Chapter 42 [part 1]: The Enigma
[DING!]
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[Failed Rookie Mission: Level 5, The Denouement]
[Level 5 of Prove your worth and release Varina from haunting souls Incomplete]
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[Penalty for failure Received
2000 credits deduction.]
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[Credits Deducted: 2,000]
[Credits Balance: 900]
Archie was taken aback after seeing a prompt he would never have anticipated and pondered,
'Didn't I kill all the undead? Then why does it say I failed the mission?'
Archie scrutinized the prompt and noticed the deducted credits, which left him stunned,
"What! Are you kidding me? You can't possibly do that. I finished the mission, I…fini…. Ahhhhh…"
With a surge of frustration, Archie slammed his fist into the ground while sprawled out, his gaze fixed on the prompt, his eyes smoldering with rage.
Despite his exhaustion and the throbbing pain coursing through his body, Archie mustered the strength to rise from the ground, resolute in his determination to investigate any alterations in the castle that could elucidate his mission failure.
Archie surveyed his surroundings, aware that he had returned to the dilapidated castle but clueless about how he had been transported back.
Archie scanned his vicinity with weary eyes, but nothing new in the castle caught his attention until he spotted something unusual on the ground.
Step by step, Archie approached a mound of sand that bore a striking resemblance to the remains of the stone monster he had battled earlier.
Archie kicked the sand, venting his irritation,
"Does that mean these stone monsters were the actual mission. I got rifted not part of the mission. Ahhhh…"
Confusion etched on his face, Archie ran his fingers through his hair and bellowed,
"This is all too much confusion."
In his fit of confusion, Archie remembered his machete and mused,
"Maybe that cursed weapon can explain everything."
Archie hastily opened his inventory after realizing he was unarmed and was staggered by what he saw inside.
'Why is the machete missing? Why… why is this light sword here?'
Archie was dumbstruck as he discovered the very light sword he had summoned to fight the Undead was in his inventory.
Without a moment's hesitation, Archie selected the weapon. He still remembered the divine sensation he had experienced from the light sword.
"SWOOSH" The light sword slowly materialized in his left hand, as the golden light emerged, forming a sword piece by piece, like shards of glass reassembling.
"AHHH…" Archie let out a cry of agony as a sharp, searing pain coursed through him, reminiscent of the pain he had felt when the machete had pierced his hands and embedded itself into his body. Instinctively, he flung the light sword away.
The moment Archie discarded the sword, the light faded in mid-air and the sword vanished, with a sudden prompt materializing before Archie.
[Warning!]
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[Player's level is too low to wield the Sword of All]
[Requirements to Unlock Sword of All: Reach Level 100]
"Another requirements crap, Am I never going to be able to do something or what."
Archie slumped down and stared at the fallen tree adorned with flowers, his brows furrowed in perplexity,
"It shows the mission is failed, then why did the machete unlock? Did anything happen after I fainted when the machete turned into liquid and entered my body?"
Archie gazed at his left palm, where the machete had disintegrated and entered his body, but he didn't see any injuries or anything different. As soon as he had blacked out and collapsed, he couldn't recall anything beyond the tornado or how he had returned. This left Archie in a state of bewilderment.
"I feel like I'm caught up in something much larger. Will everything eventually fall into place?"
"Am I never going to learn what my future holds for me?"
Engulfed by a whirlwind of thoughts, Archie reclined and gradually drifted off to sleep, succumbing to his exhaustion.
Is Archie journeying towards his destiny or something else?
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Chapter 42 [part 2]: A Silent Departure
Under a sunless blue expanse, clouds played a game of tag above a castle in ruins.
Within the castle's crumbling walls, a young man of modest height was engrossed in his training, his movements crisp and purposeful amidst the faded grandeur.
This was Archie, almost unrecognizable with his sun-kissed skin, raven-black hair, and earthy brown eyes. Dressed in sweat-soaked white attire and black jogger pants, he was the picture of dedication, perfecting his high kick exercises.
Twenty-five days had passed since Justina had left him at his home and he had logged in for the first time. During this period, Archie had been preparing himself to enhance his attributes, something he hadn't attempted until now.
Archie was cautious about hastily choosing an attribute that might not suit him and potentially damaging his physique. His plan was to enhance his attributes once he joined the academy and understood his shortcomings and how to address them.
Archie's sole focus was on honing his physique to a level that would command respect when he stepped into the academy.
[DING]
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[Congratulations on completing Rookie Missions]
[Push-ups: 1000/1000]
[Pull-ups: 1000/1000]
[Lifting: 1000/1000]
[Running: 10,000/10,000]
[High Kicks: 1000/1000]
[Jumping: 1000/1000]
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[Rewards Credited: 100 Credits]
[Credits Balance: 2600]
As soon as the cumulative mission concluded, the daily mission surfaced the next day. After his setback in the cumulative mission, Archie threw himself into the daily missions to distract himself from his bewilderment and to gear up for the challenges ahead.
Archie accomplished today's mission with relative ease before setting off for the academy.
Finally, the moment you had been waiting for had arrived. Your patience had paid off.
Archie opened his E-screen and navigated to:
[Return Home Planet]
[Yes] [No]
With a grin stretching across his face, Archie selected [Yes].
"WOOSH!" Archie was rifted away, and the sunlight in the castle gradually dimmed until it was swallowed by an abyss of darkness.
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Archie found himself lying on his bed, gazing at his room that remained unchanged, bathed in the soft glow of the moonlight streaming through the window.
He rose, took a refreshing bath, and after drying off, he slipped into a red t-shirt and black pants, topped with a black hoodie. He left the room carrying nothing.
Archie had already dispatched his belongings to the academy that morning, so he didn't need to carry anything else.
He exited the room without a backward glance and gently closed the door. He didn't lock it, as he wouldn't be returning for another three years. So he left the room under his father's watchful eye.
Speaking of his father, Archie's father and his uncle were seated in his shop diner downstairs, awaiting Archie's arrival.
As Archie entered the diner, his uncle and his father rose to their feet. They didn't utter any words to Archie because Archie didn't want to hear any parting words. So they simply extended their hands for a handshake.
Archie reached out to shake Grayson's hand, but Grayson, unable to keep his emotions in check, pulled Archie into a warm embrace, which Archie returned. Archie could feel a slight tremor running through Grayson's body.
Archie knew everyone was concerned about him joining an academy that looked down on people like them, but they supported Archie because they all wanted Archie to become the man his mother had dreamed of.
After hugging his uncle, Archie approached his father. His father extended his hand, and Archie reciprocated. They shook hands, their silence speaking volumes.
Both his uncle and his father remained inside the diner, as Archie wanted to keep his departure for the Academy as discreet as possible.
That's why he had instructed the Academy staff to arrive at midnight to pick him up. It was a prestigious institution, and the only way to gain entry was to be escorted by staff and undergo a thorough inspection.
Archie left his shop alone, a pang of loneliness gnawing at his heart.
Even in the dead of night, Archie noticed a few vendors still open with a handful of customers savoring the night.
Archie pulled his hood down to conceal his identity and made his way towards an ice-cream truck.
Archie received a message on his phone informing him that they would transport him via an ice-cream truck. Initially, he thought they were ridiculing him, but it turned out to be part of the protocol.
Archie positioned himself behind the truck and knocked thrice to signal his arrival. He climbed into the truck with his father and his uncle watching him from the window.
Once inside, he noticed two individuals wearing black cowls obscuring their faces. They were seated on a steel chair, with a massive container in the middle that read 'Rhoman Academy'.
Archie moved towards them, but before he could utter a word, one of them sprayed something at Archie that made him stumble and drop to his knees.
"Hope you give them hell, Archie."
"Justina!" Archie managed to stutter after recognizing Justina's voice, but he couldn't even muster a moment of happiness as he slowly succumbed to unconsciousness.
And with that, Archie was shipped off to his Academy, Rhoman.