I head down stairs and am surprised by the sight of six other members of the guild gathered around the table where we left the map last night.

"What the hell happened to you, Pup?" Oathshield asks as he points at my arm, which is covered with an odd tattoo I hadn't really noticed yet. As I focus on the tattoo, it seems to look like dancing scythes and dice!

'I thought that had been a dream... guess not...' runs through my head as I shrug. "Who knows... I had an odd dream last night and I woke up on the floor and this was there..."

"Looks like a Deity Mark, declaring your god, but a noob like you couldn't have a Deity, as most don't accept players under Level 75," an extremely wide, red and white bearded man grumbles. "I'm Foambeard, it's nice to meet the person who just secured our names in history."

"Aye..." a tall man with a gleaming silver helmet concurs.

"I wouldn't doubt him getting a Deity Mark this early," Oathshield grunts. "He's got the Luck of the Lady herserlf as far as loot goes."

'Should I tell them? It could lead to problems if I don't... but will they really trust me if I come out and say it?' I bite my lip and shake my head before going to the table.

A chime rings over the entire game, and a system alert pops up.

System Alert!

RAIJIN the Son of Thor (Level 269) has been slain by Kaiserrot the Dracolich on the Plane of Terror!

Raijin has been drained to Level 250 for his Respawn in Gran'igui. All fear the wrath of the Son of Thor!

"Well, looks like Dad really did a number on Raijin this time... losing nineteen levels on a single death?" I mutter out loud. "I sure hope Raijin doesn't find out I'm a Godling with the same leveling mission as him..."

Rockenroll glances at me almost a look of terror crossing his face. 'Shit, did I just say that out loud!? Damn it...'

"So, what's the plan? We're gonna go find the dwarves and establish a cleared route for trade allowing players to change to dwarven characters, right?"

"Aye!" Oathshield, Foambeard, and Helmstriker all announce.

I check the new Sale information on the cash shop and whistle softly.

Hooded Cloak of the Reaper

Clothing

Divine

2 lbs

Requires Deity: Death

Indestructible

Prevents the HP of the wearer from dropping below 1 unless the killing strike is a Critical hit.

When the Hood is raised, emits Aura of Terror, with an 60% chance of driving enemies away and a 15% chance to completely paralyze them. Paralysis chance raises with each Rank in Death.

Binds on Purchase

Cost: $25,000

Coin of the Savior

Artifact

Divine

0.5 lb

Requires Deity: Lady Luck

Flip the coin in the air and call it. If your call is correct, HP of your entire party is restored to maximum, raising any characters in your party that are dead and restoring lost experience. Can only be used once per day for each Rank in Lady Luck.

Binds on Purchase

Cost: $25,000

I quickly purchase them, and store them in my Ultimate Bag of Holding, since they are divine trump cards purpose made by my parents for me. I don't want to let people know about yet. If things go wrong, I can always pull them out later to use. As soon as I purchased them, however, they vanished from the store, almost as if they were a sale for my eyes only! This, of course made me smile.

"So, we've got a dedicated healer, a dedicated tank, and three dedicated dps?" I asked as I was going through my skills, blinking as I realized I suddenly had an open slot. I opened up the Cash Shop and inspected the available skills, wondering what would be useful, before I shake my head and close it, moving 'Trap' skill from the reserve to the equipped, and raise it by three skill levels, to increase my chance of detecting traps by 5%, as well as disarming them when I find them.

"Aye. I'm the tank, Foambeard is the Healer, Helmstriker, yerself, and Rockenroll are DPS. We shouldn't need any more, considerin' your pig," Oathbeard grumbled.

"Alright, so let's do this! Let's go break the dwarves free and unlock the first bonus race in the game!" With a cheer, we all got ready and left the Guild Hall to well wishes from the rest of the guild. When we get to the fork, Oathshield sets up the party invites.

Oathshield has invited you to join his party!

Join / Decline

Of course I join, and what I saw stunned me.

Oathshield

Level 105

HP: 1,200/1,200

MP: 300/300

TP: 840/840

Foambeard

Level 115

HP: 600/600

MP: 900/900

TP: 120/120

Helmstriker

Level 112

HP: 840/840

MP: 300/300

TP: 1,020/1,020

Rockenroll

Level 33

HP: 360/360

MP: 90/90

TP: 180/180

Hidden

Level 16

HP: 606/606

MP: 348/348

TP: 348/348

Pet: Porky (Hidden)

Level 13 - Grade 2

HP: 450/450

MP: 120/120

TP: 600/600

"WHAT THE HELL!?" Foambeard and Helmstriker roar at the same time upon my and Porky's joining the party.

"That's nothing... just let Hidden do any final killing blows on a boss. We'll get triple loot if he chops their head off!" Rockenroll encourages.

"So, we should have no problems going down the harder fork. Let's let Hidden and Porky level up by letting them kill everything. We'll just stand back and enjoy the show, healing them when, or if they need it," Oathshield informs the group.

I kill a few bandits before one of them drops a 'Captured Soul of a Bandit - Level 23', which makes all four of them cross their arms and look at me for me to explain myself since none of them could pick it up, even with Oathshield having it set to Lootmaster.

"Remember how I said I had a bad nightmare last night... well, it wasn't really a nightmare..." I open up my status panel and click 'Share', showing everyone in the party my two deity paths. "I've got a quest from Death to kill a hundred bandits, and a quest from Lady Luck to critical a hundred times..."

"What's this 'Godling' Title?" Foambeard asks.

"Apparently, my first incarnation was created by Lady Luck and Death, making me their son. I've also got a 'Divine Challenge' to join the 'Godling Squad' and unlock even more power. I have to level up a hundred times without dying or cheating... or I have to find two different races and bring them to the point of merging with society."

I reach into my bag and pull out the cloak, equipping it, but leaving the hood down. The cloak is a rich velvety material, and a black so dark it almost feels like it could feed on the light given off by a soul, and not just the light of the sun. I also reach in and pull out the coin. "I figured since you can see my financial status, you know I'm loaded. My parents intervened this morning, putting up two items in the Cash shop for me to purchase, which I did..."

"Are you allowed to teach the skills from your divine branches?" Helmstriker inquires. "Most deities allow it, but you can only test. You have over twenty ranks in Luck's Admiration. Select it and see if you have an 'Instruct Pupil' listed under it."

I check, and sigh when I see the 'Instruct Pupil' button greyed out. I check the ones from Death, and they are the same. "It's greyed out, says I need a minimum of 5 Deity Ranks to be able to instruct. As are the skills from Death."

"Well, at least they are letting you teach. So, what are your starting out quests to rank up your Deity branches?" Oathshield wonders.

"For Death, I have to kill a hundred bandits, and for Lady Luck, I need to Crit a hundred times."

"Then let's get to your farming!"

After another five bandits, I get another captured soul, and both my boar and I level up. I don't bother with the stat points, but I put the last two points into Tamer, which then asks me if I would like to spend a point and upgrade Tamer to Trainer, and I select yes.

Trainer - Skill Level 1

The bearer of this skill can Capture and Summon pets from Wild Monsters, as well as summoning Battle Mounts.

Access to Ability: Capture

Access to Ability: Summon (Living Monster - Pet)

Access to Ability: Summon (Living Monster - Mount)

+5% Chance to acquire monster 'Totem' on kill.

+1% Experience to Pet

+1% Experience to Mount

I quickly pump the last eight points into the skill, raising the Totem chance to 21% and the experience bonuses to 9%. I grin as after I'm done with the skill points, I charge forward and work on aiming for Critical damage spots, and we spend the next two hours genociding the bandits and working towards the cabin, which is still surrounded by them. In the course of those two hours, I leveled up twice, and Porky gained three! Of course, since we were part of a party, Rockenroll and the rest got free experience, allowing Rockenroll to go up a level.

I sigh as we see the cabin and open my stat panel. I had lost count of the number of executions I had managed, but I whistle softly as I see that I've managed to lop off a total of thirty-six heads! "So, I've got twenty-two skill points and forty-four stat points to distribute. I need ten more bandits and one more critical..." I look at Oathshield for some suggestion on his part.

"You said you wanted to be able to take those bosses on alone, so I'd recommend putting at least nine points into Shield of Bones, making it worth two hundred fifty damage absorbtion. Then I'd put the remaining thirteen points into Luck's Admiration and see what happens."

"Well, you guys will keep me alive if I need help, right?"

"Of course we will, but you said you wanted to try your hand at the level 35 minotaur and the level 40 chief on your own." I nod and do as he suggests.

Luck's Admiration - Skill Level 38

+25% Chance on Rare Loot

+20% Experience Gain

+20% Chance to Crit

+15% Chance to Evade

Ability Lucky Strike Upgraded

Lucky Strike

The attack now has a 30% chance of inflicting all three effects.

Shield of Bones - Skill Level 10

Absorbs 30 points damage for each level of Shield of Bones.

When struck with a Physical Attack, has a 10% chance of inflicting 5% of the absorbed damage back at the attacker.

I whistle softly. "That is some major changes... Not only did it change the amount of damage absorbed per level, it added a chance to counterattack with it." I rush forward and kill a bandit, using Lucky Strike to cleanly slice open his gut before he knew what was happening, he falls to the ground, trying to keep his internal organs inside as I use it again to lop off his head, getting a message that I completed the Quest from Lady Luck, increasing my rank, and placing the Divine Talisman 'Lucky Dice' in my bag.

Quest Alert! You have been assigned a Divine Quest!

Deity: Lady Luck

Quest: Critical Luck II

Perform 150 Debuff-inflicting attacks

Reward: Rank Upgrade, Lucky Dice Upgrade

I pull out the 'Lucky Dice' and look at their stats before equipping it in the second Talisman slot, since I am not going to wear earrings.

Lucky Dice - Rank 1

Divine Talisman

Divine

Weight: 2lb

Requires: Deity: Lady Luck

Indestructible

+5% Chance on Rare Loot

+5% Chance to Crit

+5% Experience

Binds on Equip

'Excellent! Thank's Mom!' I think whole heartedly for the first time in a long time. I quickly cut down the other eight bandits outside the cabin before I toss a fireball at the Minotaur, getting it to charge at me. I have the boar charge in, and I duck to the side using Lucky Strike on the minotaur, my sword hamstrings it, cutting its speed by a whopping 30%. I manage to barely avoid a counter attack and move behind it, swinging for the horn as Porky rams the minotaur in the gut, making it stagger.

Thankfully, with all my various buffs, my strength is over a hundred, which is the key for letting one rip the ring out from a minotaur's nose and remove the majority of its power, and I grab the ring, activating Lucky Strike again. As I jerk the ring out of the nose, I hear a sick tearing sound and a huge bellow of pain. I look back, and gag, seeing that I'd actually ripped the majority of the minotaur's nose off along with the ring! Porky slams into the minotaur again, killing it, triggering him to level up and myself as well.

Congratulations! You have gained a level.

Current Level: 20

Stat points available: 55

Skill points available: 11

Achievement: No Longer a Noob (Reached Level 20)

Reward: PVP Unlocked.

Achivement Upgrade! You are within the top 50 players to reach Level 20 without a single death. Current Count: 28.

Achievement: NEVER a Noob!

Reward: You now gain twice as many Stat and Skill points each level (Currently: 22 Stat, 22 Skill)

Warning! Administration Limiter Activated!

Due to the effect of 'Godling' doubling the reward from 'NEVER a Noob!' AI is Limiting the bonus. You will only receive 30 stat and 30 skill points per level. The remaining 14 stat and 14 skill points are added to your Donation Allotment and can be donated to other players, but not more than their Constitution or Intelligence modifiers per day.

Access to Administration Control: Donation

Access to Karma Store

Donation

Administration Control

Access to the Donation Menu

Access to the Stat Donation Tab

Access to the Skill Donation Tab

For each point you donate, you gain 1 Karma Credit.

Karma Store

Allows you to redeem Karma Credits for various buffs.

It's a good thing the Bandit Chief isn't in sight, as I stand there, dumbfounded reading these messages as they popped up. I shake my head to clear it of the messages as I hear the porch creak under the weight of the Chief as he launches himself at me. I twist slightly, making him miss where he was aiming, but still taking a lot of damage in the process.

Swearing softly at myself for my idiocy, I renew the Shield of Bones, and parry his next few strikes as Porky attacks him, trying to draw aggro to itself. I manage to counter attack with a Lucky Strike, making the bandit drop his dagger. I keep attacking and parrying, using Lucky Strike few attacks. The chief manages to stun Porky, but in return, my Lucky Strike actually cuts his leg off at the knee.

Porky recovers and rips open the Chief's stomach with his tusk, and a final Lucky Strike to the back of his neck lops off his head, which faces with the rest of the body as I get a pair of system messages, and a level up notification.

Trophy Already Obtained.

Quest Completed!

You have successfully cleansed the mountain of a hundred bandits. May they forever fear your name.

Reward: Deity Death Rank Up, Divine Weapon: The Reaper's Scythe

Quest Alert!

You have been assigned a Divine Quest!

Deity: Death

Quest: Purge the Mountains II

Slaughter 150 Goblins with The Reaper's Scythe

Reward: Rank Upgrade, Divine Weapon Upgrade

Congratulations! You have gained a Level.

Current Level: 21

Stat points available: 85

Donatable Stat Points: 14

Skill points avialable: 41

Donatable Skill Points: 14

The Reaper's Scythe - Rank 1

Divine Weapon (One-handed / Two-handed)

Divine

Weight: 10 lbs

Length 72 inches (staff) / 36 inches (blade)

Requires: Deity: Death

Requires: Strength 40

Requires: Dexterity 40

Indestructible

Damage 35-50 (Spear One-handed)

Damage 40-50 (Staff Two-handed)

Damage 60-70 (Scythe Two-handed)

Damage 60-70 (Spear Two-handed)

+10% chance to automatically kill on Crit

+10% Captured Soul drop rate

Blade can be locked at 90 or 180 degrees for Scythe or Spear mode, or stored for use as staff.

Binds on Equip

I collapsed to the steps, letting out a long, slow breath after the adrenaline of that battle flows out of me. When I look up, I see the other four of our party approaching. "Well, that last one was a bit tough. Porky's down to 25% life, and I'm about 75%. Oh, and Death wants me to start using a scythe when we enter the Goblin caves. I need to kill a hundred and fifty with this," I say as I pull out the scythe and equip it, letting them see it in all its glory.

"That... is so... cool!" Helmstriker exclaims as he checks its stats. "And it'll grow as you rank up!? Awesome!"

"Let's examine the loot from the minotaur and the chief..."

"Oh, we already did. Nothing nearly as cool as what you had gotten from the last time you guys killed them, but I see you got another minotaur horn and a second nose ring. The only cool thing was that both of them dropped Captured Souls, Level 35 and 40," Oathshield answers.

I quickly go and retrieve both souls and store them away, before pulling out the lower level bandit souls and crush the glowing jewels they resemble, a little pouch appearing under the dust, automatically sucking it in, preventing me from losing any. Each crushed jewel releases a soft wailing as they are freed from the jewel. Afterwards, I inspect the pouch.

Pouch of Soul Dust

Meticulous

Contains the dust from destroyed Captured Soul jewels, which can be used in alchemy and other crafting to make items of Epic quality and above.

Current Dust count: 1 lb

I whistle softly, and look over my status panel, blinking as I remembered that I'd just hit level 21! "Uh... I've got something I think you guys need to know about... It's why the bandit chief almost managed to crit me at the start of the battle..." I then explained what had happened with hitting level twenty and the System Limiter kicking in, along with the limits on my 'donation' of free points for others.

"That's why Raijin's allies are always so much stronger than everyone else!" Foambeard exclaimed, followed by various curses about Raijin, his parentage, and his guild.

"Well, we might be able to level the playing field. I doubt his friends lost the donated points when Raijin lost those nineteen levels... I'll handle my new skill points after we sleep... Let's go inside."

I recast Shield of Bones before starting to open the door. I noticed a wire and quickly pull the door shut, jumping to the side as a heavy crossbow launches a steel quarrel into and piercing through the door, all the way to its feathers.

"Thank goodness for the Detect Trap passive ability..." I groan. I crouch down, open the door, and cut the wire, jerking the door shut, as a pair of other crossbows shoot the door as well with solid steel quarrels, with dark, poisoned tips. "Okay, I think we're ready to go in."

"The nose ring, are the stats the same?" Oathshield inquires. I check the nose ring and nod. "So, we'll rip the ring out every time he respawns, and have a great bonus. He'll respawn in... half an hour, with the chief in forty-five minutes, or at least, that's from when they were killed."

"Does everyone have the minimum hundred strength after all boosts to be able to rip the nose ring out?" I asked.

"I'm afraid, I do not. I've only got a strength of ninety-two," Foambeard, our healer answered.

"Alright... hold on, let me see if I can figure out this new menu of mine..." I pulled up the Donation menu, and clicked on the Stats tab. Donatable Points: Fourteen. I then selected Foambeard and I blinked as it allowed me to actually see his base stats and gear bonuses, along with a plus sign beside his each of stat for me to increase it!

Foambeard

Level 115

Daily Maximum: 10

Donated Today: 0

STR 92 + 0 = 92

DEX 10 + 10 = 20

CON 100 + 0 = 100

INT 100 + 25 = 125

WLP 105 + 95 = 200

SPR 85 + 10 = 95

I quickly tap the plus sign next to Strength eight times, raising the value to a hundred, then I tap it two more times, just to make sure he's beyond the hundred required for ripping out the nose ring. I smile as he blinks in shock. I sigh as I cannot donate any more to him, so I click on Rockenroll and donate the remaining four points into his Constitution.

"Okay, so Foambeard now has 102 Strength, which is above the listed limit to pull out the ring. It's getting dark. I say we take shifts, and farm the minotaur for nose rings and horns, while we make the bandit chief understand that trapping players is not a good way to make his day."

Oathshield laughs, "Aye... I guess we can let you take over, since we wouldn't be out here if not for you."

"If Lionnel and his guild show up, let him take over the kills, just keep up the horns and nose rings." I enter the cabin and remove the stationary crossbows, as well as removing the steel quarrels from the door before going to the chest and disarming the level 1 poison trap and opening it. Inside the chest was about ten gold, and a bracer.

Bracer of Deflection

Bracelet (Left / Right)

Rare

+10% chance to parry

+10% chance to evade

+5% chance to parry projectiles

I chuckle and equip it, before sitting down against the wall. "Rockenroll, every time the bandit leader dies, check the chest for more loot. I need to think about these skill points, and figure out where I should distribute them to... We should keep two people awake per shift. We'll do three hour rotations, and I'll take the middle and last one." With that said, I opened up the wiki, and started researching my new skills before taking a nap for my shift of minotaur and bandit killing.