Chapter 13 – Setting Fire to sleeping Giants

Rubbing his hands, with a huge grin on his face and dreams of gold and legendary items, he approached the wooden chest.

The moment his right hand touched it, a ripple went through the chest and it released a white mist that glued his fingers to the wood. ‘What the hell?’

A mimic has revealed itself to you.

Mimics were monsters that changed their shapes into inanimate objects. When someone or something were to touch them, they would held them with a powerful adhesive, clubbing their prey to death with fists they formed from their body. The older and stronger the mimic the more limbs it could form.

Before Hall realized what happened, the mimic already raised his arm, striking down at him.

In the last moment he heard a voice from behind. “Mana Chains. Mana Chains.”

Two glowing chains materialized, yanked the mimic’s arm back and bound him to the ground. But the monster had a higher level than Hall and Lily, so within a second it had broken through the chains.

Because the short stun from the mana explosion delayed the mimic, Hall finally managed to regain his composure. ‘Come on, I just want some loot and the one time my Soul Perception wasn’t active this happens’

“Thanks Lily, that really took me by surprise.”

Lily just looked at him with an impish smile. “Tztztz, what would you do without me?”

Hall could only chuckle.

The exchange of words only took a moment, but long enough for him to get battle ready. His right hand was still stuck to the chest and in his left he held the dagger.

Both chains were wrapped around his arms, so he imbued them with his energy, using them as means to defend himself. He couldn’t gain momentum to use them as weapons anyway.

Lily continued to cast Mana Chains, which were broken just as fast as they materialized. But it left him with enough time to mark the mimic for death and use his soul pressure to slow it down.

Their mana dropped fast as Hall stabbed its skin repeatedly. Mimics seemed to take on many properties of the objects they duplicated. So its wooden surface took serious damage as it was stabbed by the dagger covered in black flames.

He had to stab dozens and dozens of times while simultaneously he was unable to free his right hand.

The mimic still didn’t die and when their mana hit zero Hall took the first blow.

He barely managed to raise his left arm, blocking the monsters fist with his chain.

Even though he thought it would be bad, he underestimated the mimic. The blow threw him back, completely knocking him off his feet.

As his right hand was still glued to the fake chest his flight was cut short and he felt a sharp pain in his shoulder. Because this was only a game and thanks to his endurance stat, the pain wasn’t so bad, but it felt uncomfortable enough.

-483hp

Your shoulder has been dislocated

Speed with your right arm -50% for 5min

‘Wow so you can target joints and different body parts, creating specific effects, that’s awesome…well, not that awesome right now.’

His arm was unusable in the fight anyway so the effect wasn’t really an issue.

Before he could regain his stance, the mimic’s fist came down a second time.

This time he wasn’t able to block it and took a full swing to the chest.

-921hp

It pushed the air out of his lungs and he lost his balance as he stumbled to the ground and before he could regain get up a third hit came in. Luckily this time he was kneeling, so he quickly rose his arm, only to receive a crushing blow that pushed him down even further.

-370hp

After the fight so far was completely one sided, more than half of his health was gone within a few seconds.

‘Change of plans.’

Thankfully they regained enough mana, so there were chains holding down the mimic’s arm again.

It gave Hall enough time to grab the chain around his right arm with his left hand, unwrapping it and throwing it around the monsters arm. His skill Mana Drain had no effect because mimics had no mana, as the shape shifting was a natural ability.

Soul Distortion at least slowed it down and its arm was tied to its body after Hall made the chain around his right wrist as short as possible.

Without taking a breath Hall continued to stab the main body of the fake chest with his dagger, chipping away at its ridiculously large health pool.

But the mimic wasn’t defeated yet. Its arm, while being bound by the chains, seemed to melt and was absorbed into what probably was its torso… or head, well, the lid of the chest.

Within a few moments a new arm was formed and he barely avoided another hit. Lucky for Hall the mimic was only able to create one limb at the time, so while Lily bound it again, he entangled it one again with his right chain and continued the stabbing.

‘This is ridiculous, die already damn it.’

As the arm melted again, no new one was formed and as Hall continued to attack a spear shot out of the front of the mimic.

Hall could avoid a fatal injury, but his right shoulder was pierced and his health dropped to 20%.

It seemed the mimic also changed its tactic. As the spear again was absorbed by its body, nothing happened, but Hall was cautious. He only slowly attacked and as another spear came flying at him he was able to bring his chain clad arm in front of him, blocking the damage, reducing it significantly.

His chains were an amazing defense against cutting and stabbing weapons. Blunt force damage was still a big problem though, thankfully he managed to contain that issue for now.

So the fight continued for minutes that seemed like hours, while Hall continued to stab and block. Lily, out of other options, sang to support him and used her heal spell to transform what little mana they had into health points.

Finally, as his stamina almost hit zero, the mimic gave off cracking noises before melting in front of him, only leaving a puddle of sludge.

Hall fell to the ground next to it, breathing heavily. “Why the hell is a battle against a powerful witch easier than against a gorram wooden box?”

Lily looked at the exhausted Hall. “Well, you were at a huge disadvantage from the beginning. If you weren’t tied to the mimic you would have dealt with him easily.

When fighting Bathory she was in a much worse situation at the beginning than you just now so you were pretty lucky at that time.”

Hall nodded while watching his stamina bar slowly rose. “And what about my loot?”

Lily chuckled and rolled with her eyes, feigning annoyance. “You know, girls don’t like it if guys are greedy.”

She floated to the mass of mimic goo, became corporal and picked up a grey key from the ground, placing it on Hall’s open palm. “Guess we have to find the keyhole where this fits.”

He just sighed while scratching his head. “Guess it can’t be easy for a change.”

Lily, incorporeal again, floated over his stomach, sitting in a cross legged fashion poking his chest impatiently.

“Come on, I want to see what it unlocks.”

Hall looked at her with raised eyebrows. “Who’s greedy now?”

Lily grabbed his nose between her thumb and index finger and pulled while Hall couldn’t help but laugh at her pouting face. “I’m just curious.”

He still smiled while sitting up. “Yeah, yeah, me too, so let’s look for our reward.”

They started to look around the small room, finding nothing for a while. They had to check stone for stone and after an hour they finally found a small hole left of the entrance.

Hall pushed the key into it and the wall, where the mimic leaned against before, disappeared as it sank into the floor.

His eyes shined golden as the reflected light of countless coins hit them and caused him to put on a huge grin.

He wanted to rush forward but remembered what just happened. So he activated his Soul Perception, scanning his surroundings.”Puh, safe, now then, time for some presents.”

They both approached the small mountain of loot and started to check everything.

There were thousands of silver and copper coins, but also several hundred gold ones.

He stored them all inside his inventory and almost fell over giggling after he converted the silver and copper coins into the higher currency, gold coins.

Meanwhile Lily ran around, corporeal again, smiling like a child on Christmas, picking up necklaces and rings.

She put several of them on her fingers and she chose a white gold necklace with diamonds on them to wear.

It formed a beautiful contrast with her tanned skin while the red rubies on her fingers broke the candles’ flames, scattering rays of red light.

She threw a silk dress over her body, an elegant piece of crimson and black with silver embroidery.

She looked stunning as she slowly danced in circles while a gleeful smile spread on her face. When Hall noticed her, his jaw dropped and he even forgot about the loot in front of him. “Wow…”

Lily heard him and turned around, slightly blushing. “Do you like it?”

Hall just could nod, with his eyes wide open. “You look …wow.” ‘Am I a genius with words or what? Better try that again.’

“Lily, you look…you know…wow” ‘Good job moron.’

But Lily just giggled at his speechlessness and blushed even further while she spread her arms, slowly spinning and enjoying the moment.

When she stopped, her face still showed a warm smile, one where you couldn’t help but feel joy if you just saw it. It wasn’t different for Hall.

Then Lily deactivated her Soul Meets Body skill and became incorporeal again. It was as if she flipped a switch.

The rings and the necklace, as well as her dress, fell through her body, dropping to the floor. The precious metal and the gems hitting the floor sounded like bars, falling into place and locking a metal door.

The falling dress gave the impression of last dying leaves falling to the ground before winter.

No more light shined from Lily, her smile gone and replaced by sad eyes as they followed the falling pieces hitting the ground.

His heart ached, seeing her like that and he stepped forward, grabbing her hand, trying to put on an encouraging smile. “Hey, listen, we’ll take back what has been stolen, I promise.”

Lily pressed his hand, grateful for Hall being at her side. “Yeah, I know, thank you…”

Blushing again slightly she looked at her feet and asked with a soft voice. “Will you go dance with me then, not just for a couple of minutes, but a whole night?”

Hall’s smile widened. “Of course.”

They stood like that, without uttering a word for a while before separating and then continued to pick up the loot. There were dozens of jewels and gems that had to be worth a fortune.

Small RubyQuality:CommonA small ruby, can be used to imbue magic or as a decoration.

Additional Information:

A stone of minor quality

Cloudy SapphireQuality:CommonA blue sapphire, can be used to imbue magic or as a decoration.

Additional Information:

Cloudy and dim

its worth is reduced.

Cut DiamondQuality:RareA diamond cut and polished by a skilled jeweler, can be used to imbue magic or as a decoration.

Additional Information:

High Quality

Diamonds can be imbued with every magic, changing their colour

Using his Identification skill he put the gems destined for sale into his inventory and instead took out some less valuable items, tossing them aside.

He didn’t really know how much jewels were worth in this game, but he was sure he could afford some pretty awesome equipment by now. But looking at the ground it might be not necessary to buy that much anymore.

He picked up several rings, identifying them. Many were just common pieces without any special properties, but there were also some useful ones among them.

The game allowed four rings to be worn at the same time, so Hall had to choose carefully.

Blood Countess’ Bone RingType:AccessoryQuality:RareA ring made of black bone, adorned with a blood stone and imbued with unholy magic.

Effects:

+30 Intelligence

+5% damage added to curses and damage-over-time (DoT) effects with darkness attribute

Requirements:

Level 75

Intelligence 210

Wisdom 140

That one wasn’t suited for him, so he continued identifying the others.

Blood Countess’ Sapphire RingType:AccessoryQuality:RareA golden ring with a sapphire that encloses a drop of Bathory’s blood.

Effects:

+16 Intelligence

+18 Wisdom

+3% damage to ice magic

Requirements:

Level 80

Intelligence 220

Wisdom 145

‘Sigh.’ Another useless one.

Luckily in the bunch there were also some that were useful for him, now or in the future.

Blood Count’s Insurance RingType:AccessoryQuality:RareA ring to protect the Blood Count from his wife’s antics.

Effects:

+2,5% Resistance to darkness magic

+2,5% Resistance to illusion magic

+5% Resistance to curses

+250 hp

Requirements:

Level 70

Strength 100

Intelligence 100

Wisdom 100

‘Hm, these rings being here and the count nowhere in the castle probably means they weren’t enough to protect him.’

There were two of those rings. They were only useful if he was fighting against enemies with darkness attribute, but from his experience this would happen pretty often. So he would definitely keep them ready, even if right now he couldn’t wear them.

His problem was, that he still didn’t really know how to develop his character.

His class was still evolving and right now he seemed to be a melee combat class with an emphasis on debuffing and weakening the enemy, while Lily buffed him and could also interfere with the foe on certain levels.

So he would profit from strength and agility to hit harder, hit faster and to evade. Though he also needed intelligence and wisdom for his mana pool and regeneration. Although he wouldn’t put any points into them for the foreseeable future as Lily’s share of the mana pool was by far greater and his regeneration was only a fraction of hers.

Still, every stat would help him in different areas and at the same time he had a problem.

He would profit less from strength, agility and vitality than combat classes, while intelligence and wisdom had less of an effect than if he was a mage.

But he wasn’t completely sure of the information he had as it was all collected by players. Sphinx never made the effects of the attributes public, so in the end it was all just an estimation.

Additionally, right now his skill level was decent at best, but thanks to his class he usually caught his enemies off guard, making him a fearsome foe.

So he put on a ring he found that raised his strength.

Ring of Ogre StrengthType:Accessory[/td2s][td2]Quality:MagicA ring made for the chiefs of ogre clans as a bribe.

Effects:

+15 Strength

+1.0% melee damage

Requirements:

Level 40

Strength 150

Soon enough he would fulfill the requirements. It was the same with the other ring he found and put on his finger.

Gold Ring of a Blade Dancer NoviceType:AccessoryQuality:MagicA ring given to those that chose to become blade dancers and pass the initial test of the dancers guild.

Effects:

+5 Strength

+10 Agility

+1.5% Chance to Dodge

Requirements:

Level 40

Strength 60

Agility 110

There was one more ring. It didn’t seem special at first. A simple metal ring, crimson colored, without any gems or engravings. Upon closer inspection it seemed like the color was moving like a stream, like blood pumping through a vein. Its effect was hypnotic but eerie at the same time.

“Identify.”

Blood Count’s Last WillType:RingQuality:UniqueA ring activated by blood. Powerful and often considered evil, but in the end just a tool that will follow the wearer’s intention and adapts to his very soul.

Effects: Unlocked after the wearer’s blood is drawn. Effects depend on the user, his personality and traits, his character and class,

Requirements:

Strength + Agility + Intelligence + Wisdom + Vitality = 700 (base value, without items)

Activation by blood has to be done before level 100

The ring intrigued him. Not only because it adapted to the user, meaning he could increase the effectiveness of his class, but also because of its requirements.

A level 100 player gathered 500 stat points, not necessarily distributing them in those five attributes. Meaning one had to gain an insane amount of stat points before reaching level 100, something that under normal circumstances was incredibly difficult.

Additional attribute points could be gained through training or as rewards for titles, quests and class gain. Points from items wouldn’t count of course, at least not in this case.

Luckily Hall worked incredible hard the first two weeks and after, gaining several points and through acquiring his class he had quite the advantage, so he put the ring away for later use.

He was amazed after looking at the riches he gathered so far, there were still some weapons left on the ground, but he already had 2191 gold, 12 silver and 19 copper coins in his inventory. All the jewelry and other stuff he collected should be worth at least the same amount again.

“Lily, you know, we should really visit some of those vile nobles and punish them and as part of their sentence take everything from them.” Hall tried to sound convincing while doing a really bad job at covering up his real intentions with somewhat false nobility.

Well, he wanted to punish those that did wrong, but was undoubtedly thinking of others things after gaining this much from one castle.

Of course Lily saw right through him and rolled her eyes. “Really? You aren’t satisfied with all this?” Hall just continued to smile.

“Come on, you know, we could buy some land, build a base to withdraw every now and then from all the mayhem we seem to face. Oh and if it would be a big farm we could send people there that lost their homes and need a place to stay.”

He could almost see the wheels in Lily’s head turning while her eyes gained some of the same shine Hall’s had “I always wanted a nice big house and if we punish evil in the process it’s even better. Oh and if we use the money we take from bad people to help good ones it should be alright.”

Now even Lily was justifying what could be called robbery, but although it wasn’t completely out of selflessness, both really meant it when they said they would help others. Though those plans were future ones, for now there were other things to be done.

He grabbed the three remaining weapons lying on the ground, two long swords and a larger two-hander.

Fine Steel SwordDamage:24-37Durability:45 / 45Quality:MagicA fine steel sword, made for soldiers serving in the Bredon Army

Effects:

+10 Strength

Requirements:

Level 30

Strength: 80

Fine Damascus Steel SwordDamage:27-39Durability:50 / 50Quality:MagicA well-made sword, crafted for low ranking nobles serving in the Bredon Army

Effects:

+15 Strength

Requirements:

Level 30

Strength: 80

Nothing special, but the two-handed weapon was different.

FaithkeeperDamage:65-89Durability:105 / 105Quality:RareA mighty claymore given to the Paladins that swore eternal loyalty to Uthar, god of light and fame.

Effects:

+55 Strength

+20% damage against enemies with the darkness attribute

+10-15 light damage

Requirements:

Level 90

Strength: 250

Fame: 500

There weren’t too many people who could use a weapon like this, so he would hold on to it for a while before selling it for what he hoped would be some serious money.

On their way out he took the candles from their holders, burning beds, curtains, paintings and carpets and when he left the castle he felt the raging flames warming his back.

He walked to the waiting Arion only to turn around and watch as blazing hot fire consumed even the grey stone and let the castle crumble and fall.

When Rain turns to Blood - The Downfall of House Bathory

Lady Elizabeth Bathory slaughtered her whole family and countless innocents after being corrupted by lust for power and tainted by darkness.

She became the Blood Countess. A cruel existence obsessed with torture and pain.

As she was on the verge of gaining the might to subjugate the surrounding villages and rival the force of an army you chose to stand against her when no one else would.

You stopped her and annihilated all evil left behind by yourself. Nothing more than ash will remain.

You have gained experience (level progress at 87%)

+3 Willpower

+2 Endurance

+25 Fame

While his eyes were still reflecting the flames engulfing the castle Arion began to speak.

“Good, now that you satisfied your greed puny human, I order you to tell me how you were able to overwhelm the witch.”

Arion’s eyes weren’t filled with the gratefulness Hall expected but with what he though was hostility and disgust. ‘What the hell, I just saved your hide, but oh well, have it your way.’

Hall had no plans of killing the black horse as his soul was pure, but that didn’t mean he wouldn’t scare him a little.

So he frowned while his voice became cold. “Now listen horsie, I just kept you from becoming a meat suit for a demon, how about some humility and gratitude. First of all we’ll start with your story.”

Arion’s eyes widened, in his centuries of life he never met a human this insolent, even Bathory treated him with some kind of respect. Still, he did save him, so he swallowed his anger and while grinding his teeth decided to answer for now.

“Very well, I will forgive your impudence as you don’t seem to know what I am and because you indeed rescued me from my predicament. So hear me human.”

Whenever he used the word human, he seemed to spit it out in disgust. He obviously didn’t hold them in high regard, to put it mildy.

“As I already said, my name is Arion of the race Equui. We are divine beasts, blessed by the gods.”

Hall heard about them.

Different from beings like Grim, gods were allowed to interfere with the world of the mortals freely. Although they had to be careful, because if one god would become too powerful, others would interfere. Balance was important.

Of course every now and then there were those gods that saw it different, sometimes young, sometimes arrogant, but usually hungry for power or influence. They could be affiliated with darkness, light, nature it didn’t matter. Gods could be as imperfect as mortals.

They would try to increase their control over the world, their influence. If they actually managed to succeed it could change small areas, kingdoms or even continents.

Minor gods could become greater ones and they could fall as well. Sometimes the world wouldn’t even notice.

Just like in the real world, even if management changes it just might be business as usual at the bottom.

But even the gods didn’t appear too often in the realm of the mortals. Instead they used servants. Humans, Demons, Elves and other races. They would follow different gods that gave them power in exchange for loyalty.

They would rally the masses, promising salvation and glory and in their name conquest and slaughters would happen. Over millennia countless wars were fought in the name of faith.

Usually only the greater gods with more power would interfere like that. There were also others, often minor gods that didn’t have the desire or the capability to acquire more might.

They sometimes were gods of forests, of rivers or of mountains. They ruled over different animals or plants. They were the source for crafts or ores.

To influence the mortal world without the need to descend to the lower plains they blessed a certain number of members of a race. The greater the power of a god, the higher the number of blessed subjects could be.

If the god was only a minor one he usually would choose a few animals to do his bidding. Those beings are called divine beasts. They had a fraction of the god’s power, making them more than a mere mortal, but less than a deity.

That's how gods were completely different from beings like Grim, who didn't really care about territory or power and also couldn't directly influence the world. Grim had to bend the rules to even call upon a single companion and it was only to keep the balance, not to spread her influence.

So Arion continued his explanation.

“Millennia ago Aranyani, the goddess that rules a big forest in the south east, created us. The animals in the forest worshiped her. And our ancestors, wild horses, roaming woods and plains, were chosen to carry her name to the humans that built cities and villages in her territory.

She created other divine beasts. Blessed wolfs to protect her flock and a few other animals to even help the humans. In return they started to worship her. They prayed for droughts to end and for plentiful harvests and they were happy.

The blessed animals were part of their culture, their children played with us and they offered us food and gratitude. But over centuries you humans became conceited. Instead of being grateful you took us for granted. You humans took Aranyani for granted.

Instead of offering your gratitude, you cursed her name for every mishap, for every accident and for every harm that befell you.

Soon enough they tried to even hunt the divine beasts. And because Aranyani loved your race so much, she forbade us from attacking humans. In return most of us were slaughtered. Our skin used for armor, our teeth for accessories and our bones for alchemy.

It broke Aranyani’s heart. She withdrew herself and even abandoned us. We were without guidance, without aim, without a purpose.

Many of us were killed by your people. Some of us started to fight back, slaughtering whole villages, losing themselves in blood and carnage. The few that were left, spread around the world.

While roaming this forest I activated an ancient magic trap created to kill divine beings. You humans really never cease to amaze me, creating magic dark enough to even harm gods and their servants. Luckily the magic slowly dissipated over time so I was only badly injured, but weakened enough for Bathory to capture me for her purpose.

Usually demons have their own bodies. But there are those that committed crimes so atrocious it escapes any reason. Their punishment was to roam the underworld without a body, stripped to their bare souls, suffering intolerable pain for eternity.

To hold the soul of a powerful demon you would need a vessel to withstand its might. Where a normal body would crumble, that of a divine beast could contain it.

Now you know my story puny man and the reason I despise you insufferable humans so much. Greed, lust for power and no sense of moral or decency. Just holding this conversation makes me sick. Still, as I shared my story with you I now demand to know yours.”

Hall listened carefully. He could understand Arion’s feelings. It might very well be possible he was the last of his race, the others slaughtered by humans. Still, he needed something of him, so he couldn’t allow Arion talking down to him.

Well, he also didn’t really appreciated to be treated like this in general. It reminded him of Steve whom he tolerated because of Jane. But he had no reason to tolerate Arion’s behavior.

So he unwrapped his chains, signaled Lily and activated their Hells Bells ability.

Slowly approaching Arios, he used his Soul Pressure and Fighting Spirit to create an atmosphere of incredible tension.

Arios felt as if a weight was pushing on his chest, making it hard to breathe. His knees became weak as the human, dressed in black leather and a dark cloak, approached him slowly, while swinging chains that sounded like they would open the gates to hell.

The divine beast had to grit his teeth to keep himself from taking a step back. Confusion and anger spread inside of him. And something worse, fear. Fear of a single human.

Hall stopped a meter in front of the animal and without deactivating his skills he started to talk in a deep, dark voice.

“My name is Hall, I am the Harbinger of Death, the first Apostle, voice and sword of the reaper in this world.”

Arion’s eyes went wide with shock at what he just heard. He didn’t know if he should run away or kneel. He didn’t think Death actually existed but he knew the man in front of him said the truth.

After a few moments Hall deactivated his skills. Arion could finally breathe freely again and Hall’s voice returned to normal. Behind him he could hear Lily giggle at his tough guy act.

When the divine beast calmed down he ordered his thoughts before starting to talk.

“I see, then you are closer to me than you are to one of your own kind. If that is the case I can hold up my head up high as I wasn’t saved by a mere human.”

‘This guy really hates humans, but let him think I’m something different for all I care, as long as he does me a favor.’

“Now, hum…, Hall, Harbinger of Death, for releasing me from certain death I will grant you a favor. Do you want riches? I can give you location of treasures centuries old. Weapons? I know places you can find them. Although right now you won’t be even close to reach those, you have to become a lot stronger.”

Hall was intrigued, but he already knew of places he could get a fortune, he just needed to arrive and he didn’t want to take weeks to get there. He still hadn’t forgotten that he had a time limit on his Quest No Sympathy for the Devil, the quest to kill Dravan. He still had almost a whole year left, but he needed the grimoire first.

The Cattle Hunt and Hall’s involvement will probably cause an uproar in the kingdom, but that will take time. He had no leisure to go treasure hunting in lands far away, no matter how intriguing it may sound.

“Arion, I need you to carry me to Roselake, the capital of this kingdom.”

The divine beast kept his silence and Hall could have sworn it furrowed his brows, looking at him in outrage. “You want to ride me like a common horse?”

Hall stayed unconcerned. “Correct, should be simple enough or is a divine beast such as yourself not capable of covering a great distance in the blink of an eye?”

It was an obvious ploy and even though he saw through it, it hurt Arion’s pride and as he was a very prideful being he couldn’t let it slide. “You may be affiliated with Death, but if you pull my mane I swear I’ll throw you off and trample your face.”

Because he was only half serious, Hall chuckled a little bit, only half amused.

So he climbed up on Arion’s back, tying the improvised bags full of loot to his own body, while he crossed his chains under the divine beast’s belly and used them as makeshift reins.

Hall nodded. “Alright, let’s go Mr. Ed.” Arion and Lily looked confused for a moment, but shrugged it off. When the giant horse took off, Hall almost fell off its back. Barely able to hold on to his chains he was pulled forward with an incredible speed.

Hall only hoped Arion knew the way to Roselake, because he himself had no idea where they were right now.

The surroundings just flew past them as they were traveling at what felt like almost sonic speed but was probably closer to half of it. Still, every time an insect hit his face he lost one or two health point.

He was sure he swallowed at least a handful of bugs after the first hour and he even had to laugh when he saw his satiety bar go up a little. While doing so he swallowed another fly. ‘Well, it’s not as bad as the stew I had the first weeks…’

Lily grabbed the cord that bound her to Hall as she was pulled at a velocity she was completely unfamiliar with.

After another thirty minutes they left the woods and crossed green meadows as the landscape slowly became rockier and the roads steepened.

It became a lot colder and Hall tried to keep away the sharp wind with his cloak. Soon enough there were barely trees left and they stopped at a small stream to take a break.

Arion still hadn’t completely recovered from his injuries, so he needed to drink and rest a bit.

Hall was a little shaken, he never sat on a horse before, especially not one moving at the speed of a car.

Their surroundings had changed drastically. He barely noticed, but they were climbing slowly but surely until there were only a few spots of grass and even less bushes and trees between rocky grounds.

As the sun still wasn’t up it was insanely cold and Hall had to make a fire to keep himself warm. “Arion, how do you know the way?”

The horse just looked up and answered with a tired voice. “It is in the direction I came from a long time ago and as I said I have been roaming these woods for many years.

Additionally I, as well as many other divine beasts, have the ability to communicate with most animals. Not all of them can talk, but many are far more intelligent than mere beasts, so in the end they can guide me.”

Hall was a little worried about Arion, who still hadn’t caught his breath and was panting heavily. “Good to know, we’ll make camp for a few hours and then we’ll travel a little bit slower or else I’ll freeze to death in these temperatures.”

Of course that wasn’t true. Hall had no problems tolerating the wind and weather for a few more hours, which were enough to cross the small mountain range and to almost reach Roselake.

But half a day more or less wouldn’t matter and he didn’t want to torment Arion, who lay down next to the fire and closed his eyes to get some sleep.

Meanwhile Hall took some of the books he gathered from Bathory’s castle and started to read them. Several were just about the families of nobles in Bredon, nothing he really cared for.

He skimmed over them and tried to identify the crest he saw on the keys he took from the nobles that were among the fake bandits he killed shortly after escaping the tower.

He couldn’t find it anywhere so instead he picked up another book. It seemed to be a medical one about blood but it also included magic in its topics and themes. Hall didn’t really care but read it anyway and another one similar to it. After that he read something more special.

It was about blood and magic again, but this time the book also included the application of curses. It was a whole compilation actually.

Blood Curses I – Blood on my Hands

Blood Curses II – Bleed for the Ancient Gods

Blood Curses III – Bleed for the Devil

Blood Curses IV – Once sealed in Blood

Blood Curses V – Blood Red Skies

Blood Curses VI – With Blood comes Cleansing

It took him almost three hours to read through the thick books and he felt somewhat sick and sad as the content was pretty…well… bloody.

*Ding*

You have discovered and read the complete Blood Curses Compilation.

+3 Intelligence

+2 Wisdom

You may choose between an offensive and a defensive skill related to blood curses.

“Defensive.” Hall really didn’t want to be affected by another curse, so an ability to avoid them would come in handy.

*Ding*

You have gained a new skill!

Skill Name:Skill Rank:Skill Level:Skill Experience:Blood CleansingBeginner10%Through gaining knowledge about blood and what role it plays in the application of curses you are able to heal or ease afflictions connected to blood.

Effects:

Able to cleanse tainted blood (including many poisons and diseases)

Able to lift blood curses

+2 Intelligence

+3 Wisdom

Your skills Soul Cleansing and Blood Cleansing fused and created the skill Down With The Sickness

Skill Name:Skill Rank:Skill Level:Skill Experience:Down with the SicknessBeginner10%You possess knowledge to cleanse blood as well as the soul. The higher the skill, the more you’ll be able to affect your target.

Effects:

Able to cleanse tainted blood (including many poisons and diseases)

Able to lift blood curses

Able to cleanse tainted souls

Able to lift curses caused by soul energy

Casting Time: Depending on the target

Mana Cost: 40 mana / sec

+3 Endurance

+2 Wisdom

‘Awesome.’ Hall was amazed, but instead of resting on his laurels he continued to read book after book, gaining another point in intelligence.

Eventually the sun came up. The small fire he built using the few bushes and dead trees he found in the surrounding area, died down.

With the night gone, it got slightly warmer and as the dew formed on the grass around them, he could taste the moist air on his lips. ‘This game is incredible.’

The sun was already high in the sky when Arion woke up and found Hall still reading his books.

The divine beast stretched his back and already seemed to feel a lot better after a good night’s rest.

Seeing Arion wake up, Hall took a part of the supplies he bought in Gelt and shared it with him. The animal was suspicious at first but then the hunger won and it ate through a week’s worth of rations in the blink of an eye.

Soon enough they continued their journey. They traveled through snowy plains and dark chasm before starting their final descent. He heard Bredon was a small kingdom, but thinking about it, it would take a week to travel from the south borders to the northern ones by foot. Getting from east to west, the path they just used for the most part, would usually take around three weeks.

Of course that was considering one would travel by day and rest by night. Still, if Bredon was considered a small kingdom he would have to find a different way of travel than to simply walk.

He knew there were scheduled caravans and ships traveling between towns. Those were fast and reliable but they usually didn’t stop at the smaller villages and in Bredon there were only few and far between.

There were also teleportation platforms between bigger cities and sometimes temples or forts. It took a small fee

At the beginning Hall thought he had to reach an area with many players but he found enough to do anyway. Found enemies and friends, new experiences, good and bad.

So in the end it didn’t really matter where you were. This world was full of life. The central kingdoms, the backwater ones like Bredon or even lands beyond the highest mountain or largest deserts, lands unexplored and maybe even uninhabited.

Hall was excited when he thought about all the possibilities this new world held.

While thinking about all this they entered and left smaller forests and continued their way to Roselake.

They didn’t meet any foes along the way, either thanks to their speed or their presence, so they finished their journey shortly after noon.

When Arion stopped at the side of the road, Roselake still wasn’t in sight. “That is how far I will take you, soon enough the roads will be used by humans and I don’t wish to meet them. If you follow this path, you will arrive in less than three hours.”

The divine beast hesitated for a moment. “I still don’t think my debt to you was paid Harbinger, so take this. If you seek assistance I will find you, but be sure to use it only if you are in dire need of my help. It is no small insult to call me for trifle tasks.”

“Identify”

Arion’s PearlQuality:RareA white pearl filled with divine energy. If crushed, the energy will notify the divine beast Arion of your position.

Requirements:

Intimacy level friendly with Arion

‘My intimacy level is friendly? Wow, I don’t want to know how he talks to those he doesn’t like’

They thanked each other again and Arion stormed off into the nearby woods and was out of his view within seconds.

Lily, who kept silent for a while, not knowing if a divine beast had the ability to sense her, looked at Hall.

“We came a long way, didn’t we?”

He could only nod. He couldn’t believe it was only a little over a month ago he was betrayed, cursed and imprisoned. Not even ten days in real time. Only a few days were left until he had to tend to his responsibilities in the real world again.

“Hall, do you think it’s possible for me to walk around the city in my corporeal form?” She asked with a pleading look. She hadn’t talked to anyone besides him for so long and she barely remembered the last time she visited a town.

Hall hesitated for a moment. “Alright, but let us first survey the city and walk around a while to make sure it’s safe. Then we’ll go visit a few stores and I’ll buy you something nice.”

She hugged him with a bright smile, thanking him and when she let go she hummed a merry tune while Hall ran on the dirt road at high speed.

Instead of three they only needed a little over one hour to reach Roselake. They met several people on the way. Some were merchants, riding on their carts. A few soldiers and also farmers, bringing in their grain.

There were also players, but they mostly ignored Hall, just like the NPCs did. It was probably thanks to the cloak Ella gave him, but he didn’t mind, quite the opposite actually.

The walls of the capital were impressive and they could see them from far away. At least six meters with towers that reached even higher, they dwarfed their surroundings.

The open field only added to the impression the walls and the guard towers conveyed. But Hall couldn’t shake the feeling that instead of protecting and safe, these walls seemed…threatening, uninviting.

It reminded him more of a prison than a town and the heavily guarded gatehouse, that was the only way into the town from this side of the wall, and the haggard men and women trying to get into or out of town did nothing to alleviate the impression.

Hall tried to disappear in the crowd, but the soldiers eyed the large bags he carried with suspicion. ‘Weird, should a town gate be guarded like this for no reason, especially in a game?’

The bags were filled with books by now, so when he showed them to the soldiers that guarded the giant wooden door, strengthened by metal braces, the men waved him through.

Hall, with a mixture of relief and astonishment, walked up to a guard a few houses away, that leaned against his halberd with a bored expression on his face. With the best fake humble tone in his voice he could muster, he asked the guard.

“Good sir, I am but a simple traveler seeking some shelter and work in this town, might I inquire of you what the reason is for the heavy presence of soldiers and the controls at the gate?”

The guard looked at him, whose clothes were still covered in dirt and dried blood, with a mix of pity and annoyance. “You must come from far away if you haven’t heard. It’s the bonfire festival.

We are celebrating the king’s reign and his victorious battle against those that would poison the people’s minds and souls. The bonfires will be lit on the market place but the whole town will celebrate. I can’t wait until my shift is over.”

Hall couldn’t really figure out the reason for the bonfire festival. He thought it was just something arbitrary the king made up to increase his popularity with the common people, while he robbed them blind behind their backs.

After Hall asked for directions he went to sell some of Bathory’s loot at a nearby merchants street that lead to the main market place.

He used his Soul Perception and tried to detect an honest merchant, or rather one with a relatively pure soul, which took him surprisingly long.

But then he entered a small store at the corner of the side street. It was rather dark and the merchandise seemed to be of minor quality. It seemed like honesty didn't pay off for a merchant.

An older man in plain, but colorful clothes and a visible bulge where his stomach was, greeted him from the counter with a smile. “Welcome dear customer, how may I help you?”

Hall approached him while taking a few things out of his inventory. “Good day sir, I would like to sell some items I procured recently.”

The man used spells to identify the items and additionally took out a magnifying glass to look at the surface and details of several pieces Hall handed to him.

After he looked at every one of the dozens of valuable items spread on his counter, he frowned and eyed Hall with suspicion. “Lad, where did you get those?”

Hall thought about lying, but because he chose an honest merchant it wouldn't feel right to reward him with anything but the truth.

“Let's just say I rescued them from a fire.” He had a smirk on his face, which caused the merchant to chuckle. “Bathory is dead?”

Of course he would know, most items had her family's crest on them, so anything else would be a surprise. Hall nodded. “She tried to kill me, so I returned the favor.”

The merchant just shrugged. “Well that crazy bitch had it coming. Even the king was scared of her. Still, you shouldn't announce your deed too freely, killing a noble is not a crime they look lightly upon in this kingdom.

You are lucky you came to me, although I somehow don't think it was all luck, anyway, my name is Jorn and what are you called my new friend?”

They introduced themselves and exchanged a few pleasantries and some information.

“Alright Hall, you seem rather trustworthy and you also don't seem to like the current leadership very much so I'll tell you something special.

It may not look like it, but I can easily buy everything you bring me, so if you every somehow come across … similar merchandise I would be happy to take it off your hands.”

Hall was sure by now, Jorn was way more than a simple merchant. Not only declared he his opposition to the king but also pretty much offered to buy stolen treasures from others nobles he killed or robbed.

Considering his words, Hall took out the remaining gems, save two diamonds, and the other things he deemed too valuable for this store before.

Jorn smirked and shook his head. “You are really full of surprises, wouldn't have thought that witch would have amassed this many treasures. You want to sell them all?”

Although money wasn't really an issue for him right now it was definitely better than carrying around all this stuff cluttering his inventory.

So he sold everything he had except for the items he would auction off for real money, two rare diamonds, the things he had on his body and the books he gathered.

When Jorn noticed the books in the bag he raised an eyebrow while pointing at them. “What do you intend to do with those books?”

Hall didn't really know what it was to him but had no reason to not tell Jorn. “I gathered them during my travels. I seem to have a talent for stumbling across places that somehow end up being burnt down and I just couldn't let them fall victim to the flames or to destruction.”

Jorn was silent for a moment before he burst into laughter which left Hall in wonder.

“Sorry lad, but you really came during a bad time.” He fell silent for a moment, frowning and his voice sounded a little sad, but there also seemed to be a glimmer of hope. “Or maybe it's the right time after all. Do you want me to keep the books for now? I can find a proper place for them.”

Hall nodded grateful, he kept the dangerous and valuable books, as well as those he hadn't looked at yet and gave the rest of them, by far the bigger part, to Jorn, while putting the remaining ones and the now empty bags into Lily's inventory.

The merchant whistled impressed. “Those are some rare books you got there, don't worry, I will take good care of them. Two more things, first you should visit the market place where the bonfire festival takes place, it will make the current situation of this kingdom clear to you.

Secondly, if you want to continue the path you chose with the death of Bathory you should find a way to prove yourself while wandering the shadows. I will talk to some people, people you want to know, believe it. If you should prove yourself worthy you will gain several benefits.”

Quest: They can't keep us downThere are those in Bredon that can't tolerate the oppression and injustice. They hide in the shadows and plan their actions carefully. They often live a dangerous and short live, but won't back down. Prove to them you are worthy of their trust and you will gain their support.

Difficulty: E

Quest requirements: Gain the trust of one of the members of the resistance

Rewards:

Support and information from the Resistance

Failure: Betray the resistance by revealing them to the king

Of course Hall accepted, but he still wanted some information, so he took out a key he got from the fake bandits he killed and showed Jorn the Crest on it. “Do you know which house this belongs to?”

Jorn clenched his fist, and almost spit out his words. ”House Keslak, young nobility. Cutthroat merchants that threaten suppliers and kill the competition. They bought their titles and now are pretty much untouchable for us normal merchants. An old, but merciless man and his two sons, who are beyond sick in their heads”

It took him a moment, but then his eyes went wide as he looked at Hall and his lips showed a huge smile. “Don't tell me... HAHAHA, you are a special kind of great boy. You want to tell me how exactly this key came into your possession?”

Hall just said that he probably killed the two sons, then stayed silent and put the remaining keys, still covered in the nobles’ blood, on the table. Next to them he put the note concerning the Cattle Hunt and the badge of the royal guard.

Seeing the badge Jorns smile faded. “Those are issued to the lowest ranks of the royal guard, the higher ranked ones have different engravings and are made of more precious metal.

Still, even the lowest ranked royal guards are formidable foes and they have a squad of regular soldiers at their disposal.”

When he picked up the note, his face continued to grow paler and his eyes widened in disbelief. He read it repeatedly and when he put the piece of paper down he was shaking with anger.

“Those bastards..., listen Hall, I need to talk to some people, so I'll close the store for now. Someone will contact you soon enough and come back if you have something to sell.”

Hall nodded and left Jorn's dusty store with an empty inventory and a full purse.

He amassed almost 5000 gold, an insane sum, but he was far from satisfied.

Before walking to the market place he bought several health, mana and stamina potions. He also wanted to buy some kind of defensive gear for his head, but couldn't find anything that suited him.

He only visited a small part of the stores before the sun began to set. As the shadows slowly crept into the dirty streets Hall felt an eerie atmosphere creeping up on him. He could almost feel the suspicious eyes of the people.

It was difficult to describe. The men and women, even the kids, looked haggard and malnourished. Their clothes were old and cheap. It was a somewhat depressing view.

By now he ventured into a poorer part of town, although he didn't know yet that most parts of the city looked like this.

Still something wasn't right, the people were walking around with bent backs and slumped shoulders, but didn't seem too sad or depressed. They also weren't hopeful or full of joy despite their sorrow. No, their eyes seemed dull, their body language spoke of defeat.

They were used to oppression, like sheep they accepted their fate without questioning it.

Even their children were raised to bow their head and shut their mouth.

Hall just walked down the road while lightly shaking his head until he reached the market place. The buildings, made of gray stone and withered, dark wood, which surrounded the marketplace were illuminated by a roaring fire that seemed to reach the sky.

Hall stopped as if he hit a wall. His eyes went wide in shock and reflected the scorching hot flames that burned in the middle of the market.

Giant stacks of books were set ablaze and people were cheering around them, throwing more and more books into the fire that greedily devoured the dry paper.

'So that's how they are celebrating their victory over those that poison the mind and soul?'

He grit his teeth and clenched his fists while Lily beside him held her hand in front of her open mouth, staring in disbelief.

Little kids were running around the market, laughing and playfully tossing books into the flames while soldiers were parading in straight lines in front of what looked like a giant town hall and men and women were yelling and screaming at the burning piles in joy and ecstasy.

On the balcony of the ridiculous luxurious building a figure stood, looking down upon the masses, while waving or just looking at his people. The king of Bredon.

Hall shook his head in horror as he took in the whole scene while eerie shadows danced on his face.

“Lily, we are pilgrims in an unholy land.”

-------------------------------------------

Status Window Hall:

Spoiler :

Status WindowName:HallAlignment:DeathLevel:37Class: Harbinger of DeathRace:HumanGender:MaleTitles:The bigger they are…Fame:987Infamy:0-Health:3045 / 2095Health Regen:4.4/ SecMana:0 / 2145Mana Regen:4.7 / SecStamina:815 / 815Stamina Regen:6.2 / Sec-Strength:128+50Agility:96+60Vitality:78+10Endurance:81+10Intelligence:97+10Wisdom:105+10Willpower:145+10Luck:40+10-Attack:32+45Defense:24+120Magical ResistanceFire:10%+10%Water:11%+10%Wind:11%+10%Earth:11%+10%Lightning:10%+10%Illusion:40%+5%Light:10%+5%Darkness:40%+25%+ 30 added to all stats

+ Willpower stat raised by 80 points

+ Magical Resistances raised by 10%

+ Resistance to Illusion and Darkness Magic raised by an additional 30%

+ Enables you to equip certain items or equipment specialized for this class

+ Increases attack power for attacks with soul energy

+ Unable to learn most crafting professions

+ Skills that use soul energy will be 10% more effective and will gain experience 50% faster

+ Unknown

Skill Overview Hall:

Spoiler :

List of skills Marked for DeathBeginner LVL3 (33%)Death to EveryoneBeginner LVL3 (19%)In my Time of DyingpassiveAin't no Grave, can hold my Body downpassiveKeep me in your Heart for a WhilepassiveJudgementpassiveI'm Still StandingpassiveSoul PerceptionBeginner LVL5 (12%)Soul PressureBeginner LVL3 (21%)Soul ChainsBeginner LVL6 (98%)Mana DrainBeginner LVL3 (53%)Soul DistortionBeginner LVL2 (92%)Hells BellsBeginner LVL2 (23%)AmbidexterityBeginner LVL3 (51%)IdentificationBeginner LVL5 (61%)Down with the SicknessBeginner LVL1 (0%)Blast TyrantBeginner LVL1 (79%)Ancient LanguagesBeginner LVL3 (2%)Sorian LanguageBeginner LVL9 (11%)Ancient KnowledgeBeginner LVL1 (49%)Sorian KnowledgeBeginner LVL2 (89%)Chain MasteryBeginner LVL5 (93%)Sword MasteryBeginner LVL3 (52%)Dagger MasteryBeginner LVL3 (19%)

Equipment Hall:

Spoiler : Weapons:

Main-hand:

Blade of the Soul Weaver (incomplete)Damage:44-57Durability:87/90Quality:UniqueAn incomplete sword covered by shadows. Can only be wielded by those that have control over soul energy.

Remnants of soul essence mark this sword as property of Hall, the Harbinger of Death.

Effects:

Ignores 30% of the enemies armor

Ignores 30% of the enemies endurance

Slight chance to confuse or stun the enemy

Wounds caused by this sword won’t bleed

If cut by this sword the effect of all healing spells are reduced by 50%

+10% Darkness Resistance

+20 Strength

Area of Effect damage around the sword (5% of hit damage, Range: 10cm)

If imbued with soul energy, damage can be increased (max. +50%)

Requirements:

Willpower: 130

Strength: 100

Agility: 80

Off-hand:

Short Blade of the Soul Weaver (incomplete)Damage:32-44Durability:67/75Quality:UniqueAn incomplete dagger covered by shadows. Can only be wielded by those that have control over soul energy.

Effects:

Ignores 50% of the enemy’s armor if the dagger is used to stab

Ignores 50% of the enemy’s endurance if the dagger is used to stab

Slight chance to confuse or stun the enemy

Wounds caused by this dagger won’t bleed

If cut by this dagger the effect of all healing spells are reduced by 20%

If stabbed by this dagger the effect of all healing spells are reduced by 40%

+10% Darkness Resistance

+20 Agility

If imbued with soul energy, damage can be increased (max. +50%)

Requirements:

Willpower: 130

Strength: 80

Agility: 100

Clothes

Shirt:

Bloodcount’s Silkshirt Defense:5Durability:35/35Quality:RareBlack shirt made of high quality silk by a skilled tailor for high nobility.

Effects:

+10 Agility

+10 Intelligence

Armor worn over the shirt will lose its durability slightly slower

Requirements: (not fulfilled!)

Level 60

Agility: 100

Intelligence: 100

Pants:

Bloodcount’s Silkpants Defense:5Durability:35/35Quality:RareBlack pants made of high quality silk by a skilled tailor for high nobility.

Effects:

+10 Agility

+10 Intelligence

Armor worn over the pants will lose its durability slightly slower

Requirements: (not fulfilled!)

Level 60

Agility: 100

Intelligence: 100

Armor

Chest:

Hardened Leather Chest Defense:30Durability:60/60Quality:MagicLeather armor of good quality made by a skilled craftsman without any special features.

Effects:

+5 Strength

+10 Agility

Requirements:

Level 35

Strength: 50

Agility: 80

Legs:

Hardened Leather Pants Defense:30Durability:60/60Quality:MagicLeather armor of good quality made by a skilled craftsman without any special features.

Effects:

+5 Strength

+10 Agility

Requirements:

Level 35

Strength: 50

Agility: 80

Gloves:

Hardened Leather Gloves Defense:15Durability:45/45Quality:MagicLeather armor of good quality made by a skilled craftsman without any special features.

Effects:

+5 Strength

+5 Agility

Requirements:

Level 35

Strength: 50

Agility: 80

Boots:

Hardened Leather Boots Defense:15Durability:60/60Quality:MagicLeather armor of good quality made by a skilled craftsman without any special features.

Effects:

+5 Strength

+5 Agility

Steps are muffled slightly

Requirements:

Level 35

Strength: 50

Agility: 80

Cloak:

Armored Cloak of Ella’s Heritage Defense:30Durability:90/90Quality:UniqueAn armored cloak made from rare dragon spider silk. It is harder than steel and at the same time almost as light as linen. An incredible piece of work improved by generations of craftsmen, imbued with powerful magic.

Effects:

+5% Resistance to elemental magic (Fire, Earth, Water,Wind,Lightning)

Cloak will apply a low level form of stealth, diverting the attention of others

+5% Chance to evade, deflect or divert an enemy attack

Strong feelings of affection and gratefulness blessed this item:

+5% damage against beings you deem evil

If your health drops below 50% the material of the cloak hardens, doubling its defense for 10 min

Requirements:

Extremely high intimacy with Ella, blacksmith apprentice of Gelt

Strength: 100

Agility: 100

Wisdom: 80

Rings:

Ring of Ogre StrengthType:Accessory[/td2s][td2]Quality:MagicA ring made for the chiefs of ogre clans as a bribe.

Effects:

+15 Strength

+1.0% melee damage

Requirements: (not fulfilled!)

Level 40

Strength 150

Gold Ring of a Blade Dancer NoviceType:AccessoryQuality:MagicA ring given to those that chose to become blade dancers and pass the initial test of the dancers guild.

Effects:

+5 Strength

+10 Agility

+1.5% Chance to Dodge

Requirements: (not fulfilled!)

Level 40

Strength 60

Agility 110

/td100]

Necklace:

[td100]Pendant of the Soul Weaver (incomplete)Type:AccessoryQuality:UniqueAn incomplete pendant covered by shadows. Can only be worn by those that have control over soul energy.

Effects:

+10 to all stats

+5% to all resistances

+unknown

Requirements:

Willpower 140

Active Quests:

Spoiler :

Quest: Carry on my Wayward Son – Part 2After lifting the curse, Lily’s soul is still not complete. Dravan, who made the curse, still holds part of it after draining her soul energy for so long. Rip it from him.

Difficulty: C

Quest requirements:

lift the Grand Curse of Shattered Trust from you and Lilith

Rewards: Unknown

Failure: abandon Lily

Quest: No Sympathy for the DevilThe great mage William Henley asked you to hunt down his disciple, Dravan, the last one of the Sorian people.

Dravan rules over a land of darkness unbeknownst to mankind where he controls an army of evil.

Difficulty: C+

Quest requirements: Be cursed by Dravan, survive the curse and find the scroll of his master

Rewards:

Restore what was broken, find what was lost and return what was stolen

Additional rewards depending on your actions

Failure: exceed the time limit of one year

Quest: The Running ManThe kingdom seems to entertain their nobles by robbing, tormenting and killing the common people in exchange for money. It may even involve the king himself. Investigate!

Difficulty: E

Quest requirements:

find the orders of the king concerning The Cattle Hunt

Rewards:

Increased intimacy with the common people

Other Consequences, depending on your actions

Failure: ignore the quest.

Quest: Alice in ChainsDeath’s Grimoire is hidden deep inside a dungeon under the castle of Bredon’s capital Roselake,long lost, long forgotten. Form a contract with it after pouring your soul energy into it to show you are worthy.

Difficulty: C

Quest requirements:

Be Death’s Confidant

Be able to use Soul Energy

Rewards: a contract with Death’s Grimoire

Failure: fail to form a contract

Quest: They can't keep us downThere are those in Bredon that can't tolerate the oppression and injustice. They hide in the shadows and plan their actions carefully. They often live a dangerous and short live, but won't back down. Prove to them you are worthy of their trust and you will gain their support.

Difficulty: E

Quest requirements: Gain the trust of one of the members of the resistance

Rewards:

Support and information from the resistance

Failure: Betray the resistance by revealing them to the king

Completed Quests:

Spoiler :

Quest: Rest for the WickedQuest complete

The quest that was given to you under false pretense and that was part of the ploy to betray you and leave you to die was deemed impossible to solve. Against all odds you did it.

The Banshee’s soul found peace at your side because you set her free and gave her the ability to trust again.

Quest: Carry on my Wayward SonQuest complete

You and Lilith managed to lift the Grand Curse of Shattered Trust and to leave the area after destroying the tower.

Quest Part 2 Unlocked

Quest: Follow the ReaperQuest complete

You exceeded Death’s expectation and decided to join her as a companion.

Quest: Master of PuppetsQuest complete

Not only did you destroy the goblins inhabiting the abandoned mine, hindering them from creating more undead animal servants, but you also destroyed the cause of the dark magic.

You also released the souls of those imprisoned by darkness and gave peace to the souls of the dead villagers.

Quest: Mama liked RosesQuest complete

You gave Ella a little peace of mind and a chance to bury her beloved mother.

Furthermore you destroyed the cause of her grief.

Quest: The Witch’s PromiseQuest complete:

You chose to destroy the witch, releasing her prisoner, hindering her from summoning a great blood demon that would have terrorized the kingdom.

Available Titles:

Title : ParanoidThe betrayal of your friends scarred you for life but you learned a lesson to choose careful who to trust and are now a little bit tougher than before.

When equipped:

People think you’re insane because you are frowning all the time

Title : Solitary ManFor breaking a curse of betrayal you will be marked by dark powers to keep you alone in this world

Effects:

When in a party you deal 15% less damage for every party member

Familiars and Pets are not included

Effects are applied even if the title is not equipped

Title : I Stand AloneFor breaking a curse of betrayal you will be marked by dark powers to keep you alone in this world

Effects:

When in a party you receive 15% more damage for every party member

Familiars and Pets are not included

Effects are applied even if the title is not equipped

Title : Damaged beyond RepairYou damaged your own soul irreparably and because you forcefully destroyed the connection between cursed chains and it’s source the remaining dark magic will taint your soul.

Effects:

Relationships with the churches of light suffer and can’t advance beyond friendly

Effects are applied even if the title is not equipped

Title : Losing my ReligionThe gods punish you for refusing them.

The seven churches of light of the continent Akreton declare you a Persona non Grata, an unwelcomed person.

Effects:

Your reputation with the churches can’t advance further than unfriendly.

You are not allowed to enter the churches premises.

Healing fees are tripled.

If a member of one of the seven churches of light kills you, he will not gain infamy

Effects are applied even if the title is not equipped

Title: The bigger they are…For defeating a unique, named quest boss more than 40 levels above you, you are granted with knowledge of how to deal with experienced and dangerous foes, bigger and stronger than you

Effects when equipped

+5% damage against named monsters

+5% damage against monsters bigger than you

Stat Window Lily:

Spoiler :

Status WindowName:LilithAlignment:DeathLevel:38Class: Familiar of the Harbinger of DeathRace:Human (Spirit)Gender:FemaleTitles:Lady in Black-Health:0 / 970Health Regen:3.5/ SecMana:9670 / 7535Mana Regen:38.9 / SecStamina:-Stamina Regen:--Strenght:32Agility:40Vitality:55Luck:35Intelligence:344Wisdom:359-Attack:4Defense:-Magical ResistanceFire:10%Water:10%Wind:10%Earth:10%Lightning:10%Illusion:40%Light:10%Darkness:40%+ 15 added to all stats

+ Intelligence and Wisdom stat raised by 20 points

+ Magical Resistances raised by 10%

+ Resistance to Illusion and Darkness Magic raised by an additional 30%

+ Unaffected by physical attacks if not in corporeal form

+ Increases magical damage if the target is affected by the magic of the Harbinger of Death

+ Soul bound to Hall, the Harbinger of Death

+ Unknown

Skill Overview Lily:

Spoiler :

List of skills Soul Meets BodyBeginner LVL4 (2%)Angels don’t KillBeginner LVL3 (38%)Spiritual HealingBeginner LVL3 (21%)Voice of the SoulBeginner LVL6 (54%)I will follow you into the DarkBeginner LVL4 (69%)Prayer for the DyingBeginner LVL1 (37%)The Sound of PerseveranceBeginner LVL2 (57%)Tears of HeavenBeginner LVL3 (12%)

For detailed explanation on the skills you can check the stats thread, they are not up to date right now, but the details stay the same