Although there was no discernible information regarding the Zero Loss of Potential trait, its name stood out to Kieran.
Most traits followed a single-name basis and typically referred to something special about an individual that was especially heightened.
However, obtaining a trait was difficult.
One way to obtain it was by clearing Hidden Quests, but one could also awaken it through physical actions.
'It isn't enough to draw a conclusion from, but I suspect this trait will be worthwhile given the quest's nature, rarity, and difficulty,' Kieran thought.
As Kieran's first SSS Rank Quest upon returning, Kieran held conflicted feelings toward the quest, but it was an inevitable situation.
'I have a week, so I'm not worried about rushing to the Wildes. I'll have to prepare first.'
Aside from this, Kieran returned to guessing the identity of Scar's master. He considered it to be someone on par with a god, but Kieran felt that assumption was foolish.
While his understanding of Zenith Online's lore wasn't the best, he was certain about one fact. Beings deemed to be gods couldn't interfere in this part of the realm.
'If I get the chance, exploring more of Zenith Online's ancient lore is on my to-do list,' Kieran decided.
This current world has many names.
Its original name—Xenith, and its epithets: The Transient Realm, The Lesser Boundary—but it was all synonymous with the lowest caliber of power.
Suddenly, Scar raised his hand towards Kieran, "When you meet the master, I advise you to showcase your strongest traits. Without the master's blessing, your fate with the Berserk Path will perish."
"You can take me at my word—I will be at my best when I meet the master. A lot is on the line, so failure isn't an option for me," Kieran answered.
Due to Kieran's awakened desires, he had no intention of yielding this opportunity to anyone else. It was his, and he would claim it.
"Good. Just remember—my advice to you is do not allow yourself to falter. You'll understand what I mean once you meet the master. Additionally, I won't remain here for long. There are other matters I must take care of. If you fail, I won't be here when you return. However, should you succeed, I'll remain here until you accomplish what I seek of you. Do you understand?" Scar said in a tone that didn't allow one to question him.
Therefore, Kieran nodded with a solemn expression.
"Excellent. You've grown stronger but do not be complacent. It's always easiest in the beginning," Scar said. Afterward, he took a seat and waved his hand slightly. "Before you do anything, attack me. Let me test your progress with those skills I've imparted unto you."
Kieran's eyebrows knitted slightly.
His current condition wasn't the best. After triggering a portion of his H-COS, Kieran's head continued to buzz like a swarm of bees orbiting his head. However, Kieran understood that he was in no position to disobey Scar's humble request.
After taking a few steps back, Kieran activated Warrior's Aura, which drew Scar's pleased nod.
'Not bad. His aura is thickening,' Scar inwardly noted.
A second later, Kieran dashed toward Scar while a dense savage aura coated his Novice Greatsword.
"Savage Break!"
Bang!
The outcome of this action made Kieran's expression blanche further.
«Immune»
«Reflect»
-300
'Motherfucker!' Kieran screamed out internally.
Kieran was blown back by the aftermath as a terrible pain shot through his sword-wielding arm. Attacking Scar was akin to ramming into a thick slab of reinforced steel.
Conversely, Scar smiled. "Now, show me your Force Slash. Don't cower now."
Kieran's eyes narrowed in response. He couldn't tell if this man wanted to kill him passively. If Force Slash deflected the same amount of damage, then he would undoubtedly kill himself.
As a precaution, to hopefully avoid such a situation, Kieran activated Hardened Skin and calmed himself.
A gale of wind surfaced around Kieran's blade as he roared and released a Force Slash fueled by every ounce of his STR.
Boom!
«Immune»
Rather than allowing the force to ricochet from his body, Scar extended his left hand and opened it. The pressure was frozen and crushed once Scar indifferently closed his hand, dissipating into nothing.
"Your progress is commendable. Your proficiency with these skills is deepening, but you have a long way to go."
In return, Scar rubbed his chin while pondering his own evaluation. "It's not bad. Both of the attack skills appear to be growing well. As for the aura, it's becoming powerful. But, I'm more impressed by your willingness to unleash an attack that would potentially end yourself. At least you present a sliver of resolve."
"I see. What's your verdict, then? Am I ready to meet the master in my current state?" Kieran questioned breathlessly. His desire to log out intensified the longer he remained standing.
"No comment thus far. But, don't let the opportunity pass you by. Prepare well," Scar said.
"Mm," Kieran acknowledged Scar's answer and left the Warrior Hall with a wave of his hand.
After he left, however, Scar's expression changed, becoming difficult to read.
"I didn't bring it up with him, but I smelt that woman on him. To think Agatha would target the same boy as me. What was she thinking?! She must be partly responsible for his rapid growth. Unfortunately for her, I doubt he has the thirst for knowledge that she seeks," Scar muttered.
His understanding of the situation wasn't correct because Kieran wasn't as one-sided as Scar believed. There was more to him than what met the eye.
If there wasn't, Kieran wouldn't have felt pain in his heart after witnessing Agatha's transformed condition.
…
Outside the Warrior Hall…
Kieran looked towards the shabby, run-down inns available in Gena Village and approached one of them. Once inside, Kieran's view was filled with many wooden tables and stools, followed by a large wooden desk towards the back.
A lovely woman with a headwrap and clean but worn-out rags smiled at Kieran when he entered. "Hello, welcome to the Humble Inn. How may I help you?"
"May I have a basic room, please," Kieran requested.
Many rooms were available, but the most basic one would suffice for Kieran. He didn't need the meager EXP modifier that was granted by resting in a more luxurious inn room.
He simply needed a place to log out and gain the temporary passive attained by relaxing in a good sleeping environment for a set amount of time.
"That'll be 25 Copper Coins," the innkeeper replied.
Kieran passed her the coins without any hassle. This cost was the equivalent of buying 5 Beginner Mana Potions, but it was worth it.
After entering his room, Kieran sent a call request to Altair, who answered very shortly after.
"Yo?" Altair nodded, looking at Kieran somewhat skeptically. He didn't expect Kieran to reach out to him so soon. Right after, he frowned when he noticed Kieran was lying down.
"Question. How much longer will you be online?"
"Probably for a few more hours. Maybe until midnight," Altair answered.
"I see. Well, I have something for you. It should help you level up. But, if I do this, you have to promise me that you'll owe me a favor or two," Kieran said. His offer intrigued Altair because it sounded as if Kieran had something extremely beneficial to him.
"That depends. What are we talking about here?"
"Nothing special," Kieran shrugged. "If I need additional people to run a dungeon with or other special events, I'd like it if you were available."
"If it's anything like today, then sure. I'm down to clear difficult dungeons and earn bragging rights," Altair agreed.
"Great. Check your mail," Kieran answered with a cryptic grin.
Baffled screams sounded on the other side of the call once Altair checked his mail. "You slick little piece of shit! This is how you accomplished that insane leveling speed? Do you know how much this is worth? And you're giving it to me?!"
"I'm aware. And no. I'm not giving it to you. The item is leased, and I'll return it to my inventory once the leasing duration ends," Kieran answered.
As Kieran was familiar with Zenith Online, he knew all the little tricks to secure his items without any risk.
Altair was left baffled and struggled to mutter a sentence. Kieran's luck had thoroughly astonished him. Not only did he obtain the Warrior's Unique Package, but he possessed a ridiculous item for characters Lv.20 and under.
…
The helmet on Kieran's head powered down and emitted faint noises before Kieran could take it off.
When he did, Kieran slumped in bed powerlessly, placing the VR Helmet on the nightstand beside his bed. Due to how tired he was, Kieran ignored everything related to Zenith Online and simply went to sleep.
He had no idea that his in-game name, Aatrox, had become an overnight sensation due to his actions.
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:
Once the rays of the warm sunlight touched his face, Kieran's eyelids fluttered, opening a few seconds later.
As he sat up in bed and rubbed his face, Kieran groaned groggily and shook his head to dispel some of the fog in his mind.
'It's so bright…' Kieran thought, raising his hand to block the sunlight. It was then that he realized how practical dark curtains were.
Aside from the light's disruption, Kieran also realized that he slept like a log. Because his current body couldn't handle the effects of his H-COS, it required a deep coma-like state to heal the fatigue amassed by Kieran's actions.
One side effect was an episode of unfocused and sensitive vision, hence why Kieran reacted violently to the sunlight.
Kieran soon swung his legs around the bed so that his back faced the dorm's windows. Only then did he lean forward and rub his face before wondering what time it was.
Tapping on his wrist, Kieran activated the holographic projector feature on his holo-phone wrapped around his wrist. The date was then read aloud to him.
Monday, May 20th, 2122. 9:05 AM
Upon reading this information, Kieran frowned. "How long did I sleep?!"
From start to finish, Kieran spent less than 10 hours within Zenith Online and logged in around midday. After adding up the hours, Kieran blinked blankly.
"I slept for almost 12 hours?"
This amount of sleep wasn't startling to people who valued sleep, but it was for Kieran. After earning his position as Golden Brigade's High Commander, he slept less than 5 hours a day, sometimes completely ignoring the need to sleep.
Even now, his average daily rest sat between 6 to 8 hours. This extra sleep was his body's natural way of correcting the issues it faced. As Kieran was in his prime years, his body's ability to heal from his H-COS flares wasn't terrible.
After noting the date and time, Kieran recalled a matter that led to a question. Was it necessary to continue with his university courses if Zenith Online's effects transcended the scope of ordinary human life?
The idea of mentally-augmented superhumans left Kieran questioning this matter. University would only take up his time, but then again, Kieran also couldn't ignore that primarily university students and professional gamers comprised the initial batch of players.
As Aspaira mentioned before, Zenith Online and gaming, in general, were seen as a form of stress relief.
Rather than make this decision now, Kieran chose to sit through one more class and make his decision accordingly.
At that moment, Kieran's stomach released a ferocious growl. Due to his exhausted state, Kieran ignored his previous pang of hunger and went straight to sleep, resulting in his current famished state.
After sliding out of bed, Kieran approached the fridge and attempted to raid it, but the lackluster selection of a university student's diet made him grimace. "For fuck's sake… you've got to be kidding me." Kieran said, exasperated. "Whatever."
Kieran found eggs, cheese, cold bread, slices of turkey, and a few vegetables. It was enough to whip up a decent breakfast, but it would all be gone afterward.
Once he finished eating roughly twenty minutes later, Kieran stood before the floor mirror and pinched his torso. "If I didn't know any better, I would have believed I was a skeleton. But, that was understandable given the habits of my past self."
Before entering Zenith Online in the past, Kieran's self-care wasn't the best, sometimes skipping or eating complete garbage while isolating himself, holing himself up in his dorm.
Despite his handsome looks, Kieran wasn't friendly at all during his adolescent to young adult years. Considering his past circumstances involving his parents' death and being orphaned, his closed-off nature was understandable.
However, Kieran didn't believe it justified letting himself go. Not when he sorely depended on his body to fulfill his aspirations. 'I don't have classes for another three hours, so it's safe to dawdle for a while longer.'
Within the next two hours, Kieran tidied up his dorm, organized his clothes, freshened up, and did some light exercise to get his blood flowing. As he felt that he was at the bottom of the social ladder, his wardrobe matched that of a typical university student.
Many blue or black shirts, a few tees, worn sweaters, and light coats. It was nothing special, but it also didn't scream poverty.
However, compared to his past massive wardrobe filled with luxurious clothing, his current setting left a sour taste in Kieran's mouth, which also humbled him.
'We all start from somewhere. I won't act like my circumstances are the worst, but they certainly aren't the best,' Kieran inwardly thought.
Once he finished setting up his dorm, Kieran dressed and stepped outside his dorm room. The campus wasn't small, but it wasn't obscenely large either. As long as students left their dorms in a timely manner, it wasn't difficult to reach many lecture halls.
Kieran's university was known as Metro University. It was a state university, so the tuition wasn't extremely high. It was also local and practical to many middle-class and lower-income students. Because of its flexible tuition and excellent course variety, it was New Metro's most reputable state university.
Due to his languid pace, Kieran reached his lecture hall 30 minutes later, a few minutes before his class began. Like any other day before, Kieran sat in the furthest seat, a few steps from the exit.
A minute later, the rhythmic clacking of heels echoed within the spacious hall as a beautiful woman with tied-up blonde hair and calm hazel eyes hidden behind slender frame glasses walked up to the lecture podium.
Many of the student's eyes brightened when they analyzed her frilly blouse and form-fitting skirt that clung to her supple legs. Whispers surfaced in the hall, but a clear, velvety voice calmed it down.
"Ahem, good morning. Have you all enjoyed your break from classes?"
"Oh, you bet. This new game came out, and ugh, it's so addictive, Ms. Arman," one of the students replied. Because of this statement, a conversation regarding Zenith Online was immediately sparked in the classroom.
Surprisingly, Ms. Arman didn't stop the conversation. Instead, she analyzed the room. Most students engaged in the discussion, but she noticed Kieran in the back, absentmindedly gazing out the window.
'Kieran… he's always alone, that isn't healthy for a boy his age. Although his grades are excellent, he's squandering his precious college years, which should be used to forge lasting relationships. It isn't ideal.'
Although Kieran was absentminded, pondering his current situation, Kieran tentatively listened to the conversation.
Because of the heated conversation, Kieran gathered that a few of his classmates had reached Lv.9 to Lv.12. But, considering how much time had passed, it wasn't anything praiseworthy.
"Alright, class. That's enough. Let's drop the talk about this new Zenith Online and discuss today's lesson," Ms. Arman voiced.
While she began to mention the lesson, Kieran fell deeper into his thoughts. The topic was boring, so Kieran's vacant expression stared at the city streets outside. Several towering skyscrapers filled his view.
'New Metro is the home of several enterprises. Because of the bustling traffic, many wealthy families have taken root here. I wouldn't be surprised if I ran into familiar faces, but I must be wise. Without the means to protect myself, I'll be extremely vulnerable,' Kieran thought.
New Metro was the United States' second highest-grossing state, which is why it acted as the backbone of the economy. Of course, like any other state, it possessed its slum-like areas where most lower-income people hailed from.
One such person was Kieran. The reason he made it to Metro University was due to the stipend provided by the government.
While deep in thought, Kieran's eyes suddenly widened as he jerked his head to the side and snatched the air before his face. After opening his palm, a piece of chalk rolled back and forth.
Silently, Kieran averted his gaze from the window.
Ms. Arman stood before the long blackboard with her hands on her hips and her lips curved into a charming yet mischievous smile. "Is there something interesting out the window? I called your name three times, Mr. Silver but no response."
"Ah," Kieran responded dryly.
As he looked at her, Kieran felt an instinctive annoyance. 'What a nuisance.'
Out of instinct, Kieran flicked the chalk back towards Ms.Arman, but it carried some of the emotions that seeped into his mind.
The chalk began to spin like a rotating disk as it quickly approached Ms. Arman.
Upon realizing what he did, Kieran's expression plummeted. 'Crap…'
His action was not something an ordinary person could react to. Depending on where it landed, the opposing side would undoubtedly end up in a world of pain.
However, at the last moment, Ms. Arman swiped her hand through the air.
Kieran's eyebrows jumped. 'This teacher… Ms. Arman, was it? There's something unusual about her.'
Similarly, Ms. Arman was astonished as well. 'As far as I'm aware, the boy has never joined in any extracurriculars, but my hand hurts! It was comparable to a throw from an ace football player. Why isn't he in any sports?'
After this situation, Kieran stood up from his seat with a distant gaze and approached the door. 'As I suspected, acting like a normal student would be pointless. Especially with an abnormal teacher like her.'
"U-uh… teacher?" Someone muttered in the front row.
"Just a moment, please," Ms. Arman answered.
…
Ms. Arman caught up with Kieran and tapped his shoulder.
"I didn't mean to offend you if that's the case. I just wanted you to pay attention," Ms. Arman sincerely apologized.
However, she was taken aback when Kieran silently lifted her hand from his shoulder and dusted it off. "No offense taken. This place is merely a pointless waste of time for me when I can place my focus elsewhere."
"Waste of time?" Ms. Arman blinked in disbelief. After a second of repeating those words, she understood. "You're… not thinking of dropping out, right? That would be a real waste of time. You have only one more semester after this!"
"Meh, it's a sheet of paper. One I can do without. Besides, you shouldn't forget that you still have a class to teach," Kieran said with a soft chuckle.
He didn't wait for her response and simply walked away, leaving a baffled Ms. Arman while he headed towards the administration office.
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:
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