The coldness of the morning air seeps into my bones even before I open my eyes. I just lie there for a while, staring blankly at the cold bare rock of the ceiling, uninspiring and unfriendly. The emptiness of the room is oppressive. There's a bed, a wooden trunk in one corner, and four empty bare walls that coldly remind me: I'm not home. The crushing weight of the fact that death is likely permanent comes crashing down on me yet again as my heart beats almost out of my chest. No revives. No do-overs. I lean back. Everything that went down yesterday feels too real to have been a dream. Status Window. There is nothing. No glowing screen. Silence and the heavy weight of reality are all that remain. I clench my fists, struggling to overcome the terror. I want, no, I need answers. I have to see through what this is, where I've ended up, and I will survive no matter who or what I have to step over. I close my eyes and focus intensely, actually consider the system. Skills tab. It opens straight away.
Skills:
Universal Translation – Allows understanding of all global spoken languages. - F Rank
A little too general for a skills tab: And the fact that it talks about the world, and not about the game, makes me more believe that we are in a new world. "Titles."
Titles:
Son of the Primordial Chronos – Permanently raises all stats by +6
I let the pop-up disappear and get out of the bed and drop to the floor and begin basic exercises. These help me figure out how much strength to use since I'm now having to hold back. After my status changed and my stats increased when I got out of bed in the middle of the night, my foot went through the floor. I finish up my exercises, I wipe the sweat off with a rag, and I hear a knock on the door, and before I can answer it, I hear "Downstairs." and the voice is gone just like that.
I head downstairs into the main room and see the woman who guided when we first arrived standing at the end of the table where the other demi-gods are sitting. I take a seat, and she begins, "Now that you're all in this world, you must assume roles." Cutting her off, Alexios says, "Before you demand we work for you, mind telling us your name?" She stops for a second and almost seems angry before ignoring him and continuing, "We have plenty of roles here in Hellenika for you to assume, and" she stops, scans the room with a scowl on her face before a creepy grin appears, and she says, "You can, of course, leave Hellenika and find your place elsewhere, but we wouldn't recommend it." Her grin makes me uncomfortable, and as if responding to my thoughts, the system answers.
Quest Received: True Path
The Greek armies wish to utilize your potential and use your power for their own advancement. Forge your own path and conquer your destiny.
Objectives:
Do not become a part of any Greek army
Go on any path you want outside of Hellenika and Olympus' domain
Rewards for being forging your own path:
Become qualified for a Class Quest
Get a random skill unlocked
Penalties for becoming a Greek army profession:
Miss the opportunity to get a class
Miss the opportunity to inherit Chronos' power
Issued by Chronos
I finish reading it, and I'm confused. Chronos, a Greek god, doesn't want me to be a part of Greek forces. The pop-up disappears, and I look back up at the woman, who continues on, "Outside of Hellenika are a few jobs you could take up, but trust me, you'll want to stay here." After getting the quest, I can now hear the underlying nervousness in her tone. Nervous, we'll leave? Something's not adding up, but whatever the case, I'll be leaving. I can't sacrifice getting a class, plus I get weird vibes here. I raise my hand immediately, and she says in a polite tone not matching her expression, "Ethan?" I say, "I'll go elsewhere." She stares me down before saying, "Are you sure I really don't—" I stand up and say, "I'll be going elsewhere, thanks." As I leave the room and head back upstairs, once I'm safely in my room, I sigh and sit down. Chronos believes I shouldn't join Greek forces; specifically, his quest actually states that they seek to use me for my potential. Perhaps I should warn the other demi-gods... No, what's the point? I don't have the time to worry about others in this unpredictable world.
Status Window
Name: Ethan Watts
Age: 19
Occupation: None
Origin: Hellenika
Class: Undetermined
Fame: 10
Status: Demi-God
Title: Son of the Primordial Chronos
Stats:
Strength: 42
Dexterity: 43
Endurance: 40
Vitality: 45
Qi: 31
Luck: A
Charm: A
Charisma: A-
I wonder how I boost my stats. Don't games like these usually have a levelling system? Or I suppose I can't completely rely on my knowledge of games since it's a game-like world. I know titles can give stats and maybe status, but that might be a onetime thing. I suppose I decide to head out and look around a bit. As I step outside, I'm greeted by the blazing sun; its heat is relentless on my skin at first, but as I walk around, it's as if my body is adapting to the heat in the Greek domain, probably because I'm a Greek Demi-God. Cobblestone roads stretched out before me, shining white with the countless trampling feet. Whitewashed houses with terracotta roofs towered above the roads, walls cracked and heavy with the years but brimming with crawling ivy. The scent of olives and dust clung to me, mingled with the far-off taste of the ocean. Merchants stepped out of low wooden stalls, hawking bread, fruit, and shiny bronze trinkets. Marble temples reached high into the distance, columns standing far above an ever-present reminder that there were gods. Each step was as eternal as history itself. I arrive at the library, and as I get closer, the sign changes from unreadable ancient Greek to English "Library." Thanks to Universal Translation, I head inside and look through the books, and the text translates as I scan over them before finding "Foundations of the World. I grab it and sit at a table. I read all about this world and its countless gods and their pantheons, and while I'm reading, I notice it's getting late and put the book back and walk through the streets, now calmer and emptier, once full of life, now void of it, as the night sky bathes the streets in moonlight. I'll admit I may miss home, but I would've never seen anything like this there.
The next day I'm getting dressed, finally free of the uncomfortable chiton himation and belt. I tried to get used to it, but I just can't, so I put back on the clothes I arrived here in. I'm not sure how they cleaned them without technology, and I'm not sure I want to know. I slip on my navy polo shirt and black jeans, my black trainers, and my grey hoodie. When I first put these clothes on a few days ago, I did not have a clue I'd be here. I take one last look at the view out of my window since I'll be leaving Hellenika today. I head downstairs and hear talking, and I go into the main room where the woman is speaking to the demi-gods. I walk in and glare at him before walking out, and I say, "So you're all staying then?" They nod, and Alexios stands up, and we shake hands, and I say, "It was nice meeting you." I say my goodbyes to the others too and leave the room. I'd like to hope I'll see them again. One day I get outside and head the way the attendants at the building I was staying at directed me; their instructions were literally just "Head towards the golden light." I walk towards it and get to a large golden gate, and as I open it and walk through it, I see ships with wings, some on the ground not moving, some in the fly. The wings are like a bird's flapping to keep the ships afloat as if they're alive, and as I carry on through, I see golden chariots and wooden chariots, all looking mythical and divine. Makes sense, I suppose, and I carry on walking until I find eight others waiting behind a golden cart with massive ox-like creatures tied to the front of it. A soldier says, "Ah, there's the last one." and has us pile into the cart, and we're off, soaring over a glowing golden bridge, the breeze blowing my hair around, and as I look out over the beautiful views behind us, I see Hellenika; it's at the foot of a giant mountain, which I assume is Mount Olympus, and above the mountain I can just barely see a city of gold in the clouds; that must be Olympus.
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My eyes open as they're bathed in the first sunlight of the morning. I yawn, blinking as my eyes adjust to the light. As I sit up and look around, I see the eight others in the cart are still asleep. I look out of the window, and it's so different from the sites near Hellenika. There the grass was green with a golden hue. Everything looked so elegant. Here the grass is blue, and there are floating structures and castles everywhere. It's absolutely amazing, and at the middle of it, exactly where we're approaching, is what looks almost like a modern city, but with a distinct archaic definition to all the structures and glowing blue pillars of light surging up and through the clouds, penetrating the sky like beacons. This is Arcadia. I'd read up on it in the book I read. It's the newest nation in this world ruled by a single Goddess, a human who clawed her way up to the status of God, then made her own pantheon and became a Supreme God. When I was reading about her and Arcadia in "Foundations of the World," it felt like I was reading a fantasy novel, and she was the main character. To be honest, I thought about going to Arcadia and becoming a mage, but something drew me towards the job I have decided on to be an Adventurer.
As our cart gets closer to Arcadia, I hear a voice behind me: "Beautiful, isn't it?" I turn around and say, "Yeah," as I stand up and shake his hand. "I'm Ethan Watts." He takes my hand and says, "I'm Liam Thomas." We sit down next to each other, and he asks me, "What were you up to before this?" I sigh and say, "I had not long started my first year of university studying horology and chronometry." His face lights up, and he asks me, "What university?" "Birmingham," I reply, and he says, "I remember my first year at the University of London. I got my BA and MA, and I had just started my last year to get my PhD in history." "You're a doctor? I ask, shocked, and he smiles and says, "I would've been if I had finished. I applied to this game to have a little fun between studying; I wish I hadn't now. Years of my life studying to get that degree just to end up in another world." I notice he looks sad, almost defeated, before his face lights up again, and he takes a breath and says, "But that's why I'm going there." He points out the window at Arcadia and says, "I read some books in Hellenika, and they said the foundation of magic is knowledge, and I'm quite good at studying, so I figured it'd be a good fit." I decide this is a good time to gain info. "You know when you were sucked into the game?" He nods, and I say, "What happened?" He puts his fingers on his chin and says, "I put the headset on and blacked out, then I was in a white void where a voice synchronised me and asked me to choose a god of worship. Once I did, everything went black, and I woke up in a room in Hellenika. From there, I was taken to the coliseum and given the skill Universal Translation."So all otherworlders experience the same thing, bar us demi-gods who didn't get to choose a god of worship, and at the very least, all of us otherworlders have the system. He says, "What about you?" which breaks my focus, and I say, "Pretty much the exact same, except I didn't get asked to choose a god to worship." He nods and says, "Thought so."
The cart jerks to a stop, and I stand up and shake Liam's hand. He, along with three others of our group of eight, is getting out here in Arcadia, where they'll strive to become mages. "I hope to see you again soon, mate," he tells me, and I nod, watching as he walks away, and our cart begins going past Arcadia. I watch as we ride past the skylines. The capital city of Arcadia really does look like a modern city, but if it was in mediaeval times, the skyscrapers were made of stone, and it's just unbelievable to look at. It almost makes me regret wanting to become an adventurer, to be honest, but I've chosen my path, and now I must walk it. I sit back down in the cart and await; by the time the cart reaches my stop, it's only me getting off; the other three that were left with me had got off along the way; two left at Kemet, the Egyptian domain, and the last had got off at Zhongyuan, the Chinese domain, and finally I get off in front of the city Mercari, home of the Adventurers Guild, Warriors Guild, and Mercenaries Guild. I watch as the cart floats upwards, flipping around the other way as the ox-like creatures start pulling it back the way it came, and I head into Mercari.
I walk through the city, and it's fascinating: the only city in this world not part of a Pantheon, it's an independent state where those who don't want to worship the gods do their work. It has the highs and lows of society, from adventurers to mercenaries, normal markets to black markets. I walk past everything for now and head to the Adventurers Guild. The four guilds in the city stand out because they are the tallest buildings and have more buildings connected to them. I arrive at the Adventurers Guild and head in. The first room looks exactly like a lobby with a desk and a woman behind it. I walk up to it, and without looking up, she says, "Name?" "Ethan Watts," I reply, and she looks up and says, "Are you an otherworlder?" I nod, and she sighs and points out a black plate on the desk and says, "Place your hand there." I walk up to it and put my hand there, and it glows, and something is projected from the crystal on her desk, and she looks over whatever it is and says, "You meet the stat requirements." Before I can speak, she uses another crystal, which makes three things that she hands over to me: a license, a keycard, and a piece of paper, and as she hands them over, she says, "That's your license, that's your keycard, and that's your instructions. I've given you everything you need." and with that she looks away, and I take my leave, and as I'm walking through the halls, I read through the paper: Short housing, food, and equipment are provided by the guild, but it is based on your rank. The higher rank you are, the better you get, I assume to provide motivation to work harder and rank up. I get to the room that has the same number as my keycard and go in. The room is tiny and cramped and freezing. The bed is tiny on a wooden frame. I sit on it, and it is so lumpy I'd believe it if it was made this lumpy on purpose, and I continue reading through the instructions. My license is how I borrow gear and get food. I'm allotted three meals a day, and I have to hand my license over, and I'll be marked as having had one, and the same with my gear, which I have to give back after each quest I do, so the license is basically very important. Good to know. And finally, I have to take a quest after seven days of break, so I get a week in between quests. I say "Quests," and a pop-up appears: "Quest Completed: Say "Claim" to claim rewards." It disappears, and I say "Claim," and two pop-ups appear: "WARNING! You do not meet the minimum requirements to take your class quest; it will be postponed." "Random Skill: Appraisal" Appraisal, I was hoping for a combat skill "Skills"
Skills:
Universal Translation – Allows understanding of all global spoken languages - F-Rank
Appraisal - Scans and shows the information of any chosen target - F-Rank
Another F-Rank? I wonder if all skills start at F-Rank and if they can get stronger. I mean, I'm sure it'll be useful "Status Window"
"Occupation: None --> F-Rank Adventurer"
Status Window
Name: Ethan Watts
Age: 19
Occupation: F-Rank Adventurer
Origin: Hellenika
Class: Undetermined
Fame: 10
Status: Demi-God
Title: Son of the Primordial Chronos
Stats:
Strength: 43
Dexterity: 44
Endurance: 41
Vitality: 46
Qi: 31
Luck: A
Charm: A
Charisma: A-
My physical stats have gone up by one too. The only thing that's changed is my occupation, so does that mean that occupation affects stats too? I stand up to leave and check out the city.
