Due to his condition, Kieran took his time returning to Gena Village, resting when he needed to. It would take quite a lot of time and effort for people to reach his level, so Kieran earned the right to rest.
However, this feeling made Kieran recall why he needed to prepare ample funds. 'VR Helmets are considered basic VR equipment. I need to set funds aside for when the more perfected cabins are released.'
It was announced some time ago that more refined VR devices were in production, but when interviewers questioned the release date, the Gamer Republic and its partners merely answered with a single term—undecided.
Many players didn't like this answer, but Kieran knew those devices would become available within the next two months. So, that was his timeline—two months to build all of his foundations and acquire the connections he needed.
Some may say two months wasn't enough time for Kieran to cause significant waves, but that wasn't true. After all, he possessed information that no one else had access to. As long as he executed his plan with minimal deviations, two months was ample enough time.
Aside from the VR equipment's release date, Kieran also needed to secure a solution to his H-COS. For that, he would have to rely upon the Private Sector, which was admittedly a shaky decision.
The Private Sector didn't operate within the same guidelines as the public society, which made it infamous for bending the rules according to its whims, and it usually entered illegal and immoral territories.
If his presence wasn't menacing enough, the odds of Kieran getting trampled over were high.
'If I'm giving myself two months to unleash hell, that means I have approximately four months within Zenith Online,' Kieran thought.
With a time dilation equal to twice that of Earth, Zenith Online was perfect for "getting more things done in the same amount of time," many players called it.
It was for this reason many players loved the game.
Even casual players were bound to enjoy the game if it wasn't their goal to compete with people who played for a living.
…
Not too long after…
Kieran returned to Gena Village and approached the Warrior Hall directly.
The moment he arrived inside the Warrior Hall, Scar lifted his head and gazed at Kieran with a faint smile. A crimson glow danced within his pupils as he stood from his throne-like chair and walked towards Kieran while applauding deliberately.
"I can sense it—you have completed that task I've given you," Scar remarked. After reaching Kieran, he stopped and inhaled softly.
A proud smirk appeared on his face as Scar nodded contentedly.
"I smell the blood of a strong beast in your possession."
Kieran was shocked that Scar's nose was so keen, but he nodded nonetheless.
"That's because there is some," Kieran said before revealing a small vial.
Although the quest didn't mention anything regarding a quest item, this still appeared within his inventory after Kieran cleared the dungeon. It was a small vial containing a liquid oddly similar to blood.
「 Blood Essence (Quest Item)
Item Rank: Rare
Item Grade: Exceptional (54)
Description: The condensed essence of a monster. The essence holds all of the properties of its previous owner. It can be used in multiple ways, but alchemy and forging are the most common. 」
Scar gestured his hand, which made the vial float above Kieran's palm.
At the same time, Kieran received a series of notifications.
〈System: You have completed the quest «A Warrior's Task»!〉
〈System: You have received 5 Silver Coins.〉
〈System: Your favorability with Scar has increased by 50 points! [Status: Friendly]〉
〈System: Congratulations, you have leveled up! [Lv.17 → Lv.18]〉
〈System: You have received 5 Unassigned Attribute Points and 2 Skill Points.〉
"You mentioned that you should be rewarded for your efforts, no?" Scar asked, sparing Kieran a cursory glance.
"Naturally," Kieran answered matter-of-factly.
"Very well, young fool. Stand still," Scar instructed.
Once Kieran obliged, the vial floating above Kieran's palm shattered, revealing a glob of bright-colored blood. The look in Scar's eyes changed as one of the symbols on his hand released a faint glow.
Snap!
Following a snap, Scar flicked his finger, which prompted a reaction from the glob of blood suspended in the air.
The essence penetrated Kieran's chest, but he shockingly felt no pain. On the contrary, a pleasant feeling sprouted in his body. Once the sensation subsided, Kieran received a few notifications.
A few notifications appeared before Kieran's view in exchange for the disappearance of the pleasant feeling.
〈System: Strength has risen from 75 to 85.〉
〈System: Vitality has risen from 33 to 45.〉
〈System: Endurance has risen from 33 to 40.〉
Kieran's eyes widened in surprise.
He didn't know that Blood Essence had such an effect. It was like consuming a one-time consumption elixir from an Apprentice Alchemist, perhaps even slightly better.
The amount of stats he received was equivalent to leveling up five times. This result made Kieran skeptical.
"Does all Blood Essence have this kind of effect?"
"Nope. Only those familiar with the intricate benefits of manipulating vitality can accomplish this. It's part of my expertise. However, I'm intrigued by how receptive your body was."
〈System: Scar's favorability towards you has increased to «Intrigued»!〉
"I see," Kieran nodded before ultimately taking a seat.
He looked at his stats before softly shaking his head with a difficult-to-read expression.
┌───────────────────
Name: Aatrox
Lv.18 (Experience: 0/30,000)
Class: Warrior
Title(s): None
----------------------------
[«Stats»]-
Health: 535/535 (0.2 HP regen/sec)
Mana: 155/155 (0.16 MP regen/sec)
Stamina: 150 (0.15 Stamina regen/sec)
Attack Power: 202
Defense: 127
-----------------------------
[«Attributes»]-
»Strength: 85 (54 + 31 + 0)
»Intelligence: 25 (25 + 0 + 0)
»Agility: 55 (47 + 8 + 0)
»Endurance: 40 (20 + 20 + 0)
»Control: 40 (40 + 0 + 0)
»Vitality: 45 (30 + 15 + 0)
»Perception: 50 (50 + 0 + 0)
[Unassigned Stat Point: 10]
[Skill Points: 4]
└───────────────────
Kieran was satisfied with the current condition of his attributes.
However, the fact his EXP progress was erased somewhat bothered Kieran. Because of how long it had been, he forgot the catch of quest reward level-ups.
All EXP Bar progress was erased, meaning the next level started at 0 rather than the user's previous value.
While Kieran was lost in thought, Scar continued to analyze the young man, rubbing his chin in thought. 'The boy is quickly approaching a level where he must accomplish a promotion to continue growing. He's not a bad choice, but I wonder what path he intends to follow.'
"Aatrox," Scar suddenly called out.
"Hm?" Kieran looked toward Scar, pushing his current thoughts regarding his condition to the back of his mind.
"Are you aware of a Warrior's many paths?" Scar questioned, crossing his arms.
"I am aware of them."
Like most of the basic classes, a Warrior could follow one of four paths.
The first path was a Swordsman, who relinquished the unruly ways of a Warrior to take up the path of the sword. This class specialized in wielding slender swords with a decent balance of speed and power.
The second path was a Lancer, which was admittedly one of the Warrior's more disciplined paths. It specialized in close to mid-range fighting and wielded various types of polearms.
The third path was a Shield Warrior, which was a Warrior's defensive path. Its tanking capabilities were sub-par compared to a Knight's promotion into a Guardian Knight. However, it was more mobile and could provide adequate support damage.
The fourth and final regular path was the Berserker, which Kieran had chosen in the past. It was the Warrior's most destructive path, but it could be wielded differently.
Kieran was an oddball because he frequently switched the way he fought, sometimes indulging in several one vs. ones or sometimes going against many at once.
A Berserker specialized in heavy weapons and Heavy Armor but could somehow still muster adequate speed.
"I see. And if you had to choose, what path would you choose?" Scar asked.
Kieran didn't hesitate or consider the question before answering. "A Berserker."
An imperceptible grin formed across Scar's face as he asked an additional question.
"How exciting. But I have a question for you, boy. Do you know what a Berserker is?"
Ding!
〈System: You have triggered a hidden questline! You may continue with the questline depending on your response and action.〉
Kieran's eyes sparkled with excitement upon reading this message despite his exhausted condition. The prompt may have been vague, but he knew where this questioning would lead.
It was undoubtedly the trigger to accepting the hidden class change Kieran sought!
Make sure to point out any spelling errors, grammar errors, or numbers/information that wasn't properly updated so I can immediately rectify those issues.
Thank you, guys!
P.S: A LOT of game terminology will appear in the novel, because well, I'm a gamer. :shrug:
Kieran's excitement came from the fact that Hidden Quests required a series of specific events to trigger them, and they existed in a limited amount. Within Gena Village, Scar's Hidden Quest was the only one present.
After dealing with his excitement, Kieran rubbed his chin and feigned as if he had to consider its information. "It's a Warrior's specialized path, admittedly its strongest in terms of battle power."
"Good," Scar nodded with a satisfied gleam in his eye. However, he didn't appear completely content. He crossed his arms while looking at Kieran with an imperious gaze. "What defines a Berserker?"
'What defines a Berserker,' Kieran repeated mentally.
Instead of responding, Kieran closed his eyes with a faint smile.
A Berserker was something that pretty much defined a large portion of Kieran's life. How could he not understand what defined a Berserker?
Scar's question made Kieran bask in the glory of all his feats as he relished in his memories. Inside those memories, Kieran wielded a greatsword of unimaginable power and wore a set of magnificent heavy armor.
Thinking about these memories made Kieran desire to reclaim that power, but part of him understood that he was preparing himself to accept an even greater power.
The feats of that past life were something that could serve as a stencil for his future, but it was inferior to Kieran's current desire.
When Kieran opened his eyes, they flashed with profound wisdom contrary to his current youthful appearance.
"A Berserker is defined by its ability to persist under the onslaught of many perils. Amidst that peril, they awaken the strength to forcibly crush their opposition and emerge victorious."
Listening to Kieran's response, genuine shock appeared on Scar's face, soon replaced by boundless pride. "What an excellent answer. I didn't expect you to arrive at such a fitting description."
However, based on Scar's smirk, it was clear he had more to say. "Now, what if I tell you there is another Berserker that transcends the usual human rendition of a Berserker?"
"Does such a Berserker exist?" Kieran asked while feigning ignorance as best as he could.
Of course, he was aware of such a Berserker! Otherwise, he wouldn't have gone through the trouble of trying to befriend Scar.
"Undoubtedly. I am living proof of such a character," Scar replied.
The entire building suddenly began rumbling after Scar mentioned his identity as such a Berserker. A dense crimson aura with tinges of gray and black hues permeated the atmosphere.
The armor covering Scar's body cracked and fell apart, revealing a body with a few menacing markings.
However, Scar's monstrous physique was only apparent for a moment before being covered by a set of tribal armor, except instead of leather, it was made of metallic beast hide.
Following this change, Kieran glimpsed Scar's true information.
「Lv.501 Scar, The Bloody Hero (Mythical Hero)
Class: Blood Fiend (True Berserker)
Health: ??? (100%)
Affiliations: «War Deity Council» «Hero's Sanctuary» 」
Despite knowing Scar's identity and his link to a few world powers, Kieran's jaw dropped, exasperated by what he saw.
'He's this strong at this stage in the game? A Level above 500 means that he can pretty much venture anywhere within the world without being stifled,' Kieran thought.
Scar was one of the leading forces in a World Quest Kieran participated in while part of the Golden Brigade. At that time, Scar's level had surpassed 600, but Zenith Online had also been online for almost four years.
'An absolute monster. The higher one's level becomes, the more difficult it is to advance. If he gained more than 100 levels within a span of 4 years, his growth potential must be absurd,' Kieran thought.
Aside from Scar's level, Kieran paid close attention to his categorization. A Mythical Hero. It was a special state, which was more renowned than normal Mythic NPCs.
Furthermore, only seven such people bore this ranking, but there was a special reason behind the matter. These seven people existed to give seven players a chance to obtain a unique legacy.
Of course, these seven legacies weren't omnipotent alone. There was more to why those seven classes, in particular, existed.
'A True Berserker. That's exactly what I want—to become the inheritor of a Mythical Hero,' Kieran inwardly thought.
After changing back into his original form, Scar circled around Kieran with an unusual expression. "As I told you before, my position here is temporary. My only purpose for coming here is to choose my potential inheritor. I needed an untainted specimen, who had not taken any other path. That way, the mantle of a True Berserker won't be sullied."
Scar gradually stopped walking and folded his arms before his chest. "Tell me, are you interested in accepting my request?" After posing this question, Scar reined in his powerful presence until it was all confined to his body.
"Without a doubt. I'm more than willing to follow this path," Kieran answered solemnly, but he couldn't hide his excitement well enough.
This was a Hidden Class that existed at the pinnacle of natural rankings. In terms of Hidden Class, it was separated into Rare, Unique, Epic, Legendary, and Mythic.
Of course, the higher the Hidden Class, the more difficult its promotion quest would be. Likewise, the rewards would be much better compared to the weaker classes.
Scar leaned forward ever so slightly and smiled, revealing a few incredibly sharp teeth. His canines were similar to that of a ferocious wolf! "If what you say is true, then you'll have to be evaluated."
Kieran's eyebrow rose in shock because he had yet to reach Lv.20. How could he accept a class promotion quest without achieving the minimum level requirement?
Could Scar really circumvent the rules like this? If so, Kieran felt Scar wielded too much power. Of course, when the true nature of Scar's "evaluation" was revealed, Kieran's expression darkened.
'Damn! I'm being scammed, I tell you!' Kieran thought with a disgruntled frown.
Ding!
〈System: Do you wish to accept the Hidden Quest «The Berserk Path's Original Wielder»? [ Y | N ]〉
「 The Berserk Path's Original Wielder (Hidden Quest)
Quest Rank: SSS
Recommended Party Size: 1
Recommended Party Level: 18
Objectives: Although Scar's identity as the Mythical Hero of Blood has brought the renown of the Berserk Path to its current pinnacle throughout the kingdom and empires of the world, he is not the originator of this path. Therefore, it is not his sole right to bestow the famed path upon you. While his view of you is above the rest, Scar requires his master's blessing to bestow you with this ancient mantle. Before the presence of the crimson glow, all potential will be laid bare!
- Meet with the original wielder. 0/1
- Enter the «Wildes». 0/1
- Gain the recognition of Scar's master. 0/1
- Return the letter to Scar without reading its contents. 0/1
Rewards:
- «True Berserker» Promotion Quest Unlocked
- «Honored» Favorability with Scar
- Exclusive Teacher (Scar)
- «Zero Loss of Potential» [Trait]
- 50,000 Experience
Failure Penalty:
- Loss of «True Berserker» Questline
- Reverted to a standard «Berserker» Promotion Questline
- Scar's Favorability will be locked at Neutral (0).
*Special Note: The opportunity outweighs the medal of growing stronger quickly. 」
〈Warning: If the original wielder isn't met within one natural week, this quest will expire and be marked as failed.〉
Unless stated explicitly, skill cooldowns, quest timers, and other duration-related events operate on Zenith Online's flow of time. Anything preceded by "natural" meant it operated on Earth's time.
〈Warning: This quest automatically fails if you fail to gain the master's recognition.〉
〈Warning: Failing this quest will automatically set the Berserker Class as your class promotion.〉
'A shadowy master? I should have expected as much. But my question is… how strong is Scar's master if Scar is already such a fearsome character? I can't help but anticipate this meeting.' Kieran thought to himself.
Although excited about the potential meeting, Kieran felt other emotions. For example, he wondered about the quest's location.
The Wildes held a second name for anyone beneath Lv.100—the Forbidden Expanse. Not only was the Wildes home to many incredibly powerful enemies, but there were also many wild races inhabiting that place.
The Wildes was the size of a continent in and of itself, but it bordered the four continents, which are:
The North Continent: Nelorias.
The South Continent: Slazoya.
The Western Continent: Waikrune.
The Eastern Continent: Enira.
Despite the quest's setting, Kieran naturally chose to accept the quest. The potential dangers didn't deflate his confidence. On the contrary, the dangers made it far more exhilarating in Kieran's opinion.
Aside from the excitement of the quest, Kieran was also drawn in by the quest rewards, specifically the trait, which was extremely difficult to come by.
'I wonder how effective this trait's effects are, seeing as Zero Loss of Potential is something I've never come in contact with.'
Make sure to point out any spelling errors, grammar errors, or numbers/information that wasn't properly updated so I can immediately rectify those issues.
Thank you, guys!
P.S: A LOT of game terminology will appear in the novel, because well, I'm a gamer. :shrug:
Until May 15th:
Release Rate: 9 ch/week
50 Power Stones = +1 Ch
100 Power Stones = +2 Ch
250 Power Stones = +3 Ch
500 Powers Stones = +5 Ch
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