back (r0, prologue) back to r0 landing page back to home next (r1c2)
Reality One: The Noble Hero’s Rise to Fame
Chapter One: Setting the Scene
*CREATING REALITY 1. PLEASE STANDBY… GRABBING USER DATA. INITIALIZING.*
- Reality 1, April 6, 1247, 11:38 -
Yet another day of blacksmithing. The same old, same old. I just want to go on an adventure for once, but nope. We just HAVE to fulfill these orders from across town before the deadline. Sundays are always the worst, since the deadline for most people is tomorrow and it just gets too much to handle. What, with the heat of the constant scorching flames tickling your face and the constant need for iron and steel…
“Neo!” I hear. It’s my mentor, Elias, calling me again.
‘What do you need this time?!’ I cry out in annoyance, as I’ve just gotten to the shop and I’m already getting yelled at.
Take the day off! I’ve got my son helping out today!” he exclaimed. Suddenly, my annoyance turned into gratitude.
‘Thank you, sir! Be careful!’ I yell back, my tone of voice noticeably shifting in a good way. I’ve been wanting to explore this certain area in the woods for a while, and now seems like the time to do it.
Before I leave for the forest, I grab my trusty sword and notebook to take notes. I like studying the various wildlife and monsters I come across, as well as using trial and error from these findings to improve my own techniques. Across the front of the notebook is my familiar name, Unus, along with a bunch of scribbles that I drew out of boredom. I store the notebook in my satchel and make my way off to the spot.
As I walked, my surroundings made me feel calm for the first time in a while; the constant back and forth yelling of the blacksmith shop now replaced with the crunching of the leaves under my boots and the chirping of the birds above me. The local fauna always brought joy to me, seeing them frolich outside my window as I laid at my table examining my notes.
I come to the entrance of a cave, untouched by anyone for what seemed to be many years. I head inside, casting a simple Lumium spell to light the way. The cool, damp atmosphere of the cave was incredibly calming, but I had to stay on my guard. You never know when monsters or bandits could jump you…
kept walking deeper into the cave, with the sunlight behind me growing ever so dimmer and dimmer, the shadows of the cave becoming ever so creepier and creepier, yet I held steadfast and kept advancing.
I came to a clearing in the cave, what seemed to be a dried up lake. A chest was in the middle, ready to be opened and looted. I walked up to it and slowly opened the chest. Inside was some gold coins, an old sword that has definitely seen better days, and a book. I grab everything, stuffing it all into my satchel except for the book, which I examined first. It seems like the text is written in an older language I do not have the knowledge to understand. Maybe if I brought this to someone who can, I could learn something valuable…
I started to head back, yet was blocked by some monsters. A couple slimes, a ghoul, and a skeleton. I pulled out my sword, readying to attack.
‘Hyaa!’ I shouted, as I jumped forward to swing at my foes. I knocked the skeleton over with ease, I stabbed the ghoul with the tip of my blade, and I crushed a slime with my boot. Yet, the last slime seemed to stick to my leg. I tried to get it off physically, but nothing worked. Maybe it was only vulnerable to magic?
I grabbed the slime with my hand and sent a Pyra spell directly into it. It exploded, sending warm green goo everywhere. I wiped it off and left.
When I got back to town, I headed for the general store. The owner I know well, seeing as I go in there all the time for my typical routine, grabbing more metal to smelt with. I walked in and saw him at his usual post, behind the counter.
“Hey Neo.” he said. ‘Hi Tobias.’www I replied.
“What brings you here on this Sunday afternoon?” he said, clearly understanding it wasn’t for metal.
‘I just wanted to see if I could sell this sword I found and if I could get information on this book.’
“Sure thing. Lemme have a look at those.” he said. I gently handed both the rusted old sword and illegible book to Tobias while he pulled out a magnifying glass to examine closer. “Seems like this old blade here might actually be worth something. I see some runes on it from about 800 years ago, it seems…” Wait, 800 years? Did he say that right?
‘E- EIGHT HUNDRED YEARS? THAT CAVE WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE OPEN!’ I was in shock. I’ve never been able to find treasure that old. ‘HOW MUCH?!’
“Hmm, how about 1000 gold? That should do you well.”
‘I’ll take it. One more thing, though.’ I almost forgot about it in the hype for the sword.
“Hm? What do you want?”
‘Where should I bring this book to get it translated?’
This place is pretty far, about 3 kilometers from home. I lack a horse, so I guess I’ll just have to go on foot. Hopefully I don’t encounter anyone bad on the wa-
“Hey Neo!” said a low but warm voice. It’s my friend, Drae.
‘Oh, hey Drae. What are you up to?’
“Nothing much. I was just working on the roof of my house. I think a rock somehow got thrown through it and made a hole in it, so I’m trying to patch it up. I only stopped when I saw you walking in the corner of my eye, so I came to say hi.”
Damn, that sucks. Well, I’m on my way to meet a mage to help decipher this book. I found it in a cave along with a sword I sold for 1000 gold.”
“Woah, 1000 gold?’ he said excitedly. ‘I’ve never heard of an old sword found in a cave selling for that much!”
‘Yeah, it was 800 years old according to Tobias. I sold it for a pretty penny and some info on this mage guy. Wanna come with me?’
“Sure, I’m almost done already. Just let me put down the final touches and we can leave.”
‘Alright, I’ll wait. It’s about 3 kilometers away, so it’s not like it’s an entire day trip.’ He started walking back to his shack. ‘Do you need any materials?’ I exclaimed.
“Yeah, actually. Can you go grab some wooden planks? I’m almost out and I don’t think it’ll be enough to completely repair this.”
‘Of course, yeah. Isn’t the town lumber mill this way?’ I pointed behind his shack.
“Yep! Just head on through. Even though there isn’t a path, it’s perfectly safe.”
‘Alright then, I’ll be right back.’ I headed through the dense forest to the lumber mill.
Even though Drae said it was safe, I felt like I was being watched…
END REALITY ONE, CHAPTER ONE
back (r0, prologue) back to r0 landing page back to home next (r1c2)