“STATUS!” I commanded, commandingly, making a semi-translucent character sheet appear.

[NAME: MORDRED]

[CLASS: KNIGHT PROTECTOR LVL 1]

[0% EXP]

[FAME: PEASANT]

Like I needed you to tell me what my name is? Who designs these damn character sheets! Anyway, seen this crap way too many times, I’ll come back to it later. This is what caught my eye:

[HIDDEN CLASS: HIDDEN BLADE LVL 1]

LEVEL 1 INNITIATE [0% EXP]

Your overpowering hatred and thirst for revenge against the Knights of the Round has awakened a special skillset and class. You’re ready to do whatever, to whoever that gets in your way to achieve your goals.

Yay for long-winded, unnecessary fluff text! In short, I unlocked this awesome class because I was ready to be an asshole to everyone in Avalon to get what I want, except Lancelot. Who says nice guys finish last?

Sadly, there was only one active skill available at the moment, which disappointed me a little. Am pretty sure more will unlock as I level up though.

[MARKED FOR DEATH]

LEVEL 1/10 [0% EXP]

You don’t flinch when it comes to cold-blooded murder. Once you decide someone needs to die, you kill them.

Mark one target for death to inflict +10% Damage until it dies.

Casting Cost: 15 Mana

Cast time: 3 Seconds

Cooldown: 45 Seconds

All in all, a pretty damn cool skill! I’d have to rethink how my levelling plans to fully utilise it but I already have something in mind! On to the first passive skill:

[MASTER MANIPULATOR]

LEVEL 1/10 [0% EXP]

Constant experience with betrayal and subterfuge has given you great insights into the workings of the human mind.

+5% Chance to receive favourable reactions from all NPC interactions.

Your charm makes you appear more attractive than you really are.

+5 Charisma per Skill Level

Makes me seem better looking than I really am? Oh, come on, that miserable +5% Chance doesn’t do me justice. My chiselled profile alone should already be +50%, let alone with a passive skill buff boost! The extra Charisma and Perception stats will come in useful though.

This skill, however, sent shivers down my spine. It was a blatantly simple reminder - to save Lancelot, there would be people that I needed to kill. That I wanted to kill, to be more precise.

[REAPER]

LEVEL 1/10 [0% EXP]

You’re ruthlessness for a reason. For every player you betray who is killed gain:

100% of their Death penalty (exp, gold and items lost)

5% Chance to earn 1 additional random reward

Random rewards improve with levels

Duration: Accumulates rewards up to 30 Minutes after first triggered

Cool down: 24 Hours

While it would be a while until the game became divided into Casual and Lifeline modes, I needed to grow my character as fast as I could in preparation for that. Getting those bastards killed would not only slow down their growth, with this skill it would accelerate mine.

I wonder what the random rewards are though. Items? Skills? Could it be free stats, perhaps? Only one way to find out, I guess. Looks like some one’s going to have to die.

____________

Speaking of stats, I need to allocate my attributes points. Sigh. I was dreading this. “ALLOCATE STATS!” I commanded, commandingly.

“Hey Big Boy! Can you give me a HELL YEAH!” a grating voice sounded in my mind.

“Just give me my stats, will you?” I groaned. Yes, it was him.

“Can you give me a HELL YEAH!” [BOSS] ignored me.

“Just give me my fucking stats!” I cursed.

“Can you give me a HELL YEAH!” the world’s most irritating NPC persisted.

Fuck! As if I didn’t already have enough endless loops in my life. I sighed and caved in. “…. Hell… yeah…” I breathed.

“That’s the spirit, Big Boy! For some strange reason, you don’t seem surprised to hear me in your mind. Maybe I’ve been on your mind since you saw me. ATTRACTIVE. LIKE. A. [BOSS]!”

Fuck! I fucking hate this NPC! It literally kills me that every time I want to make a system request – this irritating bastard will the AI I needed to use to process it.

“Let me explain how the stats work before you allocate them, Big Boy!”

“No. just let me allocate my sta….”

Totally ignoring me yet again, [BOSS] interrupted me and proceeded to give me a 15-minute detailed noob walkthrough on the statistics. Which I summarised below for your sanity and mine here:

[Strength: 1 ] [Improves physical attack power]

[Dexterity: 1 ] [Improves agility, control and speed of body]

[Vitality: 1 ] [Improves physical defence and resistances]

[Intelligence: 1 ] [Improves magic power and resistance]

[Charisma: 1 +5 ] [Improves your luck, game rewards and attractiveness]

[Unused Points: 24 ] [Stat points you have not used yet]

“ADD STATS +19 Dex +5 Charisma,” I said.

“Big Boy, a Knight without Strength or Vitality? HOHOHO! You Bad Boy! You weren’t listening when [BOSS] was explaining the stat functions.”

“ADD STATS +19 Dex +5 Charisma,” I repeated; two can play the ignoring game.

“Your funeral, Big Boy,” [BOSS] replied. I immediately heard a tiny PING, indicating my stats had been updated.

“Now, it time to pick your two starting Knight Class Talents.

[CLASS: KNIGHT LVL 1]

LEVEL 1 SQUIRE [0% EXP]

Your love for your Master makes you a stalwart protector who will sacrifice anything to keep Lancelot safe and out of harm’s way.

“Take your time to carefully consider wha…” [BOSS] started, about to explain the different skills available to me for the Knight Class.

“WEAPON MASTER and OPPORTUNIST,” I smugly cut him off choosing two passive skills for now.

[WEAPON MASTER]

LEVEL 1/5 [0% EXP]

If it deals damage, you know how to use it. Given enough time, anything in your hands becomes a lethal weapon of destruction.

+15% Increased weapon proficiency exp

+ 10% Damage with Max level Proficiency weapons

[OPPORTUNIST]

LEVEL 1/5 [0% EXP]

You’ve an eye for chinks in the armour and know where to hit your enemies where it hurts.

+10% Chance for critical strikes

“CLOSE STATUS SCREEN,” I hurriedly said after completing what I need to do, dismissing [BOSS] from inside my mind before he drove me out of my mind.“What on earth are you planning, Big Boy...” [BOSS] questioned.

With my stats and skills selected, the first step of my plan was complete. Next thing I needed to acquire, was a good bow. As if reading my mind, [BOSS] suddenly looked at me from across the field, winked and bow-ed.

Shuddering, I quickly looked for Lancelot so we could both leave this chapter in our lives behind as soon as possible.