Leo entered his gaming capsule. The capsule was installed just a few hours ago, cutting it very close to the game’s launch. It was jet-black with a width of 1.5 meters and a height of 2.5 meters. It still had the iconic egg-shaped appearance, very much to Leo’s liking.

Leo made sure that the nutrient tubes were properly connected. The gaming capsule would monitor his body and feed him nutrients when needed. Leo did not know the exact specifics, but from experience, he knew that the capsule has the function of improving a person’s physique.

The nutrient serves as a way to substitute eating and the capsule constantly stimulates his muscles, ensuring that he won’t feel fatigued even after playing for hours. The capsule actually makes the user stronger with the effect increasing depending on how far the user pushes themselves within the game.

Leo brought up the capsule’s interface and initiated the DNA-linking sequence. Every capsule, as well as every virtual headset, was directly linked to the player’s DNA. This made sure that a player’s identity could always be verified, which was required when linking your banking information to use with the real world exchange system.

A needle gently pinched the back of his neck and an image of his DNA sequence appeared in front of him. The capsule made a low humming noise and a robotic female voice entered his ears.

Link establishing, please wait…

Link established, proceeding to character creation.

Please note that Ekalius Online will officially launch in 6 hours. You can still create your character before the launch.

A bright white light appeared in front of Leo and the surrounding changed from his metallic gaming capsule to a medieval European town. The houses were mostly made of wood and stone.

Several lights appeared around Leo and he quickly found 10 NPCs standing where the lights once were. These NPCs represented the 9 basic classes while the last one represented the Hidden Class Trial.

Leo quickly ignored all of the NPC except for the last one. The last NPC was an old man in a wooden chair reading a book. The old man looked up from his book when Leo entered within his range.

“Do you seek the Trial?”

The old man’s voice was feeble yet it held a hint of nobility. It made Leo unconsciously feel that he should show the man respect.

“Yes, I wish to try the Combat Trial.”

“Very well.”

The old man waved his hand and the scenery changed from an old town to a colosseum. The floor was completely made out of sand and Leo could see that the surrounding area was devoid of any life.

Leo did not know what to expect. There was almost no information released about the Trial. He only knew that it would be slightly different for every player. Leo calmed himself down and prepared to react to anything.

System announcement: Choose your weapons.

The robotic voice sounded out yet again and a table with various weapons appeared. Leo could see various daggers, swords, shields, spears, staves, etc. He decided on a slightly short spear and a shield. Leo was used to using a two-handed spear but that was simply because it was the only option for his class.

The table disappeared and a gray humanoid figure appeared in the previously empty sand-filled arena. Leo could clearly see its name and a health bar right below.

Practice Dummy (Common)

Level 0

Health 10

Leo looked at his spear to understand how much 10 health for a common monster is.

[Simple Spear (Copper Quality)]

Level requirement: 0

Attack power: 2

He would only need 5 hits to take the Practice Dummy down. Leo quickly assumed that this would be a wave-based challenge. He could not find any type of health potions and had to proceed on the assumption that health can’t be instantly regained. He could only hope it resets for each wave.

Leo inspected his shield to see if it had a durability that he would have to worry about.

[Simple Shield (Copper Quality)]

Level requirement: 0

Defense: 2

It seems like he won’t need to think about the shield breaking during the fight. Leo moved closer to the Practice Dummy and quickly entered within its range. The Dummy had a simple sword in its hands and quickly began to swing it towards Leo when he approached within 3 meters.

Leo easily avoided the sword and retaliated with his spear, aiming directly at its head.

-4 Damage

The attack dealt extra damage due to hitting its head. This told Leo that the Dummy probably has the same weak spots as a player. In Ekalius, the place you hit can affect the damage. Armor has a specific defense per piece and it’s not counted as a whole. Having a great chestplate won’t help you if you have a low-quality helmet and receive a strike to your head.

For monsters, however, this does not hold completely true. The monster’s A.I level increases depending on their level and rank. The lower level ones generally do a large attack that hit multiple parts of the body. This will make the attack lose a significant amount of its power.

Leo quickly sent out another attack towards the Dummy’s head and instantly killed it.

-8! Critical

The Dummy crumbled apart and a system announcement appeared.

System announcement: Wave 0 complete. Proceeding to Wave 1.

A new Dummy appeared, still using the same old sword.

[Practice Dummy (Common)]

Level 0

Health 30

It had far higher health but Leo was still not nervous. The Dummy still only had a rank of Common and would not be able to make complicated attacks. Leo entered within range and dodged the its first attack. He stabbed with his spear twice in quick succession before the Dummy could react.

-4

-4

Leo then pushed his shield close to the Dummy’s face, blocking its view. He continued to attack with his spear. Every time the Dummy tried to attack, Leo would interrupt with his Shield, not giving it any time to wind up an attack. The Dummy simple couldn’t comprehend how to counter Leo’s attacks. It died a pitiful death, unable to fight.

This continued on for a while until Leo finally reached the end.

System announcement: The final fight will begin in 60 seconds.

Leo stood still and waited for the timer to run out. He hadn’t really been challenged so far and was still full of energy. The timer quickly hit 0 and a new monster materialized in front of him.

[Practice Dummy (Champion)]

Level 0

Health 650 000

Leo stared at the new Practice Dummy in disbelief. Its insane health pool was at least manageable, but a Champion rank? Where did the Elite, Leader and Elite Leader rank ones go? A bug? No, impossible. Garius Online had never had a bug and he doubted Ekalius would be any different. There’s always a reason, even if no one can see it.

Leo thought about it logically. There’s no way that a normal player would be able to win against a Champion ranked monster right now. Even he, with 15 years of experience, had practically no chance of winning.

The Practice Dummy gazed at Leo and two bright lights appeared at its hands. A square shield and a short spear appeared in its left and right hand. A mirror match. Leo’s lips curled into a smile with excitement.

Leo made the first move and approached the Dummy. It quickly raised its shield and waited for Leo to attack. He sent the spear flying towards its feet but quickly changed the trajectory mid-strike, hitting its head instead.

-4

The Dummy stepped backward and began to thrust its spear towards Leo in retaliation. Leo elegantly ducked and swung his entire body to the right. He planted his feet firmly on the ground and sent out another strike at its head.

-8! Critical

He continued dancing around the Dummy, hitting it from its blind spots and slowly draining its health. This one-sided fight continued for 20 minutes before the Dummy began to counter-attack.

The Dummy sent its spear towards Leo but changed the trajectory mid-attack. Leo easily avoided it by stepping to the right and positioning his shield in-between himself and the Dummy. He had no time to relax as the Dummy quickly changed the trajectory once more, hitting Leo’s shield.

-(0) Damage received

The hit did no damage due to the double trajectory switch. It simply had no power behind it. Leo’s smile quickly faded, his eyebrows knitted slightly. The fight just turned serious. He no longer had the luxury of taking his opponent lightly.

Leo dashed towards the Dummy and sent his spear towards its legs once more. The Dummy raised its shield towards its upper body, allowing Leo to hit its kneecap without resistance.

-3

The Dummy faltered slightly and Leo used this opportunity to send out several stabs with his spear.

-2

-3

-4

-2

The Dummy slowly recovered from the sudden stabs to its knees. Its body lowered slightly as if to ensure that less of it stayed visible. Leo frowned at the Dummy’s actions. He quickly dashed up to the Dummy and once more stabbed at its legs. This time, the Dummy lowered its entire body even more completely covering its entire body.

Leo kicked the shield and watched as the Dummy stumbled backward, hitting the sandy ground. He quickly sent several stabs while his target lay on the ground.

-4

-4

-3

-4

-3

The Dummy recovered from its initial shock and managed to stand up. Leo moved within attacking range yet again and prepared to send out a quick stab. The Dummy raised its shield and took the stab head-on.

-1

Leo continued to attack its shield several times in quick succession.

-1

-1

-1…

After hitting the shield without pause, the Dummy no longer wanted to allow him to continue. It ignored the constant stabs and sent out several stabs of its own. Leo raised his shield and moved it slightly from left to right as his entire body followed a wave like motion.

-(0)

-(0)

-(0)

The Practice Dummy could not understand why its attacks did no damage. It did the exact same thing as Leo, yet none of its attacks managed to penetrate the shield’s defense. This constant back and forth continued for three hours without stopping.

Leo began to feel mental fatigue. Although the game doesn’t physically make players feel exhaustion, the mental aspect still remains. This is why those that practice real fighting or exercise regularly can go on longer than those that don’t. It’s not because their physique is better, but because their minds are used to the feeling of exhaustion.

Leo’s body right now was scrawny. He was slightly above average height but underweight. His face made him look like a teen even though he was 18 years old. His black hair was cut slightly short and appeared rough and unkempt.

Despite this, he still had the mental fortitude of 15 years of high-level fighting in the game. His body can’t fully keep up in the real world but that did not matter. In the game, his constitution still upheld the highest standard.

Leo inspected the Dummy’s health and let out a laugh.

Practice Dummy (Champion)

Level 0

Health: 434 129 / 650 000 (66.77%)

He simply could not defeat the Dummy. Its health allowed it to live for a long time, constantly gathering information from every attack Leo made. After three hours of constant fighting, the Dummy had gathered enough information to win.

Leo tried to hold on for a bit longer but the Dummy eventually managed to hit him, quickly reducing his mere 10 health to 0. This character had almost no attributes at all. Although Leo had the skill to kill the Dummy, his character was simply to low-spec for him to act on it.

System announcement: The combat Trial has been completed. Congratulations on passing with a score of 937!

System announcement: Do you wish to generate your Hidden Class now or also participate in the Professions Trial?

Leo listened to the system announcement and instantly spiraled into confusion. Why was he given the option to try the Professions Trial? It should only be one or the other. Leo thought about it for a minute. Would doing the Professions Trial invalidate his Combat Trial? Or would they mix together into a new class? The announcement did not say he would lose his combat class. Leo went back and forth thinking about it and eventually decided to give it a try. He just couldn’t believe that the game system would be cruel enough to stick him with a pure profession based class after completing the combat trial.

Leo pressed the accept button and the scenery changed from a Roman colosseum to a large workshop. He could see a large furnace boiling with heat with a simple looking anvil right next to it. To his left was a large pot with several chemicals around it. To his right was a sewing kit and pieces of processed leather.

He was unsure of what the game wanted him to do. Should he just pick one of the workstations and make something? Leo waited for a few minutes but no information appeared. He tried to walk up to the forge but still no change.

Leo decided to start with the Blacksmithing profession and just make a dagger. He knew somewhat how the system should work based on his experience in Garius Online, but he was unsure if it still worked the same here.

Leo began by taking a piece of iron about the size of a knife. He then heated up the forge and allowed the strip of iron to heat up. Leo then transferred the iron over to an anvil and began forming the tip of the blade with a hammer. He then moved on to form the handle by hitting it inwards.

The process took about 15 minutes of constantly heating the blade, quenching, tempering, polishing, etc. Leo looked at the finished dagger with a satisfied look. He was quite happy with the quality of the blade but still needed to add the shaft.

There were several premade shafts to choose from but Leo decided to make one himself at the woodwork table. He quickly managed to form the wood into a shaft and attached it to his dagger. The finished product was a simple iron dagger with sharp edges and a plain wooden shaft.

System announcement: Do you wish to submit your dagger?

Leo was about to accept when a sudden noise interrupted him. He quickly turned around and saw a small explosion at the enchanting workshop. He could not see anyone else nearby and had no idea why it suddenly exploded.

Leo walked up to the workstation and saw that nothing seemed to be damaged. This did, however, give him the idea that he could enchant his dagger. Normally this would have to be done by someone with the Enchanting profession but right now Leo didn’t seem to have any restrictions.

He read through the instructions from a piece of paper and began enchanting the dagger. It was fairly simple as he only needed to replicate the symbols from the instruction paper. The symbols were somewhat complicated in appearance but that was nothing to Leo.

The enchanting quickly finished and his dagger now looked slightly sharper and heavier. He felt happy about the outcome and finally submitted his creation.

System announcement: Congratulations on completing the Professions Trial with a score of 916! Creating a class based on your total score...

System announcement: The Creator class has been created!

Class information:

Name: Creator

Main-weapon: All types

Secondary-weapon: All types

Primary role: All roles

Secondary role: All roles

Quality rating: Unknown

Class specifics:

Ability to create weapons and equipment of all types.

Ability to learn any skill book.

100% increase to needed experience for leveling.

All learned skills will be 20% less effective and cost 30% more resources to use.

Description: A flexible class with the ability to fit any role. A jack of all trades that offers a customized fighting style at the cost of decreased power. Can be both a combat class and profession class.

Leo read through the class’ information with a smile on his face. This was exactly the type of class he had always wanted. Even though it needed more experience per level, it was still worth it to have such freedom. Even with the decrease in the skills’ power and increase to resources, Leo still found the class to be perfect for him.

It was a bit of a gamble on the creation of weapon and equipment part. He had no idea how good the gear could be. For all he knew, the best he could make would be Bronze Quality gear.

Leo accepted the class and created his character. He decided to start in Leomar Town and went with the human race. Leo had already reserved his name through the official website just 12 hours ago.

System announcement: Character created.

Character information

Name: Zero

Race: Human

Class: Creator

Guild: None

Title(s): None

General stats:

Level 0 (0 / 200)

Health: 10

Mana: 12

Spirit: 9

Rage: 9

Attack power: 9

Spell power: 9

Main attributes:

Strength (STR): 4 (increase attack power & rage)

Intelligence (INT): 4 (increase spell power)

Dexterity (DEX): 4 (increase attack speed, movement speed & spirit)

Piety (PIT): 4 (increase mana)

Vitality (VIT): 4 (increase health)

Resilience (RES): 4 (increase character’s defense)

Secondary attributes:

Perception (ability to see through stealth): 1

Charm (ability to make NPCs treat you favorably): 1

Other information:

Free attribute points: 6 per level and 10 extra per 5 levels.

Passive attributes: 1 per level per attribute.

Ability to create weapons and equipment of all types.

Ability to learn any skill book.

100% increase to needed experience for leveling.

All learned skills will be 20% less effective and cost 30% more resources to use.

Leo looked through the details with a satisfied look on his face. All he could do now was wait while the timer slowly ticked down and Ekalius Online officially launches.

Capsule notification: You have an incoming call from ‘Alex Reed’. Do you wish to accept?

Leo accepted the call and quickly heard Alex’s voice through the capsule’s communication system.

“How’s it going?”

“Very well actually. I just finished getting my Hidden Class.”

“I knew you could do it. I tried the Trial but failed to get far enough to earn a new class. Well, whatever, I like the Ranger class anyway. Shooting foes from afar with my trusty bow. Have you decided on a name yet? I need to add you once we get into the actual game.”

“Yeah, it’s Zero.”

“Alright, good. My name’s Ace.”

Leo and Alex talked with each other while watching the countdown slowly reach 0. A bright light appeared and transported them to their selected starting town.