As Keel prepared himself for the mental challenge, he would no doubt face. His thoughts wandered.
'Prepare to fight, what does that even mean? I've been fighting for as long as I can remember.'
Keel furrowed his brows, tensed his muscles, and straightened his back.
"Open Portal."
As the words left his mouth, space warped as blue streaks of light formed a circle. As it spun, faster and faster, a stunning view started to appear.
"I'm ready."
His resolve once more steeled, Keel stepped through, prepared for anything.
"Welcome to Axion, adventurer! You seem to be in possession of a lost legacy; congratulations, you've received a class promotion quest."
[Class Promotion Quest]
Would you like to participate?
[Yes] [No]
Rewards:
Depends on performance
"I've never even heard of legacies, how far did I really go?"
His lips pressed into a thin line, indicating his hesitation.
[New Objective]
Goal: Survive
[Minimum requirement - 30 Minutes]
As the scenery once more morphed, Keel found himself standing in a vast, unbroken expanse of grass. His hair fluttered as if caressed by the wind.
'This could not get much worse,' as all hope seemed lost. His mouth curled as a light laugh left his body.
"Hah, this is perfect."
Behind him stood a rack filled with weapons. Swords, shields, spears, and bows—just some of the many choices. Next to them were all sorts of materials.
Keel quickly realized, he was only bound by his imagination.
[Countdown begins: You have 10 Minutes]
Keel quickly grabbed every bit of wood, stone, and metal he could find as he shoved it all into his inventory.
Thoughts spinning, Keel quickly opened his class-specific interface.
[Builder: Available Buildings]
Wall - Stands 2 meters tall, 5 meters wide, and 1 meter thick; a simple construct. Made by Stone and Wood. Cost: 20 Units of Stone, 5 Units of Wood.
Archer Tower - Stands 5 meters tall, 2 meters wide, and 1 meter thick; a simple construct. Made by Stone, Wood, and Iron. Cost: 5 Units of Stone, 15 Units of Wood, 5 Units of Iron.
...
Terrified by the limited options before him, Keel started to feel dizzy. What could he possibly do with his weak body?
"I can build a maze!"
Lacking the power he once had, Keel was in no shape to fight anything head-on. He might get by fighting a single monster with his wealth of experience, but a nagging feeling told him there would be more than one.
Quickly getting to work, the benefits of the builder class became evident as Keel ran, walls quickly rising from the ground whenever he brushed past.
[8 Minutes]
"If I can meet them one on one, I stand a chance."
His eyes locked onto his predetermined path, as the minutes flew by, sweat continuously trickling down his forehead.
[3 Minutes]
"Almost there," he muttered.
Clearly out of breath, not used to the physical exertion, Keel quickly placed down what would eventually become his last resort. Keel turned around and slowly walked back, praying his plan would be a success.
"Is this good enough? Am I good enough?"
Out of options and with no one to turn to, the last few seconds trickled down.
[3]
[2]
[1]
[Begin]
As the words fell, white lights flashed as 3 creatures rapidly ran towards him.
[Hog] - Level 10
Strength: 15
Agility: 8
Intelligence: 3
Endurance: 18
Abilities:
Charge: Suddenly accelerate at fast speeds.
IronHide: (Passive) Its tough hide makes it difficult to penetrate.
Keel stood at the entrance of his maze, watching as the hogs quickly approached him.
Clearly unimpressed by his opponents, Keel swiftly remembered their desired weak spot. Keel screamed, clearly trying to taunt his enemies.
As they closed in on him, Keel quickly used his agility as he made his way in between pathways.
As he ran deeper into the maze, the wide path suddenly slimmed as he stood still, waiting for his opponents.
Keel raised his sword, and as if by instinct, his mind fell silent.
Heavy breaths and loud thuds served as the only evidence of the danger Keel found himself in.
His senses heightened, Keel suddenly saw one of them approaching. Bracing himself, Keel quickly ran forward, and just as they were about to collide, Keel dropped into a low, swift slide. His momentum carrying him forward, his knuckles whitened around the hilt. The wet, guttural noise of his sword slicing through skin and flesh, almost divine in its ferocity, ran through the otherwise empty hall.
As the Hog wailed in pain, Keel surged, his muscles coiled with practiced efficiency. In one seamless motion, his sword slid across its throat.
[You have slain a ...]
With one down, Keel couldn't let his victory linger. His eyes sharpened as he raced deeper into the maze, the narrow corridors calling him into their safe embrace.
...
[You have slain a...]
[You have slain a Frog - Level 12]
[15 minutes have passed]
'I'm almost out of room. How many are out there?' Keel had already fought seven beasts. If it continued on like this, he would barely survive another 5
As Keel wondered, a silent killer was slowly making its way towards him.
Keel's back ran cold as his face turned white. Driven by instinct, he dived towards the floor in a desperate attempt to escape, yet he couldn't.
"Aaaaah"
His back was now ripped open by sharp claws. Keel grimaced as he grabbed the hilt of his sword. His torso quickly turning wet from blood.
Keel lunged forward, catching the creature off guard. His blade connected with its leg, hitting right beneath the joint, and swiftly cleaved through it.
The creature roared and swatted him away. As Keel was flung back, hitting the wall, the grip around his sword quickly loosened. His eyes momentarily loosing focus.
Luckily, the monster had still not come to its senses. Now, with only 3 legs, its gait suddenly unsteady, the pain of losing its limb shook it to its core as it seemingly reevaluated its opponent.
As if struck by lightning, Keel's attention snapped back to the creature. Unable to identify or inspect it, the grotesque blend of fur and scales surprised Keel as it was unlike anything he'd ever seen before.
Keel quickly grabbed his sword and stood up once more.
The creature opened its mouth and let out a deafening, enraged roar. As it lunged forward, Keel quickly jumped. As the creature tried to turn, the loss of its limb momentarily slipped its mind as it stumbled.
[Strategic Insight - Active]
As time froze, Keel quickly reacted with practiced movements. His sword steady, as it aimed for its throat.
As the sword penetrated its fur, Keel pushed it inside and swiftly twisted his arm, wreaking its innards.
The creature twitched, then fell still.
Keel collapsed to the floor as exhaustion overwhelmed him.