I opened my eyes to nothing.

  I was in between thoughts of ‘lucky’, and ‘wonder what fame will help me with’, as my eyes started to adjust to the almost pitch darkness.

  My giddiness from before did not disappear, but I managed to get it under control so that I could observe everything clearly.

  The room had two hallways, and one of them was slightly illuminated as if the source of light was far away, which I guessed was the exit of the place.

  The room I was in is a mass Tomb, which somehow looked majestic and spacious, with high decorated ceilings, and walls full of aged carvings. There was dust everywhere, but apart from that seemed untouched by nature or anything else.

  I could count 16 tombs in the room put in an organized manner with 8 tombs on one side and 8 on the other with almost symmetrical perfection. Every coffin seemed to have been of very important people, as they were decorated with the utmost care.

  They looked carved, and painted beautifully, even if they were in a dissipated state due to their age, and had treasures surrounding them, but what caught my attention the most was the darkly glowing book at the end of the room.

  The book seemed suspiciously malignant, if there was not a dark red aura surrounding it I might not have noticed it, but now that I saw it I wanted it ‘must be something important for it to be here’, and it seemed to be calling me.

  I walked towards the book, going through in between the caskets, when I was in the middle of four caskets I felt the floor under my right foot give a little, and a sharp sound from my right, I moved more by reflex and instinct than anything else, as I took a fast step forward and inclined my body down until my chest was touching my left leg, I heard air pass by at the back of my head, and a ‘Thunk’ as it hit less than a second past that.

  I turned to look at what looked like an arrow, but bigger and meaner looking, about 200 centimeters in length and 10 centimeters of height, and was dripping some substance that looked like acid or poison, and looking at where it came from was nothing more than an innocent looking wall, but I knew better as based on the arrow trajectory it was directed at my head.

  I stayed looking at the arrow, in stunned silence, and in a silent thanks for my life. A second later it started to sink into the wall, and after four seconds the mean looking arrow had disappeared.

  ‘Dangerous’

  I felt a moment of doubt about being able to get the book, but immediately dismissed it with a though ‘I’ve had worse, even if not as deathly’ (referring to his training, and missions).

  I had to get to the book but could see it was not going to be an easy task.

  As I started walking forward again, with more caution this time, in the same place (in between the four tombs) my left foot again felt the pressure tile go down, but this time instead of coming from the right, the same sharp sound came from my front and a moment later an arrow seemed to come from out of nowhere this time aimed at my throat.

  I was already slumped a little forward in anticipation for an arrow from the right, so I made a split moment decision; I turned my shoulders so that my back was parallel to the ground, with my hands on the ground, the back of my head facing the left wall and my gaze seeing the mean arrow pass on top of me going fast.

  This time there was no sound of the arrow hitting a wall, so I extricated myself from my position (I tried it myself and couldn’t do it) and stood up again ‘must not assume game is easy, must not assume game is easy’ I was chanting this in my head as I looked for the Arrow-in-the-Box, it seemed to have disappeared again, this would be easy with my real body skill.

  I felt a small sting in my chest that stopped almost immediately, looked down and saw small holes in my shirt.

  I stayed as still as possible to see the effect of the poison and after a minute felt a little more tired, but no more effects, looked at the Book again and went forward.

  After going through 5 more traps in which, I had to avoid more than one nasty arrow at a time, fire, ice, acid rain in between other things, I finally arrived to my destination.

  One of the things that kept me going forward was my intense sense of curiosity for the book, and the help of my new skill.

  All of this helped me move just that necessary bit faster and hear that sound I almost missed, at the end I was heaving from exhaustion ‘ I lost most of my stamina’ as I was used to doing a lot more than this without tiring this easy, the only part of me that wasn’t tired was my mind.

  Now looking at the glowing book in front of me I was weary, I did not want to find any more traps so I observed carefully the space it was in.

  The book was in a space on the wall completely alone with an ominous looking text carved next to it

  The text took a couple of seconds to change appearance to something readable, (as he is a Blood Elf he knows their language by instinct) as I read it some apprehension entered my mind (accurate, gut feeling).

  ‘How utterly dangerous sounding book’, but even as I though this I could feel my eyes start to glow an excited red.

  I wanted to read the book cover and as the wall script started to appear in a language I could read.

  The more skills I had the better the chance of becoming stronger.

  Gathering my resolve I took the book, ‘well that was not so bad’ but the second that though crossed my mind, my sight went pitch black, and the hand grasping the book started to hurt.

  It started as a one, and little by little increase until I stopped feeling my surrounding, and concentrated on simply holding it. The words ‘must endure’ crossed my mind more than once.

  Now, I have been trained to endure torture, some of the things that have been done to me are vomit inducing even now, and thanks to my modified body the marks that by every right should be on my skin are no more, so the pain I had to bear while holding the book was not the worst but still was pretty high up on the pain level I’ve experience, in a 1 to 10, one being struck with a pin on the hand and ten some of the new techno drugs that get directly to the pain signals on the brain, it would be a 7.

  7 you could laugh, but it was still a pretty painful 7, a seven where all the skin on your hands was being peeled away, a nine was the whole body.

  After the pain started to subside, ‘was the God**** game not supposed to restrict the pain level at a 50%, **** it’ my vision cleared, and I could no longer feel the book in my hands.

  ‘Ping.’

  Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.

  I looked down in a panic ‘If this was for nothing, I’ll kill someone’ I looked down with that cheerful though searched for it, but was distracted by my once pale hands that were now covered in blood and dripping, which made me uneasy even though they looked healed and the pain was gone, but what distracted me more, was that they were glowing the same black aura the book had when it was on its own.

  ‘Ping’

  After hearing this other things appeared but I did not pay it any attention, for I felt like dancing a little happy gig, I could feel my eyes getting brighter, but what stopped my celebration was the dark aura that I seemed to emit when I got excited, ‘this could be a problem’ not that it mattered, as I just opened the path to become the strongest in game, ‘I’ll be able to protect my sister soon’

  I started to calm down as I started to make a survey of my situation, I was still trapped in a crypt, and had no idea how to get out.

  I calmed down completely, and in a second decided to try my new body and compare it with my real life one, so I started to do some complicated moves while taking deep breaths and stretching my now less tired muscles, letting my mind clear of all emotion, and my heartbeat slow down.

  Only about a 20% of my original Strength and agility remained, but my flexibility has not changed.

  I kept on moving until, ‘ping’

  ‘This is awesome every little action helps and all my skills can be of use’ happy but calm, I was surprised to see that the wall where the book and text were had disappeared and in its place were some awesome looking things, a sword, a dagger their sheaths and a pair of tablets, still keeping a calm mind I observed the objects.

  -observe skill used

  And the Tablets.

  -‘Ping’

  Looking at the objects made me happy again but it still took me by surprise when I started to glow when I lost a little of my composed state ‘how sensitive, it will be difficult to appear in front of others without practicing first’, so I breathed in and out while I put the tablets on my backpack, and tried to strap the dagger on my arm but it was too big so I had to lift my leg and strap it on my thigh facing out, while muttering, “dang is this guy hulk that he could strap this thing in his arm” thankfully the blade guard was okay on the first try around the waste.

  I wanted to use the tablets, so I gulped down both.

  ‘Ping’

  “I don’t want the messages to pop up like that”

  Thriilng!

  After a little alarm sounded, the same AI as the one when I was creating the character could be heard. “Do you want to make it so that you don’t get any message automatically?”

  It took me by surprise to hear it so I asked without thinking, “Why are you answering me I thought that you would never talk to me again. Does this mean that other AI’s talk to the other users?”

  “No it is only because the game is relatively new, your unique situation, and my personal interest, but do not worry after you leave this place I will not contact you again. Now do you not want automatic massages?”

  “Could I have it so that I only hear the sound when a message comes?

  “Done, and next time say ‘settings’ or read the manual.”

  After that there was simple silence.

  I was quite happy with my new setting and stuff.

  ‘One thing I’m sure of, is that blood will be a regular sight from now on’, with a happy smile I strode purposefully to find an exit to the crypt and I though my new family life would be monotonous.

  If you were to look at me at this time you’d have thought my smile to be adorable, with just a hint of fang, the last thing you would imagine on my mind would be my insurmountable battle lust, bleeding monsters and growing stronger, which is just the way I liked it.

  Viva la Windows!!