He exhaled.
"Well whatever. I'll just-"
You have leveled up!
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Hisgard
Butcher's Apprentice
LVL 1: 40/1000 EXP --------> LVL 2 : 540/2000 EXP
Gold : 100
Skills:
Butchering: LVL 2
Abilities:
Chop: LVL 2 | 20/100 MASTERY
Available Stat Points: 3
STR: 7 INT: 3 VIT: 6
AGI: 5 SEN: 2 LCK : -inf
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"Oh I forgot about that! Level up! 3 available stat points now.. What do I with it?"
Hisgard pondered, indeed, his current state and looking at his status window would imply that hes considerably weak.
"Considering my situation.. I think putting 2 points in Senses and 1 in Agility would be best."
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Hisgard
Butcher's Apprentice
LVL 2 : 540/2000 EXP
Gold : 100
Skills:
Butchering: LVL 2
Abilities:
Chop: LVL 2 | 20/100 MASTERY
Available Stat Points: 3 -----> 0
STR: 7 INT: 3 VIT: 6
AGI: 5 -----> 6 SEN: 2 ----> 4 LCK : -inf
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"There. Wait.. I hadn't noticed it but there's a 'Mastery' meter on my 'Chop' ability. I think if I fill it up I can get it to level up right?"
Hisgard's assumption would prove to be correct, as he realised that the 20 points he already has came from him 'chopping' the burglars.
"There was another reward to check now.. The 'Butcher's Knife', apparently 'well crafted'."
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Butcher's Knife (Well crafted) :
A Butcher's Knife, made by an experienced artisan.
Previously owned by a master butcher, it has seen thousands of chops.
As the Butcher's Apprentice, you inherited it, make good use of it.
This item scales to the user's level.
Rarity: Common
STR: +3 VIT: +2
Very sharp. Must be handled with care.
NOTE// If you equip this item, you will %%DZF8gege%$µ23aazeze
ERROR ERROR ERROR
Do you want to equip this item as your main weapon?
YES NO
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"Again? Seriously ? Another error? Whatever, it seems like a pretty good weapon, especially because of the fact it scales with my level. Let's just press 'Yes'."
Item equipped.
As if materialising out of thin air, the 'Butcher's Knife' appeared on Hisgard's belt, though his peasant's attire and this new 'knife', more so a machete, would certainly attract some looks.
"Anyways.. That 'Special Quest' said to 'search my prisoner' .. hm.."
One could think Eldia was personally guiding Hisgard.
'The burglar being unconscious made this easy but.. why?
...
"Well whatever."
As Hisgard patted the burglar down and rummaged thru his pockets all he found was..
"Nothing."
As Hisgard glanced around standing up, he seemed to perceive the severed hand and something.. drawn on it?
"Oh. The hand... "
"This is pretty disgusting."
As he looked closer at the hand, Hisgard was right, there was indeed something drawn- No. Tattooed on the back of the hand.
A snake biting thru an apple, with a dagger in the background.
"Something's off about that ta-"
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SPECIAL QUEST RECEIVED
With the mysterious tattoo discovered.. You know there's something brewing in the shadows..
Your master is at his house. An arrow will guide you.
Uncover the truth.
REWARD:
The reward will be revealed when you complete this quest as it is a special quest.
You may get another reward if conditions are met.
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'Damn. Another one of those quests. Ok.. I guess I should go ask my master about it then?'
After following the arrow guiding Hisgard thru the city streets, admiring the gothic architecture but also the undeniable poverty and famine, anyone could tell that this beautiful city had a major problem. One that needed solving.
Finally arriving at his master's humble house, quite small but still cozy.
Knock Knock.
"Whose there?"
"It's your apprentice, master."
"Hm? What are you doing here late at night?"
"There were some burglars, I.."
Hisgard wondered whether he should tell him that he had killed one and let the other died from bloodloss, as there was nothing he could do.
Yet, he couldn't bring himself to admit to murder, even if one could consider it self-defense, Hisgard couldn't value it as that. After all, he brutally killed one and practically tortured the other.
"I.. took care of them. There was a tattoo on one of them, a snake biting thru an apple, with a dagger in the back."
"Burglars? Sigh.. Come in. I'll tell you about that tattoo."
After entering the house and sitting down at the dining room table, Hisgard could tell the atmosphere was tense.
"Hisgard.. My apprentice. That tattoo is something dangerous."
"What do you mean? Why is it dangerous?"
Hisgard.. As you probably noticed, this city is crumbling. Soyo has never been this.. this poor and hungry in decades.. The hungry think of this tattoo as a solution, it's the symbol of the underground organisation known as.. 'The Syndicate'.
'The Syndicate? An underground organisation? Wait a minute..'
Hisgard placed a hand on his chin, and lowered his eyes. Appearing pensive.
"So.. 'The Syndicate' are the ones who ordered the 2 men to break into the shop and steal from you?"
"Maybe.. Look. Hisgard. Don't get involved with them. Don't even try to find out more, it'll only cause you problems."
"Master.. With all due respect, they tried to steal from you! They even tried to kill me!"
"Hisgard. Stop... I've only known you for a day, I don't want to have another kid dying because of me."
'Another kid? Were there others before me? Or is he talking about his family?'
"Another kid? Master.. Did.."
"Hisgard.. 'The Syndicate' .. They.. They took my child away. They took the last thing I loved.. My daughter.. Marie.."
Hisgard's master, compared to the personality he was showing in the shop, being strict and severe, was now like a big soft bear, sobbing quietly, reminiscing about his daughter. His heart was barely holding on, or had it already let go?
"Master.. I.. I'm sorry.. I didn't know.."
"Hisgard... Don't get involved with them. Don't cross their path. Just.. Stay out of their way... Please. I beg of you.."
"..Alright.."
...
'My master..'
...
'I can't just let these criminals get away with kidnapping a child..'
'But based on what my master told me, they're powerful, and have influence.'
'I need to get stronger.'
After exiting his master's house, Hisgard decided to look around the city for a bit, after all, he's in a fantasy world with magic and monsters, there should be a sort of guild somewhere, right?
'I guess I should ask around.'
"..It's weird though." Hisgard muttered under his breath, with straitened eyes.
"I don't really see any other player."
He saw a few videos of this game on Wetube and other players always had their levels and name above their heads.
But when he looked around.. There's not a single level. Nor is there a single name hovering.
Was there not a single player in this area?
Hisgard exhaled the breath he had unknowningly been holding.
'Whatever. I'll just go ask the locals.'
Hisgard approached what appeared to be a tall lanky man, with a grey coat and a hood hiding his eyes, though he could feel his gaze.
"Hello sir! I'm sorry but is there like a guild somewhere near?"
"..Yes. There is. "
"So.. Could you tell me where it is?"
"Just.. Take this."
Hisgard was handed a map, the city map precisely, however what caught his eye was the man's hand, the same tattoo present on the burglar was on this man's hand.
Even as Hisgard wanted to confront the man as fast as possible, he realised that in the open, as he were, would be practically a death sentence, he could already be encircled by Syndicate members.
As he looked up from the map, Hisgard could finally perceive the man's eyes, a gaze without glint, he long had abandoned life, and yet, he was glaring at Hisgard with such life and.. rage?
Hisgard could only deduct it was because of his slight reaction to the tattoo.
"Ah! Thank you kind sir! I'll surely repay you one day. I'll be on my way now.. eh."
...
Hisgard felt distraught due to that sudden encounter, if the syndicate were present everywhere in Soyo, how could he rid the city of this supposed plague? And most of all, save Marie?
Following the map's instructions, Hisgard finally arrived at the guild. The front looked.. Quite disparate. And the inside.. dusty, cobwebs, and a few old men drinking here and there.
'Okay.. I guess this place isn't the most profitable..?'
'Let's just ask that person at the counter.'
"Hello sir, what can I help you with today?"
The woman infront of him appeared in her thirties, still smiling, but no wrinkles around her eyes, Hisgard could sense it, he was not particularly welcome.
"Is there some way I could get a quest to like.. hunt monsters or something?"
"Hmm.. Let me look at my hunt requests.."
'Looking around.. It seems old men from earlier are glaring at me, as if I'm not supposed to be here.'
Hisgard was right, if he made a wrong move, his end may be near.
"Okay sir, considering that I've never seen you before, would you happend to have a Guild's Certificate?"
"Oh uh.. I don't have one, could I perhaps apply for one?"
"Certainly! Just put your hand on this device to get your level and class and I'll get your name and age to fill out the certificate."
The device appeared to be some sort of blue orb with an inscription on it. Hisgard thus laid his hand on it.
"Okay."
Unknowingly, those old men from earlier were readying their weapons, and the Guild employee was glaring.
Of course, what could Hisgard do?
As Hisgard put his hand on the device, a display sprung up into the air, a sort of hologram.
It displayed his level, and class. Level two and Butcher's Apprentice.
"Ahahaha! And here we were! Ready to kill a poor man! Butcher's Apprentice! It seems that grumpy guy finally got someone under his wing!"
The old men let out a heartily laughed, indeed, they shall not kill a kid today.
"He's only level 2 aswell! He's like 20 or something! Ahaha!"
"Sorry for those senile old men over there, just tell me your name and age so I can fill out your certificate. The certificate is linked with magic to whoever's the owner of it, so the level and class will change depending on your level and class."
"Okay.. My name's Hisgard and I'm 19 years old as these grandpas somewhat guessed."
"Thanks. Here's your certificate."
The receptionist released a sigh of relief, no blood shall be shed.
"Alright. Now what about that hunt request?"
"Certainly! The request is to hunt slimes on the forest outskirts, they have been annoying the traders and merchants, aswell as farmers going in and out of the city delivering food. You'll get an appropriate reward if you complete this request, of course."