? Hmm from the Chu clan I see, How is Chu Yang this days?" Chu Yang was the fourth Brother to the Chu palace patriarch and was also the most well received amongst the Clan''s senior generation. This was why Lu tong chose him to use him to create a connection with Chu palace. "Fourth Grand uncle is still in retreat" Although Chu Qing had some doubts, he chose to be cautious. Zhao jin''s face paled hearing their discussion and began to signal his men to runaway. "Ah, I just came out as well, and remembered a favor I owed a friend. I decided to fulfil his wish before I make the final push." Lu Tong spoke while stroking his, He also stared intently at Chu Qing''s face with a ''Do you understand what I''m saying?'' expression. Chu Qing''s face became awkward, he looked at Zhao jin and chose to retreat for now, "This junior understands".