⌜Tutorial⌝
◈ Survive! [ Completed ]
A system notification popped up before my face.
The thing startled me so greatly I almost fell into the snow dune behind me.
'Huh…'
Before I could even regain my composure another transparent window appeared.
⌜Rewards⌝
◈ Access to 'Status Screen'
◈ Increased [Agility] and [Perception] attributes.
This one, however, didn't cause me to panic.
Reading through the screen, I even took a deep breath, feeling the weight of the sword in my hand and the chill of the snowy forest around me.
I had survived Ash Morningstar's Tutorial!
A small smile crept across my face.
I even received extra rewards!
"Status Screen…"
I muttered, curious to see what my Stats looked like.
Immediately, a translucent blue window appeared in front of me, displaying my character's details.
⌜Status⌝
User: Ash Morningstar
Level: 1 [ I Star Knight ]
Experience: [‒‒‒‒‒|58%|‒‒‒‒]
Profession: Knight
﹂ Type: Swordsman
Attributes:
﹂ Strength: [ 1 ]
﹂ Agility: [ 2 ]
﹂ Perception: [ 2 ]
﹂ Endurance: [ 1 ]
Traits:
◈ Curse: Mana disease - the user is unable to use mana.
◈ Blessing: Sword Genius - the user has natural talent for swordsmanship
Skills/Spells:
◈ Shadow Manipulation [ Mastery - Lv. 1 ]
﹂ Shadow Step - the user can teleport short distances through shadows.
⌞The End⌟
The screen was minimalistic, yet detailed enough to give me a clear understanding of Ash Morningstar's capabilities.
My Agility and Perception were slightly above the average, thanks to the reward from the tutorial quest, but everything else was at the base level.
"Just as expected…"
A sigh escaped my lips.
Everything was the same as in the game - Ash's stats were pitiful and his body was riddled with Mana Illness.
The only positive thing within the interface was the Sword Genius trait, which would be very useful in the future, however, now it is of very little use to me.
'Perfect.'
I sneered sarcastically and closed the status screen, taking a look at my surroundings.
The bodies of the assailants lay scattered around me and I felt a mix of relief and revulsion.
However, despite the violence, there was no time to dwell on it. I needed to move forward and figure out my next steps.
First, I scavenged the bodies for any useful items.
Among them, I found a few pieces of bread, a small pouch of coins and a map.
The bread would help stave off hunger and the coins would be useful for the upcoming episode. The map, however, was the most intriguing find.
Unfolding it, I saw a detailed layout of the surrounding region, including a marked path leading to a nearest village called 'Oakridge'.
This was the place a player would need to reach to further progress in the game.
After either escaping or defeating the assailants, you are tasked with finding or following the path to the village.
Without the map, finding civilization would be a hassle and I would most likely die since a devastating snow storm is destined to happen in a few hours or so.
In the game, it only takes twenty minutes to die from the freezing temperatures if the player does not make it to Oakridge in time. I can bet that I'd experience the same dire consequences if I fail to reach the village before the storm hits.
'I have to pick up my pace…'
Holding a map in one hand and a sword in the other, I began to make my way south.
Of course, I could get to the village even without a map since I've already played through this section of the game more than I could count, but there was no shame in being extra careful, especially since it would cost me nothing.
With such a mindset I kept trudging through the snow for the next few hours until the familiar silhouette of Oakridge came into view, just as the first snowflakes began to fall.
The journey itself was pretty uneventful as there were no beings that could survive the harsh conditions of the blizzard, allowing me to reach the village without any further encounters.
As I approached the familiar gates of the village, I felt a sense of relief wash over me.
I didn't even hesitate entering the settlement, instantly making my way quickly to the nearest inn to seek shelter from the impending storm.
"A room for a night…"
Placing half of the coins I scavenged on the counter, I quickly received a key and made my way to the room on the second floor.
I could feel the inn keeper's gaze upon my blood-stained clothes, however, the man simply didn't seem to care, as long as I paid for the room.
'He's a smart fella…'
Throwing myself onto the soft bed, I let out a long, weary sigh
I was tired beyond belief. This body was even worse than mine in real world and I spent most of my time playing 'Realm of Legends', cooped up inside my dungeon, a room where the sunlight rarely reached
Slightly raising my head I gazed outside the window, watching as snowflakes fell and the howling winds of the blizzard began to batter the village.
It was strangely calming…
Thud…
Suddenly, a loud noise of something breaking echoed in the room next to mine, followed by a muffled scream.
⌜Episode I⌝
◈ Investigate and deal with the commotion next door.
With another deep sigh, I stood up from my bed and unsheathed my sword.
Normally, a player would opt to leave his room and go through the main door to investigate the event, but I knew a shortcut!
Taking up the sword with both hands, I approached the wall, specifically a place where a painting of a bloody tree hung and raised my blade.
I steadied my grip and took a deep breath, listening for a specific sound on the other side of the wall.
Gulp…
As soon as I heard somebody swallow, I immediately thrusted my sword through the middle of the painting, feeling as the blade pierced through a centimeter of wood and plunged into something soft.
Grhhhhh…
At first, a strange gurgling sound echoed from the other side and then something fell to the floor.
Thud…
Pulling out my sword from the hole, I noticed crimson liquid tainting its tip and nodded my head.
Placing the weapon against the wall, I left my room and immediately went straight to the door of the next room.
I didn't even try to knock, simply pushing open the wooden door that had its lock shattered.
"Anyone alive?"