Vinny

Location: Hallow Abode, 1249 Kenton Avenue, Kenton, Floor One

Date: July 17th, 304 PS (Post System)

Time: 3:50 AM

It's almost four o'clock in the morning, and I am only now going to bed. My magical light armor is polished, and my father refilled the ice runes on it. I may not be an Adventurer just yet, but I can still use magical gear that has passive effects. This ice rune gives the armor a chance to freeze anything that strikes me. The sharpening of my twin daggers took up most of my time since they were mithril. I didn't engrave these with runes since mithril is a sturdier metal to etch into, and I didn't want to ruin something so expensive. I bought these from the shop a few months back, at cost, and dad instructed me on learning to sharpen it. That was the only time my father ever showed me how to sharpen a blade; I had to learn from trial and error after that. Thankfully, I was able to use the cheap bronze ones as my test subjects. My pack, a bag that strapped across my chest, lay next to my equipment. The bag is empty now, but when I wake, I planned to grab some potions and elixirs from the shop - dad already told me I didn't have to pay for whatever I grabbed. Thankfully, my father enchanted the bag with an enlargement spell so I can put as many things in my backpack as I want without any repercussions.

I laid in my bed, staring at the ceiling, scenarios of my test racing through my mind. Questions swam throughout my mind. Should I specifically look for a Life elemental or a Spirit elemental monster? Should I take the first thing I see? What if I find something I can't defeat? What will happen if someone decides to duel me while we are taking our trial - that kind of thing has happened before.

I twisted my body, so I was lying on my left side and looked out my window at the sleeping Kenton. From the third floor of my parent's house, I can even see the smoke from where Old Dale's Pub used to be. I hoped everyone was okay.

Thinking about the destroyed pub makes me think back to Connor and how useless I was to save him. Tears began welling up in my eyes, but I had to keep my mind straight, so I pulled up my status menu. I may not be able to adjust my stats just yet, but I can at least use them to make my strategies. I tapped twice on my chest, and a translucent screen appeared in front of me.

Name: Vincenzo (Vinny) Hallow

Class: None

Level: 0

Unallocated Stat Points: 0

HP: 300/300

SP: N/A

Level: 0

Strength: 6

Intelligence: 13

Wisdom: 9

Constitution: 9

Agility: 12

Charisma: 10

Skills:

None

I can't lift heavy objects or punch hard, but I am fast and intelligent. I am not too worried about my wisdom since I won't need that for my class. With my advantages, I need to work on dodging and striking swiftly and find my enemy's weak points. I'll have to use my leather boots tomorrow so I can work on sneaking around and being light on my feet.

I was thinking of what kind of monster I would bond with when I drifted off to sleep. Sleep didn't last too long. I felt as though I had just closed my eyes, and when my eyes opened, my alarm was blaring in my mind. Sunlight flooded my room, and when I looked down at Kenton, the town square was bustling. I waved my hand to turn off my alarm and lept off of my bed. My legs were stiff from all the running I had to do last night. I stretched for a moment and groaned as my muscles tensed up and relaxed - the stretching didn't fix the tension, but it did help.

I searched through my dresser for a clean shirt and shorts. I found a plain yellow t-shirt and gray shorts that I knew were a little too long for me. Upon sliding the drawer back into the dresser, my figurine of Gemagon, a red humanoid monster with dragon wings and jewels growing from its knees, fell off my shelf attached to the wall. I tried catching it, but I wasn't quick enough, and it shattered on the floor. My stomach turned - that figurine was one I'd had since I was eight years old. Back then, I had the opportunity to attend a tournament match where an Adventurer with a Gemagon swept an entire team of shadow monsters. After I saw that, I was in love with the creature. It would be amazing to find one and bond with one, but that won't allow me to become a Rune Scratcher.

"Shoot!" I yelled. Breaking my favorite childhood collectible toy was a great way to start the most important day of my life. I hurried and got dressed then swept up the broken stone before I stepped on it and cut my foot open. I could hear footsteps in the hallway outside before my door opened. My father popped his head into my room.

"Your mom should be done with breakfast soon, its waffles and bacon today," Dad said in a dull tone. He took a sip coffee, sighed, and walked away without closing my door - one of the easiest ways to annoy me. I know what dad was doing, and it was working. He was going to tell me it's his house and he could do as he wished; if I don't like it, I could leave. This morning was potentially my last morning here, so do is going to use as many of his dad jokes as he can. My father can be a grim, no-nonsense type of man, but he loves his corny jokes and puns.

When I got to my doorway, a small package caught my eye. It was a long wooden box with ornate carvings in it. I knelt to pick it up and opened the box. An emerald chained necklace lays delicately in its package; the glint of the jewel sparkled from the sunlight in my room. My jaw dropped. This piece of jewelry was my father's, and he's seen me eyeing it before. It had the passive skill Concentration (It allows the user to pay closer attention to whatever they are looking to do).

I dashed down the stairs; when I got halfway down the last set of stairs, my right foot missed the step, and I tumbled down the staircase. Dad was in the dining room, which was to the right of the stairs, and he was laughing hard enough to produce tears.

"I knew you'd do something like this!" My father said, smacking his hand on the table. He was chewing on bacon and had a plate full of bacon and a stack of waffles with diced strawberries. "Here's your plate." Dad pointed to a dish that was as loaded as his.

"Thank you, mom!" I screamed so she could hear me upstairs. When my mother makes a breakfast like this, she usually heads back to their room to fall back to sleep for a while. I began my demolition of this fantastic breakfast.

"Do you think you're ready?" Dad asked me, his mouth full of strawberries. I shrugged my shoulders.

"I'd imagine so," I responded. "I was up until four this morning polishing my armor and sharpening my blades. Thank you for the necklace. I know it was tough to part with it." My father nodded and swallowed his food.

"It was a piece of jewelry that took me the longest to finish," he reminisced, dad's eyes glazing over as he thought back to when he crafted the item. "I had to cut each emerald seperately. Your grandfather had a bag full of the uncut jewels that he let me use. You know, each of those gems is etched with mind runes?" I chuckled slightly. I'd heard the story many times before, but I don't mind hearing it again. "Don't worry about it, though. Handing it down to you now, before your Dungeon Trial, is a perfect time for you to have it." Dad placed a hand on my shoulder and smiled proudly at me with his eyes closed.

"You okay, dad?" I asked.

"I'm sorry we kept saying no to you about your trial," He said to me with watery eyes. "We couldn't afford it, but you know that. It isn't the full story, though. When your uncle Chris was about your age, he took his trial as well. I watched as he entered the dungeon, and I stayed at the entrance until he came out. I saw as people successfully left their test; my brother never did. I was already an Adventurer, but since I already took my Dungeon Trial, I couldn't go back in to save my younger brother. That day broke me, and I couldn't bear to continue as an Adventurer." Dad shook his head. "Chris and I planned to take on Floor One together. I even waited for half a year so he and I could go together. Promise me you'll come back." A tear flowed down his left cheek.

"I can't promise that," I replied. I thought it was selfish of dad to try to have my promise to pass the trial. "This is my chance to make something of myself, but I don't have a one hundred percent chance to come back; Murphy's Law and all that." My father dropped his gaze back to the plentiful bacon on his plate. I noticed a few teardrops fall onto his food. "I've been practicing for this, dad. I'm as prepared as I could be."

We finished the meal in silence. Both of us leaned back in our chair, enjoying the euphoria of being stuffed with food. I cracked my neck - leaning once on the left side and once on the right side.

"Well," Dad started. "Let's get over to the shop and get you sorted out." He stood up with the support of the tabletop, picked up both of our plates, and set them in the sink. Dad rinsed the dishes.

"I'm going to get my stuff," I told my father. I knew if I stayed any longer, I would have to put the food away.

After my sluggish trek up to my bedroom, I gathered my equipment. I equipped my armor and attached the daggers to my lower back. Having the knives there is the most comfortable way for me to grab the weapons, and it also looks intimidating. I slipped on my Bullerth leather boots and laced them just above my shin. The old school flat-billed, navy blue hat sat snug on my head. It isn't the most traditional headpiece, but it's what I thought would look cool. Connor and I had agreed years ago that once we became Adventurers, we would use at least one piece of old school attire. Unlike a typical hat, though, this one has runes engraved under the cloth that strengthens the fabric to be close to the durability of bronze. Lastly, I clipped the sachel across my body from my right shoulder to my left hip. I admired myself in the mirror; I look like an Adventurer now. I tucked the monster seal into the belt of my pants. It was secure, but still easy to reach.

Prepared, I made my way back downstairs. My mother was awake and waiting for me at the base of the stairwell. She wore a proud smile. Her puffy eyes suggested to me she had been crying. When I reached the last step, I embraced her in a tight hug.

"It's alright mom, I'll be okay," I told her. She rested her head on my chest plate.

"This metal is cold," She said, chuckling, then holding me tighter. "Please remember that it's okay to run away sometimes. You don't always have to finish a fight." Mom was referring to when I was younger and would never quit anything until I was finished, including when I would get into fights in primary school - which was often. I came home bruised and bloody quite often.

"Don't worry, mom," I assured her. "I know when I've lost, I think." She rolled her eyes and let me go.

"I'm heading back to bed," She told me. "Please do come back before you leave for Floor Two." My mother let go of me and climbed the stairs to her bedroom. Dad was leaning against the doorframe, watching me. He jerked his head toward the outside and walked out and left the door open. I immediately followed him into the warm sunlight.

My father waited up for me to catch up, and we talked while we made our leisurely walk to the adventuring shop. I still have another hour before I need to be at the dungeon entrance.

"When I went through my trial, it was tough for me to find a monster," Dad told me, a smile was creeping onto his face. "I was in there searching for about three hours; conquering test after test. Eventually, I got to a puzzle that was too tough for me. Before I could give up, that Shadoll appeared and helped me out." My father shook his head and sighed. "He had been following me the entire way and admired my ingenuity. He told me he would turn into Rune Scratcher scroll for me if I wished to bond with him. I agreed. I didn't want to be a scratcher, you know." He smirked and eyed me from the side. I gave him a quizzical look. "I know, right? I wanted to be an Abbot of all things. Your grandparents were Abbots. You never knew them, but they live on Floor Eighteen in the Knightwing Temple. They didn't want anything to do with us since I wasn't an Abbot." My father paused for a moment, and we walked a little way in silence - only steps away from the family shop. "I say all of this to tell you that no matter what you become, your mother and I will still love you."

We stopped at the doorstep. I waited for my father to unlock the door, then followed him in and made my way to the sales counter. To the right of the table was the shelf full of vials; I filled the pouch on my chest with the bottles. A translucent box appeared in my vision.

Congratulations!

You have acquired 3 Minor Health Potions

You have acquired 2 Minor Elixirs

You have acquired 1 Teleportation Vial

You have acquired 2 Draft of Ambrosia

I stuffed the last vial into the sachel and zipped it.

"Lord Monka," My father started the prayer while lighting candles. "Grant my child, your child, with strength, speed, and vigor to accomplish whatever he needs to do. Don't forsake your children of the craft, especially in our time of need." Dad used a candle to set a piece of paper on fire. When that slip of paper was gone, I began to glow green, and another translucent box popped up in front of me.

You have received Monka's Blessing!

You gain +2 to all stats

This effect will last for four hours!

Monka is the Naru god of crafting and merchants. There are nine of them, one to represent each Naru Tower. The Naru gods are as follows: Na'Drakon - lord of the skies, Piyago - ruler of the seas, Rosire - controller of storms, Tonjak - father of nature, Hargon - god of destruction, Uriol - bringer of light, Olol - the harbinger of darkness, Mitcem - the inspiration of musicians, and Monka - mother of crafting and merchants. I was never one to trust these "gods" since they were nothing more than a computer program, but I wasn't going to say no to a significant buff.

My father put a hand on my shoulder and told me, "I'll be here when you get back." He didn't hug me again, but instead got to work on the iron gauntlet I etched runes onto yesterday. I took a deep breath and left my father to his work.

The sun beat against my face as I nervously walked to the entrance of the Dungeon Trial. With how small Kenton was, it didn't take but ten minutes to get there. The opening was at the mouth of a cave. Others wished to take their exam today and are waiting as well. There were only two towns and one city where a person can participate in the test, and Kenton is one of those three places. A woman in dark gray robes stood at the front of the crowd with a clipboard. When I joined the group, the robed woman beaconed for me to go to her, so I did.

"Show me your status page and your Monster Seal," She asked. I tapped my chest and pressed the option to "Show Status Page." She grabbed the translucent status page from the air and dropped it onto her clipboard—the blank page filled with all of my information. I pulled out my Monster Seal, and she took it and looked it over. "This is an old one." She told me as she turned it over. "I'd be interested to see what becomes of you." The lady handed me my Monster Seal, and I tucked it back into the belt of my pants. I wondered what she saw that she could tell it was an old Monster Seal. Did Abbots know something most people didn't?

To the right of me was a guy just younger than me. He wore no headpiece, so his long blonde, braided hair was blowing in the wind. His green adamant heavy armor glimmered in the sunlight. He wore mithril studded gloves and had a shield attached to his back. The tanky teen didn't have any weapons.

"Where's your weapon?" I leaned over and asked. The guy next to me smiled and responded.

"Nah, man," He said with a drolling tone. "I don't use weapons, I use my fists, or I'll use my shield to fight." I initially thought he was kidding and would pull out a small blade, but no, he was telling the truth.

"You're insane," I told him with a laugh. "I'm Vinny," I told him and held out a hand.

"I'm Jack," He replied, keeping his smile and shaking my hand. "I'm going to be a Shield Bearer no matter what. I'm determined to find some kind of Earth monster."

"I'm trying to be a Rune Scratcher," I told Jack. He raised his eyebrows.

"Really? Why?" Jack asked me. He seemed perplexed.

"My dad is one, and I think it would be great to make a name for myself as a crafter," I told the blonde teenager. Jack shrugged and pointed a thumb at the brunette girl to his right. Her revealing tight leather armor made me blush and look away.

"This is Astrid," Jack told me. "She's trying to be a Duelist."

"Stop talking about me," She told jack with a scowl and a foreign accent I'd never heard before. Jack looked back to me with a grimace.

"Sorry, sweetheart," Jack said incredulously.

"For today's testing format, you will enter the dungeon in pairs. You will pass when both members of the party have bonded with a monster and have received a Class Scroll." The robed woman said to the group of teenagers. "You have five minutes to make your group."

The Adventuring Initiates scrambled to form their groups. Jack and I met eyes, nodded in agreement that we would party up. I opened my status page and sent a party request to my new acquaintance.

You have created a party with Jackson Paige!

Loot Drop: to be given to the person who lands the final blow

Paige, I know that surname from somewhere. Before I could think back to where I know it from, the examiner spoke up once again.

"I trust you have created your groups. Please line up, and I will let you know when you can enter." We all lined up two-by-two; Jack and I were toward the front of the line. A pair of teens would go into the trial dungeon; the examiner would look at her pocket watch then let the next people go. I was anxious to start, whereas Jack was nervously picking at his fingernails. Finally, it was our turn.

You have entered the Dungeon Trial!

May you have the best of luck!

Jack and I entered the cave and immediately need to make our first choice as a team. There were two paths. A door blocked the one to the right, and the other had an orange glow emitting from deep within.

"Left or right?" Jack asked me as he pondered his opinion.

"On the left, we can see the light, but the right has a door that blocks what we can see. We won't know if the door will lock when we get through it." I told my party member.

"Let's flip a coin," Jack recommended. I shrugged.

"Why not? If the coin lands on heads, we will go right, and tails will be left." I responded. Jack pulled a bronze coin from a back pocket and flipped it onto his left hand. "To the right, it is."

Jack pocketed the coin and walked to the door. He tested the doorknob, and when he figured out it was unlocked, Jack threw the door open.

"Let's go!" He chirped as he disappeared through the doorway. I followed along, and when I passed through the doorway, my fear came to pass - the door shut on its own, and I couldn't get it back open.

I kept walking through the darkness, hoping to run into Jack, but nothing. I walked on for a few more minutes before stopping and calling out for my teammate but to no avail. A weight fell onto my shoulders, and my walk turned into a slow crawl.

Keep calling; nobody is coming for you. A voice reverberated in my mind.

"Who are you?" I asked into the abyss.

I am you, I am your consciousness, I am your strengths, and I am your weakness. The voice responded. How could you leave your family like this?

"I'm not leaving them," I said to the mysterious voice. "I'll be back."

Who are you kidding? You have wanted to leave Kenton ever since you were old enough to take a Dungeon Trial. Now you have your chance to make a name for yourself. You can become great. Let me help you.

"My family is all I have left," I responded.

What about Connor? Is he nothing to you now that you have what you want? My mood dropped. I hadn't even thought about him. Can I go back to him? No, he can't travel the floors without a class.

"I can save Connor," I declared.

Save Connor? First, you have to save yourself, but you probably can't do that. It's because you are nothing. That's also why your parents didn't have another kid after you. They didn't want to make another disappointment.

"You're wrong!" I screamed at the voice. "You aren't me, and there is no way my parents are disappointed in me. I will save myself, I will get Jack through this, and I will conquer this dumb test, I swear to Monka."

You swear to Monka, but you don't trust her. You're fake, and you only use people to get what you want.

The more I thought about it, the voice was right. I do use people.

"You're right," I said. "I use people. I manipulate them to do what I want and to get what I want. I feel inferior because I am an only child. I resent my parents for making me wait this long to take a Dungeon Trial. I know I'm not perfect; just leave me alone."

Good, you have the sense to admit your flaws. Remember this as you climb the tower and make new friends.

The weight lifted, and light crept into my vision. I couldn't feel my legs or arms, but I was gradually sensing where I was. My sight came back, and I was staring at the dungeon ceiling. The reason I couldn't feel my limbs was because I was lying on the ground. My arms and legs were asleep but were regaining their feeling. I stood up, but my legs didn't want to support my body, so I resolved to sit for a moment and lean against the cave wall.

You have passed the "Trial of the Mind."

You may continue to the next leg of your journey!